News Story not available This story has been published on: 2023-10-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. This story is no longer available on our site. China to offer more, better services to world through high-quality development 09:43, September 05, 2023 By He Yin ( People's Daily On Sept. 2, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) via video. "In developing the services sector and trade in services, China will work with all countries and parties to advance inclusive development through openness, promote connectivity and integration through cooperation, foster drivers for development through innovation, and create a better future through shared services, in a bid to jointly get the world economy onto the track of sustained recovery," Xi said. The 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services opens in Beijing, Sept. 2, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Weng Qiyu) In his speech, Xi announced a series of measures of China to expand the opening up of the services sector and expounded on China's important proposals for promoting the prosperity and development of international trade in services. The speech demonstrated China's willingness and commitment to sharing the achievements of trade in services with other countries. The world economic recovery remains sluggish today, with less than 3 percent growth for the year as estimated by some international institutions. Trade in services is a pivotal component of international trade, and the services sector plays a vital role in economic and trade collaboration between nations. At present, the deepening global cooperation in trade in services and the services sector, the accelerated process of digital-driven, smart and green growth, and burgeoning new technologies as well as new business forms and models would give a strong impetus to advancing economic globalization, reviving global growth and enhancing the resilience of world economic development. Photo taken on Sept. 2, 2023 shows an exhibition booth of the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services at Shougang Park in Beijing. (People's Daily Online/Du Jianpo) With the theme of "Opening up leads development, cooperation delivers the future," the 2023 CIFTIS aims to build an important platform for expanding opening up, deepening cooperation and leading innovation, and will inject new impetus into promoting world economic recovery through trade in services. How will China, the second-largest economy in the world, further contribute to global economic recovery? Noting that this year marks the 45th anniversary of China's reform and opening up, Xi reaffirmed the country's commitment to promoting high-standard opening up and advancing Chinese modernization on all fronts through high-quality development, thereby providing all countries with new opportunities for openness and cooperation. China will create a "more open and more inclusive" development environment, strengthen the bond of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, strengthen innovation-driven development, and share the outcomes of the Chinese modernization drive with the rest of the world. These proposals demonstrate China's firm determination to follow the development trend of economic globalization, promote development by opening up and seek win-win results with cooperation. They also manifest China's aspiration to lend new impetus to global development with the opportunities generated by the country's vast market, and to increase the sense of gains of people around the world. How will China, a powerhouse of trade in services, further promote international service trade? Photo taken on Sept. 2, 2023 shows the exhibition booth at the culture and tourism thematic exhibition of the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services at Shougang Park in Beijing. (People's Daily Online/Du Jianpo) Xi noted that China will expand a globally-oriented network of high-standard free trade areas, actively launch negotiations on the negative list for trade in services and investment, and further open up services areas such as telecommunications, tourism, law and vocational examinations. China's national integrated demonstration zone for greater openness in the services sector as well as eligible pilot free trade zones and free trade port will be the first to align their policies with high-standard international economic and trade rules, Xi said, adding that the country will widen access to its services sector, advance the opening up in cross-border services trade in an orderly manner, improve the level of standardization of services trade, and steadily expand institutional opening up. China will deepen cooperation on services trade and digital trade with Belt and Road partner countries. It will accelerate the cultivation of new drivers for the digitalization of services trade, implement pilot reforms on basic data systems, and promote the development of digital trade through reform and innovation. Besides, it will take the initiative to increase the imports of quality services, and encourage more exports of knowledge-intensive services. These measures will not only help with the development of China's service sector and trade in services, but also promote the prosperity of global trade in services and bring more benefits of trade in services to people around the world. This year marks the 45th anniversary of China's reform and opening up. The world is seeing a more proactive China in expanding openness and cooperation, and a more attractive China to all countries eager for openness and cooperation. China is continuously working to improve its business environment, further expanding the industries and areas in which foreign investment is encouraged, offering greater convenience for foreign investors in China, and promoting the signing of more high-standard free trade agreements and regional trade agreements. It has created a series of platforms of opening up including the CIFTIS and the China International Import Expo. In the first seven months of this year, 28,406 foreign-funded enterprises were established across China, up 34 percent. The CIFTIS this year has attracted 59 countries and 24 international organizations to set up exhibitions and conferences, with more than 2,400 companies participating offline. More than 500 Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders attended the event, and over 20 percent of participants were from outside China. This fully proves the confidence of the international community in the Chinese economy, and the great importance it is attaching to the vast opportunities presented by the Chinese market. The global economy thrives in openness and withers in seclusion. China will unswervingly expand high-level opening up, and work with all parties to uphold the hard-won free trade and multilateral trading regime, share in the historic opportunities in the development of global trade in services, and unite for an even brighter and more prosperous future for the world. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) The Georgia Attorney Generals Office has filed RICO Act violation charges against protesters fighting to stop the construction of the police training facility known as Cop City in Atlantas South River Forest. The charges of violating Georgias Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations were filed Tuesday, Sept. 5, in Fulton County Superior Court, with 61 people named. In a statement announcing the indictment, the AGs office alleged that the defendants have conspired together to prevent the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center by conducting, coordinating, and organizing acts of violence, intimidation, and property destruction in Georgia and other states. The RICO charges mark another significant increase in pressure from state officials looking to crack down on those advocating against the the $90 million, 85-acre police training facility. As the Atlanta Community Press Collective a local group covering the Stop Cop City movement and other autonomous groups noted on Twitter, many of the people charged with RICO Act violations were previously hit with domestic terrorism charges earlier this year over their opposition to Cop City. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Additionally, money laundering charges have been brought against organizers of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, which helps arrested protesters with jail support and legal representation. And capping it all off, the ACPC noted that three people indicted on RICO charges were previously arrested for merely passing out flyers earlier this year. In a statement shared with Rolling Stone, the Cop City Vote coalition slammed Georgia AG Chris Carr and the RICO charges, calling them blatantly authoritarian. They further accused the State of Georgia of trying to intimidate protestors, legal observers, and bail funds alike, and send the chilling message that any dissent to Cop City will be punished with the full power and violence of the government. The Cop City Vote coalition strongly condemns these anti-democratic charges, the statement adds. We will not be intimidated by power-hungry strongmen, whether in City Hall or the Attorney Generals office. Chris Carr may try to use his prosecutors and power to build his gubernatorial campaign and silence free speech, but his threats will not silence our commitment to standing up for our future, our community, and our city. Perhaps pointedly, the RICO indictment dates the origins of the Defend the Atlanta Forest movement back to May 25, 2020, the day Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd (the indictment refers to Floyds murder not as murder but a high-profile killing). Of this decision, the Cop City Vote coalition said, This is months before anyone was even aware of Cop City, and is a clear assault on the broader movement for racial justice and equity. Carrs actions are a part of a retaliatory pattern of prosecutions against organizers nationwide that attack the right to protest and freedom of speech. Carr, in a statement of his own said, As this indictment shows, looking the other way when violence occurs is not an option in Georgia. If you come to our state and shoot a police officer, throw Molotov cocktails at law enforcement, set fire to police vehicles, damage construction equipment, vandalize private homes and businesses, and terrorize their occupants, you can and will be held accountable. We will not waver when it comes to keeping people safe, enforcing the rule of law, and ensuring those who engage in criminal activity are vigorously pursued and aggressively prosecuted. As Rolling Stone reported last year, the Stop Cop City movement is largely being led by a loose band of environmentalists and anarchists under the banner, Defend the Atlanta Forest. Since Cop City was approved in 2021, many protesters have literally camped out in the South River Forest, aiming to disrupt and stop the construction of the facility by any means necessary. In response, authorities mounted two raids on the protesters, in Dec. 2022 and Jan. 2023, which led to the arrest of dozens of protesters. Many were hit with terrorism charges, even though their arrest records showed they committed no specific crimes other than misdemeanor trespassing. During the Jan. 18 raid, the police also killed a protester, Manuel Torguguita Teran. While the Georgia Bureau of Investigation claims Teran shot first, protesters have disputed this claim, noting theres no body camera footage of, or civilian witnesses to, Terans killing. Following Terans death, the Stop Cop City movement took to the streets in Atlanta, prompting Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to issue a state of emergency declaration and call in the Georgia National Guard. Many of those arrested were hit with domestic terrorism charges, a tactic authorities have continued to use to snuff out demonstrations. Several months later, in March, a legal observer and attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center was among 40 people charged with domestic terrorism during a March protest. In June, a legal challenge was brought against the states use of its domestic terrorist statute against protesters, arguing it was a free speech violation. Amidst the protests and charges, an effort is also underway to appeal the lease the Atlanta City Council granted to to the Atlanta Police Foundation to build Cop City. The Cop City Vote coalition has been collecting signatures to put a referendum on the ballot, and they plan to submit those by the end of September. This story was updated at 2:28 p.m. ET with a statement from the Cop City Vote coalition. This story was updated again at 5:01 p.m. ET with a statement from the Georgia Attorney Generals Office. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is charging 61 people with racketeering as his office is cracking down on what he says is a criminal enterprise to stop the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. The indictment says the people tried to stop construction at the training site by any means necessary and that includes violence and money laundering. Channel 2 Action News was there in May when Atlanta police raided a northeast Atlanta home, arresting three people: Marlon Kautz, Adele McLean, and Savannah Patterson. [PHOTOS: Protestors named in RICO indictment connected to Atlanta police training center] Now, all three are featured prominently in the indictments of 61 people Georgias attorney general insists were part of a criminal conspiracy to stop the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Channel 2s Richard Elliot was at a news conference Tuesday afternoon where Carr said the three and their organization, Defend the Atlanta Forest, raised money from unsuspecting donors and then used that money to fund the occupation of the construction site. As a result, thousands of good-faith donors gave millions of their own money to a certain charitable cause and their funds instead were spent on ammunition, surveillance materials and a drone, Carr said. Carr said many of the 61 engaged in acts of violence against police and the contractors building the site. On multiple occasions, members of the group torched and caused other damage to buildings and construction equipment including excavators and bulldozers. RELATED STORIES: The Cop City Vote Coalition, a group of people trying to get a citywide vote on the training center, blasted the indictments, saying in a statement that these charges seek to intimidate protestors, legal observers and bail funds alike and send a chilling message that any dissent to Cop City will be punished. Carr contends that Defend the Atlanta Forest and the criminal defendants conspired to halt construction by any means necessary. Members of Defend the Atlanta Forest subscribed to a philosophy of anarchy. They hold a core belief that society should abolish police, government and private business, Carr said. Carrs office decided to charge these 61 defendants in Fulton County, not DeKalb County where the training center site is located. Under state law, he can do that with a RICO case. In June, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston withdrew her office from prosecuting any of these cases. Thats why the AGs office took over. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens office sent a statement, saying: This investigation into alleged acts of violence and other crimes was led by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the indictments were sought by the Attorney General. As such, we have no further comment. We are working alongside state, federal and municipal partners to provide security and protection for members of the grand jury. The ACLU of Georgia also sent a statement, condemning the indictment: Georgias attorney general has obtained indictments against more than 60 people, alleging violations of the states Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law over ongoing efforts to halt construction of Atlantas planned $90 million police training center, known by many as Cop City. Some are also facing additional charges of domestic terrorism and money laundering. We are extremely concerned by this breathtakingly broad and unprecedented use of state terrorism, anti-racketeering, and money laundering laws against protesters, said Aamra Ahmad, senior staff attorney with ACLUs National Security Project. Georgia law enforcement officials are disproportionately wielding these overbroad laws to stigmatize and target those who disagree with the government. Since late 2021, protesters under the banners of Stop Cop City and Protect the Weelaunee Forest have raised concerns over climate justice, displacement of Black communities, and increasing militarization of police forces. Protesters have camped out in the forest, staged marches, and hosted community events. At times, a small minority of protesters have allegedly damaged property. Democracy requires dissent and our states officials should not be exposing individuals to potentially decades in prison for engaging in protests, said Christopher Bruce, policy and advocacy director at ACLU of Georgia. RELATED NEWS: The attorneys general from all 50 states have banned together and sent an open letter to Congress, asking for increased protective measures against AI-enhanced child sexual abuse images, as originally reported by AP. The letter calls on lawmakers to establish an expert commission to study the means and methods of AI that can be used to exploit children specifically. The letter sent to Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate also urges politicians to expand existing restrictions on child sexual abuse materials to specifically cover AI-generated images and videos. This technology is extremely new and, as such, theres nothing on the books yet that explicitly places AI-generated images in the same category as other types of child sexual abuse materials. We are engaged in a race against time to protect the children of our country from the dangers of AI, the prosecutors wrote in the letter. Indeed, the proverbial walls of the city have already been breached. Now is the time to act. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Using image generators like Dall-E and Midjourney to create child sexual abuse materials isnt a problem, yet, as the software has guardrails in place that disallows that kind of thing. However, these prosecutors are looking to the future when open-source versions of the software begin popping up everywhere, each with its own guardrails, or lack thereof. Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has stated that AI tools would benefit from government intervention to mitigate risk, though he didnt mention child abuse as a potential downside to the technology. The government tends to move slowly when it comes to technology, for a number of reasons, as it took Congress several years before taking the threat of online child abusers seriously back in the days of AOL chat rooms and the like. To that end, theres no immediate sign that Congress is looking to craft AI legislation that absolutely prohibits generators from creating this kind of foul imagery. Even the European Unions sweeping Artificial Intelligence Act doesnt specifically mention any risk to children. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson organized the letter-writing campaign and has encouraged colleagues to scour state statutes to find out if the laws kept up with the novelty of this new technology. Wilson warns of deepfake content that features an actual child sourced from a photograph or video. This wouldnt be child abuse in the conventional sense, Wilson says, but would depict abuse and would defame and exploit the child from the original image. He goes on to say that our laws may not address the virtual nature of this kind of situation. The technology could also be used to make up fictitious children, culling from a library of data, to produce sexual abuse materials. Wilson says this would create a demand for the industry that exploits children as an argument against the idea that it wouldn't actually be hurting anyone. Though the idea of deepfake child sexual abuse is a rather new one, the tech industry has been keenly aware of deepfake pornographic content, taking steps to prevent it. Back in February, Meta, OnlyFans and Pornhub began using an online tool called Take It Down that allows teens to report explicit images and videos of themselves from the Internet. This tool is used for regular images and AI-generated content. This is the first story of a three-part series. Click here to read the second, and click here to read the third. WASHINGTON A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers traveled to Britain this spring in an effort to get tough on China. But House China committee Chairman Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and his delegation quickly found their British counterparts had another matter top of mind: AUKUS, the trilateral nuclear-powered submarine agreement with Britain and Australia. Officials from those countries made clear to Gallagher and other U.S. lawmakers that Congress must take steps to ensure the deal is a success. Specifically, they want lawmakers to approve a blanket exemption for the U.K. and Australia within Washingtons stringent export control regime. That policy, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, sets rigorous restrictions on sensitive defense exports. Without ITAR exemptions, they worry the pact wont succeed. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The thing we heard most consistently from our allies in Britain is that ITAR is a roadblock for cooperation with them, Gallagher told reporters. He said a a free-world approach to AUKUS is critical. The AUKUS agreement is intended to draw the three countries defense industries closer together by helping Australia develop its own nuclear-powered submarine fleet while sharing top secret technology among the allies. If it works, the program will develop cutting-edge capabilities that will influence the future of warfare. While visiting Australia in August, Gallagher said long-overdue ITAR reform could lead to joint U.S.-Australian munitions production and hypersonic weapons development, turbocharging AUKUS. Critics of existing U.S. export control laws, like Gallagher, argue reform is necessary to increase cooperation among the three countries defense-industrial bases, a goal the Biden administration is also eager to pursue. But the push to overhaul ITAR has faced resistance, with the State Department and Democrats arguing the export control policy is crucial to keeping defense industry secrets from falling into the hands of rivals such as China. As the two-year anniversary of AUKUS approaches, the export control debate and a separate tussle over the health of the submarine-industrial base have raised questions about how and when Congress will pass several authorizations needed to make the program into the transformational initiative leaders promised. Republicans and the defense industry say if Congress does not pass an ITAR exemption for the U.K. and Australia, it will stymie joint development of disruptive technology such as hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The Pentagon had also hoped Congress would approve the transfer of Virginia-class submarines to Australia this year in order to illustrate the countrys commitment to the pact and to pave the way for Canberra to prepare for its future fleet. But those efforts have stalled while Senate Republicans push for additional funding for the submarine-industrial base beyond the $647 million the Biden administration requested for fiscal 2024. You cannot have an effective transfer of Virginia-class submarines to Australia without systemic change to U.S. export control, tech transfer and information sharing processes as they apply to Australia, said Ashley Townshend, a senior fellow for Indo-Pacific security at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank. Australia has ripped up a deal with France to pursue a submarine agreement with Britain and the United States. It cannot begin to address either independently or trilaterally the gamut of industrial base, workforce, defense planning and nuclear stewardship requirements of the SSN project until it has assurances the deal is done, he told Defense News, using an abbreviation for attack submarines. Layers of red tape AUKUS has paved the way for Australia to acquire its own nuclear-powered submarine fleet, but it wont be ready until the 2040s. In the meantime, all three AUKUS countries are eager to jump-start collaboration on emerging technologies that could prove key to future warfare. This initiative has revived a two-decade-old export control dispute among the three allies. Our allies actually have technology which is as good, if not better, than us, said Bill Greenwalt, a former U.S. deputy undersecretary of defense for industrial policy who is now a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute think tank. There are huge disincentives for our allied countries to share that with the United States or work with us in any manner because of the stickiness of U.S. export controls, the extraterritorial application of export controls. Because of that, what were seeing is the creation of greater ally technologies that exempt U.S. content or even U.S. participation, he added. The Australian Defence Department in July announced a partnership with a startup technology firm specializing in quantum technology, Q-CTRL. The company, which also has offices in the U.S. and Britain, is developing a navigation capability for military platforms including nuclear submarines to serve as an alternative to GPS. The head of Q-CTRL, Michael Biercuk, warned a failure to overhaul ITAR would isolate the United States within AUKUS. For example, he noted that ITAR hinders employees at Q-CTRLs Los Angeles, California, office from collaborating on the technology its pioneering in Australia. The United States will not be able to partner with Australia and the U.K. in this, Biercuk said. If we really want cross-border participation among these very friendly nations in this area of critical technology, we just have to remove this one roadblock. Everybody wants to avoid engaging with the United States because ITAR is very difficult to comply with. U.S. President Joe Biden looks at a quantum computer as he tours the IBM facility in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on Oct. 6, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) For years, Canada has been the only U.S. ally to enjoy the special ITAR exemption Britain and Australia now seek. The U.S. ratcheted up export control laws after China and Iran took advantage of Canadas ITAR exemption in the 1990s to circumvent Washingtons arms transfer regulations. China used Canada to purchase infrared equipment from a U.S. firm, while Iranian front companies used the country to buy American weapons. The incidents prompted the U.S. State Department to revoke Canadas ITAR exemption in 1999, only to restore it in 2001 after the northern neighbor strengthened its laws, harmonizing its export control list with U.S. regulations. Feeling impeded by the enhanced ITAR regulations, Britain and Australia persuaded the George W. Bush administration to lobby Congress to give both countries the same ITAR exemption as Canada. Bushs fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill blocked this effort, insisting London and Canberra first bolster their own export control regimes. Neither country did so, and in 2010 the Senate ended up ratifying separate defense cooperation treaties with each country that fell short of the Canada exemption. Defense firms in AUKUS countries argue these treaties have not significantly reduced the export control barriers that could slow progress on the pact. Townshend said an export control overhaul is also needed to make the submarine portion of AUKUS work because specific, individual components for the vessels would all trip up different kinds of export control regulations, tech transfer and information sharing regulations. Current export control laws also mean Britain and Australia need specific, individual licenses for most defense transfers, ranging from taking a weapon sold to an allied navy and repurposing it for use by the countrys air force, to sharing military tactics manuals for items like the Tomahawk missile system. The U.S. Navy attack submarine Annapolis launches a Tomahawk cruise missile off the coast of California in 2018. (MC1 Ronald Gutridge/U.S. Navy) The U.S. government approves almost all these licenses, though that process can take nearly a year in some cases. Britain estimated in 2017 it spends about $500 million annually on ITAR compliance. Export control reform within and between AUKUS nations is key to removing the layers of red tape, unnecessary delays, and compliance costs that currently face our government and our industries, Claire Bates, a spokeswoman for the British Embassy in Washington, told Defense News. The Australian Defence Department did not reply to Defense News requests for comment. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCaul, R-Texas, has been receptive to these concerns. Republicans on his panel advanced legislation in July to give both countries a Canada-style ITAR exemption, over Democratic objections. Theres too much bureaucracy within the ITAR system, McCaul told Defense News. This goes further than the State Departments June legislative proposal, obtained by Defense News. That proposal asked Congress to give Australia and Britain the ITAR exemptions only if the two countries enhance their own export control regimes so that they are at least comparable to those administered by the United States. Democrats have sided with the State Department, which oversees ITAR, arguing China could take advantage of loosened export control laws. The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, noted in July that the targeting of Australian defense industry insiders and experts has increased since AUKUS announcement and that the U.K. faces similar intelligence threats. Mike Burgess, the director general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, warned in February of an uptick in online espionage attempts aimed at the countrys defense industry since AUKUS was announced in September 2021. Third-party companies have offered Australians hundreds of thousands of dollars and other significant perks to help authoritarian regimes improve their combat skills, Burgess said. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.J., attached a different approach to ITAR reform as an amendment to the FY24 defense policy bill, which passed 86-11 in July. Menendezs legislation gives the State Department more discretion as to whether, and how broadly, to implement an exemption for Britain and Australia under ITAR, setting up a possible showdown this year between the House and Senate on AUKUS export control. For its part, the White House has helped lead the charge for some degree of export control reform. This is not a whether to, its a how to, Kurt Campbell, the National Security Council coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, said in June. Sometimes that simple, crystallized fact helps quite a lot in complex bureaucratic situations. So were under clear instructions to move in that direction. In the meantime, the State Department has established an AUKUS Trade Authorization Mechanism as an interim capability to speed up the transfer of certain technologies. A State Department fact sheet issued in July noted there are already more than 50 exemptions within ITAR that dont require a license for close allies. It defended the export control regime as necessary because of malign actors seeking to acquire cutting-edge U.S. technology like an AI algorithm capable of creating drone swarms. Knitted together Despite misgivings about ITAR, U.S. defense companies have shown a keen interest in Australia. When you can find ways to collaborate with your closest allies, to knock down barriers to cooperation, technology, development, interoperability, getting these defense-industrial bases kind of knitted together, youre going to incentivize a whole bunch of interesting things, Mara Karlin, the U.S. assistant secretary of defense for strategies, plans and capabilities, told a Defense Writers Group roundtable in August. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in July met with their Australian counterparts in Canberra and announced the U.S. would help Australia make guided-missile rockets for both countries by 2025. Lockheed Martin and RTX, formerly called Raytheon Technologies, will produce the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems in Australia for both countries. The White House and the Pentagon have also asked Congress to make British and Australian companies eligible for U.S. federal grants under the Defense Production Act another advantage only enjoyed by Canada arguing it will help advance AUKUS. U.S. President Joe Biden promised Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a May meeting that the U.S. would do this, but Congress has not acted on this legislative request from the Pentagon since then. Anthony Di Stasio, who oversees Defense Production Act grants at the Pentagon, said adding Canberra would help bolster U.S. supply chains for critical minerals like cobalt abundant in Australia and explosive materials like TNT. Prior to Russias invasion, Ukraine was one of the Pentagons only three qualified TNT suppliers, with the other two in Poland and Australia. Di Stasio noted the U.S. military is using less TNT every year, so it would be cheaper to use Defense Production Act grants to expand Australian facilities than to build a U.S. plant from scratch. Oris TinStix of the Dynamite aerobatic team featuring American Skip Stewart and Triple world aerobatics champion Jurgus Kairys fly past pyrotechnics as they perform at a 2017 air show in Avalon, Australia. (Scott Barbour/Getty Images) Similarly, the proposal would allow U.S. grants to fund cobalt mining activities in Australia. China dominates most of the worlds market for cobalt, needed to make batteries as well as hard-target penetrators for the military. Di Stasio hopes putting Britain and Australia under his offices purview will allow them to participate in a pilot program he envisions to create U.S. campuses for businesses to collaborate on different parts of the defense supply chain. I want their [intellectual property] protected, but [for] them to be able to combine technology, Di Stasio told Defense News in June. If you have someone doing 3D-printed rocket cases and someone else has a new whiz-bang rocket propellant, they can be on the same campus testing it. Other countries could benefit as well. On a trip to New Zealand, Blinken told reporters the door is open for the Five Eyes ally to join AUKUS. That intelligence sharing alliance is made up of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S. Additionally, the U.S. and India have launched their Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology. The White House pledged to work with Congress to lower barriers to U.S. exports to India for artificial intelligence and quantum computing when Biden hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June. The National Security Councils Campbell said the U.S. is looking for non-AUKUS countries to offer niche areas when collaborating with the three allies on disruptive technology. Were not just looking for theoretical applications and partnerships, but practical, real efforts that will enhance defense capabilities, he said. We are in conversation with a variety of countries who are interested. A real commitment Congress path to authorizing submarine transfers to Australia appeared more straightforward than the export control effort, until it became embroiled in a broader fight over U.S. defense spending levels. Australia plans to buy at least three and as many as five Virginia-class submarines in the 2030s. But AUKUS proponents had hoped to start authorizing those sales this year to demonstrate allegiance to the pact, particularly as Australia has agreed to invest $3 billion in the U.S. submarine-industrial base. Australia is waiting on Congress to pass authorizations for the nuclear submarine transfer before work begins on the infrastructure necessary to sustain the vessels. This is already a hugely ambitious undertaking for both countries, and for Australia it will require us to move at an extremely fast pace toward building out the domestic nuclear stewardship, infrastructure, submarine production facilities and so forth, Townshend said. Republicans and Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee rallied together in July to unanimously advance an authorization to transfer up to two Virginia-class submarines to Australia. The transfer language really shows a real commitment by Congress, Rep. Joe Courtney of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committees sea power panel, told Defense News. Australia is prepared to make investments we want to make in terms of building up Virginia production tied to this AUKUS goal post. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., visits an Electric Boat facility in 2018. (Courtesy of Rep. Joe Courtney) The Senate was set to attach the same authorization to the defense bill in July, until the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, blocked it. He also held up a separate authorization that would allow the Pentagon to accept Australias contributions to the U.S. submarine-industrial base. However, he didnt hold up a third authorization allowing the U.S. to begin training Australian private sector personnel in nuclear submarines, which the Senate passed as part of its defense policy bill. While blocking the other two authorizations, Wicker cited concerns about the industrial bases current struggle to keep up with submarine production requirements. He wants Congress to add money for the submarine-industrial base as part of a supplemental defense spending package before passing the authorizations. The senator argues more submarine spending will strengthen AUKUS, given production capacity isnt keeping pace with the U.S. Navys goal of building two Virginia-class attack submarines and one Columbia-class ballistic submarine per year. Right now, the country is producing approximately 1.2 Virginia-class vessels per year. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in June promised to pass a Pentagon supplemental spending bill to circumvent the $886 billion defense funding top line agreed to as part of the debt ceiling deal. But House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has expressed opposition to additional defense spending beyond the debt ceiling cap. Half of the Senate GOP caucus, including McConnell, raised the submarine issue in a letter to Biden led by Wicker and top Republican appropriator Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. The administrations current plan requires the transfer of three U.S. Virginia-class attack submarines to Australia from the existing U.S. submarine fleet without a clear plan for replacing these submarines, the senators wrote. This plan, if implemented without change, would unacceptably weaken the U.S. fleet even as China seeks to expand its military power and influence. From left, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hold a news conference during the AUKUS summit on March 13, 2023, at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego Calif. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) They added that sending three attack submarines to Australia would require the U.S. to produce 2.3 to 2.5 Virginia-class vessels per year to avoid further shrinking our fleets operational capacity. Courtney whose district encompasses the Electric Boat shipyard building the Virginia-class submarines argues the production setbacks were in large part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the massive investments Congress has already made in the industrial base is bringing the program up to speed. He noted the U.S. is on track to meet its annual submarine production requirements by 2028 with continued support from Congress and improved performance in the industrial base. We put in money and capital expenditures to help these companies, as well as the workforce hiring, Courtney said. I am very bullish about the fact that the pace is really picking up. Lawmakers allocated nearly $750 million for the submarine-industrial base in FY23. The Houses FY24 defense policy bill, which passed in July, would inject another $735 million into that industrial base. Despite the legislative complications, Townshend remains optimistic Congress will pass all its necessary AUKUS legislation this year export control exemptions and submarine transfer authorities included. Still, theres little room to dally. The timeline for the optimal pathway is extremely tight, he said. If the language that allows both sides to move ahead with ship transfer and funds does not proceed this year, then that will inevitably delay the ability of both countries to meet their obligations. This is the first story of a three-part series. Click here to read the second, and click here to read the third. FILE PHOTO: Julian Assange's supporters say campaign for release on 'cusp of success' By Renju Jose SYDNEY (Reuters) - A cross-party delegation of Australian lawmakers will travel to the United States this month seeking the release of WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange , his support group said on Tuesday, ahead of a visit by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in October. The group will urge U.S. officials to drop their attempts to extradite Assange from a British prison to the United States, where he is wanted on charges over WikiLeaks' release of confidential U.S. military records and diplomatic cables. The delegation will include former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and lawmakers from the Labor government, opposition and the Greens party. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Assange's brother and Chair of the Assange Campaign organisation, Gabriel Shipton, said the vast majority of Australians did not understand why the U.S. continued to demand his extradition. "Australians see the U.S. as our closest ally ... but right now, Julian is being held hostage by a vengeful U.S. administration and it's damaging U.S.-Australian relations," he said in a statement. The Australian delegation will meet with members of the Congress and Senate, officials at the State and Justice departments, and think-tanks including the American Civil Liberties Union and Reporters Without Borders. Assange's supporters say he has been victimised because he exposed U.S. wrongdoing, including in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Washington says the release of the secret documents put lives in danger. Albanese in May said he was frustrated that a diplomatic solution had not been reached to end Assange's detention, and that he remained concerned about Assange's mental health. Support for Assange among U.S. policymakers remains low. Only a few members of Congress have come forward in support of the demand to drop charges against him. If extradited, Assange faces a sentence of up to 175 years in a maximum-security prison. (Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Stephen Coates) Authoritarianism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat thinks the GOPs increasingly extreme positions can only backfire on the party. Its a very scary and sad time for America, the history professor at New York University and author of Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present acknowledged on the latest episode of the Daily Beast podcast The New Abnormal. The GOP is now an autocratic entity, hollowed out and in its bunker stage with its fervent support of former President Donald Trump, she argued. But things can only go one way for Republicans, who are so out of step with popular desires, the academic said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This is why what Trump calls The Final Battle theyre going to try no matter what to get back into the White House so they can shut down democracy, because they know that otherwise they wont ever be able to legally win again, Ben-Ghiat said. They already didnt win the popular vote, and now being so extreme, theyll alienate more and more Americans, she said. I dont have a time frame for it. It has to happen before 2024, but we will get through this and our democracy will be strengthened as a result. Listen from the 43-minute mark here: Related... Authorities have moved and expanded the search area for a convicted murderer who escaped from a suburban Philadelphia prison last week, after he was spotted on a trail camera at one of the nations premier botanical gardens. Danelo Cavalcante, 34, has been spotted five time since he escaped Thursday from the Chester State Prison. The most recent siting came Monday night at Longwood Gardens, where surveillance video captured him walking through the area with a duffel bag, backpack and hooded sweatshirt. The search in Chester Co. for escapee Danelo Cavalcante continues this morning. These photos of him were captured on a trail-cam on the property of Longwood Gardens last night. Were asking the public to call 911 if hes spotted or to report any suspicious activity right away. pic.twitter.com/mz9S7Z1nae PA State Police (@PAStatePolice) September 5, 2023 That sighting led officials to move the search area farther south after they determined that Cavalcante had likely slipped through the original perimeter, but they said his movements show hes feeling the pressure of the massive search and that his options are dwindling. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The expanded search spurred two nearby school districts to cancel classes Tuesday as a precaution, and authorities urged residents to keep their homes and vehicles locked. They also asked them to check the homes of vacationing neighbors and look out for missing cars, bicycles or any other mode of transportation Cavalcante could use to aid his flight. Youre dealing with someone who is desperate and doesnt want to be caught, George Bivens, deputy commissioner of operations for the Pennsylvania State Police, said during a news conference Tuesday. If he can find some shelter, if he can find some food, hes going to take advantage of whatever he finds. Authorities havent disclosed how Cavalcante managed to escape, saying it is under investigation. He was sentenced to life in prison last month for killing his ex-girlfriend in front of her children, and escaped while awaiting transfer to state prison. This photo provided by the Chester County Prison shows Danelo Cavalcante. Cavalcante, convicted this month of fatally stabbing his girlfriend escaped Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023 from the suburban Philadelphia prison and prosecutors say he is also wanted in his native Brazil in a separate slaying. (Chester County Prison via AP) Hes a bad guy. He needs to be in custody and we are determined to capture him, Bivens said. A jury convicted Cavalcante of murdering Deborah Brandao in 2021. He is also wanted in his native Brazil in a 2017 killing and is considered extremely dangerous, authorities said. Prosecutors say he killed his ex-girlfriend to stop her from telling police about the charges against him in Brazil. He was captured in Virginia after Brandaos killing and authorities believe he was trying to return to Brazil. Law enforcement officers have been using drones, helicopters and dogs in their search for Cavalcante and have been broadcasting a message in Portuguese recorded by his mother, urging him to peacefully surrender. The prison is roughly 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Philadelphia. Its not the first escape from a Pennsylvania lockup this year. A homicide suspect was on the run for over a week after fleeing the Warren County jail on July 6 by climbing on exercise equipment, going through a window and scaling down a rope fashioned from jail bedding. He was caught looking dirty, wet and worn out from living in the wilderness to evade arrest, authorities said. On May 7, two inmates escaped from the Philadelphia Industrial Correction Center by cutting a hole in a fence surrounding a recreation yard, and were gone for nearly 19 hours before officials knew they were missing. Both we captured the next week. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Chiller Theater returning 60 years after original show aired on Channel 11 Man surrenders after shooting, hostage situation in McKeesport Breeze Airways has biggest sale ever, discounting Pittsburgh International Airport flights by 50% VIDEO: Busy Labor Day weekend breaks travel records DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Police in Fontana are asking residents to be extra vigilant in light of an increase in bank jugging. According to the Fontana Police Department, bank jugging is when thieves observe victims withdraw money and wait for them to get to a second location before robbing them. In this type of crime, suspects observe victims as they leave a bank, credit union, ATM or check-cashing facility visibly holding cash, and proceed to follow them to their next destination, Fontana PD said on Instagram. Upon arriving, the criminals seize the chance to either burglarize the victims vehicle or commit robbery directly. Nanny hides with baby during attempted burglary ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Authorities referenced one specific case of bank jugging that took place on July 22, where a victim who had just withdrawn $1,060 from a Chase Bank branch on Slover Avenue in Fontana had their money stolen from their car after they had left the bank. [After leaving the bank, the victim] drove to Walgreens on Sierra Avenue and was inside for approximately seven to eight minutes, Fontana Police Department said. The victim exited the business and found his front window smashed and the envelope of cash missing. In that incident, surveillance footage showed a newer model Toyota 4Runner pulling into the parking space next to the victim shortly after they arrived at the Walgreens. The thief exited the vehicle and used an unknown tool to smash the window and steal the recently-withdrawn cash. The Fontana Police Department outlined several steps individuals can take to minimize the threat of bank jugging which include: Keeping watch of individuals lingering without purpose in the vicinity of the parking area or lobby of a financial institution Maintaining focus while inside the bank; Fontana authorities advise residents to refrain from using their phones or wearing earphones to avoid distractions Securing all withdrawn cash in a non-descript bag like a briefcase or purse rather than the small cash envelopes normally provided by banks Ensuring all doors are locked upon exiting a vehicle Avoiding leaving large sums of money unattended in a vehicle Being conscious of any vehicles that may follow or trail yours out of the parking area Residents are urged to call 911 or head to the nearest police or fire station if they believe they are being followed Remember, if you see something, say something, Fontana police said. Your awareness can help protect both you and your community. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. With the changing weather comes virus season. Throughout the pandemic, infectious disease experts have seen an uptick in COVID cases during the fall and winter as more people stay indoors. The latter half of the year is also the time when SARS-CoV-2 mutates into other variants. And this year is no exception. Researchers are keeping an eye on the new variant BA.2.86, or Pirola, as it spreads in multiple countries. Meanwhile, back in August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a new Omicron variant called Eris had become the dominant coronavirus strain in the US. The Eris variant appears to be more transmissible compared to prior variants, which may mean that it will be easier for more people to get infected from a given exposure. Also, people who have previously been infected or vaccinated may get infected with this new variant, says Sherrill Brown, a medical director of infection prevention at AltaMed in California. Though Eris has been responsible for an increasing number of COVID hospitalizations in the US, infectious disease experts have not seen signs yet that it causes more severe illness. In fact, Brown says the Eris variant appears no more dangerous than the ones weve faced in the past. Like the flu and other respiratory viruses, some health experts are now calling COVID endemicthe average person will probably get it several times in their life. But the good news is the US is in a much better position now than three years ago with a range of preventative methods, from updated boosters to medical-grade masks and antiviral treatments. With long COVID complications and immunocompromised individuals in mind as well, it doesnt hurt to stay prepared in cases surge through the end of 2023. Is it time to mask up again? The US government has lifted all masking mandates, so there is no requirement to wear one in public anymore. That said, private businesses and hospitals may demand face coverings on their property if there is another COVID wave. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement For the most part, the decision to mask is personal. Sarah Hochman, the section chief of infectious diseases at NYU Langone Tisch Hospital, says people need to evaluate how far theyre willing to risk getting sick. A person who is immunocompromised or has other lung conditions like asthma, for example, may want to start masking up again because the risk of COVID complications in this group is higher. If youre planning to see friends and family this season, a properly placed mask would tremendously reduce the risk of infection. It has been a personal choice for the past year and a half and everyone has their own threshold on where they are concerned enough to mask in situations, Hochman notes. Masking is also helpful in general for protecting against other respiratory viruses such as the flu and RSV. [Related: Masks can workeven if youre the only one wearing them] A good way to evaluate your individual risk is to check the latest numbers of COVID hospitalization in your local area. Hochman says hospital data is a more reliable source of information given that the CDC and local health departments have not been reporting recently as much on case numbers; people can find these stats on their local state or county health departments website. Additionally, regional or national data could be inaccurate because more people are doing home tests or not testing at all. In most places, however, hospitalized patients are still being tested for the virus. Its really more of a tip of the iceberg type of measure because youre only measuring COVID in the sickest patients, but it can still indicate whats going on, Hochman explains. When will new COVID boosters be available? The Biden administration is looking at a mid-September rollout date for the new boosters. The bivalent COVID shot currently protects against the original coronavirus and two Omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5. With the new update, the vaccine will include protection against the Omicron variant XBB.1.5. Eris is a close but not exact match to XBB.1.5 as it is a descendent of XBB.1.9.2. Still, infectious disease experts have a strong suspicion the new shots will provide some protection against this new variant. Most of the circulating variants are still related to the XBB.1.5 strain, so there should be fairly good protection from severe disease with this updated vaccine, says Brown. Once the booster becomes publicly available, you can get it in the same places you received your prior vaccines, including doctors offices, pharmacies, and local health clinics. Some states and counties may have websites set up to help people find a vaccine administration center close to them. Remember that all COVID vaccines should still be free, regardless of insurance or immigration status. What happens if you get COVID again? Masks and boosters cut your risk for re-infection, but they wont completely prevent it. To prepare, make sure to keep some at-home rapid test kits on hand. Hochman recommends having one to two tests for every person in the household. [Related: How to check if your at-home COVID test has expired] If you test positive, notify your doctor immediately. They can prescribe you the antiviral pill Paxlovid, which is most effective within five days of developing symptoms. Youll also want to take time off work and other obligations to rest and drink enough fluids for a proper recovery. Isolate from others at home for at least five days to avoid spreading the virus. If you need to go out or see other people, make sure to wear a high-quality mask. A glistening-green tanager in Ecuador, in a gold-award-winning image in the Best Portrait category. Photographers from around the world recently submitted 20,000-odd images of bird species to the Bird Photographer of the Year contest. The showcase captures the diversity of the class Aves, as well as the dramatically different habitats the animals occupy and the ecological niches they inhabit. (Un?)fortunately for you, this slideshow is not 20,000 pages long. But heres the cream of the crop from those submissions: 27 award-winning images of the bevy of birds on our planet. Read more ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A Canada jay (Perisoreus canadensis) perches on a branch in upstate New Yorks Adirondack Park. This photo was the bronze award winner in the Best Portrait category. A Mothers Love A great grey owl hands off food to a juvenile. An adult great grey owl (Strix nebulosa) hands off prey to its juvenile. This image was the bronze award winner in the Bird Behavior category. Common Nighthawk in Flight A common nighthawk in flight. Spotted in Florida, this nighthawk took the bronze award for the Birds in Flight category. Staring at the River A white-throated dipper in Finland. The white-throated dipper appears to float on the rushing waters of Finlands Kitka River in this bronze award winner in the Birds in the Environment category. Morning Serenity If you squint, you can see the Australasian darters in this shot. Another black-and-white shot from the competition features two Australasian darters stretching out their wings at the base of two gnarled dead trees. This image was the bronze award winner for the Black and White category. Northern Crested Caracara Display A northern crested Caracara mugs for the camera. Youd be forgiven for looking twice at this image just to figure out whats going on. In the shot, a crested caracara stretches its head all the way back to look behind its body at the photographer. This image was the bronze award winner in the Comedy Bird Photo category. The Spectacle of Migration A dead Peregrine flacon is studied in a rescue center in Livorno. In this photo, a dead Peregrine flacon is held by a researcher at a rescue center in Livorno, Italy. A poacher killed the bird, and X-rays of the animal (seen in background) reveal lead shot in its body. This image was the bronze award winner in the Conservation (Single Image) category. Dawn at the Door of the Farmhouse A European stonechat in a window of a farmhouse. A stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) perches in the ajar doorway of an abandoned farmhouse. Note the hand of the painted woman in the image, which almost looks to hold the bird. This photo won the bronze award in the Urban Birds category. Verditer Flycatcher A bright blue flycatcher on a branch. The gold award winner for the 11 and Under category captures the Verditer flycatcher (Eumyias thalassinus) in all its bluish-green glory. High-Key Terns An arctic tern and a common tern are vanishingly white in this shot taken in Sweden. Two terns (the tops of their heads, at least) are captured in this shot taken on a Swedish inlet. The image is the gold award winner in the competitions 12-14-Year-Old category. Blue Hour and Red Moon A blackbird silhouetted against the Moon. A striking shot of a blackbird set against a bright orange moon was this years Young Photographer of the Year winner. The image is also the gold award winner in the 15-17-Year-Old category. Glistening Green A glistening-green Tanager is framed by a leaf in the Ecuadorian rainforest. The gold award winner in the Best Portrait category is this captiving image of a glistening-green tanager (Chlorochrysa phoenicotis) in a large leaf in the Ecuadorian rainforest. Grab the Bull by the Horns The overall winning image of a Peregrine falcon striking out at a brown pelican. The winner of the gold award in the Bird Behavior category, and this years Bird Photographer of the Year, captured this shot of a Peregrine falcon striking a brown pelican that ventured too close to its nest. Flying Sword A sword-billed hummingbird in flight. A sword-billed hummingbird in flight was the gold award-winning image for the Birds in Flight category. Sunflower Paradise A brambling in a field of dead sunflowers. A white and orange brambling appears to match its environment: a grey sky and a field of dead sunflowers. The sunflowers were killed off by flooding, and this brambling found a happy perch atop one of the fallen flowers. The shot was the gold award winner for the Birds in the Environment category. Fascinating Droplet A young musk duck (right) with its mother. The gold award winner in the Black and White category is this Robert McCloskey-esque shot of two ducks. The duck on the right is a juvenile, apparently intrigued by a morsel in its mothers mouth. No Way Out A purple heron eating a large carp. A purple heron gobbles down a large carp in this shot taken in Italys Lake Chiusi. The image is the gold award winner in the Comedy Bird Photo category. Dont Make War A hunter holding his quarry, a European turtle dove. A hunter in Malta holds a legally-hunted European Turtle Dove in this gold award-winning image in the Conservation (Single Image) category. A spring hunting moratorium was in place in Malta between 2017 and 2022, but was lifted last year, exposing the doves to potential overhunting. A Moment of Prayer A great grey owl peering an angel statue in a cemetery. A great grey owl peering an angel statue in a Helsinki cemetery. An owl in Helsinki ogles the stone angel on which its perched in this shot, which took home the gold award in the Urban Birds category. Parenting Goals Two Emperor penguins peer at their chick. Emperor penguins stare at their chick in this shot. The parents posture evokes a sense of security around their progeny, especially surrounded by the harsh (and in this image, blindingly white) backdrop of Antarctica. Blue-Footed Fishing Dive A blue-footed booby rises from a dive with a sardine it caught. A blue-footed booby towing a sardine won the silver award for Bird Behavior, in the only featured image showing a bird underwater. Green Planet Flamingos A flock of lesser flamingos flying over Lake Bogoria, Kenya. In this image, six flamingos fly over an algal bloom in a Kenyan lake, earning the silver award for the Birds in Flight category. The bright pink flamingos contrast nicely with the deep green of the algae below. The Dance of the Shadows Emperor penguins looking towards the sun shining over Antarctica. A trio of emperor penguins look out across their harsh landscape. Antarctica can be -104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius), with gale-force winds. But in this moment, the sunny, snow-swept landscape appears serene. The Heron in the Palms A lone black-headed heron in a Doum palm in Kenya. A black-headed heron (Ardea melanocephala) stands on a palm tree in Kenyas Samburu National Reserve. This photo won the silver award in the black-and-white category. More Fish Please! A young king penguin harries an adult for some food. A young king penguin harries an adult, perhaps for some food. A juvenile king penguin, characterized by its chunky brown feathers and shown on the right, is seen bothering an adult. The amusing shot took home the silver in the Comedy Bird Photo category. Seeing Eye to Eye The eye of a southern Boobook owl named 'Rocket' is inspected by a doctor. The eye of a southern Boobook owl named Rocket is inspected by a doctor. In this shot, a southern boobook, the smallest owl species in Australia, is being examined for possible eye injuries. The image won the silver award in the Conservation (Single Image) category. Urban Paradise Migrating flocks of great cormorants fly over Shenzhen, China. The silver award winner for the Urban Birds category is this image of migrating great cormorants, which flocked over the skyline of Shenzhen, China. More from Gizmodo Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. (Bloomberg) -- Children in Ukraines second-largest city headed back to school by venturing deep underground into subway stations so they can take classes away from the risk of Russian airstrikes. Most Read from Bloomberg About 1,000 elementary school students in Kharkiv, many wearing blue-and-yellow scarves and traditional embroidered shirts known as vyshyvankas shuffled into drywall-enclosed classrooms constructed on the platforms of the citys central subway station. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement There are recess zones, a teacher break room and corridors for pauses between classes, according to pictures posted by city officials on Monday. Children alternate to study in either a morning or afternoon shift in rooms festooned with welcome banners and colorful teaching aids as the hum of arriving and departing trains continues outside. With a pre-war population of 1.4 million, Kharkiv was briefly entered by Russian forces last year at the start of the invasion and remained nearby until Ukrainian troops retook most of the region in a fall offensive. The city lies just 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Russias border and frequently comes under deadly air attacks. The 17 classrooms spread across five underground stations are designed to give students a chance to meet in person as the citys regular schools remain closed due to the risk of attack. Of more than 230 schools across the city, 120 have been at least partially destroyed since the start of the war, according to the city council. --With assistance from Andrew Harrer. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, several states have taken steps to ease restrictions on abortion, and voters in Kansas rejected a proposed amendment that would have stripped abortion rights from the state's constitution. But in Oklahoma, which has among the most restrictive abortion bans in the country, a movement to give state voters a chance to change the status quo has yet to get underway. Interviews by The Oklahoman with legislators, members of abortion-rights and anti-abortion organizations, health care professionals and others found general agreement that a citizens initiative is the only pathway to a less restrictive abortion law and some frustration that the campaign has yet to be launched. Liz McLaughlin, of Oklahoma City, heads We are Rising, a group founded after Roe v. Wade was overturned. With about 10,000 currently "engaging," We are Rising is considered by many to be the group most likely to coordinate a petition effort. "We would never rule out a state question if that meant protecting access to reproductive health care for Oklahoma women," said McLaughlin, but added: "Our preference is to work with lawmakers to accomplish these goals." Liz McLaughlin is president of "We Are Rising," a group formed to improve access to medical care for women. That's not likely to happen. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Many Republicans, who hold a supermajority in the Legislature and occupy the governor's office, believe severely limiting abortion is one of the key reasons they were elected to office. Next year is an election year for some state senators and the entire House of Representatives. "I have a hard time believing that Republicans would do anything on abortion that would make it seem to their primary base voters that they're doing anything to unwind the ban," said Rep. Cyndi Munson, the Democratic leader in the state House. More: Oklahoma's abortion ban driving thousands of state women to Kansas, Colorado Michigan, Arizona, other states go different directions with abortion access State laws have determined the legality of abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court decided last year to overturn its 1973 ruling, Roe v. Wade, which had held that abortion rights across the country were secured by the U.S. Constitution. Since that decision, voters in Michigan, Vermont and California have backed constitutional amendments easing access to abortion. Ohio voters will decide on such a measure in November, and a coalition of advocacy groups in Arizona have launched an effort to put a constitutional amendment on the state's ballot next year. Although details are not final, the proposed Arizona amendment is expected to guarantee the right to an abortion before fetal viability and after viability if a doctor determines it is necessary to protect the physical or mental health of the mother. In Kansas the state Supreme Court had ruled in 2019 that the state constitution gave women bodily autonomy and therefore the right to terminate a pregnancy. Anti-abortion advocates were able to get an amendment on the ballot to remove that right, but it was soundly rejected in August 2022. In Oklahoma, two rulings by the state Supreme Court in March and May struck down three overlapping abortion bans passed by the Legislature in in 2022. Attorney General Gentner Drummond said the law in force today is the one adopted in 1910, just three years after Oklahoma became a state. More: Oklahoma Supreme Court strikes down two state abortion bans That law, Drummond said, is consistent with an inherent right in the state constitution for a woman to terminate a pregnancy to save her own life and does not require a "medical emergency." State Sen. Julie Daniels, of Bartlesville, the Republican party's floor leader in the Senate, drafted and led the effort to pass the bills overturned by the state Supreme Court this year. She called that decision "appalling." She feels now that the 1910 law needs to be updated but only to add exceptions for rape and incest, as long as they have been reported. Sen. Julie Daniels listens to bill readings April 11 during the Senate judiciary committee meeting at the Oklahoma state Capitol in Oklahoma City. In addition, she says, the law may need to be clarified to specify the circumstances that would justify intervention to preserve the life of the mother. But she's not in favor of other changes, including the impact of a pregnancy on the mother's mental health. "We in the 'pro-life' movement do not believe that the threat of mental illness justifies the killing of an unborn child," she said. McLaughlin calls 1910 law "dangerous and deadly to the health and well-being of women." "There is no doubt that women will die from the lack of access to reproductive health care that has occurred as a result of this law being on the books," McLaughlin said. A state question on abortion could get around the Oklahoma Legislature. How does it work? Getting around the Legislature is exactly what the framers of the original 1907 Oklahoma Constitution had in mind. According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma achieved statehood during the "Progressive Era," when several states approved citizen initiative and referendum provisions for "direct democracy as an obstacle to special-interest-group control of government." Getting a state question on the ballot is not an easy process, says Rep. Mickey Dollens, D-Oklahoma City. For one thing, initiating a change in the state constitution requires about 170,000 signatures on petitions that must be reviewed by the secretary of state's office and can be challenged for their validity. And the process could get harder, he said, because legislators likely are to propose changes in the next session that would raise the percentage of votes required for approval beyond a simple majority or require a certain number of petition signatures from every Oklahoma county. Dollens has won approval to hold a special interim study of the initiative process that will have its first meeting next month. Finding a middle ground on abortion would be a challenge Chip Paul, who led a successful effort to legalize medical marijuana in Oklahoma in 2018 (it passed by a 57% margin), said he had two pieces of advice for We are Rising or any other group seeking to pass a citizens initiative: "Keep it a grassroots effort and find the 'sweet spot.'" Paul said the 2018 success came "because we didn't use a professional signature collection company and had our own people out all over the state." A state question to approve recreational marijuana in Oklahoma failed earlier this year because of strong opposition from rural counties. "I think people outside Tulsa and Oklahoma City would approve a change (in the state's abortion law), but you have to be out there talking to them," Paul said. And he said he thought it would be a challenge to find the sweet spot an abortion law that might not satisfy abortion-rights or anti-abortion activists, but would approximate the balance many felt had been achieved before Roe v. Wade was overturned. More: After Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down two abortion bans, one law remains. Here's what it says. In 2014, a poll by the Pew Research Center found that 51% of adults in Oklahoma thought that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 45% thought it should be illegal in all or most cases and 4% did not care. A more recent poll, conducted by Amber Integrated in 2022, found that 55% of Oklahoma voters did not want a total ban on abortion. "This shows that most voters cannot simply be placed into a 'pro-life' or 'pro-choice' dichotomy, said a partner in the Amber polling company. "Voters have a wide range of beliefs that lie between a 100% ban on abortion and allowing abortion up to the point of birth." "It's going to take a lot of work and a lot of money to figure that out," said Munson, the Democratic House leader. "Oklahomans are definitely on a big spectrum of where they stand." Private polling is taking place, several people told The Oklahoman, although they asked to be kept "off the record." Several of those interviewed by The Oklahoman said they were ready to back a citizens initiative for change in the existing law, but understood that it was a complicated process and would take time to develop. Leslie Batchelor, an attorney and president of the Center for Economic Development and Law, said "One reason we may not be hearing anything is that even though its an initiative by 'citizens,' it actually requires a significant organization and funding to collect enough signatures to get a measure on the ballot. Its a pretty major undertaking." Dr. Dana Stone, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Oklahoma City, and a strong proponent of leaving abortion decisions to women and their doctors, said she wasn't involved in discussions about announcing plans for an initiative petition. But she said, "I understand that some people feel we need more time to get some education to Oklahomans so they are well informed before a vote would be advisable." "We believe that a vote to protect abortion access will be successful in our state," said Tamya Cox-Toure, head of Oklahoma's chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. "But it must be strategic and thoughtful." Pushed to say when We are Rising might be ready to follow in the footsteps of other states going directly to the voters for a new abortion law, McLaughlin said: "We aren't going to base decisions on when to move forward with a ballot measure on what other states are doing. "We're committed to getting this right and ensuring that in the long run, we protect access to reproductive health care for women and that means continuing to do what we are already doing educating Oklahomans about the perils of our extreme laws and creating a movement of people from every corner of the state of all political stripes to say enough is enough. Oklahoma women deserve better." This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Is a state question to ease Oklahoma abortion restrictions possible? BALTIMORE In early July, a Baltimore Police officers body-worn camera footage shows him arresting a 16-year-old boy next to a car. Within seconds of handcuffing the teen, the officer reads him his rights off a script on the officers phone. A voice over the officers radio instructs him to just try to find out, and the officer asks the teen where he got the car, according to footage shown to The Baltimore Sun on the condition a reporter could describe the video but not publish it. While the teen opted not to say anything, the question itself violated a new Maryland law that requires police to have an attorney explain an underage defendants Miranda rights to them before the youth can decide whether to answer an officers questions or remain silent. Known as the Child Interrogation Protection Act, the law aims to protect kids who dont understand their rights and are susceptible to pressure from authorities, which can lead to false confessions and coerced statements. More than a third of exonerations nationwide for crimes allegedly committed by youth under 18 involved a false confession, compared to about 11% of cases involving adults, according to the Innocence Project, a nonprofit aimed at getting justice for the wrongfully convicted. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The violation caught on body camera is not an isolated incident. There were at least 10 other violations in the city from July alone, according to Jenny Egan, the juvenile division chief for the Baltimore branch of the Maryland Office of the Public Defender. Egan said she also has documented evidence of violations in Anne Arundel, Allegany, Montgomery and Garrett counties, though she is prohibited from sharing the corresponding court records under Maryland law. Whats more, although Baltimore Police arrested at least 77 youth in July, including at least one teen in connection to the Brooklyn Homes mass shooting, the public defenders office received only one call in July from the city to its 24/7 Youth Access to Counsel hotline, which connects public defenders to underage defendants in order to advise them of their Miranda rights. It was the Maryland State Police calling about a child they brought in on a Wicomico warrant, Egan said. We got calls from Charles County, [Prince Georges County], Montgomery County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Ocean City, and others but none from BPD. For comparison, a similar hotline in Washington state was utilized more than 3,300 times in its first 18 months of existence. While it is possible those 77 youth arrested in Baltimore consulted with private counsel retained by their families, Baltimore Deputy District Public Defender Alycia Capozello said it is highly unlikely, given that her office represents upwards of 95% of juvenile defendants in the city. Were able to say with extreme confidence that yes, this is happening, Capozello said of the violations. The underage teen arrested in connection to the Brooklyn Homes shooting does have private counsel but was not able to consult with his attorney before officers interrogated him. They had already begun an interrogation with him before I got down to police headquarters, said Michael S. Clinkscale, the teens attorney. Baltimore Police did not respond to questions for this article. Its estimated that about 90% of youth defendants waive their Miranda rights, likely because they do not understand them, according to the ACLU of Maryland. Passed last year by the Maryland General Assembly, the Child Interrogation Protection Act went into effect Oct. 1 and also ensures that parents and guardians will be notified if their child is taken into custody. And it establishes a legal presumption that a statement made by a child during a custodial interrogation is inadmissible if a law enforcement officer willfully failed to comply with the law, although prosecutors could argue for its inclusion in court. David Jaros, a law professor who heads the University of Baltimore School of Laws Center for Criminal Justice Reform, called a persons right against self-incrimination and right to an attorney a bedrock foundational principle of both the criminal justice system and our Constitutional rights. The reality is that these kinds of constitutional protections provide a convenient scapegoat for law enforcement to point at when facing criticism about crime, Jaros said. But theres very little evidence that efforts to protect constitutional rights are inhibiting efforts to keep the public safe. The violations are coming at a time when Democratic Baltimore States Attorney Ivan Bates , among other elected prosecutors, is railing against the Child Interrogation Protection Act, claiming that the law is hampering investigations during what he called an increase in youth crime. While the number of people arrested under age 18 in Baltimore this year has increased compared to the corresponding period last year, the number is about half of pre-pandemic totals, according to a review of Baltimore Police data. This is what I dont get: Even if the parent says yes you can talk to their child, a lawyer, the public defender, is saying you cant talk to my client, Bates said during an appearance on WBAL Radios C4 and Bryan Nehman Show in early August, making reference to the investigation into the Brooklyn Homes shooting. Of course theyre not saying you can talk to anyone, Bates added of the public defenders office. Theyre shutting it down. Matter of fact, I received an email from a public defender in Baltimore City reminding me what the law was, almost waving it in my face, Hey you cant do this. Thats the mentality now given to the public defenders here in Baltimore City. The Baltimore States Attorneys Office shared with The Sun the email Bates referenced, in which Capozello wrote to him July 7 that she wanted to highlight that [the public defenders office] is here to help facilitate adherence to the Child Interrogation Protection Act. Capozello said the attacks on the new law are deflections from the police departments own flawed investigations. We have the states attorney and other city officials repeatedly speaking out against a law thats meant to protect the constitutional rights of children at a time when the citys in the midst of implementing a consent decree that its in because of a pattern and practice of unconstitutional policing, Capozello said. State Sen. Jill Carter, a Baltimore City Democrat who sponsored the law, called Bates and other states attorneys complaints that police cannot interview kids who were witnesses to a crime the dumbest and most ridiculous thing shes ever heard in her life. What were dealing with now is misinformation on the part of law enforcement and states attorneys who are unhappy with the current state of the law, Carter said in an interview with The Sun. Theyre seeking to win public support by being dishonest about the law, which requires them in many cases to do more work. It requires them to honor the rights of the children. And thats something theyre clearly resistant to. Told about the apparent violations by Baltimore Police, Carter said it wasnt surprising to her as the department does not have a history of abiding by the law. In a statement to The Sun, a spokesman for Bates called the legislatures decision to require that underage defendants consult with an attorney before being interviewed misguided and harmful. States attorney spokesman James Bentley added that because any questioning of underage defendants has to be recorded, their rights already are safeguarded. There can be no legitimate contention that placing restrictions on law enforcements ability to interview those juveniles involved in violence will promote public safety or accountability, Bentley wrote in an email. Instead, the law acts as a barrier to solving the cases, which leads to further violence and retaliation throughout the community. The attacks on the Child Interrogation Protection Act are not contained to mainstream or conservative Democrats, either. Despite joining former Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosby in support of the law during the 2022 legislative session, Prince Georges County States Attorney Aisha Braveboy also has cried foul. The juvenile interrogation law that was passed by the Maryland legislature I think had good intentions, Braveboy said in an interview with WUSA9, the Washington CBS affiliate, earlier this year. But the results have been that young people are less willing to provide critical information to solve crimes that occur here, not only in Prince Georges County but throughout Maryland ... That law has really been a problem for us. Former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed the law last year, but the Democratic supermajority in 2022 overrode him. Jaros, the law professor, said these arguments from prosecutors mirror the protestations made more than half a century ago when the U.S. Supreme Court determined police have to inform a person of their right to remain silent and right to an attorney before questioning. The thing thats often missed in this conversation is that theres overwhelming evidence that when people are properly informed of their rights, they still talk to law enforcement, Jaros said. Weve had Miranda on the books for over half a century now, and yet despite all of the claims that the world would end for law enforcement, people are still confessing. _____ FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) A battery-provoked fire was reported to the Fresno Fire Department in west Fresno, fire officials say. According to firefighters, they responded to a garage fire in the area of Ashlan and Hayes avenues on Monday evening. Upon arrival, fire officials say they found smoke coming from a solar/battery system. The lithium-ion batteries remained energized and continued to reignite, meaning a challenge for the firefighters. Photo Courtesy: The Fresno Fire Department. Photo Courtesy: The Fresno Fire Department. Photo Courtesy: The Fresno Fire Department. The Hazardous Material Response Team was called in to assist and confirm no special hazards were present during the extinguishment of the fire. According to the Fresno Fire Department, they were able to isolate the fire and minimize damage to the rest of the house. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. Accusations that Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Becky Hill tampered with jurors during the Alex Murdaugh murder trial will shock those who watched or attended the trial, including journalists, law enforcement officers and lawyers who saw Hill as a friendly problem solver who ensured the smooth running of a once-in-a-lifetime event. Over six weeks, Hill became something of a sensation. Her apparent diligence, gentleness, humor and unflappable demeanor seemed to lend an air of Southern charm to a story that was straight out of a Southern gothic. But Murdaugh attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin allege that Hill tampered with the jury and influenced the outcome of the trial to secure for herself a book deal and media appearances that would not happen in the event of a mistrial. Ms. Hill betrayed her oath of office for money and fame, the filing alleges. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In a 65-page challenge filed Tuesday morning in the South Carolina Court of Appeals, Hill is accused of having one person removed from the jury, encouraging jurors not to be fooled by Murdaughs testimony and having inappropriate private conversations with the court-appointed jury foreperson. Hill has not responded to a request for comment from The State. The defense filing references several passages from Hills memoir, Behind the Doors of Justice, co-written with Neil Gordon and published earlier this year by Wind River Media. Hills memoir provides what may be the only public portrait of Hill and her experience of the trial. It paints a portrait of a public servant who was devoted, and often cast her work in terms of religious obligation. But it also showed a local official who was caught up in the media buzz surrounding a high-profile trial where she says she was convinced of the defendants guilt. Who is Becky Hill ? In the book, Hill describes herself as a bit of a legal eagle whose entire career had led up to her being elected Colleton Countys Clerk of Court. At the time of the trial, Hill was a relatively new clerk. While she had worked as a court reporter for over a decade, she had only been elected to the position of Colleton County Clerk of Court in November 2020. Previously, she had been a middle school teacher, worked in the state and local disability agency, and held administrative roles in law offices before working as a court reporter for fourteen years. After starting as a freelance court reporter, Hill became an official court reporter for the state of South Carolina in 2008, she wrote in her book. She was assigned to Judge Perry M. Bucker, the administrative judge for the Fourteenth Circuit, which covers Allendale, Hampton, Colleton, Jasper and Beaufort counties. It was in this position that she first met Alex Murdaugh and his father, Randolph, who served as the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor. She describes in the book seeing both Murdaughs around the courthouse, and described a wonderful charm that seemed to have been passed down between generations. In fact, Hills family and the Murdaughs had been entwined for generations, as are many families are in that rural, sparsely populated corner of the Lowcountry. Hill recounted that her granddaddy, Felder Hiers, a mechanic by trade but moonshiner by nature, ran an illegal liquor still with Buster Murdaugh, Alexs grandfather who was serving as solicitor at the time. Hill believed Murdaugh was guilty In the opening chapter of her memoir, Hill is clear about how she saw the outcome of the trial: I was mostly concerned about Alex being found innocent when I knew in my heart he was guilty. Hill says that she was convinced of Murdaughs guilt after visiting Moselle with the jury near the end of the trial. Hill described viewing the kennels where Maggie and Paul were gunned down. While the jurors viewed the Moselle property, we all could hear and see that Alexs story was impossible... Some of us either from the courthouse, law enforcement or jury at Moselle had an epiphany and shared our thoughts with our eyes. At that moment, any of us standing there knew. I knew and they knew that Alex was guilty. Hill also recounted arriving at this conclusion with other court employees in the car on the hour-long drive back to the court house. Just as the jury would do in a span of three hours, we unanimously came to our own verdict in just three minutes: Guilty, Hill wrote. Hill traveled with jurors after the trial The day after the trial, Hill accompanied three of the jurors to be interviewed on The Today Show and Dateline in New York City. It was on this trip that Hill says she learned that one juror, who thought he wasnt going to be able to serve because he needed to work in order to make child support payments, received money from three friends so that he could stay on the jury. Hill also described the experience of being picked up at LaGuardia airport in New York City in a black Chevy Tahoe and being driven into Manhattan, where they were put up at a hotel and had an opportunity to eat at a restaurant on Madison Avenue. The jurors told me they felt like they were heard and loved their fifteen minutes of fame in the Big Apple. Removing the juror in Hills own words One incident that has drawn particular scrutiny is the dismissal of Juror 758, who was removed from the jury after Hill says she found a Facebook post Hill said she believed to be from the womans ex-husband claiming the juror had said she already knew what her verdict was going to be. In Hills memoir, she writes that she saw the post on a local Facebook group, Hampton Word of Mouth, late on a Friday night but didnt think much of it. I felt like a principal dealing with tattletales and problems and issues everyday. It was tiring, Hill wrote. She writes that on the following Monday, Judge Clifton Newman asked her to find the post but neither Hill nor her court staff were able to find the original post. Instead, they found that the post had been taken down, and an apology from the poster who said that he had been drinking and had let Satan control him. Newman decided to relieve the juror after interviewing her and corroborating witnesses, Hill wrote. But in the filings, Murdaughs attorneys allege that Hill took a far more active role. It accuses Hill of conducting one-on-one interviews with the juror where she allegedly described the post as saying the juror had gone drinking with her ex-husband. Hill also allegedly lied and told the juror that SLED and the Colleton County Sheriffs Office personnel went to the ex-husbands house where he confirmed he made the post, according to the legal filing. Hill also claimed that they only later learned that the juror and her ex-spouse had not seen each other in 14 years and that the juror had three restraining orders against her ex-husband. In an affidavit signed by the juror, which was submitted as part of the appeal, the juror says that she told Hill that she had not seen her ex-husband in ten years. (Bloomberg) -- Belarusian embassies will no longer issue passports, a move that may hurt the diasporas ability to stay abroad legally unless its members risk a trip home where repressions continue unabated. Most Read from Bloomberg President Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree on Monday which only allows people to apply for new passports in Belarus. It also requires that owners of real estate and cars to either be physically present in order to sell their property, or produce a power of attorney signed inside Belarus. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Lukashenko, in power since 1994, claimed another term in 2020, triggering unprecedented protests. Thousands of people have fled the country amid ongoing repressions, most of them to neighboring Poland and Lithuania. Even now, state-controlled media and Telegram channels regularly publish videos showing arrests of people who took part in protests three years ago or merely made posts on social media criticizing the countrys regime or Russias war in Ukraine. The new legislation threatens to leave emigres in legal limbo as their passports expire. It may also make it virtually impossible to sell Belarus-based property without visiting the country, a financial blow to those seeking to settle abroad. The exiled opposition led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is in the early stages of talks with foreign governments, including in the European Union, to recognize a special offshore passport for Belarusians which will be issued by her office. In the meantime, she urged Belarusians to avoid visiting their homeland in order to renew passports amid risk of arbitrary arrests. No document in the world is worth ones freedom, she said on Telegram. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Belgium is set to transfer RIM-7 Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine, having bought them from Germany, Belgian newspaper LEcho reported on Aug. 31. In total, Belgium purchased eight of these missiles, each costing roughly EUR 7,000 ($7,700). Read also: US to send Sea Sparrow anti-air missiles to Ukraine media reports Germany previously utilized Sea Sparrow missiles on their Bremen-class frigates, but they have since been decommissioned. Read also: Decision to transfer German Taurus missiles to Ukraine rests with Chancellor Scholz Kuleba On May 31, White House National Security spokesman John Kirby announced that the United States will provide Ukraine with a new military aid package, which included Sea Sparrow missiles, among other items. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Earlier this year, Politico sources reported that the Ukrainian military has successfully retrofitted their Soviet-era Buk surface-to-air missile systems to launch Sea Sparrows. 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 juvenile female at Central Jr. High School has been arrested in connection to an alarming and concerning threat, according to the Belleville Police Department. In a Facebook post, the police said they received information Tuesday from a Belleville District 118 parent regarding a threat referencing a shooting at Central Jr. High School. Officers and detectives, along with St. Clair County Sheriffs deputies, responded to the school to assist and provide extra security, according to police. In a written communication to all Belleville 118 parents, Superintendent Ryan Boike said a student associated with making the threat was identified and taken into police custody. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The student did not have a weapon on school property, Boike said, and law enforcement officials confirmed the student does not possess a weapon. The safety and well-being of our staff and students is our first priority. We want you to know that District 118 exercises great diligence in our efforts to maintain the safety and security of our schools and we take any and all threats seriously, he said. The investigation at Belleville 118 comes a week and a half after Belleville Township High School District 201 called the police. On Aug. 24, the police responded to Belleville West regarding alarming and concerning threats made by students. Two juvenile males were arrested in relation to that investigation. A Florida middle school teacher was allegedly killed in a murder-suicide shootingby her husband just days before the start of the school year. Maria Cruz, 51, was found dead on Friday after police responded to a shooting at her home, the Miami-Dade Police Department said in a statement to HuffPost. Maria Cruz de la Cruz taught math and Spanish at Doral Academy Just Arts and Management Charter Middle School. Maria Cruz de la Cruz taught math and Spanish at Doral Academy Just Arts and Management Charter Middle School. Police responded to reports of a shooting at the home in Miamis Palmetto Estates, where they found Cruz, her husband and another man with gunshot wounds. Another woman was also at the home, but she was uninjured, police said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Cruzs husband was dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to police. Cruz and the other man, whom police called a family acquaintance, were taken to a local hospital, where Cruz died shortly afterward from her injuries, police said. The family acquaintance, whose name has not been released, was in critical condition as of Friday. The Miami-Dade Police Department told HuffPost that its homicide bureau is investigating the deaths and that detectives have determined this is a murder/suicide. Cruz was a teacher at Doral Academy Just Arts and Management Charter Middle School. According to her teacher profile, she taught middle school algebra, geometry and Spanish. A GoFundMe organized by the school described her as a beloved teacher who showed unwavering love and dedication. Principal Eleonora Cuesta said in a statement to NBC Miami that the school is grieving the loss of Cruz, who has children of her own. Her compassion, commitment, and love for her students have left an indelible mark on us all. In these difficult times, our thoughts and heartfelt prayers are with her daughters, Cuesta told the outlet. According to an analysis by the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety, the number of women killed by intimate partners with a firearm has increased in recent years. Women make up 80% of the people killed by their intimate partners with guns in the United States. Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Related... I dont know exactly when I became a full-fledged Parrothead, as fans of Jimmy Buffett are called. Maybe it was during a summer job in Florida in the 1970s when I discovered Buffett and his Gulf and Western music. Or when my wife, Ellen, and I donned Hawaiian shirts and brought a plastic parrot to see his band perform at a traffic-clogged venue in Northern Virginia. Or when I picked Little Miss Magic for the first dance with our daughter at her wedding celebration. Or when I listened to Radio Margaritaville on SiriusXM for hours on end for soothing escapism during the pandemic. Or when I rushed to buy tickets to his jukebox Escape to Margaritaville musical on Broadway, despite less-than-stellar reviews. Or when I asked Ellen, who indulges my fandom but doesnt necessarily share my enthusiasm for all things Jimmy, to get me his latest album for my 65th birthday. Or when I bought a drugstore magazine devoted to Jimmys 75th birthday. Or when well, you get the idea. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The more interesting question isnt when I became a Parrothead, but why I and so many others found him so appealing and were so affected by his death from cancer at 76 on Friday, the unofficial end of summer. Singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett performs in Key West, Fla., in 2011. He passed away on Sept. 1, 2023, after a four-year battle with Merkel cell skin cancer. Jimmy Buffett, an American original in the tradition of Mark Twain The answer, I think, isnt immediately apparent to those who knew Buffett simply as a laid-back entertainer who parlayed his sole Top Ten hit, Margaritaville, into a sprawling business empire. As a journalist, I admire good storytelling, and Buffett was, at heart, a writer and raconteur, an American original in the tradition of Mark Twain. Buffett, in fact, started his career as a correspondent for Billboard magazine. He wrote several books and was one of only six authors to top both the fiction and nonfiction bestseller lists of The New York Times. 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. Buffett loved a good pun and clever wordplay: His band was the Coral Reefers, and one of his hits was Last Mango in Paris. Another song was titled The Weather is Here, I Wish You Were Beautiful. When he sang my occupational hazard bein my occupations just not around in A Pirate Looks at Forty, it struck a chord with a newspaper guy in a world turned digital. Don't dismiss 'Rich Men': Oliver Anthony's 'Rich Men North of Richmond' speaks to how Americans feel In Everybodys on the Phone, Buffett presciently lamented an era in which people are so connected and all alone. Of course, not all of Buffetts lyrics were poetic or even tasteful. I cringed when, at a barbecue on the White House lawn early in the Clinton administration, the tent speakers blared Buffetts Why Dont We Get Drunk (and Screw) perhaps foreshadowing the scandal involving the president and intern Monica Lewinsky. I always envisioned Buffett touring into his 90s, like fellow balladeer Willie Nelson. I certainly thought he would outlive the Rolling Stones Keith Richards, now 79. But it was not to be. Bill and Ellen Sternberg at a Jimmy Buffett concert in Bristow, Va., in August 2021. For all his association with hedonistic partying, Buffett thought, and sang, a lot about mortality. Jamaica Mistaica recounts the tale of his near-death experience in 1996, when one of his planes carrying Buffett, Bono of U2 and family members was shot at by Jamaican authorities, who suspected the Hemisphere Dancer was being used to smuggle drugs. Secretary of State Blinken: No quick solution to fentanyl crisis, but US is leading the fight Death of an Unpopular Poet tells the sad story of a poet who lived before his time. Posthumously, his books are all bestsellers, and his poems were turned to song. Had his brother on a talk show, though they never got along. And He Went to Paris, a haunting ballad acclaimed by Bob Dylan and others, depicts a veteran who lost his baby, his lady and one eye in the Spanish Civil War. Through 86 years of perpetual motion, if he likes you hell smile then hell say, Jimmy, some of its magic, some of its tragic, but I had a good life all the way. Bill Sternberg Thats as fitting an epitaph as any for Buffett, who spent most of his 76 years in perpetual motion and was content to leave a legacy that he enjoyed himself and made a lot of people happy along the way. But, at least for now, there is no joy in Margaritaville. Come Monday, there was no "Labor Day weekend show." Bill Sternberg is a veteran Washington journalist and former editorial page editor of USA TODAY. 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 USA TODAY: Jimmy Buffett: Why we're so moved by death of 'Margaritaville' singer 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. NBC News Jonathan Allen went on a multi-stop national tour when he co-wrote a book on how Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign. Shattered: Inside Hillary Clintons Doomed Campaign, written with fellow journalist Amie Parnes, sold more than 125,000 copies and landed on the New York Times best-seller list. But for the pandemic-era book he and Parnes wrote on Joe Biden , Allen didnt even get the satisfaction of seeing a copy in stores. He didnt go on a tour, either. Lucky: How Joe Biden Barely Won the Presidency never made the Times best-seller list and so far has sold fewer than 10,000 copies since its release in March 2021, according to NPD BookScan, which is considered the gold standard of book sale measurement but does not include every sale. Now, Allen says hes turning his attention back to the Clintons. He has no plans to write another book on Biden. He has tried to be kind of a drama-free president, certainly in comparison to his predecessor, and that makes it harder to write a book, both in terms of getting information and turning his story into one that is compelling for readers, said Allen. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement After the Trump gold rush for the book industry of the last few years, the Biden era has, so far, been a bust. And thats not just the case for mainstream journalists accustomed to chronicling the presidency in book form. Conservative readers dont appear all that interested in reading hundreds of pages about a president they think is senile. Biden never does anything interesting, said Eric Nelson, the publisher of HarperCollins conservative imprint Broadside Books. The Hunter Biden stuff has done pretty well, because hes appropriately interesting. But Hunter Biden is not the president. If your nickname is Sleepy Joe, you kind of have to simultaneously say this person is ruining everything and is supremely evil, but also hes inept and thats sort of a challenging combination, added one major conservative publisher granted anonymity to speak freely. The few books that have been written about the Bidens have not exactly been flying off the shelves. New York magazine writer Gabriel Debenedettis The Long Alliance: The Imperfect Union of Joe Biden and Barack Obama has sold fewer than 1,500 copies, according to NPD BookScan. The Associated Press Julie Pace and Darlene Supervilles Jill: A Biography of the First Lady has sold fewer than 2,500 and Chris Whipples The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Bidens White House and POLITICOs Ben Schreckingers The Bidens: Inside the First Familys Fifty-Year Rise to Power have each racked up fewer than 5,000 books sold. Thats in contrast to the almost million copies that Michael Wolffs Trump-focused Fire and Fury sold, according to NPD BookScan, and the more than 400,000 copies that Bob Woodward and Robert Costas Peril sold, among many other Trump-focused books on which publishers made a killing. Superville conceded her book sales were kind of a drop in the bucket compared to the Trump-era works, but said she wrote it more for educational and historical purposes. She talked about elementary school kids doing projects on first ladies finding her book in the library. It wasnt written really to be kind of a best-seller book or to land on the New York Times top 10 or anything like that, she said. Whipple said in an email that The Fight of His Life barely missed the NYT bestseller list. He also quoted from the Times review of his book which was largely positive but included the line that the minor fender bender of the last two years does not make for titillating rubbernecking, especially compared with the 18-car pileup of the Trump era. Keith Urbahn, the president and founding partner of top D.C. literary agency Javelin, saw his business boom during the Trump years when he represented authors including former FBI director James Comey, former national security adviser John Bolton and the anonymous Trump official later revealed to be Miles Taylor. There was a sugar high in the Trump era from intrigue, the leakings, the nonstop drama, which was at once exhausting, but also generated billions of dollars in clicks, book sales, cable ratings and in 2021 that interest fell off a cliff, Urbahn said. What makes for stable governance makes less dramatic copy. Urbahn and his firm have repped several books about Biden that have seen lackluster sales, including one from the presidents sister Valerie Biden Owens Growing Up Biden: A Memoir sold fewer than 9,000 copies and Schreckingers more critical look at the Biden family. No one has yet written a successful book taking readers inside the Biden administration, he noted. I think its partly because its a very disciplined no-leaking culture which makes it harder to get the scoops and access. And then theres the reality that the American public has mostly tuned out from Washington, D.C. Franklin Foer, a staff writer at The Atlantic, is hoping that his new Biden book, The Last Politician, will buck the trend and sell well and said it has strong pre-order sales. But he is prepared for the possibility that many of the Atlantic subscribers who read his book excerpt in the October issue wont make the leap to actually buy the book. When asked about the challenges of writing about Biden versus Trump, Foer said in an interview: There are no sensationalist stories. I think everybodys brain has been broken by Trump journalism and so our expectations about whats exciting and important are totally skewed. Foer added that a fellow political journalist told him he had to think of his book as Russian literature compared to the Trump book genre. Robert Costa, CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent who wrote Peril with Woodward, said the Biden presidency is under-reported, understudied and often misunderstood. Journalists, he added, have a responsibility to cover the current occupant of the White House even while the media also still covers Trump. But asked whether he is writing a new book with Woodward on Biden, Costa said hes focused on his job at CBS, which will include an upcoming CBS Saturday Morning interview with Foer about his new Biden book. Perhaps no reporter knows and understands Biden more intimately than the New Yorkers Evan Osnos. His book on China received the National Book Award and his book on inequality made it on the Times bestseller list. But his biography of Biden, which came out before the 2020 election, didnt do as well. Just as a general life maintenance rule, I never ask publishers for details on sales, he joked. If my Biden book had made the bestseller list, I would have heard about it. Osnos thinks that Biden, nonetheless, is an interesting subject given the extraordinary life he has lived and the many political resurrections hes had. That doesnt mean Bidens story matches the almost novelistic levels of wildness Trump exhibited. He doesnt hit the political frontal lobe of the American public with the kind of hammer that Trump does and so I didnt really expect that he would produce the same kind of sales that Trump did, Osnos said. Theres a reason Michael Wolff hasnt set out to write a book on Biden as far as I know. Asked if he was writing a book on Biden, Wolff replied in a text message: Apples oranges? President Biden will nominate Obama-era Treasury Secretary Jack Lew to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel, the White House announced Tuesday. If confirmed, Lew now a managing partner at Lindsay Goldberg LLC and a visiting professor at Columbia University would fill a position left nearly three months ago by former ambassador Tom Nides. Lew is a co-president of the board of the National Library of Israel USA, as well as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Lew, 68, will become ambassador if confirmed at a time when the U.S.-Israel relationship requires skillful navigation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is trying to push through a judicial overhaul that the Biden administration opposes. Netanyahu's government is trying to remove the Supreme Court's power to review and overrule decisions made by government ministers. A future U.S. ambassador to Israel is also likely to help manage efforts to normalize the relationship between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. goal in the Middle East. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A number of Republicans have voiced their opposition to Lew being named ambassador to Israel. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a phone call with Netanyahu on Tuesday, according to the State Department. Lew has extensive experience working in Democratic administrations, as Obama's chief of staff and as a top official at the Office of Management and Budget under both Obama and former President Bill Clinton. Couple helps 11 refugees flee Ukraine for U.S. Search expanded for escaped killer in Pennsylvania Escaped killer spotted near Philadelphia, but search continues The Biden administration announced Tuesday that 4 million student loan borrowers have been enrolled in the new Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) income-driven repayment (IDR) plan two weeks after it was officially launched. The administration has touted SAVE as the most affordable IDR plan ever offered to borrowers, officially launching it right before interest began accruing again on student loan payments after a three-year pandemic-related pause. Officials said most of the 4 million SAVE enrollees are those who were automatically transferred from the Revised Pay As You Earn IDR option. Millions of borrowers are already benefitting from enrollment in the SAVE plan, and Im thrilled to see so many Americans submitting applications every day so that they, too, can take advantage of the most affordable student loan repayment plan in history, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The application for the SAVE plan was officially launched on the Federal Student Aid website two weeks ago and takes around 10 minutes to complete. The Department of Education has launched a nationwide campaign called SAVE on Student Debt to get more borrowers to sign up for the plan. The plan will be enacted in two parts with borrowers this year able to see benefits such as income exemption rising from 150 percent to 250 percent above the federal poverty guidelines. The administration released data showing Texas and California were the top states for the number of borrowers enrolled in the new SAVE plan. From Day One of this Administration, President Biden has focused on reducing the burden of student loan debt on working families, and we are not stopping now. Enrollment is quick and easy, and we are working relentlessly to get the word out to borrowers about how millions can reduce their monthly student loan bills and save over a thousand dollars a year by enrolling in SAVE, Cardona said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. President Biden tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday and will wear a mask while around others indoors after first lady Jill Biden tested positive for the virus a day earlier, the White House said. The first lady is experiencing mild symptoms after testing positive Monday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. She will remain in Delaware to quarantine. The president was tested for the virus Monday and again Tuesday, and he tested negative both days. He is not experiencing any symptoms, Jean-Pierre said. Biden will be masking while indoors and while around people, in alignment with CDC guidance, Jean-Pierre said, and he will not wear a mask when he is sufficiently distanced from others and while outdoors. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The White House has said he will otherwise maintain a regular testing cadence in light of the first ladys positive test. The president is scheduled to leave Thursday for a trip to New Delhi, India, for the Group of 20 Summit. He will remain there for three days before traveling to Vietnam to meet with leaders there. Jean-Pierre said Biden would take a COVID-19 test before departing for India, but his testing cadence would otherwise be determined in consultation with his physician. Jean-Pierre noted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calls for individuals to use a combination of masking, testing and monitoring symptoms after having a close contact exposure. The White House did not say whether there are contingency plans for the G-20 should Biden test positive, but noted that leaders have been able to adapt during the last few years. We have long experience now from the early days of the administration in managing for situations in which covid plays a role at summits, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. Weve seen various leaders at various times participate virtually in events. Jill Biden, who contracted COVID-19 last August, tested positive after spending the weekend with the president in Rehoboth Beach, Del. The two also traveled together to Florida on Saturday to tour damage from Hurricane Idalia. Updated at 2:11 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Swarms of anchovies have invaded a California harbor, raising risks of a mass die-off, state officials reported. The anchovies are amazing, longtime ocean swimmer Peggy Miles told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Its like big black clouds in the water, and you dont realize that its fish until you get there. Then, all of a sudden the cloud separates and they never touch you. Its kind of like Moses crossing the Red Sea. But the influx of fish, which began last week, risks depleting the shallow waters oxygen supply, Santa Cruz Harbor officials warned Aug. 29 on Facebook. That could cause a mass die-off of fish. This has occurred several times in the harbors history, with the last large-scale die-off occurring in 2014, harbor officials said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The 2014 die-off created a huge cleanup problem and a foul fishy smell along the coast, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported. The harbor turned on aerators to increase the oxygen supply in the water, officials said in a Sept. 1 news release. Oxygen levels seem to have stabilized, officials said, but they asked boaters and other visitors to notify the harbor at 831-475-6161 if the swarms of anchovies return. We are on anchovy watch 24/7 when these fish come in here because we know how bad it is when they die, Harbormaster Blake Anderson told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Santa Cruz is about 80 miles south of San Francisco. Huge creature shows off its tremendous strength off California coast. See the photo Yearslong mystery of deep sea octopus garden off CA coast solved, researchers say The Chicago native passed away after falling down a staircase and suffering a brain injury. Captain Bill Pinkney, the second African American man to sail around the world solo and the first via Cape Horn, has died in Atlanta at age 87, Atlanta News First reports. The Chicago native passed away after falling down a staircase and suffering a brain injury. Screenshot of Bill Pinkney / Credit YouTube PBS NewsHour Pinkneys passion for sailing remained constant throughout his career. According to his biography, he sailed the Great Lakes and oceans for over 30 years. In 1990, Pinkney was 55 when he decided to sail alone around the world on his cutter, The Commitment. Boston was the starting point of his journey, and he sailed east toward Cape of Good Hope, sailing around Cape Horn and entering the South Pacific before returning to Boston. He completed the trip in 1992. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The global expedition spanned 27,000 miles and lasted 22 months. Pinkney told a boating website that the highlight of the voyage was sailing past South Africa weeks following Nelson Mandelas release from a South African prison after spending nearly three decades behind bars. I sailed past Robben Island, where hed been imprisoned, flying a red, black, and green spinnaker, the colors of the African liberation movement, said Pinkney. As an afterthought, I shouldve put a big yellow Star of David on there as well [laughing], because Im Jewish. In a subsequent voyage, Pinkney and his crew retraced the Middle Passage slave trade routes with the vessel Sortilege, according to his bio. Pinkney penned two childrens books: Captain Bill Pinkneys Journey (1994) and Sailing Commitment Around the World (2022). His autobiography As Long as It Takes (2006) won the John Southam Award. The 1994 documentary The Incredible Voyage of Bill Pinkney received a George Foster Peabody Award. He received numerous honors and awards, including recognition from President George H. W. Bush and Ted Kennedy. In 2021, he was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame and received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Boston Maritime Academy, Southern Connecticut State University, and Becker College awarded Pinkney honorary degrees. As a former cosmetics executive, Pinkney created a line of womens cosmetics after serving eight years in the Navy, where he first learned how to sail. I had some tough times, I got knocked down twice, passed through two hurricanes, almost got run over by a big ship, its all adversity, but it ends. You have to stick to your guns and keep moving forward and it will end, Pinkney once said, per Fox 32. Meanwhile, the first Black man to sail around the world alone was Teddy Seymour, who traveled through the Panama and Suez Canals, Atlanta First News reports. He completed the trip in 1987. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Bill Pinkney, first Black man to sail around the world via Cape Horn, dies at 87 appeared first on TheGrio. Birdwatchers in Wisconsin recently got quite a thrill, as a bird more commonly associated with South America, Central America, and the southern United States arrived in a nature area. The roseate spoonbill, a pink waterbird with a distinctive spoon-shaped bill, was the first living example of its species ever seen in the state. (A dead roseate spoonbill was found in Wisconsin 178 years ago in 1845.) People traveled from far and wide to see the rare and beautiful bird, which was identified as being a juvenile because of its pale pink color (adults are a brighter pink) and fully feathered head. Some heralded the birds arrival as a success for the Ken Euers Nature Area. I knew I just had to see it, one 15-year-old birdwatcher told WISN-TV. The restoration efforts of the Fox River and Lake Michigan must be paying off. Not so long ago, pelicans didnt even come as far as Green Bay. This must mean the fish are finally safe enough for them to consume. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Although the Ken Euers Nature Area is undoubtedly a wonderful place for birds and getting a chance to see a rare species in the wild is always exciting, the arrival of this roseate spoonbill so far north is sadly not a great sign for the overall health and survival of the species. The American Birding Association spoke to biologist Kevin Welsh with the Audubon Everglades Science Center in Florida who studies spoonbills. Welsh told them that the birds are moving further north than ever before mostly due to rising water levels here in the southern peninsula in Florida. Theyre losing ideal foraging habitat for them to be able to get the young birds to reach fledgling age. He went on to cite statistics regarding chicks per spoonbill nest, saying: Were seeing a lot of nest failures. Its about 37% successful, and that means at least one chick per nest. Thats pretty low. Thats not good. All types of animals are changing their migratory patterns because of our planets changing climates, largely the result of centuries of burning dirty energy sources, like coal and oil. The roseate spoonbill sighting calls to mind recent sightings of a rare South American bird in New York state and many other similar such incidents. Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Antony Blinken , US Secretary of State, will come to Ukraine and visit the city of Kyiv on 6 September. Source: ZN.ua with reference to sources, as reported by European Pravda Background: Last time, Blinken visited Ukraine was a year ago. Back then, his trip was not announced either. In April 2022, Blinken came to Ukraine together with Head of Pentagon Lloyd Austin. During a secret visit, the American officials announced the supply of military aid to Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! A persons body was recovered from a quarry in Westford Monday, fire officials told Boston 25 News. First responders were called to Merrills Quarry on Tygnsboro Road around 4:15 p.m., according to the Westford Fire Department. Emergency crews, including members of the Lowell Dive Team, combed the water eventually pulling the body out of the water at 5:26 p.m. Westford Fire says the body was recovered from a part of the quarry where the water measures 40 feet deep. Officials told Boston 25 News this was the second time in recent weeks that crews were called to the quarry. Last week, another swimmer was rescued and is now at home recovering. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In 2018, a teen died after jumping into the water and never resurfaced. Fire officials say the quarry is a dangerous jumping point and only allows for a visibility of about four feet. 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 John Bolton suggested Tuesday that Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy emulates former President Trump every time he can, as the political newcomer continues to isolate himself from the rest of the GOP with his controversial stance on Ukraine. I think Ramaswamy reminds me an awful lot of Donald Trump, Bolton said in a Tuesday morning interview on CNN. He has very firm opinions on subjects he knows absolutely nothing about. Bolton, who served as national security adviser under Trump, pointed to the former presidents and Ramaswamys comments about the war in Ukraine. Trump has repeatedly suggested on the campaign trail that he would end the war in 24 hours, without offering specifics about how he would secure such an outcome. Ramaswamy has said he would convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to end Moscows military alliance with Beijing in exchange for ceding territory in eastern Ukraine, a position rejected by most of his fellow 2024 GOP hopefuls. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I mean, they might as well be in kindergarten, talking about a very complex situation, Bolton added. But theres no mistake, I think Ramaswamy emulates Trump every time he can. Boltons comments come after the 38-year-old conservative entrepreneur recently declined to call Putin a war criminal and instead suggested the International Criminal Court (ICC) should make such a determination. I think that Putin is a dictator, and I think that there are open questions that need to be adjudicated by the [ICC], Ramaswamy said. We have an [ICC] for a reason. My job as the U.S. president is to advance American interests, he continued, adding, We have to get the facts before we get to the bottom of that. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin and another Russian official in March over alleged war crimes involving the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia during the war. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Lets not pull punches. Russia could end up winning the war. But, contrary to the repeated assertions of people like U.S. Colonel (ret.) Douglas Macgregor, a Russian victory isnt inevitable. The truth is that if Russia does eventually win, the West, with its leaders doublethink, will be primarily to blame. The best way to understand the meaning of this Western doublethink regarding Ukraine is through the contentious issue of who should be grateful to whom and for what, which continues to rear its unsightly head. At NATOs Vilnius Summit in July, Ukraine was denied a firm, clear, and quick pathway to NATO membership. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was atypically overtly angry in response. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement By postponing Ukraines admission to NATO until after the war, the West implicitly confirmed the Kremlins hope that, as long as Russia continues its terror, it can still win the war. At a minimum, Zelensky remonstrated, the Kremlin would be in a position to bargain against Ukrainian membership in NATO in any future peace negotiations. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Defense Ministry reports gains in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia oblasts; Putin demands sanctions relief to revive grain deal How, one wonders, does that harmonize with the Wests loudly trumpeted refrain about supporting Ukraines defense against Russian armed aggression? The fact that Zelensky makes a compelling point didnt prevent U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan from rebuking him for not showing more gratitude to the West for its substantial military and financial aid to Ukraine. Wallace insinuated that Ukraine was instead treating its allies like an Amazon delivery service. When Zelensky sarcastically replied, We could get up in the morning and express our words of gratitude personally to the minister," then-Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.K. Vadym Prystaiko felt obliged at a press conference afterward to admonish the frustrated Ukrainian president for his sarcasm and express (Ukraines) words of gratitude to the minister personally, in an attempt to smooth relations with the Brits. Days later, Zelensky sacked Prystaiko. Meanwhile, Western unhappiness whining is former U.S. State Department Counselor Eliot Cohens stronger word over Ukrainians occasional outbursts of seeming ingratitude persists.Who got it right, Zelensky or Prystaiko? Zelensky was right on the substance of the issue. Read also: Witness to war: A review of Serhiy Zhadans Sky Above Kharkiv If the war were strictly between Ukraine and Russia, and the West had no real stake in it (as not an insignificant number on the right and the left allege), then Western aid to Ukraine would be an act of generosity for which Ukrainians should indeed be most grateful. On the other hand, Western leaders often talk as though the war were not simply between Russia and Ukraine, and in defending its own democracy (flawed as it is) against aggression by a Russian autocracy, Ukraine is defending liberty and democracy against tyrannical oppression and autocracy worldwide. Others, including Canadian political scientist and outstanding student of ancient and modern tyranny Waller Newell and myself, have contended that the stakes are still larger: It is the principles and culture of freedom-loving modern Western civilization as such that are also increasingly under attack from anti-Western forces led by Russia and China, and Ukraine is the current battlefield in this global clash of civilizations. This means the West stands to reap great security gains from the tremendous sacrifice Ukraine is making in bearing the burden of actually fighting the war all by itself. Were those leaders true to their words, NATO members would be fighting alongside the Ukrainians, but they arent. Therein lies their hypocrisy, as Boston University political scientist Andrew Bacevich (himself an opponent of U.S. involvement in the war) intimates. Zelensky knows that, too, though he cant say it openly. Here's the kicker: Since the Western democracies stand to benefit so very much from Ukraines defensive war against Russia, but, unlike Ukraine, without having to incur a heavy cost measured in lives, land, and property destroyed in a war, its the West that owes Ukraine a huge debt of gratitude, more so than Ukraine the West. At the very least, then, the West ought to be supplying not just some but all the aid Ukraine needs to actually win this war, and in the most expeditious manner possible. Surely, thats the thinking behind Zelenskys sarcastic reply to Wallace. Read also: Who is Rustem Umerov, Ukraines soon-to-be defense minister? Alas, as many, including retired generals Jack Keane, Ben Hodges, and Keith Kellogg, have argued, Western military aid, in particular, has been inadequate enough for Ukraine to keep on fighting and not surrendering, but not enough for it to actually win the war. Witness the piecemeal approach to supplying the Ukrainians with much-needed weaponry such as F-16 fighter aircraft: always too little and always dangerously late. Nevertheless, Prystaiko was also right, though only insofar as Zelensky cant speak such plain truths to the faces of Western politicians and their publics without piquing their vanity and thereby jeopardizing the Wests support of Ukraine. Zelensky and other Ukrainian political officials have been seeking to placate the West with gestures of gratitude ever since. The problem is that, if the West persists in deceiving itself over this issue, it will go on living a contradiction or remain in the grip of doublethink (as Telegraph commentator Roland Oliphant puts it). In other words, it will continue to think and act as though it both has and does not have a vital stake in the war, or both owes and does not owe Ukraine. Read also: Andreas Umland: Why no-fly zones over Ukraine are necessary If this doublethink is remedied in keeping with the truth of Zelenskys thought (however sarcastically expressed), the Wests pro-Ukraine strategy should change accordingly, becoming militarily far more robust and prompt, and certainly unequivocal. The probability of Ukraine winning the war for starters, by driving the Russian invaders out of Ukraine altogether will approach One. Otherwise, the West will go on supporting the Ukrainians war effort in its present floundering, half-hearted manner, even carrying on politically and economically as though things were (again, in Oliphants words) business as usual. The result could well be an indefinite prolonging of an increasingly dangerous and devastating war. Unless, of course, a premature peace negotiation and settlement are forced on Ukraine by Western democracies, grown fatigued by their exertions on Ukraines behalf, that will ultimately spell victory for Russia - thereby advancing the cause of anti-Western forces globally. Editors Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. Submit an Opinion Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A 10-year-old boy has been rescued near Madrid after spending the night clinging to a tree to escape severe flooding as Storm Dana lashed the country with torrential rains in recent days, killing at least three people. The boy disappeared with his mother, father, and sister when their car fell into the Alberche River in the town of Aldea del Fresno, in the Madrid region of Spain, on Sunday night, Spanish state broadcaster RTVE reported on Monday. The mother and sister were found that night and transported to hospital, but the boy was missing until around 8 a.m. on Monday morning, when he was found by the guard of a private property, RTVE reported. Searches are still ongoing for the boys father. The Pedrera Bridge over the Alberche River in Aldea del Fresno, Spain, on September 4, 2023. - Alejandro Martinez Velez/Europa Press/AP The heavy rains in Spain have claimed the lives of at least three people in the province of Toledo following severe flooding in the area, Emiliano Garcia-Page, the president of the Castilla-La Mancha region, confirmed on Monday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On Sunday, Garcia-Page described the storms impact as very hard and hostile, with images showing overturned cars and damaged property. The storm follows a summer of extreme weather for Spain, which has grappled with searing heatwaves and devastating wildfires. Scientists are clear that extreme weather will only get more intense and more frequent as the human-caused climate crisis accelerates. The severe rainfall eased on Tuesday, with the countrys national weather service AEMET downgrading alerts for the region from red to yellow. CNNs Claudia Rebaza contributed reporting For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com When U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jamie Morris, a Special Forces soldier, applied for a concealed carry permit, his local sheriff's office contacted him about several arrests on his record. Morris was confused: He's never been arrested. But his record showed he'd been arrested on several charges, most seriously aggravated sexual contact and negligent homicide and murder. His issues began in 2017, when he was stationed in Mali with several other members of various U.S. special operations forces. Four special operations forces members killed a fifth during that deployment. They were all convicted or pleaded guilty. Two of them claimed Morris authorized the hazing of the man who was killed. But their stories contradicted each other, and the others denied Morris had any involvement. That didn't stop the Army Criminal Investigation Division from "titling" Morris. That's a process where a soldier's record is flagged even if he is never charged. It shows up on criminal background checks as an arrest and usually ends a soldier's chances for promotion. A soldier is never even aware of it unless he applies for a concealed carry permit or job that requires a background check. The post Brickbat: On Record appeared first on Reason.com. The long-running crisis at Miami-Dade Countys Animal Services Department demands we chart a new course. In the gut-wrenching and complicated world of this animal shelter, this is our moment to craft a better future together. The shelter is housing nearly double the number of animals a county-funded audit reported could be considered safe. Citizens have nowhere to take lost or abandoned animals. The agencys director is under suspension, facing multiple complaints that name her own senior staff as witnesses. Hard-working staff is overwhelmed, demoralized and wondering when new leadership will arrive. As a board member of the national Humane Society of the United States and co-founder of the nonprofit Friends of Miami Animals Foundation, I care deeply about the suffering of animals, shelter staff and volunteers, as do many others. Last year, I urged the county to fund an independent audit of conditions at the shelter. The county hired a top animal services consultant. In March, the expert presented a list of dire recommendations. None have been implemented. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The department needs independent expert advice, oversight by stakeholders and residents, increased funding and full accountability. The mayor and commissioners should immediately appoint a top-tier group of experts, community leaders and animal advocates who can work independently and make recommendations to establish an animal-welfare system. This kind of input has helped our county tackle complicated issues such as homelessness. We ask our elected officials to establish a study commission so our shelter receives the guidance, support and accountability it clearly needs. Yolanda Berkowitz, Miami Editors note: The writer has filed a lawsuit against the suspended director of Animal Services. Developers say they hope to rekindle vibrancy from Charlottes original Brooklyn community in place of an uptown building that sits at a critical crossroads for the citys Black business history. Demolition is starting now on Walton Plaza a building that, as Charlotte historian Tom Hanchett said, is not officially a landmark, but maybe it should be. There and at a site one block north, developer BK Partners will build Brooklyn Village housing (affordable and market-rate), retail, office space, hotel rooms and a park. Trucks and construction equipment outside of Walton Plaza. Formerly known as East Independence Plaza, it was built in the 1970s by a group of Black businessmen, including Julius Chambers. Its being torn down as part of a mixed-use development called Brooklyn Village. Walton Plaza, originally named East Independence Plaza, served as a professional home of Charlotte trailblazers Julius Chambers and Harvey Gantt . It was the biggest and first real estate project led by Mel Watt , an attorney and longtime congressman who went on to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency. And its hailed as one of the first buildings of its kind an uptown office building owned and developed by Black businessmen between Atlanta and Washington, D.C. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Its construction alone was an act of defiance in a racially polarized time, Watt told The Charlotte Observer. Its demolition is sparking mixed reactions about whats next. East Independence Plaza This 1973 image in The Charlotte Observer is an aerial view of the land that formerly contained the Brooklyn community. The courthouse is in the lower left center. Marshall Park is center left. The building then known as East Independence Plaza is in the top right. There werent many opportunities in the early 1970s to support a Black business enterprise like the gleaming office building that would materialize at whats now the intersection of South McDowell Street and East Brooklyn Village Avenue, says Gantt, a former Charlotte mayor who leased space there for his architecture firm for several years. That was certainly true in Charlotte as well as the broader Southeast. It was a first-class space and there was a good measure of accomplishment to see this succeeding, Gantt told the Observer. Only one substantial Black-developed office was built in the U.S. in Los Angeles between the late 1920s and early 1960, Hanchett wrote in the October 2021 edition of the North Carolina Historical Review. North Carolina Mutual, which was Black-owned, built and dedicated an office tower in Durham in the mid-1960s. It was joined by towers in Atlanta and Chicago. The Charlotte building rose on land previously part of a Black business and institutional district in the center city Brooklyn as discrimination and racist policies sought to exclude Black Charlotteans. Brooklyns clearing during so-called urban renewal left most of that land without major competition for new construction. The Feb. 17, 1971 edition of The Charlotte Observer reported only one tract drew multiple bids where a Raleigh based company proposed a office towers and hotel on 14.6 acres. On one of five tracts without competitive bids, the group led in part by Chambers, Westside Associates, won with a bid just above the minimum, and they embarked on a project named East Independence Plaza. Just days earlier, before dawn on Feb. 4, 1971, someone firebombed Chambers law office on the edge of uptown. Without that, Mel Watt said, its not clear whether the project would have materialized as it did. The building a seven-story, black glass- and white brick-covered octagon opened in early 1973, with tenants that included Chambers firm on the top floor, a regional office of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Gantts architecture firm and doctors such as Raleigh Bynum, an optometrist and general partner in the office building venture. Hub for people Bynum, now 87, says Charlottes Black professionals were scattered across the city and East Independence Plaza gave them a central location to, among other things, refer customers to one another. It was nice for me, and I think all the other health care professionals felt the exact same way, Bynum told the Observer. Watts son, Jason, remembered the building as a hub for people whether that meant seeing a doctor, lawyer or bank. Like other kids whose parents worked at the law firm, he was often tasked with delivering documents like deeds, traveling up and down elevators frequently. It was a community place where people kind of knew you and you felt like you were in a place where folks were connecting, Jason Watt said. That the building is being torn down now is a mixed-emotion story for Mel Watt, the attorney and former congressman. Investors made money through the venture. Its proprietors answered a call on a building that had a history, Gantt said. But they were largely unsuccessful in trying to attract institutional tenants and a racially diverse roster. They werent going to rent it from us, and then by definition the building becomes a Black building, Watt said about institutional tenants such as city and county government. Mecklenburg County bought the building in 1994 for $6 million and Watt said he still carries resentment over that since government institutions would not rent there earlier. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools quickly occupied 2,400 of the buildings 85,000 square feet after the purchase before other government offices moved in. One year after buying the property, Mecklenburg County renamed it Stonewall Plaza. Then, in a controversial 1996 vote, the county renamed the building for former county commissioner Bob Walton, who was convicted of assaulting an 18-year-old male in a sexual encounter. Brooklyn Village project This map shows the location of Brooklyn Village South whats now Walton Plaza and Brooklyn Village North. The southern section of the project will start construction first. It sits adjacent to Interstate 277. The building sold for a second time last month when Mecklenburg County announced its transfer to BK Partners as part of the Brooklyn Village development. The group includes The Peebles Corporation, an African-American-owned company based in New York, and the Charlotte-based Conformity Corporation. Donahue Peebles III, executive vice president of Peebles Corp., said he recognizes the important history on the site particularly its past as a vibrant, predominantly African-American neighborhood. Peebles said whats now Walton Plaza was an important building in its time, but that empty parking spots comprise most of the property. I think that our focus has always been on paying homage to the vibrancy that was historic Brooklyn ... something that could approximate what was the citys main district for Black people, Peebles said. A rendering of Brooklyn Village. The Walton Plaza section of the property will be part of Brooklyn Village South. The 11.3-acre Brooklyn Village North property sits between the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center and the courthouse, including Marshall Park. Together, the sites will have 1,243 residential units, including at least 114 designated affordable; office and retail space; hotel rooms; and 2.5 acres of open space, which includes a park. Peebles said BK Partners will seek to build as many housing units as possible and that more units could mean more designated as affordable. Watt said hes not particularly sentimental about the building because buildings come and go, but hes skeptical that Brooklyn Village will truly pay homage to the community its named for. This seems to me to be a total disregard of the history of Brooklyn just as the urban removal was a total disregard for the people who lived there, Watt told the Observer. Bynum said he would prefer of course for our building to remain there, but hes interested to see how things change. Like Bynum, Gantt said hes kind of sorry that (Walton Plaza is) the first one to go, but hes encouraged to see a Black-owned company leading the development. Peebles calls Brooklyn Village South the first step in a long journey. And a long journey is only in small steps, he said. Hello, and welcome to the Brunswick Today newsletter brought to you by me, StarNews reporter Jamey Cross. Its a stereotype that North Carolinians over prepare for potential disasters, and I dont believe its an unfair one. I grew up toward the center of the state and remember panicked grocery store runs for milk, bread and water at the first prediction of incoming snowfall. Since Ive moved to the coast, that familiar feeling comes when a bad rainstorm is forecast. So, of course I stopped by the grocery store Tuesday night ahead of Idalias anticipated arrival. Mostly afraid Id lose power, I grabbed some water and nonperishables just in case. To my surprise, there was plenty of both. Maybe I lucked out and chose a store that hadnt been ravaged yet, or maybe my neighbors have an instinct Ive yet to develop, and they just knew the storm wouldnt compare to others in Wilmingtons past. Eventually downgraded to a tropical storm, the effects of Hurricane Idalia were mild in Southeastern North Carolina. From Brunswick County reporter Renee Spencer, heres our recap coverage of the storm and what damage was caused. From reporter Gareth McGrath, here's what threats remain. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I hope you were over prepared for the storm, too. Thanks for starting your week with us. Here's the latest in Brunswick County news. Here we grow again Storms eventually pass, but it seems Brunswick County's constant development won't go anywhere anytime soon. The Brunswick County Planning Board recently approved a modification to a once-dead planned development off N.C. 211. The Groves at Olde Georgetown got the green light to add even more homes in the planned development. Here's my story with the details and what it all means. Sure, more people are moving to Brunswick County, but more people are also visiting the area. A recent study shows Brunswick and New Hanover counties are among the top in the state in tourism spending. Reporter John Staton breaks down the data here. In Shallotte, town leaders approved a rezoning to make way for a four-building apartment complex nearby a popular subdivision. Here's what to know. Meet Timothy Hinds After questioning some practices in the Ocean Walk Condo Association, property owner Timothy Hinds is working to advocate for HOA reform at the state level. An ongoing fight over contracts and transparency led Oak Island resident Timothy Hinds to establish the North Carolina Homeowner Association Law Reform Coalition. Spencer talked with Hinds about the issues he's experienced in the area and what he believes is the root of the problem. Go | See | Do I constantly hear from residents confused about local government processes, and events like Leland's town hall forums are a great place to learn. This Wednesday's town hall forum focuses on community enrichment and will be held at 6 p.m. at town hall. Reporter Cheryl Whitaker has the details and more going on across the county here. Lets get social For more news about whats happening in Brunswick County, follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BrunswickToday. Want your friends to be in the know? Forward this newsletter to them. Reach Jamey Cross at jbcross@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Brunswick Today newsletter The High Anti-Corruption Court celebrates its fourth anniversary, and we decided to find out the challenges and general outcomes of the institution. The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine (the HACC) and the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine (HACC AC) began their procedural operations on 5 September 2019. Since then, we at Transparency International Ukraine watched their work closely: attended court sessions, analysed institutional and operational aspects, and studied judgments. By doing that, we both identified certain trends that may be called the best practices of the HACC's procedures, and problems traditional for all courts. Let's talk about them. 4-year results of HACC and HACC APP. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement 4 years of operations is not very much but enough to draw some conclusions from observations. According to the HACC website and the results of monitoring of cases, we know that the court has passed 138 sentences, of which HACC AC reviewed 55 and upheld 28 of them. Since the beginning of work, the Anti-Corruption Court has acquitted 23 and convicted 157 people for corruption crimes. Of that, 43 cases ended up with settlements between the accused and the investigation, including high-profile pleas of ex-MP Oleksandr Trukhin and ex-Minister of Environmental Protection Mykola Zlochevskyi. HACC's special confiscation, a mechanism allowing confiscations of criminal assets and proceeds from them to the Treasury also has interesting numbers. We have witnessed 19 proceedings with civil confiscation for 4 years which brought UAH 137,546,142 to the Budget. But enough about the numbers. Let's better talk about the most interesting cases completed this year. Case of Mykola Chaus (Ex-Judge of Dniprovskyi Court of Kyiv) The NABU detectives caught that prominent judge taking a $150,000 bribe in 2016. The money was found in two glass jars, one buried on the judge's land, and the other hidden in his car. The trial began in November 2021 when Chaus came back to Ukraine (voluntarily or not that's another story). The defence tried to protract the case missed sessions, filed various petitions, and delayed interrogation of the accused. Interestingly, the ex-judge was accused of both requesting and receiving of a particularly large bribe. However, the first instance court convicted Chaus only for requesting an illegal benefit. In another part of the indictment, the court established the fact of provocation by the NABU agent who knowingly went from checking the information about the bribe requested by Chaus to creating preconditions for going further and committing the crime. Already in June 2023, Mykola Chaus was sentenced to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property. An appeal review of his verdict is pending in the near future. Case of Dmytro Sus (ex-deputy head of a department of Prosecutor Generals Office) This person is known for his work at the PGO's department called the "Kononenko-Hranovskyi Department" by names of MPs from Petro Poroshenko Block, close to the former President. According to the investigation officials and the court of the first instance, Sus abused the powers of investigator and investigation team leader during the investigation of illegal gambling cases. In the opinion of law enforcement officers and the court of the first instance, Sus misappropriated UAH 423,000 and sold 11 game tables, 32 chairs, 10 slot machines, 1 electronic roulette, 12 monitors, and 1 metal statue of a woman. The HACC began considering the case back in September 2019 and passed the verdict in January 2023. It's important to mention that during the consideration, the HACC confirmed most charges of the SAPO prosecutor. Yet, the court found that the charge of misappropriation of a video recorder from Sus's office was groundless since the evidence did not prove his presence during that search. As a result, the ex-head of the GPO's department was found guilty of misappropriation and embezzlement of property obtained during searches and sentenced to 9 years in prison with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions for 3 years and confiscation of property. The HACC AC reduced the sentence to 7 years based on the results of appellation review. Case of Ruslan Solvar (ex-People's Deputy of Ukraine) Ruslan Solvar is People's Deputy of Ukraine of the 7th and 8th convocations. He is accused of illegally received compensation from the Verkhovna Rada for renting a hotel room. The fact is that People's Deputies can receive compensation for renting hotel rooms if they do not own any housing in Kyiv. That was the case for Solvar up to a certain point. Situation changed in 2017 when the MP inherited an apartment in the capital. Moreover, he even declared it immediately but still received a hotel rent compensation. Solvar decided to apply for termination of his compensation only in 2018 after numerous media materials about that fact. The first instance acquitted Solvar according to the court, his actions should have been qualified as fraud, and not abuse of power. However, the court of appeal disagreed with the verdict, found Solvar guilty, and sentenced him to 3 years of real imprisonment with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions for one year and a UAH 8,500 fine. Now the case is under cassation appeal and, due to the lack of sustainable practice of application of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, it is submitted for consideration by the Joint Chamber of the Criminal Cassation Court within the Supreme Court. HACC's operational problems that may be considered solved. The key to the positive perception of the Anti-Corruption Court by society was the involvement of a considerable number of partners, including international ones, in supporting its creation and ensuring the work. That affected both the selection of judges and the court's staff, and funding of operations. However, this is not just about financing. An indisputable positive thing is the high-quality training of judges and staff members both before the start of the court's procedural activities and during the performance of their powers. Specialization of judges also plays a role since they are tailored for corruption cases having deepest knowledge in that area. However, this does not exclude consideration by the HACC judges and conviction of persons for other categories of crimes. HACC's corporate culture might also contribute to its success. For example, staff members and judges often attend law events, communicate with lawyers, support law students, and even participate in running races. The quality of materials sent to the HACC by pre-trial investigation bodies also plays an important role in its work. NABU and SAPO whose proceedings are considered by the HACC also have specialization, quality funding, and special hiring procedures. Since its creation, the HACC managed to address (in whole or in part) the following issues: the first instance of the HACC received its own premises, HACC and HACC AC judges were empowered to bring to justice for contempt of court, website was created on a separate platform with all information about the HACC's justice and operations, more proactive and clear communication between the court and the public, we have examples of prompt advance communication about pending consideration of high-profile cases, possibility to read out only the operative part of sentences (only under martial law). Still, many problems are unresolved. The first thing that comes to mind is the lengthy consideration of individual cases. As practice shows, you must wait for a big fish quite a long time. For example, the case on charges of Oleksandr Onyshchenko accused of organizing embezzlement of public funds during the production and sale of natural gas under joint venture agreements with Ukrgasvydobuvannia Joint-Stock Company came to the court on 17 October 2019. The preparatory proceedings lasted 7 months, and the trial began on 13 May 2020. During that time, the court called witnesses twice and 6 times appointed free lawyers. All of that despite of the fact that the case is heard in absentia, i.e., without the presence of the accused. The court debates continue as for now. The "gas case" episode regarding Roman Nasirov was received by the HACC on 24 October 2019. Nasirov is accused that in 2015-2016, acting in the interests of MP Onyshchenko, he illegally instructed the heads of regional and local units of the State Fiscal Service to approve tax deferral decisions for Khas Firm LLC, Karpatnadrainvest LLC, and Nadra Geotsentr LLC. The preparatory court session was scheduled for 8 November 2019 and ended on the same day. However, the volume of proceeding materials to be examined by the court is impressive more than 170 volumes. It is worth mentioning that Nasirov has been in custody for a long time, since 21 October 2022, and therefore the speed of trial, among other things, is about ensuring the rights of the accused. Mykola Martynenko's case on appropriation of funds of NNEGC "Energoatom" and State Enterprise Eastern Ore Dressing Complex came to the HACC on 26 September 2019. And the trial was scheduled after 2 months of preparatory proceedings. The court is still considering that proceeding and postponed consideration at least three times due to the failure of the defence to appear. It even brought the issue of bringing lawyers to disciplinary responsibility. HACC appointed free lawyers 13 times in that case. In addition, numerous witnesses are currently being interrogated, which further slows down the consideration. In other words, the reasons for extremely long trials may be different. From the heavy workload of judges (each judge has 229 cases and materials on average), to the protraction of trials by defence. Sometimes delays lead to the expiration of the statute of limitation and the release of accused from criminal liability. Uncertainty of some legal regulations and, as a result, lack of established practice. The quality of law enforcement directly depends on the quality of the applicable legislation. And here come may criminal justice problems both at the stage of pre-trial investigation, and at the stage of judicial proceedings. They are, inter alia, challenges in assessment of validity of suspicions and determining the sum of bail as a measure of restraint. Also, the absence of consistence court practices for certain elements of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and qualification of refusal to submit tax returns for religious reasons. Recently there has been a lot of talk about improving the legal grounds for concluding plea agreements. We have already mentioned that there have been 43 such agreements during the court's work, and some of them are questionable. SAPO prosecutors sometimes unreasonably change charges, which do not correspond to the actual circumstances of the case. Judges approve those agreements without checking the evidence proving the plea. Here are some of many challenges of the High Anti-Corruption Court. A short time for conducting a trial between the indictment and the expiration of the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution. We noticed that trend, for example, in cases on unreported income by People's Deputies. Then, after a slight protraction by defence, the court closed the cases. Abuse of procedural rights. There is a big potential for manipulations there because the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine does not explicitly prohibit such conduct. A prominent example is the case for prosecution of judges of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv where the participants even filed a claim to the National Agency for Corruption Prevention for failure to consider their submissions on the conflict of interests of judges. Lozovyi's amendment. The amendment does not regulate the matter of combining various criminal proceedings and that almost led to the closure of high-profile cases with potential losses to the state the cases of Ukrainian Railways, Dubnevych Brothers, and Oschadbank. A small number of claims for civil confiscation of unsubstantiated assets. And lack of sustainable HACC practices on that matter. Expanding the powers of the Anti-Corruption Court to consider other categories of cases. For example, in May 2022, the court began considering cases on the imposition of sanctions on the assets of Russian accomplices, although the number of judges remains the same. In addition, there are ideas that the HACC must also consider corruption administrative offences. Therefore, it is necessary either to increase the number of judges and proportionally the number of court staff, or to prohibit adding new categories of cases to the HACC's jurisdiction. Trend of early release of prisoners convicted by the HACC. Such precedents became possible because local courts, and not the High Anti-Corruption Court, have the power to judicial control over the serving of sentences. The tradition of classification of certain sentences continues. This negatively affects confidence in the court, especially when there are reasonable doubts about the legality of certain procedural actions of a public prosecutor. *** Problems that arise in criminal justice should be resolved fast. After all, the larger their number, the more difficult it will be to consider cases and the more controversial the practice of applying the law will become. In addition, the trend of expanding the competence of the High Anti-Corruption Court without increasing its staff is negative. The functioning of specialized courts is established by the Constitution of Ukraine for a reason. And this specialization of the HACC should be preserved. It is also worth mentioning that the case on the constitutional submission of 49 People's Deputies regarding the constitutionality of the Law of Ukraine "On the High Anti-Corruption Court" has been still under consideration by the Grand Chamber of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine since 6 October 2020. And no one knows why the Grand Chamber cannot complete it and confirm that the law is constitutional. Here we note that the Anti-Corruption Court coped well with the risks of a pandemic and a full-scale invasion. Now we may only guess how the institution will cope with the consequences of a nuclear disaster :). High-quality selection of judges and staff, proper funding of the institution's operations is the key to its effectiveness. It's important for the HACC management to maintain the corporate culture of the court and ensure its strategic development. In the end, that experience can become the best practice for other courts to follow. Transparency International Ukraine Over the last week, thousands of people at the Burning Man Festival have been stranded in the desert, as inclement weather has made it impossible to leave. This embedded content is not available in your region. The Burning Man Festival, which began in 1986, takes place in Nevadas Black Rock Desert. Every year, people travel and join the community of attendees with the hope of connecting to their individual creative powers and to the larger realm of civic life. Since 2013, the festival has hosted over 65,000 people at the campsite. In 2020, that number grew to around 500,000 because the festival was online due to the pandemic. During the festival, attendees camp out in the temporary town called Black Rock City. The festival is meant to themed camps and massive art installations such as a giant inflatable pink tiger, robotic sculptures and a 50-foot tapestry. At the end of the festivities, campers will set fire to an effigy called Burning Man. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Over the course of the week, some campers took to TikTok to give a more in-depth look at the housing situation. TikToker Angie Peacock (@angiepeacockmsw) posted a video showing the shower situation, which consisted of a hose and limited privacy. This embedded content is not available in your region. Im just going to be dirty. Ive embraced the dust, she wrote in her caption. While the housing situation Peacock showed is typical, the weather conditions which have many trapped are anything but. This year, 0.8 inches of rain which, according to CNN, represents two to three months worth in the state fell on the Nevada desert and has thrown the entire festival into survival mode. While the festival goers are trying to get themselves out of a tough situation, several people are taking this time to discuss whether those people shouldve been there to begin with. Im not sure Ill ever understand why people are willing to pay to essentially experience what tens of thousands of unhoused Californians experience every single day, Erika D. Smith, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, wrote. My only hope is that once all the Burners return home, they will remember not just the partying, but the hardships they experienced. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, nearly 600,000 people were unhoused in 2022. This amounts to 18 people out of every 10,000 being unhoused. Due to this number, which has risen 6% since 2017, social media users are vehemently oppose to the high prices of festival and its aesthetic. There are several prices for the Burning Man Festival tickets depending on when you buy them. The first ones to go on sale come during the FOMO sale and start at $1,500 and go up to $2,750. However, a majority of the tickets, which can be purchased during the Stewards Sale and cost $575. According to the Burning Man website, the festival provides these cheaper tickets in order to allow crews who set up installations to come and in an attempt to help promote diversity. After seeing the prices of the festival and how many people attend, TikTokers also jumped into the discussion. This embedded content is not available in your region. Youre a 35-45 year old with Peter Pan Syndrome at Burning Man cosplaying as a poor person for 15K, wrote @thegoodthebadtheryan. This embedded content is not available in your region. Us poor people cant afford to take off work for a week. Were not going, replied @itsmommas_33 to @thewheatwitchs post. TikTokers criticized the campers for cosplaying survival and called them trust fund kids. All of this is so funny to me because in a time where people are actually, legitimately trying to survive, we still have trust fund kids doing these things, wrote @thewheatwhich. In The Know by Yahoo is now available on Apple News follow us here! The post Burning Man 2023 has prompted social conversation about building a temporary city during a homelessness crisis appeared first on In The Know. More from In The Know: Want a Coach bag or wallet but don't have much to spend? These 12 best sellers are all 70% off Personal chef and caterer prepares a complete, vibrant Jamaican-style meal with her family This '70s-inspired NYC studio is full of playful touches and a surprising bed hack! Many TikTok creators are sharing what it's like to be part of 'toxic' all-Asian friend groups Stranded Burning Man festival goers began heading home on Monday as a driving ban was lifted in the northern Nevada desert. Tens of thousands of people had been stuck after flooding forced attendees to shelter in place. As of midday Monday, approximately 63,000 people remained on site, according to Burning Man. "Exodus operations" began at 2 p.m. local time, organizers said. Though the driving ban was lifted, attendees were advised to consider holding off on trips home until Tuesday to alleviate congestion. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office was helping organize departures from the Black Rock Desert. "We understand participants are eager to return home, but safety is our top priority," Sheriff Darin Balaam said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A Friday downpour had turned the festival grounds and surrounding areas into a muddy mess, leaving the roads impassable. The Burning Man entrance was shut down on Saturday, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office said. "You don't expect this kind of rain and the effect," attendee Paul Tan said. One person died during the festival. The death occurred during the extreme rain, but not because of it, the Pershing County Sheriff's Office confirmed. Camps are set on a muddy desert plain on September 2, 2023, after heavy rains turned the annual Burning Man festival site in Nevada's Black Rock desert into a mud pit. / Credit: JULIE JAMMOT/AFP via Getty Images The White House on Sunday said that President Biden had been briefed on the flooding at Burning Man and that administration officials were "monitoring the situation and are in touch with state and local officials." While people were unable to hop into cars to leave the gathering, some opted to trek through the mud on foot, including superstar DJ and music producer Diplo. He shared a video to social media Saturday afternoon that showed several people riding on the back of a truck leaving the festival, one of whom appeared to be comedian Chris Rock. "Just walked 5 miles in the mud out of burning man with chris rock and a fan picked us up," Diplo wrote. Burning Man's organizers asked people not to walk out of the festival on Monday. Despite the messy conditions, attendee Elizabeth Downing told CBS News she felt safe and comfortable at the festival. "We were all there as a community and we actually came together and made the best of it," Downing said. Many will stick around to watch an effigy being burned on Monday night. The burning typically signifies the end of the gathering, which was first launched in 1986. The burning had been postponed because of the weather conditions. Driver trapped at bottom of ravine for 5 days rescued How a cat helps kids getting glasses for the first time feel comfortable Smash Mouth singer Steve Harwell dies at 56 Officials revealed more details Monday night surrounding the death of a festivalgoer at the Burning Man festival in Nevada, confirming the fatality was a 32-year-old man who died Sept. 1. Leon Reece was found unresponsive at approximately 6:24 p.m. on Friday night while the festival was experiencing heavy rains. The unusual downpour on the Nevada desert led to thick mud that trapped festival-goers for multiple days. Reeces cause of death has not yet been determined, investigators said. Investigators previously stated that Reeces death appeared unrelated to the weekends weather. But the stormy conditions delayed efforts to send help, Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said in a statement Monday night. Pershing County dispatch received a call regarding a male subject who was on the ground and unresponsive at the Burning Man Festival and medical personnel were administering CPR to the male, Allen said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Due to the unusual rain event happening on the Playa, access to the area and investigative efforts were delayed. Upon the arrival of Pershing County Sheriffs Office Deputies, the doctor at the Festival had already pronounced the male subject, later identified as Leon Reece, a 32 year old male, deceased. Deputies interviewed witnesses and medical responders but were not immediately able to identify Reeces cause of death. An investigation and toxicology report is currently underway. The annual Burning Man festival in Nevadas Black Rock Desert sees more than 70,000 attendees. Usually those party-goers are warned about the risk of dehydration in the remote desert. But this years festival took a frightening turn when heavy rains turned the temporary city into a mud pit, stranding most attendees until Monday, when festival organizers announced that an exodus from the campsite was safe. While stranded, attendees were advised to conserve food and water. Rumors of deaths at the festival, amplified on social media, contributed to unease. A couple people didnt make it, one Burning Man attendee said in a now-viral video after the flood. (Only one death has been reported.) Those fears were compounded by a hoax about Ebola spreading among stranded partiers. Those rumors are false, Allen said on Monday, although doctors previously cautioned Burning Man attendees to watch their health while stuck on the flooded plain. Stagnant water, port-a-potties, and cold weather could put campers at risk of hypothermia, food-borne illnesses, and COVID-19, Insider previously reported. Those risks were projected to increase the longer campers were trapped at the festival. As of Monday night, however, Burning Man attendees were free to leave the site, and reportedly driving out en masse. In consultation with the Bureau of Land Management and the Burning Man Project, there is no validity to any reports regarding an Ebola outbreak, or any other disease, Allen 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. Texas has been sending one or more busloads of migrants to Los Angeles every week since mid-June. Here, one arrives at Union Station on July 13. (Raul Roa / Los Angeles Times) A bus from Texas loaded with migrants from seven countries arrived in downtown Los Angeles on Monday morning, marking the 12th such transfer since mid-June. Zach Seidl, L.A.'s deputy mayor of communications, said that when officials learned Sunday the bus was on its way to Union Station, they activated the city's response plan in coordination with Los Angeles County officials, a coalition of nonprofit organizations and "faith partners." That plan involves connecting the new arrivals with services and with the relatives, friends or sponsors they are trying to see. Half of the 42 occupants of the bus were children, said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesman for the Los Angeles-based Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights. The 11 families on board came from Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Russia. Read more: L.A. City Council pushes for legal action against Texas governor over migrant buses ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The L.A. City Council voted unanimously last week to explore whether the city can sue Texas and its governor, Greg Abbott, for busing migrants here. Their inquiry stemmed from the first busload of 42 people, which arrived on June 14 after what Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez described as a 23-hour ride with little or no food or water. Cabrera said that most of the newest arrivals indicated they have loved ones in the area, so they plan to stay here. Others will be joining family, friends or sponsors in Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego and Central California, he said. The migrants said they were fleeing horrific instances of violence, abuse or threats, Cabrera said, adding, "What they want is to reach a place where they no longer have that fear." "Their long process to seek asylum begins the moment they see an attorney. Thats what we hope to provide for them," Cabrera said. In that meeting, they'll receive an initial assessment of "how difficult the process is and what they can expect." By the time they reached Los Angeles, the bus riders had made contact with the people they were planning to join, Cabrera said. Typically, those with relatives or loved ones in the area will connect within hours of the bus' arrival. The migrants' cases may be assigned to immigration courts far from where they are staying, so one thing the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights works on is applications to move the cases to courts nearby, Cabrera said. For those who qualify, the organization will also apply for work permits. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Refuel, a convenience store chain based in Charleston, South Carolina, has submitted plans for a store in the Riverlights community of Wilmington. The Riverlights community of Wilmington continues to grow as another business has been proposed for the area. Refuel, a convenience store chain based in Charleston, South Carolina, plans to build a store on the corner of River and Arnold roads. Heres what we know. The proposed store will include a restaurant area According to the architectural plans, Refuel, which touts itself as a premium retail fuel distribution and convenience store," plans to build a 6,500-square-foot building, with just over 5000 square feet designated for retail use and 1,500 square feet designated as a restaurant. There will be gas pumps, and plans show the building will have at least 23 parking spaces. The Riverlights community could get a Refuel convenience store. The chain offers everything from food to automotive products According to the companys website, Refuel stores offer quality fuel and a full selection of on-the-road automotive necessities, including motor oil, transmission fluid, engine coolant, and more. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Customers will also find an array of grab-and-go snacks and hot meals, such as hand-breaded chicken sandwiches and breakfast sandwiches, from a menu that features unique regional flair. Refuel held a ribbon-cutting for its Leland store on June 23, 2023. Plans are underway for a second store in the Riverlights community in Wilmington. This will be the citys first Refuel store Refuel is a convenience store chain founded in 2010. The company operates 217 locations across North and South Carolina, Mississippi, Texas, and Arkansas. While this will be the first Refuel store in New Hanover County, it will be the second in the Cape Fear region. Refuel opened a store near Brunswick Forest in Leland earlier this year. The companys other nearby stores are in the Raleigh area and North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. What is the projects status? According to Lauren Edwards, spokesperson for the city of Wilmington, the project is currently under review. What else is happening at Riverlights? From a nail bar to two senior living facilities currently under construction, the community has seen rapid growth. Riverlights is expected to reach full build out by 2026. There are still about 400 acres of undeveloped land in the community. In addition to 150 homes currently under construction in Riverlights, nearly 1,000 more homes are expected to be built for a total of up to 3,350 residential units. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Riverlights in Wilmington could get a Refuel convenience store LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A busy week for Las Vegas police resulted in several arrests, police said. According to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Traffic Bureau, a weekend DUI blitz resulted in 97 traffic stops, seven citations, 11 arrests on suspicion of DUI, and one impounded firearm. The post used the hashtags #StopDUI, #DrivingImpairedKIlls, and #ThatsNotARoad, among others. In an earlier post, the traffic bureau highlighted a Wednesday arrest that saw the driver of a Camaro doing donuts and trick driving in a residential neighborhood. Metros Racing Apprehension and Intervention Detail officers took the driver into custody after they said he took off at a high rate of speed. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement That driver faces two felony charges of eluding a police officer, three charges of endangering the public and property, and four charges of reckless driving with disregard for persons and property, LVMPD said, adding that the driver already has two warrants out in two separate jurisdictions for reckless driving. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Over the weekend, Fox News spoke to Democratic strategist Doug Schoen on whether or not Democrats want President Joe Biden as their 2024 presidential nominee. And MSNBC discussed with Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., whether former President Donald Trump could be barred from running for president under the 14th Amendment. Fox News Do Democrats want Joe Biden? On Hannity, Friday night, Pete Hegseth spoke with Schoen on Bidens chance of being reelected in the 2024 presidential elections. Would you advise him to run? Or is it time to look to the bench? Hegseth asked. He has serious, serious negatives. Both in terms of performance, ethics and age, but that being said, he is tied with or slightly ahead of Donald Trump, and as long as thats the case, the Democrats will keep him as their nominee and not turn to anyone else, Schoen said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Schoen added that a big reason for this is because next in line would be Vice President Kamala Harris and most polls show that her numbers are worse against Trump compared to Biden. Hegseth then asked, Is there a moment where the politicos step in and say OK, enough of this, we cant win this in 2024? Were a long way away from that, Schoen said. It could happen, but with Donald Trump facing four indictments and numbers that are almost as bad if not in some instances worse than Joe Biden, were a long way away from it for purely political reasons. Related MSNBC Does the 14th Amendment disqualify Trump? On Inside with Jen Psaki this weekend, Psaki spoke to Schiff about whether or not Trump could be barred from the 2024 presidential race. Theres an argument circulating about whether the 14th Amendment that prohibits anyone engaged in insurrection or rebellion from holding public office bars Trump from running for president, Psaki said. What is your thought on whether that is a valid argument? I think it is a valid argument, Schiff said. Will the court take that step ultimately? Only time will tell, but I do think it is a very legitimate issue by the clear terms of the 14th Amendment. He should be disqualified from holding office. Psaki then asked what Schiffs thoughts were on Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, R-Ga., saying, I will not vote to fund the government unless we have passed an impeachment inquiry on Joe Biden. Schiff said, It just shows the extreme lengths theyll go to carry water for Donald Trump. Theyll shut down the government, theyll do whatever they can to initiate an impeachment of Joe Biden, and part of the motivation here is, of course, to distract from Donald Trump's multiple indictments; part of it is to somehow try to dilute the stain of Trumps impeachments. The common denominator, he said, is this just unswerving undeniable willingness to base themselves in the service of Donald Trump. A California cocktail lounge has been the victim of increasingly dangerous acts of vandalism, and the lounge fears the acts may be because of the clubs strong support of the local LGBTQ+ community. Sorry Not Sorry in the Sawtelle neighborhood of Los Angeles has had swastikas and the words AIDS painted on or near its property, as well as burglaries and other acts of vandalism in the past several months. The most recent act came on the evening of Friday, August 25, when someone slashed the tires and set ablaze three cars belonging to employees. I am disheartened to tell you about an incident at Sorry Not Sorry. Last Friday at a well-attended burlesque show, an arsonist slashed the tires of three employees vehicles, doused the vehicles with fuel, and set them on fire, Sorry Not Sorrys chef Kim Vu, posted to social media. This occurred behind the fence of our back patio, just a few feet away from our DK, the performers, and our guests. No one was hurt, but there was extensive property damage. The scariest part is that one car was next to our propane tank cage, Brandon Waller, Sorry Not Sorrys general manager told local ABC affiliate KABC. A few more minutes, and that actually could have been a very catastrophic fatal event. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The restaurant has been in rough waters financially this year, with rising operating expenses leaving it in the red at the end of each month, Vu posted to social media. The recent vandalism is forcing the business to make tough choices about its future. For now, Sorry Not Sorry is asking for help from the community not in the form of handouts, but by visiting. We would love for you to come in for some hand-crafted drinks and fresh-made foods, but what we really need is for you to share our business with large groups of people, Vu wrote. We need your support to be viral! Vu also made clear Sorry Not Sorrys support of the LGBTQ+ community will remain strong. I intend for Sorry Not Sorry to contribute to its community for decades to come, Vu posted. Waller noted the possibility of a connection between Sorry Not Sorrys strong allyship with the LGBTQ+ community and anti-LGBTQ+ hatred on the part of the perpetrator. We dont honestly know, but it is impossible not to make the correlation between the two, Waller said. California pharmacies, including those owned by big chains, make an estimated 5 million errors a year but they're not required to report them to state regulators. (Jim Cooke / Los Angeles Times; photos via Getty Images) Sharri Shaw walked out of the CVS on Vermont Avenue in South Los Angeles in 2019 believing she had a prescription for the pain reliever acetaminophen. Instead the bottle held a medicine to treat high blood pressure, a problem she did not have. Shaw began taking the pills, not learning of the mistake until six days later when a CVS employee arrived at her home, according to a lawsuit she filed last year. The employee told her not to take the tablets, the lawsuit said, before leaving the correct prescription at her door. The mistake, she said, left her stunned. Shaw's experience is far from an isolated event. California pharmacies make an estimated 5 million errors every year, according to the states Board of Pharmacy. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Officials at the regulatory board say they can only estimate the number of errors because pharmacies are not required to report them. Most of the mistakes that California officials have discovered, according to citations issued by the board and reviewed by The Times, occurred at chain pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens, where a pharmacist may fill hundreds of prescriptions during a shift, while juggling other tasks such as giving vaccinations, calling doctors offices to confirm prescriptions and working the drive-through. Christopher Adkins, a pharmacist who worked at CVS, and then at Vons pharmacies until March, said that management policies at the big chains have resulted in understaffed stores and overworked staff. At this point its completely unsafe, he said. Adkins now works at an independent pharmacy company in Los Angeles. He isnt the only pharmacist worried that heavy workloads and distractions are leading to errors. In a survey of California licensed pharmacists in 2021, 91% of those working at chain pharmacies said staffing wasnt high enough to provide patients adequate care. Although the board requires pharmacies to document errors internally, inform patients about mistakes in certain cases and learn how to prevent them from occurring again, only 62% of chain pharmacists said stores were following those rules, according to the survey. Read more: Picking up a prescription? 6 tips to avoid dangerous pharmacy errors Mistakes with deadly consequences Medication errors can harm patients, sometimes seriously. One patient took prednisone, a powerful steroid, for 89 days after a Walgreens pharmacist in Santa Clara confused the drug with Prilosec, the heartburn drug that had actually been prescribed, according to a citation issued in June 2022. Research has shown that prednisone can decrease bone density within weeks of starting the drug, increasing the risk of fractures. In Inglewood, a pregnant patient suffered a fall after she was given two drugs prescribed to another customer by a pharmacist at the CVS on Market Street, according to an August 2021 citation. At a Rite Aid in Bakersfield, a pharmacist typed the wrong instructions on a prescription for anastrozole, a hormonal treatment for breast cancer. The pharmacist told the patient to take half a tablet twice a day rather than twice a week as the doctor had prescribed. The patient took the drug according to the incorrect instructions for several days, according to a January 2023 citation, suffering adverse effects. Some patients have continued to take and refill the prescriptions without knowing they received the wrong drug. A pharmacist in Adelanto at the CVS on Palmdale Road gave a patient another customers prescription for 50-milligram tablets of Zoloft, the antidepressant, according to a February citation. The person took the wrong drug for at least seven months, refilling the prescription three times. The pharmacy board says it investigates any report of an error that it receives from consumers or others. If the investigation finds that regulations were violated, the board can issue citations and fines and possibly take away the pharmacist's or pharmacy's state license. Read more: 7 key questions about worsening drug shortages, answered CVS and Walgreens declined to make executives available for interviews but sent statements saying that the errors were rare. Rite Aid did not respond to messages. Patient safety is our highest priority, CVS said in its statement. When we learn of a prescription error, the first priority of our pharmacy teams is caring for the patient, taking steps to correct the error, working with the patient and the prescriber. CVS said it does not comment on litigation. Walgreens said it has a multi-step prescription filling process with numerous safety checks to minimize the chance of human error." When errors do occur, we also have a robust mandatory reporting system in place that allows us to quickly identify root causes and to implement process improvements to prevent future errors, Walgreens said. Vons said in a statement that the company makes sure pharmacies are appropriately staffed. "We also regularly review the workflow in our pharmacies to identify ways to streamline and automate non-patient facing tasks so that our pharmacy teams can dedicate more time to serving our customers," the company said. Some errors have been deadly. More than 10% of malpractice claims against pharmacists were for injuries that resulted in death, according to a 2019 report by two insurance providers. The leading cause of death was from overdoses, in which patients were given dosage strengths that were too high or incorrect instructions that multiplied the amount of medicine the patient received. As many as 9,000 Americans die each year from prescription errors, according to one study . Read more: Drug to prevent preterm birth pulled from market, years after it was shown ineffective 'Virtual verification' The chain pharmacies told The Times they are using technology to give pharmacists more time to keep patients safe. Walgreens said, for example, it uses micro-fulfillment, in which prescriptions are filled by robots at regional centers. One method of automation used by CVS is mentioned in at least seven citations by the pharmacy board since July 2022. The technique, called virtual verification, allows a pharmacist to sign off on a prescription without seeing what pills are put in the bottle. Instead a lower-paid technician, hired to help the pharmacist, finds the drug to fill the prescription, counts the pills and then snaps a photo just before putting the tablets in the bottle and stapling the bag shut. The pharmacist approves the prescription based on the photo rather than actually observing the pills. According to a June 2022 citation, one patient received a bottle of Valtrex, which treats viral infections, rather than the prescribed Keflex, which treats bacterial illnesses, from the CVS on Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood. Pharmacist verification based on the photograph obstructs the pharmacists ability to verify the prescription, the regulators wrote on the citation, which imposed a $5,000 fine. Since those citations were issued for errors, the board agreed to withdraw the part of its findings related to virtual verification at five pharmacies after meeting with CVS executives, according to a letter the board sent to the company. The executives told board officials that they had improved the process, including by making it easier for pharmacists to see the pills in the photographs. The board said it "remains concerned" that relying on photos could increase errors, the letter said. CVS told the board it has not seen an increase. Read more: Alzheimer's drug trials target older Californians. Do they understand what they're signing up for? The fight for more accountability Rarely does the public learn of the mistakes. Not only does the state not require the reporting of errors, but the big pharmacy companies often ask consumers to sign agreements demanding that they take any dispute not to court but to private arbitration panels. Patients typically agree to arbitration when they are asked to click a box to accept the companys terms and conditions when they pick up a prescription. You agree that CVS and you each waive the right to trial by a jury, states the CVS agreement . To begin understanding the frequency of the mistakes, the pharmacy board sponsored a bill that would require pharmacies to report every error not publicly but to a third party outside the government. The bill would also give the pharmacist responsible for the store the ability to increase staffing if they believe the workload has become too heavy to keep patients safe. The legislation is opposed by the California Community Pharmacy Coalition, a lobbying group representing retail pharmacies, including the big chains. The coalition has told legislators that the pharmacy staffing requirements are too rigid and that it does not want the pharmacy board to have access to the error reports, among other objections with the bill. The coalition did not respond to a request for comment. Language in the bill being debated in Sacramento states that the board would not get access to the reports and neither would the public. Instead the reports would be kept confidential. The third-party group receiving the error reports would periodically provide information to the pharmacy board, including how many mistakes have been reported. The pharmacy board said it hopes to use the information to learn more about what is causing the errors and what can be done to reduce them. The bill would allow the board to publish de-identified information compiled from the data in the reports. Read more: Science hasn't shown these medications work. They're being sold anyway The bill, AB 1286, authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney, a San Francisco Democrat, has passed the Assembly and is now before the state Senate. "Shockingly, there's no centralized reporting mechanism for medication errors," Haney said in an interview. "There should be transparency, and the Board of Pharmacy should have the authority to respond to protect patients. That's not happening right now." Two years ago, the state Legislature passed a bill that banned chain pharmacies from setting quotas for pharmacists on the numbers of prescriptions filled, vaccines given or other activities during a shift. The laws goal was to make the chain pharmacies safer. In the 2021 survey, taken before that bill passed, 73% of chain pharmacists said their employer monitored the number of prescriptions filled and 62% said the company monitored the average time it took them to fill a prescription. Despite the new law, some chain pharmacies have continued to require pharmacists to meet quotas, according to citations issued by the board. Since January 2022, at least five pharmacies have been cited for asking pharmacists to meet quotas. CVS set quotas and measured pharmacists on the number of vaccinations they gave each week, according to a March citation issued to the company's pharmacy in Ripon, a town in the Central Valley. The citation included a $10,000 fine. CVS declined to answer questions about the citation. It said it did not set quotas for pharmacists or pharmacy technicians. A pharmacy board inspection at a Walgreens in Citrus Heights in August of last year found that the store had set quotas for pharmacists on the number of COVID-19 tests dispensed and vaccinations given. The quota was expressly encouraged by Walgreens corporate ownership, the citation said. The pharmacy was fined $50,000, and an additional $5,000 for the inspectors finding that a pharmacist had dispensed a prescription of atenolol, a blood pressure medicine, without consulting with the customer about how to safely take it. That consultation is required by state law if the drug hasnt been given to the patient previously. Walgreens said it disagreed with the citation and was challenging it. Walgreens does not utilize quotas for pharmacists or pharmacy technicians, the company said, and was in compliance with the new law before it went into effect. In a nationwide move last fall, Walgreens announced that it would no longer evaluate its pharmacy staff on any task-based metrics. Adkins, the former chain pharmacist, said that when he began working at CVS pharmacies in the Bay Area in 2020, he accidentally gave a customer another patients prescription. He said he was the only person in the pharmacy at the time. I was having to go back and forth between the register and filling prescriptions and answering the phones, and one patient came in to pick up a medication, which wasn't ready because I was behind, Adkins said. So I had to go get it ready really quickly. He gave the customer her prescription and realized after she left that he had made a mistake. Adkins said he quickly called the customer, finding she was still in the parking lot. Although the patient ultimately received the correct prescription, he said, she was angry at the dangerous mistake. It was my fault, Adkins said. He said he believes it would not have happened if he'd had staff to help him. The public does not realize whats going on behind the counter, he said. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Scott Baugh is hoping to flip a Democratic-held House seat in Southern California. Rep. Katie Porter (D), who defeated Baugh in November, is running for the U.S. Senate, creating an open seat. Scott Baugh is hoping to flip a Democratic-held House seat in Southern California. Rep. Katie Porter (D), who defeated Baugh in November, is running for the U.S. Senate, creating an open seat. Scott Baugh, a Republican attorney hoping to flip a Democratic-held U.S. House seat in Orange County, California, said that wokism is more threatening to the country than the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, both world wars and the Civil War. Baugh, a former GOP leader in the California State Assembly, made the remarks while speaking in October to the International Christian Ambassadors Association, an ecumenical Christian nonprofit. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Whats the greatest threat to religious freedom? We were born in the Revolutionary War. We survived civil wars, World War II, World War I, a lot of wars, 9/11, Baugh said in a video posted to YouTube in June. None of those were that threatening to our country compared to the war that were fighting now. That war is about wokism and the lack of common sense. That wokism its communism, wokism, whatever you want to call it its infected our churches. I like to tell some of our pastors that Jesus came to offend. That was his purpose, he added. How would you know you needed a savior unless your sins were pointed out? And our churches arent doing that. In contemporary culture, wokeness and wokism usually refers to a view on the left that racism, sexism and other forms of prejudice are ubiquitous and intersecting sources of oppression in American society and that combating those forces requires vigilance and identity-conscious policies. Conservatives often use the term, however, to disparage a broader range of liberal ideas that they believe unfairly discriminate against historically privileged groups or undermine meritocracy and religious freedom. House Democrats campaign arm, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, condemned Baughs remarks, calling him a perennial loser who would fail again in 2024. (Baugh ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2022 and lost in the primary for a neighboring seat in 2018.) Scott Baughs disgusting culture war nonsense has gone too far, DCCC spokesperson Dan Gottlieb said in a statement. Service members and veterans deserve better than this offensive propagandist, and so does Californias 47th District. The loss of life in any traditional war is tragic and should be honored and respected.Zach Freimark, a spokesperson for the Baugh campaign Baughs campaign insists that he was referring exclusively to the threat that he believes wokism poses to religious freedom. When Scott said those words, he knew that a handful of liberal groups and media outlets would react when they saw it, Baugh campaign spokesperson Zach Freimark said in a statement. The loss of life in any traditional war is tragic and should be honored and respected. We also cannot allow liberal advocacy groups and their media allies to deflect the truth or take away the fact that woke politicians and the bureaucrats that work for them are destroying our education system, attacking faith-based institutions, de-funding law enforcement, and eroding our everyday freedoms. California needs someone willing to stand up to these attacks. With the backing of House Republican leadership, Baugh is the strong favorite for the Republican nomination in Californias 47th Congressional District. House Republicans see the seat, which includes the city of Irvine and surrounding suburbs, as one of their top pickup opportunities. Since three-term Rep. Katie Porter is running for retiring Sen. Dianne Feinsteins seat, Democrats will lack the advantage of an incumbent in the district race in 2024. California state Sen. Dave Min and Joanna Weiss, an attorney and Democratic activist, are the two most credible candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for the 47th District. Related... For the record: 12:21 p.m. Sept. 5, 2023: An earlier version of this story stated that the $50 million in last years budget for ADUs was for the grants program. It was for ADU financing, with grants as one of several possible uses. A popular state grant program to help low- and moderate-income California homeowners build accessory dwelling units may end up with $25 million in new funding following a tussle over dollars in the state budget. The California Housing Finance Agency's ADU Grant Program offered up to $40,000 to qualified homeowners to cover pre-construction costs of an ADU, including planning and permit fees for the structure. The program exhausted its initial $100 million months ago, and since then, Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers have gone back and forth over $50 million in additional funding for ADU financing that had been included in a previous year's budget. In July, lawmakers approved and Newsom signed a budget bill that would restore the $50 million. On Aug. 30, the Assembly Budget Committee advanced a budget bill for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 that would take back the $50 million. Now, however, Chairman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) says an amendment will put half of the money for ADUs back, specifically to restart the grants program, before the bill moves on this month. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The ADU money is in flux because of a disagreement between lawmakers and CalHFA over how to use it. In an interview Friday, Ting said one of the hurdles for ADU construction has been the reluctance of California lenders, and particularly major banks, to develop attractive ADU loans. So two years ago, he said, lawmakers provided $50 million to CalHFA to create a loan loss reserve fund that would backstop ADU loans from private lenders. Read more: You Do ADU, Part 2: How to pay for your ADU The goal was to bring about systemic change in the industry, rather than just provide more grants for individual ADUs, Ting said. But after CalHFA studied the issue, "there was still a significant amount of hesitancy" at the agency to start a loan loss reserve program, he said. Meanwhile, as homeowners built more ADUs, more lenders took an interest in the field. So after initially agreeing to redirect all $50 million to other programs, Ting said, he's proposing to put $25 million into the existing ADU grant program and redirect the remainder. Under the current income limits for borrowers, homeowners earning up to $194,000 in Los Angeles County would qualify for a grant. Ting said he may propose a lower limit to make sure the grant program is "much more targeted" on lower-income Californians who could not otherwise afford to build ADUs. Supporters of the grant program argue that it does, in fact, direct help to borrowers who need it. For example, a joint letter from the California Community Economic Development Assn. and Homeplex, which helped the association distribute ADU grants for the state, notes that more than 60% of the recipients they've helped have been low-income households making less than 80% of the median income in their area. "Many of these homeowners would not have been able to move forward with their ADU to build financial security for their families, if not for the support of the State Legislators and your support," their letter to Ting and Senate Budget Committee Chair Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) stated. "These projects employ hundreds of workers and provide affordable rental housing for the local communities we serve. ADUs are the least expensive and quickest housing to build in the State." More aid for first-time home buyers Ting's latest proposal would steer $20 million of the $50 million to the California Dream for All Shared Appreciation Loan program. The Legislature initially provided $500 million for the popular program, which provides no-interest loans to first-time home buyers, but Newsom put $200 million of that on hold to help manage the state government's budget crunch. Lawmakers and Newsom agreed to restore the $200 million in July. The extra funding hasn't translated yet into new loans, however. The California Dream for All Shared program launched in late March, offering qualified first-time home buyers loans worth up to 20% of the purchase price of a house or condominium. The loans were especially attractive because they carried no interest and required no monthly payments. If it sounded too good to be true, it was but only because the program hit its application limit (and the number of people it could help, an estimated 2,300) in only two weeks and was effectively halted. Read more: California revives programs to help first-time home buyers and ADU builders. What this means In the initial rollout, the loans were available only to households with earnings below CalHFA's income limit for low- and moderate-income borrowers. The loans, which can be used for down payments and closing costs, are structured as a second mortgage, which means they aren't repaid month by month. Nor do they accrue interest the way an ordinary loan does. Instead, when the mortgage is refinanced or the house is sold again, the borrower pays back the original amount of the loan plus 20% of the increase in the homes value. If the home is ultimately sold for the same amount it was purchased for or less, the buyer wont need to pay the additional 20%. To receive a loan, borrowers must complete a home buyer education and counseling course (there are options for online and in-person classes on the CalHFA site) and a free online course specifically for shared appreciation loans. The agency said it will provide an update on the Dream for All Shared Appreciation Loans program this fall that will include a timeline for applications. It'll do so through email updates and newsletters you can sign up for. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. For years, Ana Sotos heart sank at the sound of the jingle from their neighborhood ice cream truck. If her son Max heard the chimes, she knew it was moments before he would take off running. This left Soto, a San Joaquin County resident, with a difficult decision: chase after Max or stay put to watch over her youngest daughter. Max, who loves Spongebob Squarepants ice cream bars, was diagnosed at age 3 with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Yet, it would take his mother 10 years to get him a designated in-home aide a service that people with diagnoses like Maxs are lawfully entitled to. Max Moran Soto, 14, who was diagnosed at age 3 with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, holds a drawing he made on Thursday, Aug. 24, in Manteca. Its been a constant battle to get services, years of obstacles, Soto said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In California, responsibility for finding services for people like Max sits with the states 21 regional centers a $14 billion network of publicly-funded, privately-operated nonprofits that coordinate support for about 400,000 children and adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities. The centers provide clients with speech and occupational therapy, daycare programs and job search assistance. They also offer respite and in-home help for parents and caretakers. Most services and supports should be free regardless of age or income. But families across California especially those who are not White or do not speak English as their primary language report persistent and often maddening roadblocks in trying to obtain assistance for loved ones with disabilities. Max Moran Soto, 14, spends uses his tablet in his bedroom in Manteca on Aug. 24. He loves watching Spongebob Squarepants. Failing to secure help can mean the difference between those with disabilities living independently and contributing to their community or languishing on the margins. Despite efforts to address the longstanding inequities, racial and ethnic gaps in service continue to widen. Latino clients make up the largest share of Californias Regional Center clients, yet per capita, they receive significantly less funding than other racial and ethnic groups. For every dollar spent on White clients, Latino clients on average receive 41 cents, according to the most recent data from the Department of Developmental Services, which oversees the centers. Latinos at Sacramentos Alta Regional Center got about 43 cents per $1 for White clients in 2021-22 a considerable dip from 62 cents in 2015-16. Its only gotten worse in most cases, said Brian Capra, a senior staff attorney with Public Counsel who has spent years analyzing the disparities in service delivery for California children with disabilities. So the natural question is Is there a better use of these funds? A sweeping effort to reform the system and address some of these concerns cleared a major legislative hurdle last week and is expected to make it to Gov. Gavin Newsoms desk for a final decision in the coming weeks. Regional centers, however, have succeeded in whittling down the proposed changes and remain staunchly opposed to the bill. State officials and regional center leaders say the racial disparities reflect cultural differences in services sought and preferences for keeping adults at home rather than sending them to expensive in-home care facilities. But interviews with dozens of parents caring for children and adults with disabilities say the system is broken not because of culture but by the tortuous route required to secure help. Many parents say they were forced to wait agonizing months or years to hear back about requests for certain services a trend known as denial by delay. For some, it took upwards of eight to nine months just to get their child an initial assessment, which contradicts best practices around early intervention. Other parents reported being provided inaccurate information about costs or service eligibility. In too many cases, parents give up entirely, defeated by a bureaucratic maze they simply cannot navigate on their own. Ana Soto sits with her son Max Moran Soto, 14, who is autistic and has ADHD, on Thursday, Aug. 24, at their home in Manteca. At the core of the problem, parents and advocates say, is a lack of transparency, accountability and oversight. The regional centers are awarded no-bid contracts that pay the same amount no matter the outcomes for the adults and children they serve. I just want to throw up every time I talk about this, said Isela Aguirre, whose child is served by the South Central Los Angeles Regional Center but receives no services. Thats how frustrated I am. While families struggle to secure support for their children, the centers are returning hundreds of millions of unused dollars back to Californias General Fund each year. They ended last fiscal year with a $1.5 billion surplus and are projected to do the same in 2023, according to the Association of Regional Center Agencies, a taxpayer-funded trade association. Executive director Amy Westling attributes the unspent dollars to overbudgeting by state officials who wanted to provide more financial cushions during COVID-19. She also said reimbursement rates for service providers, set by law, are too low and can cause shortages. A lot of times the issue is not that regional centers are unwilling to provide a service or to pay for a service, its that we cant find a service provider who can still fill a need for us and for the people were here to serve, she said. Californias regional center system is a black box The regional center system was created in 1977 by the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, which required the state to serve and support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The centers were seen as a way to address individual needs at a community level. Californias Regional Centers receive $14 billion from taxpayers annually, yet they are not public agencies. As private, nonprofit organizations, they are operated independently by locally-chosen boards. This setup shields the organizations from the full extent of Californias public transparency laws, creating inconsistent policies and practices across the system and limiting state oversight and accountability. While the state collects and publishes certain data provided by regional centers, its challenging to drill down and understand the outcomes of policy decisions at each individual entity, according to advocates. In 2022, the California State Auditor found that neither the Department of Developmental Services nor the regional centers monitor whether consumers face difficulties accessing services. Although state law mandates that DDS identify barriers to access, the department has no such process to collect and analyze data about the quality of service. How to seek help through your local regional center If you suspect that someone you care for has an intellectual or developmental disability, they may qualify for free services through their local regional center. Eligible conditions include cerebral palsy, epilepsy and autism. The first step is to determine which of the states 21 regional centers serves your area and submit an application to them. Regional centers are then expected to assess the individual, provide a free diagnosis and determine whether they are eligible for services. If deemed eligible, the individual is assigned a case manager who helps develop a service plan and then connect them with providers. Available services include speech and occupational therapy, daycare programs, respite and in-home aid. If someone is deemed ineligible for services, they have the option to appeal the decision. Need help navigating the process? Here are a few organizations that may be able to help. Office of Clients' Rights Advocacy (OCRA): A department run by Disability Rights California at each regional center that helps inform and advocate for clients Disability Voices United: A statewide advocacy organization run by advocates and parents pushing for policy changes in Sacramento Integrated Community Collaborative: A community-based group helping Spanish-speaking families on a peer-to-peer basis obtain benefits A state law passed in 2021 required the department to establish a working group to develop performance metrics and incentives for regional centers, but that work remains ongoing. Alison Morantz, director of the Stanford Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Law and Policy Project, calls the regional center system a black box. One of the biggest problems with the system is that it is so opaque. We really dont know what is going on, she said. Its absolutely maddening that regional centers are taxpayer-funded, with their own taxpayer-funded lobbying association, and yet, taxpayers know very little about how theyre spending their money, which is arguably the worst of all worlds in a way. The program that Morantz leads at Stanford provides a tool on its website called the Lanterman Transparency Tracker, which helps stakeholders monitor the compliance of DDS and regional centers with the reporting requirements. Even with those basic requirements, such as posting contracts, awards and information on appeal procedures, the tracker indicates that many regional centers are struggling to comply. Advocates and parents of people with disabilities step up In many cases, the regional center system is so complex that grassroots groups formed by parents and advocates are attempting to step up and act as guides. On a recent Thursday evening, more than 100 Spanish-speaking parents of children with disabilities joined a weekly Cafecito on Zoom to discuss their experiences at regional centers. The event was put on by the Integrated Community Collaborative, a statewide group that helps Latino families navigate the centers. The weekly meetings provide families with an opportunity to ask questions, share instances of discrimination and vent about challenges posed by language barriers. I wake up crying and I go to sleep crying, said Elizabeth Gomez, a co-founder of Integrated Community Collaborative. We see what everyones going through and its very, very hard. Isela Aguirre says her 18-year-old daughter, who has intellectual and developmental disabilities, has never received any services from the regional centers. The 55-year-old Los Angeles mother has taken a step back from her career as an international chef to provide primary care for her daughter. Frustration has built up over the years, with Aguirre believing that not even ICC can help with her current situation. Theres no change, Aguirre said. I began with ICC, but theres been no difference so Im done. For other parents, the disparities go beyond language differences. Oscar Tavo, a parent at the Valley Mountain Regional Center, which covers Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, is bilingual yet was only able to get partial funding for a year of applied behavior analysis for his son. The services should have been offered in full and covered by the center, but Tavo estimates he paid about $10,000 out of pocket. The Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center in downtown Los Angeles is one of the few that has begun to close its racial and ethnic spending disparities in recent years. Lantermans executive director Melinda Sullivan credits her predecessor, who noticed the inequities more than 20 years ago. The center started hiring more staff with languages and cultural competencies to align with their community, and today, about 90% of the regional centers staff speak two or more languages, according to Sullivan. That is just core for us, she said. If you cant communicate, how can you have a good conversation about services and the needs of a particular family? It shouldnt take years to change The Department of Developmental Services has launched several initiatives in response to concerns about inequities. A grant program awards $11 million annually to centers and community organizations for strategies to reduce disparities and increase equity. The agency is also working to introduce pay differentials for employees who speak another language. It plans to launch the first phase of an implicit bias training program this fall and is finalizing a contract to translate into Spanish the 400-page law that created the regional center system. We have to change the culture of thinking at a regional center, and it requires comprehensive long-term training, said Leinani Walter, chief equity officer at DDS. This will not be a check-the-box overnight initiative. Its intended to be ongoing. While parents commend the agency and regional centers for making these strides, the time it has taken to implement them has led many families to question the commitment. More than 40% of regional center clients are Latino and yet it has taken nearly 35 years to translate the Lanterman Act into Spanish. The idea of implicit bias training came from focus groups with Black families in the early days of the pandemic. It was budgeted in 2021-22 and yet the agency is just now planning to start pilots in a handful of the centers this fall. Walter said it was unclear when employees in all 21 Regional Centers would complete the training. It shouldnt take years to change, said Benita Shaw-Ayala, a Sacramento mother. To me as a parent, it means theres no urgency in it. Benita Shaw Ayalas and her 21-year-old autistic and non-verbal son, Christopher, hug inside of The Gift Foundation center where her son learns independent living skills in Citrus Heights Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. Christopher Alaya had been served for many years by Sacramentos Alta Regional Center. Benita Shaw- Ayala took part in a state grant program last year and became certified in person-centered thinking the concept of developing a care plan for a person with disabilities based on how they want to live. Benita Shaw Ayalas 21-year-old autistic and non-verbal son, Christopher, works with augmentative communications specialist Jennifer Beckett using a communication device as he learns to use a washing machine at The Gift Foundation center in Citrus Heights on Wednesday. Shaw Ayalas 21-year-old autistic and non-verbal son, Christopher, has been served for many years by Sacramentos Alta Regional Center. After years of navigating the system herself, Shaw-Ayala became certified through the state last year in person-centered thinking the concept of developing a care plan for a person with disabilities based on how they want to live. The Sacramento mother then put her training to use by serving as an advocate for other families. It was through that work that Shaw-Ayala described seeing a pattern of discrimination. Sitting in meetings with a mix of White and Black families, she noticed that the Black single mothers were offered fewer hours of services and faced more difficult lines of questioning when seeking social and recreational programs for their children. In one instance, Shaw-Ayala said a Black family asked their caseworker for out-of-home respite, which includes temporary care at a residential care facility. Rather than walking them through the particular approval process of acquiring the service, Shaw-Ayala said the caseworker quickly tried to discourage the family from seeking it. I blatantly said to her, This is the third or fourth time something similar to this has happened and I feel that theres a race issue here in that youre treating this family differently, she recounted. Theres a pattern ... and its appalling. California bill aims to reform the disability service system Earlier this year, Assemblywoman Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay, teamed up with advocates and authored a bill meant to strengthen transparency and accountability of the states 21 regional centers. AB 1147 has been largely whittled down from its original form due to fierce opposition from the regional centers and their trade association, which argued the provisions would cost $1 billion to implement. Key components stripped from the bill include those that would have required moire strict response times from regional centers and more extensive data collection. The regional centers argued caseworkers were already too overwhelmed and would be unable to comply. State law says that a Regional Center caseworker should not carry caseloads of more than 62 clients. Yet, the 2022 state audit found that none of the 21 regional centers employed the legally required number of service coordinators needed to assist clients a yearslong trend that fuels long wait times. The Department of Developmental Services launched a new program in 2021 to target Regional Center clients with low or no services and match them with a caseworker carrying 40 or fewer cases. The program has seen promising results but only covers about 4,200 people or about 1% of all regional center clients. The states 2022-23 budget included funding to hire about 800 new regional center employees and an investment of nearly $22 million was made to reduce caseload ratios. Skepticism remains about whether the new hires and additional dollars will solve the systems long-standing problems. Unless we have deliverable outcomes, for me, its a criminal waste of taxpayer dollars, said Kavita Sreedhar, a South Bay parent to an 18-year-old woman diagnosed with autism. Advocates are holding out hope that Newsom will sign the remaining elements of the bill into law in the coming weeks. The latest version of the amended bill would make the regional centers subject to the California Public Records Act, strengthen training and oversight of regional center boards and set clear expectations for regional centers with consequences for those that dont meet them. For parents like Soto, the stakes are high. As Max grows older, Soto worries about what her sons life will look like when her family is no longer able to help. The services provided by the regional center are now key to Maxs future. Its on the regional centers to live up to their purpose and help him strive for success independently, Soto said, whether he follows his current aspirations of becoming a police officer or gains enough skills to take over the familys tamale business. Thats the whole reason why were asking for the services they deserve, she said. The more services they get is only going to help them in the future when were no longer here. The three California democrats vying to replace retiring U.S. Senate Dianne Feinstein celebrated Labor Day on the campaign trail by rallying for labor unions. Rep. Adam Schiff met with members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 11, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 13, and the International Associations of Firefighters (IAFF), according to his campaign. Schiff Labor Day Today, Mike, a retired longshoreman told me that because of his union, he is able to enjoy a dignified retirement, and access the health care he needs, Rep. Schiff tweeted after participating in the 44th Annual Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor Labor Day Solidarity Parade. This is what unions offer, good wages, jobs and benefits. So proud to march with labor today and every day. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Representatives Porter and Lee spent Labor Day marching with members of SEIU-UHW, a union representing more than 100,000 healthcare workers. Porter Labor Day Im proud to join their calls for a health care system that values its workers and prioritizes patients over profits, Lee tweeted. Labor unions make our communities safer for all, tweeted Porter. This #LaborDay, I joined @seiu_uhw in rallying for safe staffing levels, higher wages, and better conditions for health care workers. Lee Labor Day As of mid-July, Schiff had outraised Reps. Lee and Porter by more than double their combined total, according to federal fundraising reports cited by the Los Angeles Times. Feinstein, 90, who took office in 1992, announced earlier this year that she would not seek reelection. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. The Capitols top doctor told Mitch McConnell on Tuesday that there is no evidence he suffered a stroke or has a seizure disorder following his public freeze in Kentucky last week. Capitol physician Brian Monahan outlined extensive outside medical evaluations of McConnell after the episode, in which the Senate minority leader stopped talking for roughly 30 seconds in a media availability. In a letter to McConnell, Monahan recommended no changes in treatment protocols for his recovery from a March fall that left the Kentucky Republican with a concussion. Monahan said in his letter that the GOP leaders examination encompassed brain MRI imaging, EEG study and consultations with several neurologists for a comprehensive neurology assessment. There is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinsons disease. In the course of those assessments, McConnell was assessed by four independent neurologists, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The new details come at a critical time for the GOP leader, as senators return to Washington on Tuesday from a long recess and McConnell prepares to face questions from his 49-member conference about his health. McConnells team has attributed his two public freezes one in July and one in August to lightheadedness, although Republicans have been hoping for more public information about his health. Since his March fall, McConnell has also had some problems hearing questions from reporters at times. Allies say he remains sharps in party meetings, though some detractors privately contend he isn't as active as he used to be. McConnell is expected to attend to business as usual on Tuesday, when Senate GOP leaders are set to hold their regular meeting. Prior to that sitdown, McConnell had already conferred with many members of his leadership team since his latest freeze. The full GOP conference will hold its first weekly lunch as a group on Wednesday; McConnell and his top leaders also generally hold a public press conference afterward. In the meantime, there are still rumblings of a handful of GOP senators possibly forcing a special conference meeting to discuss McConnells health and the future of party leadership. It takes just five GOP senators to force such a discussion, although by midday Tuesday no final decision had been made. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that his staff has been talking to McConnell's staff since the episode. Asked about his reaction to McConnell's freeze in Kentucky, Schumer praised the selection of former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew as ambassador to Israel. Ursula Perano contributed. Serious health questions have followed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-KY, for some time following a concussion and two recent freeze-ups in front of cameras. Now Dr. Brian Monahan, the attending physician for the U.S. Capitol, has ruled out commonly guessed at diagnoses for McConnell, according to a letter from Monahan released by McConnells office. There is no evidence that seizures, strokes and transient ischemic attack (TIA) were at play in McConnells much-publicized freeze-ups, Monahan says in the letter. My examination of you following your August 30, 2023 brief episode included several medical evaluations: brain MRI imaging, EEG study and consultations with several neurologists for a comprehensive neurology assessment. There is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinsons disease. There are no changes recommended in treatment protocols as you continue recovery from your March 2023 fall, Monahan wrote. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Late last week, days after McConnells second freeze-up in Northern Kentucky, Monahan cleared McConnell to continue his Senate duties. The Northern Kentucky incident occurred when a reporter asked McConnell at an event in Covington if he intended to run again for his Senate seat in 2026. McConnell fell silent for more than 30 seconds after he asked the reporter to repeat the question. Kentucky Republican reception to the McConnell health questions was mixed. Those with long ties to the state party have uniformly expressed confidence in McConnells ability to lead the Senate GOP Caucus as well as carry on in elected office but, some in the states far right, many of whom have expressed disdain for McConnell as an alleged moderate when local county parties were censuring him, are calling on him to step down. Gov. Andy Beshear, who many Democrats have predicted would defy the newly-passed law dictating that a Republican like McConnell would be replaced by another Republican, has remained hesitant to comment on what path he would take should a vacancy occur. When asked about what hed do, he insists that there is no vacancy to comment on. Beshear is running for re-election this year against GOP Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who began his political career as an intern in McConnells office and later worked for him Washington. This story will be updated. WASHINGTON (AP) Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell s health episodes show no evidence of being a stroke or seizure disorder, the Capitol physician said in a letter on Tuesday, offering little further explanation for the apparent freeze-ups that have drawn concerns about the 81-year-old's situation. McConnells office released the letter from attending physician Brian P. Monahan as the Senate returns from an extended summer break and questions mount over the long-serving Republican leaders health. The GOP leader froze up last week during a press conference in Kentucky, unable to respond to a question, the second such episode in a month. There is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinsons disease, Monahan wrote, using the acronym for a transient ischemic attack, a brief stroke. The doctor said the assessments entailed several medical evaluations including a brain MRI imaging and consultations with several neurologists for a comprehensive neurology assessment. The evaluations come after McConnell fell and suffered a concussion earlier this year. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement There are no changes recommended in treatment protocols as you continue recovery from your March 2023 fall, the doctor said. After last weeks freeze-up, the attending physician to Congress cleared McConnell to continue with his planned schedule. McConnell arrived Tuesday at the Capitol office. But the episodes have fueled quiet concern among Republican senators and intense speculation in Washington about McConnells ability to remain as leader. The long-serving senator fell and hit his head at a political dinner this year, suffering the concussion. It all comes amid a swirl of health concerns in Washington, particularly as COVID-19 cases show signs of rising heading into fall. First lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend, but President Joe Biden tested negative. Nevertheless, many Republican allies have flocked to McConnells side, ensuring the famously guarded leader a well of support. Rivals have muted any calls for a direct challenge to McConnells leadership. McConnell is expected to address the Senate as it opens for a flurry of fall activity, most notably the need for Congress to approve funding to prevent any interruption in federal operations by Sept. 30, which is the end of the fiscal year. Some House Republicans are willing to shutdown the government at the end of the month if they are unable to enact steep spending restrictions they are fighting for that go beyond the agreement Biden reached with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier this summer. In leading Senate Republicans, McConnell is viewed by the White House and Democrats as a potentially more pragmatic broker who is more interested in avoiding a messy government shutdown that could be politically damaging to the GOP. McConnell has also made it a priority to ensure Ukraine continues to receive support from the U.S. as it battles Russia, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mounting a counter-offensive. A $40 billion funding package for Ukraine and U.S. disaster relief for communities hit by fires, floods and other problems, including the fentanyl crisis, is being proposed by the White House, but it is being met with skepticism from some Republicans reluctant to help in the war effort. McConnells health has visibly declined since the concussion in March, after which he took some weeks to recover. His speaking has been more halting, and he has walked more slowly and carefully. First elected in 1984, he became the longest serving Senate party leader in January. The question posed before he froze up last week was about his own plans, and whether he would run for re-election in 2026. McConnell had been home in Kentucky at the time keeping a robust political schedule, speaking frequently to the public and press. Before freezing up last week, McConnell had just given a 20-minute speech with no issues. Similarly, when he froze up during a press conference at the Capitol last month, he took a short break in his office and then returned to microphones field about a half-dozen other questions and banter with the press. ___ This story has been corrected to show the spelling of the doctors surname is Monahan, not Moanhan or Monohan. The Capitol physician says there is no evidence Mitch McConnell has had a stroke. Congress' doctor also wrote there's no evidence McConnell has a "seizure disorder" or something like "Parkinson's disease." The latest update on McConnell's health comes as speculation swirls over his future. Capitol Physician Brian P. Monahan said on Tuesday that there is no evidence Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has experienced a stroke, has a seizure disorder, or has Parkinson's disease, a bill of health that comes as speculation swirls around McConnell's recent freezing episodes. Monahan's prognosis came in the latest note to McConnell, which was then released by his doctor. While not specifically mentioned, there have been a number of theories about McConnell freezing up during recent news conferences. The latest occurrence happened during a Q and A with reporters back in Kentucky at the end of last month. "There is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinson's disease," Monahan wrote. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement According to Monahan, "There are no changes recommended in treatment" as McConnell continues to recover from a March fall. The Senate's top Republican was briefly hospitalized and treated for a concussion after the fall. Monahan said he consulted with "several neurologists for a comprehensive neurology assessment" before reaching his latest finding. The Capitol doctor also looked at brain MRI imaging and an electroencephalogram or EEG study. McConnell, who is 81 years old, has led Senate Republicans for more than 16 years. Earlier this year, the Kentucky Republican became the longest-serving Senate leader in history. Before he froze up during his most recent episode, McConnell was asked about his plans for the future. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, who led the Senate GOP campaign arm, unsuccessfully challenged McConnell for the leadership post after the 2022 midterms. McConnell easily squashed Scott's bid, but it was a sign that some Senate Republicans are beginning to look for new leadership. Read the original article on Business Insider Nearly two dozen people were injured Monday after a vehicle plowed into the wall of a Houston-area Dennys restaurant, police in Texas said. Calls started around 11:22 a.m. CT about a vehicle that crashed into the south wall of the restaurant, police in Rosenberg, Texas, said in a Facebook post. Rosenberg is located about 35 miles southwest of Houston. None of the victims have life-threatening injuries and the driver was uninjured. - KHOU The Rosenberg Police Department said all of the victims were conscious when they were transported to local hospitals. The injuries ranged from minor lacerations to severe injuries, but all appear to be non-life threatening, the post reads. The victims range in age from 12 to 60 years old, according to CNN affiliate KHOU ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Footage posted by KHOU shows a gaping hole in the side of the restaurant with a mangled SUV still inside. The footage shows law enforcement tape blocking the hole and authorities at the scene. The 30-year-old driver of the vehicle was uninjured and an investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, according to KHOU. Police urged drivers to avoid the area and expect delays. Dennys said they had no comment about the incident at this time. CNNs Zoe Sottile contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com On board the blocked ships are products that were made even before the start of a full-scale war Three more cargo vessels, this time carrying Ukrainian metallurgical products, have breached a Russian naval blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports, metallurgical enterprises holding company Metinvest said in a press release on Sept. 4. The cargo ships Primus, Anna Thereza and Ocean Courtesy, which had been trapped in Ukrainian ports since Feb. 24, 2022, have now left the ports of Odesa and Pivdennyi. They are the second, third and fourth ships, to leave Ukrainian ports after Russia withdrew from the "grain deal" that allowed Ukraine to export crops from three of its Black Sea ports. Read also: Odesa port sees first ship departure in a month, vessel sails along new corridor to Bosphorus The ships are carrying Ukrainian metallurgical and mining products manufactured before the start of the full-scale war, including over 76,000 tons of rolled metal products from the Azovstal, Zaporizhstal, Kametstal, and ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih metallurgical plants, as well as 172,000 tons of iron ore concentrate from the Metinvest Group's Mining Division. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Ukrainian metal and iron ore concentrate are on their way to foreign buyers who had paid for the products before the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion. Read also: Ukrainian Navy opens new routes from Black Sea ports "The breach of the Black Sea blockade by ships carrying Ukrainian steel is a historic moment, the first step towards the full unblocking of maritime exports for the entire range of Ukrainian products: fertilizers, metals, ores, food, pipes, equipment and more, said Oleksandr Vodoviz, head of the Project Office of the CEO of Metinvest Group. As a result, it will lead to the accelerated recovery of the Ukrainian economy, which has suffered enormous losses, including due to the illegal blockade of the Ukrainian ports by Russia. The full unblocking of the ports for all types of goods will allow Ukraine not only to regain its status as a maritime state, but also to bring in additional tens of billions of dollars in foreign exchange earnings annually, hundreds of billions of hryvnia in additional tax revenues to the state budget, and provide hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians with jobs and stable incomes for their families, Vodoviz said. Russia is ready to consider resuming the grain trade, but only after lifting restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products, said Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Russian Black Sea coastal town of Sochi on Sept. 4. 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 By Bart Biesemans BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The exiled former leader of Catalonia, wanted for attempting the region's secession from Spain, laid out tough conditions for his party's support in parliament for the Socialist acting prime minister to stay in power following July's election. Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez would need the seven lawmakers in Carles Puigdemont 's Junts per Catalunya party if he gets a shot at forming a government. However, the Socialists said his conditions, including an amnesty for separatists, were far from what they would accept. An analyst said any agreement looked unlikely. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Speaking in Brussels, Puigdemont called on Spain to respect the Catalan independence movement's legitimacy and abandon judicial actions against it. "We are prepared for elections but also for negotiations which could end with a historic agreement," Puigdemont said. "We have not endured all these years just to save a legislature." Acting government spokesperson Isabel Rodriguez reiterated that the Socialists would not do anything that broke constitutional bounds. "A world separates us from those positions," Rodriguez told reporters of Puigdemont's conditions. "Our framework is the one that the prime minister expressed with absolute forcefulness yesterday: We have a tool, dialogue; a framework, the constitution; and an objective: coexistence." Alberto Nunez Feijoo, whose conservative People's Party (PP) won the most votes on July 23, will take the first stab at an investiture vote on Sept. 27, but his chances of winning are seen as slim since the PP opposes any concessions to separatists. If Feijoo fails, it will fall on Sanchez to see if he can muster support, seen as impossible without Puigdemont's party. Puigdemont, who lives in self-imposed exile in Belgium since leading the failed push to split Catalonia from Spain in 2017, said parliament would need to draw up legislation granting an amnesty for supporters of Catalan independence. He also argued that an independence referendum would be legal and democratic and said all that was missing was the "political will" to make it happen. But he stopped short of insisting on a vote as a condition for sitting down to negotiate. Puigdemont's regional government held a referendum on independence in Catalonia despite a ruling by Spain's constitutional court that it was illegal. Drawing up an amnesty law before the formation of a new government would be impossible and makes an agreement unlikely, said Oriol Bartomeus, a professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. "Puigdemont has left the PSOE no room to manoeuvre. He has come to say two things, the first is: 'here are my conditions' and the second: 'I am in charge'," Bartomeus said. Feijoo said he had secured support from the hard-right Vox party that would allow the PP to govern as a minority. He said he was considering cancelling a planned meeting with Junts following Puigdemont's comments. (Reporting by Bart Biesemans in Brussels, Inti Landauro and Belen Carreno in Madrid; Additional reporting by Emma Pinedo; Writing by David Latona and Charlie Devereux; Editing by Andrei Khalip, Peter Graff and Alison Williams) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning doctors to be on the lookout for deadly flesh-eating bacteria that may be in waters of the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast. The bacteria is known as Vibrio vulnificus or V. vulnificus. The CDC issued the health advisory last week to urge health care providers to consider it as the possible cause of infected wounds from people who have been in coastal waters. The advisory said that the bacteria naturally live in coastal waters, and that V. vulnificus is primarily transmitted through open-wound contact. It also been transmitted in 10 percent of cases through eating raw or undercooked shellfish. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement V. vulnificus wound infections have a short incubation period and are characterized by necrotizing skin and soft tissue infection, with or without hemorrhagic bullae, the CDC warned. Many people with V. vulnificus wound infection require intensive care or surgical tissue removal. The CDC said the heat wave and rising sea surface temperatures likely contributed to the growing range of infections and noted that fatal infections have been reported in New York, Connecticut and North Carolina. Amid increasing water temperatures and extreme weather events (such as heat waves, flooding, and severe storms) associated with climate change, people who are at increased risk for V. vulnificus infection should exercise caution when engaging in coastal water activities, the CDC said. Updated at 10:48 a.m. ET For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Wilfried Obangome LIBREVILLE (Reuters) - Central African Republic President Faustin Touadera held closed-door talks with Gabon's junta-appointed leader in Libreville on Tuesday in the wake of the main regional bloc's condemnation of the Aug. 30 coup. Central African bloc ECCAS has suspended Gabon's membership, but has so far stopped short of imposing sanctions in response to the non-violent military ouster of President Ali Bongo - West and Central Africa's eighth coup in three years. No statements were made to the press after Touadera's private audience with the junta's General Brice Oligui Nguema, who was sworn in as interim president on Monday to cheers from supporters welcoming the end of the Bongo family's 56-year hold on power. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Touadera was visiting in Libreville, the capital, in the capacity of a mediator between the junta and ECCAS, a source in the Gabonese presidential palace said. Nguema has promised to name a new government for the oil-producing nation in the coming days and oversee free and fair elections, although he has not said how long he envisages the transition to democracy will be. In a possible sign some internal political forces are rallying around the new authorities, the leader of Gabon's main opposition alliance, Albert Ondo Ossa, said he had spoken with Nguema on Tuesday. "Today, at my home, I had the opportunity to have a private and collegial conversation with the President of the Transition," he said in an online post, sharing a photo of him, Nguema, and others clasping hands for the camera. "Let's dare to believe in a better and brighter future for our beloved country, Gabon." Ondo Ossa's opposition platform Alternance 2023 claims he was the rightful winner of a recent election. Military officers seized power shortly after Bongo was announced as its winner - a result they annulled and said was not credible. Apart from one video appeal for international support, little has been heard from Bongo since he was placed under house arrest during the coup. (Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Leslie Adler) (Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Olaf Scholz was the subject of some German Schadenfreude Monday after a weekend jogging accident. Most Read from Bloomberg In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Scholz showed a picture of himself wearing an eye patch to cover up what appeared to be bruising and scratches to the area around his right eye. The post sparked a wave of social media memes and provided some light-hearted relief for the leader of Europes largest economy. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The laugh is always on the loser... Cant wait to see the memes. Thanks for the good wishes, looks worse than it is! Scholz wrote in the post Monday. As predicted by the chancellor, his misfortune was quickly picked up on social media where some users took aim at the pirate-like look of the otherwise rather calm and sober politician. Some photo-shopped a parrot onto the shoulder of the chancellor while others added him to pictures of famous pirate characters, telling viewers to choose their fighter. Scholz canceled a trip to Hesse on Sunday after sustaining the injury during a jogging accident on Saturday, according to a government spokeswoman. The chancellor, who is 65, was due to hold a town hall meeting with citizens and take part in a campaign event for his Social Democratic Party near Frankfurt ahead of the Hesse regional election in October. By Monday, Scholz was back joining an SPD parliamentary group meeting and a summer party of a magazine in Berlin. He plans to visit the IAA car show in Munich on Tuesday and give a speech to lawmakers in the lower house of parliament on Wednesday. The chancellor is also due to attend the Group of 20 leaders summit in New Delhi next weekend. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Teachers and school administrators in the Lower Hudson Valley are brainstorming how they can use ChatGPT to plan lessons and classroom activities. But as the new school year begins, questions remain about how exactly schools can use the much-hyped artificial intelligence language model and who can use it. On the one hand, district and school leaders say they want to teach students how to use ChatGPT responsibly. But on the other, state privacy laws may mean students may not be able to use it directly at least not while at school. "We need to recognize that there are potential threats with it, but it is here," said Clarkstown Superintendent Marc Baiocco, president-elect of the Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents. During an orientation with new staff members, Baiocco said he encouraged teachers "to look at ways that we can use it usefully in the classroom and embrace it." The AI smartphone app for ChatGPT. In New York, section 2-D under state Education Law outlines requirements for protecting the personally identifiable information of students. It requires software companies to sign school districts' Parents' Bill of Rights, which every district is required to publish on its website, letting parents know the legal requirements for protecting students' information. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement For software to be used by students, software companies have to either sign individual districts' Parents' Bills of Rights or one that covers all districts, said Jennifer Cronk, an instructional technology leader who has worked for several Lower Hudson school districts and organized regional technology events for educators. As far as school and district leaders can tell, the company that created ChatGPT, San Francisco-based OpenAI, has not signed any Parents' Bills of Rights in New York. "Our Parents' Bill of Rights protect student data, so we can't allow students to have access to ChatGPT without having this piece signed," Cronk said. State says use of ChatGPT is local decision As of now, it's up to school districts to decide if and how they will use ChatGPT. The state Department of Education, asked whether use of ChatGPT is compliant with section 2-D, said only that school districts must be generally mindful of privacy laws. "When selecting and utilizing digital tools, districts and schools should be mindful of privacy and security laws and regulations," officials said in an emailed statement, noting section 2-D of Education Law and part 121 of the Education Commissioners Regulations, which also address data privacy and security. Education Department officials said instructional decisions about tools, curriculum and programs are up to districts. Cathy Woodruff, a spokesperson for the New York State School Boards Association, said the organization was referring questions about what would violate student privacy laws to the state Education Department. Finding balance between using technology while protecting security is the 'conundrum we're faced with' Technology experts continue to wrestle with compliance questions. ChatGPT requires the user to log in to use it, which makes it subject to section 2-D's requirements for protecting student information, said Jennifer Harriton-Wilson, Putnam-Northern Westchester BOCES' education technology coordinator. Cynthia Sandler leads a discussion as part of PNW BOCES' Future of Education Collective, a series of meetings for educators to focus on AI and ChatGPT and how to handle them in schools. Other AI programs that don't require a login, such as Scribble Diffusion, a program that turns doodles into realistic looking images, are fine to use as they don't collect student information, she said. But there may be wiggle room for districts when deciding how to let teachers use ChatGPT. Baiocco said teachers could use ChatGPT without violating 2-D as long they do not put student information in it or have students log in at school. Depending on the assignment, he could see scenarios where teachers ask students to use ChatGPT at home, where 2-D would not apply. Cronk disagrees: "If the kids cannot use it in school, a teacher certainly has no business saying 'use this at home'." Baiocco said trying to balance the use of new technologies while protecting student information is "the conundrum that we're faced with." Wilson offered some advice: teachers should make sure they don't put student names or information into ChatGPT and make sure their district is OK with them using it. Learning how to apply AI for schools ChatGPT has been a major focus for educators across the country since its rapid rise to prominence after its release in November. As school districts across the country grappled with how to handle ChatGPT, some went as far as blocking access to it at school. In the Lower Hudson Valley, many educators say they've accepted that ChatGPT is here to stay, and they'd rather prepare their students to use it. Fred Ende, director of curriculum and instructional services for PNW BOCES, said BOCES' work around AI began in full force last winter when districts started asking about ChatGPT and how they could potentially use it. PNW BOCES now plans on a series of sessions for educators focused on ChatGPT and artificial intelligence in general, how it could be incorporated in education and the ethics behind using it. The series, made up of four meetings this year, will include exploring "what homework can be, knowing that these tools are out there," Ende said. If teachers know ChatGPT can write an essay, "how do you rethink the idea of essay writing so that students can benefit from a tool like ChatGPT?" Educators are also thinking of how ChatGPT could save them time in lesson planning and in other work. Ende heard from an English teacher who had ChatGPT write 10 haikus about famous literary characters and planned on having students try to identify who each haiku was about. Ende heard from an administrator who talked about using ChatGPT to help analyze results from a survey given to teachers about what they want to accomplish in the next school year. "There may have been a significant amount of fear and worry in the last year, and it's been just awesome to see that conversation transitioning to like, 'OK... it's new. Yeah, it's different. There's a lot we don't know, and how do we connect it to some of the work that's going to be most compelling for students?' " Ende said. In the future, it's possible that classes will be available to middle or high school students on how to ask chatbots questions and use them to their fullest potential, Ende said. Future teachers are also already learning about AI. At Manhattanville College, President Frank Sanchez said that teachers in training will need to have AI literacy to be competitive applicants for jobs. Many questions yet to be answered about ChatGPT use by schools For months, the conversation around ChatGPT has revolved around how it and other forms of artificial intelligence will transform life and work as we know it. A state report released last month reported that schools have hardly used AI, so far, to identity or track students with handprints, retina/iris patterns, DNA sequencing, or voice or gait recognition. But the report indicated interest among some districts in using facial recognition technology in the future. Lower Hudson educators agreed there are plenty of unknowns around ChatGPT and how it will be used, but remained open to its use in the classroom and by teachers. Some educators mentioned ethical concerns, such as the possibility of ChatGPT being biased against certain groups. There are also concerns over ChatGPT being used to cheat, but several educators described similar concerns every time a new technology comes out. Orande Daring, interim principal of Valhalla Middle School, said one of the biggest challenges in using it will be determining how much student work is from ChatGPT. There are programs and strategies to address cheating, such as AI-detecting software and more in-class writing activities. Educators will have to find the right balance for using AI. They'll want to streamline their work and prepare students for the future workplace, but not make it easy for students to get around learning fundamental skills. The chatbot, for instance, can quickly write an essay or speech with a few simple directions from a human. Educators say there may be a place for students to use ChatGPT to get started on essays or learn to structure a speech, but that students would have to put in the work of adapting ChatGPT's results to what they need. The goal is to use AI to advance students' thinking and schoolwork, not to replace it. "We do want students to develop critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, things like that," Daring said. "And yes, you can do it using chat GBT, but it's different. You're telling the computer what you want it to do." Contact Diana Dombrowski at ddombrowski@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @domdomdiana. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: ChatGPT in NY schools: Educators balancing privacy laws, teaching tech City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin used government workers to plan her daughters birthday party and be her personal bodyguard while she also pressured public employees to hold events benefiting political allies and repeatedly misused taxpayer resources, two former top aides alleged in a recently released letter the city fought for years to keep confidential. The blistering four-page letter, written in December 2020 by the attorney for the two employees Conyears-Ervin fired, also alleged the treasurer, who oversees city investments, tried to force BMO Harris one of the banks where city money is deposited to issue a mortgage tied to the building that houses the aldermanic office for Conyears-Ervins husband, Ald. Jason Ervin , 28th. Conyears-Ervin threatened retaliation against employees who raised concerns about the conduct and other alleged misdeeds and told employees they should not care if her plans are illegal since the only way they could lose their jobs is if she fires them, the letter stated. After Conyears-Ervin in 2020 dismissed the employees, Ashley Evans and Tiffany Harper shared a $100,000 settlement from the city. That settlement came after the letter was sent to the citys top attorney and the citys Board of Ethics. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Chicago Tribune sought a copy of the letter but the Tribune was repeatedly denied access by the administration of Mayor Lori Lightfoot , who became a political ally of Conyears-Ervin and her husband. After the Illinois attorney generals office last year said in a binding opinion that the Tribune should get a copy of the letter, Lightfoots administration went to court to block its release. But Mayor Brandon Johnsons administration released the letter late last week. A former state representative who earlier this year was reelected to a second term as city treasurer, Conyears-Ervin has said she is considering a run for Congress to replace U.S. Rep. Danny Davis. Conyears-Ervin declined to address any of the specific allegations in the letter and instead issued a statement late last week that said the city settled the allegations two years ago in the most cost effective manner for the citizens of Chicago. While I am not allowed to discuss the specifics of this settlement, I will make a general statement as I take these matters seriously, the treasurer said in the statement, released by a spokesman. I have never, nor will I ever abuse or misuse taxpayer dollars and breach the public trust. I treat my responsibility to the citizens and taxpayers with the utmost respect. The controversy dates back to November 2020, when Conyears-Ervin dismissed Harper, her chief of staff at the time, as well as Evans and two other workers, as part of what she called an office shake-up. Harper and Evans, the treasurers former chief impact officer, alleged their firings violated the Illinois whistleblower act, federal laws, and a city ordinance, and sent the letter to the city demanding reinstatement. Their attorney, Michael Kanovitz, did not return a message seeking comment. The letter disputed Conyears-Ervins claim that she fired the workers because she was taking the treasurers office in a new direction. The reason given for firing them was a pretext as there was no change in administration (the Treasurer took office over a year prior) and neither Ms. Evans nor Ms. Harper had done anything remotely justifying their termination, the letter said. They are precisely the sort of employees the City seeks to hire and retain, not terminate. In the letter, dated Dec. 9, 2020, Kanovitz called on city officials to initiate an investigation into why the women were let go. Treasurer Conyears-Ervin engaged in a pattern of disturbing conduct against the public trust, many of which violated the City of Chicago ethics rules as well as state and federal law, the letter stated. Her consistent and pervasive practice has been to misuse City money, City employees and City resources to benefit her private interests as well as those of her friends and campaign supporters. One of the complaints detailed in the letter was staffers concerns about Conyears-Ervins decision to hire an ex-Chicago police officer as her private security guard and driver after Lightfoot took away her police detail. After losing a public battle with the Mayor on this issue, the Treasurer hired an ex-CPD officer to fill the opening of Assistant to City Treasurer, a job that requires financial training and experience which the candidate was utterly lacking, the letter said. This employee does not provide any services to the office and does not even come into the office. Rather he serves as a private armed security guard to the Treasurer and is her driver. In a previous interview with the Tribune, Conyears-Ervin said she needed a police detail due to her position. I cannot tell you how many places I go to where people say, Give me a loan, thats the money lady, can you write me a check? Conyears-Ervin said. People truly associate me with money. Ive had people, when I walk in the room, they say, Money, money, money money. The letter also took issue with Conyears-Ervin for hiring Gina Zuccaro to be an administrative assistant, a post Zuccaro was not qualified for, according to the letter. Zuccaro is a political ally of both Conyears-Ervin and her husband, and she has filed objections to block rival candidates from appearing on the ballot against Jason Ervin. Zuccaro also ran for state representative in 2020, losing to Jawaharial Williams, who is the son of Ald. Walter Burnett Jr., 27th. In the letter, the two former employees alleged that rather than fulfilling the duties of that role full-time, the treasurer used Zuccaro for personal services like running errands, planning her daughters birthday party, grocery shopping and the like. The Treasurer also used City resources to support Ms. Zuccaros run for the Illinois House of Representatives seat by allowing her to campaign on City time, the letter stated. This misuse of hiring to obtain personal services and favor her allies is a pervasive problem, extending well past these two employees to numerous other employees and contractors. Zuccaro did not return repeated messages for comment. The two former aides also alleged Conyears-Ervin made contentious demands of City contractors to benefit the Treasurers friends and political supporters. One example was the Treasurers attempts to force BMO Harris, one of the Citys depository institutions and securities brokers, to give a mortgage to a third party on a building in which her husband maintains his aldermanic office, the letter stated. To use the Treasurers words, the instruction was to leverage the Citys banking relationship (meaning the fact that the City maintains hundreds of millions of dollars in deposits) to get a mortgage on the building. A spokesman from BMO Harris declined to comment last week. Ald. Jason Ervin also declined to comment through a spokesman. Conyears-Ervin also used City resources to advance the agenda of several churches and other religious organizations, many of which support her and her husband politically and turn out church members to vote for their respective campaigns, the letter said. Those events included a panel and praise series of events, where she hand-picked pastors to highlight, and a Back to School Citywide Prayer. Staffers told Conyears-Ervin she could not spend City money to promote religion, but she not only refused to stop the events but also insisted that she could handpick the prayer leaders (including her political supporters) rather than open the opportunity to all faiths, justifying it by saying that she wanted religious leaders who preached consistently with the Christian Bible. When Evans and Harper warned Conyears-Ervin not to engage in the activities detailed in the letter, the treasurer ignored the two women and worse, the letter stated. Before they were fired, the letter stated, Conyears-Ervin threatened the women with retaliation and warned them that if they refused to implement her plans their asses can walk and that they will be walking the f--- up out of here and that this is (her) f---ing office and (her) vision, according to the letter. The retaliation is clear, as is the corruption in the Treasurers office, the letter stated. Following the firings, the Tribune sought from the city a copy of the letter through a series of Freedom of Information Act requests, but city officials under Lightfoot refused. The mayor and Conyears-Ervin had mended their disagreement after the mayor took away the treasurers security detail. After being denied the letter, the Tribune appealed to the attorney general offices public access counselor and won both a nonbinding decision and later a binding opinion that stated the city should release the letter. But the city still refused, arguing the letter from the fired workers attorney was part of privileged settlement negotiations and exempt under the Freedom of Information Act as well as prohibited from release by various courtroom rules of evidentiary and discovery in legal actions. The Lightfoot administration then took the case to court to block the binding opinion from being enforced. But after Lightfoot lost her bid for reelection earlier this year, the Johnson administration was responsible for the future of the case and last week chose to drop it. The City is committed to making our records available to the public to the fullest extent possible, consistent with the laws and regulations governing FOIA, a spokeswoman for the citys Law Department said in a statement. We are pleased the city is releasing the records as recommended by the public access counselor, added a spokeswoman for Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raouls office. gpratt@chicagotribune.com Photo: The Canadian Press A class-action lawsuit alleging Facebook illegally allowed advertisers to target users based on their race, age and gender can move forward after the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from the social media giant. Facebook had sought to have Canada's highest court overturn a Quebec Court of Appeal decision authorizing the class action. Audrey Boctor, one of the lawyers behind the suit, said the top court's ruling means the case can now move toward an eventual trial. "We know for sure now that the class action can go ahead," she said in an interview Monday. "Facebook had asked the Supreme Court to hear the case and the Supreme Court declined, so that means that the Court of Appeal's judgment stands and now we go forward to the merits." The Supreme Court said Thursday it will not hear the case, declining to provide reasons for its decision as is customary. The suit was brought on behalf of Lyse Beaulieu, a 65-year-old woman who was looking for a new job. She alleges she was never shown employment ads on the social media site, despite being an active user, because advertisers chose to exclude people her age. The suit filed in 2019 when the company known today as Meta Platforms Inc., was still called Facebook alleges the social media site violated Quebec's Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms by offering advertisers tools to target housing and employment ads to users based on their age, race and gender and ensuring that people from outside those targeted groups wouldn't see the ads. It also alleges Facebook's algorithm excluded people from seeing certain ads for reasons prohibited by law and claims the platform allowed ads that were explicitly discriminatory in their language. The Court of Appeal decision authorizing the suit includes all Quebec residents who were searching for jobs or housing and weren't shown relevant ads on Facebook because advertisers had decided to exclude them based on their race, age or gender. Boctor says the case is about combating new forms of discrimination in employment and housing. "We've banned outright discrimination in those areas for a long time now, and for good reason. And this is really about combating new forms of that same type of discrimination, so instead of a job ad saying certain people need not apply, now the ads are just not getting to the people who we maybe want to exclude from applying for those jobs," she said. Facebook argued in court that it's not responsible for discrimination by third-party advertisers and said it takes down discriminatory ads when they're reported. The Court of Appeal decision said Anthony Howard, the director of privacy and data policy at Facebook, Inc., provided a sworn statement that Facebook doesn't allow advertisers to target users by race. He said the platform has also taken specific steps to address discrimination in housing and employment ads, according to the Court of Appeal decision, which notes those changes were made after the application for a class-action suit was filed. The Quebec Superior Court had initially rejected the request to certify the case as a class action on the grounds that there was no identifiable class and that some of the claims were based on speculation. That decision was overturned by the Appeal Court. Boctor said the next stage will involve identifying potential members of the class action and notifying them. Meta did not respond to a request for comment. The United States tangled and increasingly fraught relationship with China is emerging centre stage in the 2024 presidential campaign in a rare case of foreign policy capturing the limelight in the race for the White House. Half a century since a Republican president, Richard Nixon, made a historic visit to communist China to carve out a lauded strategic opening in the election year of 1972, Republican candidates vying to succeed him in the Oval Office are showcasing a range of hawkish policies designed to counter the perceived threat from Beijing. Now, Republican focus is mirrored by the Democratic administration of Joe Biden, which has defined China as the main US strategic rival and this week dispatched the commerce secretary, Gina Raimondo, for talks with Chinese leaders on trade issues. Related: US pro-Israel groups in bitter feud over Netanyahus far-right government ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement She is the latest in a series of key American figures to visit the country in recent months as the administration seeks to stabilise relations after years of rising tensions. Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, the CIA director, William Burns, Janet Yellen, the treasury secretary, and John Kerry, the administrations climate envoy, have all gone to China since April in a coordinated diplomatic offensive aimed at resetting ties. The visits appear to have been timed with the campaign cycle in mind. I think China will be an enduring issue because people have started to realize, particularly Republican voters, that while foreign policy generally reflects whats happening abroad, when it relates to Chinas economic and military status, that really does affect us at home, said Carrie Filipetti, executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition, which works with elected officials and candidates on foreign policy. Its not only a foreign policy issue. Its in many ways also a domestic policy issue. It is a view supported by opinion polls. A Gallup survey in March showed just 15% of voters holding a positive view of China, down 38 points since 2018 and the lowest favourability rating since polling on the issue began in 1979. Republican voters view China with greater animosity than Democrats, although a rare consensus has evolved between the two parties in recent years that the countrys rise represents a threat even if they disagree sharply on what to do about it. A bipartisan congressional committee held its first meeting in the House of Representatives in February this year, days after a Chinese surveillance balloon floated into US airspace, before being shot down over South Carolina. Unlike popular suspicion of the Soviet Union during the cold war based on a pervasive atmosphere of superpower confrontation rising anti-China hostility is fuelled by a widespread belief that it amounts to a more economically sophisticated adversary that could tangibly affect American daily life. The rawest example concerns the Covid pandemic, whose baleful legacy is still keenly felt in the US. Christopher Wray, the FBI director, crystallised enduring American anger over the virus when he confirmed the bureau believed that its spread was caused by a laboratory accident in Wuhan, despite Chinese denials. Another source of resentment is fentanyl, a powerful synthetic drug that accounted for two-thirds of 110,000 American opioid-related deaths in 2022. US officials charge that precursor chemicals for the drug originate in China, before being shipped by crime syndicates to Mexican drug cartels, which then manufacture the finished product before trafficking it to the United States. Chinas influence on US education establishments has also aroused suspicion. Concerns have been voiced in Congress over the rise of Confucius institutes, set up in American colleges to teach Chinese language and culture with official state funding which, critics say, comes with strings attached including free-speech restrictions on issues of strategic concern to China, such as Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang province, where the communist regime is accused of ethnic genocide against the minority Uyghur population. Then there is TikTok, a Chinese-owned social media platform with 150 million American users, which critics cast as a national security threat amid claims that it can be used for surveillance purposes. Above all else are fears about Chinas increasing economic prowess seen by many as taking away American jobs and a military buildup, including an increase in intercontinental ballistic missiles to match the US nuclear arsenal, that many fear could presage an attack on Taiwan and draw the US into a war. When you look at issues typically ranking high amongst conservative voters, its the economy, education and, very often, public safety business, said Filipetti. Dig deeper into these three categories and you can see a Chinese influence. Against that backdrop, confrontation with China was highlighted by seven of the eight Republican candidates who participated in last weeks televised debate in Milwaukee. Arguably the most controversial contribution belonged to Vivek Ramaswamy, a populist anti-establishment candidate, who denounced US aid to help Ukraine repel Russias invasion as driving Moscow further into Chinas arms, adding that the Russian-Chinese military alliance is the single biggest threat we face. Donald Trump, the former president and 2024 Republican frontrunner who was absent from the debate has outlined his own anti-China stance, vowing in common with several other GOP hopefuls, to revoke the countrys most favoured nation trade status and to completely eliminate US dependence on China. Related: Western politicians face tough balancing act on visits to Beijing Yet Trump, who unleashed a trade war during his presidency by imposing tariffs on a range of Chinese goods, has communicated mixed signals and worried even some conservatives by calling Xi Jinping, Chinas strongman president, brilliant. He runs 1.4 billion people with an iron fist. Smart, brilliant, everything perfect, Trump told a Fox News event hosted by Sean Hannity in July. How well Biden survives Republican attacks on his China policy may depend on voters perceptions of what constitutes strength versus weakness. When Trump was president he protested on one issue, which was the bilateral trade deficit. He was never focused on the security threats and didnt care about our alliances, said Bonnie Glaser, a China specialist at the German Marshall Fund in Washington. You could say the Biden administration has been following what the Trump administration started but also that it has taken concrete measures to counter the threat that China poses. These have included export controls and moves to limit outbound investment into China aimed at curbing Chinese ability to develop and use hi-tech such as semiconductors and AI to make military advances that could threaten US and allied national security. None of this is likely to lessen China as an election issue. This is going to permeate whatever debates happen in foreign policy, said Glaser. Candidates dont want to be seen as soft on China and I think the Chinese are bracing themselves for being more central in our election campaign than ever before. A view shows banners on the Tel Aviv University campus as Sam Altman, CEO of Microsoft-backed OpenAI and ChatGPT creator is due to speak in Tel Aviv, Israel June 5, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen (Amir Cohen / reuters) Artificial intelligence has moved rapidly from computer science textbooks to the mainstream, generating delights such as the reproduction of celebrity voices and chatbots ready to entertain meandering conversations. But the technology, which refers to machines trained to perform intelligent tasks, also threatens profound disruption: of social norms, entire industries and tech companies' fortunes. It has great potential to change everything from diagnosing patients to predicting weather patterns - but it could also put millions of people out of work or even surpass human intelligence, some experts say. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. Last week, the Pew Research Center released a survey in which a majority of Americans - 52 percent - said they feel more concerned than excited about the increased use of artificial intelligence, including worries about personal privacy and human control over the new technologies. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The proliferation this year of generative AI models such as ChatGPT, Bard and Bing, all of which are available to the public, brought artificial intelligence to the forefront. Now, governments from China to Brazil to Israel are also trying to figure out how to harness AI's transformative power, while reining in its worst excesses and drafting rules for its use in everyday life. Some countries, including Israel and Japan, have responded to its lightning-fast growth by clarifying existing data, privacy and copyright protections - in both cases clearing the way for copyrighted content to be used to train AI. Others, such as the United Arab Emirates, have issued vague and sweeping proclamations around AI strategy, or launched working groups on AI best practices, and published draft legislation for public review and deliberation. Others still have taken a wait-and-see approach, even as industry leaders, including OpenAI, the creator of viral chatbot ChatGPT, have urged international cooperation around regulation and inspection. In a statement in May, the company's CEO and its two co-founders warned against the "possibility of existential risk" associated with superintelligence, a hypothetical entity whose intellect would exceed human cognitive performance. "Stopping it would require something like a global surveillance regime, and even that isn't guaranteed to work," the statement said. Still, there are few concrete laws around the world that specifically target AI regulation. Here are some of the ways in which lawmakers in various countries are attempting to address the questions surrounding its use. - - - Brazil Brazil has a draft AI law that is the culmination of three years of proposed (and stalled) bills on the subject. The document - which was released late last year as part of a 900-page Senate committee report on AI - meticulously outlines the rights of users interacting with AI systems and provides guidelines for categorizing different types of AI based on the risk they pose to society. The law's focus on users' rights puts the onus on AI providers to provide information about their AI products to users. Users have a right to know they're interacting with an AI - but also a right to an explanation about how an AI made a certain decision or recommendation. Users can also contest AI decisions or demand human intervention, particularly if the AI decision is likely to have a significant impact on the user, such as systems that have to do with self-driving cars, hiring, credit evaluation or biometric identification. AI developers are also required to conduct risk assessments before bringing an AI product to market. The highest risk classification refers to any AI systems that deploy "subliminal" techniques or exploit users in ways that are harmful to their health or safety; these are prohibited outright. The draft AI law also outlines possible "high-risk" AI implementations, including AI used in health care, biometric identification and credit scoring, among other applications. Risk assessments for "high-risk" AI products are to be publicized in a government database. All AI developers are liable for damage caused by their AI systems, though developers of high-risk products are held to an even higher standard of liability. - - - China China has published a draft regulation for generative AI and is seeking public input on the new rules. Unlike most other countries, though, China's draft notes that generative AI must reflect "Socialist Core Values." In its current iteration, the draft regulations say developers "bear responsibility" for the output created by their AI, according to a translation of the document by Stanford University's DigiChina Project. There are also restrictions on sourcing training data; developers are legally liable if their training data infringes on someone else's intellectual property. The regulation also stipulates that AI services must be designed to generate only "true and accurate" content. These proposed rules build on existing legislation relating to deepfakes, recommendation algorithms and data security, giving China a leg up over other countries drafting new laws from scratch. The country's internet regulator also announced restrictions on facial recognition technology in August. China has set dramatic goals for its tech and AI industries: In the "Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan," an ambitious 2017 document published by the Chinese government, the authors write that by 2030, "China's AI theories, technologies, and applications should achieve world-leading levels." - - - European Union In June, the European Parliament voted to approve what it has called "the AI Act." Similar to Brazil's draft legislation, the AI Act categorizes AI in three ways: as unacceptable, high and limited risk. AI systems deemed unacceptable are those which are considered a "threat" to society. (The European Parliament offers "voice-activated toys that encourage dangerous behaviour in children" as one example.) These kinds of systems are banned under the AI Act. High-risk AI needs to be approved by European officials before going to market, and also throughout the product's life cycle. These include AI products that relate to law enforcement, border management and employment screening, among others. AI systems deemed to be a limited risk must be appropriately labeled to users to make informed decisions about their interactions with the AI. Otherwise, these products mostly avoid regulatory scrutiny. The Act still needs to be approved by the European Council, though parliamentary lawmakers hope that process concludes later this year. - - - Israel In 2022, Israel's Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology published a draft policy on AI regulation. The document's authors describe it as a "moral and business-oriented compass for any company, organization or government body involved in the field of artificial intelligence," and emphasize its focus on "responsible innovation." Israel's draft policy says the development and use of AI should respect "the rule of law, fundamental rights and public interests and, in particular, [maintain] human dignity and privacy." Elsewhere, vaguely, it states that "reasonable measures must be taken in accordance with accepted professional concepts" to ensure AI products are safe to use. More broadly, the draft policy encourages self-regulation and a "soft" approach to government intervention in AI development. Instead of proposing uniform, industry-wide legislation, the document encourages sector-specific regulators to consider highly-tailored interventions when appropriate, and for the government to attempt compatibility with global AI best practices. - - - Italy In March, Italy briefly banned ChatGPT, citing concerns about how - and how much - user data was being collected by the chatbot. Since then, Italy has allocated approximately $33 million to support workers at risk of being left behind by digital transformation - including but not limited to AI. About one-third of that sum will be used to train workers whose jobs may become obsolete due to automation. The remaining funds will be directed toward teaching unemployed or economically inactive people digital skills, in hopes of spurring their entry into the job market. - - - Japan Japan, like Israel, has adopted a "soft law" approach to AI regulation: the country has no prescriptive regulations governing specific ways AI can and can't be used. Instead, Japan has opted to wait and see how AI develops, citing a desire to avoid stifling innovation. For now, AI developers in Japan have had to rely on adjacent laws - such as those relating to data protection - to serve as guidelines. For example, in 2018, Japanese lawmakers revised the country's Copyright Act, allowing for copyrighted content to be used for data analysis. Since then, lawmakers have clarified that the revision also applies to AI training data, clearing a path for AI companies to train their algorithms on other companies' intellectual property. (Israel has taken the same approach.) - - - UAE Regulation isn't at the forefront of every country's approach to AI. In the United Arab Emirates' National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, for example, the country's regulatory ambitions are granted just a few paragraphs. In sum, an Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain Council will "review national approaches to issues such as data management, ethics and cybersecurity," and observe and integrate global best practices on AI. The rest of the 46-page document is devoted to encouraging AI development in the UAE by attracting AI talent and integrating the technology into key sectors such as energy, tourism and health care. This strategy, the document's executive summary boasts, aligns with the UAE's efforts to become "the best country in the world by 2071." Related Content Climate-linked ills threaten humanity Ron Rivera is on the hottest of hot seats among NFL coaches Cedar Key survives Idalia, but climate change is testing its resiliency An aerial view shows the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant which started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, in Okuma town TOKYO (Reuters) - China turned down Japan's proposal that it take part in the International Atomic Energy Agency's system in which countries excluding Japan can analyse the results of sea water monitoring off Fukushima, Kyodo news agency said on Tuesday, citing unnamed diplomatic sources. Japan started releasing treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean late last month despite strong opposition from China. (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Rocky Swift; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) (Bloomberg) -- Chinas new premier is taking his first steps into the global spotlight this week, in part thanks to President Xi Jinping s surprise snub of a key gathering of world leaders in India. Most Read from Bloomberg Li Qiang will first attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering in Jakarta, Indonesia, for wide-ranging talks on trade, climate change and global security. From there, hell head to a Group of 20 summit in New Delhi, becoming the first Chinese premier to join that annual huddle since it began in 2008. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement That will give the 64-year-old former Xi aide a rare opportunity to rub elbows with some of the most-powerful leaders on the planet. Hell have the chance to shake hands with President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi , though its unclear whether hell meet privately with either leader, whose nations are both currently embroiled in diplomatic spats with Beijing. Li will likely follow Xis instructions as he maintains Chinas presence at the table at the G-20, said Sun Yun, a senior fellow and director of the China Program at the Washington-based Stimson Center. I dont expect him to announce anything significant diplomatically or security-wise, she said. Those are reserved for Xi. Where Li could add value is providing details about Beijings economic policies, Sun noted. Chinas economy is faltering after years of pandemic-induced isolation and volatile policymaking, a slowdown that Biden has called a ticking time bomb for the rest of the world. Speaking Wednesday at the Asean summit, Li said Chinas economy is on track to hit its annual growth target of around 5%, reiterating a view he shared in June. He also urged leaders of Southeast Asian nations to avoid forming confrontational blocs, in a meeting that also involved Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Business Friendly Since taking office in March, Li has focused on wooing foreign businesses. Soon after being sworn in, he told visiting foreign executives including Apple Inc.s Tim Cook to take a long-term view on the nation amid the challenges. Then at the Boao Forum for Asia a few days later, Li sought to dispel fear among the global business community that a war over Taiwan is imminent, describing China as an anchor for world peace and development. He gave the keynote speech at a World Economic Forum conference in Tianjin in June, warning against the efforts by the US and its allies to de-risk from China. During his first overseas trip as premier to Germany in June, Li secured an agreement from Chancellor Olaf Scholz to deepen cooperation in manufacturing, electric vehicles and green finance. That came just weeks before Berlin adopted a more cautious China stance, which charactered the worlds second-largest economy as a partner, competitor and systemic rival. See: Asean Latest: Chinas Li Urges Asia Against Bloc Confrontation Li kicked off this trip by saying at a reception in Jakarta on Tuesday that China was willing to step up cooperation with Indonesia in areas such as green energy and the digital economy. He is also expected to visit the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail line. That project is part of Xis signature Belt and Road Initiative and an example of the way Beijing hopes to use infrastructure projects to expand its influence with nations around the world. Trusted Lieutenant While Lis debut at the G-20 will increase his global visibility, its unlikely to boost his political influence. His premiership already carries less authority than his predecessors enjoyed, as Xi gives himself more control over policymaking previously dominated by the No. 2, while diminishing the role of state agencies. Li has a long history of playing second-fiddle to Xi, including serving as his chief of staff in the coastal Zhejiang in the early 2000s. Shortly after Xi took power in 2012, Li was appointed governor of the wealthy province an early sign of the favor he holds with Chinas most-powerful leader since Mao Zedong. The business community provided good feedback about Li in that job, embracing his vow to slash government interference in the economy and allow private firms to enter more sectors. Li may be less fondly regarded by some in Shanghai for the punishing two-month lockdown he ordered last year to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Although he initially used a lighter touch as Shanghai party boss during the pandemic, his stringent implementation of Xis orders to wipe out the virus later led to rare protests aimed at the Chinese leader and battered the citys economy. More: EU Seizes on Putin and Xis G-20 Absence to Engage Africa That didnt prevent Xi from promoting his long-time lieutenant, and Li has since positioned the cabinet he chairs mainly as a body for carrying out his bosss instructions. He also appears to be trying to avoid any perception hes a challenge to the paramount leader, for example by keeping a low profile on domestic trips. Now, the G-20 summit will put Li side-by-side with some of the planets most-powerful figures such as Modi and Biden, who said he was disappointed at reports Xi would skip the summit. Li is Xis trusted aide, said Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. Xi likely feels confident that Li wont overshadow him given his low-key personality. Sign up here for India Edition Menaka Doshis weekly dispatch to your inbox on the billionaires, businesses and policy decisions behind Indias rise. (Updates with Li Qiangs remarks on economic growth.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The United States has made continual efforts to limit China's chip production, but it might not do much good. China plans to launch a fund in hopes of bolstering its semiconductor industry, Reuters reports. The state-backed endeavor is the third from the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund and aims to raise 300 billion yuan ($41 billion). The previous two funds raised 138.7 billion yuan ($19 billion) in 2014 and 200 billion yuan ($27 billion) in 2019. About 60 billion yuan ($8 billion) is expected to come from China's finance ministry. The other contributors aren't yet known, though past backers included China Telecom and China National Tobacco Corporation. Much of the fund itself will specifically focus on creating instruments for chip manufacturing. The news comes only a few days after Huawei, a Chinese electronics company, announced its new smartphone, the Mate 60 Pro, complete with homegrown chips. Huawei partnered with chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) to create a new Kirin 9000s chip, according to a report from analysis firm TechInsights. SMIC's high-level 7nm technology appears to provide the Mate 60 Pro with download speeds beyond those seen in typical 5G phones. The entire Mate 60 Pro announcement and subsequent proof of its power stands in direct contrast to the efforts made by the US, Japan and the Netherlands to restrict China's chip access and limit their production abilities. As recently as August, President Biden signed an executive order further limiting investments in Chinese firms working with technology like semiconductors. Previous restrictions have specifically targeted Huawei, including a January ban on licenses for exporting US tech to the Chinese company. JAKARTA (Reuters) - China's Premier Li Qiang will this week attend in Indonesia's capital a trial run of a $7.3 billion high-speed rail project funded by the superpower, an Indonesian official said on Tuesday. The flagship project of Indonesian President Joko Widodo , which is part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, has faced a range of delays from land procurement issues, the COVID-19 pandemic to ballooning costs. The 142-kilometre (88-mile) railway connecting the capital Jakarta to the city of Bandung was originally supposed to be ready in 2019 but is now to be commercially launched on Oct. 1. "Testing will be done Sept. 6 in the afternoon, attended by China's premier," deputy minister of state-owned enterprises Rosan Roeslani told a press conference, adding that senior Indonesian minister Luhut Pandjaitan will accompany the dignitary. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Li is in Jakarta to attend the East Asia summit and other meetings this week. Earlier on Tuesday, President Widodo warned against Southeast Asian bloc getting dragged into big-power rivalry. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is also expected to attend the meetings in Jakarta. (Reporting by Stefanno Sulaiman; Writing by Gayatri Suroyo; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Kanupriya Kapoor) By Liz Lee BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top security agency has hinted that any meeting between President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden in San Francisco later this year will depend on the United States "showing sufficient sincerity". Biden on Sunday expressed disappointment that Xi was not attending an upcoming summit of G20 leaders in India, but added that he was going to "get to see him". Biden did not elaborate but the next likely opportunity for Biden to hold talks with Xi, as the two countries seek to stabilise troubled relations, is an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco in November. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "To truly realise 'from Bali to San Francisco', the United States needs to show enough sincerity", the Ministry of State Security said in a post on Monday on its WeChat social media page. It was referring to the last meeting between Biden and Xi on the sidelines of a G20 summit on Indonesia's resort island of Bali in November last year. It did not mention the APEC summit in its post. It is unclear if the ministry, which is China's main intelligence agency, is privy to, or has influence over, Xi's considerations on diplomatic engagements. This weekend, Premier Li Qiang will lead a delegation to a G20 summit in New Delhi, the Chinese government has announced, all but confirming that Xi would not attend. The ministry in its post said Biden's administration had adopted a dual-natured strategy towards China, inviting competition with China but also wanting to control the competition. It said while U.S. officials who visited China recently said there was no intention to curb China's development or "decouple", the U.S. still approved arms sales and provided military financing to Taiwan, and raised issues about Tibet and the South China Sea as well as openly criticising the Chinese economy. "China will never let its guard down because of a few 'nice words' from the United States ... The various obstacles, containment and suppression by the United States will only make China more courageous and self-reliant," the state security ministry said. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who visited China last week, said the United States did not want to decouple from China but she also said U.S. companies had complained to her that China has become "uninvestible," pointing to fines, raids and other actions that have made it risky to do business in the world's second-largest economy. China repeated calls for the United States to take more "practical and beneficial actions" to maintain China-U.S. ties after the "uninvestible" comment was reported. (Reporting by Liz Lee; editing by Robert Birsel) Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday blasted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for what he said was putting politics ahead of his job, after DeSantis snubbed President Joe Biden over the weekend during his visit to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Idalia. Your job as governor is to be the tour guide for the president, is to make sure the president sees your people, sees the damage, sees the suffering, whats going on and what needs to be done to rebuild it, Christie said during an interview on Fox News Radio's The Brian Kilmeade Show. Youre doing your job. And unfortunately, he put politics ahead of his job. That was his choice. Christie, a rival of DeSantis in the Republican presidential primary, has personal experience navigating the optics of a visit from a Democratic president following a natural disaster. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, a storm that ravaged New Jersey in 2012, Christie greeted then-President Barack Obama at an Atlantic City tarmac with a warm handshake and subsequently spent years defending himself against his hug with Obama that some conservative pundits suggested was the reason Mitt Romney lost the presidential election weeks later. Christie praised Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who stepped in to meet Biden when he arrived in Live Oak on Saturday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Fortunately, Rick Scott, the United States senator and a former governor, two-term governor, who knows what it means to be governor, showed up and made sure that the president saw the things that he needed to see, Christie said, in another dig at DeSantis. The DeSantis campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Christies criticism. On Friday, the governors office cited security preparations and interference with recovery efforts as reasons for no meeting taking place. Despite the continued attacks over his moment with Obama, Christie said on Tuesday that he had no regrets about the welcome he extended in 2012. I wouldnt do a thing differently because my obligation is to the people who elected me. And the people who elected me were all the people of the state of New Jersey, Christie told Kilmeade. And guess what. We were able to rebuild our state in record time, be able to bring it back to where it needed to be, and return our tourism the very next summer. If there was any doubt about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas identification with the Republican establishment, it dissolved last week when he filed his annual financial disclosure report, which was accompanied by the simultaneous release of a statement from his attorney scorching his left wing critics for engaging in political blood sport. The statement, unmistakably authorized by Thomas himself, set a new benchmark for partisan denunciations from a Supreme Court justice. Whats perhaps worse, though, is that Thomas amendedand supposedly now correctdisclosure report continued to conceal the value of largesse from his conservative benefactor, Harlan Crow . First, the politics of it. Of the many thousands of attorneys in Washington, D.C., Thomas chose to be represented by Elliot Berke, whose practice has been largely devoted to counseling prominent Republicans, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, as well as the National Republican Congressional Committee itself. His website boasts of running election day war rooms for presidential and gubernatorial candidates. A justice concerned with even a minimal appearance of neutrality would have retained an apolitical lawyer. Instead, Thomas chose an openly partisan spokesman who all but declared war on the Democratic members of Congress who dared to seek additional information about Thomas previously undisclosed luxury vacations as the guest of billionaire Harlan Crow. According to legal commentator David Lat, Thomas himself is not responsible for Berkes diatribe. As a member of the Supreme Court, Justice Thomas had to show restraint in responding to the ethics allegations against him, but his lawyer didnt, Lat wrote. That is wrong. Berkes statement was pointedly released On behalf of Client Justice Clarence Thomas. A lawyer as accomplished as Berke would never issue such a statement without his clients specific approval, which makes Thomas responsible for both its language and tone. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Berkes over-the-top ideological taunts undermine the credibility of his confident assurance that there has been no willful ethics transgression, and any prior reporting errors were strictly inadvertent. While a nonaligned lawyer might be trusted to have conducted a dispassionate review of Thomas past disclosures, Berkes red-meat rhetoric has the precise opposite effect, suggesting, to all but Thomas many apologists, that the outcome was predetermined. Thomas level of inattention to disclosure obligations, as revealed by last weeks amended form, is shocking for a Supreme Court justice who, as observed by Slates Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern, applies one standard to himself and another to everyone else, including indigent criminal defendants, whose inadvertent errors of timing and procedure are never excused by Thomas, even when they are facing the death penalty. It is especially galling for Thomas to claim inadvertence because this is not the first time it has happened. In 2011, Thomas amended 20 years of disclosure reports from which he had inadvertently failed to include his wifes employment due to a misunderstanding of the filing instructions. In fact, Virginia Thomas had earned at least $686,000 from the conservative Heritage Foundation during that period. The excuse was barely plausible then, given the simple language of the form, and it beggars belief that a Supreme Court justice, whose job includes interpreting complex statutes and regulations, would continue to take his statutory reporting obligations so lightly. The thing is, even after this latest amended filing, Thomas is still at it. Thomas latest report, for the first time, includes disclosure of a Crow-financed vacation, in this case a week at Crows private resort in the Adirondacks, where the Thomases had been enjoying annual vacations for many years. But that disclosure raises an entirely new question. Having acknowledged that he and his wife had been guests of Harlan Crow, Thomas added an explanatory note stating that the transportation, meals, and lodging were listed under reimbursements not gifts, according to advice from the staff of the Judicial Conference Financial Disclosure Committee (July 10). The difference in categories is significant because gift reports must include their value while reimbursements need not. Although Thomas claims that this unusual categorization is consistent with previous filings by other filers, he gives no examples. The other justices reported reimbursements were all for teaching or speaking engagements at law schoolsincluding Notre Dame, Harvard, and Northwesternand foundations or conferences. (Thomas also listed two reimbursements for speaking engagements in Dallas, with transportation provided by Crow.) No other justice listed an expense-paid vacation as a reimbursement, with the attendant concealment of its value. Thomas motivation for the categorization seems obvious. The Financial Disclosure Committees rationale for apparently allowing it is, to put it politely, opaque. The Judicial Conferences Guide to Judiciary Policy defines reimbursement as the payment or repayment for travel-related expenses other than gifts. If nothing else, Thomas and the Judicial Conference Financial Disclosure Committee now ought to disclose the July 10 correspondence authorizing the nondisclosure of the value of his free vacation. Thomas and his counsel will no doubt continue to rail at so-called weaponized ethics allegations. They would do better to heed the commentary to the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, applicable to the lower federal courts, but thus far unadopted by the Supreme Court: A judge must expect to be the subject of constant public scrutiny and accept freely and willingly restrictions that might be viewed as burdensome by the ordinary citizen. It isnt a blood sport; its democracy. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The Clark County Commission voted Tuesday to accept the 1 October Memorial Committees design recommendation for a permanent memorial to remember the events of the 1 October tragedy, a release said. In July, the 1 October Memorial Committee recommended a concept design from JCJ Architecture, an architecture and interior design practice with offices in Las Vegas, New York City, San Diego, and more. The chosen concept design is called the Forever One Memorial. That design was approved by the Clark County Commission on Sept. 5. JCJ Architecture shared renderings with 8 News Now, which show the design concept, which includes seven parts. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Forever One Memorial Aerial View. Source: JCJ Architecture Forever One Memorial Aerial View. Source: JCJ Architecture Forever One Memorial The Surround. Source: JCJ Architecture Forever One Memorial The Surround. Source: JCJ Architecture Forever One Memorial 58 Candles: The Remembrance Ring. Source: JCJ Architecture Forever One Memorial 58 Candles: The Remembrance Ring. Source: JCJ Architecture Forever One Memorial 58 Candles: The Remembrance Ring. Source: JCJ Architecture Forever One Memorial 58 Candles: The Remembrance Ring. Source: JCJ Architecture Forever One Memorial The Angel Wall. Source: JCJ Architecture Forever One Memorial The Angel Wall. Source: JCJ Architecture Forever One Memorial The Tower of Light. Source: JCJ Architecture Forever One Memorial The Tower of Light. Source: JCJ Architecture The design was one of five concepts that were submitted to the committee as part of the process to gather ideas for a memorial to remember the victims of the shooting that occurred at the Route 91 Harvest Festival on the Las Vegas Strip on Oct. 1, 2017. According to the release, the process of choosing a design included gathering input from family members of victims of the tragedy, survivors, and the public. The permanent memorial will be built at Giles Street and Reno Avenue, an area of two acres on the northeast corner of the concert site donated by MGM Resorts International. We are grateful to the design teams, family members, survivors, and everyone who participated in this process to create a memorial to remember the events of 1 October, said Clark County Commission Chairman Jim Gibson, whose Commission District includes the festival site. A project designed by OLIN + Andy Scott was recommended by the committee as an alternative, which was also accepted by the County Commission. Thanks to the committees hard work, a very unique process was put into place to ensure that anyone who had an idea for the memorial could be heard, Gibson said. The committee also made sure professionals were involved to ensure that the memorial that gets created will be a world-class project that serves as a place of remembrance, respect, and healing. Now that a design has been accepted, County Commission staff will be looking for a nonprofit organization to oversee fundraising, construction, and maintenance of the memorial. An agreement with a nonprofit would need to be approved by the County Commission at a future meeting. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. A person runs past a burning car and a banner reading, "No to Quran burning. Don't abuse freedom of expression" placed on the roundabout, at Ramel vag, in Malmo, Sweden, early Monday Sept. 4, 2023. Clashes in an immigrant neighborhood in Swedens third largest city after an anti-Muslim protester set fire to the Quran with police being pelted with rocks and dozens of cars set on fire. Police said Monday, adding the tensions now have died down. (Johan Nilsson /TT News Agency via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) STOCKHOLM (AP) Clashes erupted in an immigrant neighborhood in Swedens third largest city after an anti-Muslim protester set fire to a copy of the Quran, police said Monday. Police in Malmo said they were pelted with rocks and dozens of cars were set on fire, including in an underground garage, and described the events that started Sunday and lasted overnight as a violent riot. The clashes started after an anti-Islam activist, Salwan Momika, burned a copy of the Quran on Sunday and an angry mob tried to stop him, police said. At least three people were detained, they said. Early Monday, a crowd of mainly young people set fire to tires and debris and some threw electric scooters, bicycles and barriers in Malmo's Rosengard neighborhood, which has seen similar clashes in the past. Several banners condemned the Quran burning. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I understand that a public gathering like this arouses strong emotions, but we cannot tolerate disturbances and violent expressions like those we saw on Sunday afternoon," senior police officer Petra Stenkula said. It is extremely regrettable to once again see violence and vandalism at Rosengard, she said. "Regardless of the reason behind these riots, the car fires, the harassment, violence against police officers, ... regardless of the reason, I think that all Swedes find this completely unacceptable, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said at a news conference. In the past months, Momika, a refugee from Iraq, has desecrated copies of the Quran in a series of anti-Islam protests mostly in Stockholm. Swedish police have allowed his actions, citing freedom of speech. The Quran burnings have sparked angry protests in Muslim countries, attacks on Swedish diplomatic missions and threats from Islamic extremists. Muslim leaders in Sweden have called on the government to find ways to stop the Quran burnings. Sweden dropped its last blasphemy laws in the 1970s and the government has said it has no intention to reintroduce them. However, the government has announced an investigation into the possibility of enabling police to reject permits for demonstrations over national security concerns. Doaa al-Hassan, 10 years old, who lost her hand to a cluster bomb in 2022, studies at a camp near the town of Ain Sheeb, northern Idlib province, Syria, on July 18, 2023. More than 300 people were killed by cluster munitions in Ukraine in 2022, according to an international watchdog, displacing Syria as the country with the highest number of deaths from the controversial weapons for the first time in a decade. (AP Photo/Omar Albam) AIN SHEEB, Syria (AP) More than 300 people were killed and over 600 wounded by cluster munitions in Ukraine in 2022, according to an international watchdog, surpassing Syria as the country with the highest number of casualties from the controversial weapons for the first time in a decade. Russias widespread use of the bombs, which open in the air and release scores of smaller bomblets or submunitions as they are called, in its invasion of Ukraine and, to a lesser extent, their use by Ukrainian forces helped make 2022 the deadliest year on record globally, according to the annual report released Tuesday by the Cluster Munition Coalition, a network of non-governmental organizations advocating for a ban of the weapons. The deadliest attack in Ukraine, according to the the country's prosecutor generals office, was a bombing on a railway station in the town of Kramatorsk that killed 53 people and wounded 135. Meanwhile, in Syria and other war-battered countries in the Middle East, although active fighting has cooled down, the explosive remnants continue to kill and maim dozens of people every year. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The long-term danger posed to civilians by explosive ordnance peppered across the landscape for years or even decades after fighting has ceased has come under a renewed spotlight since the United States announced in July that it would provide them to Ukraine to use against Russia. In Syria, 15 people were killed and 75 wounded by cluster munition attacks or their remnants in 2022, according to the coalition's data. Iraq, where there were no new cluster bomb attacks reported last year, saw 15 people killed and 25 wounded. In Yemen, which also had no new reported attacks, five people were killed and 90 were wounded by the leftover explosives. The majority of victims globally are children. Because some types of these bomblets resemble metal balls, children often pick them up and play with them without knowing what they are. Among the casualties are 12-year old Rawaa al-Hassan and her 10-year-old sister, Doaa, whose family has lived at a camp near the village of Ain Sheeb in northern Syrias opposition-held Idlib province since being displaced from their hometown in Hama province six years earlier. The area where they live in Idlib had frequently come under airstrikes, but the family had escaped from those unharmed. During the holy Islamic month of Ramadan last year, as the girls were coming home from school, their mother Wafaa said, they picked up an unexploded bomblet, thinking it was a piece of scrap metal they could sell. Rawaa lost an eye, Doaa, a hand. In a cruel irony, the girls father had died eight months earlier after he stepped on a cluster munition remnant while gathering firewood. The girls are in a bad state, psychologically since the two tragic accidents, said their uncle Hatem al-Hassan, who now looks after them and their mother. They have difficulty concentrating, and Rawaa often flies off the handle, hitting other children at school. Of course, were afraid, and now we dont let them play outside at all anymore, he said. Near the village of Ram Hamdan, also in Idlib, Ali al-Mansour, 43, was tending his sheep one day in 2019 with his 5-year-old son in tow when the child handed him a metal object that looked like a toy and and asked him to take it apart. I tried to take it apart and it wasn't working, so I hit it with a rock, and it exploded on me, al-Mansour said. He lost his eyes and his hands. Without a breadwinner, his family now lives on handouts from relatives. Scattered submunitions often strike shepherds and scrap metal collectors, a common post-conflict source of livelihood, said Loren Persi, one of the editors of the Cluster Munition Coalitions annual report. They also lurk in the fields where truffle hunters forage for the lucrative delicacy, he said. Efforts to clear the explosives have been hampered by lack of funding and by the logistics of dealing with the patchwork of actors controlling different parts of Syria, Persi said. Some 124 countries have joined a United Nations convention banning cluster munitions. The U.S., Russia, Ukraine and Syria are among the hold-outs. Deaths and injuries from cluster munition remnants have continued for decades after wars ended in some cases including in Laos, where people still die yearly from Vietnam war-era U.S. bombing that left millions of unexploded cluster bomblets. Alex Hiniker, an independent expert with the Forum on the Arms Trade, said casualties had been dropping worldwide before the 2011 uprising turned civil war in Syria. Contamination was being cleared, stockpiles were being destroyed," she said, but the progress "started reversing drastically in 2012, when the Syrian government and allied Russian forces began using cluster bombs against the opposition in Syria. The numbers had dropped off as the war in Syria turned into a stalemate, although at least one new cluster bomb attack was reported in Syria in November 2022. But they quickly spiked again with the conflict in Ukraine. U.S. officials have defended the decision to provide cluster bombs to Ukraine as necessary to level the playing field in the face of a stronger opponent and have insisted that they will take measures to mitigate harm to civilians. This would include sending a version of the munition with a reduced dud rate, meaning fewer unexploded rounds left behind after the conflict. State Department officials did not respond to a request for additional comment. Hiniker said she and others who track the impacts of cluster munitions are baffled by the fact that the U.S. is sending totally outdated weapons that the majority of the world has banned because they disproportionately kill civilians. The most difficult and costly part of dealing with the weapons, she said, is cleaning up the mess afterwards. ___ Associated Press writer Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report. Bandages. Medical shears. Trauma treatment packs for chest wounds. A wedge to block doors. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teachers last week received a distinct collection of supplies when school opened trauma kits to help educators treat students if theyre stuck in a classroom during an active shooter or other violent incident. The district handed out Go Bags to educators in every full-time classroom. The 11,000 bags contain bandages, gauze, a tourniquet, glass breaking tool, rope and other items to use during active survival emergencies. Thousands of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teachers received Go Bags last week at the start of school. The bags, pictured here, say More Prepared on the yellow tag that accompanies them. They include medical equipment to treat wounds, including to stop bleeding, a doorstop and a glass-breaking tool. In the past, weve had to teach staff how they can use a tampon to treat a gunshot wound, Detective Wes Eubank of the CMS Police Department told The Charlotte Observer. Or how to use an extension cord as a rope. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Eubank, who is the districts active survival instructor, calls the bags miracles for educators. Its unprecedented and to say its huge is an understatement, said Eubank, a retired detective from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Keeping students safe A collection of items inside of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools new Go Bags, which were handed out to about 11,000 employees. Brian Schultz, CMS chief operations officer, says the Go Bags were purchased using a $2.9 million grant from the North Carolina Center for Safer Schools. Grant money was included in last years state budget, Schultz said. The district used the money to purchase the bags, medical device equipment and additional camera systems for elementary schools. Teachers were told to keep the bags where they want, but in a place they can reach quickly. And while there are no bags in areas like gyms and cafeterias, the district will seek grants when the state legislature approves a budget to purchase more. It is important that staff members play a role and have ownership of keeping students and each other safe, Schultz said. Its important to not only provide the training but also the tools that go along with it. The tools and resources are only as good as the person who can effectively use them. Addressing medical trauma Eubank and CMSPD provide threat response training to all CMS employees including custodians, bus drivers, accounting and human resources departments and cafeteria workers prior to the start of the school and throughout the year. The training teaches to avoid, barricade, counter and survive. It teaches what to do in an active shooting environment, said Eubank, whos taught the two-hour class in CMS for the last five years. We teach what to look for as far as characters and traits of an active shooter, and we go through how to address medical trauma. Todd Silberman, a spokesman with the states Department of Public Instruction, says CMS isnt the first to incorporate the training and bags, but among a few N.C. districts to do so. Quintin Trent, director of training for the Samarcand Training Academy in Moore County, started a program many years ago in Guilford County Schools, where he was formerly employed, Silberman says. Knowing what to do Eubank referenced last months fatal shooting at UNC-Chapel Hill when talking about CMS safety tactics. A professor was fatally shot, a graduate student charged with murder and the campus locked down for three hours. Students texts, many of which were included on the front page of UNCs student newspaper The Daily Tar Heel, told of fear and, in some cases, the belief professors didnt know what to do in an active shooter situation. One student texted: Its also scary how unprepared our teachers and staff were for that, according to a News & Observer report. Teachers need to know what to do in an active shooting environment, Eubank said. I heard reports that students were told to hide under desks and tables. Thats the absolute wrong thing to tell them. Thats the first place a shooter will look. Special counsel Jack Smith is still pursuing his investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election a month after indicting Donald Trump for orchestrating a broad conspiracy to remain in power, a widening of the probe that raises the possibility others could still face legal peril. Questions asked of two recent witnesses indicate Smith is focusing on how money raised off baseless claims of voter fraud was used to fund attempts to breach voting equipment in several states won by Joe Biden, according to multiple sources familiar with the ongoing investigation. In both interviews, prosecutors have focused their questions on the role of former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell . According to invoices obtained by CNN, Powells non-profit, Defending the Republic, hired forensics firms that ultimately accessed voting equipment in four swing states won by Biden: Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona. Powell faces criminal charges in Georgia after she was indicted last month by Atlanta-area district attorney Fani Willis, who alleges that Powell helped coordinate and fund a multi-state plot to illegally access voting systems after the 2020 election. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Powell pleaded not guilty to the charges. Those charges center around a voting system breach in Coffee County, Georgia, a rural, Republican district that voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2020. Willis indictment describes the breach, and Powells alleged involvement, as central to the broader conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. Powell has also been identified by CNN as one of Trumps un-indicted co-conspirators listed in Smiths federal election indictment. New details about Smiths ongoing investigation indicate federal prosecutors are scrutinizing a series of voting breaches following the 2020 election that state investigators have been probing for more than a year. Exactly how this recent line of inquiry fits into Smiths ongoing criminal investigation remains unclear. Smiths grand jury in Washington, DC, is set to expire on Sept. 15 but it can be extended beyond then. The special counsels office declined to comment. Scrutiny of Powells fundraising According to sources, witnesses interviewed by Smiths prosecutors in recent weeks were asked about Powells role in the hunt for evidence of voter fraud after the 2020 election, including how her nonprofit group, Defending the Republic, provided money to fund those efforts. Sidney Powell, lawyer to President Donald Trump, during a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC, November 2020. - Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images Powell promoted Defending the Republic as a non-profit focused on funding post-election legal challenges by Trumps team as it disputed results in key states Biden had won. Those challenges and fundraising efforts underpinning them were all based on the premise that evidence of widespread voter fraud was already in hand. But according to documents reviewed by CNN and witness testimony obtained by the House select committee that investigated January, 6, 2021, the group was used to fund a desperate search to retroactively back-up baseless claims that Trumps lawyers had already put forward in failed lawsuits challenging the results in several states. A series of invoices and communications obtained by election integrity groups including The Coalition for Good Governance and American Oversight show Defending the Republic contributed millions of dollars toward the push to access voting equipment in key states. In a court filing after her indictment in Georgia, Powell denied involvement in the Coffee County breach but acknowledged that a non-profit she founded paid the forensics firm hired to examine voting systems there. Powell did not respond to CNNs request for comment. Questions about conspiracy theories Smiths team has specifically asked witnesses about certain conspiracy theories pushed by Powell including that Dominion Voting Systems had ties to former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and featured software he used to rig his own election. The software company, Smartmatic, has previously said the turnout in those Venezuelan elections, not the voting system, was manipulated. Both Dominion and Smartmatic have said that they are competitors with no corporate links, knocking down the claim pushed by Powell. One witness who met with Smiths team earlier last month, former NYPD Commissioner Bernie Kerik, spoke at length about how Trump allies accessed voting systems in Antrim County, Michigan, shortly after Election Day. Kerik also discussed the origins of a theory that voting machines could switch votes from one candidate to another, according to his lawyer Tim Parlatore. Kerik also acknowledged the breach of voting systems in Coffee County during his interview with federal prosecutors, Parlatore told CNN, adding that while his client raised the topic, the conversation did not delve into specifics. Kerik and another witness who met with Smiths team in recent weeks were both asked if Powell was ever able to back-up her various claims of fraud, including conspiracy theories that foreign countries had hacked voting equipment. Both were also asked about Defending the Republic and how it was used as a source of funding efforts to find evidence of voter fraud, sources told CNN. Network of operatives In addition, special counsel prosecutors have also heard from other witnesses about efforts to breach voting equipment in other states. In April, an FBI agent and a prosecutor from Smiths special counsels office interviewed a Pennsylvania resident named Mike Ryan, who used to work for a wealthy Pennsylvania Republican donor named Bill Bachenberg. During his interview, which Ryan described to CNN, Ryan says he told federal investigators that Bachenberg worked with Powell and other Trump lawyers to access voting systems in Pennsylvania and other states after the 2020 election. Bachenberg, who helped organize Pennsylvanias fake electors, was subpoenaed by the House select committee last year but there is no public indication he testified. Ryan says he told federal investigators that after the 2020 election Bachenberg was in direct contact with Trump and a host of the former presidents most prominent allies including lawyers Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman participating in strategy calls about efforts to overturn the election results in multiple states. It is unclear if Bachenberg has been contacted by Smiths team or the FBI. Bachenberg did not reply to requests for comments from CNN. Breaches in Pennsylvania and Michigan Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson also told CNN that shes spoken to investigators at both the state and federal level about the push to access voting systems. Benson says when she met with Smiths team earlier this spring, she, like Kerik, was asked specifically about efforts related to Antrim County, Michigan, where Powell and a lawyer named Stefanie Lambert helped fund a team of pro-Trump operatives who accessed voting systems shortly after Election Day in 2020. Stefanie Lambert listens during a court hearing in Detroit, Michigan, in October 2022. - Dieu-Nalio Chery/Reuters The operatives then produced a report claiming votes were flipped from Trump to Biden in Antrim County. That report was then used as supposed evidence to support the dozens of failed lawsuits that Powell filed on Trumps behalf alleging voter fraud. The report was since debunked. I believe the investigation at the federal level is broad and is meticulous and is looking at all the ways in which democracy was attacked in 2020. And so I would expect everything is on the table, every law that was violated, Benson told CNN last month referring to the special counsels interest in efforts to access voting systems. Lambert was charged last month by state prosecutors in Michigan for her alleged involvement in a conspiracy to access voting machines there. Lambert is also linked to a breach in Fulton County, Pennsylvania, where she provided legal representation for the county itself after two Republican county officials secretly allowed a forensics firm to copy voting machine data in an effort to help Trump overturn his 2020 loss in the state. The breach is currently the subject of an ongoing probe being conducted by a prosecutor selected by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Lambert and Bachenberg both received copies of voting system data from Fulton County during the breach, according to the recent civil lawsuit that names both individuals. Lambert has also been identified by CNN as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Georgia indictment, which alleges she worked with Powell to secure voting system data that was copied from Coffee County and was tasked with helping collect invoices from the forensics firm hired through Defending the Republic. In a statement to CNN, Lambert did not elaborate on her ties to Bachenberg but defended her election-related work, saying, I am a zealous advocate for my clients. I havent broken any laws. Emails obtained by American Oversight indicate Bachenberg was involved in discussions about funding for the Arizona audit and helped facilitate a similar review in Pennsylvania. In a September 2021 email containing a summary of the final report on the controversial election audit conducted in Arizona, Bachenberg wrote that PA will be one of the next dominos [sic] to fall. That same month, Republicans in the Pennsylvania Senate launched a forensic investigation of the states 2020 election results. This story has been updated with additional information about conspiracies pushed by Powell. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com John Weisheit, co-founder of the group Living Rivers, says the Colorado River should be restored to a more natural state by decommissioning Glen Canyon Dam. The dam forms Lake Powell, the country's second-largest reservoir. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) For years, environmentalists have argued that the Colorado River should be allowed to flow freely across the Utah-Arizona border, saying that letting water pass around Glen Canyon Dam and draining the giant Lake Powell reservoir would improve the shrinking river's health. Now, as climate change increases the strains on the river, this controversial proposal is receiving support from some surprising new allies: influential farmers in Californias Imperial Valley. In a letter to the federal Bureau of Reclamation, growers Mike and James Abatti, who run some of the biggest farming operations in the Imperial Valley, urged the government to consider sacrificing the Colorado's second-largest reservoir and storing the water farther downstream in Lake Mead the river's largest reservoir. Past proposals by environmental groups to decommission Glen Canyon Dam or to operate the reservoir without power production as a primary goal can no longer be ignored and must be seriously considered, they wrote. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Fresh calls to drain Lake Powell, sometimes referred to as the One-Dam Solution or Fill Mead First, have emerged as federal dam managers begin to consider new rules for dealing with water shortages after 2026 a process that has sparked tensions between states and water agencies over where the brunt of reductions should fall. I think they see the writing on the wall. Farmers understand the future probably better than many others right now, all across the West. And they know that issues of scarcity are only going to become more incendiary, said Kyle Roerink, executive director of the Great Basin Water Network, one of the environmental groups calling for the draining of Lake Powell. I think they know that we're not going to have the water to fill two giant storage pools anymore, Roerink said. Lake Mead has declined dramatically, leaving a "bathtub ring" of minerals coating the rocky shores. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) The concern is that if federal officials continue focusing on propping up reservoir levels at Lake Powell to produce hydropower, reduced releases from the dam could mean less water for Imperial Valley growers, Roerink said. Having water stored farther downstream would be like an insurance policy for drier times, he said, making sure the area's farms continue to have access to water even at low reservoir levels. The Abatti brothers' letter was one of many that federal officials received recently as part of their consideration of new rules. In the letter, which the Abattis signed together with water resources engineer Craig Morgan, they pointed out that under the 1922 Colorado River Compact, the foundational agreement that divided the river, using water for hydropower has a lower priority than agricultural water use. They also emphasized that the agreement requires the four states in the Upper Basin Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico to deliver an annual average of 7.5 million acre-feet per year to the Lower Basin states of California, Arizona and Nevada (over any 10-year period). If they're going to continue to meet their obligations downstream, it just doesn't make sense to keep both reservoirs full, Morgan said. They need to be able to deliver the water to meet the commitments under the compact. Glen Canyon Dam in October 2022 above Lake Powell and the Colorado River in Page, Ariz. (The Washington Post / Getty Images) Morgan and the Abattis noted that a significant amount of water evaporates from Lake Powell, and that evaporation would be reduced by storing water in a single reservoir. They urged the federal government to consider retrofitting the dam to ensure enough water can pass downstream. California uses more Colorado River water than any other state. And in the Imperial Valley, the Imperial Irrigation District delivers the single largest share of the rivers water to farmlands that produce crops including hay and vegetables. Years of heavy water use, drought and the effects of climate change have left the Colorado Rivers largest reservoirs at low levels, and scientists have projected that the rivers average flows will decrease further as temperatures continue to rise. Lake Powell now sits at 38% capacity, while Lake Mead is 34% full. Read more: In Californias Imperial Valley, farmers brace for a future with less Colorado River water Imperial Valley farmland relies on Colorado River water. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) A coalition of environmental groups including Living Rivers, Center for Biological Diversity and Glen Canyon Institute have called for the federal government to analyze the One-Dam Solution and re-engineer Glen Canyon Dam to drain the reservoir and return it to a flowing river. In a letter, the groups said the Southwests drying climate and the rivers declining flows require a plan for the climate-inevitable obsolescence and decommissioning of Glen Canyon Dam. They focused on concerns that at low reservoir levels, the dam's design would effectively create a bottleneck, hindering the movement of water downstream. The dam wasn't designed to operate at low levels, and every climate study in recent years suggests low levels will be the norm, said Eric Balken, executive director of the Glen Canyon Institute. Re-engineering the dam to release more water at low levels is a matter of water security, Balken said. This is why, for the first time publicly, Imperial farmers and Lower Basin states are asking the feds to study the idea: They see the risk that Glen Canyon Dam poses to downstream users. Federal officials have recently begun studying options for overhauling the dam. Dam managers have cited concerns that if Lake Powell were to fall below the power-generating threshold, water would only flow through four 8-foot-wide bypass tubes, creating a choke point with reduced water-releasing capacity potentially shrinking the flow of water through the Grand Canyon and reducing water deliveries to Lake Mead, which stores water for California, Arizona, Nevada and Mexico. Glen Canyon Dam holds back Colorado River water to create Lake Powell on April 15, 2023 in Lake Page, Ariz. (RJ Sangosti / The Denver Post) During a meeting this year, federal officials discussed proposals such as penetrating through the dams concrete to make new lower-level intakes, or tunneling a shaft around either side of the dam, among other options. Balkens group has said that the dams antiquated plumbing system represents a major liability, and that allowing water to bypass the dam would solve the problem, while also restoring a natural stretch of river and helping the ecosystem in the Grand Canyon. Officials representing California, Arizona and Nevada said in a joint letter that the Bureau of Reclamation should evaluate potential improvements at Glen Canyon Dam that could ensure that water can safely pass through the dam at low elevations. Representatives of some states have indicated they want to see water continue to be stored in Lake Powell. Gene Shawcroft of Utah expressed concerns in his letter to the government that the reliance of California, Arizona and Nevada on water withdrawals from Lake Mead has resulted in larger than average releases from Glen Canyon Dam and drawn down Lake Powell levels. Read more: Want to solve climate change? This California farm kingdom holds a key Representatives of the four Upper Basin states called for permanent reductions in water use in California, Arizona and Nevada of 1.2 million acre-feet to 1.5 million acre-feet, or about 17% to 22%. They suggested one way of achieving reductions would be to begin counting water that is lost to evaporation from reservoirs and along the rivers lower stretches. That proposal, which would hit California especially hard, has been opposed by the states water managers and also by farmers in the Imperial Valley, who benefit from senior water rights dating from 1901. The Abatti family has been farming in the Imperial Valley for more than a century. It manages large operations on thousands of acres, growing crops that include alfalfa, broccoli and melons. Family members said in their letter that the federal review of options for the rules should be devoid of politicization and must respect the Imperial Valleys senior water rights. In recent years, the Abattis have been involved in legal disputes with the Imperial Irrigation District over water rights. The Imperial Irrigation Districts officials didnt mention the idea of draining Lake Powell in their comments to the government. Instead, they called for reevaluating the thresholds that trigger cuts in deliveries during shortages, an idea that California, Arizona and Nevada also raised. Tina Shields, the districts water manager, suggested smaller, more frequent water use reductions as opposed to larger, less frequent reductions. She said such cuts in parity with reduced releases from Lake Powell would be more likely to prevent reservoirs from reaching critically low levels. Read more: Inside the water crisis: A journey across the Colorado River Basin The 30 tribes in the Colorado River Basin have also been weighing in on proposals for changing how the river is managed, and have been demanding they be included in negotiations among the states. Jordan Joaquin, president of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, said in his letter to the government that the current approach, which focuses on coordinating water allocations between Lake Mead and Lake Powell, has already proven insufficient to avoid seemingly constant crisis management. He called for a new framework in which decisions are based on whole system conditions across the entire watershed, rather than triggers for cutbacks based solely on the levels of Lake Mead and Lake Powell. The Colorado Rivers flow has declined dramatically since 2000, and research has shown that global warming driven by the burning of fossil fuels has worsened the long stretch of extremely dry years. Scientists have recently estimated that stabilizing reservoir levels would require 13% to 20% reductions in water use across the Colorado River Basin, but that in the long term its likely the reservoirs will rarely be higher than half-full. In a study published in June, researchers led by professor Jack Schmidt of Utah State University said one option would be to drill tunnels around Glen Canyon Dam and equip them with emergency valves, which could be closed in the unlikely event that large runoff filled Lake Mead and storage in Lake Powell was needed. One issue that complicates the debate is the fact that Utah has proposed to build a pipeline to take water from Lake Powell to support growth, a plan that has been opposed by environmental groups and other states. Rhett Larson, a professor of water law at Arizona State University, said he thinks the idea of draining Lake Powell will run into strong opposition from the Upper Basin states, but that it still ought to be studied as part of the federal review. It's probably too provocative to suggest eliminating Lake Powell, Larson said. "So let's see if we can find something in between." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein's office has iled a lawsuit to have Jack's Corner Pub, located at 2480 Summit St. near the Ohio State University campus, declared a public nuisance. A bar near Ohio State University is voluntarily closed until at least next week after Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein filed a lawsuit against it, calling the business a nuisance. Jack's Corner Pub, located at 2480 Summit St., agreed to voluntarily close its doors until the next court date, which is scheduled for Sept. 11, according to a release from Klein's office. The lawsuit against the bar states that since August 2021 Columbus police have been called more than three dozen times to the bar, including for a homicide. On at least two occasions, there were reports of gunshots being fired outside the bar and there were other reported incidents of fights where someone was injured, Klein's office alleges. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On July 28, Columbus police got a call about a person who was shot multiple times after a fight at the bar. Nasier Reid, 23, died at the scene. After Reid's death, an online petition was started to close the bar, and when it reopened on Aug. 19, a protest was held outside the bar, according to the lawsuit. "The City is asking the Court to declare the bar a public nuisance and order owners to work with Columbus police to ramp up security and strictly adhere to all liquor laws or face possible closure of up to one year and non-renewal of Jacks liquor license," Klein's office said in a statement. "The violence and crime we're seeing at this bar is unacceptable, and it must be addressed or we will shut it down." The city is also asking Jack's ownership to install additional security cameras with footage that can be made available to police at their request. The Dispatch could not immediately reach a representative of Jack's Corner Pub for comment. bbruner@dispatch.com @bethany_bruner This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: City Attorney calls Jack's Corner Pub near OSU a public nuisance Columbus native Brian Herring has built high-rises all over the country. In the past five years, hes traveled throughout the states working on apartment rehabs and flew home to Columbus every other weekend to spend time with his 11-year-old daughter, Izzy. He didnt think he would ever be able to return to his hometown to raise Izzy full-time without taking a significant loss of income. Last fall, Herring was working for a construction company in Houston when he received a phone call from Izzys mother. Shed met someone and planned to move to South Carolina taking Izzy with her. Herring would only be able to see his daughter once or twice a year. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement His director who was in the office when Herring took the phone call overheard the conversation and encouraged him to return to Columbus to get custody of Izzy. Put your notice in, the director told Herring. Find you a job back home. Its time for you to go home. Herring reached out to Freeman & Associates about finding a position in Columbus. They told Herring they had the perfect job for him. With full custody of Izzy, Herring is now the construction superintendent over the crew restoring Ralston Towers, a historic building that made an impact in Herrings own family history and will soon reopen as affordable housing for elderly and disabled residents in Columbus. Its a group Herring cares for immensely because his grandfather, Johnny Davis, previously lived in the building during his elderly years. Brian Herring shows a photograph of his daughter Izzy he took during a recent visit from a Columbus, Georgia television station. The right man for the job Ralston Tower was project-based HUD Section 8 housing when it was closed early in 2020, a few years after 62-year-old Charles Hart was found dead in his room. Residents had complained in the weeks leading up to his death about the lack of air conditioning, but extreme heat was only one issue the deteriorating building had. After the building was closed, the Atlanta-based company Infinity Capital Partner acquired it and began the renovation process. It would prove to be the biggest project the team has ever done, chief investment officer Greg Jones, told the Ledger-Enquirer. There were problems with pests, malfunctioning elevators and other dangerous living conditions. Its been about five or six superintendents that gave up, Herring said. Its stressful. But the owners are great. Jones gave me free reign to this project. I could do whatever I need to do. Brian Herring is the superintendent of construction for Freeman & Associates on the renovation of The Ralston in Columbus, Georgia. Herrings experience working on rehabbing old buildings made him a good fit for this job, he said, but he his family connection to the Ralston Tower was also a factor. His grandfather lived in the building in the 1990s when Herring was a kid. Me and my dad, who was a fireman down at Station 1, used to come to the Ralston and eat breakfast. Herring remembers how Davis would always go hang out with the women who came to cook Thanksgiving dinners at the Ralston. They thought he had a crush on them, Herring smirked. He was just wanting the free meal. Shortly after Herrings grandfather passed, the Ralston went on a downward spiral. But the superintendent works hard to bring the building back into a place where elderly Columbus residents can feel good at calling the building home again. Its going to give them a home later in life, he said. It will give them a better way of life to live out the years where they worked so hard to enjoy their retirement. The Ralston is located at 211 12th St. in Columbus, Georgia. 08/31/2023 Bringing life into an old building When Herring came into the building, he thought about where to begin. How do you bring life into a 109-year-old building, he asked himself. Well, the starting point is fresh air, he decided. The ability to control the temperature throughout the building was the biggest issue in the Ralston Tower, he said. The construction workers installed about 50 fresh air units that filter outside air and send it throughout the corridors. A heat pump works to heat and cool the air as needed, with controls in each apartment allowing residents to find a setting comfortable for them. Brian Herring, superintendent of construction for Freeman & Associates on the renovation of The Ralston in Columbus, Georgia, talks about the challenges of the project while giving a tour of a yet-to-be renovated upper floor. Next, he had to find a way to ensure the building was safe in the event of a fire. The corridors had fire suppression, Herring said. But the rooms didnt. A new system was installed that placed sprinklers in every room with a new fire suppression pump installed in the basement that is rated like a modern-day fire truck. Downstairs on the first floor, the large kitchen area will be available with meals available for residents. Inside the rooms, residents will have microwaves and mini-fridges. There is a business center with new computers, an activity room that will be filled with games and a comfortable lobby. There are 64 security cameras throughout the public areas of the building and outside, providing another layer of security for residents. The residents are going to be protected, Herring said. Theyre going to have a great way of life. A historic building The Ralston Hotel was finished in 1914 facing the First Baptist Church with 100 rooms on nine floors. It was the tallest building in Columbus at the time according to research by local historian Virginia Causey. The building underwent expansions in 1919 and 1940 adding 200 more rooms. In its heyday, the hotels ballroom was a venue for formal dinners and dances, downtown power-brokers gathered there for lunch, the Muscogee chapter of the Red Cross met on the first floor to make medical supplies during World War I and famous visitors, including Babe Ruth, stayed at the hotel when passing through Columbus, Causey noted in her research. The building began deteriorating in the 1970s and became senior citizen housing. The Ralston is located at 211 12th St. in Columbus, Georgia. 08/31/2023 Herring knows the story well. And as the construction superintendent over the renovation of the building, his deep knowledge of the building is evident in his conversation as he walks through the hallways giving a tour. This construction is 1914 here, he says, walking a little further down the hallway. And this is 1946. The rooms are a lot larger in the 1940s, he explains, but the bathroom styles in the two eras arent very different. They have black and white color schemes in the tile and accents. This was a color scheme he chose to continue throughout the renovated building. Its historic, Herring explained. It fits the era. This is the newly remodeled entrance and lobby area at The Ralston in Columbus, Georgia. Preserving historic elements of the building is one of the most important priorities, along with making the building safer for residents and visitors. The age of the building and the state it was in when he began working on it has made things difficult. Some days the team takes one step forward and five steps back, he said. Its not like new construction where you can plan every aspect of the job, Herring said. You always have some kind of surprise and dealing with those is very challenging. But at the end of the day, we are accomplishing our goal. Businesses and residents say that crime and drug use are plaguing Seattles Chinatown-International District, especially in the area known as Little Saigon. Thats what some people in that community are saying about the situation. Members of that community and some city leaders gathered at the intersection of 12th and Jackson in the Asian Plaza parking lot to talk about the issues and air their grievances. They expressed their concerns that the area where the businesses are located has seen a major escalation in public safety issues. In February 2022, we did stories about a market for stolen goods and drugs at the intersection. There was also a shooting where a bullet hit a man in the leg. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement At the time, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said police made dozens of arrests at the intersection, and he pledged to clean up the area. The issues even prompted the Seattle Police Department to put up a mobile police unit in that area that month, so police could clear the area. In the spring of 2022, we learned that some businesses shut down, and others had to reduce hours. More than a year later, some people working in the area including Sue Mar, who rents to small businesses said nothing has really changed. We are losing properties. Lots of people are telling us its just not safe to be in this area anymore. They do not want to be here, said Mar. Quynh Pham works with Friends of Little Saigon, which coordinates to support small businesses in the neighborhood. She said she hears constant complaints from businesses, including complaints from Mar and others. Criminal activity, to drug dealing and drug use, right in front of their storefronts. Theyve had to increase security. Theyve lost staff, theyve lost customers, said Pham. In April 2022, Harrell actually came to the area to clean up graffiti and talk about community service projects to help the city. People in Little Saigon say they want attention paid to their concerns, but they wont be dealt with unless there is a city law to truly tackle drug use. Pham said businesses are already strapped for cash post-pandemic and are losing customers. They cant keep hanging around waiting for improvements, they can only invest so much and theyve lost a lot already, said Pham. Mar agrees that the city needs to act sooner rather than later. Until the city strengthens its laws and changes how it deals with the drugs and the drug addicts, were not going to really be able to fix the problem, said Mar. Some community members also voiced concerns about burglaries and assaults to the south of Little Saigon that have sometimes targeted Asian Americans. People are saying that without some changes at 12th and Jackson, Little Saigon may become an endangered community. Photo: Paper Excellence Canada A union representing workers at the Catalyst Crofton pulp and paper mill says theyre being left in the lurch after a startup was delayed by another month. The 60 workers represented by Unifor Local 1132 and the nearly 400 from Public and Private Workers of Canada Local 2 received notice a planned startup this week wasnt going to happen due to continuing poor market conditions for the mills paper products. Its the third time Paper Excellence has announced 30-day curtailments in as many months. Paper Excellence said in May it was temporarily curtailing the mill from June 30 to July 31. Then a second shutdown was announced to the end of August. With this weeks announcement, the next possible day the workers could return is Sept. 30, but its not a guarantee. Tanner McQuarrie, president of Unifor Local 1132, said the mill has only been operating for about two and half months since January, and the spotty schedule has left many workers struggling to pay the bills and wondering about their long-term future in the industry. He said some on the two unions are collecting employment insurance, some are burning vacation days while others have been making ends meet through side businesses like hauling trash. The kicker, he said, is that the company is giving workers only a few days notice before shutting down each month. Only one Unifor member and 15 from PPWCL Local 2 are left to monitor the mill during curtailments. Blair Dickerson, vice-president of public affairs for Paper Excellence Canada, said in a statement the curtailments have been in response to extraordinarily weak pulp and paper prices related to the global economy. China is considered the major market for Croftons paper products, but the company says that market has been particularly weak. Dickerson said its premature to discuss restarting the Crofton mill, as there are many unknowns related to market pricing at this time. Union representatives said another delay is beyond disappointing, in light of the $70 million in combined funding from the company, province and federal government announced in January to upgrade paper operations and get the mill operating. I urge the company to set a reasonable timeline for a restart and commit to it for the sake of the workers and their families, said Lana Payne, Unifors national president. She said the recovery of market prices has not been clearly defined by the company. Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor western regional director, said forestry workers need to know when theyll be back on the job. Workers dont have the luxury of curtailing their bills. McGarrigle said he attended the $70-million funding announcement in January. The funding included $14.3 million from Natural Resources Canadas Investments in Forest Industry Transformation program and $4.5 million in provincial funds. The company said at the time the money would be used to transform one of its paper machines to produce stronger, water-resistant paper grades to replace single-use plastics for the food industry, and to reduce natural gas consumption through more efficient use of waste bark fuel in the mills boiler. McQuarrie said the Crofton mill has the infrastructure and potential to be a successful plant for decades to come, so we want to see young families stay in the community knowing that their futures can start now. We want to put food on the table and we want to support our communities, but its pretty hard to do that when you dont know if youre going to be working one month to the next. Dickerson said the company is aware of the hardships faced by employees. We take this situation extremely seriously and are mindful of and concerned about the impact on employees who have worked so hard to improve the facilitys performance, he said. We commit to keeping employees and the community informed as more information becomes available. North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas said the Crofton mill is the municipalitys largest employer and taxpayer, and steady operation and employment is essential for the region. Unionized jobs buy homes here and support businesses here, said Douglas, who also has a personal connection to the mill: His father was a pipefitter there and his grandfather helped build it. Douglas also worked there in the summers to help pay for his university education. The mayor said he was at the funding announcement in January, and, like everyone else, was excited about the long-term future of the mill. I think weve all been taken by surprise [by these curtailments], especially when they are on such short notice, said Douglas. Its a disappointment. Hopefully, we can see these markets turn around. Last month, Paper Excellence announced the permanent closure of the Catalyst paper mill in Powell River. The company said a restart of a pulp or paper business was not feasible, and the company plans to redevelop the site. Paper Excellence said over the past 18 months in curtailment, the majority of employees took voluntary severance, and a small number transferred to other Paper Excellence mills. When fully operating, the Powell River mill employed about 200 people. All chemicals, fibre and fuels have been removed from the mill, the company said, adding long-term environmental assessments are underway. Paper Excellence said it is in discussions with potential buyers for the site. Chips, crackers, and cookies are all snack royalty, but their plastic containers cause a royally huge trash problem. Luckily, there are snack brands creating packaging thats designed to change that. It takes about 20 years for plastic bags to break down naturally. Bloomberg reports that around 200 million tons of single-use plastic waste, like snack bags, is generated yearly worldwide. The plastic that doesnt end up in landfills often enters the worlds waterways, where it breaks down into microplastics that get into aquatic life and, eventually, into us gross, right? Seeing all that plastic in the ocean while on diving excursions is what prompted Okeanos founders Florencio Cuetara and Dr. Russell Petrie to develop Made from Stone. Over four years, Cuetara and Petrie worked to create packaging out of calcium carbonate and resin. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Calcium carbonate is an abundant natural resource that makes up 4% of the Earths crust. And while the resin does have a small amount of plastic in it, its significantly better than current packaging options. Meanwhile, during almost the same timeframe, British potato chip brand Two Farmers developed a completely compostable bag for its crisps, which is British for chips (look at us being bilingual). Mark Green and Sean Mason, the companys founders, focused on sustainability throughout the process of producing their chips, but figuring out the packaging took a while. Green and Mason found their solution in eucalyptus cellulose film. They worked with a laminator that helped them add plant-based glues and ink for printing and, boom, compostable bags! The accomplishments of these innovators are very exciting for the future of our planet, but for significant progress to be made, the major players in the snack game need to step up to the plate. Frito-Lay is the king of the salty snack industry in the U.S., with a 60% market share. In 2021, the company rolled out an industrially compostable bag for its Off the Eaten Path brand. Frito-Lay aims to make packaging 100% recyclable, compostable, biodegradable, or reusable across all its brands by 2025. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet. Lawmakers have until the end of September to reach an agreement on funding the government. If they don't, the government will shut down. That would mean a delay in processing federal benefits, and it could cost the economy. Congress is once again hurtling towards a preventable and yet already contentious budget showdown. If this sounds familiar, welcome back to a Congress that seems intent on flirting with fiscal calamity. With the House and Senate gearing up to get back in session, averting a shutdown and keeping the government funded is likely to be top of mind. Already, President Joe Biden has asked for short-term funding to help keep key programs running and head off a potential federal closure. So why is this happening yet again? Well, the federal budget year closes out on September 30. That means that, by September 30, Congress needs to approve a budget, or approve stop-gap spending like what Biden's pushing for to keep programs running. Otherwise, it'll be shutdown time. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement So what might happen next? Expect pushback from Republicans, whose slim majority in the House has some mixed views on what, exactly, should be a spending priority. Republicans already have conditions House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has reportedly told his party members that he believes it'll be necessary to pass some sort of short-term funding measure, according to MSNBC. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer similarly told MSNBC that he has met with McCarthy and the duo agreed to try and move forward with short-term funding. That doesn't mean his party is united behind a stopgap spending measure. The Republican Study Committee sent out a memo that opposes a "clean" continuing resolution, or a temporary measure that keeps funding at current levels, hoping instead to use a CR to pare back on Democratic spending priorities and push through conservative policies. The memo, which Insider viewed, says that Republicans should use a CR to keep spending in line with pre-COVID levels, ensure that the CR's end date doesn't set up another shutdown fight during the December holidays, and "show unwavering commitment to fighting Biden's radical agenda by coupling the CR with high priority conservative policies." The House Freedom Caucus has also pushed to get their own priorities in a short-term measure, saying in a letter that they won't vote to move anything forward unless it includes cuts to funding for Ukraine, addresses the "unprecedented weaponization of the Justice Department and FBI," and cracks down on border policies. "We will oppose any attempt by Washington to revert to its old playbook of using a series of short-term funding extensions designed to push Congress up against a December deadline to force the passage of yet another monstrous, budget busting, pork filled, lobbyist handout omnibus spending bill at year's end and we will use every procedural tool necessary to prevent that outcome," the caucus wrote. That might all spell trouble for getting a CR passed, since Democrats would likely balk at those stipulations, and GOPers seem adamant to oppose a CR that maintains the status quo. What might happen if the government does shut down A government shutdown would jeopardize a range of federal benefits that millions of Americans rely on. Once a shutdown starts, many federal employees can no longer work and this means that there aren't enough people to facilitate programs like Social Security and SNAP. While the benefits would still flow, Americans relying on those programs would likely see processing delays and limited customer service. Given the frequent looming threat of a shutdown as lawmakers squabble over how to best fund the government, the Office of Management and Budget even has contingency plans for federal agencies that outline what they should do if funding lapses. National parks would likely shut down, and applications for small business and housing loans would be halted as well. The OMB contingency plan for the Department of Agriculture, for example, stated that even in the event of a shutdown, it would continue funding "essential Federal activities and funding to maintain the core programs of the nutrition safety net, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Child Nutrition (CN) programs, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)." It's hard to determine every program that would be impacted by a government shutdown, but the longer a potential shutdown would drag on, the more severe its impact on Americans and the economy would likely be. For example, the longest shutdown in history occurred under former President Donald Trump in 2018, which lasted 35 days. During that period, about 380,000 federal employees were furloughed and an additional 420,000 employees were expected to work with delayed pay for the duration of the shutdown. The deal Trump ended up signing promised to pay back all impacted employees that went without pay. But it came at a cost the Congressional Budget Office estimated at the time that the 35-day shutdown cost the US economy at least $11 billion. With both chambers of Congress soon to be back in session, lawmakers will face the familiar battle of making policy concessions to keep the government funded or subject Americans to another government shutdown. Read the original article on Business Insider For five weeks the U.S. Capitol has been used by the tourists who stream through the building every day, not for any legislative business. That changes as the Senate returns to Washington after a five week August break. The House returns next week. Lawmakers come back just in time for a battle over spending that could risk a government shutdown on October 1. But spending bills arent the only deadline Congress faces. The farm bill expires at the end of September, as does the current authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration. And Congress needs to iron out a deal on defense spending, which is separate from the other spending bills. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Senators from Missouri and Kansas have their hands in each of the important items. Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, is on the Senate Agriculture committee, which writes the farm bill. Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, is on the Senate Commerce committee, which is focused on making sure the FAA is reauthorized. And both Sens. Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt, Missouri Republicans, are working to make sure they get their priorities into the defense spending bill. That includes fighting to ensure that his important amendments that strip woke politics out of the military will move forward in the NDAA, advocating for farmers and ranchers in the upcoming farm bill, and reducing wasteful government spending, said Chris Nuelle, Schmitts communications director. Spending bills The real conflict on the spending bills is between the Senate and the House. During the negotiation over the debt limit, when Congress narrowly avoided default on the countrys debt, Democrats agreed to caps on most of its discretionary spending thats basically the money the government spends outside of big programs like Medicare and Social Security. The Senate passed 12 appropriations bills out of committee with bipartisan support before the break. Those bills capped spending at the level agreed in the debt limit deal. Theyre on track to pass the Senate this month. But the House, which doesnt come back for another week, is in the middle of a battle between hard-line conservatives and the rest of the Republican caucus over spending. The hardliners want to push for spending cuts beyond what the Biden administration and House leaders agreed to in the debt limit deal, as they attempt to rein in the national debt, which ballooned during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because the federal government spends the majority of its money on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, that means any significant cuts to spending would jeopardize popular funding for things like veterans benefits, housing programs, infrastructure spending and food assistance. The House generally follows an unwritten rule that a bill can only pass if it can clear the chamber with sole support of the majority party. That means if the House passes spending bills, Speaker Kevin McCarthy doesnt want to rely on any Democratic votes to get it to clear the chamber. Because the Republican majority in the House is really small just 10 more Republicans than Democrats a handful of Republicans can block the process if they dont get their way. Already, hardline conservatives have said they are willing to risk a government shutdown if they dont get increased spending cuts. Rep. Eric Burlison, a Missouri Republican, is a newly christened member of the hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus and is among the lawmakers pushing for more spending cuts. In light of the looming battle, the White House has already asked Congress to pass a bill temporarily extending the current spending levels until they can reach an agreement, which would avoid a shutdown. FAA Reauthorization The current authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration runs out at the end of September. The law lays out the responsibilities of the FAA, including the staffing levels for air traffic controllers, who are vital for plane travel and the mandatory retirement age of pilots, which is currently 65. And while the House has already passed its version of the bill, the Senate version has gotten stuck in the committee amid disagreements over how many hours pilots need to train to keep their certification and whether to make changes to Washingtons Reagan National Airport. Currently, pilots need 1,500 hours of training before theyre allowed to fly a commercial plane. There are requirements for what those training miles need to look like some need to be cross country, some need to be at night and they need to be in different planes. Pilots can count 100 miles in a flight simulator as part of their miles toward the certificate. Because of the ongoing national pilot shortage, some lawmakers want to allow pilots to use 150 miles from a flight simulator toward the certificate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, doesnt like the provision and, since he holds significant power in the Democratic caucus, its held up the deal. There is also a holdup over whether or not to add more long distance flights at Washingtons Reagan National Airport the airport thats most convenient for people who live in the city (and the lawmakers who have to catch flights most Thursday and Friday afternoons). Right now, most nonstop flights out of Reagan are capped at 1,250 miles that stops right around Wichita. There are a few exceptions Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin and San Juan but those exceptions have limits to how many flights can operate as well. Its set up a battle between those pushing for more direct flights (which would be convenient for lawmakers who frequently have to travel to Washington) and those who say increasing direct flights at Reagan will remove flights from other airports like Kansas City and Wichita, while causing more delays at the already heavily trafficked Reagan airport. Lawmakers who represent Kansas and Missouri have generally opposed the attempts to add more flights at Reagan because theyre concerned about how it would affect local flights. Rep. Sam Graves, a Missouri Republican who authored the House version of the FAA reauthorization bill and is a pilot, is attempting to make sure the bill has benefits for general aviation pilots people who fly small private airplanes. Farm Bill Over the August recess, lawmakers held roundtable discussions with farmers to see what they hope to get in this years Farm Bill. Thats bad news for anyone who wants a Farm Bill passed by the end of September, when the old one expires. A draft for the new bill doesnt even exist yet. Most of the provisions in the farm bill will keep going even after the deadline, and Congress can pass legislation keeping any orphan provisions going until lawmakers pass a new bill. But itll likely be months, at best, before a new bill makes it out. The majority of spending in the farm bill goes toward nutrition programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which used to be known as food stamps. Lawmakers want to keep the total amount of money they spend on the farm bill the same, but they also want to update commodity prices the amount the government says a crop like corn, sorghum or wheat costs for their benefit programs from the current 2012 levels to amounts that are more reflective of current prices. Thatll cost more, which would mean cuts in other parts of the bill. Democrats want to preserve funding levels for nutrition assistance programs, which means tough negotiations are ahead on where to spend federal money when it comes to farming and nutrition. Marshall has said his top priority is protecting crop insurance in the bill, but his office is also looking to make a series of small tweaks that could either make the process easier for farmers to get federal benefits or help cut spending in the bill. One flashpoint Democrats thought was already done because of an agreement in the debt limit negotiations work requirements for people who receive SNAP benefits. But Republicans have indicated they might still seek stricter requirements. Money for national defense Both the House and Senate have passed their versions of the National Defense Authorization Act, which means its in something called a conference committee where both chambers iron out their differences to pass a compromise bill. That compromise will be difficult. Members of the hardline conservative Freedom Caucus in the House added several amendments that injected partisan conflicts over things like diversity initiatives and abortion access into the spending bill. One amendment added language to prevent the military from paying expenses for service members who travel to get an abortion because they are based in states, like Missouri, where the procedure is illegal. The Senates version of the bill passed with bipartisan votes, which is a necessity for most bills to clear the chamber. But their version also touched on some of those cultural battles. Schmitt secured a provision in the bill to audit the diversity office in the Pentagon. Hawley will also be interested in negotiations as they unfold. Hes hoping the final bill keeps funding for the cleanup of nuclear material at Jana Elementary in St. Louis. Correction: This article originally misstated how long Congress has been in recess. FILE - The U.S. Capitol is seen on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Congress is returning to Capitol Hill to try to avert a government shutdown, while House Republicans also consider whether to press forward on an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) WASHINGTON (AP) After months of struggling to find agreement on just about anything in a divided Congress, lawmakers are returning to Capitol Hill to try to avert a government shutdown, even as House Republicans consider whether to press forward with an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden . A short-term funding measure to keep government offices fully functioning will dominate the September agenda, along with emergency funding for Ukraine, federal disaster funds and the Republican-driven probe into Hunter Bidens overseas business dealings. Time is running short for Congress to act. The House is scheduled to meet for just 11 days before the government's fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, leaving little room to maneuver. And the deal-making will play out as two top Republicans, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, deal with health issues. The president and congressional leaders, including Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, are focused on passage of a months-long funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, to keep government offices running while lawmakers iron out a budget. It's a step Congress routinely takes to avoid stoppages, but McCarthy faces resistance from within his own Republican ranks, including from some hardline conservatives who openly embrace the idea of a government shutdown. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Honestly, it's a pretty big mess, McConnell said at an event in Kentucky last week. Here are the top issues as lawmakers return from the August break: KEEPING THE GOVERNMENT OPEN When Biden and McCarthy struck a deal to suspend the nation's debt ceiling in June, it included provisions for topline spending numbers. But under pressure from the House Freedom Caucus, House Republicans have advanced spending bills that cut below that agreement. Republicans have also tried to load their spending packages with conservative policy wins. For example, House Republicans added provisions blocking abortion coverage, transgender care and diversity initiatives to a July defense package, turning what has traditionally been a bipartisan effort into a sharply contested bill. But Democrats control the Senate and are certain to reject most of the conservative proposals. Senators are crafting their spending bills on a bipartisan basis with an eye toward avoiding unrelated policy fights. Top lawmakers in both chambers are now turning to a stopgap funding package, a typical strategy to give the lawmakers time to iron out a long-term agreement. The House Freedom Caucus has already released a list of demands it wants included in the continuing resolution. But they amount to a right-wing wish list that would never fly in the Senate. The conservative opposition means McCarthy will almost certainly have to win significant Democratic support to pass a funding bill but such an approach risks a new round of conflict with the same conservatives who in the past have threatened to oust him from the speakership. Democrats are already readying blame for the House GOP. The last thing the American people deserve is for extreme House members to trigger a government shutdown that hurts our economy, undermines our disaster preparedness, and forces our troops to work without guaranteed pay," said White House spokesman Andrew Bates. In a letter to his colleagues Friday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote that the focus when the Senate returns Tuesday will be funding the government and preventing House Republican extremists from forcing a government shutdown. It leaves McCarthy desperate to get the votes to keep government offices running and avoid the political blowback. As he tries to persuade Republicans to go along with a temporary fix, McCarthy has been arguing that a government shutdown would also halt Republican investigations into the Biden administration. If we shut down, all of government shuts it down investigations and everything else it hurts the American public, the speaker said on Fox News last week. IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY Since they gained the House majority, Republicans have launched a series of investigations into the Biden administration, with an eye towards impeaching the president or his Cabinet officials. They have now zeroed in on the president's son, Hunter Biden, and his overseas business dealings, including with Ukrainian gas company Burisma. The inquiries have not produced evidence that President Biden took official action on behalf of his son or business partners, but McCarthy has called impeachment a natural step forward for the investigations. An impeachment inquiry by the House would be a first step toward bringing articles of impeachment. It is not yet clear what that may look like, especially because the speaker does not appear to have the GOP votes lined up to support an impeachment inquiry. Moderate Republicans have so far balked at sending the House on a full-fledged impeachment hunt. But Donald Trump, running once again to challenge Biden, is prodding them to move ahead quickly. I dont know how actually how a Republican could not do it," Trump said in an interview on Real America's Voice. I think a Republican would be primaried and lose immediately, no matter what district youre in. UKRAINE AND DISASTER FUNDING The White House has requested more than $40 billion in emergency funding, including $13 billion in military aid for Ukraine, $8 billion in humanitarian support for the nation and $12 billion to replenish U.S. federal disaster funds at home. The request for the massive cash infusion comes as Kyiv launches a counteroffensive against the Russian invasion. But support for Ukraine is waning among Republicans, especially as Trump has repeatedly expressed skepticism of the war. Nearly 70 Republicans voted for an unsuccessful effort to discontinue military aid to Ukraine in July, though strong support for the war effort remains among many members. It is also not clear whether the White House's supplemental request for U.S. disaster funding, which also includes funds to bolster enforcement and curb drug trafficking at the southern U.S. border, will be tied to the Ukraine funding or a continuing budget resolution. The disaster funding enjoys wide support in the House, but could be tripped up if packaged with other funding proposals. LEGISLATION ON HOLD The Senate is expected to spend most of September focused on funding the government and confirming Biden's nominees, meaning that major policy legislation will have to wait. But Schumer outlined some priorities for the remaining months of the year in the letter to his colleagues. Schumer said the Senate would work on legislation to lower the costs of drugs, address rail safety and provide disaster relief after floods in Vermont, fires in Hawaii and a hurricane in Florida. Senators will also continue to examine whether legislation is needed to address artificial intelligence. Schumer has convened what he is calling an AI insight forum on Sept. 13 in the Senate with tech industry leaders, including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, the CEO of X and Tesla, as well as former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. HEALTH CONCERNS Senate Republicans will return next week to renewed questions about the health of their leader, McConnell. McConnell, 81, faces questions about his ability to continue as the top Senate Republican after he has frozen up twice during news conferences in the last two months since falling and suffering a concussion in March. During the event in Kentucky last week, he fell silent for roughly 30 seconds as he answered a question from a reporter. Dr. Brian Monahan, the Capitol's attending physician, said Thursday that McConnell is cleared to work. But the question of whether McConnell the longest-serving party leader in Senate history can continue as Republican leader has sparked intense speculation about who will eventually replace him. Meanwhile, the health of California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 90, has visibly wavered in recent months after she was hospitalized for shingles earlier this year. She suffered a fall at her San Francisco home in August and visited the hospital for testing. And in the House, Rep. Steve Scalise, the No. 2 Republican, disclosed last week that he has been diagnosed with a form of blood cancer known as multiple myeloma and is undergoing treatment. Scalise, 57, said he will continue to serve and described the cancer as very treatable. The office of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell released a letter from Congresss attending physician on Tuesday proclaiming there to be no evidence that the leading Republican suffers from a seizure disorder or recently had a stroke. Mr McConnell, 81, is one of the Senates oldest members. At two recent press conferences, he has appeared to freeze up completely and found himself unable to speak or respond to questions before being hurriedly led away by aides or other lawmakers. The episodes have alarmed many; news of the congressional physicians assessment of Mr McConnells health is likely to put some fears to rest while provoking further questions as well. In the letter, which notes that Mr McConnell underwent brain imaging as part of his assessment, physician Brian Monahan wrote that [t]here is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinsons Disease. NEW -- Attending Physician says McConnell does not have a "a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinsons disease." pic.twitter.com/SMEdZ4Dw7s Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) September 5, 2023 The saga of the Senate GOP leaders recent health concerns grows more complicated by the week. Earlier this year, Mr McConnell was hospitalised for a concussion; since then, he has suffered at least two falls, one of which was only revealed significantly after the fact despite occurring in public at DCs Reagan Airport. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement His latest freezing episode occurred at a press conference in Kentucky. In video of the incident, Mr McConnell is heard being asked clearly by a reporter whether he planned to run for another six-year term beginning in 2027. In the video, Mr McConnell asks the reporter to repeat the question, then stares at reporters as his words quietly trail off instead of responding clearly. He stands motionless for several seconds before an aide appears and repeats the question in his ear; he does not acknowledge her, and the aide then turns to the cameras, declaring, Im sorry, yall, we need a minute. A previous episode played out almost exactly the same way. Flanked by his colleagues in the Senate Republican conference at a July presser, Mr McConnell appeared to freeze and become unable to respond to reporters questions before being led away by several fellow members. The episodes are likely to only exacerbate concerns about his age and fitness for office in the next election cycle. Washington A top trade adviser during the Trump administration is set to stand trial this week for two counts of criminal contempt of Congress after prosecutors alleged he willfully and illegally refused to respond to subpoenas for documents and testimony from the now-defunct House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Jury selection in Peter Navarro's criminal trial is set to begin Tuesday when a federal judge has said he intends to clear at least 50 potential jurors from a group of Washington, D.C. residents to fill just over a dozen seats on the final jury panel. Despite years of legal wrangling and briefing schedules between prosecutors and defense attorneys, Navarro's trial is only set to last days as prosecutors successfully argued that he should be barred from employing certain explanations that he said were crucial to his defense. The Jan. 6 committee initially subpoenaed Navarro in Feb. 2022 for records and testimony as part of its investigation into efforts to reverse the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. After he refused to comply with the requests, Congress voted to refer the matter to the Justice Department. Navarro was then indicted on two counts of criminal contempt of Congress. He pleaded not guilty. Peter Navarro arrives at federal court on August 28, 2023 in Washington, D.C. for a status hearing related to his contempt of Congress case. / Credit: Win McNamee / Getty Images Congressional investigators at the time were interested in efforts by Navarro and others to postpone the Electoral College certification of the 2020 presidential election, a plan they allegedly referred to as the "Green Bay Sweep." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Navarro's defense team, which includes a former Trump criminal defense attorney and three lawyers currently involved in the special counsel's classified documents probe, argued their client should be permitted to tell the jury that the former president told him to invoke executive privilege protections against the subpoena. But prosecutors argued and Judge Amit Mehta ultimately agreed that there was no evidence that former President Donald Trump formally worked to shield Navarro from the committee. Navarro is consequently not permitted to present the privilege as evidence at trial. "It was clear during that call that privilege was invoked, very clear," Navarro told the judge at a hearing last week, describing a 2022 call he said he and Trump had about the committee's subpoena. The defense, however, was unable to provide any documented evidence that the privilege was officially invoked, a defect that Navarro's legal team acknowledged. Navarro has indicated the issue will be the subject of future appeals and litigation, telling reporters last week he should not have been compelled to testify at all because he was a senior White House adviser. Tuesday's proceedings mark the beginning of the Justice Department's second criminal trial tied to the expired select committee. Last year, Trump adviser and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon was found guilty of two counts of criminal contempt of Congress. He was sentenced to four months in jail, but he is currently out of prison as his defense team appeals the conviction based on a legal dispute of their own. The committee referred to other Trump aides Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino to the Justice Department for contempt charges, but the government ultimately declined to prosecute them. Navarro has consistently spoken out against his prosecution and unsuccessfully petitioned Mehta to dismiss the charges against him. If convicted, he faces a maximum of a year in prison and a $100,000 fine for each count. Escaped killer spotted near Philadelphia, but search continues Exclusive discounts from CBS Mornings Deals Kim Jong Un and Putin plan meeting to discuss weapons Restaurant owner Vahe Aiwazian puts his newly updated "A" health inspection score in the window of Wild Carvery, after Ngoc McShane, environmental health specialist, completed her inspection at the restaurant. (Alisha Jucevic / For The Times) Ngoc McShane moved swiftly, armed with a flashlight, thermometer and pen. She crawled through dark storage areas, aiming her light into corners and peeked into cupboards and stoves. She resembled a detective looking for clues. But instead of fingerprints she was on the trail for signs of unsanitary conditions: food debris, vermin droppings, rogue employee coffee cups. McShane is a public health inspector for the Los Angeles County Department of Health, one of 159 environmental health specialists tasked with protecting the public from food-borne illnesses. Her mere presence sometimes sparks fear and commotion in a kitchen, sending workers scrambling to pick up a dustpan and broom to sweep up debris. She shows up at food establishments unannounced, documents any violations she observes and then assigns letter grades that must be displayed on the front windows of the businesses. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement If the violations are too numerous, McShane has the power to shut down a restaurant immediately. Ngoc McShane, environmental health specialist, uses a flashlight to look under shelving and inside storage areas to check for vermin during her inspection with staff at Wood Ranch. (Alisha Jucevic / For The Times) L.A. health inspectors are represented by the Teamsters Local 991. Nearly every day, the specialists posted at 29 offices north from Lancaster, south to the Long Beach city limits and east to Claremont fan out across Los Angeles County. And nearly every day, the inspectors shut down a few food-serving establishments, from restaurants and bars to fast food joints and convenience stores. Most places pass inspection and simply receive a letter grade. The public can follow the inspectors' work on L.A. County's Public Health website, and from 1989 until 2004, this newspaper published a listing of restaurant closures. In January 1998, Los Angeles County began assigning public letter grades to restaurants and other businesses that sell food, after KCBS reporter Joel Grover (now with KNBC) and the station's investigative team used hidden camera footage to show vermin and food-handling violations in popular Los Angeles restaurants. Letter grades have been posted at restaurants in San Diego County since 1947. After Los Angeles launched its letter grade program, municipalities and counties throughout the country implemented similar systems. Read more: City investigating Hollywood restaurants for allegedly keeping service fees, stiffing workers Initially, some argued that the letter grade system unfairly penalized certain restaurants without taking into account traditional food practices. Jonathan Gold, at the time a Pulitzer Prize-winning restaurant critic for LA Weekly, argued against the letter grades, stating that it would hurt operators making food using age-old methods without refrigeration, such as salami or Peking duck. Years later, Gold, who later became restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times until his death five years ago, told the Wall Street Journal he'd changed his stance. "I've had some splendid meals at restaurants with Cs," he said, but conceded that "his gastronomical well-being [had] been enhanced by the system." McShane looks like most moms in Los Angeles. Hair tied back, she wore black slacks and comfy flats. A car seat was positioned in the back of her Prius. She parked, grabbed her laptop bag from the trunk and slung it over her shoulder. She wore a mask at all times. McShane's unassuming appearance belies the power she wields in a culinary city like Los Angeles, where diners at some places tend to revere chefs as demigods. In the last decade, as the dining scene has exploded in Southern California, the work of a health inspector is arguably even more consequential. At the same time, the department is operating short-staffed down 81 health inspectors. The vacancy count is the highest it has been in the last five years. This can affect the number of routine restaurant inspections being performed. Agency officials blame a combination of retirements and lack of qualified applicants as some of the reasons for their dwindled ranks, a spokesperson said. At one point, inspections of high-risk establishments that is, full-service restaurants were happening at least once a year due to the pandemic and staffing shortages, the spokesperson said. Currently, the agency is in the process of returning to their pre-pandemic goal of inspecting high-risk restaurants three times a year. Agency officials insist that the public is still safe regardless of inspector vacancies. To make up for the shortage, agency officials said, they are using overtime and temporarily reassigning inspectors to different areas of L.A. County to make sure each office has minimum staffing levels. How inspectors arrive at the letter grades can be a bit complex. Scores are determined by three types of violations: major, minor and good retail practices. Major violations mean a deduction of four or 11 points. For instance, food not kept at the right temperature costs four points. A minor violation, such as old food debris on a meat slicer costs two points. Good retail practices violations, such as a missing lightbulb or an employees coffee cup near a food station cost restaurants one point each. The Great Grill chef George Martin, left, looks over updated Covid-19 safety information with McShane at the restaurant in Burbank. (Alisha Jucevic / For The Times) First stop in Burbank On a recent spring morning, McShane walked into the Great Grill, a 1950s-inspired diner on San Fernando Boulevard in Burbank. The aroma of hash browns and bacon welcomed patrons into the restaurant decked out with checkered floors and kitschy post World War II memorabilia. McShane introduced herself to Victor Safar, whod just served platters of eggs and toast to a couple seated at a booth upholstered in red vinyl. She flashed her badge and asked Safar for the person in charge. George Martin, a jovial 60-year-old chef who has worked in this kitchen for more than a decade, walked in from the back. Im Ngoc from the health department, McShane told him. Hed remembered her from previous inspections and greeted her with a smile. He escorted her into the cozy kitchen. Like most restaurant workers, Martin knew the drill. He let McShane do her thing. Read more: 'Are you breathing? Hired.' Why SoCal restaurants are still deeply short-staffed McShane uses a flashlight to inspect shelving and make sure there are no vermin present at the Great Grill. (Alisha Jucevic / For The Times) Probe in hand, she stuck food containers with a thermometer. She made sure the cold items were cold enough at least 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below and the hot stuff, hot enough at least 135 Fahrenheit or above. All our temperatures are good so far, she told Martin. He nodded and tried to stay out of McShanes way. He sprinkled cheddar cheese and bacon bits on a salad for one of his regulars. The family-operated restaurant serves breakfast all day: waffles, pancakes, eggs, omelets. The diner wasnt all that full and food prices were soaring, a fact Martin lamented. McShane entered the walk-in refrigerator where she found a container of raw steak stored directly on an opened package of hot dogs, a minor violation of the California Health and Safety Code, which requires food to be separated and protected. There wasnt any cross-contamination, but it cost the the Great Grill a point. A little more than halfway through the inspection, restaurant owner Sam Yerkanyan showed up. McShane greeted him before inspecting the restaurants bathroom. Yerkanyan, who has operated the diner for more than 20 years, said the inspections normally dont worry him. The Great Grill owner Sam Yerkanyan, left, talks with Ngoc McShane, environmental health specialist, as they go over the inspection scores at the restaurant. (Alisha Jucevic / For The Times) He has bigger concerns, he said. He worried about breaking even, especially after taking such a big hit during the restaurant closures that followed COVID-19. Customers a good portion of them elderly diners werent coming in like they used to. Before the start of the pandemic, the average Los Angeles resident spent more than 50% on food away from home, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. From 2020 to 2021, that percentage declined to 36.5%, according to the most recent data available. McShane's inspection took about half an hour. At the end of it, she typed up her report and sat down with Yerkanyan to explain why his restaurant scored an A, though it scored 91 points, lower than in previous inspections. There wasnt enough separation or a splash-guard between the hand-washing and dish-washing sinks, she told him. And one of the workers didn't know what the required chlorine concentration was supposed to be in a sanitation bucket. She knocked down four points for those two critical violations. The other five violations stuff like the accumulation of grease on the hood and hood filters of a stove were minor. Yerkanyan nodded his head, promising to fix the issues, before he posted the "A" grade on the diners front window. Its fair, he said about McShane's assessment. McShane updates the food inspection score at the Great Grill in Burbank. The restaurant maintained an "A" score after the inspection. (Alisha Jucevic / For The Times) When to shut down A health inspector will immediately close a restaurant if there is no water, a sewage backup or a vermin infestation. Vermin closures result in a minimum 48-hour permit suspension. Operators who fail to fix violations can have their permit revoked or suspended. Restaurant operators are usually pretty understanding, McShane said. Shes only had one instance when a restaurant operator didnt let her into the kitchen, she said. In that case, the restaurant patrons persuaded the worker to eventually let her in. Usually, workers are cordial and spirit her away to the kitchen so she can begin her inspection. Sometimes, McShane said, workers get nervous. They talk really fast and stumble over their words. In those situations, she tries to put them at ease by exchanging pleasantries or pointing out what theyve done right. She knows that these restaurant managers and owners may perceive her inspection as the ultimate test. Anything lower than an A can be akin to a scarlet letter for a restaurant. Ngoc McShane, environmental health specialist, second from right, does a walk-through inspection with staff at Wood Ranch in Burbank. (Alisha Jucevic / For The Times) McShane knows because shes been on the other side. Nearly eight years ago, she worked as a pastry chef in a bakery in Atwater Village. One day a health inspector arrived at the bakery. I remember being kind of nervous, she recalled. Eventually, that went away and she struck up a conversation with the inspector. Could this be a career change for her? The bakery was going to close and McShane was growing tired of her job. Baking had always been her passion but making it her job had taken all the joy out of it, she said. The inspector convinced her to join the health department. A piece of art with a play on words from a traditional nutrition facts sheet on the wall at the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health Environmental Health. (Alisha Jucevic / For The Times) Perfect scores McShanes past experience helps inform how she approaches restaurant workers, she said. I like to let the operator know that I'm not here to mark down violations, she said. My job is to educate and monitor. There is enforcement, if it calls for it. Health inspectors try to visit full-service restaurants at least three times a year. Fast-food establishments get visits twice a year and retail stores selling prepackaged food get a yearly visit. Whenever the health department gets word of a water shutoff either intentional or accidental in their jurisdiction, they dispatch inspectors to the affected area to make sure all food-serving establishments have closed. Most voluntarily shutter until the water is back on. But, officials said, there are always a few restaurants that venture to stay open during a water shut-off. That's a big no-no, food safety-wise. Health inspectors make sure to shut them down. "If you have no water, how do you clean your hands after you go to the bathroom?" said Mabel Cedeno-Gale, an Environmental Health Services manager at the Los Angeles Department of Public Health. "How do you sanitize a cutting board ... a knife?" Read more: Is a dine-in service fee a tip? Former servers allege in suit they are owed gratuities from Jon & Vinny's One of the most common health inspection violations are for improper cleaning of equipment, such as food prep areas, Cedeno-Gale said. After the Great Grill, McShane went on to inspect three more restaurants in the same area. All restaurants she visited scored an A. About a block away at Wild Carvery, McShane chatted it up with Vahe Aiwazian, owner of a fast-casual joint that serves organic sandwiches, burgers and salads. The kitchen looked new and nearly spotless. McShane checks the temperature of prepared vegetables at Wild Carvery. (Alisha Jucevic / For The Times) At one point, McShane popped out her thermometer and poked it into various cold and hot food containers. "Your temperatures are beautiful," McShane told him. Aiwazian lit up with glee. A year ago, he was one point shy from scoring a perfect 100. On this occasion, the restaurant scored 97 points after a few minor violations. Grease and food debris had accumulated on the floor underneath the fryer, the fryer cabinets weren't clean and had accumulated grease, and the ware-washing machine wasn't dispensing enough sanitizing solution. When asked whether he was happy with the score, Aiwazian shook his head. "No," he said. "He wants 100," McShane quipped. "99 I could live with," he said, laughing. "I don't do it for the health department standards. I base it on my standards. It has to be done perfectly," he said. "It's good that she comes." By 3:27 p.m., McShane was done walking. She drove back to the office to write up her reports, which would later be added to a database of inspection reports the public can easily peruse. Whenever McShane is out with her two children and they walk past a restaurant she's inspected, she'll point it out. Mom looks for cockroaches all day, McShanes 7-year-old daughter likes to tell people. Thats not the only thing I do in my job, the mom reminds her daughter. Read more: How school lunch is made. It's more complicated than you think McShane says she's thankful for her career switch. She enjoys baking again. She'll bake for her family and regularly brings her carrot cake and brownies into the office. When she doesn't bake or cook at home, she'll take her family to their favorite restaurant: an Ikea near their home. The furniture store with Swedish-inspired sofas and a menu of Swedish meatballs, macaroni and cheese and chicken wraps checks off all the right boxes. It's a reasonably priced hot meal for her family. Her kids approve especially of the fries. And she's personally inspected it. It scored an A. 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. Before July 24, then-Cpl. Peyton Nott had never met a four-star general, or any generals, for that matter. But that day, Nott received an unexpected Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal from the top general in the Marine Corps and after the corporal gave an off-the-cuff speech at the award ceremony a meritorious promotion to boot. Nott, 24, didnt come from a military family. Even so, the native of Jefferson City, Tennessee, decided at age 6 he would one day join the military. He never changed his mind, he told Marine Corps Times. After speaking with recruiters from various branches, he found himself pulled toward what he described as the family-like nature of the Marine Corps. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Next commandant says he will accelerate Marine Corps transformation Now a motor transport Marine, Nott is assigned to Romeo Battery, 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Beginning in February, he had to step into a billet typically reserved for gunnery sergeants, leading a team of eight mechanics and operators, according to a statement from his battalion to Marine Corps Times. The gap between a lance corporal and a gunny is one of four ranks and many years of experience. All the while, Nott had to transfer his batterys equipment over 80 pieces of rolling stock, according to his battalion to another motor pool. Nott had to learn the ins and outs of a staff noncommissioned officer job: How was he supposed to request to move a vehicle from one place to another? How was he supposed to request more fuel? Were his Marines properly trained? Were they making it to their appointments? The gunny who replaced him in July had 16 years of experience in the Marine Corps, according to Nott, who has only five. I became pretty worn down, but, I mean, you gotta keep pushing forward, Nott said. On July 24, Assistant Commandant Gen. Eric Smith was at Notts North Carolina base for a scheduled visit to units there, according to spokesman Maj. Joshua Larson. During his visit to Romeo Battery, Smith, who also is the acting Marine commandant, pulled Romeo Battery together into a big circle, Nott recalled. My battery commander said, Cpl. Nott, get out here, and Im, Rah, sir, Nott said. So I walked out, and next thing I know, (Smith) is presenting me with the award. Nott said Smith then told him to give a few words to the Marines in his battery. So the corporal told them what he has long thought, he recounted to Marine Corps Times. Nott told them that it didnt matter what military occupational specialty they were. What matters is were all here together, Nott recalled telling his battery. Because I wouldnt be able to do my job if it wasnt for the gun guys doing their part. They wouldnt be able to do their part if it wasnt for the communications guys. Then he brought up carpe diem, frequently translated as seize the day, a phrase his father taught him. He also discussed another Latin phrase he learned later on: memento mori, or remember you must die. Were all going to be six feet down one day, Nott said. So it was really about what we leave behind. Because you never really understand the true meaning of life unless you understand that you can plant strong roots without ever sitting under the shade of that tree. Look out for each other, Nott told the Marines. Look out for junior Marines. Leave something behind. Once the speech was over, Smith asked someone, Hey, can I do this? Nott recounted. The corporal wasnt sure what was going on. Smith asked the rest of the battery who thought he should promote Nott right here, right now, according to Nott. And the entire battery, they all raised their hands and everything, and next thing I know I was getting promoted to sergeant, Nott said. According to the Corps promotion policies, the commandant or acting commandant has the authority to give meritorious promotions to the enlisted ranks private first class through sergeant, Larson said in an emailed statement to Marine Corps Times. Smith had been aware of Notts exceptional performance prior to the award ceremony, but Notts speech to the Marines about the merits of selfless leadership and his focus on taking care of his Marines to accomplish the mission inspired everyone in attendance, including Gen. Smith, Larson said. The promotion took place in the woods without any extra sergeant pins handy, so Smith obtained one from a sergeant in attendance and pinned it to Nott. Im all out of words now, Nott told his Marines. Nott said the work that garnered the award and promotion was made possible by his junior Marines; he just oversaw it, according to a Marine news release. After his whirlwind day, Nott still had a week left in the field, he told Marine Corps Times. Once he returned from the field, he gave his parents a quick call to let them know about the promotion. And then it was back to work. In recent weeks, there's been a drumbeat of chatter from legal scholars and others arguing that it's within Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson 's authority and that of other election officials if not their outright duty to keep former President Donald Trump off the ballot next year. They may be correct but it's a fraught decision. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which Benson and every other state and federal official swore to uphold in their oaths of office says no person having previously taken such an oath, which would include Trump, can hold office again if they have "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" in violation of that oath or "given aid or comfort" to the nation's enemies. And there's ample reason to argue that Trump, by amplifying baseless claims of election fraud to a degree that his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to try to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's election, did just that, not least because he did nothing to halt the mob for hours. A recent draft of a law review article by two prominent and conservative constitutional scholars William Baude of the University of Chicago and Michael Stokes Paulsen of the University of St. Thomas says Section 3's disqualification, enacted after the Civil War, is "self-executing," meaning no court or Congress has to decide it first and that "those who possess the power and duty to apply and enforce" it have a responsibility to do so. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Cue Benson, as well as other election officials across the country, not to mention Congress, state officials, etc. Already, groups around the country are agitating for Trump to be barred from ballots; secretaries of state are either looking into it or explaining why they can't keep him off the ballot. In Michigan, Robert Davis, a legal activist known for filing challenges to election officials, has already asked Benson for a ruling saying that Trump is disqualified and says he'll go to court to force the issue if he doesn't get one. "She can choose to ignore it, she can choose to address it, but ... she has the authority to keep a disqualified candidate off the ballot," Davis said. Benson, however, is treading carefully, telling Lansing-based MIRS, the Michigan Information & Research Service, last week that it's "not cut and dry" and that she's in discussions with other secretaries of state about the issue. "We recognize the serious legal arguments regarding candidate eligibility and the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution," she said in a statement given to the Free Press. "Important questions remain. As facts and court proceedings continue to unfold, we will proceed and make all decisions from a position of what the law and constitution requires." It's possible that Benson may not even need make a decision at least not before the general election if Republicans forego the Feb. 27, 2024 primary as expected and hold a caucus or convention instead. But if Benson, a Democrat who has sparred with Trump in the past, believes he engaged in a scheme to overthrow the 2020 election that violated his oath to "faithfully execute" his duties and "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution," why wouldn't she unilaterally act to keep him off the ballot in any case? There are more than a few reasons. State law doesn't explicitly mention disqualification In Michigan, the secretary of state does set the list of presidential candidates eligible for the ballot in the primary (and ultimately the general) election, first publicizing a list of those "generally advocated" for the job in the media and then asking the Democratic and Republican state party chairpersons for a roster of potential candidates. There's nothing in the state election law about the secretary determining whether those individuals are qualified, however, or about keeping anyone off the list unless a candidate withdraws. Fact is, there's no body or organization that decides presidential qualifications: Candidates aren't asked to show a birth certificate to establish their age (there's a constitutional requirement a president be 35 or older) or that they are a natural-born citizen. On the other hand, as Baude, Paulson and others have noted, it goes without saying that Benson's own oath allows her and others if not requires them to keep someone who is not qualified to serve from appearing on the ballot. "She does have to take her oath to the Constitution seriously," said Steven Liedel, an election law expert with the Dykema law firm in Lansing. "It puts a lot on her." And it may put a lot on other officials, too. Say a clerk in one county refuses to list Trump on the 2024 ballot because he or she considers him disqualified but another refuses to bar him believing otherwise. "It gets messy," said Liedel. Then, there is also the "fundamental right to vote" enshrined in Proposal 2 enacted by state referendum last year. It's not hard to imagine Trump supporters arguing in court that keeping him off the ballot violates their right to support the candidate of their choice. Certainly, voters can't argue a right to vote for someone who is obviously disqualified by, say, not meeting the age requirement; but then, if a candidate such as Trump appeared on another state's or even another county's ballot, it's not hard seeing a judge believing they may have a point. And courts aren't keen on limiting voters' choices. "Proposal 2 basically grants every citizen a right to vote and prohibits officials from interfering," Liedel said, adding that Benson to cover herself and make matters clearer to herself and clerks around the state may want to ask state Attorney General Dana Nessel for a legal opinion on the issue. But either way, it's likely, if not certain, to wind up before a court. Did he or didn't he aid an 'insurrection?' There are myriad other questions around Section 3's disqualification clause, including whether it really remains in force (Baude, Paulsen and others say yes, absolutely) and whether it applies to presidential candidates. (Presidential "electors," for instance, are mentioned, as are any "officer" of the United States but not presidential candidates specifically, though the scholars argue that any reading suggesting presidents are not covered "makes little sense.") Setting those questions aside, though, the real issue probably turns on whether Trump was engaged in, or abetted, or gave comfort to those engaged in, an insurrection or rebellion against the Constitution. Clearly, the legal scholars, Davis and others including Liedel believe so, given the evidence compiled by Congress and others that Trump and his allies tried to subvert the election and prevent its certification. Baude and Paulson say they were engaged in, had it succeeded, what would have "amounted to a political coup detat." But there are others who note that none of the Jan. 6 defendants nor Trump in any of his recent indictments related to his conduct after the 2020 election were charged with insurrection or rebellion. And there are plenty of Americans almost a third, by one poll who don't believe he should have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 riot, which is a pretty strong indicator they don't believe he was trying to overthrow the government. That circles back to the "self-executing" status of the amendment: No charge is needed, no court needs to decide for it to be invoked by anyone with the power to invoke it though once it is, you can bet it's headed to court. "It seems like it's going to come down to the question of, 'was it an insurrection, does the activity fit those words,' " said Chris Thomas, Michigan's former elections director for multiple secretaries of state and now a fellow with the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington. "That's where it all ends up." There are those not least liberal Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe and conservative former U.S. Court of Appeals Jude J. Michael Luttig who argue Trump's actions to overturn the election went beyond political free speech and into insurrection against the constitutional order and therefore, officials have an affirmative duty to keep him off the ballot. But with so many of his supporters believing otherwise or at least in doubt about it barring him from the ballot is going to be seen by them as an attack on their rights, barring a court finding otherwise (and likely even afterward). "If everybody across the spectrum said it was an insurrection, then probably it would be a slam dunk," said Thomas. "But you've got something like 30% of the electorate saying it's a stretch." More: Michigan Democrats have seen big gains. That's no guarantee heading into 2024 Benson, speaking to MIRS, indicated that all of that and more is on her mind, as well as what precedent might be created by her barring Trump from the ballot. If she can unilaterally decide his previous actions amounted to disqualification, what will stop a future secretary of state from deciding the same against another candidate for reasons she and others might consider politically motivated rather than substantial? After all, there is already talk in the Republican-controlled U.S. House of impeaching Biden, despite no known evidence of his having committed any impeachable offense. What's certain with Trump the leading Republican candidate despite facing multiple indictments and a rematch with Biden appearing likely for now is that Benson has a lot to consider heading toward November 2024. "The next 18 months are going to be a bumpy ride," she told MIRS. Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Could Benson keep Trump off ballot? It's complicated Former head of religious affairs body arrested for suspected bribe-taking Xinhua) 09:46, September 05, 2023 BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) has ordered the arrest of Cui Maohu, former director of the National Religious Affairs Administration, for suspected bribe-taking, the SPP said Monday. Cui also served as deputy head of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. Cui's case was transferred to procuratorial authorities for examination and prosecution following the conclusion of an investigation by the National Commission of Supervision. The handling of the case is underway, said the SPP. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Re. Dave Crawfords letter City and climate change (Castanet, Sept. 1) Yes, (former British prime minister) Margaret Thatcher was indeed an early supporter of climate change activities in the 1990s. However, Crawford fails to mention her later apparent change of heart. In her 2002 autobiography, she wrote, "By the end of my time as prime minister I was also becoming seriously concerned about anti-capitalist arguments which the campaigners against global warming were deploying." She went on to say: "The doomsters favourite subject today is climate change." She attacked former U.S. vice-president Al Gore directly and argued that (the) Kyoto (Protocol on climate change) was an anti-growth, anti-capitalist, anti-American project, which no American leader, alert to his country's national interests, could have supported." So perhaps Thatcher was not the biggest climate change advocate after all. As for Mark Carney, he has been quoted as saying fully implementing the Paris climate plan would cost $100 trillion, if not more. However, he offers no mention on how the world can afford that amount without driving the planet into an unprecedented economic depression. That is a lot of money to spend on unproven computer models. Moreover, who is going to tell the billions of poor people that the inexpensive energy they need to merely survive is no longer available? Jim Skea, the chair of the IPCC, a few weeks ago in Der Spiegel magazine warned against laying too much value on the nominal target of limiting global warming to 1.5 C. "We should not despair and fall into a state of shock (if global temperatures were to increase by this amount), he said. "The world won't end if it warms by more than 1.5 degrees." Surpassing that mark would lead to many problems and social tensions, he added, but still that would not constitute an existential threat to humanity. Skea predicted one difficult area might prove to be changing people's lifestyles. He said no scientist could tell people how to live or what to eat. "Individual abstinence is good, but it alone will not bring about the change to the extent it will be necessary., he said. If we are to live more climate consciously, we need entirely new infrastructure." In other words, carbon taxes and bans on drinking straws don't constitute a "climate plan". Perhaps we should turn down the rhetoric and stop scaring school children. All in all, Crawford's letter is sadly heavy on doom and gloom (There is no time to lose") but, other than sending an email to the mayor, is absent any practical solutions. Lloyd Vinish, Kelowna Gov. Gavin Newsom for president in 24? A lot of influential conservatives are convinced that its going to happen. The chatter goes something like this: President Joe Biden , age 80 and with persistently low poll numbers, will step down after next years primaries and let party convention delegates pick a replacement. Its a pretty widespread feeling among conservatives, said Carter Wrenn, a veteran North Carolina Republican strategist. That will leave the California Democrat as a serious threat to win the White House. And it means that the GOP will do whatever it can to put Newsom in a negative light before most of America learns more about him. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But the conservative fascination with Newsom goes beyond the expectation that Bidens exit will elevate him onto the ticket or that his California liberalism may make him easy to beat. Newsoms aggressive style energizes the conservative mediasphere. They like a fighter. Warming up Newsom has repeatedly denied any interest in a run next year, and Biden is actively running for a second term. But conservatives suspect things will change. Fox News Channel commentator Sean Hannity suggested as much earlier this summer in an interview with Newsom. I dont think Joe Biden is mentally or physically capable of being the president of the United States, he said, adding: I suspect if I took your phone and I took a look at it I would bet on a daily basis that there are people urging you to run for president and primary him. Newsom replied that his phone routinely lights up with people praising Bidens accomplishments, including Republicans who appreciate bipartisan achievements. Everybody has their chatter and everybodys out there rooting for America. ... Im rooting for our president and I have great confidence in his leadership, Newsom said. But the conservative beat has gone on. Fox commentator Jesse Watters cited the Hannity-Newsom discussion on homelessness (We own this, Newsom acknowledged) and saw it as practice for a 2024 presidential bid. He is definitely warming up, Watters said. This week, conservative radio and podcast commentator Hugh Hewitt offered a scenario for a 2024 bid: President Biden wins the South Carolina primary, and then he and the First Lady announce, You know what? Were too old for this job, and were just not going to run anymore. Add to all this the notion that the Democrats heir apparent to Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, is not seen by Republicans as a strong candidate, and therefore someone Democrats may not want heading their ticket. Kamala Harris has been an utter failure as vice president, from stumbling word salads to her incompetence as the border czar. She has a worse rating than Joe Biden, said California Republican Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson. So, she said, Its no surprise that Gavin Newsom is waiting in the wings in hopes to be next in line as the Democratic Presidential nominee. Biden hasnt hinted that hes even thinking of getting out. Newsom has been an active Biden supporter. He does appear to be positioning himself for national office some day. He has the sort of campaign finance tools that presidential contenders often use, appeared for two lengthy interviews on Hannitys program and has agreed to debate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.. Defining Gavin Newsom Republicans are playing a classic political game: Define your opponent before the public learns who they really are. Newsom is barely known outside of California. On YouGovs index measuring politicians fame and popularity, Newsom is 21st among Democrats in popularity, just behind Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who ran for the presidential nomination in 2020, and former Texas Democratic Rep. Beto ORourke, who unsuccessfully ran for president, senator and governor over the past five years. If you ask activists in New Hampshire an open-ended question, Who would you like to see run for president? he would probably be among the top five or six, said Dante Scala, political science professor at the University of New Hampshire. The state traditionally holds the nations first presidential primary. While Newsom has been aggressively courting Democrats in more conservative areas, with visits to Southern states, conservatives have considerable resources to tell their listeners and viewers about the governor. Newsoms willingness to take the fight directly to conservatives is one of the reasons they are so eager to battle him now. As a Republican I was impressed he showed up on Fox and he engaged and took ownership of some of these issues. Most Democrats wont even admit theres a problem, Watters said on Fox News popular program The Five, as others on the show agreed. Theres another big reason theyre focusing on Newsom. They need to define him quickly before his charm or combative style make him soar among not only Democrats but swing voters. Thats why The Five panelist Greg Gutfeld said Newsom may just be the dumbest person in politics as he criticized the governors views on undocumented immigrants. Conservatives see Newsom as vulnerable on two fronts: His record and style, and how he represents, even symbolizes, a state that people love to bash. He would be easy to beat Conservatives want to build him up because they figure that he would be easy to beat in a general election. On that point they are not wrong, said John Pitney, professor of government at Claremont McKenna College and former Republican National Committee staffer. There are plenty of Newsom-bashers. Rep. Keven Kiley, R-Rocklin, who led the unsuccessful 2021 effort to recall Newsom, is a freshman congressman who cites crime, homelessness and other problems that he says have become worse since Newsom became governor in 2019. Gavin Newsoms insistence that such conditions are a model for the country is rightly met with derision from Republicans and Democrats alike. They dont want to see these problems afflict their own states, Kiley said. What conservatives know they need to counter is Newsoms charisma and to some extent his willingness to be pragmatic. I think hes a strong candidate. Hes very charismatic, hes likable, said Sal Russo, a Sacramento-based Republican consultant. While noting I disagree with a lot of things he does, Russo noted that Newsom was regarded as a business-friendly mayor of San Francisco. Hes been able to kind of evolve into the candidate of the day pretty easily. Hes got a lot of political skills, Russo said. The problem with California WalletHubs quality of life index, which measures several factors, last month found California ranked second among all the states. New York was first. But to many outside the state, California is emblematic of much thats gone wrong with America. In the old days we said San Francisco Democrats as a code phrase to say someone was too liberal, Russo recalled. Now we say California Democrats. Thats a burden to overcome. Any perceived problems, the thinking goes, are because of the Democratic stranglehold on Californias policymaking. The last Republican to win the governorship was Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006. A GOP candidate last won a U.S. Senate seat in 1988, also the last year the GOPs presidential candidate won in California. Critics cite homelessness, crime, an economy still struggling to catch up to the rest of the country, and a penchant for liberal policies as key reasons it should be easy to tar Newsom. Under Gavin Newsoms rule, Californians are worse off than ever before, from a never-ending homeless crisis, fentanyl epidemic, brazen smash and grabs, failing schools and unaffordable housing, said Patterson. There are plenty of numbers to tell that story. The state has been losing population. About 30% of Americas homeless people live in California. State and local taxes are among the nations steepest. Gasoline prices in California have been the nations most expensive in recent months or close to that. What it all means, said Pitney, is that the attack ads practically write themselves. WASHINGTON A federal appeals court returned a case Wednesday to U.S. District Court, to determine what access to grant Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith to the contents of Rep. Scott Perrys cellphone, as part of the investigation into Donald Trumps attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Smith subpoenaed the phone because Perry, R-Pa., urged Trump to pursue false claims of election fraud and reject presidential electors for President Joe Biden from his state and others. But Perry opposed the prosecution move by arguing his phone was an extension of his congressional office and therefore off limits to an executive branch investigation because of the Constitutions speech and debate clause. The three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 29-page sealed ruling in the case. A docket entry accompanying the decision said the panel unanimously sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, "to apply the correct standard" as described in the opinion for Perry's communications with people in the executive branch or outside the federal government. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Both sides in the case were asked to file written arguments by Sept. 19 about whether to unseal documents in the case. Judges Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao were appointed by Trump and Karen Henderson was appointed by George H.W. Bush. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., gestures to the Capitol during a news conference with members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, about the debt limit deal, Tuesday, May 30, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) ORG XMIT: DCJM107 Perry, who is head of the House Freedom Caucus, had called the FBI's seizure of the phone "banana republic tactics" when he announced the search in August 2022. Perry wasnt indicted with Trump in the federal case alleging the former president conspired to defraud the country and obstruct Congress from counting Electoral College votes. During Smith's investigation, Howell ruled that 2,055 records could be released, while 161 records were properly withheld. Perry sought to block the release of all the records. She ruled in the case that has mostly remained sealed that the records were not integral to his consideration of passage or rejection of legislation. The House committee that investigated the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, found Perry tried to help Trump overturn the election results. Perry introduced Jeffrey Clark, who was then an assistant attorney general, to Trump after the 2020 election. Clark has been indicted with Trump on charges he drafted a letter to state legislative leaders in a half-dozen states for the attorney general to sign urging them to reject electors for President Joe Biden because of debunked concerns about election fraud. Perry texted Mark Meadows, then White House chief of staff, repeatedly Dec. 26 to 28, 2020, pressing for Clark to be elevated within the department. Trump considered appointing Clark as attorney general in early January 2021 but didnt follow through after top lawyers in the Justice Department and White House counsels office threatened to resign. On Dec. 27, Perry called Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue, to criticize the FBI and to say Clark would do something about this, according to Donoghue. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., questions Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on April 28. After the Jan. 6 riot, Perry contacted the White House asking for a presidential pardon, according to the committees final report. Perry refused to testify before the committee. During oral arguments in February, Perrys lawyer, John Rowley, argued the phone was essentially an extension of the lawmakers office and thus protected from investigation. But Justice Department attorney John Pellettieri argued the constitutional protections should cover only a lawmakers deliberations linked to a legislative purpose, excluding communications outside Congress. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rep. Scott Perry's phone case gets sealed ruling from federal court A federal court Tuesday vowed to draw a new Alabama congressional map including a second Black-majority district after the Republican-dominated state refused to obey its previous order to rectify its violation of the Voting Rights Act. Accusing the state of deeply troubling defiance, the three-judge panel ruled a special master will draw a map in time for the 2024 election with two Black districts instead of just one. The law requires the creation of an additional district that affords Black Alabamians, like everyone else, a fair and reasonable opportunity to elect candidates of their choice, the judges wrote. (Alabama) plainly fails to do so. The scathing 198-page ruling slaps down Alabama for effectively ignoring its previous order, which was upheld by the conservative dominated U.S. Supreme Court. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The panel, which includes two judges appointed by former President Donald Trump, will now draw its own map to replace the states map that Republicans conceded included only one Black district. Alabama is expected to appeal the new ruling to the Supreme Court, arguing it should not be forced to consider race in drawing districts. But its considered a long shot since the top court ruled against it once already. Alabama has just one Black lawmaker for its seven congressional seats despite Black Alabamians making up 28% of the population. The court ruled that set-up violates the federal Voting Rights Act and ordered the state to add a second Black-majority district. The state instead merely tweaked one district to slightly increase the number of Black voters, but left it far short of a majority. With time running short before the 2024 election, the court wont give the state another bite at the apple. Voting experts say it will be a simple task to draw a new map with two Black districts that would comply with the Voting Rights Act. The aggressive ruling could help Democrats flip a handful of seats in other Deep South states that have used the same strategy of cramming Black and minority voters into as few congressional districts as possible. Lawsuits have challenged congressional maps in states including Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina and Texas, where the GOP used a similar tactic to limit the power of the fast-growing Latino community. (The Hill) A three-judge panel struck down Alabamas new congressional map Tuesday, finding the GOP-led state fell short of complying with the Supreme Courts recent directive. The ruling paves the way for a court-appointed official to instead draw the lines for the 2024 election cycle. And we are struck by the extraordinary circumstance we face, the federal judges wrote in a 196-page opinion. We are not aware of any other case in which a state legislature faced with a federal court order declaring that its electoral plan unlawfully dilutes minority votes and requiring a plan that provides an additional opportunity district responded with a plan that the state concedes does not provide that district, they continued. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The ruling orders a court-appointed special master to submit three new maps by Sept. 25 that fix the dilution of Black voters in the state. It could provide a boost to Democrats as they attempt to retake the House in 2024. Alabama had submitted the new map after the Supreme Court in June blocked the states previous iteration in a 5-4 decision for likely violating the Voting Rights Act. Alabamas map included one majority-Black district out of the states seven total districts, despite 27 percent of the states population being Black. The Supreme Courts decision affirmed a lower ruling that mandated the state draw new lines that will need to include two districts in which Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority or something quite close to it. But the Republican-led legislature then refused to draw a second majority-Black district. It instead maintained Alabamas one majority-Black district which is represented by the states lone congressional Democrat and only increased the percentage of Black voters in the 2nd Congressional District from 30 percent to 40 percent. We discern no basis in federal law to accept a map the State admits falls short of this required remedy, the judges wrote. Why Trumps court dates may not impact his primary success The panel comprised one Clinton appointee, Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus, and two Trump appointees, District Judge Anna Manasco and District Judge Terry Moorer. State officials previously indicated the boundaries need to be finalized by about Oct. 1, so it can be in place for next years primary. After the court-appointed official submits its three maps, the state or other parties will have three days to object. A hearing would then be held Oct. 3, if necessary. [W]e have no reason to believe that allowing the Legislature still another opportunity to draw yet another map will yield a map that includes an additional opportunity district, the judges wrote. Moreover, counsel for the State has informed the Court that, even if the Court were to grant the Legislature yet another opportunity to draw a map, it would be practically impossible for the Legislature to reconvene and do so in advance of the 2024 election cycle. One group of plaintiffs individual voters and voting rights advocates in a joint statement said Alabama openly admits its intention to defy the Supreme Court and the law. Sixty years ago, former Governor George Wallace stood in the schoolhouse door to stop Black people from desegregating the University of Alabama, they said. He moved only when the federal government forced him to do so. History is repeating itself and the district courts decision confirms that Alabama is again on the losing side. We demand that Alabama again move out of the way and obey our laws we demand our voting rights. The Hill has reached out to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshalls (R) office for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. A panel of federal judges on Tuesday struck down a new congressional map created by Alabama Republicans that includes only one majority-Black district, defying a Supreme Court order. We are disturbed by the evidence that the State delayed remedial proceedings but ultimately did not even nurture the ambition to provide the required remedy, the three judges of the U.S. District Court for Northern Alabama wrote in a 217-page order Tuesday. And we are struck by the extraordinary circumstance we face. We are not aware of any other case in which a state legislature faced with a federal court order declaring that its electoral plan unlawfully dilutes minority votes and requiring a plan that provides an additional opportunity district responded with a plan that the state concedes does not provide that district, they added. A special master will be appointed to redraw a "remedial map to ensure that a plan can be implemented as part of an orderly process in advance of elections, where the State was given an opportunity to enact a compliant map but failed to do so," the judges wrote. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement State Republicans are expected to appeal the decision. In a statement Tuesday, the state attorney general's office said: "While we are disappointed in todays decision, we strongly believe that the Legislatures map complies with the Voting Rights Act and the recent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. We intend to promptly seek review from the Supreme Court to ensure that the State can use its lawful congressional districts in 2024 and beyond." Alabama Republicans approved a new map in July that included just one majority-Black seat and a second district that was about 40% Black. The GOP-controlled Legislature redrew an earlier map after the Supreme Court upheld a federal court order to include two districts where Black voters make up voting-age majorities, or something quite close to it. The high court found that the newly drawn congressional map violated the Voting Rights Act. The Alabama House passed the bill on a 75-28 vote after the state Senate voted 24-6 in favor of the revised map. Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed the map into law in July. Her office, the Alabama House Republican Caucus and its majority leader, Rep. Scott Stadthagen, didn't immediately respond to requests for comment about the federal court ruling Tuesday. Following the U.S. Supreme Court order, I called the Alabama Legislature into a special session to readdress our congressional map, Ivey said in a statement in July after she signed the measure. The Legislature knows our state, our people and our districts better than the federal courts or activist groups, and I am pleased that they answered the call, remained focused and produced new districts ahead of the court deadline. The redrawing of the congressional map in Alabama has gained the attention of congressional lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in Washington as redistricting battles play out in the courts in Alabama, New York, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas and other states ahead of next year's elections. Republicans hold a slim majority in the House. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., swiftly praised the federal courts ruling Tuesday. Sewell, the states sole Democrat in Congress, led an amicus brief by the Congressional Black Caucus last month that said the new congressional map by Republicans entrenches the historical exclusion of Black Alabamians from participating in our American democracy. Todays decision is yet another victory for Black voters in Alabama and for the promise of fair representation, she said in a statement. By appointing a special master to fairly redraw Alabamas congressional map, the court has rejected the state Legislatures latest attempt to dilute the voices and voting power of African Americans all across our state. She added: While we were outraged by the Alabama State Legislatures open defiance of the Supreme Courts original order to create two majority-minority districts, I am nonetheless grateful that a federal court has now intervened to protect the voices of Alabamas Black voters. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is indeed alive and enforceable! This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A federal court struck down Alabamas congressional map on Tuesday, after GOP state lawmakers refused the courts mandate to draw a second majority-Black district. The three-judge panel wrote that it was deeply troubled that the state legislature declined to draw two majority-Black districts. The same court ruled last year that it should draw a second majority-Black district to comply with the Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court affirmed the ruling from the lower court earlier this year. An independent court-appointed expert will now draw Alabamas congressional map for the 2024 election. Republicans in the state are expected to appeal the decision, which could eventually make its way to the Supreme Court again. This is a significant step toward equal representation for Black Alabamians, said Eric Holder, the former Democratic attorney general who now helms the partys main redistricting organization, which backed the lawsuit. Holder added that the court rejected the states blatant attempt to diminish those rights in defiance of both this court and the Supreme Court of the United States. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Drawing a second-majority Black district in the state would likely lead to a second Democrat being elected. Currently, the state has a 6-1 delegation, with the only Democrat Rep. Terri Sewell coming from the states only current majority-Black district. The cases in Alabama Milligan v. Allen and other consolidated lawsuits were backed by civil rights organizations and Democratic Party-aligned groups. They charged that the original map Republicans drew after the 2020 census, which had only one majority-Black district, violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters. The three-judge panel agreed, writing in its decision last year that only two majority-Black districts or something quite close to it would fix it. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court affirmed the lower courts findings that the old Alabama map likely violated the Voting Rights Act. The ruling was a surprise for many court watchers, who had anticipated that the nations top court would use the case as an opportunity to chip away at the landmark piece of legislation that the Roberts court has repeatedly targeted. Republicans in Alabama effectively thumbed their noses at the courts when given the opportunity to redraw the lines. The GOP-dominated legislature ultimately drew a new map that once again had just one majority-Black district and one with a Black voting age population of just under 40 percent. Alabama Republicans argued that they were complying with the law, saying the challengers did not prove the new maps violated the Voting Rights Act and that they were not compelled to draw a second majority-Black district to remedy any violation. During oral arguments and in court filings, Alabama Republicans signaled that they would likely appeal any decision tossing out the lines. The three-judge panel Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus, who has been appointed to posts on the federal bench by both President Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, and District Judges Anna Manasco and Terry Moorer, both appointees of President Donald Trump rejected those arguments. The law requires the creation of an additional district that affords Black Alabamians, like everyone else, a fair and reasonable opportunity to elect candidates of their choice, the judges ruled Tuesday. [The new map] plainly fails to do so. They also said they did not need to give the legislature another chance to redraw the map, saying there is no need to provide a second bite at the apple after state lawmakers made no effort to comply with the Voting Rights Act. The Alabama litigation is just one of several ongoing redistricting lawsuits in the South that could ultimately lead to more Black and Latino representation and more Democratic seats in Congress. On Tuesday, hearings kicked off in a lawsuit in Georgia that similarly alleged that the congressional map prevents Black voters from having the opportunity to elect candidates of their choosing. Hearings in a Louisiana suit are also set to resume next month. And a state judge in Florida ruled over the weekend that the states congressional map weakened the power of Black voters and must be redrawn, a ruling that is expected to be appealed by Republicans. All told, as many as 13 states could see new lines before the 2024 election. Is the best kept secret in Independence that Hollywood icon Ginger Rogers was born there in a two-bedroom bungalow? For what seemed like a fleeting moment, a museum in that house proudly promoted that Tinseltown tie. But it shut down in 2020, and the house reverted to a private residence. The Craftsman-style house on West Moore Street has been sold twice since then, both times to devoted Ginger Rogers fans. The last sale was finalized last week. Now, it has found its way into the hands of a young, first-time homebuyer who is unlikely to stay quiet about her new homes historic significance because she is related to the Oscar-winning actress, at least according to lore passed down in her family. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I had no idea the house was for sale until it popped up like two days after it was on the market, said Christina Vogler, a 25-year-old choir teacher at Maple Park Middle School and Winnetonka High School in the North Kansas City school district. I thought, thats such a cute house, and as I scrolled through and read about it I was like, oh my goodness, this is the Ginger Rogers house! Christina Vogler, 25, a middle school choir teacher, is ecstatic about buying her first home, the Independence birthplace of Hollywood legend Ginger Rogers. She closed on the house and received her keys last week. Thats the enthusiasm longtime Independence resident and Rogers devotee Marge Padgitt hoped to elicit from the public when she bought the house in 2016, renovated it and turned it into a museum displaying numerous bits of memorabilia. Rogers, who won an Academy Award for the 1940 drama Kitty Foyle, was best known for dancing with another Midwesterner, Omaha native Fred Astaire, in a string of hit Hollywood musicals, including Swing Time and Top Hat. Fred and Ginger. Incomparable dance partners. But Padgitts Ginger House Museum Birthplace of Ginger Rogers, was short-lived, scuttled mostly by the pandemic, Padgitt told The Star. It was a disaster, she said. We did a huge renovation and then when COVID hit we had to close. Padgitt sold the house to a fellow Ginger Rogers fan in Kansas City, who rented it to her son until changes in her personal life forced her to sell it, too. Vogler closed on the house last week. Im already so excited, Vogler told The Star. Im buying the Ginger Rogers house! Famous dance partners, and fellow Midwesterners, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The house where Ginger was born Vogler, a fan of retro furnishings, loved the built-in china cabinet in the dining room. The home is full of what Realtor.com described as fun, nostalgic details a built-in coffee grinder and tin ceiling in the kitchen and a penny-tile floor and beadboard walls in the half-bath. The last time Rogers herself set foot in the house was July 16, 1994, for a celebration of her 83rd birthday. She died the following year. She was born in the front room of the house on July 16, 1911. Her mother and strongest influence, Lela Owens-Rogers, was a force of her own newspaper reporter, scriptwriter, movie producer. Mama Rogers grabbed a spotlight for her beautiful baby early on, hiring out her 18-month-old daughter as a model for newspaper ads. By age 2, the future Hollywood hoofer was taking dance classes in Lees Summit. They lived just a few years in the house, which was built in 1906. A plaque hangs outside the front door of the Independence home where Ginger Rogers was born. Padgitts connection to it began in early 2016 when she began looking for a house to buy and rehab as part of her real estate investment business, Three Trails Cottages. Her daughter, the companys finance manager at the time, saw that the Rogers house was for sale and encouraged her mother to buy it. Padgitts general contractor husband, Gene Padgitt, did extensive renovations on the 1,100-square-foot, two-bedroom, 1.5-bath house. Foundation repair. New floors. New plumbing. Fresh paint indoors. The list goes on. Prepping for the museum, Padgitt began buying and accepting donations of Ginger Rogers memorabilia gowns, dance shoes, theater programs, movie posters, news articles and paintings created by the actress, an accomplished artist. COVID: The last straw While dancers and old-movie buffs might know of Ginger Rogers, in the community in general, I talk to people who are 50 and who dont know who she was, said Padgitt. When she named the museum, Padgitt said, she did not know she needed permission to use Rogers name. Rogers gave that privilege to her church. Ginger Rogers left her intellectual property and publicity rights to The First Church of Christ, Scientist, a church spokeswoman told The Star in a statement. The Church manages requests for the use of her name and image through CMG Worldwide, a respected rights clearance agency specializing in protecting the publicity rights of noted celebrities. In striving to be faithful to her wishes, the Church works with CMG in an effort to ensure that licensed uses of Ms. Rogers name and image are appropriate and in line with standards that she provided. Padgitt chose not to sign a contract with the church and instead changed the name to Owens-Rogers Museum to avoid possible legal blowback. And then, Padgitt said, COVID was the last straw. The pandemic shut the world down just as the museum was getting going. Soon, tenants living in her rental properties began missing payments. Her familys income took a hit, and the only choice she had was to close the museum and sell the house, she said. It was very tough, she said. Perhaps the most famous quote about Ginger Rogers is displayed on a sign that remained with the home after it was a museum honoring the Hollywood legend. She donated some of Rogers wardrobe and kept the rest of the items that she now uses in a mobile show. I have 90% of what was in there, in the museum. Now I do a visiting exhibit, so Ill come visit a group and set up a nice exhibit and do a talk about Rogers. (See owensrogersmuseum.com.) She helped form a board of directors working to create a Jackson County museum dedicated to famous Missourians, from outlaw Jesse James to actor Ed Asner. They havent had any luck yet finding a building to house it, she said. And donations are trickling in. The state of the Ginger Rogers story in Independence today? Other than the fact that Im available to do this exhibit, its at a stalemate unless somebody purchases the home and turns it back into a museum, Padgitt said. Thats always a possibility. That would be the ideal thing, in my opinion. Ginger Rogers won the best actress Oscar for Kitty Foyle in 1941. She was born in a small house in Independence in 1911. The Ginger House Padgitt was thrilled to sell the house to someone who loves Ginger Rogers, too. During the pandemic, Kenyon Andersons grown son needed a place to live with two dogs that landlords didnt want to have around, one a Lab/pit bull mix. So my husband and I had the idea, well, lets buy a house and he can rent it back from us, Anderson said. We were looking all over, all over. And I think it may have been my husband that found the house on Zillow. The Ginger House, as I affectionately call her. The house all but screamed buy me. Anderson, who minored in dance at Avila University, of course knew who Ginger Rogers was. And I have a real affinity for that period of the 30s, 40s, 50s, she said. I just love, love, love that time period. So we went and looked at it, and I just fell in love with it. I loved the idea of owning a little piece of history. Having watched all the Gingers Rogers movies growing up, Anderson felt nostalgic walking through the house, envisioning a young Ginger living there. I just feel like, this sounds weird, I felt her presence there, she said. She wrote a letter to Padgitt to go along with their offer. I said I am happy to have her birthday parties, to do all that, at the house, she said. And I would have loved to have made it a museum again at some point, because I just think its such a piece of history. They bought the house and I went nuts, Anderson said. I went on eBay and I bought hundreds of dollars worth of Ginger Rogers photos and books. After their son moved in, people still came to the house looking for the museum. Anderson had every intention of owning the house forever. But life got in the way, namely, a divorce. She couldnt afford to hang onto it, though Marge Padgitt, who sold her the house, really wanted her to. Marge, God love her, she tried to talk me into keeping it and turning it into an Airbnb, Anderson said. It was kind of heartbreaking to put it on the market. But this is the cool thing. She had two offers the very first weekend the house was listed early last month. One came from a young woman with a musical theater background who said that somewhere on her fathers side, she is apparently related to Ginger Rogers. Christina Vogler said she likes to think that Ginger Rogers once bathed in this tub or used the sink, which are both original to the 1906 house. Photos of Rogers hang on the wall from the time when the home was a museum. Falling in love with a house Vogler reacted like Anderson the first time she walked through the house. I just fell in love with it, she said. I was always told when I was growing up that we were related to Ginger Rogers somehow, not exactly sure how or how true that it is, Vogler said. I dont know much about my dads family, a farming family in small-town Kansas. She grew up watching old Hollywood movies but finds that people her age have no idea who Ginger Rogers was or have ever seen her movies. She feels fortunate that she could live at home after graduating college and wait out the pandemic there, paying off student loans and socking away money for a down payment. She was charmed by the homes hardwood floors and the restored clawfoot tub. She might add color to the house by painting some of the white walls, but other than that has no plans to change much, respecting the integrity of the house. I wanted to put it in good hands. I didnt want to just sell it, said Anderson. I wanted someone who would love it as much as I and Gene and Marge did. And the fact that she is related? Its kind of full circle. Health care experts have unveiled new vaccines and shots to stave off serious illness and prevent another so-called tripledemic from overwhelming emergency rooms this holiday season. Last winter, multiple California ERs had patients spilling out into parking lots because of the surge of people who caught flu, COVID-19 or RSV, all potentially deadly respiratory viruses that circulated simultaneously. Two brand-new vaccines for RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, are now available for adults over 60. While RSV is a common illness, it can be extremely dangerous or even fatal for very young children and older people, as well as immunocompromised people of all ages. For babies under 8 months old, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended a new monoclonal antibody therapy called nirsevimab. Babies up to 19 months old can also get the shot if theyre at an increased risk of severe outcomes from an RSV infection. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The therapy is not a vaccine, but it will help babies immune systems fight off infection, said Jennifer Louie, a pediatric urgent care physician with Sutter Healths Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Monoclonal antibodies, youre almost hiring a superhero for a short period of time to prevent you from getting sick, the doctor said during a news conference. The nice thing about this is its just one shot, and its going to last you through the RSV season and hopefully prevent lots of hospitalizations. New COVID-19 vaccines are expected to roll out in the coming weeks for children and adults, offering those who receive the shot additional protection against the variants now circulating. The goal is not just to prevent you from being hospitalized and dying, said Jeffrey Silvers, Sutter Healths medical director of pharmacy and infectious disease at the news conference. Do you really want to get sick? Do you really want to give it to other people? Do you really want to miss work? The state has reported that, on average, nine people in California died of COVID-19 per day between June 13 and Aug. 7. COVID-19 hospitalizations have been steadily ticking up since early July. In other other years, it seems like we had a predominant (COVID) strain, Silvers said. And right now we have about 10 or 12 different strains circulating. ... Theyre probably all pretty well covered by the vaccine, which is very good. It is safe to receive the COVID-19 and flu vaccines at the same time, health officials say. Because the RSV vaccines are new, doctors are recommending a two-week window between an RSV vaccine and the flu shot or the COVID vaccine. The best time to get these vaccines is sometime during September or October, before the viruses are spreading in full swing during the winter months. But, the physicians said, its better late than never. Theres a real value to getting vaccinated against all the viruses if youre eligible, and then of course, appropriate hand hygiene, social distancing and masking are all worthwhile, Silvers said. Get vaccinated. Protect yourself, protect your family, protect your friends, protect everyone. Like everyone else, Monica Gandhi didnt get everything right about COVID. Some of her predictions proved incorrect, and her relentless optimism outraged people who didnt think the world was taking the pandemic seriously enough. Take this moment, from early 2021: Gandhi, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, appeared on The ZDoggMD Show, a YouTube show on which she was a regular. I really need to say something, she tells the host, ZDoggMD, early in the interview. I need to say variants shmariants. OK? Im sorry. I dont know what kind of trouble thats gonna get me in. Six months later, the New York Times ran the headline American Hospitals Buckle Under Delta, With I.C.U.s Filling Up. NBC journalist Mehdi Hasan eventually dubbed her the pandemics wrongest woman, having her on his show in 2022 so he could list the times shed told a news outlet that we were in some kind of endgame with COVID, only to be proven incorrect. For example, there was the assertion that India had reached herd immunity just before it experienced a deadly surge. At what point, Dr. Gandhi, do you say maybe I should stop making predictions about a pandemic that I keep getting dangerously wrong? Hasan asks. Its an uncomfortable segment to watch. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Yet, Gandhis fundamental arguments about the virus have turned out to be sound. As she said again and again that it would, SARS-CoV-2 has become endemic, with population immunitythanks to both vaccines and infectionsoffering us protection from serious illness. Most of us no longer worry about catching the virus outside and have ditched the hand sanitizer. Even in the case of the delta variant, highly vaccinated communities like San Francisco had very high cases, but low hospitalizations, as she explained to Hasan. Now, Endemic is the title of Gandhis new book, which aims to offer a post-pandemic playbook to help prepare for future health crises. As we look ahead toward a future that involves living with SARs-CoV-2, maybe the wrongest womans plan is one we should consider. Though she is highly regarded as an HIV expert, Gandhi had little claim to fame in the spring of 2020. Her day-to-day work involves overseeing care for HIV patients from vulnerable populations as medical director of San Francisco General Hospitals Ward 86 clinic, as well as publishing papers on how to make HIV medications more accessible. As the COVID pandemic began, she threw herself into the challenges presented by the new virus as a way to deal with her grief from the loss of her husband, who died in late 2019 after a long battle with cancer. Gandhi hoped the lessons she learned from HIVa virus that has killed a staggering number of Americans, whom we nonetheless live alongsidecould help inform the response to COVID. And then, suddenly, she was everywhere, giving countless comments to the press and frequently appearing on TV. She avidly took to Twitter, quickly racking up nearly 100,000 followers. Over the ensuing three years, Gandhi became a magnet for criticism from across the political spectrum. Though shes been described as the mask queen, and urged the public to keep using them even as vaccines rolled out, the COVID-cautious faction considers her dangerously reckless. On the other side, her support for vaccines and the antiviral drug Paxlovid elicits howls of protest from those who think COVID is no big deal. When I write stuff on Twitter, everyone attacks me from both sides, so you really cant win, she said at her San Francisco book launch this summer. Gandhi often ran up against the mainstream public health consensus around COVID mitigation. SARS-CoV-2 is much less likely to spread outdoors, so she argued early on that closing beaches and playgrounds didnt make sense. She thinks restricting in-person medical care, keeping people away from their loved ones in care facilities, and prolonged school closures did more harm than good, often worsening racial and income disparities. Gandhis willingness to buck the rules has stood her HIV patients in good stead. When lockdowns were imposed in San Francisco in March 2020, she refused to shut down services for homeless patients at her clinic, which serves the citys most marginalized people with HIV, recognizing that in-person support is key to keeping them engaged in care. They dont have phones. They dont have a quiet place with a Zoom background to call the doctor. They had nowhere to go, she said at the book launch. More recently, she has gone outside the Food and Drug Administrations approved indication for a new long-acting injectable HIV treatment, enabling people who cant take daily pills to achieve viral suppression for the first time. One of Gandhis guiding philosophiesand a key theme of her new bookis harm reduction. Often associated with ameliorating harms for people who use drugs, the concept is more broadly understood in the HIV field. A key lesson is that abstinence-only approaches dont work over the long term. To be sure, HIV would end if people stopped having sex or injecting drugs, and COVID would end if people just stayed home. Given that this isnt going to happen, condoms, clean needles, and masks can reduce risk. Harm reduction is really this idea that we all have needs, so we have to take those into account, she told Slate. But to be effective, harm reduction interventions must be acceptable, sustainable, and feasible with available resources. While no one would rather use a dirty needle than a clean one, many people are unwilling to use condoms or wear masks indefinitely. What can seem like a fair, risk-reducing compromise to one person can seem like an encroachment on basic freedoms to another. This clash of opinions was a central challenge of the pandemic, ultimately driven by the question of what needs we haveaside from staying safe from COVIDand how much not getting them met matters. Gandhi can be relatively quick, compared to other American experts, to center those other needs even in the face of a novel virus, though her approach is more common in Europe. She is particularly adamant about the harms of school closures. My children were in school from November 2020, she says, explaining that they attend private school and therefore had more leeway on returning to the classroom. Her patients, in contrast, had kids in public schools who didnt return to their classrooms for another full year. They were working while their 8-year-old was at home alone online. That really bothered meI felt really guilty. The daughter of Indian immigrants, shes also attuned to how school closures played out in lower-income countries: In Bangladesh, the little boys went to work for their families. In Uganda, the girls went into sex work and got HIV. In India, if they had one phone and they had a boy and a girl in the house, the boy got the phone and the girl was out of luck. While public health can inform policy decisions, its not the sole arbiter, Gandhi argues. Mixing public health with politicslike making masks a symbol, rather than just a tool, or banning in-person church services while bars were openhas negative consequences, including a loss of trust. People were not bad or COVidiots if they contracted COVID-19; they were human, she writes. The role of public health is to educate people about how to stay safe from a virus, positively motivate the public to behave in health-promoting ways, and provide resources for such behaviors. There is absolutely no place for stigma, judgment, and a shame-based approach in public health when dealing with an infectious pathogen. Her guiding principle is that experts like her are there to work with peoples desires and needs, not furiously explain to a beleaguered public that they shouldnt have those desires at all. Public health is a service industry, not a police force, she writes. Even with cases on the upswing and concerning new variants on the horizon, SARS-CoV-2 has all the hallmarks of an endemic virus, according to Gandhi. Hospitalization and mortality remain low thanks to a wall of population immunity from vaccination and prior infection. While antibody levels rise and fall, T-cells continue to do their job preventing severe illness. Its reached a stage at which population immunity has reduced the severity of disease so that its settled into a pattern similar to other respiratory pathogens of its ilk, she told Slate. On this endgame analysis, other American experts are finally in step with her. Today, the elephant in the room for anyone giving advice on living with SARS-CoV-2 is long COVID. Many people no longer fear acute illness or death, but the long-term consequences of infection are a nagging concern.The prevalence of long COVID remains contentious, and its causes are still poorly understood, but its clear that some people have chronic disabling symptoms, and there has been little progress on treatments. Gandhi has gotten a reputation as a long COVID skeptic. She has said it mostly affects people who had severe acute illness, much to the consternation of patients who were young, healthy, and had only mild illness before succumbing to the condition. She suspects that a leading hypothesis, viral persistence, is unlikely. I dont think we need to fight ongoing viral replication, she says. I think the pathophysiology of long COVID is inflammation. She has suggested simple treatments like Benadryl and metformin, frustrating patient advocates including Hannah Davis, co-founder of the Patient-Led Research Collaborative, who argues that if obvious and easily accessible therapies worked, we would know it by now because everyone tries these. But Gandhi told Slate shes keeping an open mind. While working on her book, she consulted with HIV colleagues at UCSF who are now studying long COVID. Her 10-point road map for dealing with COVID and future epidemics, laid out in the final chapter, includes the urgent need for research on the prevalence, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options for long COVID. Other points on this roadmap include avoiding school closures, considering the psychological harms of lockdowns, and doing away with mitigation measures when they prove ineffective. Asked about what she got right and wrong over the course of the pandemic, Gandhi says she was right about the harms of school closure and the fact that the immune system works the same way for COVID as it does for other infections. As for her biggest error, she thinks she talked too much. I didnt seem to be able to help myself from writing about it or talking about it, she says. I just felt like I had this long view of infectious diseases that other people didnt. She also acknowledges that people have different thresholds for tolerance of illness. Everyone should be able to decide for themselves how much they want to structure their life around a respiratory virus, she says. That isnt what everyone believes, so that is a personal bias. Ultimately, Gandhi grew weary of the political contention and personal attacks and pulled back from her public presenceaside from the bookreturning her focus to HIV and raising her two teenage sons. And shes still flummoxed by how the political ground shifted around COVID. Amazon What ended up happening with COVID is something got topsy-turvy, it got associated with the left to be restrictive and to close schools, she told the San Jose Mercury News. My positions were more consistent with red state governors, and that led to a lot of unease. I felt really uncomfortable in my own skin. But Gandhi still considers herself left of left. While many progressives have focused on behavior change, like masking and avoiding indoor dining, she leans heavily on biomedical tools, like vaccines and antivirals, having seen how antiretroviral treatment and preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) turned the tide on HIV. After all, if all of America had achieved the same vaccination rates as her San Francisco community, delta really might have been a variant, shmariant. Gandhi is adamant about the need for better access to health care in the United States and the importance of global equity in the distribution of vaccines and treatment. It took a decade before effective HIV medications were widely available in Africa, resulting in countless unnecessary deaths and new infections, and PrEP is still hard to come by. Global distribution of COVID vaccines followed a similar trajectory, with low-risk people in the United States receiving boosters before high-risk people in low-income countries got even a single dose. When cases in India exploded in 2021, contra her prediction, she penned an op-ed for Time calling on pharmaceutical companies to give up a fraction of their billion-dollar profits so that more people could be protected. In my opinion, she writes in her book, one of the most important lessons of this pandemic is the need for universal healthcare coverage and the obligation to recognize healthcare as a right, not a privilege. Whenever a company plans to release pollution into the environment, it needs a permit. In Texas, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is responsible for issuing those permits. Citizens are allowed to object, but critics say the TCEQ is unfairly dismissing objections using a made-up 1-mile rule, the Texas Tribune reports. Whats happening? To file an objection against a pollution permit, Texas requires the person filing to be an affected person who will be more impacted by the pollution than the general public, the Texas Tribune explains. Since at least 2010, the TCEQ has used the 1-mile rule to determine whether someone is an affected person, reasoning that pollution wont particularly impact anyone who lives more than a mile away from the pollution source. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Just one problem: According to the Texas Tribune, this supposed 1-mile rule is unofficial. Its not found in federal law, state law, or the TCEQs governing documents, and didnt come from any official legal process. Even the TCEQ denies that it exists. Nevertheless, Inside Climate News compiled a list of 15 TCEQ decisions that hinged on the 1-mile rule. While only 12% of objections filed with the commission come from within a 1-mile radius of the pollution source, 87% of the accepted objections came from that group, and the rest came from just outside of the range. Why is the 1-mile rule a problem? Lawyers in support of the 1-mile rule argue that it is founded in common sense and experience, the Texas Tribune reveals. However, the rule fails to acknowledge the reality that pollution can travel more than 1 mile, especially when the source is large, or the wind is strong, causing severe health consequences for those exposed. Not only that, but the rule informally takes away many citizens right to a judicial review of the TCEQs decisions, the Texas Tribune says. This practice is arbitrary and unlawful, Erin Gaines, a lawyer with the nonprofit Earthjustice, told the Texas Tribune. A petition filed with the Environmental Protection Agency in 2021 explains, as the Texas Tribune reports, Participation in the contested case hearing process is a prerequisite to seeking judicial review of a TCEQ permitting decision. In Texas, contested case hearings are reserved for affected persons with complaints accepted by the TCEQ, so the 1-mile rule allegedly puts an illegal restriction on who can take the TCEQ to court about its decisions. The result is many more people being exposed to dangerous, toxic pollution with no legal remedy. Whats being done to challenge this rule? Diane Wilson is a Texas resident who has filed more than 100 objections with the TCEQ, most of which were dismissed. In 2022, she sued the TCEQ over its 1-mile policy. The first hearing in the case is set to take place this November. Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Photo: Chung Chow. Boats docked at Fisherman's Wharf in Steveston. High fuel costs and depressed prices for certain kinds of salmon mean the catch may not be worth the trip for commercial fishing operations Its going to be another dismal year for Fraser River sockeye, but the sport fishing industry is reportedly enjoying a banner year thanks to improved chinook and coho abundance. Pink salmon are also returning in near-record numbers, though that doesnt necessarily mean commercial fishermen will have the chance to catch them if they are mingled with threatened species, like sockeye nor are they likely to make much profit from them, given depressed prices. The reality is we probably will not get a commercial opening on all those pinks coming back because were going to intercept sockeye, said Phil Young, vice-president of fisheries and corporate affairs at the Canadian Fishing Company (Canfisco), which owns seine licences. Fraser River sockeye was, for decades, the bread-and-butter fishery for B.C.s commercial fishing fleet. But dwindling numbers have meant either full commercial closures or very limited openings for most years in the past decade. The commercial sector has been so decimated that in the north where salmon returns to the Skeena River have supported commercial openings commercial fishermen in some cases have not caught their allocations because there simply arent enough primary processing plants, ice plants or other infrastructure to support a commercial fishery. Fraser River pink salmon were expected to come in this year at 6.1 million. But as of last week, based on test fisheries, the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) upped its in-season forecast to 20 million. If that forecast is fulfilled, it would be a near-record return the record being 24 million Fraser River pinks in 2003. Fraser River sockeye, on the other hand, appear to be coming in closer to their pre-season forecast of just 1.6 million. As of Aug. 29, 1.4 million Fraser River sockeye had returned. At such low levels, even Indigenous food fisheries for sockeye are being restricted. As for pink salmon, their abundance this year throughout the entire Pacific has depressed prices to a point where the catch may not be worth the fishing trip fuel expense. To give you an idea how bad it is, in the final weeks in the northern pink salmon fishery, where there was a bumper crop of pink salmon to catch, one seine boat went out most openings, said Greg Taylor of Fish First Consulting. Throughout the Pacific, 2021 (the brood year for this years pink salmon) proved to be a record year for pink salmon abundance, said Greg Ruggerone, an independent researcher specializing in pink salmon. He expects 2023 will beat 2021. Based on current pink salmon harvests info from the salmon industry and (Alaska Department of Fish and Game), I expect 2023 to be a new record run, Ruggerone said. Harvests in Russia have been exceptional. And Alaska harvests have been very large. As of last week, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) said a commercial fishery for Area 29 (Strait of Georgia) for Fraser River pink was under development, as was a recreational fishery for Fraser River pinks. As for the sport fishing sector, it was looking to cap off a banner year beginning Friday, Sept. 1, which is when the Fraser River was to open for retention of chinook for recreational fishers. In May and June, fishermen encountered a tremendous abundance of chinook in Haida Gwaii, said Owen Bird, executive director for the Sport Fishing Institute of B.C. That has not been the case in recent years. Declines in chinook abundance prompted closures and the creation of no-fishing zones in areas where southern resident killer whales feed. Anecdotally, sport fishermen have been reporting a bounty of chinook and coho this year, Bird said, which is good for fishing guides and lodges, as well as bait and tackle shops. DFO scientist emeritus Dick Beamish, who continues doing salmon research, confirms an exceptional coho abundance in the Strait of Georgia this year. Our research, which was continued by Chrys Neville, shows that the adult coho abundance in the strait this year is the largest since the early 1990s. [email protected] twitter.com/nbennett_biv Following dramatic accounts by alleged victims on social media, Cuban authorities said they are working to dismantle a human trafficking network coercing Cubans to join the Russian military to fight against Ukraine, according to Cubas Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The government Sunday said its Ministry of the Interior detected the network and was working to neutralize it, adding that criminal proceedings have been initiated against those involved in these activities. The statement does not provide any details on the cases but said that the ring had targeted Cubans residing in Russia and living on the island. The announcement came after two 19-year-old Cubans, identified as Andorf Antonio Velazquez Garcia, from Havana, and Alex Rolando Vega Diaz, from Santa Clara, told a Cuban influencer last week that, desperate to leave the island, they had been scammed and lured to Russia under false pretenses, ending up sleeping in a trench in Ukraine along Russian forces. They said that friends in Cuba provided them with the contact of a Cuban woman who offered them a contract to do construction work in Russia. Members of the ring, which included at least two other Russian women, they said, sent them a contract in Russian they were told not to translate and bought them a ticket to fly from Varadero to Moscow. Cubans do not need a visa to travel to Russia. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I couldnt stand it in Cuba, thats why I was dying to leave; I had to help my family some way, Velazquez Garcia told Alain Lambert Sanchez, known in social media as Alain Paparazzi Cubano, a Cuban influencer who now lives in Miami. The young men told Lambert that once in Russia, a Russian woman seized their passports, and they took a citizenship test they thought was used to get fake Russian documents on their behalf. They never got the money promised. Instead, they ended up in a unit in Ryazan, a city in Central Russia, where they passed military training. They were later sent to a place in Ukraine they could not locate but described as a forest 60 miles from the front lines When they got sick, they were taken to several hospitals and later returned to the Ryazan unit. What is happening in Ukraine is ugly, Vega Diaz said. It is hard to see people with their heads open before you, to see how people get killed. We slept six meters underground and could not sleep well because you could feel the bombs falling next to you; you heard the shots. From my heart, I tell all Cubans who plan to come here not to come. It is crazy here, he added. Neither Velazquez Garcia nor Vega Diaz speak Russian. At some point, they were beaten for speaking English to Russian soldiers, they said. They took all our clothes off, and they beat us because, since we dont understand each other, we spoke to them in English, and they said that the Americans had sent us here, that we had to confess, Velazquez Garcia told local Miami TV station America TV. The young men said they saw other Cubans in their military unit, and some were sent to fight in the front lines in Ukraine. They also said they believed the same ring had recruited many Cuban passengers on their flight to Moscow. It is unclear if some of the Cubans they encountered were migrants living in Russia who had voluntarily joined the Russian military seeking a swift path to citizenship, as the Miami Herald previously reported. The Moscow Times, an independent Russian news outlet, said it spoke to a woman identified as Elena Shuvalova, who posted content on Facebook offering Cubans a one-year contract with the Russian army and a monthly salary of 204,000 rubles around $2,082. She admitted to the publication that she helped arrange contracts for illegal migrants. She declined to say if she worked for the Russian Ministry of Defense. America TV said they also exchanged messages with a woman named Elena, whom Velazquez Garcia and Diaz Vega identified as a member of the ring. She said their accounts were false. Though the two young Cubans did not say the Cuban government was involved in what happened to them, the case sparked speculation that Cuban authorities, who support Russias invasion of Ukraine, might have been sending mercenaries to aid the Russian military. Cubas foreign ministry strongly rejected such claims, calling them distorted information spread by Cubas enemies to tarnish the countrys reputation. Cuba is not part of the war in Ukraine, the ministry said. It is acting, and it will firmly act against those who within the national territory participate in any form of human trafficking for mercenary purposes or recruitment purposes so that Cuban citizens may raise weapons against any country. The statement does not say if the government is providing help to the alleged victims of human trafficking. Velazquez Garcia and Vega Diaz said they were too scared to desert the Russian army because they had been threatened with 30-year imprisonment. Please, help us, get us out of here; we just need you to help us out of here, the two said in one of the videos. Cuba says it has uncovered a human trafficking network operating from Russia that is recruiting Cubans to fight for their longstanding ally in Moscows war in Ukraine. Cubans living in Russia and even some in Cuba had been trafficked and incorporated into the military forces taking part in the war in Ukraine, the Cuban foreign ministry said Monday in a statement. The ministry gave few details about the alleged trafficking operations, but said that authorities were working to neutralize and dismantle the network. There were no reports of any arrests of people allegedly involved in the trafficking operation. In September, reports surfaced on social media of Cubans who said they were serving in Russias armed forces but that they had been tricked into joining the war effort and mistreated when they refused to fight. CNN was not able to independently verify those allegations, and it is not clear how many Cubans may be fighting for Russia. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Cuba stressed in its statement that it is not part of the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin has not commented on the allegations. The report comes amid efforts by Russia to boost its forces in Ukraine, which have suffered heavy losses on the battlefield, and with the future of the mercenary Wagner Group in doubt. Moscow announced a plan earlier this year to increase the strength of the Russian armed forces by 30% to 1.5 million servicemen. In July, the Russian state Duma voted to extend the military draft age to include citizens from 18 to 30 years old, up from 27. For much of the conflict, the official Russian army has been bolstered by mercenaries contracted to Wagner. But after the death of the groups chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led his troops in an aborted mutiny against Moscow in June, it is unclear whether Russia will rely on Wagner forces to wage its war in Ukraine. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Russian President Vladimir Putin inaugurated a monument to the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro in Moscow, November 22, 2022. - SERGEI GUNEYEV/AFP/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images Cuba was a major ally of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and relations between Havana and Moscow have remained cozy since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Cuba has been a staunch defender of Russias war on the country, blaming the US and NATO for the conflict. As Cuba grapples with its worse economic crisis in decades, Russia has supplied the communist-run island with badly needed food and shipments of crude oil. Since the war began the two nations have signed a flurry of agreements promising increased Russian foreign investment in Cuba. In a rare interview in May, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel told Russian state-controlled network RT that Cuba condemned the expansion of NATO towards Russias borders, echoing one of the Kremlins justifications for its brutal war. Diaz-Canel visited Moscow in November last year to attend the unveiling of a statue of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu also traveled to Cuba on separate trips this year and hailed the relations between the two countries. Russia exploiting desperate states There are historical precedents of Cubans fighting alongside and on behalf of Russia. In several conflicts in Africa during the Cold War, the deal was the Cubans would supply the soldiers, the Soviets would supply the weapons, Sergei Radchenko, a historian and professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, told CNN. Thousands of Cuban fighters intervened in support of communist forces in Angola in 1975, as well as in Ethiopia in 1977, alongside Soviet troops and using Soviet equipment. Having Cuban mercenaries you might call them mercenaries, or at that time it was revolutionary fighters is a longstanding precedent as far as Cuba and the Cuban-Russian relationship is concerned, said Radchenko. In Cuba, those military interventions often fighting South African-trained mercenaries are celebrated as having played a crucial role in ending apartheid in South Africa. However, Radchenko said, the statement issued by Cubas foreign ministry sounds like something very different, due to the suggestion of coercion. Christopher Sabatini, a senior fellow for Latin America at Chatham House, said he was not surprised that Russia is seeking Cuban mercenaries to wage its war. This is the typical Russian modus operandi of getting mercenaries to do their fighting for them particularly in desperate states, Sabatini told CNN, adding that Cuba is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster. What was surprising, he said, was the reaction of the Cuban government, which suggests that Russia touched a nerve. The Cuban government is fiercely loyal to its allies, Sabatini said. That they would call this out is an indication that they truly feel humiliated and exploited by what is an ally taking advantage of their citizens at a time of desperate need. Russia has offered foreign fighters more than $2000 a month to fight in Ukraine, a fortune in Cuba where doctors do not earn that much in an entire year. Russia has also reportedly offered citizenship to foreigners willing to take up arms. Its particularly insulting, too, because the way you are rewarding these mercenaries is giving them a chance to flee their country, said Sabatini. That hurts. In May, the Russian regional newspaper Ryazan Vedomosti reported that Cuban immigrants living in Russia had joined the Russian army. Several citizens of the Republic of Cuba went to serve in the Russian army. According to them, the Cubans want to help our country carry out tasks in the zone of a special military operation, and some of them would like to become citizens of Russia in the future, said the article. CNNs Alex Stambaugh contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Cuban authorities said they have uncovered a human trafficking ring operated from Russia that recruits Cuban citizens to fight alongside its military forces in Ukraine. The announcement, made late Monday by Cubas foreign ministry, comes days after local media in Miami reported on Cubans being taken to Russia to fight. The Miami affiliate of Telemundo, part of NBC Universal, interviewed two 19 year-old Cubans who said they were duped into going to Russia. They said a recruiter offered each a job in construction in exchange for $2,200, a Russian passport and the possibility of taking their families to Russia in the future. The two 19 year-old Cubans who said they were duped into going to Russia. (T51 Miami) "We don't know what to do anymore," one of them said, adding they were told to be ready at 3:30 a.m. because they would be taken to Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In a press release, Cubas foreign ministry said it has detected and it is working to neutralize and dismantle a human trafficking network that operates from Russia in order to incorporate Cuban citizens living there and even some living in Cuba, into the military forces that participate in military operations in Ukraine. Attempts of this nature have been neutralized and criminal proceedings have been initiated against those involved I these activities, the press release also stated. The Kremlin has not commented on the Cubas announcement. Russia announced plans last year to boost the size of its armed forces by more than 30% to 1.5 million combat personnel. The ministrys press release also said Cubas enemies are promoting distorted information that seeks to tarnish the countrys image and present it as an accomplice of these actions. The statement appeared to be in response to claims made in some of Miamis media that the two countries had entered into an agreement to hire Cuban mercenaries in exchange for support the communist government has been receiving from Russia. Cuba and Russia's strong relationship dates to the Cold War. Cuba has been roiled in an economic crisis for the past three years and Russia has been supplying it with food and oil. Russia, which does not require visas for people from Cuba, is a popular destination for Cubans who travel there to purchase merchandise to resell in Cuba. Cuba is not part of the war in Ukraine the ministrys statement said. The islands government has defended Russias invasion of Ukraine in the past and blamed the U.S. and NATO for the conflict. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The Cuban Foreign Ministry said Monday it had uncovered a human trafficking ring operating from Russia that is recruiting Cuban citizens to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war. The alleged human trafficking ring involves Cuban citizens living in Russia and even some living in Cuba, according to a statement from the Cuban Foreign Ministry. Cuba said it is working to neutralize and dismantle the operating ring, adding that it has initiated criminal proceedings against those allegedly involved. The agency did not disclose specific individuals facing criminal proceedings. Cubas enemies are prompting distorted information that seeks to tarnish the countrys image and present it as an accomplice to these actions that we firmly reject, according to the statement. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla posted the statement to X, formerly known as Twitter, adding, Action is taken with force of the law against these claims. Last May, the Ryazan Gazette, a Russian newspaper, reported that Cuban immigrants were joining the army in exchange for Russian citizenship. It was not immediately clear if the Cuban Foreign Ministrys allegations relate to this report. The allegations come amid Russias efforts to bolster its military numbers in its fight with Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin last month ordered the Russian military to increase its number of troops to a total of 1.15 million. The decree is set to take effect Jan. 1, though it was not immediately clear how the military will recruit more members. The Russian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to Cubas claims. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. In the wake of Hurricane Idalia's devastation to parts of Florida, certain programs are stepping up to assist those impacted by the late-August storm. The Department of Children and Families announced multiple flexibilities for SNAP recipients impacted by Hurricane Idalia, from allowing the purchase of hot foods to receiving benefits early. "We believe these flexibilities will help support families through the immediate recovery process, particularly households still awaiting power restoration, DCF Secretary Shevaun Harris said regarding Idalia's hit. Our team has deployed to several communities to bring supplies, and additional supports." But how do these compare their D-SNAP program for when disasters hit? For Floridians seeking assistance, here's what to know about the D-SNAP program and who qualifies currently. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement How to help Hurricane Idalia victims: How much damage has Hurricane Idalia caused? How to donate to impacted Floridians What is the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or D-SNAP? The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is managed by the United States Department of Agriculture and provides food assistance to low-income households with food loss or damage caused by a natural disaster. Before operating D-SNAP in a disaster area, a state must receive an Individual Assistance declaration from the president. The state must then request and receive approval from USDAs Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to operate a D-SNAP. How can you qualify for Florida food assistance? D-SNAP uses different standards than the standard SNAP. Even if a resident might not normally qualify for SNAP, they may qualify for D-SNAP if they had one of the disaster-related expenses below: Home or business repairs. Temporary shelter expenses. Evacuation or relocation expenses. Disaster-related personal injury, including funeral expenses Lost or no access to income due to the disaster; includes reduced, terminated, or delayed receipt of income, for a large part of the benefit period. In some cases, food loss after a disaster like flooding or power outages. Can I apply for D-SNAP benefits in Florida? At the moment, the USDA has not granted approval Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding to all Florida residents who qualify. However, the Department of Children and Families has announced three flexibilities for current SNAP recipients impacted by Hurricane Idalia. Residents can reach out their local Department of Children and Families sites for more information. To locate a local DCF office near you, visit their website here. If I already have SNAP benefits, can I still get D-SNAP benefits too? If a resident is a current SNAP client in Florida, they can request a supplement when their state operates a D-SNAP if they meet the conditions below: They currently get benefits that are less than the monthly maximum, and They have losses from the disaster. The supplement brings their benefits up to the maximum for their household size. This way benefits are equal between D-SNAP and SNAP households after a disaster. Current SNAP clients may also contact their local office to request replacement benefits for food lost in the disaster and bought with SNAP benefits. How has Hurricane Idalia impacted D-SNAP benefits? On Aug. 29, Florida DCF amended its request for early issuance of September 2023 benefits to SNAP households that receive their benefits between Sept. 1 and Sept. 14 to add Brevard, Orange and Osceola counties. The amendment increased the total to 49 counties approved for early issuance. The early issuance allowed households to prepare for the storm prior to making landfall or immediately after landfall. The initial waiver was approved on Aug. 29 and applied to SNAP benefits to all households in 46 counties: Alachua Baker Bay Bradford Calhoun Charlotte Citrus Clay Collier Columbia Desoto Dixie Duval Flagler Franklin Gadsden Gilchrist Gulf Hamilton Hardee Hernando Hillsborough Jefferson Lafayette Lake Lee Leon Levy Liberty Madison Manatee Marion Nassau Pasco Pinellas Polk Putnam Sarasota Seminole St. Johns Sumter Suwannee Taylor Union Volusia Wakulla On Sept. 2, FNS approved the Florida DCF request to waive the statutory definition of "food" under Section 3(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. This waiver approval allows SNAP households to purchase hot foods with SNAP benefits through Oct. 1. The Hot Food Waiver is for the following 23 counties: Alachua, Baker, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Madison, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, and Wakulla. On Sept. 3, FNS approved the Florida Department of Children and Families request to issue mass replacements to impacted households. This waiver approval allows households to receive replacement of benefits as stated in the approval due to power outages and flooding in Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Pasco, Suwannee, Taylor, and Wakulla. Once I'm approved for benefits, do I get a card? If approved for D-SNAP benefits, you will receive an Electronic Benefits Transfer, or EBT, card in the mail within 5-7 business days. You can use the card just like a debit card to buy allowable food at local FNS-authorized retail stores. How do I check my SNAP balance? According to DCF, the best way to know your balance is to refer to your last receipt. You may also obtain your balance by logging on to the EBT Cardholder Portal or by calling the EBT Customer Service number on the back of your card at 1-888-356-3281. After you enter your 16 digit EBT card number you will hear your current food assistance or cash account balance. How can I check to see if D-SNAP has been approved in my area? To see if D-SNAP has been activated for your disaster, go to This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida SNAP food assistance clients see added benefits after Idalia The manhunt for convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante has now widened and local schools have been shuttered after he was spotted on trail camera footage breaking past a police parimeter on Monday night. Cavalcante, 34, escaped from Chester County Prison, Pennsylvania, on Thursday days after he was sentenced to life without parole for stabbing his ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao, 31, to death in front of her two small children. He is also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil. During the six-day search for the escaped prisoner, multiple sightings have been reported with law enforcement setting up a two-mile parimeter around a wooded area where he was believed to be holed up. On Monday, officials then broadcast a message from the killers mother urging her son to surrender. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But, in a morning update on Tuesday, police revealed that Cavalcante had been caught on camera managing to sneak past the parimeter the night before. As a result, police have now expanded the police parimeter and shuttered the Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester Count out of abundance of caution. Members of the public have been urged to secure their homes, outbuildings and vehicles from the dangerous killer. Key points Manhunt for convicted killer enters six day Danelo Cavalcante captured on trail camera sneaking past police parimeter Surrender message from escaped inmates mother blasted into search area Local schools shuttered Tuesday as killer remains at large The prison escape: How Danelo Cavalcante broke out of Chester County prison 15:10 , Rachel Sharp Danelo Cavalcante, 34, escaped from Chester County Prison at around 8.50am on Thursday morning days after he was sentenced to life without parole for murder. Cavalcante was convicted of stabbing his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao to death back in August 2021. The killer attacked Brandao in Schuylkill Township in front of her two children, who were just seven and three years old. He is also wanted for a murder in 2017 in Brazil. Few details have been released about how he was able to escape from the facility. FULL STORY: Search for escaped murderer prompts Pennsylvania school closures after mothers surrender message 15:05 , Rachel Sharp Pennsylvania police have shuttered local schools out of abundance of caution as the search for escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante enters its sixth day. In a memo sent to parents, the Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester County said that schools across the district would be closed on Tuesday as the search situation to find the convicted killer has now changed. Read the full story: Police shut schools in search for Danelo Cavalcante after mothers surrender message Welcome to The Independents live blog 14:59 , Rachel Sharp Follow updates on the manhunt for Danelo Cavalcante who escaped from Chester County Prison in Pennsylvania on Thursday. Mother Teresa , who was canonized a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, died on September 6, 1997. UPI File Photo Sept. 5 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1774, the first Continental Congress convened in secret in Philadelphia. In 1836, Sam Houston was elected president of Texas. In 1877, Oglala Sioux chief Crazy Horse was fatally bayoneted by a U.S. soldier after resisting confinement in a guardhouse at Fort Robinson, Neb. A year earlier, Crazy Horse was among the Sioux leaders who defeated George Armstrong Custer's Seventh Cavalry at the Battle of Little Bighorn in Montana Territory. In 1882, 10,000 workers marched in the first Labor Day parade -- in New York City. Katie Couric wipes her eye while standing next to Matt Lauer during her last day on the NBC "Today" show from Rockefeller Center in New York City on May 31, 2006. On September 5, 2006, Couric became the first solo female anchor on a major U.S. television network when she took over the " CBS Evening News ." File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a proclamation declaring U.S. neutrality in World War II. The United States joined the war in 1941 after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In 1972, Palestinian militants invaded the Olympic Village outside Munich, West Germany, and killed 11 Israeli athletes and six other people. Secret Service agents rush President Gerald R. Ford toward the California State Capitol following an attempt on the president's life by Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme on September 5, 1975, in Sacramento, Calif. File Photo courtesy Gerald R. Ford Library In 1975, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, a follower of mass murderer Charles Manson, failed in an attempt to shoot U.S. President Gerald Ford. Fromme was paroled in 2009 after 34 years in prison. Secret Service agents rush President Gerald R. Ford towards the California State Capitol following an attempt on the president's life by Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme -- a disciple of Charles Manson -- on September 5, 1975, in Sacramento, Calif. File Photo courtesy Gerald R. Ford Library On September 5, 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a proclamation declaring U.S. neutrality in World War II. The United States joined the war in 1941 after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. File Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress In 1978, President Jimmy Carter hosted Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David, Md., for Middle East peace talks that laid the groundwork for a permanent peace agreement between Egypt and Israel after three decades of hostilities. The summit resulted in the Camp David Accords, which earned Sadat and Begin the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1995, France conducted an underground nuclear test at the Mururoa Atoll in the South Pacific. It was the first of several -- all of which were met by protests worldwide. In 1997, Mother Teresa died at age 87. She founded the Missionaries of Charity, an organization that provides charity for orphans, the homeless and people with terminal illnesses. She was canonized a saint in 2016. In 2006, Katie Couric, longtime co-host of the NBC Today show, became the first solo female anchor on a major U.S. television network when she took over the CBS Evening News. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI In 2014, U.S. officials said Ahmed Abdi Godane, leader of the Somalia-based Islamic militant organization al-Shabab, was killed in a U.S. airstrike. In 2012, the United States had posted a $7 million reward for his arrest. In 2021, an elite national army unit detained Guinean President Alpha Conde -- the country's first democratically elected leader -- and seized control of power. Mamady Doumbouya became interim president. In 2022, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss became the country's new prime minister, capturing 57% of the Conservative Party vote to replace scandal-laden Boris Johnson. She took office Sept. 6 and resigned less than two months later, on Oct. 25. File Photo by Neil Hall/EPA-EFE Maxim Kuzminov, the Russian helicopter pilot who recently defected to Ukraine, stated that senior Russian military commanders live for their own pleasure, in an interview with Ukrainian journalist and blogger Volodymyr Zolkin, published on Sept. 4. Read also: Memorial service honors crew of tragic Mi-8 helicopter crash in Donetsk Oblast One particular story he shared involved two military helicopters being used to airlift the commanders pet cat. When asked if there have been any illogical or irrational uses of pilots and aviation, Kuzminov said, "Yes, there have been numerous cases." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Our commander needed to transport a cat, which had some impressive pedigree, said Kuzminov. To do this, two Mi-8 and Mi-24 [helicopter] crews were assigned. So, two helicopters transported this wonderful animal, so to speak, from Rostov to Yeysk [air base] the Mi-8 was flying the cat in, while the Mi-24 was circling to provide cover." Read also: Drones attempt to strike helicopter plant near Moscow, flights delayed at several airports He noted that there were six military personnel on board at the time, and the flight to the destination took about an hour. "We burned a lot of fuel, resources; furthermore, the crews aren't always allowed to rest," the pilot said, adding that the Russian Air Force "lacks trained pilots." Read also: Government dismisses Kruk as State Emergency Service Head after high-profile helicopter disaster Describing the commanders' attitudes towards their subordinates in the Russian military in general, Kuzminov asserted that Russian soldiers are "left to their own devices", and the commanders "never have time to deal with it they have their own problems." On Aug. 23, Kuzminov landed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter in Poltava Oblast, surrendering the aircraft to Ukraine. Official sources later confirmed this was the conclusion of a six-months-long operation by Ukraines Defense Intelligence. Read also: Danilov sets the record straight on how many F-16s Ukraine will receive and on pilot training In addition to the aircraft itself, the transfer included spare parts for Su-27 and Su-30 fighter jets. Kuzminov and his family are now in Ukraine, having been evacuated from Russia in advance. He has since publicly urged other Russian pilots to follow his example. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine A Russian pilot who hijacked a military helicopter to defect to Ukraine says he tricked his crew members into joining him and that other Russian troops should follow his example. Maksim Kuzminov is spilling details about the special operation for the first time since Ukrainian intelligence revealed the defection last month, shutting down claims by Russian propagandists that the Mi-8 chopper and its crew had simply gotten lost while transporting parts for fighter jets. Instead, Kuzminov confirmed, he worked closely with Ukrainian authorities to pull off the sneaky defection, veering off course to land at a Ukrainian base in Kharkiv. There were two crew members with me. We didnt have any weapons, our pilots fly without weapons, Kuzminov told reporters at a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday. Nobody could put up any resistance, he said, because he was the only one who knew how to fly the hijacked Russian chopper. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement His crew members began to panic as they realized what was happening, he said. I was calming the guys down, I told them everything was fine, that good people live here and everything will be great. But they started to get scared and behave themselves a bit aggressively, and they ran from the helicopter towards the border, Kuzminov said, adding that its possible they were liquidated as they fled. Ukraines Main Intelligence Directorate confirmed separately on Tuesday that the two crew members decided not to surrender and died immediately after landing. Kuzminov said the chopper was fired upon as it crossed the border into Ukraine to defect, I assume by the Russian side. Now, Kuzminov, who is reportedly not being held as a prisoner of war but is instead seeking to join Ukrainian aviation, is calling on other Russian troops to switch sides, so as not to enable these crimes against Ukraine. His family was evacuated to Ukraine ahead of his defection. There are no fascists or Nazis here What is happening now is just a genocide of the Ukrainian people, Kuzminov said in a video released this week by Ukrainian intelligence. Nobody wants this war. When Ukraine will win is just a question of time, he 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. Photo: Steve Dunsmoor The Kelowna Rockets have reduced their camp roster to 50 after sending 18 players back to their respective midget programs. Among those send back are fourteen 15-year-olds who are not eligible to suit up full time in the league for another year, and four 16-year-olds. Ten of those sent back were camp invitees, while nine invitees, including three goaltenders remain in camp. Of the 50 players remaining in town, 30 are forwards, 15 defencemen and five goaltenders. First round U.S. draft choice Kalder Varga and third round bantam selection Kanjyu Gojsic were among those kept in camp, although at 15, both will have to return to their respective midget teams prior to the start of the regular season. Eli Barrett, the Rockets first selection in the 2023 WHL draft was among those sent back Tuesday. Training camp for the remaining 50 players continues all week at Prospera Place in advance of the start of the preseason this weekend. The Rockets will travel to Kamloops to face the Blazers Friday night before hosting the same Blazers squad Saturday. They'll close out the pre season schedule with games on home ice against Vancouver (Friday, Sept. 15) and Victoria (Saturday, Sept. 16). Two dollars from every preseason ticket sold will be donated to Cops for Kids. Two HAWK drones did not take off during the tests Ukraines Defense Ministry paid an advance of UAH 650 million ($17.5 million) for drones of questionable quality to Ukrainian Aviation Systems, a company owned by the wife of former MP Boryslav Rozenblat, an investigation by Bihus.Info has found. The journalists, reporting on the investigation on Sept. 4, found that in December 2022 the Defense Ministry signed an agreement worth UAH 807 million ($21.7 million) for 55 HAWK unmanned aerial vehicles. Read also: Ukraine versus Russia in drone arms race expert interview The contract was signed directly with the manufacturer, Ukrainian Aviation Systems LLC, which is owned by the wife of Boryslav Rozenblat, a former MP and a person charged in the so-called Amber case over receiving undue benefits and abuse of influence. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The investigation notes that the manufacturer claimed that it has been on the market since 2018 and has been mass-producing HAWK systems, which was the point that the agency and the government insisted on, allocating an unprecedented UAH 40 billion ($1.076 billion) to purchase drones from Ukrainian manufacturers. Read also: Odesas ex-draft commissioner illegally earns $5.1 million, says anti-graft agency Despite the fact that the drones were only able to take off half the time, crashed and provided poor quality images during training conducted for system operators in mid-July, Rozenblat assured that all the shortcomings would be corrected by the time the training was completed and the ordered quantity was handed over. However, when the training ended, the HAWKs remained "subpar." The day before the contract was awarded, on Aug. 14, it turned out that only four of the 55 ordered systems were ready, the investigation said. During the initial test flight, the first drone took off but then lost its camera feed. At the time, Rozenblat assumed that it had overheated and asked to give the drone a second chance. It took off, but failed to land, as its wings broke off and its nose was cracked. The Defense Ministry commission that was present during the test rejected the faulty HAWK drone. Screenshot of the video by Bihus.Info The second system also had problems. Rozenblat admitted that the fourth system did not take off either. Only the third HAWK managed to take to the skies and more or less cope with the test flight. Screenshot of the video by Bihus.Info The manufacturer claimed that its system was developed in cooperation with foreign partners and is made mostly of imported parts. HAWK was approved for use in the Armed Forces back in 2017, when it was greenlighted by the then Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak. At that time, there were reports that only seven of the nine attempts to test the HAWK were successful, but the Defense Ministry signed a contract with a company to which a member of the presidential faction was related, the investigation says. The first two prototypes were manufactured a year later at a cost of about UAH 6 million ($212,800). In the summer of 2019, the Defense Ministry ordered seven more systems for the same price. Read also: Mother of infamous Kyiv judge Vovk blocked access to Odesa beach with hotel construction Due to problems with the equipment, its replacement and new tests, the contract was significantly delayed, and the delivery dates specified in the contract expired. The Defense Ministry filed a lawsuit to force the manufacturer to pay UAH 10 million ($269,000) in penalties for breach of contract, while the manufacturer demanded a price revision. After Russia's full-scale invasion, the company handed over the systems that had been in storage for several years to the Armed Forces. The Defense Ministry confirmed this, saying that the military had not given any negative feedback about them. This is how the Ministry explained the signing of a new contract with UAS LLC the corresponding order came from the General Staff, Bihus.Info reports. However, the cost of the systems had now doubled to more than UAH 12 million ($323,000). The Defense Ministry said that the new contract with the manufacturer was for the same HAWK systems as before, but with improved characteristics, but in fact it turned out that UAH 650 million ($17.5 million) had been allocated for the purchase of untested systems, Bihus.Info journalists say. Read also: Ukraines defense minister replaced amid wartime corruption crackdown Oleksandr Liev, the former head of the department who signed the contract with UAS LLC, said in a comment that he was sure that he was buying the same HAWKs as in the previous batch, and all relevant services had checked the legal, financial and technical components of the contract before signing. In August, Rozenblat said that he could hand over 30 systems in the near future, and several dozen more a couple of months later. The Defense Ministry agreed to postpone the delivery date to October. However, the fulfillment of the contract is in jeopardy due to the seizure of the company's accounts in a criminal case investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation. Law enforcement officers assume that the company's management may have colluded with the Defense Ministry to seize funds by signing a contract at inflated prices, Bihus.Info journalists say. Read also: Ukraines incoming defense minister Rustem Umerov NV profile 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 Preston Walls, left, listens to testimony as evidence is reviewed during his trial at the Polk County Courthouse. Attorneys for the teen who shot and killed two peers in January at a Des Moines alternative school asked for a mistrial Tuesday after one of the police officers testifying against him referred to him as the "bad guy." Tuesday marked the second week of the trial of Preston Walls, charged with murder and other offenses in the deaths of Rashad Carr, 16, and Gionni Dameron, 18. All three were enrolled at the Starts Right Here school downtown where on Jan. 23,Walls shot and killed both youths in a hail of bullets. He was arrested a short time later after fleeing from a traffic stop. A second defendant, alleged getaway driver Bravon Tukes, will stand trial separately in October. Walls' attorneys concede he was the shooter, but say he acted in self-defense. Glen Downey, representing Walls, said last week that Carr and Dameron had been threatening and bullying Walls, and that his client feared for his life when he shot them. Police believe the teens were on opposing sides of a gang dispute, although the victims' families have denied they were involved in gangs. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Jurors on Friday heard from William Holmes, also known as Will Keeps, the founder of the school. Keeps, who was seriously injured in the shootings, explained how he'd spotted Walls entering the school's main room with what he suspected was a concealed gun and had tried to intercept him and guide him out, only to be struck by two of the 30 shots Walls ultimately fired. On Tuesday, the court resumed after the long weekend with continued cross-examination of Keeps. The defense focused on a visit to the school before the shooting by the mother of Trevontay Jenkins, who was shot and killed by Des Moines police in December. Jenkins was Tukes' brother, and police have said Carr, an aspiring rapper, had made a "diss" video insulting the slain youth before his death. Another Tukes brother, Brandon Michael Tukes, 23, had been killed the previous month in a shooting in suburban Phoenix. Previously: Starts Right Here shooting linked to teen's killing by Des Moines police, court records say "I wanted her to talk to the kids and say to leave the gang stuff alone, (to say) 'Look at what its doing to my family. I just lost two of my sons,' " Keeps said. "... I just wanted her to encourage the kids to stop doing this crazy stuff out in the streets because of this violence, it was getting too bad." Does calling Walls a 'bad guy' require a mistrial? After Keeps stepped down, prosecutors moved on to Walls' subsequent flight and arrest. Jurors heard from the officer who, alerted to watch for a black sedan without plates, spotted and pulled over Bravon Tukes' car, from which Walls fled, and from two K9 officers who located Walls and the weapon used in the killings in a nearby wooded area. They also heard from several officials about Walls' ankle GPS monitor from a previous offense, which he cut off shortly before the shooting, and from the crime scene techs who processed the shooting scene. One point of contention rose after the testimony of Des Moines police K9 officer Daobandon Meunsaveng, who at said his dog was very worked up after having caught the "bad guy." Afterward, defense attorney Darren Page asked the judge to order a mistrial. "This is a veteran police officer who has testified before, Im sure of it, and knows better than to call the defendant the 'bad guy,'" Page said, pointing to prior cases in which prosecutors have been faulted for using similar language. Prosecutor Daniel Voogt called the phrase a "colloquialism" and said the judge could address it with a corrective order to the jury. "Whatever impact those two words may have had do not raise to such unfair prejudice as to merit a mistrial," he said. Judge Lawrence McLellan said he would reserve judgment on the motion. William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com, 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines school shooting trial continues with motion for mistrial It was 50 years ago when The Grand, known as The Grand Opera House at the time, was at a crossroads. Long from being the plush Wilmington arts hub it is today with a steady stream of national acts taking to its 152-year-old stage, "The Grand Lady of Market Street" was a shell of what it once was and would become again. Dark most of the time, the run-down, dilapidated theater was anything but what its name suggested mostly used to screen low-budget movies on weekends with patrons sitting in seats that were already damaged beyond repair. "It was just falling to pieces. It's really quite sad when you look at photos from that time," says Pam Manocchio, executive director of The Grand. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The theater had abandoned live theater and become a movie house starting in the 1910s and was even leased to Warner Brothers for a few years. For a short time, the theater was completely closed and abandoned. COMING UP Rick Ross, Marvel heroes & Lewis Black: Over 50 shows for The Grand's 2023-24 season Before that, in its heyday, The Grand had been home to live shows by acting troupes and lectures "by the great thinkers, writers, scientists and political figures in the nation," wrote The News Journal's Bill Frank in an April 1972 column titled "Some grandeur due back at Grand Opera House." Going to live events at The Grand, such as talks by former U.S. Secretary of State and Scopes trial attorney William Jennings Bryant, had been part of the lifestyle of Wilmingtonians drawn in by the theater's lavish interior before radio and television began to anchor one-time patrons to their homes more of the time. But that all changed five decades ago when major changes helped pave the way for The Grand as we now know it. From the Masons to nonprofit To make it a central part of the downtown's revitalization and a "magnet to midtown" as The News Journal once wrote, an audacious plan was hatched in 1971 to return it as a statewide center for the arts. Blue lights illuminate The Grand in honor of first responders on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic in May 2020 in Wilmington. "It was an amazing vision by a group of volunteers, basically," Manocchio says. "We call them 'The Grand Pioneers.'" The Grand had opened 100 years prior in 1871 after being built by the Delaware Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons on the ground floor of its new temple, designed by architect Thomas Dixon, who also built Wilmington's Grace Methodist Church at Ninth and West streets near downtown. At one time, it was the third-largest theater in the country. The Cole Younger Band playing the 2011 Summer Salon Series at The Grand in Wilmington. The Delaware Masons, who had long maintained and preserved the historic building with its iconic cast iron facade, deeded the property to the city. The deed negated capital gains, along with property and transfer taxes, allowing the newly formed nonprofit Grand Opera House Inc. to assume control, maintaining and renovating the theater with the Masons remaining on the third and fourth floors. WELCOMED BACK HOME Accused of sexual assaults, Milton's Jimmie Allen still welcomed by these Delaware venues The deal was made under the stipulation that if The Grand was not used as a cultural center, it would revert back to the Masons. A packed house for a comedy show at The Grand in Wilmington. A News Journal staff editorial ("The Old Grand Wakes Up") at the time applauded the moves: "The best idea is that the Grand Opera House is a vibrant building whose magnificence has been muted. It's an asset in a city which doesn't have many. This is an idea to put that asset back to work, to show that the old opera house is no phantom." New-look Grand The first stage of the restoration, unveiled in 1973, included: The January 9, 1973 edition of the Evening Journal previews the new look at The Grand Opera House following a major renovation. 600 new seats donated by the nearby Loews's Aldine Theater New projection and sound equipment A fresh coat of paint inside and out Repaired floors Modernized stage Updated house and stage lighting. Longer term renovations in the coming years would include new heating and electric systems, air conditioning, a $250,000 facade restoration from the Longwood Foundation, along with restoration of the theater's original ceiling, designed and finished by Philadelphia-based brother team of decorative artists and fresco painters Charles and William Kehrwieder. The Grand can be seen illuminated at night across North Market Street in Wilmington in November 2008. Over its 152 years, the theater has had different levels of upkeep, which still leads to some uncanny discoveries when new work is needed at The Grand. "It's a very difficult building to maintain because of its age so you run into some interesting structural decisions from the past," she says. "When we go to upgrade something, you never know what surprises you will find." The stage comes alive once again In 1973, in-person arts events began breathing new life onto the 800 block of N. Market St. with five concerts announced in that year's schedule, including shows by the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Orchestra and the Vienna Boys Choir. It would be rededicated three years later to much fanfare and celebration with a much fuller schedule, including performances by Bonnie Raitt and Tammy Wynette. Offerings at the 1,200-seat theater have grown wildly throughout the years. The Grand's main Copeland Hall hosts about 30 music, comedy and other live shows each year, welcoming everyone from Willie Nelson and B.B. King to Wilco and The White Stripes over the years. It's also home to four resident companies: the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, First State Ballet Theatre, OperaDelaware and The Rock Orchestra. And five years ago, Architectural Digest magazine lauded The Grand as the "most iconic building" in the state, proving that the old opera house was indeed no phantom after being rescued from the very real possible fate of a wrecking ball. The '23-'24 Grand main hall schedule Sept. 17 Tig Notaro Sept. 20 Direct from Sweden The Music of ABBA Oct. 5 Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt Oct. 8 An Evening with Kenny Wayne Shepherd Nov. 1 Pink Martini featuring China Forbes Nov. 2 Sons of Serendip Nov. 4 The Moth: True Stories Told Live Nov. 11 The Rock Orchestra plays David Bowie Nov. 18 Graham Nash Nov. 30. Tab Benoit & The Dirty Dozen Brass Band Dec. 7 Watchhouse Dec. 9 The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra Dec. 10 An Evening with Judy Collins - Holidays & Hits Jan. 11 The Greatest Love of All: A Tribute to Whitney Houston Starring Belinda Davids Jan. 25 Erth's Dinosaur Zoo Live Feb. 17 The Rock Orchestra plays Bruce Springsteen March 13 Daniel Tigers Neighborhood LIVE March 24 Gaelic Storm and High Kings April 3 One Night of Queen Performed by Gary Mullen and The Works April 5 An Evening with David Sedaris May 2 Lewis Black May 4 The Rock Orchestra plays Fleetwood Mac May 9 The Temptations and the Four Tops Have a story idea? Contact Ryan Cormier of Delaware Online/The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier) and X (Twitter) (@ryancormier). This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: The Grand, Delaware's 'most iconic building, was restored 50 years ago A Delta flight was forced to turn around after one passenger on board suffered diarrhea all the way through the plane. The flight from Atlanta to Barcelona was two hours into its journey on Friday evening when the pilot asked if he could turn back. In a video clip from LiveATC.com, posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), one of the pilots is heard confirming the incident to air traffic control, saying: Its just a biohazard issue, we had a passenger who had diarrhea all the way through the airplane so they want us to come back to Atlanta. Flight 194 had to decisively make a U-turn back to its departure destination as it was considered a biohazard by the crew to continue to journey. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The plane arrived back in Atlantas Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport at 10.40pm to clean up the diarrhea on the plane. Over five hours later at 3am, the aircraft set off again to Barcelona for an eight-hour flight. One X user commented under the posted clip and claimed both he and his wife were on that flight. He said: Both my wife and I were on the flight. It was a mess. The pilots made the right decision to turn around. The ground crew ripped out the carpet and put new in. Considering the circumstances, the ground crew did a great job, along [with] the attendants and the pilots. FAA flight strip that relayed crews details of the incident on board (Twitter) Another user also heard stories from his partner who was travelling to Barcelona that day, who described the scene as pretty bad. He relayed It was dribbled down the aisle, smelled horrible. The vanilla-scented disinfectant used on it only made it smell like vanilla s***. After the plane landed, it was thoroughly cleaned. They didnt leave until around 2.30am. It is not known if the passenger with the medical issue returned to the flight to Spain after the detour. Delta Air Lines, without going into specifics, responded to the situation and said: Our teams worked as quickly and safely as possible to thoroughly clean the airplane and get our customers to their final destination. We sincerely apologize to our customers for the delay and inconvenience to their travel plans, Delta wrote in a statement. Last week, 11 passengers and crew were also hospitalised after severe turbulence on a Delta flight from Milan to Atlanta, the airline said. Delta Air Lines could owe you more than a free in-flight snack. Customers who were given a travel credit instead of a refund for flights canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for a cash payment under the terms of a class-action settlement. Theres also an option to keep the credit and receive an interest payment, according to the settlement administrators website. Eligible travelers looking to get their share have until Friday, Sept. 15, to file a claim. The complaint, filed in April 2020, accused the Atlanta-based airline of violating its contract with ticket holders when it refused to refund the full cost of their tickets. Instead, travelers were offered an e-credit to use on future travel. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Since the beginning of 2020, weve refunded over 11 million tickets totaling $6 billion, of which 20% took place in 2022, a Delta spokesperson told McClatchy News in a statement. The airline has denied any wrongdoing in the case and agreed to settle claims of unfair, deceptive, and unjust conduct against its passengers. Heres what to know as the deadline to apply for a cash payment draws near: Whos eligible? Customers who are U.S. citizens and were issued a credit on a non-refundable ticket bought for a flight scheduled between March 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021, that was canceled by Delta because of COVID-related issues are eligible to file a claim, according to the settlement notice. Customers must have unused or partially unused credit as of Jan. 13, 2023. How do I file a claim? Claim forms can be submitted online via the settlement administrators website. Youll need to have your Unique ID number, included in an emailed notice, to complete the form. Those who dont have an ID number can fill out the form but must provide supporting documents including receipts showing the ticket purchase, according to the website. Claim forms can also be mailed in but must be postmarked no later than Sept. 15. How much will I be paid? Eligible travelers can choose to receive a cash payment or credit payment with interest, so refund amounts will vary. Those who opt for the cash settlement will be refunded their remaining unused or partially unused travel credit amount as of Sept. 15, the administrators website states. Travelers whove already used their credit can receive an interest payment instead. Delta customers who opt for the credit payment can keep their travel credit. Additionally, theyll receive an interest credit equal to 7% of the original ticket amount of unused and partially used credits, the administrator said. There are a few restrictions, however. Travel credits must be redeemed by Dec. 31, 2023, for flights no later than Dec. 31, 2024. Customers with multiple unused credits may choose either a cash or credit payment for each. When will I get paid? A hearing to finalize the details of the settlement is scheduled for Oct. 5, administrators said. If approved, customers who submitted valid claims will be refunded but only after any appeals have been resolved. This process can be lengthy, administrators said, and may take up to a year. Stovetops turned on by themselves and sparked fires, feds say. Now Whirlpool must pay Ordered from Panda Express? You may be entitled to part of $1.4 million settlement Staff instigated fights among teens at house of horrors youth facility, lawsuit says A Washington State emergency room nurse accused of infecting at least a dozen people with Hepatitis C has finally been charged with a crime, some five-and-a-half years after the allegations first surfaced. Cora Weberg allegedly injected herself with narcotics meant for patients at Puyallups Good Samaritan Hospital in 2017 and 2018, then used the same syringe to administer the rest of the drug to those same patients. When those two patients, plus 10 others over the next three months, developed genetically similar strains of Hep C, Weberg quickly came under suspicion. Weberg, 36, was the one hospital employee who had treated all of the infected patients, and a subsequent CDC report declared Weberg to have been the only common epidemiological link between them. Investigators found that Weberg had obtained drugs from the hospitals automated dispensing system more frequently than other employees, and admitted to diverting patient injectable narcotic drugs for personal use, according to the CDC report. It also said Weberg herself tested positive for Hep C, contradicting her lawyers claims that she had tested negative. Weberg, an RN, was arrested at the Canadian border on May 4, 2018, and released the next day. Police at the time asked local prosecutors to try her for second-degree assault, but she was never formally charged. That all changed on Sept. 1, when federal prosecutors filed a bill of information charging Weberg with one count of tampering with consumer products. A combined arraignment and plea hearing was set for Sept. 5, according to court records reviewed by The Daily Beast; Weberg is expected to plead guilty to the tampering charge, which carries a maximum of 10 years in prison. It is unclear why prosecutors took so long to charge her with a crime. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Weberg acted with reckless disregard for the risk that another person would be placed in danger of death and bodily injury, and under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to such risk, the bill of information states. She did knowingly and intentionally tamper with, and did attempt to tamper with hospital medication vials of hydromorphone and fentanyl, substances controlled under Schedule II, Title 21, United States Code, Section 812. Bryan Hershman, Webergs attorney, told The Daily Beast on Tuesday that he feels terrible that these patients were apparently infected with Hep C. That said, per CDC and DOH written memo, there is no genetic connection between Ms. Weberg and these patients, Hershman wrote in an email, going on to present a scenario opposite to the one laid out by authorities. Moreover, the crime to which she is entering a plea is purely a drug based charge, since, in the grips of her depression, she was diverting leftover ampules of drugs OUT OF THE DISPOSAL BIN, after they had been used on the patient. A probable cause statement submitted by police upon Webergs 2018 arrest said she confessed to stealing the drugs, and said she had a plan to end her life due to a fracturing relationship with a then-boyfriend. U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington As for a genetic link between Webergs Hep C and the infected patients, CDC investigators found all 12 cared for by Weberg in fact carried the same genetic strain. Those patients at Good Samaritan who contracted Hep C but were not cared for by Weberg were infected by strains that were genetically distant from one another, as well as the strain infecting those who had come into contact with Weberg. However, it was not possible to assess the similarity between the HCV nucleotides in the infected patients and [Weberg] because the concentrations of virus in Webergs blood were too low to compare accurately. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department also did not prove a conclusive genetic link between Weberg and the infected patients, officials said at the time. Weberg was arrested in 2018, as she headed to Vancouver for a planned trip to Guam with her boyfriend and his mother. Police said they found texts on the boyfriends phone in which Weberg incriminated herself, allegedly admitting she stole drugs from Good Samaritan but saying there was no proof. At a follow-up news conference, Weberg insisted she never intentionally or unintentionally stuck anyone with a needle with which Id previously stuck myself. After Weberg was taken into custody, her mother told the News Tribune, Shes not an IV drug user. She doesnt have sex for money. Shes in a monogamous relationship. Shes smart, shes sympathetic. Shes got a heart of gold. She wouldnt hurt a bug. I raised her. Shes a lot like me. You tell the truth. You tell the truth if it hurts. Following her arrest, Weberg lost or surrendered her nursing licenses in four states, according to public records. Hershman did not respond to additional questions from The Daily Beast about how Weberg has been supporting herself over the past half-decade. 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. Dan Coffman shows off some freshly-harvested kernza at Lane Ridge Farm in Saint Peter, Minnesota, on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Kernza is an innovative wheat grass grain that can act as a more eco-friendly and less glutenous substitute for flour among other grain-based foods and drinks. If small farmers like Coffman's family can break into bigger markets, they hope... (Angelina Katsanis/Angelina Katsanis/Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS) ST. PETER, Minnesota Dan Coffman took a break recently from harvesting his crop and walked to the back of the lean-to on his machine shed. He opened one of the huge white totes stacked there marked Lane Ridge Farm. Theyre filled with an innovative wheatgrass called Kernza, backed up and waiting to go somewhere. Large metal grain bins of it stand outside too. Advertisement I still have half of my 2021 crop in storage, I have all of my 2022 crop in storage, and at this point I will have all of my 2023 crop in storage with no market available to me, Coffman said. He decided to plant only 10 acres of Kernza next year, down from 30. After that Im going to have to see if the market picks up, Coffman said. Its tough to run a business without generating an income off acres. Advertisement Billed as the new wonder grain a wheatgrass with a nutty, graham or rye-like flavor Kernza uses very little nitrogen fertilizer, and its extremely long roots make it a powerhouse at soaking up nitrogen that would otherwise seep into groundwater, research has shown. Its the type of eco-crop promoted for farm country to help cut the nitrate leaching from nitrogen fertilizers into the states waters. Coffman is one of more than 50 farmers around Minnesota who grow Kernza now. Still, there are only about 1,400 acres in the state. Thats more than any other state, but its small not much more than the states acres of berries. Its a boutique grain. A 5-pound bag of Kernza baking flour costs $30 at Northfield-based startup Perennial Pantry, which Coffman sells to. When asked why there are so few acres of an eco-crop in Minnesota when its targeted as a nitrate-reduction tool, Coffman did not hesitate. No one is buying it. He wants to grow more of it for the water and environmental benefits and because he finds growing corn and soybeans boring, he said. I think it just takes time for the general public to accept it or for it to become more mainstream, he said. Thats the core challenge many are working on, including the new Perennial Promise Growers Cooperativein Lac qui Parle County. Coffman is part of the cooperative, which has hired a marketing company. Boosters say Kernzas slow start doesnt mean its doomed. Take soybeans. It took 80 years from concept to really taking a strong hold in the marketplace, said Alexandra Diemer, business development director of novel supply chains for the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute in Crookston, Minn. Kernza is moving much faster, Diemer said. Its root systems are insane, she said. Thats why its such a star. Its like, 10 feet deep compared to 2 feet deep. Advertisement Products are popping up in numerous places thanks to help from the Research Institute and other advocates. Artisan Naan Bakery in St. Cloud churns out fresh Kernza naan, a flatbread, sold by some Twin Cities stores. Brewers make Kernza cream ale and other beers even a Kernza whiskey by Tattersall Distilling. There are Kernza recipes in the Forever Green Cookbook by award-winning food writer Beth Dooley. General Mills Cascadian Farm brand makes a Kernza cereal with honey oat clusters. Kernza Fest Wisconsin joined the Lake Pepin Legacy Alliances annual benefit celebration this summer. But as a commercial crop, its still at the very early stage, said Mitch Hunter, associate director of the University of Minnesotas Forever Green Initiative, a project developing new, environmentally friendly perennial and winter crops for farmers. He said he thinks Coffmans Kernza backed up because production expanded in 2020, and prices for end users were too high. Its easy to look at the market and say Why isnt it bigger yet? Hunter said. I would say where we are right now is a mark of success. I think its very reasonable to be impatient. 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 > Meanwhile, researchers are busy with the Kernza plant itself. The nonprofit Land Institute in Salina, Kan., started developing Kernza 20 years ago, and the Us Forever Green is developing it too, along with more than a dozen other alternative crops such as a perennial flax. The University of Minnesota released the MN-Clearwater Kernza variety in 2019, the type Coffman and most Minnesota farmers grow. It plans to have a new second variety to release to seed companies next fall, for 2025 planting. The goal is to enlarge the grains seed head, get a hull that releases from the kernel more easily and breed a shorter plant less likely to fall over in the field. They want to sustain Kernza yields and stop them from declining after two or three years in the field. Hunter is confident the Us 15-year Kernza breeding program will improve the grains yields and lead to greater adoption. Advertisement Theyre also adding Kernza to an incentive program that pays farmers to grow alternative crops such as winter camelina. The Environmental and Economic Clusters of Opportunity (EECO) is funded through the states sales tax-financed Clean Water Fund, which has boosted Forever Green spending 50% to $6 million for the next two years. Top priority goes to farmers growing in drinking water supply management areas, the protected zones near community water wells, many of which are polluted by nitrate. Those growers get an additional 25% payment. Meanwhile, the Legislature this spring appropriated $500,000 to the Department of Agriculture to make grants to grow the supply chain and markets for continuous-living crops such as Kernza. Coffman will be watching. Steering his combine down the rows of Kernza last week in a field near St. Peter High School, he said hes trying to do something legendary for Lane Ridge, his familys Century Farm. Hell grow a smaller batch of Kernza next year. Hes waiting for the market to take off. A pursuit of a stolen U-Haul led to a tackle and an arrest in blackberry bushes in Clallam County Friday, according to the Clallam County Sheriffs Office. At about 9:55 p.m. Friday, deputies received a tip a 28-year-old Port Angeles man was at a home in the Gales Addition neighborhood in Port Angeles. The man, identified as Andrew P. Benson, had an outstanding warrant as well as probable cause for theft of a motor vehicle and eluding. According to the 911 caller, Benson was driving a U-Haul truck. Deputies arrived at the location, but were unable to find him. At 11:25 p.m., deputies returned to the area to try and find Benson and the U-Haul again, where they found the truck with a man and woman inside. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement When Benson was quickly identified as the driver, a deputy pulled his car in front of the truck. The deputy then ordered both people to get out of the truck. The woman got out of the truck and walked away. According to the Clallam County Sheriffs Office, when Benson refused, he erratically drove the U-Haul towards the patrol car, crossing the centerline of the roadway. Deputies believed Benson may have been under the influence, so a pursuit was initiated. Benson forced other cars off the road, drove the wrong way on a one-way road and nearly collided with several vehicles. When Benson drove the U-Haul into a yard, he stopped at the north end of North Baker Street. According to deputies, Benson jumped out of truck and ran away, where he jumped over the edge of an embankment. A deputy grabbed Benson, as they both tumbled down the embankment together, crashing about 10 feet down into blackberry bushes and stinging nettles. After a brief struggle, Benson was taken into custody. Benson was booked in the Clallam County Jail on charges of eluding a police vehicle, driving under the influence, resisting arrest, obstructing a law enforcement officer, reckless endangerment, and driving while license was suspended. Ukraine will be ready for European Union membership in two years and for NATO membership even earlier, Olha Stefanishyna, the deputy prime minister for European integration, said in a Sept. 5 interview with the Voice of America. Stefanishyna believes that Ukraine is able to make steps towards EU membership during wartime. She also said she is sure that Ukraine will be able to negotiate effectively and fulfill all obligations before the EU and create suitable conditions for Ukraine's economic recovery. Ukraine officially applied for EU membership in February 2022 and was granted candidate status in June last year. To start the membership negotiation process, Kyiv needs to implement seven reforms outlined by the European Commission. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The experience of most EU candidates shows that Ukraine may still need to go through a lengthy path to EU membership, on average 7 to 9 years. Read also: Constitutional Court reform: Will Ukraine implement key condition for EU membership? Meanwhile, a bill passed by the Ukrainian parliament in the second reading on Sept. 5 may contradict Stefanishyna's statements. The bill restored asset declarations for officials but failed to make them public. Restoring asset declarations has been central to talks on Ukraine's accession to the European Union and borrowing money from the International Monetary Fund. Anti-corruption watchdogs and opposition MPs argue that the EU and IMF are unlikely to accept the bill in this form. Transparency International Ukraine, an anti-corruption watchdog, said that the bill envisaged a "sham" restoration of declarations. "Our foreign partners are unlikely to consider these actions by parliament as a real step towards European integration and effective cooperation with the IMF," the watchdog said. Read also: Parliament restores asset declarations but fails to make them public Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Governor Ron DeSantis and US Senator Rick Scott handled President Joe Biden s visit to the Big Bend region in starkly different ways this weekend. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Scott met with the President in Live Oak, while DeSantis skipped the meeting and toured a different area entirely. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] UNF political science professor Sean Freeder argues for the two Republicans, one running for reelection and the other in the midst of a Presidential Primary, meeting with the sitting President carries different levels of political risk. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Scott doesnt have any pressure on him right now. Hes you know, as of the moment going to run unopposed. Hes probably going to win just by demographic numbers alone so he can do the kind of like statesman thing and meet with Biden, Freeder said. But a rumor circulated by former President Donald Trump suggests Scott may not run unopposed. Rumors are strong in political circles that Ron DeSanctimonious, whose Presidential run is a shambles, and whose poll numbers have absolutely crashed, putting him 3rd and 4th in some states, will be dropping out of the Presidential race in order to run, in Florida, against Rick Scott for Senate, Trump said in his post on Truth Social. READ: Major insurers factoring in climate change, but industry insiders say expect little impact in FL. I mean if youre him and youre watching those declining poll numbers, maybe youre saying to yourself I need to strike while the iron is hot, Freeder said. DeSantis Press Secretary responded in a social media post calling the rumors fake news. Instead of pushing fake news from New Jersey, the Trump campaign should be focused on getting their candidate on the campaign trail in Iowa and on the debate stage before its too late, DeSantis Press Secretary Bryan Griffin said. Freeder argued while a Senate seat would keep DeSantis in office up until the 2028 Presidential Election, the risk of challenging Scott is likely not worth the potential reward. READ: St. Johns County leaders taking action on roadway project, widening County Road 210 Youve got some options outside of elected office if youre DeSantis and personally I think that any of those would be better than trying to force a fight with Rick Scott too early, potentially get real bloodied from that, and then youve made some enemies in the State of Florida, which for DeSantis is the last place you want to make those enemies, Freeder said. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Another risk posed by a Senate run: Unlike the resign-to-run carveout granted to those running for the Presidency, win or lose, a run for Senate would guarantee DeSantis final term as Governor would be cut short. 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 (Reuters) - Despite Rome's scepticism, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said cooperation with Italy under the Beijing-led Belt and Road initiative had been fruitful, with high-quality Italian products having entered "thousands of households" in China. "The thousand-year friendship inherited from the ancient Silk Road has endured," Wang told visiting Italian Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani in a meeting on Monday. "In the past five years, the trade volume between China and Italy has grown from $50 billion to nearly $80 billion, and Italy's exports to China have increased by about 30%," Wang said in a readout of the meeting from China's foreign ministry released on Tuesday. In 2019, Italy became the first major Western nation to join China's Belt and Road, a global trade and infrastructure initiative modeled on the idea of the old Silk Road that had linked imperial China and the West millennia ago. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But Italy, the only Group of Seven power to have signed up since the trade and infrastructure initiative was launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping a decade ago, has expressed doubts over its membership in recent months. Tajani said on Saturday before leaving for China that bilateral trade had not improved. "The Silk Road did not bring the results we expected," Tajani said. "We will have to evaluate, the parliament will have to decide whether or not to renew our participation." Rome has until December to formally withdraw from the accord, which expires in March 2024. Otherwise, it will be extended for another five years. Any loss of the erstwhile terminus of the old Silk Road would be diplomatically embarrassing for China, which has expected to mark the achievements of the Belt and Road initiative at an international forum in Beijing in October. China and Italy should adhere to the right way of getting along with each other through mutual respect, openness and cooperation, Wang told Tajani. Wang stressed that in the face of "new situations and new opportunities", China is willing to adhere to openness and win-win with both sides. (Reporting by Shanghai newsroom, Liz Lee and Ryan Woo; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Michael Perry) As questions swirl over the possibility of Ukraine extraditing oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky to face charges in the United States, Oleksandr Martynenko, CEO of news agency Interfax-Ukraine, has spoken on Radio NV about Kolomoisky's ongoing legal troubles. Detained and charged under two articles of Ukraine's Criminal Code last week, Kolomoisky's complex citizenship status has cast uncertainty over whether Ukraine could hand him over to foreign authorities, a topic Martynenko addressed during a Radio NV broadcast on Sept. 4. Ukraines SBU Security Service, the Economic Security Bureau, and the Prosecutor General's Office pressed charges against Kolomoisky on Sept. 2 under Articles 190 (21) and 209 (23) of the Criminal Code. The charges are fraud (taking possession of another's property or acquiring the right to property by fraud or breach of trust) and legalization (laundering) of the proceeds of crime. A Kyiv court on Sept. 3 imposed a pre-trial restraint on Kolomoisky in the form of detention for 60 days with the possibility of bail of UAH 509 million ($13.7 million). In addition, Kolomoisky must hand over all relevant documents and not communicate with witnesses. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement His lawyers can appeal the decision within five days of the court ruling. Read also: SBU searches oligarch Kolomoisky's residence over misappropriation of $1 billion However, Kolomoisky does not want to post bail, his lawyers said. According to the oligarch's lawyers, the court hearing was held with a number of violations, and they were not given time to collect materials in the case, so they are currently preparing an appeal. But could Ukraine hand Kolomoisky over to the United States, NV asked Martynenko. Read also: How Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes to send Ihor Kolomoisky into retirement Logically, if we consider him a citizen of four countries, then yes, Martynenko said. But we've been looking into this in recent days and wondering if there is any proof that Kolomoisky does not have Ukrainian citizenship. I havent seen it yet. When a person is a citizen of four countries at the same time, the question arises: how do you consider him? As whom? In the court materials, all the materials that have now been submitted to the court, Kolomoisky was indicated as having the citizenships of Cyprus and Israel. I'm not sure that a Ukrainian passport might emerge from somewhere. Well, in any form, in any scenario, you know, we will see. If, not when, but if, there are charges, and if the U.S. documents are there, and there is an extradition request. So far, I know that he was very afraid of this, of an extradition request. And that's why he stayed in Ukraine all this time without crossing the borders. Thats because he believed that if he crossed the border, he would be immediately arrested by FBI investigators. Its theoretically possible, of course, but I don't think it's a reality now. For now, I think that in the near future, we will be dealing with Ihor Kolomoisky in the Ukrainian courts, with Ukrainian investigators. 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 Beginning Jan. 1, Medallion Qualifying Dollars will be the only metric that counts when it comes to earning elite frequent flyer status with Delta. A Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Barcelona was forced to turn around Friday after a significant medical issue on the plane. Its just a biohazard issue, a member of the flight crew is heard in an air traffic control recording captured by LiveATC.net and shared by Thenewarea51 on X, formerly Twitter. Weve had a passenger who had diarrhea all the way through the airplane, so they want us to come back to Atlanta. Replying to the post, a traveler identified as John Hurdt wrote: Both my wife and I were on the flight. It was a mess. The pilots made the right decision to turn around. The ground crew ripped out the carpet and put new in. Considering the circumstances, the ground crew did a great job, along (with) the attendants and the pilots. My partner was on that flight! It was pretty bad, another person, identified as Dee W, posted on X, adding that it smelled horrible. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Without elaborating on the nature of the incident, Delta told USA TODAY: Delta flight 194 on Sept. 1 from Atlanta to Barcelona returned to Atlanta following an onboard medical issue. Our teams worked as quickly and safely as possible to get our customers to their final destination. We sincerely apologize to our customers for the delay and inconvenience to their travel plans. Delta said the 336 customers on board the Airbus A350 made it to their destination without further incident the following day. The flight arrived eight hours and six minutes behind schedule. 'I had never seen so much blood': Air France passenger describes mid-flight discovery This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Delta flight returns to Atlanta after biohazard issue on plane A Delta Air Lines plane was forced to turn around about an hour into a flight from Atlanta to Barcelona, Spain, after a passenger had diarrhea throughout the cabin, according to air traffic audio. Delta flight 194 left Atlanta around 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 1 on an anticipated eight- to nine-hour flight to Barcelona, according to airline tracker Flightaware.com. Less than an hour after taking off, the plane turned around and started heading back toward Atlanta, the flight tracker showed. In audio captured by LiveATC.net and shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, the pilot can be heard telling air traffic control there was a biohazard on the flight, forcing them to return. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Its just a biohazard issue, the pilot says in the recording. Weve had a passenger who had diarrhea all the way through the airplane so they want us to come back to Atlanta. A Delta Airlines Airbus A350 turned around back to Atlanta Friday night because of diarrhea throughout the airplane from a passenger and its a biohazard. The FAA flight strip for DL194 was posted to Reddit (xStang05x) Also a passenger posted here asking why her sons pic.twitter.com/VWbkB47wF1 Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) September 3, 2023 There were 336 passengers on the flight, a Delta spokesperson told McClatchy news in a Sept. 5 email. When asked to confirm diarrhea as the cause of the flight returning to Atlanta, Delta officials referred to it only as an onboard medical issue. Delta flight 194 from Atlanta to Barcelona returned to Atlanta following an onboard medical issue. Our teams worked as quickly and safely as possible to get our customers to their final destination. We sincerely apologize to our customers for the delay and inconvenience to their travel plans, a spokesperson told McClatchy News. The same plane took off the next day and completed the flight to Barcelona, Delta officials said, 8 hours and 6 minutes behind schedule. People who said they were on the flight took to X to share their experience. My partner was on that flight! one user wrote. It was pretty bad. It was dribbled down the aisle, smelled horrible. The vanilla scented disinfectant used on it only made it smell like vanilla (poop). Both my wife and I were on the flight, another user wrote. It was a mess. The pilots made the right decision to turn around. The ground crew ripped out the carpet and put new in. Other users took the opportunity for some bathroom humor. DL194, youre number 2 for landing, one wrote. Delta refused refunds over canceled flights. Now travelers may be entitled to cash Doctor exposed himself, masturbated on flight while sitting next to teen, feds say Unruly Delta passenger threatened to cut off flight attendants head, reports say Delta passenger gropes 15-year-old on flight and is arrested when plane lands, feds say Doctor groped woman mid-flight while headed to propose to girlfriend, feds say Steven M. Foley listens as the jury finds him guilty of second degree murder in Worcester Superior Court Friday. Foley was found guilty of killing Cynthia L. Webb in 2017. WORCESTER Steven M. Foley was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday in Worcester Superior Court for the murder of Cynthia L. Webb. Steven Foley, you didnt win, nor did you get away with the violent crime, Brad Webb, the womans son, said to Foley. My moms love and impact will carry on. Webb, 59, was found dead by firefighters inside the trunk of her burning vehicle at Hope Cemetery Dec. 12, 2017. Jurors Friday convicted Foley, 62, of second-degree murder and malicious destruction of a vehicle following a trial that began the previous Monday. Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Daniel M. Wrenn, after lauding Brad Webb for his words, set parole eligibility for Foley at 25 years, the longest period allowable under law. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Prosecutors argued Foley, a Level 3 sex offender with multiple rape convictions, violently murdered Webb after meeting her at Marios Showplace in Webster, where she danced, and taking her to his Northborough home. Webbs body had to be identified using dental records. The medical examiner, noting her DNA was found in blood underneath the floorboards, ruled she had died by violence of unknown means. Prosecutors presented video, cellphone and witness testimony they argued implicated Foley, whose defense primarily consisted of criticizing the thoroughness of authorities' investigation and suggesting Webb could have died from cocaine use. Brad Webb, who drove from his home in Kentucky this week for the trial, focused his victim impact statement Tuesday on his mothers life and impact. Cynthia Webb Cynthia Webb described as 'most of all' a fighter As he told the Telegram & Gazette in 2018, Cynthia Webb who went by Cindy had struggled with trauma including the death of her father and her husband in the same week before age 21. That rocked her and put her life in shambles, he said. After time, she fought to get her life back and we were able to get to know each other better and grew to love each other. Webb said he was glad his mother, who came back into his life in his teens, got to see him overcome his own demons and build a successful life with a wife and two children. His wife, Diana Webb, in an impact statement read in court by a prosecutor, recalled how her future mother-in-law treated her with love from early on in her relationship. Even when Brad and I did break up for a short time, she would still call and message me telling me how much she loved me, she wrote, adding that Webb always tried to help others, despite her own struggles. Brad Webb described his mother as funny, quick-witted, caring, nonjudgmental and, "most of all," a fighter. Thats why I never judged her job or her lifestyle choices, he said. She was trying to survive the only way she knew how and for that Ive always respected her. Webb said his mom was not defined by the job she did or the choices she made. The unconditional love she shared with those who knew her was who my mother was, he said. Her impact will not be forgotten Brad Webb, who was very young when his father died, was supported in court Thursday by a close friend and several family members. He said his family had endured more than its share of losses and that one thing he dearly loved, and needed, was hearing his mother tell him how proud she was of him. I will never hear those words again and thats a very painful thought, he said. Its crushing to know that my mother fought so hard and endured so much, just to have her life brutally taken away. Still, Webb and his wife said, her impact will live on in his family and their children. While she made many mistakes, Webb said, she always fought hard to correct them. That is the biggest lesson I learned from her: To never give up and always keep fighting for better days, he said. Webb closed by saying he wished Foley suffered worse than the suffering you put my mother through, although I bet my mom put up one hell of a fight because at her core, thats who she was: A fighter. Foley, who sat chained hand and foot at the defense table, did not look back at Webb as he spoke. His lawyer, Sarah Hamilton, told the judge Foley had directed her to make no statement on his behalf, saying he is focused on an appeal. Wrenn praised Brad Webb for his remarks, which he called very moving. You, to your credit, chose to focus on the value and quality of your mother, he said. Thank you. Prosecutors in their sentencing argument noted that Foleys record includes three rape convictions including a 20-year sentence for a case in which he threatened to kill the victim. Assistant District Attorney Brett Dillon noted that Essex County prosecutors tried unsuccessfully to have Foley held as sexually dangerous in 2008, saying at the time he was considered a medium to high risk to reoffend. Dillon noted that Foley, prior to Webbs murder, did reoffend, receiving a 30-month sentence for indecent assault and battery that might have been longer if the victim had wished to testify. Brad Webb told the T&G Tuesday he would fight any proposed parole in the future. I will do everything in my power to make sure he doesnt see the light of day again and is not able to hurt another person, he said after the hearing. Webb said he appreciated Wrenns comment and for the opportunity to tell the world that his mother was far more than her job. Im happy I was able to speak on my mothers character, he said. Verdict: Steven M. Foley guilty of second-degree murder in death of Cynthia Webb This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Steven Foley sentenced to life in prison for murder of Cynthia Webb A woman suffered crippling pain after a medical device the size of a dinner plate was left inside her abdomen for 18 months after she gave birth via cesarean section, an official report has said. The unnamed woman, who is in her 20s, underwent the procedure in 2020 because of complications with her pregnancy and her "elevated maternal body mass," according to the report, which was released Monday by New Zealands health and disability commissioner, Morag McDowell. The woman complained of severe chronic pain for months after the birth, and doctors eventually discovered that an Alexis wound retractor a soft tubular device used to draw back the edges of a wound during surgery had been accidentally left inside her during the operation. The woman complained of the pain to her doctor several times and on one occasion went to the emergency department of Auckland Hospital, in New Zealand's largest city. An Alexis wound retractor. (Applied Medical / AP) The item was undetected for so long partly because it was "non-radio opaque" and so could not be seen by X-ray. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement McDowell said the Auckland health authority had failed in its duty of care to the woman. The health board has apologized for the distress but must do so again in writing within three weeks. "I acknowledge the stress that these events caused to the woman and her family. The woman experienced episodes of pain over a significant period of time following her surgery until the AWR was removed in 2021," McDowell said in the report. "I accept her concerns regarding the impact this had on her health and wellbeing and that of her family." The report says that a large wound retractor was used during the C-section but that the surgeon decided it was too small and asked for an extra large version instead. It was the second, larger device that was left inside the patient, and it wasn't discovered until a CT scan more than a year later. The report said the retractors weren' included in a routine count of medical equipment in the hospital department, as is standard. The Auckland health authority, known as Te Whatu Ora Te Toka Tumai Auckland, said in response to the report that it had told staff members the retractors should be included in the count. Woman left with surgical implement in her body after cesarian (Hannah Peters / Getty Images file) The health authority argued in its response to the inquiry that there was "insufficient basis to find that there was a failure to exercise reasonable care and skill in this case." But the commissioner was unmoved by its argument. "I have little difficulty concluding that the retention of a surgical instrument in a persons body falls well below the expected standard of care," McDowell wrote in her conclusion. Leaving something inside a patient is a "never" event, she added. Mike Shepard, Te Whatu Oras group director of operations for Auckland, said in a statement to the media: I would like to say how sorry we are for what happened to the patient, and acknowledge the impact that this will have had on her and her whanau [family]. For ethical and privacy reasons we cant comment on the details of individual patient care. However, we have reviewed the patients care and this has resulted in improvements to our systems and processes which will reduce the chance of similar incidents happening again. The case has been referred to the commissioner's director of proceedings, who has the power to bring disciplinary charges that could ultimately end the careers of those involved. It isn't an entirely isolated incident: The same thing happened in Waitemata, an Auckland suburb, in 2021. A man underwent emergency surgery to treat a perforated colon, during which an Alexis wound retractor was fully inserted into his abdomen and not removed, causing him pain and nausea before it was removed more than two weeks later. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com With new probes, telescopes, and radio antennae, scientists are intensifying their search for alien civilizations. But its possible human civilization isnt ready to meet extraterrestrials. Theres no global plan (at least, that the public knows of). No consensus among spacefaring countries on how we should follow up on first contact with an alien civilization. No treaty compelling Earth governments to behave properly toward our new extraterrestrial neighbors. Thats a problem, according to John Gertz, who once sat on the board of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute in California. Hes mostly worried about what happens after the search is successful. One way or another, contact with aliens may be imminent, he wrote in a new paper slated to be published in the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, but which has already inspired a serious debate among experts. There has been no planning among nations for the aftermath of a first detection, Gertz told The Daily Beast. If nations and private parties do not act in concert, the worst-case scenarios are potentially catastrophic. War could break out on Earth as countries scramble to monopolize the technological spoils of interstellar relations with an advanced alien civilization. Or worse, war could break out between humanity and E.T. after one country or another, acting alone, botches interstellar negotiations. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A Harvard Physicist Went Fishing for an Alien Probe. What Did He Find? This is why we should all be in this together, Gertz wrote, and make these tough choices through representative bodies and codify those decisions within an international treaty. He even proposed a basic outline for a prospective agreement. This Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in Humankinds Relations with Robotic or Biological Extraterrestrial Intelligence gives all signatories the right to search for aliens, but requires that all such SETI searches shall be conducted for the benefit of all humankind. And if someone makes first contact, they must immediately report it to the United Nations. If the aliens seem hostile, the U.N. would have the power to lock down communications from Earth to E.T.s home world. If they seem friendly, the U.N. would give whichever probe or alien institution made contact with Earth the same legal rights as a human ambassador. All communications with the aliens would be vetted by a U.N. committee then approved by the full U.N. General Assembly. A panel of SETI experts agreed a treaty is a good ideaeven imperative. The stakes are too high not to start thinking about Earth-alien relations, they said. Without a treaty, we risk the extinction of humanity in the event we or the aliens botch first contact, John Traphagan, a religious-studies professor at the University of Texas who studies first contact, told The Daily Beast. He believes the likeliest bad outcome is that an international race to capitalize on first contact escalates into a nuclear or biological war. Congress UFO Hearing Was Really a Desperate Call for Action. Who Will Answer It? Traphagan stressed that any first-contact treaty should be co-written by representatives of all 195 countries on Earth, and not be simply driven by Western powers and particularly the U.S. After all, it would be especially tempting for the U.S., as the worlds leading space power, to take control of the treaty-writing process. Jason Wright, a Penn State astronomer, told The Daily Beast a treaty should discourage active SETI and encourage passive SETI. In other words, it should nudge countries toward listening for aliens rather than actively broadcasting welcome messages across the cosmos. If there are predatory aliens, it would be easy for them to set honey trapsseemingly innocent signals [or] messages whose actual intent is to get species to reveal themselves, Ken Wisian, a University of Texas geophysicist who studies first contact, told The Daily Beast. With passive SETI, wed know about aliens before they knew about us. And that would give us an opportunity to decide whether E.T. is hostile before we respond. Above all, a treaty should be flexible. Our search for alien life is expanding, and fast. At the same time, aliens exist only in our imaginations at present. Sure, they could be hostilebut maybe theyd be friendly. Or maybe the words hostile and friendly wouldnt apply to whatever they are. NASA Should Just Say It: Were Looking for Goddamn Aliens Maybe theyre unknowable until we know them. When it comes to negotiating with aliens, the details of the right decision will depend in large part on facts about extraterrestrial others of which we are currently unaware, Chelsea Haramia, a philosopher at Spring Hill College in Alabama, told The Daily Beast. However, our potential inability to predict the worst of the worst should not prevent us from recognizing what we can anticipate here and now, Haramia added. Writing a SETI treaty would compel us to think about homo sapiens as one species with a shared destiny and a single, fragile planet we call home. Wed be more encouraged to appreciate our shared humanity. We can seize on this cosmically-motivated opportunity to rally productive discussion, Haramia said. A global philosophical readjustment might be the only thing to come out of any effort to write a SETI treaty. An actual globally ratified SETI treaty might be too much to ask of a world where the major powers cant even agree to caps on nuclear weapons. I am somewhat skeptical that it would be agreed to, Wisian said. Give it time, Gertz said. It took decades for most of the world to agree, however half-heartedly, to do anything about climate change. It might take just as long, or longer, to get the worlds governments to hammer out a legal framework for talking to E.T. Lets face it, until quite recently, encounters with aliens were the stuff of tabloid newspapers. 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. As I write this, the city is drenched in sweltering heat. Soon enough, tank tops will be pushed to the back of the drawer as sweaters take center stage. And with those cozy knits comes the anticipation of an abundant arts calendar. There are milestones galore. The Harris Theater for Music and Dance turns 20 this year and has emerged from adolescence as a stunning example of its dual missions: supporting local artists while treating Chicago audiences to some of the best dance on offer from around the world. The Dance Center of Columbia College the citys sole presenter dedicated exclusively to dance kicks off its 50th season, with the best bits coming up in 2024. And Chicagos sassiest troupe, Chicago Dance Crash, crossed the 20-year mark, welcoming new artistic and executive directors to lead the fusion hip hop and contemporary company into its third decade. And former Joffrey Ballet dancer Erica Lynette Edwards rounds the bend on her first month as executive director of Giordano Dance Chicago, adding to the growing list of Chicago companies with women in both directors chairs. Advertisement A tidal wave of departures has left open leadership roles at Links Hall, High Concept Labs and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, whose previous directors were not long in those jobs. But dance has reason to be cautiously optimistic. A changing guard makes room for new voices guiding the art form, and doesnt appear, for now, to be signs of trouble ahead. Progress cannot happen, of course, without an adoring public. While these are not the only options, our fall dance guide will hopefully peel back one layer of a rich art form and make you eager to see more. Advertisement Joffrey Ballet artistic director Gerald Arpino at rehearsal at the Joffrey studios in August 2005. Arpino co-founded the company and was responsible for its move to Chicago in 1995. He died in 2008. (Alex Garcia/Chicago Tribune) 1. Arpino Centennial Celebration: Nine companies from across the country including Complexions, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Ballet West convene in Chicago to celebrate what would have been Joffrey Ballet co-founder and prolific choreographer Gerald Arpinos 100th birthday. Joffrey rolled out a teaser the last two seasons with their performances of Birthday Variations and Suite Saint-Saens. These and other Arpino classics like Light Rain, Round of Angels and Trinity will be on view in two different programs. Sept. 23-24 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive; tickets $45-$291 at 312-341-2300 and auditoriumtheatre.org 2. Joffrey Ballets Frankenstein: Another ambitious season in store for the ballet company begins with choreographer Liam Scarletts masterpiece on the Modern Prometheus. Macabre in every way, this gorgeous adaptation of Mary Shelleys gothic classic premiered in 2016 but has not often been seen this side of the pond. Its the first of two new-to-them Scarlett works on view this season in Joffreys growing catalog of the late choreographers stunning ballets. Oct. 12-22 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive; tickets $36-$196 at 312-386-8905 and joffrey.org 3. Mandala South Asian Performing Arts: Occasionally, Mandala director Pranita Nayar still appears to be Unwinding. This is perhaps never truer than in a new production celebrating the Hindu festival of lights. Diwali: Illumination replaces the companys more literal telling of the Ramayana for an expansive abstraction appealing to all cultural traditions. Nayar guides a rich production incorporating choreography from Nejla Yatkin, who blends contemporary dance forms stemming from South Asia, North Africa and Black America. Fareed Haques original score is an extraordinary display of genre-bending rhythmic exploration combining principles from jazz and a variety of global classical influences. Oct. 12-13 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St.; tickets $13.50-$85 at 312-334-7777 and harristheaterchicago.org 4. Ballet 5:8: This suburban companys latest full-length original ballet, BareFace, returns for a two-night run within city limits. Choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager loves to tackle complicated, ancient tales, often with a Christian message attached. In this case, the Roman myth of Cupid and Psyche provides the foundation for her elegantly robust movement vocabulary. Oct. 18-21 at the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture, 2936 N. Southport Ave.; tickets $10-$62 at 312-820-6250 and athenaeumcenter.org Michelle Kranicke of Chicagos Zephyr Dance. (aMID Festival photo/HANDOUT) 5. Zephyr Dance: In some ways, Zephyrs S45 is a return to the companys roots in Chicagos 1990s modern dance scene. But director Michelle Kranicke is not looking backward though it may seem like restaging Merce Cunninghams 1956 Suite for Five is an exercise in nostalgia. Nay, an impressive collective of choreographers (Kranicke, Paige Cunningham-Caldarella, Darrell Jones, Roxane DOrleans Juste and Kota Yamazaki) will subsequently pull that piece apart and reconstruct it with a 21st century mindset. All this while leaning into Zephyrs current obsession: how dance interacts with unconventional, immersive spaces. Oct. 19-22 at SITE/less, 1250 W. Augusta Blvd.; tickets $25 on sale Sept. 6 at zephyrdance.com 6. Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak: After several years absence, this revered veteran ensemble offers Ex/body: strike, vibrate, shatter, their first concert after an extended pandemic pause long enough to ache for this collectives contemplative, idiosyncratic and deeply embodied aesthetic. Looking inward, the dancers interrogate how trauma manifests in the body. The results are likely as gratifying for us as they are for them. Oct. 21-22 at Studio5, 1938 Dempster St., Evanston; tickets $37 at tickettailor.com 7. Giordano Dance Chicago: The jazz dance company opens its fall season with crowd favorite JOLT, using the morning cup of joe as a jumping-off point for a raucous, rhythmic delight. Film noir-inspired Sneaky Pete makes a comeback, as does So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Mia Michaels gorgeous Le Grand Futur is Here!, created for the Jazz Dance World Congress in 1999. Outgoing executive director Michael McStraw makes one final cameo as The Man in The Man That Got Away; former GDC powerhouse Ashley Downs returns for one more go around as his partner as if it could be anyone else. Oct. 27-28 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205. E. Randolph St.; tickets $20-$90 at 312-334-7777 and harristheaterchicago.org Hubbard Street Dance Chicagos choreographer-in-residence Aszure Barton, right, with artistic director Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell inside the dance companys Water Tower Place studio. (Lou Foglia / Chicago Tribune) 8. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: With a season themed after abundance, Hubbard Street offers the first of many meals served by resident artist Aszure Barton. Barton revives a work from 2015, return to patience, set to a masterful Chopin remix by composer Caroline Shaw. Darrell Grand Moultries Dichotomy of a Journey and Lar Lubovitchs Coltranes Favorite Things complete the evening. Nov. 2-5 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St.; tickets $15-$110 on sale Sept. 7 at 312-334-7777 and hubbardstreetdance.com Advertisement 9. The Seldoms: A decade ago, The Seldoms presented a repertory concert of small bites called Mix with Six, featuring choreography from within the companys ranks. In another rare departure from evening-length deep dives by artistic director Carrie Hanson, 3x3: 2023 features new dances by company members Deandra Alaba and Damon Green. Guest artist Tina Diaz, selected from a pool of 55 applicants, completes the bill with Beneath My Mother Tree, an excavation of ancestral identity exploring literal and figurative family trees. Nov. 4-5 at Visceral Dance Centers Ann Barzel Theater, 3121 N. Rockwell; tickets $15-$40 at theseldoms.org 10. Akram Khans Jungle Book Reimagined: They say lightning cant strike twice in the same place, but so far Akram Khan is two for two at the Harris Theater. The singular choreographer returns, this time with his eponymous ensemble for a new telling of Rudyard Kiplings classic tale. Miles from Disney, Khan projects the tale into a near future in which climate change drives migration and nature reclaims city streets. Nov. 9-11 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St.; tickets $35-$180 at 312-334-7777 and harristheaterchicago.org Lauren Warnecke is a freelance critic. Officers in search of a rape suspect arrested Leonard Mack 48 years ago when he matched the description of a Black man wearing an earring and a hat in New York, officials said. Hours before his arrest May 23, 1975, two female high school students were held at gunpoint and forced into the woods where they were tied, gagged and blindfolded by an unknown perpetrator in Greenburgh, about 20 miles northeast of Manhattan in New York City, according to prosecutors. The suspect raped one student twice and tried to sexually assault the other girl, prosecutors said. After Westchester County Parkway Police arrested Mack on the Bronx River Parkway, he was convicted of first-degree rape and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and later sentenced April 27, 1976, to serve up to 15 years in prison in New York, according to officials. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Although Mack, 72, maintained his innocence in prison, his conviction was never overturned and he spent over seven years in prison, officials said. Now, new DNA evidence obtained this year exonerates Mack, who lives in South Carolina, and points to a new suspect who officials said has confessed to his role in the 1975 rape case, the Westchester County District Attorneys Office announced in a Sept. 5 news release. District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah and the Innocence Project, a nonprofit dedicated to helping wrongfully convicted individuals with DNA testing, are asking the court to vacate Macks conviction, the release said. If Macks conviction is officially overturned by the courts, it will be the longest wrongful conviction to be vacated in the U.S. as result of new DNA evidence, according to the Innocence Project. I never gave up hope; I never threw in the towel, Mack told the Rockland/Westchester Journal News. I know its here but I just cant believe its actually happened. That finally its being shown that I didnt commit this crime 48 years ago. When Mack was arrested in the case, he was a 23-year-old Vietnam War veteran working toward his GED diploma and a father of two children, according to the newspaper. Mack told The Journal News he had an alibi and said he was with his girlfriend when the rape occurred. I wanted to know why would you do that to a Vietnam veteran, a person who fought for his country and now this is what you do to me, he said, according to the newspaper. I came home and you falsely accuse me and you throw me in prison? DNA testing identifies new suspect In August 2022, the Innocence Project asked the Westchester County District Attorneys Office to review Macks case, officials said. An investigation by the offices Conviction Review Unit ensued and revealed eyewitness identifications were tainted by problematic and suggestive procedures used by the police, according to the district attorneys office. New DNA testing took place after investigators learned evidence from the 1975 rape was still preserved, according to the release. When the lab results came back this year, Macks DNA wasnt a match and excluded him as a suspect, officials said. Instead, the DNA test results led investigators to a man in Westchester who was convicted of rape in June 1975 in Queens two weeks after Macks arrest, according to officials. The man, who wasnt identified in the news release, was also convicted of a sex crime in Greenburgh in 2004, officials said. A district attorneys office investigator interviewed the man, who officials said confessed to the May 23, 1975 rape in Greenburgh. Due to state statute of limitations, the man cannot be prosecuted for the crime, officials said. Despite this, he is in custody and is being prosecuted for not registering as a sex offender in connection with the 2004 sex crime, according to officials. Susan Friedman, an Innocence Project attorney representing Mack, said in a statement that several witness misidentifications led to Macks wrongful conviction. Mr. Mack has lived with the stigma of this wrongful conviction for nearly five decades, Friedman said in the news release. His courage and determination are why we now have indisputable scientific evidence that proves he is innocent. Out of 3,200 exonerations listed in the National Registry of Exonerations, an online archive documenting U.S. exonerations since 1989, 53% of exonerees are Black individuals, according to a September 2022 report. This suggests Black Americans are seven times more likely than white Americans to be falsely convicted of serious crimes, the report says. Woman was killed on solo hike 36 years ago, AZ cops say. DNA just identified suspect Man convicted in 1991 slaying of teen found shot outside foster home, MA officials say Exonerated man framed for babys homicide spent nearly 30 years in prison, suit says Days after Idalia, which moved into Beaufort County as a tropical storm Aug. 30, two new storms are brewing in the Atlantic with looming threats. On Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center was monitoring two low-pressure systems in the Atlantic, forecasting that the tropical depression could become a major hurricane in a few days, according to a center advisory. Currently deemed Tropical Depression 13, moving 15 mph west-northwest in the central tropical Atlantic Ocean and boasting 35 mph winds, if the storm gains strength, it would be named Lee. The tropical depression could bring impacts to the Leeward Islands by the weekend, the center wrote on Tuesday morning. Right now, its located about 1,400 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. While it is too soon to determine the location and magnitude of these possible impacts, interests in this area should monitor the progression of the depression and updates to the forecast, the center continued. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Another system, a strong tropical wave near the coast of West Africa, has a 70% chance of forming into a tropical storm withing the next seven days. The now-disturbance is stirring up an area of large cloudiness and showers, and unless another storm beats it to the punch, if formed, the system would be called Margot. The disturbance could form in the far eastern tropical Atlantic while it moves west-northwest at 10-15 mph, the center forecast Tuesday. Its expected to move across the Cabo Verde Islands Wednesday night and Thursday. Frank Strait, severe weather liaison for the states climate office, said of the two systems that sneak attacks can happen from storms developing along stationary fronts to the United States south and east or from disturbances forming over Central America. So, dont let your guard down, Strait said. Even still, without any direct threats to South Carolina right now, about half of hurricane season remains. And in a couple of days, peak season sets in. Sept. 10 is the prime day. Its the climatological peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. But what does that mean? Around 50% of all Atlantic hurricane seasons since the dawn of the satellite era in 1966 have had at least one hurricane traveling across the basin on Sept. 10, according to Meteorologist Brian McNoldy in an AccuWeather report. Meteorologists say its because theres low vertical wind shear, plenty of moisture and increasing sea surface temperatures. South Carolina doesnt stray from the trend. Between 1851 to 2018, South Carolina has had 98 tropical cyclones in September, the center recorded. The next closet is October, with 71 tropical cyclones. During those years but throughout the June through November season, nine have made landfall in Beaufort County with three happening in September. Sept. 26-27, 1894 : Landfall on Hilton Head Island as a Category 1 hurricane with winds around 80 mph. Aug. 30-31, 1898 : Landfall on Hilton Head Island as a Category 1 hurricane. Aug. 27-30, 1911 : Landfall on Hilton Head Island, SC as a Category 2 hurricane with winds near 100 mph Aug. 10-13, 1940 : Landfall near Hilton Head Island as a Category 2 hurricane with winds near 100 mph. Sept. 16-17, 1945 : Landfall near the Georgia/South Carolina border as a tropical storm. Aug. 30-31, 1952 : Able made landfall near Beaufort as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds near 100 mph. Sept. 28-30, 1959 : Gracie made landfall near Beaufort as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds near 130 mph. June 24-25, 1985 : Bob made landfall on Fripp Island as a Category 1 hurricane. June 28-29, 2021: Danny made landfall on Pritchards Island as a very weak. In a sign that President Joe Biden s brand remains strong with the partys rank and file, former White House official Gabe Amo won a crowded Democratic primary Tuesday to fill a vacant congressional seat in Rhode Island, The Associated Press projected. After having defeated 10 other Democrats in the primary, Amo is now almost certain to succeed former Democratic Rep. David Cicilline who resigned this year to take a job running a large nonprofit group in representing the deep blue district in Congress. The general election will be in November. Gerry Leonard won the GOP primary, the AP projected; the GOP has not held the seat in decades. The district voted overwhelmingly for Biden in 2020. This election, this primary election, showed that Rhode Islanders believe in a state where one of their sons, the son of two West African immigrants from Ghana and Liberia could receive the love and the investment of a community and go from serving the president of the United States a briefing in the Oval Office to being the Democratic nominee from the first congressional district, Amo told supporters during his victory speech. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Amo, the son of African immigrants who worked in the White House under Biden and former President Barack Obama , frequently touted his association with both Democratic presidents, including a TV ad that called him the candidate trusted by President Obama and President Biden over images of him in the Oval Office. Neither Obama nor Biden formally endorsed a candidate in the race. Amo, who had the backing of former Biden White House chief of staff Ron Klain, explained his job as deputy director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs by saying he was Bidens principal liaison to mayors and local elected officials. His message reflected Bidens, too, with ads that emphasized his experience and played up the stakes by opening with images of the Jan. 6 riot and former President Donald Trump. Former Cicilline adviser Rich Luchette said Amos win shows that President Bidens brand is stronger and more durable outside the Beltway than most people in DC acknowledge. Gabe leaned into his time working for the president over the course of this campaign. Its a big part of why he won tonight, Luchette said. Its incredibly hard to run for Congress. Its even harder when youre a first time candidate." Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., at the Capitol on Dec. 8, 2022. (Al Drago / Bloomberg via Getty Images file) More than $3.4 million was spent on the airwaves, according to the ad tracking firm AdImpact, an unusually large sum for a congressional primary in a safe district. While the district has little danger of falling into Republican hands, national groups aligned with the Democratic Party waded into the primary as they sought to elevate their favored candidates from the pack. The special election mostly played out over the summer in a district that includes the state capital, Providence, and famous resort towns like Newport, but it was rocked by a scandal that essentially sank the campaign of the races onetime front-runner: Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos. Matos would have been poised to be the first Afro-Latino in Congress had she won the primary, but her campaign was slow to respond to revelations in July that a vendor apparently forged some of the signatures it was hired to gather to secure her spot on Tuesdays ballot. Matos has denied any wrongdoing and blamed the rogue vendor, but she had difficulty shaking the issue. In a blow to national progressives, Amo also defeated Aaron Regunberg, 33, a former state representative who had the support of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A Brooklyn motorist allegedly high when he killed a pedestrian in Greenburgh late last month had been involved in another accident less than a mile away a short time earlier but Scarsdale police let him go without detecting any impairment or learning that he was wanted in Pennsylvania. The timing raises questions about the Scarsdale rookie police officers August 26 interaction with Antonio Robles-Sanchez less than 45 minutes before his Dodge pickup jumped the curb on East Hartsdale Avenue in Greenburgh and killed 65-year-old Stephanie Kavourias, a former director of the Hartsdale Public Parking District. According to Scarsdale police documents, Officer Ainsley Brown helped Robles-Sanchez and the other motorist, coincidentally a neighbor of Kavourias, exchange information after their minor accident at Mamaroneck and Post roads near the driveway to Scarsdale Police Headquarters. Memorial to Stephanie Kavourias, a Hartsdale community leader, on East Hartsdale Avenue where she was run down by a pickup truck driven by Antonio Robles-Sanchez on Aug. 26, 2023. The accident occurred just after 10:25 am when Robles-Sanchez, northbound on Post Road, turned east onto Mamaroneck Road and struck the other car as it was waiting to turn from Mamaroneck to Post. Brown arrived and since there were no injuries and minor damage and the accident was blocking the intersection, he had the two motorists drive into the police parking lot to exchange their information . ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It's not clear how long Robles-Sanchez was kept at the scene, how much contact he had with the officer, when he was cleared to drive off or whether police ran a check on his license. Brown was the only officer to interact with them. A lieutenant was inside headquarters manning the desk. Police Chief Andrew Matturo declined to discuss specifics of the case Tuesday, citing an internal investigation into the incident. He did say that there were circumstances with minor accidents where a police officer would only facilitate the exchange of information and not run a license check. Headquarters is at the corner of Fenimore and Post roads and Fenimore takes drivers west over the Bronx River Parkway into Greenburgh, where it becomes East Hartsdale Avenue. Although Robles-Sanchez had been headed east at the time of the first accident, he headed west from headquarters into Greenburgh. It was there just before 11:15 that his truck went onto the sidewalk at Rockledge Road and plowed into Kavourias as she was walking towards the intersection. The view westbound on East Hartsdale Avenue in Greenburgh. Right lane traffic can either veer right onto Rockledge Avenue or continue on East Hartsdale Avenue. But on the morning of Aug. 26, 2023, according to police, Antonio Robles-Sanchez literally went straight, driving his pickup truck onto the sidewalk just west of Rockledge and striking Stephanie Kavourias, killing her. Police responded and paramedics performed CPR before Kavourias was transported to White Plains Hospital Center, where she was pronounced dead less than an hour later. Robles drove off, but one of the trucks license plates had come off and police included it as they put out a description of the van. A short time later, White Plains police spotted the truck outside the Westchester County Center at the end of Central Avenue two and a half miles from the accident scene. Robles-Sanchez was slumped over the wheel and was taken into custody. According to police, loose pills were observed in the car and he later told them he had taken a speedball - heroin and cocaine. Robles-Sanchez is facing felony charges of vehicular manslaughter and leaving the scene of a fatal accident and remains at the Westchester County jail. A license check also discovered that he was wanted in Pennsylvania. According to Bucks County records there, Robles-Sanchez was arrested in November 2018 when 178 pills containing oxycodone were found in his car after a traffic stop by state police. He attended his first few court hearings but a warrant was issued for his arrest when he didnt show up for his trial the following year, a spokesman for the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said. The warrant indicates the charge was a misdemeanor but that Pennsylvania authorities would execute it if Robles-Sanchez was picked up in a neighboring state. Kavourias, a longtime resident of East Hartsdale Avenue, had worked for Greenburgh before becoming director of the parking district. She had also served as a member of the town Planning Board, headed her co-op board and was a board member of the Greenburgh Public Library and the Lois Bronz Childrens Center in Fairview. A picture of Stephanie Kavourias at the East Hartsdale Avenue memorial where she was struck and killed by alleged hit-and-run driver Antonio Robles-Sanchez A vigil in her memory is scheduled for 8 p.m. Tuesday night near the spot where she was killed. That will follow a 6 p.m. Town Hall meeting to discuss traffic safety issues related to East Hartsdale Avenue. Those wishing to speak at the meeting, in person or via zoom, should email PublicComment@GreenburghNY.com This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Alleged high fatal hit and run driver let go after other crash before An injured driver spent five days trapped at the bottom of a 100-foot-deep ravine after a crash, California rescuers reported. A passerby reported seeing a wrecked pickup truck at the bottom of a ravine near Arvin on Saturday, Sept. 2, the Kern County Fire Department said in a news release. Firefighters responding to the 10:58 a.m. report discovered the injured driver still inside the truck, which crashed into the ravine five days earlier on Tuesday, Aug. 29, officials said. The injured person was immobilized and unable to escape, firefighters said. Rescuers lowered one firefighter on ropes, then raised the patient in a litter. An ambulance took the injured driver to a helicopter to be airlifted to a hospital, officials said. An update on the persons current condition was not available as of Sept. 5. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Arvin is about 20 miles south of Bakersfield. 160 firefighters have to abandon their camp because of persistent bears in Canada Masked attackers open fire on van on highway, causing fiery crash, Colorado cops say Accused drunk driver slams into anti-drunk driving sign, California police say When driving to the vet or the park, you may wonder whether your pet is technically allowed to sit on your lap in transit. In some states, driving with a dog in your lap is considered distracted driving and can carry fines and petty offenses. Its safer for your dog to ride in a crate, carrier or using a secured harness, the American Kennel Club advises. Securing your pet can protect you from distractions and also protect your pet from injury in case of an accident, according to insurance company Progressive. Heres what to know about laws regulating driving with your pet in the car in Illinois and Missouri. What does Illinois law say about driving with a pet in your lap? It is not illegal to drive with a pet in your lap in Illinois. There was a law introduced earlier this year aimed to make driving with your pet in your lap a petty offense, carrying a $50 fine, but it did not pass. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The proposed legislation, House Bill 2910, would not have allowed police officers to search or inspect a vehicle solely because the driver had an animal in their lap while driving. Illinois legislators have tried to ban driving with animals in laps at least twice another bill, introduced in 2013, would have instituted a $25 fine for the offense. While it is not unlawful to drive with your dog in your lap in Illinois, if it is distracting you and causing you to swerve excessively or otherwise drive in an unsafe manner, theres no guarantee you wont be pulled over. What about in Missouri? While Missouri does not have a state law on the books banning people from driving with an animal in their lap, officials discourage it. Pets can present a dangerous distraction to drivers, according to the Missouri Driver Guide, and state officials recommend using a carrier, crate or secured harness/pet seat belt for safety. Never allow your pet to sit on your lap while you are driving your vehicle, the Missouri Driver Guide advises. Like in Illinois and other states, drivers could be pulled over in Missouri if their pet distracts them and causes them to drive dangerously. A Missouri law enforcement official told TV news station KY3 state law treats pet distractions just like other driving distractions, according to an article from 2021. A convicted drug dealer was ordered to spend more time in prison for delivering a fatal dose of fentanyl to a 51-year-old Richland woman at her home. Its the first time in more than a decade someone in Benton County was convicted of the crime of controlled substance homicide, which aims to punish people who deliver fatal doses of illegal drugs. Blake McKinley Sickler, 30, pleaded guilty and was sentenced last week in the 2020 death of Darcei Renae Allstead. Sickler is already serving a prison term for 10 previous felonies from three cases in 2020 when he pleaded guilty. Most of those convictions stemmed from breaking into the Hole in the Wall gun store on Deschutes Avenue and stealing several guns. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Then, for the controlled substance homicide, he faced a sentencing range of eight years and four months and 10 years in prison. Prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to recommend the judge go with the minimum end of the range. Deputy Prosecutor Julie Long told the Herald that Allsteads family agreed to the sentence, but didnt attend the Aug. 30 sentencing. Superior Court Judge David Petersen followed the recommendation, sentencing him to eight years and four months in prison. The sentence will be served at the same time as his current sentence at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell and will extend his incarceration by about three years. His anticipated release date is in 2029, according to the Washington Department of Corrections. Since going to prison in 2021, Sickler graduated from intensive substance use treatment and earned a 3.9 GPA from Walla Walla Community College on classes, Defense Attorney Karla Kane said. Fentanyl overdose Text messages on Valentines Day 2020 show Sickler set up a time to meet Allstead at her home on Smith Avenue, according to court documents. Sickler later sent another text to a friend, saying hed dropped off two blues for Allstead. Blues is a slang term for blue-colored fentanyl pills. He claimed she was taking morphine at the time. Fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine and hundreds of times stronger than street-level heroin, federal officials have said. In recent years, it has surpassed methamphetamine as the illegal drug responsible for most overdose deaths. A little more than 15 minutes after the final text message, Allstead collapsed in the bathroom. Her partner heard something fall and found the door locked. After forcing it open, he found her unconscious and called 911. She died the next day. According to the nurse practitioner who signed the death certificate, acute fentanyl intoxication led to her heart stopping and a brain injury. A blood test showed she had fentanyl and norfentanyl in her system. It was one of 20 fentanyl-caused deaths in Benton County in 2020. Controlled substance homicide crime The charge of controlled substance homicide is rarely filed in Washington state. While the law has been on the books since 1987, the last time someone was charged with the offense in Benton County was 2011. At the time, Brian Burt, a suspected drug dealer, was charged in two overdose deaths and he faced a third count in Franklin County. He was accused of being in the same room as two fellow heroin addicts, Shirley E. Sanders, 44, and Derek Scott Bradley, 21, when they died. And he supplied a lethal dose of heroin to Liam D. Hermsen, 29. Police and prosecutors at the time said he was under investigation for three more deaths. In the end, he was sentenced to five years in prison. Franklin County Prosecutor Shawn Sant in 2018 said it can be a difficult charge to prove. Not only do prosecutors need to show that the suspect supplied the drugs to the victim, but also they must prove that it was that particular dose that killed the person. We must believe that a reasonable jury would find sufficient evidence of each element beyond a reasonable doubt before we would file charges, Sant said at the time. Shortly after charges were filed against Sickler, Franklin County filed charges against Jacob Ehrhart, 35, in the connection with a Mesa mans death. His trial is currently scheduled for Nov. 15. Federal prosecutors charged two men in 2018 in the Tri-Cities with selling a lethal dose of fentanyl to a man found dead in his apartment after investigators found the pills near his body. Hector Medina, who was accused of moving significant quantities of drugs through the Tri-Cities, pleaded guilty to the crime and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The man who gave the pills to his friend, Jubentino Soto, was sentenced to five years in a federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Could there be a duck poisoner on the loose? Dozens of dead and seriously ill ducks keep washing up in this park (KTLA) Ducks have mysteriously been found sick, dying or dead by nearby residents in a park in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. This baffling discovery of the bodies of dead ducks in Hollenbeck Park has been described as heartbreaking and concerning by those who visit the park often. I come every weekend to walk my dog through here, said Margarito Garcia, a visitor to the park. Unfortunately, it looks like someone has been poisoning the ducks, I think, because they are dying slow. Mr Garcia also said he noticed a goose protecting a dying duck by hovering around it. I usually come running here around the lake and, you know, sometimes youll see birds, but theres just any number of them, like at least 15 or so just washed up on the shore, said one woman, another visitor of Hollenbeck Park. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The woman said she first spotted the dead ducks on Saturday, and when she returned to the park the next day, to her anguish, there were even more, around five dead and one struggling to stay alive. While some visitors think the cause of death may be poisoning, the reasons behind the ducks falling ill are still unknown. Several people who have spotted the ducks have reported the puzzling deaths to animal control but have yet to hear a response, according to KTLA. A goose has been protecting the bodies of the dead ducks in Hollenbeck Park (KTLA) Howie Berkowitz, founder of the Duck Pond of Lake Elsinore, said that other issues could be causing the ducks to fall ill and die. One is that the water is actually contaminated and that could be either through someone has done that, or the other possibility is that there is poisonous algae out there, especially during the summer when the water gets hot, he said. Mr Berkowitz also added that any ducks that look ill need to be seen by a veterinarian immediately. The faster they can administer some activated charcoal, the faster itll stop the problem, he said. Experts suspect that the ducks could be dying of avian botulism, an illness that could have serious impacts on local wildlife (KTLA) Another suspected issue is that the park ducks may be subject to a deadly illness called avian botulism, where a duck has ingested lethal bacteria and dies. This can be devastating for the local habitat, as flies can then feed on the infected duck carcasses, which will carry the illness and pass it to other animals in the area, according to an avian expert who spoke to KTLA. A necropsy will need to be performed on one of the dead ducks to determine if the cause of death is avian botulism or something more sinister. Visitors of the park hope that the issue will be resolved quickly by authorities to prevent more deaths of the park ducks. Hopefully its something small and people are not intentionally killing them, one visitor said. Avian botulism was found in another Californian body of water, Tulare Lake, in early August, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. Lake crew have had to use airboats to collect the ill and dead birds from the water. Durham is fortunate to be served by intercity passenger rail that connects the city to other areas across North Carolina and can ultimately allow residents and visitors to make their way across the Eastern Seaboard. Daily, the Piedmont and Carolinian trains, part of North Carolinas Amtrak service, run between Raleigh and Charlotte, with stops in Durham, Cary, Burlington, Greensboro, Salisbury and Kannapolis. Amtrak also has service and stops in Selma, Wilson and Rocky Mount. While rail service has been used increasingly as the global pandemic ends, there is growing momentum to expand and enhance intercity passenger rail service in ways that will allow more access to more cities and make travel easier. State and federal officials are now exploring new funding opportunities under the federal bipartisan infrastructure bill. Elaine ONeal To better understand those opportunities, the City of Durham and the N.C. Metro Mayors Coalition Rail Response Work Group will be hosting a public meeting on at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 7 at the Durham Amtrak Station, 601 W. Main St. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Work group co-chairs are Nick Tennyson, former mayor of Durham and former Secretary of the N.C. Dept. of Transportation, and Susan Kluttz, former Salisbury Mayor, and former Secretary of the State Department of Cultural Resources. This meeting will provide a better understanding of rail systems in North Carolina, specifically intercity passenger rail and its benefits. The meeting will also provide an opportunity to understand funding streams for rail systems along with the resources cities need to compete for intercity rail funding. The meeting will include presentations by state transportation experts as well as a look at what we are doing here in Durham. It comes as state transportation officials seek planning grants to improve and expand intercity passenger rail service across the state. To be clear, this is not passenger commuter rail within metropolitan areas but a service connecting cities. The federal bipartisan infrastructure bill includes $66 billion for passenger and freight rail infrastructure investment, with $44 billion to be distributed through the Federal Railroad Administrations discretionary grant program. As part of its Amtrak Connects US initiative, Amtrak has unveiled early-stage plans that would include more than 30 new routes by 2035, some of them in North Carolina. The possibilities that this can unleash are vast. Improvements, and expansion could make Durham a more likely destination for tourists making a day trip or going on a long weekend excursion. They could make it easier for parents to visit college-age children at our universities. Enhanced service could bring more customers to Durham businesses. More and more people are using rail for travel, and system modernization makes it increasingly attractive to travelers. Its a great time to get on board. Elaine ONeal is mayor of Durham. She is a retired Superior Court Judge who was born and raised in the Bull City. A Swedish E.U. official has been imprisoned illegally in Iran for more than a year, the European Unions top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Tuesday, marking an escalation in Irans detention of foreign nationals. Borrell said Johan Floderus, a member of the E.U.s diplomatic corps, has been held in Iran for the last 500 days and that the European Union was working around the clock to secure his release. I want to say something if you allow me about a specific case, which is the case of Mr. Floderus, who is a Swedish citizen who works for the European Union, [who] has been detained illegally by Iran for the last 500 days, Borrell told reporters during a visit to the Spanish city of Cadiz. Every time we had a diplomatic meeting at all levels, we have put the issue on the table. Relentlessly, we have been working for the freedom of Mr. Floderus, Borrell said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Sweden had kept the case under wraps until The New York Times reported the E.U. officials detention over the weekend. Relations between Sweden and Iran have deteriorated after a Swedish court last year handed down a life sentence to a former Iranian judiciary official over his role in alleged war crimes in the 1980s. The imprisonment of an E.U. official is a break with past arrests of foreigners by Iran, which have tended to focus on private citizens that hold Iranian passports as well as U.S. or European citizenship. The White House National Security Council did not respond to a request for comment on the case. For years, Iran has imprisoned foreign nationals, usually those who hold dual citizenship in a Western country as well as Iran, and charged them with espionage. But international human rights organizations and Western governments say the charges are without foundation and that the foreign prisoners are used as bargaining chips to exert leverage over other countries. Iran denies the accusation and says foreigners who are imprisoned are treated in accordance with the countrys laws. Irans mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Biden administration and Iran recently agreed to a prisoner exchange deal that is supposed to secure the release of five Americans and provide Iran with access to about $6 billion in oil revenues that have been blocked in South Korean banks. Last month, as part of the prisoner swap agreement, the five Americans were moved out of Evin prison to a hotel in Tehran, where they are being held under house arrest, pending the transfer of the funds to Qatars central bank. The detention of the Swedish E.U. official follows a Swedish court ruling in July last year that saw a former Iranian judiciary official, Hamid Nouri, sentenced to life in prison for war crimes related to the mass execution and torture of political prisoners in 1988. He is now serving his sentence. Iran expressed outrage over the case, calling it illegitimate. Iran, Reaction To The Hamid Nouri Court Decision (Morteza Nikoubazl / Nur Photo via AP file ) Iran is absolutely certain that Nouris sentence was politically motivated and it has no legal validity, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said after Nouris sentencing. Two weeks later, Iran announced it had detained a Swedish citizen on espionage charges, without identifying Floderus or his position. Earlier this year, a Belgian national and humanitarian aid worker, Olivier Vandecasteele, was released from Iran after spending 15 months behind bars on allegations of spying. He was freed in May as part of a prisoner exchange, with Belgium releasing an Iranian diplomat, Asadollah Assadi, who had been sentenced to 20 years for masterminding a plot to set off a bomb at a rally in Paris. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Men walk through a lush plantation between Ecuador s balmy Pacific coast and its majestic Andes, lopping hundreds of bunches of green bananas from groaning plants twice their height. Workers haul the bunches to an assembly line, where the bananas are washed, weighed and plastered with stickers for European buyers. Owner Franklin Torres is monitoring all activity on a recent morning to make sure the fruit meets international beauty standards and ever more important, is packed for shipment free of cocaine. Advertisement A worker starts the job of sorting out a fruit cluster shortly after harvest at a packing plant in Los Rios, Ecuador on August 15, 2023. (Martin Mejia/AP) Torres is hypervigilant because Ecuador is increasingly at the confluence of two global trades: bananas and cocaine. The South American country is the worlds largest exporter of bananas, shipping about 7.2 tons a year by sea. It is also wedged between the worlds largest cocaine producers, Peru and Colombia, and drug traffickers find containers filled with bananas the perfect vehicle to smuggle their product. Advertisement Drug traffickers infiltration of the industry that is responsible for about 30% of the worlds bananas has contributed to unprecedented violence across this once-peaceful nation. Shootings, homicides, kidnappings and extortions have become part of daily life, particularly in the Pacific port city and banana-shipping hub of Guayaquil. This is everyones responsibility: the person who transports it, the person who buys it, the person who consumes it, vendor Dalia Chang, 59, a lifelong resident of Guayaquil, said of the cocaine trade. They all share responsibility. They have ruined our country. The country, which is not a major cocaine producer, was especially rattled when a presidential candidate known for his tough stance on organized crime and corruption Fernado Villavicencio was fatally shot at the end of an Aug. 9 campaign rally. He had accused the Ecuadorian Los Choneros gang and its imprisoned leader, whom he linked to Mexicos Sinaloa cartel, of threatening him and his campaign team days before the assassination. In addition to its proximity to cocaine production, cartels from Mexico, Colombia and the Balkans have settled in Ecuador because it uses the U.S. dollar and has weak laws and institutions, along with a network of long-established gangs like Los Choneros that are eager for work. Authorities say Ecuador also gained prominence in the global cocaine trade after political changes in Colombia last decade. Coca bush fields in Colombia have been moving closer to the border with Ecuador due to the breakup of criminal groups after the 2016 demobilization of the rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, better-known by their Spanish acronym FARC. A record 2,304 metric tons of cocaine was manufactured in 2021 around the world, mostly in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. That year, nearly a third of the cocaine seized by customs authorities in Western and Central Europe came from Ecuador, double the amount reported in 2018, according to a United Nations report citing data from the World Customs Organization. Large drug busts have become more frequent and within the past month, European authorities have made record-setting busts after inspecting containers carrying bananas from Ecuador. Authorities on Aug. 25 announced Spains biggest cocaine haul yet: 9.5 metric tons hidden among cardboard boxes of bananas from Ecuador in a refrigerated container. Dutch officials also made their countrys largest-ever cocaine seizure last month nearly 8 metric tons in a container of Ecuadorian bananas. Authorities in Greece and Italy also announced seizures of cocaine hidden in Ecuadorian bananas this year. Bananas headed to Europe are boxed at plantations, loaded into trucks that take them to massive warehouses in and around Guayaquil and transferred to maritime containers driven to an area port. Advertisement Then the ships head northeast to the Panama Canal, cross to the Caribbean Sea, and go east across the Atlantic. Knowingly or not, banana growers, exporters, shipping corporations, port operators, private security companies, customs agents, agriculture officials, police, and buyers offer opportunities that drug traffickers have exploited. Some traffickers have created front companies to mimic legitimate banana exporters, while others have acquired legitimate businesses, including plantations. They have found companies willing to be complicit in trafficking. They also have paid off, threatened or kidnapped truck drivers and other workers to help get cocaine into shipments. A worker ties a pallet loaded with boxes of bananas at a packing plant in Los Rios, Ecuador on August 15, 2023. (Martin Mejia/AP) Other traffickers have corrupted or intimidated police, customs agents, security guards and port workers to assist with or ignore tampering with containers at the ports. Drug trafficking has contributed to the number of violent deaths in Ecuador, which doubled from 2021 to 2022, when 4,600 died, the most ever recorded in a year. The country is on track to break the annual record again, with 3,568 violent deaths tallied in the first half of 2023. In Guayaquil, where maritime shipping containers are part of the landscape, people live in fear these days. Pedestrians dont dare take their phones out of their pockets. Convenience stores have floor-to-ceiling metal bars that prevent customers from entering from the sidewalk. Restaurants that survived the pandemic close early. Advertisement Along with the rise in homicides, the amount of cocaine seized at the countrys ports has increased, too, reaching 77.4 metric tons last year. That is more than three times the amount seized in 2020. National Police Gen. Pablo Ramirez, Ecuadors national director of anti-drug investigations, attributed the change to increased smuggling, not better enforcement. Police data also show that of last years total, a record 47.5 metric tons of cocaine were found in shipments of bananas, even though the fruits exports dropped 6.4% compared to 2021. No more than 30% of containers is currently inspected at Ecuadorian ports, a process done manually or with drug-sniffing dogs. President Guillermo Lassos government says it wants to use scanners on entire containers. Twelve of those machines were supposed to be operating already but Ramirez said that has not happened yet. Ramirez said he expects all ports to have operational scanners by mid-2024. He said two ports have tested the scanners to smooth out internal procedures and train the people who will be working with the machines. The operator of the largest port in Guayaquil, Contecon Guayaquil S.A., turned down Associated Press requests for an interview and access to the port to see existing security procedures. In response to written questions about the measures, spokeswoman Alexandra Pacheco said in a statement that the operator entered into an agreement with the National Police in 2022 to among other things reinforce operations in the port. She added that the operator plans to spend about $15 million on the scanners. Advertisement Jose Hidalgo, executive director of the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador, said the industry faces greater exposure to trafficking than other commodity exports because of the volume of containers that it uses. It is because of bananas that there are so many ports, Hidalgo said. It opens routes to other export products. He explained that exporters spend about $100 million annually on security measures, which include surveillance cameras at plantations, GPS monitoring of trucks and the identification of land routes that require police patrols to keep criminals away. Nonetheless, some exporters have been accused of being complicit or directly involved in trafficking cocaine. The organization behind the record-setting cocaine bust in Spain, according to that countrys tax agency, operated through a banana exporting company in Machala, a city south of Guayaquil. Hours after this story was published Monday, agriculture and customs officials in Ecuador announced in a statement that the administration had purged a government-run banana-export database. It annulled the profiles of export companies deemed to be fake or incomplete and revoked permits of plantations covering 39,537 acres determined to be nonexistent. Torres, the plantation owner, would like to see that type of troubled exporters kicked out of the industry. But there is no regulation that can be used to revoke a companys banana-exporting permission when the business is tied repeatedly to drug trafficking. Advertisement It bothers me so much, Torres said. My people work with bananas, they dont work with drugs. Its a flagship product, the best in the world, and to see it tainted like that is unfortunate. The city treasurers office is the custodian and manager of all cash and investments for Chicago, a place with a $9 billion investment portfolio and a bigger fiscal footprint than some nations. If any officeholder in the city needs to be squeaky clean and wholly trustworthy, this is that officeholder. But that is not the picture that emerged Tuesday in a letter regarding the conduct of Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, finally obtained by the Tribune and brought to light after the administration of previous Mayor Lori Lightfoot went to court and did its best to keep the letter hidden. Before we get to the letter, lets note that Conyears-Ervin, a former state representative who is married to Ald. Jason Ervin , 28th, was reelected to her position unopposed earlier this year after first ascending to the post in 2019. At that time, she became the first woman elected to the office of treasurer for Chicago who was not previously appointed. On May 12, 2022, Conyears-Ervin was the keynote speaker at Chicago State Universitys 369th commencement, which heralded her achievements. This year, she told Crains Chicago Business that her personal motto was: In this journey that we call life, remember that you are not better than anyone else. But more importantly, I want you to remember that there is no one better than you. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Which brings us to the issue at hand. The letter written by the attorney for Ashley Evans and Tiffany Harper, two employees Conyears-Ervin fired in November 2020 accuses the treasurer of wholesale misuse of taxpayer resources. Attorney Michael Kanovitz alleges the treasurer engaged in a pattern of disturbing conduct against the public trust, many of which violated City of Chicago ethics rules as well as state and federal law. Her consistent and pervasive practice has been to misuse City money, City employees and City resources to benefit her private interests as well as those of her friends and campaign supporters. More specifically, Kanovitz alleges that Conyears-Ervin hired an ex-CPD officer to fill the opening of Assistant to City Treasurer, a job that requires financial training and experience which the candidate was utterly lacking. This employee does not provide any services to the office and does not even come into the office. Rather he serves as a private armed security guard to the Treasurer and is her driver. Similarly, the Treasurer hired Gina Zuccaro for the Administrative Assistant position. Rather than fulfilling the duties of that role full-time, which Ms. Zuccaro is not qualified to do, the Treasurer uses her for personal services like running errands, planning her daughters birthday party, grocery shopping and the like. The Treasurer also used City resources to support Ms. Zuccaros run for the and (sic) Illinois House of Representatives seat by allowing her to campaign on City time. In addition, Kanovitz alleges, Conyears-Ervin has also been using City resources to advance the agenda of several churches and other religious organizations, many of which support her and her husband ... politically and turn out church members to vote for their respective campaigns. Its important to understand the context: The letter is hardly independent, having been written by the attorney for two disgruntled former employees, and it claims that the two were, in effect, fired for being whistleblowers who pointed out illegal activity. Already, the two have shared a $100,000 settlement from the city, which certainly suggests city attorneys saw some dangers in the situation. But Conyears-Ervin has not been formally accused of any crime. All that noted, the Lightfoot administration kept the letter with the details secret, seemingly due to a political alliance between Lightfoot and Conyears-Ervin. Last November, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued a binding opinion that it should be released, according to the law. But it took until another administration, that of Mayor Brandon Johnson, for the letter finally to be made public. Now here we are. The Tribune reported Tuesday that Conyears-Ervin declined to address any of the specific allegations in the letter and instead issued a statement late last week that said the city settled the allegations two years ago in the most cost effective manner for the citizens of Chicago. Not good enough. Those allegations are substantive, deeply troubling and, on their face, suggest a lamentable disregard for ethics rules, which are applicable to Chicagos officeholders for good reason, and possibly illegal activity that merits prosecution. An independent inquiry would have the benefit of obvious witnesses, too, given that the allegations involve the pressuring and/or misuse of several employees in Conyears-Ervins office. Given the amount of public trust her office requires and especially since Conyears-Ervin has said she is considering a run for Congress to replace U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, it is crucial that Conyears-Ervin hold a news conference to address the veracity of the contents of this letter as clearly and specifically as possible. She needs to tell Chicago taxpayers whether or not she plans to hold herself to the rules going forward. If not, it would surely seem that the city of Chicago needs a new treasurer. Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. The El Paso state highway district has been allocated an additional $430.2 million for several new and ongoing highway projects in a three-county area, including $326.2 million in El Paso County. The biggest new funding is an additional $110 million for the ongoing Interstate 10 widening project in West El Paso. That means the project, which began in 2022, is now costing $284.3 million instead of $174.3 million because of a substantial increase in construction costs, said Jennifer Wright, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Transportation, or TxDOT, El Paso district. The new money is part of TxDOTs annually revised 10-year plan, known as the Unified Transportation Program, for transportation projects and funding. Interstate 10 is shown looking west with current construction taking place in West El Paso for widening of the highway. The 2024 plan, with $142.3 billion worth of Texas projects, was approved Aug. 16 by the Texas Transportation Commission. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The additional money for the I-10 widening project will allow the project to be completed to Mesa Street as originally planned. I-10 is being expanded from two lanes to three lanes in each direction from Vinton Road to Mesa. It also includes rebuilding bridges and reconfiguring entrance and exit ramps. Other projects that received additional money from the 2024 TxDOT plan: U.S. Highway 54 expansion: $51.2 million to further extend U.S. Highway 54, also known as the Patriot Freeway, from where it now ends at Kenworthy to McCombs street in Northeast El Paso. An overpass will be built at Sean Haggerty Drive. The work is projected to begin in early 2025. The highway eventually will extend to the New Mexico state line. Montana Freeway: $30 million to further extend the Montana freeway from Tierre Este to Zaragoza roads and continue construction of frontage roads. A portion of the freeway now extends from Yarbrough/Global Reach drives to Tierra Este in East El Paso. The start of the freeway is near where a huge Marshalls clothing distribution center opened early this year. More: Huge Marshalls' distribution center draws industrial park developers to empty airport land An aerial view of the Marshalls clothing chain's 2-million-square-foot warehouse and distribution center on El Paso airport land in East El Paso. A Dallas development company plans to put a 200-acre industrial park on nearby, vacant airport land. Downtown I-10 expansion: Another $83 million was added to the planned project that will widen I-10 through the middle of Downtown. The project now has almost $388 million in funding allocations, but is expected to cost $750.5 million, not including costs for TxDOT to acquire properties for the expansion. The project won't begin construction until all development activities and full funding are completed, Wright said. That's projected to happen sometime from 2028 to 2033 under current plans. Artcraft Road Interchange: Another $40 million added to a $208.5 million project that will remake the interchange at Artcraft Road/Paseo del Norte Boulevard and I-10, and do other work on Artcraft to the New Mexico state line. The interchange is in a booming area where West Towne Marketplace is located. Other counties: The revised TxDOT plan also allocated an additional $90 million for a new roadway project in Culberson County and an additional $14 million for a project to create passing lanes on U.S. Highway 62 in Hudspeth County. Vic Kolenc may be reached at 915-546-6421, vkolenc@elpasotimes.com and @vickolenc on Twitter. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso highway projects get $326M in new funding in TxDOT plan update Elon Musk called Burning Man the 'best art on Earth' before thousands of mud-soaked attendees fled the disastrous event People wade through mud and water at Burning Man. JULIE JAMMOT/Getty Images Elon Musk called Burning Man the "best art on Earth" despite chaotic weather conditions. The Nevada arts festival was hit with heavy rainfall, which turned the site into a muddy swamp. Organizers began to let stranded festivalgoers leave the site at around 2 p.m. local time Monday. Burning Man may have been a partial washout this year, but that hasn't stopped at least one of its high-profile fans from singing its praises. Elon Musk, who has been known to attend the arts festival in the past, praised the event as the "best art on Earth." In a Sunday post on X, formerly Twitter, Musk said: "Burning Man is unique in the world. Hard to describe how incredible it is for those who have never been." The billionaire made the remarks in response to a joke video of a Balenciaga fashion show in Paris that was falsely labeled as Burning Man. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Nevada festival was hit by heavy rainfall this year, which turned the desert site into a swampy mud pit. On Friday, attendees were ordered to shelter in place and conserve resources as the weather closed roads in and out of the festival. Organizers said they began to let traffic leave the site at around 2 p.m. local time Monday, asking attendees to delay exits until Tuesday to control traffic flow. Festivalgoers have been reporting wildly different experiences of the event. Over the weekend, some attendees attempted to escape the pop-up Black Rock City on foot, describing long, difficult hikes through ankle-deep mud. Several false rumors also circulated, including one claiming that an Ebola outbreak had impacted the festival. However, the severe weather conditions didn't seem to stop other revelers from enjoying the event. One festivalgoer, Angie Peacock, told Insider she was having fun even though things hadn't gone to plan. Burning Man has long been a favorite among billionaires and tech elites. This year, Musk's brother Kimbal was spotted among the revelers, along with Google cofounder Sergey Brin, attendees told The Wall Street Journal. Read the original article on Business Insider In the newest uproar you might have missed, Elon Musk says X, formerly Twitter, will file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League. Musk accused the ADL, an organization that works to combat antisemitism, extremism and bigotry, of falsely accusing him and X of being antisemitic. "To clear our platforms name on the matter of anti-Semitism, it looks like we have no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League oh the irony!" tweeted the billionaire celebrity on Monday. Musk also blamed the ADL for X's falling U.S. advertising revenue. "Our US advertising revenue is still down 60%, primarily due to pressure on advertisers by @ADL (that's what advertisers tell us), so they almost succeeded in killing X/Twitter!" said Musk. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Musk started off this latest tirade by claiming to be pro-free speech, but "against anti-Semitism of any kind." The tweets come as Musk has been called out for liking posts with the hashtag #BanTheADL, which was trending on X last week. The trending hashtag, and Musk's engagement with it, began hours after the ADL said it had a productive conversation with X CEO Linda Yaccarino about fighting hate speech on the platform. "Since the acquisition, The @ADL has been trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me and of being anti-Semitic," tweeted Musk on Monday. "If this continues, we will have no choice but to file a defamation suit against, ironically, the 'Anti-Defamation' League." Antisemitism had been a problem on Twitter long before Musk took over. In 2016, the ADL published a report documenting the rise in antisemitic hate speech targeting journalists on the platform, partly due to the rhetoric of the 2016 presidential election. Since Musk bought the platform, reports of hate speech have abounded. In January, a lawsuit was filed in Germany accusing the platform of mishandling Holocaust denial, which is a crime in the country. Four months later, Germany signaled that it would fine the social media platform for repeatedly failing to comply with social media hate speech takedowns law. Musk himself has been accused of invoking antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories by targeting Jewish billionaire George Soros and engaging with antisemitic content on X. For example, in June, Musk boosted an antisemitic tweet that offered a choice between using blood taken from children (connect to a photo of U.S. President Joe Biden) or hating Jews (connected to a picture of actor Mel Gibson, who has made antisemitic comments in the past. Musk responded saying, "Gibson is really that buff these days?" Not hate speech in itself, but an example of Musk's willingness to engage directly with antisemitic posts on his platform. The tweet has since been deleted. In early August, X also filed suit against the British nonprofit called Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) after the organization published a report that found Twitter failed to act on 99% of hate posted by Twitter Blue users. The group also questioned whether Twitter's algorithm boosts "toxic tweets." X is accusing the CCDH of unlawfully accessing data and selectively choosing posts to show a rise in hate speech on the platform. Blaming the ADL for loss in ad revenue Musk said the ADL's pressure on advertisers caused X's lower-than-normal U.S. ad revenue. X's U.S. ad revenue over a five-week period from April 1, 2023 to the first week of May came to $88 million, a 59% decrease from the year-ago result, according to a New York Times report. Back in June, TechCrunch broke down what this slump means for X and on a grander scale. In a slow economy, advertisers tend to pull back across the board, so a slack advertising market could mean that not all of X's advertising woes are strictly personal. Additionally, since Musk went on a firing spree after taking over, a lower cost basis means X needs less revenue to cover employee costs. That said, X has a lot of debt that came from Musk's purchase of the company. Given that quarters are generally 13 weeks, Twitters $88 million in five-week, second-quarter advertising revenue from the U.S. market implies that the companys domestic ad incomes are not enough to service its debt interest payments. Is it fair to blame the ADL for all of X's suffering? Absolutely not. By being a safe haven for "free speech," X has also likely become a place where content that goes against brand safety guidelines surfaces more frequently. Combine that with the fact that the platform's owner regularly trolls other users and public figures, perpetually setting an example of how to stir the pot. Advertisers have a finite spend and need to choose carefully what brands and conversations they can be associated with. Claiming to be against antisemitism is just talk. Advertisers and users will want action. Two days before a mob of Donald Trumps supporters stormed the US Capitol, the now-former leader of a neo-fascist gang was arrested in Washington DC shortly after stepping off a plane from Miami. Enrique Tarrio was wanted by police after he admitted to tearing down and burning a Black Lives Matter flag outside a historically Black church in the nations capital during December riots connected to a protest supporting then-President Donald Trumps false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. On 6 January, 2021, Tarrio watched the insurrection unfold from a hotel in Baltimore. Before his arrest two days earlier, Tarrio wrote to his lieutenant: Whatever happens make it a spectacle. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Tarrio is now among four members of the self-described Western chauvinist gang facing decades in prison after they were found guilty in May of seditious conspiracy and other charges in connection with the mobs assault. Tarrios verdict marked the first successful seditious conspiracy conviction against a January 6 defendant who was not physically at the Capitol that day. Federal prosecutors are now asking a judge to sentence convicted Proud Boys members to decades behind bars. Tarrio could face up to 33 years in prison, the longest sentence yet in connection with the attack. In a sentencing memo, prosecutors said the men organized and directed a force of nearly 200 to attack the heart of our democracy and intentionally positioned themselves at the vanguard of political violence in this country. The defendants understood the stakes, and they embraced their role in bringing about a revolution. They unleashed a force on the Capitol that was calculated to exert their political will on elected officials by force and to undo the results of a democratic election, prosecutors wrote. They failed. They are not heroes; they are criminals. During the trial, prosecutors presented hundreds of internal messages revealing the groups toxic rhetoric and culture of violence depicting a gang that came together to use force against its enemies in the weeks leading up to January 6, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors argued that the Proud Boys were not merely obedient followers of the former presidents commands but were preparing for all-out war to undermine millions of Americans votes and upend a democratic election to preserve his presidency. Tarrio, as the leader of the gang, along with his four co-defendants, directed, mobilized and led a crowd of 200 supporters towards the Capitol on January 6, leading to dismantling of metal barricades, destruction of property, breaching of the Capitol building, and assaults on law enforcement, then bragged about their actions on social media and in group chat messages that were later shared with jurors, according to prosecutors. Defence attorneys have placed the blame on the words and actions of then-President Trump, who directed his supporters to fight like hell the morning of the attack and in a message from a debate stage heard loud and clear by members of the Proud Boys and their allies stand by. It was Donald Trumps words. It was his motivation, Tarrios attorney Nayib Hassan told jurors in closing arguments. It was not Enrique Tarrio. They want to use Enrique Tarrio as a scapegoat for Donald J Trump and those in power. Enrique Tarrio (AP) Proud Boys emerged in cities across the US as a violent response to antifascists organizing in the wake of the 2016 election, exploiting white, right-wing male rage and relying on semi-ironic posturing and barroom culture to launder far-right, anti-immigrant and anti-LGBT+ views. Tarrio, who assumed the role of group chairman in 2018, previously was a prolific cooperator with local and federal law enforcement agencies, according to court records and testimony from a former attorney. His own lawyer and an FBI investigator said Tarrio helped authorities prosecute more than a dozen people in cases involving drugs, gambling and human smuggling between 2012 and 2014. Tarrio has denied his involvement. Enrique Henry Tarrio, 39, was born in Miami to Cuban immigrant parents. He was initially reluctant to join the Proud Boys until he was courted by members at a party for far-right activist Milo Yiannopoulos in 2017; Tarrio was there working security. Tarrio rose through the ranks of the burgeoning neo-fascist gang, attending events for Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka, rallying alongside members at 2017s so-called Unite the Right event in Charlottesville, Virginia that exploded into lethal violence, and broadening his Florida chapter into a national operation. Before me and they hate it when I say this they were the Gavin McInnes fan club, he told the Miami New Times. We werent really political. In 2013, he pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a healthcare fraud case involving diabetic test strips, then assisted federal prosecutors to identify a dozen other suspects, according to court records. He served one year and four months in prison. During a televised presidential debate on 29 September, 2020, debate moderator Chris Wallace repeatedly asked then-President Trump whether he would denounce white supremacism. Mr Trump asked for a name to reference. Joe Biden, standing on the opposite side of the stage, suggested the Proud Boys. Proud Boys, stand back and stand by, Mr Trump said. But Ill tell you what somebodys got to do something about antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem. This is a left-wing problem. Almost immediately, Proud Boys members and their allies celebrated what they heard as a call to action. Trump basically said to go f*** them up! Tarrios future co-defendant Joe Biggs wrote on Parler at the time. This makes me so happy. Accounts also circulated a meme illustrating the president wearing a Fred Perry shirt a part of the groups unofficial uniform and a peaked cap bearing the Proud Boys logo with the text standing by for your orders general, sir. Another image included an incorrect version of the presidents remarks that more acutely resembled a call to arms: Proud Boys can stand back and stand by, because someone has to take care of antifa and these people. Although I am excited about our mention on the debate stage I am not taking this as a direct endorsement from the President, Tarrio wrote on Telegram. Him telling the Proud Boys to stand back and standby is what we have ALWAYS done, he added. On Parler, Tarrio said: Standing by, sir. Following Mr Trumps defeat in the 2020 election, Tarrio and hundreds of members of the Proud Boys and other far-right groups marched through Washington DC, where they set fire to a Black Lives Matter banner seized from historic Black church Asbury United Methodist. The group also attacked Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, another historic Black church. During his arrest after his arrival in Washington on 4 January, 2021, police found Tarrio was carrying two high-capacity magazines compatible with high-powered rifles. Both were empty. He faced a misdemeanor charge of destruction of property for burning the churchs sign and two subsequent felony charges for possessing a high-capacity feeding device. Tarrio had previously admitted in comments on Parler and on a Proud Boys-affiliated podcast that he was responsible for burning a churchs sign. In the burning of the BLM sign, I was the one that lit it on fire, he said. I was the person that went ahead and put the lighter to it and engulfed it in flames, and I am damn proud that I did. Later that year, he announced he was stepping down from his leadership role with the Proud Boys, as other members start getting more involved in local politics, running our guys for office from local seats, whether its a simple GOP seat or a city council seat. But in the wake of January 6, as the group decentralized, members have harassed drag queen story-telling events at libraries and amplified groomer smears aimed at LGBT+ people. The group has been central to a wave of attacks and threats against drag performers and the people and venues that host them, according to a recent report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Proud Boys chapters targeted 60 such events, with more than half resulting in physical and verbal clashes, the report found. In July 2021, as part of a plea agreement dropping the felony charges against him, Tarrio pleaded guilty to destruction of property and to a misdemeanor count of attempted possession of a high-capacity magazine. He was released in January 2022 after serving four months in jail. Last month, members of the group were ordered to pay $1m over what a Washington DC Superior Court judge called a highly orchestrated and hateful and overtly racist assault against the church. Members of the Proud Boys gathered outside the Tennessee state capitol on 21 August (Getty Images) Five months later, a federal grand jury indicted Tarrio and four other men Joe Biggs, Ethan Nordean, Dominic Pezzola and Zachary Rehl for seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol attack. US District Judge Timothy Kelly barred prosecutors from discussing Tarrios prior arrest during the Proud Boys trial, but jurors were exposed to dozens of messages revealing members hateful rhetoric and calls for violence in private messages and across social media platforms and in public statements and in a video showing them burning the Black Lives Matter banner. In the weeks leading up to January 6, Tarrio had assembled a Ministry of Self-Defense with his co-defendants and Jeremy Bertino, a former Proud Boy who pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy and served as a key government witness at trial. Bertinos testimony implicated Tarrio and the other men in a conspiracy to what he said was anything that was necessary to save the country including breaking into the Capitol to block the certification of an American election. Days before the attack, Tarrio exchanged messages with another person who shared a plan called 1776 Returns that included plans to occupy crucial buildings with as many people as possible, including the House and Senate. That person wrote that revolution is [sic] important than anything, to which Tarrio replied: Thats what every waking moment consists of Im not playing games. On January 6, Tarrio told followers on social media that day to do what must be done and, in a group chat with other Proud Boys members, do it again. Make no mistake, he wrote in another message. We did this. Enrique Tarrio, the national leader of the Proud Boys on Jan. 6, 2021, was sentenced Tuesday to 22 years in prison for masterminding a seditious conspiracy aimed at derailing the transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden. The sentence, the lengthiest among hundreds arising from the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, is a reflection of prosecutors evidence that the Proud Boys, helmed by Tarrio, played the most pivotal role in stoking the violent breach of police lines and the Capitol itself. Mr. Tarrio was the ultimate leader of that conspiracy. Mr. Tarrio was the ultimate leader, the ultimate person who organized, who was motivated by revolutionary zeal, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly said as he handed down Tarrios sentence. That conspiracy ended up with about 200 men amped up for battle encircling the Capitol. Hundreds of Proud Boys from across the country, vetted and assembled by Tarrio and a group of top lieutenants, became a vanguard of sorts as a mob of Trump supporters descended on the Capitol, and members of the group were involved in nearly every breach of police lines that day. Dominic Pezzola, a New York Proud Boy who triggered the breach of the Capitol itself by smashing a Senate window with a stolen police shield, was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Tarrio, unlike most of his co-conspirators, was not at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Upon his arrival in Washington on Jan. 4, 2021, he was arrested for his role in the theft and burning of a Black Lives Matter flag from a church after an earlier pro-Trump march. Tarrio was released the next day and ordered to leave Washington D.C., so he headed with a group of allies to a hotel in Baltimore. Prosecutors say despite his absence, he remained in touch with his men and monitored their actions on Jan. 6. And after the attack, he repeatedly celebrated the attack, defended his allies and regretted that it didnt fully derail the transfer of power. He was convicted in May of seditious conspiracy, conspiring to obstruct Congress proceedings and destroying government property, among other charges. Tarrios sentence closes a significant chapter in the investigation of the Jan. 6 attack. His 22-year sentence is likely to remain the lengthiest for anyone charged in connection with the attack itself a mark that exceeds the 18-year sentences handed down to Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and Tarrios ally Ethan Nordean. Prosecutors portrayed Tarrio as a uniquely influential figure who singularly organized a group of hardened Proud Boys members and aimed them at the Capitol on Jan. 6. They said his sentence had to serve as a deterrent to anyone who might target Americas system of government in the future. He was on a tier of his own, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor Mulroe. This was a calculated act of terrorism. Just before his sentence, Tarrio addressed Kelly, repeatedly apologizing for his conduct in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6. He said he regretted comparing Pezzola, in a message to a coconspirator on Jan. 6, to Americas founders. "Theres no comparing anybody that was there including myself with George Washington or any of the Founding Fathers, Tarrio said. We invoked 1776 and the Constitution of the United States and that was wrong to do. That was a perversion." Tarrio also apologized to police officers, lawmakers and D.C. residents for the carnage of Jan. 6. I had the choice multiple times to calm things out and I didnt. I persisted when I should have calmed, he said. Tarrio said he would disavow politics and groups after leaving jail and wanted only to return to his family, get married and lead a productive life. Kelly, a Trump appointee, appeared largely unmoved by Tarrios words of contrition. He emphasized that as the attack unfolded, he used his platform to tell his allies Dont fucking leave. And that night, Tarrio privately told a confidant, Make no mistake. We did this. Despite Tarrios contrition, Kelly again slammed him for comparing Pezzola to George Washington. It slanders the father of our country to speak that way, Kelly said. The judge added that he doesnt see evidence, despite Tarrios apologies, that he feels remorse for the seditious conspiracy for which he was convicted. The Proud Boys traced their rise in large part to Trump himself, gaining national notoriety for street brawls against left-wing protesters who they accused of aligning with antifa. The group saw a recruitment surge in September 2020 when Trump told them to stand back and stand by on a debate stage a comment that became a rallying cry for Tarrio and other Proud Boys leaders. Prosecutors say members of the group saw Trumps fate in the 2020 election as a harbinger of their own, fearing that his defeat would marginalize them. They quickly embraced Trumps false claims of fraud and joined pro-Trump marches in Washington, D.C., in November and December 2020, both of which were marred by street violence. Prosecutors say the December event, in particular, also fueled the Proud Boys leaders disdain for Washington, D.C. police, who made no arrests after a man stabbed four Proud Boys outside a bar they frequented. After Trump urged supporters to descend on Washington on Jan. 6 for a last-ditch effort to cling to power, the Proud Boys began mobilizing and in prosecutors view, conspiring to help Trump derail the transfer of power at any cost. Stung by the violence they witnessed in December, the group also said they wanted to ensure they only brought disciplined men who would follow orders, and they established a new chapter The Ministry of Self-Defense aimed at organizing their Jan. 6 efforts. Prosecutors also homed in on Tarrios receipt of a document from a girlfriend Eryka Flores titled 1776 returns, a blueprint for occupying federal buildings in order to block Congress Jan. 6 proceedings. The document described the Capitol as The Winter Palace, a reference to the Russian Revolution of 1917. Tarrio, when texting with an exhilarated ally on the evening on Jan. 6, responded simply, Winter Palace. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he hoped for a "good result" on reviving the Black Sea grain deal in the near future. Source: European Pravda, citing the Turkish President's statement quoted by Anadolu Details: Erdogan said that Ankara is in close contact with the UN regarding the resumption of the grain deal, and added that he would soon discuss this issue with the organisation's Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres. "Revitalisation of the initiative is a priority for the whole world. We are in close contact with the UN on this issue," the Turkish president said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Erdogan said that Russia has two requirements for the resumption of the grain deal. "First, the inclusion of the Russian agricultural bank in the SWIFT (international banking) system. Secondly, the ships used for transportation need to be insured. Ships must be insured in order to transport goods to European or other ports," he added. Background: Russian President Vladimir Putin, following talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stated that Moscow was not ready to return immediately to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which it quit in July. Erdogan called for the continuation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative nitiative and noted that Ukraine needs to soften its approach so that it will be extended. Read also the European Pravda article: Russian Defeat for Erdogan. How Turkish Leader Failed to Secure Ukraine Grain Deal with Putin 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 electrical substation that delivers electricity to Chisinau, near the village of Negresti, Moldova on Nov. 30, 2022. Credit - Andreea CampeanuThe New York Times/Redux Ukraine will get a transformational amount of foreign aid in the next few years as it rebuilds from Russias invasion. But it could be its tiny neighbor Moldova that undergoes the greatest post-war transition and revival. This private investment and foreign assistance could transform MoldovaEuropes poorest countryinto the continents first truly green country. With a population of just over 2.5 million people, Moldova is an oft-forgotten country thats probably the last place many would think could be at the forefront of a green revolutionand for good reason. According to the International Energy Agency, it is one of the least energy self-sufficient countries on Earth. Moldova is utterly dependent on energy imports99% of its oil and 100% of its natural gas is imported. The country has a single, lone power plant, which is problematically located in the Russian-backed separatist region of Transnistria. This is a recipe for an energy disaster. Moldovas gas sector is also almost entirely controlled by a monopoly called Moldovagaz, which is 51% owned by Russias gas giant Gazprom. This arrangement has allowed Moscow decades of punitive, sometimes vindictive control. For example, Gazprom claims $800 million is owed by Chisinau via Moldovagaz, although President Maia Sandu announced on Sept. 3 that a Moldovan government audit found no legitimate debts. The ensuing litigation is likely to be long and costly. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Further, even though Moldova isnt importing any Russian gas directly now, the country is stuck with gas contracts both deeply disadvantageous and legally unnavigable, agreed to by Moldovagaz, that could prove extremely costly to escape. The latest dates to October 2021 and commits Chisinau to five more years of Gazprom. And pro-Russian actors in either the Moldovan government that fell in February 2023, or possibly within Moldovagaz, deleted the files Chisinau needs to break the contract. Read More: Moldova's Prime Minister on Russia and Staying Neutral Yet it is these deeply unfavorable circumstances that might just prove to be an enviable advantage in the green transition. Whereas countries like Germany and Poland have to dismantle massive energy systems dependent on mostly gas and coal, respectively, Moldova has the counterintuitive luxury of being able to almost start from scratch. At the risk of diminution: Instead of trying to turn a massive tanker in a narrow canal, it must only pilot a dinghy. Indeed, Moldova barely registers on energy demand. Its overall consumption per capita is approximately half the European average at 1.5 tonnes of oil equivalent, 3 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas, and just 2,000 KWh of power annually. Replacing this with renewable or other clean sources is therefore a relatively small task, and one made easier by the fact that Moldovas electricity grid and natural gas infrastructure is already connected to its neighbors. A single 300 MW solar or wind farm, for example, could alone decarbonize the power for 300,000 homes. All the country needs to do is attract a few investors into the energy sector and the job will be half done already, and many of those potential investors are already looking at Ukrainian reconstruction projects that could easily incorporate Moldova. To continue the boat metaphor, Chisinau could mostly achieve its energy transition without even having to paddle. That proverbial little boat is also being outfitted with a massive motor in the form of ample foreign aid. In 2022, over $1 billion was pledged to Chisinau, mostly from the U.S. and E.U. The U.S., for example, gave over $100 million in 2022, of which $40.5 million was energy-related funding and another $30 million was budget support to help ameliorate the energy crisis. The assistance has continued to pour in this year. In February, the U.S. announced an additional $300 million in energy support for Moldova. International finance institutions like the World Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development are likewise assisting Moldova. Coupled with potential private investment, this could be an energy transition bonanza. Thankfully, Chisinau is exploring building a new energy sector reliant on renewables instead of foreign fossil fuels. In late 2022, Western-backed Moldovan President Maia Sandu quietly pitched the E.U. on a plan to make the country carbon neutral by 2035. This would require the development of biomethane, the construction of electricity storage facilities, weatherization of existing buildings, electrification of heating with heat pumps and residential solar panels, and other innovations. Wind farms are also under active consideration. To do this, Moldova will need an estimated investment of $1 billion per year. That is, of course, what it is now getting, albeit with the restrictions and conditionalities incumbent with foreign aid. But with assistance, supply chains, expertise, and especially private investment from the West, Moldovaincluding Transnistriacould be successfully pried from Russias grasp all while the cause of decarbonization is advanced. Of course, these plans are easier formulated than implemented, and Chisinau has long gotten in its own way on reforms. There are considerable corruption concerns in Moldova. Decades of being supported by the generosity of foreign governments has created something of a culture of impotence, too. The country has had opportunities to weaken the Kremlin and Gazproms stranglehold before but hasnt taken them. But President Sandu and her new government have been taking some concrete steps to begin to find a strategy to escape Gazprom. In June, Chisinau brought on as a key advisor Ukraines Andriy Kobolyev, who as the head of Ukraines gas monopoly, managed to free Ukraine of Russian natural gas dependencecreating a blueprint for Moldova to do the same. His team also bested Gazprom in court amid a legal dispute concerning gas contracts to the tune of $2.9 billion, and got Ukraine paid. Less promisingly, Chisinau has shown itself to be oddly hostile to private investment in its energy sector. This will make it very difficult for the country to modernize and attract the more flexible capital of the private sector, versus the cumbersome and restricted support of foreign governments. It also means that shifting political winds in Washington, London, or Brussels could stymie Moldovas plans at any moment. Energy transition ambitions could also be stalled by shifts in Moldovan politics if they rely on bilateral political relationships instead of private contracts. Whats more, most of the few companies that have bravely invested in the Moldovan energy sector in the last 20 years have been undermined or driven out. Spains Gas Natural Fenosa, Moldovas largest supplier and distributor of electricity, suffered over 102.6 million (($110.06 million) in setbacks amid a long running dispute with the government over electricity tariffs. Experts familiar with the situation believed it was an effort to prevent any profit from accruing to the company by restricting it from charging customers enough to recoup its costs, plus some form of mismanagement or incompetence or the triumph of vested Kremlin interests. Rotalin Gas Trading, the largest private gas company in the country and the only private competitor to Moldovagaz, is now in a similar legal dispute over gas tariffs. In June, Moldovas energy regulator authorized Moldovagaz to charge higher prices than private investors can charge for the same gas supply services. Few if any renewables investors are likely to enter the Moldovan energy sector until this business climate changes. But if Chisinau settles the lawsuits by private energy investors, creates an attractive regulatory structure to govern renewables projects, and breaks free of Gazprom, then the resulting wave of investment and the goodwill and foreign assistance from Western governments should be more than enough to help the country transform. To become further attractive to private capital, Moldova could offer incentives to future investors in biofuels, wind, solar, and more. Western governments and international banks should be willing to offer guarantees, too, that would sweeten the deal. This moment is an unparalleled opportunity for the smallest victim of Russias centuries of energy persecution and dominance. Chisinau has the vision of a clean, green, carbon neutral future, and it has the money and prospects with which to fund the transition. Becoming Europes first green country would only accelerate Moldovas bid to join the E.U. And what better way to stick a thumb in Vladimir Putins eye than to become energy self-sufficient and eschew the fossil fuels that help line the Kremlins coffers? Chisinau could pave the way. Contact us at letters@time.com. Ex-spy Valentin Nalivaychenko said even he's concerned Ukraine's assassinations are going too far. He told The Economist Ukraine's "security services shouldn't do things just because they can." Ukraine is tight-lipped, but assassinations in occupied territory and Russia have cropped up over the war. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, dozens of Russian officials and conspirators have been assassinated both in occupied Ukrainian territory and Russia. But now, even a Ukrainian ex-spy is concerned the country's assassination squads are going too far. Valentin Nalivaychenko, former Head of the Security Service of Ukraine and current Parliament member, told The Economist that recent missions have been quite risky for Ukrainian intelligence, in some cases lacking strategy or endangering agents and their sources. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Our security services shouldn't do things just because they can," Nalivaychenko said, adding that while some assassinations have been justified, others have given pause. His comments echoed concerns from other Ukrainian officials, with one anonymous source inside SBU counter-intelligence telling The Economist that targeting mid-level propagandists or relatively small fish in Russia's larger information and political systems was sometimes meant to impress the president rather than achieve victory in the war. "Clowns, prostitutes and jokers are a constant around the Russian government," the source told the outlet. "Kill one of them, and another will appear in their place." Ukraine's network of spies has supposedly ramped up its attacks, especially on pro-war propagandists far from the front lines. In an interview last May, Major-Geenral Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence service, said his agents had "successfully targeted quite a few people." "There have been well-publicized cases everyone knows about, thanks to the media coverage," Budanov told The Times. One of the most recent suspected assassinations was in July, when a Russian submarine commander was shot dead while on a run in Krasnodar. He was previously believed to be responsible for a high-precision Kalibr cruise missile attack in Vinnytsia in July 2022 that killed 28 Ukrainian civilians. And in April, a Russian military blogger was killed in a cafe explosion in St. Petersburg. Russia arrested a woman for the attack and blamed the attack on Ukraine; the country has denied it had a role in the attack. Other attacks have fallen into a moral grey area. In October 2022, The New York Times reported that US government officials were blaming a car bombing that killed Darya Dugina the daughter of Russian far-right nationalist and propagandist Alexander Dugin on Ukraine. It's unclear if Dugina or Dugin himself had been the intended target. Read the original article on Business Insider A boat travels along the waters of Lake Michigan at Montrose Beach as the sun rises on Aug. 23, 2023. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) After a hot and muggy Labor Day drew thousands of beachgoers and boaters to Lake Michigan Monday, a safety expert is calling the holiday one of the deadliest for the lakefront in recent history as emergency responders worked double time in rescue and recovery missions over a 24-hour period. Responders pulled two bodies and a woman in critical condition from Lake Michigan Monday and Tuesday morning, authorities said. Another person was still missing as of Tuesday evening. Advertisement At this point weve been searching since 9 a.m., its considered a recovery, said Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford about the missing boater. Authorities called off the rescue mission after an hour of searching for the man, who had gone into the lake from a 27-foot boat around 9 a.m. Tuesday about a mile away from shore. Advertisement According to the U.S. Coast Guards 9th District, which monitors the Great Lakes region, the man along with a woman had gone into the lake, but the woman was able to make it back into the boat. The man went under and was not seen resurfacing, according to the Coast Guard. There were no updates on the missing man as of Tuesday evening, said Anthony Spicuzza, a Chicago Police Department spokesperson. The mission was one of several weekend water emergencies that were making it one of the deadliest Labor Day weekends across the Great Lakes since the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project began tracking drownings in 2010, according to Dave Benjamin, the groups co-founder and executive director. We call it the four Ws, Benjamin said. If you have warm, wind, waves, on a weekend, youre going to see an influx of drownings. Monday marked the last official day of the swimming season in Chicago and on a day that saw temperatures soar past 90 degrees thousands had flocked to the beaches and parks along the lakefront while countless more boaters floated in the lake. [ Labor Day is forecast to hit the 90s but wont match previous hot streak; August wraps up dry and temperate ] In northwest Indiana, East Chicago police responded to the scene where a teen died after jumping off a breakwall along Lake Michigan, even though he and the group he was with were advised against it, authorities said. Witnesses at the scene said a group of teens were jumping off near Jeorse Park around 4:20 p.m. Monday, Indiana Department of Natural Resources spokesman Alex Neel said in a release Tuesday. The witnesses said the boy jumped off the rocks and started to struggle before disappearing in the water, Neel said. First responders on the scene contacted the Lake County sheriffs dive team, which recovered the unconscious and unresponsive teen, according to the East Chicago Police Departments social media page. He was taken to St. Catherine Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Neel said. The teens he was with tried to help him but werent able, and its unclear how long he was submerged, the East Chicago police release said. Marina staff had told the group not to jump off the pier, both the police release and Neel said. Advertisement [ Teen drowns after jumping into Lake Michigan from EC breakwall ] Then, just after 10:20 p.m. the Chicago Police Departments Marine Operations Unit responded to a call about a man who witnesses said jumped into the water at a beach near 49th Street. Police recovered the man, 27, in critical condition and brought him to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died. The Cook County medical examiners office identified the man as Kenyatta Freeman Jr. of Markham. The following morning, around 2:15 a.m., police responded to a report of a 46-year-old woman who dived into the water near the south end of Montrose Harbor and did not surface. She was brought to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition. Drownings also occurred in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario over the weekend, Benjamin said. As of Sept. 1, there had been 31 drownings in Lake Michigan and 63 in the Great Lakes overall. When we were looking at this a couple weeks ago, Lake Michigan drownings were down 36% over the previous year, said Benjamin. Now because of this spike and a couple of other incidents, we could surpass last year. Ricky Castro, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said the drownings were not likely caused by weather conditions, but rather other extenuating circumstances. Though there was near record-breaking heat, winds were not strong over the lake and the waves stayed small. Castro said the mild southerly winds did not pose a hazard to swimmers Monday, but that doesnt mean that other factors werent at play. Advertisement Whatever the conditions are, its never considered safe, he said. You can never say youre fully safe. Michele Lemons, a spokesperson for the Chicago Park District, noted the rescue and recovery missions occurred at nondesignated swim areas or after the beaches closed for swimming and Park District lifeguards were no longer on duty, Because Labor Day marks the last day of Chicagos swimming season at beaches and outdoor pools, there will be no lifeguards on duty until May 24 next year, Lemons said. 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 > Benjamin, who has taught water safety and worked with families of drowning victims and with officials and residents who want to make their beaches safer, stressed that swimmers now enter the water at their own risk. He said swimmers should practice due diligence in the coming weeks. Lake Michigan, he said, can be unpredictable. Offshore rip currents can pull swimmers away. Sandbar formations can quickly turn into deep drop-offs. Advertisement He said every individual who enters the water, even if they are a strong swimmer, should acknowledge the risks. The Post-Tribune contributed. nsalzman@chicagotribune.com A new report from Politico details evidence that Donald Trump 's inner circle of co-defendants have begun seeking to shift the onus from themselves to Trump in multiple concurrent criminal cases. Co-defendants implicated alongside Trump (or named as "unindicted co-conspirators" in the federal case) have begun, Politico reports, "to show glimmers of a tried-and-true strategy in cases with many defendants: Portray yourself as a hapless pawn while piling blame on the apparent kingpin." One of the most notorious Trump flippers of earlier years, his former personal attorney and fixer Michael Cohen, is now a pivotal witness in the ex-president's New York criminal case over his alleged role in facilitating hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final stretch of the 2016 presidential campaign. Related ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "He's in big trouble": Experts say Mark Meadows' "goose is cooked" after new Fani Willis filing "I suspect it will be every defendant for himself," Cohen told Politico, speaking about Trump's current legal plight. "History has shown the 18 co-defendants that Donald doesn't care about anyone but himself," he said, specifically referring to the long list of alleged co-conspirators charged by District Attorney Fani Willis in the Georgia election racketeering case. A potentially significant example came late last week, when former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows signaled that he would likely point to Trump as the ringleader and orchestrator of efforts to subvert the Georgia election. Meadows made a surprise appearance as a witness in Atlanta, testifying in his effort to move his case from state to federal court. Meadows claimed that he did not play "any role" in the plot to name Georgia "fake electors" pledged to Trump. In a post-hearing brief, however, Willis suggested that Meadows had not been truthful. We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism "And after insisting that he did not play 'any role' in the coordination of slates of 'fake electors' throughout several states, the defendant was forced to acknowledge under cross-examination that he had in fact given direction to a campaign official in this regard," Willis wrote in the filing. A footnote to the brief argued that the judge "has ample basis not to credit some or all of the defendant's testimony." Mark Meadows has a potential perjury problem. Fulton County DA puts it in understated terms in new brief. (DA uses it just for credibility.) Meadows' testimony included false statement - his lack of "any role" in coordinating false electors Was then forced to acknowledge it. pic.twitter.com/9akSvaHWlg Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) August 31, 2023 ? Politico further reported that court documents from Meadows' hearing showed that one of his defense attorneys, Michael Francisco, underscored the infamous phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in early January of 2021, pressuring Raffensperger to "find 11,780 votes." As Politico notes, Meadows personally arranged the call, but after prosecutors played a recording of the call in court, "an attorney for Meadows emphasized that his client's part in the actual discussion was both more minor and less provocative than Trump's." "There's a lot of statements by Mr. Trump. Mr. Meadows' speaking roles were quite limited," Francisco said during his cross-examination of Raffensperger, who also testified. "He didn't make a request that you change the vote totals Mr. Meadows, himself?" Francisco continued. "Correct," Raffensperger replied. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. Politico also highlighted a portion of Meadows' testimony in which he said that Trump "viewed the false electors as a significant part of his strategy to remain in power. " Meadows claimed he then sent an email pushing the campaign to assemble pro-Trump slates of electors largely because he feared a tongue-lashing from his boss. "What I didn't want to happen was for the campaign to prevail in court action and not have this" lined up, Meadows said, adding that if that happened, "I knew I'd be yelled at by the president of the United States." "Strategically speaking, if you are one of the less important players, you would definitely want to be in the same trial with Donald Trump. All of the focus is going to be on him," said Florida-based lawyer Scott Weinberg. "They don't want the little guys, they want Trump. You're always compared to who you're next to." Also prominently mentioned in Politico's report was Yuscil Taveras, an IT aide at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate who has significantly altered his initial testimony about alleged efforts to destroy surveillance video, and has now agreed to cooperate with special counsel Jack Smith, who is prosecuting Trump in Washington, D.C. Politico notes that Taveras' apparent "flip may help him dodge a possible perjury charge ... and it is likely to bolster Smith's obstruction-of-justice case against Trump and two other aides." Three Republican activists who were indicted with the ex-president in Georgia for attempting to overturn Joe Biden's 2020 win have all stated that they had acted in accordance with Trump's "direction," after posing as legitimate Trump electors and signing false documents. John Lauro, Trump's lead lawyer in Smith's federal election case, recently said that he intends to file a series of motions, including a claim presidential immunity claim, in hopes of getting the charges against Trump reduced or dismissed altogether. Lauro has protested U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan's ruling that the trial should begin next March, saying that mounting a defense of the ex-president is "an enormous, overwhelming task." Read more about Donald J. Trump and the future Regina Bratton alleges that out of around 30 workers, interns, and volunteers at CPAC, she was the only one who identified as African American and experienced hostility from up and down the command chain. The Conservative Political Action Conference and its leaders, including Matt Schlapp , have been named in a former employees lawsuit, accusing them of racial discrimination and defamation. Regina Bratton, a former communications and marketing supervisor who worked for CPAC in 2021 and 2022, claims the organizations leadership conspired to and embarked upon a systematic, concerted effort to create a hostile work environment, according to The Washington Post. Bratton requests $55 million in the lawsuit, filed in a Virginia federal court on Friday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The culture at CPAC was terrible, the lawsuit states, as Matt Schlapp and his wife, Mercedes Schlapp , ran the organization as if they were the King and Queen like a dictatorship which ignored rules, laws, and basic decency when dealing with employees. The Conservative Political Action Conference and its leaders, including Matt Schlapp (above), are listed in a racial discrimination and defamation lawsuit. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images) The lawsuit lists the American Conservative Union, CPACs parent group, and its foundation arm as defendants. It also names Schlapp, a well-known supporter of former president Donald Trump, Mercedes Schlapp, a senior fellow at CPAC, and general counsel David Safavian. Bratton alleges that out of around 30 workers, interns and volunteers at CPAC, she was the only one who identified as African American and experienced hostility from up and down the command chain. She claims a subordinate routinely acted hostilely and defiantly against her and informed her that he didnt enjoy working with or for women. As Bratton attempted to hire a diverse group of freelancers, the staff member reportedly complained that CPAC was not an affirmative action employer. In the lawsuit, Bratton claims she felt pressured to carry out Schlapps personal duties beyond the scope of her employment, which included a request to promote his book and style Mercedes Schlapps hair. Bratton said she experienced retaliation after raising concerns about racial bias and complaining to her managers about various working difficulties. She asserts that her firing resulted from her holding a second job, despite informing the Schlapps about it and working for a media outfit that serves as the CCTV Washington bureau. Bratton said she later learned Schlapps and Safavian said they fired her because she was an agent for China. This new action threatens to accelerate CPACs growing legal costs. Republican strategist Carlton Huffman sued Schlapp earlier this year, accusing him of sexual abuse and defamation. He requested $9.4 million in damages. Schlapp has vehemently denied any misconduct. Several seasoned board members have resigned recently, expressing issues with Schlapps financial management and high employee turnover. Charlie Gerow, vice chairman of the ACU board, resigned last week and encouraged other board members to undertake an independent inquiry into any further accusations of sexual misconduct outside of those included in Huffmans complaint. Jim McLaughlin, another board member, expressed his continued confidence in Schlapp and CPAC in a recent interview before Bratton filed her lawsuit. He said the organization was experiencing financial difficulties before Schlapps leadership in 2014. Schlapp and two younger men are also at the center of additional complaints reported to certain board and staff members. In a statement last week, Matt Smith, an American Conservative Union executive committee member, denounced these accusations as completely fabricated. CPACs parent group said in a Sept. 1 statement that they would vigorously defend themselves and believed the lawsuit to be without substance. ACU will vigorously defend against this suit, which was filed by a disgruntled former employee, the organization said. As CPAC continues to expand both in the US and internationally, we will weather these attacks and stay focused on the mission (of) fighting for America and Freedom. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Ex-CPAC employee sues group for discrimination, requests $55 million in damages appeared first on TheGrio. John Bolton criticized Vivek Ramaswamy and Donald Trump over recent comments regarding Ukraine. Bolton pushed back against Ramaswamy's idea to cede territory in eastern Ukraine to Russia. "He has very firm opinions on subjects he knows absolutely nothing about," Bolton told CNN. Former National Security Advisor John Bolton on Tuesday blasted Vivek Ramaswamy over the GOP presidential contender's idea to cede territory in eastern Ukraine to Russia in exchange for Moscow agreeing to sever their military alliance with Beijing, comparing the candidate unfavorably to his onetime boss, former President Donald Trump. During an interview on "CNN This Morning," Bolton who served in the Trump administration from April 2018 to September 2019 the defense hawk said that Ramaswamy reminded him of the former president. "I think Ramaswamy reminds me an awful lot of Donald Trump," Bolton said in response to Ramaswamy expressing a need for facts in order to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal. "He has very firm opinions on subjects he knows absolutely nothing about and this was an example of it." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ramaswamy recently told CNN that the International Criminal Court, which in March issued an arrest warrant for Putin, would be equipped to deal with the Russian leader. "I think that Putin is a dictator, and I think that there are open questions that need to be adjudicated by the [ICC]," Ramaswamy said. "We have an [ICC] for a reason." Bolton while on CNN then focused again on remarks made by Ramaswamy and Trump regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "The main point is that Ramaswamy has made other points about this war and about what he's going to do to try and solve it," Bolton said. "Like Trump said, he would put Zelenskyy and Putin in a room and have it solved in 24 hours. Ramaswamy is going to go to Moscow, convince Putin to break the alliance with China, and end the war that way." "They may as well be in kindergarten talking about a very complex situation, but there's no mistake that Ramaswamy emulates Trump every time he can," he added. Since leaving the administration, Bolton has been a fierce critic of Trump. In May, Bolton mocked the former president's belief that he is respected by world leaders. "Trump has this impression that foreign leaders, especially adversaries, hold him in high regard that he's got a good relationship with Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un," Bolton said of the leaders of China, Russia, and North Korea, respectively during a CNN interview. "In fact, the exact opposite is true," he continued at the time. "I have been in those rooms with him when he met with those leaders. I believe they think he's a laughing fool and the idea that somehow his presence in office would have deterred Putin is flatly wrong." Read the original article on Business Insider The News Enrique Tarrio, the former national chairman of the Proud Boys, was sentenced to 22 years in prison Tuesday for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Thats the longest sentence given to any Jan. 6 defendant. Tarrio was convicted of seditious conspiracy along with three other members of the far-right group. Prosecutors said they plotted to reverse former President Donald Trumps 2020 election loss and prevent the peaceful transfer of power. Know More Federal prosecutors, who sought a 33-year prison sentence for Tarrio, used the rare charge of seditious conspiracy to secure a conviction in the case. They said Tarrio and the other members directed, mobilized, and led a group of Proud Boys and other members of the crowd onto the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Prosecutors called Tarrio a savvy propagandist, and the celebrity Chairman of the national Proud Boys organization who had influence over countless subordinates. The judge applied the terrorism enhancement to Tarrios sentence on Tuesday, adding several more years. Tarrios lawyer said his client is not a terrorist, but a misguided patriot. Before handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly said Jan. 6 broke our previously unbroken tradition of peacefully transferring power adding its going to take time and effort to fix it. Tarrio was found guilty of other charges including obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to prevent Members of Congress and federal law enforcement officers from discharging their duties, civil disorder, and destruction of government property. Since Jan. 6, over 1,000 people have been arrested for crimes related to the Capitol riot. Enrique Tarrio, former national chairman of the right-wing Proud Boys, was sentenced Tuesday to 22 years in prison after being convicted of spearheading a plot to stop the certification of the 2020 election results, culminating in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. His sentence is the highest handed down to anyone in connection with the riot by four years. Before handing down Tarrios sentence, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly said he would not grant the full 33-year sentence sought by federal prosecutors but would grant a higher sentence than other extremist members in the hopes it would act as a deterrent. Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes was sentenced in May to 18 years in prison, and Proud Boy Ethan Nordean one of Tarrios lieutenants received the same sentence last week. That day broke our previously unbroken tradition of peacefully transferring power, which is truly among the most precious things that we had as Americans, Kelly said Tuesday when handing down the sentence. That previously unbroken tradition is broken now. Its going to take time and effort to fix it. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Tarrio, the onetime leader of the Proud Boys, was convicted of seditious conspiracy and other serious felonies in May. It is not super debatable that Tarrio was the ultimate leader of that conspiracy, Kelly said. Tarrio entered the courtroom Thursday with his head held high, wearing a prison-issued orange jumpsuit and glasses. Throughout the proceeding, he actively engaged with his attorneys, sometimes stopping their arguments to make private comments. In addressing the court toward the end of the sentencing hearing, Tarrio apologized to law enforcement, the residents of D.C., congressional lawmakers and their staffers who were present on Jan. 6. He called that day a national embarrassment, but stopped short of admitting to engaging in the plot of which a jury convicted him. Changing the results of an election was not my goal, Tarrio said. When handing down Tarrios sentence, Kelly said hes glad Tarrio is sorry for how law enforcement was treated, but that the Proud Boys leaders apology fell short. I dont have any indication he is remorseful for the actual things he was convicted of, Kelly said. Tarrios sister, fiancee and mother also made statements before the court, pleading for leniency and addressing him by his real name, Henry. This mother stands before you today begging you for leniency for Henry, his mother said, her remarks appearing to make Tarrio emotional for the first time during the proceeding. We need him home as soon as we can. The Henry that came into the system is not the Henry thats here today. Tarrios fiancee said the couple wants to start a family together and asked the judge to consider the direct effect a long sentence could have on those ambitions. Henry is a flawed man, as are we all, but he is not blind to it. Nayib Hassan, an attorney for Tarrio, told reporters after the sentencing that they respect Kellys sentence but also respectfully disagree. He added that Tarrio expects to file an appeal soon. Hassan declined to comment on whether Tarrio should have been sentenced to less time than Rhodes, the Oath Keepers founder. Prosecutors requested 33 years in prison for Tarrio, who they painted as the driving force of a plot to stop the peaceful transfer of power from former President Trump to then-President-elect Biden. The Proud Boys leader demonized his perceived adversaries, glorified the use of force against them and distributed violent propaganda to his thousands and thousands of followers, Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor Mulroe said Tuesday. He is unique among his co-defendants in the extent of his toxic influence over others, Mulroe said. A long sentence for Tarrio could also act as a deterrent to others seeking to impose their political views by force, Mulroe argued. We need to be sure that the consequences are abundantly clear to anyone who might be unhappy with the 2024, 2028, 2032 or any future election for as long as this case is remembered, he said. Tarrio was not at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The Miami Proud Boy was arrested on unrelated charges just days prior to the attack, which barred him from entering Washington, D.C. He instead watched the riot unfold from a hotel room in Baltimore. But throughout Tarrios four-month trial, prosecutors said his arrest and the earlier stabbing of several Proud Boys at a December 2020 rally were watershed moments for the group, turning members against D.C. police and motivating them to try to stop the election certification. Tarrios attorneys Tuesday recommended a sentence of no more than 15 years in prison and argued against the use of a terrorism enhancement in deciding his punishment. Sabino Jauregui, another of his attorneys, that Tarrios absence on Jan. 6 should set him apart from his co-defendants who helped lead the charge on the Capitol. My client is no terrorist, Jauregui said. My client is a misguided patriot. Kelly, the judge, ultimately did apply a terrorism adjustment to Tarrios sentencing guidelines, wherein a defendant must have committed an offense that was calculated to influence or affect the conduct of government by intimidation or coercion, or to retaliate against government conduct. Throughout the trial, Tarrios counsel also argued that the Proud Boys leader is the governments scapegoat for the Capitol attack, suggesting instead that Trump was the true culprit of Jan. 6. Tarrios sentencing is the last in a series of historic seditious conspiracy cases brought by the Justice Department after the Capitol was attacked. On Thursday, Proud Boys Joe Biggs and Zachary Rehl were sentenced to 17 years and 15 years respectively then the second- and third-highest sentences handed down. Dominic Pezzola, the only Proud Boy not convicted of sedition, received a sentence of 10 years in prison Friday for other serious felony convictions. The Justice Department proved in court that the Proud Boys played a central role in setting the January 6th attack on our Capitol into motion, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. Today, the leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, learned that the consequence of conspiring to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power is 22 years in federal prison, Garland added. Six Oath Keepers, including Rhodes, were also convicted of sedition at trial, and multiple members of both groups pleaded guilty without going to trial. In all, more than 1,100 rioters have been charged across the country for their roles in that day. Updated 6:53 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine on Sept. 5 further reduced the bail for Vsevolod Kniazev, an ex-head of the Supreme Court, from Hr 75 million ($2 million) to Hr 55 million ($1.5 million) in a bribery case. This is the second reduction in Kniazev's bail. In May the Appeal Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court refused to release Kniazev from custody but reduced the bail from Hr 107.3 million ($2.9 million) to Hr 75 million ($2 million). Kniazev was charged with accepting a $2.7 million bribe in May. He was dismissed from his position through a vote of no confidence. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) reported in August that Ukrainian businessman Kostyantyn Zhevago had been charged with bribing Kniazev. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. FILE PHOTO: The logo of British multinational oil and gas company Shell displayed during the LNG 2023 energy trade show in Vancouver By Curtis Williams and Marianna Parraga HOUSTON (Reuters) - Shell and Trinidad and Tobago's National Gas Company (NGC) are close to agreeing to credit Venezuela's state-run oil firm for its $1 billion investment in a gas field the three want to jointly develop, four people close to the discussions said. If agreed, the move could help speed a long-stalled offshore development. The U.S. in January granted Venezuela's PDVSA, Shell and NGC a two-year authorization to revive the project, which could boost Trinidad and Tobago's gas processing and exports. Negotiations between the trio initially had progressed little over a U.S. demand that the proposed Dragon gas project exclude cash payments to Venezuela or its state companies. That remains a hurdle, though Trinidad has asked the Biden administration to reconsider. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Much of the $1 billion that Venezuela wants recognized as its contribution belongs to a nearly-completed gas line connecting the offshore field to Venezuela's shore, two of the people said. The field is in Venezuelan waters and past efforts to find partners for its development stumbled over PDVSA's demands for compensation. Shell and NGC have not given final word to PDVSA on the reimbursement, but are prepared to pay for "all legitimate claims," one of the sources said. PDVSA in 2013 finished testing gas output at Dragon, whose reserves it estimated at 4.2 trillion cubic feet. But the field has never been commercially active due to Venezuela's lack of capital and, more recently, U.S sanctions. Shell and NGC confirmed the parties are holding negotiations, but declined to elaborate. "Discussions on the Dragon project involving the governments of Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago and Shell are ongoing and commercially confidential," Shell told Reuters. Trinidad's Energy Minister Stuart Young met Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro last week, the Venezuelan government said on social media. PDVSA, Venezuela's oil ministry and Trinidad's energy ministry did not reply to requests for comment. The U.S. Treasury Department declined to comment. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said its overall Venezuela sanctions policy remains in place to limit revenue flows to Maduro with the goal of "encouraging a return to democracy in Venezuela." SHOW ME THE MONEY Trinidad's Prime Minister Keith Rowley in January suggested it could pay for the gas in humanitarian goods, including food and medicine. Venezuela, however, has insisted it will not accept any deal exclusively based on barter, the sources said. "PDVSA has said they want part of the payment for the gas in cash and the other part in kind," a sources said. In May, Trinidad's government asked U.S. officials to amend some license terms related to Dragon's expected proceeds. But Washington has remained reluctant to consider any license changes until there is further progress in negotiations, another person said. Under the terms agreed to date, Shell would become field operator with NGC and PDVSA holding equity stakes. PDVSA, which holds a license issued by Venezuela for development, would bring in Shell and NGC as partners under that authorization. The parties are considering two separate gas lines: A line now partially built to transport PDVSA's portion of the gas to Guiria, on Venezuela's eastern coast. A second could connect to Shell's Hibiscus field on Trinidad's side, allowing gas to flow to Trinidad, the people said. Venezuela also has suggested that all the gas pass through Guiria, so only an additional short pipeline would be needed to link Guiria to Point Fortin, home of Trinidad's liquefied natural gas export plants. That option would allow PDVSA to transport and process the gas on Venezuela's shore, keeping what it needs to supply the domestic market and exporting gas liquids that could be produced in future project stages. However, the other parties have not preferred that option, the people said. (Reporting by Curtis Williams and Marianna Parraga in Houston, additional reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington; Editing by Marguerita Choy) FILE PHOTO: People take part in the annual pride parade in Hong Kong By Jessie Pang and Greg Torode HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong's top judges on Tuesday opened the path for sweeping legal protections for same sex couples but stopped short of full recognition of gay marriages after a landmark appeal by an LGBTQ activist in a ruling expected to be closely watched in Asia. The ruling ended a five year legal battle by Jimmy Sham to get the Hong Kong government to recognise his marriage to a man in New York in 2013. WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE RULING? While the five judges on Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal did not grant Sham's appeal that he had a constitutional right to a same sex marriage in Hong Kong, they did demand the government create new legal protections for same sex couples in their daily lives. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Lawyers and activists say while that it stops short of full recognition for same sex marriages, it remains highly significant, forging a path for the creation of legal protections in a whole range of areas, potentially from health care and insurance to inheritance and taxation issues. Two of the judges noted that a lack of a legal framework had been "essentially discriminatory and demeaning to same sex couples". Local publisher Salena Chung, who married her wife in the U.S. in 2021, told Reuters that when she tried to buy insurance she was told to note down her wife as "friend". Other firms told her to write down her mother as the beneficiary instead. "I think it definitely helps people to understand same-sex couples because fear comes from misunderstanding," Chung said. WHAT COMES NEXT? By suspending its finding that the government had violated Sham's rights by its lack of an existing legal framework, the court has effectively given Hong Kong two years to make changes. Lawyers say this could be done by local laws and regulations without complex constitutional changes to the Basic Law, the document that guides Hong Kong's relationship with its Chinese sovereign since its return from British colonial rule in 1997. The judges ruled that the Basic Law's marriage protections were confined to opposite sex marriage. While critics say Hong Kong is under tighter control from Beijing, the document enshrines a high degree of autonomy for the city over local issues. The Hong Kong government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The ruling comes as the Hong Kong government attempts to attract more professional talent to the Asian financial hub. The city is also due to host Asia's first Gay Games in November - its biggest international event since the city emerged from COVID-19 restrictions at the end of 2022 and one expected to draw over 30,000 participants and spectators. COULD IT GO FURTHER? The ruling is being closely watched across Asia, a largely socially conservative region where only Taiwan and Nepal allow same-sex unions. Some activists and business lobbies say it could influence regional financial centres from Tokyo to Singapore to create more inclusive laws as a lure for global professionals that multinational corporations are seeking to hire and retain. It remains unclear if the ruling will have any impact in mainland China, where homosexuality was decriminalised in 1997, and in 2001, removed from its list of mental illnesses. Same-sex marriage is not recognised and no official legal protections exist. (Reporting By Jessie Pang and Greg Torode; Writing by Farah Master; Editing by Alison Williams) Good morning, Chicago. Tuesday marks the official start of Illinois 2024 campaign season, the opening day for Democratic and Republican candidates for offices from Congress down to various county and party posts to begin circulating petitions to appear on the March 19 primary ballot. Advertisement The circulation period starts for candidates for all offices except those vying in the marquee contest of the 2024 election year, the race for president. Presidential candidates and their supporting nominating delegates, elected from each of the states congressional districts, begin circulating petitions Oct. 7. The campaign season launches amid efforts by both Democrats and Republicans and their allies to recruit candidates to fill out down-ballot races. Advertisement Read the full story from the Tribunes Rick Pearson. Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day. Subscribe to more newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Todays eNewspaper edition Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin speaks during a Chicago Teachers Union rally at New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in West Garfield Park, Oct. 27, 2019, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tri/Chicago Tribune) City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin used government workers to plan her daughters birthday party and be her personal bodyguard while she also pressured public employees to hold events benefiting political allies and repeatedly misused taxpayer resources, two former top aides alleged in a recently released letter the city fought for years to keep confidential. The blistering four-page letter, written in December 2020 by the attorney for the two employees Conyears-Ervin fired, also alleged the treasurer, who oversees city investments, tried to force BMO Harris one of the banks where city money is deposited to issue a mortgage tied to the building that houses the aldermanic office for Conyears-Ervins husband, Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th. Andrew Suh is photographed in 2008 in prison for a documentary titled "The House of Suh." (Joseph Kang) Andrew Suh was only 19 when he executed his sisters boyfriend nearly 30 years ago in Chicagos Bucktown neighborhood, a sensational crime that launched an international search, sparked a media frenzy and brought lifelong grief to the victims family. Suh admits he pulled the trigger in the premeditated, ambush-style killing of a man who had helped raise him. But after about three decades in prison, the now-49-year-old Suh hopes his remorse and efforts to better himself have earned him a measure of mercy. Rush University Medical Center on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Several Chicago-area hospitals have been honored for excellence in price transparency two and a half years after a set of federal transparency guidelines went into effect. Advertisement 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 > Rush University Medical Center was one of 10 hospitals nationwide to receive the inaugural Price Transparency Champion Award, honoring medical systems going above and beyond to keep price estimates accessible and upfront. Chicago Blackhawks CEO Daniel Danny Wirtz is seen in his office at the United Center in Chicago on Sept. 1, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) Late Chicago Blackhawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz had planned for years for his son, Danny, to carry on the various family businesses without him. But when Rocky died from an illness on July 25, it felt no less jarring and devastating. We didnt think it was life-threatening, but it turned into three or four days of a real tough battle for his life, Danny Wirtz told the Tribune in an interview Friday to discuss his ascension to the head of the teams organizational chart. Vocalist Margaret Murphy-Webb and tenor saxophonist Chico Freeman share a laugh onstage on the opening night of the Chicago Jazz Festival in Millennium Parks Pritzker Pavilion on Aug. 31, 2023. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Every corner of Millennium Park was awash in music last weekend for the Chicago Jazz Festival, boasting its usual blend of headlining stars in Pritzker Pavilion bass titan Ron Carter and Makaya McCraven among them and heaps of local talent taking over more intimate stages. Critic Hannah Edgar has a review of the festival. Pierre Jean Gonzalez as Alexander Hamilton, and cast of the touring musical "Hamilton," in Chicago at the Nederlander Theatre for fall 2023. (Joan Marcus/HANDOUT) From a true-crime musical to Mexican wrestling to Jim Henson-designed puppets, the fall season of Chicago-area theaters includes numerous fascinating projects. Also on tap: A Pearl Cleage Festival at the Goodman Theatre, a new Brett Neveu play at A Red Orchid Theatre and the Chicago premiere of Noah Haidles Birthday Candles at Northlight Theatre. There are many more shows on the docket, too, but here are our traditional 10 upcoming titles to whet your appetite for the exciting fall return of one of the best reasons to live in and around Chicago. By Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may soon meet with President Vladimir Putin and discuss potential arms deals, a U.S. national security official has said, signalling deeper ties between the two countries as they face off with Washington. As Russia's isolation over its war in Ukraine has grown, analysts say it has seen increasing value in North Korea. For North Korea's part, relations with Russia haven't always been as warm as they were during at the height of the Soviet Union, but now the country is reaping clear benefits from Moscow's need for friends. Here's how North Korea-Russia relations began, and how they are becoming closer: ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement HOW DEEP ARE THE POLITICAL TIES? Communist North Korea was formed in the early days of the Cold War with the backing of the Soviet Union. North Korea later battled the South and its U.S. and United Nations allies to a stalemate in the 1950-1953 Korean War with extensive aid from China and the Soviet Union. North Korea was heavily reliant on Soviet aid for decades, and the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s contributed to a deadly famine in the North. Pyongyang's leaders have often tried use Beijing and Moscow to balance each other. Kim initially had a relatively cool relationship with Russia and China, which both joined the United States in imposing strict sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear tests. After his country's most recent nuclear test in 2017, Kim took steps to repair ties. He met Putin in 2019 for the first time in the Russian city of Vladivostok. In a message for Russia's National Day in June, Kim vowed to "hold hands" with Putin and bolster strategic cooperation. Russia has joined China in opposing new sanctions on North Korea, blocking a U.S.-led push and publicly splitting the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) for the first time since it started punishing Pyongyang in 2006. The most striking sign of deepening ties came in July, when Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Pyongyang and toured a weapons exhibit that included the North's banned ballistic missiles. He later stood beside Kim and saluted those missiles as they rolled by during a military parade. HOW HAS THE UKRAINE WAR AFFECTED THE RELATIONSHIP? North Korea has reciprocated with public support for Moscow after Russia invaded Ukraine. It was one of the only countries to recognise the independence of Russian-claimed Ukrainian regions, and it expressed support for Russia's annexation of parts of Ukraine. The United States has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia, but it is unclear whether any deliveries have been made. Both Russia and North Korea have denied those claims, but promised to deepen defence cooperation. "Moscow's 'special military operation' in Ukraine has ushered in a new geopolitical reality in which the Kremlin and (North Korea) may become increasingly close, perhaps even to the point of resurrecting the quasi-alliance relationship that had existed during the Cold War," Artyom Lukin, a professor at Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, wrote in a report for 38 North. It is notable Pyongyang has begun using the new phrase "tactical and strategic collaboration" to describe its relationship with Russia, he added. Shoigu told Russian media on Monday that Moscow is discussing joint military exercises with North Korea. "Why not, these are our neighbours. There's an old Russian saying: you don't choose your neighbours and it's better to live with your neighbours in peace and harmony," Interfax news agency quoted him as saying. WHAT ARE THE ECONOMIC TIES? Last year, Russia and North Korea restarted train travel for the first time since railway journeys were cut during the COVID pandemic. The train carried an unusually opulent cargo: 30 thoroughbred horses. Shortly after that, Russia resumed oil exports to North Korea, United Nations data shows, the first such shipments reported since 2020. The vast majority of North Korea's trade goes through China, but Russia is a potentially important partner as well, particularly for oil, experts said. Moscow has denied breaking U.N. sanctions, but Russian tankers have been accused of helping evade caps on exporting oil to North Korea and sanctions monitors have reported labourers remain in Russia despite a ban. Russian officials have openly discussed "working on political arrangements" to employ 20,000 to 50,000 North Korean labourers, despite U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban such arrangements. Russian officials and leaders in occupied regions of Ukraine have also discussed the possibility of having North Korean workers help rebuild war-torn areas. (Reporting by Josh Smith. Editing by Gerry Doyle) Its not just summer thats heating up. Across the Northern Hemisphere, the planet is experiencing record-high temperatures thanks to a combination of El Nino and heat-trapping air pollution thats raising the Earths average temperature. According to The Byte, that has led to an absurd-yet-understandable new fashion trend in Beijing: the facekini. Whats happening? A facekini is a head covering similar to a lightweight ski mask, The Byte explains. But instead of keeping in warmth, this UV-resistant garment keeps sunlight out. The only openings are for the eyes, mouth, and nostrils. The facekini has become more popular in the past few years as Chinas temperature has increased, The Byte reports. The air temperature has reportedly reached as high as 95 degrees Fahrenheit this summer and the ground was a scorching 176 degrees. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Byte also reports residents and visitors of Beijing wearing protective arm sleeves made of similar materials to the facekini, as well as broad-brimmed hats with built-in fans. Why are Beijing inhabitants going so far? As The Byte explains, the facekini arose where practical concerns met cultural ones. Wearers worry about skin cancer due to too much UV exposure on hot, sunny days. The main concern I have is potential skin diseases, Li Xuyan, a 17-year-old student, told the Guardian. Theyre also concerned about tanning and sun spots, The Byte says. Were concerned about getting sunburned and tanned, so were fully prepared, Hong, a 34-year-old shopowner, told Reuters. Are facekinis dystopian? Undoubtably, The Byte said. But with temperatures rising all around the scorching as in, literally-on-fire planet we call home, we might expect to see any number of similarly Mad Maxish heat wear fly off shelves in the coming years. What can I do to protect my skin? If youd rather not put on a scarecrow mask to go outside, the CDC recommends wearing sunscreen. A wide-brimmed hat also shades your face from UV rays, or you can just stay in the shade. The CDC also reminds readers that clouds dont block UV radiation, so sun protection is just as important on cloudy days. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet. Claim: After receiving a two-dose initial vaccination series and two additional booster shots, U.S. first lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 in September 2023. Rating: Rating: True Context: When it comes to preventing new infections, COVID-19 vaccines have waned in effectiveness since the early months of the pandemic. That said, they remain effective at reducing serious illness and death; public health agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), still recommend them for those reasons. On Sept. 4 2023, Fox News and other media outlets reported that first lady Jill Biden not only tested positive for COVID-19 a second time since the pandemic's start in 2020, but also that she was "double-vaccinated and boosted twice": Each of these assertions is true. A Sept. 4, 2023, statement attributed to the first lady's office read: ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This evening, the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19. She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms. She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. That was, indeed, Biden's second time catching COVID. In August 2022, she also contracted the disease. At that time, Biden's communication director, Elizabeth Alexander, confirmed in statement she was "double vaccinated and twice boosted" which meant she had received a two-dose initial vaccination series, as well as two additional booster doses, that aim to fight the virus. When it comes to preventing new infections, COVID-19 vaccines have waned in effectiveness since the early months of the pandemic. That said, they remain effective at reducing serious illness and death; public health agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), still recommend them for those reasons. Following the first lady's positive test in early September, U.S. President Joe Biden also tested for the virus, but his results were negative, The Associated Press reported. Sources: Bennett, Betsy Klein, Kate. "First Lady Dr. Jill Biden Tests Positive for Covid-19 | CNN Politics." CNN, 16 Aug. 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/16/politics/jill-biden-covid/index.html. CDC. "Benefits of Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 May 2023, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-benefits.html. The White House. "Statement from the First Lady's Communications Director Elizabeth Alexander." The White House, 5 Sept. 2023, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/04/statement-from-the-first-ladys-communications-director-elizabeth-alexander-2/. Wehner, Greg. "First Lady Jill Biden Tests Positive for COVID-19 for Second Time." Fox News, 4 Sept. 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/first-lady-jill-biden-tests-positive-covid-second-time. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrives at the railway station before his departure in Vladivostok, By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to visit Russia's far-eastern port city of Vladivostok by armoured train this month to meet President Vladimir Putin , possibly to discuss supplying Russia with weapons for its war with Ukraine. The trip, which has not been officially confirmed, would be his first visit abroad in more than four years and the first since the coronavirus pandemic. It is likely to take almost a full day to travel more than 1,000 km (600 miles) to Vladivostok across the border with Russia, taking account of the North's sometimes archaic rail network. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement While he has made more trips abroad than his father, Kim Jong Il , as leader, Kim's travel is often shrouded in secrecy and heavy security. Unlike his father who was said to be averse to flying, Kim has flown his personal Russian-made jet for some of his trips. In 2004, there was a huge explosion at a rail station near the Chinese border after Kim Jong Il passed on train returning from China, killing more than 100 people. The cause, and whether it was an assassination attempt, were never confirmed. The following are Kim Jong Un's foreign visits since taking power in 2011. * March 25-28, 2018: Making his first foreign trip as leader, Kim visits China, the North's main political ally and economic benefactor. He travels to Beijing by a special train and holds a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The train, with its signature green paint, is believed to include more than 20 armoured cars and equipped with a communications system and a special cabin for Kim with a bright white interior where he has been seen at work and holding meetings with aides, according to North Korea's official media and South Korean analysts. * April 27, 2018: Kim steps across the inter-Korea border in the Panmunjom truce village for a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. It is the first time a North Korean leader has set foot in the South, Kim's first summit with a South Korean leader and the third ever by a North Korean leader. The two pledge to improve ties, end military confrontation and bring peace and common prosperity. * May 7-8, 2018: Kim flies his personal Ilyushin jet to the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian and holds a summit with Xi. The two discuss deepening ties between the traditional allies. The visit comes amid expectations of Kim's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. * June 10-12, 2018: Kim takes an American-made Boeing 747 operated by Air China on a direct flight from Pyongyang to Singapore for the first summit between North Korea and the United States. The meeting results in a joint statement on establishing new relations between the two countries, giving security guarantee for North Korea and a pledge by the North to end its nuclear programme. * June 19-20, 2018: Kim visits China on his Ilyushin jet and discusses the denuclearisation of North Korea with Xi in Beijing. Accompanied by senior economic aides, Kim tours Chinese industrial facilities and an agricultural research centre. * Jan 7-10, 2019: Kim visits China for a fourth time, travelling to Beijing by train amid expectations of a second summit with Trump. * Feb. 26-28, 2019: Kim visits the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi for a second summit with Trump. He takes the train from Pyongyang through China over three days to Vietnam. After two days of meetings, the talks between Kim and Trump collapse over disagreement on lifting sanctions imposed on the North and how to dismantle its nuclear programme. * April 24, 2019: Kim visits Vladivostok for his first summit with Putin. Kim takes the train for the nearly day-long trip, crossing the Tumen River border into Russia. * June 30, 2019: Kim steps across the inter-Korean border for talks with Trump. * September 2023: Kim is expected to visit Vladivostok, again by train, for a summit with Putin, which would be his first trip abroad in more than four years. (Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Nick Macfie) This image released by Marvel Studios shows Teyonah Parris as Captain Monica Rambeau in a scene from "The Marvels." (Marvel Studios/Disney via AP) NEW YORK (AP) Hollywood is at a standstill. Actors and screenwriters are months into a dual strike. Film sets are dark. But the movies are still coming or, at least, most of them. Even if that means some potentially solitary red-carpet walks. Im hoping Im not promoting the movie by myself, says Nia DaCosta, director of the upcoming Marvel movie The Marvels" (Nov. 10). No ones there to see me, either. Theyre going to be like, Wheres Brie Larson? Though the ongoing actors and screenwriters strikes are casting a pall over the fall movie season and prompting some films to postpone, a parade of awards contenders and autumn blockbusters are on the way, nevertheless. The fall has long been the preferred domain of filmmakers and auteurs, but this year thats doubly so. With cast members largely prevented from promotion duties, directors whether helming an Oscar shoo-in or superhero blockbuster are carrying the load, albeit very reluctantly. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I think were now in a new world, DaCosta says of the strike. Everything thats happening is an existential search that our industry is doing. It wont be solved in one round of negotiations. But Im hoping that the studios can end the strike soon and get us all back to work to work for them. Up until now, the ongoing stalemate has had a modest effect on late-summer movie releases. Barbenheimer carried theaters through August. But now that the strikes have rounded Labor Day, with no end in sight, Hollywoods high season is imperiled. It has already robbed the Venice Film Festival of much of its star power and will soon do the same to the Toronto International Film Festival. Can you launch an Oscar campaign without its potential nominee? How about a global spectacle without its cast? Everyone is hoping the strikes ends soon, but its clear that, not long after COVID-19 upended the industry, the usual rhythms of the fall movie season have again been blown to smithereens. Much is in flux. Taylor Swift is in. Dune is out. Release-date jockeying continues. But for many of the filmmakers releasing films in the coming months, even their own movies arent the top concern. This fall is such an exciting time for movies. I just want to see every movie coming out, says Emerald Fennell, whose high-society satire Saltburn opens Nov. 24. But for the industry to be sustainable for it to be much more accessible to people, for it to be better paid for everyone at every single level thats the thing. Thats the priority as far as Im concerned. Screenwriters have been on strike for four months. The guilds representatives began meeting with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which negotiates on behalf of the studios, in August. But no breakthrough has followed. Instead, both sides have publicly sparred, dimming hopes that summer would end with a deal. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists began its work stoppage on Jul 14. The AMPTP has yet to reengage the guilds leadership in talks. As time has dragged on and picket lines have kept up the pressure, what may have once seemed like a disagreement over a handful of issues has swelled into a generational battle over the future of an industry remade by streaming and with new anxieties over AI. For now, the strikes are leaving festival stages unusually bare and red-carpet premieres quiet or non-existent. Such a prospect has forced some films out of 2023, including two starring Zendaya. Dune: Part Two and Challengers have both postponed, as has the Wonder spinoff White Bird. Many of the falls top titles have stayed put or shuffled backward, hoping resolution comes in early autumn. Those include late October releases like Martin Scorseses Killers of the Flower Moon (in theaters Oct. 20) and November entries like the prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Nov. 17) and Ridley Scotts Napoleon (Nov. 22), with Joaquin Phoenix. Meanwhile, the campaigns for some potential Academy Awards contenders such as Colman Domingo (George C. Wolfes Rustin; in theaters Nov. 3, on Netflix Nov. 17) and Paul Giamatti (Alexander Paynes The Holdovers"; in theaters Oct. 27, expands Nov. 10) will get underway without either present to take a bow. To Payne, whose film co-stars newcomer Dominic Sessa and Da'Vine Joy Randolph, that loss is heartbreaking. Unlike stage actors or musicians in concerts who get to have that feeling of completion with the audience, in film we dont have that, says Payne. The only time you can kind of tiptoe up to that feeling of having a communication with an audience is at a festival or an early screening. It would have been really luscious for Paul, Dominic, DaVine and all the actors to go and have that rush, seeing it with audience and hear the laughs. ___ Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP The father of a woman killed in the deadly wildfires last month in Hawaii has sued the state, local government of Maui, his local utility company and large landowners in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit alleging they are responsible for the disaster. Harold Wells filed suit Monday against the group, alleging the government and Hawaiian Electric were negligent and responsible for the death and destruction caused by a raging wildfire that destroyed the town of Lahaina and ended up killing more than 100 people. The fire was speculated to have started due to downed power lines owned by the electric company in the hills east of Lahaina. Multiple suits have alleged the utilitys infrastructure caused the blaze. Wells argues in the filing that government officials and the utility were aware that nonnative vegetation, dried out by weather, posed a serious fire risk to communities. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The combination of weather, uncontrolled vegetation and aging electrical infrastructure created a tinderbox ready to explode in Maui. the suit reads. The risk was not theoretical. The lawsuit also argues the officials and Hawaiian Electric should have learned from a 2018 fire that burned over 20 homes near Lahaina and changed policies. The owners of the land in the hills above the town where the fire started should have also been aware of the risks of unmanaged vegetation, it reads. Despite this history of serious fires caused by predictable weather conditions, no one in a position to effect change did anything to prevent or substantially mitigate the risk, the suit states. The result of these years of neglecting and disregarding the risk that the 2018 Fires would be repeated when similar conditions inevitably occurred was the greatest single-day loss of life and property in Hawaii history on August 8, 2023, a catastrophe and tragedy for which all Defendants named herein should share in the fault. The filing also cites reports from the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization that note the Lahaina region as one of high concern for fires and recommend methods to reduce flammable vegetation. It claims about 30 percent of landowners in the area did not make any attempt to control vegetation on their properties. Reports from Maui County cited in the lawsuit also mark West Maui as an area with a high likelihood of wildfires. Hawaiian Electric was also aware of the risk caused by weakening infrastructure, Wells claimed in his suit. He also cited 2022 requests for funds to improve the power infrastructure statewide to help prevent wildfires, as well as lessons learned from California wildfires that have been blamed on similar utility infrastructure. [Hawaiian Electric] should have planned for such improvements long before 2022, the suit reads. Energy experts have long called for the utility to harden its grid, and despite the cost, to put more of it underground. Had they done so, the capital improvements would have enabled the grid to withstand the hurricane level winds that whipped across Maui on August 8, 2023 and in so doing, prevented a deadly fire, Wells added. The suit also criticizes local government authorities for responding to the fires poorly, specifically alleging the city didnt adequately warn its residents. The county has come under widespread criticism for its response, including the choice not to use warning sirens as the fire approached. Wellss demands in the suit include burial expenses for his daughter, compensation for her death and additional penalties as determined by a judge, if he wins the case. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. WARSAW, Poland Eastern European countries are raising alarm over Ukraine potentially being pushed into peace talks with Russia, amid growing partisanship in Washington, hesitation and delays in weapons supplies to Kyiv and waning public support. While President Biden and other allies have promised to support Ukraine for as long as it takes, the countries bordering Russia and Belarus the latter of which is considered a puppet state for Russian President Vladimir Putin argue that international partners need to lay out a path for a decisive victory for Kyiv. What do we need to do? Plan for Ukrainian victory. Not plan to stand with Ukraine as long as it needs, as long as it requires, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said during a conference in Spain last week. Plan for victory, they need to win, they need to win for us. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ukraine is making slow, but significant progress against Russias occupying forces in a second counteroffensive that was launched in June, more than a year-and-a-half since Putin launched the full-scale invasion of the country. But Ukraines most hawkish supporters are concerned that battles in Washington over the 2024 budget, Republican infighting over military and economic aid for Kyiv, and creeping negativity among the U.S. public toward ongoing support will give the impression of waning American support and increase pressure for Ukrainians to negotiate with Russia. Statements from Republican presidential candidates, including front-runner former President Trump, calling for the U.S. to directly negotiate with Putin and relegating the war to a territorial dispute are compounding those concerns among NATO-member states that are on the front-line of the eastern flank with Russia. In an interview with a small group of journalists in Warsaw at the end of August, head of the Polish National Security Bureau Jacek Siewiera said Putin is determined to make a new global order and would not be contained by a supposed peace deal in Ukraine. This confrontation with the West, from the side of Russia, is probably a structural shift or development. It will last for a long period of time. It wont stop with a ceasefire, Siewiera continued. This confrontation is something that Russia is treating as a pre-positioning for a new global order. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that any deal must pressure Putin into a full retreat of Ukrainian territory and security guarantees that would deter and repel any future Russian aggression. The U.S. and other backers say that only Ukraine can decide when the moment is right for Kyiv to enter peace negotiations. But that orthodoxy is being challenged in the U.S. by figures such as Trump and fellow GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who wants to cede Ukrainian territory to Putin as part of a proposal to break the Russia-China alliance. But for Poland and the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, engaging Putin for talks is a red line. And they say Ukraines supporters must prepare for scenarios where Putin is isolated completely. One Baltic official, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic, told The Hill that Baltic states are concerned that pushing Ukraine into negotiations will have dangerous ripple effects throughout the region. All of this then increases the threat on NATOs borders. Putin would be able to sell negotiations as a victory, and [it] would help him exert even greater political influence globally we already see it in Africa, in Niger and South Africa. Its not only a military threat but a diplomatic one, too. The official said peace talks and a ceasefire would give Putin the motivation, and free up resources, to turn toward threatening other bordering states, such as in the Russian-occupied territories of Georgia and Moldova. Armenia would also be in Putins crosshairs, warned the official, who described Belarus as not a sovereign state. Poland and the Baltics are on heightened alert over potential threats on their borders with Russia and Belarus, which is under the control of Putin ally and longtime authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko. These countries have accused Lukashenko since 2021 of sending migrants largely from the Middle East to their borders to manufacture a humanitarian and political crisis, and have previously considered invoking Article 4 of NATOs treaty which would convene the alliance to discuss concerns over the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened. Polands Border Guard said in early August that it had recorded at least 19,000 people so far this year trying to cross the border illegally from Belarus. Putin and Lukashenko have also boasted of nuclear weapons being moved to Belarus. Following a failed rebellion earlier this summer, thousands of members of Russias Wagner private military company have also relocated to Belarus, triggering Poland and the Baltics to increase their own troop presence on the border. Theyve closed some land crossings but have threatened to seal the border if they feel their security is at risk. We emphasize that we treat the actions taken by Russia and Belarus, which cooperates with it, as intentional attempts to destabilize the situation in the region, the interior ministers of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia said in a joint statement Monday. The death last month of Putins ally-turned-traitor Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner group, in a suspected Kremlin-backed assassination, did not change the security situation markedly for the Baltics. Siewiera, the top Polish national security official, said the joint statement by Polish and Baltic warnings of border closures is one concrete step to protect against potential infiltration. So governments who are neighboring Belarus and Russia are expressing very openly that they dont accept any form of provocations, any form of hostile activity on their borders, he said. U.S. and European officials view Putin as determined to stay the course of his war in Ukraine with the goal of bringing it under the Kremlins control. They believe the Russian leader still believes he can outlast the will of Ukrainian society and its international backers, and further survive any internal conflict. [Putin] really still believes hes going to win this thing. Hes in it for the long term. His view is that the West doesnt have the stomach, a U.S. Department of Defense official in Europe told The Hill in an interview in mid-August. Thats our view of the Putin view and those around him, is that things are messy. Things dont always work out exactly. But were staying the course. For some in Europe, that paints a worrying contrast with the U.S., which is showing growing signs of war fatigue. While a broad majority in Congress have continued to support Ukraine aid, a spending fight over President Bidens latest request for $24 billion in supplemental funding for Ukraine will show whether far-right skepticism is starting to seep into the Republican mainstream. The leading candidates in the Republican primary also appear to be staking out a position consistent with GOP voters, the majority of which say the U.S. should stop sending money to Ukraine. An Aug. 4 CNN poll found 71 percent of Republicans oppose additional financial support for Ukraines war. European officials were reluctant to speak publicly about their concerns about political developments in the U.S. But they were anxious to warn of the dangers of any efforts to engage with Putin as a good-faith actor. Michal Baranowski, managing director of the German Marshall Fund East and based in Warsaw, said the looming U.S. presidential election is a very real concern for NATOs eastern flank countries. At this point, Im entirely convinced that this administration is not going to push Ukrainians into early negotiations, he said, but added that its an open question as to what extent the Biden administration will be able to continue to provide the same high level of military aid given the debates over the budget, the slowness of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, and ahead of the 2024 campaigns. If the Ukrainians were sweeping [the counteroffensive], it would probably be politically easier to maintain support, he added. Poland and the Baltics have staked out the most hawkish positions on confronting Russia. Their populations can reflect back to one or two generations, for stark examples of Russian then-Soviet cruelty. The Baltic cultures and identities were criminalized under occupation, with exile to Siberia was a common punishment for dissidents. When it comes to engaging with Putin, officials here point to remarks in September 2022 by Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who said that warnings by Poland and the Baltics that the Russian leader could not be trusted were proven right. What is happening to Ukrainians now, happened to Estonians in the 1940s and 50s, U.S. Ambassador to Estonia George Kent told The Hill, speaking while touring celebrations in Parnu, Estonia, on Aug. 20, marking the day it declared its independence in 1991 from the crumbling Soviet Union. And I think that is why the reaction has been so forthright, so clear-eyed and uncompromising. Because they dont need the hypothetical what ifs or what abouts. They experienced the Russian way of wars. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington on July 7, 2023. Sullivan is one of the U.S. officials who have flown to Saudi Arabia in an effort to help normalize the kingdom's ties with Israel. (Jim Watson/AFP/TNS) Several weeks ago, I raised a question in my weekly column that the Biden administrations Middle East shop is no doubt asking itself on a daily basis: Would a normalization pact between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Washingtons two most significant partners in the region, actually provide the United States with tangible security benefits? The answer, as I suggested, depends on what price the U.S. is willing to pay to move an accord across the goal line. Since then, the prospects of an Israeli-Saudi deal have stayed roughly the same. Its still a heavy lift, and despite President Joe Bidens confidence that an agreement is in progress, his advisers are far more skeptical. The entire effort, however, has become more convoluted. There are a multitude of actors at the negotiating table beyond Israel and Saudi Arabia and if the history of diplomacy tells us anything, its that the chance of a successful negotiation goes down immeasurably when the number of participants goes up. Advertisement Indeed, the whole notion of Israeli and Saudi diplomats engaging in a white-knuckled negotiation is a bit deceiving and doesnt begin to grasp whats truly going on. In reality, four separate negotiations are happening simultaneously, and the one occurring between the Israelis and Saudis may not even be the main event. First, we have intensive discussions going on between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Brett McGurk, Bidens top Middle East policy official, have all flown to the kingdom and spent considerable time with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. As one would expect, the crown prince is trying to use the prospect of open ties with Israel to extract maximum concessions from Washington, including a U.S. security guarantee for the kingdom and U.S. support for a Saudi nuclear energy program. Advertisement Although the White House hasnt ruled anything out, a formal (or even informal) U.S. pledge to defend Saudi Arabia from attack would rub a lot of U.S. lawmakers the wrong way. This is the same country, for instance, whose leadership approved the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist and U.S. permanent resident, and used one of its diplomatic facilities to commit the slaying. This is also the same country Biden vowed to treat as a pariah during the 2020 presidential campaign. Signing on to Saudi Arabias demands would essentially be a 180-degree turn from his previous position, one Biden would have a difficult time justifying. Talks are also occurring between Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Authority, a governing entity whose legitimacy in the eyes of the Palestinian population has depreciated markedly over the years. In 2020, when the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco agreed to normalize their relations with Israel, Palestinian officials were left on the outside looking in. One senior Palestinian official at the time likened the normalization deals to a poison dagger at the heart of Palestinian statehood aspirations. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has no intention of reliving the experience and has urged the Saudis to protect Palestinian interests as it engages Israel diplomatically. [ Daniel DePetris: China gets the credit for improving Iran-Saudi Arabia ties but the US benefits ] Unfortunately for the Saudi monarchy, it cant simply disregard what the Palestinians are saying. While Prince Mohammed may not have much love for the Palestinian leadership, he cant afford to bring the kingdoms bilateral relationship with Israel out in the open without some support from the Arab street. The best way to receive this support is by earning concessions on behalf of the Palestinians. At the same time, the Saudis are hoping that the promise of financial aid to the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority, which Riyadh suspended in 2021, will give Abbas enough of an incentive to get out of the way. Chicago Tribune Opinion Weekdays Read the latest editorials and commentary curated by the Tribune Opinion team. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Meanwhile, the Israelis and Americans are talking among themselves. As much as Israel would like to normalize ties with Riyadh, it remains concerned with some of what the Saudis are asking. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with McGurk last month and presented him with a list of reservations. At the top of the list: the possibility of Washington supporting a Saudi nuclear program, which could mean the enrichment of uranium on Saudi soil. Such a development would be a big deal for Israel, which has maintained a decadeslong policy of preventing regional states from acquiring nuclear weapons. The Saudis continue to insist that any nuclear program would be purely civilian in nature. Yet Prince Mohammed is also on record stating matter-of-factly that Saudi Arabia would construct a nuclear weapon if Iran did the same. The last thing the Israelis want is a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Finally, there are discussions going on in Washington. The Biden administration has briefed senior senators on the entire Israel-Saudi normalization track to ensure they are kept abreast of what is going on and to begin cobbling together the congressional support that may be required if the Senate is tasked with approving whatever deal is drafted. This will be a heavy lift for the White House, particularly if a U.S. security guarantee on behalf of Saudi Arabia is part of it. There is no love lost between Capitol Hill and the kingdom; the stench of the Khashoggi killing, not to mention Riyadhs adversarial oil policies and pitiful human rights record, hover over the Capitol dome. Lawmakers will rightly ask why the U.S. is willing to bend over backward for the kingdom, whose interests often undercut Americas own. The bottom line: There are multiple threads attached to a potential Israel-Saudi normalization deal, any one of which could unravel the entire project. For the U.S., the job remains the same getting the best deal possible at the most reasonable price. Advertisement Daniel DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a foreign affairs columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. A federal court has struck down Alabamas latest Republican-drawn map of its congressional districts after the US Supreme Court found that its previous attempt discriminated against the states Black voters. A three-judge panel in US District Court said it was deeply troubled that the state approved a map that it readily admits does not meet its obligations to federal law. We are not aware of any other case in which a state legislature faced with a federal court order declaring that its electoral plan unlawfully dilutes minority votes and requiring a plan that provides an additional opportunity district responded with a plan that the state concedes does not provide that district, the judges wrote in an order on 5 September. A landmark decision from the nations highest court in Allen v Milligan effectively ordered Alabamas GOP-dominated state legislature to go back to the drawing board and rewrite the states congressional district map, finding that that previous one violates the Voting Rights Act. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement That map packed most of the states Black residents, who make up more than a quarter of the states population, into one single congressional district out of seven. Alabama Republicans instead maintained the status quo with a map that has only one district in which Black voters in the state, most of whom vote Democratic, have a chance of electing a likely candidate of their choice. The plan has one district currently represented by Democratic US Rep Terry Sewell with a Black voting age population share of slightly more than 50.6 per cent. The Black voting age population in the other proposed district is 39.9 per cent. The rest of the states Black voters are cracked across other districts, significantly diluting their voting power. The law requires the creation of an additional district that affords Black Alabamians, like everyone else, a fair and reasonable opportunity to elect candidates of their choice, the judges wrote on 5 September. The 2023 Plan plainly fails to do so. The order prohibits the state from moving forward with elections under the 2023 plan and directs lawmakers to come up with a new map that includes either an additional majority-Black district, or an additional district in which Black voters otherwise have an opportunity to elect a representative of their choice. This is a developing story Asher Moore, an Oak Hills High School baseball and football player, poses next to his car in West Price Hill Aug. 10. However, Moore won't be driving the car for at least another month, having opted to wait to get his driver's license. Asher Moore is about to turn 18, but he doesn't have his driver's license yet. Instead of getting his license as soon as he could like some of his classmates, the 17-year-old from West Price Hill decided to wait for multiple reasons. One, when he was old enough to get his temporary license, he wasn't getting out much due to COVID-19. Two, Moore has a twin brother and the expenses for his family to pay for cars, insurance, driving school and other necessities for both were too much. Third, Asher attributes part of the problem to laziness. "We just waited so long ... it got to the point where our attention expired," Moore said. "In our mind, we didn't feel it was important to really get our license because we didn't really have a reason for it." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Moore joins a trend in recent years of teenagers who are old enough to get their license but choose not to for a host of reasons. Two decades ago, the number of licenses held by Ohioans under the age of 18 was almost 173,500. By 2018, that number had dropped 16%. One year after the pandemic, Ohio issued licenses to 108,000 teens, according to BMV data. Last year, the total was closer to pre-pandemic numbers with 128,000 licenses issued 12% lower than 2018's numbers. And the number of 16-year-olds issued licenses has increased in the past two years: 90,125 drivers in 2022 compared to 60,825 in 2018. "Once we got back into the office and reopened in May, that year (2020), we actually had a 20% increase in students," said Tina Paff, owner of Bick's Driving School of Western Hills. "And since Ohio does require this ... we have a guarantee that we're going to get certain amounts of students." Pandemic brings resurgence but also higher prices and competition When COVID-19 hit, Paff, said, more students were choosing virtual options to enroll in driving schools. While online classes can be more appealing with cheaper prices and more flexible hours, they also have downsides. Students still need to complete their eight hours of driving with an instructor. Although Bick's Driving School accepts students from any online school to drive with an instructor, not all driving schools will. Paff hasn't necessarily seen online driving schools being a problem for competition at Bick's the school even partners with 2Cool Traffic School for students to get an online school packaged with eight hours of instructor driving. She says the bigger problem has been rising costs for the business since the pandemic started. A shortage of used cars with higher prices alongside them made it difficult for the driving school to obtain additional cars, Paff said. Increasing gas and insurance prices also led to Bick's having to raise its prices. All four of these factors also led to Moore's decision to wait to get his driver's license. However, not all 18-year-olds can skip all the fees associated with driving school by waiting. If an 18-year-old takes their driver's test for the first time without having gone through school, they will need to take a four-hour adult abbreviated driver training course. Social pressures: a 17-year-old's reflections on waiting to drive Moore has mixed feelings about having waited to get his license. In some ways, it's worked out. Moore's friends live close to him, so driving doesn't usually keep him from hanging out with his friends. Plus, they're all able to drive, so they can give him rides as well. This also creates a problem for Moore, though. "That's the funny part. It's like a little social pressure to get my license because everyone around me does," Moore said. "I'd say I'm one of the only people I know that doesn't have my license at my age." Even though he feels left out, Moore says he's waited too long at this point to get his driver's license before he turns 18. Not having a license also means someone else has to drive Moore to his activities. Moore says his parents have had their own difficulties trying to get Moore to his practices and Moore's twin brother to his separate, musical activities. Moore does have a car now. His parents gave it to him for his 17th birthday. He just has to wait to turn 18 and hope he passes that driver's test. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Pandemic quickened trend of fewer Ohio teens getting driver's licenses First lady Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing "only mild symptoms," while President Joe Biden has tested negative and will continue to be tested "at a regular cadence this week," the White House announced Monday. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI Sept. 4 (UPI) -- First lady Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID-19, the White House announced Monday while confirming that President Joe Biden has tested negative. "This evening, the first lady tested positive for COVID-19. She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms. She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Del.," the first lady's spokesperson Elizabeth Alexander said in a statement late Monday. This is the second time Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID-19, despite being "double-vaccinated" and "twice boosted," according to the White House. The first lady tested positive in August of last year while vacationing in South Carolina, while President Biden tested positive a month earlier. Both experienced rebound cases after being treated with Paxlovid. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Following the first lady's positive test for COVID-19, President Biden was administered a COVID test this evening," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced in a statement Monday night. "The president will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms." In July, Jean-Pierre reminded reporters -- after members of Israeli President Isaac Herzog's delegation tested positive -- that anyone who meets with the president is still tested for COVID-19. "We have testing protocols when -- anytime somebody meets with the president," Jean-Pierre said in July. "So, I can tell you that anybody who meets with the president does indeed get tested. I do. We all do." On Saturday, the president and first lady traveled to Florida together to tour damage from Hurricane Idalia. President Biden returned to the White House on Monday, while Jill Biden remained in Delaware. According to reports from ABC, officials say First Lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. According to ABC, the first ladys communications director says she is home and experiencing mild symptoms. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News App for alerts as news breaks] The First Ladys Communications Director Elizabeth Alexander said in a written statement: This evening, the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19. She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms. She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. TRENDING STORIES: ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement ABC said after the First Lady tested positive for COVID, President Biden took a COVID test Monday evening and tested negative. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that President Biden will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms. Jean-Pierre said, Following the First Ladys positive test for COVID-19, President Biden was administered a COVID test this evening. The President tested negative. The President will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms. IN OTHER NEWS: First lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday night, according to a statement. She is experiencing mild symptoms and will stay at her home in Rehoboth Beach, Del., her communications director Elizabeth Alexander said. The first lady was scheduled to begin the new school year teaching English and writing at Northern Virginia Community College on Tuesday, but she now is working with the school to get a substitute teacher, Alexander told The Associated Press. This comes just ahead of President Bidens planned trip to India for the G20 summit. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden tested negative Monday evening shortly after the first lady tested positive and noted he will monitor for symptoms and test regularly this week. The first lady traveled with Biden to Florida on Saturday to survey the damage from Hurricane Idalia. Biden then spent part of the weekend at their Delaware beach house and traveled Monday to Philadelphia for a labor union event. He is now back at the White House. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Both Biden and the first lady tested positive for COVID-19 last summer, and they each experienced mild symptoms. Updated on Sept. 5 at 7:25 a.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A 28-year-old Russian military pilot who defected to Ukraine last month has detailed his escape in a helicopter, encouraging others to follow. Youll be provided for for the rest of your lives. You will be offered a job everywhere, no matter what you do. Youll simply discover a world of colors, Capt. Maksim Kuzminov said in a video released by Ukraines defense intelligence agency, known as HUR. When all this opens up before you, your views will fundamentally change. In the video released Monday, Kuzminov said he first reached out to HUR in late 2022 and agreed on a plan to defect by flying his Mi-8 helicopter into Ukraine via a safe corridor. He said he flew the aircraft from an air base in Kursk, Russia, at an extremely low altitude in radio silence mode to avoid detection en route to Vovchansk in northeastern Ukraine. I contacted representatives of Ukrainian intelligence, explained my situation, to which they offered this option: Come on, we guarantee your safety, guarantee new documents, guarantee monetary compensation, a reward, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The interview offered a host of new details on the daring escape, which took place Aug. 9 and marked the first time a Russian pilot defected since the start of the Kremlins attack on Ukraine in February 2022. HUR head Kyrylo Budanov earlier in August told Radio Liberty how Ukrainian officials helped the pilot defect by creating the conditions to get his whole family out undetected, and eventually create the conditions so that he could take over this aircraft with a crew that did not know what was happening. Budanov added that two other Russian service members were on board the helicopter when Kuzminov began his escape and tried to run after the aircraft landed but were killed by Ukrainian forces. Kuzminov, who said he was a Russian military transport pilot moving troops and equipment across Russia and into occupied territory in Ukraine after the war began chose to leave Russia as he was opposed to the war. When everything started there were tears, suffering, fear and a question: Why does our country need this war? Kuzminov said. I dont want to be a part of it. Independent Russian Telegram channel Agenstvo identified Kuzminov as a pilot of the 319th separate helicopter regiment of the Eastern Military District, an army aviation regiment based in Primorsk in Russias Far East. Although Kuzminov said he was living a comfortable life when the war began, he first wrote to HUR via Telegram to come up with his escape plan as the motivation for my action was to not contribute to these [war] crimes. Russia, meanwhile, has not commented on the defection. HUR has encouraged more Russian service members to defect by promising financial compensation for any Russian equipment stolen and given to the Ukrainians, as well as similar treatment as Kuzminov has been given. The new details come as Ukraine is making some gains in its counteroffensive in the south after months of limited forward movement against Russian forces. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Senators file into the Senate floor at the beginning of the impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton on Sept. 5, 2023. Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune The Texas Senate on Tuesday decisively rejected all of Attorney General Ken Paxtons efforts to dismiss the articles of impeachment against him, moving forward with the first removal proceeding against a statewide elected official in more than a century. The rapid-fire series of votes on 16 pretrial motions made clear that senators want to at least hear the evidence against Paxton before deciding his fate. And the vote counts provided an early gauge of how willing GOP senators may be to remove a fellow Republican from statewide office. The pretrial motions required a majority vote, but the most support a motion to dismiss received was 10 out of 30 senators all Republicans and that motion sought to throw out a single article. Had the motions to dismiss failed by a smaller margin, they might have signaled a tough road ahead for the prosecution. The Texas Constitution requires a two-thirds vote to convict Paxton and remove him from office. But by voting two-to-one against every motion to dismiss but one, the Senate signaled at least an openness to the charges against Paxton. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement While the House vote to impeach Paxton was overwhelming and bipartisan, the Senate offers a different political landscape. Its Republican members are more in line with Paxton's brand of conservatism, and he has more personal connections in the chamber where he once served and his wife remains a member. Senators have been under a gag order ahead of the trial, so there was little insight into their views of the case. Six Republican senators supported every motion in a nod of support for Paxton: Paul Bettencourt of Houston, Donna Campbell of New Braunfels, Brandon Creighton of Conroe, Bob Hall of Edgewood, Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham and Tan Parker of Flower Mound. Half of those senators Bettencourt, Campbell and Parker are up for reelection next year. Five Republicans Brian Birdwell of Granbury, Bryan Hughes of Mineola, Charles Perry of Lubbock, Charles Schwertner of Georgetown and Kevin Sparks of Midland voted in favor of at least one motion to dismiss. The remaining seven Republicans voted with all 12 Democrats against each motion. Those senators were Pete Flores of Pleasanton, Kelly Hancock of North Richland Hills, Joan Huffman of Houston, Mayes Middleton of Galveston, Robert Nichols of Jacksonville, Phil King of Weatherford and Drew Springer of Muenster. Setting the tone, the Senate denied Paxtons first two motions by votes of 24-6 and 22-8. The first motion asked the Senate to throw out every article of impeachment for lack of evidence. Twelve Republicans joined all Senate Democrats in the vote to essentially move forward with a trial. The second motion asked senators to exclude evidence from before January, when Paxtons current four-year term began. That motion struck at the heart of one of Paxtons main arguments that he cannot be impeached for any actions allegedly taken before he was reelected last year. Paxton's defenders have repeatedly cited the so-called forgiveness doctrine to criticize the House impeachment as illegal. The House impeached Paxton in May, alleging a yearslong pattern of lawbreaking and misconduct. He was immediately suspended from his job, and the Senate trial, which started at 9 a.m. Tuesday, will determine whether he is permanently removed from office. There were two dozen pretrial motions. A simple majority was required to approve 16 of them because they sought to dismissal all or some of the articles of impeachment. The presiding officer, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, was allowed to rule on the other motions unilaterally. Notably, Patrick granted Paxton's motion that prevents the suspended attorney general from being forced to testify in the trial. The House impeachment managers had opposed the motion, arguing that if Paxton wanted to avoid self-incrimination, he could take advantage of his Fifth Amendment right from the witness stand. As the Senate proceeds to a trial, a two-thirds vote is required to convict Paxton. That means that if all 12 Democrats vote to convict, half the remaining 18 Republican with a vote would have to join them. Paxton's wife, Sen. Angela Paxton , is disqualified from voting but allowed to attend the trial. Trial deliberations are private, so the process of voting on the pretrial motions followed a dry routine Tuesday morning. Senators submitted their votes in writing, the Senate secretary announced each senators' votes from the front mic, reading them off in random order, and Patrick verified each vote from the dais. The motion to dismiss that got the most support 10 votes sought to individually dismiss Article 8. That article accuses Paxton of disregarding his official duties by pursuing a taxpayer-funded settlement with former top staffers who reported concerns about his relationship with Paul to the FBI in 2020. The full program is now LIVE for the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 21-23 in Austin. Explore the program featuring more than 100 unforgettable conversations coming to TribFest. Panel topics include the biggest 2024 races and whats ahead, how big cities in Texas and around the country are changing, the integrity of upcoming elections and so much more. See the full program. OAK HARBOR - Each year, thousands of butterflies, birds and dragonflies pass through Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge (ONWR) on their way to their overwintering grounds in Mexico. The Friends of ONWR were inspired by the fall migration, which is at its peak this month, to host a virtual "Migration-A-Thon" to get people moving outdoors and raise funds to support the refuge. Migration-A-Thon participants are encouraged to track and upload their miles as they move any way they wish during the month of September. They can hike, walk, run, paddle, swim, or ride a bike wherever they live. The goal is for participants to collectively log 2,269 miles, which is the distance it takes a monarch butterfly to travel from Oak Harbor to the butterfly sanctuary in Sierra Chincua, Mexico. The Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, which is housed inside the visitor center shown here, is hosting a Migration-A-Thon this month to get people moving and raise funds for the refuge. As they move, participants can raise funds for the local refuge by asking friends, families and businesses to sponsor them at a pledged rate per mile. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The money will support wildlife efforts at the refuge, said Aimee Arent, executive director of Friends of ONWR. The Friends hope to raise $5,000 through the Migration-A-Thon, and supporters can earn fun prizes for moving and raising funds, including wildlife badges and swag bags. The money raised will help support youth development programs and restoration projects at the refuge. The Migration-A-Thon is virtual so refuge supporters from around the world can join in the fun, but locals have an added bonus. Special Migration-A-Thon programs will be held throughout the month. The migration of butterflies, birds and dragonflies, like the one shown here, will be in full swing in September. The fun part of this is all the things that are happening at the refuge, Arent said. Migration-A-Thon Kickoff Day on Sept. 9 will feature several activities, include Bike the Dike, Yoga at the Ranger Station, Kids Hike & Craft and tram and shuttle tours. A Crane Creek Paddle led by representatives from Gov. Mike DeWines H2Ohio initiative will be held on Sept. 15. Two time slots are available: 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and at noon to 2:30 p.m. Monarch butterflies wait out the cold, windy and wet weather at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge before flying south to Mexico for their annual migration. H2Ohio educators will be there, so that should be a blast, Arent said. A Twilight Walk and Moth Night event will also be held on Sept. 15. The Twilight Walk is a unique opportunity to walk the refuge after dark. Typically, the trails close at sundown so you dont get to experience the refuge at night, Arent said. The refuge is opening the wildlife drive to bicyclists on Sept. 21 for a seven-mile drive. Elisa Shine of Toledo takes a break from riding her bike around Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge on Aug. 29. Cyclists like Shine will have the rare opportunity to ride their bike on the wildlife drive on Sept. 21 as part of Migration-A-Thon. You can ride your bike on trails anytime, but you can only ride your bike on the wildlife drive one day a year, and this is it, Arent said. Bird enthusiasts have the opportunity to support the bird population through two volunteer opportunities. On Sept. 3, a Monthly Bird Census will take place at the refuge. A Collision Monitoring in Downtown Toledo event will be held daily from Sept. 5-30. Registration is required for some Migration-A-Thon programs. To register, call 419-898-0014. Information on registering for Migration-A-Thon can be found at friendsofottawanwr.org/migration-a-thon.html. Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Virtual event to raise funds for Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge A Florida father was arrested Monday for allegedly killing his teenage son with an angle grinder inside a mobile home in Polk County. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< According to Fox News, Stephan Thoman Rodda, 37, was arrested after attempting to flee the scene on Old Bartow Road in Lake Wales. He is accused of killing his 16-year-old son, Stephen Lee Rodda, who was a junior at Frostproof High School. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd called the older Rodda evil during a news conference following the arrest. It breaks our hearts. There arent adequate words to explain how horrific this event is, Judd said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Fox News reported that the younger Rodda was staying with his grandfather Thomas Rodda at the mobile home while his grandmother was in rehab. Thomas, who had left the home to visit his wife, encountered Stephan upon his return. Stephen allegedly told Thomas, I wouldnt go in there if I was you. I killed someone. you may need to call the police. Read: US Open: Fan ejected for allegedly yelling the most famous Hitler phrase at Alexander Zverev Judd said that the grandfather told detectives that it wasnt uncommon for the suspect to make odd claims. He also told detectives that he found his grandsons body in the dining room area. The initial investigation revealed that the suspect used an angle grinder, a type of power saw, to kill the victim. The sheriffs office is still investigating a potential motive for the killing. Read: Atlanta flight forced to come back after flyer has diarrhea all the way through plane, pilot says Fox News reported that the suspect has a long criminal history, and he moved to Lake Whales a month ago after living in several different states. He also has a history of using meth and has had previous psychotic episodes. Our prayers are with the family, and I want you to know that the world lost a great young man today, Judd said. And we have an evil, evil man in custody, and were going to do our best to see that he spends the rest of his life in prison. CLICK HERE to read the original article by Fox News. Read: First lady Jill Biden tests positive for COVID-19 for second time [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. The city treasurers office is the custodian and manager of all cash and investments for Chicago, a place with a $9 billion investment portfolio and a bigger fiscal footprint than some nations. If any officeholder in the city needs to be squeaky clean and wholly trustworthy, this is that officeholder. But that is not the picture that emerged Tuesday in a letter regarding the conduct of Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, finally obtained by the Tribune and brought to light after the administration of previous Mayor Lori Lightfoot went to court and did its best to keep the letter hidden. Advertisement Before we get to the letter, lets note that Conyears-Ervin, a former state representative who is married to Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th, was reelected to her position unopposed earlier this year after first ascending to the post in 2019. At that time, she became the first woman elected to the office of treasurer for Chicago who was not previously appointed. On May 12, 2022, Conyears-Ervin was the keynote speaker at Chicago State Universitys 369th commencement, which heralded her achievements. This year, she told Crains Chicago Business that her personal motto was: In this journey that we call life, remember that you are not better than anyone else. But more importantly, I want you to remember that there is no one better than you. Advertisement Which brings us to the issue at hand. The letter written by the attorney for Ashley Evans and Tiffany Harper, two employees Conyears-Ervin fired in November 2020 accuses the treasurer of wholesale misuse of taxpayer resources. Attorney Michael Kanovitz alleges the treasurer engaged in a pattern of disturbing conduct against the public trust, many of which violated City of Chicago ethics rules as well as state and federal law. Her consistent and pervasive practice has been to misuse City money, City employees and City resources to benefit her private interests as well as those of her friends and campaign supporters. More specifically, Kanovitz alleges that Conyears-Ervin hired an ex-CPD officer to fill the opening of Assistant to City Treasurer, a job that requires financial training and experience which the candidate was utterly lacking. This employee does not provide any services to the office and does not even come into the office. Rather he serves as a private armed security guard to the Treasurer and is her driver. Similarly, the Treasurer hired Gina Zuccaro for the Administrative Assistant position. Rather than fulfilling the duties of that role full-time, which Ms. Zuccaro is not qualified to do, the Treasurer uses her for personal services like running errands, planning her daughters birthday party, grocery shopping and the like. The Treasurer also used City resources to support Ms. Zuccaros run for the and (sic) Illinois House of Representatives seat by allowing her to campaign on City time. In addition, Kanovitz alleges, Conyears-Ervin has also been using City resources to advance the agenda of several churches and other religious organizations, many of which support her and her husband ... politically and turn out church members to vote for their respective campaigns. Its important to understand the context: The letter is hardly independent, having been written by the attorney for two disgruntled former employees, and it claims that the two were, in effect, fired for being whistleblowers who pointed out illegal activity. Already, the two have shared a $100,000 settlement from the city, which certainly suggests city attorneys saw some dangers in the situation. But Conyears-Ervin has not been formally accused of any crime. All that noted, the Lightfoot administration kept the letter with the details secret, seemingly due to a political alliance between Lightfoot and Conyears-Ervin. Last November, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued a binding opinion that it should be released, according to the law. But it took until another administration, that of Mayor Brandon Johnson, for the letter finally to be made public. Now here we are. Chicago Tribune Opinion Weekdays Read the latest editorials and commentary curated by the Tribune Opinion team. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > The Tribune reported Tuesday that Conyears-Ervin declined to address any of the specific allegations in the letter and instead issued a statement late last week that said the city settled the allegations two years ago in the most cost effective manner for the citizens of Chicago. Advertisement Not good enough. Those allegations are substantive, deeply troubling and, on their face, suggest a lamentable disregard for ethics rules, which are applicable to Chicagos officeholders for good reason, and possibly illegal activity that merits prosecution. An independent inquiry would have the benefit of obvious witnesses, too, given that the allegations involve the pressuring and/or misuse of several employees in Conyears-Ervins office. Given the amount of public trust her office requires and especially since Conyears-Ervin has said she is considering a run for Congress to replace U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, it is crucial that Conyears-Ervin hold a news conference to address the veracity of the contents of this letter as clearly and specifically as possible. She needs to tell Chicago taxpayers whether or not she plans to hold herself to the rules going forward. If not, it would surely seem that the city of Chicago needs a new treasurer. Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that Kyiv cannot conduct peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin because he cannot be trusted. Source: European Pravda, citing Kulebas interview with NHK Details: He said that Putin cannot be trusted, because even if he gives you his word, there is no guarantee that he keeps it. "He is not a person with whom you can seriously negotiate something. If you think that you have successfully agreed with him, then you are putting yourself in danger of being attacked by him," Kuleba said. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister believes that the more successful Ukraine is on the battlefield, the more Russia will be ready for negotiations, but he does not see a possibility for negotiations with the Russian Federation in the near future. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "If we want to exist as a nation, if we want to survive, we must win, no matter the cost," Kuleba is convinced. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister also expressed disappointment with recent criticism from Western countries that Ukraine's offensive does not meet some people's expectations. He added that anyone who sits in a chair and comments on the pace of the offensive should not tell the Ukrainian soldiers that they are too slow, because they are dying in this struggle and deserve full respect. Background: Earlier, Kuleba said that the war started by Russia cannot be stopped by sitting down at the negotiating table. Before that, the Foreign Minister said that Ukraine's partners know the real situation with counteroffensive actions and claims about their allegedly slow pace of discouraging Ukrainian servicemen. In addition, the Foreign Minister advised critics of the "slow" counteroffensive to "shut up" and go to the front in Ukraine themselves. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! President Joe Biden has announced his intent to nominate former state Rep. Calvin Smyre to represent the United States at the 78th Session of the United Nations later this month. The Columbus Democrat served in the Georgia legislature for 48 years, including a stint as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. He left the Gold Dome last year after Biden nominated him U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic, an appointment that was later changed to ambassador to the Bahamas. The U.S. Senate has yet to confirm the nomination. This momentous announcement is a testament to Representative Smyres enduring commitment to diplomacy, equality, and the wellbeing of people both within Georgia and across the globe, the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus wrote in a statement released Monday. The former dean of the Georgia General Assembly has served the state of Georgia and the nation for over four decades. Now, hell be able to take his gifts and knowledge of helping the least and left out on the international stage. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Elected to the Georgia House in 1974 at the age of 26, Smyre held numerous leadership positions over the years. He served as the first Black chairman of the Georgia Democratic Party and the first Black governors floor leader in the General Assembly. Smyre chaired the powerful House Rules Committee before Republicans took control of the chamber in 2004. His legislative record is highlighted by the critical role he played in replacing Georgias segregation-era state flag featuring the Confederate battle standard and by his sponsorship of legislation making Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday a state holiday. More recently, Smyre was a key player in the passage of a hate crimes law in Georgia in 2020 and the repeal of the states 1863 citizens arrest law after the murder of Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery by three white men. Smyre also has been active in national Democratic politics, co-chairing Bill Clintons Georgia presidential campaigns in 1992 and 1996. He also served the Al Gore presidential campaign in 2000 as a deputy. A banker, Smyre retired in 2014 as executive vice president of corporate affairs of Columbus-based Synovus Financial Corp. and president of Synovus Foundation. The 78th Session of the UN General Assembly will run from Sept. 18 through Sept. 26. A former Fort Bragg soldier was emotional Wednesday in a Cumberland County courtroom as she apologized for shooting and killing another female soldier she found sitting outside her ex-boyfriend's home in 2021. I truly am sorry from the bottom of my heart so sorry, a tearful Tiara Vinson, 28, said as she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for fatally shooting Spc. Kelia Olivia Horton, 22. If I could go back and do it over again, I would have handled things differently. According to Assistant District Attorney Kara Hodges at Wednesday's plea hearing, Vinson, who was pregnant with her ex-boyfriend's child, went to his house on Ferndell Drive on May 7, 2021, to discuss an abortion with him. The prosecutor said that when Vinson arrived, she shot Horton after finding her sitting in the driver's seat of a car in the driveway. Horton was pronounced dead at the hospital. Some of the residents in the west Fayetteville neighborhood of single-family homes witnessed the slaying. One woman, who was washing her windows at the time, told 911 that Horton had just pulled into the driveway when Vinson drove up, got out and shot her. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Related: What court records say about the case of a Fort Liberty soldier accused of murder Sgt. Tiara Vinson listens as Spc. Kelia Hortons cousin, Lohnai Lenhardt, speaks in court during a plea hearing at the Cumberland County Courthouse on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. Vinson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle in the May 7, 2021, death of Horton. Judge Gale Adams listens while presiding over Sgt. Tiara Vinsons plea hearing at the Cumberland County Courthouse on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. Vinson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle in the May 7, 2021, death of Spc. Kelia Olivia Horton. According to the autopsy report, the mother of two was hit five times: once in the neck, once in the left arm, twice in the torso and once in the chest. The autopsy record stated that Horton was in a "new relationship" with Vinson's ex-boyfriend. Vinson's attorney, Bernard Conlin, said at the hearing that Vinson had once lived at the home but moved out when they broke up. He said the ex-boyfriend, who was also a soldier, wanted Vinson to get an abortion but when she went to the clinic for the procedure, she was so upset the doctor was unable to proceed. On the day of the killing, Conlin said, Vinson had gone to the Ferndell Drive home to tell the ex-boyfriend, "If that's what will keep our relationship together, I will get the abortion." Conlin said Vinson gave birth to the child while in custody in the killing. Kelia Horton Related: 'I don't know what this girl was thinking': Woman witnessed Fayetteville soldier slaying Following Vinson's emotional statement at the plea hearing, Horton's cousin, friend and coworker, Lohnai Lenhardt, gave a victim-impact statement, speaking directly to Vinson who sat feet away from her at the defense table. Lenhardt said her cousin was not a confrontational person and that Vinson's deadly decision left several children motherless. "Her 4-year-old daughter still asks about her," Lenhardt said fighting tears. "You should have left her alone." At the time of the killing, Fort Bragg officials said, Horton was a motor pool clerk assigned to the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade. She was originally from Birmingham, Alabama, and joined the Army in June 2017. According to her obituary, she is survived by her two young children, her parents, a "grandmother (and) a host of aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews." Sgt. Vinson, who hails from Norfolk, Virginia, was a parachute rigger assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group. She'd enlisted in January 2014. As part of the plea, Superior Court Judge Gale Adams sentenced Vinson to between 17 and 21 years, five months in prison on charges of first-degree murder and discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle. Public safety reporter Joseph Pierre can be reached at jpierre@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Former soldier sentenced in 2021 romantic rival killing in Fayetteville A former federal prosecutor said Mark Meadows gambit last week could come back to bite him. Donald Trumps former chief of staff, a co-defendant in the ex-presidents vast Georgia racketeering indictment, testified in an Atlanta courtroom on Aug. 28 as part of his bid to move the Fulton County case to federal court. In an unusual move so early on in a case, branded risky by many legal experts, Meadows testified under oath for several hours, addressing various allegations and arguing his actions were carried out under his role as a federal official. I was one of the people who was really surprised that he took that big gamble, Amy Lee Copeland, a Georgia criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor, told CNNs Jim Acosta over the weekend. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement At one point during the hearing, Meadows flatly denied directing former Trump White House aide John McEntee to write a memo about how to delay or disrupt the certification of the election on Jan. 6, 2021. The indictment accused Meadows of doing so. Acosta asked if this could become a problem for Meadows when the Fulton County district attorney reveals her hand. Could that kind of testimony from Meadows backfire on him? If all of a sudden Fani Willis comes up with evidence that he doesnt know about? Acosta asked. Absolutely, and thats the problem about locking in the story so early, Copeland said. He hasnt seen the evidence yet. I think the DA is set to give it out by September the 15th. But now he has locked himself into the story, she continued. She noted that this has already happened to an extent, when Meadows denied coordinating the fake electors plot to keep Trump in power, even though the prosecution had an email between Meadows and Trump campaign aide Jason Miller suggesting otherwise. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones is expected to make a decision on Meadows bid to switch courts any day now. If successful, Meadows attorneys are expected to argue for the case to be dismissed. Related... WASHINGTON (AP) Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was sentenced Tuesday to 22 years in prison for orchestrating a failed plot to keep Donald Trump in power after the Republican lost the 2020 election, capping the case with the stiffest punishment that has been handed down yet for the U.S. Capitol attack. Tarrio, 39, pleaded for leniency before the judge imposed the prison term topping the 18-year sentences given to Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and one-time Proud Boys leader Ethan Nordean for seditious conspiracy and other convictions stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. Tarrio, who led the neofacist group as it became a force in mainstream Republican circles, lowered his head after the sentence was imposed, then squared his shoulders. He raised his hand and made a V gesture with his fingers as he was led out of the courtroom in orange jail garb. His sentencing comes as the Justice Department prepares to put Trump on trial at the same courthouse in Washington on charges that the then-president illegally schemed to cling to power that he knew had been stripped away by voters. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Rising to speak before the sentence was handed down, Tarrio called Jan. 6 a national embarrassment, and apologized to the police officers who defended the Capitol and the lawmakers who fled in fear. His voice cracked as he said he let down his family and vowed that he is done with politics. I am not a political zealot. Inflicting harm or changing the results of the election was not my goal, Tarrio said. Please show me mercy, he said, adding, I ask you that you not take my 40s from me. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, who was appointed to the bench by Trump, said Tarrio was motivated by "revolutionary zeal" to lead the conspiracy that resulted in 200 men, amped up for battle, encircling the Capitol. Noting that Tarrio had not previously shown any remorse publicly for his crimes, the judge said a stiff punishment was necessary to deter future political violence. "It can't happen again. It cant happen again, the judge repeated. Tarrio and three lieutenants were convicted in May of seditious conspiracy and other crimes after a months-long trial that served as a vivid reminder of the violent chaos fueled by Trumps lies about the election that helped inspire right-wing extremists like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. Prosecutors had sought 33 years behind bars for Tarrio, describing him as the ringleader of a plot to use violence to shatter the cornerstone of American democracy and overturn the election victory by Joe Biden, a Democrat, over Trump, the Republican incumbent. Prosecutor Conor Mulroe told the judge that the Proud Boys came dangerously close to succeeding in their plot and noted that it didnt take rifles or explosives. There was a very real possibility we were going to wake up on Jan. 7 in a full-blown constitutional crisis, Mulroe said, with 300 million Americans having no idea who the next president would be or how it would be decided. Tarrio wasnt in Washington, D.C, when Proud Boys members joined thousands of Trump supporters, who smashed windows, beat police officers and poured into the House and Senate chambers as lawmakers met to certify Bidens victory. But prosecutors say the Miami resident organized and led the Proud Boys assault from afar, inspiring followers with his charisma and penchant for propaganda. Tarrios lawyers denied the Proud Boys had any plan to attack the Capitol or stop the certification of Bidens victory. They argued that prosecutors used Tarrio as a scapegoat for Trump, who spoke at the Stop the Steal rally near the White House on Jan. 6 and urged his supporters to fight like hell. Tarrios younger sister, fiance and mother tearfully urged the judge to show mercy before the sentence was imposed. Tarrio took off his glasses and wiped his eyes as he listened to his mother speak. The defense asked for no more than 15 years in prison, arguing that their client should not be punished as harshly as the Oath Keepers Rhodes, who was present on Capitol grounds on Jan. 6. Defense attorney Nayib Hassan told reporters after the hearing that they will appeal. Tarrios lawyers described him as a keyboard ninja, who was prone to talk trash, but had no intentions of overthrowing the government. The Proud Boys only plans that day were to protest the election and confront left-wing antifa activists, attorney Sabino Jauregui told the judge. My client is no terrorist, Jauregui said. My client is a misguided patriot. Tarrio had been arrested two days before the Capitol riot on charges that he defaced a Black Lives Matter banner during an earlier rally in the nations capital, and he had complied with a judges order to leave the city after his arrest. The judge agreed with prosecutors that the Proud Boys crimes could be punished as terrorism increasing the recommended sentence under federal guidelines. But he ultimately sentenced the Proud Boys to shorter prison terms than those sought by prosecutors. The backbone of the governments case was hundreds of messages exchanged by Proud Boys in the days leading up to Jan. 6 that prosecutors say showed how the extremists saw themselves as revolutionaries and celebrated the Capitol attack, which sent lawmakers running into hiding. The judge pointed to Tarrio's messages cheering on the Capitol attack and the Proud Boys' role in it. Make no mistake, Tarrio wrote in one message. We did this. In another post as the Proud Boys swarmed the Capitol, Tarrio commanded: Do what must be done. In a Proud Boys encrypted group chat later that day someone asked what they should do next. Tarrio responded, Do it again. He is the final Proud Boys leader convicted of seditious conspiracy to receive his punishment. Three fellow Proud Boys found guilty by a Washington jury of the rarely used sedition charge were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 15 to 18 years. The Justice Department is appealing the 18-year prison sentence of Rhodes, the Oath Keepers founder, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy in a separate case, as well as the sentences of other members of his antigovernment militia group that were lighter than what prosecutors had sought. Prosecutors had requested 25 years in prison for Rhodes. ___ Richer reported from Boston. Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and the remaining defendants in the election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, have pleaded not guilty and have waived their arraignments, new court filings show. Misty Hampton, who faces charges related to the Coffee County voting system breach and was the last holdout among the 19 defendants changed in District Attorney Fani Willis case, entered her plea early Tuesday afternoon. The other defendants have been filing their pleas in recent days. Arraignment hearings had been scheduled for Wednesday in Atlanta. Georgia law allows criminal defendants to waive their in-person appearance and formally enter a not guilty plea through paperwork filed with the court. Meadows has been charged with two state crimes: violating Georgias anti-racketeering RICO law and soliciting a public official to violate their oath. The charges mostly revolve around the infamous January 2021 phone call where Trump and Meadows pressed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find enough votes to flip the election results in then-President Donald Trumps favor. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Meadows is trying to move his case out of state court and into federal court, where he could possibly get the indictment dismissed by invoking immunity that shields many federal workers from litigation. At a high-stakes hearing in August, Meadows testified under oath for more than three hours and claimed that the alleged actions described in the Georgia indictment were connected to his formal government duties as Trumps chief of staff. The federal judge who will decide whether to move the case still hasnt issued a ruling. Other notable allies Hampton, who has been charged with seven counts, is accused of participating in a conspiracy to allow supporters of Trump to unlawfully access voter data and ballot counting equipment at the Coffee County election office. Hampton also faces the racketeering charge that is central to Willis case. Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Department official who is similarly seeking to move his case to federal court, also pleaded not guilty in a court filing. Georgia law allows criminal defendants to waive their in-person appearance and formally enter a not-guilty plea through paperwork filed with the court. Clark was charged with two counts in the Georgia case. He served as a senior Trump appointee at the Justice Department and tried to use his powers as a federal official to overturn the 2020 election. He drafted a letter, which was ultimately never sent, promoting false claims of voting irregularities and urged Georgia lawmakers to consider throwing out Bidens legitimate electors. Clark lobbied Trump to make him the acting attorney general so he could send the letter and have the Justice Department intervene in the Georgia election. Trump decided not to put Clark in charge after other senior Justice Department officials threatened to resign. Pro-Trump attorney John Eastman, Georgia state Sen. Shawn Still, former Coffee County GOP Chair Cathy Latham and former Georgia GOP Chair David Shafer also entered not guilty pleas and waived their formal arraignments in court filings Tuesday. Eastman was indicted on nine counts, including a racketeering charge. He devised and promoted a six-step plan for then-Vice President Mike Pence to overturn Joe Bidens victory while presiding over the Electoral College certification on January 6, 2021. He also urged Georgia state lawmakers to appoint fake GOP electors to replace the legitimate slate of Democratic electors. Still was charged with seven state crimes and is one of the 16 Republicans who served as fake electors in Georgia and signed paperwork falsely claiming that Trump won the Peach State. This was part of the Trump campaigns plan to subvert the Electoral College process and nullify Joe Bidens victory. Latham was charged with 11 counts related to an alleged plot to unlawfully access voter data and ballot counting equipment in Coffee County, in addition to the racketeering charge that is central to Willis case. Latham also signed on to be an alternative elector for Trump in Georgia. Shafer was charged with eight state crimes. Fulton County prosecutors accused him of playing a key role in organizing the Trump campaigns slate of fake electors in Georgia, as part of the effort to subvert the Electoral College. He served as a fake elector and convened the other 15 fake electors in the Georgia State Capitol in December 2020, where they signed a certificate falsely stating that Trump won the state over Biden. Shafer has previously claimed that the fake electors scheme came at the direction of Trump and the Trump campaign. Shafer and Latham are also seeking to move their cases from state court to federal court. Judge sets Wednesday hearing on scheduling Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the Georgia election subversion case, scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to address questions about trial scheduling and possibly breaking up the case. In an order posted Tuesday, McAfee said there will be a hearing on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET to deal with critical scheduling matters. This is the first hearing McAfee will hold in the case, and the proceedings are expected to be televised. The judge said hell want prosecutors to provide a good-faith estimate for how long it would take to hold a joint trial for all 19 defendants, and how long it would take if the case is divided into subgroups of defendants. Kenneth Chesebros trial is scheduled to begin October 23, and Willis wants to keep the case together and hold one massive trial beginning that day. Trump opposes that speedy timeline, and many of the defendants want to break up the case. This story has been updated with additional developments. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect when the not guilty pleas were filed. It also has been updated with additional developments and background information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com By Alvise Armellini ROME (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron must say whether his country was to blame for an Italian air disaster that killed 81 people more than 40 years ago, former Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato said on Tuesday. Italian judges have said in the past that a missile likely downed the DC-9 civilian aircraft near the island of Ustica on June 27, 1980, but have been unable to identify who was responsible for one of the darkest mysteries in Italy's postwar history. In a weekend interview with La Repubblica newspaper, Amato said he believed that the aircraft, belonging to the now-defunct domestic airline Itavia, was probably shot down accidentally by a French jet during a botched attempt by France, the U.S. and NATO to kill the then-Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi while he was flying over Italy. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "I ask Macron to look into the matter. If he shows that the allegation is unfounded, so much the better. If it is true, he should apologise," Amato, 85, told a news conference on Tuesday. A French diplomatic source told Reuters that France had always cooperated with Italy on Ustica, particularly in the context of judicial investigations, and was "of course ready" to work again with Rome if asked. Amato, who twice served as prime minister, said he had raised the issue again because at his age: "You start to ask yourself if there is something useful still to be done, some unfinished business that can be resolved." He said it would be easier for Macron to respond as he was aged only two at the time of the tragedy and belongs to a different generation from the French political and military elites that may have been to blame. Amato said he had not spoken to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in recent days. Meloni said at the weekend that Amato should show any new evidence he had to support his theory. The former premier, a socialist politician who has also held various ministerial posts and led Italy's Constitutional Court, has conceded he has no new evidence or hard proof. Former Italian President Francesco Cossiga, who was prime minister when the plane crashed into the sea killing all on board, made similar accusations in 2008. He died two years later. (Reporting by Alvise Armellini, additional reporting by Michel Rose in Paris and Keith Weir, editing by Nick Macfie) 'Free speech absolutist' Elon Musk is threatening to sue the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The group has allegedly tried to "kill" the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, with false accusations of antisemitism and advertiser boycotts, according to Musk. In a series of posts, the billionaire said that the ADL's pressure campaign on advertisers to leave X over its content moderation policies was primarily responsible for a 60 percent drop in the site's U.S. ad revenue. "If this continues, we will have no choice but to file a defamation suit against, ironically, the 'Anti-Defamation' League," said Musk. "If they lose the defamation suit, we will insist that they drop [sic] the 'anti' part of their name." If this continues, we will have no choice but to file a defamation suit against, ironically, the "Anti-Defamation" League. If they lose the defamation suit, we will insist that they drop the the "anti" part of their name, since obviously ???? Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 4, 2023 In a subsequent post, Musk suggested that the ADL was responsible for destroying $22 billion of Twitter's value. Based on what we've heard from advertisers, ADL seems to be responsible for most of our revenue loss. Giving them maximum benefit of the doubt, I don't see any scenario where they're responsible for less than 10% of the value destruction, so ~$4 billion. Document discovery of Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 4, 2023 The dispute between the ADL and X is not new. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ever since Musk took over the platform late last year, the civil rights organization has accused the company of allowing hateful and antisemitic speech to proliferate through overly lax content moderation policies and practices. The ADL was one of the groups reporting a dramatic rise in the use of racist and homophobic slurs on Twitter after Musk's acquisition. It also complained that the company was now less responsive to its requests to remove content. Back in December 2022, Reason's Jacob Sullum argued that the rise in hate speech reported by the ADL and others was being exaggerated. The few thousand additional tweets containing racist and antisemitic slurs were still a tiny fraction of the content on the site. Nevertheless, the ADL has continued to pressure X to be more aggressive in taking down what it deems hateful content. In a report published last month, the ADL even accused the social media site of running a "hate machine" for suggesting people follow accounts that have tweeted antisemitic content and memes. The ADL, alongside other civil rights groups, had participated in other pressure campaigns aimed at getting advertisers to leave Facebook over its (supposedly) lax content moderation. In recent years, critics of the ADL also have accused it of being overly partisan and using dodgy methodology to inflate the number of antisemitic incidents it tracks. In July, X sued the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate over what it claims were baseless accusations of failing to police hate speech. Musk surely has some cause to dispute a lot of the claims the ADL is making about X. His company is within its rights to decline the group's content moderation demands. Nevertheless, the ADL is also well within its rights to argue Musk is running a "hate machine" and lobbying advertisers to take their business elsewhere. By threatening legal action against the group, Musk is ceding whatever moral high ground he may have had as a defender of free speech. Instead, he's suggesting he might use the court system to bully the group into silencing their criticism of his company. That's hardly the action of a "free speech absolutist." FREE MARKETS The budget deficit is set to double this year, The Washington Post reports: After the government's record spending in 2020 and 2021 to combat the impact of covid-19, the deficit dropped by the greatest amount ever in 2022, falling from close to $3 trillion to roughly $1 trillion. But rather than continue to fall to its pre-pandemic levels, the deficit then shot upward. Budget experts now project that it will probably rise to about $2 trillion for the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan group that advocates for lower deficits. Explosive piece in the Washington Post (by @JStein_WaPo assisted by @BudgetHawks) showing that the budget deficit is set to ???????????????????????? to $2 trillion this year. This is basically unprecedented in U.S. history during relative peace and prosperity.????https://t.co/Kzfs78J5jr pic.twitter.com/KmZYXi2Emo Brian Riedl ???? ???????? (@Brian_Riedl) September 4, 2023 This explosion in debt is coming despite President Joe Biden's repeated claims that he's actually cutting the federal government's fiscal deficit. FREE MINDS Americans are increasingly saying "skool suks." Recent public opinion polls show that young Americans' attitudes toward college are turning increasingly negative, according to The New York Times: Perhaps colleges being some of the last institutions to cling to insane COVID restrictions is playing a role: At the @UMich, students testing covid positive must leave their dorms for 5 days & live in the community. A hotel room or a relative's house is ok. This cruel policy is designed to spread covid from the university into the wild. It won't stop covid from spreading @umich. pic.twitter.com/Yfn58QKcut Jay Bhattacharya (@DrJBhattacharya) September 3, 2023 QUICK LINKS According to technology journalist Tim Lee's parsing of data from the driverless taxi services of Waymo and Cruise, driverless cars might already be safer than human-operated motor vehicles. National Review on how the New Deal harmed black Americans. France is planning on banning all disposable vapes as part of an "anti-smoking" plan. Good luck with that! Former Democratic governor of New Mexico and 2008 presidential candidate Bill Richardson has died. Excavations at some Canadian residential schools are failing to turn up human remains in what were reported to be mass graves. Attendees are finally leaving Burning Man after a sudden storm made travel out of the desert festival temporarily impossible. The post 'Free Speech Absolutist' Elon Musk Threatens Anti-Defamation League With Defamation Lawsuit appeared first on Reason.com. Redoine Faid pictured in 2018 when he was recaptured after three months on the run - Interpol Frances SAS has been dispatched to a courthouse during the trial of the countrys most notorious bank robber who fled jail in a helicopter in 2018, his second escape in five years. Frances elite police force, GIGN, is responsible for ensuring Redoine Faid, 51, dubbed the getaway king for his prison break skills, reaches the court from his cell south of Paris without vanishing during the seven-week trial. Access to the courtroom is under special protection and mobile phone signals have been scrambled after a confidential police note warned of the high risk of the accused attempting to escape. According to BFMTV, some 250,000 has been spent on security measures and various decoy routes to the courthouse have been set up. Already due to stay in jail until 2046 for previous convictions, Faid faces life behind bars over his most daring escape to date. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On July 1, 2018, three accomplices took the pilot of a helicopter hostage at a small airfield, forcing him at gunpoint to fly to Reau prison, south-east of Paris, and to land in the main courtyard, which at the time lacked overhead protective nets. File photo shows the helicopter hijacked for the prison break in 2018 - Geoffroy van der Hasselt/AFP Wearing black clothes, hoods and police armbands, they used a disc grinder to cut a hole in the door leading to the visiting room, where Faid was with his brother. He calmly walked out as the others created confusion by setting off smoke bombs before getting into the helicopter and forcing the pilot to take off. At the time, Faid was serving a 25-year sentence for his role in the murder of Aurelie Fouquet, a police officer shot during a botched attempt to attack a cash transport vehicle. He has always denied involvement in the killing. Disguised himself in a niqab He was caught three months later in a dawn raid at the home of a nephews girlfriend. Police had tracked Faid down after a tip-off about an individual with a masculine form in a niqab, the full face-covering Muslim garment. Appearing in a green jumper and shaven head, Faid faces charges of repeat escape by an organised gang and aircraft hijacking. Also in the dock are two alleged senior members of the Corsican mafia whom prosecutors say he enlisted to help him escape. One defendant who has a plea bargain for divulging information on Faids Corsican links was hidden behind a screen. The third member of the prison break commando has never been identified. Inspired by Steve McQueen Faid has reportedly been fascinated with great prison escapes since childhood and is reportedly known to friends as Doc after the Doc McCoy character played by Steve McQueen in the 1972 film The Getaway. He has cited movie bad guys such as Tony Montana in Scarface as an inspiration and said he discovered his calling at the age of 12. Police nicknamed him The Writer after a 2010 autobiography in which he claimed that he had given up bank robbing. He was arrested soon afterwards. His reputation in the troubled suburbs rose further when he broke out of Sequedin jail in Lille in 2013 after taking four guards hostage and blowing open five doors before being caught a week later. Since his second prison break, he has been kept in strict solitary confinement and only allowed out of his cell for an hour a day, and even then in handcuffs. He is regularly moved to different prisons. Before the trial, his lawyer Marie Violleau said Faid was calm, combative despite drastic security measures that mean he is handcuffed at all times. The trial, which continues, is due to run until October 20. 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. Floridians struggle for hurricane recovery as U.S. presidential politics swirl Xinhua) 09:48, September 05, 2023 WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Floridians are struggling to recover from Category 3 Hurricane Idalia and the following floods as tension spirals over U.S. President Joe Biden's survey of the damage in Florida, without meeting the state's Gov. Ron DeSantis, one of his 2024 presidential rivals. On Saturday, Biden and his wife toured areas damaged by the storm in Live Oak, met residents, and thanked emergency responders. Addressing the damaged neighborhoods, Biden praised the "spirit of this community," saying he was not disappointed at DeSantis's absence who "may have had other reasons," reported local media. DeSantis spokesperson Jeremy Redfern told the press on Friday that the security detail of a presidential visit was so heavy that "setting up such a meeting would shut down ongoing recovery efforts." According to DeSantis' social media, he also spent the day touring storm damage, but in Madison County, around 64 km northwest of Biden's survey site. On Friday, Biden's administration asked Congress for an additional 4 billion U.S. dollars for the Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster Relief Fund, in addition to the 12-billion-dollar request in August, in response to a string of natural disasters across the United States in recent weeks. Biden said he could not understand why some lawmakers believe the money is unnecessary even in the wake of Hurricane Idalia and wildfires in Maui. DeSantis has been strongly lobbying for federal assistance funds for Florida. The tension between Biden and his 2024 presidential rival is heating while damaged communities in the Big Bend Region strive for recovery, primarily to restore power amid heat waves. The number of reported outages at one time peaked at 288,000 at 3 p.m. (2100 GMT) Wednesday, according to Reuters. As of 3 p.m. (2100 GMT) Sunday, 38,000 accounts remained in a power outage as utility workers and electricity cooperatives continued to address damage from the storm, reported local media. More than 88 percent of the remaining 33,593 outages are due to fallen power lines and other connectivity issues reported by cooperatives, and community-owned and operated utilities that largely serve rural areas. The death toll from Idalia is minor compared to Hurricane Ian, which claimed nearly 150 lives in Florida last year. Kevin Guthrie, who heads the Florida Division of Emergency Management, praised on Thursday millions of Big Bend Region inhabitants for following the evacuation orders. So far, DeSantis has confirmed one fatality related to Idalia in Florida. A 59-year-old from Alachua County died in a car crash where rain was a major factor, according to local media, citing Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Steve Gaskin. Idalia, which made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm earlier Wednesday, became the first major hurricane to enter Apalachee Bay since modern record-keeping started in 1851, according to the U.S. National Weather Service office in Tallahassee, the state capital of Florida. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin speaks during a Chicago Teachers Union rally at New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in West Garfield Park in Chicago on Oct. 27, 2019. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tri/Chicago Tribune) City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin used government workers to plan her daughters birthday party and be her personal bodyguard while she also pressured public employees to hold events benefiting political allies and repeatedly misused taxpayer resources, two former top aides alleged in a recently released letter the city fought for years to keep confidential. The blistering four-page letter, written in December 2020 by the attorney for the two employees Conyears-Ervin fired, also alleged the treasurer, who oversees city investments, tried to force BMO Harris one of the banks where city money is deposited to issue a mortgage tied to the building that houses the aldermanic office for Conyears-Ervins husband, Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th. Advertisement Conyears-Ervin threatened retaliation against employees who raised concerns about the conduct and other alleged misdeeds and told employees they should not care if her plans are illegal since the only way they could lose their jobs is if she fires them, the letter stated. Mayor Lori Lightfoot, left, listens to City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin during a "Women for Lori" campaign event at the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399 in Chicago on Feb. 25, 2023. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune) After Conyears-Ervin in 2020 dismissed the employees, Ashley Evans and Tiffany Harper shared a $100,000 settlement from the city. That settlement came after the letter was sent to the citys top attorney and the citys Board of Ethics. Advertisement The Chicago Tribune sought a copy of the letter but the Tribune was repeatedly denied access by the administration of Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who became a political ally of Conyears-Ervin and her husband. After the Illinois attorney generals office last year said in a binding opinion that the Tribune should get a copy of the letter, Lightfoots administration went to court to block its release. But Mayor Brandon Johnsons administration released the letter late last week. [ Lightfoot administration to pay $100,000 to settle whistleblower claims by former treasurer employees ] A former state representative who earlier this year was reelected to a second term as city treasurer, Conyears-Ervin has said she is considering a run for Congress to replace U.S. Rep. Danny Davis. Conyears-Ervin declined to address any of the specific allegations in the letter and instead issued a statement late last week that said the city settled the allegations two years ago in the most cost effective manner for the citizens of Chicago. While I am not allowed to discuss the specifics of this settlement, I will make a general statement as I take these matters seriously, the treasurer said in the statement, released by a spokesman. I have never, nor will I ever abuse or misuse taxpayer dollars and breach the public trust. I treat my responsibility to the citizens and taxpayers with the utmost respect. The controversy dates back to November 2020, when Conyears-Ervin dismissed Harper, her chief of staff at the time, as well as Evans and two other workers, as part of what she called an office shake-up. Harper and Evans, the treasurers former chief impact officer, alleged their firings violated the Illinois whistleblower act, federal laws, and a city ordinance, and sent the letter to the city demanding reinstatement. Their attorney, Michael Kanovitz, did not return a message seeking comment. The letter disputed Conyears-Ervins claim that she fired the workers because she was taking the treasurers office in a new direction. The reason given for firing them was a pretext as there was no change in administration (the Treasurer took office over a year prior) and neither Ms. Evans nor Ms. Harper had done anything remotely justifying their termination, the letter said. They are precisely the sort of employees the City seeks to hire and retain, not terminate. Advertisement In the letter, dated Dec. 9, 2020, Kanovitz called on city officials to initiate an investigation into why the women were let go. Treasurer Conyears-Ervin engaged in a pattern of disturbing conduct against the public trust, many of which violated the City of Chicago ethics rules as well as state and federal law, the letter stated. Her consistent and pervasive practice has been to misuse City money, City employees and City resources to benefit her private interests as well as those of her friends and campaign supporters. [ AG: City of Chicago improperly withheld letter from lawyer about Treasurers office alleged misconduct ] One of the complaints detailed in the letter was staffers concerns about Conyears-Ervins decision to hire an ex-Chicago police officer as her private security guard and driver after Lightfoot took away her police detail. After losing a public battle with the Mayor on this issue, the Treasurer hired an ex-CPD officer to fill the opening of Assistant to City Treasurer, a job that requires financial training and experience which the candidate was utterly lacking, the letter said. This employee does not provide any services to the office and does not even come into the office. Rather he serves as a private armed security guard to the Treasurer and is her driver. In a previous interview with the Tribune, Conyears-Ervin said she needed a police detail due to her position. I cannot tell you how many places I go to where people say, Give me a loan, thats the money lady, can you write me a check? Conyears-Ervin said. People truly associate me with money. Ive had people, when I walk in the room, they say, Money, money, money money. The letter also took issue with Conyears-Ervin for hiring Gina Zuccaro to be an administrative assistant, a post Zuccaro was not qualified for, according to the letter. Zuccaro is a political ally of both Conyears-Ervin and her husband, and she has filed objections to block rival candidates from appearing on the ballot against Jason Ervin. Zuccaro also ran for state representative in 2020, losing to Jawaharial Williams, who is the son of Ald. Walter Burnett Jr., 27th. Advertisement In the letter, the two former employees alleged that rather than fulfilling the duties of that role full-time, the treasurer used Zuccaro for personal services like running errands, planning her daughters birthday party, grocery shopping and the like. The Treasurer also used City resources to support Ms. Zuccaros run for the Illinois House of Representatives seat by allowing her to campaign on City time, the letter stated. This misuse of hiring to obtain personal services and favor her allies is a pervasive problem, extending well past these two employees to numerous other employees and contractors. Zuccaro did not return repeated messages for comment. [ City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin denies wrongly firing chief of staff, other employees ] The two former aides also alleged Conyears-Ervin made contentious demands of City contractors to benefit the Treasurers friends and political supporters. One example was the Treasurers attempts to force BMO Harris, one of the Citys depository institutions and securities brokers, to give a mortgage to a third party on a building in which her husband maintains his aldermanic office, the letter stated. To use the Treasurers words, the instruction was to leverage the Citys banking relationship (meaning the fact that the City maintains hundreds of millions of dollars in deposits) to get a mortgage on the building. A spokesman from BMO Harris declined to comment last week. Ald. Jason Ervin also declined to comment through a spokesman. Advertisement City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Evans takes the oath of office during Mayor Brandon Johnsons inauguration on May 15, 2023, at the Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) Conyears-Ervin also used City resources to advance the agenda of several churches and other religious organizations, many of which support her and her husband politically and turn out church members to vote for their respective campaigns, the letter said. Those events included a panel and praise series of events, where she hand-picked pastors to highlight, and a Back to School Citywide Prayer. Staffers told Conyears-Ervin she could not spend City money to promote religion, but she not only refused to stop the events but also insisted that she could handpick the prayer leaders (including her political supporters) rather than open the opportunity to all faiths, justifying it by saying that she wanted religious leaders who preached consistently with the Christian Bible. When Evans and Harper warned Conyears-Ervin not to engage in the activities detailed in the letter, the treasurer ignored the two women and worse, the letter stated. Before they were fired, the letter stated, Conyears-Ervin threatened the women with retaliation and warned them that if they refused to implement her plans their asses can walk and that they will be walking the f--- up out of here and that this is (her) f---ing office and (her) vision, according to the letter. The retaliation is clear, as is the corruption in the Treasurers office, the letter stated. Advertisement [ Chicago Tribune wins fight for public records that Mayor Lori Lightfoots administration sought to keep secret ] Following the firings, the Tribune sought from the city a copy of the letter through a series of Freedom of Information Act requests, but city officials under Lightfoot refused. The mayor and Conyears-Ervin had mended their disagreement after the mayor took away the treasurers security detail. After being denied the letter, the Tribune appealed to the attorney general offices public access counselor and won both a nonbinding decision and later a binding opinion that stated the city should release the letter. But the city still refused, arguing the letter from the fired workers attorney was part of privileged settlement negotiations and exempt under the Freedom of Information Act as well as prohibited from release by various courtroom rules of evidentiary and discovery in legal actions. The Lightfoot administration then took the case to court to block the binding opinion from being enforced. But after Lightfoot lost her bid for reelection earlier this year, the Johnson administration was responsible for the future of the case and last week chose to drop it. The City is committed to making our records available to the public to the fullest extent possible, consistent with the laws and regulations governing FOIA, a spokeswoman for the citys Law Department said in a statement. We are pleased the city is releasing the records as recommended by the public access counselor, added a spokeswoman for Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raouls office. gpratt@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Donald Slinkard and I never worked together. Nor do I believe we ever met in person. Yet when I read that Slinkard had recently died, a few days shy of his 98th birthday, the news hit me like a body punch from Jose Ramirez. My thoughts and feelings and ruminations while seated at the computer screen, fingers tapping the keyboard immersed in writing these missives, wont be the same. Slinkard retired as The Fresno Bees managing editor in 1990, eight years before I arrived in the newsroom as a lowly copy editor. A journalism job that, sadly, no longer exists. Even though we didnt cross paths in real life, Don and I were well-acquainted via email. After reading Slinkards self-penned obituary (which should tell you something about his personality), I typed his name into my Google Mail search bar and came back with about 30 of his messages since 2013. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Which happens to be the first year I started writing columns for The Bee. First mainly about sports and since 2017 about, well, lots of things. Opinion If youve made it this far, heres a little insight into my process. I try to approach each column as if theyre an ongoing conversation with the reader. Were spending a couple minutes together, and Im doing most of the talking. Except the reader Im conversing with while composing thoughts and reworking clumsy sentences is nameless and faceless. They have to be. Otherwise, the number of names and faces flashing through my mind would be overwhelming. So while sitting at the keyboard, Im not really thinking about how my words will be scrutinized by any particular person. Slinkard, even though we never actually met, was the exception. I knew The Bees retired managing editor would be reading every column. I wanted each to meet his standard. For context it helps to know that managing editors, in traditional newspapers, are the second-in-command to the more glamorous position of executive editor. Theyre the people who actually supervise the newsrooms day-to-day operations, generally act as its glue and serve as the toughest set of eyes. Slinkard, according to everything Ive heard, was a terrific editor and a true journalist. Colleagues whose careers overlapped with his speak of him with reverence. You could hand him anything, and he would make it better, said Gail Marshall, the former Bee opinion page editor and reporter. The Fresno Bee city desk, photographed in July 1959. Pictured from left to right are James McClatchy, George Grunner, Don Slinkard (standing) and Charles Hurley. Slinkard, who retired as The Bees managing editor in 1990, died in August 2023 at age 97. Frequent letter writer & emailer Post retirement, Slinkard penned numerous op-eds and letters to the editor. Thats probably how I first became aware of him. (A letter he wrote in July 2021 blasting legal fireworks sales is a personal favorite.) At some point, Slinkards emails started landing in my inbox. Only once or twice a year at first. But as I began writing about news and politics more frequently, more of his messages began popping up. Slinkards emails contained both historical context and pointed comments about certain individuals. His tone toward me was complimentary, but that didnt prevent him from disagreeing with certain opinions he felt I was too tough on the Fresno Grizzlies when someone died during their hot dog eating contest or offering critiques. Slinkard didnt respond to every column, or even most. I typically heard from him every three months or so. (The last time was in June.) But when he did email, sometimes just an encouraging sentence or two, it really meant something. It meant I had achieved his standard. Kudos for todays column about the In God We Trust nonsense, Slinkard wrote in June 2017. Grandstanding and moralizing are what the council does. That slogan added to Fresnos reputation as Californias pit stop. Your recent pieces on the river parkway, Devin Nunes and high-speed rail give the paper a spine, he wrote in May 2018. A newspaper without a loud editorial voice has no spine. Lots of great work lately over a remarkable range of subjects, he wrote in November 2021. Keep up the good work. Dont let the bastards wear you down. Even though Slinkard got responses to most of his emails even the ones that didnt contain compliments now that hes gone I regret not having made the effort to meet him in person. Because Ill definitely feel his loss when trying to fill up an empty computer screen with words worth reading. New York Congressman George Santos said that talks of a plea deal in the fraud case against him are merely speculative, after prosecutors asked for the delay of a court-ordered meeting, in part to continue discussions with the Republican representative. In a Tuesday letter written to Judge Joanna Seybert, who is overseeing the matter, Assistant US Attorney Ryan Harris asked for a delay of the status conference scheduled for 7 September, as Mr Santos needs more time to review voluminous discoverable material previously produced by the government. Prosecutors added that they are also expecting to make another substantial production of discoverable material this week. Additionally, Mr Harris asked for more time as Mr Santos and prosecutors wish to continue to discuss possible paths forward in this matter. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement When Bloomberg asked Mr Santos about the potential plea deal, the New York Republican replied in a text that any suggestion of such an agreement is speculative. When Talking Points Memo contacted Mr Santos, he called the assertion wildly inaccurate and insisted that his attorney was finding another path forward. Mr Santos pleaded not guilty in May to the 13 federal charges, which include embezzling money from his campaign, falsely receiving unemployment funds and lying to Congress about his finances. The status conference was originally slated for 7 September, but Mr Harris requested for it to be held on 27 October instead. The request was granted as the judge wrote on Tuesday that the delay serves the ends of justice and outweighs the best interests of the public as it will allow all counsel to focus their efforts on those discussions and that review of material without the risk that they would be denied the reasonable time necessary for effective preparation for trial, taking into account the exercise of due diligence. A Georgia Institute of Technology professor must resign over a tax fraud scheme involving charitable donations and not paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes, according to federal prosecutors. John Crittenden, 73, of Atlanta, is accused of lying about his charitable deductions on his tax returns allowing him to avoid paying taxes in a scheme that prosecutors said Georgia Tech was unaware of and involved Chinese nationals. The environmental engineering professor, who researches scalable water treatment systems and technologies, had deep ties to China because of his work, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia. While at Georgia Tech, Crittenden worked with Duo Li, a Chinese national, to run several companies in China, prosecutors said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The companies, and people affiliated with Li, wired hundreds of thousands of dollars to both Crittendens bank account and the Georgia Institute of Technology Foundation (GTF), according to prosecutors, who said Crittenden then donated the money to GTF. However, the donated funds were then set aside for Crittendens own use at Georgia Tech, prosecutors said. Instead of claiming the donations as income on his tax returns, Crittenden illegally marked them as charitable deductions, according to prosecutors. Among the donations Crittenden made, some came from funds he received from Chinese nationals, or their family, when they were postdoctoral researchers at Georgia Tech, prosecutors said. He also claimed these as charitable deductions, according to officials. Now, Crittenden has pleaded guilty to tax fraud, the attorneys office announced in a Sept. 1 news release. McClatchy News reached out to Crittendens attorney for comment on Sept. 5 and didnt receive an immediate response. Because of his actions Crittenden will no longer be employed by (Georgia Tech) and will also be required to pay all taxes owed, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said in a statement. Georgia Tech spokesperson Blair Meeks told McClatchy News in an emailed statement that the university has been cooperating with the federal investigation into Crittenden and hes on administrative leave. The faculty member has been on administrative leave since January 2023, Meeks said. Internal procedures are underway to determine further actions that need to be taken. Crittenden must step down from all his Georgia Tech positions ahead of Jan. 16, when he is scheduled to be sentenced in the case, and pay all taxes he avoided paying from 2011 to 2021, according to prosecutors. His resignation is part of his plea agreement. In an example outlined in a criminal information filed in court, Crittenden lied on his 2021 tax return by reporting his total taxable income as $156,469. However, Crittenden knew and believed that his total taxable income was in excess of the amount reported, the information charging him with fraud and false statements on a tax return says. Crittenden not only has to make amends by paying his owed taxes, but he also faces jail time, fines, and penalties for his decisions, IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman said in a statement. Prosecutors didnt specify how much prison time Crittenden is facing. Marine veteran trying to get Purple Heart lied about brain injury in Iraq, feds say Business abandoned retirement plan and left former employees owed thousands, feds say 86-year-old used dead brothers identity since 1965, collected his benefits, feds say Companies preyed on student loan borrowers and made $8.8 million in scam, feds say TechCrunch The Chevy Equinox EV, an all-electric compact SUV that General Motors has aimed squarely at the mass market, will arrive in dealerships in 2024 with a battery range and sticker price that could propel its EV sales and even compete with Tesla. The Chevy Equinox EV base model will be priced at $34,995 higher than the targeted $30,000 and will come with a 319-mile range that beat out the company's original estimates. The base price model includes the destination fee. The German government has reported on a new batch of military aid delivered to Ukraine. Source: European Pravda, citing information about the aid package published on the website of the German government. The new package of military assistance from Germany includes, in particular, more than 10,000 shells for Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. Ukraine also received an armoured Beaver motorcycle carrier. In addition, Germany transferred over four vehicles to protect the state border, 20,000 safety glasses, 32 Zetros trucks, four 8x8 Hx81 tractors and four semi-trailers. The new package also includes more than eight million rounds of small arms ammunition and almost 27,000 rounds of 40 mm rocket-propelled grenades. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Background: Earlier, Germany sent Ukraine ammunition just produced at the restored production line for Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. On 30 August, the German government announced the provision of the next package of military assistance to Ukraine, in particular Leopard 1A5 tanks and a TRML-4D radar for air surveillance. 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) -- Germany will announce 450 million ($486 million) of climate finance pledges at the inaugural Africa climate summit including backing the construction of a fertilizer plant in Kenya using green hydrogen. Most Read from Bloomberg Europes largest economy will provide a 60 million loan for the Kenyan project in Olkaria, where geothermal energy could be used to split hydrogen from water molecules, providing fuel for the fertilizer plant. It will also cancel 60 million of debt owed to Kenya in exchange for the money being spent on renewable energy and climate-friendly agriculture, according to Barbel Kofler, state secretary to Germanys economic cooperation minister. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We see the big need of energy on the African continent for both the people already living here, but also for future investment, for future industry, for future building up jobs for a young continent, Kofler said in an interview on Monday in Nairobi, where the conference is taking place. Germanys pledges come as wealthy nations are increasing spending for energy transition programs, at a time when African countries, who account for just 4% of the worlds greenhouse gas emissions but are among the hardest hit by climate change, are stepping up demands for more access to climate finance. Germany, France, the US, UK and European Union are backing energy transition programs in South Africa and Senegal, the Netherlands is investing in green hydrogen in South Africa and Namibia and Spain is providing funding for renewable power plants in South Africa. In addition to the two Kenyan initiatives, Germany will also boost its contribution to the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, overseen by the African Development Bank, by 40 million and will channel another 200 million concessional loan to South Africas coal-transition pact, or Just Energy Transition Partnership, according to information provided by Kofler. The so-called JETP is a landmark $8.5 billion deal with some of the worlds richest nations. A hydropower project in Kenya and forestry projects in central Africa will also be supported. (Updates with detail on JETP in sixth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Germany delivered more ammunition and military vehicles to Ukraine as part of its latest military aid package, the German Federal Government announced on Sept. 5. The list of deliveries included 188 Mercedes-Benz Zetros off-road trucks, up from 156 previously delivered, as well as four more border protection vehicles, and another Beaver bridge-laying tank. Germany also announced it would send 20,000 more pairs of safety glasses, in addition to the 20,600 already sent to Ukraine. In terms of ammunition, Germany has now delivered a total of 44,27 million rounds of ammunition for firearms, 134,592 rounds of 40mm ammunition, and 86,122 rounds of ammunition for Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Germany already announced earlier today that it had delivered the first batch of ammunition, out of a total of 300,000 rounds, for Gepard anti-aircraft guns in Ukraine. Two types of ammunition are being delivered to Ukraine for this weapon system: 150,000 rounds of armor piercing sub-caliber ammunition and 150,000 shots of explosive incendiary ammunition used to fight air targets such as airplanes or guided missiles. To date, Germany has delivered 46 Gepard anti-aircraft guns to Kyiv and another six are on the way. The Gepards help Ukraine defend itself against Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones targeting Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure, the German Embassy in Ukraine said last November. Read also: Germany delivers 10 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine in latest military aid package Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Sandwich Fair, which features carnival rides, music, food and more, opens Wednesday and will run through Sunday at the fairgrounds at 15730 Pratt Road in Sandwich. (Linda Girardi / The Beacon-News) The historic Sandwich Fair is set to open Wednesday and will run through Sunday at the Sandwich Fairgrounds in Sandwich. As usual, every day of the 135th edition of the fair will feature music, food, carnival rides, exhibits and competitions, livestock judging and more. Advertisement The fair will be open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Among the activities to be featured Wednesday are harness racing, a culinary competition and more. Advertisement Thursday will feature truck pulls, while Friday will see an already sold-out concert featuring Danielle Bradbery at 6 p.m., Flatland Cavalry at 7 p.m. and Jordan Davis at 8 p.m. Saturdays slate includes tractor pulls while Sunday will see an antique car show and a demolition derby. There will also be a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at the Ag Land Stage. Parking is free at the fairgrounds at 15730 Pratt Road in Sandwich. The Sandwich Fair first started as an annual livestock show in DeKalb County, according to the events website. Held yearly from Wednesday to Sunday after Labor Day since 1888, it is one of the oldest continuing county fairs in Illinois, organizers said. For more information on the event, go to sandwichfair.com. Germany has delivered new ammunition for Gepard anti-aircraft systems to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the German Defense Ministry said in a report on Sep. 5. Read also: Germany to transfer long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine Reznikov The delivery was made several months after the agreement on it was signed, the ministry said. The construction of an ammunition production line has been successful, allowing for the "first delivery of a five-digit number" of shells to Ukraine, the ministry, meaning the number of shells delivered was at least 10,000. Germany will continue to support Ukraine in its areas of strength: artillery, ammunition and ground-based air defenses, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement To date, Germany has delivered 46 Gepard systems to Ukraine, with six more planned for delivery. Read also: Rheinmetall confirms transfer of LUNA reconnaissance drones to Ukraine The Pentagon has also announced it is to purchase $118 million worth of Gepard systems for Ukraine. The number of systems is undisclosed, but German newspaper Die Welt reported on June 27 that the United States plans to supply up to 30 of the systems to Ukraine by the end of 2023. The Gepard system is a radar targeted mobile anti-aircraft cannon mounted on a tank chassis. In Ukraine, it has been particularly effective against Iranian-made Shahed suicide drones, with one system reported to have downed 10 of the drones in a single engagement, according to a report by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The system is also effective against cruise missiles. 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 STUTTGART, Germany Germany has delivered the first shipment of new ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft weapon system to Ukraine, manufacturer Rheinmetall and the German Defence Ministry announced Tuesday. This first lot of new 35mm ammunition comes months after Rheinmetall invested in new production capacity in the German state of Lower Saxony. It also follows an announcement by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius at a February meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group that the country would begin producing the Gepards munitions locally. The contract with Rheinmetall was signed a few days prior for 300,000 rounds, at a total cost of 168 million (U.S. $181 million). Half of those rounds are bound for Ukraine, 40,000 of which will be delivered to Kyiv by the end of 2023, the company said. This initial delivery includes a five-digit number of munitions, according to the German military. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The war in Ukraine reminds us almost every day that air defense and sufficient ammunition are what count when defending ones own country, Pistorius said in the release. With the resumption of production for the Gepard ammunition, we are focusing precisely on these two crucial aspects. We will continue to support Ukraine in the areas that are our strengths: artillery, ammunition and ground-based air defense, he added. The self-propelled Gepard wields two 35mm guns, and Germany has provided 46 of the systems to Ukrainian troops, with another six to come. The anti-aircraft system has proved critical in helping Ukraine protect its airspace from Russian drones and other weapons. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But ammunition for the Gepard is tough to come by, as the German military retired the system from service about 15 years ago, and national ammo stocks had since dropped to zero. According to a Rheinmetall news release, other nations declined to contribute from their existing stocks of ammunition, citing either political considerations or constitutional restrictions. Rheinmetall typically produces its munitions for medium-range artillery in Switzerland. The long-neutral nation has not sent any weapons to Ukraine, but has earmarked about 1.5 billion Swiss francs ($1.7 billion) for humanitarian and development aid to Kyiv over the next five years. Local reports indicate the Swiss government is considering whether to allow third-party operators of locally made weapons to send them to Ukraine, under stringent export guidelines. As a result, Rheinmetall modified existing 35mm ammunition from the main armament of an infantry fighting vehicle for use in the Gepard, then ensured the Gepard fire control unit could reliably recognize the ammunition. Rheinmetall performed multiple tests at the companys proving ground at Unterluss in Lower Saxony, and successfully fired the ammo by a Gepard in May. The company is providing two types of ammunition to Ukraine as part of the aforementioned commitment, including a subcaliber APDS-T munition containing heavy metal penetrators, intended for engaging hardened targets. The second type is a conventional high-explosive incendiary designed for air defense and for attacking aircraft and guided missiles. A German court has refused to extradite an Albanian accused of drug trafficking because of concerns about UK jail conditions. The Albanian, who lived in the UK, has been accused of trafficking approximately 5kg of cocaine and laundering about 330,000. Westminster Magistrates Court issued an international arrest warrant seeking his return to the UK after he travelled to Germany to attend his seriously ill fiancee. In what is believed to be the first case of its kind in Germany, the Karlsruhe higher regional court, said: The court decided that the extradition of the Albanian to Britain was currently inadmissible. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Without British guarantees, extradition is not possible in view of the state of the British prison system. There are no legal remedies against this. The man was arrested by German police and held in extradition custody. His defence lawyer, Jan-Carl Janssen, studied in Glasgow and wrote a thesis that looked at UK prison conditions. In court, Mr Janssen cited his research about chronic overcrowding, staff shortages and violence among inmates in British prisons. As a result of his evidence, the German court sought reassurances on two occasions from the UK authorities about prison conditions. Defence lawyer Jan-Carl Janssen studied in Glasgow and wrote a thesis that looked at UK prison conditions The court said guarantees from the UK of compliance with minimum standards in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights were required. The court also asked the British authorities to specify which prisons the Albanian man was going to be detained in and what his conditions of detention would be in those prisons. A police station in Manchester replied to the courts first request on the final day of the deadline for a response, saying 20,000 extra prison places were being built to deal with the problem of overcrowding. The second request for reassurance about UK prison conditions received no response from the UK. UK prisons are currently just 400 short of capacity, forcing the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to commission police cells as a stopgap, reopen an old prison and increase the number released on home detention curfews. An embarrassment for the UK Jonathan Goldsmith, a Law Society member, writing in the Law Society Gazette in a personal capacity about the case, said it was another severe rebuke for the British Governments record on the administration of justice. He said: This is an embarrassment for the UK. There have been similar court decisions before under the European arrest warrant framework, but in relation to member states whose records on prisons and human rights the UK would not wish to compare itself with. The Albanian man is not wanted for offences committed in Germany and the court determined that as it did not receive the assurances it asked for from the UK authorities, the man would not be extradited. He is currently free again. An MoJ spokesman said: Prisons in England and Wales meet the standards required by the European Convention on Human Rights whilst helping to rehabilitate offenders, cut crime and protect the public. We continue to press ahead with delivering 20,000 additional, modern prison places and our 100m investment in tough security measures including X-ray body scanners is stopping the weapons, drugs and phones that fuel violence behind bars. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. The Boise Police Department is investigating a downtown Boise shooting that left a minor injured Saturday night. Boise police officers responded to the 800 block of Main Street just before 11 p.m. Saturday after an altercation broke out between a group of mostly juveniles who knew each other, department spokesperson Haley Kramer told the Idaho Statesman by email. During the fight, one of the boys fired a weapon in the direction of several people and struck a girl, Kramer said. The girl was taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries, Kramer said. Haley Williams, another spokesperson for the department, told the Statesman by email that no one has been arrested and that an investigation was ongoing. Williams said that evidence from the investigation points to the shooting being gang-related, and that more information could become available later. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ada County Dispatch at 208-377-6790. Witnesses can also reach out to Crime Stoppers at 208-343-26777, 343cops.com or using the P3 Tips app. Reporter Angela Palermo contributed. Police in Blendon Township, Ohio, released body camera video on Friday showing an officer fatally shooting a woman who allegedly accelerated her car towards the officer after she was accused of stealing from a grocery store. Ta'Kiya Young, 21, of Columbus was seven months pregnant when she died in the Aug. 24 shooting, her family said. Blendon Township police officers were in a Kroger's parking lot assisting a driver who was locked out of her car when a store employee told one of the officers that someone who had allegedly stolen bottles of alcohol was fleeing, Police Chief John Belford said in a statement after the shooting. The newly released body camera footage reviewed by ABC News shows Young parked in front of the store refusing to leave the vehicle despite repeated orders from police. One officer was on the driver's side while the other was directly in front of the vehicle. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The video shows the officer on the driver's side telling Young that she was accused of stealing, which she denies. PHOTO: The Blendon Township Police Department in Ohio released the body cam footage showing the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Ta'Kiya Young, a pregnant shoplifting suspect, in a Kroger parking lot on Aug. 24, 2023. (Blendon Township Police Department) The officer again tells her to get out of the car, according to the video, which Young appears to verbally refuse to do. He bangs on the driver's side window as Young appears to ask the officer in front of the vehicle, "You going to shoot me?" In footage from the officer in front of the car, he pointed his gun at Young and yelled for her to exit the vehicle while using an expletive. The car then accelerates forward, pushing against the officer in front of the car, who then fires a single shot through the windshield, according to the video. The car continued to move forward. The officers announce "shots fired" as they chase the vehicle for several feet before it comes to a stop, video shows. As they chase the car, one officer orders Young to stop the car while pointing a gun at her, according to the footage. The video then shows the officers smashing the driver's side window. Officers had to break through the locked driver's window to give Young medical assistance, the police chief later said, adding that they also immediately called EMS and the officer who shot her "sprinted to his car to get a trauma kit, which he quickly employed." Belford said Young later died at St. Ann's hospital. MORE: Police body camera video shows fatal shooting of DC teen In a statement issued Friday alongside the body camera video, the police chief said that the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) is reviewing the incident and the officer who fired the fatal shot is placed on administrative leave. The second officer was also initially placed on administrative leave, but Belford said he didn't see a reason to keep him on it after seeing the video, he said. "This was a tragedy. Ms. Young's family is understandably very upset and grieving," Belford said. "While none of us can fully understand the depths of their pain, all of us can remember them in our prayers and give them the time and space to deal with this heartbreaking turn of events." PHOTO: The Blendon Township Police Department in Ohio released the body cam footage showing the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Ta'Kiya Young, a pregnant shoplifting suspect, in a Kroger parking lot on Aug. 24, 2023. (Blendon Township Police Department) Neither of the police officers were named. Through their attorneys at Walton & Brown LLP, Ta'Kiya Young's family released a statement Friday following the body camera video release that said, "it is undeniable that Ta'Kiya's death was not only avoidable, but also a gross misuse of power and authority. As if the pain of losing Ta'Kiya isn't enough, we must grapple with the knowledge that her unborn daughter was also robbed of her life in this hateful act." The statement added, "After seeing the video footage of her death, this is clearly a criminal act and the family demands a swift indictment of this officer for the killings of both Ta'Kiyah and her unborn daughter." In an interview with ABC News on Wednesday, Sean Walton Jr., an attorney for the Young family, called for accountability and justice, urging that the name of the officer who fired the shot be released and for the officer to be "terminated and indicted immediately." MORE: Police release body camera footage showing fatal shooting of Timothy Johnson Steven Irwin, a press secretary for the Ohio Attorney General's Office, told ABC News this week that BCI's investigation into the incident is "active and ongoing." He also said it will not release the names of the officers because "they are considered to be uncharged suspects in our criminal investigation." In an interview with ABC News on Wednesday prior to the video's release, Nadine Young, the grandmother of Ta'Kiya Young, remembered her "fireball spirit" and "cheese smile." Nadine Young said, "It was two people murdered that day -- [Ta'Kiya Young] and her little baby girl." "It's a lot about her that I will miss," Nadine Young said, noting that she will especially miss how great of a mother Ta'Kiya Young was to her two surviving sons, ages three and six. "She was a mama and a daddy for [her] kids. She went hard." -ABC News' Deena Zaru, Jade Lawson, Alex Grainger and Aisha Frazier contributed to this report. Police in Ohio release body camera video showing officer fatally shooting pregnant woman Ta'Kiya Young originally appeared on abcnews.go.com President Biden pauses as he speaks during a visit to the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Thursday. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) In December 1998, Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.) was set to succeed Rep. Newt Gingrich as speaker of the House. Gingrich had announced his resignation from Congress and the speakership in the wake of a disastrous midterm election for Republicans as well as revelations that hed been having an affair with a House staffer who was more than two decades younger. This was a problem for the Republicans given the impeachment of then-President Clinton over matters stemming from his own infidelity. But before Livingston could get the gavel, it was revealed that he, too, had cheated on his wife. Livingston responded by announcing he would resign immediately. Among those most opposed to Livingstons decision: Clinton. The White House implored him to reconsider. The last thing Democrats wanted was for an adulterous politician to resign in contrition rather than put his party, his country and his family through more needless drama. Read more: Goldberg: How small donors have become a destructive, dividing force in American politics That moment came to mind last week when President Biden gave his full support to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), in the wake of a second disturbing episode in which the 81-year-old leader of the Senate Republicans briefly went catatonic when taking questions from reporters. Im confident hes going to be back to his old self, Biden told reporters. He dismissed McConnells struggles since a concussion-inducing fall earlier this year, as simply part of his recovery. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The last thing Biden who will be 81 in November needs is for Republicans to show some consistency on the issue of age and public service, particularly when the vast majority of Americans, including two-thirds of Democrats, believe Biden is too old to run again. Thats one of the funny things about partisanship, it can impose consistency, even in an age of partisan expediency. For instance, during the #MeToo era, Democrats invested a lot in the issue of sexual impropriety. Among other things, it was a useful and legitimate cudgel against a Republican president who could be heard on tape boasting of sexually assaulting women (a president who, more recently, was found liable in a civil trial for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll). So when former Democratic Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota was credibly accused of crossing the line with women, he found it necessary to resign. In fairness, the McConnell-Biden comparison isnt perfect. McConnells difficulties reportedly stem from a bad fall last March. And while Biden often seems confused or lethargic, he hasnt had an episode as disturbing as the two McConnell freeze-ups caught on camera. Read more: Column: If voters don't want Biden or Trump, the system is broken McConnells aides, colleagues and others say that in private McConnell seems like his old self. Moreover, as high-powered as McConnell is, the job isnt as demanding as being president, never mind running for president. It seems Republicans are comfortable with a wait-and-see approach to McConnells health. But the consequences of McConnells fall raise the stakes for Biden. Falls are dangerous and common for the elderly. Having a president one tumble away from perhaps debilitating cognitive impairment is not reassuring. Constitutionally, McConnell is merely one important player among 100 senators and 535 legislators. Meanwhile, Biden commands the entire executive branch. And while I think the elevation of the president to a quasi-monarchical figure who runs the country and therefore needs Kennedyesque vigor is pernicious nonsense, that view is widely held by Americans in both parties. The White House knows this, which is why so much of their spin on the age issue falls flat. Read more: Goldberg: It's too late, GOP also-rans. Nothing will stop Trump, except maybe the law White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insists that the issue for the voters is Bidens record of ability to get things done thanks to his decades of political experience. Its the best argument the Biden camp has, but it doesnt speak to the issue that causes 7 out of 10 Democrats to think hes too old to serve another term. And her reassurances that "it is hard for us to keep up with this president" evoke eye rolls, given that hes spent something like 40% of his presidency on personal nights away from the White House and has a very light schedule. Politically, the basic problem for Biden is that, while Americans dont necessarily know a lot about the finer points of public policy or the arcana of the legislative process, they do know what an oldster, already well-past life expectancy, looks like when age starts to take its toll. The Democrats are betting that even if Americans think Biden is physically unfit for the presidency, he can beat Donald Trump because Trump is characterologically unfit. The bet might pay off, but it strikes me as a wildly irresponsible gamble. @JonahDispatch 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. A series of posts on X from Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) on Monday evening foreshadowed the tense battles over spending fueled by a divide between House and Senate Republicans that will play out in Congress this month ahead of a shutdown deadline. Game time, he posted, adding, Saddle up, and, Lets roll. Roy reposted a user saying, Chip for Speaker!!! a possible sign that hard-line conservatives are putting pressure on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to meet their demands for further spending cuts and policy conditions on any stopgap funding bill, or else face a possible attempt to recall his Speakership. In another post, Roy directly confronted fellow Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Cornyn on Monday posted an excerpt from Punchbowl News outlining the stark divide between the House and Senate as Congress has only 16 legislative days in the Senate and 11 legislative days in the House to act before a Sept. 30 government funding deadline. The House and Senate are in completely different universes when it comes to how lawmakers should fund federal agencies in both the short and long term, the excerpts sent by Cornyn said. Roy shot back with a chart showing a surge in government spending over the last several years, arguing against passing a clean continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government at current levels past Republicans should not fund (with debt see chart) the things they campaign against and then just shrug border DOJ weaponization DOD wokeness IRS abuse COVID tyranny. Extending a CR of the disastrous Omni is non-starter. #NoSecurityNoFunding, Roy said. The House Freedom Caucus, of which Roy is a member, took an official position in August opposing any stopgap funding bill unless it has policy changes related to the border, the weaponization of the Department of Justice and FBI, and woke policies in the military. The Senate has marked up appropriations bills in line with the spending caps outlined in the debt ceiling bill that McCarthy negotiated with President Biden, but the House has marked up spending bills at lower levels frustrating Senate Republicans. And many members of the right flank want to further slash spending levels in the House bills. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said last week that gulf between the House and the Senate amounts to a pretty big mess. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KFOR) On Tuesday, Gov. Stitt announced the addition of a known outspoken advocate concerning Native American challenges, Wes Nofire , to serve as his new Oklahoma Native American Liaison. According to the Governors office, Wes Nofire served on the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council and has pursued opportunities to serve Oklahoma in a number of capacities. Oklahoma State Dept. of Education announces partnership with PragerU Governor Kevin Stitt ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Principal Chief @ChuckHoskin_Jr issued the following statement on Governor Stitts appointment of Wes Nofire as Oklahoma Native American Liaison stating, You cant make this stuff up. Another act of hostility towards tribes by Governor Stitt cloaked in a Native American Liaison title. Find more Top Stories from KFOR.com Chief Hoskin Jr. says, Governor Stitts selection of Wes Noire as the states Native American liaison is disappointing, which is to say it comes as no surprise. unofficial-pre-challengeDownload Wes Nofire a former Cherokee Nation Tribal Council member was recently defeated by Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. in a four-way race for chief. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. A judge has agreed to postpone a meeting scheduled this week in the case of Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) after prosecutors asked for more time for the parties to discuss possible paths forward in this matter. In a court filing Tuesday, federal prosecutors in the case requested that a status conference scheduled for Thursday be postponed until Oct. 27. Santos joined the request, according to the prosecution. [T]he parties have continued to discuss possible paths forward in this matter. The parties wish to have additional time to continue those discussions, prosecutors wrote. Federal prosecutors said they also wanted to delay the status conference so Santos could review case material they are handing over to him. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Judge Joanna Seybert granted the governments request later on Tuesday, setting the next status conference for Oct. 27. Santos was indicted on 13 federal charges in May, connected to accusations that he misled campaign donors, fraudulently received unemployment benefits and lied on financial disclosures. The congressman pleaded not guilty. Santos in recent weeks has said hes not interested in a plea deal right now, while not ruling one out at some point in the future. Asked on NewsNations Dan Abrams Live last month whether he would consider a guilty plea, the congressman said, Look, I dont know. Im not making, Im not making any assertions right now. Like I said earlier, Im like, its right now, the answer is no. But you just never know. Life is you dont know what lifes gonna come at you, you know. So, he added. Days before that, during an interview with FOX 5s Good Day New York, Santos said, Look, right now? No, when asked if he would take a plea deal. Right now, Im fighting to prove my innocence, and I think thats what everybody should do, he added. Santos appeared to respond to the questions of a potential plea deal Tuesday, writing on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Word of the day: Speculation. Meaning: The forming of a theory or conjecture without firm evidence, the tweet added. In May, the day Santos was indicted, prosecutors and the congressman agreed to pause the clock for the federal criminal trial for engagement in continuing plea negotiations, according to a separate court filing. Santos has been a source of controversy since before he was sworn into office amid questions about his resume and biography. He faces calls to resign or be expelled on Capitol Hill, but has maintained his innocence and said he plans to continue serving out the rest of his term. In May, a House Democrat forced a vote on a resolution to expel Santos, but the chamber ultimately voted to send the measure to the Ethics Committee, a move that was seen as largely redundant since the panel has been investigating the congressman for months. Zach Schonfeld contributed. Updated at 6:06 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. [Source] A section of the Great Wall of China was recently damaged beyond repair by two construction workers creating a shortcut. What happened: On Monday, the Shanxi Cultural Relics Bureau said in a social media post that a 38-year-old man surnamed Zheng and a 55-year-old woman surnamed Wang used an excavator to widen an existing gap in a section of the 32nd Great Wall in Youyu County in late August, reported China Daily. Authorities consider the damage to the cultural relic's integrity and safety to be irreversible. Arrest and charges: The suspects were detained and have since admitted to using the excavator to make it easier for them to pass through the wall and reach their workplace. They have reportedly been charged with destroying a cultural relic. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More from NextShark: NewJeans, Psy and ATEEZ to headline inaugural Immortal Songs concert in New York About the Great Wall: The 32nd Great Wall, which is a section of the Great Wall of China, was established during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and has significant historical and research value. The Great Wall of China is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of China's most iconic landmarks. Efforts to preserve and protect the historic structure have increased in recent years, given the deterioration of some sections. These efforts also include measures like blacklisting tourists without disciplinary behaviors and imposing fines for vandalism. More from NextShark: Park Ranger Karen Scolds Asian Family for Bringing Their Dog, Says They Cant Be in the US Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Taiwan passes bill that allows same-sex couples to adopt children New York City Chinatown fire injures 10, displaces over 50 residents State police said Tuesday that William Wesley, 22, of Chicago Heights, is charged with attempted murder following what they are calling a road rage shooting that occurred early Sunday on Interstate 90 in Chicago. He was ordered held without bond following an initial court appearance Monday, police said in a news release. Advertisement Police said they responded just before 2 a.m. Sunday to an expressway shooting in the northbound lanes of I-90 at Division Street in Chicago and learned the victims vehicle was shot at by the passenger of a white Ford sedan. The driver of the vehicle was not hurt, police said. Advertisement The sedan alleged to have been involved in the shooting was stopped by state police in Chicago on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at 83rd Street, and Wesley and two passengers were taken into custody, although the passengers were later released without charges, police said. mnolan@tribpub.com Greece is being lashed with torrential rains which have flooded homes, businesses and roads and left at least one person dead after a wall collapsed in the extreme weather. Hundreds of millimeters of rainfall have been dumped over some areas in the last 24 hours as a strong area of low pressure passes over the country, leading to dangerous flash floods. Greeces prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis , has said that it is facing a totally extreme weather phenomenon and has urged the public to follow instructions from authorities. The rainfall is particularly severe in central Greece and on the island of Evia and the Sporades Islands. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement One man died on Tuesday after he was crushed by a wall in the village of Agios Georgios, near the city of Volos, according to the Greek fire service. Another man was missing after he was swept away with his car on the outskirts of Volos, the fire service told CNN. Traffic circulation has been banned by the police in Volos and surrounding areas, as well as on the island of Skiathos. Part of the local hospital in Volos has also been flooded. A man drives his bike in rising waters, during a storm in the city of Volos, Greece, September 5, 2023. - Anastasia Karekla/Eurokinissi/Reuters Cars drive among debris and mud, following a flash flood during a storm in the city of Volos, Greece, September 5, 2023. - Anastasia Karekla/Eurokinissi/Reuters The storm, which has officially been named Daniel by the national meteorological services in southeast Europe, has been moving slowly across the country toward the southwest. Its center is emerging into the Mediterranean Sea but it will continue to bring heavy rainfall and flooding to Greece and islands in the eastern Mediterranean over the next 24 to 48 hours. Red warnings are posted for heavy rain and thunderstorms through Wednesday for multiple provinces, especially eastern facing coastlines which will see continuous bouts of thunderstorms. As the storm enters the Mediterranean Sea, it may take on characteristics similar to a tropical storm. Known as medicanes, these systems can bring dangerous conditions to the Mediterranean Sea and coastal countries similar to tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic or typhoons in the Pacific. Warm sea surface temperatures of 27 to 30 degrees Celsius could allow the storm to strengthen across the eastern Mediterranean over the next day or two. The storm comes just as Greece has managed to bring under control hundreds of raging wildfires which have devastated parts of the country over the past weeks. Scientists are clear that the kind of extreme weather Greece has faced this summer, from floods and fires to extreme heat, will only become more common and more severe as humans continue to burn planet-heating fossil fuels. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Power grids in the US are currently providing a case study of the risks of a mis-managed energy transition. Prematurely closing coal, gas and nuclear power stations risks blackouts. Who knew? Well, apparently lots of people. Back in April, lawmakers wrote to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) saying that blackouts, brownouts, and energy rationing have become far too common in the past few years. The primary cause of the electricity shortages Americans have experienced in recent history is a lack of generation capacity ... These shortages often happen in the cold of winter or the heat of summer. This is due, in no small part, to the premature retirement of dispatchable generation resources, like coal, nuclear, and natural gas, and the rapid expansion of intermittent resources, like wind and solar, onto the bulk power system. The FERC agrees. Appearing before the Senates Energy and Natural Resources Committee earlier this summer, FERC Commissioner Mark Christie said the United States is heading for a reliability crisis. I do not use the term crisis for melodrama, but because it is an accurate description of what we are facing. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Christie said that too many coal, natural gas and nuclear power stations are being mothballed too quickly, threatening security of supply. Jim Robb, CEO of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), an agency which enforces grid reliability standards, told the same committee that operating the electric grid ever closer to the edge by relying on weather-dependent renewables will likely lead to more frequent and more serious disruptions. In June, the NERC warned that two-thirds of North America was at risk of energy shortfalls in high heat, in its summer reliability report. It found that all 20 assessment areas have adequate power resources to meet normal peak summer demand, but some areas are at elevated risk of supply shortages in the event of more extreme summer conditions. Evening solar drop off and a reliance on wind were a common theme across these areas. Low wind and high demand periods could result in energy emergencies, said the report. Similar risks were identified last year and the year before. Despite these warnings, the US Environmental Protection Agency has issued new power-plant emissions standards that will effectively dismantle baseload coal and gas capacity by 2030, much to the discomfort of grid operators across the country, while utilities have announced plans to retire more than 40 percent of the remaining US coal fleet by 2030. Meanwhile millions of Americans are facing blackout risks right now. Texas has been hit particularly hard, but states from California to the Canadian border are facing potential power outages as an extended heatwave boosts demand for air-conditioning at a time when wind output is low. Despite large amounts of solar generation in some states, fossil fuels are being relied on to meet demand, but a combination of outages and premature closures means theres a lot less of that available than in the past. This should not be a surprise. The US is experiencing a high pressure weather system, characterised by sunny but still weather. In Britain these weather systems in winter pose a problem as they bring cold temperatures and low wind conditions in the summer they bring heat and low wind conditions. The common theme is: electricity demand peaking at the same time that wind output is low, and the problems this creates are being repeated in the US year after year. Back in early 2020, the Californian grid operator used historical weather patterns to calculate a 0.15 percent chance the state would experience blackouts during the summer. Then came a heatwave and wildfires, which caused power plants and transmission equipment to fail just as air conditioning use soared, leading to some of the states worst blackouts in decades. Californias increasing reliance on renewable energy exacerbated the problem: outages increased as the system operator struggled to replace lost solar output at sunset. The following summer, Texas, California and even New York all urged residents to cut energy use to keep the lights on, and rolling blackouts were required in the Pacific northwest to avoid a full grid failure. Last year both California and Texas barely managed to avoid rolling outages, by begging people to use less electricity. This summer a widespread heatwave is causing havoc. The past month has seen multiple appeals from the Texan grid operator for businesses and households to cut electricity use. These appeals are issued when there is a potential for the grid to enter emergency operations which is another way of saying rolling blackouts. The only higher alert level is a system-wide emergency including actual blackouts. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) which oversees grid infrastructure in 15 US states and the Canadian province of Manitoba is experiencing similar problems, although its grid is less stressed than that of Texas. Jessica Lucas, executive director of system operations for MISO said on 21 August: we anticipate challenging operating conditions throughout the entire week, and we will need every available resource at some point More emergency procedures may be required to keep the power flowing. MISO has a different set of alerts to those in Texas, but has also issued its second most severe type of alert recently, one step down from actual blackouts. The number of grid warnings issued by MISO quadrupled between 2020 and 2021. Its a similar story in California where the main power grid operator has also been sending out emergency warnings asking consumers to reduce demand. In every year of this decade, the story has been the same. One part of the government is pushing to accelerate the energy transition and closure of conventional generation, while others warn of the dangers, and grid operators struggle to keep the lights on, literally begging consumers to cut electricity use to save the grid. Of course, we could all cut out emissions right away by simply switching everything off, but is hardly a realistic approach for energy policy to take. That Americans are willing to tolerate this nonsense is a mystery, but unless something changes its only a matter of time before there are serious grid failures, putting lives at risk. According to USAFacts, there are more US deaths due to heat than any other weather related cause, and the number is growing, from 485 in 2000 to 1,714 in 2022. Its no use trying to prevent deaths from climate change if the actions you take cause more deaths. Its time to ditch the wishful thinking and adopt realistic energy policies that deliver secure energy when needed. By all means, make that energy as clean as possible, but first make sure its actually there. 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. I grew up in the Midwest, but I have lived in New York City for a decade. With crisp weather, corn mazes, and farm-fresh produce, there's nothing like fall in the Midwest. The Midwest is also home to award-winning spots to enjoy fall foliage. I moved to New York City from Wisconsin over a decade ago. While autumn in New York City can feel like living in a Nora Ephron movie, for me, nothing compares to fall in the Midwest. Here are seven reasons why I think Midwestern falls are superior. The Midwestern autumn air is perfectly crisp. A woman runs at Lincoln Park Zoo surrounded by the fall colors in downtown Chicago, Illinois. Joel Lerner/Xinhua via Getty Images In New York City, where I live now, September can still feel like summer with temperatures in the 80s and 90s. Materials like metal, concrete, and asphalt trap heat and make the city 10 degrees warmer than surrounding areas, according to the official website of the City of New York. In the places I've lived in the Midwest, I prefer the brisk way the weather cools down and transitions into fall. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Fall in the Midwest is the perfect time for "porch sitting," a pastime in and of itself. A porch decorated for fall. klosfoto/Getty Images Porch sitting is a popular activity across the US, but I'd argue that nowhere is better for it than the Midwest. As the Midwest's muggy summers fade into crisp falls, it's the perfect time to watch the world go by from a porch decorated with seasonal gourds. The friendliness of Midwesterners makes trick-or-treating even more enjoyable. Trick-or-treating. Kinzie Riehm/Getty Images On a regular weeknight, walking around my small Midwestern hometown will involve lots of friendly waves and greetings from strangers. On Halloween, when the streets are full of families going house to house collecting candy, the atmosphere feels even more neighborly. Corn mazes offer a brain-teasing seasonal activity. Walking through a corn maze. emholk/Getty Images Corn mazes can be found all over the US in the fall, but Midwestern mazes feature unique elements like a dinosaur-shaped maze with four different paths at Exploration Acres in Lafayette, Indiana, or hidden puzzle pieces within the corn maze at Treinen Farm in Lodi, Wisconsin, that create a map of the exit route. You can pick your own apples, pumpkins, and other fall fruits and vegetables at local farms. A pumpkin patch. jamesvancouver/Getty Images No need to go to a big-box store to buy a pumpkin for a jack-o'-lantern or bags of apples. In my hometown, it's only a 10-minute drive to a local farm where you can pick your own seasonal fall produce. While this experience is not confined to the Midwest, I've found orchards there to be less crowded than ones in upstate New York, where it can feel like every resident of New York City had the same idea for their weekend plans. Hay rides are also a great way to spend a fall afternoon. A hay ride passes through a pumpkin patch. Tim Boyle/Getty Images Is there anything more Midwestern than getting driven through a pumpkin patch by a tractor? The ride may be bumpy and scratchy, but it feels like home to me. The Midwest's fall foliage has been named some of the best in the US. Door County, Wisconsin. Christopher J. Franklin Photography/Getty Images Door County, Wisconsin, was named the best destination for fall foliage in 2019 by USA Today, and one of the 10 best places to see fall foliage without the crowds by Trips to Discover. US World News and Travel Report also named spots in Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin among the top places to see fall foliage in 2023. Read the original article on Insider Editors note: This article was updated on Aug. 31, 2023, at 9:35 p.m., EST, with additional information Mexicos Foreign Ministry. This article is co-published and co-reported with The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit newsroom that informs Texans about state policy and politics. Sign up for The Brief, its daily newsletter. A National Guard member on duty at the Texas-Mexico border in El Paso, who fired across the Rio Grande, injuring a 37-year-old Mexican man in Ciudad Juarez on Saturday night, has been separated from his position, according to Mexicos Foreign Ministry. Mexicos Foreign Ministry said in a Wednesday night statement, that the National Guard member who shot has been separated from his position until the investigation has concluded. The statement added that the Consulate General of Mexico in El Paso has met with senior officials from the Texas Department of Public Safety, which is now investigating the shooting. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement During the [Wednesday] meeting, the Mexican authorities reiterated that the Texas National Guard members action was inadmissible, the statement said. They also expressed their concern about the impact on the human rights and safety and integrity of migrants. On Thursday, The Texas Tribune asked officials with DPS and the Texas Military Department, which oversees the National Guard, to confirm the Mexican officials statement. Neither agency responded to that request. Earlier this week, the military department confirmed the shooting, but didnt release any other information, such as the identity of the National Guard member or the reason why the member shot his weapon. On the night of 26 August, a National Guard Servicemember assigned to Operation Lone Star discharged a weapon in a border-related incident, a spokesperson for the military department said in a statement. The incident is under investigation. More information will be made available as the investigation progresses. According to El Diario, a Spanish language newspaper in Juarez, Darwin Jose Garcia of the southern Mexican state of Veracruz initially told authorities that he was seeking to enter the United States. At the hospital, however, he said he was practicing a sport on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande around 8:50 p.m. Saturday while a group of migrants were crossing the river. Garcia said he then heard shots and realized he had been shot in the leg, the newspaper reported. In December 2022, Gov. Greg Abbott sent state troopers and National Guard members to El Paso as part of Operation Lone Star, a multibillion-dollar state effort launched in 2021 to deter migrants from crossing the Rio Grande along the 1,200-mile Texas-Mexico border. DPS confirmed in an email Monday that troopers responded to a call of a shooting Saturday night involving a National Guard soldier along the Texas-Mexico border in West Texas. DPS said the incident is now under investigation by the Texas Rangers and that no additional information is available. The U.S. Border Patrol referred all questions to DPS. Abbotts office declined to comment, referring all questions to the Texas Military Department. The shooting happened near the Bridge of the Americas, which is close to a national park on the Mexican side. The man was treated by paramedics at the scene, transported to a Juarez hospital and was later released, according to La Verdad, a news outlet in the Mexican border city. Its the second time that a Texas National Guard member has shot a civilian while deployed for Operation Lone Star, and the third known time that a soldier has fired their weapon while on duty at the border. On Jan. 13, Spc. Angel Gallegos shot migrant Ricardo Rodriguez Nieto in the shoulder near Mission in the Rio Grande Valley. The soldier claimed he accidentally fired his service handgun while wrestling with Rodriguez Nieto, who denied touching Gallegos and said the shot was fired from the kitchen into the living room of an abandoned home. Other migrants who witnessed the shooting echoed Rodriguez Nietos version of events when interviewed by Texas Rangers. According to documents provided through an open records request, the Hidalgo County District Attorney declined to present the case to a grand jury, citing insufficient evidence and unclear jurisdiction. A year earlier in January 2022, a Texas Guard member used his M4 carbine to disable a Chrysler 300 sedan driven by a suspected smuggler in Laredo. The soldier told investigators that he fired his rifle into the cars engine after the driver, who was arrested after abandoning his vehicle, attempted to run over another Texas Guard member. The Border Network for Human Rights, an El Paso-based immigrant rights group, condemned Saturdays shooting, calling for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate. Here at the border, we can no longer withstand the violence and cruelty unleashed and demand immediate action from our federal and state governments. Enough is enough, said Fernando Garcia, the groups executive director. President-elect Bernardo Arevalo poses next to Supreme Electoral Tribunal, TSE, President Irma Palencia, after the TSE awarded him with the presidential election winners' certificate, in Guatemala City, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) GUATEMALA CITY (AP) Guatemalas prosecutor for electoral crimes has asked the Supreme Court of Justice to strip five magistrates of the countrys top electoral authority of their immunity so they can be investigated on fraud allegations made by the loser of the Aug. 20 presidential election. It is the latest example of elections that observers declared to be free and fair being dragged into the courts, even as President-elect Bernardo Arevalo begins the official transition with outgoing President Alejandro Giammattei . The National Unity of Hope party of former first lady Sandra Torres filed a fraud complaint after the election. The partys lawyer Carlos Lopez said 164 precinct tallies duplicated votes. The party wants the magistrates of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal investigated for allegedly not carrying out their duties. Later Tuesday, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal gave Arevalo and his running mate Karin Herrera the credentials formally making them president-elect and vice president-elect. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement During recent weeks we have been subjected to an exhaustive analysis between the validation of the electoral process and the challenges that still remain, said the tribunals President Irma Palencia. She called on people to respect the rule of law, separation of powers and civil rights of all Guatemalans. Arevalo praised the magistrates as a bulwark against attempts to disrupt the election and a central defense of the countrys democratic values. The people already decided, the people already voted and the people won, said Herrera. That is what has to be respected. On Monday, Arevalo and Giammattei had their first transition meeting with Organization of American States Secretary General Luis Almagro present. Giammattei made his most direct comments since the election, saying Dr. Arevalo will be the next president for the Seed party that won the elections. Arevalo previously had accused forces in Giammatteis government of attempting a coup detat to keep him from taking power. The leader of the Organization of American States electoral observation mission had said legal efforts since the election appeared to be aimed at keeping Arevalo from assuming the presidency. Over the weekend, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal blocked the suspension of Arevalos Seed Movement party, which had come at the request of prosecutors. They allege that there was wrongdoing in the collection of the required signatures years earlier to register the party, something Arevalo himself had reported to authorities before the election. - Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america Muskogee County deputies stopped Eh Wah for a broken taillight and then found more than $53,000 in his car. Law enforcement tried to seize the money, which was raised by a Christian rock band to benefit Thai orphans and Burmese refugees. Eh Wah was the band's manager and was simply transporting the funds after a monthslong music tour. Police recruits join the force to help others and fight crime. Research confirms it. But priorities changed when sheriffs deputies detained Eh Wah in Muskogee County and found more than $53,000 in his car. Law enforcement training kicked in, and the purpose of the traffic stop switched from public safety to raising revenue. The deputies seized the cash and spent the next six hours interrogating Eh Wah, looking for any excuse to justify civil forfeiture, a process that allows the government to take and keep cash, cars and other assets without a criminal conviction. Oklahoma agencies normally keep quiet about civil forfeiture, which is why the state ranks among the worst in the nation for forfeiture transparency. Oklahoma publishes no statewide reports, conducts no regular audits and tracks only limited metrics. The silence is strategic. The more people learn about civil forfeiture, the less they like it. But Oklahoma police and prosecutors have voiced opposition in recent weeks to House Resolution 1525, the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration Act (FAIR), a bill that would reform federal civil forfeiture. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control Deputy Director Brian Surber says the measure would take money from state and local agencies, making it harder to fight drug cartels and other criminal enterprises. What happened to Eh Wah undercuts this narrative. He was not a drug lord or even a low-level dealer. He was a volunteer manager for a Christian rock band, raising money for Thai orphans and Burmese refugees. Some of the cash belonged to Eh Wah and the band members, following a monthslong tour across several states. The rest came from concert donations and belonged to the orphans and refugees. Carrying cash is legal. The money in the car was legitimate. And none of it related to a broken taillight the reason for the 2016 traffic stop on U.S. 69. Eh Wah, who neither smokes nor drinks, had nothing illegal in his vehicle. Other than driving with a burned out bulb, he did nothing wrong. The deputies pounced anyway, putting civil forfeiture in motion. To prevail, at least in theory, the government must link seized assets to criminal activity by a preponderance of the evidence, a low standard that means government hunches are more likely correct than not. But in the vast majority of cases, the government does not have to prove anything by any standard. Property owners get trapped in procedural mazes and lose by default. Many people give up without ever seeing a judge. They often have no choice. Civil forfeiture includes no right to counsel, and attorney fees often outweigh the value of seized assets. Once the process ends, participating agencies keep 100% of the proceeds for themselves. The result is a powerful incentive for police and prosecutors to self-fund through aggressive enforcement. The FAIR Act would not affect Oklahoma law. But it would end equitable sharing, a maneuver that allows state and local agencies to transfer seized property to the federal government for civil forfeiture, and then take a cut of the proceeds when the process ends. Oklahoma agencies pocketed more than $2 million this way in 2020. Oklahoma District 12 Attorney Matt Ballard wants to protect this revenue stream. What he fails to mention is that equitable sharing circumvents state law, which should not happen. Oklahoma agencies should follow Oklahoma law, which already makes civil forfeiture far too easy. State and local agencies collected $6.2 million for themselves in 2020 under Oklahoma law above and beyond equitable sharing representing more than 75% of proceeds. Indeed, the civil forfeiture case against Eh Wah was brought under Oklahoma law, not through the feds. Eh Wah fought back with free representation from our public interest law firm, the Institute for Justice, and recovered his cash. Now civil forfeiture apologists want to call his ordeal an outlier. But they have no data to support that claim. And they miss an important point: Even if proceeds come entirely from criminals, which they do not, the process skews law enforcement priorities. Agencies shift their focus from following criminals to following the money, which creates blind spots. At least one study shows that increased forfeiture revenue actually reduces crime closure rates. Innocent property owners like Eh Wah suffer. But so do officers, who get stuck working as fundraisers rather than crime-fighters. The FAIR Act would help refocus law enforcement on its true priority protecting the public, not the bottom line. Dan Alban Daryl James Dan Alban is a senior attorney and co-director of the National Initiative to End Forfeiture Abuse at the Institute for Justice in Arlington, Virginia. Daryl James is an Institute for Justice writer. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Guests: Civil forfeiture process skews law enforcement priorities Gwinnett County business owners who were impacted by COVID-19 can receive up to $15,000 in grant funds, according to a news release. The program will provide financial assistance to small businesses. The funding comes from the American Rescue Plan Act. Funds will range from $3,000 to $15,000 and will be awarded based on the number of employees, gross revenue, total COVID-19 impact on the applicant, and available funds. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Those applying must present verification of their business license and payroll records, as well as documentation of COVID-19s impact on their business. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Pre-screening is available to verify eligibility before applying. To apply for the grant visit GwinnettCounty.com/SmallBusinessGrant. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) This is my last time talking about this situation. Thats what Thomar Latrell Simmons, the former boyfriend of Carlee Russell, made clear during his podcast, 205 Boyz, when he discussed how she faked her kidnapping in July. Russell has since been arrested on suspicion of filing false police report charges. During the podcast, which debuted Friday, Simmons was joined by friend and co-host Marcus Moody, who asked Simmons about what his life had been like since Russells admitted hoax, as well as the online rumors about him having a part in her going missing for several days before walking home. [Im] trying to get back to my normal life, but its never going to be normal for me, Simmons said. I cant even go around Birmingham without people knowing who I am. Its crazy, bro. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On July 13, Russell called the police in Hoover, Alabama, claiming that she saw a child walking on the interstate. When police arrived at the location, Russells car was found parked along the interstate with no sign of her. After days of searching for her, Russell walked back to her family home on July 16, where she claimed that she had been abducted and that she had escaped. However, police raised questions about Russells claims and after a lengthy investigation, she admitted that she made up the abduction story, as well as seeing a child walking along the interstate. She is facing charges for allegedly filing a false police report and filing a false statement to law enforcement authorities. Simmons said one of Russells family members called him on July 13 to tell him that they couldnt find her. I was doing a dash to Hoover, he said. I got there in 15 minutes. Simmons said he found out about the hoax from a press conference the police gave on July 24. I was mad. I was sad, he said. I was all type of emotion. Simmons addressed rumors that he was responsible for Russell wanting to get away. While talking about her, Moody asked about a trip Simmons and Russell took to New York City a couple of weeks before she disappeared. Simmons said they had fun and took tours of the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge. We had a little argument, but it was nothing to kidnap yourself over, he said. Simmons said he was traumatized by all the rumors circulating online about his relationship to Russell, as well as rumors asking if he was simply seeking attention by getting involved early on in the search. It made me mad because people were talking down on my character, he said. People were saying I was a cheater and Im this and that, a player, and Im like, Our relationship was five years, man.' Simmons said he has not spoken with Russell since she first went missing and felt he wouldnt be talking to her anytime soon. If you really want to tell me the truth, you couldve told me before all this happened, before the police came out, he said. You had time to tell me. Simmons said he still doesnt understand why Russell faked her kidnapping. Im confused. Like, what happened? What made you do that? I dont understand. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Grainy security video shows the moment a hardworking Ecuadoran immigrant was shot dead during what police described as a robbery turned deadly outside a Brooklyn gas station. Javier Sanchez, 33, lived less than two blocks away from where he was murdered and was on his way home when police say he was surrounded by a group of men who shot him in the head. He was coming home, said Sanchezs cousin Paul Euza, 25. He went to a party and dance and hang out. Video shows at least three men confronting Sanchez in the parking lot of the BP service station on Myrtle Ave. by Irving Ave. in Bushwick. They struggle and at one point, Sanchez is knocked to the ground by a parked car. He gets up, heads toward the men and drops to the pavement a second time, motionless. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Footage from inside the gas station convenience store appears to show one of the men in the group grab a case of Modelo beer before meeting with a friend inside. They go to pay for their booze, and just two minutes before the confrontation, one of the men appears to urinate right outside the station. Its not clear from the video what role, if any, either man played in Sanchezs shooting. Lots of robberies here. Theyre men from the neighborhood so they just drink around the area, said Waquir Mazhar, who manages the BP gas station. Thats why we had to install bulletproof glass. I think it was last year after we got robbed. Youre just going about your business and you dont know youre not gonna have a next day. Police data show nine robberies within a one-block radius of the gas station during the first eight months of this year, including one stickup of the service station March 8. Overall robberies are up by nearly 8% in the 83rd Precinct, with 223 as of Aug. 27 compared with 207 in the corresponding time period last year. Neighbors have described the corner as a magnet for drinking and fights after the sun goes down. Sanchez came to the U.S. 13 months ago from Ambato, Ecuador, where his 4-year-old daughter and her mother still live, according to his cousin Euza. The little girl still doesnt know what happened to her dad, said Euza. Shes too young. Shes only 4, he said, adding that his familys grief is compounded by their living a continent away. There arent words for our sadness. Its very, extremely sad. Euza described Sanchez as a very joyful person and a devoted father and friend. Erika Carillo, 27, who rents a room in the same apartment as Sanchez did, said the victim sent money back to his family so they could care for his child. Its devastating for his daughter. He was very kind and attentive with my kids. He played with them often. said Carillo, a fellow Ecuadoran immigrant and a mother of two. Im shocked. So surprised. This whole area is very unsafe. Its hard to relax when it happened on the street outside. She added, He was happy, hardworking, calm. He lived here with his cousins who came to New York before he did. Cops were looking for four men who fled the scene early Sunday. As of Monday afternoon, police had made no arrests. Annette Skafgaard retired in August as executive director of St. Coletta's of Illinois after 17 years with the organization, which provides educational, residential and vocational training services to children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (St. Coletta's of Illinois) Orland Parks Matariyeh wins Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Award Orland Park fifth grader Seham Matariyeh was awarded a 2023 Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Award for her work Second Generation Daughter. Matariyeh and other winning poets will be celebrated Saturday during a ceremony at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago. Winners will recite their poems for friends, families and teachers. Illinois Poet Laureate Angela Jackson also is attending and will read a new poem written in honor of the winning students. The ceremony is open to the public. RSVP at www.ilhumanities.org/events. Advertisement Matariyeh will receive a monetary prize provided by Illinois Humanities as well as a gift bundle that includes poetry anthologies from the Library of America, a certificate and a commemorative chapbook to celebrate and inspire a budding writing practice. St. Colettas of Illinois leader Skafgaard retires Annette Skafgaard, who has been advocating for children and adults with developmental disabilities since joining St. Colettas 17 years ago, retired as the organizations executive director at the end of August. Heather Benedick, the organizations chief operating officer, was selected to take her place. Advertisement Based in Tinley Park, St. Colettas of Illinois provides educational, residential and vocational training services to more than 300 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. God has blessed me with many wonderful colleagues, community partners, board members, donors and families through the years, Skafgaard said. I am grateful and proud to have served alongside all of them, furthering the mission that the founders of St. Colettas of Illinois, the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, created 74 years ago. Skafgaard, who started her career in public accounting, joined the organization in 2006 after seeing a job posting for finance director. She was working in health care finance at the time and was intrigued by St. Colettas service-driven mission shaped by the Franciscan values of service to marginalized people. I was looking for something mission oriented, she explained. I wanted to do something greater by finding a job with purpose. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > She not only found one, but one in which she excelled. OLCHS teacher accepted into National Review Institute program Oak Lawns Frank Biga, a 21-year veteran of the social studies department at Oak Lawn Community High School, has been accepted into the National Review Institute Burke to Buckley Program in Chicago. Biga will be exploring the foundations of conservative thought, the Constitution, and other topics while building a network of contacts throughout the nation. The program follows a syllabus and fosters a rigorous examination of conservative principles and how they apply to the issues of the day. Oak Forests Barba commissioned as Army second lieutenant On Aug. 20, the Illinois Army National Guards 129th Regiment (Regional Training Institute) Officer Candidate School commissioned 19 new officers as U.S. Army second lieutenants, including 2nd Lt. Javier Barba of Oak Forest. Advertisement EPCHS students recognized by College Board Evergreen Park Community High School students Xalani Mitchell, left, and Erin Wade recently earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs. (EPCHS) Evergreen Park Community High School students Erin Wade and Xalani Mitchell earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs. Wade received the National African American Recognition Award and Mitchell received both the National African American Recognition Award and National Hispanic Recognition Award. Send news to communitynews@southtownstar.com. By Crispian Balmer VENICE (Reuters) - After the media was denied access to migrants desperately trying to cross the Polish-Belarus border, director Agnieszka Holland decided to step in and make a wrenching movie about their plight. "Green Border", which premieres at the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday, tells the story of refugees, charity workers, activists and border guards, whose lives intersect in the cold, swampy forests between the two east European countries. Migrants started flocking to the border in 2021, after Belarus, a close Russian ally, opened travel agencies in the Middle East offering a new unofficial route into Europe - a move the European Union said was designed to create a crisis. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Poland refused to let them cross, leaving hundreds stranded in a freezing no-man's land, and temporarily imposed an exclusion zone, forbidding reporters and human rights groups from approaching the area to see what was going on. "It was impossible for the documentary makers and the journalists to go there, but we can re-create and do something that I know how to do, make a fictional film about events which are going on right now," Holland said. "We had to try to capture it in all (its) possible complexity and give justice and a voice to those who have been silenced and are voiceless," she added. Her black-and-white film shows a family from Syria and a woman from Afghanistan thrown back and forward across the border by brutal guards indifferent to their suffering, as activists struggle to try to bring them to safety. Holland, who during a decades-long career has made films about the Nazi Holocaust and Communist tyranny, said the pushback called into doubt the European Union's core values. "If we go further on this road ... the European Union, Europe, the continent of freedom, democracy (and) human rights will disappear. It will change into some kind of a fortress," she said. "Green Border" is highly critical of Poland's rejection of migrants from the Middle East and Africa, contrasting it to the way the country welcomed in more than a million refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022. But the lead actress, Maja Ostaszewska, who herself went to the forests in 2021 to help the migrants, said the film was not making a political statement. "It asks the eternal question. What would you do if someone came knocking on your door ... You can open your door, you can help, or you can decide to pretend not to see," she said. "Green Border" is one of 23 movies competing for the Golden Lion award at the Venice festival, which runs until Sept. 9. (Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Nick Macfie) A woman who had her neck zip-tied and her car stolen in Harwood Heights on Wednesday has died, according to the Cook County medical examiners office. Ma Operio, 61, was taken to Lutheran General Hospital in critical condition and placed on life support following the carjacking, Harwood Heights police said. She died Sunday night. Harwood Heights police found Operio lying on her back, her face turning blue, with blood under her head, around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 4400 block of Natchez Avenue, according to Cook County prosecutors and medical examiner records. One of Operios neighbors saw a man struggling with the victim, appearing to choke her, police said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Police officers in south suburban Crete arrested Reese Miller, 24, later Wednesday morning. Miller admitted to attacking the woman and moving her out of the way before driving away in her Toyota, officials said. Miller, who is from Urbana, wrote a note apologizing for the incident. Law enforcement found the note in the vehicle, which prosecutors read during a bail hearing Friday. Im deeply sorry for hurting anyone at the moment, it seemed to be the only choice, prosecutors allege Miller wrote. I didnt want to hurt people. It was never something I ever thought possible until the realization of reality hit me. Miller was charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated vehicular hijacking, although his charges could be upgraded following Operios death, Harwood Heights police said. Judge Ellen Beth Mandeltort ordered Miller be held without bond. His next court date is Sept. 22. A GoFundMe was started to help raise funds for the woman. Out of a $20,000 goal, over $2,200 was raised as of Tuesday morning. This is a developing story. Two bats found this week in Salt Lake County have tested positive for rabies. The Salt Lake County Health Department is urging anyone who made contact with a bat this week to call the department about being tested for rabies. | Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Two bats found this week in Salt Lake County have tested positive for rabies. The Salt Lake County Health Department is urging anyone who made contact with a bat this week to call the department to be evaluated. The bats were found Aug. 26 near 1000 West and 6970 South in Midvale, and Aug. 29 at Smith Fields Park, 13390 S. 300 East in Draper. In a statement released Friday, the department recommended that the two people who came into contact with the bat in Midvale receive rabies prevention medicine. No others have been identified as being exposed to bats in Midvale. No exposures have been confirmed for the bat in Draper, but Salt Lake health officials urged parents whose children frequent Smith Fields Park to ask their kids about whether they've encountered bats. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The department offered these guidelines to anyone who encounters a bat: Don't touch it or try to catch it. Don't hurt it. Keep children and pets away. Report the bat's location to the closest animal control agency. Healthy bats tend to avoid people, and are not typically a threat when they are hanging upside down from trees or buildings, health officials said. But bats with rabies can behave unusually, such as coming closer to humans or spending more time on the ground. "They may also be weak, dehydrated or unable to fly, making them more approachable than usual," the department said in their statement. Health officials urged people to avoid contact with all wild animals because of the risk of rabies, and to make sure pets are updated on their vaccinations in case of a wild animal encounter. "Once clinical signs of rabies appear, the disease is considered 100% fatal," according to the statement. This follows the department's statement released June 1 reporting that a rabid bat had been found in Salt Lake City, and a similar report from the TriCounty Health Department earlier that week saying a possibly diseased bat had been spotted at Dinosaur National Monument on or around May 28. Hundreds of bats were also removed from Highland High School in Salt Lake City last week. The Salt Lake County Health Department can be reached at 385-468-4222. A shelter posted a TikTok of a 5-year-old dog on her 425th day at a Pennsylvania shelter. The video ended up getting her adopted. The shelter named the pit bull and black labrador mix Blackberry, and she spent more than a year in their care before a dad saw the Aug. 27 video and immediately called to inquire about adopting her. This embedded content is not available in your region. I was moved by the story. Anyone with a heart wouldve been moved, the pups new owner, Pedro Rodriguez, 45, told McClatchy News in an interview. Blackberry came from a Georgia shelter that had an overpopulation of dogs, Animal Care Sanctuarys manager, Haylee Kehler, told McClatchy News in an interview. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement She was transferred to us in July 2022, and because of all the euthanasia that happens daily, we were able to luckily save her from that, Kehler said. Rodriguez struck gold as the shelter was getting tons of calls from around the country after the video went up, even from someone in the U.K. wanting her, Sylvia Wright, the shelters dog adoption counselor, told McClatchy News in an interview. This embedded content is not available in your region. He made the three hour drive on Aug. 30 from Allentown to Animal Care Sanctuary in East Smithfield to meet Blackberry and doesnt regret it because shes worth it, he said. Rodriguez knew he wanted to get another pet with his 12-year-old son after their last dog, Spanky, died of old age, he said. The post broke my heart, he said. This was the best decision I made. Shes a couch potato like me and has every single quality I wanted in a pet. So far, the furry friend hasnt given Rodriguez any issues besides the occasional hiccup of being a bit too overprotective of him. She wants to always be near me and sleep with me, he said. My son wanted to get into bed with me one night, and she started growling at him like no, this is our bed, but I was stern with her and were working through it. Rodriguez said the dogs transition has been seamless, and shes even been responding to her potential new name, Diva, because she really is a diva. East Smithfield is about 190 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Abandoned dog at Metallica concert actually broke out to see band. See her at show Puppy warms hearts on TikTok as he waits to take girlfriend on dates. See him greet her Best last day on Earth. Dog owner documents pets final day in heartwarming TikTok LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A Henderson elementary school canceled classes Tuesday due to a shortage of teachers and staff, a message from the principal said. According to the message from Principal Keith, Gibson Elementary School in Henderson canceled school for Tuesday, Sept. 5 after an unexpected number of staff and teachers were absent. The school is asking that parents not send their students to the school on Tuesday. The message also said that Principal Keith would be reaching out to families with information about Wednesday classes. The full letter sent to Gibson Elementary School families is as follows: ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Good Morning, Gibson Elementary School Parents and Families, This is Principal Jill Keith. We are canceling school today at Gibson Elementary School. Please do not send your children to campus today, Tuesday, September 5th. There are an unexpected number of licensed staff/teachers absent from school today and we have made the difficult decision to not have school today. We appreciate your understanding and apologize for the inconvenience. I will send you a message later today to provide additional information regarding classes for tomorrow. Thank you. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. An EltaMD tinted sunscreen, Paula's Choice discoloration repair serum and La Roche-Posay's adapalene gel. An EltaMD tinted sunscreen, Paula's Choice discoloration repair serum and La Roche-Posay's adapalene gel. Hyperpigmentation of the skin isnt uncommon, but unlike your run-of-the-mill sun spots, melasma is arguably one of the most clingy and temperamental skin conditions to treat once it appears. Melasma, which appears as irregular dark patches along the forehead, upper lip and cheeks, is sometimes called the mask of pregnancy because it often occurs in response to hormonal changes associated with pregnancy or the use of oral contraceptives, said Dr. Brendan Camp, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Its not just pregnancy that can trigger melasmas wrath, though. According to Dr. Serena Mraz, a board-certified dermatologist in Vallejo, California, its not uncommon for it to appear suddenly in non-pregnant adults after sun exposure on the face. And once it does occur, it requires only the smallest bit of sun to make its appearance worse. Melasma is most common in people with naturally darker skin but can also occur in very light skin types, Mraz added. When it comes to addressing the appearance of melasma, both Mraz and Camp said that diligent sun protection is one of the best forms of prevention, although other topical products should also be at play. Mraz said that optimal treatment typically involves using topical agents that inhibit tyrosinase, an enzyme critical for the production of melanin. Combining an agent that blocks pigment with others that clean up free radicals and damaged cells, and mitigate the effects of inadvertent sun and environmental pollutants is ideal, Mraz said. A word of warning from Mraz, though: If any product or ingredient creates excessive irritation for your skin, it should be used with caution. This is because some irritation may cause post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, exacerbating the appearance of melasma. (Here are some ways you might relieve irritation.) To find out the exact ingredients and agents to use, as well as the best products that contain them, keep reading for suggestions and more guidance from Camp, Mraz and other experts in skin care. HuffPost may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Every item is independently selected by the HuffPost Shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change. The experts consulted for this story do not necessarily endorse the products unless otherwise noted. A discoloration repair serum Sephora A discoloration repair serum Board-certified dermatologist Brendan Camp suggested this discoloration repair serum by skin care brand Paula's Choice. He said the ingredients included in this serum, such as bakuchiol, a plant-derived retinol alternative, and tranexamic acid, are known for their ability to reduce pigmentation associated with melasma. This specialized serum has a lightweight gel texture and also contains niacinamide, a popular skin-brightening agent that you can learn more about below. $52 at Sephora $52 at Paula's Choice $52 at Amazon A cult-favorite niacinamide serum Sephora A cult-favorite niacinamide serum Board-certified dermatologist Blair Murphy-Rose named niacinamide as an ingredient that can treat and prevent melasma by interfering with melanin synthesis in the skin. It's also an antioxidant that she said can prevent free radical environmental damage to the skin. We chose The Ordinary's niacinamide serum because it's one of the internet's most well-known formulations and a product that I have used and loved for several years. It's affordable and utilizes a high-strength niacinamide concentration to effectively brighten skin tone and reduce the appearance of blemishes. Plus, its 1% zinc content helps to support a balanced complexion by regulating excess sebum activity. $6 at Sephora $6 at Target $6 at Ulta A potent vitamin C serum Amazon A potent vitamin C serum "Stabilized L-ascorbic acid is vitamin C in its natural form and acts to brighten the skin, decrease overactive pigment cells and clean up free radicals," said board-certified dermatologist Serena Mraz. She said Alphascience's Mela Bright C+ serum is a breakthrough product as it's the first to feature stabilized cysteamine, a topical ingredient that blocks enzymes responsible for melanin-causing melasma and can clean up free radicals. "In addition to cysteamine, this non-irritating serum contains stabilized L-ascorbic acid, phytic acid, acetyl glycyl beta-alanine and ginkgo biloba all in one potent [product]. This combination product acts to clean up free radicals, lighten overactive dark patches and improve skin tone and quality. It helps to reduce pigment, while brightening the skin," Mraz said. $149 at Amazon A tinted broad spectrum sunscreen SkinStore A tinted broad spectrum sunscreen The mutual consensus of Camp, Mraz and Murphy-Rose is that tinted mineral sunscreens offer the best melasma-specific sun protection since, according to Camp, only tinted sunscreens can also shield skin from visible UV rays in overhead lighting that could potentially contribute to melasma. "Sunscreen ingredients that will protect you from blue light (another trigger of melasma and hyperpigmentation) [are] iron oxides," said Rose, who suggested opting for broad-spectrum sunscreens that use either zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. Camp suggested this popular tinted and lightweight sunscreen formula by Elta MD that features SPF 46, contains high-purity niacinamide and meets all of Rose's specifications. $43 at SkinStore $32.68 at Amazon $38.59 at Target A mineral-based sunscreen for sensitive skin Target A mineral-based sunscreen for sensitive skin For a more affordable tinted sunscreen featuring zinc oxide protection, Camp also recommended this Eucerin mineral-based broad spectrum sunscreen that offers SPF 35 and promises to blend seamlessly with all skin tones. The invisible matte-finish formula also contains an antioxidant complex that can help reduce the damage caused by environmental stressors. $13.99 at Amazon $13.99 at Target An anti-discoloration serum Dermstore An anti-discoloration serum "Skinceuticals Discoloration Defense dark spot corrector fights hyperpigmentation with an effective combination of kojic acid, tranexamic acid and niacinamide," Murphy-Rose said. This clinically formulated serum also contains a synthetically derived acid called HEPES that helps to exfoliate skin, and its hydrating glycerin and anti-inflammatory allantoin can keep skin feeling soothed rather than irritated. Murphy-Rose recommends using it twice daily and always pairing it with a mineral sunscreen in the morning. $108 at Dermstore A brightening arbutin serum Sephora A brightening arbutin serum Mraz mentioned another skin-brightening and antioxidant-rich ingredient called arbutin for fading melasma. We selected this concentrated 2% alpha arbutin serum from The Inkey List, an affordable skin care line that specializes in single-ingredient-focused products with no-fuss branding. With arbutin to help reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and dark spots, it also contains a 0.5% concentration of naturally derived squalane to help maintain skin hydration. $12.99 at Sephora $12.99 at The Inkey List A prescription-strength retinoid treatment Target A prescription-strength retinoid treatment La Roche-Posay, the French pharmacy staple behind several cult-favorite skin care products, makes this topical retinoid treatment suggested by Camp. "Marketed as an acne medication, this retinoid was previously available only with a prescription and can be used to treat discoloration associated with blemishes and melasma," he said. Retinoids are useful in promoting the skin's cellular turnover rate, which can lead to increased collagen production and smoother, brighter skin. $35.99 at Amazon $36.99 at Ulta $45.49 at Target An acid-containing brightening serum Amazon An acid-containing brightening serum "Made with azelaic acid, kojic acid and vitamin E, this brightening serum includes ingredients to reduce pigmentation and protect skin from the oxidative stress of free oxygen radicals," Camp said. This advanced serum also contains hyaluronic acid, a powerful humectant that draws moisture into the skin to keep it hydrated and plump. $56.88 at Amazon $63.20 at LovelySkin A wide-brimmed hat infused with sun protection Amazon A wide-brimmed hat infused with sun protection "A good broad-spectrum sunblock on a daily basis is important but not enough," Mraz said. She, along with Camp and Murphy-Rose, strongly recommend wearing a wide-brimmed hat whenever you're in the sun. We found this highly rated sunhat that comes in eight color combinations, easily folds for travel and has UPF 50 sun protection. $25.99 at Amazon Related... A group of Democrats is calling on the Biden administration to make a series of policy adjustments to help nationals of El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua keep or obtain work permits. According to a draft letter obtained by The Hill, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) are calling on the White House to redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for those countries and to extend registration periods for individuals to sign up for the programs benefits. The letter goes deep into policy detail on TPS a program to protect foreign nationals from forced repatriation to dangerous conditions to arrive at a broad conclusion: Immigration bureaucracy is too complicated for most people to follow. These TPS holders have endured five years of uncertainty, confusion, and multiple notices to auto-extend their status, wrote the lawmakers. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A 60-day period is far too short for service providers to effectively conduct outreach to these impacted communities in order to ensure they have received this updated information and are able to follow the necessary procedures to re-register and retain their TPS protections. The 60-day period in question was implemented by the Biden administration in its efforts to undo the Trump administrations policy of dismantling TPS benefits. The four countries are known collectively as the Ramos countries for a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that froze Trumps efforts to end those TPS designations. In June, the Biden administration rescinded Trumps terminations for the Ramos countries and extended TPS for all four, rendering much of the lawsuit moot, though litigation continues as the plaintiffs seek to set a precedent to protect TPS benefits. With the rescission, the administration gave TPS beneficiaries 60 days to renew their status, which would allow them to work and live in the United States until 2025. For many beneficiaries, that change is confusing because the Biden administration had previously announced an automatic renewal extending TPS-related work papers until 2024, while the core of the Ramos case was still in court. As a result, more than 330,000 current TPS beneficiaries from these four nations now have to re-register for TPS within these 60-day periods to benefit from DHSs additional extension and maintain their status into 2025, wrote the lawmakers. Failing to register in those 60 days could cause TPS holders to lose their benefits. The lawmakers made the case that the 60-day period is not only short, but the government has not done its part to inform people of the changing process. Many TPS beneficiaries believe TPS is automatically renewed, and those with work permits expiring in June 2024 are incorrectly assuming that re-registration isnt required to maintain their status through 2025, they wrote. The absence of resources, education, and direct notifications from [United States Citizenship and Immigration Services] has placed these communities in an extraordinarily difficult position to meet these 60-day re-registration deadlines. DHS can designate any country for TPS for a period of up to 18 months, covering that countrys nationals who are present in U.S. territory at a designated cutoff date. DHS can renew designations at the end of the period, allowing the same people already covered to remain in the country, or DHS can redesignate a given country, extending coverage to new arrivals. The lawmakers are calling for a redesignation for El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua, essentially fast-tracking work permits for nationals of those countries who came after their respective cutoff dates. Such a change would be significant because it would cover both undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers from those countries, potentially extending benefits to people who have lived and worked in the United States for decades. It could also help to ease tensions between the Biden administration and northern cities that have been demanding faster processing for migrants work permits. The letter, led by Reps. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Jesus Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.) and Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), also has support from Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-Calif.) and other members, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and more than a dozen immigration and Latino inclusion advocacy groups. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Greece is being hit with another round of extreme weather after weeks of experiencing drought, wildfires and intense heat. Within the span of just hours, some areas of the country received more than two feet of rain and at least one person was killed as the storm continued to move toward the Mediterranean Sea where it could transform into what's known as a "medicane." In Zagora, there was a "jaw-dropping" rainfall of 21 inches from the storm, named Daniel, within just 10 hours on Tuesday, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility researcher Nahel Belgherze posted on social media. "An additional 300-500 mm, locally up to 600 mm, of rain could fall by Thursday," he said. "A historic flooding event is underway!" That amount of rain is equal to just under two feet. My goodness! Zagora, Greece recorded a jaw-dropping 528 mm (21 inches) of rain in just 10 hours - an additional 300-500 mm, locally up to 600 mm, of rain could fall by Thursday. A historic flooding event is underway! pic.twitter.com/7swtHuCFVI Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) September 5, 2023 Data from French weather and climate monitor Keraunos shows that since Monday, Zagora has received 889 millimeters nearly 3 feet of rain. Several other cities have also received at least a foot of rain within that time. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The rain seen in Zagora is more than 55 times higher than the average rainfall for September across Greece, which has an average rainfall for the month of 16 millimeters, according to the U.K. Meteorological Office. A fallen tree is seen in a flooded river during a storm in the city of Volos, Greece, September 5, 2023. / Credit: Sevina Dariotou/Eurokinissi via REUTERS Videos posted by Greece's meteorological office show fast flooding across several cities on Tuesday. In Skiathos, the office said that the situation was "getting worse" throughout the afternoon. Other images show cars halfway submerged under floodwaters. And in Volos, the office said that some areas lost electricity and the Athens News Agency reported that one man was killed when flooding caused a wall to fall on top of him as he was trying to get to his sheep. Another man in the city is missing after being swept away by the waters, the agency said. Reuters confirmed the two men's situations, but local officials provided no further details. "Daniel is developing into one of the most powerful storms that our country has experienced, with the daily rainfall in Central Greece far exceeding previous records, at least since 2006," the country's meteorological office wrote on Tuesday, saying that along with the man's death, the storm has also caused "significant infrastructure problems." The last daily rainfall record of 2.1 feet during Mediterranean Cyclone Janus in September 2020. The office said Monday that more than 7,000 lightning strikes were observed from the weather system, which they classified as a "category 5 precipitation event," meaning it's an "extreme" weather situation. The current #weather situation in Europe is a textbook Omega block. While central Europe will "enjoy" a #heatwave, Greece will face a #medicane with disastrous damages due to heavy rain and #floods fueled by an extremely hot #MediterraneanSea. #ClimateEmergency #heavyrain pic.twitter.com/qtkNTX9ZLg Dr. Monica Ionita (@IonitaMoni) September 5, 2023 And it may only be getting worse for the region in the coming days. Weather forecasting site Severe Weather Europe says that Daniel could lead to the development of a medicane, a "tropical-like cyclone" in the Mediterranean. Weather models show such a system could form over the Ionian Sea this week, the forecasters said, as an ongoing marine heat wave fuels extreme weather. Medicanes usually need ocean temperatures of 26 degrees Celsius, just under 79 degrees Fahrenehit, to form, the forecasters said, and there has recently been "more than enough warmth in place to support the sub-tropical development." Weather models show that if it does form, it could bring wind gusts of roughly 62 miles per hour. It's unclear if it would be closer to Sicily and Malta or the Libyan coast. Warmer ocean temperatures are known to create conditions that can lead to more extreme weather. As temperatures increase, so does evaporation, putting more precipitation in the air that allows for storms to form. The flooding comes as Greece has been battling the European Union's "largest wildfire ever recorded." Just last week, Greece's fire service said the fire was "still out of control" in a nature reserve as the country continues to recover from the dozens of fires that broke out over the summer. Lawmakers face deadline to avoid government shutdown What to know about Ken Paxton's impeachment trial Mike Pence criticizes populism to New Hampshire voters The case of an Ocala man who could face the death penalty for the shooting death of a woman more than a decade ago has taken another legal twist. Renaldo Devon McGirth was scheduled to be court this week for his re-sentencing hearing in front of Circuit Judge Gary Sanders. But the judge agreed to delay the proceedings while the Florida Supreme Court decides which legal standard applies. Specifically, does a jury recommendation for the death penalty need to be unanimous? Or can the vote be as divided as 8-4, in keeping with the new state law that went into effect this year? Circuit Judge Gary Sanders How did we get here? McGirth was convicted in 2008 for his role in the shooting death of a woman in The Villages. At trial, the jury recommendation for the death penalty was 11-1. A judge sent him to death row. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement McGirth became eligible for a new sentencing hearing after 2016, when the Florida Supreme Court ruled that all death penalty recommendations must be unanimous. Cases resolved after June 24, 2002 were cleared for resentencing. However, McGirth's resentencing hearing never started. Years passed. And in the meantime, Florida changed its death penalty statute to require only an 8-4 jury recommendation for the death penalty. The defense argued that the new standard should not apply. The state argued that McGirth's due process rights would not be violated by applying the 8-4 standard. The judge agreed, thus prompting the defense to file an appeal and the judge to stay the proceedings. Other, similar cases already are before the state's high court. Prosecutors noted that Daniel Hernandez was appointed to represent McGirth in early 2018. For one reason or another, the case has been continued many times since then. The courts closed in March 2020 because of the pandemic. But while the courts were closed for trials, other hearings, such as first appearances and essential matters, continued on. The courts re-opened in March 2021, and prosecutors said there was no delay in scheduling a date for McGirth's re-sentencing. Prosecutors said from mid-May 2021 to August 2023, they had 14 trials 13 of them homicides, 12 of which were first-degree murder cases and seven of which were death penalty cases in Marion, Clay, Orange, Lake and Citrus counties. "The undersigned notes these statistics simply to point out that if Defendant wished to actually have this case proceed to trial in an expeditious manner over the past five years, ample opportunity existed for him to do so, regardless of COVID-19," prosecutors wrote. Renaldo McGirth The crime Diana Miller, 63, a retired bookkeeper, died in the 2006 shooting. Her husband, James, was critically injured. Officials said the couple's daughter allowed McGirth and two others, Jarrod Roberts and Theodore Houston Jr., into the house. Deputies believe the motive was robbery. McGirth was 18 at the time. Authorities said it was the first and only homicide that has occurred in the Marion County portion of The Villages. Roberts is serving life in prison. Houston was sentenced to 20 years in prison after testifying against both his co-defendants. Houston was released in July. Death row McGirth is one of seven Marion County inmates presently sentenced to death. Now 35, McGirth has been on death row for 15 years. He was sentenced to death in 2008. Court: Marion death row inmate was going to represent himself. The state had no objection. According to state records, the average age at the time of execution is 44.9 years. The average age at offense for executed inmates is 27.4 years. Of the seven Marion County death row inmates, 63-year-old Ian Lightborun has been on the list the longest at 42 years. Earlier this year, Michael Wayne Jones was sentenced to death for killing his wife and four children, two of whom were his. To date, 292 men and women are on the list to be executed. Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Judge delays re-sentencing trial for Ocala man on death row The last time a replica of the Vietname Veterans Memorial was set up in Naperville was in Rotary Park in Naperville. This November, a replica of the wall will be built and erected by the Grand Pavilion along the Naperville Riverwalk. (Susan Frick Carlman / Naperville Sun) The Naperville Park District and local veterans groups plan to build and display a 233-foot Vietnam memorial wall to mark the 50th anniversary of the last American combat troops leaving that war. The memorial, a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., will be set up at the Grand Pavilion near the Naperville Riverwalk from Nov. 9 to 15. The site will also serve as the location for the annual Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 11. Advertisement It was last displayed in Naperville in 2015. Visiting the wall is an extremely moving experience, Park District Executive Director Brad Wilson said. The wall includes the names of over 58,000 service members who gave their lives between 1957 and 1975. It conveys the tremendous sacrifice that so many made for our country. Advertisement Naperville printing company Blooming Color is printing the names and providing the vinyl paneling for the wall, while 84 Lumber in Naperville is donating lumber for the frame. The wall will be built by park district staffers, members of local veterans groups such as the VFW and Naperville Responds for Veterans, and other volunteers. For the public, it reminds them of the sacrifices made so they can enjoy their freedoms, said Mike Barbour, a Vietnam War veteran and board member for Naperville Responds for Veterans. For the Vietnam veteran, it lets them visit their friends that they served with. The memorial will also include 11 plaques for each of the Naperville residents who died in the war. It creates different experiences for different people, and whether youre family or someone who served in combat, you connect to those names, said Wayne Fischer, a Vietnam veteran from Naperville and past state commander for the American Legion. I remember my first trip to the wall, my wife was with me in Washington, D.C., and we walked down to the center of the wall and all of a sudden I looked up and I could see ghosts of men swirling over my head. The Naperville Park Board plans to vote on the project at its next meeting. Visiting hours have not been set. Naperville is a very, very patriotic community, Fischer said. Youll see it at the Labor Day parade, at the Memorial Day Parade and program afterwards. Its just an honor to live here. The community serves veterans and our active duty. Giles Bruce is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. Listen to this full episode of The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher. Americas Republican Party has completely transformed itself to fit the mold of former President Donald Trumpin the process becoming something more like an autocratic cult, according to historian and cultural critic Ruth Ben-Ghiat , who joined this weeks episode of The New Abnormal. Nowhere was this more apparent than when it nuked its policy platform for the 2020 election in favor of blanket support for Trumpa moment that paved the way for last weeks shitshow of a GOP debate. The part of the cycle we were talking about before is that the GOP has nowhere to go but becoming more extremethats why you have fanatics, like [Vivek] Ramaswamy up there reviving old conspiracy theories, and they also have to hide from the public, Ben-Ghiat said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Subscribe to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Overcast. Theyre getting into the bunker stagethats what we call it when dictators get into their bunker stageso they cant have transparency, she added. We already saw episodes during the pandemic of GOP legislators running away from their constituents. So all of that will increase and thats going to cause a reaction. Why Castrated Mad Hatter Murdered Lincolns Killer and Was Called a Hero Then, the hosts of the podcast Blowback join the program to talk about their most recent season, which centers around U.S. involvement in Afghanistan over the past 50 years. Americas early involvement over there was sold as rare bright spot in American foreign policy, they said, specifically our assistance in fighting Soviet incursions what Blowback summarizes as: Afghanistan was Russias Vietnam. Hollywood had a field day with the Soviet-Afghan war in the 80s and sort of flipped the script on all these gloomy Vietnam movies America had to answer for, Brendan James, one of the creators of Blowback, said. Now it could be the Soviets turn. Editors note: This story has been updated to more accurately describe the discussion about Americans early involvement in Afghanistan. Listen to this full episode of The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher. 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. Hong Kongs top court has ordered the citys government to set up a new framework to legally recognize the rights of same-sex couples in a partial victory for LGBTQ activists that stopped short of their demands for full marriage equality. Five judges from Hong Kongs Court of Final Appeal handed down their decision on Tuesday, following years of legal battles challenging the governments refusal to let gay people get married or form a civil union partnership. Hong Kong does not allow or grant same-sex marriage or unions, even though homosexuality has been decriminalized in the city since 1991. Activists had been hoping the court would declare that the denial of same-sex marriage breached equal rights protections in the citys mini-constitution. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Judges ruled the freedom to marry was guaranteed under the mini-constitution but that it only referred to heterosexual marriage. Instead, the judges ruled in a majority verdict that there was a need for an alternative framework granting legal recognition to same-sex couples to provide them with a sense of legitimacy, dispelling any sense that they belong to an inferior class of persons whose relationship is undeserving of recognition. The government has two years to comply with the ruling, the court said. A spokesperson for the Hong Kong government said it is inappropriate to give any comment at this juncture until the court has finished receiving submissions from parties over what steps should be taken next. Participants attend the annual Pride Parade In Hong Kong on November 17, 2018. - Kin Cheung/AP Uphill battle Activists in Hong Kong have used the courts as their main avenue to drive changes over the past decade, with both the government and legislature being seen as sluggish in catching up with other more liberal jurisdictions. And Hong Kongs judges have often sided with them, previously ruling against government lawyers and stating that the citys mini-constitution affords same-sex couples certain protections and equality that they were being denied. Several successful court challenges have led to same-sex marriages entered overseas being recognized in a handful of areas, such as tax declarations, applications for spousal visas, and parental rights, though the scope remains limited. In contrast, the case that resulted in Tuesdays landmark ruling was much broader with activists asking the citys top court to rule directly on the issue of same-sex marriage after successive defeats in the lower courts. The ruling has potentially far-reaching implications for Hong Kongs gay community and the many overseas nationals who work and live in the city but it remains to be seen what steps the local government will now take in creating legislation that conforms to the courts ruling. Jerome Yau, co-founder of Hong Kong Marriage Equality, said he is cautiously optimistic as he awaits further details to be hammered ogut. Its a major step forward and landmark decision. I understand its not full marriage equality but all things considered, its a good decision, he said. The battle for greater same-sex equality has faced an uphill struggle in much of Asia, where conservative values still dominate, especially among political elites. At present, only Taiwan and Nepal allow same-sex unions. Indias Supreme Court is currently debating whether to allow same-sex marriage in the worlds most populous nation. Polls in Hong Kong have shown growing support for same-sex equality among the public, especially younger people. But the citys government has long leaned conservative, mirroring official opposition to same-sex marriage and greater equalities on the Chinese mainland. Hong Kong bills itself as a global financial hub that aims to attract top talent from around the world and businesses leaders have been among those pushing to allow same-sex unions to make the city a more attractive destination. Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit appears at court on May 29, 2020. - Felix Wong/Reuters/File Jailed plaintiff The case that resulted in Tuesdays final ruling was brought by now detained pro-democracy activist Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit in 2019. Sham, in his early 30s, organized rallies that drew in hundreds of thousands of people as the convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front during a wave of anti-government protests in 2019. The group was disbanded in 2021, a year after Beijing imposed a national security law that critics said stifled dissent and shattered the democracy movement. Both Hong Kong and mainland Chinese authorities have maintained the law was necessary to safeguard national security and restore stability. Sham, who has been remanded in custody for more than two years on a charge of subversion, is among dozens of prominent democracy campaigners accused of taking part in an unofficial primary election held by the opposition in 2020. Prosecutors have framed the vote as part of a wider move to overthrow the government at the time. Before his detention, the activist like many pro-democracy leaders in Hong Kong had also campaigned on LGBTQ issues. Raymond Chan Chi-chuen, the first member of Hong Kongs Legislative Council to come out as gay, is a co-defendant in Shams case. The citys parliament no longer has any opposition lawmakers since Beijing redrew its electoral system in 2021 to ensure only patriots rule. Court papers said Sham began a stable relationship with his partner in 2011 and two years later, got married in New York. Sham argued that the Hong Kong governments failure to let him and other gay and lesbian couples get married, or enter some forms of civil union partnership, had infringed upon their rights to equality and privacy. In mainland China, Beijing has widened crackdowns on LGBTQ activists and groups in recent years, with Chinese leader Xi Jinping increasingly stressing the ruling Communist Partys absolute control over every aspect of society. Chinas biggest and longest-running LGBTQ festival, Shanghai Pride, was canceled in 2020, with dozens of accounts related to sexual minorities censored on Chinese social media. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Leaders of HSHS and Prevea Health announced a "cybersecurity incident" caused the health system's communications systems to go down for a week. Prevea and HSHS patients can schedule procedures again as the health system continues to investigate the cyber attack that caused communications systems go down for over a week. Hospitals and emergency departments are open and accepting patients. Appointments can be made for both elective and non-elective procedures, the health system announced late Monday. Prevea and HSHS website, internet, phone, and computer systems went down Aug. 27. In a video posted Friday night, Damond Boatwright, the president and CEO of the health care system in 14 communities in Wisconsin and Illinois, said the ause of the outage was a cybersecurity incident ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The health system brought in "third-party experts" to bring their systems back online. An investigation is ongoing into the cybersecurity incident. "HSHS and Prevea leaders, clinicians and staff continue to work around the clock to restore the clinical, administrative and communications systems that were impacted by the recent cybersecurity incident," the health system said in the update Monday. Brain surgery is on hold for Seymour man Brian Stehsel is still waiting on his brain surgery to determine if he has another tumor. About a year and a half ago, Stehsel, 43, found out he had Stage 4 colon cancer that metastasized to his brain. On Aug. 30, he was supposed to have surgery to find out if another tumor or radiation necrosis was impacting his symptoms. Brian and his wife, Aimee, waited the day before for the standard call from the hospital regarding preparation for the surgery. But Aimee heard there was an outage and decided to message Prevea on Facebook to see what her husband should do. She got a message back that they should expect a call the same day regarding next steps, but they never heard from the health system. So Aimee and Brian decided to drive into Green Bay from Seymour to their clinic instead. They were told the technology needed to perform the surgery was down and that they would be called when there was more information. But Aimee and Brian have not heard anything since then. Were still in limbo, Aimee Stehsel said. While Brian waits, he struggles with double vision and has to use a walker to get around the house. While waiting a few more days for surgery may not detrimentally worsen his symptoms, the delay means the longer he has to sit with his symptoms that prevent Brian and his wife from going anywhere. Aimee and Brian are going to wait until Friday to hear from Prevea and HSHS before making another drive to the clinic for answers. The sooner we can get those symptoms under control, the better, Aimee Stehsel said. Most of the hospital and clinic phone lines are back in service, but complete restoration of the internet and computer systems will take more time, HSHS and Prevea said. Billing services are still suspended as the outage continues. Prevea and HSHS patients are not charged late fees. To contact Prevea, HSHS Prevea Health Main phone line 920-496-4700 Family medicine or internal medicine department for adult patient care, call 920-431-1810 Prevea Surgery Center -920-272-3648 HSHS Wisconsin hospitals: HSHS St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay 920-433-0111 HSHS St. Marys Hospital Medical Center, Green Bay 920-498-4200 HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital, Sheboygan 920-459-8300 HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, Oconto Falls 920-846-3444 For more updates, go to www.prevea.com/updates. This story will be updated. More: Prevea, HSHS outage due to 'cybersecurity incident'; phone lines for family medicine, surgery center working Benita Mathew is a health and science reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. Contact her at bmathew@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @benita_mathew. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Patients can schedule procedures after cyberattack on HSHS, Prevea The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is charging a Springfield-area rental company and owner with housing discrimination for allegedly subjecting a tenant to sexual harassment, according to a press release. Second Bell Trust, which owned multiple single-family rental properties in the Springfield area, and the owner and property manager, Jimmie Bell, is being charged with violating the Fair Housing Act. The charge is on behalf of a tenant, her children and her nephew. The Fair Housing Act prohibits sexual harassment of tenants and other forms of housing discrimination based on race, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), color, national origin, disability, religion, and familial status. In HUD's charge, the tenant says that Bell made repeated unwelcome sexual comments, pressured her to provide sexual favors and touched her inappropriately. The tenant lived in one of Bell's properties from July 2017 until August 2019. When the tenant fell behind on rent payments, Bell allegedly said there are ways we can work this out and asked what can we do to handle this? On another occasion, Bell allegedly grabbed the tenant's breast and put his hands down her pants. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Housing in Springfield: City cites Greystone Apartments for mold, water damage that pose safety risk for residents The charge also alleges that Bell made unwelcome sexual advances towards at least 11 other women during their tenancy. "Subjecting tenants to unwelcome sexual advances and sexual harassment is outrageous and a clear violation of the law," said Demetria L. McCain, HUD's principal deputy assistant secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. "Today's charge sends a clear message to all landlords that HUD is committed to taking action against landlords whose behavior violates the Fair Housing Act." The case will be heard by a United States Administrative Law Judge unless any party to the charge elects to have the case heard in federal district court. People who believe they have experienced discrimination may file a complaint by contacting HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at 800-669-9777 or 800-927-9275 (TTY). This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: HUD: Springfield property owner subjected tenants to sexual harassment Cuba has uncovered a human trafficking ring that coerced its citizens into fighting for Russia in the war in Ukraine, news agency Reuters reported on Sept. 5, referring to a statement from the Cuban Foreign Ministry. The Reuters reports said the Cuban authorities were working to "neutralize and dismantle" the network. Read also: Russia recruiting fighters from Iraq to stave off mobilization at home, reports claim The Cuban Foreign Ministry statement gave few details, but noted the trafficking ring was operating both within the Cuba, and in Russia, Reuters wrote. Read also: Russians reportedly recruiting residents of occupied southern Ukraine into military ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Russia has been trying to recruit foreigners to fight in its war against Ukraine in order to avoid having to announce another wave of mobilization ahead of the Russian presidential elections scheduled for 2024, UK intelligence said in its daily Ukraine situation report on Sept. 3. Russia has been recruiting migrants from Central Asia to participate in combat operations in Ukraine, promising them expedited citizenship and a salary of up to $4,160, UK intelligence said. Russia plans to recruit an additional 400,000 contract soldiers following its failed winter/spring offensive in Ukraine, during which it suffered significant losses in manpower, news agency Bloomberg reported on March 24. 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 Republican presidential candidate Will Hurd knocked the foreign policy of fellow White House hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy , calling it always wrong, never in doubt. Vivek Ramaswamys approach to foreign policy can be summed up simply: always wrong, never in doubt, Hurd wrote Tuesday in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Truth: Tens of thousands of undocumented killings of civilians, rapes, torture, and destruction of non-military sites make Vladimir [Putin] a war criminal. The former Texas congressman followed up his criticism with a call for fundraising, writing on X, Support a presidential candidate who wont kiss Putins butt here. Hurd was responding to a video posted by CNN where Ramaswamy declined to call the Russian president a war criminal and instead suggested it was up to the International Criminal Court to make such a judgement. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ramaswamy has faced backlash from multiple GOP candidates in recent weeks over his proposed foreign policies, specifically his stance on the Russia-Ukraine war. The biotech entrepreneur has vowed to cede territory taken by Russia in eastern Ukraine and prevent Ukraine from joining NATO in exchange for Russia ending its military alliance with China, a position some have argued is Putin-friendly. His foreign policy also took center stage at the first GOP primary debate last month, where he was the only candidate to raise his hand when asked who would not support continued funding for Ukraine. The move prompted GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley to argue Ramaswamy has no foreign policy experience and it shows. John Bolton, who served as national security adviser under former President Trump, compared Ramaswamys comments about the war in Ukraine to those of Trump, who has suggested he would end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours. I think Ramaswamy reminds me an awful lot of Donald Trump, Bolton said Tuesday in a CNN interview. He has very firm opinions on subjects he knows absolutely nothing about. Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), the two leading GOP presidential candidates, have shared similar concerns about U.S. support for Kyiv. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. When you think of flamingos, the images that come to mind are probably of African water holes, the Caribbean, Florida or almost anywhere else other than Waynesville, Ohio. So, when Jacob Roalef saw Facebook posts about flamingos at Ceasar Creek State Park, near Dayton, last week, he rushed to see them for himself. I quickly grabbed my gear and told my wife and was out the door, Roalef, who leads birdwatching tours, told CNN. When he got there, he saw two birds an adult and a juvenile in the lake. The flamingos were just hanging out and sleeping in about a foot of water near the shore, Roalef said. They would wake up and drink some water or look up if a gull flew overheard. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He said the birds stayed there until about 6 p.m., when a dog scared them off. Flamingos feed and preen in Estero Bay Preserve State Park in Estero, Florida, on Monday, September 4, 2023. - Andrew West/The News-Press/USA Today Jerry Lorenz, the state director of research for Audubon Florida, says that since Hurricane Idalia blew through, theyve gotten reports of flamingos from around Florida, as well as Georgia, the Carolinas, Texas, Kentucky and many other places and the sightings keep pouring in. He speculates that the birds were flying between Cuba and the Yucatan and got diverted by the storm. Its just really surprising that if you follow the path of Idalia, it (the sightings) really does kind of fall out to the north and south of that central track, he said. Lorenz said they are still going through the data, so he doesnt know how many birds flew north because of the storm, but its a lot more than usual. We have never seen anything like this, Lorenz said. We will get a flamingo or two following storms (but) this is really unprecedented. Boat captain Vinnie Fugett spotted a group of 17 flamingos walking in the surf and eating on the beach at Treasure Island, near St. Petersburg, Florida. The birds finished eating and flew away around sunset. Ive never seen a flamingo here after living here my entire life, Fugett said. Lorenz urged people to give the flamingos lots of space because theyve been through a lot. These birds are stressed right now. They just went through a terrible ordeal no matter how you look at it, he said. So dont get close enough to startle them to frighten them or anything else, but enjoy their presence. Flamingos are native to Florida, but they were hunted to near extinction near the turn of the 20th century for their beautiful feathers, which were used in hats and other fashion. The population has been growing worldwide, but most of the Florida flamingos were believed to be descended from birds that escaped from various animal attractions. Recently, scientists have seen flamingos that have flown here from Cuba, Yucatan and the Bahamas. Lorenz said flamingos are capable of flying thousands of miles over open waters, so the Ohio birds should have no trouble flying home when it gets too cold for them. Hes been working with a group of experts to restore the Everglades and the Florida Keys and create proper habitats where flamingos can thrive. Perhaps these birds will feel more comfortable and, we will have a population again, and people will be able to come to South Florida and come to the Florida Keys and actually see flamingos in the wild, he said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in climatology. In non-Shakespearean terms, this means that weather events that havent been observed in our short span of reliable records can and will happen. For instance, in August, Tallahassee and many other Florida cities smashed the record for warmest month by nearly a full degree; we also closed out a cruel summer with the first-ever major hurricane landfall between the Panama City to Cedar Key areas, and the first hurricane-force inland wind event in the Big Bend in at least 75 years. Usually, anything traveling faster than 74 miles per hour in that part of Florida is immediately pulled over and issued a $295 ticket. Not this time. Most active part of hurricane season begins; soon-to-be Lee breaks the National Hurricane Center's power index As Floridas Gulf Coast again digs out from a regionally devastating and broadly exhausting storm, the Tropics continue to roil entering the historically most active two weeks of the season, in which around one-quarter of the Atlantics hurricane activity usually occurs. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Today, at least, that activity is concentrated in areas where hurricanes are common in September, and does not immediately threaten the continental United States. As of mid-day Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center started issuing advisories on Tropical Depression 13, which became Tropical Storm Lee at 5 p.m. Future Lee is currently located about halfway between West Africa and the Lesser Antilles, in the heart of the Tropical Atlantics Main Development Region, moving west-northwest at about 15 miles per hour. This general forward motion will continue into the weekend, and Lee should gain enough latitude to pass safely north of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in around 5 days. The 5 p.m. Sept. 5 tracking map for Tropical Storm Lee, which is expected to become a major hurricane. However, the northern Antilles should monitor Lee carefully, as the intensity expectations for this hurricane are wild. Lee will be moving across untouched Tropical Atlantic waters that are two to four degrees warmer than average, with ideal mid-level moisture and upper-level wind conditions for rapid intensification. The official forecast has Lee as a Category 4 Hurricane by Saturday morning, which is handily the most intensification ever predicted by an initial NHC advisory. Bermuda beware, but Florida should be fine; Eastern Seaboard should stay alert Even this forecast may be a bit conservative, with the hurricane-specific models that performed well with Idalias intensity forecast calling for near-Category 5 strength by late in the weekend. The specifics are to be determined, but it is likely that a powerful hurricane will be located south of Bermuda and east of the Bahamas early next week. While the specter of an Irma-like Cape Verde beast is alarming, the good news is that all models show a deep trough of low pressure over the eastern United States six to 10 days from now. All else equal, this protective dip in the jet stream should turn Lee more to the north around this time next week. Unless something very weird happens, that northward movement should occur well east of Florida, and Lee does not look like a threat to the state. On the other hand, the indeterminate details of the squeeze play between that eastern U.S. trough and a resilient ridge of west-central Atlantic high pressure does not completely rule out an eventual threat to the mid-Atlantic or New England. Tropical Depression 13, expected to become Tropical Storm Lee, is getting organized in the Atlantic Ocean between Africa and the Windward Islands, in this satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. . The most likely outcome is that Lee remains offshore, but with Lee 10 or more days out, there is sufficient uncertainty in the forecast such that the Eastern Seaboard should keep close tabs on Lee, especially as it will be a strong hurricane. Tropical cyclone (TC) threats to the northern half of the U.S. East Coast are uncommon, but happen predominantly in September when they occur. Im not saying there will be a TC north of D.C., but it cant yet be eliminated as a possibility. No storm threat to Florida in first half of September as cities rebuild from Idalia Elsewhere, befitting the peak of hurricane season, look for one or two more storms to develop through mid-September to the east of Lee. None of these will be any threat to land. Overall, there are no tropical threats to Florida over the next 10 days, and hopefully that will continue into the second half of September so devastated Big Bend communities can start the long process of recovery. These towns Steinhatchee, Cedar Key, Perry, Mayo, Madison, Live Oak, and many others deserve long-term support and gratitude, as they have absorbed a devastating trolley problem punch in lieu of more densely populated parts of Florida. A track just 30 miles farther west would have brought the western eyewall of Idalia into Tallahassee, pushing the manageable 45-60 mph gusts observed into the destructive 80-100 mph range. Conversely, a track 50 miles east might have doubled the already formidable 4-5 feet of surge seen in Tampa Bay. Idalia hit an area with few observing stations, and National Weather Service damage surveys are ongoing, so the full portrait of exactly what happened in Idalia is yet to completely emerge. However, from what we already know, its clear that history isnt the guide it seems to be. In an age of illogic in which major hurricanes prowl the shallow waters of Apalachee Bay and Rice-a-Roni is now the Atlantic Coast treat, nothing can be taken for granted in the Tropics. The next few weeks of hurricane season look tame for Florida, but the fridge at WeatherTigers World Headquarters remains fully stocked with two of every flavor of LaCroix just in case, as we lick our wounds and keep watching the skies. Ryan Truchelut, WeatherTiger Dr. Ryan Truchelut is chief meteorologist at WeatherTiger, a Tallahassee start-up providing forensic meteorology and expert witness consulting services, and agricultural and hurricane forecasting subscriptions. Get in touch at ryan@weathertiger.com, and visit weathertiger.com for an enhanced, real-time version of our seasonal outlook. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Hurricane Lee forecast: NHC charts tropical storm's path to Cat. 4 A 14-year-old boy is dead after jumping off a breakwall along Lake Michigan in East Chicago even though he and the group he was with were advised against it. Witnesses at the scene said a group of teens were jumping off near Jeorse Park around 4:20 p.m. Sept. 4, Indiana Department of Natural Resources spokesman Alex Neel said in a release Tuesday. The witnesses said the boy jumped off the rocks and started to struggle before disappearing in the water, Neel said. Advertisement The Lake County Coroners Office identified the teen as KMari Mack, of East Chicago. The cause of death was listed as asphyxia via drowning. First responders on the scene contacted the Lake County Sheriffs Dive Team, which recovered the unconscious and unresponsive Mack, according to the East Chicago Police Departments social media page. He was taken to St. Catherine Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Neel said. Advertisement The teens he was with tried to help him but werent able, and its unclear for how long he was submerged, the East Chicago Police release said. Marina staff had told the group not to jump off the pier, both the police release and Neel said. The East Chicago Fire Department and the Lake County Aviation Unit also assisted. Idahos abortion ban has driven scores of women across three different borders to seek care in the year since it went into effect. For someone from Boise, that can mean a trip of hundreds of miles to a clinic that can provide the procedure. Some have packed their families into cars to go to health care appointments in Montana, said a Planned Parenthood spokesperson in the state. Some people have had to save money to travel for an appointment. They join thousands of people leaving their home states across the country to seek abortions where its still legal, according to data from the Society of Family Planning and from Planned Parenthood clinics in neighboring states. Washington, Oregon and Montana have seen spikes in the number of Idahoans traveling to clinics there, necessitating staffing and training changes in some cases to keep up with demand. Its just a fundamental access issue, said Kenji Nozaki, interim CEO of Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette, which manages many Planned Parenthood clinics in Oregon, in a call with the Idaho Statesman. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The shift also has public health implications beyond abortion, experts said. Many patients are able to travel out of state for the procedure, but the added distance imposes extra obstacles. Those barriers prevent some from traveling at all. And the harsh penalties doctors face under Idahos ban have caused some fear about treating complicated pregnancies. Its hard not to think about the stories behind the numbers, said Caitlin Myers, a professor of economics at Middlebury College who researches reproductive policies, in a call with the Statesman. And the stories behind the numbers are people who want reproductive health care services that they cannot access because of distance and other factors in their lives. Bordering states take new abortion patients Idahos abortion ban outlawing the procedure except in cases of rape and incest or to save a mothers life went into effect on Aug. 25, 2022, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Courts June ruling in Dobbs vs. Jackson Womens Health Organization removed federal protections for the procedure. The Idaho law made performing an abortion punishable by up to five years in prison. The Planned Parenthood clinic in Boise closed just before, in June 2022, according to previous Statesman reporting. The organizations clinics in Meridian and Twin Falls remain open, offering services such as contraception, pregnancy testing and testing for sexually transmitted diseases. A sign on the front doors of the Boise Planned Parenthood advises that services have been moved to alternate locations after the building closed in June 2022. Planned Parenthoods clinics in Meridian and Twin Falls still offer services other than abortion. A surge of patients seeking abortions has flowed into Washington, Oregon and Montana since then. The average number of abortions in Idaho dropped from 170 per month in April and May 2022 to 33 per month for July 2022 through March 2023, according to a report from the Society of Family Planning, a nonprofit that researches abortion and contraception. Planned Parenthood clinics in central and eastern Washington saw an overall increase of 56% in abortion patients from Idaho from January through May compared with the same months in 2022, according to a report released in June by Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state. Two southeastern Washington clinics in particular in Kennewick and Walla Walla absorbed dramatic increases in the the number of incoming patients. Between January and May 2022, the Walla Walla clinic saw one Idaho abortion patient and the Kennewick clinic saw two. In the first five months of 2023, Walla Walla saw 20 and Kennewick 91. It has been a profound change, without a doubt, said Karl Eastlund, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho, which manages those clinics, in a call with the Statesman. In Oregon, the story was similar. The number of Idahoans receiving abortions at clinics operated by Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette, one of two Oregon affiliates of the national organization, increased to 400 between January and July 2023 from 31 in all of 2022, Nozaki said. That includes its centers in Bend, Salem and northwest Oregon. The organization hosted a soft opening for a clinic in March in Ontario, Oregon, just across the border from Payette. The clinic, now the closest Planned Parenthood clinic to Boise that offers abortions, remained in its soft opening phase in July. The closest clinic before that was the clinic in Walla Walla, a roughly 250-mile drive. We expect to see the trend going up and up now that weve established care out in that area, Nozaki said. In Montana, patients from Idaho make up the largest increase in abortion procedures for people traveling from other states since the Dobbs ruling, said Mary Sullivan, communications coordinator for Planned Parenthood in the state. As of July, the number of Idaho patients seeking abortions in Montana had increased by more than 200% since March 2023, she said. A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, which manages facilities in Nevada, wrote in an email to the Statesman that the organization did not have data to share on patients from Idaho seeking abortions there. North Idaho had no abortion providers before Its not new for Idaho patients to travel out of state for abortions, said Myers, the Middlebury economics professor its just that more people are traveling now. Before the states ban, the only abortion providers were in southern Idaho. If you were in northern portions of the state, you were already heading for Washington or Montana, Myers said. Alison Norris, co-chair of the Society of Family Plannings research on abortion counts, said in a call with the Statesman that roughly 30% of abortions for Idahoans were obtained out of state in 2017. And people dont always have to travel. Kimra Luna, co-founder of Idaho Abortion Rights, a mutual-aid organization, said in a call with the Statesman that the organization helped more than 600 Idahoans obtain access to abortion pills, which can be mail-ordered, between August 2022 and July 2023. Its not just Idaho women traveling out of state for abortions. Neighboring states are fielding an increase in out-of-state patients from across the country. Comparing the volume of abortions performed in 2022 before and after the Dobbs ruling, the average number of abortions performed per month increased from 1,735 to 1,926 in Washington, 820 to 987 in Oregon and 175 to 187 in Montana, according to the Society of Family Planning report. Planned Parenthood on Harbor Lane in Boise closed on June 1, 2022, shortly before the Supreme Courts ruling in Dobbs vs. Jackson Womens Health Organization removed federal protections for abortion. Clinics boost staff to handle surge of women Eastlund said Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho has added 10 staff members to its clinics since Idaho banned abortion, allowing the clinics to extend their hours on some days. A small number of staff members fewer than five had left Washington clinics by July because of fear about abortion rhetoric, Eastlund said. One such comment cited by Eastlund was a legal opinion issued, then rescinded, by Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador which has since been formally struck down asserting doctors violate the states abortion ban by referring patients to a state where abortion is legal. Some staff members live in northern Idaho, near the Planned Parenthood clinics in Pullman and Spokane, and commute across the border. They had concerns about how they might be affected. Its just part of our lives to go back and forth between Washington and Idaho, he said. Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette added staff members at its location in Bend in preparation for Idahos abortion ban, a spokesperson for the affiliate said. The clinics also added training for their staffs to keep wait times down, Nozaki said. Pregnancy centers say more women seek their services Pregnancy centers around Idaho that provide alternatives to abortion also reported an uptick in women using their services. Samantha Doty, director of clinical services for Stanton Healthcare, which provides free ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, baby supplies and other maternity care, said in a call with the Statesman that office visits to Stanton increased more than 65% by July 2023 after Idahos abortion ban went into effect. Baby supply requests increased almost 40%, she said. Stanton has locations in Boise and Meridian, and a mobile clinic. Doty said Stanton has also seen an increase in clients seeking abortion-pill reversal, which the organization also offers. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the leading professional organization for doctors providing health care for women, says abortion reversal, which relies on taking the hormone progesterone, is not supported by science. A girl holds an infant-sized coffin while marching at the front of Right to Life of Idahos Boise March for Life from Julia Davis Park to the Idaho Capitol on Jan. 21. March for Life events are held annually in many U.S. cities on or near the date of the January 22, 1973 Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade that granted women a constitutional right to abortion. Robin Watters, the executive director of Lifeline Pregnancy Care Center in Nampa and Caldwell, said the number of women using the clinic hasnt increased, but the share of people coming to the clinic saying theyre considering having an abortion has. The clinic offers pregnancy tests, gift bags, clothing and ultrasounds. Waters said the clinic sees about 1,200 clients a month. Of those, it served 12 clients who said they were considering an abortion between July 2021 and July 2022, and 26 between July 2022 and 2023. When a client comes in thinking about an abortion, the clinic asks them about their support system, shows them short videos and schedules an ultrasound, which shows how far along the pregnancy is, Watters said. She said the center is not judgmental and supports womens decisions. Free maternity home serves homeless women Lifeline opened a maternity home called the Nesting Place in February, where women can live for free while carrying a pregnancy, Watters said. It had served five women by July, all of whom were homeless, she said. The Reliance Center, based in Lewiston, also provides free services for women with unexpected pregnancies. In addition to tests and ultrasounds, the center helps pregnant women find housing, escape domestic violence and pay for rent or day care. It also refers them to drug addiction recovery services, said Heather Lawless, the centers founder and CEO. We figure out what the barrier is to the woman choosing life, she said. The center had seen a 63% increase by July in the number of women coming in saying they were considering an abortion, she said. The clinic also saw three women referred by Planned Parenthood because they had received abortions but couldnt be scheduled for follow-up care for months. Megan Wold, a former law clerk for Justice Samuel Alito, speaks at the Boise March for Life rally at the Idaho Capitol on Jan. 21. The centers said Idahos abortion ban was giving women time to pause and consider all their options before going through with the procedure. The bottom line is that, from what we see every single day, most women dont want an abortion, Doty said. Research: 1 in 4 women in places with bans cannot get to abortion clinic The shift in abortions signals public health impacts that arent obvious on the surface of the data, Myers and Norris said. Myers research at Middlebury into the effects of travel distance on abortions estimates that, for an average county in the U.S. affected by an abortion ban, roughly a quarter of people who want abortions cant get to a clinic to have the procedure, she said. To get to one, they may have to find someone to take care of their children, to take time off work, to have access to a car, and to be able to afford both the trip and the procedure, which isnt always covered by insurance, said Norris, of the Society of Family Planning. For people who are not well-resourced, you put a few layers of those various burdens and the person just cannot obtain an abortion, Norris said. Those prevented from doing so are more likely to be young, poor and already parenting, Myers said. Some self-manage abortions by ordering medication through the mail, she said, but others likely give birth. This is a big financial shock, she said. And a households financial well being and stability is intimately tied to measures of health. You cant separate these things. Giving birth also carries a higher risk of mortality for mothers than having an abortion, Norris said, and that risk is distributed unevenly across races. The risk of death is up to three times higher for Black women than for white women, she said. With each one of these pathways, you can see that theres an unequitable distribution of the burden, Norris said. An attendee at Planned Parenthoods Bans Off Our Bodies rally for abortion rights holds a sign reading Idaho the women as property state outside of the Idaho Statehous in May 2022. Even those who are able to travel abortion dont have it easy. It often requires marshaling even more financial resources, revealing their decision and their travel to other people who they might not have wanted to reveal it to, like a boss or a partner, Myers said. Abortion bans like Idahos have also created confusion and fear among health care providers about whether they can provide the best care for complications in giving birth, such as an ectopic pregnancy, Myers said. An ectopic pregnancy happens when a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus, most often in the fallopian tube, according to the Mayo Clinic. The pregnancy cant proceed normally and could cause life-threatening bleeding. Eastlund, of Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho, pointed to Bonner General Healths March 2023 decision to stop labor and delivery services at the Sandpoint hospital, citing the states political climate as a factor. Highly respected, talented physicians are leaving. Recruiting replacements will be extraordinarily difficult, the hospital wrote in its announcement. The Idaho Legislature continues to introduce and pass bills that criminalize physicians for medical care nationally recognized as the standard of care. Idaho hospital to stop delivering babies. One reason? Bills that criminalize physicians Can Idaho doctors refer patients to abortions out of state? Heres what a court ruled Idaho is sued, again, over an abortion law. Educators say it violates free speech Texas state Attorney General Ken Paxton, left, stands with his attorney Tony Buzbee, right, before his impeachment trial in the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) AUSTIN, Texas (AP) The historic impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton began Tuesday with accusations of corruption that went unchecked for years and the Republican pleading not guilty as his party confronts whether to oust one of former President Donald Trump 's biggest defenders. But the day ended without Paxton around at all he left and did not return after the state Senate overwhelming rejected his numerous attempts to dismiss the charges. His absence does not stop Texas' first impeachment trial in nearly 50 years but demonstrates the potential twists ahead in the coming weeks. He was not the only one who left early: Although the start of the trial was carried live by some Texas stations and supporters of Paxton lined up before sunrise outside the Capitol, by the end empty seats in the Senate gallery outnumbered onlookers. If convicted, Paxton could be barred from holding elected office in Texas. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Mr. Paxton should be removed from office because he failed to protect the state and instead used his elected office for his own benefit, said Republican state Rep. Andrew Murr, one of the House impeachment managers leading the case against Paxton. In Texas, we require more from our public servants than merely avoiding being a criminal, he said. In an era of bitter partisanship across the U.S., the trial is a rare instance of a political party seeking to hold one of its own to account for allegations of wrongdoing. For years many Texas Republicans have resisted criticizing or facing head-on the litany of legal troubles surrounding Paxton, who has remained popular among the hard right by aligning himself closely to Trump and rushing his office into lawsuits that have halted priorities of the Biden administration. As the articles of impeachment were formally read aloud, Paxtons attorney, Tony Buzbee, answered by calling them untrue or incorrect and saying his client pleads not guilty. He later used his opening statements to launch into a litany of grievances against the news media, the Texas House of Representatives, which impeached Paxton in May, and the special prosecutors who have pursued him for years on state charges of securities fraud. At the heart of the case are accusations that Paxton abused his office to help one of his donors, Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, who was indicted this summer on charges of making false statements to a bank to secure more than $170 million in loans. Buzbee said Paxton gave nothing of significance" to Paul and framed the proceedings as an attempt to overturn the will of voters. What could be less democratic than only 30 people deciding who should be the attorney general of Texas, Buzbee said. The Texas House took away the votes of the over 4 million people who voted for Ken Paxton. In one victory for Paxton, the presiding officer ruled that he cannot be compelled to testify during the proceedings, which could last for weeks. The first witness was Jeff Mateer, one of eight former Paxton aides who reported him to the FBI in 2020. His testimony was expected to continue Tuesday. Paxton's political future is in the hands of the Senate, where the Republican majority includes his wife, underscoring the many entanglements of his case. Sen. Angela Paxton can attend the trial but is barred from voting on whether to convict or acquit. Shortly before the trial began, Ken and Angela Paxton spoke for a few minutes on the Senate floor and shared a brief kiss. The Republican-led House voted 121-23 to impeach Paxton in May. The 20 articles of impeachment include abuse of public trust, unfitness for office and bribery. The vote immediately suspended Paxton and made him only the third sitting official in Texas nearly 200-year history to be impeached. Paxton faces trial by a Senate jury stacked with ideological allies and a presiding judge, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who loaned $125,000 to his last reelection campaign. A two-thirds majority or 21 senators is required for conviction, meaning that if all 12 Senate Democrats vote against Paxton, they still need at least nine Republicans to join them. Peter Bowen, 74, drove from Houston at 3:30 a.m. to be in line at the Senate before sunrise. He said Paxton, who was reelected to a third term last November, was impeached because of his support for Trump and voters have already made clear where they stand on the allegations. We all knew about them, and we elected him. What they are doing is taking away the vote of the majority of the people of Texas, Bowen said. The trial will likely bring forth new evidence. But the outline of the allegations against Paxton has been public since 2020, when eight of his top deputies reported him to the the FBI. The former aides largely conservatives handpicked by the attorney general told investigators that Paxton had gone against their advice and hired an outside lawyer to probe the FBI's allegations of wrongdoing by Paul'. They also said Paxton pressured his staff to take other actions that helped Paul. In return, Paul allegedly hired a former aide to a Republican state senator with whom Paxton acknowledged having had an affair and bankrolled the renovations of one of the attorney general's properties, a million-dollar home in Austin. Federal prosecutors continue to examine Paul and Paxton's relationship, so the evidence presented during his impeachment trial poses a legal as well as a political risk to the attorney general. After going to the FBI, all eight of Paxton's deputies quit or were fired. Their departures led to an exodus of other seasoned lawyers and saw the attorney general's office consumed by dysfunction behind the scenes. McLaren Health Care said it shut down the computer network at its 14 Michigan hospitals last week "out of an abundance of caution" after its information technology security team found suspicious activity during routine monitoring. The outage, an employee and a patient told the Free Press, affected at least the organization's billing systems and electronic medical records, and meant that workers at times had to use personal cellphones to communicate. McLaren, however, would not confirm specifically what systems were affected, whether patients' protected health information was compromised or even when the security threat was first identified. Headquartered in Grand Blanc, McLaren is just the latest Michigan health system to face a growing threat caused by cyberattacks. Consumers, though, can be kept in the dark unless private medical data is disclosed, and even then, organizations have 60 days to inform people. McLaren Flint is seen on Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Flint. "In recent years, increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks in the health care and public health sectors have posed alarming threats to people in Michigan and across the country," U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., said during a March Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee meeting. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Cyberattacks on hospitals and other health care providers can cause serious disruptions to their operations and prevent them from effectively providing critical lifesaving care to their patients. Breaches can also lead to the exposure of sensitive personal and medical information of patients and health care personnel." Each breach can expose the personal data of thousands of people, putting them at risk of identity theft, scams and additional cyberattacks. Each health care data breach costs millions The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that data breaches among health care organizations more than doubled from 2019 to 2021. And in 2022, at least 28.5 million health care records were breached. Trustwave, a Chicago-based cybersecurity company, released a report in July that found nationally, 24% of all cyberattacks in the U.S. in 2022 targeted the health care industry. "The average cost of a health care data breach in 2023 is about $11 million," said Karl Sigler, senior security research manager at Trustwave. "It's the highest cost of any industry, about 50% higher than hospitality, retail, etc. And that's because of the complexity of the networks, how data is stored, compliancy issues and penalties and fees and fines that have to be addressed. And outreach to affected customers is something that some industries don't have to do, but health care obviously does." In addition, the incidents spawn lawsuits. In 2021, Scripps Health paid $3.5 million as part of a settlement to patients affected by a data breach. The largest ransomware attack in 2022, Trustwave found, involved Illinois-based CommonSpirit Health and compromised the data of more than 623,000 patients in multiple states. The health system said the breach cost more than $150 million, and it, too, was the subject of a class-action lawsuit. Digital attacks can have deadly real-world impact Cyberattacks are not just costly, they also can be deadly. An Alabama woman sued the hospital where she delivered her baby in 2020, alleging that a ransomware attack prevented doctors from properly monitoring her daughter's heart rate, court documents show. Because technology at the hospital wasn't working as it should, she said doctors didn't realize that the umbilical cord was wrapped around her baby's neck, causing brain damage. The child died a few months later. In September 2020, a woman in Germany suffered an aortic aneurism and was en route to a hospital that had been struck by ransomware attack. The ambulance had to be rerouted to a different hospital, where the woman died. The Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg called it "the first time that a virtual attack has been publicly connected to the very real loss of life." "These relentless cyberattacks show that foreign adversaries and cybercriminals will stop at nothing to exploit cybersecurity vulnerabilities, our critical infrastructure and most essential systems," said Peters. "What is most concerning about these attacks is that they don't just compromise personal information. They can actually affect patient health and safety." U.S. Sen. Gary Peters. A 2021 study from Proofpoint and the Ponemon Institute found that among 641 organizations that provide IT for health care companies, 89% had experienced at least one cyberattack in the last year. Of them: 64% said ransomware attacks caused delays in procedures and tests that resulted in poorer outcomes, including an increase in the severity of illness for patients. 59% said patients had to stay longer in the hospital as a result of ransomware attacks. 24% said ransomware attacks caused an increase in the hospital's mortality rate. "It's really hard to get direct evidence that any specific attack caused a person to pass away, but the evidence is there. It does occur and there are specific anecdotes," Sigler said. Reporting attacks The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said it does not track cybersecurity breaches at health care organizations in the state; hospitals and health care systems not required to notify MDHHS of cyberattacks. Health care providers are required, however, to report any breach of protected health information to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, as well as the Federal Trade Commission. When it comes to disclosing to the public that personal health information was compromised, the federal HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) Breach Notification Rule offers some protection. It requires health care providers to disclose within 60 days of when a breach was first discovered details about what types of information were compromised, what steps people should take to protect themselves, what is being done to investigate the breach, as well as contact information. Ransomware and phishing attacks are striking health care organizations with growing frequency. If the cyberattack involved 500 people or more, a prominent media outlet must also be notified within 60 days. It took until mid-July for Detroit-based Henry Ford Health to notify some patients that an email phishing scheme dating to March allowed hackers to access protected health information. Henry Ford said it conducted a forensics investigation and didn't determine until May 16 that information such as name, gender, date of birth, age, lab results, procedure type, diagnosis, date of service, telephone number, medical record number and/or internal tracking number "could have been accessed by the bad actor." Foreign actors do most of the damage The vast majority of those "bad actors," Sigler said, are from large, organized groups from Eastern Europe, Russia, China, North Korea or Iran. "It's almost always foreign actors. Occasionally, some domestic actors might get caught up in it," Sigler said. "Those groups are highly organized and they do highly targeted attacks and they tend to be the biggest attacks you see. There's also some Brazilian groups ... which are pretty large." In January, the University of Michigan Health system was affected by an attack on a third-party vendor from the pro-Russian hacking group KillNet. The vendor was among several U.S. and foreign medical organizations that were targeted by KillNet on the same day because of national support for Ukraine in the war. In that attack, several University of Michigan Health websites were intermittently down, but "none of the sites impacted contain patient information, and all patient information is safe," said spokesperson Mary Masson. Sigler said "almost 98% of the time" cyberattacks on health care organizations are about stealing money. "Occasionally, you'll see compromises that are about just destroying the target organization, just trying to take them down," he said. "They don't care about the finances. They just want to destroy the data, cripple them. And then we see that in, for instance, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where their primary goal is destruction." Ransom threats to patients Sometimes, these online thieves will first target a health care organization, and then will try to extort more money from the patients whose information they have obtained. Sigler detailed a devastating example of that type of ransomware attack in Lehigh, Pennsylvania, earlier this year. It was conducted by a criminal ring known as BlackCat, which has been associated with Russia. "The bad actors exfiltrated the data first and threatened to extort the patients of the health care clinic," Sigler said. "One of the things that health care clinic was responsible for was mammograms for people who potentially had breast cancer." The cybercriminals "started targeting the patients directly, saying, 'Hey, I have these mammograms of you. And I'm going to leak them because your health care clinic doesn't care to pay the ransom. But if you pay us a ransom, we'll make sure that your records specifically aren't leaked with everybody else's.' "It's one of the more vicious attacks that I've seen that's been publicly disclosed." Little is known about what exactly happened last week at McLaren. The health system did not answer questions from the Free Press about whether patients' personal health information was compromised. It did, however, issue the following statement: "McLaren Health Care can confirm that our clinical and administrative services are operational, and we are continuing to provide health care services. "Recently, we have been responding to suspicious network activity detected by our IT Security team during routine system monitoring. While we were investigating the activity, we temporarily disconnected our network from the internet out of an abundance of caution. During this time, we continued to provide the exceptional care that our patients and communities count on. Our response to this incident is ongoing, and we dont want to speculate or share unverified information. We will provide additional information as we have more to share." Better tracking of cybersecurity threats Peters and former Sen. Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican, co-authored legislation that was signed into law and requires health care organizations to report cyber and ransomware payments to the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. "This law will help ensure that government is able to better track cybersecurity threats to our critical infrastructure, provide more transparency and situational awareness for our cybersecurity defenses and enable CISA to warn potential victims of ongoing attacks so they know they could be the next target," Peters said. It's a start, said Scott Dresen, chief information security officer of Corewell Health, Michigan's largest health system, but it's not enough. "Requirements for interagency sharing of cybersecurity threat intelligence is a productive step forward," Dresen said during testimony before the Senate committee. "We need more ... enhanced collaboration ... including the ability to automate threat intelligence data sharing ... enabling rapid, near real-time automatic ingestion of threat intelligence." Dresen urged lawmakers to find a way to make cybersecurity technology more affordable and accessible to the entire health care sector and to reduce penalties that health care organizations must pay in the wake of cyberattacks and related data breaches. "We are in an environment where keeping up with technology to defend against advanced persistent threat is extremely expensive," Dresen said. "Many of these technologies aren't an option for financially disadvantaged health care systems due to cost. ... "We are at our best and most capable when it comes to caring for our patients and members. That is our expertise. Our adversaries are at their best and most capable when they're attacking us. They are extremely well-funded, extremely talented and highly motivated. Many are nation-state actors or are sponsored and supported by nation-states. We can't beat them alone. "But together, we can be more effectively protecting this vital critical infrastructure sector." Contact Kristen Shamus: kshamus@freepress.com. Subscribe to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Hospitals don't have to disclose cyberattacks for at least 60 days FILE PHOTO: Traffic moves past under a G20 logo installed on a pedestrian bridge in front of the main venue of the summit in New Delhi By Rupam Jain NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian President Droupadi Murmu's reference to herself as the "President of Bharat" in a dinner invitation, instead of "President of India", sparked controversy on Tuesday, with critics saying the name of the country is being distorted. Murmu is hosting a reception for G20 leaders during the group's summit on Saturday and invitations were sent from her office. India is also called Bharat, Bharata, Hindustan - its pre-colonial names - in Indian languages and these are used interchangeably by the public and officially. High offices in the country have typically stuck to titles such as President of India, Prime Minister of India and Chief Justice of India while communicating in English. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Over the years though, Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has been changing colonial names to, what it says, help India move past a mentality of slavery. Supporters of the name change in the invitation said British colonial rulers had coined the name India to overshadow Bharat and forge a British legacy. "Our country's name is Bharat and there should be no doubt about it," said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, a federal deputy minister. Hindu groups linked to BJP said the G20 summit provided the best opportunity to shed India's colonial baggage. Opposition leaders were, however, critical of the change, with some saying it aimed to eclipse their two-month-old political alliance which is also called "INDIA". "We all say 'Bharat', what is new in this? But the name 'India' is known to the world...What happened suddenly that the government had to change the name of the country?" said Mamata Banerjee, a top opposition leader. Shashi Tharoor of the opposition Congress party posted on X, previously known as Twitter, "I hope the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with India, which has incalculable brand value built up over centuries." The change to "President of Bharat" comes less than two months after opposition parties formed the "INDIA" alliance to challenge BJP in national elections next year. INDIA, they said, stands for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. Political analysts said it was a clever coinage to take on the BJP's nationalist platform. India's president is a non-party executive with only ceremonial powers. She is traditionally backed and elected by the party in power. An official at the president's office said they didn't want to comment on the issue when asked by Reuters. (Reporting by Rupam Jain; Editing by YP Rajesh, Alexandra Hudson) The bulldozers and government officials arrived just before dawn, tearing down the row of shanties as its bewildered residents watched inconsolably nearby. We were so frightened, said 56-year-old Jayanti Devi as she attempted to salvage what was left of her belongings in the heart of New Delhi. They destroyed everything. We have nothing left. For the past 30 years her home had stood on a decrepit pavement, next to an open sewage drain, opposite the sprawling Pragati Maidan complex, a prominent convention center in the Indian capital that will this week host leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) nations. But the dwelling is not what US President Joe Biden, Frances Emmanuel Macron, or British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will see as they arrive for the pivotal summit. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Devi is among tens of thousands of New Delhis most marginalized residents who have been evicted from their homes in the lead up to the G20 meeting, as authorities embark on a mass demolition drive in neighborhoods across the city. Clothes hanging to dry near demolished houses opposite Pragati Maidan. - Rhea Mogul/CNN The government justified the demolitions by saying the structures are illegal and has said it intends to rehome some of the affected communities. But activists have questioned the timing, claiming instead that the demolitions are part of a beautification project a campaign to rid the city of its beggars and slums to impress foreign dignitaries. The image of India that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to project at the G20 is one of a modern superpower, a leader of the Global South, and a voice for impoverished nations. But the government has been accused of hiding one of the countrys own most entrenched and enduring problems. What strikes me most is that India, the Indian state, is ashamed of ostensible poverty, said Harsh Mander , a social activist who works with homeless families and street children. It doesnt want poverty to be visible to the people who come here. In a written response in parliament in July, the Indian government denied any links between the demolitions of homes and the G20 summit. CNN has reached out to the New Delhi and federal governments but is yet to receive a response. Jayanti Devi stands amid the rubble of what was her home of 30 years. - Rhea Mogul/CNN Why now? Delhi has long been a city of glaring disparities. Its a city where millionaires live in gleaming mansions next to homeless families on footpaths nearby, and where children sell toys to passengers in cars as they stop at traffic lights. Its a city that attracts tremendous business, yet the demand for jobs grows increasingly acute. Around 16 million people live in the capital, according to the latest government census from 2011, but only 23.7% of them live in planned or approved neighborhoods, according to a report by the New Delhi-based think tank, Centre for Policy Research. The rest live in designated slums, villages, and unauthorized neighborhoods. In April, Savita and her four daughters watched in despair as government authorities drove into their settlement an unauthorized neighborhood next to the 14th century Tughlaqabad Fort, an iconic Delhi monument, breaking down their small home and reducing seven years of memories to rubble. Hundreds of homes demolished next to New Delhi's Tughlaqabad Fort. - Rhea Mogul/CNN I cant explain how distraught everyone was as they bulldozed the homes, Savita said. People were screaming, crying, begging them to stop. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which carried out the demolitions, claims Savita and her neighbors had encroached on the land and illegally constructed their homes, according to court documents seen by CNN. In a notice to the residents in January, the ASI directed all encroachers to remove illegal constructions at their own cost within a period of 15 days, court documents show. The ASI did not respond to requests for comment. Savita said she knew her family was purchasing land in an unauthorized colony when they built their home in 2016. We knew the risk we were taking. But we are poor and its all we could afford, she said. People have been living here for over 40 years. Why didnt authorities demolish these homes earlier. Why now? Savita looks over what was once her home of seven years. - Rhea Mogul/CNN Homeless and hungry More than 100,000 residents living in the Tughlaqabad area lost their homes in April, according to a Supreme Court petition filed by a lawyer assisting the residents. With nowhere to go and no money to rent an apartment, many including Savitas family had no choice but to live under tarpaulin sheets on the rugged land, even as torrential rains and floods battered the city. In the day time, they begged policemen nearby for some bread to share between the six of them. On one occasion at night, she said, men tried to snatch her neighbors daughter, pulling the screaming teen into the dark woods. We endured this hardship for six weeks, Savita said through tears. Forced to study next to mounds of garbage as stray dogs and cows rummaged through decaying food, her daughters struggled with their school work, becoming depressed and withdrawn. Workers build a wall near Savita's home. - Rhea Mogul/CNN This isnt the first time that an Indian government has carried out slum or shanty demolitions ahead of a large-scale international event. In 2010, when the now opposition Indian National Congress was in power, beggars were forced to move from the streets of New Delhi and slums were destroyed in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games, upending the lives of tens of thousands in the capital. Mander, the social activist, said it was unfair of the government to target poor families for living on unauthorized land. The government does not acknowledge that illegality has been imposed on these poor people, Mander said. Thats because this city has been planned in a way where there is no place for them to live legally. The demolitions are being done with extreme cruelty. Savita helps her children with homework at a temporary home in Delhi. - Rhea Mogul/CNN The Delhi government has said it intends to rehabilitate Savita and her family but she says no help has arrived so far and is fighting her case in court. Her family is now temporarily living with a relative in a two-bedroom apartment in a crowded and narrow shanty settlement. The stench of cow dung engulfs the gulleys, where thousands of flies swarm outside doors and mangy cats roam the alleyways. My children dont like it here, Savita said. They ask me why this is happening to us. What can I tell them? Leader of the Global South Since assuming the presidency of the G20 this year, India, the worlds new most populous nation of 1.4 billion, has positioned itself as a leader of emerging and developing nations often referred to as the Global South at a time when consumers are being hammered by soaring food and energy prices as a result of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Modi sees India as a confident and modern superpower, a voice for the voiceless seizing the 21st century. Last month India celebrated successfully conducting a soft moon landing, becoming only the fourth country in the world to achieve such a feat. Speaking to Congress during a highly publicized trip to the United States in June, Modi said giving a voice to the Global South is the way forward. As war continues to throw the global economy into chaos, India has signaled an intention to raise the many concerns faced by the Global South, including climate challenges and food and energy security. The world looks upon the G20 to ease the challenges of growth, development, economic resilience, disaster resilience, financial stability, transnational crime, corruption, terrorism, and food and energy security, Modi said in February. However, activists point out the irony in that image, when Indias poorest are struggling at home. People are dying on the streets in the cold winter and we are demolishing homes, Mander said. There must be a fundamental right to life to live with dignity. Poverty makes us powerless Standing amid the rubble of her home of seven years, Savita said she had so many dreams for her family. I wanted my children to grow up here. I wanted to give them a stable upbringing, she said. Now, security guards patrol the Tughlaqabad area as construction workers build a wall to seal the land. Where were you the day bulldozers took our home? residents asked the guards angrily. Why didnt you come to help us? Devi, from the Pragati Maidan area, is now forced to live in a makeshift tent on a nearby sidewalk, with no relief from the blistering summer heat. She says no one has helped her find alternative shelter. Selling tea and snacks to make ends meet, surrounded by decaying garbage and an open sewage drain that attracts hundreds of mosquitoes and flies, she feels defeated and alone. Were so angry, but our poverty makes us powerless, Devi said. We cant speak up. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Anirudh Singh, 12, center with red suitcase, escorted by lawyer Glen Raj, just behind him, crosses into Tijuana on May 19 to visit his father, Dr. Pradyuman Singh, who has been living at the Quartz Hotel & Spa in Tijuana since January. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) On the surface, Dr. Pradyuman Singh has all the makings of the immigrant American dream. He has a business recruiting students to medical schools; a wife, son and daughter who is pre-med at UC Irvine; and his family lives in a Laguna Niguel home with ocean views. But his picturesque life in the U.S. has been unraveling almost since it started. Now Singh is separated from his family and stuck 90 miles away, just across the border in Tijuana. The Singhs are just one family making their way through the labyrinthine U.S. immigration process. But their experience shows that not even higher education, wealth and investments in the U.S. may make a difference when it comes to navigating a system that for many has become a bureaucratic black hole. Singh, 55, arrived in the U.S. with his wife and daughter in 2008 on a work visa after he purchased a motel in Kansas City, Kan., where members of his extended family lived. The family landed in deportation proceedings in 2011 after his visa renewal was denied, but because of court backlogs and scheduling issues, he said, they didn't get their day in court until this summer. Dr. Pradyuman Singh checks his phone while waiting for his son and lawyer to cross the border at San Ysidro, Calif., while in his Tijuana hotel room in May. Singh has been living in Tijuana since January, hoping for a change in his immigration status. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) And despite having invested nearly $1.6 million in the motel, according to Singhs application for an investor visa, that petition which would grant the family permanent residency remains pending. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Our system is very unforgiving," said Theresa Cardinal Brown, senior advisor on immigration for the Bipartisan Policy Center. "Once you are out of status or have violated a status, it is very difficult to get a status back." Just before the world began to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, the family faced yet another setback: Singhs mother-in-law in India was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis and placed in a medically induced coma. Singh had worked as a medical doctor in Russia, so his wife begged him to go care for her mother. He went, he said, with assurances from local immigration agency offices that he was likely to be let back in. He wasnt. Earlier this year, Singh took up residence in a hotel less than a mile from the U.S. border in Tijuana. There, his 12-year-old son Anirudh, who was born in the U.S., can occasionally visit because Singh's wife and daughter lack legal U.S. documents, they are unable to make the trip with him. The family is at a crossroads. In June, an immigration judge dismissed their case, clearing their immediate risk of deportation but dissolving their petition to bring Singh back to the U.S. for proceedings. Now, from the Mexican side of the border wall, Singh wonders whether he and his family should return to India and if it was a mistake to have moved to the U.S. in the first place. Dr. Pradyuman Singh talks with his wife, Shashi, via Facetime, with morning coffee, in his room at the Quartz Hotel & Spa in Tijuana. Shashi Singh holds a phone Facetiming with her husband while at the dinner table with their daughter and son at home in Laguna Niguel . Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times I never thought things would end up that way, he said. It has been a nightmare for us. Before immigrating to the U.S., Singh said, he had a thriving business in India recruiting students there to medical schools in Russia, where he had gotten his own medical degree. In 2007, he and his family flew to Kansas City to visit relatives. Seeing a good opportunity to advance in the U.S., Singh bought a motel and moved to the area with his wife, Shashi, and then-8-year-old daughter Elena. But just two years after his family's move, Singh's journey was in peril. He would soon face more than a decade of roadblocks in his efforts to gain legal status. In September 2010, he was in Russia on a business trip when he learned his visa renewal application was denied. According to the denial letter, despite being a business owner, Singh did not qualify as an executive and wasn't eligible for the L-1 visa, which allows companies to transfer executives and managers abroad to the United States. Singh said he tried to reach his lawyer at a Chicago firm that had been recommended by a family friend but never heard back. Unbeknownst to Singh, the man whom he believed to be his lawyer, Tahawwur Rana, was not a licensed attorney. Rana was convicted in 2011 of providing support to an Islamist militant group and allegedly plotting an attack on a Danish newspaper. Many service providers, sometimes called consultants or brokers, are not licensed attorneys or accredited representatives and are not qualified to provide legal advice. Singhs paperwork was signed by Raymond J. Sanders, an attorney described in news reports as Ranas business partner, who was not charged in Rana's case. Reached by phone, Sanders' wife, Barbara Murphy-Sanders, said her husband, 90, suffers from Alzheimer's and dementia and wouldn't remember the case. Shashi Singh reviews a food delivery order with her daughter Elena, 22, at home in Laguna Niguel. Shashi Singh says goodnight to her son, Anirudh, 12. Shashi Singh has not seen her husband in person since March 2020. Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times After receiving the L-1 denial, Singh returned to the U.S. on a tourist visa. His son, Anirudh, was born in November 2010. They didn't have long to celebrate. The following year, the family was placed in deportation proceedings for overstaying their original visas. So Singh tried a different route. Based upon his ownership of the Kansas City motel, he applied in 2012 for an EB-5 visa, which offers a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who invest $1 million in a business that creates at least 10 full-time jobs within two years of the visa's approval. But three years later, that petition was denied because Singh had used loans to make the purchase. Immigrants such as Singh, who applied for EB-5 visas based on investments funded by loans, filed a class-action lawsuit in 2015 against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services over their denials. Applicants said they were blindsided by a new rule against using certain loans toward visa investment. In 2020, a Washington, D.C., circuit court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, vacated the denials and ordered the federal agency to reconsider their petitions. But the ruling established no timeline, and Singh hasnt received a new decision on his application. Even if it is approved, he will have to request a waiver to reenter the U.S. and whether he is granted one is up to the government's discretion. Still in immigration limbo, Singh's obstacles continued to mount. The family's deportation proceedings were taken off the court calendar and placed on an indefinite hold. Singh's drivers license expired in 2012, setting off years of persistent fear that he would be stopped by the police. Elena Singh, 22, left, and brother Anirudh, 12, right, are shown with their mother, Shashi, at their Laguna Niguel home in May. The siblings' father, Dr. Pradyuman Singh, hasn't been home since March 2020, when he left the U.S. to travel to India. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) But a glimmer of hope came in 2016, when he learned of a California law creating drivers licenses for immigrants without legal status. Tired of feeling paranoid, the Singhs left Kansas and rented a 3,500-square-foot home tucked inside a gated community in the hills of Laguna Niguel. Life improved. Singh started a California subsidiary of his medical recruitment business. Shashi's anxiety eased and she joined community fitness classes. Elena quickly made friends and excelled in school, deciding she would pursue medicine just like her dad. And Anirudh took up piano, violin and karate. It wasn't long, however, before the family faced more hardship. In late 2019, Shashis mother contracted a life-threatening case of bacterial meningitis. Panicked, Shashi begged her husband to go to India and supervise her mothers care. She had distrusted the Indian medical system since her father died of a heart attack, despite assurances from medical staff that he would survive. Singh and his immigration lawyer, Glen Raj, sought emergency travel permission. During in-person meetings at local U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices, both agencies said they couldnt provide travel permission but, according to Singh and Raj, said Singh should have no problem returning on humanitarian grounds. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services declined to comment on Singh's case. He left on March 7, 2020, four days before the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. Shashis mother survived. But three months later, when Singh was ready to return home to Laguna Niguel, he found dead ends on every route. Lisa Ramirez, a California immigration attorney who consulted on Singhs immigration case, said he shouldnt have left the country because it was too risky given his pending deportation case. I have a lot of desperate clients that also have emergencies. In my opinion, it was at worst foolish, at best necessary for him to depart, she said. There is no advance parole, no permission to travel when someone is in [removal] proceedings. Thats just the bottom line. But Ramirez added that the broader issue is how long it takes the government to process applications. Singh has what many immigrants don't the resources to pay attorneys to file various applications, represent him in court and contact members of Congress about his case and still faces high hurdles. A recent report by the libertarian Cato Institute, "Why legal immigration is impossible for nearly everyone," explains that the U.S. ranks in the bottom third of wealthy countries for a foreign-born share of the population, with less than 1% of people who want to immigrate legally able to do so. Cardinal Brown, of the Bipartisan Policy Center, noted that families being separated or children with U.S. citizenship forced to leave the country when their parents are deported are common stories. So too is the story of a family who arrived legally, tried and failed to retain their legal status, and remained without legal documentation. "Heres somebody who doesnt have an easy way to come a job offer, a U.S. family member to sponsor them so theyre trying to make their own case to immigrate," she said of the Singhs. "But the United States is not built that way." Singhs family didn't hold up well in his absence. Anirudh wrote a letter to Santa in 2020 asking for his dad to come back. On Christmas Day, Shashi said, he opened every door in the house, asking, Is Dad here? In February 2021, a clinical psychologist conducted an assessment of Anirudh, finding that the separation from his father had caused him intense stress and anxiety. Anirudh and his family were confronted with family separation at the same time as they faced instability, fear, and chaos due to the global pandemic, psychologist Malena Vinocur wrote in the assessment, which the family provided to The Times. When asked about this, Anirudh stated tearfully, My dad not being here it ruins everything. Shashi Singh shares a Hindu prayer with her son, Anirudh, before bed. Singh has been raising her son and daughter alone for more than three years, only able to see her husband via Facetime. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Elena moved home from a dorm at UC Irvine, where she had just completed her first quarter, as the campus shut down because of the pandemic. When the campus reopened, she considered moving into an apartment with friends. But she couldnt bear to leave her mom and brother. Weve gotten past the public health crisis, but my family is still in crisis," she told The Times. The family, once ashamed of their immigration status, opened up about their experiences to a small circle of friends whom they leaned on for support. But as the months dragged on, Shashi grew increasingly anxious. She said she feels guilty about asking her husband to go to India to take care of her mother. Shes also angry at a U.S. immigration system that allowed her family to slip through the cracks despite their repeated attempts to do things lawfully. I tried my best to be strong for my kids, Shashi said, tearing up, but Im not that much strong anymore. Pradyuman Singh has twice requested humanitarian entry through the U.S. Consulate in India. The first request was denied; he said he was never contacted for an interview the second time. In an August 18, 2022, letter to Singh's attorney, Department of Homeland Security parole unit chief Timothy Meadows wrote that entry under parole cannot bypass regular immigration procedures and that the totality of the equities in [Singh's] case does not warrant a favorable exercise of ICEs discretionary parole authority. In January, Singh obtained a Mexican tourist visa and flew from India to Tijuana to meet Raj, his lawyer. They requested humanitarian parole, which was denied. Anirudh Singh, right, yawns while his dad, Dr. Pradyuman Singh, nods off during a late-night viewing of the movie "Avengers: Infinity War" during a visit to Tijuana in May. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) They asked again for humanitarian parole in May. Citing Singh's medical recruitment agency, he also requested entrepreneur parole, which is for immigrants who can prove that their startup would provide a significant public benefit. Both applications remain pending. "The Singhs are not lawyers and they dont have a USCIS handbook. They fell in love with this country; they solicited legal advice and lawyers including me provided them with advice; they followed that advice," Raj said. "The Singhs never ran, never tried to do anything false, tried to adhere with every single law possible." For Singh, living in Tijuana provided another benefit seeing his son, the only member of the family with a U.S. passport. On their most recent visit, they went shopping at a mall, ordered room service and watched "Die Hard" on Singhs laptop, lying side by side until they drifted off to sleep. Dr. Pradyuman Singh hugs his son goodbye, at the end of a weekend visit in May in Tijuana. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Singh has missed three Father's Days, Elenas 21st birthday and his 25th wedding anniversary, which he and Shashi celebrated in June over FaceTime with Champagne. Elena hopes her father will make it back in time for her college graduation in December. Throughout the years, even before becoming separated from his family, Singh considered leaving the U.S. He could go to Russia, where he lived for 18 years and owns two apartments and an office. Or he could go back to India, where he owns more properties and recently invested in a grocery store chain. But he feels trapped. Home, for his children, is California. Get the best of the Los Angeles Times politics coverage with the Essential Politics newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. After three years of seeing more than 200 homicides annually, IndyStar is tracking each killing to better understand violence in the city and remember the victims. This list is preliminary, and the number of homicides can change as authorities investigate the circumstances of each case, determining whether the slaying was criminal, justified, accidental or suicide. IndyStar has excluded cases ruled accidents, suicides, fatal overdoses or hit-and-run deaths unless they were deemed intentional. This information is compiled using data from Indianapolis police, court records and interviews with family and friends of those killed. Anyone with information that could help a homicide investigation is asked to call the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477 to remain anonymous. Are we missing information? Email Sarah Nelson at sarah.nelson@indystar.com or Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. August | September | October Natasha D. Highbaugh, 41, found shot dead in bushy area on North Franklin Road in Lawrence Sept. 29: LAWRENCE: Police are investigating an early morning shooting that left Natasha D. Highbaugh, 41, dead in Lawrence. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement At around 6:40 a.m., police arrived at the 4200 block of N. Franklin Road for a report of an unresponsive person. In a bushy area outside a residence, they found Highbaugh with at least one gunshot wound. Officials declared her deceased at the scene and are working to determine if she was shot at that location or at another location. On Tuesday, Oct. 3, police announced the arrest of Oscar Guardado Nunez on a preliminary charge of murder in the case. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477, where tips may be shared anonymously. Porshia Corvette Walker, 34, shot and killed at home on East 33rd Street on Indy's east side Sept. 25: Officers responded to a report of a person shot at a home in the 10000 block of East 33rd Street just before midnight. They found 34-year-old Porshia Corvette Walker with gunshot injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers detained a person of interest who was later released pending further investigation. Lead detective: Steven Gray, Steven.Gray@indy.gov Davion Grundy, 27, found shot dead behind vacant house on West 25th Street Sept. 25: Davion Grundy, 27, was found dead inside a vehicle behind a vacant house on the north side of the city. Arriving officers were called to a vacant home in the 800 block of West 25th Street about a death investigation. Police found Grundy with gunshot wounds inside a car behind the residence. Lead detective: Jeremy Ingram, Jeremy.Ingram@indy.gov Jose Angel Hernandez Jr., 30, dies in double shooting on Maywood Road Sept. 23: A double shooting left one man dead and another critically injured. Police were called to the 2500 block of Maywood Road shortly after 10:30 p.m. about shots fired. They found two men with gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel declared Hernandez Jr. dead at the scene. The other was taken to a hospital. Lead detective: Gary Toms, Gary.Toms@indy.gov Genesis Collins Mixon, 20, dies in shooting, crash on North Sherman Drive Utility poles sit snapped in the 2600 block of North Sherman Drive after a person was fatally shot Sept. 22, 2023. Sept. 22: A person was killed in a shooting before noon in the 2600 block of North Sherman Drive. Indianapolis police received multiple reports about shots being fired in the 2500 block of Sherman Drive, which quickly evolved into a car crash involving a person shot a little north of the same area. Arriving officers found a wrecked car and two sheared-off utility poles at the scene, between East 25th and 26th streets. Emergency medical personnel declared Genesis Mixon, 20, dead. No one has been taken into custody in the shooting on North Sherman Drive. About 1.5 miles away, in the 2600 block of Caroline Avenue, another person was shot but was "awake and breathing." Police said it doesn't immediately appear the two shootings are connected. Takeysha Lana Kirk, 35, dies in shooting near East 38th Street and North Post Road Takeysha Kirk, center, poses for a photo with her mother Rosier Burks, left, and her younger sister Tera Burks, right. Sept. 15: Around 5 p.m. Friday, officers responded to a death investigation on the 3800 block of Breen Drive, near East 38th Street and North Post Road on the city's east side. When officers arrived, they found Takeysha Lana Kirk, 35, injured by gunfire. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooting was originally a death investigation but is now being considered a homicide. Lead detective: Lottie Patrick, Lottie.Patrick@indy.gov 'It's been a lot. It's tough': Before fatal shooting, Indianapolis woman started new job, worked toward medical license Joshua D. Germany II, 21, dies in shooting on East 38th Street Sept. 15: About 7 p.m. officers responded to the 3600 block of E. 38th Street where they found Joshua D. Germany II, 21, critically injured by gunfire. He was later pronounced deceased. Lead detective: Douglas Swails, Douglas.Swails@indy.gov Keontae Imauni Walls, 20, dies from gunshot wound on John Jay Drive after shooting One man was killed in a shooting in the 101000 block of John Jay Drive on Indianapolis' east side on Sept. 11, 2023. Sept. 11: Officers were called to the 101000 block of John Jay Drive on a report of a person shot just before 6 p.m. They found 20-year-old Keontae Imauni Walls with gunshot injuries outside an apartment complex. He died at the scene. "There are a lot of people here at the scene, said IMPD Capt. Don Weilhammer. I am quite sure that there are people that have seen what happened. If people don't come forward and talk with us, it makes it extremely difficult to solve this type of crime." Indianapolis police later said they believed the shooting occurred a little more than a mile away, in the 10000 block of Montery Road, and Walls was driven to the neighborhood on John Jay Drive. Police are asking anyone who lives around Montery Road to check their security cameras for footage recording before 6 p.m. Sept. 11 to see whether they captured the shooting or anyone coming or going from the area. Lead detective: Daniel Hiatt, Daniel.Hiatt@indy.gov. Court docs: Witnesses say man was shot and killed over $75, suspect arrested in Kentucky Gerardo Hernandez Morales, 29, killed in shooting on Wallace Avenue in Little Flower neighborhood Sept. 8: Officers responded to the 1200 block of Wallace Avenue in the Little Flower neighborhood on a report of a person shot just after 5:30 a.m. They found Gerardo Hernandez Morales, 29, near an alley with gunshot injuries. He died at a hospital. Lead detective: Christopher Winter, Christopher.Winter@indy.gov Mekhi Reeves, 17, shot and killed in Lawrence on Leone drive Sept. 7: LAWRENCE An investigation is underway after Mekhi Reeves, 17, was shot just before 6:30 p.m. in the 4900 block of Leone Drive in Lawrence. The teen died from his injuries. Rashawn Lamar Finney, 33, shot and killed at home on Stanhope Way Sept. 4: Officers responded to the 6700 block of Stanhope Way just after 9 p.m. on a death investigation. Police found Rashawn Lamar Finney, 33, with traumatic injuries and later discovered he had been shot. Finney was pronounced dead at the scene. Lead detective: Colten Smith, Colten.Smith@indy.gov Mike 'Treez' Chappel and Marvis Allen Nall Jr., 53, die in triple shooting on West 37th Street on north side Mike Treez, foreground, with radio personality B Swift and music industry executive Big Heff. Sept. 3: Officers responded to the 1000 block of West 37th Street on a report of a person shot just before 12:30 a.m. They found one woman and two men with gunshot injuries. All three people were transported to hospitals. One of the men, Mike 'Treez' Chappel, died shortly after arriving at the hospital. The police department later announced Marvis Nall Jr. died Sept. 12 from his injuries. Lead detective: Ronald Sayles, Ronald.Sayles@indy.gov 'A ball of positivity': Mike Treez, Indy music promoter and city advocate, dies in shooting Shooting on Cold Springs Road leaves two men dead Sept. 2: Officers responded to the 2900 block of Cold Springs Road on the west side of Indianapolis around 9 p.m. They found two men with gunshot wounds outside, who were both pronounced dead at the scene. Two firearms were also located near the men and they were identified as 23-year-olds Matthew Hamilton and Darrin Douthit Jr. A woman called 911 and stated she believed she shot one of the men. Officers detained the woman and a man later identified as 21-year-old Damarion Coffy. There was a disturbance between the two men who were killed before the shooting, police said. Coffy was arrested for felony murder in connection with the shooting, while the woman was released by police after consultation with the prosecutor's office. Lead detective: Christopher Higgins, Christopher.Higgins@indy.gov Court records: A snack run to a west-side gas station ended into a double killing This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis killings in September 2023 GUWAHATI, India (Reuters) -Indian police in Manipur state have filed criminal charges against four journalists, accusing them of misrepresenting facts in a report about the violent clashes between ethnic groups earlier this year. The four were senior journalists working on a report, which was released this month, for the Editors Guild of India that was seeking to assess how coverage of violence in the state was being conducted. The report stated that there "are clear indications that the leadership of the state became partisan during the conflict". Manipur's chief minister N. Biren Singh on Monday accused the journalists of trying to "provoke clashes" with the coverage. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In a statement, the Editors Guild urged the government to drop the cases, saying it was shocked by the chief minister's comments. The journalists - Seema Mustafa, who is president of the Editors Guild, Seema Guha, Bharat Bhushan and Sanjay Kapoor - could not be immediately reached for comment. The New Delhi-based Press Club of India also demanded that the charges be withdrawn. "This is a strong arm tactic by the state government which amounts to intimidation of the apex media body of the country," it said. At least 180 people have been killed in Manipur after deadly ethnic violence broke out in May between members of the majority Meitei ethnic group and minority Kuki community over the sharing of economic benefits and quotas. An internet shutdown ordered in the state governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) contributed to biased reporting by local media aligned with warring ethnic groups, the journalists' report said. Some local media groups have rejected the allegation. India, which will host the G20 leaders' summit on Sept. 9-10, has slid 11 places to rank 161st in the World Press Freedom Index, compiled by non-profit group Reporters Without Borders. The government says India has a vibrant free press. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights this week raised concern about reports of human rights violations in Manipur. (Reporting by Blassy Boben and Zarir Hussain; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Mike Harrison) The Biden administration issued a proclamation declaring the second Monday of October Indigenous Peoples Day for the third year in row last week. The commemoration of Native American history and culture is now federally recognized alongside Columbus Day, which has been historically observed on the same day. The effort to refocus Columbus Day is a criticism of Christopher Columbus and other explorers who caused violence and slavery upon their journey to the Americas. When is Columbus Day 2023? In 2023, Indigenous Peoples Day and Columbus Day are on Monday, Oct. 9. The holidays occur annually on the second Monday of October. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Post offices will close on this day, as well as many public schools. Some banks will close. You can view the full list of closings here. What is Indigenous Peoples Day?: Plus, is it offensive to celebrate Columbus Day? Is Columbus Day a federal holiday? Columbus Day is still a federal holiday, and while some argue it celebrates Italian American heritage, others say it glorifies an exploration that led to the genocide of native peoples. "To have had American colonialism looked at throughout history as not being a problem and celebrated as a good thing is deeply problematic to any of us who live in a (Native-American) community or reservation, Scott Stevens, the director of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Program at Syracuse University, previously told USA TODAY. Approximately 29 states do not celebrate Columbus Day and 195 cities have renamed it or replaced it with Indigenous Peoples Day, according to renamecolumbusday.org. Some states recognize Indigenous Peoples Day via proclamation, while others treat it as an official holiday. Indigenous Peoples Day has been federally recognized for two years in a row, with the Biden administration proclaiming the second Monday in October a day in honor of our diverse history and the Indigenous peoples who contribute to shaping this Nation. Autumn equinox: Here's when we celebrate fall in 2023 Just Curious for more? We've got you covered USA TODAY is exploring the questions you and others ask every day. From "When is the first day of fall in 2023?" to "Can dogs eat tomatoes?" to "How much do flight attendants make?", we're striving to find answers to the most common questions you ask every day. Head to our Just Curious section to see what else we can answer for you. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day in 2023? A Gary man is dead after a shooting over the holiday weekend on the citys west side. Gary Police spokesman Cmdr. Sam Roberts said in a release Tuesday that officers responded to a gunshot call around 10:30 p.m. Sept. 1 in an alley in the vicinity of W. 5th Avenue and Matthews Street. They located the man, identified as Christopher Jordan, 31, behind the abandoned Brunswick Cleaners, 4817 W. 5th Ave., according to the Lake County Coroners office. Advertisement Jordan died of multiple gunshot wounds, the coroners release said. The departments Violent Crime division is also investigating a second Sept. 1 shooting of a 22-year-old Gary man, Roberts said. The man told officers a person wearing a ski mask forced their way into his brothers home in the 1300 block of Marshall Street and shot him. Advertisement The mans cousin took him to the hospital; officers at the scene found marijuana in the house, Roberts said. Meanwhile, a Highland man was arrested and faces criminal confinement charges after he wouldnt let his girlfriend and their children leave a house in Gary, Roberts said. Officers were dispatched around 3:50 a.m. Sept. 4 to the residence in the 2700 block of W. 12th Avenue after the victims mother called police that her daughter was being beaten and held against her will by the man, 34, Roberts said in the release. They also received a 911 hang-up call coming from the same address, he said. Officers heard yelling and screaming coming from the back of the residence and tried to get someone to answer the door, Roberts said, though the woman said shed come to the door but never did. Roberts said they called in the SWAT team after they saw someone pacing back and forth through a window. The victim, a 29-year-old woman from Chicago Heights, Illinois, told officers that her boyfriend picked an argument with her after being out all night, Roberts said. The argument escalated when the subject turned to the couples differently abled child, he said. The victim was able to contact her mother about the fight and attempted to call 911, but the boyfriend stopped her and wouldnt let her and their children ages 9, 8, 4 and 3 leave, Roberts said. He also threatened to kill her, she told police. Police recovered a BB gun from the home, Roberts said. Anyone with information on the above incidents should contact the Gary Police at 219-881-1210. Advertisement Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. Invasive species cost the world at least $423 billion every year as they drive plant and animal extinctions, threaten food security and exacerbate environmental catastrophes across the globe, a major new United Nations-backed report has found. Human activity often through travel or global trade is spreading these animals, plants and other organisms in new regions at an unprecedented rate, with 200 new alien species being recorded every year, leading scientists said. Of 37,000 alien species known to have been introduced around the world, 3,500 are considered harmful and pose a severe global threat by destroying crops, wiping out native species, polluting waterways, spreading disease and laying the groundwork for devastating natural disasters. The global economic cost is tremendous, scientists say, having at least quadrupled every decade since 1970. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement That figure is a huge, huge underestimate its the tip of the iceberg, said ecologist Helen Roy, co-author of the UN Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) report. Without intervention to prevent their spread and impact, the total number of invasive species globally will be one-third higher in 2050 than it was in 2005, the scientists say. We know that things arent remaining unchanged. We know climate change is worsening, we know that land and sea-use change is worsening and therefore we anticipate that the threat posed by invasive alien species will also worsen, Roy said. An invasive cane toad sits inside a plastic bag after being removed from a trap at a billabong south of Darwin, Australia on May 11, 2005. - David Gray/Reuters/File Global roots but very local impacts Alien species are plants, animals or other organisms that have been moved through human activities to a new region or area. An alien species becomes invasive when it establishes itself in that new area and creates a negative impact on the local biodiversity and ecosystems, including on peoples way of life. Numerous examples include water hyacinths clogging up lakes and rivers in Africa, lion fish impacting local fisheries in the Caribbean and the Giant African land snail taking over villages on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, brown tree snakes have eliminated entire bird populations on the Pacific island of Guam and the rapidly spreading zebra mussel has colonized the Great Lakes of North America. And elsewhere, mosquitoes are spreading diseases like dengue, Zika, malaria and West Nile Virus to new regions. We shouldnt overlook the magnitude of the impact of some alien invasive species, said Peter Stoett, co-author of the report and dean of the faculty of social sciences and humanities at Ontario Tech University. The spread of invasive species across countries and continents is a major driver of biodiversity loss deteriorating the complex web of ecosystems upon which humanity depends, according to the report, which linked invasive species to 60% of recorded global extinctions. Once an invasive species takes hold, the impacts can be disastrous. The dried-out non-native grasses and shrubs in Hawaii helped fuel last months devastating Maui wildfire, one of the deadliest in modern US history. It would be an extremely costly mistake to regard biological invasions only as someone elses problem, said Anibal Pauchard, co-author of the report and professor at Chiles Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity. Although the specific species that inflict damages vary from place to place, these are risks and challenges with global roots but very local impacts, facing people in every country, from all backgrounds and in every community even Antarctica is being affected. Prevention, prevention, prevention Along with invasive species, other key drivers of biodiversity loss include destruction of land and sea habitats, exploitation of organisms, climate change and pollution. The climate crisis will only amplify the threat of invasive species, becoming a major cause of these species spreading and establishing themselves in new regions, the report said. As well as flammable invasive plants sparking and spreading wildfires, climate change is enabling invasive species to move north even to remote areas such as high mountains, deserts and frozen tundra. But there is hope. The scientists are optimistic that humanity can stop the march of invasive species. Whats needed first and foremost is: prevention, prevention, prevention, especially when it comes to marine systems, Stoett said. Preventing the arrival of new species into new regions is the best way to manage threats from invasive species, according to the report. This includes strict import controls and early warning systems to detect and respond to species before they are able to establish. For invasive species that have already taken hold, eradication has been a useful tool, especially on islands, according to the report. One of the most important messages from the report is that ambitious progress in tackling invasive alien species is achievable, Stoett said. What is needed is a context-specific integrated approach, across and within countries and the various sectors involved in providing biosecurity, including trade and transportation; human and plant health; economic development and more. This will have far-reaching benefits for nature and people. Last year, governments around the world agreed to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to reduce the introduction and establishment of invasive alien species by at least 50% by 2030. The scientists hope their findings developed over four years by a team of 86 experts will contribute to achieving these international targets. Governments around the world really need this assessment to get action going to reduce this tremendous threat to biodiversity and people, Pauchard said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Welcome to Investigative Stories from Ukraine, the Kyiv Independent's newsletter that walks you through the most prominent investigations of the past week. If you are fond of in-depth journalism that exposes war crimes, corruption and abuse of power across state organizations in Ukraine and beyond, subscribe to our investigative newsletter. If youre enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership or supporting us with a one-time donation. Start supporting independent journalism today. Top investigative stories ______________________________________________ Ukrainska Pravda: Russian oligarchs continue luxurious life in London despite sanctions Russian oligarchs enjoy their lavish lifestyles in London and benefit from sanctioned property, according to an investigation by Ukrainska Pravda media outlet, which expands on findings by the New York Times and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ukrainska Pravda tracked down Mikhail Fridman , once one of the wealthiest people in Russia, who experts call a Kremlin insider. Fridman has been under sanctions by the U.S., UK, and EU since the full-scale invasion. The Ukrainska Pravda investigation showed him leaving his 80-million-pound London mansion. When approached by the Ukrainska Pravda journalist on the streets of London, the oligarch declined to comment on Russian President Vladimir Putin or Russias war against Ukraine, where he was born. When the all-out war broke out, Fridman called for an end to the bloodshed in a private email to employees of one of his businesses, Letter One. It quickly leaked to the press and was consequently published openly by Fridmans firm. Yet Fridmans statements didnt correlate with his business activities. An earlier investigation by Schemes, an RFE/RL investigative project, showed that Fridmans company was insuring Russian military vehicles, including those of the units deployed to Ukraine. Soon after the start of the full-scale invasion, the UK announced the end of Londongrad, a reference to the cluster of Kremlin-affiliated oligarchs spending lavishly and wielding considerable influence in the British capital. Still, Britain lets the sanctioned Russian oligarchs live there in luxury. An investigation by the New York Times found that the UK government grants pro-Kremlin oligarchs monthly allowances, just enough to maintain their posh lifestyles. The UK allowed Fridman to spend 300,000 pounds during the first year of the Russian all-out war to pay for 19 members of staff serving in his London mansion. According to the New York Times, the government additionally allowed him to spend 7,000 pounds a month. Petr Aven, an oligarch and one of Fridmans associates, complained of the effect of sanctions to the Financial Times, worrying whether he would be able to afford a cleaner or a driver. The New York Times investigation revealed that the UK government allowed Aven to spend 60,000 pounds monthly, most of which went to a financial manager suspected of helping him evade sanctions. According to the New York Times, by July, the British Treasury had granted monthly allowances to 82 sanctioned oligarchs, and many applications are pending. Both Fridman and Aven are challenging the UK-imposed sanctions in court, and claim they are politically neutral businessmen, according to the New York Times. The Ukrainska Pravda investigation also showed properties owned by Russian oligarchs in London, many likely rented out or used by their children. This isnt a violation of sanctions but raises the question of whether the sanctions have a strong effect. Watch the full story in Ukrainian with English subtitles here. Media: Instead of repairing faulty bomb shelters, Mykolayiv officials hid them from online map After being criticized over the poor condition of bomb shelters, local authorities in Mykolayiv, a city in southern Ukraine 40 kilometers from the front line, removed the shelters from the public online map, according to Nikcenter, a local investigative media outlet. In June, debris from a Russian missile killed two people and injured another one as the crowd was trying to enter a shelter that was closed in Kyiv. The incident evoked fierce public criticism of Kyiv's mayor and office, pushing him to initiate checks of shelters condition and availability, which found that more than one-third were unsuitable for use. The incident triggered inspections of bomb shelters in other cities across Ukraine. According to Nikcenter, in June, local authorities in Mykolayiv promised to repair shelters in the city following a large-scale inspection that showed Mykolayiv had some of the worst shelters in Ukraine. The journalist investigation showed that since their promise in June, Mykolayiv authorities removed more than 300 designated shelter locations from a public map instead of repairing them. Local authorities told Nikcenter that they spent Hr 1.5 million renovating 29 public shelters and that humanitarian organizations have renovated four shelters since the full-scale invasion. Nikcenter analyzed the public map and showed that despite the investment, several neighborhoods in Mykolayiv do not have a single shelter. Mykolayiv is a frequent target for Russian missile strikes due to its proximity to Kherson. Nineteen people were injured in the July 20 strike alone. Read the full story in Ukrainian here. Media: Russia puts forward war criminals as candidates in sham elections in occupied territories Among Russian candidates in the upcoming September sham election on the occupied territories are war criminals, thieves, and mobilized soldiers, according to Russian independent media outlets in exile, iStories, and the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT). On Sept. 8-10, Russia is holding regional elections. Along with them, the Kremlin orchestrates a sham vote in the occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. Experts call the elections a charade and a violation of international law. According to iStories and CIT, United Russia, Putins ruling party, is certain to win the sham elections on the occupied territories, but three other parties are participating. Citing party lists, the journalists reported that many United Russia candidates are Russian officials who previously served in occupation administrations. One such candidate is Oleg Nesterov, who runs with United Russia in Zaporizhzhia. According to the investigation, he is under U.S. sanctions for setting up filtration centers and supervising the deportation of civilians from Mariupol. Another United Russia candidate is Igor Kastyukevich, who is running for the official post in Kherson. He reportedly boasted on social media of his participation in the deportation of children to occupied Crimea. The unlawful deportation of civilians, especially children, is a war crime. Russia abducted thousands of children from occupied territories in a systematic campaign. Analysis of party lists conducted by iStories and CIT shows that the other parties are also running anyone willing to participate, including local residents and people convicted of robbery, extortion, assault, and tax evasion. Collaborating with the occupation authorities amounts to treason under Ukrainian law. According to the report, some of the local officials set to run in elections have already been convicted in absentia in Ukraine. Read the full story in English here. Impact ______________________________________________ Defense minister out fter procurement scandals Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the decision to dismiss Oleksii Reznikov, defense minister, on Sept. 3 following yet another journalist investigation exposing the ministry of allegedly buying goods for soldiers at inflated prices. Zelenskys move follows a series of procurement scandals involving the ministry that prompted calls for Reznikovs resignation. In August, Ukrainska Pravda and ZN.UA journalists found that a company connected to the lawmaker with the ruling Servant of the People party sold overpriced jackets for soldiers to the Defense Ministry. Earlier in January, ZN.UA revealed that the ministry was buying food supplies for the army at double or triple prices. This journalist investigation led to a probe into possible embezzlement and abuse of office. Reznikov dismissed two of his deputies after the food procurement scandal but has consistently denied involvement in wrongdoing. Rustem Umerov, the chairman of Ukraines State Property Fund, will succeed Reznikov as defense minister. Umerov previously carried out key government roles, including in the early-war peace talks and as chief negotiator of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Umerov served as a member of the Holos party from 2019-2022, which technically sits in opposition but often votes in support of the governing faction. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (Bloomberg) -- Investor favorite Daniel Noboa led socialist Luisa Gonzalez by ten percentage points in the first poll since both reached a runoff in Ecuadors presidential election. Most Read from Bloomberg Noboa had 54.9% to 45.1% for Gonzalez in the online survey of 6,002 people nationwide by Quito-based pollster Comunicaliza. The poll has a margin of error of 1.3% percentage point. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The unexpected success of Noboa, the US-educated son of a banana tycoon, led to a rally in the nations bonds after the Aug. 20 first round. Gonzalez is a close ally of former President Rafael Correa , who lives in exile in Belgium. The two candidates are scheduled to face off in a single presidential debate on Oct. 1, ahead of the Oct. 15 runoff vote. The snap election was triggered by President Guillermo Lassos dissolution of congress amid a drive led by Gonzalezs party, Citizen Revolution, to impeach him. The winner will serve out the remainder of Lassos term ending mid-2025. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The mayor of a small Iowa town unilaterally decided to exclude an LGBTQ+ group from participating in the communitys Labor Day parade. A drag performer who anticipated riding in a convertible as part of the group said they received notice of the decision via email. Shenandoah Pride planned to have a small group walking with a banner and a drag performer riding in a convertible, handing out candy, popsicles, and stickers. The parade was part of a four-day festival in Essex, a municipality of about 720 inhabitants. On Thursday, the parades organizer emailed Ryan Fuller, who intended to ride in the convertible as Cherry Peaks, informing him of the determination, The Des Moines Register reports. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As Fuller explained, Essex Mayor Calvin Kinney unilaterally decided without seeking City Council consent. Council Member Heather Thornton, who disagreed with the action, said, It was the mayor himself, and added that he believed he had sufficient authority to proceed without council approval. Shenandoah Pride member Jessa Bears said the decision left her shocked and angry, then just very sad and motivated to get the word out. She said the ban had brought more attention to the organization than the parade alone. A primary reason for Shenandoah Prides participation was to inform people that Southwest Iowa is home to a vibrant queer community. Thornton, who serves on the club board that invited the pride group to attend, said the groups that organized the event fully supported their efforts and are just as upset as everyone else that they were excluded. A letter from the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa to the Essex mayor and to city attorney Mahlon Sorensen condemned the decision to exclude Shenandoah Pride. The ACLU cited a Thursday email from the mayor in which he wrote, Out of concern for the safety of the public and that of Essex Labor Day parade participants, the City of Essex has determined not to allow parade participants geared toward the promotion of, or opposition to, the politically charged topic of gender and/or sexual identification/orientation, the ACLU said. As far as Bears is aware, there were no threats against Shenandoah Prides participation in the parade. Rather, she said, many people had expressed support for the groups involvement. By Maayan Lubell JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel's President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his political rivals to reach a compromise that would end the judicial crisis just a week ahead of a crunch court hearing. Herzog said on Monday he has been speaking with coalition and opposition leaders over the past few weeks in a renewed push to reach broad agreements that would stave off a constitutional crisis and safeguard democracy after months of protests. "There are moments in such a crisis when leadership must seize the rare opportunity in order to reach out and come to an agreement. This is such a moment," Herzog said in a speech. "Enough already. I call on the leaders to show responsibility." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement His call comes before the Supreme Court, for the first time in Israeli history, convenes its entire 15-judge bench on Sept. 12 to hear an appeal against an amendment that curbs its own powers, passed in July by Netanyahu's coalition. Netanyahu's nationalist-religious coalition launched a campaign in January to overhaul the country's justice system, sparking unprecedented protests, bruising the economy and stirring concern for Israel's democratic health. Netanyahu has since said some of the measures in the original plan have been scrapped and that he would seek a broad consensus on any new judicial reforms, which he says are aimed at restoring balance between the branches of government. In a video released by his Likud party, Netanyahu called on one of the opposition leaders, former defence minister Benny Gantz , to negotiate directly, saying agreements were possible. On Monday Likud denied reports in Israeli media that Netanyahu had agreed to soften the July 24 law that limited some Supreme Court power to rule against the executive, freeze any further judicial legislation for 18 months and scrap changes to the makeup of the committee that selects judges. Gantz in a speech to his party on Tuesday, confirmed some of the leaked details of the proposals and put the onus on Netanyahu to overcome hardliners in his coalition who are pushing to plough ahead with the overhaul. Justice Minister Yariv Levin, the driving force behind the judicial overhaul, dismissed the reports as "trial balloons", in an interview to Army Radio and said it would be wrong for the Supreme Court to intervene in the judicial legislation. The Supreme Court is set to hear a series of appeals this month by lawmakers and watchdogs that challenge some of the government's judicial measures. (Reporting by Maayan Lubell;Editing by Alison Williams) Palestinians inspect a damaged building following an Israeli army raid in Nour Shams refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. Palestinian Ministry of Health says one Palestinian man was killed in the West Bank refugee camp. The Islamic Jihad militant group claimed him as a member. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli troops killed a Palestinian militant during an army raid in the West Bank on Tuesday, Palestinian health officials said, while elsewhere in the occupied territory a teenage Palestinian gunman opened fire at Israeli soldiers, wounding one before being shot and killed. The events marked the latest violence to roil the territory during one of the most violent stretches of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in nearly two decades. Israel has pressed on with near-nightly raids in the West Bank while Palestinian militants have ramped up shooting attacks against Israelis. The early morning military raid into the Nur Shams refugee camp near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem on Tuesday prompted a firefight between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants. The army said troops found and demolished an explosives stockpile. Residents shared videos of bulldozers ripping off all the asphalt on the camp's main road. The army also said that soldiers came under attack from armed gunmen and shot back at Palestinians who were also burning tires and hurling explosives. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Palestinian health ministry identified the man killed as 21-year-old Ayed Abu Harb and said he died from a bullet wound to the head. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group later claimed Abu Harb as its member. Footage from the raid released by the Israeli military appears to show a massive fireball engulfing a building. Another video appears to show an explosive detonating beneath an Israeli military bulldozer. Shortly after the Israeli military received reports of a gunman opening fire toward a shopping mall in a Jewish settlement, it dispatched security forces dispatched to the area near Route 90, the main highway through the Jordan Valley. When Israeli forces spotted the gunman, they said he opened fire at them, wounding an Israeli soldier who was evacuated for medical treatment. The Israeli military said troops shot at the Palestinian attacker. The Palestinian Health Ministry said 17-year-old Mohammed Zubaidat was killed. Palestinian attacks against Israelis have spiked as the Israeli military intensifies its arrest raids in the West Bank. More than 30 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks against Israelis since the start of 2023. More than 180 Palestinians have been killed in the violence, with nearly half of them affiliated with militant groups, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Israel says most of those killed were militants, but stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions as well as people not involved in the confrontations have also died. Israel says the raids are meant to dismantle militant networks and thwart future attacks. Palestinians say the raids undermine their security forces, inspire more militancy and entrench Israeli control over lands they seek for a hoped-for future state. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. The Queen family of Jacksonville is grappling with profound grief following the tragic loss of their beloved 15-year-old son, Mekel Queen, who was fatally shot on Saturday in what the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office (JSO) is describing as a dispute that turned deadly. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Mekel Queen, a student at Sandalwood High School, was gunned down on Java Drive in Jacksonville, leaving his family shattered and searching for answers. Donnell Queen, Mekels father, who is legally blind, spoke to Action News Jax reporter Nick Gibson about the heart-wrenching incident. Right now, Im just torn to bits and pieces, Donnell Queen said, struggling to come to terms with the loss of his son. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Donnell Queen identified his son, 15-year-old Mekel as the victim who was shot and killed after a reported argument turned deadly. I got a phone call around 1:30 p.m. from a kid, an unknown number just saying Kel got shot and he is dead and to come quick, recounted a visibly distraught Donnell Queen. Donnell Queen further shared that he had a brief conversation with his son Mekel just moments before the fatal shooting occurred. He expressed his sorrow, saying, For a split two seconds... and now all this happened. Ive just been heartbroken. Mekel Queen, the eldest of five children, attended Sandalwood High School and harbored dreams of becoming a businessman one day, according to his father. Since Im completely blind... his passion was trying to become a barber. Thats where we would have most of our talks... I let him cut my hair and practice on me, Queen revealed. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Mekel lived with his father, and with him not being there, Queen says his life will never be the same. To hear that he was actually killed by another human being, it just hurts more, Queen stated. Donell tells Action News Jax that gun violence in the city of Jacksonville needs to stop. I just feel like violence of any type its just uncalled for. I know in todays generation gun violence is at an all-time high everywhere in the world, but I definitely want justice for my son. A person of interest has been detained in connection with the shooting, and further details about the incident are expected to emerge as the investigation unfolds. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. By Kantaro Komiya TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan has told the World Trade Organization (WTO) that China's ban on Japanese seafood after the release of treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant was "totally unacceptable", the Japanese foreign ministry said late on Monday. In a counterargument to China's Aug. 31 notification to WTO on its measures to suspend Japanese aquatic imports, which started last month, Japan said it would explain its positions in relevant WTO committees and urged China to immediately repeal the action. Some Japanese officials have signaled the country may file a WTO complaint, which the U.S. ambassador to Japan said last week the United States would support. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Japan will explain the safety of the released water at diplomatic forums, including the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia and G20 Summit in India this month, chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters on Tuesday. "Nothing is decided about a Japan-China leaders' meeting," added Matsuno, Tokyo's top government spokesperson. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and China's Premier Li Qiang will attend the ASEAN and G20 summits, while Chinese President Xi Jinping is skipping both conferences. In a separate statement on Monday, Tokyo's foreign ministry said Japan has also asked China to hold discussions over the import ban based on the provisions of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade pact. Although marine products make up less than 1% of Japan's global trade, which is dominated by cars, Japan exported about $600 million worth of aquatic products to China in 2022, making it the biggest market for Japanese exports, followed by Hong Kong. Data on Tuesday showed China-bound exports of aquatic products fell for the first time in 2 1/2 years in July, dropping 23% year-on-year to 7.7 billion yen ($52.44 million). Goods bound for China have faced stricter inspections since Japan announced its plan to release the treated Fukushima water, slowing down shipments. To ease the pain of losing that seafood demand, Japan will spend more than 100 billion yen ($682 million) to support the domestic fisheries industry. ($1 = 146.8300 yen) (Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Gerry Doyle) A Benton Harbor, Michigan woman is in custody after police said she left a dog locked in a hot car for two and a half hours in late July in the parking lot of Northwest Health-Porter. Dkara Scott, 18, was booked into the Porter County Jail on Saturday on a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty, according to the jail booking roster. Advertisement It should be noted while speaking with Dkara at no point did she believe that leaving the dog in the car on a hot day was a wrong decision, police said in a report from the Porter County Sheriffs Department. According to the report, deputies were called around 11:22 a.m. July 27 to the hospital at 85 E. U.S. 6 in Liberty Township for a call about a dog locked in a car at the hospital. Advertisement Police located the vehicle, a black passenger car, and found a small white and black dog locked in a cage in the back seat. The vehicle was not running, all the windows were rolled up and the vehicle was extremely hot to the touch due to it being 93 degrees outside, a deputy said in the report, noting a check of a weather app to confirm the temperature. I further observed that the dog did not have any water and that the dog was panting very heavy due to being so hot, the report notes. Officers tried to unlock the vehicle using a lockout kit but were unsuccessful. Hospital security located the owner of the car, Scott, and she came outside and unlocked the car. Once the car was open it was clear that dog was in distress due to the heat inside of the car, according to the report. It should also be noted that while trying to unlock the car the heat coming out of the crack in the door was overwhelming. Scott, according to the report, told police she was watching the dog and brought it with from Michigan and decided to leave it in the car while a relative had surgery. She told police she last checked on the dog around 9 a.m. It should be noted that the dog was released from the car at approximately 11:35 a.m. meaning the dog was in the vehicle for approximately two and a half hours without being given water or any fresh air, police said. Police released the dog to a family member. The usual suspects are at it again. Right-wing commentators and political operatives have taken to social media, spreading rumors that Jill Bidens positive COVID test is part of a nefarious plan to make everyone vote by mail and return to lockdowns ahead of the 2024 election. These wild, fact-free theories are bouncing around despite the fact that the first lady is hardly an outlier in contracting COVID; hospitalizations for the virus are up 93 percent over the last three months, according to the CDC. Eric Spacklen, a former spokesperson for Project Veritas, tweeted that the first ladys positive test was all part of the plan and implied that the plan is to get Americans back in masks. Others went even further. Kyle Becker, a former Fox News producer turned podcaster, shared a clip from ABCs The View, noting that host Whoopi Goldberg did not appear Tuesday morning since she has tested positive for COVID. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement First Jill Biden, now Whoopi has Covid. This is how theyre priming America to bring back Covid lockdowns for the election, Becker wrote. Everything is a script. First Jill Biden got covid and now Whoopie. They're bringing it backpic.twitter.com/19mrFDbtYp Chad Prather (@WatchChad) September 5, 2023 They're prepping you for the need for mail in ballots' in 2024, conservative blogger Collin Rugg tweeted, Its happening again. Former President Donald Trump spent years stoking fear over mail-in ballots, making numerous false claims that Democrats could use the system to steal the election. This latest round of rumors are new iterations of the same conspiracy theory: that the Biden administration will reintroduce strict COVID measures and enforce mail-in voting in order to rig the 2024 election. The left-wing lunatics are trying very hard to bring back COVID lockdowns and mandates with their sudden fear-mongering about the new variants that are coming, Trump said in a video posted to social media on Aug. 30, They want to restart the COVID hysteria so they can justify more lockdowns, more censorship, more illegal dropboxes, more mail-in ballots. The misinformation around Jill Bidens positive COVID test comes as many state Republican lawmakers are trying to prevent further mask mandates or COVID-prevention measures, despite the current uptick. U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) introduced the Freedom to Breathe Act on Tuesday, legislation aimed at preventing the federal government or commercial airlines from introducing mask requirements, Fox News reported. Trump is right. The left is trying to bring lockdowns back. Next week, Ill introduce legislation to stop it. https://t.co/57XzKmCAnX J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) August 30, 2023 In Texas, a law went into effect on Sept. 1 banning local governments from introducing new COVID safety measures like mask mandates, vaccine mandates, or lockdowns. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds also released a statement last week saying constituents had been calling her office asking if any restrictions would be implemented in the state due to rising COVID cases. My answernot on my watch, Reynolds said, I rejected the mandates and lockdowns of 2020, and my position has not changed. The newest COVID variant, BA286, has been detected in five states: Texas, Ohio, New York, Michigan, and Virginia, according to ABC News. On Sept. 12, the CDCs advisory committee will meet to discuss new boosters for COVID variants heading into the fall. 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. WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. first lady Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 just days before President Joe Biden , who tested negative for the virus, is due to travel to a Group of 20 summit in India, the White House said on Monday. Biden's 72-year-old wife, whose symptoms were described as mild, last had COVID in August of last year. The president, now 80, last tested positive in July 2022. "This evening, the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19," her communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, said in a statement. "She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware." Biden flew back alone from Delaware on Monday evening. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Following the First Ladys positive test for COVID-19, President Biden was administered a COVID test this evening," the White House said. "The President tested negative. The President will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Bidens foreign travel could be affected. But Biden's official week-ahead schedule, released shortly after the announcement of the first lady's diagnosis, showed him traveling to New Delhi on Thursday to attend the G20 summit. Biden is scheduled to fly to Hanoi on Sunday. Biden is running for re-election in 2024 in a campaign in which the question about his age has loomed as a key issue for voters. He is the oldest president to seek a second term, and some Republicans have said he is too old to be given another four years in the White House. Biden's allies say he remains fit to serve as president. (Reporting by Ismail Shakil, Matt Spetalnick and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Gerry Doyle) First lady Jill Biden tested positive for Covid-19 Monday evening and is "currently experiencing only mild symptoms," according to the White House. The first lady, 72, will remain at her home in Rehoboth Beach, Del., her communications director Elizabeth Alexander said in a statement. She has been vaccinated and received boosters. This is the first ladys second Covid diagnosis. She first tested positive in August 2022, shortly after President Joe Biden tested positive for the virus. The president, who tested negative for Covid on Monday night, took a solo trip back to D.C. from Delaware. The couple had been staying in their vacation home over the weekend after visiting Florida together Saturday to tour some of the damage left in the wake of Hurricane Idalia. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Earlier Monday, when the president made a visit to Philadelphia for a Labor Day event, the first lady stayed in Delaware. The 80-year-old president "will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms," according to a statement by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Biden is scheduled to leave for India later this week to attend the G-20 summit. He then has plans to fly to Vietnam over the weekend before returning home. First lady Dr. Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday evening, the White House said. Biden, 72, was experiencing mild symptoms at the time of the positive test, the first lady's communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, said in a statement. She plans to remain at her home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. President Biden was administered a COVID-19 test after the first lady's positive result he tested negative, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "The President will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms," Jean-Pierre said. Biden, a professor at Northern Virginia Community College, last week told middle schoolers in Washington, D.C., that she was set to begin teaching courses again this week. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Given her COVID-19 diagnosis, Biden is "working with NOVA to ensure her classes are covered by a substitute," Alexander told CBS News. Biden is the first presidential spouse to hold a full-time job while living in the White House. First lady Jill Biden greets residents of Live Oak, Florida, who were affected by Hurricane Idalia, on a visit Sept. 2, 2023. / Credit: STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images Mr. Biden is scheduled to travel to India on Sept. 7 for the Group of 20 leaders' summit, followed by a one-day visit to Hanoi, Vietnam. The first lady's positive test result came two days after she and Mr. Biden traveled to Delaware from Florida, where they had been visiting communities ravaged by Hurricane Idalia. The first lady previously tested positive for COVID-19 on Aug. 16, 2022, a few weeks after Mr. Biden experienced his own bout with COVID. After being treated with Paxlovid, she experienced a "rebound" case a week later and returned to isolation. Ed O'Keefe contributed reporting. Search expanded for escaped killer in Pennsylvania Escaped killer spotted near Philadelphia, but search continues North Korea-Russia arms deal eyed as Kim Jong Un and Putin plan meeting First lady Jill Biden speaks at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for kids in Washington, D.C., in 2021. (Leah Millis/Reuters) When the White House announced on Monday evening that first lady Jill Biden had tested positive for COVID-19, it was a reminder that, as much as Americans want to put the pandemic completely behind them, the coronavirus continues to circulate and is doing so more aggressively now than it has in months, with new Omicron subvariants becoming more prolific throughout the summer. For most people, the virus is not as terrifying or as deadly as it was three years ago, but it is still potent enough to make people sick for several days and disrupt their plans. Read more via Yahoo Life: Can at-home COVID tests detect new variants Eris and Pirola? Heres what experts say. White House hunkers down President Joe Biden receives an updated COVID-19 vaccine as he backs a new plan for Americans to receive booster shots and vaccinations in 2022. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) In the summer of 2022, President Biden contracted COVID-19 for the first time. Because he was fully vaccinated and was being carefully monitored by White House physicians, he experienced only mild symptoms and recovered quickly. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement First lady Jill Biden also tested positive at the time and didnt get seriously sick. Since then, the Bidens have generally lived as if COVID-19 were behind them, traveling extensively and hosting large indoor gatherings. President Biden allowed the COVID-19 national emergency to end last spring, a move decried by some public health professionals. Now, the administration is intent on demonstrating that a high-profile infection like the first ladys is not a reason for alarm. We know that weve made historic progress in this nation, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday to reporters, who peppered her with questions about the presidents own status. Read more on Yahoo Life: New poll finds only 12% of Americans typically wear a mask in public Biden is negative (so far) President Joe Biden walks in the Rose Garden as he returns from COVID-19 isolation to work in the Oval Office in 2022. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) Jean-Pierre said that Biden tested negative for COVID-19 on both Monday evening and on Tuesday. The president is expected to travel to India later this week for the G20 summit, but a coronavirus infection would obviously disrupt those plans. During Tuesdays briefing, Jean-Pierre said that as a precaution, Biden would wear a mask for the first time in months and would continue to get tested. He will be masking while indoors and around people, she said. Overall, she sought to project a sense of stability, despite the possibility of new infections in the White House. We know how to move forward, Jean-Pierre told reporters. In essence, the White House believes that with masks, vaccines and tests widely available, Americans can take as many or as few precautions as they want. Read more via Yahoo News: There will be a new COVID vaccine this fall, but will people get it? Summer ends with miniwave A sign advertises COVID-19 vaccine shots at a Walgreens pharmacy in Somerville, Mass., in August. (Brian Snyder/Reuters) For the most part, Americans have sought to leave the pandemic in the past. By 2023, masking had become an increasingly rare practice. Vaccination and booster rates had flatlined. When the public health and national emergency both ended last spring, it seemed that the nation was finally done with the coronavirus. But recent weeks have seen hospitalizations rise consistently nationwide, a trend that indicates something of a miniwave, driven by the new Pirola subvariant of Omicron, also known scientifically as BA.2.86. The recent spike, however, may be nothing more than the new post-pandemic normal, with the coronavirus continuing to periodically show up. This is what living with COVID is going to look like, Mark Woolhouse, an epidemiology professor at the University of Edinburgh, told Yahoo News. Read more via Rolling Stone: Metallica Postpone Arizona Show as COVID Has Caught Up With James Hetfield UPDATE: Dreyer was pulled from the water and announced he was "safe on dry land" in Wisconsin around 1 a.m. Wednesday. GRAND HAVEN Though many chose to relax on Labor Day, Jim The Shark Dreyer decided to revive his attempt to swim across Lake Michigan. The 60-year-old began his attempt in the late afternoon hours of Monday, Sept. 4. His launching point was Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and his destination is Grand Haven, Michigan. Since beginning, he's veered north quite a ways, according to an online tracker around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. At that time, he'd yet to reach the halfway point. Though many chose to relax on Labor Day, Jim The Shark Dreyer decided to revive his attempt to swim across Lake Michigan. Dreyer, who last attempted the swim in August, introduced one further plot twist for Monday's event when he announced hed swim the 82.5 miles alone, without an escort boat along. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Swimming self-sufficiently is a different type of quest than an escorted swim, Dreyer wrote in a press release. Hes pulling a 10-foot dinghy from his waist, towing along 225 pounds worth of supplies. Entitled Lake Michigan: The Silver Sequel, this expedition marks the quarter-century anniversary of Dreyers first record-setting swim across Lake Michigan in 1998, when he swam from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, to Ludington. He then became, and now remains, the first and only person to swim the lake between the two states. This year, he wants to beat his own record by swimming 25 miles further. He first attempted the swim on Aug. 1 and aborted the quest 10 miles east of Milwaukee when worsening lake conditions swept him and his escort boat off course. I'm not good at walking away from a goal before achieving it, Dreyer said. While the safety net of having my professional support team with me on the water is definitely preferred, there are times, in certain conditions, where I stand a better chance on beating the elements alone without concerns related to the escort boat. "There is only time for one more attempt this summer, and I do not want to risk the chance of what occurred last time happening again. Dreyer first learned to swim at 32, overcoming a lifelong fear of open water after a childhood near-drowning incident, according to his website. Since then, hes gone on to swim across all five of the Great Lakes. In 2005, he completed the crossing of his fifth Great Lake when he swam alone across Lake Superior, between the United States and Canada all while towing 325 pounds of supplies from his waist. Subscribe: Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage Though his quest may sound in most ways extraordinary, Dreyer said its well-calculated and within his reach. I am well trained for this and have calculated my risks, Dreyer said. I want to inspire others that one can control fear and achieve extraordinary goals through perseverance and fortitude. I do not want to encourage recklessness. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Jim 'The Shark' Dreyer makes another Lake Michigan attempt [Source] Less than a week after an investigation concluded that late Japanese boy band producer Johnny Kitagawa had sexually assaulted and abused boys for decades, a group of now-grown accusers are hoping to receive an apology and compensation from his company. Background: Kitagawa, a U.S.-born Japanese talent manager, targeted at least several hundred people from the 1950s to the 2010s, the investigation said. His own agency, Johnny & Associates, appointed a third-party panel to run the three-month probe. Kitagawa died in 2019 without ever being charged. While allegations about his actions had circulated when he was still alive, mainstream Japanese media largely remained silent. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This year, those claims sprung back to life after a BBC documentary presented them in detail. A United Nations working group is also investigating the matter. More from NextShark: CAREN Act Passes Unanimously to Ban Racist 911 Calls What the accusers are saying: A group of nine male accusers are demanding an apology and compensation from Johnny & Associates. In a press conference Monday, Shimon Ishimaru, one of the alleged victims, said it is unimaginable for a company behind this big a crime to do nothing, AP News reported. Junya Hiramoto, another member of the group, said their wounds never fade. More from NextShark: Woman tears through Asian-owned liquor store in Dallas over a phone call "Do you think we arent still hurting? Do you think we can forget? Do you know what its like for us to come forward like this, filled with shame?" he said. Whats next: How Johnny & Associates responds to the investigations findings is yet to be seen. Current CEO Julie Keiko Fujishima is reportedly considering resigning from her post, which was recommended by the investigative panel. More from NextShark: Grandmother, 70, Robbed on Her Way Home From the Bank in Oakland Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Texas Pharmacist Buys Inhaler for Woman's Daughter After She Lost Her Debit Card Students in Valparaiso University's Access College attend the class The Human Experience: Empathy and Dialogue and listen to Professor Chloe Kiser at Valparaiso University, in Valparaiso on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Post-Tribune). (Vincent D. Johnson/Chicago Tribune) Chloe Kiser, one of two professors leading The Human Experience: Empathy and Dialogue for a class of first-year students in Valparaiso Universitys new Access College for Success, went over a few of the foundations of the curriculum on a recent Friday afternoon. We intend to balance sharing and listening, she told the more than two dozen students in Room 160 of Wesemann Hall, formerly the location for the universitys now-closed law school. Advertisement The Access College, a two-year associate degree program started as pilot with three students last academic year, now has 26 enrollees. The program, according to university officials, is geared for incoming students who need additional support as they begin their college careers. It was created to open the college experience to a greater number of students while providing those students a direct path to a four-year degree if they so choose. Its to provide access to students who dont necessarily have a traditional background for college, said Lucia Lopez, executive director of the Access College. Advertisement Brooke Harrell, who graduated from Portage High School in the spring, said she got an email about the Access College after she applied to the university. Shes found the support and resources helpful so far. I feel like your first two years are your biggest and when you grasp for help and to get your voice, and I felt like the Access College really did that, said Harrell, who wants to get her bachelors degree in nursing, a transition she expects also will be easier since all of the credits from her associate degree will transfer if she continues on at VU. Officials also credit the budding program with helping stabilize the university population, part of a multipronged approach to meet an ever-changing market. The university has more than 600 first-year students, including those in the Access College. An official census of the student population is expected this week, but Jill Schur, the universitys vice president of enrollment and marketing, said she expects this years first-year class to be about even as last year and up from two years ago. Professors Chloe Kiser, left, and Lucas Kelley in The Human Experience: Empathy and Dialogue class at Valparaiso University, in Valparaiso on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Post-Tribune). (Vincent D. Johnson/Chicago Tribune) The university had 564 first-year students for 2021, according to enrollment data on its website, and 589 students in fall 2020, before the pandemic. For comparison, Valparaiso University had 737 first-year students in the fall 2007. The Access College is part of the future. We know we need to shift to meet the market, Schur said. A four-year degree is not for everybody. The university, she said, also saw a 14% increase in domestic graduate students, including in its MBA program, and has seen its overall enrollment the past few years buoyed by international students, particularly in information technology. The universitys most recent strategic plan, outlined by President Jose Padilla last fall, included a focus on becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution, or HSI, and the university saw a 53% increase in Hispanic students in first-year classes this year, Schur said. Advertisement The market is shifting, Schur said, a point Padilla made a year ago. He said then that the whole dynamic of higher education has changed, with the COVID-19 pandemic bringing those changes to the surface. The percentage of Indiana students attending college dropped from 65% in 2015 to 53% seven years later. Additionally, a demographic cliff has been predicted to hit by 2026, with a significant drop in the percentage of young adults ages 18 to 24 attending college, particularly in the Midwest and the Northeast, Padilla said then. Its all about right-sizing ourselves, Schur said, adding the university is not going to be what it was five or 10 years ago. And without that pressure of trying to be something we arent, we can focus on retention of students we worked so hard to bring here. The stabilization of the student population, Schur said, is the result of several factors, including the universitys intentional marketing strategy, the Access College, becoming an HSI and the universitys leadership. Theres more opportunities for nontraditional thinking, including online, part-time and two-year programs, Schur said. Lucia Lopez, executive director of the Access College at Valparaiso University, in Valparaiso on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Post-Tribune). (Vincent D. Johnson/Chicago Tribune) Access College students are considered incoming freshmen in a twofold process, Lopez said. They receive an associate degree after two years with the option to continue for another two years for a bachelors degree, with all of their credits counting toward that degree. Advertisement The Access College, Lopez added, offers the resources of the universitys career center and alumni network to provide them with those opportunities. It was initially intended for students who wanted to commute to campus, Lopez said, but 22 of the colleges students are living on campus and four are commuting. The majority of the students are from Northwest Indiana. That includes Christian Kim of Valparaiso, a recent graduate of Wheeler High School, and Axel Orozco, who graduated from Valparaiso High School. The two are both working on associate degrees in business and have become friends, sharing tips on using planners and offering each other additional support. It was a good opportunity to figure things out, Kim said. He did well his junior and senior years of high school after a tough start as a terrible student who hit that level of maturity junior year and worked to improve his grades. Orozco also liked the appeal of the program. Its the fact that they will help me go along and will give me good tools to succeed in college, he said. Advertisement Areas of study in the Access College include education; biology, as a preface to nursing; and business, Lopez said, with a handful of students still exploring what they will focus on. Were excited to see that we can already incorporate those key classes they need, especially with nursing, she said. The students in last years pilot program are all continuing in the program, with one focusing on education and the other two on business. All three are living on campus. The data will show that the students who live on campus are more likely to be successful, Lopez said, adding they receive support from the campus community, save time from not having to commute, and can take advantage of on-campus employment, something else the Access College assists with. The program plans for measured growth in the coming years, with around 35 new students next fall and perhaps 50 in 2025, Lopez said, adding the pace will be dependent on the support services available and will be reassessed over time. The university, she added, is not replicating an institution but rather maximizing its resources. Advertisement I think were changing the face of education. An associate degree is typically from a community college, Lopez said, and we realize theres the capacity to offer that here. alavalley@chicagotribune.com A federal judge on Tuesday allowed Georgia to resume enforcing a ban on hormone replacement therapy for transgender people under 18. Judge Sarah Geraghty put her previous order blocking the ban on hold after a federal appeals court allowed Alabama to enforce a similar restriction. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last month that Alabama can implement a ban on the use of puberty blockers and hormones to treat transgender children. The 11th Circuit includes Georgia. Its ruling came a day after Geraghty issued a preliminary injunction blocking Georgias hormone therapy restriction. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement RELATED STORIES: Attorneys for Georgia had asked her to vacate the preliminary injunction in light of the 11th Circuit decision. The Georgia law, Senate Bill 140, allows doctors to prescribe puberty-blocking medications, and it allows minors who are already receiving hormone therapy to continue. But it bans any new patients under 18 from starting hormone therapy. It also bans most gender-affirming surgeries for transgender people under 18. It took effect July 1. Geraghty granted a preliminary injunction blocking it on Aug. 20. The injunction was sought by several transgender children, parents and a community organization in a lawsuit challenging the ban. RELATED NEWS: Updated 9/08/2023 at 8:00 am E.T. Florida is appealing a court decision that would have protected the voting rights of Black Floridians. The appeal puts the ruling, which struck down Floridas heavily gerrymandered redistricting map, on hold. Read more ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The redistricting map is only one part of broader set of policies targeting Black voters in Florida including the Governors election cops. And with this appeal, it seems that DeSantis and the Republican state-legislature are set to keep on waging their all out war on Black political power. 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. A panel of judges heard oral arguments Tuesday over whether to uphold or overturn the convictions of a former Kansas City police detective who in 2019 fatally shot a Black man. Eric DeValkenaere, who is white, was sentenced to six years in prison after he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the killing of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb, who was shot while in his pickup truck at his home. The first Kansas City officer to be convicted in the death of a Black man, DeValkenaere is asking judges at the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, in downtown Kansas City, to overturn his convictions. He remains free on bond while appealing. At Tuesdays hearing, the three-judge panel questioned DeValkenaeres attorneys version of events. The judges questioned that Lamb was armed, as DeValkenaeres lawyers suggested, and whether DeValkenaere and his partner had established probable cause to enter onto Lambs property, where DeValkenaere shot Lamb while he was in his pickup truck. Jonathan Laurans, defense attorney for Eric DeValkenaere, made his argument during an appeals hearing for the former Kansas City police detective. Jonathan Laurans, the defense attorney for DeValkenaere, said there were 11 legal and factual errors in the trial courts findings of fact and conclusions of law. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Among them, Laurans said the trial court was wrong in finding that the officers had no legal reason or probable cause to enter onto Lambs property. Laurans said there was videotape that showed Lamb committed several traffic crimes. The most blatant occurred when Lamb sped past another vehicle at a traffic light, turning into cross traffic both ways, he said. That probable cause justifies not only an arrest, but certainly if you can arrest, you can detain, you can stop. Laurans said DeValkenaere was justified to shoot Lamb because he was protecting his partner Troy Schwalm. I ask you to do the right thing and reverse, he told the judges. This man did not commit any crime, this man, Eric DeValkenaere. He deserves this courts reversal. In a rare legal move, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has argued for DeValkenaeres convictions to be thrown out. Bailey, whose office is responsible for arguing on behalf of the state, said while Lambs death was tragic and did not need to happen, DeValkenaere reasonably used deadly force when he shot Lamb. Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, whose office prosecuted DeValkenaere, called Baileys decision not to support the guilty verdict unprecedented and extremely distressing. Her office was granted permission to intervene in the appeal because, with the attorney generals decision, no one would advocate to affirm DeValkenaeres convictions and sentence. Shaun Mackelprang spoke during an appeals hearing for former Kansas City detective Eric DeValkenaere at the Missouri Western Court of Appeals. Shaun Mackelprang, a lawyer for the attorney generals office, suggested Tuesday that once Lamb backed into his garage, he got out of his truck and retrieved a handgun. It is conceivable that when he drove back to the house and got out of the vehicle and had some interactions and moved around, that he picked up the gun, Mackelprang said. But the judges said that video captured from a police helicopter refuted that claim. Ben Cox, an assistant Jackson County prosecutor, argued that the Circuit Court was correct in its verdict and that DeValkenaere and his partner, Schwalm, had no legal reason to be on Lambs property. There was no evidence to support the defense attorneys claim that Lamb was armed and pointed a handgun at Schwalm at the time of the shooting, Cox said. The appellant was criminally negligent that day and Cameron Lamb died as a result, he said. Ever since that day, the appellants version of the facts, and the legal justification have been changing. But neither the true facts or the applicable law has changed. The appellant unreasonably entered that property, he did so unlawfully...he unreasonably drew his weapon and he unreasonably escalated a situation that had previously been de-escalated. He shot an unarmed man in his home. Assistant Jackson County Prosecutor Ben Cox spoke during an appeals hearing for former Kansas City detective Eric DeValkenaere. DeValkenaere was not present at the hearing, which lasted just over 52 minutes. The appeals court will issue a ruling at a later date. Before the hearing, supporters of Lambs family held a rally outside of the courthouse, where they called for DeValkenaere to pay for his crimes. On the sidewalk outside the courthouse, someone spray painted the words: Arrest DeValkenaere. Judge convicted DeValkenaere On Dec. 3, 2019, Lamb got into an argument with his girlfriend and it became physical, according to testimony at DeValkenaeres 2021 trial. At one point, Lambs girlfriend left their home and he chased her in his truck. During the chase, he got a call from a roommate to return home. Meanwhile, DeValkenaere and another plainclothes detective, Schwalm, had been alerted by a police helicopter about the chase. The two, who were members of the Kansas City Police Departments Violent Offenders Squad, arrived at Lambs home and tried to arrest him as he was backing his pickup truck down a sloped driveway in his garage. Nine seconds after they arrived, DeValkenaere shot and killed Lamb. DeValkenaere later said he opened fire after Lamb pointed a handgun at Schwalm. Family members of Cameron Lamb gathered in May 2020 at a Black Lives Matter peace protest in Mill Creek Park on the Country Club Plaza. Police found Lamb inside the truck with his left arm and head hanging out of the drivers side window. A gun was found on the ground near Lambs left hand, police said at the time. DeValkenaere was indicted by a Jackson County grand jury in June 2020. At trial, prosecutors said DeValkenaere did not have the legal authority to be on the property when he killed Lamb. His conduct during the shooting was reckless and violated the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. They alleged the detectives, who were in plainclothes, did not ask for permission to walk onto the property and did not have a warrant Prosecutors also said the crime scene was staged and police planted the gun at the scene. Before he was shot, Lamb had his left hand on the trucks steering wheel and he had limited use of his right hand, prosecutors said. DeValkenaere was found guilty at a bench trial by Jackson County Circuit Court Presiding Judge J. Dale Youngs. The detectives did not have a search warrant or consent to be on the property, he said. Laurie Bey, mother of Cameron Lamb, walked with supporters after attending an appeals hearing for former Kansas City detective Eric DeValkenaere. In court filings, Baileys office said the evidence did not support the verdict. Baileys office argued DeValkenaere did not act with criminal negligence and that he reasonably shot Lamb to protect his partner. The move was unusual, considering the Missouri attorney generals offices history of defending criminal convictions. The office under then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt, for example, aggressively fought Bakers efforts in 2021 to free an innocent man from prison. Following oral arguments, Bakers office said in a written statement, Today we asked the Court to uphold the rule of law just as we have in countless other cases. We will await respectfully the Courts decision. Since DeValkenaere was convicted, there have been multiple efforts to lobby Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to pardon the former detective. However, Parson has said he would not consider a pardon while the case is under appeal. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) When Tennessees special session kicked off a few weeks ago, many expected the General Assembly to pass Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton s juvenile crime bills to force some juveniles to go to adult court and prison, even though by and large juvenile crime is actually down. Well its decreasing on the number of people who are being arrested. If you go down to Shelby County, like I was down there multiple times this year, you talk to any resident down there, juvenile crimes run amuck, Sexton said. I dont think theyre going to tell you juvenile crime is decreasing in Shelby County. I think its increasing, the number of carjackings, the number of violent crimes. Tennessee officials differ on ideas for juvenile justice reform The House Speaker is correct that vehicle-related crimes, like carjacking, are increasing. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In Memphis and Shelby County, at least, there has been a spike in auto thefts by those that are under 18, said Shelby County Democratic District Attorney Steve Mulroy. But as for those overall juvenile crime numbers, those have actually decreased significantly over the last decade, according to TBI data. The overall crime trend for juvenile crime has actually been down, Mulroy said. Now, I know that Speaker Sexton has suggested that maybe thats just because there havent been as many arrests because they havent been able to solve as many crimes, but we actually took a look at that. MPD data shows murders, auto thefts going up again Mulroy points out the clearance rates essentially the cases that have been reported that law enforcement solved and closed with an arrest havent dropped off. The clearance rates havent really been on a steady downward decline during that period, so I dont think thats the explanation, he said. I do think, in fact, there has been less juvenile crime. Still, Sexton is pushing on, saying its an important piece moving forward and that hell push for it again during regular session in January. Being able to have them be blended to where you can move them over to an adult population if they dont meet certain criteria, I think is the right step to go, he said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. FILE - A stack of the Marion County Record sits in the back of the newspaper's building, awaiting unbundling, sorting and distribution, Aug. 16, 2023, in Marion, Kan. The lawyer for the small Kansas newspaper raided by police in August 2023 said on Tuesday, Sept. 5, that he believes officers didn't follow the search warrant's requirements to only seize computers believed directly involved in suspected identity theft. (AP Photo/John Hanna, File) Police officers who raided a small Kansas newspaper's offices last month didn't follow the requirements of the search warrant to only seize computers that had been directly involved in suspected identity theft, according to the newspaper's lawyer. Authorities released data to the newspaper last week showing police spent 1 hour and 20 minutes fruitlessly searching one computer for signs it was used to look up the driving record of a local restaurant owner and the status of her driver's license on the Kansas Department of Revenue's site. No evidence was found. But the Marion County Record 's attorney Bernie Rhodes said Tuesday that police seized that computer and then took all the other computers in the newsroom along with two reporters' cell phones without checking to see if any of those devices were involved. So its a complete and total sham, which is, in my view, simply more evidence that this so-called search was just a pretense to intimidate the newspaper, Rhodes said. The Record's publisher, Eric Meyer, whose home was also searched on Aug. 11 along with the home of a city council member, has said he thinks the the search was motivated by the newspaper's investigation of Police Chief Gideon Cody's background with the Kansas City Police Department before he was hired in Marion earlier this year. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Cody didn't respond to email questions from The Associated Press on Tuesday. He defended the search initially, but hasn't said much publicly since the Kansas Bureau of Investigation took over the case. He said in affidavits used to obtain the search warrants that he had probable cause to believe the newspaper and City Council member Ruth Herbel, whose home was also raided, had violated state laws against identity theft or computer crimes. Police had said in court documents that investigators believed the newspaper may have acted illegally to obtain personal information about a local restaurant owner. But a spokesman for the Kansas Department of Revenue has said the search a reporter did after they received some information from a tipster was legal. The KBI hasn't offered updates on its investigation or when it might turn over its findings to the local prosecutor in the central Kansas town of about 1,900 people. Video of the raid on the home of publisher Eric Meyer shows how distraught his 98-year-old mother became as officers searched through their belongings. Meyer said he believes that stress contributed to the death of his mother, Joan Meyer, a day later. The raids have been sharply criticized nationally because of the implications for the press protections outlined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But now Rhodes said he believes there were also violations of the Fourth Amendment's restrictions on unreasonable searches. In the search warrant, the judge directed police to conduct a preview search of all located digital communications devices and digital storage media to exclude from seizure those which have not been involved in the identity theft. Rhodes said the data reviewed by his forensic expert shows that didn't happen. Rhodes is still gathering evidence for the lawsuit he plans to file on the newspaper's behalf, but one of the Record's reporters already filed her own lawsuit against police. Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey didn't immediately respond to questions Tuesday about the search warrants. But a few days after the raids, he said, there wasn't enough evidence to justify the searches so he ordered authorities to return everything they seized. Legal experts believe the raid on the newspaper violated a federal privacy law or a state law shielding journalists from having to identify sources or turn over unpublished material to law enforcement. The City Council was holding another meeting Tuesday afternoon, but didn't plan to discuss the raids at all other than to hear public comments about it. Mayor David Mayfield the city's attorney advised him not to talk about the KBI's criminal investigation. When the investigation is completed by them, the council will then decide if any action needs to be taken, Mayfield said in a text message to The Associated Press. Mayfield said he believes that if there was anything wrong with the searches then the judge should have never approved the warrants, but once they were approved he believes police acted properly. Its my understanding that the police served a valid search warrant that was issued, he said. But Mayfield said he really doesn't know everything that happened because when Cody told him he was investigating a City Council member I told him I did not want to know any details. Kenya's President William Ruto speaks at Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, during the Africa Climate Summit. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga) NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) Climate change is relentlessly eating away at Africas economic progress and its time to have a global conversation about a carbon tax on polluters, Kenyas president declared Tuesday as the first Africa Climate Summit got underway. Those who produce the garbage refuse to pay their bills, President William Ruto , a host of the summit, said to an audience that included senior officials from China, the United States and the European Union some of the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases. The rapidly growing African continent of more than 1.3 billion people is losing 5% to 15% of its gross domestic product growth every year to the widespread impacts of climate change, according to Ruto. It's a source of deep frustration in the resource-rich region that contributes by far the least to global warming. He and other leaders urged reforms to the global financial structures that have left African nations paying about five times more to borrow money than others, worsening the debt crisis for many. Africa has more than 30 of the worlds most indebted countries, Kenyas Cabinet secretary for the environment, Soipan Tuya, said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The U.S. governments climate envoy, John Kerry, acknowledged the acute, unfair debt. He also said 17 of the worlds 20 countries most impacted by climate change are in Africa while the worlds 20 richest nations, including his own, produce 80% of the worlds carbon emissions that are driving climate change. Asked about the Kenyan presidents call for a carbon tax discussion, Kerry said President Joe Biden has not yet embraced any particular carbon pricing mechanism. Ruto said Africas 54 countries must go green fast before industrializing and not vice versa, unlike (richer nations) had the luxury to do. Transforming Africas economy on a green trajectory is the most feasible, just and efficient way to attain a net-zero world by 2050, he said. Climate finance is key, speakers said. A pledge by richer nations of $100 billion a year to help developing nations achieve their climate goals remains unfulfilled, and Ruto said the summit declaration will firmly encourage everyone to keep their promises. The United Arab Emirates, which is hosting the next United Nations climate meeting later this year, announced it plans to invest $4.5 billion in Africas clean energy potential. The African continent has 60% of the worlds renewable energy assets and more than 30% of the minerals key to renewable and low-carbon technologies. One goal of the summit is to transform the narrative around the continent from victim to assertive, wealthy partner. Its becoming increasingly difficult to explain to our people, particularly to our youth, the contradiction: resource-rich continent and poor people, Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde said. Africas GDP should be revalued for its assets, which include the world's second-largest rainforest and biodiversity, African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina said. Africa cannot be nature-rich and cash-poor, he said. But divisions are evident around the issue that was little mentioned in the opening speeches and yet is at the heart of the tough conversations ahead: fossil fuels. Africa must use its natural gas resources a growing interest of Europe along with renewable energy sources, Adesina said. Give us space to grow, he said. Ruto, however, has criticized the addiction to fossil fuels. His country now gets more than 90% of its energy from renewables. We dont have to do what the developed countries did to power their industries. It will be harder to use renewable energy exclusively, but it can be done," said one local summit attendee, Martha Lusweti. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the summit attendees that its time for the world to break our addiction to fossil fuels. Worldwide spending on fossil fuel subsidies reached $7 trillion in 2022, according to the International Monetary Fund. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said African nations could produce enough clean energy to power the continent and export abroad, but for this, Africa needs massive investment. Some of Africa's biggest economies rely on fossil fuels. South Africa's coal-fired plants are struggling. Parts of Nigeria's Niger Delta are slick from oil extraction. Some of Africa's cities have the world's worst air pollution. A TotalEnergies pipeline project in Uganda and Tanzania is being challenged. Missing from the summit were the leaders of a number of Africa's largest economies including South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt, as well as forest-rich Congo. Also missing from the leading speakers was China, the world's largest emitter of heat-trapping gases, Africa's largest trading partner and one of its biggest creditors. Some African leaders gave passionate descriptions of climate change's toll. The seas that once serenaded us with lullabies now warn of rising tides, Sierra Leone's president, Julius Maada Bio, said. It is an African story, and I daresay its a global story, too. ___ Follow APs coverage of the climate at https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment and of Africa at https://apnews.com/hub/africa WASHINGTON House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has said the House of Representatives may open an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden . But he may lack the votes to make it happen. While far-right lawmakers like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) have demanded impeachment, a number of more moderate Republicans sound skeptical. McCarthy can lose only four votes from his own party and still push a resolution through the House without Democratic support. Republicans have been looking into whether President Biden, when he served as vice president nearly a decade ago, did official favors for his son Hunter Biden , who was in business with foreign nationals from China and Ukraine. So far, Republican investigators have failed to show wrongdoing by the president, and several moderates have suggested the material theyve seen doesnt justify opening an impeachment inquiry. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We should have some clear evidence of a high crime or misdemeanor, not just assuming there may be one, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) told The Hill last week. I think we need to have more concrete evidence to go down that path. House Oversight Committee chair James Comer (R-Ky.) has claimed that when Biden was vice president he pushed for the ouster of a Ukrainian prosecutor in order to benefit Hunter Biden, who received millions serving on the board of a Ukrainian gas company called Burisma. Former President Donald Trump made the same claim in 2019, and Democrats impeached him for withholding military aid from Ukraine in an effort to make that country announce an investigation into the Bidens. State Department officials testified during the proceedings that Biden had merely carried out their policy recommendation, not done a favor for his son. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) Comers strongest material so far may have come from Devon Archer, a former Hunter Biden business partner who testified in July that the younger Biden occasionally put his dad on speakerphone in the company of business associates. Republicans have claimed the conversations show Biden lied when he said he never talked business with his son, but according to the transcript, Archer testified that the conversations were never actually about business. Theres no evidence that Joe Biden got money, or that Joe Biden, you know, agreed to do something so that Hunter could get money, an anonymous House Republican told CNN last week. Theres just no evidence of that. And they cant impeach without that evidence. And I dont I dont think the evidence exists. Its not just moderates who have sounded negative about impeachment. Conservative Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) suggested in July that McCarthy was using impeachment theater to distract from disagreements among House Republicans about government spending. Conservatives are still mad that McCarthy agreed to higher spending levels in a deal with Biden earlier this year. Theyre hoping to undo the deal in budget negotiations this month. Greene, on the other hand, said last week that she wouldnt vote for any government funding bill unless the House opens an impeachment inquiry. White House spokesman Andrew Bates asked in a statement Tuesday whether Republicans would break their promise and choose to shut down the government in order to appease Marjorie Taylor Greene and her far-right friends demands for a baseless impeachment stunt. McCarthy said Friday that he wont open an impeachment inquiry without a House vote. He has insisted that the impeachment inquiry would not necessarily lead to an actual impeachment vote, but that it would help lawmakers pry documents from the executive branch and win court cases enforcing their requests. The speaker said last week that Republicans would ask for bank records that would show whether Biden had ever accepted a bribe. There are 18 House Republicans representing districts that mostly voted for Biden in 2020. Several of them, including Reps. Bacon, Mike Lawler (N.Y.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), told NBC News last month they werent sure impeachment was a good idea. Lawler said his main question was whether the committees investigating Biden had produced facts and evidence warranting a more aggressive step. I dont think its there at the moment, but these committees are doing their job, Lawler said. Starkie Swenson, shown here in 1981 in Florida, was active and well-known in the Neenah community. CHILTON - Defendant John Andrews will be tried this week to determine he whether obstructed police in June 2021 by denying he knew the location of Starkie Swenson's remains. A good deal of the three-day jury trial, though, will focus on the events of August 1983, when Swenson went missing from Neenah, and March 1994, when Andrews was convicted of killing Swenson, even though Swenson's body hadn't been found. The discovery of Swenson's remains wouldn't occur until September 2021, when, by happenstance, hikers found his tibia in a partially secluded area at High Cliff State Park in Sherwood. Eric Tillman was a child when Swenson, his grandfather, disappeared. He was a teenager when Andrews was tried for his grandfather's murder. Tillman plans to sit through this week's trial to hear testimony that he otherwise only has read about in police reports and court documents. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "They're going to have to cover a lot of ground," Tillman told The Post-Crescent. Andrews' attorneys Jonas Bednarek and Catherine White said in a court document that the case "will essentially require a redo of the homicide trial" that occurred in 1994. Calumet County Circuit Court Judge Carey Reed will preside over the trial on the misdemeanor charge. If convicted, Andrews faces a maximum penalty of nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine. The trial is set to being Wednesday. This embedded content is not available in your region. Here are five key players in the trial. Defendant John Andrews Andrews was 44 when Swenson, 67, disappeared after leaving his Neenah home on a bicycle. Andrews is now 84 and living in Chilton. Police questioned Andrews in June 2021 about Swenson's whereabouts in an effort to bring closure to the Swenson family. Andrews not only denied any knowledge of Swenson's whereabouts, but he also denied ever seeing or speaking to Swenson in person. In 1994, Andrews was tried on a charge of first-degree murder for Swenson's death. Police alleged Andrews became enraged over Swenson's extramarital affair with his ex-wife, Claire Andrews, and ran him over with his Pontiac Firebird on the grounds of Shattuck Junior High School in Neenah. The trial ended after four days when Andrews accepted a negotiated Alford plea and was convicted of a lesser charge of homicide by negligent use of a vehicle. He was sentenced to two years in prison and fined $10,000. An Alford plea allows for a defendant to be convicted and sentenced while proclaiming innocence. It means the defendant decided it would be better to be sentenced on the lesser charge than take a chance with the jury on the initial charge, which could lead to a longer sentence. More: Timeline of major events in the death and disappearance of Starkie Swenson Prosecutor Nathan Haberman After the discover of Swenson's remains at High Cliff State Park, Calumet County District Attorney Nathan Haberman charged Andrews with hiding a corpse, a felony. The case was dismissed by Reed, who ruled that Andrews' denial of knowing the whereabouts of Swenson's remains when questioned by police didn't constitute hiding a corpse as defined by state law. Haberman subsequently charged Andrews with obstructing an officer. He intends to call a witness who will contradict Andrews' statement that he never saw or spoke to Swenson in person. Tillman praised Haberman for his persistence in prosecuting Andrews and seeking justice. He described Haberman as tenacious. "A crime is a crime, and all crime should be treated that way, even if it appears to be small," Tillman said. Starkie Swenson gives a bicycle ride to his grandson David Blank. Swenson left his Neenah home on the red three-speed bike on the evening he disappeared. Witness Suzanne Eggert The prosecution's list of potential witnesses includes Suzanne Eggert, who was the state's star witness in the 1994 homicide trial. Eggert testified that she overhead a verbal and physical encounter between Swenson and Andrews on Aug. 13, 1983, on the Shattuck property and later saw Andrews leaning into the trunk of his car. The testimony runs counter to Andrews' 2021 statement that he never saw or spoke to Swenson in person. At the 1994 trial, Eggert said she didn't tell police the whole truth about what she heard and saw until nearly 10 years later because Andrews threatened to kill her and her two daughters. The March 17, 1994, edition of The Post-Crescent covers the testimony of witness Suzanne Eggert in the murder trial of John Andrews. Biological anthropologist Jordan Karsten In September 2021, investigators requested Jordan Karsten, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, to respond to High Cliff State Park to analyze, document and remove the recently discovered human remains. Karsten determined the body, later identified as Swenson, was placed at the site at the time of death or shortly thereafter and that it was intentionally concealed with limestone rocks, according to the criminal complaint. Rib and pelvic fractures, Karsten deduced, were consistent with Swenson being run over on his bicycle by a vehicle. Karsten was involved in the case even before the discovery of Swenson's remains. In April 2021, the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office asked Karsten and his students to conduct a systematic search for Swenson's remains on a property near Omro. The search turned up empty but led police to question Andrews about Swenson's whereabouts. Attorney Dean Strang Dean Strang Criminal defense attorney Dean Strang is listed as a potential witness for the defense. Strang and attorney Stephen Glynn defended Andrews in the 1994 trial, and Strang was involved in negotiating the Alford plea. Defense attorneys Bednarek and White previously filed two motions to dismiss the case one contending Andrews' 1994 plea prevents further prosecution and one claiming improper prosecution. Reed denied both motions. Strang gained attention as one of the attorneys for convicted killer Steven Avery in the 2015 Netflix docuseries "Making a Murderer." Avery and his nephew, Brendan Dassey, are serving life sentences for the 2005 murder of photographer Teresa Halbach. They have maintained their innocence, as Andrews has done in the Swenson case. Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke. SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM: Our subscribers make this coverage possible. Click to see The Post-Crescent's special offers at postcrescent.com/subscribe and download our app on the App Store or Google Play. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Get to know the key players in the John Andrews-Starkie Swenson case Kim Jong-un may be going to Russia this month to meet Vladimir Putin as Moscow tries to negotiate the possibility of receiving military equipment from North Korea for its Ukraine invasion. North Koreas leader would travel from Pyongyang, probably by armoured train, to Vladivostok on the Pacific Coast of Russia, where he would meet Mr Putin, reported The New York Times. Both heads of state could be on the campus of Vladivostoks Far Eastern Federal University to attend the Eastern Economic Forum, scheduled to take place from 10-13 September, according to the outlet. The date of travel or exact place of meeting, however, is not yet clear. Pyongyang is expected to ask Moscow to share their advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines in exchange for weapons, reported NYT, citing officials on the condition of anonymity. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The US has previously warned North Korea could supply more weapons to Russia, with US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson noting earlier on Monday that Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu travelled to Pyongyang recently in a bid to persuade North Korea to sell artillery ammunition. We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia, she said. She said the US is urging North Korea to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia. The White House said last week that it had intelligence indicating Mr Putin and Mr Kim swapped letters following Mr Shoigus visit. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the letters were more at the surface level, but that Russian and North Korean talks on a weapons sale were advancing. He also warned of sanctions against Pyongyang if it goes ahead with the weapons supply. Additional reporting by agencies In a recent interview with China.org.cn, Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen said that China had inspired him to achieve creative breakthroughs during the making of his new romantic feature film, "The Breaking Ice," which hit Chinese screens on Aug. 22. Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen appears at the premiere of "The Breaking Ice" in Beijing, Aug. 19, 2023. [Photo courtesy of Today Pictures] The contemplative film, set in the small and wintry city of Yanji, China, near the North Korean border and known for its ethnic Korean culture, follows the journey of three young adults as they navigate relationships, explore the restlessness of youth, and experience personal growth. Chen, acknowledged as one of Asia's most promising young directors, achieved international acclaim early in his career. In 2007, he competed in the shorts competition at Cannes with "Grandma" and later won the prestigious Camera d'Or for his debut feature film "Ilo Ilo" in 2013. His second film, "Wet Season," premiered in competition at the Toronto International Film Festival. Both films were selected as Singapore's official entries for the Oscars. However, he says it was the making of "The Breaking Ice" that helped him break through creative barriers and seek further artistic progress. "Feeling like I may have encountered a creative bottleneck and wanting to continue growing without repeating myself, I thought about finding a solution," Chen said. "The idea came to me to break away from my previous style by going to an unfamiliar place, choosing an unknown environment, and experiencing a different climate. Additionally, I wanted to work with a different creative team to produce a film that would be more liberating, relaxed, and exhilarating." The director also explained how his journey from tropical Singapore to the cold city of Yanji was transformative. Mesmerized by Changbai Mountain, Chen explored the surrounding cities and discovered the unique atmosphere of Yanji. With its Korean influences, vibrant fashion, and trendy K-pop club scene, the city shattered his preconceived notions of northeastern China. This made Yanji the perfect backdrop to narrate the story of the film's three young wanderers. Through subtle interactions and introspective moments, the trio forms an unexpected bond that offers solace amidst their individual struggles. A still from "The Breaking Ice." [Photo courtesy of Huace Pictures] Chen described the making of "The Breaking Ice" as "taking materials right from the location," where he observed the scenery, found actors, and constructed the story based on his own feelings and observations. Despite developing the film's concept and outline in advance, he included numerous details from the local area, capturing the essence of its individual souls. Remarkably, the script was finalized just 10 days before shooting began. According to the director, the main characters, played by Zhou Dongyu, Liu Haoran, and Qu Chuxiao, form a perfect trio. Initially uncertain about their chemistry, as they had not worked together before, Chen was pleasantly surprised to witness their relationship grow early in the filmmaking process. As shooting and editing progressed, the director even found himself longing to join them in the film. Through subtle interactions and introspective moments, the trio formed an unexpected bond that offers solace amidst their individual stories. "What I appreciated the most are the three actors who not only trusted me throughout this adventurous creative process but also entrusted their bodies and souls to my care. They bravely embarked on an emotional journey that they hadn't experienced before," Chen said. The director also found the challenge of filming in China to be surprisingly manageable. Throughout the filming process, he noted how everyone, including crew members, the creative team, and actors, wholeheartedly believed in the project. Despite the film's unconventional emphasis on inner emotions, visuals, and atmosphere, rather than a plot-driven narrative, everyone placed their trust in the director and worked diligently to bring his vision to life. "The Breaking Ice" garnered positive feedback from both critics and audiences when it premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Some critics praised its warmth and depth. Chen described how he has closely observed China over the years and how the film is a love letter to Chinese youth. Through the film, he aimed to capture and address various issues such as anxiety, dilemmas, mental health problems, and work-related pressures that Chinese youth face in their daily lives. A still from "The Breaking Ice." [Photo courtesy of Huace Pictures] "I only wanted to portray the current situation or spiritual state of China. I may not provide any definitive answers, but I believe I have raised some thought-provoking questions. Additionally, I hope that people can perceive the sincerity within my film, which has a genuine concern for the young generation," he said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (L) may visit Russian President Vladimir Putin soon to discuss a potential weapons sale for Moscow's war against Ukraine, the White House said. File Photo by KCNA/UPI SEOUL, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may make a rare diplomatic visit to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin for discussions about supplying weapons for Moscow's war against Ukraine, according to the White House. "As we have warned publicly, arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing," National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement Monday to multiple media outlets. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea. "We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia," she said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Last week, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield delivered a joint statement to the United Nations outlining "new, deeply troubling information" about Russia's plans to acquire weapons from North Korea. "Arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing," Thomas-Greenfield said, citing a July visit to Pyongyang by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu , during which he toured a weapons expo and viewed a military parade. "The United States is now able to share that Shoigu's visit was more than just a photo op," she said. "Russia is negotiating potential deals for significant quantities and multiple types of munitions from the DPRK to be used against Ukraine." The joint statement was co-signed by France, Japan, South Korea and Britain. Moscow and Pyongyang have drawn closer amid a growing geopolitical divide sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with Putin and Kim exchanging letters earlier this year vowing to deepen bilateral cooperation. Russia, along with China, has repeatedly blocked U.S.-led efforts at the United Nations Security Council to take action against North Korea over a flurry of weapons tests, including its launch of a Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile in July. Moscow also attempted to broker three-way naval exercises with North Korea and China during Shoigu's visit, South Korea's top intelligence official said Monday. The New York Times first reported the planned trip to Russia by Kim on Monday, saying the North Korean leader would likely travel by armored train from Pyongyang to the Pacific port city of Vladivostok for the meeting. Citing U.S. and allied officials, the Times reported Putin is seeking artillery shells and anti-tank missiles, while Kim wants advanced technology for satellites and nuclear submarines, as well as food aid. Vladivostok is hosting the Eastern Economic Forum from Sunday to Sept. 13 on the campus of Far Eastern Federal University, where a potential meeting of the leaders could take place. The reports of the Putin-Kim meeting follow a North Korean simulated tactical nuclear attack over the weekend. The exercise used mock nuclear warheads to warn the United States and its allies of the North's offensive capabilities, state-run Korean Central News Agency said. FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un shake hands during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. A North Korean train presumably carrying North Korean leader Jong Un has departed for Russia for a possible meeting with Russian President Putin, South Korean media said Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. Citing unidentified South Korean government sources, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported that the train likely left the North Korean capital of Pyongyang on Sunday evening and that a Kim-Putin meeting is possible as early as Tuesday. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool, File) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with President Vladimir Putin at a cosmodrome in Russias Far East on Wednesday for talks that are likely to focus on Russias desire to buy ammunition to refill reserves drained by its war in Ukraine. The meeting underscores deepening cooperation as the two isolated leaders are locked in separate confrontations with the United States. In return for providing ammunition, North Korea will likely want shipments of food and energy and transfers of sophisticated weapons technologies. The meeting with Putin is Kim's first with a foreign leader since North Korea closed its borders in January 2020. They met for the first time in April 2019, two months after Kims high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with then-U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to Pyongyang, North Koreas capital, in July and asked Kim to send more ammunition to Russia, according to U.S. officials. Shoigu said Moscow and Pyongyang were considering holding military exercises for the first time. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Its unclear how far Kim and Putins military cooperation could go, but any sign of warming relations will worry rivals like the U.S. and South Korea. Russia seeks to quash a Ukrainian counteroffensive and prolong the war, while North Korea is extending a record pace of missile tests to protest U.S. moves to reinforce military alliances with South Korea and Japan. Heres a look at what Kims trip to Russia could mean: WHAT DOES RUSSIA WANT FROM NORTH KOREA? Since last year, U.S. officials have suspected that North Korea is providing Russia with artillery shells, rockets and other ammunition, much of which is likely copies of Soviet-era munitions. Russia is in urgent need of (war supplies). If not, how could the defense minister of a powerful country at war come to a small country like North Korea? said Kim Taewoo, former head of Seouls Korea Institute for National Unification. He said Shoigu was the first Russian defense minister to visit North Korea since the 1991 disintegration of the Soviet Union. Buying munitions from North Korea would be a violation of United Nations resolutions, supported by Russia, that ban all arms trade with the isolated country. But now that it faces international sanctions and export controls over its war in Ukraine, Russia has been seeking weapons from other sanctioned countries such as North Korea and Iran. North Korea has vast stores of munitions, but Du Hyeogn Cha, an analyst at Seouls Asan Institute for Policy Studies, doubted whether it could swiftly send significant amounts to Russia because the narrow land link between the countries can handle only a limited amount of rail traffic. WHAT DOES KIM WANT IN RETURN? Kims priorities would be aid shipments, prestige and military technology, experts said. It would be a win-win deal for both, as Putin is cornered over his exhausted weapons inventory while Kim faces pressure from the South Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral cooperation, said Nam Sung-wook, a former director of the Institute for National Security Strategy, a think tank run by South Koreas spy agency. Their needs are matched perfectly now. Pandemic-era border closures have left North Korea with severe economic difficulties, and Kim is likely to seek supplies of food and energy to address shortfalls. Kim will likely also trumpet expanding relations with Moscow as a sign that his country is overcoming its years of isolation. North Korean leaders have long valued face-to-face meetings with world leaders as signs of international importance and for domestic propaganda purposes. Kim is likely also seeking Russian technology to support his plans to build high-tech weapons systems such as powerful long-range missiles, hypersonic ballistic weapons, nuclear-powered submarines and spy satellites, said Hong Min, an analyst at Seouls Korea Institute for National Unification. Its unclear whether Russia would be willing to provide North Korea with advanced technologies related to nuclear weapons and ICBMs, Cha said. Russia has always tightly guarded its most important weapons technologies, even from key partners such as China, he said. HOW CLOSE COULD THE TWO COUNTRIES GET? Shoigu told reporters that Russia and North Korea were pondering the possibility of a bilateral military exercise. Earlier, South Koreas spy agency told lawmakers that Shoigu appeared to have proposed a trilateral training exercise involving China. Either way, it would be North Koreas first military drills with a foreign country since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. The country has avoided training with a foreign military in line with its official juche, or self-reliance, philosophy. Kim Taewoo, the former institute director, said expanding South Korea-U.S.-Japan security cooperation could prompt Kim Jong Un to break that taboo and hold drills with Russia and China for the first time. But Nam, who is now a professor at Korea University, said North Korea wont likely accept the offer, as it could leave it even more dependent on China and Russia. Park Won Gon, a professor at Seouls Ewha Womans University, said its too early to predict what Kims diplomacy could yield beyond making a show of defiance toward the United States. In any case, North Korea and Russia need to show that theyre working together, that theyre stepping up this cooperation, Park said. There clearly are practical areas of cooperation, and also some symbolic aspects they want to show to the United States. Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin both want something from the other - AFP/Alexey Nikolsky Kim Jong-un will travel to Russia on an armoured train to sign a possible weapons deal with Vladimir Putin, according to US intelligence officials. The North Korean leader is reportedly seeking satellite and nuclear submarine technology from Russia in exchange for artillery shells and anti-tank missiles to assist the Russian president in his war in Ukraine. US and Western officials said that Kim would travel by train to meet Mr Putin in Vladivostok, on Russias eastern coast. The meeting is likely to take place in the margins of the Eastern Economic Forum, a Russian investment conference, between September 10 and 13, but officials suggested Kim could also visit Moscow. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Mr Putin is hoping to boost his military arsenal after a series of major setbacks in the war, including recent successes for Ukraine in penetrating the first line of Russian defences in a counter offensive aimed at cutting off Crimea. Ukraine has also stepped up its drone attacks on Russia itself, reportedly destroying transport in the western city of Pskov last week. Officials suggested that Kim is also likely to ask Mr Putin for food aid to feed the North Korean people, who have become increasingly desperate in recent months, according to the United Nations. Possible three-way military drills with China Reports of a meeting between the leaders comes after the White House warned they had exchanged letters discussing the prospect of an arms deal. John F. Kirby, of the US Governments National Security Council, said talks were actively advancing as Russia looks to its remaining allies for military assistance. Following these negotiations, high-level discussions may continue in coming months, he said last Wednesday. South Korean officials warned that Mr Putin has suggested that North Korea join three-way military drills with China, after the Russian ambassador to Pyongyang said a stronger military alliance between the countries seems appropriate. Mr Putin has previously thanked Kim for his firm support of the war in Ukraine, calling into question the regimes denials that it has armed Russia already. Solidarity with Russia on key international issues highlight our common interests, Mr Putin said in July. North Korea is in possession of a range of high-powered nuclear weapons, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) with a range of 15,000km. But the country has twice failed to launch a spy satellite, and is thought to be seeking assistance from Russia for a third attempt The two leaders are likely to meet on the margins of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok - AFP/Alexander Zemlianichenko On Monday, the Russian president vowed he would not restore the Ukraine grain deal, which is blocking food supplies to many poor countries, unless the West accedes to his demands to drop sanctions on Russian food exports. Cooperation between Russia and its allies is expected to be a talking point among Western leaders at this weeks G20 summit, which begins on Saturday in New Delhi. Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, is not expected to attend. China, which also borders North Korea, has attempted to remain neutral in the war but has propped up the Russian economy and arms industry. US urges North Korea to cease arms negotiations with Russia The White House refused to confirm it had direct intelligence suggesting a meeting was planned between Kim and Putin. But Adrienne Watson, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said the US believed North Korea expected leader-level diplomatic engagement with Russia over arms. As we have warned publicly, arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing, she said. Last month, Sergei Shoigu, the Russian Defense Minister, traveled to the DPRK to try to convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Russia. We have information that Kim Jong-Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia. We urge the DPRK to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia. 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. Kimberly Guilfoyle was forced to defend her engagement to Donald Trump Jr in awkward Newsmax interview (Newsmax / Screengrab) A Newsmax interview quickly turned awkward when Donald Trump Jrs fiance, Kimberly Guilfoyle , recoiled at the lack of certainty in the hosts words, when he said former President Donald Trump could be her potential future father-in-law. Host Greg Kelly began the interview by asking Ms Guilfoyle about the impact of the Georgia election interference indictment on Mr Trump before it took an unexpected turn: So obviously this atrocity unfolds, your potential father-in-law under arrest. But you know what? Its turning up roses. Potential? Ms Guilfoyle retorted with a laugh. Future father-in-law. Jesus. The pair reportedly got engaged on New Years Eve 2020. After Kelly asked, Is it sealed? Do we have a date? Ms Guilfoyle replied, Uh, not that Im sharing on the air. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Fair enough. Hey, Im glad. I didnt realise. Theres a ring. Fantastic, thats great news, Kelly said. Weve been engaged, babe, for two years, but well take this breaking news alert. Thats hysterical, Ms Guilfoyle joked. But Kelly kept pushing: Well, I mean, alright. Look, we need whats he waiting for? We need more Trumps, Ms Guilfoyle said with a chuckle. Then the host launched into the positive effect that the Georgia arrest had on Mr Trumps poll numbers: Its like, Biblical, this comeback. Its unbelievable. Its better than 2016. Its better and [he has] greater movement and momentum than 2020, Ms Guilfoyle said. Not only is he holding the base but hes growing the movement. She referred to an Emerson poll which is very credible, she said. The August 2023 Emerson poll showed that in a hypothetical matchup between Mr Trump and President Joe Biden, 46 per cent of voters would support Mr Trump and 44 per cent would support Mr Biden; 10 per cent said they were undecided. However, what Mr Trumps potential future daughter-in-law neglected to mention was that the same poll showed the lowest support to date for the former president across Emerson national polls; following the first GOP primary debate, only 50 per cent of Republican Primary voters said they would vote for Mr Trump. By contrast, a poll taken earlier this month, on August 19 days after he had been indicted in the Fulton County, Georgia election probe but before he was arrested showed him carrying 56 per cent of the vote. As cases climb in the U.S., health experts encourage Americans, particularly Black and brown Americans at risk, to stay vigilant and get the newly updated vaccine this fall. COVID-19 cases are rising again in the United States as the White House and health experts warn the public to be cautious and up-to-date on their vaccine shots. The risk of COVID-19 was highlighted on Monday after first lady Jill Biden , who is twice vaccinated and boosted, tested positive for the virus. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that President Joe Biden, who was with the first lady in Delaware during the holiday weekend, tested negative and will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms. On Tuesday, Whoopi Goldberg also tested positive for COVID-19, missing the live taping of the season premiere of The View. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden depart the White House on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. (Photo by Julia Nikhinson/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) The presidential spokesperson said there are no updates to the White House COVID-19 protocols in light of the first ladys positive testing and stressed, We have more tools and systems available today to help communities this fall and winter season. A new COVID-19 vaccine coming this fall amid surge One of those tools will be a newly updated COVID-19 shot that will hit the market in two to three weeks after Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approval. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Dr. Anthony Fauci , the White Houses former chief medical adviser, told theGrio that virtually anybody should get the new vaccine but mostly those who are at risk. The current distinguished professor at Georgetown Universitys School of Medicine said getting the latest shot this fall will be crucial to mitigating the spike in COVID-19 cases. Fauci said hospitalizations for the virus are up 19% in the United States. Deaths have also increased, according to the CDC. However, its difficult to identify how many infections there are because health departments report data weekly instead of daily due to the federal public health emergency ending in May. Once that essentially ended, the actual tracking diminished, said Fauci. The encouraging news is that despite the surge in hospitalizations, it is very low compared to a year ago, or even January 2023, said the longtime physician and medical researcher. The lower rate is attributed to herd immunity in the U.S. due to more than 80% of Americans receiving at least one vaccine and those who have already been infected. It is unlikely that we are going to see that kind of tsunami of cases and hospitalizations and deaths that weve seen, Fauci told theGrio. Black and brown communities are still at risk Licensed practical nurse Noah Johnson administers a COVID-19 vaccination dose to a resident in Bordelons Pharmacy as part of a vaccination campaign organized by nurse Carla Brown on Aug.17, 2021, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) While infections are not expected to reach the levels of previous fall surges, it doesnt mean Black and brown communities arent still vulnerable to COVID-19. Dr. Melissa Clarke, president and CEO of the BHE Group and co-founder of Black Coalition Against COVID-19, told theGrio, Even though the vaccination gap between Blacks and whites narrowed when it comes to surges, Black people are still getting hospitalized more than whites. Clarke stressed that despite the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, Its not over. She added, We still must be vigilant, especially if were in a high-risk group. Black Americans are also more susceptible to symptoms of long-term COVID-19. Dr. Clarke said 1 in 10 people with the virus get long COVID regardless of how mild the infection. There are also systemic inequities like under-resourced hospitals in communities of color and access to the COVID-19 treatment drug Paxlovid, which patients are eligible for within the first five days after testing positive. Eligibility includes having an underlying health condition or being 65 or older. Studies have shown that people of colorare still not getting and accessing Paxlovid at the same rate, said Clarke. Probably because they dont have the same access to getting to a doctor or getting to a clinic. Daniel Dawes, a health policy expert and executive director at Meharry Medical Colleges Global Health Equity Institute, told theGrio ongoing inequities Black and brown people face is why it is absolutely critical that public health institutions continue to build healthcare infrastructure systems in communities of color. A sign at a hospital advertises the COVID-19 vaccine on Nov. 19, 2021, in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Weve got to continue doing research to understand the interventions that are culturally appropriate for each of these groups and that are geographically appropriate for these groups, said Dawes. A one-size-fits-all approach, as we have seen, does not work. He continued, There needs to be greater investments into understanding interventions that workedor didnt work, and we need to understand why they did or didnt work at that point. In addition to getting the new fall vaccine, Dr. Fauci said those in certain regions where the CDC recommends wearing a mask might want to take heed, particularly for those at a higher risk. If you do get infected, you might have a serious outcome, he warned. As for vaccinations, Fauci said a cadence of every fall and winter season is likely necessary. There are now going to be three circulating respiratory diseases that usually congregate around the fall and winter months, and thats influenza that weve known about forever, the flu [and] now also COVID and RSV, said the former director of the National Institutes of Health. For those worried about the kind of COVID-19 surge that led to lockdowns in 2020, Dr. Clarke said theres an outside chance. It really depends on what the next variant is, she explained. We know that the virus is continuing to evolve. If, for some reason, there is a variant that escapes the ability of current medicines to take care of itthat might happen. However, due to existing public health precautions such as medications, vaccines, and boosters, Clarke said, For right now, were good. Gerren Keith Gaynor Gerren Keith Gaynor is a White House Correspondent and the Managing Editor of Politics at theGrio. He is based in Washington, D.C. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post What to know about COVID-19 this fall amid surge appeared first on TheGrio. Austin, Texas Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial began Tuesday in the state Senate on 16 articles of impeachment relating to allegations of bribery, dereliction of duty and disregard of official duty. He pleaded not guilty to all 16 counts on Tuesday morning. Paxton did not attend the afternoon session, which included the opening statements from both sides and testimony from the first witness, his former top aide Jeff Mateer. Mateer resigned in Oct. 2020 before publicly accusing Paxton of committing bribery, abuse of office and other crimes. The GOP-controlled Texas Senate on Tuesday morning rejected all of Paxton's motions to dismiss, although Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is presiding over the trial, ruled he could not be compelled to testify. Republicans hold a 19-12 majority in the state Senate, although Paxton's wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton , is not allowed to vote. She is sitting for the trial, however, but will not be serving as a juror. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Paxton has been suspended from office since May, when he was impeached by the GOP-controlled Texas House of Representatives. If he is acquitted on all the counts against him, he will be reinstated. If he is convicted by two-thirds of the Senate on any one of the 16 counts against him, he will be removed from office and could be barred from running for office again. Here's more about who Paxton is and why he's facing an impeachment trial. Read a timeline of the key events in the impeachment case on CBS News Texas. Who is Ken Paxton? Paxton is the Republican attorney general of Texas, and since taking office in 2015, he's been known as one of the most conservative attorneys general in the country. During the Obama administration, he gained a reputation for suing the federal government and then grew to be a close ally of former President Donald Trump. Paxton led several states in filing a lawsuit in Dec. 2020 challenging the presidential election results in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin all won by Joe Biden which was eventually thrown out. He then spoke at Trump's rally at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021. The previous two attorneys general who preceded Paxton Rick Perry and Greg Abbott both went on to be elected governor. Before Paxton became attorney general, he served in the state Senate and as a Texas state representative in the Legislature for Collin and Dallas Counties. Two years after Paxton was elected attorney general, his wife, Angela Paxton, successfully ran for his former state Senate seat. The pair met when they were students at Baylor University, and they now have four children and two grandchildren. The Paxtons often talk about the heavy influence of their church on their conservative politics. What is he accused of? Ken Paxton has long faced questions about his relationship with real estate developer Nate Paul, who donated to Paxton's campaign. Paul has since been indicted in an unrelated case. Several aides in Paxton's office came forward in 2020 alleging that Paxton influenced employees to get involved in legal disputes that would benefit Paul and his business. In return, they alleged, Paul provided extensive home renovations for Paxton and also employed a woman with whom Paxton was allegedly having an affair. Paxton denies the allegations against him. Texas state Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement at his office in Austin, Texas, Friday, May 26, 2023. / Credit: Eric Gay / AP According to a report by the House impeachment managers, who will present their arguments at his state Senate trial, Angela Paxton and the woman Paxton allegedly had an affair with had a "loud verbal confrontation down at the cafe" at one point. One of Paxton's former top aides, Andrew Wicker, testified to House impeachment managers that he heard that before he came to work for the attorney general's office in 2019, there had been an "intervention" in the office about his alleged affair. Wicker told the House impeachment managers that he was told that "they all got in a room and talked about it, put it all out on the table and I don't know what all was said in that discussion." He added, "I know that it eventually became knowledge with Angela and that there is a form of reconciliation there." But Wicker also testified that he believed the alleged affair had resumed. Wicker testified that there were discussions between Paxton and members of the staff about a 2019 FBI raid on Paul's home, and although Wicker said he didn't have "firsthand knowledge" about it, it appeared there had been an effort to obtain the affidavit for the search for Paul. The aide also told the House impeachment managers that he was asked to deliver a manila envelope to Paul, which investigators believe contained confidential FBI files about Paul. In another instance, Wicker testified that during renovations to Paxton's house in 2020, he wanted granite countertops. When told that it would cost $20,000, Wicker said Paxton replied, "I will check with Nate." Wicker said that struck him as "odd" because both Paxton and his wife are "very stingy with money." Wicker testified that around the time of the renovation the late summer and early fall of 2020 "we were spending an increasingly large share of our calendar time focused on Nate Paul and those and those cases." Wicker, who testified that Angela Paxton referred to him as a "second son," resigned in 2020 amid accusations that he was involved in the alleged corruption. Four other aides, whom Paxton described as "rogue employees," filed a lawsuit in 2020 alleging that they were fired after coming forward with information about what was going on in the attorney general's office. On Feb. 10, Paxton announced the attorney general's office had settled the lawsuit for $3.3 million. Days later, on Feb. 21, Paxton put a line item in the budget for the $3.3 million to settle the lawsuit with taxpayer money. The request led House Speaker Dade Phelan to begin the investigation into Paxton. On May 23, the House General Investigating Committee went public about its probe into the proposed settlement with the whistleblowers. According to the committee, the settlement with the whistleblowers would prevent a trial and the details from becoming public. The committee recommended 20 articles of impeachment against Paxton. On May 25, Paxton blasted it as an "illegal impeachment scheme," and his attorneys argued that the impeachment proceedings could not go forward because Paxton had been reelected since the time of the allegations. What happened at the House impeachment hearing? As the Texas' legislative session was wrapping up, the Texas House held an impeachment hearing on May 27. Over the course of several hours, the House listened to the evidence laid out by the impeachment managers and asked questions about the process. Although Republicans hold a 22-seat majority in the Texas House, 60 Republicans joined 61 Democrats in voting to impeach Paxton. Just 23 Republicans voted to keep him in office. Among the 60 Republicans who voted to impeach were the five Republicans who represent Collin County, Paxton's home base. Under the Texas constitution, an official who is impeached is suspended from office immediately, without pay. Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed two interim attorneys general since Paxton was impeached. What will happen now in the Senate trial? Paxton's impeachment trial is now being held in the state Senate. Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor, will preside over the trial, and the 31 state senators will be the jurors. Lawyers for the state have released 4,000 pages of evidence that they plan to present at the trial. The Senate has agreed to consider 16 of the original 20 articles of impeachment. Paxton's wife, who is still a Texas state senator, says that she'll attend the trial, but she's barred from participating in any of the deliberations or vote. A two-thirds majority of all sitting senators on any one of the charges is required for a conviction or removal of office. If Paxton is acquitted of all of the charges, he will be returned to office. Have Paxton or his wife spoken publicly since his impeachment? A gag order has been placed on both sides speaking to the press. But the gag order hasn't prevented Paxton from raising money, and he said in July that he raised $1.7 million in the 12 days after he was impeached. Paxton and his wife spoke at a rally for the Collin County Republican party. He said the gag order prevented him from speaking publicly, so he instead focused on alleging voter fraud and blaming the media. "And by the way, thanks to the media for showing up today. I'm sure they're here for a good story," Paxton said. "Actually, if you've kind of kept up, you could read that I'm responsible for the JFK assassination and for 9/11 and everything in between." Angela Paxton also announced she would be running for reelection. What is the criminal case against Paxton? In an unrelated case, a Collin County grand jury indicted him in July 2015 for two first-degree felony charges of securities fraud, which carry a sentence of up to 99 years in prison, and a third-degree felony charge of failure to register. Paxton has so far successfully avoided prosecution since the alleged crimes took place before he took office. Paxton has denied the allegations against him. John Dickerson looks back at 1 year of "Prime Time" "Prime Time with John Dickerson" turns one Search for escaped Pennsylvania inmate continues after sightings (Bloomberg) -- The embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is about to embark the toughest fight of his career, as state senators consider whether to take the unprecedented step of ousting their top law-enforcement officer over corruption charges. Most Read from Bloomberg Details of several scandals involving the Republican attorney general will be aired publicly in the impeachment trial starting Tuesday in Austin. Members of the GOP-led legislature are targeting one of their own. Paxton became a national figure by aligning with former President Donald Trump and doggedly pursuing far-right legal fights over guns, abortion and the border. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Should senators vote to remove Paxton from office, Republican Governor Greg Abbott could appoint a temporary replacement to serve as attorney general. Heres what you need to know about the trial: The Background The attorney general has been suspended from office since June, when the Republican-led Texas House voted overwhelmingly for impeachment. The case now goes to a trial in the Senate, where lawmakers will hear testimony from both sides. It may be weeks before they decide whether to permanently remove him. Paxton, who assumed office in 2015, denies the allegations of wrongdoing and says the impeachment effort is a political sham orchestrated by his opponents. The Charges The 20 articles of impeachment include charges of bribery, obstruction of justice and other offenses, though four related to alleged securities fraud wont be decided because theyve been set aside for now. Most of the rest involve Paxtons relationship with Nate Paul, a real estate developer and political donor. The attorney general is accused of using his office to help Paul, who is facing his own legal woes. Paul allegedly helped Paxton conceal an extramarital affair and funded renovations to one of his homes. Paxton also faces separate criminal and civil litigation. The attorney general was indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015 but has yet to stand trial. A group of former employees sued him under state whistleblower laws, arguing that he retaliated against them after they reported him to federal authorities. The federal investigation is ongoing. The Trial Senators 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats will serve as the impeachment jury, while Republican Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick will direct the proceedings. Many are former colleagues of Paxton, who was in the Senate from 2013 to 2015. Like a court trial, there will be opening and closing statements, and witnesses will be called to testify. Prominent attorneys from across the state are on both sides, presenting the case for impeachment and for Paxtons defense. To remove the attorney general from office, 21 senators representing two thirds of the chamber will have to vote for conviction. To dismiss the charges, a simple majority of 16 is required. One senator wont be allowed to vote Angela Paxton , the attorney generals wife but shell be present during the trial. The Politics The litany of criminal and ethical allegations against Paxton were widely known when he was reelected last year to a third term. His lawyers have argued that lawmakers shouldnt try to unwind the will of Texas voters. A recent poll from the University of Texas Politics Project shows only 28% of Republican voters agreed that the charges were warranted. While his approval rating is the lowest in two years at 27% among state residents, its 46% among Republicans. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The Kremlin does not want to say anything about the fate of disgraced General Sergey Surovikin . Journalists are not even allowed to ask questions about him. Source: Russian website Meduza citing Mayak ("Lighthouse") radio Details: Dmitry Peskov , Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, has refused to answer questions about General Surovikin. An AFP journalist asked Peskov at a briefing: "Yesterday, Sergei Shoigu left journalists' questions about a possible investigation into General Surovikin unanswered. Can I ask you this question?" "No, you can't," Putin's spokesman answered. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu also refused to answer questions about General Sergey Surovikin at a briefing on 4 September. Background: Various media state that Surovikin was detained after Yevgeny Prigozhin's mutiny at the end of June, but was released a few days after the death of the Wagner leader in a plane crash. However, Surovikin, who has been repeatedly linked to Prigozhin by the Western media, has not appeared in public since addressing the Wagnerites on the night of 23-24 June, in which he called on them to lay down their arms. Bloomberg also wrote that the general had been interrogated for several days by military prosecutors about his connections with Prigozhin. The source of the agency claimed that Surovikin is being held "in one place", but he is not in prison. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Interview: Italy to further explore opportunities for service trade with China, says trade commissioner Xinhua) 09:54, September 05, 2023 BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Italy is leveraging the ongoing 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) as an important platform to enhance bilateral relations with China in the realm of service trade, aiming to explore new opportunities in the sector, an Italian trade commissioner said. "There are many opportunities to exploit in the short, medium, and long term to deepen China-Italy cooperation in the service trade. We would like to send this message of our commitment to explore opportunities for the service trade, and to further develop our relationship in the near future," said Gianpaolo Bruno, Trade Commissioner of Italian Trade Agency (ITA) Beijing Office and Coordinator of ITA Offices in China and Mongolia, in an interview with Xinhua at the Italian National Pavilion of CIFTIS 2023. Expressing his confidence in the China-Italy economic ties reaching for a more promising future, the official described the world's second-largest economy as "a major driver of global economic growth for several decades," and rejoiced at seeing its further growth. "China's economy is expected to gradually shift toward a more sustainable and consumption-driven model as it continues to experience growth." "China is investing heavily in research and development, and expanding into the Chinese market can offer significant opportunities for Italian companies across various sectors, such as consumer goods and luxury products, automotive and engineering, and e-commerce and digital platforms," said Bruno. According to ITA, since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Italy in 1970, friendly cooperation between the two sides has flourished in bilateral economic and trade, investment, cultural, and technological fields. In 2022, the China-Italy trade volume reached 77.88 billion U.S. dollars, representing a 5.4 percent year-on-year increase and setting a new historical record. Noting that the service sector plays a crucial role in bilateral trade, Bruno said tourism contributes significantly to service exports and imports, particularly with the resumption of tourism flows after China optimizes its COVID-19 response. "Culture is the basis of bilateral relations between countries, particularly important for Italy and China, two of the most ancient civilizations in the world linked by the ancient Silk Road," he said, adding that Chinese tourists spent 5.4 million nights in Italy in 2019, accounting for over 5 percent of Italy's total international visitors. Highlighting China's remarkable achievements in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the official said, "China has achieved a high level of development in AI, and we are here to glean insights from China's advancements in the field. We aim to facilitate our companies in embracing intellectualization and tap into the knowledge that China has amassed in the sector." Bruno noted that digitalization brings great advantages to the service industry. Italy views digital transformation as one of its priorities to foster economic growth, drive innovation, and enhance productivity. He highlighted the substantial potential for deepening Sino-Italian collaboration in this domain, particularly in areas such as e-commerce, intelligent tourism, and urban planning. In an era marked by profound global economic integration and rapid digital technological progress, service trade has emerged as a vibrant sector and a pivotal catalyst for economic development. He noted that CIFTIS serves as a crucial platform and opportunity for showcasing Italy's "soft power" in the service field and enhancing economic ties between Italy and China in global trade. "CIFTIS offers us a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas, share innovative achievements, and strengthen service trade cooperation with our international peers. Italy's active participation underscores our sense of responsibility in promoting global trade, fostering cultural exchanges, and mutual understanding," said the official. The trade commissioner also noted that the Chinese government is doubling its efforts to attract foreign direct investment in China by improving the business environment for foreign companies and investors, through the guidelines outlined by the State Council in mid-August. "All the opinions in the guidelines are really bolstering the degree of confidence of Italian companies. And we are looking forward to seeing the successful implementation," he said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) A wide-field telescope capable of surveying the entire sky from the Northern Hemisphere will soon be put into operation in northwest China's Qinghai Province, its makers said Tuesday. Measuring 2.5 meters in diameter, the Wide Field Survey Telescope (WFST) is now the largest time-domain survey facility in the Northern Hemisphere. It was jointly developed by the University of Science and Technology of China and the Purple Mountain Observatory under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The telescope will likely start operation in mid-September, helping scientists monitor the dynamic astronomical events and carrying out the time domain astronomical observation research, according to the observatory. "After the WFST becomes fully operational, we can use it to detect some very faint and distant celestial signals, including those from distant galaxies and galaxy clusters outside the Milky Way," said Lou Zheng, chief engineer of the observatory's Qinghai observation station. It will become the most powerful sky survey telescope in the Northern Hemisphere, said Kong Xu, the project's chief designer at the University of Science and Technology of China. "The use of the WFST will greatly improve China's near-Earth object monitoring and early warning capabilities." In 2022, the telescope was nicknamed after the ancient Chinese philosopher Mozi, or Micius, who is said to be the first in history to conduct optical experiments. Construction of the telescope project started in July 2019 in Lenghu Town, which has an average altitude of approximately 4,000 meters. The town is also known as China's "Mars Camp" due to its eerily eroded desert landscape that resembles the surface of the red planet. The Lenghu area has the advantages of the plateau region's clear night skies, stable atmospheric conditions, dry climate, and less artificial light pollution, meaning it has the potential to become one of the best sites for stargazing in the Eurasian continent. Since 2020, Lenghu has attracted 11 scientific research institutions and 12 telescope projects, with a total investment of 2.7 billion yuan (about 370 million U.S. dollars). Upon completion, the town will become the largest astronomical observation base in Asia, said the observatory. WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) -Arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea are actively advancing, a U.S. official said on Tuesday and warned leader Kim Jong Un that his country would pay a price for supplying Russia with weapons to use in Ukraine. Providing weapons to Russia "is not going to reflect well on North Korea and they will pay a price for this in the international community," U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House. The Kremlin said earlier on Tuesday it had "nothing to say" about statements by U.S. officials that Kim planned to travel to Russia this month to meet President Vladimir Putin and discuss weapons supplies to Moscow. Kim expects discussions about weapons to continue, Sullivan said, including at leader level and "perhaps even in person". ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "We have continued to squeeze Russias defense industrial base," Sullivan said, and Moscow is now "looking to whatever source they can find" for goods like ammunition. "We will continue to call on North Korea to abide by its public commitments not to supply weapons to Russia that will end up killing Ukrainians," Sullivan said. On Monday, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said Kim and Putin could be planning to meet, and the New York Times cited unnamed U.S. and allied officials as saying Kim plans to travel to Russia as soon as next week to meet Putin. Asked if he could confirm the talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "No, I can't. There's nothing to say." As Russia's isolation over its war in Ukraine has grown, it has seen increasing value in North Korea, according to political analysts. For North Korea's part, relations with Russia have not always been as warm as they were at the height of the Soviet Union, but now the country is reaping clear benefits from Moscow's need for friends. MOSCOW-PYONGYANG DEFENSE COOPERATION A North Korean defense ministry official in November said Pyongyang has "never had 'arms dealings' with Russia" and has "no plan to do so in the future." Moscow and Pyongyang have promised to boost defense cooperation. Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who visited Pyongyang in July to attend weapons displays that included North Korea's banned ballistic missiles, said on Monday the two countries are discussing the possibility of joint military exercises. "Just as you can tell a person by their friends, you can tell a country by the company it keeps," said Keir Giles, Senior Consulting Fellow with Chatham House's Russia & Eurasia Programme. "In Russia's case, that company now consists largely of fellow rogue states." The trip would be Kim's first visit abroad in more than four years and the first since the coronavirus pandemic. While he made more trips abroad than his father as leader, Kim's travel is often shrouded in secrecy and heavy security. Unlike his father who was said to be averse to flying, Kim has flown his personal Russian-made jet for some of his trips but U.S. officials told the New York Times that he may take an armored train across the land border North Korea shares with Russia. Kim is likely to want to emphasize a sense of Russian backing, and may seek deals on arms sales, aid, and sending laborers to Russia, said Andrei Lankov, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Kookmin University. The United States in August imposed sanctions on three entities it accused of being tied to arms deals between North Korea and Russia. North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests since 2006 and had been testing various missiles over recent years. Russia has joined China in opposing new sanctions on North Korea, blocking a U.S.-led push and publicly splitting the U.N. Security Council for the first time since it started punishing Pyongyang in 2006. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Andrew Osborn, Heather Timmons and Grant McCool) The media announced the arrival of Kim Jong Un to Putin, the Kremlin avoided an answer Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov dodged a question about a possible meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin , telling reporters on Sept. 5 that he could not confirm this information. "No, we can't (confirm it). We have nothing to say to you on this topic," Peskov said, Kremlin-controlled news agency RIA Novosti reported. Read also: Russia signing arms deal with North Korea would violate UN resolutions Washington Earlier, U.S. newspaper the New York Times reported, citing its own sources, that Putin and Kim Jong Un plan to meet in September to discuss arms supplies to Russia. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The U.S. newspaper said that the Kremlin wants to obtain artillery shells and anti-tank missiles from the isolated pariah state, while North Korea wants advanced technologies for satellites and nuclear submarines. Read also: North Korean dictator meets with Russian Defense Minister in Pyongyang Kim Jong Un has called the full-scale Russian war against Ukraine a "holy struggle" and expressed his desire to build a strong state together with Putin. 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 Airbnb rates and revenues for hosts are rising as the city tries to crack down on illegal listings. (Toshifumi Kitamura /AFP via Getty Images) Running an Airbnb in L.A. has never been more profitable. As the city tries to crack down on illegal listings, and advocacy groups complain about the companys effect on L.A.s housing crisis, hosts are charging higher rates than ever while raking in bigger and bigger payouts. But dont expect them to talk about it. Data show that a vast number of homes are operating without an active registration, which is required by the city to operate a short-term rental. Several such hosts spoke to The Times anonymously for fear of being fined by the city or, worse, getting their listing shut down by Airbnb. This is my primary source of income, said one host who operates three different listings. Im finally making a decent living off of this. One listing alone wouldnt cut it. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Since 2020, revenues for hosts have steadily risen far beyond pre-pandemic levels. The average revenue climbed to $17,654 in 2022, up more than $4,000 year-over-year, and the numbers are at a similar pace for 2023, according to data from short-term rental analytics company AllTheRooms. In total, L.A. hosts earned a combined $375 million last year, a spokesperson for Airbnb said. A few factors contribute to the rise. For one, daily rates for Airbnb rentals have spiked over the last four years, swelling from $152 in 2019 to $244 in 2023. It's a trend that's happening across the short-term rental industry, as hotel and VRBO rates have steadily risen since the COVID-19 pandemic as well. Basic supply and demand is another factor. Save for a drop during the first few months of the pandemic, Airbnb occupancy rates have largely stayed consistent, with the average rental occupied more than 40% of the time. But the amount of listings has dropped dramatically. In August 2019, there were 16,973 Airbnb listings in L.A. Currently, there are 7,360. Supply is down for now, but advocates worry that if revenues continue to rise, more homeowners will convert properties into Airbnbs. Read more: $55,000 to leave a rent-controlled apartment? Why these tenants say no thanks Much of the drop was due to the pandemic, but the supply hasnt risen since 2020 partly due to the citys enforcement of its Home-Sharing Ordinance, a law that went into effect in 2019 that limits Angelenos to hosting only short-term rentals in their primary residence homes where they can prove they live at least six months per year. L.A. and Airbnb have worked in tandem over the years to enforce the law, launching a system in 2020 that streamlines the process of identifying and taking down illegal short-term rental listings. It has been effective; the number of listings for short-term rental units across all home-sharing sites has dropped more than 70% over the last four years, going from roughly 36,600 in November 2019 to just under 10,000 in June 2023, according to the city planning department. But plenty remain. The Times previously reported that thousands of listings violate the law, and last year, a report claimed that 22% of L.A. listings host guests for more than 180 days a year. I cant afford to rent out my place for only six months a year. Id lose half my revenue, said one host who rents a two-bedroom apartment in Hollywood on Airbnb. Two other Airbnb hosts hung up the phone mid-interview when asked about whether their listing was their primary residence, or whether their registration number was valid. Its a dont ask, dont tell system. I cant afford to have my business threatened over a registration number, one said. The average daily rate for an Airbnb in L.A. has risen to $244 in 2023. (K.C. Alfred San Diego Union-Tribune) As of August, there are 4,293 active home-sharing registrations, according to the citys planning department. But on Airbnb alone, there are currently 7,360 listings up for rent. L.A. has a big enough rent problem on its own, and then you have a rogue industry that swoops into the city and starts taking rental properties off the market, said Peter Dreier, a professor at Occidental College. Dreier worked with the team that drafted Measure ULA, a new tax that funnels money toward affordable housing initiatives, and said that the short-term rental industry is contributing to both the housing crisis and homelessness crisis. When you take units off the market and rent them to tourists, one consequence is that it leads to more people fighting over fewer units. And that leads to higher rents, he said. The planning department is preparing a report with other departments analyzing enforcement of the Home-Sharing Ordinance. It will provide recommendations to the City Council on how to improve the program. In the meantime, more listings bring more tax dollars. L.A. charges a 14% transient occupancy tax, often called a "bed tax," paid by guests in a hotel or a short-term rental such as an Airbnb. In the 2021-22 fiscal year, the city collected $33.88 million in transient occupancy taxes, according to the planning department. Its a hefty amount, but a report from McGill University urban planning professor David Wachsmuth suggests that the city could be raking in even more by fining illegal short-term rental listings. The study claimed that 45% of all short-term rental listings are illegal in one way or another, and that the city could have levied between $56.8 million and $302.2 million in fines in 2022. Ive never paid a fine, but my guests pay the tax. As long as the citys getting money from somewhere, theyll be fine, said the Hollywood Airbnb host. Randy Renick, an attorney with Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP, serves as executive director of Better Neighbors LA, a coalition that includes hotel employees, renters rights groups and housing advocates. He co-founded the group in 2019 as a public education campaign to emphasize the impact that short-term rentals have on communities. Read more: Renters dominate California but they are struggling to survive He said rental hosts bend the rules in a few ways. One strategy is the bait-and-switch, where a host will advertise that a property is somewhere near the border of Los Angeles, such as West Hollywood, and thus not subject to L.A.s stringent rules. But when renters show up, the property is actually in L.A. Others give false registration numbers some more cleverly than others. 1234567 was popular for a while, Renick said. Some simply use expired registration numbers, and others used an active registration number but for several properties. The organizations website keeps a hotline for Angelenos to call and report illegal listings in their neighborhood, and Renick said they receive multiple calls per week. From there, they urge the city to take action for matters both small and large. Sometimes its a call asking to enforce a fine on a certain property, and sometimes its a campaign on how short-term rentals can drive up long-term rent in an area by taking homes off the market and renting them to tourists. We try to show the impact of short-term renting and how its contributing to the housing and homelessness crisis, Renick said. Robust enforcement will result in returning thousands of units back to long-term rental. He pointed to Santa Monica and New York City as two cities that L.A. could model itself after. Santa Monica has a robust enforcement system, including multiple full-time staff focused on interviewing owners and issuing fines to illegal listings. The coastal city allows only short-term rentals (less than 30 days) if the host lives on the property throughout the visitors stay. New York City adopted a similar rule last year, and the enforcement begins on Tuesday. Though it has a long way to go, Renick said L.A. has raised the bar on proof required to show that a listing is the hosts primary residence. Frank Tai, the owner of a luxury beachfront rental in Playa del Rey, has seen that process firsthand. He has only one listing and makes sure to renew his license every year, but the process has gotten more laborious over the years as both the city and Airbnb look to catch illegal listings. Im in compliance, but its a lot of work. I fill out a 40-page application every year and send in property tax statements, utility bills and other documents, he said. Every year, something gets kicked back. Theyre trying to stay on top of things." Tai said the process is well worth it. His rental is very profitable; its booked throughout the entire summer, and nightly rates double during vacation season. He didnt even experience a slowdown during the pandemic, simply a switch from out-of-town customers to L.A. locals looking for a staycation. I dont sneak around the system, but I'm guessing people do because it's so profitable," he said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Labor Day weekend is predicted to be the third busiest holiday weekend of the year so far, behind Fathers Day and Presidents Day. However, airports and freeways werent as busy and crowded as expected on Monday. At John Wayne airport, there were very light crowds getting on and off planes, and some travelers even said that the planes were not full. I came in from Honduras, I had a layover in Houston to Santa Anna, and there was no traffic, said Booker Robinson, a Labor Day traveler. It was smooth sailing. The planes were half full. Northbound traffic in Orange County seemed to be free-flowing on Monday, despite the holiday weekend. However, some travelers in San Diego County and Camp Pendleton told KTLA that there was heavy traffic and major slow downs in the area. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement For Labor Day weekend, the average gas price in California is approximately $5.30, $0.10 higher than it was last year. AAA predicted that the roads would be busy for the holiday weekend. The freeways were busy on Friday, but traffic has since lightened on Monday. As it gets later in the evening, travelers can expect an increase in traffic from the San Diego area coming into Orange, Riverside, and Los Angeles counties. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Newly-released body camera footage from the Thurston County Sheriffs Office shows the moments leading up the shooting of a man who had called 911 threatening to kill someone. The video shows a deputy shooting a man after he had called 911 and told the dispatcher that they needed to come before he killed someone. On July 4 two deputies arrived in the 7500 block of 14th Avenue Northeast near a Walmart in Lacey, when a man came out of his house and attacked them with what the sheriffs office says was a weapon. One of the deputies then shot the man while his wife stood in the driveway. After that, detectives from Grays Harbor County, Mason County, and Washington State Patrol arrived to help investigate the shooting as the suspect was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The man was booked on two counts of assault. He was released three days later on his own recognizance after authorities decided that he was not an immediate risk to himself or others and that there was no legal reason to detain him. The edited video is available on the TCSO YouTube Channel. However, KIRO 7 warns that this video may be inappropriate for certain viewers and contains graphic content. A Georgia man with a suspended license was charged with homicide Tuesday morning after police said he rocketed a Lamborghini Urus into the rear of another car with such force that its driver was ejected, thrown into a light pole and killed. The horrific crash, which miraculously caused only minor injuries to others but damaged two other vehicles and a motorcycle, happened just before 9:30 p.m. Monday night in the west-bound lane of the 79th Street Causeway, one of the main connectors from Miami Beach to the mainland. It shut the road down for the rest of the night and through rush hour Tuesday morning. Alejandro Hall, 24, was charged with vehicular homicide and causing bodily harm while driving without a license, both felonies. He was ordered to remain jailed pending a judges order because of the seriousness of the crime. By early Tuesday afternoon, police still had not released the name of the victim, a man driving a Hyundai Elantra. They said a woman seated in the front seat of the Lamborghini suffered minor injuries. Police also said they found two open bottles of alcohol in the vehicles front seat and that Hall was slurring words when they spoke with him. A blood-alcohol test was taken, police said, but the results are pending. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Miami Police officer Alex Mena wrote in his arrest report that Hall was driving way over the 35 mile per hour speed limit and that he was driving with willful and wanton disregard for the safety of people. Georgia state records show Hall was stripped of driving privileges until May 2024 after being convicted of driving under the Influence. Hes restricted to just driving to to and from work, the doctor and school. Halls car was moving fast enough that after hitting the rear end of the Hyundai it careened into a Ford Escape also heading west, then slid another 290 feet before crashing into a Ford F-250 truck. A motorcycle was also damaged. The crash ripped the entire driver side of the Hyundai off the vehicle, leaving it a mangled mess of metal and glass shards. Miami Police Spokesman Michael Vega said the impact appeared so severe that the first police who arrived at the scene assumed everyone was dead. Once again, an innocent person minding his own business was killed, Vega said. Scenes from the crash after dark Monday that were taken by cellphone video appeared to show investigators using high-powered flashlights to peer into Biscayne Bay below, possibly for people or for damaged vehicles. The causeway heading east was only closed briefly. But the west lanes were closed until well after rush hour Tuesday morning as police gathered forensic evidence and wreckers hauled away mangled vehicle parts. After the crash, Hall, who lives in Alpharetta, Georgia, was taken the police departments homicide bureau, where he was interviewed before he was charged. Police said a charge of DUI manslaughter could be added if blood drawn from Hall shows he was above the legal alcohol limit. It was unclear if Hall, who remained in the Turner Guilford Knight correctional center as of Tuesday afternoon, had hired an attorney. His bond wont be set until he appears before a magistrate, likely later Tuesday or Wednesday morning. Its already very expensive to rent in a hot housing market like Southern California. Now landlords have found a way to make things even worse. A growing number of property owners and managers are hitting tenants with extra fees each month a nickel-and-diming of people that the airlines, for one, have made a core aspect of their business model. Its been common for years for landlords to charge more for a parking space or having a pet. The new fees being levied which might run an additional $5 or $10 each cover a wide range of once-gratis services, including trash pickup, pest control, use of a mailbox and routine maintenance requests. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A lot of this stuff used to just be called rent,' Mike Vraa, a Minnesota tenant attorney, told the Wall Street Journal. Now, apparently, its gravy. Just as airlines once doled out pillows, blankets and other amenities as a free service, now these goodies are a revenue source. Landlords, many of whom faced financial challenges during the pandemic, apparently think a few new revenue streams would work for them as well. As a result, some now charge fees for moving in and moving out. Some have fees for lease administration (whatever that is). One Minnesota landlord collects a $100 January fee on the first month of the year. A January fee! In suburban Phoenix, a number of buildings are instructing tenants to leave their garbage near the front door and then slapping them with a $30 monthly fee for someone to schlep the garbage to a dumpster. I can carry the trash 50 feet to the dumpster, tenant Debbie Giannecchini complained to the Journal. She said she moved out of a building that started imposing a valet fee for trash. Rents rose by 25% from early 2021 to summer of 2022 as landlords sought to make up for pandemic losses. For many people, therefore, added fees are just another kick in teeth. An executive at one Midwest apartment company told the Journal that the firm more than doubled its income from fees at nearly two-dozen rental properties. People pay it, the executive said. Thats because people need a place to live. It doesnt justify the practice. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Las Vegas is already seeing the effects of AI, including robot bartenders. George Rose/Getty Images AI is in the early stages of replacing some human work in Las Vegas, NPR reported on Monday. Robots are already replacing some jobs, such as bartenders and security guards. The state's largest union is planning to fight back in contract negotiations. Add bartenders and security guards in Las Vegas to the list of workers concerned about AI replacing human jobs. Restaurants, bars, casinos, and other attractions in the city are using AI instead of humans for some jobs, NPR reported Monday. Between 38% and 65% of jobs in Southern Nevada, where Las Vegas is the biggest city, could be automated by 2035, NPR reported, citing a 2019 article from the Nevada Independent. The Culinary Union, which counts about 60,000 members in Nevada's service and hospitality industry, is planning to bargain for protections to guard against AI taking jobs in a contract that the union hopes to win later this year, according to NPR. The union's membership is even considering the possibility of striking in order to get those protections, Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge told NPR. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "We'd like to say we're going to be able to get an agreement," Pappageorge said. "But if we have to, we're going to have a big fight and do whatever it takes, including a strike on technology." AI is poised to eliminate some jobs and change others, Insider has previously reported. Examples of automation in lieu of human workers are already easy to find in Las Vegas. On TikTok, user emgaudy3 posted a video in April showing a robotic arm mixing a pineapple-flavored cocktail. "A robot's about to make me a drink," the woman in the video says. This embedded content is not available in your region. The arm holds a shaker while reaching toward the ceiling where different types of booze are suspended. After mixing a few ingredients and adding some ice, the arm shakes the beverage before pouring it out into a cup. Tipsy Robot, the name of the robot-powered bar shown in the TikTok video, already has two locations on the Las Vegas strip, NPR reported. Sabrina Bergman, who works at one of the locations, told NPR that she still has to correct mistakes that the robotic arms make, such as tipping over a cup or underfilling a glass. In another example, the M Resort, located south of Las Vegas proper in Henderson, Nevada, started using a security robot in its parking lot earlier this year. TikTok user lasvegaslina posted a video of the robot at work in June. This embedded content is not available in your region. "It cruises around looking for any potential trouble with 50 cameras and sensors on it," local TV station KVVU reported in February. But some workers say that robots can't completely replace the hospitality work they do. Holly Lang, a cocktail waitress at the MGM Grand, told NPR that she expects the Culinary Union to negotiate protections for jobs like hers in the next contract. But she also said that robots can't provide the same personal service that many Las Vegas workers offer. "We have a lot of guests that are regular guests, and they come for the personal interaction. They don't come for the technology," Lang told NPR. "There's some things you can't replace." Read the original article on Business Insider LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A driver accused of speeding on at least three occasions was arrested by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Departments RAID team on Wednesday. Officers said they attempted to stop the driver of a white Chevy Camaro but each time he took off at a high rate of speed, according to Las Vegas Metros Traffic Facebook page. LVMPDs RAID team arrests a driver accused of reckless driving on Aug. 30, 2023. (KLAS) Officers stated that they spotted the driver on Aug. 30 driving around doing tricks and donuts in a residential neighborhood shortly before they took him into custody. According to police, the driver had two warrants out of two separate jurisdictions for reckless driving. LVMPDs RAID team arrests a driver accused of reckless driving on Aug. 30, 2023. (KLAS) The driver now faces several charges: ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement disobeying a police officer reckless driving and endangering the public and property reckless driving, disregarding persons and property RAID was established in March of 2022 and was designed for public safety. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. ORLANDO, Fla. Local attorneys and lawmakers gathered at the Orange County Courthouse to demand that suspended State Attorney Monique Worrell be reinstated a month after she was removed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Tuesdays press conference in the courthouse courtyard held in solidarity with Worrell, who wasnt present, happened at the same time as others organized in Tampa and Miami. Though few supporters attended, those who did spoke out against Worrells removal and called it unconstitutional. Its been nearly a month since Worrell was suspended after months of back-and-forth with law enforcement leaders accusing her of not prosecuting crime aggressively enough. Much of the scrutiny came in light of several high-profile shootings in Orange County, including one in Pine Hills that resulted in the killings of three people, including a child and a TV news reporter. DeSantis replaced her Aug. 9 with Orange County Judge Andrew Bain, who is a member of the Federalist Society, a conservative legal organization. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I find it very ironic to be in a place of justice here at the Orange County Courthouse as we are dealing with an issue of injustice, state Rep. Anna Eskamani said. Worrell is the second state attorney to be ousted by DeSantis in a year, with Hillsborough County prosecutor Andrew Warren being suspended in August 2022 after pledging to not pursue abortion cases. Critics of the governor have accused him of a power grab against progressive prosecutors in Floridas cities. Others have also expressed concern at the creation of a committee exploring the possibility of consolidating judicial districts, which Democrats fear will dilute their voting power in urban districts. Last month, state attorneys, public defenders and lawmakers from around the state unanimously spoke out against the proposal. There were probably over 100 people that spoke, and not one person said that this was a good idea, state Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis said. So if for whatever reason this happens, just know its not the will of the people. Worrell is gearing up to file a lawsuit pushing back against her suspension. Warren made a similar move in the months following his ouster. A federal judge agreed the suspension violated Warrens free speech rights, but ruled he didnt have the authority to reinstate the state attorney. The Florida Supreme Court rejected Warrens lawsuit, saying he took too long to file it. A New York couple died over the holiday weekend after their 27-foot-boat struck a large fishing vessel in the state's coastal waters of Great South Bay. The crash, which was reported by the Suffolk County Police Department, took place Sunday about 10:40 p.m local time and killed Louis and Renee Deritis, a husband and wife from Oakdale, a hamlet on Long Island. The couple are among at least 14 people who died in boating or swimming incidents around the United States over the Labor Day holiday weekend. In New Jersey, a swimmer who disappeared in coastal waters remained missing on Tuesday. 'Every hurricane is different': Why experts are still estimating Idalia's impact Long Island, New York boat crash In New York, the 1989 OC/MA boat, driven by 53-year-old Louis Deritis, collided with a 1989 44-foot Henriques Sport Fisherman. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Police reported the crash, which took place south of Long Island just north of Fire Island, caused the boat to capsize, ejecting Deritis into the water. His body was later located by Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers and the United States Coast Guard. His wife was found in the vessels cabin by fire department rescue divers, police reported. The 50-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene by the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner. Beach goers wave to friends as they arrive at the beach in Harvey Cedars. Nearly a half dozen people drowned or died in boating accidents over the 2023 Labor Day holiday weekend. Four people aboard the fishing boat, including its operator, Ferdinand Caravousanos, 61, of West Babylon were not injured. Both vessels were impounded for safety checks police said, and the cause of the crash remained under investigation Tuesday. 1 dead, 1 missing, several rescues on Jersey Shore In New Jersey, police in Seaside Park and Belmore rescued "more than a dozen bathers from rough waters due to dangerous currents" over the weekend, according to the Asbury Park Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. A 22-year old man died in Beach Haven on Sunday after being pulled into a rip current along with two other people, who were rescued, CNN reported. Beach Haven police could not immediately be reached for comment. As of Monday afternoon, crews were reportedly still searching for a man who'd gone missing in the waters off Seaside Park, a borough in Ocean County. Stephen Houser, 35, was at Long Beach Island on Sunday when he saw a group of people get swept out into the water and "jumped into action" to help rescue a distressed swimmer. Footage from Stephen Houser during the rescue of Gabriel McCabe during a rip current in Harvey Cedars. Missing swimmer found dead in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware Just south in Delaware, the body of a missing Maryland man who disappeared over the weekend washed ashore Monday, per Delaware Online, part of the USA TODAY Network. Richard Boateng, 31, of Savage, went missing just after 5:45 p.m. Sunday in the surf off the beach near Rehoboth Avenue, the Rehoboth Beach Police Department reported. Crews with the U.S. Coast Guard, Delaware State Police and Division of Fish and Wildlife found Boateng's body on North Shores beach, a small community just north of Rehoboth. Two deaths in Georgia The Columbia County Sheriffs Office confirmed a 16-year-old male drowned at a beach at Pointes West Army Resort in Appling, just west of Augusta, Georgia. His body was recovered by divers on Monday afternoon, per the Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. The sheriffs office identified the victim as Sevonn Small. At Lake Lanier, a 23-year-old man died after he slipped while running on a dock near Holiday Marina around 10:30 p.m. local time, local media reported, citing the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The victim was identified as Gavrie Whitlock. Georgia's Lake Lanier: More than 200 killed on reservoir since 1994 Ohio teen dies in pond In Ohio, Marysville High School student Jesse Shock died after drowning in a pond on Saturday, according to Marysville School District. In a statement released to families, officials identified Shock as a freshman and said he was attending an Ohio State University cookout for family and friends when he died. "We were all heartbroken to hear the tragic news, and want to respect the family's privacy," Marysville Board of Education Sue Devine told USA TODAY on Tuesday. More info: Body of Maryland man washes ashore Delaware beach where Coast Guard warned of rip currents Man found dead in Sebago Lake in Maine In Maine, divers from the Maine Warden Service on Monday found the body of a 28-year-old Portland man last seen Sunday night in Sebago Lake State Park. Mark Latti, a spokesman for the Maine Warden Service, told USA TODAY divers found Ahmed Doale unresponsive 10 feet away from shore in water about 8 feet deep. Doale had been missing since around 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Latti said Doale and another person were in a motorboat when it broke down and drifted toward the shore. Doale, who did not know how to swim, was trying to push the boat away from shore near the Songa River before he disappeared, officials said. Two deaths reported in North Carolina In North Carolina, the National Park Service reported a 28-year-old Washington, D.C. woman died Monday in "a water-related incident" in the village of Avon at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Park officials said about 2:30 p.m., crews responded to a report of a person unresponsive in the ocean in that area. A witness told authorities the woman "was overtaken by strong waves and disappeared in the surf." Shortly after disappearing, the victim was observed "face-down in rough ocean conditions" and later pulled from the water and pronounced dead. Just one day earlier, local outlet WRAL reported a 13-year-old boy drowned in Jordan Lake, a reservoir in New Hope Valley, south of Durham. On Sunday afternoon, the outlet reported, the Chatham County Sheriff's Office recovered the body of Kevin Lopez, who lived in Stanly County, about 100 miles west of the lake. Wisconsin teens die in Lipsett Lake In Wisconsin, two 18-year-olds died Friday in Lipsett Lake in Rusk in the northeastern part of the state, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources confirmed to USA TODAY. CBS Minnesota identified the victims as Kyree Shaw and Grace Rhine. Shaw's sister, Marissa Olinger told CBS her brother was home from school at the University of WisconsinStout for the Labor Day weekend and was at a friend's cabin. Details regarding Rhine's drowning were not immediate available. 11-year-old dead at Minnesota lake The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office confirmed an 11-year-old girl died while in Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis on Saturday. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office identified the girl to USA TODAY as Jocelyn Sanchez-Rosas. The girl disappeared about 7:30 p.m. while swimming about 30 feet from the shore on the lake's eastern side, Sheriff's Office Major Pat Enderlein rescue crews located the girl close to 10 p.m. The coroner ruled she died as a result of "an accidental freshwater drowning." Man drowns in Arizona lake A man drowned after jumping into Bartlett Lake from a dock on Saturday morning, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. Authorities found the man's body around 12:10 p.m. local time Saturday, nearly four hours after deputies responded to the scene, according to the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network. The man who drowned has not been identified and the cause of death is pending a medical examiner's report, according to the sheriff's office. At least 75 dead due to Surf Zone fatalities in 2023 As of Aug. 31, at least 75 Surf Zone fatalities had been reported across the U.S. and its territories Puerto Rico and Guam, according to a database kept by the National Weather Service. Of the deaths, NWS reported, 10 people died as a result of waves and dangerous currents. Prior to the weekend, the U.S. Coast Guard issued warnings advising beachgoers and boaters about high surf and strong rip currents along the Mid-Atlantic as a result of Tropical Storm Idalia. This is a developing story. Contributing: Jenna Calderon, Asbury Park Press; Aidan Wohl, Arizona Republic Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior correspondent 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: Drownings, rip currents, boating deaths reported on Labor Day weekend The number of presidents leaving their positions as the result of resignations, retirements or terminations includes at least four women. Leaders at historically Black colleges or universities are departing at an exceptionally high rate, with at least a dozen stepping down since March. According to The Washington Post, the number of presidents leaving their positions at the nations roughly 100 HBCUs is the result of sector-wide resignations, retirements and terminations. There also has been a broader trend of presidents at predominantly white institutions stepping down. Forbes reported that several university presidents have announced their resignation or retirement in the past month, including American Universitys Sylvia Burwell, Gordon Gee at West Virginia University, Marc Tessier-Lavigne at Stanford University, and Margaret Katherine Banks of Texas A&M University. Tougaloo College in Mississippi lost its president, Carmen Walters, in June. She is one of at least a dozen presidents at the nations historically Black colleges or universities who have left their positions since March. (Credit: Tougaloo College on Facebook) According to The Post, Terrell Strayhorn, director of the Center for the Study of HBCUs at Virginia Union University, highlighted that since 2022, about one-fourth of the nations 100 presidential seats had become available. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Its difficult to be a university leader, and this [turnover] is sort of the new normal, Strayhorn said. The sheer number of vacancies at HBCUs is notable, but this trend is part of the enterprise of higher ed. Although the causes for these departures are as diverse as the departing executives and the institutions they oversaw, there are some similarities. Many occurred in small, private, religiously associated universities like LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis and Philander Smith College in Little Rock. A handful of women are among those who have left their jobs, and there have been outspoken disputes about enrollment and funding. In April, the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning board of trustees unanimously voted to fire Felecia Nave, the president of Alcorn State University since 2019. The board has yet to speak about the reasons for firing Nave, but she had received requests for resignation from students and alumni due to complaints about enrollment numbers and poor communication. The former president is one of many female HBCU presidents to leave their positions in the past year. The list also includes Carmen Walters at Tougaloo College in Mississippi, Vernell Bennett-Fairs at LeMoyne-Owen, and Lesia Crumpton-Young at Texas Southern University in Houston. While its unclear why they stepped down, many had been the first women to lead their institutions and they departed in less than five years. Although women stepping down is not a new phenomenon, their reasons for leaving still merit investigation, according to Felecia Commodore, an associate professor of higher education at Old Dominion University. She said historically Black institutions often designate more women as presidents than the rest of higher education. If this is a space where Black women have probably the best shot at a college presidency and theyre not lasting for more than three to five years, Commodore said, what message is that sending to the pipeline of aspiring Black women college presidents, particularly those who are interested in serving in the HBCU sector? College presidents are also under pressure to guide their institutions through the unpredictability of a post-affirmative action era, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the growing politicization of higher education while competing for a student body that is getting smaller and smaller all of which makes the job harder and shortens the tenure of some leaders. Research by the American Council on Education revealed that college presidents who responded had been in their positions for an average of 8.5 years in 2006. The average decreased to 5.9 years in 2022. According to research by the Center for the Study of HBCUs, the average tenure of recently departed presidents of historically Black colleges and universities is 2.1 years, less than half of the typical 4.5-year contract offered to presidents in the industry. Commodore said brief tenures might raise concerns about an institutions stability. However, that doesnt seem to be the case with the recent wave of departures at HBCUs. Elfred Anthony Pinkard resigned in June for health reasons as president of Ohios Wilberforce University after five years in charge but before carrying out a prepared strategic plan. In February 2022, Pinkard underwent back surgery, and he later stated that he intended to take it easier. Pinkard said he announced his planned departure a year before his intended resignation date to give the board and the campus community time to prepare for the transition. Before his hiring, the schools financial situation was shaky, but since 2017, it has decreased its balance sheet obligations by 66%. As a result of Wilberforces failure to satisfy accreditation requirements in 2019, the Higher Learning Commission also put the school on probation; however, in 2021, the organization removed that classification. Edward Smith-Lewis, vice president of strategic partnerships and institutional programs at the United Negro College Fund, said the demands of being president, such as fundraising and financial management, are in some ways elevated at HBCUs due to historical underfunding and constrained resources. The Institute for Capacity Building at UNCF collaborates with governing boards at HBCUs to assist in hiring leaders and providing ongoing assistance once they assume office. Similar work is being done at Clark Atlanta Universitys Executive Leadership Institute to train historically Black school leaders to manage their institutions. The characteristics of a successful president have changed, according to HBCU leaders, particularly in the aftermath of a pandemic and enrollment challenges. Those systemic issues were prevalent before and may be exacerbated now, Smith-Lewis said. Its kind of virtually impossible to think about having a new leader come in, learn the history and culture of the institution, begin to fix things, and have impact all in a three-to-four-year period. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post At least a dozen HBCU leaders have stepped down since March, report says appeared first on TheGrio. FILE - This 1978 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Legionella pneumophila bacteria which are responsible for causing the pneumonic disease Legionnaires' disease. Poland's internal security officers were searching for the source of a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires' disease which has killed seven people and infected more than 100 others in the strategic city of Rzeszow, near the border with Ukraine, authorities said Friday Aug. 25, 2023. (Francis Chandler/CDC via AP, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) WARSAW, Poland (AP) Just one new case of Legionnaires disease was reported Tuesday in southeast Poland in an area close to the Ukraine border, an indication the spread of the disease has been curbed following chlorine disinfection of the water system. The latest fatality was registered on Friday, bringing to 19 the death toll since the outbreak in July. A total of 166 people have been infected in the region of Rzeszow, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the border. It's a key transit hub for international military support for Ukraine following Russias full-scale invasion last year. Some 10,000 U.S. troops are stationed in the area. Health authorities, prosecutors and internal security agency were still looking for the source of the pulmonary infections in a strategically sensitive region. Experts say it could come from warm water in rarely used plumbing amid hot weather. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Fatalities from the disease were among elderly people who also suffered from other health issues like cancer, authorities said. Legionnaires disease is a lung infection that comes from inhaling infected water spray. Its not spread through drinking water. It is usually caught in places like hotels, hospitals or offices where the bacteria have got into the water supply, for example in air conditioning systems or taps and showers that are not in frequent use. The germs multiply in temperatures of between 20 and 50 degrees Celsius (68-122 degrees Fahrenheit). The disease is treated with antibiotics. I didnt have goat herders on my bingo card for this budget year, said Asm. Vince Fong, R-Kern County, at an Assembly Budget Committee hearing this week. But ever since a 2022 bureaucratic accident, goat herders have frequented the Legislatures agenda and The Sacramento Bees pages. In the latest effort to save goat herding a key wildfire mitigation strategy the Newsom administration proposed a budget trailer bill that extends the monthly minimum wage policy for another two and a half years. In the meantime, the bill would commission a $1 million report from the Department of Industrial Relations and Employment Development Department on the wage and conditions of herders in the state. The Assembly and Senate will vote on the bill next week. If the bill passes, it means we get to stay in business for another two and a half years, said Tim Arrowsmith, owner of Western Grazers. His company oversees four to seven herders at any given time for wildfire mitigation programs. In July, The Sacramento Bee reported on the realities of Californias goat herders, most of whom are Peruvian migrants on H-2A visas and live in trailers next to herds, monitoring the animals 24/7. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Because herding is an around-the-clock job, in 2001 the state decided to set a monthly minimum wage alternative for herders. In 2023, this wage meant a herder makes $4,528 per month. But a March 2022 bureacratic accident left goat herders out of monthly minimum wage policy, quadrupling their wage to $191,000 annually. Herding operators said it would drive their business into the ground. The Legislature passed a budget trailer bill last year that extended the monthly minimum wage to Jan. 1, 2024. A bill introduced in February wouldve remedied the situation, adding goat herders to the labor code where theyd been left out. But the Assembly Labor Committee never called it to a hearing, forcing the Governors office to step in before the Jan. 1 sunset date. This bill extends the monthly minimum wage another two years, and requests a report from the DIR and EDD. The report, as outlined by the Newsom administrations proposal, would investigate wage violations, demographic information on sheep and goat herder and their employers and the use of H-2A visas in the herding sector. Herder operators like Arrowsmith are grateful for the further extension. But its still only a temporary fix, with another looming sunset clause. Makes it difficult to be in business and to plan when all they do is kick the can down the road, he said. Though herding may sound antiquated, the industry has grown as a wildfire prevention strategy. In 2021, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention awarded more than $10 million to targeted grazing projects. The hearty animals eat nearly anything, including overgrown brush that fuel wildfires. Citrus Heights, Elk Grove and West Sacramento have all contracted herds in recent years to mow overgrowth in open spaces. Its a cheaper, quieter and much cuter landscaping solution than lawnmowers and chainsaws. Budget trailer bills insert language from the Governors staff, Department of Finance or Legislature into the annual budget, dictating how it is implemented. Trailer bills can also be a mechanism to change existing state law. The Assembly and Senate will both vote on trailer bills after Labor Day, according to an Assembly Budget Committee staffer. Under Gov. Ron DeSantis , Florida has used the power of government to assault the freedoms of anyone he and his supporters consider different. Black people, gay and trans people and immigrants have all felt the unmistakable hostility of the state. In his pursuit of a far-right record that could outstrip Donald Trumps, DeSantis has systematically during five years in office, with a lockstep Republican Legislature turned Florida into an unwelcoming place for many. As DeSantis runs for president, voters across the country only have to look at Florida to understand what hes pushing. Divisiveness. Anger. Marginalization of anyone who might not be white, Christian, straight or whose family doesnt go back generations in the United States. He has harnessed the power of the governors office and Legislature to do it. We can only assume he would continue on that un-American trajectory if he were to succeed in winning the White House. Even if he fails to win the 2024 Republican nomination, DeSantis is just 44; hell likely remain in politics for a long time to come. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement And thats a problem. The kind of attacks on vulnerable groups that have flourished in DeSantis Florida harm us all. The United States is supposed to be a beacon of hope and opportunity. But his policies, too often, are the opposite of that ideal. Florida, under DeSantis, has become an example of what not to do. Immigrants seeking refuge here are among DeSantis favorite targets. There were those infamous migrant flights starting last year, when he used Florida tax dollars to fly asylum seekers from the border to blue places like Marthas Vineyard. He has pledged to support an end to birthright citizenship, something generally believed to be unconstitutional. In Florida this year, a new law that cracked down on employment of undocumented immigrants and made it a felony to transport into Florida anyone who has entered the country illegally has had negative impacts: Key businesses like construction and agriculture have started losing workers. And as Hurricane Idalia made landfall last week, the new law raised fears that immigrants and their families wouldnt seek shelter from the life-threatening storm. Theres plenty to criticize about immigration policy in this country, but using people as pawns on migrant flights and scaring others so much theyd rather risk their lives in a hurricane than ask for help from the government is about creating headlines, not solutions. Crush critics And then there are DeSantis well-documented attacks on the rights of trans and LGBTQ people. The best known of those policies is his parental-rights law, known as Dont say gay, banning the teaching of gender identity or sexual orientation in public schools and threatening teachers with a felony charge if they do. Hes also backed laws to make gender-affirming care illegal and exercised control over which pronouns students use and even which bathrooms. Disney, a vast multinational company, dared to criticize DeSantis on the Dont say gay law and the governor went after the company with a vengeance. The message was clear: Floridas governor will use the power (and money) of the state to try to crush those who disagree with him. That brings us to DeSantis actions toward Black people. His 2021 anti-riot bill masqueraded as an attempt to keep public order but was actually aimed at squelching Black Lives Matter marches in the wake of the George Floyd murder. Now DeSantis has defended the incredible and revolting claim in the states middle-school curriculum that slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit. It was a blatant recasting of history to make it more palatable for white people and it drew scorn, as it should. Its no wonder DeSantis was booed when he showed up to speak in Jacksonville about the shooting of three Black people by a killer with swastikas on his gun. All things considered, booing seems like a rather restrained response. Dont forget, this is the same leader who refused to condemn neo-Nazi demonstrators in Florida for years. The cost in dollars These anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ, anti-trans, anti-immigrant actions have a financial price, too. Conventions have begun refusing to come to Florida at least 10 have canceled in Broward County alone. Disney killed a $1 billion development planned for Central Florida after DeSantis attacked the companys right to free speech. The NAACP issued a travel advisory in May of this year, urging people of color and LGBTQ individuals to avoid the Sunshine State, a move the governor derided as a stunt. That was three months before the Jacksonville shooting. Other groups have cautioned about coming to Florida. The Florida Immigrant Coalition issued a travel advisory this year. So did Equality Florida, an LGBTQ civil-rights organization. As the groups senior policy adviser, Carlos Guillermo Smith, told the Editorial Board, Florida has rolled out the welcome mat for hatred and bigotry. There is a term for what DeSantis has been doing as he stokes resentments of immigrants and Black people and trans people. Its called othering when you turn the person youre attacking into someone you keep at arms length. You dont know them or understand them or care about them. You can impose all sorts of negatives onto that kind of a blank canvas. Its the opposite of empathy. And it makes it easier to pass laws that target them. Theyre the other. Whats going on in Florida isnt a left-versus-right thing. Its a right-versus-wrong thing. Going after various groups of people to push them out of public life isnt about liberalism or conservatism. Its about denying them human dignity and human rights. DeSantis, though, specializes in dread and fear. So far, he has been restricted to one state. Imagine what he would do if he exported his vision to the whole country. Click here to send the letter. Theres a strange saga unfolding in Texas. It involves allegations and accusations of illicit sexual relationships, drug use, theft, abuse, spying, planted evidence, and plots to steal a multimillion-dollar property. The people involved are Catholic priests, bishops, and some pretty fired-up nuns. What has become an open, bitter feud between the bishop of Fort Worth and 10 cloistered nuns in Arlington, Texas, has scandalized and thrilled American Catholics. The cops, the courts, and the Vatican are involved. Onlookers are taking sides. Its still unclear whos going to come out on top. And it all started with a startling confession from a devout nun. The series of events began in December 2020, shortly after Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach, the 43-year-old prioress of the Discalced Carmelite nuns of the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in Arlington, had a seizure. Gerlach, who had joined the order as a teenager, normally lives a life of quiet prayer and seclusion. But at some point during that month, while she was recovering from the seizure and was heavily medicated, she told a priest and her caregiver (another nun) that she had committed some kind of sexual sin (with another priest). The story probably could have died there. Unluckily for Gerlach, though, that priest appears to have told his boss, the dioceses bishop, Michael Olson. And when Olson got wind of the confession sometime in April 2023, he would kick off a strangely intense drama that spiraled to levels no one could have predicted. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Heres how things went, according to statements by the nuns: This year, on April 24, Olson arrived suddenly at the monastery with others, including another priest and a male forensic technology expert. There, Olson demanded that Gerlach let him and his companions into the cloister and that she hand over her laptop, cellphone, and iPad. Then he interrogated her. What the bishop discovered in that questioning is still unclear. One anonymous insider told the Pillar, a Catholic publication, that during the initial admission, back in 2020, Gerlach had been in and out of lucidity because of medication she was on, making the key admission at the center of this whole drama entirely unreliable. Perhaps the drugs so confused the nun that she hallucinated a sexual encounter, or exaggerated some lesser guilt (lustful thoughts could still count!). Or they lowered her defenses so that her secret tumbled out. Regardless, at some point during her April 2023 interview with Olson, Gerlach admitted to a consensual sexual encounter with a priest, clarifying that it had been over text or videobut certainly via phone and not in person. (The priest who was allegedly at the other end of the phone or video communication was later identified as working for the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina. He hasnt said anything about the allegations, but he has been suspended from public-facing work as a precautionary measure until more clarity regarding his status can be ascertained.) But this sexting confession itself was questioned too. The nuns version of events places the April 2023 confession on the 25th, as Gerlach was recovering from a recent surgery and was still groggy from anesthesia. The bishops version of events has her confessing the previous day, with a clear head. At some point in this two-day period, she did admit to something sexualan audio clip would later prove sobut the timeline is murky. Crucially, for our narrative and for the drama that would come. Olson didnt limit his investigation to just his conversation with Gerlach. He started pulling the rest of the nuns in for separate interviews. Now, its important to know some things about Carmelite nuns. These women are the kinds of nuns you might picture when you think nun: They wear full, traditional habits; live entirely at the monastery; gather seven times a day to chant prayers; and spend the rest of their day either in silent prayer or doing manual labor. No one from the outside is allowed inside the monastery except in very special circumstances, and the nuns dont leave except to get medical care. As Gerlachs lawyer would note (lawyers got involved pretty quickly), Gerlach had likely been around only five or so men in the past quarter century. So, with all this new activity and hostility, the nuns got fed up. On the third day of the investigation, furious that these men had stormed their peaceful little oasis, the nuns refused to be interviewed until Olson followed proper protocol, with lawyers on hand. Olson didnt like that. The Bishop threw a temper tantrum, and in an agitated and raised voice yelled that the Monastery was shut down, no Mass would be celebrated, he then slammed the door and left the Monastery, traumatizing the Sisters, Gerlach would later attest, according to a legal affidavit. Olson, for his part, declared by the end of his three-day investigation into the Carmelites that Gerlach could no longer lead the order. A quick pause to note some facts about Olson: In 2018 an old friend who said shed once felt that Olson was a son to her testified in an unrelated defamation suit covered by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that Olson was obsessed with his power and became so jealous of well-liked priests that he would kick them out of the diocese. The friend also said Olson admitted hed shut down a Catholic center because there were just a bunch of women in therenuns, whom he called aging lesbians. Additionally, some 1,600 people signed a November 2019 petition to have the Vatican investigate Olson, claiming he was vindictive. According to the petition, he referred to parishioners as merely sheep and nasty people. And then, in 2022, Olson forced out the president of the local Catholic Charities because that president had organized a womens empowerment summitsomething Olson thought was aligned with the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which, in his view, are most truly hostile to the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So, that kind of personality may explain how an investigation into a nun boiled over into open conflict. Back to the story: Olson, angry that the nuns were not cooperating, sent the women a letter warning they could be dismissed from their order. He demanded that Gerlach go on administrative leave, banned Gerlachs caretaker from having any direct communication with her, and banned the nuns from holding daily Mass for the publica big deal for, you know, nuns. This was too much for the sisters. On May 3, they hit Olson with a $1 million lawsuit that claimed Olson had violated their privacy by taking their equipment and then monitoring their communications (or, as they put it, for spying on them). The lawsuit also claimed that Olson was controlling, and that he told Gerlach where she can eat, where she can sit, banned her from her private bedroom despite her poor health and need for constant medical care, and cut her off from communicating with her caretaker. Plus, the nuns couldnt pay their bills without their confiscated electronics, they said. Olsons actions were, according to the lawsuit, pure evil. On May 16, Olson posted a statement on the homepage of the dioceses website announcing that Gerlach had violated her vow of chastity. Suddenly, the matter wasnt private. The nuns added claims of defamation and theft to their lawsuit. As the nuns lawyer, Matthew Bobo, saw things, this wasnt just a matter of heavy-handed discipline. Bobo told the Daily Mail that Olson wanted the nuns electronic devices for calculated reasons: The devices contained the orders donor list, which Olson could copy and use. And in more of a long-run ploy, Bobo speculated, Olson was trying to steal the nuns property from under them by taking control of their accounting. He wouldnt be the only person to make this claim. This infuriated Olson, who sent another letter to the nuns, telling them he would not reinstate the daily Mass and confession because they were pushing a false narrative and inciting hatred. Bobo went on the counteroffensive, further publicizing the nuns claims. He stuck to his points: Gerlach was innocent and Olson was a schemer who had no right to step in, especially because the nuns answered directly to the Vaticannot to the local diocese. Then Bobo went a step further: He got the cops involved. Sometime in late May or early June of this year, Bobo contacted the Arlington police to ask them to investigate whether Olson had illegally seized the nuns electronics. This was possibly poor timing because, on May 31, the Vatican put out a (strangely error-ridden) decree giving Olson governing authority over the nuns. That news came as a huge blow to the nuns. But by this point, they had allies. A lay Catholic group dedicated to supporting them held a prayer service in a public park that was attended by 100 people who showed up in solidarity. Olson, in June, sent the group that had organized the prayer service a notice telling the members they were complicit in rebellious disobedience and that the group should send its supporters an email rescinding calls for donations for legal fees for the nuns. I ask that you copy me on the email by which you rescind this invitation, he wrote. Unimpressed, the nuns support group sent out another email a few days later reminding people where they could donate. Meanwhile, the official church investigation under Olson wrapped. Unsurprisingly, given the tenor of things, Olson declared Gerlach guilty and formally dismissed her from the order. She had 30 days to appeal to the Vatican, which she did. At this point, Olson may have been winning the internal power battlebut not that of popular opinion. On June 7, the news of the criminal investigation by the Arlington police into Olson broke. Seemingly in retaliation, the diocese sent the Fort Worth Star-Telegram what it clearly thought was a trump card: photos allegedly taken in the monastery by a confidential informant that showed marijuana edibles, a bong, and other drug paraphernalia. The drugs, according to the confidential informant, were in the craft room. Gerlach, with the help of a layperson, had driven to Colorado multiple times to get the drugs, the informant said. Now Olson got the cops involved on his side of the squabble. Arlington police released a statement saying that they were looking into the matter. This move backfired disastrously for Olson. Or perhaps it was just the straw that broke the camels back. Bobo, the nuns lawyer, as well as others, accused Olson of staging the photo and sending it to the press and the cops in a revenge plot. In an effort to set the record straight, Olson put out an awkward, slightly sweaty eight-minute statement on YouTube on June 11 denying various rumors (including spying on the nuns, trying to steal their land, and planting drugs in the craft room) and laying out his version of events. According to his narrative, Gerlach had had some kind of sexual encounter and done illegal drugs, and had even crossed state borders to acquire said drugs. And instead of facing the repercussions, she had called upon her sisters and used her image as an ailing, pious woman to garner public sympathy, before attacking Olson in the courts. But more bad press was headed Olsons way. The next day, the Fort Worth Business Press ran an article quoting a philanthropist whose mother had donated land to the nuns. The philanthropist, Sheila Johnson, argued forcefully that Olson was going after the nuns 72-acre property, which, according to the Business Press, is valued at $3.8 million but could be worth much more if sold to developers. This is nothing but a ploy to get rid of Mother Teresa and close the monastery, Johnson said. (Mother Teresa is Gerlach.) Johnson also told the paper she would get out there in front of the gates with a shotgun to protect the monastery. She added: Of course, it wouldnt be loaded. In late June, the nuns had their own setback when, in a hearing in court, the dioceses legal team played a recording that included Gerlachs confession to twice committing some kind of sexual act over the phone or on video chat, puncturing the argument some had made that she had not actually admitted to anything sexual. During that hearing, the bishop also testified that three employees of the monastery had come to him with reports of marijuana use and that the bookkeeper had found receipts for items from an Arlington smoke shop. He also said the informants had detected the smell of marijuana. Olson said he immediately reported the allegations to the police. By the end of June, the police and the courts finally decided that this was a church matter and bowed out, leaving all the final decisions up to the Vatican. Which is how things remain. But that isnt the end of the story. Last month, hostilities truly exploded with a final shot across the bow, from the nuns. On Aug. 18, after several quiet weeks, the Carmelite order of Arlington, Texas, put out its most dramatic statement yet, banning Olson from the property and refuting his authority: We hereby state that, in conscience, we no longer recognize the authority of, and can have no further relations with, the current Bishop of Fort Worth or his officials, and forbid him or any of his officials or representatives to enter our monastery property or to have any contact or relations with the monastery or any of its nuns or novices. No one who abuses us as has the current Bishop of Fort Worth, has any right to our cooperation or obedience. The nuns further accused Olson of intimidation, aggression, private and public humiliation and spiritual manipulation in service of his ambitions. They had been abused, they wrote, at the hands of a man who, in the pursuit of his unspecified personal ends, does not fear to shout at nuns or to humiliate them, a man who, they wrote, engaged in power-plays. They expressed concern for their own spiritual and psychological safety and called for Olson to repent and apologize. Then, a strange twist: In the statement, the nuns promised to begin celebrating Mass according to the older forms of the Roman rite. They noted, This decision is not a reaction to the abuse that has been visited upon us, even though we expect that it will occasion even more abuse from the same source. This may seem like a random moment to bring up a dry liturgical matter, but theres more than a slight political edge to that decision. Olson may be a bully who hates DEI, but he was appointed by the more liberal Pope Francis, and some automatically associate Olson with the popes more controversial (read: liberal) positions. No move of Francis has been more controversial within the church than his crackdown on the Latin Mass, a traditional form of worship that has come to be associated with the political right wing. By taking this stanceessentially, declaring they would return to the Latin Massthe nuns planted themselves at odds with Olson and the Vatican. To make the politics even more explicit, later that same day, Archbishop Carlo Vigano put out a statement supporting the nuns. Vigano is a right-wing conspiracy theorist who once served as the Vaticans liaison to the U.S. church; he has become so eager in his advancement of global anti-Francis conspiracy theories that he can be reasonably described as the churchs equivalent of Q. In his statement, Vigano described Olsons actions as part of a subversive plan to usurp disciplinary authority in order to force priests and religious to accept the conciliar indoctrination and apostasy of the Bergoglian church. Translation: Olson and those like him are using their power on behalf of the power-hungry pope and his allies (the Bergoglians) to spread the blasphemous doctrine of the new church and suppress those good soulstraditionalist priests and nunswho follow the old, holy ways. The nuns, he wrote, were an example of heroic resistance against corrupt power. Theres one twist left to this story. On Aug. 19, Olson put out a statement on the dioceses website declaring that Gerlach and her fellow nuns may have been automatically excommunicateda very serious occurrence usually reserved for sins such as abortion and heresy. Gerlachs public refutation of Olsons authority, he wrote, has hurt me as a friend and as the bishop because of the deep wound this has cut in our unity. He went on: Thus, it is with deep sorrow that I must inform the faithful of the Diocese of Fort Worth, that Mother Teresa Agnes, thereby, may have incurred upon herself latae sententiae,( i.e., by her own schismatic actions), excommunication. The Arlington Carmel remains closed to public access until such time as the Arlington Carmel publicly disavows itself of these scandalous and schismatic actions of Mother Teresa Agnes. I stand ready to assist Mother Teresa Agnes on her path of reconciliation and healing. Nice last line there. This, perhaps unsurprisingly, did not cow the nuns. On Aug. 26, they put out one final statement reiterating that they didnt recognize Olsons authority, no matter what the Vatican decreed. Every action he has taken with regard to us has proven to be devious and deceptive, marked by falsehood and an intent to persecute us, they wrote, adding that Olsons actions and falsehoods had been gravely defamatory of the Mother Prioress. For these reasons [we] will face with serenity and firmness any unjust canonical sanctions that the present [bishop] may inflict, they declared. It is Olson, they wrote, who is first in disobedience to the authority of God. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told Lithuanian outlet LRT on Sept. 5 that corruption scandals in Ukraine have a significant impact on Western state's decision to supply Kyiv with weapons. "Since those states that support Ukraine are democratic states, it means that they must take into account the mood of their society and the opinion of voters," Nauseda said. "Imagine if the voters in this or that state see that there are very visible corruption scandals in the country to which the aid is directed. This is a huge blow to the reputation of this state," he continued. However, Nauseda noted that he does not believe that this is the reason for the delay in providing Ukraine with F-16 fighters, which Kyiv has repeatedly requested. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Sometimes things are also connected with the fact that it is one thing to make a decision, another thing to implement this decision," the Lithuanian leader said. Nauseda's comment came after the scandal resulting in Oleksii Reznikov 's resignation as Ukraine's defense minister. The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, approved Oleksii Reznikov's resignation as defense minister, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on Sept. 5. Reznikov has held the post of defense minister since November 2021. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he has played a vital role in coordinating military aid from foreign allies, including at multiple Ramstein summits. However, Reznikov's tenure at the Defense Ministry has been marred by several scandals related to the procurement of equipment and supplies for Ukrainian soldiers. In August, Ukrainian media Dzerkalo Tyzhnia reported that the Defense Ministry spent $33 million on "winter" clothing for the military from a Turkish company in September, which was actually summer clothing. Read also: Ukraines parliament approves Reznikovs resignation as defense minister Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has said the corruption scandals in Ukraine have a significant impact on Western countries when making decisions on the weapons supply to Kyiv. Source: European Pravda, referring to Lithuania's public service media LRT Quote from Nauseda: "This is an important reason. This is a very important reason. Since those states that support Ukraine are democratic states, it means that they should take into account their societys mood and their voters' opinion. Imagine the situation: voters in one of the states see that there are very visible corruption scandals in the aid-directed country. This is a huge reputational blow for this state." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Details: Nauseda made such comments after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decided to replace Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov with Rustem Umerov, who had been head of the State Property Fund since last year. Although Zelenskyy did not mention corruption in his statement, the Ukraines Defence Ministry recently launched investigations into abuses and bribery during weapon procurement. Nauseda, however, does not believe that this fact caused the delay in American F-16 fighter jet delivery. "Sometimes such situations are also connected with the fact that, on the one hand, you just need to make a decision and, on the other hand, you need to implement this decision," said the Lithuanian president. Background: Arvydas Anusauskas, Lithuanian Defence Minister, said that the successor of Ukraine's current Defence Minister, Oleksii Reznikov, would have to make efforts to establish relations with Western leaders. Norway will lead NATO's efforts to westernise Ukrainian defence procurement and develop cooperation between NATOs member states and Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! It's a nightmare that plays over and over in Cherry Linton's head. Almost two years ago, Linton's 4-year-old granddaughter and the girl's 2-year-old sibling died in an apartment fire in Noland Village off Virginia Avenue. When firefighters arrived at the scene at 1036 Noland Drive on Oct. 7, 2021, they encountered smoky conditions in a rear bedroom and the children in a front bedroom. Victor Anderson of Martinsburg holds a framed picture of London Linton, his great-granddaughter, outside the home where Linton lived with her mother. Linton who was four years old, died after a fire at her Noland Village home in October of 2021. London Linton, Linton's granddaughter, and the second child, Carter Ward, were in cardiac arrest. They were rescued from the apartment during the 7 p.m. fire and taken to Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., where they died three days later. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Two adults in the apartment, Dylan Ward and Taylor Fredette, the mother of the children, were treated and released due to injuries they sustained. The charred frame of a second floor window still remains at a Noland Village townhome where an October 2021 fire claimed the lives of two young children. Investigation expected to be lengthy The fire was quickly extinguished and damage was contained to the bedrooms. Hagerstown Fire Chief Steve Lohr and Hagerstown Fire Marshal Dale Fishack said at the time that an investigation into the cause of the fire was expected to be lengthy. Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted. Since then, Linton has waited. Previously: Three of four people overcome by smoky Noland Village fire taken to advanced care centers She said she and her son, Camden Linton, London's father, were interviewed by authorities. Then the conversations fell off, and it's been hard to get updates, she said. She complains that she's received no information about London's cause of death or how the fire started. "I know they have to know by now," the Martinsburg, W.Va., woman said in a phone interview. Camden Linton was with his mother as she talked, and walked out of the room "speechless" as he recounted the incident. "We've just been re-living this and re-living this," Linton said. Caution tape still hangs at 1036G Noland where an October 2021 fire claimed the lives of two young children 'I feel so let down' "How do two children die in a community and the community gets no answers two years later? I feel so let down by the system," she said. Fishack and Lohr said in a recent phone interview that they cannot discuss the investigation into the cause of the fire because it's still an open case. "What that means is it's an active case in our system. And we follow up on any leads. And we really can't make any comments about any progress or details about the case," Fishack said. Fishack and Lohr said in a later interview that it's not unusual for fire investigation cases to remain open for years. "It will be open until it's solved," Fishack said, adding that it could be open forever if it's not. 1036G Noland townhome where an October 2021 claimed the lives of two young children. Are there other details investigators are looking for? Lohr said investigators don't have a crystal ball to solve the case, and added the only people who know critical details about the fire are the ones who were in the home at the time. The bodies of the children were sent to Washington, D.C.'s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsies. The cause of death for both children was complications from smoke and soot inhalation, said Andrew McArdle, public information officer for the medical examiner's office. Deaths confirmed: Two children rescued from house fire in Hagerstown Thursday have died from their injuries Manner of death for the children is undetermined, McArdle said. Manner of death in a case can be listed as undetermined when precise circumstances surrounding the death are lacking, he said. To illustrate, McArdle used an example of someone who is pulled from the Potomac River after a drowning. How did the person end up in the river? If no one witnessed it, the manner of death would be listed as undetermined, he said. As far as a family not getting information as a result of an autopsy, McArdle said that's not something the medical examiner's office gets involved in. That's typically handed by a funeral home after the business receives the information, he said. Damage from the fire is still visible on the apartment building of the public housing complex, which is managed by the Hagerstown Housing Authority. Noland Village is in the midst of a major redevelopment, and federal Housing and Urban Development officials told the authority there is no use to spend money rehabilitating the damaged unit since Noland Village is being rebuilt, according to housing authority executive director Sean Griffith. Griffith said no fire prevention changes have been made to Noland Village since the fire, although he said the housing authority periodically inspects units to make sure systems such as electrical components are working properly. If the fire investigation reveals anything that needs to be upgraded in the units, "we'll definitely take care of it," Griffith said. Shattered windows can still be seen at 1036 Noland Drive following a deadly fire Oct. 7, 2021. 'This girl meant the world to me' London was born March 24, 2017, at Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, according to Linton. The girl and her parents lived with Linton during her first year. Although London had not been in kindergarten at the time of her death, she looked forward to going to school, her grandmother said. And she was attached to Carter. "London loved him to death. She wanted to take care of him," said Linton, who spoke through tears. "I'm so devastated, and we just can't get any closure. This girl meant the world to me," Linton said. Grieving the loss of a loved one is "unfortunately one of the most distressing and challenging experiences we go through," said Mike Hann, chief medical officer at Brooklane, a local a non-profit mental health facility. The grieving process involves the individual trying to successfully process the loss to move forward with life, Hann said. And when theres's a lack of closure in a loss, the struggle can lead to "complicated bereavement" that can manifest itself like depression, he said. But there is help for people unable to get through the struggle, such as through mental health providers, social support groups and spiritual organizations, Hann said. This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Children killed in Hagerstown public housing fire still being probed As Geneva College celebrates its 175th anniversary, the Beaver County institution is launching the Geneva Tuition Promise. The promise ensures that all eligible Pennsylvania students from families with income less than $70,000 annually will pay no undergraduate tuition, starting with the incoming class in the fall of 2024. To be eligible, a student must have a complete application for admissions by March 1, 2024, have official residency in Pennsylvania, and be eligible to receive any amount of Pell Grant. We are a small Christian institution; weve been in Pennsylvania a long time offering deeply biblical and rigorous college education, said Willem de Ruijter, who is the VP of Enrollment & Marketing at Geneva College. The faith-based college comes with a sticker price of just over $32,000 a year for Pennsylvanians. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The campus has been great for student-athletes, but a lot of people dont even consider Geneva because of the cost of it, said Robert Landsbach. Landsbach is a lifelong Beaver Falls resident. He sees the challenges that come with education costs and is excited that Geneva College is making a big leap to help the students and keep more kids local. I think its a great idea, Landsbach said. I think a lot of colleges and universities are thinking about affordability in state, out of state. Hopefully, we can be part of a movement of colleges that are demonstrating we are thinking of the cost of education, de Ruijter said. Geneva is also advancing affordability for students. Beginning in the fall of 2024, the highest achieving academic students can receive up to $20,000 annually, totaling $80,000 over four years, an aid increase of over 14% toward the completion of their degree. Learn more about Geneva here. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Chiller Theater returning 60 years after original show aired on Channel 11 Man surrenders after shooting, hostage situation in McKeesport Breeze Airways has biggest sale ever, discounting Pittsburgh International Airport flights by 50% VIDEO: Busy Labor Day weekend breaks travel records DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Enrique Tarrio, the former top leader of the Proud Boys, was sentenced to 22 years in prison on Tuesday, the latest in a series of hearings for members of the far-right group over their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Close to 1,100 people have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 riot so far, and more than 300 have been sentenced to periods of incarceration. More arrests continue to roll in more than 30 months after the attack. Tarrio is the last to be sentenced among a group of Proud Boys who were convicted of seditious conspiracy in May, and his sentence is the longest of any Jan. 6 defendant so far. Here are the longest prison sentences rioters have received. Enrique Tarrio: 22 years Tarrio, former chair of the Proud Boys, was sentenced to 22 years in prison on Tuesday for masterminding a seditious conspiracy aimed at keeping then-President Donald Trump in power. Tarrio has been in jail since his arrest in February 2022. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Prosecutors wanted Tarrio to be sentenced to 33 years in prison. Tarrio wasnt present at the Capitol on Jan. 6 because he had been ordered to stay away from Washington after being arrested and charged with setting fire to a Black Lives Matter banner. However, prosecutors say Tarrio continued to rally his men from afar, urging them to remain in the Capitol. Tarrio was convicted in May. Stewart Rhodes: 18 years Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the far-right Oath Keepers, was sentenced in May to 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy. Prosecutors say Rhodes planned a weekslong effort to derail the transfer of power from Trump to Joe Biden, leading to the organization of dozens of allies to descend on Washington on Jan. 6. Rhodes was convicted in November. Rhodes, a Yale Law graduate and military veteran, was the first of 14 Jan. 6 defendants, including nine Oath Keepers, to face sentencing after being convicted of seditious conspiracy. Kelly Meggs, Florida chapter leader of the Oath Keepers, was sentenced alongside Rhodes to 12 years behind bars. Joe Biggs : 17 years Joe Biggs, a Florida leader of the Proud Boys on Jan. 6, was sentenced last week to 17 years in prison for conspiring to derail the peaceful transfer of power. Prosecutors had asked for a 33-year sentence. Prosecutors say Biggs was a part of the driving force behind the violence on Jan. 6 by facilitating breaches at police lines and helping crowds advance into the Capitol. Biggs is an Army veteran who sustained a head injury in Iraq and then was a correspondent for the conspiracy website InfoWars. Zach Rehl: 15 years Zach Rehl, another leader of the Proud Boys, was sentenced to 15 years in prison alongside Biggs last week for conspiring to derail the peaceful transfer of power. Prosecutors had asked for a 30-year sentence for Rehl. Rehl was seen on video spraying a chemical irritant at police officers outside the Capitol on Jan. 6 but lied about the assault when he testified. Rehl also led at least three other men into the Capitol and into a senators office to smoke and pose for photos. Peter Schwartz: 14 years Peter Schwartz of Pennsylvania was sentenced in May to just over 14 years in prison. Schwartz was found guilty in December on 10 charges, including four felony charges of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers while using a dangerous weapon. A jury convicted Schwartz on assault and civil disorder charges for throwing a chair at officers and spraying them with pepper spray. Schwartz also has a prior criminal history of 38 felony convictions dating back to 1991. Daniel D.J. Rodriguez: 12 years Daniel D.J. Rodriguez, who drove a stun gun into a police officers neck on Jan. 6, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in June. Former D.C. Police Officer Michael Fanones body camera showed the officer screaming in pain after Rodriguez shocked him with a stun gun, according to The Associated Press. Rodriguez also deployed a fire extinguisher at police officers and shoved a wooden pole at the police line. As Rodriguez was led out of the courtroom after his sentencing, he yelled, Trump won! Dominic Pezzola: 10 years Dominic Pezzola, a New York Proud Boy, was sentenced to 10 years in prison last week for triggering the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol when he smashed a window with a stolen police riot shield. Pezzola also filmed himself inside the Capitol smoking a cigar and celebrating the Capitol breach. Pezzola, unlike other Proud Boy members, was a newcomer who didnt write violent online messages leading up to the Jan. 6 attack, according to The Associated Press. However, the judge argued that Pezzola was still the tip of the spear in allowing rioters into the Capitol on Jan. 6. Thomas Webster: 10 years Thomas Webster, a retired New York City police officer who assaulted a D.C. officer on the front lines of the Capitol riot, was sentenced to 10 years in prison last week. Webster was the first defendant to present a self-defense argument, though a jury rejected that claim because he tackled a D.C. officer and grabbed his gas mask. Webster has said he wishes he had never gone to Washington. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta described Websters assault on the officer as one of the most haunting and shocking images from Jan. 6. Kelly Garrity contributed to this report. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report misstated when Stewart Rhodes was sentenced. On Mar. 27, 1958, Walter Reuther (left), president of the UAW, goes into a huddle with Senate Rackets Committee Counsel Robert F. Kennedy (center) and Jack Conway, assistant to the UAW Chief, before Reuther testified in the Senate Committee's probe of the 4-year-old strike by the UAW against the Kohler Company, a Sheboygan, Wisconsin plumbing fixture firm. Reuther opened his testimony by charging that the Kohler Company has refused to recognize the law during the bitter strike. Credit - Bettmann Archive The ongoing writers and actors strike halting the television and movie business has already surpassed 100 days as Labor Day approaches. But so far, its still nowhere near as long as the longest strike in U.S. history. Labor historians say the longest strike the nation has ever seen was the Kohler strike, which lasted for 11 years from 1954 to 1965. Kohler is one of the biggest manufacturers of plumbing fixtures in the U.S. The Sheboygan, Wis., area was essentially a company town with its own schools and recreation facilities and red brick houses with green lawns. The Mar. 17, 1958, issue of TIME reported that the company's president Herbert Kohler considers himself a just and benevolent employer and that this monument to paternalism, incorporated as the Village of Kohler may rank as the world's most attractive company town. More From TIME But workers wanted more than a nice neighborhood. They pushed for a contract with higher wages, protections for the most senior employees during layoffs, and union dues deducted from paychecks. These are employees who are trying to get their union recognized and are looking for a contract, says Elizabeth Shermer, professor of History at Loyola University Chicago. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read More: 'They Are Doing Bad Things to Good People': Fran Drescher on Why SAG-AFTRA Is Striking The strike officially began on April 5, 1954, and while workers were prepared for a fight, no one expected the strike to become a long and ugly battle that would last more than a decade. The United Auto Workers union (UAW) and its head Walter Reuther, considered one of the most charismatic union leaders of the era, helped the Kohler strikers stay afloat with a strike fund. For the first two years, the UAW gave strikers enough money for food, medical care, and $25 a week of jingling money, according to TIME, but as the strike dragged on, the funds were cut back. Some workers had to leave town and find new jobs elsewhere. After initially shutting down for the first two months of the strike, Kohler brought in nonunion workers to replace those that had left. The UAW also organized a nationwide boycott of Kohler products among plumbers, contractors, and municipal officers, from Boston to Los Angeles. The battle between management and workers spilled out into the streets and became increasingly acrimonious. Gas masks were a common sight at pickets, according to TIME, and in one confrontation, 300 people were arrested. The strike tore Sheboygan apart. There were families where strikers ostracized a close relative who crossed the picket line. As a Mar. 17, 1958, issue of TIME magazine described the bitterness of the strike four years in, with 2,800 of 3,300 workers striking: While the Kohler strike's length gives it a unique place in U.S. history, it fit into a larger pattern of labor movements at the time. Strikes were common in the 1950s. This was the height of postwar union strength, says Joseph A. McCartin, professor of History at Georgetown. Almost 35% of non-agricultural workers in the country at that time were represented by unions. By comparison, 10% of wage and salary workers were members of unions in 2022the lowest rate on recordand the rate for private sector workers was 6 percent. Nelson Lichtenstein, a historian at UC Santa Barbara, argues that while theres been a Renaissance of union sentiment in recent yearsfrom efforts to unionize Starbucks and Amazon to the Hollywood strike its minuscule compared to what was happening in the 50s. Lichtenstein says, Many, on the one hand, think of the 50s as a period of social harmony. We think of Leave It to Beaverbut in fact, there were strikes and strikes and strikes and strikes. The Kohler strike came to an end in the early 1960s, when the National Labor Relations Board found Kohler guilty of unfair labor practices. The strike technically ended in 1962, but the labor dispute didnt fully resolve until 1965, when new Kohler management came in and paid wages that the strikers had been demanding and put more money in their pension funds. TIME reported at the time that the boycott was only partially successful, despite the UAW pouring $12 million into the effort, and essentially declared victory for Kohler management: Despite the most extensive boycott campaign ever mounted by organized labor, the effect of the long dispute on the company was hardly shattering; Kohler today is still a leader in the industry. Some of the anti-union tactics in today's Hollywood strike can be traced back to the Kohler era. Lichtenstein explains that in the late 1940s and early 1950s, companies like Kohler would publicize their offer to strikers to increase pressure on them to accept. In a modern-day parallel, he argues, the Hollywood studios publicized their offer to striking writers on Aug. 22. As McCartin explains the legacy of the Kohler strike: What makes the Kohler strike interesting to consider today is it points out how some of the same resistance continues among leaders of some of America's biggest and most successful businesses. Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com. Weve all heard of the renowned Tuskegee Airmen, right? They were the Black men who bravely fought in World War II as part of the 332nd Fighter Group and the 377th Bombardment Group in the U.S. Air Force. They were the first African-American police in the military. Thats a big deal. Their tales have been chronicled in popular culture and literature. But have you heard of Lt. Fred L. Brewer Jr.? He was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen who tragically disappeared during an October 1944 mission to escort bombers attacking Germany, according to the Washington Post. Read more ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Fred L. Brewer Jr., 23, of Charlotte, North Carolina, killed during World War II, was accounted for Aug. 10, 2023. In late 1944, Brewer was a pilot with the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, also known as the Tuskegee Airmen, in the European Theater. On Oct. 19, Brewer departed Ramitelli Air Base, Italy, as one of 57 fighters assigned to escort bombers to their targets in Regensburg, Germany. While enroute to their targets, the bomber group encountered heavy cloud cover over the Udine area of Italy, which forced several escort fighters to return early. According to another pilot witness, Brewer had attempted a steep climb to get above the cloud cover, which caused the engine of his P-51C Mustang, Traveling Light, to stall. It was reported Brewers aircraft had rolled over with the canopy jettisoned, but he was not observed ejecting from the plane. Brewers remains were not recovered, and he was subsequently declared missing in action. Through anthropological analysis and circumstantial evidence, DPAA scientists were able to conclude that the discovered remains belonged to Brewer. Robena Brewer Harrison, a cousin of Lt. Brewer told the Washington Post that she would like to see the remains of her family member buried in Charlotte. While its incredible that Brewers remains were found, hes only the second missing Tuskegee Airmen to have his remains discovered. The DPAA says 25 airmen are still missing. 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. Mike Coffman has, for more than 40 years, lived in a well-to-do Johnson County enclave whose city sign, beneath a canopy of mature oaks and maples, declares the town of 400 residents to be the most beautiful little city in Kansas. These days, Coffman and dozens of other residents in affluent Westwood Hills and neighboring Westwood (population 1,850) fear that the view outside their windows might soon, instead of being beautiful, become downright ugly. My children used to play over there, Coffman said, pointing across the street and across city lines to what is, effectively, Westwoods only city park, located in a residential neighborhood, but also along a busy strip of Rainbow Boulevard at 50th Street. The green space known as Joe D. Dennis Park with its fountain, tennis court and playground is now, along with contiguous acres, being considered as the spot for a new office and retail development spanning approximately 4 acres. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Renderings of the project, being proposed by the Karbank Real Estate Co. of nearby Mission Woods, would include four buildings at three and four stories tall in colors of blue, red, green and gray, providing 91,000 square feet of office space and 26,000 of retail. Parking would be available for 367 cars, with 60% of spaces below ground. Four-story buildings would be part of a new office and retail development being proposed for Westwood. Part of the deal would include the city using TIF (tax increment financing) funds generated by the project to replace the existing park with a new and larger 3.5-acre park just to the west on the grounds of the former Westwood View Elementary School. Westwoods nine-member City Planning Commission is set to consider the project on Sept. 11. Should the commission approve it, Westwoods mayor and five-member City Council could take it up as early as Oct. 12. City leaders said they are waiting to hear from the planning commission, but the project is believed to have strong support within city hall, including from the city administrator, Leslie Herring. I think that if we can work out all the technical details, Herring said, I think this would be a huge benefit to the community. Neighbors nearest the project are vocally against it, saying the development is too tall and big, its corporate design will mar a residential streetscape, and more office space is hardly necessary in a society where many are working remotely, from home. They hold that city leaders have been too quick to buy into the idea of an office park before considering other options including selling some of the land, currently zoned for residential, for actual houses. How many buildings do we need for offices right now? Westwood resident Carrie Lapin asked rhetorically, as Westwood Hills resident Mike Coffman drummed up support for a protest of a proposed office and retail development. Its too much for this area. Im horrified, absolutely horrified, said Karen I. Johnson, a Westwood resident for 57 years. She was mayor of Westwood from 2006 to 2008. She lives two houses away from the site of the proposed development. It has no business here, she said. The city would need to rezone the land from residential to commercial. If the planning commission approves the plan, under Kansas state law, statute 12-757, certain residents could file a protest petition against the zoning change. In this instance, that would include Westwood residents within 200 feet and non-residents (those in Westwood Hills and Mission Woods) within 1,000 feet. That equals about 160 property owners, Herring said. If the protest petition is deemed valid, approval of the development would require 75% of the vote of the council and mayor as opposed to a simple council majority. Coffman conceded he thinks stopping the project is a long shot so long that some have called him Don Quixote fighting windmills. Its the only legal recourse we have, he said of the protest petition. Mike Coffman of Westwood Hills knocks on doors in neighboring Westwood to drum up support for a protest against a proposed office and retail development at 50th Street and Rainbow Boulevard. For the last two weeks, he and others have been going door to door in Westwood to inform people about the project. Last week, he found a supporter at the first door he knocked on, across the street from the park. Look where I live, said Sara Keehn, a resident for 25 years. We have to stop the rezoning. Ellen Marsee, 87, of Westwood is among his band of protesters. She lives only a few houses away from the park. Ive been here for 60 years, she said. My youngest child was born here. My husband died in this house, My mother died in this house. My hope was that I could live my final years here. Im sick over it. I feel our city has let us down, especially our mayor. Marsee worries not only about the size and mass of a corporate development, but also about the increase in traffic that will feed more than 300 parking spaces. She worries about the safety of children headed to the new Westwood View school building a couple of blocks away or the new park thats being promised to replace the old. A sign at Joe. D. Dennis Park at 50th Street and Rainbow Boulevard in Westwood, announces an Aug. 7 public hearing to consider rezoning of the park and adjacent acres for a proposed office and retail development. The next meeting will be Sept. 11. Had the proposed development been designed to have the low-profile cottage-style look similar to the nearby shops in Fairway, or in Brookside, or Westwood Hills on State Line Road or the Shops of Prairie Village off Mission Road, Marsa Swatzells objections would hardly be as great. Swatzell, 68, lives on Rainbow Boulevard one house north of the park. The development would tower above her home, which has sat on land belonging to the Swatzell family since 1897. Generations of the family have seen generations of changes. Im not against development, per se. Im against it as it stands, she said of the proposed project. Im saying it just doesnt fit. Herring, the city administrator, explained that Westwood leaders have been contemplating the future of the property along Rainbow and 50th Street for nearly a decade. In 2013, the stone Westwood Christian Church, at 5050 Rainbow Blvd., shut its doors. One year later, Westwood bought the property on a lease-to-purchase agreement for $400,000, on which it still owes approximately $275,000. The church was demolished in 2020. In 2022, the new Westwood View Elementary School opened at 4935 Belinder Ave., just to the west of the old school located at 2511 W. 50th St. Students from Rushton Elementary School moved into the old building and are expected to be there until their new school is ready for the start of the fall semester in 2024. In May, Westwood entered into a right of first refusal agreement with the Shawnee Mission school district to purchase the old school for $2.65 million, taking possession next January and leasing it back to the district for $1 per year through July 2024 during the time it is still occupied by the Rushton students. Should the development plan be approved, Herring said, Karbank would donate the funds to pay off the $275,000 debt on the church. It would also donate the $2.65 million to purchase the school, along with funds to demolish it and grade the property for a future park. Karbank gets property for its offices and retail. The city of Westwood would get some 3.5 acres west of the development to transform into a larger city park using funds generated from the project through tax increment financing. It is, frankly, at no cost to the taxpayers, Herring said. Karbanks plan is to start construction in 2025 and finish within two years. A schematic of Karbank office and retail park proposed for 50th Street and Rainbow Boulevard in Westwood. Johnson, the former mayor, said she plans on speaking and raising several points at the Sept. 11 planning commission hearing. Particularly germane, she said, is a 2017 city master plan that includes specific future uses for the Joe. D. Dennis Park and former church grounds. Uses at that time included a new school, a park, civic uses, or single homes. No mention of an office park. She points to several passages: Mixed-use developments and high intensity commercial areas should be directed toward the 47th Street and Rainbow intersection which can accommodate taller buildings with a denser footprint. Also: Redevelopment projects should have compatible architectural styles, scale of structures, and compatible density to adjacent residential areas. As he went door-to-door, Steve Platt of Westwood Hills came across residents who said they were for and against the project. Platt said he would like to see all the area around 50th and Rainbow turned into a nearly 8-acre park. Farther away, Pascal and Jan Gephardt, Westwood residents for 45 years, both said they were neutral on the project. Vaguely positive, Jan Gephardt said, although she is not a fan of the corporate design. It preserves a little bit of green space, she said, then conceded: In a place like this, its kind of a fantasy to think that theres going to be no development up there. While Hurricane Idalia may be in the rearview mirror, the damage it caused will be felt for months, if not years, in the hardest hit communities. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< The storm has regenerated conversations about the impacts of climate change and how those impacts will affect the property insurance market. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] In response to a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, at least five major insurers indicated climate change is impacting the way they do business. Allstate, American Family, Nationwide, Erie Insurance Group and Berkshire Hathaway reported extreme weather has resulted in the halting of coverage in some regions, increases in deductibles and even led to the exclusion of damage caused by natural disasters from their policies. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement READ: Tropical Depression 13 forms in central Atlantic, will become Lee All insurance companies need to assess their risk appetite to determine what type of risk theyre willing to write and could they charge the appropriate rates for that risk, Mark Friedlander with the Insurance Information Institute said. But as far as Florida is concerned, Friedlander noted of those five companies, only Allstate and Nationwide write policies in the state, and they make up tiny percentages of the states market. Our quick takeaway is this will have no direct impacts on Florida, Friedlander said. Friedlander argued even if Nationwide and Allstate wanted to stop writing hurricane coverage, for example, its unlikely state regulators would allow that to happen. Were not aware that they have asked for any changes of this nature to the polices in Florida, Friedlander said. Florida is no stranger to insurance woes, with the market fumbling after major storms like Matthew, Irma, Michael and Ian. Over the past two years, 15 carriers have stopped writing new policies, seven have gone defunct and three have pulled out of the market. READ: Talking the Tropics With Mike: Tropical depression #13 forms over the E. Atlantic & will become Lee But Friedlander pointed out that with four new insurers being approved to do business in the state this year and recent interest from private insurers looking to absorb policies from Citizens, the state-backed insurer of last resort, there are positive signs in the market. Once these companies start writing business, go to your insurance agent. Ask them to shop these new companies. You might be able to get better coverage for a better price with new companies entering the market. Its very good news for consumers when we have more choices, Friedlander said. And Friedlander cautioned while there have been some signs of improvement, Floridas insurance market is still very volatile. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Idalia was a storm the market was positioned to withstand, but additional storms this season could change the dynamic. 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. This undated photo provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, shows the FRT-15 made by Rare Breed Triggers, an after-market device for AR-15-style rifles that allows them to shoot seemingly as fast as fully automatic weapons. Evidence shows Rare Breed Triggers fraudulently misled consumers that the devices were legal and continued selling them deceptively even after being warned by the government, a federal judge in New York ruled Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives via AP) A company that sold triggers that make semi-automatic, AR-15-style rifles fire like automatic weapons likely misled consumers that the devices were legal, and it continued selling them even after being warned by the U.S. government, a federal judge in New York ruled Tuesday. The judge barred Rare Breed Triggers from selling any more of its forced-reset triggers until further notice a blow to the company's defense against the government's civil fraud lawsuit, which remains pending. The Court concludes that the Government is likely to succeed on the merits of its claims, U.S. District Judge Nina Morrison wrote, adding the company placed tens of thousands of their customers at risk of criminal prosecution and the loss of their right to own firearms. Rare Breed Triggers and its lawyers are disappointed by the ruling and are considering how to respond, said David Warrington, one of the companys lawyers. He also noted the ruling is not a final decision in the lawsuit. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It is just a preliminary ruling made on a partial, truncated record, Warrington said in an email to The Associated Press. This is just the beginning of a long fight and Rare Breed is assessing its next steps. Federal authorities sued the company in January, alleging its FRT-15 triggers qualify as illegal machine guns under federal law and regulations. The government's lawsuit seeks a permanent ban on selling the triggers. Rare Breed argues the triggers are legal. The classification of Rare Breed's FRT-15 triggers as machine guns by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also is being challenged in a lawsuit filed in Texas by the National Association for Gun Rights. Forced-reset triggers are among a number of accessories, including bump stocks and auto sears, that increase the firing speed of semiautomatic firearms and have drawn concern from federal and local law enforcement officials worried about mass shootings and other gun violence. In court filings, the ATF said testing on Rare Breed's FRT-15s showed their rate of fire can meet or exceed that of the militarys M-16 machine gun, which can fire 700 to 970 rounds a minute. The ATF says the triggers are machine guns because they fire more than one round with one pull of the trigger. Rare Breed Triggers, founded in Florida and now based in Fargo, North Dakota, has sold about 100,000 FRT-15s since December 2020, taking in $39 million in revenue, according to court filings. The devices have generally been sold at just under $400 apiece and take only minutes to install. Other representatives of Rare Breed Triggers, including its owner, Kevin Maxwell, and its president, Lawrence DeMonico, did not immediately return messages seeking comment Tuesday. U.S. Attorney Breon Peace's office declined to comment. In court documents, the company argues the ATF's classification of FRT-15s as automatic weapons is wrong. Federal officials say Rare Breed knew a predecessor of the FRT-15 had been classified as a machine gun but went ahead and sold the triggers anyway without asking the ATF to evaluate the devices. The company said it consulted with former ATF officials who said they believed the triggers were legal. The ATF ordered the company to stop selling the triggers shortly after they hit the market. The ATF has been asking FRT-15 owners to voluntarily turn them over to the agency. In the New York lawsuit, the U.S. attorney asked for an order requiring the company to create a refund program for customers to return the triggers for cash, but the judge denied that request. At issue in the case is how to apply the National Firearms Act of 1934, as modified in 1968 and 1986. The law currently bars the public from owning machine guns made in recent decades. It defines machine guns as firearms capable of firing more than one shot with a single function of a trigger. Rare Breed Triggers has argued that because its device forces the trigger to return to the start position after each shot, it satisfies the requirement of one function per round. Flash At the invitation of Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Zhou Qiang, Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy, on Monday attended Mnangagwa's inauguration ceremony in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare. Mnangagwa on Sunday met with Zhou, also vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, at the State House. Zhou conveyed Xi's warm congratulations and good wishes to Mnangagwa. Zhou said China always views and develops relations with Zimbabwe from a strategic and long-term perspective, and is willing to work with Zimbabwe to maintain and develop high-level mutual trust between the two countries. In addition, Zhou said the two countries should continue to firmly support each other on issues involving each other's core interests, and promote the better development of China-Zimbabwe comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Mnangagwa expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Xi for sending a special envoy to attend his inauguration ceremony, and asked Zhou to convey his sincere greetings and best wishes to Xi. Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe attaches great importance to its friendship with China, and is willing to deepen cooperation with China in such key areas as infrastructure, agriculture, mining, and education to push bilateral relations to a higher level. A man who was charged with murdering his pregnant wife and her father five years ago was saved from the possibility of a death sentence by pleading guilty to the crimes Tuesday. On Wednesday afternoon, Cassandritz Blanc will be sentenced to three life sentences: One for each life he took, including the unborn child. Blanc is accused of shooting his wife, Martine Bernard, in the head on the night of June 4, 2018, because she disrespected him, an arrest report says. He kept her body in his apartment for a week, and then tried to dismember the remains to make it easier to dispose, according to the arrest report, but was unable to remove any body parts. Blanc was then spotted laboring to move a Waste Management trash container to the apartment buildings trash bin in an alley. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Cops were keeping an eye on him, having already suspected his involvement in her disappearance. I heard him grunting as he lifted the hand cart and materials into the Dumpster, according to the report. She was six months pregnant with a boy, who was going to be named after Blanc. Days after Martine Bernards death, Blanc shot his father-in-law, dumped the corpse in an empty lot, poured gasoline on Roosevelt Bernards body, and lit a pack of matches on him to set a fire to try to conceal the homicide, police said. Police say he had texted from his wifes cellphone to impersonate her and confess to killing her father. Blanc had shot his father-in-law in the neck, and claimed his father-in-law had left the home with a Latin man who had come by. Related Articles He stated that he shot the victim from behind because he was not able to look into his eyes, according to the arrest report. When police asked Blanc to meet with them at his home, he offered to come to the police station instead, according to the arrest report. He was asked to bring his wife, and while he initially agreed, he arrived alone and told investigators she had refused to come, her phone wasnt working, and she couldnt be reached, according to the report. Thats what caused investigators to worry about her safety, and surveillance began. Blancs taped video confession was obtained by the Law & Order Network, where he claimed his wife had issues with her dad and couldnt take it anymore and had animosity. He said his wife sent a text to him claiming I did it, he told investigators. She was responsible for her dads death. He said his wife received help from a man named Juan, and then she killed him, too. Let it go, the investigator said, urging him to confess without making up more lies. I need to know why. Then Blanc, 22 at the time, tells them his wifes body has been pulled out of the trash bin. The actual confession was not made public. In June 2018, a Broward County grand jury indicted Blanc on charges of premeditated murder in both deaths, as well as two counts of abusing their corpses. The jurors also included a fifth charge against him, for killing the unborn child by injuring his wife. Blancs attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, said Blanc will be formally sentenced Wednesday afternoon after pleading to all five charges. We are extremely grateful to both the prosecutors and the victims family for their compassion by offering a life sentence, he said. Justice was served. Paula McMahon, spokeswoman for the Broward State Attorneys Office, said the life sentence means life and there will be no parole. He has also given up his right to appeal the convictions and sentences, she said. The defendant, through his attorneys, offered to plead guilty to all charges and give up all of his rights to appeal. After extensive discussions with the family of the victims, who stated they wanted this outcome and the finality it provides to them, prosecutors agreed to enter into this plea agreement. Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Twitter @LisaHuriash A 34-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a shooting that left a 13-year-old injured at a Bradenton Funeral home on Saturday. Bradenton Police Detectives said Sean Phillips opened fire on several people who were in the parking lot of the Shannon Funeral Home on 14 St. W. following a service at 9:30 p.m. One person returned fire, hitting Phillips and a 13-year-old girl who lived above the funeral home. Police officials said both the girl and Phillips lived above the funeral home, but they didn't specify their relationship or why the shooting occurred. ICYMI: Florida sees uptick in COVID cases. What's causing the surge? ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Law and order: Man flees into woods after North Port car chase, law enforcement investigate 2 murders Phillips is recovering in the hospital, but once he is released, he will be taken to the Manatee County Jail. The girl who was injured is recovering at home. The man who returned fire will not face any charges in the case, but Phillips faces two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: 13-year-old recovers from Bradenton funeral shooting Pittsburgh police have made an arrest in a non-fatal shooting in August. Police say they arrested Richard Worley early Tuesday morning in New York City with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force. Worley was wanted in connection to the shooting of a woman in the city last month. He is facing several charges, including criminal attempted homicide and aggravated assault. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Chiller Theater returning 60 years after original show aired on Channel 11 Man surrenders after shooting, hostage situation in McKeesport Breeze Airways has biggest sale ever, discounting Pittsburgh International Airport flights by 50% VIDEO: Busy Labor Day weekend breaks travel records DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts A Colorado man visiting a state park died in a rollover OHV crash, Utah state park officials said. Abel Ocampo, 23, of Denver was camping with friends and family in Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Kanab when he rented a side-by-side, according to a Sept. 3 news release on the states parks website. Ocampo, who was not wearing a helmet or seat belt, lost control and got into a rollover crash, the release said. People who saw the crash called for help while others tried to pull him out of the overturned vehicle, officials said. First responders tried to save him, but Ocampo died at the scene, officials said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A passenger in the crash suffered minor injuries, officials said. One of the people who helped lift the OHV suffered leg injuries and was sent to the hospital. Utah parks officials urge those who partake in any outdoor activities to wear helmets and life jackets, let someone know when youre going and when youll be back, and to check weather conditions, the release said. Kanab is about 310 miles south of Salt Lake City. Man riding ATVs with his dad dies in crash on challenging trail, Utah officials say Teen riding minibikes with brother is killed by cable tied across path, Vegas cops say Couple and friends die when ATV rolls and bursts into flames, Washington cops say [Source] A man accused in the murder and robbery of a 75-year-old Asian man in Oakland, California, in 2021 was found guilty last week. Background: Teaunte Bailey, 28, was one of two men arrested and charged in connection with the incident, which took place at the intersection of Jayne Avenue and Perkins Street near Lake Merritt on March 9, 2021. The elderly victim, identified as Pak Ho, was out for his morning walk when Bailey punched him, stole his valuables and fled in a getaway vehicle. Ho fell and struck his head on the concrete after the brutal punch. He suffered a brain injury that took his life two days later. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More from NextShark: Muay Thai or Kun Khmer? Cambodia, Thailand spar over sport's name ahead of 2023 SEA Games The verdict: Bailey was convicted of first and second-degree murder and robbery, the Alameda County District Attorneys Office announced last Thursday. Meanwhile, 59-year-old Demetrius Elbert Britton who is accused of driving the getaway car was acquitted of first and second-degree murder. Whats next: Bailey faces a sentence of 32 years to life in prison. Britton, on the other hand, is expected to receive a verdict for his robbery charge this month. More from NextShark: Anti-Asian hate incidents up by 47% in Canada, report reveals Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! California Woman Goes on a Racist Rant After Asian Kids Draw Chalk Art on the Sidewalk AAPI business owners in Portland call for action from police over string of break-ins and vandalisms A photo shows the tourist, blurred out, in front of the Fountain of Neptune monument. A screenshot of a video shows the tourist scaling the monument. Dario Nardella/X A tourist climbed up the Foutain of Neptune in Florence, Italy, to take a selfie, the mayor said. He caused around $5,375 in damage to the historic monument, according to Deutsche Welle. This summer, tourists have repeatedly defaced historic monuments across Italy. A tourist climbed up the famous Fountain of Neptune in Florence, Italy, this weekend, damaging it by breaking off a piece of marble in the process, the city's mayor said. Dario Nardella, Florence's Mayor, said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday that the tourist was trying to take a selfie on the monument when he caused damage. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Fountain of Neptune, which was completely restored in 2018, was built in the 16th century to commemorate the marriage of a member of the House of Medici to an Archduchess of Austria. Video footage and an image with a blurred-out face, both posted by the mayor on X, appear to show the individual scaling the historic monument in the heart of the Italian city. Nardella said in the X post that the man was identified thanks to surveillance cameras. The City of Florence said he is a 22-year-old German tourist. Nardella said that he would now be made to pay a substantial fine. The exact number was not specified. Florence's governmental office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. A bit of marble broke off when the tourist climbed on the monument's chariot, with the horse's hoof being damaged on his way down, the City of Florence said. Around 5,000 Euros, or $5,375, in damage was caused by the selfie stunt, it added. The monument will be repaired during scheduled maintenance in October. "There is no justification against the vandalism of cultural heritage," Nardella said in the X post. The Fountain of Neptune in Florence, Italy. Mauro Flamini/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Tommaso Muccini, the fine arts architect at the Palazzo Vecchio, which is responsible for the maintenance of the monument, told the Italian newspaper La Nazione that the monument's sensors did not set off an alarm when the tourist entered the fountain. This is likely because he passed in front of the floodlights that light up the fountain, creating interference with the sensors, Muccini said, per La Nazione. The alarm did, however, go off when the tourist was exiting, Muccini added. During the scheduled maintenance in October, the sensors will be updated to ensure that alarms are triggered immediately, hopefully preventing such an incident from reoccurring, Muccini said, per La Nazione. This summer, there have been numerous instances of tourists damaging historic monuments in Italy. A group of German tourists toppled a 150-year-old statue at an Italian villa last month, the manager said. There have also been repeated incidents of people defacing Rome's Colosseum. Also in Rome, a bizarre video showed a tourist climbing into the Trevi fountain to fill her water bottle. These events caused Italy's tourism minister to describe misbehaving tourists as "vandals," who he said had "no respect" for the country's cultural heritage. Insider published a series of photos showing just how wildly out of control tourists are this summer. Read the original article on Insider A Vandalia man pleaded guilty in a U.S. District Court for allegedly possessing a large amount of drugs in an area school zone. Jason Glanton, 34, was found to be in possession of 40 grams or more of fentanyl within 1,000 feet of Helke Elementary School on Randler Avenue in Vandalia, a Department of Justice spokesperson said. In the fall of 2022, the FBI and Dayton Police Department began investigating Glanton and suspected him of selling fentanyl. Law enforcement alleges they saw Glanton sell fentanyl on at least three occasions. >> Ex-Proud Boys leader sentenced today for attack on Capitol After searching his home in February 2023, agents found more than 136 grams of fentanyl, $9,000 in cash, five semiautomatic handguns, and more than 300 rounds of ammunition, according to the media release. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Agents found $10,000 in the trunk of Glantons car and a loaded handgun in a hidden compartment, the spokesperson stated. While being arrested in March, more than $1,700 in cash was found on Glanton and nearly 75 grams of fentanyl were found in his car. He faces a prison sentence of five to 80 years, according to the spokesperson. His sentencing will take place at a later date. We will continue following this story and update as new information is available. A man was killed in a hail of gunfire blocks from the site of the West Indian Day Parade in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, as revelers partied into the night Monday part of a series of violent incidents that marred the celebrations. Earlier in the day, a man was shot and two others were stabbed in a fight along the parade route, with another man shooting himself in the leg during a separate fracas less than two miles away. A 911 call drew police to the sidewalk outside a dimly lit construction site on Sterling Pace near Schenectady Ave. at 8:49 p.m., according to police. Thats where officers found the 51-year-old victims body riddled with bullets, cops said. A witness coming from one of the many impromptu sidewalk parties held along the parade route was passing by the scene when he heard a series of gunshots ring out. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement There were lots of shots, said the man, who would only give his name as Roman. They gave him everything. They made sure he was dead. Lingering near the scene of the shooting, he saw paramedics attempt to revive the victim. Despite their best efforts, they couldnt save the mans life, he said. They were pumping and pumping, but he wasnt moving, said Roman. He was a dead man. There were no immediate arrests in the slaying and the victims identity was withheld as police worked to inform his family. The fatal shooting occurred less than five blocks away from another bout of gun violence on Eastern Parkway near Rochester Ave. where the parade kicked off hours earlier when at 5:21 p.m. a man pulled a gun amid a fight and started blasting, according to cops and witnesses. The shooter struck one unidentified victim in the butt, while another man was stabbed in the leg and a third slashed in the hand, according to police. They said the gunman hightailed it on foot, heading north on Rochester Ave. A witness claimed she saw paramedics loading the shooter into an ambulance, explaining that he tried to play the victim after a group of men beat him following the armed assault. They were beating him up I mean, they were stomping him down, said 35-year-old Monique, who came to the parade draped in a Barbadian flag. He was covered in blood, with a gash on his forehead. People were shouting, Hes the shooter, hes the shooter! Firefighters with Engine 234 were on their way back from a call about a woman passed out on the street when a bullet struck their windshield on the drivers side as they passed by the shooting. We were on our way back and there were shots, said a firefighter who was riding on the damaged truck. It was too much, just too much. The smoke-eaters of Engine 234 were unsure if they should replace the windshield or keep the damaged glass as a trophy. Theyre going to have to change the windshield, but Im thinking we should keep it, said another firefighter. It looks cool like that. The incident took place as the parade was ending but the party was still going strong, with revelers eating, drinking and dancing to music playing on outdoor sound systems. That shooting followed hot on the heels of a fight between two men outside a five-story residential building fronting Eastern Parkway at the corner of Franklin Ave. at 4:20 p.m., cops said. A firearm carried by one of the men discharged, resulting in a self-inflicted leg wound, according to police. Paramedics rushed the shooter to Kings County Hospital, where hes listed in stable condition, authorities said. Cops recovered the firearm, which was in the victims waistband when the shot was fired, according to law enforcement sources. Police are expected to slap the gunman with charges related to illegal possession of a firearm after hes received medical attention, according to an NYPD spokeswoman. The West Indian Day Parade and night of revelry that precede it, known as JOuvert, have historically been plagued by gun violence, though it appeared to subside last year, when there were three shootings across Flatbush and Crown Heights. The Police Department took special precautions this year to prevent shootings along the crowded parade route, including contacting 40 known gang members as part of the NYC Ceasefire Initiative requesting a peaceful holiday. Police have made seven arrests for firearm possession related to this years JOuvert festivities, cops said. Police in Maple Heights have arrested and charged a 29-year-old man accused of shooting and killing his pregnant sister and her husband, news outlets reported. It happened at a park on Labor Day as 30-year-old Mercedes Iverson and her 31-year-old husband Trea Carter attended a party, according to WOIO. Jason Iverson has been arrested and is being held in jail until his arraignment, WOIO reported. He has been charged with murder and attempted murder, according to news reports, citing police. Police say Iverson began arguing with others at the party. When the fight escalated, he pulled out a gun, according to WJW. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Carter and Mercedes Iverson went to the parking lot to leave when Jason Iverson followed them and began shooting, WOIO reported. I just heard the gunshots, and I turned around and everybody was running towards this way, and we tried to get all the kids, Johnnie Coleman, who was there with his church group having a cookout, told WOIO. Mercedes Iverson was hit by gunfire, killing her and her unborn baby. A 13-year-old was also grazed by a bullet, according to WEWS. I wasnt scared, but the kids, I was more concerned about the kids. You know stray bullets they dont got no names on them, Coleman told WOIO. Police say after Mercedes Iverson was shot, Carter ran toward a nearby pavilion to get away, but he was shot and killed in the bathroom, WOIO reported. We have preliminary reports that there was a long-standing feud between the shooter and these two parties that he engaged, Maple Heights Police Chief Todd Hansen told WOIO. Hansen said Jason Iverson targeted the couple. It was not a random event. Unfortunately, it became public today, because he found these people here, Hansen told WJW. Sister and teen brother found shot dead on shoulder of Georgia highway, cops say 7-year-old boy shot and killed at gas station, Georgia cops say. Now dad is charged 12-year-old walking home with friends is shot dead in argument, Texas cops say Flash Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, holds talks with visiting Lao National Assembly President Saysomphone Phomvihane at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 4, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, held talks with visiting Lao National Assembly President Saysomphone Phomvihane in Beijing on Monday. Zhao said China is ready to work closely with the Lao side to translate the consensus reached by top leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the two countries into tangible cooperation outcomes and benefits for the two peoples. Zhao said the two sides should adhere to high-level guidance, deepen practical cooperation, tap the potential of the China-Laos Railway, and build a model of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The two countries should carry forward their traditional friendship, implement cooperation projects on people's livelihood, strengthen exchanges in sub-national cooperation, sister cities' exchanges, and youth contacts, and expand exchanges in culture, education, and media, Zhao said. China firmly supports Laos in assuming the rotating presidency of the ASEAN next year and stands ready to deepen China-ASEAN relations, he added. "The NPC of China is willing to work with the Lao National Assembly to deepen friendly exchanges at all levels, conduct in-depth exchanges on issues such as state governance, development planning, and the rule of law, strengthen exchanges between local legislatures of the two countries, and provide legal guarantees for China-Laos cooperation in various fields," said Zhao. Zhao also expressed hope for closer coordination and cooperation at multilateral parliamentary fora to jointly safeguard the basic norms governing international relations and the common interests of developing countries. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, and visiting Lao National Assembly President Saysomphone Phomvihane sign an agreement on cooperation between the NPC and the Lao National Assembly after their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 4, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] Saysomphone said the traditional friendship between Laos and China is enduring, with deepening political mutual trust and fruitful practical cooperation between the two countries. The Belt and Road Initiative has brought tangible benefits to the Lao people and the Laos-China Railway has played a vital role in promoting the development of the Lao economy, he said. Saysomphone said the Lao National Assembly is willing to strengthen cooperation with the NPC of China and contribute to the construction of the China-Laos community with a shared future. The two legislators signed an agreement on cooperation between the NPC and the Lao National Assembly after the talks. A man who is targeting TJ Maxx stores across the state to commit fraudulent merchandise returns apparently made his first trip to Athens recently to carry out his scheme. The suspect, who is believed to reside somewhere in the metro Atlanta area, made the visit to Athens in mid-August. Athens-Clarke police learned from a private security officer investigating the crimes that losses to the chain of stores is approximately $80,000. Police detectives were made aware of the mans crime only after an organized retail crime investigator with TJX Companies, which owns the stores, reported the theft in Athens on Aug. 21. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Athens police Detective Nathaniel Franco is investigating the case locally. The suspects name is not being used because it is undetermined if TJX has taken out warrants for his arrest. The investigator could not be reached for comment. They know him well. He uses his own ID a lot of times to get returns, Franco said. Theyve built an investigation on him and found out he came to Athens. Besides TJ Maxx, the 43-year-old man also victimizes Marshalls, another store chain owned by TJX, according to Franco. Shooting mystery: Who shot and killed Eugene Scott of Athens remains unknown Why the suspect is hitting these stores is not known, but Franco suspects it is because the stores carry some higher end merchandise than one finds in a Target or Walmart. Or, the detective said, it could be as simple as that those are the stores where hes gotten away with his thefts "so thats the one he chooses. The mans method of operation is often to switch out a price tag on a lower priced item with a higher priced tag then make a return. In the Athens case, the man had gone to a TJ Maxx in Smyrna on Aug. 14 and purchased a rug for $299. On Aug. 19, he went to the store on Alps Road in Athens and attempted to obtain a refund on that rug, but was refused because his ID was flagged in their system for fraudulent refunds. He left, but an hour later the suspect returned with an Athens woman who used her identification to obtain returns for three rugs, including the Smyrna rug, which now had a price tag of $1,999. The suspect was able to get a refund on gift cards for $2,159. Franco said he believes that once the man was personally refused a refund, he went looking for someone on the street to assist him. He found an Athens woman, who is a known drug user, according to Franco. The detective knows the identity of the woman, who has outstanding drug charges, but he hasnt located her to verify his suspicions. Id be willing to bet a weeks pay that he just rode around, found a female on the street and said, Ill give you a $100 to use your ID to make this return, Franco said. Franco said he had no photos of the suspect as he has never been jailed in Athens. This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Police believe notorious TJ Maxx defrauder stole from store in Athens A man was arrested on Monday after he threatened to kill another man during a road rage incident in Simi Valley. Around 6 p.m., Simi Valley police officers responded to reports of a driver following another driver after a hit-and-run incident. Officers located the suspect involved, 77-year-old Joe Fisher of Simi Valley, and they conducted a traffic stop. During the traffic stop, Fisher was detained after he exited his vehicle and began charging the officers. Authorities determined that Fisher and another driver were involved in a road rage incident in the parking lot of Albertsons on Madera Road. Police say Fisher backed his car up into the front of the other drivers car and then drove away. While the victim followed him and contacted authorities, Fisher pulled his car next to the victims and threatened to kill him. Fisher was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, and resisting arrest. He was booked at the Ventura County main jail. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. FRESNO, Calif. (KGPE/KSEE) The Fresno Police Department arrested 101 drivers as they were suspected of driving under the influence over the three-day period for Labor Day weekend. Enforcement efforts were a part of the National Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, where officers were on patrol throughout the country to take suspected impaired drivers off the road. Funding for the program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Among those arrested, 18 drivers were cited for driving under the influence of drugs. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Fresno Police Department held DUI checkpoints on August 26th and September 2nd which led to 11 DUI arrests. First-time charges for a DUI in California are an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties which could also lead to a suspended license. Fresno Police Department reminds the public that driving impaired is not just from alcohol but can be from cannabis products, illicit drugs, and even prescription and over-the-counter medications. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. By Sunil Kataria and Adnan Abidi NEW DELHI (Reuters) - When residents of a slum cluster in New Delhi's Janta Camp area heard that the G20 summit was to be held in the Indian capital, barely 500 metres (yards) from their homes, they expected it would benefit them as well. Instead, they were rendered homeless. Dharmender Kumar, Khushboo Devi, and their three children were among scores of people across Delhi whose homes were demolished over the past few months - action that both residents and activists say is part of beautification work for the summit on Sept. 9 and 10. Some of those living in the slum approached the Delhi High court to stop the evictions but the court ruled the settlements illegal. Then city authorities ordered them to vacate by May 31. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Officials of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, responsible for the demolitions, say the houses were built illegally on government land and their removal was "a continuous activity". Homes in slums like the one in Janta Camp are built over years, like patchwork. Most residents work nearby and have lived for decades within the confines of their small homes. The demolitions started four months ago. Bulldozers rolled in on a hot May morning, with video images of the demolition showing temporary homes made of tin sheet being razed, as former residents stand watching, some of them in tears. The camp near Pragati Maidan, the summits main venue, is emblematic of much of the landscape in Delhi, as many of the city's 20 million people live in largely unplanned districts that have mushroomed over the years. In 2021, housing minister Hardeep Singh Puri , told parliament that 13.5 million people lived in the city's unauthorised colonies. "The government is demolishing houses and removing vulnerable people in the name of beautification without any concern about what will happen to them," said Sunil Kumar Aledia of the New Delhi-based Centre for Holistic Development, which works with the homeless. "If this had to be done, residents should have been warned in time and places found where they could have been rehabilitated." Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that squatters have no right to occupy public land, and can at best, seek time to vacate it and apply for rehabilitation. RECLAMATION, NOT BEAUTIFICATION At least 49 demolition drives in New Delhi between April 1 and July 27 led to nearly 230 acres (93 hectares) of government land being reclaimed, the junior housing minister, Kaushal Kishore, told parliament in July. "No house has been demolished to beautify the city for the G20 summit," he said. The demolition of the Janta Camp shanties was a rude shock for Mohammed Shameem, another resident, who said he thought the "big people" attending the G20 summit would "give something to the poor". He said, "The opposite is happening here. Big people will come, sit on our graves and eat." For Kumar, who works as a clerk in a Pragati Maidan office, the demolition of his home and his family's eviction spells larger implications. "If we relocate from here, my children's education will also suffer," he said. "Here they are able to study because the school is nearby." Two of Kumar's children - five-year-old Srishti and 10-year-old Eshant - go to a government school nearby. His younger daughter, Anokhee, is nine months old. The family, which also includes Khushboo Devi's father, had lived in their shanty for 13 years until being told to vacate as "the area had to be cleaned". "If they have to clean, that does not mean they will remove the poor," Devi told Reuters. "If the poor are looking so bad, they can make something nice, put a curtain or a sheet so that the poor are not visible." As the bulldozers left after reducing their homes to rubble, Kumar and his wife began gathering up belongings strewn by the road. Afterwards, they piled these into a three-wheeler to go to their new accommodation - a single room 10 km (6 miles) away, for which they paid a monthly rent of 2,500 rupees ($30.21). Their daughter carefully lifted a peach-coloured dress that had been thrown to the ground, along with everything else her parents owned, and dusted it off. Two months later, in August, the family returned to a part of the area that had escaped the bulldozers, paying a higher rent of 3,500 rupees for a room. "It was difficult for my children to go to school everyday from the place we were staying in earlier," Kumar said. "I want them to study and do well. We returned for their sake." ($1=82.7483 rupees) (Additional reporting by Sakshi Dayal, Anand Katakam, and Arpan Chaturvedi; Writing by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Clarence Fernandez) Police in Marion, Kansas, did not follow the guidelines set out in the search warrant during a raid at the local newspaper last month, the papers attorney said Tuesday. The search warrant Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody had submitted said officers were looking for evidence that a reporter had unlawfully accessed the driving history of local restaurant owner Kari Newell. Bernie Rhodes, the attorney representing the paper, said officers acted outside of the warrant by not conducting adequate preliminary searches on devices before confiscating them, which the warrant application required, and using broad search terms on one computer to justify its confiscation. The search warrant application for the Marion County Record said police were to conduct a preview search of all located digital communications devices and digital storage media to exclude from seizure items which have not been involved in the identity theft. That means the warrant required officers to first do a simple search on each device before confiscating it to see if it could contain information about the restaurant owner. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement During the Aug. 11 raid, police conducted a preliminary search on only one computer, which took one hour and 20 minutes. According to Rhodes, police searched for passwords as well as terms including vehicle and Kansas, which returned the largest number of hits. They also searched Kari but not Newell, Rhodes said. In addition to that computer, law enforcement also seized multiple phones, computer towers and an external drive from the paper. Rhodes said police took several devices without performing a preview search on them. This by definition is unreasonable, said Rhodes, who has also represented The Star. He went on to say that the sham nature of the search was a pretense designed to intimidate the local newspaper. Cody did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Five days after the raid, Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey withdrew the search warrant because insufficient evidence existed to establish a legally sufficient nexus between this alleged crime and the places searched and the items seized. Officials released the seized items to a forensic examiner to review. The reporter who searched for Newells drivers license information accessed data that the Kansas Department of Revenue says is open to the public. Law enforcement had saved the data from the preview search on the one confiscated computer onto an external hard drive. The 8th Judicial District released an inventory list that included the drive, but it was not on the list of items returned to the paper. Rhodes raised questions about the discrepancy and was present when authorities destroyed the drive with a hammer last Wednesday. Last week, a reporter filed a federal lawsuit alleging Cody violated her First and Fourth amendment rights when officers seized items from her. Rhodes has said the newspaper is exploring all options in filing a lawsuit, which could include a wrongful death claim. A day after the raid, the Records co-owner Joan Meyer died from sudden cardiac arrest. For days, heavy rains have mired the annual Burning Man festival in thick mud in the remote desert of Black Rock City, Nevada, stranding tens of thousands of attendees who nonetheless struggled to keep the party going. At least one person has died, and organizers announced yesterday that the traditional closing ceremony in which the titular effigy is set ablaze would be postponed from Sunday to Monday. But as burners conserved food and water, preparing to begin an exodus as conditions allowed, two Republicans in congress said their misery was a message from a vengeful deity. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, never one to pass up a chance to talk conspiracy theories, appeared on Alex Jones InfoWars show Sunday night and said at one point, I want to talk about Burning Man for a minute. Jones interrupted to allege that festival-goers had staged a mock sacrifice before the weather turned dangerous. Greene replied, God has a way of making sure everyone knows who God is. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Despite chalking the disaster up to divine fury, however, Greene then proceeded with another angle, positing that burners were probably being brainwashed that climate change is the cause of all of it, its the root of all evil, and its going to destroy the Earth. And theyre feeling the panic. She further speculated that Burning Man attendees would now go home to evangelize on the importance of fighting the human-made climate crisis. I believe this is the lefts new lie that theyre going to put on the American people, she said. This is what theyre brainwashing people to believe. Greene did not explain how the political left might have colluded with God in order to produce unexpected rainfall that benefited their agenda. Also on Sunday night, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah took to his account on X (formerly known as Twitter), which he has previously used to threaten the nation of Japan, to imply that the floods were nothing less than Gods judgment. The post linked to a tabloid article describing some of the more offbeat activities at Burning Man, including group orgasm sessions, daily whippings and naked oil wrestling. Of such pursuits, the senator grumbled, This isnt healthy. Shortly before that, Lee had quote-tweeted far-right Daily Wire host Michael Knowles comment that one should endeavor to avoid traveling to the desert for week-long bacchanalian orgies that culminate in the worship of giant burning idols. Lee wondered how many may have had a road to Damascus moment at this years Burning Man, making a biblical reference to the conversion of Paul the Apostle to Christianity. This isnt healthy. Gods judgment is real.https://t.co/BFbnsVaEld Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) September 4, 2023 I wonder how many people have had a road to Damascus moment at the conclusion of Burning Man. https://t.co/j3Pm593f8i Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) September 4, 2023 On Saturday, Andrew Torba, founder of the far-right social platform Gab, took a break from pressuring X owner Elon Musk to develop more antisemitic policies and fell for a podcasters hoax about a virus outbreak at Burning Man. He took it as further evidence that the festival was being punished for devil worship. Wow God unleashed a plague and a flood of rain over the satanic ritual burning man in the desert that all of the elites attend? he tweeted. You dont say. No such plague has circulated among attendees. Wow God unleashed a plague and a flood of rain over the satanic ritual burning man in the desert that all of the elites attend? You dont say. https://t.co/OMxLXNVK9e Andrew Torba (@BasedTorba) September 3, 2023 Last but not least, Jeff Clark, a former assistant attorney general indicted in Georgia last month along with 18 others, including Donald Trump, for an alleged conspiracy to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election, weighed in with his own moralizing take. Commenting Sunday on a post from former solicitor general Neal Katyal, who had hiked out through the mud to escape Burning Man, Clark called the festival a neopagan ritual. Pray that these folks come to the light & realize that the only path is through and to our Lord, Clark wrote. We are all fallen and need God, and to repent as a Nation. Why am I not surprised that Neal Katyal made it a priority to get to a neopagan ritual? See picture below in lower right. Pray that these folks come to the light & realize that the only path is through and to our Lord. We are all fallen and need God, and to repent as a Nation. https://t.co/6m9Dk1Ddcj Jeff Clark (@JeffClarkUS) September 3, 2023 Of course, when it comes to repenting himself, Clark is less enthusiastic, having pleaded not guilty to his criminal charges in Georgia as he seeks to have the trial delayed. Well have to wait and see whether that court of law is any more merciful than the Almighty. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kari Lake view each other with intense distrust, according to a new report. Greene has reportedly called Lake a "grifter" in private, accusing her of not being conservative. Both are prominent supporters of former President Trump and said to be potential VP picks. There's no love lost between Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and failed 2022 gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, according to a new report. The Georgia Republican has told people in private that Lake is a "grifter," according to Rolling Stone, which cited several sources who have spoken with the congresswoman. Both women are die-hard supporters of former President Donald Trump, have made false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, and are seen by some as potential picks to be his vice president. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "MTG thinks she's a scammer and not even a conservative," one source told Rolling Stone, adding that Greene has said that "Lake is a grifter and [is] trying to keep riding Trump's coattails because she lost [in Arizona], so she's cozying up on the election-integrity messaging." "Kari did come up, and the term 'grifter' was used to describe her more than just once," another source who spoke with Greene told Rolling Stone, adding that Greene "thinks it's complete nonsense that anyone would think it's a good idea for Donald Trump to consider [Kari] for VP." Lake, according to the outlet, has also suspected Greene of leaking negative stories about her in the media. Spokespeople for Greene and Lake did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Greene told the New York Times last year that she has discussed the possibility of being vice president with Trump, but that she thinks "the last person that the [Republican National Committee] or the national party wants is me as his running mate." Axios reported in March that Lake was among four women that Trump was considering to be his vice president. It wouldn't be the first time that Greene shown animosity towards another women popular on the right or accused her of inauthenticity. Earlier this summer, Greene called Rep. Lauren Boebert a "little bitch" on the House floor after the Colorado congresswoman introduced articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden that Greene believed had been mere copies of her own impeachment efforts and an effort to boost Boebert's fundraising efforts. Read the original article on Business Insider Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in Georgia connected to a sprawling case surrounding Donald Trumps attempts to subvert the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. John Eastman, a Trump-linked attorney and chief architect of a plot to unlawfully swap presidential electors for Joe Biden with Trump loyalists, and former assistant US Attorney General Jeffrey Clark have also pleaded not guilty and waived their Fulton County court appearance that was scheduled for 6 September. They join 16 other defendants in the case, including the former president, who have pleaded not guilty to the mountain of charges against them, including an alleged racketeering scheme prosecuted under the states RICO statute. Misty Hampton, the former elections director in Georgias Coffee County, was the final defendant in the case to enter a plea, one day before scheduled arraignments. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Former Coffee County Republican Party chair Cathy Latham, former Georgia Republican Party chair David Shafer, and current state Senator Shawn Still all of whom were among the 16 fake electors also entered not guilty pleas on 5 September and waived their appearances. The former president and his 18 co-defendants were formally booked earlier this month on a range of charges connected to an alleged criminal enterprise orchestrated by then-President Trump and his allies to overturn election results, one of the largest criminal cases yet against the former president to date for crimes allegedly committed while he was in office. Last week, Mr Meadows testified in US District Court in Atlanta as part of his effort to move the state case out of Fulton County and into federal court, marking one of the first courtroom battles between the 19 defendants and prosecutors under Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. It also marked some of his first public statements in months, and his first as a criminal defendant. His surprise testimony in federal court on 28 August comes two weeks after a grand jury indictment presented the largest and most significant case yet facing Mr Trump and others who allegedly knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election to ensure he remained in power. Mr Meadows faces two counts in the sprawling 41-count indictment outlining dozens of acts that encompass the conspiracy: one count of violating Georgias RICO statute, and one count of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer. Attorneys for Mr Meadows have asked for the prompt removal of the case from Fulton County, citing federal law that allows US officials to remove civil or criminal trials from state court over alleged actions performed under color of their offices, with Mr Meadows performing such acts during his tenure as White House chief of staff, they wrote in court filings. The Georgia case is separate from the US Department of Justice investigation and federal charges against Mr Trump for his efforts to subvert the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington DC set a tentative trial date in that case for 4 March, 2024 one day before Super Tuesday primary election contests. ATLANTA Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows , former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and Trump attorney John Eastman have all pleaded not guilty to racketeering charges in the Georgia election interference case, court filings show. Meadows and Eastman filed their not guilty pleas Tuesday, while Clark's plea was entered late Friday, the filings show. The three also waived their arraignments, which had been scheduled for Wednesday. Three more of the 19 defendants in the sprawling case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis have also pleaded not guilty former Coffee County GOP chair Cathy Latham on Tuesday and alleged fake electors Shawn Still and David Shafer on Monday. Willis has accused all 19 of racketeering, alleging they took part in schemes designed to overturn Joe Biden's 2020 election win in Georgia and name Donald Trump the victor. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The new filings mean all the defendants have now pleaded not guilty and waived their arraignments a group that includes the former president and his former lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell . The large number of defendants has already led to scheduling issues. Meadows and Clark are among the defendants trying to get their cases moved to federal court. Eastman filed a separate motion in Fulton County Superior Court seeking to sever his case from those seeking a speedy trial, saying he needs more time to prepare his case. Trump filed a similar motion last week. The state judge hearing the case, Scott McAfee, said in a ruling last week that he will sort out trial dates after the arraignment process is completed. Later Tuesday, McAfee scheduled a hearing for Wednesday about filings from Powell and another attorney charged in the case, Kenneth Chesebro, on their motions to sever. He said he plans to ask prosecutors at the hearing for a "good-faith estimate of the time reasonably anticipated to present the States case during a joint trial of all 19 co-defendants, and alternatively any divisions thereof, including the number of witnesses likely to be called and the number and size of exhibits likely to be introduced." Charlie Gile reported from Atlanta and Dareh Gregorian from New York. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory letter to the 10th Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Ministers of Justice, which opened Tuesday in Shanghai. Xi noted in the letter that, since the mechanism of the Meeting of SCO Ministers of Justice was launched in 2013, SCO member states have advanced the rule of law with unceasing efforts, enhanced exchanges and mutual learning between governments in the field of justice, and constantly engaged themselves in practical cooperation in the legal services sector. They have also played important roles in upholding the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order underpinned by international law, Xi added. China attaches great importance to the role of the rule of law in consolidating foundations, ensuring stable expectations and delivering long-term benefits, Xi said. He said China stands ready to collaborate with other SCO member states in enhancing exchanges and cooperation in law and judicial administration. China is also willing to work with other SCO member states to promote high-quality economic development through the rule of law, uphold regional peace and stability, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi added. The meeting was hosted by China's Ministry of Justice. Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from a sweeping election interference case in Georgia involving former President Trump. Meadows also waived his arraignment scheduled for Wednesday, when he was set to hear the charges against him and enter a plea before a judge. I fully understand the nature of the offenses charged and my right to appear at arraignment, Meadows wrote in the court filing. Understanding my rights, I do hereby freely and voluntarily waive my right to be present at my arraignment on the Indictment and my right to have it read to me in open court. Trumps former chief of staff faces two charges in Georgia, where he and 18 co-defendants are accused of entering a criminal conspiracy to keep Trump in the White House after he lost the 2020 presidential election. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The defendants face a combined 41 charges, including under the state Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which is designed to combat organized crime. Just one of the 19 defendants, then-Coffee County, Ga., election supervisor Misty Hampton, has not entered a plea in the case. Hamptons charges stem from an election equipment breach in Coffee County. Her arraignment is set for 3 p.m. EDT. Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the case, previously said the defendants could formally waive their arraignment within 48 hours of Wednesdays court date. Meadowss waiver, which was filed Tuesday morning, falls after that deadline. Because of that, its unclear whether McAfee will accept the waiver, forcing Meadows to appear for his arraignment regardless. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. STAUNTON When Suzanna Fields arrived at Mary Baldwin University (then Mary Baldwin College) from Abingdon in the mid 1990s, she was considering a career in journalism. In her sophomore year at Mary Baldwin, however, Fields took an art history class as an elective with Marlena Hobson. "I was totally enamored with it," Fields said. "(Hobson) really quite literally changed my life. I found her to be a compelling teacher." A summer spent in Oxford before her junior year helped fuel that love of art and when she returned to Staunton she took a studio art class with Paul Ryan, another class that made a huge impact on her. She had been a lover of books growing up, not an artist like her sister, but that was slowly changing. The first day in Ryan's class, students did gesture drawings. Suzanna Fields, a Richmond-based artist, is a graduate of Mary Baldwin University. Her ink and acrylic on synthetic paper work Tainted Oasis 5 will be part of the We Are Here! exhibit at Mary Baldwin University through September. "It was a transformative moment," Fields said. "I was like, 'I drew my hand. Oh my god.' I ran back to my dorm and just couldn't believe it." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Already studying English, Fields decided she wanted to do a double major, adding studio art. She managed to squeeze the classes she needed into the next two years, graduating in 1997 with that double major plus a minor in both art history and history. She continued her fine arts studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. Now Fields is an accomplished artist in Richmond, having displayed exhibits in museums and galleries throughout the Mid-Atlantic and South. She is the recipient of multiple awards and has been selected for residencies at various studios. "When I went to Mary Baldwin, I had no idea I could draw," Fields said. "To me, that's the real value of a liberal arts education, that you get to explore. There's a lot of pressure on kids today to be very pragmatic, but that was a very fulfilling experience for me." Fields' work will be among the exhibits on display through Sept. 29 at the "We Are Here! Collective Histories: Faculty and Alumni Exhibition." Curated by Hobson and Drea Howenstein, the work will be on display at Mary Baldwin's Hunt Gallery, open Mondays through Fridays 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The opening reception is set for Wednesday, Sept. 6, 4:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. with a curator and artist talk scheduled for 5:15 p.m. Hobson taught art history from 1987 until 2016 at Mary Baldwin. About the time she began teaching, Ralph Cohen formed the Shenandoah Shakespeare Express at James Madison University and the touring troupe performed several times a year at Mary Baldwin. Hobson remembers how much the students loved it. That eventually led to the creation of what would become the American Shakespeare Center, a cornerstone of tourism in Staunton. "The arts save towns," Hobson said. For academic institutions, both large and small, it's a defining moment throughout the United States, said Hobson. She said the economic value of a degree in the visual arts has been debated for decades. Those who downplay the value say there's a scarcity of lucrative positions in the arts and a financial risk of entering the art market after graduation. "What is missing in this discussion are the valuable and practical skills a student, an artist acquires through the rigor of pursuing a degree in studio art," Hobson said. "Graduates enter the working world not only with the ability to imagine, design, and generate work but also to research and defend their Ideas." Suzanna Fields with attendees at an opening at Richmond's Quirk Gallery. Fields can't imagine what it must be like for students these days having to decide their trajectory in life when they're not even 20 years old. The cost of college has skyrocketed even since Fields was a student, and she knows that's a factor. "But I think our modern world wants a quick, pragmatic answer to everything," Fields said. "Part of art and creative endeavors, all the arts, it's about the unknown and discovering and examining questions about the uncertainty in the world. That's a hard thing to kind of put in a neat package." "We Are Here!" is a celebration of some of the many Mary Baldwin Art Studio alumnae, like Fields, and their teachers who used their academic experience and talent to craft a rewarding life. The exhibition includes 50 artists, designers, filmmakers, scholars, and cultural workers who are doing many kinds of important work in the world. "The binding element these artists have in common is being creative members of Mary Baldwins past, present and future studio art community," Howenstein said. "This exhibition represents a glimpse into their individual and collective ways of working, often with people, across disciplines, combining and discovering new knowledge and actively imagining the many ways that art is a catalyst for new cultural futures." More: Arcadia Project and Visulite Cinema present Music at the Movies More: Staunton area gripped by high temps; August rainfall was just .39 inches Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com. This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: We Are Here!: Mary Baldwin exhibit shows value of a visual arts degree Hulking storage tanks, sprawling refinery structures, and towering flare stacks that shoot flames into the skies now punctuate the swamps, marshlands, and coastal plains across the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and down to the southern tip of Texas. The reason? An astonishingly fast expansion of liquified natural gas processing and exporting in the region. The news platform Grist, alongside Gulf Coast outlet The Lens, documented these developments in a detailed article. Whats happening? Recently, the United States became the worlds largest exporter of LNG, despite not even exporting this fuel 10 years ago, Grist reported. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement LNG is a form of natural gas a petroleum product rich in methane that can be cooled into liquid for transport and storage. U.S. growth in this market is, in part, an economic success story but also a cause for deep environmental and social concerns. Gulf Coast business is booming for LNG companies. Delivery of this gas for export set a record in the first half of this year. Meanwhile, LNG companies have promised hundreds of jobs to coastal communities in need. However, as Grist reported, these companies are also carving up thousands of acres of vulnerable shoreline to clear the way for massive plants. Seven Gulf Coast plants have opened in seven years, and two dozen more are in the works. Its not just that each of these facilities is like a giant death star on sinking land; its that theres so many of them, Elizabeth Calderon, an Earthjustice lawyer, told Grist. Why is the expansion of LNG plants concerning? The flaring of gas at plants releases pollutants, including carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds linked to cancer. Supercooling the gas into liquid also takes immense energy and releases carcinogens, Grist reported. The expansion of LNG has disproportionately affected lower-income communities and those with predominantly Black residents as well. Both the production and the product of LNG plants release gases that warm the planet. Grist noted: Though natural gas is a less carbon-intensive fuel than oil, burning it for electricity still releases carbon dioxide, and drilling for it can also cause significant leaks of methane. Ironically, some effects of planet-warming such as hurricanes and flooding can hit the Gulf hard and put coastal LNG plants at risk. Whats being done about the hazards of LNG plants? Grist reported that environmental organizations petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency in May to claim that Louisiana and Texas regulators illegally issued permits to LNG operators. Separately, the organizations sent a civil rights complaint to the EPA in June. That aside, experts say investments in renewable energy, rather than finite gas resources, will provide greater benefits in reducing Earths warming, extreme weather, and health hazards. Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Father-daughter duo Maya and Ethan Hawke have insisted that there was no awkwardness while filming intimate scenes on the set of their latest indie movie, Wildcat. Directed by Ethan, 52, the biopic stars Maya, 25, as the late American novelist Flannery OConnor as she struggles to get her first novel published. The Stranger Things actor also plays six other characters from the authors short stories. OConnor died aged 39 in 1964 of lupus a disease that occurs when your bodys immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. She does not have a love interest in the film; however, a few of the characters from her short stories portrayed by Maya do engage in sex scenes. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We were so comfortable with it. I couldnt care less, Ethan said about overseeing Mayas intimate scenes with her co-stars Rafael Casal and Licorice Pizza breakout Cooper Hoffman. We needed to take care of Rafael and Cooper, Ethan told Variety, laughing. I think it was weird for them. In one scene from OConnors short story Good Country People, Hawke plays a young woman with a wooden leg who has sex on the floor of a hayloft with a Bible salesman (Hoffman). Maya and Ethan Hawke (Getty Images) Another shows Hawke as a woman from the authors short story Parkers Back who is felt up by a good-for-nothing man (Casal) in the bed of his pickup truck. We made sure to have an intimacy coordinator on set for them. So that they felt safe and comfortable and not like they were being spied on... Maya joked, with Ethan finishing her sentence: ... by some creepy dad. Elsewhere in the interview, conducted amid the ongoing actors and writers strike, the two addressed the infamous nepo baby discourse a viral internet debate about the privileges of celebrity children. I had moments of insecurity about it while we were shooting the movie, Maya, who is also one of the films producers, admitted. But the internet doesnt have a lot of nuances. My dad has been a massive teacher for me, and we want to work together. We like being with each other. If someone wants to criticise us for working together, thats totally fair, Ethan said. You have to let people have their opinion. You just have to try to do a good job when youre onstage. Wildcat, which made its world premiere on 1 September at this years Telluride Film Festival, is among a number of truly independent projects that have been granted interim agreements by the Screen Actors Guild American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Several area communities still need someone to run for mayor or council seats, as candidates filing window closes. Seven of nine York County municipalities will elect a new mayor this fall. All nine will pick new city or town council members. Neighboring areas in Lancaster and Chester counties have similar decisions. As the filing period nears an end for many of those areas, there are few contested races and several contests where no one is on the ballot. Heres a look at what offices come due this fall, in which communities, and the candidates running for them as of Monday morning. Voting in Rock Hill comes Oct. 17. Everywhere else, it comes with the general election Nov. 7. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Information will be updated with new filings. Want to lead Rock Hill, Fort Mill or another area city or town? Its filing season Rock Hill Filing ended in Rock Hill with one contested city council race, among three spots up for election. Brent Faulkenberry and Hope Matthews both filed for the Ward 2 seat, held now by nearly two-decade council member Kathy Pender who opted not to seek reelection. Two more seats up for vote this fall will go to incumbents. Derrick Lindsay in Ward 1 and Kevin Sutton in Ward 3 are the only candidates for their respective seats. Fort Mill Mayor and three council seats are up for election in Fort Mill. Incumbents Guynn Savage for mayor and council members Lisa Cook, Ronnie Helms and Chris Moody are the only candidates. York York has its mayor and three council seats on the ballot. Mike Fuesser for mayor and Stephanie Jarrett for council are the only listed candidates. Clover Clover will elect a mayor and three council seats this fall. Bo Legg is the only candidate so far to file for mayor. There are two council candidates filed, in Mike Easler and Jason Manos. Tega Cay Tega Cay has two council seats. Five candidates have their names in the hat. Brian Carter, Adam Grabiec, Ron Kirby, Carmen Miller and and Daniel Robert are on the list. Hickory Grove Mayor and four council seats are on the ballot this fall in Hickory Grove. Only two council filings are listed so far. Those candidates are Ollie Bankhead and Kyle Wyatt. McConnells McConnells has a mayor and four council seats up for election. Only Bill Nance filed so far, for mayor. Smyrna Smyrna also has a mayor and four council seats on the ballot. There are no listed candidates in Smyrna. Sharon Sharon voters will pick a mayor and four council seats. Three candidates have filed for council seats. They are Herschel Brown, Jr., Ashley Glenn and Margarette Parrish. Lancaster County Filing is complete for three Lancaster County municipalities that hold elections in November. Heath Springs and Van Wyck each will select two council members from three candidates. Those candidates in Heath Springs are Iva Drakeford, Howard Mickle and Vincent Webb. The three Van Wyck candidates are Loyd Fox, Kristen Setzer and Kyle Starnes. Kershaw has its mayor and three council seats up for vote, but none of those races are contested. Mike Dorman filed for mayor, while Bobbie Faulkenberry, Michael Cook and Randy Seegars filed for council seats. Chester County In Chester County, three municipalities hold elections this fall. Lowrys, Fort Lawn and Richburg will hold contests but candidate filing hasnt opened for any of them. Filing runs Sept. 8-18. Mayor Carlos Williams and city council members David Claytor, Ursula Crosby and Wade Young were elected in Chester, in May. Great Falls elected Keevi Worthy to fill an unexpired town council term in March. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is tiptoeing through a political minefield as he weighs whether to open an official impeachment inquiry into President Biden. Former President Trump, with whom McCarthy has kept a good relationship, is exerting public pressure to pursue impeachment without a long inquiry. So are voters in the GOP base, Republicans say. But moderate members of his conference question whether there is enough evidence to launch an inquiry, and there is the chance that any impeachment effort could backfire politically. The political situation is extremely fraught for McCarthy, said Matthew Green, a politics professor at the Catholic University of America. The way I see impeachment is that it is a way for McCarthy to kind of throw some red meat to his right wing and to members of the Freedom Caucus in particular, to keep them happy and to try to keep his difficult party coalition together, Green said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement McCarthy has repeatedly said that he will not pursue impeachment for political purposes, instead arguing that it is a natural step forward following a stream of information released by House GOP investigators over the summer about the Biden familys foreign business dealings. Still, hes at the center of plenty of political pressure. Trump pressure vs. moderate resistance McCarthy argues that an inquiry would give the House more legal standing to expeditiously seek information from the Biden administration, insisting that opening one is not the same as impeaching Biden. But Trump who supported McCarthy through his 15-ballot Speakership election is putting public pressure on McCarthy to move faster and help him punch back on his four indictments. Trump said on his Truth Social website last week that Republicans dont need a long INQUIRY to have enough information to impeach Biden. These lowlifes Impeached me TWICE (I WON!), and Indicted me FOUR TIMES For NOTHING! Either IMPEACH the BUM, or fade into OBLIVION. THEY DID IT TO US! Trump said. Former President Donald Trump Some GOP members, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Ralph Norman (S.C.), have also pushed to quickly open an impeachment inquiry. Republicans have told The Hill that they are getting many phone calls and town hall questions asking when they will take the step toward impeachment. But McCarthy does not have the full support from his conference yet, with more moderate members such as Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) thinking that there is not enough concrete evidence to open an inquiry. Republicans point to what they see as plenty of smoke such as former Hunter Biden business associate Devon Archer saying that President Biden sometimes spoke to his sons business associates despite previous denials (Archer said conversations he witnessed were limited to pleasantries), and allegations by IRS whistleblowers that prosecutors improperly slow-walked the tax crimes investigation into Hunter Biden (which Attorney General Merrick Garland and now-Special Counsel David Weiss have pushed back on). But they have not shown that President Biden directly financially benefited from his sons business dealings, and the White House has repeatedly denied any involvement by the president. Youre going to put some members in swing districts in a difficult position if youre going to make them vote to impeach a president when their constituents dont want them to, said Green, the politics professor. On a GOP Conference phone call last week, McCarthy told members that he wants to have a family discussion on impeachment when the House returns, according to a source familiar with the conversation. Some think that McCarthy can pull his conference together, as he has for numerous other votes that stood on shaky ground earlier this year. At the end of the day, they all get in line, one GOP strategist said of moderate Republican skeptics of impeachment. Risk of political backlash Some conservative operatives outside of Congress tell The Hill that while they see plenty of smoke surrounding the Bidens, they worry about an inquiry backfiring on Republicans recalling the 1998 impeachment of then-President Clinton ahead of midterm election losses. Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), who led the House when it impeached Clinton, said Republicans can learn from the 1998 impeachment. I think that thats why I would urge him to go slower, Gingrich told The Hill, arguing that a lot of the evidence in 1998 was not laid out publicly, and that Republicans could have developed the case more openly. An inquiry now would also be far removed from the next general election. The House voted to start an impeachment inquiry in October 1998 following release of independent counsel Ken Starrs report on Clinton the month before just weeks before the midterm elections. It voted to impeach Clinton two months later, in December. Go slow. Get it all out in the open. Make sure the American people are with you, said Gingrich, who frequently speaks with McCarthy. Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) While McCarthy argues that taking a step to open an inquiry is distinct from the House actually impeaching Biden, it would be politically unthinkable to not follow through on an inquiry with a vote on impeachment articles. If we go with an impeachment inquiry, we have no other choice but to impeach Joe Biden, one GOP strategist told The Hill, warning that headlines would say that Republicans cleared Biden of wrongdoing. How can we keep investigating Hunter Biden and Joe Biden on foreign business dealings if weve done inquiry at the apex of our powers and didnt find enough to impeach him? The White House also warned there would be a backlash. This baseless impeachment exercise would be a disaster for congressional Republicans, White House spokesperson Ian Sams said in a statement, pointing to Republican warnings that impeachment could backfire. Instead of continuing their extreme, far-right political warfare to lie and try to politically damage the President, House Republicans should work with him on the issues that really matter to the American people, like lowering costs and creating jobs, or strengthening health care and education. Government funding complications As talk of impeachment ramps up, McCarthy is separately wrangling conservatives in his conference demanding further spending cuts to support a stopgap funding bill ahead of a Sept. 30 shutdown deadline. McCarthy argued last month on Foxs Sunday Morning Futures that avoiding a government shutdown is critical to ensuring GOP investigations of Biden move forward. If we shut down, all the government shuts it down, investigation and everything else, McCarthy said. But if McCarthy hopes to win over the GOP members giving him grief about spending by pushing an impeachment inquiry, he could have his work cut out for him. Conservatives welcome the impeachment proceedings to uncover Biden family corruption, but it cant be used as a distraction to give the Biden administration a blank check, said Robert Donachie, a former senior conservative Capitol Hill aide and vice president at Athos PR. He cant posture on impeaching Biden to fund a weaponized federal government that will continue a two-tiered system of justice, an open border, and fix nothing that Americans truly want to see accomplished. Outside observers dont see how his Speakership survives if he fails to actually have a fight. Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.), a member of the House Freedom Caucus, said on Fox Business that conservatives pushing spending cuts will not be distracted by a shiny object of impeachment. On the other end of the spectrum, Greene is making opening an impeachment inquiry a condition of her vote in favor of a continuing resolution. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday used his first speech on the Senate floor since his second freeze-up in as many months to acknowledge the incident but tout his busy month over the August recess. McConnell made headlines last week when he froze for about 30 seconds while speaking to reporters in his home state, leading to more questions about his health following a similar incident at the Capitol in late July. One particular moment of my time back home has received its fair share of attention in the press over the past week, McConnell said as the Senate reconvened. But I assure you August was a busy month for me and my staff back in [Kentucky.] The leader went on to discuss meetings he held in western Kentucky and Louisville related to economic issues, the opioid crisis and agriculture, among other topics. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement McConnells office earlier Tuesday released a letter Brian Monahan, the Capitol attending physician, sent to McConnell after examining him days after the incident back home. Monahan said in the letter that the Kentucky Republican does not have a seizure disorder, did not suffer a stroke and does not have Parkinsons disease. My examination of you following your August 30, 2023 brief episode included several medical evaluations: brain MRI imaging, EEG study and consultations with several neurologists for a comprehensive neurology assessment, Monahan wrote. There is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinsons disease. There are no changes recommended in treatment protocols as you continue recovery from your March 2023 fall, Monahan added. McConnell has received vocal support from a number of top Senate Republicans in the days since his freeze. The first incident took place July 26, shortly before lawmakers broke for the August recess. McConnell was hospitalized in March after he fell during a dinner in Washington and suffered a concussion and a fractured rib. He made his return to the Capitol more than a month later. Outlets have also reported other medical incidents that have taken place this year, including one in July when he fell while deplaning at Reagan National Airport. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. McConnell does not have seizure disorder, did not suffer stroke, says Capitol physician Brian Monahan, the Capitols attending physician, said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) does not have a seizure disorder and did not suffer a stroke after a medical episode last week. McConnells office released a letter Tuesday from Monahan to the GOP leader outlining the results of an exam. McConnell froze for the second time in recent months last week when a reporter in Covington, Ky., asked him about his political plans when his term is up in 2026, leading to concern about this health. A spokesperson for the GOP leader said that the 30-second freeze came after he became lightheaded. My examination of you following your August 30, 2023 brief episode included several medical evaluations: brain MRI imaging, EEG study and consultations with several neurologists for a comprehensive neurology assessment, Monahan said. There is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinsons disease. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement There are no changes recommended in treatment protocols as you continue recovery from your March 2023 fall, Monahan added. A number of top Senate Republicans spoke with McConnell following the incident, with many in recent days continuing to signal strong support for the longest serving leader in the history of the upper chamber. He was in good shape. He was direct. He said, you know, I had that concussion and he said, they warned me that I would be lightheaded in the future and that Ive got to be aware of it. He said, it happened twice, he said, it just so happens Im doing it in front of reporters. But he felt good yesterday, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said during a Sunday show appearance. Dr. Monahan who is also my physician there at the Senate hes sharp. He says it exactly the way that it is. And if he says, you know, Mitch is ready to go, then Mitch is ready to go, Rounds continued. But Mitch will come back in front of us, and hell discuss it with the entire team. Hes been busy. Hes been working around his own state, but hes also been doing the fundraising that is required of a leader, and I think thats been a big job for him as well during this break. The first incident took place July 26, shortly before lawmakers broke for the August recess. McConnell was hospitalized in March after he fell during a dinner and suffered a concussion and a fractured rib. He returned to the Capitol more than a month later. NBC News also reported that the Kentucky Republican fell in July while deplaning at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va. McConnell and the rest of the Senate returns to Washington for work this afternoon. Updated at 11:49 a.m. ET For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell shows no evidence of a seizure disorder or a stroke, a congressional physician said Tuesday amid growing concerns about the 81-year-old lawmakers health and capacity to lead the chambers Republicans before the 2024 elections. Most Read from Bloomberg Some Republican senators, however, questioned whether he can do his job as they returned to Washington from a long summer break. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, who didnt back McConnell for leader in the current Congress, said Tuesday that he was concerned but stopped short of calling for his ouster ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Brian Monahan, the Capitols attending physician, said he had examined McConnell since the senator froze last week for more than 30 seconds during a public appearance. The examination included a brain MRI and EEG, Monahan said in a letter released by McConnells office. There is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinsons disease, Monahan said in the letter, which didnt offer a medical opinion on the cause of the episode. McConnell returned to the Capitol following the letters release as the Senate resumed work after a month, smiling and ignoring reporters questions on his health as he walked in and out of the Senate chamber. He delivered an eight-minute speech on the Senate floor, briefly alluding to a particular moment during the August break that received its fair share of attention. He didnt otherwise address the episode as he detailed his August itinerary. The Republican leader, a consummate dealmaker, could play a pivotal role in a looming standoff with hard-line House conservatives threatening to shut down the government as soon as Oct. 1 unless President Joe Biden and Democrats agree to deep spending cuts and other concessions. Read More: McConnells Frailty Casts Pall Over GOP Ahead of 2024 Election Senate Republicans are scheduled to meet privately on Wednesday. None of them have suggested that McConnell step aside, and his lieutenants have continued to back him. But Senator Rand Paul, Kentuckys junior senator and a physician, said he wanted McConnell to be more forthcoming about his health. Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama said he plans to ask McConnell on Wednesday if hes up to the job, given the challenges both in Congress and in the coming elections. Hawley said concerns about McConnell could become a distraction. I was just home for a month and I was asked about it everywhere, Hawley said. Everywhere, all the time. We have a big election coming up in 2024 and we need to be laser-focused in the Senate about retaking the Senate. And I just hope thats the path forward. McConnell replied yep when asked if he would speak to reporters after the Wednesday meeting. Last Wednesday, he abruptly stopped and stared ahead for more than 30 seconds after a reporters question about a potential 2026 reelection run during an appearance in Covington, Kentucky. It was the second such public episode in as many months. In July, McConnell froze for about 20 seconds during a news conference on Capitol Hill. He was led away for a few minutes but then returned to the microphones and said he was fine and able to do his job. He suffered a concussion and broken rib in a March 8 fall at a fundraiser in Washington and didnt return to the Senate until mid-April. A McConnell ally said last week the leader has maintained his normal political schedule including telephone calls, meetings and fundraisers since returning to work. Yet the conservative National Review called in an editorial last week for McConnell to step down, saying he had noticeably aged in recent months and the two recent incidents affect his ability to function as the leading representative of his caucus. Dick Durbin, the Senate Democrats second-ranking leader, indicated that McConnell linked the recent episodes to the concussion he suffered in March in a conversation the two recently had. He said the concussion had lasting effects on him, Durbin said. As he said, hes gone through every examination and passed. (Updates with senators comments, starting in eighth paragraph. A previous version corrected timing of National Review editorial, in eleventh paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday said leaders plan to pass their first government funding bills for fiscal 2024 next week in the Senate. Congress needs to address our nations most pressing needs with timely appropriations and we need to keep the lights on come October 1, he said from the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon, less than a week after he suffered a freeze-up while speaking to reporters in Kentucky. Lawmakers have until the end of the month to pass legislation to keep the government funded, or risk their first shutdown in years. Democrats and Republicans are eyeing a continuing resolution (CR), which would keep funding at levels last set when Democrats led both chambers, to buy time to strike a larger agreement. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Before leaving town for the August recess, Senate appropriators passed all 12 annual government funding bills out of committee along bipartisan lines a sharp contrast to the go-it-alone approach being undertaken in the GOP-led House. Next week, well aim to pass the first batch of their work out here on the floor, McConnell said, before discussing the need for a supplemental appropriations measure to address national priorities and disaster relief. Weve also made clear that the Senates top priority must be keeping the American people safe, and this month, well have a chance to do that with supplemental appropriations for urgent national security and disaster relief priorities, he said. We need to continue to invest in Americas defense industrial base, both to support our partners in todays fight and to help our forces deter tomorrows threats, McConnell added. His comments come after the White House requested billions of dollars in supplemental funding last month, including an ask of more than $20 billion in assistance for Ukraine that has already ruffled feathers with some hard-line conservatives. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump s most complex criminal case is underway in Georgia state court, where the former president is accused of leading a conspiracy to stay in office after losing the 2020 election. Most Read from Bloomberg The indictment, filed Aug. 14 by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in Atlanta, alleged Trump and 18 co-defendants violated Georgias racketeering law by participating in a criminal enterprise led by the former president. Its one of four criminal cases Trump is facing as he campaigns to return to the White House. He has called the Georgia indictment a travesty of justice. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The latest major development in the case came on Oct. 24 when Jenna Ellis , a conservative lawyer, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of aiding and abetting false statements related to Trumps efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. She has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and testify at any future trials as the rest of the case moves forward. She faces a sentence of five years of probation and $5,000 in restitution. She also must write an apology letter to the citizens of Georgia. Elliss plea deal came less than a week after two other Trump legal advisors, Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, entered guilty pleas on the eve of the first trial in the case, which was set to begin Oct. 23. Both Powell and Chesebro had requested a speedy trial under Georgia law. Scott Hall, a Georgia bail bondsman, pleaded guilty in September to five of the same conspiracy counts as Powell and was sentenced to five years of probation. The charges against Hall and Powell focused on a scheme to unlawfully access election equipment and voter data in rural Coffee County. The breach of voter data part of what prosecutors say was a last-ditch attempt by Trumps team to find evidence of voter fraud is one of several distinct but related elements of the alleged criminal enterprise. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee hasn't set trial dates for Trump and the remaining defendants, which include former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani . The judge expressed skepticism that keeping defendants together always ensures efficiency, especially in mega-trials such as this. He also has said that the size of the courthouse is a problem because there are no courtrooms big enough to accommodate all the defendants and their legal teams. Willis claims that the defendants went too far in their support of Trump by attempting to reverse his loss even after it was verified by multiple recounts. She alleges they pressured Georgia officials to reject valid votes, organized fake presidential electors for Trump to prevent the certification of Bidens victory, intimidated poll workers and stole election machine data in Coffee County. Heres the latest on where each defendants case stands. Donald Trump Former US president Surrender Date: Aug. 24Plea: Not GuiltyBail: $200,000 Charges (13 counts): Georgia RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act; solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer (3 times); filing false documents; false statements and writings (2); conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer; conspiracy to commit forgery (2); conspiracy to commit false statements and writings (2); conspiracy to commit filing false documents Allegations: Prosecutors claim Trump advanced the scheme in a number of ways, including by spreading false conspiracy theories about voter fraud, pressuring several state officials to overturn Joe Bidens win in Georgia and promoting a corrupt plan to win the states 16 Electoral College votes by appointing a slate of fake electors. Trump is quoted in the indictment pressuring Justice Department officials to make false statements by stating, "Just say that the election was corrupt, and leave the rest to me and the Republican congressmen. His actions in Georgia stood out also because of an infamous phone call in which he and his aides tried to pressure Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find just enough votes to reverse his election loss in the state, despite the outcome being confirmed by a recount. Trumps surrender to the Fulton County Jail was televised live, and his mug shot was a first for a former president. He was in the facility for roughly 20 minutes. Shortly after he entered the jail, his name appeared in its database, recording his height as 6 3, his weight as 215 pounds and his hair color as blond or strawberry. He was assigned inmate number P01135809. Trump later posted his mug shot on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter, embracing the image as part of his claim that hes the victim of a Democratic witch hunt. The former president on Sept. 11 asked a judge to let him adopt motions by two other defendants Giuliani and Chesebro to toss out the claims against him. Adopting motions filed by others, instead of having them drafted by his own legal team, will save Trump both time and money. Among other things, he seeks to adopt arguments that the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution bars state authorities from prosecuting alleged conduct related to the counting of presidential electors, and that Georgias indictment improperly uses conduct in other states to build a racketeering case. Trump had said in a court filing that he may seek to have his case transferred to federal court from state court because the alleged conduct relates to his duties as president. But his lawyers notified the judge in late September that they no longer planned to pursue that. A federal judge on Sept. 8 had rejected that same argument from five other defendants in the case who sought a transfer. Rudy Giuliani Former Trump lawyer Surrender Date: Aug. 23Plea: Not GuiltyBail: $150,000 Charges (13): RICO; solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer (3); filing false documents; false statements and writings (3); conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer; conspiracy to commit forgery; conspiracy to commit false statements and writings (2); conspiracy to commit filing false documents Allegations: Prosecutors accuse Giuliani of furthering the conspiracy by testifying falsely to Georgia lawmakers about far-fetched electoral conspiracies that were later debunked, in order to persuade them not to certify Bidens win in the state. Giuliani also falsely accused election worker Ruby Freeman and her daughter of scheming to undermine Trump as votes were being counted on Election Day, claiming they passed around USB devices to tamper with votes as if theyre vials of heroin or cocaine, according to the indictment. In a Sept. 8 court filing, Giuliani sought dismissal of the indictment against him, arguing that the charges improperly target an array of acts and conduct that occurred in other states and are irrelevant to a racketeering conspiracy under Georgia law. He also argues that the broader federal case against Trump in Washington means that any conspiracy over the 2020 election if one exists took place in the nations capital rather than Georgia. Giuliani said the indictment appears to acknowledge that the events charged here are not a racketeering enterprise in Georgia at all, but are instead, at best, a predicate act to a purported national scheme. The former New York City mayor also claims that some of the conduct amounts to standard campaign-related commentary. Many of the alleged acts are statements, or portions of statements taken from phone calls, voice mails or tweets, in and out of context, while others, again regardless of context, are taken from campaign speeches or press conferences, he said in the filing. Mark Meadows Former White House chief of staff Surrender Date: Aug. 24Plea: Not GuiltyBail: $100,000 Charges (2): RICO; solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer Allegations: Prosecutors say Meadows furthered the conspiracy by participating in a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call in which Trump pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find just enough votes to reverse his loss to Biden in the state. Meadows, one of Trumps closest aides during his effort to stay in office, also observed the audit of absentee ballot signatures in Georgias Cobb County and arranged the call with Raffensperger both significant pieces of the alleged scheme, according to the indictment. Meadows has been fighting to move the case against him to federal court from state court, which would allow him to argue that he was immune from state prosecution because his actions related to his job as an employee of the federal government. I dont know that I did anything that was outside my scope as chief of staff, Meadows said on the witness stand during an Aug. 28 hearing on his request. But US District Judge Steve Jones in Atlanta on Sept. 8 rejected the transfer, concluding that Meadows wasnt acting within the scope of his duties when he joined efforts to reverse Trumps loss at the ballot box. Jones said in his decision that Meadowss request hinged on whether a presidents chief of staff can challenge the result of an election as part of their job. The judge said Meadows didnt have a role to play in Georgias presidential election because the US Constitution delegates voting to the states. It would be inconsistent with federalism and the separation of powers to find that activities which are delegated to the states are also within the scope of executive power, he wrote. Shortly after the judge ruled, Meadows filed a notice at the district court that hes appealing to the US 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. He asked to have the case put on hold while he challenges the ruling. If the state gets its way, Meadows could be forced to go to trialand could be convicted and incarceratedbefore the standard timeline for a federal appeal would play out, the defense said. On Sept. 12 Jones denied the request, ruling that Meadows hadnt provided any argument to convince this court that its decision was incorrect. Meadows has shown no likelihood of prevailing on the merits of his appeal, Jones said in his ruling. The 11th Circuit is scheduled to hear arguments on Dec. 15. Jenna Ellis Lawyer who advised Trump Date: Oct. 24 Plea: GuiltyBail: $100,000 Charges (2): RICO; solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer Allegations: Ellis, who once described herself as part of an elite strike force fighting for Trump, pleaded guilty on Oct. 24 to a felony charge of aiding and abetting false statements relating to the former presidents efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Ellis cried as she read a statement in court about false statements she made in support of efforts to overturn the election in Georgia and other states. She said she relied on more experienced lawyers to guide her in trying to overturn President Joe Bidens electoral victory. Ellis had worked extensively with Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, traveling across the country with him to meet state legislators. If I knew then what I know now I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post-election challenges, Ellis said. ``I look back on this whole episode with deep remorse. Prosecutors said Ellis aided false statements by Giuliani and others at a hearing before Georgia lawmakers on Dec. 3, 2020. They falsely asserted 96,600 mail-in ballots were counted in the election, 10,315 dead people voted, 2,506 felons voted illegally, and 2,423 unregistered people cast ballots, according to the filing, which Ellis admitted. Ellis is cooperating with prosecutors and has promised to testify at any future trials. She must serve five years probation, pay $5,000 in restitution and apologize to the people of Georgia. She was censured earlier this year by the Colorado Supreme Court after admitting to making 10 misrepresentations about the 2020 election. Ellis, who is from Colorado, agreed with a disciplinary judge that she repeatedly misrepresented facts on social media and national television, including by claiming the presidential election had been stolen and that Trump won in a landslide. Kenneth Chesebro Lawyer who advised Trump Date: Oct. 20Plea: GuiltyBail: $100,000 Charges (7): RICO; conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer; conspiracy to commit forgery (2); conspiracy to commit false statements and writings (2); conspiracy to commit filing false documents Allegations: Chesebro, a lawyer in the Trump 2020 campaign orbit, was accused in the indictment of working with attorney John Eastman to develop a fake elector strategy to disrupt and delay the certification of Bidens election in Congress on Jan. 6, 2021. He was also accused of helping to organize the slate of fake electors in Georgia. He allegedly worked directly with top Georgia Republicans, including then-party Chair Shafer, to have the electors meet at the State Capitol on Dec. 14, 2020, and cast Electoral College votes in favor of Trump. A Harvard Law School graduate and prominent appellate lawyer, Chesebro pleaded guilty on Oct. 20 before Judge McAfee to one felony count of conspiracy to file false documents. He has begun to debrief prosecutors and could testify at future trials. Chesebro must serve five years probation, pay $5,000 in restitution, complete 100 hours of community service, and write a letter of apology to the citizens of Georgia. Chesebro admitted that he conspired with Trump, Giuliani, Eastman and others in the electors scheme. One goal of the conspiracy, prosecutors said, was to use those fake certifications to convince members of Congress and, ultimately, then-Vice President Mike Pence to delay making Bidens victory official or to overturn the vote tallies altogether. Chesebro entered his plea on the eve of his trial with attorney Sidney Powell, who pleaded guilty a day earlier. They had requested an expedited trial under Georgias speedy trial law. Chesebro fought the Georgia case until the eve of his guilty plea, arguing he did nothing illegal in advancing legal theories in supporting Trump. But McAfee refused to dismiss the charges, setting up a trial expected to last five months. Sidney Powell Former Trump campaign lawyer Date: Oct. 19Plea: GuiltyBail: $100,000 Charges (7): RICO; conspiracy to commit election fraud (2); conspiracy to commit computer theft; conspiracy to commit computer trespass; conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy; conspiracy to defraud the state Allegations: Powell was an architect of the conspiracy theory that the election was rigged by voting-machine companies and foreign hackers. She worked closely with Trump, Giuliani and others at the White House to craft a plan to block the transition of power to Biden, including by seizing voting machines for a partisan investigation. Among other things, she was accused in the indictment of hiring a forensic data firm to breach election equipment in rural Coffee County, Georgia, and copy voter software and data. The alleged breach which took place the day after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in Washington was part of a last-ditch plan to find proof of voter fraud despite the election result being verified by recounts. On Oct. 19, Powell appeared before Judge McAfee to plead guilty to six misdemeanor counts of conspiring to interfere with the performance of election duties. She was sentenced to six years of probation, a $6,000 fine, and $2,700 restitution, and must write an apology letter to the citizens of Georgia. She also must cooperate with prosecutors going forward, which means she could testify at trial against Trump.Before pleading guilty, Powell had asked McAfee to expedite her case under Georgias speedy-trial law, resulting in an Oct. 23 trial date alongside Chesebro. Scott Hall Georgia bail bondsman Date: Sept.29Plea: GuiltyBail: $10,000 Charges (7): RICO; conspiracy to commit election fraud (2); conspiracy to commit computer theft; conspiracy to commit computer trespass; conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy; conspiracy to defraud the state. Allegations: Prosecutors said Hall admitted chartering a private plane which flew co-conspirators to Coffee County on Jan. 7, 2021, to help with the unlawful breach of election equipment and voter data. Hall, one of the first defendants to surrender in August, pleaded guilty to five counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with the performance of election duties. He agreed to a term of five years probation on each misdemeanor charge, pay a $5,000 fine and testify for the Fulton County DA. John Eastman Lawyer who advised Trump Surrender Date: Aug. 22Plea: Not GuiltyBail: $100,000 Charges (9): RICO; solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer; filing false documents; conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer; conspiracy to commit forgery (2); conspiracy to commit false statements and writings (2); conspiracy to commit filing false documents Allegations: Prosecutors accuse Eastman, a conservative lawyer, of writing a memo falsely claiming that then-Vice President Mike Pence could overturn the election results in Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, by declining to recognize Bidens presidential electors from Georgia and other swing states. Eastman is also accused of making false claims about rampant voter fraud in a lawsuit challenging the election and testifying falsely to Georgia lawmakers about such claims. Former White House lawyers told the House Jan. 6 committee that they strongly pushed back on Eastmans theories with one official calling them completely crazy. But Eastman blasted the indictment when he turned himself in for booking, saying in a statement that the charges should never have been brought. He argued the criminal case violates his free-speech rights and tramples the right of a client to get advice from a lawyer. Jeffrey Clark Former Justice Department official Surrender Date: Aug. 25Plea: Not GuiltyBail: $100,000 Charges (2): RICO; criminal attempt to commit false statements and writings Allegations: Clark, who oversaw environmental and natural resources matters at the Justice Department under Trump, is accused of advancing the conspiracy by drafting a letter in December 2020 that falsely said the Justice Department had identified significant concerns about election fraud in Georgia and other states. Clark urged senior Justice Department officials to send the letter, but they refused. The letter, which went unsent, urged Georgia officials to call a special session of the state legislature to overturn Bidens victory. Trump had considered installing Clark as acting attorney general, according to testimony provided to the congressional committee. Top department officials threatened to resign en masse if Trump went through with that plan, and it never happened. Clark is seeking to move the case to federal court from state court, arguing that hes immune from state prosecution because he was an employee of the federal government during the alleged conduct. A federal judge denied that request on Sept. 29 and Clark has appealed to the 11th Circuit. David Shafer Former Georgia Republican Party chair Surrender Date: Aug. 23Plea: Not GuiltyBail: $75,000 Charges (8): RICO; false statements and writings (3); impersonating a public officer; forgery (2); criminal attempt to commit filing false documents Allegations: Prosecutors claim Shafer furthered the conspiracy by arranging a meeting on Dec. 14, 2020, to certify as electors a slate of Trump supporters including himself who falsely claimed they were the duly elected and qualified presidential electors from Georgia. Shafer tweeted his own mug shot after completing his booking. Like Meadows and Clark, all three fake electors in the prosecution asked to have their cases moved to federal court. A federal judge denied those requests. Shafer has appealed to the 11th Circuit. Ray Smith III Georgia lawyer who advised Trump Surrender Date: Aug. 23Plea: Not guiltyBail: $50,000 Charges (12): RICO; solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer (3); false statements and writings (2); conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer; conspiracy to commit forgery (2); conspiracy to commit false statements and writings (2); conspiracy to commit filing false documents Allegations: Prosecutors accuse Smith of furthering the alleged conspiracy by making false statements to Georgia lawmakers about votes being cast by felons and dead people. Willis also alleges Smith helped certify the list of fake presidential electors for Trump that was officially submitted. Smith on Aug. 28 became the first of the defendants to formally enter a plea of not guilty. Smith did so a court filing that waived his arraignment hearing and formally denied each and every charge of the Indictment. Cathleen Latham Former Coffee County Republican Party chair Surrender Date: Aug. 23Plea: Not GuiltyBail: $75,000 Charges (11): RICO; impersonating a public officer; forgery; false statements and writings; criminal attempt to commit filing false documents; conspiracy to commit election fraud (2); conspiracy to commit computer theft; conspiracy to commit computer trespass; conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy; conspiracy to defraud the state Allegations : Prosecutors allege that Latham furthered the alleged scheme by agreeing to be one of 16 fake Trump electors and by helping arrange the alleged breach of voter data in Coffee County in January 2021. Accessing voter data would have been one way to to try to back up assertions of voter fraud. Like Meadows and Clark, all three fake electors in the prosecution asked to have their cases moved to federal court. A federal judge denied those requests. Latham has appealed to the 11th Circuit. Michael Roman Former Trump campaign official Surrender Date: Aug. 25Plea: Not GuiltyBond: $50,000 Charges (7): RICO; conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer; conspiracy to commit forgery (2); conspiracy to commit false statements and writings (2); conspiracy to commit filing false documents Allegations : Prosecutors say Roman helped organize slates of fake electors in several states, including Georgia. Robert Cheeley Georgia lawyer who advised Trump Surrender Date: Aug. 25Plea: Not GuiltyBail: $50,000 Charges (10): RICO; solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer; false statements and writings; conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer; conspiracy to commit forgery (2); conspiracy to commit false statements and writings (2); conspiracy to commit filing false documents; perjury Allegations : Prosecutors allege that Cheeley advanced the alleged conspiracy by falsely testifying to Georgia lawmakers that Fulton County election workers had voted the same ballots over and over again on Election Day. He is also charged with perjuring himself before the special-purpose grand jury that heard evidence in the Fulton County case. Shawn Still Fake Trump elector Surrender Date: Aug. 25Plea: Not GuiltyBail: $10,000 Charges (7): RICO; impersonating a public officer; forgery (2); false statements and writings (2); criminal attempt to commit filing false documents Allegations: Still was one of three electors indicted over their role in the scheme to present a bogus slate of 16 Republicans as the duly elected and qualified electors submitted in support of Trump. Like Meadows and Clark, all three fake electors in the prosecution asked to have their cases moved to federal court. A federal judge denied those requests. Still has appealed to the 11th Circuit. Misty Hampton Former Coffee County elections supervisor Surrender Date: Aug. 25Plea: Not GuiltyBail: $10,000 Charges (7): RICO; conspiracy to commit election fraud (2); conspiracy to commit computer theft; conspiracy to commit computer trespass; conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy; conspiracy to defraud the state Allegations: Prosecutors allege Hampton assisted employees of forensic data firm SullivanStrickler in breaching voting machines in Coffee County. Stephen Cliffgard Lee Police chaplain from Illinois Surrender Date: Aug. 25Plea: Not GuiltyBail: $75,000 Charges (5): RICO; criminal attempt to commit influencing witnesses (2); influencing witnesses; conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings Allegations: Prosecutors say Lee tried to intimidate Fulton County poll worker Ruby Freeman by visiting her at home and purporting to offer her help with the goal of getting her to give false testimony about Election Day events. Harrison Floyd Former director of Black Voices for Trump Surrender Date: Aug. 24Plea: Not GuiltyBail: $100,000 Charges (3): RICO; influencing witnesses; conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings Allegations: Floyd, a US Marine Corps veteran who owns his own political consulting firm, is accused of advancing the conspiracy by participating in a scheme with former Kanye West publicist Trevian Kutti to manipulate Georgia election worker Ruby Freeman into giving false testimony about voter fraud on Election Day. Floyd initially did not reach a bond agreement and was taken into custody for several days, becoming the only defendant in the case to be detained. His lawyer urged the judge to accept a $100,000 bond agreement in the case, pointing out that his client was the only Black male defendant and the only whod been locked up. The lawyer also noted that Trump was free on bond despite being a defendant in four criminal cases. The judge signed the bond deal on Aug. 29. Trevian Kutti Former Kanye West publicist Surrender Date: Aug. 25Plea: Not GuiltyBail: $75,000 Charges (3): RICO; influencing witnesses; conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings Allegations: Prosecutors claim Kutti was enlisted to travel from Chicago to Fulton County to visit Freeman at her home, where she falsely identified herself as a crisis manager who wanted to help her. She allegedly joined Lee and Floyd in trying to influence Freemans testimony about Election Day events, attempting to pressure her into five false testimony about voter fraud. --With assistance from Erik Larson and Patricia Hurtado. (Updates with Jenna Ellis guilty plea.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. For writer Miles Marshall Lewis , the college admissions process resulted in sending his son to excel at an HBCU. It also meant letting him forge his own path. In February 2023, my oldest son rocked a heather gray Morehouse hoodie from last years Ralph Lauren drop to let his classmates know hed just been accepted to his dads acclaimed alma mater. I discovered his admittance first, checking his college admissions portal in the middle of the night. My wife called him first thing in the morning to say felicitations before hed even heard the news. More bleary-eyed than teary-eyed, he shot a selfie showing off his digital letter on an iPad that morning before heading off to school. Months of stressful referral letters, SAT scores, application waivers and more had finally paid off. Six months later, we settled him into his dorm room at the Mecca of Howard University. WTF? Miles Marshall Lewis, right, with his eldest son, an incoming freshman at Howard University in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Christine Herelle-Lewis) To back up a bit, the whole college admissions process circa 2023 felt surprisingly different and mysterious to me compared to my own experience in the late 1980s. My son wouldnt be a first-generation college student; Id marched across Morehouses stage with my sociology degree in hand during the early 90s, while his mother graduated from a prestigious culinary school in Paris. But as he entered his senior year, I still found myself reading Game On: Why College Admission Is Rigged and How to Beat the System cover to cover, confronting that the last time Id dealt with jumping through all these hoops was in a whole different millennium. What was Common App? Did colleges seriously not care about the SAT anymore Was that for real? ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The only thing my mom has ever apologized to me for was letting me deal with my college applications solo, aside from paying for them all. The near-simultaneous launches of NBCs college-based A Different World and Spike Lees School Daze were far more influential in my choice to apply to HBCUs than any guidance counselor. The fictional Hillman and Mission Colleges were my first introduction to historically Black colleges and universities, what with my head buried in comic books, sci-fi novels, Prince records and hip-hop back then. Kenya Barris multiculti Grown-ish is great, but my undergrad experience led me to believe an HBCU would probably be the best environment for my son to self-actualize and figure out his own young adulthood. I imagined a healthy injection of Black social consciousness at one of these storied schools to be the perfect antidote to the sway of Trumpism, alternative facts and microwavable social media pundits that inundated most of his high school years. Not to mention, the onset of the pandemic had caused his classmates to spend nearly two school years remote learning on Zoom, raising questions about inflated grades and unearned honor roll statuses. The ultimate academic fallout will prove to be generationalhis generation. Whatever effect a lack of in-person social interaction may have had, I wanted him to pick up that slack at a historically Black college. Thankfully, he agreed. We eventually decided on 10 schools in total. (We could have picked five; we could have picked 20.) And no, they werent all HBCUs. Typically, advisers encourage students to shoot for colleges in three different categories: safety schools theyre likely to be admitted to with no problem, target schools that match their qualifications spot-on, and reach schools of the vaunted Ivy League tier. I wondered how the Black Lives Matter movement would cause white colleges to factor race into their admissions process. (As it turned out, the Supreme Court would end up killing all affirmative action for college admissions in June 2023, making my sons graduating class the last beneficiaries.) We also questioned if he should attend college in the United States at all, or take advantage of his dual nationality, as his mom is French. Ultimately, his HBCU acceptances produced a clean sweep: Clark Atlanta University, his uncles Hampton University, his dads Morehouse College, and, after a nail-biting waiting list situation, Howard University. With the biggest endowment amongst all HBCUs in the country, Howard put forth the largest scholarship offer of them all which we were all super-thankful for since, as it turned out, hed already made up his mind. Theres a picture or two of my son outfitted in a Morehouse onesie dating back 17 years ago, and in the intervening years, Ive brought him back a T-shirt or two after trips to Atlanta. But when he chose Howard instead, his message was clear: He would be carving out his own legacy at the Mecca a legendary school previously unattended by anyone in our family which meant more to him than starting an arbitrary family tradition. His choice represented a culmination of everything Ive tried to teach him about being himself, an individual, an independent thinker. I approved proudly but I never really had to. His life, his decision; Howard, it is. No sooner had we pulled up to his dorm for New Student Bison Move-In day than I bumped into a frat brother I hadnt seen in decades, dropping off his freshman son on the same floor. I found out shortly that another frat brothers son was there, and another college friends daughter, and a former work interns little sister Community. We took turns on the drive down from Harlem streaming music for our D.C. road trip: Travis Scott, Beyonce, Nas, Manu Chao. My wheels were already turning about how my younger sons admissions process might go smoother in another two years. But despite all the lazy senioritis, the bumping of heads, the growing pains and eventual lumps in throats, I trusted my eldest had made the right choice and wed all done the right thing. Now: Cash App time. Miles Marshall Lewis (@MMLunlimited) is an author and Harlem-based cultural critic whose work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, GQ, Rolling Stone and many other outlets. Lewis is currently finishing a cultural biography of comedian Dave Chappelle, his follow-up to Promise That You Will Sing About Me: The Power and Poetry of Kendrick Lamar. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. TheGrios Black Podcast Network is free too. Download theGrio mobile apps today! Listen to Writing Black with Maiysha Kai. The post A Mecca of opportunity: What I learned during my sons college admissions process appeared first on TheGrio. A former security guard at a Charlotte arcade will spend four to six years behind bars after pleading guilty to killing his coworker. Darrell McKinley, 54, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in Mecklenburg County Superior Court on Aug. 31. McKinley shot and killed 50-year-old Malik Whitney, a fellow Galaxy One Arcade security guard, in January 2022. The two had been arguing over a gun sale that fell through, lawyers said in court. Galaxy One, seemingly shut down, still had a sign in its window the day of the court hearing advertising an adult arcade. Whitneys family was displeased with the plea deal, Assistant District Attorney Heidi Perlman told Judge Sally Kirby-Turner. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I have never been the same because of what (McKinley) did, Whitneys wife, LaDonna Henderson, told the court. All he had to do was call the police. He didnt have to pull out his gun and shoot my husband like he was nothing. Imperfect self-defense, lawyer says Charlotte-Mecklenburg police first charged McKinley with voluntary manslaughter, then, with additional evidence, upped the charge to murder, according to a news release. But in court the narrative grew complicated. Defense attorney Mike Kabakoff said that Whitney was intoxicated and banging on the door to the arcade, and that he was the first person to assault someone. Were not trying to blame him, the defense attorney said, but McKinley acted in imperfect self-defense. McKinley had worked as a security guard for decades, and has an extremely low-key, almost serene personality, Kabakoff said. He shot once, called 911 and complied with police, his attorney added. Though the cases prosecutor did not agree with every detail from Kabakoffs account, there was enough agreement for a plea deal. Henderson learned of the deal in a meeting with the district attorneys office, she told The Charlotte Observer. How is that self-defense when my husband didnt have a weapon? she asked. Malik Whitney, 50, was shot and killed by his coworker, Darrell McKinley in January 2022. McKinley pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in court this week. State statute says that someone can use deadly force when such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another. When the judge, Kirby-Turner, asked McKinley if hed like to say anything on Thursday, he at first responded, Nah. He paused for a moment, briefly apologized and said that he was not the first person to attack. Judge Kirby-Turner gave him an active sentence of 51 to 74 months in prison, noting that his penalty doesnt compare to what Malik Whitneys family must endure. Mr. Whitneys family is going to serve a sentence for the rest of their lives, she told him. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to visit Kyiv on Sept. 6, Ukrainian outlet ZN.UA reported on Sept. 5, citing its diplomatic sources. Details of the visit are not yet known. Blinken was last in Kyiv in September 2022, when he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and discussed U.S. assistance to Ukraine. The U.S. State Department announced a new package of military assistance for Ukraine on Aug. 29, including AIM-9M missiles, HIMARS munitions, Javelin systems, and other aid with a total value of $250 million. "Russia started this war and could end it at any time by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine and stopping its brutal attacks," Blinken said in a press statement on the new package. "Until it does, the United States and our allies and partners will stand united with Ukraine, for as long as it takes." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: Blinken on Ukraines Independence Day: Russia will pay a high price for what it has done Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine's Defense Ministry has ordered 55 HAWK drones from a company partly owned by the wife of former MP Boryslav Rozenblat, despite the drones having clear defects, investigative outlet Bihus.info reported on Sept. 4. Moreover, the ministry has already paid Hr 650 million ($17.6 million) in advance for the drones, as part of a Hr 807 million ($22 million) deal, but only received one drone from the company by the deadline of Aug. 15. A month before the deadline, the company organized a training exercise to show soldiers how to operate the drones. While the firm is officially owned by his wife, the former MP has publicly said that the project was his idea. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Three out of four test flights failed. Video footage shows the drones malfunctioning and unable to land. Rozenblat, who was in attendance at the exercise, said that the issues were due to the drone overheating and individual "peculiarities" relating to one model. He assured the soldiers that the problems would be fixed before the drones were handed over to the military. When the company brought four out of the 55 drones to hand over the day before the deadline, three were rejected by the military for similar issues seen during the exercises. Rozenblat said that 11 more drones were delivered to the military over the next few weeks, but Bihus.info reported that it is unclear how many were actually accepted. Each HAWK drone, along with its ground control station and control boards, has an estimated cost of Hr 14.5 million ($392,000). Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Your slice of the headlines in Ukraine. Daily. Tuesday, September 5, 2023 Ukraines incoming defense minister Rustem Umerov NV profile The current head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU) and former MP from the Holos parliamentary faction, Rustem Umerov, could replace Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov this week. Ukraines forces boost opportunities for attack after breaking through Russian defenses in Zaporizhzhya Following their successful breach of the first Russian defense line in Zaporizhzhya Oblast, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have significantly enhanced their battlefield maneuverability and protection, Oleksandr Shtupun, Tavria front defense forces spokesperson, told national broadcaster Suspilne on Sept. 3. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ukraine spends $100 million per day on war, says Reznikov Outgoing Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has revealed that Russias ongoing full-scale invasion and war is costing Ukraine a staggering $100 million every day. Ethnic Hungarians in Ukraines Zakarpattya NV interview Stellas Aslanov, political science professor at Uzhhorod National University, spoke to NV about the mood of ethnic Hungarians in Zakarpattya Oblast and Russias infamous tendency to play the "Hungarian card" in Ukraine. Ukrainians without Russian passports denied healthcare in occupied territories Kyiv Ukrainian citizens in Moscow-occupied areas of the country who have refused to apply for Russian passports are being denied medical services by the occupation authorities, Ukraines National Resistance Center (NRC) said in a message on its website on Sept. 4. Ukraine should soften its stance on Black Sea grain deal Erdogan Following talks with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Sept. 4, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ukraine should adopt a more flexible stance on the terms of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) in order to bring Russia back to the table and revive the deal. Ukraines border agency says kamikaze drones hit Romania during Russian attack, Bucharest shrugs off reports Ukrainian border guards recorded two detonations of Shahed kamikaze drones on Romanian territory during the Russian attack on Ukraine in the early hours of Sept. 4, news outlet Ukrainska Pravda has reported. UN commission has not found sufficient evidence of genocide in Ukraine UNs Independent International Commission of Inquiry in Ukraine is yet to conclusively establish that Russia is committing genocide in Ukraine, chairman Erik Mse said at a press conference in Kyiv on Sept. 4. Scholz blocking Taurus transfer to Ukraine amid claims German leader fears Ukraine might use them to hit Russia Germany is not supplying Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles, in part because German Chancellor Olaf Scholz fears they could be used to strike at Russian territory, German newspaper Bild reported on Sept. 4, citing an unnamed Ukrainian official. Mariupol siege documentary breaks box office records in Ukraine on opening weekend The documentary 20 Days in Mariupol released in Ukraine on Aug. 31, became the countrys highest-grossing documentary film on the very first day of its release, its distributor, Arthouse Traffic, has reported on social media. 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 ASHEVILLE - Anabelle Magbilang Marasigan has traded her Southeast Asian island home for the mountains of Western North Carolina, where she will teach exceptional children at Ira B. Jones Elementary School. She is one of four teachers who has joined Asheville City Schools for the 2023-24 school year leaving behind family and friends in other countries to learn and share their knowledge with students and staff through a cultural exchange program. Marasigan is from the Philippines, where she taught students with special needs for five years. She said she would teach 20 students a day, by herself. At Asheville City Schools she has only nine students in kindergarten through second grade with different disabilities, with help from instructional assistants, she told the Citizen Times Sept. 1. Having more human resources has been one of the biggest differences she's noticed so far. "The IAs really help me a lot. They help things feel more synchronized in the classroom. This also really helps the children be more productive," Marasigan said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement After her first week of teaching, she said her favorite part was just seeing the children's smiles. "It makes me feel like I'm doing something impactful," she said. Anabelle Magbilang Marasigan left her home in the Philippines to join the Ira B. Jones Elementary School at ACS. Spokesperson for the district, Dillon Huffman, told the Citizen Times in an email that this is the first time in a while the schools have hired international teachers, and it's their first time partnering with the International Teacher Exchange Service. This three-year program provides opportunities for "international educators to teach in U.S. schools and to share their knowledge and culture with their students, schools and the local communities in which they live and work," the ITES website said. "Part of this is to learn how we do things and take this knowledge back home to their schools. It is a cultural exchange program, but it's also to teach us," Sarah Cain, Asheville City Schools executive director of Exceptional Children and Federal Programs, told the Citizen Times Sept. 1. Ira B. Jones brought in two new international teachers this year, which is fitting for the schools' theme, "global scholars." Cain said that the staff is invested in helping the students learn more about the world. The district welcomed three elementary teachers from the Philippines and one high school teacher from Jamaica through the cultural exchange program. More: Asheville City Schools welcomes 95 new staffers this fall; Who are they? Lyssa Batican Lyssa Batican is one of the four international teachers who joined ACS for the 2023-24 school year. Lyssa Batican started her first day at Isaac Dickson Elementary School on Aug. 28 as a fourth-grade teacher. Batican was born and raised in Binangonan, Rizal an island in the Philippines. She has seven years of teaching experience in different elementary grade levels and most recently taught fifth grade. "The decision to become a cultural exchange teacher was not an easy decision to make. It was a desire to explore new horizons, the need for professional growth, and a fascination to travel the world and learn other cultures," Batican said. Batican graduated from the University of Rizal System with a bachelor's of education and special education and earned a master's in educational management from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Tenesha Wilson Tenesha Wilson moved to Asheville from Jamaica, joining the Asheville City Schools community as an apparel teacher. From Jamaica, Tenesha Wilson is teaching apparel at Asheville High School for the Career and Technical Education program. She is passionate about apparel and interior design and has worked in education for over 17 years. "The fashion industry is evolving rapidly, and I would like to empower minds in developing and owning their skills," Wilson said. Robert Abellera Robert Abellera, a teacher at Ira B. Jones Elementary School in Asheville, September 1, 2023. Robert Abellera moved to Asheville from the Philippines to teach exceptional children at Ira B. Jones Elementary School. He said he got his inspiration to become a teacher through his mom, who is a retired educator. He said he enjoys hiking, mountain climbing and doing outdoor activities. Abellera graduated from the Mindanao University of Science and Technology in the Philippines with a bachelor's in elementary education, and a degree in special education and has a certificate in early childhood education. He also earned his masters degree in educational management in Southern de Oro Philippines College. "I have been an avid special education teacher for the past eight-plus years. As an advocate of equal opportunity and equal support for all, I have witnessed the power of education in combating life deficiencies, and I pursue that to no end," Abellera said. More: Which Asheville-area schools offer all students free meals? Which does not and why? More: Blue dresses, pink bows, 1st day jitters: Back to school in Asheville and Buncombe County McKenna Leavens is the education reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at mleavens@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter @LeavensMcKennna. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville welcomes international teachers: Where are they from? Tennessee state Rep. Gloria Johnson (D), a member of the Tennessee Three who gained national recognition advocating for gun control, announced Tuesday she would launch a bid to unseat Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) in 2024. Johnson made the announcement Tuesday morning while speaking outside the high school where she previously worked as a teacher. In a statement, Johnson stressed her experience fighting for justice, including her 27 years teaching special education and her efforts to lobby for gun safety legislation in the wake of a school shooting in her state that resulted in the deaths of three children and three adults. Tennesseans are fed up with corrupt, do nothing politicians, like Marsha Blackburn, who has taken millions from the pharmaceutical industry, the NRA and the insurance industry while voting against lowering our drug costs, against bipartisan gun reform, and for denying coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, Johnson said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement And Tennessee women deserve a Senator who trusts them to make their own medical decisions, unlike Blackburn who called the repeal of Roe v. Wade a blessing and has long supported passing a federal abortion ban, she added. Johnson, a frequent critic of Blackburn, rose to national recognition after she joined state Reps. Justin Pearson (D) and Justin Jones (D) in walking to the floor of the state House with a bullhorn, chanting in support of gun safety reform. The Tennessee Three were joined by members of the public outside the House and in the public galleries. Republican lawmakers quickly moved to expel the three, but only Pearson and Jones, who are both Black, were expelled. Johnson, who is white, avoided expulsion by one vote. Johnson has said race played a role in the disparate outcomes, which Republicans deny. Pearson and Jones were reinstated following their expulsion and were reelected to their posts in two separate special elections. Blackburn, who has launched a reelection bid, quickly responded to Johnsons announcement with a statement that sought to depict her as a puppet for [President] Joe Biden. Its no surprise that radical socialist Gloria Johnson decided to jump into the race at the urging of liberals in Washington, joining Marquita Bradshaw and others in the race for the Democratic nomination, spokesperson for Blackburns campaign Abigail Sigler wrote in a statement. State Rep. Johnson is as woke as they come, and she would be a puppet for Joe Biden, the Squad, and Chuck Schumer in the Senate. While Senator Blackburn is working hard to fight back against Bidens woke agenda, State Rep. Johnson is pushing that divisive, destructive agenda here in Tennessee, Sigler added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. During an intense battle in 2020 over who would redesign and run Miamis Rickenbacker Marina, Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla attempted to shake down the marinas longtime operator by pressuring him to take on one of the commissioners associates as a partner, according to a newly filed lawsuit. The complaint, filed Tuesday morning in Miami-Dade Circuit Court by former state representative and lobbyist Manuel Prieguez, accuses Diaz de la Portilla and two allies of squeezing the marinas longtime operator, Aabad Melwani, in exchange for a vote in favor of his proposed redevelopment bid. Working through surrogates, like former city commissioner and convicted felon Humberto Bert Hernandez, Diaz de la Portilla attempted to shake down an upstanding member of the community in order to financially benefit himself, Prieguez alleges. The 23-page complaint states that Melwani and his team were repeatedly told that Diaz de la Portillas support was contingent on bringing in the commissioners associate, Anibal Duarte-Viera, as a partner in the marina project. It says Duarte-Viera, a lawyer and real estate agent, repeated his aspirations to participate in the marina redevelopment at least four times: during a lunch set up by the commissioner, before a dinner of local politicos, at a Brickell hotel and during a surprise office visit to one of Melwanis partners. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Duarte-Viera and Hernandez are both named defendants, accused in the civil suit of participating in a criminal conspiracy with Diaz de la Portilla and attempted bribery of an elected official. Diaz de la Portilla also stands accused of racketeering and orchestrating an unlawful bribery scheme. Prieguez, who was registered to lobby for Melwani in 2020, says in the lawsuit that he is now persona non grata with Diaz de la Portilla after he and Melwani refused to engage in the alleged scheme, damaging his lobbying practice. He is asking for unspecified punitive damages. Melwani told the Herald he had nothing to do with Prieguezs lawsuit and declined to answer questions regarding the allegations. Prieguez no longer works as a lobbyist for Melwani. Read the complaint here According to the complaint, Melwani directly rejected the overtures by Diaz de la Portilla and his allies in a brief meeting with the commissioners associates in the lobby of the East Miami hotel. Diaz de la Portilla ultimately threw his support to Melwanis competitors. The complaint does not say how the commissioner would have gained from Duarte-Viera being a partner in the marina redevelopment project, nor does it allege that the commissioner himself offered to trade his vote in exchange for Melwani partnering with Duarte-Viera. But the lawsuit places Diaz de la Portilla in the middle of the alleged effort to pressure Melwani, and says the commissioners allies represented that he had given the scheme his blessing. In an interview with the Miami Herald, Prieguez, who has known Diaz de la Portilla since childhood, said he had no doubt that his one-time friend sought to profit from the deal. If hes not in on it and his name is being used in such a way that somebodys gonna profit from it, that would piss him off to no end, because hes got to be a part of the deals, Prieguez said. If youre going to use his name, then hes got to be a part of the deals. When reached by reporters Tuesday morning, Hernandez said he was unaware of the lawsuit but called the allegations presented by reporters frivolous, non-meritorious and defamatory in nature. What you or anyone looking into this alleged lawsuit should be asking about or questioning is the timing of such lawsuit or allegations two months prior to a general election, Hernadez said. As to the timing of his filing, Prieguez was blunt: I want to hurt [the commissioner] politically. Diaz de la Portilla is up for reelection in November. Neither Diaz de la Portilla nor Duarte-Viera immediately responded to the Heralds request for comment. Quid pro quo The way Prieguez tells it in his lawsuit, Duarte-Viera first pitched Melwani on bringing him into the marina business during a lunch meeting set up by Diaz de la Portilla several months before a pivotal Oct. 8, 2020 commission meeting. According to the complaint, Melwani said he was not interested and left the lunch feeling uncomfortable about the whole thing. The complaint alleges that the first explicit quid pro quo was presented to Prieguez at a dinner party at Duarte-Vieras home on Oct. 1, 2020 one week before the five-member City Commission was set to discuss the proposal to redevelop the marina on Virginia Key. Prieguez said he did not know Duarte-Viera well and, having heard from Melwani about his lunch meeting with the commissioner, was immediately wary when he received a text inviting him to dinner that night. But he said he was comforted when he heard Hernandez, their mutual friend, would also be at dinner that night. Manuel Manny Prieguez filed a lawsuit against Miami commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla on Sept. 4, 2023 for extorting him and the operator of the Rickenbacker Marina. Prieguez alleges that, after a few drinks, Duarte-Viera and Hernandez steered the conversation to the Rickenbacker Marina, explaining that the success of Melwanis proposal depended on how Diaz de la Portilla voted. The ONLY way to get the votes is to have me be a partner in this deal. Period, end of story, Duarte-Viera said at the time, according to a quote included in the court filing. Duarte-Viera and Hernandez a disbarred attorney whose consulting company was receiving payments from a political committee backing the commissioner told Prieguez they had met with Diaz de la Portilla that afternoon and that the commissioner was aware of the terms they were presenting in exchange for his vote, according to the complaint. In his court filing, Prieguez said he left shaken, angry, and concerned about being asked to participate in criminal activity. He shared a document with the Herald that he said he wrote at the time to memorialize what took place. The document, reviewed by reporters, contained metadata showing it was created on Oct. 3, 2020, and included the same general details as those laid out in the lawsuit. Prieguez, who says in the lawsuit that Duarte-Viera also approached one of Melwanis partners with his offer, told the Herald he took the information to law enforcement but did not elaborate further. The East Hotel At the Oct. 8, 2020 commission meeting, which was held over zoom, Diaz de la Portilla pressed for an afternoon discussion about the marina redevelopment a tortured effort marked by years of starts and stops. Around the same time, he allegedly texted Melwani, asking the marina operator to go to the East Miami hotel during the lunch break. According to the complaint which Prieguez said was based on an immediate retelling of events from Melwani to him Diaz de la Portilla specifically asked Melwani to go alone, and Melwani agreed, feeling like he had no other choice. When he arrived, Melwani was met in the hotel lobby at 1:30 p.m. not by the commissioner, but by Hernandez, Duarte-Viera and a third person, Elnatan Rudolph, the lawsuit states. They exchanged pleasantries and then went on to discuss the marina issue and what the possibilities were moving forward, the complaint alleged. Melwani again rejected all deals. Rudolph, who was not named as a defendant in the complaint, declined to comment on the allegations. AABAD MELWANI is president of Rickenbacker Marina and managing principal of Marina PARC. When the commission reconvened its virtual session, Diaz de la Portilla was the first to speak on the competing proposals regarding the marinas operation and redevelopment: one from Melwanis team and the other from a partnership between Suntex Marina Investors and RCI Group, which was backed by the city manager. After six years of delays, the commissioner said it was time to move forward. Theres politics involved. Theres relationships involved. I get all that. Im involved in that too. But at the end of the day, I know were all going to do whats best for the city of Miami, Diaz de la Portilla said during the meeting. The commission deferred the item until a November meeting, during which Diaz de la Portilla expressed interest in the city immediately taking back complete control of the marina from Melwani. (They didnt.) Diaz de la Portilla arranged for the City of Miami Commission to look indecisive in an effort to distract from the criminal activity he had attempted with the Co-Defendants, Prieguez claimed in his complaint. It took another year for Melwani to get the commission votes necessary to hold a voter referendum to renew his lease and approve his Rickenbacker Marina project. It didnt pass. In the summer of 2021, city records show Hernandez registered to lobby for a new, unsolicited marina redevelopment proposal from Suntex supported by Diaz de la Portilla. It went nowhere and Melwanis competitor sued the city, saying the bidding process unfairly favored the Melwani family, which has run the Rickenbacker Marina for 40 years. The city is appealing an initial ruling by a circuit court judge that called for a new referendum on the bid put forward by Suntex and RCI. David Filler, a partner and head of investments for Suntex in Florida, told the Herald that the company hired Hernandez because he was the best lobbyist for this project. We were never pressured or asked to make any third party part of our deal, nor would we have, Filler said. Melwani now runs the aging Rickenbacker Marina on a month-to-month agreement with the city. Motivations Prieguez, who led the fundraising effort for Diaz de la Portillas 2019 commission campaign, helping the once-powerful Republican state senator return to public office for the first time in years, alleged in his complaint that he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in lobbying contracts after rebuffing Duarte-Viera, Hernandez and the commissioner. Prieguez, who is represented by attorney J.C. Planas, openly declared in an interview that his lawsuit is also politically motivated and that he hopes that it will lead to Diaz de la Portilla losing his reelection bid this November. Prieguez is supporting Miguel Gabela, an auto parts retailer who is one of two declared challengers in the November race for Diaz de la Portillas commission seat. (Gabela is currently in a legal dispute with the city over whether he meets the residency qualifications following the citys redistricting efforts.) But Prieguez also said he had another big reason for filing the suit detailing Diaz de la Portillas heavy-handed unlawful tactics during the marina discussions. He said he hopes to inspire others with similar experiences to go public. People arrive at the East Miami hotel on Monday, Sept. 4, 2023, in Brickell City Centre. Construction is underway for the newest pizza joint in Sacramento, more than a year after the New York City restaurant announced its expansion. Pazza Notte Restaurant announced in 2022 that it would open a second location by last spring at 1801 L St. in midtown. As of Saturday, the inside of the storefront is covered with plastic wrap and paint cans with no update on when the business will officially open its doors to customers. According to a poster taped to the inside of the shop, the East Coast Italian bistro and bar is coming soon. Pazza Notte at 1801 L St., Sacramento no longer has an opening date. The Italian bistro and bar is coming soon, according to a poster taped to the inside of the storefront. Pazza Notte Restaurant owner Tove Nord wasnt immediately available for comment. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This neighborhood really spoke to us, the Sacramento native said in a 2022 news release. It has all the elements we were looking for, great local culture, super charming streets, diverse residents and great restaurants and bars...we are in good company. The 2,891-square-foot space will feature a brick oven, happy hour and a DJ, according to a 2022 news release. More than 3,000 miles away near Manhattans Central Park, the original brick and mortar has been whipping up recipes inspired by a fusion of Italian and American comfort food brick oven pizza, pasta and housemade gelato for more than 20 years. Prices range from a $10 side of truffle parmesan fries to a $31 plate of pasta with lobster, shrimp, crab, asparagus and tomatoes. Pazza Notte celebrates all things Italian, the food, the hospitality, the warm and inviting culture, the New York-based restaurant wrote on its Facebook page. The eight different types of thin crust pizzas range from $22 to $27 with goat cheese, barbecue chicken, truffle and smoked gouda. The drink menu is extensive, with choices of wines, martinis, beer and champagne. Pazza Notte Restaurant coming soon in Sacramento This embedded content is not available in your region. Location: 1801 L St., Sacramento What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com. This morning, they decided that they werent going to lock into their cells, said David Boehnke of Twin Cities Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee. Haynes, Boehnke and Cathy Stroud Caldwell said the inmate action was an impromptu response to unsafe conditions, including access to clean drinking water, which they say is reportedly brown in color. The department said those claims about a lack of clean water in the facility are patently false. They didnt have time to organize and plan, Haynes said. It was just ... were not going back to that hot cell with no drinking water and not being able to shower. Items belonging to an Englishman credited with cracking encrypted Nazi communications during World War II and who later earned accolades as one of the founding fathers of computer science were discovered in the possession of a Colorado woman in 2018, nearly four decades after they went missing. In late August, Denver-based federal investigators flew across the Atlantic to return those items which were enthusiastically received. "We thought probably that was the last we were ever going to see of them," said Dominic Luckett, headmaster at Sherborne School, in BBC coverage of the repatriation ceremony. "So it was a rather pleasant surprise when we got wind that the American authorities knew they were in America and they were doing their best to track them down and get them back." But that's not the end of the story: How those artifacts got to Colorado, and whether they were stolen or secretly given away are mysteries that have not been solved. Alan Turing's 1936 passport photo, one of the items taken from the Sherborne School in England in 1984 and recently found in a Colorado woman's possession. / Credit: Sherborne School The story took a dramatic turn in 2018 in Boulder when a woman from Conifer, Colo. presented the items to officials at the University of Colorado. She offered to lend the artifacts to the university for historical display. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The university's historians thanked the woman for the offer but turned her down. Evidently, they knew what they were looking at, or at least had a solid idea about the items' significance. They contacted local authorities, who then contacted federal authorities. That's when Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Greg Wertsch stepped into the case. "We did a search warrant on the property, we recovered the items, and then did subsequent investigations to authenticate the items that we had," Wertsch told CBS News Colorado. HSI Special Agent Greg Wertsch speaks at the repatriation ceremony of Alan Turing's missing artifacts in Dorset, England on Aug. 22. / Credit: U.S. Attorneys Office District of Colorado The box of items had been donated in 1965 to the Sherborne School in Dorset, England, located three and a half hours southwest of London. It was given to the all-boys school by the mother of Alan Turing , one of the school's most renowned students. The enigma of WWII codebreaker Alan Turing Turing attended the school from 1926 to 1931. He went on earn degrees at Cambridge and Princeton, author groundbreaking articles on computing, artificial intelligence and mathematical biology and became a national hero by developing a device to decode the German military's secret communications. The Nazis encrypted their messages with an Enigma machine. That ability to hide its communications was critical in building an advantage with its fleet of U-boats, a type of submarine. Breaking the Nazi's Enigma codes at Bletchley Park That is, until Turing decoded it and took away that advantage. HSI's Wertsch points out that it helped the Allies win World War II, saving millions of lives in the process. "At the time, we had no computer technology to decipher codes. Alan Turing worked on this problem," Wertsch said. "Alan Turing was principle in that, in determining how to break the code. That changed the course of the world war." Alan Turing's Order of British Empire medal. / Credit: Sherborne School Turing died a controversial death in 1954. He was posthumously awarded an Order of the British Empire medal for his war effort. That medal, along with his Princeton Ph.D diploma, a personal note from the King George VI of England, a number of school reports and several school report cards were among the items in a box of artifacts that vanished from the Sherborne School in 1984. A letter to Alan Turing from England's King George VI. / Credit: Sherborne School School officials don't know how the items disappeared. But they did determine that they vanished during a visit by a young woman from America. That woman told the school her name was Julie Schinghomes. She claimed to be doing a study on Turing. She received a tour of school's archives from a staff member. Somehow, when she left, the items went with her. "We don't know precisely if they were stolen or given," Wertsch said. "There is a claim that some of the items may have been given by one person at the school to someone here. However, that person would not have the authority to give them." / Credit: U.S. Attorneys Office District of Colorado According to federal prosecutors, Schinghomes returned home to the United States and changed her name to Julia Turing. Investigators have not found her to be related to Alan Turing in any way. The search warrant was issued in 2021. Investigators found the artifacts and took possession of them. But it would be another year and a half before a settlement was reached between Julia Turing and federal investigators. Wertsch said Julia Turing surrendered her interest in the items after lengthy and "laborious discussions" in exchange for prosecutors dropping their criminal case against her. "Everybody in this case came together and agreed, the place for these items was back where they first were," Wertsch said. However, Chris Larson, a spokesperson with the United States Attorney Office in the District of Colorado, declined to comment when asked if, in fact, Julia Turing faced no legal consequences stemming from her actions. Regardless, the items are back where they belong, Wertsch said. "I'm very lucky to have had a small part in preserving that legacy for the world," he said. / Credit: U.S. Attorneys Office District of Colorado Messages left with a relative of Julia Turing requesting comment were not initially returned. Search expanded for escaped killer in Pennsylvania Escaped killer spotted near Philadelphia, but search continues North Korea-Russia arms deal eyed as Kim Jong Un and Putin plan meeting Update: The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office has reported that Pansy Arwood has been located safe. Mrs. Arwood has been located and is safe. Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) September 5, 2023 Original: The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office is currently undertaking an intensive search operation to locate a missing endangered adult, Mrs. Pansy A. Arwood, who was reported missing by her family earlier today. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Mrs. Arwood, 79, hails from the Northside of Jacksonville and was last seen driving a 2014 Black Chevrolet Silverado with Florida Tag: ARW00D4. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The urgency of this search stems from Mrs. Arwoods age and the possibility of early-onset dementia, which raises concerns about her safety. As a result, law enforcement is reaching out to the community for any information that might lead to her whereabouts and ensure her well-being. Here are the details of the missing person: Name: Pansy A. Arwood Age: 79 Race/Sex: White/Female Height/Weight: 506'/125 lbs Eyes/Hair: Blue/Brown Clothing: Unknown Clothing The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office is urging anyone with information that could assist in locating Mrs. Arwood to promptly contact them at 904-630-0500 or call 911. The communitys assistance is pivotal in ensuring the safe return of Mrs. Pansy A. Arwood to her concerned family. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Please ReTweet- Missing Endangered Adult The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office is currently searching for a missing endangered adult who could be lost in the area of I-10, between Jacksonville and Live Oak. Mrs. Pansy A. Arwood was reported missing by family earlier today from the pic.twitter.com/vOphKzq1By Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) September 5, 2023 [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. A physician on Tuesday said Sen. Mitch McConnell , R-Ky., does not have a seizure disorder and did not have a stroke, with the confirmation coming after the Republican leader has frozen multiple times in front of reporters. Brian P. Monahan, the attending physician of the U.S. Congress, said in a letter addressed to McConnell that there is no evidence he has a movement disorder, such as Parkinsons disease, or that he had a transient ischemic attack, also known as a mini stroke, USA TODAY has confirmed. Monahan explained in the letter that he examined McConnell, and the Republican leader received brain imaging, consultations with multiple neurologists and other assessments. More: Mitch McConnell to consult doctor after freezing, struggling to speak for second time this summer ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The assessment came after McConnell froze before a gaggle of reporters last month at an event in Kentucky. He was asked about running for reelection in 2026 and appeared to begin an answer before quickly freezing and going silent for seven seconds. After the incident in Kentucky, Monahan said in a separate note that the lawmaker has experienced "occasional lightheadedness" from dehydration and a previous concussion. Its the second time in recent months such an incident has interrupted a news conference featuring McConnell. During a news conference late last month at the U.S. Capitol, McConnell abruptly stopped speaking and stood silently for roughly 28 seconds. He was then escorted away from a lectern by his Republican colleagues. McConnell was hospitalized in March for a fractured rib and concussion he suffered from a fall at a hotel in Washington. The Republican lawmaker has fallen at least two other times this year once at a Washington, D.C., airport on July 14 and another time during a foreign trip in February a source close to the senator who is familiar with his work habits confirmed with USA TODAY. President Joe Biden said last Thursday that he spoke to McConnell on the phone and that the Republican leader was his old self. Biden said he has an understanding of what McConnell is going through based on conversations with neurosurgeons. It's not at all unusual to have the response that sometimes happens to Mitch when you've had a severe concussion. Its part of the recovery. And so Im confident, hes going to be back to his old self. Contributing: Phillip M. Bailey, Savannah Kuchar, Erin Mansfield and Joey Garrison, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: After McConnell freezes, doctor denies he had stroke, mini stroke Court officials have confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that 61 people have been indicted in a racketeering case tied to protests at the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. The Georgia Attorney Generals office will be prosecuting the case. Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the election interference indictment case, originally drew the training center case but recused himself from the case. The undersigned regularly collaborated with the Prosecution Division of the Georgia Attorney Generals Office and discussed aspects of the investigation that led to this indictment. Each of the 61 defendants have been indicted for violation of the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The following also face one count of domestic terrorism and one count of arson in the first degree: Najda Geier, Madeleine Feola, Emily Murphy, Francis Carroll and Ivan Ferguson. Marlon Kautz, Adele Maclean and Savannah Patterson also face 15 counts of money laundering. TRENDING STORIES: The council approved legislation in 2021 that authorized a ground lease agreement with the Atlanta Police Foundation to build the training facility along Key Road. Since its approval, the project has been controversial leading to clashes between police and protesters at the future site. Opposition to the facility grew louder after Manuel Teran, 26, was shot and killed during a Jan. 18 raid at the site. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Teran opened fire on troopers as they tried to clear the site. Within the past year, dozens of protesters have also been arrested on domestic terrorism charges. Back in May, the GBI also arrested three people connected to protests on money laundering and charity fraud charges. Construction on the new training facility is already in progress. A spokesperson for Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens released a statement that read, This investigation into alleged acts of violence and other crimes was led by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the indictments were sought by the Attorney General. As such, we have no further comment. We are working alongside state, federal and municipal partners to provide security and protection for members of the grand jury. Brooke Courtemanche Phillip Flagg Marianna Elizabeth Hoitt-Lange Ana Lee Abigail Skapyak (Bloomberg) -- As many as 3.3 million Ukrainians or almost 8% of the countrys pre-war population may not return home after fleeing Russias invasion, a study showed. Most Read from Bloomberg That estimate is up by as many as 600,000 since December, Ukraines Center for Economic Strategy said in a report issued Monday, citing a similar study then. The Kyiv-based think tank attributed the increase to the duration of the conflict, now in its 18th month, Russian attacks on Ukraines energy infrastructure and growing adaptation to life abroad. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The longer the war lasts, the more Ukrainians who fled the conflict as many as 6.7 million, according to CES are likely to make temporary shelters their new home. Ukrainian women, who make up a majority of asylum seekers, will increasingly seek better prospects for their children, the study said. People who left the war zone may have nowhere to return, the study said. So their return will depend on how quickly their regions will rebuild or whether they will be supported to move to other regions of Ukraine. The prospect of millions of people not coming home poses a grave risk to Ukraines ambitious plans to rebuild after the war. The study said the potential population drain could undercut economy, whose exports and infrastructure has been battered by the invasion, by sapping as much as 6.9% of potential output per year. The Economy Ministry has said the country, whose pre-war population was 43 million, is some 4.5 million short including workers and entrepreneurs of achieving a goal to double the size of the economy by 2032. The number of Ukrainians abroad is up from an estimate of as many as 6.2 million six months ago, CES said. More than half live in Germany and Poland, benefiting from temporary European Union protection measures. A significant number of refugees has lost much of their income, the study showed. The think tank urged the Ukrainian government to cooperate with EU nations on facilitating their passage back home, providing assistance to returnees during reconstruction, boosting communication abroad with refugee communities and helping to reintegrate children. It also called on the EU to open the labor market to Ukrainians after the war. --With assistance from Daryna Krasnolutska. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) Police say a man tried to stab a Memphis police officer with a fixed-blade knife outside a Frayser gas station Sunday afternoon. MPD said the female officer had just removed Sedrick Steele from the EZ Express store on Dellwood when he threw the officer against the storefront window and pulled out a knife. Police said in the stores surveillance window, you can see Steele take the knife from his right pocket and attempt to stab the officer three times but could not get through the officers bulletproof vest. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement They said the video also showed Steele putting the knife back in his pocket before other officers arrived on the scene to help take him into custody. Someone inside the store called police and said Steele was threatening him with guns, knives, and a hand grenade. Officers said Steele was carrying three knives, two with fixed blades and one folding knife. They did find any other weapons on him. James Goodman visits EZ Express on Dellwood Avenue a few times a week. Like many others at the store, Goodman is relieved no one was seriously hurt. That could have ended up with death. That could have ended up with a murder, he said. I am thankful beyond measure because anyone can do better, and anyone can be rehabilitated, but you cant bring anyone back. Steele is scheduled to go before a judge on Tuesday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Defense attorneys for convicted killer Alex Mudaugh on Tuesday alleged that Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Becky Hill unlawfully tampered with the jury that found Murdaugh guilty and requested that Murdaugh be given a new trial. The allegation was made both in a letter to U.S. Attorney Adair Boroughs in which defense attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin alleged jury tampering, as well as in a 65-page filing in the S.C. Court of Appeals. Defendant Richard Alexander Murdaugh... moves the Court for a new trial after discovering that the Clerk of Court tampered with the jury by advising them not to believe Murdaughs testimony and other evidence presented by the defense, pressuring them to reach a quick guilty verdict, and even misrepresenting critical land material information to the trial judge in her campaign to remove a juror she believed favorable to the defense, Murdaughs filing said. Murdaughs six-week double-murder trial, which began in January and finished in early March, was perhaps the most notorious criminal trial in South Carolina history. It featured more than 70 witnesses, one of whom was Murdaugh, who took the stand in a fruitless attempt to convince the jury he didnt kill his wife and son. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The juy took less than three hours to reach its verdict. The jury gave more weight to evidence other than Murdaughs testimony. That evidence included a cellphone video taken by Paul minutes before he was killed that had Murdaughs voice on it. Murdaugh had denied being anywhere near the death scene in the hours before the killings. During his testimony, Murdaugh, a disbarred Hampton attorney from a prominent Lowountry legal family, also confessed to numerous financial crimes involving stealing millions of dollars from his law partners, friends, family and clients who had won millions in legal settlements. He is scheduled to plead guilty to his financial crimes on Sept. 21 in federal court in Charleston. Murdaugh, 55, is now serving two consecutive life sentences for murder in the S.C. Department of Corrections. He has no chance of parole. Murdaugh contended other people killed his wife and son but never came up with any evidence to support his charges. The death weapons Maggie was killed with an assault-type rifle and Paul with a shotgun have never been found. On the trials last day, state Judge Clifton Newman removed a juror and replaced her with an alternate juror. Newman said the juror he removed had engaged in improper discussions and had, despite court warnings to the jury not to discuss the case, offered her opinion on evidence to other people. This juror has had contact or discussion concerning the case with at least three individuals, Newman told the courtroom. Newman had started the trial with six alternate jurors and had to replace four others due to health reasons. The S.C. Attorney Generals office, which prosecuted Murdaugh, had no immediate comment. This story will be updated. Tech billionaire Elon Musk accused the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of trying to kill X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, and threatened a lawsuit against the group, whose stated purpose is to fight antisemitism and hate speech. In a series of X posts Monday, Musk the owner of the social media platform accused the hate-speech watchdog group of falsely accusing him of being antisemitic, resulting in what he claimed was a decline in ad sales. Since the acquisition, The @ADL has been trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic, Musk said in a post, adding, Our US advertising revenue is still down 60%, primarily due to pressure on advertisers by @ADL (thats what advertisers tell us), so they almost succeeded in killing X/Twitter! To be super clear, Im pro free speech, but against anti-Semitism of any kind, he wrote in a separate post. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Several hours later, he took to X again to claim the company would file a defamation suit against the ADL. To clear our platforms name on the matter of anti-Semitism, it looks like we have no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League oh the irony! Musk wrote. The X owner said the lawsuit would accuse the ADL of destroying half the value of the company, which he valued at $22 billion. Based on what weve heard from advertisers, ADL seems to be responsible for most of our revenue loss, Musk claimed. Giving them maximum benefit of the doubt, I dont see any scenario where theyre responsible for less than 10% of the value destruction, so ~$4 billion. Document discovery of all communications between The ADL and advertisers will tell the full story, he added. The ADL published a report in late May documenting what it described as inadequate content moderation policies that miss how hate builds over time through networks even when it is not explicitly coordinated. The ADL Center for Technology & Society collected more than 5,000 examples from February 2023 of virulent antisemitism from accounts they tracked that were reinstated. Last week, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said he met with Linda Yaccarino, the current X CEO, and they had a very frank + productive conversation about the platform, including on what works and what doesnt, and where it needs to go to address hate effectively on the platform. I appreciated her reaching out and Im hopeful the service will improve. @ADL will be vigilant and give her and @ElonMusk credit if the service gets better and reserve the right to call them out until it does, Greenblatt said in a post on X. In a statement, a spokesperson for the ADL would not comment on the legal threats, as a matter of policy, but said the ADL is unsurprised yet undeterred that antisemites, white supremacists, conspiracy theorists and other trolls have launched a coordinated attack on our organization. This type of thing is nothing new, the spokesperson said, adding, This onslaught comes following our participation in the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington, where ADL proudly marched shoulder-to-shoulder with African-American leaders and those from other minority communities. Such insidious efforts dont daunt us, they continued. Instead, they drive us to be unflinching in our commitment to fight hate in all its forms and ensure the safety of Jewish communities and other marginalized groups. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) defended President Joe Biden against concerns over his age as he pursues a second term in office, in an interview with the BBCs HARDtalk broadcast Monday. Biden would be 86 by the end of his second term if he gets reelected which has prompted concern from members of his own party as well as voters. In a poll of registered voters conducted by The Wall Street Journal between Aug. 24 and 30, 60% of respondents said Biden isnt mentally up to the job of president, and 73% said he is too old to run for reelection. Only 47% of respondents said Trump, who is just three years younger than Biden, is too old to launch a presidential bid. Pelosi claims that even Democratic voters who have expressed worries about Bidens age in the polls are still behind him. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Theyre not supporting somebody else because Joe Biden is old, she told the BBCs Stephen Sackur. Pelosi went on to list some of Bidens greatest strengths, noting that Democrats will have to work to communicate those qualities to the American people in a more effective way throughout the course of his presidential campaign. Joe Biden is wise, she said. He has knowledge. He has a beautiful vision for America. He has knowledge for the issues, therefore judgment and wisdom. He has strategic thinking about getting things done. Thats why his presidency has been so successful on the domestic front. Biden has appeared to embrace the concerns about his age, cracking a joke about it during an appearance in Pennsylvania on Monday. You know, the only thing that comes with age is a little bit of wisdom. Ive been doing this longer than anybody, and guess what? Im going to continue to do it, with your help, Biden said. Pelosi expressed confidence that voters will send Biden back to the White House in November 2024. Youll see 15 months from now Joe Biden reelected as president of the United States with great pride, she said. Joe Biden is wise. He has knowledge. He has strategic thinking about getting things done Former US Speaker Nancy Pelosi denies President Biden is too old to stand again and predicts he will be re-elected next yearhttps://t.co/OSpdzv9IH4pic.twitter.com/cWvYWZNiG3 BBC HARDtalk (@BBCHARDtalk) September 5, 2023 Related... SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) The drug Narcan is now available to purchase without a prescription after being approved for over-the-counter earlier this year by the Food and Drug Administration. Having the first opioid overdose treatment being sold without a prescription and having it available on store shelves is a huge step for places like San Francisco. The city continues to battle overdoses and deaths caused by fentanyl and other opioids. Fentanyl Deaths: Valley health experts sending out an urgent warning In October 2022, authorities announced the first charge of suspicion of murder had been filed in a fentanyl-related overdose in Fresno County. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement If we find you and we catch you, I promise you this is the first, and its not going be the last case we prosecute for murder in Fresno County. You are killing people, you are killing families, you are destroying lives, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp said during the press conference. According to Fresno County, in 2021, fentanyl overdoses became the leading cause of death for adults aged 18 to 45. How Fresno Countys DA will prosecute fentanyl dealers moving forward Preliminary reports from the health department show there were 349 overdose deaths in San Francisco during the first five months of 2023. Narcan has a price point of less than $50 with Walgreens selling it for $44.99. Some argue the price is too high and could be out of reach for those who may need it most. Fresno foundation honoring son hosts International Overdose Awareness Day event Despite the cost, the brand used the most to reverse overdoses is Narcan. However, the FDA has green-lit a competing drug which is expected to hit store shelves in 2024 for around $20 less, with two doses for around $36. There is a state bill by Hayward Assemblymember Liz Ortega that would require insurance companies to cover the full cost of Narcan. That bill is currently awaiting full approval by California officials. In the meantime, some insurances say they will pay and others may not. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. A drone image captures a grateful message scrawled in a vineyard in the Lodi, Calif., region by growers who collaborated with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on research to detect a crop-destroying virus. (Aaron Lange / Lodi Winegrape Commission) Cutting-edge NASA imaging technology can detect early signs of a plant virus that, if unaddressed, often proves devastating for wineries and grape growers, new research has found. While the breakthrough is good news for the wine and grape industry, which loses billions of dollars a year to the crop-ruining disease, it could eventually help global agriculture as a whole. Using intricate infrared images captured by airplane over California's Central Valley, researchers were able to distinguish Cabernet Sauvignon grape vines that were infected but not showing symptoms before the point at which growers can spot the disease and respond. The technology, coupled with machine learning and on-the-ground analysis, successfully identified infected plants with almost 90% accuracy in some cases, according to two new research papers. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This is the first time we've ever shown the ability to do viral disease detection on the airborne scale, said Katie Gold, an assistant professor of grape pathology at Cornell University and a lead researcher on the project. "The next step is scaling to space." Read more: $600,000 in stolen wine: Inside one of Californias biggest high-end alcohol heists As NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is working on sending its airborne imaging instrument a spectrometer known as AVIRIS-NG into space, the research team is hopeful more routine aerial images and data from the launched machine could be used to more widely monitor crops. The ultimate vision is to be able to do this from space and not just for grapes and not just this one disease and not just a few places in California, but to be able to do this for farmers all over the world, for many different crops and many different diseases and pests," said Ryan Pavlick, a research technologist at JPL who worked on the grape project. The implications of such a venture if successful on a global scale could "benefit the whole food system," Gold said. If we can detect disease before it's really spiraling out of control at its early stages [and] make a targeted intervention, we can then more strategically use our resources, reduce the amount of chemistry we're putting into the environment, as well as make overall operations more sustainable, both from an environmental and financial standpoint, Gold said. Less disease and crop loss would mean more limited pesticide use and land use for agriculture better for human and Earth health as well as financial benefits, she said. Read more: The 101 best California experiences But that's still a far-off vision, Pavlick said, with much more research necessary before the spectrometer is set to head up to space at the end of this decade. This latest study, focused on vineyards and the grapevine leafroll virus 3, or GLRaV-3, is a promising example of how this powerful technology can be leveraged, he said. The leafroll virus is primarily spread across vineyards by the endemic mealybug, and once the disease takes hold the only treatment is removal costing the U.S. wine and grape industry some $3 billion in damage and losses annually, researchers said. Right now, the virus is detected by growers predominately through laborious vine-by-vine analysis and expensive molecular testing, which usually provides results too late, once the virus has already ruined crops and spread. There are also some companies, such as VineView in California, which provide disease mapping of crops using aerial imaging based on previous research, which Gold said helped lay the foundation for their higher-resolution project that was able to spot asymptomatic disease. "This issue is so financially devastating, said Stephanie Bolton, the research and education director at the Lodi Winegrape Commission, a winegrower advocacy group that assisted in the research. Once its noticeable, it can be pretty widespread throughout a vineyard, downgrading grapes' quality and leaving vines completely unusable. Read more: Wine is so Latino, it hurts: What it means to be a Latino vintner in a white-dominated field That's because the leafroll virus has a latent period of one year, Gold said. "By the time a grapevine is showing symptoms, it's already been infected for a year and it's been spreading the virus to all of its neighbors," Gold said. So finding a way to identify early infection was key, she said, a challenge that led to the 2020 "wine tour" over Lodi vineyards, a collaboration between JPL and Cornell University. Researchers flew the AVIRIS-NG, or the next-generation Airborne Visible/InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer developed at JPL, over about 11,000 acres of vineyards near Lodi. The spectrometer captures data from hundreds of channels of light, including those far beyond the visible spectrum "down into the ultraviolet and well above the infrared," Pavlick said. As the machine flies over an area, it creates a map of squiggly lines, full of information on how the light was reflected that can be useful for applications such as detecting methane leaks, measuring the size of a snowflake or understanding the biochemistry of a vegetative canopy. "From the shape of each of those squiggly lines, we can infer all kinds of things about the earth," Pavlick said. Read more: Armenian wine may be thousands of years old, but it's never been more in vogue Using that data, the research team developed and trained computer models to distinguish the infection, while vineyard collaborators analyzed grapevines for symptoms and provided samples scouting over 300 acres of vines for two years. This work would not have been possible without their commitment," Gold said. Bolton, of the Lodi Winegrape Commission, said it was work that local growers in Lodi were excited to be a part of. "The growers here are really committed to learning and solving their problems and teamwork," Bolton said of the community of about 750 growers, many of them farming families. "We were pretty excited with the potential." The research's findings focused only on red grapes, but Gold is hopeful the asymptomatic detection could help spot the virus in white grape varieties, which are also affected by the disease but can be harder to spot symptoms of the leafroll virus on. Were really at a renaissance in the use of remote sensing in plant pathology, Gold said. "Were finally at this point where we can do what we dreamed of, which is stopping disease before it spirals into an epidemic, to help growers make more sustainable choices." Read more: This couple is making 'Pride wine' in the Santa Ynez Valley to uplift the LGBTQ+ community Though the study was successful, Gold said it's not logistically or financially feasible to expand the project with further airplane flights over the thousands of vineyards in California and all over the world which is why their eyes are on space. Space offers the opportunity to monitor at the scale at which production occurs," Gold said. "It's not something just localized to one grower, because vineyards border each other so we need to manage it at a regional community scale. And space is what offers that opportunity because it just covers a much vaster area. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. (The Hill) The secretaries of the Navy, Air Force and Army are calling on Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) to release his hold on military promotions, accusing him of putting national security at risk. Any claim that holding up the promotions of top officers does not directly damage the military is wrong plain and simple, the three secretaries wrote in an op-ed published in The Washington Post on Monday. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said the military leaders are the foundation of Americas enduring advantage that is being actively eroded by Tubervilles hold on promotions which has lasted for more than six months. At the center of the issue is a new Defense Department policy that provides paid leave and travel reimbursement for abortions. Tuberville claimed that it violates the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funds from being used for abortions. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The secretaries argue the policy is critical and necessary to meet our obligations to the force, noting that it falls within the law and has been confirmed by the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel. They also emphasized that the hold harms U.S. national security because it has prevented the Pentagon from placing 300 of its leaders in critical posts around the globe. They also wrote in the op-ed that because of the block, military families are enduring costs and genuine financial stress, adding that some officers have had to relocate their families or maintain two residences. These military leaders are being forced to endure costly separations from their families a painful experience they have come to know from nearly 20 years of deployments to places such as Iraq and Afghanistan, the secretaries wrote. All because of the actions of a single senator. The top defense leaders also said they were concerned that some military officers may leave the service for other opportunities as a result of the hold, noting that the effect has also been upending the lives of more junior officers. They said service members from all different ranks could be believing that their service is no longer valued by members of Congress, or by extension, the American public. Throughout our careers in national security, we have deeply valued the bipartisan support shown for our service members and their families, the secretaries continued. But rather than seeking a resolution to this impasse in that spirit, Tuberville has suggested he is going to further escalate this confrontation by launching baseless political attacks against these men and women. Tubervilles six-month hold on the positions has drawn criticism from figures on both sides of the aisle. According to a recent poll, a majority of likely Alabama voters want their senator to drop his hold on military promotions. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. Netflix will stream a second season of Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal Sept. 20 that will include interviews with the familys housekeeper and the caregiver to the aging matriarch, both of whom testified against Alex Murdaugh. Blanca (Turrubiate-Simpson) and Shelly (Smith) were some of the strongest witnesses that actually testified, especially because they were there the day of the murders, co-executive producer Julia Willoughby Nason told Mens Health magazine. They were very, very close to the family. Turrubiate-Simpson, the housekeeper, testified about going into the house after the murders and conversations she had with Maggie Murdaugh, who along with son Paul Murdaugh, were shot to death on the property in 2021. Smith testified about Alex Murdaugh coming to his mothers house a few times after the murders and at one point bringing a mysterious blue tarp. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Co-director/coexecutive producer Michael Gasparro told Vanity Fair, which was first to report the new episodes, it was the trial of the century. Nason told Vanity Fair they decided to present the new episodes as if the viewer was living the crime as it unfolded. They used videos from police body cams and interrogations as well as Court TVs trial coverage. We didnt want to be doing any kind of recap, she said. Also interviewed was Curtis Eddie Smith, known colloquially as Cousin Eddie, who has been charged with insurance fraud in a scheme in which Alex wanted Smith to shoot him so surviving son Buster Murdaugh could get millions from a life insurance policy. Smith has said he did meet Murdaugh but did not shoot him. Alex Murdaugh suffered a grazing wound to the head. Those also appearing in season two include Pauls ex-girlfriend Morgan Daughty and friend Anthony Cook, who dated Mallory Beach, the young woman who died in a boating accident for which Paul was charged and awaiting trial when he died. They appeared in the first season as well. The first season was about the deaths of Stephen Smith, a classmate of son Buster, family housekeeper Gloria Satterfield, and Beach. Alex Murdaugh was convicted a week after the first season aired in February. He was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. He is in protective custody in a South Carolina prison. Neo-Nazi groups paraded around Florida last weekend with swastika flags and Heil Hitler chants, a trend that has become alarmingly common around the country. Over Labor Day weekend, a coalition of extremist groups held a March of the Redshirts rally in Orlando. Those who participated dressed in red and black, including a neo-Nazi group leader, are shown standing on an area overpass in a video posted by documentarian Ford Fischer. Some neo-Nazis also gathered outside Disney World. (@) Founded by former Marine Christopher Pohlhaus, his Blood Tribe group previously demonstrated in Ohio and Wisconsin. He lives in Maine. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As well as Blood Tribe, White Lives Matter, Goyim Defense League, and Vinland Rebels Fascist Action all had representation among the dozens of white supremacists present, Fischer reported. We are everywhere, the group can be heard chanting in the videos shared. They also shouted antigay slurs at people, calling them fa**ots. Far-right extremists, white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and some Republican politicians have recently found themselves aligned against everything perceived as woke, including recognizing LGBTQ+ people and their existence. The Advocate spoke with Jon Lewis, a research fellow at George Washington Universitys Program on Extremism, where he studies domestic violent extremism and homegrown violent extremism. He believes that an alarming level of hate simmering in American society that the extreme right exploits and should not be normalized. In both the white supremacist and the anti-LGBTQ spaces, you have seen these very similar patterns where the fringe has become embraced by an increasingly large subset of Americans, Lewis said. Concepts like the great replacement theory that 10 years ago were fodder for these closed white supremacist chat rooms and niche online spaces are now in the past couple years are all over Tucker Carlsons show. He continued, Whenever you have this kind of mainstreaming, this kind of seeding of these ideas out to this number of people, its always going to increase the likelihood, not that hundreds of thousands of people are all of a sudden going to have that cognitive shift, but 15, 20, 30, 40, 50 of them are going to be radicalized, are going to think, Hey, this makes a lot of sense. I should go down this rabbit hole. And then at the end of that is where you see individuals who, for any combination of ideological reasons, personal grievances, whatever, are willing to commit mass violence because of that. Lewis explained that this radical ideology is a threat and has always been. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the threat posed by violent white supremacists, neo-Nazis, anti-government, and anti-LGBTQ+ actors as society embraces many of the narratives that have consistently dominated those spaces, he said. Last week, a deadly racist attack in Jacksonville in which a white supremacist with swastikas painted on his assault rifle shot and killed three Black people was reportedly motivated by his hatred of African Americans, according to police. The streamer also announced the return of popular series Savage Beauty and Young, Famous & African. Netflix announced a slate of new content from South Africa over the weekend, including the fourth season of its hit series Blood & Water. Blood & Water production still image. (Photo by Lindsey Appolis/Netflix) As theGrio previously reported, the African series first debuted on Netflix in 2020, hailing from Nosipho Dumisa, one of South Africas most prominent directors. The series follows teen student Puleng Khumalo, who tries to unravel various mysteries, including the background of her sister, who was abducted at birth. The streamer unveiled the fourth season of the hit drama as well as other new content at the TV conference MIP Africa, per Variety. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ben Amadasun, Netflixs VP of content for the Middle East and Africa, shared in a statement, We are incredibly excited to continue with our investment in South African storytelling and to expand our relationships with these amazing storytellers. During the announcement, Netflix revealed various new partnerships with South African filmmakers and productions. These new deals include plans for book adaptations with Akin Omotoso and Ochre Media, a multi-project partnership with Gambit Films, the production company behind Blood & Water and more. These long-term partnerships with local filmmakers have enabled us to uncover unique perspectives and diverse stories from South Africa to entertain our more than 238 million members around the world, Amadasuns statement continues. This is why were committed to investing in South Africas creative industry and showcasing the incredible talent the country has to offer. The full slate includes a second season of Savage Beauty and a third season of Young, Famous & African. A new series, Miseducation, was also announced, and reportedly follows a self-absorbed Varsity student who finds her life turned upside down after her mother is arrested for corruption. Check out the trailer below: More can be found on the upcoming slate in Varietys report, here. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Netflix announces Blood & Water season 4, South African slate appeared first on TheGrio. [Source] The One Piece live-action adaptation on Netflix has swiftly become a global sensation, smashing records and potentially redefining the live-action anime genre. A global phenomenon: Netflix's highly anticipated series, based on Eiichiro Oda's massively popular Japanese manga series of the same name, captivated audiences worldwide immediately after it premiered on the platform on Aug. 31. Within three days, the series became the top show in over 84 countries, surpassing even Netflix juggernauts like Stranger Things and Wednesday. Setting a new standard: The commercial and critical success of One Piece season 1 has broken the streak of failed Hollywood anime adaptations, setting a new benchmark for future live-action adaptations. Among the numerous films and shows that failed to capture the original works quality include the 2009 film Dragon Ball: Evolution and 2017's Ghost in the Shell, as well as Netflixs own Death Note (2017) and Cowboy Bebop (2021) adaptations. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Critical and audience acclaim: The series has also received a positive consensus score of 83% based on 40 critic reviews and a 96% audience score based on over 10,000 ratings on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. More from NextShark: 2021 MTV EMAs: BTS wins most awards, Olivia Rodrigo and Saweetie also winners "One Piece captures the essence of its beloved source material with a charmingly big-hearted adaptation that should entertain longtime fans as well as patient newcomers," the platforms critics' consensus states. Realizing Oda's vision: Distinguished by its unique approach to the beloved manga and anime, the show strikes a balance between fresh narrative choices and faithfulness to the iconic characters and their backstories. The first season advances certain character arcs and storylines ahead of the original series, making it more accessible to newcomers while preserving the charm of One Piece. Oda's involvement: Critics have noted that the involvement of Oda, being one of the shows executive producers, played a pivotal role in the show's success. Oda collaborated closely with the showrunners to seamlessly translate the manga's vibrant world into live action. Oda's influence reportedly extended to script approval, ensuring that every aspect of the series met his standards. More from NextShark: Chloe Flower clarifies she did not play over Michelle Yeohs Golden Globes acceptance speech Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! J-Hope first to solo debut after BTS break announcement with upcoming album Jack in the Box Three people died and more than a dozen swimmers were rescued from the ocean along the New Jersey Shore on Sunday amid warnings of dangerous rip currents over the Labor Day weekend, authorities said. The National Weather Service had warned of a high risk for the development of dangerous rip currents for the New Jersey and Delaware Beaches since at least August 29. The warnings were in effect through Labor Day into Monday evening, according to the weather service. Three people were caught in a rip current while swimming in Beach Haven on Sunday afternoon, according to a statement from the Beach Haven Police Department. Two of them were brought to shore safely, while a 22-year-old male was pronounced dead, according to the statement. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement During the attempted rescue, about 15 lifeguards formed a chain and began a systematic search for the one victim who had been submerged, the statement said. Simultaneously, five lifeguards began a deep water grid search of the deeper water utilizing paddle boards and a JetSki, the statement said. Additional support from local and state authorities helped locate the man who was pronounced dead, according to the police department. A few hours later, five people who were swimming after lifeguards were off duty for the day were rescued from rip currents in Seaside Park, according to Andrew Casole, a spokesperson for the Seaside Park Police Department. The body of a 31-year-old man, who had been swimming separately from the group Sunday, was recovered Wednesday morning, Casole said. The man had been missing and a search effort had been underway since Sunday, he added. At Belmar Beach, five other swimmers were rescued Sunday late afternoon, according to a statement from the Belmar Police Department. The tide came, thats when they got pulled in, Chizzy Meremikwu, who witnessed the incident, told CNN affiliate WABC. They were in the back yelling, Help, help! Thats when everybody ran off the beach, calling for lifeguards, he said. One swimmer was unresponsive and was transferred to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, according to Belmar police. Despite the life saving efforts performed by the lifeguards and first responders on scene and during transport to the hospital, the 42 year old male unresponsive victim died at the hospital, Belmar Police Department Chief Tina Scott said in a statement Tuesday. Two of the swimmers rescued were also transferred to a local hospital, according to the statement. Both swimmers were treated and released, police said Tuesday. CNNs Caroll Alvarado and Zenebou Sylla contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com [Source] A video of a police officer using handcuffs to stop a suicidal man from jumping off his residential building in Hubei, China, is going viral. What happened: On Aug. 23, Li Yansong reportedly discovered the man, surnamed Chen, standing on his buildings rooftop ledge. Li quickly asked a fellow officer who was with him at the scene for a pair of handcuffs. He then cuffed his wrist with Chens to stop the man from jumping. The officer reportedly comforted Chen by patting his hand and speaking to him. Reinforcements soon arrived and helped bring Chen away from the ledge. More from NextShark: Malaysian Cosmetic Brand Under Fire for Using the Same Model to Portray Different Women of Color Gone for hours: Local media reported that Chen had left his home in a foul mood at around 6 a.m. on the day of the incident. Chens family filed a report to the police after he was no longer reachable, which prompted Li to search for him. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Virality: Li quickly went viral for his brave actions. Videos of the incident have already amassed more than 7 million views on Douyin. More from NextShark: Legendary mangaka Takao Saito, creator of 'Golgo 13,' dies at 84 If you or someone you know are experiencing depression or suicidal tendencies, please call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or text HOME 741741 for the Crisis Text Line. More from NextShark: Asian man punched, shot with gel pellets by muggers on NYC subway Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Japanese Musician Beaten By Teens in NYC Who Thought He Was Chinese VENICE, ItalyIts a return to form for Woody Allen! Thats right, a return to the form of 2015s Irrational Man, which saw Parker Posey playing a character under the age of 70 called Rita, and Joaquin Phoenix saying, Where do you want to run away to? Tahiti, like Paul Gauguin? Which is to say that nobody in a Woody Allen film has uttered a single sentence that an actual person would say for the best part of 20 years. His films are filled to the gills with cheap exposition, crass character building, hollowed-out dialogue, and the odd sub-New Yorker comic strip punchline. As usual, in Coup de Chance, which premiered Monday at the Venice Film Festival, there is a married young woman who has an affair, and a suspicious husband; as so often, especially in Allens terrible late style, the theme of chance plays a great big role, doled out glibly. There is a prying mother-in-law. In fact, I entered the request Write the plot of a Woody Allen film set in Paris, with a wife cheating on her husband, and containing the theme of chance into ChatGPT and its truly astounding how close the bot got. The film opens with Lucas and Emily's seemingly happy marriage slowly unraveling. Emily's discontentment with her mundane life becomes evident as she frequents Parisian art galleries and social events while Lucas remains immersed in his philosophical musings about chance, reads the opening AI paragraph. Nearly! In Coup de Chance, its Jean and Fannys seemingly happy marriage that is slowly unraveling, and Fannys discontentment with her mundane life becomes evident as she frequents Parisian art galleries and social events. Its Fannys lover, Alain, who gives us his philosophical musings about chance. Fanny meets Alain quite by chance in the streetan old friend from high school who used to have a crush on her. (How adorable that Alain was the same age as this schoolgirl when he was in love with her!) He is a writera young, hopeful, idealistic man whose flame for Fanny still burns bright, while Fannys older husband, Jean, is a cynical money guy. (Woodys screenplay is so lazy that it doesnt even bother thinking up an actual job for Jeanwe are just told that he makes rich people richer, though whether he does this by investing their money in stocks and shares, or by granting them three wishes when summoned from his lamp, is anybodys guess.) Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis/Getty Back to the plot: a series of Woody Allen things happen, and Jean decides he must put an end to his wifes affair, by any means. This skulduggery is played for easy laughs, in the way Allen has always adopted, scoring big by exploiting a facile disconnect between high-society comedy of manners and brutish deus ex-machinas. Alain believes in fortune, talking expansively about chance bringing him and Fanny back togetherand chance plays a significant role in the films denouement. This is cute, but its territory that Allen has visited over and over and over again, and it feels like somebody going through the motions, on top of which its really not a theme that can yield that many variations. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Everything here sounds false, like raising a toast with plastic champagne cups. Alain is supposed to be a young writer, living a bohemian life, but his apartment is in fact a bijou loft property, apparently located in Pariss most well-to-do neighborhood. No new-born baby has been named Alain in France since the year 1964. Sad-eyed, desperate-looking actors are obligated to say things like, I feel as if I were experiencing my youth anew, seeing you in that polo neck, or, What is wrong? You are pale in appearance. (I am attempting to give an impression of Allens hilariously false, unidiomatic French, by translating it back into English, after it was presumably translated into French from the original 1970s American with the use of Google Translate.) No actor can make this garbage sound believable, but some of Frances best actors, who apparently have no qualms working with Woody Allen after the credible accusations made against him by Dylan Farrow, are more than willing to give it the old college try. Melvil Poupaud, hot off working with Roman Polanski on 2019s An Officer and a Spy, flounders in the role of Jean, playing an old-school slimebag with as much verve as he can muster, but tripping badly over Allens haggard men are from Mars, women are from Venus dialogue, such as, Arent we fortunate, to have such beautiful wives? Valerie Lemercier, as Fannys mum, has enough training in comedy to survive this tin-eared pablum, adding much-needed hesitations and beats so that there is something like authenticity to her character. Priscilla Biopic Is a Radical Telling of Elvis Abusive Relationship But nothing can counteract the airless, stuffy fakery of this film: Its there in scenes that simply peter out, fading to black 1.5 seconds after someone has finished speaking; its there in the school-play blocking, which repeatedly sees characters standing around in a U formation so that all their faces can be seen; its there in the scarcely believable quoting of poets; in the under-characterisation of the lead woman; in the Greek Chorus-style exposition; in Fannys woman who has a job costuming; in the reference-points, the gender politics, the touristy Parisian locations, the Chekhovs gun finale and the music. Fake, fake, fake. Allen clearly carries on working because he enjoys being on a film setthere can be no other explanation for his continually making the same film with such wretchedly diminishing returns. His exceptionally brief spell in film prison now apparently over, he will surely return to English-language filmmaking and his one-a-year habit: Can he find someone who will translate his screenplay into 2024? Liked this review? Sign up to get our weekly See Skip newsletter every Tuesday and find out what new shows and movies are worth watching, and which arent. 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. WASHINGTON First lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, while President Joe Biden remains negative for the virus, the White House said. The first lady is "currently experiencing only mild symptoms," her communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, said in a statement. Jill Biden remains at the Biden's vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where the couple were staying over Labor Day weekend. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that President Biden was given a COVID-19 test Monday evening after the first lady's positive test and that he tested negative. Jean-Pierre, in a statement, said the president will "test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms." It is unclear what, if any, protocols will be taken on the White House campus in response to the first ladys positive test. The White House has not yet said what additional precautions the president will be taking in the coming days. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden walk towards Air Force One before departing from Gainesville, Florida, on September 2, 2023. The Presiden and First Lady traveled to Florida to visit communities ravaged by Hurricane Idalia. A Medal of Honor ceremony for an Army veteran, to be attended by the president, remained on Bidens official White House schedule for Tuesday afternoon. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Joe Biden traveled from the couple's vacation home in Rehoboth Beach to Philadelphia on Air Force One Monday morning to commemorate Labor Day while Jill Biden stayed in Rehoboth Beach. President Biden gave remarks at a Philadelphia union hall, then returned to the White House Monday evening. Earlier, the Bidens traveled to Florida together Saturday to tour the damage from Hurricane Idalia. They met with Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., a host of first responders, area residents and local officials, including the mayor of Gainesville. First Lady Jill Biden greets people in Live Oak, Florida, on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. The President visited the town to assess Hurricane Idalia's damage and speak to the community. More: 'Here to help': President Biden, first lady land in Gainesville, survey Idalia damage COVID-19 cases are on the rise again: Weekly hospitalizations from the virus are up 18.8%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Jill Biden, 72, has tested positive for COVID-19 once before, in August 2022, after her husband was infected with the virus the month before. Joe Biden, 80, the oldest president in U.S. history, contracted COVID-19 in July 2022. After initially testing negative, the president experienced a "rebound" positive case a week later that his doctor attributed to his use of the antiviral medication Paxlovid. Joe and Jill Biden are vaccinated and have received boosters for the virus. President Biden was still scheduled to travel to India for a summit of the Group of 20 nations on Thursday before visiting Vietnam on Sunday and Alaska on his way back to Washington. Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jill Biden tests positive for COVID-19; President Biden still negative A Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine last month has revealed details of the daring operation to fly across the border in his Mi8 combat helicopter, in an interview published by Ukraines Defense Intelligence. The pilot, named by Ukrainian officials as Maxim Kuzminov, explained in the interview how he planned his defection and why he felt compelled to do so. I contacted representatives of Ukrainian intelligence, explained my situation, to which they offered this option: Come on, we guarantee your safety, guarantee new documents, guarantee monetary compensation, a reward, the pilot said, in a recording released Monday. The head of Ukraines Defense Intelligence, Kyrolo Budanov, revealed in August how Ukrainian officials had been able to help the pilot to defect. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We were able to create the conditions to get his whole family out undetected, and eventually create the conditions so that he could take over this aircraft with a crew that did not know what was happening, Budanov told Radio Liberty at the time. Two more people were with him a full crew of three persons in total. When they realized where they had landed, they tried to escape. Unfortunately, they were eliminated. We would prefer (to take) them alive, but it is what it is. Maxim Kuzminov speaking in an interview published Monday. - Defence Intelligence of Ukraine In the interview released Monday, the pilot detailed how the event unfolded. During one flight, the pilot said I realized that I was near the border. I relayed my location. I said: Lets give it a try, Im not that far away. And, having made a final decision, I flew at an extremely low altitude in radio silence mode. No one understood what was going on with me at all. The pilot said he was able to land in Ukraine, where he was met by Ukrainian officials. The circumstances of the interview are unclear, but the pilot appeared to be speaking freely. At the time, one unofficial Russian Telegram channel, surprised by the flight data, reported that an Mi-8 helicopter had flown into Ukraine and landed in the central region of Poltava by mistake. No one has done this before, but I hope we can now scale it up, said Budanov. In the newly published interview, the pilot also pushed back against Russian misinformation about the invasion of Ukraine. The truth is, there are no Nazis or fascists here. Its a real disgrace what is happening here. Murder, tears, blood. People are simply killing each other. Thats all I can make of this and I dont want to be a part of it, he said. What is going on now is simply the genocide of the Ukrainian people. Both Ukrainian and Russian. The motivation for my action was to not contribute to these crimes. Ukraine will unequivocally win this war simply because the people are very united. Before they were not like this, but now they are very unified. The whole world is helping them, because first and foremost, human life should be valued. The pilot also urged other Russians in the military to defect to Ukraine. Youll be provided for, for the rest of your lives. You will be offered a job everywhere, no matter what you do. Youll simply discover a world of colors. CNN has been unable to verify the pilots identity. But Agenstvo, an independent Russian Telegram channel, said that it had found Kuzminovs social media profile and that he was an attack pilot of the 319th separate helicopter regiment of the Eastern Military District. Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov, who has well-established contacts in the Defense Ministry, earlier reported that the helicopter is fully intact and will be added to the Ukrainian Armed Forces after a detailed examination of its equipment. CNNs Olga Voitovych, Julia Kesaieva and Tim Lister contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Sunday defended her decision to raise her hand in agreement when asked if she would support Donald Trump as the partys nominee even if he was a convicted felon during the GOP primary debate in Milwaukee last month. Out of the eight candidates on the stage, only Trump critics former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said they wouldnt back the four-times-indicted former president if he was found guilty of a crime. Trump skipped the debate. With the exception of former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Republican presidential candidates (3rd L-R) former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum raise their hands to say they would support Donald Trump as the party's presidential nominee during the first debate of the GOP primary season hosted by FOX News at the Fiserv Forum on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With the exception of former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Republican presidential candidates (3rd L-R) former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis , Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum raise their hands to say they would support Donald Trump as the party's presidential nominee during the first debate of the GOP primary season hosted by FOX News at the Fiserv Forum on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But Haley said her answer was consistent with her decision to sign the pledge put forward by the Republican National Committee as a requirement for appearing at the debate. What you saw were candidates on that stage said that they would do exactly what they signed and pledged to do which is support the Republican nominee, Haley told CBS Face the Nation. Haley, though, added that she doesnt expect Americans to vote for someone found guilty of crimes. The American people are not going to vote for a convicted criminal, Haley said. The American people are going to vote for someone who can win a general election. I have faith in the American people. Still, the former South Carolina governor said ultimately any Republican would be better than President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Despite his legal troubles, Trump has managed to remain Republican primary voters top choice for president, according to an average of national GOP primary polls compiled by FiveThirtyEight, while Haley is fourth with 5.9% of the vote as of Saturday. Trump has faced charges in four cases, most recently over his efforts to undo Bidens win in Georgia in the 2020 election. He has also been indicted in Manhattan over his role in a hush money scheme involving adult film actress Stormy Daniels, and in two other federal cases over his alleged mishandling of classified documents, and his plot to remain in power after losing the 2020 contest. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Related... [Source] An American TikToker who teaches English in Thailand was recently arrested over accusations he sexually abused a minor and recorded the acts. About the TikToker: Luke Rockwell, 29, is an influencer known as "Teacher Luke" with over 1.3 million followers and over 525 million views on TikTok. Originally from Florida, Rockwell had been teaching English in Thailand and creating TikTok content targeting young English students. On Sunday, Rockwell was arrested at his luxury apartment near Phra Khanong Canal and taken into custody in Bangkok following a complaint from the purported victim's mother. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement About the accusations: According to the mother's complaint, her 16-year-old daughter met Rockwell through social media about five months ago. The girl revealed the alleged encounters to her mother after she experienced abdominal pains, and subsequent tests revealed that she had contracted sexually transmitted infections. The revelation prompted the mother to file a police report on Aug. 29. More from NextShark: Student in LA Assaulted and Sent to Emergency Room Over Coronavirus Fears "My daughter had been messaging Teacher Luke for months using my phone," the mother told the Daily Mail. "She deleted the messages after they chatted." About the victim: The alleged victim, who had previously attended a school where Rockwell taught, had limited local friends. She was described as "vulnerable and troubled" by her mother, who had adopted her at a young age. Rockwell reportedly told the victim she had to keep their relationship a secret until she turned 18, assuring her that he "loved her and would let her come live with him when she's no longer a minor." More from NextShark: TikToker's Japanese Tattoo Causes #CancelKorea and #SorryFilipinos Debate Ongoing investigation: Rockwell's charges include engaging in sexual activity with a teenager over 15 but under 18 years old. Police investigations are ongoing, with authorities working to gather all pertinent information in this case. If found guilty, Rockwell could face up to 10 years in prison and about $560 in fines. Rockwell also faced controversies in 2021 after claiming in a viral video that the Philippines is one of the most racist countries in the world. More from NextShark: Shohei Ohtani leads Japan to 8-1 win against China in World Baseball Classic opening Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Group Caught on Video Sucker-Punching, Robbing Man in Philadelphia The News The wave of coups detats sweeping Africa is fueling a rift between the worlds oldest allies: France and the U.S. The toppling in late July of Nigers democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum , is being met with starkly different responses from Paris and Washington that could have major ramifications for Africa as a whole. French President Emmanuel Macron is openly backing calls by the West African regional bloc ECOWAS to potentially use military force to restore Bazoum and allow France to maintain 1,500 troops in its former colony. The Biden administration, conversely, has dispatched multiple envoys to Nigers capital of Niamey in recent weeks, including a new ambassador, to engage the junta and seek a diplomatic solution, citing the regional instability military operations could bring. The White House, unlike France, has refused to call the military intervention in Niger a coup and on Friday again said it believed there was still a diplomatic path forward. The administrations statement came just two days after soldiers took power in another former French colony, Gabon the eighth coup in Central and West Africa since 2020. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Were still pursuing what we believe to be potentially viable diplomatic solutions here to see that democratic institutions are respected in both countries, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. Macron, meanwhile, is engaged in a growing war of words with Nigers mutineers thats unnerving Washington. Niameys junta is seeking to expel both Frances military contingent there and its ambassador, both actions that could draw a French response. I speak every day to President Bazoum. We support him, Macron said on Friday. We do not recognize those who carried out the putsch. The decisions we will take, whatever they may be, will be based upon exchanges with Bazoum. The French leader also seemed to belittle Niger and other former French colonies last week during speeches and media appearances. He told a French magazine that Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger all would have been overrun by Islamist militants if Paris didnt deploy counter-terrorism troops there in recent decades. Without Frances military operations in the Sahel region there would probably no longer be a Mali Burkina Faso, and Im not sure there would still be Niger, he said. Jays view Americas alliance with France traces back to the 1700s and the colonies revolt against the British crown. But Washington and Paris often pursue differing positions on key geopolitical and security issues, as recent history shows. Macrons government has tussled with the Biden administration on Asia. France was stunned in 2021 when the U.S. upended a French submarine sale to Australia by announcing Washingtons own strategic initiative to jointly build submersibles with Canberra and London as a way to compete with China in the Pacific. Macron later met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in 2023 and announced that Europe needed to maintain strategic autonomy from Washington and not get dragged into any war between the U.S. and China over Taiwan. The U.S. has historically deferred to France in Africa, given Pariss colonial history and economic and military influence in regions like the Sahel. But the reversal of Frances counter-terrorism operations in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger in recent years is changing Washingtons calculations. Military coups in all three countries have driven out, or are driving out, French counter-terrorism forces. And the Biden administration is concerned that China, Russia, or Islamist forces could fill the void. Moscows mercenary Wagner Group has publicly cheered on Nigers putschists. The anti-French sentiment thats driven the overthrow of Bazoum is emerging as another humiliating blow to French interests in Africa. But Washington has different interests in the country. The Pentagon has made Niger its key center for counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel. It has two drone bases there from which it targets al Qaeda-linked affiliates. This includes $100 million invested in a facility in the central Nigerien town of Agadez. Of course, what we hope for is that we have a peaceful diplomatic solution to this and we dont have to leave, the commander of U.S. forces in Europe, Gen. James Hacker, told reporters last month. The Pentagon maintains roughly 1,000 soldiers there and in Niamey. Room for Disagreement The coups in Niger and Gabon in recent weeks are fueling concerns in the region of an even wider threat to democratic, or at least non-military, governments. ECOWASs hardline position on Niger, including from Nigeria, Senegal, and Ghana, stem, in part, from concerns that their leaderships could be next. This is a huge test for ECOWAS, Rama Yade, a former senior French official and Africa Center director at the Atlantic Council, told Semafor last month. Nigeria needs a win as President Tinubu just assumed presidential office. But some Africa analysts said the Biden administration is right to be resisting military force in Niger and should continue to engage the countrys junta through a transition period. They said the roots of the anti-French sentiment in the country stem from the destabilizing legacy of its counter-terrorism operations and economic policies. And they said the Pentagon should be encouraging an approach that prioritizes economic incentives and dialogue to root out the Islamist insurgencies. It would also be meaningful to Nigeriens to see a Western power finally acknowledge their deep wish to see a diplomacy-driven approach, not yet more foreign troops rampaging through their villages, the Africa analyst Hannah Rae Armstrong wrote in Foreign Affairs last week. Notable France and the EU are concerned about the security of Nigers vast amounts of uranium ore that are used to power nuclear reactors across Europe. Niger powers 15% of Frances uranium needs and a fifth of the EUs. Al-Qaeda- and Islamic State-linked insurgents could exploit the instability in Niger to expand their reach in the Sahel. Interview: China's services trade fair boosts confidence in global economy: Egyptian expert Xinhua) 09:57, September 05, 2023 CAIRO, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) has opened new areas of cooperation with China in the services sector and added certainty to the global economy, an Egyptian expert said. Themed "Opening-up Leads Development, Cooperation Delivers the Future," the CIFTIS is being held in Beijing from Sept. 2 to 6. As this year marks the 45th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up, China has promised that it will continue to support high-level opening-up. "Through its high-level opening-up, China embraced the rest of the world with a huge consumer market and a firm determination to promote common development for all, thus boosting confidence and adding certainty into the global economy," Abu Bakr Al-Deeb, advisor to the Cairo-based Arab Center for Research and Studies, told Xinhua during a recent interview. The Egyptian expert pointed out that the most important aspects of China's high-level opening-up include sharing opportunities, developing together, and improving livelihoods, "all with the ultimate goal of building a community with a shared future for humanity." By adopting the opening-up policy, China has taken a series of measures to level the playing field so that foreign companies can have access to a better business environment, he added. "China has set up various platforms to reach out to foreign companies, including the China International Import Expo, China International Consumer Products Expo, and China International Fair For Trade In Service," Al-Deeb said. The services sector represents a great driving force for both Chinese and Egyptian economies, and there are plenty of opportunities for expanding bilateral cooperation in the field, the expert noted. "The services sector played a crucial role in China's recovery from the repercussions of COVID-19 pandemic, boosting its economic growth over recent months. Meanwhile, the sector has registered significant growth in Egypt, contributing more than 50 percent of Egypt's GDP," said Al-Deeb. China has already started cooperation with Egypt in the services sector, mainly in the maritime and transportation areas, investing billions of U.S. dollars in the sector in recent years, "especially in the Suez Canal, which is a vital component of China's Maritime Silk Road," the Egyptian scholar said. China and Egypt have also deepened their cooperation in the fields of digital economy, information and communication technology, Al-Deeb said, adding that "Chinese enterprises have facilitated Egypt's digital transition and social and economic development." He praised China's commitment to expanding opening-up, as opposed to the protectionist practice by some Western countries at a time when the world economy is full of uncertainties. The CIFTIS encourages other partners to expand areas of cooperation with China in the services sector, which will help all parties achieve the goals of the win-win cooperation policy adopted by China, the scholar said. "China is one of the world's largest exporters and importers of services, which means that expanding the trade in services will definitely benefit the global economy," he concluded. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Klaus Iohannis , President of Romania, stated that no drone fell on the territory of Romania. Thus, he refuted the statement of Ukraines Foreign Ministry about Russian Shahed drones falling down there on 4 September. Source: Digi24 with reference to the statement of Romanian President, as reported by European Pravda Quote: "I can tell you that no drone, no element of any device has ever reached Romania." Details: Iohannis reported that Romania has established "total control over our national space, but yes, we are worried because these attacks occur at a very small distance from the Romanian border." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He added that Angel Tilvar, Minister of Defence of Romania, informed him about the recent Russian attacks. Iohannis stressed that Romania continues to carefully monitor the situation and assured the public that the country is under reliable protection. "I can say what I have already said: Romania has very strong security guarantees, the strongest in our history," he added. Background: On 4 September, Ukraines Foreign Ministry with reference to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported that during the Russian attack on Ukrainian ports on the Danube river on 3 September at night Russian Shahed drones fell down in the territory of Romania, and added the photo of the explosion from the other side of Danube. Romanias Defence Ministry denies this information, claiming Russian drones did not pose a threat for Romania. Later, Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reported that Ukraine has photo evidence of the crash of Shahed drones on tht Romanian territory. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! After a meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he sees no "promising prospect of peace," Turkish news outlet Milliyet reported on Sept. 5. Erdogan told journalists that Turkey closely interacts with the UN regarding the Black Sea grain deal, and he will meet with the UN Secretary-General this month to discuss the topic. He indicated that he had discussed with Putin the UN's proposals regarding the resumption of the grain corridor. The Turkish president believes that "in the short term, we will achieve a good result that matches expectations." Read also: Russia negotiating new grain deal with Turkey and Qatar report Erdogan also stressed that Turkey "has been defending peace, dialogue and diplomacy from day one," but currently, there is "no promising prospect of peace on the horizon." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: Turkey begins construction of second corvette for Ukrainian Navy He reiterated that Turkey "is ready to contribute" and act as a mediator, and the war should end with a "just and durable peace based on international law." On Sept. 4, Erdogan flew to the Russian city of Sochi for talks with Putin. Read also: Kremlin tight-lipped on potential Kim-Putin meeting amid reports of plans to discuss North Korean arms aid for Russia Following the meeting, the Kremlin said that Russia is ready to consider reviving the grain agreement but only after international sanctions on exports of Russian agricultural products are lifted. In turn, Erdogan said that "Ukraine needs to soften its stance" for the grain deal to be renewed. 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 Invasive species are costing the world more than $423 billion annually, according to a UN report. From New York to Antarctica, non-native plants and wildlife are popping up more frequently and we're contributing to the problem. Here are 5 of the most obvious examples of how invasive species are impacting all of us right now. From Antarctica to New York City, invasive species are becoming an increasingly rampant problem around the world and we are directly contributing to it. A United Nations report from Monday details how humans have unleashed more than 37,000 invasive species into new territories, where they are crushing the competition and threatening the future of humanity as we know it. "I know this is going to sound grandiose," Peter Stoett an Ontario Tech University professor who co-authored the new UN report along with 85 other experts from 49 different countries around the globe told the Washington Post before calling the specter of invasive species a "tremendous threat" to all of "human civilization." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Since 1970, the cost of invasive species invasions has quadrupled every decade, and this new report estimates that they're now costing the world more than $423 billion each year, an estimate which Stoett qualified as "extremely conservative." It's not just money we're losing. Scientists say invasive species are one of the top five drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide (alongside other environmental issues like pollution and climate change). The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the body which created the report, said, "The severe global threat posed by invasive alien species is underappreciated, underestimated, and often unacknowledged," as it impacts everything from our drinking water, to food availability, and mosquito breeding opportunities. If you are still in any doubt, here are five obvious ways you can physically see the threat of invasive species playing out in real-time. Spotted lanternflies from China are jumping all over the East Coast Spotted lanternflies eyeing the New York City skyline from in New Jersey (August 2023). Gary Hershorn/Getty Images Spotted lanternflies, native to China, were first spotted in the US in 2014 in the state of Pennsylvania. Since then, the US Department of Agriculture has recorded them traveling to at least 13 more states, including New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Ohio. Lanternflies and their eggs are great hitchhikers, and humans are helping them thrive in the eastern US Spotted lanternfly eggs attached to a tree at Inwood Hill Park in New York City (September 26, 2022). Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images Scientists at Cornell University suspect that the main reason lanternflies haven't been stamped out yet in the US is because they are constantly being accidentally transported by people, whether by flying into their cars or hitching a ride on wood that then gets moved around. Without human help, lanternflies have a jumping and flying range of only about three to four miles. The recent fires in Maui were also fueled by a non-native invasive grass species US President Joe Biden surveyed fire damage from above Maui in Marine One on August 21, 2023. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images Guinea grass is "kind of everywhere you go, unfortunately," O'ahu's Waimea Valley Volunteer Coordinator Melani Spielman said in a YouTube video posted earlier this year. "It's that super tall grass you see all along the roadsides, up in the mountains," she said. As we saw with the deadly wildfires that ravaged Maui last month, killing people and wildlife, this tall grass can propel fires. In turn, it helps kill off more native species that are not so fire-adapted. Beyond fire dangers, it's also got little bitty hairs at the base of the plant that can aggravate your skin if you rub up against it. Some people call it "green panic grass." Tall Guinea Grass is local to parts of Africa and the Middle East, and it was introduced to Hawaii in the 1700s The grass is native to parts of Africa and the Middle East, including this chimpanzee's home in Somoria, Guinea. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Ranchers living in Hawaii brought the grass there because it was a drought-resistant way to make sure their animals stayed fed. It's important to stress that most non-native and introduced plants are not invasive. The authors of the new UN report estimate that only about 6% of non-native plants and 11% of non-native microbes are invasive species. However, invasive species are an outsized driver of animal and plant extinctions, contributing to over half (60%) of them. The most widespread invasive species worldwide is a pretty, purple-flowered water plant from South America Flowering water hyacinths are native to Brazil. Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images From lakes in Kenya to the waters of Bangladesh and the US state of Florida, the water hyacinth native to South America has caused serious problems for local anglers. It can block entire waterways, crowding out other plants, and it also makes a great breeding ground for mosquitoes. Zebra mussels from Europe have threatened drinking water and power plants in the US Great Lakes region since they were introduced in the 1980s Zebra mussels near Lake Ontario in Canada. Kilian Fichou/AFP via Getty Images Zebra mussels are great at latching on to almost anything, from a boat propeller to a rock, and they outcompete local mussels in the Great Lakes region. Experts think that zebra mussels were probably introduced to North America when big boats traveling from Europe discharged water from across the Atlantic. Now, the mussels regularly clog pipes at power plants, resulting in millions of dollars of damage. They once forced a water pump supplying drinking water to 50,000 Michigan residents to shut down. Even Antarctica isn't safe from the threat of invaders like a non-native bluegrass Poa annua is an annual bluegrass species native to Eurasia. Hu Weibin/Future Publishing via Getty Images Scientists are worried that as the poles warm, invasive grasses like the common Eurasian bluegrass called "poa annua" could crowd out the local grasses in Antarctica entirely, killing them off forever. But experts assure that we can take preventative measures. "The good news is that, for almost every context and situation, there are management tools, governance options, and targeted actions that really work," said Anibal Pauchard, a professor from the University of Concepcion, in Chile, who co-chaired the new UN report. "Prevention is absolutely the best, most cost-effective option but eradication, containment, and control are also effective in specific contexts." Read the original article on Business Insider Editors note: Roy Cooper, a Democrat, is the 75th governor of North Carolina. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion at CNN. As the country grapples with former President Donald Trump being indicted over election interference, the nationwide Republican war on democracy is raging fiercely in North Carolina. Right-wing Republicans in our state are responding with an attack on free elections. Using the big lie of election fraud as cover, Republicans in North Carolina ironically a state that Trump won are moving to limit access to the ballot box and sow chaos in our election certification process. Roy Cooper - From North Carolina Office of the Governor These sinister efforts arent new, and weve stopped many of them before in the state. But now, emboldened by the former presidents lies, Republicans here are back at it. Only this time, theyre armed with a legislative supermajority and a court system stacked with ultra-partisan Republican judges. North Carolinians and people across the country must take heed. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement One of the GOPs most pernicious bills is a blatant attempt to entrench its power further by targeting young and nonwhite voters who tend to vote more often for Democrats. I recently vetoed this bill. However, Republicans have pledged to use their veto-proof legislative supermajority to override my veto. The bill would shorten the time an absentee ballot can be accepted and aims to require an unreliable and unworkable signature match in certain counties and make it too easy for absentee ballots to get thrown out for minor errors. Jim Womack, longtime North Carolina Republican and leader of the Election Integrity Network, admitted the goal was to have fewer people voting; he told local media, There was an argument that said its a good thing for conservatives if more people vote. I fundamentally disagree with that. Now theyve said the quiet part out loud. And they arent stopping there. Another bill that was introduced in June is perhaps even more dangerous because of its deceptive packaging. It would change the structure of the state and county boards of elections in a backdoor attempt to limit early voting and consolidate the Legislatures quest for the power to decide contested elections. The scheme would establish an even split of Democrats and Republicans on these boards, which sounds innocuous but hides serious harm. Currently, the county and state boards are split 3-2, with the party of the governor holding a majority as required by our constitution. This wasnt a problem for Republicans when we had a Republican governor, but since my election in 2016, Republicans have been unceasing in their attempts to wrest that constitutional authority. Heres how their plan works. Right now, local county boards of elections set the number and placement of early voting sites, and if they cant agree unanimously, the final decision is made by the five-member State Board of Elections by majority vote. Under the Republicans new bill, if the State Board of Elections were to deadlock on a countys early voting plan which is likely under a 4-4 split then the plan reverts to just one early voting site in that county. This would severely cripple early voting. In 2016, 2.9 million North Carolinians used early voting, with just 1.5 million people voting on Election Day. Wake County has more than 800,000 registered voters. Mecklenburg County has over 770,000. Imagine the difficulty of running an orderly, efficient early vote period with just one site. Or consider rural counties, where voters would have to drive long distances to vote early. Republicans have tried this exact trick before not once, but twice. First, their plan for even partisan boards of elections in 2017 was struck down by the state Supreme Court. So, in 2018 they tried to amend the state constitution. Despite rosy-sounding ballot language, voters gave a resounding no, with 62% rejecting this harmful idea. And heres potentially the biggest threat inside this Trojan horse. Deadlock at the State Board of Elections means contested elections and electoral disputes can be decided by the supermajority Republican Legislature and the highly partisan Republican majorities in our appellate courts. Of the states Trump won in 2020, North Carolina was the closest. In 2024, its not hard to imagine a narrow Joe Biden victory that is overturned by right-wingers in the Legislature or the courts when there is gridlock at the State Board of Elections. The dangers of these bills reach far beyond the borders of our state. And if past is prologue, its not long before Republicans in other states launch similar attacks. For years, on matters from anti-LGBTQ legislation to technologically diabolical gerrymandering, weve seen legislatures around the country moving to copy right-wing legislation out of North Carolina. In this case that means finding ways to exploit our election laws on both ends making it harder to vote and easier to create turmoil in the election certification process. For all the right-wing fearmongering about near nonexistent election fraud, the truth is that theyre the ones using the long arm of the law to rig elections and threaten our democracy. We cant let them get away with it. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com One Fort Worth school made the list of top 50 public high schools in Texas, in rankings released last week by U.S. News & World Report. The Young Womens Leadership Academy at 1066 W Magnolia is ranked 23rd within Texas and 159th nationally. The public all girls school for grades 6-12 offers girls a dynamic learning experience that encourages critical thinking, inspires confidence and nurtures both the intellectual and social development necessary for them to be successful in college, a career, and in life, according to the schools website. Boasting an overall score of 99.1, the school ranked 15th in the state for college readiness, 23rd for college curriculum breadth and 43rd for state assessment performance. Of those enrolled at YWLA, 87% are minorities and 73% of students are economically disadvantaged. All YWLA students took at least one AP exam and 85% passed at least one. Students ranked highest on reading proficiency at 81%, followed by science at 78% then math at 24%. Opened in 2010, Fort Worth ISDs first single-gender school provides a college preparatory curriculum emphasizing math, science and technology as well as leadership skills. The school aims to help its 232 students grow through challenging coursework, field-based exploration and personalized counseling. YWLA offers career pathways in civil engineering and architecture, graphic design and visual arts. The first class graduated from YWLA in 2016. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Three Dallas high schools topped the list of best high schools in Texas: The School for the Talented and Gifted, the Irma Lerma Rangel Young Womens Leadership School and the Science and Engineering Magnet School. The top 10 included one high school in Austin, one in San Antonio, three in Houston and five in Dallas. U.S. News reviewed nearly 25,000 U.S. public high schools, with 17,680 making the national rankings. Out of 2,144 high schools in the state, 1,532 Texas schools made the rankings. The 1,085 districts in the state employ 117,850 full-time teachers. The 1.75 million Texas high school students are expected to earn 22 credit hours to complete the high school foundation program, according to the Texas Education Agency. They can also choose to earn a higher number of credits for one of five endorsement areas: STEM, business and industry, public service, arts and humanities or multidisciplinary studies. STAAR end-of-course exams required for high school students include Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II and U.S. History, typically completed toward the end of the spring semester. The World Languages Institute was rated the second best high school in Fort Worth out of the 29 in the district after YWLA, making it #51 in state rankings and #388 in national rankings. The school received a 100 on the college readiness index, which is based on the AP or IB participation rate. Fort Worths Texas Academy of Biomedical Sciences also made the top 100 list at #87 in Texas and third in the Fort Worth district. The public early college high school, founded in 2011, educates students who have expressed interest in biomedical-related careers. The Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts public charter school made the top 200, ranking 149th within Texas and receiving an overall score of 92.74. See more top ranking Fort Worth high schools: Beachgoers of a Chicago beach are required to wear clothes despite what a cheeky sign might have told them, officials said. The sign with an official Chicago Park District seal was installed at Loyola Beach, Alderwoman Maria Hadden said in a post she shared to Facebook on Labor Day. Nude beach past this sign, the signage reads. The sign was reported to the Chicago Park District, she said. A few hours later, the department said the sign had been removed. Please note: Unauthorized use of the Chicago Park Districts seal is strictly prohibited, the department commented. Loyola Beach is located along the shore of Lake Michigan in the northeast corner of Illinois. Friends add to Cracker Barrels decor in hilarious TikTok prank. This is everything Who pranked Texas town with fake Chick-fil-A coming soon sign? Cops want to know New research published by Ukraine's Center for Economic Strategy (CES) revealed that the number of Ukrainian refugees living abroad due to the war increased by around 500,000 people during the first half of 2023. At the end of June of this year, between 5.6 million and 6.7 million Ukrainians were living abroad as refugees. CES states that these numbers represent a 300,000 to 500,000 increase from the preliminary version of this report back in December 2022. This increase can be attributed to attacks on Ukraines energy infrastructure during the winter of 2022-23, intensified missile attacks in May 2023, and the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station in June 2023. The duration of Russias war also contributes to the rise in numbers. The majority of refugees are women and children, and the largest proportions of Ukrainian refugees are based in Germany and Poland. A significant number of Ukrainians currently residing abroad (63%) plan to return to Ukraine, yet the conditions and timeframe for the return remain unclear. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The study estimates that as many as 3.3 million Ukrainians will remain abroad under various circumstances, significantly impacting the Ukrainian economy and resulting in a loss of 6.9% of GDP per year. CES proposes a number of recommendations to incentivize refugees to return to Ukraine. Among these recommendations include cooperation with European countries, facilitating post-war reconstruction, increasing communication with Ukrainians abroad through diplomatic missions, and opening the EU labor market for Ukrainians after the war. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky nominates new defense minister as parliament approves Reznikovs resignation Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. While working as a nurse, an Iowa woman stole painkillers from her hospital employer in a yearslong scheme, according to federal authorities. Now, the 32-year-old woman from Sioux City, Iowa, has pleaded guilty to acquiring a controlled substance by means of misrepresentation, fraud, deception and subterfuge, and false statements relating to health care matters. She is accused of taking fentanyl, morphine, hydromorphone and hydrocodone, according to an Aug. 30 news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Iowa. The nurse began stealing the drugs in April 11, 2020, and continued through Aug. 15, 2022, according to court records. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Her defense attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News. Authorities said she would sign the controlled substances out for patient use, but they were actually for personal use. She did not complete the correct paperwork and otherwise falsified documents, according to court records. In pleading guilty, she faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a year of supervised release, according to the news release. A study from 2007 estimated that as many as 15% of medical workers will abuse drugs or alcohol during their career, according to the American Addiction Centers. Doctors and nurses are more likely to abuse prescription medications, with very high rates of abuse frequently seen with opioid narcotics such as fentanyl, the AAC said. Nurse secretly replaced hospital fentanyl and used superglue to cover tracks, feds say Nursing student stole fentanyl and injected herself in hospital bathroom, feds say Paramedic on ambulance shift injects himself with fentanyl meant for patients, feds say The New York Attorney General, the Legal Aid Society, and the New York Civil Liberties Union announced what they called a landmark agreement with the New York Police Department that significantly reforms the departments policing of protests to protect the public and members of the press from excessive use of force, according to a news release. The joint agreement will allow the NYPD to enforce the law while protecting lawful free expression, New York Mayor Eric Adams and the police said in a press release, but one of the citys police unions will not join the settlement. The agreement, which resolves litigation filed by the groups over NYPDs wrongful arrests and excessive use of force against protesters during demonstrations over the summer of 2020 in the wake of George Floyds death, requires the NYPD to change how it deploys officers to public demonstrations, to better allow the public to exercise their first amendment rights. It comes two months after New York agreed to pay more than $13 million to settle a class action lawsuit that accused the NYPD of using unlawful tactics against protesters following Floyds death at the hand of officers in Minneapolis, according to a proposed settlement filed in federal court in July. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The agreement reached Tuesday, stemming from lawsuits filed against the city during Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, is the result of a collaborative process that seeks to build consensus, balance safety with justice, and protect protesters, bystanders, and law enforcement personnel, Adams said in a statement. Rank-and-file officers reject settlement But the Police Benevolent Association, the union for rank-and-file officers, said it is not party to this settlement due to safety concerns, according to a statement from PBA President Patrick Hendry, who noted serious concerns about its impact on the safety of police officers and all New Yorkers in future situations involving coordinated violent actions. Under the terms of the settlement, a new role within the NYPD will be created to oversee all protest-related activities and develop a tiered response to them. The new senior-level role, called the First Amendment activity senior executive, will be responsible for overseeing and developing all policies, procedures, and police officer trainings consistent with this agreement, according to a press release from all three parties. The senior official, who will have the rank of at least deputy chief, will also be required to lead post-protest reports that document how the NYPD responded to a public demonstration, the joint press release said. The four-tiered response established as part of the agreement will allow for police to have different presence levels at demonstrations depending upon the size, scale, and conditions at a protest, according to the press release. In the lowest tier, the NYPD can deploy qualified protest liaisons from NYPDs Community Affairs Bureau to communicate with protesters and help facilitate peaceful protests; at the highest tier, the NYPD can move to disperse protests if approved by the First Amendment activity executive. Police are allowed to move to the highest tier if protestors are trying to gain unauthorized entry, physically blocking others entry into a sensitive location, or if individuals are engaged in widespread criminal conduct that cannot be addressed by targeted arrests, the joint press release says. Recording police activity is an established right under First Amendment The settlement also lays out new guidelines for the NYPDs use of force and treatment of journalists. The agreement calls for the NYPD to improve its treatment of members of the press, including providing access to protests for news coverage and educating officers on the established right under the First Amendment to record police activity in public. An oversight committee that includes officials with the attorney generals office, the NYC Department of Investigation commissioner and representatives from the Legal Aid society will be in charge of the NYPDs implementation of the new reforms over multiple years. In outlining the concerns of police officers, Hendry, the union president, cited injuries inflicted by protesters. Nearly 400 NYPD members were injured during the summer 2020 protests, but there has been zero accountability for the agitators who used the protests as cover to assault police officers, Hendry said in his statement. This settlement does not change that. If anything, it may serve to encourage future violence. Protests during 2020 presented many unique challenges for officers, who did their best to protect peoples rights to peaceful expression while addressing acts of lawlessness, NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said in a statement. Now, the NYPD has re-envisioned its policies for policing protests to deal with these unique scenarios. At the time of the $13 million settlement in July, the NYPD referred CNN to the citys law department for comment. Stefan Mooklal, the departments deputy chief of staff, said that settlement was in the best interests of all parties. CNNs Kristina Sgueglia contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com NEW YORK The NYPD gang database violates the civil rights of Black and Hispanic young people much like the departments much-maligned Stop and Frisk policy, a new report released Tuesday shows. The gang database, which the NYPDs own inspector general found fault with, typecast minority youths as gang members without evidence, putting them at risk of false arrest and wrongful deportation, according to the new report Guilt by Association by the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project. The report comes a few days after the NAACP filed a new lawsuit against the department, compelling the NYPD to release more information about its gang database that it withheld during a prior Freedom of Information Law request and suit. The STOP reports deep dive into gang database protocols and procedures and past reports on the issue shows that police are quick to add names to the database, but slow to remove them, even if all the person did was wish a known gang member a happy birthday on social media. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Being outside late and wearing the wrong colors is also a problem. If a person lives in the same public housing complex as accused gang members, the NYPD may say they frequent a known criminal group location (strike one) while wearing gang colors (strike two), which is enough for officers to add them to the database, the report notes. (The) NYPD can also add individuals to the database based on two independent reliable sources, but officers decide whos independent and reliable, and no one checks their judgment. What the police call the Criminal Group Database contained about 16,000 names as of April. Thats down from about 34,000 names in 2014, when the NYPD said it began reviewing each entry to see if they warranted inclusion, NYPD officials said. While the NYPD Inspector General called for better safeguards and fleshed out criteria on how names are added to the list the STOP report determined that even the most rigorous safeguards would be insufficient to mitigate the full range of harms that these databases pose. They must be eliminated in their entirety, the report notes. Elani Manis, research director for STOP said the report shows how it is alarmingly easy to be added to a police database based on nonsense, non-criminal criteria, and difficult or impossible to be taken off. The result is bloated databases that produce no known public safety benefitnothing at all to outweigh the grievous harm they do to young people who are added to databases without any evidence, she said. On Friday, the NAACP filed a new lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court, calling on a judge to order the NYPD to release information about the gang database that they refused to give in a FOIL request sent in 2021 and in prior years. (The) NYPD did not respond to the 2021 FOIL Request until seventeen months after it was submitted, the lawsuit notes. On March 8, 2023after dozens of follow-up phone calls and emails and two in-person visits to One Police Plazathe NYPD finally responded to the 2021 FOIL Request by producing a limited set of redacted documents in response to the first five requests, while declining to produce any records in response to the sixth request. The first five requests were about demographic data of people in the gang database, the lawsuit notes. The sixth request, which the NYPD shot down entirely, sought information on the agencies that the NYPD shared the database information with. Community advocate groups have been demanding information on the gang database for more than five years, demanding information as to who is in the database and the guidelines for adding and removing people from it. The NYPD holds firm that the database is a valuable precision policing tool that helps keep the city safe. A request for comment about the STOP report was not immediately returned. Sergei Surovikin, a top Russian general who was detained in the aftermath of Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin 's mutiny in June, has been released and made a public appearance, the New York Times (NYT) reported on Sept. 5, citing two undisclosed U.S. officials and a source close to the Russian Defense Ministry. According to NYT, Russian authorities released Surovikin a few days after the plane crash in Russia on Aug. 23 that likely killed Prigozhin. The U.S. officials noted that while Surovikin appears to have been released from formal detention, it remains unclear whether there are any restrictions placed on him by Russian authorities. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sept. 5 that it is not possible to comment on whether Surovikin was under investigation. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Surovikin, formerly the deputy commander of Russia's forces in Ukraine until his replacement by Russian President Vladimir Putin with General Valery Gerasimov in late August, has not made a public appearance since Prigozhin's short-lived mutiny. Multiple media reports claimed that the general had been arrested over siding with Prigozhin in the insurrection and is being interrogated by Russian security services. The Kremlin has yet to confirm such claims. Russian State Duma Deputy Andrey Kartapolov only commented that Surovikin is currently "resting" and "so far unavailable." According to the U.K. Defense Ministry, Surovikin's arrest would likely cause tensions among the Russian military leadership due to the general's popularity in the armed forces. Ukraine's military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Yusov said on July 18 that Surovikin had been effectively removed from his position, but his fate remained undecided. According to Yusov, the reshuffle in the Russian military leadership plays into Ukraine's hands and can negatively affect the morale and combat effectiveness of Russian troops in the long term. Read also: Prigozhins death latest in a series of unsolved murders in Putins Russia. Whats next? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A clash over the name of a national forest is picking up steam in Ohio. Wayne National Forest, named after Revolutionary War Maj. Gen. Anthony Wayne , is in southeast Ohio, about 60 miles from Columbus. Wayne is known for leading a decisive battle against Ohio's Native American tribes that led to their displacement, the Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported. The U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Service last month proposed changing the name to the Buckeye National Forest, citing requests from local community members, Native American tribes and others. The national forest is currently named after General Anthony Wayne, whose complicated legacy includes leading a violent campaign against the Indigenous peoples of Ohio that resulted in their removal from their homelands, the forest service said in a news release. The current forest name is offensive because of this history of violence. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The proposed new name refers to Ohios state tree and is a common nickname for the state. The USDA Forest Service said other proposed names include Ohio National Forest and Koteewa National Forest. Nation: US changes names of nearly 650 places with racist Native American women term The push in Ohio isnt without its opponents. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, wrote a letter last month to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, saying the name change "denigrates Ohio history and represents a lack of fidelity to our nations founding generation." But Forest Manager Lee Stewart said Native American tribes have sought a name change for decades, The Associated Press reported. Their request was formalized in 2022 under a review of derogatory landmark names launched by the Biden administration. About 40 tribes have ancestral ties to the forest, which today spreads over 381 square miles. Logan York, a representative of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, said in a statement that Wayne may be a Revolutionary War hero to some, but he is also the main villain in our story of resistance, trying to keep our homes and maintain our lives. For a National Forest to bear the name of Anthony Wayne is a harmful, and painful reminder and devalues us as Native peoples of Ohio. Contributing: Scott Wartman, Cincinnati Enquirer; The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Native American tribes seek to change 'offensive' Ohio forest name Ukrainians evading conscription abroad may be extradited "individually" but there will be no "mass extradition," Fedir Venislavsky, President Voldymyr Zelensky's representative in the Verkhovna Rada, said on Sept. 5. Venislavsky said that legally there is no procedure for the mass extradition of Ukrainian citizens from abroad as criminal liability has a personalized individual character. On Sept. 4, Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita published an article saying that men who illegally left Ukraine may be extradited to their homeland. On Sept. 1, Davyd Arakhamiia, head of the parliamentary faction of Zelensky's Servant of the People party, also said that Ukrainians liable for military service who left Ukraine illegally may be extradited home. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the State Border Service has recorded more than 20,000 attempts to illegally leave Ukraine, according to Andriy Demchenko, the spokesman for the service. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A Carnival cruise passenger is missing after he was last seen before the ship docked in Miami. Miami-Dade police told Insider that Kevin McGrath, 26, was last seen by his brother in his cabin. Coast Guard officials are still searching the Port of Miami and South Florida waters. Coast Guard officials are searching Florida waters after a Carnival cruise passenger disappeared shortly before the ship returned to PortMiami this week. Miami-Dade Police Department identified the missing man as Kevin McGrath, 26. A spokesperson with the department told Insider that McGrath was last seen by his brother at approximately 2 a.m. on Monday morning in his cabin. McGrath was supposed to meet his family for breakfast ahead of the ship's return to port but he never arrived for the meal, authorities said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He was reported missing at approximately 7 a.m on Monday, a spokesperson with the cruise line told Insider. The missing person's report came right as passengers were beginning to disembark in PortMiami following the the four-day Bahamas venture, the cruise line said. Carnival crew conducted an "extensive" search on board the ship but failed to find McGrath. Miami-Dade police then boarded the ship to investigate. McGrath was not detected by any of the ship's surveillance systems, including security cameras and US Customs and Border Patrol during the debarkation process. Authorities said the ship's cameras and security devices don't indicate that McGrath went overboard. A spokesperson with the US Coast Guard told Insider that air and surface crews are still actively searching for McGrath near Port Miami and along the South Florida shore. Miami-Dade police eventually cleared the Carnival Conquest to set sail again. The ship is currently located in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean on its way to the Bahamas, cruise tracking data shows. The incident comes just one week after a 19-year-old college student went overboard the largest operational cruise ship in the world, the Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas. Authorities have conducted a lengthy search for the missing man, but he has yet to be found. A 2020 study from the industry trade group Cruise Lines International Association found that 19 people go overboard cruise ships each year on average. At least six people have gone overboard in the last three months, promoting debate over whether cruise ships should be required to install man-overboard detection systems. Read the original article on Insider Ohio is joining a growing number of states looking to the online learning program Zearn Math to help students catch up after test scores plummeted during the pandemic. Gov. Mike DeWine and the state Department of Education are paying more than $7.5 million in federal Covid relief funds to make the online lessons available for all Ohio middle school students for the next three school years. Students can log in to over 1,000 digital math lessons in class, with tutors and even at home tailored to their abilities and learning needs. Along with adding support for in-person tutoring at schools, Zearn Math is the states biggest new strategy for pandemic recovery for this upcoming school year. No paywall. No pop-up ads. Keep The 74 free with a donation during our Fall campaign. One priorityis to provide students with tools to accelerate their learning, both for literacy and numeracy, said Chris Woolard, Ohios interim state education superintendent. Zearn Math is providing Ohio students increased opportunities to access grade-level math concepts no matter where they are. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Though student test scores in all subjects fell during the pandemic, math has been a particular concern in Ohio and nationally. In Ohio, the statewide proficiency rate in math fell 14 points from 66 percent to 52 percent during the pandemic, compared to eight in reading from 67 to 59 percent. Though scores for middle schoolers have rebounded some, proficiency rates for sixth, seventh and eighth grades were all still down by at least 10 points in 2022 results. Score drops are higher for Black and low-income students, as well as for students learning English as a second language. Data from Ohios spring 2023 tests will be released next month. Nationally, the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress scores from 2022 showed the biggest drop in math for 4th and 8th graders since 1990, sparking calls for better intervention to help students. How much Ohio teachers will use Zearn is still unclear. Its not required and has not been well-promoted. Officials of the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics said DeWine and the state did not consult them before contracting with Zearn. The announcement was the first that we had heard about it, said Bowling Green State University Professor Gabriel Matney, the councils president. Others said they were unfamiliar with the program, though the state has planned online webinars in September and October about how to use it and Zearn has since contacted the council. Other Ohio educators are skeptical. Chad VanArnhem, superintendent of the Kirtland school district, an affluent rural district near Cleveland, said Zearn Math helped his students a few years ago at first. We have found that online platforms and the gamification that comes with a lot of them, lose their luster after a few years, VanArnhem said. Students eventually became less interested and motivated so we moved to another program. A nonprofit company in New York City, Zearn claims to be used by one fourth of all elementary students in the U.S. and a million middle school students. It has gained prominence since the pandemic when the company made national news by providing some of the earliest national data about falling math scores and student recovery in the country. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is making Zearn part of its $1.1 billion push to improve national math skills over the next four years. And states like Colorado, Delaware, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Tennessee and Texas, along with Washington, D.C., are using Zearn in math tutoring and classes. And because the online program was readily available during pandemic school closures, Zearns sales grew 20 times larger from 2019 to 2021, according to one researcher. Zearn has enthusiastic support from officials like Matthew Blomsted, Nebraskas education commissioner, who told Congress last fall that it has been a big part of math recovery there since 2021, both during the school year and in summer programs. The data on Zearns effectiveness is limited or not done by independent or accomplished researchers. Improvement results cited by Blomsted were partially prepared by Zearn. Boasts on its website of students in Washington, D.C.,and Louisiana making gains compared to non-Zearn users are backed by Zearn reports. A claim of students making 1.3 years of progress using Zearn in a single school year is attributed to a Harvard graduate student, not a professor. A 2019 study by Johns Hopkins University researchers showed preliminary promising results, though cautioned that use of the program can be inconsistent, along with how well teachers are trained in using the program, so measuring gains can be hard. Aug 24, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Universitys next president, Walter "Ted" Carter Jr., talks about his experience and goals for leading the school. Kevin R. Cox is an emeritus distinguished university professor at Ohio State University. The Dispatch recently published an opinion column critical of the contract between Ohio State University and its incoming president. The authors raise extremely important points. Not only is the contract extraordinarily generous; it comes at a time when students and their parents struggle to pay university fees. Contract experts: Does OSU's new president deserve to make more than most Ohioans will earn in lifetime They point out, somewhat cryptically, that based on this contract, he is a highly skilled negotiator. But beyond that contract, what else? ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement For there are other questions concerning the appointment of Walter 'Ted' Carter Jr. Academic background First of all, and most importantly, his academic credentials require scrutiny. These are limited to a BA degree. Let that soak in for a moment: almost twenty five percent of his fellow citizens share that modest distinction. Then compare with other Big Ten presidents. More: Here's everything to know about Ohio State's new president Walter Ted Carter Jr. Of the seven who are in office, and excluding the interim cases of two of those universities, they all have PhDs, and in a number of instances, from stellar institutions: London University, McGill, MIT, Stanford, Yale. Our view: OSU president scandal, unnamed city police show disregard of public accountability Beyond that, they are a distinguished lot: four are members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and one is a Guggenheim Fellow. Why is this important? Well, you might be a good negotiator when it comes to your own contract, but giving leadership to a university requires something else. What about Ohio State's mission? Universities, we need to be reminded, are more than adjuncts to the world of business, much as our distinguished board of trustees might prefer. Carter clearly has an eye to finance, but what does he know of the central mission of universities, which has never been junior partner to the world of making money? Their concern, and the term "university" betrays it, has always been about the universal: about universal truths and the search for them and therefore, the development of the person. To develop ourselves, we must understand our world, and that means a search for truth in the purest sense. That requires far more than business schools and the applied sciences. It requires the humanities, and the natural and social sciences. You have to know about them, what their logics are, why they exist and why they are crucial to the development in all senses mental, physical, and emotional of our young adults. Is a "CEO" right for Ohio State? They need to be able to judge, to discriminate between the good and the not-so-good, between good and bad science, good and bad literature, history, and all the rest. They need to be in a position to lay down the foundations for the further advancement of our knowledge in its most universal forms. In an interview in the Dispatch, Carter was asked about the fact that he did not have an advanced degree. In response he said that he would be the biggest champion of the universitys researchers and faculty "because I have a great appreciation and admiration and respect for what they do." But how, given his limited academic background, can he possibly know what it is that they do and why it is important? He then said, ominously, that he had been hired to be a CEO of a large institution. CEO? Is Ohio State University a business? Is it quoted on the New York Stock Exchange? Are our students "products?" The language is discouraging. Is the new president going to be a happy promoter of the further corporatization of the university? And is this compatible with its academic ideals? To preside over a university, to give its broad educational process and emphasizing "broad" creative leadership, and withstanding all the pressures for its degradation into something else, is a very challenging position indeed. We are told that there were very many candidates indeed for this position. So, given Carters modest qualifications, why did he rise to the top? Kevin R. Cox is an emeritus distinguished university professor at Ohio State University. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why is there concerned about OSU President Ted Carter's qualifications? Oklahoma announced Tuesday it would be allowing materials from the conservative education platform PragerU in its public schools, following the same move from Florida earlier this summer. Ryan Walters, the state superintendent of public instruction, said he is thrilled to be partnering with the platform founded by right-wing talk show host Dennis Prager and Allen Estrin back in 2009. This expansion of our available resources will help ensure high-quality materials rich in American history and values will be available to our teachers and students, Walters said in a statement. We will work together to find ways for PragerU to create content that will enrich the education of Oklahoma students, he added. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement PragerU has become popular among Republicans for its short videos on hot topic issues, with the platform saying it is a free alternative to the dominant left-wing ideology in culture, media, and education. Some of the platforms most popular five-minute videos include Is Islam a Religion of Peace? and Make Men Masculine Again. Critics say PragerU spreads misinformation about topics such as climate change. Kids are told to fight climate change but are rarely taught about the human cost of reducing emissions, reads the description of one offering. This animated video teaches middle and high school students about energy and the environment through the eyes of young Ania living in Poland, who must face a devastating winter after the Polish government bans the use of coal. Oklahoma is the second state to allow PragerU in schools after Florida in July approved the material as supplemental curriculum, meaning the videos are not required to be used but teachers will not be penalized for showing them. The state of Florida just announced that we are becoming an official vendor, CEO Marissa Streit said at the time. This means if you are a teacher in Florida you can not be fired for using PragerU content. Texas is also looking at adopting PragerUs kids platform but has received pushback from educators and has not yet announced an official decision. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A former Oklahoma State Department of Education employee has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters and the state Education Department. In Oklahoma County District Court, Janessa Bointy accuses the department and Walters of firing her for speaking about the importance of mental health resources at a March 6 meeting of the Edmond school board. Since 2020, Bointy worked as a school counselor specialist facilitating the mental health-focused federal grant program Project AWARE East. After learning of a student's suicide, she said she felt compelled to speak at the Edmond school board meeting. Her children attend that school district. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement For two minutes, Bointy encouraged the district to boost its mental health programs and suggested administrators apply for a federal grant for related trainings. She said she would have given the same advice to every school district, if she could. Three days later, the Education Department fired her. Her termination letter, which The Oklahoman reviewed, states Bointy violated the agency's media policy and her confidentiality agreement by speaking at the board meeting. The letter also cited a year-old complaint that she had conducted personal business during work hours. Bointy said she didn't share any confidential information in her remarks, and she didn't speak with media at the meeting, though a local TV station aired some of her comments to the school board. In late May when she announced her intention to sue, Bounty told reporters: "I knew that what happened to me wasn't right. I feel I've done nothing wrong. I was a concerned parent, and I spoke up to share information and resources to my children's school district." Two other recently fired employees have filed lawsuits in Oklahoma City federal court against Walters and his chief policy adviser, Matt Langston. Both plaintiffs, Cheryl McGee and Matt Colwell, said the agency violated their free speech rights by punishing them for sharing internal communications outside the department. The Oklahoman has reported on previous employee exits at the Education Department since Walters' administration took over in January, including allegations of a toxic work environment and failure to pursue competitive federal grants. In a previous statement, agency spokesperson Justin Holcomb said Bointy is "yet another example of a baseless claim." "Contrary to public servants, these individuals are political activists who have no business being funded by Oklahoma taxpayers," Holcomb said in a statement. "The people of Oklahoma overwhelmingly voted for Ryan Walters during the course of three separate elections last year as such, this administration will not tolerate pre-existing bureaucrats who are not 100% committed to empowering parents, ending leftist indoctrination, and making Oklahomas public education the best in the nation." This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State Department of Education sued for alleged wrongful termination 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 First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska has told the BBC about the impact of the war on her family in an interview released on Sept. 5. She admitted that she never dreamed that her husband, Volodymyr Zelenskyy , would become a "historical figure." Read also: Orlando Bloom shares impressions of meeting Zelenskyy, First Lady "This may be a bit selfish, but I need my husband, not a historical figure, by my side," the first lady said. At the same time, Zelenska added that she supports her husband and believes that he "really does have the energy, the willpower, inspiration, and stubbornness to get through this war." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "I believe in him. And I support him," she said. Read also: Olena Zelenska talks mental health in Ukrainian schools on first day back to classes I know that he has enough strength. For any other person I know, I think, it would be much harder this situation. He really is a very strong and resilient person. And this resilience is what we all need right now. Zelenska also spoke about how her children deal with separation from their father, and how they live in wartime. "We don't live together with my husband, the family is separated," Ukraines first lady told the BBC. We have the opportunity to see each other, but not as often as we would like. My son misses his father. It pains me to watch that my kids don't plan anything. At such an age, young people. My daughter is 19. They dream of travelling, of new sensations, emotions. She does not have such an opportunity. There are limitations in time in what you can allow yourself, they exist, and we somehow try to live within them. But we stay strong, we have strength both emotionally and physically. And I am sure we will handle it together. 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 OAN settled a defamation lawsuit brought by former Dominion executive Eric Coomer. The network falsely claimed Coomer participated in an "Antifa conference call" to rig the election. Coomer's lawsuit is distinct from Dominion's defamation lawsuits. The far-right media organization One America News Network has settled a defamation lawsuit brought against the company by Eric Coomer, a former executive of Dominion Voting Systems who went into hiding amid the proliferation of false conspiracy theories about him following Donald Trump 's loss in the 2020 election. In an August 30 filing in Denver County District Court in Colorado, Coomer and the defendants OAN, its chief White House correspondent Chanel Rion, and parent company Herring Networks said they jointly agreed to dismiss the case. "Plaintiff Eric Coomer, Ph.D. and Defendants Herring Networks, Inc. dba One America News Network and Chanel Rion have fully and finally settled the disputes among them concerning Plaintiff's claims against Herring Networks, Inc. dba One America News Network and Chanel Rion only," the filing said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Law360 first reported on the settlement. The terms were not disclosed in court filings. Representatives for Coomer and OAN didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider. Coomer brought his defamation lawsuit in a state court in Colorado, where he lives, in early 2021. It was filed against OAN, as well as former President Trump's 2020 presidential campaign, attorneys Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, Newsmax, and a slew of other right-wing organizations and individuals he claimed pushed false claims about him. He has also sued, in a separate lawsuit, conspiracy theorist and pillow salesman Mike Lindell. One false viral claim, which was perpetuated by OAN, alleged Coomer took part in an "Antifa conference call" to plan how to rig the 2020 presidential election results. OAN published a number of stories accusing Dominion of rigging the election, some of which have been deleted from its website following lawsuits against the media organization. Rion also made a three-part video called "Dominion-izing the Vote" where she interviewed a conspiracy theorist who falsely claimed Coomer "was responsible for putting his finger on the scales of our election" and "could be tried for treason." Trump posted the video on Twitter, where it ricocheted through right-wing media. "OANN and Rion took no efforts to verify or corroborate these false allegations before publishing them and disregarded reliable sources establishing the contrary," Coomer's lawyers wrote in his lawsuit. "They had no credible evidence of any 'Antifa conference call;' that Dr. Coomer was part of this purported call; or that Dr. Coomer committed election fraud. Instead, like other Defendants, OANN and Rion knowingly and recklessly published false statements about Dr. Coomer to support a preconceived conspiracy that the election was fraudulent." Coomer still has ongoing lawsuits against election conspiracy theorists The conspiracy theories, Coomer said in his lawsuit, led to "an onslaught of harassment and credible death threats issued against him." In December 2020, he went into hiding to protect himself against potential threats. "All aspects of his life have been altered in response to Defendants' conduct, including things as basic as where to live, how to go out in public, and when to see family and friends," his lawyers wrote in his suit. "The results of Defendants' ongoing conduct are foreseeable and obscene. This conduct is so outrageous in character and extreme in degree as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency. It should be regarded as atrocious and determined intolerable in a civilized community." One America News Network has settled former Dominion executive Eric Coomer's lawsuit. Drew Angerer/Getty Images Coomer filed his lawsuit separately from Dominion, which has separate pending lawsuits against OAN, Newsmax, Giuliani, and Powell. Fox News paid a record $787.5 million to settle Dominion's defamation lawsuit against it in April. OAN's rival, Newsmax, settled Coomer's claims against it in April 2021, issuing a public apology at the time. It was the first settlement from a news organization in a defamation lawsuit filed over 2020 election conspiracy theories. "There are several facts that our viewers should be aware of. Newsmax has found no evidence that Dr. Coomer interfered with Dominion voting machines or voting software in any way, nor that Dr. Coomer ever claimed to have done so," Newsmax said in a statement at the time. "Nor has Newsmax found any evidence that Dr. Coomer ever participated in any conversation with members of 'Antifa,' nor that he was directly involved with any partisan political organization." Newsmax has since removed the apology from its site. Coomer's claims against the Trump campaign, Giuliani, Powell, and other defendants remain pending. Several cable carriers have cut ties with OAN following the 2020 election, leading to financial struggles for the network. Read the original article on Business Insider Insurance companies collected more than $150 billion in premiums from California homeowners over the last 25 years and enjoyed profits at four times the national average. Now theyre demanding an unprecedented bailout from the California Legislature as the price of continuing to do business here in the wake of wildfire losses. Industry lobbyists are reportedly negotiating with lawmakers , Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Gov. Gavin Newsoms office toward a deal that would be unveiled in the last weeks before the Legislature adjourns on Sept. 14. The industrys plan would advance its decades-long drive to undermine the protections of Proposition 103, the insurance reform measure passed by voters 35 years ago. The proposal would allow insurance companies to hike rates without full transparency or justification; force policyholders to assume the staggering costs of insurers backup coverage for unexpected losses; and use secret algorithms to set premiums. These currently illegal practices are likely to raise property insurance premiums by 40% or more. Many more customers could be forced into the California FAIR (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements) Plan, a state-created, industry-controlled association that offers less generous, last-resort coverage at higher prices. Worse, the proposed bailout relieves insurance companies of their responsibility to cover all losses under the FAIR Plan, forcing the states policyholders to shoulder the burden through mandatory surcharges on their insurance bills. The proposal would incentivize insurance companies to push their riskiest customers into the FAIR Plan and make other policyholders subsidize their claims. Insurers would retain only their most profitable customers. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read more: Op-Ed: Wildfires never threatened my home. But my insurer said they do and dumped me Some lawmakers have suggested that capitulating to the industrys demands for deregulation, vastly higher premiums and zero risk is necessary to lure insurance companies back to California. Companies such as State Farm, Allstate and Farmers have orchestrated an insurance shortage in the state by refusing to sell new policies and improperly dumping existing customers. But the companies proposal does not guarantee that anyone who wants to buy insurance coverage will be able to do so. Nor has surrendering to industry demands worked in Florida. Under Gov. Ron DeSantis, rate regulation is weak, insurers are opaque and companies are allowed to pass on the cost of reinsurance and impose surcharges on policyholders if the states FAIR Plan equivalent falls short. And yet homeowner premiums are two to three times higher than in California, the proportion of policyholders with last-resort insurance is five times greater, and companies are rapidly abandoning the state anyhow. Under the California Constitution, the Legislature is barred from amending the terms of Proposition 103 except to further the initiatives purposes. Courts have repeatedly invalidated legislation that weakens those reforms, as the industrys latest proposal does. Whatever their personal views, lawmakers must respect the voters will and insist that insurance companies do the same. Read more: Editorial: Climate change is making California more expensive. Home insurance is the latest bellwether By waiting until the last days of legislative business to negotiate such a bailout, lawmakers are cynically attempting to bypass public scrutiny and debate while undermining the credibility of their institution. As the Legislatures 1996 deregulation of utility rates showed, poorly vetted, industry-backed proposals can become costly debacles for California consumers and taxpayers. There are many legitimate ways to address the impact of wildfires and other extreme weather events without bailing out the industry or allowing it to avoid transparency and accountability. Our leaders should take the time to look into them. For example, money from a proposed climate bond and the states cap-and-trade program could be deployed to help homeowners take precautions that reduce the risk of loss from extreme events such as wildfires. Rather than allowing insurance companies to make land use policy through rates, state and local authorities ought to develop rational rules to guide construction in high-risk areas. And insurance companies should be given a deadline to stop insuring and investing in the oil and gas companies that are fueling climate change. Finally, as a condition for the privilege of selling any kind of insurance in California, companies must be required to cover all homeowners who have taken appropriate measures to protect their property. And insurers that choose to leave the state should not be allowed to return for five years. Companies that collect our premiums for decades and then suddenly decide they dont want to obey our laws should not be allowed to do business in the largest and most lucrative insurance market in the nation. Harvey Rosenfield is the founder of Consumer Watchdog and the author of Proposition 103. 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. Editors note: Kara Alaimo, an associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University, writes about issues affecting women and social media. Her book Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls And How We Can Take It Back will be published by Alcove Press in 2024. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook and X. The opinions expressed in this commentary are her own. Read more opinion on CNN. Kids are back at school, and many of our social media feeds are full of pictures of children with #backtoschooloutfit inspo (inspiration) but they dont seem to have insisted on wearing mismatched outfits or run out of time to stand perfectly still and smile for the camera. Kara Alaimo - Courtesy Kara Alaimo Thats at least in part because so much of the content were seeing isnt just of our friends kids anymore its coming from influencers and brands. Mainstream users are posting less of their lives publicly these days, so more of the content were seeing on platforms such as Instagram is highly curated by people trying to sell us things. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement With our feeds increasingly full of content from brands and people peddling products, platforms as we knew them are over, University of Illinois-Chicago communications professor Zizi Papacharissi recently told The New York Times. Business Insiders prognosis was more dire: Social media is dead asserted a recent headline. In part this trend reflects a savvy realization by users that we have to protect our privacy online; more people are using closed groups or direct messages to share information about our everyday lives. But in going publicly passive on our favorite platforms, were also ceding the opportunity to use social media to empower ourselves and our families. Being proactive and cautious is a good thing; going silent is an approach we should all rethink. Its smart for users to be concerned about sharing some of their personal information online. For example, Harvard Law School lecturer Leah Plunkett writes in Sharenthood: Why We Should Think Before We Talk About Our Kids Online that when new parents post public birth announcements, they give potential criminals valuable information such as their childrens dates and places of birth that can help thieves try to steal their kids identities. Similarly, if we name our kids schools online, we give scammers a potential answer to security questions our kids may use on websites in the future. And we all know the content we post online can be used against us possibly totally out of context in the future. But while we should be thoughtful about how we protect truly private information, weve been too quick to give up on public posts entirely. After all, the promise of social media was that it would allow us all to participate in public conversations to raise awareness of issues that are important to us, talk back to politicians and corporations when they violate our trust and help determine what authors, artists and ideas become popular. For example, as I argue in my forthcoming book, Over the Influence: Why Social Media is Toxic for Women and Girls And How We Can Take It Back, women in the US are experiencing a tidal wave of attacks on our rights and power. Roe v. Wade was overturned last year. Some of the men pushed out of power by the #MeToo movement are back and so is bro culture in Silicon Valley. Between 2011 and 2021, the number of teen girls who say they were forced to have sex increased by 14%, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But women could use social media more effectively to fight back against these developments and the prevalence of misogynist content online if more of us collectively started using our platforms to share information about issues that matter to us. And if social networks saw that more users had an appetite for this kind of content, theyd adjust their algorithms to show us more of it. By instead passively scrolling through influencer content without making our own contributions to the public conversation unfolding on social media, we cede that power back to those who control the algorithms. Whats more, the kind of aspirational content to which were giving our attention such as those back-to-school posts by influencers with perfectly coiffed kids can leave us feeling like our lives dont stack up. Marketers and advertising agencies deliberately capitalize on mothers (culturally constructed) feelings of inadequacy in order to convince us to buy stuff, Sara Petersen writes in Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture. Im not trying to hate on influencers here, many of whom are predominantly women who rarely make a living wage from their work and are often under intense pressure to project perfect lives to attract brand sponsors. But Id so much rather see these women make their money from content that organizes women to call on Congress to invest in child care and demand that tech companies take down the violent, hateful posts about girls that are endemic on their platforms. Lets not pull back from protecting the privacy of ourselves and our families online. But lets also think twice about passively scrolling through rather than producing public content on our social apps. If we all started sharing back-to-school content about what being a mom is really like whether its talking about sending our kids to schools with poor air quality that could be bad for their health or how American workers are often expected to be present in the office long after school lets out we might change some things. Then, instead of influencer images, it could be our actual lives that look a little more rosy. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Martha Martinez picks up a case of water at Gervais City Hall on Tuesday. The city's water system was damaged during Saturday nights storm and residents are under a 48-hour water-boil notice. The city of Gervais distributed bottled water to residents in need for the third straight day Tuesday as it awaited test results from a Salem laboratory to determine if its water is safe to drink. The city's water system sustained damage during the weekend thunderstorm and has been under a water-boil notice since since Sunday. City Manager John Morgan said he did not know whether there was a direct lightning strike on the system, but the damage occurred around 8:30 p.m. Saturday. "All we know is it fried a lot of electrical components, the controls and pumps that drive the system," Morgan said. A sign at Gervais City Hall warns residents to boil their water before using it. The city was without water for less than an hour before public works restored two of the system's three pumps, initially at significantly reduced pressure. But by morning, about 85% of the water pressure had been restored. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The city issued the boil water notice Sunday, advising residents to boil tap water used for drinking, brushing teeth, cooking and ice-making for at least 48 hours. Gervais School District helped spread the word by sending a robocall to families and posting the notice on its website and mobile app. Classes started as scheduled Tuesday for sixth and ninth graders, and all other students start Wednesday. "It'll be a little bit of a scramble tomorrow, but we're ready," Superintendent Dandy Stevens said Tuesday. "Let me tell you, this is nothing compared to the pandemic." The district ordered a pallet of bottled water. Stevens said schools keep bottled water on hand anyway, so even if not needed now, it eventually will be used. Cami Windsor carries a case of water Tuesday from Gervais City Hall. The food service staff shifted gears to ensure all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols were followed, including shutting down the ice machine and not using its steamer ovens or dishwashers. Food service manager Melinda Fitz-Henry said she had been in contact with Marion County Environmental Health, and the staff planned to serve a limited menu, which meant no salad bar and only prepackaged, canned or frozen produce that does not need water. Lab tests looking for bacteria in water typically take 24-48 hours. City officials were hopeful for a quicker turnaround in this case but the tests were delayed because of the holiday weekend.. Public works supervisor Kyle Jentzsch delivered four samples Tuesday morning to Waterlab Corporation. He said the lab handles all the city's potable and wastewater sampling. "They are going above and beyond to get us results early tomorrow," Jentzsch said in an email Tuesday to the Statesman Journal. "We are anticipating a negative result for the coliform test on all four as this is a precautionary measure only. The four individual samples cover the corners of our town to represent a total picture of clean water."' Informing about 720 households and 2,600 residents of the boil water notice was done the old-fashioned way and via social media. "We visited all of them Sunday afternoon, handing out flyers," Morgan said, Fellow city employees Jentzsch and Hunter Riggs, city council members John Harvey and Joel Ramon and some volunteers joined him. "I'm just really proud of my community," Gervais Mayor Annie Gilland said. "It was a village effort." She helped facilitate bottled water donations. Keith Gilland, husband of Gervais Mayor Annie Gilland, helps pass out water to residents Tuesday. Mega Foods in Woodburn donated three pallets with 84 cases of water each. The city organized a daily distribution, limited to one case per family while supplies lasted. Gilland said the water went fast each day, in about 30 minutes on Monday. Morgan said the city does not yet know the extent of damage to the water system or how much any repairs might cost. "We're doing an after-incident process and will go through assessing the damage," he said. "That will take awhile, but it's a very high priority for us." Capi Lynn is a senior reporter for the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips to her at clynn@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6710. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Gervais under boil-water notice due to damaged water system The sudden end of World War I in November 1918 saw over 4.7 million Americans in uniform. Unaware of the desperate situation in Imperial Germany brought about by the Allied blockade, the Allied command expected strong German resistance to take the war into 1919. American doughboys found themselves either quickly released into a rapidly declining post-war economy or stuck overseas to perform occupation duty in a defeated Germany. Either way, these veterans had missed out on the benefits of the booming wartime economy their non-serving fellow citizens had enjoyed, however, the Great War veterans were eventually promised a monetary bonus, payable in 1945. When the Great Depression set in during the early 1930s, impoverished veterans asked for an early payment. At the time there was no unemployment insurance, food stamps, welfare or social security. The struggling vets soon began to be called the Bonus Army. The destitute veterans, many of whom worked hard to be successful after the war, and their families marched on Washington D.C. in mid-1932 and occupied an area across the Anacostia River from the District . ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Protests were frequent, but successive attempts in Congress to authorize an early bonus payment failed. After local police were unable to break up the camp, President Hoover ordered the Army to disperse the veterans. In charge was Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and then Col. Patton was involved. The Armys actions were heavy-handed, including mounted cavalry with drawn sabers and the use of tear gas on veterans who had suffered through poison gas attacks during the war. Combined with the stiff resistance of the combat vets, the optics in news photos and reels were terrible, and the Bonus Army became one of the saddest episodes in U.S. history. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a Democrat, defeated Herbert Hoover in the presidential election later that year. Large public work projects under Roosevelts New Deal legislation gave vets hiring priority for meaningful work. One of those projects was the Overseas Highway connecting the Florida Keys to the mainland, which employed over six hundred veterans. (Original Caption) Rehabilitation hospital at Pawling, N.Y. Pawling, New York: Group of AAF gunners back from the war fronts, comparing their short-snorter bills. Left to right: Sgt. John F. Wagner, wounded in battle, Cleveland, O.; Sgt. Michael G. Zelenak, Springdale, Pa.; Sgt. Roger E. Houle, Manchester, N.H., wounded in air battle; Sgt. Nicholas Vatistas, Dover, N.H. All are recuperating and resting at Pawling convalescent center. By 1935, the work had progressed to the Middle Keys of Florida, with three work camps housing mostly veterans spread among several nearby islands. Over the 1935 Labor Day weekend, a small, sudden but extremely powerful Category Five hurricane, the strongest ever to strike the U.S., ravaged the low-lying Middle Keys, with winds over 200 miles per hour and a huge storm surge. A single evacuation train, dispatched too late, was blown off the tracks and then engulfed by storm surge. Over 250 veterans were killed. Once again, Americas World War I veterans had suffered a tragedy brought about by their own government. As these episodes took place, other veterans of the Great War were gathering political power. Following the example of Civil War veterans , of whom four had become President of the United States, World War I veterans organized, assumed leadership roles across society, and sought elected office. Organizations like the American Legion, begun by Great War veterans in 1919, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, its ranks now swelled by former doughboys, became the center of social, political, and community life across small towns and city neighborhoods. Their members numbered in the millions and combined with wives and family members; they became the twin pillars of veteran advocacy for decades. When the U.S. entered World War II in 1941, key legislators, many of them Great War veterans and prominent American Legion leaders, began a bipartisan effort to avoid the mistakes made with World War I veterans. Slowly a consolidated bill of benefits, which would be made immediately available to honorably discharged veterans, began to take shape. When feedback from the battlefields indicated an overwhelming preference for educational benefits, those benefits were emphasized over the employment guarantee programs of the past. By early 1944, wounded WWII veterans were starting to return to civilian life in significant numbers, and large invasions were looming in Europe and the Pacific, which would create even more disabled veterans. Roosevelt and Congress, with the Bonus Army & the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane veteran deaths in mind, ensured the passage of the Servicemens Readjustment Act (the G.I. Bill) to help veterans of World War II. Roosevelt even commented that both Hitler and Mussolini had been disgruntled World War I veterans in their countries, and the world was now suffering the consequences. The law established the system of VA hospitals we know now, low-interest home mortgages, and payments for college and trade school tuition and expenses for veterans. The Veterans Administration , which had existed with a limited scope since 1930, was modernized and greatly expanded to accommodate the returning World War II veterans. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has recorded more than 20,000 attempts to illegally cross the border since the full-scale war began. Source: Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, on the national 24/7 newscast Quote: "Most of the cases recorded are of people trying to cross the border in the green area, i.e. outside the checkpoints. In total, border guards have detained about 14,600 people who attempted to leave Ukraine illegally since 24 February last year. There are also records of attempts to illegally cross the border at checkpoints, with people trying to use forged documents. A total of about 6,200 such individuals have been exposed since 24 February last year." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Details: Most of the attempts to cross the border through green areas were recorded on the border with Romania and Moldova. Demchenko says that anyone who uses forged documents and tries to bribe Border Service employees is handed over to the police. Those who attempt to cross the border in green areas are liable under the Code of Administrative Offences. They are reported to law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement officers have exposed 220 criminal gangs engaged in smuggling people across the border since the start of the full-scale invasion. 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! Staff from Royal Gifts Gallery intervened when they saw a mugging in Oxford Street A shirtless man slashed himself with a knife and threatened to harm other people when a mugging in central London went wrong, according to a BBC radio reporter who was live on air at the time. He and another man attacked an Australian businessman, known as Phil, in Oxford Street on Tuesday as they tried to steal his watch and phone. However, staff from Royal Gifts Gallery saw what was happening and ran to the Australians aid, catching one of the robbers. The second man escaped but returned to the scene and began slashing himself with a large knife until his accomplice was released, BBC reporter Anna ONeill posted on Twitter. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement She wrote: While I was live on air, a violent street robbery happened outside one of the gift shops! Poor Phil, visiting the UK on business, was attacked for his watch. He was wrestled to the group (sic) by two men who tried to take his watch and phone. The men in the gift shop came out and pulled the robbers off Phil. They managed to apprehend one of the men who was wearing a grey suit. But his partner came back with a large knife and started slashing himself until they let his partner go ... which they did. Weve heard police cars, vans and an ambulance heading towards Marble Arch. The second man was naked from the waist up and covered in blood, holding a large knife. She was speaking to Eddie Nestor on BBC Radio London as the drama unfolded. The victim later spoke to the broadcaster. He said: They tackled me and they were trying to get my watch off me and get my phone. And I was able to hold on to the small guy who was trying to take my watch and I wouldnt let him go. These guys were around him and pulling them off, and then he got up and he ran without getting my watch. And they retained the other fellow but the other guy came back, the small fellow who tackled me, and he was starting to cut himself with a knife. Drops of blood can be seen on the carriage floor after the mugger jumped on a Tube at Marble Arch A Met Police spokesman said: Police were called at 10.51am on Tuesday, Sept 5, to reports of a man with a knife in Oxford Street. It was reported that he was harming himself and threatening to harm others. Officers attended along with paramedics from the London Ambulance Service. The man was detained nearby, inside Marble Arch Underground station. The man was Tasered to prevent him causing further harm to himself or the public. He was taken to hospital for treatment to self-inflicted injuries. No other injuries were reported. 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. Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds the powerful to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG During Pennsylvanias general election on Nov. 7, voters will select the newest state Supreme Court justice. The winner of the election Democrat Daniel McCaffery or Republican Carolyn Carluccio will have considerable power over the interpretation of laws in the commonwealth, and will help determine the balance of the court in coming years. The state Supreme Court is the final stop for lawsuits in Pennsylvania. Its seven members have the last word on legal questions about everything from election policy to abortion, and also oversee the commonwealths other courts and regulate the legal profession, including administering the state bar and disciplining lawyers who violate ethics rules. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In the past, state court races have been competitive but relatively sleepy affairs, with low spending compared to the tens of millions of dollars pumped into gubernatorial races. But that changed in 2015. Democrats flipped the high court that year, winning three open seats in a race that cost at least $15.8 million. In the years since, that majority has handed down decisions in weighty, politically contentious cases throwing out a state congressional map and commissioning a new one, allowing a lawsuit challenging state education funding to go to trial, and backstopping Pennsylvanias no-excuse mail voting law. With such high-profile issues in front of the court, political operatives in both major parties are paying close attention, and pouring more money into the races. With just one seat up for grabs in 2021, both candidates spent a combined $7.2 million. This year, the campaigns of the two state Supreme Court candidates spent a combined $900,000 to win their primaries. With the general election not yet in high gear, Carluccio has $260,000 on hand, while McCaffery has more than $495,000. This years race will not change partisan control of the court, which currently has a 4-2 majority of judges elected as Democrats, with one vacancy after the September 2022 death of former Chief Justice Max Baer. But that majority could fade quickly, said Democratic political operative J.J. Abbott, as all four incumbent Democratic justices will either face retention or reach their mandatory retirement age by 2027. Republicans could in theory very quickly take back control of the court and hold it through 2030, giving them control of the redistricting process, Abbott told Spotlight PA, referencing the redrawing of state legislative and congressional maps that happens once per decade. Justices serve 10-year terms with no term limits. However, they must retire at age 75. If they reach that age mid-term, they step down and an election to replace them is held in the next odd year. The governor may appoint a replacement to serve in the interim, but two-thirds of the state Senate must approve of the choice. Candidates Republican state Supreme Court candidate Carolyn Carluccio Republican Carolyn Carluccio Carolyn Carluccio is a judge on the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, to which she was first elected in 2009. Before becoming a judge, Carluccio worked as both a prosecutor and a defender. After a few years in private practice at the start of her career, she became an assistant U.S. attorney in Delaware in 1989 and served in the role for nearly a decade. She then was chief public defender of Montgomery County from 2002 to 2006. Carluccio also worked as chief deputy solicitor for Montgomery County, handling contract negotiations, real estate matters, and personnel and labor law issues. She also did a stint as the countys acting director of human resources between 2008 and 2009. Carluccio was elected unanimously by her peers to serve as president judge of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas in 2022. Endorsements and recommendations: Carluccio is Highly Recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association, which called her a highly respected jurist ahead of this years primary. In her PBA questionnaire, Carluccio wrote that she wants a justice system that is fair and impartial. She also called her diverse court experience an asset, citing her experience in prosecution and defense as well as in family and civil cases. Among recent cases that she highlighted in the questionnaire: She ruled in favor of a Montgomery County landowner whose property was partially flooded with runoff from the Pennsylvania Turnpike; sided with a developer who sought an exception to knock down an old mansion and build senior housing; and reinstated a municipal police officer who was fired for providing an evolving excuse for missing work. All three decisions were upheld by appellate courts. She was the Pennsylvania Republican Partys endorsed candidate in the primary election, winning the partys nod in February over Commonwealth Court Judge Patricia McCullough. Carluccio won the primary 54% to 46%. She is also endorsed by the PA Pro-Life Federation, which opposes abortion access; her campaign has been targeted by ads from abortion provider Planned Parenthoods political committee. In statements, Carluccio said that she rejects judicial activism and that womens reproductive rights are protected by Pennsylvania law. I will uphold that law, and only the Governor and legislature can change it, she added. Judicial philosophy and public statements: In a public questionnaire with a Republican-aligned interest group, Carluccio said that former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia most reflects (her) judicial philosophy. Justice Scalias originalism, embodied by the separation of powers, understanding original intent, and applying the law as written, reflects my judicial philosophy, she wrote in a survey to the Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform, a nonprofit that primarily advocates for friendlier laws for the health care industry and other business interests in civil cases. During the primary, Carluccio criticized Pennsylvanias mail voting law, telling an Erie forum that the no-excuse mail ballots had been very bad for our commonwealth, according to the Associated Press. I would welcome that to come up before me again, lets put it that way, she said. As for mail voting, she told CBS News her concerns are about the conflicting, and sometimes unclear, undated ballot decisions made by the court since 2020. I believe our laws must be applied as written, and certainly, our election laws must be applied consistently across all counties, regardless of the election year, Carluccio said. And, when part of our electorate has concerns about the integrity of our elections, rather than dismiss their concerns, the response should be bold transparency in the administration of our elections. Fundraising: In total, Carluccio has raised just over $800,000 since the start of the primary in 2023, including in-kind donations. Big donors include the political action committees of highly connected Republicans, such as the Commonwealth Leaders Fund a PAC primarily funded by billionaire school choice advocate Jeffrey Yass and the PA Future Fund, which is chaired by GOP power broker Bob Asher. During a forum hosted by nonprofit advocacy group Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts ahead of the primary election, Carluccio said she would not participate in any case that involves one of her campaign donors. Democratic state Supreme Court candidate Daniel McCaffery Democrat Daniel McCaffery Daniel McCaffery was elected in 2019 to Superior Court, the Pennsylvania appellate body that handles all criminal and some civil appeals from the Court of Common Pleas. McCaffery joined the military at age 18 and was honorably discharged after serving three years. He then attended Temple University for his undergraduate degree and law school. His older brother is former state Supreme Court Justice Seamus McCaffery , who resigned from the post after a review by the Pennsylvania attorney generals office found he had sent sexually explicit images and videos to state officials through his government email. Daniel McCaffery, who was then a Common Pleas judge in Philadelphia, was among the recipients. McCaffery began his professional career at the Philadelphia District Attorneys office as a prosecutor in the Major Trials Unit in 1991, where he worked for six years. He then joined Montgomery County law firm Friedman Schuman, where he chaired the litigation department and served on its management committee until he joined the Court of Common Pleas in 2013. McCaffery has a long history in Democratic politics, having volunteered as legal counsel for the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee and been a member of the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee. That political record lost him an endorsement from the Philadelphia Inquirer during the primary, which backed his opponent and wrote that McCaffery is enmeshed in party politics. He was named in 2014 news reports detailing then-Attorney General Kathleen Kane ending a sting operation that had captured Philadelphia lawmakers illegally accepting money. McCaffery, who like many Democrats had been a Kane supporter, had accepted some of those illegal straw donations (in which a person obfuscates their political contributions by donating through other people) during his unsuccessful 2009 bid for Philadelphia district attorney. McCafferys campaign returned the checks and reported the incident after discovering the donations were improper. Endorsements and recommendations: McCaffery is Highly Recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association, which wrote that he has sound knowledge of legal principles and a history of community involvement. In his PBA questionnaire, McCaffery wrote that he aims to approach every case in a non-partisan manner. McCaffery also wrote that his most important decisions include opinions in which he argued that law enforcement officers should be limited when conducting voluntary searches and that a plaintiff should have the right to a trial after she suffered an injury while riding in an Uber despite agreeing to the services terms and agreement. McCaffery was endorsed by the states Democratic Party a few months after he announced his candidacy. He won the primary with 60% of the vote against his opponent, Superior Court Judge Deborah Kunselman. McCaffery also received endorsements from trade organizations such as the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters and the Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council. Judicial philosophy and public statements: In a survey he filled out during his 2019 Superior Court run, McCaffery said U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts represents his judicial philosophy. At a candidate forum hosted by Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts during the primary, McCaffery said hes running for state Supreme Court because he believes democratic institutions such as the judiciary are under duress. He said he thinks his decades of service on the bench and unique life experiences make him the best candidate for the position. I think our courts right now have been politicized, McCaffery said at the forum. Its a combination of life experience and judicial experience and legal experience that makes me want to run for this particular spot. Fundraising: McCaffery has raised just over $800,000 throughout his campaign, and has half of that total currently available on hand. McCafferys larger donations come from professional associations and unions such as the PA Judicial PAC, Mid-Atlantic Laborers Political League, and Greater PA Carpenters. Asked about his planned recusal policy as a justice during the PMC forum, McCaffery differed from Carluccio. Rather than pledge to recuse himself from any case involving a donor, he said he would recuse himself from cases with actual conflict, and that when an attorney or party asks him to recuse, he plans to take a look at the allegations of impropriety and recuse where necessary. BEFORE YOU GO If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. SAN DIEGO Padres? More like Yee-Hawdres. The San Diego Padres will host the first-ever rodeo at Petco Park in 2024, the team announced Tuesday. The Padres are teaming up with C5 Rodeo Company and Outriders Present to bring the three-day competition to Americas Finest City from Friday, Jan. 12 to Sunday, Jan 14. Petco Park named best MLB ballpark by USA Today The competition will feature the worlds top cowboys competing for over half a million dollars in prize money, the team said. General sale tickets for the event go on sale Monday, Sept. 18 and can be purchased here. The San Diego Rodeo will follow a string of other big events scheduled at Petco Park to close out 2023 including the Wild Horses Festival with Zach Bryan, the Proper NYE New Years event, the 2023 Holiday Bowl and concerts from The Revivalists and Band of Horses, Kolohe Kai, Pixies and Modest Mouse, Daniel Caesar, The All-American Rejects and Newfound Glory, RL Grime, Hosier and Deftones. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. Paper cups are replacing plastic cups on the market, but paper cups can also be toxic to living organisms, shows a new study from the University of Gothenburg. Much like the paper straws that were ushered in to reduce the use of single use plastic straws, paper cups may also be problematic for the environment. A study published in the August issue of the journal Environmental Pollution found that many paper cups are coated with a thin coating of plastic. This layer keeps liquids from seeping into the paper, but can emit toxic substances. [Related: Forever chemicals detected in paper and plastic straws.] In the study, a team of researchers from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden tested the effect of disposable cups made from different materials on the larvae of the butterfly mosquito. The paper and plastic cups were placed in temperate water or sediment and were left to leach for up to four weeks. Then, the larvae were housed in aquariums that had the water or sediment that had been tainted by paper and plastic cups. The larvae grew less in the sediment regardless of the source of contamination.The exposure to the tainted water from both cup types appeared to hinder their development. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement All of the mugs negatively affected the growth of mosquito larvae, study co-author and ecotoxicologist and fish biologist Bethanie Carney Almroth said in a statement. Since paper isnt resistant to either water or fats, the paper used to package foods and liquids needs to be treated with a top coat that protects the paper and user from what is inside. The plastic film is often made of a type of bioplastic called polylactide (PLA). Bioplastics are produced from renewable resources instead of much more frequently used fossil fuels. PLA is commonly produced from corn, cassava, or sugarcane and while it is often believed to be biodegradable, this 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, says Carney Almroth. Some of the chemicals in plastics are known to be toxic, while others are still unknown. According to the team, paper presents a potential health hazard compared to other materials and it is becoming more common as society shifts away from plastics and people become exposed to the chemicals in the plastic through contact with food. The team did not perform a chemical analysis to see which substances had leached from the paper cups and into the water and damaged the larvae, but they suspect it was a mixture of various chemicals. [Related: Plastic garbage in the sea is a life raft for pathogens.] The carbon footprint of reusable plastic cups is tough to pin down, and scientists dont know if they are better in terms of chemical leaching compared to their trashable counterparts. Some estimates find that a reusable cup must be used between 20 and 100 times to offset its greenhouse gas emissions when compared to a disposable cup, due to the high amount of energy needed to make these popular options durable and the hot water required to keep it clean. However, these reusable options do last longer and have better potential to offset the impacts of disposable cups. 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 take away coffee. Or by all means, take a few minutes, sit down and drink your coffee from a porcelain mug, said Carney Almroth. Currently, the United Nations is working to negotiate a binding agreement to end the spread of plastics. Carney Almroth is a member of a council of scientists called the Scientists Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty (SCEPT) which contributes up-to-date scientific evidence to these negotiations. SCEPT is calling for a rapid phasing out of unnecessary and problematic plastics, as well as added vigilance to avoid the repeat mistakes of replacing one bad product with another. We at SCEPT are calling for transparency requirements within the plastics industry that forces a clear reporting of what chemicals all products contain, much like in the pharmaceutical industry, said Carney Almroth. But the main goal of our work is to minimize plastic production. The Ukrainian parliament on Sept. 5 approved the second reading of a bill to restore asset declarations for officials but failed to make them public. Under the bill, there will be no public access to officials' asset declarations for one more year, and only law enforcement agencies will be able to check them. They cannot be accessed by media and anti-corruption watchdogs. Restoring asset declarations has been central to talks on Ukraine's accession to the European Union and borrowing money from the International Monetary Fund. Anti-corruption watchdogs and opposition MPs argue that the EU and IMF are unlikely to accept the bill in this form. Yaroslav Zheleznyak , an MP from the Holos party, said that he was not sure the IMF would interpret the bill as the implementation of one of its conditions for lending. He added that the bill was likely to be vetoed by President Volodymyr Zelensky and sent back to parliament. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, another MP for the Holos party, said that lawmakers were "obviously afraid to show their fortunes acquired during the full-scale war." Transparency International Ukraine, an anti-corruption watchdog, said that the bill envisaged a "sham" restoration of declarations. "Our foreign partners are unlikely to consider these actions by parliament as a real step towards European integration and effective cooperation with the IMF," the watchdog said. Anti-corruption activists believe that restoring public access is necessary as it would make the system more effective. Although government agencies are supposed to check asset declarations, they are expected to do that better if there is public pressure. Electronic asset declarations for officials were instituted as part of the country's fight against corruption following the 2014 EuroMaidan Revolution. All state officials were required to declare their assets as part of the reform. At the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the requirement for submitting e-declarations was suspended and public access to the declarations was shut down. Officials have still been able to submit them on a voluntary basis. In February 2023, an online petition for requiring state officials to resume filing their asset declarations collected the 25,000 signatures necessary for presidential consideration. The bill on the restoration of asset declarations was passed in the first reading on July 27. To become law, bills must be passed by parliament in two readings and signed by the president. Read also: Officials accused of using war as pretext for hiding ill-gotten wealth Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. PATERSON A South Paterson jewelry store robbed at gunpoint last October was one of nine such businesses in four states targeted by a violent crime ring based in Washington, D.C., federal officials say. The robberies, which took place over the course of 13 months starting in January 2022, focused on what the United States Attorneys Offices described as South Asian jewelry stores. But federal law enforcement officials did not elaborate on why such businesses were the targets of the ring. None of the charges filed against the 16 suspects in the case were for hate crimes. The Oct. 25, 2022, robbery at Paradise Jewelry on Main Street in South Paterson was the fourth crime in the sequence and the second that involved a New Jersey business, federal officials said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The same group allegedly robbed Virani Jewelers in Iselin in June 2020 and Chintamanis Inc. in Franklin Park last December, authorities said. October 2022: More than $1 million in jewelry stolen from South Paterson store, police say Another burglary: A South Paterson jewelry store was robbed. Its owners say they still never see police The defendants targeted small businesses along the East Coast, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of jewelry from hardworking families, said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge at the U.S. Attorneys Office in the District of Columbia. The owner of Paradise Jewelry in Paterson said last year that more than $1 million in merchandise was taken from his business. The robbery happened in late afternoon, when one of the gunmen came up behind an employee as she was using the security sensor to enter the store, police said at the time. Two accomplices joined the first robber, and they smashed display cases and grabbed rings, bracelets and other items. We allege these suspects took part in takeover-style armed robberies meant to terrify and overwhelm store owners and employees, said FBI-Newark Special Agent in Charge James Dennehy. Many of the victim businesses are family owned and operated and lost large sums of inventory, Dennehy added. The alleged violent and reckless actions of the subjects are astounding; they gave no thought to the people who could have been seriously injured or even killed. The ring is accused of other robberies in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Florida, federal officials said. Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press. Email: editor@patersonpress.com This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: South Paterson NJ jewelry store robbed at gunpoint was hit by DC ring Suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton looks up at the Senate gallery during the first day of his impeachment trial in Austin on Tuesday. Credit: Juan Figueroa/Pool via The Dallas Morning News Editors note: Todays impeachment proceedings have ended and this post will no longer be updated. You can find new articles reporting the latest from Ken Paxtons trial here. The historic impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton is underway. He faces 16 articles of impeachment that accuse him of bribery, dereliction of duty and disregard of official duty. Paxton has faced criminal investigations, legal battles and accusations of wrongdoing for years. Still, Texas voters have twice reelected him, most recently in November. Paxton has long positioned himself as one of the countrys strongest conservative attorneys general. In more than two terms as the states top lawyer, he has relentlessly sued the federal government over issues from immigration to health care and the environment. Paxton's attorneys argue that the impeachment allegations are baseless or fall under the legitimate duties of the attorney generals office. The trial is expected to hinge on Paxtons relationship with a real estate investor and political donor and could prominently feature details of an alleged extramarital affair. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will act as judge. Witnesses will testify under oath, senator-jurors will deliberate privately and votes will be conducted without public debate. The attorney generals wife, Sen. Angela Paxton, will sit as part of the court, but will not vote or deliberate. Paxton loyalists, but few others, turn out Sept. 5, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Compared to Ken Paxtons Impeachment in the House in May, the first day of the Senate trial drew a smaller crowd a majority of which included supporters of the now suspended attorney general to show solidarity at the Capitol. Paxtons defense has cast the House impeachment as an effort to overturn the will of Texas voters, but Tuesdays less-than-packed gallery did not reflect an outpouring of support from everyday conservatives. Instead, it was some of Paxtons most ardent and high-profile followers who watched the opening statements of the impeachment trial in the public viewing area. Sporting a Trump tote bag, Marcia Watson said she came to the Capitol from just north of Austin in support of a proper impeachment process. Watson noted the gallery wasnt as packed as it was three months ago when the House voted to impeach the attorney general. She mused that buses full of Paxton supporters might have broken down on the way to Austin. William Melhado Senate hears from Jeff Mateer as first witness Sept. 5, 2023 at 5:17 p.m. The House impeachment managers called their first witness Tuesday afternoon: Jeff Mateer, the former first assistant attorney general and one of the Paxton whistleblowers. House lawyer Rusty Hardin spent a considerable amount of time working to establish Mateers legal and political credentials. Are you a RINO? Hardin abruptly asked Mateer at one point, using the acronym for Republican In Name Only. Mateer replied that he is certainly far from right of center and noted former President Donald Trump nominated him to the federal bench. His nomination failed to advance in the Senate after a report that he had said transgender children are part of Satan's plan. Hardin also got Mateer to attest to the character of the other whistleblowers who Paxton has since vilified. They were all committed to the rule of law and conservative governance, Mateer said. Mateers testimony was cut short, though, as the two sides broke into a dispute over exhibits and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick ended the trial for the day. Prior to that, Mateer was starting to elaborate on his discomfort as he watched Paxton make unusual moves on behalf of real estate investor and political donor Nate Paul. Mateer said he was confused when he learned that Paxton planned to argue a motion in a Travis County District Court case involving Paul and a charity. He said while Paxton has many talents, he is not a litigator, and said it was inconceivable that a sitting attorney general would attend to such a small matter. Mateer said he scheduled a meeting with Paxton, where he discouraged Paxton from proceeding further with the case. I urged him not to have any further dealings with Nate Paul, Mateer said, adding that Paxton committed to that and seemed sincere to me. But the next day, Mateer said he was surprised to learn Paxton was still trying to intervene himself. An article of impeachment alleges that Paxton directed the attorney generals office to intervene in the case solely to help Paul gain a better settlement with the charity, the Mitte Foundation. Paul had previously defaulted on a $10.5 million settlement to resolve a lawsuit with the charity. Patrick Svitek and Zach Despart House impeachment managers make their case Sept. 5, 2023 at 1:46 p.m. Impeachment trial prosecution lawyers Dick DeGuerin, Rusty Hardin and Harriet ONeill exit the Senate floor during a recess on the first day of the impeachment trial. Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune In opening statements, House impeachment managers outlined what they said was a pattern of deceit and alleged crimes committed by Attorney General Ken Paxton as he sought to benefit his friend and donor, real estate investor Nate Paul. The misconduct, they alleged, turned the keys of the attorney generals office over to Paul, who returned the favor by helping Paxton hide an alleged extramarital affair, among other alleged favors that Paxton tried to conceal. In a 17-minute speech, state Rep. Andrew Murr (R-Junction) also pushed back against some of Paxtons key defenses, including his claims that he cant be impeached for conduct that predated his most recent election, and his attorneys arguments that his conduct was either in line with his offices duties or does not warrant impeachment. Murr argued that Paxtons conduct need not be criminal to justify his removal from office. We don't have to show some type of quid pro quo to establish that his conduct warrants impeachment, Murr said. Wrongs justifying impeachment dont have to be crimes. Wrongs justifying the impeachment are broader than that because they have the purpose of protecting the state, not punishing the offender. Robert Downen Defense attorneys fire back against allegations and evidence Sept. 5, 2023 at 2:50 p.m. Ken Paxtons lawyer Tony Buzbee during opening statements on the Senate floor during the first day of the suspended attorney general's impeachment trial. Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune In a fiery response to the House impeachment managers opening statements, Ken Paxtons lawyer Tony Buzbee argued that this whole case is a whole lot of nothing. In a nearly hour-long speech, Buzbee and defense attorney Dan Cogdell made sweeping promises that he and his legal team will disprove accusations in the impeachment articles by showing photos of home renovations and documents that refute allegations, including that Paxtons political donor Nate Paul paid for his home renovations, and claiming there is no evidence that Paxton used burner phones or secret emails to communicate, as alleged by the House managers. Paxtons lawyers also said many of the allegations are based on assumptions that will be disproven and vowed that there is not enough evidence on any count to prove the attorney generals guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Buzbee criticized the media and the gag order imposed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick that prevented Paxton and his lawyers from responding to allegations and media reports leading up to the trial. He and Cogdell also made a political argument that if the Senate votes to impeach and remove Paxton from office, they are undermining the will of the voters who elected him, while detailing Paxtons conservative record as attorney general. What happens here will have consequences no matter how it turns out, Buzbee said. If this misguided effort is successful, which I am confident it will not be, the precedent would be perilous for any elected official. Kate McGee Paxton absent from afternoon proceedings Sept. 5, 2023 at 1:27 p.m. Ken Paxton was absent from his impeachment proceedings as they resumed after a scheduled lunch break Tuesday, signaling that the suspended attorney general may not always be present for the remainder of the trial. Impeachment prosecutor Rusty Hardin asked where Paxton was, arguing that he should be required to appear as a defendant would in a criminal trial. But Paxtons lawyer, Tony Buzbee, argued that the rules stipulated Paxton arrive at the start of the trial Tuesday morning, but did not require him to stay the entire day once he entered his plea of not guilty. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the presiding officer over the impeachment trial, concurred with Buzbees interpretation. Senate rules give Patrick broad power to enforce Senate-approved rules for the trial. Kate McGee Paxton pleads not guilty to all 16 articles of impeachment Sept. 5, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. Attorney General Ken Paxton has pleaded not guilty to each of the 16 articles of impeachment as his lead attorney, Tony Buzbee, called the accusations incorrect and false. Those allegations are flat-out false, Buzbee said in response to Article 9, which accuses the suspended attorney general of benefiting from real estate investor Nate Pauls decision to hire a woman with whom Paxton allegedly had an affair. Those allegations are offensive, false, Buzbee said of Article 10, which alleges that Paxton received bribes from Paul in the form of home renovations. Impeachment prosecutor Rusty Hardin then objected to Buzbees commentary, saying Paxton should only be allowed to enter a guilty or not guilty plea. The motion was sustained. Robert Downen Senators overwhelmingly refuse to dismiss articles of impeachment Sept. 5, 2023 at 11:20 a.m. In a 24-6 vote, Texas senators refused to dismiss all 16 articles of impeachment against suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton. That vote clears the way for a public trial in the Senate. Twelve Republicans joined all Senate Democrats in the vote to essentially move forward with a trial. A simple majority is required to approve any pretrial motions, and Paxtons team challenged all articles of impeachment both individually and altogether in a series of filings. In a 22-8 vote, senators rejected a pretrial motion to exclude all evidence before January 2023. Senators also took individual votes to dismiss certain impeachment articles or to temporarily hold some articles in abeyance. They resoundingly rejected all motions for dismissal. Six Republican senators voted yes on every motion to dismiss, while five Republican senators voted to dismiss some of the impeachment articles. Seven Republican senators voted no on all of the motions, along with all Democratic senators. Senators also rejected a motion from Paxtons team to exclude evidence gathered in violation of the law. Robert Downen and Kate McGee Paxton won't be forced to testify Sept. 5, 2023 at 12:12 p.m. Suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton cannot be forced to testify during his impeachment trial, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick ruled Tuesday. The Senate-approved rules for the trial gave Patrick, who is acting as the presiding officer, or judge, the power to issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses. Paxtons attorneys asked to excuse him from testifying, arguing that the trial is a criminal proceeding, giving the attorney general the same legal protections as a criminal defendant who would not be forced to testify. Patrick said Tuesday that the rules adopted by the Senate apply many of the same rules reserved for criminal cases, including the requirement that Paxton plead guilty or not guilty. He added that House impeachment managers are required to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt, a standard also used in criminal trials. The House managers have repeatedly compared actions of the House of Representatives to a grand jury as they prefer the articles of impeachment, Patrick said. Grand juries are utilized only in criminal cases. Kate McGee Ken Paxton arrives on Senate floor Sept. 5, 2023 at 8:52 a.m. Ken Paxton arrived on the Texas Senate floor around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday and huddled with his attorneys. It was previously unclear wheter Paxton would be present for his impeachment trial, and his attorneys have vowed that he will not testify. Under Senate trial rules approved in June, the presiding officer Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has the power to issue subpoenas compelling witnesses to attend. In one of Paxtons lawyers pretrial motions, however, they asked that he be carved out of that provision, arguing that Paxton is entitled to the same rights to not testify as a defendant in a criminal proceeding. House impeachment managers have opposed that motion, and have said that Paxton still has the right to plead the Fifth Amendment. Robert Downen Angela Paxton salutes supporters in Senate gallery Sept. 5, 2023 at 8:36 a.m. Attorney General Ken Paxton's wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, made an appearance on the Texas Senate floor shortly before his impeachment trial began Tuesday morning. The McKinney Republican waved to people who called out her name from the gallery above the chamber floor. She also saluted another group of supporters in the gallery. State Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, waves to the gallery from the floor of the Senate on Sept. 5, 2023. Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune Under impeachment trial rules, Angela Paxton can attend the proceedings but cannot vote or participate in deliberations. She voted against those rules. Much of the proceedings could center on her husbands alleged extramarital affair. Her appearance on the Senate floor came as the other senators were apparently meeting to get ready for the 9 a.m. start. Patrick Svitek [Whos who in the Ken Paxton impeachment trial, from key participants to potential witnesses] Sam Houston Bible used to swear in trial participants Sept. 5, 2023 at 9:19 a.m. Ken Paxtons impeachment trial began with a prayer from Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, who asked for guidance and direction for all those involved in the proceedings. Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht swore in Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Lana Meyers, a former state appellate judge who is serving as legal counsel for Patrick, on the Sam Houston Bible. Senate Secretary Patsy Spaw carries the Sam Houston Bible used for swearing in senators before suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons impeachment trial begins on Tuesday. Credit: Juan Figueroa/Pool via The Dallas Morning News Legend claims that the Bible, bound in brown sheepskin, was owned by Sam Houston and gifted to the Texas Supreme Court. It has been previously used during state inaugurations and other important occasions. This is a significant and serious occasion that will be in the history books, and I thought it was appropriate to bring out the Sam Houston Bible not just for myself but each member of the Senate, the jurors, Patrick said. Patrick proceeded to individually swear in each member of the Senate using the same Bible, who repeated the following oath: "I do solemnly swear or affirm that I will impartially try Warren Kenneth Paxton, Jr., attorney general of Texas, upon the impeachment charges submitted to me by the House of Representatives and a true verdict render according to the law, and the evidence, so help me God." Paxtons wife, Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, was not sworn in. While she is a sitting member of the jury, she cannot vote in the impeachment trial or participate in private deliberations. Kate McGee Donald Trump Jr. says Paxton will survive impeachment trial Sept. 5, 2023 at 11:08 a.m. Donald Trump Jr. has weighed in on the impeachment trial, saying Paxton will survive and continue to combat the Swamp. Im looking forward to the upcoming 2024 primary season. RINO hunting season starts soon!!! Trump Jr. wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Paxton is a longtime ally of the Trump family, though former President Donald Trump has remained mostly silent about Paxtons impeachment since May, when he decried it as an attack on American Patriots. Paxton tried to get the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in four states where President Joe Biden had won the election. Paxtons supporters have sought to frame the impeachment as an attack on conservative values by Republicans In Name Only RINOs who they claim are working with Democrats in the Texas House. At a rare public appearance on Saturday, Paxton, blasted the lower chamber that impeached him and name-checked its leader, Speaker Dade Phelan. Robert Downen The attorney general faces 16 articles of impeachment Sept. 5, 2023 at 5:00 a.m. The Texas House voted overwhelmingly to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton in May. The chamber, held by a Republican majority, adopted 20 articles of impeachment. The Senate, which is also controlled by the GOP, will hear evidence on 16 articles. The other four articles were put on hold. The 16 articles accuse Paxton of bribery, dereliction of duty and disregard of official duty. Nearly 4,000 pages of evidence provide granular detail of how Paxton allegedly misused his office to help his friend Nate Paul, an Austin real estate investor and campaign donor, who was being investigated by federal authorities as his businesses were floundering. Read more about the 16 articles of impeachment. Chuck Lindell and James Barragan Heres how the impeachment trial will operate Sept. 5, 2023 at 5:00 a.m. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick stands at the dais on the first day of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxtons impeachment trial in the Senate. Credit: Juan Figueroa/Pool via The Dallas Morning News Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will act as judge. Senators will serve as jurors. The trial will begin with the court clerk reading aloud 16 articles of impeachment. Paxton has been ordered to appear in person. He or his lawyer will plead guilty or not guilty to each article. Some witnesses have also been ordered to appear outside the Senate chamber at 11 a.m. Any motion to dismiss an article of impeachment must be approved by a majority of senators, or at least 16 members. Patrick can rule on any other motion, or he can ask senators to vote on a motion without debate or discussion. Permanently removing Paxton requires support from 21 of 31 senators. His wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, will not vote. The House impeachment managers will offer an opening statement first. Paxton's lawyers can make a statement immediately afterward or wait until they begin presenting evidence. Each side has a total of 24 hours to present witnesses and evidence and cross-examine the oppositions witnesses. After both sides present their evidence, each side will have one hour to present rebuttal evidence. Witnesses will testify under oath. Read more about how the trial will work. Yuriko Schumacher and James Barragan Paxtons alleged extramarital affair could play key role Sept. 5, 2023 at 5:00 a.m. Much of the trial is expected to center on Ken Paxtons alleged infidelity. Sordid details about his life could be publicly aired during the proceedings. House impeachment managers argue that Paxton was driven by his desire to continue and conceal the tryst and went to great lengths to hide the affair from his wife and from the deeply religious voters who have sustained his political life for two decades. His wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, will sit as part of the impeachment trial court, but will not vote or deliberate. Robert Downen and Zach Despart A political donor is at the center of many accusations Sept. 5, 2023 at 5:00 a.m. Ken Paxtons relationship with Austin real estate investor Nate Paul, a political donor to the suspended attorney general, is expected to be a central focus of the impeachment trial. Paxton is accused of misusing his office to help Paul in return for free home renovations and the investors help covering up the attorney generals extramarital affair. Earlier this year, Paul was charged with eight felony counts of making false statements to financial institutions. The House impeachment managers allege Paxton hired a lawyer to carry out Pauls bidding allowing him to use the attorney generals office as his concierge law firm, and harness its investigative powers to harass business rivals and other perceived enemies. Zach Despart Student loan payments start in less than a month, so Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry is issuing reminders on how borrowers can protect themselves from scammers. One scam Henry says to look out for is solicitation calls offering loan discharge, forgiveness, cancellation or relief services for a fee. This is something she says the U.S. Department of Education and student loan servicers will not do. Scammers are sophisticated and aware of consumer trends, so there is reason to believe the return to student loan payments will result in an influx of attempted fraud, theft, and other criminal activity, Henry said. My office wants borrowers to know about reliable resources available to them at no charge or security risk. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Another way to avoid scammers is not answering calls from phone numbers you dont know, and be wary about messages left on voicemail, through text or by email. Related Coverage >> Federal student loan interest has started accruing again. Heres what you need to know Henry suggests only revealing personal information if youre sure youre talking to the Department of Education, Federal Student Aid or your loan servicer. You can find information on your loan on the Federal Student Aid website. Henry also encourages the public to enroll in federal programs that may make it easier to pay off student loans or get them forgiven. Those working in public service can enroll in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. This allows people to earn forgiveness on loans after 10 years of repayment while working for a qualifying employer. Theres also the new federal SAVE plan. Its an income-driven repayment plan that can reduce payments significantly. The plan calculates monthly payments based on income and family size, rather than loan balance. After a set number of qualifying payments, your remaining balance is forgiven. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Chiller Theater returning 60 years after original show aired on Channel 11 Man surrenders after shooting, hostage situation in McKeesport Breeze Airways has biggest sale ever, discounting Pittsburgh International Airport flights by 50% VIDEO: Busy Labor Day weekend breaks travel records DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts A spectacular sight indeed as the peregrine falcon photo took the crown for the Bird Photographer of the Year 2023. In the prize-winning image taken by Photographer Jack Zhi, from the US, the falcon is seen tackling a brown pelican that ventured too close to its nest. This dynamic and dramatic image taken in Southern California is a rare sight that captures nature at its finest moment. For four years, I attempted to capture the rare sight of the female falcon attacking large brown pelicans with incredible speed and agility, said Mr Zhi. I love the eyes of the pelican in this image surprised and scared. The action was fast, and over in the blink of an eye. But Ill remember that moment forever. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Will Nicholls, director of Bird Photographer of the Year, said each image is not merely a testament to the immense talent of our photographers, but a poignant reminder of the breathtaking beauty of birds. The astonishing calibre of these photographs underscores a vital message: let us champion the cause of conservation, so that future generations can marvel at the real-life inspirations behind these extraordinary images, he added. Photographers competed in eight different categories in the adult competition, including a Conservation Award, Portfolio Award, and Video Award. The Young Bird Photographer of the Year 2023 was awarded to German photographer Anton Trexler,17, for his striking atmospheric image of a blackbird silhouetted against the moon. (ANTON TREXLER/BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR) Here is a selection of images that were awarded gold, silver or bronze, with descriptions by the photographers. Blue-footed booby - Baja California Sur, Mexico (HENLEY SPIERS/BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR) Taken by Henley Spiers. In early autumn, a sardine shoal at Los Islotes attracted seabird predators. Amid the shoal, I waited patiently for the elusive shot of a Blue-footed Booby rising with a sardine in its beak. Finally, a crash came down close to me, and I instinctively captured the moment, Spiers said. A mothers love Great Grey Owl Strix nebulosa, Zhejiang, China (Qiuqing Mu/ BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR) Taken by Qiuqing Mu. A Great Grey Owl adult was hunting in a wheat field, and a juvenile flew to the edge of the field to be fed. Suddenly, the parent caught some prey. I quickly pressed the shutter and captured a heartwarming moment between the parent and the next generation, Mu said. Glistening Green Tanager Chlorochrysa phoenicotis, Mashpi Amagusa Reserve, Ecuador (NICOLAS REUSENS/BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR) Taken by Nicolas Reusens. Mr Reusens said: Venturing into the tropical forest, I was excited to spot the rare Glistening - green Tanager. After hours of waiting, I saw the vivid - green bird on a perfect heart-shaped leaf. Its shimmering feathers reflected a dazzling array of colours. I captured every detail, grateful for this magical moment amid the lush jungle backdrop. Parenting Goals Emperor Penguin Aptenodytes forsteri, Antarctica (Thomas Vijayan/ BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR) Taken by Thomas Vijayan. Before capturing this image, I spent two days observing these penguins, lying flat on the ice to avoid scaring them. Waiting for the chick to appear, I finally got this touching shot of parental love, Vijayan said. I trekked eight hours a day on soft snow to reach this colony and even made friends with some penguins. Flying Sword-billed Hummingbird Ensifera, BogotaI, Colombia (RAFAEL ARMADA/BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR) Taken by Rafael Armada. Armada said: The Sword-billed Hummingbird, common in the Andean forests, has the worlds longest bill relative to its size. This birds unique bill, adapted to feed on flowers with long corollas, makes it a vital pollinator, as bees and butterflies cant reach the nectar and so dont pollinate these plants. This image captures the bird approaching a feeder, with natural backgrounds and lighting. A moment of prayer Great Grey Owl Strix nebulosa, Helsinki, Finland (ARTO LEPPANEN/BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR) Taken by Arto LeppaInen. During winter migration, owls from northern Finland often head to the south where they can find more food due to less snow. This Great Grey Owl chose a cemetery with abundant voles as its hunting ground, LeppaInen said. While hunting, the owl would often stop on tombstones or other structures to observe the area. Keeping a safe distance, I followed the owl and managed to capture a fleeting moment when it landed briefly on a beautiful angel statue. More Fish Please! King Penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus, Saunders Island, Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Taken by Levi Fitze. When observing King Penguins, I was struck by how their behaviour sometimes resembles that of humans. This juvenile constantly begged until the annoyed adult walked away. However, the fact that the juvenile was more massive than the adult suggests good parenting overall, Fitze said. (LEVI FITZE/BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR) Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska admits that she and her children have been struggling to spend much time with Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the full-scale war. Source: BBC Quote: "This may be a bit selfish, but I need my husband, not a historical figure, by my side," Olena said. Olena and Volodymyr Zelenskyy will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary on 6 September PHOTO: PHOTO: ZELENSKA ON INSTAGRAM The First Lady has no doubt that she and her family will eventually pass this challenging test. "We don't live together with my husband, the family is separated. We have the opportunity to see each other but not as often as we would like. My son misses his father," the First Lady admitted. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "But we stay strong, we have strength both emotionally and physically. And I am sure we will handle it together," she added. One of the most psychologically draining moments now is the inability to plan my life. Olena would like Volodymyr to be with her, although it is Olena would like Volodymyr to be with her, although it is "a bit selfish" "It pains me to watch that my kids don't plan anything. At such an age, young people. My daughter is 19. They dream of travelling, of new sensations, emotions. She does not have such an opportunity," Zelenska explained. "There are limitations in time in what you can allow yourself, they exist, and we somehow try to live within them," the First Lady added. Olena says she has great hope for Ukraine's victory and faith in her husband. "I believe in him. And I support him. I know that he has enough strength. For any other person I know, I think, it would be much harder this situation. He really is a very strong and resilient person. And this resilience is what we all need right now." 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! Hunter Bidens legal drama has me thinking about the Bill of Rights. If the Bill of Rights were all you read, you could get some pretty misleading ideas about our criminal justice system. Starting with the Fourth Amendment, youd assume criminal proceedings usually begin with a warrant to search for evidence, followed by a grand jury indictment as required by the Fifth Amendment and then, per the Sixth Amendment, a speedy, public jury trial. Now, for illustrations sake, compare that procedure with the one the federal government has followed in prosecuting Hunter Biden, the presidents son. Plea deal surprise During the last presidential administration, Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss began investigating Hunter Biden for a variety of crimes. Allegedly Hunter had been trotting the globe, taking cash from shady characters who wanted access to his father, and allegedly he did this without registering as a foreign agent and without paying taxes on the income. It is also alleged he bought a pistol despite an active drug habit, thereby violating a gun control law his father had voted for in the Senate. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Last month, Hunter was sitting in court, ready to plead guilty to a pair of tax misdemeanors that he expected to resolve the whole affair, when prosecutors told the judge the plea deal wouldnt end the investigation after all. Hurried, off-record discussions failed to resuscitate the deal, so Hunter pleaded not guilty and the judge gave everyone 30 days to work things out. And then the deal was pronounced dead, and Weiss was named special counsel, giving him authority to pursue charges against Hunter Biden in any jurisdiction in the country. Where is the Bill of Rights? At what point did any of this follow the Bill of Rights procedure? I guess investigators obtained a warrant, but where was the grand jury deciding what charges to issue? Where was the speedy public trial? As to the grand jury, one was impaneled, but it never got a chance to decide anything. It was doing the grand jurys modern job: to sit and exist, and thereby to grant prosecutors the subpoena power that is, the power to compel witnesses to testify and produce evidence to the prosecutors in private, without the potential defendant listening in or even necessarily knowing about it. As for the speedy public trial? The prosecutors tried to avoid it the same way American prosecutors avoid trials in 19 cases out of 20: by making an offer that convinces the defendant hes better off pleading guilty. Whether youre sympathetic to Hunter or not (and I confess myself rather on the not side), I hope youll feel at least a little discomfort about what hes been through. The Bill of Rights notwithstanding, theres been nothing speedy about this five-year process, and very little has been public. The fate of his plea deal was decided in secret by prosecutors, and Hunter had no right to sit in the room and try to influence them; he may never know why they decided to offer one deal rather than another. And if thats the situation the presidents son finds himself in, how do you think it works out for that vast majority of criminal defendants, who lack his connections and money? At this point someone sympathetic to Hunter might argue, Actually, Hunters been treated worse than an ordinary criminal defendant and tell a story about political persecution: the whole investigation exists (Ive heard said) because Republicans were using Hunters personal troubles as a weapon against his father. Some argue the Trump-appointed prosecutor is only still in office because the Biden administration didnt want to look like it was interfering, and the plea deal fell apart because Republicans howled it was too lenient and the prosecutor backed out to save face. Related To which the Republicans might respond that its true the prosecutor was too lenient, though perhaps not by choice: whistleblowers have testified Weisss hands were tied. Hunters worst alleged crimes had to be charged in D.C. or California, but Weiss was denied permission to file charges outside Delaware; he was prohibited from investigating certain facts that might implicate the president; he couldnt even serve a warrant without someone tipping off Hunters counsel and giving them a chance to move evidence. Its all still very murky; probably no one outside the Justice Department knows what really happened why the plea deal fell apart, why Weiss let the statute of limitations lapse on the most serious charges, why the attorney general waited so long to appoint a special counsel, or why he chose Weiss for special counsel when the regulations said he should appoint someone from outside the government. Innocent explanations and nefarious ones are both easy to imagine, and if we ever find out the truth, it probably wont be soon. The forgotten grand jury Do you know what could have saved everyone a great deal of headache and suspicion? An old-fashioned grand jury and a public trial. Once upon a time, grand juries didnt just listen passively to prosecutors and rubber stamp the charges the prosecutors wanted to bring the grand juries could actually go out and investigate crimes themselves, and they could indict people they thought deserved it regardless of whether a prosecutor had asked them to do so. Some states (including Utah) still have laws on the books permitting this sort of procedure especially in cases where public corruption is alleged and a public prosecutor might not be trusted. But Ive never heard of the thing actually happening. The system has forgotten how to do it. Once upon a time, most cases were actually decided by jury trials. Prosecutors werent trusted (as they are today) to decide who really deserves punishment before filing charges; they were paid by the case or by the conviction and expected to bring any charges they thought they could prove. Who deserves punishment? was a question for the jury, and it was answered after both sides presented their best evidence and anyone who cared to sit in the courtroom could form his own opinion of what justice required. We cant go back to the way things used to be; we have too many laws, too much crime, and expect too much from our law enforcement to entrust the entire process to randomly chosen amateurs. But as I watch another politicized justice controversy unfold, with prosecutors allegedly covering up for one side while persecuting the other, I find myself wishing we hadnt given prosecutors so much power to cover up or to persecute. And if we want to restore trust in an allegedly politicized justice system, I can think of worse ways to start than by reemphasizing three words from the Constitution: Speedy. Public. Jury. Alan Hurst is an attorney in Salt Lake City. His opinions are his own and do not represent the views of his firm or his clients. Frequent visitors of Piedmont Brewery & Kitchen expressed dismay at the brewpubs announcement that it would be closed for renovations. After six years of being in business, Brian Whitley, one of the owners, said it was time for an update. Itll just feel a little fresher and cleaner. Its okay to do that after six years, kind of freshen up a little bit, but still keep the character. I mean, nothings gonna change as far as who we are, he said. They are hoping to open Thursday evening for dinner, but Whitley said that is very tentative. At the very least, they hope to return to regular business hours Friday, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The renovations include replacing the floor in the kitchen and bathrooms, changing some light fixtures, repositioning some of the artwork and painting, especially around the bar area. Over by the bar area, weve painted it really dark back there in the back to kind of give it a different vibe, kind of make it feel separate from the dining room, he said. If youve been there several times, youll probably notice a difference, but if youve only been there a handful of times, you might not necessarily notice. It might just look cleaner. People commented on the restaurants Facebook posts expressing their dismay about the closure and excitement for the renovations. Im excited to see what yall are doing, but Im secretly missing the special of the day! wrote Heather Daniel Cummings. Some people even joked about knocking down walls with a sledgehammer in exchange for beer and threatening to speak to management. Imma need yall to tighten up. I didnt get my Wing Wednesday pic this week and Im losing it over here. You know what, let me speak to management, wrote Jason Brown, after which a conversation in GIFs followed. Although the dining room is closed for customers, the brewery is operating like normal, Whitley said. Were really not missing any beats from the brewery side. We dont like the empty dining room either. We miss our friends, he said. Chuck Fowler, territory manager for Modern Hops, gave a list of places where people can still find Piedmonts brews packaged and on tap. Packaged Carriage Hills Bottle Shop, 3825 Northside Drive, Macon Hilltop Liquor, 4490 Riverside Drive, Macon Country Club Package, 4575 Forsyth Road, Macon HP Liquors, 6374 Zebulon Road, Macon Bootleggers Liquor, 2611 Moody Road, Warner Robins Robins Package, 628 S. Houston Lake Road, Warner Robins Perry Liquor, 277 Perry Parkway, Perry On tap Romos Pizza, 123 Forsyth Road, Macon Your Pie, 1625 Bass Road, Macon Ingleside Village Pizza, 2395 Ingleside Ave., Macon Bodega Brew, 1025 Ball St., Perry Piers Morgan has hit back at Joel Dommett after the comedian mocked him while hosting the National Television Awards. Morgan, 58, was nominated in the TV interviews category at the NTAs for Piers Morgan Uncensored on Talk TV. Introducing the famous faces at Londons O2 arena, Dommett, 38, said: Piers Morgan is here! Morgan was then greeted with a mixture of cheers and loud boos from the crowd. Dommett then interjected to say: Hey, everyone, say what you like about Piers Morgan... He then jokingly trailed off and introduced Louis Theroux without another word on Morgan. After failing to win his category, Morgan reacted to the event on Twitter/X, writing: Got the Tube in searing heat.. got mocked by a host Ive never heard of got booed by an audience of shrieking banshees got beaten by Graham bloody Norton.. and now getting the first limo I can find to get the hell outta here. Thanks for a great night a@OfficialNTAs. Got the Tube in searing heat.. got mocked by a host Ive never heard of got booed by an audience of shrieking banshees got beaten by Graham bloody Norton.. and now getting the first limo I can find to get the hell outta here. Thanks for a great night @OfficialNTAs pic.twitter.com/jq7D7BqHhB Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 5, 2023 Norton won the TV interviews category for his eponymous BBC One chat show. Appearing over video link from the US, Norton said: Finally I win a National Television Award and Im not there! This award means so much, mostly it means that Ant and Dec dont have a talk show... yet. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Norton was poking fun at presenting duo Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnellys dominance at the NTAs. The pair won the award for best TV presenter the 22nd consecutive time at this years ceremony. Speaking to the Press Association before the event, Morgan did not seem hopeful about his chances of winning. He said: Theyd all rather shoot themselves then give me an award but, but if its just on interviews, hard to say that anyone else has had bigger ones that weve had in the last year. Speaking about how he might fair in his category, he added: I dont have any competition. Earlier that night, fans were shocked to see the former Good Morning Britain host taking the London Underground to the event rather than a taxi. My first time on the tube for 30+ years. Hasnt got any cooler has it, the presenter shared on X alongside a photo of himself standing in a crammed carriage. Elsewhere at the NTAs, ITVs This Morning was beaten to best daytime show by The Repair Shop amid the scandal over Philip Schofields resignation. By Jack Guy, CNN (CNN) A pilot has died after the plane he was flying as part of a gender reveal party in Mexico crashed on Sunday. Video posted online shows the plane releasing pink smoke as it flies over a couple waiting in front of a sign that reads Oh baby, surrounded by pink and blue balloons. The recording captures the moment the planes left wing appears to separate from the fuselage as it flies away from the group of people below. Authorities in Navolato, Sinaloa state, told CNN en Espanol, CNNs sister network, that the pilot died in the hospital following the crash. Alan Francisco Rangel of the Sinaloa Red Cross told CNN that paramedics treated the pilot at the crash site in San Pedro, Navolato and then took him to a local hospital, where he died. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Authorities did not release the pilots name, and the cause of the crash is not clear. No further injuries were reported as a result of the accident. Gender reveal parties were conceived as a fun way of telling family and friends whether they were about to welcome a girl or a boy into the world. Originally low key affairs involving the cutting of a cake with colored icing, or maybe some fireworks, some expectant parents have decided instead on risky and expensive gender reveals. At a 2017 reveal in Arizona, guests were asked to shoot at a makeshift target scrawled with the words Boy and Girl. When the target packed with the highly explosive Tannerite exploded, a blue cloud poofed upward and immediately ignited the surrounding brush. It was a boy, and the party ended up costing the guilty patrons more than $8 million in restitution after it set off a wildfire spanning 47,000 acres. And in Iowa in October 2019, a gender reveal party went south when the family unintentionally built a pipe bomb. When the device went off the entire pipe exploded, sending shrapnel flying that hit and killed a grandmother standing nearby. The-CNN-Wire & 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. BRUSSELS Every commercial flight has two pilots at the controls but some planemakers are now designing cockpits that need fewer pilots, or someday even none. So far, their airline customers have been quiet on the issue, but pilots unions across the globe are getting louder, saying any fewer than two pilots is dangerous. The idea is most active in Europe, where French manufacturers Airbus and Dassault are pushing for regulators to allow passenger planes to operate with only one pilot in the cockpit for the majority of a long-haul flight. Its a commercially-driven initiative with enormous risks for passengers, for pilots, and for cabin crew, said Otjan de Bruijn, a captain with Dutch carrier KLM and president of the European Cockpit Association, the largest pilots union on the Continent. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Dassault and Airbus did not respond to multiple requests for comment. It isnt just theoretical. Manufacturers are actively developing and testing a host of autonomous flight projects, including for commercial uses. And EASA, the European Unions aviation regulator, is considering a concept that would have two pilots in the cockpit only for take-off and landing. For the rest of the flight, the second pilot would rest outside the cockpit, swapping shifts mid-way through a long-haul flight. EASA is expected to sign off on this by 2027. An official with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said the agency is not considering any of the proposals that EASA is weighing. Boeing, which did not respond to a request for comment, isnt actively working on the technology, and no U.S. airline CEOs have publicly embraced the reduced-crew concept EASA is exploring. But U.S. pilot unions are up in arms nonetheless, and are warning that any successful effort in Europe will put competitive pressures on U.S. airlines and the FAA to follow suit. The Air Line Pilots Association, the largest pilot union in the U.S., started a campaign called Safety Starts With Two along with their European counterparts, hoping to take their argument straight to passengers who might also find the idea alarming. EASAs communications director, Janet Northcote, said the agency would require manufacturers to demonstrate that safety levels are at least as high as in current two-pilot operations to get reduced crew operations certified. Even recent-generation planes, such as the Airbus A350, would need enhancements and design features or systems not required today to ensure that they can be safely operated in the configuration under consideration, she said. Future aircraft could be designed with such operations in mind from the outset. But de Bruijn said the same level of safety can never be guaranteed with fewer people in the cockpit. He argued that only having one pilot at the controls would remove an important backup in case a pilot has a health issue, or some ill intent. Take the 2015 case of Germanwings Flight 9525, where one pilot locked himself in the cockpit while the captain was on a bathroom break, then intentionally crashed the plane into a mountain. All 150 people on board perished. He also pointed out that when a pilot takes a toilet break (unless you want to wear a diaper), there would be a few minutes where theres no one in the cockpit. What if there was a request from air traffic control? Thered be no response. Theyd need direct, quick action to avoid a conflict to avoid a crash in midair. So you can imagine that theres nobody to control at the time that will just lead to fatalities. Empty cockpits The concept of letting one pilot sleep while another works in the cockpit on long-haul flights is a precursor to only having one pilot on board, according to a working paper presented by dozens of mostly European nations last year at the International Civil Aviation Organization, a global standard-setting body for aviation. While in the past, many aircraft had two pilots and a flight engineer, two-pilot cockpits are now the norm. However, on longer flights crews can have three or even four pilots to allow them to rotate and not overshoot maximum flying times. Pilot unions fear once cockpits are down to one pilot, it will inevitably lead to a world where planes are completely automated. And though Airbus did not answer requests for comment, in 2019, Christian Scherer, a top executive at the European planemaker, said the company had already developed the technology needed to not only fly with one pilot but without any pilots. When can we introduce it in large commercial aircraft? That is a matter we are discussing with regulators and customers, but technology-wise, we dont see a hurdle, Scherer told the Associated Press at the time. And, the piloting scheme under consideration at EASA is referenced in Airbus Autonomous flight innovations web page. Cathay Pacific, which according to Reuters was working with Airbus on a reduced crew plane in 2021, didnt respond to POLITICOs request for comment. Lufthansa, which Reuters reported has worked on a single pilot plane program, denied it was looking into the idea. There was never a plan or a program at Lufthansa for a single-pilot-aircraft and there is none currently existing, the airlines spokesperson Boris Orgursky said in an emailed statement. Safety concerns, not to mention potential consumer reaction to a plane flown without a backup pilot, might explain why the industry isnt eager to talk about increasing automation at least for now. An Ipsos poll conducted in 2018 on behalf of the Air Line Pilots Association found that 81 percent of those surveyed said they wouldnt be comfortable with a pilotless airplane, and 80 percent said having two pilots working together was the best way to handle an emergency. [Passengers] like to think there are two pilots up there, Emirates boss Tim Clark said earlier this year when quizzed on the concept. Carriers are just as interested in the concept as manufacturers, said de Bruijn, who added that the appeal for them is obvious. In their view, theyre reducing the fatigue of pilots because theres more time to rest on-board, he said. Accelerated automation Airplanes and their designs have moved steadily toward increasing automation as technology has advanced, and airplanes now already fly semi-autonomously, although with pilot oversight. But the push toward reducing the number of pilots on board may take on new urgency amid complaints from airlines that they cant hire enough pilots to keep up with demand. Martha Neubauer, a senior analyst at AeroDynamic advisory consultancy, agreed that pilot workforce challenges could be driving interest in plans for airlines. [It] has increased the need for reduced crew operations since the low supply of pilots is constraining airline capacity and causing schedule disruptions, she said, although she added that the shortage also provides pilot unions with strong bargaining power with carriers. But she believes that reduced crew probably wont have a huge impact on airlines bottom lines. Crew costs are only 10 to 15 percent of an airlines cost structure, she said. This includes pilots and flight attendants, so even if reduced crew operations could cut pilot costs in half, total airline costs would only go down by 3 to 5 percent. Airlines must balance this against the concern for safety. ALPA President Jason Ambrosi, a Delta Air Lines 767 pilot who flies internationally, said the push for fewer pilots is economics. Ive heard ridiculous claims that it helps with the pilot shortage, he said. Ambrosi said in many cases three or more pilots would still be required if there are factors that could make the flight more complicated, such as bad weather or volcanic ash. So airlines would still need to keep backup pilots on hand anyway, reducing the potential cost savings. Are we going to have pilots just loitering around waiting? Just go ahead and put the pilot in there, Ambrosi said. John Breyault, the vice president of public policy at the National Consumers League, an advocacy group representing consumers, said the single pilot push is part of a larger trend in the airline industry to cut costs. At the end of day the final line of defense for hundreds of people on a commercial airliner is the pilot on the plane, Breyault said. Reducing the number of pilots in the cockpit reduces redundancy. Breyault added that in the U.S., the families of Colgan Flight 3047, the last U.S. commercial airliner to crash in 2009, are effective advocates for airline safety measures in Washington and would present a major roadblock to any single pilot push. They are a voice that cant be ignored by the FAA or the industry when it comes to this, Breyault said. Ambrosi said that most European airlines and U.S. passenger airlines for now are not publicly backing plans to have fewer pilots on board, though some U.S. cargo airlines have expressed interest. But it might not stay that way, Ambrosi said. Weve been told that North American passenger operators are not interested and the legacy European operators are not interested, Ambrosi said. But they all understand that if some are allowed to do this it puts significant operational pressure on them. The Naval Strike Missile can launch from both land- and sea-based platforms. (Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace) WARSAW, Poland Poland has ordered several hundred Naval Strike Missiles in a deal worth 8 billion zloty (U.S. $2 billion), according to the countrys weapons procurement agency. Defence Minister Mariusz Baszczak signed the deal for two new naval missile units for its existing Naval Strike Missile anti-ship system. The contract will enable the military to boost its coastal defense capabilities along the Baltic Sea. The contract, awarded to Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace, covers the supply of command vehicles, missile launchers, and several hundred anti-ship NSM missiles, according to the Armament Agency. Geir Hay, president and CEO of Kongsberg, said in a statement that this deal is the largest single contract in the companys history. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Deliveries are scheduled to take place from 2026 to 2032. Under the contract, Polish defense companies will be involved in supplying the weapons in cooperation with the Norwegian business, the agency said. The announcement was made on the first day of this years MSPO defense industry show. The event runs Sept. 5-8 in Kielce. The Naval Strike Missile is a sea-skimming, over-the-horizon missile with a range exceeding 185 kilometers (115 miles), according to Kongsberg. Several regional countries are enhancing their naval strike capabilities in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine. In May 2023, Latvias government voted to authorize the purchase of Naval Strike Missiles to bolster its Baltic Sea defense capabilities. WASHINGTON Poland will be the first international customer for the U.S. Armys new air and missile defense radar still in development, according to a Sept. 5 statement by manufacturer RTX. Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Baszczak approved a letter of acceptance to buy 12 RTX-developed Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensors, or LTAMDS, along with 48 Patriot launchers, the statement noted. These new radars will be integrated into Polands air and missile defense architecture, known as the Wisla program, which already consists of RTXs Patriot air defense system and the Northrop Grumman-developed Integrated Battle Command System, or IBCS. The country reached an agreement with the U.S. in 2018 to buy the Patriot system with IBCS. The U.S. Army is developing the new 360-degree radar for its own future Integrated Air and Missile Defense Systems that will replace the Patriot. The system will consist of IBCS as the command-and-control system plus the LTAMDS radar and a launcher. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Having obtained a waiver to do so, Poland was the first country, even ahead of the U.S. Army, to receive and field the IBCS system. The service approved IBCS to move into full-rate production in April 2023 just as Poland received its systems in country. Poland plans to complete its system integration and checkout process in October with the first set of Patriot systems and IBCS. Meanwhile, RTX has completed building the six LTAMDS radars under contract for the U.S. Army. Congress mandated that the service field an LTAMDS battalion of four sensors by December 2023. The Army awarded RTX a contract to build LTAMDS prototypes in 2019. But program officials have made adjustments over the past few years in order to meet the congressional requirements because of integration challenges and supply chain delays caused by COVID-19. The Army has since made progress with the LTAMDS program, Brig. Gen. Frank Lozano, the services program executive officer for missiles and space, told Defense News last month. Contractor verification testing for the radars has gone well, he added, and developmental testing has begun. The Army is providing its first four prototypes to the formation designated as the first unit equipped with a primary radar sector capability by December 2023, and will later add a secondary radar capability. The Army plans to conduct an operational assessment in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 that will lead to an engineering and manufacturing development decision in FY25 a preliminary step toward eventual serial production. For Poland, LTAMDS will be a part of its second phase of the Wisla program. Polands expansion of its Wisla program will fortify the countrys security and defense against a range of air and missile threats, Tom Laliberty, president of land and air defense systems at RTX, said in the statement. Already nine Polish suppliers have contributed systems elements and components for the Patriot system as part of the first phase of the Wisla program, RTX noted in its statement. And, according to the company, opportunities to support LTAMDS in Polish industry will be available. Five Polish industry partners, all members of the PGZ group, will receive technology, equipment and training to enable them to produce and maintain components of LTAMDS, according to the statement. It is envisioned they will become part of the LTAMDS global supply chain. Erie police accuse a city man of driving with a blood-alcohol content more than twice the legal limit and with traveling more than two times faster than the posted speed limit when his Hyundai Sonata struck a pedestrian on Peach Street, causing the man's fatal injuries, on Aug. 12. Police on Friday filed charges of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence and aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, both second-degree felonies, against 35-year-old Edmon D. Green in the accident. Police also charged Green with two misdemeanor counts of DUI and with summary counts of speeding and careless driving-unintentional death. Green turned himself in on Tuesday and was later arraigned by Erie 6th Ward District Judge Timothy Beveridge, who set bond at $10,000. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More: Pedestrian hit on Peach Street dies; Erie police probe into crash, driver's beating Police accuse Green of causing the accident in the 1900 block of Peach Street that led to the death of June Mathis, 30, of Erie. Mathis died of injuries he suffered in the crash nine days later. Erie police reported after the accident that Mathis was in the roadway when he was struck by a vehicle traveling north on Peach Street on Aug. 12 at about 2:30 a.m. Investigators said the driver stopped after hitting the pedestrian and was attempting to call 911 when two to three people attacked him, knocking the driver out and stomping on him. Green was taken to the hospital for treatment of serious injuries, according to police. More: Two 'critical' after pedestrian struck, driver beaten in Peach Street traffic accident Hospital, vehicle records checked Sgt. Thomas Dunmire, an accident investigator with the Erie Bureau of Police, wrote in the affidavit of probable cause filed with Green's criminal complaint that the accident was captured on surveillance video from the security camera of a tavern in the area. Police confirmed that Green was the driver of the vehicle when police spoke to him on Aug. 21, according to information in the affidavit. Investigators received information that Green was at the Sacred Heart Ushers Club and was drinking alcohol before the crash, and they confirmed it through club employees and video, Dunmire wrote in the affidavit. Police later served a search warrant to obtain the results of chemical testing on Green while he was a patient at UPMC Hamot. They learned through the records that Green's blood-alcohol level was 0.162%, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08% for driving under the influence in Pennsylvania, according to information in the affidavit. Dunmire wrote that the testing was also positive for marijuana. Investigators additionally downloaded information from the airbag control unit of Green's vehicle, which revealed the Hyundai was traveling 52 mph five seconds before the crash, according to the affidavit. The section of Peach Street where the accident occurred is posted with a 25 mph speed limit. Assault investigation ongoing Erie police on Aug. 12 charged one of the two or three people accused of assaulting Green at the crash scene. Travis R. Williams, 34, of Erie, was arraigned on a felony count of aggravated assault and on misdemeanor counts of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. He awaits his preliminary hearing in the case. Investigators are working to identify the other person or persons involved on the attack on Green, police reported on Tuesday. Other fatal crashes under investigation Authorities are continuing to investigate a number of other recent fatal traffic accidents in the Erie area, including two others from August. Those accidents include: A car-pedestrian accident Feb. 25 along West Lake Road in Fairview Township that caused the death of Milton C. Swanson, 47, of Corry. A multi-vehicle crash May 22 along Interstate 90 in Girard Township that caused the death of a 10-year-old boy. A hit-and-run accident June 8 along Ridge Road in Springfield Township that caused the death of Curtis Duncan, 41, of Lake City. A truck-motorcycle accident Aug. 5 along Sterrettania Road in Millcreek Township that caused the death of Justin Spicer, 43, of Erie. A truck-motorcycle accident Aug. 19 along Edinboro Road in Washington Township that caused the death of Dustin Koszarek, 30, of Erie. Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie police charge driver with homicide by vehicle in fatal ped crash Foreign writers invited to the 2023 Shanghai Writing Program attend a launch ceremony for the program in east China's Shanghai, on Sept. 4, 2023. The 2023 Shanghai Writing Program, which commenced on Monday, has offered international writers a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the vibrant city of Shanghai for two months. Writers from seven countries, including Egypt, Germany, Argentina and Cyprus, are participating in this year's program to gather material for their future literary works during this period. (Xinhua) SHANGHAI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The 2023 Shanghai Writing Program, which commenced on Monday, has offered international writers a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the vibrant city of Shanghai for two months. Writers from seven countries, including Egypt, Germany, Argentina and Cyprus, are participating in this year's program to gather material for their future literary works during this period. Hosted by the Shanghai Writers' Association, the program has invited 100 writers from 38 countries to reside in the city and experience Chinese culture and street life since 2008. Participants have the opportunity to explore the charming alleyways of Shanghai, experience the hustle and bustle of underground carriages, and savor the local delicacies, including steamed and pan-fried buns. Everyday life fragments have served as a wellspring of inspiration for the writers' creations, leaving a lasting impact. Malgorzata Budzynska Dora Hamisson from Poland, who joined the program in 2016, was so enamored by Shanghai that she and her family decided to relocate to the city three years later. The theme for this year is "Cities That Appear Distant," and foreign writers will have the opportunity to visit Fudan University, go for city walks, and visit places with splendid cultural heritages around Shanghai, such as Tonglu and Shaoxing. Wang Wei, in charge of the Shanghai Writers' Association, said that this year's invited writers, originally scheduled to visit Shanghai in the fall of 2020, can now do so as international literary exchanges, disrupted by the pandemic, have been resumed. Singaporean writer Clara Chow, participating in this year's program, said that as an overseas Chinese, she has recently begun to write poetry in the Chinese language. "English is the language from my mind, while Chinese is the language from my heart." Acclaimed German author Bernhard Hennen, whose works have been translated into more than 10 languages, said he is looking forward to embracing new ideas in Shanghai for his next fiction. He said he cannot wait to wander in Shanghai's streets and look for the city's unique stories that blend modernity and tradition. Foreign writers invited to the 2023 Shanghai Writing Program chat while attending a launch ceremony for the program in east China's Shanghai, on Sept. 4, 2023. The 2023 Shanghai Writing Program, which commenced on Monday, has offered international writers a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the vibrant city of Shanghai for two months. Writers from seven countries, including Egypt, Germany, Argentina and Cyprus, are participating in this year's program to gather material for their future literary works during this period. (Xinhua) The mother of a recent college graduate who was shot and killed while working as a valet in Buckhead says her son was just days away from accepting a new job before his death. Channel 2s Michael Seiden learned Tuesday that arrest warrants have been issued for the alleged shooter who was named as a person of interest earlier in the week. The victims mother told Seiden that Harrison Olvey was working as a valet to earn extra money when he lost his life to senseless gun violence. He was such a wonderful man. So sweet, so funny, so smart, charismatic. Loved to dance, is how mother Autumn Ernst remembers her son. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement She fought back tears Tuesday as she described to Seiden the moments she rushed into the emergency room at Grady Memorial Hospital and learned that her hero, Harrison, was gone. TRENDING STORIES: With it being a criminal investigation, I had to I couldnt hug him. All I could do was just rub his hair and kiss his forehead and tell him I loved him again, Ernst said. Her son was working as a valet at a parking garage off Piedmont Road in Buckhead when he saw a man breaking into a truck around 2 a.m. Sunday. Harrison knew the owner of the truck. He was pulling out somebody elses car from the parking garage and when he saw this guys truck getting broken into, he asked, What they were doing? And they just shot him, Ernst said. Luckily the owner of the truck had a camera that worked even when (it) wasnt on. Within hours, police released photos of the suspect and issued arrest warrants for him later Tuesday afternoon. I want him to rot in jail. I want him to never see the outside of bars again. He doesnt deserve it, Ernst told Seiden. Olveys younger sister Addison said this senseless gun violence comes a little more than a year after their father died. He always protected me and looked over me. He always had my back and we talked almost every day, Addison Olvey said. The family is now working to try to raise money for his funeral. They have set up a GoFundMe account to help raise the funds. RELATED NEWS: Florida Sen. Tom Wright, who received a trespass warning from police after a confrontation with a domestic violence shelter worker Saturday, told Daytona Beach police a worker at the Beacon Center was screaming at him. The worker, whose name is redacted from the report, told police she approached him "respectfully" to ask him not to enter a bus full of abuse survivors and their children. Daytona Beach police issued state Sen. Tom Wright a warning for trespassing at a domestic violence shelter where he got into an angry confrontation with a worker Saturday afternoon, a police report states. The report, which was made available after the long Labor Day weekend, offers conflicting stories on what happened outside the Beacon Center, home to nearly 30 women and children seeking refuge from dangerous situations. A video provided by former Beacon Center CEO Angie Pye showed the confrontation. Wright stepped onto a bus outside the shelter and two shelter workers intervened, it shows. He then put his hand on one of the workers, backed off, then barked at her as he stepped toward her. Neither Wright nor the police report explain what he was doing at the shelter, other than planning to tour the facility with officials from the Florida Division of Children and Families, which has oversight over domestic violence shelters across the state. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Pye, the CEO who resigned last week after a tussle with board chairwoman Carmen Ruiz, said Wright has alleged that the Beacon Center is a haven for human trafficking, prostitution, and drugs. Wright even filed a formal complaint with the state Office of Inspector General, which Pye said determined the allegations were baseless. A few minutes before 1 p.m., police were called to the shelter, which has a protected address. Two buses were parked outside to take the women and children shelter residents on a field trip during the DCF tour. Wright told police he had arranged for the buses in order to walk through the shelter. The worker whose name was redacted told officers she saw Wright stepping onto the bus, which she said he couldn't do because their identities are required to be protected. "Excuse me, sir, you may not board the bus full of survivors and their children," the report quotes her as saying. She said Wright told him he was not trying to speak with the survivors, but rather the bus driver. She said she tried to explain to him their need for safety and anonymity, but Wright spoke to her "in an aggressive manner" and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Do not put your hands on me," she told Wright, who she said lunged at her face attempting to intimidate her. When he walked away, he "loudly thanked her for her concern towards the survivor's safety." Another shelter employee stood between Wright and the first worker and said Wright refused to de-escalate. The report stated the officers at the scene could not talk to Wright because he had left the scene, but he was later interviewed at the business owned by Ruiz. Wright Weighs In: Local state senator joins 99 other Florida lawmakers to endorse Ron DeSantis for president The report states: "Wright stated as he approached the bus to speak with the driver, (redacted) begins to yell while advising Wright he is not allowed on the bus. Wright stated (redacted) continued to scream at him, at which point he tries to explain to (redacted) he was not getting on the bus. Wright stated (redacted) was directly in his face so he places his hand on her shoulder and advised her again, he was not going on the bus. Wright stated (redacted) advised him not to touch her so then he walked away." The worker requested that Wright be "trespassed from the property." An officer completed a Daytona Beach trespass warning and a police lieutenant advised Wright that "he was no longer allowed on the property until further notice," according to the report. Wright did not return a message seeking comment on Tuesday. Last-Minute Replacement: Republicans tap Tom Wright of New Smyrna to replace Dorothy Hukill in Senate race This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Senator receives trespass warning after domestic violence shelter clash Barnet Council, in north London, approved the most requests for remote work from foreign locations. (Alamy) Councils across the UK have given hundreds of employees permission to work remotely overseas in locations including Spain, Dubai, and the Philippines, according to new research. Local authorities have sanctioned more than 1,358 remote work requests from foreign locations, with approvals jumping from 73 in 2020-21 to 708 in 2022-23, according to analysis from the TaxPayers Alliance. Barnet Council, in north London, approved 286 requests in three years, which was the most by any local authority. Merton, south London, was next on the list with 251, while Islington, north London, was third with 237 approvals. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Yahoo News UK has launched a poll to find out if you think council workers be allowed to work remotely from abroad? Who is against the idea? Chancellor Jeremy Hunt prefers workers to be in the office. (Getty) The TaxPayers' Alliance has criticised councils for allowing employees to work from overseas. The organisation's chief executive John O'Connell said: Hard-pressed households will be shocked by the number of public sector staff working from abroad. Residents forking out record rates expect officials to be using the office space taxpayers are footing the bill for. Council staff should get off the sun loungers and get back to town halls. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said employers should decide what approach they take but suggested working in the office should be the preferred option. "The default will be you work in the office unless there's a good reason not to be in the office, he told the British Chambers of Commerces Global Annual Conference in May. "I worry about the loss of creativity when people are permanently working from home and not having those water cooler moments, where they bounce ideas off each other. "I think that's why businesses are saying they want people back unless there's a reason." Meanwhile, the government has said councils need to figure out the most cost-effective way of managing where their employees work. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities added: Wherever their staff work from, councils must ensure that their services remain efficient and easily accessible to the public while also being cost-effective to the taxpayer. Read more: Flexible Working Bill: What rights the new law gives you (Yahoo News UK) Who is for the idea? Remote and hybrid working have been found to offer numerous benefits for workers and businesses. (Getty) Both Barnet and Islington councils have defended themselves and have said flexible working is important. Barnet Council said: Flexible working is crucial for recruiting and retaining the right staff, and we only allow working from abroad for limited periods and where we are satisfied it won't affect the employee's ability to do their job and productivity.' Islington Council added: Islington Council recognises the importance of flexible working options to provide our staff with greater choice and flexibility. A Local Government Association spokesman said: Councils have long experience of managing staff remotely and it is a matter for individual councils to agree where staff can work from depending on their role and ensuring the needs of the business are met. Remote and hybrid working have been found to offer numerous benefits for workers and businesses. Office for National Statistics (ONS) data from February 2022 showed over three-quarters (78%) of individuals who worked from home in any capacity reported an enhanced work-life balance. The same data also showed almost half of those who worked from home in some capacity reported that it improved well-being (47%). Businesses said improved staff wellbeing was a key reason for them to increase home working in the future, according to a brief from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. Read more: Is hybrid working here to stay? (ONS) The Polynesian Days festival raised money to help the Maui communities affected by the fires. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News Aitofi Liavaa, 13, was raised in West Jordan. But every Labor Day weekend she connects with her islander roots by competing in the Tahitian dance competition at the Polynesian Days festival. "Every year, I think it becomes more special," said Aitofi, who is Tongan. "I love being at Polynesian Days, especially because my family's here, my dance team is here and just the cultural environment in general makes me feel happy." She said island dancing is a way to tell stories and express emotions. "Competing in it and feeling all your emotions just makes you feel really good inside," Aitofi said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Frank Tusieseina, the festival's executive producer, said Polynesian Days isn't just a way to celebrate and unite the local Polynesian community. It's also a way for them to share their culture with all Utahns by bringing a mini version of Laie, Hawaii's Polynesian Cultural Center to Lehi. "It's like a big Polynesian party," Tusieseina said. 'From the Utah ohana to the Maui ohana' This year is the first time in the festival's eight-year history that Polynesian Days also serves as a fundraiser, "Kokua for Maui," to gather funds for islanders affected by what may be the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than 100 years. The funds will be sent to the Hawaii Community Foundation, which has established the Maui Strong Fund* on the ground in Maui. Tusieseina said "kokua" means "help" in Hawaiian and that Polynesian Days will serve as a fundraiser not only this year but also for the next five years to continually support the island's long-term rehabilitation. "It's one thing to send emergency help, but then they're going to need a home, a car, a job and all those things, so every year we'll be raising money for them," he said. Aitofi Liavaa, left, and other dancers compete at the Tahitian Competition during Polynesian Days Utah at Electric Park at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi on Saturday. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News Tusieseina, who is Samoan and was born in Laie, said the wildfires have hit home for him. "It's one thing to know that people are losing their homes and their lives, but to know that they're from the same culture and that they probably grew up with the same challenges as you, it's a lot more heartfelt," he said. He said the donations will go "from the Utah ohana to the Maui ohana," referencing the Hawaiian word for "family." Even after the festival ends, Tusieseina encourages supporters to visit polynesiandaysutah.com to donate to the cause with the hopes of raising more than $1 million over the next few years. Left to right, Margot and Greta Smith, 6-year-old twins, blow bubbles during Polynesian Days Utah at Electric Park at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi on Saturday. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News About the festival The three-day Polynesian Days is running at Thanksgiving Point's Electric Park on Friday and Saturday as well as Labor Day on Monday, featuring around 200 performers. It kicked off Friday night with a fire knife dancing competition. Saturday's main event was the Tahitian dance competition, interspersed with live music, drummers and dance performances. Competitors and performers came all the way from the Pacific Islands, Japan and across the United States. Monday will end with a bang, with a 2 p.m. ceremony honoring Maui, and an evening concert including big names in the Polynesian community like Sammy Johnson, Spawn Breezie, DJ BAGG and Hawaiian comedian Augie T, along with local artists Pheliphel, HEEVA and Rose on the Moon. Moana Havea-Angilau, founder of Polynesian Days, is Tongan and was raised in Utah. She said she started Polynesian Days to promote cultural awareness and education for Polynesians in Utah. "It's a great one-stop shop, you can come enjoy your Labor Day and get a cultural experience," she said. Kiwi Tui tends the coals under the meat at Fonotiz Fix food truck during Polynesian Days Utah at Electric Park at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi on Saturday. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News Food vendors at the festival represent local Polynesian-owned cuisine, including Kai Pops island-style popsicles, Lou's Island Dawgs and Rosie's Island Spot complete with boba, smoothies and musubi. Clark's Island Donuts also promoted its "Malasadas for Maui" campaign, with 10% of their proceeds going to support wildfire victims in Maui. Havea-Angilau discussed how several of the food options show the collaborative influences of Polynesian and East Asian cultures. "We can showcase how all the foods that we enjoy and love across multiple cultures are influenced by other people, and I love how that brings us together," she said. Other Polynesian vendors are selling souvenirs, such as jewelry, leis, island clothing, artwork, themed T-shirts and home decor this weekend. Activities for all ages include face painting, ukulele lessons, jewelry-making and bounce houses. Aiyana Otsuji makes jewelry at a booth during Polynesian Days Utah at Electric Park at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi on Saturday. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News 'A seat at the table' Along with fundraising for Maui, Polynesian Days also offers a local educational impact. This year, the festival is partnering with the Lava Foundation, which raises awareness for human sex trafficking. The Utah Pacific Islander Health Coalition has also set up a booth to help teach healthy habits and raise awareness for the commonality of diabetes, high blood pressure and other health problems within the Polynesian community. Another booth offers free college education consultations. Tusieseina explained that he hopes this festival inspires and encourages young Polynesians. "It means everything because what we want more than anything for the rising generation of Polynesians, our young people, is for them to get a seat at the table in technology, in law, in medicine, in all the industries," he said. Tusieseina pointed out Polynesians are often successful in professional sports, but that he wants them to see there are even more possibilities they can achieve. "We just need to give them that vision," he said. With one day left in the festival, Havea-Angilau encourages everyone to come out on Monday to support Maui and experience the Polynesian culture. Juaul Aukusitino helps Hinei Aukusitino, 19, get ready for the Tahitian Competition at Polynesian Days Utah at Electric Park at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News *KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk. (NEXSTAR) Theres a special connection between grandparents and their grandkids made only stronger with each wink, hug, present and surreptitious candy slipped into a small hand. When it comes to nicknames that children develop for their grandparents a new survey by Preply found that popularity varies by state. The dive into Americans terms of endearment for their grandparents comes in anticipation of national Grandparents Day, on Sunday, Sept. 10. Wheres my Facebook settlement check? Why payments havent arrived and when they might One grandchilds beloved Nana in Nevada may have been referred to as Bubbe if they lived in New Jersey, for instance. When it comes to the overall most popular nicknames, excluding just Grandma and Grandpa, the survey found that Nana and Papa dominate. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The most popular nicknames for Grandma. (Preply) The most popular nicknames for Grandpa. (Preply) When it comes to affectionate terms for grandmothers, Nana was the most popular in 12 states, followed by a three-way tie for second by Grammy, Granny and Gran. Abuela, Spanish for grandmother, tied with the formal Grandmother and Mamaw for third place. When it comes to grandfathers, Papa was tops in 13 states, followed by Granddad and Pop-pop. The August survey of 1,500 Americans across all 50 states also found that a whopping 44% said their maternal grandmother was their favorite, followed by their paternal grandmother at 23%. Fifteen percent said it was their maternal grandfather, followed by 11% for their paternal grandfather and another 7% who chose other. The history of National Grandparents Day dates back to 1978, when President Jimmy Carter signed legislation making the first Sunday after Labor Day a holiday to honor Nana and Papa (in some states, of course). Find more information about the surveys results and methodology here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. I think that the Pope does not have many illusions about this regime. So he tried to paint some kind of alternative picture and failed. Not only Peskov, but other Russians who are for Putin and the war have now begun to comment favorably on the Pontiff's remarks. In fact, they continue the tradition of manipulating and abusing his words. For example, there were stories when the Pope spoke via Zoom with the Moscow Patriarch. His words were interpreted in their own way in Moscow. He had such an experience, which was quite traumatic for him (he later shared this). And again, so to speak, we have what we have. When he said these words, there was such a danger that they would be abused, and, in fact, they are being abused. Read also: ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Why did he say these words? Obviously, first of all, these words were improvisation, and as far as I know, this was outside the original script of his speech. He delivered the address as written, and then added these words after. This indicates that, on the one hand, he wanted to say something from himself to establish some kind of contact with his audience. On the other hand, as far as I know, he intended to show (this was passed on to me by my correspondents in the Vatican) that there is another way for Russia. This path is not connected with Putin, because the Pontiff unequivocally condemns the war. He has had the opportunity to say this many times and believes that Russian youth should follow a different path. Of course, he suggested an alternative path, which is not much better, but on the contrary, it is the same path that led to Putinism. It is an imperial idea, and Putin continues this idea. However, the Pope did not realize this because he lacked knowledge of Russian history and the figures he mentioned. Perhaps Peter and Catherine are two of the few figures that Pope Francis has heard of and knows something about, and that's why he mentioned them. Read also: Lithuania summons Vatican ambassador after Pope Francis praises Russian Empire By the way, we have seen a refutation from the Holy See. The spokesman for the Holy See, Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican Press Center, made a statement. According to him, the Pope wanted to "encourage young people to preserve and develop the positive things that are in the great Russian cultural and spiritual heritage. He certainly did not intend to praise imperialist logic and the rulers he mentioned to point to some relevant historical periods." The Vatican came to its senses, and the Pope himself came to his senses and issued these refutations. he suggested an alternative path, which is not much better I think the Pope does not have many illusions about today's Russia, about this regime, which is why he tried to paint some alternative picture, and failed. But his knowledge of history is very limited, and this is another problem: on the one hand, there are people around the Pontiff who are certainly in the material, who know this topic and understand what Russian history is, who Peter is, and who Catherine is. They can play a dual role. Some of his advisors manipulate this knowledge so that he can say some things that would be acceptable in Russia. There is a particular pro-Russian group around the Holy See, it is true. For various reasons, they sympathize with Putin, if not personally, but at least try to rehabilitate something Russian somehow. There is also a group of experts who have the material, but whom the Pontiff does not listen to. This is also his trademark policy; he often relies on his intuition and inspiration. Sometimes this works well, as, for example, you remember, it has already become a classic - about Patriarch Kirill, that he is Putin's altar boy. This was an impromptu statement received very positively in Ukraine, but in Russia, it ruined the relationship between the Pope and Patriarch Kirill forever, apparently. Sometimes, these impromptu speeches, which he makes intuitively on the spur of the moment, are very unfortunate, as in this case with Peter and Catherine. The pro-Russian lobby around the Pontiff comprises different people with different backgrounds, but with a certain common denominator in their education and worldview. These people look at the world through the prism through which the Pontiff was brought up to look at the world, through the prism of postcolonialism. This is a philosophical and theological view of the world formed in the second half of the twentieth century, after World War II, in connection with the liberation struggles in the former British colonies and the former Spanish colonies of Latin America. This view implies a certain bipolarity of the world, where, on the one hand, there are the former colonial powers, which now include the United States of America; although America was not an empire in the classical sense, it was a colony of the British Empire which freed itself from the colonial yoke. But in this worldview, in this bipolar world, America occupies a leading position as a center of neo-imperial, neocolonial politics. The rest of the world, including Russia and China, is such a big problem now and is colonizing, for example, Africa and other parts of the world where it can reach economically. But for people brought up in this postcolonial consciousness, truly neocolonial forces like Russia and China are not included in this list of so-called evil countries. It is challenging, in fact, to rebuild from this bipolar vision of the world, where America and the West, on the one hand, are colonial evil, and the rest of the world is good, by definition, simply because it is not the West. Ukraine is teaching us to rebuild this consciousness. Ukraine is demonstrating that this view of the world no longer works. Because this colonial mindset cannot understand or comprehend this war, our war is a reality that changes the consciousness of many. It is changing the consciousness of the Pontiff, because if we follow his statements, starting, for example, with the Havana Declaration of 2016 and up to the last, the evolution is very noticeable. The evolution is towards a better understanding of Ukraine, the understanding that the world does not work as it used to. Read also: Russia targets youth in effort to recruit propaganda collaborators in occupied territories If we go back to the Popes words, he intended to convey an idea contradicting Russia's official propaganda. The other thing is that he failed. But still, we need to perceive, and it is right, to perceive the Pope as an ambassador of Ukraine who needs to be advised and helped in some way, but definitely not pushed away and definitely not confronted. He is our ambassador in the Global South, and his voice is heard there more than any other voice. Even when he makes mistakes, the right messages that he says are very important for Ukraine. In fact, he can be our ambassador in Russia, where, on the one hand, he is treated even worse than in Ukraine, but on the other hand, there are Catholics who listen to him, to whom he can convey some important messages, including for us. In a few weeks, the General Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church will be held in Rome, where all the bishops will gather and meet with the Pope. This is also a powerful tool for influencing Vatican policy and statements. That is why we must apply pressure using this all-Ukrainian group, which works. The Vatican's communications on the war in Ukraine have improved significantly. If we don't take individual episodes that are really hurtful, but take the whole array of statements and informational messages. Read also: In the spring, there was talk of a peacekeeping mission, or even Pope Francis' peace formula, which his envoy brought, Special Envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, when he met with the President of Ukraine, among others, and then this delegation met with President Biden. However, in the Kremlin, Putin did not come down to meet with them; he instructed his adviser, Ushakov, to meet with them. Matteo Zuppi, on the other hand, met with Lvova-Belova, who has an arrest warrant in The Hague for the abduction of Ukrainian children. But you see what the situation is: Cardinal Zuppi came with a formula for peace from the Pope and did not lose hope of promoting this formula for peace after meeting with President Zelensky. But it is evident that this formula smashed against the Kremlin wall. Zuppi realized that no one in the Kremlin would support this peace formula. And so the peace formula came to naught. What is essential for Ukraine is that Ukraine is not against peace, not against peace formulas. Ukraine is in favor of them, ready to discuss them. On its own terms, of course. But it turned out that the most real torpedo for the peace formula was, in fact, the Kremlin. Now, the mission of Cardinal Zuppi, and obviously, if we look at it more broadly, the peacekeeping mission of the Pope, has narrowed to the humanitarian component. It seems that now the efforts of the Vatican envoys are focused on the return of Ukrainian children, at least some of the Ukrainian children from Russia. There are good hopes that this will happen in the near future. It's worth waiting to see what happens. 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 FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A tropical depression thats gaining strength in the Atlantic will likely develop into a powerful hurricane by the end of the week as it travels west toward the Caribbean, forecasters said Tuesday. It would be the fourth hurricane of the 2023 Atlantic season, and would be dubbed Lee. The system is currently 1,425 miles east of the eastern Caribbean, moving west-northwest at 15 mph. Its trajectory has it headed in the general direction of the Caribbean and potentially Florida. Several forecasting models show the storm steering north at some point. It remains unclear when, exactly, that would happen, and where that would place the storm. A sharp turn north would take the storm away from South Florida. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The high pressure to the north of it, thats whats going to steer it, said Anthony Reynes, senior forecaster with the National Weather Service in Miami. Tropical systems, they cannot go against the flow of the high pressure, they have to go around it once it moves to the north of Puerto Rico, its going to start shifting more to the north and eventually northeast. The cyclone is moving around the edge of that high. There will also be a low pressure trough moving west to east over the U.S. that should also contribute to the northward motion of the storm, he said. It was too early to know exactly how close the system will get to the islands of the eastern Caribbean, the National Hurricane Centers 11 a.m. update said. The current cone indicating the probable path of the eye of the storm sits just north of Puerto Rico. The system will be traveling over record warm water, close to 86 degrees. Therefore, all indications are that the depression will become a strong hurricane by the end of the forecast period, the National Hurricane Center said. Their long-range forecast said winds could reach 140 mph. It was more organized Tuesday, producing showers and thunderstorms about 900 miles west-southwest of Africas Cabo Verde Islands. As of Tuesday, there have been three Atlantic hurricanes this season Don, Franklin and Idalia, the latter two of which were major hurricanes. Another tropical depression could form later in the week or next weekend from a tropical wave set to emerge off Africa and move toward the central tropical Atlantic. As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, its odds of developing were at 70% within seven days, and 30% within two days. Meanwhile, the remnants of Hurricane Franklin were given a 20% chance of developing some subtropical or tropical characteristics in the next seven days over the warm waters near Portugal. Tropical Storms Katia and Gert dissipated Monday. The National Hurricane Center, which operates under the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, has forecast 14 to 21 named storms, including six to 11 hurricanes, and two to five major hurricanes. The National Hurricane Center has been predicting an above-normal 2023 hurricane season as a result of ongoing record-breaking sea surface temperatures that continue to fight off the tempering effects of El Nino. While sea surface temperatures have remained hot for longer than anticipated, El Ninos effects, which typically reduce hurricane chances, have emerged more slowly. As the use of artificial intelligence grows, officials across the world are expressing their concerns about its use in the creation of child sex abuse material. On Sept. 5, 54 attorneys general sent a letter to the U.S. Congress asking members to intervene. As Attorneys General of our respective States and territories, we have a deep and grave concern for the safety of the children within our respective jurisdictions, the letter reads. In June, the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a public warning stating predators have been creating synthetic content (commonly referred to as deepfakes) by manipulating benign photographs or videos to target victims. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The warning says predators often use content taken from social media or other online websites. Then, they alter them to depict sexual acts. The FBI continues to receive reports from victims, including minor children and non-consenting adults, whose photos or videos were altered into explicit content. The photos or videos are then publicly circulated on social media or pornographic websites, for the purpose of harassing victims or sextortion schemes, the FBI says. The National Crime Agency, a law enforcement agency in the United Kingdom, says up to 830,000 adults in the U.K. pose a sexual risk to children. We assess that the viewing of these images whether real or AI generated materially increases the risk of offenders moving on to sexually abusing children themselves, NCA Director General Graeme Biggar said in a report. Biggar said the agency has begun to see hyper-realistic images and videos entirely created through artificial intelligence. The use of AI for child sexual abuse will make it harder for us to identify real children who need protecting, and further normalize abuse, Biggar said in the report. One day in the near future, a child molester will be able to use AI to generate a deepfake video of the child down the street performing a sex act of their choosing, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a news release. The time to prevent this is now, before it happens. In April, a Canadian man was arrested and sentenced to over three years in prison after he was accused of using AI to create synthetic videos of child pornography, according to CBC. The use of deepfake technology in criminal hands is chilling. The type of software allows crimes to be committed that could involve virtually every child in our communities, Judge Benoit Gagnon said, CBC reported. Officials are urging people to be careful with the content they post on social media and online. Although seemingly innocuous when posted or shared, the images and videos can provide malicious actors an abundant supply of content to exploit for criminal activity, the FBI said in its report. To help protect yourself and your child, the agency suggests regularly searching your childrens information, using privacy settings on social media, enabling multifactor authentication for security and avoiding talking to people you dont know online or who seem like theyve been hacked. A simple video excerpt of a child available on social media, or a video of children taken in a public place, could turn them into potential victims of child pornography, Gagnon said, according to CBC. The letter sent to Congress asks members to establish an expert commission to study how AI is used to generate this content. Second, after considering the expert commissions recommendations, Congress should act to deter and address child exploitation, such as by expanding existing restrictions on (child sexual abuse material) to explicitly cover AI-generated CSAM. This will ensure prosecutors have the tools they need to protect our children, the letter says as a second call to action. Man created deepfake porn of former classmates using their old photos, prosecutor says New Instagram feature to restrict messaging between adults and teens. What to know FBI contractor threatened suicide if teens didnt send him explicit images, feds say Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrives at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept. 5, 2023. At the invitation of President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, the current ASEAN chair, Li will attend the 26th China-ASEAN Summit, the 26th ASEAN Plus Three Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia from September 5 to 8, and pay an official visit to Indonesia. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) JAKARTA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- China firmly supports ASEAN's central position in regional cooperation and its greater role in international affairs, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Tuesday. Li made the remarks upon his arrival here for an official visit to Indonesia, where he will also attend the 26th China-ASEAN Summit, the 26th ASEAN Plus Three Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit. To welcome Li, honor guards marched along the red carpet to pay tribute, and local people in traditional costumes performed Indonesian folk dances. Coordinator for Cooperation with China and Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Lu Kang, Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN Hou Yanqi and other officials greeted Li at the airport. Noting that the visit is his first to an Asian country as premier, Li said that China stands ready to have in-depth exchanges of views with all parties on major issues of regional cooperation, strengthen solidarity and coordination, share development opportunities, work together to meet challenges, and promote East Asia to continuously serve as an important engine for global development. Li pointed out that in recent years, under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, China-Indonesia relations have developed rapidly, setting an example of developing countries to work together and cooperate for joint development. China is ready to work with Indonesia to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, build a closer China-Indonesia community with a shared future, promote integrated and mutually reinforcing modernization through high-level and all-round strategic cooperation, and inject more stability and new momentum into international and regional cooperation, Li added. During the visit, Li will also hold talks with Widodo and attend events including the Indonesia Sustainability Forum 2023. Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrives at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept. 5, 2023. At the invitation of President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, the current ASEAN chair, Li will attend the 26th China-ASEAN Summit, the 26th ASEAN Plus Three Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia from September 5 to 8, and pay an official visit to Indonesia. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) Unless a Republican running for president other than Donald Trump starts to suddenly emerge as a clear and dangerous threat to Joe Biden , Gavin Newsom s obvious national political aspirations are toast. What is emerging now on the Republican side of the ticket is clearly another Trump nomination. Newsom and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis , for example, are polling as similar distant longshots. Thats horrible for Newsom. Its ironic how much DeSantis and Newsom need each other to end the geriatric stranglehold on the nations presidential politics. But as Trumps indictments mount, and both he and Biden get older, their dominance within their respective parties only seems to grow stronger. Opinion ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement DeSantis is fading into a thicket of also-ran candidates after an unremarkable debate performance August 23 in Milwaukee. That makes Newsom a never-ran. DeSantis began his campaign with every sort of political and public relations (advantage) that he could possibly have, said David Metz, a veteran California pollster whose firm has offices in Los Angeles and Oakland. And he has gotten nowhere. In political races, a contest can feel early and undecided until voters have a sense of closure. It felt like it got late suddenly in the last couple of weeks, Metz said. Now it is Trump versus everybody else. Nationally, some polling has shown that Trump has edged slightly ahead of Biden. That has not brought panic among Democratic Party leaders to second-guess their strategy. They are betting, and betting big, on what those polls may be silently saying about those who say they are undecided. There are probably 43 percent of voters on each side who are pretty much locked in for the Democratic or Republican nominee, Metz said. Even in a race where one candidate is likely to lose, they are still going to be relatively close in the polls. In betting markets, experts and computer models disregard polling as they predict how the presidential election will ultimately break. In a theoretical repeat match-up of the 2020 candidates, the decided favorite is Biden. Since Trump lost in November, 2020, from the subsequent Jan. 6 insurrection on the Capitol to his mounting legal troubles, it is hard to see what has put him in a position where more people would vote for him this time around, Metz said. Newsom is doing precisely what a candidate in waiting should do: As aggressive as he is speaking out nationally, he has done nothing to suggest that he is anything but a surrogate, Metz said. The clock is beyond ticking to mount a presidential campaign in the primary season. But the clock is also ticking on Biden, who will be 82 come next November. Biden is trying to be the last Washington leader of his era to be in power come 2028. And while the oddsmakers are favoring him now, nothing feels like a done deal. Take, for example, long-time Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Approximately 45 seconds of mental lapses, happening within a single month, have placed into question his future leadership position. Senator Dianne Feinstein, who is battling both her health and her deceased husbands estate for medical cost reimbursements, continues to struggle as she recently fell in her San Francisco home, fortunately causing no serious injury. The public, for now, doesnt seem worried. At least in the polls. Only 36 percent of Democrats in a recent poll, for example, wanted Newsom to challenge Biden. And that may not be out of love for Newsom. If you do a poll, and you offer an alternative, (some) will take it, Metz said. Is the 2024 presidential election truly going to be a repeat of 2020? Time will tell. Meanwhile, as law enforcement would say, the California governor remains a person of interest. As soon as Wagner boss Yevgeniy Prigozhins plane crashed late last month, just two months after his failed march on Moscow, questions began to swirl about the future of his sweeping Wagner empire. A clearer picture is emerging from inside Moscow, indicating that Wagner will not entirely disappear into the ether, but rather take on new forms in the coming days to serve Kremlin interests. Private mercenary groups with ties to Russian security forces are currently working to absorb Wagner fighters into their own operations in the wake of Prigozhins death, The Wall Street Journal reported. Some are joining up with Redut, which is financed by Gennady Timchenko, an oligarch with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, a Wagner defector said, The Wall Street Journal reported. Redut is a private military company with links to Russias GRU and the Russian Ministry of Defense, according to the U.S. government, which sanctioned Redut earlier this year. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A former Wagner officer is overseeing the process of funneling Wagner fighters to work for Redut, according to the Journal. Kremlins New Plan: Blame Anyone But Putin for Prigozhins Death Another private military group, Convoy, which has reportedly received funding from close Putin ally Arkady Rotenberg, has been seeking to round up Wagner fighters as it works to bolster its operations in Africa, according to the Journal. Redut and Convoy had both previously expressed interest in taking their businesses further into African countries, according to the Associated Press. In other efforts to take on Prigozhins fighting forces, the Kremlin is taking control of some units of Wagner Group that have been working in the Middle East and Africa, the Journal reported. The shifts are just the latest indication that a broader, behind-the-scenes adjustment is taking place in the security architecture of Russia, as Kremlin-linked groups work to take advantage of Prigozhins fighting force and influence in other countries. The dismantling and absorption of Wagners operations came before Prigozhins death. In response to Prigozhins failed march on Moscow, which was seen as the largest challenge to Putins rule in years, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it would be seizing assets from Wagner Group. That included tanks, mobile rocket launchers, and anti-aircraft systems, before Prigozhin was exiled to Belarus. Moscow informed Wagner fighters they could either relocate, retire, or join the conventional military. Other signs have emerged that Russia is reshaping its security apparatus following Prigozhins failed revolt. Just after Prigozhins failed coup, Russia began taking steps to create new security enterprises throughout the country in an effort to create military companies under a tighter watch from the Kremlin. The new special military enterprises were shaped in a way that could be governed locally and simmer unrest, but be run at the behest of the Kremlin and disbanded at nearly a moments notice to curtail any potential further mutinies or Prigozhin copy-cats. Other changes for Wagner fighters are afoot. In Belarus, where thousands of Wagner mercenaries relocated after the June revolt, Wagner fighters are leaving, according to assessments from Lithuania and Belarus opposition government. As soon as Prigozhins plane crashed, European officials began speculating about the future of Wagner fighters and whether they would leave Belarus for new contracts or join other private military companies. We are watching the situation with vigilance, Lithuanias Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said last week. A top official of the democratic opposition in Belarus previously told The Daily Beast Wagner Group might fall apart inside Belarus following Prigozhins death. How Prigozhin Could Wreak Havoc From Beyond the Grave Wagner Group cannot exist without its leader, Franak Viacorka, the chief political adviser of Belarusian democratic opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, told The Daily Beast. Hopefully we will see some changes in Wagners presence in Belarus. But even as some Wagner fighters are absorbed into private military companies, Prigozhin has left disorder in his wake. Poland, which has raised alarm about provocations and a hybrid destabilization operation from Russia, Belarus, and Wagner fighters in recent weeks, has been working with the U.S. intelligence community in recent days. The U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines spoke with Polands Minister of Interior and Administration Mariusz Kaminski in recent days to share updates on Wagner Group, Kaminski said, according to TVP World. In Belarus, confusion has emerged among Wagner recruits, according to an assessment from Lithuania. Exiled Wagner fighters had been training with Belarusian soldiers, raising concerns in Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland about provocations and the possibility of Belarus forcing a migrant influx at shared borders. The situation has stalled in recent days, however, Lithuanias president, Gitanas Nauseda, said. The situation hasnt escalated, Nauseda told LRT. We see certain confusion within Wagner after Prigozhins death. 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. This story originally appeared in POLITICO's Weekly Score newsletter. Subscribe to get the latest 2024 news in your inbox every Monday. Voters in Rhode Island and Utah are hitting the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in special election primaries that will likely decide the newest members of Congress. Rhode Island's 1st District is a reliably blue district, with nearly a dozen Democrats vying to succeed former Democratic Rep. David Cicilline . And Utah's 2nd District is considered a safe Republican seat, where three Republicans are looking to replace outgoing GOP Rep. Chris Stewart. With campaigning taking place over the sleepy summer months when voters may not be aware that a special election is even happening turnout will likely be low and its difficult to discern who the frontrunners are in these contests. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement There has been limited public polling in the Rhode Island race, although internal polls from competing campaigns show a mix of former state Rep. Aaron Regunberg , Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos , former White House official Gabe Amo and state Sen. Sandra Cano as top contenders among the crowded field. In Utah, a Deseret News/Hinckley Institute poll found that nearly half of respondents were undecided about the race, although former state Rep. Becky Edwards was pulling ahead of her two competitors, former Stewart aide Celeste Maloy and former state party chair Bruce Hough. There's been no one candidate that you would say, Wow, that person's electrified everybody in the district, Joe Fleming, a Rhode Island political analyst and pollster, said of the RI-01 Democratic primary. The same goes in Utah. This things still more than up in the air, said Carson Jorgensen, a former chair of the Utah Republican Party, adding that he was surprised that the UT-02 contest has been as quiet as it has been. A mere $500,000 was spent on ads in the Utah race, with Edwards putting over $300,000 in, per ad tracker AdImpact. Edwards, who in part is boosted by her statewide name recognition following her unsuccessful challenge to Republican Sen. Mike Lee last year, also raised the most in the leadup to the primary although around half of her haul came from a personal loan. Rhode Island has been a bit more active, with over $3 million spent on ads and notably Democratic outside groups duking it out. That includes more than $1 million from outside groups, with the likes of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus BOLD PAC and EMILYs Lists Women Vote! supporting Matos and the Working Families Party boosting Regunberg. Regunberg has the strongest fundraising among the candidates still in the race. Both races have also had their scandals ones that could have an impact on the race. Matos, who has the backing of numerous national groups and was initially seen as the frontrunner, has been surrounded by controversy for submitting hundreds of invalid signatures on her nominating papers. Meanwhile, Regunberg has been hit for being boosted by a super PAC run by his father-in-law, after he has criticized the role of money in politics. And in Utah, the state party, along with Stewart (and kind of Republican Gov. Spencer Cox) have picked Maloy as their candidate of choice. Shes been differentiating herself by touting her rural roots in a district that covers large swaths of rural land in the southern and western part of the state, along with Democratic-leaning Salt Lake City. Opponents unsuccessfully tried to kick her off the ballot after learning that she wasnt registered to vote as a Republican in Utah when she filed to run for the seat. Tuesdays special primary elections the first of the 118th Congress since the December primaries in Virginia to replace the late Democratic Rep. Don McEachin may also provide some insight into the broader mood of the parties. Should Regunberg win in Rhode Island, it would be the latest win for progressive power, after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) waded into the race in support of him. And if Edwards pulls ahead in Utah, she could be a rare success story for a Republican who is outspoken against former President Donald Trump. Edwards, who casts herself as a commonsense conservative, has been hit throughout the campaign for voting for President Joe Biden in 2020. (She said recently that she regrets supporting him.) In Rhode Island, two Republicans are running in the GOP primary. The winner of Utahs Republican primary will face off against Democratic state Sen. Kathleen Riebe and a handful of third-party candidates. Polls close at 8 p.m. EST in Rhode Island, and 10 p.m. EST in Utah. Indivisible Action, a progressive PAC, has announced it will endorse President Bidens 2024 reelection campaign. In a news release, Indivisible Action said it made its decision to support Bidens reelection bid following a two-week voting period where the PACs leaders, group members and unaffiliated activists cast their vote. About 97 percent of the members who participated in the voting period cast their votes for Biden, affirming the groups endorsement of his campaign. We are so proud to make this endorsement official today. In his first term, President Biden has led the country through a perilous period, while also delivering on transformational policies on climate and economic opportunity with the slimmest congressional majorities. President Biden has restored decency and leadership to the White House, and perhaps most importantly, he has been a champion for democracy and choice in the face of MAGA extremism that has worked to rollback rights and personal freedoms at every turn, Indivisible Action co-executive director Leah Greenberg said in a statement. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Greenberg also said that with their endorsement of Bidens reelection campaign, theyre doing whatever it takes to reelect Joe Biden and to send the forces of Donald Trump and MAGA extremism back to the dustbin of history. Everything we care about is on the ballot next November: our bodily autonomy, economic and climate justice, and the fate of democracy itself, Greenberg added. We can and will use our people power to win: to reelect Joe Biden, expand our majorities, and reclaim our rights and democracy. That work starts here. President Biden and Vice President Harris are honored to be endorsed by Indivisible, one of the most active and engaged grassroots organizations in the United States, Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement. To win in 2024, the president needs a diverse and broad coalition of voters in every corner of the country, and the organizing power of groups like Indivisible will be critical as we continue to build unprecedented support for President Biden and Vice President Harris to finish the job for the American people. The endorsement comes months after Biden announced plans to run for reelection in 2024, amid speculation on the matter. Biden recently took a shot at his predecessor, former President Trump, on Monday on his jobs and benefits record under his own administration. Trump, who announced his third presidential campaign last November, is currently the front-runner among the pack of 2024 GOP hopefuls despite facing a slew of legal challenges and indictments. The guy who held this job before me was just one of two presidents in history left office with fewer jobs in America than when he got elected office, Biden said at the annual Tri-State Labor Day Parade in Philadelphia. When the last guy was here, you were shipping jobs to China. Now, were bringing jobs home from China, Biden added. When the last guy was here, your pensions were at risk; we helped save millions of pensions with your help. Updated: 1:41 p.m. ET For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Prosecutors on Tuesday asked for a scheduled meeting with Rep. George Santos , R-N.Y., to be delayed until Oct. 27. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Prosecutors on Tuesday asked for a delay on a meeting with Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., that had been scheduled for Thursday. The court was asked to delay the meeting until Oct. 27. Prosecutors say Santos misappropriated campaign funds, "to line his pockets," and that he illegally applied for unemployment benefits. In May, Santos pleaded not guilty to 13 federal charges, including fraud and lying to Congress. "The government respectfully writes in advance of the status conference scheduled in this matter for September 7, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. to request that the court adjourn the status conference to October 27, 2023, at 10:30 a.m.," prosecutors wrote in their filing. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "The defendant joins in this request," prosecutors said. In their filing, prosecutors said the defense needed time to review materials, as well. "Defense counsel has indicated that he will need additional time to review the material, as well. Further, the parties have continued to discuss possible paths forward in this matter. The parties wish to have additional time to continue those discussions," prosecutors wrote. The prosecutors asked the court to designate a specific time period for the defense counsel's review of documents. "The parties are jointly requesting that the court exclude the time from September 7, 2023, through October 27, 2023, to allow defense counsel additional time to review discovery materials and for the parties to continue discussing paths forward in this matter," prosecutors wrote. A former campaign fundraiser for indicted Rep. George Santos may be looking to cut a deal with the feds in his own case, according to a new court filing. Brooklyn federal prosecutors asked Judge Joanna Seybert to delay a status conference for Samuel Miele, who is accused of impersonating an aide to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to solicit donations for Santos. In the Wednesday letter, they said the extra time would accommodate ongoing discovery review and plea negotiations that have been active since Mieles August arraignment on four counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. The government did not provide any further details about plea discussions, and Mieles lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Prosecutors allege that Miele, a 27-year-old who worked for Santos for two election cycles, sent more than a dozen potential campaign donors fraudulent fundraising emails and phone calls at the end of 2021 to raise money for the campaign. Miele allegedly made phone calls acting as McCarthys former chief of staff, Dan Meyer, and sent emails under his name.The indictment states that Mielewho prosecutors say got a 15 percent commission on donationsadmitted to the scheme in a letter to Santos last September. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Feds Indict George Santos Campaign Aide Over Shady Fundraising Tactics McCarthy and Meyer are not named in the indictment, but Mieles alleged antics were widely reported earlier this year, and he was fired soon after the claims went public. He was also the subject of a Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint in February that detailed the alleged fraud scheme in which Miele raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Santos. On Tuesday, prosecutors also asked Seybert to delay a Thursday hearing for Santos, though they did not specifically mention plea negotiations in that letter. Santos was hit with a dozen federal fraud charges for several alleged crimes, including misuse of campaign funds to collect COVID unemployment benefits while receiving a $120,000 salary. He has denied the allegations. Prosecutors told the court the first-term Republican needs more time to review the voluminous discoverable material put forward by the government. Further, the parties have continued to discuss possible paths forward in this matter, they wrote. The parties wish to have additional time to continue those discussions. Santos has previously denied that he was working with the feds. Last month, after prosecutors filed another letter hinting at conversations to discuss possible paths forward, Santos told Talking Points Memo that the suggestion of a plea agreement was wildly inaccurate. 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. Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot that resulted in the breach of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. File Photo by Gamal Diab/EPA-EFE Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Enrique Tarrio, the former head of the Proud Boys hate group, was sentenced to 22 years in prison Tuesday for a domestic terrorism enhancement on a seditious conspiracy conviction. His sentence is the longest for any defendant tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and was widely reported by news outlets, including ABC News and NBC News. "To the men and women of law enforcement who answered the call that day, I'm sorry," Tarrio said in a statement before his sentencing. "I have always tried to hold myself to a higher standard and I failed. I failed miserably. I thought of myself morally above others and this trial has humbled me." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Tarrio downplayed that the riot was intended to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. "I am not a political zealot," he said. "When I get back home, I want nothing to do with politics, groups, activism or rallies." Tarrio's attorney Sabino Jauregui had told the court that his client "is no terrorist" and branded him a "misguided patriot" who was trying to protect his country. Prosecutors had asked for a 33-year sentence for the 39-year-old Tarrio. He was one of four Proud Boys found guilty of seditious conspiracy, a serious crime of conspiring against the United States. U.S. District Judge Tim Kelly approved a sentencing enhancement for terrorism but still set the sentencing well below what he could have imposed. Tarrio wasn't physically present when members of the hate group and other followers of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol because he had been arrested days earlier for vandalism at a church and was forbidden to travel to D.C. However, prosecutors argued that Tarrio was in command of the violent group and took credit for the riot on behalf of the Proud Boys. In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors accused Tarrio and his associates of trying to overturn the democratic process. "They unleashed a force on the Capitol that was calculated to exert their political will on elected officials by force and to undo the results of a democratic election. The foot soldiers of the right aimed to keep their leader in power. They failed," prosecutors wrote. More than 1,106 people have been arrested for crimes stemming from the violence and the courts are still working through many of the cases. Tarrio's sentencing comes not long after multiple members of the far-right group Proud Boys recently were sentenced for their efforts in the insurrection. In August, Judge Timothy Kelly sentenced Proud Boys members Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl to 17 and 15 years in prison respectively. On Friday, Kelly sentenced Dominic Pezzola and Ethan Nordean of the Proud Boys to 10 and 18 years respectively. Nordean's 18-year sentence is tied with Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes' 18-year sentence for the longest handed down to a Jan. 6 rioter. Kelly sentenced previous Proud Boys defendants to terms lower than the sentencing guidelines, justifying his choice by pointing out that previous convictions for seditious conspiracy had usually involved loss of life. Demonstrators protest outside the Buenos Aires City Legislature against an event organized by Victoria Villarruel, the running mate of Freedom Advances party presidential candidate Javier Milei, to honor the 1970s victims of armed leftist groups. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) Human rights activists surrounded the Buenos Aires City Legislature on Monday to denounce an event honoring victims of armed leftist groups during the 1970s, when Argentina was engulfed by political violence. The tribute was arranged by Victoria Villaruel, the running-mate of right-wing populist presidential candidate Javier Milei, and demonstrators called it an attempt to change the narrative about crimes against humanity perpetrated by the countrys last military dictatorship. Villaruel, a lawmaker, has long defended military officers convicted of crimes against humanity during the bloody 1976-1983 dictatorship. For 40 years, the victims of terrorism were erased from memory, swept under the rug of history, Villaruel said at the event, where attendance was tightly controlled. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Police set up barriers around the City Legislature to keep back hundreds of demonstrators who said the event sought to reinstall the idea that the military dictatorship carried out its crimes as part of a civil war with leftist guerilla groups. The event took place weeks after Milei shook up Argentinas political landscape by receiving the most votes in national primary elections, positioning him as a leading candidate for next month's presidential election. Among the protesters was Cecilia De Vincenti, whose mother, Azucena Villaflor, founded the group Mothers of Plaza de Mayo to demand information about people disappeared during the dictatorship and was herself detained and killed. I think that with the votes that Milei got in the primaries, and that Villaruel is his running-mate, makes them feel empowered and that the people will support these things. But I dont think thats true, de Vincenti said. The event included brief talks by three people who had family members slain by leftist guerrillas in the 1970s before the 1976 military coup. Argentinas military junta that ruled from 1976 through 1983 is widely considered the most deadly of the dictatorships that ruled much of Latin America in the 1970s and 1980s. It detained, tortured and killed people suspected of opposing the regime. Human rights groups estimate 30,000 were slain, many of whom disappeared without a trace. Argentina has done more than any other country in the region to bring military officers to justice and has held 296 trials relating to dictatorship-era crimes against humanity since 2006, after amnesty laws were struck down. In those, 1,115 people have been convicted, according to the Public Prosecutors Office. But some Argentines, including relatives of former military officers, argue that not enough has been done to prosecute crimes committed by armed leftist groups in the 1970s. There are victims on both sides, we have to recognize that, said one attendee, Claudia Ippolito. Organizers of the event took pains to emphasize they do not defend the crimes committed by the dictatorship. We arent endorsing the dictatorship or the tragic consequences of that violation of the democratic pact. In fact, our group strongly and unequivocally condemns it, said Buenos Aires city legislator Lucia Montenegro, who hosted the event alongside Villaruel and is also a member of Milei's party. But Alan Iud, a human rights lawyer who has participated in trials relating to dictatorship-era crimes, said it was clear the event was something more than a simple tribute event. Iud said there is concern among human rights activists that a Milei victory in the election could translate into a change in the way dictatorship-era crimes are judged. Theyre looking for symmetry regarding crimes of state terrorism and that cannot be condoned, Iud said, arguing that crimes committed by the state cannot be compared to those carried out by individual groups. Villaruel said the protest illustrated how some want to keep part of Argentina's history hidden. Those who prevent our pain from being remembered are the ones who, in the name of human rights, only seek democracy for themselves and human rights exclusively for themselves, she said. ___ Associated Press journalist Natacha Pisarenko contributed to this report. Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio will be behind bars in a federal prison for decades after a federal judge in Washington D.C. sentenced him Tuesday to 22 years over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot on Capitol Hill. Tarrio, of Miami, was convicted in May of planning and orchestrating the white nationalist groups assault on the U.S. Capitol after President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. Prosecutors argued that Tarrio and his colleagues set up a Ministry of Self Defense and exchanged hundreds of encrypted text messages about their 1776 Returns plan to storm the Capitol and ring in the new year with a revolution. The prison sentence is lighter than the 33 years that prosecutors asked for, but is still the longest punishment faced so far by an defendant in a Jan. 6 case. Heres what to know about Tarrio and his ties to Miami. 1. He grew up in Miami Tarrio, the son of Cuban immigrants, was raised in Miamis Flagami neighborhood, according to the Miami New Times. His family is made up of conservative Catholics, some of whom are Cuban exiles with a strong distaste for leftism. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He went to school at Il Savior Academy in Sunset, which is now closed, but dropped out in 11th grade. Growing up, he skateboarded near a local laundromat and fished around the Blue Lagoon just south of Miami International Airport. 2. He founded a local Proud Boys chapter Tarrio started the Vice City Proud Boys in 2018, according to the New Times. Members of the group, however, distanced themselves from Tarrio after Reuters uncovered that he had previously worked as an informant for federal law enforcement. 3. He has a criminal history in South Florida In 2013, Tarrio pleaded guilty in a healthcare-related fraud case involving diabetic test strips and then assisted federal investigators in targeting a dozen other suspects. He served one year and four months in prison, which was a reduction of his original sentence of two years and six months. Tarrio, shortly before the Capitol riot, pleaded guilty to charges of burning a stolen Black Lives Matter banner in Washington, D.C. and carrying firearms magazines at a Proud Boys rally for Trump. He was sentenced to five months and later returned to Miami. Due to this case, he wasnt in Washington D.C. at the time of the riot. Miami Herald staff writer Jay Weaver contributed to this report. Washington The one-time chairman of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, was sentenced to 22 years in prison on Tuesday, the longest prison sentence imposed in the Justice Department's sprawling investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of 33 years in prison. Henry "Enrique" Tarrio has been in jail since his 2022 arrest and was convicted earlier this year by a Washington, D.C. jury on multiple charges including seditious conspiracy. Like his co-defendants in the case, the jurors did not convict Tarrio on every count he faced at the time. His co-defendant Ethan Nordean was sentenced last week to 18 years, while others received terms of between 10 and 17 years. Tarrio's sentencing was supposed to be earlier but was delayed due to U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly's illness. Court sketch shows the former chairman of the far-right Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, at his sentencing for seditious conspiracy and other charges related to Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots, on Sept. 5, 2023. / Credit: Sketch by William J. Hennessy, Jr. Tarrio wasn't present at the Capitol on Jan. 6, but prosecutors in their sentencing papers described him as the "primary organizer" of the conspiracy for which he and his co-defendants were convicted. He used his outsized influence "to condone and promote violence" in others, prosecutors wrote, adding, "He was a general rather than a soldier." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement After the 2020 presidential election, according to evidence presented at trial, Tarrio began posting on social media and in message groups about a "civil war," later threatening, "No TrumpNo peace. No Quarter." And as Jan. 6 approached, he posted about "revolt." His co-defendants Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola gathered with other Proud Boys members on the day of the riot and marched toward the Capitol, interfering with police and ultimately forcing entry into the building where Congress was attempting to certify President Biden's victory. Pezzola was the only co-defendant to not be convicted of the most severe charge of seditious conspiracy at trial, but he was found guilty of using a stolen police riot shield to break a Capitol window. "Make no mistake, we did this," Tarrio wrote on social media during the riot, according to trial evidence. / Credit: CBS News "Enrique Tarrio was the leader of this conspiracy. He was on a tier of his own," prosecutor Conor Mulroe said in court Tuesday. "The defendant and his co-conspirators targeted our entire system of government." The Proud Boys defendants and the group they led to the Capitol that day, Mulroe said, were a "tidal wave of force" at the start of the attack and played a "pivotal" role in the violence on Jan. 6. "They came so close to succeeding," the prosecutor warned. "There was a very real possibility that we were going to wake up on Jan. 7 in a full-blown constitutional crisis with the federal government in complete chaos." Tarrio himself spoke and asked for leniency during Tuesday's hearing. He said that he was sorry for the events of Jan. 6 and apologized to law enforcement and Washington, D.C., residents. "The citizens of D.C. deserve better," Tarrio said. "What happened on Jan. 6 was a national embarrassment." He told the judge he had been angry because his candidate Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, and he continued to hear claims of a stolen election "To the men and women of law enforcement who answered the call that day, I am sorry," Tarrio said. "I am not a political zealot. Inflicting harm or changing the results of the election was not my goal," he explained, "Please show me mercy." Tarrio's fiancee, sister, and mother all asked the judge for leniency, urging the court to see past Tarrio's actions and rhetoric. Throughout the monthslong trial, defense attorneys worked to separate the defendants' rhetoric from the events of Jan. 6 and, in some cases, tried to at least in part blame then-President Donald Trump for the violence that unfolded. "Did he say some things that he shouldn't have? Did he celebrate? Sure," Tarrio's defense attorney Sabino Jauregui said in court on Tuesday, reiterating much of the Proud Boys' case at trial. "But he did not have any direct influence, any direct orders." The defense attorney said Tarrio had "no way to know" what would happen at the Capitol on Jan. 6. The judge, however, appeared unconvinced and told Tarrio's team that the jury had already convicted him of the conspiracy that tied him to the events at the Capitol. "An entire branch of government was brought to heel," the judge said Tuesday. "That was all brought about in part by the actions of the defendant and his co-conspirators." Based on evidence presented during the hearing, Judge Kelly concluded that Tarrio began planning for the Jan. 6 attack as early as Dec. 19, 2020, and instituted a rigid command structure for preparation and recruitment. Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio (L) and Joe Biggs (R) during a protest on Dec. 12, 2020 in Washington, D.C., ahead of the Electoral College vote to make Trump's loss official. / Credit: / Getty Images Tuesday's sentencing hearing was the last of Kelly's five proceedings in the last week related to the Proud Boys case, during which time he imposed sentences that varied, including one that was half what the government had requested, a decade in prison for Dominic Pezzola. Judge Kelly said in sentencing Tarrio that the evidence showed that "Mr. Tarrio was the ultimate leader, the ultimate person who organized, who was motivated by revolutionary zeal." "His not being present did serve some strategic purposes," the judge said, "It did allow his lieutenants to rile up the crowd that day, and it did, from his perspective, insulate himand distance himself from what in fact unfolded that day, and that is useful to someone as smart as Mr. Tarrio." "I don't have any indication that he is remorseful for the actual things that he was convicted of," Judge Kelly said. Prosecutors successfully petitioned the judge to apply a terrorism-related enhancement to the sentences, alleging the defendants retaliated against their government. Ultimately, however, Kelly did not allow such considerations to heavily affect the length of the sentences he imposed. "My client is no terrorist. My client is a misguided patriot," Jauregui claimed in court Tuesday, unsuccessfully arguing that the judge should reject the terrorism-related enhancement. Citing Tarrio's Cuban American heritage, another defense attorney, Nayib Hassan, told Kelly, "We talk s**t and that is exactly what [Tarrio] was doing" in his rhetoric after the attack. "He should keep George Washington out of it," the judge shot back, denouncing Tarrio's past comparisons of his co-defendants' actions during the Capitol attack to the founders. On Tuesday, Tarrio referred to those allusions he had made as "a perversion." "It is kind of hard to put into words how important that peaceful transfer of power is. Our country was founded as an experiment in self-government by the people but it cannot long endure if the way we elect our leaders is threatened with force and violence," Judge Kelly said Tuesday. "What happened that day didn't honor our founders. It was the kind of thing they wrote the Constitution to prevent." John Dickerson looks back at 1 year of "Prime Time" "Prime Time with John Dickerson" turns one How empty office space hurts the economy URUMQI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Despite the availability of piped water, Hasayn Abla, a farmer in Turpan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, still prefers to draw water from a canal with around 300 years of history for daily usage. "This is our mother river, the life-giving water," says 54-year-old Hasayn Abla, deeply valuing the Karez well system he has relied on since childhood. Even today, his thriving 13.3-hectare vineyard is still nourished by the waters of the Karez well. In Turpan, often dubbed China's "land of fire," water is particularly valuable. The average annual precipitation here is only 16 mm, while the evaporation rate measures about 3,000 mm. Despite such dry weather, the place is never a barren land thanks to the irrigation system of Karez, dating back over 2,000 years. A Karez well consists of a vertical shaft connected to underground channels that surface in the form of ditches and small ponds. The channels are supplied with water from the melted ice and snow in Xinjiang's Tianshan Mountains, while the underground structure of the wells prevents water from evaporating. This intricate system, once threatened by declining groundwater levels, has been revitalized thanks to rigorous ecological preservation and cultural heritage protection measures. Today, Turpan boasts 997 Karez canals totaling 3491.74 km in length, with 214 actively transporting water. The Karez system has become a cultural emblem of Turpan, said Gupur Nurdin, secretary-general of the Xinjiang Karez Well Research Institute. The spectacular, expansive structure of the water channel system and its historical and cultural significance have also drawn an increasing number of visitors. Turpan has four top-rated scenic spots dedicated to the Karez wells. These destinations offer a comprehensive showcase of the Karez system's structure, distribution, function, culture, and historical evolution. According to the local cultural and tourism bureau, on August 29 alone, Turpan received approximately 136,000 domestic tourists, with the Karez-themed scenic areas ranking second among popular destinations in terms of visitor numbers. At one of the scenic sites featuring the source of a Karez well, visitors can take an elevator that goes down about 60 meters to view the underground water flown from the Tianshan Mountains. Ding Xuemei, a tourist from east China's Jiangsu Province, was amazed by her venture into the deep well and marveled at the underground canals buried dozens of meters beneath the earth's surface. "The fact that this ancient hydraulic engineering marvel, dating back centuries, still functions today is a testament to the incredible ancient wisdom. It fills me with pride and awe," said Ding, who was on her maiden trip to Turpan. The last seditious conspiracy cases brought in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol are coming to a close, with members of the right-wing extremist Proud Boys facing sentencings this week and last. But now, Justice Department prosecutors are preparing for another high-profile yet distinctly different conspiracy case linked to the riot that has resulted in charges for more than 1,100 participants: the trial of former President Trump. Just days before several Proud Boys were given among the harshest sentences yet for plotting to obstruct the certification of the 2020 presidential election results, a March trial date was set for Trumps case in Washingtons federal court, where he is charged with conspiring to overturn the election efforts that culminated in the Capitol attack. At the core of the different conspiracies is the same objective, said Mary McCord, a former federal prosecutor and Georgetown Law professor. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The cases involving seditious conspiracy and the case in which Mr. Trump is charged federally do all involve an effort to prevent the peaceful transition of presidential power to overrule or override the will of the voters, she said. But the conspiracies alleged are not the same and the cases prosecutors present to a D.C. jury wont be the same, either, McCord added. Mr. Trump is a different defendant than an Enrique Tarrio or a Stewart Rhodes, she said of the extremist group leaders. READ: Trump indictment in Jan. 6 case After descending on the Capitol in January 2021, members of the Proud Boys and right-wing militia group Oath Keepers were charged with entering into seditious conspiracies against the U.S. government, bent on stopping the certification of the 2020 election results by force. Trump faces four charges in special counsel Jack Smiths D.C. case, among them three conspiracy counts: conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, conspiracy against rights and conspiracy to defraud the United States. The case hinges on Trumps false claims of election fraud, alleging he pursued unlawful means of discounting the true results of the presidential race to stay in power. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges. The cases show a cause-and-effect relationship, where Trumps alleged behavior motivated members of the extremist groups to engage in their disparate conspiracies, said Stan Twardy, a former federal prosecutor and practicing lawyer. [Trump] lit the match, and the Oath Keepers [and Proud Boys] were the gasoline that exploded here, he said, pointing to the nature of their indictments. But the ways in which prosecutors say the extremist groups and the former president executed their goals are quite different, McCord said a distinction that will cause prosecutors and defense attorneys to take a different approach to Trumps case than the Jan. 6 cases preceding it. Violent speech and behavior were the foundation of the Justice Departments cases against members of the extremist groups. Ahead of the Capitol attack, members of the Oath Keepers issued calls for action over what they perceived to be a stolen election and predicted a civil war, with founder Stewart Rhodes saying the final defense is us and our rifles. On Jan. 6, they traveled up the Capitol steps in military stack formation and into the building and stored a cache of weapons across the Potomac in case violence broke out. The Proud Boys similarly called for war and revolution ahead of the riot, creating a separate chapter of real men called the Ministry of Self Defense to be on the ground in D.C. that day. They dismantled barricades, breached the Capitol building and assaulted law enforcement on Jan. 6, and when the vote count was halted, former National Chairman Enrique Tarrio wrote to the chat: Make no mistakewe did this. You dont have video of Mr. Trump attacking the Capitol or scaling the walls or breaking through windows or spraying pepper spray at police officers or beating police officers. The videos are so compelling in the cases of the rioters they almost prove the cases on their own, McCord said. And so, [Trumps case] is a very different case to put on for the prosecutors. Trumps case instead will hinge on communications his own words and others showing an agreement to commit a crime. Prosecutors will likely present a mix of Trumps public statements and private ones to make their case, McCord said. Trumps legal team will likely argue that Trump had no intent to subvert the election results because he honestly believed he was the winner, McCord said. Mr. Trump maintains to this day that there was fraud in the election, she said. I think hes tried to make the public believe that if he honestly and truly believed the election was stolen, that essentially, he couldnt be guilty of anything because he had a right to try to attack the results of the election. That Trump believed he won the election would not necessarily clear him of the conduct charged in Smiths indictment. Smiths indictment of Trump stays away from accusations of sedition, which would be very difficult to prove, Twardy said. Instead, it focuses on the facts of his alleged plot to stay in power. Its the Wizard of Oz, you know what is going on behind the curtain there? Twardy said. Thats what Smith is charging Trump with. Thats not to say the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6 wont play any role in the case. The riot is mentioned in the indictment as a means by which Trump allegedly sought to impair, obstruct and defeat the federal government function through dishonesty, fraud and deceit. More than anything, the extremist groups prosecutions could help inform the Justice Department on what is persuasive to a D.C. jury, Twardy said. What [prosecutors] would have learned from this is what resonated with the jury, he said. What were the things that Trump is being charged with that the jurors saw as really being the match that led to the fire. Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor and law professor at the University of Michigan, said portrayals of Jan. 6 as an act of patriotism is one example of a view that D.C. jurors have clearly rejected. Jack Smith can be confident that a reasonable jury can be selected that sees the events of that day for what they were a profound display of disloyalty to the United States, she said. Tarrios seditious conspiracy conviction also tells prosecutors that juries understand a person can be guilty of conspiracy without being present at the scene of the crime, McQuade added. Tarrio was in Baltimore on Jan. 6 after being arrested on separate charges and banished from D.C. two days earlier. Still, no two juries are exactly alike, she warned. Just one outlier can hang the whole case. Its up to the government to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the crime was committed, Twardy said. Updated 2:05 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Enrique Tarrio the capo of the Proud Boys on Jan. 6 has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for his part in the seditious conspiracy to block the peaceful transfer of power to President Joe Biden following the 2020 election. Tarrios two-decade sentence the stiffest yet for a Jan. 6 defendant was handed down Tuesday afternoon in a packed Washington, D.C., courtroom. Tarrios prison term tops that delivered to Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, who received 18 years for leading that militias seditious conspiracy plot on Jan. 6. The sentence puts a capstone on judicial accountability for the leaders from both extremist groups, who were willing to resort to violence to keep Trump in office. The harsh justice handed down to the brass of these organizations adds ballast to the federal conspiracy case against Trump, for his role in the effort to overturn the election three years ago, though its unclear what kind of repercussions the former president may face if he faces any at all. The Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol was not purely a spontaneous riot. Interspersed among the throngs of rabid Trump backers whod answered the presidents call to gather for a wild protest of Congress and the counting of the votes of the Electoral College were the leaders of two militant groups that maintained connections with president Trumps inner circle, and saw themselves as acting on Trumps behalf. One was the Oath Keepers, a paramilitary group that was eagerly waiting for Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act, which they believed would empower them to wage war on the presidents enemies. (The Oath Keepers had stockpiles of weapons stored with Quick Reaction Forces at hotels across the river in Virginia explicitly for this purpose.) The other group was the Proud Boys, a fight club notorious for street brawls with antifa, who had created an elite unit in advance of Jan. 6 that sought to blend into the crowd and amplify and direct its anger. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The two groups did not work hand-in-glove, generally seeing themselves as rivals. But they each espoused violent, revolutionary aims in the build-up to Jan. 6, and they played off one another during the chaos of that day. The Proud Boys helped topple barriers and ultimately led the breach of the Capitol. Once that was accomplished, leaders of the Oath Keepers infiltrated the building in military stack formation contributing to the terror that sent members of Congress fleeing in fear for their lives. For their respective roles in breaking Americas sacred tradition of a peaceful transfer of presidential power, the top brass of both groups were tried and convicted of seditious conspiracy plots, as well as on charges of obstructing an official proceeding of Congress. The stiff sentences doled out to the seditious Jan. 6 militants are historic in their own right. But they also add weight to the election conspiracy charges Trump now faces in federal court. Like the extremists, Trump is also charged with conspiracy to obstruct the official proceeding. The attorneys of several Proud Boys questioned aloud at sentencing why Trump, himself, is not also facing charges for in the sedition plot. With Tarrios term now set, the five Proud Boys plotters who went to trial have been sentenced, collectively to 80 years in prison. Tarrios sentence is remarkable, in part, because he was not in Washington, D.C., for the violence of Jan. 6; hed been ordered to leave the nations capital after a previous arrest for vandalizing a Black Lives Matter flag at a local church. But the Proud Boys loyal to Tarrio set in motion the plan hed devised, seeking a revolution in the manner of 1776. These Proud Boys viewed themselves as revolutionaries, and they believed fully in their cause, the government argued in its sentencing memo. The prison term punctuates a precipitous fall from grace for Tarrio within the MAGA movement. In the build up to the 2020 election, Tarrio also served as Florida director of Latinos for Trump, an independent group that worked in the service of the Trump campaign. Tarrio bragged to The New York Times that he was a personal friend of Trump adviser Roger Stone. And, in his flirtation with Republican respectability, Tarrio was photographed rubbing elbows with top politicos, including GOP Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Rick Scott (Fla.), Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw, presidential son Donald Trump, Jr., and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, today the governor of Arkansas. A government sentencing memo describes Tarrio as a savvy and charismatic criminal who used his leadership skills to inflame and radicalize untold numbers of followers, promoting political violence. As the memo describes it, Tarrio ultimately chose to dedicate his uncommon abilities to organize and execute the conspiracy to forcibly stop the peaceful democratic transfer of power. A Western chauvinist fight club once mostly interested in street battles with leftist and anarchists, the Proud Boys evolved to become fiercely loyal to Trump. The president infamously refused to condemn the brawlers in a 2020 debate with Joe Biden, and instead called on them to stand back and stand by. When Trump announced a protest in D.C. to dispute the outcome of the election, Tarrio jumped into action, creating an elite unit within the Proud Boys he called the Ministry of Self Defense or MOSD whose objective was keeping Trump in power. This MOSD unit was composed of committed extremists who were willing to take orders from the top and use violence as necessary. As spelled out in the governments 80-page sentencing memo, these Proud Boys participated in every consequential breach at the Capitol on January 6, leading surge after surge against Capitol police, until foot-soldier Dominic Pezzola finally smashed open a window allowing the first rioters to enter the Capitol. On Jan. 6, Tarrio helped coordinate the days violence remotely from Baltimore, posting public social media messages like, Dont fucking leave. He also privately took credit for the violent chaos that brought the counting of the Electoral College ballots to a grinding halt, telling his lieutenants, Make no mistake we did this. As with the sentences handed down to his co-conspirators last week, the prison term for Tarrio is short the term of 33 years sought by the Justice Department. Federal prosecutors had sought to stiffen the conspiracy sentences by adding a federal terrorism enhancement for Tarrio and his men. Federal District Judge Tim Kelly, a Trump appointee, ruled that the Proud Boys were indeed terrorists under the law, but that the lack of a plot for mass murder e.g. the bombing of a building meant that the astronomical sentences sought by the government were not justified. In deliberating on a prison term for Tarrio, Kelly emphasized his position at the top of the MOSD command structure as well as his lack of remorse, evidenced by a jailhouse interview he gave during his trial in which he insisted the Proud Boys had done nothing wrong. In his own statement to the court, Tarrio apologized for his role in the national embarrassment of Jan. 6, adding that while he used to view himself as morally above others he had been humbled by the trial. He said his invocation of the revolution of 1776 was a perversion, admitted that Joe Biden won the 2020 election, saying my candidate lost. Tarrio was originally scheduled to be the first of the Proud Boys conspirators to be sentenced last week, but an illness by judge Kelly postponed his day of judgement. Four others were sentenced ahead of Tarrio. Ethan Nordean, who took command of the MOSD in Tarrios absence, and had called on the Proud Boys to fash the fuck out, received 18 years. Joe Biggs, who the government called the tip of the spear of the Proud Boys Capitol assault, received 17 years. Zachary Rehl received 15 years, a sentence that reflected not only his calls to Storm the Capitol! but his having lied at trial about spraying Capitol cops with a chemical agent. Dominc Pezzola, who was not part of the seditious conspiracy but created the first opening at the Capitol by smashing a window with a shield he stole from a riot cop, got 10 years. After telling the judge at sentencing that he was remorseful, Pezzola nonetheless raised a fist, as he was being led out of the courtroom, and declared Trump won!! A sixth member of the Proud Boys, Jeremy Bertino, avoided trial by pleading guilty to charges including seditious conspiracy and becoming a witness for the government against his co-conspirators. Bertinos sentencing date has not yet been set. The sentences handed down to the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are by far the harshest punishment doled out as a result of the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election. But their members are only a fraction of the over 1,000 of those who have been charged and hundreds who have been sentenced for their actions on Jan. 6, which have ranged from from breaching the Capitol, to assaulting law enforcement officers, and beyond. Justice has yet to be visited upon the man who inspired it all, however. Trump, whom the Jan. 6 Committee has said is to blame for the attack, has been charged federally and in Georgia for his efforts to stay in power, with several of his cronies listed as co-defendants in the latter indictment. Hes on track to stand trial next year although the 2024 election has complicated the effort to hold him accountable for orchestrating such a concerted attack on American democracy. Rolling Stone has reported that Trumps latest presidential bid is fueled in part by his desperation to skirt consequences. Hell likely do so if he manages to defeat win back the White House next year. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. A Pueblo County man is standing trial for the second time on homicide charges this week after his first trial ended in a mistrial in June. Max Struck, 35, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 73-year-old Patti Magby, who was shot and killed by Struck in October 2022. Struck has admitted to shooting Magby but argued throughout his first trial that the shooting was in self-defense. Struck's first trial ended after more than two days of jury deliberation when attorneys from the 10th Judicial District Attorney's Office and Colorado public defender's office met, outside of the presence of a jury, to discuss an unspecified "juror issue." Both sides then agreed to declare a mistrial. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Struck shot Magby on the night of Oct. 21, 2022, outside of his home in the 4700 block of Bergemann Road in rural southwest Pueblo County. During the first trial, deputy district attorneys Anne Mayer and Suzanne Marsh argued that Struck acted deliberately and intentionally to kill Magby. To justify the charge of first-degree murder, they noted that Struck took the time to arm himself, aim, and fire a total of seven rounds, striking Magby twice, first in the ankle and then in the stomach. Public defenders James "David" Henderson and Tilyn Bell argued Struck acted in self-defense. In her closing argument at the first trial, Bell emphasized that Struck's residence was "20 minutes from anywhere," including potential rescue by law enforcement. She also stated Struck was alone the night that Magby trespassed on his property, in the dark, with a blood alcohol content of .155 nearly twice Colorado's legal limit to operate a motor vehicle with two loaded guns in her vehicle and two prescription drugs also in her system. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday, with the trial scheduled to continue for three weeks, ending Sept. 22. More on the public safety beat: Former Pueblo sheriff's lieutenant sentenced to probation for sexual assault All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime. Questions, comments or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com. This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Second trial begins for Pueblo man who shot and killed neighbor Vladimir Putin apparently couldn't believe how fit Biden was in 2021, per a new book. In The Last Politician, Franklin Foer wrote about how the Russian president couldn't believe his eyes. Apparently, Putin had taken it to heart that Biden was a feeble man before their 2021 summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin is so well known for his shirtless photo ops that even fellow world leaders have mocked his appearance. But it was Putin who couldn't believe that President Joe Biden was looking good during their 2021 summit, according to a new book. Putin apparently had taken to heart Russian propaganda that depicted Biden as feeble. Former President Donald Trump also spent a large chunk of the 2020 presidential election portraying Biden, who is roughly three and a half years older than him, as a senile old man who was too "sleepy" to take on leading the free world. "The Russian press had spent months portraying Biden as a fragile old man, a piece of spin that Putin had internalized. But when he greeted Biden, he seemed taken aback by his appearance. 'You look good,' he exclaimed," journalist Franklin Foer wrote in The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future, which was published on Tuesday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Putin, Foer wrote, was so struck by the fact that Scranton Joe wasn't scrawny that he had to tell then-outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel about it. "When Putin called Angela Merkel to deliver the postmortem of the meeting, he told her, 'President Biden is very fit.'" Ultimately, Biden's June 2021 Geneva summit was unable to rescue US-Russian relations which crashed following Putin's ordered massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Troubling signs began just weeks after their meeting when Putin openly complained about the "double standard" between how suspected Capitol rioters were treated versus other protestors. As for Biden's view of his own physique, Biden was spotted shirtless earlier this summer at Delaware's Rehoboth Beach. Putin took it personally when other leaders pointed out how his approach to life mirrors Matthew McConaughey's early-to-mid-2000s run of romcoms. Then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson kicked off a round of jokes about Putin when he quipped about whether leaders should take their clothes off for a 2022 G7 summit photo, "We all have to show that we're tougher than Putin." "I don't know how they wanted to get undressed, above or below the waist but I think it would be a disgusting sight in any case," the Russian leader fired back. Read the original article on Business Insider Russia's Vladimir Putin will host North Korea's Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok, reports say. The leaders will likely discuss potential arms deals, analysts say. But North Korea's shoddy weapons may not be effective, say analysts. Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be desperate for North Korea's stockpile of weapons, but they're outdated and unreliable, according to experts It follows reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is preparing to make a rare foreign trip to visit President Vladimir Putin in Russia. The planned meeting is raising concerns over a new weapons deal between the authoritarian leaders. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Putin is seeking to bolster his forces as they battle Ukraine's counteroffensive, and Kim is seeking supplies and diplomatic support amid North Korea's international isolation. But analysts believe that North Korea's weapons stockpiles are aging and ineffective, and won't provide Putin with the solutions he needs in Ukraine, where his troops are facing equipment and ammunition shortages. John Everard, who served as UK ambassador to North Korea between 2006 and 2008, told the BBC that while North Korea has stockpiles of weapons that Moscow needs, "they're in very poor condition." Ben Wallace, the former UK defense secretary, meanwhile accused Putin of "begging" for outdated North Korean weapons in his desperation to secure new weapons supplies. The meeting comes amid Ukraine's counteroffensive to drive Russian forces back from territory they occupy in south and east Ukraine. Both sides in the conflict are quickly running through their stockpiles of equipment and ammunition, and struggling to resupply their front line troops quickly enough. Putin is casting his net widely in his search for weapons and military equipment, calling on allies in other states hostile to US global influence, including Iran and North Korea, which are struggling under international sanctions. Last year, US official claimed that North Korea had begun selling Russia rockets and artillery shells in contravention of a 2016 UN Security Council resolution backed at the time by Russia. Such Soviet-era equipment would be readily compatible with Russia's weapons. But analysts believe that North Korea's weapons are in a shoddy state, and are unlikely to make a decisive impact in Ukraine. They point to an attack by North Korea on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong Island in 2010, when around half of the 170 shells fired by North Korea using a multiple rocket launcher, or MRL, failed to hit their target. "This high failure rate suggests that some [North Korean]-manufactured artillery munitions especially MRL rounds suffer from either poor quality control during manufacturing or that storage conditions and standards are poor," a report at the time by 38 North, a US-based site that monitors North Korea, said. Last year, Ukraine claimed to have seized a batch of North Korean rockets from Russia and fired them back at their enemy, with one Ukrainian troop commenting on the poor quality of the weapons. "They are very unreliable and do crazy things sometimes," he told The Financial Times. While North Korea could also potentially supply Russia with its more sophisticated, long-range missiles, these would be more difficult to export than its ammunition, as it might require specialist equipment to fire them, Go Myong-Hyun, a senior research fellow at the Asan Institute of Policy Studies in Seoul, told The Wall St. Journal last year. "Russia is looking to North Korea for a large quantity of conventional weapons rather than sophisticated ones," said Go. However, other analysts believe that in sufficient quantities, North Korean ammunition could still be useful to Russia. "With ammo, quantity has a quality of its own," Michael Kofman, director of the Russia Studies Program at CNA, a US-based think tank, told VOA. "Lower quality doesn't mean 100% doesn't work." Read the original article on Business Insider North Korean leader Kim Jong-uns planned meeting with Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, as revealed by US intelligence, gives us a new insight into Russias strategy in Ukraine as well as a warning of wider dangers for the world. As Kyivs offensive wears on into its fourth month, with only limited success and a few Russian counter attacks, it is becoming clear that Moscows plan may be to allow Ukraine to exhaust its men, tanks, shells and missiles against the Surovikin Lines hardest edge. The thinking could be that, once Ukraines Western equipped and trained manoeuvre forces have been ground down, Russia will then be able to launch its own major offensive, perhaps as early as January. After almost two years of fighting that has been compared more to the First World War than the Second, this plan is reminiscent of the Germans Kaiserschlacht, the spring offensive which began in March 1918 and drove the allies back, seizing more territory than had been taken by either side in the preceding four years of war. This was achieved by the Germans bleeding the enemy dry while building massive reserves of men and munitions behind the lines, ready to unleash a devastating assault not unlike what the British aimed for, but failed to achieve, during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The problem for Putin is that, as he seeks to grind down Ukrainian forces, he is expending vast quantities of ammunition, especially artillery shells and ballistic missiles, and very large numbers of tanks. While Russia has a greater volume of military industrial production than much of the West, and continues to mobilise tens of thousands of men each quarter on a rolling basis, its core supplies remain inadequate for the level of expenditure required for a major new offensive. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement That is where Pyongyang could come in. North Korea has been sending large quantities of shells, rockets and missiles to Russia for at least a year, with many of the shipments organised by the late Yevgeny Prigozhins Wagner group. In July, Putins defence minister Sergei Shoigu was in Pyongyang, presumably negotiating further supplies. There he will have found an Aladdins Cave of hardware North Korea maintains immense stocks of heavy weaponry and artillery munitions. Many are old and unreliable, but that wont matter if Russia resorts to its old tactic for victory: utilising its sheer force of numbers, steamrollering the enemy as the Germans sought to do in 1918. The new Moscow-Pyongyang axis is a reversal of roles from the Cold War era, when the Soviet Union and China were the top arms supplier to North Korea from its inception. Supply continued even after the Soviet collapse, only ending with the advent of UN sanctions. Supporting Russia today benefits Kim as a means of hitting back against the US, with the undoubted approval of Beijing. But North Koreas backing will not come without a hefty price tag. Crippled by Western sanctions, Pyongyang is in dire need of the oil, food, fertiliser and raw materials that Russia has in abundance. A more concerning aspect of Russias burgeoning relationship is the potential to supply both hard currency and technology for North Koreas nuclear weapons programme, especially the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles. As with its ability to provide other commodities, Russia has enormous capabilities in this field, including its own nuclear weapons know-how. This could be a game-changer in Pyongyangs pursuit of an effective nuclear delivery programme. Some analysts have suggested that the US exposure of Kims planned visit might be enough for him to cancel it. That will make no difference. The deeply embedded links between the two countries are sufficient for this deadly cooperation to continue and develop without a meeting between the two leaders. The question that must therefore be asked is: why was there a need to plan for such a meeting in the first place? For Kim, virtually confined to the borders of his own country, it would be an opportunity to posture as a world statesman before his fellow anti-Western regimes. Putin, too, has a need to show his people that he is not isolated. But there may be something else behind it. Putin might well have in mind a bargaining chip to encourage an already wobbling US administration to pressure Kyiv into a ceasefire. Whatever the diplomatic double-dealing, the West should now be helping Ukraine prepare in case their current offensive fails, allowing Putin to unleash his Kaiserschlacht. The German offensive in 1918 petered out from exhaustion and lack of supplies. We cannot count on a similar fate overcoming Putins next move: it is questionable whether Ukraine will have the resources to hold the Russians back, let alone launch their own version of the Hundred Days Offensive which allowed the Allies, with newly arrived American forces, to drive the Germans back into their homeland. If this apocalyptic 1918 scenario becomes reality, a monumental effort will be required from the West as well as from Ukraine greater than has already been delivered. It will be extremely costly for everyone, with the potential consequences too terrifying to contemplate. Colonel Richard Kemp is a former British Army officer 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 President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are set to meet this month to discuss plans for military cooperation between the two countries. Sources told The New York Times on Monday that Kim plans to travel to Russia, where both leaders are scheduled to attend the Eastern Economic Forum at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok. The forum is scheduled to run Sept. 10-13. Putin hopes the North Korea strongman can agree to send artillery shells and antitank missiles to Russia. In contrast, Kim wants Russia to provide his country with advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, as well as food aid. Kim also has plans to visit Pier 33, where naval ships from Russias Pacific fleet dock, according to The Times. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Officials also said that a delegation of at least 20 North Korean officials traveled to Russia late last month, saying that this is an indication from Kim that his country is serious about conducting a meeting with Russia. According to a June report from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim also sent Putin a message on Russias national day, in which he pledged to hold hands with him. He promised that his country will show its full support and solidarity to the Russian people. U.S. officials have warned about the potential cooperation between Russia and North Korea, citing that Russias purpose in the meeting is to purchase artillery shells to use in its ongoing war in Ukraine. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told The Times that North Korea should cease its discussions on the matter. We urge the D.P.R.K. to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia, Watson said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. In the future, things may happen that no one expects. Prigozhin's story is a black swan. Today's Russian leadership really wants to sit everyone out. It wants to wait for next year's elections-first in the European Union and then, of course, in the United States. It is not for nothing that Putin is going to China in October to attend an event dedicated to promoting the Silk Road. He is not going to the G-20; he refused to go to Turkey but will go to China. He thinks it's safe and critically needs to agree, if not on a common strategy with Xi (I think that's already "past"), but at least on coordinated steps. Read also: ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Russian elite, including Putin, wants to sit out the entire West. There will be difficult elections this year. This includes Slovakia, where there is a real threat that not pro-Russian politicians will come to power, but let's say, much more balanced politicians, and balanced in our direction. This includes the problematic elections in Poland, which already affect our bilateral relations, agricultural trade, and other issues. Next year, there will be elections to the European Parliament. Putin hopes that fatigue from supporting us Ukrainians, fatigue from high energy and electricity prices will lead to an outbreak of both left and right-wing parties. So far, this has not happened, but there are trends that are dangerous. Then, of course, there are the American elections. The Kremlin is well aware that without the Americans, it is impossible to build our consistent financial, military, logistical, and whatever support we need. The Americans cannot be the only ones, but the Americans must be the leaders of the Western world. This is one of the conclusions of this war. Read also: Putin despises the Western world, despises its values, democracy itself. As one of my journalist friends wrote in the Wall Street Journal a few days ago: In the West, politicians often talk like Churchills but act like Chamberlains. This may not be true of everyone. I know many decent people, Western politicians, who are ready to raise the stakes. But a significant number of them are not ready to raise the stakes. This is critically needed regarding arms supplies, logistical support, and sanctions. Putin will feel the weakness of the West like a predator Currently, there is a demand for Russian liquefied gas supplies, including to Europe. There are significant buyers, such as Belgium and Spain. These are the statistics we have seen in the last couple of days. All the key Western media are also writing about this. We know how the West is reacting weakly to ways to circumvent sanctions. Turkey has been circumventing them for a long time. Russian oil is bought by India, refined, and sent to the West. It is being laundered. I could go on for hours with such examples. The point is that the number one issue for us now is the future security model. If Putin hears that the West is ready to raise the stakes not just for today, but also for tomorrow, in terms of our future security model, then his behavior will be completely different. He may be ready to try to get out of the situation he has put himself and Russia into. But if not, if there will continue to be complicated discussions about this security model, then Putin, on the contrary, will feel the weakness of the West like a predator (and he always reads geopolitics very well and, as a special service officer with experience, he can sense such weakness). For me, three critical points in the negotiations on our security model are now starting. The first point is whether they will be sustainable. This means whether they will last after the next elections in the United States and the EU. Will they be recorded as memoranda, political statements, or declarations, or will they be legal obligations recorded by bilateral agreements or laws in the United States and Europe? The second point is sufficiency. Sufficiency in terms of what it means to contain Russia. Of course, we can get what the West gives us, or get what we want. As we understand it, there will be neither. The truth is always somewhere in the middle. So, this "middle ground" should be agreed upon and discussed with our allies. This should be our participation in a new strategy to contain Russia. The third element is the most important. It will either be some declarations or commitments, or guarantees. Because, so far, there has yet to be any talk of guarantees. We know that the United States guarantees security, for example, to the Japanese or South Korea, which sometimes people like to compare with us. Although this comparison is largely inappropriate. Or with Taiwan. There is a law in the United States on aid and defense for Taiwan. These three issues are fundamental. If the West raises the stakes on all three, then Putin, of course, has to crawl into his hole, sit back, and somehow work things out. But if the West also tries to reach an agreement, Putin will feel that he is doing well and will go to negotiate a new strategy with the Chinese, and so on. So we are, if you will, very close to the Rubicon. Not yet at the Rubicon, but very close to it, in the security sense. This security sense is essential not only for us. It is critically important for the West. Declarations can replace clear commitments when it comes to security guarantees for Ukraine. The discussion about this is ongoing. It should be the collective opinion of the collective West. Otherwise, this will only work if there are security guarantees. In the meantime, the attitude of our allies and partners is to push this issue aside. I am consciously talking about this. Not to "move out" of it but to push it back in time. This makes our situation a real challenge because Putin is well aware that he does not have much time. Russia is weaker today technologically, demographically, economically, and militarily. But in the military sense, Putin is trying to pump up his military machine and overcome all that he lost due to the war against us. So, of course, it is very, very critical for him to pause. Read also: Baltic states join G7 declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine It is imperative for us now to have real guarantees. They can be bilateral. They can be with a nuclear umbrella. They can be in the form of automatic measures from our partners. But this trinity, forgive me for calling it blasphemy, if you will, the holy trinity, must be observed. We critically need elements of guarantees, not commitments. We critically need sustainability so that these commitments are not for an election cycle, but for the future. We need the principle of deterrence sufficiency. Unfortunately, as you know, we do not have this yet, and without it, nothing will work. Military analysts say that the likelihood of a recurrence of the war is growing regardless of how this war ends. Let me comment on this in the following way: Putin personally and a significant part of the Russian elite (not all of it, of course) have set themselves the task of maintaining their regime. This regime can be maintained only and exclusively if Russia, or rather the current regime, manages to destroy Ukraine and Ukrainian statehood. They believe that this condition is insufficient, but nevertheless necessary. This is their fundamental point of view. They are well aware that the outcome of today's war alone will not destroy the Putin regime, but will trigger the process of a point of no return. Russia is weakening today. This is what I hear not only from those I respect in the West politicians, experts, journalists. I hear this in almost daily communication from Indians, Chinese, Indonesians, and Brazilians that is, those who look at the situation from a completely different angle. Read also: Ukrainian politics balancing between US, Russia, EU, and China But this does not mean that a significant part of the non-Western world, the dominant part, and the West, is ready to raise the stakes to destabilize Russia. Unfortunately, a considerable amount of the West wants a gradual, controlled process that will be painless (I emphasize this word) for the West. To ensure that the Western system remains stable, as they see it, and to ensure that Putin, and through him, the Chinese, cannot test the red lines of the West. Red lines should be pushed back, not tested. Unfortunately, there is a challenging discussion in the West around this. Sometimes, our point of view wins, and sometimes, unfortunately, the point of view of those who want to play around somehow and then see what happens next dominates. I would say this "what happens next" logic that has defined all Western policy in the last 20 years or so has already come out of the wrong place. However, there are supporters of this policy. Now, those in the West are raising their voices, saying, "Let's somehow come to an agreement, since Russia will not be so dangerous in the future, it is still in decline, and Ukraine will still contain it, and we need it for the global geopolitical picture." And people like the Pope will still talk about some kind of imperial greatness, about Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, that we need to look up to them. The problem is that they are not yet producing any Russian narratives. This is what they personally think, and this means that we have yet to reach them with our logic. This needs to be done, so we have a lot of work to do in the coming months. Read also: Kremlin tight-lipped on potential Kim-Putin meeting amid reports of plans to discuss North Korean arms aid for Russia Putin wants to drag out this war. The West wants to control the process, including the collapse of the Russian Federation, if it becomes inevitable. But there may be a black swan in all this perhaps even several black swans 100%. The Prygozhin story is one such swan (although this "bird" does not exactly look like a swan). But in the future, things may happen that no one expects. It may be irrational, illogical things. I believe that this story will not be linear, as many people want it to be, with the mentality of letting everything be. 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 Drones attempted to attack one of the residences of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in the early hours of Sept. 5, Russian English-language newspaper the Moscow Times has claimed in a report. In a Telegram post, the publication posted that video that it said captured the moment a drone was destroyed near the town of Zavidovo in Tver Oblast, which is about 110 kilometers northwest of the Russian capital, near where Putin is reported to have a residence. Read also: Putin gives first public reaction to drone attack on Kremlin The residence, the Rus state residence, is located about 19 kilometers to the west of Zavidovo, set in forest amid a maze of meandering rivers and islands. In the past, Soviet and later Russian leaders used the area for hunting. Putin, who is not reported to be fond of hunting, rarely visits the residence, however. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Wreckage from a shot down drone is also alleged to have fallen on a garage with gas cylinders in Pavlovskaya Sloboda near Moscow. Several powerful explosions were heard after a fire broke out at the crash site. No injuries were reported. In the early hours of Sept. 5, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have stopped "Kyiv's attempt to attack Russian territory with UAVs." One drone was allegedly destroyed over Kaluga Oblast by air defenses. Read also: Why Russia is struggling to defend itself against drone attacks expert view Over the past few months, the Russian authorities have frequently reported drone raids. Recently, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Aug. 31 that a drone flying in the direction of Moscow had been intercepted. The Russian capital was attacked by unidentified drones on July 30. The IQ Quarter building in the Moskva City financial district, which houses the offices of several Russian ministries, was hit, and the same skyscraper was hit again just three days later. Moscow was attacked by UAVs on Aug. 28, with local Telegram news channels reporting that drones were shot down near a helicopter factory. Explosions also rocked Moscow on Aug. 22. Read also: Russia blames Ukraine for overnight drone attack on Kremlin Russia typically blames Ukraine for launching drone attacks on its territory, and always claims to have shot down or disabled with electronic warfare all attacking drones, although there is evidence that some drones strike their intended targets several Russian military aircraft have been destroyed in recent weeks at air bases deep inside Russia. Ukraine has typically denied being responsible for the attacks, but recently the Ukrainian Defense Ministrys Main Intelligence Directorate or HUR has claimed responsibility for carrying out attacks on two Russian airbases last December. The HUR has also claimed responsibility for the July-August drone attacks on Moskva City. 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 He paid for the full truck and hes going to use the full capabilities of that truck! Sometimes police are asked to apprehend dangerous people who wont give up easily, like this murder suspect from Indiana who was chased down by Georgia State Police. Federal authorities tapped troopers for assistance once they learned the dangerous individual was in Gwinnett County. However, this guy was prepared to use the full capability of his new Ram 1500 Rebel in a desperate attempt to get away. Watch Arkansas troopers take down a fleeing Ram truck here. Troopers try pitting the pickup truck right off the bat, but thanks in part to the heavy and durable nature of the vehicle it doesnt disable the Ram. As the chase ensues, the lead trooper tries pitting the Rebel again, but he cant spin the truck out. In the meantime, this suspect decides to show off how the truck handles the grassy median on the highway. Its a risky yet effective move since traffic is fairly heavy, allowing him to keep moving forward as troopers struggle to keep up. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement However, driving in the median comes with some surprise bumps, causing the truck to catch some area a few times. Its a miracle the guy didnt wreck out as a result. Yet again, this video shows how people just stick in the left lane as an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and sirens going. We know not everyone has always been perfect about this, but weve seen in certain parts of the country the left lane camping is so bad even a cop cant get those people to move. Unbelievable. Even more daring and also incredibly stupid, the suspect takes the Ram Rebel into oncoming traffic. Maybe he believes the sheer mass of the truck will keep him safe, but the physics in a high-speed, head-on collision probably wont favor him as heavily as he believes. The reckless fleeing of this suspect ultimate is his undoing as he wrecks out in an intersection, disabling the Ram. Fortunately, he isnt nearly as spry on his feet, allowing troopers to chase him down and arrest him quickly. Chinese and European auto companies attending the International Motor Show Germany (IAA Mobility) in Munich said that they are eyeing great potential and opportunities in cooperation in the industry. Produced by Xinhua Global Service LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The lyrics in a rap music video on social media depict a Las Vegas man rapping about a murder he committed two years earlier, according to Las Vegas police documents. That was just one piece of evidence in the arrest report for 25-year-old Kenjuan McDaniel, who is currently being held at the Clark County Detention Center on charges of murder. Kenjuan McDaniel is facing an open murder charge in the death of Randall Wallace in Sept. 2021. (Credit: LVMPD) McDaniel was taken into custody on an arrest warrant on Aug. 29, 2023, for a deadly shooting that occurred at an apartment building complex on W. Lake Mead Boulevard near Jones Boulevard on Sept. 18, 2021. Randall Wallace, 32, was killed in the shooting. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement For the past few years, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department followed leads to track down the suspects car, which was captured on surveillance video, the handgun used in the shooting, as well as decipher the lyrics of a rap video recently posted on YouTube. During the investigation, detectives learned from witnesses that a shooting on July 19, 2021, was related to the deadly September 2021 shooting as well as some event that occurred between McDaniel and Wallace two days prior to Wallace being killed. The event was redacted in the arrest report. ONLY ON 8: Man found dead at apartment complex on Lake Mead, Jones identified by family Documents stated detectives got a major break in the case when the gun used in the Las Vegas killing was recovered by the ATF in Los Angeles in April 2023 and the ballistics testing matched the weapon to the one used at the homicide scene. The arrest report said McDaniel was a person of interest after the deadly shooting when police learned his girlfriends vehicle was similar to the one used in the crime. Investigators also learned McDaniel was a known gang member who had a history of arrests dating back to 2018. According to the report, on April 2023, McDaniels posted a music video on YouTube with incriminating lyrics such as this one: parked the car, doubled back on feet, the smartest way to slide, Drove in, double lock yo man, make sure you get yo bod, Hold your breath and make sure you calm yourself, [expletive] make sure you open your eyes Arrest report for Kenjuan McDaniel Police said that this particular lyric detailed the murder and it was information not released to the public. In addition, the documents stated: Kenjuan re-enacted Randalls murder, which was consistent with evidence at the scene referring to Randall Wallace as the Midget. Arrest report for Kenjuan McDaniel Homicide detectives said the music video further validated the results of their investigation including the name Midget which was Wallaces nickname. McDaniel is due to appear in Las Vegas Justice Court for a bail hearing on Sept. 7, 2023. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Storm Daniel, a massive storm churning over the southeastern Mediterranean, has turned deadly as it continues to unleash historic and flooding rainfall. And its impacts are not over yet, AccuWeather forecasters say. At least 14 people have been killed by the storm, according to the Associated Press, with fatalities reported by officials in Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. Intense rainfall is expected to drench the southeast corner of the Mediterranean Sea through late this week as Daniel circulates to the southwest of Greece. Due to the nature of the heavy rainfall in Greece, red warnings were issued by the Hellenic National Meteorological Service, the Greek government weather agency, warning of "particularly intense" weather with heavy rain and storms across the region. In the government's three-tier warning system, red warnings are the highest category of warning that can be issued for the country, specifically used for dangerous and severe weather phenomena. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The storm comes just days after a separate storm caused extreme flooding on the other end of the Mediterranean, across parts of Spain and Portugal, over the weekend. "Heavy rain will continue in Greece through Thursday thanks to an Omega block keeping Storm Daniel nearby for a couple of additional days," explained AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls. Damaged cars are pilled up in the mud after a record rainfall in Milina village, Pilion region, central Greece, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. Rescue teams in Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria have recovered more bodies following floods after fierce rainstorms. (AP Photo/Thodoris Nikolaou) Damaged cars are pilled up in the mud after a record rainfall in Milina village, Pilion region, central Greece, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. Rescue teams in Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria have recovered more bodies following floods after fierce rainstorms. (AP Photo/Thodoris Nikolaou) AccuWeather experts define an "Omega block" as a buckling pattern in the jet stream, which resembles the Greek letter "Omega," hence the name. This setup tends to prevent the normal west-to-east movement of weather features and tends to lock in cooler, stormy conditions in some spots. On Monday, a report from the European Severe Weather Database indicated that a waterspout swirled off the coast of Mantoudi, a village located in the Euboea region of east-central Greece, as a result of the energy swirling from Daniel. Another funnel cloud was observed along the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea in Bagnara Calabra, located in southern Italy. Forecasters warn that additional waterspouts can occur along the coastlines over the upcoming days, particularly along the southern coasts. Not everyone heeded the warnings. Volos Mayor Achilles Beos was so frustrated that he took to the streets, shouting at drivers. According to Storyful, Beos stood in the floodwaters shouting, "Where are they going? It's crazy what's happening; we've said it a hundred times. We have been telling you since yesterday the rivers will break... go to your homes!" On Tuesday, police departments ordered traffic bans for the hardest hit locations of Volos, Pelion and the island of Skiathos, all located in east-central Greece. Given the additional rainfall expected across the country, further traffic bans may be issued until the historic storm subsides. Also on Tuesday, the Greek village of Portaria reported 23.65 inches (600.6 mm) of rainfall since the start of the day, with rain still ongoing across the area. Other nearby locations across the Volos and Agia provinces along the east-central coast of Greece recorded amounts of 7.64 inches (194 mm). Over 222,000 lightning strikes were detected over Greece, Turkey, the Black Sea, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania, and the Mediterranean Sea in the two days prior to Tuesday evening local time. Over 222,000 lightning strikes were detected over Greece, Turkey, the Black Sea, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania, and the Mediterranean Sea in the two days prior to Tuesday evening local time. By Thursday morning, floodwaters in some areas of western Greece had reached the roofs of homes, leading to a dangerous emergency for stranded residents. According to the AP, a flash flood in northwestern Turkey near the Bulgarian border killed five people, and at least another person was still missing. GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts with Premium+ The ZEUS Long-Range Lightning Detection System operated by the National Observatory of Athens registered over 30,000 lightning strikes across Greece by the evening hours on Tuesday, local time, with potent thunderstorms still rumbling over the area. From Sunday afternoon to Tuesday evening, over 220,000 lightning events were recorded across the region by AccuWeather Lightning Strike data. A visible satellite image shows the storm rotating over the Mediterranean Sea Tuesday evening local time. A visible satellite image shows the storm rotating over the Mediterranean Sea Tuesday evening local time. Impacts of significant flooding, bridge failures, overflowing riverbanks and mudslides have occurred in locations of Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and southern Albania earlier this week. Fortunately, by Thursday, rain and wind from Daniel had diminished across these Balkan countries. Outer bands of rain stretching from Daniel even reached parts of southern Italy, and rainfall is expected to persist in these locations through the end of the week as the storm slowly shifts southward across the Mediterranean. Rain totals in southern Italy have not been as extreme as in Greece, but amounts of 1.15 inches (29.2 mm) have been observed across the higher terrain of Sila National Park. NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement product shows over 18 inches of rain in parts of Greece. (NASA) NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement product shows over 18 inches of rain in parts of Greece. (NASA) In the western Mediterranean last weekend, a separate storm spread severe thunderstorms and widespread heavy rain across parts of Spain and Portugal. The cyclone was named Storm Dana by the Spanish Meteorological Agency over the weekend. Numerous reports of flooding, damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes occurred as the storm circulated over the Iberian Peninsula. The flooding was so severe that a 10-year-old boy needed to be rescued after clinging to a tree overnight in order to escape the torrential floodwaters. Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer. Solar power innovators in Europe, Asia, and North America are launching flotillas of solar panels on open water with shocking results. In this case, electricity and water are a great combination, sometimes providing new life for forgotten lagoons that were created for past industrial efforts. Bloomberg reported that an old coal pit can be turned into a green powerhouse when covered with floating panel systems, and such a project has the potential to replace fossil-fuel generation entirely in certain communities. Its part of the effort to expand sun-catching surfaces while limiting the land acreage needed for solar farms. Floating systems can be placed on reservoirs, lakes, or other man-made water bodies, according to the U.S. Energy Department. When deployed, the panels can also help conserve water by reducing evaporation. Bloombergs report detailed projects in Europe that are using floating systems to help meet solar demand with limited land. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Most of these former gravel and sand pits arent used anymore. Theyre low-hanging fruit, Matthias Taft, CEO of European renewable energy developer Baywa r.e., told the outlet. The water-based projects have a lot of room to grow, accounting for 1% of all solar panels installed worldwide last year. But, the report added that their use has grown more than 2,000% in the last 10 years. Whats more, there are more than 6,600 water bodies around the world that could float a solar system, Bloomberg noted. They dont work on turbulent water or in the ocean. When operational, these systems could make towns self-sufficient energywise. A paper in the journal Nature Sustainability claims that more than 6,200 communities and/or cities in 124 countries could provide all the power needed with floating solar energy systems. Cohoes, New York, is an example of how these projects can work in Americas towns. Here, with no land available for a solar farm, city planner Joe Seaman-Graves looked to an unused 14-acre reservoir in his town, according to a PBS report. A floating solar energy system is slated to be completed in Cohoes, which has a population of about 17,000, this year at a cost of about $6 million to $6.5 million. PBS reported that the federal government and other incentives are covering about half the cost. The price tag to get a floating system running is higher than other solar operations, and experts are studying aquatic ecosystems to ensure the projects dont impact life under the water. Once completed, however, the returns can be great. The solar energy system in Cohoes could power the towns government buildings and street lighting, realizing a $500,000 yearly savings, all per PBS. We are an environmental justice community and we see a big opportunity for low-to-moderate income cities to replicate what were doing, Seaman-Graves told PBS. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet. Officers with the Renton Police Department are investigating a shooting Monday afternoon. Just after 3 p.m., officers were at an apartment complex in the 2300 block of Northeast 4th Street to investigate a shooting. Witnesses told police that shots were fired after a fight between two parties. According to police, the alleged shooters fled the area. A witness told KIRO 7 that a teen was attacked by two people and that the teen fell down an embankment after they were shot. The two people left the area in a car. If you have any information about this incident, contact the Renton Police Department. Police presence in the 2300 block of NE 4th ST to investigate shooting with injury. Witnesses report shots fired following an altercation between two parties and the involved having fled the area. Police will remain in the area to investigate./mn pic.twitter.com/DT4RwPQawN Renton Police Dept. (@RentonpdWA) September 4, 2023 Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, ripped the Colorado GOPs letter about treatment of Jan. 6 defendants, as he broke down the false claims that the states party outlined. In a response circulated publicly Tuesday, Buck wrote to El Paso County Republican Party Vice Chairman Todd Watkins about the claims he made in the state partys letter, which garnered more than 200 signatures. The letter makes a number of factually incorrect claims, and then proceeds to overstate the threat to our Republic based on these false claims, Buck wrote in his response, dated Sept. 1. There has been significant misinformation proliferated on the Internet about the status of the January 6th defendants, and I assume these Internet rumors are the source for much of the incorrect information contained in the letter. He debunked several arguments championed by some far-right members of the House Republican Conference and by many loyal supporters of former President Trump. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Buck, who is fiercely conservative, has at times displayed an independent streak and has voted against the majority of his conference on some issues. He recently called on Trump to tell his supporters to stand down and avoid violence in response to the four indictments Trump faces. Hes also criticized Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for toying with the idea of impeaching President Biden. Buck rejected the claim that anyone was jailed pending charges, as he outlined the number of detainees held at any one moment, noting there were 56 in the spring of 2021, 40 in the fall of 2021 and 20 in the spring and summer of 2023. He also noted that 85 percent of those held in custody at the time he wrote his letter were charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer, which he said was a felony. He said claims that defendants were held without bond for misdemeanors are also pure fiction. The congressman acknowledged many of the concerns about treatment in Washington, D.C., jails, noting that it has been a concern of civil rights activists for decades, who argue it maintains substandard treatment of inmates. But he added that your letter misleads the reader by portraying worse conditions at the jail for January 6 defendants than for other inmates. That is simply not true. Among the claims Buck refuted was that Jan. 6 defendants were being treated differently because of their political beliefs. Drawing on his experience as a prosecutor for 25 years, he noted that trial courts tend to carefully consider the merits of motions alleging violations of the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments, since they try to avoid the case being overturned on appeal. It is irresponsible to allege without evidence, as your letter does, that Americans are being systematically denied their most basic Constitutional rights based on their political beliefs, he said. Pushing back on arguments alleging failure to provide due process, Buck wrote, While many January 6 defendants have decried the process they face as unfair, it is the process every federally indicted criminal defendant in this country goes through. That is not to say that reforms to our criminal justice system are unnecessary, but for you to argue this specific set of defendants have been singled out and denied due process is misleading. Buck concluded the letter urging grassroots activists to focus on failed policies of the Biden administration and on restoring commonsense conservative policies, writing, It is sad that Republican leaders are misdirecting the energy and resources of Republican activists at a time when this country is facing crises after crises as a result of the failed policies of the Biden administration. In response to Buck, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, and attacked his positions and sought to undermine his credibility. She noted that he had not visited the Jan. 6 defendants in jail and that, more recently, he has expressed doubts about impeaching Biden. She also raised the fact that he voted to certify the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021. Ken Bucks letter to Mr. Watkins of the El Paso County GOP appeared to show full support of Bidens Weaponized Government and a total disconnect from the cruel reality of J6 defendants and the American people, Greene wrote. Draining the swamp means impeaching criminal politicians, stopping a communist weaponized government, and objecting to stolen elections. Not apologizing for communists abusing their power to persecute their political enemies, she added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. An armed 18-year-old approached a man at a Tennessee gas station and demanded his Dodge Charger, police said. The man fought back, and Memphis Police said he managed to hold down the would-be carjacker until officers arrived and arrested him. The man was charged in connection with the attempted Sept. 3 carjacking and another carjacking Aug. 31, according to an arrest affidavit from Shelby County. The 18-year-old was wearing a ski mask when he pulled up to the gas station in Memphis on Sept. 3, according to an arrest affidavit from Shelby County. He pointed a gun at the owner of the Charger and demanded the car, Memphis police said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As the suspect was about to get in the car, its owner grabbed him and a physical confrontation ensued over the handgun, police said in the affidavit. The gun went off during the struggle and struck the inside of the car, police said. Eventually, police said the owner of the car managed to get hold of the handgun. He held the 18-year-old on the ground until police arrived and arrested him, according to the affidavit. When the man was arrested, he told police he had taken part in another carjacking only a few days earlier, police wrote in the affidavit. On Aug. 31, the 18-year-old and another man approached the owner of a Nissan Rogue and demanded the car and her belongings, according to a second arrest affidavit from Shelby County. The 18-year-old grabbed the womans iPhone and pressed a gun to her head, telling her to move away from her car, police say. The other man got in the passenger seat, police said, and the 18-year-old got in the drivers seat and drove away, according to the affidavit. The woman later picked out the 18-year-old from a lineup, officials said. Court records show he is being represented by a Memphis public defender, who McClatchy News could not immediately reach. Man in stolen ambulance smashes into 13 vehicles during police chase, Virginia cops say 60-year-old dies after masked duo beats him during carjacking, Pennsylvania cops say Accused robber under surveillance vanishes and robs another store, Florida cops say Carjacking victim courageously thwarts armed suspects escape, Florida deputies say Republicans on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability are calling on Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for information on the disturbing trend of aviation and rail safety failures. In a letter dated Sept. 5, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and a group of Republicans requested a briefing, documents and communications related to the Transportation Departments handling of various aviation and rail safety issues. Buttigieg, a former Democratic presidential candidate in 2020 who is seen as a rising star, has frequently been a target of GOP lawmakers. Comer is also overseeing investigations related to President Biden and the business dealings of his son, Hunter Biden. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In the letter to Buttigieg, the GOP lawmakers pointed to a report last year from the Department of Transportations Office of Inspector General, which found aviation safety and surface transportation safety have been among the leading management challenges for the department since at least 2021. The report discussed the need to address the long unresolved safety issues, and overcoming oversight challenges to reduce surface transportation fatalities. Despite these incidents, the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST) has more than 86 new unresolved recommendations since President Biden took office, the letter said. These safety failures have eroded the publics confidence in air and rail safety and necessitates thorough investigation, the lawmakers continued. The Republican lawmakers cited data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which showed around 1,730 runway incursions in 2022 with 1,539 so far in 2023. Separate data from the FAA showed an estimated 1,310 derailments and 146 collisions. The lawmakers mentioned several collisions or near-collisions between planes and forced emergency landings and other incidents on the nations railways, including train derailments often with hazardous materials in East Palestine, Ohio; southwest Montana; and Floridas Manatee County. Lawmakers asked Buttigieg to provide the requested materials and hold a staff-level briefing no later than Sept. 19. Earlier this year, the Federal Railroad Administration called for a reevaluation of the train makeup amid the series of train derailments, signaling a growing concern with rail safety. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. One year ago, I wrote in these pages about how as a millennial mother of three I dont have a home in either political party. I wrote that the Republican Party where Ive spent most of my political life had been particularly disappointing given its pro-family and pro-life rhetoric and yet failing to support vulnerable mothers and children. That, unfortunately, hasnt changed much, even in the contentious and politically challenging aftermath of the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. But over the past year, schisms have emerged within the GOP about family policy, including a debate over problem itself. That gives me some hope that the party is finally grappling with this problem. Sometimes this discussion is framed in terms of economics and family affordability, other times as a cultural phenomenon of declining marriage and birthrates, or something more amorphous but arguably more on point declining hope and generalized anxiety among parents with young children. These debates represent progress, however incremental, that family policy has gone from something that the GOP doesnt really focus on to something that party leaders are beginning to chew on and test out various approaches. To get there, Republicans will have to start asking the right questions, and that will be harder to do if more people like me leave the party. But thats not happening yet. Heres what theyre getting wrong. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The emergent GOP family feud was on full display this summer when the American Enterprise Institute (where I used to work) hosted an event with several of its scholars who debated whether it is more costly to raise a family in America now relative to forty years ago. The guest and provocateur was an in-the-family GOP dissenter: Oren Cass of American Compass, former deputy policy director for Mitt Romneys presidential campaign. Cass has produced a Cost of Thriving index (COTI), claiming that its become more costly to raise a family now than in 1985, which as far as I can tell is no magical starting point although it is my birth year, so I dont mind it. Cass calculates how many weeks it would take a male worker to afford a basket of middle-class family expenses, including food, housing, health care, transportation and higher education. In 1985, COTI was about 40, meaning a man would need to work for nearly 40 weeks to support a family on his income. In 2022, COTI was 62 more than the number of weeks in a year. Cass conclusion: middle-class status essentially cannot be reached on one income. For fiscal conservatives, this message was never going to go down easy. The unchallenged assertion that it has become more costly to raise a family has the potential to open the floodgates for new government programs and spending. Thus, Scott Winship and Angela Rachidi of AEI presented government data aimed at undermining Cass argument, showing instead that household incomes have risen over the last four decades once taxes and government benefits are accounted for. They also made pointed corrections to Cass index, such as not using the sticker price of college for higher education costs, or including the average spending on healthcare insurance instead of bundling employer and employee contributions. After the event, AEI released a publication called The Cost of Thriving Has Fallen: Correcting and Rejecting the American Compass Cost-of-Thriving. For policy wonks, the back-and-forth drama doesnt get much better than that. My own interpretation of the data on family affordability, written up in a paper last fall, lands somewhere between Cass and Winship. Certain child-related costs are increasing more than income for many low-income households (in particular for renters and families needing childcare outside the home). An increase in single parenting compounds affordability challenges, and existing government supports dont reach many low-income families and in other cases, have made affordability challenges worse. (More on that shortly.) But limiting the debate to economics and especially attempting to compare todays childrearing costs to past generations is unsatisfyingly insufficient to determine what support families need to flourish today. The reality is theres no number, no index, no magical inflection point even should one side win the economic analysis. Stasis or marginal improvement doesnt necessarily indicate that things are good. The trend line is not determinant of whether action or inaction is needed, whether the metric is COTI or median household income. Even if the economic well-being of families has dramatically improved over the last four decades would that mean no further interventions are warranted? Consider that child poverty has actually fallen to record lows, which would suggest that we can shift our focus elsewhere. But even with those improvements, children remain the most impoverished demographic in America. Is that status quo acceptable? Consider also that few if any parents had paid parental leave back in the 1980s. (I often hear that as a reason to not create such a policy now.) But the research is robust that paid leave leads to a host of economic and health benefits for infants and parents. Ideally, we want our children to have more opportunity, more security than what weve had. If we have the ability to improve the next generations lives, even to the point of being better than ours, isnt that worth pursuing? If the end goal is making policy that addresses the real challenges affecting families, that requires a much broader discussion. At the AEI event, Rachidi, my former colleague and coauthor, tried to argue that point, noting that there has been a measurable decline in social capital in terms of marriage and friendships, and how that may make people feel more economically exposed even if their income is stable or higher after taxes and transfers. She was onto something. The truth is that costs and income are only part of the story, and so far the Republican family feud has failed to grapple well with this reality. In June, Pew Research released a report, Parenting in America Today, that looked at what parents worry about. The top concern was mental health. Nearly three quarters of parents told the researchers that they are concerned about their children being anxious or depressed, with 40 percent saying they were extremely concerned. This is not an unfounded concern; historic levels of teenage anxiety have been widely reported, especially among girls. More than half of parents report being extremely or somewhat concerned about their child being bullied or attacked, and a quarter of all parents are extremely or very concerned that their child will be shot. This is something new, and its deeply stressful for families. Theres more. In surveys asking if their kids will be better off than they are, parents are decidedly pessimistic. Trust in public schools is at an all-time low, securing the confidence of only a quarter of parents, while the cost of private schools even for well-to-do families are a stretch. Fewer families have the resources and stability of two married parents as economist Melissa Kearneys forthcoming new book shows. Many parents (especially fathers) report spending less time with their kids than they want. They report having fewer kids than theyd like due to costs, especially child care costs. Rates of religion in America are way down, and along with it, the village that helps support families is unraveling, as Jess Grose has documented in the New York Times. The Harvard Human Flourishing Program hardly a megachurch franchise reports that kids from religious families have better mental health outcomes, including more happiness, less depression and less risky behavior. Most parents (71 percent) are very concerned about their childrens screen time, a seemingly ubiquitous feature of school, home and friends houses, another brand new stressor. The broader context of what American families are facing might help to explain why showing an up-and-to-the-right chart of average household income is probably not going to resonate with parents and might prematurely let policymakers off the hook. Combined with economic pressures, there is a generalized anxiety around parenthood these days. Raising children is the most sacrificial and vulnerable act a human can undertake, especially as a mother. And perhaps because this generation is doing so at a time of significant technological, demographic, economic and political shifts, this helps explain why theres at least some reduction in family formation and newfound anxieties for those who plow ahead. Back in the old days, the discipline of economics was intertwined with politics and ethics. The same should be true for evaluating the well-being of families today. When the whole picture is taken into account, if theres any ability to help or support Americans raising young kids today, a wide accounting of the circumstances would suggest that we do so. Even for and especially for pro-family conservatives. Id be remiss not to point out here that a certain version of reframing family policy is very much underway within the more populist wing of the Republican Party. Here, the problem facing families is not being defined as affordability, but changes in marriage and childrearing patterns, and this type of conservative leans toward government promotion of marriage and childrearing and religion. Theres been growing interest among conservatives ranging from the Heritage Foundation to Patrick Deneens new book in Hungary-type reforms for supporting marriage and big families; those policies include economic loans that are forgiven for couples who stay married and have at least three kids, and allowing families with four or more kids to not pay income tax. These are certainly expensive ideas, which is not a reason to do it, but they should give small-government conservatives pause. I think theres a question about the efficacy of these reforms; Im not sure relationship decisions can or should hinge on one-time economic transactions it kind of feels like paying people to have friends to combat our loneliness epidemic. Republicans have long derided Democrats for making European comparisons they see as apples and oranges, which I tend to agree with, but now they are doing the same. But perhaps most importantly, Im concerned that the funds wouldnt go to where the need is the greatest. As AEI scholar Charles Murray wrote in his book, Coming Apart, married parents tend to be wealthier and more educated and probably shouldnt be triaged first for support. And few American women (only 14 percent) go on to have four children. Maybe we should start with peoples first baby. And Ill also say it, even though I dont want to, that theres an off-putting thread running through these policies, at least for this suburban mom. It was on display when former President Donald Trump said that the men would be so lucky with his baby bonus idea, implying that fatherhood is about the sex. You can also see it even with that well-meaning contingent of conservatives who emphasize stay-at-home parenting and promote large families but who dont discuss helping mothers transition back into the labor force, or giving working parents protections so they can be with their children if they would like to, or supporting the mom who was going to get an abortion and didnt. All that, well, it doesnt rub right. Neither does the fact that Cass calculates affordability based on male incomes alone. Many polls show a preference for the man to be the breadwinner, and male earnings appear correlated to marriageability. I get that. But families make a range of decisions about children and work. The reality is that 40 percent of households are headed by breadwinning moms. Theres a willing blindness to that reality that feels self-defeating. And the tone and assumptions are likely enflame divides, not bring people together. The culture wars are already burning hot as it is. This summer, the Wall Street Journal editorial board praised Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis economic policy for tax cuts and for not falling for fads like the Child Tax Credit (a signature plank of 2017 GOP-tax legislation). Shortly thereafter, the paper ran an article, entitled The Tragedy of Being a New Mom in America, citing our high maternal mortality rate and the high rates of anxiety and depression among new parents, attributed in part to lack of paid parental leave relative to every other developed nation. This dichotomy is representative of a party indeed, of a conservative movement thats in transition, caught between supply-side economics, old-school family values and new data and realities. Some in the GOP have zeroed in on economics and a limited government approach, arguing that as long as income is more or less flat from the 1980s, well then, our work is done. Others say that our marriage and fertility rates look nothing like the 1980s, and that only a big government approach can get us back there. Meanwhile, the data are glaring that the status quo right now isnt working. We need practical, incremental steps to make family life better today ideally, in ways that would generate broad bipartisan support so that families could depend on them for more than four years at a time, and in ways that would signal to American families that the Republican Party isnt as shallow about the real needs of families as the culture wars would suggest. The sooner the GOP starts debating how to do this, the better. Heres my hope: That the back-and-forth within the GOP speaks to a reframing in the works today among a broad group of thinkers, policymakers and parents seeking to improve life for todays families with children. We are one year out from the Dobbs decision, which has left an open window for anti-abortion conservatives to show how they will extend their commitment to children beyond the womb. Several states have taken actions such as expanding Medicaid to support new mothers, but those are the exceptions. For the most part, the Republican-led states with the tightest restrictions on abortion have also been the most tightfisted when it comes to policies and programs that support new parents and children. GOP presidential contenders should keep this in mind as the campaign begins to heat up. You dont normally run for president saying that things are awesome just as they are, but you propose changes. If a candidate goes to a playground and looks at parents in the eye and says things are awesome for people raising kids right now that isnt going to fly, regardless of the economic statistics in his or her back pocket. Can Washington improve the realities that parents are facing? As a good, limited-government conservative, Id have to say some, but probably less than you, me, or other parents probably want. So its important for politicians to not promise the sky here. Raising children is always going to be stressful (as well as joyful) and costly. No policy can fully change that. Its also important to emphasize the role of communities, and social networks, and extended families and churches, all of which have a role to play. But just because theres a limited role for government, doesnt mean there isnt one at all. Policy improvements could help to change the status quo for families, begin to build trust among parents that their representatives care about people like them and take steps toward becoming a society thats more accommodating for parents and children. And it may be where all of the Republican Partys factions finally are able to find some consensus. As Nikki Haley masterfully said in the first Republican presidential debate in response to a question on abortion, cant we all agree that ... This framework could carry water for the elephant. For example, cant we all agree that babies shouldnt be needlessly separated from mothers and fathers in the days immediately after birth? Conservatives tend to be no fan of the swamp, but if our tax dollars are going for federal employees having 12 weeks off for their newborns (a Trump-era policy), well then, shouldnt that be the baseline for all working parents? Currently only a small share of workers receive such benefits from their employer, its a coin flip if they have job protection following birth. Most working parents report not being able to spend the time with their infants that theyd prefer. Conservatives could lead on setting boundaries to protect the early weeks of parenthood and make sure the private sector doesnt separate new parents and children too early. Another policy conservatives should support is a school choice program for early education. Republicans should agree to fully fund bipartisan state block grants for child care so that all eligible families can receive high-quality child care and pre-K education through a place of their choosing faith-based groups, home-based groups, or schools. Each state would have prerogative for how to build out their own system; Texas will likely look a lot different from Massachusetts. Conservatives, as Romney has already proposed, could lead the charge in helping to rework some of the existing spending into an easier-to-access cash support, reducing government bureaucracy along the way. It doesnt have to be new spending; it can be old spending done better. Consider that there were 3.6 million babies born in the U.S. last year. What if each of these children received a $10,000 education voucher every year for five years? It could be used on child care, music lessons, Mothers Day Out at church, or preschool at any place of a parents choosing. Whatever is not used (say, for stay-at-home parents) could be kept in a 529 account to help pay for private school, college, vocational training, or some other education option. Unlike paying people cash, this money is directly connected to skills that would benefit the children, parents and society. The result would be that all children from ages 0-18 (when accounting for public school) would have access to care and education programs that align with their families needs and values a historic school choice endeavor. Using current birth rates and back-of-the-envelope math, the price tag would be $180 billion a year, relative to the approximately $120 billion currently spent on the Child Tax Credit each year. Finally, conservatives could lead the charge in a number of policy areas that involve real-world harms to kids, including reducing childrens social media exposure and adopting bipartisan gun safety rules designed to protect children. They should also address housing costs and college costs regardless of whether those costs are technically up, down or sideways by eliminating costly zoning rules that artificially drive up housing costs and creating viable career pathways through apprenticeship and vocational training that dont require a costly college credential. They can take the lead on addressing our historic debt that will fall on future generations, one thats largely the result of generous spending for older-age Americans and little spent on children who eventually will be responsible for paying for it. Is this the GOP family policy agenda? These ideas havent made it into mainstream conservative thought, but they are bubbling up here and there from thinkers on the right. As the larger party structures wrestle with different frames for supporting families and children, made more urgent by the Dobbs decision, I have hope that theyll turn to some of these. Not just for their own sake or as bait for women voters. But because the country we love depends on healthy and thriving families; pro-family conservatives know that in their core. This generation of parents and kids is facing a unique confluence of pressures. Nostalgia for the old days, fanning culture wars and economic data wielded to shut down debate doesnt help. A party thats truly pro-family needs fresh and innovative ideas of its own. Otherwise, the rhetoric rings hollow and becomes another missed opportunity for reform, another turnoff for millennial women whove already left the party in droves. In Washington, people often move between jobs as Capitol Hill staffers and as lobbyists. Per a new analysis, Republicans have hired far more former lobbyists than Democrats in the past year. It's an issue for both parties: About the same number of Democrats and Republicans became lobbyists. Republicans on Capitol Hill have hired far more former lobbyists to work in their offices than Democrats in the past year, according to a new analysis. Data compiled by Legistorm a website that tracks congressional staffers' job movements and salaries found that 61 of the 96 former lobbyists who took jobs in partisan offices on Capitol Hill in the past year were hired by Republicans, a 64% to 36% split. But the so-called "revolving-door" problem the phenomenon of people moving from jobs in government to jobs as lobbyists, consultants, or political strategists and vice versa is one that besets both political parties. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Legistorm also found that of the 415 former congressional staffers who worked in partisan offices and registered as lobbyists this year, 54% came from Republican offices and 46% came from Democratic offices a much more even split. Over the past 10 years, Republicans have generally made up the majority of staffers-turned-lobbyists, the analysis also found. Congressional staff often develop expertise and connections from their time serving on Capitol Hill assets that make them attractive hires for lobbying firms hoping to influence public policy. The pay offered by the private sector is often much greater than a government salary. Conversely, offices may hire ex-lobbyists as staffers because of their expertise on a particular issue. Members of Congress themselves sometimes become lobbyists after their tenure ends, with high salaries offering a clear incentive to cash in on their years in government. While any citizen is entitled to lobby members of Congress in essence, advocate for a particular position on an issue members of both parties have often decried the influence of lobbying by powerful corporations and special-interest groups or have used the issue as a political cudgel. Additionally, the employment of ex-lobbyists as staffers raises the prospect that those staffers may be biased toward their former employers when formulating policy and drafting legislation. In recent years, several lawmakers have proposed bills to ban ex-members of Congress from becoming lobbyists. In 2019, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas found common cause on Twitter over the issue. However, lawmakers have generally avoided addressing the issue of the revolving door when it comes to staff. Correction: September 6, 2023 An earlier version of this story misstated the number of former lobbyists who took jobs in partisan offices on Capitol Hill in the past year. It is 96, not 91. Read the original article on Business Insider In early 2022, you may recall, truckers clogged the streets of Ottawa in protest of COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The Canadian government responded by (briefly) freezing the bank accounts of persons associated with this self-styled Freedom Convoy. Cheryl Acton, a Republican member of the Utah House of Representatives, worried that this episode portends the rise of digitally induced social control and is a preview of life under a social credit system, akin to the one (fitfully) taking shape in China. So Acton sponsored a bill, HB281, that bars her state from creating, using, or supporting any system that rates people based on things like their political affiliation or what they post on social media. Last March, Spencer Cox, Utahs Republican governor, signed HB281 into law. How a Bogus Lawsuit Led to the Titan Sub Tragedy ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Gov. Cox, for his part, worries that social media is literally killing our kids. (The evidence does not bear out this claim, to say the least.) Ten days after approving the social credit ban, Gov. Cox signed into law two statutes aimed at reducing minors social media use. One of these statutes, SB152, requires social media platforms to verify the ages of their users. Utah is not alone. Other Republican-dominated state governments, including Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, have considered pairs of bills, one restricting the use of social credit systems, the other requiring age verification on social media. Simply put, these conservatives dont know what they want. Under a social credit system, citizens are scored on how well they conform to political and moral dogma. Higher scores lead to perks (e.g., access to better schools for ones children), lower ones to punishments (e.g., an inability to travel). The Right Needs to Ask: Why Do These Racists Keep Getting Hired by Us? Many on the right warn of the rise, in the United States, of an informal social credit system enforced mainly by private companies. No official scores, but say the wrong thing and you might lose your job, your Visa card, your Airbnb account. Social media, these right-wing doomers contend, is at the center of this emerging regime. If you believe Kara Frederick, director of tech policy at the Heritage Foundation, social media platforms monitor viewpoints to see whether they conform to leftist politicians version of reality. What is true is that the linchpin of a social credit system, whether formal or informal, is comprehensive surveillance. In China, this includes extensive biometric data collection, heavy use of facial-recognition software, and, above all, total supervision of online speech. Not surprisingly, the Chinese Communist Party does not allow citizens to speak online anonymously. But in that case, why do conservatives want age verification rules for social media? As the Electronic Frontier Foundation observes, age verification is surveillance. A website can reliably verify a users age only by establishing her identity. Consequently, all usersyes, that means youmust upload a government-issued ID or (better yet!) submit to a biometric face-scan. How Right-wing Free Speech Sites Censor Legal Expression Once a social media company gathers such information, no one can be sure that its secure. Data breaches happen all the time. Data is misused all the time. And if you think, as Frederick does, that Big Tech wants to nudge us toward tech-enabled totalitarianism, you have all the more reason to be distrustful. By their own account, those who dissent from the prevailing leftist orthodoxy (to quote Frederick again) are the most vulnerable to targeted data leaks. Online anonymity is a tool for the persecuted and the unpopular. It enables dissent. That is why authoritarian states such as China oppose it. If they survive legal challenges under the First Amendment (to be sure, they probably wont), laws like Utahs SB152 would put an end to online anonymity in the United States. Right-wingers posting under pseudonymsusing secrecy to subvert leftist orthodoxy, to speak truth to power, by their lights, shielded from retributioncould be unmasked at any moment. So whatll it be? Do conservatives want to age-gate the internet, in service of their moral panic over kids and social media? Or do they want to protect online anonymity because theyre paranoid about digitally induced social control? They cant have it both ways. 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. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) shakes hands with Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis during a joint news conference in Ankara, Turkiye, on Sept. 5, 2023. Fidan and Gerapetritis on Tuesday expressed their willingness to improve bilateral ties following years of tensions. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua) ANKARA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis on Tuesday expressed their willingness to improve bilateral ties following years of tensions. Turkiye enters a "new and positive" era in its relations with Greece, the Turkish foreign minister said at a joint news conference with his Greek counterpart in the capital Ankara. "We are ready to continue the dialogue without preconditions and to develop our relations based on common interests in all fields," Fidan said. Ankara and Athens agreed to move on to a "positive agenda" for the bilateral relations, Gerapetritis said on his part. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will hold a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this month, and the two countries are expected to hold a high-level cooperation council meeting this year, the first such meeting in seven years, Gerapetritis said. The visit of the Greek minister to Ankara came amid years of tensions between the two countries over their overlapping claims of airspace and territorial waters in the Aegean and Mediterranean, as well as other issues concerning minorities and illegal immigration. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) and Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis attend a joint news conference in Ankara, Turkiye, on Sept. 5, 2023. Fidan and Gerapetritis on Tuesday expressed their willingness to improve bilateral ties following years of tensions. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua) Researchers in South Florida are warning that seagrass are dying off at a rapid rate. In some areas, more than half of the underwater plant has disappeared in the past 50 years. This has had a major impact on ecosystems, and the consequences will become even more severe if the underlying problems are not addressed. What is happening? Seagrass is the only true plant that can live completely submerged under water, according to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. More than 60 species of seagrass can be found worldwide, with seven of those existing in the Florida waters. It is the base of the food chain for much marine life. Because seagrass grows completely underwater and plants need sunlight to photosynthesize into oxygen, seagrass relies on water clarity for the light to reach it. However, ocean water is getting less clear due to pollution, resulting in the seagrass dying off. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Were losing water clarity because, in Florida, weve largely been polluting our water with nutrients, James Fourqurean, a professor of Biological Sciences at Florida International University, explained to NBC Miami. Nutrient pollution is when nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus, are added to bodies of water in large amounts and act like fertilizer. As plankton grow in the fertilized waters, they block the sunlight from seagrass. Why is this cause for concern? Many marine animals rely on seagrass to survive. Manatees, for example, which mainly eat seagrass, have experienced a mass die-off in recent years, mostly due to starvation, as the seagrass has become depleted. Conch, lobster, group, shrimp, and other fish that humans eat also rely on seagrass if those species begin to die off, it would have a major impact on Floridas fishing industry, and the price of seafood could skyrocket. In addition, seagrass protects against erosion, meaning that without it, storm damage to coastal homes would intensify. [Seagrass] hold down the sediment and the soil so that that doesnt move around and bury things during hurricanes, Fourqurean explained. What is being done about it? We have to stop polluting our groundwater, Fourqurean told NBC Miami. Probably the main thing we need to do in the Miami-Dade area and Fort Lauderdale is get rid of all our septic tanks. Septic tanks pollute by both leaking into groundwater and through stormwater runoff, according to Miami Waterkeeper. The nutrient-rich pollution then causes algae blooms, which decrease water clarity, leading to depleted seagrass. Miami-Dade County has begun replacing some septic tanks with sewer service, but according to experts like Fourqurean, the transition must happen faster and more decisively. A city of our size we should not be on septic tanks, he said. Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. [Source] A restaurant in eastern China has come under fire after being caught using tap water meant for washing mops to make its famous orange juice. Caught in the act: A customer filmed the staff at Tianye Restaurant in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, placing a bucket of orange juice into a mop sink and filling it with tap water. In the now-viral video, mops, plastic brooms and a dustpan containing some food scraps are seen hanging on the same sink. In the video, upon realizing that she is on camera, the staff member quickly removes the bucket from the sink. Meanwhile, other employees try to stop the customer from filming, but to no avail. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The aftermath: Furious, the customer emerges from the kitchen and announces to other diners that the restaurant has been using tap water to make orange juice. The enraged patron also points out that the juice being made is powdered, revealing the packet he took from the kitchen. More from NextShark: Woman in Singapore Finds Out Her Boyfriend Impregnated the Maid She Fired Reactions: The Aug. 26 incident sparked outrage on Chinese social media, with Weibo users condemning the restaurant chain for its poor hygiene and sanitation. This deserves fines in the millions," wrote one Weibo user. More from NextShark: Japan Now Sells Limited-Edition RAMEN Pringles in Vending Machines The staff should be banned from serving for life," said another. The [powdered] orange juice is normal; the real scum is the mop tap water," commented one. Restaurant responds: Amid the chorus of angry comments, Tianye released a statement later that day to apologize for the incident. The restaurant's manager was reportedly dismissed, while the staff workers involved were suspended and ordered to undergo food hygiene training. More from NextShark: Blackpinks How You Like That dance video exceeds 1 billion YouTube views The restaurant, which has since been closed, is being investigated by local authorities. Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Asian American Businesses Looted Across the U.S. During Riots Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling warned that the reported upcoming meeting between Vladimir Putin and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un shows the Russian president is scrambling for help as he remains isolated amid the war in Ukraine. The New York Times on Monday reported that Kim is planning to travel to Vladivostok, likely using an armored train, this month to hold talks with Putin. Putin wants artillery shells and antitank missiles from North Korea as it continues to fight against Ukraine, while Kim is looking for advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, U.S. and allied officials told the Times. The Kremlin has so far refused to comment on the reports. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Theyre also two desperate leaders of the worlds most noted pariah states. This will generate a lot of attention, Hertling told CNN Monday of the potential visit. Its showing that Mr. Putin is scrambling for help. Last week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre warned arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea were actively advancing, citing a visit by Russia Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to Pyongyang with the aim of convincing Kim to sell artillery ammunition to Moscow. Jean-Pierre said another group of Russian officials subsequently visited North Korea to continue those negotiations. Russia is in need of weapons as the war drags on and Ukraine continues its counteroffensive against it. But John Everard, who served as the U.K.s ambassador to North Korea from 2006 to 2008, told the BBC North Koreas stockpiles are in very poor condition. Retired Maj. Gen. James Spider Marks added that overall Russia is in a desperate position and pursuing a relationship with Kim is a very tactical move. Theres nothing strategic about a long-term relationship with North Korea unless, unless Russia wants to have a very provocative partner that will do some dirty work and will allow Russia to reap the benefits of that, Marks told CNNs Situation Room. Marks, though, said the reported partnership is unlikely to strategically alter the outcome of the fight in Ukraine. What it really describes is that Kim Jong Un is looking for a partner, now that China appears to have distanced itself from Pyongyang, Marks explained. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson on Monday called on North Korea to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia. Related... When it comes to fall colors, New England indisputably has some of the best colors out there. But Rhode Island always seems to come in last place when compared with other New England states. For example, in the Old Farmers Almanacs fall foliage predictions included recommendations of places to visit in every New England state except Rhode Island. I think it is fair to say that compared to Western MA, Vermont and Maine, Rhode Island is less ideal for leaf peeping, Scott Wheeler, the superintendent of parks, grounds & forestry for Newport, wrote in an an email. Less than ideal, but not bad for leaf peeping. But well get to that in a second. Early fall foliage along Route 295 in Cumberland. Why does Rhode Island not have the same reputation as other New England states for fall color? First, there are a few reasons why fall doesnt strike quite as brightly here. The main reason has nothing to do with the trees, according to University of Rhode Island Professor Keith Killingbeck. Its the topography. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Topographically, Rhode Island is pretty flat, Killingbeck said. When you drive up to the Green Mountains or the White Mountains, you're looking at the face of a forest rather than at a forest from the side, so what you're seeing is a canopy that pops. Second, foliage peaks a little after the states northern neighbors. While in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine the colors are vivid in September, the local foliage peaks about the second week of October, Killingbeck said. So if youre impatient for those blazing reds, Rhode Island isnt going to make the top of the list. Fall Guide: 5 great R.I. places to leaf peep and photograph foliage And the third reason is that at some of the most popular tourist destinations in the state, the canopy has been significantly altered. In Newport and many of our coastal communities the majority of the native forest was cleared and the trees planted by people were non-native trees from Europe or Asia, Wheeler wrote. Trees from other parts of the world may still have nice fall color but their clock is out of sequence with our native trees and other introduced trees so you do not have the collective impact that a stand of native birches, maples and oaks would have. Wheeler added that invasive plants, which often have poor fall color, arent helping either. The case for Rhode Islands fall foliage A cemetery on Green Street, just outside of Slatersville village in North Smithfield, is alight in fall color. Blackstone Valley Tourism Council President Bob Billington says Route 102, from North Smithfield to North Kingstown, offers abundant views of falls color palette. All that being said, Rhode Island does have great foliage. If youre looking at individual plants and individual leaves, we can see all the colors you are going to see anywhere else, Killingbeck said. Theyre spectacular. Fall foliage: Spectacular colors, and sites along the way, make R.I.'s Route 102 stand out Wheeler also was quick to defend Rhode Islands autumnal beauty, recommending leaf peepers head to Burlingame State Park, Arcadia Management Area or the Tillinghast Pond Management Area. My wife and I section hiked the RI North-South [trail] over fall weekends one year and the colors were amazing, he wrote. There are also plenty of individual trees with beautiful fall color in Newport and in almost every community in Rhode Island for people who keep an eye out for them. When to expect different plants to start changing colors While peak season doesnt hit until October, some plants will start changing color as early as August. As I was driving back from the University of Rhode Island today back home, I saw a beautiful poison sumac that had already turned, Killingbeck said. The leaves turned this beautiful orange color. Other species that start to turn early include poison ivy, which will glow red, and Virginia creeper, which turns maroon. By the first or second week in October, Killingbeck said the maples in wetland areas will turn red. By the third week, the sugar maples in Rhode Island are often peaking, though some years they are a bit later. Want more fall color? If you want to bring more fall color to your neck of the woods, Wheelers tip is to take action and start planting in your own yard. The first thing I planted at my current house was a native Green Mountain Sugar Maple tree, he wrote. A little over 10 years later my front yard is transformed each fall with a kaleidoscope of fall colors. I find great enjoyment watching for the first signs of color, followed by the tide of colors sweeping across the green canopy, and I mourn when the last of the leaves lose hold in a fall rainstorm. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI's fall foliage isn't a favorite of leaf peepers. Here's why In today's Sept. 5 special election primary, voters who live in the 1st Congressional District will cast their ballot for Rhode Island's new Representative to the U.S. House. Follow our coverage for all the breaking news during Rhode Island's primary election Key Issues: Where do Democrats in the CD1 Special Election stand on key issues? A complete guide Voter Guide for RI's Special Election: 2023 Congressional District 1 Gabe Amo declared winner in RI's Democratic primary election Former White House aide Gabe Amo was on track to win the crowded Democratic primary in Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District as of press time on Tuesday night. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement With 88% of polling places reporting as of 8:18 p.m., Amo had 33.3% of the vote. First batch of election results For up-to-date results: Rhode Island special election primary results are in. Here's who is leading CD1 Former White House aide Gabe Amo was on track to win the crowded Democratic primary in Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District as of press time on Tuesday night. WPRI and WJAR called the race for Amo at 8:36 p.m. With 88% of polling places reporting as of 8:18 p.m., Amo had 33.3% of the vote. In second place was former State Rep. Aaron Regunberg with 25.3%, followed by State Sen. Sandra Cano at 14.3%. Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos had 7.7% of the vote. Behind her, State Rep. Stephen Casey had 6.5% of the vote, and former Naval War College professor Walter Berbrick had 3.8% of the vote. Providence City Councilman John Goncalves had 2.8% of the vote, and State Sen. Ana Quezada was at 1.8%. Former Republican Allen Waters had 1.4% of the vote. Don Carlson, who dropped out of the race just nine days before Election Day, had 1.2% of the vote. IT professional Stephanie Beaute was at 1%. In last place, former State Rep. Spencer Dickinson had 0.9% of the vote. In the less-crowded Republican primary, political newcomer and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Gerry Leonard had 75.4% of the vote. Former Middletown Town Councilwoman Terri Flynn had 24.6% of the vote. The Associated Press called the race for Leonard at 8:19 p.m. Democrats have held the 1st District seat since Republican Ronald Machtley stepped down in 1995. The results reflect votes cast during the early voting period, in addition to those cast on Election Day. They do not include mail ballots. The Board of Elections anticipated counting most mail ballots by Tuesday, but said that those placed in drop boxes would not be tabulated until Wednesday. Polls close in Rhode Island's Special Election Polls have now closed in Rhode Island and voting precincts will begin to transmit their data to the Board of Elections. There the results will be tabulated and released. The results for early and day-of voting will begin to be tabulated and released in batches. How close does the race need to be to trigger a recount There is no law in Rhode Island that triggers an automatic recount. Candidates have until 4 p.m. Wednesday to request a recount, which involves a manual refeeding of the ballots. The threshold for requesting a recount depends on the number of votes cast. For 20,000 or fewer votes: The candidate must be trailing by 2% or 200 votes, whichever is lower For 20,001 to 100,000 votes: The candidate must be trailing by 1% or 500 votes, whichever is lower For more than 100,000 votes: The candidate must be trailing by .5% or 1,500 votes, whichever is lower When will we know the results? Every race is different, so it is impossible to know until polls close how long it will take to determine a winner. But here is a rough timeline of when each type of vote will be counted. Early voting and day-of voting: Polls close at 8 pm Tuesday night, after which results for early and day-of voting will begin to be tabulated and released in batches Mail ballots: Later Tuesday night, mail ballot results will be released all at once Drop box ballots: Results from ballots dropped off in drop boxes will be tabulated and released Wednesday Overseas and provisional ballots: Provisional and overseas ballots, including military ballots, will be tallied Friday and added to the total RI Election: How are voters making the decision in a crowded Democratic field? This campaign, like most, became contentious by the end, but among the steady stream of voters at Saint Teresa Church in Pawtucket, most said they were happy with all of the top-tier Democrats. Figuring out who in the crowded field could win and who would likely make the biggest splash in Washington were often the decisive factors at the ballot box. "This is the junior representative in the smallest state in the country. I would like to have someone who, if they are not going to be in leadership in the next decade, at least are going to be loud advancing the things I want done," said Rob McCracken coming out of the polls. "There are ultimately not a lot of differences in policy platforms among the main candidates so I would like to go with who will be loudest in the caucus, which is Aaron Regunberg." Madeline and Chris Bray said they liked Sabina Matos from her campaign last year and stuck with her through the congressional race. "Healthcare, reproductive rights, education," Chris said on which issues were most important to him. One voter who declined to give her name said one of the challenges in deciding who to pick was figuring out if they had a good chance to win or if that vote might be better used tactically on someone with a better shot. When is the general election? The general election is Nov. 8. Where can I hear from the candidates in their own words: The Providence Journal, The Public's radio, Rhode Island College and RI PBS partnered on a series of candidate forums. During the forum, competing Democrats agreed more than they disagreed on defense spending, "common sense" gun controls, student debt relief, ranked-choice voting and a whole lot more. They did not agree on everything. And there was at least one gasp-worthy moment. During back-to-back interviews, the state's two GOP candidates did not stray from national party lines. One exception? When asked whether he would support a national abortion ban, Leonard, the Marine veteran who is the state GOP's endorsed candidate in the two-person Republican primary contest, said it's a states' issue and should remain so. Flynn, a former Middletown councilwoman, said she could not answer questions about what she would have done had she been in Congress at historic moments such as the Trump impeachment vote without more information. Candidates do everything they can to turn undecided voters Gabe Amo was running late to the next to last stop on the election-day zig-zag he set for himself between Providence- East Providence -Barrington- and Pawtucket on the off-chance he'd meet an undecided voter. He did. "I got locked in a conversation with somebody who was deciding... She's like, I've been thinking about this all day and I'm so glad you're here. And we were engaged in the conversation for 10 minutes and if that's what it's going to take, we're going to do that everywhere." Arriving a bit later than planned at the Barrington Middle School, he had a big "Hi. I'm Gabe. Good to see you.'' greeting for everyone in the slow, but steady stream of late-afternoon voters, including Liz Jacobs who announced - "I just voted for you" - and asked if he'd pose for a selfie. Amo's own recently released internal poll had him running second (at 19%) behind former Rep. Aaron Regunberg (at 28%), in the crowded field. Asked if he had done any more recent polling, Amo said: "I have not. No." "The only poll that matters today is the one that's happening in buildings like these that will decide this outcome. But I have not done any new poll." Turnout steady at Newport polling places In Newport, where nine precincts have been consolidated into three polling locations, poll workers had voters filing in every few minutes or so. Park Holm Senior Center Poll Warden David Drooker said this is the busiest polling location hes worked so far because of the consolidated precincts. At Newport Library, Poll Warden Meredith LeBlanc shared a similar sentiment. Its been quite good for a primary, LeBlanc said. Donovan Manor on Chapel Street had four precincts to serve, the most in Newport. Poll Warden Gene Thompson-Grove, who worked at Donovan Manor during the 2022 election, said theyve seen nearly as many people come in to cast their ballots by 3:30 p.m. as they did by the end of the day during the 2022 general election, at about 334. Its steady, Thompson-Grove said. Its actually been kind of nice. Outside the polling place, Vanessa Soares raised a campaign sign for CD1 candidate Sandra Cano. She said she believes Cano is someone who will inspire change and keep her promises. Soares has been urging her neighbors at the Park Holm Housing Complex and around Donovan Manor to show up to the polls in general, as well. Im here to empower us all to vote, Soares said. If we all start to vote, theyll start to listen. Newport resident Vanessa Soares campaigned for CD1 candidate Sandra Cano outside Donovan Manor, one of Newport's polling places. In Jamestown, where the signature scandal began, voters say it didn't change their minds The scandal the rocked Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos, whose campaign submitted falsified signatures on her nominating papers, was the talk of Jamestown, but didn't keep people from voting for her, according to several voters interviewed Tuesday at the polls in the island community that first questioned the Matos signatures. Annie Anderson, who was voting at the Lawn School, said that in having conversations about whether the scandal "was a meaningful reason to rule her out," she came to the conclusion that it wasn't. But, for Anderson, it was more of an academic exercise to begin with. "I knew who I was going to vote for already," she said. But the scandal mattered, she said. "We should know more about what happened and why that happened." Anderson found that state Sen. Sandra Cano was aligned with her thinking on the issues important to her: including education, health care, climate change and combatting racism. "I met her early on at a meet-and-greet, and felt she was really genuine, not a typical candidate in any way." Linda Supron said the scandal "didn't change my mind." She said it was difficult narrowing down the field. "There's a decent group of candidates, and there not a lot of difference between them." And the scandal didn't help much with that decision, she said. "I don't think it changed a lot of minds in town." Sabina Matos greets voters at Barrington High School polling place. How many people have voted in RI so far today? As of 3 p.m. on primary day, a total 28,412 votes had been cast in Rhode Island's off-year Congressional election. The count so far: 5,306 mail ballots, 7,967 early in-person votes and 15,139 election day votes so far. Putting that in perspective: The ballot count so far is less than half the number that decided the crowded Democratic race for R.I.'s 2nd Congressional District seat last year. Then-state Treasurer Seth Magaziner won that six-person 2022 Democratic primary race with 54% of the 56,102 votes cast. (Another 12,113 votes went to Allan Fung, the lone candidate on the GOP primary ballot.) At this point on primary day 2023, about half as many votes have been cast for twice as many Democratic candidates - and the two Republicans - vying to replace former U.S. Rep. David Cicilline in R.I,'s 1st Congressional District seat. Cicilline quit mid-term to take a $650,000 job in the philanthropy sector. There are 12 names on the Democratic ballots, though one of those candidates - Donald Carlson - dropped out of the running. Voting on Aquidneck Island In the late morning and early afternoon, polling places throughout the northern half of Aquidneck Island all had a similar light stream of voters steadily flowing in and out of their doors. St. Barnabas Church in Portsmouth had 164 voters turn out before 12:30 p.m. We've had more than expected, Moderator Richard Cope said. Outside the church, State Senator Linda Ujifusa, State Representative Michelle McGaw, and Town Councilor Len Katzman held signs in support of CD1 candidate Aaron Regunberg, saying they believe he will actively support causes they care about. All three are members of the Portsmouth Democrats, which they said is pretty active, often having members stand at polling locations to support a candidate. Poll workers help voters during the CD1 primary at Middletown High School Hes not going to just push a button, McGaw said. Hes going to fight. A friendly rivalry broke out between St. Barnabas Church and Common Fence Point, the other most-populated polling location in Portsmouth, to see which location had the most people turning out to vote and whether they could get more of their voters to use the new ExpressVote machines. By 1:00 p.m., Common Fence Point had 175 voters cast their ballots, 25% of which used the ExpressVote Machine, Assistant Moderator Michael Costello said.. Both Cope and Costello said the morning had been a little slow, but they expect turnout to increase in the evening as people get off of work. RI Weather: Will the heat impact voter turnout? Voters don't have to worry about rain, but they're dealing with plenty of heat and humidity in today's special election in the 1st Congressional District. The temperature for the Providence area has reached 86 degrees with 61% humidity under mostly sunny skies Tuesday afternoon and is likely to reach 88 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The heat has arrived after a cooler-than-usual meteorological summer, which ran from June through August. The temperature in the Providence area never reached 90 degrees, although that could happen this week since the National Weather Service is forecasting a high of 88 on Wednesday and 93 on Thursday. "Hot and humid weather is expected through Thursday, and perhaps even into Friday," the weather service says in its forecast discussion. Barrington voters talk representation, signature scandal The large field in the Democratic primary was a draw for some voters at Barrington Middle School late Tuesday morning. Its highly contested, so I want to make sure my voice is heard, said Dave Innis, after casting his vote. Theres a lot of good candidates. Innis said he wanted to cast his ballot for a candidate of color. Its time for the country to have fairer representation. The scandal that enveloped Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos, whose campaign submitted forged signatures on nominating papers, bothered Innis. I was troubled by the sloppiness of the process," he said. Eileen Caito, who also voted at the middle school, said she, too, was bothered by the signature scandal, but added that it didnt change her vote, though she declined to say who got her vote. Barrington Middle School polling place. Voting heats up in Providence's East Side A quiet but steady stream of voters flowed into Providence's Martin Luther King Elementary School on the East Side to cast their ballot in Rhode Island's special election primary. Supporters for a variety of candidates stood outside the gymnasium next to campaign signs thanking voters for participating in the process and encouraging everyone to stay cool in the wake of the day's extreme heat. By noon, 275 ballots had been cast at the polling place and poll workers were encouraged by the turnout. Scenes from the voting booth during RI's special election Primary election day starts with low turnout in Providence At Kilmartin Plaza in Providence's West End, voters were very slow to trickle in. By 9:15 a.m., 16 people had cast ballots. An hour later, that number was only up to 24 votes. Outside the Killmartin Plaza polling place, a man wearing Sabina Matos stickers and holding a Sabina Matos sign first tried to pull out an Ana Quezada sign, before being yelled at by people outside and stopping. He then attempted to uproot an Aaron Regunberg sign, before being yelled at again. Alberto Escano said said he voted for Quezada because he perceived her to be less of a "political insider," and more of a neighborhood representative, than the other candidates. Overall, the special election seemed to be "silent," said Escano. "Not many people are entangled in this process," he said. After voting shortly after 9 a.m., Escano said he planned to drive his neighbors to the polling police as well as working as a Lyft driver. James Marcil voted early for Regunberg but returned to the polling place to check if his children were registered and eligible to vote in the election. Marcil said Regunberg supported his priorities, including global warming, support for unions, as well as the work he has done in the state. "I want people to stand out, to stick their necks out," Marcil said. What about Don Carlson? Why is he on the ballot if he's already dropped out of the race? Calling politics a sometimes "nasty business," especially for gay people, congressional candidate Donald Carlson sought to set the record straight on the "rumors circulating about me," including a WPRI report that he sent a text message to a student that suggested "a relationship modeled on a website where people can pay to go on dates. Days later, the embattled Donald Carlson suspended his campaign for Rhode Island's open congressional seat and endorsed state Sen. Sandra Cano. However, by that point in the race there was no legal mechanism to remove Carlson from the primary ballot, but the state Board of Elections has asked all local elections officials to post notes at polling places letting people know Carlson has "withdrawn his candidacy." Key Issues: Where do Republicans in the CD1 special election stand on abortion, guns, Trump and more? U.S. Department of Justice set to monitor RI's special election Scenes from the voting booth during RI's special election The U.S. Department of Justice will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in four jurisdictions during Tuesday's special primary election in Rhode Island's First Congressional District. Monitors from the Justice Department's civil rights division will visit polls in Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket. The division enforces federal voting rights laws and has regularly monitored elections since the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965, the Justice Department said in a press release. Possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be reported to the civil rights division via telephone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form on the departments website: https://civilrights.justice.gov or by filling out a complaint form on the department's website at https://civilrights.justice.gov. Voting in RI's election kicks off At Newports public library polling location, 61 ballots had been cast just prior to 9:15 a.m. Poll workers said at the time they just had a short bust of voters and the first line of the day. Outside a lone sign holder campaigned for Aaron Regunberg. At Newports public library polling location 61 ballots had been cast just prior to 9:15 a.m. Poll workers said at the time they just had a short bust of voters and the first line of the day. Outside a lone sign holder campaigned for Aaron Regunberg. Why is RI having a special election? Rhode Island House Rep. David Cicilline announced in February that he'd be resigning from Congress. His last day was June 1. The unexpected move triggered a special election in Rhode Islands First Congressional District, which covers the eastern portion of the state. More: Cicilline resigning from Congress, will lead Rhode Island Foundation. What we know. Where do I vote in today's RI election? Voters can look up their designated polling station and, view sample ballots by logging into the Voter Information Center: vote.sos.ri.gov Who can vote in today's CD1 primary election? If you live in any of the following communities, you're in the district: East Providence Pawtucket Central Falls North Providence Cumberland Lincoln Smithfield North Smithfield Woonsocket Bristol Barrington Warren Portsmouth Newport Middletown Jamestown Little Compton Tiverton Parts of Providence Where can I learn about the RI's election before I vote? All the information you need to cast an informed ballot can be found in our 'Voter Guide for RI's Special Election: 2023 Congressional District 1.' Where do the candidates stand on all major issues? Need help deciding who to vote for in Rhode Island's Special Election Primary in September? Use this guide to help distinguish between the Democratic candidates and see where they stand on key issues. A separate questionnaire was distributed to the two Republican candidates who will appear on the Republican primary ballot: Terri Flynn and Gerry Leonard Jr. Leonard, who has been endorsed by the Rhode Island GOP, did not complete the survey. (His campaign confirmed that they had received the questionnaire and were aware of the deadline.) Will I need an ID to vote in Rhode Island? Yes. Voters need to present an ID, which can be a driver's license, passport, Rhode Island Voter ID Card or another form of identification listed here: vote.sos.ri.gov/Content/Pdfs/voter_id_information.pdf When are polls open on Election Day? Polls are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in every city and town except New Shoreham, where poll hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. How can I stay informed for the November election? First, be sure to sign up for our morning newsletter . We're following this race closely so you'll get the most recent news directly to your inbox, every day. With every twist and turn of the campaign, we update our story: The latest from the 1st Congressional District election. That includes endorsements, scandals, campaign advertising and financial disclosures of campaigns. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI Primary Election: Live coverage, results and more for the CD1 race A hidden gem thats not so hidden has landed on the real estate market in Central Texas. The Long Road Ranch, a Williamson County property that stretches out over almost 140 acres of prime Loan Star land, lists for $6.499 million. The rural paradise comes with a lot of features that will transfix any and all outdoorsmen. As you enter the property stone pillars and wrought iron gates welcome you in along a mile long winding driveway that transitions from hayfields along the HWY 29 frontage to the pecan-studded river bottom along the serene San Gabriel River, the listing on Ruple Ranch & Land says. The San Gabriel River was initially named Rio de San Francisco Xavier in 1716. It was later mislabeled San Javriel on an 1829 map by Stephen F. Austin. The San Xavier missions were founded in 1745 near Brushy Creeks mouth. In May 1839, the river was the site of the significant battle of the San Gabriels, and Brushy Creek saw the battle of Brushy Creek in February 1839. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement According to a news release, the property has what is believed to be the only private bridge on the San Gabriel River. The primary retreat is about 2,930-square-feet, has three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and an abundance of features, including: Open-concept kitchen High ceilings Outdoor entertaining area Storage space Fenced yards And of course, the estate has so much more to offer: Stables Four ponds Shooting range Well house New barn Paddocks Water well The listing is held by both Ruple Properties and Compass. Williamson County is about 40 miles north of Austin. Ever seen a goth Barbie home? Peek inside this bold Wisconsin house up for sale Iconic ranch for sale has secrets everywhere and a big one when you pull a book There is no evidence Russian drones reached Romania during an overnight attack on Ukraine on Sept. 4, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Sept. 5. He recognized that the attacks took place "at a very short distance from the Romanian border." The president mentioned that attacks have been recorded just 800 meters from the border. However, "we have total control over our national space," and Romania is "very well defended" within NATO, Iohannis added. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko said on Sept. 4, citing the State Border Guard Service, that an unspecified number of drones had fallen and detonated in Romania during an attack on Odesa Oblast. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Romania's Defense Ministry "firmly denied" this and said there were no direct military threats to the country. An explosion allegedly caused by Russian drones falling in Romania during Russia's overnight attack on Odesa Oblast on Sept. 4, 2023. (Oleh Nikolenko/Facebook) Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba then responded that Ukraine has visual evidence of Russian attack drones falling on Romanian territory. "It's pointless to deny that something fell there," Kuleba said. According to the Foreign Ministry's spokesman Oleh Nikolenko, the attack targeted the area of the Izmail port across the Danube River from Romania. Bucharest, however, said that Russia hit the port of Reni, around 60 kilometers to the west. On Aug. 3, reports emerged that Russian drones had crossed into Romania's territory during an Aug. 2 attack on the Ukrainian town of Izmail. A local mayor cited residents who said the drones passed over people's homes, and one of them fell in a forest. The Romanian Air Force reportedly inspected the site but did not find any "concrete elements" to prove the allegations. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Defense Ministry reports gains in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia oblasts; Putin demands sanctions relief to revive grain deal Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (NEXSTAR) Respiratory syncytial virus better known by the acronym RSV is rising in some southeastern U.S. states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Tuesday, signaling the virus could begin spreading widely nationwide soon. RSV causes cold-like symptoms for most people, but can be scary for infants, young children, elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. The virus kills between 100 and 300 children under 5 and as many as 10,000 people over 65 annually, according to CDC estimates. Other than a few atypical years during the COVID-19 pandemic, the RSV season usually starts in fall and peaks in winter. The virus also has a history of starting to spread in Florida, before spreading to other southeastern states, then eventually northward and westward. That appears to be the case again this year. In recent weeks more patients have been testing positive for the virus in Florida and Georgia, the CDC said in an alert issued Tuesday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement 26 states see substantial spike in COVID hospitalizations, CDC says Historically, such regional increases have predicted the beginning of RSV season nationally, with increased RSV activity spreading north and west over the following 23 months, the CDC said. But doctors will have new tools to fight RSV this season. Last month, U.S. regulators approved the first RSV vaccine for pregnant women so their babies will be born with protection against the respiratory infection. The Food and Drug Administration cleared Pfizers maternal vaccination to guard against a severe case of RSV when babies are most vulnerable from birth through 6 months of age. The next step is for the CDC to issue recommendations for using the vaccine, named Abrysvo, during pregnancy. Vaccinations for older adults, also at high risk, are getting underway this fall using the same Pfizer shot plus another from competitor GSK. The Associated Press contributed to this report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. Several Chicago-area hospitals have been honored for excellence in price transparency two and a half years after a set of federal transparency guidelines went into effect. Rush University Medical Center was one of 10 hospitals nationwide to receive the inaugural Price Transparency Champion Award, honoring medical systems going above and beyond to keep price estimates accessible and upfront. The awards were created by PatientRightsAdvocate.org, a health care advocacy nonprofit that has lobbied at the federal level for price transparency for more than seven years. The organization releases compliance reports every six months. Founder Cynthia Fisher hopes the awards will bring publicity to the hospitals PatientRightsAdvocate.org sees as positive examples. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement What the consumer needs in health care is to have integrity built into the system, Fisher said. Almost everyone has a story of being overcharged. Among the hospitals selected, Rush was named best in class by PatientRightsAdvocate. Rush University Medical Center, their file network is excellent in that you can download easily accessible, machine readable but most importantly, human readable (data), Fisher said. Patricia Steeves ONeil, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Rush University Medical Center and Rush University System for Health, said Rush is proud to be recognized as a national leader on the issue of price transparency. Understanding the cost of health care can be challenging for patients, ONeil told the Chicago Tribune. Price transparency empowers patients to make fully informed decisions about their care. The Rush system also includes Rush Copley Medical Center and Rush Oak Park Hospital. CommonSpirit Health, a large Catholic and nonprofit hospital chain headquartered in Chicago, also received a Price Transparency Champion Award. The group has one of the highest levels of price transparency compliance compared with other national health care groups, PatientRightsAdvocate found, with 88% compliance across 140 hospitals in 21 states. CommonSpirit Health could not be reached for comment. Under the Hospital Price Transparency Rule, hospitals must release a pricing sheet explaining how much each medical procedure and service costs. The sheet has to be readable by machine and should include the gross cost of each procedure, as well as the maximum and minimum rates negotiated for other consumers and any discounted cash prices. The rule went into effect in 2021 under the Trump administration. Its meant to force hospitals to set a public standard for what they typically charge patients, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Often were finding so many people have been overcharged when they seek care, Fisher said. Prices protect people from going into medical debt, having bad credit or having to go to court to have their wages garnished. Before the rule, most hospital price transparency databases were managed by federal organizations and focused mostly on surgery price and inpatient care. Data on testing, screening and drug/medication pricings were harder to find, according to the Federal Register. Meanwhile, estimations could vary wildly by website. Rush published a price estimator tool online on Jan. 1, 2021, the same day the rule went into effect. The American Hospital Association found that 7 in 10 hospitals are compliant with the federal Hospital Price Transparency Rule. However, PatientRightsAdvocate.org contends that 64% of hospitals either released incomplete information or didnt comply with the rule at all, based on their own studies. To date, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have fined seven hospitals for failing to release price data. Community First Medical Center, in Portage Park, was fined about $850,000 in 2022. The charge is under review. Price transparency is also important for helping companies choose a health insurance policy, Fisher said. What this price reveal has enabled us to see is that on the same day, in the same hospital, prices vary based upon plan, Fisher said. The organizations next steps, Fisher said, could include finding ways to help patients dispute outsize medical bills that dont align with publicly available price tags. Its important to recognize the hospitals that are taking the lead to do the right thing by providing actual prices, and allowing integrity in how they bill, Fisher said. Russian occupation authorities have brought in election observers to monitor the sham elections it intends to hold in the occupied parts of Ukraine later in September, Ukraines National Resistance Center reported on Sept. 4. The center said the Russian sham elections were nothing but a farce and a propaganda simulation where the outcome and even the turnout are known in advance. Read also: Russia targets youth in effort to recruit propaganda collaborators in occupied territories One of the main roles in this performance is played by election observers, whom the Russians have forcibly transported from Russia to the temporarily occupied territories because local residents refuse to take part in this show." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Russian legislation allows only members of the public chamber a consultative body controlled by the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to act as public observers. Read also: SBU drone attack on Russian polling station in Kamianka-Dniprovska results in numerous casualties These are the independent observers" from Russia who are being transported to the occupied territories, since the local chambers were recently created by the occupiers and have not found a sufficient number of volunteers, the National Resistance Center said. Russia regularly holds sham elections and referendums in territories it has invaded in an attempt to legitimize its land-grabs notably in Crimea in 2014. The practice was common in Soviet times as well, such as when Kremlin forces invaded and occupied the Baltic states towards the end of the Second World War. The Baltic states remained under Soviet and latterly Russian military occupation until after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. 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's special envoy attends inauguration ceremony of Zimbabwean president Xinhua) 10:02, September 05, 2023 HARARE, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Zhou Qiang, Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy, on Monday attended Mnangagwa's inauguration ceremony in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare. Mnangagwa on Sunday met with Zhou, also vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, at the State House. Zhou conveyed Xi's warm congratulations and good wishes to Mnangagwa. Zhou said China always views and develops relations with Zimbabwe from a strategic and long-term perspective, and is willing to work with Zimbabwe to maintain and develop high-level mutual trust between the two countries. In addition, Zhou said the two countries should continue to firmly support each other on issues involving each other's core interests, and promote the better development of China-Zimbabwe comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Mnangagwa expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Xi for sending a special envoy to attend his inauguration ceremony, and asked Zhou to convey his sincere greetings and best wishes to Xi. Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe attaches great importance to its friendship with China, and is willing to deepen cooperation with China in such key areas as infrastructure, agriculture, mining, and education to push bilateral relations to a higher level. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) CANBERRA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Experts have called for a coordinated national response to protect native Australia's biodiversity from invasive species. A new report published by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) on Monday identified alien species - those that are introduced to new regions through human activities - as the leading driver of biodiversity loss in Australia. According to the landmark report, the global economic cost of invasive alien species has at least quadrupled every decade since 1970 and surpassed 423 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. Andy Sheppard, the Chief Research Scientist for Biosecurity at Canberra-based national science agency the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and a coordinating lead author of the report, said in a statement that in Australia alone invasive species cost 25 billion Australian dollars (16.1 billion dollars) every year. He said red fire ants, European rabbits, feral cats and European carp are Australia's most impactful invasive species and called for coordinated action to address the threat. "Invasive alien species do not respect borders. To achieve success, Australia needs to work with other governments in our region and across sectors, non-government organizations (NGOs) and with Indigenous Peoples and local communities on coordinated action," Sheppard said. "It is most cost-effective to invest to reduce the arrival and establishment of invasive alien species. But we can't stop them all, so biosecurity needs effective preparedness and response capability." Research published by the Invasive Species Council (ISC) in May found that Australia has averaged 4.5 probable species extinctions every decade since the 1960s. Of those, the research said three a decade could be mainly attributed to the impact of invasive species. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed a Ukrainian drone was destroyed over Russia's Bryansk region at around midnight on Sept. 5. Moscow didn't provide any further details on the alleged attack. Kyiv hasn't commented on the incident. Over the past two days, Russia has also claimed that drones were shot down over the Kaluga, Moscow and Tver oblasts. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky nominates new defense minister as parliament approves Reznikovs resignation Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that two drones were shot down over Russian territory on Sept. 5, one over the Kaluga region and the second over the town of Istra in Moscow Oblast. According to Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin, the drones were "trying to carry out an attack against Moscow." Claims of drones shot down over Russian territory are becoming an increasingly frequent event. Late last month, Russia announced that its air defense forces destroyed 42 Ukraine-launched drones over the Crimean Peninsula and one missile over Kaluga Oblast. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Defense Ministry reports gains in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia oblasts; Putin demands sanctions relief to revive grain deal Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian air defenses shot down three drones approaching the Russian capital Moscow in the early hours of Sept. 5, in Tver, Moscow and Kaluga oblasts, the Russian Defense Ministry has claimed. The Russian ministry blamed the alleged drone attack on Ukraine, saying it had stopped "Kyiv's attempt to attack Russian territory with UAVs." Read also: Moscow residents reckon with routine drone attacks One drone was allegedly destroyed over Kaluga Oblast by air defense systems, the Kremlin-controlled RIA Novosti news agency said. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin also claimed that UAVs had been attempting to attack the Russian capital. One of them was allegedly intercepted in Kaluga Oblast, and the other in the Istrinsky District of Moscow Oblast, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Early reports claimed there was damage or injuries at the crash site in Istrinsky District, although emergency services were reported to be working at the site. Read also: Moscow shuts down airports as explosions heard near Russian capital Later, Russian news media claimed gas cylinders had exploded due to the falling debris, and published a photograph apparently showing damage to a building at the crash site in Istrinsky District, which was about 37 kilometers west of the center of Moscow. Sobyanin later said that at 5:17 a.m., Russian air defense forces allegedly destroyed another drone in Tver Oblast near Zavidovo, about 110 kilometers to the northwest of the Russian capital, which it was claimed was flying in the direction of Moscow. Moscows Vnukovo Airport declared the Kovyor contingency plan, which is activated when unidentified aerial objects are detected in the airspace close to Russian airports. Russian media also reported that the capitals Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports had also been closed temporarily. Across all Moscow airports, authorities canceled five flights and delayed 13 others, Russian media reported. Russia typically blames Ukraine for launching drone attacks on its territory, and always claims to have shot down or disabled with electronic warfare all attacking drones, although there is evidence that some drones strike their intended targets several Russian military aircraft have been destroyed in recent weeks at air bases deep inside Russia. Read also: Moscow missile plant ablaze in apparent drone attack Ukraine has typically denied being responsible for the attacks, but recently the Ukrainian Defense Ministrys Main Intelligence Directorate or HUR has claimed responsibility for carrying out attacks on two Russian airbases last December. The HUR has also claimed responsibility for attacking the Moskva City financial district in western Moscow with drones. One skyscraper there, which houses the offices of several Russian government ministry, was hit twice over a period of three days at the end of July beginning of August. 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 Russians have once again claimed to have brought down drones on the night of 4-5 September, this time supposedly over Kaluga, Moscow and Tver oblasts. Source: Russian Defence Ministry; Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin Quote: "An attempt by the Kyiv regime to launch a terrorist attack against targets in the Russian Federation using aircraft-type UAVs was prevented at around 03:00 Moscow time on 5 September." Details: The Russian MoD claimed that on-duty air defence systems destroyed an uncrewed aerial vehicle over the territory of Kaluga Oblast. Updated: Sobyanin claimed that in addition to a drone in Kaluga Oblast, another UAV was destroyed in the Istra district of Moscow Oblast. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He claimed the drones were trying to hit Moscow. Later, the Russian Defence Ministry reported the supposed interception of another drone over Tver 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! The Russian military has begun covering its strategic bombers on the ground with rubber tires presumably attempting to protect the aircraft from further Ukrainian drone strikes as seen on satellite images published by CNN on Sept. 5. Satellite imagery provided by Maxar shows two Tu-95 strategic bombers at the Russian Engels airbase, clearly blanketed in what appears to be car tires. Read also: Two Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bombers destroyed after drone attacks According to a comment from drone manufacturing company One Way Aerospace, the tires may reduce the heat signature of the aircraft. However, they would still be visible in infrared light. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: NATO to host inaugural Baltic Sea exercises to send clear signal to Putins Russia A NATO military official, who wished to remain anonymous, mentioned to the press that the alliance is aware of this "improvisation." Read also: Just one? Well try to hit another then - Ukrainians hilariously prank Russian emergency services in Pskov "We believe it's meant to protect against drones; but we're unsure if it will have any effect," the official said. On Aug. 19, Ukrainian drones attacked Soltsy airfield in Russias Novgorod Oblast, destroying a Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber. Another attack occurred on Aug. 30 in Pskov, where two Il-76 military cargo aircraft were destroyed and two more sustained damage. 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 Yesterday, Russia launched 32 air strikes and 39 attacks from multiple-launch rocket systems on the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements. Source: evening report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from 5 September Details: During the day, there have been over 20 combat encounters in the front. The Russians were conducting offensive action of the Lyman front near the settlement of Novoyehorivka in Luhansk Oblast, to the north of the settlement of Klishchiivka in Donetsk Oblast, and near the settlement of Mariinka in Donetsk Oblast, but to no avail. Meanwhile, the General Staff of Ukraine reports that the defence forces of Ukraine continue conducting the offensive operation on the Melitopol front, gaining foothold on achieved positions, conducting the measures of counterbattery combat. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Quote: "The aircraft of the defence forces launched 11 attacks on the areas of concentration of manpower, armament and military equipment and two attacks on anti-aircraft systems of the Russians. Rocket and artillery units struck one area of concentration of manpower, armament and military equipment of the Russians during the day, as well as 12 artillery systems on firing positions and one ammunition storage." Background: On 5 September in the evening, the Directorate of Strategic Communications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published a video, which shows the Ukrainian forces destroying a Russian storage of military equipment in Donetsk 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! Recently announced top-level talks between Pyongyang and Moscow on potential arms deliveries prove that economic sanctions have diminished Russias military-industrial complex, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said at a press briefing on Sept. 5. "We will continue to call it out, and we will continue to call on North Korea to abide by its public commitments not to supply weapons to Russia that will end up killing Ukrainians," CNN quotes Sullivan. Read also: North Korean dictator meets with Russian Defense Minister in Pyongyang He added that Washington has not seen evidence that North Korea has supplied Moscow with significant quantities of ammunition or other military aid, so far. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: How Putin destroyed Berlin-Moscow-Beijing axis Sullivan stated that U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has been discussing the possibility of North Korea providing arms to Russia "for quite a while," and it is entirely possible that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may meet with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to discuss this issue in the near future. Read also: Russia signing arms deal with North Korea would violate UN resolutions Washington "We have also imposed sanctions, specific targeted sanctions, to try to disrupt any effort to use North Korea as a conduit or as a source for weapons going to Russia; we did so as recently as mid-August, and we have continued to convey that privately as well as publicly to the North Koreans and asked allies and partners to do the same," he concluded. 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 Black coverings resembling tires have appeared on planes at a Russian air base. It may be an attempt to confuse Ukraine's newly-adapted R-360 Neptune cruise missiles. The move comes amid a series of embarrassing air defense failures across Russia. Satellite images of a key Russian air base appear to show a new defensive tactic amid ongoing airborne attacks: piling tires on top of airplanes. Several observers have spotted unusual, dark patches partially covering military aircraft at Engels air base near Saratov, Russia, in the last days. An analysis by motoring-focused outlet The Drive concluded they are car tires arranged in a gambit designed to confuse incoming missiles. The tires were seen partially covering the fuselages and some of the wings on Tu-95 bombers and Tu-160 heavy bombers, the outlet reported. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It's unclear if the measure will work, but it coincides with Ukraine's announcement that it has modified its R-360 Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles to strike targets on land. Ukraine claimed that it has already taken out a Russian S-400 "Triumf" missile in Crimea. Per the Drive, the tire covering could be intended to break up the planes' infrared signature, which is used by cruise missiles to recognize targets. The tire phenomenon was spotted after a wave attacks on air bases largely attributed to drones rather than cruise missiles that have exposed embarrassing weaknesses in the country's air defenses. The UK's Ministry of Defense assessed that Russia was likely to be considering a wholesale reorganization of its air defenses and potentially deploying new measures around its air bases in response to the drone threat. Ukraine has largely not taken responsibility for the attacks, but has made extensive use of drone warfare during Russia's invasion, and has made public statements justifying the use of force on military targets in Russia in general. Read the original article on Business Insider Ukrainian forces, having breached the first line of Russian defenses in the south of Ukraine, now face mazes of defensive fortifications and perhaps underground tunnels connecting firing positions, a Ukrainian military spokesperson has said. Oleksandr Shtupun, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Tavriisk Group of Forces, which is fighting on the front in Zaporizhzhya Oblast, was speaking on Ukrainian national television on Sept. 4. Asked whether the second line Russias defense has a network of tunnels, "underground cities where Russians can go in one place and come out ten kilometers away", Shtupun replied: "I don't know, I don't have that information. But they've had over a year to dig in, so I think there are mazes (of trenches and defensive fortifications) there." Read also: Russians worried over vulnerability of defense lines as Ukrainian forces press south ISW ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Shtupun said the second line of Russian defenses in the south of Ukraine was quite strong, but that the density of the minefields there was lower. Read also: Ukraine not feeling pressure from Western partners over counter-offensive, says FM Kuleba He also said the trench systems, firing positions and ditches the Ukrainian forces now faced were not as strong as in the first Russian line of defense. Commander of the Tavria operational group General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi confirmed on Sept. 2 that Ukrainian forces had breached the first Russian defense line in the southern section of the front line. Tarnavskyi said he estimated that Russia had devoted 60% of its time and resources to building the first line of defenses, and only 20% each to the second and third lines, as Moscow had not expected Ukrainian troops would reach them. 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 Russian forces shelled nine of Ukraine's oblasts over the past day, killing one person and injuring four, according to local authorities. Russian troops shelled Chernihiv Oblast seven times, resulting in 69 explosions. Russian forces fired with grenade launchers, mortars, and artillery at the Novhorod-Siverskyi and Koriukivskyi districts. In Sumy Oblast, Russian forces attacked the border 18 times on Sept. 4, injuring two civilians and damaging infrastructure, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported. Artillery shelling in the community of Druzhba caused 20 explosions and left one civilian injured. The attack also damaged 12 homes, five garages, a railway station freight car, and railway tracks, according to the administration's report. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In Seredyna-Buda, mortar and artillery shelling injured a civilian and caused property damage. A stand-alone home, a residential building, and an administrative building were damaged. The attacks also damaged two cars and railway tracks. An agricultural warehouse in Esman and a power line in Bilopillia were also damaged by shelling. The border communities of Sumy Oblast are frequent targets of Russian shelling. On Sept. 2, a police officer was killed in a strike on Seredyna-Buda. The aftermath of Russian attacks on the community of Velykomykhailivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on Sept. 5, 2023. (Serhii Lysak/Telegram) Russians shelled the community of Marhanets community in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast's Nikopol district with artillery, destroying two houses and infrastructure. Debris from a downed Russian anti-aircraft missile resulted in the destruction of 1,500 metric tons of grain at a farm in the community of Mezhivska. There were no casualties, according to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak. In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russian troops attacked 26 communities 88 times. A 74-year-old resident of Mala Tokmachka was killed in the attacks. Authorities also reported the destruction of 47 residential and commercial buildings, as well as other infrastructure. Russian forces launched an airstrike on Kharkiv Oblast's Chuhuivskyi region. There were reportedly no casualties. Russian forces shelled Luhansk Oblast 159 times, firing 554 shells. There were no casualties. In Donetsk Oblast, two people were injured in Russian attacks, according to Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko. Russian forces launched a rocket attack on Kostiantynivka, damaging three high-rise buildings and three houses. Russian forces shelled Mykolaiv Oblast's Kutsurub community with artillery on Sept. 4. There were no casualties. Russian forces shelled Kherson Oblast 57 times over the past day, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Sept. 5. "Over the past day, the enemy has carried out 57 shellings, firing 227 shells from mortars, artillery, tanks, Grads, UAVs and aircraft," Prokudin said. According to him, the Russian military targeted residential districts and grain storage in the Beryslavskyi district. Russian troops struck the village of Soniachne in Kherson Oblast, wounding an 11-year-old boy, Prokudin reported on Sept. 4. The victim was hospitalized in stable condition with a mine-explosive injury and injuries to his legs, according to the official. Doctors are doing everything possible to save the childs life and health, said Prokudin. Soniachne lies next to the administrative border with Mykolaiv Oblast, almost 30 kilometers northeast of Kherson. According to Prokudin, Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast on Sept. 3 killed one civilian and injured five more, including the boy. Ukraine liberated Kherson and other regional settlements on the west bank of the Dnipro River in November 2022. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Defense Ministry reports gains in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia oblasts; Putin demands sanctions relief to revive grain deal Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. JAKARTA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Tuesday the nature of cooperation between China and Indonesia is the connection of huge markets and accumulation of tremendous development opportunities. Li also said in his address at a welcoming reception hosted by Indonesian business community that the industrial and supply chains of the two countries are deeply integrated, providing strong support for the economic development and improvement of people's lives on both sides. The Chinese premier arrived here on Tuesday for an official visit to Indonesia, where he will also attend the 26th China-ASEAN Summit, the 26th ASEAN Plus Three Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit. Russian forces shelled Kherson Oblast 57 times over the past day, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Sept. 5. "Over the past day, the enemy has carried out 57 shellings, firing 227 shells from mortars, artillery, tanks, Grads, UAVs and aircraft," Prokudin said. According to him, the Russian military targeted residential districts and grain storage in the Beryslavskyi district. Russian troops struck the village of Soniachne in Kherson Oblast, wounding an 11-year-old boy, Prokudin reported on Sept. 4. The victim was hospitalized in stable condition with a mine-explosive injury and injuries to his legs, according to the official. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Doctors are doing everything possible to save the childs life and health, said Prokudin. Soniachne lies next to the administrative border with Mykolaiv Oblast, almost 30 kilometers northeast of Kherson. According to Prokudin, Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast on Sept. 3 killed one civilian and injured five more, including the boy. Ukraine liberated Kherson and other regional settlements on the west bank of the Dnipro River in November 2022. Russian forces were pushed to the river's east bank, from where they have since been firing at the liberated territories, regularly resulting in civilian deaths and injuries. Read also: As second academic year begins in wartime Ukraine, millions unable to go back to school full time Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian forces attacked the Sumy Oblast border 18 times on Sept. 4, injuring two civilians and damaging infrastructure, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported. Artillery shelling in the community of Druzhba caused 20 explosions and left one civilian injured. The attack also damaged twelve homes, five garages, a railway station freight car, and railway tracks, according to the administration's report. In Seredyna-Buda, mortar and artillery shelling injured a civilian and caused property damage. A private home, a residential building, and an administration building were damaged. The attacks also damaged two cars and railway tracks. Additionally, an agricultural warehouse in Esman was damaged by shelling. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Tank shelling also damaged a power line in Bilopillia. The communities of Sveska, Znob-Novhorodske, Novoslobidske, Krasnopillia, and Khotin also came under fire during the day's attacks. The border communities of Sumy Oblast are frequent targets of Russian shelling. On Sept. 2, a police officer was killed in a strike on Seredyna-Buda. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Defense Ministry reports gains in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia oblasts; Putin demands sanctions relief to revive grain deal Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A Russian pilot said he defected to Ukraine, along with his helicopter, to escape what he called 'genocide'. Ukraine published an interview of the pilot, Maksym Kuzminov, who defected in August. Ukrainian officials describe the invasion as a type of genocide, and the UN is investigating. The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine along with his helicopter said he abandoned the Russian military to avoid being part of what he called the "genocide of the Ukrainian people." Maksym Kuzminov described his motivation in an interview published by Ukraine's defense-intelligence agency on Sunday. It described him as a captain in Russia's 319th separate helicopter regiment. "What is happening now is simply genocide of the Ukrainian people. Both Ukrainian and Russian," the 28-year-old said, according to CNN's translation. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Kuzminov said that he defected because he did not want to be involved in war crimes, per CNN's translation. He didn't give specifics on why he considered Russia's actions to be a genocide, which the UN defines as an intentional effort to wipe out a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. He also didn't explain adding "both Ukrainian and Russian" though the Russian military has experienced high casualties in the war its civilian population has come to harm on the scale of Ukraine's. The term "genocide" has widely been employed by Ukrainian officials, citing evidence of the killing of civilians and efforts to erase Ukrainian identity in occupied territories and deport Ukrainian children to Russia. Russia vehemently denies harming civilian in its war, despite evidence of the damage. The UN set up a commission to investigate whether a genocide is taking place in Ukraine on Monday its head said it did not yet have enough evidence to say. Elsewhere in his interview, Kuzminov detailed how he arranged his defection with Ukrainian intelligence operatives, who said they spent six months planning the operation. Kuzminov said he took his chance while flying close to the border one day. He said he transmitted his location to Ukraine's military, then landed at a base about 186 miles away from the frontline. Kuzminov's family was also smuggled out of Russia by Ukrainian operatives, per the interview. Read the original article on Business Insider At about 4:30 p.m. Aug. 9, Russian helicopter pilot Maxim Kuzminov and two crew members boarded their Mi-8AMTSh Hip combat transport helicopter at Kursk airport for what appeared to be a routine mission. But unbeknownst to the crew, this would be the last flight these men and their aircraft would take for Russia. It wasnt until the helicopter - which had reached its maximum altitude and was traveling under radio silence - then dipped down very low as it crossed the Russian border that anything seemed out of the ordinary. Thats when the Russians opened fire, Kuzminov, 28, told a press briefing Tuesday in Ukraine in which he offered new details about the operation. Wounded in the leg, he said he flew on for another 20 kilometers to a landing zone he had worked out with Ukraines Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR). It was the culmination of a daring, secret, six-month plan that had Kuzminov agreeing to steal the helicopter and defect to Ukraine in return for the guarantee of safety for him and his family, a monetary reward and new papers. Russian Mi-8 Hip helicopter pilot Maxim Kuzminov talks about his defection to Ukraine. (Ukraine Media Center photo) https://twitter.com/front_ukrainian/status/1694330232831119591?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1694330232831119591%7Ctwgr%5E071546fc3d811f7bcc4cfb0826cd65d9e48af7ac%7Ctwcon%5Es1_\u0026ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2Fdefecting-russian-mi-8-helicopter-was-lured-to-ukraine-reports ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Prior to today, many of the details about this incident were provided by Ukrainian Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, in an interview Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. We were able to find the right approach to the man, we were able to create the conditions to take out the whole family unnoticed, and ultimately create the conditions so that he was able to overrun this aircraft with a crew that did not know what was going on. When they realized where they had landed, they tried to run away. Unfortunately, they were destroyed; we would have liked to [take them] alive, but we have what we have. You can read more about that in our original story here. https://twitter.com/yarotrof/status/1694439415886533003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1694439415886533003%7Ctwgr%5E071546fc3d811f7bcc4cfb0826cd65d9e48af7ac%7Ctwcon%5Es1_\u0026ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2Fdefecting-russian-mi-8-helicopter-was-lured-to-ukraine-reports The GUR also released additional details Sunday from an interview it conducted with Kuzminov as well as a documentary it produced about the defection plot. I realized that I was near the border, that is, I have handed my location. [...] It flew at extremely low altitude in radio mode. No one knew what was wrong with me. For three to four days, no one knew what happened. It flew successfully, landed, he said, according to the GUR. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIt81B-ylG0 On Tuesday, Kuzminov offered additional details about what convinced him to abscond with a helicopter that likely had communications and self-defense equipment of interest to Kyiv in addition to the value of being a huge information operation win. But well before hatching that plan, Kuzminov claimed that because of his disagreement with the war, he somehow managed to avoid attack operations, instead flying only cargo runs. "I had the transportation of troops, cargo, only transport tasks. No punches, I didn't do any of that. If I had to, I wouldn't do it. Sometimes, of course, I had to fly to the territory of Ukraine with the same purpose, to transport troops. I was in Mariupol and Berdyansk." Maxim Kuzminov, a former Russian Mi-8 helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine last month, explains the incident at a press briefing in Ukraine. (Ukraine Media Center photo) Ultimately, though, Kuzminov said even that wasnt enough to quell his conscience. So in December 2022, he decided to defect. What prompted my decision? It is full awareness, full understanding of what is happening. And I decided for myself that this crime is the most cruel. I simply decided for myself that I would not take part in it, no matter what. Kuzminov said he knew the danger he was putting himself and his family in and all that he was giving up as a Russian helicopter pilot. In Russia I have my own plane, a good salary, two apartments, almost a pension. It doesn't matter to me right now. The main thing not to fight against Ukraine." The special operation of GUR, code-named Synitsa," began after Kuzminov read the GURs Telegram channel which had posts trying to convince Russians to surrender. "I was subscribed to the posts of the Main Directorate of Intelligence in Telegram, read, and was interested in information, he said. And there were contacts under the posts. I reached out, we created a secret chat and started corresponding. No one imposed their opinion on me in any way, it was my decision. And for the next six months, we were building routes, thinking about how best to do it, and on Aug. 9th, everything happened." Maxim Kuzminov, the former Russian Mi-8 pilot who defected to Ukraine, says he first started chatting with Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate about six months ago after viewing their Telegram channel. (Ukraine Media Center photo) The final decision was based on guarantees from Ukraine, he said. "First of all, safety for me and my family, payments, new documents. This is the most important thing, he said. My parents are with me." The Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed a law last year courting demoralized Russian troops, offering monetary rewards to Russians who defected with their equipment. A helicopter fetches $500,000, the legislation says. It was not immediately clear how much Kuzminiov received. While Budanov said that Kuzminov's crew members were killed, implying it was by Ukrainian forces, Kuzminov said he did not know what happened to them. "I had two crew members with me," he said, according to a translation of the Tuesday press conference by Ukrainska Pravda. "We did not have any weapons with us. Our pilots fly unarmed." "No one could resist me since the navigator had no helicopter piloting skills," he added. "I reassured the guys, telling them everything was fine, good people lived here, and nothing would go wrong. But they got afraid, began behaving aggressively and eventually rushed out of the helicopter towards the border. I don't know their fate, but the media reports suggest they may have been killed." While The War Zone cannot independently verify Kuzminov's service record, he is listed in Russian records as an attack pilot of the 319th Separate Helicopter Regiment of the Eastern Military District, according to Agenstvo, an independent Russian Telegram channel. Like Budanovs earlier comments, Kuzminovs account differs greatly from that of the Russian Fighterbomber Telegram channel, which as we previously noted, acknowledged the aircraft crossed into Ukraine and that two crew members were killed. But it tried to spin the incident as one involving a Russian helicopter pilot who lost his bearings and flew to Ukraine accidentally. Fighterbomber also refuted claims that the pilots family had been moved to Ukraine in advance and said that they were in contact with relatives of all crew members. As of noon Eastern time, neither Fighterbomber nor the Russian Defense Ministry had addressed Kuzminovs claims, though Fighterbomber said that it would discuss them at some point today. Moving forward, Kuzminov said that he is mulling over an offer to fly for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. "In the future, I want to connect my life with aviation. We received an offer to stay here. I will definitely consider, maybe I will answer positively." The GUR said obtaining a Russian helicopter and pilot was a big win for Ukraine. In our previous story, we noted that Ukrainska Pravda reported that the helicopters cargo consisted of undisclosed parts for VKS Su-27 and Su-30SM Flanker fighters, which were being transported between two airbases. We also pointed out the intelligence value the helicopter and its equipment could offer Ukraine: "As one of the latest versions of the long-established Mi-8 Hip design, the Mi-8AMTSh may also be of interest for closer examination, especially if fitted with some of the more modern Russian self-protection equipment. Meanwhile the various Flanker jet parts depending on what exactly they consisted of could potentially yield even greater intelligence benefits. All this could be useful for Ukrainian allies, too, with an established intelligence-sharing program to better understand various bits of Russian defense technology and tactics and share these lessons." https://twitter.com/Roberto05246129/status/1685134156718612481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1685134156718612481%7Ctwgr%5E071546fc3d811f7bcc4cfb0826cd65d9e48af7ac%7Ctwcon%5Es1_\u0026ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2Fdefecting-russian-mi-8-helicopter-was-lured-to-ukraine-reports While those details were not discussed Tuesday, GUR spokesman Andrii Yusov said that the incident will have long-term harmful consequences for the enemy's plans, and will allow Ukrainian intelligence to better understand the enemy's communication and security system. Beyond capturing this one aircraft, Yusov said GUR plans to use this effort to increase its outreach to other Russians thinking of defecting. "Now Maxim is a free man in a free country, said Yusov. He is considering the intention to join the Defense Forces of Ukraine and further counter Russian aggression. But it will be his decision a man who made a conscious choice." This will only be the beginning, Yusov claimed. We address all Russian servicemen: even during dictatorship there is a choice. You are not slaves... Go to the side of good where you are guaranteed safety, decency and a clear conscience." Kuzminov also urged Russians to defect. You wont regret it. You'll just discover the world of colors," he said Sunday according to the GUR. "And remember: you just dont know a lot, you havent seen other people live. When you really open something, you will change your opinion radically, the Russian pilot stressed." While we cannot verify what was onboard the Hip or whether the incident will spur other Russians to defect, two things are clear. The defection of a trained pilot and a fully functional helicopter is an embarrassment to the Russian Air Force. But after coming forward, Kuzminov will likely be living the rest of his life looking over his shoulder. Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com A Russian mercenary group refused to fight in Ukraine, reports say. It may have enabled Ukraine to seize back control of the village of Robotyne. Infighting has racked the Russian military in recent weeks. A Russian mercenary group's decision to stop fighting in protest at the Kremlin's lack of action to save their leader may have helped Ukraine achieve an important breakthrough on the front line. Ukraine on Sunday said its forces had liberated the village of Robotyne, which is on a network of roads leading to Melitopol, the occupied south Ukrainian city. In messages on the Telegram app the week before Ukraine took back control of the village, the Russian neo-Nazi mercenary outfit, 'Rusich,' said they were laying down their arms in protest at the Kremlin's refusal to do more to stop the arrest and possible extradition of one of their leaders from Finland to Ukraine, reports said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Rusich stops performing any combat missions," it said on its Telegram channel in messages reported by The Telegraph. "If a country cannot protect its citizens, then why should citizens defend the country?" Samuel Ramani, a Russian security expert at Oxford University, on Twitter said that the detention of the leader, Yan Petrovsky, had also been widely protested by channels connected with Wagner, the Rusich-affiliated mercenary group behind the short-lived June uprising against the Kremlin. Jeff Hawn, a non-resident fellow at the Washington, DC-based think-tank New Lines Institute, told France 24 "there's a very strong possibility" the decision by the mercenary group to lay down its arms contributed to the fall of Robotyne. Analysts said it was likely that the Rusich group's fighters had been positioned in Robotyne, leaning credibility to the claim that the protest may have destabilized Russia's defences. "The Rusich Group accused the Russian government of not meeting its obligations to protect Russians abroad by not securing Petrovsky's release earlier, and asked why Rusich personnel should protect Russia if the Russian government will not protect Russians," the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington, DC, based think tank, said in its daily briefing on the conflict on August 28. "The Rusich Group indicated that it is likely operating on the Robotyne-Verbove line in western Zaporizhia Oblast, a critical area of the frontline where the Russian military command likely cannot afford for any units to rebel and refuse to conduct combat missions." The liberation of Robotyne, which is around 35 miles from the city of Zaporizhzhia, has been among the most notable breakthroughs of Ukraine's counteroffensive so far. Having got through the first line of Russia's defences, Ukrainian forces are seeking to reinforce their positions to try and push through and break Russia's second and third lines of defence. Analysts say that Russian forces are suffering from low morale and internal divisions, with the Wagner group launching its rebellion in June in protest at what it claimed was the Kremlin's mishandling of the invasion. Its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, died in a plane explosion near Moscow in late August. The Rusich was formed in 2014, and has fought in Syria, in conflicts in Africa, and in Ukraine. It has been implicated in the torture and abuse of Ukrainian prisoners, said open source intelligence group Molfar, and one its leaders, Alexsey Milkachov, filmed himself killing a puppy and biting its head off in 2014. Read the original article on Business Insider The second line of defence of the Russians is quite strong and could have an extensive network of labyrinths because the Russians had more than a year to dig in. Source: Oleksandr Shtupun, Spokesman for the Joint Press Centre of the Tavriia Operational and Strategic Group of Forces, on air during the national joint 24/7 newscast Quote: "The second line of defence is quite strong. I don't know why everyone thinks it is weaker. Yes, the density of minefields is lower there, but their number is quite large. The only thing that can play into our hands is that the trenches, dugouts and intersections are not as strong. The Russians had more than a year to dig in, so I think there are labyrinths there." Details: Shtupun also said that by setting minefields on fire, the Russians are clearing them themselves. But, as he states, "there are a lot of fools in Russia," so they may continue to do so. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The spokesperson for the Tavriia Operational and Strategic Group of Forces stressed that the Russians do not shy away from anything, and the practice of arson has been used since 2014: when the wind blew in the direction of Ukrainian positions, the Russians set fire to the grass. Background: On 3 September, in an interview with The Observer, Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Commander of the Tavriia Operational and Strategic Group of Forces, said that the Russian forces have spent 60% of their time and resources on the construction of the first line of defence and only 20% on the second and third. Now the Ukrainian army is advancing on both sides of the breakthrough and consolidating its positions. 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! According to Russian media outlet The Moscow Times, drones were shot down over Russia's Tver Oblast, near the town of Zavidovo, where Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly has a residence. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify this claim, and Kyiv has not commented on the alleged incident. The Moscow Times also said the wreckage from drones downed over Moscow Oblast fell on a garage containing gas cylinders in Pavlovskaya Sloboda, resulting in multiple explosions. Earlier on Sept. 5, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that two drones were shot down over Russia's Kaluga Oblast and Moscow Oblast. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin claimed the drones were "trying to carry out an attack against Moscow." Claims of drones shot down over Russian territory are becoming an increasingly frequent event. Late last month, Russia announced that its air defense forces destroyed 42 Ukraine-launched drones over the Crimean Peninsula and one missile over Kaluga Oblast. Read also: Increased attacks on Crimea disrupt Russian logistics, attempt to derail its southern defenses Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (Bloomberg) -- Russian mercenary forces in Belarus have shown signs of confusion after the death of Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin , defusing an immediate threat to the region, Lithuanias president said. Most Read from Bloomberg The comments by Gitanas Nauseda mark a shift after he and other regional leaders raised the prospect of shutting their borders with Belarus following the movement of Wagner forces into the country. There is no evidence that the mercenary group is seeking to destabilize the frontier with Lithuania and Poland, both NATO members, Nauseda said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The situation hasnt escalated, Nauseda told Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT on Tuesday, saying that a complete border closure was now less urgent. We see certain confusion within Wagner after Prigozhins death. The Lithuanian head of state and Polish leaders sounded the alarm over the threat from Wagner forces last month, after mercenaries decamped to Belarus as part of a deal with Yevgeny Prigozhin after his failed mutiny against Russias military leadership in late June. A senior Polish official called for the countrys complete isolation. But indications have mounted, including statements from Ukrainian authorities, that mercenaries have begun to return to Russia. Poland and the Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia agreed last week to coordinate on a plan to shut the border in the event of an armed incident or an organized influx of migrants, but stopped short of imposing a broad closure. If the situation becomes more complicated, we must act, Nauseda told LRT. If the situation remains unchanged or it stabilizes, we must act differently. No one wants to close borders purely for sporting interest. Still, Nauseda said the Belarus regime is a threat with or without a Wagner presence, because the border area has been a source of tension since 2021, when Minsk dispatched migrants, mostly from the Middle East and Africa, into Poland and the Baltic states in a bid to destabilize the region. The Wagner group may move to one or another direction, but Alexander Lukashenko, believe me, wont change and his rhetoric or goals regarding NATO countries wont change, Nauseda said, referring to Belaruss authoritarian leader. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A Russian pilot who surrendered to Ukraine is set to receive a $500,000 reward from the war-torn country. Ukraine passed a law last year offering up to $1 million to Russian troops for stolen equipment. The pilot is now encouraging others to follow his lead. The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine is poised to get a hefty reward from his home country's sworn enemy. The helicopter pilot, whom Ukrainian military intelligence identified as a 28-year-old named Maksym Kuzminov, surrendered to Ukraine last month, bringing with him a Mi-8 helicopter and stolen fighter-jet parts. His arrival in Ukraine was said to have marked the end of a six-month secret defection plot he had worked out with Ukraine that included moving his family out of Russia. A Ukrainian military-intelligence spokesperson, Andrii Yusov, announced Ukraine would be rewarding the pilot with the equivalent of $500,000, The Kyiv Independent reported. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In April 2022, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law offering rewards for Russian troops who transferred military equipment to Ukraine. The pilot is one of only a few Russians whom Ukraine has publicly touted as handing over vehicles. "What is happening now is simply genocide of the Ukrainian people," the pilot said in a video released by Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, according to a CNN translation. "The motivation for my action was to not contribute to these crimes. Ukraine will unequivocally win this war simply because the people are very united." "The whole world is helping them," he added, according to CNN. "Because first and foremost, human life should be valued." The pilot is now encouraging other Russian troops to follow his example and abandon Russia's war. Correction: September 6, 2023 An earlier version of this story incorrectly described Ukrainian efforts to get Russian troops to surrender and turn over military equipment. The Ukrainian "I want to live" program started in September 2022, not April 2022, and was separate from Ukraine's April 2022 plan to reward Russians who turn over military equipment. A reference to the "I want to live" program was removed from the story. The story also misspelled the name of a Ukrainian military-intelligence spokesperson. It's Andrii Yusov, not Andrii Yusova. Read the original article on Business Insider Maksim Kuzminov, a Russian helicopter pilot who has defected to Ukraine, will receive the hryvnia equivalent of $500,000 (approximately Hr 18.48 million), Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR) spokesperson Andrii Yusov said on Sept. 5. In April 2022, Ukraine's parliament passed a law offering up to $1 million to Russian military personnel who manage to transfer equipment to Ukraine. The size of the reward depends on the type of equipment they hand over. The 28-year-old pilot landed his Mi-8 helicopter fully intact at an airfield in Ukraine when he defected, Ukrainian media reported on Aug. 23. He spoke at a press conference on the operation on Sept. 5 and explained that he defected because he "did not want to contribute" to the crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, which he believes is a "wonderful country." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support us He said that he contacted the Ukrainian side himself, and was told he would receive security for himself and his family, payments, and new documents from Ukraine if he defected. Kuzminov said that his parents supported his plans to defect and have joined him in Ukraine. He added that he no longer has contact with other Russian soldiers he served with, but would like to convey to them that there are no fascists or Nazis in Ukraine, as Russian propaganda claims. The defection was the result of a long-term operation by the HUR to bring the Mi-8 helicopter and its pilot to Ukraine. The story was featured in the documentary "Downed Russian Pilots", which aired on Ukrainian television on the evening of Sept. 3. The film revealed how the landing was planned and carried out and Kuzminov called on other Russian pilots to follow his lead. "If you do what I did, this kind of thing, you will not regret it at all. You will be provided for the rest of your life with absolutely everything," Kuzminov said. Kuzminov provided "valuable evidence about Russia's army aviation, communication systems, and airfield network," according to the documentary. "When Ukraine officially calls on the Russians to go over to our side together with the equipment, it is not propaganda. It is not a lie. It is the truth," Yusov added during the press conference on Sept. 5. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. TEHRAN, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Monday that Iran is extremely concerned about the hunger strike over "unfavorable" jail conditions in Bahrain, the Iranian Students' News Agency reported. He made the remarks at a regular press conference in the Iranian capital of Tehran while answering a question about the hunger strike at Jau prison in Bahrain, which was launched in early August by more than 800 inmates over their treatment, according to the report. Saying "pressure exerted by the Bahraini government on the prisoners is unjustifiable and against human dignity," Kanaani called on the Bahraini government to responsibly respond to the prisoners' demands. The hunger strike is believed to be the largest one ever in Bahrain, with the majority of the participants being political prisoners languished since 2011, according to an AFP report, citing the Britain-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD). In a statement published last month, the inmates complained that they were kept in cells for 23 hours per day, with neither proper medical care nor access to education or permission to pray at the mosque, said the BIRD. The Bahraini government has imprisoned a large number of dissidents since the uprisings of 2011, when authorities crushed anti-government Shiite-led protests that demanded political and economic reforms and the establishment of a constitutional-based monarchy. Russian Mi-8 helicopter pilot Maksim Kuzminov, 28, is to receive a US$500,000 reward in hryvnias, the national currency of Ukraine. Ukrainian Intelligence is urging other Russians to follow his example. Source: Andrii Yusov, a representative of Ukraines Defence Intelligence, on the 24/7 newscast Quote: "[He will receive it] in the national currency, of course. There is an official law, signed by the President of Ukraine in April 2022, on appropriate compensation when a person switches to Ukraines side and brings [Russian] equipment with them. Ukraine is a democratic constitutional state, we deliver on our commitments and we adhere to international law. So, once again those Russians who do not want to become war criminals, please give yourselves up, switch to Ukraines side, protect your own dignity and conscience, and fight against Putins regime." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Background: On 23 August it was revealed that a Mi-8 helicopter of the Russian Armed Forces had ended up in Ukraine as a result of a long-term special operation by Ukraines Defence Intelligence. The pilot and his family are in Ukraine, his family having left Russia in advance. The Mi-8 has stayed in Ukraine, as have the fighter jet components it was supposed to be delivering to the Russians. Kuzminov revealed new details of the special operation at a press conference on 5 September, saying that he first heard about the possibility of surrendering with the helicopter from the police. Then Defence Intelligence got involved in the operation. 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! Maxim Kuzminov, the pilot of the Russian Mi-8 helicopter that ended up in Ukraine, has revealed that during the final stage of the operation, he persuaded the crew to surrender to the Ukrainian side, but they got scared, turned aggressive and ran towards the border after landing. Source: Russian pilot during a press conference in Kyiv Quote from Kuzminov: "I had two crew members with me. We did not have any weapons with us. Our pilots fly unarmed. No one could resist me since the navigator had no helicopter piloting skills. I reassured the guys, telling them everything was fine, good people lived here, and nothing would go wrong. But they got afraid, began behaving aggressively and eventually rushed out of the helicopter towards the border. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I don't know their fate, but the media reports suggest they may have been killed." , . pic.twitter.com/plWzSEmic2 (@ukrpravda_news) September 5, 2023 Details: The pilot said he "didn't just hijack the helicopter; he officially piloted it from point A to point B", as the route and landing site had been agreed in advance. Kuzminov said they took off at 16:30 from the Kursk airfield to Kharkiv Oblast, about 20 km from the border. Then, near Russia's village of Shebekino, he flew at an extremely low altitude - 5-10 metres - and in radio silence. As he crossed the border, he was fired upon. "I can't say for sure who started it, but I assume it was the Russian side. I was shot in the leg with small arms. I then flew about 20 kilometres away and landed at the designated location," the pilot said. He claims that he has only performed transport operations to move military personnel or cargo, not bombing. He was in Mariupol and Berdiansk. He supposedly fought in the war "with tears in his eyes". Kuzminov is now considering joining Ukrainian aviation. He added that the initial information on the opportunity to surrender with a helicopter came from police officers, and then the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) joined the operation. The pilot, he said, was promised payments under a special law, new documents and security for himself and his relatives. The helicopter is now part of the DIU's aircraft unit. Background: On 23 August, reports emerged that a Russian Armed Forces Mi-8 helicopter had recently landed in Ukraine as a result of a long-running special operation by the DIU. The pilot and his family are in Ukraine, and the family was taken out of Russia in advance. The Mi-8 remained in Ukraine, along with the parts for the fighter jets it was supposed to deliver to the Russians. 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! Havana Cuba has identified an alleged human trafficking ring aimed at recruiting its citizens to fight in Russia's war in Ukraine, the foreign ministry said Monday. The ministry said in a statement sent to CBS News that the Cuban government was working to dismantle a "a human trafficking network that operates from Russia in order to incorporate Cuban citizens living there and even some living in Cuba, into the military forces that participate in military operations in Ukraine," adding that "attempts of this nature have been neutralized and criminal proceedings have been initiated against those involved in these activities." The Cuban Foreign Ministry accused the country's unspecified "enemies" of "promoting distorted information that seeks to tarnish the country's image and present it as an accomplice to these actions that we firmly reject." U.S. says Kim Jong Un to meet Putin to talk weapons provisions The ministry did not say in its statement how many suspects were facing "criminal proceedings" in relation to the case, or whether any charges had been filed. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said in social media post that the government was "acting with the full force of the law" against trafficking operations. "Cuba is not part of the war in Ukraine," the ministry said, adding it would take action against anyone "who participates in any form of human trafficking for the purpose of recruitment or mercenaryism for Cuban citizens to use arms against any country." There was no immediate reaction from Moscow. On Friday, Miami's America TeVe newspaper published what it described as testimonies from two teenagers who said they had been tricked into working alongside the Russian army on construction sites in Ukraine. In a video message posted on the newspaper's website, one of the teens called for help getting out as quickly as possible. America TeVe said the video message was sent from a bus transporting the pair from Ukraine to the Russian city Ryazan along with Russian servicemen. "We can't sleep (because) at any moment they can come back and do something to us," said another young man, who claimed to have been beaten. Another Cuban man told the media outlet that he had signed up with Moscow's armed forces hoping to legalize his status in Russia. Moscow and Havana have boosted ties recently, with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel meeting his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow at the end of last year. In this handout photo released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, and Cuban Defense Minister Alvaro Lopez Miera attend a welcome ceremony prior to their talks in Moscow, Russia, June 27, 2023. / Credit: Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP In June, Cuban Defense Minister Alvaro Lopez Miera was received by his counterpart Sergei Shoigu. Ukraine said Monday that it had made some gains against Russian forces in the south, but its counteroffensive across much of the long front line has ground to a stalemate in recent weeks. Russia relied heavily on mercenary forces, most of them recruited from its own soil by the Wagner Group, in its invasion of Ukraine until the group's leader staged a brief, unsuccessful mutiny in June. That leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was killed in a plane crash largely seen as a Russian state-backed assassination in late August. Foreign fighters, including from the U.S., have also fought and died alongside Ukrainian forces since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Escaped killer spotted near Philadelphia, but search continues Exclusive discounts from CBS Mornings Deals Kim Jong Un and Putin plan meeting to discuss weapons Russian invaders shelled Velykomykhailivska hromada in Synelnykyi district, Dnipro Oblast, with a Uragan rocket launcher on the evening of 4 September [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories - ed.]. Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration (OMA) Details: Lysak said one of the Uragan rockets hit a private residential building and destroyed it. In addition, two other residential buildings were damaged. An outbuilding was also on fire - the fire was extinguished - and a motorbike was damaged. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The head of the OMA added: "The enemy fired twice at Nikopol with heavy artillery. Fortunately, there were no casualties anywhere." Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) has claimed responsibility for a raid in Russia's Bryansk Oblast on 4 September and reported the killing of two officers of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) border guard service. Source: RVC on Telegram; Alexander Bogomaz , Bryansk Oblast Governor, on Telegram Details: Bogomaz said the FSB had prevented Ukrainian saboteurs from infiltrating the Sevsky district of Bryansk Oblast. Afterwards, representatives of the RVC claimed responsibility for the raid and ridiculed the Russian side's allegations of a successful repulse. The Russian volunteers noted that two FSB border guards had been killed during the operation in Bryansk Oblast. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement They also posted photos from the raid in Bryansk Oblast and screenshots of posts reporting that FSB representatives had been 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! Hanna Maliar , Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine, has said the Russians carry out about 8,000 attacks on the eastern front line every week. Source: Maliar on the air of the 24/7 United News national newscast, quotes Ukrinform Quot: "In the East it is very intense on many fronts. Every week, about 8,000 attacks are carried out throughout the eastern front line. This takes about 400,000 shells." Details: Maliar said that in some areas, the situation is variable. She explained that when the Armed Forces destroy the equipment and manpower of the Russians in an area that was the epicentre of hostilities, the Russians have to regroup, the number of attacks may subside and it seems that it has become calmer, although this is not the case. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Quote: "If we talk about the Kupiansk front, then two weeks ago it was hot there. The enemy made efforts to break through to Kupiansk, but the Armed Forces stopped the enemy. As a result, they are replenishing their ranks on the Kupiansk and Lyman fronts. It may seem that there is less shelling there. In fact, the intensity is high. If we talk about the Lyman front, then our Armed Forces repel about eight attacks every day." Earlier: The Russian Federation risks dividing its own forces by pouring resources into the area around Kupiansk as long as fighting continues on the Orikhiv front, the UK Ministry of Defence believes. 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 invaders could have hit one of the British Challenger 2 battle tanks handed over to the Armed Forces, and a video appeared on the internet showing this tank on fire. Source: BBC Details: Journalists claim there is almost no doubt that it is a Challenger 2 tank. The video shows the typical spare fuel tanks, one of which fell off, probably at the moment when the tank was hit. Destroyed Ukrainian Challenger 2 outside of Robotyne, most likely from the 82nd Air Assault Brigade. pic.twitter.com/KInjnmfs4F OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) September 5, 2023 In addition, the footage shows an armoured thermal imager box on top of the gun, which is installed on these tanks. A source in a Western defence department confirmed to the BBC that the video footage features a Challenger 2 tank. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The fate of the tank crew is unknown, but these vehicles are distinguished by very good protection. In addition, although the video shows that the tank is on fire, but it does not appear to have been destroyed and there are no signs of an internal explosion. A BBC source in a Western defence department said that the crew of four survived. These tanks are in service with the 82nd Separate Airborne Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which has been participating in the offensive in Zaporizhzhia Oblast since the end of August. So far, no such tank has been lost in battle as a result of Russian fire. The only Challenger 2 destroyed was hit by "friendly fire" in Iraq in 2003. However, such a reputation is not so much a consequence of the exceptional qualities of this combat vehicle. The fact is that only about 450 units were built. Although Challenger 2 tanks fought in Yugoslavia and Iraq, statistically speaking, they have rarely participated in battles. One of the tank's main advantages is the Chobham composite armour, which uses ceramic plates. Such armour is effective against both cumulative ammunition (cumulative projectiles, anti-tank missiles, or rocket-propelled grenades that penetrate armour with a very narrow jet formed by explosive products and molten metal) and subcaliber projectiles. The tank is best protected from the front, while the sides and stern are less protected. Learn more: Swapping your Lada for a Rolls Royce: how Ukrainians in the UK are mastering Challenger 2 tanks and learning about assault operations Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! New photos show Russia shielding its Tu-95 bomber jets from missiles with rows of car tires. It's the latest entry in a long list of jury-rigged Russian defenses and force protection measures. Russia recently put cages on its tanks and sunk ships along a key bridge as last-ditch defenses. Amid increasingly devastating Ukrainian strikes deep within Russian territory, Russian aircrews have devised a bizarre form of protection for one of their powerful assets: Rows of car tires to the top of Tu-95 bomber jets. While it's unlikely these makeshift barriers will trick Ukrainian missiles or buffer the blast from exploding drones, the tires are the latest in a long line of Russia's jury-rigged defenses, joining a list that includes welded cages on tanks and sunken barriers near an important bridge. On Tuesday, satellite images of Engels-2 a strategic bomber base east of Saratov, a southwestern Russian city surfaced online, showing was appeared to be dark, rubbery patches arranged along the top of Tu-95 bombers and Tu-160 heavy bombers. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Close-up analysis concluded that the patches were individual car tires, The Drive first reported, likely meant to confuse incoming Ukrainian missiles, such as the R-360 Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles that Ukraine has modified to hit land targets. The tires are also likely an attempt to foil unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) strikes, which have plagued Russian bases and bomber jets in recent weeks. While the tire shield is a real head-scratcher, it's not the first time that Russian troops have improvised defenses in the hope they'd somehow work. Just last week, satellite images showed Russia had purposefully sunken ships along the Kerch Bridge to occupied Crimea in an effort to protect it from unmanned surface vehicle (USV) attacks after a Ukrainian drone boat attack in July caused massive damage to the roadbed and killed two people. The six sunken ferries appeared to be separated by about 160 meters, or around 525 feet, each, creating a line of hazards along a key stretch of the 12-mile-long bridge that Ukraine has repeatedly targeted with the goal of logistically and symbolically cutting Crimea off from Russian mainland. But an expert told Insider it was far from a catch-all solution for preventing smaller and smarter drone boats from getting to the Kerch Bridge. Other methods for protecting the bridge include smoke screens, likely to make locating and targeting more difficult, as well as containment booms and air defenses, Western intelligence said, although the extent of these measures is unclear. That random assortment of defenses for Kerch Bridge speaks less to a cohesive strategy and more to Russia scrambling to protect against the growing threat of Ukrainian drone boat attacks. Ukraine has prioritized the development and deployment of a naval fleet of drones. United 24/Ukrainian government Aerial drone attacks, too, have forced the Russians to improvise. In mid-July, both Russia and Ukraine were documented outfitting their heavy armor with netting-like cages. The screens were apparently built on top of armored vehicles as a way of countering smaller drones and anti-tank missiles, and while some look more sophisticated, others seem to be crudely built. One video apparently showing a Ukrainian first-person view (FPV) drone strike on a Russian MT-LB fighting vehicle with one of these cages noted that the rear of the cage was open, leaving the heavy armor exposed for a hit. And even if the barrier had covered the entire MT-LB, it's unclear how it would fare against a strike or munitions dropped from drones. One expert told Insider the cages are likely a Hail-Mary effort to keep crews alive from these deadly strikes, speaking to the major impact of drone warfare on the battlefield, but were also a major inconvenience for operations and logistics. They also highlight a glaring issue in Russia's botched responses to threats. For what many assumed was one of the strongest military powers in the world prior to its messy full-scale invasion of Ukraine, these defenses appear to be last-ditch efforts, possibly hinting at Russia's continued lack of preparation and systematic adapation in the war and habit of underestimating Ukraine. Read the original article on Business Insider By Ruma Paul and Filipp Lebedev DHAKA/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be on a two-day visit to Dhaka ahead of the G20 meeting in New Delhi, government officials said, a move seen as part of Moscow's efforts to strengthen bilateral ties with the South Asian country. Lavrov will hold a meeting with Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Abdul Momen on Sept. 7 and call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina the next day before leaving for the G20 conference in New Delhi with a delegation, government officials said. "All bilateral issues including (payments for) the nuclear power plant, trade, and energy will be discussed during the visit, said a senior Bangladesh foreign ministry official, who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to talk to media. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement During the talks, the prospects for bilateral co-operation between the countries will be discussed, and "an exchange of views on the most pressing regional and international issues is planned," Maria Zakharova, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, told reporters during her weekly press briefing on Tuesday. Before visiting Bangladesh, Lavrov will attend the 18th East Asia summit in Jakarta. Bangladesh is constructing the first of two nuclear power plants in collaboration with Russia's state-owned atomic company Rosatom in a $12.65 billion project, 90% of which is financed through a Russian loan repayable within 28 years, with a 10-year grace period. In April, Bangladesh and Russia had agreed to use yuan to settle payments for the nuclear plant Moscow is building in the country, following western sanctions on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. But so far no payment has been made through yuan, officials said. "A technical committee is working on that," a finance ministry official said without giving further details. "If we get instruction from the government, well go ahead, Bangladesh Bank spokesperson Mezbaul Haque said about payment in yuan, noting that as the yuan was an official currency there should be no problem making payments in that currency. Russia had earlier asked Bangladesh to open a direct payment channel between their central banks to facilitate fund transfers hit by sanctions against Moscow. (Writing by Manoj Kumar in New Delhi; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) Authorities on Tuesday revealed new details in a sexual assault cold case that had gone unsolved until investigators used DNA evidence to identify a man accused of raping three women in Sacramento County. Kabeh Cummings, 35, was recently arrested in New York City after investigators identified him as the suspect in the three sexual assaults, the first occurring in early 2010. Cummings was living in Sacramento, where he worked as a city employee, at the time of the sex assaults. Police detectives brought Cummings back from New York and booked him Friday evening in the Sacramento County Main Jail, where he was being held without bail. Hes scheduled to appear for his arraignment Wednesday afternoon in Sacramento Superior Court. At a news conference Tuesday morning, Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho said prosecutors will formally charge Cummings with forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, sodomy and kidnapping to commit rape. He said those charges, if convicted, could lead to a maximum sentence of more than 180 years to life in prison. Authorities are looking for possible victims of Kabeh Cummings, a 35-year-old man who was arrested Aug. 29 in New York. Police say Cummings faces charges stemming from multiple sex assaults in the Sacramento area. In this cold case, authorities used DNA evidence collected in each sexual assault was used to compare to DNA provided to a genealogical website. A similar method was used to find Joseph James DeAngelo, the former police officer identified as the Golden State Killer/East Area Rapist, a serial killer and rapist who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This would not have been possible but for the collaboration of a number of agencies and groups, Ho told reporters Tuesday. At the end of the day, it is always about the victims and the voices of victims that must be heard. Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said the first sexual assault occurred in February 2010, when a man grabbed the victim from behind as she walked home near the area of Franklin Boulevard and Calvine Road in Sacramentos Valley Hi / North Laguna neighborhood. Lester said the man put her in a headlock and choked her. The man then pulled the woman into some bushes and sexually assaulted her as he continued to choke her, Lester said. The man left after sexually assaulting the victim. Lester said another suspect, who remains unknown, stole the womans purse. The woman made it home and reported the crimes to police. The police chief said the second sexual assault occurred about a month later as another woman was walking home near the 2700 block of Florin Road, just east of 25th Street in Sacramentos Meadowview neighborhood. The woman in the March 2010 attack also was grabbed from behind and choked in a headlock fashion, before the man dragged the woman to a parking lot, Lester said. The man sexually assaulted the woman behind a building while she was unconscious before he left. Lester said the victim then hailed a police officer and reported the sexual assault. The attacks in Sacramento occurred Feb. 23, 2010, and March 20, 2010, according to the District Attorneys Office. The Police Department and the District Attorneys Office declined to reveal the time of the reported sexual assaults. Third attack happened three years later The third sexual assault occurred more than three years later in an incorporated area of Sacramento County, near Watt Avenue and Auburn Boulevard, where the Del Paso Park neighborhood and Arden Arcade meet. Sacramento County Assistant Sheriff LeeAnneDra Machese said the third sexual assault occurred about 4:20 a.m. Sept. 19, 2013. Machese said an unknown assailant grabbed the woman from behind and pointed a stun gun at her, threatening her life and forced her to walk into a dark area. The assailant violently sexually assaulted the woman, and afterwards she sought help from a nearby business, the assistant sheriff said. DNA evidence was collected, but all leads were exhausted at that time without an arrest. That sexual assault case went cold, as well. DNA evidence in sexual assaults Lester said the DNA evidence from both assaults within city limits was uploaded to the CODIS system the FBIs Combined DNA Index System. The case remained unsolved for years. At that time, there were no hits in the system and the case went cold, Lester said in the news conference. However, we have now found that the DNA samples collected from each of these cases, as well as a case from the Sacramento Sheriffs Office, are from the same person. Starting in 2019, the investigations into the sexual assaults were reviewed. Lester said follow-up investigation was conducted by the Police Departments cold case detectives, its sexual assault and child abuse unit and the District Attorneys Office. In November 2021, a sheriffs detective investigating cold case sexual assault reports requested additional testing of evidence collected in the 2013 attack. On June 10, 2022, a full DNA profile was developed from this additional testing. The assistant sheriff said the DNA profile matched the Sheriffs Offices case and the two unsolved Police Department sexual assault cases. The police chief said specialized DNA profile was used for investigative genetic genealogy, which led investigators to identify Cummings as the suspect after conducting extensive follow-up. Identified suspects whereabouts unknown for months But Cummings had since moved away from Sacramento, and his whereabouts were unknown. Its unclear when Cummings moved to New York or whether he left in attempt to avoid authorities in Sacramento. The district attorney declined to discuss those details because of the pending prosecution against Cummings. We are doing an extensive investigation and have done extensive investigation on this individual in terms of his background, his whereabouts and where he is lived in terms of his employment, Ho said. But we cant discuss it at this time. According to Transparent California, a website that tracks government payroll data, Cummings worked for the city of Sacramento in several roles over the past decade, including as a human services program coordinator and a special program leader. A spokeswoman for the city confirmed Cummings was employed by the city between 2008 and 2014, but it was unclear if Cummings work gave him access to children. The suspect had lived in Sacramento at the time of the three rapes and matched the description provided by the victims, Machese said at the news conference. Working with our regional partners, the suspect was confirmed through further investigative techniques and arrested in New York City. Lester said the Police Departments career criminal apprehension team led the effort to find Cummings. The FBIs New York Field Office and the New York Police Department assisted local authorities in finding Cummings and taking him into custody. No additional victims have been identified as of Tuesday. But authorities have shared Cummings photo and were asking anyone who also was a victim to come forward. I can only imagine how difficult it is for someone to be victimized in this manner and then also have to come forward, the police chief told reporters. So were hoping that by sharing what we know, sharing that hes in custody, that if there are additional victims or if anyone has information about these crimes, they will contact us. And I can assure you that well follow up and make sure that those tips are investigated just as thoroughly. Investigators asked anyone with relevant information in these sexual assault cases to call the tip line at 916-808-1773. Chinese Premier Li Qiang speaks at a welcoming reception hosted by China-Indonesia business community in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept. 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) JAKARTA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- With broad space for high-quality cooperation, China is willing to work with Indonesia to further expand cooperation on green energy, digital economy, biomedicine and artificial intelligence, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Tuesday. Noting that both China and Indonesia are now committed to developing economy and giving their people a better life, Li said at a welcoming reception hosted by China-Indonesia business community that China stands ready to work with Indonesia to seize the opportunity of the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and jointly promote industrial digital transformation. The Chinese premier arrived here on Tuesday for an official visit to Indonesia, where he will also attend the 26th China-ASEAN Summit, the 26th ASEAN Plus Three Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit. If Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho has any regrets about sparking a verbal feud over homelessness last month, he doesnt show it. Ho threatened to file criminal charges against Sacramento officials if they dont meet a series of his demands. That, he said, was driven by a desire to have the city do more to provide people with shelter, services and treatment. If he has to shake things up, and make people a little uncomfortable, then so be it. The status quo cannot last any longer, he told The Sacramento Bee in an interview. Enough is enough. We have to do something. Still, Hos unusual warning has left many at odds over his true motive. Is it a genuine desire to help solve what may be the citys most pressing issue? Or a political maneuver meant to promote himself? ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The answer could become clearer this week. Ho told city officials they had 30 days to clear encampments, cite people who refuse shelter, and implement a daytime camping ban, among other measures. That deadline is now here. Ho, 49, dismissed any notion that his recent outspokenness was driven by political ambition. This is about public safety, he said. Pure and simple. Many people believe him. I think Thien Ho has an obligation as a prosecutor and thats how hes looking at it, said juvenile defense attorney Kevin Adamson. The two have faced off in trials several times, Adamson noted, and dealt with each other on many other cases. I dont think its political at all, he said. Thats not the person I know. Others view his actions less favorably. To them, it is more about grabbing headlines to aid his political career. I cant read Thien Hos mind, said Anthony Prince, an attorney for the Sacramento Homeless Union, but I think his conduct is consistent with other elected officials, or want-to-be elected officials, that are riding the anti-homeless wave. Either way, Hos decision to add lighter fluid to an already heated conversation was a sharp turn from a more cooperative approach he had upon taking office. Ho gave a speech during a county Board of Supervisors meeting in January, shortly after he was sworn in. He referenced a quote about the importance of working together to go far, before mentioning homelessness and other challenges the county faces. We must go together, he said. When asked about the change, Ho responded: How long do we have to wait? He sounded undaunted by his controversial strategy. If I can use encouragement. If I can use pressure. If I can use the megaphone and the platform of this office and the laws to really encourage those and require government entities, such as the city, to move forward, then Im going to do it. Spurring a conversation Ho started at the district attorneys office in 2004. He worked his way up taking on tough cases, including those involving gangs, sex crimes and homicides. He earned a reputation as a skilled prosecutor who was meticulous in the courtroom. Attorney Jan Karowsky recalls how Ho remembered jurors names without notes during a 2014 murder trial. And he delivered his opening statement and closing argument without them either. Karowskys client was found guilty, but a co-defendant was acquitted. I dont know anything about him as a politician, Karowsky said, but I have absolute respect for him as a human being, a lawyer, and a prosecutor. In 2018, Ho and another attorney were selected to prosecute Joseph DeAngelo, a former police officer dubbed the Golden State Killer. DeAngelo pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison after he was accused of a series of rapes and murders. Steve Grippi, a former chief deputy in the district attorneys office, said Ho was put on the case because he is reliable. Grippi sees him as genuine and passionate about his work. Regardless of what anyone thinks of his decision making, hes a tremendous speaker. On his way to becoming district attorney, Ho called homelessness a top priority. He said housing, mental health care and drug addiction treatment were key to helping the thousands of unhoused people in the region. Jeffrey Schaff, a Sacramento attorney, said homelessness always came up in conversations he had with Ho during the campaign. Now were seeing him trying to implement some of his policies, Schaff said. Ho escalated his words in June after Judge Michael Bowman, who presides over Sacramento Superior Court, asked the city to increase its police presence around the downtown county courthouse. A day later, Ho followed with his own letter to city officials. Like Bowman, he urged them to enforce laws. He said employees in his office had been accosted and threatened by unhoused people. Then came the Aug. 7 letter. In it, Ho also demanded the city prosecute certain offenses, hire more attorneys and audit its spending on homelessness. He threatened to pursue misdemeanor charges against officials for allowing a public nuisance on city property if they did not act within 30 days. In response, Mayor Darrell Steinberg called the letter a political stunt and said the district attorneys public posture is at best disingenuous and at worst dangerous. He defended the citys efforts and said he had met privately with Ho in July to try and work together. Asked about Hos motivation for the recent letter, Mary Lynne Vellinga, Steinbergs chief of staff, declined to speculate. We just want District Attorney Ho to be part of the solution as we seek to work more closely with all of our government partners to solve this crisis, Vellinga said. Other Sacramento City Council members declined to comment or did not respond to interview requests. Ho did not call out or threaten county officials in his letters. Even so, only one Sacramento County supervisor, Pat Hume, agreed to an interview. Hume, who joined the board this year, said he has absolute respect for Ho. I think the point of his letter, Hume said, was simply to say weve kicked the tires long enough and we need to figure out how to move forward. Former Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo wondered why Ho didnt also express his frustration to county officials. The county has more money and services and is better equipped to help unhoused people than the city, she said. And homelessness is a regional issue. Still, Fargo acknowledged: He did spur the conversation. Where that conversation goes is unclear. In the recent interview, Ho did not rule out filing criminal charges or a civil lawsuit. But he did hold firm on the deadline he set. Some people will say it is not enough time, he said. My response to that is: Theyve had seven years, alluding to Steinbergs tenure as mayor. Tim Swanson, a city spokesman, said City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood planned to respond to Hos recent letter in writing. Tom Johnson, a defense attorney who used to be a prosecutor, said hes watched Ho work his cases hard in courtrooms. And hes seen his resoluteness extend outside of them, too. Johnson noted how Anne Marie Schubert, the previous district attorney, didnt initially back Ho to succeed her. He had to fight to win her endorsement and the job. People, Johnson said, shouldnt underestimate, ever, his resolve. Sacramento City Manager Howard Chan says he is perhaps weeks away from making a historic breakthrough in the citys battle with its homeless challenge, the establishment of new encampments at locations that he alone will choose. How this unfolds is anyones guess, but one thing is certain. With funding limited, these new encampments will be largely self-governed under the management of non-profit organizations. Chances of a public backlash feel high if not inevitable. And then Chan and the City Council will either weather the storm or surrender to a chorus of public anger from residents who want homeless people to be sheltered somewhere else. Opinion In a recent interview, Chan was forthcoming about his approach to the task, but silent on details. This is not a moment of government transparency. This is a moment to quietly, and carefully identify safe ground for some of Sacramentos most distressed, and controversial, residents. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Some of the council members already are pinging me. Where is it going to be? Chan said. I said I am still working on it. Sacramento is resorting to an insular and undemocratic way of establishing these safe encampment sites because the previous open and democratic approach resulted in no action. City council members more than two years ago began to suggest nearly two dozen sites. None proved workable. It was just a recipe for disaster, Chan said. The failure prompted a bare majority of the City Council on August 1 to delegate the job to Chan, with remarkably little direction. He alone has to sort this out. Chan has two big challenges. Where and how? As for where he has a clear game plan. It is all about land already owned by the city, empty space of a half-acre or more and land that requires no other government to say yes for the homeless to take up residence. Its going to be based on readiness, he said. Its going to be based on what we can deliver quickly. The city owns more than 900 parcels inside its boundaries, Chan said. His staff has already whittled those parcels down to a first tier of candidate sites. How many? He would not say. Chan is not ruling out sites that have no water, electricity, or sewer service. Mark Merin, a long-time attorney whose Safe Ground Sacramento group has been urging the city to do this for years, is worried that some city-owned sites may not be workable from the perspective of its future residents. The city cant take a disparate group of people, stick them on a place that is foreign to them, and say here is your new home, he said. They have to offer them a place that is somewhere close to where they have some experience. Chan is aware of the concern. Thats an interesting question, he said. I guess it remains to be seen. If youre asking if (potential sites are) close to other homeless encampments? Preliminarily, maybe. How to set up these homeless encampments poses a much wider range of choices for Chan. But he is clearly focusing on less expensive approaches. In the financial spectrum of existing city encampments, on the expensive side is what is happening now at the citys Miller Park along the Sacramento River. The city is paying about $3.2 million for a non-profit operator to manage a tent encampment of about 100 residents for the remainder of the year. Insurance alone is $500,000, he said at a recent council meeting. Chan said available funds would be exhausted by duplicating the Miller Park approach just once somewhere. Given that the countys estimated homeless population is closer to 9,000, a solution for about 100 of them is not enough. The opposite side of the budget spectrum is Camp Resolution in North Sacramento, where a similar number of homeless residents, mostly women, now reside in a managed encampment. Direct city funding is essentially nothing, with the city leasing the land via negotiation with Merin to a non-profit organization. The county provides water and other social services. If we want speed and numbers, its going to be way closer to this, Chan said. How about security to protect both the encampment residents and neighbors? Were going to increase the (police) patrols around that site, Chan said. As for internal security, that will be up to the non-profit organization that signs an agreement with the city to both indemnify it and manage the encampment. Its all up for negotiation, he said. The Council did direct Chan to think about the neighbors and policies to engage them. Mario Lara, the citys assistant city manager for public safety, is hoping for a three-way conversation between the neighborhood, the city and the non-profit that is managing the encampment. Whoever agrees to operate one of these sites will be available to the community to answer questions, Lara said. And we will certainly keep a close relationship with them. Once a future encampment site has been fully vetted and Chan is close to an agreement with a non-profit, then and only then will he approach the districts city council member. I have unilateral authority, he said. And Im going to do it whether the council member wants it or not. Im going to give them the opportunity to talk with their communities about it. He does not expect this to be easy. I expect there to be some pushback, potentially, he said. Once the dialogue with the local council leader has taken place, Chan expects to finalize the agreement with the non-profit manager. And then the public gets to know. And then we find out how the public reacts, whether business leaders still like Safe Ground, whether we move forward or fall backward. Chan did not seek out this assignment, but he seems genuinely committed to seeing it through. And he envisions these sites as lasting for perhaps 12 to 18 months, until more permanent shelter spaces such as tiny homes are established in both the city and county. I am both anxious and excited about it, because we just need to turn the corner on this, he said. And I think that it was courageous of this council to turn the keys over to me. I feel grateful that they trust me with that. Lara says the city staff is fully behind its leader. Howard has unified this team, he said. Every department head, everybody wants to have a unified (approach) in terms of understanding that this is a difficult challenge that the city manager has been tasked with. Hopefully Sacramento County and the Board of Supervisors will be watching very closely. The city council is upstaging them in terms of both taking action and huge political risk. And Sacramento appears to have a city manager more than willing to stand up for his decisions. People are going to hate the sites no matter where I site them, Chan said. I want to remove the politics and posturing from it, because this is an emergency and we need sites. A woman was killed following a three-vehicle collision on early Labor Day morning on Interstate 5 in Sacramento, authorities said. Linda Marie Hufnagel, 53, of Sacramento, was driving a Mazda just after 3 a.m. Monday southbound on I-5 near the Interstate 80 transition when she swerved for unknown reasons and crashed into a U-Haul pulled over on the right shoulder for a mechanical issue, according to California Highway Patrol North Sacramento spokesman Officer Justin Fetterly. The Mazda then pulled back out into the roadway and became disabled before a Toyota Tacoma collided into it, Fetterly said. Hufnagel was killed as a result of the crash, authorities said. The Sacramento County Coroners Office identified her Tuesday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The U-Haul driver complained of pain, and the Tacoma driver suffered minor injuries, CHP officials said. Both were transported to a local hospital. It is unknown if alcohol was a factor, and Fetterly said the cause is under investigation as of Tuesday afternoon. Debris was in the roadway, and lanes were shut down following the incident, according to law enforcement. The lanes have since reopened. LANSING Nancy Mahlow has a message for drivers who might be tempted to ignore the new school speed zone signs on two major east and west thoroughfares in north Lansing: Back off on the accelerator and think about it for a moment. "I would say to them, 'Do you have children? If you have children or your friends have children, wouldn't you want and expect drivers to slow down? Everybody is in a hurry. Slow down. Life is too short. For the sake of our children, slow down,'" she said. The new signs went up in time for the new school year and mark established speed zones on Grand River Avenue and Saginaw Street in the vicinity of Eastern High School, Pattengill Biotechnical Magnet School and Lansing Catholic High School during times when kids are arriving at school or leaving for home. Traffic moves east down Saginaw Street near Marshall Street in front of Lansing Eastern High School, Thursday morning, Aug. 31, 2023. The speed limit is now 25 mph on Grand River between Hayford Avenue and Marshall Street from 7:10 a.m. to 7:40 a.m. and from 2:35 p.m. and 3:05 p.m. The same is true for Saginaw Street between Mahlon Street and Fairview Avenue from 7:10 a.m. to 8 a.m. and from 2:45 p.m. to 3:40 p.m. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Michigan Department of Transportation agreed to create those zones at the request of the Eastside Neighborhood Organization, with support from the Lansing School District, MDOT spokesman Aaron Jenkins said. New School Speed Zone Alert! Driving near Pattengill Elementary, Eastern High, or Lansing Catholic High? Stay safe and slow down during school hours as MDOT introduces a new speed zone near these schools. pic.twitter.com/mgsia2zU85 Lansing Police (@LansingPolice) August 30, 2023 Mahlow is president of the neighborhood group. She said she's been lobbying for better safety measures around the schools near the Business I-69/M-43 thoroughfares for more than two decades. Saginaw Street runs eastbound, while Grand River Avenue runs westbound, becoming Oakland Avenue a little further west. She believes MDOT granted the speed-zone request because the number of students grew after Eastern was moved from North Pennsylvania Avenue to Marshall and Saginaw streets in 2019 and Pattengill opened inside the former Fairview Elementary School, on the opposite side of Saginaw, the year before. "It changed the traffic pattern considerably," she said. "And I really believe with the parents and the school and a superintendent who was really listening, it has made a huge difference. This time they took us seriously." Traffic moves down Saginaw Street near Marshall Street in front of Lansing Eastern High School, Thursday morning, Aug. 31, 2023. But Mahlow said the work's not done. Her biggest priority: Convince MDOT to put a conventional traffic light at Fairview and Saginaw streets, in place of the existing flashing signal. She said MDOT said it will to do that, but not until a major road project begins in another 18 months or so, she said. "I'm not going to stop until it's done," she said. "My main concern is that I have to wait this year-and-a-half and hope nothing happens. I don't want to see a child or parent or anybody get hit." Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: School speed zones go up on Grand River, Saginaw in Lansing BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Details. If youre a Disney fan, you probably already know that the animation giant is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. To mark the occasion, Disney has teamed up with Samsung to produce a line of limited-edition Samsung Frame TVs that come preloaded with the kind of artwork that will make any Disney adult swoon. If youre an annual passholder, a home cook whos perfected your own Disney Dole Whip recipe or someone who dreams of sneaking hidden Mickeys into your home decor, youre going to want to act fast. These TVs are already selling out. Samsung Frame x Disney is the best way to display Disney art in your home Design-savvy folks already know about the Samsung Frame. Its a TV with a cult following because when you arent using it to watch Netflix, its ultra-thin, bezeled edge makes it look like an actual piece of art. No more black box on your wall when the TV isnt in use the Frame can display photos, classic paintings, modern art and more. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The limited-edition Disney Frame TVs come with 100 pieces of digital art from Disney films and franchises, ready to display. They also include a fun Mickey Mouse-themed SolarCell remote. Theres just one catch: If you want the Disney edition of the Samsung Frame, youll have to shell out top dollar for it. It comes in three sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch and 75-inch, with prices ranging from $1,699.99 for the smallest up to a staggering $3,199.99. Not only is that enough to fund a Disney vacation, but its $400 more than a Frame TV typically costs, and theyre already on the pricey side for TVs. Limited Edition Disney Frame TV Youll also have to act fast because the 65-inch version is already sold out. The 55-inch and 75-inch models are still available on the Samsung website. SHOP NOW Alternatively, you can get a standard Frame TV and subscribe to Samsung Art Mode for $5 a month, which includes a Disney art gallery (along with tons of other famous works you can display on your TV). You can also upload your own photos and art to display via the Samsung SmartThings app. More Samsung Frame TVs Best Samsung 32-Inch Class The Frame QLED HDR LS03C Samsung 32-Inch Class The Frame QLED HDR LS03C The smallest available Frame TV is perfect for a kitchen or bedroom. When not in use, it fits into a gallery wall, blending in seamlessly with other art pieces. SHOP NOW Best 55-Inch Class The Frame QLED 4K LS03B Samsung 55-Inch Class The Frame QLED 4K LS03B The 55-inch Frame is just the right size for a living room or bedroom. When in art mode, its perfect for anchoring a gallery wall or acting as a bold statement art piece. SHOP NOW Best 65-Inch Class The Frame QLED 4K LS03B Samsung 65-Inch Class The Frame QLED 4K LS03B Missed your chance to get the 65-inch Disney x Frame TV? The 65-inch classic Frame can still display pieces from the Disney gallery. SHOP NOW Best 85-Inch Class The Frame QLED 4K LS03B Samsung 85-Inch Class The Frame QLED 4K LS03B Go big or go home. This 85-inch screen will make any room feel like a movie theater. And when your TV isnt in use, the art mode feature will look like a wall-sized mural. SHOP NOW Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews. Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals. Christina Marfice writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. SAN DIEGO Fleas are wingless insects that jump and feed on the blood of animals and humans. With over 2,500 flea species worldwide, there are more than 300 species in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But did you know that in San Diego, there are more fleas here than in any other city in the country? Dr. Zarah Hedge, chief medical officer with the San Diego Humane Society, joined FOX 5 to discuss why that is the case. The climate here is just great year-round, so we do see a peak in the summertime, but we see fleas and ticks year-round in this climate just because of the warm weather that we have, she said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Fleas and ticks can carry a lot of different diseases such as Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Santee Drive-In Theatre set to close after over half a century in business These are things that can also affect humans, so not only can we get sick from those, our dogs and cats can also get sick, Hedge said. While only a select few can affect peoples health, the most common fleas of the U.S. include the Cat Flea, Dog Flea, Ground Squirrel Flea and Oriental Rat Flea, per the CDC. The CDC recommends to limit their pets outdoor time, restrict contact with wild and stray animals, bathe and brush pets regularly and check for fleas regularly. Talk with your veterinarian and see what product is going to work best for your pet, whether thatd be a dog, cat, rabbit. Theres a lot of products out there and they can be topical, oral pills and so really just determining what is best and then keeping them on that continuously, and in this climate, year-round, Hedge said. Even pet owners with indoor cats, its important to keep them on flea preventives because pests can come in the house, the SDHS added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. GENEVA (Reuters) - Around 6 billion tons of marine sand is being dug up each year in a growing practice that a U.N. agency said is unsustainable and can wipe out local marine life irreversibly. Sand is the most exploited natural resource in the world after water but its extraction for use in industries like construction is only loosely governed, prompting the U.N. to pass a resolution last year to promote more sustainable mining. The findings from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) coincide with the launch of a new platform 'Marine Sand Watch' backed by funding from the Swiss government that monitors dredging activities using marine tracking and artificial intelligence. "The amount of sand we are withdrawing from the environment is considerable and has a large impact," UNEP's Pascal Peduzzi told a Geneva press briefing. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Pointing to an image of a ship he described as a "giant vacuum cleaner" he said such vessels were "basically sterilising the bottom of the sea by extracting sand and crunching all the microorganisms that are feeding fish". In some cases, companies remove all the sand to the bedrock, meaning that "life may never recover", Peduzzi added. While globally the 6 billion being extracted is less than the sand deposited annually by the world's rivers, in some areas the removal is surpassing replenishment rates, UNEP said. The South China Sea, the North Sea and the east coast of the United States are among the areas where the most dredging has occurred, said Arnaud Vander Velpen, a sand industry and data analytics officer with the University of Geneva. China, the Netherlands, the United States and Belgium are among the countries most active in the sector, he said. (Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Christina Fincher) Saudi Arabia will extend its oil production cuts for the rest of the year, a move that could keep prices at the pump higher, the kingdoms state-run press office confirmed Tuesday. The price of international benchmark Brent Crude was up about $0.96 on Tuesday morning following the news, hitting nearly $90 per barrel. The cut of a million barrels per day was announced in July and later extended into August and September. The cut will be extended through October, November and December, Riyadh announced Tuesday, with total production of around 9 million barrels per day for the final three months of 2023. The Saudi cuts are separate from the broader production agenda of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which has announced it will not make any further cuts for the rest of 2023. Saudi Arabia is the largest single producer of oil within OPEC. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement [T]his additional voluntary comes to reinforce the precautionary efforts made by OPEC Plus countries with the aim of supporting the stability and balance of oil markets, the Saudi Press Agency said in a statement, referencing the confederation of both OPEC member nations and 10 oil-producing nations that are not members. The long-term effect of the cuts on gas prices in the U.S. hinges largely on demand. President Biden, after previously sharply criticizing the Saudis human rights record, last summer met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to try to negotiate a production increase. After the appeal was unsuccessful, a number of the presidents allies in Congress called for the U.S. to reevaluate its foreign policy relationship with the kingdom. In August, the International Energy Agency predicted a surge in overall oil demand, driven by a combination of summer air travel and continual demand growth from China. Despite drops in supply due to OPEC+ cuts, the U.S. has led all nations in production from outside OPEC+ this year, according to the IEA, and non-OPEC+ states will dominate supply growth in 2024. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) - The 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday concluded with the outgoing president calling for "cooperation on a global scale." During the 100th plenary session of the 77th UNGA, which marked the culmination of the session, Csaba Korosi, a senior diplomat from Hungary and president of the 77th UNGA, emphasized that "the multilateral system demands cooperation on a global scale -- between countries and regions but also across disciplines and fields." "From addressing climate change and cyber-crime to respecting human rights online and the use of artificial intelligence, we must unite around a holistic approach," he added. Korosi underscored that "multilateralism is our only option to tackle the many crises of the world." "We must urgently reform the UN in ways that correspond with the challenges of our day," Korosi said, adding that "times are evolving, and this organization must evolve with them. We must reform how the General Assembly functions. The same is true for the Security Council." Dennis Francis, permanent representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the United Nations, president-elect of the forthcoming 78th UNGA, took the oath of office. The 77th UNGA officially concluded after Francis took the gavel from Korosi. After the conclusion of the closing plenary meeting of the 77th session, Korosi and Francis made their way to the second floor of the Conference Building, where the "Changing of Flags" ceremony took place. During this ceremony, Hungary's national flag was replaced by the flag of Trinidad and Tobago, symbolizing the transition of leadership between the two sessions. Mosquitoes perhaps the peskiest insect around are becoming insecticide-resistant, NBC News reported July 29. The brutal summer heat hasnt helped, either, as the bugs have thrived following particularly wet conditions. The combination of an unusually wet season from rainfall and melting snow packs and intense heat waves this year appears to be dramatically increasing the mosquito populations, reporter Erika Edwards wrote. Whats happening? Culex mosquitoes the species that spreads the West Nile virus are the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions primary concern in the continental U.S. right now, Roxanne Connelly, a medical entomologist with the CDC, told NBC News. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Whats problematic is that insecticides used to treat the critters are proving less effective. The CDC has conducted experiments that show mosquitos are living longer after exposure to the insecticide treatments, though bug sprays still work. Its not a good sign, Connelly said. Were losing some of our tools that we normally rely on to control infected mosquitoes. Why is this important? An increase in the mosquito population could lead to more people getting bitten or sick. Mosquitos live for about two to four weeks, and only female mosquitoes bite for blood meals, which they need to produce eggs, per the CDC. As of Aug. 29, 455 human cases of West Nile virus had been reported in 2023. This is just the beginning of when we see West Nile start to take off in the United States, Dr. Erin Staples, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC, told NBC News. We expect a steady increase of disease cases to occur over the next several weeks. The West Nile virus was first detected in the United States in New York in 1999, according to MedlinePlus. Most infected people do not feel sick, according to the CDC. About 20% develop symptoms such as fever, and less than 1% develop serious illnesses, including meningitis and encephalitis, that can be fatal or cause paralysis. What can be done? Over time and repeated use, insecticide resistance can occur in mosquito populations, according to the CDC. To prevent this, officials should provide baseline data for program planning and pesticide selection before the start of control operations; detect resistance at an early stage so that timely management can be implemented; [and] continuously monitor the effect of control strategies on insecticide resistance, the CDC said. The CDC recommends wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts and using insect repellent with an appropriate active ingredient. People can also keep mosquitoes from breeding by getting rid of standing water. Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. "Pea soup" waters across Michigan caused by algae blooms worry not only residents, but scientists too. Thats why scientists at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor have created an uncrewed surface vehicle system that extracts algae samples and transmits data in real time. The surface vehicle, SHARC, short for Sea Harmful Algal Research Craft, will change the game for how scientists around the world understand algae in all bodies of water. Understanding why and when harmful algae blooms arise is important, as hundreds of thousands of people travel to dip their toes in the state's plentiful freshwater which is a crucial economic driver for Michigan. Unfortunately, the water has become less pristine and more murky over the last decade. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, (GLERL), autonomous surface vehicle engineer Ben Downing, 40, of Ann Arbor, smiles alongside research ecologist Dr. Reagan Errera, 43, of Chelsea, as MBARI mechatronics technician Nadia Allaf, 31, of Monterey, California, successfully places the 3GESP in the SeaTrac at the GLERL in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. Were seeing that the peak of the bloom is lasting longer, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research ecologist Reagan Errera said. The blooms used to last 10 days, but now theyre lasting 30. Errera is the project lead for the SHARC deployment. Algae-infused waters carry health risks The icky green water isnt just an eyesore. Because of the toxin-producing capabilities of these blooms, the stakes are high for understanding and eventually mitigating them. If toxins are present, it can cause health complications for residents and wildlife and require additional treatment for drinking water. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Were still trying to figure out why it produces toxins and when, said Andrew Camerilli, benthic ecologist for the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research. Great Lakes researchers are primarily monitoring blue-green algae microcystis, a bacterium that produces a liver toxin and skin irritant. The team working to assemble the Sea Harmful Algal Research Craft (SHARC) before deployment at the marina at Safe Harbor Toledo Beach in La Salle on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. Common symptoms when encountering blue-green algae include skin rashes, burns and blistering of the mouth. Ingestion of a concentrated area of microcystis can cause vomiting, nausea, headaches, diarrhea or fever. No cases of death have been reported among humans, but dogs, wildlife and livestock have died due to exposure. Algae blooms thrive in warm, slow-moving water and are most common in the summer, but the peak season changes year to year due to unpredictable environmental factors. This years a great example of an unknown, Errera said. This year's anomalies include smoke debris from the Canada wildfires and the lack of ice cover last winter. We have no clue of how that's going to impact the bloom, she said. This year, several research efforts are underway to monitor these harmful blooms. The Free Press got an exclusive look into what scientists are working on and the deployment of the SHARC. Sharper data from SHARC system The development that will hopefully change the way scientists understand harmful algae blooms is the combination of the third-generation environmental sample processor, which provides on-site collection and analysis of water samples, and a SeaTrac, an uncrewed surface vehicle. MBARI mechatronics technician Nadia Allaf, 31, of Monterey, California, prepares to lift the 3GESP technology into the SeaTrac to test if it fits in the vessel at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. Before SHARC, these systems were being used separately for data collection. A second-generation sample processor has been used in the Great Lakes in a torpedo-like vessel for the last seven years, but it was time for an upgrade. The SeaTrac allows you to go in shallow water, where a lot of the time that is where they (the blooms) initiate, said Greg Doucette, an engineer with the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. Prior to deployment, scientists across the country met at the GLERL lab in Ann Arbor to ensure SHARCs success. Doucette traveled from Charleston, South Carolina, to help with calibration of the sensors on the environmental sample processor that provide measurements of the microcystin. NCCOS engineer Greg Doucette, 65, of Charleston, South Carolina, and Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, (GLERL), engineer Kyle Beadle, 32, of Brighton, prepare a niskin to take a water sample during deployment of the Sea Harmful Algal Research Craft, (SHARC), in Lake Erie off the coast of the Safe Harbor Toledo Beach in La Salle on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute scientists Bill Ussler and Nadia Allaf traveled from California for their expertise on the sample-processor technology and helped GLERL autonomous surface vehicle engineer Ben Downing understand how to program the technology. A project like this requires an enormous amount of communication, partnership and teamwork among organizations, all of which have the same goal of understanding the harmful algae blooms. We can take the expertise from one place and use it in our particular area to answer our questions that need to be addressed, Errera said. It makes the research more meaningful; it allows the research to be more comprehensive and it helps it move faster. Making science easier Once deployed, this remote-controlled vessel will be able to take live samples from anywhere in Lake Erie and transmit real-time data to the GLERL Lab. The team working to get the Sea Harmful Algal Research Craft, (SHARC), out on the water attach cables that will make the remote control capabilities accessible for the vessel at the marina at Safe Harbor Toledo Beach in La Salle on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. To completely map the blooms is the goal, Errera said. We want it to be out continuously, eventually. Now, Camerilli collects samples by hand from eight collection sites each Monday morning at Safe Harbor Toledo Beach marina in La Salle, Michigan, and transports them back to GLERL. SHARCs remote capabilities should help cut back on that manual labor. We want to decrease manpower and increase high-quality data collecting, Downing said. The weekly testing and the new data brought in by SHARC are complementary right now, according to Errera. By using both data sets, scientists can monitor improvements needed for both systems and confirm patterns across the blooms. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, (GLERL), autonomous surface vehicle engineer Ben Downing, 40, of Ann Arbor, watches the Sea Harmful Algal Research Craft, (SHARC), successfully make its way through Lake Erie off the coast of the Safe Harbor Toledo Beach in La Salle on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. We believe that this routine monitoring is still important when coming up with ways to control the bloom, Camerilli said. You can never have too much data. Deployment day On Aug. 7, SHARC was deployed for the first time in the world from the Toledo Beach Safe Harbor marina in LaSalle. After running into unexpected last-minute challenges, the crew had been working until 2 a.m. that morning. NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, (GLERL), engineer Kyle Beadle, 32, of Brighton, pulls out the niskin filled with a water sample in Lake Erie off the coast of the Safe Harbor Toledo Beach in La Salle on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. When debating who got to ride on the boat to watch SHARC in action, Ussler was first to opt-out. Im going to take a nap, he said. With six spots on the boat, one was allotted to boat Capt. Kent Baker. Four more to Doucette, Allaf, Downing and NOAA GLERL General Engineer Kyle Beadle. The last was given to the Free Press. Errera stayed onshore and had the job of carefully untying SHARC from the dock. Once SHARC was officially free to swim, or be remote-controlled, Beadle took over. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, (GLERL) engineer Kyle Beadle's computer, which shows the path that Sea Harmful Algal Research Craft (SHARC) has taken throughout the deployment mission in Lake Erie off the coast of the Safe Harbor Toledo Beach in La Salle on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. Beadle programmed the SeaTrac to follow the route that he directed it to go, managing the speed, as well. The crew idled through the marina at 2 knots as Beadle programmed SHARC to follow. After successfully maneuvering the technology out of the marina, the crew wanted to push their success further. Weve got to put some stress on him, Beadle said. Stress in this case meant bumping up the speed to a whopping 3.5 knots. After more than an hour, SHARC made it to the desired sampling spot and began collecting water. The third-generation environmental sample processor is programmed to analyze two things, the first being to characterize which algal community is present in the water and the second being a toxin analysis, extracting the toxin and measuring the level of toxicity. NOAA Boat Captain Kent Baker watches the Sea Harmful Algal Research Craft (SHARC) successfully make its way to site eight of the NOAA HAB monitoring sites in Lake Erie off the coast of the Safe Harbor Toledo Beach in La Salle on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. The team chose site eight because it's a more shallow area, where the SeaTrac can collect data more effectively. Site eight also has a continuous monitoring buoy and a 2GESP, so the team can compare information between all data collected. Related: Lake Erie algae bloom forecast improved, but states failing in war against nutrient loads While waiting for SHARC, Beadle was asked by his colleagues at GLERL to take an impromptu water sample where they were positioned. Not normally a part of his job, as hes normally manning the computer, Beadle obliged and prepared a niskin a bottle for water samples with the help of Doucette. Kyle Beadle, 32, of Brighton, speaks with NOAA Research Ecologist Reagan Errera about leaving Sea Harmful Algal Research Craft (SHARC) out on the lake while boat captain Kent Baker watches the waters in Lake Erie off the coast of the Safe Harbor Toledo Beach in La Salle on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. While Beadle took care of the niskin, Allaf was monitoring the sampling with Downing. At the same time, Allaf was giving Downing tips for managing the ever-complex systems of the sample processor. Allaf and Ussler, being a part of the team that built the processor on the West Coast, were transferring the knowledge to GLERL, which could then run the systems independently. Once SHARCs data was transferred, the team was ready to leave. After less than four hours of sleep and a workday already past 12 hours, at 6:30 p.m., the crew sped back to shore, leaving their beloved SHARC in Lake Erie for more sampling. SHARC was pulled out of the water nine days later, on Aug. 16, and driven back to its home in Ann Arbor. Errera said her team has yet to run a full analysis on the success of the deployment, but that the mission went better than expected. All smiles for the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, (GLERL), autonomous surface vehicle engineer Ben Downing, 40, of Ann Arbor, NCCOS engineer Greg Doucette, 66, of Charleston, South Carolina, and GLERL engineer Kyle Beadle, 32, of Brighton, as they have a successful deployment of the Sea Harmful Algal Research Craft (SHARC), in Lake Erie off the coast of the Safe Harbor Toledo Beach in La Salle on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. We were able to accomplish a number of goals, including testing while we were out there, doing the real-time toxin analysis and driving the SeaTrac both while present and not present, Errera said. Improvements to SHARC that Errera and her team are hoping to make next include a better collision avoidance system and collecting additional environmental parameters, like water temperature and turbidity, and organic compounds like chlorophyll A. Michigan scientists, like Errera and her team, are forging a path to greater understanding of harmful algae blooms and how they might be able to stop them in the future to bring blue waters back to Michigan. Live samples of the Algae that Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, (GLERL), scientists have collected during their weekly sampling sit in a incubator at the GLERL in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. The collected samples are monitored in the incubator from a month up to over a year, depending on the research. If we can figure out who (algae strain) is present, who is making the toxin and why theyre present, we can do things like make better forecasts and we can understand how the bloom develops better and quicker, Errera said. We can get that information to the public in a more timely manner, ensuring that Michigan residents are not only safe, but can take strolls along the soft-sanded coastline, luxuriate in the saltless crystal blue waters of Torch Lake and Mackinaw City and enjoy Petoskey stone collecting forevermore. To learn more about the projects NOAA and the GLERL scientists are involved with, go to GLERLs website. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Scientists hope SHARC system takes a bite out of harmful algae Sign up for CNNs Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Ancient humanity was almost wiped out about 900,000 years ago when the global population dwindled to around 1,280 reproducing individuals, according to a new study. Whats more, the population of early human ancestors stayed this small for about 117,000 years. The analysis, published August 31 in the journal Science, is based on a new computer model developed by a group of scientists based in China, Italy and the United States. The statistical method used genetic information from 3,154 present-day human genomes. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Around 98.7% of human ancestors were lost, according to the study. The researchers argue that the population crash correlates with a gap in the fossil record, possibly leading to the emergence of a new hominin species that was a common ancestor of modern humans, or Homo sapiens, and Neanderthals. The novel finding opens a new field in human evolution because it evokes many questions, such as the places where these individuals lived, how they overcame the catastrophic climate changes, and whether natural selection during the bottleneck has accelerated the evolution of human brain, said senior author Yi-Hsuan Pan, an evolutionary and functional genomicist at East China Normal University, in a statement. The population bottleneck coincided with dramatic changes in climate during whats known as the mid-Pleistocene transition, the research team suggested. Glacial periods became longer and more intense, leading to a drop in temperature and very dry climatic conditions. Moreover, the scientists suggested that the control of fire, as well as the climate shifting to be more hospitable for human life, could have contributed to a later rapid population increase around 813,000 years ago. The earliest evidence of the use of fire to cook food dates from 780,000 years ago in what is now modern-day Israel, the authors noted. While ancient DNA has revolutionized our understanding about past populations, the oldest DNA from a human species dates to around 400,000 years ago. The computer model uses the vast amount of information contained in modern human genomes about genetic variation over time to infer the size of populations at specific points in the past. The team used genetic sequences from 10 African and 40 non-African populations. Provocative study In a commentary on the analysis published in the same journal, Nick Ashton, curator of the Paleolithic collections at the British Museum, and Chris Stringer, research leader in human evolution at the Natural History Museum in London, described the study as provocative. The two researchers, who were not involved in the study, said it brought the vulnerability of early human populations into focus. However, Ashton and Stringer said that the fossil record, while sparse, did show that early human species lived in and outside Africa about 813,000 to 930,000 years ago during the period of proposed population collapse, with fossils from that era found in whats now China, Kenya, Ethiopia, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Whatever caused the proposed bottleneck may have been limited in its effects on human populations outside the Homo sapiens lineage or its effects were short-lived, the two researchers said in the commentary. The proposed bottleneck needs to be tested against human and archaeological evidence, they added. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The government may not compel someone to "create speech she does not believe," the Supreme Court ruled in June. In a 63 opinion authored by Justice Neil Gorsuch, the Court sided with a graphic designer, Lorie Smith, who wanted to expand into the wedding website business without being forced by Colorado law to create products celebrating same-sex marriages. Back in 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit found that the planned websites would each constitute "an original, customized creation," designed by Smith with a goal of celebrating the couple's "unique love story." As such, it said, they "qualify as 'pure speech' protected by the First Amendment." The appeals court admitted that Smith was willing to provide her services to anyone as long as the substance of the project did not contradict her values. It also recognized that "Colorado's 'very purpose' in seeking to apply its law to Ms. Smith" was to stamp out dissenting ideas about marriage. Despite all of that, the 10th Circuit held that the state government was within its authority to compel her to create such websites. Lamenting "an unfortunate tendency by some to defend First Amendment values only when they find the speaker's message sympathetic," Gorsuch et al. concluded otherwise. The ruling in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis is neither as narrow nor as broad as it (theoretically) could have been. The Court did not do away with public accommodations laws or allow businesses to discriminate against customers on the basis of characteristics such as skin color or national origin. But it did note that "public accommodations statutes can sweep too broadly when deployed to compel speech." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The high court also did not establish a right for any and every business owner to decline to provide services for same-sex weddingsonly those whose services involve expressive activity. Whether a particular service (say, cake baking) is expressive will have to be litigated case by case. At the same time, the majority decided Smith's case as a matter of free expression rather than religious liberty. It did not say the faith-based nature of Smith's beliefs about marriage entitled her to an exemption. Secular people with moral or factual objections to expressing a particular message presumably would receive the same protections as Christians or Muslims with religious objectionsas they should. "The opportunity to think for ourselves and to express those thoughts freely is among our most cherished liberties," Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion. "Abiding the Constitution's commitment to the freedom of speech means all of us will encounter ideas we consider.'misguided, or even hurtful'.But tolerance, not coercion, is our Nation's answer." The post SCOTUS' Ruling in Gay Wedding Website Case Was a Defeat for Compelled Speech appeared first on Reason.com. Combs is also slated to perform at the 2023 MTV VMAs, airing live on Sept. 12 from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Sean Diddy Combs will be honored with the Global Icon Award at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). Combs will also perform live on stage during the ceremony on Sept. 12. MTV announced Tuesday that Combs will receive the prestigious award for his unparalleled career and continued influence that has achieved unrivaled global success in music and beyond. Combs is a multi-hyphenate media mogul who made his mark as a rapper, producer, fashion entrepreneur and more. His success in the music industry as an artist has spanned more than three decades. Hes appeared on five No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and dropped two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 album charts. Sean Diddy Combs (left) will receive the Global Icon Award at the MTV Video Music Awards this month. Here, he hosts the Billboard Music Awards in May 2022 while sharing the stage in Las Vegas with Jozzy. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for MRC) In addition to performing, Combs is also nominated in four categories at this years award show. Creepin (Remix), his collaboration with Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, and 21 Savage, is up for best R&B and best collaboration video. His video for Gotta Move On, featuring Bryson Tiller, Ashanti and Yung Miami, is also up for best collaboration and hip-hop video. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Combs has a storied history with the VMAs, dating back to his first performance in 1997. He performed a melody of the late Notorious B.I.G.s Mo Money Mo Problems with Mase and a tribute to B.I.G. with Ill Be Missing You featuring Sting and Faith Evans. Five years later, he performed a show-stopping medley of Bad Boy For Life, Pass the Courvoisier (Part 2) and I Need A Girl (Parts 1 & 2). News of Combs honor comes shortly after he announced the release date of his forthcoming album, The Love Album: Off the Grid. Dropping on Sept. 15, just three days after the VMAs, the album is his homage to R&B, featuring an all-star cast of featured guests, including The Weeknd, Mary J. Blige, H.E.R., Babyface, John Legend, Coco Jones, The-Dream, Teyana Taylor, Summer Walker, Jazmine Sullivan and more. The Global Icon Award will be the second time in September that Combs is receiving a special honor. On Sept. 3, at the Headies Awards, for the years best Afrobeat and Pan-African artists, Combs was honored with the International Artiste Recognition Award. The 2023 MTV VMAs are scheduled to air live at 8 p.m. ET on Sept. 12 from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Lil Wayne is slated to premiere his latest single, Kat Food, while Shakira will receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Sean Diddy Combs to receive Global Icon Award at MTV VMAs appeared first on TheGrio. The parents of a missing Arizona teen have issued desperate pleas for information regarding her whereabouts. Fourteen-year-old Karleigh Cardenas ran away on 29 August from her home in Casa Grande with a 15-year-old boy she met online, AZs Family reports. Karleighs father Shaun Cardenas said that she spent five days with the young man, who lives in the community, before he returned to his home alone. Karleigh was last seen at a Popeyes in Glendale about 60 miles from her family home but more than a week after her last sighting, her whereabouts remain unknown. The Casa Grande Police Department is now investigating the disappearance. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We are desperately looking for her, and my heart has a bad feeling. Ive hired private investigators to help find her, the teens father wrote in a heartbreaking Facebook post. We have gathered lots of useful evidence that needs to be viewed. Karleighs mother Joelle Cardenas told AZs Family that she feared her daughter was in danger. We just want her to know that if she can hear us, we love her so much. We just want her to return safely. We will not stop looking for her until we find her, Ms Cardenas said. Karleigh Cardenas was last seen roughly 60 miles from her home on 29 August (Saun Cardenas/Facebook) The teens family is offering a $7,500 reward for anyone with information about Karleigh. We have a bad feeling about this. We have exhausted ourselves looking for her. Its time for me to ask the community to help us, Mr Cardenas said, adding that his daughter is naive and someone could have taken advantage of her. She is very special to her family and we just want her home safe. The public is asked to contact the Casa Grande Police Department at (520) 421-8700 with tips about Karleighs disappearance. MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) The search for two young brothers who were reported missing from Murfreesboro ended early Monday morning after they were found safe. Isaiah Norris, 11, and Malachi Norris, 9, were reported missing after they did not return home on Monday, Sept.4. Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts Murfreesboro police said the boys were last seen by their father at approximately 2 p.m. inside their Brookwood Terrace Apartment located on South Rutherford Boulevard. A resident at the apartment complex reportedly told officers that she saw the brothers and another juvenile at 5 p.m. near the complexs mailboxes. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The brothers were then entered into the National Crime Information Center as missing on Monday morning. | READ MORE | Latest headlines from Murfreesboro and Rutherford County However, hours later, Murfreesboro police reported that both boys were found safe and returned home. No additional information was immediately provided. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. HARWOOD HEIGHTS, Ill. (WGN-TV) Police say they plan to pursue additional charges against a man accused of beating a woman and choking her with a zip tie during a carjacking in Harwood Heights, Illinois, on Wednesday. Court documents allege that 24-year-old Reese Miller attacked and strangled a 61-year-old woman while she was outside of her house in the 4400 block of North Natchez Avenue early Wednesday morning, leaving the victim on life support. FOX4 newsletters: Get the latest news delivered to your inbox The victim, who has been identified as Ma Operio, died from her injuries on Sunday, according to the Cook County Medical Examiners Office. According to a bond proffer from the Cook County States Attorneys Office, a neighbor who witnessed the attack told police that he had seen Operio lying face up in the road in front of her blue Toyota as he was preparing to leave for work around 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The witness told officers that he had seen a person in a black hoodie, who appeared to be on top of Operio, choking her while she struggled. According to the witness, the man then got inside Operios Toyota and drove off along North Natchez Avenue with the trunk of the car still open. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Still uncertain whether body found in Lees Summit is manhunt suspect The court documents say the neighbor called 911 and when officers arrived on the scene, they found Operio lying face down in the street with blood around her head and a zip tie tightened around her throat. When officers cut the zip tie from her neck, her face was purple. The bond proffer states that Miller was later caught in the stolen vehicle by Crete police officers, just after 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning. At the time Miller was arrested, he was reportedly wearing the same clothes described by a witness at the scene and police say he had scrapes on his hands and knees his jeans had a spot of blood on them. Country Club Plaza safety in question after teenager is shot Court documents say the stolen vehicle was towed to the Harwood Heights Police Station and inside officers then found a knife and a handwritten note that said: Im deeply sorry for hurting anyone at the moment, it seemed to be the only choice. I didnt want to hurt people. It was never something I ever thought possible until the realization of reality hit me. Miller was also seen in surveillance video from the 6400 block of West Sunnyside Avenue wearing the same clothing that he was arrested in and walking toward the victims home only eight minutes prior to the attack, according to the documents. The documents state that after Miller was read his Miranda warnings, he admitted to taking the victims car after he pulled her from the vehicle and placed the zip tie around her neck. Miller also admitted to writing the note found inside the vehicle and told officers that the scrapes on his hands and knees happened during the struggle when he scrapped them against the concrete. Chiefs HC Andy Reid pays homage to the late Jimmy Buffett According to the Cook County States Attorneys Office, Miller admitted that the knife found inside the vehicle was his and told officers that he had moved the victim away from the vehicle so he would not run her over when driving off. Miller also reportedly admitted that he was the man seen in surveillance video prior to the attack. Miller has been charged with first degree murder and aggravated vehicular hijacking. Following Operios death on Sunday, Harwood Heights police say they plan on pursuing additional charges against the suspect. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force condemned Sen. Tuberville's blocking of military promotions. They suggested in The Washington Post that top military talent may flee for the private sector. Tuberville has blocked hundreds of promotions in protest of the Pentagon's abortion policies. Top officers in the US Army, Navy, and Air Force say Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville's decision to block new military leadership could cause top talent to flee to the private sector. Carlos Del Toro, Frank Kendall , and Christine Wormuth the secretaries of the Navy, Air Force, and Army, respectively penned an op-ed in The Washington Post Monday calling on Sen. Tuberville to stop the "dangerous hold" he has placed on the promotions of hundreds of military officials. Tuberville has single-handedly blocked more than 300 promotions since February in protest of the Pentagon's new policy that allows service members to get reimbursed if they need to travel out-of-state to receive abortion care. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The officials write in The Post that, as a result, scores of top talent may leave the force in favor of positions elsewhere where they are more appreciated. "They are watching this spectacle and might conclude that their service at the highest ranks of our military is no longer valued by members of Congress or, by extension, the American public," Del Toro, Kendall, and Wormuth write in The Post. "Rather than continue making sacrifices to serve our nation," the letter continues, "some might leave uniformed service for other opportunities, robbing the Defense Department of talent cultivated over decades that we now need most to maintain our superiority over our rivals and adversaries." Del Toro, Kendall, and Wormuth say that Tuberville's actions are putting the country's "national security at risk," and directly harming service members and their families. Sen. Tuberville did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider Dancers are pictured at the venue of the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 5, 2023. Forty-eight African countries on Monday signed a continental pact that seeks to address forced migration linked to climate emergencies ravaging the continent. The signing ceremony that was held on the sidelines of the Africa Climate Summit, underway in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, was attended by ministers, and representatives of multilateral and humanitarian agencies. (Xinhua/Dai He) NAIROBI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Forty-eight African countries on Monday signed a continental pact that seeks to address forced migration linked to climate emergencies ravaging the continent. The signing ceremony that was held on the sidelines of the Africa Climate Summit, underway in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, was attended by ministers, and representatives of multilateral and humanitarian agencies. Dubbed the Kampala declaration on migration, environment, and climate change, the continental pact that was conceived in July 2022 seeks to address the nexus between human mobility and the negative impacts of global warming in Africa. Soipan Tuya, Kenya's cabinet secretary for environment, climate change, and forestry, said that by endorsing the Kampala declaration, African states reaffirmed their commitment to providing a safe haven to the rising toll of climate refugees in the continent. "As the climate crisis escalates, it is leaving behind a huge population of displaced persons who require all forms of assistance. The Kampala declaration is therefore a call to attend to the needs of victims of climate emergencies," Tuya said. The Kampala declaration that was originally endorsed by 14 African states in July 2022 during a meeting in the Ugandan capital is a home-grown initiative that aims to find a lasting solution to climate-induced forced mobility, said Beatrice Atim Anywar, the Ugandan minister of state for environment. According to Anywar, climatic shocks have escalated the displacement of civilians in the Horn of Africa and Sahel region, to the detriment of stability, cohesion, and long-term growth. Amy Pope, the director general-elect of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a specialized UN migration agency, noted that the recurrence of calamities linked to climate change alongside poverty and conflict has worsened the displacement of civilians in Africa. Pope stressed that governments and bilateral partners should prioritize adaptation financing to boost the resilience of communities living in climate hotspots including the Horn of Africa. Mohamed Abdiker, IOM regional director for East and Horn of Africa, said the Kampala declaration provides a platform for African nations to tackle climate-induced migration and realize sustainability goals. Dancers are pictured at the venue of the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 5, 2023. Forty-eight African countries on Monday signed a continental pact that seeks to address forced migration linked to climate emergencies ravaging the continent. The signing ceremony that was held on the sidelines of the Africa Climate Summit, underway in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, was attended by ministers, and representatives of multilateral and humanitarian agencies. (Xinhua/Dai He) Delegates arrive at the venue of the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 5, 2023. Forty-eight African countries on Monday signed a continental pact that seeks to address forced migration linked to climate emergencies ravaging the continent. The signing ceremony that was held on the sidelines of the Africa Climate Summit, underway in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, was attended by ministers, and representatives of multilateral and humanitarian agencies. (Xinhua/Dai He) Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) on Monday urged Chief Justice John Roberts to investigate Justice Samuel Alito over his recent comments about Supreme Court ethics. In a seven-page letter, Whitehouse lodged an ethics complaint about Alitos recent interview with The Wall Street Journals opinion section, in which the conservative justice said Congress has no authority to regulate the high court. Whitehouse, a leading critic in the Senate of ethics standards at the Supreme Court, urged Roberts to take whatever steps are necessary to probe the matter. On the Senate Judiciary Committee, we have heard in every recent confirmation hearing that it would be improper to express opinions on matters that might come before the Court. In this instance, Justice Alito expressed an opinion on a matter that could well come before the Court, he wrote. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The letter was first reported by The Washington Post. As Democrats renewed their push for a Supreme Court ethics bill, Alito sat down with the Journals conservative-leaning opinion section for a wide-ranging interview in July. He called recent stories about him nonsense and suggested he had to defend himself because the Supreme Court bar wasnt doing so. I know this is a controversial view, but Im willing to say it, he told the Journal. No provision in the Constitution gives them the authority to regulate the Supreme Court period. Whitehouse took Alitos comments as a direct response to his bill, which advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee this summer and would require the justices to adopt a binding code of ethics. Justice Alitos decision to opine publicly on the constitutionality of that bill may well embolden legal challenges to the bill should it become law. Indeed, his comments encourage challenges to all manner of judicial ethics laws already on the books, the senator wrote in his Monday letter. The Hill has reached out to Alito and Roberts for comment through a court spokesperson. Whitehouse further took aim at how one of the two authors of the opinion piece was David Rivkin, an attorney who represents conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo and rebuffed Whitehouses demand for information from Leo in July. Whitehouse had requested information about Leos involvement with a 2008 Alaskan fishing trip that Alito took, with his flight reportedly being provided by a billionaire hedge fund owner. The trip was reported in one of multiple stories published by ProPublica and other news outlets that have fueled Democrats push for stronger ethics rules. Rivkin pushed back by calling the effort one-sided and having overlooked the ethics woes of the high courts liberal justices. The timing of Justice Alitos opining suggests that he intervened to give his friend and political ally support in his effort to block congressional inquiries. It appears that Justice Alito (a) opined (b) on a specific ongoing dispute (c) at the behest of counsel in that dispute (d) to the benefit of a personal friend and ally, Whitehouse wrote Monday, according to the letter published by The Washington Post. The Hill has reached out to Rivkin for comment. Updated 3:03 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The fourth installment of The Senate Project debate series which brings together senators from different ends of the political spectrum for civil, substantive discussion and debate aimed at finding potential areas of bipartisan compromise and common ground featured Senators Chris Coons , a Democrat from Delaware, and Marco Rubio , a Republican from Florida. The debate was moderated by CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe. The first part of the debate focused on China, with both senators agreeing the nation is a critical threat to the U.S. Rubio said the relationship with China is not comparable to the Cold War with the Soviet Union because China seeks "to replace every institution created after the Second World War that the U.S. has led on a global scale." "They seek to become the dominant military power in the Indo-Pacific region, but they want to also be able to project power all over the world," he said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Coons agreed that U.S.-China relations are "something else," but said there are a few ways "in which it seems eerily reminiscent" of the Cold War. "This is somewhat similar to our contest with the Soviet Union," Coons said. "A contest of two very different systems, with different understandings of individual rights and liberty, and where our greatest strength is our global network of alliances. Our alliances were critical to our success in the Cold War." Rubio noted there are countries that don't want to be forced to pick between the U.S. and China, and will try to leverage both sides. "That existed somewhat in the Cold War, but I think it's going to be really pronounced in this new era," he said. Both senators also agreed that the war in Ukraine is of interest to the U.S., but differed on the scale. Rubio said he supports Ukraine, especially given that China, in his view, supports Putin, but said there have to be limits to the United States' support. "I think there really needs to be a strategic view of this that guides what we give them and how much we are able to spend," Rubio said. Coons said that on a scale of 1-10, although it's difficult to say, he would put the importance of supporting Ukraine at an "eight or nine." "I think the signal it sends, we are more likely to see a conclusion to this war when Putin concludes he can't wait us out and that we are determined," Coons said. Regarding Monday's prisoner swap with Iran, Rubio criticized the deal and previous prisoner swaps, saying, "Now you've put a price tag on the head of Americans." Coons said he was confident the guardrails set up to prevent Iran from using the humanitarian funds that were unfrozen as part of the deal for unapproved purposes would hold. Rubio, however, said that while he was hopeful the money would only be used for humanitarian purposes, "but I don't think we should be counting on it." The senators also discussed climate change, with Coons saying it is the "defining issue for our world." Rubio said he has nothing against "green energy" but said some are "selling this mythology that somehow renewables can replace hydrocarbon, and nuclear, and hydroelectric energy. It cannot. Not anytime in the foreseeable future." Rubio noted that even if the U.S. were to cut its emissions drastically, other developing nations such as China and India would continue producing coal-fired plants to continue growing their economies. Coons pushed for high tariffs on items like steel and glass that come from countries that are not manufacturing those products in an energy-efficient way. This, he said, will also help protect American manufacturing jobs because it will be cheaper to buy American steel or glass that was manufactured in compliance with the country's energy standards than to import the heavily tariffed goods. Coons also argued that this would force other nations to reduce their emissions in order to avoid such tariffs and continue doing business with the U.S. The Senate Project debate was held at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The Senate Project is a partnership between the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate. "It's a pleasure to participate in The Senate Project debate series. I look forward to debating Senator Rubio and having the opportunity to discuss a number of issues, including China and where we can find bipartisan common ground," Sen. Coons said in a news release. "America remains the greatest country in the history of the world, but everyone knows we face some serious challenges challenges that cannot be solved by talking points and soundbites," said Sen. Rubio. "Republicans and Democrats will never agree on every problem or every solution, but that should not prevent us from working together to get things done where we can for the American people. That is especially true when it comes to issues like China's continued assault on our economy, communities, and national security." Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), left, and Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), right. / Credit: Getty Images "The Senate is the world's greatest deliberative body, but in recent years the fierce debate, followed by searching for common ground has often been missing," said former senator and Bipartisan Policy Center co-founder Tom Daschle. "After making that point several years ago, I could not be more thrilled with The Senate Project series, which seeks a thoughtful debate and honest discussion on some of America's leading issues, and when possible, areas of comity. I look forward to this fourth in a series of debates with two respected members of the United States Senate." The Senate Project and its founding partners say their approach is inspired by the political bridge-building of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, and the late Senator Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican, who worked through party and political differences to forge consensus on landmark healthcare reform legislation and other bipartisan bills. "Too often, there is more attention on what divides the nation than on what unites it. The Senate Project is intended to show the American people that civil discourse, compromise, and bipartisanship are possible," said Bruce A. Percelay, chairman of the board of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute. "By facilitating these robust discussions between senators from different backgrounds and perspectives, we hope to inspire a new generation of lawmakers to prioritize collaboration and the common good over partisan divide," said Matt Sandgren, executive director of the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation. Rubio, who was first elected to the Senate in 2010, is the vice chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence; ranking member of the Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues; and a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Committee on Foreign Relations, and Special Committee on Aging. Coons, who won his Senate seat in a 2010 special election, is chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs and the Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, and a member of the Committee on Foreign Relations, and Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. He is also chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. You can learn more about The Senate Project debate series at thesenateproject.org. New novel takes satirical lens to Texas politics Apple CEO Tim Cook on doing business in China How Mississippi boosted its reading scores People cross Montgomery Street as they walk towards the entrance of the J. Tom Coleman Courthouse on Tuesday. This column is part of a weekly round-up of notable grand jury indictments and court decisions, following through on cases reported by Savannah Morning News public safety reporter Drew Favakeh. If there are cases you're curious about, email Drew at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com. Note: Due to Tropical Storm Idalia, the Chatham County Grand Jury did not bring forth new indictments this week. The normal schedule, with cases being indicted on Wednesday, resumes next week. Woman indicted on charges of vehicular homicide and DUI files motion for bond On Aug. 24, attorneys on behalf of Colleen Mond filed a motion for bond. One day earlier, on Aug. 23, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Mond with two counts of homicide by vehicle in the first degree, two counts of driving under the influence, and failure to yield the right-of-way. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Prosecutors charged Mond with killing Steven Fagan Jr. on East President Street without malice afterthought on June 1. Within three hours after the accident, Monds blood-alcohol concentration measured above 0.08%, the legal limit in Georgia. According to the indictment, Mond intended to turn left at the intersection of East President Street and Harry Truman Parkway, and failed to yield the right-of-way to Fagan, who was driving a motorcycle and approaching from the opposite direction. A bond hearing in the case is scheduled for Sept. 5. More: In Session: Parents plead not guilty in death of 16-month-old daughter More: Mark Stegall pleads not guilty, requests jury trial for Memorial Day 2022 boat crash Man indicted on multiple charges for allegedly striking partner On Aug. 23, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Hanson Smiley for two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of cruelty to children in the third degree, and additional charges of aggravated battery-family violence, possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony. Prosecutors charged Smiley with assaulting Stefanie Lee with intent to murder. According to the indictment, Smiley threatened to kill Lee, putting the 9mm gun against her head and striking her forehead with the gun. Two children were present to hear the act, according to the indictment. A bond hearing is scheduled in the case for Sept. 14. Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Chatham County grand jury indicts woman for vehicular homicide The calendar may say that it's meteorological fall, but Mother Nature has said otherwise in recent days, with a surge of extreme heat across much of the northern United States. Now, AccuWeather meteorologists say that rounds of thunderstorms, some severe, will ease the heat, bringing fall-like conditions. Much of the central Plains has been sweltering under prolonged heat for weeks, and the first days of September have been no exception. On Sunday, temperatures in Minneapolis surged to 98 degrees Fahrenheit, setting a new daily high-temperature record. The historical average high temperature in early September is around 77 F. Meanwhile, highs on the first four days of September climbed above 90 F degrees in Omaha, Nebraska, averaging 7.5 F above the historical average. AccuWeather forecasters say a potent storm, which will spark rounds of thunderstorms, may finally bring an end to the wave of exceptional heat across the northern tier. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts with Premium+ Temperatures in Chicago have been more than 8 degrees above the historical average for the start of September. The early-September hot spell officially became a heat wave on Tuesday when the high temperature reached the 90-degree mark for the third consecutive day. However, the temperatures will come crashing down following Wednesday's thunderstorms. The wet weather in Chicago started first thing in the morning on Wednesday, with drenching downpours moving in around 4 a.m. CDT. The thunderstorms prompted flash flood warnings by the National Weather Service for the city and the southern and eastern suburbs and caused ground stops at Chicago's Midway and O'Hare airports. As Wednesday progresses, another wave of drenching, and perhaps severe, thunderstorms are expected. This time, the storms will target locations to the east of Chicago. Thunderstorms from central Michigan to western Tennessee, northern Mississippi and southern Arkansas will have the potential to turn severe into Wednesday evening, with the possibility of hail and damaging winds. "These severe weather impacts may be more localized in nature, compared to heavy downpours," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Benz added. Behind the severe weather, a drastic change in air mass will bring much-needed relief from the heat. High temperatures in the 60s are predicted for cities like Minneapolis and Madison, Wisconsin, by Wednesday, and in the lower 70s for Chicago and Indianapolis, Indiana, by Thursday. The drop in temperature will be as much as 20-30 degrees below the peak heat from earlier in the week. While temperatures are expected to trend upward late this week or over the weekend, they are not forecast to return to the extreme levels of earlier in the month. Instead, temperatures will be near, or even a few degrees below, historical averages for the second week of September. The thunderstorms crossing the eastern U.S. through Wednesday will temporarily erase the heat across the northern Plains and much of the Great Lakes, but it won't be removed from the entire country. Instead, the heat will be squeezed eastward, making for another few hot days in the Northeast. Residents of New York City have experienced a milder-than-average start to the month of September, but one particular milestone remains elusive: a high of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, the city managed to stay below 90 degrees for the entire month of August. There were two instances this summer where the city had two-day stretches of 90-or-greater temperatures, both in July, but no official three-day heat waves have gone down in the books. It's possible that New York City will finally experience its first heat wave of the summer this week, ahead of the late-week wet weather. A wet and humid end to the week is expected in the Northeast, thanks to the storm and a surge of heat and moisture up the Eastern Seaboard helping to fuel thunderstorms. These potent thunderstorms crossing the area will make locally damaging winds Thursday and Thursday night possible from southern Canada to northern Virginia, including major cities such as Ottawa, Buffalo, New York, and Washington, D.C. "The progression of the storms will slow late-week, allowing for thunderstorms to linger in the same areas for longer," explained Benz. As such, drenching downpours could target the same locations Thursday through Friday, heightening the risk of flash flooding. Locations right along the Eastern Seaboard, like New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., can expect the wet weather to wait until late Thursday night or Friday. In the meantime, temperatures are forecast to rise into the 90s. With high humidity factored in, AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures could climb to around 100 F. AccuWeather forecasters say that while long-lived severe weather risks are not expected to linger past Friday, the wet weather may stick around. Round after round of wet weather is likely to target the Northeast, bringing more opportunities for rain and thunderstorms all the way through the weekend. Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer. A woman was driving south on the Maine Turnpike when a sharp chunk of metal blasted through her Jeep windshield, terrifying photos show. The 21-year-olds close call on Sept. 5 came as the driver in front of her ran over the metal debris sending it flying into the air and landing inches from her face in the town of Gray, according to a Maine State Police news release. Photos shared by authorities show the piece of metal embedded in the womans windshield, with its sharp tip hovering over the steering wheel and pointed directly toward the drivers seat. Metal debris in Jeep windshield. Maine State Police The woman, who was from New Hampshire, pulled over on the side of the road and was found with minor injuries when paramedics arrived, according to police. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Troopers safely reunited her with her family upon leaving the crash scene, the release said. The metal collision caused one turnpike lane to close down for about one hour, according to authorities. This is terrifying, CBS News Boston producer Meagan Kolkmann wrote Sept. 5 on X, formerly known as Twitter, in response to a Maine State Police post of the crash. This is terrifying https://t.co/TcKFBwS9Lw Meagan Kolkmann (@MeaganKolkmann) September 5, 2023 Gray is about 20 miles northeast of Portland, Maine. Dog plunges from 4,000-step staircase on illegal hike with owner, Hawaii officials say Accused drunk driver calls 911 about wrong-way driver. It was him, Nebraska cops say Driver trapped for 5 days after crash into 100-foot ravine, California rescuers say Gwen Rider was known to show off pictures of her two kids to anyone who would listen at the federal prison she was incarcerated at in Fort Worth. She loved to brag about her 11-year-old son and his computer programming skills and her 1-year-old daughter, with her big blue eyes. Her children were the main focus of the speech Rider gave before the judge during her sentencing hearing in January. They remain my greatest pride and joy, the 44-year-old told Judge Timothy Hillman in a Massachusetts courtroom. And I hope to be reunited with them as soon as possible. In the sentencing hearing, Rider and her attorney talked about her struggles with PTSD, autism and substance use. Hillman said during the hearing that Riders case might be the saddest story I think Ive ever heard. He sentenced her to three years in prison. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In 2022, Rider was diagnosed with epilepsy. To receive appropriate treatment, the Bureau of Prisons transferred her in March 2023 to FMC Carswell, the only federal medical facility for incarcerated women in the country. Five months later on Aug. 3, Rider died by suicide at FMC Carswell. While the Bureau of Prisons sent Rider to Carswell specifically for medical treatment, women incarcerated at the prison say she did not receive the psychological or medical treatment she needed. Her father, Steve Rider, said a doctor at the facility told her that her epileptic seizures were not real. If she had been given proper medical care and there had not been this argument about epilepsy and the fact that she needed to be protected from it, probably she would be still alive, Steve Rider said. Sentenced to prison after suicide attempt Gwen Rider was an very intelligent child with an excellent memory, her father said. She dealt with mental health issues throughout her life, he said. She had trauma and PTSD after being molested in a Catholic school, and she was the one who found her brothers body when he died by suicide. Still, she had a soft heart. She was extremely empathetic and befriended everyone, Steve Rider said. She once saw a dog running around on a busy street and she immediately pulled over, rescued the dog and adopted it as her own. Gwen Rider was extremely empathetic and befriended everyone, her father, Steve Rider said. She was sentenced to three years in prison after stealing morphine she planned to use in a suicide attempt. She died by suicide in prison. She studied to become a nurse and developed an encyclopedic knowledge of medicine, her father said. In 2020, Rider worked at a nursing home in Massachusetts. On Nov. 6, 2020, she was overseeing a unit specializing in care for residents with dementia. It was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Rider was having legal issues with her sons school, according to court records from her sentencing hearing. Nov. 6 also happened to be the anniversary of her brothers suicide, whose death she had always felt somewhat responsible for, according to her father. As she cared for a patient who was nonverbal and received morphine for pain, Rider removed about 70% of the morphine from the bottle and replaced it with water. She planned to use the morphine to die by suicide. Rider did not go through with her plan; she said during her sentencing hearing she worried what would happen to her son. When another nurse noticed the missing morphine, Rider was charged with tampering with a consumer product and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and deception. She surrendered her nursing license and lost custody of her children. I think it would have been OK if she had not been incarcerated and had simply surrendered her nursing license, Steve Rider said. The person wasnt harmed. They just missed a dose of the painkiller. Riders attorney argued at the sentencing hearing that his client should be sentenced to 13 months a lifetime for a mother of young kids, but a fair punishment for what shed done, he said. Instead, Hillman sentenced Rider to three years in prison and recommended she participate in psychological care. Ms. Rider, I know this is not a good day, and nobody here takes any pleasure in whats going on, Hillman said. I can only wish you the best, and hopefully this is a beginning; and it sounds like youve got a good start on it, so good luck. Allegations of abuse Gwen Rider was initially incarcerated on the East Coast near her family. But when she was diagnosed with epilepsy, the Bureau of Prisons sent her to Carswell. At Carswell, Gwen Rider was able to see a psychologist at the facility that she spoke very highly of, Steve Rider said. She was working through further trauma from her time at a prison in Rhode Island, where Steve Rider said she was physically abused by a staff member. But a medical professional at the facility was very abusive to Gwen, he said. The doctor kept insisting her seizures were fake even though she had a work-up and it showed it, Steve Rider said. There are people who feel that this doctor drove Gwen to suicide. Steve Rider said he isnt sure if he can endorse that idea. Each person is responsible for what they do, he said. But he remembers many conversations about the woman treating his daughters epilepsy and said she was clearly incompetent. Carswell has a history of alleged medical neglect. In 2020, 70 women at the prison filed a lawsuit, alleging abusive treatment during COVID lockdown. In October 2020, Cynthia Baxter died two weeks after being released from Carswell. Baxter had cancer and did not receive needed treatment from the prison, people incarcerated at the facility said. In April 2021, 62-year-old Martha Evanoff died after begging for medical attention for months and being denied help, women at the prison said. In June 2021, 54-year-old Sherri Hillman, who was still awaiting a sentencing hearing, died at Carswell after being transferred there to receive medical care; one woman said she screamed for help for days but staff ignored her. Not placed on suicide watch Five women incarcerated at the prison with Gwen Rider said she had attempted to die by suicide several times but was not on suicide watch at the time of her death. According to the BOPs suicide prevention policy, a person who is suicidal will receive appropriate preventive supervision and other treatment. If a person is suicidal, they should be placed on suicide watch and only removed when they are no longer at imminent risk for suicide. But women at the prison say staff did not follow those procedures. Staff and some of the women incarcerated at the facility picked on Gwen Rider because of her seizures and because she grinded her teeth at night, said Faith Blake, who was in the same unit as Gwen Rider. Alicia Elliot, who is incarcerated at Carswell, said Gwen Rider was placed in suicide watch for a few days and then released into general population. Merrideth Horton, who was incarcerated at Carswell until January, said it was common for people who needed mental health attention to not receive the help they needed. According to Shannon Richardson, who is also incarcerated at Carswell, Gwen Rider told a lieutenant that when she got off suicide watch, that one way or the other she was going to succeed. Richardson said that should have prompted staff to keep Gwen Rider on the mental health unit. Instead she was thrown right back into (general population) with hundreds of women and no close supervision, Richardson said. The Bureau of Prisons did not answer the Star-Telegrams questions about why Gwen Rider was released back into general population and if the program coordinator first performed a face-to-face evaluation, which is required under the BOPs suicide prevention policy. I dont want her to be only (remembered for) that she ended her own life, Blake said. Her kids have to know that they were big time loved. I was very proud of her Gwen Rider called her dad and son nearly every day while in prison, Steve Rider said, and he had never known another who loved her children more than her it was exceptional. I was very proud of her and very proud to call her my daughter, he said. Steve Rider, 75, and his husband are adopting Gwen Riders children. He has now lost two children to suicide. Research shows that incarceration worsens existing mental health conditions. In state and federal prisons, a total of 4,500 people died by suicide from 2001 to 2019., according to a U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics report in 2021. The number of suicides increased 83% over that period. Im looking forward to putting all this behind me, Steve Rider said. I am very good at forgetting bad things. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with someone, dial 988. Newest Restaurant Report Card | If you want the latest Shelby County restaurant scores sent directly to your inbox, sign up for it today on WREGs Newsletter here. Each week WREG is rounding up the highest and lowest scores from Shelby County restaurant inspections. Find more restaurant scores from Shelby County and other Tennessee counties here. Lowest Scores: Saito 1 Hibacho and Grill 6600 Stage Road Ste 101 Bartlett, TN 38134 Score: 59 Violations include: Person in charge did not demonstrate knowledge; chef touched ready-to-eat food with bare hands; raw beef stored over food; ice machine has black slime; food not date marked; gnats in the kitchen; refrigerator shelves need to be washed; employee restroom sink doesnt have hot water; walls and ceiling tiles are dirty and damaged. See report. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Memphis Scholars Caldwell Guthrie 951 Chelsea Avenue Memphis, TN 38107 Score: 73 Violations include: Person in charge did not demonstrate knowledge; hand sink had no soap and paper towels; condensation leak in walk-in freezer; dirty wiping cloths in sink; dirty utensils; dirty exterior of kitchen equipment; trashcan overflowing; dumpsters dont have tops; damaged ceiling tiles; dirty floors. See report. Klassy Kids Academy Food Service 2979 Elmore Park Bartlett, TN 38134 Score: 83 Violations include: Handwashing sink blocked by fan and trash can; raw eggs stored improperly; food not refrigerated after opening; freezer dirty; leak under sink; dumpster has items stored around it. See report. Butteriffic Bakery and Cafe 488 S. Second Memphis, TN 38103 Score: 84 Violations include: Handwashing sink in front leaking; handwashing sink in the back does not have cold water knob; some food items are not date marked; food containers not labeled; employees not wearing hair, hair net or restraint; deep freezer has ice buildup; ceiling vents in restrooms are dusty. See report. 100s Uncle Zekes, 2344 Cardigan Dr., Memphis, TN 38119 A Lil Taste of Memphis, 306 Stoneham Rd Memphis, TN 38109 Lolonyo Southern Soul, 4226 Middlesex Ave Memphis, TN 38118 For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Photographer Jack Zhi's dramatic image of a female peregrine falcon striking a brown pelican mid-flight beat over 23,000 other entries to win the Bird Photographer of the Year 2023 gold award. "For four years, I attempted to capture the rare sight of the female falcon attacking large brown pelicans with incredible speed and agility," Zhi said in a statement Tuesday. "I love the eyes of the pelican in this image, surprised and scared. The action was fast, and over in the blink of an eye. But I'll remember that moment forever." A female peregrine falcon striking a brown pelican was photographer Jack Zhi's gold award-winning image in the Bird Photographer of the Year 2023 competition. / Credit: JACK ZHI/BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR Photographers competed in a number of different categories in the prestigious Bird Photographer of the Year awards a global competition described as a celebration of avian beauty and diversity. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement German teenager Anton Trexler picked up the Young Bird Photographer of the Year award for his image entitled "Blue Hour and Red Moon," which shows the silhouette of a black bird against an illuminated moon. Anton Trexler's image of a black bird illuminated by the moon, which won him Bird Photographer of the Year's 2023 Young Photographer award. / Credit: ANTON TREXLER/BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR Below is a selection of other images that won gold, silver or bronze in various categories from the contest: A blue-footed booby rises back to the surface after diving for a sardine in an image captured by photographer Henley Spiers. / Credit: HENLEY SPIERS/BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR The above image of a blue-footed booby rising with a sardine in its mouth was taken by photographer Henley Spiers. It won silver in the "behavior" catetory. "In early autumn, a sardine shoal at Los Islotes attracted seabird predators," Spurs said. "Amid the shoal, I waited patiently for the elusive shot of a blue-footed booby rising with a sardine in its beak. Finally, a crash came down close to me, and I instinctively captured the moment." Nicolas Reusens' image of a green tanager, which won gold in the Bird Photographer of the Year 2023 awards Portrait category. / Credit: NICOLAS REUSENS/BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR Nicolas Reusens won gold in the "portrait" category with his image of a rare green tanager, which he captured while wandering in a tropical forest. "After hours of waiting, I saw the vivid-green bird on a perfect heart-shaped leaf. Its shimmering feathers reflected a dazzling array of colors," Reusens said, describing his photograph. Rafael Armada's image of a sword-billed hummingbird at a feeder in Bogota, Columbia, won gold in the This image of a sword-billed hummingbird, taken in Bogota, Colombia, was captured by photographer Rafael Armada. The bird has the world's longest beak proportionate to its size and Armada described the image as capturing the bird "approaching a feeder, with natural backgrounds and lighting." Clement Cornec's image of emperor penguins in Antarctica on a frozen mountaintop won silver in the Three emperor penguins stand on a frozen mountain in Adelie Land, Antarctica in Clement Cornec's photograph which won silver in the the "birds in their environment" category of the Bird Photographer of the Year 2023 awards. Emperor Penguins endure temperatures as low as -40 degrees during the long polar nights, when blizzards can whip up winds to 155mph. You can click here to see all the award winners from this year's Bird Photographer of the Year awards. Couple helps 11 refugees flee Ukraine for U.S. What happens if Joe Biden gets COVID? Search expanded for escaped killer in Pennsylvania An unfortunate mystery is playing out at a park in Boyle Heights where ducks have been found sick, dying and dead, and now those who live near the park are looking for answers. Those who live nearby and others who visit Hollenbeck Park on a regular basis say the discovery of the dead and dying ducks has been heartbreaking and concerning. I usually come running here around the lake and, you know, sometimes youll see birds, but theres just any number of them, like at least 15 or so just washed up on the shore, said a woman who didnt want to give her name. She said she first saw the ducks Saturday, and that when she returned to the park on Sunday, there were even more, five of them that were dead and a sixth one that was struggling to survive. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Margarito Garcia, who was visiting the park, noticed a goose hovering around the dying duck, seemingly protecting it. I come every weekend to walk my dog through here, he said. Unfortunately, it looks like someone has been poisoning the ducks, I think, because they are dying slow. A goose seen standing over a dying duck at Hollenbeck Park in Boyle Heights on Sept. 4, 2023. (KTLA) Five dead ducks pulled out of the lake in Hollenbeck Park in Boyle Heights on Sept. 4, 2023. (KTLA) Ducks seen near the lake at Hollenbeck Park in Boyle Heights on Sept. 4, 2023. (KTLA) Whats causing the ducks to fall ill is currently unknown. Several people who spoke to KTLA said they have reported the dead birds to animal control, but havent received a response, likely due to the holiday weekend. Howie Berkowitz, founder of the Duck Pond of Lake Elsinore, said there may be other issues at play that are causing the ducks to get sick and die. One is that the water is actually contaminated and that could be either through someone has done that, or the other possibility is that there is poisonous algae out there, especially during the summer when the water gets hot, he explained. Berkowitz, who has had his duck sanctuary for 10 years, added that any ducks that appear sickened need to be seen by veterinarian right away. The faster they can administer some activated charcoal, the faster itll stop the problem, he said. Another avian expert who spoke to KTLAs Shelby Nelson said there is cause for concern because the issue could be whats called avian botulism. In that case, a duck ingests a lethal bacteria and dies. Flies then feed on the carcass. Other animals in the area then feed on the flies and the illness continues in that cycle until its brought under control. The expert added that its impossible to know if avian botulism is the problem until a necropsy is performed on one of the dead birds. Those who visit the park regularly are hoping the issue gets resolved quickly, so that more birds at the lake arent at risk of dying. Hopefully its something small and people are not intentionally killing them, a park visitor said. KTLA has reached out to both the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. CANBERRA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Officials have denied that lumpy skin disease is present in northern Australia after Indonesia further restricted live cattle imports from the country. Australia's acting Chief Veterinary Officer Beth Cookson said in a statement on Monday that testing of more than 1,000 cattle across 2,800 km of northern Australia did not detect any trace of lumpy skin disease (LSD). Characterized by blistered skin, LSD is transmitted between animals by contaminated equipment or insect bites and can cause a significant drop in milk production, poor growth and infertility among cattle. She said the testing was undertaken at the request of authorities in Indonesia and Malaysia after LSD was detected in Australian-origin cattle after arriving in Indonesia. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported earlier on Monday that Indonesian officials on Saturday restricted imports from two cattle yards in Western Australia (WA) after detecting eight cases of LSD in cattle imported from the area. In July, exports from four facilities were suspended when Indonesian authorities found 13 cases of LSD in Australian exported cattle. However, Cookson said in the statement there was no evidence that the cattle were infected in Australia. "Our testing did not detect LSD in Australia and our disease status has not changed," she said. "The negative test results further highlight Australia's robust systems for the ongoing monitoring of animal diseases, including LSD." According to reports in News Corp Australia newspapers on Tuesday, Cookson will meet with Indonesian officials on Thursday to discuss lifting the suspensions. Subhas Nair, a rapper convicted of violating Singapores racial harmony law, attends court on Sep. 5, 2023. Credit - Courtesy of the photographer Four years ago, Singaporean siblings Subhas and Preeti Nair packed their camera gear, headed to a popular hawker center in downtown Singapore, and shot a video that would become the talk of the townand ultimately land Subhas with a jail sentence. In the video, they rapped about racism in Singapore in front of a large bannerpart of a nationwide advertisement campaignplastered across the open-air food courts entrance. Meant to show how an electronic payment system was accessible to Singaporeans from all walks of life, the ad featured actor Dennis Chew portraying several characters using the appfrom a man dressed in literal blue-collar attire to a woman in a headscarf typically worn by Malay Muslims to a man in business attire with his skin artificially darkened to appear Indian, complete with a name badge that read: K. Muthusamy. The ad garnered significant backlash on social media, with many pointing to the problematic use of what they identified as brownface. The siblings video joined the wave of criticism. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It was very offensive, Subhas, a rapper, tells TIME of the ad campaigns portrayal of other ethnicities by a Chinese actor. We wanted to end brownface in Singapore. The goal is that no one should ever have to see this again. Together with his sister Preeti, a popular social media personality, the siblings posted K. Muthusamy, a parody music videoa remix of Iggy Azaleas F*ck It Upin which they lambasted what they saw as a pattern of Chinese people, Singapores dominant ethnicity, committing racial insensitivities against minorities. How can a man wear brown and wear a tudung? the brother-sister duo rapped. Chinese people always out here fucking it up, went their chorus. The video quickly went viralwith many viewers supporting its message and others offended by its vulgaritybefore it was ordered to be removed from the internet by Singapores authorities and followed by a police investigation into the siblings. About the music video, the countrys Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said: When you put out statements that wound racial, religious feelings, that's an offense in Singapore. ... We cannot allow these sorts of attacks. As for the ad itself, media authorities noted that it was done in poor taste but did not pursue any legal action against its makers. The companies behind the campaign, including the countrys state-owned broadcaster, apologized, admitting in a statement that the portrayal of some races in the advertisement was done in an insensitive fashion. Both the Infocomm Media Development Authority and the police declined to comment for this story, citing, respectively, the ongoing nature of Subhas court case and the confidentiality of its investigations. Subhas and Preeti had initially been handed a two-year conditional warning after posting the video, which they maintain was intended only to call out racism and not to malign an entire race. But Subhas was charged in 2021 after he made further race-related comments on social media that authorities found objectionable, including statements alleging that Chinese Singaporeans are treated more leniently after wrongdoing than Indian or Malay Singaporeansa charge the government vehemently denies. Subhas was sentenced to six weeks in jail on Tuesday after being convicted of four charges of attempting to promote ill will between different racial groups. During the sentencing, the judge said that allegations that Singaporean authorities discriminate against people by race or religion were just as serious as the casting of racial slurs. Experts say the case speaks to both the effectiveness and limits of the governments heavy-handed approach to minimizing uncomfortable discourse in Singapore, where self-censorship is already pervasive. Read More: A Wave of Scandals Is Testing the Singaporean Governments Ability to Take Criticism For his part, Subhaswho is now 31 years old, has long used music and humor as a platform for social justice messages, and plans to appeal his convictionsays that his drawn-out legal battle is a price worth paying to call attention to enduring racial injustice in a country that takes pride in maintaining an image of harmonious multiculturalism. I didn't say anything that most of us didn't already think or feel. I just said the quiet parts out loud, Subhas says, adding: The quiet parts remain quiet because of fearfear that whatever is happening to me will happen to them too. Racism has long been a touchy subject in Singapore, where about half of the city-states population either doesnt think racial discrimination exists in the country or believes it can be eliminated in the next decade. Authorities have typically shied away from addressing the realities of systemic injustices while relying heavily on a legal framework that penalizes racially motivated violencebut that has also been used, observers allege, to crack down on critical discourse related to race and religion. Against a backdrop of potential legal repercussions for talking about racism, parody videos like what the Nair siblings produce have become a common way to voice social commentary in tongue-in-cheek ways, Crystal Abidin, a professor of internet studies at Curtin University who has done extensive research into Singaporean internet culture, tells TIME. For citizens who live in the country, it actually takes a lot of special skill to say things without going over [out-of-bounds] markers, without violating any law, while still being able to deliver your message, Crystal says, noting that the lines regulating acceptable discourse are largely invisible until someone is penalized for overstepping. Because the laws governing racial and religious offenses are written broadly, the state has considerable latitude to interpret language subjectively. In the Nairs rap song, for example, authorities were most aggrieved by the refrain of Chinese people always out here f*cking it up, which the court described as clearly offensive and insulting. The phrase f*cking it up in Azaleas original song refers to having a good time, says Vincent Pak, a linguistics researcher at the National University of Singapore and Kings College London who has published on the topic, while in the Nairs music video it means botching somethinga definition that Subhas reiterated during his trial. But the way authorities interpreted the phrase, Pak says, was simply that it contains vulgarities that [target] the Chinese community and therefore it is offensive. An f up in this context means a mistake, Subhas told the court in March, and brownface in my opinion is categorically wrong and racist. He also acknowledged that he had known the Chinese community would find his video offensive, but argued that art sometimes provokes discomfort. (The court rejected Subhas arguments and deemed that he had knowingly tried to promote ill will among races in violation of Section 298A of Singapores Penal Code). Powerful institutions are able to impose certain meanings on what citizens say. And of course, those serve particular interests, such as maintaining the racial order in Singapore, Pak adds. What Subhas and Preeti intended back then was a form of anti-racism but it's been interpreted as racism itself because it upsets a certain racial order or upsets certain communities. Shanmugam, the cabinet minister, acknowledged in 2021 the limits of a strictly prosecutorial approach to eradicating racism in Singapore. You can't bring about harmony and racial tolerance and acceptance just by having laws and enforcing them, you need to do much more, he said, adding that the government and society have to work very hard to maintain harmony. In 2021, authorities announced that they would introduce a new law to consolidate existing laws regulating racial issues and to incorporate more rehabilitative recourses to racial offenses. There have not, however, been any concrete updates on any legal changes since then, though authorities have been trying to foster conversations about race, including through dialogue sessions between ministers, academics, and civic groups. What was previously considered a taboo topic has largely gone mainstream, Norman Vasu, a senior lecturer at Singapores NUS College who researches local politics, tells TIME of the Singaporean publics increasing attention to racial issues in the country. This has put the government in an unenviable position of trying to manage the tone and form of discussions, Vasu says, which can have far-reaching consequences. Too harsh a response may lead to a stifling of future discussions while a lack of response may embolden the irresponsible. Subhas, who has been working on a new album, The State vs Subhas Nair, says his ordeal should reveal to the world more about the Singaporean government and its ability to intimidate people into silence than about him personally. In the future, I never want another rapper, or anyone else, to be in this situation, he says. Pointing out that something is racist, is not racist. Calling something for what it is, is the first step towards addressing the issue. Contact us at letters@time.com. Welcome back from Labor Day weekend! Lawmakers in Washington are also getting back at itand theres a whole lot of chaos in store for Kevin McCarthy when Congress returns to work next week. Jim Newell breaks down what lies ahead as the Freedom Caucus comes for its pound of flesh. (Government shutdown, anyone?) Plus: What would happen if Mitch McConnell were to leave leadership? The Game of Johns would begin. Alabama just learned what happens when you openly defy the Supreme Court: A federal circuit court shot down its new, racist congressional maps on Tuesday. Mark Joseph Stern takes a close look at the courts 196-page decision, which is remarkable for its caustic and exasperated criticism of the states legislative leaders for their perfidious yet bumbling efforts to evade a court order. Plus: Steven Lubet points out that Clarence Thomas corrected ethics disclosure form is not actually, er, correct. Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity Discalced Carmelite Nuns and Amanda McCoy/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images. Gather round and listen to this tale of sex, drugs, and power unfolding at a Carmelite order in Texas, where the nuns are fed up and theyre not going to take it anymore! Molly Olmstead unpacks the whole strange sagaand how its gone all the way to the Vatican. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As soon as she heard the news of Jimmy Buffetts death, Cleo Levin headed for the Times Square Margaritaville. The mood in the room wasnt quite what she was expecting. Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images via Getty Images and Getty Images Plus. Its Fast-Food Week at Slate! And were kicking things off with an article you can enjoy animal-style: A warming planet is more hospitable to palm trees. One iconic SoCal chain is obsessed with them. Meg Duff explains what In-N-Outs national expansion says about climate change. Plus: Dan Kois takes a close look at Cook Out, the glorious and mysterious fast-food chain that could be coming to your town. Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood via Getty Images much like Beyonce, whose giant flying horse malfunctioned at one point during the Renaissance tour. Flying horserelated mishaps aside, how does her tour compare to Taylor Swifts Eras tour? Nadira Goffe and Holly Allen have examined this question from all angles, and they have the CHARTS to show for it. Youre welcome. Thanks so much for reading! Well see you tomorrow. FILE - Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi throws to the Tampa Bay Rays during a baseball game, Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. All-Star right-hander Eovaldi was activated from the injured list to start for the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night, Sept. 5, in the middle game of a pivotal AL West series against the Houston Astros. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File) ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Texas Rangers All-Star right-hander Nathan Eovaldi gave up two homers to Houston's Jose Altuve in his return from the injured list, allowing four runs while getting four outs Tuesday night. Eovaldi's first outing since July 18 because of a right forearm strain started and ended with homers from Altuve, the second coming on Eovaldi's 35th pitch with one out in the second inning. Dane Dunning replaced Eovaldi at that point. The Rangers planned for Eovaldi's outing to be short, and Dunning was up in the bullpen in the first inning when the Astros scored three runs. Jose Abreu and Chas McCormick also had RBIs off Eovaldi. He was activated in the middle game of a pivotal AL West series against the Astros. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement After Eovaldi won his last start before going on the IL the Rangers had a 4 1/2-game division lead. Seven weeks later, they went into Tuesday night in third place behind Seattle and Houston, with 13 losses in their previous 17 games. Texas also called up 38-year-old right-handed reliever Ian Kennedy from Triple-A Round Rock. To make room on the 28-man roster, Josh Sborz was placed on the 15-day IL with a left hamstring issue and fellow reliever Glenn Otto was designated for assignment. Sborz allowed six runs before getting an out while pitching in relief during a 13-6 loss to the Astros in the series opener Monday, after Otto gave up two homers in his 1 1/3 innings of work. The Rangers reinstated Eovaldi without him making a rehab start in the minors. He hasn't faced live hitters since Aug. 21 but felt good after bullpen sessions Friday and Sunday. In that July 18 game against Tampa Bay, Eovaldi threw two-hit ball over six scoreless innings in his only start for Texas since July 6. His 11th victory gotten that night matched the major league lead at the time, and he threw a scoreless inning for the AL team in the All-Star game on July 11. The Rangers have gone 19-22 since Eovaldi last pitched, including the opener against Houston when Andrew Heaney didn't make it out of the fifth inning. That was the ninth game in a row that the Texas starter didn't get a decision, and the 17th consecutive game since a victory, the last being Jordan Montgomery on Aug. 15 against the Los Angeles Angels. Houston went into Tuesday night withing a percentage point of the Mariners for first place in the AL West. The Rangers were only a game behind in the division, but they also were only a half-game ahead of Toronto for the AL's third and final wild-card spot. Kennedy was 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA in 11 appearances earlier this season for Texas before being designated for assignment and sent to Round Rock, where he was 1-0 with three saves and a 3.55 ERA in 22 games. Kennedy had 16 saves in 32 appearance for the Rangers in 2021 before a midseason trade to Philadelphia, then pitched for Arizona last year. He went to spring training with Texas this year on a minor league deal. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb Sen. Jessica Castleberry, R-Rapid City, at the Capitol during the 2022 legislative session. What does indirect mean? The question has been at the forefront of political discourse in South Dakota for weeks after former Sen. Jessica Castleberry, R-Rapid City, was found to have accepted over $500,000 in allegedly illegal indirect benefits from state government while serving as a state legislator. The state constitution prohibits legislators from being interested directly or indirectly in contracts with the state or counties. In the handful of state Supreme Court cases and opinions dealing with the matter over the last 135 years, none has explicitly defined indirect, said Michael Card, associate professor emeritus of political science at the University of South Dakota. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Castleberry has said she consulted with an attorney and believed her company a preschool was eligible for federal pandemic relief funds distributed by the state. Attorney General Marty Jackley explained to the press in a news conference in August that although the funds did not go straight to Castleberry and were therefore not a direct benefit, they were an indirect benefit since they went to her business. Since the matter was settled in mid-August with Castleberry agreeing to a repayment plan and resigning, its caused lawmakers and the public to question legislators personal and professional relationships. Sens. Helene Duhamel and Randy Deibert are directly paid by counties Duhamel as the public information officer for the Pennington County Sheriffs Office, and Deibert as a Lawrence County commissioner. Duhamels employment and Deiberts latest commission term began before they were elected to the Legislature. At least a half-dozen legislators or their businesses, as highlighted in a Dakota Scout story, are listed as vendors in state finance documents. Some legislators spouses are employed by the state, including House Majority Leader Will Mortenson, R-Pierre; Sen. Jim Mehlhaff, R-Pierre; and Rep. Chris Kassin, R-Vermillion. Such situations could violate the constitution, said Rich Helsper, an attorney at Helsper, McCarty and Rasmussen Law Firm in Brookings. A person climbs the stairs of the South Dakota Capitol. The two words, Helsper said, referencing direct and indirect, can cover virtually anything which may have been appropriate 135 years ago but not now, he said. Women, for example, are more independent than they were when the state was formed and the constitution was written, and are more likely to have their own job or business that could indirectly benefit a spouse whos a legislator. The government has thousands more employees today and is far more involved in business contracts, Helsper said. Helsper represented Carol Pitts in a conflict of interest lawsuit in front of the state Supreme Court in 2001. Pitts, who was a legislator from Brookings, was also a state employee through South Dakota State University Extension. The court decided in a 3-2 opinion that her SDSU employment contract, which was renewed on a yearly basis and therefore renewed when she was a legislator, was an indirect benefit that violated the constitution and was therefore null and void. The court also found that the state properly refused to pay her for the SDSU job while she was a legislator. As that case showed, the state Supreme Court could further define direct or indirect benefits if it hears more cases on the subject or is asked to issue an advisory opinion. Voters could also tackle the issue through a ballot question, and legislators could address the matter with rules or legislation. Senate President Pro Tempore Lee Schoenbeck, R-Watertown, hopes to proceed with rule changes. I hope this is an objective, nonpartisan effort to help interpret the constitution so legislative candidates and current legislators can comply with it, Schoenbeck told South Dakota Searchlight. History of conflict of interest: Its exactly what our constitutional framers wanted In 2001, Helsper argued the constitutional provision didnt apply to Pitts job at SDSU because she was probably ten levels removed from any authority position, Helsper told South Dakota Searchlight. Therefore, her role as a legislator and votes cast wouldnt affect her SDSU contract, he contended. Yet the language of the constitution is plain and its meaning cannot be mistaken, the Supreme Court wrote in its majority opinion. Specifically, this broad prohibition extends to any contract entered into with the State, the Supreme Court decided. In a 2020 advisory opinion, the Supreme Court said the law is unambiguous and must be applied as it reads. The provision is intended to prevent any possibility of a legislator monetarily benefiting from their position, Card explained. This is a wide net, Card said. But I think its also to prevent the appearance that people elected to government positions are in it for themselves. Its exactly what our constitutional framers wanted to prevent from happening. Helsper believes the provision should be repealed or changed so the Legislature could readdress and redefine conflicts of interest. There should be some restrictions focused on governmental employees in authoritative positions, he said. In Carols case, the Supreme Court said at least a couple of times that all parties were dealing in good faith and there were no improper motives, Helsper said. That is why I say that thousands of state and county employees should not be shut out of the legislative process. Repealing the constitutional provision wont be an easy task, he said. There have been four attempts to revise the constitutional language in the last 53 years. None of them came close to passing, Card said. Eliminating this provision would truly stand a snowballs chance in Maui, Card said. I dont think the public would vote for it. The decision to add the conflict of interest provision was made in the aftermath of territorial government corruption, Card said. Territorial Indian Agent Walter Burleigh, for example, hired his wife and two children to teach English to tribal members at the rate of what would today be $70,000 each, he said. And John Albyne Burbank, the fourth governor of Dakota Territory, used his authority to improve his own financial well being. This is all about public acceptance of governance, Card said. We have to have the trust of the people to make a republic work. Legislators have limited options when they have a conflict involving legislation. They can be absent or excused from a vote, but they cant abstain from a vote thats called while theyre on the floor of the state House or Senate. And an option to abstain wouldnt keep legislators from violating the constitution anyway, Attorney General Marty Jackley said. The constitution strictly prohibits a legislator from contracts with the state, even if they didnt vote on a bill that concerned such contracts. Ethical complaints against legislators can go to an ad-hoc legislative ethics committee made up of the Legislatures own members, though it is at the discretion of the Legislature to take on a complaint and form a committee. The State Government Accountability Board doesnt have jurisdiction over the state Legislature. The entrance to the South Dakota Supreme Court at the state Capitol in Pierre. Legislative conflict of interest Supreme Court decisions: Pitts v. Larson (2001): A legislators contract to work for a state university was ruled null and void as a violation of the state constitutions prohibition against conflicts of interest. Asphalt Surfacing Co. v. SDDOT (1986): Company couldnt be awarded a highway repair contract because the president of the company was a legislator. Norbeck & Nicholson Co. v. State (1913): Company couldnt contract with the South Dakota Board of Regents because a legislator was a stockholder in the company. Palmer v. State (1898): Legislator couldnt be paid for his employment on the state railroad commission. Legislature plans to tackle definition: Indirect doesnt stretch into infinity In Schoenbecks 14-year tenure in the Legislature, he can recall instances when potential candidates or appointed legislators chose not to run for office because they were major shareholders or officers of companies. Their political aspirations interfered with potential business dealings. But after the Castleberry situation, Schoenbeck said hes heard concerns about potential candidates second guessing political careers because of more minor business associations or dealings. Gov. Kristi Noem issued an executive order on the matter in the wake of the Castleberry situation. It requires state offices under her control to include language in contracts requiring signers to acknowledge theyre aware of the law Castleberry allegedly violated. State Auditor Rich Sattgasts office is also reevaluating how to monitor payments and is writing conflict of interest guidelines for legislators. Ive been looking at all kinds of different hypotheticals that we could run into with kind of a broad view of how these funds how any of the state funds are working with legislators, Sattgast told South Dakota Searchlight. Sattgast suggested any transaction between a legislators business and the state could be illegal, using a hypothetical situation where a legislator owns a hotel unknowingly booked by a state employee while on official business. The Bureau of Finance and Management is implementing a new accounting system in a few years that will automatically cross-check financial interests and disclosures from legislators to avoid any such payments, Sattgast said. The upgrade is part of a $70 million investment with one-time funding. Schoenbeck is working with the Legislative Research Council to draft and introduce policies that could be adopted by the Executive Board later this year, including a disclaimer saying the South Dakota Supreme Court interprets the constitution. Indirect doesnt stretch into infinity, Schoenbeck said. It has to mean something realistically. Clearly defining indirect benefits in a policy could help the public, legislators and potential candidates, he added. This isnt about any individual person. This isnt an executive session matter, Schoenbeck said. This is a discussion the public needs to have. Its all going to be in the public because they need to understand it. But Card said rule changes could be insufficient, and other efforts could be difficult. If the Legislature were to change the definition of contract in state law, for example, Card said that could have unintended consequences. Such a vote could be subjected to a public referendum, he added. Amendments to the state constitution would require not only a majority vote from each legislative chamber but also a majority vote of the public. Unless the Supreme Court limits indirect or says indirect doesnt apply to less than a controlling interest in an entity, Card said, then were just going to have trouble. South Dakota Searchlights John Hult contributed to this report. EDITORS NOTE: This article has been updated with a correction to accurately state the process for amending the state constitution. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Legislators conflict of interest puts meaning of indirect under microscope SEOUL (Reuters) - Efforts are under way to transfer Iran's funds that had been frozen in South Korea, foreign minister Park Jin said, after Teheran reached a deal with the United States to release American citizens in return for freeing Iranian assets. Park told his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in a phone conversation on Monday that involved countries were in close communications to resolve the issue, Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Park and the Iranian foreign minister agreed to expand cooperation between the two countries, it said. The United States and Iran reached an agreement last month for the release of five U.S. citizens detained in Iran while $6 billion of Iranian assets in South Korea would be unfrozen. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The assets that had been frozen in South Korea were transferred to Switzerland's central bank in August for exchange and transfer to Iran, South Korean media has reported. (Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Shri Navaratnam) FILE PHOTO: South Korea's Yoon to push for stronger response to North Korea at ASEAN SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will push for a stronger response to North Korea's missile and nuclear programmes at summit talks this week, arguing that the weapons pose an existential threat to the region, he told media. Yoon will leave on Tuesday for an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Indonesia and later in the week he will travel to India for a meeting of G20 leaders. "The Republic of Korea and ASEAN must join forces to respond decisively and cooperate closely on North Koreas denuclearisation," Yoon told Indonesia's Kompas newspaper in an interview published on Tuesday. "North Koreas ever-increasing missile provocations and nuclear threats pose a direct and existential threat to ASEAN member states as well," he said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Yoon said South Korea and the 10-member ASEAN must enhance their cooperation "so the rules-based international order will be able to take firm root in the Indo-Pacific region". ASEAN members will be joined at their summit this week by leaders and senior officials of other countries including the United States, Japan, South Korea, China and Russia. Yoon will also meet Indonesian President Joko Widodo, an official in Yoon's office said. Yoon told Kompas it was time to put relations between South Korea, Japan and China "back on track" but the official in his office said it was unlikely there would be time in Jakarta for a three-way meeting between those leaders but talks were expected later in the year. With ASEAN and India accounting for 21% of South Korea's exports, Yoon would promote exports in the nuclear, defence and infrastructure sectors during his trips to Indonesia and India, an official in Yoon's office told a briefing last week. (Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; editing by Robert Birsel) When federal judge Brantley Starr ordered Southwest Airlines to reinstate former flight attendant Charlene Carter, he wryly noted in his ruling that "bags fly free with Southwest. But free speech didn't fly at all with Southwest in this case." Carter, to whom Starr also awarded $800,000 in damages, had been fired by the company for sending graphic anti-abortion messages to her local union president, calling the group's participation in the 2017 Women's March on Washington "despicable" due to Planned Parenthood serving as a co-sponsor of the event. As part of his ruling, Starr also ordered Southwest to notify its flight attendants that the company "may not discriminate" against employees for their religious beliefs and statements. Southwest, in subsequent memos to its staff, acknowledged that the court had "ordered us to inform you that Southwest does not discriminate" based on religious beliefs, while reiterating the company policies on civility it had used to justify Carter's firing. Incensed at the subtle change in wording between his order and Southwest's memo, as well as with the company's reiteration of its civility standards, Starr excoriated the airline in a blistering 29-page memo filed last month. In it, the judge concluded that Southwest's "chronic failure to understand the role of federal protections for religious freedom" necessitated, among other things, that three of its attorneys attend a "training on religious freedom" facilitated by the Alliance Defending Freedom, self-described as "one of the leading Christian law firms" whose 1994 founding was predicated on the "goal of keeping the doors open for the Gospel." This month, Starr refused a petition to stay the order, writing that the airline's opposition is "more of a gripe than a legal objection" and that "religious liberty training won't harm Southwest." But is mandatory training with a conservative group opposed to same-sex marriage and abortion access an appropriate judicial remedy? What the commentators said The Alliance Defending Freedom is "no neutral, academic entity," The Washington Post's Ruth Marcus said. Instead, the group is a " full-throated, highly effective combatant in the culture wars" whose stances on reproductive health care and LGBTQ rights are "to many people particularly offensive." Countering that Marcus had "perhaps overstated matters," Reason's Walter Olson nevertheless agreed in substance that Starr's order would have been "just as improper" if it had involved the "left-leaning Southern Poverty Law Center," a group that, for its part, lists the Alliance Defending Freedom as a designated "hate group." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The ADF itself has defended its training, emphasizing in a statement to The Associated Press that it focuses on "training in religious liberty law not religious doctrine." Starr "could have avoided criticism" had he gone to a training source that's "a little more neutral," said University of Texas Austin Law and Religion Clinic Director Steven Collis, even as he admitted to the AP that the judge was within his rights to turn to the ADF. "Use an academic instead," Collis suggested. This case shows that religious discrimination should be taken as "seriously as discrimination based on race (or) sex," U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission head Andrea Lucas stressed to Reuters. Like Starr, Lucas was appointed by former President Donald Trump. Former EEOC Chief Council and current Rutgers University Law Professor David Lopez disagreed, telling the wire service that the case is a sign that "the court is moving into some really dangerous territory here." Speaking with the AP, Lopez added, "What happened here, I've never seen that." What next? Southwest has confirmed to Law.com that it plans to appeal the order, as well as Carter's jury victory at large. In the meantime, judicial watchdog and advocacy group Fix the Court has filed a complaint against Judge Starr directly, arguing in a press release that his ruling "contradicts Canon 3 of the Code of Conduct" and "demands scrutiny." Noting that the "5th Circuit [Court of Appeals] is the most conservative in the country," The Post's Marcus predicted that Southwest's ongoing effort to stop Starr's "egregious" order "might not be the easiest lift." If Southwest's appeals effort fails, the ensuing case will be "worth watching," Reason's Olson predicted, suggesting a "significant First Amendment precedent down the road." You may also like Homepage SpaceXs Crew-6 astronauts return safely to Earth after splashdown off Floridas coast A team of astronauts returned safely to Earth early Monday. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< NASA and SpaceXs Crew-6 spent around six months at the International Space Station, after launching from Floridas Space Coast in March. Crew-6 splashed down in a Crew Dragon spacecraft around 12:17 a.m. off the coast of Jacksonville. They exited their capsule less than an hour later after crews retrieved them from the Atlantic Ocean. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Read: Was Worcester teens sudden death due to pepper poisoning? ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement NASA officials said their contributions to the ISS will help NASA with future planned missions to the moon and beyond. Crew-6s return comes just a little over a week after Crew-7 docked with the ISS. Crew-7 is planning to return sometime in the first quarter of next year. CLICK HERE to read the original story by WFTV. Read: Florida man arrested for allegedly killing teenage son with angle saw [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, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Russian air defense forces have destroyed Ukrainian drones in the Kaluga and Moscow regions, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. "Today at night, air defense forces destroyed drones in the Kaluga Region and in the Istra district that were trying to commit an attack on Moscow," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his Telegram channel. Sobyanin added that according to preliminary data, there was no damage or casualties on the crash site and emergency services are working on the site. Russia has reported a series of drone attacks across the country recently and has repeatedly accused Ukraine of being behind the drone strikes. On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that its air defenses have destroyed two Ukrainian drones overnight, one shot down over the Black Sea near the Crimean Peninsula and the other intercepted over the Kursk region. In addition, the ministry said Sunday that its air defense had destroyed a Ukrainian drone over the Belgorod region, preventing it from carrying out a terrorist attack on Russian facilities. On Aug. 30, four Il-76 transport aircraft were destroyed during an overnight drone attack at Pskov airport in western Russia, according to Ukrainian authorities. According to the airport's website, Russia's 334th Military Transport Aviation Regiment, armed with II-76 aircraft, was stationed at the airport at the time of the drone attack. A Ukrainian government official confirmed local reports that Ukrainian military intelligence was behind the attack, said the BBC report. Meanwhile, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 31 that a new Ukrainian-made long-range weapon had successfully reached a target 700 km away, Kyiv Independent reported. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova told a weekly briefing last Wednesday that Ukraine would not have been able to hit targets deep inside Russian territory without satellite data obtained from the West. Zakharova warned that Ukraine's actions will not be left unpunished. Actually, drones have been deployed by both sides in the conflict. Russia hit Ukraine's port infrastructure in an overnight drone attack on the southern Black Sea port city of Odesa, regional authorities said Sunday. Two civilian port workers were injured in the attack, said the Odesa regional military administration. Serhii Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian volunteer army "South," wrote in a Telegram post that a fire broke out in a port infrastructure facility following the attack. According to Ukraine's Air Force, the country's air defense has intercepted 22 out of 25 Shahed-136 and Shahed-131 kamikaze drones launched against the region. I flew from Italy to the US and paid nearly $1,300 for tickets to see three Eras Tour shows. Aside from the concert tickets, I paid $3,000 for a hotel and $1,600 for plane tickets in the US. I spent a similar amount on Europe show tickets and plan to see Taylor Swift five times in 2024. I've gone to The Eras Tour multiple times this past summer and I have tickets to five more of Taylor Swift's shows in Europe next year. Even if I share that Swift's music has had a priceless impact on 11 years of my life, most people still can't fathom why anyone would spend money on a show they've already seen. To be honest, I didn't originally intend to go to this many shows but I don't have any regrets. I flew to two US cities to see Swift perform the first leg of The Eras Tour I was lucky enough to go to two Eras Tour shows at the MetLife Stadium. Alex Lomeli When Swift announced the US leg of The Eras Tour last November, I wasn't willing to wait for international dates. I currently live in Milan, Italy, but was raised in Los Angeles so I was comfortable saving some money and traveling to the US for the tour. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any tickets for a US show on my own. After waiting in Ticketmaster's online queue for over six hours, I left the first round of sales empty-handed. I desperately started looking for tickets, trying to avoid resale sites at all costs. After a few days of seeking tickets on my Instagram and TikTok accounts, one of my online friends sold me a VIP floor ticket for a show at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium in May for $900. I didn't hesitate to dish out the cash. A chance to go to The Eras Tour even once was worth almost any price. A few days later, I was selected for Ticketmaster's special Verified Fan sale and I snagged a lower-bowl seat for another night at MetLife Stadium for $240. Then, one of my college friends from Los Angeles sold me a $150 nosebleed ticket for one of the SoFi Stadium shows in August. In total, I spent nearly $1,300 on US tickets. My flight from Milan to New York was $650 and my weeklong hotel stay was $3,000. The flight to Los Angeles was $950 but I stayed with family. And in true Swiftie fashion, I also spent about $180 total on three different outfits for each show. When I learned about the European leg, I came up with a strategy to get as many tickets as possible I can't wait to see Taylor Swift perform five more times in 2024. Scott Legato/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management When Swift announced the European leg of the tour, I knew I had to see her perform again. I stuck to a budget of around $1,300 for tickets and got to work. This time, the ticket-buying experience was rough but manageable. I signed up for presale codes for the cities I was interested in and was lucky enough to get through the queues in less than one hour for each of them. Staying within my budget, I landed some of the best seats in the house for five different shows for the summer of 2024. I bought a pit ticket in Paris for 98 euros, two VIP floor seats in Milan for 420 euros each, and a front-facing lower bowl seat for 170 and a pit ticket for 128 in London. I also plan on spending about half of what I paid for flights and hotels in the US. For starters, flying from Milan to other parts of Europe is more affordable than going from Milan to the US. My hotel stays will also be shorter since I'm not traveling as far. I expect to spend about $130 per flight to London and Paris and about $1,000 total for my hotels. Is Swift worth all of this? Well, I think she's the best songwriter of my generation, and she's making music history as we speak. But seeing The Eras Tour isn't just about about her. It's also about the joy and memories she consistently brings into my life. Read the original article on Insider St. Paul Public Schools welcomed some 30,000 students back to school Tuesday as classes resumed for grades 1-12, with kindergarten and preschool students starting Thursday. Among those returning students were roughly 250 children attending East African Elementary Magnet School, which opened for the first time Tuesday in the former Jackson Elementary building. Jackson closed last year as part of a districtwide consolidation, but the building now is part of an effort to stop a decadelong enrollment decline by competing with East African charter schools. Outside temperatures were expected to reach the low-to-mid-90s Tuesday, making for an uncomfortable first day of school for many students and staff as most St. Paul schools lack air conditioning. New to Minnesota schools this fall, students across the state can get free school meals, which the state is covering at a projected cost of $200 million a year. Related Articles Tennessee state Rep. Gloria Johnson speaks to the media with fellow Democratic Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones at the White House on April 24. Johnson announced Tuesday she is running for the Senate seat held by Republican Marsha Blackburn . File Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI Sept. 5 (UPI) -- State Rep. Gloria Johnson, a Democrat who narrowly avoided expulsion from the Tennessee legislature for protesting inaction on gun violence, announced Tuesday she will challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn in 2024. Johnson, one of the "Tennessee 3" along with state Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, announced her candidacy in a video on X, formerly known as Twitter. She highlighted standing with her two Democratic colleagues as they spoke out in favor of gun reform in the wake of the Covenant School shooting in Nashville in March. Jones and Pearson, both Black, were expelled by the Republican majority in the Tennessee House. Both were re-elected in August. Johnson, of Knoxville, avoided expulsion by one vote, but was removed from her committee assignments. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In her announcement, Johnson, a former teacher, focused on the epidemic of gun violence, asking, "When will enough be enough?" Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, announced her campaign for Senate on Tuesday. File Photo courtesy of the Tennessee General Assembly There is a movement afoot in Tennessee. Now I'm running for US Senate because our work doesn't stop here. Join us. pic.twitter.com/6XKFLuRfkc Rep. Gloria Johnson (@VoteGloriaJ) September 5, 2023 "I know fighting for justice has a cost. I learned that firsthand as a little girl when I had to sleep in a hallway instead of my bedroom to avoid being shot, because my dad had the courage to bring the KKK to justice," Johnson says. "We deserve a leader with the courage to stand up to extremists and billionaires that have taken over our system. That person ain't Marsha Blackburn." Johnson's father was an FBI agent, according to her campaign website. Abigail Sigler, a spokeswoman for Blackburn's campaign, said in a statement, "While Sen. Blackburn is working hard to fight back against Biden's woke agenda, state Rep. Johnson is pushing that divisive, destructive agenda here in Tennessee." Sigler said. Johnson indicated she would support access to abortion, affordable healthcare and prescription drugs. She took aim at Blackburn for her support of a national abortion ban. Blackburn has supported bills to prohibit the approval of new abortion medications, block funding for organizations that provide abortion services and rescind the defense department's accommodations for pregnant troops to seek abortion services. The stance by the Tennessee 3 earned the praise of President Joe Biden, who hosted them at the White House following the expulsion of Jones and Pearson. "You're standing up for our kids, you're standing up for our communities," Biden said in April. "What the Republican legislature did was shocking; it was undemocratic. We passed the most significant gun laws, but there's more to do." A special session of the Tennessee General Assembly, called to address "public safety" in the wake of the Nashville shooting that killed six people, including three children, ended last week with little progress on gun policy. Blackburn has served in the Senate since 2019. Johnson will face Dylan Fain in the Democratic primary on Aug. 1. Everyone who joins the military knows (or should know) they could be sent to a war zone at any time. They volunteer themselves to serve in the most dangerous of situations, wherever they might be needed. We all know this, but theres still a mix of shock and surprise, maybe even anticipation when we receive orders to deploy to war for the first time. While many of us may feel nervous about going into one of Americas many ongoing conflicts, we may not realize its actually safer for us to be at a deployed location than to be training for that combat deployment. Data compiled for a 2022 Congressional report shows that actual combat deaths are a small part of what actually kills American troops. Between 2006 and 2021, some 2,740 American service members were killed in action worldwide. But that number was only 14.1% of the total of American troops who died during that time period. When combined with deaths from wounds sustained in combat, that number jumps to 18.7%, still less than a fifth of total deaths. Since 2006, a total of 16,652 active-duty personnel and mobilized reservists have died while serving in the US Armed Forces. Seventy-three percent of these casualties occurred under circumstances unrelated to war, the report says. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement For much of this time period, the United States was engaged in major combat operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, along with low-intensity conflicts in many other countries around the world; 4,620 U.S. military personnel died in 28 countries and at sea. These are numbers that speak to the efficiency of American combat medicine and American ability on the battlefield. It also makes one wonder: How is everyone else dying? The majority of non-combat deaths among service members from that time period came from accidents (32%) and self-inflicted deaths (25.4%). There were outliers: 2018 saw a rash of training accidents, aircraft crashes, and ship collisions that killed a large number of American service members. It prompted Congress to demand increased spending to combat what some called military readiness at a crisis point. Idaho Army National Guard Soldiers from Alpha Company, 116 Brigade Engineer Battalion conduct section combined arms live-fire as part of gunnery Jan. 18, 2019, at the Orchard Combat Training Center. The 2022 report notes that illness and injury was the third leading cause of death (17.9%) before combat-related deaths. Smaller percentages include homicide, terror attacks, captured troops, and unknown causes of death; 39% of accidental deaths involved vehicles, but the number of accidental deaths has been on a downward trend since 2006. But that doesnt mean the accidents are stopping. In 2020, a training accident aboard an amphibious assault vehicle near Camp Pendleton, California , saw 16 people sink in 385 feet of water off the coast of San Clemente Island. As of April, 14 soldiers have died in helicopter crashes in 2023, and three more were injured, prompting the Army to ground all aviation units. Even while this article was being written, a Marine Corps aviator crashed in the vicinity of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar . Families of service members killed in training have begun to get involved, pushing the services to use more simulator training. But simulators, the Defense Department says, cost just as much as an actual aircraft. Many are being adopted, but yet not enough to influence the number of real-world training accidents. Until they do, the military will have to rely on training and vigilance to mitigate risk. Stephen Fry notes extraordinary humor and determination of Ukrainians while on visit to Kyiv Renowned British actor and writer Stephen Fry, currently visiting Kyiv, says he has been impressed at the "extraordinary humor" that unites everyone in the Ukrainian capital, as well as their "unshakeable determination to see off the barbarians." Fry arrived in Kyiv early on Sept. 4 to host the third First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit. He has since shared his impressions of his first day in the Ukrainian capital on his Instagram account. On arriving in Kyiv, Fry posted a picture of the sleeping compartment of the Ukrzaliznytsia train in which he spent the night as he journeyed from the Polish border to Kyiv. Later, he posted about his full day of experiences in the city. Read also: 20 celebs who came to Ukraine in past year ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement What a day. Cant believe I only arrived here in Kyiv 12 hours ago: since then Ive watched a surgical operation on a wounded soldier (the air raid siren sounded in the theatre but no one paid attention, there was a patient to be cared for), Fry wrote. Next I met two young men who laughed as they teased each other about the differences between their new prosthetic legs. Then I talked to a young woman who lost her husband on the Russian front only two weeks ago. They all had in common extraordinary humor, as well as a profound unshakeable determination to see off the barbarians at the gate and keep their independence and sovereignty. War can bring out the worst in people, but sometimes the very best Accompanying his comments, Fry posted a photo of a sign indicating the location of an air raid shelter in a building. The same day, famous Ukrainian artist Nikita Titov shared a photo showing Fry, himself and his friend Olexandra Loboda on the streets of Kyiv. Read also: Enjoy life despite war, Ukrainian actor, paratrooper Linartovych tells Ukrainians "Ukraine currently has the highest concentration of wonderful people you can meet at every turn, Titov wrote. We met Stephen Fry and are off to meet others." The artist also presented Fry with a caricature portrait. Fry also said he had tried the Kyiv's famous Chicken Kiev for dinner: "When in Barnsley, chew on a Barnsley Chop. When in Bath, nibble a Bath Bun. But Im in Kyiv, so it has to be Chicken Kyiv Read also: Canada sanctions Russian propagandists, singers, actors, musicians, and Wagner Group media Kyiv will host the third First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit on Sept. 6, an event initiated by First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska in 2021. Fry, a popular UK actor, presenter, writer and activist, who has been supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, will host the event. The theme of the third summit is Mental Health: Resilience and Fragility of the Future. 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 After a rainy, muddy weekend, people were finally able to leave Burning Man. At least 14 people were killed in incidents on the water over Labor Day weekend. And weve got a look at Sen. Mitch McConnells doctors note. Hey there! Laura Davis here. Its time for Tuesdays news. But first: Coke. Soda. Pop. Whatever you call it, it's no secret Americans love soft drinks. But what does soda do to your stomach? The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here. Leaving Burning Man, at last After a weekend of rain stranded people for days in foot-deep mud, thousands of Burning Man revelers trying to leave the grounds found themselves stuck in an hourslong line of traffic. Of course. The lengthy delays are normal at Burning Man and are known by attendees as Exodus. About 64,000 people were on site as of Monday midday, according to organizers, and the traffic line Tuesday was estimated to be three hours long. The event typically winds down Labor Day each year, but heavy rains in the Black Rock Desert forced organizers to temporarily ban driving and limit who could leave. People were told to conserve water, fuel and water as they sheltered in place during the heavy rains. Follow our live coverage. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A line of RVs, campers and other vehicles drive out of Burning Man on Labor Day, several hours before the exit gates formally opened for departures. Court rejects Alabama districts in showdown over Black voting power Setting up another Supreme Court showdown that could help decide the balance of power in Congress after the 2024 election, a federal court in Alabama on Tuesday once again struck down that state's congressional map. A three-judge panel ruled that Alabama's latest map likely violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965 because only one of seven districts has a majority of Black voters even though African Americans make up 27% of the state's population. The decision is technically limited to Alabama, but the legal battle will have significant ramifications in other states, especially in the South, and could give Democrats a major advantage in next year's election. Here's a closer look at what the ruling means. Paw-petrator: Did a police dog violate the Constitution by jumping on a car? Demonstrators encourage people to vote at a rally for Senate candidate Doug Jones on Dec. 10, 2017, in Birmingham, Ala. What everyone's talking about The Short List is free, but several stories we link to are subscriber-only. Consider supporting our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today. McConnell's doctor's note: No strokes A physician said Tuesday that Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., does not have a seizure disorder and did not have a stroke. The Republican leader has frozen multiple times in front of reporters. Brian P. Monahan, the attending physician of the U.S. Congress, said in a letter addressed to McConnell that there is no evidence he has a movement disorder, such as Parkinsons disease, or that he had a transient ischemic attack, also known as a mini-stroke. Monahan explained in the letter that he examined McConnell, and the Republican leader received brain imaging, consultations with multiple neurologists and other assessments. Here's what we know. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., before taking the podium to speak at the NKY Chamber of Commerce on Aug. 30. McConnell appeared to briefly freeze up and was unable to answer a question from a reporter during the event. Labor Day weekend deadly on the water At least 14 people died in boating or swimming incidents around the United States over the Labor Day holiday weekend. In New Jersey, a swimmer who disappeared in coastal waters was still missing Tuesday. Among the deaths were a New York couple whose 27-foot boat struck a large fishing vessel Sunday. In New Jersey, police in Seaside Park and Belmore rescued "more than a dozen bathers from rough waters due to dangerous currents" over the weekend. Crews were reportedly still searching for a man who vanished in the waters off Seaside Park, a borough in Ocean County. A look at the incidents. A break from the news Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hello: laura@usatoday.com. This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Burning Man, Labor Day, Mitch McConnell: Tuesday's news A police officer and a dog patrol the perimeter of the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse August 3, 2023 in Washington, DC. WASHINGTON The problem for Nero the police dog began when he put his paws on the door of a car that had been pulled over after the driver swerved across three lanes. By all accounts, the Belgian Malinois did his job, sniffing out a pill bottle and a plastic bag that contained meth residue evidence that ultimately allowed police in Idaho to get a warrant and charge the driver, Kirby Dorff, with felony drug possession. But the paws Nero placed on the driver side door as he jumped up to get a better sniff have opened a constitutional question that has now reached the Supreme Court: whether the dogs mere touching of the car violated the Fourth Amendment's prohibition on "unreasonable searches." Idaho's top court concluded in March that Nero's exuberance amounted to a warrantless search, so it tossed Dorffs conviction. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The case is one of several to arrive at the Supreme Court this year testing the power of law enforcement under the Fourth Amendment when officers approach vehicles. Another case deals with an officer who spotted a joint under a drivers seat after the car door was left open. A third challenges San Diegos practice of chalking tires for parking enforcement. The Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that Miami-Dade police violated the Fourth Amendment when they brought a police dog past the home of a man suspected of growing marijuana. In another case that year, a majority ruled that a Florida police officer's use of a drug-sniffing dog to search a truck during a routine traffic stop was fine. Four justices involved in those cases have since left the court, including Antonin Scalia, who died in 2016 and who was one of the Supreme Court's most ardent champions of the Fourth Amendment. "I dont know where the court without Scalia would come out on those cases," said Catherine Grosso, a law professor at Michigan State University. "But they're important cases for us to understand the bounds on the regulation of police investigation under the Fourth Amendment." Following the scent straight into court The traffic stop by Mountain Home police on a summer night in Idaho in 2019 appeared routine: An officer watched Dorff make an improper turn and cross three lanes of traffic, according to court records. Nero showed up shortly after police made the stop. The dog and his handler circled the car twice. On the second pass, body-camera footage showed Nero jumped up several times and at one point put his paws on the drivers side door and window. After police found the evidence of meth in the car because of Nero, they obtained a warrant for Dorffs motel room and found more drugs. Don Slavik, executive director of the United States Police Canine Association, said K-9 dogs sometimes stand on hind legs and put their front legs on a car for balance as they're chasing a scent. Mountain Home, Idaho, K-9 dog Nero and his handler on Aug. 25, 2023. "Dogs are used to detect odors because of their unique ability to follow a trained odor to its source," Slavik said. "Once the dog detects the trained odor, it will follow the scent to the source or come as close as possible to it." But in a 3-2 decision, Idaho's Supreme Court ruled that there was a big difference between a dog smelling the air around a vehicle and touching it as it tried to sniff inside. It's the difference between a person who brushes up against someone else's purse, the court wrote, and someone who rests their hands on it without consent. It is also the difference between a dogs tail that brushes against the bumper of your vehicle as it walks by and a dog who, without privilege or consent, approaches your vehicle to jump on its roof, sit on its hood, stand on its window or door," the court wrote. The Supreme Court will likely decide this fall whether to hear the case. How to fight your parking ticket at the Supreme Court There's fighting city hall and then there's fighting city hall all the way to the Supreme Court. That's exactly what two California men are doing over parking tickets issued by the city of San Diego. The plaintiffs are challenging the city's decades-old practice of chalking tires to check whether a car has moved, claiming that the practice violates the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches. The San Francisco-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit rejected the argument in October, ruling that the practice falls under whats known as the administrative exemption that allows certain types of warrantless searches for heavily regulated activities, such as city inspectors who can search for housing code violations without a warrant. But another appeals court in Cincinnati in 2021 ruled that the exemption does not apply to tire chalking. The justices are expected to discuss the case later this month. A San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency parking control officer writes a parking ticket for an illegally parked car on July 3, 2013 in San Francisco, California. Police find gun, pot as driver films on cellphone Cincinnati police stopped a Pontiac Grand Prix in 2019 because they suspected the cars window tint was too dark. Things quickly went downhill from there. The driver, Jackie Jackson, who is Black, became skeptical of the officers' reason for pulling him over, according to his lawyers. He took out his phone to film his interaction with police. Lawyers for the state of Ohio say Jackson became "visibly agitated" and declined to remove his key from the ignition. Ultimately, one of the officers opened the door and ordered Jackson to step out of the car. Hot pursuit: Supreme Court balks at warrantless searches when police are in 'hot pursuit' for lesser crimes No one bothered to close the door. While Jackson was being patted down, another officer noticed marijuana through the still-open car door. That discovery gave police cause to search the entire vehicle. They found a handgun in a laundry basket in the back seat, and Jackson was charged with gun-related crimes. Jackson appealed, arguing that the officer who noticed the marijuana didnt have cause to search the vehicle. Ohios Supreme Court disagreed: In a 5-2 decision, it ruled that the first officer didn't intend to search the vehicle when he opened the door. And the second officer couldn't unsee the marijuana the state claims was in plain sight. The Supreme Court on Aug 30, 2023. Jacksons lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court in January, claiming in part that if the justices allow the interaction to stand, every police department in Ohio will direct one officer to open a door while another peers inside. It invites the police to play games to shield their searches from Fourth Amendment scrutiny, Jackson's lawyers told the Supreme Court. The police will have carte blanche to look inside any car or any home. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Supreme Court asked if police dog's paws violated Constitution Detained Russian general Sergei Surovikin had been released several days after the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin , the Wagner group leader, in a plane crash. Source: The New York Times, referring to American officials and a source close to the Russian Defence Ministry Details: As two US officials and a person close to the Russian Defence Ministry reported, Surovikin was released. This happened a few days after the death of Prigozhin in a plane crash. At the same time, it is unclear whether there are any restrictions on his movement. One source of the media reports that the general has retained his rank and is technically still an officer, but he has no career prospects. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Sources of the NYT believe that he was informed in advance about Wagner's mutiny. The NYT also mentioned a photo with Surovikin, which was made public on Monday by Russian journalists. It shows the general wearing sunglasses, a hat and a buttoned-up shirt walking outside next to his wife against the backdrop of an ivy-covered wall. Photo: Ksenia Sobchak's Telegram channel Krovavaya Barynya (Bloody Lady) Background: On 12 July, Russian mass media reported that Surovikin was detained by counterintelligence in connection with Yevgeny Prigozhin's mutiny. Earlier, the Russian FSB announced the closure of the case regarding Prigozhin's mutiny in Russia. However, Surovikin, who was repeatedly linked to Prigozhin by the Western media, has not appeared in public since addressing the Wagnerites on the night of 23-24 June, in which he called on them to lay down their arms. Bloomberg also wrote that the general was interrogated for several days by military prosecutors about his connections with Prigozhin. The source of the agency claimed that Surovikin is being held "in one place", but he is not in prison. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Sitting at a table in Fountain Square, the Tyler Davidson fixture gurgling beneath her words, Whitney Austin suddenly tensed and stopped talking. A man on a cell phone walking nearby had veered close to her chair. A little too close. Austins body went rigid. The stranger on a call didnt seem to notice. If hes reading this description, in fact, he likely doesnt recognize himself in the scene. He was oblivious. Thats a luxury Austin hasnt had since Sept. 6, 2018, the morning she was shot 12 times as one of five gunshot victims three of them fatal in a mass shooting inside the Fifth Third Bank. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I didnt like that, Austin, 42, said as her body relaxed after the man on the phone passed. Im definitely on high alert. On the morning of Sept. 6, 2018, Whitney Austin was shot 12 times as she entered the revolving doors at Fifth Third headquarters on Fountain Square on her way into work. Five people were shot, three died that day in downtown Cincinnati. That wasnt the case the morning of the shooting. Five years ago, the Louisville woman had been on the phone herself, immersed in a conference call as she entered the lobby of the bank, for which she worked as an executive. Just after 9 a.m., a gunman opened fire, his bullets striking five people who, like Austin, had simply been minding their own business. Austin and Brian Sarver, then a 45-year-old contractor, were the two who survived physical injuries. But Sarver is quick to say that plenty of others bear invisible scars left by the senseless attack. "(The gunman) did fire at several other people, but he didn't hit them, luckily," said Sarver, now 50, who lost his spleen in aftermath of the shooting. "It definitely affected everyone who was in the lobby at that time." And plenty who weren't. The news traumatized the city, sparked Cincinnati Strong hashtags on social media, spurred more than $1.2 million in donations for survivors and families of the slain, and inspired Austin to create a nonprofit organization aimed to thwart gun violence. "People have been impacted for life," said Yashwanth Yeddulapalli, 32, whose friend Prudhvi Raj Kandepi, at age 25, was the youngest of the three killed victims. Kailash Sharma, a priest from the Hindu Temple, prays for Prudhvi Kandepi during his memorial service at The Ramada Plaza in Sharonville in 2013. Every year since the attack, some of Kandepi's friends Yeddulapalli among them have traveled to Cincinnati to mark the anniversary of their India-born friend's death. "His family back home, it's still hard for them," Yeddaulpalli said. "They still can't process what happened. It's hard to swallow for any of the families not just him, but for all the other families, too. It's disrupted their lives forever." 'I was the first bullet that day' No matter how many years pass, elements of the 2018 shooting continue to flummox those affected by it. Austin, for one, remains dumbfounded that she sustained the most wounds and yet walked away with the least serious injuries. While Sarver was rushed straight to surgery to staunch the damage done by a gunshot wound to his left side, Austins first surgery could wait until morning. None of my major organs were hit. The whole things a miracle to be shot 12 times. Nobody else gets shot 12 times and lives, she said. This is the way I say it: I got the very best of the worst. Police investigate the scene after a mass shooting at the Fifth Third Bank building on Fountain Square that killed three people and injured two. The fifth anniversary of the Sept. 6, 2018, shooting is Wednesday. The three who, along with their families, endured the worst of the worst were: engineer Kandepi, who'd been shot in the head, torso and arms; construction supervisor Richard Newcomer, 64, killed by a single gunshot to his upper left back; and Luis Felipe Calderon, 48, a Colombia native killed by shots to his chest and back. "I was the first bullet that day," Sarver said recently. "The first shot out of the gun was me." Sarver had been standing in the bank lobby with two coworkers, one of whom was Newcomer, whom everyone called Rick. The bullet entered Sarver's lower back, striking his spleen before exiting through his abdomen. "It spun me around to the right and there was an open stairwell that goes down into the basement," Sarver recalled. "I dove down the stairs. He continued to fire at me, but he of course missed me, thank God. I didn't get hit any more times after that." Newcomer was shot next and followed Sarver down the stairs, where an employee-only entrance slowed their escape. Sarver's badge to open the door had fallen on the floor when he was shot, but Newcomer still had his. Bleeding heavily from the wound in his torso, Newcomer used his badge to open the door, Sarver said. The injured men, who could still hear gunfire overhead in the lobby, made their way to a loading dock and waited for what seemed like an eternity for an ambulance. Newcomer was still conscious and talking when the first arrived to transport him to the hospital, where he died from his injuries. Sarver grapples daily with feeling grateful he survived and guilty that Newcomer didn't. "The negativity is going to come and beat you down if you let it," he said. "You have to focus on being positive, focus on thinking about that thankfulness or that glass-is-half-full mentality. "I'm not saying I do it well all the time. It's work." 'I don't look back with regret' The gunman that day was 29-year-old Omar Enrique Santa Perez, who had fired 35 rounds from a 9 mm handgun in a span of 4 minutes, 28 seconds. That was precisely how long it took Cincinnati police to arrive to the scene, having been dispatched after a bystander called 911 55 seconds after the first gunshot. The gunman was still actively firing when officers arrived and opened fire in return, felling him with a bullet to his back. It took police a year to release a summary of its investigation into the shooting, which revealed that Santa Perez had learned the day before his rampage that a lawsuit he had filed against NBC Universal and TD Ameritrade had been dismissed a second time. The gunman had claimed the two companies had uncovered his identity and were publishing private details about his life allegations that federal magistrate Karen Litkovitz had described as rambling, difficult to decipher and (bordering) on delusional when she dismissed the case. The day before the shooting, Santa Perez had learned about the second dismissal from a lawyer representing NBC Universal, police announced in late September 2019. Surveillance video captured before the shooting showed Santa Perez walking toward Cincinnatis federal courthouse, which was across the street from Fifth Thirds home on Fountain Square. The footage depicted him crossing a skywalk over Walnut Street with a messenger bag slung over his shoulder and a drink from Panera Bread in his hand. That's as close as police have come to ascribing a motive for the attack. Santa Perez had a long history of mental health issues, his family told police. They sought treatment for him in 2010 and 2012 in Florida, where they argued before Palm Beach County judges that Santa Perez was violent and mentally ill, prompting mental health evaluations. It was that revelation that the gunman had accessed a firearm despite his familys repeated warnings that he was dangerous that sparked Austin to create her nonprofit, Whitney/Strong, within months of the shooting. The organization primarily promotes safe firearm storage and resources for responsible gun ownership while pushing for bipartisan legislation that makes it tougher for people in mental crises or with violent histories to access firearms. Austin, a married mother of two who routinely traveled from Louisville to the Fifth Third headquarters in Cincinnati, acknowledged that her decision to swiftly develop the organization was perhaps hasty, if well-intentioned. I think that I probably could have benefited from taking longer to start Whitney/Strong and concentrating on myself, she said. But at the same time, that was the moment in which people were active, and had I waited, Whitney/Strong might not exist today. So I dont look back with regret. The organization aims this week to balance a few goals during its Week of Remembrance marking the fifth anniversary of the shooting: honoring the three men killed five years ago, providing resources to people wanting to learn how to predict and thwart gun violence and assuring those who worry the cycle of violence is destined to never end that there are reasons to feel optimistic. "I'm mostly very hopeful because my ear is very close to the ground and I see change happening every day that people don't see," Austin said. She cited two pieces of legislation as proof: Kentucky's proposed Crisis Aversion and Rights Retention bill, or CARR, sponsored by Sen. Whitney Westerfield, a Fruit Hill Republican, that aims to remove guns from people in crisis, as well as the federal Safer Communities Act, whose swath of bipartisan supporters included Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Louisville Republican. The latter act provides funding for mental health services and school security initiatives while also expanding criminal background checks for some gun buyers and making it tougher for domestic-violence offenders to buy guns. "I've talked about bipartisan work from the very beginning, and I have to be honest: It didn't become real for me until the bipartisan Safer Communities Act" passed in 2022, Austin said. "No one will ever be able to take that example away from me." 'I'm going to keep doing this as long as I can' Those marking this week's fifth anniversary of the shooting will do so in ways big and small, private and public. Austin's organization has daily events, including a free program called "Save A Life: The Research Edition," during which criminologists will share warning signs of impending violence Tuesday, Sept. 5, at 6:30 p.m. On Wednesday, Whitney/Strong also will host Storytelling on the Square, which will feature a mural by local artists sharing stories of gun violence throughout Cincinnati. Other gestures will be more subtle. "I'm just going to be on my own," said Yeddulapalli, who is coming with his wife and a friend to do what he's done every year since the shooting: spend time visiting the tree he and friends planted for Kandepi at Spring Grove Cemetery, leave a photo and some flowers on Fountain Square and walk through the lobby door Kandepi had obliviously entered that fateful morning. "It doesn't matter to me if it's been five years or 10 years," Yeddulapalli said. "I'm going to keep doing this as long as I can just to remember him and let him know that we didn't forget him." Srivenkat Poolla lights a candle as friends of Prudhvi Kandepi gather on Fountain Square on Friday, September 6, 2019 in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio on the anniversary of his death. Kandepi was fatally shot along with two others before police killed the gunman. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Fifth Third Bank survivors on 'high alert' 5 years after mass shooting A 42-year-old man was taken into custody early Tuesday morning after an hours-long standoff with officers that started when police say he shot a woman, Allegheny County Police tell Channel 11. CLICK HERE FOR A LOOK AT THE SCENE Channel 11 has learned the man, Michael Plopi, shot the victim several times on the balcony of a home in the 1200 block of Pirl Street in McKeesport, according to court documents. Michael Plopi Emergency crews were first called around 7:25 p.m. for a ShotSpotter alert. The woman was found outside the home with multiple gunshot wounds. She was pulled to safety and taken to a local hospital. Officials say she was in critical condition but is expected to survive. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Responding officers said they heard an additional four shots and believed Plopi was attempting to shoot at them. He was inside the home with a family member. Allegheny County SWAT was called and able to negotiate for the release of the family member. The standoff ended around 3 a.m. Channel 11 was there as Plopi was taken out of the home. A witness told police Plopi shot the woman after an argument. He allegedly shot her three times before his gun jammed. He then fixed the gun before re-emerging from the home and firing a fourth round at the woman, who had gone over the balcony, police said. He is facing several charges including criminal attempted homicide, aggravated assault and a weapons charge. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Karns City community holds vigil to support high school quarterback who collapsed during game Event organizers urge Pittsburgh Labor Day parade-goers prepare for high temperatures 2 dead, 7 hurt in Fayette County crash VIDEO: 2 dead, 7 hurt in Fayette County crash DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts HAVANA, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Monday attended a national ceremony here to start the 2023-2024 school year, the first to take place in 46 weeks after the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuban news agency Prensa Latina reported. The president extended congratulations and wished success to children across the country who returned to their classrooms, the Presidency of the Republic reported on its X account, formerly known as Twitter. "The happy day has arrived. Back to the classroom, to classes, to friends, to the certainty that all the efforts and sacrifices are worth it to see the future filling with light," Diaz-Canel said. "Congratulations Cuba because, whatever the cost, all your schools are still open." About 1.6 million students returned to classrooms on Monday across over 16,000 schools, and more than 162,000 teachers attended the new academic year, according to the Cuban Ministry of Education. Claudia Paola Rodriguez, a 10-year-old student from the Havana district of El Vedado, was excited to get back to classes on Monday, where she got to meet classmates and teachers again after a two-month break. "I like this school very much because I can learn different subjects and play with my friends," she said. Silvia Boada, a third-grade teacher, feels optimistic about the success of the new school year. "This will be a period of huge challenges, but we will work together for more inclusive and higher quality classes," she said. This summers record heat is turning up the misery for airline passengers during the most sweltering part of a flight that period during boarding before the engines and air conditioning ramp up. Its also calling new attention to complaints from pilots and flight attendants about airlines tolerance for hot air. American Airlines will let cabin temperatures reach 90 degrees before the company considers it too hot to board, according to an internal document reviewed by POLITICO. JetBlue Airways sets that threshold at 85 degrees, the airline says in a recent memo reviewed by POLITICO, after raising it from 80. And federal regulators have set no uniform standards for cabin temperatures during boarding. Keeping the cabins cooler could require airlines to burn more fuel, potentially violating their pledges to lessen greenhouse gas pollution or to delay boarding until temperatures drop, making it harder to keep flights running on time. But aviation unions say Washington must act, in yet another example of the conflicts that the planets warming is creating. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This summer has included the hottest June and hottest July ever recorded, federal scientists have said, a trend that has driven plenty of misery worldwide not just on the tarmac. I don't see the summers getting any cooler, said Tyesha Best, president of Local 579 of the Transport Workers Union of America, which represents JetBlue flight attendants. Stifling-hot cabin air doesnt just affect the health of passengers and crews, Best added. With hot cabins come hot tempers. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told POLITICO that his department is monitoring heat trends as well, and taking action in extreme cases. But he added that more routinely, there needs to be a level of comfort and safety in terms of cabin temperature. But as long as planes are able to take off without an extended delay that leaves planes waiting on the tarmac, cabin temperatures can be quickly rectified, Buttigieg argued. If you can prevent an unreasonable tarmac delay, then usually you're also not going to have an unreasonable period of discomfort or danger during the boarding process, he said. Airlines for America, which represents major domestic airlines, said the industry works to ensure a safe and comfortable experience for everyone, including activating air flow to cool the cabin during the boarding process. Airlines will only operate when passengers, crew and people on the ground are safe, A4A spokesperson Hannah Walden said. But the unions say heat-related illnesses are an increasing concern. They want more active intervention from either lawmakers or DOT such as setting an acceptable temperature range for plane cabins, or requiring airlines to run the air conditioners sooner. In July, for example, passengers on a Delta flight bound for Atlanta were stranded on the tarmac for hours in high heat, causing some travelers to get sick and others to pass out. The flight was finally canceled. Delta has acknowledged that the temperatures inside the cabin were uncomfortable. Its now cooperating with the Transportation Departments investigation of the incident, airline spokesperson Lisa Hanna said. Our procedures around hot cabin prevention are continuously being evaluated and updated for the best experience possible across our operation and for the comfort and safety of our customers and people," Hanna said. Buttigieg called the incident shocking and questioned how it was possible for passengers to be left idling for so long as the temperatures climbed, Reuters reported at the time. Three major U.S. airlines Delta, United and Southwest dont set any maximum cabin temperatures that would cause them to keep passengers from boarding, spokespeople for the companies said. Other airlines set cabin temperature thresholds that aviation unions consider unacceptable. In June, as record-breaking heat began enveloping large swaths of the United States, JetBlue set 85 degrees as its threshold for how hot a plane can be and still board passengers, according to a June 1 internal memo reviewed by POLITICO. It had previously been 80 degrees, the memo said. The memo said the extra 5 degrees of leeway would help expedite boarding and aid the airlines on-time performance. When asked about the new temperature threshold, JetBlue repeatedly declined to address the specifics of the change or elaborate on its standards, but said the companys policies are designed to ensure its commitment to the safety of its crew members and customers. Our acceptable boarding temperatures align with common industry standards and best practices, and allow us to safely serve more than one hundred destinations with various climates and on numerous types of aircraft, the airline said in a statement. And American considers a cabin temperature of up to 90 degrees adequate to board passengers, according to the document shared with POLITICO. However, the procedures say Americans crews begin taking steps to lessen the heat once a cabin hits 80 degrees, such as closing window shades and opening air vents. Customer service will not board passengers if the cabin temperature is above 90F except in extreme cases, the document says, adding that the captain has final authority. American spokesperson Amy Lawrence confirmed the steps that the airline takes to mitigate temperatures above 80 degrees, but would not confirm or comment further on its maximum boarding temperature policy. Buttigiegs department has no regulations setting a maximum temperature during a flight, aside from saying airlines must keep cabins at a comfortable temperature during extended tarmac delays before takeoff or after landing. That rule doesnt define comfortable. When asked if the agency is considering regulating cabin temperatures during boarding, DOT spokesperson Ben Halle did not answer directly. Instead the agency pointed to its temperature standards during extended tarmac delays of up to three hours, after which passengers must be given the option to get off the plane. In his interview with POLITICO, Buttigieg reiterated that DOT has the authority to hold airlines accountable for unreasonable cabin temperatures when planes are idling for long periods of time on the tarmac. Airlines' cooling options have tradeoffs Similar to the way cooling works in cars, even if an airplanes air conditioner is on, it doesnt start really lowering the cabin temperature until the engine ramps up, usually after takeoff. And other options for cooling planes during boarding bring drawbacks. The airline could use the auxiliary power unit a small jet engine at the back of a plane to boost engine power and circulate air throughout the cabin. But that would burn additional fuel at a time when the industry is under pressure to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, leaving the unit on too long can cause equipment to malfunction. Airlines can also use hoses and external generator units to pump cool air into the cabin. But those units don't always work well they can distribute air unevenly, and sometimes outside temperatures are too hot for those units to significantly cool the plane. This can be especially acute at hot-weather airports like Phoenix Sky Harbor and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airports, which have recorded over 100-degree temperatures this summer. Union renews call for action In 2018, the Association of Flight Attendants, with support from the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents most U.S. airline pilots, and other unions, petitioned the department to create standards for cabin temperatures. In July, a JetBlue flight from the Dominican Republic to Boston had to turn back after a malfunctioning air conditioner sent cabin temperatures up to 97 degrees. (JetBlue apologized for the incident and determined that the onboard climate control system was not functioning properly, the airline said in a statement.) Following the incident, TWU flight attendants filed complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on extreme heat conditions, Best said. The FAA did not offer comment on whether it responded to the complaints, but said its regulations work to ensure that aircraft are certified to be able to operate in certain temperatures. Meanwhile, its up to the Transportation Department to regulate passenger comfort, the agency said. OSHA said over the past two months it had received two complaints for excessive airplane cabin temperatures during boarding. One complaint, related to working in excessive heat in wool uniforms on the jet bridge and tarmac, was closed after OSHA said it received an "adequate response" from the employer. The other, related to 95-degree cabin temperatures due to faulty machinery, was closed because it was outside of OSHA's jurisdiction. OSHA Assistant Secretary Doug Parker said his agency is working on a final rule on heat illness prevention and "also enhancing our enforcement compliance efforts to make sure employers and workers understand the dangers of heat illness and how to prevent it." The rule is expected to apply across general industry, and in the construction, maritime and agriculture industries. Many workers are at increased risk, sometimes because of the jobs they do, but also because of factors like the color of their skin, their ethnicity, or the fact that English is not their first language. Every worker is entitled to a safe and healthy workplace, and we will continue to use all the tools in our toolbox to ensure all workers have the health and safety protections they need and deserve in every workplace," Parker said in an emailed statement. When asked for comment about a possible federal temperature mandate, Airlines for America said it supports quality studies regarding cabin temperatures that are based on methodically reviewed data and science. Those studies should take into account the unique and broad spectrum of operating environments including varying climates and seasons, fleet types and circumstances in which aircraft operate, said Walden, A4As spokesperson. The industry group maintained that extreme heat impacts on commercial aircraft operations are rare because commercial airplanes are certified to operate only in a range of temperatures. (Larger Boeing and Airbus models max out between 126 and 127 degrees, respectively. Once outside temperatures exceed 104 degrees, pilots need to take steps to cool down the plane to help preserve the equipment on board, according to the American Airlines document.) But the Association of Flight Attendants, which maintains a mobile app that allows passengers and crew to report when flights get too toasty or chilly, says that data which is updated monthly shows plenty of complaints about sweltering cabins. Of the 4,025 extreme temperature reports people have filed since 2018, more than half recorded between 80 to 90 degrees, the union says. (Some aircraft models have temperature readers or controls accessible to flight attendants, others do not.) More than half of all reports were taken during boarding, while the door to the aircraft was still open. Vague standards, little action from Congress Halle said DOT is currently investigating several incidents related to cabin temperature, but would not elaborate. DOT offered no comment when asked whether it should impose cabin temperature mandates during boarding, such as ones the unions are pushing. Instead, the agency pointed to a 2018 enforcement order it had issued against Allegiant Air for a series of extended tarmac delays, which accused the airline of failing to provide passengers a comfortable cabin temperature on several delayed flights. At the time, Allegiant said keeping cabins cool during 100-plus-degree weather had been difficult at best, despite the airlines use of additional air conditioning carts and other measures, according to the DOT consent order. The order does not specify any temperature threshold but says DOTs decision to take action was based on passenger and crew member statements, temperature readings, medical incidents and the potential use of external cooling devices, among other things. The departments inspector general faulted it in 2014 for how it has implemented its tarmac delay rule, including the lack of any definitions for comfortable cabin temperatures. Although the [law] requires carriers to provide comfortable cabin temperature to passengers, DOT has not included this requirement in its regulations nor defined what constitutes comfortable cabin temperature, the inspector general wrote. Without robust requirements, DOT cannot be sure that passengers are being afforded the relief intended during lengthy flight delays. The IG report also said that in 2013, the American National Standards Institute and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers recommended that cabin temperature should not exceed 80 degrees. The engineers group reiterated this position in a 2019 technical handbook. DOT staff told us they intend to address the cabin temperature issue in a future update to the tarmac delay regulations, but it is unclear when this regulation will be issued, the IGs report said. The department had no comment when asked whether it is still considering the reports cabin temperature recommendations and why no such update has yet been issued. Meanwhile, Congress is mainly pushing for more study. The House-passed version of this years FAA reauthorization bill, H.R. 3935, would require the FAA to examine the issue but only if industry and unions cant come to a consensus on a safe cabin temperature. The Senates version, S. 1939, would order a study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine on the health and safety impacts for temperatures less than 65 degrees or more than 85 degrees during all phases of flight. The Senate Commerce Committee has yet to mark up that bill. Adam Wren contributed to this report. FILE - A US military vehicle on a patrol in the countryside near the town of Qamishli, Syria, on Dec. 4, 2022. Syria's U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led forces on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023 pushed deeper into the last stronghold of Arab tribesmen who have taken up arms against them in eastern Syria as a spokesperson said they hoped to end the dayslong clashes there in the next 24 hours. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) DEIR EL-ZOUR, Syria (AP) Syria's U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led forces on Tuesday pushed deeper into the last stronghold of Arab tribesmen who have taken up arms against them in eastern Syria. A spokesperson said they hoped to end the dayslong clashes there in the next 24 hours. The fighting, which broke out eight days ago in the oil-rich province of Deir el-Zour along the Euphrates River, has so far killed at least 50 people, including several civilians, and wounded dozens. Hundreds of U.S. troops have been based in eastern Syria since 2015 to help battle the Islamic State group. The violence has pitted the Syrian Democratic Forces against the tribesmen and former allies of the the Arab-led militia known as the Deir el-Zour Military Council. It was sparked by the arrest last month of the militia's leader, Ahmad Khbeil, better known as Abu Khawla, accused by SDF of multiple crimes and violations, including drug trafficking. SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami told The Associated Press that the Kurdish-led forces have cleared three towns in the province previously seized by the militia. What's left is (the town of) Ziban," he said. "We are hoping to end tensions there in the next 24 hours." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Shami said some 100 armed men are estimated to be in Ziban, along with suspected cells of the Islamic State group. Now rivals, the SDF and the militia were allies in the war against IS. A Britain-based opposition war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said that the leader of a pro-Iran Arab tribe fighting against the SDF had called on his tribesmen and others to free Deir el-Zour from the despicable Kurds. The Syrian government in Damascus has criticized the Kurdish-led SDF for its close alliance with the United States in the war against Islamic State militants and for forming what authorities describe as an autonomous enclave in eastern Syria. Meanwhile, Turkey and Turkish-backed oppositions groups in Syria's northwest routinely clash with the SDF. Ankara claims the SDF is allied with Turkeys outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which has led an insurgency within Turkey since 1984 that has killed tens of thousands of people. Ankara has declared the PKK a terrorist group. ___ Associated Press writer Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report. TAIPEI/MBABANE (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen arrived on Tuesday in Eswatini, Taipei's last African ally, saying the island will continue to confidently engage with the world and show it is a force for good. Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory with no right to state-to-state relations, now has formal ties with only 13 countries, almost all small, less developed nations in Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific, like Belize and Nauru. In March, Honduras ended decades of ties with Taiwan. The Taiwanese delegation signed three memoranda of understanding with the southern African country after it met with Eswatini's King Mswati III . ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Taiwan committed to providing $1 million to help the kingdom establish a fund, aimed at supporting women in initiating businesses, Eswatini's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Tsai, speaking at the airport before leaving, said Eswatini was a "familiar old friend". "Not only will Taiwan's footsteps to the world not stop, we will continue to move forward more firmly and self-confidently, so that the world can see Taiwan's steady force for good," she said, in comments broadcast live by the presidential office. Tsai is in Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, from Sept. 5 to 7 for the 55th anniversary of the country's independence, and also marking 55 years of bilateral relations. Eswatini is almost entirely surrounded by South Africa, which Chinese President Xi Jinping visited last month. Tsai is flying directly to Eswatini and not having to stop over anywhere, unlike visits to Latin America which require transits via the United States that always anger China. Tsai last visited Eswatini in 2018, and this time is being accompanied by Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua. Taiwan has provided large amounts of aid to the small southern African country ruled by an absolute monarchy, including in 2021 antiviral medication to help King Mswati III recover from COVID. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Lunga Masuku; Additional reporting by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Michael Perry, Josie Kao, William Maclean) After more than 18 months of war, a plurality of Republicans say the U.S. should do more to support Ukraine. But despite the view shared by 40 percent of Republicans, according to a recent CNN-SRSS poll, the Republican presidential candidates remain as splintered as ever. While a summer of campaigning through Iowa, New Hampshire, and Ukraine itself initially revealed the GOP's splintered views on U.S. aid to Ukraine, the Republican presidential debate in August further revealed the candidates' diverging views. Opting to talk of COVID-19, abortion, and Hunter Biden, the eight candidates who qualified for the debate didn't speak of Ukraine until the halfway point, when Fox News hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum provoked the topic. The debate stage was ripe grounds for Republicans to oppose further U.S. support. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis seized the debate stage as an opportunity to express their 'America First' opposition to further aid, drawing stark dissent to the supportive views of fellow candidates; former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, and former Vice President, Mike Pence. However, it was the Jesuit-educated Ohio businessman, Ramaswamy, who garnered some of the debate's fiercest attention. With a grin ear to ear and his lonely hand adamantly raised in the air to the question "Is there anyone on stage who would not support the increase of more funding to Ukraine?" Ramaswamy made it known he was the candidate beholding the most passionate opposition to Ukrainian aid (and support of former President Donald J. Trump.) ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism "At the Republican debate in August, [Ramaswamy] accused Republicans who support military aid of prioritizing Ukraine's border security over the United States' border security, and disparaged Pence's and Chris Christie's visits to Ukraine as making a 'pilgrimage to Kyiv, to their pope, Zelensky,'" wrote The New York Times' Maggie Astor. Taking the attention he amassed on the debate stage and running with it to further campaigning in Iowa, Ramaswamy was quickly met with Republican pushback to his hardline against aid to Ukraine. While U.S. aid to Ukraine was continuously raised through the 'America First' lens at the GOP's first presidential debate, the threat Russia's invasion poses to democracy was merely brushed upon. So, why do most Republican candidates adamantly oppose further Ukrainian aid when a significant portion of their base supports it? Donald Trump. As for that "elephant not in the room," Donald J. Trump, who Ramaswamy made sure to praise during the August debate, the entire war would've been prevented had he been in office during February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine due to his willingness to surrender Ukrainian land to Russia. In his counterprogramming session with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson the same night of the debate, Trump spoke of Russia's war in Ukraine not as a conflict provoked by Russia that is stripping Ukrainians of fundamental rights and freedoms but rather as a mass casualty event that wouldn't be happening under his watch. Related Why do Republicans even bother with this whole farce? Russia's invasion of Ukraine and subsequent conflict is a "horrible war that we're very involved in," according to Trump, who opted to speak about the suicide of the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and water pressure during his nearly hour-long session on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Speaking over the waving finger of Ramaswamy, DeSantis, lacking assertion, said the U.S. should decrease aid to Ukraine because Europe needs to "carry their weight." However, Haley was sure to remind the 12.8 million viewers that some European countries have given more aid to Ukraine than the U.S. in percentage of their defense budget. Currently using Soviet-era planes for their war defense, Ukraine has long asked for 20mm cannon-strapped F-16 fighter jets from Western countries, which has been approved by the U.S. and fulfilled by Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands. While the Pentagon did recently announce the U.S. will train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s in October, no American F-16s have been committed to Ukraine, so it seems in terms of Ukraine's biggest wish of late, Europe is carrying its weight. In the latter half of the debate, Ukraine was more topical, however, two opposing groups were formed, the American-first majority who said the U.S. should focus on the Southern U.S. border before worrying about Ukraine's, and the minority who believes the U.S. can address immigration while also protecting Ukrainian democracy. The latter, who think the two topics aren't mutually exclusive, included Haley, Christie, and Pence. In viewing Ramaswamy's argument as a "giveaway" to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pence, who's also recently visited Ukraine, displayed confidence in America's capacity to handle both aid to Ukraine and the Southern U.S. border. Although he is still actively sewing together his role in the sovereignty dilemma of the 2020 presidential election to garner the most polling support today, Pence stood in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv in June and committed "everything in our power" to "restore the sovereignty" of Ukraine. Elevating the severity of the U.S. border argument, in opposition DeSantis displayed arguably his most audible point in assuring a DeSantis Administration would have U.S. troops at the Southern U.S. border, not in Ukraine, because as he sees it, the current administration is not handling both, therefore, he will pick one over the other. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. Convoluting the opponent's argument was their continual assertion that the cordial relationship between Russia and China is an immense threat to the US. Considering this to be the "single greatest threat we face," Ramaswamy was met with opposition from Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, who said Ramaswamy wants to "hand Ukraine to Russia, he wants to let China eat Taiwan." "A win for Russia is a win for China," Haley, who was also the only candidate to acknowledge the then-recent supposed (now confirmed) death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Russian mercenary leader who led a march on Putin's Moscow in June, said. While U.S. aid to Ukraine was continuously raised through the 'America First' lens at the GOP's first presidential debate, the threat Russia's invasion poses to democracy was merely brushed upon. This represented a broader held belief, that Americans are more concerned with "protecting a rules-based international order than defending democracy," according to polling early in the war by the Brookings Institute. With $113 billion in aid to Ukraine approved by the U.S. to date under the current democratic Biden Administration, the GOP's August squabble could've only further decreased the popularity of a Republican White House in 2025 for Ukrainians. In a debate that concluded with a much less clear "winner" than usual, the greatest loser might just have been Ukraine itself, whose U.S. backing is vividly not guaranteed with Trump's GOP. Read more about the growing Republican rift on foreign policy Ohio State wrestler Sammy Sasso takes the mat for a match in February. He faces a difficult recovery from a gunshot wound suffered in a carjacking in August. A 16-year-old accused of shooting Sammy Sasso, a four-time All-American wrestler for Ohio State, was released from the Ohio Department of Youth Services in an unrelated criminal case just five days before the carjacking in which Sasso was shot. The teen male, whom The Dispatch is not naming because he has not been bound over to adult court, was in Franklin County Juvenile Court on Tuesday to determine if he was eligible for release pending his trial in connection with the Sasso shooting. "At this time you will absolutely not be released," Common Pleas Judge Monica Hawkins ruled after hearing arguments from Emalea Helisek, a Franklin County assistant prosecutor and Thomas Waldeck, the youth's attorney. Helisek said the 16-year-old had been in several youth facilities this year, including a juvenile intervention center and a community correction facility. On April 6, he was transferred to a Ohio Department of Youth Services detention facility on an unrelated burglary charge for which he was to serve six months. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But the teen was released early on Aug. 13 for time he had already served. Two days later, he was posting images depicting guns on Instagram. A parole officer soon after cited the teen for a parole violation, but Helisek said the carjacking incident in which Sasso was shot may have been hard to prevent "unfortunately, with the short time span he was out and him committing a new crime." Helisek said the firearm that was used in the Sasso shooting has not been recovered. Waldeck, seated between the teen and his mother, said that he was no longer a threat if released to his family's custody and continued to take medications for "several mental health diagnoses." Hawkins told the teen, "I expect you to be on your best behavior. Do you understand me?" to which he replied "Yes, your honor." He and a 15-year-old accomplice, who was not in court because an attorney wasn't available, are facing charges including aggravated robbery, felony assault, theft and weapons violations in connection with the assault on Sasso. The accomplice, a female, faces the same charges as the gunman. read More: Two teens arrested in the carjacking, shooting of Ohio State wrestler Sammy Sasso Sasso was shot shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 18 in an alley near the 1300 block of North High Street and East 7th Avenue. Eyewitnesses told police that Sasso had been trying to run over a rat in his car, a blue 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. When he successfully ran over the rat, he stopped his car and got out to talk to two children, according to a police report. Two suspects suddenly approached Sasso and one pulled a handgun on him, demanding his vehicle, according to the police report. The gunman shot Sasso before getting into the driver's seat. The other suspect got in the passenger's seat, and the two drove off from the scene. In the 149 lb. weight class, No. 3 Sammy Sasso of Ohio State defeated No. 13 Shayne Van Ness of Penn State, 6-3, on Feb. 3, 2023 at the Covelli Center in Columbus. Sasso, who is from Nazareth, Pennsylvania, was one of the few bright spots as the No. 5 Buckeyes fell 29-9 to the No. 1 Penn State Nittany Lions. Anthony D. Pierson, deputy chief counsel in the Franklin County Juvenile Division, said he was disturbed by recent youth gun violence, including the Sasso shooting. "I think the whole situation is troubling. When you're 16 and shooting someone in the stomach," Pierson said. Sasso's family released an update on his health, saying he is getting better, but has a long recovery ahead. Sasso's girlfriend and his father declined to answer questions about his condition or the court case. His family created a GoFundMe that has raised more than $100,000 so far. In a message on the site, Sasso's family wrote that Sasso was shot in the abdomen and underwent emergency surgery to reconstruct his colon. The next morning, he had a second surgery to remove the bullet from near his spine, where it had caused "severe nerve damage." He will need physical therapy to learn to walk again, the family said. dnarciso@dispatch.com This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Suspect of OSU wrestler Sasso shooting in custody days before attack Democratic state Rep. Gloria Johnson, a gun safety advocate who rose to prominence as one of the so-called Tennessee Three, has announced that shes running for U.S. Senate against Republican incumbent Marsha Blackburn. The Tennessee state lawmaker launched her campaign on Tuesday near Knoxvilles Central High School, where she was a special education teacher and a survivor of a 2008 shooting that left one student dead. Johnson is expected to appear in Nashville and Memphis later in the day. Im tired of Tennessee families being betrayed by those that represent them, over and over and over, Johnson said at the event, referring to the state legislatures recent special session that ended last week with no resolutions on gun control. JUST NOW: Im Gloria Johnson, and Im running for U.S. Senate. Huge cheer for @VoteGloriaJ as she announces her Blackburn challenge in KNOXVILLE. pic.twitter.com/BJdUwUC6jG The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) September 5, 2023 Johnson was one of the three Tennessee Democrats who gained national attention in March after joining gun safety protesters on the House floor in response to the mass shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville. Three children and three adults were shot dead at The Covenant School, resulting in an uproar over the states gun laws. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Freshman Democratic state Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, both of whom are Black, were expelled from the House by the mostly white GOP caucus in April before being reinstated and then reclaiming their seats in a special election last month. Johnson narrowly avoided expulsion and has said that she was spared because shes white. Pearson is a co-chair for Johnsons campaign, which puts a heavy focus on gun reform and abortion rights. I know fighting for justice has a cost. I learned that firsthand as a little girl when I had to sleep in the hallway instead of my bedroom to avoid being shot because my dad had the courage to bring the KKK to justice, Johnson said in her campaign announcement video. Her father was an FBI special agent who helped investigate the Klans activity in the Deep South. She added that other politicians dont like me much because I speak my mind. And when its bullshit, I call it bullshit. There is a movement afoot in Tennessee. Now I'm running for US Senate because our work doesn't stop here. Join us. pic.twitter.com/6XKFLuRfkc Rep. Gloria Johnson (@VoteGloriaJ) September 5, 2023 Johnson has had a roller-coaster political career after being elected to the state House in 2012. She lost reelection in 2014, only to reclaim her seat four years later. She then won reelection in 2020 but faced new congressional district lines redrawn by her GOP colleagues. The lawmaker moved and won in her new district last year. The candidate told Knox News that she had planned to run for U.S. Senate before becoming one of the Tennessee Three. The state has not been represented by a Democrat in the Senate since 1995. Blackburns campaign released a statement in response to Johnsons announcement, calling her a radial socialist who entered the race at the urging of liberals in Washington. State Rep. Johnson is as woke as they come, and she would be a puppet for Joe Biden, the Squad, and [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer in the Senate, said Blackburn campaign spokesperson Abigail Sigler. While Senator Blackburn is working hard to fight back against Bidens woke agenda, State Rep. Johnson is pushing that divisive, destructive agenda here in Tennessee, Sigler added. Woke, a term originally used to describe people who are aware of social injustices, has become a buzzword that conservatives have co-opted to disparage their opponents. In her campaign video, Johnson went after Blackburns support for a federal abortion ban and her vote against lowering prescription drug costs. We deserve health care and prescriptions that dont make us go broke. We deserve the freedom to make our own choices with our bodies, the Democrat said. And most importantly, we deserve a leader with the courage to stand up to extremists and billionaires that have taken over our system. That person aint Marsha Blackburn, but it is me. A Tennessee state representative who became nationally prominent after she and two other Democrats locked horns with Republicans in the legislature over gun violence and firearms restrictions is running for US Senate. Gloria Johnson launched her campaign on Tuesday, with hundreds in attendance, at a high school where she used to teach special education, and which has been touched by the gun violence which has become a central issue for her and her two colleagues, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, in the so-called Tennessee Three. Her story became a national talking point earlier this year when Mr Jones and Mr Pearson were both expelled for their support of a protest within the halls of the state capitol against gun violence and demanding lawmakers act to restrict the widespread availability of firearms. Ms Johnson, the only white member of the bunch, was spared expulsion by the Republican majority a decision that drew allegations of racism. The episode became an exercise in humiliation for Republicans in the legislature, who watched their expelled colleagues promptly retured to office by their respective communitites and ushered back into their seats with a heros welcome by the left. Their stars grew on the national stage, prompting donations as well as an invitation to the White House which took place in April. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On Tuesday, Ms Johnson vowed to fight against special interests as she lauched her bid to unseat Marsha Blackburn, a Republican who has represented the state in the upper chamber since 2019. Ms Blackburn is one of the Senates loudest culture warriors, and frequently accuses her rivals on the left of malicious agendas while maintaining a partisan conservative voting record. She has famously bragged about carrying a firearm in her purse, making the matchup between Ms Johnson and the senator all the more likely to be focused on the issue of Second Amendment rights and gun violence. Hardworking Tennessee families need someone who will fight for them and not just the billionaires and corporations and the wealthy and the well-connected, Ms Johnson said on Tuesday during a campaign stop. Her battle to unseat Ms Blackburn will be waged entirely uphill. Should Ms Johnson win the Democratic primary, the incumbent senator will still have a cash advantage, to say nothing of Tennessees typical status as a Republican stronghold. The state has not voted to send a Democrat to the US Senate since the 1990s, and the states governor has been Republican since 2011. As a result, Ms Johnsons campaign will, from the start, be battling allegations of drawing resources from races that pundits and elections analysts view as more winnable for Democrats as Joe Biden seeks a second term and hopes to hold or expand his partys control of the Senate. Ms Blackburns campaign issued a canned statement painting her presumed opponent as a far-left radical and naming a laundry list of GOP boogeymen on Tuesday as Ms Johnson toured the state. Its no surprise that radical socialist Gloria Johnson decided to jump into the race at the urging of liberals in Washington, said campaign spokesperson Abigail Sigler. State Rep. Johnson is as woke as they come, and she would be a puppet for Joe Biden, the Squad, and Chuck Schumer in the Senate. As Michael Conti packed up and left his 25-person Burning Man camp Tuesday morning, he wondered what the outside world thought of what had happened at the remote festival in recent days after rainfall turned the ancient lakebed into sticky sludge. The rain a couple of months' worth for the northwestern Nevada desert, according to one National Weather Service meteorologist led festival organizers to close the gates in and out of Black Rock City, the makeshift metropolis that springs up for a week every year. "Burners" were instructed to shelter in place and conserve food, water and fuel, spurring stories of stranded revelers, celebrity escapes and rampant social media rumors. The headlines got it all wrong, said Conti, 39. It was a beautiful experience of everybody coming together in the face of serious danger and adversity. On Monday afternoon, the driving ban was lifted and tens of thousands of Burners began their slow, muddy exodus from Black Rock City, a process that can take several hours even under normal conditions. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read more: Rain, mud cause upheaval at Burning Man festival Conti departed camp around 3 a.m. Tuesday and said it took nearly three hours to travel the five or so miles to the nearest paved road, heading toward Gerlach, Nev. The trek was pretty decent compared with last year, he said, when he spent nine hours in traffic. Some attendees said it took six to seven hours to reach paved roads Monday. Vehicles line up to leave the site of the annual Burning Man festival on Sept. 5. (Julie Jammot / AFP via Getty Images) Conti's wife, who is 23 weeks pregnant, made it out of the festival Monday and flew out of the Reno airport back home to Salt Lake City, he said. Mark Stern, leader of a camp in the Friendly Society village led by Conti, said the Burning Man organization delivered no warning of a major weather event on its way, only reports of some rain early Friday morning. But then the rain came and didn't stop, he said. "The hardest thing about the whole experience was not knowing that it was going to happen or what is going to happen next," said Stern, 60, who has been going to Burning Man since 2016. His camp lost power and, he estimated, about 30% of its supplies. Stern left Sunday with some others from his camp who had a vehicle with four-wheel drive. They saw "dozens of cars" and RVs stuck in the mud on the way out, he said. Read more: Rain ends and exodus begins at Burning Man As Black Rock City was winding down, authorities on Monday identified a 32-year-old man named Leon Reece who died at the festival. According to the Reno Gazette Journal, Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said dispatchers received a call at 6:24 p.m. Friday about a man who was unresponsive and receiving CPR from medical personnel on the scene. But the heavy rain made accessing the desert site difficult. Allen said that by the time sheriffs deputies arrived, Reece had been pronounced dead by a doctor at the camp. The death does not appear weather-related, the Sheriffs Office told the Journal. At a festival whose core tenets include communal effort, civic responsibility and radical self-reliance, Burning Man campers advised to be ready for whatever it takes to survive a week in the desert were put to the test by the wet conditions. Philip Price, 65, said he had three days' worth of extra food in his freezers to feed his camp, I Love Elephants, which housed about 60 people this year. Read more: 'This is the burn we signed up for': Some Burning Man festival-goers refuse to let rain spoil their fun Price, a conservation geologist from Oregon, said some campers were cold and miserable, but when he offered them room to stay in his RV, they told him they were fine. Burners are resilient, he said. As Price sat in his RV listening to the rain Friday, he calculated that for every hour it continued, it would probably take a couple more hours for the playa to dry up. It ended up raining 12 hours straight. The Black Rock Desert received half an inch to an inch of rain over the weekend, the National Weather Service said. Every hour that went by was a real bummer, but then the sun breaks through and people came out and cheered," Price said. "There was a triple rainbow and people went nuts for it. The balance was extreme joy." Many attendees with enough supplies chose to stay through Monday night to watch the ceremonial burning of the festival's giant eponymous effigy, which was delayed by the rain. A person records video during the Burning Man finale on Sept. 4. (Julie Jammot / AFP via Getty Images) Price and about 25 others in his camp remained in Black Rock City on Tuesday to see the "Temple Burn," a more somber closing ceremony that follows the climactic "Man Burn." Price said he was frustrated with the "sensationalized" media reports about the conditions at the event. Some inexperienced Burners panicked and tried to flee, got stuck in the mud and had to come back, he said. Others deserted their vehicles and left piles of stuff behind, making it difficult for the restoration crew to clean the MOOP, or "matter out of place" central to Burning Man's principle of leaving no trace. Itll be harder because of the mud, and our footprints leave dimples, Price said. If its not 100% cleaned up this year, well recover anything that went missing or got buried in the mud. Im confident itll remain pristine. Read more: Going to Burning Man? Climate, anti-capitalist activists block traffic into festival Allen, the Pershing County sheriff, told the San Francisco Chronicle in an email that angry, frustrated attendees leaving Monday were not showing compassion to their fellow man who have endured the same issues over the past few days. As usually happens in what burners refer to as the default world people allow their emotions to override their reasonableness and they are lashing out at each other as they leave the playa and attempt to make it to their next destination, Allen told the Chronicle. This behavior definitely does not fall within the 10 principles of Burning Man, but that is not the fault of [the Burning Man Project] either, but is a societal issue. Many Burners said that although there might have been cases of such interactions, they were almost certain to be the minority. Allen did not immediately respond to requests from The Times for comment. Despite the adverse weather setting back the burning of the Man effigy by two days, it finally happened on Monday night. It was the best burn by far, Price said. The fireworks were spectacular and blew everybody away. Weve never seen such a display ever. Sign up for Essential California for the L.A. Times biggest news, features and recommendations in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Ken Paxton , who is currently suspended from his post as Texas attorney general, at a news conference in Austin last year. Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune When Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton held a news conference in May decrying state lawmakers anticipated vote to impeach him, he framed the decision as not only a threat to his political career but as one that endangered the slew of lawsuits hed filed against the Biden administration. Paxton, who has since been suspended from office, faces an impeachment trial that starts today. He has long positioned himself as one of the countrys strongest conservative attorneys general, relentlessly pursuing nearly 50 lawsuits against the federal government on issues that include immigration, health care and the environment. Such messaging raised Paxtons national profile, appealed to his base of conservative supporters and helped him tamp down political pushback stemming from allegations of wrongdoing that have dogged his eight-year tenure. But as Paxton has aggressively pursued such lawsuits, he has repeatedly declined to do a critical but less glamorous part of his job: represent state agencies in court. Despite his role as Texas lead attorney, Paxton has denied representation to state agencies at least 75 times in the past two years, according to records obtained by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune. The denials forced some of those agencies to assume additional, unanticipated costs as they scrambled to secure legal assistance. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Every time he backs out of one of these cases and an agency, a university has to get outside counsel, if they get the funding approved that's costing the taxpayers a lot of extra money, because that's one of the principal reasons the AGs office exists, is to provide these basic legal services, basic legal defense, said Chris Toth, former executive director of the National Association of Attorneys General. Over the years, some of Paxtons representation denials have become public. Among those is his longtime refusal to defend the state Ethics Commission against lawsuits filed by the now-disbanded Empower Texans, a political action committee, and the PACs then-head Michael Quinn Sullivan. Empower Texans contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to his campaign and loaned him $1 million, according to campaign finance reports. Another has been his choice not to represent the State Commission on Judicial Conduct after it issued a public warning to a justice of the peace who refused to perform same-sex marriages despite a U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized the unions. But the scope of the denials has not been fully known. Neither have details of other times he has said no to state agencies seeking representation. In one such instance, Paxton declined to represent the University of HoustonClear Lake after students filed a lawsuit alleging the university wouldnt recognize their organization because of the groups requirement that its officers be Christian. Until then, the attorney generals office had never before declined to represent the university in a case, said university spokesperson Chris Stipes. In another instance, Paxtons office not only held off on a decision to represent the University of Texas System in an affirmative action case, but also withheld a determination on whether the university could hire outside legal counsel, forcing multiple delays. That choice stands in contrast to Republican Gov. Greg Abbotts decision to represent the University of Texas at Austin in a similar case 15 years earlier when he was the states attorney general. Texas lawmakers in 2021 required the attorney generals office to begin reporting each time it declined to represent a state agency. Its unclear what prompted the mandate. ProPublica and the Tribune obtained records documenting dozens of denials through a Public Information Act request, but the vast majority do not include a clear reason for the decisions. The attorney generals office declined to provide specifics about its communications with state agencies, including those that occurred before the reporting requirement went into effect, citing attorney-client privilege. The office also did not respond to a question about whether the agency tracked these denials prior to 2021. Lawmakers took additional action this year, requiring the attorney general to start giving reasons for the denials beginning Sept. 1. Paxtons office has claimed that the bulk of those denials were because agencies preferred to hire their own attorneys or because the office was statutorily prevented from representing them. Other requests, Paxton has said, were turned down because they would have required his office to take a position opposite of what it had previously argued or because he believed they would run contrary to the states constitution. An office spokesperson said the attorney general approves the vast majority of solicitations for help, but neither the office nor Paxton responded to requests for interviews or to detailed questions about specific denials. Such transparency is necessary, according to former attorneys general and legal experts, who say that Paxtons denials reflect a broader polarization among attorneys general across the country, threatening the claim that they represent the rule of law. He certainly was one of those people that was leading the way of this idea that they don't have to enforce or defend anything they don't like, Toth said. And that's not what AGs are elected to do. And it's not the courageous thing to do either because AGs have to do the right thing by the law, even when it's not popular. In 2014, Colorados then-Attorney General John Suthers, a Republican, penned an opinion piece in the Washington Post that warned against such politicization of the office. In the piece, Suthers criticized three Democratic attorneys general at the time, including Californias Kamala Harris, now U.S. vice president, for refusing to defend their states ban on gay marriage ahead of the Supreme Courts 2015 decision legalizing the unions. I fear that refusing to defend unpopular or politically distasteful laws will ultimately weaken the legal and moral authority that attorneys general have earned and depend on, he wrote. Suthers reiterated the same concern about Paxtons refusal to defend state agencies in an interview with ProPublica and the Tribune. If you decide for yourself what laws ought to be defended, what agencies ought to be defended on other than dictates of the courts, then you come across as nothing but a wholly political entity, Suthers said. That's not the role that you're supposed to play in the system. Let the legislature and the governor be political. You're supposed to be adhering to the rule of law." Growing costs During a legislative committee hearing in February, Mary Gonzalez, a state representative from the El Paso area, grilled Paxton about his decisions to not represent state agencies. She and other lawmakers had just finished asking Paxton about his offices agreement more than a week earlier to pay $3.3 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit with former employees who had accused him of bribery and retaliation. Gonzalez, a Democrat, asked Paxton if he had made an active decision to have the attorney generals office take on the lawsuit filed against him. She noted that Paxtons office could have declined to represent him in court the same way it had denied representation to state agencies. Ultimately, the attorney general isn't doing his job, Gonzalez said in an interview with the news organizations. We should care if any elected official is not doing their job. Paxton and his staff did not directly answer Gonzalezs question but raised the various reasons the office would not take on a case, including instances when it thinks an agencys argument violates the constitution. If were given a case that appears to us clearly to be unconstitutional, they want us to take a position against the constitution. Thats a real problem for me given my oath, Paxton said. Two days later, Jacqueline Habersham, executive director of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, appeared before the same legislators to request $150,000 to help cover legal fees over the next two years. Paxton has refused to defend the commission in two ongoing lawsuits. In late 2019, a justice of the peace in Waco, less than two hours south of Dallas, sued the judicial commission in district court after it issued her a public warning because of statements she made to the media about disagreeing with and refusing to perform same-sex marriages after theyd been legalized, casting doubt on her capacity to act impartially. The lawsuit argued that the commissions public punishment of the justice of the peace constituted a substantial burden on her free exercise of religion, according to court records. A few months later, the county judge of Jack County, northwest of Fort Worth, sued the judicial commission in federal court, arguing that he also was at risk of being sanctioned because he did not perform same-sex marriages. An attorney for the county judge declined to comment. The cases, and the costs, are ongoing. Even before Habersham went to lawmakers for help, the judicial commission had already spent $120,000 for outside counsel because Paxton had declined to provide representation. She said the small agency had previously not budgeted for such expenses. With the commission having no way to know if the attorney general will deny legal help again, were just hoping that no other lawsuits are filed against us, where the AG will also decline (to represent us) again, Habersham said in an interview with ProPublica and the Tribune. In 2015, after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, Paxton issued an opinion that said judges should not have to perform these ceremonies if they have religious objections. Asked in 2020 about not representing the commission, an attorney general spokesman told the Houston Chronicle, We believe judges retain their right to religious liberty when they take the bench. The statement and Paxtons decision against defending the judicial commission certainly has the appearance that he's refusing to do it because he disagrees with the Supreme Court decision, and therefore he's making a political decision and not a legal decision, said Suthers, the former Colorado attorney general. The plaintiffs in both lawsuits filed against the commission have at some point been represented by First Liberty Institute, a Plano-based conservative Christian law firm. The firms president and chief executive, Kelly Shackelford, is a longtime friend of Paxton and has contributed $1,000 to a legal defense fund Paxton has used to fight an ongoing criminal indictment for securities fraud. First Liberty board member Tim Dunn is among Paxtons biggest individual donors, having given him $820,000 since he first ran for attorney general. Political action committees associated with Dunn have also donated more than $950,000 combined to Paxton. Neither Shackelford nor Dunn responded to a request for comment. First Libertys executive general counsel, Hiram Sasser, who briefly worked for the attorney generals office under Paxton, said he doesnt know how donations would have affected the attorney generals decision. But Sasser said he would have been disappointed had the attorney general chosen to represent the commission. He alleges that the commission is violating the Waco justice of the peaces rights under the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which limits government actions that substantially burden someones ability to freely exercise their religion, and the Texas Constitution because it violates her freedom of speech and religion. The judicial commissions private attorneys said that the justice of the peace argued those points before the commission in 2019 but lost the case. They maintain that she did not appeal that case, so she has no right to pursue a new lawsuit that claims the warning was invalid. State law says the attorney generals office shall represent the judicial commission in court at its request, which indicates Paxton has minimal wiggle room to refuse to defend them, said Paul Nolette, director of the Les Aspin Center for Government at Marquette University, who researches attorneys general. This seems more like the AG choosing to adopt a certain constitutional interpretation and then saying, 'Well, I believe it's unconstitutional, therefore, I'm not going to defend it.' But it's still ambiguous. It's not like an open and shut case. Contrasting legal approaches While about 15 years apart, two cases against the University of Texas at Austin lay bare the different approaches taken by Paxton and Abbott, Paxtons predecessor and now the states Republican governor. Under Abbotts leadership, the attorney generals office defended UT-Austin in federal district court against a lawsuit filed by Abigail Fisher and another student. In the 2008 lawsuit, the students, who were white, alleged that the schools consideration of race in admissions prevented them from being accepted. The attorney generals office argued that the universitys admission policy was legal because Fisher had not proven it was adopted in bad faith. The office also argued the policy was narrowly tailored to achieve needed diversity there. Fisher appealed the district courts decision in favor of the university in 2009. Although Abbott did not represent the university throughout the entire appeals process, he submitted a nearly 50-page brief in December 2011 when the case first went before the Supreme Court, urging the high court to reject the case. The attorney general offices leading argument was that Fisher, by then scheduled to graduate from another university in 2012, could no longer assert that she intended to apply to UT-Austin as a freshman or transfer student. Abbott did not respond to a request for comment. In 2016, the Supreme Court upheld UTs affirmative action policies in a 4-3 decision. (Justice Elena Kagan did not take part in the decision and one seat was vacant at the time.) In contrast, Paxton not only withheld a decision on representing the UT System in another affirmative action case earlier this year, but also kept the agency in limbo by holding off on allowing it to hire outside legal counsel. On Jan. 12, a lawyer with the UT System sent a letter to the attorney general requesting representation after a man named George Stewart filed a federal lawsuit against six medical schools that had rejected his applications for admission. All but one of the schools were in the UT System. Stewart, who is white, argued that the schools were unlawfully discriminating against whites, Asians, and men. Stewart and his attorneys declined to comment. Over the next several weeks, UT System attorneys contacted a deputy chief in Paxtons office numerous times. They called. They emailed. The deputy chief told UT lawyers that decisionmakers at the attorney generals office were aware that filing deadlines were approaching but were still considering the request, court documents show. UT System lawyers eventually were forced to ask the plaintiffs lawyer for an extension, delaying the case. More than a month passed before the attorney general formally responded. The attorney generals office wrote in a letter that it agreed with the plaintiffs argument that considering race and gender in student admissions was illegal and that it was awaiting the outcome of other affirmative action cases before the Supreme Court. The attorney generals office also wrote in the letter that it had filed briefs urging the court to do away with affirmative action because it was abhorrent to the Constitution. For these reasons, we are choosing at this time to withhold a decision on your request for representation and for outside counsel, the letter said. UT could represent itself, the letter continued, but only for the purpose of requesting extensions in the case. Although state agencies like UT often have their own in-house general counsel, the attorney general is officially their lawyer. The state agency lawyers arent necessarily litigators, or litigation may only be a small part of their job. Often, their time is spent giving internal legal advice, reviewing contracts or consulting on employment issues. State agencies smaller than UT may not even have attorneys on staff. Catherine Frazier, a UT System spokesperson, would not comment on the lawsuit or answer questions but said that the school, like every state agency, is required to ask the attorney general for representation or outside counsel. Every case is different, she said, and the UT System has ultimately been able to secure counsel. Months later, the Supreme Court would rule in a 6-3 decision that consideration of race in college admissions violates the U.S. Constitution. But neither the attorney general nor UT lawyers knew how the high court would vote when Stewart filed his lawsuit. The law was clear that affirmative action was allowed (at the time), said Terry Goddard, a Democrat who was Arizonas attorney general from 2003 to 2011. I don't think you get to wait for the next round of Supreme Court decisions to make up your mind. Goddards approach to the attorney general role, he said, was that if he could make any constitutional argument in support of a law, whether or not he agreed with it, it was your job to take that argument and do the best job you could. "Now, that's not what we're hearing today from people like Paxton, Goddard said. He's basically saying, 'Look, I'm not gonna make the argument at all.' He didn't even take what I think is the appropriate fallback, which is, I won't support it. And the record will show that I'm not supporting your position, but I'm going to get you counsel.'" About a month after Paxton was impeached by the Texas House and suspended from his position, the attorney generals office, while under the leadership of interim Attorney General John Scott, finally allowed the UT System to hire outside lawyers in the affirmative action case. Playing favoritism Just as Paxton has declined cases where he has an opposing view, he has chosen to get involved with others with whom he is aligned ideologically. In 2020, Lucas Babin, a district attorney in East Texas, obtained an indictment against the streaming service Netflix for distributing the French film Cuties, a documentary about a Senegalese immigrant who joins a childrens dance troupe. The director has said the film critiques the sexualization of young girls, but critics focused on some of the films advertising depicting the girls dressed in tight, midriff-baring clothing or scenes showing them dancing. Babin alleged the film violated a state law that bans the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child, which Netflix has disputed. Less than two weeks before Babin announced the indictment, Paxton was one of four attorneys general who signed a letter to Netflix vehemently opposing the continued streaming of the film. After an appellate court ruled in an unrelated case in 2021 that the lewd exhibition charge was unconstitutional, Netflix requested that Babin dismiss his indictment. Babin dropped that charge in March 2022 after he brought four new indictments that alleged the film violated state child pornography statutes. On March 3, 2022, Netflix filed a request for injunction in federal court, arguing Babin was abusing his office by bringing the new indictments in response to Netflixs effort to get the first indictment dismissed. The film had won awards, Netflix argued, and Babin was infringing on the companys constitutional rights. (The Texas Tribune is among a group that has filed an amicus brief in support of Netflix in its case against Babin.) The following day, Babin arrived in court, this time as a defendant, with a lawyer of his own: an assistant attorney general from Paxtons office. Under Texas state law, the attorney general is obligated to represent state district attorneys under limited circumstances, specifically when the case is in federal court and when the person filing the lawsuit is in prison. Its not unusual for a district attorney to ask the attorney generals office for help, said Nolette. Whats surprising, he said, is that the state said yes. This isn't a case where the DA said, Please help me in this case to prosecute Netflix, Nolette said. It's that they're being sued by Netflix for essentially prosecutorial misconduct. And yet, the AG is getting involved in a local issue where this is not a state agency. It just gives the perception, and obviously some of this is specific to Paxton, that he's playing favoritism, Nolette said. Neither Babin nor Netflix responded to a request for comment. In November 2022, a federal judge granted Netflixs request for a preliminary injunction, essentially preventing Babin and his office from pursuing new indictments against the tech company until the initial case is resolved. Babin has appealed that decision. The attorney generals office, along with a private attorney, continue to represent him. Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas System and the University of Houston have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. The full program is now LIVE for the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 21-23 in Austin. Explore the program featuring more than 100 unforgettable conversations coming to TribFest. Panel topics include the biggest 2024 races and whats ahead, how big cities in Texas and around the country are changing, the integrity of upcoming elections and so much more. See the full program. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) More than 65,000 registered voters among persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in the country are allowed to cast their ballots in the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). In a message to CNN Philippines on Tuesday, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said there are 65,276 PDL voters nationwide. Those who have not yet been given a final judgment of conviction, those cases that are currently being heard in the courts, they will be able to vote under our laws, Garcia earlier said. For the first time, PDLs will be allowed to vote during BSKE in accordance with a 2022 decision from the Supreme Court. The high court dismissed a petition filed in 2015 seeking to stop detainees from participating in the 2016 elections pending clear guidelines. Garcia said the Bureau of Corrections will submit an operation plan containing the security protocols and distribution process of campaign materials to PDLs, especially for the countrys main penitentiary the New Bilibid Prison, which has 936 registered voters. Comelec previously explained that qualified PDLs may vote in areas where they are registered if they are detained there. If they need to vote elsewhere, a courts approval is required. Embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) will not be compelled to testify in his impeachment trial, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) ruled Tuesday. Patrick slapped down the case by Paxton opponents who argued that the attorney general could be forced to testify because his Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination didnt apply in this particular trial, which cannot levy criminal penalties. But the fact that Paxton will have to plead guilty or not guilty effectively makes it a criminal case, Patrick argued. Those terms are the pleas exclusively used in criminal cases, Patrick said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement And the state House impeachment managers have repeatedly compared the actions of the House of Representatives to a grand jury, as they prefer the Articles of Impeachment and grand juries are utilized only in criminal cases, Patrick said. Therefore, the motion is granted. It was a small win for the attorney general, who had decisively failed to win Senate support for any of the motions his lawyers had filed that would have thrown out his impeachment trial in whole or in part. That campaign to dismiss charges had exacerbated a growing divide within the states ruling Republican coalition. But while the other motions required all of the Senate to go along, this one just required a decision from Patrick. The lieutenant governor is a longtime political ally of Paxton, and following the late May impeachment vote, Patrick had received $3 million before Paxtons trial from Defend Texas Liberty, a political action committee backing the attorney general, The Texas Tribune reported. The Tribune also reported that after taking fire for these donations, Patricks campaign announced that he was suspending fundraising during the trial. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Brad Brooks (Reuters) -The prosecution in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton 's impeachment trial on Tuesday urged state senators to convict the Republican on corruption-related charges and remove him for using the power of his office for his personal benefit, while his lawyer derided the case as "a lot of nothing." Paxton's lawyer sought to paint the impeachment effort, which fellow Republicans have spearheaded in the state legislature, as an attempt by his political enemies to thwart the will of Texas voters who elected him three times to the post - even after the allegations of wrongdoing were publicly known. Paxton, also under investigation by the FBI, entered pleas of not guilty as the impeachment trial got underway in the Texas Senate. After senators voted down his pretrial motions to dismiss the charges, Paxton, rose on the Senate floor to hear the 16 articles of impeachment he faces, but did not speak as his lawyer announced his pleas. Paxton, 60, did not return to the Senate chamber after a lunch break. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement An ally of former President Donald Trump, Paxton has been suspended from his post since the Texas House of Representatives voted in May to impeach him on corruption charges, including aiding a wealthy political donor and persecuting whistleblowers from his office who accused him of wrongdoing. Republicans control both chambers of the state legislature. Trump has strongly backed Paxton. The political dynamics in a Paxton trial pitting Republicans against one another echo divisions in the party at the national level as Trump seeks to regain office. The former president leads a crowded field of candidates vying to become the party's nominee to face Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2024 U.S. election despite facing criminal charges in four separate cases. "This whole case is a whole lot of nothing," Tony Buzbee, Paxton's main defense lawyer, told senators in his opening statement. Buzbee promised to present evidence knocking down every allegation. He portrayed Paxton as the innocent target of establishment Republicans - whose power in Texas has waned as party figures focused on hot-button issues such as curbing abortion and transgender rights and securing the border have gained power. Republican state Representative Andrew Murr, delivering the prosecution's opening statement, said the witnesses he would present are diehard conservatives who were Paxton's hand-chosen top aides but were forced to report him to the FBI because of "Paxton's slow creep of corruption." "Mr. Paxton has been entrusted with great power. Unfortunately, rather than rise to the occasion, he's revealed his true character and, as the overwhelming evidence will show, he's not fit to be the attorney general for the state of Texas," Murr said. Murr's team called as its first witness Jeff Mateer, who is a top legal officer for First Liberty Institute, a conservative religious rights group; the former No. 2 official in Paxton's office; and one of the whistleblowers. Lawyers from Paxton's camp repeatedly objected to Mateer's testimony Tuesday, saying his accounts of discussions with his former boss were private. Most of those objections were overruled. As attorney general, Paxton backed powerful oil and gas interests and pursued restrictions on abortion and transgender rights. He has led Republican state opposition to the policies of Democratic presidents, and filed an unsuccessful lawsuit seeking to overturn Trump's 2020 election defeat. A two-thirds majority vote in the 31-member state Senate would be needed to remove Paxton from office. The last impeachment trial of a statewide officeholder in Texas was in 1917. Thirty of the 31 senators will serve as jurors. Paxton's wife, Angela, is a Republican senator but is not acting as a juror due to concerns over conflict of interest. The Senate has 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats. If all the Democrats vote to convict Paxton as expected, nine Republicans would need to join them to reach the two-thirds majority required to permanently remove him from office. Senators rejected a motion to dismiss all the charges by a vote of 24-6, and voted down additional motions to throw out individual charges. Paxton's impeachment was triggered by his request that House lawmakers approve a $3.3 million settlement he reached with four former staff members who accused him of abuse of office and were subsequently fired. State lawmakers did not do so. The House voted 121-23 to impeach him on 20 articles that accused him of improperly aiding real estate developer and political donor Nate Paul, conducting a sham investigation against the whistleblowers in his office, and covering up wrongdoing in a separate federal securities fraud case, among other offenses. The Senate's impeachment rules committee set aside four charges involving Paxton's private business dealings that House charges called obstruction of justice and false statements in official records. The Senate could dismiss those charges or hold a separate trial on them. (Reporting by Brad Brooks in Longmont, Colorado; Editing by Will Dunham, Donna Bryson, Andy Sullivan and Jonathan Oatis) Tarrant County has the worst weather in all of Texas based on the number of extreme weather events occurring in the area, says Stacker.com, a digital data journalism outlet. The cost of damage to cars, buildings, and crops from U.S. hailstorms averages about $15 billion a year, compared with about $1.2 billion in the 1990s, the report states. One reason for the higher price tag is the development in regions prone to hail storms like Tarrant County, Texas, where Ft. Worth is located. From 2010 to 2020, the county endured 576 severe weather events, averaging 52.4 per year. Hail was the most frequent severe weather event at 29.6 annually, followed by thunderstorm winds at 25.6 times a year then flash flooding at six times annually. Stacker used severe weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Tarrant County residents are no strangers to destructive severe weather. One of the costliest hail storms in history struck Dallas-Fort Worth in May 1995. The Mayfest storm, producing extremely large hail up to the size of softballs (4 in), damaging winds and heavy rainfall, caused an estimated $2 billion in damages in Tarrant and Dallas counties. The storms struck over 10,000 people at the Fort Worth Mayfest, the annual outdoor festival in Trinity Park. In March 2016, damaging winds, hail and a tornado created around $2.3 billion in damages in North Central Texas. Tarrant County was placed under a state of disaster during the freeze of February 2021 that killed 246 people statewide. Most recently, in late April this year, hailstones up to the size of grapefruits (4.5 in) hit North Texas. Texas House officials and attorneys defending state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) went head-to-head with a dueling pair of scathing opening statements in Paxtons impeachment trial Tuesday. House managers emphasized the gravity of the charges against Paxton and the conservative credentials of the deputies who notified federal investigators about his alleged collaboration with realtor Nate Paul. Tony Buzbee, Paxtons defense attorney, instead argued that Paxtons impeachment resulted from foolishness. Neither Paxton nor Paul, an Austin real estate developer, received anything from each other, Buzbee said. The attorney claimed the impeachment was attempted retribution by state House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) after Paxton accused him of public drunkenness in the days leading up to it. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In laying out the case against Paxton, Rep. Andrew Murr (R) shared a quote from Abraham Lincoln. Nearly all men can stand adversity, he said, but to really test an officials character, Give him power. Paxton was given power, Murr said, but rather than rise to the occasion, hes revealed his true character, and as the overwhelming evidence will show, he is not fit to be the attorney general for the state of Texas. Murr worked to appeal to members of the state Senates Republican coalition, nine of whom would need to vote for Paxtons conviction in order to remove him from office. On Tuesday morning, state Senators overwhelmingly voted to dismiss a push by Paxtons lawyers to throw out the charges entirely, The Hill reported. Murr presided over the blockbuster May unveiling of charges against Paxton in the state House, which relied heavily on testimony from four former deputies who the attorney general ultimately fired. These deputies conservative principles hadnt changed, Murr said. He argued a problem arose because at the end of the day, Mr. Paxton wasnt the man they thought he was, and he wasnt the man he publicly proclaimed to be. (Buzbee called these charges totally false.) Paxtons former deputies are not RINOS, or part of some deep state conspiracy, Murr said, referring to the acronym for Republicans in Name Only, a common smear applied to moderate Republicans by the far right. He added that Paxtons alleged breaking of his oath of office, represented more than just a violation of words on paper, saying it was a transgression of his oath to god. How far would Mr. Paxton have gone in using the power of the attorney generals office to harass and punish his and Nate Pauls perceived enemies and hurt innocent Texans? Murr asked. Challenging Murr, Buzbee sought to cast the prosecution of Paxton as a political attempt to railroad the attorney general and a warning sign of things to come. They say this is the impeachment of a lifetime but because depending on what you do here, maybe it will become commonplace, he said. What happens here will have consequences no matter how it turns out. But be clear, if this misguided effort is successful which I feel confident it will not be the precedent would be perilous for any elected official in the state of Texas. Buzbee spent several minutes arguing that one much-repeated element of the case against Paxton that Paul allegedly gave the Paxtons a free kitchen renovation had defamed the Paxtons. He also argued against salacious allegations concerning Paul providing a job to Laura Olsen, Paxtons former affair partner. That was not a bribe, Buzbee said. It was a job, sought out and received, and shes doing it today. Buzbee described the charges against Paxton as the product of media members with agendas or those media outlets aligned with the House managers. He also sought to discredit Paul, who is expected to take the stand against Paxton. In evidence released by the Senate in mid-August, you will see email after email after email of Nate Paul and his lawyer sending letters to the AGs office, madder than a hornets nest. Youre not doing what, youre not doing your job. Youre not doing your job. Youre not doing what youre supposed to. Does that sound like somebody who has the keys to the AGs office? Buzbee asked. No, it sounds like someone who might be a little entitled and thinks that public officials should jump when he says jump, he said, in a possible dig at the elected officials before him. Buzbee argued that the impeachment had been a political hit and that the attacks on Paxton began after he defeated Dan Branch, who Buzbee called the anointed candidate for [Bush family stronghold] Highland Park and the political elites, in the 2014 GOP primary in the state attorney general race. And he added that despite the growing awareness of Paxtons alleged crimes, in the 2022 primary, Ken Paxton thumped the establishment candidate who this last time happened to be a Bush and it wasnt even close. Buzbee argued that in impeaching the attorney general, the House took away the votes of over 4 million Texans who voted for Ken Paxton. There is a right way for Texas voters to remove someone from office. Its called a vote against them, Buzbee said. This was an idea that the Senate had already roundly axed by rejecting the attempts to dismiss the charges and that Murr had specifically attacked. Murr said the assertion that it was illegitimate for 30 Senators to decide the fate of an official elected by millions broke the will of the Founders, who included impeachment in the Constitution after rejecting the idea that elections could singularly protect the public against abusive officeholders. He argued that a sitting officeholder could easily use their powers of office to conceal the truth until after the next election. Paxtons brazen abuse of the criminal justice Division at the Office of Attorney General is finally what caused eight of his senior staff to report him to the police, Murr added. The question that haunts me now and should fight in all of this is what would have happened if they had not reported him? he asked. But Buzbee argued that all would have been well if Paxton had not been indicted. Murrs statement, he said, begs the most pressing question. If Ken Paxton is so good at his job and handily beats opponents of the box then what the devil are we doing here? For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. AUSTIN, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton pleaded not guilty to 20 articles of impeachment alleging corruption, abuse of public trust, misuse of public funds and more as the Texas Senate began a historic impeachment trial Tuesday. Paxton, a Republican firebrand, was impeached in May by an overwhelming vote in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives over his involvement with real estate developer and donor Nate Paul. Now, the state Senate convened as a high court of impeachment will determine whether or not to remove him from office. Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is presiding over the proceedings, swore in the senators as jurors Tuesday morning, while 200 spectators including members of the public and the media watched from the Senate gallery above, before he turned to pretrial motions. Paxton's attorneys had filed more than a dozen motions to dismiss the articles of impeachment or exclude evidence from being considered, and all of them failed Tuesday morning when as many as a dozen Republican senators joined with the Democratic senators to vote against them. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But Paxton secured one key win Tuesday, when Patrick who alone decides procedural matters under the rules approved by the Senate decided that Paxton could not be forced to appear as a witness at his own trial. House impeachment managers had sought to compel Paxton to be called to the witness stand, though they said in a filing that they expected he would invoke his right not to self-incriminate. The trial, the first of a state attorney general in Texas history, marks a dramatic fall for a man who gained a national profile as a leader of red states' opposition on topics from health care to immigration during President Barack Obama's administration and who became a key conservative ally of Donald Trump when he was in the White House. Paxton has denied all wrongdoing and vowed to fight the allegations. Ken Paxton speaks in Dallas in July 2021. (Emil Lippe / The Washington Post via Getty Images file) In his opening statement, the House impeachment manager, Rep. Andrew Murr, said Paxton's conduct doesn't need to be criminal to be impeachable and promised illustrative testimony from former staffers with "chilling detail" about how they came to believe their boss was corrupt. "In Texas, we require more from our public officials than to merely avoid being a criminal," he said. Paxton attorney Dan Cogdell argued, however, that the impeachment was a question of Texas democracy. Is it up to voters or is it up to politicians to see who stays in office? Your decision is much bigger than Ken Paxton. Your decision is literally about democracy in this state, he said. More than 100 potential witnesses have received subpoenas to testify. The list reportedly includes Paul, the developer and donor from whom Paxton is accused of accepting bribes, and current and former staffers from the attorney generals office, some of whom told the FBI he should be investigated for bribery and abuse of office. Paxtons 2022 primary challenger, George P. Bush, and even famed Texas political strategist Karl Rove are also on the list, as is Laura Olson the woman with whom Paxton was allegedly having an extramarital affair according to The Dallas Morning News, which obtained the confidential witness. Its not a criminal trial. Its not a civil trial. Its a political trial, Patrick said in an interview with KRIV-TV of Houston this summer. Politics is proving to be a major theme. One of the House managers' first questions for their first witness, Paxton's former second-in-command Jeff Mateer, was, "Are you a RINO?" Mateer blanched at the slang acronym for "Republican in Name Only," responding that he is "certainly far from right of center." He added that he was nominated by Trump to be a federal judge but was derailed by opposition from "liberal Republicans" and Democrats. Mateer's nomination failed after CNN reported that he called transgender children evidence of "Satan's plan" in 2015. Outside the courtroom, Paxton and his allies, including Trump, have already threatened political retribution for impeaching him. Hopefully Republicans in the Texas House will agree that this is a very unfair process that should not be allowed to happen or proceed I will fight you if it does, Trump wrote on Truth Social during the House impeachment proceedings. Jonathan Stickland, the president of the far-right Defend Texas Liberty PAC, recently appeared on Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast with a candidate for Dallas County GOP chair, Lauren Davis. The pair rallied viewers to pressure a half-dozen specific Republican senators to vote against conviction. "We're spending millions of dollars," Stickland said on the show. "Anyone who votes against Ken Paxton in this impeachment is risking their entire political career, and we will make sure that that is the case." That's a sentiment shared by Paxton supporters who showed up to watch the trial. He got elected by us; theyre trying to overturn our votes, said Kaci Sisk, the president of the Bulverde Spring Branch Conservative Republicans. Sisk and members of her group arrived at the Capitol in matching red shirts just after 6 a.m. to wait in line for tickets to sit in the Senate gallery. We dont care; we dont care. We elected him knowing everything, Sisk said. He is the best attorney general that we have ever had. Hes very important to not just the state of Texas, but to this country. He leads the way for this country. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wasnt the man he publicly proclaimed to be, the state House Republican who is leading the impeachment case against Paxton told the state Senate on Tuesday. He betrayed his constituents and the sacred public trust thats been given him. And in Texas, we require more from our public officials than to merely avoid being a criminal, state Rep. Andrew Murr said in his opening statement as Paxtons impeachment trial began Tuesday afternoon. He said witnesses in the Senates trial, which will play out over the next two or three weeks, will provide the clarity the Senate needs, and the public deserves, to find out what was really happening behind closed doors. Murrs comments came after Paxton, through his attorney Tony Buzbee, pleaded not guilty to 16 articles of impeachment that are up for consideration during his Senate trial. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The trial started after the Senate voted to reject motions from Paxtons team to dismiss the impeachment case in its entirety, and to dismiss individual articles of impeachment. Twelve Republicans joined all 12 Democrats in voting 24-6 to continue the trial. The GOP-led Senate also voted 22-8 against a motion to exclude all evidence before January 2023. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a longtime Paxton ally who is presiding over the Senates trial, said Paxton cannot be compelled to testify during the proceedings describing the process as similar to a criminal trial. Paxton was present through the days opening hours to enter his not guilty plea. But he was not on hand Tuesday afternoon during opening statements. Buzbee, one of his attorney, insisted that there is nothing to this, and said allegations that Paxton had abused his office to benefit friend and donor Nate Paul were based on ignorance, innuendo and outright lies. Ken Paxton gave nothing of significance to Nate Paul. Nate Paul received nothing of significance from Ken Paxton. This whole case is a whole lot of nothing, Buzbee said. He added: I do wonder, are we really going to get a fair trial here? Have you already decided based on whats politically expedient or whats best for you personally? Or is it even possible to get a fair hearing? The opening statements kicked off the Senates consideration of Paxtons impeachment by the Texas House, which voted 121-23 in May to impeach Paxton after he requested $3.3 million in state funds for a settlement with former staffers who had accused him of abusing his office to benefit Paul. Paxton is a firebrand conservative who has aligned himself with former President Donald Trump. Following the 2020 election, he sued in a failed effort to overturn Trumps loss to Joe Biden, seeking to have the electoral college votes of four swing states won by Biden thrown out. He has so far survived a series of scandals since taking office in 2015, though he remains under indictment in a separate securities fraud case. He has described his impeachment as a politically motivated sham and has consistently denied wrongdoing. In 2020, top Paxton aides published a letter accusing the attorney general of abuse of office, bribery and improper influence complaints centered on Paxtons ties to donor and friend Nate Paul. Four of the former staffers later sued the attorney generals office, claiming they were fired in violation of the states whistleblower law. In February, Paxton agreed to a settlement in which he did not admit fault and the whistleblowers would be paid $3.3 million. He asked state lawmakers to fund that settlement. The House impeachment managers have already submitted nearly 4,000 pages of evidence, unveiling more details in the extraordinary accusations that Paxton pressured his top aides to take steps that would benefit Paul, a real estate investor. Paxton is accused of accepting $20,000 in countertop materials from Paul through a contractor during a remodeling of his home. Also included in the allegations is that Paxton had a mistress, whom Paul hired as a favor to the attorney general, and that Paxton would use an alias Dave P on Uber to meet up with the mistress, as well as Paul. Paul was arrested in June on eight federal felony charges related to falsifying financial records, and his lawyer has repeatedly declined comment to CNN. Trial could last two or three weeks There are 19 Republicans in the 31-member Texas Senate. One of them is Paxtons wife, Angela Paxton , but she is not eligible to vote at the trial. If the 21 of the remaining 30 eligible senators vote to convict Paxton, he would become the third person ever removed from office in Texas via impeachment proceedings. The trial is expected to last two or three weeks. It is taking place in the Texas Senate chamber, with some observers filing in to watch early Tuesday morning. Mark and Cindi Montgomery of New Braunfels began lining up at the Capitol doors before daylight so they could get passes to sit in the gallery and show their support for Paxton. Its a sham impeachment, said Mark Montgomery. He was elected by the people. Cindi Montgomery said they booked their hotel in Austin months ago, as soon as they learned the trial date. Mark Montgomery said he was aware of Paxtons securities fraud indictment and the other allegations against him when he voted to reelect Paxton last year. Hes standing up for Texas, he said, adding that he appreciates Paxtons lawsuits against the federal government. Several dozen Paxton supporters lined up early to sit in the gallery, many of them wearing red. When Ken and Angela Paxton each walked onto the Senate floor Tuesday morning at separate times a few people in the gallery called out to them, and the couple waved back and smiled. They chatted briefly on the floor before the proceedings began and gave each other a kiss. This story and headline have been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com In this photo released by The Royal Household Bureau, Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin leads, center, his cabinet members to take oath in front of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn, second right, and Thailand's Queen Suthida at Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. (The Royal Household Bureau via AP) BANGKOK (AP) Thailands new government officially took office on Tuesday, almost four months after the countrys general election, as new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin led the 34 members of his Cabinet to take their oaths of office in front of King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Srettha, representing the Pheu Thai party, was named prime minister by Parliament on Aug. 22 after weeks of delay because of disagreement over the formation of a coalition. The 61-year-old Srettha, a prominent real estate developer who officially entered politics last year, also holds the finance ministers post. He presided over the traditional group photograph in front of Government House in Bangkok with his Cabinet members wearing their white civil servant uniforms. He later held a brief news conference, saying his government is determined to do its best to represent the Thai people and solve many pressing problems that the country is facing. I believe it is time that we should pull together and give this Cabinet a chance to start working on all issues, whether it is economics, social (or) political, Srettha said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The delay in forming a new government was caused by Parliaments failure to endorse a coalition formed by the party that won the most seats in the May polls, the Move Forward party. It could not win a majority in a combined vote of the House of Representatives and the Senate because its progressive platform alienated members of the conservative Senate, who singled out its support for minor reforms to the monarchy as the reason for rejecting it. The Pheu Thai party, which placed second in the election, then formed a broader coalition without Move Forward and was able to win Senate support. But it succeeded only by including pro-military parties from the last government, reneging on a campaign pledge not to do so. Pheu Thai is backed by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by a military coup in 2006. Thaksin, a billionaire populist, fled Thailand in 2008 to avoid prison on charges he said were politically motivated, but returned to Thailand on Aug. 22 to serve an eight-year prison term. It was announced Friday that the king has commuted his sentence to one year. Sretthas Cabinet is drawn from six parties belonging to Pheu Thais 11-party coalition. It includes a number of ministers who served in the previous government of Prayuth Chan-ocha, including Anutin Charnvirakul, who takes over at the Interior Ministry after serving as public health minister and spearheading the decriminalization of cannabis. Another returnee is Thammanat Prompao, who had served as deputy agriculture minister despite being convicted and jailed in Australia in 1994 in connection with heroin smuggling. He is the new agriculture minister. Pheu Thai has said the coalition members back the partys platform of boosting the economy, including by increasing the minimum wage, among other measures. They will also support keeping medical marijuana legal and work to amend the constitution to help the country become more democratic. However, there are no plans to amend the law against royal defamation, a reform strongly rejected by the countrys conservative ruling elite. [Source] Thousands of teachers gathered in Seoul to protest after the suicide of a 23-year-old teacher, which they attributed to the immense pressure and harassment educators face in the nations education system. About the teachers suicide: The 23-year-old elementary school teacher was found dead in an apparent suicide on campus in July. Cho Hee-yeon, the metropolitan education office superintendent, initially labeled her death as an unfortunate decision to take an extreme choice, which is a euphemism for suicide in South Korea. Based on the teachers diary and results of interviews with their colleagues, the (investigation) found out that the teacher had a problematic student and was having difficulties running the homeroom, and the teacher had a lot of work as it was the beginning of the semester, Cho said, according to CNN. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A dispute between two students reportedly played a factor in the teachers death. The parents of both students involved attended a meeting with the teacher. The teacher later received multiple phone calls from a parent and had felt uncomfortable and anxious about how the parent found out their personal mobile number, according to the education vice minister. Details including the teachers cause of death or the exact events that led to it have not been released. More from NextShark: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Fighter Draws Backlash for Sharing Parody Video Mocking Chinese People About the rally: Around 200,000 protesters participated in the rally on Saturday, and an estimated 50,000 teachers held a strike in the capital to commemorate the deceased teacher despite initial warnings that striking would be illegal. The teachers are speaking out against harsh demands and harassment from disgruntled parents, advocating for legal reforms and greater protections. They studied hard to go to education schools and became teachers because they loved children, Jung Chai-jin, a 67-year-old who visited the deceased teachers memorial, told Reuters. And they have to die like this in the classroom? The controversial child abuse law: Teachers complained about their inability to discipline students due to the fear of being reported by parents under a controversial child abuse law introduced in 2014. The law allows anyone to report suspected child abuse without providing evidence, making teachers vulnerable to unfair allegations. The teachers are demanding changes to the child abuse law and greater autonomy in their classrooms. More from NextShark: Spotify Loses Hundreds of K-Pop Songs After License Expires There are so many difficulties in teaching children in the classroom because teachers are not given authority, an anonymous teacher of 10 years told CNN. Although the Child Abuse Prevention Act was created with good intentions to protect children, it is subject to very vague standards. Government action: According to government data, approximately 100 public school teachers in South Korea, primarily elementary school teachers, took their own lives from January 2018 to June 2023. While the data does not specify the exact reasons for these suicides, many in the education community attribute them to the pressures and challenges associated with their jobs. President Yoon Suk-yeol has expressed support for addressing teachers concerns. We should take the voices raised by teachers last weekend seriously, and make every effort to establish teaching authority and normalize the educational field, he said. More from NextShark: Illinois signs law that would make it first state to require Asian American history lessons South Koreas mental health issues: The protest and teacher suicides highlight broader mental health issues in South Korea, which has the highest suicide rate among OECD nations. In the nation, suicide is reportedly the main cause of death of those aged 10 to 39. If you or anyone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. For a list of international suicide hotlines, click here. More from NextShark: 98-Year-Old Asian American WWII Veteran Awarded the Congressional Gold Medal Three defendants from Lafayette who were subjects of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation have been sentenced, United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced. U.S. District Judge James D. Cain Jr. sentenced the following defendants: Brandon Anderson, 30, was sentenced to 15 years, 8 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty Dec. 21, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. On October 21, 2020, agents executed the search warrant and found approximately 600 grams of cocaine and 500 grams of heroin Cord Anderson, 34, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty May 30, 2023, and admitted to possessing at least 350 but not more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Tory Phillips, 32, was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty Dec. 21, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. The investigation resulted in a federal indictment against several defendants for conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine in the Morgan City area. The investigation began in September 2019 into the drug trafficking activities of Cord Anderson, Brandon Anderson, Phillips and their co-defendants. On March 10, 2020, law enforcement agents received a report of an individual found in a vehicle stuck in a ditch. Agents responded and found Cord Anderson asleep inside the vehicle. He woke and attempted to flee but was apprehended. Inside the vehicle, agents found approximately 414 grams of a substance that was tested to be methamphetamine. On June 29, 2020, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle belonging to Phillips and performed a probable cause search of the vehicle and a pat down search of Phillips and found a bag hidden in Phillips groin area. The bag contained a brown substance weighing approximately 20 grams. In October 2020, law enforcement agents learned that Brandon Anderson was in Houston, Texas, and during that time, he was receiving phone calls from individuals in Lafayette requesting a supply of narcotics. On Oct. 21, 2020, agents executed the search warrant and found approximately 600 grams of cocaine and 500 grams of heroin. Anderson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least one kilogram but less than three kilograms of heroin. Under federal law, Title 21, Section 841, drug trafficking is the illegal transporting of or transacting in controlled substances. It involves knowingly or intentionally manufacturing, dispensing or distributing controlled substances or counterfeit controlled substances. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Three Lafayette defendants sentenced on drug charges Ukrainian defense minister submits resignation letter Xinhua) 10:42, September 05, 2023 KIEV/MOSCOW/BUCHAREST, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments related to the Ukraine crisis: Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Monday that he has submitted a letter of resignation to parliament chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk. "It was an honor to serve the Ukrainian people and work for the Ukrainian army for the last 22 months, the toughest period of Ukraine's modern history," Reznikov said on the social media X, formerly known as Twitter. In the letter, Reznikov, who was appointed as defense minister in November 2021, said that all the key tasks set for his mandate have been accomplished. - - - - The Russian Defense Ministry said Monday that the Russian air defenses destroyed two Ukrainian drones overnight, one shot down over the Black Sea near the Crimean Peninsula and the other intercepted over the Kursk region. Russian forces also destroyed four Ukrainian military speedboats in the Black Sea early on Monday. The U.S.-made Willard Sea Force military boats were carrying Ukrainian troops and were headed towards Cape Tarkhankut on the Crimean coast, according to the defense ministry. - - - - The Romanian Defense Ministry on Monday "categorically" denied the reports that Russian drones had fallen overnight on its territory. "At no time did the means of attack used by the Russian Federation generate direct military threats to the national territory or the territorial waters of Romania," representatives of the ministry were quoted as saying by the Agerpres news agency. Previously, some international media reported, based on an official of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, that Russian drones fell on the territory of Romania during an attack on Ukrainian ports during the night of Sunday to Monday. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) Groups led by former Information and Communications Technoogy Secretary Eliseo Rio renewed calls for a transparent and credible system for the 2025 midterm elections, and this means disqualifying technology provider Smartmatic for alleged irregularities in the general polls thee years ago. Ang immediate action ay ma-disqualify, hindi natin magamit ang Smartmatic sa future elections natin. Yun ay pwedeng magawa kaagad, Rio said in a press briefing on Tuesday. [Translation: The immediate action is to disqualify and not use Smartmatic in future elections. That can be done immediately.] In June, Rio was one of three petitioners who asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to review the qualifications of Smartmatic. RELATED: Petition asks Comelec to study possible disqualification of Smartmatic from 2025 polls Their petition cited reported irregularities between the transmission logs and reception logs of election returns from the precinct level to the Comelecs transparency server. Peoples Movement for Truth, Justice, and Reforms, Kontra Daya and the Computer Professionals Union echoed the sentiment. They also called for a hybrid election manual voting and counting on the precinct level, automated transmission to ensure transparency. The poll body earlier said it will use a new automated election system in 2025, and ditch the over 90,000 vote counting machines purchased from Smartmatic. On the call to disqualify Smartmatic, Comelec spokesperson Rex Laudiangco said the poll body will refer the petition to its law department. "Wala pong law on hybrid as of now," he pointed out. "But we did better nga po, to do Fastrac which incorporated all the features in transparency audit and count po." [Translation: There is no law on the matter of hybrid elections as of now. But we did better, to do Fastrac which incorporated all the features in transparency audit and count.] Transmission logs vs. reception logs Rio reiterated his challenge to Comelec to provide him transmission logs since he was only given reception logs. He said the true transmission logs are critical to check if the use of a single, private IP (internet protocol) address did not affect poll results. Comelec earlier stood firm that what was uploaded on its site and gave to Rios group were the May 9 transmission logs. Doon sa raw files doon namin nakita yung IP address na nagpadala ng election returns natin. Doon kami nagtaka bakit yung IP address ay private, Rio explained. Ibig sabihin itong mga natanggap ng transparency server, ay nasa isang local area network or private network na ang may-ari ay Comelec. he said. [Translation: Seen in the files were the IP addresses that sent election returns, We wondered why the IP addresses were private. This means what the transparency server received is from a local area network or private network owned by Comelec.] IT experts found a bulk of vote counting machines in Metro Manila, Cavite and Batangas transmitted election results using the 192.268.0.2 IP address. Comelec Chairman George Garcia earlier said the new modems the commission purchased had a common IP address. He said using a single IP address is not illegal, noting that the results were accurate. The random manual audit of votes showed 99.95% accuracy. Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel backed the clamor of the groups to seek answers to the supposed irregularities. Last week, the Makabayan bloc filed a resolution in the House of Representatives seeking an inquiry into the evidence presented by Rio. Kung hahayaan natin yung mga unresolved questions noong 2022 elections ay nandiyan lang hindi nasasagot, yung at stake dito yung mga susunod na eleksyon, Manuel said. [Translation: If we allow the unresolved questions from the 2022 elections to remain unanswered, the thing at stake here is the next elections.] Update: (4 p.m. EDT Wednesday) The Department of Defense scrubbed a planned test launch of a hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station planned for Wednesday. "On Sept. 6, the Department planned to conduct a flight test at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, to inform our hypersonic technology development. As a result of pre-flight checks, the test did not occur," The Office of the Secretary of Defense told FLORIDA TODAY in a statement. "The Department was able to successfully collect data on the performance of the ground hardware and software that will inform the continued progress toward fielding offensive hypersonic weapons. Delivering hypersonic weapons remains a top priority for the Department. Launch activity from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station this week is seeing an uptick. As many as three launches are on deck through the weekend. However, one of them, unlike the others, was a planned Department of Defense weapons test: the launch of a hypersonic missile that was subsequently scrubbed Wednesday afternoon. According to safety warnings issued Tuesday by the Federal Aviation Administration and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, some kind of space operation was planned from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Wednesday, but none of the active launch providers NASA, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance had any missions scheduled for liftoff. All signs pointed to a DoD weapons test: A notice to airmen of a temporary flight restriction issued by the FAA Tuesday morning states that "no pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas," which stretch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center south to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and east over the Atlantic Ocean. The restriction is scheduled to be in effect Wednesday between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. EDT. This screen capture of a Temporary Flight Restriction issued by the Federal Aviation Administration shows air space closed on Wednesday, Sept. 6, for an suspected hypersonic missile test from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Rocket launch schedule: Upcoming Florida launches and landings ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Splashdown! NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 returns to Earth after nearly six months aboard the ISS The closed air space also aligns with an area of "hazardous operations" cited by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency during roughly the same time window. Both of these types of warnings are typically put in place ahead of any launch activity from Florida's Space Coast. This comes after the Army and Navy's joint attempt to launch a hypersonic missile from the Cape in March was scrubbed by the Department of Defense. "On March 5, the Department of Defense planned to conduct a flight test from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to inform the department's hypersonic technology development," the Office of the Secretary of Defense told FLORIDA TODAY. "As a result of pre-flight checks, the test did not occur." A U.S Army Soldier lifts the hydraulic launching system on the new Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) during Operation Thunderbolt Strike at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, March 3, 2023. What to know about hypersonic missiles: Hypersonic missiles fly at Mach 5 or faster, or at least five times the speed of sound. Due to security concerns, the Secretary of Defense's office said it was unable to confirm the exact type of hypersonic system deployed for the Cape test that had scrubbed. The Army, however, has been testing its Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon system, or LRHW, at sites across the country for several years. In terms of air defenses, they present an almost insurmountable problem to take them down with traditional air defenses. That's why they're so important to the military, said John Cain, professor emeritus with the Florida Institute of Technologys College of Aeronautics. You can't hit a hypersonic missile if it's going away from you. Itll flat outrun anything, he said. Cain is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel who served as a USAF Weapons School instructor pilot at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, and he flew supersonic F-100 Super Sabres, F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-111 Aardvarks during his military career. U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to a multi-domain artillery battery practice operating the new Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) during Thunderbolt Strike at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, March 3, 2023. Its really hard to shoot down, he said of a hypersonic missile. Mach 5 is about 3,800 miles an hour. It's about 63 miles a minute. It's about a mile every second. At those speeds, Cain said rigorous testing is critical for DoD and NASA to develop effective engines, heat-resistant construction and accurate avionics. The aerodynamic surfaces are so critical. I mean, if you were to have one of them inadvertently move an eighth of an inch, it would spin the missile out of control at those speeds, Cain said. The Naval Ordnance Test Unit based at Port Canaveral also conducts missile tests, but those are usually launched from submarines at sea. Cape Canaveral's other rocket launches this week: While Wednesday's launch remains mysterious, the other two rocket launches slated from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station later this week involve SpaceX and United Launch Alliance. SpaceX teams at the Cape's Launch Complex 40 are working toward liftoff of the next Falcon 9 mission carrying another batch of the company's Starlink internet-beaming satellites to orbit. The Starlink 6-14 mission is tentatively slated for Friday night sometime between 7:32 p.m. and 12:02 a.m. EDT, though the company hasn't yet confirmed the mission's existence. At nearby Launch Complex 41, United Launch Alliance teams are expected to target Saturday morning for the launch of an Atlas V rocket between 8:15 a.m. and 10:39 a.m. EDT. The NROL-107 mission is a joint effort between the U.S. Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office set to carry secretive national security payloads to geostationary orbit. That mission had been delayed due to Hurricane Idalia. If that targeted launch date holds, ULA teams are expected to roll the 196-foot Atlas V rocket to its launch pad from the company's vertical integration facility sometime this week. For the latest launch schedule updates, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule. Contact Jamie Groh at JGroh@floridatoday.com and follow her on X.com at @AlteredJamie. Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Hypersonic missile test from the Cape scrubbed by the DoD on Wednesday Five people died and three others were injured in an early-morning crash on Interstate 85 in Georgia, police say. Three victims attended the same high school, according to the Gwinnett County Police Department. Officers responded at around 4 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 4, after multiple 911 calls about a vehicle crash on the State Route 316 ramp to I-85 in Duluth, police said in a news release. Callers told emergency dispatchers that a car went over the ramp wall and crashed onto the interstate. Authorities arrived to find five people dead at the scene. They were identified as: Katie Gaitan Miranda, 17, of Atlanta Ashley Gaitan, 16, of Atlanta Coral Lorenzo, 17, of Atlanta Hung Nguyen, 18, of Lawrenceville Abner Santana, 19, of Suwanee ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Three of the teens Katie, Ashley and Coral were students at Lakeside High School in DeKalb County, district officials confirmed to McClatchy News. (clockwise) Coral Lorenzo, Hung Nguyen, Abner Santana, Katy Gaitan and Ashley Gaitan were killed when their car went over a ramp wall and crashed in I-85 in Gwinnett County, Georgia, police say. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the students affected during this challenging period, Principal Susan M. Stoddard wrote in a letter to parents. We can only imagine the enormous pain and sorrow they are going through, and we are here to support and uplift them in any way we can. Three others were taken to a hospital with injuries, though police didnt give an update on their conditions. The cause of the crash is under investigation, authorities said. Anyone with information is asked to call the Gwinnett County Police Department Accident Investigation Unit at 678-442-5653. Duluth is about 30 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. Dad charged with murder after 10-year-old son dies in rollover crash, TX officials say Masked attackers open fire on van on highway, causing fiery crash, Colorado cops say Accused drunk driver slams into anti-drunk driving sign, California police say FILE - The TikTok logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen which displays the TikTok home screen, on March 18, 2023, in Boston. TikTok said Tuesday Sept. 5, 2023 that operations have started at the first of its three European data centers, part of the popular Chinese owned app's project to ease Western fears about privacy risks. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) LONDON (AP) TikTok said Tuesday that operations are underway at the first of its three European data centers, part of the popular Chinese owned app's effort to ease Western fears about privacy risks. The video sharing app said it began transferring European user information to a data center in Dublin. Two more data centers, another in Ireland and one in Norway, are under construction, TikTok said in an update on its plan to localize European user data, dubbed Project Clover. TikTok has been under scrutiny by European and American regulators over concerns that sensitive user data may end up in China. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020. TikTok unveiled its plan earlier this year to store data in Europe, where there are stringent privacy laws, after a slew of Western governments banned the app from official devices. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement NCC Group, a British cybersecurity company, is overseeing the project, TikTok's vice president of public policy for Europe, Theo Bertram, said in a blog post. NCC Group will check data traffic to make sure that only approved employees can access limited data types and carry out real-time monitoring" to detect and respond to suspicious access attempts, Bertram said. All of these controls and operations are designed to ensure that the data of our European users is safeguarded in a specially-designed protective environment, and can only be accessed by approved employees subject to strict independent oversight and verification, Bertram said. A missing cargo ship was found largely intact after sinking in Lake Michigan over a century ago. Maritime historians Brendon Baillod and Bob Jaeck located Trinidad about 270 feet below the surface just miles away from the Wisconsin coastline in July. The pair designated the find one of Wisconsins most important shipwrecks because of how undamaged ship remained, unlike other wrecks discovered in the Great Lakes. Trinidad still has dishes in its deck house, anchors, a wheel, bell and other deck gear. Not to mention, the crew's possessions and other artifacts. Even the rigging, which in the Trinidad's case used wire instead of the usual rope that would have rotted away, survives, giving marine archaeologists a very rare chance to directly study how the 19th-century cargo ship was rigged. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "It's one of the most intact shipwrecks ever found in Wisconsin waters. It's a very significant find. It's not a famous ship, but there are very few ships like it in Wisconsin waters. It's like a time capsule, President of the Wisconsin Underwater Archeological Association Brendon Baillod said. Heres what to know about the unique find. This is an image of a 3-dimensional photogrammetry model created of the remains of the cargo schooner Trinidad, which sank in 1881 in Lake Michigan off the Algoma shore but was just found in July. The model was created from 3,600 high-resolution photos taken during a dive to the site. How was the Trinidad found? The bell on the deck of the wreck of the Trinidad, photographed during a dive to document the remains. Baillod used historical documents to approximate the Trinidads location down to a 25-square-mile grid, about 10 miles from shore. Baillod and Jaeck then used sonar to search for Trinidad. "This one ticked all the boxes for discovery," he said. "It was not very well-known, not far from a port, few people if any looked for her, and we had a 5-by-5-mile base where we figured it would be." Baillod and Jaeck used a low-frequency sonar well below the surface of the water to create a three-dimensional map of the bottom of the lake, nearly -mile wide on each pass. When they first saw an image of the wreck, they almost missed it because it appeared as little more than a smudge. But they turned back for another pass at the same spot at slower speed and were clearly able to see the shipwreck, almost exactly where she was reported to have sunk. "When we found it, we were stunned," Baillod said. What was Trinidad built for? The cargo schooner Trinidad is seen in this photo during a winter layover in 1873 in Sarnia, Ontario, eight years before she sank off the Algoma coast in Lake Michigan. Trinidad, a 140-foot-long schooner was built by William Keefe in Grand Island, New York in 1867, according to Baillods research. The ships primary purpose was to ship grain; she would carry coal from Oswego, New York, through the Great Lakes to ports in Milwaukee and Chicago then return to New York hauling grain from Wisconsin. Despite the fact that Trinidad turned over a lot of profit for its owners, they didnt maintain it very well. Within 10 years, Trinidad was suffering from decay and hull leaks. The ship was no longer fit to haul grain by 1879. While carrying coal in May 1880, the ship struck a reef in Lake Superior that tore out 10 feet from her bottom, which was "hastily repaired." Before sinking in May of 1881, Trinidads owners sent her on one last trip bound for Milwaukee with a load of coal. After surveying the extent of the damages, Captain John Higgins decided to retire the ship for the winter at Port Huron about halfway through the trip. What happened the day the Trinidad sunk? This is a sonar image of the Trinidad, taken from a remote operated vehicle, where it sits in 270 feet of water at the bottom of Lake Michigan. Captain Higgins and his crew began their journey from Port Huron, Michigan to Milwaukee in May of 1881. After passing through the Sturgeon Bay canal May 10, the vessel began leaking more than usual, and even the extra pumps fitted to her could not prevent the water from continuing to rise in the hull. At 4:45 a.m. May 11, the Trinidad suddenly lurched and began sinking rapidly. The crew had no time to gather their possessions or weather gear before boarding their small yawl boat, and the ship sank so quickly that a Newfoundland that served as her mascot was unable to escape. The crew, all feeling the effects of the cold and the wet, rowed eight hours in the yawl through the waves of Lake Michigan before landing in Algoma at about 2 p.m. They later were taken by schooner to Chicago where Higgins reported the loss. Higgins told reporters he believed the Trinidad sank because of hull damage from ice while the vessel was in the Straits of Mackinac several days prior, but Baillod wrote that her lack of maintenance played a critical role. "A review of the vessels career suggests that she was little more than a floating coffin by the time of her final voyage. The insurance records suggest that Trinidad received little of the normal maintenance and was essentially sailed into the bottom of the lake, Baillod wrote on the Shipwreck World site. What happens next? The wheel on the deck of the wreck of the Trinidad, photographed during a dive to document the remains. Baillod and Jaeck will work with the Wisconsin Historical Society to nominate the site to the National Register of Historic Places. Baillod said the wreck lies just outside the borders of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, so recognition as a historic place would bring greater visibility to it as an important part of the history of Algoma and the surrounding area. Once the site is on the National Register and thoroughly documented, its location will be made public so technical divers can visit her without harming the fragile hull or its historical artifacts. "We're pretty stoked. This is an important one, Baillod said. Anyone interested checking out the discovery more closely can take a flyover look at the model on YouTube or use a virtual reality headset to virtually walk on the Trinidads deck on Sketchfab's website. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Sunken cargo ship Trinidad found in Lake Michigan in pristine state Editor's Note: This article has been updated to clarify the process of federal projects within designated critical habitat areas. A tiny freshwater mussel that starts its life attached to salamanders is being proposed for addition to the federal endangered species list. The aptly named Salamander mussel, which wildlife officials say are disappearing in many places due to water contamination and other environmental factors, is still found in Indiana and about a dozen other states stretching from New York to Arkansas. Freshwater mussels: 'Mussel men' plucked tons of shells from Indiana rivers and streams in the name of fashion ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement If approved, the endangered designation will require federal agencies to work with USFWS on projects to avoid and minimize disturbance of areas identified as "critical habitat" for the thin-shelled, elliptical bivalve that grows to about the size of a quarter. They really need clean water and dont like a lot of sediment, said Georgia Parham of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They need access to a host fish, or in this case a salamander, and if it cant get to it because of dams, that affects how abundant they are. Water streams out of a fragile papershell mussel as it is pulled out of the water. The foot, at right, looks like a tongue and retreats back into the mussel as it is pulled out of the water. Indiana Department of Natural Resources biologists found a variety of mussels, including this one, while doing a freshwater mussel survey in Wildcat Creek, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023 in Cutler. Freshwater mussels, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, "are the most endangered group of organisms in the United States." The center reports 35 species have become extinct "and more are likely gone." In Indiana, the proposal calls for habit protection along about 395 miles of streams and rivers, including sections of Big Pine Creek, Graham Creek, the East Fork White River, Laughery Creek, Wildcat Creek, Otter Creek and Tippecanoe River. Mudpuppies, a type of salamander found in some Indiana rivers and streams, play a crucial role in the lifecycle of a small mussel that is being proposed for a federal endangered species designation. The connection is so strong that the mollusk found in Indiana and about a dozen other states is named the salamander mussel. Parham said the critical habitat designation under the Endangered Species Act means that federal agencies may not adversely modify those areas. Included in the protection would be the river or stream channel, up to the high-water mark, as well as the stream beds. The banks and associated riparian areas would not fall under the federal protections. It does not affect private landowners unless theyve got like a federal permit to drain a wetland, or theyve got federal funding to do some kind of project," Parham explained. "Then theyd have to consult with us. Indiana Department of Natural Resources Assistant Non-Game Aquatic Biologist Jacob Adams, left, and Non-Game Aquatic Biologist Brant Fisher look for mussels in Wildcat Creek on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, near Cutler. The biologists were doing a freshwater mussel survey in the creek and looking for certain species for a Purdue University student working on a project about mussel health in some Indiana creeks. Salamander mussels have a complex life cycle. The mussels rely on mudpuppies, a type of salamander, to host the species microscopic larvae (called glochidium). It is believed to be the only mollusk to use a non-fish host for the larvae, which are smaller than a grain of salt. As the parasitic larvae attached to the salamander's gills grow into tiny mussels, they drop off into stream beds, Parham said. The young then find rocks and crevasses to burrow down into and hide. Biologists who study the species found salamander mussels are at risk of extinction. There are only 66 known populations across 14 states and part of Canada, and more than 80% of them are at high risk from changes in water flow and contaminants, landscape alteration, invasive species and threats to the mudpuppies the mussel relies on, according to USFWS. Meet Indiana's largest salamander: Indiana biologists find young hellbender in wild for first time since at least the 1980s Brant Fisher, a nongame aquatic biologist with Indianas DNR, said mussels are a sort of natural janitor for the states freshwaters. They filter algae and pollutants from the water as they breathe, but the accumulated contaminants can harm or even kill the mussels. Not only do they help keep water clean, Fisher said the creatures live and die in the stream beds, where their partially buried shells help stabilize the substrate. Other wildlife also use those shells to lay eggs and colonize. If you have a stream with a nice diverse and abundant mussel population," Fisher said, "thats a good sign that good things are going on in that stream. Just because mussels are not present in a stream or river doesnt necessarily mean its a bad sign, Fisher said. But if a known, robust population is dwindling, thats a sign that something might be wrong. Fisher and a DNR colleague, Jacob Adams, were surveying mussel populations in a section Wildcat Creek near Cutler one day last week. The pair found a variety of mussels, but no salamander mussels or even shells, while accompanied by an IndyStar photographer. Fisher said that wasn't a surprise. They hadn't expected to come across any on the trip, he said. "Because it uses mudpuppies as a host, where you find it a lot of times is up under big rocks, because that's where mudpuppies hide," Fisher said. "So trying to find them takes a lot more effort. They're small and a lot of times they're up under big rocks, or under ledges, you know, coming out the side of a stream under the water. So it just makes surveying for them so much more difficult than like here where you can just walk out and a muscle a big as, you know, like the size of your hand is sitting there in the bottom of the stream." The proposed federal designation means the salamander mussels would be protected from any harm to the species by the federal government, including projects done with federal funding. It also would allow USFWS to put together recovery plans to bring the species back from the threat of extinction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the salamander mussel as an endangered species The small mussel, which only grows to about the size of a quarter, is still found in some rivers and creeks throughout Indiana and the Midwest. While the federal proposal moves forward public comments are being sought through Oct. 23 at regulations.gov under docket number FWS-R3-ES-2023-0058 the Indiana Department of Natural Resources is working to give salamander mussels full state protections. The mussel is currently listed as a species of concern in Indiana, but if the proposed USFWS rules go through, the species will automatically be listed as state threatened, Fisher said. Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Here's why feds want to list Indiana freshwater mussel as endangered TOMS RIVER - A 45-year-old Toms River man has been charged with aggravated arson and other crimes in the burglary of his father's home after investigators found a can of gasoline in the home's living room and an extinguished fire near it, authorities said. John Voltolino Jr., also is charged with theft of a laptop, burglary and criminal mischief, is being held at the Ocean County Jail where he is awaiting a detention hearing. About 5 p.m. Monday, police went to the father's home on Sun Valley Road on the report of a burglary. Voltolino's father told officers that his son John broke into the house and stole a laptop, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said in a statement. Officers saw a broken window in the first-floor bathroom and blood throughout the home, Billhimer said. They also detected the strong odor of gasoline and saw the extinguished fire next to the gas can on the living room floor, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Police found that Voltolino committed the burglary and theft and arrested him in the woods behind the home, Billhimer said. Dangerous weekend: Drowning along New Jersey Shore claims life of man, 22; swimmers warned of rip currents Investigators found that the fire in the living room had been intentionally set with an open flame, paper towels and gasoline. Further investigation revealed that Voltolino was responsible, Billhimer said. The Major Crime-Arson Squad of the prosecutor's office, Toms River detectives, the Ocean County Sheriffs Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit and the Ocean County Fire Marshals K-9 Unit investigated. it was unclear if Voltolino has hired an attorney, Ken Serrano covers crime, breaking news and investigations. Reach him at 732-643-4029 or at kserrano@gannettnj.com. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Toms River NJ man accused of arson at his father's home (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kongs top court ordered the government to establish laws recognizing same-sex partnerships, representing one of the biggest victories yet for LGBTQ activists in the financial hub. Most Read from Bloomberg The lack of such a framework puts the government in violation of the citys Bill of Rights, the Court of Final Appeal said Tuesday in a ruling. At the same time, the court dismissed part of an appeal to recognize same-sex marriages, including overseas unions. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement There is a need for same-sex couples to have legal recognition on their relationship in order to meet basic social requirements and to provide them with a sense of legitimacy, the judges wrote in their decision, adding that the inability to acquire such recognition is potentially demeaning of same-sex couples. Like most of Asia, Hong Kong doesnt legally recognize same-sex unions or partnerships, denying them the same rights as marriages between men and women. Multinational businesses in the city have increasingly shown support for LGBTQ rights, and greater recognition for same-sex couples in Hong Kong could provide a much-needed boost for the city in its competition with regional rivals such as Singapore and Tokyo. The case marks the first time the citys highest court has directly addressed the issue of same-sex marriage, and was brought by jailed pro-democracy activist Jimmy Sham, who has been seeking to have his New York-registered marriage recognized in the former British colony. A representative from the Hong Kong government didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on how it would implement the ruling. It is a significant victory, Hong Kong Marriage Equality, a local advocacy group, said in a statement. The judgement marks another important step towards equal love and a more harmonious society for all. The judgment is the latest in a series of court rulings that have advanced LGBTQ equal rights over several years. The government recognizes the overseas unions of couples in specific circumstances, including for foreigners seeking spousal visas as a result of a Court of Final Appeal decision in 2018. In February, the court struck down a rule requiring transgender people to undergo surgery before changing their government identification cards. Improvements to Hong Kongs LGBTQ laws could help firms recruit talent to the city, including from its chief rival Singapore. More than 100 employers, including Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., as well as multinationals like Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and McKinsey & Co. supported a call for recognition of same-sex relationships by Equal Love Hong Kong, a coalition of business and community organizations. Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News, is also a supporter. Read more: Asia-Wide Fight for Same-Sex Marriage Faces Hong Kong Test Singapore last year repealed a colonial-era law criminalizing sex between men but also amended its constitution to protect the current definition of marriage as between a man and a woman. That amendment protects policies based on the definition of marriage, including public housing rules or financial benefits for married couples, from challenges in court. The Hong Kong court gave the government two years to comply with the ruling after the issue of a final order, which would happen after both parties gave written submissions. The two-year deadline acknowledges the political and practical difficulties for the government to establish an alternative framework for same-sex partnerships, said Azan Marwah, a lawyer who has successfully argued on behalf of LGBTQ challengers in lower-court cases. The court is saying, in substance, there needs to be equality, he said. If youre going to have inequality then those inequalities have to be justified. By calling for broader recognition of same-sex partnerships, the court was sending a positive move to the LGBTQ community in Hong Kong, said Yiu-tung Suen, associate professor of the gender studies program at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Now there should at least be an alternative framework for legal recognition of same-sex relationships, he said, adding that much will now ride on how the government follows up on the decision. There is still a lot of uncertainty about how that alternative framework will be established and whether its going to be a very narrow interpretation of what rights of same-sex couples are to be protected, he said. Hong Kongs latest ruling comes amid a push across the region to use the courts to advance LGBTQ rights. In Japan, two courts have ruled same-sex-marriage bans are unconstitutional. In June, Nepals Supreme Court issued an order for the registration of same-sex marriages, and Indias Supreme Court is likely to issue a decision this year in a marriage equality case. Taiwan in 2019 became the first place in Asia to allow same-sex couples to marry. Hong Kong recognizing same-sex partnerships should strengthen its appeal in attracting top talent in the region, said Johannes Hack, president of the German Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. It showcases the city as an inclusive and open place to work. Read more: How LGBTQ Life in China Has Gotten Tougher Under Xi: QuickTake --With assistance from Young-Sam Cho. (Updates with details throughout.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The three US military service secretaries went on the offensive against Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville over his ongoing hold on senior military nominations in an interview with CNN on Tuesday, saying he is aiding communist and autocratic regimes, and being used by adversaries like China against the US. Our potential adversaries are paying attention, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told CNNs Jake Tapper alongside Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro and Army Secretary Christine Wormuth in an exclusive joint interview for The Lead. It is affecting how they view the United States and our military capabilities and support for the military. This needs to stop. Kendall said that at an embassy event in Washington, DC, an Air Force general officer was taunted by a Chinese colonel about the way our democracy was working. Del Toro echoed the same concerns, saying that as someone born in a communist country, I would have never imagined one of our own senators would actually be aiding and abetting a communist and other autocratic regimes around the world. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This is having a real negative impact and will continue to have an impact on our combat readiness, said Del Toro, who was born in Cuba. That is what the American people truly need to understand. It is just unprecedented to be attacking apolitical general officers and flag officers in this way. It is taking our apolitical military and eroding its foundations, Wormuth added. The three spoke a day after they wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post in which they said the months-long standoff is putting our national security at risk. The unusual public intervention from the secretaries in a congressional political dispute reflects the frustration felt at the highest levels of the US military over Tubervilles holds, which have been in place for six months. Senators have many legislative and oversight tools to show their opposition to a specific policy. They are free to introduce legislation, gather support for that legislation and pass it. But placing a blanket hold on all general and flag officer nominees, who as apolitical officials have traditionally been exempt from the hold process, is unfair to these military leaders and their families. And it is putting our national security at risk, the leaders write. In an interview with CNN, Tuberville doubled down on his stance and expressed disappointment in Del Toros comments to Tapper about him. It is concerning that you got people that are in secretary positions like that, that would say something like that in our country, instead of getting on the phone and calling me and saying Coach, what are you doing? It just makes no sense, he said. More than 300 confirmations delayed Tuberville, of Alabama, has delayed the confirmations of more than 300 top military nominees over his opposition to the Pentagons policy of reimbursing service members and their families who have to travel to receive abortion care. In the Senate, one senator can hold up nominations or legislation, and Tubervilles stance has left three military services to operate without a Senate-confirmed leader for the first time in history. Its possible to confirm each of the nominees one by one, but Senate Democrats have argued that would take up valuable floor time despite a five-week recess taken in August. The Senate is reconvening on Tuesday. Without the replacements, the foundation of Americas enduring military advantage is being actively eroded by Tuberville, and the holds also have a domino effect upending the lives of our more junior officers, too, the leaders write. We know officers who have incurred significant unforeseen expenses and are facing genuine financial stress because they have had to relocate their families or unexpectedly maintain two residences, they write. Military spouses who have worked to build careers of their own are unable to look for jobs because they dont know when or if they will move. Children havent known where they will go to school, which is particularly hard given how frequently military children change schools already. Wormuth mentioned Tuesday an Army general officer who has been unable to move their aging mother into their home because the hold on their nomination has kept them from moving into a new house as theyd planned. Because that move isnt happening, they are paying $10,000 a month right now month to keep the aging parent in an assisted living facility, Wormuth said. That is the kind of consequence thats happening, and these are service members who have literally put their lives on the line for Americans for the last 20 years. The op-ed concludes, We believe that the vast majority of senators and of Americans across the political spectrum recognize the stakes of this moment and the dangers of politicizing our military leaders. It is time to lift this dangerous hold and confirm our senior military leaders. Chuck Schumer could confirm all of the service chiefs in one daybut he refuses. Instead he just took five weeks off. Clearly he is not worried about this affecting readiness, Steven Stafford, a Tuberville spokesperson, told CNN. In July, Tuberville posted on X, I didnt start this. The Biden admin injected politics in the military and imposed an unlawful abortion policy on American taxpayers. I am trying to get politics out of the military. Tuberville says the Pentagon is violating law with the reproductive health policies that include, among other things, a travel allowance for troops and their families who must travel to receive an abortion because of the state laws where they are stationed. Pentagon officials have pointed to a Justice Department memo that says the policies are lawful. The holds first began in March and Tuberville has held his ground despite mounting public pressure. Active-duty military spouses hand-delivered a petition to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Tuberville in July signed by hundreds of military family members who were deeply concerned and personally impacted by Senator Tuberville blocking confirmation of senior military leaders. By the end of this year, there will be more than 600 military officers up for nomination, including the nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown, who has been nominated by President Joe Biden to take over for Army Gen. Mark Milley. Among other positions, the chief of naval operations, Army chief of staff and Marine Corps commandant are serving in acting capacities. In some cases, the officer filling the role on a temporary basis is lower-ranking than the officer who was nominated to take the position; the Missile Defense Agency, for example, is being led by a one-star in an acting capacity despite the position typically being filled by a three-star general. Wormuth said Tuesday that shes worried the hold will impact morale among lower-ranking officers. I really worry that a lot of those officers who volunteer are going to walk away and basically say, I dont want to deal with this, she said, If this is what it takes to be a general officer, I dont want to do this. This story has been updated with additional information. CNNs Manu Raju and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) A Manila court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant against former Negros Oriental Rep. Arnie Teves over the killing of Gov. Roel Degamo and nine others in Pamplona. Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 51 Presiding Judge Merianthe Pacita Zuraek signed the arrest warrant naming Teves among the co-accused. "The court resets the arraignment and pre-trial conference to October 4, 2023, Wednesday at 1:30 in the afternoon," the document read. In a briefing on Tuesday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said he was confident that the court would issue an arrest warrant against Teves. "This is a waiting game, you have to be patient, you have to wait for the results properly, at [and] we have to give time to the institutions that are in charge of their different responsibilities to look at the Teves case and to cast their judgment on these matters, especially with the issuance of warrant of arrest if ever," he said. Remulla also said he still believes that Teves is in Timor Leste, and continues to travel to Cambodia and Thailand. "After this is done, then we will have to write the United Nations to inform them of this, the designated terrorist now has murder cases and they should stand for trial in our country and that we are asking them to ask the member states of the UN to acknowledge their duty of rendition so to bring back Teves to the Philippines for trial," he added. Teves was expelled from the House of Representatives in August due to disorderly behavior and for violation of the Code of Conduct of the House of Representatives. The Committee on Ethics cited as basis of Teves' expulsion his continued absence without leave and his pursuit of political asylum in Timor-Leste. It said such acts are as good as abandonment of public office. It also cited Teves recent designation as a terrorist and his indecent behavior on social media. The embattled former lawmaker is also facing murder cases over the killings in Negros Oriental in 2019. A transgender Harvard law instructor known for her online LGBT advocacy has found herself caught up in a wide-ranging FBI investigation into a months-long campaign of bomb threats leveled against people, businesses, and schools all over the country. Alejandra Caraballo, a civil rights attorney and instructor at Harvard Law School, has been ccd on at least 35 emails containing bomb threats since February of this year. These emails have shut down school districts, businesses and even whole neighborhoods while police search for non-existent bombs, The Daily Beast has found after reviewing the emails, disrupting thousands of lives. Some of the most recent emails Caraballo was ccd on threatened schools in Tulsa, Oklahoma, taking aim at a librarian who posted a now-viral satirical video about woke ideology that was picked up by far-right social media account Libs of TikTok and then by right-wing media. The Tulsa school system has been completely disrupted by the ongoing threats over the last two weeks, resulting in large numbers of students staying home. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On Aug 22. Caraballo received an email directly threatening the librarian who made the video, Kirby Mackenzie, and the school where she works, Ellen Ochoa Elementary. The innonence [sic] of children is sacred, that is a fact that has been known for the entirety of human history, it read. Im not going to stand by as you bastards continue to indoctrinate and prey upon our children. On August 24, another email threatened multiple schools and addresses across Tulsa. In an Aug. 28 email, the sender claims to have placed homemade pipebombs and pressure cooker bombs at an elementary school and library. We will not stop bombing your city until the right thign [sic] is done, it continued. Two separate emails sent on Aug. 29 both used the phrasing, We are fed up with the incompetence of Union Public schools and we are here to send a fucking message. You will evacuate the the [sic] school so nobody dies. Caraballo has been forwarding these emails to investigators at the FBI, but is becoming frustrated at the lack of action being taken. She is wondering why the mystery of the hoax bomber has not been solved. I dont know how seriously theyre taking this, Caraballo told The Daily Beast. Its absolutely terrorism, thats exactly what this is. Even though theyre not going through with it, people can be traumatized. Caraballo, who researches gender and technology, maintains a popular Twitter account where she documents anti-LGBT rhetoric and far-right extremism. In December 2022 she shared a thread suggesting a connection between posts by Libs of TikTok and a series of bomb threats, like those against Boston Childrens Hospital. She thinks this may be why the unknown hoaxer has been including her in the emails. For the last year, bomb threats have been connected to anti LGBTQ hate. In particular, there are multiple verified instances of correlation between bomb threats and Libs of Tiktok's tweets within a broader epidemic of bomb threats tied to anti LGBTQ hate. A thread: Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) December 22, 2022 Although the emails come from different addresses and take aim at targets across the country, Caraballo believes there is one person, or a small group, behind the bomb threats. Similar language is used in many of the emails, including the same spelling mistakes and phrases. And, of course, they are all being sent to her. Its either one person or maybe three or four people on a Discord, Caraballo speculates. You cant rule out that its not some kind of foreign operation either. The emailed bomb threats start The first threatening email that she noticed appeared in her inbox on a normal work day. It was Feb. 21, and Caraballo was on a Zoom call with a colleague and a client when a notification pinged onto her screen. She glanced over at the email and three words jumped out: We placed bombs I opened it up and I read it, and I was like, oh my God, Caraballo recalled. We placed bombs in GSB and in several mystery schools in the Lincoln county school district, the email read. Find the bmobs [sic] before they go off! This game is fun! We will continue to bomb your schools until the perverts and child abusers at GSB are held accountable. Caraballo quickly realized she was not the target of the threat. Instead, the email was aimed at a school district in Lincoln County, Maine, and a particular elementary school, Great Salt Bay Community School. It also named four school district emails and listed their personal home address. Local officials in Maine and media outlets were also CCd. Eleven days earlier the school had been the subject of numerous news reports after a mother of a 13-year-old student told conservative outlet the National Review that her child had been given a chest binder by a social worker at the school, who did not inform the parents. By the time Caraballo received the email, Great Salt Bay Community School had already received three bomb threatson Dec. 21, 2022, Jan. 13 and Feb. 17, according to The Lincoln County News. Each time law enforcement had to evacuate and search the school. Looking back through her inbox, Caraballo discovered another bomb threat that she had been ccd on a few days earlieron February 17while shed been off work. In that email, the sender claimed to have placed bombs inside the home of Pamela Queen, a House Democratic delegate in Maryland. Queen had recently created a bill called FirearmsTracking Technology that proposed that if a person purchased 10 or more firearms, the guns should be fitted with a tracker. The idea had drawn ire from gun rights groups. Pamela Queen is a [sic] anti American traitor, the email read. Im done trying to fight this legally, you have forfeited your right to life. You are a worthless degenerate sack of shit who deserves to die. You will die. This is why we placed a bomb in your home. As Caraballo read the emails she felt her anxiety rising, escalating to panic. She immediately reported the emails to Harvards internal police department. The threats had come from two different email addresses, one hosted by GMX.com, another from a Protonmail account. I didnt know what to do in this situation. And afterwards I was in a state of unease because it was being sent directly to me, Caraballo said. Civil rights attorney Alejandra Caraballo testifies to the US House of Representatives on Confronting White Supremacy, Dec. 13, 2022. Wikicommons Why were these being sent to her, she wondered, and what was she supposed to do about it? Due to her work around cyber-threats and the harassment of women and LGBT people online, Caraballo had received threats before. But nothing quite like this. More threats arrive After the initial emails, things went quiet. Caraballo didnt receive any further threats for around a month. Then, between March 18 and March 26, she was ccd on a flurry of eight emails containing bomb threats. Several came from the same @mail.ru email account, a provider based in Russia. On March 22, Caraballo was ccd on a bomb threat made to the Hilton Central School District in western New York. The sender claimed to have placed bombs at the school districts office, at five local schools, and in the house of the district superintendent Casey Kosiorek. There is nothing more vile and disgusting than violating a child's innonence [sic] and that is exactly what this school system has done, the email read. They allow and encourage children to read sexual content such as the book this book is gay, a book which contains graphic sexual content and encourages children to use hook up apps. It has been known for all of human history taht [sic] the innonence [sic] of children is sacred, the email continued, using the same phrasing and specific misspelling that Caraballo would recognize in later emails, Anyone who violates that has forfeit their right to life, we will end you and purify our land of you degenerates and make our country great, we will stop you from causing the collapse of our civilization one step at a time. Following the threat, all the schools in the district were evacuated, according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, and no explosives were found. Students went back to school the following day with police deputies stationed at the doors. Kosiorek said the high school library did have one copy of This Book Is Gay, a publication that has drawn ire from right-wing media in the last year, but that it had only been checked out of the library twice since 2015, according to the Democrat and Chronicle. But that wasnt the end. Two days later, the school district received another threat. Once again, the schools were evacuated and searched and once again no bomb was found. Finally, on March 27, a third threat was sent. This time students finished their day while students after K-9 units searched the schools, according to Rochester First. Its really a sad and dark time for this nation if this is going to become the norm, Kosiorek told WXXI News after the third threat. Caraballo could see this unfolding first-hand. But she was also ccd on other threats being sent from different email addresses, often containing identical language (and typos). One March 26 email, threatening to bomb an animal rescue in Kentucky that was hosting a Drag Queen story hour, also stated The innonence [sic] of children is sacred, something that for all of human history has been known, exactly as the threats against Hilton schools had. (That event went ahead, despite the bomb threat.) The same @mail.ru email address that threatened the animal rescue also sent a series of threats to a feminist bookstore in Chicago, an LGBT Center Community Center in New York City and North West Junior High School in Iowa, which was evacuated twice. On March 22, Caraballo was ccd on a threat from a different @mail.ru address, threatening several federal buildings in New York City, including the New York County Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court - Southern District of New York, and the U.S. Attorneys Office. We placed bombs in the following locations. Pipebombs, fertilizer bombs, tannerite, the email read, Placed in cars, backpacks, sewage systems. Evacaute [sic] before the bombs go off. You people are destroying America so we will destroy you. Caraballo decided it was time to inform the FBI. Since April, she has been in contact with agents in the Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York, and has been forwarding all the emails she receives. Since then, the senders or senders have switched from using @mail.ru and Protonmail accounts to using different Gmail accounts, which Caraballo thinks should be easier for law enforcement to investigate. The FBI declined to comment on the case or investigation. Caraballo is frustrated that after four months of cooperation with the FBI, she is still receiving emails, and the threats are still shutting down schools, libraries and businesses all over the country. The threats sometimes seem to correlate to news stories that are getting high levels of play in right-wing media, Caraballo says. After the media storm in June around trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney promoting Bud Light, Caraballo was ccd on a threat claiming a bomb had been placed in Mulvaneys home. She was also ccd on two emails from the same Gmail account, claiming to have placed bombs in Anheuser Busch Breweries (Bud Lights parent company) in New Hampshire, New York, Missouri and Ohio. LGBTQ community targeted As well as taking aim at large corporations or entire school districts, some of the recent emails that Caraballo has been ccd on target small local businesses that have garnered attention in their community for hosting pro-LGBT events. On Aug. 12, Caraballo was ccd on five almost identically worded emails threatening an LGBT center in Fresno, California, a childrens bookstore in Denver, Colorado, a craft beer taproom Renton, Washington, a restaurant in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and independent boutique in Peekskill, New York. Each email was sent from a different Gmail account, but all contained identical lines like: Evacuate the sorrounding [sic] areas, we placed enough fertilizer bombs there to make the Oklahoma City bombings look like a firecracker. One of the people named in one of the emails was Marley Rall, the owner of the Brewmasters Taproom in Renton, Washington. She was napping on the couch with her dog on the afternoon of Aug. 12 when police knocked on the door. They said her home and her business had both been named in a bomb threat. Officers were already searching the craft beer taproom shed owned and run for seven years. She was forced to cancel a drag queen story time scheduled for later that day. Marley Rall at her taproom. Marley Rall Rall is no stranger to threats. Her taproomwhich she describes as a community gathering place that happens to sell really awesome, local craft beerhas long-hosted LGBT events, including a drag queen story time. It hasnt always sat well with more conservative members of the community. On Dec. 7, 2022, after a call to action against the venues drag event was posted on a conservative Facebook group, a person wearing a mask and gloves, driving a car with number plate removed, shot through the businesss front window. But the bomb threat felt uniquely terrifying, she said. For all the emails weve received, all the phone calls weve received, Ive heard it all. Ive heard you should burn in hell. Ive heard youre a Nazi piece of shit but this is the first time someone found out my home address and put it in an email thats bccd to who knows who, Rall told The Daily Beast. Thats a next-level situation. I rather die than live in a country where its acceptable to allow pedophiles who dress up as women prey upon children, the threatening email read. Your time will come up, we wont stop we will fucking kill all of you bastards and make our country great again. Damage from the shooting at Marley Ralls tap room. Marley Rall More than 2,000 miles away, in Peekskill, New York, the owners of independent boutique Bucko! received the same threat. Katie Orsi was at home with her 3-year-old son and 4-month-old baby when she saw the email pop into the businesss inbox. Her partner, Brian Orsi, was minding the store. I just saw the subject line, and I was like, Brian, did we just get a bomb threat? Orsi recalled to The Daily Beast. The interior of Bucko!, an independent giftstore owned by Katie and Brian Orsi in Peekskill, New York Katie Orsi The email claimed bombs had been placed at both their store and their home address. It also named several members of Brian Orsis extended family, threatening to kill them. The Peekskill Police Department quickly responded, evacuating not only the couples business and the surrounding businesses but also their entire neighborhood. Orsi struggled to get her two children and dog out of the house while her toddler asked, Mommy why are the police here? she said. The store had originally planned to host a drag queen story time that day, but had already canceled it a week earlier after a flier they made for the event was altered and posted online without their knowledge. It was then picked up by what the couple described as local extremists and bigots, in a statement to the Peekskill Herald. The cruelty is the point, Brian Orsi told The Daily Beast, describing the bomb threat emails as a kind of stochastic terrorism that has impacted many in their community. The effect on this community has been hard. I spent the next day for a few hours with our next door neighbors who have been involved in drag events. They had tears in their eyes, Katie Orsi said. The exterior of Bucko!, the shop owned by Brian and Katie Orsi in Peekskill, New York. Katie Orsi For Caraballo, theres a strange irony that, as someone who spends her days documenting right-wing extremism and threats against LGBT, that she has become an unwilling witness to these bomb threats, and the chaos and fear they have caused to people across the country. Its corrosive to democracy and it corrodes public institutions and public trust. Beyond the immediate terror and fear and anxiety the wide scale campaign of this is corrosive to public institutions, and thats what worries me long-term, she 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. Courtney Danser and friends were heading home from Croatia through Ireland on an Aer Lingus flight. After a delay, they landed in Dublin for a connection, but customs had closed for the day. Danser said they paid for other flights home after the airline said there were no flights available. When Courtney Danser's Aer Lingus flight home from Croatia was delayed, panic immediately set in. Danser was traveling home on August 2 with two friends after a weeklong trip to Croatia. The group's original itinerary, viewed by Insider, said the friends were scheduled to fly out of Dubrovnik, Croatia, with a layover in Dublin, before arriving at Danser's final destination, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. But Danser told Insider their flight out of Dubrovnik left 30 minutes late cutting their layover from 80 minutes to 50. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Danser said that mid-air, she chatted with a flight attendant about the delay and their short connection. Relief set in as the flight attendant told Danser that other JFK-bound passengers were on the plane and that they'd be able to catch their flight home. "As soon as the flight attendant told me, 'You'll be fine,' I was blissfully unaware of what was about to happen," Danser said. Once they landed in Dublin, Danser said she gained even more reassurance when she learned that their flight to New York had also been delayed. The 4:45 p.m. flight would be departing at 5:20 p.m., she said. The group headed to customs. Although it was only about 4:15 p.m., Danser said they discovered that it had closed for the day. No one would be flying to the US even though their plane hadn't departed yet. The group ultimately spent over $4,000 to get home, and Aer Lingus denied Danser's request for a refund. Aer Lingus and the Dublin Airport did not respond to requests for comment. An Aer Lingus plane parked at the Dublin Airport. Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images Courtney Danser said she was stranded in Dublin because customs had closed While there wasn't anything on her ticket or online reservation about Dublin Airport's customs policy, Danser said she heard from a friend that she'd go through US customs in Dublin, not New York. For any flight heading to the US, the Dublin Airport has a preclearance facility that passengers are required to go through, according to the airport's website. It's one of the few airports that offers preclearance before landing in the States. So when passengers finally arrive in the US, they're treated like domestic travelers instead of international ones. The airport's website also encourages travelers undergoing preclearance to arrive at their terminal three hours ahead of their flight. Danser said she initially thought going through customs in Ireland would work in her favor. Once she landed in the US, she could skip customs and exit the airport immediately. After disembarking their delayed Croatia flight, which landed at 3:50 p.m. in Dublin, Danser said she and her friends immediately headed to the US customs desk. "When we get there, the doors are closed, the lights are off, and there are two women standing out front," Danser said. "They tell us that US customs is closed for the day, so no one else going to the US can board any flights for the rest of the day." In a statement sent to Insider, a US Customs and Border Protection representative said that "the current hours of operation for preclearance at Dublin Airport are 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. IST." "U.S. Customs and Border Protection will begin securing the Preclearance area at 4:30 p.m. if it is determined that no additional passengers will be arriving," the statement continued. "The airline may request operations to remain open past posted hours to accommodate late transfers. CBP frequently accommodates such requests, but does not control the operations of the other stakeholders. The vast majority of passengers who use preclearance do not miss their flights. The airlines have responsibility for late arriving connecting passengers." Danser said that when she arrived at the customs area before 4:30 p.m. and found the office was closed, she assumed her group could go through customs once they landed in the US. But Danser said that airport staff told her that wasn't the case. Instead, she was told that the US-bound airplanes leaving Dublin land at terminals that do not go through customs. Therefore, Danser said, she wouldn't be boarding a flight that night, and she was told to contact her airline for a rebooking. Meanwhile, more and more people were arriving at the closed customs area, Danser said. "There were hundreds of people that were in the same situation, and it just seemed absurd," she said. While some were passengers from her Croatia flight, Danser said there were travelers from other flights, too. Danser said when she called Aer Lingus to reschedule her flight, the airline informed her that the next available flight was in two days. "I get through to customer service for Aer Lingus, and she says the next available flight to the US is Friday at 11 a.m.," Danser said. "That's two days away. We all have to work. I have a dog with a dog sitter. I can't fly out two days later." Danser said she was open to flying anywhere in the US and then finding another flight home, but the airline staff told her there were no flights available to anywhere in the US for the next two days. However, Danser said she didn't think that was true. When she looked at available flights on Aer Lingus' website, she said she saw numerous options for the next day. "There are flights showing for Aer Lingus, but they're first-class," she said. "But the customer service representatives wouldn't entertain that." Danser said she and her two friends spent an impromptu night in Dublin. Courtney Danser The group booked their own flights instead Danser said she couldn't wait until Friday to get home, so she booked a flight on Delta the following day for $1,725. Another friend spent more than $1,000 to get home to Denver, Colorado, via Iceland, she said. And the third friend booked a $1,200 Aer Lingus flight the following day, opting for an economy seat that Aer Lingus representatives said wasn't available. Together, the group spent about $4,000 getting home. Once she got home, Danser said she reached out to the airline for a refund. "They denied my refund for the Delta flight that I booked. They denied my refund for the whole Aer Lingus flight, and I'm still waiting to hear back if they'll pay for just the flight that I missed but that would only be $200," she said. Danser said after receiving Aer Lingus' refund rejection she still had hope. Her credit card offers travel protection, so she filed a claim through them. There, she hit another roadblock. Her credit-card company requires her to provide proof that she missed the flight for reasons out of her control, but she said she can't find any official documentation that states she missed her flight due to a closed customs desk. Now that Danser's back home, she said she's on a tight budget until she knows if she'll get a refund or not. "To me, $1,700 is just devastating," she said. "I don't have $1,700 to be dropping on a one-way flight our total flight on Aer Lingus, round-trip, was $900." The traveler said she was shocked the customs area would close before a scheduled flight Danser said she and her two friends made the most of the situation. They each received a one-night hotel voucher as well as a dinner voucher from Aer Lingus, and they explored Dublin for a night. But weeks later, she said she's still left wondering why the US customs area closes before US flights have departed. She added that it wasn't just passengers who were affected by the situation. She said she encountered airport and hotel staff, shuttle drivers, and restaurant workers who were all stressed by the influx of stuck passengers. "You've inconvenienced so many people by doing this," she said. "It's mind-blowing." Other travelers say they've paid thousands to get home when their flight plans went awry Danser and her friends aren't alone in paying out-of-pocket to get home when flights go wrong. As Insider previously reported, one family was flying home from Nigeria in August when they discovered they didn't have tickets for a flight they paid for. Andrew Spector told Insider that United failed to issue tickets to its partner airline Lufthansa. When they showed up at the airport, the family of five was informed they couldn't board the plane. Ultimately, United Airlines was able to rebook the family on flights; however, Spector said the family spent an additional $4,000 to get home, which included the cost of hotels, seat upgrades for flights they didn't board, and transportation costs. Lufthansa did not respond to Insider's request for comment on the family's situation. However, a United representative told Insider that the airline "offered several options and ultimately rebooked the family on Turkish Airlines." Insider also spoke to a couple traveling home from Singapore to New Jersey. Emma Giantisco and Dylan Marton booked their flights through United and had a connecting flight with Lufthansa. When their connecting flight was canceled, the couple attempted to rebook the flights with both airlines. According to the couple, they were rebooked multiple times, but each time, the tickets and itineraries disappeared from their United apps hours later. After numerous failed attempts at rebooking with the airlines for free, they said they spent $4,000 to get home. Lufthansa did not respond to a request for comment from Insider on the couple's situation. In a statement sent to Insider, a United representative said that "after receiving a new itinerary from their canceled Lufthansa flight, the customer called United to explore their options and we rebooked them on a new flight the following day. When the customers did not show for this flight, they reached out to Lufthansa instead." Giantisco said the couple didn't show up for the flight because there wasn't any indication on the United app that they had confirmed reservations or tickets. "It felt like they really just didn't care about our situation, nor did they care about us getting home. They cared about profits it seemed," Marton previously told Insider. Do you have a travel nightmare to share? Insider would like to hear from you. Email mhumphries@insider.com. Read the original article on Insider Former President Donald Trumps trial in Fulton County, Georgia, will be livestreamed and televised, but his federal trials in Florida and Washington, D.C., will not. Thats because of the federal judiciarys ban on cameras in the courtroom. That ban is championed by Chief Justice John Roberts, who chairs the Judicial Conference of the United States, the body that sets policies for the federal courts. In 2018, Roberts opined on the issue of how cameras could help educate people about what the court does, saying: Thats not our job to educate people. His former colleague Justice David Souter put it even more strongly when he testified before a House Appropriations Committee in 1996, saying, the day you see a camera come into our courtroom, its going to roll over my dead body. Souter retired in 2009, so he never had to deal with that grim potential circumstance. Let the Public Watch Trumps Trial, Put Cameras In the Courtroom ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But whats really behind this fear of cameras? I lack the credentials to make a clinical diagnosis, but its possible the justices could be suffering from a form of scopophobiathe fear of being watcheda condition not specifically recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), but which could be categorized under the diagnostic criteria for specific phobias, such as social anxiety disorder. In 1906, a psychiatric journal described this condition as a fear of being seen and a shamefacedness, which one sees in asylumsa morbid dread of being seen. The justices would almost certainly beg to differ about whether this is why they fear cameras, as they have already made various rationalizations for opposing the transparency that livestreaming and television would bring. The late Justice Antonin Scalia opposed cameras because he didnt trust the media to get it right, but likely also because he believed that the common citizen wouldnt understand the proceedings. A sentiment reflected in his remark that the University of Chicago Law Review is not sold at the 7-Eleven. Retired Justice Anthony Kennedy opposed it because he didnt trust his colleagues to refrain from showboatinga possibility he called an insidious dynamic that might destroy a dynamic that is really now quite a splendid one. Justice Clarence Thomas felt cameras would undermine the manner in which we consider the cases. Certainly it will change our proceedings. And I dont think for the better. But this mysterious splendid dynamic and unspecified manner smacks of an elitist view that the masses cannot be trusted to understand the rarefied intellectual airs of the high court. Never mind that a multitude of state courts regularly allow broadcasting of their trials and the federal courts even tried out a pilot programnone of which caused the state and federal judicial systems to crash and burn. Trump Can and Should Be Disqualified From Running for President Under the 14th Amendment This resistance to the transparency brought by cameras echoes the high courts refusal to adopt a code of judicial ethics that makes them the only court in the country to have no ethics code. This refusal was described by one legal scholar as a matter of petulance, not principle, that reflects a stunning lack of concern for its own declining legitimacy. Justice Scalia died in 2016 and Justice Kennedy retired in 2018, so neither is on the high court nowas it faces an all-time low in public confidence. Ironically, its been the revelations about luxurious trips given to the justices by wealthy friendslike the one to the resort that Scalia was staying at when he diedthat have gravely undermined confidence in the court. Added to that are the revelations about Justice Thomas two decades of secret luxury trips provided to by the billionaire Republican megadonor Harlan Crowtrips that would have cost Thomas as much as half a million dollars out of his own pocket for a single excursion. (There was also Thomas refusal to recuse himself from a case where he voted to stay an order directing former President Trump to obey a subpoena for records that included correspondence from Thomas wife, Ginni Thomas, who had been a vocal supporter of efforts to overturn the 2020 election.) The high courts attitude toward technology can be ridiculed for its backwardness. Although Nikola Tesla was experimenting with radio transmissions as far back as the 1890s, the justices only allowed live audio of their hearings during the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020. The pandemic also seemed to allow the justices to discover the invention of the telephone, as they allowed teleconference oral arguments for the first time even as the rest of the world turned to video conferencing. Perhaps someday they will get around to television, which was first demonstrated in 1927. But making fun of SCOTUS for being tech dinosaurs runs the risk of missing the bigger threat, which is the courts strategy to slow-roll the ability of technology to instantly shed light onto the workings of the high court and all of the federal judiciary. How John Roberts Saved the GOP (and Sparked Its Civil War) Although SCOTUS has recognized the right of public access via the press to cover trials under the First Amendment, the reality of access is quite different. Few people make the time to go physically in person to watch trials, and for those who want to watch the Supreme Court in action, the access is so limited as to be meaningless. The courts process for public access allows only 50 seats for general public access to its hearings. Livestreaming would make access available to hundreds of millions on demand. SCOTUS today is an institution weakened by the disease of secrecy. Real transparency through meaningful financial disclosures, an enforceable code of ethics, and allowing the public to see their work could be a first step towards a cure. The justicesall of whom surely pride themselves on the value of a classical educationmay want to remember the words of Hippocrates, who may have been the first to describe social phobia as the condition of a person who loves darkness as life and cannot endure the light or to sit in lightsome places. 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. Tri-Cities housing advocates are already seeing a surge in people at risk of falling into homelessness after pandemic-related funding ended for local programs last month. The funding, which was used to boost homelessness prevention and housing programs in the Tri-Cities and across the nation, largely ran out this summer. What hasnt gone away is the need for the programs. Recent data from Washington state shows just how effective homelessness prevention programs have been at reducing homelessness in Tri-Cities. Programs that saw boosts included: Rapid re-housing, which moved people into hotel rooms or other temporary measures. Homelessness prevention programs, which helped people with eviction prevention or at imminent risk of losing their home and transitional housing. Supportive housing projects, which help with the costs of running projects similar to the newly opened Bishop Skylstad Commons apartments in Pasco. Whos at risk? Benton County Human Services Manager Kyle Sullivan said that early in the pandemic one of the biggest challenges they faced was the lack of rental units in Tri-Cities, where vacancy rates were near 1%, but now the main barrier is rising cost of rent. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We had received COVID related dollars to get people off the streets to help prevent the spread of COVID, and it was not always easy, but people were able to transition into permanent housing, he said. I think the problem were seeing now is rents are too high, theres that disparity between the amount of income someone has to spend for housing. A pair of homeless men sit \with their belongings in the entryway of a vacant building on Vista Way in Kennewick on April 6, 2023 The average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in the Tri-Cities area has nearly doubled over the past 10 years. Its gone from $630 a month in spring 2013 to $1,175 by the first quarter of 2023, according to the University of Washington Center for Real Estate Research. LoAnn Ayers, president of United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties, said there are a few groups that are now at particularly high risk of losing their homes or places to stay. The largest group, Ayers told the Herald, is seniors who cant keep up with rising rent costs on their fixed income, or have fallen behind because of mounting repair costs on their homes. People fleeing domestic violence also are at higher risk of experiencing homelessness with the loss of expanded emergency housing funding and a tight rental market, where landlords can use legal means such as credit scores and income thresholds to be pickier about who they rent to. Also vulnerable are young adults aging out of the foster care system. While the state helps them with rent for a year after, most arent going to be making enough at age 19 to continue to afford an apartment in the Tri-Cities. Ayers said these young adults also are at higher risk of falling into trafficking because theyre struggling financially. The Tri-City Union Gospel Missions mens shelter is at 221. S. 4th Ave. in Pasco. Homelessness report cards Last year, the Department of Commerce tracked 1,521 people in Benton County and 96 in Franklin County who entered programs designed to lift people out of homelessness. The data shows that while homelessness prevention and other programs designed to help people get off the streets have had a big impact in the Tri-Cities, its taking longer to find them places to stay because of the tight housing market. That means someone who isnt able to get into a prevention program could be looking at months on the street before theyre able to get approved for help, according to the Homeless System Performance County Report Cards. Several people gather with their belongings in the entryway of a night club across the street from the Tri-City Union Gospel Mission in downtown Pasco. What the state counts as emergency shelters are programs such as temporarily housing through vouchers or, in other areas, publicly run shelters. The Tri-Cities only has two homeless shelters, Tri-City Union Gospel Missions mens shelter and their women and childrens shelter. The Gospel Mission is a privately run nonprofit shelter funded through donations, so data from the state doesnt account for much of the outcomes involving their services since the information is based on publicly funded programs. Andrew Porter, the missions executive director, told the Herald that theyre already seeing an increase in demand for services. He estimated their requests for housing is up more than 20% this year. What the numbers show In Benton County the median length of time that people were homeless was 112 days, based on those who were being tracked. Thats nearly three months longer than the median length of time in 2015. The department uses medians to remove outliers and produce more reliable information. However, the number of people successfully leaving the programs into permanent housing is up more than 10%, with 69% successfully exiting in 2022. Only 8% returned to homelessness within two years. People in the Tri-Cities area typically wait about two months before applying, according to the data. Then it takes another month to get them into the requested services. Parents are waiting even longer, with placements taking more than two months. Nearly half of the people tracked in Benton County were living in a place not meant for habitation, fleeing violence or a had a history of either. Those fleeing violence include people escaping domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or other dangerous actions toward a member of the household. Of the 1,521 people tracked in Benton County: 679 were in emergency shelters 540 entered rapid re-housing programs 260 entered homelessness prevention programs About 40 were in permanent supportive housing or transitional housing Those in rapid re-housing programs were the most likely to find success with 92% moving on to permanent housing. The success rate for shelters was 42%, and it was 47% for transitional housing. In Franklin County, only 96 people were tracked in 2022. Thats down from a peak of 1,174 in 2016. Long-term shelter options through the Union Gospel Mission help account for some of this drop, with their new mens shelter opening and the old one being repurposed as a shelter for women and children. Many of the people who might have been otherwise had to rely on publicly funded services are receiving help through the nonprofit. But Porter said its really the housing programs that have helped reduce homelessness numbers over the past decade. He told the Herald that the decline started after a surge in homelessness in 2011-12, which prompted action from local elected officials. Some residents only stay a few days at the shelter, but they have the option to stay for up to three months, while others who enter case management and social services programs can stay for up to two years. That also means the people tracked as completely unsheltered in Franklin County are those with greater needs. Two people with bicycles prepare to pedal away from the Bishop Skylstad Commons housing facility in Pasco. The recently built apartment style complex is a resource for the homeless. Its important to note that not everyone program is ideal for each person applying. Some people have greater needs for wraparound services that help with issues such as mental healthcare, addiction and education. I think the problem comes in where we end up in situations where someone is chronically homeless. Theyre on the street. They have no income. Trying to find a place for that person can be difficult, Sullivan said. Sullivan said that often means the person is likely to have a disability that interferes with their ability to find stable housing. Preventing long-term homelessness The length of time these people have remained homeless in Franklin County has grown from 39 days in 2016 to a peak of 340 days in 2021. That number dropped to 298 days last year. The good news is that 80% of those who entered the programs in Franklin County successfully exited to permanent housing, and only 13% returned to homelessness. Porter said that wraparound services are critical for people who have experienced long-term homelessness. He believes that the proposed bi-county recovery center will go a long way in helping people dealing with addiction or mental illness. Renovation work for the new facility is expected to start soon. Participants successfully moving to permanent housing in Franklin County have steadily improved from 58% in 2016. Those in rapid rehousing also were more likely to succeed in Franklin County, with 80% successfully moving into permanent housing in 2022. Only 20% of people tracked in emergency shelter did. Homeless people sleep in the shade of trees near their belongings in Volunteer Park in Pasco. On average, programs in the Tri-Cities were statistically more successful than those in any other county in Washington with more than 100,000 people. For example, Yakima county had 2,632 entries with 1,794 in shelters. and only 235 in homeless prevention programs. Their exits to permanent housing were at 19% last year. At 8% of participants returning to homelessness, Benton tied with Whatcom County for the most successful large counties, and Franklins 13% was tied with Clark County for the second lowest numbers. Sullivan said that a large part of Benton Countys success is due to his teams relationship with the landlords involved in the program. With many, theyre able to work with the tenant and the landlord first to avoid evictions. I think some of it is the landlords weve worked with when we refer somebody, he said. It can be difficult because when youve got someone whos chronically homeless, theres a lot of things that impact that, when you get stable housing they can struggle sometimes. Sullivan said that in addition to the obvious challenges in escaping homelessness, such as mental health concerns or addiction, many people have feelings of guilt and try to help others they met while unhoused, leading to problems with their rental agreements. Across the state, rapid rehousing is the most successful of the programs with 83% of people moving to permanent housing. Only 17% of people living in shelters successfully moved to permanent housing in 2022, with more than 1 in 5 shelter residents returning to homelessness. Meaning the longer it takes for someone to get help, the less likely they are to successfully move back into permanent housing. Ayers said that the Tri-Cities has the ability to solve these problems, but its going to take everyone coming together and doing their part. It comes down to, as a caring community, watching out for each other. If you have a fragile family in your neighborhood or a senior who is struggling, how can you help? Ayers said. The government wont solve everything, nonprofits wont solve everything. But together we can do a lot. WOBURN Jury selection began Tuesday in Middlesex Superior Court for the murder trial of Aaron Sutton. Authorities allege that on Oct. 30, 2021, Sutton, along with his late brother, Eugene, robbed Framingham resident Eric Hargrett, killing him as he fought back. Authorities said the Sutton brothers had arranged to meet Hargrett at 23 Hayes St., which authorities say was operating as a rooming house. None of the three men lived there, authorities said, although they had an acquaintance who did. Other people in the house told police that the Suttons and Hargrett went into one of the rooms. A couple of minutes later, witnesses told police that they heard a gunshot and Aaron and Eugene Sutton were seen running from the room and then the home, authorities said. The two men had stolen cash and other items from Hargrett before fleeing, authorities said. This was the scene on Oct. 30, 2021, when Framingham resident Eric Hargrett was fatally shot at 23 Hayes St. in Framingham. Earlier: Aaron Sutton is arrested, charged with murder in fatal shooting ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The state medical examiner ruled that Hargrett died of a gunshot wound to the head. He was 34. Hargrett also had suffered what was described as "slashing wounds." Authorities said they believe Eugene Sutton was the actual shooter. Police found a gun in a location Eugene Sutton was known to be staying. Off-duty Framingham police officer makes arrest Framingham and Massachusetts State Police obtained warrants for the brothers' arrests. On Nov. 2, three days after the slaying, an off-duty Framingham police officer saw Aaron Sutton, then 49, walking on Cedar Street. The officer called for backup, although he ended up arresting Sutton himself. Euguene Sutton, 52, died in February 2022 in California, while still on the run. Framingham Police Chief Lester Baker speaks during a press conference at Framingham Police Headquarters, a few days after the Oct. 30, 2021, skaying of Eric Hargrett. At right are Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan and Deputy Police Chief Sean Riley. 'His life ended in California': Second suspect in Framingham fatal shooting is confirmed dead Hargrett was a father of two, as well as a father figure to two other young children, his family had said. Aaron Sutton has been held without bail since his arrest. He is charged with first-degree murder. If convicted, he would be sentenced to a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole, although all first-degree murder convictions are automatically appealed. Eric Hargrett, pictured here with his children, Trinity and Tyrese, was shot to death in Framingham in October 2021. The trial for one of Hargrett's alleged killers, Aaron Sutton, is scheduled to start Tuesday. Sutton's lawyer, Derege B. Demissie, declined to comment on the facts of the case. "I look forward to trying the case and proving Mr. Sutton's innocence," he said. Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime. This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Suspect in October 2021 Framingham slaying starts trial today Ian Lundin speaks to journalists in the Stockholm district court in Stockholm, Tuesday Sept. 5, 2023. The trial started Tuesday in Stockholm of two executives of a Swedish oil exploration and production company, accused of complicity in the militarys war crimes in Sudan 20 years ago by securing the companys oil operations in the African nation. Ian Lundin, former chairman of Lundin Oil, and Alex Schneiter, its former CEO, are accused of complicity in grave war crimes in Sudan from 1999 to 2003. (Jonas Ekstromer/TT News Agency via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) STOCKHOLM (AP) Two executives of a Swedish oil exploration and production company went on trial Tuesday in Stockholm for securing the company's operations in Sudan through their alleged complicity in war crimes in 20 years ago. Swedish prosecutors claim that former Lundin Oil chairman Ian Lundin and the company's former CEO, Alex Schneiter supported the Sudanese government of former dictator Omar al-Bashir, who was toppled in an April 2019 popular uprising. The two executives are accused of involvement in the Sudanese government's military campaign to clear an area in southern Sudan for oil production. The campaign "entailed the Sudanese military and regime-allied militia systematically attacking civilians or at least carrying out systematic attacks in violation of the principles of distinction and proportionality," the prosecutors said. Lundin told reporters at the Stockholm District Court that the accusations were completely false. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We look forward to defending ourselves in court, he said. The trial is expected to run until early 2026. A 1983-2005 civil war between the Muslim-dominated north and Christian south tore Sudan apart. A separate conflict in Darfur, the war-scarred region of western Sudan, began in 2003. Thousands of people were killed and nearly 200,000 displaced. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 to become the worlds youngest nation. Swedish prosecutors said the Sudanese government conducted offensive military operations in the Block 5A oil field and its vicinity in southern Sudan between May 1999 and March 2003 to gain control of areas for oil prospecting and to create the necessary conditions for oil extraction, the prosecution said. During the military operations, severe violations of international humanitarian law were committed, it said. In a statement, the prosecution said Lundin and Schneiter participated in the conclusion" of an agreement involving a right to search for and extract oil in a larger area in southern Sudan "in exchange for the payment of fees and a share in future profits." Lundin was the operator of a consortium of companies exploring Block 5A, including Malaysias Petronas Carigali Overseas, OMV (Sudan) Exploration GmbH of Austria, and the Sudanese state-owned oil company Sudapet Ltd. The prosecution wants the executives barred from conducting business activities for 10 years and the Swedish company fined 3 million kronor ($272,250). They also want 1.4 billion kronor ($127 million) confiscated from Lundin Oil because of economic benefits that were achieved from the alleged crimes. In Sweden, the maximum penalty for complicity in war crimes is a life prison sentence, which generally means a minimum of 20 to 25 years. Prosecutors typically request the punishment they want for a conviction at the end of trials. The new corrections officer on duty at Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility said he didn't know he shouldn't open a teenager's cell door when the kid asked for water. That mistake triggered a cascade of events. The teen snatched the officer's keys and ran off to let others out of their cells. A second officer's keys were swiped, too. A dozen teens then armed themselves with pots and pans and sticks and dashed through the halls of the Ohio Department of Youth Services prison in Massillon. Retired officer: Video of pregnant accused shoplifter's death reveals incompetent, potentially criminal acts They barricaded themselves inside the school building and began kicking in windows, throwing shop equipment, pushing over bookshelves, breaking lights and more. Teens used a teacher's laptop to livestream the vandalism on Facebook. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Investigators concluded that the juveniles carried it out on their own, without help from state employees. What sparked the riot? Teens told investigators that they didn't want to be kept in their rooms all day long. They told officials that they planned the event. Investigation Ohio youth prison system struggles with violence, staff vacancies Jeremy Everett, the operations manager on shift the day of the riot, told the control center to call police for help, though the facility superintendent said not to call for outside assistance, records show. Eventually, five police agencies and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction came to help quell the disturbance. An October 2022 riot at the Ohio Department of Youth Services' Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility in Massillon started when a new employee opened a cell door for a teen who asked for water. That triggered a cascade of events that led to a 12-hour standoff and $265,000 in damages. After about 12 hours, officers in riot gear and armed with pepper spray marshaled in a hallway, preparing to retake the school building. The sign above the doors in the school lobby tells teens: "Be the Best. Be Respectful." Surveillance cameras show state employees standing in a room, waiting for kids to come out of hiding in the ceiling at the end. Juveniles told investigators they climbed into the ceiling so they could access other rooms. The damages and cleanup cost at least $265,000. An estimated $265,000 in damages and cleanup costs resulted after an October 2022 riot at the Ohio Department of Youth Services' Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility in Massillon. Three days after the disturbance, the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau requested investigative reports and surveillance camera footage under Ohio's public records law. The Ohio Department of Youth Services released the records on Friday, though the chief inspector signed off on the investigation July 12. Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Video: Ohio prison riot footage released to public T-shirts and hats with Trumps mug shot and booking number are pictured in Los Angeles on 26 August. (REUTERS) Donald Trump angrily refuted the claims on his Truth Social platform that the 14th Amendment would prevent him from running for president again. He wrote: Almost all legal scholars have voiced opinions that the 14th Amendment has no legal basis or standing relative to the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election. Like Election Interference, it is just another trick being used by the Radical Left Communists, Marxists, and Fascists, to again steal an Election that their candidate, the WORST, MOST INCOMPETENT, & MOST CORRUPT President in US history, is incapable of winning in a Free and Fair Election. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! On Sunday, Democratic senator Tim Kaine of Virginia had said that a legal case can be made to use the 14th amendment to remove the former president from the ballot in 2024, citing Mr Trumps involvement in the events surrounding the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In my view, the attack on the Capitol that day was designed for a particular purpose at a particular moment and that was to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power as is laid out in the constitution, he said in an interview with ABC News. So I think there is a powerful argument to be made. Mr Kaine said: I thought actually it might have been a more productive way to go than the second impeachment to do a declaration under that section of the 14th amendment. More voices have recently joined the chorus claiming that Mr Trumps actions in the wake of the 2020 elections call for a disqualification. Two legal scholars, retired conservative federal judge J Michael Luttig, and Harvard Law professor emeritus Laurence Tribe wrote in The Atlantic last month that the constitution prohibits Mr Trump from ever being president again. 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. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) said in a statement on Tuesday that the suspension of "Its Showtime" was a unanimous vote among the board members, even with Chairperson Lala Sotto inhibiting herself from voting. On 29 August 2023, during its regular board meeting, the Board unanimously voted on the suspension of the said program. This decision was made with careful consideration of prior warnings and offenses associated with the show, MTRCB said in a statement. The MTRB said a special board meeting was held to address adjudicated cases, including the July 25, 2023 episode. The board said Sotto inhibited from voting so that members could judge independently. She is the daughter of Tito Sotto, one of the three former hosts of noontime show "Eat Bulaga," and now of "E.A.T." On July 31, MTRCB summoned the show's producers to explain the alleged indecent acts of hosts Ion Perez and real life partner, Vice Ganda, in the "Isip Bata" episode that aired on July 25, where the two hosts were seen exchanging and licking icings of cake. READ: MTRCB summons 'It's Showtime' producers to explain alleged 'indecent acts' of hosts On Monday, the MTRCB suspended the noontime variety show for 12 airing days. Viewers have lodged multiple complaints before the MTRCB concerning the shows 25 July 2023 episode wherein the programs hosts allegedly acted in an indecent manner during one of its segments, Isip Bata,'" MTRCB said. READ: MTRCB suspends Its Showtime! for 12 days The decision of MTRCB to suspend "Its Showtime" received mixed reactions from the public. The review body said the noontime show's producers can file an appeal within 15 days after receipt of the decision. They can also raise the issue at the Office of the President within 15 days from the receipt of the MTRCB decision on the appeal. As Donald Trump looks increasingly likely to be the 2024 Republican nominee for president, it continues to look more and more plausible that there could be a serious effort to keep him off the ballot entirely. Following his presidency ending in a bloody battle on Capitol Hill, Mr Trump remains the de facto leader of the Republican Party, at least among its primary voting electorate. Recent polls show the ex-president supported by as many as six in 10 of GOP primary voters nationally, while he also continues to hold commanding leads in early primary and caucus states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. But winning a primary election is one thing; winning a general election is another. And as Mr Trump consolidates his support within the GOP, some politicians and constitutional law experts alike are growing more vocal about the possibility of simply denying the Republican Partys candidate from appearing on the ballot next November at all. The idea centres around the utilisation of a clause in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, originally intended to keep supporters of the Souths failed cause of secession from being elected to office, which bars those who take part in insurrections or who have given aid or comfort to the enemies of the United States government from taking office. Its a bold strategy that would thrust American politics as far into uncharted territory as the Congress found itself in as lawmakers fled for their lives on January 6. But the process itself is fairly simple: legal challenges would be filed against any state elections officers who ruled that Mr Trump would be listed on 2024 election ballots as a presidential candidate. Those legal challenges would play out in the courts, with the potential of reaching the US Supreme Court for a final decision. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A handful of left-leaning legal groups, buoyed by donations from liberal groups and other Trump-opposed donors, have pledged to file such challenges. What is still unclear is how successful they will be, and whether Mr Trump will actually be excluded from the ballot in any state. So far, theres no indication that the effort has the support of state election officials who have the power to make the initial decisions on the issue, before court challenges come into play. Being excluded from the ballot in even a single state, with the exception of Democratic strongholds where he has no shot of victory, could be devastating to Donald Trumps re-election bid. In a close election, every Electoral College vote matters and an unexpected loss of a single state can be very difficult to make up. Mr Trumps inner circle continues to shrug off the possibility of such challenges, calling them far-fetched and not based on serious legal theory. "The people who are pursuing this absurd conspiracy theory and political attack on President Trump are stretching the law beyond recognition much like the political prosecutors in New York, Georgia, and D.C.," a Trump campaign spokesperson recently told Axios. But the truth may be a bit more serious. Much of the pushback from the Trump camp thus far can be summed up by the assertion that none of the January 6 rioters convicted of crimes related to the attack on Congress have been directly charged with engaging in a rebellion or insurrection. Some, like Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, were convicted of seditious conspiracy, however and thats an avenue that could theoretically be used to counter the Trump campaigns legal defence. Jonathan Turley, a conservative legal theorist with George Washington University, agrees. He has argued that the attack on Congress was "a protest that became a riot, dismissing more serious charges filed against militia leaders, and arguing that Mr Trumps speech on the White House lawn just minutes before the brunt of the violence began did not qualify as incitement. In a recent Fox News interview, he described the idea as "not simply dubious but dangerous. Two other respected constitutional law experts, professor Lawrence Tribe and former federal judge J Michael Luttig, reject that argument. The duo have recently embarked on a media tour to argue in favour of the plan and defend its basis in law. In interviews, they have argued that the evidence of Mr Trump giving comfort to enemies of the US government is overwhelming, and will be litigated seriously in the courts. This is one of the most fundamental questions that could ever be decided under our constitution, Mr Luttig said during a recent MSNBC interview, adding: [I]t will be decided by the Supreme Court of the United States sooner rather than later, and most likely before the first primaries. One thing remains clear, as the 2024 election nears: The likely Republican nominee will charge into the general election burdened by a staggering and historically unprecedented amount of court-related baggage on his shoulders. With four criminal trials, multiple civil suits and now a campaign to prevent his eligibility underway, Donald Trump has set himself up for the most litigious and expensive campaign season in US history. The finger-pointing among Donald Trump s inner circle has begun. And as his four criminal cases march toward trials, some of his aides, allies and co-defendants are pointing at the former president. In court documents and hearings, lawyers for people in Trumps orbit both high-level advisers and lesser known associates are starting to reveal glimmers of a tried-and-true strategy in cases with many defendants: Portray yourself as a hapless pawn while piling blame on the apparent kingpin. History has shown the 18 co-defendants that Donald doesnt care about anyone but himself, said Michael Cohen, Trumps former lawyer, referring to the 18 people charged alongside Trump in the Georgia election racketeering case. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I suspect it will be every defendant for himself, Cohen added. He should know: He was once Trumps versatile fixer but is now a star witness against him in the New York criminal case stemming from hush money payments to a porn star. Cohen broke with Trump years ago. But in recent weeks, Trump allies who are facing or could have faced jeopardy in connection with three of his four pending criminal cases have shown that they might follow Cohens lead. In late August, an information technology aide at Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort dramatically changed his story about alleged efforts to erase surveillance video and agreed to cooperate with special counsel Jack Smith, who has charged Trump with hoarding classified documents. The aide, Yuscil Taveras, was not charged in the case, but his flip may help him dodge a possible perjury charge prosecutors were floating and it is likely to bolster Smiths obstruction-of-justice case against Trump and two other aides. Then, three GOP activists who were indicted alongside Trump in Georgia for trying to interfere with the certification of President Joe Bidens win in the state asserted that their actions were all taken at Trumps behest. And last week, Trumps former White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows also charged in the Georgia case signaled that his defense is likely to include blaming the former president as the primary driver of the effort. Its not uncommon for co-defendants facing serious prison time to point fingers at each other to make themselves look less culpable to an eventual jury. But rarely has it played out in such an extraordinary fashion, where the alleged ringleader is a former president. During a hearing in Atlanta, a defense attorney for Meadows called attention to Trumps prominent role in what is certain to be a crucial element of prosecutors case there: the infamous Jan. 2, 2021, phone call in which Trump demanded that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, find enough votes to declare Trump the winner. Meadows arranged that pivotal call. But after prosecutors played audio of the call in the courtroom, an attorney for Meadows emphasized that his clients part in the actual discussion was both more minor and less provocative than Trumps. Theres a lot of statements by Mr. Trump. Mr. Meadows speaking roles were quite limited, Meadows lawyer, Michael Francisco, observed as he cross-examined Raffensperger, who was called to testify by prosecutors. He didnt make a request that you change the vote totals Mr. Meadows, himself? Francisco continued. Correct, Raffensperger replied. Although Francisco made the point delicately, one could almost hear the screech of the bus tires. Trump, of course, did make such a request something the defense attorney didnt need to mention directly since the whole courtroom had just heard Trumps voice doing just that. Its a strategy that could sharpen as the Georgia case moves closer to a jury. The case includes numerous defendants with much smaller alleged roles than those of Trump or his top aides. If a jury primarily blames Trump for the events that played out in the aftermath of the 2020 election, the lower-profile co-defendants may seem less culpable by comparison. Strategically speaking, if you are one of the lesser important players, you would definitely want to be in the same trial with Donald Trump. All of the focus is going to be on him, said Scott Weinberg, a Florida-based attorney who represented one of the Oath Keepers in a high-profile trial stemming from the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. They dont want the little guys, they want Trump. Youre always compared to who youre next to. Weinberg knows this from experience. His client, David Moerschel, was convicted by a jury, along with three other defendants, of seditious conspiracy earlier this year. But in a related trial, which included Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes the alleged ringleader of the seditious plan to overthrow the government the jury returned a much more nuanced verdict that heaped most of the blame on Rhodes. Lawyers involved in the case argued that Rhodes presence in the courtroom may have helped others seem less culpable to the jury, resulting in a mixed verdict. That could be a particularly significant phenomenon and incentive for those charged alongside Trump in Georgia. Three of them David Shafer, Cathleen Latham and Shawn Still recently said in court filings that nearly all of the charges they face were the result of instructions from Trump and his lawyers. The three GOP activists all posed as pro-Trump presidential electors, signing documents claiming they were Georgias legitimate electors even though Biden won the state. In legal filings seeking to transfer their prosecutions into federal court, they all indicated that they took that step at Trumps direction. The false electors scheme plays a key role in both the Georgia indictment and the separate federal case in which Trump is charged with conspiring to overturn the election. Trumps campaign attorneys, acting at Trumps behest, urged Georgia Republicans to assemble and sign paperwork falsely claiming to be presidential electors. The attorneys said the effort would salvage Trumps litigation to reverse the election results. But after those efforts failed, Trump pointed to the slates of false electors as part of an effort to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence to unilaterally overturn the election results. Meadows made clear in his own testimony at last weeks hearing that Trump viewed the false electors as a significant part of his strategy to remain in power. He said he sent an email pushing the campaign to assemble those slates because he feared a tongue-lashing from Trump. What I didnt want to happen was for the campaign to prevail in court action and not have this lined up, he said. Why? prosecutor Anna Cross asked him. Because I knew Id be yelled at by the president of the United States, he said. Other evidence amassed by federal and state prosecutors, as well as the House Jan. 6 select committee, showed that Trump spoke to Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel days before the meeting of presidential electors to impress upon her the significance of assembling the false slates. He connected her on that phone call with John Eastman, an attorney helping craft his last-ditch strategy to remain in power. Eastman is among the defendants charged in the Georgia case. Another criminal defense attorney who closely watches the Trump proceedings posited another motive for those seeking to pin Trump with responsibility for the actions they took: Trump is likely to make a sweeping claim of executive immunity against all the charges. Eventually, Trump is going to assert broad presidential immunity and everyone else is going to ride under his authority, said the attorney, William Shipley. John Lauro, Trumps attorney in the federal election case, signaled recently that he intends to file just such a sweeping immunity claim to attempt to derail the charges. Many of the defendants in the Georgia case have already begun maneuvering for individual advantage. Chesebros lawyers demanded that his trial begin next month, which could have the effect of separating his trial from other big players like Trump or Rudy Giuliani. Others have asked to be tried alone, which could complicate their ability to point the finger at Trump but would also mean their jury wouldnt hear from anyone specifically defending the former president. As the squeeze of Trumps allies continues, prosecutors are also raising questions about funding that Trump political committees are providing for some defendants. Meanwhile, some defendants and defense attorneys have complained about bills they think Trump should cover not being paid and about reimbursement rates they contend are woefully low. Trump aides said recently that one of the presidents political action committees, the Save America PAC, spent $40 million in legal fees in the first half of this year. Theres no public roster of those whose legal bills are being paid out of Trumps political coffers. Federal campaign finance records show the disbursements to law firms, but dont provide the names of clients or which matters were at issue. Former President Trump took aim Monday at some Democrats arguments that he could be removed from the 2024 ballot under the 14th Amendment. Almost all legal scholars have voiced opinions that the 14th Amendment has no legal basis or standing relative to the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. Like Election Interference, it is just another trick being used by the Radical Left Communists, Marxists, and Fascists, to again steal an Election that their candidate, the WORST, MOST INCOMPETENT, & MOST CORRUPT President in U.S. history, is incapable of winning in a Free and Fair Election. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! he continued. Some legal experts have argued that Trump may not be qualified to run for president under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which states that no one who has engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A growing number of Democrats and legal experts say the actions he allegedly took on Jan. 6, 2021, fall under either engaging in an insurrection against the Constitution or assisting others. Activist groups are also pushing to disqualify Trump from the ballot in key states, citing the 14th Amendment. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) both said Sunday that the 14th Amendment may disqualify Trump from the election. Kaine, on ABCs This Week, said it may have been more productive to issue a declaration about the 14th Amendment instead of pursuing a second impeachment against the former president after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. In my view, the attack on the Capitol that day was designed for a particular purpose at a particular moment, Kaine said. And that was to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power as laid out in the Constitution. So I think theres a powerful argument to be made. My sense is its probably going to get resolved in the courts. Schiff said Sunday on MSNBCs Inside with Jen Psaki that the argument some legal experts are making relating to Trumps qualifications is valid, noting that it does not matter whether a candidate has been convicted of insurrection, just that they have engaged in these acts. Its a disqualification from holding office again, and it fits Donald Trump to a T, Schiff said. GOP presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson has also said the former presidents alleged actions Jan. 6 likely violated the amendment, making him disqualified from becoming president. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Its an all-out scramble in Atlanta, where former President Donald Trump and his lieutenants in the scheme to overturn the 2020 election are pulling the local district attorney in all directionschaos that could quickly shift the power dynamic in the coming days. At least two key players, Trump legal advisers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell , have made a high-stakes gamble by trying to split apart from the rest and aim for a high-speed trial next month. Meanwhile, the former presidents lawyers want to detach his case toobut say the accelerated schedule would violate President Trumps federal and state constitutional rights to a fair trial and due process of law Judge Scott McAfee is expected to make key decisions in the coming days. But if the early starters get their way, one thing is certain: The alleged coup plotters have the upper handfor now. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Trump Describes Humiliating Mugshot as a Terrible Experience I think its a win-win for the defendants. The ones going quickly will have the benefit of the state not being fully ready. The state has to prove the case! And the other defendants will get a free preview, said David Oscar Markus, one of the countrys leading defense lawyers. Trump and his cohorts will be closely watching whatever transpires during an early showdown in Fulton County courts. Chesebro faces criminal charges over the way he authored a legal memo titled Statutory Requirements for December 14 Electoral Votes, which laid out specific instructions on how Trump could use fake electors in key swing states to overturn the legitimate 2020 election results. Meanwhile, Powell is accused of hiring a local forensic data firm that slipped into a rural county elections office to illegally breach computers therea covert operation that was exposed by The Daily Beast. Both have pending motions to sever their cases apart from Trump and the others who were indicted on Aug. 14. Legal scholars said Trumps defense lawyersand the battalion of attorneys representing the nearly two dozen others facing chargeswill be taking notes on the tactics displayed in the courtroom. The state wont want to show all their cards, so they may hold some stuff back. In fact, sometimes the state dismisses [a case] against a smaller defendant rather than show its cards for the big target. Now, I dont think that will happen here because it would be too embarrassing, Markus said. Typically the defense loves chaos. Prosecutors hate it. District Attorney Fani Willis came bursting out of the gate in full force last month with a 98-page indictment and a declaration that she would seek to undertake this trial of historic proportions in merely six months. The massive size of the caseand the extremely aggressive timelinewas shocking even to legal scholars. In that sense, Chesebro and Powell are making something of a bet. Asking for an early and separate trial can be interpreted as an attempt to shift the weight of the case back on the prosecutorswho dont just shoulder the burden of proving the case but also have to contend with pent-up expectations from an American public that has yet to see the nations most shameless president held accountable for openly flouting bureaucratic norms, common decency, and the law. Prosecutors would very likely like to hold some cards back, but they wont want to run the risk of bad optics. You dont want to start it out with headlines that say Chesebro and Powell Acquitted. That will send a bad message, said Ronald Carlson, professor emeritus at University of Georgias law school. House Republicans Open Probe Into Fulton County DA Fani Willis Other defendants are poised to go down this route as well. On Thursday, Ray Smith III, an Atlanta lawyer who advised Trumps fake electors when they met in December 2020, filed a formal request to have his case severed too. His reasoning? Its getting out of control. This case involves too many defendants too many disparate predicate acts, too many prosecution witnesses, and a complex array of relationships of all the witnesses and defendants for the jury to comprehend, his four-lawyer team wrote. So far, attempts by Chesebro and Powell to sever themselves from the case have been met with cheeky commentary by Trump critics who chuckle at the notion that these small fish are merely trying to get out while they can. Theyve also floated the theory that theyll flip on the eve of trial, cutting deals to plead guilty and become star witnesses for the state. However, University of Alabama law school professor Jenny Carroll noted that these attempts at severance could actually mean the complete opposite: showing loyalty to the boss by helping lob grenades that confuse and slow down the legal proceedings. I would be worried that whats going on here is that these parties are manipulating the process. I think the end goal is to delay until it goes away and until he gets elected president, or everybody loses interest in it, Carroll said. The willingness of these defendants to be first to face the fire is really more of an attempt to fracture the casewith the hope that Trump might one day be president again and save them somehow, she said. (To be clear, presidents only have federal authority and cannot legally pardon anyone for state criminal charges. But as Carroll said, these are also people who drank the Kool-Aid on Trump.) They imagine a world in which Trump gets elected president and all of this goes away, she said. The legal maneuvering hasnt been all bad for Willis. Trumps chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has been trying to move his case into federal court, arguing that his actions were all under the scope of his White House duties. In a somewhat surprising, all-or-nothing gambit, Meadows actually took the stand and testified about his role. And while a judge has not yet ruled whether his trial will move to federal court, Meadows said a number of things the prosecution will likely use against Trump, such as the testimony that presented the former president as the ultimate decision-maker on efforts to overturn the election. How Mark Meadows Testimony May Have Just Helped Prosecutors The DA is at a significant disadvantage if she has to retry the case over and over again in separate courtrooms, especially because prosecutors can only present evidence that relates to the person on trial. Splitting them up means that prosecutors can no longer tell a sweeping, cohesive story to back up their claims that Trumps post-election efforts in Georgia and elsewhere were essentially a criminal enterprise to usurp the nations democratic system. Instead, the story will be told piecemeal, which wouldnt be as compelling or understandable. Weve seen this work in the past, Carlson noted. A notable example is the trial of Oklahoma City bomber and white supremacist Timothy McVeigh. Federal prosecutors initially charged him alongside Terry Nichols, another man who helped him plot the bombing that ultimately killed 168 people. But they ended up having separate trials. And oh boy did it help him. McVeigh got sentenced to death, and Terry Nichols got life in prison, Carlson said. The prosecutors want the parties to be tried together. There's a real tactical advantage. Defendants B and C might see an advantage at pointing their fingers at Defendant A, saying, It was all his fault! The Supreme Court has already weighed in on this topic in general, strongly favoring the idea of one cohesive trial. As the late Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in 1987: It would impair both the efficiency and the fairness of the criminal justice system to require that prosecutors bring separate proceedings, presenting the same evidence again and again, requiring victims and witnesses to repeat the inconvenience (and sometimes trauma) of testifying, and randomly favoring the last-tried defendants who have the advantage of knowing the prosecution's case beforehand. Besides, prosecutors see a major value in having Trump in the hot seat alongside the 18 others accused of taking part in the effort. Jurors are more inclined to condemn everyone together. In this case, Trump is a lightning rod. People know Donald Trump and theres strong feelings about him. By association, theyre all in league with Trump. If theyre alone, it might not have the same visceral reaction. It starts to look like guilt by association, said Jonathan Nash, a law school professor at Emory University. Nash acknowledged that the sheer size of the Fulton DAs case is hard to fathom. He said that if Willis gets to try the case the way she wantsby dragging everyone into court at once on an expedited scheduleit wont look like anything weve seen before. Remember in The Dark Knight when the DA brings in all these defendants and they all shout, Not guilty? It reminds me of that, he said. But trying a case in that manner also runs the risk of making it seem like this law enforcement effort is something of a farce. I think it was a huge tactical error for the government to bring a case with 19 defendants, Markus said. However, nearly every legal scholar who spoke to The Daily Beast noted that the power dynamic shifts dramatically if Trumps lower rung co-defendants start pleading guilty or if they lose at a speedy trial next month. Because then, prosecutors might score stronger witnesses they can parade around at Trumps trial. Then again, Willis could surprise everyone by dismissing the criminal charges being faced by any defendant who wants to face trial on their own before Trump, a rare move thats akin to playing chicken and swerving at the very last second. In that scenario, she could still refile charges and indict the person againperhaps even using the same grand jury true bill. But at this point, its anyones guess. This battlefield, as Napoleon Bonaparte once remarked, is a scene of constant chaos. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A second former Trump administration official goes to trial on contempt of Congress charges, the 14th Amendment drumbeat grows louder, and co-defendants in the Georgia election interference and classified documents cases begin turning against the former president. Jan. 6 election interference Navarro trial begins on contempt of Congress charges Key players: Former Trump economic adviser Peter Navarro, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, special counsel Jack Smith On Tuesday, Navarros trial got underway in Washington on charges that he defied a congressional subpoena issued by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Navarro has pleaded not guilty, saying his communications with then-President Donald Trump were protected by executive privilege, CNN reported. If found guilty on the two counts he is charged with, Navarro could face up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $200,000. Navarro is the second former Trump official to be charged for refusing to comply with a select committee subpoena. Last year, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon was found guilty of two counts of criminal contempt. He is appealing the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals. Mehta, the judge handling Navarros case, said he believes the trial will be brief, perhaps only a single day. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Why it matters: In his 2021 book, In Trump Time, Navarro boasted of his plan to delay the certification of the 2020 election, USA Today reported, and he later said in an interview that Trump was on board with it. Those comments could factor into Smiths case against the former president. Supreme Court could decide 14th Amendment question on Trump eligibility to run in 2024 Key player: Former federal Judge Michael Luttig As several states have begun preparing for legal challenges to keep Trump off the ballot in the 2024 presidential contest, the U.S. Supreme Court may be forced to weigh in on the question sooner rather than later, the Guardian reported. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution prohibits those who have engaged in insurrection from holding office, and some prominent legal scholars, including Luttig, have made the case that it should bar Trump from a return to the White House. This is one of the most fundamental questions that could ever be decided under our Constitution, said Luttig, who testified before the House Jan. 6 select committee, in a Sunday interview on MSNBC. And it will be decided by the Supreme Court of the United States sooner rather than later and most likely before the first primaries. Why it matters: If the Supreme Court were to take up the issue of Trumps eligibility, the case would be heard by three justices who were appointed by Trump. Classified documents and Georgia election interference Trump co-defendants start throwing him under the bus Key players: Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Georgia state GOP Chair David Shafer, Georgia state Sen. Shawn Still, local GOP official Cathleen Latham, Mar-a-Lago IT director Yuscil Taveras Facing the prospect of prison time if found guilty of felony charges, some of Trumps co-defendants have begun pursuing defense strategies that further implicate the former president, Politico reported . Lawyers for Meadows, who is charged with violating Georgias RICO Act and of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, argued in court that he never asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to change vote totals in the 2020 presidential election. Trump, of course, was heard on tape doing just that, asking Raffensperger to find 11,780 votes to reverse his loss in the state. Accused Georgia fake electors Shafer, Still and Latham also said in recent court filings that the charges they face stemmed from following the instructions given to them by Trump and his lawyers. Last month Taveras changed his testimony in the classified documents case brought by Smith, admitting there was an attempt made to erase security camera footage at Mar-a-Lago. Why it matters: The number of co-defendants in the documents and Georgia cases increases the likelihood that some will part ways with Trump, perhaps cutting deals with prosecutors. ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey is in close contact with the United Nations on reviving the Black Sea grain initiative and he will discuss it with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at its general assembly this month, Turkish media reported. Speaking to reporters after talks in Russia with Vladimir Putin , Erdogan was quoted as saying the latest U.N. proposal sought to address some Russian demands, and he repeated he believed a solution could be found soon. Russian demands include a return of its Agricultural Bank to the SWIFT payments system and insuring the ships involved in the grain initiative, he was quoted as saying by TRT, Haberturk, and other Turkish broadcasters. "On August 28, U.N. Secretary General Guterres, in the letter he sent, proposed an intermediary mechanism that would result from the SWIFT transaction, not directly SWIFT as the Russians wanted," Erdogan said. "They said work was underway on the insurance issue too." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He added that Moscow was putting these two demands forth as "musts" to revive the initiative, and that Putin had told him he would not take steps on this until "Europe keeps the promises they made me", according to Turkish media. NATO member Turkey is seeking to convince Russia to return to the so-called Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by Ankara and the United Nations. Moscow withdrew in July, ending a year of protected exports from Ukrainian ports amid the war. On Monday, Putin repeated that Russia could return to the initiative, but only if the West stopped restricting Russian agricultural exports from reaching global markets. Erdogan will participate in the G20 summit in India on Sept. 9-10 before attending the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 18-26. "We will have meetings with Guterres there to discuss these issues," Erdogan was cited as saying. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Jonathan Spicer) Ohio Rep. Bob Young, R-Green, is shown on a video feed from the Summit County Jail for his arraignment at Barberton Municipal Court. Young was arrested for a second time after being accused of violating a protection order put in place after his arrest for domestic violence and assault. Its time for state Rep. Bob Young to resign from the Ohio House of Representatives. The Republican from Green is now accused of breaking the law three separate times by hitting his wife, assaulting his brother and violating a protection order with three late Saturday night voicemail messages left for a relative he was not allowed to contact. Prosecutors appear to hold strong evidence in all three cases multiple witnesses in the first July 7 incident, doorbell video of the second just hours later and the recent voicemails. Its hard to imagine a scenario where Young is not convicted of at least one significant misdemeanor offense. Only a felony conviction would force him out of office. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The three phone calls also elevated Youngs poor behavior into a pattern of highly questionable conduct, shattering his earlier statement that blamed alcohol use for his first arrest and claimed his noncriminal behavior was out of character. His second arrest Monday left him behind bars for two nights, appearing for court in an orange inmate outfit and a requirement to wear a GPS monitoring device upon his release from the Summit County Jail. Public records obtained by the Akron Beacon Journal also reveal another woman reported being struck by Young at the same poolside party early July 7. No charge has been filed for her claim. And a Summit County Sheriff's Office report states deputies were called to Youngs house in 2020 for a physical domestic disturbance after an early morning argument between Young and his wife. Young, with two visible scratches on his face, essentially refused to cooperate with a deputy and no charges were filed. Mr. Young refused to answer any questions, opting to smugly stare at the ground, the deputy wrote. The 2020 incident occurred before Youngs first election to the House, a race where he falsely accused an opponent of being guilty of domestic violence even though the man was never even charged with that crime. That claim that is now the subject of an ongoing defamation lawsuit against Young. All of this is unacceptable for one of the 132 Ohioans with the power to enact laws across our state. The privilege of representing people in state government comes with high expectations for conduct that we now know Young has failed to uphold since before his election. Even Republican House Speaker Jason Stephens, who attended the party at Youngs house just before the first incident, called for the lawmakers resignation just hours after his original arrest. Its a request Young would be wise to accept to enable him to focus on overcoming whatever challenges exist in his personal life. Continuing to serve in the peoples house would be an affront to every Ohioan. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Rep. Bob Young needs to resign from Ohio House after second arrest A famed hacker and former Twitter employee who alleged widespread security deficiencies at the company is joining the Biden administration via a job with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The whistleblower, Peiter Mudge Zatko, will be joining in a part-time position at the agency, CISA announced Tuesday. The news was first reported by The Washington Post. CISA Director Jen Easterly said in a statement she is excited to have the legendary security researcher, CISO, and visionary, of Zatko join the team to help CISA carry out its plans to urge a fundamental cultural shift that places cybersecurity accountability with technology vendors rather than customers. Im thrilled to announce that Peiter Mudge Zatko has joined team CISA! Mudge joins us in a part-time capacity to help us collaboratively shape a culture of security by design that is foundational to every security team, every C-suite, and every board room in the country, CISA Director Jen Easterly said in a statement. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Zatko said he is honored to formally return to public service and work with CISA. Cybersecurity has been the mechanism through which I have had impact. Through this I have devoted my life to moving the field forward by way of transparency, education, and innovation. I have endeavored to do this irrespective of being in the public sector, private sector, non-profit, through technical contributions, or in executive and leadership positions. I look forward to continuing my mission to serve everyone the best I can, Zatko said in a statement. Last year, Zatko released a complaint alleging Twitter, now known as X, has major security deficiencies and did not comply with a 2011 consent decree from the Federal Trade Commission. Zatko later testified in September at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about his allegations Twitter pushed back on the allegations at the time and accused them of being riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A man and a woman were killed early Tuesday when their vehicle, traveling "at a high rate of speed," crashed into a Los Angeles County firetruck near West Compton, authorities said. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Two people were killed and four firefighters were injured when a speeding vehicle crashed into a firetruck near West Compton early Tuesday, according to authorities. The crash occurred about 12:31 a.m. when a Los Angeles County Fire Department truck was responding to an emergency call and traveling north on Avalon Boulevard through the intersection with Compton Boulevard, according to California Highway Patrol spokesperson Angelia Gonzales. The driver of a Chrysler PT Cruiser was going west on Compton Boulevard "at a high rate of speed" and hit the firetruck, Gonzalez said. Three other cars were involved in the crash. Read more: San Francisco and L.A. failed to reduce pedestrian deaths. One girl's killing shows why ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Both people inside the Chrysler, identified only as a man and a woman in their 30s, were pronounced dead at the scene. Four firefighters inside the firetruck were hospitalized with minor injuries. No other injuries were reported. The crash is still under investigation, and it hasn't been determined whether it involved a potential street race or if any drivers were under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Gonzales said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Two people have been accused of cutting a hole in the Great Wall of China with an excavator. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images Two people have been accused of destroying part of the Great Wall of China with an excavator. The Chinese government detained the pair, CNN reported. It's the latest example of damage to a historical site after a tourist defaced Rome's Colosseum. The Chinese government is reportedly detaining two people who have been accused of using an excavator to destroy part of the Great Wall of China. Police in the country detained a 38-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman after receiving a report in late August that someone had created a gap in one of China's most famous historical structures, CNN reported Monday, citing CCTV, the Chinese state broadcaster. The pair wanted to create a path cutting through the Ming-dynasty portion of the wall as a shortcut, CNN reported. The damage has affected the structural integrity of that portion of the Great Wall, and it was "beyond repair," state-owned newspaper China Daily reported. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The incident happened in the Shanxi province in Northeastern China, CNN reported. The earliest segments of the Great Wall, which stretch for more than 4,000 miles across China, were first created in the third century BC. Later portions were added over the following centuries. The wall became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. The wall has faced numerous sources of destruction in recent years, from careless tourists to desertification and the climate crisis. A 2008 article in Smithsonian Magazine cited experts who claimed up to two-thirds of the wall were either destroyed or damaged at the time. The damage to the Great Wall is this summer's latest example of a world-historical landmark facing purposeful damage. In June, a tourist from the UK used a key to engrave his and his companion's names into a brick wall at Rome's Colosseum. The Colosseum visitor later wrote an apology letter, saying that he wasn't aware of the age of the monument, construction of which began in the first century AD under the Roman emperor Vespasian. Read the original article on Business Insider Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) told senators on Tuesday that it successfully registered a subscriber identity module (SIM) using a photo of an animal. In a Senate hearing, NBI Cybercrime Division chief Jeremy Lotoc said they tried to register SIM bought from different telecommunications companies on Monday night as part of its investigation. We entered the face of an animal and different names, natanggap pa rin [it was still accepted], Lotoc said, stressing that there is still a flaw in the SIM registration. Sen. Grace Poe, who chairs the committee on public services, asked what identification card the team used. Lotoc answered that its easy to craft government IDs online and just put a picture on it. If you're with the telcos and you see the application form of that monkey smiling at you, what the heck are you doing? Sen. Joel Villanueva said. Its common sense na hindi dapat pagbigyan to dahil hindi natin mahuhuli yong mga gumagawa ng kalokohan dito [that we should not let this happen because we cannot apprehend those who are creating trouble]. Ariel Tubayan, head of the policy division of Globe Telecom, raised that it would be easier for telcos to have a fully implemented national ID system, which has biometrics, to prevent such a thing from happening. This drew Villanuevas ire further. Thats the best practice and all countries that have implemented SIM registration they have slotted first the national ID before they went into SIM registration, Tubayan pressed. DITO said features it implemented for its SIM registration portal supposedly would not let a registration with a photo of an animal go through. Roy Ibay, Smart Communications head of regulatory affairs, said they will also investigate similar cases in its system. He, however, raised there might be glitches in the optical character recognition technology placed in registration portals, especially when they were rushed to include the technology to meet the SIM registration deadline. All of us here are playing catchup with technology so the blame is not all lodged in one particular group, Poe said. But, of course, we have to keep updating, and its frustrating, its adding insult to injury kung nakita mong nakangiti yong monkey [if you see the monkey smiling]. With this, Poe asked the NTC for its cooperation to amend the implementing rules and regulations of the SIM Registration Act. READ: Marcos signs SIM registration law NTC Commissioner Ella Lopez said they will comply, adding they will include issues that need to be addressed in the formation of the post-registration validation mechanism to remove spurious registration. The NTC said DITO and Smart Communications already submitted proposals for the post-registration validation mechanism. Lopez said as of Sept. 3, there are 118,908,469 registered SIM nationwide. The commission has received a total of 45,697 complaints related to scams, she added. The News Its election day in two very different parts of America deep red western Utah and deep blue eastern Rhode Island, where Republicans and Democrats will start to fill two vacancies in the House. The race in Rhode Islands 1st Congressional District, which saw paltry turnout before today, gives progressive Democrats their first and last chance this year to gain power in Congress. Joe Biden carried this part of the state, from Providence to the Massachusetts border, by 29 points. This a deep blue district, said Aaron Regenburg, a 33-year-old ex-state representative, at his campaign stop with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders last week, promising to push the Democratic Party to be the best version of itself that it can be. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Regunberg got early backing from the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and out-raised the field, helped by a super PAC largely funded by his father-in-law. His rivals spent the last days of early voting on the attack, to get past him; Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos, former White House advisor Gabe Amo, and state Sen. Sandra Cano had the most money and local support in the 11-way race. Former Rep. David Cicllline, who retired on May 31, hasnt endorsed any of the candidates. In Utah, the other race of the day, Rep. Chris Stewart has backed a successor in his 2nd Congressional District: Celeste Maloy, his former legal counsel, who he endorsed days before the local GOP convention. That helped Maloy get the party conventions backing, and automatic ballot access. Two other Republicans petitioned their way on: nutritional supplement seller and party activist Bruce Hough, and former state Rep. Becky Edwards. Both loaned their campaigns significant amounts of money and out-spent Maloy, running conservative ads in a district Donald Trump carried by 17 points and Stewart won by 26. Polls close at 8 p.m. eastern time in Rhode Island; polls close in Utah at 8 p.m. mountain time, 10 p.m. eastern. Davids view Neither of these races will tell us much about the next general election, but theyre heat-checks for the factions fighting for control of their parties. In Rhode Island, thats the partys left wing and its more business-friendly center-left and multiple non-white candidates arguing for better representation, in one of New Englands most racially diverse districts. (Nearly one-third of Providence residents were born outside the United States.) Where progressives have won, theyve typically nominated non-white candidates who can reach outside their base of college-educated white voters. Regunberg would be an exception, and his rivals have been direct about that, several of them using their time in a final WJAR-hosted debate to ask why he didnt step aside for a woman of color. He leverages the plight of Black and brown communities for his own selfish benefit, said Stephanie Beaute, whod posed with a billboard truck that circled the Sanders rally that attacked the senator for not endorsing a minority candidate. Identity and representation matter a lot, said Regunberg, describing his past work to elect non-white and female candidates and pointing to his endorsement that day from New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Regunbergs political priorities came under fire, too, with every rival saying theyd have voted for the pre-summer debt limit deal and warning that hed vote with the squad of progressives who opposed it. Theres no runoff in Rhode Island, and the size of this field could produce a winner with around a third of all votes. Some of them have reliable bases: Cano in Pawtucket, conservative Democrat Stephen Casey in Woonsocket. The Republicans running in western Utah have less political experience; Edwards served four terms in a North Salt Lake City district, then challenged Sen. Mike Lee in last years GOP primary. She ran strongest around the city, where support for Donald Trump is lowest, and where her 2020 vote for Joe Biden wasnt as much of an outlier. After the leak of the Dobbs decision in June 2022, Edwards criticized it, and an operative for Project Veritas got a non-committal answer from her about abortion. But Hough and Maloy havent had the chance to ask her about it. Edwards skipped 10 debates with them, held in every county, and has avoided media interviews. Edwards, nevertheless, led the field in the only public polling of the race, and has a path to victory shes best known in Salt Lake and Davis counties, which could cast two-fifths of the total vote. (Ballot returns in Davis have out-paced the rest of the state so far.) Turnout has lagged across more conservative, rural western Utah, though both Hough and Maloy used last weeks debate on KSL to align themselves with House conservatives. Both said they were open to opposing a new government funding bill unless it was negotiated on GOP terms. If there are no spending cuts, then Im going to have to vote against it, said Maloy. Im not opposed to seeing the government take a little vacation, said Hough. But no one who wins today will be around for this months debt standoffs. The nominees will have to wait until November elections and then defend their seats again, in primaries next year. Notable In HuffPost, Daniel Marans looks at how the Rhode Island race will test the lefts ability to elect one of its own to Congress. In the American Prospect, Luke Goldstein explains why not every Rhode Island progressive was comfortable supporting Regunberg, including bitter feelings over a primary in which Regunberg backed a progressive incumbent and the left-wing Rhode Island Political Cooperative backed a vaccine skeptic. In Business Insider, Bryan Metzger ponders what it would mean if Edwards wins in Utah: Given House Republicans narrow majority, her vote would become all-important for the party to pass its legislative agenda. Five teenagers who were killed in a horror Labor Day crash when their car flew over an interstate overpass in Atlanta have been identified by authorities. Gwinnett County Police Department named the victims as sisters Katie Gaitan, 17 and Ashley Gaitan 16, as well as Coral Lorenzo 17, Hung Nguyen 18, and Abner Santana 19. The five teenagers were ejected from their vehicle after it flipped over a wall on the University Parkway ramp leading to Interstate 85 just before 4am on Monday, sending them plunging 50-feet to the lower roadway. They were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Two other cars were involved in the crash, with three people from the other vehicles being hospitalised. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Police say they are investigating the cause of the collision, and are appealing for witnesses to come forward. Sisters Katie, 16, and Ashley, 17, Gaitan were described as two beautiful souls who were inseparable from each other (GoFundme) The roads were closed for several hours as emergency services cleared the wreckage. Three of the deceased were students at Lakeside High School in DeKalb County, police said. Hung Nguyen (GoFundme) Katie and Ashley Gaitan, from Atlanta, were remembered as two beautiful souls who were inseparable from each other in a GoFundme page set up by their friend Valeria Alvarez Ramos. Hung Nguyen, of Lawrenceville, is survived by his brother and parents, a GoFundme account stated. Coral Lorenzo (GoFundme) A GoFundme page set up for Atlanta teenager Coral Lorenzo stated that her family and our entire community is grieving the loss of an amazing person. Abner Santana, of Suwanee, was remembered as a cherished member of the family on an online fundraiser to help cover funeral costs. Abner Santana, 19 (GoFundme) Gwinnett County Police Department Corporal Christian DAllaird told a news conference that investigators were trying to piece together the cause of the accident. All five of the deceased were believed to be in the same vehicle. The three injured people were in a stable condition, police said. Two people were bitten by sharks at the same Florida beach on Labor Day, officials say. A 37-year-old woman and a man in his 30s sustained non-life-threatening injuries after being bitten Sept. 4, according to Volusia County Beach Safety. The woman from Apopka, Florida, was in waist-deep water when a shark bit her right foot, Volusia officials said in a news release shared with McClatchy News. She was taken to a hospital by Volusia Emergency Medical Services. She told officials she didnt see the shark that bit her. The man was bitten on his left hand when he was surfing and drove himself to the hospital, according to Volusia County Beach Rescue. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Both were in the waters of Ponce Inlet, officials said. Breeding ground Volusia County has recorded the most shark attacks of anywhere in the world, according to the International Shark Attack File, maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History. Florida has logged the most unprovoked shark attacks in the U.S. at 912. More than a third of those were in Volusia County, located along Floridas east coast just north of Orlando. The county has seen 343 bites since 1882, according to the data. Volusia County Beach Safety Captain A.J. Miller attributed the cause of so many bites to a nearby area where young sharks live. Theres a large nursery down in the inlet, he told McClatchy News in a phone interview. He called the area a breeding ground. He added that the two Labor Day bites bring this years total up to six in Volusia County. In 2022, the county recorded seven the whole year, according to a report from the International Shark Attack File. Miller said usually sharks are looking for bait fish and arent trying to attack humans, so if they do bite someone, they often just grab and release. Thats why we call them shark bites instead of shark attacks, Miller said. More shark bites occur in September than any other month in Florida, according to the database. Where sharks attack The odds of getting bitten by a shark are fairly slim, experts say, although they are higher in Volusia County than other places. The total number of unprovoked shark bites worldwide is extremely low, given the number of people participating in aquatic recreation each year, the Florida National History Museum wrote in its 2022 report. Fatality rates have been declining for decades, reflecting advances in beach safety, medical treatment and public awareness. Woman visiting the Outer Banks found dead on Labor Day, North Carolina park says Nude beach sign at Chicago beach looks official but its a fake, officials say 2 children, 4 adults dragged out to sea by rip current in Oregon, rescuers say A 17-year-old boy and his adult sister were wounded Tuesday afternoon after shots were fired at an apartment complex in Pembroke Pines and officers are searching for a vehicle that was seen fleeing the area, police say. The shooting happened around 3:25 p.m. near the clubhouse of the Avant Pembroke Pines Apartments, 11801 Pembroke Rd., police spokeswoman Amanda Conwell told the Miami Herald. The victims were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, and Miami-Dade PDs aviation unit assisted with the manhunt, authorities say. By Wednesday afternoon, only the 17-year-old shooting victim had been taken into custody by Hollywood police on a pre-existing arrest warrant. Our investigation remains active and on-going, Conwell said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement According to Pembroke Pines police, the victims were targeted by the shooters. This was not a random act of violence, police said on social media at around 4:30 p.m Tuesday. Our investigation thus far has determined that this was not a random act of violence; the victims were targeted by the suspects. We do not believe that a continued threat exists to the surrounding community. Both victims are being treated for non-life threatening injuries. 1/ https://t.co/bjgBPXn3jr Pembroke Pines PD (@PPinesPD) September 5, 2023 Earlier, police had said say there was no longer an active threat to the community after the shooting. Access to the south gate off of Pembroke Road & SW 118 Avenue will be temporarily blocked until our investigation is complete, police said. UPDATE 2: The crime scene is secured, and there is no active threat within the community at this time. Residents - Access to the south gate off of Pembroke Road & SW 118 Avenue will be temporarily blocked until our investigation is complete. https://t.co/ojeUv8A6vV Pembroke Pines PD (@PPinesPD) September 5, 2023 This embedded content is not available in your region. Ukraine will be ready for EU membership in two years and could conceivably join NATO even sooner than that, Deputy PM for Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna said in an interview with Voice of America on Sept. 5. Responding to remarks made by European Council President Charles Michel about preparing the EU for expansion by 2030, Stefanishyna emphasized that this timeline does not necessarily mean a seven-year waiting period for Ukraine's potential accession. Read also: Rationale behind territories in exchange for NATO membership proposal According to her, Ukraine can effectively negotiate and fulfill all obligations associated with implementing European standards sooner than that. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "We will be ready for membership in the European Union in two years, but of course, the course of the war will determine the political framework for making this decision," said Stefanishyna. Read also: Greece announces support for Ukraine's NATO membership She added that Ukraine's NATO membership, for which Ukraine has also applied, could be secured even before EU entry. In her opinion, the political decision regarding Ukraine joining the Alliance was made at the July NATO summit in Vilnius. Read also: EU should set timeline for future expansion Borrell "I think we can join NATO sooner, as we anticipate victory, the end of the war, and one of the strongest, most powerful and decorated armies in the world will certainly be the biggest security guarantee for Europe," the official concluded. On June 22, European Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi stated that Ukraine has met two of the seven recommendations of the European Commission to start negotiations for EU entry, and other recommendations are still in the process of implementation. 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 U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo confirmed that America will not export its top-tier supercomputer chips to China due to military concerns, reports The Hill. During her recent trip to Beijing amidst rising U.S.-China tensions, Raimondo emphasized the nation's commitment to limiting China's military capability. She also revealed a cyber attack she experienced from Chinese sources. During a recent appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press," Gina Raimondo clarified America's stance on chip exports to China. Host Chuck Todd inquired about the possibility of the U.S. exporting its advanced chips to China as well as the impact of these chips on the People's Republic's armed forces. In response, Raimondo asserted that the primary objective is to limit China's military capabilities. "We are trying to choke their military capacity," Raimondo said. "So if they feel that, that means our strategy is working. Certainly on my watch, we are not going to sell the most sophisticated American chip to China that they want for their military capacity." Further highlighting the strategic intentions, Raimondo stated that the U.S. would refrain from supplying China with sophisticated American chips desired for bolstering its military power. This decision aligns with the U.S.'s ongoing efforts to maintain a strategic edge in key technological areas. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Amid these statements, Raimondo remains optimistic about America's role in the global semiconductor landscape. She envisions the U.S. establishing a world-leading semiconductor ecosystem by 2030. She stressed the importance of reviving domestic manufacturing and pioneering research in this field to ensure America's prominence. Complicating her diplomatic trip to Beijing, Raimondo disclosed that she had been the target of a cyber intrusion traced back to Chinese agents. Despite this challenge, she approached her Beijing meetings with forthrightness, addressing various U.S. concerns, ranging from national security to labor and business interests. She didn't hold back in discussing these critical issues with her Chinese counterparts. Russia plans to hold sham "elections" on Sept. 8-10 in occupied parts of Ukraine, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported in its latest update on Sept. 5. Kremlin polls reportedly indicate that "United Russia," Russian President Vladimir Putin 's party, is predicted to gain 80% of the votes in the illegally occupied parts of Ukraine. The so-called "elections" have reportedly already begun in Mariupol and occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The sham elections are neither free nor fair, as the candidates are derived exclusively from Moscow-endorsed parties. According to some reports cited in the update, over 1,000 candidates have been identified, but there is a lack of qualified, experienced, and willing candidates. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ukraine's Center of National Resistance said the occupying authorities "significantly" overstated the numbers of registered voters. United Russia will likely command the majority of sets in a bid to secure the Kremlin's influence over the occupied parts of Ukraine. Putin announced that Russia is annexing Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson oblasts during a ceremony in the Grand Kremlin Palace last year on Sept. 30, 2022. Read also: BREAKING: Russia declares annexation of 4 Ukrainian oblasts after staged referendums Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine is adapting its domestically produced Neptune anti-ship missiles for long-range strikes. Source: Newsweek Details: Western experts have reached this conclusion after Kyiv used its "completely modern" weapons in Russian-occupied Crimea. An unnamed Ukrainian defence official told The War Zone that Ukraine used an upgraded version of its Neptune missile, and the attack "was 100 percent carried out by a modified Neptune". Ian Williams, Deputy Director of the Missile Defence Project at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, believes that in an ideal world, modern anti-ship missiles, which are specifically designed to sink heavily armoured warships at sea, would not be used for land-based missions. However, since Ukraine faces a real shortage of systems for striking deep behind the lines, Williams believes that Kyiv is using these missiles. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He said Ukraine does not have access to the US-made ATACMS tactical ballistic missile system or the German-made Taurus long-range cruise missile. Both Washington and Berlin have refused to provide Ukraine with these systems, albeit that London and Paris earlier this year gave Ukraine the Anglo-French Storm Shadow long-range cruise missile, also known as SCALP. Williams believes that Ukraine is adapting and using what it has at its disposal, but this should not be seen as a long-term solution for long-range strikes. Sidharth Kaushal, a defence research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, stated that the strike on Cape Tarkhankut in western Crimea late last month "did prove that Ukraine can use Neptune in a land-attack mode and thus hold Russian assets at risk in previously safe rear areas". Hitting a relatively small target, like the S-400 anti-aircraft defence system, capable of intercepting air threats, suggests that Ukraine has high-quality intelligence and that the surface-to-surface Neptune could hide behind obstacles to approach undetected by Russia, Kaushal said. It may further indicate that the Neptune could use countermeasures against detection or be used in conjunction with jamming equipment, he added. "All of this would point to fairly sophisticated coordination of capabilities by the Ukrainians," although there are many unknown factors, Kaushal believes. Kaushal added that one of the likely differences between the surface-to-surface version of Neptune and the anti-ship version will be the guidance system. Experts struggle to estimate how many Neptune missiles Ukraine might have at its disposal, but it is unlikely to be a large arsenal. Kaushal pointed out that even in peacetime, it is challenging to mass-produce this type of weapon, and Russia has made much effort to hit Ukraine's military-industrial base. Background: On the morning of 23 August, Defence Intelligence of Ukraine reported that a Russian long- and medium-range S-400 Triumph air defence missile system had been destroyed near the village of Olenivka on Cape Tarkhankut. Russian sources claimed the destruction of an S-300 air defence system and a petrol tanker. 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! Armchair generals have patience, the counter-offensive is going to take a long time, and you cant even see everything thats going on. That was the gist of comments by Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar posted on Telegram on Sept. 5, following weeks of complaints, mainly from media and commentators among Ukraines allies abroad, that Ukraines counter-offensive in the south is going too slowly. Read also: Zaluzhnyi convinced Ukrainian forces on verge of breakthrough report A counter-offensive is a long process, and wars arent quick," Malyar wrote. We can see that our offensive is continuing. Certain objectives have been reached in one place, the first line of defense has been breached in another, and we keep on moving forward. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A person who just reads the news doesn't see it, doesn't feel it," Malyar said, adding, "They think it's all happening slowly. In reality, it's a very dynamic, active process, and believe me, it doesn't seem that way to the people who are fighting." Read also: We dont have a large enough army Danilov disputes NYT numbers of Ukrainian war casualties "Offensive actions have been taking place, as they can under such conditions. We have plans and we know what to do next." She said Ukraines soldiers are doing their job, and are doing it well. A new phase of Ukraine's counter-offensive has now begun, with the main thrust in the southeast, where Ukrainian forces were gradually advancing through minefields and under Russian airstrikes, U.S. newspaper the New York Times reported earlier. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi, responding earlier to criticism of the "slow pace" of the counter-offensive, told U.S. officials that Ukrainian forces were on the verge of a breakthrough in their southern counter-offensive, U.S. newspaper the Wall Street Journal reported on Aug. 24, citing an unnamed U.S. official. Meanwhile, Malyar confirmed the liberation of the village of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhya Oblast by the Ukrainian military on Aug. 28. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have since been advancing further towards the Novodanylivka-Verbove area in southern Ukraine. Read also: Military explains effect of liberation of Robotyne in southern Ukraine Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of the Tavria operational group in the southern part of the country, confirmed on Sept. 2 that Ukrainian forces had breached the first Russian defense line in Zaporizhzhya Oblast. 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 At least two military and three civilians were involved in the scheme Ukraines State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) has uncovered a ring of corrupt military officials who stole uniforms to sell them online, the SBI said in a message on its website on Sept. 5. The suspects face 10 to 15 years in prison, according to the report. Read also: Blast at Kyiv forensic center caused by explosive object, SBI says SBI officials noted that the culprits were selling thermal underwear, military uniforms, engineer shovels, flasks, shoes, and other items online, using a well-known internet platform. The gear was clearly marked as property of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, not for sale. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The suspects operated in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi Oblast. At least two military service members and three civilians were involved in the scheme. Read also: SBI charges businessman suspected of defrauded military unit of almost UAH 7 million The message said that the stolen ammunition, purchased with state funds, was then passed on to civilian participants in the scheme who sold the items online. Moreover, the perpetrators also took specific "orders" from customers and searched for the appropriate military gear for sale. Read also: 26 gas distribution companies in Ukraine transferred to state administration after many years of illegal activities On Aug. 31, law enforcement conducted 15 raids on military stockpiles and residences of individuals involved in the crime. The searches uncovered numerous pieces of evidence of criminal activity: bank cards, communication devices, "black ledger" records, and thousands of pieces of military gear. The potential involvement of local military officers and commanders in the scheme is currently being examined. 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 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) Agricultural group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) on Monday expressed support for the government's implementation of a rice price cap, saying 45 rice per kilo is possible during the harvest season which will peak in October. "We support this price cap. Nakita naman natin na kaya ng harvest season na maibigay 'yong presyong 45 pesos [We have seen that rice can be sold at 45 per kilo during the harvest season]," Sinag President Rosenso So said in an interview with CNN Philippines' The Final Word. He added that the anticipated decrease in rice prices can be attributed to lower fertilizer prices, which ranges from 1,600 to 2,700, during the December and June planting season. "Itong price cap na 45 is higher than 'yong dati na 42. Sa tingin naman namin, just 'yong presyo na mabibili sa magsasaka [This price cap of 45 is higher than the previous one of 42. We think it's a fair price for farmers]," So said. A group of rice traders, on the other hand, urged the government to delay the implementation of the price cap to allow traders to sell off their remaining rice stocks which were purchased at higher prices. READ: Gov't urged to defer rice price cap, provide immediate aid to traders Rice retailer Alfonso Flores earlier told CNN Philippines that traders would be hit hard by the order. "'Yung stock namin bigas, mataas paHalos dalawandaan kasi ang mawawala sa amin per sako," he said. "Handa naman kami tumupad sa usapang ganun na 41 ang maging presyuhan. Kailangan lang talaga namin, makakita kami ng mababang bigas." [Translation: Our rice stock is still highWe will lose almost 200 per sack. We're ready to follow the 41 price cap. We just need to find cheaper rice sources.] The order setting a nationwide price ceiling on rice will take effect on Tuesday, Sept. 5. Conscripts with mild mental disorders, HIV+ status or hepatitis will no longer be allowed to skip military service - Pavlo Palamarchuk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Ukraine has clamped down on the number of medical exemptions it allows for men to avoid being called up to the army. Kyiv will no longer permit conscripts with mild mental disorders, HIV+ status or hepatitis to skip military service. The defence ministry issued the decree, first reported by the Ukrainian Military Pages on Sunday, after president Volodymyr Zelensky hit out at corruption in the exemption system. Other conditions cut from the list include treatable tuberculosis, slow-progressing blood disease, and mild thyroid gland diseases. Some 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the war so far and Kyiv has stepped up recruitment efforts as its army pushes for a decisive breakthrough on the southern front. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In August, Mr Zelensky sacked the heads of all enlistment offices after a series of corruption scandals, comparing their perceived cynicism and bribery to treason. He last week announced a nationwide review of all medical exemptions issued since the start of the invasion. President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticised corruption in the medical exemption system for military duty - AFP A significant number of Ukrainian men are believed to have fled the country illegally since the start of the war, and the majority leader in parliament this week said Kyiv might resort to asking neighbouring countries to help bring them back. But Fedor Venyslavsky, Mr Zelenskys representative in parliament, on Tuesday rejected the idea, saying there are no legal grounds for a large-scale extradition of citizens. Separately, Ukraines intelligence agency SBU said on Tuesday it foiled five separate criminal schemes in the countrys west to help draft-dodgers. In the most elaborate of the five schemes, a criminal ring in the north-western city of Rivne set up a shell company that posed as an agricultural exporter. Draft-dodgers would then get exemptions to travel as the companys managers, needing to go abroad for high-level talks about Ukrainian grain exports. In Ternopil in the west, an employee of the local enlistment office charged young men the equivalent of 1,500 to avoid getting conscripted as he promised they would be formally enrolled in a college that offered exemptions. In Ivano-Frankivsk, another western region, police arrested two local men who would shuttle draft-dodgers on all-terrain vehicles across the Carpathian mountains to Romania, bypassing border control. The suspects face up to nine years in prison if convicted. 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. The Ukrainian military had enough weapons and ammunition to sustain active combat against invading Russian forces for only 22.5 months at the onset of the war, outgoing Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in his final report on Sept. 5. Read also: Kremlin tight-lipped on potential Kim-Putin meeting amid reports of plans to discuss North Korean arms aid for Russia Reznikov's report outlines the ministrys performance during his 22 months in office. It says that Ukraine's main issue after Feb. 24, 2022, was weaponry. At that time, the resources were sufficient for 22.5 months of active warfare; after that, the army would have run out of materiel. After February 24, the most crucial issue we had to resolve was weaponry, said Reznikov. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement According to the estimates of the General Staff, the resources of the Defense Forces would barely have lasted 22.5 months of intense battles. Our army would have been physically exhausted. We were getting all that we conceivably and inconceivably could. According to the report, over 18 months of the war, Ukraines Defense Forces procured, custom-made at the Defense Ministry's request, and received as international technical assistance: more than 7 million artillery shells, landmines, tank shells, and MLRS rockets. Read also: EUs drive to supply Ukraine with artillery shells moving slower than planned Besides ammunition, the military got over 4,500 artillery systems and mortars, 3,500 various anti-air systems, 6,500 tanks, armored vehicles, armored personnel carriers, and infantry fighting vehicles. Read also: Zelenskyy visits troops in Zaporizhzhya Oblast In terms of manpower, over 70,000 Ukrainian troops completed training abroad. Currently, Ukrainian pilots, engineers, and technicians are mastering modern Western aircraft, the report adds. "As of today, Ukraine has received physically or in the form of commitments military assistance totaling approximately $100 billion," Reznikov said. Read also: Mini cabinet shuffle likely as Zelenksyy looks to replace embattled Defense and Culture ministers "During my term, my team and I have participated in over 160 official international events, not counting numerous engagements for different audiences and informal contacts." On Sept. 3, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced his decision to replace Reznikov with Rustem Umerov, the current head of the State Property Fund. Ukraines parliament is expected to vote on Umerovs appointment later this week. 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 President Zelenskiy attends a session of the parliament in Kyiv By Dan Peleschuk KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian lawmakers voted on Tuesday to restore a requirement that officials declare their assets, a measure sought by the International Monetary Fund, but included a loophole critics say dampens its effect. The mandatory disclosures were introduced in 2016 but were made optional and restricted from public view after Russia's full-scale invasion last year because they were considered a security risk. The IMF had singled out the return of the requirement as one of several benchmarks for paying out part of a $15.6 billion assistance package. Fighting graft is also a requirement for Ukrainian accession to the European Union and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's government has declared it a priority alongside the war effort. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Parliament approved a version of the measure requiring officials to declare their assets, lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said, but keeping the disclosures sealed off from the public for another year. Anti-graft campaigners say keeping the registry closed defeats the primary purpose of the declarations, a key pro-transparency reform introduced after the 2014 Maidan revolution. "The hidden fortunes of deputies and officials will destroy the trust of Ukrainians. Honest officials have nothing to hide," the Anti-Corruption Action Centre, a leading Ukrainian NGO, said in a statement. "The desire to hide one's property from the public only indicates a desire to steal public money." The head of Zelenskiy's own party called the bill "an incredible disappointment". It now goes to the president for approval, and supporters of the reform have urged him to veto it. Before early 2022, public servants from municipal deputies to the president had been required to submit detailed annual declarations including information on personal finances, cars and property. The National Agency for Corruption Prevention, a state watchdog, reviews the declarations and can launch legal action if it suspects ill-gotten wealth. Ukrainian investigative journalists have regularly reported alleged instances, including during wartime, of lawmakers and other officials owning lavish homes and driving flashy cars. A June opinion poll commissioned by Transparency International found that 77% of Ukrainians believed corruption was among Ukraine's most serious problems. (Reporting by Dan Peleschuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage and Alison Williams) A significant amount of valuable intelligence was obtained during the special operation in which a turncoat Russian pilot flying a Mi-8 combat helicopter defected to Ukraine, Ukrainian Military Intelligence Directorate spokesman Andriy Yusov said at the press conference on Sept. 5. The operation was of "fundamental importance" for the security and defense of Ukraine, and Russia will feel its "long-term consequences," especially in terms of morale, psychological state, security and defense, Yusov said. Read also: Ukrainian intelligence behind surrender of Russian Mi-8 helicopter Budanov "As a result of the operation, we were able to obtain extremely important information about Russian aviation, and many other details that will help us protect our skies and destroy the enemy," Yusov said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The helicopter flown to Ukraine by the defector was transporting "valuable cargo,",including aviation equipment for Russian Su-30M and Su-35 fighter jets, revealed Artem Shevchenko, a Ukrainian journalist and military serviceman, and the producer of the documentary series "Military Intelligence of Ukraine". "As a result, the combat readiness of the aircraft to which this cargo was to be delivered was affected, Shevchenko said. Read also: HUR spokesman describes how good Russians can help Ukraine Also, the technological equipment on board helped our air forces and intelligence better understand the enemy's aviation security and communications system. This has had, and will continue to have, a significant impact on the results of our counter-measures." Special operation Nightingale What is known: Ukraine conducted a six-month-long special operation to arrange for a Russian pilot to surrender his Mi-8 military helicopter, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with RFE/RL on Aug. 23. Read also: Russian Mi-8 helicopter with crew reportedly surrender to Ukrainian military, says journalist The operation, codenamed Nightingale was a meticulously planned and expertly executed mission by Ukrainian military intelligence, Ukrainian intelligence said. The outcome was the defection of a Russian pilot to Ukrainian territory, along with an Mi-8AMTSh PKS RF helicopter laden with components for combat aircraft. We successfully established contact with the pilot, covertly relocated his entire family, and orchestrated circumstances for him to transport the aircraft with an unsuspecting crew. When they became aware of their location, they attempted to flee. Regrettably, they were neutralized said Budanov. The pilot and his family are now in Ukraine. The Mi-8 remained here, along with the parts for the fighter jets. It will join the Ukrainian fleet of attack helicopters. 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 Pischanska's further position is still unknown The Verkhovna Rada, Ukrainian Parliament, has dismissed Olha Pishchanska, head of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, with 306 MPs voting in favor of the decision, Holos party faction MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak said in his Telegram channel on Sept. 5. Read also: Ukraines incoming defense minister Rustem Umerov NV profile During the parliaments question and answer session, Pishchanska has neither confirmed nor denied there are plans to appoint her as head of the State Property Fund, Zheleznyak added, noting that she had allegedly refused to head this department after the dismissal of its previous chief, Rustem Umerov. The Rada also voted on Sep. 5 to dismiss Oleksii Reznikov from the post of Ukrainian defense minister, and supported Rustem Umerovs resignation as head of the State Property Fund. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: Mini cabinet shuffle likely as Zelenksyy looks to replace embattled Defense and Culture ministers Umerov is expected to be appointed Ukraine's new defense minister on Sept. 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 A Ukrainian soldier gives first aid to a wounded comrade in the eastern Donetsk region - Libkos/AP Photo Russian forces shot down a Ukrainian drone in a village where Vladimir Putin has a residence, according to reports. The Russian defence ministry said air defences had brought down the unmanned aerial vehicle in the Tver region, northwest of Moscow. Mash, a Russian media outlet, said the drone was destroyed in Zavidovo, a settlement home to a hunting residence belonging to the Russian president. A purported video of the incident published online by Mash appeared to show a blast above an area of dense forest. Sergei Sobyanin, Moscows mayor, confirmed that drone debris had fallen in Zavidovo. There was no indication Putin was in the property at the time of the reported attack. Sobyanin claimed there were no casualties from the incident and said two other drones had been downed near the capital on Tuesday morning. 03:11 PM BST Today's liveblog is now closed Thanks for following todays liveblog. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Please follow along tomorrow for all the latest updates on Ukraine. 02:44 PM BST Footage purportedly shows moment drone downed near Putin residence A drone flying towards Moscow was shot down in the Tver region near the village of Zavidovo. One of Putin's residences is located there. pic.twitter.com/ji7GDhIRkh NEXTA (@nexta_tv) September 5, 2023 02:40 PM BST Ukrainians reach 'final layer' of key Russian defensive line: Analysts Ukrainian troops have reached the third and final layer of a key Russian line of defence, according to war analysts. Kyivs forces had reached fighting positions near Verbove, in the southern Zaporizhia region, said George Barros, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War. The settlement is a nodal point in the so-called Surovikin line, the main line of Russian defences in the area. The line is named after General Sergei Surovikin, who was briefly in charge of Moscows war effort in Ukraine before being replaced in January. Ukrainian forces continue pressuring the line between Verbove and Robotyne and may be setting conditions to breach the line in earnest, Mr Barros said, citing another settlement in the region which Ukraine said it had captured last month. A breakthrough would provide the first test of Russias deeper defences, which Ukraine hopes will be more vulnerable and less heavily mined than areas its troops have traversed so far. Ukraines generals want to breach the line and push down towards the Sea of Azov, splitting Russian forces in the east and south of the country and severing their supply lines. 02:20 PM BST Latest images from the war Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu chairs a meeting with the leadership of the Armed Forces in Moscow - Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via Reuters A view shows a part of a missile that was taken out of a flat where it landed during recent shelling in the eastern Donetsk region - Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters Ukraine's president attends a meeting with commanders of the country's Armed Forces brigades as he visits the frontline near Bakhmut - Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters 02:16 PM BST Russian-backed official claims footage shows 'destroyed' Challenger 2 tank in Ukraine Russian forces fighting in southern Ukraine destroyed a British-supplied Challenger 2 for the first time, a Russian-backed official said, releasing what he said was a video of its smouldering wreckage. Vladimir Rogov said on Telegram that one of the tanks had been set alight in fighting near the village of Robotyne, in the Zaporizhzhia region. He said the tank belonged to the Ukrainian armys 82nd brigade and was meant to have reached Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, but had instead been destroyed on what he said was the first line of Russian defence. A video Rogov posted on Telegram showed what look like a tank on fire by a roadside with thick grey smoke rising from it. 02:13 PM BST Ukraine's defence ministry says outgoing Reznikov 'made the impossible possible' Ukraines defence ministry has paid tribute to its outgoing minister Oleksii Reznikov after he was dismissed by president Volodymyr Zelensky. He held this office for 22 months and made the impossible possible by ensuring large-scale arms supplies for the Ukrainian army from the free world, the ministry said shortly after Ukraines parliament approved Mr Reznikovs dismissal. The move cleared the way for Rustem Umerov, an ally of Zelenskys who has headed the Ukrainian State Property Fund since 2022, to take over the helm at the defence ministry. 02:04 PM BST One killed by Ukrainian shelling in Russian border region: Governor One person was killed and another was wounded as result of shelling by Ukrainian forces on Tuesday in Russias Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, its local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Belgorod has come under frequent cross-border fire in the course of the 18-month war. Ukraine typically does not comment on attacks inside Russia. 01:09 PM BST Ukraine's first lady laments toll war has taken on family life Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, said the war had waged an enormous emotional toll on her family. We dont live together with my husband, the family is separated, she told the BBC, referring to Volodymyr Zelensky. We have the opportunity to see each other but not as often as we would like. My son misses his father, Mrs Zelenska added. But we stay strong, we have strength both emotionally and physically. And I am sure we will handle it together. At the outset of Russias invasion, Mrs Zelenska spent months in hiding in secret locations, along with her children. But as the war has dragged on, she has turned her attention to meeting foreign leaders and delivering speeches abroad in a bid to drum up support for Kyiv. Olena Zelenska said her family had been 'separated' by Russia's invasion - BBC 12:44 PM BST Ukrainian parliament approves defence ministers dismissal Ukraines parliament approved the dismissal of Oleksii Reznikov, the countrys defence minister, a lawmaker said. Mr Reznikovs removal was supported by a majority of members of the Verkhovna Rada, deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak said on the Telegram messaging app following a vote. Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he was dismissing Mr Reznikov, and the minister resigned on Monday. The Ukrainian president has proposed Rustem Umerov, a Crimean Tatar and ex-lawmaker who runs the State Property Fund, as the next defence minister. 11:53 AM BST Kremlin has 'nothing' to say on reports of Putin meeting with North Korean leader Vladimir Putins spokesman said there was nothing to say about reports that the Russian president may soon meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to discuss supplying Moscow with weapons. We have nothing to tell you, Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Kim plans to travel to Russia this month to meet with Putin in Vladivostok, on the Pacific Coast, according to US intelligence officials. 11:43 AM BST German arms maker to ramp up production of air defence system amid war German arms maker Diehl Defence said it aims to significantly ramp up the production of its IRIS-T air defence system to satisfy growing demand due to Russias war on Ukraine. In 2025, the privately owned company plans to build at least eight systems, up from three to four systems this year, Chief Program Officer Harald Buschek told reporters on Tuesday at an air base in Todendorf, northern Germany. He added the missile production was being tripled this year and would be further doubled next year, with an expected output of some 400 to 500 missiles from 2024. Germany has supplied two IRIS-T units to Ukraine so far where they are mainly used to guard Kyiv against Russian missile attacks. 11:15 AM BST Turkey in close contact with UN on reviving Black Sea grain deal: Erdogan President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey is in close contact with the United Nations on reviving the Black Sea grain deal after Russia withdrew from the accord earlier this year, Turkish media reported. Speaking to reporters after talks with Vladimir Putin in Russia, Mr Erdogan added he would discuss the issue with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at a UN general assembly this month. He was quoted by TRT, HaberTurk and other broadcasters as saying the latest UN proposal sought to address some Russian demands. Moscow refused to extend the deal in July, complaining that a parallel agreement promising to remove obstacles to Russian exports of food and fertilizer hadnt been honoured. It said restrictions on shipping and insurance hampered its agricultural trade, though it has shipped record amounts of wheat since last year. The UN General Assembly is set to take place between September 18-26 in New York. 11:01 AM BST Russian-appointed official in Luhansk reportedly survives 'assassination attempt' A Russian-appointed official in eastern Ukraines occupied Luhansk region has reportedly been injured by an explosion at his home. The blast targeted Yuriy Afanasievsky, the head of customs in the pro-Moscow, self-proclaimed Luhansk Peoples Republic, Russias TASS news agency reported. It described the incident as an assassination attempt. TASS reported that Afanasievsky had not been seriously injured, but added that his son had been hospitalised. Ukrainian officials, however, suggested Afanasievskys condition was more serious. 10:30 AM BST Russia claims footage reveals first evidence of a destroyed Challenger 2 tank in Ukraine Footage released by Russian troops on Monday appears to show a British-donated Challenger 2 in flames on a roadside in Ukraines southern Zaporizhzhia region. The clip marks the first reported evidence of one of the tanks being destroyed in Ukraine. The vehicle was said to have been used by the 82nd Air Assault Brigade, an elite airborne force. The UK supplied 14 Challenger 2s to Kyiv in January. 10:16 AM BST Ukraines counteroffensive unsuccessful on every front: Russian defence minister Kyivs counteroffensive has failed to register success on any front, Russias defence minister claimed. Ukraines armed forces have not achieved their goals on any front, the defence ministry quoted Sergei Shoigu as saying. The most tense situation is that on the Zaporizhzhia front, he added. The enemy has engaged brigades from its strategic reserve whose personnel have been trained by Western instructors. The much-vaunted counteroffensive, which began about three months ago, has seen Kyivs troops recapture more than a dozen villages but no major settlements yet. Progress has been hampered by vast Russian minefields and defensive lines. Ukrainian troops prepare a mortar at their position near a frontline in the Zaporizhzhia region - Oleksandr Ratushniak/Reuters 09:53 AM BST Russia says it foiled drone attack on Crimea Russia said it had downed a drone over Crimea earlier this morning in the latest reported attack on the Black Sea peninsula annexed from Ukraine in 2014. An unmanned aerial vehicle was destroyed over the territory of the Republic of Crimea by means of air defence on duty, the Russian defence ministry said. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted occupied Crimea throughout Russias offensive. 09:40 AM BST Ukraine claims Russian drones hit NATO member Romania Ukraine said on Monday that Russian drones had detonated on the territory of NATO member Romania during an overnight air strike on a Ukrainian port across the Danube River. Romania denied its territory had been hit. Nato, under its charter, is required to offer an immediate military response if any of its members are attacked. 09:10 AM BST Drone attacks on Moscow repelled, Russia says Russia was forced to shut major Moscow airports as it shot down at least three Ukraine-launched drones targeting the capital. The Russian defence ministry said that its air defence systems had destroyed two unmanned aerial vehicles over the Kaluga and Tver regions, which border the Moscow region. Another was downed closer to the capital, over the Istra district of the Moscow region, the ministry claimed. Russian news agencies reported that almost 50 flights were cancelled or postponed early Tuesday from the four major airports around the capital - Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky. Drone attacks on Russian targets have become a regular occurrence since early May. Ukraine rarely takes direct responsibility for the strikes. 09:04 AM BST Putin reduced to 'begging' Pyongyang for weapons, Ben Wallace says Reports that Vladimir Putin will meet Kim Jong-un this month show Russia has been reduced to begging North Korea for weapons, former defence secretary Ben Wallace said. This is how it ends Mr Putinthe once mighty Russia scrabbling around looking for friends and begging North Korea for weapons from the 1960s, Mr Wallace said on Tuesday, after resigning from his post last week. Russia and North Korea have recently called for closer military ties but Pyongyang has denied having any arms dealings with Moscow. 08:38 AM BST More than 900 cluster munition casualties in Ukraine in 2022, monitor says Cluster munitions killed more than 900 people in Ukraine last year amid broad Russia use of the widely-banned weapons, a monitoring group said. Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year, it has extensively used stocks of old cluster munitions and newly developed ones, the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) said in an annual report. Ukrainian forces also used such weapons, albeit to a lesser extent, the group added. In total, Ukraine, which had registered no cluster munition casualties for several years, recorded 916 deaths and injuries from the weapons last year, its report said. The casualties in Ukraine accounted for the vast majority of the global figure, which rose to 1,172 in 2022 - the highest annual figure since CMC began reporting in 2010. 08:26 AM BST Latest images from the war Ukrainian schoolchildren leave a lesson held in a classroom set up in a subway station in Kharkiv - Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images Ukrainian troops man a position near the frontline in the southern Zaporizhzhia region - Oleksandr Ratushniak/Reuters Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky visits troops in the eastern Donetsk region - Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters 08:09 AM BST Russia planning to hold elections in occupied Ukraine this week: MoD Russian authorities in occupied Ukraine are planning to hold elections for the first time later this week, the UKs Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. The votes are set to take place between September 8-10, in parallel with elections being held within Russia itself, the MoD said in its latest intelligence update on the war in Ukraine. Whilst over 1,000 candidates have been identified, there is a lack of qualified, experienced and willing candidates according to some reports, the MoD said, adding voting had already started in Zaporizhzhia and Mariupol. There is also an absence of independent candidates that are not members of the Kremlin endorsed parties, indicating that these will not be free or fair elections. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine 05 September 2023. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/vj0f0FmYk9 #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/xufDvqT7xn Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) September 5, 2023 07:58 AM BST Russias General Armageddon seen in first photo since Wagner mutiny A new photo appearing to show Russian General Sergei Surovikin, who has not been seen in public since a brief mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group in June, was published on social media on Monday by a well known Russian media personality. General Sergei Surovikin is out. Alive, healthy, at home, with his family, in Moscow. Photo taken today, Ksenia Sobchak wrote in a caption to the picture on Telegram. The Telegraph was unable to verify the authenticity of the photo. The image showed a man in sunglasses and a cap walking alongside a woman resembling Surovikins wife, Anna. Surovikin, who gained the nickname General Armageddon during Russias military intervention in Syrias civil war, was briefly in charge of Moscows war effort in Ukraine before that role was handed in January to General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff. Missing General Surovikin appeared in public, but already in civilian clothes Recall, Surovikin disappeared after the mutiny of Prigozhin. The media wrote that he was detained by the FSB. pic.twitter.com/ozm7DE9bG6 NEXTA (@nexta_tv) September 4, 2023 07:29 AM BST Kim Jong-un to travel to Russia for possible arms deal Kim Jong-uns reported plans to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin this month reveal the lengths the North Korean leader would be willing to go to woo Moscow as a strategic partner in countering US interests, Nicola Smith writes. The reclusive leader is famously paranoid about his security, rarely stepping beyond the sealed borders of his regime, and shunning air travel where possible in favour of a bottle green train of 21 bulletproof carriages. If Kim does personally make the trip to Vladivostok, it suggests the meeting with Mr Putin goes far beyond an arms deal and reinforces a deeper alliance of convenience between two pariah states who increasingly view an opportunity to upset Washingtons policies in Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific. Read more here. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un pose for a photo during an April 2019 meeting in Vladivostok, Russia - Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via Reuters 07:22 AM BST 'Human trafficking network' coercing Cubans to fight for Russia Cuba claimed it had uncovered a human trafficking ring that has coerced its citizens to fight for Russia in the war in Ukraine. The statement from Cubas foreign ministry on Monday said that authorities were working to neutralize and dismantle the network. It gave few details, but noted the trafficking ring was operating both within the Caribbean island nation, thousands of miles from Moscow, and in Russia. The Ministry of the Interior...is working on the neutralization and dismantling of a human trafficking network that operates from Russia to incorporate Cuban citizens living there, and even some from Cuba, into the military forces participating in war operations in Ukraine, the statement said. Russian has not commented on the allegations. 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. Ukraine surpassed Syria as the country with the highest casualties resulting from cluster munitions in 2022, a new report revealed. In its annual report for 2022, the Cluster Munition Monitor, a coalition of groups advocating against the use of the weapon, found there were 916 cluster munition casualties recorded last year in Ukraine, 890 of which were from attacks and 26 of which were from remnants. The group noted, however, some casualties from other attacks likely have gone unrecorded. Syria experienced the highest annual casualty total of any country every year from 2012 to 2021, it added. The group on Tuesday reported a record 1,172 new cluster munition casualties across eight countries in 2022, marking the highest annual number recorded of people killed or injured by the weapons since the coalition began publishing reports in 2010. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The report concluded the alarming finding can be attributed largely to the use of cluster munitions during the Russian war in Ukraine, noting the casualties were primarily caused by Russias use of cluster munitions, but Ukraine also used cluster munitions, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries. Of the total casualties reported in 2022, 987 were caused by cluster munition attacks, while 185 resulted from remnants. In 2021, there were no casualties recorded from cluster munition attacks. All 149 casualties reported that year resulted from remnants. Additionally, almost all of the cluster munition casualties reported last year 95 percent were civilians, according to the report, which added that children also remain the most susceptible, accounting for 71 percent of all cluster munition casualties where the age was recorded. Discussion on cluster munitions resurfaced in recent months after the United States announced it would transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine, responding to repeated requests from Ukraine, which claimed it was running through its artillery ammunition at a rapid pace and needed cluster munitions to defeat Russia in its counteroffensive. In exchange, Ukraine pledged to take extra steps to avoid areas close to civilians. Cluster munitions are highly controversial weapons, containing multiple bomblets that disperse over a large area, making them highly effective at attacking formations of enemy armies and tanks, but also making them dangerous to civilians. More than 100 countries have banned their usage, not including the United States, Russia and Ukraine. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Key developments on Sept. 5: Zelensky nominates Umerov as new defense minister; Ukraines parliament approves Reznikov's resignation ISW: Ukrainian infantry advances closer to Verbove in Zaporizhzhia Oblast Russia claims drones shot down over Kaluga, Moscow, Tver oblasts and occupied Crimea Germany delivers ammunition for Gepard anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine. On Sept. 5, President Volodymyr Zelensky submitted a draft resolution to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraines parliament, to appoint Rustem Umerov as the countrys new defense minister. Zelenskys decision came after the parliament had approved Oleksii Reznikov 's resignation as defense minister earlier in the day. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Ukrainian parliament is expected to consider the candidacy of Umerov a Ukrainian politician and businessperson of Crimean Tatar origin who is also a former head of the State Property Fund on Sept. 6. Umerov also previously served as a member of parliament with the Holos party from 2019-2022. Zelensky announced his decision to dismiss Reznikov on Sept. 3, saying that "the ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction both with the military and with society as a whole." Although Reznikov has held the position since 2021, playing an essential role in coordinating military aid from foreign allies, his tenure at the Defense Ministry has been marred recently by several scandals related to procuring equipment and supplies for Ukrainian soldiers. In August, the Ukrainian media Dzerkalo Tyzhnia reported that the Defense Ministry spent $33 million on "winter" clothing for the military from a Turkish company in September, which was actually summer clothing. Dzerkalo Tyzhnia also uncovered that the documents accompanying the shipment had been manipulated. The price of some jackets worth around $29 was in another document reportedly "amended" to $86. Also, in January, the Ukrainian media discovered a major issue with food supply procurement for the soldiers: The Nashi Groshi investigative project found that the defense ministry had purchased eggs at Hr 17 ($0.5) each while in Kyivs grocery stores the price was around Hr 7 ($0.2) per egg. Reznikov submitted his resignation to the Ukrainian parliament on Sept. 4. On Sept. 5, the executive body representing Crimean Tatars The Mejlis called on the Verkhovna Rada to approve Umerovs candidacy. All the stages and successful results of Rustem Umerovs professional and political activity, his human qualities, and the principles shared by him allow us to express our support for the proposal of Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky and call on the deputies to decide on the appointment of Umerov as defense minister, Refat Chubarov, the chairman of the Mejlis, wrote on Facebook. Read also: Who is Rustem Umerov, Ukraines soon-to-be defense minister? ISW: Ukrainian forces advance closer to Verbove in Zaporizhzhia Oblast Ukraine's infantry has advanced to positions closer to Verbove, a village southeast of the strategic front-line city of Orikhiv, bypassing anti-tank ditches and obstacles, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its latest report. According to it, another Ukrainian infantry group advanced toward Russian defensive positions between the recently liberated Robotyne, located 10 kilometers south of Orikhiv, and Novoprokopivka, around 13 kilometers south of Orikhiv. The ISW said Ukrainian forces are "widening the breach they have already made into one of Russia's defensive layers, maneuvering more equipment and personnel into the tactical rear." Ukraine is also making gains near the not-yet-breached Russian defensive layer that runs from northwest of Verbove to the north of Solodka Balka, located 20 kilometers south of Orikhiv, with infantry assaults and heavy artillery fire on Russian positions, according to the report. Ukrainian forces intend to hold these positions, the ISW said, adding that it's too early to tell whether they have breached Russian defenses in the area. On Sept. 4, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Ukraines military had made gains near Klishchiivka, some five kilometers from Bakhmut, and Novoprokopivka south of Robotyne. Ukrainian forces have liberated three square kilometers around Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, over the past week, Maliar said. According to her, Ukraine has regained 47 square kilometers of land in this area since the start of the summer counteroffensive. Read also: Inching forward in Bakhmut counteroffensive, Ukraines hardened units look ahead to long, grim war Russia claims drones shot down over Kaluga, Moscow, Tver oblasts and occupied Crimea The Russian Defense Ministry claimed drones were shot down over the Moscow, Kaluga, and Tver oblasts, as well as occupied Crimea on Sept. 5. At around 4 a.m. Moscow time, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed two drones were shot down over the Russian Moscow and Kaluga oblasts. Following the reports, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed the drones were "trying to carry out an attack against Moscow." Although Sobyanin initially claimed no destruction and casualties, he later wrote on Telegram that the drone debris damaged a household facility in Istrinsky District in Moscow Oblast. At around 5 a.m. Moscow time, the Defense Ministry claimed another drone was intercepted over Tver Oblast. Another drone was downed over the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula later in the morning, claimed the Russian Defense Ministry. It did not provide details of the attacks but blamed Ukraine for launching the drones. Ukraine has not commented on the allegations. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support us Russian media outlet The Moscow Times reported later in the day that drones were shot down over Russia's Tver Oblast, near the town of Zavidovo, where Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly has a residence. The media also claimed that the wreckage from drones downed over Moscow Oblast fell on a garage containing gas cylinders in Pavlovskaya Sloboda, resulting in multiple explosions. Isolated drone attacks have intensified within Russian soil in the past months. These attacks appear to primarily focus on disrupting the infrastructure that supports the logistics of the Russian military. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for most of these attacks. Germany delivers ammunition for Gepard anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine The first batch of Germany-provided ammunition for Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns has already arrived in Ukraine, Germany's Ministry of Defense reported on Sept. 5. Although the deliveries used to come from Switzerland, following the countrys repeated refusal to support Ukraine with weapons, Germany's Defense Ministry signed a 168 million euro contract to deliver 300,000 rounds with arms manufacturer Rheinmetall in February. "Despite this complex process, it has been possible to deliver the first ammunition to the Ukraine after almost seven months since the contract was signed. With this delivery of ammunition, Germany is showing once again that all possibilities are being used and exhausted," reads the ministrys announcement. According to it, Germany has delivered 46 Gepard anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine, and another six are coming. Two types of ammunition are being delivered to Ukraine for this weapon system: 150,000 rounds of armor-piercing sub-caliber ammunition and 150,000 shots of explosive incendiary ammunition used to fight air targets such as airplanes or guided missiles. The Gepards have helped Ukraine defend itself against Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones targeting Ukrainian cities and their critical infrastructure, the German Embassy in Ukraine said last November. Read also: Kyivs frustration boils as flow of Western chips for Russian missiles continues uninterrupted Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has paid UAH 650 million [roughly US$17.68 million] in advance to the drone company belonging to the family of former Ukrainian lawmaker Boryslav Rozenblat, which delivered only 1 of 55 contracted UAVs by the deadline. Source: Bihus.info, a group of anti-corruption and information projects Details: Bihus.info reported that Ukraine's MoD signed a deal worth UAH 807 million [roughly US$21.95 million] for 55 HAWK uncrewed aerial systems in December 2022 and paid an advance of UAH 650 million [roughly US$17.68 million]. The Ukrainian Aviation System Limited Liability Company (LLC), owned by the wife of former lawmaker Boryslav Rozenblat, a defendant in the high-profile Amber case, was supposed to produce them by mid-August. Rozenblat has repeatedly said this project was his "brainchild" [Under the so-called Amber case, Rozenblat was charged with receiving undue advantage for exercising the right of legislative initiative (Art. 368.4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and abuse of influence (Art. 369-2.2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) ed.]. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The company was supposed to deliver all 55 UAV systems to the customer by 15 August but produced only one by that date. The manufacturer organised training for the pilots a month before the contract was due. The group spoke to the soldiers who attended the training. They said three-quarters of the attempts to fly the UAVs failed, and the drone was launched properly only at the end of the exercises. The journalists posted a video of the drills. Rozenblat was personally present at these exercises, listening to complaints but assuring the soldiers that everything was fine since they had been given training UAVs. Rozenblat claimed that all the shortcomings would be fixed by the time the drill was completed and the order was handed over. However, on 14 August, the day before the contract was due to be delivered, it turned out that only four of the 55 ordered UAVs were ready. The first one took off during the test flight (the "minimum" programme ed.) but later lost the image. Rozenblat claimed that it had overheated. During the second flight, the drone took off but failed to land as its wings broke off and a crack appeared on the nose. Rozenblat attributed the broken wings to "model peculiarities", although the documentation did not mention such a "feature". The commission from the Ukrainian MoD refused to accept the UAVs. Problems emerged with the second system as well. Rozenblat admits that the fourth UAV did not take off either. Only the third system took off and handled the flight somewhat. Therefore, mass production was out of the question. The manufacturer claimed the system was developed in cooperation with foreign partners and primarily consists of imported parts. The HAWK was authorised for use in the Ukrainian Armed Forces back in 2017; former Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak signed the permission back then. And despite the conclusion that the defining test was successful, there was information that only seven out of nine attempts were successful: twice the same drone presented by the Moldovan partners of UAS LLC Drone-Tech SRL collapsed due to a design defect. Then, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry signed a contract with the company to which the lawmaker was related. The first two pieces were made a year later. At the time, their price was about UAH 6 million [roughly US$163,000]. The Defence Ministry ordered seven more systems at the same price in the summer of 2019. The contract was delayed due to problems with components, their replacement and new tests, and the delivery date was overdue. Ukraines Defence Ministry appealed to the court with a demand to force the manufacturer to pay 10 million hryvnias [US$263,157 ed.] fines for the contract breach, and the manufacturer appealed with a demand to review the price because, in its opinion, after the components were replaced, the HAWK was much more expensive. After the beginning of the full-scale invasion, due to the urgent need for UAVs, LLC handed over the systems to Ukraines Armed Forces. The systems had been stored unused in the warehouse for several years. Ukraines Defence Ministry reported that they had received no negative feedback from the military. Ukraines Defence Ministry explained why they signed a new contract with the LLC, saying they got such an order from the General Staff. However, the systems cost doubled to more than 12 million hryvnias [US$324,605 ed.]. Rosenblat's former partner, Kostiantyn Pozhydaiev, who was responsible for the contracts technical side, said that this cost included the amount of losses from the systems, which they previously gave almost for free to Ukraines Armed Forces, and 30% of the so-called taxes for the Directorate of Military-Technical Policy, Development of Weapons and Military Equipment of the Defence Ministry. Rosenblat allegedly offered Pozhydaiev to sign such an additional agreement to the old contract, but Pozhydaiev refused due to the high risks. At the same time, the contract contains the signatures and seals of Pozhydaiev himself. He claims that they are fake, as he was not in Ukraine at the time of signing. Pozhydaiev said his partner, Boryslav Rosenblat, had done this to obtain this contract with the Defence Ministry. After that, Rosenblat fired Pozhydaiev from his position as director, and he lost control over the company while Rosenblat lost control over production. Pozhydaiev watched the video of testing the new Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) HAWK, and he claims that they have nothing in common with those that their company produced before. The Defence Ministry reported that the new contract with the manufacturer was about the same HAWK as before but with improved characteristics, including increased range, flight time and camera. But, as it turned out, 650 million hryvnias [US$16.3 million ed.] were paid for untested systems. Oleksandr Liiev, former departmen head, who signed the contract with UAS LLC, commented that he was sure of buying the same HAWK systems as in the previous batch, and all the relevant services checked the contract's legal, financial and technical components. Rosenblat stated in August that he could hand over 30 systems in the near future and several dozen more in a couple of months. The Defence Ministry agreed to postpone the deadlines for handing over the systems to October. However, the contracts execution is in jeopardy due to the seizure of UAS LLCs accounts due to the criminal case that Ukraines Security Service is investigating. The law enforcement officers assume that the company's management conspired with the Defence Ministry in order to get the funds by concluding a contract at higher prices. 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 Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has supported the resignation of Pavlo Kyrylenko as head of the Donetsk Oblast State Administration and the appointment of Filip Pronin as head of the Poltava Oblast State Administration. Source: Ukraine's government on Telegram Details: The Cabinet of Ministers voted in favour of the relevant draft presidential decrees at its meeting on 5 September. They approved decrees on the removal of Pavlo Kyrylenko as head of the Donetsk Oblast State Administration and the appointment of Filip Pronin as head of the Poltava Oblast State Administration. Ukrainska Pravda has information that Kyrylenko is to be appointed as head of Ukraines Anti-Monopoly Committee. The Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) has just approved the removal of Olha Pishchanska as head of the Anti-Monopoly Committee. She is to be appointed as head of the State Property Fund to replace Rustem Umierov, who will head the Ministry of Defence. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Filip Pronin is currently the Deputy Head of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency. The current head of the Poltava Oblast State Administration is Dmytro Lunin. 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! (CNN) Two people have been detained in northern China after allegedly damaging a section of the Great Wall with an excavator, according to local authorities. A 38-year-old man and 55-year-old women in Shanxi province were accused of digging through the Great Wall to create a shortcut for their construction work nearby, local police said in a statement. They allegedly expanded an existing opening in the ancient structure into a wide gap large enough for their excavator to pass through to save the distance of travel, according to the statement. Their excavation caused irreversible damage to the integrity and safety of that portion of the wall, the police said. Police in Yuyou county detained the two suspects after receiving reports about the damage on August 24. The case is under further investigation, according to the statement. The Great Wall, which acted as a key northern defense for successive Chinese Empires, has a total length of more than 20,000 kilometers (12,427 miles) and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Its earliest sections date back more than two thousand years and were later extended throughout Chinas ancient dynasties. The damage was inflicted on a section of the wall dating back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), known as the 32nd Great Wall. It is also home to a relatively well preserved watch tower and is listed as a provincial cultural relic. Chinese authorities have in recent years stepped up protection of the Great Wall and cracked down on acts of vandalism. In 2021, three visitors were detained and fined by police for scrawling on the famous Badaling section of wall with a sharp object. Later that year, Chinese authorities banned two foreign tourists from the Great Wall after they trespassed onto an undeveloped part of the Mutianyu section of the wall. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Two people detained in China for allegedly damaging Great Wall with excavator." The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has approved Oleksii Reznikov 's resignation as defense minister, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on Sept. 5. The decision reportedly received 327 votes. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced his decision to dismiss Reznikov on on Sept. 3, after which Reznikov then submitted his resignation to the Ukrainian parliament on Sept. 4. According to Zhelezniak, Rustem Umerov, formerly the chairperson of Ukraine's State Property Fund and the individual chosen by Zelensky to replace Reznikov as the defense minister, will be appointed on Sept. 6. Read also: Who is Rustem Umerov, Ukraines soon-to-be defense minister? ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Reznikov has held the post of Defense Minister since November 2021. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he has played a vital role in coordinating military aid from foreign allies, including at multiple Ramstein summits. However, Reznikov's tenure at the Defense Ministry has been marred by several scandals related to the procurement of equipment and supplies for Ukrainian soldiers. In August, Ukrainian media Dzerkalo Tyzhnia reported that the Defense Ministry spent $33 million on "winter" clothing for the military from a Turkish company in September, which was actually summer clothing. The Defense Ministry and Reznikov also faced scrutiny in January when Ukrainian media discovered a major issue with food supply procurement for soldiers. The ministry was found to have purchased eggs at Hr 17 ($0.5) each, while in Kyivs grocery stores, the price is around Hr 7 ($0.2) per egg, according to the Nashi Groshi investigative project. Following that scandal, Ukrainian media reported in February that Zelensky had decided to dismiss Reznikov and would likely replace him with military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov. On Feb. 15, Reznikov said that Zelensky had decided to keep him on, citing Reznikov's personal relationships with Ukraine's defense partners as one of the main reasons. I believe that the ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction both with the military and with society as a whole, Zelensky said on Sept. 3, in reference to his decision to dismiss Reznikov. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A place of residence of a Russian invader and Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) agent in charge of the customs of the Russian-backed "Luhansk People's Republic" ("LPR"), Yuriy Afanasyevskiy, has been bombed in occupied Luhansk Oblast. He is currently in intensive care. Source: Ukrainska Pravdas source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) familiar with the matter Details: Afanasyevskiy was attacked at his own residence. He sustained multiple shrapnel wounds to his head, neck and abdomen and is in intensive care in a critical condition. The Russian proxy is a major general and an agent of the FSB central office, known for becoming the "financier" of Leonid Pasechnik, the head of the self-proclaimed "LPR". ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Afanasyevskiy laundered money to fund paramilitary groups fighting against Ukraine. He was subject to personal sanctions imposed by the EU, the UK, Canada, Switzerland and Japan. Sources confirm that the SSU was behind the explosion. 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 Security Service of Ukraine has served Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman , who is involved in financing the war against Ukraine, with a notice of suspicion in absentia. Source: press service of the Security Service of Ukraine Quote: "Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, he has injected about 2 billion roubles [roughly US$20.7 million ed.] into several military plants of the aggressor country. Among them are the Tula Cartridge Plant, which produces ammunition, and the Ural Optical and Mechanical Plant named after Yalamov, which produces high-tech equipment for Russian combat aircraft and helicopters." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Details: To finance the Kremlin's "projects", the oligarch uses the assets of the Alfa Group he controls. He also used his own business resources for the mass distribution of dry rations, clothing and other products under the Russian Army trademark, which are supplied to the occupiers on the front line. The Security Service of Ukraine added that Fridman also organised the collection of material and technical assistance for the needs of the Russian occupation groups fighting in Ukraine. In addition, his insurance companies took over the insurance of military equipment, as well as the life and health of the Russian invaders. Fridman has facilitated the cooperation of his own telecommunications company with the FSB, which allowed him to provide mobile communications controlled by the Russian secret service in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Based on the evidence gathered, Security Service of Ukraine investigators served Fridman with a notice of suspicion under Article 110-2.3 of the Criminal Code (financing actions committed with the aim of violent change or overthrow of the constitutional order or seizure of state power, change of the boundaries of the territory or state border of Ukraine committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy). The oligarch is currently hiding from justice abroad. He faces up to eight years in prison along with confiscation of property. Previously: On 1 September, Ukrainska Pravda published an investigation into Russian oligarchs and other prominent Russian citizens in the UK. UP journalists managed to meet with Fridman himself. The oligarch refused to answer the question of whether he considers Russian President Vladimir Putin to be a war criminal, citing his lawyers. Background: On 5 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted a decision of the National Security and Defence Council of 5 July to impose sanctions on 18 companies linked to Russian oligarchs Mikhail Fridman, German Khan and Petr Aven. In August 2022, Russian oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven were sanctioned by the United States of America. Fridman and Aven left Russia after the full-scale war in Ukraine started. Nevertheless, they found themselves under EU and UK sanctions. They tried to get the sanctions lifted in Europe. And they succeeded in the UK, where the authorities issued at least 82 licences for "personal expenses" to sanctioned Russian oligarchs up to US$1 million a year, which Russians spend on "basic needs" such as chauffeurs, cooks and maids. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Ukrainian Defenders killed another 560 Russian invaders and destroyed 38 artillery systems and 31 drones belonging to the Russians over the past 24 hours. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces from 24 February 2022 to 5 September 2023 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses ed.]: approximately 265,680 (+560) military personnel 4,489 (+9) tanks 8,670 (+7) armoured combat vehicles 5,649 (+38) artillery systems 747 (+6) multiple-launch rocket systems 504 (+1) air defence systems 315 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement 316 (+0) helicopters 4,512 (+31) operational-tactical UAVs 1,447 (+0) cruise missiles 19 (+0) ships/boats 8,175 (+26) vehicles and tankers 851 (+4) special vehicles and other equipment. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The Ukrainian government has adopted an order which will allow appropriately trained combat medics to administer blood transfusions at a pre-hospital stage. Source: Ministry of Health of Ukraine For this purpose, the Health Ministry is expanding a special training programme in the basics of transfusion therapy. On the training course, combat medics will acquire the skills required for blood transfusion. The new programme corresponds to NATO standards. "In civilian life, we can get a person with critical blood loss to hospital in 15 minutes, but the war dictates its own conditions. We have to react to the challenges of the war as efficiently as possible in order to provide all the necessary conditions and opportunities to save the lives of the wounded," said Viktor Liashko, Ukraines Health Minister. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "One critically important task is to make blood transfusion as accessible as possible for patients. This is literally fundamental to our soldiers survival. It is not easy to build the infrastructure for using blood on the front line, but we must move in this direction because the price of delay is too high human life." Photo: Rina Reznikova It is estimated that this reform will significantly reduce the percentage of preventable deaths on the battlefield due to blood loss. Background: Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar remarked in August that the Ukrainian government was considering the possibility of blood transfusion at the pre-hospital stage. After training, even a combat medic without a medical education will be able to save lives. Earlier, Ukraines Medical Forces Command, Defence Ministry and Health Ministry were seeking a compromise on blood transfusion by combat medics at the front. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The Ukrainian Defense Forces have not yet observed any major preparations by the Russian invasion army for winter on the southern front, Natalia Humeniuk, press spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces, said on Ukrainian national television on Sept. 5. "We are not seeing strong preparations for winter," she said. Perhaps because their logistics are complicated. They barely have time to meet their current needs for ammunition, protective equipment, and to bring in some new units to replace damaged or destroyed ones. That is why we have not seen such a massive procurement of winterization supplies. Read also: Ihnat details Ukraines preparations for potential Russian mass strikes in fall ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Humeniuk added that the occupation forces are studying the situation and want to understand to which frontier they need to supply winter equipment. The Russians themselves do not know where they will be deployed at that time, the Ukrainian spokesperson believes. Ukrainian counter-offensive Latest Earlier, U.S. newspaper the New York Times reported that a new phase of Ukraine's counter-offensive has begun, with the main blow coming from the southeast, where Ukrainian soldiers are gradually advancing through minefields while under attack by Russian aircraft. Read also: Russia considers mobilizing 450,000 men Budanov According to UK newspaper the Financial Times, Ukraine changed its tactics after the "chaos" at the beginning of the counter-offensive, and now Ukrainian forces are focusing on striking Russian defensive positions with heavy artillery and are achieving tangible results. U.S. newspaper the Wall Street Journal, citing an unnamed U.S. official, reported that Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi told U.S. officials that Ukrainian forces were on the verge of a breakthrough, commenting on criticism of the "slow pace" of the counteroffensive. Ukraines Ministry of Defense officially confirmed on Aug. 28 the liberation of the village of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhya Oblast. Ukrainian forces are moving on to nearby Novoprokopivka, and Ocheretuvate, and have seen successes near Verbove. In early September, the commander of the Tavria operational and strategic grouping of troops, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had broken through the first line of Russian defense on the southern axis. 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 By Anna Voitenko ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION, Ukraine (Reuters) - Three Ukrainian soldiers draw back the sliding roof of their dugout near the frontline, quickly launch several mortar bombs and shout: "Presents for the Russians!" To avoid revealing their position, they rapidly replace the makeshift roof -- consisting of branches and leaves covering tarpaulin stretched over a metal frame -- and take cover. It's a routine they repeat frequently as Ukraine's army tries to battle through vast Russian minefields and heavily fortified trenches in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia. Kyiv says its troops are gradually pushing back Russian forces in the south after 18 months of occupation, but that fighting is heavy three months into the counteroffensive. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "The Russians resist fiercely there (on the front line), they are trying to get back their positions," the mortar squad's commander, who uses the call-sign Hrai, told Reuters. "But we have an advantage: despite everything being mined and our soldiers having a hard time, the Russians were thrown out of their positions where the most fortified line of trenches and dugouts was." "Now the Russians are in the field where they have nothing and theyre trying to build something there. Our soldiers are in their (former Russian) positions, prepared by them (the Russians). That's the advantage we have," he said. The mortar position is part of a maze of trenches and dugouts with wooden walls and underground living quarters. "At first we had to make one dug-out. But then we got excited and started digging and digging. We built a restroom, then another room. The longer the war lasts, the more rooms there will be here," Hrai said. The living quarters have lighting, wi-fi and wooden beds, shelves and furniture. In the kitchen area, a frying pan hangs on a wall and other cooking equipment lies on shelves. Rifles hang on the wall in another area. "We live like kings, we sleep on bunk beds. We have mattresses, we brought foam rubber to use as mattresses," Hrai said. "We live in comfort: we have heating, electricity everywhere, there is internet connectivity and wi-fi is available right now." (Writing by Timothy Heritage, Editing by Tom Balmforth) The Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) has accepted the resignation of Oleksii Reznikov from the position of Minister of Defence. Source: Yaroslav Zhelezniak, Ukrainian MP, on Telegram Details: "In favour" 327 members of parliament. By factions: Servant of the People party faction 210 European Solidarity party faction 24 Motherland party faction 11 Platform for Life and Peace 20 For the Future 11 Voice 10 Trust 15 Restoration of Ukraine 12 Non-factional 14 Reznikov has personally reported on the 552 days of his work in office. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Zhelezniak says that the appointment of Rustem Umierov as the new defence minister will be considered on 6 September. 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 has lifted an hour-long nationwide ground stop for its aircraft caused by an equipment issue, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAAs Air Traffic Control System Command Center says that the airline had requested the ground stop for all its flights until at least 1pm Central Time. But the agency announced that the ground stop, which was caused by United being unable to contact their dispatch through normal means on Tuesday had been removed. According to FlightAware, the airline was forced to cancel seven flights and delay another 211 across the US, reported ABC News. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We are experiencing a systemwide technology issue and are holding all aircraft at their departure airports, the airline earlier told NBC Chicago in a statement. Flights that are already airborne are continuing to their destination as planned. Were currently investigating and will share more information as it becomes available. Last week the airline predicted that it would have its biggest-ever Labor Day weekend with around 2.8 million passengers travelling over a six-day period ending on Tuesday. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg took to X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter, to say that he was monitoring the situation. Am aware of the nationwide ground stop at United Airlines due to IT issues. FAA is currently receiving more information about the cause and scope of the issue, and DOT will make sure UA meets its obligations to affected passengers, he stated. Students who test positive for COVID-19 at the University of Michigan this fall will be forced in many cases to leave campusan extreme measure that may well encourage sick people to avoid seeking medical attention at all. Jay Bhattacharya , a professor of medicine and health policy at Stanford University who has frequently challenged prevailing orthodoxies about pandemic restrictions, called attention to the policies on X, describing them as "cruel." At the @UMich, students testing covid positive must leave their dorms for 5 days & live in the community. A hotel room or a relative's house is ok. This cruel policy is designed to spread covid from the university into the wild. It won't stop covid from spreading @umich. pic.twitter.com/Yfn58QKcut Jay Bhattacharya (@DrJBhattacharya) September 3, 2023 According to the Care and Isolation section of the university's website, students are required to report a positive COVID-19 test to the health authoritiesunless, of course, they tested vis-a-vis the school's medical system, in which case the authorities already have the result. The university will then contact the students to discuss their isolation; importantly, students living in dormitories are required to temporarily move out, even if they reside in single units. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The rules suggest that students should return home, especially if they can get there without using public transportation. While the university specifies that students should consider returning home if there they have access to their own bedrooms and bathrooms, it does not acknowledge that sending students home may be the very worst idea of all, given that their parents are probably at greater risk of a negative COVID-19 outcome than their college roommates. The rules are so extreme and disruptive that many students will probably avoid taking COVID-19 tests, even if they are seriously ill. Imagine a student who presumes he has a bacterial infection and desperately needs antibiotics; does he dare risk going to the university hospital and testing positive for COVID-19, especially if that means ejection from his dormitory? Instead of creating a police state to punish students for contracting COVID-19something that is, let's face it, wholly unavoidableperhaps university health officials could work harder to provide accommodations for students who get sick and voluntarily agree to quarantine. Alas, the website notes that "isolation spaces on campus are extremely limited." Making them less limited seems like a better use of time than hunting down COVID-positive students and exiling them from campus. The university did not respond to a request for comment. The post The University of Michigan Will Force Students With COVID To Leave Campus appeared first on Reason.com. (CNN) China on Monday indicated that leader Xi Jinping would skip an important gathering of the worlds 20 top economies for the first time with Premier Li Qiang traveling to the event in New Delhi this weekend in his place. Xis absence from the G20 summit comes as tensions simmer between China and host country India, especially over their disputed border and New Delhis growing ties with the United States. The no-show of Chinas top leader unprecedented since the first such summit was held in 2008 will likely be seen as a snub to India, which is hosting the powerful group of world leaders for the first time amid efforts to boost its global clout under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Questions about Xis attendance at the meeting were first raised last week when Reuters reported the Chinese leader was likely to miss it, citing two unnamed Indian diplomats. At a regular news conference Monday, Chinas Foreign Ministry said Li, Chinas second-ranking leader, would attend the summit on Saturday and Sunday, without mentioning Xi. Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the ministry, sidestepped a question from a reporter about the reason for Xis non-attendance. The Group of 20 is a major forum for international economic cooperation, and China has always attached great importance to and actively participated in relevant activities, Mao said, without addressing the substance of the question. Even during the Covid pandemic, Xi attended the meetings in 2020 and 2021 by video link. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who faces an international arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, will also skip the summit. Russia will be represented by its foreign minister instead. Brian Hart, a fellow with the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Xis absence at the G20 summit will be highly conspicuous, but given Beijings opacity one can only speculate on the reasons behind that decision. It could be an intentional snub against India, or it could be that Xi is preoccupied with domestic issues. It could also be that Xi doesnt feel the timing is right for him to meet with certain leaders, like President Biden or Prime Minister Modi, he said. But perceptions matter. Regardless of whether it is intended as a snub against India, some will see it as such. Beijings announcement has dashed hopes that Xi and US President Joe Biden might meet at the summit, as the two superpowers seek to stabilize their rocky relations. Preempting confirmation from Beijing, Biden on Sunday publicly expressed disappointment that he would not see Xi in New Delhi. I am disappointed but Im going to get to see him, Biden told reporters on Sunday. Biden had previously told CNN he would be meeting with Xi in the fall. The two leaders last spoke in person in November 2022 on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, where they pledged to restore channels of communication in an effort to prevent rising tensions from spilling into open conflict. That meeting is the only time the two have met in person since Biden took office. Four US cabinet officials have visited Beijing in recent months, after a suspected Chinese spy balloon derailed a fledgling effort at rapprochement earlier in the year. Xis absence from the G20 summit also means he will not have a formal bilateral meeting with Modi, as the two nuclear-powered neighbors remain at loggerheads over their contested border. Xi and Modi agreed to intensify efforts to deescalate tensions at the border last month on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in South Africa which was seen as a step toward mending their fraught relationship. But tensions rose again last week when India lodged a strong protest against Chinas newly published national map, which it said included the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and the disputed Aksai-Chin plateau in Chinese territory. The disputed border has long been a source of friction between New Delhi and Beijing, with the agitation spilling into a 1962 war that ended in a Chinese victory. Tensions rose again in 2020 after a deadly brawl in the Galwan Valley resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese. This story was first published on CNN.com, "China signals Xi Jinping will not attend G20 summit in India." The T0408 was once a country lane that led peacefully southward through the open fields of Ukraines southern Zaporizhzhia region, from Orikhiv through Robotyne and on to Tokmak. Now, the men of Ukraines 47th Mechanized Brigade have renamed it the road to hell and the picture they paint is apocalyptic: the sky black with drones, constant artillery and aerial bombardments and the once-fertile fields crammed with Russian mines, trenches and dugouts that make any southward progress virtually impossible. Yet southward progress is precisely what the Ukrainian soldiers with the call signs Karatsupa, Pan and Taba seek, driving their American-made Bradley Fighting Vehicles down a road that is also, they believe, the road to Ukrainian victory. Every day, under relentless fire, they drive fresh troops in and spent ones out, with just 30 seconds to make the swap on the battlefield. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ive been serving since 2014 and Ive never encountered such minefields anywhere. Just hectares of them, to the left and to the right, said Karatsupa. A lot of trenches, dugouts. And all this for dozens of kilometers. They even throw mines at the territory we are taking. Without the mines, we would already be in Tokmak. Much has been made of the strategic importance of Robotyne for Ukraines three-month-long southern counteroffensive. But its capture has enraged the Russians further, say the men of the 47th Brigade. The remains of what was a village of 500 before the war continue to be pounded day and night. Not just by artillery and aerial bombardments, but most fiercely by drones. The sky is black with them, said Pan. Surveillance drones, attack drones, some Ukrainian, some Russian it is, he said, impossible to tell. The worst are kamikaze drones that will follow you and obliterate you, he explained. And, after a month of fighting, there was so little left of the village they took in late August that they couldnt believe what they found: civilians still cowering in their basements. After the infantry told them to gather their things, they were rushed into the Bradleys under constant fire. One woman brought her cat, another civilian asked if he could bring the car hed spent his life savings on before the war by driving it out sandwiched between two Bradleys. Things in the occupied territories are different, said Pan, explaining that the vehicle was an old $300 Zhiguli but that belongings there take on a different meaning. After some negotiation, the car was left behind as the evacuation got underway. Pan (left) and Taba (right), who are Bradley driver mechanics. The troops of Ukraine's 47th Mechanized Brigade are fighting along what they have renamed "the road to hell." - Pierre Bairin/CNN The Russians immediately started shelling us, said Karatsupa. It doesnt matter to them who is there military or civilians. They dont care. As we closed the Bradleys ramp, the artillery barrage began immediately. Luckily the vehicle is good and we drove away. We reached the next turn and the Russians opened fire on us again, even though they knew we were carrying civilians. CNN is unable to independently confirm that the Russians were aware the vehicle was transporting civilians. In a forest nearby, the Ukrainian troops unloaded the mostly elderly men and women, starved and filthy after a month spent underground, during the worst of the fighting. They told us that the Russians had treated them like slaves, said Karatsupa. They had to steal from the Russians in order to have something to eat. But even before the counteroffensive and the month-long battle for the village itself, their lives, he said, had been made unbearable by a Russian occupation none of them had the means to flee. Like so many villages and towns in the Zaporizhzhia region, Robotyne was cursed from the very start of the full-scale war by its geography, finding itself just south of where the Russian invasion stalled in March 2022 and therefore beyond the reach of any help. They forced them to do various jobs, did not let them out of their homes, Karatsupa said of the civilians. They were treated like servants. And these people had nowhere to go. They did not want to go to Russia, but they could not get to Ukraine. They stayed, endured, worried. They were very happy when we arrived, when they realized that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had come to the village. But without the Bradleys, say the men, no one would have survived. They proudly showed CNN some of the direct artillery hits the US-made armored vehicles had taken, singing their praises repeatedly Their only disadvantage, says Karatsupa, is their distinctive whistling sound, which can be heard from miles away. This does have a plus side in instilling fear into the Russians, he added, and in reassuring frontline Ukrainian infantry, who know fire cover is on its way. But no vehicle, however remarkable, is ever entirely impregnable. And Karatsupa, Pan and Taba now carry with them not only pride at what theyve achieved but also grief at what theyve lost. Some of the men with whom they captured Robotyne last week have since been killed in a direct hit on their Bradley. A reminder that however important the gain of Robotyne is to the counteroffensive, there is far more loss ahead, further down the road to hell. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Democratic leaders of the U.S. Senate, on their return from summer recess on Tuesday, sought to gain the upper hand over House Republicans in talks over government funding as the threat of an embarrassing October government shutdown looms. A bipartisan group of senators in the Democratic-controlled chamber collaborated on President Joe Biden 's request for a stopgap spending bill to keep agencies funded until deals can be brokered on the full fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1. In a separate but related effort, Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee backed the 12 separate spending bills that would finance most government operations for fiscal 2024, while their House Appropriations Committee produces bills with support only from Republicans, who control the House. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Senate so far is sticking with the $1.59 trillion discretionary spending budget Biden and House Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy had embraced, while some hardline House conservatives push for cuts below what their leader agreed to. "All sides must work together in good faith without engaging in extremist or all-or-nothing tactics," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said of the looming negotiations between the Senate and House on those 12 bills. The strongly bipartisan effort by the Senate Appropriations Committee, Schumer added, "sets a good template (for) how things should work in Congress." Republican Senator John Cornyn accused Schumer of erecting a formula for failure after Schumer said on Friday that the Senate's focus this month "will be on funding the government and preventing House Republican extremists from forcing a government shutdown." That, Cornyn said, was a "preemptive strike to try to blame Republicans in the House for all this; I mean, he needs to look in the mirror. The White House last week called on Congress to pass a short-term "continuing resolution" to keep the government funded past Sept. 30, avoiding the fourth shutdown in a decade. Some hardline House Republicans have dismissed the risks of a government shutdown, saying it could be a cudgel for achieving deeper spending cuts to address the $31.4 trillion national debt. Few other lawmakers in the House or Senate have expressed such an appetite. Republicans in the House, which returns from its summer break next week, have internal differences over matters ranging from more emergency aid to Ukraine to the size of government-wide spending. The hardline House Freedom Caucus has insisted on paring discretionary spending for 2024 to the 2022 level of $1.47 trillion, $120 billion below the level accepted by McCarthy and Biden. Less contentious is Biden's request for approving emergency funds this month to help communities hard-hit by storms, fires and other natural disasters. Unlike spending fights from the last several years, the Senate appears eager to promptly get the stopgap bill passed and then present its united front to splintered House Republicans in negotiations, which could extend into December, on the longer-term bills. Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell has voted for every one of the 12 fiscal 2024 bills advanced by the Senate Appropriations Committee, as have nearly all of his fellow committee Republicans. McConnell last week bemoaned the funding fight, saying, "Honestly, it's a pretty big mess." Speaking to a business group in his home state of Kentucky, McConnell warned that the lower, $1.47 trillion in spending for 2024 is "not going to be replicated in the Senate." Meanwhile, as some hardline House Republicans push for defense spending cuts instead of a buildup, there is pushback within their 222-member caucus. (Reporting by Richard Cowan; Additional reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone, William Maclean and Howard Goller) White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Tuesday warned North Korea against supplying Russia with arms amid its war against Ukraine, saying Pyongyang will pay a price if it follows through on a potential deal. Sullivan told reporters that discussions are actively advancing between North Korea and Russia regarding Pyongyangs military support, heading toward potential top leader-level talks. The Russians have imbued them with an increased intensity, Sullivan said of the discussions. Sullivan also warned that North Korea will face consequences from the international community if the nation decides to transfer arms to Russia. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Providing weapons to Russia for use on the battlefield to attack grain silos and heating infrastructure of major cities as we head into winter, to try to conquer territory that belongs to another sovereign nation this will not reflect well on North Korea, and they will pay a price for this in the international community, he said. U.S. officials said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may travel to Russia to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The officials also said Russia would buy ammunition from North Korea in return for supplying Pyongyang with food and critical technology. North Korea has a robust defense production base for artillery shells, which could benefit Russian forces who are locked in a grinding war in Ukraine. Concerns about a developing military alliance between the two nations have grown since Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to North Korea in July. Sullivan on Tuesday said Shoigu asked for military support during the July trip. He said Russia has grown desperate during the war and is looking for additional support to bolster its aims in Ukraine. We have continued to squeeze Russias defense industrial base and they are now going about looking to whatever source they can find, he said. The U.S. has already sanctioned North Korean entities that have supplied arms and ammunition to Wagner Group, a mercenary company that fought on behalf of Moscow in Ukraine. But there is no evidence Pyongyang has directly supported Russias armed forces. In recent weeks, Washington has begun to warn that might change. Sullivan pledged the U.S. and its allies will continue to try and dissuade North Korea from making a deal and said the White House will publicly report on developments. We will continue to call on North Korea to abide by its public commitments not to supply weapons to Russia that will end up killing Ukrainians, he said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former state lawmaker Becky Edwards arrives during an election night watch party Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, in Salt Lake City. Three Republicans competed in a special primary election in Utah for their party's nomination to replace U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart. Vying for the nomination are Edwards, businessman and former state party chairman Bruce Hough, and Celeste Maloy, an attorney and former aide to Stewart in Washington. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) A distinct urban-rural divide left a Utah special congressional primary race between a Donald Trump critic and supporter too early to call Tuesday in a tight race that will likely produce the replacement for U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart. The GOP special primary to replace Stewart saw Celeste Maloy, who was Stewarts chief legal counsel and has his endorsement, with a narrow lead over former state lawmaker Becky Edwards late Tuesday. Edwards, a Trump critic, was leading in two urban counties, but Maloy, a Trump supporter, overtook her with strength from rural areas that make up the rest of the sprawling district that stretches from the northern part of the Salt Lake City area to cover much of southern and western Utah. Votes yet to be counted included thousands of mail-in ballots arriving over the next two weeks. The race was expected to provide a window into how Republican voters feel about a string of indictments against the former president as he seeks another term. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Maloy said in a statement she was feeling optimistic and with momentum while acknowledging that it was too close to call. She touted her advantage in rural parts of the district after telling KUTV earlier in the night that rural Utah feels under-represented. As we predicted, southern and rural Utah came in strong," Maloy said. "We ran a positive race focused on policy and issues and that clearly resonated with the voters. While victory is not yet at hand, we are confident a conservative from the district will represent CD-2. After seeing her early lead evaporate, Edwards briefly thanked supporters and ended an election night party in Salt Lake City. As they chanted, Becky, Becky, Edwards said she felt optimistic but would have to wait for more vote counting. Maloy had a roughly 2 percentage point lead in the votes counted by Tuesday at midnight, a margin of about 1,400 votes. In past races, Utah hasn't counted all votes on election day and has left about 30% to count in the days afterward. Almost all ballots in Utah are cast by mail, and they can arrive as late as Sept. 19 and be counted, so long as they are postmarked by election day. Tuesday's results mean the eventual winner of the special election will be a woman since businessperson Bruce Hough, a committeeman for the Republican National Committee for over a decade, trailed in third by a wide margin. The GOP winner in the reliably Republican area will be the favorite against Democratic state Sen. Kathleen Riebe in the Nov. 21 special general election. That winner would become the only woman in Utah's congressional delegation and only the fifth in the states history. The states most recent female U.S. representative, Mia Love, served from 2015-2019 and was the states first Black congresswoman. Stewart, a six-term Republican and veteran of the U.S. Air Force, set off a scramble to fill his seat when he announced in May he was resigning because his wife is ill. He plans to step down Sept. 15 after 10 years in office. Trump and his indictments have not been a central part of this abbreviated campaign for any of the candidates. But Edwards has said she thinks Republicans should consider other candidates for the 2024 presidential race. During her unsuccessful 2022 primary run against Sen. Mike Lee, Edwards criticized Lee for backing Trumps efforts to discredit the 2020 election results. Im looking for a Republican who can win back the White House. I think its time that we have that shift, Edwards told ABC4 Utah on Aug. 19. Its early days in the presidential election cycle but Im watching, as I think most Americans are right now, to look for all the candidates as theyre putting out their ideas. Trump won conservative Utah in 2018 and 2022 but the state has never fully embraced Trump, whose demeanor clashes with the political and religious culture that prides itself on maintaining political civility in polarizing times. More than half of the state's residents belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known widely as the Mormon church. Republican U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, a frequent Trump critic, is among the members of the faith. The federal indictments against Trump for allegedly working to overturn the 2020 election and for allegedly mishandling classified information after he left office loomed in an Aug. 4 debate between Hough and Maloy. Trump got little mention in the debate but both suggested the Justice Department was politically selective in charging him. We are seeing agencies in the federal government weaponized against people that should not be weaponized. The DOJ, the FBI, others. Everybody should be accountable to the rule of law, period, end of story. And everybody should be treated equally under the law, equally, Hough said. The U.S. looks like a banana republic with such investigations, said Maloy, who added she would want to serve on a committee to investigate the weaponization of the federal government if elected. Edwards didnt take part in the debate. Edwards has raised the most money of the three candidates, bringing in $379,000 while loaning herself an additional $300,000 from personal funds. While Maloy outraised Hough in contributions, Hough loaned his campaign more than $334,000. Maloy qualified for the primary ballot after winning a Utah Republican Party convention vote in June. Hough and Edwards each gathered a minimum of 7,000 signatures to qualify for the primary ballot. Hough is the father of Dancing With The Stars veterans Julianne and Derek Hough. Chloe Kiser, one of two professors leading The Human Experience: Empathy and Dialogue for a class of first-year students in Valparaiso Universitys new Access College for Success, went over a few of the foundations of the curriculum on a recent Friday afternoon. We intend to balance sharing and listening, she told the more than two dozen students in Room 160 of Wesemann Hall, formerly the location for the universitys now-closed law school. The Access College, a two-year associate degree program started as pilot with three students last academic year, now has 26 enrollees. The program, according to university officials, is geared for incoming students who need additional support as they begin their college careers. It was created to open the college experience to a greater number of students while providing those students a direct path to a four-year degree if they so choose. Its to provide access to students who dont necessarily have a traditional background for college, said Lucia Lopez, executive director of the Access College. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Brooke Harrell, who graduated from Portage High School in the spring, said she got an email about the Access College after she applied to the university. Shes found the support and resources helpful so far. I feel like your first two years are your biggest and when you grasp for help and to get your voice, and I felt like the Access College really did that, said Harrell, who wants to get her bachelors degree in nursing, a transition she expects also will be easier since all of the credits from her associate degree will transfer if she continues on at VU. Officials also credit the budding program with helping stabilize the university population, part of a multipronged approach to meet an ever-changing market. The university has more than 600 first-year students, including those in the Access College. An official census of the student population is expected this week, but Jill Schur, the universitys vice president of enrollment and marketing, said she expects this years first-year class to be about even as last year and up from two years ago. The university had 564 first-year students for 2021, according to enrollment data on its website, and 589 students in fall 2020, before the pandemic. For comparison, Valparaiso University had 737 first-year students in the fall 2007. The Access College is part of the future. We know we need to shift to meet the market, Schur said. A four-year degree is not for everybody. The university, she said, also saw a 14% increase in domestic graduate students, including in its MBA program, and has seen its overall enrollment the past few years buoyed by international students, particularly in information technology. The universitys most recent strategic plan, outlined by President Jose Padilla last fall, included a focus on becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution, or HSI, and the university saw a 53% increase in Hispanic students in first-year classes this year, Schur said. The market is shifting, Schur said, a point Padilla made a year ago. He said then that the whole dynamic of higher education has changed, with the COVID-19 pandemic bringing those changes to the surface. The percentage of Indiana students attending college dropped from 65% in 2015 to 53% seven years later. Additionally, a demographic cliff has been predicted to hit by 2026, with a significant drop in the percentage of young adults ages 18 to 24 attending college, particularly in the Midwest and the Northeast, Padilla said then. Its all about right-sizing ourselves, Schur said, adding the university is not going to be what it was five or 10 years ago. And without that pressure of trying to be something we arent, we can focus on retention of students we worked so hard to bring here. The stabilization of the student population, Schur said, is the result of several factors, including the universitys intentional marketing strategy, the Access College, becoming an HSI and the universitys leadership. Theres more opportunities for nontraditional thinking, including online, part-time and two-year programs, Schur said. Access College students are considered incoming freshmen in a twofold process, Lopez said. They receive an associate degree after two years with the option to continue for another two years for a bachelors degree, with all of their credits counting toward that degree. The Access College, Lopez added, offers the resources of the universitys career center and alumni network to provide them with those opportunities. It was initially intended for students who wanted to commute to campus, Lopez said, but 22 of the colleges students are living on campus and four are commuting. The majority of the students are from Northwest Indiana. That includes Christian Kim of Valparaiso, a recent graduate of Wheeler High School, and Axel Orozco, who graduated from Valparaiso High School. The two are both working on associate degrees in business and have become friends, sharing tips on using planners and offering each other additional support. It was a good opportunity to figure things out, Kim said. He did well his junior and senior years of high school after a tough start as a terrible student who hit that level of maturity junior year and worked to improve his grades. Orozco also liked the appeal of the program. Its the fact that they will help me go along and will give me good tools to succeed in college, he said. Areas of study in the Access College include education; biology, as a preface to nursing; and business, Lopez said, with a handful of students still exploring what they will focus on. Were excited to see that we can already incorporate those key classes they need, especially with nursing, she said. The students in last years pilot program are all continuing in the program, with one focusing on education and the other two on business. All three are living on campus. The data will show that the students who live on campus are more likely to be successful, Lopez said, adding they receive support from the campus community, save time from not having to commute, and can take advantage of on-campus employment, something else the Access College assists with. The program plans for measured growth in the coming years, with around 35 new students next fall and perhaps 50 in 2025, Lopez said, adding the pace will be dependent on the support services available and will be reassessed over time. The university, she added, is not replicating an institution but rather maximizing its resources. I think were changing the face of education. An associate degree is typically from a community college, Lopez said, and we realize theres the capacity to offer that here. alavalley@chicagotribune.com An iconic sculpture that marks the end point of a 3-mile hike up a popular California mountain was vandalized, reports say. Hikers hoping for a photo op with the Mission Peeker at the top of Mission Peak were surprised to find the top of it had been sawed completely off, SFGATE reported. Here is what the mission peak pole looks like prior to being vandalized: https://t.co/WQYnDMjAPf pic.twitter.com/hARu5XWnrx bayareahiker (@bayareahiker2) September 5, 2023 The pole named Mission Peeker for the sight tubes fastened to it has been a destination at the top of the South Bay mountain for more than 30 years, the outlet reported. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It was created by Leonard Page, an artist and park ranger, in 1990, the outlet reported. He included the sight tubes so visitors could peek through at the scenery visible from the mountain peak. Mission Peak iconic sculpture vandalized, the Mission Peak Conservancy said in a Sept. 4 post on Facebook, including a photo of the vandalism. Theft of sighting tubes and destruction of park property. Officials with the conservancy later said in the comments that the East Bay Regional Park District confirmed park staff had found the missing piece. A hiker also shared a photo they had captured of the sawed-off Mission Peeker sitting on the hillside over the weekend. It had to weigh 80lbs or more given the thickness of the metal, someone said. It would be very difficult to carry off the hill. Officials with the East Bay Regional Park District did not immediately respond to McClatchy News request for information. In an email to McClatchy News, Mission Peak Conservancy co-founder William Yragui said the parks district will determine how to reattach the sawed-off segment to restore this very important cultural artifact. The easiest way to do that will likely be to weld the two sections together with a portable welding rig, which the parks district sometimes uses to repair cattle gates and cattle guards in the park, Yragui said. But the restoration process may hit a snag neighbors at the Standford Avenue trailhead have asked the park district to not make any improvements to the park, he said. In a statement, officials with the park district said they were saddened by the incident, KTVU reported. Any vandalism from destruction to graffiti affects what should be a positive, happy experience for community members to enjoy open space and the many trails in our regional parks, the station reported. While the parks district recovered the sawed off piece, officials didnt say whether the over 6-foot-tall cultural monument would be restored, the station reported. Hikers and residents questioned why someone would target the iconic landmark. I just cant imagine what would be going through someones mind that would compel them to do that because its not just a landmark, people interact with it, Joyce Lee told KGO. You need a specific tool to cut something like that down, you need to spend time to bring yourself up 2,100 feet over 3 miles. Its not a low-effort crime. The Fremont resident told the station the one-of-a-kind pole has four faces that let visitors look at the Bay Areas iconic peaks to the north and south. Shes been visiting it for decades on holidays and birthdays, she told the station. Its really upsetting because thats the peak, thats where you know that you finally made it up, its on top of where all the rocks are, all the people kind of gather up just for that picture but not anymore, Claudia Bejarano told the station. Anyone with information about the vandalism should contact the East Bay Regional Park Districts Public Safety Department at 510-690-6521. Popular Great Smoky Mountains waterfall trail defaced, park says. Rangers seek clues Vandals destroy 30,000-year-old finger paintings in Australian cave. Irreparable Sacred site vandalized with graffiti in Nevada, feds say. 2 men are going to prison Prime Minister Meltek Sato Kilman Livtuvanu of Vanuatu addresses attendees during the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. Headquarters in New York By Alasdair Pal SYDNEY (Reuters) -Vanuatu's new prime minister, Sato Kilman , will "revisit" a security pact signed with Australia, he said in an interview with Australian state broadcaster ABC on Tuesday, a day after he came to power in a vote by lawmakers. The pact was a major reason for the ouster of former leader Ishmael Kalsakau , who lost a no-confidence motion in parliament and was then defeated by Kilman in a secret ballot on Monday. Opposition lawmakers had said the security pact with Australia compromised Vanuatu's neutral status and could jeopardise development assistance from China, its biggest external creditor. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On Tuesday, Kilman said the agreement, signed by the two countries in December, would be unlikely to be ratified by parliament in its current state. "I think for us, at this point in time, I am not sure whether it is in the best interests of Vanuatu or not, only because we have not been consulted," Kilman said in an interview with the ABC in Port Vila. "My view would be to revisit the agreement with both sides, the Australians, and the Vanuatu government, and see if there's any sticking points and then address that," he said, according to a transcript of the interview posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Vanuatu is one of the Pacific island countries at the centre of competition for influence in the region between the United States and China. The United States and its allies, including Australia, are seeking to discourage Pacific countries from establishing security ties with China, after Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands. Vanuatu's agreement with Australia includes closer cooperation on defence, border security, policing and aviation safety. Australia respected Vanuatu's "sovereign decision-making processes" and looked forward to discussions with the new government over its issues with the security pact, a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "Australia and Vanuatu share a deep security partnership... We will continue to work with Vanuatu to deliver mutual benefits and ensure our shared security." A now five-time prime minister, Kilman pledged closer cooperation with China in previous stints as leader. The ousted Kalsakau had sought to widen Vanuatu's international ties after winning a general election in November. (Reporting by Alasdair Pal in SydneyEditing by Peter Graff) New Delhi (CNN) The bulldozers and government officials arrived just before dawn, tearing down the row of shanties as its bewildered residents watched inconsolably nearby. We were so frightened, said 56-year-old Jayanti Devi as she attempted to salvage what was left of her belongings in the heart of New Delhi. They destroyed everything. We have nothing left. For the past 30 years her home had stood on a decrepit pavement, next to an open sewage drain, opposite the sprawling Pragati Maidan complex, a prominent convention center in the Indian capital that will this week host leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) nations. But the dwelling is not what US President Joe Biden, Frances Emmanuel Macron, or British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will see as they arrive for the pivotal summit. Devi is among tens of thousands of New Delhis most marginalized residents who have been evicted from their homes in the lead up to the G20 meeting, as authorities embark on a mass demolition drive in neighborhoods across the city. The government justified the demolitions by saying the structures are illegal and has said it intends to rehome some of the affected communities. But activists have questioned the timing, claiming instead that the demolitions are part of a beautification project a campaign to rid the city of its beggars and slums to impress foreign dignitaries. The image of India that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to project at the G20 is one of a modern superpower, a leader of the Global South, and a voice for impoverished nations. But the government has been accused of hiding one of the countrys own most entrenched and enduring problems. What strikes me most is that India, the Indian state, is ashamed of ostensible poverty, said Harsh Mander, a social activist who works with homeless families and street children. It doesnt want poverty to be visible to the people who come here. In a written response in parliament in July, the Indian government denied any links between the demolitions of homes and the G20 summit. CNN has reached out to the New Delhi and federal governments but is yet to receive a response. Why now? Delhi has long been a city of glaring disparities. Its a city where millionaires live in gleaming mansions next to homeless families on footpaths nearby, and where children sell toys to passengers in cars as they stop at traffic lights. Its a city that attracts tremendous business, yet the demand for jobs grows increasingly acute. Around 16 million people live in the capital, according to the latest government census from 2011, but only 23.7% of them live in planned or approved neighborhoods, according to a report by the New Delhi-based think tank, Centre for Policy Research. The rest live in designated slums, villages, and unauthorized neighborhoods. In April, Savita and her four daughters watched in despair as government authorities drove into their settlement an unauthorized neighborhood next to the 14th century Tughlaqabad Fort, an iconic Delhi monument, breaking down their small home and reducing seven years of memories to rubble. I cant explain how distraught everyone was as they bulldozed the homes, Savita said. People were screaming, crying, begging them to stop. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which carried out the demolitions, claims Savita and her neighbors had encroached on the land and illegally constructed their homes, according to court documents seen by CNN. In a notice to the residents in January, the ASI directed all encroachers to remove illegal constructions at their own cost within a period of 15 days, court documents show. The ASI did not respond to requests for comment. Savita said she knew her family was purchasing land in an unauthorized colony when they built their home in 2016. We knew the risk we were taking. But we are poor and its all we could afford, she said. People have been living here for over 40 years. Why didnt authorities demolish these homes earlier. Why now? Homeless and hungry More than 100,000 residents living in the Tughlaqabad area lost their homes in April, according to a Supreme Court petition filed by a lawyer assisting the residents. With nowhere to go and no money to rent an apartment, many including Savitas family had no choice but to live under tarpaulin sheets on the rugged land, even as torrential rains and floods battered the city. In the day time, they begged policemen nearby for some bread to share between the six of them. On one occasion at night, she said, men tried to snatch her neighbors daughter, pulling the screaming teen into the dark woods. We endured this hardship for six weeks, Savita said through tears. Forced to study next to mounds of garbage as stray dogs and cows rummaged through decaying food, her daughters struggled with their school work, becoming depressed and withdrawn. This isnt the first time that an Indian government has carried out slum or shanty demolitions ahead of a large-scale international event. In 2010, when the now opposition Indian National Congress was in power, beggars were forced to move from the streets of New Delhi and slums were destroyed in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games, upending the lives of tens of thousands in the capital. Mander, the social activist, said it was unfair of the government to target poor families for living on unauthorized land. The government does not acknowledge that illegality has been imposed on these poor people, Mander said. Thats because this city has been planned in a way where there is no place for them to live legally. The demolitions are being done with extreme cruelty. The Delhi government has said it intends to rehabilitate Savita and her family but she says no help has arrived so far and is fighting her case in court. Her family is now temporarily living with a relative in a two-bedroom apartment in a crowded and narrow shanty settlement. The stench of cow dung engulfs the gulleys, where thousands of flies swarm outside doors and mangy cats roam the alleyways. My children dont like it here, Savita said. They ask me why this is happening to us. What can I tell them? Leader of the Global South Since assuming the presidency of the G20 this year, India, the worlds new most populous nation of 1.4 billion, has positioned itself as a leader of emerging and developing nations often referred to as the Global South at a time when consumers are being hammered by soaring food and energy prices as a result of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Modi sees India as a confident and modern superpower, a voice for the voiceless seizing the 21st century. Last month India celebrated successfully conducting a soft moon landing, becoming only the fourth country in the world to achieve such a feat. Speaking to Congress during a highly publicized trip to the United States in June, Modi said giving a voice to the Global South is the way forward. As war continues to throw the global economy into chaos, India has signaled an intention to raise the many concerns faced by the Global South, including climate challenges and food and energy security. The world looks upon the G20 to ease the challenges of growth, development, economic resilience, disaster resilience, financial stability, transnational crime, corruption, terrorism, and food and energy security, Modi said in February. However, activists point out the irony in that image, when Indias poorest are struggling at home. People are dying on the streets in the cold winter and we are demolishing homes, Mander said. There must be a fundamental right to life to live with dignity. Poverty makes us powerless Standing amid the rubble of her home of seven years, Savita said she had so many dreams for her family. I wanted my children to grow up here. I wanted to give them a stable upbringing, she said. Now, security guards patrol the Tughlaqabad area as construction workers build a wall to seal the land. Where were you the day bulldozers took our home? residents asked the guards angrily. Why didnt you come to help us? Devi, from the Pragati Maidan area, is now forced to live in a makeshift tent on a nearby sidewalk, with no relief from the blistering summer heat. She says no one has helped her find alternative shelter. Selling tea and snacks to make ends meet, surrounded by decaying garbage and an open sewage drain that attracts hundreds of mosquitoes and flies, she feels defeated and alone. Were so angry, but our poverty makes us powerless, Devi said. We cant speak up. This story was first published on CNN.com, "India, voice for the poor, clears slums as G20 draws near." A retired US general said resorting to asking Kim Jong Un for weapons showed Putin 's desperation. "It's showing that Mr. Putin is scrambling for help," retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling told CNN. Russia has incurred big losses in personnel and resources since it invaded Ukraine last year. Plans for arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea show just how desperate for help Russian President Vladimir Putin is, retired US Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling said. The New York Times reported on Monday that Kim was planning to travel to Russia later this month to discuss supplying weapons to Russia. The Times report, which cited several unnamed officials from the US and its allies, added that Kim was seeking food supplies for North Korea. Hertling was speaking with CNN's Jim Acosta on Monday and said the Kim-Putin meeting was a union between "two desperate leaders of the world's most noted pariah states." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "This will generate a lot of attention. It's showing that Mr. Putin is scrambling for help," Hertling, who previously served as the commanding general of US Army Europe, said. Russia has incurred significant losses in military personnel and resources since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. US officials estimated last month that Russia's military casualties were approaching 300,000, of which as many as 120,000 were deaths and up to 180,000 were injuries. In May, the open-source intelligence website Oryx said the Russian military had lost at least two-thirds of its tanks since the war began. Retired Maj. Gen. James "Spider" Marks, who was speaking with CNN alongside Hertling, said North Korea's weapons were unlikely to turn the tide of the war for Russia. "Additional weapons from North Korea to Russia? Not surprising at all. They share the same type of caliber weapon systems. So it's an immediate plus-up," Marks told CNN. "But again, this is not going to strategically alter the outcome of the fight in Ukraine." A representative for Russia's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Business Insider Another week of high school volleyball is in the books in South Carolina. Its time to vote for The States volleyball Player of the Week from Midlands-area high schools and games played Aug. 28-Sept. 2. Voting ends Friday at noon. The winner will be announced Friday on Twitter. The nominees are listed below. Please note that these polls are not scientific and are meant to be just for fun. If you have a nominee for next week, please send them to Chris Dearing at dear82c@gmail.com by Monday morning at 9 a.m. Congrats to all the nominees. Cast your vote below the bios Danielle Dais, Cardinal Newman: The Cardinals finished in the top four of the Porter-Gaud Invitational this past weekend. Dais, a sophomore, had 20 kills on 43 attempts, a hitting percentage of 0.326 and the team in blocks with nine. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Sydney Fischer, Lexington: The junior setter finished the week with 36 assists, 15 digs, two blocks and two aces as the Wildcats went 1-1 in matches against Greenbrier and South Aiken. Alexis Jodie, River Bluff: The Gators played in a tournament over Labor Day weekend and had nine matches during the week. Jodie, a sophomore setter, finished the week with 146 assists, 54 digs and 15 kills. Taylor ONeill, White Knoll: Taylor helped the Timberwolves defeat Irmo 3-0 by registering six kills, two digs, one block and a serve percentage of 87.5. Callie Wilbanks, Mid-Carolina: The junior middle hitter was instrumental in a 3-0 victory over Batesburg-Leesville. Willbanks recorded 10 kills, seven aces, two blocks and a hitting percentage of 0.438. Kylie Wilson, River Bluff: The senior played in nine matches for the Gators and finished the week with 73 kills, a hitting percentage of 0.323, 19 digs. FILE - Members of the Ohio Senate Government Oversight Committee hear testimony on a new map of state congressional districts, Nov. 16, 2021, at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio voting-rights groups moved to dismiss their lawsuit against Ohio's unconstitutional congressional map on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, arguing that prolonging the legal wrangling over where to draw district boundaries isn't in the best interests of Ohio voters. (AP Photo/Julie Carr Smyth, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Ohio voting-rights groups moved to dismiss their lawsuit against Ohio's unconstitutional congressional map on Tuesday, arguing that prolonging the legal wrangling over where to draw district boundaries isn't in the best interests of Ohio voters. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Ohio and others, told the Ohio Supreme Court that they are willing to live with the U.S. House map approved March 2, 2022, and used in last year's elections, (i)n lieu of the continued turmoil brought about by cycles of redrawn maps and ensuing litigation. Democrats netted wins under that map securing five of 15 U.S. House seats, compared to the four of 16 they had held previously. Ohio had lost one seat under the 2020 Census because of lagging population growth. Petitioners have no desire to launch another round of maps and challenges, given the recent history of map-drawing in Ohio, the Tuesday filing said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement That history included the court's rejection of two separate congressional maps and five sets of Statehouse maps describing districts for Ohio House and Ohio Senate in Columbus as gerrymandered in favor of the ruling Republicans. Nonetheless, those maps had to be used to elect candidates in 2022 as the disagreements ended in legal limbo. Since the voting advocates' lawsuit was first filed early last year, the political landscape has grown only more conservative. GOP supermajorities at the Statehouse grew, and the state's high court, which would decide their case, saw the retirement of a Republican chief justice who had provided a swing vote against GOP-leaning maps. The dismissal request also comes as advocates prepare a redistricting reform amendment for Ohio's 2024 ballot. After an initial rejection, the group Citizens Not Politicians resubmitted their petition language Tuesday. Before Tuesday's filing, the Ohio Supreme Court had asked both sides in the lawsuit to file briefs explaining how a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June involving the Ohio map would impact the state case. The nations high court set aside ruling in the case and ordered further consideration in light of its rejection days earlier in a North Carolina case of the so-called independent state legislature theory, which holds that legislatures have absolute power in setting the rules of federal elections and cannot be overruled by state courts. Suella Braverman has labelled Wagner 'a violent and destructive organisation' that continues 'to serve the Kremlins political goals' - Peter Nicholls/Reuters The Wagner group of mercenaries is to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation, putting it on a par with Isil and al-Qaeda in a move by Britain to put further pressure on Vladimir Putin. The group has played a central role in the Russian presidents invasion of Ukraine as well as mounting destabilising operations across the globe including in Africa and Syria. Proscription will make it a criminal offence to belong to Wagner, attend its meetings, encourage support for it or carry its logo in public, similar to other terrorist groups. Offences under the ban can carry jail terms of up to 14 years. It also means that Wagners assets and finances can be categorised as terrorist property and seized. It will have implications for Wagners ability to raise money if any funds went through financial institutions in Britain. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The future of the group said to number around 25,000 remains uncertain after its founder and head Yevgeny Prigozhin and his inner circle died in a plane crash caused by a suspected explosion on board. Its battle-tested fighters are said by some to be too valuable to be disbanded and let go. Observers say that it is unclear if the Kremlin will try to preserve Wagner under new management or create fully-fledged replicas. A draft proscription order is due to be laid against the Wagner Group in Parliament on Wednesday. They are terrorists, plain and simple Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, said: Wagner is a violent and destructive organisation which has acted as a military tool of Vladimir Putins Russia overseas. While Putins regime decides what to do with the monster it created, Wagners continuing destabilising activities only continue to serve the Kremlins political goals. They are terrorists, plain and simple and this proscription order makes that clear in UK law. Wagner has been involved in looting, torture and barbarous murders. Its operations in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa are a threat to global security. That is why we are proscribing this terrorist organisation and continuing to aid Ukraine wherever we can in its fight against Russia. Wagner, often referred to as a private military company, came to international attention after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and has been accused of human rights abuses. There has not been evidence that Wagner or individuals linked to it are operating in Britain since the war in Ukraine started and proscription is largely seen as a symbolic move. However, Government sources said that there had been suspicions that the group had helped launder money out of Britain along with organised crime groups after financial sanctions were imposed against Russian oligarchs and Putin allies in the wake of the war. Labour has previously backed such a move. David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, said: It is only right that the government appears to be finally listening to Labours calls for its proscription as a terrorist organisation. 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. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are set to release a new collaborative single, titled Bongos. The record comes more than three years after the duo performed together on the hit track WAP. Released in August 2020, WAP was a chart success, but stirred up controversy among right-wing commentators and politicians thanks to its sexually explicit lyrics and accompanying music video. Bongos will be released on Friday 8 September. The single follows the release of Cardis 2022 single Hot S***, and comes off the back of recent collaborations with Offset (Jealousy), Latto (Put It on da Floor Again) and FendiDa Rappa (Point Me 2). ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Cardi, real name Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, has not released a full studio album since 2018s Invasion of Privacy. Earlier this year, the 30-year-old rapper was filmed throwing a microphone at an audience member who had thrown a drink at her. The incident, footage of which went viral in late July, was reviewed by Las Vegas police at the time, but officials announced that they would not be pressing charges against the artist. After a thorough review of this case and with the consultation from the Clark County District Attorneys Office, this case has been closed as having insufficient evidence, said a spokesperson for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, in a statement provided to PA news agency. BONGOS Cardi x Megan Thee Stallion 9/8 pic.twitter.com/9bBR2F2yld Cardi B (@iamcardib) September 5, 2023 No charges will be filed in relation to this case. The microphone thrown into the crowd by Cardi was auctioned on eBay, ultimately selling for nearly $100,000. Proceeds from the sale, which reached a total of $99,900 (79,700), will benefit charitable causes, according to audio production company owner Scott Fisher. Megan Thee Stallion, 28, released her second album Traumazine in August last year. Last month, rapper Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of shooting Megan, real name Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, in July 2020. Megan opened up about the verdict in a written op-ed, stating: As I reflect on the past three years, I view myself as a survivor, because I have truly survived the unimaginable. [The verdict] was a victory for every woman who has ever been shamed, dismissed, and blamed for a violent crime committed against them. This story is part of a Modesto Bee series on climate change impacts for Stanislaus County. A warmer climate makes health management more difficult for children and adults with asthma in Stanislaus County. Asthma and air quality were ranked as the second most important issue, after access to healthcare, in the countys five-year Community Health Improvement Plan, revised in the spring. Historically, the county has had a higher rate of emergency room visits for asthma complications than the state as a whole. The Stanislaus rate averaged 58.5 per 10,000 residents from 2014 to 2016, far higher than the statewide rate of 48.4 per 10,000. More recent data was not available. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Asthma attacks occur when the airways are inflamed and swollen, making it difficult to breathe. A key factor in higher asthma rates is poor air quality: The American Lung Association State of the Air 2023 report gave Stanislaus County failing grades for ozone and particle pollution, noting that high ozone made the air unhealthy for sensitive groups 56 days of the year and particle pollution was unhealthy 42 days. The report said 35,728 adult county residents and 7,433 children suffered from asthma. Dr. Gina Solomon, clinical professor at the UCSF School of Medicine, talked about climate change impacts for asthma sufferers at Modesto Junior College Institute Day in January 2020. Modesto filmmaker Richard Anderson shot a five-minute video with Solomon, who was deputy secretary for science and health for the California Environmental Protection Agency for six years. In that video, Solomon said climate change makes matters worse for asthma sufferers in four ways: Heat increases ozone or smog in the San Joaquin Valleys air. Ozone is known to cause asthma attacks, and that is going to get worse with climate change. Weeds and grasses are common allergens that can trigger asthma symptoms. Studies in which weeds were grown in greenhouses, with different concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air, showed that at higher levels of CO 2 , the weeds grew thicker and produced much more pollen. Asthma sufferers are expected to have more episodes of allergic reaction and asthma attacks in spring and summer with climate change. Cars and trucks, as well as industrial plants, are sources of heat-trapping greenhouse gases that are warming the planet. But they also emit black carbon, or tiny particles that can travel deep into the lungs. When inhaled, the particles have toxic effects on the air sacks of the lungs and cause inflammation. Asthma attacks are triggered by inflammation. California already has seen a huge increase in wildfires. Millions of trees in the mountains have died due to drought and bark beetles, while the undergrowth in forests is like kindling for fires. Huge fires create huge plumes of smoke, Solomon said. And that smoke is incredibly irritating to the airways. As it penetrates deep into the lungs, it causes inflammation and the airways of asthmatics to spasm. People end up in the hospital during wildfire events. From wildfires in fall to pollen in the spring and ozone in summer, it could mean almost year-round impacts for people with asthma. It will be harder and harder to control asthmatic patients and keep them out of the hospital and feeling well, Solomon said. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) estimated the ongoing writers and actors strikes will cost between $300 million to $500 million from lost 2023 earnings as TV and film productions remain halted, according to a new securities filing. Warner Bros. Discovery said it is expecting its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to take a hit of $300 million to $500 million, for full-year earnings of $10.5 billion to $11 billion. The projected hit is predominantly due to the impact of the strikes, the company wrote Tuesday in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. While maintaining its financial disclosures are not a prediction of when the strikes will end, WBD said it expects to feel the impact of the strikes through the end of 2023. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement While WBD is hopeful that these strikes will be resolved soon, it cannot predict when the strikes will ultimately end, the company wrote. The company also said it expects to exceed its free cash flow expectations thanks to the strong performance of the Barbie movie, which is now Warner Bros.s highest-grossing release ever. The strike by members of the 11,000-member Writers Guild of America (WGA) began in May after failed contract negotiations with the studio chiefs of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The strike marks the longest strike in WGA history and has paused TV and film productions in Hollywood for more than the past 100 days. SAG-AFTRA, the largest union for Hollywood actors, joined the strike two months later in July after failing to reach an agreement with film studios, marking the first dual strike since 1960. Both unions are demanding better wages and working conditions as well as higher residual rates related to streaming. Shortly after the strike began, David Zaslav , the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, was heckled with chants of pay your writers while delivering a commencement speech at Boston University in May. On a call last month with analysts, Zaslav reportedly said he hopes all sides will return to the negotiating table to resolve the strikes in a way that the writers and actors feel they are fairly compensated and their efforts and contributions are fully valued, according to Variety. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A Washington prosecutor is up in arms after an appellate judge unloaded the clip on him with accusations of racist practices. Now, hes accused the judge of being biased and asked him to recuse himself from all criminal appeals cases. An overturned conviction for a Black man charged based on racial bigotry has sparked a feud between Spokane County Prosecutor Larry Haskell and Division III Court of Appeals Judge George Fearing. In 2019, Darnai Vaile was surrounded by over six police cars after a woman accused him of kissing her without consent, per The Spokesman-Review. Officers charged him with resisting arrest though video evidence showed him complying. Judge Fearings dissent called out the officers for playing further into the racial stereotypes and criminalization of Black men. Read more ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement One can argue that the conduct and remarks of the States attorney did not influence the jury because the jury acquitted Darnai Vaile on the assault charges. But the jury could have acquitted him on all charges without the misleading and racist comments. Because the jury presumably believed the testimony of Vaile, Patricia Murray, and other witnesses that Vaile did not assault the officers, one must wonder why the jury did not believe testimony that Vaile submitted to detention. The evidence of resisting arrest is weak when considering the jury acquitted Vaile on the charges of assault. The result suggests a compromise verdict by the jury because of racial bias against Vaile. He didnt stop at the criminal case yall. Fearing went as far to cite the prosecutors wife who published several racist social media posts including calling MSNBCs Joy Reid the N-word, spewing slurs at Chinese people and proclaiming herself as a proud white nationalist. According to the Spokesman, she hasnt stopped. In response to the quite-lengthy, scathing opinion of the prosecutors alleged racist practices, Haskell asked the judge to recuse himself of all criminal appeals. In the 11-page request, he argued Fearing demonstrated disdain for law enforcement, inaccurately described the facts of the case and overall showed an inability to be impartial. The bias and prejudice shown by Judge Fearing demonstrate that he does not care about the actual conduct or actions of an officer, deputy, prosecutor or judge in any particular case and instead is prepared to impute malice based simply on who the parties are or what color they are, Haskell said in a letter, via The Spokesman. Judge Fearing agreed to temporarily recuse himself from criminal appeals until this spout is resolved. 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. Sept. 5 (UPI) -- A three-legged bear broke into a Florida family's enclosed porch and helped itself to three White Claws from the fridge. Josaury Faneite-Diglio said her 13-year-old son, Joseph Diglio, was inside their Lake Mary home when the family dog's barking alerted him to a bear outside. Security camera footage and cellphone video recorded by Joseph shows the three-legged bear, known to neighbors as Tripod, breaking through the screen into the home's lanai. "He ate the fish food we had outside next to our fish tank and then proceeded to the bar," Faneite-Diglio told WESH-TV. "He took three White Claws, drank, and left very happy. His favorite flavor is mango and strawberry." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Joseph said seeing the bear open the fridge spurred him to lock the doors of the house in case Tripod went looking for more snacks. The family said the bear left after a few minutes, with the only damage being the stolen snacks and a hole in the screen. "I was not scared because we know the bear really well. He lives here; we respect their habitat as much as we can," Faneite-Diglio said. CNNAt the G20 summit in London in 2009, Britains then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown heralded a new world order in which rich and developing nations would come together to tame the inequities and excesses of globalization. At the height of a global financial crisis, Brown declared a new progressive era of international co-operation. Fourteen years later, the G20 summit in India later this week will reflect how hopes of a global order based on a Western rules-based system have splintered, the worlds division into democratic and autocratic camps, and the way in which internal populism and protectionism in many states have eroded pushes for free trade. Brave words about reforming carbon economies now face resistance as the economic price and political complications of fighting climate change emerge. G20 member Russia is a pariah over the war in Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin cannot risk travel in case hes arrested for war crimes on an international warrant. Xi Jinping, the leader of the worlds new superpower, China, likely wont even show up to the summit. Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the joint press conference of the China-Central Asia Summit in Xian, in China's northern Shaanxi province on May 19, 2023. China signals Xi Jinping will not attend G20 summit in India Its unlikely that the G20 meeting will produce any consensus on the war in Ukraine, given that Russia and probably China would block it. The biggest risk of the summit is that it could actually heighten antagonism between many of the Western and developing nations that the group was set up to bridge. Any new mistrust between Western democracies and developing states in the G20 of course plays into the hands of Putin and Xi. Xis reasoning is often opaque, but his no-show might be a protest at simmering border tensions and rising geopolitical angst with the great eastern Pacific superpower India, or could even be motivated by internal economic concerns over a property market crisis in China. But Xi did find time to attend an summit of the BRICS nations in Johannesburg last month. The BRICS group including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa welcomed new members Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates. The move was widely interpreted as another step by China toward creating its own competing world order to the US and its allies, in which it leads a group of developing states. In that light, his absence from the G20 takes on a whole new perspective. US President Joe Biden said at the weekend that he was disappointed that he wouldnt see Xi, after a flurry of US foreign policy and trade officials visited Beijing in a bid to slow plummeting relations. Biden might still be able to set up a bilateral meeting with Xi at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit in San Francisco in November. But the jury is still out on whether Beijing is as keen on easing crisis-hit relations as much as Washington is. Langur cutouts put on railings to scare off the monkeys in view of G20 Summit on August 29, 2023 in New Delhi, India. New Delhi doesn't want its monkeys to ruin G20. But it has a plan Xis absence could offer Biden an opening to push forward his relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he welcomed to a glittering state dinner at the White House in June. The US would like to nudge India closer to security arrangements and political groupings involving its allies in the Pacific, as it seeks to counterbalance rising Chinese power. But India is likely to go only so far, as its historic non-aligned status evolves into a posture of trying to have a foot in both camps. New Delhi has disappointed the West by failing to forcefully condemn Russias invasion of Ukraine and has profited from cheap Russian oil following a boycott by US-allied nations. As a rising power that is still regarded as a developing nation, India is a leading member of both the BRICS and the G20. This story was first published on CNN.com, 'What happened to the G20s new world order?' JOHNSON COUNTY, Kansas (KFOR/Storyful) Life is hard enough then add getting pulled over for speeding to the mix. A sheriffs deputy in Kansas tried to console the distressed man, who then asked for a hug. Sure! the deputy replied. Newly-released body camera video at the top of this story shows the moment Johnson County Sheriffs Office (JCSO) Deputy Bussell stretched out his arms on August 5. After telling Deputy Bussell that he was going through some personal challenges, the man then asked, Can I have a hug? I need a hug. Can I have a hug, please? Sure! Sure. Yeah, Deputy Bussell said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Video: Michigan officer saves toddler during traffic stop I dont mean to bother you, Im sorry, the driver says with open arms. No, youre good, man. I promise you, its going to get better, Deputy Bussell said, while hugging the man. Sometimes all you need is a hug, the sheriffs office posted on Facebook. The men and women of the JCSO come in contact with people every day who are going through their own battles. We strive to be compassionate while serving our community. This is our pledge to you. The post ended with several hashtags, including the hashtag GiveGrace. The post does not state whether the man received a citation for speeding. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Authorities in Pennsylvania are investigating a reported alligator sighting in the same river where another gator was captured weeks earlier. A group of kayakers said they were about a mile north of the Roaring Run boat ramp in the Kiski River when they spotted the gator on Sunday. "We got excited and paddled around to get better pictures of it," kayaker Joshua Kelley told TribLive. "We were kayaking and saw an animal and thought it was a muskrat, but realized it was an alligator." Kelley snapped some photos of the alligator before contacting Kiski Township Police Chief Lee Bartolicius. Police said anyone who spots the alligator should call 911 and not attempt to capture it themselves. An alligator was previously captured in the Kiski River after a weeklong search in early August. Hang loose took on a different meaning as a surfer in Australia glided along the waves with an unusual passenger: his pet python. The snake was seen hanging loosely from Higor Fuizas neck as he surfed the swells of the Gold Coast, drone video shared by skymonkey_5 on TikTok and Instagram shows. The videographer described the duo as a local legend and his pet python. Fuiza told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Shiva, his pet bredli carpet python, is 3 years old and has been surfing over 10 times. The video shows Fuiza walking to the water with the snake across his shoulder, chest and surfboard. As he catches several waves, the reptiles shadowy silhouette is visible against the blue water. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I always took her to the beach and she loved to be in the water swimming, so one day I decided to take her out for a surf and she loved it, Fuiza told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. For one swell, the snake perched on Fuizas right arm, head sticking out, the video shows. Another time, she hangs from his neck and stretches to his thigh. The scaly pet is roughly half of her owners body length. This embedded content is not available in your region. When surfing together, Fuiza doesnt worry about losing Shiva in a fall because she holds my neck really tight and knows how to swim, he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The video also shows Fuiza and Shiva sitting on the surfboard. Shiva slithers across her owners head and shoulders. At one point she ventures partially into the water. Back on land, Shiva sits perched on the surfboard as Fuiza carries it across the sand, the video shows. Looks like he has a great connection to his python friend, very sweet, one Instagram user commented on the video. Several other Instagram users commented that surfing with a python was a guaranteed way to make sure no other surfers dropped in on the waves. Fuiza did not immediately respond to McClatchy News request for comment on Sept. 5. The Gold Coast is near Brisbane and about 525 miles northeast of Sydney. Lost sea creature surfaces near sightseers in Wales. Photos show the rare visitor Docile creature with triangular head found eating frogs. Its a new species Watch freaky 16-foot creature slither across trees in yard. Call the military By Maggie Fick LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's National Health Service and two online sellers told Reuters they had received their first supplies of keenly anticipated Wegovy in Britain on Tuesday, a day after Novo Nordisk launched the weight-loss drug in its fifth market. High market expectations and booming demand for Wegovy, shown to help patients reduce weight by around 15% when used alongside exercise and lifestyle changes, have boosted Novo's share price and helped make the Danish drugmaker Europe's most valuable listed company. A NHS spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that the self-injection drug is now available through the NHS weight management scheme, where it will be prescribed for free. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Spokespeople for Simple Online Pharmacy and Juniper, a venture capital-backed online clinic focused on weight management, both told Reuters that they had received Wegovy stock from a wholesaler, but declined to say much they had. With many countries facing mounting healthcare problems due to rising obesity levels, Novo has been unable to produce enough to meet demand for Wegovy, which is now available in the United States, Norway, Denmark, Germany and Britain. A spokesperson declined to comment on the volume of Wegovy that Novo would deliver to Britain, but reiterated the Danish company's statement on Monday that its launch would be "limited and controlled" due to supply constraints. Novo said when announcing the launch in Britain that Wegovy will be available on the National Health Service's (NHS) weight management scheme and on the private market. The Novo spokesperson said deliveries of Wegovy to a UK wholesaler had begun, but declined to comment on Simple Online Pharmacy's statement that it had already received the drug. Novo delivers its medicines to the wholesaler, which is then in control of onward distribution, the spokesperson said, declining to name the wholesaler involved. The sole UK wholesaler for Wegovy is Alliance Healthcare UK, a spokesperson for Juniper told Reuters on Monday. Alliance Healthcare UK on Tuesday afternoon confirmed to Reuters that it is a wholesaler distributor of Wegovy in the country. "Alliance Healthcare strives to distribute available stock to allow all customers to access Wegovy," the company said in an e-mailed statement in response to questions. Some doctors and medical experts warned on Monday that people in Britain who can afford to pay out of their own pocket may get easier access to Wegovy than those seeking treatment in the country's state-run health service. (Reporting by Maggie Fick; editing by Jason Neely, Louise Heavens and Alexander Smith) Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov has officially submitted a letter of resignation. Read also: Mini cabinet shuffle likely as Zelenksyy looks to replace embattled Defense and Culture ministers The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraines parliament, is expected to consider the appointment of a new minister as early as this week, after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy nominated Rustem Umerov, the current head of the State Property Fund, for the post. Western media call this ministerial reshuffle the most significant in the Ukrainian government since Russias full-scale invasion, sum up Reznikovs achievements, who has served as the defense minister since November 2021, and explain the reasons for his resignation. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement NV collected the most interesting fragments from media publications regarding the expected appointment of the new minister. Reuters calls the likely replacement of the defense minister the biggest shake-up of Ukraines defense establishment since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Summarizing Reznikovs work in one paragraph, the agency reiterates that he has helped secure billions of dollars of Western military aid to help the war effort, but has been dogged by graft allegations surrounding his ministry that he has described as smears. The decision to replace Reznikov with Umerov comes amid a crackdown on corruption in Ukraine that Zelenskyy has been eager to emphasize, Reuters wrote. Read also: Ukraines parliament dismissed Pishchanska as AMCU head, Reznikov and Umerov dismissed as well Kyiv has applied to join the European Union and the public has become highly sensitive to corruption as the war rages with no end in sight, the report reads. As for a 41-year-old former lawmaker and Crimean Tatar, Rustem Umerov, Reuters noted that he has played a role in sensitive wartime negotiations on, for instance, the Black Sea grain deal. He has been praised in Ukraine for his track record at the State Property Fund, which oversees the privatization of state assets and had been embroiled in corruption scandals before he took charge, the agency said. In justice to Reznikov, Reuters stressed that during the war, his defense ministry lobbied the West to overcome taboos on supplying heavy military equipment to Ukraine, including German-made main battle tanks and HIMARS rocket artillery. Kyiv now looks poised to receive U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets soon. An English-speaker, Reznikov is seen as having built up a strong rapport with allied defense ministers and military officials, the report says. Read also: Reznikov replaced by Umerov, Kolomoisky charged, Russia pressuring families through schools His apparent exit appears to bring an end to months of domestic media pressure that began in January when Reznikovs ministry was accused of buying food at inflated prices. Though he was not personally involved in the food contract, some Ukrainian commentators said he should take political responsibility for what happened. Although Reznikov has had numerous interactions with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a Pentagon spokesperson declined comment to Reuters on his resignation, saying that it was an internal matter for the Ukrainian government. New York Times also emphasized that Reznikov has not been personally implicated in the widening investigations into mishandling of military contracts, although his fate has recently been the subject of increasing speculation in Ukraine. Like many other media, NYT also calls this move the biggest shake-up in the leadership of Ukraines war effort since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022. The decision to replace Mr. Reznikov atop the Defense Ministry comes as Ukraine is in the midst of a major counter-offensive that has made grinding progress in recent weeks, slowly gaining territory in the south and the east, the newspaper said. An official in the Presidents Office, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the dismissal, told NYT that the shake-up arose from an understanding that Ukraine will need new leadership as the war drags on, from Reznikovs own requests to step down and from growing criticism from Ukrainian civil society and media over several procurement scandals. Since the start of the war, Reznikov has become a public face for Ukraine on the world stage, NYT wrote. He was among a handful of Zelenskyys top security officials who remained in Kyiv, as it was partially surrounded by Russian forces in the opening weeks of the war. Read also: Zelenskyy visits troops in Zaporizhzhya Oblast In addition, Reznikov had garnered praise for negotiating the transfer of vast quantities of Western weaponry under the Ramstein talks with allies, named for the U.S. Air Force base in Germany where they began last year. He oversaw the expansion of the army and its transition from an arsenal of Soviet-era armaments to Western systems even as his country was under attack. At the same time, the Defense Ministry has been buffeted this year by a string of allegations of mishandling military procurement and corruption as its budget ballooned during the war, NYT pointed out. Last week, the White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, met with three high-ranking Ukrainian officials to discuss efforts to stamp out wartime corruption, as some critics of the war in the United States have used graft as an argument for limiting military aid to Kyiv. But it appears that the change was not anticipated (in Washington). Reznikov was scheduled to visit the Pentagon this later this week to meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The two men had regular contact and spoke relatively frequently, according to a U.S. official who spoke on background as the news was breaking on Sept. 3. It is believed that they last met in person at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July. Commenting on Umerovs candidacy, NYT states that he is a former investment banker, who has been tapped to replace Reznikov even though he previously served in parliament as an MP for Holos, a party in opposition to Zelenskyys government. He is a Crimean Tatar, a member of the ethnic group persecuted under Russias occupation of the Crimean Peninsula. Read also: Reznikov replaced by Umerov, Kolomoisky charged, Russia pressuring families through schools Despite the decision to replace Reznikov, Ukraine has experienced far more stability over the course of the invasion than Russia, which has undergone several leadership changes and endured criticism of its battlefield tactics, culminating in the brief mutiny by the mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who marched members of his Wagner private military company towards Moscow in June, and then was declared dead in a fiery plane crash last month, NYT wrote. In October 2022, Russia appointed Gen. Sergei Surovikin to command its forces in Ukraine. He lasted just three months before he was replaced by Gen. Valery Gerasimov, Russias highest-ranking military officer. U.S. officials have said Surovikin had advance knowledge of Prigozhins mutiny plans, whose death some Western officials have suggested was ordered by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. CNN wrote that while Reznikov has not been implicated in any of the corruption scandals, they have still been seen to damage him by association. In this regard, CNN reiterates Zelenskyys statement that rooting out corruption across Ukraines government is vital to Kyivs chances of attaining long-awaited membership in NATO and the European Union. As an example, one of Ukraines most powerful oligarchs and a key Zelenskyy supporter, Ihor Kolomoisky, was arrested on Sept. 2 as part of a fraud investigation. The Washington Post drew attention to Zelenskyys words that the ministry needs new approaches. Therefore, the reshuffle comes amid a wider anti-corruption campaign, with Zelenskyys government seeking to eliminate graft and convince foreign donors that their money is not lost to malfeasance. Reznikov was not personally accused of corruption, but his ministry has faced graft allegations including purchasing food for the countrys armed forces at inflated prices, WaPo wrote. Politico emphasized that the departure of Reznikov as defense chief marks the highest-level turnover in Zelenskyys inner circle since the start of the war in February 2022, even as Kyivs counter-offensive appears to be gaining ground with its troops pushing into Russian-held territory. U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Sept. 1 that Washington has seen signs that the counteroffensive is picking up pace. According to Kirby, officials have noted over the last 72 hours or so some notable progress by Ukrainian armed forces, particularly along the southern front in Zaporizhzhya Oblast. Read also: Presidents Office cites three reasons for Ukraine's slow counter-offensive Politico calls Reznikov one of the most prominent faces of Ukraines military leadership since Russias invasion. He has traveled throughout Europe to attend NATO meetings and to make his pitch to partners for more weapons, and to deliver aid pledges more quickly, the report says. Read also: NATO to host inaugural Baltic Sea exercises to send clear signal to Putins Russia Having a seat at the table for NATO discussions over the past 18 months has brought him in close touch with defense chiefs across the NATO alliance, particularly with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The two regularly speak by phone and huddle in person at monthly Ukraine Defense Contact Group meetings where a coalition of 50 countries decide what new weaponry to send to Kyiv. However, Reznikovs reputation took several hits earlier this year over a handful of wartime scandals in the Defense Ministry in which officials were accused of profiteering. While Reznikov was never implicated, the revelations were a black eye not only for his ministry, but for him personally, Politico wrote. Read also: Ukraines defense minister replaced amid wartime corruption crackdown The next meeting of the Ramstein group will likely come in mid-September, and depending on how quickly the Ukrainian parliament moves, it could be the first time Umerov takes part in the high-level meeting with defense ministers. 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 White House on Tuesday attacked House Republicans over fentanyl, saying allowing a government shutdown would mean not providing funding to fight trafficking of the drug. Some far-right House members have embraced the idea of a shutdown, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who warned last week that she would not vote to fund the government if the House doesnt vote to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. House Republicans have a stark choice to make: will they honor their word, meet their responsibility to avoid a shutdown, and act on life and death priorities like fighting the fentanyl crisis? White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a memo released Tuesday. Or will they break their promise and choose to shut down the government hurting our economy, undermining our disaster preparedness, and forcing our troops to work without getting their paychecks all to appease Marjorie Taylor Greene and her far-right friends demands for a baseless impeachment stunt simply to politically attack the President? he added. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The statement comes after the Biden administration announced more than $450 million in new funding to combat the overdose epidemic. Overall, the administration is urging Congress to provide $800 million to fight fentanyl trafficking and stop the drug from being illegally imported from China, according to the memo. The memo also included statements from GOP lawmakers who have said fentanyl is a top issue, including Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who last month likened the number of fentanyl overdoses in the U.S. to an airliner crashing every day and said if that happened, we would all be demanding action to keep Americans safe. Its past time we do the same for the fentanyl epidemic. While the House, Senate and Biden agreed earlier this year to a deal to raise the debt ceiling, conservatives have since balked at the spending levels set by that agreement. Congress has until Sept. 30 to agree to a government funding measure. Again, House Republicans have a pressing choice to make: do they keep their commitment to the country and provide the resources we need to address our urgent challenges, or do they set back the most critical needs of the American people by deciding that a baseless impeachment stunt demanded by Marjorie Taylor Greene and their most extreme members is somehow more important? Bates said. Biden last week called for a short-term continuing resolution to fund the government. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. William W. Chip said the organization initially aims to draw attention to data suggesting that less-educated immigrant employees harm their less-educated American-born peers. A white Trump staffer with a track record of divisive remarks regarding racial issues has registered a new organization: Black America for Immigration Reform. William W. Chip, the lone agent named for the left-leaning immigration policy organization founded last week in Washington, D.C., worked as the senior counselor at the Department of Homeland Security during the Trump administration, according to Politico. Chip said the organization, which will soon have 501(c)(3) registration and a website, initially aims to draw attention to data suggesting that less-educated immigrant employees harm their less-educated American-born peers. In this Feb. 15, 2017, file photo, people take the oath of citizenship during a naturalization ceremony at the Los Angeles Convention Center. A former Trump staffer, who is white, has launched a new immigration policy group, Black America for Immigration Reform. (AP Photo by Jae C. Hong, File) Anytime you have research that suggests you should reduce immigration, youre immediately attacked by the mainstream media and the left and all the politically correct people that oh, youre just a bunch of white racists who want to keep America white, Chip said, Politico reported. And so the feeling was, if we had a legitimate, African American organization, whose board consisted of prominent African Americans, they might get more credibility. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The organization will place special attention on Black workers, who they claim face more competition for positions. The group aims to exploit the justification to advance restrictive immigration policies, including measures to limit legal immigration and mandating companies to utilize E-Verify, a federal website that allows employers to verify a persons eligibility for work. In an interview, Chip explained he has no plans to be part of the organizations board, instead the group will be set up for two Black board members of the Center for Immigration Studies, T. Willard Fair and Frank Morris. Fair, also the head of the Miami Urban League, said having seen Haitians move to Dade County, he saw how it could hinder Black Miamians advancement if it went unhandled. And then Chip came up with the idea that we ought to begin to react again based on whats going on at the southern border and how it was going to impact us going forward, he contended. Critics of the argument claim the foundation is an underhanded ploy to thwart substantial reform initiatives. Harry Holzer, a labor economist at Georgetown University and former head economist at the Department of Labor under the Clinton administration, called the situation complex. He said most economists believe immigrants benefit the labor market overall and have little effect on less-educated local employees, although they acknowledge there may be a slight cost to some groups, such as Black people in particular sectors of the economy. Chip has not concealed his opinions on race while covering immigration at the Center for Immigration Studies, one of the top organizations that promote immigration restrictions, for over two decades. In 2021, he took to Twitter, now called X, to publish several contentious tweets, one of which questioned whether ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvins decision to murder George Floyd was racially motivated. He also discussed Native Americans worries about European colonization in another passage. As a strategy to support immigration restrictions, Black America for Immigration Reform is not the first organization of its kind. Numbers USA, the Federation for American Immigration and Project for Immigration Reform now the Institute for Sound Public Policy have raised the claim that immigration hurts Black labor. In response to a question on the aim of his new organization, Chip also discussed how immigration impacts Black mens job options, noting that some of them leave their wives because they cant find employment. And theres a lot of good research out there about that, Chip said, according to Politico, but its not really getting the attention it needs in part because anytime you come out and suggest to limit immigration, the first thing the woke left does is accuse you of being a white nationalist. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post White Trump official registers new organization: Black America for Immigration Reform appeared first on TheGrio. Russia has reportedly proposed conducting three-way naval exercises with North Korea and China in the Indo-Pacific, potentially formalizing a union between countries that already individually pose security threats to the U.S. and its allies. According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, South Koreas National Intelligence Service revealed the proposal to lawmakers in a closed-door briefing on Monday, alleging that the Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu offered such a show of alliance to North Korea during his meeting with Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un in July. Just this past weekend, Russias ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, told Russian media that it seems appropriate to include North Korea in joint military drills between Russia and China. China, so far, has kept silent on the proposal. And theres also no sign yet that Kim will accept Russias overture, which would mark the first such large-scale drills for the isolationist state since the end of the Korean War in the 1950s, though North Korea does stand to benefit the most from joining forces with comparatively more modernized militaries. Bernard Loo, senior fellow specializing in military and defense policy at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, says the proposal is almost certainly motivated by the recently formalized U.S.-Japan-South Korea trilateral defense alliance. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read More: The U.S. Is Beefing Up Alliances Across AsiaBut Dont Expect an Asian NATO Anytime Soon More From TIME In recent decades, the Indo-Pacific has become a theater of several security flashpoints. China is increasingly exerting its influence and military might on neighboring states and maritime territories, prompting the U.S. to shore up its security pacts with partners in the region. Nuclearization is also a growing concern around the Korean peninsula, as North Korea continues to ramp up missile testing and warmongering rhetoric. Should looping in North Korea in joint China-Russia military exercises happen, observers say the risks to neighboring states would be minimal, as a trilateral naval drill would be less a preparation for war and more just a diplomatic signaling of a counter-alliance in the Indo-Pacific. I see this as more a coming together of states, particularly North Korea and Russia, that have a dwindling circle of friends, Loo says. A potential naval exercise between China, Russia, and North Korea would move one step closer towards the establishment of a formal united front against the U.S. and its allies. But despite the world being seemingly split into two factions with this possible counter-alliance, experts say it could actually have a stabilizing effect by creating a check on each of its parties from instigating conflict unilaterally. Russia and China, for example, are partly aligned on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, so they may not support North Koreas continued threats to use its nuclear arsenal. While North Korea is obviously a partner, due to the convergence of their strategic interests, I don't think there is a convergence in terms of what they think North Korea should do, says Collin Koh, another senior fellow specializing in Asia-Pacific naval affairs at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. Read More: China Is Testing How Hard It Can Push in the South China Sea Before Someone Pushes Back Koh also tells TIME that any drills between the nations would only have peacetime utility, as they couldnt properly simulate what would happen in actual combat due to geographical limitations. Exercises would likely only take place near the coasts of the Yellow Sea to the Korean peninsulas west and the Sea of Japan to its east. But while experts agree that the threat of a great power war is not likely to increase even if this new trilateral alliance were to be realized, it could still have a significant impact on the region by further forcing smaller states in the region, who have long abided by principles of non-alignment, to pick a side. Contact us at letters@time.com. For several breathless weeks, the national media has compared one of the music industrys titans a polished multi-millionaire to an unknown man from rural Virginia with a ragged beard who had recently gotten sober. Saying, essentially, they stood for the same thing. If that sounds ridiculous, its because it is. What the first guy (country music megastar Jason Aldean) and second guy (viral music sensation Oliver Anthony) had in common was that they both scored hit country songs that rode waves of controversy to the top of the charts. And Anthony actually seemed to max out the outrage machine Aldean had been throttling before him, when his song was played at the top of the Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee to tee up questions on frustrated Americans. The problem: these two are actually showing completely opposite things about rural America, whether its Wisconsin farmland or fading industrial towns or the mountains of Appalachia. And getting that wrong is whats really dividing our country. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The first mistake was seeing these songs as the same. Oliver Anthony performs at Eagle Creek Golf Club and Grill in Moyock, N.C., on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot via AP) ORG XMIT: VANOV602 Jason Aldean's 'Try That in a Small Town' video looked like political ad Aldeans Try That in a Small Town is filled with scenes of the city he says small-town America would never tolerate. Its music video may as well have been a political ad, spliced with footage of crime, vandalism, and protests. With his establishment country music juggernaut behind him, including the money it takes to get promoted and onto mainstream radio, Aldean picked a fight. Soon enough conservative media and influencers were taking his side, and the mainstream media was reporting on the outrage. I first heard about it when the media told me I needed to know about it. Anthonys Rich Men North of Richmond is a spare song about working hard, falling further behind, and the hardship, addiction, and resentment so many people experience as a result. The only thing selling it was Anthonys voice, stark and haunting, over his resonator guitar. He did get a boost from conservative influencers, and eventually the mainstream media reaction to his anger over high taxes and welfare. But Anthony has fled the political debate. I first heard about him when a friend, also from rural Wisconsin, sent me his song. Then another friend sent it to me, and then my sister who runs our family farm in Sauk County did too. More: Seeing Wisconsin's rural drug addiction crisis through the eyes of a childhood friend in our hometown The difference? Authenticity. Anthony didnt need to sing about what small towns wont put up with, because hes lived among the rural drug crisis and other problems gripping our country. He didnt need to score political points, because he wasnt trying to win a political fight. In fact, when he was asked about the firestorm, he said his song was about politicians on both sides. Brian Reisinger Spotify charts show Anthony's authenticity beats Aldean's outrage Here's the mind-blowing part: The charts show authenticity beats outrage. After its big industry boost, Aldeans song faded. After his record-breaking rise, Anthony remained atop the charts, despite the fact that he has no record deal. As of Friday, his hit had 10 million more Spotify streams than Aldeans. (And yes, its possible for rich backers to inflate streaming, but even if that happened Anthony is still out-performing industry giants wielding those tricks and more.) More: Fighting a fire and odds against survival for Wisconsin family farms It's a shocking coup for the music industry, but not for the people Anthony is singing about. I dont agree with everything hes saying, and I doubt his fiercest fans do either. But in rural communities its not about agreement, its about authenticity. When you grow up far from the rest of the world, you learn to figure things out for yourself. And you appreciate people calling it like they see it. At a time when our urban-rural divide is at an all-time high, anyone trying to understand rural Americamedia, politicians, and music industry alike should pay attention to that. It would be a shame to say so much about one song, and miss the point. Brian Reisinger is a writer who grew up on a family farm in Sauk County. He contributes in-depth columns and videos for the Ideas Lab at the Journal Sentinel. Reisinger has written for a wide range of publications and tells the hidden stories of rural America, including the drug crisis, past and future of Wisconsin farmers and adventures in the outdoors. Reisinger works in public affairs consulting for Wisconsin-based Platform Communications. He splits his time between a small town in northern California near his wifes family, and his familys farm here in Wisconsin. Reisinger studied journalism and political science at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and has won awards from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, Seven Hills Review literary magazine, Wisconsin Newspaper Association, and more. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Oliver Anthony isn't Jason Aldean. The difference? Authenticity Dermatologists say there can be major risks to popping a pimple on this part of your face. Dermatologists say there can be major risks to popping a pimple on this part of your face. A TikTok with 3.6 million views posted by Dr. Ever Arias, a resident doctor at UCI Medical Center, went viral recently, scaring everyone about what can happen if you pop a pimple on your nose. The TikTok video shows an AI depiction of a girl telling her personal story of squeezing a pimple that was bothering her, which caused a bacterial infection and eventually killed her. Arias reacts in a video alongside, noting that you should not touch pimples on a part of your face called the triangle of death. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Dr. Muneeb Shah, a board-certified dermatologist, also reacted to the story on TikTok, saying in the caption, This is possible but incredibly rare. The AI video appears to be based on a true story about an 18-year-old who died in June in Santa Catarina, Brazil. But it got us wondering how much should we worry about this? So we asked dermatologists. This embedded content is not available in your region. The triangle of death that Arias refers to in the TikTok video refers to the nasolabial triangle, whichextends from the bridge of your nose down to your upper lip a place where breakouts, including pimples and blackheads, commonly occur. Its also an area where large and vital arteries and nerves run from your neck to your sinuses and up to the skull. Although tempting, popping pimples on this part of your face can cause serious conditions, including nasal infections, vision loss, stroke and even death so you are better off waiting for any pimples to go away on their own. If you pick your face with dirty fingers, dirty nails or have dirty skin, you run the risk of causing a skin infection, said Dr. Joshua Zeichner, the director of cosmetic and clinical research at the Department of Dermatology at Mount Sinai in New York. In the central face, this is particularly risky because the blood in this area drains into a large collection of veins known as the cavernous sinus, which has a direct connection to the brain, Zeichner said. So theoretically, bacteria in the bloodstream could spread to the brain, causing a severe, systemic infection. Echoing Arias and Shah, Dr. Elizabeth Bahar Houshmand told HuffPost that getting a serious or life-threatening infection due to pimple popping is rare. However, Houshmand, a double-board certified dermatologist and fellow at the American Academy of Dermatology, noted that pimple popping does not help and can cause inflammation, pain and potentially permanent scarring. I would recommend avoiding popping pimples in the area of the face connecting the nose to the corners of the mouth, she said. Heres how popping pimples in your nasal area can cause problems. Your sinuses are hollow spaces located under the brain, behind each eye socket. The cavernous sinus has major arteries and nerves that receive blood from the facial veins one of which is the internal carotid artery, the most vital supply of blood to the eyes and brain. The jugular vein carries blood from the sinuses away from the brain. The sinuses are highlighted in pink. The sinuses are highlighted in pink. Rarely, nasal infections can lead to serious outcomes. As your blood flows from your nose to other areas of the face, its possible for infections from the nasal area to spread to the brain, potentially causing meningitis, brain abscess, or cavernous sinus thrombosis. When the cavernous sinus is infected, blood in the sinus can clot, which affects the optic nerve function and can cause severe headaches, eye irritation, drooping eyelids, inability to move the eyes, pain or numbness in the face and eyes, fatigue, fever, vision loss or double vision and seizures. Additionally, a blood clot in the sinuses can prevent blood from draining from the brain, which can lead to hemorrhaging as blood leaks into the brain tissues. A blood clot in the sinuses can also cause complications like impaired speech, difficulty moving the body, fluid pressure in the skull, nerve pressure, brain injury, developmental delays and even death. The mortality rate for septic cavernous sinus thrombosis is 20% to 30%, and complete recovery is rare. Most infections that cause cavernous sinus thrombosis are bacterial, usually caused by a staph infection. Staph bacteria can live on the face and are usually harmless until a cut (perhaps caused by pinching or squeezing a pimple) causes an infection. More serious staph infections can cause blood poisoning or toxic shock syndrome. Aside from these more serious consequences, trying to pop a pimple yourself can also lead to permanent acne scars and more noticeable or painful acne, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association. You can disrupt your skin barrier and if the pimple has pus, popping a pimple can spread bacteria into other pores and hair follicles, Houshmand said. Many times, you are unable to pop the pimple and may end up pushing the contents of your pimple further underneath the skin. This can clog your pores even more, make acne more noticeable, or trigger inflammation under your skin. The Dos And Donts Of Pimple Popping Despite these risks, some people cant resist the urge to pop a pimple. What if you do end up popping that pimple on your face? Are there preventative measures you can take to avoid a bacterial infection? Unfortunately, there is no correct way to pop a pimple, Houshmand says. Instead, dermatologists recommend sticking to a skin care routine to help breakouts go away on their own, washing your hands before you touch your face, and seeing an esthetician if a pimple is really bothering you. DO use products that might reduce swelling and infection. Having a skin care routine that works for you can not only help prevent acne but can also prevent you from picking your face. Use preventative measures, like a skin care routine that includes acne-fighting ingredients such as BPO [benzoyl peroxide], hydroxy acids and retinoids, Houshmand said. Pimple patches with salicylic acid help to decrease inflammation and because the pimples are covered you wont be able to pick. If a pimple is inflamed, use a cold compress or ice to help. Applying benzoyl peroxide, an over-the-counter medication with anti-bacterial properties, can help metabolize the skin. Stick to a benzoyl peroxide, which works by lowering levels of acne-causing bacteria and reducing inflammation in the skin, Zeichner said. DONT try to use estheticians tools at home. Trying pimple extractions on your own can do more harm than good. According to the Associated Skin Care Professionals, attempting home extractions can damage your pores, spread bacteria and spread the breakout. Instead, visit a trained esthetician or trained skin care professional, who will do extractions using the proper skin care products and devices. When performed the right way, with clean instruments and without applying too much pressure as to cause trauma to the skin, they can effectively improve the complexion, Zeichner said. Trying to pop red, angry pimples or painful undergrounders inevitably leads to more harm than good. These are not poppable pimples, so attempts will result in inflammation, potential infections, or even scars. DO wash your hands. Since infections are caused by spreading bacteria, its important to wash your hands before touching your face to make sure harmful bacteria dont enter the skin barrier. Using a tissue or wet towel can help protect your face. Touching your face with unwashed hands will not help clear breakouts any faster. Generally, keeping your hands clean can keep unwanted bacteria away from your face. Most pimples will resolve on their own, Shah said. Related... Every region of the country has its own local heroes. The actions that made them heroes tend to coincide with the history of the country itself. For much of Ohio and Indiana, Founding Father and Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne is a celebrated local hero. There are some in the region who dont celebrate the generals legacy and even want to change the many places named for him including Wayne National Forest. The National Forest Service proposed changing the name of the 244,000-acre forest to Buckeye National Forest in response to requests from American Indian Tribes and local community members in August 2023. The proposal has locals and a U.S. Senator up in arms. General Mad Anthony Wayne served in the American Revolution, where he fought at Quebec, Philadelphia, and Yorktown, among others. He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his service during the Battle of Stony Point in 1779. After the war, he served in Congress but was called up to serve again under President George Washington . This time, the natives were restless. The northwestern U.S. at that time consisted of what is today Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota. It was ceded to the young United States after the Revolution, but the British never entirely left the territory, and still incited the native tribes there against the U.S. The Treaty of Paris set the borders at the Great Lakes, but the tribes werent consulted on that treaty. They wanted the U.S. border to be the Ohio River. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Natives from 10 different tribes formed a loose alliance to promote their interests and resist American encroachment west of the Appalachian Mountains. Called the Northwestern Confederacy, they had fought with European settlers since the earliest days of colonization. The French, British, and then Americans all had to contend with the alliance. When the U.S. Army moved in to enforce American supremacy in the region, it was the Northwestern Confederacy that handed the Army a string of its worst-ever defeats, many of which came in what is today Ohio. St. Clairs Defeat of 1791 destroyed most of the U.S. Army and left the country vulnerable, so President Washington called on Gen. Anthony Wayne to raise and train a new one. Anthony Wayne (1745-1796). (Pastel by James Sharples, Sr., c. 1795; Independence National Historical Park.) Wayne formed the Legion of the United States and within a year, was marching his new legion to fight the natives in the Northwest Territory. For two years, Wayne led the Legion in a campaign that defeated the Northwest Confederacy, took all the British forts in the territory, and re-established the boundary between native lands and lands for settlers. Wayne would die a year after the treaty was imposed, and the Legion of the United States would become the standing army of the U.S., a solid reason why hes considered a hero to many in the region. For the indigenous people of the area, Waynes defeat of their tribes was the first act of Indian Removal, and the beginning of Manifest Destiny, the mindset of many Americans that would extend the U.S. from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, and resigned its native peoples to reservations. Many of the tribes expelled after the war now live in Oklahoma. The Ohio name change came from the office of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland , who issued a 20211 order to create a Federal Advisory Committee. The committees purpose is to address derogatory geographic names. Nine native tribes joined the discussion with the Forest Service. Anyone who wants to share their input on the name change with the U.S. Forest Service can submit comments to r9_wayne_website@usda.gov. TBILISI, Georgia Ukraines strongest supporters are rallying around Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys decision to remove the countrys wartime defense minister after a series of corruption scandals have plagued the ministry. Kyivs backers say Zelenskys ousting of Oleksii Reznikov is a sign that Ukraine views the fight against corruption as a necessary part of its war to push out Russias invading forces. And they are softening blows against Reznikov, pointing out that the minister was not directly implicated in any of the corruption scandals, and he is reportedly being considered for a senior diplomatic posting. Theres no indication Reznikov had a problem with corruption; he had a problem with the ministry, William Taylor, the vice president of the Russia, Ukraine program at the U.S. Institute of Peace, said Monday at an international conference in Tbilisi, Georgia. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It has to be clear that there is no tolerance for corruption; it has to be clear this is part of a broader effort the anticorruption institutions in Ukraine are now succeeding. Taylor added that he was exchanging messages Monday with Reznikov. He says his wife is very happy that hes not in that same job. But he also has great confidence in Minister [Rustem] Umerov, Taylor said, referring to Zelenskys replacement pick. Taylor was speaking at a conference rallying support for Ukraine and other victims of Russian aggression, titled Defeating Putinism, where his sentiments were widely shared. But critics are likely to seize on the Ukrainian government shake-up as another example of what they say is endemic corruption, which underscores their opposition to military and financial support to the country. Lawmakers in Washington are considering a request from President Biden for $24 billion in aid for Ukraine, part of a $40 billion supplemental budget request. A small but vocal group of Republican lawmakers oppose aid for Ukraine, spurring some concern in Europe about ongoing American support for Kyiv. People who are dead set against helping Ukraine are going to do what they always do, theyre going to say, Oh, this just shows that Ukraine hasnt changed, said Tom Malinowski, a former Democratic congressman from New Jersey and now a visiting fellow with the McCain Institute, one of the co-sponsors of the conference. But in fact, it shows just how much Ukraine has changed. Five or 10 years ago, the idea that a defense minister would be fired because something bad happened on his watch, even though he himself wasnt responsible for it, would be unbelievable. Zelenskys announcement Sunday that he would be replacing Reznikov came after months of speculation about Reznikovs future. Reznikov outlasted a potential firing in February after an investigation in January revealed that the Ministry of Defense was overpaying for the purchase of food at between two and three times its normal price. A deputy defense minister and a procurement officer were reportedly arrested connected to the food scandal. And then in April, an investigation by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty found more price gouging for food provisions. Further, The New York Times reported in June that Ukraine had paid contractors hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons that were not delivered. Some of that money was clawed back, the Times reported. Reznikov said in July he would take steps to address corruption over the procurement of food in his ministry. But last month, an investigation by the Ukrainian publication ZN.UA revealed that the ministry had overpaid for more than 200,000 light-weight coats that were deemed unfit to protect soldiers for winter. Ukraine paid $20 million to import the coats from Turkey, and ZN.UA reported that the ministry overpaid by three times the actual price. In ideal conditions, there is no place for corruption in highly developed and democratic state. Unfortunately were living not in an ideal world, Alexander Shulga, charge daffaires of the Ukrainian Embassy in Georgia, said on a panel at the conference. In such circumstances for Ukrainians, state of war, with zero tolerance to corruption and with fighting against corruption in Ukraine, all these steps are essential for our future victory over Russian Federation. Kurt Volker, distinguished fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, said that it was not Reznikovs job to micromanage the ministry procurement process. People below him are in charge of that. Reznikovs firing is many things at once, he added. Its Zelensky demonstrating that hes taking accountability, that hes paying attention to corruption issues and willing to make changes. Its a chance for Reznikov to do something else after 18 months leading the Ministry of Defense in wartime, he added. Rebecca Harms, a German politician who served as a member of parliament for the European Union, described the corruption scandals in the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense as deadly serious, but echoed the view that Reznikovs dismissal signaled steps toward accountability. It is a good sign that even in this horrid war Ukrainian journalists are doing their job. And it is another good sign that the president draws the right conclusions, she said. If the scandals around procurement would not lead to consequences for the leadership in the Ministry this would become a burden for the brave men and women who are risking their lives for their country. She added that its also important for Zelensky to signal to Ukraines international supporters that war is not an excuse for neither mismanagement or corruption. Zelensky said Sunday that he had decided to replace Reznikov because the ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society at large. He nominated Umerov, a Ukrainian parliamentarian member of the political party Voice who is from the minority community of Crimean-Tatar Muslims. The fact that Ukraine has a Jewish president who appointed an ethnic minority Muslim defense minister, tells you a lot about what Ukraine is. This is a patriotic country, but one in which patriotism isnt based on ethnicity or religion. Its based on an idea. Its based on democracy, said Malinowski, the former Democratic congressman. Reznikov is reportedly being considered to serve as ambassador to the United Kingdom, replacing the previous ambassador, Vadym Prystaiko, who was fired by Zelensky in July. The presidents office did not give a reason for Prystaikos dismissal at the time, but that came after the former ambassador gave an interview in which he said Zelenskys criticism of Western supporters at the NATO Summit was not healthy. Volker, of CEPA, said that Reznikovs reported consideration for the London diplomatic posting shows Zelensky still holds him in his confidence. Offering him another position shows they are happy with him, Volker said. Disclosure: The author had her travel and accommodation paid for by the conference, which was sponsored by the McCain Institute, the George W. Bush Institute and the Economic Policy Research Center. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Less than a month into the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian shelling destroyed a popular bookstore on Kharkivs main street. Ukrainian writer and Kharkiv local Serhiy Zhadan uploaded a photo of the bookstores ruins onto social media on March 15 and asked, Does anyone still want to talk about Dostoevsky? His question was in reference to those who have tried to counteract the crimes of Russian aggression with the proclamation that Russian culture is not at fault. While Russian forces failed to capture the city, Kharkiv remains under constant threat of attack as it is located just 30 kilometers from the Russian border. Zhadan was in Kharkiv at the start of the full-scale invasion, and his social media posts documenting those first few months from a civilian perspective have now been translated into English by Reilly Costigan-Humes and Isaac Stackhouse Wheeler. Yale University Press has published the collection under the title Sky Above Kharkiv: Dispatches from the Ukrainian Front. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Best recognized among English-language readers for his novel "The Orphanage," which centers around a teacher who has to enter occupied territory at the start of the Russian invasion of Donbas in 2014 to rescue his nephew, Zhadan's writing has come to predominantly revolve around the challenges faced by ordinary Ukrainians and the decisions they are confronted with in response to Russian aggression. Zhadans body of work is impressive, comprising prose, poetry, music albums, and even an operatic libretto. In that sense, choosing to collect his social media posts and publish them as a book might seem like a perplexing editorial choice. However, Zhadan and many other Ukrainian writers actively engage with their readers on social media and share newly penned work. Some also utilize social media as a testing ground for crafting long-form, non-fiction prose pieces. For better or worse, social media plays a role in the developmental stages of modern Ukrainian literature. Read also: Kharkiv residents return home after months spent underground: Its scary when there is still shelling In his posts, Zhadan recounts coordinating with volunteer units to provide humanitarian aid to civilians, talking with soldiers and law enforcement officers about the front-line situation, and helping to evacuate civilians from neighborhoods under fire. He also ventures into the citys subway system to meet with people who relocated there primarily women, children, and the elderly desperately seeking safety until it was possible to return above ground. Zhadan has been using his social media since Feb. 24, 2022, to raise funds for the Ukrainian military and provide updates on their use. To date, he has purchased over 200 vehicles for the front line thanks to donations. Buses, minivans, and SUVs are repurposed and serve as vital tools to help move soldiers quickly through rough terrain and transport injured soldiers off the battlefield in time for life-saving medical treatment. Above all, Zhadan conveys his affection for the people of Kharkiv: The residents of Kharkiv have shown so much courage, so much strength, and so much humanity. He also thinks about the sheer number of brilliant people in our city, about what an amazing place it is. These affirmations are coupled with encouragements for Kharkivites to rest and regroup, reminding them that well wake up one day closer to our victory. This sentiment arguably rings true over a year and a half later. While many windows in the city center of Kharkiv are still boarded up, they are adorned with signs like We are open! Those who fled to other regions at the start of the fighting are slowly returning to the city. The streets are arguably more pristine-looking than in some western Ukrainian cities that do not face the same daily threat of Russian attacks, serving as a testament to the people of Kharkivs pride in the place they call home. The constant threat of danger during the onset of the full-scale invasion is palpable in Zhadan's posts, evoking a sense of unease in the reader. For instance, Zhadan writes about how his friend was killed during their efforts to help evacuate civilians from Saltivka, one of Kharkiv's largest residential districts. Once home to over 300,000 people, many of its buildings have been partially or completely destroyed. Russian forces struck Saltivka with Grad multiple rocket launchers during the evacuation, and had Zhadan been standing closer to his friend, he could have been killed, too. Read also: It hurts: Kharkiv resident walks around hardest-hit district The possible threat of saboteurs is also present, something that Zhadan warns locals in his posts to keep in mind for their own safety. He references an incident where Ukrainian volunteer units were able to push back a Russian column to a school. However, the Russians knew (our guys) were coming. Theyd stocked up on provisions and even had time to set up machine guns. They did some serious prep work. It didnt help them, but still. Zhadan does not shy away from reminding his readers what is at stake if Ukraine loses the war: Remember one thing, my friends. This is a war of annihilation. We cannot afford to lose we must win. He bluntly articulates why everyone must do their part to help the war effort, irrespective of what that role entails: The way I see it, youre being killed by the Russians whether you like it or not. I imagine you dont. Russias all-out war against Ukraine is a war against Ukraines culture and history. For years, Kharkiv was erroneously dismissed by some as a culturally Russian city, but it occupies a unique place in the history of Ukrainian art, literature, and theater. It was the capital of Soviet Ukraine for 15 years. Prior to the full-scale invasion, it was one of the countrys top educational, scientific, and industrial hubs. Russia has systematically tried to erase Ukrainian culture and history in Kharkiv and elsewhere in Ukraine. During the Holodomor, Stalin's engineered famine that took the lives of an estimated 3.5 million Ukrainians in 1932-1933, Kharkiv Oblast experienced losses second only to Kyiv Oblast. Read also: Escape from Kupiansk: How one cop tricked the Russians Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russian forces have also targeted important cultural sites in Kharkiv and the surrounding region. In March 2022, Kharkivs legendary Slovo (Word) building was hit by a missile. While the building wasn't destroyed, the attack left damage. Slovo was once home to prominent Ukrainian writers, artists, and journalists, many of whom were imprisoned, tortured, and killed during the Stalinist purges in the 1930s. Today, they are referred to collectively as the Executed Renaissance. Zhadan describes the missile strike in one post as an act of barbarism, adding that this is perfectly natural for the Russians, as theyve always destroyed our culture. However, he remains resolute, promising his readers that they wont pull it off this time and well rebuild the Slovo building. While Zhadans social media posts convey the same wit and sincerity seen in his poetry and prose, they are not quite on the same level, structurally and stylistically speaking. The publisher also chose to retain certain elements that betray them as social media posts, notably the extensive use of emojis. Moreover, there are appeals to donate to certain volunteers bank accounts, but the relevant account info is not included. Had they avoided such editorial choices, it might have bridged the gap between social media and literature better and made for smoother reading. Nevertheless, Zhadans "Sky Above Kharkiv" should be valued for preserving an important personal testimony from one of the most pivotal battles during Russia's all-out war against Ukraine. Russian forces expected to be greeted with flowers as liberators in Kharkiv, but Zhadan (and other Kharkiv residents) repeatedly joke about how those flowers came in the form of fierce resistance. Kharkiv has only reembraced its Ukrainian identity in the wake of Russian aggression, and it will undoubtedly be one of the most important cities to watch during Ukraines post-war reconstruction. Or, as Zhadan puts it: History isnt just being rewritten right now. Its being rewritten in Ukrainian. Sky Above Kharkiv is out now and can be purchased from most major book retailers. Note from the author: Hi, this is Kate Tsurkan, thanks for reading this book review. There is an ever-increasing amount of Ukrainian books available in English translation, and I hope my recommendations prove useful when it comes to your next trip to the bookstore. Ukrainian culture has taken on an even more important meaning during wartime, so if you like reading about this sort of thing, please consider supporting The Kyiv Independent. Read also: Revolution, patriarchy, woe: A review of Oksana Lutsyshynas Ivan and Phoebe Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A bound and gagged woman who was depicted in one of self-proclaimed BTK serial killer Dennis Raders chilling drawings has potentially been identified. Raders daughter, Kerri Rawson, appeared on CNN This Morning this week where she revealed Oklahoma authorities believe they had identified the young woman in the green shirt from one of her fathers recently released drawings. Ms Rawson, who has been assisting Oklahoma authorities with the investigation as a volunteer, could not disclose further details citing the open and active case. The detailed drawing depicts a young woman wearing green who is gagged, and bound at the hands and feet sitting in a barn. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Her name has not been released, but Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden said investigators are sorting through very, very good tips that have provided more information. It comes after the sheriffs office released the detailed colored drawings with the hope that someone might recognise one of these barns or the unique features in them, or the closeness of the silo to the barn, or possibly might have even found items that they didnt know why were there that could be very important in this case, Sheriff Virden told CNN. A woman is seen bound and gagged in a drawing by BTK killer Dennis Rader (Osage County Sheriffs Office) The drawings of the female victims in barns were first recovered by the authorities after Raders arrest in 2005. Sheriff Virden said he believes the few rare color images may depict more crimes in at least three states, including Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. We have a lot of follow ups to do, of course, a lot of interviews to do, Sheriff Virden said. Barn-wise weve got a lot of things sent to us for us to check out. The 78-year-old is serving 10 consecutive life sentences after pleading guilty to 10 murders committed from the 1970s to the 1990s in Wichita, Kansas. He reportedly called himself BTK for the abbreviation blind, torture, kill. Dennis Rader (left) and his daughter Kerri Rawson (right) (AP/Harper Collins) Last month, Rader was named the prime suspect in the 1976 disappearance of 16-year-old Cynthia Dawn Kinney in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, and in the 1990 murder of 22-year-old Shawna Beth Garber in McDonald County, Missouri. Investigators believe Rader may have buried Kinney in a barn near the Kansas-Oklahoma border. Her body has never been found. Sheriff Virden told CNN about an anonymous call they received months after Kinney disappeared from a man claiming her body could be found in an old barn along the Oklahoma-Kansas border. And just recently, law enforcement intercepted communications from Rader in prison that revealed there may be some hidden items in old barns, according to the sheriff. A Genesee County, Mich., woman buying a Fast Play lottery ticket for her husband picked up a couple tickets of her own and won a $452,886 jackpot. Photo courtesy of the Michigan Lottery Sept. 5 (UPI) -- A Michigan woman said running an errand for her husband paid off when she scored a $452,886 lottery prize. The 70-year-old Genesee County woman told Michigan Lottery officials she went to MoJoe's Food and Spirits in Davison to buy a lottery ticket for her husband. "My husband won $10 playing the Lucky 7s Fast Cash game and asked me to buy him another ticket," the player said. "While I was getting his ticket, I decided to buy two Double Win Wild Time tickets for myself." The woman's second Double Win Wild Time Fast Cash game had a surprise in store. "The first ticket wasn't a winner, but when I scanned the second ticket, I got a message I hadn't seen before. I got to better lighting, and looked over the ticket and saw it was a jackpot winner," she said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The winner said she showed the ticket to her husband to double-check it. "When he looked at the ticket and realized it was a jackpot winner, he said a few choice words and then we started celebrating with everyone at MoJoe's," she said. The $452,886 winner said the prize money will allow her to pay off her home, fund an Alaska fishing trip for her husband and son and share with her family. The woman had a C-section at the Auckland City Hospital. Dean Purcell/Getty Images A woman in New Zealand discovered a surgery tool the size of a "dinner plate" in her body. It had been left in her abdomen for 18 months, after her C-section in 2020, a local official wrote. Her medical team failed to account for an "extra-large" wound retractor during surgery. A woman in her 20s who underwent a cesarean section in Auckland, New Zealand, discovered 18 months later that a surgical tool the "size of a dinner plate" was left in her body. The young mother, who was not named, suffered chronic pain after the 2020 birth, wrote Morag McDowell, New Zealand's Health and Disability Commissioner, on Monday. She went for several checkups and an X-ray scan, but doctors couldn't find the source of the pain. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement When the pain became so severe that she was sent to a hospital emergency department in 2021, a CT scan "incidentally" found an Alexis wound retractor a device used to expand a wound's opening during surgery still in her abdomen, wrote McDowell. Made of transparent plastic, the round and tubal instrument was "about the size of a dinner plate" and is usually removed during a C-section before the patient's skin is sutured, McDowell added. After being discovered, it was removed immediately from the woman's body, and she filed a complaint, the commissioner wrote. Reviewing her case, McDowell found that Auckland City Hospital, run by Te Whatu Ora Te Toka Tumai Auckland, formerly the Auckland District Health Board, had breached medical care standards. "In my view, it is self-evident that the care provided fell below the appropriate standard," McDowell wrote, calling the incident a "never event." Present at the 2020 operation was a surgeon, a senior registrar, an instrument nurse, three circulating nurses, two anesthetists, two anesthetic technicians, and a theater midwife, according to McDowell. A surgeon's summary wrote that an "extra-large" retractor had been used during the woman's C-section because a large one was too small for the incision, McDowell noted. Medical teams typically count the number of instruments used in an operation before and after surgery. But Alexis wound retractors were not part of the counting routine at the Te Whatu Ora facility in 2020, McDowell wrote, citing nurses there. One nurse said it might be because retractors don't go into the wound completely, McDowell added. She did not specify if she found any official reason for this. "Staff involved have no explanation for how the retractor ended up in the abdominal cavity, or why it was not identified prior to closure," she wrote. The commissioner noted that Te Whatu Ora staff were apologetic but said they failed to provide proper care. Still, the mistake was very much a failure of the system, she added. "As set out in my report, the care fell significantly below the appropriate standard in this case and resulted in a prolonged period of distress for the woman," McDowell wrote. "Systems should have been in place to prevent this from occurring." McDowell told Te Whatu Ora to apologize to the woman in person, and said she would refer the organization for further action to the Director of Proceedings. Mike Shepherd, Te Whatu Ora Group Director of Operations for Te Toka Tumai Auckland, apologized for the error in a statement to Insider. "On behalf of our Women's Health service at Te Toka Tumai Auckland and Te Whatu Ora, I would like to say how sorry we are for what happened to the patient, and acknowledge the impact that this will have had on her and her whanau," Shepherd said. September 5, 2023: This story was updated to reflect comment from Te Whatu Ora. Read the original article on Insider A 25-year-old Ohio man is accused of shooting and killing his parents inside their home, then driving away from the scene, police told news outlets. Mohamed Lamin Kandeh is charged with murder in the deaths of Mohamed A. Kandeh and Bintu Kandeh, according to a criminal complaint filed in Delaware County. Officers with the Delaware Police Department responded to a call from a family member at about 3 p.m. on Sept. 3, the department said in a news release. When officers arrived, they located two adult residents deceased, inside the home, from apparent gunshot wounds, the release said. Kandeh lived with his parents at their home in Delaware, despite several violent and troubling incidents, according to court documents obtained by WCMH. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In one instance in November 2022, Kandeh aimed a gun at his fathers head after following him around the house, the station reported. Kandehs parents told police he had been acting strange, and when they packed some belongings and tried to leave, Kandeh began threatening his dad with the weapon. Investigators say Kandehs sister came to the home after her parents didnt show up to meet her for lunch, WSYX reported. Well aware of her brothers past behavior, she brought a kitchen knife and box cutter to defend herself, the station reported. Inside, she saw her mother and father dead on the kitchen floor, the outlet reported. She dialed 911. Kandeh was gone by then, according to police. The following day at 11 a.m., officers spotted him driving in his car and took him into custody. Kandeh was booked into the Delaware County Jail on Sept. 4, jail records show. While searching the home, investigators found a box cutter in the nightgown of Kandehs mother, as well as a security bar and security latch installed on the parents bedroom door, WCMH reported. Officials have not said what may have motivated the killings. The town of Delaware is roughly 30 miles north of Columbus. Trail camera spots escaped inmate sneaking through botanical garden, PA cops say Dad charged with murder after 10-year-old son dies in rollover crash, TX officials say 12-year-old walking home with friends is shot dead in argument, Texas cops say Teen girl fatally shot after 15-year-old sneaks into bedroom at night, OK officials say Senior CPC official visits Cambodia on ties Xinhua) 10:45, September 05, 2023 PHNOM PENH, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, was leading a CPC delegation on a visit to Cambodia from Sunday to Monday. During the visit, Liu met separately with ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) President Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister Hun Manet, and Prak Sokhonn, chairman of the Commission for International Relations of the CPP's Central Committee. Liu also met with royalist Funcinpec Party President Prince Norodom Chakravuth. In these meetings, both sides pledged to implement the key consensuses reached by the leaders of the two parties and two countries, carry forward the China-Cambodia friendship, strengthen party-to-party exchanges, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, and firmly support each other's core interests. The two sides also agreed to jointly respond to external risks and challenges, and promote the building of the China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) SAN DIEGO A woman was hit and killed by a Coaster train Monday in the Bay Park neighborhood, authorities said. The crash occurred around 3:31 p.m. near the intersection of Morena Blvd. and Asher St., Sgt. Jason King with the San Diego County Sheriffs Department said in a news release. When officers arrived on scene, they found a woman who was hit by a northbound Coaster train, according to law enforcement. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene due to her injuries. Deadly crash prompts SR-67 closure near Ramona The identity of the woman has not been released at this time pending the autopsy from the San Diego County Medical Examiners Office. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement An investigation is underway. If anyone has information about the case, they can call the sheriffs departments non-emergency line at (858) 565-5200. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. A woman said that her boyfriend is moving out from their shared home to move in with his brother. People are suggesting that he is "quiet quitting" the relationship and that they will break up. But a couples therapist said she sees "no evidence" this is the case. A viral TikTok video of a woman saying that her boyfriend is moving out after they have been living together for a year and a half has led to a conversation about relationship norms. Some viewers thought it belied issues for the couple, but a therapist said it could be just the opposite. In the video posted on September 1, a TikToker who goes by Maiah Police explained the situation, saying that she and her boyfriend, who have been together for three and a half years, are not breaking up because he is moving out, and that they are just moving to a "new phase" in their relationship. "He's moving in with his brother, and he's always dreamed of living with his little brother. So who am I to get in the way of that?" she said. She told viewers that there is no "traditional contract" that you sign suggesting that you and your partner must live together until marriage, and then have kids. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Don't get me wrong, when he first told me the idea, I was like, 'Hmmm, what the fuck?'" she said. "As I thought more about it, I was like, 'Wait, this is a great idea.'" She said that living apart will allow them to spend more intentional time with each other. "Sometimes when you live with your partner, it's easy to exist around each other. It's a fun chapter that I'm ready for. And he's only living like a mile away from me so he's not going too far," she said. This embedded content is not available in your region. The video has gone viral, receiving over 6.2 million views and despite the creator's positive outlook on the situation, many viewers appeared skeptical. Several commenters wrote that this is the TikToker's "canon event" a popular TikTok slang term used to describe an unavoidable life event that builds character. Some viewers suggested that her boyfriend was moving out before breaking up with her so he doesn't have to deal with the drama after their relationship ends, and others even suggested that her boyfriend is "quiet quitting" their relationship another popular TikTok term that is often used to describe doing the "bare minimum" at work. One person wrote, "3.5 years and no ring? And he's moving out? Yeah that's the end." The creator responded to the comment in a follow-up video, in which she showed footage of herself pretending to kick the wall and slam her fists against the floor in slow motion while Taylor Swift's "The Way I Loved You" played in the background. The video caption reads, "pov: thousands of people are saying your bf is gonna break up with you." This embedded content is not available in your region. Although the situation is unusual, commenters doubting the relationship aren't necessarily right Police told Insider that while she expected the video would cause intrigue, the level of attention it generated is beyond what she expected. But she said that she understood why opening up her personal life to the public could lead to people projecting their own experiences onto it. "My boyfriend wanted me, him, and his little brother to live in a house together. However, I ultimately chose to live by myself because I have some intense sleeping issues that I need to take care of and, right now, our apartment is my living, social, and working space," Police told Insider. She said, "Relationships can thrive and evolve in various ways, and ours is no exception. We now have thousands of people doubting our relationship and rooting against us, which is not what we expected, but we're just going to continue doing what works best for us." Couples therapist Dr. Isabelle Morley, based in Boston, Massachusetts, told Insider that she sees "no evidence" that the relationship is in trouble from this video alone, and suggested that Police's "candid analysis of the situation" reveals a lot of emotional maturity and security in their relationship. She said that viewers' comments about "quiet quitting" showed a "general pervasiveness of the lack of open communication in modern relationships," and suggested that hookup culture has made people feel reluctant to voice their emotions or needs, for fear that they will be seen as "catching feelings," "needy," or "extra." "The way she describes their decision leads me to believe that they're acknowledging important dreams, discussing the reality of their age and how much time they have for a future together, making reasonable compromises to support each other, and sharing a somewhat non-traditional path for their relationship," said Morely. She added that more people might benefit from questioning the cultural norms around relationships. "The joy of living in 2023 is that you have freedom to make any choice for your relationship," she said. "Move in together and then live apart, have kids, and buy a house before you get married, whatever works for your unique relationship." Read the original article on Insider Four Republican Kansas state legislators, including the chair of the Senate education committee, state Sen. Molly Baumgardner, recently headlined an event on the future of home schooling. Their comments at that event, as reported in a publication of the Herzog Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to catalyze and accelerate the development of quality Christ-centered K-12 education, showed disdain for the public schools theyre legally responsible for fully funding. The other lawmakers at the Aug. 21 forum, which was sponsored by the home school nonprofit Midwest Parent Educators and held at the Indian Creek Public Library in Olathe, were state Rep. Chris Croft, who is the House majority leader, state Sen. Beverly Gossage and state Rep. Rebecca Schmoe. Schmoe reportedly told the group that when she was a paraeducator in public schools, the accountability in how the money was being spent was nonexistent. You guys are doing it right. Your kids are not just numbers in a formula to get more funding. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Thats almost funny, as unlike public schools its home schools that are unregulated. So the state isnt tracking whether or to what extent you guys are doing it right. And the blanket indictment that public schools see students as just numbers is a calumny against the hardworking educators who see many state lawmakers trying harder to defund than to defend them. Schmoe and Gossage each told me to send them my questions, but then did not answer them. Croft did answer my written questions, and Baumgardner defended her views in a long telephone interview. Baumgardner agreed with Schmoes comments, according to the story in the Herzog publication, The Lion. She urged parents to stay updated on current efforts in the Legislature to make all-day kindergarten mandatory in Kansas and provide pre-K or tiny K classes for ages 3 and up, the story said. And Baumgardner promised, the piece went on to say, to oppose any effort to mandate the home visits that would provide oversight for home-schooled children. All four lawmakers, the story in the Lion said, discussed how more public school students are failing basic academic standards. Baumgardner told me she is not familiar with the Herzog publication, The Lion, had not had a chance to read the story Id sent her about the home schooling event and would never say such a thing about public schools: I have never said public schools are failing and I never will. She said she does support public schools, but I always will support a parents choice and does not see those things as in competition, though they certainly can be. Small loss of students devastating in rural districts The vouchers and education savings accounts that Baumgardner supports would not, she said, impact the public schools from which home school students withdrew, because the school district would still get that funding for the following two years. But eventually, serving fewer students would cost the district, right? Eventually, the money goes away, she said, but the expense for the child is no longer there. In rural districts in particular, even the loss of a small number of students can be devastating. Baumgardner said she opposes mandated all-day kindergarten and pre-K because those arent right for all children and their families, and because Kansas is already having trouble finding enough teachers to staff its K-12 classrooms. Whats missing in the article is that there are reasons why she opposes mandates. I look at things from a very practical standpoint. Gossage, a former teacher who left her classroom job to home-school her son to help him overcome his dyslexia, reportedly told the group that she had to come up with her own lesson plans because we do it so wrong in the classroom. Thank you for home-schooling your children. Gossage is 73, so this was presumably decades ago, at a time when all special needs were less well understood than they are today. But it is true that special education is not currently fully funded by the state in Kansas, which means that districts have to cover the difference themselves, at the expense of other programs. And this is money that could otherwise be spent on hiring more teachers. Croft, who has a daughter who home-schools, encouraged home-schoolers to surround themselves in a community around a legislator champion and start sharing their ideas and thoughts now before the legislative session starts. He told me the education savings accounts that would give a percentage of the state portion of per-student funds to parents, are not designed to undermine public schools. I can assure you, Croft said, that the intention is not defunding public schools. In my district, I have two public high schools and I am an advocate for their success. The intention is to allow students and families to have a choice if they wish. Right now, we only have school choice for families who are able to afford it. The 2023 bill was an attempt to provide school choice for all, not just those who can afford it. The ESAs would cover only a fraction of the tuition of most private schools, and whatever the intention behind them, would hurt public schools, which Croft said he does see failing in some ways. What I believe this is referring to in the line in the Lion story about public schools failing basic academic standards, he said, is the lack of college-readiness of Kansas high school graduates. A large number of our graduates are requiring remedial education once they reach college, which really says that a great deal of our students are being left behind. We need to make sure that our schools are providing our students with a well-rounded education program so they are better equipped to specialize in their chosen field in college and in life. No one could argue with that. But whats surprising to me is that Kansas schools, after being underfunded for years under former Gov. Sam Brownback, are doing as well as they are: Kansas is actually one of only six states where ACT scores held steady last year, even as nationally, scores declined more steeply than in a decade. Kansas ranks 13th in student outcomes, though 28th in per-pupil spending. And last year, a record 89.1% of Kansas students graduated on time. State senator: Home visits dont measure learning An agenda for the Olathe home schooling event said it would help parents stay informed about legislation limiting home school freedom, but that portion of the program cant have taken long since there havent been any bills that have gotten a hearing that would do anything to restrict the freedom of home-schoolers. Baumgardner said that two sessions ago, a bill was proposed that would have made kindergarten mandatory. It never got out of committee, she said, but had it passed would have restricted the freedom of home-schoolers. But mandatory or not, they could still opt out of public school in favor of home schooling. And right now, heres the onerous process forced on Kansas home-schoolers: The parent or guardian just has to go online and check a box that says the student is being home-schooled. You have to register your home school with the Kansas Department of Education and write a withdrawal letter to the childs current school. Midwest Parent Educators offers this advice on the withdrawal letter: Weve heard of some schools that want parents to sign a withdrawal letter that the school has already written. Sometimes these letters contain statements or intrusive documentation that you are not required to give (such as what curriculum you intend to use). As a result, we strongly recommend that you do not sign any pre-formulated withdrawal letters, but come up with your own. Missouri law requires home-schoolers to document at least 1,000 hours of instruction during the school term, but Kansas does not even require that. Baumgardner said theres no reason the state should be collecting information thats never going to be scrutinized or submitting things that mean nothing except to check a box. Still, there are no check-ins and no monitoring, no testing or curriculum requirements. Baumgardner is not for home visits of home schools, she said, because those wouldnt measure whether the child is learning, just as surprise visits to classrooms didnt in her view yield anything useful back when she was teaching. The proof that no more monitoring is needed, she said, is that weve got a lot of home school kids earning college credit while being home-schooled, and later doing well in college. Do parents always know whats best? Doesnt it make sense to think that surely some home schools do a wonderful job and others are subpar, just as some public and private schools are great and others are not? Why do home-schooled students not deserve the same oversight and protections that kids in more traditional settings have? Croft said, I dont think this is an issue of wanting no oversight, but instead wanting the government to work for the people, not against them. Our home-schooled children are widely succeeding in education and career, and their families have some really innovative ideas to foster that success. I certainly dont want to take action that could get in the way or favor one style of home schooling over another. Parents know whats best for their children, its not the job of the legislature to direct the upbringing of their children when these students are performing very well. Unfortunately, all parents do not know whats best; in 2021, according to the National Childrens Alliance, 77% of abused children in this country were hurt by a parent. This does not implicate home-schoolers any more than other parents, but abusers do tend to isolate their victims. Baumgardner harshly criticized public schools for using online learning during the pandemic, and in 2021 supported the Back to School Act requiring schools to discontinue online instruction. But online learning is the primary learning methodology for the home school and private microschools she supports, so why is that different? She said that my criticism was the inconsistency of the delivery of online learning during the pandemic rather than any general opposition to it. I have nothing against either home schooling or faith-based schools like the Catholic elementary school and three Catholic universities Im grateful to have attended. But I never thought that the state should pay for that education. And I do hear comments that we do it so wrong in the classroom, where students are supposedly seen as just numbers as both unfair and all too common from those whose actions, even more than their words, say that they do not oppose the privatization of public education. The Wall Street Journals editorial board is arguing against a push to ban former President Trump from the 2024 ballot under the 14th Amendment. Now that their indictments have boosted Mr. Trump in the GOP primary polls (see nearby), his opponents are resorting to their worst idea since the panicky agitation of 2017 to remove him via the 25th Amendment, the editorial board wrote Monday. Now they want to invoke Section 3 of the Constitutions 14th Amendment to disqualify him from the 2024 ballot. A growing number of legal scholars, Democrats and GOP presidential hopefuls have put forth an argument that Trump may be disqualified from serving as president due to actions he allegedly took during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment states that no one who has engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. The editorial board is pushing against the argument that Trumps alleged actions after the 2020 election were equal to an insurrection or rebellion. The board also noted that the former president has not been charged with inciting or participating in the insurrection, adding that Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith would have charged the former president if he believed he could prove it in court. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement They argued that disqualifying Trump from certain ballots in states could violate the due process protections in the constitution and deny voters the constitutional right to vote for the candidate of their choice. If Mr. Trump does somehow regain the Presidency, in part because Democrats insist on renominating a weak President Biden, the normal U.S. checks and balances will continue to exist, the board wrote. The consequences of a 14th Amendment panic are likely to be worse for democracy and its institutions than trusting voters and 234 years of sturdy constitutional example. Trump also dismissed the arguments that he could be disqualified from the ballot Monday, saying those opinions have no legal basis or standing relative to the 2024 election. Like Election Interference, it is just another trick being used by the Radical Left Communists, Marxists, and Fascists, to again steal an Election that their candidate, the WORST, MOST INCOMPETENT, & MOST CORRUPT President in U.S. history, is incapable of winning in a Free and Fair Election. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! he wrote in a Truth Social post. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) both said Sunday that the 14th Amendment may disqualify Trump from the election. GOP presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson has also said the former presidents alleged actions Jan. 6 likely violated the amendment, making him disqualified from the presidency. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. China's president, Xi Jinping, has decided not to attend the two-day Group of 20 summit starting Sept. 9 in India. Xi attended the 2020 and 2021 meetings virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic, but this will be the first time a Chinese leader has skipped one of the gatherings outright since the first summit in 2008. China's second-ranking official, Premier Li Qiang, will go in Xi's place. The apparent snub of the host country, India, comes as the neighboring nuclear-armed Asian powers are in a standoff over a border dispute, The Guardian noted. They also are battling for leadership on the world stage, with India determined to leverage its rising population and economic output to present itself as a leader of the world's developing nations. Delhi plans to use the summit to demonstrate its new leadership role. Xi recently attended a South Africa summit of the BRICS bloc, which Beijing is pushing to expand in hopes that it will become a legitimate alternative to the Western-led Group of Seven and the G20. "Xi's skipping the west-heavy club of G20 right after attending the BRICS summit may be a visual illustration of Xi's narrative of 'east is rising, and the west is falling,'" said Wen-ti Sung, an Australian National University political scientist and China expert. Will Xi's absence hurt India, or wind up costing Beijing and giving Delhi the chance to steal the limelight? This is bad news for India There's no denying this is a significant "snub to New Delhi," said YP Rajesh, Krishn Kaushik, and Martin Quin Pollard at Reuters. Xi's absence also represents "a new setback to the already frozen relations" between the rival Asia powers. It has "added to existing irritants, including a military stand-off" on the Himalayan border following a June 2020 clash that left 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops dead. With no thaw in sight, India might as well forget about the "speedy resolution" it was hoping for. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement India "has invested a huge amount of time and money in presenting this G20 as the moment when the country takes on a leadership role on the world stage," said Shweta Sharma in The Independent. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to be seen as the "'Vishwaguru' or global teacher providing a voice for the whole developing world." But it is all being "overshadowed by geopolitical fallout." Russian President Vladimir Putin is staying away to avoid possible arrest for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, and now Xi is backing out, too. This shows that India faces "a seemingly insurmountable task in bridging the gap between Western nations on one side and allies Russia and China on the other." Xi is the one showing weakness Xi's decision to stay away is not a show of strength, said Katsuji Nakazawaxi at Nikkei Asia. This "is likely an attempt to avoid losing face." Xi has "consistently attached importance" to G20 summits, but he has been beaten down by a rough summer. China's "economy is receding in ways unseen since 'reform and opening-up' began in the late 1970s. The real estate sector is in shambles," and youth unemployment is so high Beijing "stopped releasing figures." A group of Communist party elders "reprimanded" Xi at this summer's meeting at the seaside resort of Beidaihe. Xi skipped an economic forum at the BRICS summit and the upcoming G20 meeting for the same reason he doesn't want to get questions about China's economic troubles that he can't answer. Xi might regret staying away, said Stephen Collinson at CNN. His absence hands President Biden a golden opportunity "to push forward his relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he welcomed to a glittering state dinner at the White House in June." The United States is doing everything it can to "nudge India closer to security arrangements and political groupings involving its allies in the Pacific, as it seeks to counterbalance rising Chinese power." India, with its "historic non-aligned status," is reluctant to go too far in cozying up to Washington, but China's unfriendliness will only ensure that Delhi will be careful to keep "a foot in both camps," which only makes things harder for Beijing. You may also like Homepage Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. will replace the Waffle Experience at 13405 Folsom Blvd., Suite 950, in Folsom, the fast-growing roasterys first Northern California cafe. First reported by the Sacramento Business Journal, Qamarias impending move would make it the first Yemeni coffee shop in Folsom and perhaps the entire Sacramento region. Yemens coffee culture dates back to the 15th century, and Yemeni coffees popularity is slowly growing stateside. Often described as rich, earthy and full-bodied, it is said to have chocolate-like notes (the city of Mocha produces many of Yemens beans). You can get Qamaria coffee to go, but in-house service normally comes poured into Oriental-patterned cups. Other locations also have sweets such as an eye-catching pistachio milk cake or honeycomb cake. Munif Maweri and Hatem Al-Eidaroos founded Qamaria after eight years of determining how to best source beans from their native Yemen. The Michigan-based roastery now has 12 cafes nationwide, with Fullerton the first location in California. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Franchisee Najla Althaibani plans to open a second Sacramento-area Qamaria location in 2025 and a third in 2026, she told the Business Journal. Shes opening the Folsom cafe with her daughter Fayruz Ali and niece Amal Abdulla. The Waffle Experience closed its Folsom restaurant last fall. The local brunch spot still has a location in North Natomas. The 1776 Project is back. You might remember the right-wing anti-woke group, a New York-based national outfit that two years ago backed a slate of board candidates for the Olathe and Blue Valley school districts in Kansas. A lot of those candidates won, and the results have been about what you might expect. In Blue Valley, 1776 Project members were the lone votes to ban LGBT-themed books last year. And one of the Olathe winners Brian Connell this spring was censured for his pattern of outbursts, yelling and storming out of meetings. District staffers said his behavior made them feel unsafe. So things are going great, obviously. Now its school board election season again and the 1776 Project is weighing in. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The group last week released its endorsements for races in Pennsylvania, Ohio and (naturally) Kansas. Theres a new slate of four candidates for the Blue Valley board, of course. But the groups ambitions range beyond Johnson County and its suburban environs it also endorsed a pair of candidates in Lansing, four more in Chanute and three in Baldwin City. On November 7, parents rights are on the ballot in all of these states, the 1776 Project political action committee said in its online endorsement announcement. Our PAC is going to work hard to ensure they win. In other words: Let the culture wars begin again. I dont want to spend too much time here critiquing the 1776 Projects conservative ideology. Youre either on board with its agenda of promoting pride and patriotism while abolishing critical race theory and (The New York Times Magazines) 1619 Project from school curricula or you arent. Im not. Most Americans who are paying attention to the news probably know where they stand on those issues. Still, its odd to see these endorsements. Baldwin City, Chanute and Lansing arent exactly hotbeds of progressivism crying out for reactionary change. (Although, yes, there was a hubbub in Chanute a few years back when a portrait of Jesus was removed from the local middle school.) Mostly, though, its dreary and depressing to see local school board races nationalized in this way. In most small Kansas towns places like Lansing, Chanute and Baldwin City serving on a local school board doesnt have much to do with the Democrats-versus-Republicans partisan warfare that plays out on our screens every day. Our national political scene is seemingly custom-designed as a rage production machine. Get people angry about something they see on TV or social media and theyll turn out at the polls or watch your show. But you dont get people angry by being dull. Thats why a reality TV star like Donald Trump and a host like Tucker Carlson have risen to positions of power and influence. Theyre not just politicians and pundits. Theyre entertainers. Serving on a local school board, meanwhile, is often blessedly boring. Consider some of the agenda items of the most recent meeting of the Baldwin City school board, just to pick one example. Members discussed pay rates for substitute teachers, meal prices for school lunchrooms and an agreement with a local church to rent space at the local junior high school. They also reviewed a form to be used if school staffers have to administer naloxone, a medicine given in the event of an opioid overdose. Whats the 1776 Project going to say about that stuff? Dont get me wrong. The items on the Baldwin City agenda are important. They are not, however, the kinds of issues that fit neatly into our national political debates. But they do represent most of what a Kansas school board actually does not big debates over so-called critical race theory a specific legal term that conservative activists have used as an umbrella description for just about any discussion of the United States unsavory racial history. Board members do the nitty-gritty and unglamorous work of democracy. Theyre performing public service to their communities and kids, in that terms purest and most unironic sense. Theyre our neighbors. We shouldnt need a national PAC to tell us if theyre worthy of service. New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) in a new filing asked a state judge to sanction former President Trump, his two adult sons and their legal team for $20,000, saying they continue to bring up arguments already rejected in court. James who is suing the former president, his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump , the Trump Organization and others for $250 million over allegations that they falsely inflated their assets argued Tuesday that arguments raised by Trumps legal team have been struck down twice by the court. An appeals court also separately rejected the claims. When the Trump legal team raised the arguments the second time, the judge noted that they were borderline frivolous even the first time defendants made them and said that a sophisticated defense counsel should have known better, according to Tuesdays filing. However, the judge said at the time sanctions were unnecessary in light of the Court having made its point. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement James asked the court to fine the defendants and their legal team the maximum allowable amount, noting they were previously admonished by the Court that their conduct in raising previously-rejected arguments was frivolous and sanctionable. Trump, his sons and the other defendants would collectively owe $10,000, and their legal team would owe another $10,000, under the fines proposed by the attorney general. The civil suit, which is set to go to trial in less than a month, is one of many legal battles facing the former president in the coming months including four criminal indictments and a second defamation case brought by author E. Jean Carroll. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree dismissing the head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration Pavlo Kyrylenko from his post, according to an announcement on the presidents website on Sept. 5. Kyrylenko's dismissal was previously approved by the cabinet it's expected he may become the head of Ukraines Anti-Monopoly Committee. Read also: US House Committee passes draft resolution on special tribunal for Russia Briefings by Ukrainian MPs suggest this is likely a part of a chain of appointments sparked by the dismissal of Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Reznikov has tendered his resignation and is tapped to be replaced by Rustem Umerov, who resigned from his post as head of Ukraines State Property Fund (SPF) earlier on Sept. 5. In turn, Olha Pishchanska resigned as head of the Anti-Monopoly Committee, poised to take charge of SPF. Kyrylenko will now assume her former post. Read also: Ukraine sees advances on Bakhmut and Melitopol fronts General Staff Its still unclear who may become the new governor of Donetsk Oblast, where fierce fighting continues with Russian forces around the city of Bakhmut. 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 Volodymyr Zelenskyy , President of Ukraine, has dismissed Pavlo Kyrylenko from the office of the head of the Donetsk Oblast State Administration. Source: order 558/2023 signed by Zelenskyy Quote: "To dismiss Kyrylenko Pavlo Oleksandrovych from the office of the head of the Donetsk Oblast State Administration according to an application submitted by him." Background: The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has supported the resignation of Pavlo Kyrylenko as head of the Donetsk Oblast State Administration and the appointment of Filip Pronin as head of the Poltava Oblast State Administration. Sources of Ukrainska Pravda say Pavlo Kyrylenko may be appointed Head of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that everything that soldiers are lacking while going into battle, especially the availability of electronic warfare equipment, will be a matter discussed by members of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Source: President's evening address Quote: "It is extremely important to support our warriors, to communicate with the brigade and battalion commanders. It is very, very useful to hear from those who are going into battle directly what exactly is lacking, what exactly is enough and what exactly needs to be changed. Everything the warriors talked about will be issues for the participants [members] of the Staff. Especially regarding electronic warfare - we heard everything, guys." Details: In addition, Zelenskyy presented over 50 awards. Gold Star Orders were given to the Heroes of Ukraine: Major Oleh Dmytruk, Air Assault Forces, and Colonel Viktor Sikoza, Marines. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The president also decorated military doctors and thanked stabilisation point teams, "they are great people who save heroes, restore lives and strength". Zelenskyy said this is "a true Ukrainian, Cossack, spirit when the guys recover from their injuries and return to their positions to join their brothers-in-arms. And destroy the occupier again". Background: On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited eight combat brigades in the Donetsk Operational and Tactical Grouping. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised that all requests from the Ukrainian military will go to top generals, government officials and our international partners and that there would be new supplies for the Armed Forces. Source: Zelenskyy's evening address Quote: "All requests from the soldiers will be addressed by senior generals, government officials, and our international relations officials. There will be new supplies. It is very important that there will be new production of our weapons, and we outlined several priority positions with the soldiers. This is what needs to be done. We will do it!" Details: Speaking about tomorrow, Zelenskyy also promised important news for Ukraine. "There will be important decisions for Ukraine," he said. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! As part of his working visit to Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited combat brigades engaged in offensive operations on the Bakhmut front. Source: Office of the President Details: In particular, Zelenskyy visited the 93rd Separate Mechanised Brigade Kholodnyi Yar, the 28th Separate Mechanised Brigade and the 92nd Separate Mechanised Brigade. The President met with Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Commander of the Khortytsia Operational and Strategic Group of Forces and heard reports on the operational situation in the area of responsibility of the Lyman and Soledar Joint Task Forces. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It is noted that Zelenskyy discussed in detail the problematic issues and needs of the units with the battalion commanders. In particular, they discussed provision of artillery shells, missiles for air defence systems at the front, evacuation vehicles and electronic warfare equipment. Zelenskyy also decorated soldiers of the units with the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, For Courage and the Order of Princess Olha. 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! TOKYO, Sep 04 ( NHK ) - A group of people who say they were sexually abused by the founder and president of Japan's leading talent agency, Johnny & Associates, have sent a requests list to the agency that includes setting up a panel to pave the way for compensation. A team of outside experts probing the allegations against the late Johnny Kitagawa confirmed last Tuesday that widespread abuse against minors occurred over long periods. The experts urged the agency to set up a program that will compensate the victims. The group of alleged victims met reporters in Tokyo on Monday, where they announced they had sent the list. They said they also asked the agency to set up a panel including expert members that the victims' group and the agency each nominate. They say the panel should comprise two groups. One would focus on shedding full light on the allegations and clarify where the responsibility for the alleged abuse lies. The other would hold a dialogue with the victims and provide relief, including compensation and address issues such as their psychological distress. They requested that a fund to be set up for these purposes, and that the agency and the current president of Johnny & Associates, Julie K. Fujishima, contribute to the cause. They also requested voluntary financial contributions from media organizations, including TV stations. The group disclosed plans to submit a claim soon for human rights relief to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations. They also announced they are preparing to take their case to prosecutors, and in the event the talks collapse, they plan to file a civil suit. The head of the group, Hiramoto Junya, said they proposed that the panel be active for ten years, so that victims who hesitate to come forward can have time to speak out. He added that he wants the panel to create a framework to work with the victims to help them, rather than have the talent agency provide relief on its own. Johnny & Associates earlier announced it will hold a news conference on September 7. Renowned for its storied history and cultural legacy, Japan boasts a profound affinity for the katana, an emblematic traditional Japanese sword synonymous with the spirit of the samurai. Nevertheless, this connection is intertwined with a nuanced tale, as contemporary circumstances have ushered in stringent regulations and a complete prohibition on the ownership and utilization of katanas. This article delves deeply into the intricate fabric of Japan's katana ban, delving into its historical backdrop, the impetuses that propelled it, and the reverberations it has cast upon a cultural emblem that has endured across the ages. A Glimpse into History Distinguished by its unmistakable curved blade and unparalleled artistry, the katana has stood as a symbol of Japanese culture and heritage for countless generations. With its origins deeply intertwined with the traditions of feudal Japan, this iconic sword served as the preferred weapon of the samurai noble warriors who epitomized honor, loyalty, and martial mastery. The Modern Dilemma Despite the katana's revered history, contemporary Japan finds itself grappling with a ban on the possession and use of these iconic swords. The ban was implemented under Japan's Sword and Firearms Control Law, enacted in 1958. This law classifies the katana as a "cultural asset," making its possession highly regulated and requiring a license. Obtaining this license is no small feat, involving background checks, training, and adherence to strict regulations. Motivations Behind the Ban of Katanas The ban on katanas can be traced back to concerns about public safety, stemming from incidents involving sword-related crimes and accidents. The increased urbanization of Japan coupled with the potential for misuse of these deadly weapons prompted the government to take action. By regulating the possession and sale of katanas, the authorities aimed to minimize the risk of violence and preserve public safety. Striking a Balance Although the ban has generated a considerable amount of controversy, it underscores the intricate equilibrium between safeguarding cultural heritage and upholding public safety. Certain proponents posit that the ban encroaches upon personal freedoms and obstructs the capacity to forge a connection with Japan's historical origins. Others believe that strict regulations are necessary to prevent potential harm. Cultural Impact The ban's impact goes beyond legalities, extending into the realm of culture and tradition. For centuries, the katana has embodied the spirit of the samurai and the ideals they stood for. With the ban, the intimate connection between the Japanese people and this symbol of honor and heritage has been disrupted. The inability to freely possess and wield a katana raises questions about the preservation of Japan's cultural identity. A Changing Landscape In recent years, efforts have been made to address the concerns raised by the ban on katanas. Some have proposed introducing special licenses for traditional martial artists and craftsmen who require katanas for training or artistic purposes. These discussions highlight the ongoing struggle to strike a balance between maintaining tradition and adapting to modern societal needs. Embracing Tradition with Hand Forged Katanas In the midst of the ban on katanas in Japan, enthusiasts and collectors who wish to connect with the tradition of these iconic swords can turn to sources that preserve the artistry and craftsmanship. Websites like katana.store offer a unique opportunity to acquire katanas that are traditionally forged, capturing the essence of Japan's sword-making heritage. These meticulously crafted blades pay homage to centuries of tradition while providing enthusiasts with a tangible link to history. In brief... The ban on katanas in Japan presents a multifaceted challenge that intertwines cultural heritage, public safety, and personal freedoms. While the modern world calls for measures to prevent violence and ensure public order, the ban also raises important questions about the preservation of cultural symbols and the connection between a nation's past and present. As Japan navigates this complex terrain, it will continue to grapple with the task of honoring tradition while embracing the demands of contemporary society a journey that reflects the ongoing evolution of a nation's values and priorities. TOKYO, Sep 05 ( News On Japan ) - A foreign tourist attempting to "bullet climb" Mount Fuji without staying overnight, was rescued Tuesday morning after being reported lost by his friend. After becoming separated, the hiker's companion, a Mexican male university student, contacted management on Mount Fuji at around 4:30 AM on Monday, reporting that his friend was lost on the mountain, although not injured. The Yamaguchi Prefectural Police's mountain rescue team initiated a search operation. According to police, the Mexican student and his American friend had attempted the "bullet climb" without staying overnight on the mountain, but they lost their way and found themselves stuck on the mountain, although the Mexican student eventually managed to descend on his own. The search for the second American male continued, and a helicopter eventually spotted the American, with the rescue team confirming his safety. Advertisement Nicosia: India can be invited to the next trilateral Israel, Greece and Cyprus summit expected to be held next year, The Times of Israel reported. In the 9th Trilateral Summit between Israel, Greece and Cyprus, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the country is especially interested in natural gas exports partnership with countries such as India, which may even be invited to the next trilateral summit, expected next year, as per The Times of Israel. In the joint press conference, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu in Nicosia said, We reaffirmed our strong commitment to the 3+1 format with the United States and agreed on the value of intensifying 3+1 cooperation, with concrete deliverables also with other countries and we talked specifically about India, according to an official statement issued by Cyprus government. At the Summit, the leaders said that they reaffirmed their commitment to continue strengthening the dynamic cooperation of the trilateral partnership platform. The engagement reflects shared values and ever-increasing common interests, aiming to contribute to peace, stability, security and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider region. As underlined on previous occasions, our three countries remain committed to welcoming other like-minded parties in our resolute effort to create and advance synergies, to the benefit of our countries and peoples, as well as of our region, the statement read. We agreed that the energy sector, and in particular, natural gas, electricity and renewable energy, is a solid foundation for cooperation in the region, based on international law including the law of the sea and the respect of all states to exercise their rights in their respective EEZ/Continental Shelf, it added. In light of the growing need for energy diversification and interconnectivity, due to the geopolitical developments, the leaders reaffirmed the common interest to advance prospects for a reliable energy corridor from the Eastern Mediterranean basin to Europe. In this context, the leaders stressed the importance of further promoting energy synergies with like-minded countries including the EMGF and regional projects such as electrical interconnections, like the EuroAsia Interconnector, and possible natural gas/hydrogen pipelines. Addressing the global challenge of climate change, we agree to reinforce our efforts through regional cooperative projects, R&D, innovative energy technologies and promoting further regional energy connectivity. Against the backdrop of recent wildfires in Greece and Cyprus, taking note of the recent assistance provided by Israel, we reaffirm our mutual commitment to assist each other in responding to emergencies and further enhance our coordination and joint capabilities for that purpose, the statement read. We also reaffirmed on the value of the 3+1 format with the United States, which can offer tangible deliverables, inter alia, in the areas of energy, economy, climate action, emergency preparedness and counterterrorism. It was agreed to work together towards holding a ministerial 3+1 meeting later this year, the statement added. KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) Israeli troops and tanks pushed deeper into Gaza on Monday, advancing on two sides of the territorys main city, as the U.N. and medical staff warned that airstrikes have hit closer to hospitals where tens of thousands of Palestinians have sought shelter alongs UN Sahara envoy Staffan de Mistura arrived on Monday in Laayoune, capital of the Moroccan Sahara, in a bid to advance the UN-led political process on the Sahara issue. The Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General is looking forward to conducting visits in the region and meetings, engaging all concerned ahead of the issuance of the report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council in October, said the UN in a statement. Mr. Staffan de Mistura looks forward to further deepening consultations with all concerned on the prospects of constructively advancing the political process on Western Sahara in the course of these regional engagements, added the UN document. The Personal Envoy is planning to report on his visits and engagements to the Secretary-General as well as to the Security Council in October, underlined the UN. De Misturas trip comes few days after the visit paid by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Josh Harris to Morocco and Algeria to consult on regional security and reaffirm full U.S. support for the UN political process for Sahara, according to a statement released by the U.S. State Departments Bureau for Eastern Affairs. The U.S. official urged Algeria and the Polisario to support UN Sahara envoy in a spirit of realism and compromise to achieve an enduring political solution to the Sahara issue. General Brice Oligui Nguema, who led a coup last week that toppled Gabons 55-year-old dynasty, was sworn in as transitional president this Monday September 4. He pledged to hold free (and) transparent elections after an unspecified period and to amnesty prisoners of conscience. The group known as the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions, which is in charge now, announced that they have immediately reopened the countrys land, sea, and air borders ahead of General Brice Oligui Nguemas inauguration as president of the transition on Monday. The ruling army officers said the borders are reopened to show their commitment to economic stability and good relations with neighbors. General Nguema, speaking to more than 200 Gabonese business leaders at the Presidency of the Republic, has also issued strong warnings to those involved in corruption and overcharging, promising to take action against such practices. The coup leaders last Wednesday (August 30) said they had dissolved the nations institutions, cancelled the election results and temporarily closed the borders. International reaction to the coup has been mixed with countries such as France both condemning the takeover and recognizing issues with Gabons democratic process. Other countries have not acknowledged Oligui as Gabons legitimate leader and he faces pressure to spell out his plans for restoring civilian rule. European Union ministers have expressed deep concern about domino effects following last Wednesdays coup in oil-rich Gabon the eighth nation in the Central or West African region to be hit by a military takeover in the last three years. The EU is increasingly concerned about the growing number of military coups across the continent as the bloc draws up sanctions targeting the junta in Niger which overthrew an elected government only a month ago. The EU has not been training Gabons armed forces although French troops have but it has funded and taught troops in Mali and Niger. The military training provided by the bloc has focused mainly on the volatile Sahel region to combat extremism, particularly groups linked to al-Qaida. Brussels is increasingly concerned that instability in Africa will drive more people to flee, and the 27-nation bloc is already divided over how to cope with large numbers of migrant arrivals. Some European countries, most notably France, have strong economic interests in Africa and the growing influence of Russia through the Wagner mercenary group, and the economic might of China are also forcing the bloc to rethink its policies. Its clear that things havent gone well given the proliferation of military coups and the presence of Wagner gangs in the Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said that we do need to evaluate our approach to Africa in the light of what has transpired, especially referring to the fact that training and supporting armies in Africa might later turn on their governments, as this does present a very significant dilemma. Many EU foreign ministers would like to see Africa to drive the response to its own challenges. In Niger, they said, it is important to back the West African bloc ECOWAS. A senior ECOWAS official and Nigers foreign minister in exile took part in their meeting. Borrell said the ministers would listen carefully to ECOWAS because I believe that the first thing to do is to show that we want the solutions to these problems to come from African institutions. He also said the 27-nation bloc is drawing up a list of measures, including asset freezes and travel bans, for those involved in the coup, in line with sanctions under consideration by ECOWAS. Ali Lamine Zeine, Nigers Prime Minister, indicated Monday September 4 that there are ongoing talks with Paris for French soldiers stationed in the African country to leave as millions of Nigeriens have been demonstrating for the withdrawal of the forces. The talks that are underway should enable these forces to be withdrawn very quickly, Zeine said during a press conference in capital Niamey. What interests us is, if possible, to maintain cooperation with a country with which we have shared a great deal. Zeine, a former African Development Bank top official, was appointed Prime Minister on August 7 by the Nigerien National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), a junta that seized power on July 26, after deposing West-backed President Mohamed Bazoum. Relations between the CNSP and France have been sour since the coup, as Paris refuses to recognize the junta. The CNSP has reportedly terminated all agreements with the former colonial power. The new Nigerien authorities have also terminated the mission of the French ambassador and demanded the withdrawal of French troops. The demand has been endorsed by thousands of Nigeriens who have been demonstrating daily in front of the French military base in Niamey. The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) has suspended Gabon until the return of the constitutional order, few days after a junta led by the head of the national guards Gen. Brice Oligui Nguema removed incumbent leader Ali Bongo Ondimba. The decision was made Monday September 4 during a meeting of the ECCAS leaders in Equatorial Guinea to address the coup in Gabon. The Summit coincided with the inauguration of Nguema named few hours after the coup as Gabons transitional President. The junta deposed Ali Bongo on August 30 few moments after the countrys independent electoral Committee announced the leader winner of August 26 presidential elections. The junta which seized power argued that the results were rigged. Nguema was sworn in on September 4 before the Constitutional Court as new transitional leader. The duration of the transition has not been spelled out. Here and now, I solemnly pledge to spare no effort to ensure that, at the end of this transition, our country, Gabon, is endowed with strong, democratic and credible institutions, he promised. The new leader also promised constitutional reforms adding that a new Constitution must be drawn up for Gabon, guaranteeing the establishment of more democratic institutions. We want the people to adopt it by referendum. The African Union has also suspended the central African country and demanded a return to civilian-led State. The inaugural Africa Climate Summit (ACS) that officially opened in Nairobi on Monday (4 September) has been hailed as an unparalleled opportunity to benefit from action to tackle global warming. The ACS comes ahead of a flurry of diplomatic meetings leading to the November COP28 climate summit in the United Arab Emirates, which will likely be dominated by clashing visions for the worlds energy future. Delivering prosperity and wellbeing for Africas growing population without pushing the world deeper into climate disaster is not an abstract proposition, or mere wishful thinking. It is a real possibility, proven by science, Kenyas President William Ruto said in his opening address. The three-day landmark summit is billed as bringing together leaders from the 54-nation continent to define a shared vision of Africas green development an ambitious aim in a politically and economically diverse region whose communities are among the most vulnerable to climate change. African leaders have voiced their determination to wield more global influence and have the worlds biggest greenhouse gas emitters pay their fair share. Therefore, environment ministers, business executives and climate campaigners meeting in Nairobi will discuss how to scale up climate finance and carbon markets, investments in adaptation to rising temperatures, and transformation of food systems. In her remarks, Kenyan environment minister Soipan Tuya stressed the urgency of the moment. The climate change debate has entered a new era. It is no longer just about tackling an environmental or development problem, but about addressing climate change in the context of justice, Tuya said. If we do not develop adequate response measures to deal with climate change crisis, it will destroy us. funny how his ex wife doesnt share the same sentiment Reply Thread Link Theres an ex wife? Ari never mentioned! Reply Parent Thread Link didn't they have a like, less than 1 year old baby? lol Reply Parent Thread Link She's such a rat, having double dates with them and then having an affair smh Reply Thread Link Funny cause she's from Boca Raton which translates to "Rat Mouth" Reply Parent Thread Link Lmao shit, I didn't know she was Florida woman! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Why is her team still trying to push this narrative when its been weeks/no one bought it in the first place? Reply Thread Link Honestly, this sounds more like shes annoyed people have lost interest Reply Parent Thread Link Has to be. Because I was about to forget all about them until the Wicked promo tour Reply Parent Thread Link They know that folks will bring it up as soon as she is able to promote something, whether it's movie or music-related. It might be quiet now but her team knows that the internet never forgets. Reply Parent Thread Link my we totally didnt have an affair t-shirt is raising a lot of questions already answered by my t-shirt Reply Parent Thread Link It kills me because it's giving me, "A thorough investigation was made, and there were no findings of an overlap." Like, no one's been talking about it, nor did we care because we know she's a homewrecker and serial cheater. lmao If anything, it just brought this back up again after things got quiet lmao LOVE IT! Reply Parent Thread Link Probably because she just dropped her new foundation Reply Parent Thread Link The last news about them suggested that they were on a break maybe until things calmed down, but I think now they are back on full force and we might start seeing them around/as an official couple, so her team is trying to prepare the public for it. Reply Parent Thread Link yeah it makes more sense to lean it to the 'we are deeply in love so its actually okay if we hurt other people' ala angie and brad when they first got together Reply Parent Thread Link All this PR work for a relationship thats not even going to last long enough to make the premiere of their movie?! Reply Thread Link Maybe in Dalton and Ariana's relationship but Ethan's wife says she was blindsided so.... Reply Thread Link She is as good a liar as she is an actress. Reply Thread Link lmao sure Reply Thread Link Lol they should've let this stuff die down instead of bringing it back up. I'm guessing they're doing damage control for when the movie comes out?? If there's any premiere due to the strikes lol! It's funny cause I went to listen to break up with your girlfriend when the drama dropped and all the youtube comments had me rolling: "Arianas more authentic than your favorite rapper. She lives the life she portrays in her music." "she jumped from wanting a taken boyfriend to wanting a taken husband because shes bored" "She really meant every verse, line, word, letter and syllable in this song edit: ari got her stans playing lawyer for her for FREE. at least make her pay you guys " "She wasnt joking when she made this song lol" Edited at 2023-09-04 11:27 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link She lives the life she portrays in her music well, are they wrong? break_up_w_ur_bf.yu Reply Parent Thread Link Homewrecker Life Reply Parent Thread Link when keeping it real goes wrong Reply Parent Thread Link they should've let this stuff die down instead of bringing it back up. I'm guessing they're doing damage control for when the movie comes out?? If they were smart they would have let it die down and spun the promo in the "we met on set" narrative. But they didn't. Reply Parent Thread Link It's not our business but also Reply Thread Link his literal wife has said there was overlap lmao who do they think they're fooling!! Reply Thread Link Obviously shes just a jealous shrew! Reply Parent Thread Link So... they were messing around with each other, but not in a relationship. Reply Thread Link We weren't an item! It was just fucking! Reply Parent Thread Link it was all over-the-clothes stuff til they left their spouses Reply Parent Thread Link aren't there like timestamps from when his ex wife posted those nice messages of him and like a day or so later the info about ariana came out? i don't know the exact timeline in all of this, but fuck both of them honestly Reply Thread Link oh fuck off shmariana Edited at 2023-09-04 11:30 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link Tell 'em, Joe! Reply Parent Thread Link Chemical Processor Faces $479,700 Fine for Worker Exposure to Toxic Gases The investigation follows more than 60 violations at Two Rivers Terminal in 2022. Washington States Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has fined Two Rivers Terminal $479,700 for serious safety violations, including exposing a worker to toxic hydrogen sulfide gas without proper respiratory protection. In a release dated August 31, L&I announced the Moses Lake, Washington-based manufacturer was fined in July. During the incident in question, the worker was unloading molten sulfur from a railcar, became incapacitated and fell, suffering serious injuries. He was not wearing a hydrogen sulfide gas monitor, respiratory protection or fall protection. Notably, he had a full beard, preventing a proper respirator seal. Monitors were not issued until the next day. Its hard to overstate how serious a risk they were taking with their workers lives, Craig Blackwood, assistant director for L&Is Division of Occupational Safety and Health, said in a statement. Were focusing our enforcement efforts on making sure Two Rivers is doing everything it must to ensure its workers return home safely at the end of the day. Two Rivers Terminals management admitted to changing the unloading process from tank trucks to railcars months before the incident, without assessing new process dangers. Work was stopped by a court order on January 26 until safety measures were implemented. The order was lifted on February 6. However, inspectors observed unsafe practices again on February 16. During the July investigation, L&I cited Two Rivers Terminal for seven willful serious violations, seven serious violations and four general violations. This incident follows over 60 safety violations cited at Two Rivers Terminal in October 2022, six of which were repeated in the recent citations. The company is appealing both the 2022 and 2023 citations. OSHA Cites Houston Manufacturer for Failure to Correct Hazards Leading to Employee Injury Air Starter Components Inc. faces a total of $298,250 in proposed penalties. Air Starter Components Inc.which manufactures and services air starters and other engine partsnow faces a total of $298,250 in proposed penalties following an OSHA investigation. In a release dated August 31, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the Stafford, Texas-based company was cited for failing to correct safety hazards that resulted in an incident that cost an employee their finger. In March 2022, one of the companys workers caught their hand in a polishing machine that lacked the necessary machine safety guards. OSHA inspectors returned to Air Starter Components Inc. in March 2023, and the investigation resulted in two repeat violations for not properly adjusting bench grinders and not posting 2022 OSHA injury and illness logs as required. Overall, OSHA proposed penalties of $127,187 following the conclusion of its investigation, which uncovered a variety of violations. Fourteen serious violations were identified, including hazards related to a spray booth, unguarded projected shaft ends, belts and pulleys on a horizontal lathe and air compressors operating at more than 30 pounds per square inch. Additionally, electrical equipment was used beyond its safe limits and without proper grounding, electrical wires were exposed, and extension cords were used instead of required permanent wiring. Furthermore, the agency issued an additional $171,063 in penalties for failing to abate the 2022 violations. Air Starter Components Inc. did not correct the hazards identified in the previous inspection and did not include a 2022 recordable injury on its OSHA 300 log. Despite entering into an agreement with OSHA to address its violations, the company did not provide any abatement documentation. This brought the total proposed penalties to $298,250. Rather than correcting the hazards we identified in 2022, Air Starter Components was still operating equipment without required safety guards and doing so resulted in another worker suffering a debilitating injury, OSHA Area Director Mark Briggs in Houston said in a statement. Complying with safety standards is not optional. Employers who fail to follow required procedures will be held accountable. Early this year, Oilprice posed the question: Puerto Rico Has Big Plans For Renewables, But Can It Deliver? Six months later, it seems safe to say that the answer is a resounding yes. After the United States island territory saw its power grid collapse entirely after the devastating double-whammy of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, its gone all-in on a bold new plan to build back better through the centralization of renewable energy production. Puerto Ricos electrical grid was already compromised and vulnerable when the category 4 Hurricane Maria crashed into the island in September, 2017, thanks to decades of aging infrastructure, insufficient investment, and poor maintenance, on top of the previous damage from Hurricane Irma just weeks earlier. The combinations of these factors, plus the severity of the storm, led to devastating fallout. The collapse of the islands power grid led to the longest and most sweeping blackout in all of United States history and approximately 3,000 casualties. Most of those casualties were not directly results of the storm surge, but secondary problems related to the grid collapse, which left many hospitals without power and buildings without water. Parts of the island didnt have their power restored for over a year. It was a devastating tragedy and an unprecedented opportunity to try to build a renewable-focused grid from the ground up. In 2022, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) released a Puerto Rico 100% Renewable Energy and Resilience Study, which maps out a viable pathway to achieve a more hurricane-resilient and climate-friendly energy sector in Puerto Rico by 2050. This outline is a continuation of Puerto Ricos own policy ambitions, which already aimed to reach 40% renewable energy by just 2025. But the next major hurricane will happen much, much sooner than that. As Vox reported last September, in spite of the DOEs best efforts and FEMAs funds, the same hurdles that left the grid in a fragile state still remain: sluggish bureaucracy, poor management, underinvestment, and the inherent difficulty of delivering power on an island. While major infrastructure plans are already underway to transform the island into a cleaner and more resilient power hub, a great number Puerto Ricans have taken matters into their own hands by installing their own solar panels instead of continuing to wait on historically slow-moving government initiatives. The island has more rooftop solar installations per capita than 88% of U.S. states. And that figure doesn't even include decentralized solar systems that arent connected to the islands primary grid, which are increasingly popular solutions in rural areas. While the increase in solar itself is a huge leap forward for the island, even more important is the rising rate of battery-attached solar. "After Maria, solar is basically universally installed with storage," Javier Rua-Jovet, chief policy officer for the Solar and Energy Storage Association of Puerto Rico, recently told CNET. "It was really a paradigm-shifting event." The result is more reliable, more affordable, and more environmentally friendly energy across the island. Not only has Puerto RIco been given a unique opportunity to build an innovative clean energy grid from the ground up, it could also be an invaluable mid-scale pilot project for the rest of the world to learn from. The islands unique mix of big-government projects and grassroots solar micro-grids will undoubtedly provide some key lessons for diversified and increasingly decentralized energy systems of the future. "Everyone should be keeping their eye on Puerto Rico," said Lauren Rosenblatt, co-founder of the solar nonprofit Barrio Electrico. "What the [rest of the] US is going to see is that there are a lot more options for resiliency and sustainability. [...] Not every solution that works in Puerto Rico will work in your community, but they're generating myriad solutions. We're lucky to have them leading the way." By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The U.S. oil industry has constantly proven its resilience and, while growth may slow, there is no reason to believe the end is in sight just yet. Some analysts are claiming U.S. oil production is nearing its peak as lower oil prices lead inevitably to less drilling and then, months later, to a production decline. U.S. oil production is expected to hit a record high this year, but there is uncertainty as to whether the current growth can continue. Earlier this year, the Energy Information Administration said that oil production in the United States will hit a near-record 12.8 million barrels daily this year. In fact, the latest factual data, for June, showed that level has already been reached. Yet, at the same time, exploration and production companies are drilling fewer wells and keeping a cap on their investments in more production. And oil prices have fallen substantially over the past year. This makes for a confusing picture, with analysts of differing opinions contributing to it. Some argue the U.S. shale boom is over, and while production will continue to grow, it will grow at a much slower rate than before and then decline. Others argue that U.S. shale is far from done, even though the boom years are over. Both camps have data supporting their arguments. Whos right? The EIA said that this year, oil production will hit 12.8 million bpd, which it called an annual record, and grow further to 13.1 million bpd in 2024, which would be another record. The EIA is an authority on U.S. oil and gas data, being the official record-keeper for this data. Yet it is the same data that Reuters John Kemp cited earlier this month when he forecast U.S. production was nearing its peak. The reason for the peak: oil prices. Drawing on historical evidence, Kemp wrote that when the price of oil peaks, it takes about five months for drilling activity to catch up and decline. It also takes 12 months for production to adjust after a peak. According to Kemp, oil prices peaked in June last year, meaning U.S. production of oil should be peaking right about now. Indeed, drilling activity is on the decline, especially in the shale patch. During the second-quarter reporting season in July, all major oilfield service providers reported slower business in North America, with Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright saying, During the second quarter, we saw reduced frack activity that resulted in increased white space in our calendar. Yet, at the same time, E&P companies reported a surprise increase in well productivity as they drilled even longer laterals in horizontal wells in the shale formations. This surprise uptick in productivity meant that they could get more oil out of a well at no extra costa development reminiscent of the post-2014 shale industry when drillers made a major bet on cost reduction through efficiency improvements to be better prepared to weather the next oil downturn. Whats more, as Reuters Kemp notes in his analysis, prices are climbing again as Saudi Arabia and Russia extend their production/export cuts while demand data continues to show a resilient picture. Indeed, Brent crude was trading at around $95 per barrel in early September 2022 and, after it registered some drops to below $75 per barrel earlier this year, was trading at around $88 per barrel at the time of writing, on track to rebound to $90 should the supply-and-demand picture remain unchanged. What this means is that the peak in U.S. oil production may get delayed. Or it may turn out to be irrelevant if producers stand ready to drill more whenever prices are favorablewhich is what the industry has been doing forever. One amusing aspect of the latest U.S. oil production trends is the relationship between the Biden administration and the oil and gas industry. Last month, CNNs Matt Egan wrote an article arguing the U.S. was producing more oil under Biden than it was under Trump, despite criticism to the contrary coming from the industry itself. Indeed, if this years annual average is 12.8 million barrels daily, as the EIA predicts, the above statement would be true. Not everyone agrees it has anything to do with the administration, however. Its perhaps less about the administration in power and more about the entrepreneurial nature of the oil industry, Kplers head oil analyst for the Americas, Matt Smith, told Egan. Indeed, the U.S. oil industry has proven to be a resilient one, even with an administration that came into office with the promise to essentially crimp it as best it can to replace the countrys reliance on hydrocarbons with alternative sources of energy. ADVERTISEMENT Last years oil price shock provided a timely reality check to the Biden administration as it vowed to work with the oil industry to ensure Americans energy security. It took a lot of convincing, as there are certainly trust issues between U.S. oil and Washington, and ultimately, the administration failed. Oil producers only began pumping more when they decided the price was right, not when Secretary Granholm called on them to play ball. U.S. oil production this year could reach 12.8 million barrels daily. If it does, this would be the highest annual rate of production ever. Growth itself, however, has been a lot more modest than in the boom years, and this modesty is likely to persist as the oil market remains a highly uncertain place. As to whether we are witnessing the peak of U.S. oil, perhaps it would be wise to give it another few years and then revisit the topic. Players in the shale segment of the industry have proven time and again theyre good at surprises. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The European Commission is proposing making the temporary joint EU gas purchases a permanent scheme after its successful launch earlier this year, Reuters reported on Tuesday, quoting EU officials and a document it has seen. The EU proposed the joint gas purchases amid last years energy crisis following the slump in Russian pipeline gas deliveries after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The joint initiative, set to expire in December 2023, is aimed at securing gas supply for the EU members. The European Commission is now looking to make it a permanent scheme as part of an overhaul of the gas market rules in the EU, according to Reuters sources. In May 2023, the EU announced the successful outcome of the first-ever international tender for joint purchasing of EU gas supplies. During this tender, the EU managed to attract bids from 25 supplying companies equivalent to more than 13.4 billion cubic meters of gas (bcm) surpassing the 11.6 bcm of joint demand that EU companies submitted through the recently established AggregateEU mechanism. EU companies will now be able to negotiate the terms of the supply contracts directly with the supplying companies, with no involvement of the Commission, the EU said. Under the platform and joint purchase mechanism, the demand volumes submitted to the platform will subsequently be aggregated and ultimately matched with sellers bids through a tender. Each tendering round every two months lasts approximately two weeks. Both the type of delivery, liquefied natural gas (LNG) or national balancing point, and the date, should be indicated by a company when placing its gas demand. As of May 2023, the EU had more than 110 companies subscribed to the so-called AggregateEU joint gas purchase mechanism and more firms have subscribed since then. Under the new EC proposal seen by Reuters, companies will have a permanent option to participate voluntarily in joint gas purchases. In case of a gas supply crisis, however, the joint purchases would become mandatory to prevent EU member states from competing for the same supply. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The European Commission is facing tricky decisions in the coming weeks over the influx of Ukrainian agricultural products into the European Union. September 15 marks the end of the so-called temporary preventive measures that have allowed wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seed from Ukraine to transit through Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. All four of those commodities must remain "unsealed" until they reach other EU member states -- ideally to EU ports to be shipped on to developing nations around the world. These measures came about in early May after Poland, then Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria unilaterally shut their borders to all Ukrainian exports a month earlier, complaining that a glut of Ukrainian agricultural goods was filling up local storage and depressing prices for local farmers. The European Commission scrambled for a solution that would satisfy the five frontline states (the above-mentioned four plus Romania) while being acceptable for Kyiv. There was also a need to ensure that Ukrainian agriproducts reached third countries, notably in Africa and Asia, that have reported food shortages. Moreover, there was evident interest in safeguarding against major distortions on the EU's internal market -- something that the European Commission is officially in charge of. That's a lot of circles to square, and Brussels' solution in early May was to agree to preventive measures regarding the four products for the five frontline countries for one month, plus financial compensation for their farmers. In June, the measures were prolonged with the understanding that they would be phased out on September 15 and, in a separate decision, the EU approved the extension by another year of a tariff-free regime with Ukraine covering all Ukrainian products entering the bloc. Deep Background: Now the five frontline EU member states are pushing for an extension until the end of the year. You have crucial parliamentary elections in Slovakia on September 30 and in Poland on October 15, and farmers are an important and influential constituency in both countries. The European Commission does have some understanding for the five, and numbers back up their worries. Before 2022, EU agricultural imports from Ukraine totaled 7 billion euros, and 90 percent came via the Black Sea route. By 2022, that figure had risen to 13 billion euros and 5 billion of the additional 6 billion euros of goods ended up on the markets of the frontline EU states. The big culprit here is, of course, Russia, which has severely hampered Ukraine's lucrative Black Sea trade. Since the outbreak of the war, 40 percent of Ukrainian grain has been exported via the Black Sea Grain Initiative that expired in July after Russia opted not to renew it. Turkey, which was key to the 2022 initiative that was struck to alleviate the global food shortage by opening trade from a handful of Ukrainian ports, has been working hard to resuscitate the deal. President Erdogan was expected to push for its renewal during a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on September 4. There's a question, however, as to whether Russia is interested in a renewal. By strangling the Ukrainian Black Sea option, which normally allows for larger and cheaper worldwide exports with huge cargo ships compared to transporting overland in the EU, Russia has seemingly outmaneuvered an important trade competitor and made its own grain cheaper and more lucrative worldwide. Drilling Down: ADVERTISEMENT Ukraine obviously wants the temporary measures removed on September 15 but finds itself in a difficult situation when it comes to its agricultural products. Only 3 percent of the products that are currently transported via the EU's solidarity lanes instead of the Black Sea route are being shipped from the EU to third countries. There simply aren't many global buyers for such expensive goods. Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain have instead increased Ukrainian imports, especially of maize, which is vital to feeding livestock and boosting meat production. The EU is also investing to the tune of 1 billion euros to improve the Solidarity lanes -- and to reduce the costs for Ukrainian traders. The most obvious remedies include removing bottlenecks on various EU-Ukrainian border crossings by streamlining customs services, improving roads leading to the crossing, and increasing personnel there. But such measures take time to implement. The Baltic states have suggested easing the administrative burden on the EU-Ukrainian borders by shifting customs, veterinary, and phytosanitary controls to five Baltic ports (Tallinn, Riga, Ventspils, Liepaja, and Klaipeda), which have a combined annual capacity of 25 million tons. Croatia has also suggested using its Adriatic ports in a similar way. Currently, the most likely scenario is a prolongation of the preventive measures, judging by indications I've gotten from EU officials. And not only that. The frontline five want more products, including eggs and poultry, added to the four types of goods already listed. The European Commission has so far indicated there is no great influx from Ukraine of eggs or poultry. Raspberries, however, might be added after what one European Commission official described to me as a "drastic increase" in the EU market. The European Commissioner for agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, recently floated the idea of compensating Kyiv along with any extension. Noting that EU transit costs around 30 euros per ton and Ukraine needs to export around 20 million tons of food produce in the coming months, the European Commission would offer 600 million euros to Kyiv. This would act as a sort of economic subsidy to Ukrainian traders to enable the transport of grain all the way to EU ports. Ukraine would reportedly consider such an option, but it's unclear whether the entire European Commission would agree to the compensation. Expect that some sort of solution will be forthcoming as early as this week, especially given that a working platform set up in May to tackle the issue comprising relevant officials from the five frontline states, Ukraine, and the European Commission will discuss the issue in Brussels on September 5 as the bloc's agricultural ministers are meeting in the Spanish city of Cordoba on September 4-5. By RFE/RL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The dispute between Chevron and the unions representing workers at the Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG project has taken a turn for the worse, with the unions now threatening a two-week total strike starting September 14. "The Offshore Alliance is escalating protected industrial action to demonstrate that our bargaining negotiations are far from 'intractable'," the group of unions said in a Facebook post cited by Reuters. The escalation follows a decision by Chevron to launch mediation talks with the participation of Australias Fair Work Commissionthe authority in charge of mediating such disputes. The talks began yesterday with plans to continue through the week in hopes of finding common ground and averting industrial action. The outcome of the first day of talks, however, does not seem encouraging. Previously, the Offshore Alliance had planned partial strikes, such as bans on performing certain tasks for between 7 and 11 hours a day. Now it is talking about a total strike. Some of this action is now inevitable, Reuters reports, adding that workers at Gorgon and Wheatstone will begin work stoppages on September 7 unless the dispute is settled by then. The work stoppages will continue for a week, at least, with the possibility to be extended until the end of the month, the Offshore Alliance said. "It will create inefficiencies, and the risk of supply impacts grows with time but the mediation process should resolve the issues before the strikes escalate to the point of a material supply disruption," Credit Suisses Australian Research director Saul Kavonic told Reuters. The Gorgon and Wheatstone facilities account for over 5% of global LNG output so any disruption there would disrupt the global market, too, given the current precarious balance between supply and demand for the liquefied fuel. The two together have an annual capacity of close to 25 million tons of LNG. ADVERTISEMENT By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The flow of crude oil from Iraq to Turkey will not resume prior to October, sources have revealed. Iraqs oil flows to Turkeywhich have been suspended since March 25are unlikely to resume until Turkeys President Tayyip Erdogan visits Baghdad in October. The trip was originally planned to take place in August but was pushed back. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) suspended oil flows in March, ordering Turkey to pay the Iraqi government $1.5 billion in compensation for what it determined were unauthorized oil exports by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) between 2014 and 2018 via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline and the port of Ceyhan. The two parties have been discussing a restart of the oil flows now for months but have been plagued with repeated delayssome due to technical problems and others due to political ones. The KRG has missed out on billions in oil revenues since oil flows were suspended. Even after an agreement was reached between Iraq and Kurdistan over the resumption of exports, a deal between Turkey and Baghadad is still not complete. As part of the Iraqi-Kurdistan deal, the Kurdistan Regional Government began handing over 50,000-60,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil to Baghdad since the middle of June as part of the budget deal under which the federal government of Iraq through its state marketing company SOMO, will now be responsible for exporting Kurdistans crude oil. Kurdistans crude oil exports around 400,000 bpd shipped through an Iraqi-Turkey pipeline to Ceyhan and then on tankers to the international markets were halted on March 25 by the federal government of Iraq. Iraq, OPECs second-largest producer after Saudi Arabia, is currently exporting oil only via its southern oil export terminals. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Lower oil prices and lower sales volumes led to a 38.1% slump in Russias oil and gas revenues between January and August, compared to the same period of 2022, finance ministry data showed on Tuesday. During the first eight months of this year, Russian oil and gas revenues dropped to $49.5 billion (4.836 trillion Russian rubles), from $80 billion (7.818 trillion rubles) for the same period of 2022. This year, Gazproms gas exports to Europe slumped and dragged the gas giants profits down this year compared to 2022. Gazprom has reported a massive drop in its first-half net profit as deliveries to Europe plunged compared to 2022, when Russia was still supplying pipeline gas to its European customers for most of the first half of last year. Additionally, the lower average oil prices so far this year compared to January-August 2022 dragged down revenues from oil. The G7 price cap, the loss of Western buyers, and the hefty discounts Russia has had to make to sell its crude in India and China also weighed on the revenues. In August alone, Russian oil and gas revenues fell to $6.6 billion (642.7 billion rubles), down by 4.3% year-over-year and down from July 2023, too. The decline in August was mostly due to the profit-based tax paid once a quarter, which was in July in the third quarter. Last week, the Russian finance ministry said that the price of Russias flagship crude grade, Urals, averaged $74 per barrel in August, slightly down from August 2022, but way above the G7 price cap of $60 and higher than the July average of $64.37 a barrel. Between January and August 2023, the average price of Urals was $56.58 per barrel, compared to an average of $82.13 a barrel for the same period of 2022, the ministrys data showed. August was the second consecutive month in which the average price of Russias Urals has exceeded the $60 price cap set by the G7 and the EU if Russian crude shipments to third countries outside the EU are to use Western insurance and financing. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Coal-related emissions of carbon dioxide in the G20 have gone up by 9% since 2015 on a per-capita basis, climate change think tank Ember has said. Surprisingly, it is not China that accounts for the biggest share of these emissions on a per capita basis. According to Embers figures, it is Australia and South Korea that are the biggest per-capita emitters of carbon dioxide from coal. Still, the think tank acknowledges that multiple G20 members including Australia and South Korea saw a decline in their coal-related emissions from 2015-2022. Despite these emissions reductions, Australia and South Korea emit more than three times the global average in coal-related CO2 emissions. China was third. The G20 accounts for 80% of global emissions. Within the group, however, an individuals coal emissions in 2022 were notably higher, with per capita figures reaching 1.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide, compared to the global average of 1.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide, Ember wrote. The think tank then went on to call on the G20 to put more effort into decarbonization in order for the world to hit Paris Agreement targets for a net-zero energy system by 2050. Experience seems to suggest, however, that decarbonization cannot happen fast, at least not without creating some new risks. Australia is again a case in point. The countrys Energy Market Operator warned last month that two states risk blackouts this summer because of what its chief executive phrased as coal-fired generation reliability is at historic lows. Coal-fired generation reliability can only suffer from two things: lack of maintenance and a shutdown of capacity, which is what all transition-dedicated governments have been doing, including the Australian one. Linked to that was the news that New South Wales is now considering extending the life of its biggest coal power plant, driven by concern about electricity prices and the slow progress in wind and solar capacity additions. ADVERTISEMENT By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Gretna United Methodist Church will host a community mental health forum featuring discussions on a variety of mental health topics. The discussions will be held on the second and fourth Thursdays in September and October, said Vicki Lyons of the church's mental health task force. "Join us for a four session community forum on mental health wellness and awareness," Lyons said in an email. "An open house the last week will allow the public to get connected to local mental health resources." The forum sessions are: Sept. 14 Mental Health 101: Mary Byrd (LMHP) with Tyler Byrd (LIMHP) from Community Wellness in Omaha will go over the difference among anxiety, stress, sadness and depression. The focus will be on how to help people and families use health coping skills to deal with life situations and mental health concerns. Sept. 28 Adolescent Mental Health: Gretna high school counselors Carole Carraher, Melissa Ryan and Cassie Benak will take a team approach to discuss the troubles and needs of adolescents. Learn how parents, grandparents and neighbors can assist local youth. Oct. 12 Anxiety: Claire Cunningham (LMHP) from Kearney will focus on anxiety and treatments for this prominent social problem. Oct. 26 Suicide Prevention & Open House: The Kim Foundation will provide insight into suicide prevention and offer local resources for mental health care, and local therapists and organizations will offer information in an open house format from 6 to 8 p.m. The speakers will begin promptly at 7 p.m. Sessions will be held at the church at 11457 S. 204th St. in Gretna. The sessions are free and open to any adults and adolescents. Free child care for younger children will be available. Registration is not required. Anyone with questions about the forum can contact Lyons or the Rev. Brian Kemp-Schlemmer. Call 402-332-3213 or email office@gretnaumc.com. Dozens of boys are waiting to be paired with a Big Brother to help them navigate the difficulties of growing up. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands recently launched its 60 MENtors in 60 Days recruitment campaign to raise awareness about the urgent need for male mentors, including Black and Latino mentors, according to a press release. The nonprofits goal is to recruit more men across the metro area to become Big Brothers to the boys currently waiting to be matched with a mentor. We carefully make our matches based on numerous factors to ensure each Big and Little have a strong foundation to stand on, CEO Nichole Turgeon said in the release. Our one-to-one matches positively impact our Littles and their families. About seven out of 10 youths waiting to be matched are boys, according to the organization. The mentoring relationship supports social and emotional development so the youths can realize their potential. Big Brothers Big Sisters screens, trains, matches, monitors and supports adult volunteers helping youths ages 7 to 14. Were not just matchmakers, Turgeon said. We are your biggest supporters. BBBSM is here every step of the way through ongoing support, training and supervision. Volunteers are accepted from across the metro area, including Douglas, Sarpy, Cass, Saunders and Washington Counties in Nebraska and Pottawattamie and Mills Counties in Iowa. Mentors agree to meet in the community twice a month for activities they enjoy. The campaign is seeking to recruit 60 men by Oct. 30. Learn more at mentoromaha.org. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of August 2023 A federal jury in Omaha awarded more than $36 million last week to a deaf truck driver who alleged that Werner Enterprises violated anti-discrimination laws by not hiring him. Werner, an Omaha-based trucking company, issued a statement Tuesday expressing disappointment with the jurys decision. The company said that it is committed to safety and to an inclusive workforce, and that it is evaluating options for appeal. The company suggested the award was excessive. Importantly, punitive and compensatory damages are capped at $300,000, it said. Court records show the company had argued that Victor Robinson couldnt safely perform one of the essential functions of the job. Specifically, Werner contended that the trainer-observed, over-the-road component of its placement driver program is an essential function and that there was no reasonable accommodation that would enable Robinson to safely complete it. The jury rejected that argument. Jurors found that Robinson, deaf since birth, deserved $75,000 in actual damages for his emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life. In addition, jurors awarded $36 million in punitive damages for malice or reckless indifference to Mr. Robinsons right not to be discriminated against on the basis of a disability. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, on Robinsons behalf, alleged in court that Drivers Management, LLC, and its parent company Werner Enterprises, violated the Americans With Disabilities Act by refusing to hire Robinson because of his disability and his need for a reasonable accommodation. According to the court records, he manages his disability by using American Sign Language and other assistive technology. The commission filed the case in 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska. Victor Robinson had the courage to step forward and say what happened to him was wrong, said commission Chair Charlotte A. Burrows. The jury agreed, and their substantial verdict sends a clear message to employers everywhere that our nation will not tolerate disability discrimination. The commission is charged with the administration, interpretation and enforcement of federal anti-discrimination law. Robinson applied for work at Werner in 2016. Werner preapproved his application, but he was subsequently rejected, records show. According to the records, in 2015 Robinson received from the U.S. Department of Transportations Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration an exemption from the hearing regulations for the operation of a commercial motor vehicle. In 2016, Robinson successfully completed commercial truck driving school at Roadmaster Drivers School in Indianapolis, Indiana. That year, he also received his commercial driver license. According to the lawsuit, when Werner officials questioned him about whether his deafness would hamper his completing training, he told them he checks his mirrors frequently, his other senses compensate, and he could write and gesture with trainers. The lawsuit alleged that Werner officials told him that because he could not hear, he would not be hired. Subsequently, Robinson was hired by multiple commercial trucking companies and successfully worked as a commercial truck driver, his complaint said. In their answer to the complaint, Drivers Management and Werner said that allowing Robinson to operate a commercial motor vehicle creates a significant risk to the health and safety of others that cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodations. In court filings, they said their actions were not discriminatory but justified because Robinson could not drive a truck in a safe and efficient manner, and the essence of Werners business operation would therefore be undermined if Werner were required to employ him. In Tuesdays statement, Werner said that in June a jury in that same court found in Werners favor on nearly identical facts. The company operates with the mantra that nothing we do is worth getting hurt or hurting others, whether that be its professional drivers, customers or the motoring public at large, it said. Werner prides itself on fostering an inclusive workplace where our associates are encouraged to bring their full selves to work, including our valued associates who may have a disability. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of September 2023 In September 1973, Shannon Barnhart-Vosberg first opened her Omaha dance studio in a space so small she felt like she was teaching in a telephone booth. Now, 50 years later, the Shannon Barnhart Dance Studio occupies a much larger space at 50th and Leavenworth Streets and has a team of 10 teachers. However, Barnhart-Vosberg is still the woman behind it all. The 68-year-old started tap dancing when she was 5 years old at the encouragement of her mother, who had grown up during the Great Depression and had wanted to dance but never had the chance to. She also started trying out different styles, such as jazz and ballet, beginning at age 12, but tap has always been here forte. Dance came naturally to her, and she enjoyed it, Barnhart-Vosberg said. I remember telling my mother when I was 8 years old, I want to be a dance teacher, she said. After Barnhart-Vosberg graduated from Benson High School, her parents helped her find a 400-square-foot studio space at 50th and Leavenworth Streets, where she first began teaching at 18 years old. She started with a class of just 23 students that first year. As it has grown, the studio has moved around a bit over the years, but all within a one-block radius. Barnhart moved the studio to a bigger space on the south side of Leavenworth in the 1980s. Then in the 1990s, a historic building back on the north side of the street opened up. The storefront was once a grocery store and needed a lot of renovations, but it would offer more space for the growing studio, Barnhart said. The studio then expanded a few years later when the storefront next door opened up, allowing for its current setup of two rooms so different classes can occur simultaneously. The studios dance community also has grown considerably over the years. Its numbers peaked in the 1990s, when the studio had around 340 students, and it now has around 200 students, Barnhart-Vosberg said. The studios dancers have been competing for 32 of its 50 years. Barnhart-Vosberg said shes enjoyed getting to travel to competitions with students and see them improve their skills as they prepare. The thing I love most is seeing them perform because they get out there, and its like they light up, she said. Its like they feel like theyre movie stars for a day or something. Over the years, Barnhart-Vosberg has seen generations of students find their footing at her studio, with second-generation students whose mothers attended the studio making their way to her classes. A quilt made up of themed T-shirts from many of the studios recitals over the years hangs near the studios office. Since the quilt was made, Barnhart-Vosberg has added even more years of recitals under her belt. She said time has flown by. It feels like I blinked, and now Im here, she said. The studio currently offers ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop and pointe and teaches students from 3 years old up to adults. While some other Omaha-area studios have much larger dance rosters, Barnhart-Vosberg said shes focused on maintaining a family-like atmosphere in the studio. And while the dance industry can be cutthroat, the studio prioritizes having fun and learning over winning competitions. That doesnt mean the studios dancers dont win the studio walls are lined with shelves of trophies. Barnhart-Vosberg said she has dancers take them home now because theres just too many. During the studios annual recital in June, Barnhart-Vosberg was surprised with a special performance from alumni spanning all five decades of her career. It was one of the best nights of my life, she said. I was just blown away. The performance was organized by Barnharts 38-year-old daughter, Jessi Roxburgh, who has taught at the studio for around 20 years. Roxburgh said it took months of preparation and a lot of logistics to coordinate the surprise, which included former students who came in from California and Colorado, but it was worth it to see her moms reaction. It was very heartwarming, and it made me very happy to see her so excited and happy, she said. Barnhart-Vosberg has started to step back a bit at the studio, but she still teaches once a week. She said she feels lucky to have her daughter and the rest of her supportive staff who keep things running smoothly. Its like Ive never really worked a day in my life because Im doing what I love, she said. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of August 2023 Lee McColgan once gained fame in Omaha for making and wearing a large papier-mache head of Warren Buffett at a 5K race during Berkshire Hathaway weekend. A friend wore a Charlie Munger version he also created. My wife worked for the Special Olympics at the time, and we were looking for ways to raise money for the organization, McColgan said. It was really heavy. I dont recommend it. Hes returning to Omaha for a much more pragmatic reason a talk about plaster. Off the Wall: Preserving Your Plaster is planned for 6 p.m. Wednesday, part of Joslyn Castles and History Nebraskas historic preservation series. Register at joslyncastle.com. While the title might not sound exciting, restoring old buildings has become a passion for McColgan, who got started by doing some renovating at his former house, not far from Buffetts abode in Dundee. He departed for Massachusetts, where he is from, in 2017 to start his own business, leaving the financial service industry that had brought him to Omaha behind. I walked away from it all like a mad man, he said. From a nice lucrative career to get into traditional building. The 43-year-old credits good friend Ron Carson, founder and CEO of the Carson Group, for steering his life in a completely new direction. Carson, he said, focuses not just on money in his retirement strategies but what you really want to do then with your life. Money is just a tool to help you do things, McColgan said. Lets start at the end of your life and work backward. If someone was reading your eulogy, what would that sound like? That started me thinking about what I wanted my life to be. He caught me at the right moment. For McColgan, that meant working with an eccentric timber framer for very little money. But hes gone on to form a niche company that works on historic museum properties, i.e. historic homes that have been turned into museums. Joslyn Castle is the perfect example, he said. He also has written a memoir, A House Restored: The Tragedies and Triumphs of Saving a New England Colonial. McColgan loves history and through extensive research has learned how to repair things, such as the wood beams of a house built in the 1700s, as close as possible to how they were constructed when the structure was originally built. He can do a little bit of it all, from framing and plaster work to window glazing. He asked Joslyns Kelli Bello to break off a piece of plaster in the castles basement so he could discover how it was made. She found small pieces of either goat or horse hair that would have given the plaster more strength, a method involving lath, lime and sand that was used in the U.S. for centuries. Hell demonstrate how to repair plaster in that area of the basement at Joslyn during his presentation. Hell also give a brief history of plastering in the United States, the different methods and materials used and some methods for repair. Hopefully, theyll learn some things to help them restore their own historic homes, McColgan said. The visit to Omaha also will give him and his wife, Liz Bailey, the opportunity to become reacquainted with some old friends. The papier-mache heads will be nowhere in sight. Susie Buffett picked them up at his house years ago. Its a good win-win, McColgan said. Ill speak, so we will go out there and see some friends and talk some plaster, and it will be fun. Before Hurricane Idalia made landfall, the federal government staged meals, water and other supplies. Afterward, President Joe Biden declared a major disaster, authorizing assistance for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans for uninsured losses, and federal money to help local governments pay for debris removal. But theres a money and politics problem. The Federal Emergency Management Agency account that covers emergency aid for disasters is running out of money. As of Aug. 29, the fund had a balance of $3.4 billion. Even before Idalia formed, before the wildfires in Hawaii, and before the coming Sept. 10 peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, the Disaster Relief Fund was projected to have a $4.8 billion shortfall by the end of the month. Fixing the problem is infinitely more difficult because of politics. So, like a household juggling more bills than it can afford and suddenly facing an emergency car repair FEMA is juggling its obligations, paying some and postponing others. Unlike the unexpected car repair, however, the shortfall in the Disaster Relief Fund has been widely known for months. The estimated point at which it goes into the red has repeatedly shifted. In April, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security that the fund would be out of money after July. In June, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Parkland, introduced bills that would provide $11.5 billion to shore up the fund. Republicans who control the U.S. House and Democrats who control the U.S. Senate took no action. In August, the Biden administration asked Congress to appropriate $12 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund as part of a package of what Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda called critical needs in a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Young told McCarthy the money is needed so FEMA can continue to support critical activities in communities that have dealt with or are currently dealing with disasters, while also maintaining sufficient preparedness to respond to future catastrophic events preparedness that will be especially important as we enter peak hurricane season. Last week, as Idalia was approaching Florida, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said it was President Joe Bidens fault that Congress hadnt acted on replenishing the disaster fund. Unfortunately, while Ive spent the months leading up to this storm fighting to make sure the federal government shows up, President Biden and politicians in Washington have been playing games with FEMAs Disaster Relief Fund and insisting that this critical domestic aid be tied to foreign aid for Ukraine. Weve had enough with Washington playing politics and demand that Congress does whats right for American families, starting with ensuring our federal government has all the resources it needs to show up after disasters, now and in the future, Scott said in a statement. Besides FEMA money, the Biden administrations $40 million supplemental funding request includes $24 billion in additional military, financial and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, and $4 billion for immigration and border security. When Congress returns from its summer break this week, Scott said he would introduce a different proposal: $12.5 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund plus politically popular spending including grants for citrus growers and others in agriculture, tax relief for people impacted by previous hurricanes, and funding to repair previously damaged military bases. He said he would be demanding an immediate vote. In response to a reporters question on Wednesday, Biden predicted the disaster funding ultimately would be worked out, but signaled he was prepared to blame Republicans if they blocked his funding request. Im going to point out why. How could we not respond? he said. U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, said she is trying to forge a bipartisan consensus on the disaster relief money. And she suggested Scotts declaration could have its own political subtext in the context of overall government funding. Avoiding a government shutdown when the new federal fiscal year begins on Oct. 1 will likely require passage of a so-called continuing resolution that maintains spending at current levels. Meanwhile, FEMA is juggling its bills. Criswell said at a White House news briefing last week she has directed the agency to implement immediate needs funding and prioritize life-saving efforts. A Congressional Research Service report said that means the agency temporarily puts on hold funding for long-term recovery projects and hazard mitigation projects. Criswell said if theres a government shutdown at the start of the new budget year on Oct. 1, personnel paid for through the Disaster Relief Fund wouldnt be furloughed so theyre able to continue operating and supporting all of the immediate efforts and lifesaving efforts that continue to go on. LINCOLN A dozen years after being kicked out of the Association of American Universities, the University of Nebraska said it wants back into one of higher educations most exclusive clubs. Earning an invite to rejoin the 123-year-old organization, where membership signals a level of prestige among the top research universities in the U.S., is not guaranteed. Nor have any of the five institutions that lost or resigned their membership been asked to come back. NU President Ted Carter, as part of a challenge from the Board of Regents to rethink how the university operates in the face of an estimated $58 million budget shortfall over the next two years, said regaining membership in the AAU should be a priority. Were going to be a bit of an underdog, Carter said. I find it to be an interesting challenge. The AAU and its 71 members are positioned to influence the direction of higher education on a national level, Carter told regents in a memo outlining his reasoning. Plus, AAU-affiliated institutions receive nearly two-thirds of all federal dollars tagged for research and development. Carter said the value of a college degree also goes up when a school is operating under the banner of the AAU, which could be a draw for top students and faculty from across the state and country. When I look at whos in and where we are and where we could be, Carter said in an Aug. 15 interview with the Lincoln Journal Star, we should be in that club. But, a week later, Carter was announced as the 17th president of Ohio State University, which has been a member of the AAU since 1916. Hell leave Nebraska at the end of December, long before the university is in any position to be asked to rejoin the AAU. Still, the goal articulated by Carter earlier this summer has taken hold at NU, invigorating the imaginations of key leaders tasked with carrying it out. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Rodney Bennett and University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Jeff Gold have endorsed the idea, as have faculty leaders and members of the Board of Regents. Lincoln Regent Tim Clare, in an editorial last week, said getting the University of Nebraska back into the AAU sends the signal that Nebraska aims high. Ive been waking up every day with a new motto, Clare wrote. Everything AAU. Then and now When it joined the AAU in 1909, the University of Nebraska was one of the largest institutions of higher education in the country. The university remained in good standing with the AAU for most of the next century, but a shift in its administrative structure, as well as changes in the value assigned to certain research expenditures, led it to fall out of favor with the organization. The creation of the University of Nebraska system in the late 1960s led to research spending from UNL, the land grant university campus, and UNMC, its medical school, to be reported separately. At the same time, the AAU also came to place a lesser value on federal research funds that came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture which account for roughly $1 in every $5 of research done at UNL today because those funds are awarded through a formula and not a competitive grant process. Taken together, UNL was reporting fewer research expenditures than other AAU members that added the work being done at their affiliated medical schools, while also doing more research the AAU places less emphasis on, despite agriculture being at the core of the mission set out for land grant universities. In 2011, after 102 years of membership, UNL became the first university to be voted out of the AAU by other members, falling two votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to be retained. At the time, university leaders signaled disappointment or embarrassment in the decision made by other AAU members, and ultimately decided to not make drastic changes to how UNL was doing business. If we make changes to the structure (of the university) or put too much emphasis on that, we take away from the momentum weve built the last 10 years, Clare said in a Journal Star report at the time. In the decade since, UNL has seen its enrollment grow to record levels (although those numbers have fallen once again) and enjoyed a healthy trajectory in its research enterprise as it has become a stable member of the Big Ten Conference. But recent changes among top leadership have led to NU to reexamine its apparent indifference in the decade since its removal from the AAU. Carter said he raised the issue with the Board of Regents when he interviewed for the NU system job in 2019, while Bennett discussed rejoining the AAU during a series of public forums earlier this year. Bennett said since he started as UNLs 21st chancellor on July 1, hes heard widespread support for the idea in conversations with senior leaders on campus. I think theres also a very deep appreciation for the heavy lifting that has to take place for that to occur, he said. My sense is that everybody is up for the challenge. Tiger team Following his June memo to the Board of Regents detailing the goal of rejoining the AAU, Carter assigned Bennett and Gold to what he calls a tiger team. The small task force headed by the campus chancellors will examine how to realign UNL, UNMC and NUs central administration office under a single banner for the sole purpose of research spending. There are other Big Ten universities that are already doing this dual-reporting with split geographic locations between their flagship and med center, Carter said. The University of South Florida, which was recently invited into the AAU, combined three distinct campuses under a single administrative structure to report its research funding. Carter said that under current available data, combining all three offices into one would immediately take the University of Nebraska from 117th to 66th in terms of federally funded research, doubling what is reported now. In total research spending, which considers funding from the state, industry, nonprofits and other sponsors, NU would jump from 87th to 55th overnight. Gold said combining three different reporting figures into one, essentially reversing the separation that occurred in the late 1960s when the university system was created, also could be done without limiting opportunities for campuses to compete for highly sought research grants from sources such as the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation sources valued by the AAU. By combining into a single reporting structure, I think well send a very powerful message, he said. The president of UNLs Faculty Senate, Kelli Kopocis, an assistant professor of practice in the College of Engineering, said faculty at the states flagship campus see the benefits of joining forces with faculty from the medical center in Omaha. At the end of the day, AAU membership equals more research dollars, which helps our faculty help our students, Kopocis said. Other factors considered Bennett and Gold say they also are cognizant of other metrics the AAU considers before extending an offer at membership. Its definitely more than just the research enterprise, Bennett said. I think a lot of people like to focus on that and its certainly part of it, but I think when we make our case, well have to show how successful our students are. Improving the four- and six-year graduation rates, the retention rates of students between their first and second years at UNL, as well as how many students are pursing postgraduate degrees, or even what type of jobs they are entering, will also be necessary, Bennett said. Membership of UNL and UNMC faculty in organizations like the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Engineering will also send a signal the university is ready to rejoin the AAU, Gold said. Currently, only two UNL faculty are members of the National Academy of Sciences, while just one UNMC faculty member is counted as part of the National Academy of Medicine. Those numbers are comparable to some of the other universities recently accepted into the AAU. South Florida, for example, has a single faculty member who is part of the National Academy of Sciences. Arizona State University, on the other hand, has 18. Carter said NU will need to either recruit new faculty who are already members or invest in current faculty in order to boost the universitys numbers. He also has directed administrative staff to look at how UNL and UNMC stack up against AAU members in other areas considered for membership. Those include the number of faculty awards and fellowships; how many times research done at Nebraska is cited; books, especially in the fields of arts, humanities, and social sciences penned by university researchers; the number of doctoral degrees granted; and the number of postdoctoral appointees enrolled. Thats all part of the strategy, Carter said. Creme de la creme Theres no timetable for when UNL could be asked to rejoin the AAU. Bennett and Golds tiger team has been tasked to finish a report about realigning the administrative structure by the end of the year. Carter, who will have a vote within the AAU as president of Ohio State, said it could take five years or longer before UNL is ready to be asked to rejoin the organization. Other university leaders have signaled their intention to work for as long as it takes. Clare, who is the chair of the Board of Regents this year and will be intimately involved in the search for Carters replacement, said he believes UNL belongs in the creme de la creme of higher ed institutions. That means the responsibility for getting there will likely fall on the NU systems ninth leader, working in conjunction with campus leaders at UNL and UNMC. Were going to get our metrics set so that when that invitation comes, and I hope it comes sooner rather than later, were in position to be able to regain entry, Clare said. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of August 2023 LINCOLN A water leak that infiltrated Windstream's electrical control room Friday night caused a "small explosion" and subsequent fire that disrupted 911 services across southeast Nebraska for hours Saturday, officials said. Saturday's outage came two days after a contractor cut a fiber-optic cable in the Omaha area, leading to a loss of 911 phone service for nearly 60% of the 911 centers in Nebraska from Thursday night until Friday morning. Officials said the scale of that outage was unprecedented. Around 11:15 p.m. Friday, Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews responded to the internet and telephone service provider's downtown Lincoln office, originally dispatched for a fire alarm call, said MJ Lierman, the department's spokeswoman. Firefighters found Windstream's basement control room labeled with a "high voltage" warning sign awash in heavy black smoke when crews opened the room's door to investigate, Lierman said Tuesday. Crews used dry chemicals and CO2 extinguishers to put out the fire before ventilating the area and turning the building, at 1440 M St., over to Windstream and Lincoln Electric System crews, Lierman said. City inspectors determined that water had leaked into the control room at Windstream's office and caused a "small explosion" inside the room after the water dripped onto switches, Lierman said. The explosion then ignited combustibles in the room, she said, setting off the fire that caused $200,000 in damage and left numerous counties without 911 services for hours. The origin of the water leak that caused the outage remained unclear Tuesday. Chuck Schweitzer, the city inspector who investigated the incident, did not immediately respond to a phone call Tuesday. Though the fire broke out Friday night, it's unclear when 911 services in southeast Nebraska were initially disrupted. The Nebraska Public Service Commission said in a press release Sunday that officials at Windstream indicated 911 service wasn't disrupted until around 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Lincoln Police Lt. Jason Wesch said on Saturday the company was relying on a generator to continue online communications centers, but the generator failed. In a social media post at 10 a.m. Sunday, the Arkansas-based internet provider said it had restored 911 service in the counties impacted by the outage. Windstream technicians worked through the night to restore services. Windstream said 911 services in four counties Adams, Gage, Otoe and Saunders were downed by the incident, though the Public Service Commission noted other counties "may have experienced some disruptions in service due to the incident." Scott Morris, a spokesman for Windstream, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Tuesday. In its press release, the Public Service Commission indicated there would be an investigation into the outage. Any investigation will look into what led to this disruption in 911 service and will focus on available backup systems and identifying solutions moving forward to mitigate future issues," David Sankey, director of the State 911 Department, said in the release. A spokeswoman for Gov. Jim Pillen's office said Tuesday that he "is troubled that this critical component of our public safety infrastructure has failed twice in such a short period of time." "A prompt and comprehensive inquiry must be conducted and steps must be taken to ensure that PSCs 911 system does not fail again," the spokeswoman said in a statement. The truth will set you free. Remember that old adage? How far back does that chestnut go? Oh, about 2,000 years, according to the Gospel of John (no relation, by the way). I mention the freeing factor of the truth because in the two millennia since that expression was coined, Im not sure that advice is any more heeded now than it was then and, let me tell you something, writers the world over are very grateful for that fact. Ill give you just one example: Marvin Neil Simon. He wrote a few plays you might have heard of. When Neil Simon wrote the farce Rumors, playing Sept. 8-10 at the Community Players Theatre in Bloomington, the entire premise could have been undone with one nugget of truth that Charlie Block, the mutual friend of the eight partygoers we meet, shot himself in the ear lobe. The reason? Unknown. Thats it. Get him some medical attention. Send the guests home. Clean up the blood. The end. Ah, but gee willikers, where would be the fun in that? So, the white lies, deceptions and misconstrued meanings take flight and any thoughts of the truth setting anyone free go out the window. The things Ive just mentioned are all important elements to a successful farce. Farce requires copious amounts of misunderstandings and half-truths along with doors you need plenty of doors. I am happy to report that set designer Kerry Anne Dixons retro-'80s, tri-fold set of the Blocks posh New York living room has plenty of doors. Director Rich Tinaglia uses those doors quite effectively. As one perplexed partygoer exits, another re-enters reenergized. And Charlie Block? Oh, hes upstairs behind one of those doors. We never see him. Most of the information conveyed about him comes to us from his friend Ken (Bob Kinsella), who was first on the scene. Its Ken who decides the whole shot-in-the-ear imbroglio needs to be covered up due to Charlies position as deputy mayor. Kens wife, Chris (Jess Sheetz), goes along with the ruse, but shes not happy about it. Simon understood there is something about the schadenfreude of the wealthy that makes things all the more enjoyable. The eight guests gathered for Charlie and his wife Myras 10th wedding anniversary party are probably only middling rich, but costume designer Eddy Arteman dresses them up to the nines tuxes for the men and some Pretty in Pink- type evening gowns for the ladies. Oh, 1980s, what fashion hijinks you played on us. Simon wrote Rumors in the late '80s and Tinaglia wisely keeps it set in that decade. Like a lot of plays that are products of their time, some parts of the play have aged better than others. There are certainly some lines I imagine Simon would revisit if he were still alive, and since weve experienced the "Me Too" movement. Attempted suicide is nothing to scoff at either, and it is clear part of the reason the gang is trying to hide Charlies shot-in-the-ear incident from authorities is the fear that it might have been an attempt at self-harm. Despite the datedness of Rumors and its utter conceit at times, the show remains an entertaining romp. At one point, psychoanalyst Ernie (Mario Silva) yells out, We dont need plausible! Boy, you can say that again. I wonder if that might have been Simons mantra during the entire Rumors writing process. Overall, though, the show still elicits guffaws, and it is a superb ensemble piece that gives each actor an opportunity to shine. Lenny (Samuel James Willis) probably gets a touch more wattage than the others as he has a manic monologue near the end, where he paints a fanciful account of what really happened to Charlie Block. The truth be damned. Rumors should be considered PG-13 for language. There is a gunshot sound effect in it. IF YOU GO What: "Rumors" Where: Community Players Theatre, 201 Robinhood Lane, Bloomington When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 8 & 9, 2:30 p.m. Sept. 10 Cost: $15-$17; communityplayers.org Running time: 2 hours and 10 minutes, including 15-minute intermission Best movies of 2023 so far Best movies of 2023 so far #20. Plane #19. Knock at the Cabin #18. Sick #17. Skinamarink #16. Missing #15. Pamela, a love story #14. Cairo Conspiracy #13. M3GAN #12. Infinity Pool #11. Emily #10. Nostalgia #9. Pacifiction #8. Huesera: The Bone Woman #7. Close #6. Linoleum #5. After Love #4. Mars One #3. Shin Ultraman #2. Alcarras #1. Saint Omer KENNEY A manhunt for the suspect accused of killing his father-in-law and wounding his son Sunday in DeWitt County ended after he was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said Tuesday. The DeWitt County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that dispatchers were alerted 9 p.m. Monday to a white Honda that was located near a wind tower by the Macon County line. Previously, DeWitt County Sheriff Mike Walker said Jose De Jesus Gomez Munoz was believed to have fled in that white Honda from the shooting in Kenney, a village of roughly 300 people. Munoz was wanted on charges of murder and other crimes. The DeWitt County Sheriff's office said Munoz, who went by the name Jesus Munoz, was found dead in the driver's seat. Deputies from both Macon and DeWitt County responded; the Macon County coroner's and sheriff's offices are investigating Munoz's death, along with Illinois State Police. Macon County Coroner Michael Day said in a statement Munoz's body was found Monday in a vehicle parked on a gravel lane that surrounds a wind turbine off of the 15000 block of Sebright Road. Day pronounced him dead at 1:47 a.m. Tuesday; his body was then transferred to the McLean County Coroner's morgue in Bloomington, with an autopsy set for Wednesday. The search for Munoz began after the shooting Sunday afternoon. Officers responded at 3:23 p.m. to 635 Kenney Road, a rural address south of the village, where a call to dispatchers indicated one person was dead and four others were hiding from the suspect. The victim was later identified by DeWitt County Coroner Randy Rice as Wesley Wes Anderson, 78, of rural Kenney. Responding deputies also found a 21-year-old man with several gunshot wounds in a vehicle at Illinois Route 54 and Jordan Street in Kenney. He was later identified as Kigan Antonio Munoz of Clinton. Kigan Munoz remained in stable condition at a Champaign hospital on Monday, Walker said. The coroner said Anderson was Munoz's father-in-law, and Kigan Munoz was the son of the suspect and grandson of Anderson. The sheriff's office had described Jesus Munoz as an "armed and extremely dangerous" fugitive, warning residents within a 2-mile radius of the village to either shelter in place or evacuate on Sunday afternoon. Police from Clinton, Decatur, the Illinois Department of Conservation Police, and the FBI also assisted with the response to the shooting. From flintlock muskets to AR-15s: A history of guns in America From flintlock muskets to AR-15s: A history of guns in America Flintlock muskets Percussion caps Revolvers Repeating rifles Smokeless powder Automatic firearms Bolt-action rifles Polymer manufacturing Armalite civilian rifle 3D printing and beyond Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Lariba Zuweira Abudu has disclosed that over 3 million school children are fed daily under the government's school feeding programme. The Minister, calming the nerves of the caterers under the programme who complain bitterly about delays in paying them, noted that her Ministry is doing everything within its power to accelerate the process; however some of the delays are due to the bureacratic nature of the programme. "The school feeding payment has a procedure and sometimes it is the procedure that delays payment. When you take the stakeholders, we have Regional, district, communities, schools; we have Headteachers involved, we have assemblies involved and it has to go through all these processes," she said. Giving clarifications, she stated that currently, the programme covers 10,832 schools with 34,350 caterers cooking to feed these schools. Also, 3,810,491 school children are giving food everyday since the government rolled out the programme. Taking these numbers into consideration, the Minister asked the caterers to be patient with her stressing she is fully aware of their problems, particularly with reimbursing them, but assures them they will receive their payments. Hon. Zuweira Abudu made this disclosure during Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show. 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 Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) has called off their strike action with immediate effect. This comes on the back of voting supervised by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Association on September 4, 2024, in which the majority of the members voted to call off the strike action. On the basis of the voting outcome above, the strike is suspended/call-off based on a majority decision with effect from Tuesday, 5th September 2023. CETAG shall advise itself if by 31st of October, 2023 all the Arbitral Awards have not been implemented by the Employer/Ministry of Education. ALL MEMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO RESUME WORK LATEST BY THURSDAY, 7TH SEPTEMBER, 2023, the Association indicated. 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 Big money has already been promised to Africa at a climate summit underway in Kenya, with the UK among the first to make a pledge. It is to invest 49m ($61m) in new projects to help Africans manage the impact of climate change and mobilize finance for climate action, UKs Development Minister Andrew Mitchell said. This includes 34m for new projects across 15 African countries to help women, at-risk communities, and more than 400,000 farmers build resilience against the effects of climate change, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said on Monday. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has also promised to provide Africa with $4.5bn in clean energy investments, on top of investors from the country agreeing to buy $450m (359m) in carbon credits through the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative. The German government announced a debt swap deal with Kenya, under which it will pardon $65m in exchange for a commitment from the East African nation to invest the funds in green projects. It is further expected to pledge another $486m to sustain Africas fight against climate change. It is hoped other initiatives and funding will be announced at the Africa Climate Summit, which ends on Wednesday. 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 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has underscored the positive outcomes of the ban on illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, in contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions. He made these remarks during his address at the 2023 Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. During his speech, President Akufo-Addo emphasized that the prohibition of galamsey, which has been responsible for the degradation of water bodies and forest reserves, has played a pivotal role in diminishing carbon emissions in Ghana. He highlighted that various flagship policy initiatives, including "Planting for Food and Jobs," "One Village, One Dam," and the ban on illegal mining, have collectively contributed to lowering carbon emissions while bolstering the nation's resilience to the adverse effects of climate change. "We placed a ban on illegal mining, the phenomenon we call galamsey, which was destroying our water bodies, vegetation, and our forests. Some 20,000 young people have been engaged to plant more than 30 million trees in two years to create jobs and restore degraded lands," Citinewsroom quoted President Akufo-Addo. He went on to emphasize that these policy initiatives have already yielded positive outcomes in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the pursuit of reducing carbon emissions. President Akufo-Addo used the platform to urge other African nations to take similar measures aimed at curtailing carbon emissions and strengthening their capacity to confront the challenges posed by climate change. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Circuit Court in Accra, presided over by Her Honour Afia Owusuaa Appiah has directed that prosecution fast track the investigations into the alleged stealing case at the residence of former Minister for Sanitation, Cecilia Abena Dapaah. This directive comes in response to a request for a two-week adjournment by Assistant State Attorney, Akosua Agyaponmaa Agyemang. The court has also instructed the prosecution to file its disclosures by September 19, 2023. During the court proceedings, the defense lawyers requested bail for Patience Botwe (first accused) Benjamin Sowah ( third accused) and Yahaya Sumaila ( seventh accused). However, bail was granted only to the seventh accused, Yahaya Sumaila. Lawyers for Patience Botwe said, they were short served with the prosecutions affidavit in opposition for bail and needed time to respond to it. The Judge, Afia Owusuaa Appiah granted bail to Sumaila, in the sum of Three Hundred Thousand cedis (GHC 300,000.00) with two justifiable sureties residing within the court's jurisdiction. Additionally, Yahaya Sumaila was required to deposit his passport at the court's registry and report to the Police every two weeks. However, the third accused, Benjamin Sowah, who is alleged to be the boyfriend of the first accused, Patience Botwe, was denied bail. The court cited the seriousness of the charges against him, his subsequent arrest in Tamale, and the severity of the case as reasons for the denial. The case involves seven individuals, including a househelp of the former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, who are facing allegations of stealing money and items worth millions of cedis. The court has adjourned the case to September 19, 2023. Source: Philipa Atanga/Court Reporter/Despite Media Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Five years after the Ghana Card was launched by the Government of Ghana, several Ghanaians are yet to receive or hold one for the many reasons and purposes it was inaugurated. A Ghanaian, who has been pursuing the Ghana Card since 2021 has expressed her resentment towards the ups and downs she experiencing. According to the citizen whose name was not disclosed, she has been visiting the NIA head office in Accra for two years but keeps having no success at the end of the day with no specific reason or excuse. Ive been chasing it since 2021. This year is coming to an end and Im still chasing. They didnt give me a specific reason because the day I did it they actually told me to come the next day for the card. I went the next day, I didnt get the card. And since then, theyve been tossing me, she narrated. The Ghana Card was launched in 2018 by the ruling New Patriotic Party. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who spearheaded it explained that the new Ghana Card was a great improvement over the previous one, and meets all international standards required of such identity documents. For example, the national identity card has been enhanced to take advantage of new technologies such as tactile elements for the blind, chip embedding technology and iris capabilities in addition to taking all 10 fingerprints of an applicant, he said. Some Ghanaians have expressed frustrations over the delay in getting their Ghana cards issued after months of application. This comes after the NIA on Monday began phase two of the Ghana card registration for first-time applicants aged 15 years.@YalleyC reports.#TV3NewDay pic.twitter.com/eq8f0HHYRV #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) September 5, 2023 Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has demanded that the power to appoint an Inspector General of Police (IGP) should not lie with the president of the land. The lawyer explained that the police service becomes partisan when one is expectant or sure that with their party in power, they will be promoted or appointed. Lawyer Martin Kpebu said this on the weekend edition of The Keypoints on TV3, monitored by GhanaWeb, when the panel was discussing the leaked audio plotting the sack of IGP Dampare by COP Alex Mensah, Bugri Naabu and Supt. Asare. So, Kofi Boakye will tell you, you know the speech he gave at the New Year school some years ago, he said there is NPP police and NDC police. NPP police, NDC police. Thats always been it. I mean we are talking about the fourth republic and then before then so its always been there. "When you read back police history, you will see that these matters have always been there so, its about time we reviewed this constitution so we that we take away a lot of the appointing powers of the president, he said. Martin Kpebu further stated that when the police hierarchy once met the constitutional review commission, they insisted that they didnt like the president appointing IGPs. You know when the police hierarchy went before the constitutional review commission, they made it very clear that look, they dont want presidents appointing IG, he added. Background: A leaked audio recording, allegedly involving a Police Commissioner and a politician discussing a plot to remove the Inspector General of Police (IGP), George Akuffo Dampare, has ignited public outrage. In the said video, a Police Commissioner, who described himself as Mensa, was heard with Bugri Naabu, plotting the removal of IGP, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare over fears he will be too firm in the 2024 elections. The Police Commissioner, who is said to be retiring, is heard telling the politician that the IGP is too firm and will not allow machinations in next years polls if he is not removed. He further notes that the nature of security the IGP provided during the Assin North by-election shows he will not allow any rigging in the polls. This IGP wont help us. He wont, he wants everything to be done fairly and we dont win elections that way. If we dont remove him, we cant break the 8, in politics we need machinations and this IGP wont allow that, the Police Commissioner is heard saying. The Parliament of Ghana has set up a 7-member committee to conduct a probe into the leaked tape after calls by the NDC Members of Parliament. Proponents of the government have however stated that the allegations in the said tape should not be taken seriously because the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has no plans to change IGP Dr George Akuffo Dampare. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has given an assurance that justice will be served to victims of the Menzgold saga. He said the efficiency of a countrys justice system was tested particularly by the speed and efficiency with which cases seeking to hold high-profile members of society to account, as well as top financial crimes, were conducted. Consequently, he said: We need to punish corruption and other forms of economic crime through a fair, honest and efficient justice system. He said people paid their life savings to the suspects in the case, resulting in losses worth millions of dollars, and in some cases loss of lives, adding that the misery and distress caused to many homes nearly unleashed a social crisis as riots and demonstrations broke out on the streets of Accra and other parts of the country. In reality, people lost their homes, and some marriages even broke up as a result of the Menzgold saga. I am happy to state that after painstaking investigations, criminal prosecution has commenced against the perpetrators. At last, by the grace of God, justice will be served to victims of those dastardly acts, Mr Dame said in a keynote address at the 40th Cambridge Symposium on Economic Crime at the University of Cambridge in the UK yesterday. It was his third appearance at the forum, which was christened: Integrity, and his second as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice. It was attended by Members of the House of Commons, attorney-generals and heads of law enforcement organisations from various countries. Mr Dames assurance to the public comes in the wake of the new 39 charges instituted against the Founder of Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah, aka Nam1, who remains the key character in the controversial financial investment scheme. Although the firm was shut in 2018, prosecutions around the matter have dragged on, featuring a list of adjournments until the latest charges. Manifestation In the address which discussed a wide range of issues, the Attorney-General said the manifestation of economic crimes were increasingly getting complex because of various actions by professional enablers whose conduct bordered on unethical behaviour. Those behaviours, he said, included breaches of procedures, violation of laws, laundering, creation of shell companies, opaque financial systems and concealment of illicit wealth. The intricacy and multidimensional nature of economic crime, undoubtedly, enjoin us to have a network of gatekeepers such as lawyers, bankers, real estate agents, insurance service providers and luxury service providers who are bound up by strong rules of ethics and accountability. A free, progressive and equitable society requires a world with men and women of integrity, he said. Mr Dame said the creation of a clean, transparent and accountable financial environment was dependent on structures and systems anchored in integrity. The deployment of sophisticated schemes to circumvent procedures and facilitate the commission of crime and other kinds of improper conduct in the global financial space, he said, brought into sharp focus questions of ethics and integrity. He said a robust legal system, underpinned by the rule of law, went hand in hand with economic prosperity as it bolstered the confidence of the people and deterred wrongdoing. Inconsistent claims Mr Dame said that the detection of false or inconsistent claims by contractors was hampered by the illicit protection extended by public procurement officers otherwise mandated to detect and revise them. The most chilling, and perhaps shocking case of insider dealing, he said, was witnessed when a former head of the Public Procurement Authority was implicated in what was notoriously dubbed Contracts for Sale. As the head of the procurement authority, he was alleged to have established a company in which he held majority shares and which also actively bid for government contracts. This company was alleged to usually win the contracts, which were then sold to other contractors at a higher price, he said. Mr Dame said the revelation of those acts promptly resulted in the termination of his employment by the President, and a withdrawal of his membership of various professional institutions and subsequent prosecution, which remained ongoing. The record, he said, also showed a trial of other cases involving insider dealings in various courts in the country. Ghana Ghana, Mr Dame said, had continued to have its fair share of threats to its financial and economic sector and that in his role as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, he had come to understand that any serious endeavour to fight economic crimes must be firmly rooted in the establishment of systems for its deterrence, undertaking of smooth investigations where same occurred, and a sound vehicle for prosecution and punishment in a fair and efficient manner. Those systems, he said, had a close connection with the peculiarities of the Ghanaian society. In Ghana, public procurement plays a preeminent role in the development of the nation. At the same time, public sector corruption evokes strong emotions. In view of this, the nation has enacted a set of rules, from the Constitution of the country to specific laws in the financial sector, founded on the principles of integrity, to regulate procurement in the public sector and to curb abuse and insider trading, he said. Thus, he said, public servants were forbidden by Article 284 of the Constitution from placing themselves in situations where their personal interests interfered with or were likely to interfere with the discharge of their duties. One piece of legislation that is directly intended to prevent economically motivated crimes and the abuse of office is the Public Procurement Act of 2003 (Act 663). Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Samsung, the global leader in innovative technology, is introducing a new and exciting trade-in of old smartphones for their brand-new devices Galaxy Z Fold5 and Z Flip5. This initiative in partnership with Sapphire Virtual Networks Limited (Sentinel), is designed to offer consumers an easy way to upgrade to the latest Samsung devices. As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, Samsung remains committed to delivering cutting-edge solutions that enhance the lives of consumers. With the launch of the Samsung Trade-In initiative, customers can now trade in their old smartphones such as Galaxy Z Flip3, Fold3, Flip4, Fold4, S21 Series, S22 Series, S23 Series, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone 14. Customers can use the trade-in value of up to GHs10,000 discount towards purchasing the latest Samsung Galaxy smartphones - Galaxy Z Fold5 or the Galaxy Z Flip5, which boast cutting-edge features, stunning displays, and powerful performance. Trading in old smartphone devices has never been easier as Samsung has streamlined the process, making it quick and hassle-free for customers. Samsung is known for its dedication to customer satisfaction. This programme is an extension of that commitment, ensuring that customers have an exceptional experience from start to finish. "At Samsung, we believe in the power of innovation. Our new Trade-In Programme is a testament to our commitment to making the lives of consumers easy," said Lucas Lee, Managing Director at Samsung Electronics. "We are excited to offer our customers an easy and environmentally responsible way to upgrade to our latest smartphone offerings." Visit a Samsung Store: Bring your old smartphone to selected Samsung stores, where our experts will inspect it and provide you with the agreed-upon trade-in value. View the list of stores here store-list | Samsung AFRICA_EN. The trade-in programme is between 1- 17 September 2023 and is available at Technology Rus (TRU), Galaxy Studio- Accra Mall, Capital Phones-Circle, Gafkwa Trading-Circle, and Cell4Sell - Osu where Samsung technicians and experts will inspect the device and provide you with the agreed-upon trade-in value. Visit www.samsung.com/africa_en/offer/ghana-trade-in-promo/ for more information and the terms and conditions. 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 Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah has reposed confidence in Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to beat his competitors by a wide margin in the New Patriotic Party's presidential election on November 4. He predicts the Vice President Dr. Bawumia who came first on the list of top five presidential aspirants of the party by polling 629 votes representing 68.15% in the Super Delegates Congress will win by 80 percent on November 4. "I know his win on November 4 will be more than the percentage he got. The gap will be wide...He may even go beyond 80 percent," he told Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" panel discussion programme. He labeled Dr. Bawumia as the "best of the best" among the candidates and wants him to lead the party for two reasons, citing "he will be the first candidate to win the election straightaway. That is the first record we want him to set. The second is for the party to break the eight-year cycle of governance". The November 4 contest will be between Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Member of Parliament for Assin Central; Kennedy Agyapong, former Trade Minister; Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, former Agric Minister; Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto and a leading member of the NPP, Francis Addai Nimoh who had a tie with the former Energy Minister, Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko but will make the fifth candidate because the latter has withdrawn from a run-off that was supposed to be held between them. 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 Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, insists the wise counsel and fervent prayers of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, helped him to win the recently held NPP Special Electoral College Elections on August 26, 2023. According to him, he is eternally grateful to the Asante Monarch for the fatherly love, stressing that he still needs Otumfuos blessings and support in order to be elected as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer for the 2024 elections. The Vice President made the touching and emotional remarks when he stormed the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi with his delegation on Sunday afternoon to join the Asantehene and other chiefs in Asanteman to celebrate the Akwasidae festival. Im at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi this Sunday afternoon to join my father, the Asantehene and other prominent chiefs in Asanteman to celebrate the Akwasidae festival, he stated. Previous Appeal To Otumfuo You all remember that prior to the NPP Special Delegates Election, which was held on August 26, 2023, I came to this same palace and I humbly asked for Otumfuos blessings and support to enable me emerge victorious in that elections. On that day, my father (Otumfuo) advised me to campaign based on what I can do for the party and the country at large if I am elected as president, devoid of insults, name calling and insinuations. After the wise counsel, the Asantehene also gave me his blessings and Im excited and proud to announce to Otumfuo and Asanteman today that Otumfuos blessings has helped me to win the August 26, 2023 election. And after this important victory, I cant stay in Accra, its important that I rush to the Manhyia Palace again and personally thank Otumfuo and Asanteman for their blessings and support, which gave me the victory, he said. Continuing, the Vice President stated emphatically that he appreciates the amazing love and support that the Asantehene and the entire Asante Kingdom have shown to him in his political career so far, saying thank you Otumfuo. Calls for More Support Dr. Bawumia also took the opportunity to appeal to the Asantehene to bless him once again so that he would convincingly win the upcoming NPP presidential election on November 4, 2023 and lead the party to retain power. We are now done with the first election and its now left with the final one, which is scheduled to take place on November 4, 2023. And Im again calling for Otumfuo and Asantemans support to win this election as well, he stressed. Dr. Bawumia stated that, Im once again calling for Otumfuos blessings and direction so that in the end, I would emerge as the presidential candidate of the NPP for the 2024 national elections. 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 Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah has queried critics who accuse Dr Mahamudu Bawumia of being an establishment candidate. Opponents of the Vice President in the NPP Presidential race suggest that Dr. Bawumia is receiving preferential treatment and support from high-ranking members within the party and government. It may be recalled that Mr Boakye Agyarko claimed Dr. Bawumia is a candidate the Jubilee House and everyone supports . . . "I was asked if there was an establishment candidate, meaning a candidate the Jubilee House and everyone supports and I replied in the affirmative, that indeed that candidate was Vice President Bawumia. Simon Osei Mensah speaking in a panel discussion on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' suggested even if the claim is true, there's nothing wrong with it. " . . I've heard people talking about establishment candidate; he (Bawumia) was given the opportunity to serve and he took advantage of that to promote himself and because of that he has a lot of following. Let's even say the establishment candidate factor is true, is it wrong? If the President sees him (Bawumia) capable why not; assuming the establishment candidate is true . . . I don't see anything wrong with that. But in this case, he (Bawumia) worked hard on his own to get to where he is," he averred. Listen to him in the video below 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 Superintendent George Asare, a senior police officer implicated in the plot to remove Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, has made a shocking revelation during his appearance before a parliamentary committee investigating the matter. Asare disclosed that former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Bugri Naabu, recommended the use of Mallams (spiritualists) to aid their efforts in removing the IGP both physically and spiritually. Asare testified that Bugri Naabu proposed the involvement of three Mallams to help them in their mission. The former NPP chairman allegedly provided examples of instances where he had offered spiritual assistance to individuals seeking higher positions. Although Asare objected to the idea, Bugri Naabu insisted on seeking spiritual aid to achieve their goal. Denying any personal interest in lobbying for the position of IGP, Asare revealed that it was Bugri Naabu who initiated the conversation. In the private conversation, Naabu purportedly emphasized the need to fight both physically and spiritually. Asare recollected Bugri Naabu mentioning specific Imams who could offer prayers and suggested three Mallams, some of whom resided in the North and others in Bugri Naabus village. Asare expressed frustration over the leaked audio, claiming that the tape had been doctored to remove his objection to involving Mallams. He believed that the individual responsible for altering the recording had malicious intentions by selectively editing the content to malign him. The parliamentary committee investigating the alleged plot to oust IGP Dampare is expected to further examine the revelations made by Superintendent Asare. The leaked tape and Superintendent Asares testimony have raised concerns over potential unlawful activities involving Bugri Naabu, and highlighted the need for a thorough investigation. The involvement of spiritual means in political matters has also sparked debate among the public, as many believe such practices should have no place in the democratic process. The Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, has not commented on the developments surrounding the leaked tape and Bugri Naabus alleged involvement. The investigation by the parliamentary committee is ongoing, and further updates will be provided as new information emerges. 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 Center for Democratic Development (CDD) has said former President John Mahamas comment of appointing National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawyers onto the bench is a deem to Ghanas democracy. Speaking on Morning Starr with Francis Abban Monday September 4, 2023 the Senior Programs Officer at CDD-Ghana, Paul Aborampah Mensah stated that comments by the former President will not help the constitutional regime. It is a dim to Ghanas democracy, it is a dim for our fight for equality of law under our constitutional regime. It is dim for justice for all. If I hear politicians and especially people who have held the highest position on our land saying this. Then probably they are trying to tell us the experiences theyve had and probably the kind of structures they had when they were in office, Mr. Aborampah Mensah stated. He said when the NPPs invisible forces invaded the court in Kumasi CDD condemned that incident. Background Former President John Mahama has stated that President Akufo-Addos administration has packed the Ghanaian courts in order to avoid accountability when they leave office. Addressing the closing session of the 3rd Lawyers Conference organized by NDC Lawyers Association at Akosombo in the Eastern region, Mr. Mahama disclosed that some of these lawyers President Akufo-Addo has leapfrogged on the bench are known political persons. Our lawyers, some of you must be prepared to go unto the bench, I know that some of you have very lucrative legal practices you will not want to leave and go onto the bench. But you can see what the current President has done, he appointed the largest number of judges onto the bench. More than 80 towards hundred and counting. Hes packed the court and we know that theyve packed the court because they want to avoid accountability after they have left office. So all manner of people who have been known to be partisan, to have been executives of their party who are in the legal profession have been leapfrogged onto the Superior courts and other places, Mr. Mahama stated. Source: starrfm 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 Chief Executive Officer of the InterCity State Transport Corporation (STC), Nana Akomea has described as "childish" the allegations leveled against the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo Dampare in connection with a plot by some of his senior officers to remove him. Broaching the purported scheme by COP Alex Mensah and a colleague officer, Superintendent George Asare, to remove the IGP who they accuse of having political affiliation with the opposition National Democratic Congress. The allegations were captured on a leaked tape that is currently before a Parliamentary Committee probing the matter. COP Alex Mensah and his colleague are before the Parliamentary Committee charged with the responsibility to investigate the leaked tape and during interrogations, the former maintained that the IGP is "not correct" and mistreating junior Police officers, hence feared the officers may exhibit apathy during the 2024 elections. COP Mensah, who on the tape was discussing the removal of the IGP with the former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Bugri Naabu, alleged that the IGP is in bed with the NDC to spoil the chances of the ruling party in winning next year's elections. When he appeared before the Committee, he stood by some of his accusations and alluded to the pockets of chaos that characterized the Assin North by-election that saw an NDC candidate, James Gyakye Quayson, re-elected into Parliament to represent the Assin North constituency. During the turn of the Supt. George Asare before the Committee, he disclosed Bugri Naabu had recommended the use of Mallams (spiritualists) to aid their efforts in removing the IGP both physically and spiritually. But to Nana Akomea, these allegations have no logical basis. He wondered how the IGP could influence the outcome of elections in the country. "We all know that there is no logical basis for such allegation. Infact, it is childish. How can the IGP determine the outcome of an election?...If the IGP [Inspector General of Police] can determine the outcome of an election, no ruling party would lose elections in this country because every IGP is appointed by the ruling party," he said on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show. Nana Akomea was utterly alarmed that these senior officers would conspire against the IGP. "As COPs, you should have access to the Police Council or the Ministry of Interior if you have a genuine case" against the IGP "if indeed the IGP is doing something that brings the Police administration into disrepute," he blasted the accusers. 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 Nana Akomea has rubbished the allegations that Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, will influence the 2024 elections in favor of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). A Parliamentary Committee has launched a probe into allegations by senior Police officers, COP Alex Mensah and Supt. George Asare that the IGP is working against the ruling New Patriotic Party to lose the general elections. The officers were captured in a viral leaked audio recording accusing the IGP of many things including he being a sympathizer of the NDC which fuels their fear that Dr. Dampare may influence the outcome of the election. But Nana Akomea, speaking to Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' show, has ridiculed these assertions. He found it impossible for Dr. Dampare to influence an election in Ghana, asking "how can the IGP determine the outcome of an election?" To him, it makes no sense for a person to think that the IGP can determine how an election turns out. "There is no logical basis for such allegation. Infact, it is childish," he stressed, adding "if the IGP [Inspector General of Police] can determine the outcome of an election, no ruling party would lose elections in this country because every IGP is appointed by the ruling party". 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 Kumawood actress, Sandra Ababio has disclosed that she got pregnant by a 50-year-old man when she was 22. According to her, one Kay, a friend of her brother broke her virginity at 20. She revealed that she dated him for a while before she cheated on him with the old man who got her pregnant. She made the revelation on The Delay Show, which was aired on Sunday, September 3, 2023, when she spoke about her private life. I met someone called Kay; I got to know him through my elder brother because they were friends. I was 20 at the time and he was the one who broke my virginity. After he broke my virginity, I changed and started living my life, having fun, she disclosed. She continued that it was at that moment she met the old man. He showed interest in me and I said yes to him. I was still with Kay, cheating on him with the man and he [Kay] could call me on the phone expressing fury but I wouldnt be bothered. The man impregnated me. He was in Ghana after sixteen years of living in London. He was a mature man, almost 50 years old. He told me hes not married, she indicated. Sandra said the man had been showing interest in me but I wasnt giving him the attention. He seemed to have told some elderly men how he felt about me so whenever I went out to buy something, I would be told he had communicated his feelings to them. They would send me to deliver items to the man and that was how I got pregnant for him. She explained that she later discovered that the man lied to her. It was when I got pregnant that he told me he couldnt marry me because he wasnt divorced. He had come to do knocking after he impregnated me and I stayed with him at his house at Regimanuel Estate. We stayed under the same roof for about six years, she said. She concluded that she had a daughter and she is 15 years old now. She is also no longer with the father of her daughter. 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 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 One of the most intense discussions taking place among university faculty is whether to permit students to use artificial intelligence in the classroom. To gain perspective on the matter, The Conversation reached out to four scholars for their take on AI as a learning tool and the reasons why they will or won't be making it a part of their classes. Nicholas Tampio, professor of political science: Learn to think for yourself As a professor, I believe the purpose of a college class is to teach students to think: to read scholarship, ask questions, formulate a thesis, collect and analyze data, draft an essay, take feedback from the instructor and other students, and write a final draft. One problem with ChatGPT is that it allows students to produce a decent paper without thinking or writing for themselves. In my American political thought class, I assign speeches by Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X and ask students to compose an essay on what King and X might say about a current American political debate, such as the Supreme Court's recent decision on affirmative action. Students could get fine grades if they used ChatGPT to "write" their papers. But they will have missed a chance to enter a dialog with two profound thinkers about a topic that could reshape American higher education and society. The point of learning to write is not simply intellectual self-discovery. My students go on to careers in journalism, law, science, academia and business. Their employers often ask them to research and write about a topic. Few employers will likely hire someone to use large language models that rely on an algorithm scraping databases filled with errors and biases. Already, a lawyer has gotten in trouble for using ChatGPT to craft a motion filled with fabricated cases. Employees succeed when they can research a topic and write intelligently about it. Artificial intelligence is a tool that defeats a purpose of a college educationto learn how to think, and write, for oneself. Patricia A. Young, professor of education: ChatGPT doesn't promote advanced thinking College students who are operating from a convenience or entitlement mentalityone in which they think, "I am entitled to use whatever technology is available to me"will naturally gravitate toward using ChatGPT with or without their professor's permission. Using ChatGPT and submitting a course assignment as your own creation is called AI-assisted plagiarism. Some professors allow the use of ChatGPT as long as students cite ChatGPT as the source. As a researcher who specializes in the use of technology in education, I believe this practice needs to be thought through. Does this mean that ChatGPT would need to cite its sources, so that students could cite ChatGPT as a type of secondary source according to APA style, a standard academic style of citing papers? What Pandora's box are we opening? Some users report that ChatGPT never reveals its sources anyway. The proliferation of free AI means students won't have to think much while writingjust engage in a high level of copy and paste. We used to call that plagiarism. With AI-assisted plagiarism, this brings in the potential for a new era of academic misconduct. The concern will come when students take higher-level courses or land a job and lack the literacy skills to perform on an exceptional level. We will have created a generation of functionally illiterate adults who lack the capacity to engage in advanced thinkinglike critiquing, comparing or contrasting information. Yes, students can and should use smart tools, but we need to hypothesize and measure the costs to human ingenuity and the future of the human race. Asim Ali, instructor of information systems management: AI is another teacher I teach information systems management, and in the spring of 2023, I had students use ChatGPT for an essay assignment and then record a video podcast discussing how AI will impact their careers. This semester I am being more intentional by providing guidance on the possibilities and limitations of AI tools for each assignment. For example, students learn that using generative AI on a self-reflection assignment may not help, but using AI to analyze a case study is potentially a great way to find insights they may have overlooked. This emulates their future jobs in which they may use AI tools to enhance the quality of their work product. My experience with adapting to AI for my own course inspired me to create a resource for all my colleagues. As executive director of the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, I oversee the instructional design and educational development teams at Auburn University. We created a self-paced, online course called Teaching With AI. Now there are over 600 faculty at Auburn and hundreds of faculty at almost 35 institutions engaging with the content and each other through discussion boards and practical exercises. I receive messages from faculty sharing ways they are changing their assignments or discussing AI with their students. Some see AI as a threat to humans, but discussing AI with my students and with colleagues across the country has actually helped me develop human connections. Shital Thekdi, associate professor of analytics & operations: What can you do that AI can't? This semester, I will ask students in my Statistics for Business and Economics course to discuss the question, "What is your value beyond the AI tools?" I want them to reframe the conversation beyond one of academic integrity and instead as a challenge. I believe students must recognize that the jobs they imagine will exist for them could be eliminated because of these new technologies. So the pressure is on students to understand not only how to use these tools but also how to be better than the tools. I hope my students will consider ethical reasoning and the role of human connections. While AI can be trained to make value-based decisions, individuals and groups have their own values that can differ considerably from those used by AI. And AI tools do not have the capacity to form human connections and experiences. Students will remain vital contributors to business and society as AI tools develop. I believe it's our responsibility as educators to prepare our students for a rapidly evolving cultural and technological landscape. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jembe.2023.151920 As seawater temperatures rise, concern over the ability of coral to survive and reproduce also grows. Previous studies have largely focused on the effects of acclimating adult corals to warming temperatures via thermal priming, and have yielded varying results. Now, an international research team has tested the effect of thermal priming on coral gametes. Their study has been published in the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. Within the ecology of the ocean, healthy corals sustain many other species, help protect coastlines by tempering the power of waves, and are crucial to the success of industries such as fishing and tourism. But when water temperatures become too warm, corals may respond by bleaching, during which they excrete the symbiotic algae that serve them as an important food source and provide their color. Though corals can survive bleaching events, they may emerge with weakened systems, and prolonged ocean heat waves can be fatal to corals. According to the Coral Reef Alliance, corals generally do well at ocean temperatures between 23C and 29C. But a 2018 climate change forecast from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) asserts that a temperature increase of 2C by the middle of the 21st century could have globally devastating consequences for coral reefs. During the adult phase of their life cycle, corals may reproduce by differing methods; either by asexual fragmentation or by sexual fertilization between oocytes and sperm, during a period spent at the bottom of the ocean (benthic phase). Most sexually reproducing corals are hermaphroditic, and spawn both oocytes and sperm to be fertilized externally. After fertilization occurs, the larvae of brooding corals settle right away, while the larvae of broadcast spawning corals may spend weeks in an open-water (pelagic) development phase before they settle. Existing studies show that thermal priming (periods of exposure to higher water temperatures) of some species of adult corals during their brooding phases has yielded positive responses from the resulting larvae. However, it was not known whether similar tests on coral gametes would show positive effects, nor whether such effects would carry to subsequent life stages. In this study, the researchers focused on the coral species Acropora cytherea, a broadcast spawner, in French Polynesia, where ocean temperatures currently average between 26C and 28C. The team hypothesized that male and female coral gametes exposed to water temperature variations before fertilization would exhibit differing fertilization outcomes. Variability of the fertilization success rate. Fertilization success median (dot) and first and third quartiles (bars), are presented on the horizontal axes for both fertilization temperatures: 27C (green) and 30C (orange) after gamete thermal priming. Time: duration of the pre-exposure to a specific temperature is presented on the 13 vertical axis. The four boxes correspond to different pre-exposure temperatures: SO27: preexposure of sperm and oocytes to a 27C temperature. S30O27: pre-exposure of sperm to a 30C temperature and oocytes to a 27C temperature. S27O30: pre-exposure of sperm to a 27C temperature and oocytes to a 30C temperature. SO30: pre-exposure of sperm and oocytes to a 30C temperature. Credit: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jembe.2023.151920 Using freshly spawned oocytes (O) and sperm (S) collected from seven gravid coral colonies off the coast of Mo'orea, the research team exposed them separately to temperatures of 27C or 30C for durations of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, or 2.0 hours before any fertilization occurred, limiting to two hours the time between spawning and fertilization. Immediately after this thermal priming, the researchers began fertilization trials at the same two temperatures using four combinations of oocytes and sperm that had been separately primed at different temperatures (with number indicating temperature): S27O27, S30O27, S27O30, and S30O30. The team found that results varied according to combinations of the three conditions of gamete exposure duration, exposure temperature, and fertilization temperature. Therefore, fertilization success could not be attributed to any one of these factors on its own. Pre-exposure of female gametes to 30C counteracts the reduction of fertilization success rates at 30C in the coral A. cytherea. Credit: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jembe.2023.151920 At a priming temperature of 30C, exposure duration of both sperm and oocytes affected fertilization success in different ways. Notably, oocytes thermally primed at 30C before fertilization more strongly moderated the overall negative effect of a 30C water temperature on fertilization than did sperm primed at 30C. The specific thermal priming periods of 0.5 and 1.0 hour at 30C were also found to maximize the chance for successful fertilization of this coral species in this context. However, the research cautions that further testing is needed for other factors, such as a genetic selection mechanism for gamete mating performance and environmental effects encountered by gametes before any thermal exposure. Enduring coral gamete biology effects could affect coral's subsequent life stages. All new knowledge of gametes must be considered and understood along with what is already known about the other life stages if coral is to adapt to and thrive in rising ocean temperatures. 2023 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Cotton is the most widely used natural fiber for clothes. But how polluting are our jeans and shirts actually? Environmental scientist Laura Scherer has coordinated an international research project on the impacts of cotton. The study is published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. The consumption of textiles has exploded in the past decades. That's due to the promotion of fast fashion, Scherer says, "The environmental impacts of textiles have therefore also increased considerably." Much of Scherer's previous research focuses on the environmental impacts of food. "But sustainable food alone is not sufficient to meet sustainability targets. Not everyone can afford to install a heat pump, but everyone can decide what they eat, what they wear, or how long they wear clothes." To identify the footprint of these clothes and look for opportunities to reduce impacts, Scherer worked together with an international team of researchers. "We looked at cotton, as it is the world's most widely used natural fiber. Only polyester is used more in the textile market, but that's a synthetic fiber." From cotton crops to garbage Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant. It grows in warm environments, but the cultivation of the plant requires a lot of water. That's where the sustainability assessment of the fiber starts. "Sometimes, it is easy for consumers to ignore the impacts of the production because they happen abroad. For instance, the purchases of consumers in Europe can contribute to water scarcity in China and India," says Scherer. "In the U.S., for example, the energy grids are carbon-intensive and people have the habit of frequently washing and machine-drying. In that case, the use phase can exceed the production phase in its contribution to the carbon footprint of jeans. In contrast, in a country like Sweden where the energy is cleaner, clothes are worn longer before washing, and air-drying is more common, the use phase contributes relatively little to the overall carbon footprint of jeans." It is better to wash our clothes less frequently, Scherer explains. "That has a dual benefit: it not only reduces the impacts from washing, but also helps maintain the quality of clothes. That way, they can be used longer. And also filling the washing machine to its full capacity and avoiding ironing help reduce the impacts." Should we buy different textiles then? How big the environmental impacts of our jeans and t-shirts are depends on the country, the cotton cultivation, the manufacturing and use of the product. At the cultivation stage, for example, the impacts vary depending on the levels of irrigation, pesticide and fertilizer applications. At the textile manufacturing stage, impacts depend on energy infrastructure and manufacturing technologies. And the impacts of the use phase vary due to consumers behavior. In their paper, the researchers analyzed and compared these different stages. Then they suggested opportunities for farmers, manufacturers and consumers to improve the environmental sustainability of cotton textiles. Often it is the production of cotton garments that dominates the environmental impacts, Scherer says. "It can be the cultivation of cotton crops or the manufacturing of cotton garments. It takes several steps to go from cotton until something like a t-shirt or jeans comes out of it." Still, there are also various opportunities for consumers to reduce the impacts of their clothing. When buying the next pair of pants, should we avoid cotton? "We compared cotton to several alternative fibers, both natural and synthetic ones. But it's difficult to judge if these are better as studies usually do not take consumer behavior into account. Materials might differ in how often they need to be washed or how long they can be used. This influences their overall impact. So, more research is needed." Instead of buying less clothes made from certain fibers, it's better to buy less in general. "A transition from fast to slow fashion demands changes in product design, marketing and consumer behavior." Even if the production of clothes might feel like something far away, we as consumers can make a significant change, according to Scherer. "Buying fewer clothes and washing less frequently are undoubtedly beneficial. And it even saves you money." More information: Zhenggui Zhang et al, Environmental impacts of cotton and opportunities for improvement, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s43017-023-00476-z Journal information: Nature Reviews Earth & Environment This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A diverse community of land plants, ranging from mosses to flowering species, grow together in boggy stream in the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland. Credit: Sandy Hetherington, The University of Edinburgh, U.K. A new study has uncovered intriguing insights into the evolution of plant biology, effectively rewriting the history of how plants evolved over the past billion years. The research, published today in Nature Plants, shows plants have gradually developed their range of anatomical designs throughout the passage of time, punctuated by episodic bursts of innovation to overcome and adapt to environmental challenges. Such findings overturn the long-held belief that, much like animals, the fundamental range of plant types evolved in a big burst of sudden change early in their evolutionary history. Co-lead author Philip Donoghue, professor of paleobiology at the University of Bristol, said, "Although plants are extraordinarily diverse in their design and organization, they share a common ancestor which originated at sea more than a billion years ago. "We wanted to test whether they really evolved with a big bang early on in their history or whether their evolution was a slower and more continual process. Surprisingly, the results revealed plant evolution was a bit of a mix, with long periods of gradual change interrupted by short bursts of large-scale innovation, overcoming the challenges of living on dry land." To test this theory the team of scientists analyzed the similarities and differences of 248 groups of plants, ranging from single-celled pond scum and seaweed to land plants including everything from mosses and ferns, to pines, conifers and flowering plants. They also looked at 160 extinct groups known only from the fossil record, including species from the Devonian Rhynie Chert which lived more than 400 million years ago. More than a 130,000 observations were generated by breaking down plant designs into their components and recording those present or absent in each of the main groups, living and fossil. Computerized statistical techniques measured the overall similarities and differences between groups and how they have varied over time. The scientists also tried to work out what led to these evolutionary innovations, like the introduction of spores, seeds, roots, leaves, pollen and flowers. Co-lead author Dr. James Clark, research associate in biological sciences at the University of Bristol, said, "We found changes in plant anatomical design occur in association with events in which the entire cellular genetic make-up was doubled. This has happened many times in plant evolutionary history, as a result of errors in the genome-copying process, creating duplicate copies of genes that are free to mutate and evolve new functions." But the major pulses of plant anatomical evolution were found to be associated with the challenge of living and reproducing in increasingly dry environments, connected to the progressive emergence of plants from sea on to land. Co-lead author Dr. Sandy Hetherington's fascination with the evolution of land plants began as a budding geologist at the University of Bristol and now continues in his work at the University of Edinburgh. He said, "Overall the pattern of episodic pulses in the evolution of plant anatomical designs matches that seen in other multi-cellular kingdoms of complex life, like animals and fungi. This suggests it is a general pattern and blueprint for complex multicellular life from its inception." More information: James W. Clark et al, Evolution of phenotypic disparity in the plant kingdom, Nature Plants (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01513-x Journal information: Nature Plants This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: (A) Tuamotu Archipelago location in French Polynesia. (B) Tikehau and Rangiroa Atoll. (C) Tiputa pass, Location A. (D) Tuheiava pass, Location B. Credit: Satellite imagery ESRI. Frontiers in Marine Science (2023). DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2023.1234059 A large international team of marine scientists are trying to solve the mystery of why a large group of female hammerhead sharks have gathered in two French Polynesian atolls every summer of over the past decade. In their paper published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, the team describes their study of the sharks and discusses their theories on why they congregate. Great hammerhead sharks are the biggest of the hammerheadsthey can grow to lengths of four to six meters and weigh up to 450 kilograms. They are known to be voracious hunters but present little danger to humans. They typically live in tropical or temperate zones along shorelines and migrate seasonally, generally toward equatorial waters during winter, and in the opposite direction in summer. In this new endeavor, the scientists heard about female great hammerheads congregating in atolls in French Polynesia, and they began a research study to find the reason. In looking at the circumstances surrounding the sharks amassing in French Polynesia, the team found that they had originally been spotted congregating in two atolls during the summers of 2020 and 2021from December to March, which is summertime in the South Pacific. Distinctive traits for S. mokarran identification (A) fin morphology: 1) notches, 2) outgrowths, 3) truncated or shortened fins. (B) distinctive for one season only: 1) white patches (around the head), 2) blisters, 3) scratches, 4) open wound or scars. (C) ventral features: 1) black dots, 2) dark patches. (D) Pre-Caudal length. (E) Natural marks on fin-tips or body: 1) dark patches, 2) dark pattern of fin-tips, 3) black dots. Credit: Pictures from MPS and Thomas Pavy. Frontiers in Marine Science (2023). DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2023.1234059 Over the ensuing years, the research team was able to identify 55 sharks (54 females, and 1 of unidentified gender). They note that hammerheads, like most sharks are generally solitary swimmers. And despite congregating, the females did not appear to acknowledge the existence of the others around them. Looking at videos provided by citizen scientists from 200619, the researchers were able to identify 30 additional sharks, most of which they could identify as female. They were also able to see that at least half of those they observed were seasonal visitors. And they also found that at least 32 of the sharks returned to the same atoll every year for at least 12 years. The team was not able to find any single factor that could explain the behavior of the sharks, but they have a few theories. The first is that the sharks are simply following ocellated eagle rays which mate in the same atoll. Such rays are a food source for the sharks. The second involves the moonpeak numbers of sharks coincided with a full moon. They suggest that the full moon makes it easier to spot prey at night. More information: Tatiana Boube et al, First insights into the population characteristics and seasonal occurrence of the great hammerhead shark, Sphyrna mokarran (Ruppell, 1837) in the Western Tuamotu archipelago, French Polynesia, Frontiers in Marine Science (2023). DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2023.1234059 Journal information: Frontiers in Marine Science 2023 Science X Network 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: Cash-strapped African nations want a much bigger share of a $2-billion carbon credits market that is forecast to grow five-fold by 2030. Deep within Kasigau, a sweeping wilderness of craggy hills and savannah roamed by elephants, a team armed with clipboards and measuring tapes is busy studying an unremarkable tree. Gnarled and leafless, it nonetheless has great value: it stores carbon, and the team wants to know exactly how much is locked away across this semi-arid, half-a-million-acre (200,000-hectare) woodland in southern Kenya. "We want to make absolutely sure we account for every single tree," said Geoffrey Mwangi, lead scientist at US-based company Wildlife Works, as the "carbon samplers" took the dimensions of another thorny specimen. The data translates into carbon credits, and millions of dollars have been made selling these to corporate giants such as Netflix and Shell looking to offset their greenhouse gas emissions and burnish their green credentials. As climate change accelerates and pressure mounts on companies and countries to lift their game, demand for carbon credits has explodedeven as their reputation has taken a battering. Cash-strapped African nations want a much bigger share of a $2-billion market that is forecast to grow five-fold by 2030. Africa only produces 11 percent of the world's offsets yet boasts the planet's second-largest rainforest and tracts of carbon-absorbing ecosystems like mangroves and peatlands. Environment wardens out on patrol in the Kasigau wilderness in southern Kenya. Kenyan President William Ruto, who is hosting a climate summit in Nairobi this week, said Africa's carbon sinks were an "unparalleled economic goldmine". "They have the potential to absorb millions of tons of CO 2 annually, which should translate into billions of dollars," he said on Monday. 'Massive interest' A single credit represents one metric ton of carbon dioxide removed or reduced from the atmosphere. Companies buy credits generated through activities like renewable energy, planting trees or protecting forests. Carbon markets are largely unregulated and accusations that some offsetsparticularly forest-based onesdo little for the environment or exploit communities have sent prices crashing this year. Kenya already generates the most offsets in Africa and despite market uncertainty, sees the potential for a much bigger domestic industry capable of creating much-needed jobs and economic growth. The Kasigau wilderness stretches across half a million acres. "There is massive interest. We have 25 percent of the African market (for carbon credits) in Kenya, and it's our ambition to expand this," Ali Mohamed, the president's special envoy for climate change, told AFP. In Kasigau, about 330 kilometers (205 miles) southeast of Nairobi, landowners and communities are paid to keep the forest intact under a flagship carbon credit project run by Wildlife Works, a for-profit business and largest offset developer in Africa. Joseph Mwakima from Wildlife Works said project revenue had employed around 400 people and funded water, education and health infrastructure in a long-underserved part of Kenya. "These are things that were never really there," he told AFP. Wildlife Works founder Mike Korchinsky said at least half of revenue went to communities. The forests protected under the scheme were once cleared for firewood and charcoal, degrading a carbon sink and critical wildlife habitat. Dominic Mwakai, 43, sells water collected from natural springs flowing from Mount Kasigau. Avoiding deforestation serves climate goals by keeping carbon in the soil and trees instead of allowing them to be released into the atmosphere. The Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project was the world's first to generate certified credits this way. Wildlife Works says the project has been independently verified nine times since 2011, and has avoided roughly 22 million tons of CO 2 emissions. Kenya emits about 70 million metric tons of CO 2 per year, according to Climate Watch, a platform managed by the World Resources Institute that tracks national greenhouse gas emissions. 'False solutions' The UN-endorsed African Carbon Market Initiative, launched at COP27 in November, believes 300 million credits could be generated annually on the continent by 2030 - a 19-fold increase on current volumes. For Kenya, this would mean more than 600,000 jobs and $600 million in annual revenue. Wildlife Works says the project has avoided roughly 22 million tons of CO 2 emissions. The project supports a number of alternative industries involving surrounding communities, including sustainable charcoal production. But these projections assume a carbon price far above current trades, and a massive increase in finance at a time of great volatility in a market struggling to build trust and integrity. Ahead of the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, more than 500 civil society organizations wrote to Ruto urging him to steer the conference away from carbon markets and other "false solutions... led by Western interests". "In truth, though, these approaches will embolden wealthy nations and large corporations to continue polluting the world, much to Africa's detriment," it read. Ruto's appointee to lead the summit, Joseph Nganga, said carbon markets acted "not as an excuse for emissions but as a means to ensure accountability" as rich polluting nations bore the cost. Countries are moving to regulate the sector. Earlier this year, Zimbabwe announced it would appropriate half of all the revenue generated from carbon credits on its land, sending jitters through markets. Kenya is finalizing its own legislation. Mohamed said the government did not want to "chase away investors" but ensure transparency and a fair share for communities. Korchinsky expressed confidence the Kasigau project "will hold up to whatever scrutiny is applied". 2023 AFP 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: Mfield, Matthew Field, www.photography.mattfield.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons It's no secret to most San Diegans that leopard sharks come each summer to warm their pregnant bellies on the sand at La Jolla Shores. But much still remains unknown about these animals. Andrew Nosal, an associate professor of biology at Point Loma Nazarene University, has spent the past several years trying to unlock their secrets each season while they are here. Such as why so many gather here in the first place. And why they flip on their backs to rub against the sand, an action first noticed last summer. Nosal has always mentored undergraduates who have helped with field work. But this year he began teaching a summer program in which students help direct the research. During the 10-week program, which wrapped up in August, he encouraged students to form research questions as well as collect and analyze data that will be used for a published paper, Nosal said. His research methods have improved over the past 15 years. Back then, it was still relatively unknown just how many leopard sharks typically gather off La Jolla. One day Nosal saw footage from a news helicopter flying over a shiver of sharks, prompting the scientist to order a 6-foot-wide helium balloon for the same birds-eye view. Turns out, there were dozens of sharks. Now, rather than attaching a first-generation GoPro to his balloon and trying to guessoften unsuccessfullywhere the sharks were, he uses drones. A few years ago he started pairing the drone footage with a computer program that tracks each shark in the group by looking at contrasts, such as a dark object swimming in a lighter area. "We didn't have to guess where the sharks were. We could just look on our phones or on the controller and see where the sharks were and we could search for them if we didn't see them in the first place," Nosal said. On a weekday in mid-August, Nosal met with three of his students behind the La Jolla Shores Hotel before launching a drone to spot the location of the sharks. Then the group put on their snorkel gear and swam out in search of the animals. "Some days we like to just have a little bit of fun and just be in the water to really connect with the animals that we study," he said. "But it's not just for fun. We are making observations, and that's what we were doing today." They were looking for a few behaviors and trying to better grasp the sharks' relationship with one another. One behavior in particular is a rolling motion in which the animal flips on its back to rub against the sand, which has been seen numerous times from an aerial view since it was first noticed last summer but witnessed few times in the water. Nosal observed the movement that day. "When you have 200 sharks in the same field of view, it's amazing because you start to see these white flashes all over the place," he said. The scientists think the strange flipping could possibly be a tactic to rub off parasites. The footage has been helpful with counting how many times this behavior occurs and how many sharks actually participate in the action. The data is also used to try to answer why so many leopard sharks gather here at the same time. Are they all attracted to the same features? Or is there a social reason for the congregation? The location is a popular site for mostly pregnant females from late June to early December. The warm water is thought to be used for incubation. The spot is at the head of the La Jolla Submarine Canyon which creates a "divergent zone," creating smaller waves by diverting them left and right over the top of the canyon, ultimately creating a warm water patch. Each year, the sharks give live birth to about 20 pups each. The bigger the female, the more offspring she has. "We're starting to look into how they interact with each other and how they stay together as a group because they are like a schooling fish where they'll all stay together " said Josh Gailey, a senior at Point Loma Nazarene with a double major in biology and philosophy. "Or are they all independent (and) they just happen to be in the same area because they all like it?" Gailey has an interest in bioethics and has been thinking a lot about the popularity of snorkeling and swimming with the sharks, which are harmless to people. The sharks are known to hang out in the Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve, one of four of La Jolla's marine protected areas, where fishing isn't allowed but recreating is. Gailey wonders if the commotion of people may frighten the sharks, causing them to leave. "But then it means that maybe (the sharks are) spending less time in the optimal temperature area so they may incubate more slowly," he said. "How do people affect them?" During the students' hour dive, there were more leopard sharks seen than normal that day. The group left satisfied after seeing a rare underwater flip of a white belly and capturing other behaviors that will be taken back to the lab to study. "(Students) get to learn these important field techniques. They get to learn how to safely handle sharks and how to respectfully handle sharks," Nosal said. "And there's nothing quite like seeing your study species in real life." Gailey agreed that this wasn't the typical lab class. As a student, most of the time labs are already planned out and with steps to follow. "But there's very few times that you come across a thing where it's like you're the one coming up with the steps," he said. 2023 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: AI-generated image Britain has witnessed a torrent of appalling examples of misogyny by those serving on the front line of public services in recent years. This has included police officers committing acts of violence and abuse against women. Both the London Fire Brigade and London's Metropolitan Police have been subject to damning independent reviews designating them as "institutionally misogynist." Rather than referring to one-off instances, "institutional misogyny" points to ongoing practices that secure and support men's power over women. There is a wealth of evidence in these reviews about how women are regularly devalued and demeaned within these institutional cultures. They experience mocking and insults dismissed as "jokes," colleagues sharing sexist or explicitly sexual stories, and sexual harassment. The Fire Brigade Union's recent demand to end the "unnecessary and degrading practice" of female firefighters being forced to strip in front of their male colleagues reveals yet another example of misogynistic practices. The effect of institutional misogyny The most obvious impact of misogyny is physical violence against women and girls. This was evident in the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving Met police officer Wayne Couzens, the conviction of former officer David Carrick for dozens of rapes and assaults, and the violations of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman's bodies by two Met PCs. Policing authorities have often dismissed these and other incidents as rare behavior by "bad apples". But when institutional misogyny is part of the work culture in an organization such as the police, it influences the behavior of all employees. In recent research, we investigated the impact of proposals for police forces to classify misogyny as a hate crime. Speaking to senior police officers and police and crime commissioners, what we found along the way were shocking examples of institutional misogyny. We found that police officers struggle to identify or empathize with female victims of crime, and to understand the social context in which violent offending against women and girls took place. Police, including some female police officers, were often dismissive of how incidents such as street harassment affected victims, and did not view addressing the issue as being core to their purpose as police. One female police officer said that if she received a comment in the street about how she looked she would choose to take it as a compliment. Another spoke dismissively about being called out on the job to respond to a "slap on the bum." Institutional misogyny can negatively affect the public's perception of the performance, fairness and trustworthiness of public institutions. Indeed, a non-profit research organization More in Common found that trust in the police fell from 63% to 53% in the wake of Couzens' sentencing. Responding to misogyny Despite an ongoing national campaign, only seven forces have tried to implement a policy of classifying misogyny as a hate crime. Within some of those forces, the reaction to the rule change has lifted the curtain on institutional values when it comes to violence against women and girls. One senior police officer with responsibility for hate crime said that many frontline officers simply didn't recognize that street harassment from men was "not wanted" by women. Instead, they saw it as "just life." Even within police forces that chose to classify misogyny as a hate crime, frontline police officers often used their discretion to bypass the measure, derailing its impact. Misogynistic institutional cultures are often marked by a refusal to admit to a lack of knowledge as well as an emotional detachment about problems affecting women. Our research showed that police officers often struggled with the emotional complexities of misogynistic offending, and so often chose not to identify it as such. Some forces chose to exclude domestic violence from their recording of misogynistic hate crime. In doing so, they would inadvertently draw a distinction between violence committed by intimate partners and that by strangers. This is a distinction that campaigners against violence towards women and girls have sought to erase, as it creates a hierarchy where intimate partner violence is considered less serious or worthy of attention. The 'institutional' label Met police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has refused to accept the force is "institutionally misogynistic," one of the Casey report's key demands. He described the term "institutional" as "confusing" and "political." The labeling of institutional cultures as misogynistic is an important step forward in recognizing how our public institutions can act against the interests of women and girls. It draws our attention to pervasive and normalized ways of working in organizations that are meant to serve the public. Refusing to name it can obscure the effects of misogyny that go beyond the actions or decisions of particular "bad apples." The horrific cases of violence against women by Met police officers will stick with the public for years to come, but they do not show the full scope of the problems with British policing and public institutions. Our conversations with members of these institutions themselves show how misogyny is not just a series of events, it is part of the culture. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Landsat image of American Samoas Tutuila Island, acquired on July 22, 2022, with the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin On Sept. 29, 2009, an 8.1-magnitude earthquake struck near American Samoa, Samoa, and Tonga, triggering a tsunami that caused human casualties and $200 million in property damage on the islands. The earthquake also exacerbated another problem in American Samoa: subsidence, or the sinking of land. When combined with relative sea level rise, land sinking can increase the frequency and amount of coastal flooding. Protecting against flooding on islands requires reliable measurements of how much the ground is sinking and where, said Jeanne Sauber, a geophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "You need to know in detail where the land is going down the fastest," she said. Sauber and several NASA colleagues are combining remote sensing tools to figure that out. Historically, subsidence measurements on small tropical islands have been difficult to make for two reasons. Islands often have few resources for acquiring detailed measurements at the land surface, and dense midday clouds and vegetation can make good satellite data difficult to get. Using the island of Tutuila in American Samoa as an example, a team of NASA scientists last year published a study on how to better map ground changes on earthquake-prone islands. They found that using a combination of satellite and ground-based observations could result in a more nuanced and comprehensive map. In the past, scientists had used data from two points of measurement on Tutuila: a GPS station and the island's one tide gauge. They typically coupled those points with satellite altimetry, which allows scientists to broadly monitor the surface height of the ocean. But these data provided only a limited picture. In the study, the researchers added InSAR, or interferometric synthetic aperture radar, which allowed them to see where the ground was changing. InSAR is a technique that involves comparing satellite radar images of the same area collected at different times to spot movement on Earth's surface and track changes in ground height. The study found that Tutuila sank an average of 0.24 to 0.35 inches (6 to 9 millimeters) per year between 2015 and 2022 compared to 0.04 to 0.08 inches (1 to 2 millimeters) per year before the 2009 earthquake. The highest rates of sinking occurred right after the earthquake, especially along the coastlines. "We knew how much the ground is deforming at this one point because of the GPS station there, but with the radar remote sensing technique, we can get a much denser map of what's going on across the island," said Stacey Huang, a fellow with NASA's Postdoctoral Program at NASA Goddard and the study's lead author. Building a better map Synthetic aperture radar data is collected from planes or satellites. It works by sending out microwave pulses from the satellite to Earth's surface and then measuring the time it takes for the pulses to bounce back and the strength of that reflection, or "backscatter." Unlike many satellite instruments, this kind of radar can pierce through clouds and dense vegetation, allowing researchers to accurately measure relative elevation and changes in the land surface. Huang and Sauber's study used data from the ESA (European Space Agency) Copernicus Sentinel-1A satellite. The researchers also used satellite altimeter data to assess sea level and correlate it with measurements from the island's Pago Pago tide gauge station. The gauge measured sea level relative to Tutuila, while the altimeter measured the absolute sea level. The difference between them shows, among other signals, Tutuila's land motion, or movement, relative to Earth's center. One of the challenges for evaluating land subsidence on remote islands is understanding how the island motions may be influenced by the broader movement of tectonic plates. By including measurements from Tutuila's GPS station, the researchers could monitor the rate of vertical motion. "So not only can we say what is one point doing relative to another on an island, we can say what is this island doing relative to other locations around the world," said Sauber, a co-author of the study. Why the land sinks Land subsidence in this part of the western Pacific Ocean results from the movement of the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates. When one plate passes under the other, a phenomenon called subduction occurs along the Tonga Trench, a deep canyon in the Pacific Ocean. Earthquakes frequently result from this process, creating vertical movement of the island's surface, along with ground-surface changes. To understand how much the land has changed after each earthquake, scientists measure something called vertical land motionthe up-and-down movement of the land from the removal and rearrangement of materials in the Earth's subsurface. "Over hundreds of thousands of years, or even millions of years, these volcanic islands tend to sink as they cool off," said Eric Fielding, a geophysicist from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "This long-term geologic process applies to the Samoan Islands, and the earthquake cycle adds to that." Sea level rise compounds the problem, said Richard Ray, the study's third author and a geophysicist at NASA Goddard. In Tutuila, for example, the relative sea level is rising by as much as five times the global average, according to a previous study including Ray and Sauber. The average global sea level rose by 0.11 inches (2.7 millimeters) from 2021 to 2022, according to a NASA analysis of satellite data. In that 2019 study, scientists found that the region's sea level rise relative to the land was 0.04 to 0.08 inches (2 to 3 millimeters) per year before the earthquake, but now, relative sea level rise is several times the global average. "Three millimeters may not sound like much, but it makes a difference over time as it builds up," Ray said. Many islands around the world are facing rising sea levels and share similar features with Tutuila. Researchers hope to apply what they learned from Tutuila to other islands for coastal resilience planning, including collaborative efforts between NASA and the United Nations to inform decisions across Pacific Island nations. Slated to launch in early 2024, NISARshort for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radarjointly developed by NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization), will track movements of Earth's land and ice surfaces in extremely fine detail, and will help identify and track vertical land motion around the world. Coastal resilience planning is necessary to protect people who live on smaller islands, and it requires reliable data. "We really need to know how fast that land is sinking so that policy decisions can be based on scientific data," Sauber said. "You do not want to move people away from their homes unless they're really going to be in a dire situation." This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: AI-generated image Intimate partner violence is a prevalent and growing issue in Canada. According to Statistics Canada, there were 114,132 police-reported victims of intimate partner violence in 2021, marking the seventh consecutive year of increased rates of violence. Intimate partner violence refers to harmful behaviors perpetrated by a current or former partner over another. This can include physical, sexual, emotional or financial abuse and coercive control. The issue is particularly significant in the Canadian Prairies, where rates of police-reported intimate partner violence are consistently highest. However, these rates do not reflect the pervasive nature of this issue, as approximately seven out of 10 incidents of intimate partner violence are never reported to police. Intimate partner violence in 2SLGBTQ+ communities Considerably less is known about intimate partner violence in 2SLGBTQ+ relationships. This is because less research has focused on 2SLGBTQ+ experiences. In fact, researchers have noted that only 3% of studies between 1999 and 2013 addressed intimate partner violence in 2SLGBTQ+ relationships. The data that is avaialable suggests that it is a prevalent issue in 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Statistics Canada estimates that two-thirds of sexual minority women experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime. Scholars even suggest that rates of intimate partner violence in 2SLGBTQ+ communities are equal to, or higher than, heterosexual relationships. Research has found abusive dynamics in one-quarter to one-half of same-sex relationships. Police have historically failed to protect 2SLGBTQ+ communities from harm. In fact, as the enforcers of anti-LGBTQ laws in the 20th century, police have actively participated in the oppression of 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Tensions between police and 2SLGBTQ+ communities notably reached a turning point during the Stonewall Uprising in 1969. The six-day protest was triggered by a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in New York City and served as a driving force for the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Many advancements and milestones have been achieved in the LGBTQ+ rights movement since the uprising, but the relationship between police and 2SLGBTQ+ communities remains strained. This is largely because poor police practices continue today, with police failing to protect 2SLGBTQ+ survivors from harmoften from intimate partners. Our research examined how 2SLGBTQ+ communities seek help when experiencing intimate partner violence in the Canadian Prairies. We found that participants' perceptions and experiences of dealing with police were negative. Police responses ranged from not taking the cases seriously to engaging in discriminatory behaviors towards 2SLGBTQ+ survivors. A video about the 1981 Toronto Police raids that targeted gay men. In 2016, the Toronto Police Service apologized for the raids. Police have historically failed to protect 2SLGBTQ+ communities from harm. Survivor experiences with police As part of our study, we interviewed 47 2SLGBTQ+ survivors of intimate partner violence across the Canadian Prairies about their experiences. A range of gender identities and sexual orientations were represented including Two-Spirit, transgender, non-binary, genderfluid, gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual and asexual. Survivors ranged in age from 19 to 67 years old. Around 55% were of White/European ancestry, 17% were Indigenous, 15% were of mixed ancestry, 6% were Black and 4% were Asian. Almost half (47%) had a mental or physical disability or chronic health condition. Despite historical harms, many survivors described reaching out to police for help. However, police responses towards them ranged from disinterest at best to discriminatory at worst. While a few survivors reported positive encounters with police, these were reported much less frequently. Many survivors told us they were not taken seriously when seeking police assistance. This was particularly true for lesbian survivors, who stated that police brushed off abusive incidents as a "catfight" or disagreement "between friends." This was echoed by survivors in other 2SLGBTQ+ communities, who felt the disdain they experienced from police invalidated their relationships and severity of abuse they experienced. Overall, misconceptions surrounding what abuse looks like in 2SLGBTQ+ communities were common in police responses. Other survivors described blatant discrimination at the hands of police, including ridicule and dehumanizing rhetoric on account of their 2SLGBTQ+ identities. Transgender survivors in particular discussed instances of being misgendered, even after repeated attempts to express their proper name and desired pronouns. Discrimination was amplified for survivors with multiple marginalized identities, particularly those from racialized groups. Changing harmful practices Current policing practices must be addressed to improve responses to intimate partner violence in 2SLGBTQ+ communities, including demanding more accountability from police. The survivors we interviewed discussed several recommendations for tackling the issue, beginning with changing police attitudes and behaviors towards 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Specific changes include respecting 2SLGBTQ+ identities and pronouns, validating 2SLGBTQ+ relationships and taking intimate partner violence in 2SLGBTQ+ relationships seriously. The need for larger systemic change within policing was also discussed. An important step towards systemic change involves committing to in-depth and long-term training to better inform interactions with 2SLGBTQ+ survivors. Training should be comprehensive and address problematic preconceptions that downplay or dismiss the issue. Holding police accountable for not adequately responding to intimate partner violence within these systems was also noted as crucial to ensuring that training is put into practice. Finally, increasing the diversity of justice system staff was also recommended. Survivors specifically underscored the importance of having more 2SLGBTQ+ representation in policing. Additionally, having social worker liaisons responding to calls alongside police officers was recommended to better assess and address intimate partner violence. Violence of all kinds affects people of every gender identity and sexual orientation. However, 2SLGBTQ+ survivors can experience different forms of violence and face additional challenges accessing assistance and support. Police must do better to gain the trust and confidence from 2SLGBTQ+ communities. All survivors of violence, regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation, have the right to safety and protection, including from the police. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne). Credit: Pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne). Foto: Emil Blicher Bjerregard In just 26 years, the distribution of rare butterflies has plummeted by 72% in Eastern Denmark. Several species are threatened with extinction, yet the conservation actions aiming to safeguard species have proved unsuccessful. This is the conclusion of a comprehensive study from the University of Copenhagen published in the journal Biological Conservation. They are as characteristic of Danish summer as cold buttermilk soup, sweet strawberries and dandelionsbut we are awful at taking care of them. Many of Denmark's butterfly species have been in sharp decline for decades, a trend that continues at breakneck speed according to research from the University of Copenhagen. On top of that, current nature conservation efforts do not seem to be helping the rarer species, as was intended. Data collected over six years by biologist Emil Blicher Bjerregard establishes just how drastic the decline is for twenty-two rare butterfly species across Eastern Denmark. Several of these species are critically endangered. "The distribution of the twenty-two butterfly species we've been monitoring on Zealand, Lolland, Falster and Mn has shrunk by 72% since 1993. All but one of the species have declined, and several of them only have one local population left. I wouldn't be surprised if at least eight of the species become extinct in a few years. These include the pearl-bordered fritillary, mazarine blue and northern chequered skipper," says Bjerregard. Bjerregard, a newly minted biologist from the University of Copenhagen, is lead author of a research article about the study, alongside contributing researchers from the University of Copenhagen's Department of Biology and Department of Mathematical Sciences. Lack of original habitat The researchers compared the number of so-called "occurrence sites" in Eastern Denmark, areas with one or more populations of the target butterfly species were present, with the situation prior to 1993, when the last mapping of butterfly distribution was conducted. In 1993, the twenty-two species were spread across 565 sites in Eastern Denmark, whereas only 158 sites remained in 2019a 72% reduction. "The data are very robust and they unveils dramatic numbers which appear to be worse than in our neighboring countries. Many once common and widespread species in Denmark have become very rare. And once they're gone, they won't return," says Associate Professor Hans Henrik Bruun, the study's senior author. Mazarine blue (Cyaniris semiargus). Credit: Emil Blicher Bjerregard The study shows that the decline applies to every type of butterfly habitat. These habitats include open woodland, peat bogs and grasslands. "Butterflies are a good indicator of nature quality. The studied species cannot live in residential neighborhoods, fertilized meadows or the margins of agricultural fields. They need more natural habitats. Plenty of such habitats once existed. This is no longer the case," says Bjerregard. Nature conservation efforts have not worked "Most of the butterfly occurrence sites are formally protected and have been so for decades. But we don't see any signs that legal area protectionneither national nor EU's Natura2000has had any positive impact for the rarer butterfly species over the past 30 years," says Bruun. According to Bruun and Bjerregard, this is most likely because current nature conservation efforts have been insufficient: "Legally protected areas are in reality poorly protected from human activities. For example, plantation forestry continues to take place in Natura 2000 areas and the Danish national parks are 'paper parks' with supermarkets and parking lots. At the same time, the flowers important to butterflies are sparse in natural areaspartly as a result of farmers receiving support to tend to grasslands with either intensive summer grazing or no grazing at all. In our protected forests, timber production and drainage ditches cause the demise of butterfly habitats," says Bjerregard. "Secondly, Denmark's protected natural areas are small, isolated postage stamp parcels, whereas species require larger contiguous areas of nature, where populations are much less vulnerable to fluctuations in weather and climate as they are now. Today, for example, they can't just fly to a wetter place if there happens to be a drought." The northern chequered skipper (Carterocephalus silvicola). Credit: Emil Blicher Bjerregard The main solution does not hinge on reducing agriculture Converting more agricultural land is not first priority, as the researchers point out. "Many voices in public debate argue that the most important thing we can do for biodiversity is to reduce farmland area. It could be relevant in the long term, but it is extremely difficult to restore habitats from agricultural land. The most important thing right now is to take areas that are already formally protected and where species still live and enhance the quality of habitats by protecting them properlythat is, against all significant threats," says Bruun. This includes activities like game management and sporting pursuits. "Some people may be concerned about whether there is room for their horseback riding, mountain biking and orienteering. It is clear that we cannot make the areas wilder and enhance habitats for rare species without some people giving up their privileges," says Bruun. "In Denmark, we needed to trade some nature to create wealth. I think that it has been a good deal. Our nature will never be as diverse as it was 200 years ago, but there is no reason to lose more than necessary. And right now, we're not doing things in the most efficient way. In fact, much could be achieved if we did things a bit smarter," says Bjerregard. Bruun concludes, "No rare species are important for the material well-being of humans. But a world with only two species of butterflies rather than twenty or thirty is just much duller and poorer. At least, for me." More information: Emil Blicher Bjerregard et al, Rapid and continuing regional decline of butterflies in eastern Denmark 1993-2019, Biological Conservation (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110208 Journal information: Biological Conservation This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain Increasing levels of toxic, synthetic chemicals are being reported in drinking water and drinking water reservoirs in Europe and around the world. One of the most notorious groups of these synthetic chemicals are PFAS, which have been also referred to as "forever chemicals," as they accumulate in natural environments and do not naturally degrade. PFAS are only the tip of the iceberg. There are several other groups of synthetic, persistent substances that are increasing contaminating water resources. The larger groupor icebergis referred to as "persistent, mobile and toxic" substances and "very persistent, very mobile" substances, abbreviated as PMT/vPvM substances. Many of the PMT/vPvM substances are challenging for water authorities, as many of them cannot be monitored due to a lack of methods and cannot be removed from the by activated carbon filters or by ozonation. The German Environment Agency (UBA) has sought to address this hazard from PMT/vPvM substances for several years. Many recent policy actions have been happening recently in Europe as a response to this increasing contamination. In Europe, plans are underway to implement a broad restriction for all PFAS. In April, PMT/vPvM substances were officially labeled as new type of hazardous substance in Europe, through the introduction of PMT/vPM hazard categories in the regulation on Chemicals, Labeling and Packaging. To provide further guidance on avoiding and managing PFAS and PMT/vPvM substances, UBA has commissioned the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) to prepare four new reports, which have all been released simultaneously. Each report focuses on different aspects. The first report is an update of a guidance document to assess if a chemical substance would meet the PMT/vPvM criteria. The second report presents a literature review of synthetic substances that have been detected in water, including in drinking water, waste water, groundwater, and discusses how many of these are PMT/vPvM substances. The third report presents a list of 343 PMT/vPvM substances for action. Finally, the fourth report presents a strategy for prioritizing which PMT/vPvM substances deserve the most attention, and also includes surveys and an environmental monitoring campaign regarding these substances. UBA President Dirk Messner considers that the chemical industry has a duty to minimize emissions of these PMT/vPvM substances. "The sustainable protection of our drinking water resources and human health must have priority in this context. Because once drinking water resources are polluted with persistent chemicals, this will be almost impossible to remediate, or will require immense effort and expense." Furthermore, a extensive literature search shows that already today more than 600 chemicals have been detected in our water resources. Around half of the chemicals detected fall under the European chemicals regulation REACH. Many of these are PMT/vPvM substances. Dr. Christiane Rohleder, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, said, "These results are extremely important and show that this class of substances is a relevant issue for our water resources. I therefore call on industry to take the necessary measures on its own initiative and as a precaution to avoid further entry of these substances into the environment as far as possible." The lead author of all four reports, Hans Peter Arp, an expert advisor at NGI, says "There are many questions and concerns about how to best tackle the threat of PFAS and PMT/vPvM substances; we hope that these four reports should help society tackling this issue. We particularly hope that these reports will help pave the way for officially including PMT/vPvM hazard criteria in the upcoming revision to Europe's chemical regulation, REACH." Arp also sees these reports as having international relevance beyond Europe. "Europe is starting an initiative to introduce the PMT/vPvM hazard criteria to be recognized by the United Nations, these reports could also facilitate this recognition. If successful, this would help develop a global strategy for reducing this intergenerational, chemical threat to water security and quality." More information: REACH: Guidance and Methods for the Identification and Assessment of PMT/vPvM Substances. www.umweltbundesamt.de/publika r-the-identification PMT/vPvM assessment of REACH registered Substances Detected in Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent, Freshwater Resources and Drinking Water. www.umweltbundesamt.de/publika egistered-substances Prioritised PMT/vPvM substances in the REACH registration database. www.umweltbundesamt.de/publika stances-in-the-reach A prioritization framework for PMT/vPvM Substances under REACH for registrants, regulators, researchers and the water sector. www.umweltbundesamt.de/publika r-pmtvpvm-substances Provided by NGI Norwegian Geotechnical Institute From a press release: On Tuesday, Aug. 22 2023 at around 9:20 p.m. the Warren County Sheriffs Office received a 911 call in reference to a suspicious male who was harassing the caller within a business in Lake George. Upon further investigation, it was determined 36-year-old Joshua S. Copeland of Queensbury impersonated a police officer while attempting to solicit personal information from the caller. At the time of the incident, Copeland was wearing body armor and a shirt bearing the New York State Police logo, the press release said. Copeland is a peace officer in the State of New York and at the time was employed as a security officer for SUNY Adirondack. Copeland was arrested and charged with Felony Criminal Impersonation in the first degree and was arraigned in Centralized Arraignment Part Court where he was released on his own recognizance with a future court date in Lake George Town Court. 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. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy ATLANTIC CITY An attorney for the Atlantic City Housing Authority has submitted court papers, overdue by many months, outlining plans to provide consistent heat and hot water to residents of Stanley Holmes Village and protect them from future gas leaks. The authority said it believes it must move residents out of Village 3 which makes up about 30% of Stanley Holmes 420 units into other units or Section 8 housing in the private sector, and demolish the empty units. The idea is to cut down on the cost of replacing the ancient heat and hot water system that relies on old boilers and underground piping that is disintegrating and regularly springing leaks. ACHA calculates that the scale of the project needs to be reduced by at least 30% to potentially bring it within the available funding, wrote the authoritys general counsel Rich DeLucry in a document dated Aug. 29 but filed with the court Sept. 1. Meanwhile, the authority has fixed all recently found leaks at Stanley Holmes and has a contractor on board to continue testing gas lines, its executive director said Tuesday. Last week the authority shut off gas service to many buildings at the complex off Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard after an inspection found 17 gas leaks in 11 buildings. We had our contractor working to repair them all last week through the weekend. I can report now all gas leaks discovered have been fixed, Executive Director Matt Doherty said. We are keeping the contractor there to continue to test all 31 buildings for any additional leaks that may be in place. Doherty said the gas was turned back on as early as last Wednesday for some, and as late as Monday for others, as the work progressed. Gas leaks prompt shutoff at Atlantic City's Stanley Holmes Village A multi-building gas leak at Atlantic City's Stanley Holmes Village was reported Tuesday, adding to a list of issues at the public housing complex. The authority has scheduled a special meeting for 4 p.m. Thursday, but the agenda does not specify what will be discussed. There is an executive session scheduled during it, however, to discuss personnel matters. Because we are in/out of court I cannot discuss Stanley, board President Stephanie Marshall said in an email response to questions Wednesday. What I will say is we need landlords that are concerned about the residents at Stanley to offer them housing. Marshall said the authority will provide Section 8 vouchers, presumably under a special program under the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development that provides them when a demolition is needed. She also promised to address at the special meeting questions about the boards plans to remedy the many deficits in authority operations outlined in a recent HUD compliance report. That includes questions about how the authority will address testing children for lead poisoning exposure, auditing the financial status of residents to be sure they still qualify for public housing assistance, and providing information on how many units are now in use citywide and how many are vacant. At a meeting two weeks ago, Doherty said HUD considers the authority financially troubled because it did not submit a 2022 financial audit on time. Doherty said Jerry Volpe, an authority contractor with Governance and Fiscal Affairs LLC, had failed to go out to bid for an auditor, even though Volpe had told him via email in May he was doing so. An auditor could not be hired on time to meet the financial audit deadline. Doherty also said the troubled status will be removed if a 2022 audit is submitted by the end of this year. Consultant blamed for Atlantic City Housing Authority's 'troubled' status The Atlantic City Housing Authority is now considered a "troubled" authority by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Volpe has been the authoritys purchasing agent for about a year on a contracted basis, and has been paid more than $400,000 so far. A request for proposals has now gone out for an auditor, according to the Housing Authority website. Thursdays special meeting will be held via Zoom only. A link to join is available at atlanticcityha.org (Click on Join ACHA Zoom Board Meeting). The issues come while the authority is wrapped up in litigation regarding repairs at the complex. Last month, a New Jersey Superior Court judge ruled that the Housing Authority did not comply with a previous ruling that required the agency to provide a timeline on repairs at Stanley Holmes Village. Judge John C. Porto granted the latest motion brought by 87 Stanley Holmes residents in their lawsuit against the agency and ordered the Housing Authority to submit its repair plans to ensure safe gas service and safe, adequate, reliable heat and hot water at the complex. The Stanley Holmes community accounts for about 420 of the agencys nearly 1,600 units throughout the city. NORTHFIELD The Atlantic County Board of Commissioners introduced a $2.38 million bond ordinance at its meeting Tuesday to fund the second building at the National Aerospace Research and Technology Park in Egg Harbor Township. The ordinance will have its public hearing and final vote at the commissioners Sept. 19 meeting. The building, which is estimated to cost about $18.5 million to complete, would be built in a partnership with the Atlantic County Improvement Authority, which will obtain additional funding needed, according to the ordinance. County Executive Dennis Levinson said Tuesday he is hoping the New Jersey Economic Development Authority will provide $10 million toward construction. In 2021, the U.S. Economic Development Administration gave the county a $3 million grant toward construction of a second building. Were hoping the state will see the merits of this and come on board, but this is going to happen. If we have to finance it ourselves we will, Levinson said. But I believe the governor has seen the merits of this. The bond ordinance appropriates $2.5 million to cover design and construction of the building at the county-built facility, and issues $2.38 million in bonds to finance it. The county will provide the $120,000 difference in cash. Levinson said the county hopes to hold a groundbreaking in October and begin construction in December. Gaba, Cuitino appointed to tech park's board EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP Two higher education leaders are joining the National Aerospace Resear The 40,000-square-foot site has been cleared for it, Levinson said. Permits are in hand, NARTP President and CEO Howard Kyle said Tuesday. According to its website, at full buildout the park will consist of seven multistory buildings with high-speed connectivity to the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center laboratories that replicate the National Airspace System. An FAA laboratory is located in the first building of the research park, which opened in June 2019. The NARTP has agreements in place to allow members to jointly work on mutually beneficial projects with the tech center and Atlantic City International Airport. The Improvement Authority managed the construction of the first NARTP building for the county, which is completely occupied. On June 1, the park announced it had entered into an agreement to create a test and evaluation corridor to develop unmanned aerial systems and automated advanced air mobility technologies. Officials representing U.S. Transportation Command, Air Mobility Command, the NARTP and the Atlantic County Economic Alliance signed the agreement. This agreement ... will demonstrate the NARTPs ability to facilitate aviation research, NARTP Board Chairman Mark Loeben, a retired Air Force major general and current American Airlines captain, said at the time. USTRANSCOM and AMC are major players in aviation. Their interest in working with the NARTP helps to advance both the development of the NARTP and the emerging aviation industry in New Jerseys Atlantic County. Three Atlantic County aviation entities get $13.3 million in earmarks EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP The Atlantic City International Airport and two other local aviation e Under the agreement, the parties will develop a prototype dual-use East Coast test and evaluation corridor for the demonstration, development and evaluation of military, commercial, academic and federal drone and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft technologies. The idea is to develop future strategic airlift capabilities of the U.S. Air Force. NARTP has also worked on the Airfield Autonomy Initiative with Air Mobility Command and the FAA that tests and demonstrates automated lawn mowing, foreign object debris sweeping and perimeter patrol for military and civilian airfields, according to Kyle. Earlier this year the NARTP was awarded a $2.249 million congressionally directed spending request to advance the Airfield Autonomy Initiative. UPPER TOWNSHIP A 43-year-old Vineland man drowned Monday off Taylor Avenue in Strathmere. There were two swimmers in distress. One was helped back to shore. State Police Detective Jeffrey Lebron said the man was transported by ambulance to an area hospital, where he died. The drowning remains under investigation, Lebron said. He did not release the mans name. Up and down the mid-Atlantic coast, strong ocean rip currents created hazardous swimming conditions Tuesday after several deaths were reported and hundreds of other swimmers had to be rescued by lifeguards during Labor Day weekend. Rip current warnings issued by the National Weather Service remained in effect Tuesday from New York to North Carolina. The dangerous currents were spawned by the remnants of hurricanes Franklin and Idalia, officials said. At least three deaths were reported in New Jersey, while others were reported in Delaware, Maryland, New York and South Carolina. In one case, a 22-year-old man from the Dominican Republic began struggling in the water off Beach Haven on Sunday while swimming with two other people, according to the Asbury Park Press. More than a dozen lifeguards formed a human chain as part of an effort to rescue the swimmers. Two of them were safely brought to land, but the third disappeared under the water and his body was found a few hours later. Meanwhile, searchers continued to look Tuesday for two other swimmers who went missing in New Jersey over the weekend. They were presumed dead. Jersey Shore beach patrols encouraged by strong lifeguard turnout Staffing area beach patrols hasnt particularly been easy the past few years, but several se In Strathmere, rescuers from multiple agencies responded to the swimmers in distress Monday in the southern end of the beach community. One of the swimmers had been brought to shore by a good Samaritan. An extensive search began for the other swimmer, who was later located and brought to shore. Rescuers started CPR, and the swimmer was taken by ambulance to the hospital. The first call came in at 12:09 p.m., according to details released by township Administrator Gary DeMarzo. Ocean City dispatch received the 911 call and notified the Upper Township Beach Patrol, the Strathmere Volunteer Fire Company, the Ocean City Fire Department and the Upper Township division of EMS that two swimmers were in distress south of the remaining guarded beaches in Strathmere. First responders were on the beach at 12:11 p.m. and learned that one swimmer was on the beach, the other still unaccounted for. Lifeguards and firefighters searched the area, and personal watercraft from Upper Township and Ocean City soon joined the search. Rescuers asked for additional help from the beach patrols in Ocean City and Sea Isle City, which responded with more people and equipment, and the Coast Guard and the Marine Services Bureau of the State Police also responded. The patient was located and brought to the beach at approximately 12:30 p.m. CPR was started and the patient was transported by OCFD ambulance to a local hospital, reads the statement from Upper Township. Lifeguards lauded for Strathmere rescue A grandfather and his granddaughter are alive after being pulled out to sea, likely because of the efforts of multiple emergency responders and an unnamed surfer Aug. 5 in Strathmere. The scene was cleared by 1 p.m. The Beach Patrol reiterated calls that people swim only in front of lifeguards on protected beaches. But beach patrols are reducing the number of protected beaches after Labor Day, with fewer guards on duty and fewer stands by the water up and down the Jersey Shore. A September heat wave potentially bringing more people to the water has Bruckner Chase concerned, a concern deepened by tropical storms off the coast adding bigger waves and stronger currents to the mix. Chase is an ocean lifeguard and open water swimmer but said he could not discuss Mondays incident in that capacity. He also is an ocean and wave safety expert for the Weather Channel and the host of a series of films on water safety for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. I try to help people understand that being a swimmer inland in a pool is not the same as having the confidence and understanding to handle the ocean, he said. That includes powerful currents, wind and strong waves. On Monday, there were waves of two to three breaking close to shore, with a great deal of turbulence where the waves were breaking, the area described as the impact zone. It was substantial, Chase said. It can be easy for a swimmer to become extremely fatigued in the ocean. One of Chases videos offers tips for someone who sees another swimmer in trouble. Except for those who are trained and experienced ocean lifeguards, Chase said, the potential rescuer should not enter the water. The last thing we want is someone who is not a trained rescue swimmer going out. It can become a multiple-victim situation, he said. Instead, the person should call 911 to get the rescue response underway, and look for some kind of flotation device that could help the swimmer stay afloat. In many cases, the intended rescuer ends up needing help, or in some cases not making it safely back to shore. Chase said he did not know whether something similar happened in Strathmere on Monday, but there have been other situations where a parent has drowned while trying to rescue a child. He also wants visitors to be more aware of the challenges and dangers of ocean swimming, which can include currents, wind, waves and even wildlife. Many shore visitors check the weather forecast, he said, but Chase wants more to check the marine forecast, including looking out for small craft advisories and other warnings of dangerous surf conditions. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Educational institutions are known for taking strict measures if the students fail to pay their fees on time, but when it comes to refund or reimburse money, they are known for dilly dallying. Deccan Education Societys Fergusson College has found itself in a similar situation. It is not about reimbursing money to students, but about repaying Rs 7.59 crore it owes to the state government. An order to pay back the said amount was issued to Fergusson College by the Directorate of Higher Education more than three months back. According to information gathered through an RTI query, the renowned college had taken salary grants from the government after illegally appointing teachers under the reserved category. Following the revelation, an audit was conducted and the report was submitted in 2001. After an undue delay, the order was issued to the education society on May 23, 2023, for the recovery of the said amount. The assessment (grant determination) apparently disallowed the salaries of several teachers. Therefore, in the period from 1996 to 2010 and from 2011 to 2020, an accumulated amount of over Rs. 7,59,23,813 is to be returned to the government. PHOTO:RAHUL DESHMUKH Social activist Abhishek Haridas said, Fergusson College gets a grant of Rs. 4 crore every year while government subsidy has also increased every year. The college had illegally appointed several teachers to the posts marked for the reserved category, clock-hour basis, and university approval and reaped the benefit of the grants. The Deccan Education Society has violated the rules of reservation and the University Grant Commission (UGC). After the audit, it came to light that the salaries of many teachers were suspect. Following this, the DHE issued the order for recovery of Rs.7.59 crore from Fergusson College. The excess funds should be recovered immediately. Also, an in-depth inquiry should be conducted. We believe that such practice is going on in several colleges across the state. Hence, the government should launch a state-wide audit of colleges. Arvind Shinde, president of Pune city Congress, said, Complaints have been filed with the commissioner of police and anti-corruption bureau in the case of scams in Fergusson College and Deccan College Poona Trust. Sangita Tiwari, vice-president of Maharashtra Pradesh Women Congress, said, As this scam is worth crores of rupees; the Director of Higher Education should take notice of this case and answer why the files were suppressed for years. Speaking to Mirror, Professor Dhananjay Kulkarni, secretary of Deccan Education Society, said, Received a letter dated May 23, 2023, from Joint Director of Higher Education regarding the amount under grant-in-aid from 1996 to 2010. Fergusson College disclosed this to the office of the Joint Director of Education. Will not elaborate on other matters. After 14 days, 47 witnesses, and roughly 70 hours of testimony, the wait has begun. The trial of Henry Earl Dinkins for the 2020 abduction and murder of Breasia Terrell ended last Tuesday. Judge Henry Latham is now tasked with deciding Dinkins' fate. If found guilty of either first-degree charges of kidnapping or murder, Dinkins will spend the rest of his life in an Iowa prison. 'The saddest story ever' After the 13th day of the trial concluded, one of the people who watched the proceedings offered her observation: "This is sad," the woman said. "The saddest story ever. I'll never hear anything sadder in my life." Remembering the search In the early morning of July 10, 2020, someone took Breasia Terrell from apartment No. 8 at the Jersey Ridge complex in Davenport. She was reported missing just before 8:30 a.m. that day. Over the course of days, weeks and months, law enforcement officers from Davenport, Scott County, Clinton County, the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa State Patrol and even the Federal Bureau of Investigation searched for the 10-year-old girl. Countless volunteers private citizens from both sides of the Mississippi River walked through fields and ditches and woods, hoping to find some sign of Breasia. From the day she disappeared, the Davenport Police Department considered Dinkins "a person of interest" in the case. Three fishermen found Breasia's remains on March 22, 2021, near a small, tree-shrouded pond behind Kunau Implement, an isolated area roughly two miles north of DeWitt. Dinkins was charged with her murder in early May, 2021. Names to know Aishia Lankford is Breasias mother. D.L. are the initials used to to describe Breasia's younger brother. D.L. is the son of Dinkins and Lankford. The two children were spending the night with Dinkins when Breasia disappeared. Andrea Culberson was Dinkins live-in girlfriend. They shared the apartment on Jersey Ridge. Scott County Attorney Kelly Cunningham and assistant Liz ODonnell served as prosecutors for the state. Chad Frese and Joel Waters represented Dinkins. A ping in Clinton With the help of the FBI, the Davenport Police Department reconstructed some of Dinkins movements on July 10, 2020. From the records, investigators learned Dinkins had his phone shutoff for long periods of time during the morning of July 10. The most important information gleaned from the phone records was a brief ping off a cell tower in Clinton just after 7 a.m. on the morning of July 10. The ping led investigators to the Walmart in Clinton, where video surveillance footage from outside the store showed Dinkins emerging from the 2007 maroon Chevy Impala he was driving. Footage inside the store showed Dinkins buying two 81-ounce bottles of bleach. Sneaking in a game Dinkins phone was picked up in Clinton because an 8 year old wanted to play a video game. Surveillance footage from outside the Walmart showed D.L. was a passenger in the Impala. During an interview, D.L. confirmed he was along for the ride to Walmart and his dad had removed the battery from his phone. D.L. said when Dinkins entered the store he placed the battery back in the phone so he could play a game. The boy said he quickly removed the battery when he saw Dinkins returning to the car. The most-crucial witness Cunningham was forced to build a circumstantial case because no physical evidence tied Breasia and Dinkins to the car he drove on July 10, 2020 a 2007 maroon Chevy Impala. There was no physical evidence that firmly tied Dinkins to the place where Breasia's remains were recovered, or Breasia to the recreational vehicle where the prosecution claimed Dinkins took Breasia to sexually assault her. The state had just one witness, Jerod Brink, who placed Dinkins on the dirt road behind Kunau Implement. It was a place close to where Breasia's remains were found. The problem was Brink died in June of a heart attack. After Latham ruled Brink's deposition testimony could be used, the court employed a stand-in to play Brink and recreated the deposition in the courtroom, for the record. A chance meeting? Answering questions from Frese, Brink said that he "pulled a gentleman out of a ditch" after being stopped while traveling south on U.S. Highway 61 on his way to work at Linwood Mining. "It was about 4:30 in the morning" Brink said, when he realized someone was on the side of the road. He described that person as a "Black man, in blue shorts, white shoes ... He jumped out in the lane in front of me and it was a good thing I was paying attention. There could have been an accident." In his deposition, Brink said the man jumped in the passenger's seat of his truck. They drove south on U.S. 61 for "about a quarter mile" until he found a turn-around. Now traveling northbound on U.S. 61, the man directed Brink to turn at the exit for Kunau Implement. They traveled east "on the old highway" and then turned on a gravel road. Brink said the man's "maroon Malibu" which he later identified as an Impala was stuck facing east, "like the man tried to do a three-point turnaround." Brink then told Frese he "was lucky" to have a chain in the back of his truck and he freed the car in a matter of moments. No ID made Responding to questions from Frese, Brink said he did not know if he could identify the man, even though he first stood at the driver's side window and then rode in Brink's pick-up truck. Brink said he did not know if he had facial hair or if he wore glasses. Brink did offer one distinguishing mark about the man. He first told Frese that the man " ... had a mole right here" and indicated an area around his own right cheek. Brink also told Frese he remembered the man wore shorts because "I remember thinking it was odd to be in shorts it was cooler that day." Brink told Frese and Cunningham he did not know what time of year he saw the man. One last impression Brink said the man "was very appreciative. More than once he offered me $100." "I just said 'Do something nice for somebody someday.' " No blood, no trace evidence Throughout the trial and in his closing argument, Frese pointed out the state had no blood and no semen tying Breasia or Dinkins to any of the locations prosecutors said they were before and after the murders. The defense attorney challenged the theory, introduced by Cunningham, that Dinkins took Breasia from the apartment he shared with Andrea Culberson to sexually assault the child in a recreational vehicle on Schmidt Road. Frese said "not a trace of Breasia" was found in the RV. And though a bottle of bleach cleaner was found in the RV, Frese asked how Dinkins could have gotten rid of every trace of Breasia. Frese pointed to the decision of the Davenport Police Department to not test for DNA in the RV and Impala after no blood or semen was detected in either vehicle. 'Conjecture, supposition, and assumption' The defense attorney also hammered at the fact no one could put Breasia in the Impala Dinkins drove that night, either before or after the girl was seen standing outside the car at 3:30 a.m. on July 10, 2020. The state, Frese said, tried to build a case based on circumstantial evidence but only presented "conjecture, supposition and assumption." "The state has an opinion in this case," Frese said. "But that is not evidence. There is not one piece of evidence that shows Henry Dinkins touched this girl. We don't convict people on theories." A Davenport man is facing drug and gun charges after he allegedly was caught by Iowa State Patrol troopers with a bag of cocaine and a 9mm pistol early Sunday. Herman Tasean McHenry, 40, is charged with one count of possession with the intent to deliver more than 100 grams but less than 500 grams of cocaine. The charge is a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of 25 years. McHenry also is charged with one count each of felon in possession of a firearm, eluding with a speed over 25 mph, failure to affix an Iowa drug tax stamp and assault on a police officer. Each of those charges is a Class D felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of five years. According to the arrest affidavits, McHenry was driving a 2007 Ford Focus east on 15th Street from Harrison Street. He was stopped by Iowa State Patrol for driving without headlights and gave the trooper several names and dates of birth. The trooper also saw a bag of marijuana and smelled alcohol in the car. McHenry fled the stop and turned onto Scott Street, at which point the trooper lost sight of the car, the affidavits said. About 20 minutes later the trooper was searching the area with another trooper and saw McHenry, according to the affidavits. McHenry failed to follow commands and the troopers attempted to subdue him with a Taser, but that was ineffective, and a foot pursuit ensued. While the troopers were wrestling with McHenry on the ground, McHenry attempted several times to reach into the right pocket of his shorts, the affidavits said. Troopers were able to handcuff McHenry before he could get his hand in his pocket, in which they found almost 140 grams of cocaine and a 9mm handgun. McHenry is not allowed to possess a firearm as he has a 2015 felony conviction in Indiana. McHenry agreed to a standard field sobriety test, which he failed. He refused to provide a breath sample. In addition to the felony charges, McHenry also is charged with operating under the influence-first offense, possession of marijuana-first offense, driving without a license, failure to use safety belts and failure to use headlamps. While being booked into the Scott County Jail it was learned that McHenry is wanted out of Mesa County Colorado on a charge of money laundering. During a first appearance on the charges Sunday in Scott County District Court, Magistrate Jay Sommers scheduled a preliminary hearing in the case for Sept. 13. McHenry was being held Monday night in the Scott County Jail on a bond of $5,000, cash or surety, for the Scott County charges, and $100,000, cash or surety, for the Colorado charge. Federal authorities could take over the case filed in Scott County under Project Safe Neighborhoods. Instituted in 2001, Project Safe Neighborhoods is a Justice Department initiative that brings together law enforcement at all levels to reduce gun violence. At the federal level, a conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. Additionally, McHenry could be charged with using a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime that carries a minimum 5-year prison sentence that is consecutive to any other sentences imposed on the drugs or other firearms charges. There is no parole in the federal system. A dozen cities set youth curfews this year, even though they don't reduce crime A dozen cities set youth curfews this year, even though they don't reduce crime Council members on Thursday will hear a case to remove 7th Ward Ald. Derek Cornette from office. A special council meeting slated for 5 p.m. Thursday was called by Davenport Mayor Mike Matson. The only item on the agenda is: "Removal of Derek Cornette from the Office of Seventh Ward Alderman." Matson declined to say what prompted him to call the special council meeting, but said Cornette "has had discussions about some of this stuff previously." Matson said the format of the meeting will be a hearing, which he anticipates will be followed by a vote from the council to determine if Cornette should be removed. "The council will hear reasons and we'll see what's decided," Matson said. Matson added that the city's legal department would present examples and evidence, and Cornette and his representatives will have the opportunity to weigh in. Cornette could not immediately be reached for comment and he did not attend a Tuesday management update meeting. He has filed paperwork to run for reelection. City administration previously confirmed they'd limited Cornette's communications with staff because of his "inappropriate behavior," requiring him to forward all his communications through City Attorney Tom Warner. Cornette previously said he believed that city staff was curtailing him because he was "not in with their deal" and didn't support their policies and that he was an easy target because he grew up using words like "sweetie." He conceded he'd spoken with two staffers who'd been offended by language he used to address them, but he said at the time he had apologized and made amends. Previously, Warner alleged Cornette had made "unwelcome physical contact" and had been asked to stop the behavior multiple times. Cornette previously said he pats people on the back and shakes hands and touched a person on the arm to try to get their attention, but that it wasn't malicious. Cornette said he was warned not to do that, and said he tried to comply. Close Davenport Alderman Robby Ortiz, 4th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Tim Kelly, 5th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Derek Cornette, 7th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman James "JJ" Condon, At Large, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderwoman Judith Lee, 8th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Ben Jobgen, 6th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderwoman Marion Meginnis, 3rd Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Rick Dunn, 1st Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Mayor Mike Matson is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport mayor, new council sworn in Surrounded by family and friends, Davenport Mayor Mike Matson and eight council members, Alderman Rick Dunn, 1st Ward, Alderwoman Marion Meginnis, 3rd Ward, Alderman Robby Ortiz, 4th Ward, Alderman Tim Kelly, 5th Ward, Alderman Ben Jobgen, 6th Ward, Alderman Derek Cornette, 7th Ward, and Alderwoman Judith Lee, 8th Ward, and Alderman James "JJ" Condon, At Large, were sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Alderwoman Maria Dickmann, 2nd Ward, and Alderman Kyle Gripp, At Large, will be sworn in next week by Matson. Davenport Alderman Robby Ortiz, 4th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Tim Kelly, 5th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Derek Cornette, 7th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman James "JJ" Condon, At Large, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderwoman Judith Lee, 8th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Ben Jobgen, 6th Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderwoman Marion Meginnis, 3rd Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Alderman Rick Dunn, 1st Ward, is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. Davenport Mayor Mike Matson is sworn in Wednesday by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dana Waterman. A 39-year-old Gillette man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to eight different counts accusing him of sexually abusing a 10-year-old child in spring 2021. Richard Gray is charged with two counts of first-degree rape, three counts of sexual contact with a child under 16, and three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. The May indictment alleged he assaulted the child between March 31, 2021 and April 2, 2021. First-degree rape is a class C felony with a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison and up to a $50,000 fine. According to federal court records, Gray was convicted of drug distribution in 2012 in a Wyoming federal court. Because of that prior conviction, the penalties Gray would face if he was convicted of the charges against him would increase. Sexual contact with a child under 13 is normally a class 3 felony with a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and maximum of 15 years in prison and up to a $30,000 fine. Sexual exploitation of a minor is a class 6 felony with a maximum of two years in prison and up to a $4,000 fine. If the state is able to prove Gray has a prior felony conviction, the sexual contact charges would bump up to class 2 felonies, which carry a maximum of 25 years in prison and a $30,000 fine. The sexual exploitation charges would increase to class 5 felonies with a maximum sentence of five years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Circuit Court Judge Robert Gusinsky told Gray he could face up to two life sentences in prison plus 90 years and a $280,000 fine. Gray said he understood the charges and pleaded not guilty to all eight. At his initial appearance in court on Aug. 24 after his arrest in Wyoming, Gray said he intended to represent himself. However, he appeared at his arraignment with a court-appointed attorney. Gray said he had some questions before he decides whether he'll represent himself or continue with the assistance of an attorney. Gusinsky set a status hearing for 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday to address Gray's questions. He is held at the Pennington County Jail on a $50,000 cash only bond. One of Joe Graves first big initiatives during his tenure as Secretary for the South Dakota Department of Education is focused on literacy and the science of reading. The ability to read is foundational to all learning, Graves said in a press release. Up until about third grade, students are learning to read; after that, they are reading to learn. This is why the DOE is starting to provide extensive, voluntary professional development to teachers and districts across the state in the science of reading. The professional development is free and will be either virtual or in-person instruction to educators on how to teach phonics and what phonetic awareness looks like; education consistent with the five pillars in the science of reading. Training will be offered by the AIM Institute for Learning & Research, and the courses are being offered free of charge with DOE funding from the American Rescue Plan. This development is part of the DOE's goal to increase literacy in South Dakota. The most recent state report card, from 2021-2022, shows 51% of South Dakota's students were proficient in English Language Arts exams, and 53% of students are learning and improving in ELA. The 'science of reading' Graves wrote in a recent op-ed about how there should be more of an emphasis from an early age on phonics learning what sounds letters and letter combinations make, and then sounding out words than on a whole language approach. For example, Graves wrote in his op-ed about how he loved when his mom read stories by Dr. Seuss to him at bedtime, but when his mother taught him to read, it was with books like William Grays Dick and Jane that provided simple stories with a few easy-to-read words, allowing beginner readers to actually read the book and complementing early phonics lessons. Books like classic Dr. Seuss tales went beyond the basics of Dick and Jane books necessary for children to grasp phonics and convinced people early reading was about not just simple, short and common words, but also had to be entertaining and effortless to young children. That idea gave way to the concept of whole language, Graves explained, calling it misguided methods of teaching reading which didnt teach children how to read at all. He still thinks Dr. Seuss has a time and place, just not in reading instruction. He describes reading wars in which pro-phonics traditionalists were marginalized as old-fashioned (and) out-of-step, but now, decades of research has shown how the science of reading, and phonics, won those reading wars. Phonetic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension are five pillars that fit into the basic instruction framework for teaching reading, Graves explained. What will educators benefit from this? Schools that participate will also receive support for local implementation such as technical guidance, documents and learning opportunities for school staff from paraprofessionals and teachers to school administrators. The Education Secretary doesnt have any business recommending particular materials, but there are a number of curriculum companies out there, and districts have a very easy method to look and see which materials will fit the science of reading well, Graves said. Positive results in teaching the science of reading have already been seen in both the Sisseton and Tea Area School Districts, Graves said, noting Tea was very clearly making very great headway in terms of making sure that all of their students were proficient readers. English Language Arts standards were last adopted in 2018, but will be up for review soon in time for four public hearings across the state during the 2024-2025 school year. Theres potential for more of the science of reading to be included in those standards, Graves noted. Students are tested in ELA standards in third through eighth grade, and in eleventh grade. More focus on the science of reading is also going to be implemented into teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities in the state, too, Graves said. This story originally appeared in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. WASHINGTON Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was sentenced Tuesday to 22 years in prison for orchestrating his far-right extremist groups attack on the U.S. Capitol in a failed bid to stop the transfer of presidential power after Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. Tarrios sentence is the longest so far among more than 1,100 Capitol riot cases, topping the 18-year sentences that Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and one-time Proud Boys leader Ethan Nordean each received after juries convicted them of seditious conspiracy and other charges. It comes as the Justice Department prepares to put Trump on trial at the same courthouse in Washington on charges that the then-president illegally schemed to cling to power that he knew had been stripped away by voters. The Tarrio case and hundreds of others like it function as a vivid reminder of the violent chaos fueled by Trumps lies around the election and the extent to which his false claims helped inspire right-wing extremists who ultimately stormed the Capitol to thwart the peaceful transfer of power. Rising to speak before the sentence was handed down, Tarrio pleaded for leniency, describing Jan. 6 as a national embarrassment, and apologizing to the police officers who defended the Capitol and the lawmakers who fled in fear. His voice cracked as he expressed remorse for letting down his family and vowed that he is done with politics. I am not a political zealot. Inflicting harm or changing the results of the election was not my goal, Tarrio said. Please show me mercy, he said, adding, I ask you that you not take my 40s from me. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, who was appointed to the bench by Trump, said Tarrio was motivated by "revolutionary zeal" to lead the conspiracy that resulted in 200 men, amped up for battle, encircling the Capitol. Noting that Tarrio had not previously shown any public remorse for his crimes, the judge said a stiff punishment was necessary to deter future political violence. "It can't happen again. It cant happen again, the judge repeated. Read more: ___ States where the most Jan. 6 rioters were arrested States where the most Jan. 6 rioters were arrested #49. Mississippi #48. Nebraska #47. Hawaii #46. Rhode Island #45. Vermont #44. New Mexico #43. South Dakota #42. Alaska #41. Louisiana #40. Nevada #39. New Hampshire #38. Connecticut #37. Arkansas #36. Maine #35. Montana #34. Delaware #33. Oregon #32. Idaho #31. Oklahoma #30. Iowa #29. Kansas #28. West Virginia #27. Wisconsin #26. Minnesota #25. Utah #24. Arizona #23. Massachusetts #22. Maryland #21. South Carolina #20. Alabama #19. Indiana #18. Colorado #17. Kentucky #16. North Carolina #15. Georgia #14. Michigan #13. Washington #12. Missouri #11. New Jersey #10. Tennessee #9. Washington, D.C. #8. Illinois #7. Virginia #6. Ohio #5. California #4. New York #3. Pennsylvania #2. Texas #1. Florida Thomas de Mahy, Marquis de Favras (17441790) was a French nobleman who became embroiled in the political turmoil of the late 18th century, particularly during the run-up to the French Revolution. Favras is known for his involvement in various intrigues and conspiracies. One of his most notable episodes was his participation in a plot to help King Louis XVI and his family escape from Paris in 1790. However, the plot was discovered, and Favras was arrested. He was accused of treason and conspiracy against the revolutionaries. Despite his attempts to defend himself, he was found guilty and sentenced to death. Favras was executed by hanging in February 1790. His supposed last words were "I see that you have made three spelling mistakes", referring to the document that called for his execution. Georges Danton was a French lawyer and a leading figure in the French Revolution. He became a deputy to the Paris Commune. After the insurrection in the summer of 1793, he changed his mind on the use of force and lost his seat in the committee. Soon after, Danton and fellow rebel Robespierre became rivals. At the end of March 1794, Danton made a speech announcing the end of the Terror. Within a week, he became embroiled in a scandal concerning the bankruptcy proceedings of the French East India Company and was guillotined. Before he was executed, he said: "My only regret is that I am going before that rat Robespierre." Robespierre was a leader of the French Revolution best known for spearheading the Reign of Terror. He later died from a pistol wound, either self-inflicted or at the hands of Charles-Andre Meda. In 2003, Saddam Hussein was captured in a 'spider hole.' He had previously ruled Iraq from 1979 to 2003. On Dec. 30, 2006, at Camp Justice, an Iraqi base in Baghdad, Saddam was hanged, despite his request to be shot. His final words were: "I am Saddam Hussein, the President of Iraq, and I want to negotiate." Marie Antoinette, the former queen of France, was arrested during the French Revolution. As she was being moved to the guillotine, she uttered these words, "Forgive me, monsieur. I did not do it on purpose." She was referring to the fact that she had stepped on a foot of her executioner. Socrates was a Greek philosopher born in 469 BCE. He is best known for his association with the Socratic method of question and answer, his claim that he was ignorant (or aware of his own absence of knowledge), and his claim that an unexamined life is not worth living. He was the inspiration for Plato, the thinker widely held to be the founder of the Western philosophical tradition. At the age of 70, Socrates was put to death at the hands of his fellow citizens on charges of impiety and the corruption of youth. He said these final words: "The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways I to die and you to live. Which is better, only God knows." Mary Surratt, who ran the boarding house where J.W. Booth live, was convicted of conspiring to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. Her last words, before her hanging, were: "Please don't let me fall." Guiseppe Zangara, who had attempted to assassinate President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt, reportedly shouted in broken English as he was being executed: "Pusha da button!" The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) had to cut rations to another 2 million Afghans this month and is warning of a "catastrophic" winter if funding runs out with little food for remote communities in place, the agency's country director said. The cut in rations comes amidst growing alarm over shrinking aid for Afghanistan, where a U.N. humanitarian response plan is only about a quarter funded, even after the budget was downgraded in the face of funding shortfalls. WFP funding for food and cash assistance is expected to run out by the end of October and the agency has had to steadily cut assistance through the year to 10 million Afghans. The positioning of food to areas that will be cut off in winter has also been limited. The WFP said if no funding comes through, 90% of remote areas in need will be cut off without food and even in accessible locations, people will get no supplies during the harsh weather. "That is the catastrophe that we have to avert," WFP Afghanistan Country Director Hsiao-Wei Lee told Reuters. About three-quarters of Afghanistan's people are in need of humanitarian aid as their country emerges from decades of conflict under an internationally isolated Taliban administration that took over as U.S.-backed foreign forces withdrew in 2021. Development assistance that for years formed the backbone of government finances has been cut and the administration is subject to sanctions and central bank assets abroad have been frozen. Restrictions by the Taliban on women, including stopping most female Afghan humanitarian staff from working, are an obstacle to formal recognition and have also put off donors, many of whom have turned their attention to other humanitarian crises. "What I do in my engagements with them is remind them that at the end of the day, we must focus on those who are most in need," Lee said of donors. "The cost of inaction is ultimately borne and paid for by the most vulnerable and poor mothers and children." 'LIFELINE' Almost 20% of the people the WFP helps are women heading households who Lee said were getting more desperate as the restrictions on women and the economic crisis meant they had fewer ways of earning. "WFP is often the last lifeline for those who don't have other options," Lee said. "It's extremely difficult not only for myself but for our team to have to explain to mothers that we can't help them." Three million people are now getting food aid but after October, they might be getting nothing. The WFP needs $1 billion in funding to provide food aid and carry out planned projects until March, Lee said. For Kabul resident Baba Karim, 45, the cash he has got twice this year from the WFP was been a vital supplement to the less than $2 a day he earns working odd jobs at a market with a push cart. "I'm so worried about what will happen next, now that the assistance has ended," said the father of five. Kathmandu, Nepal, September 5, 2023: The government has promoted Phaninder Gautam to the post of secretary from the law group under the judicial service. Based on the recommendations made by the Judicial Service Commission, the government has promoted Gautam from the legal group to the new secretary. Newly appointed secretary Gautam has been given the responsibility of secretary in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Native American children sent to more boarding schools for assimilation: CNN Xinhua) 13:59, September 05, 2023 NEW YORK, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Indigenous boarding schools that native American children attended have surpassed the number of previously reported institutions, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing a non-profit group. Native American children have attended at least 523 Indigenous boarding schools since the 19th century, including hundreds run by the federal government to assimilate them into White society, said the report. The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition released a new list of Indigenous boarding schools, including many that have closed and some that are still in operation today. "Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Native American children were sent to schools where they were renamed, told not to use Indigenous languages and had their hair cut," said the report. "Many (schools) operated like military training camps where children were subject to abuse, neglect and corporal punishment." The U.S. Interior Department's initial investigation found that 19 boarding schools accounted for the deaths of more than 500 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children but noted the number of recorded deaths was expected to rise, it added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Kathmandu, Nepal, September 5, 2023: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the main opposition party CPN-UMLs Chairman KP Sharma Oli held a meeting on Tuesday. Prime Minister Dahal, who is also the chairman of the CPN Maoist Center, and UML chairman Oli, who is also the former prime minister, had a meeting for almost half an hour on Tuesday afternoon at the office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers located in Singhdarbar. During the meeting, various bills registered in the Parliament as well as Prime Minister Dahal's upcoming visit to America and China was discussed. Prime Minister Dahal is going to New York on September 16 to participate in the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations. It is said that he will visit China from there. SOUTHEAST ASIA | SUMMIT JAKARTA, Indonesia Southeast Asian leaders led by Indonesian host President Joko Widodo are gathering for their final summit this year, besieged by divisive issues with no solutions in sight: Myanmar's deadly civil strife, new flare-ups in the disputed South China Sea, and the longstanding United States-China rivalry. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings will open Tuesday in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta under tight security. The absence of U.S. President Joe Biden, who typically attends, adds to the already somber backdrop of the 10-state bloc's traditional show of unity and group handshakes. ASEAN foreign ministers gathered Monday ahead of the leaders' summit. Mohammad Mahfud, Indonesia's coordinating minister in charge of political, legal and security affairs, told the region's top diplomats that their "community's strength is being challenged by one crisis after another." A lack of progress in efforts to resolve the Myanmar crisis "left a negative mark on ASEAN," he said and warned that accelerating geopolitical tension and rivalries "could lead to open conflict that our region will be forced to face." Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said a five-point plan crafted by the leaders in 2021 to help bring Myanmar back to normalcy will be reviewed. After discussions Tuesday, the ASEAN heads of state would meet Asian and Western counterparts from Wednesday to Thursday, providing a wider venue that the U.S. and China, and their allies, have used for wide-ranging talks on free trade, climate change and global security. It has also become a battleground for their rivalries. Chinese Premier Li Qiang was set to join the meetings, including the 18-member East Asia Summit. There, he would meet U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris who will attend in lieu of Biden and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. While skipping ASEAN, Biden will fly to Asia for the G20 summit in India, then visit Vietnam to elevate ties. Washington says Biden was not relegating the bloc to a lower rung of geopolitical priorities and cited the U.S. president's effort to deepen America's engagement with the region. "It's hard to look at what we've done as an administration, since the very beginning, and come away with a conclusion that we are somehow not interested in the Indo-Pacific or that we are deprioritizing the Southeast Asia nations and those relationships," John Kirby, a national security spokesperson, said at a news briefing Friday in Washington. In November, Biden attended the ASEAN summit meetings in Cambodia and in May 2022 hosted eight of the bloc's leaders at the White House to demonstrate his administration's commitment to their region while dealing with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In 2021, a patient entered the emergency room of a Newport News hospital, located a 65-year-old nurse and stabbed him multiple times, police said. In May of this year, a Virginia Commonwealth University Health employee shot and killed another staffer inside a stairwell in the North Hospital, authorities alleged, saying a dispute had erupted between the two. Violence in hospitals is increasing in frequency, health care leaders said. In response, VCU Medical Center is installing metal detectors at every entrance, and doctors are asking for more armed guards. After four days of use, VCU Health staff recovered more than 50 knives and box cutters on the bodies of patients and visitors. Legislators passed a law this year requiring every hospital to conduct a security assessment. But emergency room doctors say they are not being consulted, as the law requires. And some staffers worry that security guards armed with nothing more than a metal detector wand cannot deter a person determined to commit violence. We need police, said Alexis Blake, a senior phlebotomist for the VCU Childrens Hospital of Richmond. Whos going to protect me? I cant count on someone with a walkie-talkie and a wand. Its unclear how often violence occurs in hospitals its not tracked at the state level. But at Inova Health System, based in Northern Virginia, there were 648 workplace violence incidents in 2021, the systems CEO said. The emergency room is particularly vulnerable, because for many hospitals, its the only unlocked door in the middle of the night. The level of security varies from hospital to hospital. Some have unarmed, lightly trained guards. Others have police officers. In some cases, security guards are not allowed to touch patients and visitors, depending on their companys policy. Often, theres nobody there who has the ability to stop an armed intruder or violent patient, said Dr. Todd Parker, president of the Virginia College of Emergency Physicians, a group that advocates for ER doctors. Parker said he feels marginally safe at work, depending on the location and time. Late nights are the worst. In 2021, a nurse was stabbed at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News just after midnight. Police arrested a Chesapeake man, and authorities charged him with malicious assault. The nurse, who had serious injuries, recovered. In May, near midnight, a VCU Health employee, TyQuan White, 25, was shot and killed in a hospital stairwell. Authorities charged another employee, Christopher Boisseau, 24, with first-degree murder. Boisseau is awaiting trial. Theres already a state law designed to protect health care workers a person guilty of assaulting a health care worker faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 days in jail. But the law often isnt effective, said Aimee Seibert, a lobbyist who works on behalf of emergency room doctors. Doctors often did not press charges and, even when they did, prosecutors did not carry the cases forward. And even when the cases made it to a courtroom, judges did not rule favorably toward hospital employees. At VCU, weapons found regularly So the General Assembly passed a law this year designed to be more proactive. It requires every hospital to establish a security plan. Each hospital must station an off-duty law enforcement officer or trained security officer in the ER at all times, unless a hospital can establish it does not need one all hours of the day. The officer does not have to be armed, but he or she has to be capable of physically restraining a person. VCU Medical Center wrote its security plan this summer and began placing metal detectors at doors last week. Once all 22 metal detectors are installed this month, they will be stationed at every entrance. Staffers will be screened, in addition to patients and visitors. The health system paid roughly $19,000 for each unit, said John Venuti, chief of VCU Police. It also hired 65 full-time, contract security guards through a local security company, RMC Events, to man the metal detectors. The new employees cost the health system about $200 a day per employee. Designed to minimize inconvenience, the metal detectors allow entrants to leave their phones and keys in their pockets. Patients rushed into the ER with life-threatening ailments will not be stopped, but they will be followed and screened later, Venuti said. A spokesperson for Bon Secours said the health system is still reviewing its security plan. A spokesperson for HCA Healthcare said she did not have enough information to comment. Weapons, it turns out, are brought to VCUs medical center with frequency. The health system placed metal detectors at the doors of the emergency room about three years ago. So far this year, staff have recovered a gun at a rate of about one every two weeks, said Danielle Pierce, a spokesperson for VCU Health. Patients and guests are often unaware of the medical centers no-weapons policy, Venuti added. VCU Health started placing metal detectors at other entrances last week and intends to have every door covered by mid-September. In four days, security guards found more than 50 knives and box cutters, three guns and two tasers, Venuti said. None of the weapons was brought by staff. If a person is illegally carrying a firearm, VCU Police will take action and seize the gun, Pierce said. If the person is carrying it legally, he or she will be turned away and told to secure the weapon before returning. Doctors arent being consulted The new law requires hospitals to consult their emergency room medical directors and emergency room nursing directors. But largely, that isnt happening, Parker said. Instead, health systems are writing plans and asking directors to sign them. ER doctors often work at hospitals as contract employees, not direct employees of the health system. That makes it more difficult for a doctor to call out a health system that is not following the law, Parker said. VCU Health and Bon Secours said they are consulting their emergency room directors. The bottom line is, hospitals always want emergency rooms to feel warm and welcoming a safe place for you to go, Parker said. Thats just not the case. The reality, he said, is that emergency rooms are where you find a person who just experienced trauma or became the victim of gang violence. Family members can become agitated if they feel the patient isnt being seen quickly enough. Emotions run high. Thats why ER doctors are asking for metal detectors on doors, better cameras and surveillance systems, and security guards capable of restraining a violent patient who are present 24 hours a day, Parker said. Plus, the better trained the security, the less likely a tragedy occurs, said Seibert, the lobbyist. Patients with mental health problems often are the most disruptive and require the most expertise. On March 6, a Henrico County man, Irvo Otieno, died at Central State Hospital, pinned down by Henrico sheriffs deputies and hospital staff. Seven deputies and one hospital employee have been accused of suffocating Otieno and are charged with murder. Security guards cant touch people At VCU, the medical center employs more than 100 security guards in addition to the 65 recently hired. They will only put their hands on a person in a significant incident, Venuti said. Thats not enough to deter an assailant, Blake said. Too often, hospital security arent capable of stopping a violent person. Instead, she would like to see police officers at each entrance. The new law calls for a trained guard in the emergency room only. Blake carries pepper spray to feel safe. Its one of the only self-defense tools allowed by VCU Health. I want to be safe in my place of work, she said. The role of RMC Events employees is to serve as additional eyes and ears to VCU Police, who patrol the medical center, according to the companys website. They are not expected to grab a violent patient. But they are trained to de-escalate situations, Venuti said, and they can quickly call VCU Police when needed. The system works because the guards and officers complement each other. Were all hot-wired and connected, Venuti said. Today in history: Sept. 4 1944: Antwerp 1957: Little Rock 1969: Birth Control Pills 1972: Mark Spitz 1998: Google 1999: Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat 2006: Steve Irwin 2014: Joan Rivers 2016: Pope Francis 2018: Amazon 2020: The Trump Administration 2022: Canada stabbings Police on Tuesday identified the victim of a Sunday night shooting in Petersburg as Adrionna Brooks West, 20, of Chester, and announced they had made an arrest in connection with her death. Officers were called to the 700 block of High Street at around 11 p.m. Sunday for the report of a shooting, police said. They found West at the scene suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. She died of her injuries at the scene, according to police. Officers took a male juvenile suspect into custody shortly after, police said. He has been charged with first degree murder, three counts of shooting into an occupied vehicle and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. West was a student at Virginia State University, according to police. The loss of this member of our community saddens us deeply, said VSU President Makola M. Abdullah. We stand in solidarity at the most sad and difficult time and ask everyone in our community to support each other. The investigation remains ongoing. From the Archives: The Richmond Symphony A 28-year-old Washington, D.C., woman died Monday on the Outer Banks after she was overtaken by powerful waves at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Authorities were called to the northern section of the village of Avon at about 2:30 p.m. for an unresponsive visitor in the ocean, the National Park Service said in a news release. A witness told authorities the woman was overtaken by strong waves and disappeared in the surf. Shortly after she disappeared, witnesses saw her face-down in rough ocean conditions, the release said. A bystander and a bodyboarder on the beach helped bring her to shore. Despite lifesaving efforts by local first responders, the woman died. The park service did not release her name. Red No Swimming flags were up at beaches from Corolla to Ocracoke this weekend as former hurricanes Franklin and Idalia churned offshore, creating large swells, rough surf and dangerous shorebreak. On Sunday, electronic signs warning of deadly rip currents were set up on N.C. 12 just south of the Oregon Inlet Bridge warning beachgoers of the dangers of swimming in the ocean. Rip current risk along the Outer Banks was expected to continue through Tuesday evening. Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore and into deeper water, the National Weather Service says. In the rush to end this years state budget impasse, General Assembly negotiators dropped a $100 million promise to help fund Richmonds 34-year effort to make sure heavy rains dont overwhelm its sewers and start carrying sewage into the James River. Gov. Glenn Youngkin highlighted the funding in his budget speech last December. He included language directing $100 million from his proposed $106 million increase in Department of Environmental Quality environmental financial assistance funding for the fiscal year ended June 30 for the citys combined sewer overflow control project. The $100 million remained in both the House of Delegates and state Senate versions of the budget, but the impasse over Youngkins proposed $1 billion of tax cuts meant neither version was acted upon, requiring senior members of both bodies on the conference committee to negotiate the compromise that lawmakers are to vote upon Wednesday. Because the money was to be spent in fiscal year 2023, which ended June 30 before the General Assembly budget conferees finally agreed on a budget bill last week, it seems to have been lost in the shuffle, said House Appropriations Committee chairman Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach. All of the spending changes the negotiators made were for the current fiscal year, which started July 1. Lawmakers return to Richmond on Wednesday to vote on a hard-fought compromise over amendments to the states current two-year budget in an effort to end a six-month stalemate between the House, led by the GOP, and the Senate, led by Democrats. Knight thinks funding for the combined sewer overflow control project could be found as the General Assembly considers the conferees compromise or as Youngkin reviews the bill and submits any of his own proposed amendments for the legislators to consider, he said. Richmonds continuing combined sewer overflow control program has cut the storm and wastewater overflows by more than 3 billion gallons a year and has cost $300 million so far. The work thats still to be done to meet the cleanup deadlines that the General Assembly has previously set will cost more than $1.3 billion, the citys Department of Public Utilities said in a report last year to the General Assembly. Thats far more than what city residents, who have already paid $150 million toward the work that is still to be done, can cover through the fees theyre charged on their water bills. The next phase of work to be done involves 10 projects mostly storage and pipes to divert heavy flows from outlets along Gillies Creek and near Maymont will eliminate about 182 million gallons of combined sewer overflows when they are completed by 2027. But dealing with the rest means figuring out the engineering and then building systems to stop the giant Outfall 6 from releasing some 483 million gallons of overflow a year into the James, by the General Assemblys deadline of 2035. Outfall 6 is next to the 14th Street Takeout, a ramp for kayaks or canoes on the north bank of the James. The overflows occur because some stormwater drains feed into sewer pipes, and during heavy rainfalls, the flow from these can overwhelm the citys wastewater treatment plant. The result is that a mix of sewage and stormwater thats 90% rain will flow straight into the James River. Chesapeake Bay The negotiators budget, meanwhile increased funding for a critical element of Youngkins Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts. The conferees agreed to spend $67.2 million in matching grants to pay for farmers efforts, up from the $45.7 million Youngkin had proposed. The conferees also agreed to add $151 million to state funding for sewage treatment plants and $30 million for grants to localities for projects that reduce stormwater runoff. The conferees also agreed to set $100 million to a fund that lends money to help finance flood control projects. From the Archives: The James River James River James River James River James River James River James River James River James River BISMARCK, N.D. The beloved wild horses that roam freely in North Dakota's Theodore Roosevelt National Park could be removed under a National Park Service proposal that worries advocates who say the horses are a cultural link to the past. Visitors who drive the scenic park road can often see bands of horses, a symbol of the West and sight that delights tourists. Advocates want to see the horses continue to roam the Badlands, and disagree with park officials who have branded the horses as "livestock." The Park Service is revising its livestock plans and writing an environmental assessment to examine the impacts of taking no new action or to remove the horses altogether. Removal would entail capturing horses and giving some of them first to tribes, and later auctioning the animals or giving them to other entities. Another approach would include techniques to prevent future reproduction and would allow those horses to live out the rest of their lives in the park. The horses have allies in government leaders and advocacy groups. One advocate says the horses' popularity won't stop park officials from removing them from the landscape of North Dakota's top tourist attraction. "At the end of the day, that's our national park paid for by our tax dollars, and those are our horses. We have a right to say what happens in our park and to the animals that live there," Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates President Chris Kman said. Last year, Park Superintendent Angie Richman told The Bismarck Tribune that the park has no law or requirement for the horses to be in the park. Regardless of what decision is ultimately made, the park will have to reduce its roughly 200 horses to 35-60 animals under a 1978 environmental assessment's population objective, she previously said. Kman said she would like the park "to use science" to "properly manage the horses," including a minimum of 150-200 reproductive horses for genetic viability. Impacts of the park's use of a contraceptive on mares are unclear, she added. Ousting the horse population "would have a detrimental impact on the park as an ecosystem," Kman said. The horses are a historical fixture, while the park reintroduced bison and elk, she said. A couple of bands of wild horses were accidentally fenced into the park after it was established in 1947, said Castle McLaughlin, who in the 1980s researched the history and origins of the horses while working as a graduate student for the Park Service in North Dakota. Park officials in the early years sought to eradicate the horses, shooting them on sight and hiring local cowboys to round them up and remove them, she said. The park even sold horses to a local zoo at one point to be food for large cats. Around 1970, a new superintendent discovered Roosevelt had written about the presence of wild horses in the Badlands during his time there. Park officials decided to retain the horses as a historic demonstration herd to interpret the open-range ranching era. "However, the Park Service still wasn't thrilled about them," McLaughlin said. "Basically they're like cultural artifacts almost because they reflect several generations of western North Dakota ranchers and Native people. They were part of those communities," and might have ties to Hunkpapa Lakota leader Sitting Bull, she said. In the 1880s, Theodore Roosevelt hunted and ranched as a young man in the Badlands of what is now western North Dakota. The Western tourist town of Medora is at the gates of the national park that bears his name. VIENNA Iran has slowed the pace at which it is enriching uranium to nearly weapons-grade levels, according to a report by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog seen by The Associated Press on Monday. That could be a sign Tehran is trying to ease tensions after years of strain between it and the U.S. The confidential report comes as Iran and the United States are negotiating a prisoner swap and the release of billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen in South Korea. However, international inspectors also noted new challenges in trying to monitor Iran's program. In an effort to ensure Iran could not develop atomic weapons, world powers struck a deal with Tehran in 2015 under which it agreed to limit enrichment of uranium to levels necessary for nuclear power in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. U.N. inspectors were tasked with monitoring the program. Then-President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the U.S. out of the accord in 2018, saying he would negotiate a stronger deal, but that didn't happen. Iran began breaking the terms a year later. The International Atomic Energy Agency said in its report that Iran has 268 pounds of uranium enriched up to 60%. That means its stockpile of the fuel is growing at its slowest pace since 2021. A report in May put the stockpile at just over 250 pounds. It had 192 pounds in February. Uranium enriched at 60% purity is just a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons and continues to insist that its program is entirely for peaceful purposes, though the IAEA's director-general has warned Tehran has enough enriched uranium for "several" nuclear bombs if it chose to build them. Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. Grab-led digital bank GXBank announced that it has received approval from the Minister of Finance and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) to commence operations, ahead of the April 2024 deadline initially set by the central bank. This makes GXBank the first of five approved digital bank licence applicants to be ready to serve the Malaysian public in the near future. In its statement, GXBank said that it has been granted the approval to begin operations from 1 September 2023, following the successful completion of an operational readiness review. Moving forward, it will leverage on technology and innovation to cater to the banking needs of the unserved and underserved communities, including a bank app and inclusive customer support (available 24/7 on multiple platforms). GXBank noted that it will start by beta-testing its app with employees first, before launching it to a wider pool of users. This will allow the digital bank time to improve and refine the features on the app, allowing for a smoother and more enjoyable user experience. That said, GXBank has yet to share a concrete date as to when it will begin rolling out its app to the public. Standing on Grabs legacy of innovative tech and economic inclusion, we hope to redefine banking and reshape Malaysias financial landscape. Our collaboration with consortium partners such as Kuok Group and other industry players will enable us to work hand in hand, leveraging our respective ecosystems to nurture a resilient and financially inclusive Malaysia, where no one is left behind, said the chief executive officer of GXBank, Pei Si Lai. Briefly, GXBank is a subsidiary of GXS Bank Pte Ltd (itself a joint venture between Grab and Singtel, which already holds a banking licence by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)), and a consortium of other Malaysian investors. This includes Kuok Brothers Sdn Bhd. Meanwhile, Pei will be supported by a team of more than 200 employees, as well as a newly appointed board of directors that is spearheaded by Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan. Datuk Zaiton who is experienced in banking, audit, risk management, as well as governance and financial inclusion stressed that GXBank is committed in driving real change in Malaysias financial sector. We are at the forefront of the regions fast evolving fintech landscape. With the collective strength of all our partners and digital banks in Singapore and Indonesia, GXBank is poised to offer equitable access to an innovative and transformational banking experience. We hope this will enable more Malaysians to be financially independent, creating a better future for themselves, their families, and the country, said Datuk Zaiton. Aside from the consortium led by GXS Bank and Kuok Brothers that successfully received a digital banking licence back in April 2022, the other four approved applicants are: A consortium led by Boost Holdings Sdn Bhd and RHB Bank Berhad A consortium led by Sea Limited and YTL Digital Capital Sdn Bhd A consortium led by AEON Financial Services Co. Ltd, AEON Credit Service (M) Berhad, and MoneyLion Inc A consortium led by KAF Investment Bank Sdn Bhd As per BNMs directive back then, these applicants are required to undergo a period of operational readiness that will be validated by BNM through an audit before they can commence operations. This entire process was expected to take between 12 months to 24 months. 4 2 votes Article Rating SHARE Cozumel sailor rescues drowning woman with boots and everything Cozumel, Q.R. A woman seen drowning off a Cozumel beach was rescued Monday. A cyclist passing by the area spotted the woman struggling in the water near Playa Mezcalitos. The cyclist was able to get the attention of Navy personnel who rushed in (in full uniform) to pull the woman to shore. She was located approximately 15 meters from the beach. The rescue happened at the east end of the island Monday. According to Cozumel Police, in the face of the emergency, one of the sailors who was traveling in a patrol left his weapons and jumped into the water swimming with boots and everything to where the woman was. He managed to carry her out of the water in his arms. She was in a state of shock. When they arrived at the beach, an American man met them who said he was the husband of the 32-year-old woman who he identified as being from Chetumal. Once the woman stabilized, she was informed that personnel of the Mexican Navy of the Naval Police had requested an ambulance, however she said that she was already well and they would go home on their own means. (Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) At least 23 people were injured after a vehicle crashed into the walls of a Denny's restaurant in Texas, prompting officials to transport victims to local hospitals. A Texas man reportedly crashed his vehicle into Denny's restaurant in Texas, injuring at least 23 people on Monday morning. The Rosenberg Police Department said that multiple 911 calls were made in relation to the incident at roughly 11:22 a.m. The department also released images of the scene showing the car still fully inside the restaurant while surrounded by debris. Denny's Restaurant Car Crash The police said that all the injured people were inside the Denny's restaurant when the crash occurred, and their wounds ranged from minor to serious. All of the victims were reportedly transported to local hospitals with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities also said the vehicle driver rammed through the building's walls was not hurt. In a statement, the Rosenberg Police Department said that the investigation into the cause of the accident is still ongoing. The Denny's restaurant struck by the car was located along a Southwest Freeway frontage road in Rosenberg, roughly 35 miles southwest of Houston. In a statement, Sylvia Flores said that her mother and father love Denny's and were eating lunch at the restaurant when they were injured by the accident, as Newsbreak. Flores said during an interview that her father heard a big bang and immediately saw the car's hood that rammed through the restaurant walls. The debris from the crash was everywhere. She added that her parents, who are already in their late 70s, were brought to different hospitals and that she saw them with "stitches everywhere." Flores said her mother had a possible broken leg because a beam fell on her when the vehicle crashed into the Denny's restaurant. Flores noted that it was a blessing that her parents were still alive and talking even after the accident. However, she noted that the incident would most likely scar the two elderly and may not want to eat at the restaurant for an extended period. Read Also: 5 Killed in DC Shootings Over Labor Day Weekend Multiple Injured Victims Police officials noted that the victims of the accident ranged in age from 12 to 60 years old, but Flores' statements about her parents dispute that claim. The victims' injuries ranged from minor lacerations to severe injuries, but they were all conscious when transported to local hospitals, according to ABC13. Authorities did not yet identify the man driving the vehicle that crashed into the Denny's restaurant but noted that he was roughly 30 years old. They also said that multiple lanes of the Southwest Freeway were temporarily closed while the investigation into the accident was ongoing. Laura Galvin, whose in-laws were eating breakfast in a booth at the Denny's restaurant during the crash, said that they were pushed into the kitchen by the force of the accident. She noted that her brother-in-law received most of the impact and that her mother-in-law had "hematomas all over her arms and legs." According to ABC News, Galvin said that no one expected such an incident, especially on a holiday. Related Article: Drunk Drivers in Texas Now Required to Pay Child Support if They Kill Parents @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Javier May leaves Fonatur for shot at Governor of Tabasco Mexico City, Mexico Javier May Rodriguez, the head of Fonatur (the National Fund for the Promotion of Tourism) is resigning from his position. On Monday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced the resignation of May who intends to run for Governor of Tabasco. Mays departure is effective immediately so he can focus on the June 2024 elections. In his place, Lopez Obrador has announced General Oscar David Lozano Aguila. Now General Oscar David Lozano Aguila is going to take charge. He is going to be the General Director of the majority state-owned company Tren Maya. He is already here with us and has already been working, but formally, by decision of the Secretary of Defense General Luis Cresencio Sandoval, he is going to be responsible for this company, Lopez Obrador explained during his Monday press conference. May submitted his resignation September 4, 2023. Javier May became the head of Fonatur in January of 2022, at which time he took over the reins from Rogelio Jimenez Pons which meant heading the mega Tren Maya project. May handed in his resignation Monday, one day after AMLO test toured the Maya Train over a two day trip from Campeche to Cancun. A new book challenges the revived threat of integralism, which would seek to use the coercive power of the state to enforce religious canon law. This is bad not only for civil and human rights but also for religious faith. Until a few years ago, I was not even familiar with the term integralism, which refers to the Catholic political doctrine that calls for the subordination of the state to the church. As a believer from the Islamic tradition and a supporter of classical liberalism, I believed that Christians had rightly sorted out this perennial debate of religion vs. state by separating thembut also making sure that the state protects religious freedom and does not threaten it, which is always a possibility. How the Catholic Church in particular came to embrace liberty for all was an inspiring example relevant to contemporary discussions within Islam. History, however, is not always linear. Old ideas can come back and challenge some historic accomplishments. Which is exactly what has been happening among American conservatives in recent years with the rise of post-liberalism, a movement that rejects the very liberal principles on which the United States is founded: individual liberty, religious freedom, free markets, and the separation of church and state. Especially vocal among these post-liberals are the new integralist thinkers, who are not numerous but nevertheless seem to have gained some traction, partly because their ideas are quite radical (and therefore appear to be new) and their advocacy is often quite passionate. That is why we are indebted to Kevin Vallier for his new book: All the Kingdoms of the World: On Radical Religious Alternatives to Liberalism, which gives a stimulating introduction to the new integralist movement, covering its brief history, scrutinizing its arguments, and cautioning against its ambitions. As the books title indicates, Catholic integralism is not the only doctrine Vallier investigates. That is because, as he notes, there are various religious anti-liberalisms in the world today, ascendant in countries like Russia, India, Poland, Hungary, Turkey, and China. They are built on different religious traditions, such as Eastern Orthodoxy, Islam, Hinduism, and Confucianism, but all claim that society should recognize a single religion as correct. They also reject the liberal order with intensityand total conviction. Overthrowing Dignitatis Humanae Despite its wide range, most of Valliers book focuses primarily on the integralists. Vallier rejects their doctrine but does not dismiss it. In very accessible prosewhich is not what you always find in the writings of academicshe shows how this premodern ideal has reemerged slowly in the past few decades among a few Catholic thinkers. A pioneer among them was the British philosopher Thomas Pink, who felt uneasy with the major shift the Catholic Church had taken with the Dignitatis Humanae declaration, which came out of the historic Second Vatican Council (or Vatican II) in 1965. This remarkable document has been hailed by many as a crucial endorsement of universal human dignity and freedom. For Pink, however, at least in its common interpretation, This document discarded the Churchs self-understanding as a polity and embraced a degree of religious liberty that endangered the Churchs mission. If everyone has complete religious freedom, the Church cannot properly discipline and govern its flock. So the church has to govern its flock, and the liberal ideology that deprived the church of its coercive power has to be defeated. Catholics who have been misled by this ideology must be defeated as well. Vallier explains that such ideas circulated among a relatively small circle until they gained popularity among some American Catholics in the mid-2010s. Interestingly enough, many of the young integralists were quite left-wing economically, defending democratic socialism and Bernie Sanderss candidacy for the US presidency. Others believed, however, that Trump had the world-historical power to displace the liberal consensus, and thus opted for him. This right-wing camp quickly dominated the movement, which gained steam with new, prominent advocates, such as the Harvard law professor Adrian Vermeule, a recent convert to Catholicism. What do the integralists really want? Its hard to believe, but in Valliers words they are hoping a new Catholic Christendom can arise from the ashes of doomed American liberalism. They believe they have a chance because liberalism is on the brink of collapse and they are happy to help it along. Their goal is victory, not compromise. If they achieve their victory, Vallier explains, they will really govern their flock. Non-Christians in society would be mostly allowed to continue their erroneous ways, which may be a relief, but those who are baptized will be disciplined. The integralists want the state to help enforce canon laws. That means they will introduce laws against heresy and apostasy. They will also use various means of indirect coercion to clear away temptations to false and heretical opinions. Thinking ahead for the integralists themselves and imagining real-life scenarios their ambitions would create, Vallier shows that their ideology would create terribly authoritarian regimes. For example, Given citizens costless communication via the internet, integralist states will have to spend significant resources to surveil the populace. They might adopt a policy like Chinas Great Firewall. The Contribution of the Woke Left One important observation that Vallier makes is that this new integralist movement emerged partly as a reaction to another illiberal movement: the assertive progressivism that has dominated many American institutions in the recent years. This woke left, as it is also called, is so aggressive that it will not rest until the church ceases to exist, as Sohrab Ahmari, another Catholic post-liberal, believes. Religious conservatives have been fools for playing by liberal rules, Ahmari argues. Instead, they must fight fire with fire. While this reaction is understandable, it is plainly wrong for a few reasons. First, there is really nothing good about replacing the tyranny of one group with that of another. Second, there is a tyranny-free ideal, where a neutral and limited government simply protects natural rights, which is what liberalism is all about. (As the U.S. Declaration of Independence declares: All men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men.) Yet integralists deny that such a neutral government is ever possible, which brings us to the third flaw in their thinking: they depict assertive progressivism as nothing but an advanced, and inevitable, stage in liberalism, as argued by Patrick Deneen, who himself is not explicitly an integralist but whose tirades against liberalism have certainly helped the movement. Vallier, to his credit, notes that this caricature of liberalism is just that. First, he shows that some European Catholics have equated liberalism only with French Revolutionary liberalism, which is of course a specific historical case that was notoriously illiberal when it came to religion. But even more important is the case of the American woke left. Vallier rightly stresses that this movement emerged not out of liberalism but out of the lefts more recent rejection of key liberal doctrines: free speech, robust religious freedom, and state neutrality. Therefore, one could argue, those who want to fight wokeism should not fight liberalism. Instead, they should revive itunless, of course, they are hell-bent on establishing their own kingdom. Which may well be the case with the integralists. In which case, debating true liberalism with them may be a futile exercise. Therefore, I believe, one should scrutinize their idea of utopia and envision what it would really look like, which Vallier does skillfully, chapter after chapter. Is It Good for Religion? An issue I find particularly important is one integralists themselves dont seem to be bothered by: Will integralist states, which will impose religion on society, really be good for religion? Will they truly save souls? Vallier hints that the answer may well be no. Integralist arrangements crested in the thirteenth century, he notes, but historians doubt that thirteenth-century Western Europeans were especially pious. He also reminds readers of the wise warning by John Courtney Murray, a pioneer of Catholic liberalism, that coercion may be counterproductive and can create an apostasy cascade. But Adrian Vermeule seems to disagree. In a chilling statement, he argues that religious coercion will in fact work because, once the integralist rulers grab the people by the neck, their hearts will ultimately follow: Subjects will come to thank the ruler whose legal strictures, possibly experienced at first as coercive, encourage subjects to form more authentic desires for the individual and common goods, better habits, and beliefs that better track and promote communal well-being. Could he be right? Lessons from Islamists That question takes me to the parallelism Vallier draws between Catholic and Muslim anti-liberals, the latter sometimes called Islamists. The short section Vallier has on these Muslim anti-liberals is not comprehensive but still accurate and helpful. As he notes, and as I would stress, what is called integralism in the Catholic tradition is quite similar to the premodern Islamic political tradition. For centuries, Muslims lived under states that derived their legitimacy from implementing the Sharia (their canon law, so to speak), which was interpreted by religious scholars (their church, with some differences). Also, just as in Catholic integralism, Islamic states typically refrained from forcing conversions, allowing Jews and Christians to practice their religions, though with legal limitations, while they used various means of coercion to discipline their own flock. The big difference is that, with Vatican II, liberalism became widely accepted among Catholics. So todays integralists are trying to revive a bygone era. In Islam, however, besides small pockets of reformist thought, integralism is already the normative doctrine. In the past century, there have been secular political experiments, but often in tension with religious doctrineand often themselves illiberal, compounding the problem. Those who are called Islamists are actively trying to reverse these secular experiments, to bring Islam back to poweroften with a vengeance. Moreover, Islamists have already been quite successful in countries like Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. In other words, the utopia of the Catholic integralistsa desecularized statehas already been put into practice by Ayatollah Khomeini, the Taliban, and the Pakistani Islamists, who have succeeded in Islamizing their laws. And the result has been terrible for human rights, dignity, peace, and prosperity. Furthermore, the results have been pretty bad for religion itself. This is most evident in Iran, as more than four decades of Islamic rule have made Iranian society not more religious but rather less, as many observations and various polls have shownand as I have written elsewhere. As Islam merged with a brutally authoritarian regime, citizens who detested that regime began to renounce Islam, too. Ultimately Iran became the number one Muslimmajority country in producing apostates from Islam, often into atheism or Christianity. In other words, Vermeules prediction that subjects will come to thank the ruler for religious coercion has been tested in Iranand has been proven false. Of course, integralists can say, But that was the wrong religion. Islamists themselves keep saying, But that was the wrong version of the true religion. Just as with socialism, every failed experiment with the ideology may lead to a stronger conviction that it has never truly been triedso it must be tried again and again. Yet there is enough evidence, past and present, to conclude that advancing religion with the coercive power of the state is a bad idea. And whenever that idea is reintroduced, those who take their religion seriously while also valuing liberty must offer pointed critiques. Which is exactly what Vallier offers in All the Kingdoms of the World, a work that deserves to be read, discussed, and pondered. Roanoke police are worried that an 81-year-old man with dementia who went missing may be suffering from dehydration. James Jim Smith was reportedly last seen at about 1:50 a.m. Monday at his residence in the 1800 block of Orange Avenue Northwest. Mr. Smith is an elderly man who has potentially been in the elements for more than 24 hours, police Capt. Andrew Pulley said during a press conference Tuesday afternoon. Its going to get hot again today, and were really worried about his safety and his well-being. We need to find them as quickly as we can. Police were called about Smiths disappearance about 30 to 45 minutes after he had wandered from his home, Pulley said Tuesday. Officers and a number of partners from the community immediately began a search. Pulley said Bedford County Sheriffs Office bloodhounds tracked Smith to the northwest intersection of Orange Avenue and 11th Street. Usually, when a bloodhound just stops tracking and loses the scent, it indicates to us that theres a strong possibility that a vehicle may have picked up Mr. Smith, Pulley said. If youre the person that picked up somebody in the early morning hours of Monday morning to try and help them, thank you, but what we need from you is to contact us. Youre not in any trouble. But wed like for you to tell us where you took him. The captain said Smith is a Black male who was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans. Police believe he was also barefoot. Weve engaged in foot patrols, bike patrols, our UTV patrols and our vehicles to try and locate Mr. Smith. What weve done so far hasnt located Mr. Smith, but we remain optimistic, Pulley said. The captain asked Roanoke residents to check their cars, storage buildings and garages for the missing man. Were really worried that maybe Mr. Smith in his confused state has gone somewhere to seek shelter, and its not obvious for us to find him, Pulley said. Dehydration really manifests itself with even more confusion on top of the dementia. If you locate him, think you locate him, call 911. I dont care what jurisdiction youre in. Anybody with fire and EMS would be more than happy to come out and assist. Pulley said Smith used to live in the Gainsboro area and is familiar with the alleys and pathways there. With the dementia that we believe he has, we believe he may have reverted back to his younger years when he was running around in that area. Thats a possibility of a place that wed like for you to help us search, Pulley said. Smith also once worked for Roanoke City Public Schools. Pulley said police are working with the school district as part of the search efforts. Weve encountered Mr. Smith at the old school administration building, Pulley said. That was also his junior high school when he was coming up through grade school. His high school is what we know as Lucy Addison Middle School right now. That was his high school. He has been seen in that area in the past, and we found him in that area before. Pulley said when Smith has wandered on previous occasions, police were able to locate him in a relatively short amount of time, Pulley said. This is the longest that hes been away from home that we havent been able to find him. Smith used to be enrolled in Roanokes Project Lifesaver program, which equips people with cognitive conditions with location tracking devices. But Pulley said Smith was not a cooperative participant. He would remove his tracker multiple times, throw them away, lose them, Pulley said. The family, in conjunction with the sheriffs office and the police department, felt that it was probably not going to be helpful for him to stay on that program. He was aware of it, but for whatever reason, he just didnt like that device. The public is asked to call 911 with information about Smith. BLACKSBURG Two union-affiliated coalitions at Virginia Tech went public Tuesday with a mission to elevate ongoing employees struggles around pay and workplace issues. Mondays event identified two previously formed organizations, the United Campus WorkersVirginia Tech and the Virginia Tech Graduate Labor Union, in a rally outside the Graduate Life Center. About 100 people, most in red union shirts, witnessed the unveiling as the groups shifted from underground to public status with an eye toward garnering new members they see as central to claiming power. The groups jointly declared their belief that every person working on our campus deserves an advocate on the job, a living wage, a safe working environment, academic freedom, and respect for their individual contributions to the university, a press release said. Today we are telling the administration and were are telling the board of visitors that we recognize our value to this institution and we demand to be treated at our worth, Prescott Vayda, a doctoral student in geosciences who belongs to VTGLU, told the rally. Both groups predicted a flood of new members, though at this time they are small with a combined membership of fewer than 200 people though thousands are eligible. Neither group is a new labor union, though each has achieved recognition as a VT-based branch or chapter of an established labor union. The Virginia Education Association, itself an affiliate of the National Education Association, recognizes the graduate student coalition, which is open to students with an eye toward serving those who have teaching or other paid positions with the university. United Campus Workers of Virginia, a unit of the Communications Workers of America, recognizes the Virginia Tech UCW chapter, which is open to all university employees outside of management and human resources, officials said. State employees in Virginia cannot engage in collective bargaining leading to the signing contract with their employer, but can belong to unions and engage in collective advocacy and protest. The General Assembly last considered collective bargaining rights for state employees several years ago, but no measure passed. The issue can be brought back in the future. But James Fedderman, president of the Virginia Education Association, said in an interview that labor groups such as these at a state institution can generate formidable power through advocacy on par with what collective bargaining can achieve. He predicted they will achieve their aims. Formation of the Virginia Tech Graduate Labor Union began as a conversation among a small group of people during 2020, when the pandemic revealed issues of low pay facing working graduate students and a general lack of consideration by the university administration for graduate student needs, said Jack Leff, a leader in the effort to unify graduate students and a student seeking a PhD in science and technology studies. At students urging, a university task force examined pay issues and later recommended steps to the administration. Some progress toward broad goals occurred, including pay increases, but the group believes more change is warranted, Leff said. The VEA recognized the graduate student group July 18. Fedderman said. Leff said it decided to go public in connection with reaching a goal of signing up its first 100 dues-paying members. Now we're just ready to actually tell everyone that we're here. We're ready to grow, tackle bigger problems and have more power behind the things that we're fighting for, said GLU member and graduate student Gabby Patarinski, now beginning her second year of clinical psychology studies toward a doctoral degree. Out of roughly 7,100 total graduate students at Virginia Tech, more than half work in some capacity for the university, mostly as graduate assistants, according to a Virginia Tech webpage. Among full-time graduate students, 84% are university employed. Graduate student workers do lab and clinical work, research, grant writing, teaching, grading and administrative duties, Patarinski said. The Virginia Tech chapter of United Campus Workers conducted its earliest discussions also in 2020 but before the pandemic declaration, said Jenni Gallagher, interim chapter chair. It affiliated at that time with the statewide body and grew membership by word of mouth to more than 50 as of spring 2023. One unifying premise is a belief that unions are good for workers, she said. There is a proud tradition in this country and in Southwest Virginia of workers banding together and taking collective action to improve the conditions of our workplace and community, and we humbly enter into that tradition, the group said in a prepared statement. Anyone employed by Virginia Tech outside of the administration can join the campus workers chapter, including tenured and tenure-track faculty, adjunct instructors, administrative and professional faculty, full and part-time staff and student workers. Virginia Tech employs more than 13,000 people, including almost 8,5000 people full-time, a university webpage said. The rally followed the Labor Day holiday observed since the late 1800s, and echoed worker cries across the country. Hollywood writers, airline workers and Detroit automakers are in the midst of their own labor disputes. We're hoping that the university wants to work with us and is excited about us being here, Patarinski said. We just want to make our voices heard. The Roanoke Times asked to interview university President Tim Sands about Tuesdays event. University spokesman Mark Owczarski sent an emailed statement calling graduate student assistants vital members of the Virginia Tech community, contributing many valuable services to the university. Virginia Tech is deeply committed to their personal, academic, and professional success. The statement continued, Graduate education is a critical element of the mission of Virginia Tech as a global land grant, R1 research university. Our ability to attract, educate, and graduate talented graduate students is dependent upon a variety of factors, including institutional reputation, faculty expertise, and financial support. Accordingly, Virginia Tech continuously works to offer a competitive, holistic compensation package to graduate assistants that benefits students and the university. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. U.S. President Joe Biden visits Florida to view the damage caused by Hurricane Idalia storm WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will focus on reforming the World Bank and urging other multilateral development banks to boost lending for climate change and infrastructure projects during the G20 leaders summit in India, the White House said on Tuesday. "That's one of our main focuses heading into the G20: delivering on an agenda fundamentally reshaping and scaling up the multilateral development banks, especially the World Bank," White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. The Biden administration is pushing the World Bank, founded as World War Two drew to a close to alleviate poverty, as a counterpart to China's overseas lending. New CEO Ajay Banga has pushed to expand climate change and hunger programs, and boost the bank's lending power with new funding and balance sheet rules. The White House in late August asked Congress for $3.3 billion in additional funding as part of a supplemental budget request to "materially expand development and infrastructure financing" through the World Bank to offer countries a "credible alternative to the Peoples Republic of Chinas (PRC) coercive and unsustainable lending and infrastructure projects." "We know that these institutions are some of the most effective tools that we have for mobilizing transparent, high quality investment into developing countries," Sullivan said Tuesday. "And that's why the United States is championing a major effort that is currently underway to involve these institutions so that they are up to the challenges of today and tomorrow." Biden will also call on G20 to provide meaningful debt relief for low and middle income countries, Sullivan said. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and David Lawder; Editing by Heather Timmons and Deepa Babington) NEW STAR: Furthering its link with Hollywood stars, Brioni has tapped actor and producer Glen Powell to front its latest campaign. Dedicated to the Rome-based menswear brands bespoke service section of the fall 2023 collection, the cinematic black-and-white images were captured in Los Angeles by photographer Gregory Harris, who reprised his lensman role for the house. More from WWD The Austin, Texas-born actor has most recently starred in Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to the blockbuster 1986 Top Gun, as pilot Lt. Jake Hangman Seresin. He previously landed roles in such movies as Hidden Figures, Everybody Wants Some and Expendables 3. Later this year, he is starring in Anyone But You, a romantic comedy directed and cowritten by Will Gluck, alongside Euphoria star and fashion favorite Sydney Sweeney. Glen Powell fronts the Brioni fall 2023 ad campaign. The Brioni campaign shows the actor sporting tailored pieces and donning several interpretations of the brands sartorialwear from suited-up, seen in a three-piece suit worn with a tie, to laid-back and relaxed, such as a gray suit worn with a simple T-shirt. A behind-the-scenes video showcases Powell enjoying Brionis bespoke service, his measurements taken by one of the brands tailors to create a custom Brioni for Glen Powell-labeled suit. Although he was not named an ambassador to Brioni, Powell follows in the footsteps of marquee Hollywood stars who have had ties with the Italian mens luxury label. They include Jude Law and his son Raff who were named house ambassadors in 2022; Brad Pitt; Pierce Brosnan; Anthony Hopkins, and Samuel L. Jackson. Glen Powell fronts the Brioni fall 2023 ad campaign. Kering, then called PPR, acquired Brioni in 2011 from the descendants of the companys founders, Nazareno Fonticoli and Gaetano Savini. MARTINO CARRERA Story continues MATERIAL GIRL: Mia Regan, the London-born model and TikTok star, is the face of jewelry brand Missomas new Glamorous collection featuring 38 pieces made from black enamel, gold and silver. The collection includes dangly earrings, studs, chain links and statement rings. Im really excited to work with Missoma on this campaign. When we had the initial briefing, they wanted it to be really personal and I felt like they really read me, Regan said. Mia Regan for Missoma The process was very interactive and collaborative, personal and authentic. All the sets were amazing. The collection is something I would wear every day, she added. Regan worked with Missoma founder Marisa Hordern to brainstorm ideas and what the final collection would look like. Last year, the model and TikTok star collaborated with Victoria Beckham, the mother of her boyfriend, Romeo Beckham, on a vintage denim-inspired collection. Theres a long-standing relationship between Missoma and I, so theres a synergy. We just get each other. I love every collection. I love the pieces, I wear them all the time. This collaboration just feels right, Regan said. The Glamorous collection was made using 100 percent recycled materials, from 18-karat gold vermeil to sterling silver. Mia Regan for Missoma Since the companys founding in 2008, Horderns strategy has been to stay close to her Millennial and Gen Z audience, strike up long-term relationships with influencers and collaborators and move with the cycles of the economy. Yet Missoma remains popular with customers who can afford much more expensive gems, including the Duchess of Cambridge, Emily Ratajkowski, Gigi Hadid, Tommy Dorfman and Billie Eilish. HIKMAT MOHAMMED VERY BRITISH: For Dunhill, the objects of the past guide the present moment. In the British brands fall 2023 campaign, a Jaguar E-Type, a wooden chair with a leather seat, silver cutlery and a pair of cuff links are juxtaposed with Dunhills sartorial offerings of a velvet double-breasted blazer, a bronzed orange wool coat and pin-striped shirt, a brown aviator jacket, leather bags and a striking red knit sweater. The clean-cut images take a close look at Dunhills English eccentricity and refinement. Dunhill fall 2023 The autumn 23 campaign celebrates the hallmarks of the house: innovation, English style and British excellence, said chief executive officer Laurent Malecaze. Once again, we see a collection of pieces that together create a finessed wardrobe for all occasions and elevated luxury leather goods and objects for the Dunhill man of today, he added. Even though theres change ahead at the 130-year-old brand, its focus remains on Britishness. In April, WWD broke the news that Dunhill had tapped Simon Holloway as its new creative director. He was previously creative director of James Purdey & Sons which, like Dunhill, is part of the Compagnie Financiere Richemont stable. Dunhill fall 2023 Holloway succeeds Mark Weston, who exited as chief creative officer of Dunhill in late 2022 following more than five years at the brand. He left shortly after the arrival as CEO of Malecaze, who is setting a new tone at Dunhill. At the time, Malecaze said that Holloways creative energy, coupled with his decades of experience in luxury, will be instrumental as we evolve and expand our houses iconic codes in the context of todays client. Dunhill fall 2023 Simons sense of quality and craft, along with a clear understanding and appreciation of the Dunhill DNA, will ensure we continue to innovate through products that are timeless, purposeful and relevant, he added. Holloway described the houses founder Alfred Dunhill as a pioneer, an innovator and one of the most influential British tastemakers of the 20th century. His obsession with ingenuity and refinement established a house synonymous with purposeful luxury and quality an enduring and powerful inspiration. H.M. Best of WWD Click here to read the full article. Subhas Nair entering State Courts with his sister Preeti Nair on 1 November 2021. (PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore/Nick Tan) SINGAPORE Singaporean rapper Subhas Nair was sentenced to six weeks' jail on Tuesday (5 September) for attempting to incite ill will among different racial and religious groups through his online posts. The 31-year-old, whose full name is Subhas Govin Prabhakar Nair, was found guilty in July on four counts related to statements he made between July 2019 and March 2021, in which he compared races and religions. According to CNA, Nair's lawyer Suang Wijaya said he plans to appeal both his conviction and sentence. District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan concurred with the prosecution's argument that the need for deterrence in such cases is amplified in the age of social media and the internet. He emphasised that such messages can quickly reach a larger audience through these platforms and cause harm not only to specific racial or religious groups but also to society at large. The four charges against Nair One of the four charges that led to Nair's conviction stemmed from a YouTube video in which he and his sister, known as Preetipls, performed a song containing lyrics which denigrated another race. Nair had received a two-year conditional warning from the police for this incident, but continued to make inflammatory comments on social media. In anoth instance, Nair commented on a viral video by two Christians who linked the gay pride movement to Satan. He wrote, "If two Malay Muslims made a video promoting Islam and saying the kinds of hateful things these Chinese Christians said, ISD (Internal Security Department) would have been at the door before they even hit 'upload'." He also made an Instagram post referencing a media reported linked to a Chan Jia Xing, who was involved in the death of a person at Orchard Towers, and had been given a reduced charge of consorting with a person who had a weapon after being charged with murder. Severity of his actions During the sentencing, deputy public prosecutors Suhas Malhotra and Jordon Li requested a six-week jail term, while Nair's lawyer Wijaya requested a 20-day jail term. Story continues District Judge Shaiffudin noted that past legal precedents typically result in jail terms for such cases and disagreed with the defence's argument that Nair's actions were less serious because he did not use racial slurs or derogatory language. CNA reported that the judge emphasised that sowing racial or religious discord by alleging discrimination by law enforcement in Singapore based on race or religion is just as serious as using racial slurs. He also warned that such actions could erode trust in law enforcement agencies and lead to a breakdown of law and order. Nair plans to seek bail pending his appeal, and a few of his supporters, including his sister, attended the hearing. The penalties for attempting to promote hatred between racial or religious groups in Singapore can include a jail term of up to three years and/or a fine. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. French officials are considering putting an end to cheap flights to help protect the environment by potentially raising ticket prices. The situation comes as Europeans can buy plane tickets to various destinations for roughly the price of a fast-food meal at Wendy's. However, such days of cheap flights could soon come to an end. France's New Airfare Plan This is because France's chief transportation official has expressed his fears that this kind of practice is causing harm to our planet's environment. In an interview, Clement Beaune said that airlines should stop allowing the offering of bargain-basement airfares. In a statement, he said that plane tickets are currently priced at roughly $10.80, which is simply impossible to maintain during a time of ecological transition. He added that this does not reflect the price of our home planet. The French official said that he plans to present a new proposal for the European Union that would ban bargain airfares to increase the price of plane tickets. He said this is all part of "the fight against social and environmental dumping," as per the Western Journal. The minister also announced earlier this month that there was a possibility of taxes on plane tickets being raised in an attempt to finance investments in ecological transition, specifically rail travel. Beaune proposed setting minimum airfare prices in the EU to reduce air travel and carbon emissions. The situation comes as France has been leading the effort to cut its carbon footprint to help curb the threat of climate change. The French government in May banned domestic flights to destinations that travelers could otherwise reach by train in less than two and a half hours. However, the measure faced criticism for not being impactful enough because it only affected three main flight routes that connected Paris-Orly Airport with Bordeaux, Lyon, and Nantes. Environmental groups have applauded the changes as they view frequent fliers as one of the worst climate offenders. However, some do not believe that France's efforts are enough. Read Also: Italian Victims of Nazi to Receive $13 Million Compensation 80 Years Later Environmental Effects of Frequent Flyers According to Euronews, a travel expert and founder of the Trains for Europe campaign, Jon Worth, said that anything that would make airlines pay a fair share of the environmental cost they create should be considered a good thing. However, he said that the right way is to deal with frequent flyers and argued that the proposal is the wrong way to go about the situation. He said that while the measure might reduce nice city weekends for some people, it would not prevent frequent flyers considered the flying elite. Despite his recent proposal, Beaune has been known to be against any discussion about a lifetime cap on air travel, as he said he does not believe in the restriction of mobility. This comes despite statistics showing that a relatively small number of air travelers make a large majority of the trips. Additionally, France's attempts to limit short-haul flights have failed as connecting flights are unaffected by new laws, said Simple Flying. Related Article: People With Lung Conditions are More at Risk as Climate Change, Air Pollution Worsen @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Spread of Taiwanese cuisine Yen Wei/Ryan Chen/Simon Element/Simon & Schuster Clarissa Wei's Taiwanese pride is unmistakable. Her new cookbook is actually so much more than just a standard cookbook: It is a love letter to Taiwan, its culture, its history, its perseverance and, of course, its cuisine. As Wei puts it, there's a minimalism about Taiwanese food that she both cherishes and appreciates, which bridges the historic, storied cuisine with the ease of a weeknight meal: "If you can whip up an entire meal with just a wok, knife, soy sauce and sugar," she states. Salon Food spoke with Wei in accordance with the release of this new cookbook, discussing the recipes itself, Taiwanese cuisine at large, what was most important to her in creating the book and so much more. Made in Taiwan by Clarissa Wei book cover Made in Taiwan by Clarissa Wei book cover (Courtesy of Simon Element / Simon & Schuster) The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length. "Wei makes a case for why Taiwanese food should get its own spotlight" I loved this quote. What about Taiwanese food has ostensibly made it an "underdog" in the global food spotlight? Taiwanese food is an underdog because it is often grouped underneath the broad umbrella of Chinese food. Part of the reason why that is was because in the 60s and 70s, Taiwan was portrayed as a rich hub of regional Chinese food. This was true to some extent because of the surge of Chinese refugees who had arrived in Taiwan post-1949 with the Nationalist government. They brought with them vibrant recipes from a diverse group of Chinese provinces. The refugees only made up 10 to 15% of the population, but their food and culture shaped the international perception of Taiwan. A lot has happened since then and over 70 years have passed since that last wave of immigration. Taiwan transitioned from authoritarian state under martial law into a democracy and with that there's been a major shift in how Taiwanese people perceive their food. Even the flavors of those regional Chinese restaurants have changed to be more Taiwanese (sweeter, lighter and less heavy on salt and spicy notes). Story continues I wrote this book in the hopes of broadening the international perception of Taiwanese food. Yes, we have dumplings and noodles and fried rice, but we also have wonderful dishes that are special to the island, like fried mackerel soup, savory rice puddings and crystal meatballs. What are some of the standout recipes in the book? Or your personal favorites? I love the beef noodle soup recipe. It's a bit involved because of all the spices in there, but it is also quite restrained in that it allows the natural flavor of the broth and beef to come through. I got the recipe from a five-time award-winning beef noodle soup chef and it is a recipe he teaches his students. I also really enjoyed writing the stinky tofu recipe. It took us a while, but my recipe developer Ivy and I figured out how to make the dish from scratch. The secret to the stink is a leafy green called amaranth. How would you describe Taiwanese cuisine to someone completely unfamiliar with it? Taiwanese food is hearty and sweet, mostly grounded in pork, seafood and rice. I'd also describe it as a melting pot. We have influences from China, Japan and even America. This is so much more than just a cookbook. What do you hope readers glean from the incredibly comprehensive book of recipes, stories, pride, perseverance and recollection? Thank you! Even though Taiwan may look like an ethnically homogenous society from the outside, it is actually quite diverse. This applies to the food. With every different wave of immigration and governance has come a plethora of new dishes. The food brought over by Chinese immigrants from southeast China from the 18th century, for example, is very different from the food brought over by Chinese immigrants from the 20th century after the Chinese Civil War. Also in the 20th century, Japan monopolized most of Taiwan's major industries. Many of our pantry items like soy sauce, rice wine and rice vinegar are still made with Japanese-era recipes. I hope through the food of Taiwan, people can learn more about the history of Taiwan. Can you briefly tell me a bit about the essays in the book, their general thesis and what they touch on? So every time after I finish watching a movie, I'll immediately pull up my phone and look up fun facts about the movie. I love reading esoteric tidbits about the production, plot and cast. I wanted the essays in my cookbook to provide that same function. They're fun facts about Taiwanese cuisine that most people don't know about. Some of the topics are heavy, like how American aid during the Cold War shaped Taiwanese food culture or on the politics of the island. Others are more lighthearted, like how to shop at a wet market or how to feed the Gods. I know that you worked as a freelance journalist prior to publishing the cookbook. What was the turning point that made you want to focus on Taiwanese food and culture beyond daily news? I've been a food journalist for well over a decade. I lived in Hong Kong from 2018 and 2020 and was there throughout the pro-democracy protests. My job at that time was to film food and culture videos in China and Hong Kong. In China, there was this distinct sense of optimism and nationalism. People were proud to be Chinese and to showcase their rich culture and food. In Hong Kong, there was pride, but there was a clear existential crisis that people were facing because of all the political upheaval. Naturally, as a Taiwanese citizen, I couldn't help but wonder if Taiwan would one day face a similar fate as Hong Kong. I wanted to tell the story of Taiwan through the lens of food before it's too late. Clarissa Wei Clarissa Wei (Photo by Ryan Chen) I read on your website that the book was "shot and written entirely in Taiwan by an all-Taiwanese team." How incredible! What was it like putting that team together? First of all, I had an incredible editor who let me bring on whoever I wanted to, which isn't always the case in the industry. Because I'm based in Taiwan, I knew immediately I wanted an all-Taiwanese team. Second, I got really lucky. My recipe developer Ivy Chen is a cooking teacher in Taipei whose classes I've attended many times before and we've always had a really good rapport. My researcher Xin Yun slid into my DMs one day out of the blue asking if I needed an assistant. I hired her immediately and she was the one who found my food stylist (Yen Wei) and photographer (Ryan Chen). My team and I got along really well and without even talking about it, we all collectively felt this immense pressure to represent the food of Taiwan as best as we could. None of us had ever worked on a book by a major publisher before and we treated this like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was the only person in my team who was not born and raised in Taiwan and I learned so much from them. Want more great food writing and recipes? Subscribe to Salon Food's newsletter, The Bite. I know that you hired a Taiwanese historian to fact check the essays. Tell me a bit more about that? There's not a lot of mainstream books on Taiwanese history in English let alone on Taiwanese cuisine. Most of my research was derived from academic articles, books published solely in Chinese or books that had been translated into English from Chinese. I had a couple other writers read through the essays for feedback and my researcher did some basic fact-checking throughout, but because the history of Taiwan can be controversial, I knew I needed someone who specialized in Taiwanese history to go through it one final time. I asked James Lin, who is a Taiwanese historian and a professor at the University of Washington, to look over the main essays in the beginning of my book. There weren't big structural changes, but he gave me suggestions on how to be more precise with my words (i.e. Taiwan was inhabited by Austronesian nations, not tribes). He was incredibly helpful and I'm so grateful he said yes! You tweeted the other day about how "review bobbing" is beginning already. What do you attribute that to? It's just the reality of being Taiwanese and it is unfortunate that the very act of being Taiwanese is controversial. There are two main things that people get mad at me about: that I dare call Taiwan an island nation (Taiwan is a self-ruled democracy, but exists in a state of political ambiguity. I have an entire essay in the book that details why) and that I say that Taiwanese food is not a subset of Chinese cuisine (my book is a reflection of recent identity polls in Taiwan). Sometimes I wonder if I'd get the same amount of vitriol if I weren't Taiwanese and wrote this cookbook as an outsider. The Chinese government actively uses Chinese ancestry as reason to extend its authoritarian rule over the Chinese diaspora. Because I am ethnically Chinese (my ancestors came to Taiwan from China over 200 years ago!), I've been called a traitor and disrespectful to the Chinese nation by online trolls. It's really bewildering. What are your absolute favorite aspects about Taiwanese cuisine? It's quite minimalistic. If you can whip up an entire meal with just a wok, knife, soy sauce and sugar. Traditional Taiwanese dishes Traditional Taiwanese dishes (Yen Wei/Ryan Chen/Simon Element/Simon & Schuster) You include a note in the beginning of the book about "language and romanization." Can you explain a bit about that? While Mandarin Chinese is the lingua franca here in Taiwan, there are some dishes in Taiwan that are known exclusively by their Taiwanese Hokkien names. I made sure to include that where relevant because people in Taiwan would get really upset if I just listed everything in Mandarin. I hired Cam Chao, a translator, to help me with the Taiwanese translation of dishes. What are some must-have ingredients or products for anyone looking to start making Taiwanese dishes? Soy paste, which is a condiment invented in Taiwan. It's a thickened soy sauce. It has the texture of oyster sauce but without any of the fishy undertones. I use Kimlan brand. It forms the basis of a lot of the dipping sauces in the cuisine. Also, fried shallots! This is something that can be added in braises for extra flavor or thrown on top of stir-fries for crunch. I liked how one section or chapter was called "beer food" how would you define that? The equivalent is izakaya food in Japan or pub food in the UK. It's greasy, hearty, flavorful dishes and meant to be paired with an ice cold lager. Think clams sauteed with basil, three cup chicken and deep-fried green beans. Taiwanese beer food, or rechao, became a popular genre in the 80s and 90s. It's not that well-known outside of Taiwan, unfortunately, but is my favorite way to unwind after a long week at work. Another section is called Tainan; what does that represent? A city in the south of Taiwan, Tainan is where my family is from, where my recipe developer Ivy is from and where my food stylist and photographer currently live. It's also the culinary capital of Taiwan and the oldest city on the island. There are a lot of dishes unique to Tainan that I wanted to highlight, like the fried shrimp rolls, coffin bread and the oyster omelets. It would be a great disservice if I skipped over Tainan and its dishes. It'd be like writing about the food of California and forgetting to include Los Angeles. Even though my cookbook is catered to a general American audience, I wrote my cookbook with discerning Taiwanese readers in mind. You can buy "Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation" here. Read more about this topic PRIMGHAR, Iowa A Rock Rapids, Iowa, man charged with fatally shooting his mother has agreed to plead guilty. District Judge John Sandy on Friday filed a scheduling order setting a plea and sentencing hearing for Nathaniel Kassel for Sept. 18 in O'Brien County District Court. In his order, Sandy said a plea agreement has been reached. The order gave no indication to what Kassel will plea guilty. The plea agreement has not yet been electronically filed in the case. Kassel, 42, had pleaded not guilty of first-degree murder and is scheduled to stand trial on Oct. 17 for the March 22 shooting death of Jody Duskin, 62, in her Sheldon, Iowa, home. Kessel was arrested two days later in South Dakota in possession of her car and two guns believed to be stolen from her home. A complaint filed in the case said Kassel was living with Duskin, but listed a Rock Rapids home for his address. According to court documents, Kassel sent a message to family members the day before her body was found, telling them, "I'm killing Jody." Hours later, he was overheard having a phone conversation in which he said he "made a mistake and hurt someone." On March 23, Kassel informed others Duskin was sick and could not make it to work. Another family member found Duskin's body that afternoon. Police found a .45-caliber shell casing and bullet at the scene. According to court documents, Duskin had a gunshot wound to her head. If Kassel were to go to trial and be found guilty of first-degree murder, he'd receive a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. DAKOTA CITY A man who was shot by a South Sioux City police officer pleaded no contest Tuesday to charges related to the incident. Richard Germek, 62, of South Sioux City, entered his plea in Dakota County District Court to an amended charge of attempted use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony and charges of criminal attempt and terroristic threats. District Judge Bryan Meismer scheduled sentencing for Oct. 24. A plea agreement in the case does not contain an agreed-upon sentence. Charges of unlawful discharge of a firearm, possession of a short rifle or short shotgun, obstructing a peace officer and disturbing the peace were dismissed as part of the agreement. South Sioux City police officers responding to a call about a possible overdose encountered Germek at about 7:50 p.m. July 22 at his apartment building at 320 E. 12th St. Paramedics who arrived prior to police evacuated the apartment once Germek brandished a gun. Police officers made contact with Germek inside his apartment and ordered him to drop the weapon before he fired at one of the officers. An officer returned fire and struck Germek, who was then taken to a Sioux City hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. No officers were injured. The officer who shot Germek was placed on administrative leave in compliance with standard protocol after the shooting. The officer, who has not been named, has since returned to duty. ALGOMA, Wis. Shipwreck hunters discovered the intact remains of a schooner that sank in Lake Michigan in 1881 and is so well-preserved it still contains the crew's possessions in its final resting spot miles from Wisconsin's coastline. Wisconsin maritime historians Brendon Baillod and Robert Jaeck found the 156-year-old Trinidad in July off Algoma at a depth of about 270 feet. They used side-scan sonar to hone in on its location based on survivor accounts in historical records. "The wreck is among the best-preserved shipwrecks in Wisconsin waters with her deck-house still intact, containing the crew's possessions and her anchors and deck gear still present," according to a recent news release. The 140-foot-long schooner was built at Grand Island, New York, in 1867 by shipwright William Keefe, and was used primarily in the grain trade between Milwaukee, Chicago and Oswego, New York. It was carrying a load of coal bound for Milwaukee when early on May 13, 1881, it developed a catastrophic leak after passing through the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal. It sank about 10 miles off the coast of Algoma, "taking all the crew's possessions and the captain's pet Newfoundland dog with her," the news release states. Captain John Higgins and his crew of eight survived and reached Algoma, about 120 miles north of Milwaukee, after rowing for eight hours in the ship's yawl boat. Higgins believed the Trinidad's hull was damaged a few days before the sinking as it passed through ice fields in the Straits of Mackinac. After discovering the Trinidad in July, Baillod and Jaeck reported their finding to an underwater archaeologist with the Wisconsin Historical Society who arranged for the site to be surveyed with an underwater vehicle that verified the vessel's identity and documented historic artifacts, according to the news release. A three-dimensional model of the ship has been created to allow people to explore the site virtually. Baillod and Jaeck plan to work with the Wisconsin Historical Society to nominate the site to the National Register of Historic Places. A new phase of Summit Carbon Solutions evidentiary hearing for its pipeline permit is poised to begin Tuesday. The company plans to call its 15 witnesses to testify over the course of four days, according to the Iowa Utilities Board. The hearing is a final component of the Iowa Utilities Boards process for weighing the companys application for a hazardous liquid pipeline permit. Summit intends to construct more than 2,000 miles of pipe to transport captured carbon dioxide from ethanol plants in five state to North Dakota for underground sequestration. More than 680 miles of the system would be in Iowa. The hearing began Aug. 22, and its first two weeks featured testimony from some of the landowners who are subject to the companys eminent domain requests to get land easements for the project. There were a few landowners who had anticipated testifying in the past two weeks but were unable because of schedule conflicts, said Melissa Myers, an IUB spokesperson. They can testify later this month. Witnesses testify about evidence the board will consider from the company and others as it weighs Summits permit request. They are subject to cross-examination. The evidentiary hearing in Fort Dodge could go for weeks or months. It is set to resume Tuesday at 10 a.m. and is broadcast live by the Iowa Utilities Board. The landowners who have already testified object to the project on numerous grounds. They are convinced construction of the pipeline will cause irreparable damage to their farmland. They worry about having to repay money they have received by setting aside the land for federal conservation programs, which require the land to go untouched. They are concerned about the wellbeing of people and livestock should the pipeline break and release carbon dioxide, which under certain circumstances and form a dense plume of gas that can asphyxiate them. Some have future commercial or residential projects that could be impeded by the project. Most of them decry the use of eminent domain to get the easements, which would allow Summit to construct and operate the pipeline on property it doesnt own. Opponents argue the project doesnt fit an eminent domain requirement that it promotes the public convenience and necessity in the same way of a natural gas pipeline. There are about 950 parcels of land in Iowa for which Summit seeks the forced easements. The project hit a roadblock last month in North Dakota, where state regulators rejected its proposed route. The company has retooled its proposal to move the pipeline farther away from Bismarck and asked the North Dakota Public Service Commission to reconsider. A decision on the request is pending. Summit has argued that its $5.5 billion pipeline system would be a boon to the ethanol industry, ensuring its long-term viability and increasing producers profits. That is also important for the income of farmers because the industry is a major market for them more than half of Iowas corn is used to produce ethanol. Ethanol producers who capture and sequester their carbon are eligible for generous federal tax credits, and they also have the ability to earn more money in low-carbon fuel markets. Summit has tentative profit-sharing agreements with 13 ethanol plants in Iowa. Summit has said the safety concerns about carbon dioxide pipelines are overblown, and that a major pipeline breach is unlikely to happen. Its time to finally acknowledge the mythosaur-sized elephant in the room: Star Wars has a Jedi problem. Ahsoka, Disney+s new live-action follow-up to the animated series Star Wars Rebels, is the latest installment of the space franchise that proves how boring the Jedi have become. The plot of Ahsoka will be familiar to anyone whos even dipped into Star Wars in the past decade: Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), who first appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars as Anakin Skywalkers apprentice, searches for a map that might lead to big, bad Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) and Jedi Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), after they were yeeted into hyperspace by space whales at the end of Rebels. Its a race against the forces of evil, led by space witch Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto), whose aim appears to be reigniting the Galactic Empire by bringing Thrawn out of whale-induced exile. Questions about who exactly is making these mapswhich are critically important as MacGuffins for the storyand just leaving them lying around aside, the most prominent feeling Ahsoka invokes is that weve been here before. The Jedi are back, former Imperials are untrustworthy, the New Republic is full of toothless bureaucrats, and everyone is talking about it a lot. Is it any wonder were feeling weary when the lightsabers are trotted out? Advertisement This exposure fatigue runs counter to the thrill inspired by the original trilogy, in which the Jedi, sparse as they were, remained unfailingly cool. The idea of an enigmatic ronin, played by Alec Guinness, preaching the forgotten ways of the Force from behind a big glowy sword and pushing Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to join a rebellionstand-ins for the Vietnamese against a facsimile of Imperial Americain order to sell a bunch of toys certainly captured a lot of imaginations back in the day. In his prequel trilogy, George Lucas flipped the script: The Jedi are at the zenith of their ubiquity, but theyre also fallible, something that humanizes them as they take a larger role in the story. They become peacekeepers who actively contribute to the rise of space fascism. This, before theyre ostensibly wiped out in Episode IIIRevenge of the Sith. Advertisement Advertisement Not that todays casual viewer would know that, given how many Jedi are on our screens now. Where once the Jedi were a two-decade treat, now its almost impossible to escape them. Their proliferation takes away a lot of their impact. This is partly down to how the Jedi are positioned. George Lucas tended to place the Jedi as part of the rebellion. For much of the original trilogy, Luke Skywalker was mostly just some pilot who happened to have a lightsaber, contributing to a movement rather than rendering it obsolete by slicing through foot soldiers at the head of a band of rebels left with nothing to do. Now, under Rebels creator Dave Filoni especially, the Jedi have been arbitrarily elevated to leaders. Ahsoka is less a Jedi who emerged from hiding after the war than a sage-like and respected member of a New Republic she ostensibly had little hand in creatinga position that feels unearned given her absence since Order 66. Lucas always mitigated his Jedi, whether via scarcity or a general political naivete and dogmatism, a relatable wake-up call at a time of perceived political equilibrium. Lucas Star Wars always at least referenced the world as we know it. All that relatability and real-world nuance has disappeared as Disney appears intent on making Star Wars as apolitical and alien as possible by refashioning the Jedi, in particular, as invincible, all-knowing superheroes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is apt, given how Disneys perfunctory way of deploying Jedi mirrors its strategy when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Much as the MCU has started to function on an if you build it, they will come modelrelying on diehard fans to keep turning up simply because theres a superhero on the screenit increasingly appears that Disney is hoping that the Jedi, by their mere presence, will elevate otherwise lackluster extensions of its Star Wars IP. Advertisement To be fair, overexposure isnt solely to blame. The Jedi becoming so staid and interchangeable has a lot to do with the plummeting quality of the media in which they appear. Ahsokas plodding pace is emblematic of Filonis era of Star Wars, in which the Jedi do little more than stand around, arms folded, name-dropping characters for diehard fans. Want a dangerous drinking game? Take a shot every time someone mentions Thrawn in the first half of Ahsoka and then try to stand. Advertisement In these works, the Jedi spend so much time telling the audience whats going to happen and engaging in fan service, its amazing they have time to practice with their space bokken. Sure, those long, ponderous monologues gave the late Ray Stevenson plenty to do in his final performance as Dark Jedi Baylan Skoll (it appears hes the only actor in Ahsoka in the vicinity of a lightsaber capable of mustering a semblance of charisma, brooding though it is). But otherwise, its all starting to feel a bit rote and flat. It makes one start to wonder who exactly Disneys Star Wars is for. Is it, as Lucas so often claims, an IP aimed at children (toys, people, toys)? Or is it reserved for longtime fans whose enjoyment rests solely on reference? Judging by Ahsoka, its the latter. As the Mandalorian Padawan Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) complains, in one lightsaber training scene, that she cant see, and exclaims, Got one! while shooting fighters in another scene, it all starts to feel a little deja vu for anyone whos seen Episode IVA New Hope. Advertisement Advertisement Thats not to say theres no potential for Ahsoka to rediscover some of the energy that made Jedi interesting to watch in the first place. Ahsoka beating up fighters with her lightsabers in space captures the cool factor that accompanies the Jedi at their best, while Genevieve OReillys return as the chancellor of the New Republic Mon Mothma promises some of the politicism that marks Star Wars at its best. Even if these scenes are sandwiched between ponderous, often portentous, talk sessions in which nothing really happens. Advertisement But with Ahsoka, as with other disappointing entries in this current phase of the franchise, like Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Book of Boba Fett, Disney appears largely bent on appeasing longtime fans terrified of change, who remain the only ones enthused by Disneys uncompelling, apolitical rendition of Star Wars, forgetting that Star Wars, despite its toys and bright lights, has always placed the Jedi as part of a wider political system. Where Star Wars, and the Jedi, once reflected a (granted, simplified) version of our own world, now the Jedi are apolitical superheroes that feel more like a branding tool for one of the worlds largest media hegemonies, rather than heroes and villains who are given room to grow in the real stakes of a compelling narrative, as they did in, for instance, Episode VIIIThe Last Jedi. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is only compounded by Tony Gilroys radical 2022 series Andor showing us how interesting a post-Jedi Star Wars universe can be. With not a lightsaber in sight, Andors (and its predecessor/sequel Rogue Ones) political allegory depicting boots-on-the-ground rebels felt surpassingly human. Other recent shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Book of Boba Fett are so forgettable that recalling their plotlines is a challenge, yet Andor has been seared into memory for its relatable struggles that made the world of Star Wars look more like our own than it has since 1983s Return of the Jedi. The Jedi only look even more bland and inhuman in comparison, a decline that the live-action rendition of Ahsoka Tano fails to arrest. Heck, even the lightsabers dont swish anymorelike their wielders, they have been made bleak and bland, turned into sticks that only vaguely glow. Ahsoka was always unlikely to capture the lightning-in-a-bottle magic of Andor, but in relying solely on placing fan-favorite Jedi on the screen and hoping that fans will fill in the gaps between the occasional hum of a lightsaber, the show feels like a step back. Its just not enough, not anymore. If the reception to Andor was any indication, audiences have moved on from the tired wish-fulfillment that diehard fans still seem to crave. Both shows, albeit in different ways, prove its time for Star Wars to move on from the Jedi. The nation will observe Labor Day this coming Monday, allowing millions to enjoy the waning days of summer, as well their last chance to wear white pants without earning a tsk tsk from Miss Manners. How did this early September holiday get its start? Though President Grover Cleveland declared Labor Day a national holiday in 1894, the occasion was first observed on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City. A parade was organized by the citys Central Labor Union, a branch of the Noble Order of the Knights of Labor, a secretive labor union founded in 1869 by a clique of Philadelphia tailors. Historians still debate over whom, specifically, to credit with the idea of a holiday dedicated to the workingman. Some say that Labor Day was the brainchild of Peter J. McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor. Others argue that Matthew Maguire, the CLUs secretary, was the holidays mastermind and that he doesnt receive proper credit because he ticked off the mainstream labor movement by running for vice president on the National Socialist Labor Party ticket in 1896. According to Ted Watts The First Labor Day Parade, the September date was chosen because it coincided with a Knights of Labor conference in New York, thus guaranteeing a sizable turnout for the festivities. Though the event wasnt particularly festive, at least by todays standards: It resembled a protest far more than a parade, with CLU members required to march in support of the eight-hour workday. (Those who ditched faced fines.) Advertisement The CLU held the event again the following year on the same date. In 1884, however, the organization shifted gears and mandated that Labor Day take place annually on the first Monday in September. In 1887, Oregon became the first state to make Labor Day an official holiday, with Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York quickly following suit. Advertisement Advertisement For a while, Labor Day had stiff competition from May 1. In 1884, the American Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions declared that, by May 1, 1886, the eight-hour workday should be in effect across the land. When legislators and employers failed to comply in time, the result was a general strike and the bloody Haymarket Riot in Chicago, which caused the deaths of eight police officers and led to the hangings of four labor activists. Though May 1 became an important day for Socialists and Communists, state governments and less radical labor leaders feared that the date was too emotionally charged. In 1894, after President Grover Cleveland ordered the brutal suppression of the Pullman Strike, he realized that he had to do something to curry favor with the labor movement, which viewed him with contempt. Worried that a May 1 holiday would encourage rabble-rousing in commemoration of the Haymarket Riot, he followed the lead of several states and made the first Monday in September a federal holiday in honor of the workingman. The political maneuver didnt achieve its desired effect, however: Cleveland lost the Democratic Partys 1896 presidential nomination to William Jennings Bryan. Bonus Explainer: May 1 wasnt forgotten, however. In the 1920s, it became known in the United States as Loyalty Day, and its still observed with an annual presidential proclamation that asks all government officials to take the not-so-outlandish step of flying the U.S. flag above their buildings. Next question? If there was any doubt about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas identification with the Republican establishment, it dissolved last week when he filed his annual financial disclosure report, which was accompanied by the simultaneous release of a statement from his attorney scorching his left wing critics for engaging in political blood sport. The statement, unmistakably authorized by Thomas himself, set a new benchmark for partisan denunciations from a Supreme Court justice. Whats perhaps worse, though, is that Thomas amendedand supposedly now correctdisclosure report continued to conceal the value of largesse from his conservative benefactor, Harlan Crow. First, the politics of it. Of the many thousands of attorneys in Washington, D.C., Thomas chose to be represented by Elliot Berke, whose practice has been largely devoted to counseling prominent Republicans, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, as well as the National Republican Congressional Committee itself. His website boasts of running election day war rooms for presidential and gubernatorial candidates. A justice concerned with even a minimal appearance of neutrality would have retained an apolitical lawyer. Instead, Thomas chose an openly partisan spokesman who all but declared war on the Democratic members of Congress who dared to seek additional information about Thomas previously undisclosed luxury vacations as the guest of billionaire Harlan Crow. Advertisement According to legal commentator David Lat, Thomas himself is not responsible for Berkes diatribe. As a member of the Supreme Court, Justice Thomas had to show restraint in responding to the ethics allegations against him, but his lawyer didnt, Lat wrote. That is wrong. Berkes statement was pointedly released On behalf of Client Justice Clarence Thomas. A lawyer as accomplished as Berke would never issue such a statement without his clients specific approval, which makes Thomas responsible for both its language and tone. Advertisement Berkes over-the-top ideological taunts undermine the credibility of his confident assurance that there has been no willful ethics transgression, and any prior reporting errors were strictly inadvertent. While a nonaligned lawyer might be trusted to have conducted a dispassionate review of Thomas past disclosures, Berkes red-meat rhetoric has the precise opposite effect, suggesting, to all but Thomas many apologists, that the outcome was predetermined. Advertisement Related From Slate The Volunteer Moms Poring Over Archives to Prove Clarence Thomas Wrong Read More Thomas level of inattention to disclosure obligations, as revealed by last weeks amended form, is shocking for a Supreme Court justice who, as observed by Slates Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern, applies one standard to himself and another to everyone else, including indigent criminal defendants, whose inadvertent errors of timing and procedure are never excused by Thomas, even when they are facing the death penalty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is especially galling for Thomas to claim inadvertence because this is not the first time it has happened. In 2011, Thomas amended 20 years of disclosure reports from which he had inadvertently failed to include his wifes employment due to a misunderstanding of the filing instructions. In fact, Virginia Thomas had earned at least $686,000 from the conservative Heritage Foundation during that period. The excuse was barely plausible then, given the simple language of the form, and it beggars belief that a Supreme Court justice, whose job includes interpreting complex statutes and regulations, would continue to take his statutory reporting obligations so lightly. The thing is, even after this latest amended filing, Thomas is still at it. Thomas latest report, for the first time, includes disclosure of a Crow-financed vacation, in this case a week at Crows private resort in the Adirondacks, where the Thomases had been enjoying annual vacations for many years. But that disclosure raises an entirely new question. Advertisement Having acknowledged that he and his wife had been guests of Harlan Crow, Thomas added an explanatory note stating that the transportation, meals, and lodging were listed under reimbursements not gifts, according to advice from the staff of the Judicial Conference Financial Disclosure Committee (July 10). The difference in categories is significant because gift reports must include their value while reimbursements need not. Although Thomas claims that this unusual categorization is consistent with previous filings by other filers, he gives no examples. The other justices reported reimbursements were all for teaching or speaking engagements at law schoolsincluding Notre Dame, Harvard, and Northwesternand foundations or conferences. (Thomas also listed two reimbursements for speaking engagements in Dallas, with transportation provided by Crow.) Advertisement Advertisement No other justice listed an expense-paid vacation as a reimbursement, with the attendant concealment of its value. Thomas motivation for the categorization seems obvious. The Financial Disclosure Committees rationale for apparently allowing it is, to put it politely, opaque. The Judicial Conferences Guide to Judiciary Policy defines reimbursement as the payment or repayment for travel-related expenses other than gifts. If nothing else, Thomas and the Judicial Conference Financial Disclosure Committee now ought to disclose the July 10 correspondence authorizing the nondisclosure of the value of his free vacation. Thomas and his counsel will no doubt continue to rail at so-called weaponized ethics allegations. They would do better to heed the commentary to the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, applicable to the lower federal courts, but thus far unadopted by the Supreme Court: A judge must expect to be the subject of constant public scrutiny and accept freely and willingly restrictions that might be viewed as burdensome by the ordinary citizen. It isnt a blood sport; its democracy. 404 404. Thats an error. The requested URL was not found on this server. Thats all we know. (Photo : Jeff Fusco/Getty Images) United States First Lady Jill Biden has tested positive for the coronavirus and is experiencing mild symptoms, said her communications director Elizabeth Alexander. United States First Lady Jill Biden tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday evening and was experiencing mild symptoms. Despite the first lady contracting the virus, President Joe Biden himself was found not to have been infected. Her communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, said the 72-year-old will stay at her Rehoboth Beach, Delaware home. It was also revealed that the first lady had gotten the vaccine and received boosters. Jill Biden Tests Positive for COVID-19 The latest diagnosis is the First Lady's second COVID-19 diagnosis, where the first positive test happened in August 2022, which occurred shortly after the president himself tested positive for COVID-19. The Democratic president, who tested negative on Monday evening, returned to DC from Delaware by himself. The Bidens were staying in their vacation home over the weekend after visiting Florida on Saturday to survey the destruction left by Hurricane Idalia. When President Biden visited Philadelphia on Monday for a Labor Day event, the first lady opted to stay in Delaware. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre released a statement saying that the 80-year-old president will test at a regular cadence this week and will have symptoms monitored, as per Politico. The president is scheduled to leave for India later this week to attend the coming G-20 summit, and he then plans to fly to Vietnam over the coming weekend before returning to the United States. The situation comes as a new COVID-19 variant, the Pirola variant, has been detected by doctors in various states, including Michigan, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia. However, experts said they are unsure if it is more transmissible or fatal than the virus' other variants. Pirola, referred to as BA.2.86, is a highly mutated variant of the Omicron strain of the coronavirus. The latter emerged in 2021 and quickly became the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. Read Also: As New COVID Strains Emerge, Hospitalizations Are Up 22% This Week Spread of the Coronavirus In a statement, Dr. Scott Roberts, an infectious disease specialist, said that when Omicron surfaced in the winter of 2021, there was a massive surge in COVID-19 cases. He argued that it was no different from the Delta variant and was able to evade immunity from both natural infection and vaccination, according to the New York Post. At the time, medical professionals warned that there was reason to worry about the variant because it had more than 30 mutations to its spike protein. Roberts noted that such many mutations were notable and worrisome for experts. Public health authorities have also noted increased COVID-19 infections across the United States in the last few weeks. But, the total number of cases remains low, and experts believe that the US will not experience another dangerous wave of illness comparable to the ones during the height of the deadly pandemic in 2020 and 2021. While the new variant is responsible for fewer infections in general, it has shown more than the usual amount of mutations from the original COVID-19 strain. This fact concerns scientists because it could be evasive to vaccines, said the New York Times. Related Article: Health Officials Warn Public About Brain-Eating Amoeba After Texas Swimmer's Death @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. With farm app technology at the forefront, modern farmers can efficiently manage their operations using powerful tools that are just a few clicks away. This guide will delve into the top farm app choices and their key features, offering invaluable insights for those seeking to optimize their agricultural practices. The Growing Role of Farm Apps in the Agricultural Industry As the agricultural sector continues to adapt to modern challenges and opportunities, the relevance of mobile devices and farm apps in the industry is steadily expanding. Drive Traffic to Your Website Sell Your Business Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Advertise Your Business Here This section aims to shed light on the multifaceted impact and advantages of incorporating farm apps into your agricultural practices, especially if youre learning how to establish a farm from scratch. Farm apps serve as crucial tools in enhancing operational efficiency, simplifying data management, and promoting environmentally sustainable practices, making them indispensable assets in todays farming landscape. The Rise of Agricultural Apps: A Digital Revolution in Farming Farm apps, also known as ag apps, are fast becoming an integral part of the toolset available to contemporary farmers. These digital platforms offer an array of functionalities that serve to boost both productivity and efficiency on the farm. Small Business Deals From monitoring crop health and conducting soil tests to streamlining the maintenance schedule for tractors and other machinery, farm apps are an all-in-one solution. Additionally, they offer real-time access to essential information such as localized weather forecasts, current market prices for crops, and other data crucial for making timely and informed decisions. These innovative tools not only enable farmers to fine-tune their operations but also offer cost-effective alternatives for those looking to break into farming without a substantial financial outlay. As technological advances continue to permeate the agricultural sector, the uptake of farm apps is projected to accelerate, offering even more enhanced functionalities to farmers around the globe. The Benefits of Integrating Farm Apps into Farm Operations Incorporating farm apps into the daily grind of farming activities offers a multitude of advantages, among which are increased operational efficiency, data-driven decision-making, and substantial reductions in labor costs. By automating various tasks such as scheduling irrigation cycles or administering fertilizers, these apps help farmers optimize their routines and minimize manual intervention. They serve as a centralized hub for collating and interpreting data related to crop yields, soil health, and climatic conditions, thereby facilitating more informed and strategic decision-making. Furthermore, the automation features of farm apps can significantly cut down on the need for manual labor, allowing farmers to allocate resources more effectively. Farm apps present a compelling value proposition for farmers interested in elevating their agricultural practices, making their operations more streamlined, data-driven, and ultimately, more profitable. Key Benefits of Farm Apps: Enhanced efficiency Data-driven decision-making Reduced labor costs Automated tasks such as irrigation and fertilization Real-time weather information Market price updates Choosing the Best Farm App for Your Agricultural Needs: Our Methodology With technology making significant inroads into the agriculture sector, farm apps have become indispensable tools for modern farmers. These apps provide a host of solutions, from weather predictions to crop management. Heres what we believe you should consider when picking the right farm app for your operations: User Interface & Experience Importance Scale: 9/10 The app should offer an intuitive and user-friendly experience, ensuring even those not tech-savvy can navigate and use the features with ease. Crop Management Importance Scale: 10/10 Features that help in tracking crop growth stages, pest infestations, and harvest times can significantly enhance farm productivity and reduce losses. Livestock Management Importance Scale: 9/10 For those with livestock, the app should provide tools for tracking animal health, breeding cycles, and vaccination schedules. Weather Forecasting Importance Scale: 10/10 Accurate, localized weather predictions can help farmers make informed decisions about planting, irrigation, and harvesting. Equipment Tracking & Maintenance Importance Scale: 8/10 The app should offer features that help track machinery usage, schedule maintenance, and even manage inventory of spare parts. Financial Management Importance Scale: 9/10 Budgeting, tracking expenses, and monitoring sales are essential for the profitability of a farm. An integrated financial management tool can be invaluable. Integration Capabilities Importance Scale: 9/10 The ability to integrate with other software systems, such as e-commerce platforms for direct sales or sensors for real-time monitoring, can expand the apps utility. Data Security & Privacy Importance Scale: 10/10 Given the sensitivity of the data involved, the app must have robust security measures in place. Data privacy and protection should be a priority. Offline Functionality Importance Scale: 8/10 Farms might be located in areas with spotty internet coverage. The app should be functional offline, with the ability to sync once connectivity is restored. Pricing & Support Importance Scale: 8/10 The cost of the app should offer good value for the features provided. Additionally, responsive customer support can be crucial when facing technical issues. With these criteria guiding our research, weve sought out the top farm apps that offer comprehensive solutions tailored to the diverse challenges of agricultural operations. Our recommendations aim to blend functionality with user-friendliness, ensuring farmers have the best tools at their fingertips. Top Farm Apps to Revolutionize Your Agricultural Business Advances in technology have made it easier than ever to manage farms, and farm management apps have become a crucial tool for modern agriculture. This section will explore some of the top farm apps that can revolutionize your agricultural business. Conservis Conservis is a comprehensive farm management system that centralizes data and reporting, providing growers with insights for row and permanent crop operations from planning to financials. By integrating agronomic and economic data with tools such as Zone Economics, Conservis empowers farmers to understand the true production costs, track plans vs actuals, and see the big picture of their farm operation in real time. The platforms customizable dashboard provides real-time access to metrics that matter, enabling farmers to make profitable decisions. Conserviss customer success team provides exceptional support to farmers, with expert services that reduce on-farm labor headaches and delegate data management to a Conservis expert. FarmRaise FarmRaise is a farm management app that helps farmers keep track of their finances on the go. It works offline, so expenses can be uploaded anywhere. It allows farmers to track their cash flow, visualize expenses, and stay off the grid by not requiring bank details. The app includes an interactive guide to help farmers find what they need, and the Farm Funding Library helps farmers find farm grants that fit their needs. FarmRaise also provides a weekly farm newsletter called the Briefing. The app has a free and premium plan that offers full access to the funding library. CattleMax CattleMax is a cloud-based software program designed for cattle record keeping that has been in operation since 1999. The platform offers a comprehensive suite of ranch management tools to help cattle producers easily organize and track their cattle and ranch records. CattleMaxs enhanced mobile version enables users to update or access records in the field. The software also enables users to keep pasture management, equipment maintenance, rainfall, customers, and more in one place. Its automatic processes and reporting feature allow ranchers to save time and make better decisions. The companys customer service team is composed of ranchers that use the software in their herds. AgriApp AgriApp is a smart farming app designed for Android-based mobile devices. It offers comprehensive information and services related to crop production and management, including crop advisory, soil testing, crop practices, weather forecasting, satellite insights, and more. It also functions as an online marketplace for farmers to buy crop solutions and get real-time agro advisory from experts in their local language. The app provides personalized crop calendars, satellite imagery to collect observation photos for monitoring crop growth and potential, and a community group to connect with fellow farmers for exchanging information and solutions. AgriApp is a free app available on Google Play Store. Farm Service Manager Farm Service Manager is a premium, subscription-based app designed for farm owners, managers, and contractors to manage the service and maintenance history of all farm machinery and vehicles. The app allows users to create accurate service records, set service reminders, and build service histories for each machine or vehicle, increasing resale value and minimizing costly repairs and downtime. It has multi-user access, allowing different levels of access to be assigned to different users, including employees and outside mechanics, from wherever they are on the farm. The app also records part numbers for easy ordering and builds full service and maintenance histories for each machine or vehicle, ensuring that all machinery is running at its full potential. BushelFarm BushelFarm is an innovative farm management software that provides a comprehensive overview of farmers operational and financial performance. It is designed to simplify farm records management and offers intelligent automation to transform farm records into actionable insights. The softwares capabilities include the cost of production analysis, real-time profitability calculations based on market prices, and profit and loss reports at the farm, crop, and field levels. BushelFarm offers three different plans to cater to farmers varying needs and budgets, starting from $19.99 per month to $199 per year. Herdwatch Herdwatch is a farm management application widely used in the UK and Ireland. The app offers a hassle-free farming experience by eliminating paperwork and providing real-time data to help farmers make informed decisions. Its a versatile app that suits various types of farms, including dairy, beef, sheep, and arable. Its features include fast, paperless compliance, saving hours on paperwork, and keeping farm records safe. Herdwatch is fully integrated with the Department of Agriculture, ICBF, and Bord Bia, and FRS backs it. Farmers in the UK and Ireland can use the app for free under the basic plan. While currently unavailable outside the UK and Ireland, Herdwatch aims to expand to other countries soon. FarmBrite Farmbrite is an all-in-one farm management software built for multi-species and biodiverse farms and ranches. The platform includes integrated tools for livestock management, farm planning and tracking, financial accounting, order management, and e-commerce. The software allows farmers to track animal and pasture health, grazing activities, soil, and herd health, and automate planning and yield estimates. It also includes features for team collaboration, task management, and detailed financial reporting. With over 40 pre-built reports, integrated dashboards, and custom reports, farmers can gain new insight into their operations and make informed decisions. Farmbrite offers a 14-day free trial and is accessible via iOS and Android apps. AgFiniti AgFiniti is a cloud-based farm management software that integrates with Ag Leaders SMS Software for in-depth analysis. It offers real-time insights and informed decision-making across the entire farm. AgFiniti allows querying fields for yield comparisons, generating real-time prescriptions, remotely accessing InCommand displays, and creating/editing boundaries. It also provides mobile access, cloud storage, and analysis tools such as overlaying maps and yield comparisons. The platform is available in both free and paid versions, with the latter offering additional features like CartACE and multi-year analysis. PickApp PickApp is a revolutionary solution that helps farmers manage their farms efficiently, reduce labor costs, and optimize the quality of their produce. Its advanced data-driven management tools for attendance, productivity, quality control, and location tracking provide farmers with real-time insights and decision-making capabilities. PickApps innovative analytics, automation, and Big Data algorithms improve labor productivity and enhance produce quality. Farmers worldwide can access the platforms customizable portal from their mobile devices or office PCs, and it offers multilingual support, custom reports, and notifications for real-time problem-solving. PickApp is ideal for all types of farms, including enterprise farms, cooperatives, packing houses, and brands. Comparison of Top Farm Apps Below is a comparison table that outlines some of the top farm apps discussed in this article. The table aims to provide a quick overview of each apps main features, availability, and pricing options. Farm App Main Features Availability Pricing Conservis Comprehensive farm management, real-time insights Global Subscription-based FarmRaise Financial tracking, funding library Global Free & Premium Plans CattleMax Cattle record keeping Global Subscription-based AgriApp Crop production and management Google Play Store Free Farm Service Manager Machinery maintenance, multi-user access Global Subscription-based BushelFarm Financial performance, automation Global From $19.99/month Herdwatch Compliance, livestock management UK & Ireland Free & Paid Plans Farmbrite All-in-one, biodiverse farm management Global 14-day free trial AgFiniti Cloud-based, real-time insights Global Free & Paid Versions PickApp Labor productivity, quality control Global Custom Pricing Frequently Asked Questions about Farm Apps How much do farm apps typically cost? The cost of a farm app varies depending on the provider and the features offered. Some farm apps are free to download, while others require a subscription-based service for access to premium features. Its important to note that a free app may not include all the features needed for effective farm management, and investing in a subscription-based service may be necessary. Are farm apps compatible with all types of farming operations? Farm apps are designed to accommodate various farming operations, from crop farming to livestock management, and can be customized to specific needs. They use data and analytics to make informed decisions, can integrate with IoT devices, and are accessible from different devices. While some may be specialized, most apps are flexible and compatible with different types of farming. Even farming games are available to help various types of farmers hone their skills. Can farm apps help with compliance and record-keeping? Farm apps can assist with maintaining accurate records and compliance by allowing farmers to track and record critical data, such as pesticide applications, soil samples, and livestock treatments. The apps can also generate reports and analytics, providing insights into regulatory requirements and certifications. With this data, farmers can ensure compliance with industry regulations and maintain accurate records to support audits and certifications. How secure are farm apps in terms of data protection? Choosing farm apps with strong data security and privacy measures is important to protect sensitive farm data. Evaluating app security can include reviewing privacy policies, verifying the use of encryption, and assessing access controls. Farmers should also keep their devices updated, use strong passwords, and avoid using public Wi-Fi to further protect their data. What are the hardware and software requirements for using farm apps? The hardware and software requirements for using farm apps may vary depending on the app. Typically, farmers need a mobile device or tablet with a compatible operating system, such as iOS or Android, and access to a reliable internet connection. Some apps may also require additional hardware, such as sensors or cameras, to collect data. Reviewing the apps requirements before downloading it to ensure compatibility is important. In conclusion, farm apps can revolutionize agriculture by improving farm management efficiency, helping with crop protection, increasing productivity, allowing you to find used farm equipment, and ultimately leading to higher profits. With the advancements in technology and the availability of these innovative tools, farmers can stay on top of their operations like never before. By embracing these apps, farmers can optimize their farms resources and stay ahead of the competition. So why not explore the potential of farm apps today and take your agricultural business ideas to the next level? One of the worlds largest indoor farms is using advanced tech to build a more resilient food system; check out the video here: Read More: YouTube influencers have put together an excellent following on the platform. They might have a certain expertise, or they might provide information for people looking to buy a product or service. These influencers are important in the digital age because YouTube has a massive audience. Its a great way for small businesses to get exposed to their target markets. The content these influencers produce is personal and authentic. Read on for more information about the benefits and how to find YouTube influencers to partner with your business. The Importance of YouTube Influencers in Todays Digital Landscape Consumer behaviors are driven by the digital landscape thats always changing. YouTube influencers foster loyalty and trust and provide an effective way to advertise your business on YouTube. Their opinions are seen as valuable, authentic, and separate from traditional advertising. Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Sell Your Business Drive Traffic to Your Website Advertise Your Business Here When small businesses collaborate with top influencers, they get the benefit of optimized content and even product reviews. Why Small Businesses Should Leverage YouTube Influencers Partnering with top YouTube influencers has other benefits for small businesses. Cost-Effective Marketing: Budget-Friendly : Collaborating with YouTube influencers can be more affordable than traditional advertising avenues like TV or radio ads. Depending on the influencers reach and niche, small businesses can choose a partner that fits within their budget. High ROI : Given the vast audience on YouTube, even a smaller influencer can drive significant results for a fraction of the cost of other marketing tools. This results in a better return on investment. Access to a Broad and Engaged Audience: Tailored Reach : YouTube influencers often have niche audiences that closely align with specific products or services. Partnering with the right influencer ensures that a small businesss offerings are showcased to a relevant demographic. Massive Exposure : YouTube has over 2 billion logged-in monthly users. This number doesnt include the countless viewers who watch without logging in. By partnering with a YouTube influencer, small businesses can tap into a portion of this vast user base. Data Analytics and Tracking: Measurable Results : YouTube provides detailed analytics. Small businesses can track various metrics to gauge the effectiveness of their collaboration. Engagement Metrics : Track likes, comments, shares, and overall engagement to determine how interactive and receptive the audience is to the promoted content. Click-through Rates : This metric helps businesses determine the actual conversion from views to website traffic or product purchases. A higher click-through rate indicates a successful collaboration. Personal Touch and Authentic Engagement: Trust Building : YouTube influencers have built trust with their followers. A recommendation or product showcase by them can hold more weight than a traditional ad, making viewers more likely to trust the brand or product in question. Relatability : Influencers often share their personal experiences and stories with products. This relatability can create a connection between the brand and the audience, making the promotion feel less like an ad and more like a genuine endorsement. Customized Content : YouTube influencers know their audience best. They can craft and present content in a way that resonates with their viewers, ensuring the promotional material is both engaging and effective. Overall, partnering with YouTube influencers offers small businesses a unique opportunity to reach a vast and engaged audience in a genuine and cost-effective manner. The measurable results and personal touch provided by these collaborations make them a valuable asset in the modern marketing toolkit. An In-Depth Look at Influencer Marketing This type of marketing is another type of social media tool. Influencers endorse different products and services on their site. Small businesses can use them to drive conversions through brand awareness. Small Business Deals Examples include a makeup artist on YouTube who works with a cosmetic company to create tutorials. Likewise, a fitness influencer can work with a small business selling healthcare products. In 2022 alone, the influencer marketing share in the United States was 16.4 billion USD. 72% of Millennials follow these influencers on social media channels. The Role of YouTube in Influencer Marketing YouTube has an incredible reach and over 2 billion active monthly users. The platform uses videos to pass along information, stories, and experiences. Small businesses need to keep in mind that people watch one billion hours of YouTube videos every day. The videos these influencers make foster interaction. Remember, YouTube supports longer-form content as well. That means influencers can demonstrate products and engage possible buyers. How to Effectively Use Influencer Marketing for Small Business Growth Small businesses can use this marketing to boost growth and reach a bigger audience. Follow these tips to effectively use influencers for your brand. Define Clear Objectives: Determine Your Goal : Before starting any campaign, decide on your primary objective. This can range from driving website traffic, promoting a new product launch, increasing social media followers, driving sales, or merely building brand awareness. KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) : Based on your goal, determine the metrics that will indicate the success of the campaign. This could be the number of products sold, traffic driven, engagement rates, or even the number of new followers gained during the campaign. Choose the Right Influencers: Niche Relevance : Ensure that the influencers you are considering align with your business niche. Their audience should be interested in the products or services you offer. Engagement Rate : Look beyond just follower numbers. An influencer with a high engagement rate (likes, comments, shares) often indicates a more active and dedicated audience. Authenticity : Opt for influencers who have a genuine connection to their audience and share honest reviews and opinions. Dont Overlook Micro-Influencers: Dedicated Audience : Micro-influencers, often having followers ranging from 1,000 to 100,000, typically have a more dedicated and engaged audience. Their followers often trust their recommendations deeply due to the close-knit community theyve built. Cost-Effective : Collaborating with micro-influencers can be more budget-friendly than partnering with influencers boasting millions of followers. This can allow for multiple partnerships to spread across different demographics. Localized Impact : If youre a business looking to target a specific location, micro-influencers can often provide a more concentrated reach in that area. Establish Clear Communication: Expectations and Guidelines : Clearly communicate what you expect from the influencer regarding deliverables, messaging, and campaign timelines. Creative Freedom : While guidelines are essential, allow influencers some creative freedom. They know their audience best and can tailor the promotional content in a way that will resonate most effectively. Monitor and Adjust: Track Metrics : Use the KPIs established at the outset to monitor the performance of the campaign. Feedback Loop : Maintain open communication with the influencer during the campaign. If something isnt working, adjustments can be made to optimize the collaboration. Post-Campaign Review : After the campaign, review the metrics to assess the return on investment and to gather insights for future campaigns. In conclusion, influencer marketing can be a powerful tool for businesses, irrespective of their size. By defining clear goals, choosing the right influencers, valuing the power of micro-influencers, and maintaining effective communication, businesses can maximize their growth potential through influential collaborations. Step-by-Step Guide: Finding YouTube Influencers Here are some actionable steps on how to find YouTube influencers. Plug in relevant keywords to the YouTube search bar. Use the term channels as a filter. Find out what you can on Influencer platforms like Aspire. Use YouTube search filters. Identifying Your Target Audience and Audience Demographics Understanding your target audience helps you to find the right influencers. The better you understand your target market the easier it is to locate influencers that have content that lines up with their needs. Customer surveys are a good way to get this information. The same goes for monitoring social media sites. Use Influencer Search Tools These tools are designed to make it quicker to engage with the right influencer. They offer different filters to help you narrow down your search based on metrics like follower counts, engagement rates, niche, and location. Some tools even have analytics that allow businesses to track metrics like social engagement, conversions, and website traffic. Find Influencers on YouTube An efficient search for influencers on YouTube has different components. Relevant keywords can be plugged into the YouTube search bar. They should reflect your target market. You can also plug hashtags that are relevant to an individual campaign or your niche into the same search bar. Search Google to Find Relevant Influencers Google search can be used effectively since theres a bigger range of data. Use the right keywords and plug them into the Google search bar. For example, you can use keyword phrases like YouTube influencers for traveling. Building a Brand Ambassador Program Brand Ambassador programs work well when a brand partners with an individual influencer. These are generally long-term partnerships that benefit both parties. On the negative side, brand ambassadors can work with competing brands. Use an Influencer Marketing Platform These marketing platforms are an excellent way for small businesses to connect with YouTube and social media influencers. These services offer a number of benefits, including a simplified process. They also help to manage campaigns and negotiate terms. Some of the most reputable names include Traackr and IZEA. If youre looking at using one of these influencer marketing platforms, consider your budget and campaign goals. Engaging a YouTube Influencer Marketing Agency Marketing agencies specializing in influencers can help your business put together an excellent campaign. These agencies can develop outstanding marketing strategies that include content creation. They can also handle the negotiations for contracts or compensation terms as well as analytics. Tapping into Recommendations Recommendations from influencers, customers, and business partners help. Business partners have industry knowledge and insights into the influencers who share your space. Getting recommendations from customers is authentic. Getting recommendations from the influencers can lead to collaboration possibilities. Exploring Relevant Influencers on Other Platforms This is a good strategy. First up is to look for influencers on Twitter and Instagram that have good followings and engagement. Make sure they also have a YouTube channel before you contact them. When you reach out, make sure to stress how your goals align with their content and your target market. Method Description Pros Cons Identifying Your Target Audience and Audience Demographics Understand your audience to find suitable influencers. - More targeted approach - Increases chances of engagement - Personalized marketing strategies - Requires in-depth research - Time-consuming Use Influencer Search Tools Tools designed to locate influencers based on various metrics. - Streamlined search - Access to engagement metrics - Targeting based on niche, location, etc. - Some tools might be paid - Not all tools capture all influencers Find Influencers on YouTube Search using keywords and hashtags on YouTube. - Directly targets platform of interest - Instant access to influencer's content - Requires manual effort - Might miss some hidden gems Search Google Google search with the right keywords. - Broad search range - Might uncover less-known influencers - Might lead to non-relevant results Building a Brand Ambassador Program Long-term partnership between a brand and influencer. - Strengthened brand loyalty - Consistent promotion - Influencers might work with competitors - Long-term commitment Use an Influencer Marketing Platform Platforms that connect businesses with influencers. - Simplified process - Assistance with campaign management - Helps in negotiations - Might be costly - Limited to influencers on the platform Engaging a YouTube Influencer Marketing Agency Agencies that specialize in influencer campaigns. - Expert guidance - Handles negotiations and contracts - Content creation assistance - Might be expensive - Less direct control over influencer choice Tapping into Recommendations Get suggestions from partners, customers, or influencers. - Authentic insights - Potential for collaborations - Requires a strong network - Might get biased suggestions Exploring Relevant Influencers on Other Platforms Find influencers on platforms like Twitter and Instagram who also have a YouTube channel. - Expands search range - Influencers might have multi-platform influence - Can gauge their influence on multiple platforms before collaborating - Requires checking multiple platforms - Time-consuming Evaluating Influencer Credibility and Audience Engagement Here are some tips on making sure potential influencers are credible. Check to make sure they upload content consistently. That content should be high-quality and well-edited. For videos, look at the watch time and average view time as well as the engagement rate. Launching a Successful Influencer Marketing Campaign A small business can develop a successful campaign. Start by determining your objectives and goals and identifying the target audience. Setting Clear Goals and Expectations Having clear goals and expectations is critical. Make sure goals are measurable so you can evaluate and track them. Crafting a Compelling Campaign Message Its important to focus your message on value and how your product or service solves an issue. Watch out for complicated language and stress the benefits. Measuring the Success of Influencer Marketing Campaigns Make sure to use genuine and natural language that aligns with the influencers voice and style. Micro-Influencers vs Macro-Influencers Influencer marketing has become a popular strategy for brands to connect with potential customers. Within the influencer community, there are different tiers based on the number of followers and the reach an influencer has. Two of the most frequently discussed are micro-influencers and macro-influencers. The difference between micro-influencers and macro-influencers is a bit like the difference between influencers vs. celebrities. Heres a deeper look into their differences: Audience Size: Micro-Influencers : Typically have a following that ranges from 1,000 to 100,000 followers. Their audience is more niche-specific and closely knit. Macro-Influencers : These influencers have a larger following, often ranging from 100,000 to several million. Their audience is diverse, coming from different backgrounds, interests, and regions. Engagement and Authenticity: Micro-Influencers : High Engagement Rate : Due to their smaller audience, micro-influencers often have a higher engagement rate, meaning their followers are more actively interacting with their content. Perceived Authenticity : Micro-influencers are often seen as more authentic and relatable, making their recommendations and endorsements seem genuine and trustworthy. Macro-Influencers : Varied Engagement : While they have a broader reach, the engagement rate can sometimes be lower than that of micro-influencers, depending on the influencer and their content type. Branding Power : Their endorsements might sometimes be seen more as a branding play than a genuine recommendation, given the larger volume of promotional content they might produce. Brand Visibility and Reach: Micro-Influencers : Localized Impact : Their influence is often more pronounced in specific communities or regions, making them excellent for targeted campaigns. Affordability : Collaborations are usually more cost-effective, allowing brands to work with multiple micro-influencers for a broader reach within specific demographics. Macro-Influencers : Massive Exposure : They can provide brands with instant visibility on a grand scale, often on a global level. Influencer Prestige : Being endorsed or featured by a macro-influencer can elevate a brands status due to the influencers own prominence in the social media world. Suitability for Campaigns: Micro-Influencers : Best suited for brands looking to build genuine connections, foster community trust, and target a specific demographic or region. Their genuine nature makes them ideal for product reviews, tutorials, and testimonials. Macro-Influencers : Ideal for large-scale campaigns aimed at boosting brand awareness and reaching a vast audience quickly. They are effective for product launches, grand events, and brand ambassador roles. Criteria/Aspect Micro-Influencers Macro-Influencers Audience Size 1,000 to 100,000 followers Niche-specific and closely knit audience 100,000 to several million followers Diverse audience from various backgrounds and interests Engagement and Authenticity - Engagement High engagement rate due to smaller audience size Varied engagement depending on influencer and content type - Authenticity Perceived as more genuine and trustworthy Often seen as branding, especially with a high volume of promotional content Brand Visibility and Reach - Impact Localized impact in specific communities or regions Massive, often global, exposure - Cost More cost-effective collaborations Might require a larger budget due to influencer prominence Suitability for Campaigns Ideal for building genuine connections, fostering trust, and targeting specific demographics. Best for product reviews, tutorials, and testimonials. Suited for large-scale campaigns to boost brand awareness. Effective for product launches, grand events, and as brand ambassadors. The choice between micro and macro influencers should be based on a brands goals, budget, and desired reach. While micro-influencers offer authenticity and high engagement, macro-influencers bring the power of widespread visibility. Its essential to align influencer partnerships with the specific objectives and audience of each marketing campaign. FAQs: How to Find YouTube Influencers How can small businesses afford YouTube influencer partnerships? A small business can target a micro-influencer since they have a lower fee. How can a brand ensure an influencers audience aligns with its target demographic? Make sure to look at an influencers content, engagement metrics, and follower demographics before approaching them. What should a small business look for in a potential YouTube influencer? Make sure they are authentic and engaged with a relevant audience that speaks to your brand values and your target market. Additionally, search for influencers in your specific niche. Its not enough to just search for top travel influencers; look for those who focus on a specific age group or budget that aligns with your target audience. How can a brand build a long-term relationship with a YouTube influencer? Be transparent with your communication and offer reasonable compensation. How can a brand find the most relevant YouTube influencers for its needs? There are tons of influencers and YouTube business ideas in various niches. Keyword research is a good way to get started. Make sure that any potential influencer lines up with your brands values. Read More: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has earmarked $8 million for the 2023 Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs (PRIME) grant awards to prop up the U.S. micro-business ecosystem. The significance of this announcement for Americas small business community cannot be overstated. It offers a clear pathway for microentrepreneurs, especially those facing economic disadvantages, to tap into the capital, training, and technical support they need to thrive in an increasingly competitive market. Administrator Guzman emphasized the role of these grants in powering the ambitions of budding entrepreneurs, stating, SBA PRIME grants support nonprofit organizations that are on the ground locally providing assistance to small businesses so they can get capital ready and access funding to start and grow resilient businesses. Sell Your Business Drive Traffic to Your Website Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Advertise Your Business Here This statement speaks volumes for small business owners, hinting at the Biden-Harris Administrations broader strategy. The goal is not just to drive economic growth but to ensure that growth is inclusive. The administration seeks to dismantle traditional barriers and capital gaps, particularly in underserved communities, thereby fostering a diverse and vibrant business landscape. The PRIME grants are set to impact 32 organizations nationwide. By partnering with these community-focused entities, the SBA ensures that the benefits percolate down to the grassroots level. Small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs stand to gain from a range of services, including program development, technical assistance and facilitated access to much-needed capital. Given the changing face of Americas entrepreneurial community, the SBAs decision to spotlight organizations assisting entrepreneurs in rural zones is timely. Moreover, prioritizing those providing in-language technical support to varied rural-owned businesses showcases the administrations commitment to ensuring every entrepreneur, regardless of background or language proficiency, has the tools to succeed. Historically, PRIME grants have been instrumental in democratizing access to capital. Since its inception in 1999, through the Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs Act, the grants have targeted organizations that put the interests of low-income entrepreneurs at the forefront. The essence of these grants is to provide them with the financial muscle they need to set up and expand their ventures. Small Business Deals For small business owners, understanding the intricacies of the PRIME grant can translate to tangible benefits. The grant amounts for 2023 vary between $100,000 and $400,000. However, theres a catch: organizations typically must show at least a 50% match through funds or in-kind contributions. Grant funds are scheduled for release on September 30, 2023, with each grant covering a project period of one year. Given the rapidly evolving business landscape and the unprecedented challenges the pandemic brought to the fore, initiatives like the PRIME grants can serve as a lifeline for many small businesses. For those curious about the specifics and keen on exploring potential collaboration or benefits, a comprehensive list of this years grantees and further details are available at the SBAs official website. The SBAs $8 million PRIME grant initiative symbolizes more than just financial support. It represents the U.S. governments faith in the power of small businesses and microentrepreneurs, acknowledging their pivotal role in shaping Americas economic future. Its not too early to start ramping up for the holiday season, particularly Small Business Saturday. We have Small Business Saturday ideas that you can start organizing now. Your existing customers already support small businesses; Small Business Saturday is the perfect opportunity for the small business owner to engage more customers. What Is Small Business Saturday? American Express created and promoted Small Business Saturday in 2010, during the aftermath of the U.S. financial crisis when many small businesses were struggling. The idea was to encourage consumers to spend money in their local community, at small, independent businesses, rather than at large big box stores, especially during the holiday shopping season. Small Business Saturday annually happens on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, sandwiched between the more widely recognized shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when consumers shop online. In this context, Black Friday traditionally focuses on big-box retailers and Cyber Monday is oriented towards business online shopping. Small Business Saturday, then, provides a dedicated day to highlight and support local small business owners. Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Drive Traffic to Your Website Sell Your Business Advertise Your Business Here Why Should Small Businesses Participate in Small Business Saturday? Small businesses should participate and enjoy the support of the local chamber of commerce, small business groups and municipalities. Since its inception, Small Business Saturday has gained significant traction. Its the perfect chance for the small business owner to build a list of loyal customers. Increased Visibility : Participating in Small Business Saturday can amplify a businesss presence during the competitive holiday shopping season. The widespread promotion surrounding the day can help draw attention to local businesses that might otherwise be overshadowed by large retailers. : Participating in Small Business Saturday can amplify a businesss presence during the competitive holiday shopping season. The widespread promotion surrounding the day can help draw attention to local businesses that might otherwise be overshadowed by large retailers. Support from the Community : Small Business Saturday fosters a sense of community and encourages consumers to consciously choose local businesses. This can lead to increased customer loyalty and the establishment of long-term relationships with local patrons. : Small Business Saturday fosters a sense of community and encourages consumers to consciously choose local businesses. This can lead to increased customer loyalty and the establishment of long-term relationships with local patrons. Access to Promotional Materials : American Express and other partners often provide free marketing materials, both physical and digital marketing, to businesses participating in the event. This reduces marketing costs and offers professionally designed resources to promote their business. : American Express and other partners often provide free marketing materials, both physical and digital marketing, to businesses participating in the event. This reduces marketing costs and offers professionally designed resources to promote their business. Networking Opportunities : The day often sees local chambers of commerce, business associations, and other community groups organizing events or promotions. Participating in Small Business Saturday can provide opportunities for local businesses to collaborate, share resources, and potentially gain new business partners. : The day often sees local chambers of commerce, business associations, and other community groups organizing events or promotions. Participating in Small Business Saturday can provide opportunities for local businesses to collaborate, share resources, and potentially gain new business partners. Economic Impact: Money spent at local businesses tends to stay in the community. By driving sales on Small Business Saturday, business owners not only boost their own bottom line but also contribute to a stronger local economy, benefiting other businesses and the community at large. Top Small Business Saturday Marketing Ideas 1. Shop Local Campaign Collaborate with other local businesses and the community to create a unified Shop Small advertising campaign, even creating a local shopping guide. Pool resources for more visibility or to design paid ads. Involve local media such as the local newspaper or radio station. Small Business Deals 2. Limited Time Offers Create special promotions or discounts that are available to those who shop locally during the Small Business Saturday event. 3. Loyalty Discounts Encourage your most loyal customers by offering them special deals when they Shop Small that day. 4. Pop-up Events Host pop-up shops or collaborate another local business or businesses to offer joint sales or events. If the weather is good, consider using a local park where customers can gather for special sales or events. 5. Themed Merchandise Release special edition products or services themed around Small Business Saturday. 6. Local Artist Showcase Feature products from local artisans or feature live demonstrations. These are great ways to increase foot traffic. 7. Social Media Countdown Start a countdown with social media posts a week or more before the day with daily posts or a blog post highlighting services or deals for local consumers. Then, have a kickoff event to start the day. 8. Gift Wrapping Service Offer free service of complimentary or unique gift wrapping for purchases made on Small Business Saturday. You might enlists members of a local service group to perform this service and show their enthusiasm for supporting small businesses. 9. Live Music Hire local musicians to perform, creating an inviting ambiance. Or invite members of local school bands. 10. Giveaways and Raffles Host a giveaway or raffle with every purchase, offering the chance to win a free gift, prize, or service. Offering free gifts and services are common Small Business Saturday promotions. 11. Shop Local Tote Bags Design reusable tote bags promoting Shop Local for the first X number of customers who Shop Small. Reusable totes are popular and show the customers support of the Small Business Saturday sales. 12. Extended Hours Extend your business hours for early birds or late-night shoppers. Other participating businesses can offer similar hours. Popular Small Business Promotion Events and Ideas 13. Collaborate with a Cause Partner with a local charity and donate a percentage of the days sales. You can also collect donations. 14. Free Samples Offer free samples or demonstrations of your products. Utilize social media in the days leading to the event to advertise the times of the demonstrations. Offer free coffee. 15. Interactive Workshops Host classes or workshops related to your unique products/services to further reach out to your niche market. Advertise the times on social media platforms. 16. Promote User-Generated Content Encourage customers to share information about their their purchases on social media using a unique hashtag. Hashtags are a popular part of social media marketing and help your business stand out from others with social media followers. 17. Email Newsletter Blast Send a special newsletter to your mailing list highlighting exclusive deals. Digital marketing is powerful, but for an all in one platform use all the advertising methods available. Dont overlook email marketing. Get information from your customers that day, so that they can be added to your list of email subscribers. 18. Partnership Discounts Boost sales when you collaborate with neighboring businesses to offer exclusive discounts when customers shop at both places. 19. In-Store Events Host a special event like a fashion show, product launch, or meet-the-maker session as a key focus of your Small Business Saturday marketing campaign. A special event may encourage people to stop by, especially if seating is available for weary shoppers. 20. Instagram/Facebook Live Go live showcasing products, behind-the-scenes looks, or interviews with staff. You can even interact and interview new customers. 21. Loyalty Member Pre-Sale During the week leading to the Small Business shopping holiday, offer a pre-sale or early access to deals for loyalty program members. 22. Street Fair Collaborate with other businesses to organize a mini street fair or market to help drive traffic to a specific area. 23. Feature Customer Testimonials Highlight customer reviews or testimonials in your promotions, showcasing the value of your product or service. Use social media channels to showcase the reviews and testimonials, further building relationships. 24. Referral Discounts Offer discounts to customers who refer friends or family. Having loyal customers spread the word about your business will help you reach your target audience of potential customers. 25. Thank-You Notes Include handwritten thank-you notes with each purchase to personalize the shopping experience and thank people for shopping locally. Idea # Marketing Idea Description Key Benefit 1 Shop Local Campaign Collaborate with other local businesses & community for a unified campaign. Boosts community engagement & visibility. 2 Limited Time Offers Special promotions or discounts available only on that day. Increases urgency to buy. 3 Loyalty Discounts Special deals for most loyal customers. Rewards loyalty & encourages repeat sales. 4 Pop-up Events Collaborative events or joint sales with other local businesses. Increases foot traffic & offers variety. 5 Themed Merchandise Release special edition products/services for the day. Enhances product uniqueness. 6 Local Artist Showcase Feature products or live demonstrations from local artisans. Draws attention & supports local talent. 7 Social Media Countdown Daily posts or blogs leading to the day highlighting deals/services. Builds anticipation. 8 Gift Wrapping Service Offer unique or complimentary gift wrapping. Adds value to purchases. 9 Live Music Hire local musicians or school bands to perform. Enhances store atmosphere. 10 Giveaways and Raffles Offer a chance to win gifts or services with every purchase. Entices purchase & excitement. 11 Shop Local Tote Bags Offer reusable totes promoting "Shop Local". Enhances brand visibility beyond the store. 12 Extended Hours Longer business hours for varied shopper schedules. Accommodates more customers. 13 Collaborate with a Cause Partner with local charities for sales donations. Shows community support & drives sales. 14 Free Samples Demonstrate or give out product samples. Encourages product trial. 15 Interactive Workshops Host niche classes or workshops. Engages & educates customers. 16 Promote User-Generated Content Encourage social media sharing with unique hashtags. Increases online visibility & engagement. 17 Email Newsletter Blast Special email to mailing list highlighting deals. Directly reaches dedicated customers. 18 Partnership Discounts Collaborate for discounts when shopping at multiple businesses. Drives multi-business sales. 19 In-Store Events Host special events like product launches or fashion shows. Offers unique shopping experience. 20 Instagram/Facebook Live Live showcases or interviews. Real-time engagement & product visibility. 21 Loyalty Member Pre-Sale Early access to deals for loyalty members. Rewards loyal customers & drives early sales. 22 Street Fair Joint fair or market to drive traffic. Encourages community engagement. 23 Feature Customer Testimonials Showcase customer reviews in promotions. Builds trust & credibility. 24 Referral Discounts Discounts for customer referrals. Expands customer base & rewards loyalty. 25 Thank-You Notes Personalize shopping experience with handwritten notes. Adds a personal touch & shows appreciation. FAQs When Did Small Business Saturday Start? Small Business Saturday was created and promoted by American Express in 2010, during the aftermath of the U.S. financial crisis when many small businesses were struggling. The idea was to encourage consumers to spend money in their local community, at small, independent businesses, rather than at large big box stores, especially during the holiday shopping season. How Much Do People Spend on Small Business Saturday? In 2019, an estimated 110 million consumers shopped small on Small Business Saturday, and they reportedly spent a record high of approximately $19.6 billion at independent retailers and restaurants. In 2020, the spending dynamics shifted somewhat due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even so, 68 million consumers were reported to have shopped small, spending an estimated $19.8 billion on Small Business Saturday. In 2021, 51 million shoppers participated in Small Business Saturday. Nearly 6 in 10 (59 percent) holiday shoppers plan to participate in Small Business Saturday 2022more than Black Friday (56 percent). Around 34% of consumers have plans to shop on Small Business Saturday, an increase from 30% in 2020. Total reported spending among U.S. consumers who shopped at independent retailers and restaurants to promote Small Business Saturday reached an estimated $23.3 billion in 2021, up 18% from $19.8 billion in 2020 and an increase from pre-pandemic spending in 2019 ($19.6 billion). How Can Small Businesses Attract Customers During the Holiday Shopping Season? One of the best ways to attract customers is by participating in Small Business Saturday. Not only will you attract new customers to your small business, you may meet and partner with other small business these ships may last long after the holiday season, once the contact has been made. Read More: If Smer leader Robert Fico wins, foreign agencies may be reluctant to share information, says expert Katerina Huskova. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share After two former heads of the Slovak Information Service (SIS) were charged, foreign intelligence agencies may be reluctant to share information, KATERINA HUSKOVA says in an interview with the daily Sme , Czech author of the book Internal Security Forces and Intelligence Services in Central Europe. They will monitor whether Smer wins the September election and whether Robert Fico becomes PM, she adds. Suvisiaci clanok Suvisiaci clanok Top security officials charged in the middle of election campaign Read more How does the Czech Republic perceive the case in which two former heads of the SIS and nominees of the Sme Rodina party are suspected of having participated in the discrediting of National Criminal Agency (NAKA) investigators, who were solving corruption cases of former governments nominees? The case has been resonating in the Czech Republic, but is being talked about much more now that SIS head Michal Alac was dismissed. In the Czech mainstream media, the arguments of the Slovak PM and president are spreading in particular, as in the country President Zuzana Caputova is considered a kind of symbol of moral integrity, with clear positions and a similar policy like with the war in Ukraine. There has arisen the narrative of the opposition that it is a police conspiracy against Robert Fico, as he himself is trying to say, but not much thought has been given to it. In the Czech Republic, Robert Fico is perceived as a symbol of corruption or willfulness, and his pro-Russian stance aroused concern among the Czech public. What is the opinion of the SIS abroad? The SIS is part of the Slovak democratic system. This means that all cases from the past to the present undermine the credibility of Slovakia as a country with the rule of law in their own way - from suspicions of the SIS being involved in the kidnapping of former president Michal Kovac's son, through the abuse of power, to current accusations against two SIS heads. It is another piece of Slovak political culture. What does such a breach of trust mean for the cooperation of SIS and foreign intelligence agencies? Since agencies process and exchange classified information, it is precisely this area that can make foreign agencies be more cautious. The accusation of two heads dismissed disturbs the stability of the institution. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230904/austrian-chancellor-says-unpleasant-to-buy-russian-gas-but-crucial-for-energy-security-1113121516.html Austrian Chancellor Says 'Unpleasant' to Buy Russian Gas, But Crucial For Energy Security Austrian Chancellor Says 'Unpleasant' to Buy Russian Gas, But Crucial For Energy Security Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said that there is no other way to ensure the energy security of the country without buying Russian gas. 2023-09-04T22:38+0000 2023-09-04T22:38+0000 2023-09-04T22:38+0000 russia russia austria germany gazprom omv sanctions /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/09/10/1100842069_0:229:3234:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_1e5b2deb0088603799830fca22398ad3.jpg "The priority number one is security of supply. If it is disrupted, the system will be disrupted and so will be the production and supply of energy to people. That is why it is, first of all, about ensuring security of energy supply. It is not pleasant. It is not pleasant from the moral standpoint, but it is real. And it is my obligation as the chancellor to do this," Nehammer told Austrian broadcaster ORF on Monday. The chancellor also stated that Austria had started to reduce its dependence on energy imports from Russia as early as in 2022. The country is working on increasing deliveries through Germany and Italy so as to be able to have more suppliers, he added. Nehammer also told the broadcaster that Austrian oil and gas company OMV had supply contracts with Russian energy giant Gazprom until 2040, and the termination of them would be too expensive for Austria. In July, OMV CEO Alfred Stern said that the company will continue to buy a major part of its gas from Russia and is not planning to terminate the long-term contract with Gazprom despite securing alternative contracts from other sources to cover Austria's energy imports needs. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230611/russia-remains-major-trade-partner-to-austria-despite-unfriendly-policy-1111068014.html russia austria germany 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 who is buying russian gas, sanctions on russia, gazprom gas, austria russia relations https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/china-wants-to-mediate-resolution-of-crisis-in-niger---ambassador-1113122253.html China Wants to Mediate Resolution of Crisis in Niger - Ambassador China Wants to Mediate Resolution of Crisis in Niger - Ambassador China's ambassador to Niger, Jiang Feng, said that China is willing to play a role in mediating the crisis in Niger. 2023-09-05T00:44+0000 2023-09-05T00:44+0000 2023-09-05T00:44+0000 africa china economic community of west african states (ecowas) niger /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/0e/1112592301_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_d633bd183f6ea451cf4341601ca3d029.jpg "The Chinese government intends to provide good offices, play a mediating role so that a political resolution to the crisis in Niger could be found with full respect to countries in the region," the ambassador said at a meeting with Niger's rebel-appointed prime minister, Ali Lamine Zeine. China is always committed to the principle of non-interference in domestic affairs of other countries, the diplomat added. Last week, Jiang met with Nigerien Defense Minister, Gen. Salifou Mody where the diplomat congratulated the defense chief on the appointment to a key position. A military takeover took place in Niger on July 26. Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted and detained by his own guard, led by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani. Following the takeover, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended all cooperation with Niger and threatened an invasion if the rebels do not reinstate Bazoum. In early August, during a summit in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, ECOWAS leaders agreed to activate a standby force to potentially compel the Nigerien military to reinstate the ousted president. On August 18, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs Abdel-Fatau Musah said the bloc's chiefs of staff had agreed on a date for an invasion of Niger, but would not make it public. africa china niger 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 takeover in niger, crisis in niger, conflict in niger, african countries kicking out the french, african coups https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/iran-saudi-arabia-exchange-ambassadors-after-years-of-divisions-1113137947.html Iran, Saudi Arabia Exchange Ambassadors After Years of Divisions Iran, Saudi Arabia Exchange Ambassadors After Years of Divisions Iran and Saudi Arabia posted ambassadors to their respective diplomatic missions on Tuesday in a sign of warming relations that follow seven years of bitter rivalry. 2023-09-05T18:15+0000 2023-09-05T18:15+0000 2023-09-05T18:15+0000 world iran saudi arabia middle east bilateral relations persian gulf /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/06/1109188635_0:205:2913:1844_1920x0_80_0_0_f58cb5ed54c638637a691ceac16fcd19.jpg Iranian Ambassador Alireza Enayati and Saudi Ambassador Abdullah bin Saudi Al-Enzi arrived, respectively, in Riyadh and Tehran, elevating ties between their countries to the ambassadorial level, the state news agencies of the two countries reported.The Iranian Foreign Ministry said over the weekend that Ambassador Enayati was hosted by Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian before his departure for Riyadh for talks about his vision of future ties between the two countries. The regional powers reached a China-brokered agreement in March to reopen their embassies. The move blindsided Israel, which has been seeking a normalization pact of its own with Saudi Arabia in an effort to isolate its arch-rival Iran. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230407/chinas-saudi-iran-deal-indicates-us-no-longer-pulling-mideast-strings-1109246891.html iran saudi arabia 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 middle east tensions, saudi arabia, iran, kuwait, saudi-iran relations, iran-saudi pact, iran-saudi relations, iranian embassy in riyadh, iranian-saudi relations, diplomatic relations restoration, saudi embassy in tehran, iran-saudi ties, saudi-iran ties https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/japanese-govt-increases-aid-to-local-fisheries-to-700mln-amid-chinas-seafood-import-ban-1113125625.html Japanese Gov't Increases Aid to Local Fisheries to $700Mln Amid China's Seafood Import Ban Japanese Gov't Increases Aid to Local Fisheries to $700Mln Amid China's Seafood Import Ban The Japanese government on Tuesday decided to increase the amount of aid provided to Japanese fisheries to 100.7 billion yen ($686 million) following China's seafood import ban in connection with the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant (NPP). 2023-09-05T05:44+0000 2023-09-05T05:44+0000 2023-09-05T05:52+0000 asia fumio kishida china japan fukushima international atomic energy agency (iaea) world trade organization (wto) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/18/1112838956_0:160:3073:1889_1920x0_80_0_0_b3e88c5ec1f26ffb7d6f260d0b08f61b.jpg Initially, the government planned to allocate 80 billion yen earmarked before the start of the water release. However, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida proposed additional 20 billion yen in assistance after China imposed a ban on seafood imports in late August. The assistance worth 100 billion yen was approved at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. The assistance measures for fisheries adopted by the government include the ones aimed at expansion of consumption and production, prevention of reputation damage, search for new export markets and the development of fish-processing industry, among other things. On August 24, Japan began dumping treated wastewater from the Fukushima power plant into the Pacific Ocean after diluting it with seawater. Tokyo claimed to have cleansed the water of all radionuclides except tritium, which was still within acceptable limits. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230903/cancer-risk-surges-from-even-tiny-trace-of-tritium-expert-warns-amid-fukushima-water-dump-1113091795.html china japan fukushima 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 the japanese government on tuesday decided to increase the amount of aid provided to japanese fisheries to 100.7 billion yen ($686 million) following china's seafood import ban in connection with the release of treated radioactive water from the fukushima nuclear power plant (npp). (Photo : OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images) Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that a landmark agreement that allowed Ukraine to export grain safely through the Black Sea during the conflict will not be reinstated until the West satisfies Moscow's demands. Headline: Vladimir Putin Pressures The World By Declining To Cooperate About Grain Deal Unless West Meets Its Obligation Subheading: Erdogan hoped for a solution soon. Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that a landmark agreement that allowed Ukraine to export grain safely through the Black Sea during the conflict will not be reinstated until the West satisfies Moscow's demands. Vladimir Putin reaffirmed his position that a United Nations-brokered agreement for the safe transport of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea could not be reinstated until the West satisfies Moscow's demands regarding its agricultural exports. The Russian president's remarks on Monday followed a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea city of Sochi, with the aim of reviving an agreement deemed crucial for global food supplies, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Black Sea Grain Deal In July, Russia refused to extend the agreement, claiming that a concurrent accord to remove obstacles to Russian food and fertilizer exports had not been honored. It stated that shipping and insurance restrictions hampered its agricultural trade despite the fact that it has shipped record quantities of wheat since last year. Putin echoed these criticisms and stated that the Black Sea corridors should not be utilized for military purposes. He told reporters that if these commitments were honored, Russia could return to the agreement "within days." Erdogan also indicated optimism that a resolution is imminent. According to him, Turkey and the United Nations, which both mediated the original agreement, have developed a new set of proposals to resolve the impasse. The United States and European Union have dismissed Moscow's complaints as baseless, stating that their sanctions do not target Russian grain and fertilizers. Erdogan stated that everyone was aware of Russia's expectations and that the deficiencies should be addressed, adding that Turkey and the United Nations had collaborated on a new set of recommendations to alleviate Russian concerns. According to Reuters, Erdogan said Ukraine should modify its negotiating position against Russia in talks over reviving the agreement and export more grain to Africa rather than Europe. Later on Ukrainian television, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that Kyiv would not change its position but would take heed of Turkey's account of the Sochi discussions. Standing alongside Erdogan, Putin reaffirmed Russia's position that it could return to the agreement if the West stopped restricting agricultural exports to global markets. A distinct memorandum with the United Nations stipulates Russian grain and fertilizer export conditions. Read Also: Putin Says Enemies Might 'Think Twice' as Russia Deploys Superweapon Satan II Missiles Putin Urges West To Lift Sanctions Per The Washington Times, Putin stated that removing Western obstacles to exporting Russian food and fertilizer is a prerequisite for Russia's participation in the agreement. These goods are not directly subject to Western economic sanctions against Russia, but the Kremlin argues that other US and European actions, such as suspending Moscow's participation in the SWIFT international banking system and imposing restrictions on shipping and insurance, have severely constrained Russia's agricultural trade. Putin stated that if such restrictions were lifted, Russia could revert to the agreement "within days." Meanwhile, Erdogan stated that grain exports are particularly vital for Africa and other developing regions. Indeed, about 57% of Ukrainian grain exports allowed under the agreement went to developing nations, including African nations, according to The Associated Press. According to Western and Ukrainian officials, Russia has taken additional actions detrimental to global food security. Sunday, Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of attempting to "provoke a food crisis" after Russian military strikes targeted a crucial port in the Odessa region of Ukraine, a major export center for food. According to reports, Russia launched at least 25 Iranian-made "loitering" drones from the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Reni. According to Ukrainian authorities, 22 of these drones were brought down. The Kremlin justified the attack as a legitimate military action, claiming that the drones were sent to destroy Ukrainian "fuel storage facilities." Related Article: Russia Drones Strike Ukrainian Port Near Romanian Border as Putin Prepares for Grain Deal Talks with Erdogan @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/japans-pursuit-of-boosting-military-spending-aims-to-shape-country-into-us-proxy-1113127841.html Japan's Proposed $53Bln Military Budget Aims to 'Shape Country Into US Proxy' Japan's Proposed $53Bln Military Budget Aims to 'Shape Country Into US Proxy' A decision by Japans Defense Ministry to ask for a record rise in military expenditure endangers peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, Brian Berletic, geopolitical analyst and former US marine, told Sputnik. 2023-09-05T08:27+0000 2023-09-05T08:27+0000 2023-09-05T09:36+0000 world japan us china defense budget f-35 fighter jets spending trade /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/102721/35/1027213519_0:233:4500:2765_1920x0_80_0_0_9a93dbeb368bb067b1c16334efba1bb5.jpg Japan's Defense Ministry has requested its largest-ever defense budget for fiscal year 2024 worth a whopping $53 billion, 12% higher than in 2023.In addition, the defense expenditures stipulate allocating sums for the construction of two Aegis-equipped destroyers and a new class of frigates plus the joint development with the US of the so-called Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI), designed to down hypersonic missiles. Aegis is the US-made ballistic missile defense system.Japan exists as a nation politically captured by Washington, and Tokyos foreign policy to a large degree is driven by American interests, Brian Berletic told Sputnik.By doing so, Japan jeopardizes its significant trade with China, whom it counts as one of its largest trade partners, the former US marine pointed out.When asked why Japan is seeking to ramp up the number of the F-35s in its arsenal, the analyst explained that any potential conflict between the United States and China will primarily consist of naval and air assets and that by purchasing F-35 warplanes, Japan will have more of its own assets to commit to any joint operation it is involved in with the US against the PRC.He added that countries of the Asia-Pacific region may in many ways be concerned about Japanese militarization, considering the nations past.Greater fear, however, likely stems from the reality that Japans modern militarization is driven by US geopolitical objectives and that these objectives directly threaten peace, stability, and thus prosperity in the region, according to the analyst.Berletic called this drive by the US part of a wider effort to divide the region against China, which is the primary engine of economic growth and development.Japan will for the foreseeable future be brought in any direction Washington, not Tokyo wills, even if that direction contradicts Japans best interests or even its own self-preservation, Berletic concluded. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230802/north-korea-accuses-japan-of-reverting-to-militarism-1112341232.html japan china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg a record increase in japan's defense budget, japan-china trade ties, peace in asia-pacific region, japan's fleet of f-35 fighter jets https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/judicial-cooperation-within-sco-gaining-relevance---secretary-general-1113128556.html Judicial Cooperation Within SCO Gaining Relevance - Secretary-General Judicial Cooperation Within SCO Gaining Relevance - Secretary-General Judicial cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is gaining importance, SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming said on Tuesday. 2023-09-05T06:56+0000 2023-09-05T06:56+0000 2023-09-05T06:56+0000 world shanghai cooperation organisation (sco) zhang ming /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/102837/93/1028379318_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_875943a0b6ee77503f2d9ba3ed8803dd.jpg The international situation is undergoing radical changes, turbulence and confrontation are intensifying, so people in SCO countries are pinning their hopes on the growing role of the organization, he said. Speaking at the opening of the 10th meeting of SCO justice ministers, Zhang said the importance of judicial cooperation as a basis for supporting cooperation in other fields is becoming more apparent. During the meeting, there will be an in-depth exchange of views on judicial cooperation, the secretary-general said, adding that the countries will adopt a joint declaration that will boost cooperation in this area. The 10th meeting of the SCO ministers of justice kicked off in Shanghai on Tuesday. The SCO is an international organization established in 2001. India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan are member countries, while a number of other states are observers and partners. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/xi-says-china-ready-to-expand-legal-cooperation-with-other-sco-members-1113125412.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/pepe-escobar-brics-plus-sco-super-bloc-vs-us-empire-1112730061.html 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 shanghai cooperation organization, sco, judicial cooperation https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/kremlin-not-confirming-reports-on-meeting-between-putin-north-korean-leader-in-russia-1113130144.html Kremlin Not Confirming Reports on Meeting Between Putin, North Korean Leader in Russia Kremlin Not Confirming Reports on Meeting Between Putin, North Korean Leader in Russia Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov shared Moscow opinion on key issues of foreign an global policy. 2023-09-05T09:38+0000 2023-09-05T09:38+0000 2023-09-05T10:27+0000 world vladimir putin kim jong-un japan ukrainian crisis volodymyr zelensky /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/05/1113130943_0:65:2853:1670_1920x0_80_0_0_22933355c45db991a8cdde8a1ee98be6.jpg Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that he cannot confirm media reports about a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Russia in the near future.The US media reported Monday, citing US and allied officials, that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un plans to visit Russia in September to meet with Putin and discuss military cooperation.On Putin-Erdogan MeetingThe goal of the Monday meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was exchange of views, there were no plans to reach any concrete agreements, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.On Black Sea Grain Deal Agreements on grain are multilateral processes, and it is difficult to agree on anything concrete at the moment in bilateral contacts between Moscow and Ankara, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. "It was hardly possible to reach any specific agreements, because if we talk about a grain deal, then this is a multilateral process, and as for the grain deal, then... this is the position of the countries of the collective West, which have been refusing to fulfill the terms of the Black Sea deal for a long time, which is why its further continuation is not possible. Therefore, here, of course, the issue concerns other parties, it is simply not possible to agree on something specific in the course of bilateral [Russia-Turkey] contacts," Peskov told reporters.On Ukrainian Drone Attacks on Russian Ships Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have discussed attempted drone attacks on ships guarding Russian gas pipelines, TurkStream and Blue Stream, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. "The president spoke about attacks on our ships that guard these pipelines," Peskov told reporters, noting that the ships every time successfully repelled these attacks.On the Removal of Ukrainian Defense MinisterThe change of the head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry is an internal affair of Kiev, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday that Ukrainian Defense Minister Reznikov will leave his post, saying that the chief of the Ukrainian State Property Fund, Rustem Umerov, will head the country's defense department."No, we cannot comment on that. This is, in fact, an internal affair of Ukraine. We do not think that now any appointments can somehow affect the essence of the Kiev regime as a whole. So far, this essence seems to remain without any changes," Peskov told reporters.On Japan's Attempts to Re-Write HistoryMoscow cannot pay attention to Tokyos protests against September 3 Victory Day over militaristic Japan as this concerns Russias history, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.Russia has declared September 3 as the Victory Day Over Militaristic Japan. Tokyo then voiced protest over Moscows decision."In this case, we are talking about our history and history, which is absolutely obvious. It should be obvious for Japan as well. Therefore, we, of course, cannot take these protests into account," Peskov told reporters. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230829/kim-jong-un-says-n-korean-navy-to-become-part-of-nuclear-deterrence-force---state-media-1112956348.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230904/reznikovs-replacement-who-is-new-ukrainian-defense-minister-rustem-umerov-1113117116.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230508/history-repeating-itself-rising-us-led-militarization-shows-europe-failed-to-learn-from-ww2--1110163199.html japan 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 vladimir putin, kim jong-un, putin kim, north korea, reznikov resignation, russia-nato showdown https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/lavrov-to-partake-in-east-asia-summit-in-jakarta-on-september-7-1113131737.html Lavrov to Partake in East Asia Summit in Jakarta on September 7 Lavrov to Partake in East Asia Summit in Jakarta on September 7 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will participate in the 18th East Asia Summit in Jakarta on September 7, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday. 2023-09-05T10:54+0000 2023-09-05T10:54+0000 2023-09-05T11:00+0000 world russia sergey lavrov sheikh hasina russian foreign ministry bangladesh jakarta east asia summit /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/0d/1111852753_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_a28ce9ff7585d66a1463692e64fb245b.jpg "On September 7, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry will take part in the 18th East Asia Summit in Jakarta," Zakharova told reporters.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister and Foreign Minister Abdul Momen during his visit the South Asian country on September 7-8, Zakharova added."On September 7-8, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will pay a working visit to Bangladesh. The agenda of the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry includes a meeting with the prime minister of this country, as well as negotiations with foreign minister of Bangladesh," Zakharova told a briefing.The East Asia Summit (EAS) is an annual event that complements the ASEAN leaders meeting. With a heavy emphasis on trade and economy, the forum plays an important role in the regional architecture of the Asia-Pacific region. In 2011, EAS invited Russia and the United States to participate in the summit on a regular basis as key stakeholders in the region. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230901/g20-ukraine-and-forging-of-new-world-order-key-bits-from-lavrovs-big-speech--1113047541.html russia bangladesh jakarta Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia foreign policy, russian diplomacy, east asia summit, summit jakarta, lavrov jakarta, sergey lavrov https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/new-covid-spike-will-americans-mask-up-again-1113133215.html New COVID Spike: Will Americans Mask Up Again? New COVID Spike: Will Americans Mask Up Again? A surge in COVID cases and the emergence of new variants in the US has prompted some institutions to return to masking. What measures have been taken by US states so far? 2023-09-05T14:19+0000 2023-09-05T14:19+0000 2023-09-05T16:06+0000 us americas anthony fauci donald trump joe biden new york new york city georgia centers for disease control and prevention (cdc) us centers for disease control (cdc) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107895/42/1078954243_0:218:2865:1829_1920x0_80_0_0_edeab366af6fa822fe2592f0a8cb281c.jpg Some US states are encouraging or requiring Americans to start masking up again as the number of COVID cases has been ramping up since late summer. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nationwide COVID hospitalizations in the most recent week increased by 18.8% while SARS-CoV-2-related deaths surged by more than 21%.US public health officials also informed the population about two new COVID variants: Omicron EG.5 (also known as Eris) and BA.2.86.According to the CDC, Eris appears to be more transmissible than earlier variants, while BA.2.86 may be "more capable of causing infection" in those who have previously suffered from the virus or were vaccinated.As of yet, the CDC has not made a broad recommendation for everyone to wear masks. However, as per the US press, that could happen if hospitalizations reach "critical levels." Thus the agency recommends "universal masking" in jurisdictions with 20 or more people with COVID per 100,000 in local hospitals; whereas masking for high-risk individuals could be implemented when 10 to 19.9 people per 100,000 are hospitalized with COVID.Which States Have Imposed Mask Mandates?Mask mandates were reinstated in schools, hospitals and other public places in some states starting from mid-August.New York: A group of hospitals in the state - including United Health Services, Auburn Community Hospital and University Hospital in Syracuse - have reintroduced mandatory masking. New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan warned that Ba.2.86 is "likely to evade immunity that has developed from vaccination or prior infection." The New York City Health Department has advised residents and visitors to mask up over Labor Day weekend.Georgia: In Atlanta, Morris Brown College has reinstated mask mandate for two weeks as well as social distancing. "There will be no parties or large student events on campus for the next two weeks," the school said in a statement.California: Hollywood studio Lionsgate in Santa Monica required some of its employees to wear masks. Healthcare facility Kaiser Permanente reinstated its mask mandate in Santa Rosa.Alabama: The Talladega City School district has strongly encouraged students to wear masks. Kinterbish Junior High School asked students, staff and visitors to do the same.Which Politicians Oppose Masking Up?Some US politicians have signaled that they will not return to masking despite the spike in COVID hospitalizations.Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has made it clear that the state authorities are not discussing the possibility of mask-mandating measures.Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves stressed that his state will "not return to widespread masking or COVID rules." Per him, "people have a right to make their own decisions."Former President Donald Trump is particularly critical of the measure. In a campaign video released on X (formerly known as Twitter) he lambasted the resumption of COVID measures as "fear-mongering" by "COVID tyrants". He stated that "we will not comply" with any new lockdowns or mask and vaccine mandates. Trump vowed that if reelected, he would cut federal funding to those schools and public transportation systems that resort to mask or vaccine mandates.Ex-COVID Czar Fauci Defends MasksFormer White House COVID Czar Anthony Fauci defended masking on September 2 while speaking to a US broadcaster.The former medical adviser to both the Donald Trump and Joe Biden administrations insisted that a study from earlier this year which concluded that wearing masks is ineffective amid the COVID pandemic was "misleading.""When youre talking about the effect on the pandemic as a whole, the data is less strong, Fauci argued. "But when you talk about an individual basis of someone protecting themselves Theres no doubt that theres many studies that show that there is an advantage [to masks]."Controversy Surrounding Mask MandateThe study mentioned by Fauci was released on January 30 by the British database Cochrane and argued that masks did not actually work during the COVID pandemic.In his February interview with a Western journalist, Jefferson doubled down on lambasting the pandemic's "overnight experts", and suggested that a number of health practices implemented during the COVID outbreak were scientifically baseless.The study's conclusions were later debated by Karla Soares-Weiser, MD, PhD, MSc, and editor-in-chief of the Cochrane Library. "Many commentators have claimed that a recently-updated Cochrane Review shows that masks don't work, which is an inaccurate and misleading interpretation," she stated on March 10.Meanwhile, a recent study, published in The Lancet's Microbe journal, suggested that people who are non-symptomatic rarely have the ability to infect others with SARS-CoV-2. The US conservative press cited the research while lambasting the attempts to impose new mask mandates in some Blue states.The media also criticized Fauci for flip-flopping during the outbreak with regard to mask mandates: despite initially discouraging universal mask-wearing, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) later did a U-turn. Conservatives fear that renewed pandemic "hysteria" will be instrumentalized to cover up Joe Biden's blunders ahead of the 2024 presidential elections.Given multiple instances when internal unrest and pandemics were used by US major political parties in their election fight, one could easily imagine that some American politicians may try to capitalize on the emerging wave of COVID for their own ends. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230808/cdc-new-covid-19-omicron-subvariant-eris-spreading-rapidly-in-us-1112470385.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/us-first-lady-jill-biden-tests-positive-for-covid-again-1113122845.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230606/robert-kennedys-attacks-on-anthony-fauci-over-covid-19-lockdowns-justified-1110958876.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230827/what-to-know-about-the-new-covid-19-variants-1112895460.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/biden-dropping-out-would-not-be-not-a-total-shock-says-biographer-1113122707.html americas new york new york city georgia 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 covid-19, covid, new covid variants, omicron variant eg.5, eris, ba.2.86, hospitalizations in us, joe biden, athony fauci, mask mandate, masks, do masks work during covid, covid measures by states, what states have implemented covid measures, social distancing, donald trump https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/putin-says-russophobia-neo-nazism-become-norm-in-ukraine-baltic-states-1113133759.html Putin Says Russophobia, Neo-Nazism Become Norm in Ukraine, Baltic States Putin Says Russophobia, Neo-Nazism Become Norm in Ukraine, Baltic States ussophobia and neo-Nazism have become the norm in Ukraine and the Baltic States, and history is being used as a tool of ideological struggle, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday. 2023-09-05T14:29+0000 2023-09-05T14:29+0000 2023-09-05T14:29+0000 russia vladimir putin nazi nazism ukraine baltic history /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/0e/1112582418_0:0:2857:1608_1920x0_80_0_0_6ac77e8a506714b4328fa605eec138b3.jpg "New meanings, challenges of the time clearly show that Nazism was defeated in 1945, but, unfortunately, it was not eliminated: it manifests itself again in the same Russophobia or Antisemitism. And the glorification of Nazi criminals, direct propaganda of Nazism in the Baltic states, an just in Ukraine, in general, have become the norm, as if there was no Nuremberg," Putin said at a meeting of the Russian Victory Organizing Committee. Putin added that history was started to be used "as a weapon of ideological struggle."Over the course of the years, the Ukrainian regime declared Nazi collaborators in WWII "heroes of Ukraine", naming streets after them and opening monuments to the war criminals. At the same time, numerous paramilitary groups supported by Kiev have been openly brandishing neo-Nazi symbols, while Ukrainian politicians voiced their support for the harshest discrimination against everyone who refused to support such policies. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230824/antonov-says-important-to-preserve-wwii-heroes-memory-nip-in-bud-nazism-glorification-1112835318.html 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 russia, vladimir putin, wwii, nuremberg, neo-nazism, ukraine nazi https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/russia-may-hit-national-grain-export-record-in-2023-2024-agricultural-year-1113137426.html Russia May Hit National Grain Export Record in 2023-2024 Agricultural Year Russia May Hit National Grain Export Record in 2023-2024 Agricultural Year Russia may hit its national record for grain exports in the 2023-2024 agricultural year that started on July 1, with supplies forecast to exceed 60 million tons registered last season 2023-09-05T17:03+0000 2023-09-05T17:03+0000 2023-09-05T17:03+0000 russia russia russian agricultural ministry grain grain exports /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/1b/1110628975_0:212:2889:1837_1920x0_80_0_0_f6093e55d56a1dd730a327aac62d702e.jpg In the last agricultural year, which lasted from July 2022 to June 2023, Russia exported a record 60 million tons of grain, Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev said in July. Shipments have already reached record rates, with 13 million tons of Russian grain exported in the first two months of the current agricultural season, he added. In 2022, Russia's gross grain harvest increased by 29.9% year-on-year up to a record 157.676 million tons. The Russian Agricultural Ministry forecasts that in 2023, the grain harvest will reach 123 million tons and grain exports will reach 55 million tons.Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that the country might harvest around 130 million tons of grain, 60 million of which may be allocated for export. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230902/sanctions-clapback-russian-grain-exports-to-brazil-hit-historic-high-1113075263.html russia 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 russian grain, how much grain does russia produce, russian grain export, russian grain productions, russian grain statistics, who imports russian grain https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/russia-rolls-out-drone-simulator-fitted-with-vr-glasses-1113129400.html Russia Rolls Out Drone Simulator Fitted With VR Glasses Russia Rolls Out Drone Simulator Fitted With VR Glasses Last month, a Russian company unveiled a new sophisticated drone equipped with a neural network-based object identification system, an unmanned aerial vehicle that can be powered both by batteries and gasoline. 2023-09-05T10:44+0000 2023-09-05T10:44+0000 2023-09-05T10:44+0000 russia russia ukraine special operation drone simulators ukrainian counteroffensive attempt /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/05/1113129239_0:0:3110:1750_1920x0_80_0_0_0b32c293a96bbc4dd5c91f2f2970742e.jpg Russian developers have created the Viarus simulator to train drone operators with the help of VR glasses, Mikhail Sinakin, executive director of the Iksarus company, said in an interview with Sputnik.The press service of the Russian non-commercial organization National Technology Initiative, for its part, told Sputnik that the VR glasses characteristics are almost the same as those of the first person view (FPV) spectacles used to take control of the UAVs.According to the press service, the developers plan to create another drone control simulator to help pilots drill various scenarios for using UAVs in combat missions.This comes a few weeks after the Russian company Svyaz-Spetszashchita (Communication-Special Protection) announced it had developed a new drone that can be powered both by batteries and gasoline.The firms marketing head Dmitry Zubarev told Sputnik that the UAV is capable of transporting two smaller attack drones, which he described as a highly-desired feature nowadays."Various attack drones, such as the Lancet UAV, are now widely used by the Russian Armed Forces in the special military operation zone in Ukraine.These drones added significantly to tackling Kievs counteroffensive, which has claimed the lives of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers since its beginning on June 4. Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that the counteroffensive has made no progress since then, calling it a failure rather than a stalemate. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230812/gadfly-20-russia-launches-production-of-ovod-kamikaze-drones-new-version-1112554964.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230814/russia-to-present-new-drone-for-protecting-underwater-pipelines-at-army-2023-forum-1112580089.html russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg russian special military operation in ukraine, russian drone simulator, russian drone simulator fitted with vr glasses, kiev's botched counteroffensive, russian developers' creation of drone simulator https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/russian-air-defense-systems-down-ukrainian-drone-over-crimea-1113128714.html Russian Air Defense Systems Down Ukrainian Drone Over Crimea Russian Air Defense Systems Down Ukrainian Drone Over Crimea Russian air defense systems have shot down a Ukrainian aircraft-type drone over Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. 2023-09-05T07:06+0000 2023-09-05T07:06+0000 2023-09-05T07:06+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukrainian crisis ukrainian drone attacks on russia ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107903/05/1079030551_4:0:2557:1436_1920x0_80_0_0_fd1cad462ab3d90b6cfb91b7552c16b1.jpg "On the morning of September 5, an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack by an aircraft-type UAV on objects on the territory of Russia was thwarted. The unmanned aerial vehicle was destroyed over the territory of the Republic of Crimea by air defense on duty," the ministry said in a statement.Ukrainian troops resorted to drone warfare in last several months after loss of several strategic locations and growing number of casualties. Military experts stress that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia pursue no meaningful military goal apart from boosting morale among Ukrainians. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230901/cia-vet-us-aiding-ukrainian-drone-attack-on-russian-nuclear-power-plants-1113058316.html 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 russia special military operation, ukrainian crisis, ukrainian drone attacks, ukrainian drone attacks on russia https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/russian-hypersonic-missiles-carrier-frigate-to-conduct-exercises-in-atlantic-1113133091.html Russian Hypersonic Missiles Carrier Frigate to Conduct Exercises in Atlantic Russian Hypersonic Missiles Carrier Frigate to Conduct Exercises in Atlantic Russias Admiral Gorshkov frigate carrying Zircon hypersonic missiles will conduct series of exercises in the Atlantic Ocean, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. 2023-09-05T13:29+0000 2023-09-05T13:29+0000 2023-09-05T13:52+0000 military zircon hypersonic cruise missile zircon frigate admiral gorshkov /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/05/1113132646_0:18:1023:593_1920x0_80_0_0_5f99e73a63d9fe49f2550eb4b52782a5.jpg "Today, the Northern Fleets Admiral Gorshkov frigate which has been operating in the Mediterranean since April 2023, entered the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar, accompanied by the Vyazma medium sea tanker. In the Atlantic Ocean, the crew of the frigate will continue to improve their naval skills and conduct a series of shipboard exercises," the Ministry said in a statement.After completing all the assigned tasks, the ship will arrive at the main base of the Northern Fleet - Severomorsk, the department added. Since January 4 the frigate overcame about 42 thousand nautical miles, the Defense Ministry noted. In particular, the crew of the ship successfully fulfilled all the assigned tasks as part of the permanent grouping of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea.Zircon is a scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise missile aimed at eradicating enemy ships at Mach 9, capable of striking on-shore targets. Early in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled a plan to start mass deliveries of Zircon to Russian Armed Forces this year. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230512/from-avangard-to-zircon-how-far-do-russian-missiles-fly-1110296500.html 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 russian military, zircin, zircon hypersonic missiles, admiral gorshkov Despite Rome's skepticism, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that cooperation with Italy under the Beijing-led Belt and Road initiative had been fruitful, with thousands of Chinese households receiving high-quality Italian goods. "The thousand-year affinity transmitted from the ancient Silk Road has endured," Wang said in a Monday meeting with visiting Italian Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani. China Touts 'Belt And Road' Initiative to Italy In 2019, Italy became the first significant Western nation to join China's Belt and Road, a global trade and infrastructure initiative modeled on the concept of the old Silk Road that had linked imperial China and the West millennia ago. In recent months, however, Italy, the only Group of Seven power to have joined since Chinese President Xi Jinping introduced the trade and infrastructure initiative a decade ago, has expressed doubts about its membership. Before departing for China on Saturday, Tajani stated that bilateral trade had not improved. Rome has until December to withdraw formally from the agreement, which will expire in March 2024. If not, it will be extended for an additional five years, Reuters reported. Any loss of the former endpoint of the old Silk Road would be diplomatically humiliating for China, which had planned to celebrate the success of the Belt and Road initiative in October at an international forum in Beijing. Wang told Tajani that China and Italy should adhere to the proper means of getting along through mutual respect, openness, and cooperation. He emphasized that in the face of "new circumstances and new opportunities," China is willing to adhere to the principles of openness and mutual benefit. Italy is the only member of the Group of Seven (G7) to have signed the Belt and Road Initiative, but in recent months, it has expressed increasing unease with the agreement, as per Al Jazeera. Read Also: Russia, North Korea Near To Reaching Arms Deal Against Ukraine as Putin, Kim Jong Un Exchange Letters, US Reveals Critics Doubt Belt and Road Initiative In July, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto called Giuseppe Conte's decision to join the initiative in 2019 an "atrocious act" that had done little to bolster Italian exports while overwhelming the country with Chinese imports. The Belt and Road plan proposed enormous investments in infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and ports, to recreate the ancient Silk Road trade routes connecting Europe and Asia. Critics view the plan as a means for Beijing to expand its geopolitical influence by burdening impoverished nations with unmanageable debts. The membership of Italy in the scheme is scheduled to renew automatically in March of next year unless Rome requests its cancellation by December. Tajani's journey to China follows a string of recent visits by Western leaders, including Gina Raimondo, secretary of commerce for the United States, and James Cleverly, foreign secretary for the United Kingdom. According to AP News, China promotes the "Belt and Road" initiative, also known as the BRI, as effectively improving infrastructure in developing countries. Critics assert that BRI constructed vanity projects in countries that required poverty eradication and essential services while leaving the local governments with enormous debts owed to Chinese state banks under contracts that were kept secret. Related Article: China Slams Japan's Fukushima Wastewater Release by Banning Tokyo's Seafood Exports @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/ukrainian-foreign-minister-says-kiev-wont-make-concessions-on-black-sea-grain-initiative-1113121640.html Ukrainian Foreign Minister Says Kiev Won't Make Concessions on Black Sea Grain Initiative Ukrainian Foreign Minister Says Kiev Won't Make Concessions on Black Sea Grain Initiative The Ukrainian Foreign Minister said that the country will not accept Moscow's expectations to restart the Black Sea Grain Initiative despite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calling them "fair." 2023-09-05T00:00+0000 2023-09-05T00:00+0000 2023-09-05T00:00+0000 russia recep tayyip erdogan vladimir putin ukraine moscow russia dmytro kuleba black sea grain deal black sea /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/1b/1110628237_0:184:2989:1865_1920x0_80_0_0_e97a661eea7c94c243e49303b2e55ce2.jpg Earlier in the day, Erdogan said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that he considers Moscows expectations on the grain initiative to be "fair," while expressing hope that the new package of proposals on the grain deal could contribute to its revival. Ukrainian diplomats held talks with Turkish officials before Erdogan's meeting with Putin in the Russian city of Sochi and made their position on the issue "clear," the Ukrainian minister added. On July 18, the Turkiye- and UN-mediated Black Sea Grain Initiative, or the grain deal, which provided for a humanitarian corridor to allow exports of Ukrainian grain over the past year, expired, as Russia did not renew its participation in the deal. Moscow said that the deal's component on facilitating Russian grain and fertilizer exports had not been fulfilled. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230904/what-is-the-russia-turkiye-gas-hub-and-why-is-it-important-1113114324.html ukraine moscow russia black sea 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 black sea grain deal, grain initiative, grain deal revival, food prices https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/ukrainian-medical-services-struggle-to-treat-more-than-20000-amputee-soldiers-1113132278.html Ukrainian Medical Services Struggle to Treat More Than 20,000 Amputee Soldiers Ukrainian Medical Services Struggle to Treat More Than 20,000 Amputee Soldiers With the Ukrainian counter-offensive failing to make headway after three months, scant attention is being paid to the human cost of the conflict. Tens of thousands of those conscripted have returned bearing terrible injuries. 2023-09-05T16:19+0000 2023-09-05T16:19+0000 2023-09-05T16:19+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/06/0d/1096279508_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_73c039db90569097c8cc3ccb3986f63f.jpg Ukraine lacks medical specialists to treat more than 20,000 amputees from its conflict with Russia.Olha Rudneva, chief of the 'Superhumans' amputee rehabilitation center, told Western media there was an acute lack of prosthetic specialists in the country. She said that before the conflict there were only five specializing in hand and arm replacements, which are less common than those for feet and legs which are often amputated due to diabetes.Rudneva estimated that more than 20,000 Ukrainians had lost at least one limb in the 18 months since Russia launched its military operation in response to Kiev's aggression towards Donetsk and Lugansk.The Ukrainian government has consistently refused to release figures for its military casualties and material losses throughout the conflict, but the vast majority of those maimed are likely victims of combat injuries.'Superhumans' and another amputee treatment centre, 'Unbroken', operate with funds from foreign governments, charities and Ukrainian sponsors.Dr Emily Mayhew, a historian of medicine at Imperial College London and a specialist in blast injuries, said recovery from traumatic amputations is complicated by the psychological scars.Other soldiers have suffered disfiguring injuries that could destroy their self-esteem and affect their reintegration into daily life without reconstructive surgery. We dont have a year, two, said facial surgeon Dr.Natalia Komashko. "We need to do this as if it was due yesterday." https://sputnikglobe.com/20230803/ukraine-using-colorful-toy-like-bombs-to-kill-civilians-as-west-runs-out-of-ammo-1112367541.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 James Tweedie https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png James Tweedie https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.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 James Tweedie https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png russia's special military operation in ukraine, conflict in ukraine, number of ukrainian soldiers wounded, ukrainian casualties https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/ukrainian-police-probe-incoming-defense-ministers-fund--reports-1113131329.html Ukrainian Police Probe Incoming Defense Minister's Fund Reports Ukrainian Police Probe Incoming Defense Minister's Fund Reports Late last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov being replaced with Rustem Umerov, a move that came against the backdrop of Kievs botched counteroffensive. 2023-09-05T14:07+0000 2023-09-05T14:07+0000 2023-09-05T14:07+0000 world ukraine russia volodymyr zelensky defense ministry move fund police criminal case /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/101630/51/1016305162_0:0:3073:1730_1920x0_80_0_0_044569bbb7fb499d3422fd8416a16ea1.jpg A criminal case has been opened against the leadership of the State Property Fund of Ukraine, which is headed by Rustem Umerov, who was recently appointed the countrys defense minister, a Ukrainian news outlet has reported.According to the outlet, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal ordered police to investigate the dismissal of Valery Bezlepkin and Valery Shchekaturov, independent members of the supervisory board of the public joint stock company Tsentrenergo.The outlet added that the criminal case has been lodged in connection with "the fact of a gross violation of labor laws."Zelensky said that Reznikov would be replaced with Umerov, whose candidacy is due to be supported by Ukrainian lawmakers.The Ukrainian president added that the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) "knows this man well," and that no "additional introductions" are needed for Umerov, who has been at the helm of the State Property Fund of Ukraine since 2022. Zelensky expressed hope that the lawmakers would say "yes" to Umerovs new appointment.Ukrainian Military May React Angrily to Umerov's Appointment Moscow-based political scientist Denis Denisov has, meanwhile, told Sputnik that he thinks "the Umerov case can hardly be effective from the point of view of legal practice."The political scientist described this figure as "a completely ambiguous and contradictory," not ruling out that Umerov's appointment will never be implemented. Denisov called the Umerov case-related situation an apparent "confrontation within the centers of power that exist in the Ukraine."When asked about political reaction in Ukraine to Umerov's appointment, Denisov stressed that the 41-year-old is perceived by many as a little-known functionary."Then again, Umerov's reputation and background are completely ambiguous and are unlikely to be taken seriously by many, especially by [Ukrainian] combat generals," Deniusov underlined.Dwelling on the Umerov case, he argued that it reflects a "natural" process of competition between financial and industrial groups inside Ukraines vertical power system of governance, something that he recalled has been in place since the mid-1990s."Nothing changed [since then], and it just acquired a slightly different form in Zelensky's current vertical of power," Denisov said. He added that with this competition still in place, it's safe to say that lodging a criminal case against Umerov was not accidental.Zelensky's reshuffle comes amid the Ukrainian army's unsuccessful attempts to break through Russian defensive lines. Shoigu said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had lost more than 66,000 soldiers and 7,600 weapons since the beginning of the counteroffensive in early June, adding that they failed to achieve any of their goals in three months of the counteroffensive, which was described by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a flop, not a stalemate. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230904/reznikovs-replacement-who-is-new-ukrainian-defense-minister-rustem-umerov-1113117116.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230904/russia-will-be-reliable-supplier-of-gas-and-continue-providing-gas-to-turkiye---putin-1113111521.html ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg new ukrainian defense minister umerov, umerov's state property fund of ukraine, criminal case against leadership of umerov's state property fund of ukraine, kiev's botched counteroffensive https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/ukrainian-spy-participated-in-us-capitol-breach-alongside-qanon-shaman--report-1113136979.html Ukrainian Spy Participated in US Capitol Breach Alongside QAnon Shaman Report Ukrainian Spy Participated in US Capitol Breach Alongside QAnon Shaman Report Investigative journalist Laura Loomer has exposed an alleged Ukrainian operative who participated in the US Capitol breach of January 6, 2021. She asked whether the establishment is using foreigners to instigate political conflict 2023-09-05T17:37+0000 2023-09-05T17:37+0000 2023-09-05T17:37+0000 us world stepan bandera donald trump ukraine azov donbass fbi cia laura loomer /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/0b/11/1090808965_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_418a25d7618bb78b12e635f6ec2bdbf1.jpg Famous January Sixer Jacob Chansley, also known as the QAnon Shaman, told American journalist Laura Loomer that a "Ukrainian spy" took part in the storming of the Capitol Hill but somehow was let off the hook by the FBI.Chansley said that the FBI interrogated certain American J6ers over whether they knew a Ukrainian operative named Serhiy Dubynyn (also transliterated as Sergai Dybynyn, or Serhiy Dybynyn).In one of the photos taken on January 6, 2021, QAnon Shaman is standing near the man later identified as Dubynyn at the front door of the US Capitol. Per Jacob, he didnt know who the man was: the individual approached him and asked for a photo.The FBI has not confirmed Chansley's statement.The infamous picture of QAnon Shaman and Dubynyn made a lot of noise on Twitter back in January 2021 with some netizens claiming that the Ukrainian operative was "an infowarrior for Inter TV". They went so far as to connect non-existent dots between the Ukrainian broadcaster and the Kremlin. Another pic of Dubynyn appeared to show him at the Donetsk airport which prompted a new wave of speculations about the man's links to the Donbass breakaway republics' militia.However, these claims were quickly busted: Dubynyn turned out to be a Ukrainian ultra-nationalist wanted by the Lugansk People's Republic authorities for crimes committed in Donbass.In one of the pictures, Dubynyn is wearing red-and-black Ukrainian nationalist attire with a trident stylized as menorah (multibranched candelabra, used in the religious rituals of Judaism). The T-shirt's slogan reads "zhido-bandera": the first part of the word is an offensive name for a Jew in Ukrainian; the second part refers to infamous WW2 Ukrainian Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera.For her part, Loomer wants answers as to what exactly the alleged Ukrainian spy did on January 6, 2021, at the US Capitol; why he has never been arrested by the FBI (despite his photo with QAnon Shaman immediately going viral); and why the Democrat-dominated House Committee on the January 6 Attack never mentioned Dubynyn.Previously, US conservative politicians and pundits raised the issue of possible FBI infiltrators and provocateurs in the crowd storming the Capitol on January 6. The US mainstream media later admitted that at least one FBI agent was indeed in the crowd on that day. However, independent journalists believe that there were many more of them, with some suggesting to the idea that the whole havoc was deliberately instigated by the US intelligence community to frame and demonize then-President Donald Trump and his supporters.Newsweek picked up Loomer's story and reached out to the FBI for comment via an email. However, the bureau's response, if there were any, is not cited by the media.Earlier, Loomer tweeted about American neo-Nazi Kent McLellan nicknamed "Boneface" who reportedly traveled to Ukraine as a US mercenary to serve with the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps of the Right Sector* in 2014 and then returned to join the Azov Battalion**, a Ukrainian neo-Nazi military group, in November 2022. McLellan was arrested in Florida by the FBI in 2012 for domestic terrorism. He claims that the CIA sent him to Ukraine to join the Azov Battalion.It appears that the FBI and CIA are playing the neo-Nazi card in their domestic and foreign affairs, using American and foreign operatives to do dirty jobs, the investigative journalist warned.*Right Sector is an extremist orgainization banned in Russia.**Azov Battalion is a terrorist organization banned in Russia. https://sputnikglobe.com/20211011/glaring-anomalies-why-6-january-insurrection-case-peddled-by-dems-doesnt-hold-water-1089832641.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230628/fbi-ignored-massive-amount-of-intel-info-ahead-of-jan-6-capitol-breach--senate-report-1111516832.html ukraine azov donbass 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 qanon shaman, jacob chansley, ukrainian spy, serhiy dubynyn, sergai dybynyn, serhiy dybynyn, capitol breach, capitol riots, laura loomer, fbi, cia, ukrainian neo-nazi, american neo-nazi, fbi infiltrators, war in ukraine, ukrainian conflict, donbass, joe biden https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/us-first-lady-jill-biden-tests-positive-for-covid-again-1113122845.html US First Lady Jill Biden Tests Positive for COVID Again US First Lady Jill Biden Tests Positive for COVID Again US First Lady Jill Biden, wife to US President Joe Biden, tested positive for COVID-19 after spending the weekend with the President. 2023-09-05T03:55+0000 2023-09-05T03:55+0000 2023-09-05T03:55+0000 americas jill biden joe biden white house delaware washington covid-19 /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/09/0e/1100784693_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_582dbe7b53fdf51dbf0a6554a42cf0e1.jpg The First Lady of the United States tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, following a three-day weekend she spent with US President Joe Biden.This evening, the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19," Jill Bidens communications director Elizabeth Alexander said in a statement late Monday. Alexander added that Jill Biden is remaining at the Biden home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.The President returned to Washington D.C. on Monday.This is the first ladys second time being diagnosed with COVID-19. In the summer of 2022, both Joe and Jill Biden tested positive. Both recovered after experiencing mild symptoms.Joe Biden was tested for the virus but his test came back negative. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that the President will continue to test regularly throughout the week.The United States is finishing up a three-day weekend, with Labor Day being observed on Monday. It was estimated to be the third-largest travel day of the year. https://sputnikglobe.com/20220824/us-first-lady-jill-biden-tests-positive-for-covid-19-1099955505.html americas delaware washington Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ian DeMartino Ian DeMartino 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 Ian DeMartino covid-19, jill biden has covid, do vaccines stop covid, you won't get covid if you got the vaccine https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/who-would-pay-for-it-ukraine-has-no-path-to-long-range-weapons-despite-ministers-boast-1113138827.html Who Would Pay for It?: Ukraine Has No Path to Long-Range Weapons Despite Ministers Boast Who Would Pay for It?: Ukraine Has No Path to Long-Range Weapons Despite Ministers Boast Despite the defense ministers big talk, Ukraine doesnt have the capacity to develop its own long-range missiles nor the clout to demand such weapons from the West, an expert told Sputnik on Tuesday. 2023-09-05T19:47+0000 2023-09-05T19:47+0000 2023-09-06T04:57+0000 analysis michael maloof ukraine long-range missiles tupolev tu-141 strizh recon drone army tactical missile system (atacms) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/01/07/1106118300_0:39:2965:1707_1920x0_80_0_0_4f91004f73f18f14c502d799a716f37c.jpg During a recent interview just before it was announced he was leaving office, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said Ukraine needed to develop missiles with a range well beyond its present capabilities, to use for striking deep inside Russian territory."Of course, it should be done, Reznikov told Ukrainian state media about long-range missile development, but there is a nuance: we do not need a missile that flies 15,000 kilometers, we do not plan to fight with partners who are 15,000 kilometers away," Reznikov said.At present, the Ukrainian military only has a strike capability of about 190 miles, thanks to the Army Tactical Missile Systems provided to Kiev alongside their HIMARS rocket artillery launchers. However, reports indicate Ukrainian forces may have fitted Soviet-era Tu-141 reconnaissance drones with explosives and used them to attack Russian bases in Dyagilevo in Ryazan Region and Engels in Saratov Region, the latter of which is nearly 400 miles from the conflict zone.Michael Maloof, a former senior security policy analyst in the Office of the US Secretary of Defense, said there was slim chance Reznikovs comments were realistic, but if they were, it would call for a reevaluation of all assistance being given to Kiev by Washington and NATO.Their industries are pretty well depleted, and if they showed signs of that, I think Russia would hit them very hard, Maloof told Sputnik. I don't think they have the industrial base. They're not going to be getting missiles from the West. So I have no clue what he's talking about. If they want to have some showpiece, where are they going to get the money? Who would pay for it?I mean, if you're going to develop something like that and develop the factory to make it, who pays for it? The United States? The United States doesn't support long-range or medium-range missiles for Ukraine that have the capability of being shot into Russia and creating a further escalation. And I think if there's evidence of that, then the funding would certainly be cut off after that - and it should be, because the last thing the world needs is an escalation of this conflict. So I think if that's the case, then this is going to call for a reevaluation of all assistance to the Ukrainians.On the other hand, it could be that Kiev would seek to pressure NATO into arming them with such long-range weapons, which might include ballistic missiles or cruise missiles like the Tomahawk, the latter of which is nuclear-capable and has long aroused the ire of Moscow since potential launch sites based on the AEGIS system were built in Romania and Poland.They can insist, but they're not going to get it, Maloof said. Look, the war will stop immediately when the supplies stop, and I think that that's going to be happening here very, very soon. This is the only way you're going to bring it to a close, because Ukrainians don't want to settle. They don't want to compromise. And Russia is going to hold on to what it has. And it's clear to me that now if the Ukrainians want to continue doing this, they're just going to get bashed even more and they're going to have further battlefield defeats, and that's going to be reflected very clearly in the press. And that will send signals to the West to put that pressure on them to finally stop the flow of resources to Ukraine.I have some real questions on the credibility of the Ukrainian minister's statements on where they are in terms of any counteroffensive or what capabilities they're trying to build back up. They don't have the industrial base and they don't have any money. All the money that they're getting now is coming from the West. All the supplies, again, are coming from the West to fight this war. And I just don't see how they can justify its existence, number one, he said of a long-range missile program, but then even justify its necessity when the world is basically calling on Ukraine and Russia to sit down and negotiate. But it doesn't appear to be the case. So I think Russia is going to have to mount its counteroffensive.The other thing that's lingering in the background that people conveniently like to forget - that's the weather. The [bad] weather is going to be coming in here very soon. We're already approaching fall and it's projected to be rather severe in Europe, the United States and elsewhere. And I think that this is going to be another indicator of the effectiveness. They're already losing in this counteroffensive. What's the fall and the winter going to bring?It's going to be a disaster for the Ukrainians, certainly. Once they wake up and can smell the coffee and agree to settle down, this is going to mean, of course, politically, that [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky is a dead man walking. 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/20230905/ukraine-fails-to-achieve-its-goals-in-three-months-of-counteroffensive--shoigu-1113129812.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Fantine Gardinier Fantine Gardinier News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Fantine Gardinier oleksiy reznikov; long-range missile; ukraine; defense minister Willys Home Run made her fourth appearance in the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold for freshman trotting fillies on Monday (Sept. 4) at Woodbine Mohawk Park and collected her fourth win of the series, pocketing the winner's share of the $104,000 purse. After taking two second-place finishes in the $30,000 elimination and $425,000 final of the Peaceful Way in mid-August, Willys Home Run picked up where she left off in the OSS Gold Series with James MacDonald holding the lines for trainer Kyle Fellows and the two-year-old Archangel-Rite Outa The Park filly did not let post 10 faze her. "When I saw the draw originally, I said that sucks," said MacDonald. "But I know what this filly is capable of and it was kind of a good situation going in. I raced her off the pace in the Peaceful Way and she had been racing so good, so I knew it wasnt like shed gone down the road four starts in a row and she had to do it again. MacDonald and Willys Home Run chased the wings of the car as they pulled away and the pair darted diagonally across the track to take the lead. Once she had control, Willys Home Run posted fractions in :27.4, :57.4 and 1:26.4, opening up with every stride. Around the final turn, the filly sealed her fate and continued on to win by six lengths in 1:55.1. Valuable Miss (Trevor Henry) took second and West River Ivory (Doug McNair) was third. In April or May, I had like 14 [two-year-olds] and I knew she was better than everything else, said Rob Fellows. You trained her with the pacers and shes better than them. She was just special. Dr. Sara Gatchell, Jake Higgs, Reg Higgs and Yolanda Fellows co-own the filly as she moved her career tally to 4-3-0 in seven starts and increased her earnings to $312,425. Earning a new career mark, Willys Home Run paid $2.40 to win as the bettors' choice. Dontmesswithmama proved she's not one to be messed with in her nine-horse field going for $103,100 as she rallied from the back of the pack to upset at 20-1 odds. Bob McClure and the Blake MacIntosh trainee got away seventh and sat 11 lengths off of the leading Zippy Zipporah (Jody Jamieson) through the :28.1 opening panel. The Muscle Mass-Special Interest filly continued in seventh as the field hit the half in :58.1 and moved into sixth along the pylons at the three-quarters in 1:27. Dontmesswithmama was still only in fifth around the final turn and used the lengthy stretch to her advantage. Sprinting down the lane, Dontmesswithmama chipped away at the distance standing between herself and victory. Favoured Rhythm Of Life (MacDonald) posted a hefty challenge, but Dontmesswithmama prevailed at the wire to win by a head in 1:56.1. Love Those Legs (Chris Christoforou) finished third. Every time a lane opened up for her, she just kept diving forward, said McClure. So, it was a good time for Blake to have her good, and she is rounding into form at the right time of year." The other day when I trained her, she didnt want to pass the last one, so I wasnt too happy about it, said MacIntosh. But she seemed to pass everything tonight. Owned by MacIntosh and Van Camp Trotting Corp, Dontmesswithmama earned her first win from five starts and moved her career sum to $69,761. To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park. Two-time O'Brien Award-winning trotter Fashion Frenzie will round out the lineup for the $1 million MGM Yonkers International Trot, representing Canada in the 1-1/4-mile showdown on Saturday, Sept. 9 at Yonkers Raceway. Yonkers Raceway confirmed on Tuesday morning that the connections of Fashion Frenzie have accepted the final invitation to this year's Yonkers International Trot. Trained by Richard Moreau, the Archangel-Striking Fashion gelding has four wins and two seconds while earning nearly $170,000 from seven starts in his five-year-old campaign. Last month during a three-race win streak, Fashion Frenzie went over the million-dollar mark in lifetime earnings, took a lifetime mark of 1:50.4 in the Free For All Trot at Woodbine Mohawk Park and won the Honourable Earl Rowe Memorial Invitational for a second time at Georgian Downs. He will head to Yonkers off a fourth placing in a Canadian record 1:50.2 mile last Saturday in the Maple Leaf Trot. Moreau trains the Grand Circuit stakes winner for Becancour, Que. owners Ecurie Francis Richard Inc., Pierre Guillemette and Sylvain Richard along with Mario Bourgea of Stanbridge East, Que. Trot Insider has learned that regular reinsman Louis-Philippe Roy will drive Fashion Frenzie in the Yonkers International Trot. Fashion Frenzie joins the field that includes another Canadian connection as United States representative Its Academic is owned by Brad Grant of Milton, Ont. Former Mohawk Million champion Venerate will also represent the United States and Canadian record holder Jiggy Jog S will represent Sweden. Other international contenders include Aldebaran Zeus A (Australia), Bengurion Jet (Italy), Etonnant (France), Get A Wish (Denmark), Hierro Boko (Finland) and Vivid Wise As (Italy). The $1 million MGM Yonkers International Trot headlines Saturday's card that includes a pair of $250,000 invitational races for older horses (Robert Miecuna Trot and Aria Pace) and the $1.8 million New York Sire Stakes finals. Post time is 12:15 p.m. (EDT). The International Trot is scheduled as race seven, with an estimated post time of 3 p.m. The post position draw for the International Trot as well as the New York Sire Stakes finals can be viewed on the Yonkers Raceway Facebook page at 5 p.m. today. She needs no introduction at Truro Raceway. Clare MacDonald opened the 2023 meet with a training/driving victory, winning with Woodmere Clara on May 7. Over her career, the Antigonish, N.S. native has earned her place in harness racing history, becoming the winningest active female driver in North America. She reached the 1,500-win mark at Truro Raceway on July 13, 2021 with trotter Mr Finlay Ridge. Truro Raceway will celebrate her storied career this Sunday, Sept. 10 during its race card dubbed Clare MacDonald Day, a fundraising event in support of the Alzheimers Society of Nova Scotia. MacDonald will be signing autographs and doing meet and greets with fans from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a commemorative t-shirt designed after her racing colours available for sale, as well as a special poster available for signing. A silent auction in the grandstand, from 12 noon to 3 p.m., will also be part of the festivities and all of the races on the day are sponsored, with proceeds from everything going to the Alzheimers Society. MacDonald's first pari-mutuel drive was in 1978 at Sackville Downs with West River Norman. He was a little free-legged horse who liked to front run," recalled MacDonald. "I sent him off the front and made a green rookie mistake, and invented the passing lane at the same time, because I drifted off the rail and Edgar Sparky Clarke came up the inside and won. A week later, she drove Dellmors Chief to her first victory. And I won my next one with the same horse, she noted. MacDonalds 1,000th driving win was with West River Redwing at Summerside Raceway in 2007. In 1994, she was in the sulky behind the first Maritime-bred trotter to break the 2:00 barrier on a Maritime track: West River Exotic in a track record 1:59.4h Atlantic Sires Stakes victory at Exhibition Park Raceway. The West River prefix originated with her father, Ed Haley, who established the West River Stock Farm near Antigonish, N.S. over 60 years ago. MacDonald was raised in the sport. I was treated with respect because of who I was, she said. I was always tagging along at all the tracks, so I knew everybody and they knew me. Id been warming up horses since I was probably 11 or 12, race days, on the track; doing a lot of training at home. She always wanted to drive professionally, but it took on added importance after losing her brother Rinaldo Neldie Haley in a 1969 car accident. He was leading driver at Truro Raceway and he was only 22, but hed been leading driver there the last two years and was leading at the time of his death. MacDonald became a licensed driver after a USTA rule amendment that lowered the age limit from 18 to 16. I turned 16 in December 1977 and I wrote my test a couple of days after that. I was driving by March, said MacDonald. USTA district director Frank Daniels returned from a meeting in Ohio to deliver the positive news himself in the Truro Raceway paddock. Ken and Clare MacDonald began running West River Stock Farm around 1980-81. In 1993, Clare had her first six-figure season on the track ($121,183; 45 wins from 157 drives). She won a 1993 Gold Cup and Saucer Trial with Kilkerran Ingle (p, 5, 1:54.4h; $125,787), later guiding him to a show finish in the final and winning Truro Raceways Exhibition Cup in a 1:54.4 track record. With 1,528 wins from 8,681 career starts and $4,962,889 in earnings as a driver, MacDonald continues to make history at Truro Raceway. I guess Im one of the few that's doing it as a living, she said. A lot of [women] are driving as a hobby and only have a few drives a year. I don't have near the numbers that I used to have, but stillIf you look, Ive stayed ultra-consistent for 40 years; my driving average hovers around the .300 mark. (With files from Truro Raceway) Local Patriot Guard members and volunteers are hoping to honor area veterans making their way to an Honor Flight for veterans of the Korean and Vietnam wars and Operation Desert Storm. Veterans will travel through Scottsbluff Thursday around midday before continuing on to Denver International Airport and from there Washington, D.C. The convoy will escort 14 veterans, selected by the Honor Flight Network, and will start up in Chadron and will travel down the Panhandle through Alliance, Scottsbluff, Kimball and into Colorado in Fort Morgan before arriving in Denver. Once the veterans arrive in D.C., they will be able to tour through various veterans memorials and meet with other veterans from around the country. When they arrive in Scottsbluff they will be stopping at the Elks Lodge on First Avenue for a quick lunch before continuing on their journey. In the past, the Patriot Guard has distributed flags to community members to line First Avenue along the veterans route to honor them. The Patriot Guard has 150 flags that we hand out to the public, that comes down and stands a flag line in honor of these heroes, Patriot Guard Senior Ride Captain Steve Thomlison. Thomlison said community members looking to participate in the flag line should arrive at the Elks Lodge around 11:15 a.m. so they can begin to arrange the line. According to Thomlison, the flag line takes about 15 to 20 minutes to set up. He also encouraged those who still want to honor these veterans but who are unable to attend at Elks Lodge to wave flags or stand in a civilians salute, with their hand over their heart, along their route. Their route will take them southeast on Highway 26 where they will turn onto East Overland and travel west until turning north onto Fifth Avenue. From there they will take Fifth Avenue to 20th Street. They will travel down to First Avenue to the Elks Lodge. The flag line will be assembled up First Avenue along the veterans route as a welcome before they arrive at the Elks Lodge for lunch. Following their lunch at 1 p.m., the group, with two local veterans in Roy Kent Greenwalt and John Oliver of Gering, will depart for Denver. The other veterans traveling on the trip are Chris Bartes, Stanley Feddersen, Robert Kammerer, Bradley Moomey and Donald Sheldon, all of Alliance; Carl Cousin and Gene Peters of Chadron; Clayton JR Barker and Dennis Brott of Crawford; Merle Spickelmeier of Hays Springs; Robert Betancur of Morrill and Jesse Javala of Lincoln. The veterans will also be accompanied by their 14 chosen guardians for a total of 28 on the trip, which is being paid for by volunteers and donors of the The Honor Flight Network. This trip is so well deserved, the last time they got a free trip, Uncle Sam provided it and they may not have particularly liked that, Thomlison said. Thomlison said events like these are about patriotism and trying to give back to people who have already given so much to this country. He had a number of family members serve but was unable to himself due to a childhood accident, so he sees this as his way of paying it back. He said he is hopeful that the public would show up and show their support for these veterans like they have in previous years. Its an absolutely awesome sight and (the veterans) are blown away for that, he said, so we hope we can do that again and the public is really willing to come out and support these heroes. Similar flag lines and welcome efforts have been planned in Alliance, Kimball and Colorado communities. (Photo : Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Perevalne, UKRAINE - MARCH 02: Soldiers who were among several hundred that took up positions around a Ukrainian military base stand near the base's periphery in Crimea on March 2, 2014 in Perevalne, Ukraine. Several hundred heavily-armed soldiers not displaying any idenifying insignia took up positions outside the base and parked several dozen vehicles, mostly trucks and patrol cars, nearby. The new government of Ukraine has appealed to the United Nations Security Council for help against growing Russian intervention in Crimea, where thousands of Russian troops reportedly arrived in recent days at Russian military bases there and also occupy key government and other installations. World leaders are scrambling to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to refrain from further escalation in Ukraine. Ukraine has put its armed forces on combat alert. Cuba's foreign ministry has uncovered a network of human traffickers that has forced Cuban citizens to fight for Russia in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Cuban government is actively working to dismantle this criminal organization, which has been active in both the Caribbean island nation and Russia. Cuba Uncovers Human Trafficking Ring in Ukraine Conflict On Monday, the Cuban Ministry of the Interior issued a statement illuminating a troubling situation. Although the information provided few specifics, it emphasized the insidious nature of the human trafficking ring that intends to incorporate Cuban citizens domiciled in Russia and Cuba into military operations in Ukraine. The ministry asserted, "Cuba has a clear historical stance against mercenaries and plays an active role in the United Nations condemning this practice." The Russian administration has not yet issued an official statement regarding these allegations. However, it is essential to note that this revelation follows a late May report from a Russian publication in the city of Ryazan. According to the report, a number of Cuban nationals signed contracts with the Russian military and were subsequently sent to Ukraine in exchange for Russian citizenship. Although it is unclear whether the Cuban foreign ministry's statement is related to the Ryazan report, it highlights the gravity of the situation. Before this, Russia had declared its ambitious plan to increase the size of its armed forces by more than 30 percent, aiming to reach 1.5 million combat personnel. However, this objective has become more difficult due to the unknown number of casualties suffered by Russian forces during the 18-month-long conflict in Ukraine. Cuba's statement also disclosed that legal action had been taken against those pressuring its citizens to fight in Ukraine. "Attempts of this nature have been neutralized, and criminal proceedings have been initiated against people involved in these activities," the statement declared, emphasizing Cuba's commitment to bringing the perpetrators to justice. This startling revelation recalls previous instances in which Russia's Wagner mercenary force recruited individuals from war-torn regions to fight alongside its troops in Ukraine. Al Jazeera reported that thousands of Syrians expressed interest in joining the ranks after being recruited for this purpose last year. Read Also: FBI Says Chinese Nationals Pretend to Be Tourists to Breach US Military Bases; China's Gate Crashers Now Under Investigation Russia-Ukraine War Recruitment In June, an Iraqi named Abbas Abuthar Witwit was tragically slain in Ukraine while fighting with the Wagner mercenary force of Russia. Witwit was recruited from a Russian prison with the false assurance that his sentence would be commuted upon completing his service in Ukraine. According to court documents, in July 2021, a court in the Russian city of Kazan sentenced him to four-and-a-half years in prison on drug allegations. Witwit was a first-year student at a technical university in Russia at the time of his conviction. The discovery of a human trafficking network involving Cuban nationals is a grave matter that raises concerns about the recruitment methods employed by some Ukrainian armed organizations. Cuba's dedication to combating this practice and pursuing justice for its citizens highlights the significance of international cooperation in addressing human trafficking and mercenaries in conflict zones. The international community will closely observe the Cuban government's efforts to dismantle this network and bring those guilty to justice. Related Article: 5 Killed in DC Shootings Over Labor Day Weekend @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A 44-year-old Omaha man was sentenced to life in prison Friday for sex trafficking of a minor, plus an additional 60 years for production of child sex abuse images, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Nebraska announced. Rolando E. Midder was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr., who said egregious is too kind of a word when describing Midders actions. In addition to the life sentence for sex trafficking, Rossiter sentenced Midder to 30 years each, the statutory maximum, for two counts of production of child sex abuse images. Midder was convicted in a weeklong jury trial in June. Evidence at the trial showed that Midder, who was living in an Omaha hotel, invited a homeless girl to live with him in February 2022, according to the release. Midder then began advertising the girl online and coordinating locations and prices for respondents to engage in sex acts with the girl, who was a minor, the release said. The advertisements continued until Midders arrest in June 2022. After Midders arrest, a search warrant for his phone was obtained. On the phone were ads created about the victim, conversations arranging commercial sex acts with the victim and videos showing himself raping the victim. When she was rescued by law enforcement, the victim was found to have numerous bruises, burns and scars, and she appeared extremely malnourished, according to the release. She said she had been raped and physically abused by Midder and expressed fear that he would kill her if he found out she had talked to law enforcement. The case was investigated by the FBI Omahas Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The sentence in this case fits the horrendous actions this individual perpetrated on the victim, acting U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr said in the release. Clashes in Eastern Syria curiously coincided with the claims of an impending American military operation Iyad al-Jaafari writes in Syria TV. The Iranian response to the ongoing protests in As-Suweida, which could potentially spread across Syria, stands in contrast to their actions during the early stages of the 2011 revolution. This time, the Iranian intervention is more immediate and proactive, signalling an attempt to anticipate and shape developments on the ground by initiating a new front of conflict in the eastern part of the country. This indicates that the Iranian axis recognizes the gravity of the situation in Syria and fears the prospect of entering into a protracted, costly, and politically challenging war to rescue the Assad regime once again. Back in 2011, the Iranian characterization of protests in Syria was not dissimilar to the situation currently unfolding in As-Suweida. However, within just two weeks of the start of the As-Suweida protests, key figures aligned with Tehran have emerged to deliver fervent speeches. These speeches affirm the narrative of a conspiracy behind the events and emphasize the alliances mobilization to support the Assad regime, along with veiled threats of combat in defence of the regime. Interestingly, it was the regime itself that orchestrated a preemptive response to potential protests arising from worsening living conditions. This preemptive action followed a campaign by activists with close ties to the regime, during which they openly criticized the regimes leader. Some advocates changed their positions, while others were detained, indicating a mixture of security pressure and manipulation. Several activists who shifted their stance justified their change by warning of an impending war on the eastern front, echoing Bashar Barhoums declaration that the voice of war speaks the loudest. These warnings coincided with reports in semi-official media outlets, notably Al-Watan newspaper, which cited Iraqi sources to suggest impending suspicious American military movements aimed at disrupting the Tehran-Damascus route along the Syrian-Iraqi border. Despite denials from both the United States and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) regarding any planned military operation, the Iranian axis escalated its narrative. Prominent figures within the alliance, including former Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Hezbollahs Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, linked an alleged U.S. military action to the As-Suweida protests, framing the protests as part of an American project. Curiously, clashes between the SDF and the Deir-ez-Zor Military Council, sparked by the arrest of the Councils leader Ahmed al-Khabil, coincided with the claims of an impending American military operation in eastern Syria. Some analysts suggest that the timing of these clashes and the inconsistencies among the Syrian armed factions supported by the U.S. may indicate Iranian infiltration and coordination within these factions. The claims made by the Iranian axis do not align with the actual situation. While the alliance seeks to escalate tensions in American-controlled areas, the U.S. lacks the capacity or inclination to seal the Syrian-Iraqi border against the Iranian movement. The Iranian axis exploits the idea of an alleged war in eastern Syria to demonize the protest movement, which is likely to intensify across Syria. This preemptive narrative could serve as a justification for suppressing the protests alongside the regime, much like what occurred in 2011. Given the absence of identifiable extremist elements linked to the As-Suweida protests, the alliances new pretext revolves around an alleged American project in eastern Syria. This pretext may even pave the way for an armed conflict front in the east, with the assumption that the U.S. administration is reluctant to engage in armed confrontations in an election year. Iranian decision-makers might wager on forcing a U.S. withdrawal from eastern Syria while leveraging the conflict as a tool to silence dissent against deteriorating living conditions. In the regimes current state, the reliance on war as a means of perpetuation is evident. In the absence of war, there is an expectation that life will return to normal for Syrians, which poses a daunting challenge for the regime due to deep-rooted corruption and the pervasive influence of the mafia economy mindset within its structure. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Mekdad highlighted Syria's alignment with positive global forces to establish a world free from colonialism, according to al-Watan. The 50th extraordinary conference of the Federation of Arab Communities in Latin America (FEARAB America) commenced on September 4, 2023, at the Damascus University Amphitheater. Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Faisal al-Mekdad, addressed the conference, emphasizing its significance as a tool for enhancing communication with expatriates host countries and dispelling misconceptions perpetuated by Western media regarding Syrias situation. Mekdad highlighted Syrias alignment with positive global forces to establish a world free from colonialism and exploitation, based on principles of multipolarity, justice, and international law. He expressed hope for the conference participants to concentrate on the federations future and develop mechanisms aligned with a comprehensive vision and complex geopolitical reality. Mekdad also asserted that the Turkish occupation in northeastern Syria would come to an end and advocated for Turkish withdrawal as a means to restore relations. Regarding the US occupation in northeastern Syria, Mekdad conveyed confidence that the heroic resistance of Deir Ezzor and Hassakehs inhabitants, alongside the Syrian Arab Army, would put an end to the U.S. looting of resources and support for separatist terrorist groups. Despite Syrias efforts to establish positive relations with Latin American countries, Mekdad mentioned that economic sanctions imposed on Syria and some of these countries have hindered progress. Assistant Foreign and Expatriates Minister Ayman Sousan welcomed conference attendees, praising FEARABs consistent support for Syria against destructive policies and crises initiated by the US administration. In a separate event, on the same day, Syrian Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister, Dr. Faisal al-Mekdad, engaged in discussions with the Russian Permanent Representative to the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons), Alexander Shulgin. They addressed the need for coordination and collaboration between their respective missions within the OPCW to counter shared challenges and pressures, often exerted by Western countries. Both parties criticized the politicization of the OPCWs activities and the hostile approach by Western nations towards countries opposing their agendas. Mekdad reiterated Syrias commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention and its pledge to deny the use of chemical weapons under any circumstances. Shulgin praised Syrias adherence to its obligations despite the ongoing terrorist conflict. The conversation also emphasized the deep-rooted friendship between Syria and Russia, acknowledging Russias support for Syria throughout its challenges. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Tribal fighters are currently attempting to resist the SDF's advance, according to Syria TV. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) assumed control of al-Shuhayl, located to the east of Deir-ez-Zor, following the withdrawal of tribal fighters to al-Hawaij and Dhiban which are strongholds of Sheikh al-Akaidat Ibrahim al-Hafel. Reports from local sources indicate that the SDF initiated a thorough house-to-house search in Shuhail, resulting in several arrests among the towns residents. Naher Media network released a video showing tribal fighters from surrounding villages and towns in the eastern countryside converging at the residence of Hafel, presumably to regroup and counter the SDFs offensive. According to the network, tribal fighters launched a counterattack later in the day, reclaiming portions of Shuhayl, and extending their control as far as Shuhayl Specialized Hospital. Since Sunday night, the region surrounding Shuhayl and Dhiban, southeast of Deir-ez-Zor, has been engulfed in intense clashes between the SDF and Arab tribal fighters. The scene today The clashes on the outskirts of the towns of Shuhayl and Dhiban erupted after the SDF gained full control of the city of Busaira, situated north of the two towns. Additionally, they secured control over the neighbouring village of al-Zar. Tribal fighters are currently attempting to resist the SDFs advance, which was initiated with a substantial deployment from the international coalition base in the nearby Omar oil field. Their objective is to assert authority over the towns of Shuhayl and Dhiban. According to sources reported by Syria TV, the SDF is actively working to establish control over the town of Dhiban, which happens to be the birthplace of Hafel. The SDFs intention appears to be weakening the leadership of Arab tribal fighters and subsequently compelling them into negotiations. The SDF released a statement in which it singled out Hafel, labelling him as the instigator of discord, and pledged to employ military decisiveness against Arab tribal fighters in eastern Syria. Simultaneous with the SDFs takeover of Busaira and their efforts to advance in Shuhayl and Dhiban, a raid and arrest operation unfolded in the towns and villages of al-Sour, located northeast of Deir-ez-Zor. Additionally, snipers and checkpoints were established on the outskirts of the area. According to sources, unidentified gunmen, whether affiliated with Arab tribes or otherwise, launched missile and canister attacks on SDF positions in towns and villages in the western countryside of Deir-ez-Zor. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has previously underscored his country's unwavering commitment to combat drug trafficking, according to al-Modon. On Monday, the Jordanian army announced the successful interception of a drone transporting illicit drugs from Syria, marking the first such incident in September and the second within a week. According to a military spokesperson, border security forces, in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration and various military security agencies, detected an illegal attempt by a drone to breach the Syrian-Jordanian border. The drone was subsequently shot down within Jordanian territory. The spokesperson disclosed that the drone was carrying a significant quantity of the narcotic substance known as crystal and has since been turned over to the appropriate authorities. He emphasized, The Jordanian armed forces remain resolute in dealing decisively with any threats along our border and any actions aimed at undermining our homelands security and intimidating our citizens. This incident represents the first drone interception by the Jordanian army in September, with the previous occurrence happening just a week earlier on August 28th. However, it was not clarified whether the earlier drone was carrying narcotics or explosives. On August 16th, the Jordanian military reported intercepting a drone attempting to smuggle TNT explosives from Syria into Jordan. Prior to that, on August 13, another drone carrying drugs from Syria was successfully shot down. Going back to July 24, yet another drone loaded with narcotics from Syria was intercepted. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has previously underscored his countrys unwavering commitment to combat drug trafficking, even if it necessitates military actions within Syrian territory. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Residents of Jabal al-Zawiya in the southern countryside of Idleb were forced to evacuate on Monday morning, according to Baladi News. Villages and towns in the southern and eastern countryside of Idleb witnessed a distressing displacement of residents on Monday, due to relentless ground and aerial bombardments carried out by the regime forces and Russia. According to the White Helmets, the residents of Jabal al-Zawiya in the southern countryside of Idleb were forced to evacuate on Monday morning. Additionally, the people in the city of Sarmin and the town of Afes in the eastern countryside of Idleb were compelled to flee their homes due to the severe bombardment initiated by regime forces and Russia in the preceding days. The White Helmets has emphasized that numerous families remain trapped in the area, devoid of any safe refuge to shield them from the systematic bombings that relentlessly target their homes. These families are forced to remain in the area to salvage their agricultural crops, which constitute their sole source of livelihood. Each military offensive launched by the regime forces and Russia in the region exacts a heavy toll, resulting in the loss of hundreds of civilian lives and numerous injuries, some of which lead to permanent disabilities. These offensives compel hundreds, if not thousands, of families to abandon their homes in a desperate bid to escape the spectre of death, consigning them to live in makeshift cloth tents that offer barely any protection from the scorching summer heat and bitter winter cold. Presently, more than 1.6 million individuals find themselves residing in makeshift camps scattered throughout various parts of northwestern Syria. These camps have become their sole sanctuary after being uprooted from their homes due to relentless air and ground bombardments by regime forces and Russia in areas beyond their control. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. A significant meeting between Ethan Goldrich and Syrian opposition leaders was held in Istanbul, according to Athr Press. The US Embassy in Syria issued a statement via its official X account, announcing a significant meeting between Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Ethan Goldrich, and Syrian opposition leaders in Istanbul. The purpose of this meeting was to deliberate recent developments in the governorates of Deir ez-Zor, Suweida, and Hasakeh. Goldrich emphasized the ongoing commitment of the United States to provide support to the Syrian opposition during this critical phase. This meeting takes place amidst heightened US engagement with the Syrian situation, evidenced by various discussions conducted by American officials with a broad spectrum of Syrian opposition members, both within the political and military spheres. US delegation in Deir ez-Zor: After a week of escalating tensions and clashes in Deir ez-Zor governorate between Arab tribes and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the United States finally broke its silence. The US Central Command issued a statement confirming its ongoing support and collaboration with the SDF. Following this statement, a meeting was scheduled involving US officials, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Goldrich, Major General Foil of the Interior Administration Office, SDF leaders, and tribal leaders from the Syrian Jazira region. The purpose of this meeting was to address the growing tension in the Deir ez-Zor region. The US embassy in Syria, via its account on X, conveyed that during the discussions, there was a consensus on the importance of addressing the concerns of Deir ez-Zors residents and preventing external interventions in the area. These developments unfolded amid violent clashes between Arab tribes and the SDF, sparked by the SDFs detention of Ahmed al-Khabil-Abu Khawla, the commander of the Deir ez-Zor Military Council, along with several council leaders in Hasakeh. In an interview with Athr Press, Sheikh Nawaf al-Bashir, the leader of the al-Bakara clan, affirmed that the US side is closely monitoring the situation and intends to work towards its containment. Northern Syria: During the last week of August, a delegation of US senators arrived in the northern countryside of Aleppo, which is under Turkish control. The US delegation conducted a brief tour of a camp in northwestern Syria, with the participation of Badr Jamous, the head of the Syrian Negotiation Commission. However, three days after the visit, The Washington Post reported that the visit was unexpectedly short, lasting no more than half an hour, despite initial plans for a longer visit. This abrupt change in the visits duration was attributed to concerns about the security situation in the region. The US State Department cited security concerns as the reason for cutting short the visit by US lawmakers, explaining that it was limited to just half an hour and remained close to the Turkish border. Its worth noting that many fronts in Syria have experienced a significant increase in tensions in recent days. In western Syria, armed factions have intensified their attacks and targeted Syrian army positions. Simultaneously, regions like Hasakeh, Raqqa, and the northern countryside of Aleppo have seen escalating conflicts between Ankara-backed factions and the SDF. Additionally, tensions have risen in Deir ez-Zor, where Arab tribal forces have clashed with the SDF. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. When the world is talking about how hazardous AI can be for humankind, it has proved to the contrary again and emerged as a boon. In a remarkable medical breakthrough at the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, Israel, this AI-based technology recently played a pivotal role in saving a patient's life. According to a report by Israel Hayom, the incident involved a 50-year-old city resident who had come in for a routine CT scan due to persistent, severe headaches. What followed was a life-saving sequence of events that showcased the power of AI in healthcare. Typically, patients would have to wait one to two weeks for the results of a CT scan. However, this case took a different turn. Thanks to an alert generated by an AI-based program known as Viz.ai, the medical staff received a critical warning almost immediately. The program's advanced, FDA-cleared algorithms swiftly analyzed the CT scan data and raised concerns about a dangerous intracranial bleeding. This alert prompted immediate action by medics. With the patient still in proximity to the hospital, doctors wasted no time in reaching out and urging him to return promptly. A decision that undoubtedly saved his life. An emergency procedure was swiftly performed to address the potentially life-threatening condition. What is Viz.ai? Viz.ai is a cutting-edge technology that specializes in analyzing medical imaging data, particularly CT scans. By providing real-time insights and automated assessments, it significantly accelerates the process of diagnosis and treatment. This transformative technology had earned the company recognition as a Forbes Top 50 AI company in 2021. Operating from the United States, Viz.ai is at the forefront of developing software solutions aimed at expediting the diagnostic process for various acute and emergent diseases across hospitals and health systems. One of its primary objectives is to leverage artificial intelligence to streamline care coordination, reducing the systemic delays that often stand between patients and life-saving treatments. Dr. Dan Paz, from the Galilee Medical Center, commended the technology for its life-saving capabilities. He emphasized that "Without it, the patient would have probably come to us too late." This remarkable case serves as an excellent example of how innovative technology, driven by artificial intelligence, is transforming clinical workflows and, most importantly, patient care. As AI continues to advance, we can expect more stories of miraculous rescues and medical advancements in the years to come. A new smartphone from Huawei Technologies Co. has reignited debate over chip technology and China's ability to skirt US-led curbs. In reality, last week's release of the Mate 60 Pro shows that the success of sanctions is painted in shades of grey, with the true impact yet to come. High-performance and fast connection speeds indicate that the sleek new device is equipped with 5G wireless capabilities and an advanced system-on-chip processor manufactured by Shanghai-based Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. Testing by Bloomberg News shows the smartphone hitting speeds in excess of 350 megabits per second. That's akin to fifth-generation mobile standards and is on par with Apple Inc. 's iPhones. The news spurred optimism in China that home-grown technology is catching up to foreign rivals, despite tighter rules on sales of semiconductors and manufacturing equipment to the country. There is hope that Chinese companies will be able to tide over the US government's sanctions and restrictions on chip supply, the government-backed China Daily wrote. Regulations announced by the US Commerce Department in October last year restrict the export of manufacturing tools that can churn out processors at 16 nanometers or below (smaller geometries are more advanced). Allies, including major equipment exporters Japan and the Netherlands, agreed to follow these rules. Neither Huawei or SMIC have publicized specifications for the chip inside the Mate 60 Pro. Yet the size and performance of the processor means it was almost certainly made by SMIC at 7nm or better, Dylan Patel, founder of semiconductor researcher SemiAnalysis told me this week. Tests conducted in July last year by Canadian researcher TechInsights on an earlier chip, the MinerVA7 Bitcoin Miner, a simpler processor used for cryptocurrency mining, showed SMIC had achieved 7nm. The latest chip is the Kirin 9000s, developed by Huawei affiliate HiSilicon, according to a teardown by TechInsights this week. HiSilicon lists this chip as being made at the superior 5nm node, though Bloomberg News reports that it was made at SMIC's most advanced 7nm process.(1) This makes the latest development evolutionary rather than revolutionary, so the celebrations in Beijing and hand-wringing in Washington are both premature. It's a breakthrough, but not unexpected. SMIC already showed it could make simpler chips at 7nm, and this is an advancement on that previous work, Patel said. Such progress is feasible because older tools, nominally designed to make lesser chips, are still capable of making more advanced semiconductors, Patel said. A variety of innovative techniques can be deployed to shrink the connections beyond what might be theoretically possible. The most common approach, called multi-patterning, was first conceived 40 years ago and is even used by global leader Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Instead of exposing a slice of silicon to light just once in order to mark out the circuit design, this step is done many times. SMIC, like TSMC before it, can achieve 7nm by running this lithography step four times or more, Patel said. There is a downside. This increases the number of tools required four sets instead of one raising the cost and slowing manufacturing throughput. Yet such extra expenses are marginal, and can be ameliorated by efficiently managing the production process. The bigger implication is that the restrictions, as they're spelt out by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, don't match their purported goal. The US administration has in effect written rules to curb the means (the equipment), but defined them by the ends (the final product). This is like banning jet engines capable of reaching 100 knots, without recognizing that an aircraft manufacturer could just add four engines instead of one in order to provide greater thrust and higher speeds. Sure, four engines may be overkill, inefficient and expensive, but when the ends justify the means a sanctioned actor will get innovative. The other gap in this regulatory fence is that equipment is still being shipped. Dutch export curbs, which apply to key equipment supplier ASML Holding NV, took effect on Sept. 1. The Veldhoven-based company has a license to send three more advanced tools using deep ultraviolet technology to China by the end of the year. It doesn't expect to get permission to ship more of that equipment from next year, it said. Policymakers need to be patient before deciding whether the equipment curbs really work. It's possible the current restrictions will still allow Chinese companies to get to 5nm, though they'll still trail leaders TSMC, Samsung Electronics Co. and Intel Corp. by many years. By comparison, TSMC started shipping at 7nm five years ago, and this year is producing chips at what it calls N3E, which is far more advanced than what SMIC appears to have achieved with its chip for Huawei. It's highly unlikely Chinese chipmakers can squeeze more out of old tools to get them beyond 5nm, which means they'll be stuck while foreign rivals continue to advance. And if they do make further breakthroughs, the US and its allies have plenty of ways to tighten up their curbs, including broadening the scope of the equipment ban and adding materials to the list. For now, though, Beijing has found a way to sidestep foreign chip restrictions. The celebration is well deserved, but might not last. More From Bloomberg Opinion: China Painted Itself Into a Semiconductor Corner: Tim Culpan Xi Needs to Act on the Economy to Avoid Mao's Fate: Minxin Pei China's Downturn Could Save the World: David Fickling (1) The Kirin was originally expected to be made by TSMC at 5nm, but US curbs may have forced TSMC to deny the order resulting in the chip being made by SMIC at 7nm. Following a teacher's suspected suicide, which was widely attributed to the stress placed on educators in a nation known for its rigorous educational standards, hundreds of thousands of teachers are protesting in South Korea. Angry teachers are requesting legal reform and increased protections because they claim they are subject to excessively demanding parents and even harassment, as reported by CNN. The Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations cited rally organizers as saying that up to 200,000 protesters attended the demonstration on Saturday. Moreover, organizers claim that 50,000 teachers stopped working on Monday and assembled in the nation's capital to remember the teacher who had passed away, despite earlier warnings from the authorities that a strike would be deemed "illegal." According to a statement released in August by the nation's Education Ministry and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, which conducted an inquiry into the death, the teacher had been teaching first-grade homeroom at the Seoi primary school in Seoul when she passed away on July 18 while on duty. The teacher's name was omitted. The instructor had taken "the unfortunate decision to take an extreme choice," which is a typical euphemism in South Korea for suicide, according to Cho Hee-yeon, superintendent of the metropolitan education office, two days after she passed away. While acknowledging "the reality that teachers' legitimate educational activities are not protected," Cho said police were still looking into the incident and suggested "special measures" to give instructors stronger institutional and legal protections. Addressing Misconceptions About the Teacher's Death Education authorities addressed a number of falsehoods that were circulating on social media after opening an investigation, including reports that a conflict between two pupils had contributed to the teacher's passing. When officials revealed their conclusions in August, the education deputy minister claimed that the parents of both of the students implicated had attended a meeting with the teacher. One parent made "multiple phone calls" for the teacher, and the teacher had "uncomfortable and anxious feelings about how the parent found out their personal mobile number," the student said. The deputy minister went on to say that it was unclear as of yet whether the instructor had experienced any "verbal violence" from the parent. Many educators in South Korea who had long complained that they were afraid to chastise their kids for fear of backlash finally reached a breaking point after the death. This mounting rage has been fanned by a number of further recent allegations of teacher suicides, which led to weeks of nonstop rallies before Monday's strike. According to government statistics, between January 2018 and June 2023, 100 South Korean public school teachersmostly elementary school teacherscommitted themselves. (Photo: by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - SEPTEMBER 04: South Korean teachers participate in a rally in front of the National Assembly on September 04, 2023, in Seoul, South Korea. School teachers hold a massive rally in Seoul on Monday to mourn the recent suicide deaths of fellow teachers distressed by disgruntled parents and unruly students, and to call for measures to prevent such tragedies. It is unknown how many of those suicides were related to the victims' jobs because the data does not define the causes that led to their deaths. However, a contentious law concerning child abuse that was introduced in 2014 has been criticized by many in the school community. According to the law, anyone who suspects child abuse can contact the police without having to submit any supporting documentation. Following that, authorities may look into the claim, visiting the claimed abuse location (in this example, the schools), and speaking with pertinent parties. Parents who believe their child has been wronged, teachers claim, may unfairly target them, putting their employment in peril. More than 60 percent of the 6,243 respondents to a study by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union indicated they had either personally been reported for child abuse or knew another teacher who had. Read also: South Korea Takes Bold Step to Tackle Social Isolation, Offering 'Lonely Young People' Money Growing Mental Health Problems in South Korea The demonstrations and attention to teacher suicides are a reflection of South Korea's general mental health problems and long-standing complaints about its demanding educational system. According to the health ministry of the nation, South Korea has the highest rate of suicide among the OECD countries, with that percentage rising among adolescents and young adults in their 20s. Teenagers frequently list education as their top concern, and most Korean students attend private cram schools for extra instruction after regular school each day before continuing their own studies until late at night. Related article: South Korea Pounded with Back-to-Back Stabbing Rampages Prompting Police To Tighten Security @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Onsurity has launched Cyber Insurance for SME businesses, its first non-health product under Onsurity Plus. With Onsurity Plus, the company aims to redefine business security for its customers by introducing a diversified range of insurance products tailored to mitigate business and operational risks, reinforcing its commitment to fostering resilient and thriving business ecosystems. According to the Ministry of State for Electronics and Information Technology, in 2022 alone, India reported 13.91 lakh cyber security incidents. The actual number is expected to be much higher. In a world where digital threats are mounting and becoming increasingly complex, businesses of all sizes find themselves susceptible to cyberattacks. The rise of e-commerce and digital platforms, particularly driven by ONDC, has made it essential for all SMEs to consider dedicated cyber insurance solutions, irrespective of their digital maturity. While established corporations may have comprehensive insurance coverage, SMEs must now prioritise cyber insurance in this digital age. This protection not only safeguards them against cyber risks but also strengthens trust with their expanding online consumer base. With platforms like ONDC aiming to significantly expand e-retail penetration, including SMBs from small towns and rural areas, the digital exposure of businesses across India is poised to grow. Onsurity has partnered with Indias leading insurance companies and the worlds largest AA-rated reinsurers to bring this vital product to businesses in India. The product offers a comprehensive suite of protection, including coverage for data breaches, ransomware attacks, business interruption, and legal expenses related to cyber incidents. This tailor-made solution is geared towards helping SMEs mitigate the financial and reputational risks associated with cybersecurity breaches. Speaking on the launch of the product, Yogesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO, Onsurity said, With Onsurity Plus, our commitment to safeguarding businesses now extends beyond just their employees healthcare needs. With the launch of our Cyber Insurance product, we aim to empower SMEs across India with a robust defence against the escalating threat of cyberattacks. With the new Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill, it will become imperative for companies to prioritise cybersecurity and take all the necessary measures to prevent data breaches and protect sensitive information from unauthorised access. Therefore, investing in the right cyber insurance product will become paramount. The aftermath of a data breach is not just monetary. It jeopardises intellectual assets potentially worth millions. With Onsurity, businesses can avail a 1 crore cover starting at just 50,000 per year. The policy covers the company and its key managerial personnel (KMPs) like Directors, CFO, CTO, CISO, etc. Remote announced the availability of its first-to-market API solution in India. In the post-pandemic world, Indian companies are the biggest recruiter of remote international workers in the APAC region. About 50% of Indian small-to-medium businesses are planning to hire 40-60% full-time employees or contractors from other countries in the next 12 months (according to recent research by IDC sponsored by Remote). The Remote API is built for software partners to embed Remotes global employment solution directly within their platforms, giving the companies they serve the ability to effortlessly hire employees globally, pay their teams in local currencies, and remain compliant with local regulations. Through a customizable integration, partners can support their customers workforce needs in multiple countries all within their own platform, enabling them to scale more efficiently. Remotes customers can also use the Remote API to build custom integrations to securely sync their employee and contractor data between Remote and their HR tools of choice. This industry-leading integration through a single platform makes it easier for businesses to manage a global workforce, enabling them to scale efficiently with less hassle. Chris McNamara, Chief Revenue Officer at Remote, said, For modern companies, building a high-performance team requires an ability to acquire the best talent globally. The Remote API makes it possible for our partners to immediately offer their customers the ability to hire anywhere around the world. Weve meticulously built all the employment infrastructure and compliance knowledge so that our partners and their customers can simply plug in and focus on their core business. The Remote API can be tailored based on each partners individual needs, from simple builds to existing processes such as annual leave management, through to a fully embedded, white-labeled solution to manage the entire global employment lifecycle directly from the partners platform. Remote recently partnered with Gusto, a leader in payroll, benefits, and HR serving more than 300,000 businesses in the United States, to launch a solution enabling customers to hire, pay, and manage international employees, quickly and compliantly. Gusto Global powered by Remote leverages the Remote API to enable U.S. customers to manage and pay their entire global team through the Gusto platform, regardless of whether those team members are in the U.S., international, contract, or full-time. Hitachi Payment Services announced the launch of the countrys first-ever UPI-ATM as a White Label ATM (WLA) in association with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), offering secure card-less cash withdrawals. The UPI-only White Label ATM significantly enhances customer security by eliminating the need for physical cards. The Hitachi Money Spot UPI ATM would provide customers a unified and secure user experience while offering them the convenience of card-less cash withdrawals. Furthermore, it will drive financial inclusion by facilitating easy access to banking services in areas where traditional banking infrastructure and card penetration is limited. Leveraging advanced and innovative technology, the Hitachi Money Spot UPI ATM delivers a seamless digital experience for customers. Hitachi Payment Services has been at the forefront of bringing innovative offerings in the payments domain and presently is the only White Label ATM operator to offer Cash Deposit facility. This service can be accessed at more than 3,000 ATM locations. Sumil Vikamsey, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer Cash Business, Hitachi Payment Services, said, As Indias leading end-to-end payments and commerce solutions provider, we are happy to launch an industry-first offering in the White Label ATM space with Hitachi Money Spot UPI ATM. This novel offering empowers any bank customer to experience the convenience of QR-based UPI cash withdrawals. UPI has been the fastest growing payment mode in the country and accounts for more than 50% of digital transaction volumes. The Hitachi Money Spot UPI ATM is a testament to Hitachi Payment Services technological capabilities and commitment towards making innovative banking services accessible to citizens across the country. Commenting on the announcement, Mahesh Patel, Director Products and Digital Transformation, Hitachi Payment Services, said We are excited to launch the countrys first-ever UPI ATM on Android platform for our White Label ATM network in association with NPCI. The Hitachi Money Spot UPI ATM is built on Android OS and brings in significant possibilities of transitioning from legacy architecture of transaction processing and ATM management to offering solutions in line with evolving technology. We believe the UPI ATM is a major milestone in the banking landscape. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), said, We are delighted to empower customers with this innovative and customer-friendly enhancement for ATM transactions. The launch of the UPI ATM, will mark a significant milestone in banking services by seamlessly integrating the convenience and security of UPI into traditional ATMs. This innovative concept is designed to provide quick access to cash even in the remote areas of India without the need for a physical card. 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: Alan Joyce is stepping down as chief executive of Qantas two months early, the airline announced. Qantas' veteran chief executive Alan Joyce announced his early retirement Tuesday, as Australia's once-loved national carrier faced searing criticism over price gouging and poor service. The 102-year-old airline has long been seen as a national champion, epitomizing globetrotting Aussies' sense of adventure and embodying the "Spirit of Australia". Irish-born Joyce has been in charge for close to 15 years, often delivering bumper profits for shareholders and safeguarding the airline's dominantcritics say monopolisticmarket position. But Qantas' reputation and Joyce's have been battered since the pandemicwhich brought job losses and soaring flight prices despite a COVID-induced multi-billion-dollar taxpayer bailout. Qantas is currently being investigated for selling 8,000 tickets for already canceled flights, with a government watchdog seeking record penalties after receiving thousands of consumer complaints. The 57-year-old CEO had been due to step down in November, but on Monday the airline said that was being brought forward by two months. Chief financial officer Vanessa Hudson was tapped as his replacement. "In the last few weeks, the focus on Qantas and events of the past make it clear to me that the company needs to move ahead with its renewal as a priority," Joyce said in a statement. "The best thing I can do under these circumstances is to bring forward my retirement and hand over to Vanessa and the new management team now, knowing they will do an excellent job." Qantas posted an annual profit of US$1.1 billion last month, capping a major financial rebound from the COVID-19 years, when Australia virtually shuttered its borders. Under Joyce's stewardship, the airline drastically restructured to get its books in better shapeoften infuriating workers who were sacked or stood down to cut costs. Michael Kaine, the Transport Workers' Union national secretary, welcomed Joyce's departure and called on board members to also go. "Alan Joyce's departure is welcome news for workers. In fact, it's the first good decision the Qantas board has made for a very long time. "Alan Joyce is slipping into retirement two months early with a $24 (US$16) million pay packet, leaving one of the biggest messes in corporate Australia's history in his wake," he claimed. Australia's center-left government has become embroiled in the crisis. Critics say Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's decision to reject Qatar Airway's plan for more Australia flights was about protecting Qantas profits and hurt passengers. "In Australia, we have the most open aviation market in the world, bar none," Albanese said last week, denying protectionist behavior, while insisting aviation sector reforms were already in the pipeline. Company chairman, Richard Goyder, said Joyce "always had the best interests of Qantas front and center", but added that "this transition comes at what is obviously a challenging time" for the carrier. "We have an important job to do in restoring the public's confidence in the kind of company we are," Goyder added. Qantas has said their shareholders will formally vote on Hudson's appointment at their annual general meeting in November. 2023 AFP 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: Researchers were able to spoof a wide range of email addresses. Credit: University of California San Diego Sending an email with a forged address is easier than previously thought, due to flaws in the process that allows email forwarding, according to a research team led by computer scientists at the University of California San Diego. The issues researchers uncovered have a broad impact, affecting the integrity of email sent from tens of thousands of domains, including those representing organizations in the U.S. governmentsuch as the majority of U.S. cabinet email domains, including state.gov, as well as security agencies. Key financial service companies, such as Mastercard, and major news organizations, such as The Washington Post and the Associated Press, are also vulnerable. It's called forwarding-based spoofing and researchers found that they can send email messages impersonating these organizations, bypassing the safeguards deployed by email providers such as Gmail and Outlook. Once recipients get the spoofed email, they are more likely to open attachments that deploy malware, or to click on links that install spyware on their machine. Such spoofing is made possible by a number of vulnerabilities centered on forwarding emails, the research team found. The original protocol used to check the authenticity of an email implicitly assumes that each organization operates its own mailing infrastructure, with specific IP addresses not used by other domains. But today, many organizations outsource their email infrastructure to Gmail and Outlook. As a result, thousands of domains have delegated the right to send email on their behalf to the same third party. While these third-party providers validate that their users only send email on behalf of domains that they operate, this protection can be bypassed by email forwarding. For example, state.gov, the email domain for the Department of State, allows Outlook to send emails on their behalf. This means emails claiming to be from state.gov would be considered legitimate if they came from Outlook's email servers. As a result, an attacker can create a spoofed emailan email with a fake identitypretending, for example, to come from the Department of Stateand then forward it through their personal Outlook account. Once they do this, the spoofed email will now be treated as legitimate by the recipient, as it is coming from an Outlook email server. Versions of this flaw also exist for five other email providers, including iCloud. The researchers also discovered other smaller issues that impact users of Gmail and Zohomaila popular email provider in India. Researchers reported the issue to Microsoft, Apple and Google but to their knowledge, it has not been fully fixed. "That is not surprising since doing so would require a major effort, including dismantling and repairing four decades worth of legacy systems," said Alex Liu, the paper's first author and a Ph.D. student in the Jacobs School Department of Computer Science and Engineering at UC San Diego. "While there are certain short-term mitigations that will significantly reduce the exposure to the attacks we have described here, ultimately email needs to stand on a more solid security footing if it is to effectively resist spoofing attacks going forward." The team presented their findings at the 8th IEEE European Symposium on Privacy and Security, July 3 to 7, 2023, in Delft, where the work won best paper. Different attacks Researchers developed four different types of attacks using forwarding. For the first three, they assumed that an adversary controls both the accounts that send and forward emails. The attacker also needs to have a server capable of sending spoofed email messages and an account with a third party provider that allows open forwarding. The attacker starts by creating a personal account for forwarding and then adds the spoofed address to the accounts' white lista list of domains that won't be blocked even if they don't meet security standards. The attacker configures their account to forward all email to the desired target. The attacker then forges an email to look like it originated from state.gov and sends the email to their personal Outlook account. Then all the attacker has to do is forward the spoofed email to their target. More than 12% of the Alexa 100K most popular email domainsthe most popular domains on the Internetare vulnerable to this attack. These include a large number of news organizations, such as the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press, as well as domain registrars like GoDaddy, financial services, such as Mastercard and Docusign and large law firms. Example of a spoofed email attack exploiting open forwarding and relaxed validation policies for forwarded email from well-known providers. Credit: University of California San Diego In addition, 32% of .gov domains are vulnerable, including the majority of US cabinet agencies, a range of security agencies, and agencies working in the public health domain, such as CDC. At the state and local level, virtually all primary state government domains are vulnerable and more than 40% of all .gov domains are used by cities. In a second version of this attack, an attacker creates a personal Outlook account to forward spoofed email messages to Gmail. In this scenario, the attacker takes on the identity of a domain that is also served by Outlook, then sends the spoofed message from their own malicious server to their personal Outlook account, which in turn forwards it to a series of Gmail accounts. Roughly 1.9 billion users worldwide are vulnerable to this attack. Researchers also found variations of this attack that work for four popular mailing list services: Google groups, mailman, listserv and Gaggle. Potential solutions Researchers disclosed all vulnerabilities and attacks to providers. Zoho patched their issue and awarded the team a bug bounty. Microsoft also awarded a bug bounty and confirmed the vulnerabilities. Mailing list service Gaggle said it would change protocols to resolve the issue. Gmail also fixed the issues the team reported and iCloud is investigating. But to truly get to the root of the issue, researchers recommend disabling open forwarding, a process that allows users to configure their account to forward messages to any designated email address without any verification by the destination address. This process is in place for Gmail and Outlook. In addition, providers such as Gmail and Outlook implicity trust high-profile email services, delivering messages forwarded by these emails regardless. Providers should also do away with the assumption that emails coming from another major provider are legitimate, a process called relaxed validation policies. In addition, researchers recommend that mailing lists request confirmation from the true sender address before delivering email. "A more fundamental approach would be to standardize various aspects of forwarding," the researchers write. "However, making such changes would require system-wide cooperation and will likely encounter many operational issues." Methods For each service, researchers created multiple test accounts and used them to forward email to recipient accounts they controlled. They then analyzed the resulting email headers to better understand which forwarding protocol the service used. They tested their attacks on 14 email providers, which are used by 46% of the most popular internet domains and government domains. They also created mailing lists under existing services provided by UC San Diego, and by mailing list service Gaggle. Researchers only sent spoofed email messages to accounts they created themselves. They first tested each attack by spoofing domains they created and controlled. Once they verified that the attacks worked, they ran a small set of experiments that spoofed emails from real domains. Still, the spoofed emails were only sent to test accounts the researchers created. "One fundamental issue is that email security protocols are distributed, optional and independently configured components," the researchers write. "This creates a large and complex attack surface with many possible interactions that cannot be easily anticipated or administrated by any single party." The research is published on the arXiv preprint server. More information: Enze Liu et al, Forward Pass: On the Security Implications of Email Forwarding Mechanism and Policy, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2302.07287 Journal information: arXiv In September 2018, Attorney General Ken Paxton gathered his staff to make a fateful confession. With two months to go before Election Day and holding hands with his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton the attorney general reportedly told them about an extramarital affair. He said it was over and swore to recommit to his marriage. But Ken Paxton didnt the first in a series of consequential choices that Texas House impeachment managers say set off a chain of alleged crimes and cover-ups that, five years later, has culminated in one of the most dramatic moments in Texas political history. The once-in-a-century impeachment trial that starts Tuesday is expected to center on Paxtons infidelity, and could air out the sordid details of the staunch, Christian conservatives life as he sits just yards away from his wife, and her 30 Senate colleagues who will serve as jurors to decide her husbands fate. House impeachment managers argue that Paxton, driven in large part by his desire to continue and conceal the tryst, went to great, impeachable and potentially criminal lengths to hide the betrayal from his wife, and from the deeply religious voters who have sustained his political life for two decades. Citing nearly 4,000 pages of documents that were released last month, impeachment managers allege that Paxton repeatedly abused his office to help real estate investor Nate Pauls faltering businesses amid an FBI raid, looming bankruptcies and a litany of related lawsuits. In exchange, Paul allegedly hired Paxtons girlfriend so that she could move to Austin and helped Paxton clandestinely meet with her through a secret Uber account that the two men shared. House impeachment managers argue that Paxton had every reason to keep the affair quiet. They point to his apparent burner phones and secret email addresses as evidence that he worried infidelity could destroy his political career. The affair is important because it goes to Ken Paxtons political strength, Rep. Ann Johnson, a Houston Democrat who serves on the committee that investigated Paxton, said in May. He knows that with his folks, he is family values. He is a Christian man. And the idea of the exposure of the affair will risk him with his base. Angela Paxton, a McKinney Republican who will be present at the trial but is barred from voting, could not be reached for comment last week. Ken Paxtons attorney, Tony Buzbee, declined an interview request and did not respond to a list of questions, citing a gag order in place ahead of the Senate trial. Sounds like you believe your house isnt made of glass and you have a sack full of stones to throw, Buzbee added in an email. In interviews with House impeachment managers, Paxtons former top deputies as well as his former personal aide said his affair was common knowledge. One deputy recalled that there was a verbal confrontation between the alleged girlfriend and Angela Paxton in a cafe at the Texas Capitol. Others said they had heard rumors or were told directly by Paxton confidantes about the affair, but were initially led to believe that it ended in September 2018, after Paxton reportedly confessed and recommitted to his wife. Its unclear when or how Paxton met the woman or first began the affair. Employment records show that she worked as the San Antonio district director for Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, from April 2014 until December 2019. The woman moved to Austin around June 2020 for a job with Pauls company, rental and employment records show. Campbell declined to comment. In a deposition, Paul said that he hired her at Paxtons recommendation. She earned an annual salary of $65,000 and reported directly to Paul. Within days of Paxtons girlfriend starting her new job, Paxton began directing his senior deputies to meet with Paul about his legal problems, a pattern that would continue through the summer. Paul alleged he was the victim of two massive yet separate conspiracies: one involving the police who raided his home and the other involving an alleged cabal of Austin businessmen who colluded with a federal judge to steal some of his properties. Agency staff said Paxton routinely overrode them or ignored their concerns about Paul, who they warned was a crook and was misleading Paxton about being unfairly targeted. Rather than heed their many warnings, deputies said, Paxton repeatedly went out of his way to help Paul. Among other moves that alarmed top staff, Paxton allegedly provided Paul with sensitive information about an FBI raid on Pauls businesses and home, told staff not to assist law enforcement investigating Paul and, despite objections from veteran law enforcement officials, hired a young, inexperienced Houston attorney from outside the agency to investigate Pauls adversaries. His obsession with anything related to Nate Paul was so obvious that it just really shocked me, said James Brickman, who served as deputy attorney general for policy and strategy initiatives and later reported Paxton to the FBI. Meanwhile, Paxton and Paul continued to share a secret Uber account under the fake name Dave P. that they used to clandestinely meet, sometimes after Paxton ditched his security detail. Paxton also used the Uber account to visit the womans Austin apartment a dozen times beginning in August 2020, according to records made public last month. Around the same time, Paxtons personal aide told House investigators that he saw the attorney general and the woman at the Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa, where Paxton was staying as his Austin home was remodeled allegedly on Pauls dime. No words were said, the aide recalled of the interaction. Paxton walked out, shook my hand, shook my fathers hand and the lady walked out, didnt acknowledge us or say anything. He later reported the run-in to a senior Paxton adviser, who responded: Great. Shes back. By fall 2020, Paxtons deputies had come to believe that he was taking bribes from Paul. On Oct. 1, seven of them notified Paxton that they had reported him to law enforcement. At 10:39 p.m. the next day, Paxton took his final Uber ride to the womans Austin apartment. Christian values David Brockman, a nonresident scholar at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Religion and Public Policy, said Paxton had clear reasons to hide his infidelity. Evidence of an extramarital affair would strike his supporters as hypocritical, he said. Hes promoted himself as a conservative Christian, a defender of biblical values and a guardian of conservative Christian sexual morality. So theres quite a bit of impetus to keep it secret. Since its inception, Paxtons political life has been inextricably tied to the states conservative Christian voting bloc. He has said he first ran for office at the urging of Kelly Shackleford, whose First Liberty Institute has led the legal charge to infuse Christianity into public life. And Paxton has credited his first election to the Texas House in 2002 to a very simple strategy: Get the church out to vote. In his 12 years as a legislator first as a House member, and then for two years in the Texas Senate Paxton was a reliable champion of Christian causes, backing bans on Planned Parenthood sex education materials in public schools and co-authoring a state constitutional amendment that would have barred businesses and individuals from being sued for declining to provide services on religious grounds. Religious conservatives returned the favor in 2014, rallying behind Paxtons attorney general bid and, with the help of far-right West Texas oil money, sending him to statewide office despite initially being discounted as an underdog. As attorney general, Paxton has continued to elevate conservative Christian legal and political causes: He has packed the agency with similarly-minded Christian lawyers including a former First Liberty Institute attorney who later reported Paxton to the FBI for bribery. And he has turned the office into the tip of the spear in conservative Christianitys broader culture war. Christian conservatives have supported Paxton from day one, and theyve done that because hes consistently stood for our principles, our values and our beliefs, said Jared Woodfill, a longtime leader of ultraconservative and anti-LGBTQ+ movements in Texas who is now involved in a political action committee defending Paxton ahead of his Senate trial. Their unwavering support has been beneficial to Paxton, who time and again has turned to conservative Christians in times of peril. He has invoked biblical figures whove overcome persecution as he claims his legal and political woes are mere retaliation for his religious views a message thats played well among audiences primed by years of culture war rhetoric. But whereas Paxtons 2015 indictment for securities fraud could be explained by his defenders as the nefarious plotting of an anti-Christian deep state, an affair would strike at the personal responsibility and piety that is emphasized by Paxtons deeply religious base. That much has been clear in recent months, as the suspended attorney generals woes have dominated headlines and some conservative Christians have drawn a direct line between Paxtons infidelity and his fitness for office. It is not my place to say who is Christian or not, Konni Burton, a conservative former Texas Senator, wrote on social media last month. But my personal opinion is, if a politician professes Christian values, yet is willing to break those values when it comes to their own spouse, they surely will break a promise to me, as a constituent. Its also evident that the impeachment proceedings have taken a political toll since they began in May. Polling released Friday by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin show that, since April, Paxtons approval rating among Republicans has dropped by 19 percentage points to 46%, a two-year low. Paxtons disapproval rating also has more than tripled since December, reading 23% in August. Meanwhile, a plurality of Republicans said they dont know if Paxton took actions that justify removing him from office, compared to 24% who said yes and 32% who said no. Doug Page is among those who say they want Paxton held accountable for any potential misconduct. He first met the attorney general in 2015 when Paxton, weeks removed from his securities fraud indictment, spoke at First Baptist Church of Grapevine, where Page is senior pastor. Paxton didnt address his legal troubles at the time, but thanked his fellow Christians for their prayers and, after noting biblical figures whod faced persecution, urged the Southern Baptist congregation to stand up and speak out against wrongdoing. Eight years later, Page is doing exactly that. If Mr. Paxton is found guilty by the Texas House and Senate, he should be impeached and, if deemed necessary, removed from office, Page said this week. I am for redemption and reconciliation, but our choices have consequences. I am hopeful that whatever the outcome, Mr. Paxton will surround himself with people who will encourage him to walk with Jesus. Other conservative Christians are more skeptical, believing Paxton is the victim of the same type of deep state witch hunt that they claim was responsible for the impeachments and indictments of former President Donald Trump. And they are willing to look past both mens moral failings if they deliver on conservative Christian priorities a strain of thought that dates back millennia to figures such as King David and Cyrus the Great, who the Bible says were used by God despite their many sins. If God and Angela Paxton forgive, they say, then so too should they. I dont think there are any politicians out there, much less any human, thats perfect or that hasnt made mistakes, Woodfill said. So even assuming that its true that he made a mistake which it appears he and his wife have reconciled I and conservative Christians across the state are looking at what he has done as an elected official, and what he has done as attorney general. AUSTIN As they both prepare for a dramatic impeachment trial that will put their marriage under a spotlight, Sen. Angela Paxton this weekend announced shes running for re-election and then seemed to choke up as she introduced her husband to a GOP crowd in Plano. Attorney General Ken Paxton never hesitates to fight for us as a couple and you can be very sure that hes going to fight for you, the senator said. Ken Paxtons impeachment trial on accusations of bribery, corruption and other wrongdoings may gravely threaten both of their political futures. But its not their first political ordeal, Angela Paxton said. No one, she noted, has more experience in successfully overcoming having a target on their back than the suspended attorney general. The McKinney legislator then beckoned to the stage the love of my life, my best friend, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. They kissed and held hands, in a display of unity just days before a historic drama unfolds at the Capitol, starting Tuesday. While some may be surprised by the senators dedication to her husband, she detailed in 2019 that it was by the grace of God that theyve made it through more than three decades together. The secret to a successful marriage is two sinners who are good at forgiving, Angela Paxton told a political show host. Paxton did not respond to multiple requests to be interviewed. More than a dozen Collin County Republican activists were asked to speak about her but declined or did not respond. Once an educator and later a stay-at-home mom, Angela Paxton has been a state senator for five years with a reputation of having a broader perspective of how legislation affects people. She represents nearly 1 million North Texas residents and heads the Senate Republican Caucus. Shes on the chambers budget-writing committee. A former Christian school counselor, shes helped write education policy for three sessions. In July, the child advocate group Children at Risk praised her legislation that gives parenting students registration priority at state universities. As her husband faces the threat of being barred from state office forever and she prepares for a grueling Senate trial, sympathizers say she is a trouper. And battle-tested. Shes prepared to endure whatever comes up and has made her peace with it, Austin superlobbyist Bill Miller said. Anyone who thinks that this trial will shake her or otherwise bring her to tears or make her emotional doesnt really understand her, he said. Shes going to sit through that, shes going to soldier through it. Under the Texas Constitution, all senators must attend the trial. However, under rules her colleagues adopted in June and which she voted against saying they disenfranchised her constituents Angela Paxton cant cast votes during the proceedings. Nor will she be able to participate in deliberations behind closed doors as the chamber decides her husbands fate. Her predicament may seem agonizing, even cruel. By her own telling, though, the senator has survived in her marriage both good times and devastatingly difficult times. When she said that in a 2019 interview with Republican lobbyist Trey Blocker, it was more than a year before the political earthquake that threatens to bring down her husband first rocked Austin. In 2020, whistleblowers at the attorney generals office went to the FBI alleging, among other things, that Ken Paxton had a secret affair with a woman. That woman allegedly was given a job and other perks by Nate Paul, an Austin developer who was Ken Paxtons campaign donor, they said. The trial is expected to explore the extent to which Paxton and Paul who is under a federal indictment allegedly traded favors. Adopted by divine placement? Growing up in Fort Worth, Angela Suzanne Allens adoptive parents told her that all the stores that were decorated for Valentines Day actually were celebrating her birthday. She was born on Valentines Day in 1963 to an unwed co-ed at Texas Christian University. My life began as an unexpected pregnancy, she told McKinney-based conservative Christian commentator Angela Lusk recently. The senator, a staunch opponent of abortion rights, frequently tells political audiences her origin story. Its the tale of a student who, along with her parents, decided to carry an unintended pregnancy to term and give the baby up for adoption. Her parents not only adopted her and a younger brother but also became foster parents for about 20 infants, in succession, Paxton recalled to Lusk. Just when each had begun sleeping through the night, not disrupting the household, her adoptive mother had to give them up. It was brutal to have to let go after becoming attached to a child, Paxtons mother admitted to her. But it was worth it, Angela, she recounted her mothers saying. Because I know what its like to get a baby. I knew God had manually placed me with this wonderful couple, Angela Paxton said. A political helpmate Growing up, Paxton loved to sing in church and considered being a music minister. But at Baylor University, she majored in math and was president of Delta Gamma sorority. There she met student politician Ken Paxton. The two married in November 1986 and moved to Houston, where he used his Baylor M.B.A. to get a job with Arthur Anderson. She earned a masters degree in education from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. They then bounced from Houston to Virginia, where Ken went to law school, to the Dallas area, where he practiced business law and she taught school. Tucker Paxton, the first of their four children, was born in 1993. Angela Paxton didnt resume teaching until the youngest, Katie, was in second grade, she told Lusk. The couple now has three grandchildren under 3 years of age. Through her husbands 10 years in the Texas House and his two years after that in the state Senate, people always assumed I must be a real political person, Angela Paxton said to Lusk. Some Collin County activists recalled that Angela Paxton, though supportive, was not immersed in the day-to-day management of her husbands political career. For example, in late 2010, when Ken Paxton was trying to line up the votes to topple then-Republican Speaker Joe Straus, she was not a participant in the secretive conference calls and meetings, one said. (Paxton withdrew, and Straus easily won the speakers gavel for a second session.) Keeping the Senate seat in Collin County The big political plunge for Angela Paxton came in 2017, almost three years into her husbands first term as attorney general. That summer, state Sen. Van Taylor of Plano, whod succeeded Ken Paxton in the Senate, announced his candidacy for Congress. Multimillionaire Phillip Huffines, who lived in the Park Cities and was chairman of the Dallas County Republican Party, moved to Richardson and announced for the soon-to-be open state Senate seat. Phillip Huffines twin brother, Donald, R-Dallas, already was in the state Senate. State Reps. Jeff Leach and Matt Shaheen, both Plano Republicans, sought to build support to be the Collin County resident whod fend off the well-funded Huffines. However, Leach bowed out. Then Shaheen did, too. Grass roots activists complained the district, which at the time included only two small chunks of Dallas County, should remain under Collin Countys control. Into the void jumped Angela Paxton, with her husbands encouragement. Only a few years earlier, she had begun to make a name for herself at GOP events in North Texas and around the state. Im a pistol-packin mama, and my husband sues Obama, she was known to sing at her husbands events, as she strummed a guitar. Her decision to run for office surprised many. Before 2017, former McKinney GOP Rep. Scott Sanford doesnt remember any signs that Angela Paxton had political aspirations. Ive never noticed anything but pure motives and a heart of service, said Sanford, pastor for stewardship and operations at Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen. Former Irving GOP Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, who entered the House with Ken Paxton in 2002, also said Angelas decision to run for office surprised her. Angela Paxton is a real person who enjoys a broader perspective of how legislation might affect people, Harper-Brown said. Shes not so tunnel visioned, Harper-Brown said. She really does think about all aspects of her district. The Paxton with a sharper edge Paxtons battle with Phillip Huffines was an ugly, high-dollar affair. It remains notable, not just because she survived a Huffines ad blitz that accused her of being a political insider profiting off public service, nor because she held the seat for Collin County. Two and a half weeks before the Senate District 8 GOP primary, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick endorsed her in a video and gave her $50,000 cash, according to finance reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission. When I saw the personal attacks launched against Angela Paxton, I couldnt remain on the sidelines any longer, explained Patrick, who also made in-kind contributions to her of $38,750 worth of polling, ads, a get-out-the-vote venue rental and catering fees. As the Senates leader, Patrick will preside over the impeachment trial. The depth of the Paxtons bond with the lieutenant governor remains a mystery, however. Though all three enjoy strong backing from diehard conservative activists in Texas, Patrick never has made Angela the chair of a standing committee. As last years primary battles began, political websites reported that tensions existed between Patrick and Ken Paxton, though the lieutenant governor denied it. Political pros give Angela Paxton high marks for affability and civility, though some disagree about her savvy. Plano lawyer and Democrat Mark Phariss, who came within 2.4 percentage points of beating her for the seat in 2018, said he saw Angela Paxton at a recent Plano Chamber of Commerce event. She walked over, and I stood up and we hugged, he recalled. She said she missed me. Shes a very likable person. I get along with her but I was unimpressed with her knowledge of issues. Miller, the Austin lobbyist, said both Paxtons know how to win people over. Angela, though, has got a sharper edge than Ken does, he said. Asked to elaborate, he continued, I dont want to call it temperament. But you can feel it. Hes a good guy all day long, and shes a good person but not quite as long-lasting. A secure seat, but for how long? In a fall 2021 special legislative session, GOP map drawers in the Legislature made Senate districts safer for at least three suburban Republican incumbents, including Angela Paxton. Now, her district is redder as it includes Hunt and Rains counties but not the small pieces of Dallas County it once claimed. Though seemingly secure, she now faces delicacies of timing and uncertainties about how Ken Paxtons various difficulties will affect her. Earlier this year, in a once-a-decade drawing after redistricting, she was among 15 of the 31 senators who drew a two-year term. Sixteen others are in for four years. Some traditional, business-oriented Republicans worry that if Ken Paxton is convicted at his impeachment trial and removed from statewide office, the party might lose her Senate seat next year. Shaheen, a five-term Republican House member who in May voted for the articles of impeachment against Ken Paxton, is said to be weighing a run against Angela Paxton if the attorney general is ousted. No comment, Shaheen said, when asked to confirm hes mulling such a run for Senate. Charlie Kolean, a strategist for conservative GOP candidates in North Texas, though, said Angela Paxtons reelection seems a safe bet. Realistically, I do not think there are any challengers to her, Kolean said. In recent weeks, the House impeachment managers began revealing evidence that they say confirms Paul assisted Paxton in his extramarital affair. Paul hired the woman for a job at one of his companies in Austin, so Paxton would not have to drive to San Antonio, the managers allege. Paul also helped Paxton by creating a fake Uber account he could use to visit the woman at her Austin condo, House managers say. Its unclear when the alleged affair may have begun or if Angela Paxton caught wind of the reported concern of the attorney generals aides. In March 2019, just weeks into her first session as a freshman senator, Angela Paxton was asked by Blocker what the secret was to success in marriage. Weve gone through really great times, she said. Weve gone through devastatingly difficult times together that no one would really even know. When we said I do, that was a forever commitment. CACI International Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides expertise and technology to enterprise and mission customers in support of national security missions and government modernization/transformation in the intelligence, defense, and federal civilian sectors. It operates through two segments: Domestic Operations and International Operations. 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It invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the globe. The firm also invests in alternative markets, such as commodities and currencies. For the equity portion of its portfolio, it invests in growth and value stocks of large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap companies. For the fixed income portion of its portfolio, the firm invests in convertibles, government bonds, municipal bonds, treasury securities, and cash. It also invests in short term and intermediate term bonds, investment grade and high yield bonds, taxable and tax-free bonds, senior secured loans, and structured securities such as asset-backed securities, mortgage-backed securities, and commercial mortgage-backed securities. The firm employs absolute return, global macro, and long/short strategies. It employs quantitative analysis to make its investments. The firm was formerly known as Invesco Plc, AMVESCAP plc, Amvesco plc, Invesco PLC, Invesco MIM, and H. Lotery & Co. Ltd. Invesco Ltd. was founded in 1935 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia with an additional office in Hamilton, Bermuda. The Health and Disability Commissioner of New Zealand discovered a surgical instrument the size of a dinner plate within a woman's belly 18 months after she had given birth through cesarean section. Prolonged Distress After the delivery of her child in 2020 at Auckland City Hospital, the woman was found to still have an Alexis retractor, also known as an AWR, within her body. The AWR is a cylindrical, retractable device with a transparent film used to pull back the borders of a wound during surgery. It can measure 17 centimeters (6 inches) in diameter. According to CNN, the lady reportedly had been in constant agony for months, prompting her to seek medical attention. Despite many examinations and X-rays, the source of her distress could not be determined. In 2021, when the agony became intolerable, she sought medical attention at the hospital's emergency room, where an abdominal CT scan revealed an indication of the device. It was immediately removed from her body. See Also: Bodybuilder Almost Died After His Shoulder Clicked Inadequate Quality of Care In a report made public on Monday, September 4, New Zealand's Health and Disability Commissioner Morag McDowell found Te Whatu Ora Auckland, the Auckland District Health Board, to be in violation of the code of patient rights. The health board first argued that the young nurse, who was in her 20s at the time, was present during the cesarean delivery and did not use reasonable skill and care in her treatment of the patient. According to McDowell's assessment, "The care fell significantly below the appropriate standard in this case and resulted in a prolonged period of distress for the woman. Systems should have been in place to prevent this from occurring." The report said that the lady had a planned C-section due to placenta previa, a condition that occurs during pregnancy when the placenta totally or partly blocks the entrance of the uterus. BBC said that since the tool is "non-radio-opaque," it means that X-ray machines are unable to detect it. McDowell suggested that the Auckland District Health Board issue a formal written apology to the lady and alter its policy to include AWRs as part of the surgical count. The matter has also been sent to the director of proceedings, who will decide what if any, additional action is required. The medical center's director of operations at Auckland's Te Whatu Ora Hospital, Dr. Mike Shepherd, issued a public statement of regret for the error. "On behalf of our Women's Health service at Te Toka Tumai Auckland and Te Whatu Ora, I would like to say how sorry we are for what happened to the patient, and acknowledge the impact that this will have had on her and her whanau [family group]." To reassure the public, "We remain confident in the quality of our surgical and maternity care," the hospital said. See Also: Study Shows More Americans are Getting Vasectomies-Doctors Explain Why @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. 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. MARTINSVILLE Two men have died and two others have been arrested in separate homicides investigated Saturday night and early Sunday by the Henry County Sheriffs Office. Saturday night, just after 8 p.m., deputies responded to a call of a shooting that had occurred at a residence in the 4500 block of Irisburg Road in Axton. Our deputies responded and then encountered an individual exiting the house as they arrived on the scene. That individual was taken into custody without incident. He has since continued to cooperate with the investigation, said Sheriff Wayne Davis. Our deputies entered the house. They located one male subject inside the residence who was deceased. He appeared to have died from gunshot wounds. The incident has been determined to be domestic in nature. We were told the two had an on again off again type of intimate relationship. Deputies have charged John Andrew Brooks, 59, of the residence with second degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in the death of Bryant Richard Robinson, 36, of Stoneville, North Carolina. Brooks is being held without bond at the Henry County Adult Detention Center. Laundromat stabbing A Martinsville man was stabbed to death inside a laundromat in Henry County early Sunday. At 1:13 a.m., the 911 Communications Center received a call of a stabbing that had occurred inside the Scrub Board Laundry #2 at 2034 Rives Road. When deputies arrived, they found William Clay Rumley, 47, of Dye Plant Road in Martinsville, lying on the floor with a stab wound to his neck, a release stated. Despite the life-saving efforts by Henry County Public Safety, Rumley died of his injuries. Police say they have determined that Kenneth Austin Tatum, 30, of 900 Rives Road, entered the laundromat and began talking with a woman who was already inside. Although Tatum and the woman were not previously acquainted, Tatum tried to talk the woman into giving her phone to him. Tatum became upset and Rumley stepped in-between Tatum and the woman to prevent Tatum from getting the phone, the release said. Tatum then became upset with Rumley, and they began to argue. Tatum produced a knife during the argument and stabbed Rumley in the neck and then ran away from the laundromat, the release said. Police say deputies identified Tatum from the security cameras in the laundromat and noticed that he was also injured during the incident and appeared to be bleeding heavily. While Henry County deputies were still on the scene at the laundromat, the Martinsville Police Department received a call of a domestic situation on Fairy Street in Martinsville and when officers arrived, they found Tatum. The release stated the officers also realized that the bleeding man in their Fairy Street domestic case appeared to be the same person wanted by Henry County deputies in connection with the stabbing death that had occurred at Scrub Board Laundry #2. Tatum has been jailed in the Henry County Adult Detention Center without bond on a charge of first-degree murder. RICHMOND In 2021, a patient entered the emergency room of a Newport News hospital, located a 65-year-old nurse and stabbed him multiple times, police said. In May of this year, a Virginia Commonwealth University Health employee shot and killed another staffer inside a stairwell in the North Hospital, authorities alleged, saying a dispute had erupted between the two. Violence in hospitals is increasing in frequency, health care leaders said. In response, VCU Medical Center is installing metal detectors at every entrance, and doctors are asking for more armed guards. After four days of use, VCU Health staff recovered more than 50 knives and box cutters on the bodies of patients and visitors. Legislators passed a law this year requiring every hospital to conduct a security assessment. But emergency room doctors say they are not being consulted, as the law requires. And some staffers worry that security guards armed with nothing more than a metal detector wand cannot deter a person determined to commit violence. We need police, said Alexis Blake, a senior phlebotomist for the VCU Childrens Hospital of Richmond. Whos going to protect me? I cant count on someone with a walkie-talkie and a wand. Its unclear how often violence occurs in hospitals its not tracked at the state level. But at Inova Health System, based in Northern Virginia, there were 648 workplace violence incidents in 2021, the systems CEO said. The emergency room is particularly vulnerable, because for many hospitals, its the only unlocked door in the middle of the night. The level of security varies from hospital to hospital. Some have unarmed, lightly trained guards. Others have police officers. In some cases, security guards are not allowed to touch patients and visitors, depending on their companys policy. Often, theres nobody there who has the ability to stop an armed intruder or violent patient, said Dr. Todd Parker, president of the Virginia College of Emergency Physicians, a group that advocates for ER doctors. Parker said he feels marginally safe at work, depending on the location and time. Late nights are the worst. In 2021, a nurse was stabbed at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News just after midnight. Police arrested a Chesapeake man, and authorities charged him with malicious assault. The nurse, who had serious injuries, recovered. In May, near midnight, a VCU Health employee, TyQuan White, 25, was shot and killed in a hospital stairwell. Authorities charged another employee, Christopher Boisseau, 24, with first-degree murder. Boisseau is awaiting trial. Theres already a state law designed to protect health care workers a person guilty of assaulting a health care worker faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 days in jail. But the law often isnt effective, said Aimee Seibert, a lobbyist who works on behalf of emergency room doctors. Doctors often did not press charges and, even when they did, prosecutors did not carry the cases forward. And even when the cases made it to a courtroom, judges did not rule favorably toward hospital employees. At VCU, weapons found regularly So the General Assembly passed a law this year designed to be more proactive. It requires every hospital to establish a security plan. Each hospital must station an off-duty law enforcement officer or trained security officer in the ER at all times, unless a hospital can establish it does not need one all hours of the day. The officer does not have to be armed, but he or she has to be capable of physically restraining a person. VCU Medical Center wrote its security plan this summer and began placing metal detectors at doors last week. Once all 22 metal detectors are installed this month, they will be stationed at every entrance. Staffers will be screened, in addition to patients and visitors. The health system paid roughly $19,000 for each unit, said John Venuti, chief of VCU Police. It also hired 65 full-time, contract security guards through a local security company, RMC Events, to man the metal detectors. The new employees cost the health system about $200 a day per employee. Designed to minimize inconvenience, the metal detectors allow entrants to leave their phones and keys in their pockets. Patients rushed into the ER with life-threatening ailments will not be stopped, but they will be followed and screened later, Venuti said. A spokesperson for Bon Secours said the health system is still reviewing its security plan. A spokesperson for HCA Healthcare said she did not have enough information to comment. Weapons, it turns out, are brought to VCUs medical center with frequency. The health system placed metal detectors at the doors of the emergency room about three years ago. So far this year, staff have recovered a gun at a rate of about one every two weeks, said Danielle Pierce, a spokesperson for VCU Health. Patients and guests are often unaware of the medical centers no-weapons policy, Venuti added. VCU Health started placing metal detectors at other entrances last week and intends to have every door covered by mid-September. In four days, security guards found more than 50 knives and box cutters, three guns and two tasers, Venuti said. None of the weapons was brought by staff. If a person is illegally carrying a firearm, VCU Police will take action and seize the gun, Pierce said. If the person is carrying it legally, he or she will be turned away and told to secure the weapon before returning. Doctors arent being consulted The new law requires hospitals to consult their emergency room medical directors and emergency room nursing directors. But largely, that isnt happening, Parker said. Instead, health systems are writing plans and asking directors to sign them. ER doctors often work at hospitals as contract employees, not direct employees of the health system. That makes it more difficult for a doctor to call out a health system that is not following the law, Parker said. VCU Health and Bon Secours said they are consulting their emergency room directors. The bottom line is, hospitals always want emergency rooms to feel warm and welcoming a safe place for you to go, Parker said. Thats just not the case. The reality, he said, is that emergency rooms are where you find a person who just experienced trauma or became the victim of gang violence. Family members can become agitated if they feel the patient isnt being seen quickly enough. Emotions run high. Thats why ER doctors are asking for metal detectors on doors, better cameras and surveillance systems, and security guards capable of restraining a violent patient who are present 24 hours a day, Parker said. Plus, the better trained the security, the less likely a tragedy occurs, said Seibert, the lobbyist. Patients with mental health problems often are the most disruptive and require the most expertise. On March 6, a Henrico County man, Irvo Otieno, died at Central State Hospital, pinned down by Henrico sheriffs deputies and hospital staff. Seven deputies and one hospital employee have been accused of suffocating Otieno and are charged with murder. Security guards cant touch people At VCU, the medical center employs more than 100 security guards in addition to the 65 recently hired. They will only put their hands on a person in a significant incident, Venuti said. Thats not enough to deter an assailant, Blake said. Too often, hospital security arent capable of stopping a violent person. Instead, she would like to see police officers at each entrance. The new law calls for a trained guard in the emergency room only. Blake carries pepper spray to feel safe. Its one of the only self-defense tools allowed by VCU Health. I want to be safe in my place of work, she said. The role of RMC Events employees is to serve as additional eyes and ears to VCU Police, who patrol the medical center, according to the companys website. They are not expected to grab a violent patient. But they are trained to de-escalate situations, Venuti said, and they can quickly call VCU Police when needed. The system works because the guards and officers complement each other. Were all hot-wired and connected, Venuti said. LINCOLN Ever since the Lincoln Journal Star started publishing Lori Borgmans nationally syndicated column, another Lori Lori Morin has considered herself a fan. The first column Morin cut out of the paper, she remembers, was in May 2018, and Morin has been known to pass out clippings of Borgmans writing known for its humorous observations on all aspects of life to her friends. I pass them on to people either because theyre funny or moving, Morin said. Whenever I read her, Im either going to be uplifted or laughing or encouraged. So, a year and a half after the loyal Journal Star reader clipped out her first Borgman column, she was pleasantly surprised to learn that Borgman who is also an author and speaker is originally from Lincoln. We became acquainted by email and had a lot in common, Borgman said in a recent phone interview. She said you should come to Lincoln. Thanks to Morins planning, Borgman will give two talks at the Auld Recreation Center in Antelope Park, 1650 Memorial Drive, on Wednesday at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Borgman will also sell and sign copies of her most recent book, What Happens at Grandmas Stays at Grandmas. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance by emailing clarionevents2023@gmail.com. Morin had initially hoped to host Borgman a few years back, but then the pandemic hit, scuttling the plans. Then, this past spring, the columnist said she was ready to return. So Morin formed a committee of family and friends to find a place to host Borgman and spread the word. Shes been very gracious, Morin said. Borgman, who lives in Indianapolis, grew up in the University Place neighborhood, where she remembers the 13-block walk uphill both ways to Huntington Elementary School. She also spent a lot of time on family farms in the area. Her family later moved to Kansas City when she was 9, and Borgman went on to study journalism at the University of Missouri, which led to a lifelong career in newspapers, including in Fargo, North Dakota and Oregon. She eventually landed in Indianapolis, where her husband worked for the Star newspaper and Borgman began doing freelance work. That eventually segued into the column that is now syndicated to more than 400 media outlets in the U.S. and Canada. Borgmans column, which runs weekly in the Journal Star on Thursdays (and in the Independents Saturday Occasions section), touches on a wide array of topics from the truth about nagging, as her website states, to the hazards of upper arm flab. I rarely have many (columns) in the bank, Borgman said. The easy part is the writing, the hardest part is finding an idea. In addition to her talks Wednesday, Borgman also will speak to two writing classes and a book club. She plans to share memories of her time in Nebraska, including the after-church meals with her cousins growing up that included fried chicken, mashed potatoes, three kinds of pickles, and canned green beans all these things that could kill you, Borgman playfully observed. As with any talk that she gives, Borgman is looking forward to meeting readers in person who have connected with her through her writing. Im always humbled when I get an email from a reader, Borgman said. Theres just so much tension in the world that people really do look forward to a bright spot, and that is always humbling to me. Growing and retaining a workforce is essential to the future prosperity of Grand Island. Businesses large and small make decisions daily about their operations and labor is always one of the top considerations. To this end, the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce and Grow Grand Island are collaborating with Wayne State College to bring potential talent (college seniors) to the community via the Careers Scholars Cooperative Education Program. This program is designed to provide students with hands-on experience and a pathway to successful careers. Students spend three years studying at WSC, followed by a year of paid internship at local Grand Island businesses. The Career Scholars program is built on a foundation of collaboration and engagement between the college and local businesses, conducted by the Director of Workforce and Community Education, Tim Krupicka. With the help of Grand Island Chamber President Cindy Johnson, Krupicka identified businesses that may be interested in the program or have experience employing interns. We believe these interns will grow to love their careers and Grand Island and advance from an internship to a full-time position, thus growing our workforce, Krupicka said. Drawing inspiration from a successful Career Scholars program in Norfolk, Krupicka emphasizes the importance of creating a meaningful connection between employers and students. One of the programs key components is connecting students with the Grand Island community during their freshman year at Wayne State. To foster these connections, the program has incorporated events like meet-and-greet sessions, exposure to Grand Island attractions, and downtown Grand Island informational tours. Last August, we had a meet-and-greet at the Nebraska State Fair. We had a large number of employers who took time to welcome the students and introduce them to their businesses, Krupicka said. With a focus on education and preparation, the program also extends communication to the high schools, collaborating with educators to identify potential candidates. Krupicka uses his extensive background in education to his advantage when making these connections. I attend numerous career fairs, talking to students about the program and encouraging teachers to identify students that would be interested [in the program], Krupicka said. In addition to schools, Krupicka has a goal to get more involved with area events like FBLA, Skills USA and State Cheer and Dance, among other events where Wayne State College can host a booth to meet with students and parents. Krupicka believes that one attractive element of the program is the scholarships offered to participating students. The scholarships increase yearly, reaching a peak of $15,000 in the senior year, with a significant portion allocated for housing during their internship. WSC officials are currently seeking proposals from developers and property owners in Grand Island for internship housing, which will accommodate the incoming WSC interns for their senior year in Grand Island. A new class of interns will be starting this fall and will soon be making their way to Grand Island to get acquainted with the community, its businesses and amenities. The early interaction between students and business leaders helps identify which companies would be a good fit for each intern. In preparation for the internship, a selection process, similar to a professional job interview, is undertaken. This is a mutual agreement and interest between the business and the student. Just like you would for another internship or a job placement, the internship offer is based on the qualifications of the student, in this case, the prospective interns qualifications and the [employers needs], Krupicka said. As the program expands, WSC aims to emphasize its commitment to Grand Island and its businesses. Wayne State College wants the city of Grand Island and the employers in Grand Island to know that we are committed to being a strong partner in their efforts to grow the workforce, Krupicka said. The Career Scholars Cooperative Education Program has created a bridge between education and the workforce, ensuring students are prepared for successful careers while providing local businesses with a talented pool of interns. With its innovative approach and emphasis on collaboration, WSC is poised to make a lasting impact on both its students and the Grand Island community. Vietnam PM urges Indonesia firms to invest more in banking, finance, green growth By Tri Duc Tue, September 5, 2023 | 9:19 pm GTM+7 Vietnam is always happy to welcome Indonesian firms investing in the countrys banking, finance, green growth, property, and agriculture sectors, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said on Tuesday. The PM made the statement at a meeting in Jakarta with the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) as part of his working trip to Indonesia to attend the ASEAN Summit 43. He affirmed Vietnam offers incentives for projects of high technology, innovation, research and development (R&D); projects capable of facilitating the country's accession to the global value chain; projects related to the digital, circular and green economies; sustainable growth, and strategic infrastructure development. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right) at a meeting with the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jakarta on September 5, 2023. Photo courtesy of Vietnam's government portal. PM Chinh elaborated that the banking-finance sector offers huge potential for businesses from the two countries to cooperate, especially in smart finance. Meanwhile, for Vietnams target of net-zero emissions by 2050, the country aims to develop electric vehicles and and is looking for cooperation with Indonesia to achieve this goal. Regarding the real estate market, he proposed Indonesian investors in Vietnam to focus more on corporate social responsibility, such as building houses for people with low and medium incomes. In the agriculture sector, the government chief suggested the two nations sign deals to supply rice, rubber, and others in order to ensure input and output for these sectors. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (left) and Indonesia President Joko Widodo at a meeting in Jakarta on September 4, 2023. Photo courtesy of Vietnam's government portal. On Monday, the Vietnamese prime minister had a meeting with executives of Ciputra, a major urban developer in Indonesia and the developer of Nam Thang Long urban area in Hanoi; Modena, an Indonesian home appliance and electronic goods manufacturer; and Traveloka, a major app-based tourism service in Southeast Asia. Chinh proposed that businesses further enhance their corporate social responsibility and make recommendations to improve Vietnams legal framework. Also that day, PM Chinh had a working session with Indonesian President Joko Widodo. The two sides highlighted the 10 years of strategic ties towards an upgrade to a comprehensive strategic level soon. As of June 20, Indonesia had invested $645.8 million in 113 projects in Vietnam, ranking 29th among the 143 countries with investments in Vietnam. Notable names are Ciputra, Traveloka, and Gojek. Indonesia is Vietnams third-biggest trade partner in Southeast Asia, with two-way trade turnover reaching $14.1 billion in 2022 and $7.9 billion in the first seven months of 2023. Bilateral trade is expected to exceed $15 billion this year. 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 ORLAND PARK The third time was the charm for a photo of 3-year-old Mackenzie Chesna, of Orland Park, to be picked for a video presentation held annually in New Yorks Times Square by the National Down Syndrome Society. In the photo, Mackenzie, who goes by Mack, has her hair in pig tails and is smiling wide. Her mother, Molly Chesna, said shes submitted photos every year since Mackenzie was born, and the whole family is thrilled she was selected. What you see in the photo is very much her. Everyone talks about her pigtails and that smile and the cheeks. Thats just her, all around, Molly said. Mackenzies photo was selected from more than 2,400 entries, according to a news release from the National Down Syndrome Society. Her photo will be one of about 500 photos of children, teens and adults with Down syndrome displayed Sept. 9 in a one-hour video on two giant screens in the heart of Times Square, according to the release. The purpose of the images are to promote the value, acceptance, and inclusion of people with Down Syndrome in a very visible way, it states. The presentation will be livestreamed on the National Down Syndrome Society Facebook page from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Central time Sept. 9. After the video presentation, the New York City Buddy Walk takes place in Central Park. The National Buddy Walk Program has focused on Down syndrome awareness, advocacy and peer-to-peer fundraising since 1995, officials said. Molly Chesna said the family is looking forward to participating because it is the biggest Buddy Walk event in the country. Both sets of grandparents and some aunts and cousins will join Mackenzie, her parents and her 6-year-old sister, Parker, Molly Chesna said. Nick Chesna, Mackenzies dad, said theyve told her that her picture will be displayed in Times Square. While she doesnt fully understand what that means, he said she will be thrilled when she sees herself on a big screen. Shell point and say, me or something in regards to that, Nick said. Shell point and smile and probably clap. And like any older sister, Parker is thrilled for Mackenzie. Im pumped, Parker shouted with excitement. Once her photo is off the screen, Nick Chesna said Mackenzie will enjoy waving to everyone around her. Shes one that captures everyones attention, he said. I think shes just going to enjoy what the environment is there and bring a smile to many peoples faces. Mackenzie likes to dance, play with her older sister and make other people smile or laugh, Nick said. Her favorite song to dance to is Wheels on the Bus, and her favorite move is making the motion of the wheels with her arms, Molly said. While public perception is that having Down syndrome is a negative thing, Nick said nothing could be further from the truth. Its changed our lives for the positive. Its brought more awareness and joy to not just our immediate family of four but our friends, our families, our cousins, our co-workers, he said. 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 Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell is asking parents and residents to help keep the community safe. Im committed, but I need your help, he said at a community meeting last week. We need to turn the heat up on our kids, our grandkids, our neighbors, Ravenell said as the crowd erupted into applause. We need to do that, he said. Ravenell held a know us before you need us gathering at the Santee Conference Center on Aug. 29. During the meeting, Ravenell discussed the technology the agency uses to keep communities safe while also keeping deputies accountable while theyre on the job. He also told the crowd that, as of Aug. 29, there have been 14 homicides in Orangeburg County this year. He asked parents to help prevent crime by keeping track of their children. Parents, guardians, sometimes we dont know where our kids are, but at least know where theyre supposed to be, he said. At least you can say, He was supposed to be there. I dont know here hes at, but he was supposed to be at the store, Ravenell said. The sheriff also encourages parents and guardians to look through their childrens rooms. He said he often hears parents state that they check their childrens rooms, but dont see any weapons. Ravenell noted that the days of looking for teens to have 9 mm handguns are over. Let me be the first to tell you, theyve stopped shooting these, he said. These are their backup guns? Ravenell held up an AR-style firearm. This is what theyre shooting, he said. Murmurs of, My Lord and Jesus were said by some of those in the crowd. Every day and night, this is what theyre shooting, but we cant find them, he said. But were quick to blame Ravenell, he added. We have I-26, I-95 and (U.S. Highway) 301 and we cant keep drugs and contraband out of the jails and prisons, but you ask me to keep them out of the second-largest county in the state of South Carolina, Ravenell said. During the question-and-answer portion of the presentation, a man asked what can be done to keep these criminals that are committing multiple, multiple, multiple crimes, in jail? Its a revolving door. Its letting the menaces back into our society and making it unsafe for us. Its unsavory. Its just terrible. Theres nobody more frustrated about catch-and-release than we are and I am, Ravenell said. He said its frustrating to see judges and magistrates releasing people accused of violent crimes out on bond and with GPS monitoring. They can do but so much, Ravenell said. Its the laws. Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, who was in the crowd, explained that the states legislature passed a law this year stipulating that if a person is arrested while theyre already out on bond for another crime, then a magistrate judge cannot set their bond. That person will have to have their bond set by a circuit judge. Then youll have to explain why youre alleged to commit a crime while youre out on bond for another crime, Hutto said. Vernell Watson, an eighth-grade teacher at Holly Hill-Roberts Middle School, addressed the crowd. I was disappointed when I walked in the door this afternoon because the same people are the ones that watched over our community for the past 60 to 75 years are in this room and the people who need to be here the most are not here, she said. We have to spread the word, she said. The 35 to 40-year-old parents who are not here tonight, who are having balloon releases and wearing T-shirts of their children, shouldve been here tonight, she said. They want everybody to fight their battles, but theyve got to fight their own, she said. Theyve got to take back their homes, she added. Watson said, Law enforcement has our back when we call them, but if youre going to lie and cover when they get there, theres no need. The best solution weve got is to take back our community, she said. If anyone notices any suspicious person, vehicle or anything that causes concern, they are asked to report it to law enforcement immediately. Callers dont have to give their names. The Orangeburg County Office of Voter Registration and Elections has over a dozen voting precincts that share a voting site or building. The State Election Commission has informed Orangeburg County election officials that consolidating multiple precincts into one polling place is not permitted under state law. Orangeburg County Director of Voter Registration and Elections Aurora Smalls brought the matter to the attention of the Orangeburg County Legislative Delegation during its meeting last month. The delegation has the authority to change voting locations. Delegation Chair Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, said local legislation could be passed allowing the precincts that share a building to remain as they are. I dont even know why we passed the law to start with saying you cant do that, Hutto said. We will just have to talk about that. If you are telling us that these are suitable locations and they are big enough to house two precincts, when we go back in January we probably are going to change the law so you dont get those letters from the Election Commission. Orangeburg County has 16 precincts that share a location. These include: Ward 7 and Ward 10 Sheridan Elementary School Ward 8 and Suburban 7 W.J. Clark Middle School Ward 9 and Suburban 8 Marshal Elementary School Suburban 2 and Whittaker Whittaker Elementary School Suburban 5 and Suburban 6 Rivelon Elementary School Bowman 1 and 2 Old Bowman Elementary School Elloree 1 and 2 New Elloree Elementary School Limestone 1 and 2 Prince of Orange Mall Hutto noted the reason these locations have been chosen to host more than one precinct is because parking is available. Rep. Russell Ott, D-St. Matthews, and Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, both agreed with Huttos assessment about keeping the precincts as they are, but noted that passing local legislation on the state level can be an uphill battle. Ott asked Smalls to provide the delegation with an estimate of how much it would cost the county to open other locations. When we do make a move, when we go down that path, we can show that this is how much money it will end up costing Orangeburg County if we dont pass the local legislation to allow you to move forward, Ott said. Ott said keeping the precincts as-is would be ideal. He noted consolidating precincts and adding voters to precincts would create longer voting lines. Smalls said the lines would not necessarily be an issue as multiple sign-in tables could be set up. She said the county also has the equipment to handle larger voter precinct numbers if necessary. While the cost is one thing, finding separate building in some towns is difficult because there are no other suitable locations available, she said. In other election matters, Smalls said some schools will close under the Orangeburg County School District school improvement plan. These schools have served as voting places over the years. Schools that have already closed are Rivelon Elementary and Nix Elementary. She said both locations will still be used as voting locations. Smalls said during the 2024 presidential election, the Holly Hill-Roberts Middle School will be closed. I need to make sure we can get into that building, Smalls said. We have a lot of voters in that building. That is a heavy voting area. In 2025, St. James Gaillard Elementary and Vance-Providence Elementary are closing as part of the districts plan. Voters who go to Vance-Providence Elementary will most likely go next door to a community center facility to vote, Smalls said. She is unsure about an alternative location for voters who typically vote in St. James if the school will not be open on election days. Other school voting locations scheduled to close in the future are Brookdale, Mellichamp and Whittaker elementary schools. She said when those schools close, a voting location will also have to be found. The Norway Community Center at 5004 Norway Road will be used as a new voting location this coming November, Smalls said. Smalls said the new location will be reviewed and made handicap accessible. Improvements will include additional parking, sidewalks and an expanded ramp. Voters have received new cards with the new location and signs are at the old precinct location directing people to the new location. The former voting location, which is within walking distance of the new location, was deemed inadequate. Smalls also said voters in Precinct Number 139 (North 2) will most likely be voting at the North Community Room at 8391 North Road in North. Voters had previously voted at Aiken Electric Cooperative at 8381 North Road. The building will be reviewed to make sure it is handicapped accessible. Voters will receive new cards in the future if the site is adequate. The next election for the town will be held in February 2024. In other business: Childrens Museum of the Lowcountry Director of Education Jennifer Sanders and Executive Director Karen Coltrane updated delegation members about the plans to open up a Childrens Museum in St. George. The museum will be located in the Rosenwald School and will serve as a satellite to the Charleston-based Childrens Museum of the Lowcountry. Both Sanders and Coltrane said the St. George museum will conduct outreach programs for children in Orangeburg and Calhoun counties in an attempt to reach children that may have not been reached in the past. Individuals who have not voted in eight years or more are asked to contact the Orangeburg County Voter Registration and Elections Office if they want to vote in upcoming elections. Individuals who have moved and want to vote in upcoming elections are asked to go online at scvotes.gov or contact the countys voter registration office for a change of address form. It was noted there is about $148,879.44 in Parks and Recreation Development fund money available to be spent. Hutto said project requests are being accepted. Money includes: Rep. Justin Bamberg, D-Bamberg, $24,000; Rep. Lonnie Hosey, D-Barnwell, $10,000; Ott, $14,000; Cobb-Hunter, $26,500; Sen. Vernon Stephens, D-Bowman, $40,000; Hutto, $35,000. About $29,000 in water recreation money was given to the county for boat landing improvements. Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College Area Commissioners Landy Weathers from Bowman and Jacqueline Shaw of Vance were reappointed to the board. The terms are from July 2023 to July 2027. About 21 judicial candidates throughout the state introduced themselves to the delegation. State lawmakers are responsible for appointing judges. The candidates will go through a screening process this fall and will receive recommendations from the South Carolina Bar and other groups. A report will be compiled and lawmakers will receive this report to review. A moment of silence was held for Sen. John Scott, D-Richland. Scott, a state lawmaker since 1990, died August 13 at the Medical University of South Carolina hospital in Charleston. He was 69. Days after Pope Francis delivered a speech to Russian Catholics, a minority in an Orthodox-dominated nation, he acknowledged Monday (September 4) that his comments about Russia's imperial past, a concept Ukraine has since criticized, were badly phrased. In an impromptu in-flight press conference following the end of his visit to Mongolia, the first time any Roman pontiff has ever done so, Francis clarified that his intention was to remind young Russians of a great cultural heritage they had and not a political one. "I was not thinking of imperialism when I said that," he said. While Ukrainians have been disappointed with the pope's remarks, the Kremlin welcomed them by saying he has a knowledge of Russian history. In response, Francis stated he was referring to the thought of one of his favorite authors, the Russian literary icon Fyodor Dostoevsky. "Russian culture is of such beauty, such profoundness," he added. "It should not be canceled because of political problems. There were dark political years in Russia but the heritage is there, available to all" Read Also: Ukrainian Churches Begin Using Gregorian Calendar Starting Sept. 1: Why the Change? Pope to Beijing: Catholic Church Not a Foreign Power Francis also told reporters aboard the return flight to Rome that he wanted to assure China, which the Vatican has difficult relations with following the 2018 agreement between Rome and Beijing on the appointment of bishops and the dismissal of its main broker, Theodore McCarrick, from the church's hierarchy and clerical state due to sexual assault charges, that the Holy See has no ulterior motives against its regime and should not be seen as a foreign power despite the fact the pope is considered the elected sovereign of Vatican City. "I think we have to move forward in the religious aspect in order to understand each other better, so that Chinese citizens do not think the Church does not accept their culture and their values and [do not think] that the Church represents another foreign power," the pontiff explained. This remark came after a young Chinese Catholic man living in Inner Mongolia told the pope in the lead-up to the principal Mass in Ulaanbaatar Sunday (September 3) to help "save" the Chinese congregation as Beijing has been following a policy of "Sinicization" of religion, where all traces of foreign influence are purged and are replaced with the importance of obedience to the Chinese Communist Party. Despite this, Francis said relations with Chinese officials were "very respectful" and that he had a "great admiration" for the Chinese people. The pope also talked about the upcoming events he would attend, such as the Synod on Synodality in October, a trip to Marseilles, the latest consistory ceremony for 21 new cardinals, and a possible papal visit to Vietnam. Related Article: Ukrainians Slam Pope Francis for Message to Russian Catholic Minority @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. First Saturday study Because of the Labor Day weekend this study will be held on Saturday, Sept. 9 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. The topic will be on the nature of the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.22-26 in its context. This is an interactive study and all are invited. Phone the church office at 234-8812 for further information Grief share at Highland Park Grief Share will be held at Highland Park Community Church, 5725 Highland Drive in Casper. The group will begin Tuesday, Oct. 3 At 6:30 p.m. in Room 1331 and will run for 13 weeks. There is a $20 fee for the workbook but scholarships are available For more information please call, Susan Propp at 970-691-0754 or The Healing Place 265-3977 McDaniel to address political courage at Democratic Issues Forum Where is political courage today? The Democratic Issues Forum in Casper welcomes Rodger McDaniel as their guest speaker for their fall kick-off at noon on Sept. 9 at the Ramkota Inn. McDaniel, award winning author, will speak about the themes within his newest book, Profiles in Courage: Standing Against the Wind. According to McDaniel, This book is about that most admirable of human virtues courage. It tells the history of 9 individuals and 3 groups of citizens who, exhibited extraordinary courage at critical times in Wyoming history. Its about the grace with which they endured the risks to their careers, the unpopularity of their courses, the defamation of their characters, and sometimes, but sadly only sometimes, the vindication of their reputations and their principles. He is the author of four other books including Dying for Joe McCarthys Sins: The Suicide of Wyoming Senator Lester Hunt and The Man in the Arena: The Life and Times of U.S. Senator Gale W. McGee both named Non-Fiction Books of the Year by the Wyoming State Historical Society. McDaniel has a University of Wyoming law degree and a Master of Divinity Degree with Honors from the Iliff School of Theology in Denver. He served 10 years in the Wyoming legislature, practiced law for 25 years, and pastors Highlands Presbyterian Church in Cheyenne today. Sponsored by the Democratic Womens Forum, the Noon buffet luncheon of $20, including tax and gratuity, will be held at the Ramkota Inn. The Forum welcomes all to the program and attendance can be with or without the luncheon. The cost without the luncheon is $1.00. Reservations are strongly recommended. Please RSVP to Shauna at 307-277-1345 by Wednesday, Sept 6. The Science Zone AmeriCorps Do you have a heart for service? Do you want to kick-start your career? Do you want to build your employment skills? Are you retired and have a desire to serve? You could help provide educational programming in classrooms in before and after school programs, community outreach activities, and summer camps. We have many ideas of how you could help us do outreach. Members will have flexible scheduling options, flexible commitment levels and will be provided with training. Service commitments range from 300 hours to 1200 hours that can be served over the course of a few months to a full year. In addition to stipends and education awards, becoming part of the AmeriCorps community brings lifelong connections and benefits. Join us as an AmeriCorp member by going to thesciencezone.org or call us at (307) 473-9663 for more information. Women in the Word Women in the Word Bible Study is a non-denominational bible study for any woman., regardless of age, background or faith, who wants to grow in Gods Word and learn and share with others. We resumed the Bible Study year Sept. 14 at Highland Park with the regular time of 9:15 am to 11:00 am. Please call Angela with any questions 207-267-8061. Free childcare is provided for children ages 0-5 years of age. Continuum of Care looking for members, input The Wyoming Homeless Continuum of Care held their statewide annual meeting at the Fort Caspar Museum on June 29. The group had a packed agenda including guest speakers from the Institute of Community Alliances looking at racial disparity in the Wyoming Homeless population, LGBTQ and diversity from Casper PRIDE, the Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Unaccompanied Students Initiative, and the Statewide Coordinated Entry System, for accessing and prioritization of high vulnerability, literally homeless clients. The group also held an interactive activity to determine gaps in services and barriers to housing statewide. Attendees were encouraged and invited to sign up for numerous committees (Data Quality, Membership and Outreach, Coordinated Entry, Rank and Review, and Point in Time) and to apply to become a board member. The WY CoC is looking for additional members and input from communities statewide to partner to address the issues surrounding homelessness in Wyoming. For more information and to register to be a member or join the mailing list please visit: wyomingwhc.org About Wyoming Continuum of CareThe WY CoC is a membership driven, planning, and oversight body for Wyoming. The purpose of the CoC is to develop and implement strategies to ensure that homelessness in Wyoming is rare, brief, and non-recurring. The CoC coordinates each communitys policies, strategies, and activities, and is tasked with gathering and analyzing data to determine the local needs of people experiencing homelessness, identifying, and bridging gaps in housing and services, implementing systemic responses to homelessness, educating the community on issues related to homelessness, providing support and technical assistance on the operations of homeless services, and measuring CoC system performance. Writers conference at River of Life Join Kingdom Creatives Literary Arts Affinity Group for the first annual, two-day event: Fall Into Books Writers Conference is at River of Life Church from 5:30 to 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 29, and from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 30. The event features six guest speakers presenting on Keeping the Muse, Improving Craft, Editing, Business/Taxes, and Marketing; time for networking; local author book signing; and childrens book authors Q&A panel. $75 entry fee includes lunch. $65 Early Bird Registration by Aug. 22! River of Life events Calling all visual artists! The Center for Kingdom Creatives is hosting our Affinity Group meetings for visual arts. Join us on the 4th Tuesday each month from 5 PM to 7 PM at Cascade Coffeeshop (2955 East 2nd Street). Our next meeting is 2/28. Well have activities, demonstrations, time for creating, and be planning upcoming events and art shows! Calling all writers! The Center for Kingdom Creatives presents the Literary Art Affinity Group at Cascade Coffee Shop. Bring your work to share, work on, constructively critique, bring resources to share, and invite fellow writers to join the fun! Well also be planning future events, conferences, workshops, and more! We meet every month on the third Thursday at 7 p.m. at 2955 East 2nd Street, Casper, WY 82609. Our next meeting is 2/16. Call (307) 369-5433 or contact riveroflife307@gmail.com, or go to www.riveroflife.family for more details. Central Wyoming Hospice joins nonprofit collaboration Central Wyoming Hospice and Transitions is excited to announce our new membership to the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI). NPHI is made up of more than 95 not-for-profit, community-integrated hospice and palliative care providers and is dedicated to ensuring patients and their families have access to high quality care at the last stages of life. Central Wyoming Hospice is the is the first NPHI member in Wyoming. NPHI believes the end-of-life care patients and their families receive should reflect their individual goals, values, and preferences. Together, members across the country define the standards of hospice care and guide patients and families through that journey. We joined NHPI because we believe that non-profit, community-based hospice providers historically have been and continue to be the leaders and the innovators in end-of-life care, said CWHT Executive Director Kilty Brown. Ultimately, NHPIs mission and values align closely with the type of care we provide daily. NPHI members are committed to person-centered advanced illness care that ensures individuals can focus on quality and comfort at the last stage of life. Driven by patient and family needs not profit members work to fundamentally change how people and institutions view end-of-life care, and instead, help people live as well as possible until they die. Women in Business Scholarship The Zonta Club of Cheyenne is seeking applicants for its Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship. The selected applicant who should demonstrate outstanding potential in her field of studywill receive a $1,000 scholarship. The Cheyenne Club scholarship recipient will then compete (without any additional paperwork required) with other Zonta Club scholarship recipients for an additional $6,000. This scholarship is open to women of any age who are pursuing a business degree (including accounting, economics, finance, business management, business technology, information technology, marketing, operations management, human resources management, international business, or entrepreneurship) at an accredited university, college, or institute. Students must be enrolled in at least the second year of an undergraduate program through the final year of a masters program at the time the application is submitted. Applicants must not graduate before April 2024. To receive the local Zonta Club of Cheyenne scholarship, the applicant must have graduated rom a Laramie County high school or have obtained a GED in Laramie County or currently be a student living in Laramie County. Those students interested in applying but without the tie to Laramie County may submit their application and it will be passed on to Zonta officials who will assure that it is considered for the appropriate regional/international scholarship. Applications must be submitted no later than Aug. 1. It is preferred that the complete application be submitted at zonta.cheyenne@sgmail.com but they may also be sent to Zonta, P.O. Box 2135, Cheyenne, WY 82003. The application and additional details may be found at https://www.cheyennezonta.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/JMKApplication2023.pdf Questions or additional inquiries may be sent to parrishzonta@gmail.com. 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. KI is planning a huge homecoming for Carnival 2024. KI (Kris Persad) and his family band 3Veni have been noticeably absent from the fete circuit for the past five years. The Toronto, Canada-based former chutney soca monarch says he is longing for the one place where he is at home: the Carnival stage. (Flashback)CLOSED: The gates to the Massy Stores outlet in St Anns remain shut after bandits held up two employees yesterday morning. Photos: Jermaine Cruickshank 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. China publishes new datasets obtained by Mars, lunar probes Xinhua) 14:14, September 05, 2023 BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- China published two new batches of data on Monday, obtained by its Mars probe and lunar probe. The scientific data obtained by three scientific payloads including a high-definition camera on Tianwen-1, the country's Mars probe, from January to March this year, have been released, amounting to nearly 68 gigabytes, according to the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC). This is the probe's fifth data release. Tianwen-1, consisting of an orbiter, a lander and a rover, entered the Mars orbit on Feb. 10, 2021, becoming the country's first probe to orbit the planet. Also, the NAOC team published the 38th scientific data acquired by four payloads mounted on the lander and rover of the Chang'e-4 probe between April 15 and June 24 this year. The data is sized at 2.7 gigabytes. The Chang'e-4 probe, launched on Dec. 8, 2018, made the first-ever soft landing on the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon on Jan. 3, 2019. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Elon Musk, who owns X (previously Twitter), has threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for defamation over the latter's previous statements. The group's earlier remarks were reportedly about the rise of hate speech on the social media site, which Musk claims has led to a precipitous drop in advertising income for X. US Ad Revenue Still Down 60% Musk said on X: "Our US advertising revenue is still down 60%, primarily due to pressure on advertisers by @ADL (that's what advertisers tell us), so they almost succeeded in killing X/Twitter!" Musk further stated that the ADL has been actively working to destroy the platform since he assumed control in October 2022 by spreading false rumors that the platform and he are anti-Semitic. The ADL has previously said that it does not provide comment on pending litigation. The group did say it had just met with X's leadership, including CEO Linda Yaccarino, whom Musk had recruited to help bring back advertising income. Although a #BanTheADL movement has gained momentum on X, the ADL has claimed that Musk is "lifting" the effort. The ADL has said that it is not shocked by the systematic attack on the organization that it has received from antisemites, white supremacists, conspiracy theorists, and other trolls. A representative from the group said that incidents of this kind are not uncommon. Our US advertising revenue is still down 60%, primarily due to pressure on advertisers by @ADL (thats what advertisers tell us), so they almost succeeded in killing X/Twitter! Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 4, 2023 See Also: 'Valorant' Fans Mock Elon Musk in Los Angeles-Chanting 'Bring Back Twitter'; Supporters Heckled Back Musk vs. Anti-Hate Groups According to the ADL and other groups like the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), the amount of hate speech on the platform has increased considerably while Musk has been in charge. In May, two watchdog groups released reports claiming that the number of times a tweet containing hate speech had been viewed had increased, as reported by CNN. The CCDH reported that under Musk, the n-word is used three times as often as the ordinary person and that insults against homosexual men and trans people have increased by 58% and 62%, respectively. In a second study, the ADL claimed that it had found evidence of both rising antisemitic content and a decline in the platform's moderation of such posts. In response, Musk said that these May reports were completely false and that the number of impressions for tweets containing hate speech had been decreasing since his early days as CEO. Musk filed a lawsuit against the CCDH last month, alleging that the foundation was intentionally attempting to scare away advertisers by releasing studies critical of the platform's reaction to hateful content. To be more precise, Twitter argues that CCDH violated its terms of service and federal hacking laws by collecting data from the company's platform and by urging an unidentified person to inappropriately acquire information about Twitter that it had sent to a third-party brand monitoring provider. See Also: Elon Musk's X Revises Privacy Policy to Obtain User Biometric Info, Employment Records @ 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. You can add some sparkle to September at the Diamond Jubilee for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Arizona (BBBSSA) at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, 7000 N. Resort Drive. We are celebrating 60 years with diamonds, so it is a great excuse to get dressed up and wear as much sparkle as you like. It will be a beautiful event and we are going to have so much fun, said Ashley Stewart, chair of the gala and a member of the board of directors for BBBSSA. The milestone event seeks to raise at least $225,000 for the nonprofit that provides one-to-one, adult-to-child mentoring to help young people achieve their highest potential. It also offers referral services, parent training and support to the parents and families of children involved in the program. And it partners with community organizations to provide educational and recreational activities for the kids. The mentees (known as Littles) have diverse economic, social and cultural backgrounds: 71% live in a home without one or both parents, and 69% are from low-income households. Many have faced challenges, such as parents who are incarcerated and/or placement in the foster care system. Others are from two-parent families. There are no qualifiers with our programs. They are free and all a child needs is a desire to be matched. We believe every child who wants a Big (adult mentor) should have one. Every child can use one moreor for some, the onlypositive role model to lean on in times of need who will understand and encourage them, said Veronica Saiz, Director of Marketing and Corporate Engagement for BBBSSA. BBBSSA programs include not only traditional, community-based mentoring but also a High School Leadership Program that pairs student Bigs with Littles from elementary schools in Safford, Arizona, to provide assistance with homework and socialization. Additionally, the Mentor 2.0 program is a site-based initiative for students at Tucson High School, Sunnyside High School and eighth graders at Apollo Middle School. The program currently serves 60 students, and more than 40 are currently awaiting matches. The program will serve 120 students during the 2023-2024 school year, with 40 students currently awaiting matches. Bigs are also needed for the community-based program; about 75% of the 65 children in need of matches are male. We utilize the Mentor 2.0 environment to capture older kids who are not as likely to come to us. We need volunteers specifically for that program and are matching in September to start as soon as possible. The gala will not only help fund our programs but also promotes awareness about our mission and our very urgent need for volunteers, said Saiz. She said that Mentor 2.0 can be a good option for adults with limited time since it requires a consistent, pre-scheduled commitment of one day each month during the school year. We emphasize that it is about the quality of time spent and not the quantity, said Saiz. That quality has proven transformational, according to Saiz. According to a 2022 BBBS Youth Outcome Survey, mentoring resulted in measurable outcomes: 100% of Littles reported improved positive relationships with peers, while 96% reported improved positive relationships with parent/family and a desire to avoid risky behavior. Stewart has first-hand knowledge of the effectiveness of Mentor 2.0. She served as a Big through the program and then transitioned to community-based mentoring for her Little, who is now 20. It was very rewarding. We are here for the children we mentor, but they are here for us, too. We build a relationship and it is great to see life through the eyes of someone who is much younger. It reminds you where you once were and gives you more perspective on everything that is happening in our community, said Stewart, an insurance advisor for the Mahoney Group. A member of the board of directors of CREW Tucson and one of Tucsons 40 Under 40 in 2022, Stewart has frequently volunteered with youth-related causes, including the El Rio Vecinos. She has also raised funds for BBBSSA through So AZ Bigs Team Defenders in El Tour de Tucson for the past five years. Ultimately, her efforts are all about the kids. They are the next generation. Through mentorship, we enable them to start off their lives with advantages by learning from our experiences. It helps provide tools that close achievement and opportunity gaps and gives them a leg up, said Stewart. A 69-year-old woman was killed Saturday night when Tucson police say a driver ran a red light and smashed into the SUV she was driving. Blaza Ortiz Carbajal was driving a 2021 Nissan Rogue north on South Tucson Boulevard about 8:30 p.m. when the driver of an eastbound 2007 Dodge Charger ran a red light at East Billy Road and smashed into the Nissan, police said Monday in a news release. After the initial collision, the Nissan struck a traffic signal pole. Carbajal died at the crash scene. A passenger in the Charger tried to run away after the crash but was detained nearby, the release said. That man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Police are still working to identify the driver of the Charger. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or 88-CRIME, the anonymous tips line. PHOENIX The states top schools official is setting aside $40 million of federal COVID relief money to provide personal tutoring for students who are not meeting proficiency standards in reading or math. But only a small fraction of the more than 525,000 students in first through eighth grades who need the help are going to get it. Whether they do could depend on how quickly their parents register them by computer when the sign-up begins later this month. Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said the money is being clawed back from some other federally funded programs operated by private and nonprofit entities previously approved by Kathy Hoffman, his Democratic predecessor. Most of the money went to entities that worked inside schools to help compensate for the sharp losses in achievement after many schools shut down and went to online learning during the pandemic, said Michelle Udall, an assistant superintendent. Each was given an opportunity to show their programs were working, Udall said. Those that could provide evidence of academic achievement will keep getting the money. Those that could not were notified their funding is being cut off, she said. There apparently are a lot that couldnt: Udall estimated total reclaimed dollars could be as much as $75 million more than half the $130 million the Arizona Department of Education received in funds from the American Rescue Plan. The decision was made to put at least $40 million of that into more direct services in this case, tutoring. Theres a lot of data nationally to show that tutoring is pretty much the most impactful way to improve student academic outcomes, said Udall. Goal is six months progress in six weeks The new program is designed to provide four hours a week of direct tutoring for six weeks, with the goal of making six months worth of progress in math or reading during that time. Theres an incentive for public school teachers who agree to be tutors: They get $30 an hour plus an extra $200 for each student who reaches that progress goal a figure Horne said could add up to $8,000 for the school year for a participating teacher. That has a benefit of its own, Horne said. We must pay our teachers more, he said. No school is better than the teachers in the classroom. And were losing teachers to our surrounding states. The more immediate issue for students and their parents is getting access to a tutor. Horne figures that 60% of students in Grades 1 through 8 are not proficient in reading as measured by standardized tests. Two-thirds fail to meet the standards for math, he estimates. In some cases, there is some overlap of students who are behind in both categories. But state education officials dont have hard data. That produces a figure of at least 525,000 students who are behind. First-come, first-served Only thing is, Horne figures the $40 million will pay for about 1.3 million hours of tutoring. Using the figure of 24 hours of help per student four days a week, six hours a day that provides enough for only about 54,000 students to get the tutoring help. Even assuming some teachers take on three students at once, which is permitted under the program, that still puts the maximum enrollment at fewer than 165,000 students. Asked whether its appropriate to publicize a program that wont be able to help most who need it, Horne responded at a news conference Tuesday: I think improving proficiency for 54,000 is very significant. It doesnt solve the whole problem. (But) We have to deal with the money weve got. The department expects to have an enrollment form on its website as of Sept. 15. I dont know how we could do it, other than first-come, first-served, Horne said. Testing is part of the plan The money paid to the tutors is only part of the cost. Horne said the state is going to contract with a private firm to develop tests administered to enrolled students before the tutoring starts and afterwards to determine if they are meeting the anticipated six months worth of progress, and whether the tutors are entitled to a bonus. But he said his department has money above the $40 million for that, ensuring that the test preparation and administration costs wont cut into tutoring funds. The decisions on which existing programs to cancel and take back their remaining funds were not based on his own personal opposition to what he calls social and emotional learning, said Horne. That is generally defined as tools to help young people regulate their emotions, establish and maintain relationships, and show empathy for others. Horne has said this has no place in the classroom. But he said Tuesday that wasnt automatically considered a disqualification from further funding. I believe that emotional problems can interfere with learning, Horne said. A student (who) comes to school very upset about whats going on at home, its tough for them to learn. The key, he said, is showing an academic link. If you had a program that was directed towards students emotional health, which can affect learning, all you have to do is show us that it did affect learning, Horne said. If you can give us data showing that your improvement of student emotional health resulted in better academic progress, then you got to keep the funds. Doesnt want money to revert to feds Some of the money for the tutoring program is coming not from canceled programs but from others the Department of Education has found effective but will not be able to spend all of their allocations by Sept. 30, 2024 the spending deadline in federal law. One of the things we want to be sure is that no money goes back to the federal government, Horne said. Nothing in Tuesdays announcement affects the balance of the $2.7 billion the state got in federal COVID relief money that went directly to public schools. Udall said schools have used it for various programs designed to get students caught up, including some that set up their own tutoring efforts. PHOENIX Top Republican lawmakers are trying to torpedo a deal that would result in a court order that would obligate the state to pay for gender-affirming surgery for its employees and dependents. And, if nothing else, they dont want the state on the hook for $500,000 in legal fees claimed by the attorneys that sued. In arguments filed in federal court, Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma say they are not trying to block the states insurance program from covering the hysterectomy sought by Russell Toomey, who filed suit four years ago. That, they say, already is going to happen. They point out that Gov. Katie Hobbs signed Executive Order 2023-12 in June directing the Department of Administration, the states personnel arm, to remove language exempting gender reassignment surgery from the health care policies now available to state and university employees and retirees. With Toomeys complaint solved and the policy changed, attorney Drew Ensign who is representing the GOP leaders, said Toomeys lawsuit, filed in his behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union, is moot. What they are objecting to is U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Marquez signing a deal that would cement into a consent decree enforceable in federal court an order that the state must pay not only for Toomeys surgery but keep paying for such procedures for anyone else in a similar situation. All that, Ensign said, would improperly interfere with future policy decisions of the Arizona Legislature, running afoul of bedrock principles of federalism. In the court filing, Ensign also said there is a more immediate problem: a 2022 law signed by then-Gov. Doug Ducey, which bans irreversible gender reassignment surgery on anyone younger than 18. Gov. Hobbs has no authority to unilaterally rewrite statutes through executive orders, he said. And with that statute about minors never mentioned in the proposed consent decree, that creates issues. On one side, Ensign said, a court order that includes coverage of gender-reassignment surgeries may mean little if the procedure remains unlawful to perform in Arizona. Or perhaps the parties believe that once the consent decree is approved by this court, they will be able to argue that it silently preempts the ban on surgery on minors, he told the judge. Christine Kee, attorney for the ACLU Foundation of Arizona, is urging Marquez to ignore the bid by the GOP leaders to upset the deal. In essence, she said, its too late. This widely publicized litigation has been known to Sen. Petersen, Speaker Toma and the rest of the Arizona Legislature for years, yet none saw fit to appear in this action, she wrote in her own legal filing. Only now, at the eleventh hour, do the legislators seek to appear in order to lob a meritless attack against a consent decree that provide customary relief to resolve a case challenging an obvious violation of federal civil rights law. And Kee said she sees something in the move beyond mere legal issues. Let there be no mistake: The motion is a mere Trojan Horse by which the legislators articulate a deep animus toward gender-affirming care for political gain, she said. Ensign, however, said there was no delay. He pointed out that attorneys for the state had actually been defending the lawsuit right up until the time that Hobbs changed the legal landscape with her executive order, dropping the states opposition. At that point, Ensign said the GOP lawmakers immediately sought to intercede following the governors action. Even if Marquez disagrees with the GOP lawmakers and signs the consent decree, Petersen and Toma have one other issue: They do not believe the state should end up having to pay the $500,000 the ACLU is requesting in legal fees. And this goes back to the fact that Hobbs signed that executive order in June. Because the proposed consent decree essentially adds nothing beyond what the executive order already gave them, there is no incremental value to the class (of people who would be eligible for state-paid surgery) that could justify the proposed half-a-million dollar award, Ensign told the judge. Put simply, he said, the Hobbs executive order repealed the exclusion against gender-affirming surgery that the lawsuit challenged, providing Toomey and others similarly situated with the exact same relief they are now seeking to have Marquez approve. The proposed consent decree simply orders defendants to do what the executive order already commands them to do, Ensign said. It is effectively a redundant command to take actions that were certain to be taken anyway even if no injunction ever issued, he told the judge. Plaintiffs are not entitled to any fee award let alone half a million dollars of taxpayer money for what amounts to little more than mere memorialization of relief that Executive Order 2023-12 already gave them. Kee, for her part, said the requested fees reflect a small fraction of the costs and time spent litigating this case over the past four years. And she said the $500,000 is well within the range of reasonableness. That, however, is yet to be determined. Plaintiff did not provide billing records to enable the court to assess whether the agreed-upon fees are fair and reasonable, Marquez said in an order just this past week. A bid to force a recall election of first-term Tucson Republican Sen. Justine Wadsack has failed. Ultimately we ran out of time to collect the number of signatures we needed to trigger recall, organizer Rolande Baker said Tuesday. Baker needed to get at least 30,981 valid signatures of registered voters within the district by the close of business on Tuesday. She declined to say how many she collected in the four-month window allowed in state law and will not be submitting any completed petitions to the Secretary of States Office. Still, Baker said the effort was a success to the extent it drew public attention to the senators increasingly erratic and extreme behavior in response to valid criticism from her constituents and the citizens of Arizona. Wadsack told Capitol Media Services the outcome of the drive is no surprise. The voters of LD 17 dont want me recalled, she said. They want me reelected, Wadsack continued. And thats why not a single signature was turned in. Wadsack went on to say she has more signatures on her petitions to qualify for the 2024 ballot than foes were able to gather for the recall. But Wadsack, like recall organizers, refused to share the numbers. The failed petition drive legally immunizes Wadsack from further recall efforts through the end of her two-year term at the end of 2024. But it comes as efforts already are underway to unseat her in the election that year. It is now up to LD 17 to make sure Justine Wadsack is voted out in November of 2024, Baker told Capitol Media Services. Vince Leach, who had been the senator from that district until Wadsack defeated him in the 2022 primary election, already has filed paperwork to try to reclaim his seat. Democrat Amy Fitch also has put her name in the running. The district that stretches across northern Pima County and southern Pinal County leans Republican, with 67,267 registered GOP voters at last count compared with 51,041 Democrats. There are, however, nearly 54,000 voters who have registered as politically independent. Recalls are often not successful, at least in part because of the number of signatures required to even call an election. It translates out to 25% of the people who turned out in the prior election. The last legislator successfully removed from office was Senate President Russell Pearce in 2011. That, however, followed his sponsorship of SB 1070 and other far-reaching and controversial legislation to have the state get involved with finding and deporting those not in the country legally. Foes of Gov. Evan Mecham gathered more than 300,000 signatures in 1988 to force a recall election. But he was impeached and removed from office by the Legislature before a vote could occur. Even if a recall election against Wadsack had been called, the earliest it could have been held is March 2024 or possibly as late as May 2024. Editor's note: This article was originally published in 2016. The name of a fast-growing Southern Arizona town may be a long-held misspelling. In September 1820 a year before Mexico won its independence Tomas and Ignacio Ortiz, residents of Tubac, petitioned the governor of Sonora and Sinaloa for a land grant of four sitios (more than 27 square miles) of grassland around La Canoa to raise horses and cattle. Conforming to Spanish law, the land had to be measured, appraised and auctioned before title could be granted. In July 1821, Ignacio Elias Gonzales, commander of the military post of Tubac, appointed officers and ordered the survey done. His account related to the survey of the San Ignacio de la Canoa land grant describes a vast domain that stretched from Tubac to the south to el Saguarito, where there exists a plant of this tree, which remains as a landmark ... to the north. Because Mexico was undergoing its separation from Spain, no title was issued to the Ortiz brothers at that time. They finally got it in 1849. The first known person to settle at el Saguarito, Spanish for the little saguaro, was Cyrus S. Rice, who was born in Maine in 1832 and traveled to California, possibly for the gold rush. In December 1861, he enlisted in Company I, 5th Infantry Regiment of the California Volunteers as a corporal, at Marysville, California, and served until he was discharged in 1864, in Las Cruces, New Mexico Territory. Around 1867, Rice settled at el Saguarito along the Santa Cruz River. His new home was called the Sahuarita Ranch, which was likely a corruption of the original Spanish name for the area. On Dec. 23, 1868, he sold the ranch for $600 to Albert C. Benedict. The deed of sale describes the boundaries as, Commencing at the Sahuara in front of and West from the house ... Instead of using a normal land deed (aka general warranty deed), Rice used a quit claim deed to sell his ranch. This type of deed can indicate the seller is unsure whether he owns the property, so Rice may have settled near the little saguaro or landmark without purchasing the land from a previous owner. Whichever is the case, Rice likely was the first to live here and is therefore the founder of what is now known as the town of Sahuarita. Benedict, who was born around 1830 in Michigan and arrived in Arizona around 1860, married Gregoria Alvares just prior to his purchase of the Sahuarita Ranch. His Spanish-speaking wife might have pointed out the misspelling of the ranch name, because it was changed to the Sahuarito Ranch. John Spring, who was stationed at Camp Lowell, would write years later about a stop on his trip from Tucson to Santa Cruz, Sonora. At nightfall we stopped at a place called Sahuarito (little giant cactus), for an isolated plant of that kind growing near the place, which was an eating and watering station kept by one Benedict, about twenty-five miles south of Tucson and one mile west of the Santa Cruz River. In July 1872, Benedict and two ranch hands were in the field about 300 yards from the ranch house, planting beans and pulling up weeds, when Apaches attacked. Benedict took several bullets, including one to his foot that plagued him for life. That November, he was elected treasurer of Pima County, and later served as territorial auditor. In January 1874, Benedict began caring for horses and mules at the Sahuarito Ranch, charging $2.50 per animal per month with an unlimited quantity of grass (grain was available for an extra fee). The following year, he advertised the Sahuarito Ranch for sale in the Arizona Citizen newspaper, but apparently didnt find a buyer. By 1877, he had abandoned the Sahuarito Ranch and moved to the Huababi Ranch, on the Santa Cruz River south of Calabasas. Sometime between April and November 1877, James K. Jim Brown and Tom Roddick obtained the Sahuarito Ranch from Benedict. In June 1879, Roddick was preparing to go to Texas to obtain cattle for the Sahuarito Ranch when he died suddenly. A couple of years later the ranch legally became the sole property of Brown. In December 1879, Brown returned to his home state of Ohio and brought back a bride, Olive S. Brown. When she arrived at her new home, Olive found an eight-room ranch house with adobe walls and high ceilings. The front two living rooms had floors, while the rest of the house had hard-packed dirt floors. This structure was surrounded by a tall, thick, adobe wall. On Sept. 4, 1882, the Sahuarito post office was established, with Brown as the postmaster and Olive as the assistant. It was used until June 11, 1886. Brown served as Pima County sheriff from 1891 to 1892. Early in the new century, when the Twin Buttes Railroad was being built from Tucson to the mining camp called Twin Buttes, Brown granted the railroad right of way through his property with the agreement that the train station be called Sahuarito. A few years later, he sold off his ranch and holdings and moved to Tucson. According to Olive S. Brand, granddaughter of James K. Brown, the family ranch was always known as the Sahuarito Ranch, not the Sahuarita Ranch. On Oct. 11, 1915, the post office was reestablished as Sahuarita with T.G. Dumont as its postmaster. In time, the train station became known as Sahuarita as well. The highest court of Hong Kong partly allowed a groundbreaking challenge by an LGBTQ activist for recognition of same-sex unions on Tuesday, September 5, asking for new legislation for homosexual couples to protect their fundamental social requirements. Five years of legal fight by imprisoned democracy and LGBTQ rights campaigner Jimmy Sham ended in the verdict by Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal. When the court finally ruled on the legality of same-sex marriage in the Asian financial capital, it was a historic moment. Sham, now 36 years old, got married to his partner in New York in 2013 and has twice been unsuccessful in lower courts in his efforts to have Hong Kong recognize overseas same-sex weddings. Sham is one of the democratic activists jailed since March 2021 for their involvement in an irregular primary election staged in 2020, which is said to have violated Beijing's national security legislation, as reported by BBC. Fight for Fundamental Rights In a report by Reuters about the rulings, the justices in Hong Kong's high court rejected Sham's claim that he was guaranteed the right to marry someone of the same gender under the city's constitution. Still, they did give the government two years to pass legislation guaranteeing same-sex partners basic protections like access to hospitals and inheritance. The Hong Kong court (Chief Justice Andrew Cheung, Permanent Judges Roberto Ribeiro, Joseph Fok, Johnson Lam, and Non-Permanent Judge Patrick Keane) decided that the freedom of marriage guaranteed by Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, applied only to marriages between people of different sexes. The court system, nonetheless, recognized that same-sex couples need a separate legal system in order to fulfill fundamental societal needs. The justices said that same-sex couples should not be stigmatized and should have the confidence that their relationships are just as valid as those of heterosexual couples. The verdict may prompt the city's administration and institutions to make reforms, according to lawyers and campaigners. This may result in the establishment of a new legal framework that makes it easier to inherit property, get insurance, and pay taxes, among other privileges. Also Read: LGBTQ Veterans Sue Defense Department Over Dismissal From US Military Viewpoint on Homosexuality Reuters said homosexuality was removed from mainland China's list of mental diseases in 2001, and the country officially decriminalized homosexuality in 1997. Yet, same-sex marriage is illegal, and LGBT people have little legal rights. The courts put off declaring that Hong Kong was in violation of the law since there was no alternative legal framework to protect Sham's interests, allowing the government two years to implement reforms. Judges Fok and Ribeiro said in their judgment that same-sex couples face real problems in many situations and still must have full input into medical and hospitalization choices. They added, "Problems like these have unsatisfactorily led to recurrent approaches to the courts asking them to deal with each controversy on a case-by-case basis." They said the lack of legal protection for same-sex couples has been seen as discriminatory and demeaning. Also Read: Pentagon Facing Civil Rights Lawsuit for Discriminating Against LGBTQ+ Veterans @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A judge on Monday set a March 4, 2024, trial date for Donald Trump in the federal case in Washington charging the former president with trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan rebuffed claims by Trump's attorneys that an April 2026 trial date was necessary to account for the huge volume of evidence they say they are reviewing and to prepare for what they contend is a novel and unprecedented prosecution. In a related case in Georgia, Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday to trying to overturn the state's 2020 election results. GIULIANI LIABLE: U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell on Wednesday held Rudy Giuliani liable in a defamation lawsuit brought by two Georgia election workers who say they were falsely accused of fraud, ruling that the former New York city mayor gave "only lip service" to complying with his legal obligations while trying to portray himself as the victim in the case. RACIST KILLINGS: A white man fatally shot three Black people Aug. 26 inside a Jacksonville, Florida, Dollar General store in a predominately Black neighborhood after leaving behind racist writings, officials said. The shooter, Ryan Palmeter, then killed himself. DRUG PRICES: President Joe Biden's administration announced Tuesday that several drugs would be targeted for Medicare's first-ever price negotiations, including the blood thinner Eliquis, diabetes treatment Jardiance and eight other medications. DETROIT A 46% pay raise. A 32-hour week with 40 hours of pay. A restoration of traditional pensions. The demands that a more combative United Auto Workers union has pressed on General Motors, Stellantis and Ford demands that even the UAW's own president calls audacious are edging it closer to a strike when its contract ends Sept. 14. The automakers, which are making billions in profits, have dismissed the UAW's wish list. They argue that its demands are unrealistic at a time of fierce competition from Tesla and lower-wage foreign automakers as the world shifts from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles. The wide gulf between the sides could mean a strike against one or more of the automakers, which could send already-inflated vehicle prices even higher. A potential strike by 146,000 UAW members comes against the backdrop of increasingly emboldened U.S. unions of all kinds. The number of strikes and threatened strikes is growing, involving Hollywood actors and writers, sizable settlements with railroads and major concessions by corporate giants like UPS. Shawn Fain, who won the UAWs presidency this spring in the first direct election by members, has set high expectations and assured union members that they can achieve significant gains if they are willing to walk picket lines. In a speech to a Labor Day parade crowd Monday in Detroit, Fain said that if the companies dont come up with a fair contract, come Sept. 14, were going to take action to get it by any means necessary. Fain has characterized the contract talks with Detroit automakers as a form of war between billionaires and ordinary middle-class workers. Last month, in an act of showmanship during a Facebook Live event, Fain condemned a contract proposal from Stellantis as trash and tossed a copy of it into a wastebasket where it belongs, he said. Over the past decade, the Detroit Three have emerged as robust profit-makers. They've collectively posted net income of $164 billion over the past decade, $20 billion of it this year. The CEOs of all three major automakers earn multiple millions in annual compensation. Speaking last month to Ford workers at a plant in Louisville, Kentucky, Fain complained about one standard for the corporate class and another for ordinary workers. They get out-of-control salaries," he said. "They get pensions they dont even need. They get top-rate health care. They work whatever schedule they want. The majority of our members do not get a pension nowadays. Its crazy. We get substandard health care. We dont get to work remotely. UAW members have voted overwhelmingly to authorize its leaders to call a strike. So, too, have Canadian auto workers, whose contracts end four days later and who have designated Ford as their target. The UAW hasn't said whether it will select one target automaker. It could strike all three, though doing so could deplete the union's strike fund in under three months. On the other hand, if a strike lasted even just 10 days, it would cost the three automakers nearly a billion dollars, the Anderson Economic Group has calculated. During a 40-day UAW strike in 2019, GM alone lost $3.6 billion. Last week, the union filed charges of unfair labor practices against Stellantis and GM, which it said have yet to offer counterproposals. As for Ford, Fain asserted that its response, by rejecting most of the unions demands, insults our very worth. All three automakers have countered that the union's charges are baseless and that they're seeking a fair deal that would allow them to invest in the future. Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, suggested that the strong U.S. job market and the companies' outsize profits have given Fain leverage in negotiations. In addition, he noted, the automakers are poised to release a slew of new electric vehicles that would be delayed by a strike. And they have only a limited supply of vehicles to withstand a prolonged walkout. They are vulnerable, Masters said. The question really is," he said, "are the parties willing to move on some of these things at the table? That hasn't been evident yet. Even Fain has described the union's proposals as audacious in demanding the restoration of traditional defined-benefit pensions for new hires; an end to tiers of wages; pension increases for retirees; and perhaps boldest of all a 32-hour week for 40 hours of pay. Currently, UAW workers who were hired after 2007 don't receive defined-benefit pensions. Their health benefits are less generous, too. For years, the union gave up general pay raises and lost cost-of-living wage increases to help the companies control costs. Though top-scale assembly workers earn $32.32 an hour, temporary workers start at just under $17. Still, full-time workers have received profit-sharing checks ranging this year from $9,716 at Ford to $14,760 at Stellantis. Perhaps the biggest issue blocking a contract agreement is union representation at 10 EV battery plants that the companies have proposed. Most of these plants are joint ventures with South Korean battery makers, which want to pay less. These battery workers deserve the same wage and salary standards that generations of auto workers have fought for," Fain told members. The union fears that because EVs are simpler to build, with fewer moving parts, fewer workers will be needed to assemble them. In addition, workers at combustion engine and transmission plants will likely lose jobs in the transition; they'll need a place to go. Fain, a 54-year-old electrician who came out of a Chrysler factory in Kokomo, Indiana, is among several labor leaders across the economy who have been escalating their demands and flexing their muscles. So far this year, 247 strikes have occurred involving 341,000 workers the most since Cornell University began tracking strikes in 2021, though still well below the numbers during the 1970s and 1980s. Industries that laid off the most workers in August Industries that laid off the most workers in January #18. Mining and logging (tie) #18. Federal government (tie) #17. Finance and insurance #16. Educational services #15. Real estate and rental and leasing #14. Other services #13. State and local government education #11. State and local government, excluding education (tie) #11. Information (tie) #9. Durable goods manufacturing #8. Arts, entertainment, and recreation #7. Wholesale trade #6. Health care and social assistance #5. Transportation, warehousing, and utilities #4. Retail trade #3. Accommodation and food services #2. Construction #1. Professional and business services #19. Federal government #18. Mining and logging #17. Real estate and rental and leasing #16. Educational services #15. Finance and insurance #14. State and local government education #13. State and local government, excluding education #12. Information #11. Wholesale trade #10. Nondurable goods manufacturing #9. Other services #8. Durable goods manufacturing #7. Arts, entertainment, and recreation #6. Transportation, warehousing, and utilities #5. Retail trade #4. Health care and social assistance #3. Accommodation and food services #2. Construction #1. Professional and business services #18. Federal government (tie) #18. Mining and logging (tie) #16. Real estate and rental and leasing (tie) #16. Information (tie) #15. Educational services #14. Finance and insurance #13. State and local government, excluding education #12. State and local government education #11. Wholesale trade #10. Other services #9. Nondurable goods manufacturing #7. Durable goods manufacturing (tie) #7. Arts, entertainment, and recreation (tie) #6. Transportation, warehousing, and utilities #5. Health care and social assistance #4. Accommodation and food services #3. Retail trade #2. Construction #1. Professional and business services #18. Federal government (tie) #18. Mining and logging (tie) #17. Real estate and rental and leasing #16. Educational services #15. Information #13. Finance and insurance (tie) #13. Other services (tie) #12. State and local government education #11. State and local government, excluding education #10. Arts, entertainment, and recreation #9. Wholesale trade #8. Nondurable goods manufacturing #7. Durable goods manufacturing #6. Transportation, warehousing, and utilities #5. Construction #4. Health care and social assistance #3. Accommodation and food services #2. Retail trade #1. Professional and business services KYIV, Ukraine Russia said Saturday its forces destroyed three Ukrainian naval drones being used in an attempt to attack a key bridge linking Russia to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula, forcing its temporary closure for a third time in less than a year. One naval drone was destroyed late Friday and two others early Saturday morning, according to Russia's Defense Ministry. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials. The Kerch bridge, which is a key supply route for Kremlin forces in Russia's war with Ukraine, has come under repeated attack since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The bridge connecting Crimea and Russia carries heavy significance for Moscow as a key artery for military and civilian supplies and as an assertion of Kremlin control of the peninsula it illegally annexed in 2014. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that his nation's forces were "on the move" after Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar announced Friday that Kyiv's troops were advancing in the Zaporizhzhia region. U.K. military officials said Russia risks splitting its forces in an attempt to prevent a Ukrainian breakthrough in the south. On Saturday afternoon, one civilian was killed and two wounded during shelling of Russia's Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Two Ukrainian drones attacked the region's Valuysky district, causing minor damage to a private home and car, while another drone was intercepted by Russian air defense in the Grayvoronsky district. A woman was also wounded Saturday during shelling of a village in the neighboring Kursk region, also bordering Ukraine, regional Gov. Roman Starovoit said. He blamed Ukraine for the shelling. Ukrainian authorities didn't say whether they launched the attacks. Thailands second-biggest lender Kasikornbank, also called KBank, is in talks to acquire consumer finance provider Home Credit Vietnam as part of its ASEAN business expansion, Bangkok Post reported on Monday. Earlier, Reuters revealed that the deal may be worth up to US$1 billion. Home Credit Vietnam is part of the Netherlands-headquartered non-bank financial institution Home Credit Group. It started operations in Vietnam in 2008 and has grown to employ 6,000 staff serving 12 million customers, according to its website. Besides cash loans, the company offers installment credits to buy motorcycles and consumer durables. It has 9,000 outlets in the Southeast Asian country, its website showed. Home Credit Group plans to sell its businesses across ASEAN, Bangkok Post quoted KBank executive vice-president Pattarapong Kanhasuwan as saying. The deal is in the early stages and the bank needs to spend more time studying the feasibility and pricing before making a decision on bidding, he said. In addition to Home Credit, we are exploring other potential deals in Vietnam. KBank, based in Bangkok, has total assets worth $119.7 billion, second only to Bangkok Bank in Thailand, Refinitiv data showed. It opened a branch in Vietnam in August 2022. The bank set a target of 20 billion baht (US$564,700) in outstanding loans and a customer base of 1.2 million in the country in 2023. Pattarapong said for the Vietnamese market, KBank focuses its growth on three core areas -- business scale, customer base, and competitiveness. In June, the Thai lender obtained the Vietnamese central banks approval to raise core capital for its business in the country to $285 million from $80 million, becoming the second-biggest foreign bank after Japans Sumitomo Mitsui. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Budget airline Vietjet Air has announced the launch of a direct air route linking Vietnams capital city Hanoi and Indonesias capital Jakarta, witnessed by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and other officials of the two nations. The launch ceremony was organized in Jakarta on Monday on the occasion of the Vietnamese premiers ongoing visit to Indonesia to attend the 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, which will last until Thursday, at the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo. The Hanoi-Jakarta air link is Vietjets fourth non-stop air route connecting the two nations, said Nguyen Thanh Hung, Vietjet vice-chairman. The launch of the direct air route is aimed at spurring the connection between Vietnam and Indonesia, and opening a wider door for economic growth, Hung said. With four weekly flights on the new air route between Hanoi and Jakarta, Vietjet will raise its total number of flights between the two countries to 92 a week, starting from December. The air carrier is moving toward transporting one million passengers per year on direct flights connecting Indonesia and Vietnam, contributing to advancing the strategic partnership between the two nations, and making it a bridge for cultural exchange and economic cooperation. Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien offered congratulations on Vietjets launch of the new air route, saying that the air service will strengthen the investment cooperation between the two nations. The Hanoi-Jakarta air route was announced when the two nations celebrate the 10-year anniversary of strategic ties this year. Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said that the launch would help leverage air connectivity between Vietnam and Indonesia. A strong air route network will smooth the path for partnership in various fields between the two nations and in the region. I hope that Vietjet flights will bring lots of Indonesian and Vietnamese tourists to the two nations popular destinations, said Minister Uno. Earlier in May, Vietjet opened a direct air route linking Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta, Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnam and Indonesia have agreed to promote their bilateral cooperation in various fields to a new height, creating a new momentum for lifting their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Indonesian President Joko Widodo reached the consensus at their meeting in Jakarta on Monday after the formers arrival to attend the 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits from September 4 to 7 at the latters invitation. PM Chinhs trip takes place as the two countries celebrate their 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership in 2023 and look forward to commemorating 70 years of their diplomatic relations as well as 80 years of Vietnams National Day and Indonesias Independence Day in 2025. The two leaders have lauded the positive developments in the Vietnam-Indonesia strategic partnership since their meeting in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia in May 2023. PM Chinh and President Widodo agreed to promote the efficiency of bilateral cooperation in various areas and to effectively implement all the signed agreements, including the one on maritime cooperation, in order to bring the current strategic partnership to a new height, creating a new motivation for upgrading the ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in the near future. The Vietnamese government leader called for efforts from both sides to maintain their trade rapport in a more balanced way, striving to raise two-way trade to US$15 billion by 2028, and to encourage businesses to invest in new spheres such as digital economy, green economy, energy transition, and e-vehicle ecosystem development. The PM also asked Indonesia to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese exports to the country, cooperate to develop new strategic supply chains, and recognize Vietnams efforts in managing fishing vessels and minimizing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. President Widodo expressed his thanks and appreciation for Vietnam's support for Indonesias ASEAN Chairmanship in 2023. The Indonesian leader welcomed Vietnamese enterprises, including automaker VinFast a member of private conglomerate Vingroup to invest in Indonesia and boost cooperation in the development of renewable energy systems and the e-vehicle ecosystem. The meeting between Vietnams high-level delegation led by PM Pham Minh Chinh (L) and its Indonesian counterpart headed by President Joko Widodo in Jakarta, Indonesia, September 4, 3023. Photo: Duong Giang / Tuoi Tre He also proposed that the two countries strengthen maritime cooperation and sign a memorandum of understanding on sustainable fisheries cooperation soon. PM Chinh told his host that Vietnam supports and works closely with Indonesia to make the 43rd ASEAN Summit and Indonesias ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2023 a success, contributing to consolidating the solidarity, unity, and centrality of ASEAN and maintaining peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region. Regarding the East Vietnam Sea issue, the two sides reiterated their support for the early finalization of a Code of Conduct for the East Vietnam Sea (COC) between ASEAN and China, based on international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). PM Chinh respectfully conveyed General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs and President Vo Van Thuongs invitations to visit Vietnam to President Widodo, who accepted the invites with pleasure. Vietnam and Indonesia established diplomatic relations in 1955 and entered into their strategic partnership in 2013. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is the third-largest trade partner of Vietnam, while the latter remains the formers fourth-biggest trade partner, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade. Trade between the two countries amounted to $14.1 billion last year, nearly triple the $4.8 billion in 2013. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The South Korean government will put aside an initial budget of over US$150,000 for a Vietnamese village development project in North Gyeongsang Province, southeastern South Korea in 2024, a South Korean lawmaker announced on Monday. The project, which is constructing a Vietnamese village in the provinces Bonghwa County, will be funded by the central government next year, with an initial fund of 200 million won (US$150,300), the Vietnam News Agency cited parliamentarian Park Hyeong Soo as telling the media. Accordingly, a Vietnamese-Korean historical-cultural experience center and a road leading to Baekdudaegan National Arboretum, which have been built by local authorities for the project, will be put in the list of national funding recipients. The project to develop a Vietnamese village in Bonghwa was firstly introduced as a local project, but local authorities have been making great efforts to lobby for it to be converted and expanded into a national project, according to the lawmaker. The inclusion of the project in the 2024 governments budget plan will pave the way for its transformation into a national project in the near future. The authorities of both the province and county are working closely with the central government to amend the projects components to match it to the national scale, and will seek more funding to make up for the budget shortfall, if any, Park said. In the context that the 2024 budget draft of the South Korean government has the lowest increase rate in the past nearly 20 years, the national funding for the project is a very encouraging move, the parliamentarian commented. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Seventy-six people were killed and 95 others injured in 127 crashes across Vietnam during the four-day National Day (September 2) holiday starting last Friday, with nearly 9,400 drivers caught breaking the breath alcohol concentration rule, the central traffic police agency reported. Compared to the same period last year, the numbers of crashes increased by 48 cases, or 61 percent, and those with deaths and injuries rose by 28 and 44, or 58 and 86 percent, respectively, according to the Ministry of Public Securitys Traffic Police Department. Of the total accidents, 125 occurred on roads, killing 73 people and injuring 95 people, and the remaining were on railways, the department said, adding that no crashes occurred on waterways. These accidents mainly resulted from travelers neglect of traffic safety rules, said Tran Huu Minh, chief of staff of the National Traffic Safety Committee. A car hit five motorbikes at a red light on National Highway 1A in Binh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam on September 2 morning, injuring five people, one of whom suffered serious injuries. Notably, the car driver who caused the accident is only 16 years old, not old enough to steer a car as per current laws. Another dangerous incident happened when a crowd of youths and teenagers were illegally speeding on their motorbikes on the Phap Van - Cau Gie expressway section in Hanoi before being pulled over by traffic police officers. During the past four days, traffic police nationwide have handled 34,806 traffic safety violations, imposed fines of more than VND72.25 billion (US$3.02 million) on the violators, impounded over 12,600 vehicles of all types, and revoked 7,166 drivers licenses. Police also detected 9,390 cases violating the breath alcohol concentration rule, 514 cases higher than in the same period last year. In addition, 6,233 overspeeding cases and 20 drivers testing positive for drugs were also penalized. On expressways alone, traffic police forces handled 198 violations, issued total fines of VND692 million ($28,947), revoked 70 drivers licenses, and temporarily seized 14 vehicles. In Vietnam, memorial services are conducted in November annually to commemorate the dead victims of traffic accidents and call for strict compliance with traffic rules. Such events are aimed at responding to the World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Road Traffic Accidents, which falls on the third Sunday in November each year, as adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Check out the latest news in Vietnam today: Politics -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, at a meeting in Jakarta on Monday on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit, agreed to effectively optimize the two countries bilateral cooperation mechanisms and to well implement signed agreements in the hope of creating momentum for elevating their strategic partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership and increasing bilateral trade to US$15 billion by 2028. Society -- Vietnamese laborers will have three days off from December 30, 2023 to January 1, 2024 to celebrate the 2024 New Year, according to the countrys Labor Code. -- Authorities in Binh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam has a plan to build an irrigation reservoir on 680.4 hectares of forest land. -- Police in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring Dong Nai Province have caught red-handed a Ho Chi Minh City-based real estate company organizing an event to sell non-existent property projects, and kept 122 employees of the company along with 20 people who were hired to act as customers in temporary custody, the Dong Nai police said on Monday. -- Sea waves damaged nearly 20 houses in Phu Quoc City, Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam on Monday due to the impact of Typhoon Saola, the third to affect Vietnam this year. Business -- Thailand's second-biggest lender Kasikornbank is in talks to acquire consumer finance provider Home Credit Vietnam as part of its ASEAN business expansion, BangKok Post reported. Reuters revealed that the deal may be worth up to $1 billion. -- Tourist sites in Ho Chi Minh City welcomed some 960,000 visitors during the four-day National Day (September 2) holiday, lasting from Friday last week to Monday this week, generating VND2.89 trillion ($120 million) in revenue, up 5.5 percent year on year, according to the municipal Department of Tourism. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Public workers in Vietnam will have three days off from December 30, 2023 to January 1, 2024 to celebrate the 2024 New Year, according to the countrys Labor Code. The 2019 Labor Code promulgates that laborers are entitled to one day off with full salary on January 1 each year. The first day of 2024 falls on Monday, together with the previous Saturday and Sunday (December 30 and 31, 2023), so laborers in Vietnam is allowed to take a three-day break for the holiday. Those who have only one day off every weekend will have a two-day New Year holiday, lasting from December 31, 2023 to January 1, 2024. From 2021, Vietnam has mandated a total of 11 days off for public holidays, including five days for the Lunar New Year holiday, two days for the National Day holiday, and one day each for New Year, Hung Kings Commemoration Day, Reunification Day, and International Workers' Day. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A section of China's Great Wall has been extensively damaged by excavators used by construction workers in central Shanxi province. According to police, two people are suspected of attempting to create a shortcut for their construction job, as reported by BBC News. The two have been held, and the situation is being investigated further. The 38-year-old male and 55-year-old woman were working along the 32nd Great Wall when they were killed. They constructed a "big gap" in the Great Wall by expanding an existing cavity so that their excavator could pass through it. According to police, they sought to shorten the amount of time they had to travel. Police also stated that the two committed "irreversible damage to the integrity of the Ming Great Wall and the safety of the cultural relics." The 32nd Great Wall, located in Youyu County, is a portion of the Ming Great Wall that has been designated as a provincial historical and cultural landmark. Officers were notified of the damage on August 24th after receiving reports of a large crack in the wall. Read also: China Builds Military Base Dubbed 'New Great Wall' on Disputed Subi Reef in the South China Sea Continuous Renovation The Great Wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1987, was erected and renovated continuously from roughly 220 BC until the Ming Dynasty in the 1600s when it was the world's biggest military construction. While the most well-known sections of the Great Wall are comprised of finely crafted constructions peppered with antique watchtowers, some sections of the barrier are deteriorating or have vanished entirely. (Photo: by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) BEIJING, CHINA - APRIL 29: Visitors walk on the Great Wall during a visit to the popular tourist site on the first day of the May Labour Day holiday on April 29, 2023, in Beijing, China. The holiday, which lasts five days, runs until May 3 According to Yahoo News, more than 30 percent of the Ming Great Wall has vanished completely, with only 8 percent considered well-conserved. To understand why someone - such as the accused - would be so blase about destroying a portion of this world-famous historical landmark, consider what it is. The Great Wall is a system of battlements that stretches across extensive areas of northern China and is in various degrees of deterioration. It can be found in villages or cities, but it is more commonly found in isolated locations of various provinces. The oldest sections, which date back thousands of years, were rammed earth walls that now appear as mounds, not even instantly recognizable as the Great Wall. Farmers to Blame? Local farmers taking bricks or stones to build dwellings or animal cages have been blamed for much of the wall's deterioration. Recently, the government has gone to extraordinary efforts to preserve the Great Wall, putting these two people in serious jeopardy. Given the prior demolition of the Great Wall, the Chinese population will not think these actions are out of the ordinary, but they will be outraged given the huge historical and cultural importance of this edifice - not only for China but for all of humanity. Related article: China Criticizes AUKUS Alliance, Warns 'Path of Error, Danger' Amid Nuclear Submarines Deal @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. WPP Media Company Limited (GroupM Vietnam), located in Ho Chi Minh City, has been fined VND25 million (US$1,039) for violating regulations on running advertisements on cross-border platforms. The Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Information and Communications passed a decision to levy the administrative fine on the company on August 31 this year. WPP put an advertisement for Redoxon, a pharmaceutical brand under Bayer Vietnam Limited Company, a subsidiary of German pharmaceutical company Bayer, on a YouTube channel containing illegal content. The company also infringed regulations asking it to report its 2022 cross-border advertising operations to authorities. WPP admitted its wrongdoings and pledged to comply with prevailing regulations on cross-border advertising activities, the authority said. The authority and relevant agencies are ramping up efforts to check and handle online advertising violations, which remain rampant in cyberspace where toxic, anti-state content could damage the prestige of businesses and trap them into breaching prevailing regulations. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! More than 22 million students across Vietnam celebrated the official start of their 2023-24 academic year on Tuesday morning. In Vietnam, the new school year normally starts on the morning of September 5 every year. As instructed by the Ministry of Education and Training, school opening ceremonies took place in a brief and solemn manner nationwide. All schools welcomed students, held flag-salute rites, sang the national anthem, and read a congratulatory letter by Vietnam's state president to teachers and students. Students smile at the new school year opening ceremony at Chu Van An Elementary School in Tay Ho District, Hanoi, September 5, 2023. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong (R, 2nd) attends the new school year opening ceremony at the Boarding School for Ethnic Minority Students in Gia Lai Province, located in Vietnam's Central Highlands, September 5, 2023. Photo: Vietnam News Agency Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen (C) attends the new school year opening ceremony at Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, September 5, 2023. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre Chairman of Vietnam's lawmaking National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue (R, 3rd) arrives at T78 Friendship School in Hanoi to participate in the new school year opening ceremony there, September 5, 2023. Photo: The Dai / Tuoi Tre Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son called on teachers to enhance their dynamism and creativity in educational activities in the 2023-24 school year. Schools should continue overcoming difficulties and improving infrastructure and teaching equipment to effectively apply curricula. In Hanoi alone, over 2.2 million students in all grades attended 60-minute school opening ceremonies as directed by the municipal Department of Education and Training. Schools in the capital spread topics and messages for the new school year to teachers, parents, and students, such as 'gratitude,' 'happiness,' and 'cooperation.' A teacher (R) ties a ribbon on the forearm of a student at Marie Curie School in Hanoi, September 5, 2023. Photo: Vinh Ha / Tuoi Tre Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha (wearing a blue tie) joins the new school year opening ceremony at Doan Thi Diem Elementary School in Can Tho City, southern Vietnam, September 5, 2023. Photo: T.Luy / Tuoi Tre A student and his mother pose for a photo at his new school year opening ceremony, September 5, 2023. Photo: Nguyen Bao / Tuoi Tre In some schools, senior students gave flowers to welcome junior mates. Some schools also honored excellent students and supported those in dire circumstances. Meanwhile, most schools in Phu Quoc City, Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam canceled new academic year opening ceremonies due to a rain triggered by Typhoon Saola, the third to affect Vietnam this year. Nevertheless, An Thoi High School in the city organized a short ceremony for 30 minutes to begin the new academic year. Some schools held the ceremonies in their halls instead of the schoolyards as usual. Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee Phan Van Mai waves at students of Rach Gia Elementary School in Binh Chanh District during the school inauguration and new academic year opening ceremony. Photo: Trong Nhan / Tuoi Tre On Tuesday morning, Ho Chi Minh City inaugurated Rach Gia Elementary School in Binh Chanh District in the presence of municipal chairman Phan Van Mai. The school carries a price tag of nearly VND131 billion (US$5.5 million) and covers an area of over 11,000 square meters. It includes 23 classes with 770 students. Binh Chanh also put into use Trung Son Elementary School, Binh Hung Kindergarten, and Tan Tuc Elementary School. Students sit on boats to go to school in the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau, September 5, 2023. Photo: Thanh Huyen / Tuoi Tre An Thoi High School in Phu Quoc City, southern Kien Giang Province organized a ceremony for 30 minutes to begin the new academic year due to a rain, September 5, 2023. The city has 32,000 students in the 2023-24 school year. Photo: Duy Khanh / Tuoi Tre First graders attend their first new school year opening ceremony at a school in Yen Bai Province, northern Vietnam, September 5, 2023. Photo: Cao Cuong / Tuoi Tre Students at Nguyen Dinh Chieu School for the Blind in Ho Chi Minh City are happy to meet their friends again after a summer holiday. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre The new school year opening ceremony at Phu Dong Elementary School in Da Nang City, central Vietnam, September 5, 2023. Photo: Doan Nhan / Tuoi Tre The principal beats a drum to start the new school year at Nguyen Binh Khiem High School for Gifted Students in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, September 5, 2023. The province is home to 727 schools with nearly 346,000 students. Photo: Le Trung / Tuoi Tre Students attend the new school year opening ceremony at the Asian International School in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, September 5, 2023. Eric Brian Bruen, a teacher, said in his country and many other countries, there is not a specific school opening day as in Vietnam. The ceremony will help better the relations between students and teachers, especially foreign ones. Photo: Nhu Quynh / Tuoi Tre Teachers welcome first-grade students of Pu Nhi Elementary School in Thanh Hoa Province, north-central Vietnam, September 5, 2023. Photo: Ha Dong / Tuoi Tre A view of the new school year opening ceremony at Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, September 5, 2023. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre Students attend the new school year opening ceremony at Dinh Tien Hoang Primary School in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, September 5, 2023. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Nguyen Minh Triet (in blue shirt) gives scholarships to students at Mang Thit High School in Vinh Long Province, southern Vietnam, September 5, 2023. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A man died after being struck by a train which stopped right after the accident, causing a blockage on Nguyen Van Troi Street in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City on Monday evening. A traffic police officer of the district said on Monday night that police officers were working with relevant agencies to investigate the cause of the deadly incident. Investigation results showed that the accident occurred at 6:00 pm on the same day. When train SE7 departing from Hanoi to the Saigon Railway Station in Ho Chi Minh City was traveling near the intersection with Nguyen Van Troi Street, it hit a man, leading to his death on the spot. The train driver quickly made a stop on Nguyen Van Troi Street after the incident, resulting in traffic congestion during rush hour. The deceased was identified as P.P.D., a 36-year-old- resident of Binh Thanh District. After police approached the scene to investigate the cause of the fatal incident, the train continued to the station to ease the traffic jam. Traffic congestion is eased on Nguyen Van Troi Street in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City after a train that caused a deadly accident continued its ride. Photo: Thao Le / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! As home ownership becomes increasingly expensive, SBS travels to Japan, where millions of abandoned houses are being sold cheaply or given away. Tonight Dateline asks can foreign buyers help solve Japans empty house problem? SBS speaks with expat Jaya Thursfield. We decided to come to Japan mainly because the house prices in Melbourne were way beyond our budget, the 47-year-old told Dateline. Id heard about akiya, so we decided to move to my wifes hometown and find a cheaper place to live. Akiya are unwanted homes, mostly in the Japanese countryside, that have been abandoned as a side effect of Japans severe population decline and a trend toward urban living. Ninety per cent of Japans 125 million residents live in cities. Thursfield found his akiya in Ibaraki prefecture, about an hours drive north-east of Tokyo, via a newspaper advertisement. He bought it for $30,000, a fraction of the median Australian house price of about $890,000. 9:30pm tonight on SBS. The new season of The Newsreader is (finally) upon us as Dale (Sam Reid) and Helen (Anna Torv) are back in ABCs award-winning behind-the-scenes drama. Its now 1987 for the team at the fictional News at Six, picking up about 15 months after the conclusion of Season 1. During filming of the series last year, TV Tonight sat down with creator Michael Lucas and producer Joanna Werner to get the breaking news. So Season 2 is a year on from when we last saw the characters? ML: We come in on the Hawke-Howard election night in 1987. JW: We recreate the Tally Room, because back then you had the proper, big Tally Room and all the live results coming in with the massive board. So yeah, weve recreated that. Michael wrote the first script and its fantastic, because its very funny. The thing I love about the show is that we go through such different heights and emotional depths. Its got its procedural news element and thats also really funny. Episode One traverses those styles really well. Given were going into 1988, Australias Bicentennial forms a part of the show. Its a different side of the Bicentenary than might have been shown on television when we were watching in 88. Were able to show more perspectives than were present at that time. There was just as much rich material ML: As with the first season, you have these events that are very specific to certain dates, like in the first season Russell Street (bombing) and Chernobyl. But for example, the AIDS episode in the first season was an obviously an ongoing story that could have been anywhere. This season, we do have some some big specific events, the stock market crash is one, but then other ones, like the heroin crisis I have a little bit of leeway to put that story at an appropriate time for our cast of characters. So its always a balance of really Date-Specific things with a couple of broader arc 80s news stories. I was a little bit worried coming into it, because there was such a run in 1986 of incredible stories. But actually 1987, giving myself leeway to just tip over into 88, meant that there was just as much rich material. Is everybody back in the cast? JW: Yes. We fell in love with our characters so much in the first season and were thrilled that we were able to get them all back. Weve got some new characters being introduced this series. ML: We started developing this before the first season came out. JW: We introduce Kay (Phillipa Northeast) who is Geoff & Evelyns daughter. She was in London in the first series, pursuing fashion, and she comes back bringing an interesting story that throws Geoff & Evelyns life into turmoil. Channel Seven was bought and sold and Christopher Skase was on the scene ML: We now have a new CEO (Daniel Gillies) in the world of the show. Obviously going into the stock market crash and everything, it was such a big time for media takeovers. Channel Seven was bought and sold and Christopher Skase was on the scene and all that. JW: Those people were real personalities and wanted to be personalities. Kerry Packer would ring the news desk and tell them what to say and things like that. ML: In season one we had a disembodied CEO. You just heard them referring to upstairs and the CEO, but this time we go into his house, and he makes a big impact. JW: Theres a new character called Jerry (Rory Fleck Byrne), who is host of a variety show. We meet him in the first episode at his show but also on the panel in the Tally Room. ML: Theres this sort of tradition where often variety talk hosts are expats. Even in in the US theres James Corden and John Oliver. Here we had Don Lane and then prior to him, we had Dave Allen. So something felt right about him coming from Ireland. We were also incredibly lucky that Rory can sing and dance really well. So weve had the great experience of him coming into the country and then just studying Don Lane, Graham Kennedy, Bert Newton and he really fell in love with them. JW: We really felt like The Newsreader needed a bit of razzle dazzle. An all-singing, all-dancing number! ML: Hunter Page-Lochard also plays a fictional character, whose name is Lynus. He is one of the organisers of the protests for the Bicentennial. Hes heavily based on real figures behind those protests, and hes really great. Im really excited for people to see it. What can you say about the relationship between Dale and Helen this season? ML: Its complicated! JW: Its always going to be a really complicated relationship between Helen and Dale. I think we can say that in episode one they are the golden couple of news. Theyre in TV Week all the time Their faces are on every billboard, theyre the number one news rating team across the country. Theyre in TV Week all the time! ML: But personally its a bit more complicated than that and theyre still trying to navigate it. But the public is starting to ask, When are you gonna get married? Whens that gonna happen? Did you contemplate the rise of current affairs shows from that era at all? ML: It was just sort of beginning then. Geoff Walters, who is played by Robert Taylor, was deposed from the newsroom at the end of Season One. And in Season Two, he is reborn at 6:30pm on a rival network. JW: He hosts his own show called The Walters Affair. ML: You might see some parallels with real shows that were beginning in that era. JW: Thats when Hinch started, wasnt it? ML: So yes, we are starting to branch into the world of current affairs via his character. Its sort of the next step once those TV journalists become brands themselves Its sort of the next step once those TV journalists become brands themselves. At the moment, Im reading Mike Willesees memoir. JW: Weve read a lot of journalists memoirs, and we got also got directed to quite a few from journalists themselves. ML: They love to give you their memoirs! Im hoping we see more from Marg Downey as Evelyn. JW: When we did the read through, you just felt like applauding every line that she said. Shes such a fantastic performer and she puts so much into every line. She gets a really nice storyline in this season. ML: At the read-through I remember she delivered her first line and everyone sitting around kind of burst out laughing, but it was because it was so exciting to finally hear that character speak in that tone again. Marg was looking around wondering what was going on. But it was just the joy of hearing her! The show has also been a big success in the UK? JW: Its gone very well in the UK. When it launched on BBC Two it was their biggest Sunday night drama in nearly five years, which was fantastic, and its just built from there. So weve had really fantastic ratings and a really great response from audience and press over there. They were calling it the surprise hit of the year, which is very lovely to hear. Its going really well in other territories as well, but it particularly made a big hit in the UK. By the end of the series, youve maybe travelled somewhere that you didnt expect at the start ML: They got the option to binge it because it was on iPlayer. That was interesting, just seeing how it plays differently because by the end of the series, youve maybe travelled somewhere that you didnt expect at the start. People seemed to really respond to that. JW: But we loved the way it came out when everyone was in lockdown. It made Sunday night viewing fun. Certainly from our perspective, it created a little bit of event television, when we all needed a bit of an event. So yeah, it was it was a nice way to roll it out. The Newsreader returns 8:30pm Sunday on ABC. The Australian Press Council has ruled against an editorial by The Australian which lashed ABC and took aim at Four Corners reporter Louise Milligan and then-producer Sally Neighbour (both former employees of the newspaper). The June 2021 editorial Greatest enemy of truth is those who conspire to lie commented that Many at the ABC express their displeasure at being held to account by The Australian. Forget that their own Media Watch has a leery obsession with News Corporation, some less thoughtful ABC journalists, and their flacks, one-time reporters who seem to have forgotten where they came from, decry any form of scrutiny. The editorial also said that Many senior people at The Australian know well the work, the habits and the hubris of Sally Neighbour and Louise Milligan. It went on to say, To be good you often need to be brash, and brave. But to be really good, you need to be beyond reproach. Your loyalty to the truth must be without question. Fairness and balance is your currency. It has to be. Think of the opposite qualities to answer why. The subjects of good journalism, of important journalism, lie and dissemble. Good journalists do not. They rely on the truth. They yearn for it. But they understand the limits. In many respects the natural enemy of a journalist, aside from a public relations hack, or a political flack, is the defamation lawyer. The most dangerous enemy of the journalist is bad, lazy, deceitful journalism. ABCs Louise Milligan lodged a complaint with the APC. She claimed the article implied that she conspires to lie, is the greatest enemy of the truth, lies and dissembles, is bad, lazy and deceitful, and that she has work habits and hubris which were well known by senior editorial people at The Australian. She said the language and the tone of the editorial were unequivocally intended to be read as criticism of her and left no room for a conclusion other than that she is of low integrity and deserving of severe criticism based on the experience of senior people at the publication. She said that anyone reading the editorial would have concluded that it was alleging that she was not an example of a good journalist, but a bad, lazy and deceitful one who conspires to lie. Such imputations were not only inaccurate and unfair, but they caused her significant offence and distress. The Australian told the APC the target of the newspapers criticism was not Milligan and that there were no specific references to her work and no specific references to her reporting or conduct. It maintained the editorial was about the principles of journalism and how they should be applied, particularly by the publicly-funded ABC. In its finding the APC recognised an editorial is the voice of a newspaper and is given significant latitude in expressing its views. But it found the statement Many senior people at The Australian know well the work, the habits and the hubris of Louise Milligan was presented as a statement of fact and not merely an expression of opinion. It took a dim view of an unavoidable conclusion that she is associated with bad, lazy, deceitful journalism and said the editorial, misleadingly and unfairly inferred that such undesirable traits were associated with Milligans journalism. It ruled a breach of General Principles 1, 3 and 6 but no breach of General Principle 4. When the editorial was published, colleagues across the media spoke out in support of us @withMEAA, @ABCaustralia MD David Anderson, people who worked with us over decades, & crucially, many former colleagues @theaustralian itself. Thanks to all for your kindness & solidarity. Louise Milligan (@Milliganreports) September 4, 2023 Finally, yes, The Australian is required to publish the outcome. This process has been wearying and took two years. It was my decision alone to do it. It has demonstrated to me the Press Council needs proper public funding, unshackled from the publications its adjudicating. Louise Milligan (@Milliganreports) September 4, 2023 Guardian Australia reported the ABC welcomed the press council decision with managing director, David Anderson, saying, The ABC stands by Louise Milligan and the Four Corners team and the outstanding, high-quality journalism they continue to perform for the Australian public. The Australian has published the APC findings as required. A mob allegedly intercepted Naseem Qureshi & his nephew Firoz at Jogia village and beat them up over allegations of carrying beef. Naseem died of injuries sustained due to the beating. Sana Ejaz Support TwoCircles PATNA (BIHAR) A 50-year-old Muslim man succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Siwan on Wednesday morning after a mob allegedly thrashed him the day before over allegations of carrying beef. As per reports, Naseem Qureshi, a resident of Hasanpur village in the Siwan district of Bihar, and his nephew Firoz Ahmed Qureshi were on their way to meet some acquaintances when the mob allegedly intercepted them at Jogia village, about 110 kilometres northwest of Patna. Firoz Ahmed, the nephew of the deceased, in a written application to Rasulpur police station disclosed: When me and my uncle Naseeb Qureshi, reached near the mosque located in Jogia Village, in Rasulpur police station area at 4 pm on 7 March, about seven people from the village surrounded us near the Jogia Masjid and attacked us with sticks and sharp weapons on suspicion of carrying beef. My uncle Naseem fell unconscious [due to the beating], and Rs 2500 were also stolen from his pocket. Somehow, I managed to escape and reached Rasulpur police station. Police said three men have been arrested in the incident, including local Sarpanch Sushil Singh. Roshni, daughter of Naseem told TwoCircles.net that his father was doing his regular business and was not a criminal. Papa had gone to deliver meat. This was our business. We used to live by this. My father was brutally killed, and his bones were crushed, she said. Roshni said the death of her father has left her entire family in shock. We dont know how we will survive now. We are eight siblings and our mother is not in her senses after this, she said. Roshni accused the sarpanch of killing her father. The sarpanch of Jogiya village did this to my father. He had formed a group and together they beat my father. We want justice and the government should take strict action against my fathers killers, she said. An FIR under Sections 302 (murder), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention and 379 (theft) of the IPC, the police said. In relation to the incident of Rasulpur police station case number 49/23, dated March 8, the case had been registered under IPC section 302, 379, 34, three accused Sushil Singh, Ravi Shah, Ujjwal Sharma have been arrested in connection with the case so far investigating is going on, police said in a statement. The lynching of Naseem comes close on the heels of another lynching case in the Gaya district of Bihar on February 23. Sana Ejaz is an independent journalist from Bihar. She tweets @SanaEjaz Thailand's monarch, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has sworn in Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and his 11-party coalition government Tuesday (September 5) almost four months after the country held its general election. The 61-year-old real estate tycoon would also hold his cabinet's finance portfolio, the Associated Press reported. Wearing white civil service uniforms, Srettha and his cabinet later on posed for a group photograph in front of Bangkok's Government House. In a brief news conference after being sworn in, he told reporters his government is determined to do its best to represent the Thai people and address multiple issues the country is facing after almost a decade of military and military-backed rule. "This government is a people's government...we are all here as representatives of the people," Srettha said. "I believe it is time that we should pull together and give this Cabinet a chance to start working on all issues, whether it is economics, social (or) political." Read Also: Thailand: Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra Gets Jail Time After Returning Home From Exile Delay Caused by Parliament's Rejection of Pita as PM Aside from forming a coalition government, the delay in doing so was caused by the Thai Parliament's failure to endorse a coalition formed by the Move Forward Party, which won the most seats. In addition, Move Forward's progressive stance was considered a threat to the whole Thai establishment for its campaign promise of reviewing the country's strict royal defamation laws. As a result, Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat was not given the royal assent, and Pheu Thai, Srettha's party that had an anti-junta stance prior to the election, had to step in and set aside its anti-military stance by retaining some pro-military ministers into the coalition government to end the deadlock. At the same time as Srettha's designation as prime minister, former prime minister and Pheu Thai party leader Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand only to be imprisoned for eight years on charges he was convicted within absentia. The king has since reduced the sentence to a single year due to health reasons. Srettha Urges Cabinet to 'Go for Broke' Prior to being sworn in as the new democratically-elected government, Srettha urged his Pheu Thai ministers to "go for broke" and "achieve some quick wins" to win the favor of the people. Meanwhile, Pheu Thai said the 10 other parties in its coalition, of which six have ministers represented in Srettha's cabinet, have supported its platform of boosting the economy, including by increasing the minimum wage, among other measures. They would also support keeping medical marijuana legal as well as amending the constitution to help the country become more democratic. However, the party said there are no plans to amend the law against royal defamation, a reform strongly rejected by the country's conservative ruling elite. Related Article: Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn Reduces Ex-PM Thaksin's Jail Time to 1 Year @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Image source: Getty Images The Diageo (LSE: DGE) share price is behaving strangely in 2023. While global equity markets have risen this year, shares in the alcoholic beverages giant have fallen more than 10%. So, whats going on with the FTSE 100 stock? And has the share price weakness created a good buying opportunity? Why the shares have underperformed Looking at recent company and industry developments, I can see several reasons for the pullback. For starters, concerns over a recession in the US (Diageos biggest market) have spooked investors. If there was a major economic slowdown, consumers may trade down to cheaper brands. Economic weakness in China (an increasingly important region for the company) will have hit sentiment as well. Last month, rival Pernod Ricard warned that its Chinese sales will decline in the current quarter as Chinas property crunch is making wholesalers cautious and keeping people out of nightclubs. Next, theres an ongoing legal battle with rapper Sean Combs. He says that Diageo didnt treat him fairly when marketing his drinks brands and is seeking billions of dollars in damages. The company also recently lost CEO Ivan Menezes, who sadly passed away in June. Menezes had been at the helm for around a decade, and had been instrumental in driving growth. Finally, brokers have been downgrading their earnings forecasts and lowering their share price targets. For example, Goldman Sachs recently cut its target price to 3,700p from 4,500p (and downgraded the stock to neutral). This kind of activity tends to put pressure on a companys share price. Overall, there have been a lot of negative forces on the stock. A good buying opportunity? While theres clearly a bit of uncertainty here right now, I see the share price pullback as a good buying opportunity. Looking ahead, I expect the drinks company to continue growing at a healthy rate. One key growth driver could be tequila (Diageo owns Don Julio, Casamigos, 21Seeds, and other brands). Story continues In recent years, global interest in tequila has exploded. However today, 80% of tequila sales come from North America. If new CEO Debra Crew can execute on her plan to take tequila around the world, Diageos sales should keep rising. Ultimately, the growth potential outside the US and Mexico is huge. As for the companys valuation, I think its quite attractive at the moment. Currently, the stock trades at less than 20 times this financial years forecast earnings. I think thats good value for a company of Diageos ilk. I also like the shareholder returns here. Recently, the company raised its final dividend by 5% to 49.17p per share (the yield is about 2.6%). It also announced a new return of capital programme of up to $1bn. As it continues to buy back shares, investors will own a bigger piece of the pie. I will point out that I dont expect the shares to surge from here. In the short term, economic uncertainty could hold the stock back. However, all things considered, I think buying the shares now will pay off in the long run. The post Whats going on with the Diageo share price in 2023? appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading Edward Sheldon has positions in Diageo Plc. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Diageo Plc. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2023 Ruben the lion with his first-ever toy (Photo: SWNS/ADI) For five long years, Ruben was the only animal left at a private zoo in Armenia after it shut down, living in what was described as a tiny concrete cell after the zoo's other lions were relocated. But now thanks to Animals Defenders International (ADI) and Qatar Airways Cargo, the 15-year-old lion has made an epic 5,200-mile journey to a new home in South Africa, where he can live out the rest of his days in his ancestral homeland - close to his own kind. Ruben is now being rehabilitated at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in the Free State province. ADI President Jan Creamer told SWNS lions are sociable big cats, and in the wild, live in family groups. ADI President and ADIWS Sanctuary Director with Ruben as his paperwork is processed. See SWNS story SWMRlion. The 'world's loneliest lion' has returned to his natural habitat after he was abandoned in a private zoo for five years. 15-year-old lion Ruben was the only animal left in a private zoo in Armenia after it closed. While all the other lions were relocated, Ruben was left behind in a tiny concrete cell for five long years. Now, Ruben has made a 5,200-mile journey from Armenia to South Africa where he took his first steps out of his travel crate into the home of his ancestors. "It must have been devastating for Ruben to have no contact or communication with other lions," she said. "Seeing him walk on grass for the first time, hearing the voices of his own kind, with the African sun on his back, brought us all to tears. When the precious cargo first arrived, his legs were wobbling due to malnutrition and a "lifetime of no exercise", she added. But Rubens resilience has stunned everyone at the sanctuary, with the male immediately taking to a giant catnip punchbag his first toy. Ms Creamer said that after not hearing other lions for years, Ruben has already started to get his roar back, with his morning calls getting steadily louder as he regains his confidence. His whole demeanour has transformed, his face is relaxed and no longer fearful. His determination to walk is inspiring," she said. "If he stumbles or falls he just picks himself up and keeps going. He is nothing short of heroic." In just a few days his movement was already improving, she said. "We know this will be a long road and will require ongoing veterinary treatment but the start of his new life could not have been better. ADI had struggled to find a suitable flight for the large male lion out of Armenia, but Qatar Airways Cargo's WeQare charity stepped in - moving a plane with doors big enough for Ruben's crate into its scheduled passenger route. Story continues Qatar Airways Cargo spokesperson Elisabeth Oudkerk said that when Animal Defenders International approached them and shared Ruben's story, "we immediately knew we had to help them". "There are a lot of logistics involved in moving animals like Ruben, from the logistics at the airports involved, the process for loading and unloading the animals from the aircraft, to ensuring the correct cages and wellbeing of the animals are in place," she said. "It takes a lot of effort from our team to organise such transport - but it is something we are all collectively very proud to be a part of. Dozens of people are still missing a month on from the devastating Maui wildfire. A total of 115 fatalities were confirmed by the Maui Police Department (MPD) on Monday after the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century. Officials have identified 54 individuals and their families have been notified. Another five people have been identified but their families have not yet been informed of their deaths. The remaining victims have yet to be identified. Police also confirmed on Monday that there are 110 missing person reports relating to the Lahaina fire. Lahaina, once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, was largely destroyed by blazes with hundreds of buildings, including many homes, wiped out. Reconstruction is expected to take years and cost billions. Initially, more than 1,000 people were believed unaccounted for based on family, friends or acquaintances reporting them as missing. Officials narrowed that list down to 388 names who were credibly considered missing and released the names to the public last week. The fires turned the oceanfront town into rubble in a few short hours on 8 August. Winds, from a hurricane hundreds of miles away, topped 60mph and caused flames to leap through the town. Many residents became trapped by downed trees and powerlines, leaving them no escape routes. Others were forced to jump into the ocean to escape the flames. MPD said that 41 of the missing person reports are actively being investigated and are considered open. Authorities urged those with family members or loved ones still missing to file a report in order to identify, document, or locate individuals who are unaccounted for. Hawaii Governor Josh Green reported on Monday that 99 per cent of land-based searches had been completed in Maui with some searches of the ocean ongoing. The aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023 (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) He also reported that 5,614 residents displaced by the fires were living in hotels and 1,100 were in Airbnbs while long-term housing solutions were worked out. Story continues The US Environmental Protection Agency has cleared 232 land parcels of hazardous waste, allowing residents to begin to return, Governor Green said. The cause of the fire hasnt been determined, but its possible powerlines from downed utility poles ignited the blaze. Maui County has sued Hawaiian Electric, the electrical utility for the island. The utility acknowledged its power lines started a wildfire early on 8 August but faulted county firefighters for declaring the blaze contained and leaving the scene, only to have a second wildfire break out nearby. With reporting from the Associated Press First African Climate Summit in Kenya calls for accountability for rich nations African heads of state and leading climate change campaigners are meeting in Keyna this week for the first African Climate Summit. The event is being held from Monday 4 September to Wednesday 6 September and addresses the increasing threat of climate change across the continent. Speakers at the conference are looking to assert a strong voice on the issue and bring increased financial support for Africa. For a very long time, we have looked at this as a problem. There are immense opportunities as well, Kenyan President William Ruto said of the climate crisis on Monday. He spoke of multibillion-dollar economic possibilities, new financial structures, Africa's huge mineral wealth and the ideal of shared prosperity. We are not here to catalogue grievances, he said. What is the African Climate Summit? The inaugural summit is being held in Nairobi and has been organised by the Kenyan government and the African Union. The theme of the event is driving green growth and climate finance solutions for Africa and the world. African leaders and climate activists are calling for the worlds richest nations to be held accountable for their impact on the environment and for pledging support that has not yet appeared. Mithika Mwenda, director of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, said the annual $16 billion (15 billion) climate assistance the continent currently gets is a tenth or less of what is needed and a fraction of the budget of some polluting companies. We need to immediately see the delivery of the $100 billion pledged, said Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. More than $83 billion (77 billion) in climate financing was given to poorer countries in 2020, a 4 per cent increase from the previous year but still short of the $100 billion goal set in 2009. We have an abundance of clean, renewable energy and its vital that we use this to power our future prosperity, Mohamed Adow, founder of Power Shift Africa, said ahead of the summit. Story continues But to unlock it, Africa needs funding from countries that have got rich off our suffering. During the summit there will be panels on financing climate action, scaling up international climate financing for the continent, investing in nature and biodiversity and developing integrated, livable African cities. What are the controversies surrounding the African Climate Summit? Ruto, who is also chairman of the committee of African governments on climate change, released a welcome video in which he called for environmental conservation and increased tree planting. Yet in July, his administration decided to lift a yearslong ban on commercial logging to the alarm of environmental watchdogs. The government says only mature trees in state-run plantations would be harvested, but the decision has been challenged in court. When a country is holding a conference like we are, we should be leading by example, said Isaac Kalua, a local environmentalist. Kenya derives 93 per cent of its power from renewables and has banned single-use plastic bags, but it struggles with some other climate-friendly adaptations. Trees were chopped down to make way for the expressway that some summit attendees used to travel from the airport. Ruto made his way to Mondays events in a small electric car, yet Kenyas traffic is often made up of poorly maintained buses and vans belching smoke. Elsewhere, nearly 600 million Africans lack access to electricity despite the vast potential for solar and other renewable power. Home and Away spoilers, Cash Newman, Rose Delaney, Jeremy Holding Cash Newman (played by Nicholas Cartwright) has been waiting a long time to confront the man who sexually assaulted his sister, Felicity (Jacqui Purvis), on Home and Away (1:45pm - see our TV Guide for listings)... On today's episode of the Aussie soap, that moment arrives after suspect Jeremy Holding (James Dyke) is brought into the Police Station for questioning. Jeremy was caught-on-camera, after he went to collect the blackmail money from his victim, Felicity. Jeremy attempts to play down his connection to sexual assault and blackmail. But evidence on Jeremy's phone proves otherwise... Cash's police partner, Rose Delaney (Kirsty Marillier), is concerned he should take a break because of his close connection to the case. However, Cash is confident he can keep a professional cool as he questions Jeremy. But will Jeremy's cocky attitude push Cash too far? Home and Away spoilers, Jeremy Holding It looks like Mali Hudson (Kyle Shilling) has some BIG explaining to do! Mali's mum has seen a photo of him and girlfriend, Rose, on social media. The only thing is, Mali hasn't had a chance to tell his mum about his relationship with Rose yet! Mali's mum wants to know all about the MYSTERY woman in the photo. But is Mali ready to take the next step and introduce Rose to his mum? Home and Away spoilers, Mali Hudson John Palmer (Shane Withington) becomes worried about Alf Stewart (Ray Meagher). After a number of odd mshaps, John becomes convinced that something's not right with Alf. But how will grumpy Alf react when John starts snooping into Alf's business to try and get to the bottom of the problem? Home and Away spoilers, Alf Stewart, John Palmer Home and Away continues weekdays at 1:45pm on Channel 5 Switch over for FIRST LOOK episodes at 6:30pm on 5STAR The series is also available to stream on My5 Venetians are furious, and its not because of a particularly naff entry in this years Mostra Competition line-up... Controversial rapper / controversy magnet Kanye Ye West and his partner Bianca Censori have been reportedly banned for life from a Venice water taxi company after being accused of committing a lewd act. The incident took place when Ye was photographed with his pants down during a canal boat ride, leading to criticisms of indecent exposure. While it initially seemed like an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction, photos and videos online showing bare buttocks and Ye holding his partners head near his lap have led to speculation that she was performing a public sex act on him. Following the release of the compromising photos last week, the boat company Venezia Turismo Motoscafi issued a statement on 4 September, declaring that the couple are indefinitely banned from using the companys services which is a snag in Venice, as the A-list company is known for its celeb clients, and ordinary vaporetto boats get crowded. And we cant imagine the happy couple wanting to squish in with the rest of us. Not in my boat yard In a statement to the British outlet Independent, a spokesperson for Venezia Turismo Motascafi said that it was completely unaware of the incident and the famous pair would have been kicked off the boat if the driver had noticed their public exposure. The driver had to keep a lookout for traffic and did not see these obscenities, the statement read. If this had happened, he would have immediately disembarked and reported the transgressors to those in authority. The Italian rental company noted that a third person on board the taxi who was riding with Ye and Censori had obstructed the captains view to the back of the boat. We completely dissociate ourselves from such acts and behaviour. Mr. West and his wife will certainly no longer be welcome on board our companys boats. This ban is not the first in recent times, as Bianca Censori has recently sparked controversy in Italy due to her wardrobe choices. Last month, Italian locals complained to the police that the 28-year-old was walking around in public virtually naked. Its unclear whether Censori was penalized for being too scantily clad, but the Italian Constitutional Court states that a fine from 5,000 to 10,000 can be issued for public indecency. Ye was first seen in public with Censori, an architectural designer who works for his company Yeezy, earlier this year. It was reported that the pair had wed in a non-legally binding ceremony just a few months after his divorce from Kim Kardashian was finalised. BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 02: Roberto De Zerbi, Manager of Brighton & Hove Albion, applauds the fans following the team's victory during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United at American Express Community Stadium on September 02, 2023 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images) Brighton and Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson has been ruled of the Republic of Irelands next two Euro 2024 qualifying matches with a knee injury as the player now faces a race to be fit for the Seagulls trip to Old Trafford. Manchester United welcome Roberto De Zerbis side to the Theatre of Dreams on Saturday, September 16 in the first game for both of the Premier League sides following the international break. Ferguson has emerged as a key player for Brighton over the last 12 months. The 18-year-old made 19 appearances and scored six goals for the south coast club last term and has hit the ground this campaign with four goals in four appearances. Three of those came as the Seagulls blew away Newcastle United at the Amex Stadium last weekend as the hosts picked up a 3-1 victory. He had earned a call-up to the Republic of Ireland side for their Euro 2024 qualifying matches at home to France and away to the Netherlands on Thursday and Sunday. However, his nation has confirmed he picked up an injury against the Magpies which will keep him out of both games. Ferguson was withdrawn after 81 minutes last weekend and replaced by former Manchester City and Liverpool midfielder James Milner. A statement from the Republic of Ireland national team confirmed: Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson has been ruled out of the two Euro 2024 qualifiers against France and the Netherlands. The Brighton forward sustained a knee injury in the 3-1 home win over Newcastle United on Saturday. Ferguson reported for international duty on Sunday, but after assessment from the Ireland medical team, has been ruled out of both fixtures. It is unclear if Ferguson will be fit in time to face United but a potential absence would give Erik ten Hags side one less attacking threat to worry about. Speaking about the striker, Brighton boss De Zerbi said last weekend: He can become big, big, big. His qualities are enough to become a great player. He can become one of the best, the top scorer in Europe. He was born in 2004, hes 18. I dont know how many players are young, that score like him. JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) Southeast Asian leaders decided Tuesday that Myanmar wont take over the rotating leadership of their regional bloc as scheduled in 2026, in the latest blow to efforts by its ruling generals to gain international recognition after violently seizing power in 2021. Western governments led by the United States have condemned the Myanmar armys ouster of Aung San Suu Kyis democratically elected government in 2021 and have demanded her immediate release from yearslong detention along with other officials. Resistance to the military takeover has escalated into what some U.N. experts have described as a civil war. The Philippines agreed to take over the regional blocs chairmanship in 2026 at an ASEAN summit hosted by Indonesia on Tuesday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in a statement, citing what he told fellow leaders in the closed-door meetings. It is my pleasure to announce that the Philippines is ready to take the helm and chair ASEAN in 2026, Marcos told his ASEAN counterparts in Jakarta, the statement said. An official ASEAN statement issued Tuesday night confirmed the decision to hand the chair to the Philippines in 2026 and affirmed the group's commitment to a five-point plan for restoring peace and stability in Myanmar. Marcos did not explain why Myanmar lost the prestigious yearlong ASEAN chairmanship, but two ASEAN diplomats told The Associated Press that it was related to the continuing civil strife in the country and fears that the bloc's relations with the United States and the European Union, among others, might be undermined because of their non-recognition of the military-led government in Myanmar. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the delicate issue publicly. The ASEAN leaders' statement on Myanmar stressed the desire to work with the generals to end the country's crisis, especially in the context of the five-point plan which Myanmar accepted in 2021 but has largely failed to implement. Story continues However, the leaders also urged the Myanmar Armed Forces in particular, and all related parties concerned in Myanmar to de-escalate violence and stop targeted attacks on civilians, houses and public facilities, such as schools, hospitals, markets, churches and monasteries. Previous ASEAN statements were less sharply worded. Myanmar's Foreign Ministry rejected the ASEAN statement as biased and one-sided and complained that the country had not been represented at the summit, which it claimed was a violation of ASEAN's charter. Although the ASEAN Chair consulted Myanmar on the draft document, the views and voices of Myanmar are not taken into account, it said in a statement issued in Naypyidaw, the country's capital. In a punitive step for their failure to comply with the peace plan, Myanmars top generals and their appointed officials were again barred from attending this years summit in Jakarta despite suggestions by some member states that they be allowed back because their ejection had failed to resolve the countrys crisis. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said ASEAN leaders decided to stick with the peace plan despite an assessment that it has not led to any progress in easing the crisis. They designated three nations the blocs previous, current and next chairs to deal directly with Myanmars civil unrest, she told reporters. Myanmars generals will continue to be barred from attending high-level ASEAN meetings, Marsudi said. Myanmar security forces have killed about 4,000 civilians and arrested 24,410 others since the army takeover, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights monitoring organization. The continuing deadly civil strife in Myanmar and new flare-ups in long-simmering territorial disputes in the South China Sea were high in the agenda of the 10-nation blocs talks on Tuesday. Thorny issues including the U.S.-China rivalry in the region have set off divisions within ASEAN, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo renewed his call for unity. "All of us are aware of the magnitude of the worlds challenges today, where the main key to facing them is the unity and centrality of ASEAN, Widodo told fellow leaders. He likened the regional group to a big ship carrying Southeast Asias people. ASEAN leaders must ensure that this ship is able to keep going, able to keep sailing, Widodo said. We must be captains of our own ships to bring about peace, to bring about stability, to bring about shared prosperity." After their summit on Tuesday, the regional groups leaders will meet with Asian and Western counterparts from Wednesday to Thursday, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is attending in lieu of President Joe Biden, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said before flying to Jakarta that he plans to offer assurances of the safety of the ongoing release into the sea of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. The release began on Aug. 24 and China immediately imposed a ban on all Japanese seafood. Asked about the possibility of a meeting with Chinese Premier Li in Jakarta, Kishida said there had been no decision made on that. Kishida and three Cabinet ministers recently ate flounder, octopus and sea bass sashimi caught off the Fukushima coast after the start of the wastewater release in an effort to show they were safe. On the South China Sea territorial disputes, the ASEAN leaders reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation, according to a post-summit communique to be issued by Widodo in behalf of the other leaders. ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei are involved in the territorial standoffs in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirely. "We discussed the situation in the South China Sea, during which concerns were expressed by some ASEAN member states on the land reclamations, activities, serious incidents in the area, including actions that put the safety of all persons at risk, damage to the marine environment, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions, and may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region, the leaders planned to say, using similar language as in past communiques. ___ Associated Press writers Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Grant Peck in Bangkok contributed to this report. According to the French education minister, about 300 students arrived at school on Monday wearing the abaya, a long Muslim robe that was prohibited in schools last week. The majority of the girls consented to change their outfits, as reported by BBC News. Official records show that 298 girls, mostly aged 15 and higher, showed up to school wearing the prohibited clothing. Following the ministry's directions, there was a time of communication with school staff in each case. The majority of them then decided to dress differently and were permitted to begin classes. Sixty-seven girls, however, refused to comply and were sent home. A new round of discussions with their families will now take place. If it fails, they will be kicked out. In comparison to the 12 million schoolboys and girls who began classes on Monday, the administration feels the data prove that the prohibition has been widely accepted. However, a judicial challenge filed by an organization representing some Muslims is scheduled to be heard later today. The Prohibition of the Abaya The education minister declared at the end of August that students in France's state-run schools will be prohibited from wearing the loose-fitting full-length robes used by some Muslim women beginning on September 4th. (Photo: by PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP via Getty Images) Professors of Les Battieres secondary school give classes to pupils in Lyon, central eastern France on October 15, 2021, one year after the death of French teacher Samuel Paty. Religious signage is strictly prohibited in state schools and government buildings in France, stating that they contravene secular rules. Since 2004, wearing a headscarf at state-run schools has been prohibited. The decision follows months of controversy around the wearing of abayas in French schools. The garment is increasingly being worn in schools, causing a political schism, with right-wing parties campaigning for a ban and those on the left concerned about the rights of Muslim women and girls. France banned full-face veils in public in 2010, infuriating France's five million-strong Muslim community. Since the nineteenth century, France has strictly prohibited religious indications in schools, especially Christian symbols such as huge crosses, in an effort to limit Catholic influence in public education. It has revised the rule throughout the years to include the Muslim headscarf and Jewish kippa, reflecting its growing demographic, but abayas have not been explicitly banned until now. Read also: Why Religions Will Become Extinct by 2041, Researcher Explains France's Ban on Religious Indications in Schools France has a long history of secularism, and this is reflected in its laws and policies. One of the most controversial laws is the ban on religious indications in schools. This law prohibits students from wearing any religious symbols, including headscarves, kippahs, and large crosses. The law was passed in 2004, and it has been challenged in court several times. However, it has always been upheld. The French government argues that the law is necessary to protect the secular nature of public schools and to promote equality between students. Supporters of the law argue that it is important to create a neutral environment in schools where all students can feel comfortable and accepted. They also argue that the law is necessary to protect women's rights, as they are often the ones who are pressured to wear religious symbols. Opponents of the law argue that it is discriminatory and that it violates the right to freedom of religion. They also argue that the law is not effective in promoting secularism, as students can still express their religious beliefs in other ways. The debate over the ban on religious indications in schools is likely to continue for many years to come. Related article: France Bans Full-Length Muslim Robes in Classrooms, Calls Attire an Attempt To Convert Others to Islam @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Lord Caine said if Stormont was still not up and running when a new chief constable was appointed, then it would fall to the UK government to ratify the chosen candidate (Photo: Parliament TV) Northern Ireland Office minister Lord Caine said in the unfortunate circumstance the devolved institutions were still not up and running when any appointment was made, then it would fall to the UK administration to ratify the chosen candidate. The Tory frontbencher pointed out this had happened back in 2019 for the appointment of the chief constable Simon Byrne, who quit amid controversy this week. Mr Byrnes resignation was announced on Monday following a series of rows, including a data breach which revealed personal details of officers and staff, and a critical High Court judgment which said the disciplining of two officers following an arrest at a Troubles memorial event in Belfast in 2021 was unlawful. The turmoil has led to renewed calls at Westminster for the reestablishment of the executive and assembly, as it was warned people in the region continued to be let down by the failure of their elected politicians. There have been no functioning devolved institutions since last year when the DUP withdrew from the powersharing arrangements in protest over the post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland. Despite efforts to resolve difficulties caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol, the DUP has said its concerns must be met before it returns to government. Responding to questions in the House of Lords on the major Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) data breach, Lord Caine said the appointment of a new top officer was a matter for the regions policing board. He said: I am sure that they will wish to seek a resolution to this issue very quickly. What is important is that the PSNI has strong leadership restored as quickly as possible. It is within their power to appoint an interim chief constable while the formal recruitment process is ongoing. Lord Caine added: In the unfortunate circumstance that the appointment be made before the executive is reestablished we would have to take powers for the (UK) Government to ratify any appointment that would normally be ratified by the justice minister, which is something that happened back in 2019 when the outgoing chief constable was appointed and there was no executive and assembly functioning. Story continues Tory grandee Lord Cormack, who as an MP chaired the Northern Ireland Affairs select committee, said: It really is essential that the executive is reestablished. It really is absolutely essential that the people of Northern Ireland are not continued to be let down by the failure of their elected politicians. Lord Caine said: I completely agree that the imperative is to restore the executive, to get the institutions fully functioning, up and running at the earliest opportunity. The Secretary of State and the entire ministerial team are focused on that outcome. Liberal Democrat Lord Bruce of Bennachie said: We cannot go on kicking things backwards and forwards between Westminster and a non-existent assembly or executive. Those people who are blockading the reestablishment of the assembly are actually preventing the very issues they are raising concerns about from being resolved in a proper fashion using the devolved administration that was created for the purpose. Lord Caine said: We need an executive back in Northern Ireland as quickly as possible. We are doing everything we can to bring about that. That would obviously include the appointment of a justice minister within the department who could give political direction. See also: PSNI data breach could cost force up to 240m in security and legal costs Catholic PSNI officers urged to bring weapons to Mass after data breach Leadership of PSNI is not at war with itself, senior officer tells MPs STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - TikTok has hired British cybersecurity firm NCC to audit its data controls and protections, and provide independent verification, as part of the social media company's data security regime, nicknamed "Project Clover". Several government bodies have banned TikTok from staff phones due to growing concerns about the company, which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, and whether China's government could harvest users' data to advance its interests. As part of the regime, TikTok is opening three data centres - two in Ireland and one in Norway to store user data in Europe. The first Irish datacenter is already online and TikTok has started to migrate data. The remaining data centres will be up by the end of 2024, Elaine Fox, head of privacy in Europe, said in a media call. "We are not waiting for our European data centers to become fully operational ... we have already started storing personal data for our EEA and UK users by default in a designated secure area known as the European enclave which is hosted in the interim in the U.S.," she said. In the coming months, TikTok and NCC said they will engage with policymakers across Europe to explain how the system will work in practice. TikTok announced Project Clover in March amid growing pressure from lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic over data security. (Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm, editing by Ed Osmond) A flight from Atlanta to Barcelona returned to the airport after the incident was deemed a biohazard issue, according to reports KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty A Delta Airlines jets arrives at Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia A Delta flight from Atlanta, Georgia, to Barcelona, Spain, had to make a U-turn Friday after a passenger suffered a medical issue that turned out to be a case of severe diarrhea, according to multiple reports. FlightAware records show that Delta 194 left the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 8:29 p.m., traveling for 2 hours and eleven minutes before returning at 10:40 p.m. A short audio clip of the pilots emergency call to dispatchers was shared on social media. This is a biohazard issue, the pilot said. You know, weve had a passenger who had diarrhea all the way through the airplane, so they want us to come back to Atlanta. A Delta Airlines Airbus A350 turned around back to Atlanta Friday night because of diarrhea throughout the airplane from a passenger and its a biohazard. The FAA flight strip for DL194 was posted to Reddit (xStang05x) Also a passenger posted here asking why her sons pic.twitter.com/VWbkB47wF1 Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) September 3, 2023 My partner was on that flight! a user commented on Twitter (now known as X). It was pretty bad. It was dribbled down the aisle, smelled horrible. The vanilla-scented disinfectant used on it only made it smell like vanilla s---. After the plane landed, it was thoroughly cleaned. Related: Woman Claims Delta Airlines Lost Her Dog at Atlanta Airport: 'I Am Truly Desperate' Delta confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement that there had been a "medical issue" on board. "Our teams worked as quickly and safely as possible to thoroughly clean the airplane and get our customers to their final destination. We sincerely apologize to our customers for the delay and inconvenience to their travel plans," the statement read. Story continues 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories A spokesperson for the airline added that the flight didnt land in Barcelona until 5:16 p.m. the next day eight hours after its scheduled arrival. Tim Boyle/Getty I Tails of two Delta Air Lines jets are visible at their gates September 17, 2004 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois. Related: Near Collisions Between Planes Are on the Rise in the U.S. with 46 in July Alone: Report The mid-flight incident comes after a flight from Miami to Chile was forced to make an emergency stop on Aug. 14 after its pilot died mid-flight due to a medical emergency, according to LATAM Airlines. The captain of the flight which ultimately landed at Tocumen International Airport in Panama reportedly went to the restroom midflight but did not return, reported The Aviation Herald. Despite the best efforts of the crew to revive him the pilot died after the plane made its emergency landing. In another air travel crisis, a 68-year-old woman on a private Massachusetts plane was also forced to take over the controls and land the aircraft in July when its pilot suffered health problems "upon approach." The passenger ultimately landed the Piper Meridian Turbo Prop six-seat plane "on its belly with no landing gear," according to WTPD. "The female had minor injuries and the male party was extricated from the plane and subsequently med-flighted to Boston for additional treatment," they added. "The Massachusetts State Police and FAA are involved in the investigation.". For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Evan Ferguson of Brighton & Hove Albion scored a hat-trick against Newcastle last Saturday (Photo: Steve Bardens) The 18-year-old picked up a knee injury during Brightons 3-1 win against Newcastle on Saturday, in which he scored all three of his sides goals, and after being assessed by national team medical staff has withdrawn from the squad. He joined up with the team on Sunday but it has been decided that he will not be fit to feature in either match during the current international window, with the squad due to travel to France later on Tuesday. Stephen Kennys team have three points from their first three matches in Group B and need a positive result in Paris on Thursday and against the Dutch in Dublin next week to keep alive realistic hopes of reaching next summers finals. The manager has Norwichs Adam Idah, Prestons Will Keane, Hulls Aaron Connolly and Chiedozie Ogbene of Luton available as his other forward options. Ferguson is now expected to return to Brighton where he will be fully assessed. Ferguson will be desperate to be fit for Albions next match against Old Trafford on September 16, swiftly followed by Brightons first ever Europa League match against AEK Athens at the Amex Stadium on September 21. Speaking after his treble against Newcastle, his skipper Lewis Dunk said: Hes incredible. I think hes shown that on the biggest stage in the world. He should be proud of himself. Hes a humble boy, which is the best thing about him. He doesnt get carried away with anything. Thats not going to change, the way he works hard every day. Hes a young kid whos got a lot of potential still to improve. What hes doing now in the Premier League is incredible, but hes got much, much more still in the locker. BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's oil minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani arrived in the Turkish capital Ankara to discuss several issues including the resumption of oil exports through the Ceyhan oil terminal, a source in the minister's office told Reuters on Monday. Iraqi oil minister will meet his Turkish counterpart to discuss energy issues, on top of which is the resumption of Iraq's northern oil exports via Turkey's Ceyhan port, said an oil official. Turkey halted Iraq's 450,000 barrels per day (bpd) of exports through the northern Iraq-Turkey pipeline on March 25 after an arbitration ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Iraq filed for arbitration in 2014 with the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) over Turkey's role in facilitating oil exports from Iraqi Kurdistan without the consent of the federal government in Baghdad. Iraq's federal government says its state-owned marketed SOMO is the only party authorised to manage crude exports through Ceyhan. Iraq said that by transporting and storing oil from Kurdistan and loading it on tankers in Ceyhan without Baghdad's approval, Ankara and Turkish state energy company BOTAS violated provisions of an Iraq-Turkey pipeline agreement signed in 1973. Turkey wants to negotiate regarding the size of damages it was ordered to pay in the arbitration ruling and also seeks clarification on other open arbitration cases. "Iraq's oil minister is in Turkey to discuss obstacles delaying the resumption of oil exports and how to resolve lingering issues," said an oil ministry official who is close to the Iraqi northern oil exports operations. The ICC ordered Turkey to pay Baghdad damages of around $1.5 billion for unauthorised exports by the Kurdistan Regional Government between 2014 and 2018. "Damages ordered by the arbitration ruling and the valid arbitration cases which are still opened against Ankara will be at the heart of the discussions," said the official. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed, Writing by Ahmed Elimam, Editing by Susan Fenton and David Gregorio) Kim Jong Un could travel to Russia to meet president Vladimir Putin, according to a US official. The North Korean leader could make the trip as early as this month, according to the unnamed source, with the port city of Vladivostok, near to the border between the two countries, believed to be a possible meeting point. It comes as the US claims the Kremlin is attempting to acquire military equipment for its war in Ukraine. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said on Monday that Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu had travelled to North Korea's capital of Pyongyang last month. It is believed Mr Shoigu attempted to persuade North Korea - one of the most militarised countries in the world - to sell artillery ammunition to Russia. Ms Watson said: "We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia." She added that the US is urging North Korea "to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia". It comes after Mr Shoigu also said on Monday that Russia and North Korea may hold joint war games. "Why not, these are our neighbours," Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Mr Shoigu as saying. Read more: North Korea stages simulation of 'scorched earth' nuclear strike Second North Korean spy satellite launch fails "There's an old Russian saying: 'You don't choose your neighbours, and it's better to live with your neighbours in peace and harmony'." When asked about the possibility of joint exercises between the two countries, he said they were "of course" being discussed, the agency said. North Korea has previously denied having any "arms dealings" with Russia, however, the US has imposed sanctions on three entities it accused of being tied to arms deals between the two countries. Story continues The White House also said last week that it had intelligence indicating that Mr Putin and Mr Kim swapped letters following Mr Shoigu's visit. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the letters were "more at the surface level" but that Russian and North Korean talks on a weapons sale were advancing. Mr Kim and Mr Putin previously met in Russia during a visit to Vladivostok in 2019, while Mr Shoigu visited the North Korean leader in Pyongyang in July for the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War - celebrated in North Korea as "Victory Day". According to the New York Times, which first reported on the possibility of a meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Kim, North Korea could look for advanced technology to support its satellite and nuclear submarine programmes in return for artillery shells and anti-tank missiles. Novo Nordisk A/S NVO announced the launch of Wegovy (semaglutide injection 2.4mg) in the U.K. on Sep 4, 2023, in a controlled and limited fashion, to tackle the supply constraints related to Wegovy. Wegovy, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, was first approved in the United States in 2021 for weight management in people living with obesity. It is indicated for adults as well as pediatric patients aged 12 years and older. The U.K. becomes the fifth country where Novo Nordisk launched Wegovy after the United States, Norway, Denmark and Germany. The company aims to provide an additional option to support people living with obesity by making Wegovy available in the U.K., looking forward to working with healthcare providers to achieve this. Per NVO, the obesity management drug will be made available in the U.K. through two channels. The first channel will be through the specialist NHS weight management services for people in the U.K., who meet the National Institute for Care and Excellence (NICE) criteria. The drug will also be made available privately through a registered healthcare professional. Furthermore, Novo Nordisk reported that patients receiving Wegovy through the specialist NHS services will also receive support with diet and exercise measures to follow through a multi-disciplinary team. Year to date, shares of Novo Nordisk have shot up 39.8% compared with the industrys 7.2% rise. Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The company also reaffirmed in the press release that it expects the supply of Wegovy to be constrained for the foreseeable future. Under such circumstances, the company has decided to allocate a proportion of the available supply of the drug in the U.K. for use only within the NHS to allow healthcare professionals to implement NICE guidance. However, per a Reuters article, there is a rising concern among medical experts in the U.K. regarding wealthy people who could get easier access to Wegovy compared with those seeking treatment in the country's state-run health service. Availability of Wegovy in the private market, amid increasing demand, is expected to shoot up prices for the drug, which would, in turn, risk worsening health inequality in the country. Story continues The increasing demand trend of Wegovy is both a boon and a bane for the Danish pharma company. On one hand, Novo Nordisk increased its sales and operating profit guidance based on Wegovy prescription trends in the second quarter and higher full-year expectations for sales of Wegovy in the United States. On the other hand, the company is struggling to meet demand outside the United States, even with increased production capacity. If the supply issues continue to prevail for a long period, it could result in the loss of market share for the company in the presence of other pharma bigwigs, in the obesity and diabetes care market, like Pfizer PFE and Eli Lilly LLY. In May 2023, Pfizer shared study data showing that its oral type II diabetes candidate, danuglipron, helped patients lose weight faster than Novo Nordisks popular diabetes weekly injection, Ozempic. Pfizers danuglipron is an orally administered, small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist. But this has not been approved yet In June 2023, Pfizer announced that it is moving forward with the late-stage development of danuglipron to treat adult patients with obesity and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Pfizers present phase IIb study in obesity is fully enrolled and plans for the phase III study will be subject to results from the ongoing phase II study on the candidate. Eli Lillys Mounjaro/tirzepatide, a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist (GIP/GLP-1 RA), was launched in the United States last year for type II diabetes and already competes with Novo Nordisks Ozempic/Wegovy. Mounjaro is also approved in Europe and Japan. Its Mounjaro showed superior weight-loss reduction in two late-stage clinical studies (SURMOUNT-3 and SURMOUNT-4) for the obesity indication. LLY has already filed regulatory applications seeking the expansion of Mounjaros indication to include obesity and weight management in the United States and EU. In the United States, the FDA has assigned priority review to the regulatory filing with a decision expected by the end of the year. Now, if danuglipron is also successful in further studies and eventually approved, it can enjoy strong demand trends as the demand for weight loss drugs is huge and rising, posing a serious threat to Novo Nordisk. Also, danuglipron is an oral pill versus weekly injections with Ozempic/Wegovy, which is an easier-to-use formulation. Novo Nordisk A/S Price and Consensus Novo Nordisk A/S Price and Consensus Novo Nordisk A/S price-consensus-chart | Novo Nordisk A/S Quote Zacks Rank and Stock to Consider Novo Nordisk currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked stock from the overall medical sector is Dynavax Technologies DVAX, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. In the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Dynavaxs 2023 loss per share has narrowed from 51 cents to 24 cents. The estimate for Dynavaxs 2024 earnings per share is currently pegged at 2 cents. Year to date, shares of Dynavax have risen by 36.7%. DVAXs earnings beat estimates in two of the trailing four quarters and missed the mark in the other two, delivering an average surprise of 25.78%. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Dynavax Technologies Corporation (DVAX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Pfizer Inc. (PFE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Tesla accuses a Chinese company of stealing its tech secrets. Since intellectual property theft is a very serious matter for tech giants, the EV maker decided to file a lawsuit against the chipmaker from China. Tesla Accuses Chinese Chipmaker of Stealing Tech Secrets According to Reuters' latest report, the Shanghai Securities Journal, a national securities daily newspaper in China, confirmed that Tesla sued Bingling Intelligent Technology. The Changzhou-based company, which specializes in chipset designing and car parts manufacturing, is accused of infringing on Tesla's trade secrets. Aside from this, the Chinese tech firm is also allegedly conducting unfair competition practices. A hearing for Tesla's lawsuit against Bingling Intelligent Technology is expected to happen on Oct. 10 in the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court. Tesla explained why it filed a legal action against the Chinese tech company. The Pandaily reported that Tesla is concerned that the tech secret infringement could lead to leakage and theft of its trade secrets. Once this happens, the EV maker's market position, as well as business interests, will be adversely affected. Read Also: Elon Musk Sparks Federal Investigation of EV Manufacturer Tesla Over Use of Company Funds on Secret House Project Other Details of Tesla's Lawsuit Bingling Intelligent Technology, which was founded back in May 2022, focuses on automotive component and accessory productions, integrated circuit chip services and design, as well as car part developments. The main product of the Chinese tech firm is energy efficiency management sensors, which are used for motor drive control, EV power modules, battery system management, etc. With these details, you can say that many of Bingling Intelligent Technology's products and services are quite similar/related to Tesla's. Because of this, Tesla's lawsuit stated that the Chinese company could be infringing upon the EV maker's intellectual property rights in areas including integrated circuit chip design. If the lawsuit favors Tesla, Bingling Intelligent Technology will not be the only one affected. Xiaomi Smart Factory, the largest shareholder of the Chinese chipmaker, will also be impacted. The upcoming trial in October will be a big deal for Tesla and Bingling Intelligent Technology since the hearing could resolve the latest dispute between them. Related Article: Elon Musk Plans to Sue Anti-Defamation League, Claiming Group's Statements Hurt X's Ad Revenue @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Priscilla film Hot on the Cuban heels of Baz Luhrmanns razzle-dazzle Elvis comes Sofia Coppolas adaptation of Priscilla Presleys book Elvis and Me. That 1985 tell-all recounted the infatuation, romance, and disillusion of her formative years, and how they were moulded by a complicated, damaged man. With Presley herself on-board as executive producer, Priscilla isnt a hagiography of the King. Instead, it offers an opportunity to explore not only the seduction and charm of that relationship, but the coercion, isolation, and eventual journey to emancipation experienced by a teenager trapped behind the gates of Graceland. It kicks off with ninth-grade Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny, lovely) stationed unhappily in 1959 Germany with her family. But Presley soon enters the picture when the teen is invited to attend a party at the drafted stars nearby home. The sparks fly immediately as Elvis (Jacob Elordi, vulnerable and tempering a full hound-dog drawl until Presley returns to his stomping ground in Memphis) chastely courts Priscilla, controlling their passion because of her tender age. Once hes shipped back to the States, the girl he left behind begins a routine shell endure through her relationship and marriage: Presley calling the shots, expecting everything, and promising nothing. Moving to Graceland to play house, Priscilla learns that she will always have to share her star lover/playmate/teacher/stylist - with his omnipotent so-called Memphis Mafia, his drugs, and his other women. She also discovers that EPs girl needs to dress, look, weigh, behave, and think a certain way to remain his baby. You have everything a woman could want, he tells her. But with a life defined by someone else, does she know what she wants? Stepping as carefully as her lead does through a sugar-pink shag-pile carpet, Coppola is so respectful of the source material and Priscillas standing as guardian of Elvis legacy that theres a certain sense of coyness here that isnt present in the book. Elvis white-hot anger, his cruel streak, adultery, and sexual rationing is addressed, but gently. And the faithful retelling makes it feel episodic when compared impossible not to with the flashiness of Lurhmanns fairground ride. Story continues But Coppola excels in creating the atmosphere and emotion swirling around Priscilla as she gets her prince but is locked in his tower. The director deftly employs gorgeous production design, a recurring baby-pink motif (carpets, Cadillacs, hair dryers, mohair sweaters, flowers), and Spaenys expressive Bambi eyes, focusing on them as they widen in wonderment and lower in hurt dejection. The iconography of mid-century teendom is worshipped: hairspray, lashes, nails, and a cute gun for every outfit. Presleys music and movies are kept at arms length (only a moment of the 68 special and the Vegas shows are enacted) and none of the other key figures in his life (the Colonel, Ann-Margret) make an appearance, heightening the disconnect of living in his world but being compartmentalised. Priscilla is often framed in empty windows and empty rooms, growing up alone and waiting, her yearning palpable. Priscilla film The subject of that longing needs to be charismatic with caveats. Elordi, with his towering height and spot-on Presley laugh, manages mercurial swings from hesitant confessor to chair-chucking sulker, from religious book nerd to swaggering hot rod. He looms over Spaeny like a vampire in some moments (particularly in his mausoleum bedroom), his physical presence as overpowering as his words. He doesnt particularly look like Elvis, but convinces nonetheless. A difficult trick to pull off when following Austin Butlers recent, feted performance. But where Butler aced the embodiment of performer and Mommas boy, Elordi mines the manipulator and ringleader. Nerdily detailed a Dolly Parton needle-drop packs an emotional punch for its lyrics and real-life resonance in the Presleys marriage and evocative, Priscilla is a beguiling, quieter companion piece to Luhrmanns awards-winner. But it suffers an abrupt ending and, compared to the creativity displayed in Coppolas other biopic, Marie Antoinette, is a more muted affair. Priscilla opens in US cinemas on October 27 and in UK cinemas on December 26 (previews) and January 1, 2024 (wide). Wing Commander Noel Williams (chair, RAF Association Northern Ireland), Squadron Leader Richard Murray (Director of Music RAF College Band) and Warrant Officer Robert Scullion (Bandmaster) are pictured with Co Antrim Deputy Lieutenant Jackie Stewart and MEA Mayor Gerardine Mulvenna as they make the first donations and officially launch the 2023 Wings Appeal campaign. Photo: McAuley Multimedia It coincided with a concert in aid of the RAF Association, which took place at The Braid centre in Ballymena on August 30. The performance was organised following a request by RAFA NI Chair, Wing Commander Noel Williams, who asked Director of Music, Squadron Leader Richard Murray, and Bandmaster, Warrant Officer Robert Scullion to arrange the fundraiser in aid of the RAF family. The event saw a tremendous performance by the bands splendid musicians, including individual pieces by several members. On the same evening, Mid and East Antrim Mayor Alderman Gerardine Mulvenna met with the RAF Associations guests during a reception at the Mayors Parlour. The appeal was launched at the reception by Deputy Lieutenant for County Antrim, Jackie Stewart, along with the Mayor, Sqn Ldr Murray, WO Scullion, and Wg Cdr Williams, with the first official donations to the 2023 campaign. Sqn Ldr Murray added: I was delighted to be part of the launch of the 2023 Northern Ireland Wings Appeal, particularly as I am a Carrick lad, as is our Bandmaster Robert Scullion. I am hopeful that the RAFA branches in Northern Ireland will be supported as they man stalls across the country. Read more: Larne highland dancers involved in 2023 Belfast International Tattoo Wing Commander Noel Williams added: We are playing an important role right across the province with our welfare support and relief provided for a considerable number of veterans who served in the RAF. That welfare also extends to their families. I make a special plea that wherever you see a RAFA tin in a shop, garage or any outlet, that you be as generous as you can and, if you would like to, send a donation to the RAFA account at Danske Bank in Carrickfergus. "Donations will be shared across all branches and anyone wishing to donate to the Wings Appeal can either post a donation to the Bank (21-23 High Street, Carrickfergus, BT38 7AL), or simply call in and make a cash donation to the RAF Association Wings Appeal. To make a bank transfer, the sort code is 95-02-61 and the account number is 51041150. Meanwhile, the RAF College Band (RAF Cranwell) was in town to lead the celebrations over the weekend during the Belfast International Tattoo in the SSE Arena. Analyst's Pick Vo Tri Thanh* The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) has had to suspend the vigorous enforcement of some regulations on lending activities of credit institutions and branches of foreign banks, which, according to businesses, is making it hard to get bank loans. Specifically, after the urgent request of the Prime Minister, the SBV on August 23 issued Circular No 10 to suspend the implementation of Clause 8, Clause 9 and Clause 10, Article 8 of Circular No 39 dated December 30, 2016 (has been supplemented according to Clause 2, Article 1, Circular No 06 issued on June 28, 2023). Circular 10 has been in effect since September 1. The purpose of Circular 06 is to reduce risks caused by cross-ownership and subprime lending, especially to subsidiaries and affiliates of banks shareholders. Currently, many major shareholders behind banks are still trying to find ways to inject capital into their own companies (commonly real estate) in the form of lending to contribute capital to buy shares, lending to implement projects, and lending to settle investment cooperation contracts. Lessons from the past and especially from the case of the Sai Gon Commercial Bank (SCB) and Van Thinh Phat Group are probably the reason why Circular 06 was issued with several stricter regulations to prevent risky loans from banks and maintain banking system safety. The Circular also aims to prevent the too big to fail situation in which a bank is so deeply ingrained in an economy that its failure would be disastrous to that economy, and the Government has to consider bailing out to prevent economic disaster; as well as to reduce the negative impact of moral hazard problem a situation in which a party to a transaction decides to take risk knowing that the other party will bear the cost if things go wrong. The harmonious combination of boosting growth and controlling risks in the banking industry is always likened to the coordination between a vehicles brake pedal and accelerator. The tight brake will restrain growth, but when the accelerator is too strong, it is necessary to use the brake to control the risk. How to control the brake pedal while still creating momentum for growth is not always an easy job for policymakers. This is even more difficult, especially in the context that cross-ownership in Viet Nam is still complicated. However, Viet Nams economic growth has been slowing down and is unlikely to reach the years target due to global headwinds, which leads to shrinking exports; declining domestic consumption demand; and a stagnant real estate sector one of the key industries having a role in boosting growth. Smoothly dealing with difficulties in the real estate sector is an important factor contributing to getting the economy back on track. In the context of economic volatility, all three regulations considered "special drugs" against cross-ownership mentioned above have been suspended. This is considered a temporary solution in the circumstance where the growth target needs to be prioritised. The suspension has been particularly hailed by real estate businesses as it is a timely move to resolve obstacles for those in dire need of capital to access credit, thereby facilitating the recovery of the property market. However, the loosening strings means that the central banks brake pedal control will be more challenging. The Asian financial crisis showed that the main reason why many banks fell into default was lax lending standards, and too many loans for the real estate sector in the past when there was a lack of close supervision. SBV Deputy Governor ao Minh Tu repeatedly cited the lessons of SCB and the three commercial banks that had to be bought back compulsorily by the State to show that if conditions for lending are massively loosened, credit quality will decline and bad debt will increase. In the context of capital supply for the entire market relying on the banking system (including long-term capital as currently), the banks' risks are the risks of the entire economy. In fact, bad debt stemming from the real estate sector has recently increased. The ratio of real estate bad debts in June 2022 was 1.53 per cent while the figure a year later was 2.47 per cent. According to data from the SBVs Department of Credit of Economic Sectors, credit for the real estate sector in the first six months of 2023 increased by 17.41 per cent, exceeding the growth rate of 10.73 per cent in 2022. Meanwhile, the credit growth of the whole market in the first seven months of the year was just 4.56 per cent. This implies that credit to the real estate sector is focusing on a number of larger-scale projects, while the overall number of projects licensed and qualified for loan granting is decreasing. If current developments continue, it may cause a higher risk of bad debt in the future. It should be noted that the suspension is just a temporary measure to help real estate enterprises get easier access to bank lending. In the medium and long term, it is necessary to create a sound foundation for the companies and commercial banks to restructure. From a broader view, while the above strict lending regulations cannot be immediately implemented, there should be drastic measures to remove legal obstacles for each property project, especially large ones, such as those related to land law, housing law and real estate business law, to regain the markets confidence. Loose monetary policy needs to aim at the overall development of the economy, however, in reality, the economy depends heavily on the real estate sector, so sustainable growth can only be achieved when policies and the business environment of the real estate sector are more transparent and fairer. According to Circular No 10/2023/TT-NHNN, the following loan purposes are not prohibited: 8. Loans used for making capital contribution to, buying or receiving transfer of stakes of a limited liability company or a partnership, or shares of a joint-stock company that is not yet listed on the securities market or registered for trading on the UpCom system; 9. Loans used for making capital contributions under capital contribution contracts, investment cooperation contracts or business cooperation contracts for executing investment projects that are unfit for sale or for business operation as prescribed by laws when the credit institution issues its lending decision; 10. Loans used for financial offsetting purposes, except for those meeting the following conditions: a) The customer has used their own funds for paying costs incurred from their business project for a period of less than 12 months by the time of the grant of the lending decision by the credit institution; b) Costs paid using the customers funds for executing a business project are costs to be covered using the fund borrowed from the credit institution under the plan to use borrowed fund submitted to the credit institution when applying for a medium-term or long-term loan for executing that business project. *Vo Tri Thanh is a senior economist at the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) and a member of the National Financial and Monetary Policy Advisory Council. A doctorate in economics from the Australian National University, Thanh mainly undertakes research and provides consultation on issues related to macroeconomic policies, trade liberalisation and international economic integration. Other areas of interest include institutional reforms and financial systems. He authors Viet Nam News column Analysts Pick. JAKARTA Vietnamese budget airline Vietjet Air on September 4 announced its direct air route connecting Ha Noi of Viet Nam and Jakarta of Indonesia. The new air route, due to start this September, will use modern aircraft to fly four times a week between the two capital cities. This will be Vietjet Airs fourth direct route between Viet Nam and Indonesia, and this will help increase the number of weekly flights between the two countries to 92 this December. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is in Jakarta to attend the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related meetings, attended the ceremony along with other officials of the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation. PM Chinh congratulated Vietjet Air on its expansion plan with the new air route linking Ha Noi and Jakarta, which he said would help promote trade and investment between the two countries. He reminded that Indonesia is one of Viet Nams most important trading partners in Southeast Asia. It is a large market of approximately 280 million consumers that houses the megacity of Jakarta inhabited by more than 10 million. Vietjet Air aims to transport a million passengers per year between Indonesia and Viet Nam, contributing to enhancing their strategic partnership, and serving as a bridge for cultural and economic exchanges between the two countries people. VNS The following story is the stuff of game and movie spies and secret agents, but the operation became possible in real life. Explosives planted in a mobile phone detonated while in the hands of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) agent Yuriy Afanasievsky inside his apartment in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian region of Luhansk. According to multiple reports, the explosives were planted by a Ukrainian sabotage group, which Russian sources linked to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). The 64-year-old major general and his son, who was also caught up in the attack, were taken to hospital in a critical condition. Afanasievsky's wife was also hurt in the incident. A woman was arrested and has "already confessed" to Russian authorities she allegedly handed the rigged phone over to the FSB officer. The incident happened days after another Russian general, Alexei Chernykh, was killed by a drone while mowing his lawn in the Russian border region of Belgorod on his day off. Afanasievsky and Chernykh are two of a long list of generals allegedly killed by Ukrainian retaliatory attacks. Read Also: Vladimir Putin Pressures The World By Declining To Cooperate About Grain Deal Unless West Meets Its Obligation Who is Yuriy Afanasievsky? According to an SBU insider who told the Kyiv Post on the condition of anonymity, Afanasievsky was the head of customs in the Russian-occupied area of Luhansk back in 2014 when Vladimir Putin first invaded Ukraine. He was known for both being the main "financier" of the chairman of the so-called Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) Leonid Pasichnyk and for using "laundered" money to fund paramilitary groups fighting against Ukraine. He was sanctioned by Britain, the EU, Canada, Switzerland, and Japan after it was discovered he was shown to have financial interests in the British Virgin Islands. The source added his organization hoped the attack would be fully successful in killing Afanasievsky. Related Article: Cuba Reveals Human Trafficking of Cubans To Help Russia Fight Against Ukraine @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. HA NOI The Vietnam Sanitary and Phytosanitary Notification Authority and Enquiry Point (Vietnam SPS Office) has not received any warning from the UK about dragon fruit exported from Viet Nam that it violates food safety regulations, said deputy director of the agency Ngo Xuan Nam. Nam said that Viet Nams dragon fruit exports to the UK remain normal although some supermarkets in the country suspended the sale of the fruit amid concerns that the imported fruit may contain pesticide residues. So far, the Viet Nam SPS Office received only a notice from UK authorities on a proposal about moving Vietnamese dragon fruits from Appendix II (for products subject to being tested and granted a food safety certificate in exporting countries before being exported) to Appendix I (for products that must be verified and re-inspected at a 50% frequency at destination ports before being imported). Its just a proposal now, Nam said. The suspension of the fruit sale in some supermarkets can be part of their business plan and possibly not link to the authorities inspection plan, Nam said. On July 17, the office received an official dispatch from the Department of Quality, Processing, and Market Development regarding the UK's plan to strengthen safety inspections for dragon fruit. On July 26, the Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development sent an official dispatch responding to the proposal to amend regulations related to food safety inspection of Vietnamese dragon fruit in the UK. On August 2, the Viet Nam SPS Office contacted the UK SPS, suggesting it keep the frequency of testing Viet Nam's dragon fruit until the two sides have sufficient evidence. The Vietnamese side called on the UK side to provide Vietnamese competent authorities with risk assessment records which they base on to propose the testing frequency changes for Vietnamese dragon fruit. Currently, the Viet nam SPS Office is waiting for a response from the UK authorities. According to the office, from 2020 to July 2023, Viet Nam exported 625 tonnes of dragon fruit to the UK while exporting to the EU market about 2,000 tonnes yearly. VNS KIELCE Viettel Group, a leading corporation in the defence sector of Viet Nam, has announced its participation in the International Defense Industry Exhibition (MSPO) which is being held from September 5-8 in Kielce, Poland. This marks the first time a Vietnamese enterprise has participated and showcased its products and innovations at MSPO, highlighting the potential business development opportunities for Viettel in the European defence industry sector. Viettel will be joining other renowned global brands, such as WB Group, Thales, and Lockheed Martin. Viettel Booth is at Hall G, Stand G31. The 31st edition of MSPO is one of Europe's three largest annual defence exhibitions and ranks 9th among the top 100 largest military exhibitions in the world. Covering a vast area of 34,000 square metres, the event will feature over 700 companies and host more than 60 delegations from 36 countries. The event showcases millions of defence products and technologies, attracting over 25,000 visitors annually. Viettel will present a range of military products across various technological generations, on par with major global players, in diverse fields, such as communications, electronic warfare, radar, optoelectronics, simulation models, UAVs, private networks for the military, and other defence products. With 60 products on display, Viettel aims to demonstrate its comprehensive research and production capabilities. The company's participation in MSPO 2023 is driven by the goal of expanding business opportunities, fostering multinational partnerships, and promoting Viet Nam's defence industry on the global stage. Nguyen Vu Ha, CEO of Viettel High Tech, a subsidiary of Viettel Group specialising in the defence industry said: Having core technology in our hands is a solid foundation for Viettel as we enter and penetrate international markets. Vietnamese defence products have met customer requirements, and we are confident and committed to providing continuously updated and improved products to serve end-users. We believe that this event will enhance Viettel's position in the global market and make a positive contribution to the development of Viet Nam's high-tech industry, he added. Viettel High Tech is the R&D arm of Viettel Group in the high-tech industry. It continuously expands its research, mastery, and production of urgently needed weapons and technical equipment, as well as new-generation weapons. Currently, Viettel High Tech is focused on promoting the export of Make in Vietnam products to major markets around the world. VNS HA NOI During the National Day holiday from September 1 to 4, 2.5 million tourists visited various localities nationwide, according to the Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism. This figure marks a 16.7 per cent drop compared to the same period the previous year. The average occupancy rate in tourist accommodation establishments was 55 per cent, with a noteworthy surge to over 60 per cent on September 1 and 2. A decline in the number of tourists and tourism revenue was observed, attributed to visitors' tendency to limit spending amid rising public transportation costs. Consequently, many opted for shorter, local trips to economise. Moreover, anticipated adverse weather conditions, including warnings of heavy rainfall and the influence of typhoon Saola in the Southern region and the Mekong River Delta, led to the cessation of train and boat services to various tourist destinations. This prompted many tourists to cancel or adjust their travel plans. On a brighter note, certain localities witnessed a spike in tourist numbers over the holiday. These include Khanh Hoa Province with a rise of 141 per cent, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province at 36.5 per cent, Quang Ninh Province at 150 per cent, and Thanh Hoa Province with 26.6 per cent. Conversely, some areas experienced a drop in tourism. Kien Giang Province, impacted by unfavourable weather, saw a dip in visitors by 32.9 per cent. The average occupancy of its accommodation establishments was pegged at 27 per cent, and total revenue was only VN153 billion (US$6.38 million) in comparison to last year's figures, as reported by the department. The department revealed that this year saw a shift as tourists from the southern provinces preferred short tours to northern provinces such as Ha Giang, Lao Cai, and Moc Chau to immerse themselves in the ripe rice season and experience the culture of highland ethnic groups. This indicates that initiatives promoting inter-regional tourism are indeed deepening and bearing fruit. Furthermore, cultural tourism spots in Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) and the central regions have witnessed a positive uptick, with the primary demographic being families and smaller groups of tourists. Interestingly, there was a notable increase in the number of international tourists visiting major tourist destinations during the holiday. This trend is a promising indicator for Viet Nam's upcoming international tourism peak in October, the department commented. In terms of specifics, a Nang City was at the forefront, welcoming 78,900 international visitors. This was followed by Ha Noi with over 41,700 arrivals, marking an 83.6 per cent rise compared to the same timeframe. HCM City recorded 37,600 visitors (an increase of 15 per cent), while Khanh Hoa Province saw 23,450, a remarkable surge of 363.34 per cent. The bulk of these international visitors hailed from Korea, China, and the US, typically staying for around 4-5 nights. The outcomes from the National Day holiday tourism activities highlight that despite challenges, domestic tourism in Viet Nam is on the rebound, acting as a catalyst for international tourism. Notably, local regions are proactively developing new offerings and amplifying their hallmark tourism products to lure both local and overseas guests, as highlighted by the department. VNS JAKARTA Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta on Sunday on the side-lines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings. Both leaders spoke highly of the positive development in the strategic partnership between Viet Nam and Indonesia since their meeting in Labuan Bajo in May. They affirmed that the two countries will step up all-level delegation exchanges in the time ahead, setting milestones for the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership in 2023 and looking towards the 70th founding anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations and the 80th anniversary of Viet Nams National Day and Indonesias Independence Day in 2025. The two sides agreed to effectively optimise bilateral cooperation mechanisms and coordinate to well implement signed agreements, including bringing the signed document on maritime cooperation into effect soon, creating momentum to elevate the strategic partnership to a new height, towards a comprehensive strategic partnership in the near future. PM Chinh suggested the two countries maintain their trade ties in a more balanced way, striving to raise the bilateral trade revenue to US$15 billion by 2028, and suggested the two governments encourage businesses of the two countries to increase investment, especially in such new areas as digital economy, green economy, energy transition and e-vehicle ecosystem development. He also called on Indonesia to ease the application of trade remedy measures against Vietnamese goods, thus facilitating the access of farm produce and Halal products originating from Viet Nam to the Indonesian market. The two countries should cooperate in new, strategic supply chains and enhance cooperation in the areas in which both sides are interested, he said. The PM suggested Indonesia recognise Viet Nams efforts in monitoring the operations of fishing boats, and minimising illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. President Widodo welcomed PM Chinh to Indonesia to attend the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related meetings. He thanked and highly appreciated Viet Nam's support for and active assistance to Indonesia's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2023. President Widodo welcomed Vietnamese businesses, including VinFast, to invest in Indonesia and promote cooperation in the development of renewable energy and electric vehicle ecosystem. The President suggested the two countries strengthen marine cooperation, and sustainable fishery cooperation and soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding on fishery cooperation. Talking about regional and international issues, PM Chinh affirmed that Viet Nam supports and works closely with Indonesia to ensure the success of the 43rd ASEAN Summit and the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2023, contributing to strengthening solidarity, unity, and centrality of ASEAN and maintaining peace, stability, cooperation, and common development in the region. Regarding the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea) issue, the two leaders reaffirmed their support for maintaining ASEAN's solidarity and agreed on principles in the East Sea issue, especially the early finalisation of an effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) between ASEAN and China in line with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). PM Chinh conveyed the invitations of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Vo Van Thuong to President Widodo to visit Viet Nam soon. President Widodo accepted the invitations with pleasure. VNA/VNS HA NOI President of the House of Councillors of Japan Otsuji Hidehisa and a high-ranking delegation of Japan arrived in Ha Noi on Sunday night, beginning an official visit to Viet Nam until Thursday. The visit is being made at the invitation of Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong inh Hue. The Japanese delegation was welcomed at Noi Bai International Airport by Chairman of the NAs Committee for Foreign Affairs Vu Hai Ha and Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam Yamada Takio. The visit takes place at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties (September 21, 1973-2023) with many significant activities being held. It is expected to contribute to further consolidating and deepening the extensive strategic partnership between Viet Nam and Japan. VNA/VNS JAKARTA Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a working breakfast with his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet on Tuesday, while attending the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related meetings in Jakarta. The three leaders informed one another of their respective countrys socio-economic development, and exchanged views on common cooperation fields and regional and international issues of mutual concern. The reality of the struggle for independence, national protection and development, and international integration has affirmed that continuously consolidating and tightening cooperation between Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia is an objectively essential need, and holds strategic significance for all three countries. Therefore, they agreed to continue maintaining regular bilateral and trilateral exchanges and contacts, and the working breakfast mechanism among the PMs of the three countries on the occasion of their attendance at international meetings in order to tighten solidarity, friendship and cooperation, and exchange views on regional and international issues of common concern, and find solutions to problems arising in the relations of the three countries. The leaders agreed to increase the effectiveness of existing trilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the early organisation of the 12th Cambodia-Laos-Viet Nam (CLV) Development Triangle Summit and the first meeting of the Chairs of the three National Assemblies in Laos later this year, and promote exchanges and training of youths and young leaders in order to foster the future of cooperative relations among the three countries. They said that security and defence cooperation had made significant progress, and were unanimous on the continued implementation of existing agreements and cooperation mechanisms, the sharing of information, and the improvement of cooperation efficiency in combating cyber and cross-border crimes. The PMs stressed the need to have more policies and measures to facilitate trade and investment collaboration, with focus on cross-border trade. Chinh affirmed that cooperation with Laos and Cambodia was always a top priority in Viet Nam's foreign policy. He proposed the three nations continue solving existing problems to soon complete the land border demarcation and marker planting to build and maintain border lines of peace, friendship, cooperation and development, for the benefit of the people of each country. He expressed his hope that the Lao and Cambodian governments would continue paying attention to and creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese communities in the countries. VNS JAKARTA - During the plenary session of the 43rd ASEAN Summit, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highlighted the need to enhance ASEAN's self-reliance by promoting economic linkages, expanding internal markets, and facilitating trade and investment flows. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Tuesday led the Vietnamese delegation attending the plenary session of the 43rd ASEAN Summit, held in Jakarta, Indonesia. Reporting on ASEAN's cooperation over the past year, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn noted that the region had maintained positive economic growth momentum, with a forecast of 4.6 per cent in 2023 and 4.9 per cent in 2024. ASEAN's collective GDP reached an impressive 15 per cent, totalling US$3.8 trillion, and investment surged to a record high of over $224 billion. However, the regional economy still faced potential risks, including the direct impact of geopolitical tensions, climate change, energy security, and food security. In response to these challenges, ASEAN was actively shifting towards digitalisation and sustainable development, enhancing regional competitiveness, and strengthening its role as a crucial link in the global value chain. During the plenary session, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, and President of the World Bank, Ajay Banga, highlighted that in the challenging global economic landscape, ASEAN stood out as a bright spot with promising future prospects. They emphasised that to realise sustained growth, ASEAN must expedite economic restructuring reforms, eliminate trade and investment barriers, and prioritise investments in human development, encompassing education, healthcare, equitable development, and the promotion of sustainable growth. In the face of escalating geopolitical competition, unwavering values such as willpower, solidarity, cooperation, and trust remain essential tenets of multilateralism, essential for overcoming fragmentation and division. Leaders of ASEAN member countries expressed their support for this year's cooperation theme, "ASEAN Matters: The Epicentre of Growth," which illustrates an active, resilient, and courageous ASEAN. Despite challenges, the momentum for building the ASEAN Community persists, leading to further cooperation across the three pillars of politics-security, economics, and culture-society. This foundation creates opportunities and serves as a driving force for the continued development and growth of ASEAN in the future. In this spirit, leaders engaged in discussions and acknowledged the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, which provides comprehensive guidance for building a Resilient, Dynamic, Creative, and People-centred ASEAN. This vision sets the strategic framework for the robust development and breakthroughs in ASEAN over the next two decades. During this event, leaders endorsed several crucial documents, including declarations on inclusive development for people with disabilities, family development, and gender equality, as well as measures to enhance food security, early childhood care and education, and the Framework for the ASEAN Strategic Framework for Public Health Emergencies. At the plenary session, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh shared his overall assessment of the dynamic nature of the year 2023. While the global economy had displayed more positive signs of recovery, there remained numerous risks, including unsustainable growth, sluggish trade recovery, and the growing complexity of geopolitical instability. In this context, with the collective efforts and solidarity of member countries under the leadership of Indonesia, the current ASEAN Chair, the ASEAN Community continued to exhibit steady and robust development, continuously strengthening its influence and asserting itself as a pivotal driver of growth. ASEAN maintained its status as a shining beacon of economic growth, the core of free trade agreement (FTA) networks, and the focal point of crucial regional cooperation mechanisms such as ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, and the East Asia Summit (EAS). To uphold and further enhance its "ASEAN matters" as the epicentre of growth, the Prime Minister stressed the imperative of bolstering ASEAN's self-reliance through the promotion of economic linkages, the expansion of intra-regional markets, and the facilitation of trade and investment flows. Accordingly, the Prime Minister urged ASEAN member countries to swiftly eliminate policy and institutional bottlenecks and to maintain the stability of the intra-regional supply chain, thereby enhancing the region's resilience to pandemic-related impacts and external challenges. The Prime Minister also urged ASEAN Economic Ministers to take decisive action in reviewing, upgrading, and negotiating new FTAs between ASEAN and its partners to generate fresh impetus for regional economic development. The Prime Minister emphasised that ASEAN must recognise that ensuring peace, security, and stability in the region would primarily be its own responsibility and effort. To achieve this, ASEAN member countries must uphold the principles of solidarity, independence, self-reliance, and express these principles both in words and actions. Only then could ASEAN's role be effectively promoted and earn genuine respect from partners, particularly larger nations. ASEAN would welcome its partners' participation in regional cooperation and their support for ASEAN in addressing common challenges. Given the current backdrop of increasing friction and strategic competition among major countries, the Prime Minister particularly stressed that ASEAN must exhibit a strong and united front, encouraging partners to acknowledge ASEAN's central role and engage in sincere dialogue and cooperation while adhering to ASEAN's established principles. With a vision of an equitable and sustainable ASEAN, the Prime Minister reaffirmed the core spirit of ASEAN, placing people at the centre, as the goal, and the driving force of the community-building process. This approach aims to continue narrowing the development gap within ASEAN, particularly in remote and sub-regional areas. Prime Minister Chinh commended Indonesia's initiatives in promoting the digital economy, blue ocean economy, food security, the establishment of an electric vehicle ecosystem, and sustainable self-reliance as proactive and creative steps taken by ASEAN to serve the practical interests of its people. In this spirit, the Prime Minister announced that Viet Nam would host the ASEAN Future Forum on rapid, sustainable, people-centred development, as a complement to ASEAN's official forums and mechanisms. This forum would provide an opportunity for extensive exchange of ideas and initiatives for regional cooperation, contributing to the establishment of a resilient and sustainable ASEAN Community. VNS HA NOI General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong on Tuesday met head of the International Liaison Department and member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Liu Jianchao. The Vietnamese Party chief lauded the Chinese Party official's visit as the two Communist Parties and two countries are maintaining a good and substantial development momentum, and are celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership (June 2008 - June 2023). Party chief Trong asked Liu to convey the best regards and congratulations to General Secretary, President Xi Jinping, expressing his appreciation for the support of the Chinese people for Viet Nam's revolutionary cause and the construction of socialism and national development throughout different periods, as well as the special and important contributions of the Chinese leadership, particularly Xi Jinping, to the development of the Viet Nam-China relationship in recent years. Trong expressed gratitude and highly appreciated the warm reception and hospitality of General Secretary, President Xi Jinping, the Party, the State, and the Chinese people during his official visit to China last year after the 20th National Congress of the CPC. He praised the proactiveness and positive efforts of the two sides at various levels in implementing the common perception between the highest leaders of the two Parties and the Joint Statement between Viet Nam and China during the visit, contributing to further strengthening and deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Viet Nam and China in a new phase. Briefing the Chinese guest of his recent visit and work session in the northern border province of Lang Son and the Huu Nghi (Friendship) International Border Gate, the Vietnamese Party leader stressed Viet Nam's continued priority towards development of China-Viet Nam ties. Trong acknowledged and proposed that the two foreign affairs committees of the two Parties continue to closely coordinate and enhance the effectiveness of the annual meeting mechanism between the two agencies' heads, promote cooperation between the advisory bodies of the two Parties, and enhance the strategic orientation role of the relationship between the two Parties for the overall relationship between the two countries, through specific actions to implement the Joint Statement achieved during the recent official visit to China, which helps to elevate the traditional friendly cooperation between the two Parties and two countries to new heights. The Chinese official expressed joy in visiting Viet Nam and concurred with the Vietnamese host on important guidance on enhancing cooperation between the two Parties and two countries. Liu congratulated the socio-economic development accomplishments that the Vietnamese people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, led by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, have achieved since the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam until now. He expressed delight at the positive development trend of the Viet Nam-China relationship, especially the historic significance and the successful outcome of General Secretary Trong's official visit to China at the end of 2022. He expressed confidence in the bright future of the development of the relationship between the two Parties and two countries under the leadership of the CPC, led by General Secretary Xi Jinping, and the CPV, led by General Secretary Trong. Liu affirmed that the International Liaison Department of the CPC would continue to closely coordinate with the CPV's Foreign Affairs Committee and the foreign affairs and diplomatic agencies of Viet Nam to effectively implement the common perceptions and important agreements between the two Party leaders. The same day, head of CPV's Foreign Affairs Committee Le Hoai Trung and his Chinese counterpart had a working session, where the two discussed and reviewed the progress in bilateral ties after Party leader Trong's visit to China in October 2022 and measures to boost cooperation between the two Parties in the future. VNS JAKARTA Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh together with ASEAN leaders on Tuesday attended the retreat session in Jakarta as part of the 43rd ASEAN Summit where they exchanged views on international and regional issues. Sharing concerns about profound changes in the global and regional situation, the leaders of ASEAN countries emphasised that unity is a strategic value for ASEAN to overcome challenges, remain resilient against strategic frictions and geopolitical competition and affirm its central role in the regional structure. They also stressed that unity is the foundation to strengthen ASEAN's role in guiding and leading efforts for peace, stability, and development in the region. Speaking at the session, the Vietnamese PM shared the opinions of the countries regarding the complex and multidimensional developments in the current international environment, in which one of the main factors is intense strategic competition among major powers, forcing countries to face extremely difficult strategic choices. In the midst of fierce competition among major countries, PM Chinh said that for ASEAN to maintain its central role, the only answer would be to exert its own strength, consolidate internal unity, and assert its strategic value. ASEAN countries would need to uphold the spirit of independence, self-reliance, respect for the rule of law, and adherence to the basic principles and norms of ASEAN, he noted. PM Chinh also remarked that at the centre of the competition, ASEAN needed to maintain a strategic balance with major countries. ASEAN must truly become a "trustworthy, reliable bridge" with the ability to regulate and balance relationships and interests, firmly pursue the goal of building an open, transparent, inclusive, and most importantly, unified regional structure, and maintain its principled position on issues directly related to the security and development environment of the region. Discussing international and regional issues, PM Chinh underlined the need for ASEAN to make efforts to enhance unity and maintain and strengthen a common position with regard to the South China Sea (known in Viet Nam as the East Sea), adding that this is both the interest and common responsibility of all member countries. ASEAN needed to request that partners respect this position when operating in the South China Sea, especially principles such as self-restraint, peaceful resolution of disputes, respect for international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). At the same time, ASEAN should persistently and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and work to build a substantive, effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) that is consistent with international law and UNCLOS 1982. Regarding the situation in Myanmar, PM Chinh acknowledged that ASEAN's recent efforts, along with those of member countries, had received positive signals from all parties in Myanmar. PM Chinh expressed support for further proactive engagement to encourage peaceful dialogue, build trust, enhance common understanding, and work towards comprehensive and sustainable solutions to the issue of Myanmar. PM Chinh expressed support for Indonesia as the Chair of ASEAN and the Special Envoy of the Chair on Myanmar in leading ASEAN's efforts based on the ASEAN Leaders' Five-Point Consensus. The Vietnamese Government leader also affirmed that Viet Nam would closely coordinate with Laos, the ASEAN Chair in 2024, to continue promoting ASEAN's cooperation goals. At the Summit, PM Chinh, along with the leaders of ASEAN countries, agreed to support the Philippines in assuming the role of ASEAN Chair in 2026. VNS JAKARTA Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Klaus Schwab described Viet Nam as a bright spot of economic growth after the COVID-19 pandemic at his meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday. Schwab hailed Viet Nam's socio-economic achievements over the recent past, especially the countrys comprehensive approach in macro-economic management, helping the national economy sail through challenges amidst the present regional and global situation. For his part, Chinh congratulated the WEF on the successful organisation of its annual meeting in Tianjin (China), contributing to affirming its reputation and role in promoting dialogues and public-private partnership, and proposing initiatives and new models to contribute to global economic recovery. The PM also spoke highly of the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between Viet Nam and the WEF for 2023-2026 period, and pledged to coordinate in implementing the six collaboration areas of innovation in food-foodstuff, and innovation skill development and green transition; zero-emission industrial clusters; plastic waste reduction; financing for energy transition; digital transformation and the establishment of a Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In the context of food security issues, especially the rice supply crunch which has raised concern among many countries in the region, the leader affirmed that Viet Nam stood ready to assist other countries in ensuring stable supply and contribute to strengthening food security globally. Viet Nam would also further participate in and actively contribute to the forums initiatives and activities, he said, calling for the WEFs coordination in hosting activities that bring together leading experts and economic policy makers in the region and the work to discuss issues of shared concern, including the utilisation of scientific-technological advances in economic recovery and growth globally. On this occasion, the WEF Executive Chairman invited PM Chinh to attend the WEF Davos 2024. VNS It's a successful re-entry and landing for NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 members. The space agency recently reported that the SpaceX crew-6 members had successfully re-entered Earth off the coast of Florida, marking an end for their six-month mission. NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 mission launched on Mar. 2 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from its Kennedy Space Center in Florida; it successfully reached the ISS around a day later, per NASA. Splashdown For Crew-6 NASA revealed in its latest blog post that its SpaceX Crew-6 members had successfully returned to Earth's surface on Sept. 4. The crew safely splashed down off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft at 12:17 AM EDT. The crew consists of four members: NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg, United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. They all spent 186 days in orbit aboard the ISS. They were originally meant to come home on the morning of Sept. 3, per Space.com. However, poor weather conditions at the time forced NASA to have them stay in the ISS, extending their stay in the station by a day. Crew-6's Dragon spacecraft, Endeavor, also made history, with its re-entry and splashdown being its fourth flight in its tenure. It will return to Florida for inspection and processing at SpaceX's refurbishing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Read More: Google Raises Nest Aware Subscription Price by $30 From there, the company's teams will inspect Endeavor, analyze data on its performance, and prepare it for its next flight. Meanwhile, the next NASA SpaceX Commercial Crew Program mission, Crew-7, already boarded the ISS on Aug. 27, beginning another long-duration science expedition. According to NASA, the program's goal is "safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the ISS and low Earth orbit." This mission design maximizes research time and increases opportunities for discovery aboard the ISS' microgravity laboratory and testbed for exploration, along with the preparation for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. What Did Crew-6 Do In The ISS? Bowen, Hoburg, Alneyadi, and Fedyaev didn't lounge about the ISS during their six-month stay. NASA administrator Bill Nelson said they completed "hundreds of scientific experiments for the benefit of humanity." These scientific experiments consist of science activities and technology demonstrations, including assisting a student robotic challenge and studying plant genetic adaptations to space. They also monitored human health in microgravity to prepare for exploration beyond low Earth orbit and to benefit life on Earth. You may recall that staying in microgravity for a prolonged duration is detrimental to a person's health. According to NASA, Astronauts staying in space for prolonged periods can lose muscle mass faster than they would on Earth, while the fluids in the body could shift upward to the head, which may put pressure on the eyes, causing vision problems. If not working on these experiments, Crew-6 members also worked on the ISS to maintain and improve its capabilities. During their stay there, Bowen conducted three spacewalks - Hoburg joined him for two of them, while Alneyadi went with Bowen for one. These spacewalks were meant to prepare the ISS for installing two new International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays to augment the station's power generation. Related Article: NASA Produces US Pollution-Monitoring Instrument, Releases Its First Images JAKARTA Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Timor Leste counterpart Xanana Gusmao on Tuesday agreed to increase the exchange of delegations to promote the traditional friendship and connectivity between the two countries. During the meeting, held on the occasion of the two PMs' attendance in the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related summits in Jakarta, Indonesia, PM Chinh congratulated Gusmao on his election as Prime Minister of Timor Leste for the 2023-2028 tenure, and expressed his confidence that under the leadership of Gusmao, Timor Leste would continue to reap great achievements in construction and development, gradually asserting its role and position in the region and the world. He welcomed Timor Leste's participation in the 43rd ASEAN Summit and reaffirmed that Viet Nam and other member countries of the bloc would actively support the country in the process of becoming an official member of ASEAN. The two leaders emphasised the need to effectively implement the signed agreements, and soon complete the negotiations to sign the bilateral Investment Protection Agreement and ratify the trade agreement between the two countries. They also underlined the importance of boosting cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, tourism, culture, education and people-to-people exchange, while studying new areas of cooperation that suit development needs of Timor Leste and the potential and strengths of Viet Nam such as agro-forestry and fisheries, digital transformation and green transition. PM Chinh asked Timor Leste to support and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese companies to participate in and implement investment projects, and promptly resolve pending legal issues to encourage foreign investment in its territory. Sharing Timor Leste's concern over the threat of food shortages due to the impact of declining global rice exports and climate change, he affirmed that Viet Nam would be ready to support and strengthen rice trade with Timor Leste, urging the two countries to begin negotiations towards the signing of a rice trade agreement between the two governments to create a long-term legal framework for bilateral cooperation. For his part, Gusmao affirmed that Timor Leste always attached importance to promoting relations with Viet Nam. He agreed with PM Chinh's proposals which aimed at promoting cooperation, especially in the fields of telecommunications, trade-investment and the rice sector. Highlighting the important contributions of Telemor, a subsidiary of the Vietnamese group Viettel, to the development of Timor Leste's telecom industry, he pledged to resolve difficulties for foreign investors, including Viettel. The two Prime Ministers affirmed that they would continue to support each other and coordinate effectively in regional and international multilateral forums PM Chinh invited his Timor Leste counterpart to visit Viet Nam and the latter accepted the invitation with pleasure. VNA/VNS HAVANA Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Thanh Tung has visited Santiago de Cuba province, regarded as the cradle of the Cuban Revolution. "Vietnamese people always remember Cuban leader Fidel Castros saying 'For Viet Nam, Cuba is willing to shed its blood', Tung said, affirming Viet Nam's solidarity with the Caribbean nation. While in Santiago de Cuba, Tung and his entourage laid wreaths at the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery in tribute to Cuban national heroes and revolutionary leaders. Secretary of the Party Committee of Santiago de Cuba province Jose Ramon Monteagudo Ruiz and Governor Beatriz Johnson Urrutia joined the Vietnamese delegation at the ceremony. At a meeting with local leaders, Tung stressed that his visit took place in the context that Viet Nam and Cuba were organising a range of activities marking milestones in their relations. Fifty years ago, Fidel made his first visit to Viet Nam from September 12-17, 1973. He was the first and only foreign leader to visit the southern liberation area of Viet Nam when the war was ongoing. This year also marks the 60th founding anniversary of the Cuban Committee for Solidarity with South Viet Nam. The host leaders expressed their wish to learn more about Viet Nam's socio-economic development model, and that more and more Vietnamese businesses would operate there. Tung also paid tribute to Cuban heroes and martyrs at the Mausoleum for the Heroes and Martyrs of the Second Eastern Front Frank Pais Garcia, and visited the Vietnam-Cuba friendship school, and the July 26 Museum, the former Moncada Barracks. VNS HCM CITY - Teachers and students at HCM Citys School for Disabled Children are touched by the kindness of Vietnamese and Korean university students and Korean apparel export company Hansae Co., Ltd., highlighting the importance of the multifaceted cooperation between Viet Nam and Korea. Hansae Yes24 Foundation has been organising volunteer groups consisting of Korean university students and people majoring in Korean language in Viet Nam, who spend time with disabled students at the school in Cu Chi District and paint murals for 10 days every year. Principal of the school, Ho Thi Rot, expressed her gratitude to Hansae in an interview with Koreas Yonhap News Agency and the Vietnam News Agency in late August for sincerely reaching out to students with disabilities. Hansae has also been donating educational equipment such as TVs, PCs and speakers to the school since 2010. The nine classrooms at the school are used to teach subjects such as Vietnamese, music and mathematics to 100 students aged six to 18 with disabilities such as deafness, autism, developmental disabilities, and Down syndrome. We are receiving government support, but it is not enough, and it is not easy to operate because there are many students who have been abandoned by their parents, Rot said. The sincerity and actions of Hansae University student volunteer groups are touching the hearts of teachers and students, and help boost their confidence. I was especially touched by the way the Korean university students happily get along with the students without any hint of discrimination. Despite the language barrier, our students really like playing with the Hansae volunteer groups. Hansae has helped our students go one step further, and I hope that our partnership with the volunteer groups will continue in future. Hansae, founded by its chairman, Kim Dong Nyeong, in 1982, established Hansae Vietnam Co., Ltd., in Cu Chi in 2001 and two more in Tay Ninh Provinces Trang Bang Town and Tien Giangs Chau Thanh District. The company has also been expanding its business in Viet Nam, establishing offices in Ha Noi, a Nang and Can Tho cities and Thanh Hoa Province. It has also acquired C&T Vina, a fabric manufacturing plant. The company is focused on its social responsibility, which also showcases the positive results of Korea-Viet Nam co-operation and the existence of Korean businesses in Viet Nam. Since 2004 the companys factories have been providing scholarships to local elementary, middle and high school students, and since 2017 have been donating 10,000 books to 100 elementary schools every year. According to Shin Soo Chul, the companys country managing director, since 2010 Hansae has been promoting cultural exchanges between Korea and Viet Nam through its University Student Overseas Volunteer programme besides providing various kinds of support to help develop the community, such as by sponsoring music festivals and building houses. The reason why our clothing manufacturing company is attempting various activities such as donating books to schools and sponsoring music events is to achieve a win-win result with local residents rather than simply achieving success in our business. We put a high value on diversity, equity and inclusion, and based on this we have shown our interest in various social issues. Tran Long Thuan, who joined the company after graduating from university with tuition support from Hansae and is in charge of corporate social responsibility (CSR), said: Being trusted by the company to oversee CSR, I always try my best and make as many contributions as possible to not only bring benefits to Hansae Vietnam but also local communities. Korea and Viet Nam celebrated the 30th anniversary of their establishment of diplomatic relations in December last year, officially elevating their relations to the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Economic cooperation between the two countries has expanded dramatically due to the combined efforts of South Korean businesses and Vietnamese workers. - VNS HA NOI More than 22 million students at all levels nationwide started a new school year on Tuesday with focus on educational reform. This is the fourth academic year that the education sector has implemented a fundamental and comprehensive renovation of education at the high school and university levels. State President Vo Van Thuong beat the drum to kick off a new school year at the Ethnic Boarding School in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai. He asked the provinces education sector to focus on curriculum reform and develop the network of boarding, day boarding schools for ethnic minorities, as well as eliminate illiteracy for ethnic minority people living in remote areas. The State President emphasised the important significance of establishing a system of boarding schools for ethnic minorities and attaching importance to education for ethnic minority children. For ethnic minority children living in remote areas, education and training is the best way out of poverty, according to the President. Performing education and training tasks also contributes to creating a foundation for maintaining political security, social order and safety in the area; at the same time creating human resources for the political system, assisting socio-economic development in mountainous, remote and isolated areas. "Every student here has a unique and creative personality. The teacher's task is to develop that unique and creative personality inside each student, so that every one of them can discover their true abilities, talents and goals in life to strive and practise," the President said. President Thuong also sent a message to all educators and students nationwide on the new academic year 2023-24, reminding students of all grades across the country to consider learning an important lifelong mission. In the message, the leader says the Party and State always prioritise education as the top national policy, and the shared responsibility of schools, families, and society, stressing the need for the country to have a high-quality education system. Investment for education is that in sustainable development, he says, expressing his hope that educators will continue to hold onto their passion and dedication for their profession. His message calls for joint efforts of the entire society and the education sector to take even better care of the education cause through timely and appropriate policies, towards developing a truly healthy and safe educational environment so that teachers and students can maximise their creativeness, thus making important contributions to the successful implementation of comprehensive educational reforms in the country. Also on Tuesday morning, National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue joined the teachers and students at the Vietnamese-Lao T78 Friendship School in Ha Noi for its ceremony to launch the 2023-24 academic year. The Vietnamese-Lao T78 Friendship School, founded in 1958, was the first boarding school to teach Vietnamese to Lao students in Viet Nam. So far, the school has provided training for over 2,700 Lao students, many of them have held important leadership positions of the Lao Party and State from the central to local levels. Hue hailed the schools achievements in recruiting and training high-quality teaching staff and enhancing the Vietnamese-Lao friendship. Hue expressed his belief that the T78 Friendship School would truly be worthy of being a prestigious school for training Lao students, contributing to the realisation of ethnic policies in education - training and consolidating the special friendship between Viet Nam and Laos. VNS BALI Experts have called on the Asia-Pacific region to embrace artificial intelligence to combat cyber threats. Speaking at a conference in Bali, Indonesia, at the end of last month, Adrian Hia, managing director for Asia Pacific, Kaspersky, a global cybersecurity firm, said: AI has emerged as a powerful tool in the field of cybersecurity and beyond. The Asia-Pacific region is at the forefront of the AI revolution. Several research studies have predicted that the Asia-Pacific region will be the fastest-growing market for AI globally. A report by Allied Market Research has forecast a compounded annual growth rate of 41 per cent for the region by 2030, higher than the global rate of 38 per cent. According to a recent report by US-based market intelligence firm International Data Corporation (IDC), AI spending in the region is expected to double to US$18.6 billion by 2026. Enterprises in the region are also set to embed AI across various business technology categories within the next three years to boost efficiencies and reduce dependency on technical skills. China, Australia and India are the current leaders in AI spending across the region, with more countries expected to follow suit, according to the report. According to a recent report by IDC, some 65 per cent of Asia-Pacific organisations will embed AI across business technology categories by 2026, using AI to improve outcomes without reliance on technical talent. About 75 per cent of large Asia-Pacific organisations will use AI-infused processes to boost asset efficiency, streamline supply chains and improve product quality by 2026, it said. While the regions potential for growth in AI is significant, organisations must develop secure roadmaps to ensure the adoption of AI while prioritising cybersecurity, he added. Cyber threats Noushin Shabab, senior security researcher for the Asia Pacific Global Research and Analysis Team, said while AI had proven to be a powerful tool in various fields, including cybersecurity, it could also be exploited by cybercriminals for advanced persistent threat (APT) attacks. AI can assist cybercriminals in various stages of a sophisticated cyberattack, from reconnaissance to data exfiltration. The increasing use of AI by cybercriminals poses a significant challenge as they utilise machine learning and AI to develop APT attacks, she said. To defend against AI-assisted APT attacks, she recommended implementing advanced security solutions that monitor user and system behaviours. Regularly updating software, providing employees training in cybersecurity best practices, and enforcing multi-factor authentication for critical systems and applications are also important steps. According to a Kaspersky report, Viet Nam suffered from the third highest incidence of cyberattacks in Southeast Asia last year after only Indonesia and Thailand. The threats included online scams and cryptocurrency thefts. The company detects an average of 400,000 new malicious attacks in the region every day. The conference was organised by Kaspersky. The Russian firm, founded in 1997, has signed agreements with various countries in the region, including Viet Nam, to help protect against cyber threats. VNS The academic realm is a world of intellectual exploration, creativity, and the never-ending pursuit of knowledge. However, it can also pose significant challenges, especially for those who are required to express their ideas and discoveries in a second language. This is the case for Vietnamese students studying abroad, who face the daunting task of writing research papers in English. This article will discuss the challenges encountered by these students, the significance of English language support, and why https://onlineresearchpaperwriter.com/custom-research-papers/ matter from a global perspective. It will also share some inspiring success stories of Vietnamese students who have overcome these challenges. The Challenges of Writing Research Papers in a Second Language The process of writing a research paper is a complex task even for native English speakers. For Vietnamese students, the difficulty is compounded by language barriers and cultural differences. These students are required to understand, analyze, and articulate complex ideas in a language they are still mastering. They must also navigate the conventions of academic English writing, which can differ significantly from their native Vietnamese. Moreover, the difficulties extend beyond language proficiency. Vietnamese students often struggle with understanding the expectations and standards of the academic culture in English-speaking countries. This includes understanding the importance of critical thinking, argumentation, and independent research concepts that are not always emphasized in Vietnamese education. These challenges can result in self-doubt, anxiety, and a sense of isolation among Vietnamese students. They may feel overwhelmed by the task at hand and unsure of their ability to succeed. This emotional toll can have a detrimental impact on their academic performance and overall wellbeing. How English Language Support Can Empower Vietnamese Students Despite these challenges, there is a ray of hope. With appropriate English language support, Vietnamese students can not only overcome these difficulties but also thrive in their academic pursuits. This support can come in various forms, such as tutoring, language workshops, and online resources. Tutoring can provide personalized support, helping students to improve their language skills and understand the conventions of academic English writing. Language workshops, on the other hand, can offer a more structured approach, focusing on specific areas such as grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure. Online resources, meanwhile, can provide flexible, accessible support. These resources can include online courses, language learning apps, and academic writing guides. They allow students to learn at their own pace and revisit material as needed, which can be particularly useful for complex topics. The impact of this support can be profound. It can boost students' confidence, enhance their language skills, and equip them with the tools they need to excel in their academic work. It can also foster a sense of belonging, helping them to feel more integrated into their academic community. Global Perspectives: Why English Papers Matter English is often referred to as the 'global language' a medium of communication that transcends national borders and cultural divides. As such, English research papers hold significant value from a global perspective. Firstly, they enable Vietnamese students to contribute to the global body of knowledge. By writing in English, these students can share their insights and discoveries with a wider audience, enhancing the diversity and richness of academic discourse. Secondly, English papers can enhance students' career prospects. In today's globalized world, English proficiency is highly valued by employers across various industries. By demonstrating their ability to articulate complex ideas in English, Vietnamese students can showcase a highly sought-after skill. Lastly, English papers can facilitate intercultural understanding. They allow Vietnamese students to engage with different perspectives and ideas, fostering a sense of global citizenship. This can help to break down cultural barriers and promote mutual understanding and respect. Case Studies: Success Stories of Vietnamese Students Despite the challenges, many Vietnamese students have successfully navigated the world of English academic writing. Their stories serve as a testament to the power of resilience, determination, and the right support. One such student is Linh, who studied Environmental Science in Australia. Despite initially struggling with her English research papers, she sought help from a tutor and attended language workshops. With time, she not only improved her English skills but also developed a passion for academic writing. Her research paper on climate change adaptation strategies in Vietnam was published in a reputable journal, and she now works as a policy analyst in her field. Another success story is that of An, a Business student in the UK. An used online resources to improve his English skills and understand the conventions of academic writing. His efforts paid off when his research paper on emerging markets was recognized for its insightful analysis and clear, concise writing. An now works for a multinational corporation, where his English skills are highly valued. These stories illustrate the transformative power of English language support. They show that with the right tools and determination, Vietnamese students can overcome language barriers, excel in their academic work, and make valuable contributions to their field. In conclusion, the challenges faced by Vietnamese students in writing English research papers are significant but not insurmountable. With the right support, these students can not only overcome these challenges but also use them as stepping stones towards academic success and personal growth. Let us continue to empower these students, recognizing their potential and supporting their journey towards becoming global scholars and professionals. As globalization continues to expand, the number of Vietnamese students studying abroad has substantially increased. However, with this new opportunity comes new challenges. While these students are eager to advance their academic pursuits, language barriers and cultural differences often pose significant hurdles. This is where English assignment help comes in, offering customized support and fostering a sense of community. The Challenges of Studying Abroad for Vietnamese Students Studying abroad presents a unique set of challenges for Vietnamese students. First and foremost, the language barrier is a considerable obstacle. While many students have studied English in their home country, immersing oneself in an English-speaking environment can still be intimidating. Beyond daily communication, academic requirements in English can be particularly taxing, as they require a deep understanding of the language and its nuances. Cultural differences are another significant challenge. For many Vietnamese students, studying abroad is their first exposure to a completely different culture. Adjusting to new societal norms, food, and even weather can be a struggle. Furthermore, the lack of a familiar support system can lead to feelings of isolation and homesickness. Lastly, academic expectations can differ greatly. The education system in Vietnam is often more structured and teacher-centered than in Western countries. Adjusting to a more student-centered approach, where independent thinking and critical analysis are encouraged, can be a difficult transition. How English Assignment Help Can Bridge the Language Gap To overcome these challenges, English assignment help has emerged as an invaluable resource. Services like Custom Assignment Writers offer specialized academic support to Vietnamese students studying abroad. They provide assistance with various types of assignments, from essays and reports to research papers and dissertations. These services are particularly beneficial in bridging the language gap. With qualified writers who are native English speakers, they can provide guidance in grammar, vocabulary, and academic writing conventions. They can also offer proofreading and editing services, ensuring that assignments are error-free and meet the required academic standards. Additionally, English assignment help can provide much-needed relief to students overwhelmed by their academic workload. By assisting with assignment preparation, they free up time for students to focus on other areas of their studies, reducing stress and improving overall academic performance. Customized Support for Students in Different Fields One of the notable features of English assignment help is the personalized support it offers. No matter what field of study a student is pursuing, be it engineering, medicine, business, arts, or humanities, there is a specialist ready to provide tailored assistance. For instance, a student in engineering might struggle with technical writing. A qualified writer with an engineering background can guide them through the process, helping them grasp the complex concepts and translate them into well-structured, comprehensible prose. Similarly, a student studying art might need help analyzing a piece of artwork, and a writer with a background in art history can provide valuable insights. Moreover, customized support goes beyond just academic fields. English assignment help understands that each student is unique, with different learning styles and academic strengths. Therefore, they customize their services to suit each student's specific needs, ensuring that they receive the most effective support possible. Networking and Community: Finding Academic Support Overseas Beyond the academic support, English assignment help also plays a crucial role in fostering a sense of community among Vietnamese students studying abroad. Through online platforms, students can connect with others who share similar experiences and challenges. This networking opportunity can reduce feelings of isolation, providing emotional support and a sense of belonging. Moreover, many English assignment help services host online forums where students can ask questions, share resources, and discuss academic concerns. These interactive platforms not only facilitate learning but also encourage peer support. By sharing their experiences and strategies, students can learn from each other, further enhancing their academic performance. In conclusion, studying abroad presents numerous challenges for Vietnamese students. However, with the right support, these hurdles can be overcome. English assignment help, such as https://customassignmentwriters.com/assignment-writing-service/, offers a lifeline to these students, providing customized academic support and fostering a supportive community. With such resources, Vietnamese students can make the most of their overseas study experience and achieve academic success. The world's leading travel consulting magazine, Lonely Planet, has just voted the 10 most beautiful destinations in Vietnam that tourists should not miss. Starting at the northern border, you will travel through 1,650 kilometers of emerald landscapes, "gilded" beaches and bustling cities before reaching your final destination in the south of Vietnam. The laid-back beaches of the tropical Phu Quoc are an alternative to the vibrant Ho Chi Minh City or the ancient Hanoi. Choosing which destinations to explore in Vietnam is not easy, so Lonely Planet has created the following list (in order from 1 - 10) for tourists to have a more general overview. Also read: Top 10 most beautiful tourist destinations to come in May Introduction of tourist attractions in Vietnam | Top 10 most beautiful famous tourist destinations in Vietnam 2021 Beach enthusiasts travel to Phu Quoc Island to "pray". Surrounded by turquoise waters and soft-sand beaches, this is the place to slow down and enjoy a cocktail as the ember-colored sun sets into the bay. This place is also crowded with local tourists who come to enjoy the thrills in the VinWonders amusement park and watch the breathtaking view of the sea from the world's longest sea-crossing cable car. Every trip has to start somewhere, and the ideal destination for those coming to Vietnam for the first time is the capital, Hanoi. Developed infrastructure, affordable accommodation, world-class cuisine and rich history await visitors to explore. You can also easily go to Ha Long or the Northwest mountains from Hanoi. But first, give yourself time to peruse the menu of Vietnamese street food and soak up the cozy atmosphere in the cafes in the old town. 3. Lan Ha Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay While trips to Ha Long Bay are highly commercialized, with luxury motorized yachts blowing smoke around eroded limestone islands, Lan Ha Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay make tourists more comfortable because there are few cruise ships. Try kayaking among the rocky outcrops, explore tropical trails on Cat Ba Island - the gateway to Lan Ha Bay - or relax on the sand on Bai Tu Long's idyllic Co To Island. 4. Ho Chi Minh City The country's busiest city is frantic and fun, especially at night, when the sidewalks transform into a giant restaurants with mobile buffets of street food stalls and bars. In addition, the most popular places for tourists are the War Remnants Museum or the streets with remaining ancient French architecture. 5. Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park The top natural tourist attraction in Vietnam is Son Doong Cave, the world's largest cave by volume and a true wonder of humankind. However, this huge cave is only accessible on guided tours. In addition, trips to Tu Lan, Phong Nha, Thien Duong or En Cave can be cheaper. 6. Hoi An It was once one of Asia's most important trading ports, and merchants from as far away as Japan, Spain and North America gathered. Today, Hoi An is crowded with tourists, and many international tourists stay for a long time because this place has a lot of interesting things to explore. 7. Central beaches The Central Coast stretches endlessly with hundreds of beautiful beaches. Tourists flock to Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Mui Ne, but for a quieter experience, head to the coast between Hue and Da Nang-Thuan An, your gateway to a string of sandy beaches and serenity. 8. Hue Hue was the old capital of the Nguyen Dynasty in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today's visitors to Hue choose to explore the ancient citadel with its palaces, mausoleums, and temples. However, take your time to enjoy Hue's royal cuisine - said to be the best in the country, or try a bowl of spicy Hue beef noodle soup or a crispy potato cake, and you will see that what we say is correct. 9. Ba Be National Park Vietnam has over 30 national parks, covering everything from coastal swamps to mountain forests. Beautiful Ba Be National Park, where the trails weave between the limestone peaks to the villages of the Mong, Tay and Dao people. Boat excursions and kayaking across a serene lake surrounded by mountains, the scene resembles a medieval woodcut. 10. Ha Giang Ha Giang is blessed with a long-standing culture dating back to the Dong Son Bronze Age, with prehistoric relics in Bac Me and Meo Vac. This is also a province where many ethnic minorities in the Northeast region live, with 22 ethnic groups with many customs, traditional cultures and lively festivals that have made Ha Giang an attractive place for tourists come to visit. Read more: Top 10 beautiful tourist destinations in Vietnam in the fall Located about 60 km southwest of Quang Ngai city center, the Bui Hui steppe possesses unspoiled beauty amidst majestic mountains and forests at an altitude of more than 700m above sea level. From the city center, visitors have to go to the center of Ba To district and then go about 10km, cross the winding road to Bui Hui steppe. Through the concrete road, you will step into the Bui Hui steppe in Ba Trang commune, Ba To district (Quang Ngai). The recent rains have made the vast grasslands here greener and smoother. Young green grass hills are high in early autumn under the blue sky. Heaven - one-colored grass stretches endlessly. Standing on the top of a grassy hill in the middle of the sky, you can touch the blue sky with your hand, just like a European landscape. Also read: Thien An Temple in Quang Ngai the ideal destination for tranquility, beautiful scenery In this vast area of high hills, no single tree family is in sight. Far away at the edge of the Bui Hui steppe are a few rows of bushes just slightly taller than a person's head. Below the grassy hill, the terraced fields of the Hre people turn golden in the sunlight, shimmering indescribably. The steppe is dozens of hectares wide and the weather here is cool all year round. Especially the weather at night is often chilly, like in Da Lat or Sapa. Visitors are overwhelmed by the smooth green grasslands stretching far away when coming here. This is where the most natural myrtle trees grow in Quang Ngai province. At the end of March, sim on the Bui Hui steppe blooms in a very romantic purple color. The sim flower season in the Bui Hui steppe lasts over a month. During that time, the purple color of sim flowers always stood out on the green grass, creating an extremely poetic scene suitable for camping and playing overnight. Sim on the steppe is protected and cared for by people to harvest fruit. When myrtle is ripe in May, people pick it and sell it. But Bui Hui's specialties are grass hills, purple sim hills, and guava hills, which are decades old and rare to find anywhere else. This is a wild guava, cared for by the people, without cutting branches or roots, just growing. By the third lunar month, ripe guavas are fragrant throughout the area; the fruits are as big as the tip of a thumb, hanging all over the tree branches. The scent of guava carries on the wind, and birds everywhere come to eat the fruit and chirp all day long, making Bui Hui even more interesting and attractive. The scenic Bui Hui steppe of Quang Ngai province is still quite new to tourists. Recently, many people have come to the steppe for picnics and camping, so this place has become more widely known. On weekends or holidays, Tet, many clubs and groups of friends come to the grasslands for cultural exchanges. In addition, coming here, you can explore the culture of the H're community in the Ba To district. Among them, the three gong performing art form of the H're people has been recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Visitors will have the experience of enjoying the unique gong sounds of their compatriots. Coming to Bui Hui steppe, visitors can enjoy grilled buffalo meat, chicken, and mountain frogs with a variety of forest vegetables and join the local people to weave traditional brocade, exchange dance, sing H'choi (Ka choi) and Ta teu (Ka leu), Brooc to be able to feel the unique culture of the H're people in the mountains of Quang Ngai province. Also read: 5 beautiful campsites near Hanoi for the holidays 17 most beautiful campsites in VIETNAM How do you assess the food safety culture in Vietnam? Brian G. Bedard, director of Food Safety and Animal Health at Alinea International Food safety culture is a reflection of the prevailing, relatively constant, learned, shared attitudes, values, and beliefs contributing to the hygiene behaviours used in handling food whether in a food establishment or at home associated with best practices and personal hygiene. The awareness and attention of everyone involved in the process of food is the key to reducing food safety issues. The culture in Vietnam is in the initial stages of the progression towards maturity of the food safety management systems at all levels of the value chain that can be reliably certified. Adoption of a food safety culture is contingent upon individual behaviour change which is difficult to achieve and, in some companies, full maturity takes 3-5 years. In Vietnam, food safety is a major public health issue, despite the increase in productivity and quality of agri-food products. Most of the food is sold through high-risk wholesale markets and local, informal/wet markets, where smallholder farmers may not pay enough attention to on-farm food safety standards, such as pesticide use and clean water. Consumers in Vietnam do not trust the claims of safe food products without reliable and transparent traceability systems. A strong and trustworthy food safety system needs to have both traceability, transparency, and credible labelling so that consumers can believe and verify that their food is safe. The government has paid more attention to food safety issues, relating to the food safety law of 2011 and the national strategy on food safety over the past decade or so. The Safe Food for Growth project (SAFEGRO) is the result of a direct request from the government for Canadian assistance to develop and strengthen Vietnams food safety. SAFEGRO with financial support from Global Affair Canada is implemented by Alinea International in partnership with the University of Guelph, and is partnered with the agriculture, industry, and health ministries in Vietnam. It assists in developing and enforcing scientific and risk-based food safety regulations, while at the same time aiming towards raising consumers awareness of food safety, promoting increased demand for safe and affordable agri-food in Vietnam, and advocating gender mainstreaming throughout its programming. What is Canadas standing in the world in terms of food safety? The global food safety index indicates there is a broad range of food safety management around the globe. Canada has been rated by the index as having one of the leading food safety approaches when compared to others. Canada has adopted an integrated risk-based safety system through which a unified single agency oversees food safety management systems for producers and food business operators, and monitors the preventative efforts to reduce risks. How is this area improved upon elsewhere around the world? Other countries have shown that food safety culture can be effectively promoted among food operators in retail and manufacturing using proven methodologies. This approach is also being extended to food safety culture among regulators. However, adopting a food safety culture in food manufacturing can take a long time and require significant investments. Food safety is not a competitive advantage among the international food industry players, but it can bring benefits to their brand recognition and reduce rejections for meeting international standards and accessing export markets for agri-food businesses that aim to sell abroad. Many countries that score high on the food safety index use a risk-based preventative approach to reduce food safety hazards at the most critical points. Having a single agency responsible for food safety, instead of multiple agencies or ministries, can also improve efficiency and reduce risks. A good practice to improve food safety is to have a robust communication strategy, especially for schools and young people, and consumers for food preparation. This strategy should include how to handle and prepare food safely at home, following these steps: separate raw and cooked food, clean utensils and surfaces, cook food thoroughly, chill food promptly, and use clean water. Within SAFEGRO, we are exploring the critical behavioural changes required to accelerate food safety culture practices in wholesale and retail markets, among cooperatives, and at the farm level. What are your recommendations for Vietnam? Food safety culture should be promoted for all businesses and organisations in Vietnam. The country could improve its food safety policy and regulatory framework to better align with international best practices. Priority should be given to developing a code of conduct and practice guidelines for building a food safety culture at all levels. Consideration should be given to investing in a comprehensive strategy for education, communication, and creating a food safety culture through annual specialised campaigns on education and communication associated with food safety culture. Private education not plagued by food safety violations Food safety violations akin to the one reported at Vietnam Australia International School (VAS) in Ho Chi Minh City are a grave disappointment for parents but do not represent the entire private education system. PM calls for more positive changes in food safety in 2020 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has called for more positive changes in ensuring food safety in 2020 while chairing a teleconference on food safety on January 11. Tech giants, Apple and Microsoft, want their respective flagship services such as iMessage and Bing to be out of the European Union's (EU) gatekeeper list. Read Also: Google Announces EU-Centered Policy Changes in Light of DSA EU to Regulate Services The EU legislation is keen to regulate services from big tech companies such as Apple and Microsoft. The regulation is in accordance with the Digital Markets Act which will require companies to share data, link their competitors, and make their services interoperable with other apps. Report showed that the EU is set to publish the list of "gatekeeper" companies and services on September 6. Previously, seven tech companies have officially acknowledged that they fit the criteria and will be subjected to the list. The list includes: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, Microsoft, and Samsung. According to EU, companies who have a market capitalization more than 75 billion ($82 billion) and have 45 million active monthly users for apps in the EU region should be regulated. Apple, Microsoft Battle for Their Services Apple argued that iMessage should not be included in the list as the app is not popular enough to be a gatekeeper service. On the other hand, Microsoft argued that Bing is only used by a small percentage compare to its other search engine competitors such as Google. Apple is reportedly working on various way to open iOS to third-party app stores. For other companies, once they are listed by EU, they will be given until six months or until March 2024 to comply with the Digital Markets Act's rules. Related Article: Meta to Consider Paid Ad-Free Facebook, Instagram in Europe Every strategic step related to Giza Group's business expansion plan aims to create a proactive and sustainable industrial ecosystem. Giza has developed three reciprocal business segments in Giza E&C, BSM Holdings, and Haast Industry. Giza E&C is a renowned industrial contractor in Vietnam that implements projects across the country in a range of fields such as electronics, precision engineering, mechanical engineering, textiles, textile dyeing, and animal feed. With a team full of skilled and experienced personnel, Giza E&C provides a full package of design and construction services to increase efficiency and save on costs. BSM Holdings, an industrial and urban real estate developer, currently owns available land of nearly 300 hectares in key industrial provinces. The group's board of directors orients BSM's development under the green industrial park model, with professional services and complete infrastructure that fully meet the utility needs of secondary investors. HAAST Industry's factory has a total area of approximately 40,000 square metres following two construction phases. With a total investment of nearly $50 million, the factory owns modern facilities from top brands and overseen by a Japanese-standard management system. HAAST accompanies customers from idea to reality, actively researching and developing products and building and managing supply chains to become a high-quality original product developer and manufacturer, ready to cooperate with the world's leading brands. These three reciprocal business areas have helped Giza Group create success for itself and its investors in a fiercely competitive market. BSM develops infrastructure, expands industrial land, and prepares facilities for investors, while Giza E&C deploys, designs, and constructs factories swiftly and optimally. HAASTs business development plan moves forward thanks to the proactive support of the other two member companies. This distinctive group ecosystem delivers a comprehensive and effective solution that shortens project implementation time for investors, thereby increasing the competitiveness of Vietnamese businesses in the global supply chain. During a decade of dedication and devotion, Giza Group was honoured to be recognised by prestigious organisations as: Top 500 largest enterprises in Vietnam for several consecutive years. Top 500 fastest-growing companies in Vietnam. Top 10 Impressive Growth Brands Vietnamese Excellent Brand Assisting local groups with aspiration to reach higher Several domestic groups are transferring their operations to supporting industries in conjunction with the shifting of foreign investors to Vietnam. Ngo Huu Tiep, chairman of Haast Industry Vietnam, a subsidiary of Giza E&C, told VIRs Nguyen Oanh about the challenges of such a transition, and proposals to create leverages to foster domestic supporting industries. Low localisation rate hindering progress A stronger supporting industry and focus on boosting localisation rates is deemed a prerequisite to help brands increase production and also reduce costs. Imminent sandbox to offer boost for fintech environment, illustration photo/ Source: freepik.com According to a newly released fintech funding report by market analysis platform Tracxn Technologies, the aggregate H1 funding for fintech in Vietnam dwindled to $6.2 million from the prior years $17.9 million. Likewise, the collective funding into Vietnamese tech startups plummeted by 82 per cent to reach $66 million in H1, a notable downturn from the $372 million recorded in 2022. This decline is primarily attributable to the persistent repercussions of the funding winter and the prevailing global economic uncertainties, Tracxn said. The dearth of late-stage funding further contributed to this downturn, as the fintech sector in Vietnam observed no such funding events throughout 2022 and 2023 so far. Within the funding rounds that did transpire, early-stage investments constituted the majority, contributing an aggregate of $5.1 million to the total funding in the opening half of 2023, Tracxn said. Nonetheless, this sum signifies a significant decline of 97 per cent in comparison to the substantial amount of $195 million secured during H1 the preceding year. Prominent backers who with substantial influence in shaping the local fintech landscape throughout the past two years were Integra Partners, Genting Ventures, CIE IIITH, Y Combinator, and WeFounder Circle. Among these, the latter trio held crucial roles in seed-stage investments, whereas Integra Partners and Genting Ventures have prominently positioned themselves as investors of note in early-stage funding. Meanwhile, in July, GIMO, a startup specialising in adaptable salary solutions in Vietnam, announced the successful completion of Series A funding, amassing a total capital infusion of over $17.1 million. The deal was spearheaded by the TNB Aura Venture Capital Fund, alongside active engagement from GIMOs existing investors such as Integra Partners, Resolution Ventures, Blauwpark Partners, ThinkZone Ventures, and Y Combinator. Currently, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) is gearing up to unveil a sandbox regulatory framework for the banking sector, a culmination of nearly two years of intensive groundwork. This move is forecasted to be a catalyst for Vietnams fintech landscape, ensuring robust growth and innovation. Pham Anh Tuan, head of the Payment Department at the SBV, said that the government had closely overseen the sandbox frameworks development. A recent directive from the Prime Ministers Office has put the central bank on a fast track, with plans to present the final proposal imminently. Should the government greenlight our proposal, were primed to release the accompanying guidelines. All facets of this framework have been rigorously prepared, Tuan said. Following the decrees formal endorsement, the SBV intends to roll out official circulars, which are projected to be operational from January 2024. Furthermore, the government is actively contributing to the expansion of the fintech sector by assuming a leadership role in the National Digital Transformation Programme. The initiative aims to accomplish notable milestones, encompassing the digitalisation of half of all banking operations, provision of digital bank accounts for half of the population, and the facilitation of 70 per cent of transactions through digital mediums. While challenges have impacted the recent funding landscape, Tracxn maintained a positive outlook for its recovery as the global economy achieves stability. The report highlighted that Vietnams economy has displayed continuous growth over the past decades, leading to a substantial surge in per capita income. The countrys economy is poised to expand at a rate of 6.3 per cent by 2023, underscoring the potential for growth not only within the fintech sector but also across numerous other industries, the company said. Fintech groups boost tie-up credentials An increasing number of foreign fintech companies are gravitating towards Vietnam, emphasising their enthusiasm through strategic alliances with local partners. The meeting between PM Pham Minh Chinh (right) and leaders of major Indonesian enterprises in Jakarta on September 4. (Photo: VNA) Jakarta Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on September 4 received leaders of major Indonesian enterprises, namely Ciputra, Traveloka and Modena, on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related meetings in Jakarta, Indonesia. Leaders of the Indonesian firms expressed their belief that the flourishing strategic partnership between the two countries will provide a solid stepping stone for both sides enterprises to expand cooperation. They perceived that Vietnam is a highly potential and attractive market for enterprises to make investment, do business, and sell high-quality goods. Budiarsa Sastrawinata, Managing Director of Ciputra, a leading conglomerate of the archipelago nation and also Chairman of the Indonesia - Vietnam Friendship Association, thanked the Vietnamese Government for supporting his groups projects in the country. He also made some investment cooperation proposals. Michael Jizhar, Executive Vice President of Modena, a big household appliance and electronics brand in Indonesia, said Vietnam is an important market, and that his enterprise is considering pouring more investment in appliance and electric vehicle production and renewable energy development here. Albert Zhang, co-founder of Traveloka, an online travel service platform, considered Vietnam as an attractive tourist destination in Southeast Asia and Asia. He also informed PM Chinh about his firms cooperation with the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and the countrys localities to promote the digital transformation of local tourism and attract international visitors. Congratulating the firms on their successful investments in Vietnam, PM Chinh called on them to further bring into play their social responsibility; help boost innovation, science - technology application, and labour productivity improvement; and actively contribute opinions to institutional building and perfection in the country. In terms of real estate, he said Vietnam is encouraging the development of housing for workers and low-income earners. The Vietnamese Government always creates the best possible conditions for investors to operate efficiently, sustainably, and profitably on the basis of harmonising interests and sharing risks among parties, the PM affirmed, adding that investors success is also Vietnams. Qantas CEO steps down early as airline falls out of favour, Source: Youtube/ Sky News Australia The 102-year-old airline has long been seen as a national champion, epitomising globetrotting Aussies' sense of adventure and embodying the "Spirit of Australia". Irish-born Joyce has been in charge for close to 15 years, often delivering bumper profits for shareholders and safeguarding the airline's dominant -- critics say monopolistic -- market position. But Qantas' reputation and Joyce's have been battered since the pandemic -- which brought job losses and soaring flight prices despite a Covid-induced multi-billion-dollar taxpayer bailout. Qantas is currently being investigated for selling 8,000 tickets for already cancelled flights, with a government watchdog seeking record penalties after receiving thousands of consumer complaints. The 57-year-old CEO had been due to step down in November, but on Monday the airline said that was being brought forward by two months. Chief financial officer Vanessa Hudson was tapped as his replacement. "In the last few weeks, the focus on Qantas and events of the past make it clear to me that the company needs to move ahead with its renewal as a priority," Joyce said in a statement. "The best thing I can do under these circumstances is to bring forward my retirement and hand over to Vanessa and the new management team now, knowing they will do an excellent job." Qantas posted an annual profit of US$1.1 billion last month, capping a major financial rebound from the Covid-19 years, when Australia virtually shuttered its borders. Under Joyce's stewardship, the airline drastically restructured to get its books in better shape -- often infuriating workers who were sacked or stood down to cut costs. Michael Kaine, the Transport Workers' Union national secretary, welcomed Joyce's departure and called on board members to also go. "Alan Joyce's departure is welcome news for workers. In fact, it's the first good decision the Qantas board has made for a very long time. "Alan Joyce is slipping into retirement two months early with a $24 (US$16) million pay packet, leaving one of the biggest messes in corporate Australia's history in his wake," he claimed. Australia's centre-left government has become embroiled in the crisis. Critics say Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's decision to reject Qatar Airway's plan for more Australia flights was about protecting Qantas profits and hurt passengers. "In Australia, we have the most open aviation market in the world, bar none," Albanese said last week, denying protectionist behaviour, while insisting aviation sector reforms were already in the pipeline. Company chairman, Richard Goyder, said Joyce "always had the best interests of Qantas front and centre", but added that "this transition comes at what is obviously a challenging time" for the carrier. "We have an important job to do in restoring the public's confidence in the kind of company we are," Goyder added. Qantas has said their shareholders will formally vote on Hudson's appointment at their annual general meeting in November. Qantas Airways at risk of troubles from subsidiary Jetstar Airways The reputation of Australia-based Qantas Airways, which owns 30 per cent of the stakes of local airline Jetstar Pacific, might be shaken as workers from its subsidiary Jetstar Airways are going on strike. Vietnam Airlines reschedules flights to Taiwan due to storm Haikui, Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Hanoi National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has made adjustments to its flight schedule to and from Taiwan (China) on September 3 and 4 due to the impact of storm Haikui. Specifically, on September 3, the airline cancelled flights VN586 from Hanoi and VN580 from Ho Chi Minh City to Kaohsiung. The departure times for flights VN578 between Hanoi and Taipei and VN570 between Ho Chi Minh City and Taipei on September 3 were rescheduled to land in Taipei after 10 hours on September 4 (local time). On September 4, the airline cancelled flights VN587 from Kaohsiung to Hanoi and VN581 from Kaohsiung to Ho Chi Minh City. Flights VN579 from Taipei to Hanoi and VN571 from Taipei to Ho Chi Minh City on the day were rescheduled to depart 4 hours later than originally planned. A representative of Vietnam Airlines said several domestic flights in Vietnam may also be affected due to the delayed aircraft arrivals. Passengers affected by these changes will be supported by the carrier in accordance with current regulations. Vietnam Airlines to adjust flight schedules over typhoon Khanun impact Flights to and from Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) operated by national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines may have their schedules changed based on the extent of the impact of typhoon Khanun to ensure safety. A Vietnam village has been developed in Bonghwa county, Gyeongsang province. (Photo source: Wikiwand) Seoul - The Government of the Republic of Korea (RoK) will provide some 200 million KRW (151,000 USD) for the development of a Vietnam village in Bonghwa county, North Gyeongsang province, in 2024. Parliamentarian Park Hyeong-soo told a press on September 4 that authorities are exerting efforts to expand the village which was initially a local project. Under the project, a Vietnamese-Korean historical-cultural experience centre was set up and a road to Baekdudaegan incubator paved, and the funding will be included in the government's 2024 budget. The village forms part of a project planned to step up cultural exchange and accelerate cooperation between Bonghwa and Vietnam in tourism, culture and education. The Korean province is home to a hall of the Ly Hoa Son (Lee Hwasan) clan, who are descendants of Ly Long Tuong, a prince of the Ly dynasty ruling Vietnam between the 11th and 13th century. After the Ly reign of the country fell to the hand of the Tran dynasty in 1225, Tuong fled to Goryeo, now the Korean Peninsular, where he and his followers received a warm welcome by local King Kojong. Goryeo was by then being threatened by the Mongol Empire. The Vietnamese prince allied with King Kojong in fighting the Mongolian aggression. The defeat of the Mongolians earned him the kings trust and respect. Tuong lived in the RoK until the day he died and became the founder of the Ly Hoa Son clan there. A musical named Ly Long Tuong will be staged in Bonghwa village on September 22 as part of the local efforts to nudge the project closer to the public. Waco police have charged a convicted sex offender with aggravated assault after he reportedly threatened multiple children with a knife. Fredrick Tyler, 41, was arrested Sunday and charged with three counts aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony; assault by contact, a Class C misdemeanor; and third-degree felony charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of a substance in a correctional facility. According to Tylers arrest affidavit, officers were dispatched to a home in the 1700 block of Columbia Street around 9:40 p.m. Sunday night in response to a domestic disturbance with a knife. When they arrived, officers observed Tyler standing on the porch, and the affidavit says he attempted to leave the scene when he saw police and was detained. Witnesses at the scene told police Tyler had gotten into a verbal argument with several people at the residence, which included children, the affidavit says. Police were also shown a video of Tyler standing over the children and screaming at them, the affidavit says. One of the witnesses told police Tyler had retrieved a kitchen knife and walked back to where the children were, the affidavit says. The witness told police he told the kids to get away from Tyler, and said Tyler pursued the children around the house while holding the knife, the affidavit says. The affidavit says half a gram of cocaine was discovered in Tylers sock when he was searched at the McLennan County Jail. The affidavit also says officers will file a report charging Tyler with failure to keep up with his sex offender registry status after the told police he had been staying at the house for six months. According to the Texas Sex Offender Registry, Tyler was convicted of indecency with a child by contact in 2000. The registry said the victim was 9 years old, and said Tyler was sentenced to five years in prison and has a lifetime sex offender status. Tyler remained jailed Tuesday on $40,000 bond. She was the eldest daughter of a celebrated Brazilian-born Southern Baptist, living in the household of Baylor University President Rufus Burleson, and her rape rocked both Baylor and Waco near the turn of the 20th century. The scandal would spark a vitriolic feud between Burleson and famed Waco writer William Cowper Brann, ending with Burleson forced out of the presidency and Brann shot down on the streets of Waco. Burleson and Brann left their names in Waco history, but largely missing is that of Antonia Teixeira, the young woman in the eye of the storm. Within two years of her assault, committed on the eve of the opening of the Texas Cotton Palace in Waco in 1894, Teixeira gave birth prematurely to a boy who soon died, witnessed her reputation smeared by Burleson and saw her charges bog down in a hung jury verdict. Then, under mysterious circumstances, she recanted her story, and two months later, her name appears in the public record for the last time: On a McLennan County marriage license along with one J.R. Cook. Antonias story, as much as can be pieced together more than a century later, lies at the heart of a new book, Remembering Antonia Teixeira: A Story of Missions, Violence, and Institutional Hypocrisy written by Baylor professors Mikeal Parsons and Joao Chaves and published by Wm. Eerdmans Publishing. Parsons holds the title of distinguished professor of religion and has extensive work in New Testament studies; while the Brazilian-born Chaves, assistant professor in the religion of the Americas. What they found was a larger tale that stretched to Brazil and touched on the roots of Southern Baptist missionary work in that country, and on apparent efforts to erase a sex scandal from history to shield an institution. The result was more sobering than uplifting for Parsons. Its a hard book and a depressing one in many ways, Parsons said, adding that the university had supported the project and helped secure grant funding. The impetus for the book came from Baylor President Linda Livingstones creation of a Commission on Historic Representations in the aftermath of the George Floyd protests of 2020. Parsons recalled a 2016 Texas Monthly article by John Nova Lomax on the Teixeira scandal and felt the incident merited a deeper look. Antonia had come to the United States and the Burleson household in 1892 with the Zachary Taylor family, who with the William Bagby family, are largely credited as the first Southern Baptist missionaries whose evangelistic and church-building efforts proved lasting ones. It was familiar territory for Chaves, author of the 2022 book The Global Mission of the Jim Crow South: Southern Baptist Missionaries and the Shaping of Latin American Evangelicalism. Still, he found surprises. Antonia was more than the poor Brazilian girl that Taylor had asked Burleson to take in and provide a Baylor education: She was the oldest daughter of Antonio Teixeira de Albuquerque, a former Roman Catholic priest who famously converted to Protestantism and became Southern Baptists first native-born evangelical leader. The senior Teixeira, an up-and-coming, seminary-educated priest, had his own sexual scandal, too: Kidnapping a 17-year-old girl Senhorinha, who later became his wife, from her parents. The public controversy led his Catholic superiors to condemn and disavow him and the loss of his ministry may have nudged him into Protestantism, Chaves said. He embraced the new faith, arguing in his writings that his study of the Scriptures had led him to abandon Catholicism. Southern Baptist missionaries and workers readily spread that testimony in their communications, while conveniently overlooking his controversial past. Antonios death in 1887 left his family struggling for resources and it may have been the Taylors desire to help that led Zachary Taylor to contact the Baylor president about Antonia. In the household of Rufus and Georgia Burleson, Antonia worked as a servant while attending classes at Baylor, although Parsons said the university at the time more closely resembled a Christian academy, with primary, preparatory (high school) and collegiate levels. In time, the family perceived her more as a servant than student. She was washing dishes in the homes kitchen one evening in early November 1894 when a familiar voice called her from outside as he had in the past. The voice belonged to Steen Morris, a brother of the Burlesons son-in-law S.L. Morris, who lived nearby, she would testify later. At the door, he urged her to drink a white fluid he had in a bottle, then pulled her outside and raped her. In later court testimony, Teixeira said she reported the attack to Mrs. Burleson, but nothing was done. A few weeks later, Morris returned and in a similar attack, raped her again. A doctors examination in April found her pregnant, which brought Burleson, S.L. Morris and Steen Morris to confront her openly. Steen denied the attack and his brother asked if a little Negro boy had made her pregnant instead, Teixeira later testified. The incidents exploded into public attention in June, when Teixeira swore an affidavit before Justice of the Peace Bayliss Earle that Morris had sexually assaulted her the November before. The preliminary hearings for a rape charge filed against Morris, covered in detail by Waco and Galveston newspapers, found Burleson casting blame on the young woman. In a Waco Morning News interview, he claimed was she was utterly untrustworthy, crazy for the boys and powerless to resist these inherent passions and vices. The case caught the attention of Waco writer and celebrated gadfly W.C. Brann, whose muckracking Iconoclast newspaper boasted a circulation of 100,000 readers around the nation. A critic of Baylor University for what he viewed as its empty religiosity, Brann found fresh fodder in the scandal and leapt to the attack. The credit of the Morris family may be preserved; Steen may escape the penitentiary; the unfortunate girl and her Baptist bastard may disappear from the face of the earth, but Baylor college will stink in the nostrils of Christendom it is damned to everlasting fame, he wrote. With Baylors reputation on the line, Burleson doubled down on smearing Teixeiras reputation. In his pamphlet The Brazilian Girl and Baylor University, a copy of which is in Baylors Texas Collection, Burleson claimed that the young woman showed the three besetting sins of Brazilians, which were lust, a want of veracity and honesty. Furthermore, he added, a former missionary to Brazil described her family as the filthiest and most depraved she ever knew. Brann, whom Parsons describes as eloquent in his vitriol, rejoined in kind: Instead of striving to bring to justice the lecherous scoundrel who dare invade the sacred precincts of Baylor and debauch a child, Dr. Burleson employed all his energy and influence to protect the man accused of the crime, he wrote. Parsons said its telling that in the months of heated discussion over Teixeira and her plight, neither Burleson and his supporters nor Brann and his referred to her by her name. Burleson said he tried to move the young woman to a reformatory in Galveston, Dallas or Fort Worth, and even the Texas State Reformatory in Gatesville, after finding out she was pregnant, but was unsuccessful. Baylor University, however, was not to blame nor should parents feel doubtful about entrusting their daughters to the school, he said. I can and do challenge any school in or out of Texas, Catholic or Protestant, to show purer brighter jewels than the daughters of Baylor University, he wrote. The case against Morris came to trial in May 1896 and ended in a hung jury, reportedly 7-5 in favor of conviction. If so, the fact that a majority of a jury of 12 white men could back a foreign-born woman of darker skin suggest the strength of her testimony, Parsons noted. A retrial was in the works when a stunning development took place two months later: Teixeira, without the presence of her attorney, swore in an affidavit that her early charge of assault against Morris was false. Soon thereafter, she appeared in Memphis, Tennessee, apparently lured there by a deceptive promise of marriage to a man she knew in Waco. A Memphis newspaper reported her staying with a Catholic charity there before quietly returning to Waco. In October 1896, Antonia Teixeiras name appears with J.R. Cooks on a McLennan County marriage license. After that, nobody knows her fate. Branns feud with Baylor continued, however, and he died two years later when he was shot in the back in downtown Waco by Tom Davis, father of a Baylor student. A dip in female enrollment at Baylor likely played a part in trustees decision in 1897 to move Burleson out of the presidency into a president emeritus status, Parsons said. For Parsons and Chaves, Teixeiras sad story illustrates how institutions sometimes protect their reputations at the cost of individuals. Betty Antunes de Oliviera, who wrote an expansive biography of Antonio Teixeira, didnt discover the daughters Baylor story until she came to the United States to do research, Chaves noted. The young Brazilian woman, too, often disappeared or was minimized in Southern Baptist histories of Brazilian missionary work and Baylor. As part of rectifying an incomplete history, the two authors presented their research on Burleson and his role in the incident to the Baylor Commission on Historic Campus Representations during its discussions. The commissions final report recommended moving Burlesons statue from its prominent location on a central campus quadrangle then bearing his name. Among the reasons for its recommendation: Issues regarding the treatment of Antonia Teixeira, a young woman entrusted to the care of the Burleson family during Rufus Burlesons presidency whose rape and the controversy surrounding the related criminal case contributed to Burlesons retirement as Baylor president in 1897. Gary Mortenson, one of the commissions three co-chairs, said the experience of grappling with issues such as racism in Baylors past showed the importance of confronting unpleasant truths thoughtfully and carefully and over a long period of time in an environment of shared trust and compassion. If people cant talk with each other, they cant come to any understanding ... It takes a lot of time and understanding and self-reflection, he said. Parsons agreed a clear look at the past, such as the reporting in Remembering Antonia Teixeira, can help guide forward actions. Its how can we learn from the past to learn for the future, he said. Trial will tell Regarding Attorney General Ken Paxtons impeachment, he should be judged based on whether the actions of which he is accused are true, and if so, removed from office. There are many other good people that could serve honorably as Texas attorney general and who can honorably further conservative ideals without abusing public office and without exhibiting moral turpitude or generally reprehensible behavior. Surely it is appropriate and necessary to require at least a minimal level of ethical and moral behavior from our public leaders, and the charges against him, if true, seem to easily require his removal from public office by the Texas Senate. Politics should have no bearing on the facts of the allegations, and politics should not influence decisions by the Senate as to whether his actions, if true, make him unsuitable to be Texas Attorney General. Ottis Foster, McGregor EVs win In a recent column in the Trib [The real problem with electric cars, Aug. 31], John Crisp asserts that electric vehicles are not effective in addressing the climate crisis. Given the urgency of switching to EVs, I must refute his claims. 1. Crisp notes that because of the large volume of CO2 released during EV manufacturing, some EVs must be driven 68,000 miles to break even on carbon emissions. Since most vehicles are driven more than 68,000 miles, Crisp has highlighted the opposite reality that lifetime greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of most EVs are lower than those of traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Confirming this, the EPAs Green Vehicle Guide states that The greenhouse gas emissions associated with an electric vehicle over its lifetime are typically lower than those from an average gasoline-powered vehicle, even when accounting for manufacturing. 2. Crisp implies that EVs must actually be dirty, because some electricity used for charging is derived from burning coal. Again, the EPA notes that EVs typically have a smaller carbon footprint than gasoline cars, even when accounting for the electricity used for charging. My review of the peer-reviewed literature supports this EPA statement. And as our electric grid contains increasing amounts of renewable energy, EVs charged from this grid become even cleaner over time while GHG emissions of ICE vehicles will not decrease. 3. Crisps observation that EVs have no tailpipe is accurate. But missing is the significance: About 53,000 annual premature deaths in the U.S. result from the tailpipe pollution of ICE vehicles, according to research in the scientific journal Atmospheric Environment published in 2013. Thus, any replacement of ICE vehicles with EVs will save lives. 4. Finally, I agree with Crisps suggestion that we need smaller homes, less air travel and less consumption of meat. But these strategies do not prevent EV adoption indeed, given the enormous challenge of the climate crisis, we need to employ all effective mitigation strategies simultaneously. Alan D. Northcutt, Waco SpaceX might be leaving YouTube for good. The popular private space company is reportedly switching to X.com (formerly Twitter) as its only media distribution tool over YouTube for its upcoming activities, removing some of its latest broadcasts from the latter platform. SpaceX previously broadcasted its activity on both video-sharing platforms even after Elon Musk bought X.com in late 2022. Going To Greener (?) Pastures SpaceX has been busy as of late. The company's YouTube viewers may have noticed by now that its recent live streams, such as its Starlink Group 6-12 launch and the splashdown of Crew-6 off the coast of Florida, are now nowhere to be found on its official YouTube channel. However, the same cannot be said for its X.com profile, which features a complete catalog of the company's past livestreams, including those removed from its YouTube channel. The removal isn't by accident if one Change.org petition is to be believed. According to the petition in question, SpaceX has reportedly decided to discontinue live streaming on YouTube, with it switching over to X.com instead. While SpaceX has yet to officially confirm the move, it is unsurprising given that Elon Musk owns X.com and SpaceX. According to Space Explored, SpaceX has been increasing its production on X.com since Musk took over in Nov. 2022, providing multiple streams of different angles of a Starlink launch out of Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Read More: Microsoft Bids Goodbye to WordPad After Almost 30 Years YouTube is not the only social media platform SpaceX is abandoning in favor of X.com. The company also has an Instagram page that it last updated a week ago, with its last post on the platform being the launch of Starlink Group 6-11 a week ago. Meanwhile, SpaceX's Flickr page hasn't had new content added to it since a few days before SpaceX's first Starship flight test in April. The company's LinkedIn profile is now almost exclusively used for recruiting purposes; the company rarely posts about its activity there as of press time. Petition Against SpaceX's Switch While SpaceX and Musk are happy to make the switch, many astronomy fans aren't. According to Liam Parry, the person who started the petition previously mentioned, SpaceX limited the accessibility and quality of the live streams it broadcasts because of its decision. He explained that X.com's age restriction policy prevents younger generations from watching their activity online, restricting their excitement and wonder about space exploration. He also mentioned that SpaceX had inadvertently excluded a significant portion of its potential audience because of its switch. Parry also stated that X.com lacks the streaming capabilities and quality that YouTube offers, forcing viewers to compromise their experience by watching streams on smaller screens. According to the petitioner, many of SpaceX's audience worldwide don't have the technical capabilities X.com requires for streaming purposes. Although SpaceX's switch from YouTube to X.com is unfortunate for those without an X.com account, astronomy, and SpaceX fans can still watch Crew-6's splashdown on NASA's YouTube channel. This avenue is due to SpaceX's partnership with the space agency via its Commercial Crew Program. Parry's petition now has 810 signatures as of press time. Related Article: NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 Safely Splashes Down on Earth JEFF REINITZ WATERLOO Police have released the identity of the man who was shot and killed in downtown Waterloo on Saturday. The deceased was identified as 45-year-old Muharrum Quan Johnson of Waterloo. Johnson was shot in the area of East Fourth and Mulberry streets around 12:51 p.m. Saturday. No arrests have been made in the homicide. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Waterloo Police Detective Division at (319) 291-4340 #3 or Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers at 855-300-TIPS. This is the third homicide in Waterloo this year. Mack Bass died of stab wounds following an altercation in the 500 block of Dawson Street in January. No arrests have been made, and the case remains under investigation On May 21, Roberta Nagy, 45, died following a stabbing at her home on Fereday Court. Her daughter, Sarah Nagy Brown, 33, was arrested for first-degree murder. Photos: Homicide, East 4th and Mulberry, Sept. 2, 2023 Waterloo Police (1) - Sept. 2, 2023 Waterloo Police (2) - Sept. 2, 2023 Waterloo Police (3) - Sept. 2, 2023 Waterloo Police (4) - Sept. 2, 2023 WATERLOO A Waterloo woman awaiting trial for ramming a vehicle in 2022 has been arrested for assaulting a second person with her vehicle. Authorities allege Keishownti Dezion Marie Holmes, 21, hit an Oelwein woman with her 2004 Pontiac Sunfire in the 700 block of Logan Avenue around 5:50 a.m. Saturday. The victim was on foot, and Holmes intentionally swerved to strike her, according to court records. The victim was pinned between the Pontiac and another vehicle. Holmes was arrested for willful injury causing bodily injury. She was also detained on a pretrial violation for her earlier arrest and bond was set at $40,000. Holmes is awaiting trial for charges from a Feb. 18, 2022, incident where she is accused of backing her Mazda 6 into another vehicle and then driving forward and hitting a second vehicle at Kwik Star on Broadway Street. She then drove off. The occupant of the second vehicle suffered serious injuries and required 22 stitches, according to court records. Watch out when you see these plates: America's worst drivers Watch out when you see these plates: America's worst drivers States With the Safest Drivers in the US CEDAR FALLS With the mayor and three councilmembers stepping down from their roles in Cedar Falls, the Nov. 7 election will bring new leadership to city government. Susan deBuhr, Dave Sires, and Simon Harding are not planning to run for another term on the City Council and neither is Mayor Rob Green. In Waverly, three of four incumbents on the City Council and the mayor wont seek re-election. In contrast, Waterloos mayor and two of three City Council incumbents have announced their intentions to run. Candidates have until Sept. 21 to file nominating petitions, but the field is already shaping up for Cedar Falls mayoral and City Council contests. Walter Burtis, 33, owner of The Brass Tap, and Danny Laudick, 34, the executive director of startup catalyst Red Cedar and formerly an economic and community development professional with Grow Cedar Valley, are vying for the citys highest elected office. Green, 47, is not running for a third term as mayor out of a desire to spend more time with his family. Previously, he had worked in information technology at the University of Northern Iowa. So far, at least one candidate has stepped forward for each of the open council positions. Chris Latta, 38, MercyOne Northeast Iowas director of behavioral health and emergency care, has announced his intentions to run for the Ward 2 seat. After 20 years representing Ward 2, deBuhr has decided to step away to spend more time with family, including her husband whos battling cancer. The 62 year old is a business owner and previously had careers in public safety and insurance. Hannah Crisman, 33, a quality assurance analyst and the College Hill Partnership board president, is running for an at-large seat on the council. Sires, 62, a business owner and lifelong resident who is stepping down from the seat cites challenges with making progress on his initiatives as the reason for not running for a second term. Aaron Hawbaker, 55, the states chief public defender in Waterloo, and Gabe Groothuis, 25, a financial adviser, are seeking the Ward 4 seat. Harding, 39, who is wrapping up his first term in the seat, cited home life and his musical instrument business as needing to occupy more of his time. Waterloo In Waterloo, Mayor Quentin Hart is so far the only person filed to run for his position. If elected, this will be the fifth term for the 52-year-old. He was first elected in 2015 after serving for eight years as the Ward 4 representative on the City Council. He is the citys first Black mayor. One of the City Council members who is a declared candidate has no challenger at this point, either. Dave Boesen, an at-large councilmember, decided to run for the Ward 2 position currently held by Jonathan Grieder. Grieder is looking to stay on the council but run for Boesens current seat. If elected to the new position, Boesen, 66, would be in his second term on the council. He previously worked with Waterloo Fire Rescue for 28 years and an additional six years with the Waterloo Police Department. Grieder would also be in his second term if he is elected to the at-large council seat. The 33 year old teaches social studies at West High School. But a competitor has already emerged. Steve Simon, 57, a businessman and founder of Eclipse Dental, has announced a campaign for the at-large seat. Current Ward 4 Councilmember Belinda Creighton-Smith has not announced whether she is running for reelection. She was elected last year after former councilmember Jerome Amos Jr. left his position early to serve in the Iowa Legislature. Waverly Waverly Mayor Adam Hoffman, 43, is not seeking a third term in office. The newly appointed Bremer County treasurer has decided he needs to dedicate more time to that new role as well as his family. City Council members Matthew Schneider and Heather Beaufore are not seeking second terms. Schneider, 48, who holds an at-large seat, is looking to devote more time to his business ventures. Beaufore, 44, represents Ward 4 and needs to spend more time with family. Her role in the pre-nursing program at the Waterloo Career Center is also becoming busier. Julie Meyers, 64, owner of Design 360, is finishing the term of a former Ward 2 councilmember who left the area. Now she is moving across town and will be seeking election to the at-large seat. Candidates have not yet stepped forward for those positions. These industries had the biggest swings in job openings #17. Information #16. Real estate and rental and leasing #15. Manufacturing #14. Mining and logging #13. Professional and business services #12. Retail trade #11. Accommodation and food services #10. State and local education #9. Wholesale trade #8. Construction #7. Health care and social assistance #6. State and local government #5. Educational services #4. Transportation, warehousing, and utilities #3. Finance and insurance #2. Federal government #1. Arts, entertainment, and recreation CEDAR FALLS Three members of the Cedar Falls Board of Education will not seek new terms in the Nov. 7 election. Five of the seven at-large board seats will be on the ballot, including the one held by Joyce Coil. She was appointed to the position last year to fill an open seat. Coil wont be running to retain the seat. Jeff Hassman and Susie Hines, both in their second terms, are the other board members who are stepping down. All Cedar Falls Community School District voters cast ballots for the at-large seats. Candidates have until Sept. 21 to file nominating petitions for all races in the municipal election. Among those are school and community college boards. Hassman, a 53-year-old entrepreneur, serves as president of the board. He said its time for other people to take the reins. Hines, a John Deere engineer, similarly wants to encourage other district residents to serve so they can understand what goes into offering public education. Coil, 66, has served for more than 25 years on the board. However, she wasnt a member last year when the board appointed her to fill the unexpired term of Brenda Fite. Fite stepped down after less than a year to move out of state, so the seat needed to be on the ballot for a vote on who would fill it during the terms last two years. Coil said she was honored to serve but wants to allow that opportunity for someone new. Besides, the former hospice development coordinator at the Allen Hospital Foundation is taking on a different role in the school system she will be working as a paraeducator. After about a decade on the board, Jenny Leeper said she will seek another term. The 54 year old is the University of Northern Iowas admissions program coordinator and serves as the board vice president. Leeper hopes to offer her historical knowledge and continue being involved as the the new high school under construction on West 27th Street opens in the fall of 2024. Nate Gruber, 43, said he is likely to seek a second term. The Waterloo West High School business and computer teacher, a former University of Dubuque instructor, wants to continue being a voice for teachers. Gruber said there is still work to be accomplished and other initiatives hed like to see through to completion. At this point, no newcomers have filed for a seat on the board. Waterloo Schools Four seats are up for election on the Board of Education in the Waterloo Community School District. That includes Director Districts 2 and 3, which will only be on the ballot for voters living in those areas, and two at-large seats. Jesse Knight, representing District 3, said he will run for reelection. At the end of his term in November, he will have been on the board for eight years. The 49 year old is an engineer for John Deere and has children in the Waterloo Schools. He wants to see the end product of the Waterloo Career Center expansion and Central Middle School remodeling project as well as results from trade classes being taught at the career center. At-large board member Stacie Mills also has announced her reelection bid but could not be reached for comment before the story went to press. First elected in 2019, Mills said during that campaign she wanted to work on issues such as equity between school buildings and hiring more paraeducators for the district. Lyle Schmitt, 76, the other at-large board member, will seek his 10th term. He has been on the board for 30 years. Hes running for reelection to provide his experience for new projects and initiatives. Among his priorities, are graduation rates. While 2000 to 2020 graduation rates increased 20 percentage points from 65% to 86% he noted they are starting to dip again. Hes hoping to see those numbers rebound. Hes also passionate about increasing math scores in hopes that students will have more success upon graduation in finding jobs and managing their money. Sue Flynn, representing District 3, hadnt yet decided if she would run for another term. Waverly-Shell Rock In the Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District, three board seats will be on the ballot. Current vice president and Director District 3 board member Alisha Jensen said she is undecided if she will run again. Director District 2 board member Aaron Booth said he is not seeking another term due to a career change. He recently retired as a Bremer County sheriffs deputy. Director District 3 board member Dennis Epley will be running for reelection. Epley, 73, has been on the board for 30 years. With Booth not running and Jensens uncertainty, he believes it will be beneficial for him to stay on the board because of new issues and projects coming up in Waverly-Shell Rock Schools. If reelected, he would like to focus on the districts preschool program. Hawkeye Community College The college went through redistricting, meaning at least two current trustees will give up their positions and six of the seats will be on the ballot. The homes of trustees Barbara McGregor of Charles City and Teresa Meyer of Waverly were placed in the new Director District 1. Louis Beck of Buckingham and Merritt Jones of Jesup are now in the new Director District 9. A retired foreign language teacher, McGregor, 72, will run for reelection. She is finishing out her first stint on the board and the expiring term of her late uncle, Ron McGregor. She was appointed to the District 1 seat in 2019 and wants to see certain initiatives through to completion. She also wants the long legacy of her familys involvement in the college to be kept alive. Meyer, currently representing Director District 2, is not seeking reelection. Beck, currently representing Director District 3, and Merritt Jones, currently representing Director District 4, were last known to be running in the new District 9, per a spokesperson. Meyer, a 65-year-old nurse, confirmed she is not running for reelection due to post-COVID-19 burnout, and instead wants to put her time toward continuing to serve as nurse because of the number of retirees in the profession. A retired high school and middle school agricultural education teacher and FFA chapter advisor, Beck, 66, told The Courier he's running for another term after being elected to his first term two years ago, and now having to run again halfway through the term due to redistricting. He's been very involved in the college in the past, including time spent as an agriculture instructor, and wants to continue helping guide the institution to bigger and better things. Jones did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Casey McLaughlin, 64, of Waterloo, is running for reelection to the new Director District 5 seat after about 15 years on the board. The financial adviser said he wanted to keep the colleges good times rolling by maintaining its status as a community gem. He cited facility upgrades and anything to do with students earning while they learn through the various internships and apprenticeships at the college to accomplish that goal. Jay Nardini, 75, of Waterloo, currently represents Director District 8 but will be running for another term in the new Director District 7 after having served three terms over 12 years. Hes retiring this year from his private law practice and is the boards chairperson. He said he likes the current direction of the college under President Todd Holcomb. Nardini plans to continue supporting the administrations dedication to increasing enrollment and the future of manufacturing through the automation and robotics center. This fall, hes taking over as chairperson of the Association of Community College Trustees. There are no incumbents in the new Director Districts 4 and 8. Editor's note: This story was updated after receiving comments from Meyer and Beck after print deadline. Photos: Iowa State football vs. Northern Iowa at Jack Trice Stadium, Sept. 2 FBall UNI vs. ISU 1 FBall UNI vs. ISU FBall UNI vs. ISU 2 FBall UNI vs. ISU 3 FBall UNI vs. ISU 4 FBall UNI vs. ISU 5 FBall UNI vs. ISU 6 FBall UNI vs. ISU 7 FBall UNI vs. ISU 8 FBall UNI vs. ISU 9 FBall UNI vs. ISU 10 FBall UNI vs. ISU 11 FBall UNI vs. ISU 13 FBall UNI vs. ISU 14 FBall UNI vs. ISU 15 FBall UNI vs. ISU 16 FBall UNI vs. ISU 17 FBall UNI vs. ISU 18 FBall UNI vs. ISU 19 FBall UNI vs. ISU 20 FBall UNI vs. ISU 21 FBall UNI vs. ISU 22 FBall UNI vs. ISU 23 FBall UNI vs. ISU 24 FBall UNI vs. ISU 25 FBall UNI vs. ISU 26 FBall UNI vs. ISU 27 WATERLOO The head of the nonprofit organization that threatened legal action against the city of Waterloo over its conversion therapy ban says he has no doubt his organization would win a lawsuit challenging the ordinance. Liberty Counsel a Florida religious liberty organization sent a letter to Waterloos city attorney and city councilmembers demanding the city repeal the ordinance, saying it violates the First Amendment. We would take them to federal court, founder and chairman Mat Staver said. The Supreme Court already indicated these kinds of laws will not survive the First Amendment. In August, the City Council repealed the ban 4-3 with councilmembers Jonathan Grieder, Nia Wilder and Belinda Creighton-Smith voting against repeal. Staver said his organization has been challenging conversion therapy bans since about 2012. Conversion therapy is defined as an attempt to change someones sexual orientation or gender identity. He noted in 2018 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled a California law that required anti-abortion centers to provide information about abortion violated the First Amendment. The same First Amendment argument governs conversion therapy bans. In 2020, Liberty Counsel represented therapists in Floridas Boca Raton and Palm Beach County to block conversion therapy ban ordinances. The judges in Florida based their decision on that 2018 ruling. Earlier this year, the city of Tampa agreed to pay Liberty Counsel almost $1 million to settle a lawsuit over a conversion therapy ban there. We saw (the Waterloo case) and were well versed in this area of the law, Staver said. The group demanded Waterloo reverse its ban because, if they didnt, they would set themselves up for significant litigation that would be costly to Waterloo and its citizens. Staver said his team was contacted by a small number of residents and a counselor who were concerned the ban violated the First Amendment and could negatively affect counseling. He did not state whether the counselor was a licensed medical professional or an individual who provided counseling through a church. When you cant provide the counseling ... then that takes rights away, he said. Whats frustrating and, frankly, dangerous is to prohibit a client from addressing the stresses in their life because of some bureaucrat passing some politically charged ordinance. Conversion therapy is opposed by many major medical organizations such as the American Medical Association. But Staver believes discrediting the practice is viewpoint discrimination. He said not allowing counselors to practice conversion therapy is the antithesis of the First Amendment. In discussions during Waterloo City Council meetings, it was stated several times that some people practicing conversion therapy use electric shock therapy on their patients or use aversion tactics while forcing patients to watch same-sex pornography. Staver said people who made those arguments are totally ignorant of what goes on in counseling. Its not even worth responding to those arguments, he said. I dont know anyone in the counseling work that does electroshock therapy or (makes patients) watch pornography. Ethical standards would prohibit counseling like that. Liberty Counsel was founded in 1989 and has litigated cases on many issues such as freedom of religion, pro-life arguments, and opposition to gay marriage. It believes sexual orientation or gender identity should not be included in hate crime legislation, certain books should not be read to children and that churches should have stayed open during the peak of COVID-19. Liberty Counsel may be best known for representing Kim Davis, a county clerk in Kentucky, who stopped issuing marriage licenses after same-sex couples could be legally married. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights, listed the organization as an LGBTQ+ hate group. Two therapists who specialize in LGBTQ+ issues attended the Waterloo council meeting and were appalled at what they heard and what the council decided. Basically, theyre protecting abusive behavior, therapist Summer Elliott said in a later interview. Therapist Chad Mohammad called the councilmembers who voted for the repeal cowards. He said the LGBTQ+ population is the most vulnerable population globally. This was the least of things that they could do, to say we stand by you, conversion therapy is bad, he said. The fact that they couldnt even stand by a performative act was disgusting. He said the council should have kept the ban despite the threat of a lawsuit. Dollars dont equal lives; lives matter more, he continued. The fact that the adults, our elders, are giving us hopelessness, that nobodys showing courage just doing the right thing, saying Hey, I stand with you. Asked why the city decided to repeal rather than face a lawsuit, Mayor Quentin Hart said his job is to keep Waterloo residents protected on all fronts, from legal ramifications as well. The City Council was faced with a challenge from an outside entity threatening legal consequences, Hart said in a statement. I know each and every one of them had a difficult time trying to decide whether to repeal the ban. Close State is attacking students' freedoms The consequences of Iowas book and gender identity bans are sweeping across the state in a tide of erasure and damnation for the students that would benefit from the recognition of their identities and crises. School districts, classrooms, and libraries are rushing to hide the truths of the world that have been deemed illegitimate. The libraries empty their shelves while the state Legislature and governor tie their nooses of legislation around the necks of queer, trans, and other minority students. The state and its children are losing their freedoms and their access to approach these truths in an effective environment. The land of the free and the home of the brave cannot be so, so long as the land is not free and those who disagree remain silent. Iowas trans children are the first in a long line of targets, and the book bans across the state demonstrate whose stories are being erased again. My profound disappointment in the passivity of the Iowan people remains second only to those of Iowa who willingly and continually place these fascist knock-offs on the fence posts they have never belonged on in the first place. Achilles Tuchel, Waterloo Climate change hoax is the new COVID Government bureaucrats have decided which light bulbs we may use, and what cars were going to drive. Environmental cultists in government are now racing full-bore to impose their fanatical ideology on middle-class Americans. They demand Biden declare a climate emergency. They may succeed. Dont forget, most Americans sheepishly submitted to virtually every mandate recommended by COVID guru Dr. Anthony Fauci. Recall the worthless obedience masks, and those perfectly safe vaccines. Health experts lied to you then. Environmental experts are lying to you now. Dr. John Clauser (2022 Nobel Prize in physics) recently stated: Misguided climate science has metastasized into shock-journalistic pseudo-science. Any declared climate emergency would trigger another COVID-like government power grab, giving unelected bureaucrats broad regulatory (politically selective?) enforcement powers. Bidens caretakers seek to use the climate scam to justify tighter government socialized control over our economy as well as our civil liberties, totally circumventing the normal democratic legislative process. Someone has posed the question: Are we citizens, or are we subjects? Americas historic battle cry Dont Tread on Me may soon be replaced by its whimpering death rattle counterpart: Almighty government, thy will be done. So will end the greatest self-governing experiment in world history. Steve Kapler, Waterloo Waterloo and Cedar Falls speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Sep. 1, 2023 Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Courier. State is attacking students' freedoms The consequences of Iowas book and gender identity bans are sweeping across the state in a tide of erasure and damnation for the students that would benefit from the recognition of their identities and crises. School districts, classrooms, and libraries are rushing to hide the truths of the world that have been deemed illegitimate. The libraries empty their shelves while the state Legislature and governor tie their nooses of legislation around the necks of queer, trans, and other minority students. The state and its children are losing their freedoms and their access to approach these truths in an effective environment. The land of the free and the home of the brave cannot be so, so long as the land is not free and those who disagree remain silent. Iowas trans children are the first in a long line of targets, and the book bans across the state demonstrate whose stories are being erased again. My profound disappointment in the passivity of the Iowan people remains second only to those of Iowa who willingly and continually place these fascist knock-offs on the fence posts they have never belonged on in the first place. Achilles Tuchel, Waterloo Climate change hoax is the new COVID Government bureaucrats have decided which light bulbs we may use, and what cars were going to drive. Environmental cultists in government are now racing full-bore to impose their fanatical ideology on middle-class Americans. They demand Biden declare a climate emergency. They may succeed. Dont forget, most Americans sheepishly submitted to virtually every mandate recommended by COVID guru Dr. Anthony Fauci. Recall the worthless obedience masks, and those perfectly safe vaccines. Health experts lied to you then. Environmental experts are lying to you now. Dr. John Clauser (2022 Nobel Prize in physics) recently stated: Misguided climate science has metastasized into shock-journalistic pseudo-science. Any declared climate emergency would trigger another COVID-like government power grab, giving unelected bureaucrats broad regulatory (politically selective?) enforcement powers. Bidens caretakers seek to use the climate scam to justify tighter government socialized control over our economy as well as our civil liberties, totally circumventing the normal democratic legislative process. Someone has posed the question: Are we citizens, or are we subjects? Americas historic battle cry Dont Tread on Me may soon be replaced by its whimpering death rattle counterpart: Almighty government, thy will be done. So will end the greatest self-governing experiment in world history. Steve Kapler, Waterloo WASHINGTON Hola, mama. What seems like an unremarkable greeting between mother and son was in this case anything but. Forty-two years ago, hospital workers took Maria Angelica Gonzalezs son from her arms right after birth and later told her he had died. Now, she was meeting him face-to-face at her home in Valdivia, Chile. I love you very much, Jimmy Lippert Thyden told his mother in Spanish as they embraced amid tears. It knocked the wind out of me. I was suffocated by the gravity of this moment, Thyden said in a video call after the reunion. How do you hug someone in a way that makes up for 42 years of hugs? His journey to find the birth family he never knew began in April after he read news stories about Chilean-born adoptees who had been reunited with their birth relatives with the help of a Chilean nonprofit Nos Buscamos. The organization found that Thyden had been born prematurely at a hospital in Santiago, Chile's capital, and placed in an incubator. Gonzalez was told to leave the hospital, but when she returned to get her baby, she was told he had died and his body had been disposed of, according to the case file. The paperwork I have for my adoption tells me I have no living relatives. And I learned in the last few months that I have a mama and I have four brothers and a sister, Thyden said in the interview from Ashburn, Virginia, where he works as a criminal defense attorney representing people who look like me who cannot afford a lawyer. He said his was a case of counterfeit adoption. Nos Buscamos estimates tens of thousands of babies were taken from Chilean families in the 1970s and 1980s, based on a report from the Investigations Police of Chile which reviewed the paper passports of Chilean children who left the country and never came back. The real story was these kids were stolen from poor families, poor women that didnt know. They didnt know how to defend themselves, said Constanza del Rio, founder and director and Nos Buscamos. The child-trafficking coincided with many other human rights violations that took place during the 17-year reign of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, who on Sept. 11, 1973, led a Chilean coup to overthrow Marxist President Salvador Allende. During the dictatorship, at least 3,095 people were killed, according to government figures, and tens of thousands more were tortured or jailed for political reasons. Over the past nine years, Nos Buscamos has orchestrated more than 450 reunions between adoptees and their birth families, del Rio said. Other nonprofit organizations are doing similar work, including Hijos y Madres del Silencio in Chile and Connecting Roots in the United States. Nos Buscamos has been partnering for two years with genealogy platform MyHeritage, which provides free at-home DNA testing kits for distribution to Chilean adoptees and suspected victims of child trafficking in Chile. Thydens DNA test confirmed that he was 100% Chilean and matched him to a first cousin who also uses the MyHeritage platform. Thyden sent the cousin his adoption papers, which included an address for his birth mother and a very common name in Chile: Maria Angelica Gonzalez. It turns out his cousin had a Maria Angelica Gonzalez on their mothers side and helped him make the connection. But Gonzalez wouldnt take his phone calls until he texted her a photo of his wife and daughters. Then just the dam broke, said Thyden, who sent more photos of the American family who adopted him, his time in the U.S. Marines, his wedding, and many other memorable life moments. I was trying to bookend 42 years of a life taken from her. Taken from us both, he said. He traveled to Chile with his wife, Johannah, and their two daughters, Ebba Joy, 8, and Betty Grace, 5, to meet his newly discovered family. Stepping into his mothers home, Thyden was greeted with 42 colorful balloons, each one signifying a year of lost time with his Chilean family. There is an empowerment in popping those balloons, empowerment in being there with your family to take inventory of all that was lost, he said. Thyden recalls his birth mothers response to hearing from him: Mijo (son) you have no idea the oceans Ive cried for you. How many nights Ive laid awake praying that God let me live long enough to learn what happened to you. Thyden said his adoptive parents are supportive of his journey to reunite with his lost relatives, but were unwitting victims of a far-reaching illegal adoption network and are wrestling with the realities of the situation. My parents wanted a family but they never wanted it like this, he said. Not at the extortion of another, the robbing of another. While Thyden was successfully reunited with his birth family, he recognizes that reunification might not go as well for other adoptees. It could have been a much worse story, he said. There are people who find out some really unfortunate details about their origin. While in Chile, Thyden and del Rio met with one of seven investigators working to address thousands of counterfeit adoption cases like his own. Thyden also met with Juan Gabriel Valdes, the Chilean ambassador to the United States, to seek government recognition of the pervasiveness of the adoption scheme. People need to be able to decide what their name is going to be, where their citizenship is going to be. They should have access to both, he said. "They should have all the rights and privileges of a Chilean citizen because this is a thing that happened to them, not that they chose. Stolen at birth: Son reunites with mom 42 years after kidnapping Shenzhen gets in tune with cultural ambitions 14:45, September 05, 2023 By WANG XU in Shenzhen, Guangdong ( China Daily A security guard plays pianos placed under escalators in Huaqiangbei. YI YANG/FOR CHINA DAILY Street piano initiative attracts players from many walks of life Yi Qunlin looked nothing like a musician when he pounded the keys of a grand piano at a newly built concert hall in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, in May. The 57-year-old forsook traditional concert attire of evening wear, opting instead to perform in a reflective safety vest and helmet. Despite his unconventional appearance, he gave a masterly performance at the piano keyboard, and has since become an internet sensation. Wu Bing, a member of the audience that day, said: "I was simply blown away by how proficient he is. He is brilliant." Yi, the first person to perform in the new concert hall at the Cultural and Art Center in Guangming district, Shenzhen, could never have imagined that one day he would play the piano at a venue he helped build as a construction worker. "Playing the piano in a concert hall is like a teenage dream come true," Yi said. His interest was triggered when pianos were placed for the public to play near subway entrances in Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei, one of the world's largest electronics markets. The instruments were positioned on a street more than 900 meters long. Yi Qunlin performs at a concert hall in Shenzhen in May. CHINA DAILY In April, video footage of Yi playing a piano in Huaqiangbei clad in a helmet and reflective vest went viral online, quickly trending on Sina Weibo and X, formerly known as Twitter. By early last month, the footage had been viewed at least 4 million times worldwide, with attention focusing not only on Yi, but also on the determination of the authorities in Shenzhen for the city to embrace a culture characterized by "openness and inclusiveness". Born in an obscure village in Huarong county, Hunan province, Yi had few opportunities to play instruments when he was young. Yet, the self-taught performer eagerly accepted any opportunity to learn and practice, as he was captivated by musical composition. At the age of 6, when most performers have already begun studying the piano at music academies, Yi learned the traditional stringed instrument the erhu from a group of people lodging at his home. It was not until much later that he first saw a piano when he visited his cousin's house in Huarong. "My family was too poor to buy a piano for me, so I often used to visit my cousin, even though it took about an hour to travel the 20 kilometers to his home over bumpy roads just for the opportunity to sit at the keyboard," Yi said. Piano is played on a street in Huaqiangbei, Shenzhen, Guangdong province. YI YANG/FOR CHINA DAILY Fresh start Yi first arrived in Shenzhen 19 years ago and worked in factories, on construction sites and in kitchens, while teaching himself to play instruments such as the harmonica, flute and saxophone in his spare time. He had not played a piano for nearly 30 years. The public pianos in Huaqiangbei offered him a fresh start. On a hot summer's day, while taking a break from work at a nearby construction site, Yi and his son passed one of the instruments. Encouraged by his son, Yi decided to give it a try. Feeling a little awkward at first, he rubbed his hands nervously on his clothes, but the moment he placed his fingers on the keys, his confidence returned. "It was like chatting with an old friend. It had been a long time since my last piano practice. I was so excited, that my heart was still beating rapidly when I returned home," Yi said. Although his success quickly made him an online sensation in China and overseas, Yi is not the only one to benefit from the pianos in Huaqiangbei. Inspired by the British artist Luke Jerram, who has placed more than 2,000 street pianos in over 70 cities worldwide since 2008 with the words "Play Me, I'm Yours" printed on their sides, the public piano project in Huaqiangbei was launched by the local government in 2018. Zhang Chen, deputy director of the Huaqiangbei subdistrict office, said: "Huaqiangbei is located in the commercial district in the center of Shenzhen. We have been trying to provide diverse facilities to bring high-quality public cultural services to the area. We are surprised that the public piano project has attracted so many people to play the instruments, and others to watch them perform." The project is also part of a bigger plan in Shenzhen to build a city culture characterized by openness and inclusiveness, which are the expectations of President Xi Jinping, Zhang said. A woman plays pianos placed under escalators in Huaqiangbei. YI YANG/FOR CHINA DAILY In June, Xi sent a congratulatory letter to the first Forum on Building up China's Cultural Strength, which was held in Shenzhen. He wrote in the letter that the Communist Party of China is committed to securing new successes in developing socialist culture. "We must fully implement the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, better shoulder new cultural missions, increase confidence in our own culture, adhere to the approach of openness and inclusiveness, uphold fundamental principles and break new ground, and inspire the cultural creativity of the whole nation," Xi wrote. Zhang said the choice of Shenzhen to host the forum showed that the central government expects the city to take the lead in promoting cultural prosperity, adding that he was impressed by the emphasis placed by Xi on openness and inclusiveness. "As grassroots civil servants, we will keep in mind the important instructions in Xi's congratulatory letter and work hard to deliver a vibrant, dynamic and thriving community that celebrates diversity, fosters social cohesion, and drives economic and cultural growth," Zhang added. Piano is played in a subway station in Huaqiangbei, Shenzhen, Guangdong province. YI YANG/FOR CHINA DAILY Group launched Eight public pianos have been positioned in Huaqiangbei, and in addition to students, they are played by people in a wide range of jobs on their way home from work. Some people come to Huaqiangbei to play the instruments, as they don't have a piano at home, while others feel they can perform in the area without any constraints. When Lu Xuefeng, a 50-year-old housewife, discovered the public pianos, she visited the area every night to play them. She said she could "contribute what she has left" by playing in Huaqiangbei. Lu decided to launch a WeChat group, "Romantic Piano Night in Huaqiangbei," which now has about 350 members. The group acts as a community where piano enthusiasts from different places come together to organize gatherings and other events. Starting with just 20 people, the group once had as many as 400 members. It enables members to connect with each other, share their progress in practicing the piano, discuss challenges they face, and plan pieces to perform at gatherings. Lu said, "Playing the piano on the street brings back memories of my youth," adding that it also provides the elderly with the chance to connect with the younger generation and become part of the vibrant city life in Shenzhen. Hua Jian, a professor at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said it is important to cultivate individuals through culture. He added that culture plays a fundamental role in shaping people's inner spiritual strength, inspires a forward-looking vitality in the city, provides a benchmark for its future direction, fuels innovative energy in urban development, and fosters broad cultural exchanges among people. Hua said the Guidelines of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Supporting Shenzhen in Building a Pilot Demonstration Area of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics put forward five strategic positions for the city to create a model for a modern socialist country, one of which is an urban civilization model. "Under the guidelines, Shenzhen should leave a distinct mark on urban civilization in terms of cultural significance, industry, services, communication, and trade," Hua said. "It is vital for the city to understand and harness its appeal, creativity, productivity, service capabilities and cultural influence to take the lead in shaping a modern urban civilization that showcases the prosperity of socialist culture." He suggested that Shenzhen give priority to strengthening good cultural governance to create an open and inclusive environment that promotes a better life for residents. "It is crucial to ensure that all residents can enjoy the benefits of urban civilization and have access to a diverse cultural experience in Shenzhen," Hua said. "By fostering a rich and vibrant cultural landscape and an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere, the city can enhance residents' quality of life." Hua also emphasized the importance of improving cultural infrastructure and organizing a wide range of cultural activities to meet residents' diverse needs. Ye Ziyu, Liu Yangjiadi, Yan Xinyi and Wu Baorong contributed to this story. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Members of Incheon Metropolitan City Dance Theater perform a scene from "Confrontation" at Incheon Culture and Arts Center in Incheon in November 2022. Courtesy of Incheon Metropolitan City Performance anticipated to expand K-pop's global recognition By Ko Dong-hwan The official poster for a performance by Incheon Metropolitan City Dance Theater at Jahrhunderthalle Frankfurt, Germany, Sept. 13 / Courtesy of Incheon Metropolitan City A decision by the City of Essex, Iowa, not to allow an LGBTQ+ organization from a neighboring town to participate in its annual Labor Day parade prompted a protest from the ACLU. Jessa Bears, a member of Shenandoah Pride, said the group learned Thursday that it wouldnt be allowed to march in the annual parade. The group, which supports rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, notified the parade organizer in June that it intended to participate in Mondays parade. We are sort of a ragtag group, but we had a convertible ready, a banner and maybe 20 volunteers who said they would march, Bears said Sunday. It really wasnt going to be huge, but we did want to participate. We bought candy and stickers to hand out. The American Civil Liberties Union said it has sent a warning to Calvin Kinney, the mayor of Essex, and Mahlon Sorensen, the city attorney, condemning the decision to prevent Shenandoah Pride from participating. The letter asked the City of Essex to rescind its prohibition and permit Shenandoah Pride to join the Labor Day Parade. Failing to do so will violate the rights of its citizens, potentially expose it to substantial liability, and be an injustice to the constitutional rights of every person and every group to participate in its public events. According to the ACLU, Kinney sent an email on Thursday saying: Out of concern for the safety of the public and that of Essex Labor Day parade participants, the City of Essex has determined not to allow parade participants geared toward the promotion of, or opposition to, the politically charged topic of gender and/or sexual identification/orientation. On Friday, the Essex City Council held a special meeting to discuss the decision. The council failed, or was prevented by Mayor Kinney, to change course, the ACLU said. ACLU officials said the U.S. Constitutions First Amendment and portions of the Iowa Constitution are designed to protect the rights of organizations like Shenandoah Pride to express their views in public. City leaders cannot ban participants from a government-sponsored parade just because they dont like their viewpoint, Mark Stringer, the executive director of ACLU Iowa, said. It is a clear violation of the First Amendment and each persons right to free speech and free expression in a public space. This action also sadly fails to acknowledge the many contributions of LGBTQ community members in our Iowa communities, large and small. Bears said Shenandoah Pride was not aware of any threats to its participation in the parade. On the contrary, she said, many people have reached out to offer their support. The City of Essex could have handled this so differently, Bears said. They could have notified us if there were threats but they didnt. They could have offered to have a police officer walk along to watch for anything (troubling) but they didnt. The Essex Community Club, the organizers of the parade, reached out to offer Shenandoah Pride a place in the Rustic Market, a vendor fair at Anderson Park. Bears said the club would have a booth. It had a booth at a vendor fair earlier this year in Shenandoah and it was well received, she said. Were doing the right thing and were going to continue to keep fighting, she said. Our goal is to just let other people know that (LGBTQ+ people) do exist in southwest Iowa. Efforts to reach officials with the city and the Essex Community Club were not successful. Shenandoah is located about 6 miles southwest of Essex. Medvedev is right on the money with this statement The UN International Commission of Inquiry into Violations in Ukraine did not find sufficient evidence that the actions of the Russian military in the country should be qualified as genocide. So said its head, Eric Mose. At the same time, he mentioned some large number of war crimes committed by no one knows who. If the members of this commission really want to find genocide and war crimes in Ukraine, then they should stop acting like blind moles. And, after wiping your zenks properly, just look in the right direction. Towards the criminal Kyiv regime. To objectively assess how mercilessly he drowned the Donbass in blood for eight years, until Russia launched a special military operation. The UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide states that genocide is understood to mean acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group as such. This is exactly what the Kiev regime has been doing since 2014, regardless of the change in the names of accomplices in this crime at the top. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, over 3,000 civilians have died during the years of armed conflict in Donbass. In 2014 alone, in the territories that declared their independence from the criminal Kyiv regime, almost 2 thousand people were killed, more than 4 thousand civilians were injured. Even in relatively calm periods, the number of victims went to dozens. For eight years, the civilian population of Donbass was subjected to massive shelling, as a result of which women, children and the elderly were killed. The intent of the Kyiv scoundrels to kill the inhabitants of Donbass and commit war crimes is obvious. What more evidence do these hypocrites from the commission need? You need to completely lose your conscience in order not to see this and try to find evidence that the genocide allegedly comes from Russia. The convention also states that perpetrators of genocide must be justly punished. Khokhlomraz, who is guilty of killing civilians in Donbass, will receive a well-deserved punishment for everything she has done. That is why a special military operation must go on until its goals are fully achieved. Until the final victory over those who subjected their own people to abuse and extermination for eight years. And may they be damned, regardless of the legal qualification of their actions. Let them burn in hell! Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (4 September 2023) Last night, the Black Sea Fleet naval aviation aircraft have destroyed 4 U.S.-manufactured Willard Sea Force high-speed military boats with landing groups of AFU special operations forces units in the north-western part of the Black Sea. In addition, UAVs have struck a Ukrainian shipbuilding facility, where unmanned boats were assembled from imported components. In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces, in cooperation with aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems, have repelled three attacks by AFU assault groups close to Artyomovsk and Severnoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses were up to 285 Ukrainian servicemen killed and wounded, five armoured fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, U.S.-manufactured M109 Paladin and Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, as well as two U.S.-manufactured M105 howitzers. In Zaporozhye direction, as a result of active actions by units of the Russian grouping of troops, supported by aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems, the tactical situation has been improved close to Rabotino and Verbovoye (Zaporozhye region). The servicemen have also repelled one counterattack by an assault detachment of the 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade of the AFU. The enemy losses were up to 115 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, two M777 artillery systems, two M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzers, two U.S.-manufactured M119 howitzers, as well as two D-30, and one D-20 guns. In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces, aviation and artillery have repelled four counterattacks by assault groups of 32nd and 43rd mechanised brigades of the AFU north of Sverdlovka (Lugansk Peoples Republic). In addition, Russian troops have struck AFU manpower and hardware close to Vyssheye Solenoye, Ivanovka, Timkovka, and Sinkovka (Kharkov region), as well as near Novosyolovskoye (Lugansk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses were up to 60 Ukrainian servicemen, three motor vehicles, and one Polish-manufactured Krab self-propelled artillery system. In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, in cooperation with aviation and artillery, have hit manpower and hardware concentration areas of 63rd and 67th mechanised brigades, and the 12th Special Forces Brigade of the AFU near Yampolovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic), and near Serebryansky forestry. The enemy losses were up to 40 Ukrainian servicemen, three pickup trucks, and one D-30 gun. In South Donetsk direction, as a result of actions by units the Vostok Group of Forces, aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems, enemy units have been hit close to Novomikhailovka and Urozhaynoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic.) The enemy losses were over 120 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, and nine motor vehicles. One ammunition depot of the AFU 79th Air Assault Brigade has been destroyed near Novomikhailovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). In Kherson direction, the enemy losses were up to 35 Ukrainian servicemen, eight motor vehicles, one U.S.-manufactured M777 artillery system, and one Msta-B howitzer. One ammunition depot of the AFU 124th Brigade of the Territorial Defence of Ukraine has been hit near Ponyatovka (Kherson region). Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised manpower and military hardware in 126 areas. In addition, two depots of missile and artillery ammunition of 118th mechanised and 82nd airborne assault brigades of the AFU have been hit close to Verkhnyaya Tersa (Zaporozhye region). Fighter Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces has shot down one Mi-8 of Ukrainian Air Force near Brusovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). Air defence facilities have shot down three projectiles launched by HIMARS MLRS. In addition, 24 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been intercepted and suppressed by electronic warfare means close to Volcheyarovka, Shipilovka (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Berestovoye, Vodyanoye, Spornoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Skelevatoye, Pshenichnoye, Ocheretovatoye (Zaporozhye region), and near Proletarka (Kherson region). In total, 467 airplanes, 248 helicopters, 6,376 unmanned aerial vehicles, 435 air defence missile systems, 11,643 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,147 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,214 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 12,694 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation. Tags: WtR I am a dairy farmer that appreciates Gods creations, said LaVonne Reinecke, a 75-year-old who lives on a farm outside of Rock Springs. She appreciates it so much she creates art through quilting. Reinecke has been on farms her whole life. She grew up on one west of Hill Point. When she was growing up, she loved the natural beauty of the place and wanted to capture it somehow. She always eyed her grandmothers treadle sewing machine. I always wanted my mother to teach me how to sew but she didnt know how, she said. She eventually learned and got good at it. Shes been sewing and quilting ever since. One of her quilts is titled At Home in the Woods. Living in scenic Wisconsin, I am impressed with all the outdoor scenes with animals, Reinecke said. The quilt has eagles, a man fly fishing, a chickadee, cherry blossoms. Having lived on a farm all my life, I really enjoyed making it, she said. She also enjoys that it will be on display at the Great Wisconsin Quilt Show, coming to Madisons Alliant Energy Center Thursday through Saturday. Presented by PBS Wisconsin and Nancy Zieman Productions, the three-day event celebrates the art of quilting, showcasing some of the states best quilters. Great Wisconsin Quilt Show What: Great Wisconsin Quilt Show When: Thursday through Sept. 9 Where: Alliant Energy Center, Madison Admission: One day tickets are $10 in advance, or $12 at the door. Two-day tickets are $15 in advance, $17 at the door. Three-day tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door. Lectures, workshops and evening events are an additional charge. Information and tickets: quiltshow.com Reinecke isnt the only quilter from the Baraboo area who gets to show her art. Karen Kinzer and Julie Rego, who also have strong ties to the Baraboo area, will also be part of the Great Wisconsin Quilt Show with their beautiful entries. For Reinecke, it wasnt her mother who finally taught her how to sew. After moving with her family to Prairie du Sac, she discovered that Mrs. Arlene Block did. Block was Sauk Prairie High Schools home economics teacher. She taught Reinecke how to sew, and cook, and bake. To this day, I use some of her teachings in my daily activities, Reinecke said. She wishes more schools taught children the basics of sewing and cooking two life skills she thinks are essential. In high school, Reinecke started sewing. Soon after getting married, she started mending and making clothes for her children. She soon joined a cloth doll club. And then another doll club. She then joined the Reedsburg Area Quilt Club and also the Peacemakers Quilt Club. Shes made dozens of quilts since. I have always enjoyed putting puzzles together, Reinecke said. When making a quilt, it is a similar experience. I cut these beautiful yards of fabric into small pieces, sew them back together, and I have a beautiful quilt in the end. 'A tranquil act' For Kinzer, a retired pediatrician living in Baraboo, its a tranquil act. Its almost meditative to hand quilt, she said. And when Im piecing sewing the smaller pieces together to make a design it's also relaxing. She loves color. She loves putting colors together and seeing what happens. What happens is a new piece of art. You always discover new things when putting together a quilt, Kinzer said. High school for Kinzer, much like it did to Reinecke, made her fall in love with putting colors together and seeing what happens. It was when she was in high school that the Foxfire book series came out. The books highlighted craftspeople in Appalachia, documenting what they thought were dying techniques. The chapter on quilts dazzled her. I used my high school graduation money to buy fabric to make my own quilt. She guesses shes made about 20 quilts since. How long does it take to make a quilt? Time. Kinzer once made a 4-foot-by-4-foot quilt that took 10 years to complete. Last year alone she made six quilts. Reinecke says some of her quilts can take upwards of a year. Some take a couple of weeks. Kinzer admitted, Also depends on how motivated I am and if theres a deadline. For the Great Wisconsin Quilt Show, there was. For her entry this year, she hopes people enjoy experiencing it. Rego owns and operates Julie Rego Designs, a sewing and quilting studio in Winstead, Connecticut. Though she lives there now, she considers her hometown Baraboo. She attended UW-Madison, where she earned a bachelor's degree in interior design and a master's in textile design. Her masters thesis project, with professor emeritus Patricia Mansfield, was the original Banners of Bascom Hall installation, done in 1989. Quilting is a fabric art form that speaks to me with unlimited color and pattern options, Rego said. Creating a pattern, selecting colors and fabrics, then watching them come together as I sew is truly my passion. That fire was kindled some 50 years ago. Her mother taught her how to sew when she was a child and started making doll clothes. Later, in 4-H, she made apparel fashions. In high school, she began tailoring and getting interested in interior design. By college she was making commercial nylon banners. Since 2001, when she moved to Connecticut, shes enjoyed cotton quilting. Her entry in the Great Wisconsin Quilt Show is a wedding quilt. I have been designing and constructing wedding quilts for my family members, Rego said. Whether it takes weeks, months, or years, the Baraboo quilt makers create works of art pieces of them stitched together, for others to enjoy. I would encourage anyone, male or female, to try and make a quilt, Reinecke said. It is a very inspiring and satisfying experience. GALLERY: Quilt Bed Turning at Dodge County Center for the Arts Racing and history lovers have the chance to enjoy 3.1 miles of an historical, scenic trail that dates back nearly 200 years. The Fort Winnebago Surgeons Quarters is hosting an Old Military Road 5K run/walk on the levee trail along the Wisconsin River in Portage at 9 a.m. Saturday. Registration for the 5K is open and costs $40 for participants ages 18 and older, $25 for ages 5-17, and is free for children age 4 and younger, organizers say. Estabrook family attend FWSQ renovation The Daughters of the American Revolution celebrated the completion of the Fort Winnebago Surgeon Quarters $275,000 log cabin restoration on Ju The Surgeons Quarters, a nationally registered historic site and museum in Portage, is a log home built between 1816 and 1819 that was originally used as a portaging and fur trading business. It was later the operating area of the U.S. Army surgeon who served Fort Winnebago. Also on the grounds is the Garrison School, which was a one-room schoolhouse for local children from 1850 to 1960. Originally located at Fort Winnebago, it was moved to the Surgeons Quarters and restored. The connection to the Old Military Road stretches back nearly 200 years. The soldiers who originally inhabited Fort Winnebago were assigned to construct a road connecting Fort Winnebago in Portage with Fort Crawford in Prairie du Chien and Fort Howard in Green Bay, organizers said. They didnt make it all the way to Green Bay, said Emma Everitt, executive director of Fort Winnebago Surgeons Quarters. But they did create a pretty long stretch of road, so we are tying that together with the 5K. Along with the 5K, the Surgeons Quarters is partnering with Sneakers4Good to recycle and redonate running shoes. Organizers say the shoes should still have tread on the bottom and be dry with no holes. Sneakers4Good pays organizations per pound of shoes donated. A portion of the money from the donations and all of the proceeds from the 5K registration fees will go to the Surgeons Quarters to help pay for the operating costs. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to keep a place like this running, Everitt said. It isnt just simply keeping the lights on. Fort Winnebago Surgeons Quarters offers chance to communicate with ghosts "The grounds of Fort Winnebago have a lot of history. They have a lot of stories to tell." Some of the more glamourous work that the proceeds will help pay for, include projects at the Surgeons Quarters, such as a recent exterior restoration completed in June that saw to the replacement of several of the cabins logs as well as sections of weathered chinking, the concrete-like substance holding the logs in place. The project took multiple years of fundraising and labor, organizers said. The Surgeons Quarters is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday from May to Oct. 15. For more information about the Fort Winnebago Surgeons Quarters visit, fortwinnebagosurgeonsquarters.org. Stalls at the event have to pass an inspection every night or bleach will be poured on ribs that don't pass. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Jonathan Crockett, chairman and head of 20th century and contemporary art at Phillips Asia, poses in front of Julien Nguyen's "New World Order" (2016) prior to his interview with The Korea Times at Songwon Art Center in central Seoul, Aug. 31. The global auction house is hosting a pop-up group exhibition, "Briefly Gorgeous," at the center until Saturday on the occasion of Frieze and Kiaf Seoul. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk 'Briefly Gorgeous' exhibition offers unique blend of established, emerging artists By Park Han-sol It isn't just the galleries and museums across Korea that are joining the art-filled action on the occasion of the return of two major art fairs Frieze and Kiaf Seoul this week. As the leading global auction houses have mounted their own free pop-up exhibitions throughout the capital city, dazzling art lovers who are traveling beyond the fair venue at COEX in southern Seoul, Phillips is stealing the limelight with its fresh approach. Whereas Sotheby's and Christie's have zeroed in on bringing multimillion-dollar Basquiats, Warhols, Banksys and Harings, Phillips has used a notably different tactic in its presentation, putting the works of established masters like Alexander Calder and David Hockney in dialogue with those of the emerging creatives. Lee Yoo-ra, Oh Se, Kim Ho-jae and Annette Hur are some of the rising Korean-born artists featured in the roster of more than 30 artists in its group show, "Briefly Gorgeous," which runs until Saturday at Songwon Art Center in central Seoul. Such a blend of art titans and next-generation talents in its showcase reflects the auction house's reputed role in bringing emerging international names to the market in addition to 20th century luminaries, according to Phillips Asia chairman Jonathan Crockett. "Briefly Gorgeous" includes 20th-century icon Alexander Calder's "One Yellow Crinkle" (1975), a moving sculpture or "mobile" valued at $1 million. Courtesy of Phillips Korean-born artist Oh Se's three ceramic works are on view at "Briefly Gorgeous." Courtesy of Phillips "It's long been in Phillips' DNA to be the house that works on the cutting edge of the contemporary market, bringing new names in our auctions and selling exhibitions It's important for us to give the opportunity to artists and use our auction as a platform to reach a wider, more global audience than they might be able to do within their own pre-existing ecosystem," he said in an interview with The Korea Times, Aug. 31. "But we've also been simultaneously developing our success in the 20th century art market with some significant sales recently." In Phillips' New York sale in May 2022, Jean-Michel Basquiat's "Untitled" (1982), a monumental red painting of a horned devil, was hammered for $85 million the most expensive lot the house has sold in its history. "The work was consigned by an Asian consignor and went to an Asian buyer. This means that our Asian client base has proved to be invaluable to our success as a company on a global level," he added. Installation view of "Briefly Gorgeous" at Songwon Art Center / Courtesy of Phillips Phillips was a relative latecomer to the Asian art market compared to its rivals, launching its first auction in Hong Kong in 2015. But at the helm of its current executive chairman Edward Dolman, the house has prioritized the expansion of its business in the region, hiring more than 100 employees over the years across eight different cities, including Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo and Shanghai. Last March, it opened its new Asia headquarters in the West Kowloon Cultural District the largest of any auction house in Hong Kong. The participation from Asian clients is growing year by year, both regionally and internationally, in all of its major auctions, Crockett noted. "Approximately 35 percent of our buying activity comes from Asia on a global level now, based on the results seen from the last three years." The firm opened a regional office in Seoul's Yongsan District in 2018. Last September, in time for the debut of Frieze Seoul, it hosted its first curated pop-up exhibition in the city, "New Romantics." Shortly after, it announced the appointment of a new regional director of Korea to expand its footprint in the country. "Korea remains very important and highly relevant in the pan-Asian stage. I think it's very much up there with other leading art hubs in Asia, including Hong Kong and perhaps Shanghai," said the Asia chairman. The country's strategic location in the Northeast Asian region as well as its key economic conditions existing tax incentives for artworks and openness that makes the import and export of art pieces feasible, among others makes its art ecosystem a viable and attractive one, he added. Scott Khan's "Resting by the Stream" (1985) is currently on display at "Briefly Gorgeous." Courtesy of Phillips The Northern Nevada Central Labor Council held their second annual Laborfest on Monday. Food trucks, live music, unions and employers all gathered to celebrate the middle class and working families at Idlewild Park. They even had a show-n-shine this year! They invited the general public to participate. Organizers say they are trying to put "labor back into Labor Day." "Unfortunately, Labor Day has turned into a weekend of that's when I buy a mattress, but Labor Day is so much more. You know, we need to remember how workers got here, says Rob Benner, Secretary-Treasurer, Northern Nevada Central Labor Council. He says it's family friendly event where people can learn about unions and meet potential employers and have fun. If you missed today's event, you can learn more about the organization by clicking on the link below - Toss Bank CEO Hong Min-taek speaks during a press conference at Conrad Seoul Hotel in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap Overseas remittance service to be available during H2 By Anna J. Park Toss Bank, one of Korea's three internet-based banks, launched a housing rental deposit loan product on Tuesday, aiming to innovate the country's cumbersome and complicated rent system. The loan product will be available for borrowers seeking to prepare the deposit money either for monthly housing rental contracts or for "jeonse" contracts. Jeonse is a unique lump-sum deposit payment in Korea for leasing a home for two years, without paying monthly installments to a landlord. Normally, it takes at least two to four weeks with many visits to an offline branch of a major bank in Korea for a borrower to get a rental deposit loan. That's because the borrower is required to submit various documents, including leasing contracts and legal certificates of income, employment and family relations, among other things. Toss Bank said it has streamlined the whole process, dispensing with the need to visit a bank branch. Just by logging into the Toss application, a borrower can easily register for the housing rental deposit loan product. The app automatically registers the customer's official documents, such as certificates of income or family relations, by linking the information from external institutions. The mobile bank has partnered with the Korea Housing Finance Corporation (HF) to provide housing guarantee insurance policies at the lowest rate in Korea. The housing insurance plan guarantees an individual's rental deposit money in case a landlord refuses to pay back the deposit at the end of the contract. By using Toss Bank's jeonse loans, customers can subscribe to the guarantee insurance plan simultaneously at a price of only 0.02 percent to 0.04 percent of the jeonse deposit per year, which is about one-sixth of the average market price for housing guarantee plans. The internet-only bank is also tackling the problem of information asymmetry borne by tenants by providing an alarm service, notifying them of any changes in the official records of their leased real estate register, such as a change of landlords. "While preparing for the rental deposit loans, Toss Bank looked closely into how to get to the bottom of customers' needs and the core of their genuine anxieties and problems, and the bank aims to provide solutions to such problems," Hong Min-taek, the bank's CEO, said during a press conference on Tuesday. "The gist of Toss Bank's rental deposit loans lies not only in convenience but also in safety, which is secured with the housing guarantee insurance plans. The bank hopes to help customers enjoy stability in matters of housing." Since its official launch in October 2021, the mobile bank now has more than 7.55 million customers, with over 21 trillion won ($1.58 billion) in deposits and a credit loan balance of more than 10 trillion won. With its solid growth, the internet-only bank succeeded in posting its first monthly surplus in July. The bank CEO attributes the surplus to its quantitative growth. "In just 22 months after launch, the bank began generating a monthly net profit. The key reason is ascribed to the bank's quantitative growth," Hong said. "Toss Bank has experienced remarkable growth over the past months, drawing in over 7.55 million customers. What the bank highly values is that we manage to remain profitable, despite catering to many borrowers with lower credit scores, and building up a sufficient amount of capital reserves. The bank anticipates the growth trends both in scale and profit will continue into the third quarter." The mobile bank also plans to roll out an overseas remittance service during the second half of this year. "More than 16 million people travel overseas at least once a year and engage in various types of currency exchange, overseas payments and remittances," the CEO said. "Toss Bank is preparing to provide its unique solutions to address problems that can arise in the process to aid users." Instagram Celebrity Pregnant Kourtney is doing fine as she is back home with her loved ones after visiting a hospital in Los Angeles with her Blink-182 drummer husband Travis Barker. Sep 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Kourtney Kardashian has returned "home and with the kids" after a trip to the hospital. The 44-year-old reality star, who shares Mason, 13, Penelope, 11, and eight-year-old Reign with former partner Scott Disick, is expecting a baby with her Blink-182 rock star husband Travis Barker, 47, and his band had to postpone a string of tour dates when she took ill on Friday, September 1, but an insider has claimed she is now on the mend. "Kourtney is back home now with her kids. She is feeling better. She is happy to have Travis back home too," a source told People. Little is known about what happened to "The Kardashians" star to warrant a trip to the hospital, but the couple, who tied the knot in May 2022, was seen in images obtained by Page Six on Sunday walking out of the Los Angeles-area medical facility and into a black SUV. His group said in a statement online on Friday, September 2, "Due to an urgent family matter, Travis has had to return home to the States. The Glasgow, Belfast, and Dublin shows are being postponed. More information in regards to his return to Europe and rescheduled dates will be provided as soon as available." Hours before the statement, the musician had posted pictures of a banner that said, "Together we pray" and of a prayer room at Glasgow airport. His ex-wife Shanna Moakler, 48, said she was "praying" for the rockstar and his wife after she heard the news. The model, who has kids Landon, 19, and Alabama Barker, 17, with Travis told photographers on Friday, "I don't know what's going on, I just know that our kids are safe and sound - obviously that's important to me. "Obviously, whenever they have to cancel shows, it's a really big deal. I'm just praying that his immediate family - and the baby and Kourtney and everyone - is safe and OK." You can share this post! Instagram Music Prior to the mess, organizers took to X to announce that they decided to scrap the first day of the music festival due to technical issues, just hours before the show was scheduled to be underway. Sep 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Chaotic scene unfolded during the final day of Electric Zoo festival on Sunday, September 3. Concertgoers of the three-day event stormed gates after some ticket holders were denied entry because the venue on Randall's Island had unexpectedly reached capacity following cancellation of Day 1. The organizers announced the decision to turn some ticket holders away in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "It is with deep regret that we need to inform you that due to the challenges caused by Friday cancellation, we have reached our venue's capacity earlier than anticipated for today, Sunday," the organizers said. "For the safety and well-being of everyone on site, we will not be admitting any additional attendees today." Shortly after the announcement, attendees started running towards the festival from a security checkpoint. In videos circulating online, young adults racing to the entrance with some jumping past the gate. Amid the chaos, one person could be seen being knocked to the ground. A disappointed concertgoer, 22-year-old Jeff Wang, told Rolling Stone, via New York Post, "I'm never coming back. Worst experience of my life." Another concertgoer, Eileen Tayam, told the news outlet that her 32-year-old sister was part of the large group that couldn't enter. Her sister allegedly decided to go home as crowds forced their way forward. A security guard, meanwhile, blamed the organizers for their poor planning. "Every single staff that is at Ezoo is mad at Ezoo," a security guard shared. "Why would you oversell tickets?" NYPD revealed that no arrest has been reported. Prior to the Sunday mess, organizers took to social media to announce that they decided to scrap the first day of the music festival due to technical issues, just hours before the show was scheduled to be underway. "This year has presented unparalleled challenges for everyone," Electric Zoo organizers wrote in an Instagram post Friday morning. "The global supply chain disruptions have impacted industries worldwide, and, sadly, our beloved festival has not been immune. These unexpected delays have prevented us from completing the construction of the main stage in time for Day 1." Organizers told people who bought tickets for Friday entry that they'd receive a full refund, while three-day pass holders would receive a partial credit. The festival did open the Day 2 on Saturday, but patrons had to wait up to five hours to get their wrist bands. You can share this post! Cover Images/BauerGriffin Celebrity The 42-year-old Brazilian beauty and her 41-year-old model boyfriend have reportedly 'drifted apart' after having 'not been spending much time together this summer.' Sep 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Alessandra Ambrosio's summer may have been colder than any other women in relationships. The Brazilian model has reportedly called it quits with her boyfriend Richard Lee after dating for two years. According to Daily Mail, the 42-year-old beauty and her model beau are on a break now. On what caused the pair to have drifted apart, a source told the U.K. news outlet, "They have not been spending much time together this summer." "She has been with pals and kids, and he has been working so they have drifted apart and have not been dating for a while," the source explained. "She has always been really fond of him so maybe they will work it out, but who knows?" the so-called insider went on noting. The source additionally speculated that there's little chance for Alessandra and Richard to rekindle their romance, claiming, "They have been apart for months now, so it's not likely." Neither Alessandra nor Richard has addressed the split rumor. The last time they were photographed together was in mid-June in Santa Monica, California, where they were on the beach together playing volleyball. She last posted her boyfriend on Instagram in January when they were in Utah. She also last appeared on his Instagram page in the same month when they were on vacation at the Montage Deer Valley ski resort in Park City with her family. Seemingly hinting at their breakup, Richard did not join the former Victoria's Secret Angel in Ibiza this summer. He also skipped the 15th birthday party of her daughter Anja in August. Alessandra and Richard began dating in January 2021 following her split from Nicol Oddi, whom she dated from 2018 until 2020. She shares two children, Anja and Noah, with her ex Jamie Mazur. She and the American businessman split in 2018 after 10 years together. You can share this post! CBS TV The current Head of Household, who is the son of fellow Houseguest and 'Survivor' legend Cirie Fields, lands in hot water after he referred to fellow contestant America as the R-word. Sep 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Jared, contestant of "Big Brother" season 25, has weighed in on his controversial remark in the latest episode of the CBS series. The current Head of Household landed in hot water after he referred to fellow contestant America as the R-word. He addressed his offensive comment on the live feeds on Saturday, September 2. Speaking to Cory, who's been in a showmance with America, Jared said, "I don't think she's the R-word. I slipped up." He continued, "Obviously, I was angry about it [and] I'm willing to admit that." Jared, who is the son of fellow Houseguest and "Survivor" legend Cirie Fields, went on to say that he would be ready to turn on a competitor "the moment that somebody does not benefit my game." The feeds were cut off shortly after Jared's explanation. Despite Jared's explanation, fans had been calling for his removal from the show. They took to social media to point out the CBS Zero-tolerance policy, which says there is an "automatic ban" for various types of conduct, including "Negative Speech or Slurs." This section includes "hate speech or threats of harm" directed at various groups, including race and disability. While it's still unknown if "Big Brother" has taken any action regarding Jared's controversy, the show recently kicked one contestant out of the house for using the N-word in conversation with Cory, Jared and Hisam on August 9. "Luke violated the 'Big Brother' code of conduct and there is zero tolerance in the house for using a racial slur. He has been removed from the house. His departure will be addressed in Thursday night's show," the statement read." Luke dropped the N-word while speaking with fellow contestants which was captured on the Paramount+ live feeds. Luke, who went shirtless, casually added the slur to the end of a sentence as he discussed someone's room. He quickly covered his mouth after he realized his own mishap and tried to correct the comment with the word "dude" while laughing. "Anyways!" he told his housemates, who just stood in frozen silence. He then told Jared, who is black, that saying the word was "a slip of the tongue" before apologizing. Jared, however, replied, "I don't give a f**k," prompting Luke to say, "I'm in trouble now. I've been in worse trouble." You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The 'Cruel Summer' songstress, who has not been romantically linked to anyone after ending her brief fling with The 1975 frontman, is believed to be seeing someone in Los Angeles. Sep 6, 2023 AceShowbiz - Taylor Swift may be in Los Angeles a lot these days for a personal reason. Word on the street is that the country-turned-pop superstar is dating another actor, several months following her split from Matty Healy. The news was first shared by Deuxmoi. On Monday, September 4, the celebrity gossip account posted a claim by a follower who said, "Taylor Swift is dating another actor and that's why she's in LA so much again." Seemingly affirming the statement, the gossip account replied, "Are you telling us or asking us lol. Because if you're asking yes, I would belive [sic] that." There is no word on the actor who is said to be in a relationship with Taylor though. Deuxmoi shared latest update on Taylor Swift's love life. Taylor was last known in a relationship with Matty. Their relationship was first exposed in early May, but in June the two reportedly called it quits. Deuxmoi reported at the time that the pair might not be really over because they were never dating to begin with, describing their brief fling as "not a committed relationship." "It was hard and fast and not a committed relationship right off the hop. He's on tour in Europe and she's touring the US. Logistical problems at the moment.... People are nutso,"a source wrote in a DM sent to the outlet. The gossip blog further stressed that Taylor and Matty "aren't in the same country right now so they aren't hanging out but maybe they'll hook up again in the future." In July, rumor floated on the Internet that the Grammy Award-winning artist and the British rocker might rekindle their romance. However, the news was soon debunked, with a source allegedly close to the situation characterizing the story as completely false. Prior to his brief romance with The 1975 frontman, Taylor was in a longtime relationship with British actor Joe Alwyn. The two began dating in September 2016, but broke up earlier this year after six years together. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity Around two weeks prior, Alabama revealed that she was body-shamed due to her weight gain by saying, 'That's my face when I see all the fake pages commenting about my weight in paparazzi pictures and saying I'm a catfish or saying I'm fat.' Sep 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Alabama Barker is no stranger to facing criticism, so she knows exactly how to deal with it. In a new social media post, the daughter of Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler admitted that she wanted to clap back at trolls, but she decided to hold herself for some reason. Making use of Instagram Story on Sunday, September 3, the 17-year-old reshared a message that read, "Sometimes I find myself wanting to clap back. Bite at everyone who barks at me." It added, "But then I look at those people, like really look at them... what kind of life they're living. The choice they're making. The things they do. Compared to who I am, what I do & how I live. And that, itself keeps me humble." "Misery loves company, but we're cut from different cloths, made from different sauces," the message further read. "Stay blessed, wish them well, and remind yourself that the evil-hearted never wins." Around two weeks prior, Alabama revealed that she was body-shamed due to her weight gain. "That's my face when I see all the fake pages commenting about my weight in paparazzi pictures and saying I'm a catfish or saying I'm fat," she said in a TikTok video. "First of all, let me eat you up because I'm so fat." "Paparazzi will purposely take pictures of you with your mouth open, middle of a sentence and any ugly picture they can get of you just for views," the stepdaughter of Kourtney Kardashian defended herself. "I would love to see you guys getting random pictures of you taken when you're leaving the grocery store, in the middle of a sentence, with your mouth wide open. And let's see how beautiful you look." In the same video, Alabama reasoned her increasing pounds. "I also have a thyroid problem and an autoimmune disease, so that's one of the main reasons why I have weight gain," she unveiled. "So, it would be very appreciated if you guys just keep your opinions to yourself. It will get you further in life." "Once my thyroid is balanced and my autoimmune disease is balanced, I will go back to my normal weight, which is causing the weight gain," she explained. "You guys also act like I've gained 1,000 pounds, it's like 5, 10 pounds, which is so normal for a lot of girls, weight fluctuates. And I don't want any girls that are young watching this that are gaining weight to ever think there's something wrong with it." You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity Looking in good spirits, the 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' actor and the blonde beauty are photographed all smiles while walking hand-in-hand when arriving in Cabo San Lucas. Sep 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Jamie Foxx is enjoying a romantic getaway with his girlfriend months after his mysterious health scare. The Oscar winner has been photographed holding hands with his lady, who is identified as Alyce Huckstepp, during a Cabo vacation. The 55-year-old actor/comedian and his girlfriend arrived in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for Labor Day weekend. In photos obtained by Page Six, the pair looked in good spirits as they were all smiles while walking hand-in-hand. The two were headed to an awaiting car and were greeted by a friendly guide or local employee. Jamie and Alyce went color-coordinated in black during the trip. The "Django Unchained" star sported a black jacket with graphic print and a matching pair of joggers. He completed his look with a wide-brimmed hat which he held in in hand, sunglasses and white sneakers. As for his girlfriend, she matched his style in a black long-sleeved hooded shirt and matching pants. She had a black bag over her shoulder and carried a similar wide-brimmed hat of her own. She also completed her look with sunglasses. After getting settled into their vacation accommodations, the pair ditched a few layers to soak up the sun on the beach. Alyssa changed into a plunging white tank top and black shorts, while Jamie opted for a simple white T-shirt and the same joggers. He grabbed a pair of binoculars while sitting on the sandy beach to enjoy the oceanfront views. It's unclear how long Jamie and Alyssa have been an item, but they appear to have been together for quite some time. Back in May 2022, the lovebirds were caught packing on the PDA during a trip to Cannes. At the time, the duo got touchy-feely while aboard a luxury yacht on the French Riviera and were seen riding a jet ski together. In August of this year, Jamie and a woman, who seemed to be Alyssa, were also seen enjoying a romantic dinner at Nobu in Malibu, California. When leaving the celebrity hotspot, the couple walked back to his car together. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The 'Emily in Paris' actress looks forward to spending 'lifetime' with her director husband as she remembers 'vividly' their nuptials on their second wedding anniversary. Sep 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Lily Collins has paid tribute to her husband Charlie McDowell on their second wedding anniversary. The "Emily in Paris" star thanked her other half for making her "a stronger, bolder, and brighter human" as they marked the milestone. "Two years today and a lifetime to come. I remember this moment, this day, this excitement as vividly as if it were yesterday. And I feel the love, the support, and the magic 100 times more," she wrote on Instagram alongside pictures from their special day. "I adore you @charliemcdowell and I couldn't be more grateful to be your other half in life and in love. You make me a stronger, bolder, and brighter human. Thank you for being the greatest partner I could ever imagine and for making me smile like no other." "Here's to another 365 days of memories ahead, wherever in the world we find ourselves. I'd walk into the unknown with you any day and every day. With you by my side, it's always an epic adventure" Lily previously admitted she feels like she can "conquer anything" with her husband by her side. The 34-year-old actress - who moved from her native UK to be with her American spouse - has been married to director Charlie McDowell, 40, since September 2021 and the pair have been through "so many changes" together. She told E! News last year, "We can kind of conquer anything. We've been through so many changes globally, personally, and to be able to have a partner next to you that makes you laugh in times when you need it the most and helps you emotionally get through things, like moving to a foreign country for four months." The "Love, Rosie" star went on to describe Charlie as her "best friend" and said she feels "so grateful" he is close to her all of the time. She said, "I just feel so grateful that I have someone next to me to be able to accomplish that and your best friend with you all the time." On their first wedding anniversary, she said she loves getting to "work" and "play hard" with her husband. She wrote on Instagram, "Thank you for being my rock, my constant source of love and laughs, and my emotional support throughout our time here yet again. Our faces pretty much sum up this season. We certainly know how to work hard and play hard together. I love you beyond @charliemcdowell and I couldn't have done it without you." You can share this post! TikTok Celebrity The 'Lethal Weapon' actor has allegedly smashed into another car while driving in Malibu and fled the scene without exchanging information with the other driver. Sep 6, 2023 AceShowbiz - An angry driver has lodged a police report accusing actor Gary Busey of rear-ending her car and leaving the scene of the accident. A video obtained by TMZ.com sees the unnamed female following the 79-year-old "Lethal Weapon" star as he drives along a road in Malibu, California with the woman yelling out of the window at him and alleging he hit her car and left without exchanging insurance information. To the website, she said she was driving along the Pacific Coast Highway when Busey's car pulled out of a shopping centre and smashed into her back bumper. In the clip, the she is heard telling Busey, "Sir you hit my car, I need your information," before he speeds away. She later catches up with him again at a parking lot outside a restaurant and again asks him to exchange information with her. Busey is caught on camera telling her his insurance company is Progressive before adding, "I'm private." The furious driver then continues to ask him to provide his details, telling the star, "It doesn't matter, you hit me. You hit my car! No you rear-ended me! You can't hit someone and then leave." TMZ.com states a report has been filed with police accusing the star of leaving the scene of an accident. Busey is best known for his roles in films such as "Point Break", "Under Siege", and "Predator 2". He was previously involved in a near-death motorcycle accident in 1988 which his son Luke later claimed totally altered his dad's personality after he underwent brain surgery to repair the damage. Luke told The Hollywood Reporter, "At 17, I had to teach him with my mom to talk, to eat, to feed himself. To walk again. To write. That was very difficult for me at that age. The post-accident version of him turned his personality up to 11. I feel like I lost my dad on December 4, 1988." Busey previously told the Guardian newspaper of his crash, "About 25 years ago, I had an accident on a Harley-Davidson. I went off the bike without a helmet, hit my head into a [curb], split my skull, passed away after brain surgery and went to the other side - the spiritual realm where I got information. And I came back, and these messages, these definitions, came to me first-class. I'll think of a word and write the word down without thinking." You can share this post! This photo, released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency on July 28, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, toasting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a reception for the minister and his military delegation in Pyongyang the previous day. Yonhap North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may soon travel to Russia to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discuss a possible arms deal, a news report said Monday. The New York Times reported that Kim may travel to Vladivostok next week to meet with Putin. "In a rare foray from his country, Mr. Kim would travel from Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, probably by armored train, to Vladivostok, on the Pacific Coast of Russia, where he would meet with Mr. Putin," said the report, quoting unidentified "American and allied officials." "Both leaders would be on the campus of Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok to attend the Eastern Economic Forum, which is scheduled to run Sept. 10 to 13," it added. The White House National Security Council (NSC) declined to confirm the report when asked, but said Kim may be expecting high-level dialogue in Russia. "As we have warned publicly, arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing," NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson told Yonhap News Agency, citing Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's trip to Pyongyang in July that she said sought to "convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Russia." "We have information that Kim Jong-un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia," the NSC spokesperson added. John Kirby, NSC coordinator for strategic communications, earlier warned that Pyongyang may be considering providing additional weapons and military equipment to Russia for use in the latter's ongoing war in Ukraine, also noting that the leaders of North Korea and Russia may have discussed such deals in letters they have exchanged since Shoigu's trip to Pyongyang. A state department spokesperson said a second group of Russian officials had traveled to North Korea following Shoigu's visit there for "follow-on discussions about potential arms deals." "Any arms deal between the DPRK and Russia would directly violate a number of U.N. Security Council resolutions," the state department spokesperson told Yonhap in an email. "We urge the DPRK to cease its arms negotiations with Russia. And we are taking action directly by exposing and sanctioning individuals and entities working to facilitate arms deals between Russia and the DPRK," the official added, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The Russian defense minister was earlier reported to have said that Russia and North Korea are considering holding a joint naval exercise with China. The New York Times report said a delegation of some 20 North Korean officials, "including some who oversee security protocols for the leadership," traveled to Vladivostok in late August, indicating an upcoming trip by the North Korean leader. "One potential stop for Mr. Kim after Vladivostok, an official said, is Vostochny Cosmodrome, a space launch center," said the report, noting North Korea may be seeking to secure advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines from Russia in exchange of its weapons. Pyongyang unsuccessfully fired two space launch vehicles each carrying a military reconnaissance satellite in late May and August. North Korea says it will attempt another launch in October. (Yonhap) In the last 10 years, PR has taken a different dimension, especially after the entry of social media and the rapid shift to digital during the pandemic period. At the same time, the industry has been facing stiff challenges, moreover client expectations have also increased, with more emphasis being given to digital and online reputation management. The industry has undergone a radical shift and the current times have pushed the industry to change gears. In conversation with Adgully, Ashish Jalan, Managing Director, Concept PR, speaks at length about the challenges facing the PR industry in the age of AI and how work should never become a burden. The key to a growing workplace is the amalgamation of happy minds, since the mind is at its best, when it is happy, he maintains. In the age of ChatGPT and AI, what are the challenges facing the PR industry? I live by the simple belief When you cant beat them, join them. I have always maintained that everybody connected to this industry must adapt to technological advances to remain relevant. I believe that ChatGPT and AI will throw up new opportunities for this industry. With ChatGPT, content has become more focused and easier to generate. AI used as a tool has become very efficient. Now, PR practitioners can provide the best communication strategy for their clients, irrespective of their area of expertise. Will AI change the future of Public Relations? AI will take Public Relations to another level. There was a time when Public Relations simply stood for creating press releases and getting them published in the media. We have come a long way from there. Today, Public Relations involves helping brands grow through integrated marketing strategies. AI is already playing its part. It is a valuable tool that this industry is using to help existing clients while looking for more business. Agencies that incorporate AI to research, strategies, big data analysis, and for impact testing will grow faster than others. How can Public Relations as an industry benefit from AI? When John McCarthy coined AI, he postulated that every aspect of learning or any other feature of intelligence could, in principle, be so precisely described that a machine could be made to simulate it. AI was and is meant to supplement what people are working at and not replace them. At the same time, AI is not a magic bullet or one-size-fits-all strategy. As I have mentioned earlier, Public Relations is today helping companies strategise and plan better. This involves the handling of big data. AI can analyse big data and provide stupendous solutions that can save both time and effort. AI will also help in the creation of content that is so crucial in the field of communications. The industry will benefit so long as we, as Public Relations professionals, make judicious use of this tool. AI is only as effective as it is programmed to be. How has PR as an industry evolved in the age of AI? Public Relations, as an industry, has always been a dynamic one that has evolved with time. For example, there were only print media at one time. Audio-visual media came up next in a big way. Now, we have digital media to deal with. As the complexity of the marketplace, people and technology increases, AI is the best bet to crunch numbers, trends, etc. It can give insights using big data that will help PR agencies design targeted messaging. Already the digital world is a lot about AI. All the latest campaigns have a bit of AI in them. The PR industry is today more focused on the digital native, net surfing generation than the earlier digital immigrants that survived on newspapers. With this, the way we handle a task has also changed and is now targeted at creating a niche in the consideration set within the minds of people. How is Concept PR leveraging AI? If you think of AI as HAL 9000 of The Space Odyssey, then at Concept PR, we still have some distance to go. But in its present avatar, we are using AI extensively. Our Concept BIU uses AI to analyse big data and then present actionable intelligence to clients. We use Concept BIUs analyses while designing communications strategies for our clients. For a few years now, we are a completely integrated communications agency. We have embedded a 50-member digital-driven team within the traditional PR structure. AI helps us in presenting a consolidated digital and traditional PR strategy to our clients. AI helps us in showcasing highly accurate trends and response analyses during the execution of a communication campaign. Also, our in-house media management software, Genie, uses AI to help our people stay up to date-on the media universe. We also provide standalone digital marketing solutions to clients, who desire them, and this is a growing business for us. At the same time, we are also experimenting with Digital Avatars, such as Naina, the 20-year-old, who is a rage today. She has over 131K followers on Instagram alone. We continue to grow our dedicated teams, who are using AI and other technology, and this has helped us in getting leverage in the market. More companies are now turning to us for assistance in their campaigns and image-building exercises. What are the core values and work ethics of Concept PR that made it acquire the Great Place to Work certification? What are its other achievements this year? We are one of the largest independent communications groups in the country. Two things that helped us become so, are empowering our people, and treating them as family. These are not just hollow phrases; all our people are entitled to take decisions at their level. As a family, we believe in holistic growth for our people. Not only do we have a mediclaim policy for our employees, but we also have a doctor on call. At the core of our business, we believe in, happiness and this leads to higher job satisfaction. So long as teams are happy, they will deliver. My idea has always been to create a large family known as Concept PR. While professionalism is important and taken very seriously in the organisation, every employee enjoys his/her bit of freedom to think and come up with new ideas. Every employee has access to the top management. This is the culture at Concept PR. Just as in a large family, differences between members are resolved before bitter feelings set in. In this way, everybody realises that s/he is important to the organisation and gives his/her best. It is this ethos, I believe, that led us to get the Great Place to Work certification. As you know that the audit is anonymous, and we scored high on it. What are the foundational principles that define a good workplace? A happy workplace is a good workplace, particularly in the business that we are in. PR isnt a labour-intensive industry. Here, it is more about the mind. The mind is productive and at its best when it is happy. In my opinion, the management in any organisation must think up ideas for better bonding of members of every team and intra-departmental communication. Work should never be a burden and it never is to a happy employee. So, the fundamental principle is to keep the workplace happy. What is the vision of Concept PR for 2024? Growth with higher levels of client satisfaction. We want to grow the share of the business of our existing clientele. We intend to increase the bouquet of services that we offer to our existing clients, thereby increasing their share of the pie for us. As we are already growing at a rapid pace and would like to keep this up. We have already started exploring possibilities overseas. Concept PR has already established an office in South Africa. We are also in talks with other countries. I have already mentioned earlier that technology is creating new opportunities and we intend to grab them. We have dedicated teams who are ready to work out solutions for clients to help them grow and achieve targets. What are some trends that you have observed in the financial communications industry? The BFSI or financial industry is highly regulated and we as experts in financial communication must perform within these regulations. At the same time, policy changes can also impact communications. For example, recently, the regulators reduced the IPO listing time to 3 days from the earlier 6 days from the closure of the issue. It may seem like a small thing, but for us, we have lost 50% of the time we had earlier to create hype and expectation about a companys share listing on the bourses. This is just one example of the complexity of the financial communications industry, but for professionals like us, it is a challenge that we love. The financial sector is extremely volatile, dependent on several factors both internal and external. For instance, the pandemic years were a learning period for all of us on how to deal with a crisis. The financial market is buoyant now, and we are dealing with positive communications. This may not last though. In the case of a downturn, the nature of communications will change. As a PR company though, our effort will be positive communications for clients even during their financial stress. After all, that is what Public Relations is all about. What made you enter the PR industry? I was always fascinated by the business of communication. At the same time, I am a compulsive problem solver and I think, these both lured me into communication. I am a CA, but somehow the numbers never grabbed me, the way communication did. I started by producing TV series on Doordarshan. Then our Chairman, Vivek Suchanti, asked me to take over the PR business. Since then, there has been no looking back and no regrets. From a couple of clients and a handful of people, we have grown to around 100+ clients and 300+ people operating out of 10 offices in India and 1 in South Africa. Even after so many years, I still feel the excitement and joy of helping clients, brands, people, etc., achieve communication objectives. What are some of the successful PR campaigns and projects by Concept PR? With over 90% client retention, I like to believe that all our PR campaigns are hits. Nevertheless, we have started seriously participating in PR awards only for the past 2 years, and have won over 12 golds, etc., and around 8 silvers, already. Some of the highlights were that we won BFSI Agency of the Year, twice in succession. Our client, South Indian Bank, emerged winner in the regional language campaign. Apart from these, Manipal Hospital won for their Doses of Pride, Hindustan Zinc for its Integrated PR Campaign, and Bikaji Foods International for their IPO campaign, among others. Concept PR also won the Best Employee engagement award, and Creative PR campaign Award and one of our team members won the PR Person of the Year award. Which factors differentiate Concept PR from others? What are some strategies employed by Concept PR to maintain a strong relationship with stakeholders and a social media presence? The bedrock of our business is communications, but unfortunately most of the agencies are too focused on taking the clients messages across to the media and others. They dont spend enough time communicating with their clients apart from business. At Concept PR, we believe that to create long-term relationships with clients, it is important to keep communication with our clients, regularly. We offer all kinds of services from basic PR to intelligence sharing, influencer marketing, digital communications and PR, search engine optimisation, website management as well as ORM. It could be said that we offer the entire package. Over the years, we have fine-tuned strategies that are specifically designed for clients. After all, this is not a world where one size fits all. We have helped our clients create a significant market space for themselves and have continued to serve them so they may continue along the path of prosperity. Teams in Concept PR are also constantly working towards building relationships that enable us to maintain a good social media presence. The key is a better understanding of clients needs and good interpersonal relations. BenQ, a leading provider of advanced display technology solutions, has announced a collaboration with Ranjitsinh Disale Foundation to strengthen its objective of Promoting education through technology adoption and enhancing learning experiences for students in marginalized regions. The foundation was started by Ranjitsinh Disale a coveted Indian educator and the only Indian winner of the Global Teacher award. Through this collaboration, BenQ has installed Interactive Flat Panels (IFPs) in 20 Zila Parishad schools in the district of Solapur in Maharashtra. The IFPs will be used by students and teachers in these schools to access digital content, collaborate on projects, and learn in new and innovative ways. The IFPs will go beyond being a mere educational tool and aim to serve the ultimate purpose of acting as a window to the world for these children. This collaboration with Ranjitsinh Disale Foundation aims to bring about a holistic change in education standards - a move that hopes to establish parity in the learning curves of the children in the aforementioned community and those in well-resourced regions. Ranjitsinh Disales commitment and vision of technology adoption for large-scale social impact and change, especially in the sphere of rural education, are in harmony with the goals and vision of BenQs India Corporate Social Responsibility program. With this collaboration, both BenQ India and the Ranjitsinh Disale Foundation hope to provide exposure to the children on information and resources previously not accessible to them - including international educators, digital content and relevant projects. As a part of this partnership, the children were able to witness and marvel at the landing of the Vikram lander, which was a part of the historic Chandrayaan-3 lunar exploration mission. This is a long-term project for both parties as the aim is to provide community intervention until education standards are uplifted. As a part of the sustenance part of this collaboration, BenQ India has also provided Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) devices for power backup, apart from a central Device Management System (DMS) which will monitor all the IFPs. BenQ India has configured the devices to ensure seamless display of English, Hindi, and Marathi language content, as well as setting up a Live WhatsApp group to provide technological assistance to educators and coordinators. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rajeev Singh, Managing Director, BenQ India & South Asia, said At BenQ, we firmly believe in technology's potential to revolutionize education and uplift students. This impactful collaboration with the Ranjitsinh Disale Foundation will empower both students and educators to interact with digital content using innovative approaches. This partnership underscores our dedication to narrowing educational disparities and nurturing a more promising future for students in rural India. Mr. Ranjitsinh Disale, Founder of the Ranjitsinh Disale Foundation said We are grateful to BenQ India for extending their support to provide these technology & tools to our students & teachers community. These Interactive Flat Panels represent a significant stride forward for our schools, benefiting both students and educators alike. By enhancing the educational experience and fostering an environment of active participation, these IFPs will undoubtedly elevate the quality of learning. We are excited about the potential they hold to transform education into a more interactive and engaging journey. BenQ Indias tryst with the education sector in India continues. The company has a long history of social intervention in the country, including a donation of $1 million to support Covid-19 relief efforts. The firm remains socially responsible and remains committed to using its technology to generate a positive impact on underserved communities. Cycle Pure Agarbathi, Indias leading agarbathi manufacturer, has unveiled their Vedic Sampoorna Puja Kit, tailored for celebrating and honouring the birth of Lord Krishna, this Janmashtami. This extensive puja kit comprises a statue of Lord Balakrishna, sacred attire (Puja Vastra), rice grains (Akshata), vermilion (Kumkum), turmeric (Haridra), and other essential ingredients required for conducting the puja. The significance that the puja kit holds is that it is meticulously crafted using natural and pure components. Cycle Pure Agarbathi has collaborated with skilled artisans from Channapatna, a well-known hub for wooden toys, to offer substantial aid and empowerment for their livelihoods. This partnership is aimed at motivating them to create unique wooden swings (Jhulas) specially designed for this year's Janmashtami celebration. Hence, these Jhulas are traditionally used during Janmashtami to cradle and gently swing Bal Gopal, also known as Laddu Gopal, as devotees express their deep love and devotion towards him in beautifully adorned cradles. Janmashtami, the celebration of Lord Krishna's birth, falls on the Ashtami (eighth day) of the Krishna Paksha in the lunar calendar. To assist devotees in performing Krishna puja in adherence to age-old traditions, the Vedic Parampara Sampoorna Shri Krishna Janmashtami Puja Kit has been meticulously crafted by knowledgeable scholars. This kit not only contains essential items for the puja but also offers a modern touch with step-by-step video instructions accessible through a QR code scan, making it easier for devotees to follow the rituals faithfully. Speaking about the festive spirit, Mr Arjun Ranga, Managing Director, Cycle Pure Agarbathi, says, Cycle has always been Cycle has always been an inseparable part of individuals' prayers, symbolizing hope, faith, and devotion. This year, in honor of Lord Krishna's birth and to start the festive season, we are delighted to offer our Puja kit, designed to enhance the ease of celebration. We are optimistic that this year's festivities will be truly magnificent. Through our thoughtfully crafted Sampoorna Puja kit for Janmashtami, we aim to simplify the essence and significance of the puja for the devotees. Our ultimate aim is to be an integral part of every prayer, serving as a conduit to connect with the divine. In India, it is a widespread tradition for individuals to offer their finest offerings to the supreme deity, aligning their lives with the principles of the gods. A prominent element of this festival involves setting up a "jhula" or swing within homes to welcome Lord Krishna. To enrich the celebration and make it even more special, Cycle Pure Agarbathi provides its customers with personalized pooja packs and exquisite hardwood Jhulas. These swings are meticulously designed to provide a divine and comfortable resting place for Lord Krishna on this particular day, elevating the occasion to a truly sacred experience. The puja kit is priced at INR 799, whereas the wooden jhula is available on their website for INR 1400 only. It can be bought at: - -https://www.cycle.in/pooja- samagri/pooja-packs/sampoorna- shri-krishna-janmashtami-puja- kit-for-gokulashtami -https://www.cycle.in/ handcrafted-wooden-lord-jhula In a resounding declaration of intent, Havas Media Network India, the media arm of Havas India, has embarked on a relentless quest to craft innovative and meaningful intellectual properties (IPs) that resonate powerfully with brands and marketers navigating the ever-evolving advertising industry. This whitepaper marks a pivotal milestone in understanding the evolving Indian e-commerce landscape. At the vanguard of this mission stands its latest and extremely timely whitepaper Shaping Consumer Experiences: How India Buys & How Tech is Shaping E-Commerce Adoption & Experience. This whitepaper is an uncharted expedition into the heart of India's e-commerce realm, where seismic technological innovations forge its destiny. The report is launched at a time when India is taking valiant strides in the retail and ecommerce sector which is likely to touch $2 trillion in the next decade (source BCG*). In an era of rapid digital transformation, where technology and e-commerce are central to consumer shopping behaviour, this whitepaper delves into the catalytic role of technologies such as immersive AR/VR, AI-driven chatbots, Web 3.0, and ONDC in empowering consumers and driving business growth. This whitepaper was unveiled at the 12th edition of TiE Delhi-NCRs Internet Day 2023 (iDay 2023), an initiative dedicated to fostering an ecosystem of technopreneurs and investors, bringing together industry-leading tech visionaries. Conducted in collaboration with YouGov and NFX across 10 key markets, this research prioritizes the preferences of online shoppers and tech enthusiasts aged 18 to 45 years. Data collection employed a hybrid approach, encompassing Computer Aided Web Interviews and Focused Group Discussions alongside Personal Interviews. The study offers a profound analysis of how Indian consumers are reshaping the e-commerce landscape and how technology serves as the driving force behind this transformation. It sheds light on evolving consumer behaviour patterns, preferences, and expectations, emphasizing technology's pivotal role in shaping these experiences. With the proliferation of smartphones, accessible internet connectivity, and innovative digital platforms, e-commerce in India has witnessed an unprecedented surge. These factors not only fuel online shopping adoption but also redefine consumer interactions with brands, purchase decisions, and post-purchase experiences. Key Insights - What can brands do to enhance customer experience in an ever-evolving digital landscape: Tier-Based Shopping Patterns: The whitepaper uncovers distinct shopping behavio u rs across different city tiers in India. Urban areas prioritize convenience and variety, while smaller towns emphasize affordability and value. Brands are encouraged to tailor their marketing strategies to cater to these unique preferences. Rise of Social Commerce: Instagram and Facebook now play a pivotal role in brand discovery and engagement. Peer and influencer-generated content drive shopping decisions, effectively turning social media into a direct shopping platform. Brands are urged to harness this trend for enhanced credibility, trust, and engagement. Elevated Role of Direct-to-Consumer Brands (D2C): D2C brands are gaining momentum, particularly among younger consumers. Their authentic narratives and personalized products are capturing interest. Established brands should consider collaboration with D2C brands to align with evolving consumer choices. Technological Empowerment & Convenience: Technology is revolutionizing shopping by providing convenience and empowerment. Features like chatbots, voice assistants, and AR offer seamless assistance, immersive experiences, and instant information. Brands that effectively integrate these technologies can elevate customer experiences and foster brand loyalty. Commenting on the report, Mohit Joshi, CEO, Havas Media Network India, said, "The findings of this whitepaperemphasize the transformative power of technology in reshaping the retail landscape in India. As consumers embrace the convenience and possibilities offered by e-commerce, businesses must adapt to these changing dynamics. At Havas, we recognize the significance of these trends and remain committed to innovating strategies that bridge the gap between businesses and tech-savvy consumers. Our data-driven approach enables us to create resonant and meaningful connections, ensuring that brands thrive in this evolving business environment." Sanchita Roy, Chief Strategy Officer, Havas Media India, added, "Understanding the nuances of consumer behaviour at various city tiers is pivotal for brands to connect meaningfully with their audiences. The insights from this study underline the importance of localized strategies that align with distinct preferences. As the retail landscape evolves, customization of marketing approaches becomes a powerful tool for capturing consumer loyalty and driving growth." PepsiCo India has expanded the flavour spectrum of its iconic snack brand Kurkure with the launch of Kurkure Sizzlin' Hot. The new flavour is inspired by the globally loved Flamin' Hot platform and offers a differentiated and irresistible flavor experience by fusing chilli ka tadka with Kurkure's iconic crunch. Kurkure Sizzlin' Hot is loaded with a punch of roasted red chilli, with every bite leaving a lingering heat sensation with the perfect chatpata crunch of Kurkure. This flavour innovation is sure to jolt all senses and transform the mood for an ultimate rollercoaster of fun. The inception of Kurkure Sizzlin' Hot finds its roots in the success of the Sizzlin' Hot range in India with Lays and Doritos. This exciting new addition to the Kurkure lineup stems from a keen understanding of the growing consumer preference for spicy salty snacks in the country, with 'chilli' emerging as one of the top flavor preferences in the category. Embracing this growing affinity for spicy palette amongst its Indian consumers, Kurkure Sizzlin' Hot promises an unforgettable taste adventure with lasting sensational heat. On the debut of Kurkure Sizzlin Hot, Aastha Bhasin, Category Lead, Kurkure, at PepsiCo India said, The launch of Kurkure Sizzlin' Hot is a testament to our commitment to constantly innovate and provide Indian consumers with the most flavourful snacking experiences. As a brand that celebrates the use of spices, our latest offering is an ode to the extreme teekha lovers of India. The all-new Kurkure Sizzlin Hot really packs in a punch and offers everything the Indian consumer craves for. Get ready for an ultimate teekha experience that brings a sensational hit of chilli with Kurkures chatpata crunch! Kurkure Sizzlin' Hot is now available at INR 10 and INR 20 across all leading retail and e-commerce platforms in India, with INR 5 packs available in select regions. The launch will be followed by a TVC and a robust 360-degree surround campaign. nasscom today announced the appointment of Rajesh Nambiar, Chairman and Managing Director, Cognizant India as its Chairperson. Rajesh takes on the new role from his previous role as Vice Chairperson succeeding Anant Maheshwari, Former President, Microsoft India. Chairperson Rajesh Nambiar along with President Debjani Ghosh, will continue to work with the nasscom Executive Council, industry, and the government in strengthening India's position as a global technology hub while navigating the current volatile macro environment. The leaderships core priorities will focus on accelerating the adoption and widespread impact of cutting-edge emerging and deep technologies, enhancing Indias talent capabilities aligned with evolving job roles and tech acceleration, focusing on integrated industry solutions for scale efficiencies, sustainability and rapid innovation and building a diverse, inclusive and equitable work environment for all. Speaking on the occasion, Rajesh Nambiar, Chairperson, nasscom said, The technology-led transformation in this techade offers a lifetime chance to rethink, reengineer and reimagine technology for global impact. As enterprises accelerate their journey towards digitalization, they will evolve into adaptive entities capable of absorbing volatility and building sustainable growth models with diversity and inclusion as a cornerstone. I am honored and humbled to support the nasscom Executive Council as its Chairperson and look forward to working with all its stakeholders to continue to strengthen Indias leadership as the most trusted tech partner for the world. Debjani Ghosh, President, nasscom said We are living in an exciting era of digital revolution where technology has the potential to transform business, countries and societies in a manner previously unimaginable. I am excited to continue working with Rajesh in achieving a shared vision of Indias Techade. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to Anant for his valuable contributions to the council and the broader tech ecosystem. NDTV Rajasthan, NDTVs second regional channel, launches on 5th September 2023. The regional channel and our website https://rajasthan.ndtv.in/ brings NDTVs legacy of trust to the land of kings, the largest state by area in India. NDTV will bring its 35 years of journalism to the state, promising to go beyond politics. Our focus on ground reports will give the public that much needed voice. Our focus on hyper-local utility news, on issues that matter to the youth, on gender and climate, incisive coverage of the cities and villages, NDTVs legacy of covering elections from the ground and intelligent analysis gives the regional channel a global touch. Our channel will focus on the rich cultural diversity of the state, its history, music, dance, entrepreneurship and language. Sanjay Pugalia, NDTVs Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief, reiterated the companys commitment to journalism of trust. Our decision to go regional stems from our desire to provide hyper-local, relevant news to people living in Rajasthan. Our reporters and stringers will ensure no region, city or village feels alienated from the capital. Adding to the sentiment, Senthil Chengalvarayan, NDTVs Executive Director added, The launch of NDTV Rajasthan comes at a time when news has increasingly become limited to politics and not much else. We want to change this and ensure every citizen of Rajasthan feels that their voice matters. NDTV Rajasthan will be available on leading local cable and DTH networks. NDTV Rajasthan and NDTV Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh mark the beginning of NDTVs foray into regional news, with many more launches planned in the next few months. The walls of this boarding school echoes lies and conspiracies - Disney+ Hotstars series School of Lies showcases the journey of teenagers in a boarding school. Wrapped in the intense mystery of a missing child, this gritty thriller is headlined by Nimrat Kaur who plays the role of a school counselor which every child longs to have in their school and college. She is the favorite teacher and is like family away from family for the students at the boarding school Behind every successful student, there is always a teacher who believed in them, inspired them, and encouraged them to their best in school and at life. The relationship between a student and a teacher is defined well beyond the classroom and this is exactly what is replicated in the show between Miss Nandita and her students. Nimrat Kaur shares her favorite teachers day memory and her shooting experience as a teacher for the show Sharing her thoughts, Nimrat Kaur said, Teachers form an important part of a childs life and while we celebrate our teachers, recognizing and thanking the people who are key in helping us grow. I remember celebrating Teacher's Day with such gusto - dressing up, performances, cards, roses and celebrations for our mentors in the best way possible. School was fun because of them, in a way. But in today's time what's amazing to see is how teachers focus not only on students' academic well-being but mental as well. It's an added responsibility and they do it so well, without complaints. With School of Lies, I got a chance to step into their shoes in a way. While it was different than a subject teacher, dealing with young children is a different ball game altogether. Kudos to all of them who do it all day, everyday with such grace! Pepperfry, India's leading e-commerce furniture and home goods marketplace, today announced the elevation of its co-founder, Ashish Shah, to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Ashish, who co-founded the company alongside Ambareesh Murty in 2012, brings with him a wealth of experience spanning two decades in the Indian e-commerce landscape. As the erstwhile COO of the company, heading operations, category management, product and omnichannel Business, Ashish has played a pivotal role in shaping Pepperfry's customer-centric strategy, supply side strengths and operational excellence. This appointment follows the untimely demise of Ambareesh Murty, Pepperfry's co-founder and former CEO. Under Ambareeshs leadership, Pepperfry ushered in a transformative era in Indian furniture and home goods online shopping marketplace. It established a platform renowned for its unique blend of quality, affordability, convenience and revolutionising the way Indian consumers shop for furniture. "Pepperfry remains focused on its mission to provide a wide array of well-designed products to help customers create inspiring and functional living spaces. Pepperfry has always been committed to enhancing the way people create homes, and I am honoured to lead this incredible team of dedicated individuals who share this passion. The best tribute to Ambareesh will be to build on the foundation laid by us and fortify Pepperfry's position as Indias leading furniture and home products company." said Ashish Shah, CEO, Pepperfry. In the past few months, Pepperfry has undertaken several initiatives that have set the company towards a sustained path to profitability, a milestone that is now within close reach. In a testament to this, the Company has secured $23 million in funding from existing shareholders, including institutional investors and family offices, underscoring their confidence in the companys vision and strategic plans for future. The latest round of capital infusion will strengthen Pepperfrys ability to cater to the evolving needs of its 10 million+ and increasing customer base through a strong omnichannel presence, a robust supply chain and tech driven innovation. The company's commitment to innovation, craftsmanship, and customer-centricity will continue under Ashish Shah's leadership. Pepperfry will reiterate its fundamental proposition of variety and leverage its retail footprint of 190+ Studios in over 100 cities. Pankaj Makkar, MD, Bertelsmann India Investments, an early backer of Pepperfry said, We've been partners with Pepperfry for nearly a decade now. I've seen the company grow quickly, thanks to the capable leadership of co-founders Ambareesh and Ashish. After Ambareesh's unfortunate and untimely passing, it's only natural that Ashish takes the helm as CEO. He will continue to lead the company towards a promising future, driving excellence across all areas of business and technology. Pilgrim, one of Indias fastest-growing D2C personal care brands, has announced the expansion of leadership with the appointment of two new team members to accelerate omnichannel strategy and footprint in the brick-and-mortar model. Anirudh Likhite has been appointed as Vice President-Supply Chain and Procurement and Nilesh Kambli as the Senior Vice President-Customer Experience. In their new role, they will play an important part in delivering easy product accessibility, superior experience and quality across both digital and physical touchpoints. Being an online-first D2C brand, e-retail has been the primary distribution model for Pilgrim till now. As Pilgrim forays into offline channels, the new leaderships expertise and vision will complement the company's vision of creating a seamless brand experience across diverse channels. On the appointment of the new hires, Gagandeep Makker, Co-founder, Pilgrim said, In the journey of establishing ourselves as a prominent D2C personal care brand, one principle has remained at the core of our ethos: consumer-centricity. As we evolve, our commitment to this principle deepens, leading us to make strategic decisions that enhance our brand's promise. Strengthening our leadership team is a reflection of this commitment. With Anirudhs and Nileshs skills in driving growth, enhancing customer delight experience and optimizing operations, we are confident that their combined expertise will be instrumental in propelling Pilgrim's omnichannel strategy forward and ensuring a seamless brand experience for our valued customers. Anirudh Likhite, ex-Nykaa and LOreal, brings over 13 years of hands-on experience in building supply chain teams, networks, and strategic processes. This is across five distinct business segments eB2B, General Trade, Modern Trade, International Business (Exports), and Pro (dedicated to salon professionals). Anirudhs role is to bolster Pilgrims growth mission and drive a successful omnichannel approach for deeper consumer penetration. Nilesh Kambli, a seasoned professional with over 11 years of experience, is a recognized authority in elevating customer experiences. With an accomplished background at The Souled Store, 91Springboard, and HDFC LTD, Nilesh excels in comprehending customer preferences and implementing effective operational strategies. This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, April 19, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and his daughter, Ju-ae, visiting the country's state space development agency the previous day. Yonhap North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has mainly brought his daughter, Ju-ae, to military-related events in an apparent bid to highlight his feats in the military sector and elicit the loyalty of the armed services, South Korea's unification ministry said Tuesday. Kim's daughter has made public appearances on 15 occasions since she made her first one in November 2022, and 12 cases of the total, or 80 percent, were at military-related events, the ministry said, based on reports by the Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper. In contrast, she attended events related to the economy and social affairs three times, it added. Ju-ae, believed to be around 11 years old, was first reported by state media on Nov. 18, when she, along with her father, attended the firing of a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile. Since then, her public appearances have been focused on the military field, including a military parade in February and an inspection in May of a facility to prepare the launch of the country's first spy satellite. This photo, captured from the North's official Korean Central Television, Aug. 29, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, rigth, alongside his daughter Ju-ae, second from left, pointing to a blurred-out map of the Korean Peninsula during a visit to the North's Navy Command, Aug. 27, on the occasion of Navy Day that fell the next day. Yonhap Pratip Francis has assumed the role of General Manager for brand marketing at MRF Tyres. In this capacity, Francis will spearhead the brand management function at MRF Tyres, overseeing activities encompassing ATL (Above The Line), BTL (Below The Line), digital marketing, and public relations. He will be based in Chennai. Widely recognized as a results-driven marketing and sales leader, Francis brings a wealth of diverse experience across various industries. His professional journey has traversed domains ranging from consumer durables and electricals to bathware and hardware. Francis boasts a proven track record of effectively leading teams in both startup environments and well-established organisations. His expertise spans multiple facets of marketing, including end-to-end product management, brand and digital marketing, trade and retail marketing, and business intelligence. Furthermore, he has held key leadership roles in sales, both at the domestic (state) level and internationally, with a significant presence in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East regions. Prior to joining MRF Tyres, Francis held the position of Chief Marketing Officer at GROHE, a renowned brand specializing in complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings. His previous roles include General Manager - Marketing (India) and Sales Head (International) at Delta Faucet Company, as well as Manager Marketing at Schneider Electric. Over the course of his career, he has also served as a Product Manager at Kohler Co and as an Assistant Manager in Sales & Marketing at Haier India. Sonam Pradhan has joined Kellog India as the Head Media & Digital Marketing (South East Asia). Previously she was the Integrated Media and Advertising Head (Automotive Division) at the Mahindra Group. She has served in Mindshare as the Senior Business Director and Partner for five years. She started her journey as the Media Planning Manager (Marico) at Madison Communications and then moved on to MEC as the Media Planning Manager, handling brands such as Colgate Palmolive, Citibank, Chanel, Tikona, DHL, ABSIL. She then again joined Madison Communications as the Account Manager for Asian Paints. She has been in the industry for 17 years now and is an active committee member of the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) for ASCI. She is an MBA graduate from MET Institute of Management Studies and an alumnus of University of Mumbai. With her vast experience, she brings her expertise in working for client experience and media agencies to Kellog India. She will play an important role in driving campaigns which are impactful and coming up with innovative strategies. Traffic Venue, the global brand-safe advertising solution provider, recently announced the opening of its new office in Singapore. The new space represents another step in Traffic Venue's commitment to grow and serve its clients across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Anurag Kalra, CEO of Traffic Venue, quotes, "We are excited about our expansion in Singapore, as the city-state is a strategic business hub with a supportive environment and strong economic growth. Through this expansion, our goal is to offer even better support to our clients and expand our reach in the region." Traffic Venue, with its adtech solutions, has become a major player in the global industry helping businesses grow their online presence. Through their innovative approaches, Traffic Venue has supported numerous clients worldwide in achieving their advertising goals and driving business growth. The office in Singapore is another indication of Traffic Venue's commitment to its clients in the APAC region. The Singapore office will be managed by a team of local professionals with extensive advertising and technical experience. By establishing a local presence, Traffic Venue hopes to better serve its clients and enhance their customer support and service capabilities in the region. Moreover, the Singapore expansion will enable Traffic Venue to tap into the local market, expanding its customer base. It will also create new job opportunities and support the growth of the local community. Talking further on the expansion, Kalra quotes, "We are committed to investing in the growth of our company and our clients.Our new office in Singapore will help us provide even higher quality service to our clients in the APAC region, help them achieve greater results and create a sustainable long-term partnership. Traffic Venue has always had a strong reputation for its commitment to its clients. The company's solutions are tailored to meet the needs of each individual business, no matter its size or industry. With their Singapore expansion, Traffic Venue is enhancing its support even further, continuing to be at the forefront of the digital marketing industry. In conclusion, Traffic Venue's recent expansion with the opening of its new office in Singapore underscores the company's unwavering commitment to its clients and its dedication to serving the dynamic Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. This strategic move reflects Traffic Venue's recognition of Singapore as a pivotal business hub characterized by a supportive environment and robust economic growth. The exciting collaboration between Zee Studios and Shakti Sagar Productions on the film Fateh has achieved a major milestone as the San Francisco shoot concludes on a high note. Starring the renowned actor-philanthropist Sonu Sood, this project has garnered significant attention from eager audiences. Fateh stands as a thrilling action-packed film that has already ignited anticipation due to its captivating storyline and the involvement of Hollywood stunt coordinators. The conclusion of the San Francisco shoot adds another layer of excitement, not only for the crew but also for Sonu's eager fans, who await his return to the silver screen in this grand spectacle. The breathtaking backdrop of San Francisco has seamlessly enhanced the film's crucial action sequences and dramatic moments. Backed by Zee Studios' unwavering dedication to delivering excellence in cinema and Sonu Sood's fervent commitment to giving life to impactful narratives, Fateh is on the brink of becoming a cinematic masterpiece. It blends a compelling storyline with top-notch production values. As the film's release draws near, both fans and industry insiders eagerly await updates on the exciting progress of this project. India does not have a statutory sentencing policy in place, and it is a well-established principle that aggravating and mitigating circumstances of a case are to be taken into consideration while imposing a sentence, the Supreme Court has said. While dealing with an appeal filed by a convict challenging the April 2019 verdict of the Allahabad High Court, which had upheld the five-year sentence awarded to him in the 1984 attempt to murder case, the apex court reduced his sentence to three years. A bench of Justices A S Oka and Sanjay Karol noted that no criminal antecedents of appellant Pramod Kumar Mishra have been brought on record, and it cannot be said that he acted in any premeditated manner whatsoever. India, till date, does not have a statutory sentencing policy in place. This court, however, has proceeded to examine the objective behind sentencing and the factors to be kept in mind while imposing such punishments, the bench said in its verdict delivered on Monday. It is a well-established principle that while imposing a sentence, the aggravating and mitigating circumstances of a case are to be taken into consideration, it said. Referring to the case, the bench said 39 years have passed since the date of the offense, and two co-accused were acquitted by the trial court. Therefore, in the interest of justice and in consideration of the abovementioned mitigating factors, this court reduces the sentence imposed on the appellant-accused from five years of rigorous imprisonment to three years of rigorous imprisonment, the top court said. While partly allowing the appeal, it said the appellant shall pay a fine of Rs 50,000 within six weeks, which will be paid to the complainant by way of compensation. The bench noted the appeal arises from the high court verdict, which confirmed the March 1987 judgment of the trial court convicting Mishra for the offense of attempt to murder under the Indian Penal Code and sentencing him to five years of rigorous imprisonment. According to the prosecution, an FIR was lodged in August 1984 on the allegation that three people, including Mishra, had attacked a man who resisted their attempt to destroy his crop. The apex court noted in its verdict that a charge sheet was filed against three accused. During the trial, Mishra denied having committed the offense and claimed the case was registered against him because of old enmity. Having regard to the submissions made by the counsel appearing for the parties and the findings of the courts below, it can be seen that 39 years have passed since the date of the offense and both the other accused persons have come to be acquitted, the bench said. It directed the appellant to serve the remaining period of his sentence. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday accused the Congress of resorting to minority appeasement and said the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in contrast focuses on the welfare of tribals, Dalits, the poor and backward classes. Shah also expressed confidence that his party will win more than 150 seats in the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, which are due in November this year. He was addressing a public rally during a function organised to flag off the BJPs Jan Ashirwad Yatra, a mass-contact programme, in Mandla of Mahakaushal region. Quoting former PM Manmohan Singhs statement that minorities must have the first claim on resources, Shah said the Congress was too much into appeasement of minorities but the situation changed when Modi became the PM in 2014. After becoming PM, Modi said that his government would work for the welfare of tribals, Dalits, the poor and backward classes who have the right to resources, Shah said. Now, you have to choose between these two ideologies, said the Union minister. Shah said that during 9 years of the BJP rule, the Modi government at the Centre has worked for these sections. The budget for tribal welfare has been increased to Rs 1.19 lakh crore by the Modi government from Rs 24,000 crore during the Manmohan Singh government, he said. The BJP is taking out Jan Ashirwad Yatras from five different places in MP. These programmes will culminate on September 25 in Bhopal with a Karyakarta Mahakumbh. PM Modi is expected to address BJP workers in the state capital that day, party functionaries said earlier. Following his Mandla engagement on Tuesday, Shah will head for Sheopur in the Gwalior-Chambal region where too he will address a public rally after inaugurating another Jan Ashirwad Yatra, according to a party spokesperson. This April 25, 2019 file photo shows Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un posing during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia. Reuters-Yonhap North Korea needs to seek cooperation with other nations in a way that does not hurt international norms and peace, South Korea's unification ministry said Tuesday, in response to a report that the leaders of the North and Russia may meet next week for talks on a possible arms agreement. The New York Times reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may travel to Vladivostok next week to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discuss a possible arms deal. "In regard to this, cooperation between North Korea and a nearby country, in all forms, should be conducted in a direction that does not hurt international order and peace," an official at Seoul's ministry told reporters on condition of anonymity. "The government, alongside the international community, is closely watching cooperative ties involving North Korea and has raised the reminder that all member countries of the United Nations have a duty to comply with the U.N. Security Council resolutions," he added. The report came amid growing speculation that North Korea may supply weapons to Russia for its use in the war with Ukraine as the North seeks to bolster ties with China and Russia amid growing security cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan. Kim and Putin previously met in the eastern Russian city in April 2019, months after his talks with then U.S. President Donald Trump fell through in Hanoi. More recently, the North invited a military delegation from Russia, led by its defense minister Sergei Shoigu, to the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice in Pyongyang in a rare move following the COVID-19 breakout. During the visit, Kim gave a tour of an arms exhibition to Shoigu, further raising speculation over a possible arms deal. This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, July 27, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, talking to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, during an arms exhibition in Pyongyang the previous day. Yonhap The smile. The headband. The swagger. The classic LL Cool J track Rock the Bells playing in the background. Right off, you can tell theres something special about the guy looking out from the kitchen window inside this South Huntsville gas station. Turns out the sandwiches hes doing here are special too. About a month ago, Carlton Cap Williams and his wife Tresha Williams opened Caps Philly Cheesesteaks, an embedded eatery at Nails Convenience Store at 2603 Mountain Gap Road. Theyd started the venture first as a pop-up at local events. But Tresha felt they needed their own space to be viable and grow. After looking around for a Huntsville space that would work for them, she came across Nails kitchen, a hallway-sized spot formerly home to a barbecue venture and next to the stores soda machine. It was perfect, Carlton says. Sometimes meat, cheese, bread and fixings are a sandwich and sometimes theyre more than that. Such is the case with the fare at Caps. The Williams Philly cheesesteak is melty, textural and seamless ecstasy. Satisfying without being heavy. A cheesesteak may not be the most photogenic sandwich on Earth, but these from Caps sure eat pretty. A Philly cheesesteak from Caps in Huntsville, Alabama (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com) So what separates a legit Philly cheesesteak from the pretenders? Carlton says, First it starts with the bread. Our bread comes from Amorosos Italian Rolls in Philadelphia. Most Philadelphia restaurants use provolone and [white] American [cheese] and Cheese Wiz. You can get it with all three, but youll have one [cheesesteak that comes] with Cheese Whiz, youll have one with provolone and one with American cheese. Caps started off with using white American cheese and, at the time of this interview, were about to add provolone and Cheese Whiz options. Tresha will be making the Cheese Whiz in-house. For cheesesteaks titular protein, Caps uses chopped ribeye. Diced onions are grilled with the steak. Although Carlton says ketchup is the norm condiment in Philadelphia, Caps forgoes that for mayo instead as thats his personal preference. A chicken cheesesteak "Crazy Jay" done style from Caps in Huntsville, Alabama (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com) In addition to trad versions, Caps does chicken and plant-based cheesesteaks, for more menu variety and accessibility. Theres also an homage to Carltons late brother Jerold, in the form of the Caps Crazy Jay style (available in cheesesteak, chicken and plant-based versions) which adds bell peppers and mushrooms to the mix. The chicken Crazy Jay is Carltons personal go-to. A plant-based cheesesteak from Caps in Huntsville, Alabama (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com Carlton is a Huntsville native who attended Oakwood Academy, but in the summers hed visit relatives in Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, he fell under the spell of the citys signature sandwich, the cheesesteak. Youd go into a corner store, Carlton recalls, and they were making cheesesteaks and hoagies, and I would just be amazed. Just how they would chop it up making all this noise and popping onions and vegetables and cheese on the cheesesteaks. And I would watch them closely. He was particularly fond of fare from local haunts like Maxs Steaks and Paganos. Carlton Cap Williams on the grill at Caps Philly Cheesesteaks in Huntsville, Alabama (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com) Carlton started trying to make cheesesteaks at his relatives homes and back in Huntsville. He started making them for Tresha too, who he met back in the summer of 1990. They married in 1997 and have two children together. Tresha Williams wraps up a cheesesteak to go, at Caps Philly Cheesesteaks in Huntsville, Alabama (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com) Tresha has her own backstory. At one point, the couple moved to Los Angeles, and Tresha, whod attended Johnson and Lee high schools back in Huntsville, got a job doing hair. A coworker noticed Treshas skills, and recommended her to Prince, the musician known for songs like Purple Rain. Tresha ended up working for Prince for six years, as both a hairdresser and personal assistant on tour and at Princes Paisley Park Studios in Minnesota. Carlton eventually also started working some for Prince, both in a security and personal assistant capacity. Princes talent and eccentricities are the stuff of legend. Tresha says the music legend also had an incredible sense of humor. His nickname for her was Alabama. Tresha says, He would joke about this and that and was just such a comedian. Other times, he would be mad at you for no reason. Anyone who really knows Princes history, knows this was how it went with those in his inner circle. When Prince died in 2016, it cut Tresha like a blade. It was Carlton who told her the news. I was a mess, she recalls. Tresha was fighting her own health battle at the time, going through chemotherapy. Shes a liver cancer survivor. Today, she looks bright-eyed, healthy and pretty. Tresha has also worked with rap star Drake she says, but has since stepped away from touring life, even though she loved the traveling and luxury hotels and everything else that came with that. Carlton Cap Williams and his wife Tresha Williams, of Caps Philly Cheesesteaks in Huntsville, Alabama (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com) For the past 10 years or so, Carlton was working an office manager at a Huntsville doctors office. Before that, he worked as a bank manager, he says. Never in a million years, Carlton says, would I have thought I would be a cook, a chef, running my own deli. The idea was actually Treshas. They were dining out in Huntsville at a chain restaurant, and she ordered that restaurants version of a Philly cheesesteak. And, well, it was less than OK. Later, when they were driving in their car, and Carlton was complaining about his job and wanting a change, Tresha suggested, out of nowhere, that he give cheesesteaks a try because he had a talent for it. Shes a go-getter, Carlton marvels at his wife. We did a couple of [local event] pop-ups and we got the love and support from the Huntsville people. After Tresha found them their Mountain Gap Road space, it saved them all the set-up and breakdown work required of a mobile food venture. Tresha says, Theyve been great to us here. Caps Philly Cheesesteaks hours of operation and more info at their Facebook page. MORE ON HUNTSVILLE CULTURE: Theres a new, Texas-style barbecue joint in Huntsville at a surprising place Whats next for Huntsvilles best young singer/songwriter? The origins and continuing impact of Huntsvilles signature beer Huntsville, want a made-to-order sandwich with your beer, cigs or soda? New Huntsville music venue aims for vintage vibes, rising touring acts This great Huntsville pizza stand is a local musicians new jam Huntsvilles coolest music festival returns at new location The future of Huntsvilles guitars might be in this guys hands This new Huntsville record store is small but awesome A teen girl was killed early Tuesday in a Shelby County crash. Shelby County Coroner Lina Evans identified the fatality victim as Lauren Dunn. She was 17 and lived in Leeds. The wreck happened at 12:30 a.m. on Dunnavant Valley Road, about eight miles west of Vandiver, according to Alabama State Troopers. Senior Trooper Justin ONeal said the teen was driving a 1999 Mercedes C280W that left the road and struck several trees. She was pronounced dead on the scene. The investigation into the crash is ongoing. Sixty-one people have been indicted in Georgia on racketeering charges following a long-running state investigation into protests against a proposed police and firefighter training facility in the Atlanta area that critics call Cop City. In the sweeping indictment, released Tuesday, Republican Attorney General Chris Carr alleges the defendants are militant anarchists who have supported a violent movement that prosecutors trace to the widespread 2020 racial justice protests. The Aug. 29 indictment is the latest application of the states anti-racketeering law, also known as a RICO law, and comes just weeks after the Fulton County prosecutor used the statute to charge former President Donald Trump and 18 other defendants. The Stop Cop City effort has gone on for more than two years and at times veered into vandalism and violence. Opponents fear the training center will lead to greater militarization of the police, and that its construction in an urban forest will exacerbate environmental damage in a poor, majority-Black area. The majority of those indicted were already facing charges stemming from their alleged involvement in the movement. RICO charges carry a heavy potential sentence that can be added on top of the penalty for the underlying acts. The 61 defendants together have conspired to prevent the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center by conducting, coordinating and organizing acts of violence, intimidation and property destruction, Carr said during a news conference Tuesday. Among the defendants: more than three dozen people already facing domestic terrorism charges in connection to violent protests; three leaders of a bail fund previously accused of money laundering; and three activists previously charged with felony intimidation after authorities said they distributed flyers calling a state trooper a murderer for his involvement in the fatal shooting of a protester. In linking the defendants to the alleged conspiracy, prosecutors have made a huge series of allegations. Those include everything from possessing fire accelerant and throwing Molotov cocktails at police officers, to being reimbursed for glue and food for the activists who spent months camping in the woods near the construction site. Activists leading an ongoing referendum effort against the project immediately condemned the charges, calling them anti-democratic. Chris Carr may try to use his prosecutors and power to build his gubernatorial campaign and silence free speech, but his threats will not silence our commitment to standing up for our future, our community, and our city, the Cop City Vote coalition said in a statement. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, meanwhile, praised the indictment, saying in a statement, My top priority is and always will be keeping Georgians safe, especially against out-of-state radicals that threaten the safety of our citizens and law enforcement. Protests against the training center escalated after the fatal shooting in January of 26-year-old protester Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, known as Tortuguita. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has said state troopers fired in self-defense after Paez Teran shot at them while they cleared protesters from a wooded area near the site of the proposed facility. But the troopers involved werent wearing body cameras, and activists have questioned the official narrative. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and others say the 85-acre, $90 million facility would replace inadequate training facilities, and would help address difficulties in hiring and retaining police officers. During Tuesdays news conference, Georgia Deputy Attorney General John Fowler declined to explain why the indictment alleges the movement originated on May 25, 2020, the date George Floyd was murdered by police officers in Minneapolis. The resulting protests occurred months before officials announced plans for the training center. Since 2021, numerous instances of violence and vandalism have been linked to the decentralized Stop Cop City movement. Days after the killing of Paez Teran, a police car was set alight at a January protest in downtown Atlanta. In March, more than 150 masked protesters chased off police at the construction site and torched construction equipment before fleeing and blending in with a crowd at a nearby music festival. Those two instances have led to dozens of people being charged with domestic terrorism, although prosecutors have previously admitted they have had difficulty in proving that many of those arrested were in fact those who took part in the violence. Among those charged with domestic terrorism in March near the music festival and indicted last week is Thomas Jurgens, a Southern Poverty Law Center staff attorney. Jurgens lawyer has said his client wore a bright green hat a well-known identifier used by legal observers and his arrest alarmed many human rights organizations. The law center called it an example of heavy-handed law enforcement intervention against protesters and DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston, a Democrat, mentioned her concerns about Jurgens prosecution in announcing her June decision to withdraw from criminal cases connected to the movement, citing disagreements with Carr over how to handle the matters. In addition to the 61 racketeering indictments, five of the defendants were also indicted on domestic terrorism and first-degree arson charges. Three previously charged leaders of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, which has provided bail money and helped find attorneys for arrested protesters, were also each indicted on 15 counts of money laundering. The case was initially assigned to Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, the judge overseeing the racketeering case against Trump and 18 others. But McAfee recused himself, saying he had been working with prosecutors on the case prior to his judicial appointment. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Esmond Adams is now overseeing the case. UPDATE: Authorities on Wednesday said Pershon ONeal Pettway was recaptured by Troy police. EARLIER: A search is underway for an Alabama prison inmate who escaped early Tuesday. Pershon ONeal Pettway, 27, was serving a two-year prison sentence for receiving stolen property at the Childersburg Community Based Facility and Community Work Center in Alpine. Authorities said a routine institutional bed roster check was conducted at 3:32 a.m. At about 4:20 a.m., the count did not clear. It was determined that Pettway was not present and was unaccounted for. Pettway is described as a Black male, 6-feet, 1-inch tall who weighs 135 pounds. He is now also wanted for escape. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP (7867) or 1-833-AL1-STOP (833-251-7867). A Mobile County jury has awarded a Saraland man $1.8 million for injuries and damages he sustained as a result of a crash with a Pizza Hut delivery vehicle in June 2021, according to court documents. Robert Lindley, 39, suffered massive injuries to his left femur in the wreck, which occurred at the intersection of Highway 43 and East Plateau Avenue in Saraland. Lindleys attorneys, Britt Bethea and David Greene, successfully argued that the delivery driver, Tristan Sims, failed to yield the right of way and pulled into the path of Lindleys motorcycle, causing the crash. Lindley was seeking damages for his injuries, as well as loss of wages and mental anguish, court documents show. Sims was initially named as a defendant, along with Pizza Hut parent company Hut American Group, when the lawsuit was filed in October 2021, but a settlement between Sims and Lindley was reached three days prior to the start of the trial, which began last Monday and lasted three days. Sims then testified at trial he was at fault for the crash. The negligence of a company employee while on the clock resulted in a terrible injury and drastic change to our clients life, Greene said. Despite clear evidence in the case and their drivers own admission, Hut never accepted responsibility for the wreck. AL.com requested comment from Hut American Group attorneys, but did not receive an immediate response. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court a ruling rejecting Alabamas new congressional map. While we are disappointed in todays decision, we strongly believe that the Legislatures map complies with the Voting Rights Act and the recent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, the attorney generals office said in a statement We intend to promptly seek review from the Supreme Court to ensure that the State can use its lawful congressional districts in 2024 and beyond. Secretary of State Wes Allen, who is represented by Marshall, filed a motion Tuesday asking the court for a stay on the ruling rejecting the map. The motion said the state intends to file a request for a stay with the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday. Tuesday, morning, a three-judge federal court ruled that the map passed by the Legislature in July did not fix a likely Voting Rights Act violation. The court ordered a special master and a cartographer it has appointed to begin working on a new map to be used in the 2024 congressional elections. The same court had ruled last year that Alabamas map passed in 2021, with one majority Black congressional district out of seven in a state where the population is 27% Black, most likely violated the Voting Rights Act, as alleged by voters and organizations that sued. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld that ruling in June. In July, the Legislature met in special session to draw a map to replace the 2021 map. The Republican majority approved a new map which did not add a second majority Black district despite guidance from the court saying any remedial plan will need to include two districts in which Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority or something quite close to it. At a hearing before the three-judge court panel in August, Alabama Solicitor General Edmund LaCour told the court that the new map complied with the Voting Rights Act and said Alabama was not required to create a second opportunity district for Black voters to comply with the law. Three people were arrested over the holiday weekend following an exhibition driving operation in west Birmingham. The operation focused on the Third Avenue West area and was carried out by the Birmingham Police Departments Crime Suppression Team, the Citywide Task Force and narcotic investigators. About 10:45 p.m. Saturday, said Officer Truman Fitzgerald, officers received a report of exhibition driving in the 800 block of Third Avenue West. Police observed a group of people flee from the area of the Advance Auto Parts parking lot They then saw an abandoned 2017 grey Dodge Challenger and learned that vehicle had previously been reported stolen to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office. The Challenger was towed. Roughly 10 minutes later, Fitzgerald said, officers arrested an adult male after he was found in the Advance Auto Parts parking lot after the business was closed. He was illegally in possession of a gun, authorities said. His name has not been released but Fitzgerald said he was arrested on a charge of certain persons forbidden to possess a firearm and booked into the Birmingham City Jail. Formal warrants are pending. His 1977 Cadillac Deville was impounded. At 11:10 p.m. Saturday, officers arrested Travontae Todd, 26, of Hoover, on outstanding Birmingham warrants. He was taken into custody in the Burger King parking lot on Third Avenue West after officers made contact with spectators of exhibition driving. On Sunday about 2:25 a.m., officers arrested Demetrius Kelley, 31, of Bessemer, also on outstanding City of Birmingham warrants. He was arrested at Burger King after he was found on the property while the business was closed. Officers impounded his 2020 Dodge Charger. Authorities are trying to find family members of two men who died in Jefferson County in recent weeks. There is no foul play suspected in either death, but their bodies are ready to be released for burial and the Jefferson County Coroners Office has not been able to locate relatives. Robert Eugene Beavers Jr., a 60-year-old Black male, was found dead Aug. 27 at 830 Center Place West. Birmingham police officers responded to the location to perform a welfare check called in by concerned neighbors who reportedly had not seen Beavers in weeks. Officers and firefighters made entry into the home and found Beavers dead of natural causes. Beavers had a past address listed in the 1500 block of 3rd Avenue North in Birmingham, and also possibly previously lived in Ohio and Oklahoma. William Vansandt (Jefferson County Coroner's Office) William Vansandt, a 91-year-old white male, died Aug. 24. Vansandt was found dead in his nursing home room at Cherry Hill Healthcare Center on Jeff Germany Parkway in Birmingham. He died of natural causes. Vansandt had a past address listed in the 5400 Block of Justice Street in Mulga. Family members are asked to call the Jefferson County Coroners Office at 205-930-3603. This April 25, 2019 file photo shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other during their meeting at the Far East Federal University on Russky Island in Vladivostok, Russia. Experts said on Tuesday that the war in Ukraine has brought the countries closer and the two leaders could reach a major arms deal at the expected summit in Vladivostok next week. EPA-Yonhap Russia's help would 'advance and expedite' development of North Korean weapons By Jung Min-ho After Russia invaded Ukraine last year, experts on North Korea warned that the conflict could lead to a dangerous partnership between Pyongyang and Moscow. A protracted war could force the Kremlin to seek support from North Korea, which would be delighted to provide ammunition in return for Russian weapons technology, they said. That grim scenario may be set to unfold when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meets with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok sometime next week, as the New York Times reported citing U.S. sources. Speaking to The Korea Times on Tuesday, analysts said it is "very likely" that the two leaders would sign a big deal including ammunition-for-tech exchanges and joint military drills. This, they added, would likely be the beginning of a stronger North Korea-Russia partnership that will probably outlast the war in Ukraine. "If Russia runs out of ammunition stockpiles, its front lines will collapse. North Korea, which has plenty of ammunition, can help the desperate Russians. In exchange, it will try to obtain food, fertilizer, energy and technology for advanced weapons such as nuclear-powered submarines and ICBMs," said Cho Han-bum, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, a think tank. "Russia would not give them all to North Korea. But in the long run, North Korea is expected to receive Russian support in many of the areas of its interest, given that Moscow is desperate as long as the war continues and Pyongyang has the upper hand in negotiations," Cho added. "Such a deal used to be unthinkable because there was little Pyongyang could offer. But the war changed everything." A Ukrainian self-propelled artillery system fires at Russian positions on the front line near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Sept. 1. AP-Yonhap A three-judge federal court ruled Tuesday that a Congressional district map approved by the Alabama Legislature in July did not fix a likely Voting Rights Act violation and has ordered a cartographer and special master appointed by the court to draw a new map. The court had ruled last year, in a decision affirmed by the Supreme Court, that Alabama needed a second district where Black voters have an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice. But the map passed by the Legislature left one majority Black district out of seven in a state where 27% of residents are Black. Based on the evidence before us, including testimony from the Legislators, we have no reason to believe that allowing the Legislature still another opportunity to draw yet another map will yield a map that includes an additional opportunity district, the court said in its order. Moreover, counsel for the State has informed the Court that, even if the Court were to grant the Legislature yet another opportunity to draw a map, it would be practically impossible for the Legislature to reconvene and do so in advance of the 2024 election cycle. Accordingly, the Special Master and cartographer are DIRECTED to commence work forthwith on a remedial map. Instructions shall follow by separate order. The judges ordered the special master and cartographer to submit three proposed maps no later than Sept. 25. The parties and others will have three days after that to file their objections. The court set a hearing for October 3 at the Hugo L. Black United States Courthouse in Birmingham. Attorney General Steve Marshall said the state would appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, issued a statement Tuesday morning praising the ruling as an affirmation of what the courts had ruled earlier in the case. Todays decision is yet another victory for Black voters in Alabama and for the promise of fair representation, Sewell said. By appointing a special master to fairly redraw Alabamas congressional map, the court has rejected the state legislatures latest attempt to dilute the voices and voting power of African Americans all across our state. While we were outraged by the Alabama State Legislatures open defiance of the Supreme Courts original order to create two majority-minority districts, I am nonetheless grateful that a federal court has now intervened to protect the voices of Alabamas Black voters. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is indeed alive and enforceable! The judges had held a hearing in the case last month. Lawyers for the state argued that the new map complied with the Voting Rights Act although they did not dispute that it did not create a second opportunity district for Black voters. The three judges, Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus and District Judges Anna M. Manasco and Terry F. Moorer, held a seven-day hearing last year before rejecting the map the Legislature approved in 2021. In Tuesdays order, the judges said it was disturbing that the map the Legislature passed to replace that ignored the courts directive to create a second opportunity district for Black voters. We have reached these conclusions only after conducting an exhaustive analysis of an extensive record under well-developed legal standards, as Supreme Court precedent instructs, the order says. We do not take lightly federal intrusion into a process ordinarily reserved for the State Legislature. But we have now said twice that this Voting Rights Act case is not close. And we are deeply troubled that the State enacted a map that the State readily admits does not provide the remedy we said federal law requires. Alabama's congressional district map that was used for the 2022 elections, left, was found by the U.S. Supreme Court to likely violate the Voting Rights Act by diluting the influence of Black voters. Under the new plan approved by the Legislature, right, District 7 remains the only majority Black district. A three-judge federal court ruled Tuesday that the new map does not fix the likely Voting Rights Act violation. (Mike Cason/mcason@al.com) The case involves three lawsuits filed by voters and organizations who challenged the 2021 map. A plaintiffs group that included voters Evan Milligan, Khadidah Stone, Letetia Jackson, Shalela Dowdy, as well as Greater Birmingham Ministries and the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP issued a statement this morning. Our nations highest court required Alabama to draw a map to fairly represent Black voters yet the state refused. Alabama openly admits its intention to defy the law and the U.S. Supreme Court. But we will not back down, they said. Sixty years ago, former Governor George Wallace stood in the schoolhouse door to stop Black people from desegregating the University of Alabama. He moved only when the federal government forced him to do so. History is repeating itself and the district courts decision confirms that Alabama is again on the losing side. We demand that Alabama again move out of the way and obey our laws we demand our voting rights. The Republican-controlled Legislature passed the new map over opposition from Democrats. House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, issued a statement this morning. I believe that the new map that will be created by the court-appointed special master and cartographer will provide a second district that will allow Black voters the opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice, Daniels said. And I am confident that justice will prevail. We expect that a new map will give voters the representation they are guaranteed, and deserve, under the U.S. Constitution and nothing less. From the beginning of this process, all we have asked for from the legislative majority is fairness, transparency, and adherence to the rule of law. It is simply not right that Alabama Black voters - who represent 27% of Alabamas population - only have 14% representation in Congress. The creation of a second opportunity district will help cure that inequity. Lawyers for the state said the new map complied with the Voting Rights Act even though it did not create a second opportunity district for Black voters. They said it protected communities of interest by keeping them together to the extent possible, including the Black Belt, the Gulf coast counties, and the Wiregrass, was more compact than the previous map, and followed other redistricting principles. Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, chair of the Alabama Black Legislative Caucus, said the court was correct to reject Republican-passed map. The decision today represents what we in this state already knew to be true, that the Republican-led Legislature is unable to draw maps that offer black voters a chance to fairly elect representation of their choice consistent with federal laws, Coleman said. Alabama has a long history of voting rights struggles and victories, and we are so thankful that the panel of federal judges ruled correctly on this issue and will appoint a special master to ensure that the 2024 Congressional elections finally offer an equitable chance for black voters to have their voices heard. However, we must highlight how disappointed we are that our Republican colleagues in the Legislature have repeatedly defied both federal law and Supreme Court orders in their attempts to diminish the voting power of African Americans in Alabama, and hope they will make more substantive efforts to incorporate all voices into the redistricting process in the future. A Florida man is charged with murder after investigators say he killed his 16-year-old son with a power tool, Polk County (Fla.) Sheriff Grad Judd said Monday. According to Judd, deputies responded to a Lake Wales, Fla., home after receiving a call from a grandfather, identified as 67-year-old Stephen Rodda, who said his son, 37-year-old Stephen Thomas Rodda, had killed his son, 16-year-old Stphen Lee Rodda. Judd said the grandfather told deputies he had left home to visit his wife, who was in a physical rehabilitation center, and returned around 11 a.m. Monday to find his son, Stephen Thomas Rodda, outside the home. According to Judd, the grandfather told deputies his son warned him not to go inside the home. I wouldnt go in there if I were you, Judd quoted the grandfather. I killed someone. You might want to call the police. Judd said when the grandfather went inside, he found his 16-year-old grandson dead in the kitchen dining area. Investigators in Lake Wales, Fla., believe a man murder his teenage son using an angle grinder, pictured here.AP Investigators believe the teenager was killed with an angle grinder, a power tool which features a rotating blade which is typically used to cut, grind, polish and sharpen a variety of metals. There arent adequate words to describe how horrific this event is, Judd said. Stephen Thomas Rodda had only returned to the Lake Wales area about a month ago, Judd said, after spending time in Texas, Ohio, South Carolina and other locations. He had an active warrant out of South Carolina and investigators have also been told he has been a methamphetamine user since high school. Judd called the teenager a standup, stellar young man who was living with his grandfather to assist him while his grandmother was in rehabilitation. He was scheduled to start work next week at a fast food restaurant to earn money to buy a car. To have this worthless individual murder his son is inconceivable, Judd said, pointing at a mugshot of Stephen Thomas Rodda he held up for cameras. Judd said Stephen Thomas Rodda fled the murder scene prior to deputies arrival, but was quickly located about a mile away and taken into custody. No motive for the murder has been established. Get John Archibalds newsletter: Enter your email to subscribe to Johns weekly newsletter: This is an opinion column. I read as a child. Under covers with a flashlight, when I was supposed to be asleep. I read of ghosts, from the treasure of Kathryn Tucker Windhams mind, but didnt come to fear them. I read about a little girl named Heidi, on the Swiss Alps. I wanted to know her, but not to be her. I read this when I was very young of Bess the landlords daughter the landlords black-eyed daughter as she was attacked and bound to a musket. As she watched for her love in moonlight, and died in the darkness there. By her own hand. I felt pain and anger and things I did not understand. I read of trolls, but didnt believe in them until the internet came along. I read of a lion, and of a witch, and of a wardrobe, but I did not try to step through. I read of a boy who refused to grow up, and though I tried, I could not be him. I read book after book about the great men of America and the world, of heroes who did remarkable things. I learned later that some were fiction disguised as fact. When I was a little older I read book after book of fiction: Brave New World; Fahrenheit 451; 1984; Animal Farm; Lord of the Flies; Catch-22. I found out later they were as much fact as fiction. They banned Aldous Huxleys Brave New World at Alabamas Foley High School once, nattering that its characters had contempt for religion and marriage. Irony. Or inevitability. I read of Greek gods cheating on their wives, of King David in the Holy Bible sending the husband of his mistress to death on the front lines. It made me angry. I read of incest in the Book of Genesis that book being required reading as a child and in Leviticus of death sentences for men and women who dared have extramarital affairs. I wondered why so many Bible readers ignored that one. I read of sex and death and a kid named Holden Caulfield. I read of the unjust trial and tragic killing of a Black man named Tom Robinson. Again, fiction told me more than Alabama schools would tell me was fact. I read of a strong woman named Calpurnia who held on to dignity in unjust times, of a drug-addicted and racist old lady named Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose whose flaws made me want to be something else. The failings of people helped me see them better. I read of an invisible man and a Jewish girl named Anne Frank. A horrifying world that helped me see people I did not recognize around me. I read of sex, wrapped in metaphor, in the Scarlet Letter, and lacily unwrapped in Lady Chatterleys Lover, which told me things I did not understand, and still may not. I read of war and battle and deceit and genocide and none of it hurt like the death of a dog named Old Yeller. I read of places unlike my own neighborhood, things I did not have, struggles I did not know, and people unlike those I had seen. I did not become them, but I saw them. And I knew the world was bigger than me. I go on and on about books, about libraries, about those who think it a virtue to hide ideas and histories from children. Because the alternative is to teach them not to think, not to feel, not to question. Which is like locking their mind in a dungeon. Last year book banning efforts reached the highest levels in four decades, and this year looks to top that. Books about diversity, about race and gender and inclusion of voices long suppressed, are the most targeted, and the most likely to be ripped from schools and libraries across America and Alabama. The mayor of Ozark asked how to remove dozens of books from the young adult section of the library, and a library trustee offered to bring a match. Real librarians stand strong, but they suffer consequences they dont deserve. The decency police they use awfully foul language in my inbox, incidentally call these librarians, and anyone who appreciates free thought groomers and pedos and pervs. It is a villainous tactic based on falsehoods and bigotry. It is its own form of indecency. And it is dangerous. Matt Layne, the president of the Alabama Library Association, last week sent a letter to members and in defense of members. You can see the full letter below. Librarians are being harassed and targeted on social media, he wrote. Defamatory and slanderous names are being launched at our colleagues across the state, and so we are refocusing and responding directly to those who would challenge the most basic of our Constitutional rights as Americans and Alabamians. We dare defend our rights and the rights of all members of our community to have access to the books and information they choose to read. The Alabama Library Association also issued a strong statement about those dangers. It is also below. The association categorically rejects all efforts to censor or restrict access to materials from any library based on content; additionally, we denounce the increased harassment, verbal attacks, threats library employees and board members have endured from the public. We acknowledge the right and responsibility of parents and guardians to guide the reading choices of their children. Such rights should not in any way inhibit the rights of others to read or view materials of their choosing. It is a critical fight. Not just for the right to know, but the right to grow. John Archibald is a two-time Pulitzer winner for AL.com. A group of West and South Alabama officials touted on Tuesday the benefits of a state-financed four-lane highway cutting through the Alabama Black Belt region at a time when there are increasing calls for the money to be used for adding lanes to Interstate 65. The mayors of Mobile, Tuscaloosa and Thomasville were joined by state lawmakers, county commissioners and small-town mayors inside a newly-refurbish library in downtown Thomasville to express their support for the West Alabama Highway corridor currently in its infancy stages. The highway will open up opportunities for the Black Belt of Alabama that weve never seen in the history of the Black Belt, said Thomasville Mayor Sheldon Day, among the biggest champions of the highway project. The gathering also occurred on the eve of a first-time meeting between Day and Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, who is pushing for lawmakers to reconsider the project in favor of investing in more interstate lanes along I-65. Officials who spoke in Thomasville said the West Alabama Highway and I-65 projects do not have be in competition with each other. They also said the addition of lanes on U.S. 43 and Alabama State Route 69 will be economic development catalysts that have the potential to re-energize the southwestern side of the state. We are going to use what happened (Tuesday during the news conference) as a positive to show (Ainsworth) that this is a very positive project in our state, Day said. There is room to do both (the West Alabama Highway and I-65). There are already hundreds of millions for I-65. We dont want to deter any of that. It needs to be something we all work together for the greater benefit of Alabama. At least one Alabama state lawmaker, who shares Ainsworths belief that I-65 should receive prioritization, called the economic development prospects fallacy. I would simply say to look to the west at U.S. 45, which is four-laned by Mississippi, and you see little economic development and its sitting there as a prime example of that argument is a fallacy, said state Senator Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, a chief critic of the project. Alternative route Mayors and other elected officials gathered on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, at the Thomasville Career Readiness Center and Public Library in Thomasville, Ala., to tout the benefits of adding four lanes to U.S. 43 and Alabama State Route 69 from Thomasville north to Moundville. The additional lanes, officials say, will created a four-lane West Alabama Highway connecting Mobile to Tuscaloosa and north toward Florence. In this picture (from left to right) Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, Thomasville Mayor Sheldon Day and Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). In short, West Alabama Highway project calls for adding two lanes on U.S. 43 from Thomasville to Linden. North of Linden, the project includes additional lanes on Alabama State Route 69, which traverses north to Moundville. The project has the backing of Gov. Kay Iveys administration and is financed largely through fuel tax revenues generated by the Rebuild Alabama Act that lawmakers approved in 2019. A small portion is under construction in Linden an 8-mile bypass around the city but the timeline for future iterations is unknown. The Alabama Department of Transportation is proceeding with a design-build strategy for the projects entirety. Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson and Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox both said the additional lanes creates a viable alternative to I-65 for hurricane evacuations and for motorists looking for different routes to the Alabama beaches. Stimpson also said the route provides additional transportation options for the growing Alabama State Docks in Mobile. If you take a container and put it on a truck and come out of the port, it has one option of going north and thats I-65, Stimpson said. By the end of 2025, the container port will be the largest container port on the Gulf of Mexico. By the end of 2025, well have finished the deepening and widening of the port. You can visualize the increased commerce we have. He added, Yes, there needs to be things done to improve (I-65). But it may be the quicker and least expensive thing to do is fix 43. Well have two routes coming out of Mobile to go north and connect to Tuscaloosa and Highway 22 and onto Florence. Maddox said the additional highway corridor will be a boon for the states growing auto manufacturing sector, and for the University of Alabama. He said will provide a boost to exports through Mobile and is critical for the economic revitalization of a mostly rural part of Alabama. There is no doubt that this area of the state of Alabama, for whatever reason, has been forgotten, said Maddox. Maddox also said it was important to present the West Alabama Highway project as a positive for the state at a time when others have pitted it against I-65. This project was placed not in a fair light, Maddox said. We wanted to validate the merit of this project. And its not about one project over another. They (both) need to be done. Our state leaders are correct. Lets complete this project. And then find a way to take care of 65. Stimpson also said both projects are important but added that if you put all your eggs into I-65, and you have challenges and wrecks on 65, it will shut everything down. Having an alternative route is hugely important, Stimpson said. Funding questions Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth presides over the Alabama State Senate on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at the State House in Montgomery, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). Elliott said he was concerned with how the project will be funded. He has said that the state plans to finance the entirety of the project without seeking federal assistance from the Biden Administration and is worried that the plan involves borrowing future fuel tax revenues to pay for it. Elliott also noted the lack of a concrete estimate from the state on the projects costs. An older estimate pegged the price-tag at around $760 million. He said he plans to question ALDOT officials during a legislative contract review meeting on Thursday about the expected costs on the overall project. The most concerning part of the project is method of finance, he said. The DOT intends to borrow against future gas tax and general fund revenues to pay for it. That diminishes our capacity to leverage federal funds to do other projects. Tony Harris, spokesman with ALDOT, said the agency is working with joint venture team headed by Birmingham-based Brasfield & Gorrie to finalize the design-build details for the corridor. Those details will include start dates and the progression toward completion and delivery of the overall project, Harris said. The attention on the West Alabama Corridor comes after a summer in which Ainsworth the states No. 2 elected official who is eying a run for governor in 2026 criticized the lack of prioritization of widening I-65 from the Tennessee state line to Mobile. Ainsworth has tweeted pictures of traffic jams this summer along I-65, which is the main north-south interstate through Alabama that leads travelers to the Gulf Coast beaches. His most recent posts occurred on Sunday, with the caption, Another day, another massive back up of I-65. Lots of phone calls and pictures today. Time to 6-lane all of I-65. Ainsworths quest got a bolster last month when former President Donald Trump pledged adding more lanes to I-65 on his first day in the White House if he is elected in 2024. Ainsworths office did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. He has criticized the Alabama Department of Transportation for prioritizing the West Alabama Highway project with less than 1/20th of the traffic count than I-65. Said Maddox, I think most of the public in Alabama has been stuck on I-65. When you have that happen to you, you are like, yes, (widening I-65) needs to happen. And it does. But we wanted to make sure the case for 43 got told to the public as well. Most people in Alabama do not come down 43. Its not accessible. But it can be a corridor for economic opportunity and have benefits for our state. Lets grow the economy here in West Alabama and the 43 project does that. Five decades Maddox, who opposed Ivey in the 2018 governors race, praised the Ivey administration for prioritizing the project. Ivey, who was in Linden in 2021 to break ground on the project, has previously said that Ainsworths criticism of the project -- while pushing for additional lanes on I-65 -- makes for easy headlines. Other lawmakers praised the governor for her support of the project, including Day. He said that every major candidate for Alabama governor since the late 1950s has pushed for a rural West Alabama corridor. He said that Ivey is the only governor to make it happen. Governor Ivey, in my opinion, when she announced this initiative, she was doing so in a way to lift up this region, Day said. To lift up West Alabama from the Shoals to Mobile. She wasnt trying to bring us to the front of the table. In my opinion, she was finally giving us a seat at the table. We dont have to be driving the bus but to be on the bus. For the last 67 years, we were not given that opportunity. Elliott argues that there is a reason why the other previous governors did not prioritize the project despite showing initial support. Five decades of governors moving it down on the priority list is due to pressing needs (elsewhere in the state), Elliott said. We have limited resources. You cant just have everything. An attempted traffic stop on a stolen vehicle ended with shots fired and a manhunt overnight in Midfield. Just before 8 p.m. Monday, Midfield police officers tried to stop a stolen vehicle near the intersection of Rutledge Drive and Woodward Road. When they activated their emergency lights and sirens, the suspect vehicle struck a marked patrol vehicle and fled, said Sgt. Michael Jeffries. Police said officers pursued the vehicle through the city of Midfield into Birmingham, where the suspect vehicle wrecked. The suspect exited the vehicle and raised an AR pistol while facing a Midfield officer, Jeffries said. The Midfield officer discharged his duty weapon. The suspect then fled into nearby woods. Midfield and Birmingham officers secured the scene, and a Jefferson County Sheriffs Office K-9 unit was requested. The suspect was located, uninjured in the woods near the scene a short time later. He is being held in the Midfield City Jail pending formal charges. We are grateful no one (citizen, officer, or suspect) was injured in this incident, Jeffries said in an MPD statement. This is just one example of the dangers officers across this country face every day. As is standard practice, the shooting is being investigated by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. The University of Alabama has received $44.5 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce to build a data center for water research at the Tuscaloosa campus. The commerce departments National Institute of Standards and Technology is allocating the money to build a high-performance computing and data center for water and hydrological scientific research, education, and forecasting, according to a press release from Sen. Katie Britts office. UAs board of trustees approved the 40,000-square-foot center, according to a statement from UA. August 2026 is the expected completion date for the building, which costs $96 million. The Education Trust Fund is providing the remaining funds, as approved by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Kay Ivey earlier this year. According to the UA release, this center will house the fastest computing system in the state. The High Performance Computing and Data Center touches every discipline on campus and is an opportunity to incorporate technology in the Universitys entire fabric to engage and prepare students for their careers, said Dr. Allen Parrish, interim vice president for research and economic development in the UA release. This center will be a driver for developing a highly skilled workforce that will spur economic development for the 21st century in Alabama. The hydrological research conducted at the University of Alabama is critical to our countrys national security and future, Britt said in her release. This targeted, strategic federal investment will enable researchers across the University of Alabama System to continue to make groundbreaking discoveries and contributions to our state and nation. The facility will house supercomputers and research equipment for projects in collaboration with the Department of Defense, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Geological Survey. Former Sen. Robert Shelby initially secured the funding. UA is an international hub for water research. It includes the Alabama Water Institute, National Water Center, and Global Water Center. This funding will greatly enhance UAs ability to make scientific and engineering advances that support critical work in water security, as well as research in a variety of areas of water-related science, said UA President Stuart Bell in the press release. Not only will it strengthen collaboration across the UA system and between our students and key players in the growing water industry and other scientific research areas, but it will also develop the technical skills that our students can then apply in valuable careers that will support new industry opportunities in our state. Sign up for Alabamafication: Kyle Whitmires newsletter, Alabamafication examines the outsized influence of this very strange state, taking aim at corruption, cruelty, incompetence and hypocrisy while also seeking out those righteous folks making their state and country better places for all. This is an opinion column. Everyone is entitled to a day in court, they say, but lawyers bill by the hour. And the meter is running. Plaintiffs in Allen v. Milligan have spent two years fighting the states Congressional maps. Thats a lot of billable hours. They sued in 2021 to force Alabama to draw a second Congressional district where Black candidates might stand a chance of winning. Of course, anyone can sue the state, but this wasnt a frivolous lawsuit. The plaintiffs have won at every turn. And Alabama lost. Alabama lost at the US District Court. Alabama lost at the U.S. Supreme Court. This week, Alabama lost at the U.S. District Court again. No matter. The Alabama Attorney Generals office says it will appeal again. Attorney Gen. Steve Marshall wants to go back to the U.S. Supreme Court, hoping for a different outcome with the same justices, the same case and the same facts. Good luck with that. The three federal district judges (two of them Trump appointees) seemed bumfuzzled. We have now said twice that this Voting Rights Act case is not close, the judges wrote in the latest order. And we are deeply troubled that the State enacted a map that the State readily admits does not provide the remedy we said federal law requires. Alabama will not give up. Alabama will keep fighting. And Alabama will keep on paying. You see, in the end, if the state loses, the plaintiffs will get to send Alabama a bill for their legal fees. I asked one of the plaintiffs lawyers, Deuel Ross, what sort of hit we should prepare for. He hasnt done the math yet, he said, but similar cases have run up millions in legal bills and he didnt expect this one to be different. And they absolutely would bill the state when its over. Alabama will pay for the plaintiffs fees if it loses, but Alabama is already paying for its own legal fees, its own legal experts, its own travel and lodging, etc. And dont forget the two special legislative sessions weve had to call to draw maps the courts have junked. It would be somewhat satisfying, when this is over, to tally up how much it all cost Alabama, but there are so many receipts junking up the drawer already, that it might be impossible. And none of them will account for what might be the greatest cost of all the damage to Alabamas reputation. Alabama is doubling down on its reputation as a state hostile to Black people and that wont do us any favors. Well never know how many folks and how many businesses considered Alabama, if only for a second, then said, Nope. It has already cost Black Alabamians their rights under the law. But one thing is for sure whos going to pay. It wont be Attorney General Steve Marshall or Solicitor General Edmund LaCour. Neither will it be the redistricting committee chairmen, state Sen. Steve Livingston and Rep. Chris Pringle, who took their orders from LaCour. It wont be the 99 lawmakers who voted for these garbage maps without even knowing who drew them. It wont be the House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter or Senate Majority Leader Greg Reed who nudged the reluctant folks to go along with it, Black Democrats concerns be damned. If the world were fair and justice perfect, wed make every one of these folks open their own wallets and take food off their own tables to cover these costs. But thats not how it works. Instead, it will be taxpayers money out of taxpayers pockets. And even if they dont raise taxes to cover the bill (they wont), theyll take it out of taxpayers schools and taxpayers roads. Alabama will pay. And the meter is still running. Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for AL.com and the 2023 recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for commentary. Sign up for his weekly newsletter and get "Alabamafication" in your inbox every Wednesday. Go deeper with more columns by Kyle Whitmire A discarded Republican map shows Alabama cheated Black voters Meet the architect behind Alabamas voting rights defiance The moment Alabamas lawyers turned a sure thing into blistering defeat Alabamas new congressional map is a feat of Republican cowardice How 155 angy Confederates chained Alabama to its shameful past Richard Allen has served as a chief deputy under four Alabama attorneys general, was state prison commissioner for five years, and retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a brigadier general. Allen has a new job, to oversee the process of drawing a new congressional map for Alabama. A three-judge federal court ruled Tuesday that Alabamas congressional map, approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature in July, did not fix a likely violation of the Voting Rights Act. The court ordered Allen and a cartographer, David Ely, to begin working on a new map. The court ordered the special master and his team to submit three proposed maps by Sept. 25. After that, parties will have three days to object to the maps. The court set a hearing for Oct. 3 at the Hugo L. Black United States Courthouse in Birmingham. The court first appointed Allen as special master in the case in February 2022, after ruling that Alabamas 2021 congressional map most likely violated the Voting Rights Act. No parties in the case objected to Allens appointment. The court appointed a cartographer last year, too, but he later withdrew from the case. Last month, the court appointed a new cartographer, selecting David Ely from a list of names suggested by the state and plaintiffs in the case. Ely was one of the plaintiffs nominees, but the state did not object to his appointment. Ely has served as a map-drawer and consultant for legislatures in Texas, California, Utah, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Illinois and was special master in a federal court redistricting case in Louisiana. Ely is president of Compass Demographics, a company he founded in 2007. When the judges appointed Allen last year, they described him as an esteemed public servant with eminent knowledge of Alabama state government. Allen graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law after seven years of active duty military service. Allen was a clerk for Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Howell Heflin, then worked in private practice at a Montgomery law firm, according to the judges appointment order. When Heflin was elected to the U.S. Senate, Allen worked as chief legislative assistant for the senator. He returned to Montgomery and spent 15 years in private practice before Attorney General Jeff Sessions picked him as chief deputy AG. Allen would keep that job for 10 years, under attorneys general Sessions, Bill Pryor, and Troy King. Allen returned to private practice, then accepted an appointment from Gov. Bob Riley as state prison commissioner, a job he held for five years. Allen worked as chief deputy under Attorney General Luther Strange, and for four years as parliamentary law advisor for then Kay Ivey when she was lieutenant governor. After graduation from law school, Allen spent 20 years as an officer in the U.S. Army reserve. The court intends for the new map to be used in Alabamas 2024 congressional elections. Alabama attorney general Steve Marshall said the state will appeal the three-judge courts decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. In June, the Supreme Court affirmed the ruling by the three-judge court rejecting Alabamas 2021 map. The secretaries of the Air Force, Army and Navy say Sen. Tommy Tubervilles hold on military promotions is exacting a personal toll on those who least deserve it. In an opinion piece in Mondays edition of The Washington Post, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth and Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said Tubervilles hold is putting our national security at risk. Looking over the horizon, the prolonged uncertainty and political battles over these military nominations will have a corrosive effect on the force, the secretaries wrote in the piece. Tuberville began the hold in February over Defense policies that expand abortion access, including reimbursing military members for travel to obtain an abortion if they are serving in an area where the procedure is illegal. The senator says he believes the policies are illegal and can only be made by Congress. According to the opinion piece, the hold now affects more than 300 members of the military. Three of our five military branches the Army, Navy and Marine Corps have no Senate-confirmed service chief in place. Instead, these jobs and dozens of others across the force are being performed by acting officials without the full range of legal authorities necessary to make the decisions that will sustain the United States military edge, the secretaries wrote. Attempts to reach Tubervilles office for comment were not immediately successful. The hold is forcing officers to perform two roles at once, placing a real and unfair burden on these officers, the organizations they lead and their families. The resulting domino effect, they argue, is doing harm to the service, as some officers are being forced to maintain two residences, and their spouses are unable to look for jobs, they said. The secretaries also blasted Tuberville for suggesting he is going to further escalate this confrontation by launching baseless political attacks against these men and women. They were referring to comments Tuberville made last week that the hold has given him more time to look more closely into the background of some these nominees. Though temperatures in coastal Alabama eased this week, this summer has brought record heat to the region. For much of August, heat dome over much of the United States pushed temperatures in Mobile into the triple digits. And an early forecast from the Weather Channel shows highs in Mobile returning to the mid- to upper-90s this week, after a break last week. Dr. Kevin Michaels has served as the Mobile County Public Health Officer since 2022. Here, he gets into the science of whos the most vulnerable to the heat and how we can protect ourselves it. He also issues a warning about the continued threat of the coronavirus pandemic in the community, as COVID numbers are rising each week. Questions and answers have been condensed and edited for clarity. Who is most vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat? An older person may not have the acclimatization, and they may be on other medications. And as the body goes through the changes, the aging process, they may lose their heat tolerance, they may be more sensitive to the to those temperatures. And it also goes hand-in-hand, its not necessarily the age, its probably the other conditions that they have, heart disease, and the medication theyre taking or their bodys ability to respond. Because when a person gets hot, and they have to move blood around, they may not have the cardiovascular reserve for the heart to beat quicker. President Yoon Suk Yeol waves as he boards the presidential airplane at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 17. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon President Yoon Suk Yeol departed for Indonesia on Tuesday to attend annual summits involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) before traveling to India for a summit with leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies. This will be the second consecutive year the president attends both gatherings, underscoring the importance his administration places on boosting cooperation with a region noted for its strategic position in the U.S.-China rivalry and its growing economic potential. Yoon also said in an interview with the Associated Press published Monday that he will use the meetings to urge the international community to "resolutely respond to North Korea's ever-escalating missile provocations and nuclear threats and to work closely together on its denuclearization." ASEAN comprises Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. On Wednesday, Yoon will attend a South Korea-ASEAN summit and check the current state of practical cooperation between the two sides while also discussing areas of future cooperation, Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo told reporters last week. The same day he will attend an ASEAN Plus Three summit involving the 10 member states, and South Korea, Japan and China to discuss ways to realize an "East Asian community," before going to a gala dinner hosted by Indonesia, the current ASEAN chair. Sign up for Roy S. Johnsons newsletter: Enter your email to subscribe to Roys weekly newsletter, The Barbershop: This is an opinion column. Then there were three. Finally. Three board members of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles. A full house. Finally. Last week Gov. Kay Ivey selected Gabrielle Simmons, director of operations for the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles (not to be confused with the aforementioned P & P board), from a list of five names submitted to fill a board seat that was vacant since June. Thats when Kim Davidson departed after being appointed in March to fill the seat left after David Spurlock resigned last December. Still with me, folks? Thus, between December 2022 and March 2023, and again between June and last week, the board convened with only two members. Voted with only two members. What does it matter? Well, because two yay votes are required for parole to be granted, and the chances of that happening when there are only two votes is all but none to none. (A 1-1 vote simply rolls the case into the first month for re-hearing before a full board.) Here are parole grant rates for two-member months December (8%), January (2%), and February (5%). Rose somewhat in March (18%), April (12%), and May (18%) when there were three seated members. They then plummeted after Davidson left; June saw an abysmal 10%. grant rate. July? 3% (with just two voting members there was a bunch of 1-1s that will be reheard this month.) Why even meet? Even the highest among those rates mock Alabamas own grant guidelines, which the board revised in July 2020 to ensure the consistent review of certain common decisional factors for all offenders. Mission not accomplished. Not with this non-parole board. Why? Because board members are under no obligation to even look atlet alone, utilizereports on the applicant prepared by parole officers based on an interview with the incarcerated individual and myriad other factors, including the weight of the offense, risk of recidivism, and behavior while incarcerated. So, the reports might as well be paperweights, or doorstops blocking the path to freedom someone might deserveand receiveif votes were based on the guidelines, which assign a score to the individual that recommends whether parole should be granted or denied. In FY 2021, the guidelines recommended parole for 76% of those up for consideration, as reported by AL.com colleague Mike Cason in November 2021. The board followed the guidelines only 39% of the time. The overall grant rate was 15%. In FY 2022, the guideline recommended rate was just over 80%, yet the board followed them only about a quarter of the time. For the year, the grant rate was a stingy 10%. (Heads up: It may be worse this year.) Simmons presence on a full boardwhich is chaired by Leigh Gwathney, a hard-line former Jefferson County deputy district attorney and former assistant state attorney generalwill likely give applicants a fairer look, and better opportunity for freedom. Only legislation, though, will compel the board to respect its guidelines and honor an applicants right to receive a fair assessment of their case for freedom. Related: Want to reduce crime? Invest in this re-entry program thats working Rep. Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa) has not been shy about criticizing the board or its chair. The parole board essentially has no oversight, so they can, and pretty much do whatever they want, he told me. Its clear under this current chair, its just not working. England introduced a bill during the last session with parameters compelling the board to adhere to its guidelines or, at minimum explain why it did not, and an appeal process, which does not currently exist. It died, of course, in our Republican-clutched legislature, which is as serious about reforming our overcrowded, unconstitutionalas found by the U.S. Department of Justiceprisons as about redrawing gerrymandering house districts deemed racist by the U.S. Supreme Court. As a result of the parole board, were not releasing anyone, England says. Were creating a backlog of really old, really expensive people that would probably be better served outside of the facility. Since appealing to humanity doesnt pay off anymore, were trying to present it as an [economic] issue: If you wanted to get more out of your money going into the criminal justice system, instead of providing hospice care, it would be better if they were out and cared for under some other [healthcare] network. Were here because the pervasive mindset in our state regarding those convicted of crimes is lock-em-up-and-lose-the-key. Our empathy for the incarcerated runs close to E. It wasnt always so. In FY 2016, FY 2017 and FY 2018, the boards grant rates were 48%, 54%, and 53%, respectively. That was before Jimmy ONeal Spencer killed three people in Guntersville in 2018, eight months after being paroled. He was convicted of the crimes late last year and sentenced to death in November 2022. His release was a clear, fatal, and tragic mistakeand parole applicants, no matter the severity of their crime, are still paying for it. Still paying for it even though violent offenders are less likely to be arrested for another crime within five years (65%) than someone who committed robbery (78%), says the Bureau of Justice Statistics. More than half of those re-offenses were other crimes, like DUI, weapons possession, or another parole violation. And often claims that the formerly incarcerated are another crime waiting to happen are simply unfounded, though still utilized to stoke fears. Remember the proliferation of sky-will-fall claims in back January when the Alabama Department of Corrections freed 369 incarcerated individuals, most of whom were within a year of reaching the end of their sentence? Attorney General Steve Marshall even spent your tax dollarssomething he loves to do chasing his agendaon a failed lawsuit seeking to delay the release. Well, heres the truth: Between January and this past Wednesday, 1,236 men and women have been released by the DOC. The recidivism rate for that group is just 10.8% (134 committed new offenses). The states overall recidivism rate is 30%. Ivey appointed Gwathney to the Pardon and Parole board in October 2019. After FY 2019 saw a 31% grant rate, it plummeted to 20% in FY2020. Last month, after the Alabama Daily News posted on social media that the boards grant rate this year was tracking towards a stunning 7%, England responded with scathing words for the chair: Wow. So, in other words, board chair Leigh Gwathney, whose exhaustive and detailed review of each case once allowed her to deny parole to a dead person, will continue to ignore guidelines based on actual data and just make up arbitrary BS to keep people in prison. https://t.co/kRdKxtJXmF Chris England (@RepEngland70) August 18, 2023 Simmons presence wont likely result in a quick spike grant rates (law-and-order trolls are watching every vote). But if Alabama is to ever extinguish its prison hell, it must, in part, thin its massive population with fairness, empathy, and sincere intentionality. Based on its own guidelines. Finally. More columns by Roy S. Johnson Do we want our children to go to school or prison? State funding levels provide an answer Conquering from the outside, ShaCarri Richardson is back in the fast lane for greatness Skinny-shamed as a youth, Birmingham mom now a champion bodybuilder Racists threaten woman aiding Newberns Black mayor Indian American, fired by Huntsville contractor after telephone call with dying relative, files lawsuit Im a Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary, a member of the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame, and winner of the Edward R. Murrow prize for podcasts for Unjustifiable, co-hosted with John Archibald. My column appears in AL.com, as well as the Lede. Check out my new podcast series Panther: Blueprint for Black Power, which I co-host with Eunice Elliott. Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter, The Barbershop, here. Reach me at rjohnson@al.com, follow me at twitter.com/roysj, or on Instagram @roysj English News U.S.-led "mini NATO" trilateral alliance undermines peace, stability in Asia-Pacific Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 5 Septembre 2023 The United States, Japan and South Korea attempt to build an exclusive and closed "clique" in the Asia-Pacific region, which goes against the trend of regional countries enhancing solidarity and cooperation and promoting regional economic integration. By Zhong Sheng, People's Daily The recently concluded trilateral meeting at Camp David joined by leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea once again revealed to the international community who is the real threat to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, despite the "peace" rhetoric frequently employed by the U.S. leader. This meeting smeared and attacked China on Taiwan and maritime issuesan act of gross interference in China's internal affairs, a deliberate attempt to sow discord between China and its neighbors and a serious violation of norms in international relations. The real signal the meeting has sent to the international community is that the U.S. intends to build a "mini NATO" trilateral alliance in Northeast Asia and stoke a new Cold War in the Asia-Pacific region. The United States claimed that the trilateral meeting and partnership was not against China, but the joint statement issued by the three parties made irresponsible remarks about the Taiwan question and distorted facts about the South China Sea issue, which barely concealed their intent against China. The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair. Resolving it is a matter for the Chinese. China strives for peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and the utmost effort, but it will never allow interference in its internal affairs using "peace" as a false pretext by anyone or any force. The greatest threat to cross-Strait peace is "Taiwan independence" forces and foreign connivance and support for their activities. The United States, Japan and South Korea emphasized the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, but made no mention at all of opposing "Taiwan independence." This essentially connived at or supported "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and will have severe impacts on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea are solidly grounded in history and law and consistent with relevant international law and practice. In recent years, the United States, as an extraterritorial country, has gone to great lengths to interfere in the South China Sea issue. It has encouraged and supported certain countries' violation of other countries' maritime rights and sowed discord between countries in the region, which makes the United States a disrupter and saboteur of the regional order. The United States, Japan and South Korea attempt to build an exclusive and closed "clique" in the Asia-Pacific region, which goes against the trend of regional countries enhancing solidarity and cooperation and promoting regional economic integration. A U.S. politician called the trilateral Camp David meeting a "major move on the chessboard" that will change the strategic layout in the Indo-Pacific region. Some American scholars interpreted U.S. intentions even more bluntly, saying the trilateral joint statement at Camp David is a collective security statement close to NATO. On issues such as trilateral communication mechanisms, security defense, supply chains, and technology, the United States sticks to its so-called "Indo-Pacific strategy" playbook, aggressively peddling security anxieties and hurriedly building an exclusive "clique," at the expense of disrupting regional peace, stability, cooperation and development. Although the United States disguised its intentions under lofty rhetoric like "a more peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region," the Cold War mentality and zero-sum game mindset are unmistakably woven into its fabric. Its real motive of inciting division and confrontation and serving its hegemonic self-interest is plain for all to see. In recent years, while advancing its so-called "Indo-Pacific strategy," the United States has continuously tried to leverage Japan and South Korea's adjacency to China to contain China and consolidate American hegemony. The hype made by the United States of the Camp David trilateral meeting exposed its sinister plot, and also showed that the United States itself knows clearly that its strategic design lacks foundation and is against the trend. On the one hand, long-standing grievances persist between Japan and South Korea, especially as Japan has recently backpedaled on historical issues, moved further down the path of military expansion, and adopted an irresponsible attitude regarding the discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater. These have provoked extensive doubts in the South Korean society. South Korea's newspaper The Hankyoreh said that the South Korean government ignored history and dangerously gambled on quasi-alliance with Japan, which cannot be accepted by the public. On the other hand, building a "mini NATO" style trilateral alliance in Northeast Asia does not serve Japan and South Korea's interests. The two countries' development has long relied on the overall peace, cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific region. If they are willing to be the pawns of the United States, introducing bloc confrontation and military alliances into the Asia-Pacific, they will transform the region into an arena of geopolitical wrestling, and ultimately hurt others without benefiting themselves. South Korean newspaper The Kyunghyang Shinmun pointed out that the United States may embroil South Korea in unnecessary disputes, which is worrying. The Asahi Shimbun of Japan also believes that escalating tensions from U.S.-Japan-South Korea cooperation into a hegemonic bloc confrontation will further worsen the situation. Through the Camp David meeting, regional countries and the international community can clearly see that the real source of tensions and conflict in the Asia-Pacific region is the United States, which is obsessed with hegemony, bloc politics, and confrontation. Facing a complex international landscape, all parties should uphold the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, follow true multilateralism, and work together to rise up to challenges. Any country seeking absolute security for itself at the expense of others' security and interests will ultimately undermine regional stability and jeopardize its own security. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.) Dans la meme rubrique : < > China to firmly support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation Chinese industrial economy achieves stable recovery IFC Partners with FirstRand Bank to Expand SME Financing in South Africa Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) The Democrats are making a final push against Donald Trump, the culmination of their unrelenting efforts since 2016. But is their propaganda becoming so obvious that, rather than persuading voters, it finally opens their eyes to reality? The Soviet Union stands as an example of how propaganda collapse plays out and how that might happen here, too. I went to college back in the 1980s, when Communism was still perceived by most Americans as a bad thingalthough not one of my political philosophy professors. He proudly characterized himself as Somewhere to the left of Lenin. When professing his love and respect for the Sovietsbut not enough to leave Florida and move to Moscowhe often tried to square the circle of their military prowess and the reports in American media about their economic failings. Thus, he pointed out that the Soviets built rockets sending men into space, built weapon systems the Pentagon told us could obliterate the West, dominated Eastern Europe, and were the power behind the Vietnamese who defeated both the French and the Americans. Given all the Soviets demonstrated military and technological prowess, he asked, how was it even remotely possible that they could not build washing machines or cars on par with anything produced in the West? Given that they controlled one of the greatest breadbaskets in the world, Ukraine, how could it be true that there was rampant starvation? The professor had a ready answer: The stories about the Soviets economic failures were liespropaganda produced by the CIA and segments of the capitalist American media. Image: Trump and the fallen propaganda wall. AI image created by Vince Coyner (and its true that AI cant do fingers). And it wasnt just economics. It was politics as well. The Soviet Union had one of the most robust constitutions in the world, he insisted, with an array of guarantees that any citizen in the West would feel comfortable with: Freedom of speech, the press, right of assembly, worship etc. The gulags of Siberia were simply more Western propaganda. Eventually the professors fiction about the communist nirvana could be sustained no longer, but by that time I had graduated and was stationed in West Germany. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, the reality of the desolation of the East started to become clear. Indeed, the juxtaposition of the abject economic failure of the East with the prosperity of the West put the lie to everything my communist championing professor and his favorite newspaper, the NY Times, had tried to drill into our heads for years. The fall of the Berlin Wall wasnt the end of communism, nor even the Soviet Union, which would stand for an additional two years. But when it comes to discussing the collapse of the Soviet Union and communism in Eastern Europe, that fall is the thing that most people remember. Id posit that we witnessed a similarly epoch-defining event recently: Donald Trumps mugshot. Theres nothing extraordinary about the mugshot itself, but sometimes an image is much more than just the pixels its made up of. What this particular image really depicts is the culmination of eight years of lies and propaganda from Democrats and the Swamp. In one picture, Americans understand exactly what has been going on for the last eight years. With that mugshot, even people who hate Donald Trump will recognize that America is evolving into a tyranny, like Venezuela with Chavez or Turkey with Erdogan, a place where laws dont matter other than as tools to crush opponents. They see that the apparatus of the state is simply a vehicle for distributing power among your friends and punishing your enemies. And in an echo of the 1930s, when Stalin was starving millions of Ukrainians to death and the New York Times was telling us fairy tales, todays media are telling us that Trump is indeed a criminal, the charges are damning, and that Americans are finally coming to recognize him as one. The difference is that it took half a century for the truth about the evil of the Soviets to finally find the light of day, while the truth about the evil of the Democrats and their Swamp comrades has taken just a few years Indeed, you could make the argument that its taken less than six months. Trumps first indictment, this past March, accuses him of using his own money, rather than donors money to pay hush money, suggesting that election law required him to use campaign contributions to keep hidden a sordid story about sex. His second indictment, in June, accuses him of mishandling documents, something every president has done, but no others were indicted for. (And, of course, Trump did not mishandle the documents.) His third indictment, on August 1st, was for attempting to overturn the 2020 election results, this after hes on video telling his followers to peacefully and patriotically make their way to the Capitol. His last (so far) indictment was issued on August 14th, and accused him of seeking to interfere with the 2020 election by falsely claiming he wanted the Secretary of State to manufacture votes. In less than six months, the Democrats have indicted Donald Trump four times, with the cases scheduled to run through at least the spring of 2024, right into the heart of primary season. Aside from the absurdity of the indictments themselves, this is easily the most blatant example of election interference the United States has ever seen. Indeed its so blatant that even a majority of Democrats who voted for Joe Biden in 2020 think its interference. To make matters worse for Democrats, in his interview with Tucker Carlson, Trump looked and sounded as presidential as he ever has. While his outlandish personality serves him well at rallies filled with supporters, his presidential decorum, command of the facts, and his clear confidence while speaking with Tucker are exactly what appeals to those voters put off by doddering Joe Bidens inability to put an intelligent thought into words or walk up a flight of stairs. While a good interview alone wont get the job done, for those who are looking around wondering what the hell the Democrats are doing, it likely opens a door for him. As with most things in life, timing is everything, and the Democrats may have hit the sweet spotfor Donald Trump. While Biden has been less than lucid for most of his presidency, today he more often looks like an escaped Alzheimers patient than he does a president. The longer Democrats allow Joe to run with the fiction that he is going to be on the ticket in November, the stronger the contrast becomes with the robust, energized, and cogent Trump. At the same time, every day seems to bring more proof to light that Biden is not only a liar, but hes been on the take from Americas enemies for years. Many Democrats would no doubt vote for a fence post so long as it was running against Donald Trump, but there are likely a significant number with functioning brains who recognize that regardless of how much they dislike Trump, hes a far better choice than Joe Biden. Of course, Democrats could ditch Biden for Harris, Newsom or, God forbid, Michelle Obama, but that doesnt solve the problem theyve created with the trials. Trump will be sitting in courtrooms during critical periods of the campaign, but that doesnt mean hell lose support as a result. Indeed, just the opposite is likely to happen as he has countless surrogates who will use the fact that he couldnt be there because of the Democrats treachery to excite a crowd and grow support. In addition, the trials will offer daily opportunities to remind voters of the Democrats hypocrisy and mendacity as they manipulate the justice system to crucify Trump while the Bidens, Hillary, and virtually every swamp dweller gets off scot-free. It would be the ultimate irony if the indictments that Democrats hoped to use to finally defeat Donald Trump were the vehicles through which America finally came to see their mendacity and propelled their worst nightmare back into office. In a recent Wall Street Journal column, William Galston accuses Governor Ron DeSantis of perpetrating indoctrination in Floridas state universities through the Stop the Woke Act. The part of the act that offends Mr. Galston and which he mistakenly characterizes as indoctrination is that prohibiting the actual indoctrination of students and employees in Critical Race Theory. The legislative language at issue presumably is that in Section 2(4)(a) of the Act: It shall constitute discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex under this section to subject any student or employee to training or instruction that espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels such student or employee to believe any of the following concepts[.] There ensue eight concepts: the imputation of oppressed or oppressor status by virtue of ones race and/or sex, the imperative to treat others with greater or lesser respect because of their race and/or sex, the imperative to blame people based upon their race and/or sex for the past actions of others of similar race and/or sex, the imperative to discriminate against people because of their race and/or sex, the imperative that people by virtue of their race and/or sex bear personal responsibility and should feel guilt because of actions committed by others of the same race and/or sex in the past, and the conclusion that merit, excellence, hard work, fairness, neutrality, objectivity, and racial colorblindness are racist or sexist notions and instruments of oppression. It must be added, particularly since Galston leaves it out, that the next sub-section, (2(4)(b), says: Paragraph (a) may not be construed to prohibit discussion of the concepts listed therein as part of a larger course of training or instruction, provided such training or instruction is given in an objective manner without endorsement of the concepts. The Act, therefore, does not bar discussion of anything. It plainly is intended to protect students and teachers from the proselytization and harangue for which purveyors of Critical Race Theory in universities are known. Beyond this, if Galston thinks that a university professor has a First Amendment right to preach the iniquity of the White race to his class, then does he have a comparable right to expound upon other races in the same vein? Or is that a point of logic that you refute by invoking the historical context? Galston, who does not appear to have studied the law, blithely dismisses the arguments made on behalf of the Act in the court actions brought against it. The First Amendment argument put forth by the State of Florida is based upon a line of cases that distinguish between speech that is effectively the universitys and that which is solely the speakers. In Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of Univ. of Va., 515 U.S. 819, 833 (1995), the Supreme Court observes, When the University determines the content of the education it provides, it is the University speaking, and we have permitted the government to regulate the content of what is or is not expressed when it is the speaker or when it enlists private entities to convey its own message. Obviously, the university can require that a professor hired to teach English literature not decide to teach chemistry to his class instead. It also clearly can bar the preaching of racial vituperation to students in a classroom. And what is Critical Race Theory but that? Galston invokes the Peoples Republic of China, suggesting that application of doctrines such as that in the Rosenberger opinion render our universities comparable to theirs in subservience to the state. Such observations betray a certain detachment from reality. To reiterate, the Act does not prohibit discussion of Critical Race Theory, only its promulgation as established truth to an audience of students, a captive audience to the extent that the students have to take the class to graduate. On the other hand, the repression at American universities of conservative viewpoints and Biblical morality, not expressed in the classroom but in articles, tweets, statements, and private conversations, is commonplace today. It includes firings, disciplinary actions, shaming, and ostracism. And the denigration of an entire category of people that Critical Race Theory implies is quite congruent with the persecution of Moslems in the PRC. Galston tells us that he was a student of Allan Bloom and Walter Berns and that he (Galston) taught for three decades at two large universities. It was thus that he learned the distinction between liberal education and indoctrination. Having studied with two of Mr. Blooms most distinguished students and taught as an adjunct professor for a little over a decade in second-rate universities throughout the State of New Jersey as well as at the New School in New York, I also value that distinction. I can only wonder what Galston learned from Allan Bloom or Walter Berns that makes him now side with the hucksters of Critical Race Theory. What exactly do they have to do with liberal education or free inquiry? The piece concludes with quotations from three advisers to Governor Ron DeSantis, which are presented without citation. The statements that the goal of the university is not free inquiry and that education is at heart a political question, are attributed to the City Journals Christopher Rufo. Does Galston actually object to the second statement? Readers of Platos Republic and Aristotles Politics know that no political question is more vital than education. That the legislator must, therefore, make the education of the young his object above all would be disputed by no one, says Aristotle at the beginning of Book 8 of the latter work. And Platos most famous book on politics is also the book on education, according to Alan Bloom in The Closing of the American Mind. A nation is made, continually remade, and potentially altered by the education of the young. The Left has long known this, which is why it wants education at all levels in its clutches. I frankly do not know where Galston found the other statement attributed to Rufo ([T]he goal of the university is not free inquiry). In Rufos recent column in the New York Times, he observes, The university was conceived as a home for a community of scholars who pursued a variety of disciplines, but were united in a shared commitment to inquiry, research and debate, all directed toward the pursuit of the highest good, rather than the immediate interests of partisan politics. He adds that today many universities have abandoned that mission and replaced it with the pursuit of diversity, equity and inclusion. From which direction does the challenge to liberal education come today? Galston claims to be for such education but seems oblivious to what actually threatens it and maligns those seeking to preserve it. Image: Office of Gov. Ron DeSantis Back in the day, conservative political philosopher Leo Strauss adapted the esoteric/exoteric distinction to politics. He argued that, down the ages, if you wished to challenge The Narrative you needed to do it in an indirect, esoteric way that didn't grab the unwelcome attention of the powerful, but only the people whose minds were tuned to receive your message. So here was I, reading a piece by Victor Davis Hanson for Imprimis in which he discusses the blind violence of the various empires down the ages -- all in the best interest of their victims, of course. Famously, the Athenians sent a naval force to the island of Melos and told the Melians: Youre either with us or against us and if you are against us we will destroy you. So the Athenians killed all the male Melians and enslaved all the women and children. Because. Julius Caesar went into Gaul and killed a million people and enslaved another million, according to Hanson. And yet in Caesars Gallic Wars, and in later Roman literature, we read that Rome brought civilization to Gaul. And here I thought all along that Asterix, Obelix, and Getafix had Julius Caesar and the Romans on the run. But, glorious as empires are, the benefits seldom match the costs. The costs of control seem to outweigh the benefits, even though -- human nature being what it is -- the imperialists tend to be oblivious to the expenses, perhaps because of the power and grandeur that come with empire. Today we have two ambitious empires, writes Hanson: China and Klaus Schwab's globalist WEF for the Davos set. Hanson compares the Davos crowd to Alexander the Great, who killed a couple million in his wars. But it was all for our benefit. Alexander was an effective propagandist, as is the Davos crowd with their argument that the totalitarian rule they want to impose is for our benefit and the larger brotherhood of man. I wonder if Victor Davis Hanson is indirectly telling us -- those of us that can interpret his esoteric narrative -- that the glorious empires of history, from the Roman to the British to the American, aren't all they are cracked up to be, especially after the departure of the imperial founder, the Caesar or the Alexander. He closes with a reference to Rudyard Kipling's "Recessional," a poem written in celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee: Recessional is a poem of lamentation in which Kipling, known to be a great supporter of the British Empire, seems to be warning that it is destined to fail. Maybe he had been studying history. Do you think that Victor Davis Hanson is gently telling us that the Great American Empire is reaching its sell-by date, and that the American Empire is no longer in its glorious expansion years, featuring tough guy Teddy Roosevelt, noble college president Woodrow Wilson, and jolly old Hudson Valley squire Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and that if we continue to act imperial in the age of Obama and Biden -- as we fight the imperial wars of climate and systemic racism -- we are going to encounter the most awful sorrows, as our leaders blunder into disaster after disaster? I think Hanson has made it pretty clear that we don't have any Caesar-grade imperators here in the U.S. right now. But whatabout overseas? I think we can agree that Vladimir Putin is not quite in the major leagues. But whatabout President Xi? Does he have the chops to be a world-class imperial conqueror? Would he even want to conquer an empire? I wonder. China, as I have understood it, already thinks it is the center of the world, and doesn't even need to defend the border that much, because all invaders of China have ended up being sinicized and softened up by Empresses in the Palace. The Belt and Road Initiative, experts agree, is a resumption of the old tribute system that operated when the Middle Kingdom was the center of the world. Of course, as we all know, China was tragically infected with a lethal European intellectual virus about a century ago. The most notable victim of this virus was a certain Mao Zedong, son of a wealthy farmer. It is still not certain whether this pandemic was deliberately created by European imperialist intelligence agencies; more research is needed. But Mao, the unfortunate victim of western intellectual infection, never managed a full recovery from the dread disease now known to intellectual pandemic experts as Marxism. Experts agree that after surviving his Marxist infection Mao caused the death of at least 50 million Chinese, and very likely more. So it is possible that President Xi may stage a world conquest in revenge over the Marxist plague that so devastated China. Or maybe not. Christopher Chantrill @chrischantrill runs the go-to site on US government finances, usgovernmentspending.com. Also get his American Manifesto and his Road to the Middle Class. Image: Chuck Grimmett Jack Torrance, the raging alcoholic character in The Shining, screamed famously in the movie, Im back! Another such character in the real-life horror movie called COVID-19, is the face mask. And like Jack Torrance, the mask is beginning to shout, Im back! According to the CDC, COVID hospitalizations and deaths are creeping up a bit, but overall the numbers are low compared to a few years ago. There is also the issue of with versus from COVID. Someone hospitalized for back or heart surgery who tests positive for COVID will be counted a COVID hospitalization. This is vastly different from a patient with respiratory failure or pneumonia from COVID. Similarly, someone who dies and has a positive COVID test is counted as a COVID death. Examples include gunshot fatalities in Grand County, Colorado classified as COVID deaths because they just happened to be test positive before death or at autopsy. Using that logic, George Floyd died of COVID as he had a positive COVID test on autopsy. America could have been spared billions of dollars in property damage from the George Floyd riots in the summer of 2020 if he was just another COVID fatality. And they are still using the PCR test, which is overly sensitive based on an overly high cycle threshold, a topic I discussed previously. Lastly, we are soon entering flu season. How many of these COVID cases are influenzae or a bad cold? Remember how flu cases disappeared once COVID came to town? Was it because of masks and lockdowns? Or were seasonal flu cases misdiagnosed as COVID? If masks could all but eliminate the flu, why didnt public health officials recommend them previously? Thats all history, but history may be repeating itself, or at least rhyming with the past. Like Jack Torrance, masks are saying, Im back! YouTube screen grab As reported by Newsweek, several places are bringing back mandatory masks. These include the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Santa Rosa, California, Morris Brown College, a small liberal arts school in Atlanta, Georgia, Upstate Medical in Syracuse, New York, and Lionsgate Movie Studio in Santa Monica, California. Contrary to rumor, Rutgers University is not returning to mask mandates. TSA denies Alex Joness claims of mask mandates returning to TSA employees and airplane travelers. A federal judge ruled in April 2022 that the mask mandate was unlawful. Thats comforting, but who knows what the future brings? Arresting your political opponent for questioning election integrity is also unlawful, meaning the law doesnt matter to the current ruling class. Many government agencies promised that COVID vaccines were safe and effective and would stop COVID transmission. Government promises and assurances these days are worth little. Why are masks even an issue over three years since COVID emerged in the U.S.? Cochrane whose [w]ork is internationally recognized as the benchmark for high-quality information about the effectiveness of health care analyzed mask efficacy and found: The pooled results of RCTs did not show a clear reduction in respiratory viral infection with the use of medical/surgical masks. There were no clear differences between the use of medical/surgical masks compared with N95/P2 respirators in healthcare workers when used in routine care to reduce respiratory viral infection. In other words, the standard mask provided no measurable benefit, and neither did the N95 masks, which were deemed comparable to the standard mask for routine medical care and daily life. Let the New York Times, water carrier for the left, explain it clearly. Here it is from the lead author of the above Cochrane review. The most rigorous and comprehensive analysis of scientific studies conducted on the efficacy of masks for reducing the spread of respiratory illnesses including Covid-19 was published late last month. Its conclusions, said Tom Jefferson, the Oxford epidemiologist who is its lead author, were unambiguous. There is just no evidence that they masks make any difference, he told the journalist Maryanne Demasi. Full stop. But wait, hold on. What about N-95 masks, as opposed to lower-quality surgical or cloth masks? Makes no difference none of it, said Jefferson. What about the studies that initially persuaded policymakers to impose mask mandates? They were convinced by nonrandomized studies, flawed observational studies. What about the utility of masks in conjunction with other preventive measures, such as hand hygiene, physical distancing or air filtration? Theres no evidence that many of these things make any difference. Watch Dr. Anthony Fauci on CNN, channeling his inner Ralph Kramden with a homina homina homina, trying to descredit the Cochrane analysis by claiming there are other studies, while ignoring the comprehensive Cochrane meta-analysis. Why dont masks provide the protection that the medical bureaucrats and media promised? The answer is size. From a viral particle size perspective, masks also do little. The COVID virus is 50-140 nm, while the pore size in standard surgical masks is 300 nm to 10,000 nm. This is using a chain-link fence to stop mosquitoes. The CDC inadvertently confirms this. From a July 2023 report on wildfires and smoke, the CDC reminds, Other than N95 respirators, masks that are used to slow the spread of COVID-19 offer little protection against the harmful air pollutants in wildfire smoke. They might protect the wearer from the large particles in wildfire smoke; however, the level of respiratory protection is lower than that of NIOSH-approved N95 respirators, especially for small particles that can injure the lungs. The CDC says standard masks dont work for smoke. They can filter out large particles within smoke, like droplets from someones cough or sneeze, but not the smoke itself. How large are the actual smoke particles? Wildfire smoke is between 0.4-0.7 microns (400-700 nm), much larger than the COVID virus. If the CDC says standard masks dont work for larger smoke particles, why would they work for a smaller respiratory virus? Why hasnt any journalist ever asked that question of Drs. Anthony Fauci or Rochelle Walensky? Or any of the other cable news television doctors telling everyone to mask up? Why is there even talk about masks returning? Once upon a time both Dr. Fauci and Surgeon General Jerome Adams said masking was unnecessary and potentially harmful. That was until COVID mutated from a respiratory virus to a political issue that would dominate the news cycle, conveniently promoting election law changes ahead of a presidential election. Where is the science? Not all masks, wearers, and situations are the same. Schools, grocery stores, and airplanes are not operating rooms. A one-size-fits-all approach, based on fear and control, is the antithesis of science. But it does allow the ruling class to make an end run around the Constitution to enact their agendas without regard for laws, inalienable rights, or the consent of the governed. And dont forget that another presidential election is approaching. Is it time for another government psy-op, like a new variant, leading to lockdowns and masks, in order to change election rules facilitating a predetermined outcome? A quote attributed to author Marie Lu sums it up: The irony of life is that those who wear masks often tell us more truths than those with open faces. Listen carefully to those wearing masks and pushing them on everyone else. Brian C Joondeph, M.D., is a physician and writer. Follow me on Twitter @retinaldoctor, Substack Dr. Brians Substack, Truth Social @BrianJoondeph, and LinkedIn @Brian Joondeph. If the obvious impacts of America's proxy war in Ukraine are lives lost and debt accrued, a quieter impact is the neoconservatives' revival. A few weeks ago, the Biden administration conferred the deputy secretary of state position on Victoria Nuland, a policymaker in almost every 21st-century American intervention abroad and an ardent supporter of our involvement in Ukraine. Recently, William Kristol, who along with Nuland's husband Robert Kagan co-founded the Project for the New American Century, which drove the push for the Iraq invasion, launched a $2-million organization, Republicans for Ukraine, encouraging congressional Republicans to fund the proxy war despite a majority of the public turning against it. Even if history truly does come as tragedy and repeat as farce, the neoconservatives' re-emergence is extraordinary, because Iraq isn't the only tragedy, or farce, on their sixty-year record. This record has nothing to do with the hard-nosed, practical, anti-communist, and anti-Iranian outlook with which it's sometimes associated one shared by many Republicans. Instead, it flows from a broader foreign and domestic project of power accrual and social control driven by ideologues and administrators in Washington, D.C. The project's effects reach wide and deep: though the Center for American Progress and Democracy: A Journal of Ideas feed the Biden White House personnel and policies, their insider playbook was created by the neocons, whose think-tanks and magazines laid the groundwork for an insulated class of political ideologues to wreak their will on the rest of us. Why do their moves keep working? And how can we minimize their influence? Begun in the 1960s by a loose collection of Democratic intellectuals, academics, and administrators like Irving Kristol, Donald Kagan, James Q. Wilson, and Daniel Patrick Moynihan disillusioned by urban and campus unrest, neoconservatism's commitments were formed in the university seminar and its influence in Washington's bureaucracy. Unlike most Republicans, neocons' solution to turmoil on the ground wasn't to relocate power there. Instead, they wanted to replace top-down social programs with top-down moral reforms, "the more orthodox and traditional, the better," to rescue America from decline. Next to the strange extremes of the 1970s left, this approach passed for realism, but at bottom it was lifted from the clean lines of a seminar run by intellectuals or believers an extension of the uncompromising, hermetic ideological battles that Irving Kristol, an ex-Marxist, first waged decades before. Its priorities amounted to supporting a "free market" of deregulations and mergers that disciplined people with productive work, using national enforcement against populations that refused to be disciplined, and uniting a fragmented country to pursue our values and interests against totalitarian enemies abroad. In practice, the approach was messier. "Free trade" after 1990 immiserated laboring populations and put too-big-to-fail American investment banks in hock to China. The Iraq War and post-9/11 administrative growth ballooned the deficit, enriching military contractors and creating a Department of Homeland Security now being turned on Americans. Republicans developed a reputation as racists thanks to militarized law enforcement and rhetoric blaming the effects of outsourcing on genetic or moral failure a legacy the party is overcoming with its growing appeal to a multiracial working class. Finally, progressivism came to power, directly and indirectly, off neoconservatism. The staffers of the Obama and Biden White Houses came from the defense, administrative, and academic sectors neocons helped grow. The invasion of Iraq was used immediately by progressives as an excuse to question America's alliance with Israel, and its long-term failure gave the Obama White House room to launch a pro-Iranian pivot that continues today. And the new war on white nationalism, supported by Bush administration alumni, is the mirror image of the War on Crime, where blue-collar conservative whites are labeled, as black Americans distrustful of the system once were, as backward and morally decayed. How does a movement with this many failures keep influence? The answer is the neocons' tactics. Operating out of magazines like The Public Interest and The Weekly Standard and think-tanks like the American Enterprise Institute and the Project for the New American Century, they seeded the bureaucracy with allies or acolytes and ran insider plays from there. William Kristol, Irving Kristol's son, is the obvious example. A former official in George H.W. Bush's White House, Kristol pushed the invasion of Iraq from his Century Project and featured John DiIulio, a student of James Q. Wilson, urging a "war on crime" in his magazine The Weekly Standard. But he also used the Sunday talk shows to help another insider, George Conway, break the Lewinsky affair: a crusade against immorality that, whatever its merits, featured the government leaks, FBI overreach, and prosecutorial attacks against "misinformation" that we're experiencing in hyperdrive today. Ten years later, Kristol made another doubtful play: pushing the nomination of Sarah Palin for vice president, in what most observers saw as a ploy to get populist votes without delivering populists a real candidate. During those years, a host of neoconservatives made their bones in these establishments, and they've expanded their connections since, spreading a gospel of top-down moral reform despite lacking a constituency. This year alone, you can read David Frum on how "the Next American President Will Need to Defeat Isolationism"; David Brooks on "How to Restore Morality"; Bret Stephens on how "Angry populism is a force that can only be stoked, never assuaged"; and Robert Kagan, Donald Kagan's son, on how our values and interests are inextricable and demand aiding Ukraine. Meantime, ex-representative Liz Cheney traverses the think-tank circuit, and Victoria Nuland puts her ideas into practice at the highest levels of administration. These ideas seem to be working. Ukraine has become a more lethal version of the corporate-and-administrative confluence Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld created in Iraq. Debt increases, along with potential threats, and contractors are enriched, but unlike in Iraq, American casualties are nonexistent, which limits public anger, so the war can go on, imaginably, forever. This isn't a conspiracy; it's the inertia of vested interests acting for their own benefit. Meantime, America is nominally unified around the war by SNL tributes to Ukraine, the silencing of artists with other political commitments, administration-backed Tiktok campaigns, and calls to sustain the "post-World War II American-backed international order." What none of the neocons speak about, except as "Americans' preference to ... avoid ... costs, responsibilities and moral burdens," is on-the-ground consequences of their crusades. Those questions are left to the non-governing professionals in this case, a Republican Party defined by Moms for Liberty; the Florida state Legislature; and anti-debt, prosmall business successors to the Tea Partiers. This ground is the wave of the political future because, as even some of the neocons' sometime-allies once recognized, politics is a different sphere from business or academia. It doesn't depend on acumen or expertise; it depends on understanding and representing, sometimes creatively, the will of the people. The point of that exercise in America, as Madison laid it out, is to let public opinion guide government in a country large enough where politicians could follow the public's general will without being in hock to its specific effects. The neocons are what happens when that order is overturned when politicians, more subject to think-tanks and interest groups than legislatures and associations, don't just try to cool public opinion, but to subvert it. Dick Cheney's famous "So?" when he was told that two thirds of Americans opposed the Iraq War is the most brutal possible summation of their creed and today's progressives, an equally insular and moralistic clique made in academia and fortified in bureaucracy, are their fitting successors. In an era where operators in the existing order are calling on-the-ground Republicans threats to democracy, we need to remind the public that ours is the opposite of neocons and their ilk ours is the party of the people. Matt Wolfson is an ex-leftist investigative journalist; he writes at oppo-research.com and tweets at @ex__Left. Image: Steve Garvie via Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. Historians have observed the relentless creep of American moral values away from those of the Founding Fathers. Progressives see the creep as improvement. More problematic, however, is that some conservatives who notice the creep may seek to restore only the less distorted values of their youth. As played over time, it is a game in which conservatives always lose. For many decades, progressives have cold-brewed a civil war, and only the willfully ignorant do not see that they have now turned on the heat. We must continue to fight in the trenches (election procedures, Second Amendment, schools, courts, media censorship), which within the war analogy are tactical. However, even if we won all those battles, the engines at work behind the scenes would pull us right back to where we are today. We must also aim some monkey wrenches at those invisible engines to further strategic goals as well, even if the effort appears to be of little use to those in the trenches. There is a natural tendency to talk of strategic issues in less precise terms: globalism, forever wars, big pharma, etc. Although useful, these terms distract from identifying the underlying mechanisms. They do not indicate specific targets. I suggest here two strategic targets that, to be within our founding principles, must be amendments to the U.S. Constitution: (1) expiration dates for all treaties and international agreements, and (2) no military draft without a declaration of war. I will first outline how adding them to our discourse could help us now and suggest specific wording afterwards. Time limits on treaties. As President Reagan said, The closest thing to eternal life on earth is a government program, and treaties are government programs with a dash of pomp. In 2020 Senator Josh Hawley introduced a resolution to withdraw from the World Trade Organization (WTO), which determines trade policy for most of the world. The resolution went nowhere. Although the ongoing revelations of the Biden family business may illustrate one reason why the resolution failed, their international shenanigans are Beltway vaudeville. By way of contrast, Mitch McConnells financial disclosures show that most of his personal wealth came from the activities of his wife, who cannot be compelled to testify against him. Mitch is a pro. In 1993, he married Elaine Chao, whose father owned an international shipping company. In 1994, Congress consented to the international agreement establishing the WTO. Since then, many of the D.C. rich have become so because of international trade deals that work outside the view of the American public but have devastating consequences within it. The Swamp will never voluntarily end these arrangements. The United Nations pushes climate change, pandemic control, and other socialist agendas, e.g., sustainable development goals. Unlike the WTO agreement, the UN Charter makes no provisions for withdrawal. Some claim that it is impossible to withdraw, period. A perfect government program! How can we have a representative government if an agreement by those in power three generations ago binds us forever? This question will resonate with younger voters; international schemes are the anti-democratic forces that led to Occupy Wall Street, and the 99% remain. Requiring treaties with continuing obligations to expire has nothing to do with the merits of the treaty. It merely shifts the burden onto those who want it to continue and removes autopilot from the engine pulling us into globalism. No declared war, no draft. During the Vietnam War, a man could be drafted at 18 but, in most states, could not vote until he was 21, a fact poignantly sung by Barry McGuire: Youre old enough to kill, but not for votin. To our credit, the 26th Amendment corrected this in 1971. Two generations of young men have viewed draft registration as a nuisance because enough Americans saw military service as a way to show their love of country and maintained our volunteer military. Not anymore. Many patriotic Americans have come to agree with what Gen. Smedley Butler (a Marine with two Medals of Honor) wrote in the 1930s: I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents. From the D.C. perspective, U.S. military guarantees the proper flow of international money. The Swamp is not monolithic. Most visible are the idiotic Bolsheviks who gleefully push suicidal policies that they actually believe in. Less visible are those who profit from the status quo and who will quietly work to keep it. This latter group is already sending up trial balloons about bringing back a peacetime draft to fill recruitment deficits. And should the draft return, it will be for our daughters as well. As the 2024 election approaches, video clips of a 2012 exchange among Jeff Sessions (then senator), Leon Panetta (Secretary of Defense), and Martin Dempsey (Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman) about the legal basis for committing American troops to combat should be disseminated as widely as possible (Sessions time begins at 1:55; the legal basis comes up at 2:00). All of them agree that they can send Americans to fight in Syria because several governments decided that Syria is now our enemy even though it was our ally in the first Gulf War. However, Sessions finds it breathtaking that Panetta and Dempsey feel the international coalition suffices to commit Americans to combat and that they do not need his permission. As an aside, Sessions voted in 2002 to wage war against Iraq without declaring it; this video shows the creep eliminating that charade. Is there any American willing to be conscripted to further the schemes of men such as these? No, but younger people will need to be warned. These two ideas will not advance as quickly as the 26th Amendment. However, their discussion will focus attention on the proper targets, and their inherent values are consistent with those of our founding. Possible wording: 1. A republican form of government being guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, any treaty or international agreement binding the United States to a continuing obligation shall contain an expiration date to be no later than ten years after its commencement. Five years after passage of this amendment, all treaties and agreements without an expiration date that bind the United States to a continuing obligation shall be rendered null and void. In the interim five years, Congress may reconsider these treaties and agreements and assign expiration dates that are no later than ten years from the passage of this amendment. 2. The Thirteenth Amendment having forbidden involuntary servitude, there shall be no conscription unless Congress has declared war against a state and enables conscription in that declaration. Conscription shall end with the termination of the war. Centinel is a pen name meant to recollect the insight and prescience of the Anti-Federalists. Image: Library of Congress President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a ceremony at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul, Sept. 1. Yonhap North Korea's ever-advancing nuclear and missile programs pose direct and existential threats to the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has said. Yoon made the remark in a written interview with the Indonesian daily Kompas ahead of a visit to Jakarta to attend a series of annual ASEAN-related summits, calling for closer cooperation with the region to deal with threats from the North. Yoon was to depart for Indonesia later Tuesday on a trip that will also take him to India later this week for a summit with leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies. "North Korea's increasing missile provocations and nuclear threats pose direct and existential risks to ASEAN countries," Yoon was quoted as saying. I need to say that I have never examined Joe Biden, Jr., but I have followed medical events in his life and observed his public statements and behavior as vice president and president. Biden does not age gracefully, and his continuing verbal gaffes are alarming. Biden has refused to take the straightforward Montreal mental status exam that Trump passed easily when he was president. In fact, Biden gets defensive when the issue of a cognitive exam is mentioned. During Joe Biden's presidency, serious questions can be raised about his cognitive functioning, decision-making process, leadership, and truthfulness. The developing information associated with revelations stemming from his son Hunter's laptop raise serious and further questions about Joe Biden's character and possible financial corruption. Joe Biden's questionable leadership and behavior can be seen as stemming from overlapping perturbations in his brain, mind, and character. In the 1980s, Joe Biden had two brain surgeries for cerebral aneurisms. The surgeries were successful, but during the second surgery, Biden suffered a post-operative pulmonary embolism, requiring a lengthy stay in the ICU. Such brain surgeries and head injuries can result in predisposition to later dementia and cognitive issues. Brain surgery involving the frontal lobe area can result in impulsive and sexually inappropriate touching behaviors. Tara Reade has accused Joe Biden of such behavior. Biden denied such in he-said, she-said interviews. At public occasions during his vice presidency, Biden is seen on camera manifesting such inappropriate touching behaviors even while he was swearing in a Cabinet secretary when he was vice president. At times, President Biden struggles with working memory and clarity of focus when answering reporters' spontaneous questions, particularly when more than one question is asked or the answer has several parts. Biden often seems rigid, angry, and confused during and after his teleprompter speeches. He often turns his back on reporters and seems irritated at their questions. This pattern can occur in early stages of dementia and could be dangerous for national security. Biden, even years before his brain surgeries, had shown perturbations of character involving prevarications. He once bragged that he had a full scholarship to Syracuse law school and came in the top in his class. Both were lies. Biden has said he drove an eighteen-wheeler truck, which is not true. Biden once claimed he was arrested for demonstrating with Nelson Mandela, which was untrue. During an earlier presidential campaign, Biden was caught plagiarizing political speech material. Such plagiarism was one factor in decreased funding for his presidential campaign and his dropping out of that earlier presidential campaign. Biden's decision-making can be characterized as impulsive and even politically self-aggrandizing and melodramatic. His abrupt and impulsive decision to leave Afghanistan despite other possible options proposed by the military did fulfill a campaign promise, but it was not executed carefully and effectively from many angles of consideration. The consequences for our Afghan friends and allies left behind and Afghan women is devastating. The potential for future al-Qaeda and ISIS attacks is increased in the vacuum our abrupt withdrawal created. Biden had campaigned on green energy proposals toward America's shift to solar, wind, and electric-powered vehicles. However, his abrupt, aggressive rejection of all fossil fuels, industries and pipelines was impulsive. It hurt America because no gradual plan for such change to a higher and effective percentage of renewable energy was implemented. In addition, gas and petroleum products and energy sources are impossible to forever be shut down. Electric cars require fossil fuels for electricity that supports their operation. Medical equipment and implements require oil-based plastic products, as do fertilizers and wrappings for meats and other foods. Cold winters require natural gas and heating oil. In addition, America has made huge progress in clean fossil fuel energy production and utilization via internal combustion engine technology. As time goes on, Joe Biden's behavior is difficult to try to understand. It seems related to overlapping and interrelated issues about his dysfunctional brain, mind, and lifelong character and behaviors. Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0. With his calm voice and authoritative demeanor, Col. Douglas Macgregor gives the initial impression of a knowledgeable and dispassionate observer/analyst. Since the beginning of 2022, the Colonel, with an impeccable American hero background has become the go-to analyst for many in the American conservative media, including Tucker Carlson. Carlson is a top professional and no doubt, has a decent-size crew of researchers even when not on Fox. Given these resources, it's inexplicable that he is charmed by Macgregor, who has not put a foot right in his analysis and predictions since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and actually, even prior to that. Clearly, Macgregors predictions attract those who wish them to come true. Lets examine Macgregors analysis and predictions in the real world, where the war is close to entering its third year and where Ukraine is on the offensive, however slow, costly and uncertain. Image: Col. Douglas Macgregor. YouTube screen grab. Two months before Putin ordered the Russian troops over the borders of Ukraine with Russia and Belarus, Macgregor wrote in The National Interest predicting that the Russian ground forces would [probably] reach their operational objectives along the Dnieper River in as little as three days. Perhaps he was listening to the Russian State TV talk-show hosts disastrous bravado that became a popular Ukrainian meme of Kyiv in three days, though as far as I know, Macgregor doesnt speak Russian. On February 27, 2022, three days after the start of the war he said on Fox News (037): ...the battle in Eastern Ukraine is really almost over. All the Ukrainian troops are being largely surrounded and cut off...the Russians will ultimately annihilate them. In early March 2002, Macgregor explained why his previous prophesy of three days did not happen, allowing the Russians ten more days. After a Putinesque fit of cough (201), Macgregor explains (208): At the first five days, the Russian forces, I think, frankly were too gentle...another ten days this should be completely over...but the eastern part of Ukraine is firmly in Russian hands...They are destroying Ukrainian forces. And then (223), Macgregor lets it all out: Russia...wants a neutral Ukraine. This [the war] could have ended days ago if [Zelensky] accepted that. And then, Macgregor casually continues, they can adjust the borders. So thats what it isnot NATO NATO NATO or neutral Ukraine. Rather, it is a thuggish strong-arm land-robbery, the true aim of the Russian Federation. Macgregor was too honest this time. Ten days later, Macgregor went to Tucker, then still at Fox and with, Tuckers furrowing bushy brows and nodding approval, Macgregor kept his line (3635): The war is really over for the Ukrainians...they have been grounded to bits. Thats year and a half ago. In July 2022, more than a year ago, Macgregor told Charlie Kirk (245): The war, with the exception of Kharkiv and Odessa...is largely over. And finally, facts and numbers. During the most recent, seminal interview with Tucker, Macgregor claimed (2158) that US advanced weapons such as the anti-tank Javelin missile that was supplied to Ukraine was sold to Mexican cartels. This claim is based on a photo of a Mexican gang-member with what looks like an anti-tank missile. Embarrassingly for Macgregor, a supposedly military expert, the photo he refers-to is not a Javelin but a Swedish AT-4 missile (relevant tweet shown at 2227 and here) which is clearly a training-dummy (the bright-yellow marking-ring denotes a non-operative dummy for instruction) and is likely empty with no dummy-missile in it. Then, Macgregor unflinchingly states in the same interview (see 645) that 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers were KIA since the start of the war. This implies that the number of wounded exceeds a million. That would mean the Ukrainian armys irretrievable losses exceed its initial strength! Rolling back to Macgregors September 2022 analysis above, he effectively claimed that the number of dead Ukrainian soldiers has quadrupled in less than 11 months, but maybe he forgot what he said then. The difference between amateur and professional prophets is that the amateurs commit to what will happen and when it will happen while the professionals only warn of fire and brimstone in some foggy future but never give a date or a time. Macgregor should heed that and stop the wishful bias that clouds his analysis. With Joe Biden in the saddle and his wokester Pentagon focused on pronouns, a series of Chinese tourists have been caught trying to penetrate U.S. military bases, all supposedly by accident. What they want is anyones guess, but lets just say that this many coincidences suggest it wasnt benign. According to Military.com, citing the Wall Street Journal: Chinese nationals, who sometimes posed as tourists, accessed U.S. military bases and other sensitive sites around 100 times in recent years, according to an exclusive report by The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper cited U.S. officials, who described the incidents as potential forms of espionage. Last year, the U.S. Department of Defense, FBI, and other agencies held a review to try to curb the frequency of these breaches, which involved unauthorized entries into US military bases and other federal sites, the newspaper reported. Most of the incidents took place in rural areas, away from tourist hotspots and commercial airports, according to the Journal. Theyve turned up as lost scuba-diving and swimming tourists, who somehow made their way into U.S. surveillance stations off Key West and Cape Canaveral. Theyve turned up as lost tourists claiming that they were just looking for a McDonalds, which happened to be on a U.S. military base in the middle of nowhere. Their responses, when caught, appeared scripted. They may have been testing U.S. security responses. They may have been interested in taking pictures. Whatever it was, it wasnt in the U.S. interest. This follows from their brazen weather balloon incident last February, which they claimed was an accident, too. They have a lot of accidents (see, e.g., Joe Bidens enfeebled response to that wandering device hovering over U.S. military bases in the U.S. interior, going from base to base, seems to have emboldened them). It also follows from two fairly recent incidents during President Trumps post-presidency, where Chinese tourists gained access to Mar-a-Lago and began snapping pictures, once again, claiming to be lost tourists, with one using deception to get past the Secret Service and the other resisting arrest. Both ended up in jail for it. Obviously, this is a pattern. In the past, Ive read about this Chinese pattern of surveillance using lost tourists and fishing boats, which is a grain of sand style of intelligence-gathering. Each individual incident is hard to prove as bona fide spying because the targets were seemingly so low value. But taken together, they can form a pretty comprehensive picture of the lay of the land in the states. In the Wall Street Journals original report, officials said that this sort of behavior has stepped up. Obviously, thats because its been so successful in this day and age of Joe Biden, where the greatest national security threat in its addled list of priorities is white supremacists and global warming. Theres a pretty good way to stop at least some of thisby cutting off the tourist visas. That would get their attention, but its unlikely Joe Biden will have the gumption to do that. Hes already shown significant signs that theyve compromised him through Hunter Bidens business dealings, and all those classified documents left unlocked in one of his Delaware mansion garages. Now the Chinese are running circles around him, starting what looks increasingly like a war with little lost tourists in addition to seagoing aggression in the Pacific and actual spies on U.S. military bases, such as have been recently found in San Diego. Meanwhile, the FBI itself has a pretty bad record of guarding its own secrets against Chinese spies. It comes at a bad time, too, when China is topping the U.S. in computer and engineering majors from colleges, is starting to surpass the U.S. in technology, and is gathering a host of new allies around the world. Has the attack on us already started? It looks like its further along than anyone thinks. Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License A British court has held that Britains National Health Service, which has long been the gold standard of socialized medicine, can stop treating a 19-year-old woman who is conscious and wants to live. This is the natural endpoint of the rationing that is inherent in socialized medicine. Ostensibly, socialized medicine promises to give top-quality healthcare to everyone. And if youre a national treasure like Stephen Hawking, you will get that type of care, because it looks really bad if the government lets a renowned physicist with a degenerative disease die because treating him sucks up too many government resources. However, the reality of socialized medicine is that it revolves around rationing. The government has X dollars available for medical care, and it will allocate that money according to a political calculation that doesnt necessarily involve actual healthcare. As Scott Atlas wrote in 2011, when the World Health Organization claimed America was a healthcare failure compared to other, socialized medicine nations, the devil was in the statistical details: In socialized medicine countries, you can see a doctor (although you may wait years to do so), but you wont actually get medical care. And speaking of those damned, lying statistics, another game that countries with socialized medicine play to prop up the appearance that they provide actual medical care is to lie about infant mortality data. The truth behind the claim that America lags in infant mortality compared to the worlds other, socialized-medicine countries is that different countries count live births differently. Countries other than America dont count as live births those fragile infants that probably wont survive. That way, it looks as if more of their infants survive after birth. Image: Empty hospital bed by freepik. Except for the air we breathe, everything in the world is rationed. There are two ways to ration things: market forces and brute force. The cool thing about market forces is that, if something is popular, youll get more of it, and it will eventually come at a lower price and, often, better quality. For example, flash drives used to have a small capacity and a high price, in the hundreds of dollars. Now, they have a huge capacity and are a dime a dozen. Competition drove quality up and prices down. The government, however, neither creates nor innovates. If it wants more of something, it uses its police power to take money from its working citizens. And of course, it will never improve whatever service it provides. Because it cannot innovate, eventually, citizen money will diminish, and the government will start playing favorites, giving more of the finite product to those whom it favors and depriving those who arent on the list. That gets us to 19-year-old ST, a British woman the National Health Service has condemned to death, thanks to a thumbs up from the British judiciary. Jonathan Turley has the details: British doctors are seeking to take a 19-year-old critically ill female patient off the intensive care despite her objections and those of her parents. Unlike most such cases, the woman known only as ST is conscious and communicative. Yet, the doctors argue that she is not being realistic about her chances of survival from a rare disorder. Now a British court has agreed and ordered that she can be placed on end-of-life care against her will. [snip] ST has been in the ICU for the past year, requiring a ventilator and a feeding tube. She also requires regular dialysis due to chronic kidney damage from her disease. She wants to be allowed to travel to Canada for an experimental treatment but the doctors oppose the plan and say that she is not accepting the realities of her terminal illness. They say that she is actively dying without any hope of resuming life outside of intensive care. Remember: This would not happen if ST, a religious woman, were Stephen Hawking, a famous atheist physicist. The government knows who matters and who doesnt, and ST doesnt. The government does not love you and, mostly, doesnt even like you. You are a widget. This contradicts the Judeo-Christian ethic, which holds that every human life has value. Under the socialist ethic, only the government is paramount. You appear as a number in the balance books and, if you dont offer the government an advantage (if you dont shine a good light on it or vote for it), you have no value. And if you have no value, when the rationing starts, youre done for. If anything sounds just a little wretched, try the idea of Joe Biden getting a grand White House briefing, by crisply uniformed men with white gloves, about the muddy shambles going on at the Burning Man bacchanal out in the Nevada desert. According to Yahoo! News, in an item that first ran on Consequence: As of Sunday, upwards of 70,000 attendees of Burning Man were still stranded in Nevadas Black Rock Desert, urged to shelter in place and conserve their food, water, and fuel after storms flooded the festivals grounds. The situation has gotten to the point where President Joe Biden has even been briefed, and Nevadas national guard has offered its assistance. However, Burning Man organizers stress that there is no cause for alarm. Were very pleased and surprised that there has been such a fuss over us, Marian Goodell, CEO of Burning Man Project, told NBC News. Weve made it really clear that we do not see this as an evacuation situation. Meanwhile in a statement posted to Burning Mans official website, organizers wrote, Burning Man is a community of people who are prepared to support one another. We have come here knowing this is a place where we bring everything we need to survive. It is because of this that we are all well-prepared for a weather event like this.. We have done table-top drills for events like this. We are engaged full-time on all aspects of safety and looking ahead to our Exodus as our next priority. Call me crazy, but doesn't this event sound just a little ... Hunter Biden-ish? I was aware of Burning Man long before most people, back in the 1990s in San Francisco. My old news editor, the late great Victor Miller of the New Mission News, told me over breakfast at the Victorian we lived in about it, (yes, it was weird, an editor and all his reporters sharing a Victorian on 21st and Valencia, sitcom-style, listening to bands like Faith No More and Luscious Jackson banging into the night across the street), saying that some Mission District lowlife he knew from the pot and art crowd had planned to go to the Nevada desert, camp out in blazing 100-degree sun, get naked, take all the drugs they could stomach, and after that, go crazy, screaming their high off. Every nut and lunatic and derelict in the Mission was headed for it. It figured. It also sounded gross. But sure enough, it became popular, especially when the Tech Bros got involved a decade later, hoping to get some of that Mission District cred by association. Yes, we were cool. But ... blech. Now it's a rich hippie festival of the very kind Hunter Biden would be comfortable in. Ten thousand dollar tickets, orgies and drugs, and for a certain kind of person, the epitome of jet-set cool. No wonder Joe wanted to know all about it. What's disgusting here is that this mess was self-induced. The hippies knew we were having rains and the recent hurricane had diverted to the high desert instead of the coast. They should have anticipated bad weather. They didn't, and they ended up stuck in the mud and having to conserve food. Most seemed to be pretty game, based on the Twitter videos seen, dancing through it anyway, covered in mud. It was sort of what happened during the Woodstock rock festival of the late 1960s. You can take a heckuva nice vacation to some island in the South Pacific or to some European city for $10,000. These guys in their man buns chose the Nevada mud. Well, that was their choice. The whole thing was their choice. What's even more disgusting is that these feckless dopes are getting more presidential attention than the people who endured real disasters in recent months -- such as the people of Lahaina, Hawaii, whose homes burned to the ground and who were forced to jump into the ocean to evade oncoming gale force-flames, or the people of East Palestine, Ohio, whose air and water and land was completely contaminated by a toxic chemical spill. Unlike the Burning Man crowd, they didn't drop themselves into the predicament they found themselves, they had it forced upon them and were completely blameless. Neither of those issues have been solved and the locals believe Biden has abandoned them. It's doubtful he's paying much attention to these things given that they aren't the sort of places big campaign donors or Hunter Biden's friends might find themselves in the middle of. Why does the Burning Man situation, with its rich wastrels stuck in the mud merit more presidential attention than the victims of these real disasters? It just goes to show where Joe Biden's priorites are. Image: Screen shot from KSL5 TV video, posted on Twitter OSullivans first law: All organizations that are not explicitly right-wing will over time become left-wing. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has declared war on X. This isnt because X is antisemitic. Its because the ADL is a branch of the Democrat party. Elon Musk is vowing to fight back. In 1913, Bnai Brith founded the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) after Fulton County, Georgia, corrupt then and corrupt now, tried and convicted Leo Frank, a Jewish man, for a murder the evidence showed he didnt commit. Since its inception, the ADL focused on addressing antisemitism in America. Everything changed in 2015 when Jonathan Greenblatt became the ADLs CEO. Greenblatt had been Special Assistant to Barack Obama. He is the perfect example of one side of the schism in todays Judaism. On one side are what I call the Torah Jews, those whose values are shaped by the literal words of the first five books of the Bible, along with the Talmud and Midrash (the rabbinical commentaries on the Bible). Depending on their denomination (e.g., Orthodox or Conservative), Torah Jews will follow these guides more or less strictly, but the books are always a backdrop to Torah Jews lifestyles and values. Theyre almost invariably politically conservative. On the other side are the leftist Jews. Theyre very loud about their Jewishness, but their lodestar is leftism. The Democrat party platform sets their values. They have a strong strain of Jewish self-loathing, theyre often hostile to Israel, and they are some of the loudest voices behind the worst leftist policies (e.g., open borders, transgenderism, etc.). Jonathan Greenblatt comes from this second strain of American Judaism. Image: Jonathan Greenblatt (edited). YouTube screen grab. Under Greenblatt, the ADL followed John OSullivans law and moved left. For example, in 2020, the ADL partnered with Al Sharpton, one of Americas most notorious anti-Semites. In 1991, after a car driven in a Jewish motorcade accidentally ran a red light, killing one child and injuring another, Sharptons antisemitic demagoguery led to three days of violent rioting against Jews in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Four years later, Sharptons antisemitic demagoguery resulted in the fire-bombing of a Jewish-owned store in Harlem, killing seven people, none of whom were Jewish. (Liel Leibovitz has much more information about this noxious alignment with Sharpton, which goes against everything the ADL once stood for.) In 2021, the ADL went after Tucker Carlson, not because he was antisemitic (so far as I know, he isnt) but because he opposes open borders. That is, the ADL used an organization that is intended to fight antisemitism to defame someone in order to support the Biden administrations illegal border policies. The ADLs Center on Extremism is as preoccupied with LGBTQ+ issues and Bidens open border as it is with antisemitism. Chaya Raichik (aka Libs of TikTok), an Orthodox Jew, is on the extremism hit list for exposing hospitals that give minors toxic hormones and mutilating surgery. However, if you search for Marc Lamont Hill, an openly antisemitic academic, or Jew-hating members of the Squad, theyre not on the extremist hit list (although the latter show up in the occasional policy press release). If youre a Democrat, you get a pass. Regarding Raichiks war on child mutilation, the ADL contends that its antisemitic to oppose mutilating children in the service of so-called transgenderism. Ironically, one of the things the Nazis, led by Mengele, reveled in was using medicine to mutilate childrens bodies. In addition to having her on its extremism list, the ADL has openly attacked Raichik for exposing the Democrat partys non-stop efforts to indoctrinate children in the finer points of transgenderism and racial politics. Remember when the @ADL, whose stated goal is to stop the defamation of the Jewish people, defamed me? (a jew). The @ADL is a complete joke. pic.twitter.com/cm7qaW82cl Chaya Raichik (@ChayaRaichik10) September 1, 2023 Now, Elon Musk has revealed that the ADL has been trying to deplatform Libs of TikTok. Obviously, this has nothing to do with antisemitism (the ADLs ostensible mission) and everything to do with pushing a leftist political agenda. HOLY SMOKES! Elon just revealed that the ADL, whose goal is to fight anti-semitism pushed to shut down Libs of TikTok which has nothing to do with anti-semitism and is run by an orthodox Jewish woman. https://t.co/PfRU9EQKqo Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) September 4, 2023 It turns out that the attack on Libs of TikTok is part of the ADLs larger effort to paint X as a platform for antisemitism, something thats killing ad revenue. Elon Musk has announced that he will fight back: Who was questioning this? Penny2x (@imPenny2x) September 4, 2023 Our US advertising revenue is still down 60%, primarily due to pressure on advertisers by @ADL (thats what advertisers tell us), so they almost succeeded in killing X/Twitter! Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 4, 2023 If this continues, we will have no choice but to file a defamation suit against, ironically, the Anti-Defamation League. If they lose the defamation suit, we will insist that they drop the the anti part of their name, since obviously Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 4, 2023 The other thing Elon Musk may do is release all data regarding the ADL efforts to silence accounts that are engaging in legal speech (even if someone doesnt like it). As Raichik rightly says, things are about to get wild: BREAKING: Elon suggests he will release all the data relating to the ADL and other organizations pushing to censor and silence X accounts We need a full list of which organizations pushed for censorship and which accounts were affected! THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET WILD pic.twitter.com/SdHmWf9A7T Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) September 4, 2023 Being Jewish, I have no truck with antisemitism. But at least you know where you stand with open antisemites. Under Greenblatts leadership, though, the ADL has turned into a hard left organization that doles out its antisemite and extremist labels, not according to whether a person or group hopes to exterminate Jews, but based upon their alignment with Democrat party values. UPDATE: The execrable Alexander Vindman has inserted himself into the debate, and Scott Adams gives him the slapdown he deserves: I wonder if people like Vindman know how much of a threat they are to humanity. Supporting the ADL ends free speech. And that ends everything else. https://t.co/ANOxdVsN0E Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) September 5, 2023 UPDATE II: The ADL's leftism has a big reach within the U.S. government: As children, we were told that participating matters more than winning or losing. However, as an adult, one learns that there are no trophies for participating and often no silver medal for finishing second. The recent GOP primary debate had participants who were has-beens, pretenders, or hopefuls. President Trump leads his immediate rival Ron DeSantis by about 40 points, according to the RealClearPolitics average. Trump rightly understood that he would have diminished himself had he stood on the crowded stage and exchanged jabs with those who either worked under him or were there due to his endorsement. There was also the risk of an unfavorable occurrence on that stage would become silly anti-Trump meme material. Trump saw no gains in participating in the contest. Instead, Trump collaborated with Tucker Carlson, and released an interview at the time of the debate. Both Tucker and Trump have been wronged by Fox News. Tucker was unceremoniously sacked by Fox News. Fox News prematurely called Arizona in favor of Biden in 2020, and its coverage is seen as favorable to DeSantis. By the end of the night, both Tucker and Trump had their revenge. The interview got over 256 million views on Twitter, while the Fox News debate was watched by 12.8 million people. Ep. 19 Debate Night with Donald J Trump pic.twitter.com/ayPfII48CO Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) August 24, 2023 Even attendees at the debate were watching the interview on their phones. Lol @KariLake is in the audience of the GOP debate watching the Tucker/Trump interview pic.twitter.com/qSSNIjGzOy Colton Duncan (@duncan_colton) August 24, 2023 Trump's arrest in Georgia stole the remaining limelight from the debate. Now for Governor Ron DeSantis, who desperately needed a triumph at the debate. DeSantis needed to replicate Trump's performance during the 2015 GOP primary debates, where Trump eviscerated the then-frontrunner, Jeb Bush, and others to become the sole focus. But DeSantis has neither the showmanship nor the wit to knock out other contenders. His appearance at the debate, much like his other public appearances, was respectable but not remarkable. It seems that his heart is not in it. It causes one to wonder why DeSantis is running in the first place. Perhaps DeSantis's advisers convinced him that he is Trump without the "baggage," the candidate MAGA-supporters dream of. His re-election in 2022 probably added to his delusion of national electability. Trump was blamed for the GOP's underwhelming performance during the 2022 midterms even by some sections of conservative media. They even projected Trump as the past, while DeSantis was called the future of the GOP. But anyone who has been paying even casual attention knows that this is untrue. Trump and his supporters know that the 2020 presidential election was an unfair contest. There was coordinated suppression of the Hunter Biden story by the media, Big Tech, and intelligence services. The Zuckerbucks scandal resulted in Democrat "activists" infiltrating sacrosanct election infrastructure and promoting mail-in ballots. In the end, 69% of voters nationwide cast their ballot nontraditionally i.e., by mail and/or before Election Day. Trump did well during his tenure as president, ensuring prosperity in the U.S. and peace across the world. All of this despite the establishment's attempt to unseat and destroy him. This sinister campaign is likely to continue. Hence, Trump-supporters feel he deserves another chance, and this time, he will be much more effective because of the lessons he learned during his first term. The relentless witch hunts by the establishment also played a huge part in cementing the bond between Trump and his supporters. DeSantis should have grasped this and played it smartly. He should have announced in early 2022 that he does not intend to run but instead remain focused on Florida. This would have created a mystery around him and allowed pundits to build "what-if" scenarios. Experts would have opined that DeSantis would have done very well had he run. DeSantis could have reacted by smiling and reiterating that he had no presidential ambitions. Irrespective of what he really thought, DeSantis should have spoken favorably about Trump and appeared at rallies with him. Perhaps Trump would have made him his running mate, which would have been a big boost. DeSantis should never have breathed a syllable about his presidential ambitions to a soul. By doing so, he would have retained the goodwill of Trump-supporters. They probably would have seen him as the only viable alternative to Trump if Trump was prevented from running. Instead, DeSantis campaigned without officially declaring, a move that is amusing for a few days but annoying when it lasts for months. When he did launch, whatever interest existed had already diminished. At times, an effective campaign speech at a launch can arouse interest, but that didn't happen. In an era of audio and visuals, DeSantis opted for an audio-only Twitter spaces platform. The unstable platform crashed, and the speech was never heard. The "launch" became a subject of ridicule. This wasn't a launch for DeSantis, but instead a crash on the runway during take-off. DeSantis didn't get a second chance to make a first impression. His trailing in the polls has brought him the blemish of being a loser, which never helps a candidate. His body language and hesitation during the debate and his appearance make it obvious that he is under pressure. His usage of the term "listless vessels" to describe some MAGA-supporters appeared desperate and petty. This was the kind of attitude that contributed to the destruction of Hillary Clinton. Does DeSantis not comprehend the fundamental principle that you cannot win over people by insulting them? We know that President Trump is a fierce adversary with a gift for wit. But Trump has never ever mocked voters, even those who do not vote for him. Trump always strikes at those who have the means to fight back they are counterattacks and not unprovoked attacks. So does DeSantis have a path to victory? Even if DeSantis attempts to be confrontational and target Trump, it wont work. Currently, the U.S. political establishment is using all its might to baselessly target President Trump. At such a stage, any harsh attacks on Trump will be perceived as siding with the enemy. What's worse for DeSantis is that Trump continues to dominate the news cycle media. DeSantis is hence running in a contest where he cannot frontally target his chief opponent. Worse, he cannot even steal a smidgen of attention from his chief opponent. Forget about the juggernaut of Trump; DeSantis could not even steal the limelight at the debate from candidates he has bested in the polls. DeSantis could have skipped this contest, much like how Trump skipped the debate, since it is fraught with serious peril and victory is unlikely. But that didn't happen. Unlike Trump, DeSantis seems unaware of the principle in The Art of War that states, "He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight. Such strategic thinking is an essential quality for any leader. Voters will be watching this. But a poor presidential run isn't DeSantis's only concern. Floridians are unlikely to be pleased by their absentee governor. In time, his approval ratings in Florida are likely to plummet. This means the foundation that made him a viable candidate is beginning to weaken. This could be the beginning of the end of a promising political career. Image: Ron DeSantis. Credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0. President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee disembark from the presidential jet upon their arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday. Yonhap President arrives in Jakarta to attend ASEAN summits By Nam Hyun-woo JAKARTA President Yoon Suk Yeol will make efforts to get South Korea, Japan and China cooperating with one another once again during his summit meetings with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in order to pursue a policy of synergy between Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. Yoon arrived, Tuesday, in Jakarta, Indonesia, the first stop on his seven-day trip before making his way to India. He is set to attend multiple summits involving the ASEAN member nations, as well as Japan and China. In an interview with Indonesian news outlet Kompas published earlier in the day, Yoon said South Korea will do its best to reinvigorate trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing as the coordinating country of ASEAN Plus Three. "Cooperation between South Korea, Japan and China should get back on track," Yoon said. "When the three Northeast Asian countries' cooperation gets reinvigorated, the cooperative scheme of ASEAN Plus Three will gain greater momentum, and this will strengthen the ASEAN centrality." ASEAN centrality refers to a concept stated in the ASEAN Charter emphasizing that ASEAN must be the dominant regional platform to overcome common challenges and engage with external powers. During his stay in Jakarta, Yoon is scheduled to attend the ASEAN Plus Three summit. It will also be attended by the leaders of ASEAN along with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The trilateral cooperation scheme between South Korea, Japan and China has diminished in recent months, as Seoul and Tokyo have been improving relations and consolidating their links with the United States, which were enhanced through the Aug. 18 Seoul-Washington-Tokyo summit at the U.S. presidential retreat of Camp David. Against this backdrop, one of the tasks for Yoon during this diplomatic outing is anticipated to be convincing China and ASEAN members that trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo is not targeting China or any other country in particular, but is aimed at enabling peace and stability for the Indo-Pacific region. "It is important that cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan is not aimed at excluding a certain country or countering certain forces, and this is also clearly stated in Seoul's own Indo-Pacific Strategy," Yoon said in the interview. During the diplomatic events in Jakarta, Yoon plans to explore ideas to align ASEAN members' interests with the South Korean government's Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative, Seoul's regional strategy for bolstering ties with ASEAN members in economic as well as strategic fields, such as security and defense. "The peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific is an issue which is connected directly with the peace and stability of the international community," Yoon said. "North Korea's escalating nuclear and missile provocations are becoming tangible threats for ASEAN members as well. In times like these, it is essential for South Korea and ASEAN to unite, respond resolutely and closely coordinate efforts towards North Korea's denuclearization." President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee listen to Korindo Chairman Seung Eun-ho, standing, proposing a toast during Yoon's dinner meeting with South Koreans in Indonesia at a hotel in Jakarta, Tuesday (local time). Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon Android 14 stable release has been delayed until early October according to a new rumor. Initially, it was suspected that Google would release the stable version of the software today, September 5. But its well past the time that Google would normally push out these releases. And now it seems like theres a reason why users arent seeing the software available for download. The delay. This comes from Mishaal Rahman, who posted in a Telegram channel that Google appears to have a new release date for the software. Advertisement Advertisement According to Rahman, the Android 14 source code for the stable release has been delayed until October. On top of that, it seems manufacturers are being told that the vulnerabilities from the Android 14 security release notes will be published specifically on October 4. Which suggests that this might be the new lunch date for the stable version of the software. Naturally, this is just a rumor and hasnt been confirmed by Google yet. So its entirely possible you might see the stable release hit sometime this week or month. Android 14 stable delayed until the Pixel 8 launch The other thing to take into account here is that if this rumor is accurate, then Google is likely planning to launch Android 14 on the same day it officially announces the Pixel 8 series phones. October 4 is already confirmed as the next Pixel event. And with the security release notes vulnerabilities rumored to be published that day, a launch of the software on the same day seems reasonable. It even kind of makes sense. As it always seemed a little weird new software didnt launch the same day as Googles flagship Android phones. All that being said, Rahman notes that September 5 was the originally planned release date. So this shift for public availability on the same day as the Pixel event may have just been the result of the delay. And not necessarily the reason for it. Either way, it seems users wont be getting their hands on Android 14 just yet. The European Union has been one of the few governing bodies trying to control the monopoly of tech giants like Apple. As part of these efforts, it introduced a new law called the Digital Markets Act, which aims to address concerns about the monopolistic behavior of tech giants by singling out certain platforms as gatekeepers, including Apples iMessage service. However, with just days remaining before the gatekeeper designation, Apple is now reportedly challenging the decision, citing the popularity of iMessage in the EU. Apple says that iMessage cant be a gatekeeper service The core objective of the DMA, which was first introduced in October 2020, is to restrict what the EU perceives as the excessive control exercised by major tech companies by labeling their services as gatekeepers. As per the act, for a platform to qualify as a gatekeeper, it should boast an annual turnover exceeding 7.5 billion, a market capitalization surpassing 75 billion, and a user base of over 45 million monthly active users within the EU. Consequently, if iMessage were to be categorized as a gatekeeper service, Apple would be required to open up iMessage to third-party operators. Advertisement Advertisement However, Apple contends that iMessage falls short of this last criterion and does not meet the required 45 million monthly active users in the European region. As a result, the EU should not force it to open its doors to competing apps like WhatsApp. While Apples latest decision could be an issue for the laws enforcement, it also marks a significant shift from its stance in July, wherein the company, alongside Microsoft and other tech giants, issued a general statement acknowledging the applicability of the EUs gatekeeper law without specifying services like iMessage. Microsoft is also in the mix Apple isnt the only one who has recently shifted its stance, as Microsoft has also joined the company in contesting the inclusion of its search engine Bing in the gatekeeper list. Microsoft argues that the EU should not classify its search engine as it only has a market share of 3%. As were getting closer to Apples September event to unveil the iPhone 15, more details about the next generation iPhone surfaced online. According to Phone Arena report, iPhone 15 woven cases might land in 10 different colors. The news comes on the heels of a leak by Kosutami that shared a picture of iPhone 15 new woven cases on his X account. The leaker states that the iPhone 15 cases are made of Eco-fiber Leather and support MagSafe. Kosutami also said Apple will use the same material for new Apple Watch bands. Advertisement Advertisement The new woven cases are supposed to be more eco-friendly and support Apples environmental agenda. Previous iPhone cases were mostly built of leather and drew criticism from environmentalists. Apple iPhone 15 cases are made of eco-fiber leather to be more eco-friendly As per Kosutamis leak, the iPhone 15 woven cases have rubber-wrapped bezels. They are also a bit darker than the primary color. Additionally, the cases will launch in 10 colors, giving customers a wide range of options to choose from. The available colors are Black, Mulberry, Taupe, Evergreen, Pacific Blue, Wisteria, Antique White, Butter Yellow, Orange, and Pink. Kosutami says Apple calls the new cases FineWoven. However, the company marketing team might change its mind ahead of the official launch and reveal its eco-friendly cases under a new name. Replacing leather with eco-fiber leather is probably a part of Apples net-zero plan. The tech giant formerly stated that the reason to remove the charger from iPhone boxes is to prevent mining a significant amount of materials from the earth. The company is also committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030. Apple iPhone 15 will be revealed at the Wonderlust event on September 12. We already know the lineup will land in 10 colors, with four colors dedicated to the Pro models. The phone might replace its famous Lightning port with USB-C. The change is due to the European Unions obligation for a common charging standard in the continent. iPhone 15 is also expected to get a significant makeover. The idea of robots for household work has long been fantasized about in movies and shows dating as far back as the 1920s. However, according to a new report from the BBC, these robots may not be far from reality as Geordie Rose, the CEO of Sanctuary AI, believes that the rapid pace of technological advancements in AI is propelling us toward a future where humanoid robots will be a common sight. This bold prediction stems from Sanctuary AIs next humanoid robot called Phoenix, which aims to be an intelligent machine capable of understanding human needs and executing complex tasks. In a trial conducted in March 2023, the company deployed Phoenix in a store in Vancouver, where the robot performed over 110 retail-related tasks, including picking and packaging merchandise, labelling, tagging, folding, and tidying up the store. Advertisement Advertisement Moreover, the fact that Phoenix was able to handle plastic bags, a task notoriously challenging for robots due to the bags flexible and transparent nature, suggests that this tech could soon find its way into more commercial applications. How is Sanctuary AI training its robots? When asked about the training process, Rose explained that the company, in collaboration with various businesses, has developed a unique system where they film specific tasks and digitize the entire process. Using this data, the company creates a virtual environment that not only replicates objects but also simulates the physical laws governing them, such as gravity and resistance. Once completed, the AI practices these tasks in the virtual world until it attains the required levels of proficiency. Despite all the rigorous training, Rose highlighted that one of the most significant challenges in developing Phoenix lies in providing it with a sense of touch to handle objects effectively. This is because robots cannot yet differentiate between fragile objects, and this leads to a plethora of problems. Will these robots replace humans? While the tech behind Phoenix is an impressive development, whether these robots will ever be able to replace humans is a question that has been a subject of debate for years now. However, if the development is successful, their capacity to perform a wide range of general-purpose tasks could be a significant blow to the human workforce. Rose predicts that robots of Phoenixs calibre will soon become commonplace. The long-term total addressable market is the biggest one thats ever existed in the history of business and technology which is the labour market. Its all of the things we want done, said Rose. The Motorola Edge 40 Neo is coming, and while were waiting for it to launch, the phone appeared at the FCC. The phone appeared with a model number XT2307-1. The Motorola Edge 40 Neo appeared at the FCC, and revealed its battery info That certification confirms that the device will feature a 5,000mAh battery. It will also support 68W fast wired charging. Wireless charging almost certainly will not be a part of the package here. Advertisement Advertisement That is basically everything that the FCC revealed. Luckily, however, more info surfaced earlier. The phones design was revealed, and its specifications also got tipped. So we know exactly what to expect. The device will include two cameras on the back, which will be located in the top-left corner. The phone will have a flat display, and a centered display camera hole. Its bezels will be rather thin. Youll be able to choose between three color options when it arrives. The mentioned colors are: Black Beauty, Caneel Bay, and Soothing Sea. All of them have been shown in the video content that surfaced not long ago. This will be a mid-range smartphone, basically When it comes to specs, this phone will feature a 6.55-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) pOLED display. That panel will support a 144Hz refresh rate. The MediaTek Dimensity 1050 SoC will fuel the phone. You can expect to get 12GB of RAM on the inside, and 256GB of storage. Android 13 will come pre-installed on the Motorola Edge 40 Neo, with the companys MyUX skin on top of it. A 50-megapixel main camera will be joined by a 13-megapixel secondary camera on the back. Were presuming that will be an ultrawide unit. A single 32-megapixel camera will sit on the phones front side. Also, the Motorola Edge 40 Neo will be IP68 certified. So, it will be water and dust-resistant, basically. Thats everything we know about it thus far. Its launch date is also still a mystery. Google is seemingly planning to launch new Pixel Buds Pro colors in order to match the Pixel 8 colors. This information has been shared by Paras Guglani, and 9to5Google made some mockups to show us what the colors will look like, approximately. New Pixel Buds Pro colors are on the horizon due to the Pixel 8 launch First and foremost, were talking about two colors here, Porcelain and Sky Blue. These two colors are supposed to match the Pixel 8 Pro. Weve already seen both of those Pixel 8 colors leak, actually (gallery below). Advertisement Advertisement Now, in regards to the earbuds themselves, as already mentioned, 9to5Google made some mockups. You can see both color variants in the gallery below. These colors are based on the Pixel 8 Pro leaks, so chances are theyre somewhat accurate. If we had to guess, wed say that these new colors will arrive alongside the Pixel 8 series. That means theyll launch on October 4. Google already announced that launch date. The Pixel Watch 2 is also coming The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are not the only products that will launch there, actually. The Pixel Watch 2 is also expected, in addition to these new Pixel Buds Pro color variants. So itll be a packed event. Some people expected a new version of Pixel Buds Pro to arrive, but that wont happen, it seems. The Pixel Buds Pro have been around since July 2022, so theyre over a year old now. Google will wait until probably next year in order to introduce a second-gen model. Those earbuds are still very compelling, and theres simply no reason for Google to go ahead and revamp them. The Pixel Buds A-series earbuds are also available for users who feel no need to get the Pro variant. Were about a month away from Googles event at this point, and more leaks are expected, so brace yourselves. It is no news that Apple is switching to USB-C charging with the iPhone 15, and this might include the AirPods. In a recent Power On update, Mark Gurman points out that the coming AirPods will use USB-C charging ports. While there have been rumors about this change, Gurmans reports solidify the adoption of the USB-C port across Apples soon-to-launch products. Apple fans and critics around the world are in anticipation of the brands coming launch event. This event which Apple calls Wonderlust will bring a major change to most products that would make the launch stage. Playing a major part in this change is the EU, thanks to their requirement for Apple to switch to using USB-C ports on their devices. Advertisement Advertisement This requirement is reported to not only affect the iPhone 15 series but also all AirPods products to launch. To some fans, this change might be a great one, but to Apple, it might just be a slap to the face. Here are the available details on the coming Apple AirPods that will use USB-C charging ports. The iPhone 15 series and the coming Apple AirPods will all launch with USB-C ports Aside from the iPhone 15 series, reports say that Apple will also launch AirPods during the coming launch event. This event will take place on September 12, which is just a few days away and already has fans on their feet. While the iPhone 15 series will feature USB-C charging ports, this article will focus on the AirPods that will launch in a few days. Apple fans can expect the launch of the third-generation AirPods Pros. This pair of wireless earbuds will pack a punch in terms of their performance, but they will also feature a change. Instead of charging with a lightning port, the coming Apple AirPods might charge with a USB-C port. This change is a result of the EUs demand that Apple make the switch to a more conventional charging port. With this change, prospective buyers of the new Apple products will be able to charge all their devices with one cable. Since some MacBooks and iPads already use USB-C ports, this change might not be hard for fans. After this coming launch event, other Apple products to become available next year will come with USB-C ports. On Apples part, the company will be losing its iconic lightning port that it has always ported above USB-C. Lots of critics will look forward to how the company will announce this switch to USB-C ports during the coming launch event. Until then, both fans and critics can stay in expectation of what Apple has in store for consumers. Aside from the iPhone 15 series and the coming Apple AirPods, the company will also launch other products. This might include a new entry to the Apple Watch Series and some software upgrades. Google is preparing to add an eSIM transfer feature to Android. But before it could get around to implementing the feature, Samsung has quietly developed its own solution and rolled it out to Galaxy devices. Spotted by renowned Android expert Mishaal Rahman, Samsungs One UI 5.1 now supports device-to-device eSIM transfer as well as pSIM-to-eSIM (physical SIM to an eSIM) conversion. How to transfer eSIM from one Samsung Galaxy to another? Its not clear when Samsung added this feature to One UI, but if you have compatible Galaxy devices (full list of supported models below), you can transfer your eSIM from one to the other following a few easy steps. Note that both models must be running One UI 5.1 or newer and support the feature. Advertisement Advertisement Firstly, open the Settings app on the phone you want to transfer your eSIM to. Now go to Connections > SIM Manager and tap on add eSIM, followed by other ways to connect to a mobile network. You should now see an option to transfer SIM from another device. Tap on it and go to your old phone, which must have a secure lock screen and be close to your new phone. Unlock your old phone and tap on Transfer to confirm. Youll see a pop-up warning stating that you will no longer be able to use the eSIM on your old device. Tap OK to proceed. Your old phone will then ask you to select your country and service provider/carrier. Once done, youll need to enter a 6-digit verification code shown on your new phones screen on the old phone. Now select your carrier on the new phone, tap on Transfer on your new phone, and then on the old phone to complete the process. How to convert a physical SIM to eSIM on Galaxy devices? Converting a physical SIM to an eSIM on supported Galaxy devices is a breeze. Here are the easy steps. Open the Settings app and go to Connections > SIM Manager. Tap on settings for the physical SIM that you want to convert to an eSIM. Tap on convert to eSIM and confirm your choice in the pop-up menu. Finally, tap on Add and youre done. Advertisement As far as supported Galaxy models are concerned, heres the full list: Galaxy S23 series, Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy S21 series, Galaxy S20 series, Galaxy Note 20 series, Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4, Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Galaxy Z Flip, and Galaxy Fold. The official list doesnt mention the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5, but the latest foldables should support the feature too. They ran One UI 5.1.1 out of the box. Its worth noting that an eSIM transfer and a physical SIM to an eSIM conversion may not work with every service provider in your region. Samsung has provided a list of supported carriers for each supported country here. If youre having problems, you can check out these troubleshooting methods. On Thursday, regarding Trumps Georgia Election Interference. Judge Scott McAfee, a Fulton County judge, made an announcement. He declared that, during the trial of former President Donald Trump for election interference, he would allow press coverage, cameras, and laptops in the courtroom. The court will also livestream the entire trial on YouTube. Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants will face trial on October 23rd. They face multiple racketeering charges related to their actions in Georgia to undermine and overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis labeled these efforts a criminal enterprise aimed at unlawfully keeping Trump in power. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Advertisement Advertisement While some places rarely record court proceedings, Georgia maintains a more open approach. During an interview with Atlanta First News, Atlanta-based attorney Josh Schiffer explained, Georgia courts always welcome the media and the public to observe our legal processes. He emphasized that, unlike many states with strict rules, Georgia courts generally allow judges to decide whether to grant such access. For context, when Trump faced arraignment in New York for alleged financial crimes, the court allowed only still photography. In a Miami case, the court entirely prohibited photography. As a result, the public had limited access to the in-court proceedings of Trumps federal election interference case, with only the Georgia state prosecution providing extensive live streaming coverage. Judge McAfees decision symbolizes a commitment to transparency and openness within the judicial process. It grants both the American public and global audiences the opportunity to closely follow and scrutinize the proceedings in this high-profile case. This represents a significant departure from typical courtroom practices, offering insight into how the legal system handles a case that has captured the nations attention. Point of live streaming Trumps Georgia election trial By live streaming the trial on YouTube, Judge McAfee ensures that people from all backgrounds can witness the trial in real-time. This aligns with Georgias historical approach to courtroom transparency and underscores the evolving role of technology in engaging the public with the justice system. In an era where access to information and transparency in government processes are crucial, Judge McAfees decision sets a remarkable precedent for conducting and sharing high-stakes legal proceedings with the public. It reaffirms the principle that justice should not only be carried out but also witnessed, empowering the public to form their own judgments based on firsthand observations of the trial. While debates may arise about the potential impact of live streaming on the trials conduct or the privacy of the individuals involved, Judge McAfees decision ultimately underscores the importance of open and transparent legal proceedings in a democratic society. It allows the public to hold their leaders accountable and actively participate in the democratic process by closely observing and evaluating legal proceedings that have far-reaching implications for the nation. If you use Windows, then you know how adamantly Microsoft is when trying to push you to using its Edge browser. This is understandable, as the company developed this browser. However, according to The Verge, Microsoft will stop pushing Edge on Windows 11 users in the EU. While its understandable that Microsoft wants users to use its own browser, the company goes a little overboard with it. Even if you have a different browser assigned as the default, youll still find yourself navigating to Edge when you open certain links or do a search. Advertisement Advertisement Thats a bit of an annoyance. When you assign a default browser like Chrome, Firefox, etc., you want it to be used for ALL of your browser needs, not most of them. This has been going on since Windows 10, and Windows 11 adopted this practice. Windows 11 users in the EU wont be pushed to using Edge Folks in Europe who dont like that Microsoft does this wont need to worry for too much longer. Windows 11 users in the EU wont be pushed to using the Edge browser. So, when they use the search feature and click on certain links, theyll navigate to their default browser. This was stated in the official changelog for the test build released last month. In the European Economic Area (EEA), Windows system components use the default browser to open links,. This sounds like good news for people who dont like what Microsoft is doing. The only thing is that its only happening in Europe. When The Verge reached out for comment, the company declined, so were left in the dark. There doesnt seem to be a reason why Microsoft is doing this exclusively for the European market. One reason could just be that the company is merely testing this feature for the European market before pushing it to the rest of the world. However, were not sure why Microsoft would decline to comment. Well just need to wait and see how this story develops. G20 Summit to help bolster global economic recovery 15:40, September 05, 2023 By CAO DESHENG ( Chinadaily.com.cn Premier Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India on September 9 and 10, when leaders and representatives of the Group of 20 nations will gather to discuss measures to boost global economic recovery. Li was invited by the government of India, the rotating presidency of G20 for 2023, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday. The summit takes place at a time when the global economy is facing increased downward pressure, and there are growing difficulties in achieving sustainable development worldwide amid mounting challenges such as the climate change and the ongoing Ukraine crisis. "As the primary forum for international economic cooperation, the G20 nations should strengthen partnerships and collectively address prominent challenges in the international economic and development fields, and actively contribute toward promoting global economic recovery, growth and sustainable development," Mao said at a regular news conference. China hopes that the New Delhi Summit will help build up consensus, send a message of confidence to the world, and promote prosperity and development, she added. The G20 comprises 19 countries Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, United Kingdom and United States and the European Union, representing around 85 percent of the global GDP, over 75 percent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. It is the premier intergovernmental forum for international economic cooperation, and plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues. As the host of this year's summit, India gives priority to green development, climate finance and lifestyle for environment, accelerated, inclusive and resilient growth, accelerating progress on sustainable development goals, technological transformation and digital public infrastructure, multilateral institutions for the 21st century, as well as women-led development. China, as the strong advocate for true multilateralism, is expected to use the summit to underline the need to refocus on the issue of development as the world is confronting multiple crises and challenges, observers said. As the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is due for a midterm review this year, it is important to uphold true multilateralism, forge a global development partnership, and create a secure and stable international environment for shared development, they said. On multiple occasions, China has called on the countries from around the world to practice the Global Development Initiative, proposed by President Xi Jinping, to boost international solidarity and cooperation to promote shared growth globally and jointly address the challenges the world is facing. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Police launched an investigation into the death of an elementary school teacher who was found dead in the sea off the southwestern city of Gunsan last week, officials said Tuesday. Police found the teacher's body in the sea under the Dongbaek Bridge in Gunsan, 178 kilometers south of Seoul, last Friday, one day after the teacher was reported missing. A suicide note bidding farewell to the family was found in the teacher's vehicle that was parked on the bridge. Officials said the Gunsan Coast Guard has recently questioned the dead teacher's three coworkers, including two teachers, about reasons behind the death. They reportedly told the Coast Guard no abnormal signs had been detected. The Coast Guard also plan to summon the school's head soon to question the school chief about the relations with the dead teacher and the teacher's workload. Other colleagues of the dead teacher have stated the teacher had been struggling with a heavy workload and a personal rift with a particular faculty member. The case marks one in a recent series of suicide deaths by school teachers distressed by work-related stress. (Yonhap) (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 5 - The climate crisis is having a profound impact on agricultural production in Italy with the growing cultivation of tropical fruit such as mango, avocado and banana and the migration of crops further north, farmers' association Coldiretti said on Tuesday. One thousand hectares of farmland are already devoted to mango production as a result of rising temperatures and more intense rainfall, according to Coldiretti. The 'tropicalisation' of crops is particularly marked in the southern regions of Sicily, Puglia and Calabria, although changes are also clearly visible in other parts of the country. The Po valley running west-east across north Italy is increasingly becoming host to typically Mediterranean crops such as wheat and tomatoes grown for producing sauce, while the grapes at the base of Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle Dop are grown at 1.200 m above sea level in the Val d'Aosta in the highest vineyards in Europe. Likewise, olive trees are populating the Valtellina valley in the alps, with approximately 10,000 specimens planted in the last ten years. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 5 - Police on Tuesday evicted the last remaining hippies from their homes in Moon Valley near the town of Santa Teresa di Gallura in northern Sardinia. Roughly 30 people were made to leave and each fined 300 euros for illegal camping. The eviction took place peacefully and local council employees then moved in to clear up. The area has been a popular haunt for hippies and naturists since the late 1960s, in spite of a ban on staying there. The hippy residents gave the name to the valley, which over the decades has also become an attraction for visitors to the popular holiday island. However, there have also been cases of rocks covered in graffiti and drawings or used to form makeshift shelters, as well as reports of heavy drug use. (ANSA). (ANSA) - NAPLES, SEP 5 - State, Carabinieri and finance police staged a huge operation on Tuesday to crack down on crime in the Camorra mafia-ridden town of Caivano near Naples, where two cousins aged 10 and 12 were allegedly raped by a group of youths recently. Over 400 officers were employed in dawn raids staged as part of the "Alto Impatto" (High Impact) operation. The rapes shocked the nation and prompted Premier Giorgia Meloni to visit Caivano last week to the show the presence of the State. She said 'no-fly zones' where crime is free to run rampant without State intervention must not tolerated. During Tuesday's raids, the police searched drug dens, identified suspects and found a bag containing 30,000 euros in cash. "The Meloni government is determined to re-assert security and law and order throughout the national territory, starting from areas that have been in difficulty for too long," said Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi. "We started with the big (railway) stations (in big cities), then with (the Rome seaside district of) Ostia and today with Caivano. "In the next few days we will address other problematic environments so that there are no no-fly zones. "The State is working to bring back security in every fringe area of the country". The government is set to crack down on juvenile crime after what happened in Caivano and several other headline-grabbing cases, including that of an 18-year-old woman who was allegedly gang raped by youths in Palermo. The potential new measures range from the possibility of ordering the expulsion from certain urban areas (DASPOs) to minors between 14 and 18 years of age, to verbal warnings from the police commissioner for the same age group, to a beefed-up fight against the spread of firearms. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 5 - The centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD) on Tuesday filed a parliamentary question urging the government to get to the bottom of the 1980 Ustica plane crash that left 81 people dead after former Italian premier Giuliano Amato said at the weekend that he believes a French missile caused the disaster. Amato said the Dc9 Bologna-Palermo flight operated by the now-defunct Itavia airline that crashed into the Tyrrhenian Sea between the islands of Ponza and Ustica on June 27, 1980, was hit in an attempt to assassinate late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He said Gaddafi "evaded the trap" because he was tipped off by late Italian Socialist Party leader and ex-premier Bettino Craxi. After the comments caused a furore, Amato clarified that he did not have any new evidence, saying that he had presented a hypothesis that he considered highly credible in a bid to get the people who did know to reveal the truth. In its question to the government Tuesday, presented in both houses of parliament, the PD asked "what necessary and urgent initiatives does the Italian Government intend to assume at an international level, also via formal requests, to finally ensure the full establishment of the truth of the facts that occurred to the DC9 Itavia in the skies above Ustica on June 27 1980". The French foreign ministry said Saturday that Paris has already given all the information it has in relation to the Ustica air disaster but was ready to cooperate further if called on to do so. Bobo Craxi, Bettino Craxi's son, said his father did give Gaddafi a warning, but it regarded the 1986 US bombing of Libya, in which Gaddafi's months old adopted daughter was allegedly killed in Tripoli. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 5 - Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini's League party said Tuesday that it was against the hypothesis of lowering the threshold for parties to have MEPs elected in European elections from 4% of the vote to 3%. On Monday there were reports that the coalition supporting Premier Giorgia Meloni's government was in talks with some opposition parties about changing the threshold to make it easier for smaller groups to have representation in the European Parliament. Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party reportedly has nothing against the idea. But the League does. "Changing the election law (for the European Parliament) is not a priority," it said in a statement. "Above all, it is right that the Italian people choose their representatives without help (for the candidates)". The League said it would be more logical to raise the entry bar than to lower it. "It would make it possible to limit the fragmentation of the political system that makes the country weaker," it said. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 5 - Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said Tuesday he was ready to report on last week's rail disaster at Brandizzo near Turin in which five track maintenance workers lost their lives. Infrastructures and Transport Minister Salvini is ready to report to Parliament on the Brandizzo railway tragedy, said the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. It said in a statement that '"in light of the 4,000 ANAS rail and road construction sites currently open throughout Italy and in view of the many new works planned, Salvini reiterates: 'There must be maximum attention on safety'".' (ANSA). Two sculptures created by a scandal-tainted artist and activist have been demolished at a central Seoul park, the Seoul city government said Tuesday, following his recent conviction on charges of sexual offense. The demolition of the artworks produced by Lim Ok-sang to commemorate wartime sexual slavery victims was carried out at the "Place of Memory" park on Mount Nam for two days beginning Monday morning, it said. The city government's move came after the 73-year-old Lim was sentenced by a court last month to an imprisonment of six months, suspended for two years, after being convicted of sexually harassing a female employee in 2013. The city government has said keeping sculptures by an artist convicted of sexual offense in the park is an insult to the sexual slavery victims. In his Facebook post, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon denounced an anti-Japan civic group, the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, for staging a rally Monday to oppose the removal of Lim's sculptures from the park. (Yonhap) A key by-election battle can give Scottish Labour momentum right up to the Holyrood elections in 2026, Anas Sarwar has said. The Scottish Labour leader said residents in Rutherglen and Hamilton West can now get closure after three years without adequate representation. The constituencys by-election has been confirmed for October 5 after the seat was vacated by former SNP MP Margaret Ferrier following a successful recall petition after her conviction for breaching Covid restrictions in 2020. It is expected to be an important battleground ahead of the UK general election, which is expected next year, with the SNPs Katy Loudon taking on Labours Michael Shanks. Welcoming the date, Mr Sarwar said: I think its fantastic that we finally have a date and that its going to be as soon as practicably possible from this moment, given than this community has not had adequate representation for the last three years. That has been a failure, of course, on Margaret Ferriers part, but actually a failure on the SNPs part as well. On his partys chances of winning, he said: This is a significant by-election. Theres no escaping that, but we are not complacent. Speaking on how a win would impact the party ahead of next years general election, he said: Weve got to continue that momentum, but that momentum is there for a purpose. For far too long now the people of Scotland and the UK have been let down by two failing governments. It is on! The people of Rutherglen and Hamilton West have been let down by the SNP and the Tories. This is their opportunity to send a message and help deliver the change Scotland needs. https://t.co/s416shXc5m Anas Sarwar (@AnasSarwar) September 4, 2023 Mr Sarwar previously hit out at First Minister Humza Yousafs leadership so far, as he said his opponent was not up to the top job. But he told the PA news agency a win at the upcoming by-election will show that he can be considered for the job of first minister in the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections. He said: I think we have earned the right to be listened to again. Were now earning the right, I think, to be supported again, but weve still go a long way to go. And I want to earn the right for people to regard me as being competitive to become first minister come 2026. Were making good progress on that but thats the ultimate end game, its not just delivering a UK Labour government but delivering a Labour government here in Scotland. The SNPs deputy Westminster leader, Mhairi Black MP, said: This is a remarkable blunder from Anas Sarwar who has admitted that, for Labour, this by-election is not about whats best for the people of Rutherglen and Hamilton West, but more about how it can benefit the Labours party political interests. In contrast, Katy Loudon is the only candidate ready to stand up for the people in Rutherglen and Hamilton West whove faced 13 years of relentless Tory austerity, now supported by Starmers Labour Party. Any suggestion that a Labour MP would represent the people of Rutherglen and Hamilton West is laughable considering their ardent support of the most brutal of Tory policies: the two-child cap, the rape clause, and the damaging Brexit theyve imposed on Scotland against our will. Labour simply cant be trusted to stand up for Scotland. If they hope to ever gain the trust of voters, they need to start by renouncing their support of Tory policies and begin supporting Scotlands democratic right to choose our own future. The Scottish Government was made aware of the risks of collapse-prone concrete last summer, a series of emails appear to show. Correspondence between the Government and local authority officials from July of last year released under freedom of information legislation shows a document prepared by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service being shared in relation to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac). In a briefing, the fire service warns of potential structural collapse of hospitals, the prevalence of asbestos in buildings of this age and the unknown performance of the material in a fire. The UK Government moved to close buildings at 104 schools in England last week, while the Scottish Government has opted to keep schools open and carry out a desk-based review which is expected to take some months to complete. Alex Cole-Hamilton said a year-long head start on the issue had been squandered (Fraser Bremner/Daily Mail/PA) Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, who has been warning of issues with the concrete in recent months, said the head start that could be gained in dealing with the issue had been squandered. On July 8 of last year, an unnamed official within the Scottish Government sent an email to staff members at Falkirk Council and Fife Council, sharing the SFRS document. We are contacting you in your respective roles on the Shops (Scottish heads of property services) and Ades (Association of Directors of Education Scotland) resource networks, they said. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has approached the SG in relation to reinforced autoclaved acerated concrete. We understand that the expectation is that the hazard identification will form part of the normal workplace risk assessment regime under health and safety legislation. Therefore, do you know if there has been any work done to identify schools with Raac in Scotland? The official from Fife responded that West Lothian Council had been dealing with issues relating to Raac, while the Falkirk-based member of staff said they hade never heard of the concrete. Later in the chain, a briefing from West Lothian Council by the authoritys head of finance and property services, which was put before a meeting in June of 2021, was attached. The briefing said nine buildings within the council area had been found to contain Raac concrete, including four primary schools, a secondary school and four community centres. At the time of the meeting, remedial work was undertaken on six of the properties, while three others were receiving inspections every six months with consideration of works to be made. Mr Cole-Hamilton said: These documents suggest that Government officials were made aware of the risks posed by Raac more than a year ago. Both West Lothian council and Scottish Fire and Rescue were sounding the alarm but it seems like ministers didnt listen. Thats a years head start that has been squandered rather than using it to make buildings safe and put in place a national fund to help remove this concrete from public spaces. We need a list of public buildings which contain this dangerous concrete and a ministerial statement explaining why the Government chose not to act despite the warnings. A lawyer who represents the families of a number of Troubles victims has called on the Labour Party to publicly state that it will repeal the Governments controversial legacy Bill if it comes to power. Kevin Winters has also asked the Irish government to confirm it will lodge a legal challenge at the European Court of Human Rights when the proposed legislation becomes law. A spokesperson for the Irish government said it has sought legal advice on the matter. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is set to return to the House of Lords later on Tuesday and is expected to complete its passage through Parliament this week. The Bill includes a form of limited immunity for some perpetrators of crimes committed during the conflict and would also prevent future civil cases and inquests into Troubles offences. All of the main political parties in Northern Ireland and victims groups are opposed to the Bill. Mr Winters, from KRW Law, said both the Labour Party and the Irish government have publicly stated their concerns about the Bill and said they now need to commit to formal legal positions. He said: In November 2022 KRW Law contacted the Irish government and invited them to commit to formally confirming they would lodge an inter-state application before the European Court of Human Rights as soon as the UK legacy Bill receives royal assent and becomes law. To date they have singularly failed to substantively respond. We specifically raised the issue of families in the Republic of Ireland who are the relatives of conflict-related victims who will now be deprived of justice and truth when the Bill is enacted. That has made no difference in terms of securing a response. There is now a real opportunity for the Taoiseach to formalise legally what he has said politically. A number of protests have taken place against the Governments legacy Bill (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The Irish government cannot let this moment pass without pressing for an inter-state application. Mr Winters said he had also written to the leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer asking him to confirm the legislation would be repealed. He added: Equally disappointing is the absence of any acknowledgement on what was a reasonable request to commit to a legal position on this matter. Our submission was proportionate and responsive to otherwise very strong political condemnation by Keir Starmer and Peter Kyle (former shadow Northern Ireland secretary). The complete absence of any meaningful response by either the Irish government or the Labour Party to these respective requests serves only to undermine the integrity of their respective opposition to the legacy Bill. A real opportunity is being missed here to gain maximum credibility by committing to a legal position on foot of what has been said publicly. The Labour Party has been approached for comment. In January of this year, Sir Keir told an audience at Queens University that he would repeal the legislation if he became prime minister. Senator Emer Currie, Fine Gaels spokeswoman for Northern Ireland, said the Irish Government should consider an inter-state challenge to the European Court of Human Rights, as it could be the only way to stop the Bill. As the Bill becomes law our best hope to stop it is through an inter-state challenge, before irreparable harm is done to victims rights, victims voices, to truth and justice for all, she said. This is the route I believe the Irish Government should take. A spokesperson for Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs said the Irish government had been clear and consistent in our opposition to the Bill. The Irish government said Tanaiste Micheal Martin had sought legal advice over the UK Governments legacy Bill (Stefan Rousseau/PA) A statement said: The Tanaiste (Micheal Martin) has raised the governments concerns around this legislation with British counterparts on multiple occasions. Most recently, with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris on Saturday. The spokesman added: The government are aware of calls for consideration of the initiation of an inter-state case against the United Kingdom before the European Court of Human Rights in relation to the UK legacy Bill. As the Tanaiste stated at the weekend, he has sought legal advice on this matter and when that advice is received the government will consider what subsequent action will be taken. The Northern Ireland Office said earlier this week that a new approach was needed to deliver greater information, accountability and acknowledgement to victims and families affected by the Troubles. A spokesperson said: The Governments legislation provides a framework that will enable the Independent Commission for Reconciliation & Information Recovery (ICRIR) to deliver effective legacy mechanisms, while complying with our international obligations. The ICRIR, established by the Bill, has a primary objective to provide information to families, victims and survivors. Since the Bills introduction, a number of substantive UK Government amendments have been adopted to the legislation that address a number of key issues raised by stakeholders. British actor Matt Smith is to return to the West End leading a cast in a reimagining of Henrik Ibsens play An Enemy Of The People. The House Of The Dragon actor, 40, said he is looking forward to returning to the Duke of Yorks Theatre starring as Thomas Stockmann, having last appeared at the theatre in Polly Stenhams production of That Face in 2008. Smith last appeared on stage opposite Claire Foy in Lungs, which played at the Old Vic in 2019 as well as socially distanced virtual performances during the 2020 lockdown. The Ibsen play, which will open for a limited run on February 20 until April 6 next year, is German theatre director Thomas Ostermeiers West End debut. He described the play as more relevant than ever amid the global climate crisis. Smith, who starred in The Crown as the late Duke of Edinburgh and as the Time Lord in Doctor Who, said: Thomas Ostermeier pushes the form and boundaries of theatre, I have been a fan for quite some time. Seeing his Richard III with Lars Eidinger was electric. When I heard he was interested in coming to the British stage for the first time, with Ibsens classic An Enemy Of The People, I was delighted to say the least. It is an honour to be able to work with him on this great play and become part of this unique project. Were beginning an exciting casting process, and I very much look forward to returning to the Duke of Yorks Theatre early next year. The production, which has been adapted several times for the screen and stage, tells a thought-provoking story about truth in a society driven by power and money, theatre producer David Binder Productions said. It will see Smiths character make a discovery about the healing waters in his local baths but those with everything to lose refuse to accept his word, with the story breaking beyond the boundaries of contaminated water. An Enemy Of The People (David Binder Productions and Wessex/PA) The adaptation set for the Duke of Yorks Theatre was originally produced in German at the Schaubuhne Berlin by Ostermeier and Florian Borchmeyer. Ostermeier, 55, said: As we face the immediate impact of climate change and global warming, and our seeming incapacity to change these burning threats, Ibsens An Enemy Of The People is unfortunately more relevant than ever. This is an urgent reason to create an English version of the production for London, and I look forward to collaborating with Matt Smith, an actor whose body of work I greatly admire. The full company will be announced shortly, the production company said on Tuesday. Tickets for the play are set for public sale on September 21. The response to the crumbling concrete crisis has been world-leading, an education minister said despite ordering the full or partial closure of more than 100 schools in England just before the start of term. Schools Minister Nick Gibbs comments came after his boss Gillian Keegan said she was frustrated that no one was acknowledging what a f****** good job she was doing. Mr Gibb said the Department for Education (DfE) was acting to keep children safe from the risk posed by collapse-prone reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac). Asked about the Education Secretarys sweary outburst, Mr Gibb told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: What she was trying to get across is the huge amount of work that the DfE has done. We are world-leading in terms of identifying where Raac is in our school estate. Were talking about a small number of schools out of 22,500 schools, but we have conducted surveys since March last year, so we know where Raac is, and were sending in surveyors to identify Raac. Pupils from Corpus Christi Catholic School, Brixton arrive at St Martins in the Field Girls School in London, as they are relocated after their school was affected with sub standard reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Yui Mok/PA) And then the decision was taken, an important decision was taken last Thursday to keep children safe with new evidence that emerged about non-critical Raac that we now believe is unsafe, and we took the difficult decision because we want to keep children safe. Mr Gibb promised a list of schools affected will be published before Friday as he put the delay down to the need for it to be accurate. In criticism caught on camera after an interview on Monday, a frustrated Ms Keegan hit out at those who she argued had sat on their arse and done nothing. She also questioned why no one was saying youve done a f****** good job, before being forced to go before broadcasters to apologise for the language she used. Ms Keegan went on to admit to being on holiday in Spain in the run up to ordering more than 100 schools and colleges in England to make complete or partial closures. She was mocked on Tuesday for tweeting a graphic saying most schools unaffected by the Raac crisis, with Labour quick to post a spoof saying most beachgoers not eaten by big shark, in reference to the stance of the mayor in the movie Jaws. The Education Secretary was facing her Cabinet colleagues on Tuesday morning as the Prime Minister assembled his top team for their first meeting since returning from the long Commons summer break. Ministers have been accused of taking a sticking plaster approach to essential maintenance by the head of the Whitehall spending watchdog. Writing in the Times, National Audit Office chief Gareth Davies suggested that there had not been sufficient focus on unflashy but essential tasks such as maintaining public buildings that have faced underinvestment. Schools Minister Nick Gibb said the Department for Education had put in place a world-leading response (Victoria Jones/PA) Mr Gibb said he did not accept the charge, telling Sky News: Were spending 1.8 billion a year and we are taking more proactive action on that than any other government in the world. He also sought to defend Rishi Sunaks decision-making while chancellor, after he was accused by a former top official at the DfE of having declined a request for funding to rebuild more schools at the time. But Mr Gibb admitted that the DfE asked for funding to overhaul 200 schools a year in 2021 only for Mr Sunak to grant funding for just 50 a year. We put in a bid for 200, but what Rishi agreed to was to continue the rebuilding programme with 50 a year, consistent with what wed been doing since we came into office, the minister told Sky. Of course we put in a bid for 200, but of course the Treasury then has to compare that with all the other priorities from right across Whitehall, from the health service, defence, and so on. On Monday, the Prime Minister admitted hundreds more schools could have been built with problematic Raac. I want to reassure parents that we are doing everything we can to support the minority of schools & colleges affected by RAAC. Here's how were ensuring the safety of pupils & staff, while mitigating the disruption to education. Thread 1/4 pic.twitter.com/JpW6oetO1W Gillian Keegan MP (@GillianKeegan) September 5, 2023 He insisted that 95% of Englands schools were unaffected, leaving open the possibility that more than a thousand could still be impacted by the collapse-risk material. Downing Street said the total number was expected to be in the hundreds rather than the thousands. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was unforgivable that children were missing the start of term due to the crumbling concrete crisis. Opening a meeting of his reshuffled shadow cabinet, Sir Keir said: Children are not at school today because of the action the Government has failed to take in relation to schools. That is unforgivable. It is a metaphor, frankly, for their sticking plaster politics: never fixing the fundamentals always sticking plasters. Labours plans would bring above-average investment but could still mean a squeeze on budgets for repairing schools and hospitals, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said. Against a background of concern about underinvestment in school buildings, the respected think tank suggested Labours proposals for a 28 billion Green Prosperity Plan would increase investment to 60% higher than the average for the last 45 years. The plan involves making the UK a clean energy superpower by 2030, decarbonising the energy system, setting up a publicly-owned green power generator and investing in areas such as battery factories, clean steel and green hydrogen. The IFS estimated this would mean, by the end of the next parliament, an extra 20 billion being spent per year on top of the 8 billion the Conservatives have already planned, increasing public sector investment to 2.6% of GDP compared to an average of 1.6% since the late 1970s. Labour has pledged more money for clean power regeneration, but the IFS said its impact would depend on how the billions were spent (Ben Birchall/PA) But Ben Zaranko, senior research economist at the IFS, said the plans impact would depend on the money being well spent while the focus on green investments could mean a real-terms squeeze on spending in other parts of the public sector. He said: Current policy is for overall capital spending to be held more or less flat in cash terms after 202324. The additional investment promised by Labour is all earmarked for green projects which support the UKs transition to net zero. This implies that even under Labour, non-green investment would be frozen in cash terms. In other words, both parties plans imply a real-terms squeeze on other areas of public investment. He added: It is clear that the specifics of things such as how Labour would redesign the Contracts for Difference scheme, or how its 2 billion Battery Power Fund would work, or how the new publicly owned energy company functions, will determine whether or not these are billions well spent. Remedial work being carried out at a school containing sub-standard reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Jacob King/PA) Public sector investment has fallen since 2010 with significant cuts to Whitehalls capital budgets in the decade up to 2020, which Labour is now blaming for the crumbling state of schools and other public buildings. The Governments current plans would see little increase in investment after next year, and Labour has so far not said it would change that but plans to lay out its full investment programme ahead of the next general election. Jonathan Ashworth, who was made shadow paymaster general in Mondays reshuffle, declined to say whether Labour would introduce a broader school rebuilding programme if it wins the next election when asked by Sky News on Tuesday. A Labour spokesman said: Labours plan to invest in Britain will boost growth, cut household bills and make working people in all parts of the country better off. TikTok has confirmed that its first European data centre in Ireland is now operational and the social media giant has begun to migrate European user data to the site, as part of its ongoing response to data privacy concerns around the apps links to China. The centre in Dublin is the first of three in Europe to be built and will house data from TikTok users from across the European Economic Area (EEA), the UK and Switzerland. The social media giants construction of the centres comes as it faces ongoing scrutiny from regulators around the world over its links to China. TikTok, which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, has long said it does not share data with China, but critics fear it could be compelled to expose data to Beijing, with growing concerns about how President Xi Jinpings administration could use technology against the West. Earlier this year, the UK Government banned ministers from using the video-sharing app on their work phones following a security review, and a number of other governments around the world have also introduced similar bans. As part of an initiative called Project Clover, TikTok had set out plans to build three new data centres in Europe two in Ireland and one in Norway to enable more local data storage, reduce data transfers across regions and reduce employee access to user data as part of its response to privacy fears. In an update on the project and alongside the announcement of the first data centre coming online, TikTok vice president for public policy in Europe, Theo Bertram, said a third-party security company would also be used to independently audit TikToks work at the data centre. Weve committed to storing our European user data locally by default, by establishing three new data centres in Europe, Mr Bertram said in a blog post. Our first data centre in Dublin, Ireland, is now operational and migration of European user data to the centre has begun. The other two data centres in Norway and Ireland are under construction. TikTok faces ongoing scrutiny from regulators around the world over its links to China (PA) We have engaged a third-party European security company to independently audit our data controls and protections, monitor data flows, provide independent verification, and report any incidents. We are pleased to announce that NCC Group will conduct this oversight of our data security measures. Mr Bertram added that the NCC Group would independently validate that only approved employees can access limited data types and carry out a number of other security controls. All of these controls and operations are designed to ensure that the data of our European users is safeguarded in a specially-designed protective environment, and can only be accessed by approved employees subject to strict independent oversight and verification, he said. Stephen Bailey, global director of privacy at NCC Group, said the set-up means European and UK TikTok users can have confidence in the enhanced data security standards that TikTok is setting, which go above and beyond European regulatory requirements. The number of golden eagles in southern Scotland has risen to its highest in three hundred years, according to experts. Project managers running a translocation scheme have revealed eight more chicks were successfully moved from other parts of the country to a secret location in south Scotland this summer to boost previously low numbers. It means the total number of golden eagles in the south has reached about 46 the highest number recorded in the area for three centuries and more than quadruple previous counts. Before the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project began, there were believed to only be between two and four pairs of golden eagles across Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders. Project managers have further revealed two birds named Edward and Iona moved to the area three years apart have now paired up in a confidential location close to the town of Moffat. The burgh, which was named as Scotlands first Eagle Town in 2021, is hosting the UKs only Eagle Festival between September 22 and 24 this year. Now in its third year, the Moffat Eagle Festival is organised to help secure support for the projects continuing conservation efforts and showcase its success in helping golden eagles flourish in southern skies once again. BBC Springwatch presenter Iolo Williams, right, will make a keynote speech at this years Moffat Eagle Festival (BBC/PA) Naturalist and BBC Springwatch presenter, Iolo Williams, who will be the festivals keynote speaker this year, said: The work of this outstanding project is playing a vital role in boosting the small, golden eagle population in the south of the country. It is brilliant to think that there is an even greater chance of seeing this iconic predator, which is so important to maintaining a healthy ecosystem, soaring in southern skies. I cant wait to attend the Moffat Eagle Festival in September, and hopefully quietly spot some of the golden eagles when Im there. Cat Barlow, project manager for the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, added: We are thrilled to bring eight more chicks to the region the greatest number we have transported in any one summer so far, bringing the population of golden eagles in the area to an all-new record high. And were incredibly excited to see some of the first birds that we translocated in the area now nesting together. This is a significant new step in our work to ensure the south of Scotland golden eagle population is self-sustaining and continues to thrive in southern skies for many generations to come. Pip Tabor, manager of the Southern Uplands Partnership, the projects host charity, said: As a top predator, this majestic bird of prey is fundamental to protecting our local eco system. Before our project began, only three pairs were nesting in the south of Scotland. Weve now more than quadrupled the population, and though all seem to have settled in the south of Scotland, some of our birds have even travelled as far south as Forest of Bowland and Nidderdale where the species has been extinct for a number of years. Francesca Osowska, NatureScots chief executive and a passionate supporter of the project, added: The key aim of this exciting project is to increase the number of breeding pairs in the south of Scotland, a vital part of our work to reverse biodiversity loss and combat the climate emergency. With wildlife declining across the globe, it is fantastic to hear that the project has translocated so many eagle chicks once again this year and that theyre seeing such positive signs of potential breeding behaviour taking place. Earlier this year, Scottish Raptor Study Group workers in the Scottish Highlands, Islands, Angus and Perthshire carefully collected chicks from a number of supportive estates under licence from NatureScot before taking them to the release site in a confidential location in the Moffat Hills. The birds were then cared for in specially-designed release aviaries and given supplementary food to help them adjust to their new habitat before their release this summer. Experts at the University of Edinburghs Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies also provided support throughout the process to monitor the health and wellbeing of the birds. Editors Note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travels weekly newsletter. Get the latest news in aviation, food and drink, where to stay and other travel developments. Sometimes, when youre going through something, a little human understanding is all it takes to turn a bad situation around. A very human and humane reaction from an airport staff member was enough to make the day of Luke Barnett and his son Gray. Sixteen-year-old Gray is a cyclist the US national time trial champion for his age group. Competing at national level for several years, and part of the EF Pro Cycling teams junior development program, he travels regularly to races including some in France and Belgium this summer. And to race, you need your equipment so Gray flew his bike over from Greenville, South Carolina, for the event. Hes a very independent kid he handles a lot of the logistical stuff himself, says his father, Luke. We send him on these trips and he gets to Europe by himself and meets up with coaches there. Grays last race was near Lyon, which, happily, his team won. Less happily, what should have been a triumphant flight home Lyon to Brussels, then Brussels back home fell to pieces when his bike didnt make it with him. Luckily, Gray was one of the many people who never travel these days without a luggage tracking device in this case an Apple AirTag. It had been his mothers idea when he started traveling regularly for races. A moms intuition, as Barnett says. Grays device showed his bike was at Brussels where he had connected to his flight to the US. His journey had been operated by two different, code-sharing airlines: Brussels Airlines from Lyon to Brussels, then United to the US. But although both airlines are partners of Star Alliance, and although the ticket had been booked through United, United wasnt helping locate his bag. And after a few days of no leads, Grays dad, Luke, asked his son if hed mind him getting involved too. The bike is worth $12,000 its a team bike, but its the principle, and it was specific for him, with measurements for his riding style, says Luke Barnett. Also, he needs it to train he has an event in Vermont in a couple of weeks. No movement on any front Barnett could see the bike was at Brussels Airport, where he'd connected. - Hatim Kaghat/Belga Mag/AFP/Getty Images Gray had already been in contact with Brussels Airlines; his dad decided to try United. From the moment it failed to arrive in Greenville, the bag hadnt moved from the arrivals area at Brussels Airport, according to the AirTag. But although he told United representatives on their baggage hotline exactly where the bag was, they couldnt help. I said, I expect its in the baggage claim room, and we just need someone from United to walk there, get it and send it to us, says Barnett. They said, Well, based on our records, Brussels Airlines have the bag and need to give it to us. They said theyd message Brussels Airlines. A couple of days later I called Brussels Airlines, but they said, United booked your ticket, were not going to talk to you. So I went back to United and they just said theyd send another message to Brussels. I was saying, I just needed someone to care enough to take 15 minutes to walk over and get the bag. He tried appealing to each individuals good nature, explaining how important the bike was to Gray, offering to send photos, and asking for callbacks. On his third call, a United staffer asked him to send a picture of the location. They hadnt done that before, he says. But he never heard another word. Barnett wasnt panicking yet the fact that the AirTag hadnt moved an inch in several days suggested that it was safely in some kind of baggage repository, he reckoned. But when Gray had first filed his claim, hed received an email saying that bags are available for pickup for 10 days at the Brussels arrivals hall. There was no mention of what would happen after 10 days. The countdown was on. Barnett tagged United in a post on Facebook, then X (formerly known as Twitter), after someone advised him that was a better option. Sure enough, the airlines social media team messaged him back. It was ironic that I wasnt getting help from the call center, but was making more headway through direct messages on Twitter, he says. In the meantime, he filed a complaint with United for their lack of action. He got a form response back, saying hed receive a reply in 14 to 21 days or eight weeks as the maximum. Considerably more than the 10 days that they were working to. On the advice of a friend, he also filed a complaint with the US Department of Transport. Enter Ella Barnett is US national time trial champion for his age group and competes with the EF Pro Cycling team's junior development program. - Luke Barnett So with the airlines (which should have been helping) not helping, Barnett tried a different tactic asking the airport. He filled in the contact form for Brussels Airport, telling them the situation, explaining where the bike was, and begging for help. Initially, he got standard replies that airlines, not airports, are responsible for passengers bags, and that nobody could help him. But after he persisted with two more pleading messages, he got a different person responding: Ella. We went to the baggage reclaim for you but could not find your baggage. In the file is indicated a bike bag. Could you please describe the baggage or maybe you have a picture of it? she wrote. Barnett replied with the location as tracked by AirTag, and two photos of Gray with the bike bag to show her its size. I will go back once more at the end of my shift, came the answer. And then, less than an hour later: Dear Luke, Thank you for your patience. We have found your baggage. They will send it tomorrow on flight UA 2337 to Greenville via Chicago. Ella wasnt joking. As soon as the email came through, Gray checked his phone. The AirTag was already in a different part of the airport. The next day, it moved again, popped up in Chicago, disappeared again and bleeped from Greenville at 11 p.m.. Airlines are supposed to courier lost bags direct to passengers, but they didnt want to wait. Barnett jumped in the car and rushed to the airport, where the bag was waiting for him. I just needed someone to care Ella Dollinschi went above and beyond to recover Barnett's bike at Brussels Airport. - Brussels Airport Company So who is Ella, the mysterious star of the happy tale? Shes Ella Dollinschi, a customer care agent at Brussels Airport. I made sure to help this passenger because I felt he was in a situation where he was a bit lost and didnt get the help he needed, she told CNN by email. I think its important to help our passengers, even if it is beyond my skills and duties. It wasnt that much of an effort to go looking for the bag in the stock of the handlers. And in general, I think its important to help other people from a humane perspective. Luke and Gray Barnett certainly agree. I just needed someone to care, and finally found someone who did, says Luke. Of course, it was being able to precision-point the bags location that emboldened the pair in their hunt for the bag. I dont know what would have happened if we hadnt had the AirTag, says Barnett. If I couldnt have told Ella where it was, how much longer would it have taken? After a certain number of days go by, does [lost luggage] reach a department that does adequate diligence? It seems to me that the airlines dont do anything for the first few days. I really dont know if wed have got it back. Its scary to think about. A broken system Ella Dollinschi arranged to send the bag to Chicago O'Hare. It then made its way to Greenville. - Scott Olson/Getty Images As someone who works with financial institutions to create processes that cut expenses, Barnett has less praise for the airlines. If airlines were better, theyd save so much money, he says. How many times did I call? How long will it take them to respond to the DoT? To respond on social media? The reputational cost of my post on Facebook? I cant imagine how much money they could have saved on my case and if you magnify that by the number of all these [lost baggage] cases, theyd save a lot of money if they were better at this. The whole system feels like its broken. His ire rests mainly with United who took his money for the ticket. They should have taken more ownership I think its funny that the airport took action when they werent the responsible party, he says. United said in a statement: We worked with Mr Barnett to reroute his bike to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport as soon as the other airline gave it to us. Weve apologized to Mr. Barnett for the delay and provided travel credits to use toward a future flight. Barnett says hes received $150 in credits. It cost $400 to check the bike for its journey. Its not all negative Barnett believes the experience taught his son an important life lesson about polite persistence: I love the fact that he has these experiences. I love that he travels without his parents in his pocket. Im happy that he had the experience, and we resolved it together. Having said that: Hell probably never check a bag without an AirTag for the rest of his life. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com During a summer marked by a surge in travel, the Transportation Security Administration reports 227 million screenings since Memorial Day. Despite the sweltering heat and the leaves yet to turn colors, experts suggest it might already be the right time to start planning your next adventure. Courtney Pohlman of Chicago is a prime example. As she prepared for her Labor Day trip to the Dominican Republic, she already booked a Christmas getaway to Paris. Pohlman said, "I was watching flights, and they're cheap. So I bought 'em." Hayley Berg, the lead economist at airfare tracker Hopper, advises booking major holiday travel by Oct. 14. "It's the sweet spot," Berg said. "And you should book both Thanksgiving and Christmas travel. Not just Thanksgiving. We wait too long to book Christmas travel and miss out on the best prices." But not everyone plans ahead. The Hedayat sisters, Camellia, Samira, and Nadia, admit to being last-minute travelers, saying they don't book travel until the week before a trip. Others, like LeRoy Fletcher and Denise Brown-Fletcher, book travel around "late September," which travel experts recommend. "The idea is to get your reservation two months out as far as pricing is concerned," LeRoy Fletcher said. Airfares have been on a downward trend, with 11 out of the last 14 months seeing declines. Hopper reports that domestic flights averaged $226 for a round trip for Labor Day, down 11% from the previous year and down 20% from 2019. European flights are also seeing a drop in prices, with an average cost of around $1,130down from last year, but up from 2019. Meanwhile, international airfares will also be higher for the rest of this year, Berg said. "This holiday season, we are expecting the international airfare will remain higher than pre pandemic levels," she said. "So for those travelers who typically do an international getaway, this over the holidays, we might recommend looking at domestic or more regional routes that are gonna be a bit less expensive." When hunting for the best deals, experts recommend flexibility in your travel dates and destinations. Avoid booking on traditionally busy days, and consider checking out nearby airports for potential savings. Search expanded for escaped killer in Pennsylvania Escaped killer spotted near Philadelphia, but search continues North Korea-Russia arms deal eyed as Kim Jong Un and Putin plan meeting Teachers shed tears during a memorial ceremony at Seoul Seo2 Elementary School in southern Seoul, Monday, mourning a teacher who took her own life inside her classroom in July. Yonhap Education minister vows to meet with teachers every week By Jun Ji-hye Teachers, who have taken to the streets following the tragic suicides of colleagues, are calling for prompt amendments to laws related to child abuse crimes, saying it is the most urgent measure needed to better protect educators in the workplace. The calls came due to the belief that a serious infringement of teachers' rights by some parents was behind the deaths of their colleagues, though police investigations into their deaths are still ongoing. Beginning with the suicide of a young teacher at Seoul Seo2 Elementary School in southern Seoul on July 18, two more elementary school teachers and one high school teacher have ended their lives in recent days. This has fueled the anger of teachers, prompting them to hold massive rallies in Seoul and other parts of the country, including those near the National Assembly on Saturday and Monday, which brought together about 200,000 and 120,000 participants, respectively. A street near the National Assembly is filled with participants from a massive rally, Monday, which was held to commemorate the recent deaths of teachers and to demand proper measures to better protect their rights. Yonhap The teachers said many of them have suffered at the hands of overly demanding parents who have exploited laws and unjustly accused teachers of child abuse, for what the teachers consider to be necessary disciplinary action against students. They said that this practice began when the child welfare law was enhanced in the 2000s and the current special law against child abuse was enforced in 2014. The special law stipulates that anyone must make a report to the police when they become aware of or suspect child abuse. Once a child abuse report has been filed, a teacher even if innocent faces months of being investigated by police and prosecutors. The teachers said that such accusations have been filed indiscriminately and that there have been no proper protections for them. In particular, they said that elementary school teachers have been victimized the most, as evidenced by the fact that 38 schools which did not hold classes on Monday in order to commemorate the deaths of teachers and participate in the collective action were all elementary schools. The Education Ministry also believes that those who participated in the rallies were mostly elementary school teachers, though there have been no official statistics released yet. "There have been countless cases in which teachers suffered from indiscriminate accusations regarding child abuse," said a teacher in her 30s working at an elementary school in Seoul's Yangcheon District. "One of my colleagues faced an accusation of child abuse for calling out loudly the name of a student with problematic behavior. The parents said the teacher humiliated their child. Another colleague faced a similar situation for grabbing the arms of a student to stop a fight with classmates." Referring to several measures announced by the education authorities recently, including the expansion of financial support for teachers facing lawsuits related to child abuse crimes, she said what teachers want is "not temporary measures but systematic protection." Amid growing controversy, the education ministry, together with the Ministry of Justice, decided to form a task force dedicated to preventing cases of false accusations concerning child abuse filed by parents against teachers. The two ministries acknowledged that teachers' rights have been neglected while students' well-being has been emphasized excessively. "Without solving the issue of indiscriminate child abuse accusations that have made teachers lose confidence considerably, we will not be able to right the wrongs of the public education system," Education Minister Lee Ju-ho said, vowing to make efforts to promptly improve the existing system. Education Minister Lee Ju-ho speaks during a meeting with teachers' unions at the Government Complex in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap A speeding car hit a Los Angeles County Fire Department truck in Southern California on Tuesday, killing two people and sending four firefighters to a hospital, state officials said. The fire truck was responding to a medical call just after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday when a speeding blue Chrysler PT Cruiser slammed into it in the Los Angeles suburb of West Compton, according to the California Highway Patrol. The area where is about 15 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles. Photos of the wreck show the PT Cruiser mangled almost beyond recognition, with its front end completely crumped. Labor Day drowning deaths across US: At least 14 dead in boating, swimming incidents over Labor Day weekend across America 4 firefighters injured, two people killed Four firefighters were taken to hospitals to be treated for minor injuries, according to a preliminary highway patrol report obtained by USA TODAY. Two people inside the Chrysler, a 28-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman, were pronounced dead at the scene. A Los Angeles County Fire Department engine on its way to a call was struck by a vehicle on September 5, 2023 in West Compton, the California Highway Patrol reported. Two people died and four firefighters were taken to a hospital after the crash. Their identities were not released in the report, which shows that the man is from Signal Hill, a neighborhood northeast of Long Beach. The collision caused damage to three other vehicles, two of which were unoccupied. No other injuries were reported. 5 teens killed after car flips: Pickup careens over ramp wall onto Georgia interstate, killing 5 teens, injuring 3 others Cause of crash remains under investigation Officer Luis Quintero, a spokesman for the highway patrol, said that troopers are investigating how fast each vehicle was traveling at the time of impact. Troopers are also investigating whether street racing is connected to the crash. The fire department told USA TODAY on Tuesday afternoon it could not comment on the crash due to pending litigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the the highway patrol. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior correspondent 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: Car hits fire truck in Los Angeles, killing 2, injuring 4 firefighters As Covid cases surge again in the U.S., Americans are digging out unused at-home tests that they stashed earlier in the pandemic. Many of those tests may have passed their expiration dates, but dont throw them away just yet. The Food and Drug Administration has extended the expiration dates of many popular at-home test products, which means some of your old kits may still be safe to use. You can check by visiting a page on the FDAs website that lists expiration information for each test brand. Thats the first thing I would do before using an expired test or throwing it away, Andrew Pekosz, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told CNBC. If the date has not changed, the FDA advises against using expired tests. Doing so increases the chance of an inaccurate test result, which could put your or another persons health at risk. A false result carries more risk again as Covid gains a greater foothold nationwide, primarily driven by newer variants of the virus like the now-dominant EG.5 strain, or Eris. Covid hospitalizations jumped nearly 19% last week, marking the sixth straight week of increasing admissions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public health experts say testing remains a critical tool for protection as Covid metrics climb. But lab PCR tests the traditional way of detecting Covid have become more expensive and less accessible for some Americans since the U.S. government ended the public health emergency in May. The end of that declaration also changed how public and private insurers cover at-home tests, potentially leaving some people unable to get those tests for free through their plans. However, certain local health clinics and community sites still offer at-home tests to the public at no cost. Before buying new at-home tests, it wouldnt hurt to check if any expired ones sitting in your medicine cabinet are still safe to use. Heres a walkthrough for how to do that, and everything else you need to know about these tests. How to check for extended expiration dates The FDA website lists Covid test brands alphabetically in a table. Or, you can use a search box to find your test directly. The FDA indicates whether each brand has an extended expiration date. It usually provides a link to a PDF with new expirations for specific test lots. FDA Find your tests lot number which is typically printed next to the expiration date on the packaging and cross-reference it with the information on the PDF. For example, a BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Self Test from lot number 181922 has a new expiration date of Oct. 11. Thats more than a year after its printed date of Sept. 11, 2022, extending the products total shelf life to 22 months. The FDA extends expiration dates when a manufacturer provides data showing that its tests shelf life is longer than what was known when the agency first approved the product. Expiration dates that were initially marked on these tests were sometimes very short because they were based on the available data at the time, Pavitra Roychoudhury, a professor of laboratory medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, told CNBC. But time has passed and more data has been gathered, so we can assess the stability and sensitivity of these tests over longer periods of time now. How at-home tests fare against new variants The majority of at-home tests entered the market long before Eris and other new variants emerged in the U.S. But the FDA and experts say existing at-home tests detect Covid infections caused by those new strains, most of which are descendants of omicron. With EG.5, its very clear that at-home tests as well as many of the other tests that are done at medical institutions, hospitals and other places all recognize that and other currently circulating variants right now, said Johns Hopkins Pekosz. The FDA last week also said existing tests used to detect and medications used to treat COVID-19 continue to be effective with another omicron subvariant called BA.2.86, which has been detected in very small numbers across the U.S. The CDC is tracking that variant because it has a high number of mutations that distinguish it from any other known strain of the virus. So far, there is no evidence that BA.2.86 causes more serious infections than other variants. But recent studies from researchers in China and Sweden suggest that BA.2.86 could be less contagious and less immune-evasive than feared. Overall, it doesnt appear to be nearly as extreme a situation as the original emergence of Omicron, wrote Benjamin Murrell, principal researcher of the Sweden study, in a post on X. NEW PHILADELPHIA Residents on the west side of New Philadelphia are making known their concerns about the proposed route for the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail through the city. A large number of them attended last week's New Philadelphia City Council meeting, objecting to plans to run the hiking and biking trail past West Elementary School and through the Five Points intersection, out of fears for the safety of trail users. 'Stop The Bike Track' signs can be seen along Union Ave., Wednesday, Aug. 30 in New Philadelphia. Those who spoke did express relief that an earlier proposal has been scrapped. It had called for a designated bike lane along Union Avenue with a concrete buffer to separate motorists and cyclists using the street. It would have meant the end of on-street parking on one side of Union Avenue. As a result, "Stop the Bike Track" signs have popped up along the street. The current proposal would retain on-street parking, and a bike lane, marked by painted lines, would be next to the parking area. Where the trail would go The latest proposed route through New Philadelphia would go down Union Avenue and Seventh Street, turn right on Fair Avenue and cross Tuscarawas Avenue at West Elementary. It would then go down Tuscarawas to Five Points, where it would cross W. High Avenue, and continue on Seventh Street to Front Avenue. From there it would turn right on Front and go to county-owned land. It would circle behind the Gradall plant along the Tuscarawas Avenue and end at Waterworks Park. More on the route: Proposed Towpath Trail route in New Philadelphia uses Union, Seventh and Front streets Ken Estep, who lives on Union Avenue, said running the trail through Five Points is a bad idea. "I think to run a bike path through Five Points, we're just asking for somebody to get hurt. That's a complex intersection. I say that as a cyclist. I've ridden my whole life," he told council. "I would not ride my bike through that intersection." Teresa Prince, who lives at the intersection of Seventh Street and Fair Avenue, said she didn't think running the trail through her neighborhood would be safe. "That intersection right there and the intersection of Seventh and Fair are two of the most dangerous intersections in the whole city. When I'm working at home, I see at least two or three cars race right through the stop sign," she said. 'Stop The Bike Track' signs can be seen along Union Ave., Wednesday, Aug. 30 in New Philadelphia. Sherrie Kibler, who lives on Union Avenue, opposed the idea of running the trail past the school. Trail users would cross Tuscarawas Avenue at a crosswalk. Trail consultants have proposed putting some kind of signalization there. "There's a lot of traffic at that school since we've gone away from the neighborhood schools people from all over the city, buses, etc. Anything that adds anything in terms of congestion or traffic is not a good plan. I think to stay away from that school would be a better choice," she said. A challenging task Dan Rice, president and CEO of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, which is working with New Philadelphia to develop the trail, said he appreciates the feedback from residents. "We really appreciate the input from all the neighborhood residents because it has really made the design that much better. We are looking forward to incorporating their feedback," he said, noting that the proposed route has already been changed at least six or eight times. "We fully recognize that this is a very challenging task," he said of planning a route. "In most cases, it is on former canal lands. But in the urban areas, such as Bolivar, Massillon, Akron or Cleveland, if the public right away is gone, we have to get creative." There are still remnants of the Ohio & Erie Canal along the Tuscarawas River in the Dover-New Philadelphia area, but most of them are privately owned. "The challenge would be to try to go back and obtain that right of way, either through an outright purchase or an easement. It could take a really long time. It could be very expensive, and all it would take would be one of those private property owners to say no to prohibit us from utilizing that route," he said. "We've looked at at least 12 different options about how to get from Dover down to Waterworks Park. The proposed routes that we've narrowed it down to are based upon safety and most cost-efficient way to get it done. Is it the most scenic route? The answer would obviously be no. But riding on city streets is not unappealing, but it's different than when you're riding along a river or riding a trail." Rice acknowledged that crossing W. High Avenue is one of the biggest challenges trail designers face, since it is a major artery into the city. Crossing W. High Avenue "If you are going to cross W. High Avenue, you should do it where there is a signalized crossing, where traffic is stopped to allow pedestrians and bicyclists to get across the street," he said. He also agreed that the area around West Elementary is congested, but he noted that no more than 25 or 50 hikers or bikers would be crossing the street there on any given day. Another public meeting is planned once details of the trail route are finalized. Dover's plan: More details emerge on proposed Towpath Trail route through Dover, New Philadelphia When it is completed, the trail will run from New Philadelphia to Cleveland. It is currently completed from Cleveland to Zoarville. Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com. This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Some New Philadelphia residents say they oppose Towpath Trail route Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from a sweeping election interference case in Georgia involving former President Trump. Meadows also waived his arraignment scheduled for Wednesday, when he was set to hear the charges against him and enter a plea before a judge. I fully understand the nature of the offenses charged and my right to appear at arraignment, Meadows wrote in the court filing. Understanding my rights, I do hereby freely and voluntarily waive my right to be present at my arraignment on the Indictment and my right to have it read to me in open court. Trumps former chief of staff faces two charges in Georgia, where he and 18 co-defendants are accused of entering a criminal conspiracy to keep Trump in the White House after he lost the 2020 presidential election. The defendants face a combined 41 charges, including under the state Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which is designed to combat organized crime. Just one of the 19 defendants, then-Coffee County, Ga., election supervisor Misty Hampton, has not entered a plea in the case. Hamptons charges stem from an election equipment breach in Coffee County. Her arraignment is set for 3 p.m. EDT. Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the case, previously said the defendants could formally waive their arraignment within 48 hours of Wednesdays court date. Meadowss waiver, which was filed Tuesday morning, falls after that deadline. Because of that, its unclear whether McAfee will accept the waiver, forcing Meadows to appear for his arraignment regardless. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Jill Biden was last with President Joe Biden on Monday, her press secretary Vanessa Valdivia said Tuesday, the same day the first lady tested positive for COVID-19. "Shell be monitored by the White House medical team and follow their advice on when to return to the White House," Valdavia said in an update on Biden's health. She was isolating at her home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, away from husband, who returned to the White House on Monday. "She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms," Elizabeth Alexander, her communications director, said in a statement issued Monday night. PHOTO: First Lady Jill Biden meets with residents of Live Oak, Florida, that were affected by Hurricane Idalia, Sept. 2, 2023. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) MORE: New COVID variant BA.2.86 is now in 5 states. Here's what to know Following the first lady's positive test, President Biden took a COVID test on Monday evening and tested negative, his press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "The President will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms," Jean-Pierre noted. Valdavia said Tuesday the first lady is working with Northern Virginia Community College, where she is an English professor, to ensure her classes are covered by a substitute and her office will adjust her public schedule accordingly. President Biden is sticking to his public schedule for now. He will award the Medal of Honor to a Vietnam War veteran Tuesday afternoon and is still expected to depart the U.S. on Thursday for a trip to India and Vietnam. ABC News' Selina Wang and Justin Gomez contributed to this report. Biden, first lady last together Monday, same day she tested positive for COVID-19 originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and the remaining defendants in the election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, have pleaded not guilty and have waived their arraignments, new court filings show. Misty Hampton, who faces charges related to the Coffee County voting system breach and was the last holdout among the 19 defendants changed in District Attorney Fani Willis case, entered her plea early Tuesday afternoon. The other defendants have been filing their pleas in recent days. Arraignment hearings had been scheduled for Wednesday in Atlanta. Georgia law allows criminal defendants to waive their in-person appearance and formally enter a not guilty plea through paperwork filed with the court. Meadows has been charged with two state crimes: violating Georgias anti-racketeering RICO law and soliciting a public official to violate their oath. The charges mostly revolve around the infamous January 2021 phone call where Trump and Meadows pressed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find enough votes to flip the election results in then-President Donald Trumps favor. Meadows is trying to move his case out of state court and into federal court, where he could possibly get the indictment dismissed by invoking immunity that shields many federal workers from litigation. At a high-stakes hearing in August, Meadows testified under oath for more than three hours and claimed that the alleged actions described in the Georgia indictment were connected to his formal government duties as Trumps chief of staff. The federal judge who will decide whether to move the case still hasnt issued a ruling. Other notable allies Hampton, who has been charged with seven counts, is accused of participating in a conspiracy to allow supporters of Trump to unlawfully access voter data and ballot counting equipment at the Coffee County election office. Hampton also faces the racketeering charge that is central to Willis case. Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Department official who is similarly seeking to move his case to federal court, also pleaded not guilty in a court filing. Georgia law allows criminal defendants to waive their in-person appearance and formally enter a not-guilty plea through paperwork filed with the court. Clark was charged with two counts in the Georgia case. He served as a senior Trump appointee at the Justice Department and tried to use his powers as a federal official to overturn the 2020 election. He drafted a letter, which was ultimately never sent, promoting false claims of voting irregularities and urged Georgia lawmakers to consider throwing out Bidens legitimate electors. Clark lobbied Trump to make him the acting attorney general so he could send the letter and have the Justice Department intervene in the Georgia election. Trump decided not to put Clark in charge after other senior Justice Department officials threatened to resign. Pro-Trump attorney John Eastman, Georgia state Sen. Shawn Still, former Coffee County GOP Chair Cathy Latham and former Georgia GOP Chair David Shafer also entered not guilty pleas and waived their formal arraignments in court filings Tuesday. Eastman was indicted on nine counts, including a racketeering charge. He devised and promoted a six-step plan for then-Vice President Mike Pence to overturn Joe Bidens victory while presiding over the Electoral College certification on January 6, 2021. He also urged Georgia state lawmakers to appoint fake GOP electors to replace the legitimate slate of Democratic electors. Still was charged with seven state crimes and is one of the 16 Republicans who served as fake electors in Georgia and signed paperwork falsely claiming that Trump won the Peach State. This was part of the Trump campaigns plan to subvert the Electoral College process and nullify Joe Bidens victory. Latham was charged with 11 counts related to an alleged plot to unlawfully access voter data and ballot counting equipment in Coffee County, in addition to the racketeering charge that is central to Willis case. Latham also signed on to be an alternative elector for Trump in Georgia. Shafer was charged with eight state crimes. Fulton County prosecutors accused him of playing a key role in organizing the Trump campaigns slate of fake electors in Georgia, as part of the effort to subvert the Electoral College. He served as a fake elector and convened the other 15 fake electors in the Georgia State Capitol in December 2020, where they signed a certificate falsely stating that Trump won the state over Biden. Shafer has previously claimed that the fake electors scheme came at the direction of Trump and the Trump campaign. Shafer and Latham are also seeking to move their cases from state court to federal court. Judge sets Wednesday hearing on scheduling Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the Georgia election subversion case, scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to address questions about trial scheduling and possibly breaking up the case. In an order posted Tuesday, McAfee said there will be a hearing on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET to deal with critical scheduling matters. This is the first hearing McAfee will hold in the case, and the proceedings are expected to be televised. The judge said hell want prosecutors to provide a good-faith estimate for how long it would take to hold a joint trial for all 19 defendants, and how long it would take if the case is divided into subgroups of defendants. Kenneth Chesebros trial is scheduled to begin October 23, and Willis wants to keep the case together and hold one massive trial beginning that day. Trump opposes that speedy timeline, and many of the defendants want to break up the case. This story has been updated with additional developments. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect when the not guilty pleas were filed. It also has been updated with additional developments and background information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Kevin Bacon is doing his part to stick up for his fellow actors who may not be famous or as successful as he is, as the SAG-AFTRA strike nears the two-month mark. Bacon said he has no new information about the strike and slammed the brakes on any perception that the dispute is nothing more than a disagreement between rich stars and moneymaking studios. "In terms of the rich actors, a very small percentage of our union is doing very, very well," he said during the 3rd Hour of TODAY on Sept. 5. "Most of the people are living hand to mouth. Those are the people that we are striking for. My situation is not the same as the majority of our union. SAG-AFTRA a labor union that represents about 160,000 people in the entertainment industry, including actors, recording artists, radio personalities and other media professionals has been striking since July 13 in a bid to get better pay and be better compensated for residuals related to projects that appear on streaming services. Bacon said he continues to hope that the two sides can somehow find a way to meet in the middle. The other thing I would say is that when it comes to writers and actors, we are artists, so all of our membership are artists. If you do well, you get to make your art, he said. On the other side, theyre dealmakers. So, if they do well, they get to make a deal. So, come on, lets make a deal. Lets get it done. Kevin Bacon in Footloose, 1984. (Alamy) Bacon is a Hollywood legend (although he has never been nominated for an Oscar), with his first on-screen credit dating back to 1978s Animal House. He has supported the actors cause by picketing. While the strike continues, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher has said the union is ready to dig its heels in for a long time. Well, I dont have a crystal ball, she said Aug. 1 on TODAY when asked how long she expected the strike to continue. We have financially prepared ourselves for the next six months. And were really in it to win it. The actors strike comes as the Writers Guild of America continues its own strike, which began May 2. The WGA is looking for better pay and compensation in regards to residual payments, especially in relation to projects that air on streaming services. This article was originally published on TODAY.com A boat of sightseers scanned the blue-green waters off the coast of Wales. The morning sun glinted off the surface as they searched for dolphins. To their surprise, a much rarer sea animal surfaced nearby. SeaMor Dolphin Watching Boat Trips set out from New Quay mid-morning on Sept. 2, according to a Facebook post. Onboard to guide the sightseers was Joshua Pedley, a local wildlife expert. Low in the water, a sleek gray animal surfaced, Pedleys photos show. It had a smooth body and a rounded fin low on its back. It was a Sowerbys beaked whale, Pedley told McClatchy News. The Sowerbys beaked whale spotted in the shallow waters near New Quay. Sowerbys beaked whales are small- to medium-sized whales that can reach 14 to 21 feet in length, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The species usually lives in deep, cold, temperate and subarctic waters of the North Atlantic. Due to the animals cryptic, skittish behavior, it is challenging to observe. The sighting of the Sowerbys beaked whale in Cardigan Bay is an exceptionally rare event with only 13 other live sightings made around the U.K. since 2007, Claudia Afeltra from the Sea Watch Foundation told McClatchy News. These whales are rarely seen in shallow waters, the Sea Watch Foundation posted on Facebook Sept. 3. This may be the first time that one has been spotted off the Welsh coast. It must be lost, Pedley wrote in a Facebook post. It came quite shallow. Initially we worried that perhaps this unusual visitor to New Quay would end up beaching, Pedley told McClatchy News, however it turned round and headed back to the deeps on its own accord. We havent heard of it being sighted again, so no news is good news. Pedley described the sighting as absolutely insane in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Drone footage shared by the SeaMor Dolphin Watching Boat Trips on Facebook shows the rare whale. The whale has its fins pressed against its sides with its back arched out of the water. The sleek animal appears to make a very small splash. Very fortunate to be aboard this boat trip, Maria Potter wrote in comments. Awesome to see this amazing sight. Pauline Jones expressed a similar sentiment, commenting that we were lucky enough to see this yesterday. New Quay is about 214 miles northwest of London and along the coast of Cardigan Bay. Scaly pink sea creature with an extra eye found in West Pacific. Its a new species Black-throated sea creature found in acid water in Indonesia. Its a new species Massive sea creatures give researcher a triple surprise. See the magic moment A man drowned at Georgias Lake Lanier after he ran down a dock and slipped into the water - marking the eighth death at the lake this year. Gavrie Alexander Whitlock, 23, was found dead at the Holiday Marina on Lake Lanier by the Hall County Fire Rescue on Saturday night. The Department of Natural Resources responded to a drowning call at the lakes oldest and largest marina at around 10.30pm after Whitlock fell into the water and didnt resurface. Whitlock, from Snellville, Georgia, is the eighth person to drown in Lake Lanier so far in 2023. A week prior to Whitlocks death, another 23-year-old man, Edgar Steven Cruz Martinez, drowned when swimming in Lake Lanier on 26 August. Before this two men, aged 27 and 61, died the same day in unrelated events; they were both swimming in the lake on 29 July when they drowned. Several days before both those men drowned, a 24-year-old man named Thomas Shepard Milner was electrocuted after jumping off a dock into Lake Lanier. It is estimated that more than 200 people have died at Lake Lanier between 1994 and 2022, according to USA Today and Georgia DNR. Six people drowned in the lake last year, four in 2021 and seven in 2020. More than 200 people have died at Lake Lanier since 1994 (Wikimedia Commons) In 2012, the son of Tameka Foster, a fashion designer and the ex-wife of R&B star Usher, died when a watercraft struck the boy while he was sitting on an inflatable on the lake. The death of her son, Kile Glover, who was 11, prompted Ms Foster to start a petition for officials to drain, clean and restore the lake, in order to make it safe and to remove dangerous debris. The online petition has more than 2,500 signatures. Draining, cleaning, and restoring Lake Lanier is not only necessary but also an opportunity to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives and prevent further tragedies, Ms Foster wrote in her Change.org petition. The lake has often been branded as dangerous for various reasons, and to some, thought of as haunted. Lake Lanier gets around 10 million visits per year and had a huge volume of boat traffic on the water. According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, more than 170 boating and drowning deaths have been reported between 1994 and 2018. Additionally, there have been issues with people boating under the influence on the lake, with more than 525 BUIs handed out between 2008 and 2018. The lakes waters can also get murky, making it harder to perform rescue operations. The lake is situated northeast of Atlanta and is 60 square miles in size and has waters up to 160 feet deep. Before it became a reservoir in 1956, the town of Oscarville, a small Black community was situated in its place. After lynchings that happened in the area in 1912, more than 1000 Black people were displaced and many properties and businesses ended up in the hands of white people. The Lake Lanier website explains how many theories of an underwater ghost town have come about because of the displacement prior to the flooding of the town. Although numbers have not been confirmed, many outlets report that around 700 people have died on the lake since its creation in 1956. One user on X (formerly known as Twitter) commented on the recent Lake Lanier deaths and the possible haunting. They said: Of course the lake is haunted. I would say that is more than fair Part of some messed up history in Georgia. Another user commented on the previous death of Mr Martinez and said: Camp Crystal Lake Lanier claims 7th person in 2023. The ancestors are angry, my friend. This X user also said: Before Lake Lanier was created in the 1950s, it was one of DOZENS of U.S. towns racist white mobs flooded like Oscarville, GA. Lake Lanier is also one of the bodies of water legends say are haunted by our ancestors as many people have drowned in its waters. By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday officially recognized two Indigenous territories, granting them legal protection as reservations to defend against invasions by illegal loggers, gold miners and cattle ranchers. The announcement came on the day Brazil celebrates its Amazon region, home to the world's largest tropical rainforest, the preservation of which is seen as essential to soaking up carbon emissions responsible for global warming. Environmentalists say Indigenous groups are the best guardians of the rainforest and deforestation data shows that the forests on their reservations are the best conserved. Lula, who pledged to legalize the greatest number of reservations possible, has so far signed decrees recognizing eight Indigenous territories since taking office in January. It is a race against time as Brazil's Congress is pushing through legislation that would restrict the recognition of Indigenous land claims, a move backed by the country's powerful farm lobby. The Supreme Court, however, is expected rule that the cut-off date for claiming ancestral lands that were not lived on in 1988 is unconstitutional for denying recognized Indigenous rights. The reservations legalized by Lula on Tuesday are the Acapuri de Cima and the Rio Gregorio Indigenous territories in the states of Amazonas and Acre, respectively. Some 500 Kokama people live on 19,000 hectares (47,000 acres) of rainforest in the first reservation, and 2,000 Katukina and Yawanawa people live on 187,944 hectares (46,420 acres) in the second. Half of Brazil's 1.6 million Indigenous people live in the Amazon in 180 different tribes, and in some territories there are isolated people who have had no contact with the outside world, said Indigenous Peoples Minister Sonia Guajajara. Maintaining the Amazon alive requires keeping its Indigenous people alive, she said in a speech. "We are the guardians of the Amazon," Guajajara said. "Protecting our territories guarantees our lives and ensures the diversity needed to face climate change." (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Sandra Maler) By Bart Biesemans BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The exiled former leader of Catalonia, wanted for attempting the region's secession from Spain, laid out tough conditions for his party's support in parliament for the Socialist acting prime minister to stay in power following July's election. Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez would need the seven lawmakers in Carles Puigdemont's Junts per Catalunya party if he gets a shot at forming a government. However, the Socialists said his conditions, including an amnesty for separatists, were far from what they would accept. An analyst said any agreement looked unlikely. Speaking in Brussels, Puigdemont called on Spain to respect the Catalan independence movement's legitimacy and abandon judicial actions against it. "We are prepared for elections but also for negotiations which could end with a historic agreement," Puigdemont said. "We have not endured all these years just to save a legislature." Acting government spokesperson Isabel Rodriguez reiterated that the Socialists would not do anything that broke constitutional bounds. "A world separates us from those positions," Rodriguez told reporters of Puigdemont's conditions. "Our framework is the one that the prime minister expressed with absolute forcefulness yesterday: We have a tool, dialogue; a framework, the constitution; and an objective: coexistence." Alberto Nunez Feijoo, whose conservative People's Party (PP) won the most votes on July 23, will take the first stab at an investiture vote on Sept. 27, but his chances of winning are seen as slim since the PP opposes any concessions to separatists. If Feijoo fails, it will fall on Sanchez to see if he can muster support, seen as impossible without Puigdemont's party. Puigdemont, who lives in self-imposed exile in Belgium since leading the failed push to split Catalonia from Spain in 2017, said parliament would need to draw up legislation granting an amnesty for supporters of Catalan independence. He also argued that an independence referendum would be legal and democratic and said all that was missing was the "political will" to make it happen. But he stopped short of insisting on a vote as a condition for sitting down to negotiate. Puigdemont's regional government held a referendum on independence in Catalonia despite a ruling by Spain's constitutional court that it was illegal. Drawing up an amnesty law before the formation of a new government would be impossible and makes an agreement unlikely, said Oriol Bartomeus, a professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. "Puigdemont has left the PSOE no room to manoeuvre. He has come to say two things, the first is: 'here are my conditions' and the second: 'I am in charge'," Bartomeus said. Feijoo said he had secured support from the hard-right Vox party that would allow the PP to govern as a minority. He said he was considering cancelling a planned meeting with Junts following Puigdemont's comments. (Reporting by Bart Biesemans in Brussels, Inti Landauro and Belen Carreno in Madrid; Additional reporting by Emma Pinedo; Writing by David Latona and Charlie Devereux; Editing by Andrei Khalip, Peter Graff and Alison Williams) By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to visit Russia's far-eastern port city of Vladivostok by armoured train this month to meet President Vladimir Putin, possibly to discuss supplying Russia with weapons for its war with Ukraine. The trip, which has not been officially confirmed, would be his first visit abroad in more than four years and the first since the coronavirus pandemic. It is likely to take almost a full day to travel more than 1,000 km (600 miles) to Vladivostok across the border with Russia, taking account of the North's sometimes archaic rail network. While he has made more trips abroad than his father, Kim Jong Il, as leader, Kim's travel is often shrouded in secrecy and heavy security. Unlike his father who was said to be averse to flying, Kim has flown his personal Russian-made jet for some of his trips. In 2004, there was a huge explosion at a rail station near the Chinese border after Kim Jong Il passed on train returning from China, killing more than 100 people. The cause, and whether it was an assassination attempt, were never confirmed. The following are Kim Jong Un's foreign visits since taking power in 2011. * March 25-28, 2018: Making his first foreign trip as leader, Kim visits China, the North's main political ally and economic benefactor. He travels to Beijing by a special train and holds a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The train, with its signature green paint, is believed to include more than 20 armoured cars and equipped with a communications system and a special cabin for Kim with a bright white interior where he has been seen at work and holding meetings with aides, according to North Korea's official media and South Korean analysts. * April 27, 2018: Kim steps across the inter-Korea border in the Panmunjom truce village for a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. It is the first time a North Korean leader has set foot in the South, Kim's first summit with a South Korean leader and the third ever by a North Korean leader. The two pledge to improve ties, end military confrontation and bring peace and common prosperity. * May 7-8, 2018: Kim flies his personal Ilyushin jet to the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian and holds a summit with Xi. The two discuss deepening ties between the traditional allies. The visit comes amid expectations of Kim's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. * June 10-12, 2018: Kim takes an American-made Boeing 747 operated by Air China on a direct flight from Pyongyang to Singapore for the first summit between North Korea and the United States. The meeting results in a joint statement on establishing new relations between the two countries, giving security guarantee for North Korea and a pledge by the North to end its nuclear programme. * June 19-20, 2018: Kim visits China on his Ilyushin jet and discusses the denuclearisation of North Korea with Xi in Beijing. Accompanied by senior economic aides, Kim tours Chinese industrial facilities and an agricultural research centre. * Jan 7-10, 2019: Kim visits China for a fourth time, travelling to Beijing by train amid expectations of a second summit with Trump. * Feb. 26-28, 2019: Kim visits the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi for a second summit with Trump. He takes the train from Pyongyang through China over three days to Vietnam. After two days of meetings, the talks between Kim and Trump collapse over disagreement on lifting sanctions imposed on the North and how to dismantle its nuclear programme. * April 24, 2019: Kim visits Vladivostok for his first summit with Putin. Kim takes the train for the nearly day-long trip, crossing the Tumen River border into Russia. * June 30, 2019: Kim steps across the inter-Korean border for talks with Trump. * September 2023: Kim is expected to visit Vladivostok, again by train, for a summit with Putin, which would be his first trip abroad in more than four years. (Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Nick Macfie) File: US president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden depart the White House en route to Florida on 2 September, 2023 in Washington, DC (Getty Images) US first lady Jill Biden has tested positive for Covid-19 just days before president Joe Biden is due to travel to India for the G20 leaders summit. Mr Biden tested negative for the virus, the White House said on Monday evening. This evening, the First Lady tested positive for Covid-19," her communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, said in a statement. "She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware." Ms Biden, 72, has mild symptoms, Ms Alexander said. The White House said that the president will test at regular intervals throughout this week and will be monitored for symptoms. He is due in New Delhi for the G20 summit beginning on Saturday. Following the First Ladys positive test for Covid-19, President Biden was administered a Covid test this evening, the White House said. The President tested negative. The latest alarm over coronavirus in the White House comes ahead of a busy week for the president, packed with events including foreign visits across Asia. The president delivered a Labour Day speech in Philadelphia earlier in the day and was scheduled to present the Medal of Honour to a Vietnam War army helicopter pilot before beginning his tour. He is scheduled to depart for India on Thursday and hold bilateral talks with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 leaders summit on 9-10 September. The president will then fly to Hanoi, Vietnam and then to Alaska to mark the 22nd anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The White House did not immediately comment on whether Mr Bidens foreign travel would be affected by Ms Bidens positive Covid test. If Mr Biden were to skip the G20 summit he would become the fourth leader of the bloc to do so, after Russias Vladimir Putin, Chinas Xi Jinping and Mexicos Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed their non-attendance. A White House administration official told CNN that there are no changes in the Covid protocols in the White House or in the presidents diary at this time. Ms Biden last tested positive for Covid-19 in the summer of 2022 while vacationing in South Carolina. Mr Biden caught the virus a month later. Her latest diagnosis comes amid renewed concerns over the new highly mutated BA.2.86 variant of Covid. Several countries in the world are experiencing a fourth season of rising cases of the virus since the pandemic first emerged in 2020. In the week ending 19 August, there were approximately four fresh hospital admissions with Covid infection for every 100,000 individuals across the US, a rate categorised as low according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards. At least seven counties reported elevated Covid-19 hospitalisation rates, while 117 counties, equivalent to about 3.6 per cent of the country, fell within the medium threshold. Notably, a quarter of these counties were located in Florida. The new variant, named Pirola, is the highly mutated variant of Omicron which has led to the lastest surge in cases. It was first detected in Denmark on 24 July and later in the US and Canada in August. Doctors have said the variant is unlikely to cause a severe Covid wave and death. By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinians demanded on Tuesday that Israel lift a ban on exports from the Gaza Strip imposed over what Israel called an attempt to smuggle explosives, saying it would hit thousands of families and ruin precarious livelihoods in the blockaded enclave. Israel said on Monday it was temporarily stopping commercial goods from leaving Gaza after inspectors found several kilograms of "high-quality explosives" in a shipment, hidden in the lining of clothes. At the beachfront Al-Bahar (The Sailor) restaurant and fish farm, owner Mohammad Al-Hajj said he used to export 20 tons of fish per week to Israel and the West Bank. "The fish in fridges will decay if we can't export it, and we will be forced to sell the fish of the farm at the lowest prices," said Hajj, saying the jobs of 200 workers at his business were at risk unless the ban is lifted. Around 2 million Palestinians live in the narrow Gaza Strip, the vast majority of them descendants of refugees who fled or were driven from what is now Israel at its founding in 1948. Since the Hamas Islamist group took power in the territory in 2007, it has suffered from the one of the world's highest unemployment rates under a blockade of many goods imposed by Israel with Egyptian backing. It has also been severely damaged in four major wars and numerous other clashes between Hamas and Israel. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the Israeli decision "would increase the already existing tension because of continued Israeli blockade and aggression against our people". In Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian economy minister Khaled Assaili demanded Israel cancel the ban which stops Gaza exports to Israel and the West Bank. The unjust decision added to a policy of collective punishment adopted by Israel since 2007 that had caused a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, said Assaili, who is part of the Palestinian Authority that claims to represent all Palestinians although it lost control of Gaza to Hamas. Gaza exports are estimated at $134 million per year, mostly to Israel and the West Bank, according to the enclave's ministry of economy. The Hamas-run agriculture ministry in Gaza said the Israeli move would impact 60,000 families of farmers and fishermen. It estimated daily losses at one million shekels ($263,000). "We demand the unjust decision be retracted. It isn't based on any real justification and it violates the international law using fragile pretexts," the ministry said in a statement. Despite its blockade, Israel allows thousands of workers to leave Gaza to work in Israel and the West Bank, and maintains customs posts to allow exports in a bid to foster a certain level of economic stability. As well as fish and agricultural produce, Gaza exports significant quantities of textiles and other products. Osama Nofal, an official in Gaza's economy ministry, said the border closure would have wider effects beyond the immediate freeze on exports. "The decision will impact industrial installations, close them, and may lay off many workers and increase unemployment. Such a decision is purely catastrophic," he said. Wadhah Bseisso, spokesman of the Palestinian Industries Union, said as many as 30,000 jobs could be lost if the shutdown continued. (Reporting and writing by Nidal Almughrabi; Editing by Peter Graff) MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin on Tuesday rejected a suggestion by Armenia's prime minister that Russia had failed to protect Armenia amid its standoff with neighbouring Azerbaijan, and was winding down its role in the wider region. In an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica published on Sunday, Nikol Pashinyan accused Russia of failing to ensure Armenia's security in the face of what he said was aggression from Azerbaijan over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region. Pashinyan also said Armenia felt Russia was pulling back from the wider South Caucasus region, which includes his country. "...we see that Russia, thanks to a number of steps it is taking or failing to take, is itself leaving the region. We could just can wake up one day and see that Russia is not here," he said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday that Russia, which has a military base in Armenia and has sent peacekeepers to uphold a ceasefire deal, planned to continue playing an important role in stabilising the South Caucasus and had no plans to wind down its activities there. Pashinyan had also suggested that Moscow did not regard his country as sufficiently pro-Russian and was unable to meet all of Armenia's security needs, even if it wanted to, because of its own requirements for the war in Ukraine. "We cannot agree with these theses," Peskov said. "Russia is an absolutely integral part of this region ... Russia plays a consistent, very important role in stabilising the situation in this region ... and we will continue to play this role." Nagorno-Karabakh, a source of tension between Yerevan and Baku for decades, is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, but its 120,000 inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Armenians. It broke away from Baku's control in a war in the early 1990s, although Azerbaijan recovered control of some areas in heavy fighting in 2020, when Russia brokered a ceasefire. Peskov said it was important for all sides to adhere to the terms of that deal, even if there had been strains and changes in the situation since. "Russia continues to play the role of guarantor of security," he said. "Russia is not going anywhere and is not planning to leave." (Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Andrew Osborn) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may travel to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin for discussions on a potential deal to supply Moscow with weapons for its war on Ukraine, according to the US government. The National Security Council warned Monday that arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea are actively advancing, after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Pyongyang in July in an attempt to convince it to sell artillery ammunition to Moscow. We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia, the councils spokesperson, Adrienne Watson, said in a statement. Watson did not say when and where a potential meeting between Kim and Putin in Russia might take place. But South Koreas National Intelligence Service said Tuesday it is closely monitoring the possibility of Kim Jong Un visiting Russia soon. CNN has asked the Russian embassy in Washington for comment. The Kremlin declined to comment on the claim. We have nothing to say on the subject, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists during a call on Tuesday. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at a White House briefing Tuesday that discussions between North Korea and Russia are actively advancing, and is evidence that economic sanctions against Russia have succeeded in shrinking the countrys defense industrial base. We will continue to call it out, and we will continue to call on North Korea to abide by its public commitments not to supply weapons to Russia that will end up killing Ukrainians over time, we have not seen them actively supply large amounts of munitions or other military capacity to Russia for the war in Ukraine, Sullivan said. I cannot predict you what will happen at the end of this, I can only say that the discussions have been actively advancing and the Russians have imbued them with an increased intensity as reflected in the fact that their Defense Minister, their number one guy in their defense establishment, actually got on a plane and flew to Pyongyang to try to push this forward, he said, adding that its possible, in the near future, that those discussions may see North Koreas Kim Jong Un participate in leader level discussions, perhaps even in-person leader level discussions. As discussions advance, the US and its allies are concerned about the technology North Korea is seeking from Russia in return for weaponry, according to two US officials. North Korea is seeking technology that could advance their satellite and nuclear-powered submarine capabilities, officials said, which could significantly advance North Koreas capabilities in areas that the rogue regime has not fully developed. Just last month, North Koreas second attempt to launch a spy satellite into orbit failed, a report from the state-run Korean Central News Agency said. North Korea does not currently have any nuclear-powered submarines, according to an assessment from Nuclear Threat Initiative, a think-tank focused on reducing nuclear threats. The New York Times first reported the potential meeting between Kim and Putin in Russia, saying it is expected to take place this month. According to the report, the meeting may take place on the campus of a university in the eastern port city of Vladivostok, where the Eastern Economic Forum is scheduled to be held from September 10 and 13. In 2019, Kim made his first trip to Russia as the leader of North Korea and traveled from Pyongyang to Vladivostok on an armored green train. Going by train is the preferred mode of travel by the reclusive North Korean leader. Kims possible visit to Russia comes as the US has expressed increasing concerns about North Koreas military assistance to Russias war effort in Ukraine a move that would be in breach of US sanctions. Earlier this month, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on three entities it accused of being tied to arms deals between North Korea and Russia. Since Shoigus July visit, a second delegation of Russian officials have visited Pyongyang for further discussions on a potential deal, while Putin and Kim have exchanged letters pledging to increase their bilateral cooperation, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters last week. North Korea delivered infantry rockets and missiles into Russia for use by Wagner forces late last year, and the potential deal being discussed would provide Russian troops with much more weapons, according to Kirby. Under these potential deals Russia would receive significant quantities and multiple types of munitions form the DPRK, which the Russian military plans to use in Ukraine, he said. These potential deals could also include the provision of raw materials that would assist Russias defense industrial base, Kirby added, pledging that the US would take direct action to sanction any entities involved in a potential deal and urging Pyongyang to cease the negotiations. The Biden administration has routinely declassified intelligence about the support Russia is receiving or is planning to receive in an effort to deter countries from providing support for Moscows war effort. Apart from North Korea, Russia has also received drones and artillery from Iran. Chinese state-owned defense companies have sent technology and equipment to Russia, but US officials say they have seen no signs so far that China has provided weapons or lethal military aid to Russia. On Monday, Shoigu, the Russian Defense Minister, said Russia was also discussing holding joint military exercises with North Korea. We are discussing it with everyone, including the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Why not? These are our neighbors, Shoigu told reporters, referring to North Korea by its official name. You dont choose your neighbors, and its better to live in peace and harmony with your neighbors, he said, citing an old Russian saying. Russia has been holding the annual Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok since 2015 in an attempt to encourage foreign investment in the Russian Far East. China, Russias closest diplomatic partner, has often sent high-level delegations to the event. Chinese leader Xi Jinping attended the forum in-person in 2018, while top legislator Li Zhanshu, the third-ranking leader of the ruling Communist Party, attended last year. Beijing has not announced which official will lead its delegation this year. The forum will partially overlap with the Group of 20 leaders summit in India. Chinas has indicated that Xi will skip that summit for the first time since he came to power. CNNs Anna Chernova and Donald Judd contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Kim Man-bae, the owner of the asset management company Hwacheon Daeyu, arrives at the Seoul Central District Court, Feb. 17, to attend a court review on his arrest warrant over a massive realty development corruption scandal. Newsis The presidential office on Tuesday condemned an interview story released days before last year's presidential election, after an investigation determined the interview was manipulated to link President Yoon Suk Yeol to a corruption scandal dogging his election rival Lee Jae-myung. The prosecution is currently investigating allegations that Shin Hak-lim, a former head of the National Union of Media Workers, received 162 million won ($122,175) from Kim Man-bae, the key suspect in the corruption-ridden apartment development project in Seongnam, south of Seoul, in exchange for reporting an interview with Kim. In the interview, Kim claimed Yoon had helped cover up a fraudulent lending scheme, through which the culprits of the development scandal are believed to have secured part of the seed money for the project that was dogging Lee, now leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. However, the authorities have determined that the interview was manipulated. A senior presidential official issued a statement labeling the report, which appeared just three days before the voting day, as an "unprecedented election plot." "The political maneuvering, which aimed to shift the main body of the Daejang-dong case from Lee Jae-myung to Yoon Suk Yeol, is gradually being brought to light," the official said. Lee, as the candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, competed with Yoon from the People Power Party during the May 9 election. The development project in the Daejang-dong area in Seongnam was launched in 2015, when Lee was the mayor of the city. Kim and his partners, who reaped huge profits from the project, have been indicted on charges that include bribery, embezzlement and breach of trust. "The goal of the manipulation was the defeat of candidate Yoon. Such political manipulations and fake news pose the greatest threat to democracy, distorting public opinion and rendering the electoral system useless," the official said. The senior aide also criticized major TV networks for widely disseminating the allegedly concocted reports without fact-checking. Last Friday, investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office raided Shin's residence and office. The search warrant stated Shin was requested by Kim to report that, in 2011, Yoon, who was then a senior prosecutor, interviewed a broker involved in the lending case and helped drop the case without charging him. Following the request, Shin, then a special correspondent for the online news outlet Newstapa, interviewed Kim in September 2021, recorded his remarks and received a wire transfer of 162 million won from him, according to the prosecution. Shin published the report on Newstapa on March 6, 2022, three days before Election Day. He claimed he received the money after selling his books to Kim. (Yonhap) COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) The top prosecutors in all 50 states are urging Congress to study how artificial intelligence can be used to exploit children through pornography, and come up with legislation to further guard against it. In a letter sent Tuesday to Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate, the attorneys general from across the country call on federal lawmakers to establish an expert commission to study the means and methods of AI that can be used to exploit children specifically" and expand existing restrictions on child sexual abuse materials specifically to cover AI-generated images. We are engaged in a race against time to protect the children of our country from the dangers of AI, the prosecutors wrote in the letter, shared ahead of time with The Associated Press. Indeed, the proverbial walls of the city have already been breached. Now is the time to act. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson led the effort to add signatories from all 50 states and four U.S. territories to the letter. The Republican, elected last year to his fourth term, told AP last week that he hoped federal lawmakers would translate the group's bipartisan support for legislation on the issue into action. Everyone's focused on everything that divides us," said Wilson, who marshaled the coalition with his counterparts in Mississippi, North Carolina and Oregon. "My hope would be that, no matter how extreme or polar opposites the parties and the people on the spectrum can be, you would think protecting kids from new, innovative and exploitative technologies would be something that even the most diametrically opposite individuals can agree on and it appears that they have. The Senate this year has held hearings on the possible threats posed by AI-related technologies. In May, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, whose company makes free chatbot tool ChatGPT, said that government intervention will be critical to mitigating the risks of increasingly powerful AI systems. Altman proposed the formation of a U.S. or global agency that would license the most powerful AI systems and have the authority to take that license away and ensure compliance with safety standards. While theres no immediate sign Congress will craft sweeping new AI rules, as European lawmakers are doing, the societal concerns have led U.S. agencies to promise to crack down on harmful AI products that break existing civil rights and consumer protection laws. In additional to federal action, Wilson said he's encouraging his fellow attorneys general to scour their own state statutes for possible areas of concern. We started thinking, do the child exploitation laws on the books have the laws kept up with the novelty of this new technology? According to Wilson, among the dangers AI poses include the creation of deepfake scenarios videos and images that have been digitally created or altered with artificial intelligence or machine learning of a child that has already been abused, or the alteration of the likeness of a real child from something like a photograph taken from social media, so that it depicts abuse. Your child was never assaulted, your child was never exploited, but their likeness is being used as if they were," he said. "We have a concern that our laws may not address the virtual nature of that, though, because your child wasn't actually exploited although they're being defamed and certainly their image is being exploited. A third possibility, he pointed out, is the altogether digital creation of a fictitious child's image for the purpose of creating pornography. The argument would be, 'well I'm not harming anyone in fact, it's not even a real person,' but you're creating demand for the industry that exploits children, Wilson said. There have been some moves within the tech industry to combat the issue. In February, Meta, as well as adult sites like OnlyFans and Pornhub, began participating in an online tool, called Take It Down, that allows teens to report explicit images and videos of themselves from the internet. The reporting site works for regular images and AI-generated content. AI is a great technology, but its an industry disrupter," Wilson said. You have new industries, new technologies that are disrupting everything, and the same is true for the law enforcement community and for protecting kids. The bad guys are always evolving on how they can slip off the hook of justice, and we have to evolve with that. ___ Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian parliament approved the removal of Oleksii Reznikov as defence minister and Rustem Umerov as head of the main privatisation agency on Tuesday, clearing the way for Umerov to take over from Reznikov. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday he was sacking Reznikov and proposed Umerov to replace him. To do so, he required parliament to approve their removal from their current roles and to support Umerov's appointment as defence minister. Parliament completed the first stage of the process in two separate votes on Tuesday, and is expected to back Umerov's appointment in a vote on Wednesday. Reznikov resigned on Monday. The moves amount to the biggest shakeup of the defence establishment in 18 months of war with Russia. Umerov, a Crimean Tatar and former lawmaker, had headed the State Property Fund since September 2022 and is widely credited with turning round an institution that has frequently been mired in corruption scandals. He also relaunched sales of state property, raising record proceeds for the state during the war. In a Facebook post, he listed the fund's achievements over the past year, and thanked those who had supported him. "New, even more important challenges lie ahead. We need to be as efficient as possible, because every hour of delay is the life of our defenders," he wrote. The outcome of the vote to remove Umerov, 41, from his current post was confirmed by several lawmakers who attended the parliamentary session. Reznikov has been at the forefront of Kyiv's lobbying for Western weapons to fight Russia's invasion. But his departure after months of corruption allegations against his ministry - though not against him personally - is not expected to have a big impact on military operations. Confirming parliament had voted to remove Reznikov, the Defence Ministry hailed his work and listed some of the weapons Ukraine has received since Russia's full-scale invasion. "He held this office for 22 months and made the impossible possible by ensuring large-scale arms supplies for the #UAarmy from the free world," it said on social media platform X. It added that F-16 fighter jets, which Kyiv has not received so far, "will make Ukraine's victory inevitable." (Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka, Editing by Timothy Heritage) President Joe Bidens planned visits to India and Vietnam are still moving forward as planned despite first ladyJill Bidens recent positive test for Covid-19, the White House has said. Mr Biden, who is scheduled to depart the US for this years Group of 20 leaders summit on Thursday, has remained at the White House since he returned from a visit to his Delaware home late Monday. His wife, Ms Biden, has remained in Delaware, where aides have said she is isolating in compliance with Centres for Disease Control protocols. Although the president and first lady were in close contact with each other prior to Ms Bidens positive Covid test, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday that Mr Biden still plans to leave for India as scheduled, attend the G20 summit, then continue to Vietnam for a state visit. The United States commitment to the G20 hasn't wavered and we hope this G20 summit will show that the world's major economies can work together even in challenging times, he said. Asked whether the White House was planning for any Covid-related contingencies involving the president, Mr Sullivan did not answer directly but said the administration has long experience in managing for situations in which Covid plays a role in summits. The national security adviser referred further questions about any Covid protocols to Ms Jean-Pierre, who insisted that there have been no charges to Mr Bidens plans because he has not tested positive for the coronavirus. She did note that Mr Biden will comply with CDC guidance by wearing a mask due to his status as a close contact of the first lady, and said the president would continue to undergo Covid testing on a regular cadence determined by his physician. All travelers, including the president, will test before traveling to India. So that is certainly something that the president will do, she said. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to travel to Russia this month to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the possibility of supplying weapons for the war in Ukraine, the New York Times reported on Monday, citing U.S. and allied sources. Kim would travel from Pyongyang, probably by armored train, to Vladivostok, on the Pacific Coast of Russia, where he would meet with Putin, the newspaper said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The planned trip would come as Russia discusses holding joint military exercises with North Korea and after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had tried on a visit to North Korea to convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Russia. The U.S. has previously warned that North Korea could provide more weapons to Russia, whose forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022, a war that the United States and its European allies vehemently oppose and that Moscow calls a "special military operation." White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Aug. 30 that the United States was concerned that arms negotiations between the two countries were advancing actively. (Reporting by Jasper Ward and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Scott Malone and Sandra Maler) The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the Maryland and West Virginia region for Tuesday, when the heat index was expected to reach 100 to 105 degrees, according to the advisory. There could be a heat advisory Wednesday as well, given the forecast as of Tuesday morning was calling for Wednesday's weather to be similar if not a "little bit hotter" and more humid, said meteorologist Dan Hofmann with the weather service's Baltimore/Washington forecast office. Washington County Public Schools, noting the extreme forecast for the week, announced precautions Tuesday and Wednesday regarding outdoor activities, athletics and extracurricular activities, according to its website. Business news: Quick Bites: 'America's Best,' a new mall restaurant and vegan ice cream For Washington County, the heat index on Tuesday could reach 100 to 103, Hofmann said. The heat advisory is in effect from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The hottest period is expected to be 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., but any time during the advisory period will be hot, Hofmann said. A heat advisory had not been issued for local Franklin County, Pa., as of Tuesday morning, but the heat index was forecast to be up to around 98 degrees, said meteorologist Joe Bauco with the State College, Pa., forecast office. The threshold for a heat advisory is a heat index of 100 degrees or higher for two hours or more, said Hofmann with the Baltimore/Washington forecast office. There are other situations that could call for a heat advisory such as a stretch of high temperatures that are unusual for a certain time of year, such as high 90s for several days in early May. Bauco said the threshold for a heat advisory in Franklin County also is a heat index of 100 degrees. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the Hagerstown region for Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. Another heat advisory is likely for Wednesday. Both Hofmann and Bauco cautioned people to check for heat advisories this week due to high temperatures forecast. The heat wave, with highs in the mid to upper 90s, is forecast through Thursday. The hottest day forecast is Wednesday with a chance of showers and thunderstorms on Thursday, they said. Weather service advises precautions The weather service is advising people to: Drink plenty of fluids Stay in air conditioning Stay out of the sun Check on relatives and neighbors Not to leave children or pets unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. If residents have to work or spend time outside, they should take precautions such as rescheduling strenuous activities to early morning or evening hours, the advisory states. If possible, wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothes. Hagerstown resident Cristina Perez stands in the full sun at her flagging post at the corner of Lanvale Street and Elgin/Burhans Boulevard shortly after 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas, according to the weather service advisory. If overcome by heat, people should be moved to a cool and shaded site. The advisory is due to high temperatures and humidity that could cause heat-related illnesses, the advisory states. Symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke include headache, dizziness, nausea and fainting, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Someone with heat exhaustion could have cold, pale and clammy skin; be sweating heavily; be tired or feel weak; have muscle cramps; and have a fast, weak pulse. Whereas someone with heat stroke could have hot, red, dry or damp skin; a fast, strong pulse; be confused; and have a body temperature of 103 degrees or higher. In the event of a heat stroke, call 911. In either situation, get the person to a cooler place, the CDC advises. If the person is vomiting, get medical help. Washington County Public Schools taking precautions due to extreme heat Washington County Public Schools posted on Facebook late Monday night that the school system is taking precautions Tuesday and Wednesday due to the extreme heat forecast this week. Any changes for Thursday will be re-evaluated by Wednesday, according to the school system's website. Hagerstown resident Cristina Perez stands in the full sun at her flagging post at the corner of Lanvale Street and Elgin/Burhans Boulevard shortly after 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The precautions for Tuesday and Wednesday include: No outdoor activities during the school day after 10 a.m. This includes recess and physical education. Any outdoor activities before 10 a.m. will be limited to 10 minutes. Outdoor practices and contests may not start until 6 p.m. Indoor contests may not start before 6 p.m. if there is no air conditioning. More water breaks during practices and the length of practices may be modified. Indoor practices can proceed at normal times depending on humidity levels in gyms. Gyms with air conditioning can proceed as normal with practices and contests. School officials can choose to postpone or reschedule contests. Schools will communicate any changes to practices and contests by 3 p.m. the day of the event, according to the school system's website. Washington County officials monitoring heat situation "The County is actively monitoring the situation and is in close communication with other agencies to stay informed about any developments related to the heat advisory," according to an emailed statement from county spokesperson Danielle Weaver. "We have a comprehensive plan in place to respond swiftly and effectively should the need arise. Our priority is to ensure that our residents are well-prepared and can access the necessary resources to cope with extreme heat." County officials encourage residents to visit the county's emergency preparedness website for extreme heat, according to the email. That site lists information about staying safe during extreme heat, tips for staying cool and hydrated, and information about heat-related illnesses. This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: NWS heat advisory for Hagerstown region could repeat on Wednesday U.S. Marshals and local officials have offered a $20,000 reward for Danelo Souza Cavalcante after he escaped from a Pennsylvania prison on Aug. 31. Law enforcement officials said Monday they are still hunting a convicted murderer who escaped a Pennsylvania prison last week, scouring a small area near the prison where they believe the man is hiding. Authorities are searching for 34-year-old Danelo Cavalcante, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole for stabbing 33-year-old Deborah Brandao to death in 2021 while her 7-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son were present. He was awaiting transfer to a state facility when he escaped Chester County Prison just outside Philadelphia on Thursday. Law enforcement officials said eyewitnesses have spotted Cavalcante several times including once by a state trooper who briefly chased but was unable to capture the fugitive in a region around Pocopson Township. "We have secured that area, and continue to actively search it," Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens told reporters Monday afternoon. "We are confident, if he is in there, we will find him." Prison escapee has 'very little to lose' Bivens said area residents should familiarize themselves of a photo of the suspect, last seen wearing a white T-shirt, gray shorts and white sneakers. Area residents should be aware of surroundings, check on neighbors and home security cameras and avoid nearby wooded areas where Cavalcante might be hiding. Because many people in the area might be returning from holiday trips, Bivens urged them to call police if they have noticed any signs of disturbance at their home. Police have announced up to a $10,000 reward for information that leads to Cavalcante's capture. He's also wanted for a 2017 murder in his native Brazil, the district attorney's office said. Officials didn't say how Cavalcante escaped, but said he was last seen by an eyewitness Sunday afternoon in Pocopson Township. The acting warden of the prison, Howard Holland, earlier said Cavalcante "physically escaped," but said he didn't cut any fences to do so. Bivens told reporters the fugitive is "desperate" and "has very little to lose at this point." He had been in a relationship with Brandao for about a year and a half and "engaged in a horrific pattern of domestic violence," leading up to the murder, Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said. Cavalcante stabbed Brandao 38 times in broad daylight, she said. It took a jury just 15 minutes to convict Cavalcante of killing Brandao. Prosecutors said he was angry she planned to disclose a murder charge he was facing in Brazil. When authorities showed Brandao's daughter a photo of Cavalcante to identify, she said, "Thats him, thats the guy that killed my mom ... Please get him and put him in prison," the Pottstown Mercury reported in 2021. Police have secured a voice recording from Cavalcante's mother urging him to peacefully surrender. They have played the recording in the search area in an effort to capture him, Bivens said. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Police narrow search for Pennsylvania prison escapee Danelo Cavalcante AUSTIN, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton pleaded not guilty to 20 articles of impeachment alleging corruption, abuse of public trust, misuse of public funds and more, as the Texas Senate began a historic impeachment trial Tuesday. The Republican firebrand was impeached in May by an overwhelming vote in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives over his involvement with real estate developer and donor Nate Paul. Now, the state Senate convened as a high court of impeachment will determine whether or not to remove him from office. Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is presiding over the proceedings, swore in the Texas senators as jurors on Tuesday morning, while some 200 spectators including members of the public and the media watched from the Senate gallery above, before turning to pre-trial motions. Paxton's attorneys had filed more than a dozen motions to dismiss the articles of impeachment or exclude evidence from being considered, and all of them failed Tuesday morning when as many as a dozen Republican senators joined with the Democratic senators to vote against the motions. But Paxton secured one key win Tuesday, when the lieutenant governor who alone decides procedural matters, under the rules approved by the Senate decided that Paxton could not be forced to appear as a witness at his own trial. House impeachment managers had sought to compel the attorney general to be called to the witness stand, though they said in a filing that they expected he would invoke his right not to self-incriminate. The historic trial marks a dramatic fall for a man who gained a national profile as a leader of red states' opposition on everything from health care to immigration during President Barack Obama's administration and who became a key conservative ally of Donald Trump when he was in the White House. Paxton has denied all wrongdoing and vowed to fight the allegations. Ken Paxton. (Emil Lippe / The Washington Post via Getty Images file) More than 100 people have received subpoenas to testify, and some of them appeared outside the Senate door on Tuesday. Two declined to speak, citing a gag order Patrick issued surrounding the case. The potential witnesses reportedly include Paul, the developer and donor from whom Paxton is accused of accepting bribes, and current and former staffers from the attorney general's office some of whom told the FBI he should be investigated for bribery and abuse of office. The attorney generals 2022 primary challenger George P. Bush and even famed Texas political strategist Karl Rove are also both on the list of potential witnesses, as is Laura Olson the woman with whom Paxton was allegedly having an extramarital affair according to The Dallas Morning News, which obtained the confidential witness. State Sen. Angela Paxton, the attorney general's wife, and state Sen. Bryan Hughes also appeared on the initial witness lists, a reminder of how inherently political and personal the proceedings are within the Texas Republican Party. Angela Paxton, who cannot vote in her husband's impeachment trial but must attend, has since been removed, according to The Dallas Morning News. Its not a criminal trial. Its not a civil trial. Its a political trial, Patrick said in an interview with Fox 26 Houston, a local television station, this summer. Paxton and his allies, including Trump, have already threatened political retribution for impeaching Paxton. Hopefully Republicans in the Texas House will agree that this is a very unfair process that should not be allowed to happen or proceed I will fight you if it does, Trump wrote on Truth Social during House impeachment proceedings against Paxton. Jonathan Stickland, president of the far-right Defend Texas Liberty PAC, recently appeared on Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast with a candidate for Dallas County GOP chair, Lauren Davis. The pair rallied viewers to pressure a half-dozen specific Republican senators to vote against impeachment. "We're spending millions of dollars," Stickland said on the show. "Anyone who votes against Ken Paxton in this impeachment is risking their entire political career, and we will make sure that that is the case." Some Paxton supporters also showed up in hopes of seeing the articles of impeachment dismissed by the Senate. He got elected by us, theyre trying to overturn our votes, said Kaci Sisk, president of the Bulverde Spring Branch Conservative Republicans. Sisk and members of her group arrived at the Capitol in matching red shirts just after 6 a.m. to wait in line for tickets to sit in the Senate gallery. We dont care, we dont care. We elected him knowing everything, Sisk said. He is the best attorney general that we have ever had. Hes very important to not just the state of Texas, but to this country. He leads the way for this country. 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. Marysville, CA (95901) Today A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low near 40F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low near 40F. Winds light and variable. Shin Hak-lim, the former head of the National Union of Media Workers, answers reporters' questions during a press conference in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. Yonhap By Lee Hyo-jin The presidential office on Tuesday criticized a media interview given by Kim Man-bae, a key suspect in a high-profile land development scandal, calling the interview an attempt at "unprecedented electoral manipulation" against then-candidate Yoon Suk Yeol in the 2022 presidential election. Kim Man-bae / Newsis YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Russia has asked Armenia to explain its intention to ratify the Rome Statute after the government sent the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC) to parliament for ratification. Weve already asked explanations from the Armenian side over this issue, and we will decide our next steps based on the content of Yerevans response, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing on September 5. The Armenian government on September 1 sent the Rome Statute to parliament for ratification. In 2022, the Pashinyan Administration explained that it seeks to join the Rome Statute because it would allow to hold the government of Azerbaijan to account for its aggressions against Armenia. On 17 March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, after an investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Ukraine. The ICC arrest warrant for Putin accuses the Russian leader of unlawfully deporting thousands of Ukrainian children, a war crime. This has been denied by the Russian government. Countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute would have to enforce the arrest warrant once Putin travels into their territory. A few days ago Russia had said it would be represented by its foreign minister Sergey Lavrov New Delhi/Washington: China confirmed on Monday that President Xi Jinping will not be attending the G-20 Leaders Summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10, and announced that Premier Li Qiang will attend in his place. In all, heads of state/government of 17 of the 20 G-20 members are believed to have so far confirmed their participation at the summit to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A few days ago Russia had said it would be represented by its foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. It is understood that the President of Mexico, a G-20 member, hasnt attended the G-20 summit since 2018. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced in Beijing on Monday: At the invitation of the government of the Republic of India, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the 18th G-20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India, on September 9 and 10. While no official reason was given for President Xis absence, it is well known that ties between the two Asian giants remain strained since 2020 over the border issue and situation in Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control after Beijing had amassed troops there in violation of its border pacts with India. Beijing said Chinese PM Li Qiang will travel to New Delhi after attending the Asean and East Asia summits in Jakarta, which will also be attended by Prime Minister Modi. In Washington, US President Joe Biden said he is looking forward to his trip to India this week but is disappointed that Chinas Xi Jinping will not attend the Delhi summit. Mr Biden will travel to India on September 7 to participate in the G-20 summit and will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8 on the sidelines of the historic meeting, the White House announced on Friday. Ahead of his trip, reporters asked Mr Biden Sunday whether he was looking forward to his visits to India and Vietnam. Yes, I am, Mr Biden replied. He expressed his disappointment over Mr Xi of China not attending the summit. I am disappointed, but I am going to get to see him, Mr Biden said, in response to a question. Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier told Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his inability to attend but had said Moscow would be represented by Mr. Lavrov. The G-20, or Group of Twenty, is an intergovernmental forum of the worlds major developed and developing economies and comprises 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the US) and the European Union (EU) Collectively, the G-20 accounts for 85 per cent of global GDP, 75 per cent of international trade and two-thirds of the worlds population, making it the premier forum for international economic cooperation. Prime Minister Narendra had earlier sought full membership of the G-20 grouping for the African Union (AU), a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African continent. The AU is expected to be granted membership of the G-20 at the Delhi summit, which will make the grouping a G-21. India, as the G-20 president, has also invited Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and the UAE as guest countries and most leaders of these countries are expected to attend. ONE NATION, ONE ELECTION The INDIA alliance is unlikely to participate positively in the special session of Parliament later this month. The Opposition politicians point to yet another link being forged in a chain -- One Nation, One Election, One Party, One Leader. (Image: PTI) The One Nation, One Election (ONOE) proposal of the BJP is in the best traditions of zero-based budgetin, where nothing is off the table, so long as it makes sense and is profitable. Clearly, the BJP sees gains in the conflation of national and state-level elections, before four large states precede the Lok Sabha elections in the middle of next year. Could this be because it fears losses in Madhya Pradesh -- where it rules -- and expects no gains in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh or Telangana, where it doesnt. If true, this triangulates with the outright rejection of the proposal by the recently-created Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), which assumes, by default, that anything which the BJP likes will harm them. How justified is this zero-sum view? If you consider election costs borne by the government, it is a no-brainer that doing this exercise at one go, once in five years, possibly stretched out over four to five months, is better than managing several state elections every year. The direct cost would be front-loaded and might be higher than the sum of the cost of individual elections since the level of mobilisation required would be higher and tightly concentrated within a few months, rather than spread out over several years. But major benefits accrue indirectly, mostly in terms of the subsequent uninterrupted period of four and a half years available to the Union and each state government to pursue their programmes, without being diverted by elections related political economy rhetoric and wasteful outlays. This indirect benefit accrues mostly to the Union government, whose fiscal efficiency gets drastically reduced whilst in election mode -- which is near continuously at present -- as a clutch of the thirty states are always in election process. The INDIA alliance is unlikely to participate positively in the special session of Parliament later this month. The Opposition politicians point to yet another link being forged in a chain -- One Nation, One Election, One Party, One Leader. Others view it, darkly, as the first step towards a shift away from the parliamentary system now being followed, as in the UK, to a presidential one, as in the United States -- although this appears less likely. The number of countries which practise a top-down authoritarian governance style even within the trappings of a parliamentary democracy is increasing. Why bother changing a system when you can subvert it instead? Will ONOE favour richer parties like the BJP? This is not self-evident. Consider that less well-off state-level parties should be happy on two counts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the Brahmastra of the BJP. Time constraints under the proposed system will restrict him from extensive campaigning as he does today, across national and state-level elections. Once these are held simultaneously, he will be forced to pick others to carry his message to BJP supporters. This should be a boon for the smaller parties. It somewhat levels the field for their leaders -- given present popularity polls which definitely favour Mr Modi over others. Also, party expenses per vote sought will now halve under the two-in-one election. Generally, the concentration of diverse election management tasks in a shorter timeframe will encourage greater reliance on second and third-rung leaders for sound political management, as opposed to todays laidback poll schedules, which encourage greater centralisation. So young, meritorious leaders should welcome the change. Could lazy voters prefer the default option of just voting for the same party if national and state elections are held simultaneously? This is unlikely for committed voters but more likely for fence-sitters. This implies that parties will need to enlarge their base of committed voters through continuous engagement. Consider that Naveen Patnaiks Biju Janata Dal won decisively in Odisha versus BJP, even though voting for national and state elections was simultaneous in 2019. That the two tango is well known. Former President Ram Nath Kovind has been named the chair of a high-level committee formed to consider ONOE. Is this a sign of institutional regression? Not very likely. It is time we demystified high political office as an endgame. Political leadership in India should become younger to reflect its young population. Previous Presidents or Prime Ministers should not be expected to become political recluses. The inclusion of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Lok Sabha leader of the single largest party in Opposition, and his refusal to participate, describing the process as a total eyewash, shows the lines dividing the government from the Opposition parties. Given that ONOE is a cheeky innovation, albeit under discussion since 2014, it is inevitable that constitutional amendments and legislative changes would be needed. One such should be a ban on mid-term mass defections to another party which destabilises duly elected governments (mostly state governments over the last two decades), promotes rent seeking and undermines the development of a cohesive party cadre. The Anti Defection Act 1985 allows a three-fourths majority to forsake the party that got them elected, without suffering any penalties -- most recently in Maharashtra. This undermines voter intentions while voting for a party and needs to be urgently plugged. Conscientious objectors should suffer the consequences by resigning. The BJP, given its efficiency in floor management and careful advance political planning, is perfectly capable of navigating the thicket of barriers to a quick implementation of ONOE. The Opposition parties should take heart that they have a good chance of gaining, rather than losing, from a fast imposition of this innovation. What remains critical is the glue binding them. Seat adjustments targeted at reducing their collective losses, rather than maximising potential individual gains, will evidence their resolve. A quick read-up on the prisoners dilemma -- a game theory thought experiment -- would help recognise the gains from collaboration. The INDIA alliance was born out of the helplessness of the Opposition party constituents to individually stem the rising tide of saffron. Business people, when overcome by a tidal wave, rush to reduce their loss, not dream about the could have been best outcomes. Far from boycotting the committee -- a tactic reminiscent of pulling a sheet over your head to avoid seeing a ghost -- they should participate actively in the process and try and structure the proposal to suit their purposes marginally better than what it could become in their absence. Sadly, the instinct to drop out, rather than engage, displays fatigue and political incapacity to deal with a fast-changing environment. This is par for the course for the jagirdars -- as the BJP paints the opposition. Why prove the BJP right? by Steve Suwannarat The Association of Southeast Asian Nations remains split. The membership of repressive regimes is a source of growing embarrassment, while pressure is mounting for the block to take a clear position on the war in Ukraine. Cambodia is represented internationally for the first time by Hun Manet, son of strongman Hun Sen, a staunch ally of China. Bangkok (AsiaNews) The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) opened its annual summit (5-7 September) today in Jakarta, chaired by Indonesia. The 10-member bloc continues to be divided over human rights and has failed to find common ground with respect to Myanmar, one of its members, torn by civil war in the past two years. ASEAN covers a geographical area that is home to 670 million people. Its combined gross domestic product (GDP) reached US$ 4 trillion last year. It is one of the most dynamic areas of the world, but it is burdened by a plurality of political regimes and economic systems, broadly divided into two camps. One group includes countries with a developed economy, or on the way to that status, albeit with substantial differences (Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Brunei); the other is made up of countries that still lag in terms of development, as well as democracy (Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos). So far, the organisation has achieved a certain level of cohesion in terms of trade and business relations, as well as economic and financial cooperation, and cultural relations; however, when it comes to human rights and freedoms, labour mobility, refugees and cross-border trafficking, it has made little progress. The membership of repressive regimes is a growing embarrassment. This is especially true with respect to Myanmar, where a civil war rages. ASEAN members are split between those of advocate talks between the parties to reach a negotiated solution, and those who, with increasing difficulty, stick to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other members. The lack of a common strategic vision and diverging alliances have politically weakened the organisation; and this no clearer than in the unresolved dispute with China over the South China Sea. Chinas latest maps recently aggravated the tensions, by showing as Chinese areas that are not internationally recognised, most notably large swathes of the South China Sea claimed by several ASEAN countries (Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei) as their territorial waters and exclusive economic zones. To a lesser extent, the dispute also involves Taiwan. For Cambodias new prime minister, Hun Manet, the Jakarta meeting was his first international foray, after he took over from his father, strongman Hun Sen who led the country for more than 30 years by crushing all opposition. According to some observers, the son could pave the way for a "new course" not only domestically but also in international relations. Under his father, Cambodia became a Chinese client state. Lastly, in addition to regional issues, the distant Ukrainian conflict could not be avoided in Jakarta. ASEAN's different relations with the two warring countries and their respective allies have so far inspired caution and calls for talks, but internal and external pressures are increasingly pushing members to take a clearer position. By Arthur I. Cyr On Aug. 18, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan and President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea met with President Joe Biden at Camp David to complete a historic accord. The three nations will significantly expand trilateral military exercises. Seoul and Tokyo will also significantly expand communication and cooperation related to security. This follows up on a March meeting in Tokyo between the leaders of the two Asia nations. At that time, they reached positive agreements on trade and security. Also in March, South Korea's foreign minister, Park Jin, announced that a foundation funded by Korean companies would compensate victims of forced labor during Japan's occupation of Korea. U.S. President Joe Biden immediately praised this generous South Korea initiative. The two nations share a complex, difficult history. Japan's long-term occupation of Korea in the 20th century, which continued until 1945, included forced prostitution of Korean women and more general exploitation of the population. Totalitarianism has now faded, but legacies and painful memories continue. South Korea's Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that a comprehensive settlement of wartime compensation claims, reached in 1965, does not prevent individuals from seeking reparations. This opened the door for individuals to sue Japanese companies for compensation. In reaction, Japan announced that special trade relations with South Korea would end. Japanese companies would have to make a formal application, which can be quite cumbersome, for any technology-related deals with South Korea. South Korea retaliated. This dispute has been ended. The two economies are world leaders in scale, production and overall effectiveness, but are notable for remaining surprisingly separate from each other. This directly reflects their extremely difficult history. South Korea's earlier chief executive, President Moon Jae-in, helped encourage the current progress. In August 2019, he took the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the death of South Korea's great leader Kim Dae-jung to underscore the importance of a 1998 Joint Declaration between Japan and South Korea, and the fundamental need for partnership. Kim's effectiveness in fighting South Korea's earlier harsh dictatorship marked him as a special target, and he survived at least five attempts on his life. One of the most dramatic incidents occurred in 1973, when South Korean government agents kidnapped him from a Tokyo hotel and took him to a ship, where they intended to kill him at sea. Donald Gregg, the highly experienced U.S. Central Intelligence Agency station chief in South Korea, acted decisively. After a U.S. helicopter flew low over the ship, and Gregg intervened personally, and forcefully, the kidnappers reluctantly released Kim. Gregg, whose intelligence career dates back to training commandos during the Korean War, later served as U.S. Ambassador to Seoul during the George H.W. Bush administration and more recently provided outstanding professional leadership to the Korea Society based in New York City. Ambassador Gregg was also a national security adviser to Vice President Bush. Most of his career was spent with the CIA. He personified the commitment and dedication of career professionals crucial to our success in the Cold War. Kim's courage and commitment to representative government were rewarded when this great leader was elected President of the Republic of Korea in 1997. Without hesitation, he moved to begin detente with the North Korea regime. This culminated in a dramatic summit meeting in 2000 with the leader of North Korea, beginning the fitful interchange with Pyongyang. Kim Dae-jung received the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership, which resonates well beyond Korea. Preoccupation with China should not distract from remarkable, positive developments in Asia. ) is author of "After the Cold War." Arthur I. Cyr ( acyr@carthage.edu On the same day that Pope Francis praised Mongolian culture and traditions, the authorities in Chinas Inner Mongolia region, where a fifth of the population is Mongolian, described them as historical nihilism in the name of sinicisation. The words Francis addressed to the Chinese people in Ulaanbaatar were banned in China, with no coverage in official media. Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) While Pope Francis praised the great history of the Mongolian people during his historic trip to Ulaanbaatar, a few hundred kilometres away, across the Mongolian-Chinese border, that same history was removed from bookstores. The authorities in Chinas Inner Mongolia Autonomous region, where a fifth of the population is ethnic Mongolian, ordered the withdrawal of a 2004 book entitled "General History of the Mongols, describing it as an example of "historical nihilism". In Hong Kong, the pro-Beijing Sing Tao newspaper reported the order, citing a directive issued on 25 August by the Inner Mongolia branch of the government-backed Books and Periodicals Distribution Association. The move was even more surprising since the book, which was authored by scholars at the Mongolian Studies Department of the Inner Mongolia Institute of Education, already framed Mongolian culture in a Chinese nationalist perspective. "A lot of Mongolian scholars and Mongolians in general don't like [A General History of the Mongols] because it describes the Mongols as a people of China," said Yang Haiying, a professor at Shizuoka University in Japan, speaking to Radio Free Asia. But in the spirit of President Xi Jinping's sinicisation policy, any mention today of a distinct Mongolian identity is going too far for the partys apparatus. In fact, the Uyghurs of Xinjiang are not the only one to have claims based on a separate identity, in Chinas border regions. This explains why the Chinese government prevented mainland Chinese Catholic bishops from travelling to Ulaanbaatar for Pope Franciss visit, a policy that continues. Small groups of Chinese Catholics did manage to come on a tourist visa, and took part in the events, waving the flag of the People's Republic. On Sunday, at the end of the Mass in the Mongolian capital, Pope Francis urged Chinese Catholics to be good Christians and good citizens, but as expected, this was not reported on official Chinese media. Significantly, Xinde, mainland Chinas main Catholic website, did the same. Xinde regularly keeps its readers informed about the popes magisterium. This included covering his Mass in Ulaanbaatar, taken from the Vatican News website; however, no reference was made to the popes message to the Chinese people nor any hint at the presence next to the pontiff of Card John Tong and Bishop Stephen Chow of Hong Kong. Nothing suggests that Xinde would refuse to report such details, were it not for a red line it cannot cross. Still, Pope Franciss words are already making their way into China among Chinese Catholics via other channels. In yesterdays weekly press briefing, the spokesperson for Chinas Foreign Ministry did not comment on the pope's unplanned remarks in Ulaanbaatar; instead, they drily referred to what had already been stated after the pope sent Xi Jinping a telegram upon entering Chinese airspace on his way to Mongolia, reiterating Beijing's desire to "strengthen mutual trust" with the Vatican. On his flight home, Pope Francis once again stressed the path of dialogue. I believe we must go further in the religious aspect, to understand each other more, he said. Chinese citizens should not think that the Church does not accept their culture and values, and that the Church depends on another foreign power, he added. The commission chaired by Card Parolin is progressing on this friendly path, doing a good job, a good job also by the Chinese side. The rapport is, in one word, developing. I have great respect for the Chinese people. by Shafique Khokhar Eliezer Sidhu, head of a Presbyterian church, was first forced to recite Quranic verses. After the attack he was rushed to the hospital, from where he explained that those responsible for the attack are the same ones who have been smearing the walls of churches with Islamic writing for weeks. Human rights defenders say this is one of the worst times ever for Christians in Pakistan. Faisalabad (AsiaNews) - After the attacks in mid-August on the churches and Christians of Jaranwala for false accusations of blasphemy, the persecution of the Christian community continues: on 3 September the pastor Eliezer Sidhu (Vicky), head of the Presbyterian Church in Satyana Road was was shot while walking home in Rehmat Khanuana town, Faisalabad province. T he pastor explained that the attacker first forced him to recite some verses from the Koran; when he refused to say them, the man shot the pastor in the right arm and fled the scene. The pastor survived but was rushed to hospital. Msgr Indrias Rehmat, bishop of the diocese of Faisalabad, spoke to the superintendent of police, asking that the person responsible be arrested. The agents explained that they had recorded an initial information report. Human rights defenders met Pastor Vicky and his family at the public hospital in Faisalabad, where the pastor is currently being treated. The pastor then explained that the attackers are the same ones who painted Islamic slogans on the church wall at the end of last month. After the Jaranwala attacks of August 16, during which over 20 churches and over 800 Christian homes were stormed and at least 10,000 Christians forced to flee, false accusations of blasphemy against local Christians by extremists continued Muslims, who in Karachi, Sarghodha and Rawalpindi have daubed the walls of Christian places of worship with Islamic writing. Through legal actions, interreligious dialogues and advocacy activities, the Churches and various volunteers are working to combat discrimination against Christians. Pakistan's faithful community has expressed great concern about the current situation: threats and false accusations of blasphemy are also reaching social media, while some religious fanatics are also launching accusatory messages through the city's loudspeakers. Naveed Walter, president of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP), told AsiaNews: "While we ask to establish a policy and a mechanism to resolve the clashes, no one has taken strong measures against the elements who are spreading hatred towards religious minorities. Religious fanatics have become more violent since police filed an initial intelligence report against some of Jaranwala's attackers. People who spread anti-Christian hate messages should also be included in the list of those who carried out the attacks." Lala Robin Daniel, a well-known human rights defender from Faisalabad, added that Christians are facing one of the worst moments in their history in Pakistan: "We ask the government to take protective measures for the safety of the Christian community and take serious action to put an end to the series of violence. Many videos that have gone viral on social media call for violent actions against Christians, the activist pointed out: "The attack on pastor Eliezer Sidhu and the constant threats are another example of persecution of Christians in Pakistan. Christian leaders must continue to raise their voices for our equal citizenship and obtaining equal rights." Today's headlines: Aung San Suu Kyi has been refused outside doctor; Two giant pandas from Edinburgh Zoo will return to China by the end of the year; The president of Taiwan on official visit to eSwatini; Israel blocks the export of goods from Gaza; The border markets between Tajikistan and Afghanistan reopen; The Ukrainian Orthodox Churches adopt the Gregorian calendar instead of the Julian calendar. RUSSIA NORTH KOREA North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month. This was revealed by some American officials, according to which the two heads of state will discuss the possibility of Pyongyang supplying arms to Moscow to fight the war in Ukraine. For Kim Jong Un it would be a rare visit abroad: the last one was held in 2019 also in Russia, in Vladivostok. MYANMAR Reuters sources report that the junta has rejected the request for an external doctor to visit Aung San Suu Kyi, 78, a former leader of Myanmar currently in prison. After the coup d'etat by the military junta she was jailed and sentenced to 27 years in prison for fictitious crimes. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who according to the source was unable to eat well and felt dizzy, was seen by a prison doctor. INDONESIA In recent days, the former governor of Jakarta, Anies Baswedan, appointed the head of Indonesia's largest Islamic party as his deputy in the race for the 2024 presidential election, a move that commentators say aims to increase his popularity. Polls say the election will be a close contest between Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo and defense minister Prabowo Subianto, both of whom have received the support of the current president, Joko Widodo. CHINA Edinburgh Zoo's giant pandas are due to return to China in December: Tian Tian and Yang Guang have to go back under the terms of their 10-year loan, extended by two years due to the covid-19 pandemic. According to officials at the facility, which pays China 750,000 a year for pandas, the animals have had an "incredible impact" on visitors. TAIWAN The president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, left today for an official visit to eSwatini (called Swaziland until 2018), one of the island's few allies and the last in Africa. Taiwan, which China claims as its territory, now has formal ties with only 13 countries, almost all of which are small and underdeveloped. Taiwan has provided big aid to the absolute monarchy surrounded by South Africa, including antiviral drugs in 2021 to help King Mswati III recover from covid-19. ISRAEL - PALESTINE Israeli forces have ordered the suspension of all commercial goods leaving the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army, which controls the border crossings between Israel and the Strip, "detected several kilograms of high-quality explosives hidden inside a load of clothes transported by three trucks" at the Kerem Shalom crossing point ( the only one used to export goods), the Defense Ministry said in a statement yesterday. UKRAINE From 1 September, the beginning of the new liturgical year according to the Byzantine rite, the Ukrainian autocephalous Orthodox Church Pzu and the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church Ugkz (not the pro-Moscow one Upz), have officially adopted the Gregorian calendar instead of the Julian one, which coincides with that of the Latin Church, except for the date of Easter. TAJIKISTAN - AFGHANISTAN In the Khukumat (province) of Gorno-Badakshan in Tajikistan, the border markets with Afghanistan in the cities of Khorug, Darvazsk, Bandzhsk and Ishkashimsk were reopened in early September, a first sign of possible detente between Dushanbe and Kabul, including the Hostility had remained at an all-time high since the return of the Taliban two years ago. Rep. Lauren Boebert speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in July 14. The Silt Republicans campaign sent emails last week seeking donations after Aspen resident Adam Frisch, who is seeking the Democratic nomination in the June 2024 primary election, trended 2 points ahead of her in a recent poll. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Carvana-Led Coalition Passes Home Delivery Legislation in Illinois Published Sept. 5, 2023 Carvana Co. on Aug. 28 announced the successful conclusion to its campaign to enact legislation that more formally allows car buyers in the state the convenience of home delivery. Legislation sponsored by Illinois State Sen. Patrick Joyce and supported by thousands of Illinois consumers, explicitly permitting vehicle home delivery, passed the Illinois Senate unanimously by a 57-0 vote, the Illinois House of Representatives by a 113-0 margin, and was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker. The legislation modernizes existing vehicle sales laws, which were more than 50 years old and did not formally account for current conveniences, like home delivery, now afforded to vehicle buyers in the state. More than 15,000 Illinois customers took action to show support as Carvana led a coalition championing this legislation and launched DeliverMyCarHome.com to provide an easy mechanism to contact elected officials. At Carvana, we are committed to continually innovating to make the car buying and selling experience easier, more transparent and more fun. One of the ways we raise the bar for our customers is offering home delivery, and we are proud to work alongside Illinois customers and lawmakers to ensure consumers in the state are able to take advantage of this convenient service, said Will Dammann, Carvana government relations manager. We thank the thousands of Illinois customers who voiced their support for modernizing existing laws and commend Illinois legislators and the governor for taking action on behalf of local consumers. Carvana served its first Illinois customer in 2014 and since then, the nations largest online auto dealers connection to Illinois has grown tremendously, with more than 95,000 Illinois residents served and counting. Source: Carvana Deaths of teachers indicate demise of education One after another, teachers are dying. Following the suicide of an elementary school teacher in Seoul around 50 days ago, three more have since followed in her footsteps, last week, across the nation. Tens of thousands of teachers staged a rally wearing black clothing near the National Assembly on Monday. They mourned their colleagues' deaths and the school system's demise on the day that public education came to a halt. A recent survey of teachers makes for hard reading. It showed that 99 percent of respondents experienced infringements on their authority by overbearing parents and disorderly students. Some 93 percent fear being reported or sued for child abuse despite meting out legitimate punitive measures. Eighty-seven percent have already thought of quitting in the past year, and 27 percent have received psychiatric treatment. The Ministry of Education vowed to move swiftly to accept the demands put forward by teachers. And the ministry, primarily responsible for the dismal reality, withdrew its threat of "stern measures" against teachers taking "unlawful collective action." Anyway, their rally was legal and orderly. Alarmed by the anger and disappointment of teachers, the government and political parties are enacting and revising four related laws. These call for, among other things, the elimination or weakening of child abuse provisions for justifiable disciplinary measures and obligating school principals to deal with complaints from parents. Bureaucrats and politicians must speed up their jobs and do more by carefully examining other demands made by teachers. These moves are crucial, but they are just stop-gap measures. The time has long passed for the nation to rethink its education system from the ground up. Education is often called the "task that spans a century." However, in Korea, frequent educational reforms have been about changing the college entrance system. Elementary and secondary schools are only stations from which students travel toward the ultimate destination of good universities. Prior learning is rampant and private academies prosper. Students, pressured by their parents' expectations, become increasingly unruly, hurting one another and their teachers. Pupils don't respect teachers, thinking they have little to learn from them. However, even these issues are the stories of the more privileged kids of southern Seoul. Those from poorer backgrounds and in poorly performing schools don't care, with pupils sleeping even during exams. Like marriage and childbirth, study has become an issue only for upper-class families and regions in this country. Korea is what it is now, thanks to education. But its education system is dying. Sociologists cite fundamental reasons. The unprecedentedly rapid shift from an agrarian Confucian society to a capitalistic industrial power has replaced community spirit with materialistic selfishness. Highly educated, wealthy and powerful parents regard schoolteachers as just employees or beneficiaries of their tax money. According to rumors, the parent who bullied the Seoul elementary schoolteacher, who went on to take her own life, is a police officer or prosecutor, delaying the investigation. Koreans' excessive adherence to family, often called "instrumental familism," also leads to raising children resembling "small emperors," with little consideration of the cost to others in society. No social issue is an island. It is connected to all other issues and based on a shared social ill. Gripping Korea now is a cheap and vulgar form of capitalism where the end justifies the means, thereby lacking honest hard work and the subsequent just rewards. President Yoon Suk Yeol's recent remarks regarding the protests by teachers revealed his shallow understanding of the educational crisis. Yoon called for restraining students' rights to bolster those of teachers, showing that he regards the issue as a zero-sum game. He also instructed the relevant authorities to eliminate "killer questions" from the state college exam and clamp down on "education cartels" that produce such types of questions for students. Private educational institutions, or hagwon, prosper due to the public school system's failure. This is attributable to society's excessive materialism. Some parents in Gangnam send their fourth graders to hagwon specializing in medical school entrance tests to give their children the best possible chance of securing stable, high-income jobs. The incumbent administration's economic policies are a regression to the neo-liberalistic 1980s, and its perception of human rights goes even further back to the 1960s and 1970s. Does the government still think this is only an educational issue? Illinois $19 Million in EV Rebates Includes Luxury Models Written by Greg Bishop, The Center Square Published Sept. 5, 2023 The first round of Illinois rebate program for buyers of electric vehicles is over and a new $12 million round is set to begin. The next round opens up Nov. 1. The first round for fiscal year 2023 that ended June 30 cost taxpayers $19 million. That is nearly 4,900 purchasers of EVs getting $4,000 rebates for the previous fiscal year. Of those, only around 10% were low-income individuals, despite the program prioritizing such applicants. Among those granted rebates, nearly 300 were luxury models costing up to $125,000, as The Center Square previously reported. The Pritzker administration says the program is competitive and part of the clean energy revolution. This incentive program was created to encourage Illinois residents to purchase electric vehicles and has already received tremendous response from Illinois motorists, with over $19 million in rebates awarded in fiscal year 2023, Illinois Environmental Protection Director John J. Kim said in a statement. The program launched by the Clean Energy Jobs Act in 2021 gives rebates to purchasers of EVs that meet certain conditions like length of ownership. It was modified to allow a $1,500 rebate for all-electric motorcycles. State Sen. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, said legislators should look at the data. We have poor and working-poor people that are subsidizing what in many cases are very wealthy people to give them the rebates that they are getting out of the state program, Chesney told The Center Square. You cant have it both ways. You cant say that youre fighting for the working-poor and the working class but then again have subsidies that go to the more affluent. Since taxpayers are paying the bill, Chesney said the program needs to be scrapped. If electric vehicles is a good product then they should be able to stand on their own two feet and I dont know why were inserting ourselves into the private sector to change consumer behavior, Chesney said. If this is in fact good for the consumer, let the consumers buy it but the idea that it needs to be federally or subsidized on state level, I just simply could not support that. Of last years total, 2,769 Tesla owners were given rebates, 50 Lucid Air Grand Touring and Porsche owners were given rebates and 101 Audi E-trons were given rebates. We thank The Center Square for reprint permission. The Q8 is one of Audi's best products. It fits perfectly into the current car market. People love SUVs, and nobody can blame those willing to scoop up some more money to obtain all the advantages of such a vehicle. That may be why the German automaker decided to put the model through a comprehensive refresh that adds many goodies. Here's what you need to know. Photo: Autogefuhl on YouTube See more, adjust more Photo: Autogefuhl on YouTube Some more changes SUV Photo: Audi Photo: Audi Efficiency matters Straight off the bat, the headlights are the first thing that almost anyone will identify as being different about the 2024 Audi Q8. They now boast a slightly reinterpreted version of the lighting signature found on the e-tron GT The Q8 is a generously proportioned vehicle with a large grille and a sloping roofline. As such, slim headlamps wouldn't have looked very nice. Instead, the Ingolstadt-based brand updated the previous housing design and carefully separated the beams. The top part includes the daytime-running lights (DRLs) and the low beam, while the bottom area is reserved for the high beam.But the Q8 goes beyond a simple redesign. It debuts an interesting lighting technology. Depending on the spec, customers can get basic LEDs, matrix LEDs, and HD matrix LEDs with laser light. The latter was popularized by BMW a couple of years ago. It essentially enables the driver to illuminate more of the road at night without blinding oncoming traffic participants.Like BMW, Audi will differentiate the top-spec Q8s (Vorsprung models) equipped with this option through some blue ambient inserts in the headlight housing. The laser-emitting diode only activates at speeds over 43.5 mph for obvious safety reasons. It's a simple way to ensure that flashing your high beams in the city won't temporarily disable other drivers' vision.Audi used OLED technology for the taillights, which can change their design when the driver wants a new look. Some elements can be turned off, or they can change shape, as shown in the photo gallery.Moreover, they can turn on all the segments automatically when the driver-assistance systems detect that another vehicle approaches from the rear and gets closer than 6.5 feet. It serves as a great visual cue that the Q8 is stationary and not moving.We can't wait to see how much a replacement for one of these light assemblies will cost. BMW used this technology on the M4 GTS and M4 CS but without the impressive software that Audi has now. Still, replacing one taillight housing used to cost at least $4,000 before installation.The shape of the DRLs can be adjusted via the infotainment, too, but the difference isn't as noticeable or important as for the stop lights.Since the US is still grappling with approving matrix headlights on public roads, it could be a while before we see this technology working stateside.Between the headlamps, there's a new grille that now has vertical inlays, and the front fascia now includes more prominent air intakes that enhance the sporty character of thisThis upgrade being a facelift, the Q8's length remains at 196 inches. But new metallic colors are available - Sakhir Gold, Ascari Blue, and Chili Red. At the same time, fresh wheel designs that start from a size of 21 inches and go up to the 23-inch mark have been introduced. For those worried about potholes, 20-inch wheels will be available as well. Audi thought of what its customers might like to have in the cabin apart from a posh interior and updated the infotainment system. It now includes popular apps like Spotify or Amazon Music. There will also be an app store, which we expect to debut some clever new ways to further upgrade the Q8. It's not yet confirmed that subscription-based services or functions will debut, but we'll keep an eye on Audi and report back to you.The facelifted Q8 will better display on the driver's screen what the advanced driver-assistance system sees, including distance warning, intersection assist, and traffic light information in high definition.The coupe SUV also gets a revised air suspension system with adaptive dampers as standard. All-wheel steering is standard on Vorsprung and SQ8 models, while for the lesser units, it remains an option.Since the Q8 facelift was just introduced in Europe before being allowed to visit other markets, the entry-level powertrain is a three-liter six-cylinder diesel powerplant with an output of 282 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. It "sprints" from naught to 62 mph in 6.1 seconds and keeps going until it reaches 150 mph.Don't worry, though! There's also a turbocharged gas-hungry three-liter six-cylinder engine available. It produces 335 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. That's enough to propel the new Q8 from zero to 62 mph in 5.6 seconds. It will stop accelerating once it reaches 155 mph.Both mechanical beating hearts are slightly electrified and paired with an eight-speed Tiptronic transmission, and power is sent to all wheels via Audi's quattro four-wheel-drive system.The king of the castle is the Audi SQ8, which hides a four-liter V8 under its hood. Picking this model gets the buyer a powertrain that puts out 500 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque. It needs just 4.1 seconds to reach 62 mph from a standstill. It's also efficient and smart. When it's not being put to work, the V8 turns into a four-cylinder to save gas.The Audi Q8 is available in the UK in three versions: S line, Black Edition, and Vorsprung. The four-ring brand added a Launch Edition featuring all the goodies to mark the facelifted unit's launch.Finally, the British can order the new Q8 starting October 10. It's unclear when the refreshed SUV will arrive in the US at the time of writing. Maybe the SQ8 e-tron will be enough until the new Q8 comes along. The auto industry is a tricky place with a strange flow. Always depending on suppliers and developers, it has to wait in line for various parts or tech. It is Ford's turn to blame it on the supply chain. The all-new Ford Explorer EV also delayed Electric Vehicle Photo: Ford EV The 2024 Ford Ranger was set to enter production on August 21, and so was the Ranger Raptor version. But the carmaker had to push production back a week due to supply chain issues that the Michigan Assembly plant has been facing.The mid-size pickup truck is already on sale in some markets, but not in the US just yet, despite the fact that order banks opened back in May. Waiting lists are getting longer, and so do waiting times. Customers are asking for build dates for the Rangers they ordered. However, FoMoCo cannot confirm a build date since they dont have any components delivery date from suppliers. The carmaker promised to keep buyers informed with updates at least once every 45 days.The 2024 Ford Ranger starts at $32,565. That is how much customers pay for the entry-level XL version with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine, capable of delivering 270 horsepower (274 PS) and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) in a front-wheel drive setup.The range-topping Ranger Raptor starts at $55,365 and comes with the 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 that pumps out 405 horsepower (411 PS) and 430 lb-ft (582 Nm).The 2024 Ford Explorer EV is facing similar problems. The electric crossover, the first to be underpinned by Volkswagen's MEB platform, was revealed back in March for the European market. The production of the electric crossover, coming with a recommended price below 45,000 euros ($48,558), was set to start in early 2024.Ford was planning to build around 30,000 units next year in the CologneCenter, the production facility that underwent a billion dollar revamp.But Ford announced that the original plan of building 600,000 electric cars in 2024 is not realistic any more. Therefore, all customers who ordered a Ford, the Explorer EV, will be affected.The carmaker's CEO, Jim Farley, blames it on the thermal propagation of the battery the crossover must be equipped with. But FordAuthority reports that the General Manager of Ford Model e Europe, Martin Sander, came up with a slightly different explanation at the IAA Mobility Show in Munich, Germany.Sander pointed out that the production at the Cologne plant has not started yet because it all depends on the moment a new generation of Volkswagen battery technology is available.But the delay will not affect the launch of the next Ford crossover to be built on the MEB architecture. The model should break cover sometime this fall and should enter production next summer. In what is believed to be another instance of "rules only apply to regular people, not the rich," a sanctioned megayacht, estimated at over $700 million and believed to be owned by Russian President Vladimir Putin, might be getting ready to flee arrest. Photo: Charl van Rooy for Superyacht Times Scheherazade is one of the biggest, most expensive, most luxurious, and most controversial privately-owned superyachts afloat today. By size and volume, it's technically a megayacht, and it's believed to have been commissioned as a Christmas gift for Putin , at a total cost between $600 million and $1 billion, depending on which account you choose to believe. He didn't pay for it; his associates did.The interiors of Scheherazade were never shown to the public except on one occasion in leaked photos, but urban legend has it that it lives up to that reported price tag, with gold-plated toilet paper holders, a transformable pool, and unbelievable quantities of precious metals, stones, and woods in the finishes. Scheherazade is big and flashy in a way in which few other vessels are, but it's its ownership that makes it noteworthy today.Because Putin is believed to be the direct beneficiary of Scheherazade, despite the fact that the CEO of Rosneft Eduard Khudainatov claimed ownership, the megayacht was seized in Italy in May 2022. Authorities swooped in and seized it just as it had refueled, refloated, and was getting ready to sail off , and it's been kept in dry dock since.Curiously, even though it's frozen and in the custody of the Italian government , work on Scheherazade has continued uninterrupted. Under the current sanctions against Russian oligarchs, local companies and authorities are not allowed to provide services of any kind for assets believed to belong to the same oligarchs. Yet Scheherazade has been undergoing a refit, with authorities saying that the "owner," whoever he might be, is footing the bill.A new report by eSysman SuperYachts claims that work on the megayacht is completed. A source close to the yard reveals that plans include a relocation of Scheherazade out of dry dock and into the marina.The choice to refloat it is no accident, either: the same source notes this would allow the megayacht to "easily slip out of the shipyard with little notice." In simpler terms, Scheherazade is getting ready to flee arrest, and it might be doing so while playing by the rules set up by the Italian government. Controversial ownership aside, Scheherazade is a most impressive vessel, even if far from a subtle one. It was delivered by luxury shipyard Lurssen in 2020 and measures 140 meters (459 feet) in total length, with twin diesel MTU engines that take it to speeds of 20 knots (23 mph/37mph), out-of-this-world luxury amenities, and accommodation for 40 guests and 94 crew.As per the same report, it's even more impressive now that the refit is complete , boasting an additional 2 meters (6.5 feet) at the stern, for a total of 142 meters (466 feet) of length. If the above report checks out, Scheherazade's disappearing will be an even more impressive trick than David Copperfield's 1983 vanishing of the Statue of Liberty. What happens when you take 6.2 liters of cubic displacement, sprinkle some Chrysler HEMI magic over it, stick on a supercharger larger than some economy car engines, and then shove the whole thing under the hood of Chargers, Challengers, Jeeps, and Dodge Durangos? If your answer was to create a car thief's wet dream, you're right on the money. As it turns out, Hellcats are far and away among the most stolen automobiles in North America. Is that really a surprise to anyone? But regardless, let's take a look at the details. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety In a story first reported by Robert Duffer, Senior Editor at The Car Connection, all the easily accessible horsepower the Hellcat family takes for granted is just too darn irresistible for unscrupulous thieves to pass up. In regards to the Charger and Challenger Hellcats specifically, research indicates these models are stolen at a rate nearly 60 times more frequently than the average for vehicles within the 2020 to 2022 model years. For some context, the next highest stolen vehicle in America was only 20 times more likely to be involved in a theft. Of course, this vehicle is the Charger Hellcat's little brother, the Charger HEMI. Per the numbers crunched by the's Highway Loss Data Institute, a whopping 25 out of every 1000 new Charger Hellcats insured between 2020 and 2022 have been stolen so far. Compared to the same study conducted from 2019 to 2021, where 18 Charger Hellcats were stolen per 1,000 insured, it's clear the problem is going to get worse before it gets better. As a nationwide increase in car thefts spurred on by the recent global health crisis continues to proliferate, thefts of America's most powerful production muscle cars have increased proportionally. For America's law enforcement, it's a problem too large to ignore.On the face of it, it makes sense why Charger Hellcats, Challenger Hellcats, and the entire Hellcat family would be so enticing for criminals with cruel intentions. Videos have long circled online of vehicles equipped with Hellcat engines making complete mince meat of pursuing police interceptors and even outrunning police helicopters on their way to a movie scene-adjacent escape caught on camera. Of course, the virtues of 700 horsepower to the rear wheels are pretty self-apparent regardless of the particulars of each criminal. With such readily available and attainable horsepower roaming the streets of North America, the latest trend shouldn't come as a surprise.While the media at large grills Kia/Hyundai for failing to install immobilizers in their vehicles for consecutive model years, the same can't be said for Charger and Challenger Hellcats . Whether this has anything to do with media bias in favor of an American brand is anyone's guess. But if you're looking to put down dough for a Hellcat of your own, this is something you should seriously consider. Evia Aero is a name worth remembering. This German company will soon conduct trailblazing green operations in multiple locations centered around all-electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft that aren't eVTOLs (vertical take-off and landing). Most recently, it acquired stakes in a promising airport company focused on sustainability, and together, the two are building a solar plant for all-electric operations. kW The Bremen-based Evia Aero is no ordinary aviation operator. It wants to handle everything from generating clean energy to storing it and managing the actual flight operations. No other airline in Europe promises what Evia Aero does a future fleet consisting entirely of battery-electric and hydrogen-electric fixed-wing aircraft. It has already committed to purchasing 25 electric aircraft and 25 hybrid ones, which will operate as nine-seaters with a range of up to 500 km (310 miles).These green aircraft will come from the US and the UK. The German operator bought them from the US-based Eviation and the UK-based Cranfield Aerospace Solutions.Knowing Evia Aero 's big plans, there could be no better partner than Redstone Aero. This Finnish airport developer and operator, in which Evia now has stakes, wants to implement an innovative concept based on sustainability. The Helsinki East Aerodrome, located 60 minutes southeast of Helsinki, is set to become the prototype for what Redstone calls "a sustainable digital airport."This new airport concept will combine aviation operations based on clean energy with the latest technological developments. The ultimate goal is to have multiple airports like this spread across Finland and Europe.For now, Redstone and Evia are focusing on a 50 MW solar plant. The output will be used mainly to charge the electric aircraft fleet but also to power all of the airport operations. The partners claim there will even be enough energy to supply other industrial companies in the region.This solar plant will be just the beginning. Evia will later add charging stations and buffer batteries for intermediate storage. During a later phase, small electrolyzers will also be added for refueling the hybrid-electric aircraft.The only bad part is that it will take two years just to complete this new solar plant. Still, the German airline is confident it will be ready to start commercial operations as soon as 2026. Alice , the future aircraft that will operate at Helsinki East Aerodrome, is a US-made nine-seater powered by a magniX 640electric propulsion system. It promises a top speed of 250 knots (287 mph/461 kph) coupled with a moderate range of 440 nautical miles (506 miles/814 km) and a 2,500 lb (1,130 kg) payload.Last year, when Evia Aero agreed to purchase 25 Alice units, it confirmed its plans to integrate them into an electric eco-system based on locally sourced energy and solar power plants based at the airport. Owning an SUV in Australia will now come with yet another worry the appearance of tire deflators or, as they identify themselves, "tire extinguishers." This group of environmental activists claims larger cars are responsible for too many emissions, are a danger to communities, and occupy too much space in urban environments. Here's what you need to know. SUV Photo: The Tyre Extinguishers on Twitter MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: 30 SUVS HIT IN TOORAK AREA IN FIRST EVER AUSTRALIAN TX ACTION SUVs disarmed last night Melbourne's richest suburb. Congrats to Melb TX on the first ever Aussie TX action! We call on people all over Australia to take action now.https://t.co/cmqm5IOeg7 pic.twitter.com/gBQj7aMKuk The Tyre Extinguishers (@T_Extinguishers) September 1, 2023 The Tire Extinguishers represent a group of eco-warriors who want to discourageownership. They don't spare anyone, not even those driving small crossovers like the Hyundai Kona. The movement originated in the UK, where other similar organizations exist.For example, the "Just Stop Oil" members wearing orange high-visibility jackets or pieces of clothing block public roads, disrupt public events and throw paint on various objects like works of art. Sometimes, they also use what's claimed to be biodegradable confetti. It's their way of protesting the use of gas, diesel, and other fossil fuels. Some have even reached airports and climbed on private jets!But while Just Stop Oil is a tad bit organized with its impromptu manifestations, the Tire Extinguishers are an international leaderless movement. Last year, they even expanded to the US . However, not much has been heard about the American initiative since then. They're still active in Canada, though!But now they're in Australia, too, and have already acted in Melbourne. More precisely, 30 SUVs had their tires deflated in the Toorak suburbs, an area considered to be inhabited by affluent Aussies. Fortunately, they didn't cut the rubber rings. The activists removed the tire air cap and just let the air out. They claim to use lentils, but some might use different objects.Despite that, deflating a tire can still lead to some degree of damage because SUVs are generally heavier than sedans. In some cases, the weight can put too much pressure on the rubber and compromise the sidewall because the rims typically have thin edges. Replacing the tire could be necessary, depending on how bad the situation is.These protesters will act primarily at night, in public places. If you park your SUV on the side of the road, in front of your building, or anywhere else where there isn't enough lightning, someone working security, or motion-based alarm systems, you might wake up one morning to drive to work or to take the kids to school and discover that you need to put air in one or more of your vehicle's tires.Catching the Tire Extinguishers in action is complicated, and discovering their identity is even more difficult. They usually wear dark clothes and face masks and don't stay around long.Besides wanting to encourage people to look beyond SUVs for their next acquisition (including the all-electric ones, as past actions have proved), the Tire Extinguishers also want them banned from urban environments. They claim this type of vehicle is unnecessary and causes a disproportionate amount of issues for those living in dense environments.The group also calls for more taxes for those who own all-wheel-drive high-riding automobiles.The Tire Extinguishers invites more Australians to join the movement. They believe that deflating SUV tires makes them "safe" and think that the more activists there are acting at night, the less people will think about buying something like a Tesla Model X or a Toyota Rav4. Don't worry, though! The movement doesn't call for slashing tires or cutting valve stems, and it doesn't discriminate: pickup trucks (utes) are also targeted.Be on the lookout for a leaflet put under your wipers! It might stop you from damaging your wheels. That's how the protesters inform victims of what happened to their SUV. If 2022 was the year of the great Russian-owned superyacht saga, when the whole world watched as they tried (and some succeeded) to hide away from authorities, 2023 is the year of the endless legal battles that ensued. One of the most infamous of these superyachts is currently at the center of a complicated legal process with no positive outcome in sight. The Antigua and Barbuda officials are trying to get rid of Alfa Nero . This spectacular superyacht is costing them nearly $30,000 per week. They got stuck with it simply because that is where the vessel was located at the beginning of 2022 when the sanctions against Russian oligarchs were issued following the invasion of Ukraine.The yacht was ordered to stay where it was and hasn't changed its status since then. Like other pleasure craft in a similar situation but in different locations, Alfa Nero is a very costly burden.Things seemed to take a positive turn when none other than former Google CEO Eric Schmidt became the highest bidder during the auction that took place earlier this year. However, a new plot twist is complicating things. The local media in Antigua reported that the government might not be able to grant Alfa Nero a free title.What this means is that somebody could potentially claim ownership of Alfa Nero later on. It looks like Schmidt isn't willing to commit to this ultra-luxurious purchase without the guarantee of a free title. The risk is real, considering that Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov, the daughter of a sanctioned oligarch and the original owner of the yacht on paper, fought hard to get it back and is still not giving up.If Schmidt drops it, Alfa Nero could end up in the hands of the second-highest bidder. Money-wise, the difference between the two offers is minimal. Either way, the luxurious yacht would be sold for pennies. Although it was formally estimated to be worth $115 million, officials agreed to a minimum sale price of just $60 million, less than half of its actual value.Schmidt was reportedly willing to pay $67.6 million for it two months ago. Now, it could be auctioned off for $66 million. And this isnt even the worst-case scenario. The third bidder allegedly offered only $25 million, much less than the minimum required. In other words, if the second bidder also backs down, Alfa Nero might be back in an endless legal loop.Alfa Nero is a 2007 Oceanco flaunting nearly 270 feet (82 meters) of extreme opulence. Designed by the prestigious Nuvolari & Lenard and Alberto Pinto, it boasts a stunning infinity pool one of the longest swimming pools ever featured on a superyacht, and also a convertible one. The tiny house market has already proven that luxury, sustainability, and minimalism are perfectly compatible. Homeowners can still enjoy a comfortable lifestyle in a stylish setting even when eco-awareness and affordability are the priorities. An enthusiastic new builder in Australia embodies this principle in the form of a perfect house on wheels, The Fern. Photo: Big Fig Tiny Homes Photo: Big Fig Tiny Homes Photo: Big Fig Tiny Homes Tiny home concepts coming from Australia most often reflect a fresh approach to tiny living . They share specific principles, such as an accentuated connection to the outdoors and a greater ruggedness that can withstand the challenges of Australia's natural environment. These tiny homes are always contemporary in terms of style and adapted to the needs of today's families.The Fern is what you might call Big Fig's flagship product. It showcases this Aussie brand's creativity, craftsmanship, and luxury-oriented approach from concept to delivery. For a single-level tiny with just 20 square meters (215 square feet) of floor space, The Fern is remarkably spacious. It was specifically designed for long-term living and can comfortably accommodate up to four people in one bedroom and in the lounge area with a convertible sofa bed.What you'll instantly notice at The Fern are the numerous oversized windows and glass doors. Like most Australian-designed homes on wheels, this tiny literally opens to the outdoors, and it fully embraces its natural surroundings. When its doors and windows are open, it becomes an indoor/outdoor space where the line between the residential area and the natural environment is blurred. For those who truly want to live closer to nature, this is the ideal design.At the same time, The Fern won't make its owners miss the luxuries of conventional housing. First of all, luxury is about exquisite quality, and Big Fig Tiny Homes claims to focus on that. The Fern proudly flaunts carefully chosen exterior finishes, top-quality fixtures for the bathroom and kitchen, and top-quality cabinetry. As for the wood, the builders relied heavily on Blackbutt timber (Eucalyptus pilularis), which is a well-known native hardwood in Australia.Like any skilled builder, Big Fig also endowed its flagship home with several custom-built elements, mainly a queen-sized storage bed. The house also comes with a 2.5-seater sofa bed. The kitchen is packed with all the basics, carefully selected for seamless integration within the kitchen's specific layout. You'll see a small 2-burner gas cooktop and a tiny fridge under the countertop, plus a compact dishwasher and a range hood.The bathroom is fitted with a full-size shower and a stylish vanity with an LED mirror. The Fern that was built for delivery was equipped with an incinerating toilet, but other customers can opt for a composting version or even a standard flushing toilet.In terms of configuration, The Fern proves that single-level is better. Despite its size limitations, this home successfully integrates all the essential aspects of contemporary living while remaining airy, luminous, and clutter-free. One of the keys to achieving this is smart compartmentalizing. The Fern stands out due to its huge tri-fold stack doors (doors that slide behind one another). This type of door was used for each room.The result is a living space that feels both open and intimate. With single-level layouts, privacy could become an issue. The Fern effectively avoids this by separating each room in a way that doesn't obstruct views and mobility.The bedroom, with the queen-sized custom bed, gets all the natural light and fresh air it needs thanks to the huge glass doors. It also comes with enough space for a closet and some cabinets, and it's discretely separated from both the bathroom and the kitchen.The Fern's kitchen is undoubtedly special. In classic Aussie style, it invites the outdoors in, exuding an informal, relaxed vibe. The L-shaped countertop doubles as a breakfast bar strategically placed in front of the window. A couple of drawers and overhead cabinets offer sufficient storage without taking any of the kitchen's limited space.Surrounded by windows and glass doors, this part of the house seems much bigger than it actually is, and it's a great spot to spend time with family and friends while also enjoying the outdoors. The generous countertop space can also be used for multiple purposes, from preparing meals and enjoying them to working from home.A high-capacity instant gas hot water system and a split air conditioning/heating system contribute to the home's overall comfort level. Like all Big Fig Tiny Homes designs, The Fern can also be further customized to match customers' specific needs.This fresh, tiny home design from Australia is currently available, with pricing starting at AUD 132,999 ($85,600). The completed version with all the bells and whistles comes at AUD 139,999 ($90,000). Who said that luxury can't be affordable and in harmony with the environment? The folks at Big Fig proved that it's possible, and this is just the beginning. For far too long, wide-scale space exploration was a practice gate kept by the world's preeminent superpowers. Be it the Soviets, the Russians after that, the Chinese, and, of course, the United States, only countries with enough economic clout and geopolitical influence had the luxury of sending probes to space. Though still true to a degree, the short list of space-fairing nations with probes exploring other heavenly bodies just got slightly longer thanks to India's Chandrayaan-3 mission. Photo: ISRO Photo: ISRO But of all the technology aboard this unique and fascinating spacecraft, the Pragyan lunar rover might be the most exciting. As the first wheeled vehicle to explore the ostensibly resource-rich regions around the Lunar South Pole, Pragyan serves as an impact statement to all the world's major space agencies. Of course, this statement is that India will soon be just as big a player in the second space race as Russia, China, Japan, and even the US. Today, let's take a deep dive into the inner workings of India's first successful Moon rover to uncover what makes it so darn special.A product of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the Chandrayaan-3 mission was far from the first attempt at an Indian presence in deep space. The organization's first low-Earth orbit observation probe, the Aryabhata satellite, was launched aboard a Kosmos 3M rocket out of the Soviet Kapustin Yar launch complex in 1975. Two more probes, the twin Bhaskara satellites, were launched in 1979. Since then, the ISRO has gradually increased its presence in the international science community, having collaborated with more established international space agencies like Roscosmos, the ESA, and NASA.As the 20th century passed, the ISRO's primary focus became the in-house development of its space probe and booster rocket technology. One such milestone was advancements like India's first domestic space launch facility on the Sriharikota off the Bay of Bengal. Today, this facility is called Satish Dhawan Space Centre. Over the years, the agency developed various bespoke, in-house-manufactured launch vehicles to cut its reliance on foreign hardware. Valuable assets like the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), and the modern Launch Vehicle Mark-3 make for a robust fleet of rockets for India's burgeoning space industry.All that was needed was a novel space probe to mount inside said rockets. As far as lunar exploration was concerned, it all began with the Chandrayaan program. The first mission in this new lunar exploration initiative, Chandrayaan-1, was a relatively simple orbiter complete with an impactor element that detached from the probe and collided with the Lunar South Pole near Shackleton crater for scientists to analyze. It wasn't until 2019 that the ISRO launched its most ambitious space mission with Chandrayaan-2. This mission carried the first Indian-wheeled space-roving vehicle, Pragyan.With dimensions of just under a meter long, three-quarters of a meter wide, and .85m tall (3.0ft 2.5ft 2.8ft) and weighing 27 kg (60 lbs), Pragyan (Sanskrit for "wisdom"), is only marginally bigger than NASA's Sojourner probe. That was the first human-built wheeled roving vehicle to traverse another planet, Mars, back in 1997. But it's considerably smaller than the 140-kg (310-lb) Yutu rovers sent by China to the Moon in 2013 and 2019, respectively. But don't let the size fool you; there's respectable technology shoved into each Pragyan chassis.Central to the operation of Pragyan is what's known as a rocker-bogie suspension system, which uses two sets of rockers connected via a central differential to allow the rover's body to stay relatively level while its six wheels articulate over rough terrain. The system was first pioneered by NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, and has been used on every NASA Mars rover since. Inside Pragyan's body, each wheel is powered by a separate brushless DC electric motor like you'd find on contemporary RC drones and E-bikes here on Earth.In a manner that almost resembles a military tank, Pragyan uses the differential force between its wheels on either side to steer itself rather than implement a complex and potentially fault-prone steering system. To observe its surroundings, Pragyan uses two monochrome one-megapixel camera system developed by the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in Central India to create a 3D digital terrain map of its immediate vicinity.Though someone limited in its scientific capability in its current form, Pragyan would ultimately become the first space probe to land in the proverbial gold mine of valuable resources that is the Lunar South Pole. A region believed to be rich not only with minerals like iron and magnesium but also water ice and potentially even energy-rich helium-3 isotope. This honor wouldn't come without sacrifice. Chandrayaan-2, the first mission to carry Pragyan and its accompanying lander vehicle, called Vikram, failed in an incident shortly after separation from its orbiter on September 6th, 2019.In what was later found to be an instance of software error, Chandrayaan-2's Vikram lander veered off course to the Lunar South Pole as it approached its landing sight some 350km (220 mi) north of South PoleAitken basin. The probe crashed roughly 500 meters from the intended landing site. The resulting wreck, strewn over several kilometers, was observed by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter shortly afterward. Nearly four years later to the date, the ISRO tried one more time to be the first to the Moon's South Pole with Chandrayaan-3. Launched on July 14th, 2023, aboard an LVM3 M4 launch vehicle, the spacecraft took its sweet time in low-Earth orbit before starting its cruise to the Moon on August 5th.Chandrayaan-3 remained parked in lunar orbit until August 23rd. At this time, the Vikram lander with its Pragyan rover in tow separated from its orbiter vehicle, its destination being roughly 600 km (370 mi) from the Lunar South Pole between the craters Simpelius N and Manzinus C. Unlike the previous attempt, Chandrayaan-3's landing software held firm as Vikram's four decent engines carried the second Pragyan rover to a butter smooth landing. Unlike Apollo 11's landing, Chandrayaan-3 even had enough spare fuel to hover over the landing sight and pick the precise, most optimal spot to land and deploy its rover.Later that same day, the second Pragyan rover made its first small steps for itself and a big, giant leap for India's presence in space by trundling onto this mostly unexplored piece of the lunar surface for the first time. Two and a half years before NASA plans to send humans to explore the same region of the Moon, it's India that will go down in the record books as the country that began the slow process to a human presence in the area. Though it did little but drive around for roughly 100 m (330 ft) before being put in sleep mode on September 3rd, this first expedition by humans to this section of the Moon is the inaugural for what might one day be a flood of activity.For the moment, the second Pragyan rover remains on standby in sleep mode, its primary mission objective already complete. The probe's internals are not expected to survive the frigid lunar night cycle, a period that lasts up to two weeks. But, should the rover survive, the ISRO has implemented a feature that allows mission control to establish contact with Pragyan as soon as the lunar day shines on the region once again.But even if contact can't be established, Chandrayaan-3's place in history is already established. From now until the end of recorded history, the history of lunar exploration in its south pole region will forever see the ISRO and the work of all its men and women as the spark that started it all. In a future where we're told humanity won't divide up the Moon over political boundaries. Adding another nation to the list can only be a positive. By Mitch Shin On Aug. 24, the mugshot of former U.S. President Donald Trump released by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office framed him as the accused who will quite probably be declared guilty in the upcoming years, considering the multiple criminal charges he faces. However, his approval ratings have remained overwhelming against his contenders within the Republican Party, demonstrating Republicans' unwavering support toward him. Some polls show he will win in the 2024 presidential election against incumbent U.S. President Joe Biden. Against this backdrop, the South Korean government needs to prepare for the possibility of a second Trump administration. Although the U.S. Republicans and Democrats appear to have taken a similar approach to North Korea over the past decades, Seoul should start orchestrating strategies on how to work with the second Trump administration, considering Trump's previous businessman-style attempts to directly negotiate with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Since the breakdown of the U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi in 2019, North Korea has been shoring up its missile capabilities rapidly. After conducting an unprecedented number of missile tests in 2022, it is now aiming to develop more advanced nuclear weaponry which can directly threaten the security of the United States. Pyongyang's two failed attempts this year to send a reconnaissance satellite into orbit demonstrate how the North is eager to strengthen its asymmetric military capabilities against the overwhelming conventional military capabilities of the U.S. and South Korea. With its plans for a third spy satellite test launch in October, it is also trying to upgrade its solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles. If Trump wins the election and takes office in January 2025, he will attempt again to resolve the North's growing nuclear capabilities in his own way. Therefore, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, the conservative president who prioritizes strengthening military cooperation with the U.S. and Japan over dialoguing with North Korea, needs to diversify his diplomatic strategies. Regardless of his pursuit to pressure North Korea to the precipice by strengthening trilateral military cooperation and urging the U.S. and the U.N. to impose more economic sanctions, Yoon should recalibrate his policy on the North to prevent the U.S. and the North from showing off their military capabilities against each other on the Korean Peninsula. Despite the possibility of witnessing a bromance between Yoon and Trump, considering the machismo they have shown, the more concerning point is the possibility of South Korea and Japan developing their own nuclear weapons if Trump's approach again fails to push Pyongyang to paralyze its nuclear facilities. Given Yoon's hawkish overtureson North Korea and the tremendous support of South Koreans on the idea of the country having its own nuclear weapons, the current South Korean administration and the ruling People Power Party will definitely take steps forward to make a plan with a timeline to develop nuclear weapons if Trump shows his public support for this dangerous idea. If this happens, it would fuel Pyongyang's ambition to possess overwhelming nuclear programs against South Korea, exacerbating the security environment on the Korean Peninsula. Further, a nuclear spiral will occur in the East Asia region and a new Cold War will officially begin on the Korean Peninsula. According to John Bolton's book "The Room Where It Happened," Trump wanted to withdraw U.S. troops from South Korea to pressure Seoul to pay $5 billion during the Special Measures Agreement negotiations years ago. Thankfully, the U.S. Congress passed a bill in 2019 to restrict the drawdown of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) after Trump's reckless attempt to overcharge South Korea for the defense costs by using the USFK as a bargaining chip. However, as the latest six-year defense cost-sharing deal will expire in 2027, the second year of Trump's term if he wins the election, the Yoon administration would need to make a contingency plan so as not to experience such an unacceptable situation again in the future. North Korea pledged not to return to the negotiating table unless the U.S. and South Korea make concessions first. Trump's approach to negotiating with Kim will not work as it did in 2018. The strategic competition between the U.S.-led alliance and the bloc of China, Russia and North Korea will aggravate. Bracing for Trump's return to power, Seoul needs to pave the way for diplomatic options such as declaring an official end to the 1950-53 Korean War as an impetus to renew the stalled nuclear talks. Even though Yoon has criticized this idea harshly, Seoul is responsible for constructing the very foundations of a peaceful Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons by suggesting fresh ideas to Trump if he reassumes office in January 2025. Mitch Shin is a young fellow at The Institute for Peace & Diplomacy. Shin was an assistant editor and chief Koreas correspondent for The Diplomat, and a non-resident research fellow at The Institute for Security & Development Policy, Stockholm Korea Center. September marks the start of the school season and a return to pre-summer routines for Average Joes and Janes, but there's no rule saying you can't extend your summer vacation if you can afford it. Esteemed filmmaker Steven Spielberg can definitely afford it because he's a multi-millionaire. Photo: Oceanco Seven Seas, but better Photo: Oceanco So, how about sustainability? Photo: Oceanco Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw take $250m yacht to the Italian Riviera https://t.co/zwCwvuhBXo Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) September 4, 2023 He also has a new boat that needs a maiden voyage, so this late-summer vacation doubles as that. In July this year, about two years after he sold his previous "boat," Spielberg took delivery of the Seven Seas megayacht. It was done on commission as an upgrade in every way over the previous one, also called Seven Seas, but now sailing as Man of Steel , and is the fourth largest vessel ever to leave the Oceanco shipyard.Seven Seas, the new one, is now on its maiden journey, having arrived on the Italian Riviera just as the 2023 edition of the Venice Film Festival was kicking off, according to a recent report (and accompanying photos). This marks the first time that Spielberg is seen onboard the new megayacht and the first time the vessel itself is seen under the new ownership, outside of technical trials.Previously known as Project Y720, the megayacht broke cover in March 2022 when it rolled out of the construction shed for the technical launch. With a reported cost of $250 million, it has taken a place among the world's most expensive privately-owned vessels. It's probably very fancy, too.Spielberg took delivery of the first Seven Seas in 2010. The 86-meter (282-foot) superyacht was, at the time, a very lavish leisure craft, which would later help with it becoming one of the most popular charter platforms.Spielberg himself used it extensively and only agreed to sell it in 2021 when a contract with Oceanco had already been signed for a replacement. That replacement, Y720, would be bigger, better, and more suitable to Spielberg's changing tastes and fortune.With an exterior design by Sinot Yacht Architecture and interiors by Isaksen Interior Design, it's 109 meters (357 feet) in total length, which makes it the fourth build by size from Oceanco. It's also the second (huge) launch of 2023, after Koru, which Oceanco built for Amazon boss Jeff Bezos Accommodation on Seven Seas is for 14 guests and 30 crew in stylish, elegant quarters. The laundry list of amenities includes a large pool aft, an oversize beach club, a helipad at the bow, and ample lounge areas, and that's just what could be glimpsed from the outside.Power comes from twin MTU 20V 4000 M73L diesel engines developing 4,813 hp each, taking it to a speed of 20 knots (23 mph/37mph). Seven Seas is the first Oceanco build to feature a marine evacuation system, so it's LY3-compliant. It also boasts enhanced performance and efficiency thanks to the implementation of "an extensive optimization and model testing program" by Oceanco, resulting in advanced hull development and refinements in hydrodynamics.Described as "a spectacular example of graceful contemporary design that honors the natural surroundings," Seven Seas features expansive glazing and natural materials, offering unparalleled experiences at sea for the guests. We, the Joes and Janes of the world, will have to settle for that description for now as far as forming an idea of the interiors because photos are not available.The news that Spielberg is out with his new megayacht on a late-summer vacation has again sparked the old debate on whether owning such a vessel discredits his work as an environmental activist. Spielberg is perhaps the highest-profile advocate for a greener lifestyle, often using his huge platform to ring the alarm on climate change and the irreversibility of the damage already caused.At the same time, Spielberg often flies private, both for business and pleasure and has owned a superyacht for the past decade. This renders his total carbon footprint huge in comparison to the people he's trying to get to stop flying commercial or enjoying the occasional summer cruise onboard one of those giant liners.Steven Spielberg, for all his incredible merits in film and outside of the industry, is what you could call an eco-hypocrite and he's not oblivious to it. He once said that he tried to carbon-offset his private flights and excused his apparent excesses as your typically human, flawed behavior that shouldn't take anything from the seriousness of his message.Understandably, few can agree with him now that he's the owner of a new, bigger, fancier, and more polluting megayacht. To those who don't, Spielberg is a clear case of a "do as I say, but don't hold me up to the same standard" celebrity, the kind that sips champagne on his megayacht while the world burns and while he talks down on normies about their polluting habits. The world's most valuable automaker has decided to hire new engineers to help manufacture the Cybertruck. Considering the all-electric pickup truck has already started rolling off the production line, it's a peculiar move. Multiple Cybertruck shipments have also been spotted across the US. But if you're looking for a new challenge, here's the gist of it. EV Photo: Tesla Nearly two weeks ago, Elon Musk sent an email to everyone at Tesla in which it told employees and executives what the requirements for making the Cybertruck are. The CEO explained that the straight-edge design requires parts that must be built with incredible accuracy. Sadly, that email didn't reveal any new things about the exoskeleton design, which further reinforces the idea that Tesla's first pickup truck will be nothing else than a quirky-looking unibody Honda Ridgeline-like vehicle with a structural battery in its floor.The "ultra-hard cold-rolled stainless steel" panels that were never supposed to be bolted onto the frame together (alongside bulletproof windows) are now subtly presented as the most remarkable thing about the vehicle. We might soon see Elon Musk refer to them as part of that promised revolutionary stressed-skin design that even experts like Sandy Munro say isn't there. It could all be a marketing ploy in the end.Since these panels are not aluminum, getting them into precise shapes with sharp edges is pretty complicated. But Elon Musk - a CEO full of surprises - knows the Cybertruck is a significant product for Tesla and wants all of the units coming out of the factory to look as good as possible. That's why he referred to Lego blocks that fit nearly perfectly all the time. But what the executive might have omitted is that those toys are made from plastic, not stainless steel.It looks like the executive didn't receive the positive feedback he wanted, or employees responsible for Cybertruck production may have complained about the "sub-10-micron accuracy" being nearly impossible to achieve.Moreover, Tesla pickup trucks spotted being hauled around the US showed that fit and finish could be better . At this point, this becomes more of a trademark for thebrand. Panel gaps seem like they just cannot leave the Texas-based automaker alone.But if you're ready to give Tesla a helping hand with manufacturing the vehicle that supposedly is awaited by nearly two million people, here's your shot at getting paid for it. The brand is hiring in Texas. It wants to fill some engineering roles.The marque says it aims to build a group of "skilled Dimensional Engineers" who will have to work in "a fast-paced manufacturing environment to produce world class vehicle quality."These engineers will have to measure the Cybertruck panels, check for unwanted deviations, find a possible cause as fast as possible, log their discoveries, propose and implement corrective solutions, and keep in touch with other departments.Tesla is most likely attempting to add more skilled people to the production line that can accelerate manufacturing without lowering the build quality.But this initiative seems to be a tad bit late considering that the production candidate was chosen, and models are being built when writing. However, the job posting says that its new "Dimensional Engineers" will support taking a vehicle from the concept stage to the pilot line production and then into full-rate production.That sounds like there are more quirks to be figured out and suggests the Cybertruck isn't yet ready for mass manufacturing, which would be a pity. SUV Due September 6 at 12:30 AM EST (6:30 AM CET), with the event being live-streamed over the web, the 2024 Toyota Century SUV has now been teased again. The latest image published by the car manufacturer on its official local website partially reveals the front end.The vehicle has a double headlamp signature with incorporated DRLs flanking the large grille, which is decorated by the Phoenix badge. The logo pretty much confirms that it will be marketed as the Century, as it also bedecks the face of the luxury sedan that targets the jet set in the Land of the Rising Sun with premium amenities, a boxy design, and all the gear required from a high-end premium machine. previous teaser released a few days ago puts the spotlight on the rear three-quarter design, showing a chauffeur holding the door handle. The car has boxy proportions, what appears to be a pinstripe, and the usual chrome trim. The taillights are reminiscent of the front clusters, featuring a similar split design. Overall, the Century(name unconfirmed) looks kind of like a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, but as you can already tell, you won't exactly confuse it for one.Details surrounding the underpinnings are unknown, but it has been reported that it could use the TNGA-K as the foundation stone. If correct, then it would share many components with models such as the Camry, Highlander, RAV4, Sienna, Lexus NX, RX, LM, ES, and others. Its sedan counterpart is only available with V8 engines, and certain rumors claim the Century SUV might actually make do with a plug-in hybrid assembly sourced from Lexus. This would make it futureproof, as it would fall in line with the brand's electrification game.It is yet unknown whether the Century SUV will be marketed in Japan solely, just like the luxury sedan , but we think it might make its way to other markets, considering that Toyota teased it on its global press website last week. We wouldn't hold our breath for a possible US launch, but we certainly wouldn't rule it out either. Chances are it will make its way to most Western markets, where it will obviously take a swing at the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley Bentayga. Let's hope it will be priced much lower than its direct rivals, as those are some very sought-after badges that dwarf the Toyota logo. And most people would rather drive a Bentley or a Rolls than a Toyota, no matter how good it is.[YOUTUBE=https://www.youtube.com/live/7aIRX_8inWg] 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. 5 September 2023 17:00 (UTC+04:00) Elnur Enveroglu Read more Armenia's arbitrariness and traditional method of setting up provocations have left the West in a desperate situation. A handful of separatist lobbyists are making noise in the US Congress and even threatening the leadership of the White House. It is all about the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, and the so-called regime's groundless claims about the "blockade" in Azerbaijan's Garabagh. The separatists, who needlessly keep the Western public and officials busy, in this regard, constantly make their patrons in the West take illogical steps by any means, and do not hesitate to apply certain pressures to the governing structures of the countries. Operating in the United States Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Raffi Hamparian has called upon U.S. Senators to place a hold on all nominations to the State Department, blocking any new confirmations until President Biden takes decisive action to stop the so-called blockade in Azerbaijans own territory. ANCA's illogical and biased statement allegedly calls for the imposition of severe sanctions against Azerbaijan, and it is claimed that the ANCAs call is backed up by a nationwide advocacy campaign, empowering Armenian and allied Americans from all fifty states to send letters urging their Senators to take this principled stand in accord with U.S. interests and American values. The mentioned facts show that the Armenian lobby not only engages in nonsense in the West, but also completely twined round the management system of the West. It also shows that a giant country like America has become a tool in the hands of a group of separatists that do not matter at all in the truest sense of the word. Why does the West turn a blind eye to these lies? Why are facts and realities always overshadowed when seen through the eyes of the West? Azerbaijan has been waiting for a response from the Armenian community for the eighth day along the Aghdam-Khankendi road with trucks full of food. The separatists are trying to portray themselves as being under a blockade by creating a scene and blocking the way of aid sent by Azerbaijan. If we are talking about the Lachin road, then the legal grounds may clarify that the road is under the control of the Azerbaijan State Border Troops. First of all, until the border checkpoint was established on the Lachin road, Armenian armed provocations were constantly presented to the world community with evidence. This was repeatedly discussed between the parties in joint meetings between Armenia and Azerbaijan with mediators, and both the West and Russia voiced a common opinion with Azerbaijan about the logical outcome of the process. The question is asked, why was Armenia not even warned about this when Armenian separatist elements were transporting weapons, ammunition and illegal goods from Armenia to Azerbaijan until the Lachin road was no under control of the State Border Services of the Republic of Azerbaijan? If the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is unequivocally recognized, then the baseless claims of Armenia and the separatist regime should or can be rejected at least. However, today Azerbaijan is watching a completely different scene. So to speak, sheep appear in wolves clothing. This means Armenian hypocrites try to appear worse than they are. Nevertheless, it takes a lot of courage to put pressure on White House leadership, and to mock Congress with their lies. It should be either courage or foolish bravery. However, if the Armenians had courage, they would show it in the integration of the Armenian society living in Garabagh and allow people to meet face to face with Azerbaijani community. It seems that the Armenian lobby has lost its mind so much that it cannot realize who it is playing with. Even so, their groups in Karabakh are of the same mind. If it were the other way around, instead of creating a scene of a bread line with coupons, they would accept the food sent to them normally and not engage the public's mind with meaningless games. As for those in the West, they should not confuse Azerbaijan with others. Although they easily play with the White House and Congress, Azerbaijan is not tolerant of their light games. They must bear in mind that the end of all this game they have fabricated ends with integration by crossing the Aghdam-Khankendi road. --- Elnur Enveroglu is AzerNews deputy editor-in-chief, follow him on @ElnurMammadli1 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 10:00 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more Entrepreneurs donated the "Revival P" mine clearing vehicle, produced by the Improtex Group of companies to the Garabagh Revival Fund, Azernews reports. An event was held on the occasion of the transfer of this machine by the Karabakh Revival Fund to the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) on September 4. The event was attended by the Chairman of the Board of the Garabagh Revival Fund Rahman Hajiyev, Chairman of the Board of the ANAMA Vugar Suleymanov, management of the Improtex Group of Companies, member of the Supervisory Board of the Foundation, deputy of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) Fatma Yildirim, partners, and donors of the fund, as well as media representatives. Rahman Hajiyev said that the victory in the second Garabagh war contributed to the beginning of a new stage in the history of Azerbaijan. Speaking about the fund's activities and ongoing projects, the chairman of the board said that the fund's relations with donors and partners are developing day by day, and within the framework of this cooperation, technical means are donated to the fund, along with monetary funds. In addition, the chairman of the board expressed confidence that the donated mine-clearing vehicle would make a great contribution to the work of clearing the territories liberated from the occupation of mines and unexploded ordnance. Hajiyev thanked everyone who contributed to the transfer of the mine clearance machine to the fund, calling it a commendable, exemplary step. Vugar Suleymanov informed the participants of the event about the demining operations. Videos dedicated to the agency's mine clearance activities were shown after the speeches. Entrepreneurs previously donated equipment for various purposes to the Garabagh Revival Fund. Currently, this equipment is widely used in restoration and construction work carried out in the territories liberated from occupation. The Garabagh Revival Fund thanked all its partners who donated both funds and equipment for the restoration of the territories liberated from occupation and invited them to provide support in the issue of restoration and construction work in the liberated territories. Azerbaijan is currently facing a significant challenge in the form of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), including cluster munition remnants (CMR). Since the end of the Second Garabagh Conflict in 2020, a massive clearance effort has been underway to clear these areas of contamination. In 2022, ANAMA reported releasing 44 km2 of cluster munition-contaminated area through clearance and technical survey (TS), with the destruction of 738 submunitions. ANAMA is currently working to establish a nationwide baseline of CMR-contaminated areas using evidence-based non-technical and technical surveys. ANAMA is also in the process of finalizing and adopting a new draft mine action strategy to replace the strategy that expired in 2018. The agency is also working to ensure that survey, clearance, and contamination data related to CMR are disaggregated from data relating to other ERW and mines. In addition to its own efforts, Azerbaijan has committed to assisting Ukraine with mine clearance equipment. The country has already provided over 30 million manats in humanitarian aid in response to the crisis in Ukraine and is supplying free fuel to ambulances and firefighters in the country. The donation of the mine clearance machine by the Garabagh Revival Fund is a significant step towards helping ANAMA in its mission to create a safe environment for the citizens of Azerbaijan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 14:57 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with Oliver Varhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, in Budapest as part of his visit to Hungary, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Sides discussed the relations between Azerbaijan and the EU, including the current situation in the region. The opening of the Zangazur Corridor can make a significant contribution to the expansion of the Middle Corridor, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told a meeting with the EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi. During the discussions, the sides emphasized the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Partnership in the field of energy between Azerbaijan and the EU, which envisages joint activities in the field of energy security, as well as the development of alternative energy resources, in cooperation in this field. Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, who spoke about the initiatives put forward by Azerbaijan in the direction of expanding the potential of the Middle Corridor - Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, noted that the opening of all transport and communications in the region, including the Zangazur corridor, can be a significant contribution to the process. The Minister noted that the opening of all transport and communications in the region, including the Zangazur corridor, can be a significant contribution to the process. The corridor is part of a strategic transportation route extending from the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to Kars, Turkiye's eastern province, passing through Armenian territory near the country's border with Iran. During the Soviet era, Moscow built two railways to connect Nakhchivan with the main Azerbaijani territory in a region that Baku now refers to as the Zangazur Corridor. However, these railways became unusable during the First Garabagh War, which began in 1992. Baku now aims to rebuild the Soviet-era railways and construct highways in the area to connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan region. Furthermore, the corridor is also part of a big transportation project connecting Baku with Istanbul. The corridor aims to give Azerbaijan unrestricted access to its Nakhchivan enclave without any Armenian checkpoints while it passes through Armenian territory near the Tehran-Yerevan border. The Zangazur Corridor plays a crucial role in increasing regional connectivity not only throughout Caucasia but also across greater Eurasia, joining Turkish, Russian, Central Asian, Iranian, and Armenian territories and linking Europe to Asia. The connectivity the corridor will enable will also help galvanize trade relations between different states. Turkiye's land connection with Azerbaijan also means that Ankara will have better access to Turkic states in Central Asia, with which it has strong historical and cultural ties. Azerbaijani Ambassador to Turkiye, Rashad Mammadov, said that the corridor is going to unite the whole Turkic world. The Zangazur Corridor is a big deal as it will significantly boost interregional connectivity far and wide. Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova said that the opening of the Zangazur corridor will make a significant contribution to the transit and trade potential of the Turkic world. The corridor is also expected to help reconcile Azerbaijan and Armenia. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Azerbaijan has been represented at the International Forum of Children's and Youth Books "In the Language of Children's Literature: Cooperation between the CIS countries and Georgia in the field of children's literature and reading". The delegation included Secretary of the Azerbaijan Writers' Union Selim Babullaoghlu, head of the Culture Ministry`s Book Circulation and Publishing Department Islam Huseynov, Deputy Director of the Firidun bey Kocharli Republican Children's Library Zahid Dadasheva, illustrator Narmina Abdullayeva and children's writer, editor-in-chief of the Everest Publishing House, professor Solmaz Amanova, who made various presentations, Azernews reports. In addition, "Anthology of Literature of the Peoples of the CIS Countries" was presented as part of the event. The anthology included works by Azerbaijani writers. Children's writers, illustrators, children's book designers, librarians, specialists in the field of children's literature attended the event. The forum was devoted to children's literature, translation, illustration and book design, as well as the role of the Russian language as the basis of international communication. Speakers from the CIS countries and Georgia shared the most interesting educational projects and practices in the field of children's and youth reading. The forum was organized by the Russian State Children's Library together with the Raising the Reader Association with the support of the Russian Culture Ministry and the Interstate Foundation for Humanitarian Cooperation of the CIS countries. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Baek Byung-yeul Ozys, a blockchain technology company, signed a partnership with SK Telecom to expand the ecosystem of Web3, the company said Tuesday. Ozys said it signed a memorandum of understanding with the country's largest mobile carrier SK Telecom on Aug. 28 for Web3, a term used to describe technologies that decentralize data ownership and control on the internet, including the blockchain. Ozys is a blockchain technology company specializing in developing user-friendly Web3 services. Its services include the decentralized finance service KLAYswap and the cross-chain platform Orbit Bridge. With the signing of this MOU, the two companies will create synergies centered on user-friendly services and focus on core competencies to expand the Web3 ecosystem. In particular, they plan to integrate Orbit Bridge's Native Coin Swap feature into SK Telecom's upcoming Web3 wallet. "The collaboration with SK Telecom is expected to be an opportunity to utilize the technology we have accumulated as a stepping stone for the popularization of Web3," Choi Jin-han, CEO of Ozys, said. 5 September 2023 17:55 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Azerbaijan Culture Minister Adil Karimli is on the visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC). On the sidelines of the visit, the Culture Minister discussed prospects of cooperation with the Chinese Minister of Culture and Tourism, Hu Heping, Azernews reports citing the ministry. During the meeting, the sides brought to attention that the basis of successful bilateral ties was laid by the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also attaches special importance to relations with China. The sides stressed that Azerbaijan and China enjoy fruitful cultural cooperation. The fact that Uzeyir Hajibayli's operetta "The Cloth Peddler" has been shown in different cities across China is a manifestation of the strong Azerbaijani-Chinese ties. The culture minister also discussed prospects for cooperation in the fields of theater, cinematography, museum work, library, preservation and restoration of cultural heritage, as well as language and literature. The importance of mutual experience exchange in the fields of restoration of monuments, library work and cinematography was noted, ideas were exchanged on joint film production. Cooperation in the field of creative industries has been highlighted. Emphasizing the importance of the Baku Process on intercultural dialogue proposed by President Ilham Aliyev in 2008, Adil Karimli said that the Chinese government always pays attention to the World Intercultural Dialogue Forum held in Azerbaijan within this platform. He invited the Chinese side to participate in the next forum to be held in Baku in 2024. The Chinese minister accepted the invitation and expressed his gratitude. Minister Hu Hipin voiced the proposal to hold the Chinese Culture Week in Azerbaijan next year. Other issues of mutual interest were also discussed at the meeting. After the meeting, the delegation laid a wreath in front of the bust of the world-famous Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi in Beijing's Chaoyang Park. The delegation is on a visit to China until September 9. Note that Azerbaijan and China successfully cooperate in different fields. Economic ties between Azerbaijan and China play a large role in the bilateral political relationships. In 2017, China became Azerbaijan's 4th largest trading partner. In January-July 2023, the volume of exports from Azerbaijan to China increased by 120 percent compared to the same period of 2022. Azerbaijan Trade House has been recently established under the presidential instructions. The Trade House intends to promote the Made in Azerbaijan brand in the Chinese market and expand the export of Azerbaijani products. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 18:19 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Shamakhi might be included in UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage as the birthplace of outstanding poets and writers. The Culture Minister Adil Karimli said this at the Forum of Azerbaijani Language and Literature, Azernews reports. "Therefore, the opening of the forum in Shamakhi should not be considered a coincidence," the minister added. For centuries, Shamakhi was one of Azerbaijan's most prominent cities, an important cultural and trading centre and the royal seat of the Shirvanshahs (9th to 18th centuries). Furthermore, it is known as the root of Azerbaijani literature. The city is well known for wine-making and carpet weaving. To meet craftsmen, weaving famous carpets such as "Shirvan", "Gobustan", "Shamakhi", "Israfil" and "Ardzhiman" tourists can visit village of Jangi. Note that Azerbaijan and UNESCO have been enjoying successful cooperation since 1992. In 2003, the parties signed the framework agreement on cooperation in the areas of culture, science, education, and communication, which allowed Azerbaijan to become one of the donors of UNESCO. Many Azerbaijani cultural sites have been included in UNESCO's World Heritage List. Icherisheher (Old City), Maiden Tower, and Shirvanshah's palace were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000, while since 2007 the Gobustan National Historical-Artistic reserve was also listed among these heritages. Shaki, an important city at the crossroads of the historic Silk Roads was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List during the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee held in Baku. In 2017, UNESCO recognized Azerbaijan's dolma as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Art of crafting and playing with kamancha, presented jointly by Azerbaijan and Iran, was also inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Moreover, the Pomegranate Festival, Art of miniature were inscribed in UNESCO Representative List in December 2020. UNESCO also successfully celebrated the 600th anniversary of the death of the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Imadaddin Nasimi and the 200th anniversary of the first settlement of Germans in Azerbaijan. In 2021, Lankaran region was included in the UNESCO list "Network of Creative Cities". --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 11:15 (UTC+04:00) Since May of this year, pro-Armenian activists in Israel, using funds received from Armenian organizations in the United States, have been disseminating articles of a left-liberal orientation in Israeli and Jewish-American media calling to abandon support from Azerbaijan, Azernews reports, citing Azertag. As the main argument they put forward the thesis that the Jews who survived the Holocaust, now, allegedly, themselves become "accomplices in the genocide" of Armenians in Garabagh. This is an attempt to put pressure on the Israeli leadership in order to force it to abandon its military-strategic partnership with Azerbaijan. However, the organizers of this dirty campaign wont have any actual power to influence the leadership of Israel. The response campaign of rabbis from all over the world received much wider resonance in Israel, who published articles in the Israeli, American, and French media condemning the leadership of Armenia regarding the demonization of Azerbaijan and the cynical exploitation of the Holocaust for propaganda purposes. Well-known rabbis from many countries of the world raised their voices against the demonization of Azerbaijan and the use of the Holocaust theme by Armenian propaganda, and the speeches of rabbis who categorically disagree with such statements were announced in tens of thousands of synagogues throughout Israel. I join my fellow rabbis and share their opinion, said on his personal Facebook page Rabbi of Saxony (Germany) Zsolt Balla, who supported a group of influential rabbis around the world against the demonization of Azerbaijan and the use of the theme of the Holocaust by Armenian propaganda. As Israel's largest Russian-language publication Vesti notes, 18 leading US and European Rabbis also voiced their support for Azerbaijan. They have responded to the call of Baku Rabbi Zamir Isayev, who issued a video message highlighting documentary evidence that accusing Azerbaijan of Armenian genocide in Garabagh is pure fiction, the publication says. One of the leading media outlets of the Jewish diaspora in Latin America, the Argentinean online publication Visavisc also disseminated the video message by Baku Rabbi Isayev calling on Jews all over the world to speak out against the demonization of Azerbaijan and the use of the Holocaust theme by Armenian propaganda. The online publication described the accusations against official Baku regarding the "genocide" of Armenians in Garabagh as a "smear campaign". Founder of the Latin American Rabbinic Conference, President of the Argentine Israeli Mutual Assistance Association (AMIA), and member of the European Conference of Rabbis Eliyahu Hamara, Chief Rabbi of Panama David Perets, and Rabbi of the Sephardic community of Chile Eliahu Tamim also voiced their support against the demonization of Azerbaijan and the use of the Holocaust by Armenian propaganda. On August 25 of this year, Baku Rabbi Zamir Isayev posted a video message on his Facebook page addressed to all the Jews around the world in Hebrew and English languages, and in the first two days, major Jewish media not only published the text of the message but also supported it. Emphasizing that rabbis around the world condemn the Armenian propaganda, the most influential Israeli publication in English, The Jerusalem Post, writes: The Azerbaijani Jewish community ... appeals to the Jewish leadership to condemn the use of the Holocaust by Irans allies in reference to the ongoing crisis in the Garabagh region. According to The Jerusalem Post, this appeal has already been supported by many influential rabbis around the world. On August 27-28, similar articles were also published by a number of other religious Jewish publications in Israel, France, and other countries, such as Israel National News, INN, Actualic, newspaper Shaharit, and Kountrass. The international campaign of demonization against Azerbaijan carried out by Armenia under the auspices of Iran has caused indignation among influential rabbis around the world, Israeli religious publication Kikar mentions. Head of the Odesa Jewish Religious Community (Ukraine) Shlomo Baksht posted on his Facebook page a link to a publication by The Jerusalem Post calling on Jews around the world to speak out against the demonization of Azerbaijan and the use of the Holocaust theme by Armenian propaganda. Any comparisons are an insult to the sacred memory of those victims of the Holocaust, Baksht wrote, responding to the statements by Armenian figures quoted in Isayevs address. In an interview with AFP, Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan accused the Azerbaijani authorities of creating a real ghetto in the enclave, and this is supposedly preparation for another Holocaust. The representative of the separatists Vardanyan even stated that "the suffering of Armenians is greater than the suffering of the victims of the Holocaust ...". Head of the Armenian government Pashinyans accusing the Azerbaijani authorities of creating a real ghetto for the Armenian residents of Garabagh in preparation for the next Holocaust, as Pashinyan put it, caused a wave of fierce condemnations among rabbis around the world ..., the Israeli religious publication Matzav Ha-Ruah mentioned. Last weekend, on Friday and Saturday, this edition of the newspaper was distributed free of charge throughout Israel to 80,000 synagogues in the country. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 12:59 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more The National Defense University hosts Training on Improvement of Pedagogical Instructors which is being held as part of NATO's Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP), Azernews reports, citing the Ministry. The main purpose of the conducted training is to train leading instructors, to improve the knowledge and skills of the teaching staff of the National Defense University. It should be noted that the training will last until September 8. The National Defense University in Azerbaijan is hosting a training program to improve the pedagogical skills of instructors, as part of the NATO Defense Education Enhancement Program (DEEP). According to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense, the training is being conducted by NATO's distance learning specialists and will last until December 9. The training program focuses on the ILIAS learning management system, its capabilities and functions, multimedia creation, and other topics. At the end of the training, participants will be awarded certificates. The National Defense University was established in 2022 and is based on the Turkish National Defense University, as part of an effort to make the Azerbaijani Armed Forces mirror the Turkish Armed Forces. The university is primarily located in Baku and is headed by Professor Lieutenant General Heydar Piriyev. The university also hosts the Military Administration Institute, a special higher educational institution that provides additional education programs and training at the Master's degree level of higher education. The institute also conducts theoretical and methodological, pedagogical and methodological, and scientific research. The institute was established in 2022, following the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020, in order to improve the activities of the network of special educational institutions. The institute is responsible for training officers with higher military education, possessing military-theoretical and military-practical knowledge, and having an intellectual mindset, for service in command, staff, and other positions in the military control bodies of operational-strategic and operational-tactical levels. Azerbaijan has been a partner of NATO since 1992 when it joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council. The country joined the Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme in 1994 and has since participated in PfP activities, contributing to Euro-Atlantic security by supporting NATO-led peace-support operations. Azerbaijan has also contributed to NATO-led operations and missions, such as the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan from 2002 to the end of the NATO-led operation in 2014, and the follow-on Resolute Support Mission (RSM). --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 15:23 (UTC+04:00) Rena Murshud Read more Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya will pay a visit to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports. The visit of the Turkish minister is scheduled for September 6-8. As part of the visit, A. Yerlikaya will take part in the second meeting of the Ministers for the Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters and Emergencies of the Organization of Turkic States (OTG) countries in Baku. The second meeting of the Ministers for Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters and Emergencies of the UTC countries will be held in Baku from 6 to 8 September. The meeting was organized by the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan. As part of the event, it is planned to conduct international exercises "Baku-2023" with the participation of authorized structures of the UTC member countries. --- Rena Murshud is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @RenaTagiyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 14:26 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an Order to provide funding for the design and construction of the Yeni Gubadli-Lachin highway. Under the presidential Order, the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads is allocated 20 million manats for the design and construction of the road. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 16:40 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijani Defense Minister Colonel General, Zakir Hasanov has expressed condolences to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Azernews reports with reference to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. The letter reads: "I am deeply saddened by the information about the death of Naval Forces servicemen of brotherly Pakistan, as a result of a helicopter crash in the city of Gwadar, Balochistan state. May Allah rest the souls of the deceased! I share the grief of their relatives and friends and express my deepest condolences to their families. May the souls of the deceased rest in peace and the memory of them live in our hearts forever." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 16:47 (UTC+04:00) A Slovak parliamentary delegation led by Speaker of National Council Boris Kollar, who is on a working trip to Azerbaijan, has visited the Alley of Martyrs, Azernews reports. The delegation paid tribute to Azerbaijani heroes who gave their lives for the countrys independence and sovereignty and laid flowers at their graves. The Speaker of the Slovak National Council laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame monument. The delegation members enjoyed a panoramic view of Baku as they were informed on the history of the Alley of Martyrs and redevelopment works in the capital of Azerbaijan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 18:45 (UTC+04:00) Rena Murshud Read more The next, fifth conference of ministers of labor of member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is planned to be held in Baku this year, Azernews reports. About this was told at a meeting held at the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population with a delegation from the OIC. Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Anar Kerimov drew attention to the successful experience of Azerbaijan's cooperation with the OIC, as well as with other authoritative institutions that unite Muslim countries. It was said that our country has established mutually beneficial relations with the Islamic world and has made an important contribution to strengthening Islamic solidarity in the world. It was noted that the second conference of labor ministers of the OIC member countries was organized in Baku. It was emphasized that within the framework of this conference, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev initiated the creation of the OIC Labor Center with headquarters in Baku, and this initiative was unanimously supported by the OIC member countries. In the past period, the work carried out by our country towards the creation of the OIC Labor Center in Baku was discussed. It was emphasized that this Center will play an important role in strengthening cooperation between the member countries of the Organization. The special importance of the conferences of labor ministers of the OIC member countries in expanding relations between Islamic countries in the areas of labor, employment and social protection was noted. It was said that the next conference to be held in Baku would make it possible to achieve significant progress in this direction. During the meeting, issues of organizing the conference were discussed and the corresponding contractual document was signed. --- Rena Murshud is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @RenaTagiyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 17:06 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree amending the "Structure of the State Service for Special Communications and Information Security of the Republic of Azerbaijan", Azernews reports. According to the decree, changes are approved in Appendix 2: "Structure of the State Service for Special Communications and Information Security of the Republic of Azerbaijan", approved by decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated December 22, 2021, No. 1509 (Collection of Laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 2021, No. 12, Article 1374). The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan was instructed to resolve issues arising from this decree. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Foreign envoys laud development of Xizang, calling a happy life there 'true essence of human rights' Global Times) 15:44, September 05, 2023 Envoys from 11 developing countries stationed in Geneva visited Southwest China's Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region from August 27 to September 2, through which the diplomats said that the level of development in various sectors in the region exceeded their expectations - a vivid example that a happy life for all is what human rights protection is all about, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday. Those diplomats also called out lies about Xizang concocted by certain Western countries as absurd and misleading, and being unable to deceive the international community. Envoys from developing countries including Pakistan, Belarus, Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua stationed in Geneva observed bilingual classes in local middle and elementary schools, watched courses on Tibetan music, dancing, calligraphy, innovation and artificial intelligence, Mao Ning, the spokesperson of the ministry, told a press conference on Monday. They also visited the dormitories and canteens of boarding middle schools. The 15-year free education in Xizang received recognition from the envoys. They said that given the vast area of Xizang, providing boarding schooling to local students is an effective way of ensuring the equal right to high-quality education among children of all ethnic groups and that China provides a stellar example for all countries in protecting people's right to education. The envoys spoke highly of China's tremendous efforts in safeguarding the freedom of religious belief, protecting religious relics and carrying forward Tibetan medicine. They toured the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, and the Southeast Tibetan Cultural Heritage Museum, among other places, according to the ministry. They engaged in heartfelt exchanges with local Tibetans, Monpa people, religious figures, and primary and secondary school teachers, personally experiencing the achievements in human rights development across the region and the happy lives of its diverse people, the ministry said. The envoys praised the Chinese government for its emphasis on ensuring freedom of religious belief and the protection of religious and cultural heritage. They were deeply impressed by the well-preserved religious structures, statues, murals, and the religious activities such as the monks' debates at the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Sera Monastery, as well as the devout worship of believers. The envoys also took a detailed interest in the preservation and transmission of Tibetan medicine, appreciating the tremendous efforts made by the Chinese government to safeguard and promote the continuation of Tibetan medical traditions. In commenting on the lies about Xizang concocted by certain Western countries, the envoys said those falsehoods were utterly absurd and misleading, and would not deceive the international community, Mao said. The achievement China has made attests to the importance that countries need to pursue their own path of human rights development that suits their national realities, Mao noted. The envoys also expressed readiness to enhance exchanges and cooperation with China, strengthen multilateral coordination on human rights affairs, jointly oppose the politicization of human rights, safeguard international fairness and justice and advance the sound development of the international human rights cause. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) The G20 Logo is placed near the International airport for upcoming G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi, India, Sept. 4. EPA-Yonhap Deeper and more entrenched divisions over Russia's war in Ukraine risk derailing progress on issues such as food security, debt distress and global cooperation on climate change when the world's most powerful nations meet this weekend in New Delhi. The hardened stance on the war has prevented agreement on even a single communique at the 20 or so ministerial meetings of the G20 during India's presidency this year, leaving it to the leaders to find a way around, if possible. But China will be represented by Premier Li Qiang, not President Xi Jinping, while Russia has confirmed President Vladimir Putin's absence, suggesting that neither nation is likely to join any consensus. That means the two-day summit from September 9 will be dominated by the West and its allies. The G20 leaders who will attend include U.S. President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Bin Salman and Japan's Fumio Kishida. A failed summit would expose the limits of cooperation between Western and non-Western powers, and prompt countries to double down on the groups they are more comfortable with, analysts said. To tackle global threats "breaking off into Western and non-Western blocs isn't what you want," said Michael Kugelman, the director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington. Failing to forge a consensus will also hurt the diplomatic credentials of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is using the presidency to bolster New Delhi's position as economic powerhouse and a leader of the global south. "If the leaders' summit is a flop, New Delhi and especially Modi will have suffered a major diplomatic, and political, setback," Kugelman said. India, which has not condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, will have to either convince the bloc to agree to a joint statement - the so-called Leaders Declaration - or allow its presidency to be the first to end without such a communique since 2008. "The positions have hardened since the Bali Summit," a senior Indian government official told Reuters, referring to the 2022 summit held in Indonesia. "Russia and China have toughened their position since then, a consensus would be very hard." Paramilitary soldiers sit at a bustop displaying an advertisement of the G20 Summit, in New Delhi, India, Sept. 4. Reuters-Yonhap Last minute In Bali, Indonesian President Joko Widodo clinched a last minute joint statement from the bloc. India is hoping that the leaders can again work something out at the last minute, another government official said. The Bali Leaders' Declaration said "most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy." It also said that "there were other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions." Another Indian official said that in Bali, "Russia and China were more flexible." But as the war completes 18 months, countries "are not agreeing even to the language used in the Bali Declaration". Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who will come in place of Putin, have already drawn battlelines. Trudeau, while confirming that he will travel to India for the meeting in a call with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that he was disappointed that the Ukrainian president was not invited. "As you know, we will be speaking up strongly for you, and we will continue to make sure that the world is standing with Ukraine," Trudeau said in the call with Zelenskyy. Lavrov said last week Russia will block the final declaration of the G20 summit unless it reflects Moscow's position on Kyiv and other crises. Diplomats said any acceptance of Moscow's stance was highly improbable, and the summit would most likely end up issuing a non-binding or partial communique. Russia's President Vladimir Putin, left, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, center, and China's President Xi Jinping pose for a picture during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. Reuters-Yonhap 5 September 2023 19:33 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijans Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov has met with Speaker of National Assembly of Hungary Laszlo Kover, as part of his official visit to the country, Azernews reports. During the meeting, the sides discussed the topical issue of bilateral and multilateral cooperation agenda between Azerbaijan and Hungary, as well as inter-parliamentary ties and current situation in the region. Minister Jeyhun Bayramov hailed the development of relations between Azerbaijan and Hungary in various areas, including political, economic, energy security, humanitarian, educational, cultural and other spheres. He said that high-level visits between the two countries, which have become more intensive in recent years, further contributed to the development of ties. FM Bayramov highlighted the mutually beneficial cooperation within a number of international organizations, in particular the Organization of Turkic States. The minister stressed the importance of further increasing the intensity of parliamentary diplomacy, including the activities of inter-parliamentary friendship groups, which are important in the development of relations. Minister Bayramov also informed his interlocutor in detail about the consequences of the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories that had lasted for almost 30 years, the current situation and new realities in the region in the post-conflict period, the large-scale reconstruction and construction work underway in the territories liberated from occupation, the normalization and peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The FM said that despite the efforts made by Azerbaijan, which is the initiator of the peace agenda, to advance the normalization process, Armenia continues military and political provocations against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, and has not yet fully withdrawn its armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan. He noted that all this hinders the establishment of a sustainable peace in the region and remains the main source of threat. FM Jeyhun Bayramov also brought to the attention of the Hungarian Speaker the ongoing mine threat in the region. He said the Armenian side had refused Azerbaijans proposal to open the Aghdam-Khankendi road and intensify the use of the Lachin road to meet the needs of Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. The refusal of the Armenian side from Azerbaijan's proposals shows that the current situation around the Lachin road is not "humanitarian", but as Armenia claims, political, Bayramov added. Speaker of Hungarian National Assembly Laszlo Kover highlighted the importance of contacts at the highest level, active cooperation between the chairmen of parliaments, as well as inter-parliamentary friendship groups and experts in the development of strategic ties between Azerbaijan and Hungary. The sides also exchanged views on other bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 16:09 (UTC+04:00) Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto emphasized the need for diversification in the energy sources and the recently initiated gas flow from Azerbaijan, Azernews reports, citing a post on X by Zoltan Kovacs, Hungarian Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Relation. The post reads that FM Szijjarto asserted that Brussels has forfeited its right to influence Hungary's natural gas sources due to its refusal to finance energy infrastructure expansion. He emphasized the need for diversification in energy sources and the recently initiated gas flow from Azerbaijan. Besides, according to the post, Peter Szijjarto highlighted the insufficient capacity in Southeast European infrastructure and called on the European Union to support expansion. Hungarian FM discussed the importance of economic ties between Hungary and Azerbaijan and expressed concerns about the current EU leadership's impact on EU-China relations and Eastern European cooperation. FM Szijjarto asserted that Brussels has forfeited its right to influence Hungary's natural gas sources due to its refusal to finance energy infrastructure expansion. He emphasized the need for diversification in energy sources and the recently initiated gas flow from pic.twitter.com/ye8q2XWura Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) September 4, 2023 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 08:00 (UTC+04:00) Turkiyes exports hit an all-time high for August with a 1.6% increase to $21.6 billion on an annual basis, according to preliminary Trade Ministry data released on Monday, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. Turkish imports dropped 6.3% from last year to $30.5 billion. The country's foreign trade gap amounted to $8.9 billion in August, falling 21.2% year-on-year. Germany continued to be the main recipient of Turkish exports with $1.8 billion in August, followed by the US with $1.3 billion, Iraq with $1.09 billion, the UK with $1.06 billion, and Italy with $877 million. The countrys largest imports were from China with $3.8 billion in the month. Russia followed with $3.4 billion, Germany $2.56 billion, the UAE $2.08 billion, and the Switzerland with $1.49 billion. In the January-August period, Turkiye's outbound shipments edged down 0.4% year-on-year to $164.9 billion while its imports grew 3.5% to $247.3 billion. As a result, the country's trade deficit widened by 12.1% to $82.4 billion. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 23:50 (UTC+04:00) Kyrgyzstan and Japan intend to implement joint projects in the field of ecology and climate, Azernews reports, citing Kabar. This became known during a meeting between Minister of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision Melis Turgunbaev with Ambassador of Japan to the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Goda Hideki and Deputy Director of the Office for Cooperation with Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the Bureau of Trade Policy, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Japan by Koike Shinya. The meeting was held on September 4, 2023 at the initiative of the Japanese Embassy. The parties discussed issues of further cooperation in the field of ecology and climate. The issue of implementing joint projects and expanding the spectrum was also considered. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 22:45 (UTC+04:00) With the assistance of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Stockholm, online negotiations were held between representatives of the relevant ministries and departments of the republic and the Swedish companies Swedavia Airports and Aviareps, Azernews reports, citing Kun.uz news agency. During the meeting, the parties discussed issues of establishing air traffic between Stockholm and Tashkent. Following the talks, the sides decided to organize negotiations between the Nordic countries and airlines regarding the establishment of flights on this route as part of the AirportIS Forum 2023, which will be held on October 18 in Istanbul (Turkiye). Swedavia Airports is a state-owned company that owns all airports in Sweden. It is engaged in the development of the country's transport industry, civil aviation and cargo transportation. Aviareps is a corporation founded in Germany in 1994. It operates in 58 countries around the world in the field of aviation and tourism. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 22:15 (UTC+04:00) Italy will continue to work together with Kazakhstan as a strategic partner, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Tuesday, Azernews reports, citing ANSA. "We see Kazakhstan as a strategic partner and we will continue to work together," Tajani told reporters after his meeting with his Kazakh counterpart in the capital Astana. "The situation is very positive and we want it to be even more so. We have built a strong friendship that will have a positive impact on our countries," he continued. "We appreciate the country's comportment, not only in relation to the domestic reforms that we support, but also to the sensitivity and moderation with which it acts on the international stage", particularly on Ukraine and Afghanistan, said the foreign minister. On cooperation, Tajani said that "Italy is an industrial country that needs raw materials" and that the "marriage between Italian industry and the raw materials of Kazakhstan can bring excellent results for both countries". The foreign minister said he supported the creation of a business council for the growth of relations between the two countries and announced the upcoming inauguration of the Italian Cultural institute in Almaty, "as demonstration of the extent to which we believe in cultural diplomacy". --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 21:11 (UTC+04:00) The Investigation Service of Georgias Finance Ministry on Tuesday said it had discussed management of seized assets with representatives of the Secretariat of Balkan Asset Management Interagency Network, Azernews reports, citing Agenda. The online meeting, hosted with the support of the European Union-funded project Support to Public Administration Reform in Georgia, saw the sides highlight the importance of international cooperation in managing seized assets and the need for law enforcement agencies of different countries to exchange best practices. It also said the parties reaffirmed their willingness to work together in the area of managing the assets and outlined future priorities. Created in 2014 with the participation of six countries, the BAMIN network involves 20 observer and associate member states. The Network comprises government agencies from eight Western Balkan countries and other observer and associate agencies from different states responsible for the management and disposal of assets seized from offenders. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 September 2023 20:35 (UTC+04:00) Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Tuesday said Georgia must receive the European Union membership candidate status this autumn, as the Georgian Government had done everything for the outcome, Azernews reports, citing Agenda. In remarks at a press briefing with his Georgian counterpart Ilia Darchiashvili, Szijjarto noted the decision on Georgia's status was a political issue, and added we demand from the European Union this political commitment, a decision that should be made in the fall. We highly value our cooperation with the Caucasus region, demonstrated by the upcoming joint summit scheduled for October 11-12 in Tbilisi, bringing together members of the Georgian and Hungarian governments. During this summit, we will sign essential agreements, including an investment program and an extension of our scholarship programme, Szijjarto said. Darchiashvili, who on Tuesday attended an annual meeting of Hungarys ambassadors, said his countrys European aspirations had never been as strong as today. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Kenya's President William Ruto speaks at Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, during the Africa Climate Summit, Tuesday. AP-Yonhap Climate change is "relentlessly eating away" at Africa's economic progress and it's time to have a global conversation about a carbon tax on polluters, Kenya's president declared Tuesday as the first Africa Climate Summit began. "Those who produce the garbage refuse to pay their bills," President William Ruto said. The rapidly growing African continent of more than 1.3 billion people is losing 5% to 15% of its GDP growth every year to the widespread impacts of climate change, according to Ruto. It's a source of deep frustration in the region that contributes by far the least to global warming. The summit's opening speeches included clear calls to reform the global financial structures that have left African nations paying about five times more to borrow money than others, worsening the debt crisis for many. Africa has more than 30 of the world's most indebted countries, Kenya's cabinet secretary for the environment, Soipan Tuya, said. The U.S. government's climate envoy, John Kerry, acknowledged the "acute, unfair debt." He also said 17 of the world's 20 countries most impacted by climate change are in Africa while the world's 20 richest nations, including his own, produce 80% of the world's carbon emissions that are driving climate change. Kenya's president said Africa's 54 countries "must go green fast before industrializing and not vice versa, unlike (richer nations) had the luxury to do." Transforming Africa's economy on a green trajectory "is the most feasible, just and efficient way to attain a net-zero world by 2050," he said. Climate finance is key, speakers said, with richer nations' promise of $100 billion a year in climate finance to developing countries still unfulfilled. Ruto said the summit declaration will "firmly encourage" everyone to keep their promises. Protesters march to demand action on climate change, in the streets, in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, as the Africa Climate Summit begins. The first African Climate Summit opened with heads of state and others asserting a stronger voice on a global issue that affects the continent of 1.3 billion people the most, even though they contribute to it the least. AP-Yonhap Archived Results for Tuesday, September 5th, 2023 Older Page 1 The EU's new "Digital Services Act" threatens freedom of speech worldwide by censoring the internet. lThat legislation allows EU bureaucrats, as in Orwell's "Miniistry of Truth" to force internet platforms to remove content that they deem "hate speech"or "disinfomratoin". The term "disinfomration" is used by governments or political groupings to characterize opinions that differ from their own. "Hate speech" is a term notoriously used by totalitarians who hate free speech to supress views that oppose their own. If an American citizen makes an internet post on an American-based site, the EU can force the internet site to remove it based on the fact that it is visible to European citizens. This is international censorship by an out of control nanny state. Countries that value freedom or speech shoud take very punitive measures against the EU for this totalitarian act. Other countries should follow the UK and get OUT of the EU mousetrap. Some in eastern European have been calling the EU the EUSSR, but perhaps Fouth Reich is more on target. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/direct-government-censorship-internet-here A Sioux City, Iowa-based anesthesiologist, Dale Klein, MD, who was fired from MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center in December 2021, is alleging in a lawsuit that he was blacklisted by the hospital's administrators to prevent him from getting another job, SiouxCity Journal reported Sept. 1. Dr. Klein alleges he wasn't hired for a job in Clinton, Iowa, because he was placed on a no-hire list by MercyOne. According to the suit, Dr. Klein said he has not been able to secure a permanent job in Iowa and his past and future damages exceed $500,000. He is seeking triple his damages. Dr. Klein entered an employment agreement with Mercy Medical Services in March 2021 and began working as an anesthesiologist the following month. After his hiring, the suit alleges, he began voicing concerns to executives about what he said was unsafe care of surgical patients. Dr. Klein alleges he was fired Dec. 17, 2021, and told by the hospital's president it was "for convenience." According to the suit, in September 2021, he saw a nurse anesthetist texting in an operating room while a patient had a bent endotracheal tube causing high airway pressure and incorrect ventilator settings. A MercyOne spokeswoman told SiouxCity Journal the hospital could not comment on the lawsuit. "MercyOne is committed to the well-being of our patients and our colleagues. We are unable to provide further comment on an ongoing legal matter," Michelle Kuester, MercyOne communications lead for Western Iowa, said in an emailed statement to SiouxCity Journal. The Colorado state medical board ruled that Greenwood-based plastic surgeon Geoffrey Kim, MD, can continue practicing medicine after being convicted of reckless manslaughter, CBS News reported Aug. 31. Dr. Kim was found guilty June 14 of attempted reckless manslaughter and obstruction of telephone service after a patient died under his care. Eighteen-year-old patient Emmalyn Nguyen underwent breast augmentation surgery in 2019 and fell into a coma, then went into cardiac arrest after receiving anesthesia. Dr. Kim waited five hours before calling 911, according to CBS News,. He was suspended from practicing Jan. 9, 2020, and placed on three-year probation. On Aug. 21, he reached an agreement with the medical board that required him to inform patients in writing of his conviction. He will be sentenced Sept. 8 and faces up to three years in prison. Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the plenary session of the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, Aug. 23. Reuters-Yonhap Despite Chinese President Xi Jinping's decision not to attend this week's Group of 20 summit in India, Beijing says that relations between the two nuclear-armed Asian giants remain "generally stable." China announced on Monday that Premier Li Qiang, who took office just this spring, would represent China at the Sept. 9-10 meeting in New Delhi. Relations between China and India remain frosty over their border dispute that led to a clash three years ago in which 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed . It has turned into a long-running standoff in the rugged mountainous area, where each side has stationed tens of thousands of military personnel backed by artillery, tanks and fighter jets. Without mentioning the dispute, or the reason for Xi's decision not to attend, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Chinese leaders have "always supported India's hosting of this year's summit and are ready to work with all parties to make the G20 summit a success." "At present, China-India relations remain generally stable, and dialogue and communication have been maintained at all levels," Mao told reporters at a daily briefing. "We are willing to work with the Indian side to promote greater and continuous development of China-India relations," she said. Frictions between the two have also arisen over trade, technology and investment and India's growing strategic ties with China's main rival, the United States. Both India and China have expelled the other's journalists and once-plentiful educational exchanges have all but dried up. India recently overtook China as the world's most populous nation and the two are rivals in computers, steel-making, space exploration and other high-tech fields. Seeking to tamp down the possibility of future clashes, Chinese and Indian military commanders met last month and pledged to "maintain the peace and tranquility" along the Line of Actual Control that separates Chinese- and Indian-held territories from Ladakh in the west to India's eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety. By not attending the G20, Xi passes on an opportunity for an interaction with President Joe Biden at a time when relations between their two countries have hit a historical low. China also appears to be hinting that Xi will not attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders meeting in San Francisco in November. (AP) U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa is aiming to address physician shortages in the state through the passage of the DOCTORS Act, which would reallocate unused nondomestic physician waivers to states that used up all of their waivers. Under an existing program, each state is given 30 waiver slots allowing nondomestic physicians who attended medical school in the U.S. to remain here on a three-year visa in exchange for their commitment to practicing medicine in a healthcare professional shortage area. Iowa historically uses all 30 of its waiver slots every year. Ms. Ernst's proposed act would allow Iowa, and other states facing shortages, to take unused slots from other states, according to an Aug. 11 press release. The percentage of physicians who work in private practice has decreased from 60.1 percent in 2012 to 46.7 percent in 2022, according to recently released analysis of 10 years of data on physician practice arrangements conducted by the American Medical Association. Here are three major reasons physicians are selling their practices, according to the survey: 1. The most cited reason for sale was payment. Nearly 80 percent of surveyed physicians said the need to negotiate higher payment rates with payers was a key reason why their practice was sold or acquired. 2. Managing payers' regulatory and administrative requirements was the second-most cited reason. 3. The third-most cited reason was improving access to costly resources. Coeur d'Alene-based North Idaho Eye Institute is opening a new, expanded location at a former restaurant in Post Falls, Idaho, according to a Sept. 3 report from the Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls Press. The new location will help North Idaho expand from six exam lanes to 18 and will have 10 providers specializing in cataract surgery, macular degeneration, medical retina, glaucoma and pediatrics. Bloomington-based Indiana University recently launched a dual dentistry and business degree. Students who complete the program will receive a Doctor of Dental Surgery from the university's School of Dentistry in Indianapolis and a Master of Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis. Dual degree students must complete 163 credit hours in dentistry and 42 credit hours in business courses, according to an Aug. 30 news release. The business courses cover accounting, finance, marketing, strategy, supply chain and healthcare. The new owners of the shuttered Blessing Health Keokuk (Iowa) hospital are still looking for additional funding to reopen the 49-bed unit, according to a Sept. 4 Tri States Public Radio report. Flint, Mich.-based Insight, which purchased the hospital in March, is focusing on raising the necessary funds through grant money, the report said. "They're still committed to Keokuk," said Cole O'Donnell, Keokuk city manager. "They're just going to take a little while longer." Insight plans to convert the facility into a rural emergency hospital under CMS' designation that went into effect Jan. 1. The designation allows a facility that closes its inpatient facilities and focuses only on emergency and outpatient care to receive higher reimbursements from CMS. Grand Blanc, Mich.-based McLaren Health Care's billing system and EHR was affected by a computer network shutdown after its IT security team found suspicious activity during routine monitoring, Detroit Free Press reported Sept. 5. The health system had to shut down its computer network at 14 of its hospitals to investigate the incident. One employee told the publication that staff had to use personal cellphones to communicate during the shutdown. McLaren did not disclose which systems were affected, whether patients' protected health information was compromised or when the security incident was identified. Tupelo-based North Mississippi Health Services shut down a data breach within 17 minutes of its IT system being accessed, the health system said. On July 3, North Mississippi Health Services became aware that a hacker had gained entry to its network after an employee opened a phishing email, according to a Sept. 1 notice from the seven-hospital system. Its security operations committee quickly shut down the system, ending the unauthorized access. In those intervening minutes, however, the hacker had access to the employee's emails, which included patient names, dates of birth, primary care physicians' names, and diagnoses or conditions upon recent discharges from North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo, the health system's flagship hospital. The organization noted that no financial information, Social Security numbers or EHRs were accessed, and it has no indication that any of the potentially breached data has been misused. Sacramento, Calif.-based UC Davis Health has partnered with DispatchHealth to deliver in-home urgent care through a program dubbed the Urgent Medical Care At-Home program. DispatchHealth will operate two vehicles within a 25-mile radius of a UC Davis Medical Center and provide care for adult patients suffering from conditions such as congestive heart failure exacerbation, COPD exacerbation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever and more, according to an Aug. 31 press release from the health system. Care will be provided by a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, as well as a trained medical technician. An emergency department physician will also be available virtually, if needed, according to UC Davis. The program will serve six to eight patients per day. Top executives at health systems have a lot on their plates, often making multipronged decisions that involve financial, operational and clinical considerations. The right person can handle all that pressure but maybe it's best if they don't have to. At least, that's the sentiment at Indianapolis-based IU Health, which recently eliminated its chief operating officer role and split the responsibilities between a two-man team. Ron Stiver, former president of system health solutions, now serves as senior vice president of system healthcare operations alongside Brian Shockney, former president of the system's South Central region, who was promoted to senior vice president of system regional operations. Growth and timing catalyzed the switch, the pair told Becker's. When former COO Michelle Janney, PhD, RN, announced her retirement, it gave leadership a chance to step back and evaluate. Their consensus: the job had gotten too big for one person. "We've grown as a health system. And as we've seen across U.S. healthcare, it continues to be a necessity to bring on more physician groups and hospitals as the financial picture the past few years has gotten more grim than it has in my career," Mr. Shockney said. "And so when that expansion occurs, you tend to add additional responsibilities." IU Health is accelerating growth into different care settings while continuing its focus on high-quality acute care operations; at the same time, it's attempting to bring down care costs yet remain on the cutting edge as Indiana's only academic health center. Each of those are "pretty big jobs," according to Mr. Stiver so the tasks were divided. Mr. Stiver leads home health operations, joint-venture ASCs, a community health team and a value-based care team. Mr. Shockney leads the hospitals, outpatient centers, and their executive and support teams. The arrangement is incumbent on teamwork. "We always say, we're not a standalone home-based company or a standalone urgent care center," Mr. Stiver said. "We have a home health agency and urgent care network within an integrated system. And it has to feel that way to the consumer and the patient, which means [Mr. Shockney and I have] got to work hand-in-hand." A team-based mentality is at the core of academic medicine, Eric Monday, PhD, co-executive vice president for health affairs at Lexington, Ky.-based UK Healthcare, told Becker's. He has been sharing the role with Robert DiPaola, MD, since December. "So much of what we teach our students is to work in teams," Dr. Monday said. "And so I think in some ways, we're just evidencing what we're asking our groups to do, right? We're only as good as we're able to make decisions together." The decision to split the role was part of a "strategic refresh" similar to IU Health's growth plan. UK is building an ambulatory platform, advancing specialty care and redefining the academic part of its health system for example, aiming to leverage educational programs to build a bigger healthcare workforce in Kentucky. With Dr. DiPaola overseeing the clinical side of the job and Dr. Monday handling finance and infrastructure, forward motion has been more efficient. "I think there has been a really incredible synergy," Dr. DiPaola said. "We're able to come together, move faster, than we could with either one of us alone." That newfound agility was also noted by Mr. Shockney, nearly 200 miles away. "There are tectonic shifts in healthcare that are requiring that we respond in different ways from a leadership perspective, that allow us to be agile, allow us to make sure that we're ensuring that we're having good quality oversight, operational efficiencies, those kinds of things," Mr. Shockney said. "When you look at the centralization of those, it can be overwhelming. And so [dividing a top role] allows us, throughout the whole health system, to respond to those things better." And under well-designed teams of two, organizational cohesiveness has become more feasible, leaders from both systems noted. "We believe org structures and org design are best formed around what you want to achieve," Dr. Monday said. "We do believe strongly that the more we can integrate horizontally and vertically, the better we can be if you will, better together." Here is a summary of hospital and healthcare merger and acquisition-related transactions from August: 1. Marietta, Ga.-based Wellstar Health System and Augusta (Ga.) University Health System are officially one, effective Aug. 30. AU Health's three hospitals have joined Wellstar's nine to create a unified entity. Wellstar has committed to invest $797 million in Augusta facilities over the next 10 years as a condition of the deal. 2. Doylestown (Pa.) Health closed the $80.6 million sale of its Pine Run retirement community Aug. 24, selling the assets to Dillsburg, Pa.-based Presbyterian Senior Living. 3. Louisville, Ky.-based Norton Healthcare plans to fully acquire two Indiana hospitals, Clark Memorial Health in Jeffersonville and Scott Memorial Health in Scottsburg, ending a joint partnership with LifePoint Health. Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint and Norton have agreed to shift the full ownership of the hospitals to Norton. 4. Madison, W.Va.-based Boone Memorial Health is set to acquire Family Life Pharmacy assets and a pharmacy building. Once the transaction is closed, the current Family Life Pharmacy will reopen as BMH Comfort Pharmacy. All current employees will be rehired, the system said in a news release. 5. The court overseeing Montebello, Calif.-based Beverly Community Hospital's bankruptcy case has approved an asset purchase agreement with Adventist Health White Memorial. Both organizations are engaged in transition planning to provide smooth continuity of care for patients, Los Angeles-based Adventist said in an Aug. 18 news release. 6. Portland-based Legacy Health and Oregon Health & Science University have signed a nonbinding letter of intent to combine and create a 10-hospital system with more than 32,000 employees and over 100 locations. The letter of intent, the first step in a transaction process by which Legacy will become part of OHSU, was unanimously approved by the boards of both OHSU and Legacy. OHSU will invest $1 billion over 10 years to support primary- and community-based services within the combined system. 7. The board of regents has approved the University of Iowa's request to purchase most of Mercy Iowa City's assets for $20 million, The Gazette reported Aug. 8. Mercy Iowa City is a 234-bed facility which its primary investor has said is in "financial freefall," a claim the hospital denies. 8. Cincinnati Children's has acquired primary care practice Pediatric Associates of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Business Courier reported Aug. 7. The 77-year-old practice will retire its name and relocate closer to Cincinnati Children's Kenwood Crossing Primary Care. Pediatric Associates is the sixth pediatric practice acquired by Cincinnati Children's since 2021. 9. Boston-based Tufts Medicine is selling its outreach laboratory business for an undisclosed amount to Labcorp as the first step to a broader partnership, Boston Business Journals reported Aug. 3. In February, Tufts was downgraded by Fitch Ratings due to prolonged financial difficulties. The health system joins Portland, Ore.-based Legacy Health and Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health in selling off its lab assets as financial pressure builds. 10. Modesto, Calif.-based American Advanced Management has written a letter of intent to operate the bankrupt Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital. The agreement, designed to lead to a strategic partnership between the two entities, could see AAM lease the Hollister, Calif.-based hospital's assets for "several years" prior to purchasing them outright, according to a press release shared with Becker's. 11. Kalispell, Mont.-based Logan Health, a six-hospital system, and Billings (Mont.) Clinic will merge Sept. 1 after receiving regulatory approval, according to an Aug. 3 news release. As a combined, independent health system, the organizations believe they will be better equipped to sustain and grow services to meet patient needs in Montana and Wyoming. 12. Cape Girardeau, Mo.-based SoutheastHealth has signed a definitive agreement to join St. Louis-based Mercy, a 42-hospital system. The transaction is subject to regulatory and other third-party approvals. 13. Centennial, Colo.-based Centura Health is folding into CommonSpirit Health, with the Chicago-based system now managing 20 of its hospitals with plans to retire the Centura brand, CommonSpirit said Aug. 1 Earlier this year, CommonSpirit and Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth announced they would end their Centura Health joint venture after 27 years, with each health system directly managing their respective care sites in Colorado and Kansas. 14. Winston Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health is set to become a 30 percent owner of Conway (S.C.) Medical Center after the two systems said Aug. 1 they will pursue a strategic partnership. The partnership, which will see no change in Conway Medical Center as an independent system, could be the start of greater affiliation between the two systems, said John Gizdic, Novant Health's chief administrative officer. 15. DAP Health's acquisition of bankrupt Borrego Springs, Calif.-based clinic chain Borrego has received final approvals, and the two will now operate as one integrated system. Borrego Health filed for bankruptcy Sept. 12, 2022. Roughly two dozen people were arrested in a civil disobedience action in front of the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center in Hollywood after a Labor Day demonstration, the Los Angeles Times reported Sept. 4. Healthcare workers held the rally and march to call for improved working conditions and draw attention to their concerns over issues such as pay and staffing. During the march, police declared an unlawful assembly, according to ABC affiliate KABC. Most protesters ended up moving onto the sidewalk. However, about two dozen people seated in the street were arrested, cited and later released without incident, police said, according to the Los Angeles Times. Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West organized the rally and march, which was co-sponsored by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, as the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions is in negotiations with Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente. The coalition represents about 85,000 workers at Kaiser hospitals, clinics and facilities in seven states and Washington, D.C. Union members recently launched a strike authorization vote over what they say are unfair labor practices, according to a news release shared with Becker's. They contend Kaiser has failed to bargain in good faith and adequately address their concerns over what they deem as unsafe staffing levels. If a strike occurs, union representatives say it would be the largest healthcare strike in U.S. history. "We are burnt out, stretched thin, and fed up after years of the pandemic and chronic short staffing. Healthcare providers are failing workers and patients, and we are at crisis levels in our hospitals and medical centers," Datosha Williams, a service representative at Kaiser Permanente South Bay in Harbor City, Calif., said in the release. "Our employers take in billions of dollars in profits, yet they refuse to safely staff their facilities or pay many of their workers a living wage. We are prepared to do whatever it takes, even get arrested in an act of civil disobedience, to stand up for our patients." In a statement shared online ahead of the Labor Day protest, Kaiser Permanente said it was "committed to bargaining with our Coalition unions in good faith and in the spirit of partnership." Kaiser Permanente also expressed confidence that the parties would reach an agreement before the current contract expires Sept. 30. Kaiser Permanente has acknowledged staffing challenges while maintaining that it "weathered these staffing challenges better than most healthcare organizations," with an average employee turnover rate of 8.5 percent as of June 2023. Kaiser Permanente has also emphasized its commitment to accelerate hiring. Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition have set a joint goal in bargaining of hiring 10,000 new people for Coalition-represented jobs this year. In the statement, Kaiser noted the system pays above-market wages to attract and retain employees, along with offering "outstanding" benefits and opportunities for career growth. Kaiser Permanente's full statement is available here. Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare is removing Christmas Eve as a recognized holiday and replacing it with Juneteenth. Christmas will remain a paid holiday, but the preceding day will not, Janet Christenbury, the health system's director of media relations, told Becker's. "In response to requests from our care team members over the past few years, we are pleased to add Juneteenth to the holidays we recognize," Ms. Christenbury said. "At Emory Healthcare, we strive to support our employees and our diverse communities in recognizing holidays that are meaningful and important to them." Some Emory employees were unhappy with the decision, saying they didn't want the observation of Juneteenth to come at another holiday's expense, Atlanta News First reported Aug. 31. "I think, in general, everyone at Emory is pretty frustrated right now," an unnamed Emory provider told the news station. "You can't replace one for the other. It's completely inappropriate. It's essentially pitting a Christian holiday against something that's to be celebratory for everyone but specifically for our Black colleagues." Employees can still use paid time off for Christmas Eve, but will not automatically receive holiday compensation for the day, according to an internal memo from Emory CEO Joon Lee, MD, obtained by the news station. Emory currently observes nine paid holidays per year, while other area health systems average six, Dr. Lee wrote in the memo. "We are committed to providing our patients as much access to care as possible and always consider this factor in decisions regarding holidays," Ms. Christenbury said. Mercy Iowa City has expanded an existing employee benefit and temporarily suspended three other benefit programs as it navigates its bankruptcy process. In a statement shared with Becker's Sept. 5, the 234-bed, financially troubled hospital said its employee assistance program expanded to provide on-site and in-person support services by trained counselors. The benefit, which is designed to help employees experiencing mental health challenges, remains available to workers at no personal cost. Temporarily suspended programs include service awards (an Awardco corporate program), the temporary assistance program, and wellness assessments, Mercy Iowa City said. Flu shots, part of the wellness program, continue to be offered to workers. The changes come as Mercy Iowa City is going through bankruptcy. The hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Aug. 7. The filing references a letter of intent between Mercy Iowa City and the state of Iowa that outlines the plan to transition the hospital to join University of Iowa Health Care. The affiliation must be approved by the university board of regents, the state of Iowa and the bankruptcy court. "The hope is that Mercy's new partner will see these [benefit] programs' values and reinstate or increase benefits with better programs," the hospital said. Mercy Iowa City has more than 1,000 employed physicians and employees, or about 850 full-time equivalents. Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System has been using artificial intelligence to boost performance across its clinical and financial systems for years, but use of those tools is increasing at the Baton Rouge, La.-based organization. "The pandemic was like jet fuel for the technology arm of the health system, where we pivoted within weeks to a telehealth platform as an example; it forced us to live in an uncomfortable zone," James Craven, MD, president of the health system's provider group, told Becker's. Dr. Craven acknowledged that the health system's five-market footprint across Louisiana and Mississippi is not necessarily a technology hub, but its large provider group of more than 1,300 physicians and advanced practice providers necessitated investment in new technology that can reduce clinical burdens. "As part of our brand to listen and to heal, you have to be present in the moment with the patient," Dr. Craven said. "We were looking for technology that would help us better achieve that." "There are a lot of vendors in this space, so find a partner that you feel is going to work with you to innovate and meet your gaps and your burdens. At the end of the day, that's what's going to set them apart," Jenny Smith, senior director of digital health at the health system, said. The health system said it has created an AI-powered lung nodule program, which overrides Epic's interpretations of all radiology reports in its system. Certain keywords in a report can trigger a multidisciplinary clinical team that will then go through a patient's chart and direct them to the most appropriate care. "This technology is allowing us to scan all the reads and identify people who could be at high risk of lung disease," Dr. Craven said. "We're flipping people who historically may have been diagnosed with lung disease at stage 3 and 4 into the stage 1 and 2 categories, therefore improving survivability." Another endeavor where the system is integrating AI tools is diabetic retinopathy exams. The system placed several diabetic retinopathy cameras within some of its primary care clinics, which provides a real-time report of whether or not a patient has retinopathy. Any negative or insufficient results are then sent to a specialist to verify. For the last two years, 80 physicians at the health system have been using Suki, an AI-powered voice assistant that can integrate with EHR platforms, create physician notes, pull patient information and add ICD-10 codes. Anecdotally, the health system said the tool has had a positive effect on physician and patient satisfaction scores. "Where we are using it is having a significant impact, and now we're talking about how to scale it," Ms. Smith said. A Kentucky nurse is facing 52 criminal charges after she was found leaving a nursing home intoxicated and replacing morphine with water and blue food coloring, the Lexington Herald Leader reported Sept. 4. Abigail Hall, RN, 50, is a registered nurse at Lawrenceburg, Ky.-based Signature Healthcare at Heritage Hall Rehab and Wellness Center. On Aug. 27, Lawrenceburg police received a report of an employee leaving work intoxicated. An officer pulled Ms. Hall over and conducted a field sobriety test, according to a warrant. Meanwhile, a nurse at the nursing home called 911 and reported the top of a morphine bottle was found in a restroom after Ms. Hall had been in there for an extended period of time. The facility discovered 30 milliliters of morphine was missing and the nurse found Ms. Hall's backpack outside the building. The backpack was brought to the officer who was giving Ms. Hall the sobriety test. Inside, officers found seven syringes containing a blue liquid medication, used syringes, a tube of blue food coloring, three bottles of sodium chloride, four scopolamine patches and vial of cefepime. The bottles were determined to be from the nursing home, according to the report. Ms. Hall allegedly told officers she had taken a dose of morphine "because she wanted to kill herself" and had been stealing morphine and replacing it with water and food coloring for the last nine months, the warrant said. A Signature Healthcare spokesperson told the Herald that Ms. Hall was a staffing agency employee, adding: "The safety and well-being of our residents and stakeholders is our top priority at Signature Healthcare. We commend our dedicated staff at Heritage Hall for reacting quickly in this matter and contacting the appropriate authorities." Ms. Hall has been charged with 21 counts of first-degree wanton endangerment for being under the influence of controlled substances while caring for 21 patients, according to the warrant. She has also been charged with: After opening the first "serenity lounge" in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has unveiled 13 more break rooms with massage chairs and aromatherapy for nurses and other patient care employees. Florida Pagador, MSN, RN, an assistant nurse manager at Cedars-Sinai, came up with the idea, according to a Sept. 5 news release from the Los Angeles-based system. With the help of Melanie Barone, MSN, RN, associate nursing director, the two created the first serenity lounge. Ms. Pagador and Ms. Barone conducted a study into the benefits of serenity lounges, and they discovered that nurses who used a massage chair for 10 minutes in a quiet room felt mental and emotional relief, according to the release. "If we see a colleague who's having a bad day, we ask them if they need to go for a walk, or if they need to take 10 minutes in the lounge," Ms. Barone said in the release. "Our culture is to support each other and recharge, no matter what kind of day you're having." A patient at Oregon State Hospital in Salem, who was awaiting felony charges and escaped his restraints, was apprehended Sept. 1, NBC affiliate KGW reported. According to the news outlet, while en route to the hospital, the suspect, Christopher Lee Pray, was not in restraints and was able to overpower the driver of the transport van to make his escape Aug. 30. Authorities received information Sept. 1 about a possible dead body in a pond, but when authorities arrived they found the suspect still alive and stuck up to his neck in mud. They were able to safely extract him and took him back into custody. Plastic surgeons and cosmetic dermatologists are reporting an uptick in patients requesting "Barbie Botox" or "trap tox" a cosmetic procedure that has gained traction on social media this summer, The Wall Street Journal reported Aug. 29. The procedure entails injecting neurotoxins such as Botox or Dysport into patients' trapezius muscles as an off-label treatment for neck and upper back pain. In recent months, many patients have requested the procedure for cosmetic purposes, as it can create the illusion of a slender, elongated neck similar to a Barbie doll. Shereene Idriss, MD, a cosmetic dermatologist in New York City, said she used to see about five trap-tox patients per month. Now that figure is closer to 15, she told the Journal. Many physicians in the U.S. and U.K. are reporting similar trends. The uptick in interest for the cosmetic procedure likely stems from its recent popularity on social media. As of Aug. 21, the hashtag "Barbie Botox" had more than 7 million views on TikTok, according to CNN. Some physicians have urged caution amid the trend, expressing concerns that patients may undergo the procedures at medispas with underqualified staff. If administered incorrectly or at the wrong dosage, Botox could paralyze the trapezius muscle or migrate from the original infection site, weakening nerve connections with surrounding muscles, according to Parisha Acharya, MD, a London-based cosmetic physician. "I think that you need to go to a surgeon or a medical doctor," she told CNN. "If you're not able to get it done at the right place, I would say it's honestly not worth it." Health officials at the CDC have issued a health advisory warning clinicians to look out for cases of Vibrio vulnificus, a sometimes deadly flesh-eating bacteria. While Vibrio bacteria cause several illnesses each year in the U.S., it is the vulnificus strain that can lead to fatal infections, accounting for between 150 and 200 cases each year, according to the agency. The bacteria thrive in warm salt water and can infect a person's wound if they swim in water with Vibrio bacteria. It can also be ingested via consuming raw shellfish like oysters. However, person to person transmission does not typically occur. "V. vulnificus wound infections have a short incubation period and are characterized by necrotizing skin and soft tissue infection, with or without hemorrhagic bullae," the CDC's Sept. 1 health advisory states. "Many people with V. vulnificus wound infection require intensive care or surgical tissue removal." The agency urges clinicians to consider the bacteria as a possible cause when treating a wound infection from someone who has spent time near warm salt water. Early antibiotic therapy and early surgical intervention can increase survival chances. As a nationally notifiable disease, the CDC also encourages public health officials to educate their communities about the risks of V. vulnificus in warm salt water and recreational areas. New lab data suggests COVID-19 variant BA.2.86 a distant omicron relative that has been making headlines over the past few weeks because of its large number of mutations may not be as transmissible or immune-evasive as experts initially believed, CNN reported Sept. 4. "Two independent labs have basically shown that BA.2.86 essentially is not a further immune escape compared with current variants," Dan Barouch, MD, PhD, director of the center for virology and vaccine research at Boston-based Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, told the news outlet. The lab tests showed people who had been vaccinated with monovalent shots, had gotten bivalent vaccines or who had recently been infected with an XBB variant were able to neutralize the strain as well as or a bit better than other circulating variants. In both lab studies, people with the highest degree of immunity against BA.2.86 were those who had recently recovered from an XBB infection, suggesting updated shots slated to roll out soon will be effective against it. A limitation of the studies is that researchers were testing pseudoviruses, or models of BA.2.86, rather than the virus itself. Still, with the results all being similar so far, experts say it is reassuring to see the strain may not be as concerning as once thought, given the strain has more than 30 mutations in the spike protein. The findings instead refocused attention on FL.1.5.1 as being the most immune-evasive XBB relative. That strain accounts for about 15 percent of U.S. cases. "If there wasn't so much hype about BA.2.86, that would actually be the focus of the paper," Dr. Barouch told CNN. Read more about BA.2.86 here. Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi yesterday committed killer ex-policeman Jason Muvevi to a psychiatric hospital after two doctors who examined him agreed that he is mentally ill. Muvevi is being charged with four counts of murder and one of attempted murder committed between November 2022 and January this year. He allegedly committed the offences in Harare, Hwedza and Mutare. His lawyer Mr Blessed Matandira argued that his client was mentally unfit and wanted him examined to ascertain his mental health position. In his ruling Mr Mangosi said two doctors who examined Muvevi concurred that he was a mental patient. The court is motivated to commit him to a psychiatric hospital, said. It is the States case that on November 19 last year, at around 9pm one Nyasha Eusen was in the company of Nyarai Round at Clan Court, Eastlea, Harare when Muvevi approached them. Muvevi allegedly produced a pistol and shot Round once on the head for no apparent reason. Eusen tried to run away but was caught and Muvevi forced him into his Toyota Allion vehicle. It is alleged that Muvevi drove his vehicle to Huruyadzo Shopping Centre in St Marys Chitungwiza with other two unknown men. Eusen managed to escape from Muvevi and reported the murder and kidnapping to police. It is further alleged that on January 13, Muvevi shot and killed Chrispen Kanerusine who was the leader of Johanne Masowe eChishanu apostolic church in Hwedza. He allegedly shot Kanerusine at his church shrine in broad daylight and in front of congregants. Muvevi had arrived at the shrine in the company of Shupikai Muvevi and was welcomed by ushers who gave him a white garment to cover himself since he was wearing black clothes which is against the dress code of the church. Muvevi sat with other congregants as Kanerusine was preaching and within two minutes of arrival, the suspect stood up and went to his Toyota Allion vehicle which was parked near the shrine. He took an FN Browning pistol and walked back to the shrine where he shot Kanerusine once above the left eye, killing him instantly. All the church congregants fled from the shrine and Muvevi went to his car and drove at high speed towards Hwedza centre. The matter was reported at ZRP Wedza where Inspector Maxwell Hove, who was the Officer-in-Charge, mobilised his team comprising six police officers and left the station for Negombwe village where Kanerusine had been murdered. As the police officers were driving along Hwedza-Murambinda Road they spotted Muvevis motor vehicle parked by the roadside at the 25km peg. Muvevi was standing outside the car talking to an unidentified man. The police officers blocked his vehicle and as they were confronting him, Muvevi opened fire and shot Insp Hove three times, killing him instantly. He again shot Tendai Mugova, a detective who was seated in the passenger seat, three times on the pelvis and abdomen and he seriously injured him. Other police officers ran away and dropped their firearms in the process. Muvevi took an FN rifle serial number 13012 with a magazine containing 10 rounds and a CZ pistol serial number BSAP 594 with a magazine and three rounds. He then drove to Mukamba business centre in Hwedza where he parked his vehicle at the front of Ruzema Bottle Store. He saw Munashe Majani seated outside the bar in the company of Given Pambeni and Tinashe Musangano. Muvevi called Majani to his car and the two had a brief chat before the suspect suddenly produced a firearm and shot Majani once on the head, killing him on the spot. Muvevi fled the scene and on 14 January, he arrived at Mutare Boys High School where he confronted Raphael Nyahwema, firing three shots at him after he refused to give him some food. Muvevi however missed his target and disappeared from the scene after which he skipped into Mozambique where he was arrested on 15 January 2023. He was extradited to Zimbabwe the next day. Herald The summer has marked a period of transformation for health system C-suites as industry pressures mount. Some executives are absorbing the jobs of two individuals in an increased push toward integration. Here are three ways health systems are combining top titles as they look to streamline operations and whittle down costs. 1. The CFO-COO: Caribou, Maine-based Cary Medical Center recently bestowed the CFO and COO titles upon the same person: Chelsea Reynolds Desrosiers. Ms. Desrosiers has served as CFO since 2018 and assumed the COO responsibilities upon Leslie Anderson's retirement. The hospital originally searched for a successor, but ultimately decided to consolidate the role, which could benefit from Ms. Desrosiers' financial knowledge. Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, N.Y., also passed operational duties to CFO John Pohlman upon former COO Bill Allison's retirement. Mr. Pohlman served in the COO role at another New York hospital prior to joining Mount Sinai. 2. The CIO-CMO: Sam Amirfar, MD, CIO of Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City, was also named its chief medical officer in May. "Given the importance of technology and data analytics in healthcare today, the integration of these two disciplines is becoming more relevant and crucial," Gary Terrinoni, president and CEO of Brooklyn Hospital Center, told the Brooklyn Eagle in a May 23 story. 3. The COO-CNO: Prior to April, Cristen Brandsma, BSN, RN, served as chief nursing officer for Munson Healthcare's Cadillac (Mich.) Hospital. Now, she serves in a dual capacity as both COO and CNO of two hospitals: Cadillac Hospital and Manistee (Mich.) Hospital. The two hospitals staff a cumulative 94 acute care beds. Spire Orthopedic Partners named JoAnna Nicholson as its chief legal officer, the management services organization said Sept. 5. Ms. Nicholson will lead strategic legal operations for Spire, according to a news release. She previously worked with North American Partners in Anesthesia as vice president and deputy general counsel. "JoAnna is an accomplished attorney with demonstrated success in providing strategic legal advice to organizations in the healthcare industry," Christopher Fusco, CEO of Spire, said in the release. "Her experience navigating complex legal matters across a broad range of disciplines unique to our growing business will be key to Spires success going forward." Ryanair has revealed around 63,000 of its passengers saw their flights cancelled during last week's air traffic control failure. Ryanair has revealed around 63,000 of its passengers saw their flights cancelled during last week's air traffic control failure which caused widespread disruption across the industry and left thousands of passengers stranded overseas. In its August traffic update, the Irish carrier said more than 350 of its flights were cancelled on August 28 and 29 due to the air traffic control (ATC) issue. More than a quarter of all flights to and from UK airports were cancelled on Monday August 28 as National Air Traffic Services (NATS) were unable to process flight plans automatically. The knock-on effect continued for two more days and is said to have wrecked the travel plans of around a quarter of a million people. Ryanair said the ATC failure "has still not been explained". Read more Ryanair trolls couple over proposal on their plane Airlines have been infuriated by the incident, which came at one of the worst times of the year, with little spare capacity across the sector due to it being the end of the summer break for many schools. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary last week criticised NATS, calling the disruption "unacceptable". In a video message, the group's boss described Monday as "a very difficult day" and hit out at NATS for failing to adequately explain what caused the failure and questioning why back-up systems did not kick in. Rival easyJet's chief executive Johan Lundgren also last week demanded that a "full independent review" is launched into the failure and said it "must not happen again". NATS has said an "unusual piece of data" it received forced it to switch to manual checks. Transport Secretary Mark Harper met NATS, the Civil Aviation Authority, Border Force, airlines, airports and trade groups on Friday last week to discuss the situation. NATS is carrying out an inquiry into what happened and will send a preliminary report to Mr Harper on Monday. The minister said after the meeting last Friday that airlines reported "most customers" affected by the chaos have now reached their destinations. But thousands of holidaymakers were left stranded overseas as many flights from popular destinations were full. Ryanair's latest traffic update showed it carried 18.9 million guests in total last month, up 11% on a year earlier. Fellow low-cost airline Wizz Air also revealed the impact of the ATC woes last week in its August traffic update, with 35 inbound and outbound flights cancelled due to the Nats failure. The Hungarian-based group said all other flights ran, even if with delays. Wizz saw 6.1 million passengers fly with the firm throughout August, up 23.9% on a year ago. Capita Managed IT Solutions in Newtownabbey has reported a 20m fall in revenues in 2022 Outsourcing company Capita Managed IT Solutions has reported a slump in revenue of more than 20m due to contract losses. The annual report for the Newtownabbey-based business said revenue had fallen from 98.8m to 76m. But there was only a slight fall in pre-tax profits, from 6.4m to 6.2m. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capita plc, operating within its public services division. This will be the last year in which the NI-registered company will report financial results, with the latest financial statements filed on a break-up basis. The report said that in line with the groups wider restructuring and entity rationalisation programme, the directors intend to transfer its entire cloud-based infrastructure business and associated trade and assets to another group company soon after approval of these financial statements, and cease trading. Capita plcs plan is to liquidate the company within 12 months from approval of the statements. The plc started out in Northern Ireland in 2013, when it acquired Northgate Managed Services for around 66m. Capita Managed IT Solutions supports the plc with the provision of cloud based and infrastructure services to public and private specialist managed services in the education, commercial, government and utilities sectors. According to the accounts, there were 282 staff in Northern Ireland, down 36% on the 443 employed in 2021. In a strategic report filed with the accounts, the business said: The companys revenue for the year decreased from 98,785,000 in 2021 to 76,129,000 main due to contract losses during the year. The groups operating profit for the year decreased marginally from 6,592,000 to 5,238,000 in 2022 in line with the reduction in revenue. Net assets increased from 84,307,000 to 89,322,000. It said that the Northern Ireland business faced strategic risks like changes in economic and market conditions like contract pricing and competition. There were also financial risks such has failures in internal systems of control and lack of corporate stability, operational problems like failures in information security controls, or recruitment and retention of staff. Capital plc announced last month that it had slipped to a loss as it said a cyber attack which rocked the firm earlier this year could cost it up to 25m. It posted a statutory pre-tax loss of 67.9m for the six months to June 30, dropping from a 0.1m profit a year earlier. Capita said the loss was driven by business exits, a goodwill impairment and costs linked to its recent data breach. The firm said it expects the cyber attack to cost it between 20m and 25m, comprising specialist professional fees, recovery and remediation costs and investments to its cyber security. In May, the business estimated a cost of between 15m and 20m. However, the business cited continued progress on its lengthy turnaround in the update, hailing a rise in adjusted revenues and efforts to cut debt. Adjusted revenue increased by 6% to 1.4bn for the half-year, as the business also flagged new contracts signed with the Student Loans Company and the Department for Work and Pensions. Last year, Capita plc announced a two-year contract extension with Northern Irelands Education Authority (EA) to continue to deliver the managed IT service for all of Northern Irelands 1,100 schools. The contract extension, which is worth 50.6m and runs until 31 March 2024, will see Capita continue to provide IT infrastructure and services. A controversial contract with the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland for the assessments of Personal Independence Payments (PIP) has also been extended. In June 2021 it was also announced that the company had been awarded a contract to run a Troubles victims pension scheme. Planning rules are set to be relaxed for onshore wind farms, though energy campaigners say they do not go far enough (Danny Lawson/PA) Planning permission for onshore wind farms is to be relaxed, the Government has announced, giving more options for communities who want developments in their area. The new measures mean communities can apply to their local authority to have turbines built, though the final decision will still be taken by elected councillors. Councils will also have to take into account the view of communities as a whole and not just a small minority in opposition. Instead of only being available through councils local plans, communities will now be able to bring projects to the planning system via local development orders and community right to build orders, which are typically used to build new community centres, shops or playgrounds. Those communities that choose to host turbines will benefit from cheaper electricity, the Government added. People may see discounts on their energy bills as the Government considers a consultation on proposed rewards and benefits for communities that back onshore wind farms. Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary Michael Gove said the measures will help the drive to net zero, with wind farms only being built where there is local support. Campaigners have described the announcement as feeble tweaks that go nowhere near close enough to unblocking the restrictions introduced during David Camerons government which have led to very few onshore turbines being built since. Mr Gove said: To increase our energy security and develop a cleaner, greener economy, we are introducing new measures to allow local communities to back onshore wind power projects. This will only apply in areas where developments have community support, but these changes will help build on Britains enormous success as a global leader in offshore wind, helping us on our journey to net zero. Renewable energy made up 42% of the UKs electricity generation in 2022, though much of this was from turbines offshore. Energy experts say onshore wind must be scaled up rapidly if the UK is to decarbonise fast enough to meet its net zero goals. Greenpeace UKs policy director, Doug Parr, said: These feeble tweaks are just more hot air from the Government thatll result in very little wind. Developers will continue to face uncertainty over planning process and be beholden to quixotic decisions by local councils. Who will put their money into developing projects under those circumstances? Campaigners, as well as Labour and some Conservative backbench MPs, have been calling for some time for the planning rules to be changed. Alethea Warrington, senior campaigner at climate charity Possible, said: The minor changes announced today are nowhere close to enough to unblock wind. Todays small step forward leaves new onshore wind in England still facing higher planning barriers than anything else, including new coal mines, and it will still be too difficult for communities which want wind to get it. Conservative MP Chris Skidmore has said repeatedly that the UK needs onshore wind for its decarbonisation efforts. He welcomed moves to relax the planning rules but said he wants to see legislative change, telling BBC Radio 4s World At One programme: What we need to see now is the detail. It is not good enough really to have a simple statement saying they are going to do it, because that is what happened last year and nothing came forward. We need to see the legislative changes in the National Planning Policy Framework, he said, in order to have confidence and certainty. Not all Conservatives are happy with the new changes, with Sir John Hayes telling the BBC: You either care about the landscape or you dont. I would object to wind turbines being imposed on communities and I dont look forward to a watering down of the rules. I dont see it that way. Maybe we can amend and look again at the details of this. On X, formerly known as Twitter, shadow climate secretary Ed Miliband wrote: The Conservatives have bottled it AGAIN on onshore wind. It still remains easier to build an incinerator or a landfill site than onshore wind. The planning system remains stacked against onshore wind. This will mean higher bills and energy insecurity for Britain. Presenter Pamela Ballantine has been inundated with well wishes after she shared the moment she rang the bell at the Belfast City Hospital Cancer Centre to signal the end of her radiotherapy treatment. Last month the UTV presenter was praised after she opened up about being diagnosed with breast cancer around seven months ago. In a post on social media, Pamela thanked the team at the hospital for looking after me so well and was beaming with happiness as she rang the bell. "Another milestone. Radiotherapy completed and the bell rung at Belfast City Hospital Cancer Centre. Thank you to all the team for looking after me so well, she wrote. Pamela Ballantine rings bell at Belfast hospital as she marks happy milestone in cancer treatment In the short social media clip Pamela can be seen smiling and laughing as she rings the bell before giving the watching crowd in the hospital a bow as they cheering the special moment. Friends and fans of Pamela were quick to celebrate with her under the post, including pals from the local media world. Broadcaster Claire McCollum wrote: Waaayhaaaaay!! Delighted for you Pomlah!! It's a ten for the curtsy. Award-winning hairdresser Paul Stafford responded with two heart emojis. Writing for the Belfast Telegraph last month, Pamela highlighted how important early detection is when it comes to cancer treatment. "I had no lump or any visible sign. If I had not gone when I was called for my regular breast screening, I would not have known I had tumours in my right breast and armpit, perhaps until it was too late, she wrote. It is very strange knowing there is something inside you, that you didnt know you had, that left untreated can kill you and the only way to get rid of it is to fill your body with poison. So you go to hospital feeling totally fine and leave knowing you are going to feel ill. "On December 29 last year, I should have been raising a glass of champagne to celebrate my niece Laurens 30th birthday with my sister, Susie, and other family and friends. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2023 - Pamela Ballantine Photo by Press Eye. Instead Susie, who has been an absolute rock as well as chauffeur and note taker, accompanied me to the Ulster Hospital to meet Prof Kirk to get the results of needle biopsies which had been carried out after I had been called back to the breast cancer screening unit following a routine mammogram. As I said, I had no lump or any sign that I had a tumour. Nothing can prepare you to hear the words that is cancer. The presenter, who has been a staple of local television screens for almost 40 years, also touched on the experience of losing her hair and her wig she named Helen after Dame Helen Mirren and praised the staff who have been with her throughout her treatment journey. Over the last seven months I have been treated for an illness I did not know I had, she added. That treatment has been rough. I still have to have some treatment for the next few months and will be on medication for a few years. My hair is growing back. Helen may be retired soon. Its been billed as a once in a lifetime opportunity to snap up part of an extraordinary luxury selection of designer items High fashion, criminally-acquired couture worth an estimated 300,000 in the shops is set to go under a Northern Irish auction houses hammer this weekend. The luxury items are being offered on behalf of a UK law enforcement agency, and were seized as part of an investigation into organised crime in the Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and West Midlands regions in England. Wilsons Auctions will be selling the products to the highest bidders in Belfast, at an event starting on Friday (September 8) and ending on Monday (September 11). The pieces to be auctioned include clothing, accessories, jewellery and perfume. Wilsons said in a statement: Discover a once in a lifetime opportunity as Wilsons Auctions launches an unreserved collection of extraordinary luxury selection of designer items from iconic French fashion brand Louis Vuitton. Holding over 3,100 auctions each year, Wilsons auctions every category of asset from cars and vans, plant and machinery to property and general goods. It also has the expertise to deal with more luxury goods including planes, yachts, gold bars, supercars, designer goods and cryptocurrency. As one of the leading auction companies specialising in seized assets, earlier this year the firm gave people the chance to own a luxury Rolls Royce Ghost which was seized from a narcotics crime gang. A family-owned business, Wilsons Auctions was formed in 1936 in Northern Ireland and has grown to become the largest independent Auction Company in the British Isles with sites in the Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. Visit Wilsons Auctions website here for more information. Ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day, Calli Yohanis of Extern talks about the charitys services and how to support a loved one who is feeling hopeless Extern operates across Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland to support children, young people and families in bringing about positive change. The charity works with a variety of individuals including those who are homeless or facing homelessness, those dealing with mental health issues and the impact of suicide, people experiencing problems with drug and alcohol use, people living with problem gambling, refugees, and those who have been through the criminal justice system. Our mental health services are largely based in the greater Belfast area and in Derry/Londonderry, says community suicide liaison officer Calli Yohanis. Working from the Shankill area of Belfast, our Reach Out and Crisis Intervention projects provide community-level mental health support to people from a range of age groups and backgrounds. Typically, the kind of support we offer would include counselling and other psychological therapies, complementary therapy, crisis de-escalation, peer and one-to-one support for families bereaved by suicide, wellbeing groups, and systemic practice. For those who require support with an acute crisis, the Crisis Intervention Service is there to provide de-escalation and allow safety measures to be put in place for people who may be at risk of suicide or self-harm, Calli explains. Our work is very much woven into the fabric of the local community, and we operate a number of groups which are made up of people who have experienced the effects of serious mental health issues and suicide. For example, our Shankill-based SAFE group comprises people who have lost loved ones to suicide, and they provide support to people living locally who may also have been bereaved through suicide. Our Communities In Transition project also operates in the Shankill and Larne/Carrickfergus areas, where we are provided with support from a very active team of community champions and volunteers who help to promote health and wellbeing across their local areas. Calli Yohanis In Derry, a Community Crisis Intervention Service supports people who may be in distress and potentially vulnerable. Extern also runs ASIST and safeTALK suicide-awareness training and workshops, through which participants learn skills in supporting people who may be at risk of suicide. Calli believes World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) on September 10 plays a vital role in providing a focus for people to talk about suicide, to raise awareness and, ultimately, to try to save lives. Sadly, the facts are that someone who has lost a loved one to suicide can often be at high risk of attempting suicide themselves due to a range of complex and interlinked reasons, she says. So, WSPD is an opportunity to show people that action must be taken and, more importantly, what action they can take. It is also an opportunity to bring individuals, families and communities together to provide support and hope. Unfortunately, many people know someone who has died by suicide, yet it is still a taboo subject; there still seems to be a reluctance to talk about it. By not discussing suicide openly, this can then arguably contribute to the stigma, myths and common misunderstandings which allow suicide to persist. People may be reluctant to ask a loved one if they are having thoughts of suicide because they simply wouldnt know how to react if the answer was yes, Calli says. Not talking about suicide isnt going to make it go away, she cautions, so it is important to demystify many of the preconceptions and prejudices about it as openly and honestly as possible. She adds: WSPD is an opportunity for the world to understand the subject through a common theme and to share a commitment to campaign against suicide through action. Suicide can come as a shock to loved ones without forewarning; however, if you are concerned about the welfare of a family member or friend, there are some indicators to look out for. Signs can vary from person to person. They can come in the form of actions, words and feelings which can give clues that they are at risk of harming themselves, Calli explains. For example, a person may be at risk of harming themselves if they are giving away possessions; withdrawing from family, friends, work or school; if they misuse alcohol or drugs or engage in self-destructive, reckless, risky or impulsive behaviours. So too they may be at risk of suicide if they are using language that suggests that they feel hopeless, lonely or worthless and a burden to others. But that is by no means an exhaustive list, so it is important to use your gut and, if you get the feeling that something is not right, act on it. Calli Yohanis with members of Extern's walking group The liaison officer advises, firstly, asking the person as sensitively but as clearly as you can whether they are having thoughts of suicide, and then to seek help for them immediately through their GP or organisations such as Samaritans, Lifeline or Externs Crisis Intervention Service. You can look at it as a sort of suicide first aid, similar to physical first aid. If someone needed urgent medical attention, you would act fast and thats no different for suicide and mental health. And, of course, if someone is at immediate risk of harming themselves, or has already done so, then call the emergency services on 999 right away. Read more Seek out new places to boost your contentment levels For anyone who is worried about a loved one who is feeling low or hopeless and potentially suicidal, Calli shares the following advice: You must be sure to take them seriously. Be transparent and ask clearly and directly if they are having thoughts of suicide. Take the time and listen to them and to hear their story. Be supportive and understanding and encourage them to talk about how they are feeling. Try to put yourself in their shoes and really listen to what they are going through, without judgment or trying to jump in with a solution of what you think might fix them. Dont minimise or invalidate their feelings either, by saying, Things could be worse, or that theyre just overreacting. Always try to follow up on your conversation a phone call or text message afterwards can have a big impact. Read more Five ways you sabotage yourself and how you can break unhealthy thought patterns To anyone who is feeling suicidal, Calli encourages them to reach out and access the help and support that awaits. Finding yourself in a place where things may seem hopeless can feel very lonely and isolating. Just remember, you are not alone, no matter how lonely you may feel. Reach out to the services which are available. You do matter and you will never be seen as a burden to those who are there to offer support. If you are struggling, creating a safety plan for yourself can also be an effective way to manage your thoughts and actions. This helps you to make sense of and understand your thoughts and behaviours, which can help when you are feeling distressed, and it can identify the things that you and others can do to support you. You can find a template for this on the Extern website. If you need support with your mental health, please contact our services. For more information, visit www.extern.org. Contact Extern Crisis Intervention Service, Belfast, on 0800 085 4808 or email: crisisteam@extern.org. Contact Extern Reach Out on 07841 102958 or email: reachout@extern.org. Contact Extern Community Crisis Intervention Service, Derry/Londonderry, on 028 7126 2300 The number of new vehicles powering out of showrooms in August rose by 10%. Thats behind the rise felt in England, with almost a third of a bump, and 26% in Wales. Meanwhile, new car registrations in Scotland fell by 9% during August, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The Hyundai Tucson remains Northern Irelands best-selling car with some 117 vehicles registered in August. That was followed by the Ford Fiesta and Focus, with the Renault Captur and Toyota Aygo in fourth and fifth respectively. Across the UK as a whole the new car market grew 24.4% in August with 85,657 new vehicles registered. While August is typically a quieter month with many buyers choosing to wait until the September number plate change, an increase of 16,799 units means the sector is now entering a second year of growth, the SMMT said. Despite this improved performance, the market still remains -7.5% below pre-pandemic levels. According to the SMMT the increase was fuelled by a surge in registrations by large fleets, rising 58.4% to 51,951 units, while business registrations grew 39.4% to 1,635 units. Conversely, private demand softened by -8.1%, compared with a supply-constrained 2022 market. And its electric vehicles which are continuing to see sizeable rises in market share, with almost four in 10 (37.8%) new cars reaching the road. Battery electric vehicle uptake swelled by 72.3% to secure a 20.1% market share, an August record and the highest recorded since last December. Plug-in hybrid uptake also rose significantly, by 70.0%, to account for 7.7% of new registrations, while hybrid volumes remained relatively stable with a 6.8% increase, with 10% of the market. However, with less than four months to go until the expected introduction of a Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, industry still has no sight of the proposed regulation, according to the SMMT. The automotive sector is committed to net zero but the diminishing time threatens the ability of the market to move. Demand from both business and private consumers must be boosted still further if ambitions are to be met, but while businesses benefit from fiscal incentives to switch, there is no similar package for the private consumer market. With the automotive industry beginning a second year of growth, recovery is underway with EVs energising the market, Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said. But with a new Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate due to come into force in less than 120 days, manufacturers still await the details. Businesses cannot plan on the basis of consultations, they need certainty. And now, more than ever, government must match action to ambition, ensuring there are the incentives and infrastructure in place to convince drivers to make the switch. TOKYO, Sep 05 ( News On Japan ) - All public junior high schools in Tokyo's upmarket Minato Ward are planning school trips to Singapore next year, at a cost to the student of no more than 70,000 yen. Around 760 students from the 3rd year of Minato Ward's junior high schools are slated to take the trip between June to September next year, for three nights and five days. Singapore was chosen as the destination because it allows students to utilize English and is known for its safety. This will be the first time that all ward-run junior high schools in Tokyo will conduct overseas school trips, which is also considered rare in Japan. Students will bear the cost of the trip for up to 70,000 yen, which is the same cost as going to the usual destinations of Kyoto and Nara. Social media responded with comments such as "As to be expected from rich Minato" and "Honestly, I would rather them use the money on other things." Citing her criminal record of 84 convictions, including 26 prior assaults on police, the judge at Belfast Magistrates' Court imposed a total of six months custody (PA) A Belfast woman who spat blood on police officers and claimed to be infected with hepatitis has been jailed for six months. Lauren Higgins, 24, also bit into the arm of another constable during a separate outburst of violence at a hospital. Higgins, of University Avenue, had amassed 26 previous convictions for assault on police before the latest attacks. Belfast Magistrates Court heard she was arrested on March 11 last year for shouting and causing disturbances at Woodbourne Court in the west of the city. She then became increasingly volatile, targeting a policewoman and two male colleagues attempting to take her into custody. Higgins kicked one officer in the torso and spat blood on the other two. She threatened them that she had Hepatitis C, a Crown lawyer said. Higgins was detained again following an incident in the early hours of June 12 this year. Police found her in the Fitzroy Avenue area, bleeding from the nose and in an incoherent state, and decided to take her to the Royal Victoria Hospital. During the journey she bit one of the constables on the arm, breaking through the skin with her teeth. At the hospital Higgins had to be restrained so that nurses could treat her, but she lashed out again by trying to punch police who had accompanied her. After being placed on a bed she kicked two officers on the head and chest, as well as spitting on one of them. Higgins pleaded guilty to six counts of assault on police and two charges of disorderly behaviour. A defence barrister said Higgins had been in a distressed state, but accepted that she responded horrifically when police intervened. She has expressed sympathy for the officers, he added. Citing her criminal record of 84 convictions, including 26 prior assaults on police, District Judge Ted Magill imposed a total of six months custody. He told Higgins: This behaviour is utterly unacceptable, but you keep doing it again and again. Co Antrim skincare clinic boss accused of breaching human medicines regulations is expected to confirm next month if he is contesting the charges, a judge said today. Nick Watkins, of Forthaven in Ballyclare, is accused of a total of 14 offences. The 51-year-old was expected to appear at Belfast Magistrates Court for the first hearing in the case. He did not attend, however, as a defence lawyer raised issues about the service of prosecution documents. Granting a four-week adjournment, District Judge George Conner said: It is a significant case from what I can see and a lot of papers to be read. But at that stage I do need to have a proper indication as to how the matter is being met. Watkins is reportedly the main practitioner at Mac Aesthetics now based in Glengormley. The cosmetic clinic offers a range of anti-wrinkle and body sculpting treatments, with its website stating that all comply with health and safety and environmental health standards. Watkins is charged with two counts of advertising prescription-only medicines, namely Botox and Ozempic, in December last year. He also faces nine counts of possessing medicinal products with intent to supply other than in accordance with a prescription on dates between July and December 2022. Three further charges on the prosecution summons relate to allegedly having unauthorised medicinal products. No further details were disclosed during the brief preliminary court hearing. A former housemaster at a childrens home in Belfast is to stand trial on historic sexual abuse charges, a judge has ordered. The 81-year-old man appeared at the citys Magistrates Court accused of indecently assaulting a boy more than 40 years ago. Despite opposition from the press, he was granted anonymity at this stage in the case. His lawyers claimed he would be at increased risk of suicide if identified. The pensioner faces two counts of indecent assault against a male on dates between June 1980 and January 1983. The alleged offences were committed at care facilities where he was employed as a senior member of staff. Read more Nurse from NI hospital admits ill-treatment of patients During a preliminary enquiry hearing he confirmed that he understood the charges but declined to give evidence or call any witnesses. Defence barrister Sean OHare did not dispute submissions that his client has a prima facie case to answer. Granting the prosecutions application, District Judge Ted Magill returned the accused for trial at Belfast Crown Court on a date to be set. Mr OHare requested continued reporting restrictions based on the contents of a medical report. The court was told that the defendant suffers from mental illness, personal and social isolation, low mood and anxiety. A doctor who has treated him as a patient expressed concern that any publicity would cause a deterioration in his fragile state. The pensioners right to life under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights outweighs the legitimate interest in reporting proceedings without restrictions, according to his legal team. Read more Man admits murdering financial advisor in stabbing in Bangor home On behalf of the press, it was argued that the medical report does not specifically refer to any risk of suicide. Mr Magill acknowledged there was a delicate balancing exercise between competing rights. Ultimately, however, he ruled that the accused cannot be identified at this stage. Releasing him on continuing bail, the judge added: If anonymity is to be maintained at the Crown Court it will be necessary for a detailed update on this mans medical condition. Liam Kelly, chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, said Mr Byrnes position had become untenable (Liam McBurney/PA) Gerry Murray said Catholic officers were more likely to keep their professions a secret from their families and communities (House of Commons/UK Parliament) Some PSNI officers have been advised to bring personal protection weapons to Mass following the police data breach, the head of an organisation representing Catholic officers has said. The Northern Ireland Affairs committee is hearing evidence on the security impact of the data breach that occurred last month. Personal details relating to over 10,000 PSNI officers and staff were mistakenly released in response to a Freedom of Information request. Catholic PSNI officers urged to bring weapons to Mass after data breach Superintendent Gerry Murray, the chairperson of the Catholic Police Guild of Northern Ireland, gave evidence at Tuesdays session. He said Catholic officers were more likely to keep their professions a secret from their families and communities, and the potential for identification caused some members to ask if they should carry protection weapons when attending mass. "We have had officers, resigning, going from the organisation. Our members are frightened, scared, have no idea what tomorrow will bring for them," he told the committee. "And I have incidents where young Catholic officers are asking me: do they carry their personal protection weapon when they go to Mass?" He added: "That has happened, and the advice I've given: yes, you do. "Because the idea is that they should feel safe while entering the Catholic Church and also leaving the Catholic Church, and there's no better way, the issue of the personal protection weapon is for that, for personal protection." Mr Murray said that the security pressure stemming from the data breach, combined with budgetary constraints, would limit the PSNI's ability to recruit Catholic officers. Other witnesses on Tuesday included Police Federation chair Liam Kelly and Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd. Simon Byrne, who resigned as Chief Constable on Monday, and members of the Policing Board are no longer appearing. As the meeting began, SDLP MP Claire Hanna raised concerns about the Policing Board not being in attendance, saying they havent been properly scrutinised since the crises emerged. Committee Chair Simon Hoare said he was as disappointed as everybody else, but said members will attend in due course. He described the Chief Constable role as the most difficult in policing and thanked Mr Byrne for his service. Others appearing before the committee include DCS Anthony McNally, who is president of the Superintendents Association of Northern Ireland (SANI), and Tracy Godfrey, PSNI Departmental Secretary and seconded officer with the Nipsa union. Asked for the current mood, Ms Godfrey said they are dismayed. She added that PSNI officers cant protect themselves if someone was to come knocking at our door and we dont routinely have security around our homes. This has just heightened the whole aspect of security, Ms Godfrey added. The committee was told there are a lot of front-facing roles and custody detention officers are coming face to face with dissidents all the time and theyre having to live in communities so its a huge impact on the police staff. DCS McNally said they are in an unprecedented crisis as they try to navigate their way through the unknown and 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement officers are still having to look under their cars. That is not helped by the absence of a functioning government, he added. Mr Kelly, a police officer of 29 years, said Mr Byrnes resignation was the right thing to do but recognised he is a man who has committed over 40 years to policing right across the UK. The Police Federation represents 6,500 officers and Mr Kelly said the collective view is that policing is in a dark place and a downward spiral. Liam Kelly, chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, said Mr Byrnes position had become untenable (Liam McBurney/PA) He added: Budget is a massive pressure, erosion of pay and conditions, the fact we have no government, reduced resource: doing more with less, morale has been plummeting and plummeting rapidly. We have no recruitment, retention is a massive issue, the loss of experience, but also the loss of officers at the start of their police careers and mid-service, and that was prior to the data breach. Mr Kelly continued: Despite being 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement we still find that we are having to police in Northern Ireland against the backdrop of a severe terrorist threat, on and off duty. So you asked what the impact has been of the data breach, from my members and from my own perspective, were appalled, were shocked, were dismayed and were scared about the implications of what has happened, because the reality is, our officers, whatever their persuasion, take their personal safety very seriously. Mr McNally said the data breach will exacerbate Issues around recruitment, and tens of millions of pounds will have to be spent to fix the challenges of this data breach which will create an even blacker hole in what I believe to be a 52m or 53m deficit as of last week. He added: So goodness knows what the figure will be whenever we work out what resolution is required to the data breach. The committee heard there is a strong request from staff about personal security measures which will run into tens of millions of pounds and then theres litigation from people who feel their information being made public was against the law. Mr Kelly felt 53m was an underestimate and to begin recruiting to the levels needed and to deliver policing that communities deserve, that number would rise to around 200m, and that was based on conversations with the Chief Operating Officer. It requires Westminster intervention, he said, as Stormont does not have the finances. Mr Kelly added that an independent review by Assistant Commissioner Pete ODoherty from City of London Police will make recommendations and that too will cost money as there could be wholesale changes to information technology and PSNI structures to ensure there is no repeat of the disastrous data breach. The House of Lords has maintained its stand-off with the Government over plans to address the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Labour former Northern Ireland secretary Lord Murphy of Torfaen called on the Government to think again about its plans to offer immunity to those who committed crimes during the Troubles. He proposed a change to the Bill setting out conditions for legal immunity as part of reconciliation efforts, including consent from the families of victims. Peers supported his amendment to the Bill 201 to 190, majority 11. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill aims to set up an Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), so the families of victims can find out what happened to their relatives during the nearly 30-year conflict. As part of this, a limited form of immunity would be offered to those who committed crimes throughout the Troubles to encourage them to come forward and share information. The proposed legislation would also prevent future civil cases and inquests into Troubles offences. The Bill has been widely condemned by political parties, civil society groups and victims representatives across Northern Ireland. Lord Murphy, who served as Northern Ireland secretary in the Blair government, told peers: My amendment wouldnt solve the whole difficulty about a bad Bill, but it would mean that the involvement of victims families and the ability to impose conditions on immunity, including the right to revoke it altogether, would improve it. But we have heard that the minister isnt going to accept that. He added: The best solution is for this Bill to be put on hold, to be frozen in fact until such time that we have a properly governing executive and assembly back in Northern Ireland, and those are the people who should decide how these matters should be dealt with. Tory grandee Lord Cormack, who as an MP chaired the Northern Ireland Affairs select committee, also called for the Bills progress to be paused. He said: It is still an unacceptable Bill because it does not command any support outside the Government. He added: I do think it is incumbent upon the Government, in view of the widespread concern, anxiety and deep unhappiness, for them to pause this Bill. This is not a Bill that should go onto the statute books in the far end of this (parliamentary) session. Northern Ireland minister Lord Caine said conditional immunity was a poor mechanism to help the commission fulfil its functions. He told peers: I remind the House the aim of the Bill is very simple and straightforward: to provide more information to more people in a shorter timeframe than is possible under current mechanisms, to establish the facts of what has happened to those families that wish for that, and to help society both remember the past and to look forward to a more genuinely shared future. I understand the aim of Lord Murphys amendment 44E is to give family members a role in whether immunity should be granted or not. In the Governments considered view that would critically undermine the effectiveness of these provisions in their principal aim, the recovery of information for the families. Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris could be seen within the House of Lords chamber watching the debate (PA) Lord Caine went on: If we are to pause this Bill or to refer it to the assembly, all we really are doing is setting ourselves up for a further significant delay in providing answers to victims and survivors of the Troubles. Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris could be seen within the House of Lords chamber watching the debate, while Labours former shadow Northern Ireland secretary Peter Kyle reshuffled to the shadow cabinet science brief on Monday observed from the gallery above. Ahead of the debate, human rights organisation Amnesty International projected images of victims of the Troubles onto the Houses of Parliament, as part of a late plea to the Government to scrap the Bill. Meanwhile, a lawyer who represents the families of a number of Troubles victims, Kevin Winters, has called on the Labour Party to publicly state that it will repeal the Governments controversial legacy Bill if it comes to power. He has also asked the Irish government to confirm it will lodge a legal challenge at the European Court of Human Rights when the proposed legislation becomes law. A spokesperson for the Irish government said it has sought legal advice on the matter. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th September 2023 Photo by Graham Baalham-Curry / Press Eye People enjoying the weather at Sea Park, Holywood, Co Down. Alwin McClernon and Myrtle Crawford. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th September 2023 Photo by Graham Baalham-Curry / Press Eye People enjoying the weather at Sea Park, Holywood, Co Down. Ryan, Aila and Niamh. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th September 2023 Photo by Graham Baalham-Curry / Press Eye People enjoying the weather at Sea Park, Holywood, Co Down. Carol Collins, Noco Boyd, Armandas Miescionaitiene and Egle Miescionaitiene. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th September 2023 Photo by Graham Baalham-Curry / Press Eye People enjoying the weather at Sea Park, Holywood, Co Down. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th September 2023 Photo by Graham Baalham-Curry / Press Eye People enjoying the weather at Sea Park, Holywood, Co Down. Ellie Cochrane and grace Tully. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th September 2023 Photo by Graham Baalham-Curry / Press Eye People enjoying the weather at Sea Park, Holywood, Co Down. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th September 2023 Photo by Graham Baalham-Curry / Press Eye People enjoying the weather at Sea Park, Holywood, Co Down. Harris McCrea and Daniel Warke. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th September 2023 Photo by Graham Baalham-Curry / Press Eye People enjoying the weather at Helen's Bay Co Down. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th September 2023 Photo by Graham Baalham-Curry / Press Eye People enjoying the weather at Helen's Bay Co Down. Pacemaker Press 04-09-2023: Belfast weather forecast for the coming days suggests the sun will be here for a little longer. Adam Williamson, Ciara Dunlop with Dogs Winston, Harvey and wee Pacho from Newtownards pictured enjoying the sunshine at Stormont in Belfast Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press. Pacemaker Press 04-09-2023: Belfast weather forecast for the coming days suggests the sun will be here for a little longer.People pictured enjoying the sunshine at Belfast City Hall in Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press. People enjoying the good weather in Co Down. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Mary Grace Cholewinski, Ewa Cholewinski, Cara and Abby Meenan from Newtownabbey enjoying the sunshine at Stormont this week Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press. The hottest temperatures of 2023 could be seen in parts of the UK this week, although no records are expected to be broken in Northern Ireland. The Met Office has predicted the warmest day of the year, which was recorded in England in June, could be beaten if the mercury soars above 32.2C. However temperatures in Northern Ireland are expected to remain below this years peak of 28.6C which was recorded in Ballywatticock, Co Down, on June 13. Nevertheless, forecaster Marco Petagna predicts they should still get above 25C again in places, keeping Northern Ireland on track for an official heatwave. Pacemaker Press 04-09-2023: Belfast weather forecast for the coming days suggests the sun will be here for a little longer. Adam Williamson, Ciara Dunlop with Dogs Winston, Harvey and wee Pacho from Newtownards pictured enjoying the sunshine at Stormont in Belfast Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press. It will be a close call to get the second day above 25C on Wednesday but it should happen in parts of the region, Mr Petagna explained. Belfast will be around 23C or 24C, similar to the north coast, but other places should be a bit warmer. Its very unlikely that we will see the hottest day of the year being recorded anywhere in NI, but certainly the heatwave threshold could be exceeded on Wednesday and Thursday. Read more Northern Ireland set for final burst of summer as hot spots revealed for week ahead Meteorologists say this summer was hottest on record in Northern Hemisphere Temperatures need to rise above 25C for three days in a row for any hot spell to officially qualify as a heatwave. The hottest temperature on Tuesday was in Co Tyrone with the mercury hitting 26.4C in Castlederg. It was closely followed by Killowen in Co Down which recorded a high of 25.7C. Meanwhile residents in the city of Armagh basked in a slightly cooler temperature of 25.3C. In Belfast, the temperature hovered just below 25C. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th September 2023 Photo by Graham Baalham-Curry / Press Eye People enjoying the weather at Sea Park, Holywood, Co Down. Harris McCrea and Daniel Warke. If the threshold is reached, any heatwave will be very short lived with no real prospect of the record for the warmest ever September day here being beaten. That was recorded in Armagh on the first day of the month back in 1906 when it reached 27.6C. Mr Petagna said it will gradually turn more unsettled as we head into Thursday and on into the weekend. There will be some rain around, but we should manage to hold onto that warm air, meaning temperatures should still be in the low 20s, he said. Of course there will be sunny spells in between, but by Sunday some of those showers could merge which could result in heavy downpours with some thunder. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th September 2023 Photo by Graham Baalham-Curry / Press Eye People enjoying the weather at Sea Park, Holywood, Co Down. Ellie Cochrane and grace Tully. The meteorologist said mild nights are also expected to continue into the weekend but again no records are expected to be set. The highest low on Tuesday night was in Belfast where it failed to get below 16C, Mr Petagna said. It should be in the mid-teens in most places over the next few nights which could get quite uncomfortable. The warmest night of the year was recorded in Portglenone on June 14 when the temperature hit 17.5C. The forecaster predicted that the middle of the month will remain showery. However, he offered a glimmer of hope that the warm sunny days could make one final comeback before autumn fully takes hold. There is a chance of some warmer episodes again during the second half of the month, Mr Petagna said. Not to the extent we have seen this week, but temperatures could be back in the low 20s. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th September 2023 Photo by Graham Baalham-Curry / Press Eye People enjoying the weather at Sea Park, Holywood, Co Down. Carol Collins, Noco Boyd, Armandas Miescionaitiene and Egle Miescionaitiene. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th September 2023 Photo by Graham Baalham-Curry / Press Eye People enjoying the weather at Sea Park, Holywood, Co Down. Ryan, Aila and Niamh. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th September 2023 Photo by Graham Baalham-Curry / Press Eye People enjoying the weather at Sea Park, Holywood, Co Down. Alwin McClernon and Myrtle Crawford. Search on for new PSNI Chief Constable The Department of Justice have been asked to carry out a review of the Policing Board as the process to replace Simon Byrne gets under way. Mr Byrne resigned as Chief Constable of the PSNI with immediate effect yesterday, saying in a written statement to the Policing Board that it was time for someone new to lead the organisation. The last few days have been very difficult for all concerned, the statement from Mr Byrne read. Regardless of the rights and wrongs it is now time for someone new to lead this proud and resolute organisation. Can I thank those who have shown me trust, advice and friendship. And of course thank you to the brave men and women of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. He was not present at a specially convened meeting of the board and will not now appear in front of a Westminster scrutiny body today. Police Service of Northern Ireland board to prioritise finding a chief constable Policing Board members accepted his resignation, with the vice-chairman Edgar Jardine saying that criticism from the Police Federation and Nipsa had had a quite significant impact on Mr Byrnes decision to quit. In April of this year the board extended Mr Byrnes contract by a further three years. Asked if the former Chief Constable will receive severance pay, the chair of the board Deirdre Toner would not answer, saying Mr Byrnes contractual agreement is a personnel issue at this stage. Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton will now assume the duties of the Chief Constable but has not been appointed to the role on an interim basis. Mr Byrne resigned under pressure following a number of serious data leaks and a bruising High Court ruling. Policing board confirm Chief Constable Simon Byrne has resigned with immediate effect Last Tuesday, a court ruled two junior officers were unlawfully disciplined following an arrest of a victim of a loyalist gun attack at a commemoration in February 2021. The event was marking the anniversary of the 1992 Sean Graham bookmakers attack where five people were murdered by loyalist paramilitaries, and survivor Mark Sykes was arrested at the event. The judge said the officers were disciplined to allay any threat of Sinn Fein abandoning its support for policing. Sinn Fein has denied this was the case. MPs from the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee will now question Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd and other PSNI representatives today as part of its investigation into the breaches. DUP MLA Trevor Clarke said there will be a new Chief Constable named in a number of months but said there is no need for a temporary appointment, with legislation allowing for remaining Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton to exercise the same responsibilities. The DUP had previously said they would issue a vote of no confidence in the Chief Constable if he refused to resign. TUV leader Jim Allister said Mr Byrne leaves behind a demoralised and politically compromised PSNI. The UUPs Doug Beattie said nobody should take pleasure in the resignation, and backed a review of how the Policing Board operates. Party colleague Mike Nesbitt said he wished Mr Byrne well for the future, but added that this was not the end of the matter saying there were several issues still to be resolved in the PSNI. DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson welcomes resignation of PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne Sinn Fein Policing Board member Gerry Kelly said his party would continue to engage positively to deliver further necessary change. He once again denied that either himself or his partys deputy leader Michelle ONeill threatened to walk away from policing structures unless the two officers were disciplined. We are on the Policing Board to hold policing to account along with the other parties and independents, he said. The public deserve fair, good and accountable policing. The PSNI must deliver this with the community. SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan said more than one PSNI resignation is needed to restore confidence. The Foyle representative added that HR advice will be needed for the job advertisement and accompanying description which will then need to be signed off by the board. However, Mr Durkan warned prospective applicants its not an easy one [job], history shows us that is the case. Alliance Party MLA Nuala McAllister said that it was unfortunate but not at all surprising that Mr Byrne had resigned but also added that it was a crisis not about one individual. The recruitment process for a new Chief Constable will be further discussed on Thursdays planned meeting of the Policing Board. Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said in the absence of an Executive he would liaise with the PSNI as a successor was appointed. Mr Heaton-Harris said that while the appointment of a new Chief Constable is a matter for the Policing Board he would continue to liaise with the senior management of PSNI whilst the process of appointing a successor gets under way. While the Policing Board runs the recruitment for the new Chief Constable, the appointment requires Stormont approval. Mr Heaton-Harris told the House of Commons that if the institutions of the Executive and the Minister for Justice are not present, we will have to pass secondary legislation in this place to allow that to happen. Policing Board chair Deirdre Toner said they would prioritise the recruitment of a new Chief Constable. She added that the board would initiate a review of the PSNI Senior Leadership Team and request the Department of Justice to commission a review of the Policing Board. There is a strong commitment and desire within the board to bring stability to the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the steps agreed above are designed to do this, as well as deal with concerns that have been expressed around the operation of the Policing Board, she added. As it happened: Police at the security alert scene on Church Road in Castlereagh. Security services are dealing with a suspicious object at playing fields in east Belfast. A security alert on Church Road in Castlereagh at playing fields used by East Belfast GAA has ended after police confirmed the incident was an elaborate hoax. The road was closed during the morning with significant impact on local residents. A nearby primary school and a nursery in the area had been forced to close. Alliance MLA, Peter McReynolds condemns security alert at East Belfast GAA An updated PSNI statement from PSNI Detective Sergeant Kitchen said: Shortly after 7.15am this morning, it was reported that a suspicious object had been found at playing fields in the area. "Officers attended and Church Road was closed to road users as examinations were carried out on the object, which has now been declared an elaborate hoax. The object has been taken away for further forensic examination and Church Road has re-opened. Two nearby schools were closed as a result of the alert which has caused huge disruption for pupils, parents and teachers alike, and I would like to thank all those affected for their patience and co-operation whilst our officers worked to ensure the safety of all. An investigation is underway and I would appeal to anyone with any information in relation to this incident to contact police at Strandtown on 101, quoting reference number 236 05/09/23. Michael Long the local Alliance Party councillor for the area condemned the sectarian thugs behind the incident. "Another suspected device at Henry Jones and Loughview PS is again forced to close, he posted online. "The sectarian thugs behind this campaign need to stop. BCC pitches are for everyone. Solidarity with @EastBelfastGAA. Have asked for more security repeatedly. He added: In relation to Henry Jones, I have asked for an urgent meeting between BCC, PSNI and local cllrs to see how we combat the campaign of intimidation against @EastBelfastGAA. Police at the security alert scene on Church Road in Castlereagh. His party colleague and MLA for east Belfast Peter McReynolds said: More chaos and disruption at Henry Jones playing fields. A primary school and two nursery schools forced to close for local childrens safety. And for what? Those who have caused this need to reflect on their violent and disruptive ways in 2023. Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie hit out at what he called a concerted effort to intimidate the club. "It targets men, women and children and is completely unacceptable, disgraceful and counter productive, he posted. Sinn Fein MLA Deirdre Hargey highlighted that a few days ago, goalposts at the field were attacked. She said: This comes only days after goalposts at this field were attacked in what appears to be a concerted attempt by sinister elements to intimidate both adults and children away from playing sport in a public park. Disgraceful incidents like this do not represent the vast majority of people who are focused on moving forward and on the future. SDLP councillor Seamas de Faoite called for an end to the string of incidents targeting the club. These continued attacks on East Belfast GAA by a small band of thugs must cease once and for all. Those behind the targeting of the club do not speak for or represent people in this area, the vast majority of whom have bigger things to be worrying about than what their local sports clubs get up to, he said. In stark contrast to this continued intimidation, East Belfast GAA has been a wonderful addition to life in the area. Like many parts of our city, east Belfast is changing and the club have played a big part in that, being an inclusive, positive and proactive addition to the community. The people responsible for this alert are only harming their own community. "Lough View Integrated Primary and Nursery School and two other local nurseries have been forced to close their doors and childrens lives have been disrupted just days into term. Clearly those behind this incident care about nothing but their own hate-filled agenda. "The PSNI needs to act against those behind the continued targeting of East Belfast GAA to send a clear message that nobody will be allowed to wage a campaign of sectarian intimidation without severe consequences. Two men have been reportedly shot in the leg in west Belfast, according to police. Officers were at the scene of the incident in the Roumania Rise area on Monday night. A police spokesperson said shortly after 10.30pm, it was reported that two men had been shot, both once to their leg. They have been taken to hospital to receive medical treatment for their injuries, they said. Anyone with any information which could assist with police inquiries is asked to contact officers on 101 quoting reference number 2163 04/09/23. Information can also be given anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Police and forensics at the scene of a double shooting incident in the Roumania Rise area of Divis, west Belfast on September 5th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Police and forensics at the scene of a double shooting incident in the Roumania Rise area of Divis, west Belfast on September 5th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Police at the scene of the incident in west Belfast (Photo by Kevin Scott) Police and forensics at the scene of a double shooting incident in the Roumania Rise area of Divis, west Belfast on September 5th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Two men have been shot in the legs in the Divis area of west Belfast. Police attended the incident at an alleyway in Roumania Rise at around 10:30pm. Two men shot in legs during west Belfast shooting incident A police spokesperson said: Shortly after 10:30pm, it was reported that two men had been shot, both once to their leg. They have been taken to hospital to receive medical treatment for their injuries. A police helicopter and dog unit were also dispatched to the scene, with forensic officers working at the scene into the early hours. Sinn Fein MP Paul Maskey condemned the shooting and urged the public to co-operate with the police. He said: I condemn the shooting of two men in Roumania Rise last night. There is no place for guns on our streets, those responsible need to desist. Anyone with information on this attack should bring it forward to the PSNI. SDLP West Belfast councillor Paul Doherty also expressed at the attack and the presence of guns in the area. Why does NI society tolerate paramilitary-style appointment attacks? He said: People in west Belfast want to see an end to attacks of this nature. For far too long gunmen have roamed our streets creating misery and destruction for many families in this area. I would ask those behind these shootings to ask themselves what exactly they are achieving and to stop attacking their own community. Anyone with information about these shootings should come forward to police. The continued presence of guns in this area is extremely concerning and I hope that police can remove this weapon from circulation and apprehend those responsible for this latest attack. The man accused of killing 36 people in an arson attack four years ago on Kyoto Animation has admitted to his role in the incident. But his lawyers entered a not-guilty plea, arguing he cannot be held criminally responsible because of a mental disorder. Aoba Shinji appeared in the courtroom in a wheelchair. The 45-year-old defendant confirmed the facts in the indictment, saying at the time, he had no choice but to carry out the act. Aoba added he did not expect so many people to die. The attack on the Kyoto Animation studio in 2019 is one of the country's deadliest arson attacks. It left 36 employees dead and 32 injured. Aoba is accused of intentionally dousing the studio with gasoline that fueled the inferno. He faces multiple charges, including murder and arson. Hundreds of people lined up outside the courtroom Tuesday hoping to watch the proceedings firsthand. Aoba's defense is claiming he has a mental disorder that renders him incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong. Prosecutors are arguing the crime was based on Aoba's "misdirected grudge". They say the defendant believed the studio was responsible for why his life wasn't going well after a novel he had written was rejected. Prosecutors also say Aoba went to Omiya Station one month before the Kyoto incident, intending to indiscriminately murder people but ultimately abandoned the idea. ...continue reading The ex-police chief resigned on Monday. Simon Hoare, chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee where he described the job of PSNI chief constable as the "most difficult gig" in policing following the resignation of Simon Byrne. Pic: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire Outgoing PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne will not be paid the remainder of his contract following his resignation, a member of the Policing Board has said. Mr Byrne resigned on Monday after coming under intense pressure in the wake of the recent PSNI data breaches and a High Court ruling that he had unlawfully disciplined two junior officers for their actions during a Troubles atrocity commemoration in 2021. The SDLPs Mark H Durkan a member of the Policing Board told BBC Radio Foyle that the former Chief Constable would only be paid for three months notice that he has to work. Mr Durkan added that Mr Byrne would not be tasked with carrying out his duties for those three months. PSNI accounts for 2021-22 show the Chief Constable role commands a salary of around 230,000. In a written statement on Monday, Mr Byrne said it was time for someone new to lead the PSNI. The last few days have been very difficult for all concerned, the statement read. Regardless of the rights and wrongs it is now time for someone new to lead this proud and resolute organisation. Can I thank those who have shown me trust, advice and friendship. And of course thank you to the brave men and women of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton will be taking the reins at the head of the organisation until a replacement is found. The Department of Justice have also been asked to carry out a review of the Policing Board as the process to appoint Mr Byrnes successor gets underway. A Policing Board spokesperson said: The Board agreed resignation terms in line with contractual provision. Simon Hoare, chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee where he described the job of PSNI chief constable as the "most difficult gig" in policing following the resignation of Simon Byrne. Pic: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire It comes after some PSNI officers have been advised to bring personal protection weapons to mass following last months data breach, when details relating to 10,000 officers and staff were mistakenly released in response to a Freedom of Information request. Superintendent Gerry Murray, the chairperson of the Catholic Police Guild of Northern Ireland, gave evidence at Tuesdays session of the The Northern Ireland Affairs committee in Westminster. He said Catholic officers were more likely to keep their professions a secret from their families and communities, and the potential for identification caused some members to ask if they should carry protection weapons when attending mass. "We have had officers, resigning, going from the organisation. Our members are frightened, scared, have no idea what tomorrow will bring for them," he told the committee. "And I have incidents where young Catholic officers are asking me: do they carry their personal protection weapon when they go to Mass?" He added: "That has happened, and the advice I've given: yes, you do. "Because the idea is that they should feel safe while entering the Catholic Church and also leaving the Catholic Church, and there's no better way, the issue of the personal protection weapon is for that, for personal protection." Mr Murray said that the security pressure stemming from the data breach, combined with budgetary constraints, would limit the PSNI's ability to recruit Catholic officers. Tragedy just hours after a man in his 80s drowned having got into difficulty in the water The scene at Fountainstown as a major search operation took place on Tuesday evening. Photo: Gerry Mooney. The scene at Fountainstown as a major search operation took place on Tuesday evening. Photo: Gerry Mooney. The body of an eight-year-old girl was recovered from the water in Fountainstown, Co Cork, at around 7.45pm this evening following an extensive search operation. A postmortem will be carried out at Cork University Hospital. An inquest will likely follow in the coming months. The search operation was launched by emergency services after the child went missing while swimming earlier today. It is understood the child got into difficulty while swimming at the beach in Fountainstown. Gardai and ambulances were at the scene and the Coast Guard helicopter from Shannon was searching the water after the alarm was raised around 4.30pm this afternoon. The passing of the girl comes just hours after a man in his 80s drowned having got into difficulty in the water at Curracloe Beach in Wexford The scene at Fountainstown as a major search operation took place on Tuesday evening. Photo: Gerry Mooney. On Sunday evening, a surfer died after being pulled from the water in Portrush. He was spotted in the water by two members of the public, who took him back to shore on a surfboard and performed CPR on him. Unfortunately, he was later pronounced dead. The eight-year-old girl is the latest in a number of deaths in the sea in Cork in recent weeks. Fourteen year old Jack O'Sullivan died on August 24th last after he got in to difficulty while swimming with friends at Passage West on Cork's Lower Harbour. Jack had been due to go in to second year at Colaiste Eamann Ris at St Patrick's Road in Cork city. He was described at his funeral as being a charming and friendly young man who radiated joy. Meanwhile, on August 20th Ivan Chittenden (64) from Toronto, Canada and Brendan Wall (45) of Cardrath, Co Meath died in separate incidents during the swim section of the Ironman event in Youghal, Co Cork. Death just hours before body of eight-year-old girl pulled from the water following extensive search operation A man in his 80s has drowned after getting into difficulty in the water at Curracloe Beach in Wexford on Tuesday afternoon. Lifeguards and members of the public rushed to the mans aid and began efforts to resuscitate him. Emergency services were quickly on the scene with paramedics and members of the local coastguard continuing efforts to save the mans life. Rescue Helicopter 117 was launched and was primed to airlift the man to hospital but he was pronounced dead at the scene. It is understood the man wasnt from the area and was visiting Wexford with his family. The death came just hours before the body of an eight-year-old girl was pulled from the water following an extensive search operation in Cork. It is understood she got into difficulty while swimming at the beach. The number of golden eagles in southern Scotland has more than quadrupled, figures show (Ian Georgeson/PA) The number of golden eagles in southern Scotland has risen to its highest in three hundred years, according to experts. Project managers running a translocation scheme have revealed eight more chicks were successfully moved from other parts of the country to a secret location in south Scotland this summer to boost previously low numbers. It means the total number of golden eagles in the south has reached about 46 the highest number recorded in the area for three centuries and more than quadruple previous counts. Before the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project began, there were believed to only be between two and four pairs of golden eagles across Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders. Project managers have further revealed two birds named Edward and Iona moved to the area three years apart have now paired up in a confidential location close to the town of Moffat. The burgh, which was named as Scotlands first Eagle Town in 2021, is hosting the UKs only Eagle Festival between September 22 and 24 this year. Now in its third year, the Moffat Eagle Festival is organised to help secure support for the projects continuing conservation efforts and showcase its success in helping golden eagles flourish in southern skies once again. BBC Springwatch presenter Iolo Williams, right, will make a keynote speech at this years Moffat Eagle Festival (BBC/PA) Naturalist and BBC Springwatch presenter, Iolo Williams, who will be the festivals keynote speaker this year, said: The work of this outstanding project is playing a vital role in boosting the small, golden eagle population in the south of the country. It is brilliant to think that there is an even greater chance of seeing this iconic predator, which is so important to maintaining a healthy ecosystem, soaring in southern skies. I cant wait to attend the Moffat Eagle Festival in September, and hopefully quietly spot some of the golden eagles when Im there. Cat Barlow, project manager for the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, added: We are thrilled to bring eight more chicks to the region the greatest number we have transported in any one summer so far, bringing the population of golden eagles in the area to an all-new record high. And were incredibly excited to see some of the first birds that we translocated in the area now nesting together. This is a significant new step in our work to ensure the south of Scotland golden eagle population is self-sustaining and continues to thrive in southern skies for many generations to come. Pip Tabor, manager of the Southern Uplands Partnership, the projects host charity, said: As a top predator, this majestic bird of prey is fundamental to protecting our local eco system. Before our project began, only three pairs were nesting in the south of Scotland. Weve now more than quadrupled the population, and though all seem to have settled in the south of Scotland, some of our birds have even travelled as far south as Forest of Bowland and Nidderdale where the species has been extinct for a number of years. Francesca Osowska, NatureScots chief executive and a passionate supporter of the project, added: The key aim of this exciting project is to increase the number of breeding pairs in the south of Scotland, a vital part of our work to reverse biodiversity loss and combat the climate emergency. With wildlife declining across the globe, it is fantastic to hear that the project has translocated so many eagle chicks once again this year and that theyre seeing such positive signs of potential breeding behaviour taking place. Earlier this year, Scottish Raptor Study Group workers in the Scottish Highlands, Islands, Angus and Perthshire carefully collected chicks from a number of supportive estates under licence from NatureScot before taking them to the release site in a confidential location in the Moffat Hills. The birds were then cared for in specially-designed release aviaries and given supplementary food to help them adjust to their new habitat before their release this summer. Experts at the University of Edinburghs Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies also provided support throughout the process to monitor the health and wellbeing of the birds. The Education Secretary has told school chiefs who have not responded to a survey about crumbling concrete to get off their backsides and inform the Government if they are affected. Gillian Keegan said she hoped all the publicity around reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) in buildings will make the responsible bodies for schools fill out the Governments questionnaire by the end of this week. Ms Keegan has been criticised for shifting the blame onto schools during the concrete crisis, with one union leader describing the remarks as outrageous. The Education Secretary, who railed against those who had sat on their arse and done nothing in a sweary outburst on Monday, said 5% of schools, or the bodies responsible for them, had still not responded to a questionnaire sent out by the Department for Education (DfE) about Raac on their sites. She told Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2 on Tuesday: Now hopefully all this publicity will make them get off their backsides. But what I would like them to do is to respond because I want to be the Secretary of State that knows exactly in every school where there is Raac and takes action. Several schools have closed amid safety fears over the building material (Jacob King/PA) Ms Keegan added: Weve written to them quite a few times and weve also set up a call centre to phone them up to ask them to do it and they still havent. So we have written to them yesterday and given them til the end of the week. Downing Street backed the Education Secretarys call for councils and school trust leaders to respond to a survey about crumbling concrete. Her comments came after more than 100 schools in England were told by the Government to fully or partially close at the start of term because of the presence of collapse-risk concrete in their buildings. Headteachers have been scrambling to find temporary teaching spaces ahead of the new academic year, while others have been forced to replace face-to-face lessons with remote learning. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: This is the Education Secretarys second display of petulance in consecutive days albeit on this occasion without the swear words attached and isnt very helpful. Schools have been expected to identify Raac even though this is a specialist field and are unlikely to have staff who are experts in this area. They have received minimal help from the Department for Education which will have known which schools have not returned surveys for several months and which has had ample time to reach out to them. The Education Secretary would do better to provide support, rather than blame. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders union, said: Any attempt to start shifting the blame onto individual schools will be seen by parents and public for what it is: a desperate attempt by Government to deflect from its own significant failings. The facts are clear: the current crumbling school estate is the direct result of ministerial decisions to slash capital budgets. Furthermore, the Government has known about the risks associated with Raac for many years but has only recently sent out these surveys to responsible bodies. He added: The fact that we now have classroom ceilings held up by metal poles and classrooms put out of use completely is a reflection of the neglect and cuts we have been warning about for years. The responsibility for this situation sits squarely on the Governments shoulders and no amount of deflection and distraction will change that. Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said: It is outrageous of the Education Secretary to lay any responsibility for the Raac crisis at the door of schools. The fact is that the Department for Education has dragged its heels over many years on this issue. The Confederation of School Trusts, which represents academy trusts, said finger-pointing was not helpful. Deputy chief executive Steve Rollett said: The vast majority of trusts submitted their survey responses ahead of the deadline earlier in the year. It is not helpful now to resort to finger-pointing at responsible bodies, especially given there may be a number of reasons why some questionnaire responses have not arrived. The priority is that government quickly builds confidence in the system that it knows the extent of the problem and that it has the short term and long-term plans in place to resolve the issue. During the interview with Jeremy Vine, Ms Keegan put her sweary outburst the day before down to frustration that the interviewer was trying to pin everything on her. She insisted the Government and her predecessors have done an excellent job in responding to the aerated concrete crisis. Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Munira Wilson said: The Education Secretarys comments are a slap in the face to all pupils and parents affected. This happened on the Conservatives watch and they have flat out refused to take responsibility. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: Certainly, parents want reassurance on this and I think we would agree that it is important that all schools, as 95% or more have already done so, fill out this survey so we can provide further reassurance. We know already that, in the vast majority of cases, parents and pupils will not be affected by this. Greek police have ordered vehicles off the streets of the central town of Volos and the nearby mountain region of Pilion as a severe storm hit the area, turning streets into flooded torrents. The ban, which covers all except emergency services and roadside assistance vehicles, will remain in place until the storm subsides, police said. The fire department said one man was killed in Volos when a wall buckled and fell on him while another man was reported missing, believed to have been swept away by floodwaters. Authorities also sent alerts to mobile phones in several other areas of central Greece, the Sporades island chain and the island of Evia, warning people to limit their movements outdoors due to the storm. Greece faced forest fires earlier this year (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP) Greeces weather service said the Pilion region was forecast to receive about 650-700mm of rain over Tuesday and Wednesday, while 550-600mm were forecast for the central Greek town of Karditsa. The extreme weather comes after major wildfires in Greece, with some burning for more than two weeks and destroying vast tracts of forest and farmland. More than 20 people were killed in the fires. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may travel to Russia soon to meet President Vladimir Putin as the Kremlin tries to acquire military equipment for use in its war in Ukraine, a US official has said. The official said the US expects Mr Kim to make the trip within the month. The official said the US is not sure exactly where or when the meeting would take place, but the Pacific port city of Vladivostok would be a likely possibility given its relative proximity to North Korea. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson noted on Monday that Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu travelled to Pyongyang last month and tried to persuade North Korea to sell artillery ammunition to Russia. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to travel to Russia within the month (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) Ms Watson said: We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia. She added that the US is urging North Korea to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia. Mr Shoigu said on Monday that the two countries may hold joint war games. The New York Times first reported that Mr Kim planned to meet Mr Putin in Russia this month. The White House said last week that it had intelligence indicating that Mr Putin and Mr Kim swapped letters following Mr Shoigus visit. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the letters were more at the surface level but that Russian and North Korean talks on a weapons sale were advancing. A US military vehicle drives through the countryside near the town of Qamishli, Syria (Baderkhan Ahmad/AP) US-backed forces in Syria have pushed deeper into the last stronghold of Arab tribesmen who took up arms against them in the east of the country. A spokesperson said they hoped to end the days-long clashes there in the next 24 hours. The fighting, which broke out eight days ago in the oil-rich province of Deir el-Zour along the Euphrates River, has so far killed at least 50 people, including several civilians, and wounded dozens. Hundreds of US troops have been based in eastern Syria since 2015 to help battle the so-called Islamic State group. The violence has pitted the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against the tribesmen and former allies of the the Arab-led militia known as the Deir el-Zour Military Council. US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters have been battling IS militants (Baderkhan Ahmad/AP) It was sparked by the arrest last month of the militias leader, Ahmad Khbeil, better known as Abu Khawla, accused by SDF of multiple crimes and violations including drug trafficking. SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami told the Associated Press that the Kurdish-led forces have cleared three towns in the province previously seized by the militia. Whats left is (the town of) Ziban, he said. We are hoping to end tensions there in the next 24 hours. Mr Shami said some 100 armed men are estimated to be in Ziban, along with suspected cells of the IS group. Now rivals, the SDF and the militia were allies in the war against IS. A Britain-based opposition war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said that the leader of a pro-Iran Arab tribe fighting against the SDF had called on his tribesmen and others to free Deir el-Zour from the despicable Kurds. The Syrian government in Damascus has criticised the Kurdish-led SDF for its close alliance with the United States in the war against IS militants and for forming what authorities describe as an autonomous enclave in eastern Syria. Meanwhile, Turkey and Turkish-backed opposition groups in Syrias north west routinely clash with the SDF. Ankara claims the SDF is allied with Turkeys outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which has led an insurgency within Turkey since 1984 that has killed tens of thousands of people. Ankara has declared the PKK a terrorist group. From left, Thai Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Sarun Charoensuwan; Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo; Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone; Hassanal Bolkiah, the sultan of Brunei; Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confer before the start of the retreat session at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Jakarta, Sept. 5, 2023. ASEAN members may have their differences but the bloc remains united and central to the conduct of regional affairs, Indonesias president asserted on Tuesday amid criticism of the groupings inadequacy in tackling the Myanmar crisis. Joko Jokowi Widodo, whose country holds the Southeast Asian blocs chair for 2023, was speaking on day one of its three-day summit in Jakarta, as observers questioned ASEANs cohesion and relevance in the face of regional challenges such as the post-coup situation in Myanmar and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Lately, Ive been hearing questions related to ASEAN: will ASEAN break up and not be able to unite? Can the ASEAN ship keep sailing? Jokowi told his counterparts at the start of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit. As a family member and as the chair of ASEAN, I want to affirm that ASEANs unity is still well maintained. Unity does not mean there is no difference of opinion, he said, even after member-state Thailand broke ranks and engaged in talks with the Burmese junta. And despite criticism about it being ineffective, Jokowi said a five-point plan that the bloc had agreed to with the Myanmar junta chief should remain the main guide for resolving the conflict there. We need more tactical and extraordinary efforts for the implementation of the five-point consensus, he said, referring to the regional consensus that was struck within a few months after the Burmese military overthrew an elected government in February 2021. The five-point plan includes ending violence, starting dialogue, providing humanitarian aid, appointing a special envoy, and the envoy visiting Myanmar. The junta meanwhile has ignored the five-point consensus. Since the coup on Feb. 1, 2021, the military has cracked down on mass protests, killed more than 4,000 people and arrested tens of thousands more, human rights groups say. Jokowi said Indonesia had achieved some trust building through engagements with stakeholders in Myanmar, except with the military junta. Retno Marsudi, the Indonesian foreign minister, said the Myanmar crisis was very difficult, very complicated and not easy to solve. There had been no significant progress in implementing the consensus despite Indonesias engagement efforts, she added. However, ASEAN leaders had agreed to form a troika of current, previous and incoming chairs of the regional bloc to deal with the Myanmar crisis, she said. Such a troika would then include 2022 chair Cambodia, this years chair Indonesia, and upcoming chair Laos. Hun Manet, who inherited power last month from Hun Sen, his strongman father, was among the heads of government attending the Jakarta summit. New Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was unable to join the others because his cabinet was being sworn in by the king on the same day. Security forces march in formation around the venue of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit at the Jakarta Convention Center, Jakarta, Sept. 5, 2023. [Eko Siswono Toyudho/BenarNews] Meanwhile, the Philippines said Tuesday that it was ready to replace Myanmar as the rotating chair of the 10-nation bloc in 2026. We will fortify the foundations of our community-building and navigate ASEAN as it embarks on a new chapter, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said. Some media reports in mid-August cited unnamed diplomatic sources as saying that Myanmar was withdrawing from chairing ASEAN in 2026 because of the domestic crisis. Malaysia, a particular vocal critic of the Myanmar junta, is set to be ASEAN chair in 2025. On Monday, the countrys top diplomat expressed Malaysias frustration at the Burmese militarys reneging on the five-point consensus. Malaysia and other member countries gave their views that we cannot allow this to continue without strong and effective measures imposed on the junta, Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir told reporters after ASEAN foreign ministers met in Jakarta on the summits eve. Malaysian media quoted Zambry as also saying that ASEAN top diplomats would urge their leaders to review the five-point plan. Zambrys predecessor, Saifuddin Abdullah, had called for abandoning the consensus outright and devising a new time-bound plan. Many regional observers arent fans of the consensus either. Indonesia lacked a clear strategy and had failed to make progress on the ASEAN five-point plan under its chairmanship, said Dinna Prapto Raharja, an international relations lecturer at Paramadina University in Jakarta. The five-point initiative has been rolling along without any direction or urgency, she told BenarNews. She also questioned Jokowis statement that ASEANs unity was still well maintained. Anyone who follows foreign affairs issues can see that it is divided, she added. Another analyst wondered what Jokowi meant by calling for extraordinary efforts to implement the five-point consensus. I have no idea what they are, but I assume they are more of a hope, Muhammad Waffaa Kharisma, a researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta, told BenarNews. If they are called extraordinary, they should be something that is out of the comfort zone. Malaysias Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attends the retreat session at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Sept. 5, 2023. [Mast Irham/Pool/AFP] Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim raised the issue of the disputed South China Sea in his address to his ASEAN counterparts, saying it must be managed in a peaceful and rational way through dialogue in accordance with international law. He was referring to the 2023 edition of the standard map of China, which showed Chinas claims over most of the South China Sea overlapping with those of ASEAN members including, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam. These members as well as Taiwan objected to the map, which Beijing released last month amid tensions with the United States over Taiwan. The 2023 map covers Taiwan and most of the West Philippine Sea, particularly the contested Spratly Islands. China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan. While Jakarta is not an active claimant in the South China Sea, it has been locked with China in tensions over the Natuna Islands. The three-day ASEAN meetings include talks between the bloc and dialogue partners at the East Asia Summit. Among those scheduled to attend the talks are U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Jason Gutierrez in Manila, Muzliza Mustafa in Kuala Lumpur, and Almira Wang in Jakarta contributed to the report. With an estimated 20,000 migrant children and counting enrolled in city schools many of them in the same school districts advocates are concerned about whether the kids will have enough teachers and classroom space this school year. Schools Chancellor David Banks said Tuesday the system is trying to match demand with capacity, but its a challenge because of the locations and sizes of the shelters where the migrants are living. The problem that we have is that because of where they are in these temporary shelters, theyre limited to the number of schools that were really able to send them, he said on CBS New York. So some schools have seen a little bit more overcrowding. Were working really hard to alleviate that. Schools Chancellor David Banks is pictured during press conference at City Hall Rotunda on June 26, 2023. Weve got room across our system. The problem has been that weve concentrated a lot of the kids into a smaller subset of schools. Roughly 20,000 migrant children have enrolled so far in city schools, including 1,000 students who signed up this summer, Banks said a near doubling of the 500 asylum-seeking children local officials announced had registered so far less than a week ago. It was not immediately known which areas are seeing more migrant students than others. Still, Diana Aragundi, assistant director of the Immigrant Students Rights Project at Advocates for Children noted, were seeing some schools have a huge population of newly arrived families, versus other schools that may not have that dramatic increase. Local education officials do not ask families their immigration status; instead, they rely on the number of new students in temporary housing registering since last summer as a proxy. [School placements] really depends on where the shelter sites are, where the HERRCs [Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers] are, said Aragundi. The emphasis on proximity during registration is more than a matter of convenience students are guaranteed seats in most zoned neighborhood schools. Migrants arrive at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 8th Ave. from Del Rio, Texas, on May 13, 2023 in Manhattan. Some [schools] have not seen this population come in before, so it may be a little bit new to them, said Liza Schwartzwald of the nonprofit New York Immigration Coalition. So there will likely be some transitions. We do encourage for when that is possible, for students to go to some of the schools that have more experience serving immigrant students. We obviously have no control over where the shelters are. If a student is in that shelter, they have the right to the zoned school. The estimate of migrant students is likely an undercount ahead of the school year, as most shelter-based education staff work 10-month schedules that exclude the summer. Advocates say there are more newcomers who have arrived than are currently being enrolled. That 10-month situation is something that never should have happened, because we knew there wouldnt be a substantial slowdown over the summer, said Schwartzwald. That was absolutely an avoidable issue. The city is expecting to employ 3,400 teachers licensed to teach English as a new language and 1,700 certified bilingual teachers in Spanish this fall, compared with 3,600 English as a second language teachers and 1,600 Spanish bilingual teachers the year before, according to city and Independent Budget Office data. Well continue to try to get more teachers in place, said Banks. Schwartzwald said schools that historically did not enroll many Spanish-speaking students are getting additional support both through a revamped school funding formula and supplementary investments in migrant students that can be used to hire certified bilingual teachers or otherwise have expertise in teaching English. But the pipelines to fill those positions are still being built out. Advocates on Tuesday called for the state to fund more bilingual teachers programs, while recognizing that it will take time for future students to complete their certifications. Weve had the chance for years to bolster these systems, said Schwartzwald. We havent seen the kinds of boosts in funding for these programs that we know that we needed. Maria Ressa, editor and CEO of Philippine news site Rappler, speaks during the Nobel Prize Summit 2023: Truth, Trust and Hope, at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, May 24, 2023. Democracy could die depending on the outcomes of general elections in Taiwan, the United States and elsewhere in 2024, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa warned on Tuesday as the Philippine news editor addressed a gathering of journalists in Washington. Ressa, editor and CEO of Rappler, a crusading news website based in Manila, noted there would be 90 elections of critical importance this year and next. She singled out the Taiwanese election scheduled for January 2024, followed by the Indonesian vote to elect a successor to President Joko Jokowi Widodo in February, along with the U.S. presidential election in November. Well know whether democracy lives or dies by the end of 2024, Ressa said during a speech before members of the National Press Club. Earlier in her talk, she expressed concern about autocrats using social media to establish power, noting that a Swedish study had shown that 72% of the worlds population lived under authoritarian rule. We are globally electing illiberal leaders democratically, she said. If we dont have integrity of facts, we cant have integrity of elections. Back home in the Philippines, Rappler under Ressas leadership had angered former President Rodrigo Duterte (2016-2022) because of its critical coverage of his administrations bloody war on drugs. The Duterte administration retaliated by going after her though the courts. In January, a court in Manila acquitted Ressa of tax evasion, but she is appealing a cyber-libel conviction against her at home. If we do this as it is business as usual and let the tech move forward, we will continue electing illiberal leaders, she said Tuesday, warning that they could crush democracy from within and create alliances with other autocrats. Rappler, which has 10 reporters on staff, did use artificial intelligence during the 2022 presidential campaign, she noted during her talk. The future is in our hands. This is it. We have to use generative AI, she said, adding there were 18,000 candidates who ran for different offices in last years Philippine general election and that she had wanted a biography for each one. To accomplish her goal, Rappler staff structured the data and the system created the biographies. Each biography included a note to inform readers that while the information was created by AI, it was checked by Rappler researchers. It worked, she said. Philippine voters overwhelmingly supported Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for president in the May 2022 polls. Ressa noted that social media had helped change the publics recollections about his father, the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, who was driven from office and the country by a people-power revolt in 1986. Following the election, Rappler continued using AI despite concerns that it could produce false information. What we did was fix the parameters so the data it would use, the demand for it would limit its ability to hallucinate, Ressa said. Such concerns about social media are not new for Ressa, who used the term toxic sludge of disinformation when accepting her Nobel Prize in December 2021. [T]he toxic sludge thats coursing through our information ecosystem, prioritized by American internet companies that make more money by spreading that hate and triggering the worst in us well, that just means we have to work much harder, she said at the time. Ressa shared the award with Russian newspaper editor Dmitri Muratov. On Tuesday, she said he planned to stay in Russia despite being declared a foreign agent by the government in Moscow. Muratov announced he would leave his post as editor of Novaya Gazeta to mount a court challenge. Muratov categorically disagrees with the decision of the Ministry of Justice and is filing a lawsuit, Novaya Gazeta said in a statement, according to Voice of America. In Washington, Ressa said she had posted a link to a 10-point plan to reclaim our rights on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter and which is owned by Elon Musk. We urge rights-respecting democracies to wake up to the existential threat of information ecosystems being distorted by a Big Tech business model fixated on harvesting peoples data and attention, even as it undermines serious journalism and polarizes debate in society and political life, the website said. Among the points are: protect citizens rights to privacy; publicly condemn abuses against the free press and journalists globally; urgently propose legislation to ban surveillance advertising; protect media freedom by cutting off disinformation upstream; and create a special envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General focused on the Safety of Journalists. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin (center left) and cabinet members take the oath in front of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida at Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Sept. 5, 2023. Srettha Thavisin, Thailands first civilian prime minister in nine years, promised to fix many problems as he and his cabinet that includes ministers with ties to the old junta took their oaths before the king and queen Tuesday. After he and his 33 fellow cabinet members were sworn in at Dusit Palace in front of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida, Srettha said he planned to present his governments policies before Parliament early next week. I affirm that this government is the peoples government. It is the peoples representative, Srettha told a news conference at Government House in Bangkok. We are determined to fix the many problems. We will work tirelessly every single day and minute with a people-oriented agenda. Srettha, of the Pheu Thai party, and his ruling coalition came to power after the party struck a deal to ally itself with pro-military parties tied to juntas that overthrew two prime ministers from Pheu Thai through coups in 2006 and 2014. Pheu Thai placed second to the progressive Move Forward party in the May general election, but dumped Move Forward as a coalition partner in striking the power-sharing bargain with the pro-military parties. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin talks to reporters during a press conference at Government House in Bangkok, after he and his cabinet took their oaths of office in front of the king and queen, Sept. 5, 2023. [Sakchai Lalit/AP] On Tuesday, the king offered his support for Srettha and his cabinet members. I would like to seize this chance to bless you to be strong morally, physically and intellectually in order to successfully serve the public, the monarch said, according to a statement from the Royal Household bureau. I trust you have good intentions and faith. May you have the will to perform your duty duly. In the May 14 polls, Move Foward won the biggest share of parliamentary seats, but party leader Pita Limjaroenrat was twice blocked by pro-military house members and senators from being voted in as the new PM because many of them opposed his campaign call for reforming laws that shield the monarchy. Move Forward and Pheu Thai had been looking to establish the next government together, but after Pita was blocked a second time in his bid to become the prime minister, he stepped aside to allow a Pheu Thai candidate for PM to take his place. Soon after, however, Pheu Thai cut ties with Move Forward and then struck its deal with pro-military and pro-royalist parties. In return for this, Sretthas cabinet includes officials from the previous government such as Anutin Charnvirakul, who had served as public health minister, and Thammanat Prompao, who had served as deputy agriculture minister. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and his cabinet members pose for a group photo at Government House after a swearing-in ceremony before the king and queen, in Bangkok, Sept. 5, 2023. [Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters] As health minister in the previous goverment, Anutin, the new interior minister, had partially decriminalized cannabis. Prompao, who has moved up to agriculture minister, had served eight months in an Australian prison on drug-related charges although he denied being convicted of any drug offense. In May 2014, the military, led by then-Army Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha, overthrew the government of Pheu Thais Yingluck Shinawatra. Her brother, Thaksin, who suffered a similar fate in 2006 and fled the country in 2008, returned to Bangkok on Aug. 22, only hours before Parliament voted in Srettha as prime minister. Soon after returning home, Thaksin, who had been a fugitive from Thai law living in exile for 15 years, was taken into custody and imprisoned on corruption-related charges. On Sept. 1, the king granted the 74-year-old former prime minister clemency by slashing his prison sentence to one year from eight years. Prayuth served as the junta chief from 2014 until he was elected prime minister in 2019. After a general election that year, 250 senators who were hand-picked by the junta joined house members in pushing him past the 376 votes needed to hold office. This time around, many of those same senators voted for Srettha who had the support of 482 MPs. Prior to Tuesdays ceremony, Srettha, who is taking on the profilio of the finance ministry, and Defense Minister Sutin Klangsang, who is a civilian, met with armed forces leaders to get acquainted and reduce gaps between the armed forces and the people. Analysts have said Sutin received the defense portfolio to ensure that the military would not launch another coup. Im new to the job and I want to hear what each commander does besides security matters, Srettha said on Sunday. The armed forces have done a lot of good things that benefitted the people. But for the past problems, they havent clarified them outright. I want to do them justice. He plans additional meetings to iron out details about how the government and the armed forces could work together. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close New York Citys short-term rental market is primed for a dramatic transformation starting this week, when a long-awaited measure intended to crack down on illegal short-term rentals takes effect. While the rules do not ban sites like Vrbo and Airbnb from operating, the latter company has described Local Law 18 as a de facto ban on its business. Thousands of Airbnb listings have already been taken down in anticipation of the regulations coming into effect. Heres what to know about the new rules. Short-term rentals, long-term problems Rentals of less than 30 days are considered short-term ones for purposes of the new law. The city has estimated that over 10,000 illegal short-term rentals exist across the Big Apple. Illegal short-term rentals can be dangerous, fail to meet basic fire safety codes and lead to complaints about noise, trash, drug use and other quality-of-life issues, city officials say. They also reduce the available housing stock and price out locals amid an ongoing housing crisis. New York Citys short-term rental market is primed for a dramatic transformation starting this week, when a long-awaited measure intended to crack down on illegal short-term rentals takes effect. Big penalties for locks and other violations Local Law 18, also known as the Short-Term Rental Registration Law, does not technically ban platforms such as Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com from operating. Instead, would-be hosts using the sites now have to register with the Mayors Office of Special Enforcement. Hosts will have to live in the place theyre renting and stay there while its being rented and the number of paying guests staying at any given time is capped at two, regardless of the size of the property. According to city guidance, internal doors cannot have key locks that allow guests to leave and lock their room behind them. Everyone in a home including family members and guests must have access to all areas of the unit. Hosts and platforms that violate the rules can face penalties of thousands of dollars, though guests will not be fined for staying in an illegal rental. In Editorial: Homes are not hotels and Airbnb has to obey NYC local laws on short-term rentals what to know The city has a list of prohibited buildings where short-term rentals are banned by law (such as rent-regulated or NYCHA properties) or by lease agreement. The law was adopted in January 2022, but the rollout was delayed several times due to staffing issues and legal challenges. Last month a New York State Supreme Court dismissed a pair of lawsuits against the city brought by Airbnb and several hosts, clearing the way for implementation. Applying to rent likely to take long time In addition to a $145 fee, applicants can expect a long wait time before getting approved to make rentals. The number of applications more than doubled from August to the Tuesday start of enforcement, which will slow average review time, according to the Office of Special Enforcement. Of the 3,829 total registration applications filed as of Monday, 896 have been reviewed, 290 have been granted, 90 denied and 516 returned to applicants for additional information or corrections, a mayoral spokesman told the Daily News. Thousands of Airbnb listings have already been taken down in anticipation of the regulations coming into effect. In this photo, a general view shows the Empire State Building and Manhattan skyline in New York City on Jan. 16, 2023. Application process called confusing Critics of the law argue that the application process is confusing and burdensome for small-time hosts. Many say they need the extra income to afford to live in the city, but may no longer be able to list them. The new rules are a blow to its tourism economy and the thousands of New Yorkers and small businesses in the outer boroughs who rely on home sharing and tourism dollars to help make ends meet, Theo Yedinsky, Airbnbs global policy director, said in a statement. Lisa Grossman is a founding member of Restore Homeowner Autonomy & Rights, a homeowners group that wants Local Law 18 amended. She has rented out her Hells Kitchen home for years and said the regulations would be financially detrimental for many like her who have come to rely on the income. Youre basically registering to become a roommate, she said of the stipulations on locks. It needs to be regulated, but not to the extent that its been regulated in New York. When dismissing the Airbnb lawsuits last month Judge Arlene Bluth admitted the application process was moving at a glacial pace even as she sided with the city. But she said the new rules give Airbnb a very simple way to make sure it is no longer facilitating and making money from unlawful activity. All Airbnb has to do is properly verify potential listings. Whats next? With the number of available Airbnb listings set to drop, many visitors may turn to traditional hotels or various alternatives that have been gaining popularity instead or even New Jersey. Registration creates a clear path for hosts who follow the citys longstanding laws and protects travelers from illegal and unsafe accommodations, while significantly limiting the proliferation of illegal short-term rentals, Christian Klossner, executive director for the Office of Special Enforcement, said in a statement. A law concerning the humane housing of pigs that recently went into effect wont change the practices of many Berkshire farmers. But it could mean a boost in sales. I think for smaller farmers, like farms our size, its very positive because its going to drive up pork prices without changing anything were doing, said Michael Gallagher, who runs Square Roots Farm in Lanesborough with his wife, Ashley Amsden. Gallagher said that pork bought at a supermarket will likely be more expensive. In a lot of ways, thats a good thing, because were driving up these least-cost producers who are using techniques that voters decided in the referendum they didnt approve of, he said. The law is a result of a ballot question approved in 2016 meant to ensure animal welfare in agriculture. Question 3 "prohibits any farm owner or operator from knowingly confining any breeding pig, calf raised for veal, or egg-laying hen in a way that prevents the animal from lying down, standing up, fully extending its limbs, or turning around freely." The law takes aim at cruel confinement of animals. On Aug. 24, the final part of the law regarding pigs came into effect after a number of legal challenges, following a federal judge approving a compromise from pork producer groups and state regulators in August. At issue is the banning of a gestation crate that confines pregnant pigs, or sows/gilts, to a space too small to meet the letter of the law. Elmartin Farm co-owner Kim Martin told The Eagle he is in favor of regulations governing overcrowding, but the gestation crate factor wasnt an issue for him. Even when we were having sows have babies, we didnt use a gestation crate, Martin said. The bottom line is, if you overcrowd, youre putting health concerns on your animals and the area, and no farmer wants that. Martin said he believes he runs the largest pig operation in Berkshire County out of his farm in Cheshire, carrying 350 hogs at all times. Neither Martin nor Gallagher will have to alter their processes because of the new law. Since Square Roots buys piglets and raises them to when theyre ready to go to the butcher, theyre not overseeing any gestation period. Square Roots raises pigs on pasture, and Martin said his pig housing in place already meets size limits in order to qualify for distributors such as Whole Foods. Groups like the National Pork Producers Council have argued that the law will raise pork prices on grocery store items such as bacon, drive down pork supply and hurt farmers. But in a study released by the Center for a Humane Economy this month, implementing proposition 12, a similar law in California, and Question 3, would collectively affect just 6 percent of the sales of U.S.-produced pork, and there is already sufficient supply capacity to handle that demand. Martin was not as optimistic about the law as Gallagher. He wasnt sure whether he supported it, saying, I just dont like 'John Q. Public' and the government telling us how we should be raising these animals, when neither of them have a clue what it takes to raise livestock. The change wont affect Elmartins wholesale pricing, but retail pricing may rise. He said that the regulatory change theoretically would cause more people to buy from local farms, but he isnt sure thats what will happen in practice. Massachusetts businesses cannot sell pork from producers with too-constricted conditions, though meat from outside the Commonwealth can pass through the state on its way elsewhere for the time being. The state Attorney Generals Office and the state Department of Agricultural Resources have been empowered to enforce the new law. Challenges to the laws continue. The NPCC-supported federal EATS Act could undo Prop 12 and Question 3 if passed. Gallagher and Martin both said that in general, its a challenging time for small farms, "and theres generally an understanding that regulation is hurting small farms," Gallagher said. "But I think in cases like this, we can see regulation hopefully helping small farms by making it a more reasonable competition," he said. "Were talking about supermarket pork barns full of tens of thousands of pigs with an economy of scale were never going to match." "Its in the direction of making things more competitive for small farmers," he added. "I think thats a good thing." Former North Adams Police Officer David Lemieux, now a Maine state trooper, was injured Aug. 22 when he and three others were struck by a vehicle while responding to a family dispute in the town of Hollis. Yakustk, the capital of the Republic of Sakha also known as Yakutia in the far east of the Russian Federation, is seen in 2021. Sakha, writes Eagle columnist James Brooke, "is rich in oil, gas, coal, gold, diamonds and rare earths." Mayor Jennifer Macksey declared it a state of emergency in North Adams after a Monday storm brought flooding to the city. Citywide, initial estimates put the damage at $1.6 million. What does it mean to become more like Jesus? Theres a simplicity to the idea of walking in Christs footsteps. But just because a thing is simple, its not necessarily easy. What Jesus life means for you and me of the 21st century can be a challenge to understand and live into. In our efforts or even our rush to model Christian lives, we often fall into performance, dressing ourselves in the fruit of a holy life rather than allowing Gods grace to cultivate the growth of a faithful life. There is a reason its called the way. But Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me (John 14:16). A way is a path. When it comes to the salvation, redemption, and renewal of all things, Christ is that way. How we move through the world while were on the way is how others will experience Christ. Its less about accomplishments, less about how we look, and more about how Gods grace is working through us while we move toward one another in love. Thats where hospitality comes in. What Is Hospitality? If you have ever crossed cultures, you understand what a gift it is when someone from the host culture receives you, invites you into their home for tea, or switches to your language to offer you directions. Such acts arent necessary, and usually an inconvenience for them. But for you, their choice to switch gears, to get on your level, to communicate to you that your questions and your confusion are okay with them, can become a lifeline for you. If this is true for those crossing cultural, social, or physical borders, imagine its importance for those coming to spiritual crossings? Henri Nouwen once described hospitality in Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life in this way: Hospitality means primarily the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines. Hospitality is an unassuming presence. Its bringing grace into a space for what others may not yet know or havent yet considered. It does not burden the other with conditions for belonging. It frees the guest from any expectations that may become oppressive. How We Can Practice Hospitality People who take Jesus seriously ought to take hospitality seriously, for we see it in the way he received others in Scripture. At the time of Christs life, what it meant to belong to Gods people was saddled with burdens by Israels religious leaders. As Jesus once described the Pharisees and teachers of the law, They tie up heavy loads and put them on mens shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them (Matt 23:2-4). Christ came walking in a different story, offering a different load. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matt 11:28-30). Jesus modeled a love of people that understands and honors Gods design and desire for what makes them flourish. Notice that Jesus doesnt say we wont have burdens. Rather, we see a difference in the type of burdens we ought to carry. There is a kind of burden we were made for. Christs burden involves faith a hope of things not seen. To live with faith, and the burden of hope, is a vulnerable thing. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out (Matt. 12:20). Christ knows that honoring and guarding this spark of faith is the work of ministry, for which hospitality is key. By looking closely at how Jesus engaged others without angst, with peace and openness, leaving behind a pleasing fragrance, Christians will be better equipped to engage a skeptical and bruised world. The Blessings Hospitality Makes Possible Gods world was made to grow. From the very beginning, when light sprung from darkness and a universe began to unfold, the work of Gods Spirit resulted in abundance that doesnt stop. Creation grows, expands, spills over. Gods handiwork makes it clear that his heart is for fruit that comes from cultivation. Hes always been about pouring out more and more of his goodness, not keeping it to himself. Part of his plan for the giving of his goodness and ultimately himself is in partnership with us, mere humans. We see from Gods instructions to Adam and Eve that he wants his people to be a part of that cultivation, co-laborers in multiplying his blessing throughout all of Creation as testament to His beauty, a kind of goodness we might taste and see, through which we come to know him more, and what he delights in. God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground (Gen. 1:28). In the same way that the natural world was designed to grow through nurturing and careful cultivation, so are the people God has put in your way. When Christ said his final words to his disciples, he left them with a charge also known as the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations. But this commission isnt possible without a strong commitment to hospitality by the disciple-makers. We daily encounter others who are find themselves in different places along the path to Christ, or spiritual maturity. People only truly grow when met with a space, or a presence, that is made hospitable by a spirit of invitation, welcome, and grace. Can you think of a time when you felt utterly safe and welcome? Such places or people can be hard to find. But being welcoming to one another, kind and gracious with our words and intentions, cultivates space where complicated, wounded, and searching people feel safe to bring their hard questions. A hospitable spirit opens the door to true connection, and the makings of truly life-giving community. Photo credit: Unsplash/Mantas Hesthaven Sarah E Martin is a sister, aunt, daughter, and sometimes a globe trotter. She has a background in English literature, and a devotion to good tea. When shes not writing or studying, she is attempting to learn the names of her backyard birds, or planning long, unhurried walks in her favorite places. She believes that Jesus is the answer to bringing all our stories together, and is the one who satisfies our ache for home. BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience. New tools of diagnosis and therapeutic medicine require holistic and Whole of Science approach for desired optimum results, says Dr Jitendra Singh The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), Ministry of Defence. The MoU envisages to build research collaborations in biomedical sciences and also promote scientific cooperation through faculty exchange programmes. DBT and AFMS will formulate joint academic activities such as short courses, seminars, workshops and conferences based on mutual interests and available expertise in the institutions. The objective is also to explore opportunities of undertaking joint research projects to be funded by DBT and work together for the purpose of identifying the needs of the country in terms of research and technology and collaborate in the identified areas. The two parties will explore opportunities for interaction among members of faculty between DBT and AFMS institutions as well as for possibility of visiting faculty arrangements. During the signing of the MoU, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh launched the Association of Physicians of India (API) Chapter of AFMC, Pune and also inaugurated the first annual conference of API-AFMS Continuing Medical Education (CME) on Emerging trends in the practice of Medicine. The NYPD will reform how it polices protests in New York City including by stopping kettling and other use of force tactics in a landmark settlement filed in Manhattan Tuesday resolving several protest cases brought after the 2020 George Floyd demonstrations. The agreement resolves cases against the NYPD brought by the state attorney general, the Legal Aid Society, the New York Civil Liberties Union, and lawsuit brought by protesters roughed up during the 2020 demonstrations. The right to peacefully assemble and protest is sacrosanct and foundational to our democracy. Too often peaceful protesters have been met with force that has harmed innocent New Yorkers simply trying to exercise their rights, state Attorney General Letitia James said. As the Attorney General, it is my duty to protect New Yorkers rights and this agreement will ensure that peaceful protesters can make their voices heard without fear, intimidation, or harm. New Yorkers took to the streets in the hundreds of thousands following Floyds killing by now-convicted white former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020. The Black Minnesota mans killing prompted millions nationwide to protest police brutality and racism in the criminal legal system for months. Several thousand protesters march over the Brooklyn Bridge following a memorial for George Floyd in Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn, New York on Thursday, June 4, 2020. Daily footage of nighttime demonstrations showed the NYPD entangled in aggressive interactions with protesters, employing violent crowd control measures like kettling where they barricaded demonstrators without letting them disperse. In one incident by Brooklyns Grand Army Plaza, cops in riot gear were seen throwing bicycles at protesters. I will never forget what I experienced during the summer of 2020: people protesting violence were met with violence, inflicted by NYPD officers on people who they claim to serve and protect, James Lauren, a plaintiff in one of several suits the settlement resolves, said. I will never forget that as a medic in scrubs, I was forcibly detained and prevented from helping the injured. I will never forget feeling like those officers knew that they could do whatever they wanted to us with no consequence, as theyve done in the past. I hope this settlement makes clear to any New Yorker protesting injustice that they can stand up with less fear. Dounya Zayer taken to an ambulance near the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Friday, May 29, 2020, during a protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd. Zayer was allegedly shoved to the ground by an NYPD officer during the protest. The primary goal of the new four-tiered response system will be protecting protesters by minimizing police presence at protests and enforcing de-escalation methods before increasing its response, as long as public safety is not at risk. The agreement requires the city to pay $1.6 million to the city Department of Investigation and fund $1.4 million towards work overseen by the plaintiffs for a collaborative oversight committee that in the coming years will review the PDs public demonstrations response. This landmark settlement holds the NYPD, the nations largest and most influential police force, to its oath to protect New Yorkers right to protest, Molly Biklen, Deputy Legal Director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said. The NYPDs violent response to protestors during the 2020 demonstrations for Black lives made clear to the world what too many New Yorkers already knew, that the NYPD is unable or unwilling to police itself. Todays settlement ensures the NYPD can no longer indiscriminately deploy the notorious Strategic Response Group to protest and no longer escalate force on a whim. Front page of the New York Daily News for March 2, 2023: Riot unit spurns Council; funding threatened. City to pay corralled Floyd protesters $6M. NYPD riot cops confront protesters in 2020. On Wednesday, demonstration (above) unfolds outside a Council hearing on the riot unit. Councilwoman Tiffany Caban (top r.) raged at brass for not showing at hearing. Among those the agreement will benefit are members of New Yorks press photographers corps, who the NYPD are now prohibited from arresting or interfering with for documenting police actions in public or enforcing dispersal orders, per the agreement. The deal bans the police from putting up crime scene tape to ice out the press from recording and mandates that press identification is not needed to observe or document police responding to protests, crimes, or issues of public interest. In New York City, of all places, no journalist should ever fear arrest or assault for simply doing their job. Police must learn how to facilitate newsgathering on important events, not react violently against it. That is precisely what this settlement agreement aims to accomplish, Abigail Everdell, a lawyer involved in the press lawsuit, said. Partnership focuses on advancing healthcare technology, starting with non-intrusive medical tools The Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC), a technology business incubator at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-K), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences in Saifai, Etawah. Both institutions have come together with a shared vision to drive transformational advancements in healthcare technologies. The collaborative efforts of SIIC IIT Kanpur and Uttar Pradesh (UP) University of Medical Sciences will initially revolve around the promotion of non-invasive medical devices, leveraging the expertise of both institutions. The contribution of Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences will encompass the facilitation of vital clinical trials for these devices, driving them towards real-world application and benefiting patients. The collaboration between SIIC IIT Kanpur and Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences goes beyond traditional limits, encompassing a wide range of cooperative efforts. These efforts involve enhancing mentoring, training, and research quality, allowing startups and innovators to utilise shared resources, fostering dynamic collaboration among different stakeholders through interactive events, sharing research infrastructure and expertise within a collaborative framework, and collectively participating in crucial healthcare projects on both national as well as international levels. The Bar Africa, an independent Kenyan advertising agency celebrates its first year anniversary. The agency was co-founded by Marls Truter, Shounak Guhathakurta and Yash Deb. Truter, a proven agency leader, is MD at The Bar Africa. Creative partner at The Bar Africa, Guhathakurta began his advertising career at JWT Mumbai, one of India's largest agencies where he worked on leading brands such as De Beers. Deb is a similarly highly awarded creative. Prior to co-founding The Bar Africa, he headed Ogilvy Africa's creative department where he created history by conceptualising Lesso Lessons, a campaign that won East, West and Central Africa's very first Gold Lion at Cannes. We all did the best work of our careers when we were teamed together and we saw a gap in the market to provide a hands-on service and get back to the work that were all passionate about doing, explains Truter, One of the ways in which we differentiate ourselves is that we spend a great deal of time diagnosing the brief, including understanding the problem and the issues. We start with an idea ideally one that has long-term potential rather than a short-term big idea and only then do we decide on the most appropriate platforms to best promote it, says Deb. The Bar Africas approach is premised on a hub and spoke model which is based on finding the most appropriate talent for each particular project and campaign. Technology frees us from geographical boundaries which means we can work with an animation team based in Istanbul or a copywriter based in Vancouver, explains Guhathakurta. The agencys goal is to position advertising and marketing as a valued discipline capable of growing the bottom line and to create work that moves the needle. We dont intend to ever become a behemoth but rather to stay true to our values and create meaningfully different work, she insists. If this trio remains true to form, this is an agency to watch in the future. The work weve done in year one is testament to our values and what we believe in, that is to continuously raise the bar. From GOtvs first Kenya produced campaign moving away from adaptation to communication specific for the market, to building brand equity and moving away from price conversations for Furniture Palace, to uncovering a deeper brand purpose for Workable, redefining their brand strategy and a kick-ass new look to match to name a few. Cant wait to see what the next chapter holds, says Truter About We are thinkers, storytellers, designers, artists, filmmakers, techies, social media gurus and everything in between. We are multiple award winners at Cannes, D&AD, One Show, Clios, New York Festivals, Loeries, Spikes, the Abbys and WARC. Including East, West and Central Africas first and only Yellow Pencil and Gold Lion. Yet, we are lifelong students of our craft. Most of all, what were not, is cold steel, tempered glass and reinforced concrete. https://thebar.africa/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-bar-africa/?originalSubdomain=ke https://www.instagram.com/thebar.africa/ The Cape Town CBD's retail economy bounced back strongly in 2022 following challenging times during the pandemic, with the total number of retailers operating in the inner city surpassing pre-Covid-19 levels. Cape Town CBD Bree Street. Image supplied This is one of the key findings of the State of Cape Town Central City Report 2022 A Year in review (SCCR), which was recently launched in the city. The annual report is published by the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) and provides key indicators of the state of the Central Citys economy, the powerhouse of the greater Cape Town economy, and is a reputed source for national and international property and business investors. The CCID, a not-for-profit company mandated by property owners to manage an area of 1.6km2 in the inner city, works closely with local and regional government, particularly the City of Cape Town, to ensure that the CBD is safe, clean, welcoming and a place where people want to live, work, do business, and invest. The value of all property investment into the Cape Town CBD in 2022, conservatively estimated, stood at R3.555bn with 22 development or redevelopments on the cards. Real economic changes Rob Kane, CCD chairperson and CEO of Boxwood Property Fund, says while the CBD faced very real economic challenges during the pandemic, it has put Covid-19 behind it. We have turned the corner, with 2022 and now 2023 ushering in a new dawn for the Cape Town CBD: our economy stabilised and experienced growth, with the City of Cape Towns 2022 property evaluation estimating the value of all property in the CBD to be R42.9 billion. Kane says the report reveals that the retail sector rebounded strongly with the number of businesses increasing from 2,981 in 2021 to 3,116 in 2022. Of these 3 116 business entities, retail is the biggest sector, and it grew by 80 businesses, from 1 163 entities in 2021 to 1 243 in 2022. Behind these statistics are resilient, resourceful entrepreneurs who kept the faith, read the changing market, and made strategic business decisions to keep their doors open, says Kane. Steady improvement in vacancy rates Every year, the redevelopment and renovation of commercial buildings in the Cape Town CBD in 2022 ensures that retail space is not constant. Says CCID CEO Tasso Evangelinos: In 2022, new retailers opened their doors as footfall and business activity returned to pre-pandemic levels. This led to a steady improvement in retail vacancy rates. According to the report, the total volume of retail space available in the four precincts that make up the CCIDs 1.6km2 inner-city footprint amounted to 271,209m2, which is an increase of 0.1 % from the 271,040m2 recorded in 2021. Of that space, 258,024m2 was occupied in 2022 an increase of 13,731m2 from the 244,293m2 recorded at the end of 2021, which is an increase of 5.6%. The total vacancy rate of 13,185m2 amounted to just under 5.0% of the total retail space available. In 2021, the total vacancy rate was 9.9%. Retailers confidence about business conditions The Cape Town CBD has a broad mix of retailers with destination establishments including award-winning restaurants, bars and coffee shops. Tasso Evangelinos, CEO of the CCID, says, Were pleased to see that retail one of the largest economies in the Central City continued its recovery with six more entities in 2022 than in 2019, before the onset of the pandemic. According to the CCIDs Business Confidence Index, which the CCID instituted in 2020 to track business confidence levels of beleaguered retailers in the CBD, business confidence started to rebound in the last months of 2021 and continued into 2022 as the pandemic started to abate. Says Evangelinos: While just 51 % of the businesses surveyed indicated that they were satisfied with prevailing business conditions in Q4 of 2021, this percentage rose steadily throughout 2022, reaching a level of 83.3 % by year-end. Nearly 80 % or the 230 Central City retailers surveyed during Q1 of 2023 indicated they were satisfied with current business conditions. This is a modest deterioration from the final 83.3 % recorded at the end or 2021 but it represents a significant improvement on the 22.9 % of retailers who were satisfied with business conditions in mid-2020. Evangelinos concludes, The retail sector has seen strong recovery and we hope to see business confidence continue to climb. This industry is our Central Citys engine room and core to its economy. We salute business owners for their adaptability and resilience and anticipate a robust year of growth and innovation in 2023. Retail sectors which experienced the most growth in 2022 1. Health and Beauty, including spas (16 new businesses) 2. Coffee shops and cafes (16 new businesses) 3. Takeaways (7 new businesses) 4. Specialty stores (7 new businesses) 5. Bars and Clubs (6 new businesses) 6. Art galleries (6 new businesses) Woodlands Dairy's First Choice has launched an on-the-go flavoured custard treat for any occasion. With flavours such as Chocolate, Candy Floss, Cream Soda, and Coco Pine, these convenient 200g pockets of deliciousness are sure to bring happiness to the hearts and mouths of Mzansi. Marilee Jansen van Nieuwenhuizen, brand manager at Woodlands Dairy and First Choice, highlights that while traditional custard has a vanilla flavour, they identified an opportunity to expand their offering to the market. We understand the importance of making snack time a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone, especially for our kids, so we created a range of on-the-go custard packs that are not only delicious, rich, and creamy, but also easy to enjoy until the very last drop. Its not too thick or too thin just the right consistency. The packaging matches the colour of the flavoured custards, so everyone can choose their favourite burst of colours and delectable flavours. Drawing from the knowledge gained through flavoured milk and kids' yogurt, they carefully assessed the preferred flavour variations. Instead of selecting the conventional strawberry flavour as the pink addition, we opted for the delightful choice of Candy Floss. This decision was driven by its great taste and the universal appeal it holds for kids of all ages. By embracing this unique flavour, we hope to captivate taste buds and bring joy to a wide range of young palates, she explains. Conveniently shaped and compact size Introducing the 200g Tetra Fino Aseptic 200g pillow-shaped packet, reportedly a first-of-its-kind innovation in South Africa, the packaging size strikes the perfect balanceneither too much nor too little. Its convenient shape and compact size make it versatile, effortlessly fitting into various spaces, be it pockets, handbags, lunchboxes, pencil cases, or backpacks. Van Nieuwenhuizen adds that although it is primarily intended as a snack or treat, it is best savoured straight from the pack, offering the added advantage of dairy nutrition. Whether packed in lunchboxes, enjoyed on-the-go, utilised as party pack fillers for birthday celebrations, or indulged in when craving something sweet, it proves to be an all-round companion. Its versatility extends further as it complements both hot and cold desserts and is ideal for hiking and camping adventures. The packaging features vibrant characters with irresistible charm. These delightful visuals are bound to capture attention and make the product stand out. In addition, a comprehensive marketing strategy has been devised. The product will receive robust support on social media, featuring appealing consumer merchandise giveaways. Moreover, an engaging product campaign will be launched, incorporating in-store tastings, radio promotions, and advertisements, with enticing prizes that cater to both young and old. This multifaceted approach aims to generate excitement and ensure widespread appeal and buy-in for the product, she says. According to Marisa Maccaferri, marketing executive at Woodlands Dairy and First Choice, they aim to address the environmental impact of farming methods and encourage ethical practices on farms through their sustainable dairy farming initiative. By purchasing First Choice Flavoured Custard, made with milk from our South African farmers, we provide dairy farmers with the opportunity to sustain their communities and expand their operations. In the bigger picture, weve aligned our extensive sustainability initiatives with the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and cover three categories including Environment, Social and Governance in our sustainability programme. Visit our Sustainability Hub for more info on what else we do, she concludes. Bombay Sapphire has launched the Creator's Hub in South Africa - a one-of-a-kind programme that will see over 50 top bartenders from across the country coming together in Cape Town for a career-defining experience. This three-day event, which officially got underway on Monday, 4 September 20203, will redefine the future of the South African bartending community, celebrating the art and craft of cocktail culture through talks, immersive masterclasses and inspiring exhibitions curated by both global and local thought leaders. Bombay Sapphires global master distiller, Dr. Anne Brock, and the brands global Master of Botanicals, Alessandro Garneri. Image supplied Bombay Sapphires global master distiller, Dr. Anne Brock, and the brands global Master of Botanicals, Alessandro Garneri, are in South Africa to inaugurate the programme and provide valuable mentorship sessions to attendees as well as lead exclusive masterclasses to share their skills and insights with the bartending community. At Bombay Sapphire, we cherish and amplify our bartending community's invaluable role as creative brand advocates. We firmly believe in unleashing creativity within everyone, a core ethos driving Bombay Sapphire, says Avukile Mabombo, marketing manager, Middle East and Africa, Bombay Sapphire. The Creators Hub provides a platform to unlock creative self-expression and embark on an exciting journey in the realm of bartending. We look forward to showcasing the distinctive flavours and botanicals of Bombay Sapphire through this sensory experience that will engage, educate, captivate and entertain guests in Cape Town this September, he says. The Creators Hub experience will be open to industry professionals from Tuesday, 5 September 2023 and consumers on Thursday, 7 September 2023, where guests can enjoy all that is on offer, including culinary demonstrations, food pairings, film screenings, talks, art and craft classes, as well as cocktail craftsmanship at its best at the one-night-only pop-up by Kevin Armstrong and Daniel Waddy from Satans Whiskers ranked 23rd in The Worlds 50 Best Bars. Supporting creativity and the arts In addition to these exclusive sessions, the Creators Hub will also welcome the launch of the Saw This, Made This programme, further cementing the brands continued commitment to supporting creativity and the arts, this local installation will showcase the artistic expressions of 16 South African emerging artists. This concept is inspired by the global 'Saw This, Made This' campaign launched earlier this year in New York and London, a partnership between Bombay Sapphire and world-renowned film director and creative visionary, Baz Luhrmann. The chosen venue, 61 Loop Street, Cape Town, mirrors the brand's creativity mission. Transforming this undiscovered central space into an artistic wonderland aligns with the brand's essence. Positioned in the heart of the city's elite bars and restaurants, the Creators Hub will overflow onto the streets. International bartenders and creative drink architects will weave their mixology magic at various venues and hotspots, further enriching the experience. To register to attend the events as an industry professional or as a guest, visit https://thecreatorshub.co.za/. There is no entry fee to attend, however, spaces are limited and registration is mandatory to be admitted. Mr Price Home proudly supports local talent, and this Heritage Day they set out to celebrate artists who express themselves and their heritage in unique and inspiring ways. Three exceptionally talented South African designers will have their bespoke designs and creative inspiration showcased by Mr Price Home as part of a limited-edition Heritage Day collab range. In collaboration with Mr Price Home, each of the three artists has designed their own signature collection of homeware products; encompassing soft furnishings, trendy decor items, beach and outdoor essentials, statement art, and more. These exclusive ranges are now available in Mr Price Home stores throughout South Africa. Image supplied As a proudly South African brand, we feel its important to recognise and highlight the incredible wealth of local talent present within our country. Our aim is to provide a platform that fosters homegrown creativity, explains Kerry Strauss, marketing director of Mr Price Home. Faatimah Mohamed-Lukes range seamlessly embodies her multicultural upbringing. It incorporates patterned elements of Arab architecture, Indian woodblock printing, Indonesian resist patterns, and Malay calligraphy, all deeply rooted in African inspiration. The range pays tribute to Faatimah's diverse heritage while celebrating her pride in being South African. Faatimah remarks The years that Mr Price Home has spent educating and cultivating a love of local talent within our population is priceless. Image supplied Heritage means so many things to so many different people, but to Zinhle Sithebe heritage is bright and fun. Zinhles range is centred around the celebration of vibrant colours and prints displayed in African regalia on Heritage day. Zinhle observes; Mr Price Home use their platform and brand to shine a light on local creatives and their stories. Xolani Mhlongos range tells the story of the past for future generations. The range incorporates various shapes of the afro comb and blends South African patterns with influences from Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, and Khoisan cultures. The designs aim to convey the rich tapestry of culture and tell its unique story. Image supplied Each collaborator drew inspiration from their personal heritage and experiences to create this limited-edition range in partnership with Mr Price Home. Phethiles Mtshali, Merchandise Director says, "This collaboration has been a truly exhilarating experience for us, as we had the privilege of working with the most talented local artists to create distinctive works of art that you can proudly display in your home. It has been an honour to release such stunning ranges that showcase the diverse beauty of our heritage." The Heritage Day collab range will be available from 24 September 2023 at select Mr Price Home stores nationwide. Drakensberg Boys Choir School is delighted to announce that Brand South Africa is committed to supporting the Drakensberg Boys Choir School (DBCS) for their upcoming tour to Mauritius from 17 to 24 September 2023. "The Drakensberg Boys Choir is delighted to be travelling and performing for international audiences again. In particular, the choir is excited to experience Mauritius's rich heritage and cultural diversity, the pearl of the Indian Ocean," states DBCS executive head Dave Cato. As the custodian of the Nation Brand, Brand South Africa is proud to collaborate with the Drakensberg Boys Choir through the Play Your Part programme. The programme aims to lift the nation's spirit by inspiring all South Africans to contribute to positive change, become involved and start doing so. A nation of people who care deeply for one another and the environment in which they live is good for everyone. The Drakensberg Boys Choir Mauritius Tour promises to be a true island highlight for local Mauritian audiences and the many international visitors. The tour highlights will include performances at the Caudan Arts Centre on 19 and 20 September, the South African Chamber of Commerce in Mauritius Gala Event on 21 September, and the Mahatma Gandhi Institute on 22 and 23 September. The Drakensberg Boys' Choir, a genuinely South African culture asset also fondly known as Drakies, is blessed and fortunate to bring choral and music lovers across the globe the most beautiful and entertaining music, either through live performances, streaming or recordings of their outstanding work. "Music is the ministry of the Drakensberg Boys Choir. DBCS builds character moulds and develops boys to harness the gift of music to bring hope, impact and positive change in South Africa and beyond. We offer a unique, complete and diverse schooling experience that will forever change every Drakie boy's life by being part of this centre of excellence," Cato adds. DBCS builds resilience, grows relationships, and fosters global ambassadors with music as the tool to spread its message of hope, states Cato. He highlights that the school's internationally acclaimed programme combines the art of choral singing and performance with rigorous academic training. The boys who leave DBCS do so as well-adjusted young men who are adequately equipped to face the challenges of their late high school years and beyond. One of the highlights of the choir's proud 57-year history was an invitation from Pope John Paul II to perform in St. Peter's Square in 1983. The choir also performed for the first president of democratic South Africa, Mr Nelson Mandela, on top of a unique location in the majestic Drakensberg, a South African world heritage site. The choir was the first South African cultural group to perform behind the Iron Curtain in 1985. Drakensberg Boys Choir also performed at the American Choral Directors' Association Congress 2007. "We are very excited after our successful performances, including the recent Music in the City 2023 concert at the Joburg Theatre and the performance at the invitation of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation to celebrate the former presidents 81st birthday," says Vaughan van Zyl, artistic director, Drakensberg Boys Choir School. "We have a diversified programme ranging from classical choral work to popular contemporary and energetic Afro-Pop works," he adds. The programme's first half includes classic choral works like Mozart's first movement from Regina Coeli in B flat major, Eric Whitacre's Fly to Paradise and Amigos Para Siempre, the official song of the 1992 Summer Olympics. After the interval, the Afro Pop second half tells the story of South Africa through music. A lively, authentically South African set comprises the second half, where they perform unique arrangements of well-known hits by, among others, Miriam Makeba, Mango Groove, Johnny Clegg and songs from Ipi Ntombi and The Lion King. The audience is encouraged to sing along, get out of their seats and enjoy the spirit and vibe of South African music with us. Since its establishment, the Drakensberg Boys Choir School has seen many different conductors and produced several successful musicians among the boys who have passed through its doors. The school consists of approximately 80 boys, from Grade 4 to Grade 9, selected through auditions held across South Africa. Each day, the boys have a full range of academic lessons, various music subjects, and two hours of choir rehearsals. Kutullo Matloga, marketing and activations coordinator, said, This collaboration seeks to inspire, empower, and celebrate active citizenship in South Africa. The Drakensberg Boys Choir brings together our stories, share its message, our rich history and give global fans a feeling of South Africa's identity beyond the music. "We are proud of the young men the school produces, and the benefits of choral music as part of the educational curriculum are well known. As evidence of this, our boys regularly win scholarships and are sought after by high-calibre schools when they leave after grade 9," concludes Cato. Kia Dealer of the Year Awards recognise and reward dealerships excelling in sales, after sales and service operations Inspiration awards highlight stellar individual achievements Kia South Africa this weekend rewarded its top-performing dealerships across the country with prizes for outstanding achievements in sales, after-sales and service operations. The 2023 Kia Dealer of the Year Awards, which encompass the period July 2022 to June 2023, was held during the brands leadership conference at The Marriott in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg. The conference and awards was hosted by Kia South Africas CEO, Gary Scott, and attended by senior leadership from its full dealer network, key network partners and representatives from Kias regional headquarters for the Middle East and Africa in Dubai. This has been a year of two halves, the first characterised by global stock shortages and the second by weak market conditions, comments Scott. Our dealer network has responded well to this changing dynamic and a dealer conference gives us an opportunity to both reward excellence as well as to set out our stall for the 12 months ahead. Were honoured to have a national team of business partners who deliver on our purpose of making each one of our customers journeys through daily life count. In most categories, awards comprise a bronze, silver and gold award while, in some award categories, this is further broken down by dealership size. For the 2023 awards, Kia has also consolidated many of its previous awards in order to best encapsulate that success must be achieved across all the various business elements to truly represent excellence. This consolidation was most apparent in the new Aftersales Dealer of the Year award, which considers a dealerships performance across CSI, service operations, accessories sales, parts sales as well as training compliance and completion. Gold awards were presented to Kia The Glen, Kia Brackenfell, Kia Hermanus and Kia Paarl. were presented to Kia The Glen, Kia Brackenfell, Kia Hermanus and Kia Paarl. Silver awards were presented to Kia Tygervalley, Kia Menlyn, Kia Empangeni and Kia Welkom. were presented to Kia Tygervalley, Kia Menlyn, Kia Empangeni and Kia Welkom. Bronze awards were presented to Kia Wonderboom, Kia Springfield, Kia George and Kia Queenstown. In addition, Kia also presented a number of Inspiration awards to individuals who have excelled in their respective roles within the aftersales space: Service Advisor of the Year: Nokuphiwe Bawana of Kia Pietermaritzburg Nokuphiwe Bawana of Kia Pietermaritzburg Service Manager of the Year: Terrence Moodley of Kia Pietermaritzburg Terrence Moodley of Kia Pietermaritzburg Master Technician of the Year: Mark de Klerk of Kia Vryheid Mark de Klerk of Kia Vryheid Parts Manager of the Year: Nervashin Padayachy of Kia The Glen Nervashin Padayachy of Kia The Glen Warranty Administrator of the Year: Sumendiran Naidoo of Kia Umhlanga For the Sales Dealer of the Year award, dealerships were measured on their sales-to-target achievement for the year, volume sales by unit and other sales-related elements. Gold awards were presented to Kia Northcliff, Kia Menlyn and Kia Brits. were presented to Kia Northcliff, Kia Menlyn and Kia Brits. Silver awards were presented to Kia The Glen, Kia Springs and Kia Empangeni. were presented to Kia The Glen, Kia Springs and Kia Empangeni. Bronze awards were presented to Kia Fourways and Kia Bryanston. Fleet and corporate sales are a crucial part of many dealerships success and often require months of relationship building before orders are secured. The Kia Fleet Sales Dealer of the Year awards were determined based on the number of fleet sales generated during the previous financial year, the number of model variants sold, as well as the number of corporate clients sold to. The winner for 2023 was Kia Northcliff. Kia South Africa also presented a series of Inspiration awards to individuals who have excelled in their respective roles within the sales space: Sales Executive of the Year awards were presented to Sandile Mdlovu of Kia eSwatini, Stuart King of Kia Hermanus, Mary Sekgobela of Kia Menlyn and Tumi Morokolo of Kia Hatfield. Proving that individual commitment to training and skills development is a critical component of success, all these sales executives also received Inspiration awards for Training Compliance & Completion. awards were presented to Sandile Mdlovu of Kia eSwatini, Stuart King of Kia Hermanus, Mary Sekgobela of Kia Menlyn and Tumi Morokolo of Kia Hatfield. Proving that individual commitment to training and skills development is a critical component of success, all these sales executives also received Inspiration awards for Training Compliance & Completion. Sales Manager of the Year awards were presented to Corita van den Berg of Kia Brits, Vusi Ngidi of Kia Menlyn, and Gavin Edwards of Kia Northcliff. Finally, the most prestigious award of the night, that of overall Kia Dealer of the Year, went to Kia The Glen. Proving that excellence across all aspects of business operations is critical to a business success, dealer principal Kabelo Tlailane and his teams successes across sales, after-sales and service operations resulted in Kia The Glen, in the south of Johannesburg, ranking highest in this years awards. Kabelo and his team have proved over the 12 months over which the awards were determined that it is leadership in action that defines a successful business, comments Gary Scott. They have worked to shift standards in all aspects of their business, living up to the brand slogan, Movement that inspires. Gradlinc, in collaboration with Stellenbosch Network, gathered key stakeholders, thought leaders and experts to explore innovative solutions towards unlocking the potential of Gen Z as unstoppable change champions in the battle against youth unemployment. In South Africa, youth unemployment remains a significant obstacle to the country's socio-economic development. Recognising the urgency of the situation, Gradlinc and Stellenbosch Network are committed to driving positive change and partnered to leverage our collective expertise and resources to find sustainable solutions for the youth, says Lizane Fuzy, general manager of Gradlinc. Thought-provoking panel discussions on the role of technology, entrepreneurship, and mentorship in addressing youth unemployment were led by MC Bobby Brown, multifaceted storyteller and beloved local radio host. The panel included Nico Louw (tech visionary and Gen Z advocate); Prof Michael-Lucien le Cordeur (trailblazing educator transforming the future of learning); Masilo Silokazi (chair of the SRC, Stellenbosch University) and Maambele Khosa (voted as one of SA's Top 200 Most Influential Youth by Mail and Guardian newspaper). The main aim of this event was to inspire collaborative efforts between public and private sectors, nurturing partnerships that can bridge the gap between educational institutions, industry leaders, and young job seekers, continued Fuzy. Each panellist brought unique insights, experiences, and strategies to the table, fostering a rich and diverse conversation. Gradlinc also launched its first annual report on Gen Z employability and graduate retention! Read the full report here. If youve missed the event, you can watch the live stream here. Get in contact with Gradlinc: Website: https://gradlinc.co.za Email: az.oc.cnildarg@ofni Call: 021 137 1744 Follow Gradlinc on social media: Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn An initiative to boost Africa's carbon credit production 19-fold by 2030 drew hundreds of millions of dollars in pledges on Monday, 4 September, as Kenyan President William Ruto opened the continent's first climate summit. Source: Reuters. In one of the most anticipated deals, investors from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) committed to buying $450m of carbon credits from the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI), which was launched at Egypt's Cop27 summit last year. "We must see in green growth, not just a climate imperative but also a fountain of multi-billion dollar economic opportunities that Africa and the world is primed to capitalise," Ruto told delegates. African leaders are pushing market-based financing instruments, such as carbon credits, or offsets, which can be generated by projects that curb emissions, usually in developing countries, such as planting trees, or switching to cleaner fuels. Carbon credits can then be bought by companies to offset emissions they are unable to cut from their own operations to help meet climate targets. One credit is equivalent to saving or avoiding one ton of carbon dioxide. Organisers of the three-day summit in Nairobi say they aim to showcase that Africa as a destination for climate investment rather than a victim of floods, drought and famine. African governments see carbon credits and other market-based financing instruments as critical to mobilise funding that has been slow to arrive from rich-world donors. The offset market was worth around $2bn in 2021 and Shell and Boston Consulting Group jointly forecast in January that it could reach between $10bn and $40bn by 2030. Several speakers at the summit said they had seen little progress toward accelerating climate financing because investors still saw the continent as too risky. Africa has received only about 12% of the money it needs to cope with climate impacts, according to a report last year by the non-profit Climate Policy Initiative. "There hasn't been any success for an African country in attracting climate finance," said Bogolo Kenewendo, a United Nations climate adviser and former trade minister in Botswana. Kevin Kariuki, a vice president at the African Development Bank, said the deals announced on Monday were "very welcome" but not enough. He said African states would push at the Cop28 UN climate summit in Dubai, at the end of November, for the expansion of special drawing rights at the International Monetary Fund that could unlock $500bn worth of climate finance, which could be leveraged up to five times. "The private sector really remains an untapped opportunity that now must be seized," said Patricia Scotland, secretary-general of the Commonwealth of 56 countries. "If you look at what we've got on thermal energy, on solar, on wind, on hydro, this is a powerhouse just waiting to be unleashed," she said. More than 20 presidents and heads of government are expected to attend the summit from Tuesday. They plan to issue a declaration outlining Africa's position ahead of a UN climate conference later this month and the Cop28. Investments The oil-producing UAE has been positioning itself as a climate-financing leader in Africa. The $450m commitment by UAE Carbon Alliance, a coalition of private sector players, was announced by Hassaan Ghazali, an investment manager at the UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA). Climate Asset Management - a joint venture of HSBC Asset Management and Pollination, a specialist climate change investment and advisory firm - also announced a $200m investment in projects that will produce ACMI credits. Britain said UK-backed projects worth 49m pounds ($62m) would be announced over the course of the summit, while Germany announced a 60m euro ($65m) debt swap with Kenya to free up money for green projects. Many African campaigners have opposed the summit's approach to climate finance, and about 500 people marched in downtown Nairobi on Monday to protest. They say carbon credits are a pretext for continued pollution by wealthier countries and corporations, who should instead pay their "climate debt" through direct compensation and debt relief. Sultan Al Jaber, president of Cop28, said carbon markets were an important tool, but "a lack of commonly-agreed standards was undermining their integrity and diminishing their value". A working paper released by the Debt Relief for Green and Inclusive Recovery Project found that sub-Saharan African countries face annual debt servicing costs that are nearly the same as their climate finance needs. 269 suspects apprehended in China-Myanmar joint operation against telecom fraud Xinhua) 16:29, September 05, 2023 BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- In a joint operation against telecom fraud by Chinese police and local law enforcement force in Myanmar, a total of 11 dens in northern Myanmar have been busted, with 269 suspects detained, the Ministry of Public Security said Tuesday. Of the 269 suspects, 186 are Chinese nationals, and they have been handed over to the Chinese side. The ministry vowed to further intensify the crackdown on such illegal activities to safeguard the safety of people's lives and property. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Kids dont let kids surf the subway thats the message from the MTA and Mayor Adams office in a new campaign designed by students at Manhattans High School of Art and Design. The public service campaign, with the motto Subway surfing kills ride inside, stay alive, was rolled out Tuesday, with audio announcements, on-train ads, videos and animation. You cant fix the problem by being an outsider, Mayor Adams said at a press conference under the No. 7 train in Sunnyside, Queens. You must go to those who understand their peers. Schools Chancellor David Banks applauded the students who put together the campaign, and lauded them for saving lives. I remember as a kid watching people ride the backs of buses, he said Remember that? People would run and jump on the back. You dont see that as much because we made adjustments, we made changes. Adams who later told reporters hed ridden the rear bumpers of the Q5 bus in his youth said it was important the message come from fellow students. Theres one thing I learned when I was young If my parents said no, I did yes,' he said. Milana Blokhina, at the podium, a senior at the High School of Art and Design, is one of the students behind the campaign. Milana Blokhina, a graduating senior at the High School of Art and Design who is one of 10 city public school students who put together the campaign, agreed. Even if we save one life, we make a difference, she said. Five New Yorkers have died subway surfing this year, all of them teenagers. Eighty-eight people have been arrested so far this year for riding or attempting to ride outside subway trains, NYPDs transit chief Michael Kemper said Thursday. Thats up from 30 during the same period last year. While Tuesdays public service campaign will be system wide, MTA officials said they were making sure to target the elevated No. 7, J, M and Z lines, which have become hotbeds of subway surfing. Front page of the New York Daily News for Feb. 22, 2023: When cop held my hand, I already knew, devastated mom tells News. Incidents soar 400%, says MTA. Zackery Nazario, 15, was killed while subway surfing on the Williamsburg Bridge as his girlfriend watched in horror. The videos will also be posted across various social media channels, which city and MTA officials have long criticized for hosting content that they say glorifies subway surfing. Listen up this is not Coney Island. This is the subway, 17-year-old Jessenya Liverman says in one announcement recorded for the campaign. There should be no surfing or riding outside of trains under any circumstances social media is not worth your life. MTA chairman Janno Lieber said Tuesday that the major social media platforms had committed to taking down subway surfing content. After a little bit of encouragement, shall we say, we are working with the tech companies Google, Meta Snapchat, TikTok and others not only to get videos and photos of the reckless and risky behavior off of social media, but also to share content that affirmatively discourages this kind of behavior. Lieber, who has been among the officials calling for months for social media platforms to take action, declined say what encouragement spurred the tech giants into action, but credited Adams with the win. The mayor spoke up in no uncertain terms, Lieber said. The mayor spoke out about how wrong it was that this kind of material was being allowed to circulate in such large quantities on social media. The companies have each built algorithms to identify and remove content that shows people riding outside of subway trains, Lieber said. Weve already seen them take down 2,600 videos and photos. Thats amazing work. Lets not kid ourselves, these guys are masters, Adams said. They know how to use algorithms to attract you to different things. Theres a reason, when you cough you start getting cough syrup ads, the Mayor continued. Theres a reason when you yell at your spouse you start getting divorce lawyers popping up on your phone. These guys know what theyre doing, and if we can use social media to help we cannot continue to allow it to harm. Residents of Daggafontein, Ekurhuleni, will no longer have to travel five kilometres - often on foot - to access the nearest government clinic following the opening of a primary healthcare facility in the area, courtesy of Unjani Clinics and Pfizer. Source: Supplied. Pfizer and Unjani team with Sister Happiness. This is the first of nine new clinics that non-profit organisation, Unjani Clinics, will establish as a result of an additional R11m donation from Pfizer, pledged earlier this year. Kevin Francis, Pfizers cluster lead: Sub-Saharan Africa and country manager: South Africa, says the investment is central to the companys efforts to support systemic transformation in South Africas healthcare system. Pfizer is committed to continuing its partnership with Unjani, through empowering women healthcare providers and delivering breakthroughs that change patients lives, he adds. Pfizer has supported the Unjani Clinic Network since 2016. So far, the company has helped fund 10 sonar machines and established eight clinics in various rural and urban communities including Potchefstroom, Gqeberha, Sasolburg and George. To date, Unjani Clinics has set up 154 clinics nationwide, with the goal of establishing more than 600 clinics by December 2030. Each clinic is run by a professional nurse as a small business. One of the strengths of Unjani Clinics lies in the nurses identifying an area that needs access to affordable primary healthcare, says Unjani Clinics chief executive officer, Lynda Toussaint. The nurses are generally from the areas where the clinics are located or they have a close association with the communities they select. Nurse-preneur Sister Nomvula Tsimong "The Daggafontein site was identified by Sister Nomvula Happiness Tsimong, who uncovered a pressing need for easier access to primary healthcare in her community, adds Toussaint. Tsimong, who has been practising at various government facilities since 2005, has now taken on the role of a nurse-preneur and is excited to grow her business through serving the Daggafontein community. She will initially employ a clinic assistant and take on a learner, with the aim of growing her team as the clinic takes off. The provision of services will include childhood immunisation, family planning and maternity support, wound care, laboratory blood services, HIV testing and counselling, and management of patients on antiretroviral therapy. Pfizer's R11m investment will go toward setting up nine clinics in Gauteng, KwaZulu Natal, the Western Cape, the Northern Cape, the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the North West. Toussaint added Pfizer is playing an invaluable role in creating equitable opportunities that enable South Africans to have access to quality primary healthcare. Pfizer has provided significant support to Unjani Clinics over the past seven years. It is through such continued partnerships that Unjani can deliver healthcare to South African communities that need it most. The Wits Mining Institute (WMI) will host a seminar and exhibition on mining innovation on 28 and 29 September at Wits University in Johannesburg. The event, which is sponsored by leading mining companies and organisations, will showcase the latest research and technologies in the mining industry. WMI seminar will explore mining innovation. Source: Supplied The theme of the event is Turning Research Curiosity into 21st Century Minerals Industry Performance, Relationships and Technology and will address topics such as critical raw minerals, circular mining, sustainability, digital technologies, cybersecurity, and waterless mining. The event will also feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, and tours of the WMIs flagship project, the Sibanye-Stillwater DigiMine. WMI director Professor Glen Nwaila highlighted that the seminar represents over a decade of partnership between Sibanye-Stillwater and the WMI. The event is also sponsored by South32, African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), Impala Platinum (Implats), Datamine, Ramjack Technology Solutions, Schauenburg Systems, Gold One, Accenture and the Mandela Mining Precinct. The WMI has joined forces with the Wits Business School in hosting the seminar. Our first focus in the seminar is to promote research and innovation in the exploration, extraction and processing of critical raw materials that are essential for a sustainable and just energy transition, said Professor Nwaila. This has become imperative to achieve the global target of net zero emissions by 2050. The next focus emphasises the importance of circular economy principles in the mining industry. Circular economy We will explore secondary sources of metals, such as stockpiles and metallurgical tailings, and discuss how the mining industry can transition to a service-oriented model, he explained. This contrasts with the traditional ownership model, and instead aims to achieve a metal for subscription model that is relevant to modern investors, consumers and employees as they become more socially conscious. The WMI is a research institute that advances innovation and collaboration in the mining industry, with a focus on cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices. The seminar and exhibition will bring together industry leaders, academics, students, and stakeholders to exchange knowledge, insights, and visions for the future of mining. We have secured an impressive line-up of speakers and panellists who will share their expertise to ensure an enriching experience for participants, he said. The registration fee is R3,000 per day or R6,000 for both days. Online attendance is also available at 50% of the price. Participants attending both days receive a certificate of attendance, along with CPD points, further accelerating their professional development. Visit the seminar website for more details. The Loeries Awards have announced the five international jury presidents who will lead this year's juries to judge the best creative work from Africa and the Middle East region. The Loeries has annolunced top international creatives for 2023 international jury presidents. (L to r:) Marco Venturelli, CEO/CCO Publicis Conseil and CCO Publicis Groupe France, Geet Rathi, creative director, Area 23, Brad Reilly, McCann Enterprise chief creative officer, Shannon Washington, US CCO R/GA, and Paul Chan creative leader, Cheil Judging takes place during Loeries Creative Week that will be held in Cape Town, from 2 6 October 2023. Preetesh Sewraj, CEO of Loeries says the Loeries is very honoured to have an exceptionally high calibre jury president roster this year. Our international jury residents come from some of the most esteemed agencies from around the world and they personally are some of the most celebrated creatives in our industry from countries as diverse as Hong Kong, France, US, and the UK. He adds, I am really excited and look forward to welcoming all of our international jury presidents to South Africa to Loeries Creative Week in Cape Town to start judging and I know that the entire Africa and Middle East region will be richer and benefit from all of their insights and advice. Untapped talent Shannon Washington, the US CCO for R/GA, who is the Jury President of the Digital category for the 45th annual Loeries Awards. For Washington the Loeries are an opportunity to get to know some of the local agencies. While I am familiar with the work from Africa and the Middle East region, I believe that the continent and Middle East region are vastly untapped in terms of talent; yet they have some of the best and brightest ideas. Give people a reason to care Geet Rathi, the award-winning Creative Director, currently with Area 23, New York, has been announced as the Jury President of the Design category. Rathi is looking forward to seeing work that is functional but worth talking about by giving people a reason to care. This way we might be able to respond to needs in society, which is powerful, she says. Work that makes you feel something Creative leader of creative helm of Cheil, Paul Chan is the International Jury President for PR, LIVE, OOH and Integrated jury. Chan says he will be looking for brilliant, inspiring ideas that are beautifully executed and have a clear purpose. But over and above this, well be looking for work that makes you feel something. Does it pass the holy shit test? The best work always stops you in your tracks. It punches you in the gut, and it stays with you long after youve seen it. This is the work thats really inspiring. Exist in culture Marco Venturelli, CEO/CCO Publicis Conseil and CCO Publicis Groupe France will head up the Film Jury. Venturelli says If you want to have an impact on culture, you have to exist in culture. He adds I expect these to consider the new realities we face, socially, economically and environmentally. The Loeries has an excellent reputation in Africa and the rest of the region and receiving these awards not only gives the winners visibility but also international recognition for their communication initiatives. The ruler of the radio This years Radio and Radio crafts jury president is not stranger to Africa. Brad Reilly, current McCann Enterprise Chief Creative Officer, was previously BBDO South Africas executive creative director across the continent. He says the region is known for being the ruler of the radio. As the category evolves globally into the broader realms of audio, I am hoping to see (or better hear) how the kings and queens of the medium will continue to redefine it. Tickets are on sale now. Go to loeries.com for more information. Magic happens when brand, influencer, and audience interests align, but as Instagram recently celebrates its 10 year milestone, it is evident that some brands still struggle to get it right. Image supplied. Sam Nassimov, MD Premier Hotels & Resorts says magic happens when brand, influencer, and audience interests align It could be argued that Instagram has profoundly shaped and even birthed the concept of influencer marketing that at its core is about fostering authentic relationships and real connections with brands. A Forbes article highlighted the rising trend of long-term partnerships between influencers and brands. These enduring relationships not only establish trust between an influencers followers and the brand, but also inspire creative risk-taking by the influencer, often yielding substantial rewards. A gigantic sea of hungry influencers There is a gigantic sea of influencers hungry for brand attention: newbies with nano-audiences trying to build their followings, casual influencers who have great audiences but are new to working with brands, and established influencer pros with loyal audiences and extensive experience working with brands. The more we have in common with them, the more likely we are to heed their advice. Influencers are more than just content creators; they serve as voices of the crowd. The voices of the crowd Influencers are more than just content creators; they serve as voices of the crowd. They possess an intimate understanding of their audiences and often identify emerging trends well before they become apparent through traditional market research and data analytics. Brands that nurture close relationships with influencers, gain a competitive edge, enabling them to launch more effective and innovative campaigns. Particularly in the hospitality industry, I believe that there is a time and place for influencers, but the success will largely depend on what content is created and how it is created, says David Shevil, group marketing manager of Premier Hotels and Resorts. Select the right influencers for your brand Today, its crucial for brands to be discerning and strategic when selecting influencers and communication channels. Its essential to clarify that not all influencers are paid professionals. Those who solely aim to amass followers for the sole purpose of representing any brand that comes their way, arent genuine. True influencers organically grow their audiences over time as people connect with their content. Its here that we see the power they have to make a genuine impact. A large following doesnt necessarily equate to substantial influence. Influence is rooted in trust and authentic engagement, not merely likes and follows. I think it's almost a matter of horses for courses - the influencer and or the profile of influencer must suit and align to your target market. But if there is a mismatch between the influencer (and their followers) vs your target market, whatever content they create for you will essentially be lost, Shevil shares. Developing worthy content Some of the influencers that we have entertained have genuinely created interesting and worthy content that has opened new markets to us. They have created sincere, interesting and classy content that we have managed to leverage off, he says.The greatest success that we have had with influencers was the Real Housewives of Durban show and their contestants were from diverse backgrounds. The result was that we managed to leverage off their followers in terms of revenue from room nights. The content that was created while staying at the hotel was clever and "real" - it seemed to resonate with our target market and it proved to be a huge success on our social media channels, Shevil adds. An influencer known and respected by other influencers, typically has a strong reputation Evolve your relationship with influencers So how can your brand evolve its relationship with influencers? The realm of influencers is vast, with newcomers seeking to build their followings, casual influencers with substantial audiences but limited brand experience, and seasoned influencer pros with devoted followings and extensive brand collaborations. Selecting the right influencer partner entails assessing their skills, audience alignment, and their willingness to collaborate. Additionally, it involves navigating influencers reputations, as some may have questionable track records, making the quest for suitable partners a daunting endeavour. Influencers dont exist in isolation; they operate within communities. An influencer known and respected by other influencers, typically has a strong reputation so do examine influencers previous brand collaboration and campaigns through their past posts. Dont rely solely on algorithms for influencer research: platforms often have limited access to third party data about influencers. Lastly, dont hesitate to explore niche communities; engagement and significant impact can emerge from influencer audiences slightly outside the mainstream. When these audiences encounter different yet relevant content in an influencers feed, they tend to take notice and engage. Pay to play influencers In the travel and tourism sector, while reliable influencers exist, some lower - tier influencers view a free night as a means to boost their personal brands. Entrepreneurial influencers, whether highly skilled or just eager prospectors, offer a range of fee-based services.The exchange of a night's stay for exposure is a familiar practice in our digital era. However, there's a recent trend of entitled influencers making excessive demands without always delivering on their end of the bargain. They've recognised their power, measured by their followers on TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram. It's an influencer seller's market, dictated by the traffic they can generate. Consult. Collab. Build Magic happens when brand, influencer, and audience interests align. To reach this point , brands should engage in conversations with influencers, listening to their insights before planning and launching campaigns.One valuable approach is to assemble a group of influencer partners for a focus group. You can enquire about: Brand positioning and reputation from their perspective. The value the brand offers their audiences. The dos and donts of engaging with their audiences. Overused messages and tactics. Unmet audience desires. These insights should be shared with creative, strategy and planning teams fostering a cohesive campaign roll-out. Monitoring and re-engaging After launching your campaign, continuously seek feedback after influencers post about your brand, identify trends and effective approaches. This encourages ongoing, authentic endorsements. When influencers have mutually beneficial relationships with brands theyre more likely to engage in long-term collaborations rather than sharing their audience with competitors. To maximise the potential of your influencer marketing strategy, cultivating real relationships is paramount. These connections extend beyond a single post; they require ongoing communication, increased collaboration and authentic support for the brand. Developing real-life relationships through personal contact is not just a luxury in this industry; its a necessity. whilst closing the lid makes the world of difference by eliminating the sneeze effect that reduces up to 95% of germs being sprayed into the air, we have not left a single stone unturned when it comes to hygiene! The use of Polygiene Biomaster antimicrobial additives in our opening latch provides durable product protection from bacterial growth, on a continuous basis. By incorporating effective antimicrobial product protection at the point of manufacturing the Propelair latch, means that the additive is dispersed throughout the entire latch, becoming an integral part of its structure. This means that the silver ions remain within the latch for its useful lifetime, providing continuous antibacterial protection and giving every Propelair latch the benefit of being more hygienic. But how does it work? The Polygiene BioMaster additive used in the Propelair toilet proactively inhibits and disrupts the growth of bacteria and microbes on treated surfaces at the molecular level through three modes of action. Firstly, the silver ion technology binds with the bacterial cell wall to disrupt its growth. The ions then interfere with enzyme production within the bacteria, stopping each cell from producing energy and therefore prevents further growth. Finally, it interrupts the bacteria cells DNA, preventing replication. This means that the bacteria on a Propelair toilet latch cannot grow or reproduce! Triple hygiene for the Propelair Toilet Propelair is not only one of the worlds lowest flush toilets but also one of the most hygienic ones, especially designed for high traffic areas where hygiene should take preference! We address hygiene of three levels : The latch, the close-to-flush technology and by creating a powerful, single flush. Through this approach, we reduce the opportunity for microbes to grow once the latch has been touched, ensure that we eliminate the sneeze effect and keep 95% of germs locked into the toilet bowl by closing the lid before the flush, and finally by creating a seal that results in a single, 1.5 second power flush that fully removes 99% of contaminants. Close-to-flush technology that eliminates the sneeze effect Closing the lid makes the world of difference! Propelairs patented toilet technology suppresses airborne germs and curb washroom infection risk. The germs are trapped inside Propelairs unique closable lid, and then efficiently removed with its powerful air flush. Flushing a conventional toilet creates a sneeze effect, spraying bacteria, viruses and moisture into the air. Scientific research in Physics of Fluids found that standard toilets produce a massive upward transport of virus particles, with 40%60% of particles reaching above the toilet seat, leading to large-scale virus spread when flushed. These airborne aerosols can travel up to two metres away from the toilet itself, contaminating the surrounding washroom surfaces and getting drawn into ventilation systems to travel throughout the building. Harmful bacteria can survive up to 24 hours on washroom surfaces making it a perfect breeding ground for viruses and germs to spread. Blocking the path of faecaloral transmission, which occurs commonly in toilet usage, is of fundamental importance in suppressing the spread of viruses and bacteria. A study by the Centre for Research into Environment and Health (CREH) found Propelair reduced aerosolised bacteria by 95%. Power of the flush Conventional toilets leave up to 6% of a previous users contaminants behind after flushing, which can become airborne during frequent flushes. Propelair removes up to 99.9% of contaminants, reducing the risk of cross-contamination whilst also dramatically reducing odours. Good hygiene is one of the best ways to protect oneself from illnesses. In conjunction with regular cleaning protocols, Polygiene BioMaster and Propelair aims to improve the hygienic washroom experience for every user across the globe! CTA (visually displayed): We stand by what we say! Our unique business approach presents an in-depth case study that outlines your water, cost and time savings, prior to installation. Calculate your savings by visiting our webpage now. About Propelair Propelair is an international cleantech company that utilises technology to produce and install the worlds lowest water-flush toilet. Our innovation replaces 9lt of water with a 120lt of air to achieve an 84% water saving, per flush. We positively contribute and enable our global customers across the healthcare, manufacturing, retail, education, transport, commercial and industrial markets to change the way the world consumes water. moc.rialeporp@ofni | www.propelair.com | +44 1268 548322 (UK) | +27 83 273 5711 (SA) | +971 56 737 4712 (GCC) Nomakhosazana Ntuli has lived in Kennedy Road informal settlement in Clare Estate, Durban, since 2001. She stays in a small shack with her 23-year-old daughter and four grandchildren. Source: Supplied. Manqulo Nyakombi. Since planning started in 2012, Ntuli has been among a dozen residents set to benefit from a RDP housing project in Barton Place. But more than a decade later, the project remains far from complete. Ntulis living circumstances became desperate after her shack burnt down with a thousand other shacks in a fire at Kennedy Road informal settlement in July. We waited until we got fed-up. We had voted for the DA, but we lost hope in it after it failed to deliver the Barton Place housing project. Then we went back to the ANC hoping for a change, yet here we are, still waiting, said Ntuli. EThekwini municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana confirmed the contract with Khuthala Consultant (Pty) Ltd, the company hired to complete the housing top structures, had expired early last year. Khuthala consultant owner, Thami Khanyile, was awarded a contract in 2016, with the R112m confirmed in January 2019. He says this was to provide top structures for 572 RDP houses in Clare Estate: 98 houses in Cornubia, 48 houses in Dodama, 198 double storey, semi-detached houses in Barton Place, and 228 units in Kennedy Road. The contract was expected to be for three years and was meant to be done in four phases. Slabs and engineering services were done by another construction company. Houses were handed over to beneficiaries of the Cornubia and Dodoma projects, although the electricity connections were not completed in Dodoma. GroundUp found that residents there still rely on illegal connections. According to Kanyile, construction in Barton Place was meant to start in early 2019, but there were delays with the municipality hiring engineers, and they only started work in 2021. The municipality took 18 months before granting an initial extension, and this only left a few months to complete the project, said Kanyile. Work done so far at Barton Place includes 142 foundations, eight show houses, and 42 houses at first floor stage. The housing project at Kennedy Road has not started. Khanyile said he appealed the municipalitys decision not to extend his contract for a second time. He said his company has submitted all the necessary documents but he has not heard back from them. Sisilana told GroundUp that eThekwini plans to put out a new tender for the completion of the top structures. A June 2022 council meeting states that delays at Barton Place were largely due to the Covid lockdowns, civil unrest, labour issues, and disputes over which wards the project falls under. Ward 24 has a DA councillor and ward 25 an ANC councillor. Ward 25 Councillor Themba Mkhize (ANC) from Barton Place, said residents are tired of waiting for the projects to be completed. There had been four shack fires in Kennedy Road informal settlement this year alone. Some residents are still waiting for municipality assistance with [building] material, he said. KZN Human Settlements spokesperson Mbulelo Baloyi said the Barton Place project was implemented by eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality under its Informal Settlement Upgrade Programme. The metro gets a special R1.2bn from the National Treasury via the National Department of Human Settlements. The NYPD gang database violates the civil rights of Black and Hispanic young people much like the departments much-maligned Stop and Frisk policy, a new report released Tuesday shows. The gang database, which the NYPDs own inspector general found fault with, typecast minority youths as gang members without evidence, putting them at risk of false arrest and wrongful deportation, according to the new report Guilt by Association by the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project. The report comes a few days after the NAACP filed a new lawsuit against the department, compelling the NYPD to release more information about its gang database that it withheld during a prior Freedom of Information Law request and suit. Craig Lewis, a Legal Aide Society employee, speaks during a small protest outside the Attorney Generals Office, asking the NYPD to get rid of its controversial gang database on Nov. 14, 2022. The STOP reports deep dive into gang database protocols and procedures and past reports on the issue shows that police are quick to add names to the database, but slow to remove them, even if all the person did was wish a known gang member a happy birthday on social media. Being outside late and wearing the wrong colors is also a problem. If a person lives in the same public housing complex as accused gang members, the NYPD may say they frequent a known criminal group location (strike one) while wearing gang colors (strike two), which is enough for officers to add them to the database, the report notes. (The) NYPD can also add individuals to the database based on two independent reliable sources, but officers decide whos independent and reliable, and no one checks their judgment. What the police call the Criminal Group Database contained about 16,000 names as of April. Thats down from about 34,000 names in 2014, when the NYPD said it began reviewing each entry to see if they warranted inclusion, NYPD officials said. While the NYPD Inspector General called for better safeguards and fleshed out criteria on how names are added to the list the STOP report determined that even the most rigorous safeguards would be insufficient to mitigate the full range of harms that these databases pose. They must be eliminated in their entirety, the report notes. A new report by the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project looked at the NYPD gang database faults the system for typcasting minority youths as gang members without evidence, putting them at risk of false arrest and wrongful deportation. Elani Manis, research director for STOP said the report shows how it is alarmingly easy to be added to a police database based on nonsense, non-criminal criteria, and difficult or impossible to be taken off. The result is bloated databases that produce no known public safety benefitnothing at all to outweigh the grievous harm they do to young people who are added to databases without any evidence, she said. On Friday, the NAACP filed a new lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court, calling on a judge to order the NYPD to release information about the gang database that they refused to give in a FOIL request sent in 2021 and in prior years. (The) NYPD did not respond to the 2021 FOIL Request until seventeen months after it was submitted, the lawsuit notes. On March 8, 2023after dozens of follow-up phone calls and emails and two in-person visits to One Police Plazathe NYPD finally responded to the 2021 FOIL Request by producing a limited set of redacted documents in response to the first five requests, while declining to produce any records in response to the sixth request. The first five requests were about demographic data of people in the gang database, the lawsuit notes. The sixth request, which the NYPD shot down entirely, sought information on the agencies that the NYPD shared the database information with. Community advocate groups have been demanding information on the gang database for more than five years, demanding information as to who is in the database and the guidelines for adding and removing people from it. The NYPD holds firm that the database is a valuable precision policing tool that helps keep the city safe. A request for comment about the STOP report was not immediately returned. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. A new federal court filing in the criminal case against lying Rep. George Santos suggests that the first-term Republican may be in plea negotiations though Santos denied hes considering a deal. In a motion filed Tuesday asking to push back Santos Thursday court appearance, federal prosecutors wrote that the government and Santos are engaged in discussions regarding possible paths forward in this matter. A spokesman for Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace declined to comment Tuesday, and Santos lawyer, Joseph Murray, did not immediately return requests for comment. On Thursday, Santos texted Talking Points Memo saying the suggestion he was in plea talks as wildly inaccurate. Santos was supposed to appear before Long Island Federal Court Judge Joanna Seybert Thursday, but lawyers from both sides are seeking an adjournment to Oct. 27. Murray has received voluminous discovery material in the case, and the prosecutors predict theyll be sending over even more material later this week, prosecutors wrote. Defense counsel has indicated that he will need additional time to review that material as well, prosecutors wrote Tuesday. Rep. George Santos (R-NY) arrives for an address by Israeli President Isaac Herzog during a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress at the U.S. Capitol on July 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. Santos, who was indicted in May, has pleaded not guilty to wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to Congress. Hes accused of collecting COVID-related unemployment funds while working as an investment firm director, running a bogus PAC and using campaign donor money to buy designer clothes and pay his personal debts, and a string of lies to Congress about his assets and income. Santos notoriously campaigned in 2022 on lies about his education, religion, family history, professional experience and property ownership. Last month, one of his staffers, Samuel Miele, was also hit with federal charges aggravated identity theft and four counts of wire fraud. Miele is accused of impersonating House Speaker Kevin McCarthys now-retired chief of staff, Dan Meyer, to dupe donors into giving Santos money during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles. According to an indictment, Miele admitted the deception to Santos, and got a 15% commission for his efforts. 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 Postal Code Garda Commissioner Drew Harris is holding a meeting with police in Dubai to discuss the possibility of bringing the leaders of the Kinahan cartel back to Ireland to face justice. The Irish Examiner understands the high-level Garda delegation also includes Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly, head of Organised and Serious Crime, which is leading the hunt for the cartel leadership. Advertisement It is thought to be the first time either commissioner has formally visited Dubai and marks a significant development in the investigation against the cartel. The leaders of the network, Christopher Kinahan and his sons Daniel and Christopher junior, are still believed to be based in the United Arab Emirates. It emerged last month that gardai have sent a file to the DPP recommending that the operational leader of the cartel, Daniel Kinahan, be charged with directing a criminal organisation. Advertisement The garda file also examined the evidence against the other leaders, but it is not clear it if recommends any charges against them. Advertisement But senior gardai have repeatedly stressed that their investigation will not end until everyone in the cartel structure is brought to justice. The Dubai Police are due to announce the visit this morning. Officially, the visit is being described as means of building relationships towards achieving common goals in relation to transnational organised crime. Central to the garda visit is discussing legal means of getting the three men deported from the country to Ireland to face justice, in particular Daniel Kinahan. The delegation to Dubai follows a top-level meeting in Dublin between AC Kelly and the chiefs of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau with officers from the US Drug Enforcement Agency, in relation to the joint US-Irish investigation into the cartel leadership. The organisation behind the meeting has been arranged from the Irish embassy in Dubai and the Garda liaison officer who was only recently appointed there. Updated: 12.45pm. Additional reporting by Olivia Kelleher. Tents at the site of Electric Picnic are to be used to house hundreds of Ukrainian refugees for the next six weeks. Advertisement The annual festival was held at Stradbally, Co Laois over the weekend with 70,000 revellers in attendance. The use of tents comes after the Minister for Children and Integration Roderic O'Gorman said in November that Ireland would stop using tents to house refugees. Military-grade tents at the Gormanston army camp in Co Meath and other locations have been used to house refugees temporarily as more permanent accommodation is sourced. Advertisement As of June, 84,613 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Ireland since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022. There has also been a rise in the number of asylum seekers arriving in Ireland, beyond the 3,000 to 5,000 arrivals per year the State had expected. Advertisement Advertisement The influx has led to a severe shortage of suitable accommodation for Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland. The Government has sought to address this by procuring beds in hotels and B&Bs, by looking to refurbish unused public buildings, and using rooms pledged by members of the public for a limited time. Minister of State Ossian Smyth said that 750 Ukrainian refugees are to be moved into the festival site this week amid what he called a short-term squeeze on accommodation options. Mr Smyth, who has responsibility for public procurement, e-government and the circular economy, has said he is confident other accommodation will be found in six weeks time. Advertisement Weve been using tents in Tullamore in a military facility up to now as a last resort, and in the last four months weve had 10,000 Ukrainians arrive in the country, he told RTEs Morning Ireland. Advertisement So in other words, the rates theyre arriving has increased. Were now faced with a real short-term difficulty for the next few weeks, and the Government has contracted to take over the tents that were at the Electric Picnic over the weekend. And I think that today or tomorrow, up to 750 Ukrainians will be moving into those tents, but thats obviously a very short-term facility six weeks I would expect. Advertisement Mr Smyth added: The Government has shown an ability and Roderic OGormans department has shown an ability to put huge quantities of accommodation online. Theyre accommodating more than the population of Galway city at this stage. So within one year, they have come up with temporary accommodation at that speed, and I fully expect that they will be capable of housing those Ukrainians at the end of the six weeks. Vulnerable people The Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service, Eugene Quinn, has said tents are not appropriate accommodation for vulnerable people fleeing war. Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Mr Quinn said Ukrainians who are being placed in tents following their arrival in Ireland are not having their basic dignity respected. We find a year and a half into the crisis that we're still putting people in tents. This is something that we feel is not appropriate for people fleeing war or conflict. It doesn't meet their basic needs and it doesn't allow them to live with basic dignity. People are there for six weeks, what's going to happen at the end of the six weeks? Mr Quinn said. He also called on the Department of Housing to take a more front and centre role in relation to finding accommodation for Ukrainians. There hasn't been a whole of Government responsibility. It has been largely left to (the Department) of Children, he argued. A lawyer who represents the families of a number of Troubles victims has called on the Labour Party to publicly state that it will repeal the British governments controversial legacy Bill if it comes to power. Kevin Winters has also asked the Irish Government to confirm it will lodge a legal challenge at the European Court of Human Rights when the proposed legislation becomes law. Advertisement A spokesperson for the Irish Government said it has sought legal advice on the matter. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is set to return to the House of Lords later on Tuesday and is expected to complete its passage through Parliament this week. Advertisement The Bill includes a form of limited immunity for some perpetrators of crimes committed during the conflict and would also prevent future civil cases and inquests into Troubles offences. Advertisement All the main political parties in Northern Ireland and victims groups are opposed to the Bill. Mr Winters, from KRW Law, said both the Labour Party and the Irish Government have publicly stated their concerns about the Bill and said they now need to commit to formal legal positions. Advertisement He said: In November 2022 KRW Law contacted the Irish government and invited them to commit to formally confirming they would lodge an inter-state application before the European Court of Human Rights as soon as the UK legacy Bill receives royal assent and becomes law. To date they have singularly failed to substantively respond. We specifically raised the issue of families in the Republic of Ireland who are the relatives of conflict-related victims who will now be deprived of justice and truth when the Bill is enacted. That has made no difference in terms of securing a response. Advertisement There is now a real opportunity for the Taoiseach to formalise legally what he has said politically. A number of protests have taken place against the Governments legacy Bill (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The Irish Government cannot let this moment pass without pressing for an inter-state application. Advertisement Mr Winters said he had also written to the leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer asking him to confirm the legislation would be repealed. Advertisement He added: Equally disappointing is the absence of any acknowledgement on what was a reasonable request to commit to a legal position on this matter. Our submission was proportionate and responsive to otherwise very strong political condemnation by Keir Starmer and Peter Kyle (former shadow Northern Ireland secretary). The complete absence of any meaningful response by either the Irish government or the Labour Party to these respective requests serves only to undermine the integrity of their respective opposition to the legacy Bill. A real opportunity is being missed here to gain maximum credibility by committing to a legal position on foot of what has been said publicly. Actions speak louder than words but sadly here, for families of Troubles victims, the silence is deafening. The Labour Party has been approached for comment. A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said the Irish Government had been clear and consistent in our opposition to the Bill. Tanaiste Micheal Martin had sought legal advice over the UK Governments legacy Bill (Stefan Rousseau/PA) A statement said: The Tanaiste (Micheal Martin) has raised the Governments concerns around this legislation with British counterparts on multiple occasions. Most recently, with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris on Saturday. The spokesman added: The Government are aware of calls for consideration of the initiation of an inter-state case against the United Kingdom before the European Court of Human Rights in relation to the UK legacy Bill. Advertisement As the Tanaiste stated at the weekend, he has sought legal advice on this matter and when that advice is received the government will consider what subsequent action will be taken. The Northern Ireland Office said earlier this week that a new approach was needed to deliver greater information, accountability and acknowledgement to victims and families affected by the Troubles. A spokesperson said: The governments legislation provides a framework that will enable the Independent Commission for Reconciliation & Information Recovery (ICRIR) to deliver effective legacy mechanisms, while complying with our international obligations. The ICRIR, established by the Bill, has a primary objective to provide information to families, victims and survivors. Since the Bills introduction, a number of substantive UK Government amendments have been adopted to the legislation that address a number of key issues raised by stakeholders. The Policing Board in Northern Ireland should be in no doubt that it will have to answer questions before MPs about controversies which have rocked the PSNI, the chairman of a Westminster committee has said. Simon Hoare also described the job of PSNI chief constable as the most difficult gig in policing following the resignation of Simon Byrne. Advertisement Mr Byrnes resignation was announced on Monday following a string of controversies, including a data breach which revealed personal details of officers and staff, and a critical High Court judgment which said the disciplining of two officers following an arrest at a Troubles memorial event in Belfast in 2021 was unlawful. SDLP deputy leader Claire Hanna expressed concerns that the Policing Board did not appear before the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA. The committee is investigating the data breach, and representatives of the Policing Board, the oversight body for the PSNI, had been expected to appear before MPs on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement However, the board withdrew from the hearing following Mr Byrnes resignation of Mr Byrne. A public session of the board scheduled for Thursday has also been cancelled. SDLP MP Claire Hanna told the committee: Could I put on record my concerns that the Policing Board arent here. I appreciate it is a choppy time, there is a lot going on, but my understanding is there hasnt been a meeting in public since the data breach. Advertisement The one that was scheduled for later this week isnt occurring. I think it would have been useful and appropriate to have the Policing Board here as part of this session and as part of our scrutiny and as a part of people feeling that these issues are being properly scrutinised. Advertisement Mr Hoare responded: We will hear from them. Whether we have to use our right to summon witnesses, which we can, or whether they can find a time voluntarily to appear before us. But the board should be in no doubt at all that they will appear before this committee to take our questions and will do so in public. I was as disappointed as everybody that they felt unable to come today. Advertisement Advertisement I suppose the germane fact is the chief constable resigning yesterday obviously played a part, but we will hear from them. He added: I wanted to put on record that anybody who steps up to the plate to be chief constable of the PSNI, it is probably the most difficult gig in policing. Anybody who does it deserves the recognition and thanks of this committee and the people of Northern Ireland for being prepared to step up and to try to police and to shape a modern police service to fit the current circumstances. The resignation of PSNI chief constable Simon Byrne was announced on Monday (Liam McBurney/PA. Ireland New PSNI leadership will need to work to restore c... Read More Mr Byrne had faced a number of challenges in recent weeks, including the fallout from the major PSNI data breach, in which the names and details of all officers and staff members were mistakenly released online. His troubles deepened last week when High Court judge Mr Justice Scoffield ruled that two junior officers were unlawfully disciplined for an arrest made at a Troubles commemoration event in 2021. The judge said they had been disciplined to allay a threat that Sinn Fein could withdraw its support for policing. Sinn Fein has insisted there was no such threat. Retained firefighters have accepted a pay deal that will see them be guaranteed a minimum yearly income for the first time. Members represented by trade union Siptu voted on Tuesday to accept proposals brokered by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) last month. Advertisement Pickets were lifted at fire stations across Ireland in August after an offer emerged at the WRC following long and difficult negotiations. The talks yielded a new offer for some 2,000 Siptu members who work as retained firefighters at more than 200 fire stations around the country. Retained firefighters, who provide fire and first-responder emergency services, are not full-time employees. They are paid a retainer to be on call for fire stations and receive a per-callout fee. Advertisement The new offer will see new retained firefighter recruits receive a guaranteed minimum income per year of over 18,000, which will reach the top of the scale after eight years. Advertisement Siptu suspended its strike action while the terms of the offer were considered. Retained firefighters outside Leinster House in Dublin in June. Photo: PA. Advertisement Karan O Loughlin, Siptus divisional organiser, said it has been a protracted battle to raise awareness of the terms and conditions for retained firefighters, and said further negotiations would take place. While todays vote ends the current strike, it does not end that battle, she said. The WRC document is the beginning of the next stage for the retained firefighters. Siptu representatives will be writing immediately to the employers and to the minister. We will advise of the acceptance of the document and seek to engage in discussions in respect of the retainer and the rollout of the WRC terms, especially those clauses that relate to recruitment, pay and time off. Advertisement We will be making it clear that we expect the terms of the WRC document to be delivered in full and in a timely manner. We also expect that the political commitments in respect of the next movement on the retainer will be delivered in full. Siptu sector organiser for the Local Authority Sector Brendan OBrien added that retained firefighters are battle scarred after years of fighting for these issues. While the WRC document does not deliver a cure for all that ails the retained fire service, it has created a path forward to commence the transformation that the service needs, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Firefighters are to be commended for their steadfast solidarity to each other and to their communities during this very difficult dispute. Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh OBrien welcomed the vote to accept the terms. I welcome the decision of the retained firefighters to accept the recommendations of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), he said. I want to thank them and their representatives for their constructive engagement with the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA). I also want to thank the WRC for their efforts in bringing about a resolution to this dispute. He added: I have always acknowledged the challenges associated with both the recruitment and retention of retained fire personnel and I have consistently advocated for a better approach and I will continue to do so. Our firefighters are an invaluable frontline service staffed by very dedicated and selfless people, serving their communities around the clock. I will continue to support them in the work which they do. A teenager has been denied bail after gardai charged him over "vicious and unprovoked" attacks on three English tourists in Temple Bar in Dublin city centre. Scott Cahill (18), of St James's Road, Walkinstown, Dublin 12, is accused of assault causing harm to two men and robbery of a third at Fownes Street at around 10pm on August 11th. Advertisement Mr Cahill appeared at Dublin District Court on Tuesday, but the three complainants in their 20s were not present. Judge John King heard they were knocked or dragged onto the ground and repeatedly punched, and the accused allegedly "stamped" on one of their heads. They had received medical attention and were taken to St James's Hospital after the two-minute incident. Detective Garda Derek Briereton told Judge John King that Mr Cahill made no reply when charged with the offences. He objected to bail due to the seriousness of the incident, which had eight suspects. Advertisement Detective Garda Briereton said the tourists were on a night out in Temple bar when they were "subjected to a vicious and unprovoked attack". Advertisement He alleged that one of the group was attacked, "dragged" on the ground and had his wallet and a 30 silver necklace taken. The second injured party was knocked to the ground and sustained mutliple punches to the face, the court heard. The contested bail hearing was told the third member of the group was also punched in the face, knocked to the ground and punched by the accused. The garda claimed the defendant also "stamped on the injured party's head on the ground". It was claimed the accused was wearing "distinctive" Armani runners and a Canada Goose jacket and that he pulled up his hood during the incident. Advertisement Detective Garda Briereton said there was excellent quality CCTV footage of the incident, and a further violent disorder charge would be considered. The video evidence was not played during the bail hearing. Cross-examined by defence counsel Karla Ray, the detective agreed that the video evidence would be tested later during the trial. Ms Ray also pointed out that the officer had described dark clothing that could be bought on the high street. The court heard that Mr Cahill made no admissions when questioned following his arrest on Monday. Advertisement The garda agreed with Mr Cahill's barrister that directions have yet to be obtained from the Director of Public Prosecutions but added: "We are making a lot of progress." Pleading for bail, Ms Ray asked the court to note the accused's age and said he would abide by bail conditions. She added there is no reality of witness intimidation in the case. Closing the bail application, she said her client still had the presumption of innocence and could face a significant period in custody awaiting trial. However, Judge King refused the request and remanded Mr Cahill in custody. He will face his next hearing at Cloverhill District Court on September 12th. The accused did not address the court and was granted free legal aid. Two teenagers were charged earlier and have separate proceedings pending before the Children's Court as they are minors. A fresh application has been brought before the High Court that could see teacher Enoch Burke returned to prison over his alleged ongoing refusal to stay away from Wilson's Hospital School in Co Westmeath. During Tuesday's vacation sitting of the High Court, lawyers representing the school's board of management said its client is seeking orders for Mr Burke's attachment and committal to prison over his alleged refusal to comply with a permanent injunction granted by Mr Justice Alexander Owens earlier this year. Advertisement That order restrains Mr Burke from attending at Wilson's Hospital, unless he is given express permission to do so by the school authorities. Rosemary Mallon BL, for the school board, told Ms Justice Emily Egan that Mr Burke has attended at the school, from where he was suspended and ultimately dismissed, every day since the new school year commenced in late August. Advertisement Mr Burke has claimed the board's actions against him arise out of his opposition to "transgenderism" and his deeply held Christian beliefs. The board denies that claim. Ms Mallon said his attendance both "outside and inside the school" was in breach of the permanent injunction granted by Mr Justice Owens. Advertisement "There terms of that order could not be clearer," counsel said, adding that "Mr Burke has been fully aware of and served with a copy of the orders handed down by Mr Justice Owens". His ongoing presence at the school "is causing severe disruption for staff and students," counsel said. Closed doors A large part of the school principal, Frank Milling, and his staff's working day is taken up dealing with Mr Burke's presence at Wilson's Hospital, counsel said. On occasions, Mr Milling has had "to close doors" to prevent Mr Burke from entering the school, counsel added. Advertisement Counsel said that it was "with great reluctance" that the board has returned to court, 12 months on from its initial application against Mr Burke. Counsel said that following his suspension in August 2022, Mr Burke had failed to comply with a court order against him last year requiring him to stay away from the school. That resulted in his incarceration in Mountjoy Prison for several months. Advertisement He was released shortly before Christmas, without purging his contempt, nor offering an undertaking to do so. He again started attending at the school after the holidays, and the High Court imposed a daily fine of 700 on Mr Burke, counsel said. However, that step had no impact on Mr Burke's behaviour, and he continued to attend at the school until the end of the school year last May, counsel said. Advertisement Counsel said Mr Burke has also appealed the decision to dismiss him from his position as a German and History teacher. Other options were considered, including holding discussions with gardai, and hiring private security personnel. However, these options were deemed not to be feasible for a variety of reasons, Ms Mallon said. 'Saga' In the circumstances, the school's board was seeking to have Mr Burke brought before the court to answer what it claims is his ongoing contempt of the injunction restraining him from attending at the school. Ms Justice Egan, who described the lengthy proceedings between the school and Mr Burke as "a saga" said she was satisfied to grant the school board permission, on an ex-parte basis, to serve short notice of the application on Mr Burke. Advertisement The judge directed that Mr Burke be served personally with the attachment and committal application and adjourned the matter to Friday's vacation sitting of the court. Advertisement The board's application is the latest in what has been a high-profile legal battle arising out of Mr Burke suspension and dismissal from the Co Westmeath school. In his judgement last May, Mr Justice Owens said the school was entitled to suspend Mr Burke in August 2022, to a permanent injunction prohibiting him from attending at its premises, and damages of 15,000 for his continuing trespass at the school's campus in Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath. The judge said the school's decision to suspend Mr Burke was "rational and reasonable" after he had voiced his strong objections to a request by the school to refer to a student, who at the time allegedly wished to transition by a different name and by a different pronoun. The teacher claimed that such a direction was a breach of his rights and his religious beliefs. The court heard evidence of Mr Burke's behaviour at a school event in June, when he publicly voiced his objections to "transgenderism", and at subsequent meetings held in August 2022 where his behaviour had been discussed. Mr Burke, who denied any wrongdoing, and had brought a counterclaim arguing that the disciplinary proceedings against him after he voiced his objections to a direction by the school to refer to a student at the school by a different name and pronoun, are unlawful and in breach of his rights. However, his counterclaim was dismissed by the court. Mr Burke has brought a challenge against the three-person panel of persons appointed to hear his appeal against his dismissal from his teaching position. Judgement is awaited in those separate proceedings against the panel. A pair of gunmen shot two men in a brazen daylight robbery of a Manhattan pharmacy, police said Tuesday. The crooks barged into the Third Ave. drug store on the corner of E. 123rd St. in Harlem at 4:40 p.m. on Aug. 28, cops said. The robbers each brandished a firearm. One of the thieves shot a 23-year-old man in the back while his partner stuck his gun to the belly of a second victim before taking his backpack, according to police. The gunmen shot a 43-year-old man on their way out of the store, clipping him in the back of his right thigh, cops said. Police investigate a double shooting on Third Ave. and East 123rd St. in Manhattan on Aug. 28. Paramedics rushed the victims to NYC Health & Hospitals/Harlem in stable condition, according to law enforcement. Both men were expected to survive. The outlaws fled into a dark-colored Honda that was spotted peeling off down E. 123rd St., cops said. Police released surveillance footage of the thieves and described both men as in their 20s and with slim to medium builds. Anyone with information can call 1-800-577-8477. All calls are confidential. Ukraine's counteroffensive was in its second month when Andrey, a Russian soldier, called his wife to say his unit was taking heavy casualties. They were so badly equipped, he said, it felt like the Soviet forces in World War Two. "They are f**king us up," Andrey said by telephone on July 12th, comparing the onslaught to the worst moments of Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. "No f**king ammunition, nothing ... Shall we use our fingers as bayonets?" Advertisement The conversation was one excerpt from 17 phone calls placed by Russian soldiers fighting in the south and east of Ukraine that were intercepted in the first two weeks of July by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the country's main intelligence agency. The expletive-laden intercepts, shared with Reuters by a Ukrainian intelligence source, provide a rare - albeit partial - glimpse into the conditions of some Russian soldiers as Kyiv prosecuted a major counteroffensive, which started in early June, two military analysts told Reuters. Advertisement While Russia has so far largely stemmed Ukraine's military campaign and made some modest territorial gains of its own in places, the soldiers in the intercepts complain that their units have suffered heavy losses, a lack of munitions, proper training and equipment, as well as poor morale. Both Russia and Ukraine treat their losses as a state secret. Ukraine has acknowledged that its efforts to recapture territory have been hindered by vast Russian minefields and well-prepared defensive lines. It has liberated a string of villages but retaken no major settlements so far and the frontline has remained largely unchanged, frustrating Kyiv's Western allies. Advertisement Reuters was unable to determine how representative the intercepts are of the conditions in Russia's armed forces. The Ukrainian intelligence source said they illustrated the challenges facing Russian soldiers but did not elaborate on how the recordings were selected. Neil Melvin, director of International Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a defence and security think tank headquartered in London, said the calls appeared to confirm some Russian forces were thrown into defensive operations with little preparation and were sustaining high casualties, sowing tensions between soldiers and commanders. Russia's Defence Ministry did not respond to requests for comment for this story. In December, Russian president Vladimir Putin said the military had to learn from and fix the problems it had experienced in Ukraine, promising to provide the army with whatever it needed. Advertisement Reuters reported this month that Russia has doubled its defence spending target this year to more than $100 billion a third of all public expenditure. Advertisement The SBU said in a statement it was constantly monitoring the situation in occupied parts of Ukraine, including via telephone intercepts, but it did not provide any further details. 'Turned it to crumbs' The source provided what the SBU said were the names, telephone numbers and, in most cases, the units of 15 soldiers speaking in the intercepts. Reuters verified that the mobile numbers provided were registered in the names of the enlisted men or their relatives, but calls either went unanswered or the phones were turned off. Reuters is only using excerpts from some of the 10 soldiers whose identity it was able to verify using messaging accounts or social media in their names, which in some cases contained photographs of them in military uniforms. The news agency is not disclosing the full names of the soldiers as it was not able to obtain their comments about the excerpts. In three cases, the soldiers' wives confirmed their husbands were at the front in messages to Reuters but declined to comment further. One cited Russian secrecy laws. Advertisement In the excerpts, several soldiers used profane language to describe Russian units that had taken heavy casualties and had been unable to retrieve their wounded. One said his detachment had managed to advance but at a high price. Advertisement "That's it. There is no second battalion left. They f**king turned it to crumbs," Maxim, a soldier from the Siberian region of Irkutsk, told his wife Anna by phone on July 3rd. He said the battalion - a unit that usually comprises around 500 troops - had been on the Lyman front in the northeast, one of three areas where the Ukrainian General Staff were reporting heavy fighting and Russian counter-attacks at the time. British intelligence has said Russia has made some local advances around Lyman and Kupiansk in recent weeks. Advertisement The SBU said Maxim served in Russia's 52nd Regiment. Reuters was unable to verify that affiliation or establish which second battalion he was referring to. The regiment could not be reached for comment. According to an assessment by the US Defence Intelligence Agency leaked online in April, Russia had 35,500-43,000 troops killed in action during the conflict, compared to roughly 15,500-17,500 for Ukraine. Russia says US estimates of its losses are far too high, claiming they are propaganda. Maxim referred to his dead comrades as "cargo 200", a term that originated during the Soviet Union's 1979-1989 war in Afghanistan as a military codeword for the zinc coffins used to transport home the bodies of dead Russian soldiers. Advertisement Often shortened to "200", it is still widely used in both Russia and Ukraine to describe slain soldiers, while "Cargo 300" denotes the wounded. "Basically, they couldn't even retrieve the (cargo) 300s. The 300s became 200s," Maxim said, meaning that the wounded soldiers had been left on the battlefield and died. 'Everyone is scared' Following months of fierce Ukrainian resistance on the battlefield, Putin in September announced a "partial" mobilisation of hundreds of thousands of reservists to replenish the ranks. He later acknowledged in a speech to defence chiefs in December that it had been dogged by "certain problems". Reuters traced one soldier back to the day he was mobilised into the Russian army on September 29th. His mother Elena posted a photograph online of her and her son in uniform on social media with the caption: "They took him today." About nine months later, the soldier, Alexei, was on the phone to his mother from Ukraine, talking graphically about battlefield losses. "They were torn apart. They're lying there: they can't even collect some of them. They're already rotten - eaten by worms," he told her on July 12th. Elena replied: "Really?" "Just imagine, thrown on the front line with no equipment, nothing," he told his mother. She did not respond to Reuters's requests for comment by phone and on social media. Advertisement Alexei said that mobilised troops like him were being sent to the front line, despite public assurances by Putin that they would not be, and said they were not being provided with proper equipment to fight. The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The SBU intercept said Alexei was located in Russian trenches around the occupied city of Rubizhne in eastern Luhansk region. Reuters was unable to verify that information or to determine the unit he belonged to. Alexei derided his superiors and the army high command for concealing troop losses from Putin. "Everything is covered up," he said. "Everyone's scared... They're sending mobilised troops to the front line," he added. "In the end, the generals couldn't care less." Russian officials have said there are no current plans for a new wave of mobilisation and it is focused on recruiting professional soldiers. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, said in July that 185,000 new recruits had joined the army as professional contract soldiers since the start of the year. A fourth soldier, also named Andrey, told his wife on July 5th about problems retrieving wounded and dead troops from the battlefield as well as heavy casualties sustained by a Russian company. The SBU intercept said the soldier was the deputy commander of a fighting vehicle. Reuters was unable to identify his unit or the company. "The guys got f**ked up yesterday. The whole ninth company was turned to rubbish - that's 72 people. There are 17 guys left." -Reuters Fierce rainstorms have battered neighbouring Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, triggering flooding that caused at least five deaths, including those of two holidaymakers swept away by a torrent which raged through a campsite. Turkish interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said four other people were missing after the flash flood swept over the campsite in the Kirklareli province, near the border with Bulgaria. Advertisement He said about 12 tourists were at the site when the waters hit. Search teams had found two bodies, he said on Twitter, now known as X. The search and rescue efforts for the missing (four) continue uninterrupted, he added. A man cleans debris from floodwater in the town of Volos, central Greece (Anastasia Karekla/Eurokinissi/AP) Advertisement Television footage showed rescuers carrying a young girl and an adult to safety from waters reaching waist-high in some areas. Advertisement The rains also damaged and forced the closure of a main road, HaberTurk television reported. In Istanbul, Turkeys largest city, heavy rain flooded streets and homes in two neighbourhoods, leaving at least two people dead, the governors office said. Advertisement A cyclist rides through floodwater blocking the road due to heavy rain in Basaksehir district of Istanbul, Turkey, on Tuesday (Khalil Hamra/AP) About a dozen people were rescued after being stranded inside a library, while some subway stations were shut down. Istanbul governor Davut Gul urged motorcyclists to stay home. Advertisement In Greece, police banned traffic in the central town of Volos, the nearby mountain region of Pilion and the resort island of Skiathos as record rainfall caused at least one death, channeled thigh-high torrents through streets and swept cars away. The fire service said a man was killed near Volos when a wall buckled and fell on him. Five people were reported missing, possibly swept away by floodwater. Authorities sent mobile phone alerts in several other areas of central Greece, the Sporades island chain and the island of Evia warning people to limit their movements outdoors. Advertisement Floodwater in the town of Volos, central Greece (George Kidonas/InTime News/AP) Advertisement Streams overflowed their banks and swept cars into the sea in the Pilion area, while rockfalls blocked roads, a small bridge was carried away and many areas suffered power cuts. Greeces minister for civil protection, Vassilis Kikilias, said the storms were forecast to ease after noon on Wednesday and urged people in afflicted areas to stay indoors. According to meteorologists, its the most extreme event as far as maximum rainfall in a day is concerned since record-keeping started, he said, adding that in one part of Pilion 6.45cm (2.5in) of rain had fallen by early afternoon. Mr Kikilias said rainfall was forecast to intensify later on Tuesday and again on Wednesday morning after a brief respite overnight. Greeces weather service said the Pilion region could get about 6.5-7cm (2.5-2.8in) of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, while 5-6cm were forecast for the central town of Karditsa. It noted that the average annual rainfall in the Athens region is around 40cm. The storm comes on the heels of major summer wildfires that hit Greece over the past few weeks, with some burning for more than a fortnight and destroying vast tracts of forest and farmland. More than 20 people were killed in the fires. Advertisement Residents remove debris in Volos, central Greece (George Kidonas/InTime News/AP) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis blamed both the wildfires and storms on climate change, while conceding that his centre-right government clearly didnt manage things as well as we would have liked on the wildfire front. I am afraid that the careless summers, as we knew them will cease to exist and from now on the coming summers are likely to be ever more difficult, he said on Tuesday. Farther north in Bulgaria, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said two people died and three others were missing after a storm caused floods on the countrys southern Black Sea coast. Overflowing rivers caused severe damage to roads and bridges. The area also suffered power cuts and authorities warned residents not to drink tap water due to contamination from floodwater. High winds sent twp-metre (six-foot) waves crashing on to beaches at tourist resorts amid torrential rain that flooded streets and houses. TV footage showed cars and camper vans being swept out to sea in the hardest-hit southern resort town of Tsarevo. Authorities declared a state of emergency in Tsarevo and urged people to move upstairs as the ground floors of some hotels were inundated. A multi-party delegation of six Australian politicians will travel to the United States to push for an end to the pursuit of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The US has pushed to extradite Julian Assange, who is an Australian citizen, after his website WikiLeaks published thousands of US documents in 2010, which included a cache of military and diplomatic files, some of which were classified. Advertisement Mr Assange has been detained in in Britains Belmarsh Prison for the last four years and is in the midst of appealing the United Kingdoms decision to agree to US extradition. The cross-party group, including former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, revealed their intention to the press in Canberra on Tuesday, September 5. Advertisement The group of MPs told reporters gathered at Parliament House in the nations capital that they have timed their trip for maximum impact as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prepares to visit the White House in October. Advertisement Member for Kooyong Monique Ryan told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that the cross-party delegation represents a large group of MPs who feel really, really strongly about the importance of securing Mr Assanges freedom. Dr Ryan said: What we will be asking the US to do is to demonstrate their commitment to the First Amendment. Advertisement Greg Barns, human rights lawyer and campaign adviser for Mr Assange, Greg Barns said the majority of Australians believe the US pursuit of the WikiLeaks founder should come to an end. That can only happen if the US Department of Justice drops its extradition bid at once, he said. Mr Assanges brother Gabriel Shipton added that Australians had had a gutful. Mr Shipton said: The vast majority of Australians cant understand why the US continues to act in a way that keeps Julian locked up in one of the worst prisons in the UK. Advertisement Even Australians who didnt support Julians actions believe he has suffered enough and should be set free immediately. The delegation will include former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, Liberal senator Alex Antic, independent MP Monique Ryan, Labor MP Tony Zappia and Greens senators David Shoebridge and Peter Whish-Wilson. Eleven people have gone on trial in Scotland accused of sexually abusing children and involving them in witchcraft. The seven men and four women face 32 charges between them, all of which they deny. Advertisement It is alleged all the accused forced two children to participate in seances, used a Ouija board to convince the children they could communicate with spirits and demons, and made them participate in classes involving witchcraft causing them to believe they had metamorphosed into animals on various occasions between 2016 and 2020. It is also alleged all the accused stabbed dogs to death and forced two children to stab them in 2018. Iain Owens, 45; Elaine Lannery, 39; Lesley Williams, 41; Paul Brannan, 41; Marianne Gallagher, 38; Scott Forbes, 50; Barry Watson, 47; Mark Carr, 49; Richard Gachagan, 45; Leona Laing, 50; and John Clark, 46; deny all charges against them. Advertisement Owens, Lannery, Williams, Brannan and Clark are accused of attempting to murder a girl, who was allegedly put in a microwave, forced to eat dog food, and hung by her clothes from a nail, as well as being chased by people wearing a devil mask, on occasions between December 2015 and June 2019. Advertisement Some of the accused face charges of rape and other charges include possession of Class A drugs. There are also claims members of the group did clap, cheer and verbally encourage as well as video record children being sexually abused. It is alleged the offences, relating to four young children, happened between 2010 and 2020 at various locations in Glasgow. The trial, which began on Tuesday at the High Court in Glasgow, continues. Israeli troops have killed a Palestinian militant during an army raid in the West Bank, Palestinian health officials said. Elsewhere in the occupied territory, a Palestinian gunman opened fire at Israeli soldiers, wounding one before being shot and killed. Advertisement The events marked the latest violence to roil the territory during one of the most violent stretches of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in nearly two decades. Israel has pressed on with near-nightly raids in the West Bank while Palestinian militants have ramped up shooting attacks against Israelis. Tuesdays early morning military raid into the Nur Shams refugee camp near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem prompted a firefight between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants. The army said troops found and demolished an explosives stockpile. Residents shared videos of bulldozers ripping off all the asphalt on the camps main road. Advertisement Advertisement The raid took place in Nour Shams refugee camp (Majdi Mohammed/AP) The army also said soldiers came under attack from armed gunmen and shot back at Palestinians who were also burning tyres and hurling explosives. The Palestinian health ministry identified the man killed as 21-year-old Ayed Abu Harb and said he died from a bullet to the head. Advertisement The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group later claimed Abu Harb as its member. Footage from the raid released by the Israeli military appears to show a massive fireball engulfing a building. Another video appears to show an explosive detonating beneath an Israeli military bulldozer. Shortly after an attack on a building where Jewish settlers were reportedly meeting, Israeli security forces dispatched to the area near Route 90, the main motorway through the Jordan Valley, spotted a Palestinian gunman who they said opened fire at them and wounded a soldier who was evacuated for medical treatment. Advertisement The Israeli military said troops shot at the alleged Palestinian attacker. One Palestinian man was killed in the raid (Majdi Mohammed/AP) The Palestinian Health Ministry said the Palestinian was killed, without specifying his identity. Advertisement Palestinian attacks against Israelis have spiked as the Israeli military intensifies its arrest raids in the West Bank. Advertisement More than 30 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks against Israelis since the start of 2023. More than 180 Palestinians have been killed in the violence, with nearly half of them affiliated with militant groups, according to a tally by the Associated Press. Israel says most of those killed were militants but stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions as well as people not involved in the confrontations have also died. Israel says the raids are meant to dismantle militant networks and thwart future attacks. Palestinians say the raids undermine their security forces, inspire more militancy and entrench Israeli control over lands they seek for a hoped-for future state. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may travel to Russia soon to meet President Vladimir Putin as the Kremlin tries to acquire military equipment for use in its war in Ukraine, a US official has said. The official said the US expects Mr Kim to make the trip within the month. Advertisement The official said the US is not sure exactly where or when the meeting would take place, but the Pacific port city of Vladivostok would be a likely possibility given its relative proximity to North Korea. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson noted on Monday that Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu travelled to Pyongyang last month and tried to persuade North Korea to sell artillery ammunition to Russia. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to travel to Russia within the month (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) Advertisement Advertisement Ms Watson said: We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia. She added that the US is urging North Korea to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia. Mr Shoigu said on Monday that the two countries may hold joint war games. The New York Times first reported that Mr Kim planned to meet Mr Putin in Russia this month. Advertisement The White House said last week that it had intelligence indicating that Mr Putin and Mr Kim swapped letters following Mr Shoigus visit. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the letters were more at the surface level but that Russian and North Korean talks on a weapons sale were advancing. The Zaporizhzhia region of south-east Ukraine has become the most recent hot spot for battles in the 18-month war, Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu has said. It comes as Kyivs forces press ahead with their counteroffensive. Advertisement Mr Shoigu told Russian military officers on Tuesday that Ukraine has called up reserve brigades there that were trained by Kyivs western allies. He offered no evidence for his claim, which could not be independently verified. Fighting in the south east could be one of the keys to the war. Advertisement The illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is continuing. The map below is the latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine 5 September 2023. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/D9kZT12Ypx #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/IMM4OeyOxw Advertisement Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) September 5, 2023 Advertisement If Russian defences there collapse, Ukrainian forces could push south towards the coast and potentially split Russian forces in two. Mr Shoigus assertion was corroborated in part by other reports and assessments of Ukraines three-month-old effort to drive out the Kremlins troops. The Institute for the Study of War, a think tank, citing geolocated footage, said on Tuesday that Ukrainian light infantry has advanced beyond some of the anti-tank ditches and dense minefields that make up Russias layered defences in Zaporizhzhia. However, it said it was unable to say that the defence was fully breached because no Ukrainian heavy armour has been seen in the area. Advertisement It is in the south that the Ukrainian brigades have made most recent battlefield gains as the counteroffensive inches forward under heavy fire. Since the grinding counteroffensive began about three months ago, Ukraine has advanced 4.3 miles in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukrainian officials claim. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine 05 September 2023. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/vj0f0FmYk9 #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/xufDvqT7xn Advertisement Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) September 5, 2023 Troops surmounted dense Russian fortifications last week to retake the village of Robotyne. Advertisement That was Ukraines first tactically significant victory in that part of the country. Ukrainian forces have made more progress in that area and were fortifying captured positions on Tuesday morning, according to Pavlo Kovalchuk, spokesman of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Neither sides battlefield claims could be verified. If Ukrainians progress just nine miles from Robotyne, they could come within firing range of Russias east-west transport routes and potentially weaken Moscows combat capabilities, military observers say. Ukrainian forces are advancing without air cover, making their progress harder and slower, while Russia has launched its own push in the northeast to pin down Ukrainian forces and prevent them being redeployed to the south. A soldier of Ukraines 3rd Separate Assault Brigade looks on against the background of an APC near Bakhmut on Monday (Libkos/AP) Ukraine has adapted its counteroffensive tactics in recent weeks, moving from attempts to bludgeon its way through Russian lines using western-supplied armour to better-planned tactical attacks that make incremental gains, according to the Royal United Services Institute, a think tank. However, this approach is slow, with approximately 7001,200 metres (2,300-4,000 feet) of progress every five days, allowing Russian forces to reset, it said in an assessment on Monday. Rishi Sunak was under fresh pressure over his role in the concrete crisis after a minister said the former chancellor approved funding for the rebuilding of 50 schools yearly, despite a bid for 200. Schools minister Nick Gibb suggested on Tuesday that the British prime minister, when chancellor in 2021, had gone with other priorities over a request to increase funding to fix Englands schools. Advertisement The British Department for Education (DfE) conceded that just four schools have been rebuilt so far under the programme at the centre of that row. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan attending Cabinet. Photo: James Manning/PA. Mr Gibb insisted the governments response to the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) that is causing more than 100 schools to partially or fully shut is world-leading. Advertisement British education secretary Gillian Keegan was attending the first Cabinet meeting since the summer break after being caught on camera hitting out at others she argued had sat on their arse and done nothing. Advertisement The British prime minister has also been accused of refusing to fully fund a programme to rebuild Englands crumbling schools when he was chancellor by former DfE permanent secretary Jonathan Slater. The ex-civil servant said that up to 400 schools a year needed to be replaced but that funding was given for 100 after Mr Sunak took the decision to halve the size of the programme. Advertisement However, Mr Sunak told reporters the attack on his record was completely and utterly wrong. Mr Gibb said he did not recognise the 400 figure but admitted that the DfE asked for funding to overhaul 200 schools a year in 2021 only for Mr Sunak to agree funding for just 50 a year. Advertisement We put in a bid for 200, but what Rishi agreed to was to continue the rebuilding programme with 50 a year, consistent with what wed been doing since we came into office, the minister told Sky News. Of course we put in a bid for 200, but of course the Treasury then has to compare that with all the other priorities from right across Whitehall, from the health service, defence, and so on. The school rebuilding programme has completed four sites so far, the DfE said, but officials expected the pace to pick up by the end of the decade. Advertisement Advertisement Pupils from Corpus Christi Catholic School, Brixton arrive at St Martins in the Field Girls School in London on Tuesday, as they are relocated after their school was affected with substandard reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete. Photo: Yui Mok/PA. A DfE spokeswoman said: We have committed to rebuilding 500 schools under the schools rebuilding programme between 2020 and 2030 and are on track to deliver that commitment. Mr Gibb defended Ms Keegan after she apologised for accidentally expressing her frustration on camera that no one was acknowledging what a f****** good job she was doing. He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: What she was trying to get across is the huge amount of work that the DfE has done. We are world-leading in terms of identifying where Raac is in our school estate. Were talking about a small number of schools out of 22,500 schools, but we have conducted surveys since March last year, so we know where Raac is, and were sending in surveyors to identify Raac. After apologising for her language, Ms Keegan went on to admit to being on holiday in Spain in the run-up to ordering the 104 schools and colleges to make closures. She was mocked on Tuesday for tweeting a graphic saying most schools unaffected by the Raac crisis, with Labour quick to post a spoof saying most beachgoers not eaten by big shark, in reference to the stance of the mayor in the movie Jaws. Advertisement Ministers have been accused of taking a sticking plaster approach to essential maintenance by the head of the Whitehall spending watchdog. Writing in the Times, National Audit Office chief Gareth Davies suggested that there had not been sufficient focus on unflashy but essential tasks such as maintaining public buildings that have faced underinvestment. I want to reassure parents that we are doing everything we can to support the minority of schools & colleges affected by RAAC. Here's how were ensuring the safety of pupils & staff, while mitigating the disruption to education. Thread 1/4 pic.twitter.com/JpW6oetO1W Gillian Keegan MP (@GillianKeegan) September 5, 2023 Mr Gibb said he did not accept the charge, telling Sky News: Were spending 1.8 billion a year and we are taking more proactive action on that than any other government in the world. British Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was unforgivable that children were missing the start of term due to the crumbling concrete crisis. Opening a meeting of his reshuffled shadow cabinet, Sir Keir said: Children are not at school today because of the action the government has failed to take in relation to schools. That is unforgivable. It is a metaphor, frankly, for their sticking plaster politics: never fixing the fundamentals always sticking plasters. Fund managers and shareholder advisers have cautiously welcomed the early departure of Qantas chief Alan Joyce, but some say it may not be enough to quell the disquiet around the company. Qantas announced the departure of Joyce on Tuesday morning, two months ahead of his planned retirement from the airline he helmed for 15 years. Joyces early exit follows weeks of regulatory and reputational issues that have buffeted the nations largest carrier, including legal action by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission against Qantas for allegedly misleading its customers by selling tickets for already cancelled flights, the treatment of customer flight credits and the size of Joyces pay packet. Qantas provided no update in its Tuesday announcement on the status of Joyces remuneration package, estimated to be worth in excess of $24 million including short-term bonuses and long-term rewards. Qantass shares initially rose 1 per cent on the news of his exit, but were trading flat on Tuesday afternoon. Violence marred celebrations around the West Indian Day Parade on Monday despite intense NYPD preparations that included the deployment of 1,000 officers and eight high-tech drones, police said Tuesday. The mayhem during post-parade partying in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, included a deadly shooting, a fight that erupted in gunfire and stabbings and an incident in which a man apparently shot himself in the foot all along or near the parade route according to cops. Still, Mayor Adams and NYPD officials noted Brooklyns JOuvert celebration the night of revelry that takes place before the Monday parade was the safest in history. NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said there were five total violent incidents along the parade route, one more than last year. There were also four violent clashes on the streets surrounding the parade route, three more than in 2022. Mayor Eric Adams, flanked by NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban (L) and Chief of Patrol John Chell, are pictured during a press conference at NYPD Headquarters on Tuesday. Those incidents included the killing of a 51-year-old Queens man who was repeatedly shot on Sterling Place near Schenectady Ave. around 8:50 p.m. Monday, cops said. There were lots of shots, a witness, who would only give his name as Roman, told the Daily News at the time. They gave him everything. They made sure he was dead. The victim was shot on a block full of impromptu parties by a gunman who ran off and was still being sought by police. Earlier in the day along the parade route, a 19-year-old man was shot in the chest and thumb on Eastern Parkway near Utica Ave. when two groups began arguing with each other. One of the brawlers pulled a gun and opened fire into the crowd as the two groups clashed at 5:20 p.m., NYPD Assistant Chief Joseph Kenny said. Two other teens suffered slash wounds and an FDNY fire truck at the scene was hit with a stray bullet, according to police. Police and medics treat an injured person after a multiple-shooting on Eastern Pkwy. and Rochester Ave. in Brooklyn during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday. A retaliation shooting would have certainly occurred on Utica Ave. if cops, with the help of a drone monitoring from above, didnt swoop in instantaneously, Chell observed. Post-shooting we all saw kids coming out of some buildings with masks and school bags and we knew something was going to go down, he said. Calling in all our resources and seeing that there were thousands (of people) there, we called down our (Strategic Response Group) to take back that corner. We definitely stopped some sort of retaliation last night on that corner, Chell added, calling the holiday weekend an overall success for public safety. We tried to mimic last years success, and we did, he said. The gunman in the Monday afternoon shooting near Utica Ave. tossed his weapon away as he ran. That firearm and 29 others were recovered within the four precincts where JOuvert and the West Indian Day Parade took place, cops said. More than 70 weapons were recovered by police over the weekend throughout the city. Guns confiscated over the weekend are pictured during a press conference at Police Headquarters in Manhattan on Tuesday. About an hour before the shooting near Utica, a man suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound during a fight outside a five-story residential building along Eastern Parkway at the corner of Franklin Ave., according to cops. While JOuvert is historically plagued with shootings there were zero acts of violence throughout the evening, Police Commissioner Edward Caban asserted. Seven people were arrested for firearm possession during the night-long party, cops said. This was one of the safest JOuvert celebrations and Labor Day weekends we have seen in recent memories and probably the safest JOuvert celebration in history, Adams said. There were three shootings across Flatbush and Crown Heights during last years JOuvert celebrations, which the mayor called a benchmark for safety. Were seeing the continuation on how we are crafting and fine-tuning our craft with new tools to make things even safer, he said. Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban pose for pictures with NYPD CRT officers and confiscated guns at NYPD Headquarters on Tuesday. The Police Department took special precautions this year to prevent shootings along the crowded parade route, including contacting 40 known gang members as part of the NYC Ceasefire Initiative requesting a peaceful holiday. The NYPD used eight drones to monitor the parade, but they were only used to help deploy police resources when something happened, said NYPD Assistant Commissioner Kaz Daughtry. While the drones were expected to handle 311 complaints, the need never arose, said Daughtry. Any noise complaints were handled by the NYPDs crisis management teams and other city agencies. A high-profile member of the Alameddine crime family has been arrested in Sydneys east after allegedly being on the run from police for more than a month. About 9am on Tuesday, detectives attached to Eastern Beaches Police Area Command executed a search warrant at a unit on Bundock Street in South Coogee as part of an unrelated investigation. Ahmad Alameddine was arrested by police in South Coogee on Tuesday. Credit: NSW Police While police were conducting the search, Ahmad Alameddine allegedly jumped from a window of the unit and over a nearby fence. Officers engaged in a short foot pursuit, however, the 33-year-old could not be found. Detectives continued the search while other officers including Traffic and Highway Patrol officers searched for Alameddine. The scare campaign against 60-day medication dispensing was bad enough. Then, on Monday, aggrieved pharmacists descended on Parliament House, reportedly hurling abuse at people who work there. As a reminder of where all the outrage is coming from, the federal government announced earlier this year that it would allow patients to collect a 60-day supply of some medicines when they visit the pharmacy instead of the previous model, which generally only allowed for 30-day supplies. Though the change will initially apply to around 100 drugs for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, the pushback from pharmacists has been intense. Still, the attempt to convince people the sky would fall in if 60-day dispensing came in failed, and hopefully this weeks protests will too. Rather than having the desired effect of intimidating the government, these protests should stiffen its resolve in negotiations about how to pay for community pharmacies. The change will allow millions of patients to save time and money by avoiding needless visits to the pharmacy amid a cost of living crisis, and with one in 20 Australians skipping prescribed medicines due to cost, the change is a health win too. GPs will also be freed up by not having to see as many patients simply seeking repeat prescriptions, which will likely reduce wait times for people who need appointments for more pressing medical issues. Australia will miss out on the massive opportunities opened up by South-East Asias economic boom unless the federal government slashes red tape, simplifies visa requirements and increases awareness of the region, a major report has warned. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will release the governments South-East Asia Strategy, which contains 75 recommendations for improving economic ties with the region, during a trip to Jakarta on Wednesday. Anthony Albanese, pictured here in Indonesia last year, will release the governments South-East Asia strategy during a trip to Jakarta on Wednesday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The strategy, developed by former Macquarie Group chief executive Nicholas Moore, recommends the government explore introducing a political risk insurance scheme to make it easier for Australian businesses to invest in politically unstable countries. The government believes attracting more investment from South-East Asia will be crucial to ensure the nation does not become overly dependent on trade with China. The NSW Labor government has flagged extending the life of Australias largest coal-fired power station beyond 2025 but cannot say how long it will stay open or whether taxpayers could be forced to foot the bill. As revealed by the Herald last month, the government on Tuesday accepted a key recommendation in its Electricity Supply and Reliability Check-Up report that engagement should begin with Origin Energy on an extension of the Eraring coal plant beyond 2025. The NSW Labor government has flagged an extension of Eraring beyond 2025. Credit: Brendon Thorne However, Energy Minister Penny Sharpe could not say how much the government would need to spend on a deal with Origin Energy to keep its Lake Macquarie power station open until formal talks began. The government is not writing a blank cheque in terms of Erarings future, Sharpe said. Rick Gned has applied for about 50 rental properties in Melbourne and has been rejected from all of them. After being forced to leave his Carnegie rental late last year, the 50-year-old moved in with family in Gippsland and commutes about six hours a day to his job in professional administration in Melbournes inner east. Rick Gned is on the train during his long commute to work. Credit: Joe Armao He is considering offering six months rent in advance to secure a home closer to work. Gned is among the Melbourne tenants who feel they have little choice but to offer to pay rent in advance to lift their application to the top of the pile. Prince Andrew Considers Penning Explosive 'Tell-All Book' in Wake of Harry's 'Spare' (Photo: REUTERS) In a revelation that has raised eyebrows, it has come to light that government files detailing the activities of Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, will remain confidential until 2065 due to a unique rule. This rule stipulates that any files involving British royalty are to be sealed and inaccessible for 105 years from the birth of the royal member in question. Prince Andrew, who served as a roaming trade ambassador for the United Kingdom until his resignation in 2011, has had his activities during this tenure kept under wraps. This is despite the fact that many of his trips as trade ambassador were funded by the British taxpayer. Under typical circumstances, government records transferred to The National Archives at Kew from Whitehall are kept confidential for a span of 20 years. However, an exception is made for members of the British royal family. This revelation has sparked criticism from various quarters. Royal biographer Andrew Lownie, who is currently penning a book on the Duke of York's life, has termed this rule as "absurd". He highlighted the irony of the situation, pointing out that while Prince Harry can disclose intimate details of royal life for commercial gain, historians are barred from accessing files that are of significant public interest. Lownie further emphasized the public's right to know about Prince Andrew's associations, especially with figures like the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. He also raised questions about the Duke's role as a trade envoy, a position funded by the taxpayer, and expressed curiosity about who is currently financing Prince Andrew's security since he is no longer an active royal. The Duke of York relinquished his role as trade envoy in 2011 amidst growing scrutiny over his affiliations with several contentious figures, including Epstein. However, a representative for Prince Andrew clarified that he would continue to embark on official overseas trips as a member of the Royal Family, supporting Britain's foreign interests. This rule doesn't only apply to Prince Andrew. Files concerning other royal members, including the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and Princess Alexandra, are also safeguarded under this regulation. In light of these revelations, there is a growing call for transparency and a reevaluation of the rules that grant such extensive confidentiality to the activities of the royal family, especially when they intersect with public duties and taxpayer funds. With 5 homes on Buffalos West Side, UB architecture students create hope Students in the School of Architecture and Planning pose on the porch of one of the houses they toured. Photo: Douglas Levere You are trailblazing in an area that is technically uncharted territory, doing it in an urban footprint that genuinely will give back to a community that has historically been disenfranchised and systemically oppressed. By the end of the fall 2022 semester, Briana Egan had obtained her Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC) designation. In the spring, Egan and her UB classmates applied their training to create design plans to retrofit five vacant doubles owned by People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH Buffalo) on Buffalos West Side. Now, PUSH plans to use the drawings to transform the empty buildings into passive houses structures that through improved insulation and airtight seals (among other aspects) use significantly less energy while creating new opportunities for home ownership. While five homes may not seem like much, the students work has the potential to create immense impact for Buffalo and other cities that need to address neighborhoods marred by a history of racial segregation and disinvestment, while preparing for the impacts of a changing climate. You are trailblazing in an area that is technically uncharted territory, doing it in an urban footprint that genuinely will give back to a community that has historically been disenfranchised and systemically oppressed, Amun Ra, PUSH Buffalos director of planning and community development, told the students during a course wrap-up session held at PUSH Buffalos office on Plymouth Avenue. And the things that you just did in that room right there has potential to create a form of generational wealth for some people who literally never even thought that was possible for them, Ra added. The studio was a two-semester course part of the Green Reconstruction on the West Side (GROWS) project taught by Nicholas Rajkovich, associate professor in the Department of Architecture, that began in fall 2022, when students studied and took the two exams required for the CPHC designation through a partnership with the Passive House Institute of the United States (Phius) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Once they obtained their certification, students toured each of the houses to learn more about existing conditions. In the spring, they worked in small groups to explore energy efficiency and clean technology options for the homes, ultimately developing comprehensive designs for each one. In the early part of the summer, each group presented their completed design plans to a panel of guest critics and PUSH Buffalo representatives. As Malaysia is blessed with diversity in cultures, were able to indulge and experience so many traditions in one go. Of course, that includes wearing each others traditional clothing when we celebrate festivities of different races. As weve previously looked into the history of the cheongsam, here, were zooming into the traditional attire of Indian originsthe saree. The epitome of elegance, the saree is a part of the vibrant Indian culture that boasts joy, extravagance and maximalism. The saree is made out of a combination of tight-fitted and flowy silhouettesworn by Indian women either as everyday wear, or during festivities and joyous occasions. It is probably one of the most complex customary garments that beginners would have a hard time putting on, but will undeniably make you feel like a princess when its draped beautifully over your body. Without further ado, lets delve into its beauty and wonders. Tracing its origins View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tarun Tahiliani (@taruntahiliani) The saree can actually be called an ancient heritage, with an existence that can be traced back to the Indus Valley civilisation. However, the garment only started flourishing during the 2800-1800 BCE (just to give you an approximate idea of the timeline, it was more than ten thousand years ago). Its popularity spread among natives in the northwestern part of the Indian continent. Based on Indian culture and belief, a saree is a representation of a deity and a symbol of pride for women. Throughout the passage of time, the saree also spread across all regions of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, becoming the traditional garment in various countries in South Asia. Identifying its categories Being a garment with such a long history, its really not that surprising to see the staggering number of types of sarees in India: 31! The garment is categorised based on elements such as the type of textile, embroidery and ways to tie it. Here are some of the in-demand sarees to take note of: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anita Dongre (@anitadongre) Three of the most popular types among the bunch are the Bandhani saree, Banarasi saree and silk saree. Bandhani sarees can be identified by their geometric-patterned fabric, made by tying small knots on the cloth and then dyed with a vibrant shade. This type of saree is usually made with cotton or silk but can be seen in limitless colours and designs. The Banarasi saree came from the city of Varanasi, made luxuriously with silk embroidered with gold or silver thread. Next is the silk saree thats loved for its airy, durable, yet low-maintenance silk fabric. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shalini Narang (@shalini_narang) Besides that, there are also sarees that are made for special occasions like the Georgette saree, Sambalpuri saree and Paithani saree. The Georgette saree is one of the top choices among Indian women, made out of high-quality yarns and embellished with beads or embroidery. The Sambalpuri saree is a top pick among young women for special occasions. Its made with colourful silk or cotton cloth and decorated with flowers, birds or other animals. Meanwhile, the Paithani saree is considered a symbol of wealth, as each piece is designed with fine silk and paired with intricate embroidery that is sewn with gold and silver thread. View this post on Instagram A post shared by MANIKYA Silks & Suits (@manikya_silks_suits) The Kanjeevaram saree, Net saree, and Assam silk saree are popular among brides. The Kanjeevaram saree has a nickname as the Queen of Indian sarees for its grand appearance. This category uses handwoven fine silk as a base and is adorned with gold and silver thread, making it the perfect statement piece for parties. On the other hand, the Net saree is made out of delicate net fabric and decorated with embroidery, sequins or beadsperfect for brides who want a light piece that allows them to move around freely. The Assam silk saree is made out of flowy mulberry silk and embellished with tassels. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Banarasee (@buyatbanarasee) If youre wondering about everyday options, the Chiffon saree is the ideal garment for summertime wear, made with light synthetic fibres that look slightly sheer but feel super airy. The Kota Doria saree is also a great choice for hot weather, made with a lightweight fabric named Kota, which is a mix of silk and cotton. The Mashru saree is also made from cloth thats a mix of silk and cotton, but its named after the city of Mashru because it is where the manufacturer of this hybrid cloth is located. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sindhoi ~ Patola Bandhani (@sindhoi_patola) At the highest level of extravagance for sarees, there is the Patola Saree, which involves the use of the double ikat woven fabric. This fabric is created using an extremely complex weaving process that could take up to one or two years just to complete a single saree. Parts of a saree View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tarun Tahiliani (@taruntahiliani) As you might already know, the saree is made up of quite a few layers. Starting from the top is a cropped blouse, which could be made with a range of styles from sleeveless, short sleeve to long sleeve. Moving to the bottoms are the petticoat and pleats. The petticoat is a matching inner skirt used to tuck in a saree. This inner doesnt have to be the perfect fit length-wise, but has to be tight on the waist to hold the saree up. Wrapping over the petticoat are the pleats, tucked in somewhere near the belly button and flow smoothly until the floor. The outermost layer is the pallu, which is a long shawl thats draped over the saree, hanging over the shoulders of the wearer. Of course, the outfit isnt complete without its accessories like the tikka and bindi. The tikka is a small headpiece that hangs to the hair and falls beautifully onto the forehead. Meanwhile, the Bindi is the red dot or embellished sticker that is attached to the centre of the forehead above the eyebrows. For more stories on traditional wear, click here. Chennai-based Software as a Service (SaaS) firm Zoho Corporation has surpassed 100 million users across its 55-plus business applications. The company on Tuesday said it is the first bootstrapped SaaS company to reach this milestone. Zoho has added at least 50 million users. Its user base has grown from 1 million users in 2008 to 100 million in 2023. The company crossed one billion US dollars in annual revenue last year. It now serves more than 700,000 businesses across more than 150 countries. India is one of the fastest-growing markets for the firm, where it has witnessed a three-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 65 per cent in the upmarket segment. Best known for its online office suite applications, Zoho provides tools for Customer Relationship Management (CRM), project management, social media management, marketing automation, helpdesk software, and so on. The company serves sales, marketing, finance, legal, and information technology, among other sectors. "This is an impressive milestone for any organisation, but it's particularly sweet for us as a bootstrapped company that has never raised external capital. And we are not done yet. We have an impressive innovation pipeline covering the next 10 years and are investing in deep technologies to serve billions of users around the world. We're working towards it, and we want to thank all of you for your continued support," said Sridhar Vembu, co-founder and CEO of Zoho Corp. Some of Zoho's customers include brands like MakeMyTrip, PUMA, Axis Finance, Paper Boat, Samsonite, BigBasket, Tata Play Fiber, BYJU'S, Star Health & Allied Insurance, Mercedes-Benz India, SpiceJet, IIFL Finance, Meril Life Sciences, Blue Star, Bosch, Zomato, Saint-Gobain, Deloitte and McDonald's. The company will host Zoholicsits annual user conferenceacross 16 countries in the next eight weeks. In India, the event will take place on 10-11 October in Bengaluru. Over 30 Zoholics across 27 countries will be hosted by Zoho in 2023. The ex-boyfriend of Carlee Russell, an Alabama woman charged with faking her own abduction, said they got into a minor tiff before her disappearance. Russell is facing two misdemeanors counts false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident in connection with the kidnapping hoax, which went on to nab headlines nationwide. On July 13, Russell, a 25-year-old nursing student, phoned 911, telling dispatchers she passed by a toddler on the side of I-459 South near mile marker 11, according to the Hoover Police Department. When officers arrived on the scene, they saw no sign of the toddler or Russell, who remained missing for for 49 hours before reappearing at her parents home on July 15. Upon her return, Russells then-boyfriend, Thomar Latrell Simmons, stood by her, though she later admitted to making up the toddler as well as her struggle with a kidnapper. Carlee Russell In a new interview on the 205 Boyz podcast, Simmons said he found out hed been lied to only when his family sent him clips from a press conference held by the Hoover County Police Department. During the July 25 briefing, authorities read a statement from Russells attorney, Emory Anthony, in which she confessed to lying about everything. I was mad, I was sad. I was in all types of emotions . Thats my girl so I stuck for it. But it wasnt making sense, Simmons said. If you really wanted to tell me the truth, you could have told me. Before the police conference, you could have told me. He also recalled taking a trip to New York with Russell a few weeks before she staged her own disappearance. Carlethia Carlee Nichole Russell We were having fun, taking tours, Simmons said. We had a little argument but nothing to kidnap yourself over. I am confused, like, What happened? What made you do that?' Simmons said he would not discuss the matter at all moving forward, and noted that he currently has no contact with Russell. Removal of non-tariff barriers in G20 nations such as minimum maturation condition for whisky will help in increasing exports of alcoholic beverages from India, apex body for liquor firms Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) said on Tuesday. CIABC Director-General Vinod Giri said that the G20 countries not only account for 80 per cent of global alcoholic beverages imports, they also allow higher product prices and better operating margins. However, India has a miniscule share of that pie, accounting for just 0.1 per cent of their imports. "It is therefore a massive opportunity not only from the volume point of view but also from the value and profits. G20 nations have great interest in it. While allowing them better access to our markets, we must ensure a return access by demanding the removal of non-tariff barriers such as minimum maturation conditions for whisky that these countries have put up to protect their own industry," Giri said. He added that many Indian alcoholic beverages products are comparable with the best in the world quality-wise, but attracting customers is not an easy task in highly competitive markets of the G20 countries. "The G20 presidency with India has helped on that front by moving India towards the centre of this grouping. It has increased engagement with India and we hope it spills over to an interest in Indian products and a favourable disposition towards them," he said. Giri also said that so far exports of alcoholic beverages have been driven by the industry with little intervention or support from the government, but the push by India's trading partners like the UK and Australia for liquor and wine has made the government take notice of the industry. Seeing the opportunity in India, countries like the UK are seeking significant duty cuts on whiskey. "We note a welcome interest in the government on promoting export of Indian alcoholic beverages products now. India is amongst the largest liquor markets in the world," he said. Besides removing barriers, he suggested that Indian missions abroad can help in promoting domestic products by serving those in their official functions. "This is a great endorsement and this is what every other country does. Our trade fairs and exhibitions should include Indian products. We must showcase our indigenous liquor like Feny, Mahua etc. to the world as a specialty," Giri said. Alcoholic beverage exports from India to G20 countries are just 12 per cent of India's total alcohol exports. Also Read Passengers can carry 2 sealed bottles of alcohol per person in Delhi metro G20 Summit: Delhi police's advisory; check restrictions, routes, and more 38% of Indians have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, says AIIMS study Varun Beverages Q2 results: Net profit rises 26.2% YoY, revenue up 13.5% Ahead of G20 Summit in Delhi, PWD to conduct dry run from September 1-7 As G20 leader how India is ensuring quality of traditional medicine systems Discussions on global framework to regulate crypto underway: FM Sitharaman Edible oil prices may not rise during festive season due to good supply August PMI services comes at 60.3 on strong order book; output elevated Around 500,000 taxpayers get I-T department alert for low advance tax G20 countries import $ 56.8 billion of alcoholic beverages, out of which India's share is just $ 36.7 million. G20 has 43 members and not 20 countries. These include 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the UK and the US) and the European Union (27-member group). Three EU countries -- France, Germany, and Italy -- are counted among 19 countries. Share of G20 nations in India's merchandise export was 64 per cent and import was 52.4 per cent in 2022. India's leading export destinations among G20 nations in 2022 were the US ($ 91 billion), the EU ($ 87 billion), China ($ 17.5 billion), the UK ($ 14.4 billion), Turkiye ($ 10.7 billion) and Saudi Arabia ($ 10 billion). The country's leading import suppliers last year included China ($ 118.5 billion), the EU ($ 59.1 billion), Saudi Arabia ($ 43.3 billion), the US ($ 38.4 billion), Russia ($ 34 billion), Australia ($ 19.2 billion), Korea ($ 18.9 billion), and Japan ($ 13.9 billion). India will volunteer to create and host a global repository of digital public infrastructure (DPI) to support other countries in building platforms similar to Aadhaar, Unified Payment Interface (UPI) and DigiLocker, said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state for electronics and IT. The repository will include a stack of applications, which countries can use, customise or modify, according to their jurisdictions. The minister, while briefing on the outcome of the G20 digital economy ministers meeting, said eight countries have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India on this. It will help in deploying and customising digital public goods like Aadhaar, UPI, Digilocker and others. The countries signing MoUs for DPI include Antigua and Barbuda and Trinidad and Tobago from the Caribbean. They also include Africas Sierra Leone, Suriname in South America, Armenia in East Europe, and Papua New Guinea and Mauritius in Asia. India will offer the technology behind Indian digital public goods, related skilling, and a partnership with Indian startups and the innovation ecosystem. Apart from this, India has also signed MoUs for a larger digital cooperation with Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The minister said that there was also a consensus that there should be an international alliance to fund countries from the Global South to accelerate their digitisation. One of the aspects that have been discussed is mobilising finance for DPIs and helping countries that have lagged in the digitisation process, Chandrasekhar said. However, he did not provide further details on these financing measures and the source. He said there was interest from multilateral organisations, governments, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to support the expansion of DPIs. As reported earlier, the G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) will focus on three priority areas, namely DPI, cyber security and digital skill development. The minister said the working group has reached an agreement on what constitutes digital public infrastructure. For the first time, there is a global consensus on what ought to be the definition, framework, and principles of digital public infrastructure. This is an exciting conversation, which has gained momentum in the context of the G20. India is now a case study, as a nation that employed and deployed technological tools for progress and growth, Chandrasekhar said. Also Read India extends UPI services to France, first in Europe after Singapore Zomato temporarily suspends rollout of UPI enrolment for new users You may soon be able to make UPI payments by talking or just tapping phone ICICI Bank to offer EMI facility for UPI transactions above Rs 10,000 UPI continues to dominate digital payments thanks to wide use of QR codes G20 finance deputies begin talk: Crypto norms, debt sustainability in focus Janmashtami 2023 decoration ideas: Five ways to decorate Bal Gopal's Swing SC reserves judgement on pleas challenging abrogation of Article 370 House panel on chemicals and fertilisers on 4-day visit to Andaman India, ASEAN looking at boosting maritime security ties at summit talks India, during its presidency of G20, has showcased the open-source architecture of indigenously developed platforms like Aadhaar and UPI. As part of global digital public goods, the Union government plans to offer the expertise and architecture of India Stack to other countries. Countries that have lagged increasingly see this as a way to follow Indias lead in DPI, and use it to create the same impact that India has. Through these G20 conversations, we have further understood how DPIs are a powerful mechanism for inclusion, especially for the Global South, the minister said. Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha on Tuesday wrote a letter to the chiefs of all 47 political parties including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, calling upon them to set aside political differences and prioritise the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament. The Women's Reservation Bill seeks to reserve 33 per cent of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women. Despite being a crucial step towards gender parity and inclusive governance, the Bill has remained in legislative limbo for far too long. In her letter, the BRS MLC Kavitha underscored the pivotal role women play in Indian discourse and the pressing need for their representation in legislative bodies. She highlighted the proof of concept provided by the 14 lakh women already active in public life, demonstrating their ability to lead and govern effectively. Emphasising the importance of inclusivity in our democracy, K Kavitha asserted that increased women's representation is not a matter of exclusivity but a means to build a more equitable and balanced political landscape. In a separate letter to the presidents of political parties including Bharatiya Janata Party chief JP Nadda, Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party, DMK's MK Stalin, NCP's Sharad Pawar, Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge, YSRCP's Jagan Mohan Reddy, the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister KCR urged them to recognise the urgency of this matter and throw their weight behind the Women's Reservation Bill. Meanwhile, while talking to ANI, Kavitha urged both treasury and opposition bench members to support the Bill in the upcoming five-sitting long Special Session of Parliament, convened by the Central government from September 18-22. "There has been a special session of the Parliament called for various reasons. The issue of women's representation in the Parliament is of utmost importance and with folded hands I request all the political parties to take up this issue and rise above the political partisanship. This current govt does not have a comfortable majority in Rajya Sabha, but the Women's Reservation Bill is already passed in Rajya Sabha. So they just have to put it in the Lok Sabha and give the Women's Reservation Bill..." Kavitha said. "The INDIA group is meeting today, so I request Malikkarjun Kharge, Nitish Kumar, and the top leadership of that group to kindly consider the Women's Reservation Bill as a top priority," she added. Also Read BRS's Kavitha leads hunger strike seeking passage of Women Reservation bill Women's Reservation Bill necessary to ensure representation: K Kavitha ED files caveat in SC on K Kavitha's plea challenging summons against her Delhi excise scam: SC to hear K Kavitha's plea on ED summons on March 24 Delhi excise policy scam: SC to hear K Kavitha's plea against ED summons Terrorist killed in encounter with forces in J-K's Reasi; op underway WB Dhupguri bypoll: A litmus test for parties ahead of Lok Sabha elections Himachal's PWD minister directs dept to open all blocked roads by Sept 15 Maratha quota protests: MSRTC bus depots shut, transport body incurs losses PM Modi turns G20 Summit into not-so-subtle election kickoff in the country Earlier, she sat on a hunger strike in March demanding the tabling and passing of the Women's Reservation Bill and has been engaging with political parties and civil society organisations across India to escalate the demand for the Bill. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said that women will have adequate representation in Parliament and State Assemblies with amendments to the Constitution soon which will make India "number one" even before 2047. "I can tell you that the day is not far when in India, in the Parliament and State Assemblies, women will have adequate representation with appropriate amendments to the Constitution. We will be a global power by 2047 but if this reservation takes place early, we will be number 1 even before 2047...," Vice President Dhankar said while addressing an interactive program with the girl students of "Vishwavidyalaya Maharani Mahavidyalaya" in Rajasthan's Jaipur. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday informed about the five-day special session of Parliament from September 18-22. The agenda for the special session, however, was not revealed yet. Tibetans in exile will not hold any protest against the Chinese here during a G20 Summit scheduled to be held later this week as Chinese President Xi Jinping will not be attending the meeting, a Tibetan delegate said. "We wanted to do some movement during the G20 meeting if Xi Jinping were to attend the summit. Now we have heard that he is not coming," Dawa Tsering, a member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, said. Tsering said since Xi Jinping came to power, he has been provoking the Indian government and the Indian people. "He (Xi) is torturing the Tibetan people and he did not allow small children to study their own language. If my son wants to become a monk, he does not allow it. It is a cultural genocide. He is worse than Mao Zedong," he said. Asked if the Tibetans would protest against the presence of a Chinese representative at the summit, Tsering said the protest would have taken place only if Xi Jinping had come to attend the meet. "We expect the Indian government to stand strongly against the Chinese expansionist policy that it adopts not only towards India but all South Asian countries. At the G20 meeting, the delegations from South Asian countries should stand against this Chinese policy," he said. The Indians should also boycott goods from the Communist country, he said. "We should all boycott Chinese goods. That is the first step we can take. We have everything in India, what is lacking here? There can be slight differences in appearance but otherwise, we have everything here. We can buy Indian products, British, American or Singaporean products. Why do we have to buy Chinese?" he asked. Asked if he would advocate a government ban on Chinese products in India, Tsering said it would be tricky for the government to do that. "It is a little tricky for the government as there are diplomatic relations. This kind of movement should start with individuals. I started this movement in the 1980s. I personally never ever buy Chinese. Even if some of my friends bring me Chinese gifts, I refuse. "This has to start from the individual, then the family, then the community and then society. We should not wait for the government for everything," he said. On The Dalai Lama's statement that Tibetans want autonomy within China, Tsering said the primary concern of the people of Tibet is to preserve their culture and identity. 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 Ahead of G20 Summit in Delhi, PWD to conduct dry run from September 1-7 As G20 leader how India is ensuring quality of traditional medicine systems Three-day-long G20 event in Kashmir to begin today: All you need to know National Teachers' Award 2023: Check the complete list of 2023 winners Rajnath Singh to inaugurate 90 BRO projects including on Sept 12: Official Arunachal undertakes afforestation in 16,560 hectares under CAMPA: Minister IIM-Calcutta director resigns; second to do so in 2 years: Report India a priority market with limitless possibilities: Meta India head "There is not a single country which recognises Tibet. Tibet was an independent country. We have to preserve our culture. If we lose our culture and identity and then get an independent land, we will be finished and it will be empty land to us. That's why we want autonomy within the Chinese constitution. That is our government policy," he added. Today, the world recognises India as a treasure trove of a continuum of traditional knowledge in the field of affordable and evidence-based healthcare facilities, mainly due to its demonstrated efficacy in Ayurveda and Yoga. Indias G20 presidency provided a golden chance to showcase this efficacy more intimately to world leaders and healthcare experts in a focused manner. The Ministry of Ayush actively participated in all relevant deliberations to communicate to the global community how traditional healthcare sciences of India have been performing to negotiate the ever-growing challenges of humanity and the environment while remaining focused to SDG 3 of Good Health and Wellbeing. It is quite evident now that the health-seeking behaviours of the global community have changed drastically after Covid-19 and it has shifted towards Holistic Health and Wellbeing. Providing high-quality, affordable and accessible healthcare services in an equitable manner is what humanity needs now. Various initiatives of the Ministry of Ayush during the last nine years have infused modern technological tools and modern methodologies in various traditional medicine systems which have resulted in tremendous growth of the evidence-based Ayush sector as a whole. It would be pertinent to remind that during the third session of G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the '5 As' with respect to health services: Accessible, affordable, appropriate, accountable and adaptable. The Ministry of Ayush has been persistently contributing along these dimensions and during the wider G20 discussions it demonstrated at various events that it has all the requisite wherewithal to (a) promote global collaboration and cooperation within G20 countries for R&D and standardise regulatory guidelines for traditional medicine; (b) engage stakeholders from the industry to facilitate knowledge sharing, capacity building and best practices. The ministry worked closely with various G20 engagement and working groups to identify potential areas of collaboration and partnerships. The Health Working Group is established to enhance dialogue and inform G20 leaders on important global health issues and the group works towards achieving equitable health for the present and future generations. The Ayush Ministry proactively participated in all the Health Working Group events during Indias presidency. All this culminated in the first World Health Organization (WHO) Traditional Medicine (TM) Global Summit held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on August 17-18. The summit was a huge success in terms of participation, exchange of ideas and experiences; and charting out future strategies both for the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar, Gujarat and the WHO TM Strategy 2025-35 document. Also Read Pro Kabaddi League 2023 to kick-start on Dec 2; 12-city caravan returns Ahead of G20 Summit in Delhi, PWD to conduct dry run from September 1-7 Aditya-L1 launch: Isro sun mission's launch date, time, and where to watch MPC lowers projection for inflation, raises growth outlook a bit in FY24 RBI MPC: Repo rate decision by Governor Das today; here's what to expect The need to build sovereign AI capabilities Rethinking growth Farmers' incomes are key for boosting food security Special session of Parliament: Are election nerves setting in? Brics enlargement in hope of getting heard Appreciating the efforts of the government of India in traditional medicine, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO, reaffirmed the undeniable contribution of India. It is noteworthy that the outcome document of the global summit is going to be shortly declared by the WHO as Gujarat Declaration. Recently, a stock-taking exercise was undertaken by the Ministry of Ayush under the chairmanship of Indias G20 sherpa, Amitabh Kant, in July in Delhi. The meeting focused on the endeavours of the Ministry in promoting Ayush systems of medicine at the global level through G20. While suggesting the infusion of innovative technologies and novel approaches within the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM), Kant elaborated how infusion would modernise traditional practices and enhance their effectiveness, leading to broader acceptance and utilization of traditional medicine. He underlined the need for better collaboration among stakeholders to integrate the principles of traditional medicine across all G20 engagement groups. The efforts of the Ministry of Ayush in various Engagement and Working group meetings of G20 have certainly had their impact. It was evident in this meeting when statements by Lav Aggarwal, Additional Secretary in Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, affirmed the inclusion of traditional medicine in MoHFW's forthcoming health declaration during India's G20 presidency. He also expressed the need for the inception of a dedicated forum for traditional medicine to provide a robust platform for experts and stakeholders to collaborate and explore the full potential of traditional healing practices in the context of modern healthcare. In the same meeting, Chintan Vaishnav, India Chair for Startup20, mentioned that Ayush system of medicine has been included in the list of Startup20 agenda shaping the future, which shall be taken forward under the next G20 presidency chaired by Brazil. With its state-of-the-art hospitals and highly skilled doctors, India has emerged as one of the most popular destinations for medical tourism. To further promote medical tourism in the country, the first Health Working Group in Thiruvananthapuram organized the side event on medical value travel. It was a productive and insightful forum for discussing the opportunities and challenges in the medical tourism industry in India. It was observed by many stakeholders here that connecting the world through medical value travel based on integrated healthcare, which involves traditional medicine systems in a robust manner, will serve the purpose of addressing disparities in the existing healthcare systems. It is noteworthy that the Ayush industry has gone through a significant transition during recent years. According to research reports, the market has grown by more than 17 per cent per year and it is estimated to have reached more than $ 23.3 billion. These numbers are overwhelming by any industry standards. The growing popularity and acceptance of Ayush is attributed to increased awareness, scientific validation, government support, global reach, lifestyle trends, and the personalized approach offered by Ayush systems. As more people experience the benefits of Ayush practices, its acceptance and integration into mainstream healthcare are likely to continue growing. On one front, it reflects growth opportunities in Ayush sector, but associated challenges are also there with this exponential growth. The challenges can be seen in the domains of safety, efficacy, transparency, trust and ethical practices. The increasing popularity also brings up instances where misleading claims have created trust issues among the public. The Government of India has taken several steps to address the issue of misleading information, including in the context of advertising and consumer protection. The journey to ensure safety and transparency in its operations and promote trust in the field of Ayush had started since the establishment of Ministry of Ayush in 2014. During these years, the ministry has proactively taken steps by strengthening its pharmacovigilance programme, which has been developed as a robust mechanism for surveillance of misleading advertisement. The programme collects, analyses, and responds to reports of adverse events, ensuring that the safety profile of Ayush medicines is continually monitored. Along with this, other rules and regulations related to misleading advertisement are equally effective in dealing with such mischievous instances. The ministry has emphasised the importance of regulatory compliance and adherence to established guidelines. It has implemented a regulatory framework for Ayush medicines, which includes licensing and certification processes for manufacturers, importers, and distributors. Furthermore, the ministry has focused on promoting research and evidence-based practices in the field of Ayush. It encourages rigorous scientific studies and clinical trials to validate the efficacy and safety of Ayush treatments. The Ministry of Ayush collaborates with regulatory authorities; both nationally and internationally, to exchange information, share best practices, and strengthen regulatory oversight of Ayush medicines. This collaboration helps to ensure that safety standards are consistent and aligned with global practices. During the recent WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit in Gandhinagar, intense deliberations were held on this topic which resulted in enhanced scope of synergized action in this area among participating countries. In nutshell, the G20 presidency engagements during the last couple of months provided an excellent opportunity to various Indian traditional medicine systems to showcase and share the evidence-based efficacy of TM. It also strengthened the hope and confidence of all stakeholders of the traditional medicine sector across the country and the globe that Indian Traditional Medicine systems are equipped with all the necessary wherewithal to serve humanity to achieve the lofty goal of universal health coverage. The writer is Union Cabinet Minister, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways & Ministry of Ayush. These are the personal opinions of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the views of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper Speculations ran rife across political circles in Karnataka that Tejaswini Ananth Kumar, the wife of the late Union Minister and BJP leader Ananth Kumar, would jump ship to Congress after she met state Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday. Karnataka Congress president Shivakumar, following the closed-door meeting, posted a picture with Tejaswini, who is also Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party vice president, on his X handle saying, "discussed state political issues." Taking to the microblogging site, the senior Congress leader, in Kannada, wrote, "Smt @Tej_AnanthKumar wife of senior BJP leader Dr Ananth Kumar, met me today at Kumara Krupa guest house and discussed state political issues." According to sources, however, the two leaders met and held discussions over pending bills of Adamya Chethana, an organisation headed by Tejaswini Anantkumar. Adamya Chethana provides food to Indira Canteen and bills are pending regarding which Tejaswini met Shivakumar, requesting the latter to settle the dues, sources added. In the last Lok Sabha elections, in 2019, there were rumours that Tejaswini would contest from Bengaluru South constituency. However, she was denied a ticket by the BJP and Tejaswi Surya was pitted from the constituency in the eleventh hour. Later, when the state BJP vice president wanted to contest this year's Karnataka Assembly polls, once again the party denied her ticket. As per sources, after being denied a ticket in the 2019 general elections, Tejaswini was given the post of state BJP vice president, but the wife of the late BJP leader has maintained a distance from party leaders and office for several months. Two months ago, there were rumours that she would join Congress. However, she clarified this saying that she is not leaving the BJP. Now, after she met Shivakumar there are speculations that she could be the candidate of Congress from Bengaluru South against BJP's Tejaswi Surya in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Also Read Congress victory in Karnataka is best birthday gift for me: Shivakumar Congress to decide Karnataka CM, Siddaramaiah, DKS in Delhi today Will implement manifesto 'guarantees': K'taka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar to be sworn in as Karnataka CM, Dy CM today High-voltage campaigning for Karnataka elections to end today at 5 pm Cong seeking refuge behind Freedom of Speech: Himanta on Sanatan Dharma row Oppn candidates don't stand a chance against NDA in UP: Anupriya Patel Sanatan Dharma remark: BJP demands apology, Udhayanidhi says will repeat it Businessmen in India being harassed by central agencies: Mamata Banerjee 1st meeting of newly-constituted CWC convened on Sep 16 in Hyderabad: Cong By Lyubov Pronina Belgium sold 21.9 billion euros ($23.7 billion) of bonds to households on Monday, Europes biggest-ever debt offering targeted exclusively at retail investors, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, as the nation sent a message to banks that have been slow to raise saving rates. More than 600,000 people poured into one-year note, according to a statement from the Belgian Debt Agency. The 3.3% coupon on the debt compares with an average rate of 3.13% for Belgian deposits of up to one year, European Central Bank data show. The offering was intended to stimulate competition among banks who must regain the confidence of savers, Finance Minister Vincent Van Peteghem said in the statement. The success of the issue, the rate hikes by certain banks and the increased demand from savers for products other than the savings account contribute to this objective. Belgians have massive savings in the bank that are very sticky so indirectly it is also a plan to make use of these huge amounts in a slightly more productive manner and potentially entice banks to increase their remuneration, said Ronald van Steenweghen, an investor at Brussels-based Degroof Petercam Asset Management. Initially, only 250 million in retail bonds was targeted for the entire year. Following todays sale, Belgiums debt office cut its planned 2023 bond issuance for institutional investors so-called OLOs by 2.9 billion, to 42.1 billion. Another one-year retail bond sale may be held in December, according to the statement. Governments from the UK to Hungary are increasingly tapping households for funding as rising yields make sovereign bonds more attractive to savers weary of years of zero or negative rates. The generous returns on government retail offerings put pressure on lenders to pass through higher central bank rates to customers savings. Banks are still flush with cash after years of monetary stimulus and have drawn fire for dragging their feet on raising rates. In June, there were a lot of complaints towards the government from political parties as people got very frustrated at banks not increasing savings rates as much as they would have liked, said Charlotte de Montpellier, a senior economist at ING Economic Research. So the government intervened with a product available to everyone, at a higher rate. Also Read Analysts see bond yields hitting 7.5% in near-term; how should you invest? Formula One: Verstappen wins Belgian GP to extend huge lead at the top 'Bond yields could stay under pressure over the next 6 months' Debt fund taxation changes to impact corporate bond demand: Fund managers Interpol launches Identify Me to seek clues on cold cases of 22 dead women Country Garden pays dollar bond interest within grace period: Report Meta to drop 'Facebook News' tab in some European countries this year Qantas CEO to depart early as airline looks to rebuild reputation OpenAI CEO Sam Altman becomes first person to get Indonesian 'golden visa' India extends support to SCO member countries to enhance legal capabilities Mondays deal trumps the previous record when the country raised 5.7 billion from retail investors during the euro-area sovereign debt crisis, thus sidestepping the surging yields demanded by professional investors. In June, Italy raised more than 18 billion in BTP Valores debt, a record amount for an Italian offering pitched at households. Jean Deboutte, head of Belgian debt agency, said he expects other countries to follow Belgiums example in the Euro area, possibly with bigger sales. By Howard Chua-Eoan China appears to have built a chip that matches some of the Wests most advanced semiconductors. While it may alarm US defense experts and sanctions proponents, the development shouldnt have been too surprising. Industrial secrets are impossible to keep for long, as the Chinese themselves know from millennia of what wed now call intellectual property lost by way of trade, theft and war. The progress toward parity with the West was revealed in a teardown conducted for Bloomberg News of the latest smartphone from Huawei Technologies Co., which utilises a chip made by Shanghai-based Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. The Kirin 9000s chip is still two generations behind the most advanced Western products. At 7 nanometers, it will soon be outdistanced by the even thinner 3-nanometer chip that Apple Inc. will use in its next iPhone. Still, it reflects a porousness that lets knowhow slip through stringent US sanctions. History has lots of examples of technology spreading in spite of government attempts at monopoly mostly to the detriment of China. The Chinese had developed sericulture thousands of years ago, managing to keep the techniques for turning caterpillars into clothing a secret for hundreds of years. But the rulers of China needed Central Asian horses to wage war and control their territory (As Jessica Rawson explains in her magisterial Life and Afterlife in Ancient China, the soil in the Yellow River valley doesnt have enough of the selenium required for the strong bones and muscles of military breeds). And so they traded silk for the right animals and quickly generated demand for the fabric outside the country. Because silk was key to Chinas martial-equine needs, its secrets were strictly controlled. Breaking the sanctions could lead to death. Still, the rewards of commerce moved the material westward by land and sea via the so-called silk routes, causing one of the worlds first trade imbalances. One estimate had the Roman Empire spending the equivalent of 1% of its gross domestic product on the cloth. Legend has it that the Chinese monopoly was broken by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century when he had two Nestorian monks smuggle back silkworm eggs in bamboo cases plus seedlings of the mulberry tree they fed on. But I suspect traders had already brought knowledge of silkworm cultivation to the West much earlier, just because such things do slip through. Hence, the explosion of silk manufacturing when Justinian made it part of his industrial policy. The Byzantines just got better at it. Also Read Microsoft may bring its own AI chips to compete with Nvidia's: Report China tells manufacturers to stop using Micron chips, steps up feud with US 'Historical' changes: Here is what the NCERT has dropped from text books Asia Cup history: From ODIs to T20s, a classic crowd-puller for 39 years China move to curb chipmaking material exports escalates supply worries US President Biden to skip the Asean Summit, here's why it is a mistake Here's how China's Country Garden can crawl out of its debt crisis Returning to office is $1.3 trillion problem that only few have figured out Elon Musk blames anti-defamation league for slump in X's US ad revenue China's slowdown means it may never overtake US economy, forecast shows Chinas monopoly on paper manufacturing was broken much faster (well, six centuries) but more dramatically, after the emperors army lost a battle in Central Asia to the Arabs of the expanding Abbasid caliphate. Among the prisoners of war were military paper-makers who brought their secrets to the Middle East, from where it spread further west. (The origins of gunpowder for military use and guns is a little more nebulous, but the technology may have coursed westward along the same Central Asian routes.) Porcelain which sparked a health and sanitation revolution because of the ease with which it could be cleaned was also much desired outside the Chinese world. So much so that China is still a synonym for the wares. From the 12th century on, Chinese emperors used the ceramics in much the same way they used silk, to gain influence over neighboring countries they wished to cultivate for reasons of prestige or policy. At the same time, traders would sell plates and jars designed for specific markets in the Islamic world and in Europe. It was not until the 18th century that factories in Meissen in Germany and Limoges in France discovered the kind of clay required and figured out the firing techniques to create true porcelain. The story of tea is more familiar but still fraught with residual geopolitical indignation to this day. As with the Romans, the British faced a huge deficit because China dominated one product, in this case, tea. Furthermore, the emperors in Beijing didnt feel the need to liberalize their trade policies to alleviate foreign anxieties. And so the English decided to correct the imbalance and the impasse by smuggling opium a banned substance into China. That immediately changed the trade equation. Chinese objections led to the British waging two Opium Wars, beginning in 1838, to open the country in the name of free trade. By the end of the century, the cascading effects of humiliation and stagnation led to the fall of the Qing dynasty. So China comes to the semiconductor contest with a lot of uhm, chips on its shoulder. Nothing is helped by the military faceoff with the US. Chinese patriots like to point out that the country had to discover its own way to atomic war technology to overcome the joint monopoly over the bomb by Washington and Moscow. Now the Biden administrations semiconductor stranglehold is seen as just the latest attempts by the West to suppress Chinas destined path back to No. 1. Beijings belligerence is deepened by its own millennia-long and misguided attempts to achieve autarky as if the Middle Kingdom could thrive without the rest of the world. Its possible that the Chinese arent yet able to make advanced chips in quantity. Or make the state-of-the-art semiconductors the West is already deploying in consumer products. Again, it wont be surprising if they just get better at it. The US can always tighten its sanctions regimes and strengthen the safeguards to slow the proliferation. But commerce will almost always force out technological secrets. A US official said Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may travel to Russia soon to meet with President Vladimir Putin as the Kremlin tries to acquire military equipment for use in its war in Ukraine. The official, who was not authorised to address the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said the US expects Kim will make the trip within the month. The official said the US isn't sure exactly where or when the meeting would take place, but the Pacific port city of Vladivostok would be a likely possibility given its relative proximity to North Korea. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson noted Monday that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to Pyongyang last month and tried to persuade North Korea to sell artillery ammunition to Russia. Watson said, We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia. She added that the US is urging North Korea "to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia. Shoigu said Monday that the two countries may hold joint war games. The New York Times first reported that Kim planned to meet with Putin in Russia this month. The White House said last week that it had intelligence indicating that Putin and Kim swapped letters following Shoigu's visit. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the letters were more at the surface level but that Russian and North Korean talks on a weapons sale were advancing. French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Delhi to participate in the G20 Summit taking place under India's presidency on September 9-10, and will then travel to Bangladesh for a bilateral visit, the President's office said in a statement. The G20 Summit will allow France's President to continue his continuing engagement with colleagues from other continents in order to address the threats of global fragmentation the statement said. "The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, will travel to Delhi to participate in the G20 Summit under India's Presidency on 9 and 10 September, and will then travel to Bangladesh on 10 September for a bilateral visit. The G20 Summit will enable France's Head of State to continue his ongoing dialogue with his counterparts from every continent, so as to combat the risks of fragmentation of the world. It will also be an opportunity to make progress in implementing joint responses to the major global challenges that can only be tackled effectively through multilateral action: peace and stability, poverty alleviation, protection of climate and our planet, food security, and digital regulation," the President's Office said in an official press release. The Summit will also serve as a follow-up to the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, which was convened in Paris in June. "This had led to the establishment of the Paris Agenda for People and the Planet, providing a framework for collective action to ensure that no country has to choose between fighting poverty and protecting the planet," the release read. After welcoming Prime Minister Modi in Paris this summer and visiting Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Sri Lanka, the French President will continue to implement France's Indo-Pacific policy in Bangladesh. "In Bangladesh, the President of the French Republic will continue to implement France's strategy in the Indo-Pacific region, after having welcomed Prime Minister Modi in Paris this summer, and visited Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Sri Lanka. It will also be an opportunity to deepen our bilateral relationship with a country that is undergoing rapid economic development, with France's support, and is seeking to diversify its partnerships," the president's office said. In Bangladesh, President Macron will restate France's willingness to be by its side on the humanitarian front, especially given the country's frequent flooding and Bangladesh being particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate disruption. Notably, the G20 summit will be held over two days in New Delhi, on September 9 and 10. The two-day summit will draw leaders and delegates from 40 countries, including the 20 member states. The G20 Summit is set to be hosted at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre at Pragati Maidan. The New Delhi G20 summit will see the biggest participation in the history of the grouping, with arrangements in place for the mega event, including those for the stay of leaders of member countries and the invited guest countries. 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 Ahead of G20 Summit in Delhi, PWD to conduct dry run from September 1-7 As G20 leader how India is ensuring quality of traditional medicine systems France's Macron calls for 'European sovereignty' during Netherlands visit Jill Biden tests positive for Covid, but Prez Biden's results negative Huawei's chip advance is part of China's history of grievance against west US President Biden to skip the Asean Summit, here's why it is a mistake Here's how China's Country Garden can crawl out of its debt crisis Returning to office is $1.3 trillion problem that only few have figured out The 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. A party-goer who died during the water-slogged Burning Man festival in the northern Nevada desert over the weekend has been identified. Leon Reece was discovered unresponsive Friday night as other revelers took cover from heavy rains walloping the annual event, held in the Black Rock Desert, about 110 miles north of Reno. The rare rainfall left the region thick with mud, leaving attendees trapped for days, with some only just beginning their long trek home. Authorities previously said Reeces death was unrelated to the weather, but Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen in a statement to Yahoo News said that rain and tough conditions on the playa slowed deputies response. Pershing County dispatch received a call regarding a male subject who was on the ground and unresponsive at the Burning Man Festival and medical personnel were administering CPR to the male, Allen said Monday night. Due to the unusual rain event happening on the Playa, access to the area and investigative efforts were delayed. Muddy desert plain seen on September 3, 2023, after heavy rains turned the annual Burning Man festival site in Nevadas Black Rock desert into a mud pit. When first responders finally arrived on the scene, Reece had already been pronounced dead by a festival doctor. He was 32 years old. Police said his body has since been transported to the Washoe County Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy and his toxicology results were pending. Authorities did not provide further details, but noted Reeces family has been identified. An investigation into the incident is also currently underway. The Burning Man festival, which launched on a San Francisco beach in 1986, draws nearly 80,000 artists, musicians and activists for a mix of wilderness camping and avant-garde performances. This year, the gathering kicked off on Aug. 28, but things took a dangerous turn when heavy rains began to drench the temporary desert city, turning the festival grounds into a swirling mud pit as deep as a foot in some spots. After more than a half-inch of rainfall on Friday, festival officials were forced to close two major roadways leading into the event. Most revelers were left trapped in the desert until Monday when the roads were officially declared dry enough for use. With News Wire Services By Karishma Vaswani Delhi, Hanoi, but not Jakarta. US President Biden is skipping the Asean meeting this week, and sending Vice President Kamala Harris instead. The optics arent great, especially as Biden is going to be in the region: Hes travelling to Delhi for the Group of 20 summit and Hanoi right after. No matter what anyone says, getting the consolation prize is never fun. And thats what it must feel like for Indonesia, the host of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering. Not only is Biden not attending, hes snubbing a major regional power and given that the US has consistently said it wants to build a stronger relationship with Asia, it feels a little like an own goal. Ultimately, though, actions speak louder than words. And when someone shows you who they are in a relationship, believe them. The harsh reality is that some Asian countries are simply more important to the US than others. It is a cold, calculated decision to reinforce the ongoing stress on consolidating individual allies and partners like Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and now Vietnam, says Michael Vatikiotis, author of several books on Asia, including Blood and Silk: Power and Conflict in Modern Southeast Asia. Its all about spooking China and picking each of these countries off one by one is easier, rather than in a multilateral forum where Beijing will be present. The deliberate cherry picking of allies and partners is the brainchild, insiders tell me, of Bidens key Asia policy czar, Kurt Campbell. It is likely to continue, as Campbell has pointed out in a discussion earlier this year at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. The strategy is to create a network around China a carefully strung together geographic necklace of countries that all see Beijing as a mutual threat. The recently convened Camp David meeting between the US, South Korea and Japan is an example of that. So are Aukus, the multibillion-dollar partnership the US unveiled with Australia and the UK, and the Quad grouping made up of India, Australia, Japan and the US, all ostensibly designed to combat Chinas growing assertiveness in the South China Sea and around Taiwan. 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 India, Asean to intensify efforts to wrap up trade agreement review by 2025 Ahead of G20 Summit in Delhi, PWD to conduct dry run from September 1-7 Biden falls onstage at graduation ceremony; White House says he's 'fine' Here's how China's Country Garden can crawl out of its debt crisis Returning to office is $1.3 trillion problem that only few have figured out Elon Musk blames anti-defamation league for slump in X's US ad revenue China's slowdown means it may never overtake US economy, forecast shows Russia launches air strikes, hitting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine Its not so simple. Not everyone sees the world with the same black-and-white, us-and-them polarized prism that the US has begun to point at Beijing. For a lot of countries, China has been a lifeline and will continue to be economically, despite the current slowdown. And that includes some of those the US is trying to court. Indonesia should, in theory, be a natural partner for Washington. It is a large, vibrant democracy with historically strong military ties to the US. But in recent years, under President Joko Widodo, the archipelago has been receptive to the economic overtures from Beijing. Allowing Chinas influence to continue would be a mistake for the US. The ambivalence from Jakarta is understandable given it is the largest economy in Southeast Asia, with relatively strong prospects. And it no longer feels that it needs to kowtow to either Beijing or Washington to ensure its relevance. Its clear that multilateralism has become far less important to both the US and China. The US sees its strategy of going after countries one by one in the region as successful and efficient. And if the attempt is to counter its chief competitors role in Asia, then signing a major upgrade in the partnership with Vietnam is far more useful than spending a day in Jakarta. Still, Bidens snub is shortsighted. There is an election in the US year next year, so he is unlikely to turn up at the Asean meeting that will be held in Laos either. The Trump era of pulling out of trade deals and America First has not been forgotten, and while Biden has succeeded in convincing some Asian partners that the US is back and is engaging in the region, others dont feel the same way. Vice President Kamala Harris will deepen her outreach to Southeast Asia this week at an international summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she'll try to erase doubts about U.S. commitment to the region stirred by President Joe Biden's absence. It's Harris' third trip to Southeast Asia and fourth to Asia overall, and she's touched down in more countries there than any other continent. The repeat visits, in addition to meetings that she's hosted in Washington, have positioned Harris as a key interlocutor for the Democratic administration as it tries to bolster a network of partnerships to counterbalance Chinese influence. This latest journey is another opportunity for Harris to burnish her foreign policy credentials as she prepares for a bruising campaign year. She's already come under attack from Republican presidential candidates who say she's unprepared to step up if Biden, the oldest U.S. president in history, can't finish a second term. John Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, said Harris has made our alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific a key part of her agenda as vice president, and he described her itinerary as perfectly in keeping with the issues that she's been focused on." But Biden's decision to skip the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, has caused some frustration, particularly because he's already going to be in India and Vietnam around the same time. The president's proximity makes his nonattendance all the more more glaring than would otherwise be the case, said Marty Natalegawa, Indonesia's former foreign affairs minister. However, Natalegawa conceded that ASEAN is struggling to convince world leaders that it deserves to play a central role in the region. That's even though the alliance represents more than 650 million people across 10 nations that collectively have the world's fifth largest economy. The organization has not resolved civil strife in Myanmar, which saw a military coup two years ago and has been disinvited from meetings. A peace plan reached with the country's top general did not lead to any progress. Negotiations over territorial claims in the South China Sea remain bogged down as well, and ASEAN faces internal disagreements over global competition between the United States and China. Some members, such as the Philippines and Vietnam, have sought closer ties with Washington, while Cambodia remains firmly in Beijing's orbit. Also Read Kamala Harris faces new test of political skills in US poll 2024 campaign Kamla Harris to travel to Jakarta to attend US-ASEAN, East Asia Summit Leaders besieged by thorny issues as they hold ASEAN summit without Biden Denial of opportunity: Kamala Harris as court cancels race-based admissions India, Asean to intensify efforts to wrap up trade agreement review by 2025 UN to provide over $300 million to Sri Lanka for development projects Kim Jong Un may meet with Putin in Russia this month, says US official Biden will nominate longtime aide to become US ambassador to UNESCO French Prez Macron supports experimenting with uniforms in some schools US military equipment left in Afghanistan now in militant hands: Pak PM We can complain all we want about other countries not respecting us or not coming to our summits," Natalegawa said. "But ultimately, it is actually a point of reflection. Unless ASEAN becomes more effective, Natalegawa said, we may end up with less and less leaders turning up." Kirby, the national security spokesman, rejected the idea that Biden was snubbing the organization or the region. It's just impossible to look at the record that this administration has put forward and say that we are somehow walking away, Kirby said, noting that Biden already hosted the first Washington summit with ASEAN leaders last year. Phil Gordon, a national security adviser to Harris, said every country wants the president of the United States to show up when it holds an event, but there's a great amount of enthusiasm for the vice president's stop in Jakarta as well. He also said the summit was a valuable opportunity to engage with countries in the region. There are differences among them, but there's also a lot of common ground," Gordon said. "And there's common ground with us. Ja-Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, said Harris' presence helps the U.S. cover its bases at an event that may not prove productive on key issues. You want to show that you're paying attention, you send the vice president," he said. Harris departed Monday morning and is scheduled to spend two days enmeshed in meetings in Jakarta. Her office has not yet detailed her schedule, but she's expected to attend summit events and hold individual talks with some foreign leaders. Soon after Harris returns from Indonesia, Biden is headed to India for the annual Group of 20 summit, which pulls together many of the world's richest countries and is a staple of any president's calendar. Then he plans to stop in Vietnam, where he's focused on strengthening ties with a country that is an emerging economic power. I don't fault the administration for the choice that they made. It's just unfortunate that they had to make that choice, said Gregory B. Poling, who directs the Southeast Asia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Leaders are gathering in Jakarta amid heightened tension over the South China Sea after Beijing released a new official map that emphasizes its territorial claims there. The map has angered other nations that consider the waters to be part of their own territory or international byways. The South China Sea is a critical crossroads for global trade. U.S. officials and analysts believe Beijing's aggressive approach to the region has created an opening for Washington to forge stronger partnerships. In many ways, the PRC is doing its work for us, said David Stilwell, using the acronym for the People's Republic of China. Stilwell served as the assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs under President Donald Trump. Although much of Biden's recent attention has been on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he's left no doubt that he considers China to be the top foreign policy challenge for the U.S. He's described much of his agenda, both domestic and overseas, as an effort to deter Beijing from supplanting Washington as the most powerful worldwide force. Sometimes his warnings take a darker turn. During a recent fundraiser for his reelection campaign in Park City, Utah, Biden described China as a ticking time bomb because of its economic and demographic challenges. That's not good because when bad folks have problems, they do bad things, he said. Harris has previously visited Singapore and Vietnam, Japan and South Korea, and the Philippines and Thailand. Many of her travels have been geared toward the global rivalry with China. Speaking from the deck of a U.S. Navy destroyer docked near Tokyo last year, Harris said China has challenged freedom of the seas" and flexed its military and economic might to coerce and intimidate its neighbors. Harris also became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Palawan, a Filipino island adjacent to the South China Sea that has been a front line for the territorial disputes. She said that Washington would support the Philippines in the face of intimidation and coercion. New Technical Center will accelerate the development of advanced engineering solutions and deliver safer, greener, more connected future of mobility An Engineering Center of Excellence, Aptiv Technical Center, Pune, supports leading Indian and global OEMs in both low and high-voltage segments The investment in Aptiv's Technical Centers reinforces the company's commitment to its people and future growth in India Aptiv, a global technology company, today announced the grand opening of a new state-of-the-art facility for its Technical Center in Pune, India. With a focus on developing safer, greener and more connected mobility solutions, the Aptiv Technical Center will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of mobility in India and around the world. "India is a thriving economy with great growth potential and a highly skilled talent pool, making it an attractive market for expansion and investment, said Mr. Mattias Carlsson, Vice President, Global Engineering, Connection Systems & Electrical Distribution Systems, Aptiv. The new Technical Center in Pune demonstrates Aptiv's commitment to expanding its footprint in India. With our enhanced manufacturing, engineering, and technological capabilities, we are serving leading OEMs in India and playing a key role in fulfilling the growing business needs of our global customers," he added. Aptiv employees joined global and regional leadership to inaugurate the Aptiv Technical Center, Pune, celebrating the 66,572 square-foot facility at Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park Phase-1, Hinjewadi- Pune. With hundreds of engineers currently focused on developing innovative engineering solutions, the growing team oversees every facet of the product development journey, utilizing cutting-edge mechanical, system, and component design and simulation and product verification capabilities. With a strong dedication to research and development, the Aptiv Technical Center, Pune, will be a marquee Engineering Center of Excellence in the region. Mr. Amitabh Mathur, President and Managing Director, Aptiv India & ASEAN, added, "It is exciting to see the continued growth of Aptiv India in the Asia Pacific region and the vital player we have become in the global automotive industry landscape since establishing our presence in India nearly three decades ago. The new facility brings together Aptiv's broad range of technology, innovation, and capabilities in a modern environment strategically designed to accommodate the needs of its future workforce." Aptiv is dedicated to cultivating a welcoming workplace at the Pune Technical Center that embraces diverse perspectives and empowers our employees with cutting-edge resources to accelerate innovation, facilitate development, and optimize execution. Aptiv's Technical Center in Pune is strategically located, offering seamless connectivity to corporate hubs while aligning seamlessly with Aptiv's global commitment to sustainability and carbon neutrality. To learn more, visit www.aptiv.com . Jo Debecker, Global Head, Wipro FullStride Cloud, said: To us, this recognition is an acknowledgment to our clients around the world who have trusted and partnered with us to address their business challenges and support their cloud journey with a customized approach. We further believe, this also reinforces our commitment to providing clients the industrys leading infrastructure to applications cloud portfolio, leveraging our deep industry and engineering experience, empowering clients to build better businesses that run through the cloud. An SUV passing by a Houston-area freeway injured more than two dozen people when it crashed through a Dennys on Monday. The collision occurred around 11:22 a.m., according to Rosenberg Police. The injuries ranged from minor lacerations to severe injuries, but all appear to be non-life threatening, cops said. All injured parties were conscious at the time they were transported to local hospitals. Victims reportedly range in age from 12 to 60. Its unclear what caused the wreck. The unidentified driver is a 30-year-old man, according to KHOU 11. He wasnt hurt. At least a handful of booths were damaged, according to a Dennys manager. Images from the crash site showed a maroon vehicle planted hood-first inside the eatery. Its unclear if the vehicle came off the freeway or how fast it was moving. Rosenberg, Tex., is about 30 miles southwest of Houston. Authorities there are investigating the incident. Motorists were advised to avoid the crash scene around lunchtime on Memorial Day, when the crash occurred. Air India Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL) has announced a recruitment drive for the post of Handyman for the year 2023. Currently, there are 998 vacant posts for which aspiring candidates can apply. All the details pertinent to this recruitment process have been provided hereafter. AIATSL Job Notification The recruitment advertisement released by AIATSL details that the 998 available posts are for the Handyman position. The eligible applicants must have a minimum of 10th standard pass from a recognized board. The last date for submitting the application is 18th September 2023. Eligibility Criteria Candidates applying for the Handyman posts must ensure to meet all the eligibility requirements stated in the AIATSL official notification. It is crucial to have the necessary qualifications to be considered for the posted jobs. Salary Details The job profiles entail, among other details, that the Handyman positions are on a contractual basis. They offer a pay scale of Rs. 21,330. Walk In Interview Address Candidates who meet the specifications are invited to walk in for the interview to HRD Department, AI Airport Services Limited, GSD Complex, Near Sahar Police Station, CSMI Airport, Terminal 2, Gate No. 5, Sahar, Andheri East, Mumbai 400099. On September 11, the Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Association declared a "Bengaluru Bandh" during which all private passenger vehicles, that count over 32,000 private transporters; will be off the road. While the federation was claiming that the Transport Department had failed to comply with its 28 demands by August 31, the deadline they set, the call for 'Bengaluru Bandh' will take place on September 11, 2023.' According to the information received, on September 9, 2023, a meeting will be held between the Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Association and the Government of Karnataka. The final decision about the "Bengaluru Bandh" will then be taken, after the meeting. As per the latest information, many schools have already declared a holiday on Monday. The reason is many students come by private vans and private transport association is the part of strike. The protest is against the 'Shakti Scheme' launched by the Karnataka Government in the month of June 2023. In Bengaluru, a total of 32 transport unions, including those representing autorickshaws, buses, taxis, and cabs, have been brought together under a single federation and have called for a strike. This strike call, nevertheless, is not the first of its kind. In opposition to the Shakti scheme, which provides free fares for women in road transport corporations' (RTCs') non-premium bus services, they voiced a similar appeal in July. Will the Bandh Include School Vans? Given the fact that the van service companies are members of the transport union, the schools that have contracted out van services will remain closed during this time. On whether or not the school will keep providing private van services, no decision has yet been made. Presuppose that the school will be closed on September 11th if the services provided by your child's school are contracted out. There should be no issue if the school administration runs the buses themselves. In this case, the transport strike won't have any impact on how smoothly school is going at your child's school. The Concern of the Strike: While auto rickshaws and taxi drivers are reaching out for compensation, owners of private buses have asked that the government implement the Shakti program in private buses as well as pay them back for tickets given to women. Unions representing auto owners and drivers are calling for a citywide ban on unauthorized bike taxis. Additionally, they want to outlaw aggregators that take a commission of more than 5% of the entire fare. General Secretary of the Karnataka Associated Management of Schools on the 'Bengaluru Bandh': The Bengaluru Bandh is yet unknown to us, according to D Sasikumar, General Secretary of the Karnataka Associated Management of Schools. If such information is received, a decision regarding whether to keep the schools closed or not will be made with immediate effect. The school association, however, has the last say in all of this. As a result, keep in touch with your child's teacher and keep an eye on Telegram or WhatsApp, where all of the most recent information about your child's school is posted. What the Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Association Has to Say?: "We had presented a list of 30 demands to the Transport Minister, with assurances that 28 of them would be met by August 31. However, the government has once more overlooked our needs. Despite engaging in numerous discussions with the government, nothing has been resolved. To address our issues without causing public inconvenience, the government should arrange a public meeting before September 11. Our decision on proceeding with the strike will be based on the outcome of this meeting," Natraj Sharma, president of the Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Association said. Shakti Scheme that Ignited the Strike: For free, women can take non-premium government buses as part of the Shakti scheme. In order to receive compensation from the government, the carriers claim that the system has caused a considerable drop in their earnings. What's Open and Closed During the 'Bengaluru Bandh' on September 11, 2023?: Closed: Private Taxis: During the bandh, it's anticipated that private taxi services, including app-based cab aggregators, won't be available. Cabs: Conventional cab services are probably going to be disrupted, just as private taxis. Autos: It is predicted that auto-rickshaws, a well-liked means of transportation in Bangalore, will stay off the roads. Private Buses: The bandh is probably going to have an impact on private bus services, including both large and small operators. Transport Services: In most cases, it is anticipated that private transport will not be available during the bandh. Open: Emergency Services: Hospitals, medical centers, and pharmacies should all remain open and accessible as emergency services. Additionally, services will be offered by cabs and metro trains run by app-based aggregators like Uber and Ola. Government Buses: Public transport services run by the government are anticipated to run normally and could provide commuters an alternative. Essential Services: Grocery stores, banks, and ATMs are a couple of essential services that are likely to stay open. Businesses: Offices, shops, and restaurants, among other facilities, are free to decide whether to stay open or close. It should be noted that the impact of the bandh may vary in scope, so it is advised to verify with particular service providers for up-to-date information on their activities on September 11 in real-time. The field of defense, which is constantly evolving, requires committed and fervent personnel. The Indian Coast Guard provides such a career opportunity, seeking the right candidates. The Indian Coast Guard Recruitment 2023's official notification is now available, prompting qualified individuals to submit their applications online. The recruitment drive is all set to appoint candidates as Navik or Yantrik in the Indian Coast Guard. The application forms can be submitted till the 22nd September 2023, with the link for online application going live from 08th September 2023. Eligibility Criteria Eligibility criteria for the posts under ICG Recruitment 2023 have been defined in terms of educational qualification and age limit. Candidates should pass the matriculation or intermediate examinations from a recognised board. They should fall in the age bracket of 18 to 22 years. Application Process To apply online for the posts of Yantrik or Navik, aspirants need to pay an application fee of 250. However, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates are exempted from paying the application fee. Steps to Apply Candidates can apply for the role on the official Join Indian Coast Guard website A detailed guide to register online is available on the website Applicants must enter the necessary details They need to attach the necessary documentation Application fee needs to be paid Finally, submit the application forms online Concept cars are basically manifestations of what an automakers direction is be it in design or technology. Thats why these two concept ca... Two swimmers were bitten by sharks on Labor Day in separate incidents at the same Florida beach. The attacks both occurred near the Ponce Inlet just south of Daytona Beach in Volusia County an area known as the shark bite capital of the world for the number of bites that happen every year. A 37-year-old woman was in waist-deep water when she was bitten on the right foot, according to a news release from Volusia County Beach Safety. She was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A 30-year-old man was also bitten on the left hand while surfing, officials said. He drove himself to a hospital after refusing care at the scene. His injury was also described as non-life-threatening. No other information about either swimmers condition was made available. Capt. A.J. Miller, the logistics head for Volusia County Beach Safety, told CBS News bites in the area are normally accidental in nature. The shark is feeding on baitfish and grab a person (by) mistake, bite, release and swim away, Miller said. This is why we call them shark bites and not shark attacks. Officials encouraged beachgoers to swim in front of lifeguard towers in case of rip currents and to hear or see warnings about nearby sharks, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Six people have been bitten by sharks in the county this year, including one last week and one in July, the paper reported. Florida is a worldwide hotbed for shark activity. The state has recorded 912 unprovoked shark attacks since 1837, nearly five times as many as second-place Hawaii (187), according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. Volusia County has notched 343 bites since 1882, according to the data. Photo: The Canadian Press A microbiologist points out an isolated E. coli growth on an agar plate. An official for six Calgary daycares closed due to an E. coli outbreak says a deep cleaning of the facilities could take up to a week. Alberta Health Services said Tuesday there were 56 lab-confirmed cases linked to the outbreak including up to 50 children arriving at hospitals. AHS said the number of people hospitalized has increased to 15, up from the 12 it had reported on Monday. Six of the Fueling Brains daycare sites were issued a closure order until issues are resolved. As well, AHS reported five additional sites that share a central kitchen are also part of the outbreak. "All eleven daycare sites in the Calgary area have been issued a closure order until issues are resolved," AHS said in a statement. "Families with children attending any of the above locations have been sent letters advising of the outbreak and are being asked to monitor for symptoms." In a statement, Lois Garcia, the vice-president of operations for Fueling Brains, said a thorough cleaning of the facilities could take anywhere from two days to a week. "Our deepest concerns and empathy are with every affected family, child, and staff member during this challenging period," Garcia wrote. "We are rigorously searching for any common factors leading to this outbreak. Additionally, weve closed our Calgary schools for deep cleaning, which is estimated to last between 48 hours to one week." Diarrhea, which may be bloody, is the predominant symptom associated with E. coli. Symptoms usually start one to 10 days after eating food contaminated with the E. coli bacteria. AHS said the majority of people who get sick from E. coli generally improve on their own and without specific treatment within 10 days, but a proportion may develop more severe complications. Discussion In 2020, 14 million older adults in the United States reported falling, and in 2021, a total of 38,742 died from falls. Nationally, and in states where there were statistically significant sex-specific differences, the percentages older adults reported nonfatal falls were higher among women than among men, whereas fall-related death rates were higher among men than among women. Similar sex differences in nonfatal and fatal falls were observed in previous years (2,3). However, the reasons for such variation are not fully understood. Possible explanations include differences in attitudes toward fall prevention and circumstances leading to falls or fall injuries. Previous studies suggest that men might be less receptive than women to fall prevention messages, and less likely to participate in fall prevention programs (4). Men are more likely than women to sustain fall-related injuries on ice or snow and while using ladders or other elevation equipment (5). In addition, the modifiable risk factors leading to fall-related injuries might differ between men and women (6). State differences might be explained by variations in populations at high risk for falls. Because older adult falls have multiple risk factors, research into state-to-state variation in risk factor prevalences (e.g., chronic conditions, disability, and alcohol consumption), access to fall prevention activities and health care, and social determinants of health related to falls could help explain state differences. In 2020, approximately one in four older adults reported at least one fall. Even in Illinois, the state with the lowest estimate of nonfatal falls, approximately one fifth of older adults reported falling. The 2020 estimate of nonfatal falls during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic was similar to that during previous years (3). On average, 100 older adults died every day because of falls in 2021. The 2021 estimate of fatal falls was higher than those during the previous 20 years (7). Age-adjusted death rates have been increasing annually for at least 2 decades (7). A trend analysis using data from 2019 through 2023 (i.e., end of the COVID-19 pandemic as a public health emergency) might help identify whether death rates were affected by the pandemic. Limitations The findings in this report are subject to at least six limitations. First, BRFSS data are self-reported and could be subject to recall bias. Second, BRFSS does not include persons in long-term care facilities, who are at higher risk for falls. Third, additional differences might not have been identified because of small BRFSS sample sizes after stratification by sex and state. Fourth, the median response rate for the 2020 BRFSS data was 47.9%, however BRFSS data are weighted to adjust for nonresponse bias. Fifth, because the latest fall-related data in BRFSS were from 2020, nonfatal estimates from the same calendar year as the fatal estimates (2021) were not available. Finally, mortality data might be subject to misclassifications of race or ethnicity of the decedent, and might lead to over- or underestimating the rates in some groups. Implications for Public Health Practice CDCs Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries (STEADI) initiative (https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/about.html) recommends that health care providers screen older adults for risk of falling, assess those at risk to identify modifiable risk factors, and intervene with effective strategies (e.g., physical therapy, home modification, and medication management) to address each risk factor. Evaluation of STEADI-based fall prevention in New York found that older adults at risk for falls who received strategies to address fall risk factors were less likely to be hospitalized for a fall than were those who did not (8). Health care providers can consider motivational interviewing techniques to understand attitudes toward prevention strategies (9) and inquire about daily activities that can increase their patients fall risks. Everyone, including state, tribal, and local health departments and organizations working with older adults can help older adults self-screen for their risk of falling, using the online falls free checkup,*** and encourage older adults to speak to their health care provider. Minister visits Sigus cement and calls for more competitive cement pricing 05 September 2023 Sigus Cement (GICA Group) recently welcomed the inspection field visit of the Minister of Industry and Pharmaceutical Production, Ali Aoun, to the wilaya of Umm Al-Bawaqi, Algeria. Mr Aoun called for improving the competitiveness of cement prices when selling to contribute to the completion of major technical projects in the country, in addition to intensifying efforts aimed at developing the export of cement, where he stressed the support of the public authorities. He inspected the cement factory Sigus plant, which occupies an area of 119ha. The capacity of the plant is 1.8Mta of clinker and 2Mta of cement. It operates with a modern production pattern and low energy consumption compared to the various cement factories of the complex, which allowed to reduce the cost of production in the plant. The foundation has also taken several measures within the framework of environmental protection, especially dust emission, within this framework the minister asked the factory officials to work on developing the social responsibility of the institution and getting closer to the local citizens. Published under Argos MD forecasts further investments in the USA and Caribbean 05 September 2023 Juan Esteban Calle, MD of Argos SA has revealed that the company is looking to invest in the USA and nearby markets to increase imports. In the United States, we are making a significant investment in a port in Houston, which will help increase imports, said Mr Calle. We are also making other relevant investments in two plants that will allow us to increase our capacity in West Virginia and South Carolina, with an additional 450,000t for the domestic market. Furthermore, we have more terminals in the United States that will facilitate our imports from Colombia. We have just entered Costa Rica and have started an export platform from there to the United States, the Caribbean, and potentially British Columbia (Canada) in the future. Argos has also been investing in its domestic market of Colombia . We have just expanded our export capacity at our Cartagena terminal, where we made a US$42m investment, and we remain hopeful about the future of Colombia, not only for the domestic market but also due to the country's proximity to the United States, Central America, and the Caribbean, added Juan Esteban Calle. We will make additional investments for increased exports from there. We expect to increase our export capacity by 35 per cent with 1.4Mt. In the future, the platform will enable even more exports. Published under New York Attorney General Tish James asked a Manhattan judge Tuesday to impose sanctions against Donald Trump, his adult children, various business associates and their lawyers for filing frivolous arguments in her civil fraud case. James, suing the Trumps for wide-scale business fraud, in new court papers asked state Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron to make the former president and his 14 co-defendants pay a collective $10,000 and their lawyers the same amount for repeating legal arguments without merit that the judge has already shot down. James office noted that Trumps lawyers recently referenced three arguments in their motion to dismiss her $250 million lawsuit that Engoron rejected for the second time in January, when the jurist quipped that he had Deja vu. Noting that they were borderline frivolous even the first time defendants made them, Engoron in Januiary said a sophisticated defense counsel should have known better than to try the same arguments again. Trump, chided by judges across his various cases for nonstop delay tactics, has already been sanctioned in the litigation with the AG for failing to respond to deadlines. Engoron, in spring 2022, fined him $10,000 a day for nearly two weeks. Lawyers for the former president and his codefendants did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment. Last week, in asking the court to rule on one of the chief claims facing the Trumps, James alleged Trump habitually bloated his net worth by a staggering $2 billion by lying about the value of company assets. He denies the allegations. Engoron is yet to rule on James motion, and one from Trumps side seeking to toss the lawsuit. The case is slated for trial Oct. 2. Chinese carmaker exports apron buses to Saudi Arabia Xinhua) 16:55, September 05, 2023 ZHENGZHOU, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A fleet of 87 apron buses manufactured by leading Chinese bus maker Yutong departed Zhengzhou in central China's Henan Province on Monday for Saudi Arabia. This is the largest overseas order for such vehicles produced by Yutong. The desert climate of Saudi Arabia, characterized by scorching heat, aridity and minimal rainfall throughout the year, significantly impacts vehicle performance. With a unique body structure and advanced anti-corrosion technology, Yutong's apron buses can maintain their durability even after prolonged exposure to sweltering conditions, said Wu Tao, chief of the apron bus product management section of Yutong. As the largest supplier of apron buses in China, Yutong has developed core strengths across the entire value chain from research and development, production and sales to after-sales services, according to Zhao Huan from the apron bus division of Yutong. Its products are now exported to more than 20 countries, including the Maldives, Spain and Britain, providing apron bus services in 67 airports, Zhao added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Frank Carone, Mayor Adams longtime political confidant whos spearheading his reelection campaign, recently met with a top adviser to the authoritarian leader of Azerbaijan to talk about geopolitical issues, the Daily News has learned. The meeting with Hikmet Hajiyev, chief of staff to controversial Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, took place last week at the presidential palace in the countrys capital, Baku, according to a post Carone made on his private Instagram account this past Friday. The News obtained a screen grab of the post. Privilege to discuss geopolitical issues with [Hikmet] Hajiyev, COS to President [Ilham] Aliyev of Azerbaijan at the Presidential Palace, Carone captioned the post, using an acronym for chief of staff. The post featured a photo of Carone standing next to Hajiyev in his office at the presidential palace. Carone served as Adams City Hall chief of staff until he resigned in January to run the mayors 2025 campaign. In addition to serving as Adams de facto reelection campaign head, Carone has since exiting City Hall launched Oaktree Solutions, a consulting firm he says aims to attract clients from around the world in need of business, litigation and crisis management services. New York City Mayor Eric Adams walks with his Chief of Staff Frank Carone (R) outside City Hall on Nov. 1, 2022. In a statement Tuesday, Carone said he was in the lovely city of Baku because I have clients based in the city and region. He said he got invited to meet with Hajiyev while there. We kept the conversation at a high level discussing how the city will host Formula 1 next September and of course their hopes for peace in the region with their neighbors, Carone said. He would not name his clients in the region or say whether he has spoken with Adams about his interactions with the Azerbaijani government. A spokesman for Adams, who drew criticism during the 2021 mayoral campaign for accepting a trip to Azerbaijan bankrolled by Aliyevs government, did not return a request for comment Tuesday. Carone said he paid his own way during his Azerbaijan visit. Sheila Paylan, an international human rights lawyer who studies Azerbaijani affairs and used to serve as a legal adviser at the United Nations, said Carones meeting with Hajiyev struck her as extremely unusual. She said it seems odd that someone whos an adviser to a politician on the municipal level in New York would go and discuss geopolitical issues in the region. The Azerbaijani presidential office did not immediately respond to emailed questions. Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community at Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Oct 6, 2022. Carones comment about peace in the region is a reference to the bloody Nagorno-Karabakh territorial conflict, which is pitting Armenians against Azerbaijanis. Paylan disagreed with Carones characterization of the Azerbaijan governments efforts as intent on brokering peace. The peace that they want to broker is a unilateral peace where they concede nothing and Armenians concede everything, she said. I dont see this is conducive to peace. Last month, the U.S. State Department voiced concern about deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Nagorno-Karabakh region resulting from a continued blockage of food, medicine and other goods essential to a dignified existence. Aliyev, who took power in 2003 and is routinely described as a dictator by international observers, has long been accused by human rights organizations and U.S. diplomats of corruption and repressive, anti-democratic activities. More recently, Aliyev has allied himself with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including by signing an intelligence-sharing agreement with the Kremlin a few months after Russias invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev, shake hands during their meeting on sidelines of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit, in Astana, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022. A former senior U.S. State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter candidly, said its not unusual for some American municipal government representatives to interact with counterparts overseas, even in countries with undemocratic systems. He mentioned, for instance, that cities like New York have sister city agreements with municipalities around the world. But the official said it seemed odd that Carone, who is no longer employed in Adams administration, would meet with foreign dignitaries overseas to discuss geopolitical matters. Mayor Adams and Gov. Hochul mostly stayed clear of each other while attending the annual West Indian Day celebrations in Brooklyn on Monday a split that comes amid a simmering feud between the two top Democrats over how to manage New Yorks migrant crisis. According to their public schedules, Adams was supposed to deliver remarks before Hochul at a breakfast event in Crown Heights ahead of the West Indian Day Parade along Eastern Parkway. But Adams who slammed Hochuls handling of the migrant crisis as wrong last week ran so late to the breakfast that Hochul delivered remarks before him. In her speech, the governor expressed thanks to our leaders here today before saying she couldnt wait to dance and party with all of our friends here in New York. She then departed the event. Governor Kathy Hochul helps cut the ribbon before the 56th annual West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn on Monday. A few minutes later, Adams arrived. The West Indian-Americans have brought the spirit and energy of their homelands to the five boroughs, said the mayor, whose last public appearance with the governor was nearly a month ago. Like many of them that visit our city, they are frontline workers, business owners. They believe in education, family, public safety and the boundless possibilities that New York has to offer. Following the breakfast, Adams and Hochul shared a brief moment together at the ribbon-cutting kicking off the parade. They then walked the parade route separately, shaking hands and snapping selfies with revelers cramming the Eastern Parkway sidewalks for the occasion. A spokesman for Adams said he did not know why the mayor showed up late to the breakfast event. New York City Mayor Eric Adams cuts the ceremonial ribbon and marches in the annual WIADCA parade in Brooklyn, New York on Monday, September 4, 2023. Hank Sheinkopf, a veteran New York political strategist who served as an adviser to former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, said he believes there was a reason for the mayors absence. Does that indicate that a battle [between them] is happening? Yes, it does, Sheinkopf said. Tension between Adams and Hochul began to build last month when attorneys for her administration blasted City Hall for its response to the worsening migrant crisis enveloping the five boroughs. Governor Kathy Hochul marches in the 56th annual West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn. While sympathizing with the difficulty that comes with providing shelter and services for the more than 100,000 mostly Latin American migrants who have arrived in the city since last spring, the Hochul attorneys said Adams administration is poorly using the resources already at its disposal. For instance, the Hochul lawyers said Adams team is not doing enough to get newly arrived migrants to apply for asylum the first step needed to put them on a path to get U.S. work authorization despite receiving state funds earmarked for that purpose. That critique has prompted the mayor and his advisers to push back against the governor. I think the governor is wrong, Adams said bluntly last week, referencing Hochuls reluctance to take executive action that would empower the state to shelter migrants in upstate counties. The mayor has also said the governor needs to commit more financial aid for the city. New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks to media during the West Indian Day Parade, Monday, Sept. 4, 2023, in Brooklyn. The migrant crisis is projected to cost the city as much as $12 billion by summer 2025. Front page of the New York Daily News for Aug. 17, 2023: Gloves off as state calls citys response to migrant crisis shaky and slow-footed. Gov. Hochuls administration says Mayor Adams picked bad contractors and failed to use available state resources to cope with the migrant crisis. The migrant crisis was not front and center for paradegoers lined along Eastern Parkway on Monday. Wayne Palmer, who attended the parade for the first time in 20 years, said he was encouraged by increased public safety preparations around the festivities, which have historically been marred by gun and gang violence. Thats the reason I stayed away for so many years, said Palmer, 57, who went to the parade with his adult son. Palmer said the parade used to attract a much bigger crowd two decades ago, though. Its not as crowded as it used to be, he said. Its not less fun, but the crowd has definitely died out. At one time you couldnt even stand here because it was so crowded. Allen Corey Allen Corey showcases the fridge, explaining there is no freezer at Massey's Kitchen because every single thing is fresh Massey's Kitchen delivers on Lookout Mountain Ferris Robinson Previous Next No doubt youve heard of the newly opened Masseys Kitchen on Lookout Mountain by now. A destination restaurant in the few days its been open, this remarkable place beckons folks from far and wide and all say the drive is worth it! Im spoiled because I can walk there, but everyone who enters the open garage-style doors to the shaded patio will definitely be spoiled. Owner Allen Corey and his SquareOne team did not jump into this endeavor lightly, although they could have. Instead they travelled to the Mediterranean to find the specific tastes and techniques and delicacies from Morocco, Spain Italy, Greece, Egypt and Israel. The massive red pizza oven came straight from Italy, and the exact instructions for preparing the dough are explained in detail to the kitchen crew. And that dough is amazing! The MK team didnt settle for anything less than perfection, and every single thing in Masseys Kitchen is carefully curated, from the heavy earthenware china to the special chefs table in front of the kitchen. Imagine a special dinner with friends and family, raising your glass as you toast each other and watch your dinner being prepared right in front of you! Of course while you wait youll be enjoying a chefs board with imported Cerignola olives, pickled onions, prosciutto and salami and that aforementioned house made bruschetta. Im dying over the pizza. I enjoyed it last night and am thinking about it all day. I cant wait to reheat it to its original perfection, something I will be able to do with instructions from MK. We all took pizza home every single night to perfect the reheating technique, Allen explained. And chances are there will be plenty to take home! The MK French fries are a must. Hand-cut, they undergo more than a few steps before arriving crisp on your plate. In short, they arent pulled from the freezer and deep-fried. As a matter of fact, there are no freezers at Masseys Kitchen because nothing is frozen. Several items are imported from the Mediterranean region, including several cheeses, dates, Italian flour, whole plum Italian tomatoes, Italian sea salt, prosciutto de parma, Turkish figs and Italian olive oil. Several items specific to MK are available for sale, including vinaigrette dressings and the MK burger dust, a delicious spice blend, as well as debittered olive oil. "Everything we serve is made from scratch, and nothing is kept in the refrigerator for more than two days, Allen explains two days before the opening. Dozens of people are bustling about on this day, all dressed in crisp white chefs jackets with the restaurants logo embroidered on them. The servers are completing their final training, the cooks are perfecting their techniques and Allen is smack dab in the middle of everything, bragging on them all. Its not my restaurant, the owner of several successful establishments explains as he waves his arms at the activity. Were a team. This takes every single one of us. And even though kitchens are notoriously hot on so many levels, this one is a whirring, well-oiled machine that is busy but level as far as stress goes, even at the 11th hour. During its grand opening, the SquareUp Foundation raised money and awareness to support the Childrens Hospital at Erlanger Hematology and Oncology Clinic. The clinic will use the funds to purchase a new surgical procedure/infusion bed that is designed specifically for children undergoing treatments for diseases such as childhood leukemia. "Children undergoing treatments could have as many as 25 sedated procedures in a two-year period, these beds provide the children with comfort in a stressful environment. said James Holland, CFO at SquareOne Holding and Lookout Mountain resident. James and his wife, April, have a personal connection to this foundation as their son, Brewster, has been a patient at Childrens Hospital at Erlanger over the past two years. SquareOnes 501(c)3 charity SquareUp Foundation administers the HOPE Fund, which stands for Helping Our People in Emergencies. This fund pays grants to any of SquareOnes 2,000+ restaurant team members facing sudden and damaging hardships. A selection committee composed entirely of servers, bartenders, hosts, dishwashers, and cooks from all SquareOne stores review and votes on administering the funds. Lookout Mountain native Fletcher Thompson is front and center at the new establishment, as is Ruth Oehmig, former owner of Cafe on the Corner where MK is located. Allens wife, Maddin Corey, may or may not be a constant at the lively new restaurant, but her presence is always there. Just under the table nearest the fireplace is a triptych depicting a lush, complex, plentiful array of bold fruits and vegetables and a colorful animal or two, all so bold and inviting you have to stop yourself from jumping right into the painting. Maddin created this piece of art, and it just sums the entire place up. * * * Ferris Robinson is the author of three childrens books, The Queen Who Banished Bugs, The Queen Who Accidentally Banished Birds, and Call Me Arthropod in her pollinator series If Bugs Are Banished. Making Arrangements is her first novel. Dogs and Love - Stories of Fidelity is a collection of true tales about mans best friend. Her website is ferrisrobinson.com and you can download a free pollinator poster there. She is the editor of The Lookout Mountain Mirror and The Signal Mountain Mirror. The U.S. Marine Forces Reserve Concert Band will perform at Lee University on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. in the Conn Center on Lees campus. Established in 1978, the U.S. Marine Forces Reserve Band is one of the 10 Marine Corps field bands and comprises active-duty Marines stationed aboard the Marine Corps Support Facility in New Orleans, La. The group performs in over 350 concerts, parades, and ceremonies annually and participated in several recognizable events, including the United States Marine Corps Reserve Centennial Celebration tour, The Battle of the Atlantic Ceremony in Calgary, Canada, and The Fiesta Days Celebration concert at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, among others. The concert band utilizes nearly every musician in the unit and performs a variety of traditional pieces, including works by Gustav Holst and John Williams, as well as contemporary pieces in the categories of wind band literature, orchestral transcriptions, pop arrangements, and concert marches. The band tours numerous places across the country and performs many concerts for communities and educational institutions. Each member of the U.S. Marine Forces Reserve Band is a graduate of the Marine Corps Recruit Training and Marine Combat Training, with several members having served as marine drill instructors, recruiters, embassy security guards, or deployed in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. This concert is free, non-ticketed, and open to the public. For more information about the Marine Forces Reserve Band, visit their Facebook and Instagram pages at mfrband, or visit their website at www.music.marines.mil. For more information about this event or other School of Music events, contact the School of Music at 614-8240 or musicinfo@leeuniversity.edu. Lee University is hosting an art exhibition featuring a private collection of works from various Lee art professors, which will be on display in the Squires Library from now until Friday, Sept. 29. The art gallery will feature the works of six art professors: Mary Mathias-Dickerson, Olive B. Durant, Carrie Ann Parks, Victoria Phillips, Rondall Reynoso and Bradley Wilson. Ms. Mathias-Dickerson's artwork focuses upon people during a moment in their story. Her new portrait series depicts young teenagers navigation through life changes, as well as studies of women that she painted directly from life. She has been teaching college-level painting and drawing classes for 20 years, having studied Renaissance painting techniques, drawing, art history, and color theory in both Italy and France. Some people are beautiful in a way that is easy to see immediately, but seeing Gods creative beauty in all people became my primary way of seeing, said Ms. Mathias-Dickerson. I love to draw anything, but more than anything, I love drawing people. Ms. Durant practices various crafts, including pottery, printmaking, and the marbling of paper and cloth embroidery. She is consistently exploring new avenues through which to teach the community about clay and pottery and uses both the traditional kick wheel and the electric wheel for her pottery art. The art of handmade craft is a Tennessee legacy, and I adore living and dwelling in Appalachia searching for pockets of clay and going on digs, said Ms. Durant. I am firmly rooted in connecting craft and people. Ms. Parks figurative drawings and ceramic sculptures have been exhibited nationally and are included in numerous books on contemporary ceramics. Her work reflects an ongoing interest in historical ceramic forms like tiles, teapots and figures. The elements of traditional teapot designspouts, lids, handles, and feetare incorporated into the gestures, costumes, and coifs of my figurative teapots in ways that are sometimes metaphorical and often humorous, said Ms. Parks. In my drawings and ceramic sculptures, I also explore contemporary themes through personal, often autobiographical, imagery. Ms. Phillips art has been involved in numerous exhibits throughout the United States as her private collectors continue to grow domestically and abroad. Her work is a combination of Romanticism, Modernism, and Contemporary styles, all of which influence and inform her process. My overall body of work is an exploration of my spiritual ethos, said Ms. Phillips. This exploration of non-tangible elements is based on hope for a better life and peace that surpasses all understanding. Mr. Reynosos art has been exhibited in over 90 solo and group exhibitions across North America, including commercial galleries, art centers, ecclesiastical spaces, colleges, universities, and museums. "My formal abstraction deals heavily with metaphors, both sociological and spiritual, including the exploration of the boundaries between 2-D and 3-D as a metaphor for the relationship of the physical and the spiritual, said Mr. Reynoso. Mr. Wilson is a visual artist specializing in paintings, drawings, and prints. In addition to teaching at Lee, he conducts regular painting workshops at a variety of venues. He is most interested in the idea of painting as an improvised performance. I have no philosophy of painting other than to be open and responsive to the possibilities of the moment. Connecting with the present and finding the potentialthis is what my work is about, said Mr. Wilson. The art exhibition is open MondayThursday, 8 a.m. to midnight; Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 p.m. to midnight. For more information about the art exhibition, contact Phillips at vphillips@leeuniversity.edu. The Mountain T.O.P. Housing Summit will be held Thursday and Friday. A Zoom panel discussion on Affordable Housing Development in Rural Appalachia, Tn., and at Mountain T.O.P. is Thursday from 2-4 p.m. CST. The speakers on Thursday include Scott McReynolds, Sherry Trent and Mike Feely. Mr. McReynolds is the executive director of Housing Development Alliance, Inc. in Hazard, Ky. He will speak on Affordable Housing Development in Rural Appalachia. Ms. Trent is the CEO of Eastern Eight CDC in Johnson City and she will speak on What's Going on in Tennessee. Mr. Feely is the executive director of Mountain T.O.P. and his topic will be Mountain T.O.P. and Housing Development. The Summit will be held Friday at 480 Old Highway 56 in Coalmont, Tn. from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. CST. It will include a local leadership roundtable discussing the Local State of Housing. Also on Friday will be Jens Christensen, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga, speaking on Homelessness, Housing Affordability and Community Health. Stace Karge, loan specialist/ and housing counselor for Clinch Powell CDC in Rutledge, Tn., will speak on Housing Counseling as a Key to Affordability. Register to attend here: https://mtop.typeform.com/to/EMateRP1. Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga explores the commitment to ones ethics in their newest production The Penitent by David Mamet. Review for The Penitent: This Mamet play focuses on themes of morals, ethics, and marital commitment in a tense drama featuring a psychiatrist whose name has been connected to a tragic incident committed by one of his former patients. Director Joseph Watts helms the cast of four with a unique interpretation of the story, I find his take on the story fresh and definitely in the creative vein of what we are known for- intimate and emotionally engaging dissections of the human condition, said ETC founder Garry Lee Posey. Charles, played with emotional vulnerability and moralistic naivete by Dennis Parker, finds himself under public scrutiny when a newspaper publishes an article misquoting his psychological theory while connecting him to a mass shooting crime of one of his former patients targeting homosexuals. Kath, Charles wife played by Joanna Lewis, engages on a fact finding mission to fully understand why her husband, who she thought she knew, cannot do the one thing that would alleviate his circumstance. Charles friend and lawyer Richard, played by ETC veteran Mr. Posey, is also trying to convince Charles that to get his name off the front page that he simply needs to testify for the defense. Under the guise of patient/physician confidentiality, Charles refuses to testify. In his deposition with an attorney, played by Julie Wright with a particular edge that forces Charles to self examine, the audience discovers the true reasoning for Charles refusal and Mamet masterfully pits morals against ethics, science against religion, and ultimately husband against wife. Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga will present The Penitent at Rivermont Presbyterian Church, 3319 Hixson Pike. For ticket information visit www.ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com. Shows will be presented Sept. 8-16 on Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and one matinee on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 2:30 p.m. Set design is by Joseph Watts, costumes by Julianna Ogden, lights and props by Garry Posey, technical direction by James Ogden and the show is stage managed by Joel Sanchez-Avantes. A shift leader at Chick-fil-A at 5740 Highway 153 called police about vandalism that took place by the parking lot. The man said this was the fourth time that the employees cars have been vandalized over the past few weeks. On this date, the man said he saw what appeared to be a silver Ford Focus pull up with hazards on around 10 p.m. Around 10:30 p.m. he got off work with fellow employees to see that seven cars had been vandalized with shaving cream and cheese. Four of the vehicles have been targeted multiple times and three others were newly targeted. One vehicle, he said, had permanent damage from the previous incident. * * * A man on Washington Street told police over the phone the noise from Bar Exile at 1634 Rossville Ave. interferes with his sleep during the week (Wednesday and Thursday nights) and he has called about it before. An officer responded to the area behind his residence at 11:41 p.m. and measured the sound with a calibrated decibel meter and noise coming from Bar Exile measured at 62 decibels. The bass reverberation could be felt while the officer was standing outside his vehicle. At 11:47 p.m. the officer went to the intersection of 17th and Rossville Avenue and measured the noise level while facing Bar Exile and it was 66 decibels. When calibrating the decibel meter, it measured one decibel high. This was taken into account in the readings above. * * * Police responded to a disorder prevention on Cherry Street where a man explained his now ex-girlfriend had left in her vehicle with his keys and medication inside. Officers spoke with the woman over the phone and she agreed to meet over near the walking bridge at 102 Walnut St. She arrived, officers got the mans belongings returned to him, and both went their separate ways. * * * An anonymous caller told police there was an open door on Wilder Street. The house was cleared and no one was found inside. Neither the front or back door were able to be secured by police. * * * A man on Artesian Circle told police his tools were stolen from the back of his pickup truck overnight. An officer was able to view video footage and saw a white male wearing a long sleeve grey shirt with white shorts walking a dog and looking into the bed of the mans truck before going back to the Hampton Inn. The officer then saw that same man, but dressed in all black, reach into the mans truck and take a black toolbox. Due to the limited cameras, police were unable to see the suspect after leaving the property and the direction of travel. The Hampton Inn cameras also didnt catch the suspect returning to the property with the stolen property. * * * The owner of Rico Monuments at 4608 Rossville Blvd. told police he saw a man sleeping on a side patio of his business. After attempting to wake up the man, he rolled back over and fell asleep again. The owner then called police. The man was found still sleeping on the side patio of the business. Upon waking him up, police explained to him he needed to relocate per request of the business owner. The man left the property with no issues. * * * A woman who lived out of town wanted police to do a wellness check on her grandmother. She said her aunt had just passed away and she was unable to get hold of her grandmother who was last known to be at Erlanger. The officer stopped by Erlanger but was unable to locate the womans grandmother. The officer was able to contact the grandmother by phone and confirm that she was okay and staying with her son-in-law. * * * A woman on Judy Ann Drive told police she and her now ex-boyfriend were in a verbal argument outside their apartment. She said he then got her daughter and walked inside the apartment. The womans mother then walked back inside and everything was okay at that moment. The woman said she wanted her ex-boyfriend to vacate the premises, however, she said he pays for rent acknowledging he had established residency. It was discovered that the woman is under public housing. So, police contacted housing 493, who said the ex-boyfriend was not on the lease and for him to be trespassed and vacated. The man was told he was criminally trespassed from the property and he left. * * * A security officer at Community Kitchen at 727 E. 11th St. told police there are signs posted to prohibit people from hanging out in front of the fence and four people ignored him when he told them to move away. All of the people eventually moved when police arrived. * * * Police were called to McDonalds at 6220 Lee Hwy. because a white female refused to leave the restaurant. The manager asked for police to remove and trespass her. Upon police request, the woman left the property after she was trespassed. * * * The manager of the Chattanoogan Hotel at 1201 Broad St. told police a guest had left a firearm in a room and checked out. An officer went to the room and found a Ruger .380 pistol in the drawer of the nightstand to the right of the bed. The manager didnt have any other information on the guest. A phone number used to book the room was for a woman. Police called the number but there was no answer. Police transported the firearm to Property. * * * A woman on York Street called police and said her husbands dump trailer was stolen from the front yard. The woman showed police security camera footage of a white single cab flatbed pickup truck leaving the area with the stolen trailer at 2:17 p.m. The trailer was a 16-foot double axle black dump trailer. The husbands phone number was displayed on both sides of the trailer. The tag that was supposed to be on the trailer was removed by her husband prior to the theft so no tag should be on the trailer. The woman was attempting to get camera footage from the neighbors in an attempt to get a better description of the suspect vehicle. She said her husband leased the trailer from Hometown Capital for $28,000. Hometown Capital also apparently has tracking capabilities on the trailer. A BOLO was put out citywide for the trailer and suspect vehicle. * * * A man on Tunnel Boulevard told police a tree had fallen and caused damage to the front right fender of his vehicle. The damage is estimated to be about $2,500. The man needed a police report for insurance purposes. * * * An officer was flagged down by an employee of Bright Base, LLC on Station Street. He said someone had damaged both driver's side windows on his company truck. He said he parked about 10:15 p.m. and discovered the damage at approximately 11:05 p.m. The officer saw each window had one impact area, where the window was penetrated by unknown objects, severely cracking both windows. The man said the company would like to press charges. He said they would review its parking lot cameras for possible suspect information. * * * Dispatch notified officers that they could hear a caller shouting for her car keys on Spruce Street. Upon arrival, officers spoke with the caller. She said her ex-boyfriend was the designated driver for herself and her friend. They went to Alan Golds and ended up in a verbal altercation in the side lot adjacent to the establishment. Her ex-boyfriend took her vehicle, a white 2021 Kia Forte, and left her with her friend at Alan Golds. The ex-boyfriend later notified her that he had been pulled over by officers, possibly in Georgia. She didnt want to press charges and only wanted her vehicle back. The woman said her ex-boyfriends vehicle was at her residence. Whitfield County deputies searched the area of her residence for her vehicle but were unsuccessful in locating it. Officers transported the woman and her friend to the Tennessee/Georgia state line so that a friend could pick them up and transport them back to their residences. * * * A woman on Laura Street told police her boyfriend left and locked her out of the house after they had an argument. The boyfriend returned to the residence and let her in the house. She gathered her belongings and left the house for the day. * * * A woman at Car-Mart of Hixson at 4517 Hixson Pike told police a black male had urinated in the parking lot and was looking into vehicles. An officer found and spoke to the man, who said he was there trying to buy a vehicle. The man was difficult to understand and said he slept on the bench in front of the business the previous night. The man also said he lived in a trailer in Bakewell and a tree fell on it. He said he just wanted a ride to the city limits on Highway 153 and would walk home. An officer gave the man a ride to the old Waffle House on Highway 153. * * * A woman on Old Hixson Pike told police a homeless white male, without a shirt, was standing in front of her residential gated fence, constantly pressing the keypad and refusing to leave. Police spoke to the man, a known homeless who frequents the Hixson area. Per the womans request, police criminally trespassed the man from the address. The woman said the man came onto her property on June 15, but he had already left before police arrived. Police transported the man to 4609 Hixson Pike where his friend could take him back to his homeless camp. * * * A man told police he was traveling on Shallowford Road when his Ford Bronco's drivers side rear axle snapped. He asked if police would call him a wrecker, due to his wrecker company going to take between an hour to two hours to arrive. Reliable Towing arrived and removed the vehicle. * * * The manager of Dollar Tree at 2020 Gunbarrel Road told police a woman concealed items inside a bag. The woman left just prior to the officers arrival. The manager provided a description of the woman and the officer found her nearby. The woman is homeless in the area and she denied committing any theft. She had two purses with her and allowed the officer to see the contents of the two purses. Most of the items in the purses appeared to be old. The officer didnt see anything that appeared to be Dollar Tree merchandise. * * * A man on Standifer Gap Road told police he was inside his residence and heard a light knock on his door. He went to the door and didn't recognize the man at the door so he ignored it. He then heard the door deadbolt moving and looked and saw it turning. He locked the chain and then the man walked away. The man said the suspect was around 40-50 and slightly overweight with red hair and a blue shirt on. The man said he lost his keys to his car and house last week and wasn't sure where he lost them. When he opened the door, he found the keys that he lost in the door deadbolt lock. The man is unsure who the suspect was that was at his apartment and was just worried about how they knew where his apartment was. Police checked the area and werent able to locate anyone in the area matching that description. Friends of South Cumberland State Parks, Inc., has hired Ned Murray as its first-ever executive director.FSC is now 30 years old. As one of Tennessees largest Friends groups, we are now supporting multiple Tennessee State Parks in the South Cumberland Region, said FSC President Tom Sanders. The challenges our parks are facing are significant, as the parks become ever more popular with visitors. Our mission, to support our park managers and their priorities, while also helping to conserve, protect and maintain these unique and environmentally significant places, requires us to strengthen our organization and increase our capacity to support these parks.Bringing Ned on board is, for us, an outstanding step forward."Dr. Murray, who has a life-long passion for the outdoors, has successfully led nonprofit organizations through growth, maturity and transformation," officials said. "Dr. Murrays experience includes strategic planning, fundraising, friend-raising, communications, marketing, partnership development, governance and organizational leadership."These are the skills necessary for Friends of South Cumberland State Parks to reach a new level of organizational maturity and resilience, Dr. Murray said. My passion for this work is rooted in the beauty, wonder and diversity of this amazing part of the world. The South Cumberland region remains such a wonderful area, thanks to many folks who have worked and fought so hard to protect, preserve and maintain the most unique areas of this wonderfully diverse landscape.Dr. Murray will work with FSC committee chairs and its board of directors to continue implementation of its current five-year strategic plan, and to guide the process for plan updates.We are excited to have Neds expertise, coupled with his knowledge of our parks and their environmental significance, said Mr. Sanders. Ned will be instrumental in helping us build a stronger volunteer organization by engaging with the people and organizations who care about the parks and who want to help enhance FSCs work with their time, talents and financial support.When my wife, Lucy, and I began a conversation about where to make our new home base, it was a short conversation. We both knew that we would settle on our beloved Cumberland Plateau. No place feels more like home. No place offers more of what we value in life. It will be incredibly rewarding to help support the Friends of South Cumberland State Parks and its people to develop greater potential to positively impact the ecological, educational, environmental, and recreational life of the community and its visitors, Dr. Murray said.Dr. Murray recently retired from his position after 19 years as head of school for the Episcopal Day School in Augusta, Ga. Prior to that he was associate headmaster at Baylor School in Chattanooga. In both communities he was also an active member or board member of several nonprofit organizations, including Boys and Girls Club ofChattanooga, Augusta and Chattanooga Rotary, SAIS and the Augusta Chapter of American Red Cross. He was a founding organizer of both the Elementary Schools Research Collaborative and The Youth Board Augusta. Dr. Murray holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the Virginia Theological Seminary, a masters degree from UT/Chattanooga, and a bachelors degree from the University of the South.He and his wife reside in Sewanee. Ms. Murray, an alumna of SAS and an environmental educator, is a Georgia master naturalist and has begun the Tennessee naturalist program offered through FSC. They have two sons, both of whom are graduates of the University of the South.To learn more about Friends of South Cumberland State Parks or to become a member, visit www.friendsofsouthcumberland.org. Henry Stockman, a participant in the Chattanooga program of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, captured First Place in the National Casting Competition this past Wednesday at Bennett Spring State Park in Lebanon, Mo. Mr. Stockman placed first in the preliminary round, as well as first in the final round. His score was the highest thus far in the four years of the national competition, and was nearly 20 percent higher than the second place finish in the final round. To arrive at the national level, Mr. Stockman had to compete against other PHWFF fly casters at the local level in Chattanooga as well as the regional level, which includes Tennessee, Kentucky and eastern Arkansas. At the PHWFF National Casting Competition there were 15 competitors from other regions across the country who also had to work their way through the local and regional competitions. The casting course is comprised of two consecutive rounds for accuracy to targets at various specified distances, including an obstruction target, as well as a third round for distance with two different styles of casts, all within a running six minute clock. Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing is a 501c3 organization dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled veterans and active duty military through fly fishing and associated activities including fly tying, rod building, fly casting and educational activities as well as outings. Veterans must have a VA-rated disability to participate in the organization. The Chattanooga Program recently celebrated 10 years and is one of over 200 programs nationwide. For more information about Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, visit the national website at www.ProjectHealingWaters.org or contact the Chattanooga Program Lead Ross Schweinforth by email at Ross.Schweinforth@ProjectHealingWaters.org. Sale Creek originally got its name from the April 29, 1779, auction that Colonel Evan Shelby held in the area now known as the Regatta Point subdivision on Lee Pike. Because of that auction of captured British goods from his militias battle with the Chickamauga Indians near current-day Brainerd, the creek as well as the nearby town became known as the Sale Creek because there was a sale on the creek. At that time there were many Cherokee villages in the area (at least five in proximity to the auction site), and the Cherokees undoubtedly were some of the recipients and buyers of the British goods that were sold at that auction since settlers were not allowed in the future Hamilton County for another forty years. A later Cherokee settlement nearby in the late 1790s and early 1800s prior to the establishment of Hamilton County on October 25, 1819, was known as Fields Settlement, named after one-eighth Cherokee chief Richard John Fields, Jr. That settlement was near the upper end of Lee Pike between the current Browns Bridge and the Tennessee River. When the first post office was established in 1846 with Thomas Coulter as postmaster, the towns office was incorrectly spelled Sail Creek instead of Sale Creek. That was corrected in 1858. In 1880 when the Cincinnati Southern Railroad connected to Chattanooga, the railroad often named the depots lining the valley in honor of the families that ceded property to them for the construction of those stations. (Information supplied by David H. (Red) Gray.) In the case of the Coulterville station, it was named for either John Jerome Coulter (who sold the property to CSRR for depot purposes for $1.00) or his brother Thomas Jefferson Coulter who was a prominent citizen in the area and who was a former leader of the Hamilton County Militia prior to the Civil War. For some unknown reason, the naming of the depot at Sale Creek did not follow that convention, and the railroad planned to call the depot Rock Creek because it was so close to that waterway. Of course, Rock Creek is aptly named because it is quite simply just that millions of rocks forming a creek channel. That action raised such a howl and community stink that the railroad company relented and named it Sale Creek to fit the rest of the town. Now here is where things get confusing. The whole area of what is now Sale Creek and the area that became known as Coulterville was originally called Sale Creek. Actually, the most prominent part at that time was where Coulterville was later defined. The Sale Creek Masonic Lodge #280 F&AM met in the upper room of the Sale Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church (established in 1823 and the first building erected 1852). Also, in 1869 when the state legislature authorized the Sale Creek Masonic Male and Female Institute (an attempt at a four-year college), it also met in the upstairs room of the church. Likewise, in 1872 the legislature authorized the Sale Creek Academy which met in that area as well. All those entities were located in the area of the hill adjacent to Swafford Road. In addition, there was the depot, watering station, switch yard, section house, and section tool shed with hand car in close proximity; plus, the 292-acre (at that time) McDonald Farm joined all of those properties as well. (Note: After land acquisitions in the 20th century by Frank and Roy McDonald, the McDonald Farm eventually grew in size to nearly 2,200 acres.) Because of the depot being called Coulterville, the area around it came to be called Coulterville as well. To further complicate things, the United States Post Office Department established a post office there from June 3, 1879 May 31, 1918. John R. Hickman was the first postmaster. The post office was housed in his store across Coulterville Road from the railroad depot, very similar to Ike Godseys store and post office on the Waltons television show. To provide more complication, the actual Sale Creek Post Office was then located inside the bounds of the Coulterville office, so they had to move it farther south to an area across current-day Dayton Pike from the south end of Coulterville Road. A few years later it was moved again to a one-room building on the southwest side of the Leggett Road railroad crossing. In 1925 Ed Downey built a two-room building next to it, and the post office used the front room while the Ell-Dee Orchard Company used the back room as their office until they went out of business. The older one-room building was moved by horse and mule teams to a house on Wall Street and made into an addition. More confusion. Many of the old timers still could not get the division of the two parts of the community straightened out in their heads, so some residents still referred to current-day Sale Creek as Rock Creek, and that reference appeared on many records. The Presbyterian Church at Sale Creek was referred to in several documents as being the Presbyterian Church at Rock Creek. Katherine Patterson Troxler Sanders told this author on more than one occasion that her grandfather Jacob Alfred Newton Patterson (one of the most intelligent and educated men in Sale Creek at the time) often referred to Sale Creek as Rock Creek. Another wrinkle occurred in 1878 when Hamilton County bought a 10-acre tract along Patterson Road for the purpose of building a two-story, frame schoolhouse. The building was finished in 1880, and the first term opened that fall. The name of the school The Rock Creek Academy. That school continued in operation until the high school opened in January 1908. Most of the confusion was resolved when the Coulterville post office closed in 1918 and mail delivery moved to the Sale Creek office. At that time the whole area from the Rhea County line to a point south of Ragan Hill and from the Tennessee River to the Bledsoe County line became known in its entirety as Sale Creek. The fact remains that some people in the Coulterville area still say they are from Coulterville or from Coulterville in Sale Creek. It is the same as people saying they are from the other little areas of the community like New Providence, Lake Drive, Hodge Town, Pitty Pat Hollow, Slab Town, Possum Trot (Oakdale), the mountain, or Pyatt. Ah, yes, Pyatt. Another wrench in the gears! At the turn of the 20th Century, there were some Pyatt family members and other families living in an area near the old Doughty Ferry which was called the Coppinger Ferry by that time. That ferry was located at the end of Daugherty Ferry Road. Doughty somehow became Daugherty over the years. In 1900 the United States Post Office Department (it was not U.S. Postal Service until July 1, 1971) established a U.S. Post Office in that area, and it became known as Pyatt, Tennessee. The postmaster of that short-lived town was Phillip Fox who served the entire five years from 1900-1905. When Grover C. Jones worked as a clerk in the Sale Creek Post Office with Luther G. Coulter, postmaster, he often mentioned Pyatt, and one day when Luther was going through some old records, he found a cash receipt signed by Phillip Fox with Pyatt, Tenn listed as the post office. Pyatt was located in the vicinity of Crestview Drive in Sale Creek. Other distinctions to the town of Sale Creek it is the oldest community in Hamilton County and the first English-named community as well. It also has the distinctions of being (1) the site of the establishment of Hamilton County in 1819 (either in the home of Robert Patterson or Charles Gamble), (2) the first citizen (Robert Patterson), the first sheriff (Charles Gamble), (3) the first superintendent of Hamilton County Schools (William Beene - 1875), (4) first Masonic school in Hamilton County (Sale Creek Masonic Academy 1850-1871), (5) first public school for settlers (Robert Patterson 1819), (6) first mission school to Cherokee Indians (Gideon Blackburn 1805-1810), (7) first right-of-way sold to Cincinnati Southern Railroad 1875 by Thomas, Rebecca, and John Jerome Coulter, and (8) first coal mine (Robert Jacks 1843). In addition, Sale Creek High School is the oldest high school that still resides on its original campus. Sale Creek was the sixth Hamilton County high school to open but is the only one that still occupies its original campus from 1878. Source: A Sentimental Journey Down Country Roads by Curtis N. Coulter (1990) and An Expedition to the Past A History of Sale Creek and Coulterville, Tennessee by Curtis N. Coulter (2021). (Available on coulterpublications.com website.) A federal court Tuesday vowed to draw a new Alabama congressional map including a second Black-majority district after the Republican-dominated state refused to obey its previous order to rectify its violation of the Voting Rights Act. Accusing the state of deeply troubling defiance, the three-judge panel ruled a special master will draw a map in time for the 2024 election with two Black districts instead of just one. The law requires the creation of an additional district that affords Black Alabamians, like everyone else, a fair and reasonable opportunity to elect candidates of their choice, the judges wrote. (Alabama) plainly fails to do so. The scathing 198-page ruling slaps down Alabama for effectively ignoring its previous order, which was upheld by the conservative dominated U.S. Supreme Court. The panel, which includes two judges appointed by former President Donald Trump, will now draw its own map to replace the states map that Republicans conceded included only one Black district. Alabama is expected to appeal the new ruling to the Supreme Court, arguing it should not be forced to consider race in drawing districts. But its considered a long shot since the top court ruled against it once already. Alabama has just one Black lawmaker for its seven congressional seats despite Black Alabamians making up 28% of the population. The court ruled that set-up violates the federal Voting Rights Act and ordered the state to add a second Black-majority district. The state instead merely tweaked one district to slightly increase the number of Black voters, but left it far short of a majority. With time running short before the 2024 election, the court wont give the state another bite at the apple. Voting experts say it will be a simple task to draw a new map with two Black districts that would comply with the Voting Rights Act. The aggressive ruling could help Democrats flip a handful of seats in other Deep South states that have used the same strategy of cramming Black and minority voters into as few congressional districts as possible. Lawsuits have challenged congressional maps in states including Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina and Texas, where the GOP used a similar tactic to limit the power of the fast-growing Latino community. A Hamilton County deputy was injured on Labor Day as his car was rammed by a man fleeing law enforcement at high speeds. The chase went into Georgia and back into Tennessee. Sheriff Austin Garrett said, "At approximately 5:50 p.m., Hamilton County Sheriffs Office personnel were made aware of a vehicle being pursued by the Soddy Daisy Police Department on Highway 27 South. The driver of the vehicle, 35-year-old Brandon Buckner, had multiple outstanding warrants in Tennessee and Georgia. Soddy Daisy Police indicated he would also have new charges for assaulting officers. "Deputies took the lead in the pursuit on Highway 27 near the Tennessee River. The pursuit continued to I-24 East then I-75 South at speeds exceeding 100 mph. Buckner would eventually lead deputies and additional law enforcement personnel on a pursuit that would take them into Georgia and back through East Brainerd and parts of Collegedale. At some points throughout the pursuit, Buckner drove on the wrong side of the road posing great danger to oncoming motorists and law enforcement. "Due to the continued reckless nature of his pursuit, HCSO deputies made the decision to use a PIT maneuver to protect the public. Once the PIT was conducted, Buckners vehicle struck a guardrail and bounced back into the side of a HCSO vehicle. This collision caused damage to the HCSO vehicle and the deputy received minor injuries from the deployment of the airbags. "Buckner then began driving the wrong way and sideswiped a Soddy Daisy Police vehicle and glanced off the push bumper of another HCSO vehicle. Seeing his path was completely blocked by two more HCSO vehicles and guardrails on either side, Buckner stopped and was taken into custody." Sheriff Garrett said, Yesterdays pursuit is one of several HCSO deputies have had to engage in recently to stop violent offenders. Let this be a lesson to those who think they can run from my deputies and endanger the innocent motorists and families who utilize our roadways My deputies are trained to stop a pursuit and we will pursue you and we will remove you from our roadways. Soddy Daisy Police took custody of Buckner and transported him to the Hamilton County Jail on their original charges. In addition to Soddy Daisy Police Department personnel, Catoosa County Sheriffs Office deputies also participated in the pursuit of Buckner. Buckner was charged with the following yesterdays pursuit: Felony Evading Arrest Driving on Revoked License Aggravated Assault (x4) Speeding (x2) Reckless Driving Reckless Endangerment (x2) Vandalism (x2) Stop Sign Violation Diving on Roadway Laned for Traffic In addition to the aforementioned new charges, Buckner had additional warrants for the following: Chattanooga hero Larry Taylor was presented the Medal of Honor by President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday afternoon. Capt. Taylor was accompanied by family and friends, as well as Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagarty, as he was honored for his heroics in Vietnam that saved the lives of four soldiers. President Biden recited how then-Lt. Taylor flew his Cobra on a daunting rescue mission on a moonless-night as the four men were surrounded by enemy soldiers. He was eventually able to land the Cobra and the men scrambled aboard. The president told how then it was found that the plane was almost out of gas, so there was another landing and the men, who had been hanging onto the sides of the two-seater, then saluted and disappeared into the forest. All made it safely back. Prior to the daring rescue, a helicopter that was due to take part was canceled and Lt. Taylor was ordered to call off his rescue attempt. He continued on, however. President Biden said he "changed the course of the lives of four families." Capt. Taylor will be honored with a parade in downtown Chattanooga on Monday. Among those attending were four men who previously were presented the Medal of Honor. Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly and Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp were also on hand. Weve all been there: a trendy outfit at the mall catches your eye, and before you know it, youre at the checkout, feeling like youve scored a total steal. But have you ever stopped to ponder whats behind that bargain? Welcome to the whirlwind world of fast fashion. Its stylish, its quick, and its affordable, but theres much more lurking beneath the surface. The term fast fashion has been bouncing around on social media ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing some consumers to boycott entire brands altogether. Fast fashion might be convenient and budget-friendly, but theres a whole world of alternatives out there that are kinder to the planet and the people making your clothes. By understanding the impact of fast fashion and taking steps to shop more intentionally, you can still look fabulous without the hidden costs. Understanding Fast Fashion Fast fashion is like that quick-fix meal at your favorite fast-food joint. Its fast, its cheap, and it satisfies your cravings at the moment. In the fashion world, fast fashion refers to inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends. But while this might not sound too bad (and may even help out your bank account), theres more to it. The Impact: Its Not All Glitz And Glamor First of all, the appeal of fast fashion lies in its affordability and accessibility. However, saving some cash comes at a dire cost to the environment. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. When the iconic pumpkin spice lattes start to pop back up on the Starbucks menus, you know that fall is right around the corner. The pumpkin spice trend seems to be fairly recent. However, pumpkin spice has roots beyond its modern association with coffee. In fact, pumpkin spice has been around for 3,500 years! So, if people back then werent obsessed with drinking pumpkin spice lattes, what exactly was pumpkin spice used for? The pumpkin spice flavor doesnt actually include pumpkin at all. Instead, its a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. All of these spices have been around for a long time, but if we start with the history of nutmeg, we can determine how pumpkin spice came to be. On one of the Banda islands in Indonesia named Pulau Ay, archaeologists made an unexpected discovery. They found evidence of common plants like sago and purple yam on ancient ceramic pottery shards. But when they saw that there was also nutmeg residue, they were surprised. The pottery shards were estimated to be about 3,500 years old. Thats 2,000 years older than previously thought! Nutmeg and other spices eventually became hot commodities that people from all over the world sought to obtain. Asia sold spices to the Middle East and North Africa, and soon enough, they reached Europe. By the fourteenth century, and possibly earlier, traders were traveling to the Banda Islands for nutmeg because it was not known to grow anywhere else. They were nicknamed the Spice Islands. The drive for spice is part of what led Europeans to the Americas. They couldnt get enough of it. In the 1600s, the Dutch even traded their colony of New Amsterdam for one of the Banda Islands, which was under British ownership. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. There were so many inspiring and brilliant people who were activists during the civil rights movement. One of them was Pauli Murray, a Black lawyer, civil rights activist, and poet who did tremendous work and exposed what it was like to be discriminated against on various levels. Born in Maryland in 1910, Pauli was one of six children. After her mothers death, her father sent her to live with her maternal aunt in North Carolina, and she grew up fairly poor. Despite that, Pauli was an excellent, heavily-involved student and graduated at the top of her class in high school. However, although she graduated with an impressive school record, she wasnt allowed into any of the top schools she applied to, like Columbia University in New York, because of her gender and race. Finally, Pauli found Hunter College in New York, which was an all-womens school at the time. She lived in a YMCA in Harlem, where she attended lectures and was introduced to some of the most prominent figures of the Harlem Renaissance era, like Langston Hughes and W.E.B. DuBois. Pauli graduated from Hunter in 1933 with a degree in English Literature. She graduated at a rough time, as the stock market crash and Great Depression made it terribly difficult for her to get a job, on top of the discrimination she already faced. Around this time, she began writing poetry, and her work was published in several magazines. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Pauli set her sights on attending law school but had difficulty finding a school that would take her. She returned to North Carolina to try and attend a graduate program at UNC-Chapel Hill but was denied entry because of her race. Pauli then went back to New York, began speaking out against the Jim Crow laws, and became well-known in the city as an activist. She found herself at Howard Law School and was a great law student with strong goals of becoming a civil rights lawyer. During her time at Howard in 1944, she famously wrote a paper coining the term Jane Crow, which explored the separation of gender and racial-based discrimination and was later referenced in the famous Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court case. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. First Lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID on Monday night, but a test taken by President Biden, 80, came back negative, the White House said. Jill Biden, 72, was experiencing mild symptoms on Monday night and was expected to recover at home in Rehoboth Beach, Del., said a statement from Elizabeth Alexander, a spokeswoman for the first lady. The Bidens spent the Labor Day weekend together in Delaware. President Biden returned to Washington on Monday. The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said the president received his negative test result Monday night after his wife tested positive. The president will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms, Jean-Pierre said in a statement. President Biden had a bout with COVID in July 2022 and was treated with Paxlovid, an antiviral therapy. He said at the time that his symptom-light, work-heavy virus experience underscored American progress in the fight against COVID-19. Jill Biden also previously tested positive for COVID in August 2022. The president is due to head to India later this week for a meeting of the Group of 20 nations. COVID hospital admissions in the U.S. have climbed by nearly 20% in the last week, according to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Does it feel like everyone in your church is getting more liberal? Someone posed this question at a recent get-together of evangelical pastors that I attended in the Nashville area. The person raising it had recently discovered that most of the young women in his congregation were not onboard with the churchs complementarian convictions. Just a few minutes prior, Id spoken with some of the pastors about a young man with a bad habit of attending services for several weeks, deciding something said or done exposed the church as liberal, then moving on to the next congregation. (Mine was one of them.) I think many of the women in our churches are getting more liberal, I said. But I think the men are getting more conservative. An array of empirical data provides evidence of this growing trend. Generations, the new book by San Diego State University professor of psychology Jean Twenge, demonstrates that among high school seniors, 30 percent of young women identify as conservativedown more than 10 percent in the last decade. Meanwhile, the number of young men who identify as conservative is more than double: an all-time high of 65 percent. Lyman Stone and Brad Wilcox note in The Atlantic that the share of young single women identifying as liberal nearly doubles that of young single men, and the share of young single men identifying as conservative doubles that of young single women. We can expect the same trends in the church. Even back in 2014, Pews Religious Landscape Study revealed that, while Christians were overwhelmingly politically conservative, there was an 18-point percentage gap between liberal Christian women and liberal Christian men. One could fairly assume that gap has grown in the last decade, as it has among the general population. As I watch Christians debate this growing fissure, I often hear two knee-jerk reactions. Some see a discipleship problem among women. The problem, they say, is that our women are being co-opted by progressive podcasters and social media influencers. Theyre caught in the liberal drift. They need to be discipled into a more conservative position. Others see a discipleship problem among men: All these young guys are being discipled more by Jordan Peterson than Jesus. They need to listen to those on the margins and move to a more progressive political position. Both responses are shortsighted. Neither one digs below the surface. And each will alienate one sex or the other. Rather than rushing to quick reactions, we need to make space for reflection. What is it that men and women are looking for (and apparently finding) in their political parties? What leads them to identify so deeply with a movement outside the church that it threatens their identification with others inside it? Article continues below The answer, I think, might be simpler than we expect. In recent years, the Lefts message to women in America has been loud and clear: We want you. You belong here. You have a home here. You are welcome here. You are not part of the problem. But the same movement has often said to menparticularly white, heterosexual, Christian men: You are the problem. Men are oppressors. Theyre abusers. Theyre not to be trusted. On the flip side, conservatives in America have played to mens sense of victimization by telling them: We still need you. You still have a role to play. You are wanted. You are welcome here. You are not part of the problem. But the same movement elected as its standard bearer a male president who unashamedly boasted about sexually assaulting women. You are the problem, conservatism has often told women. You are not to be trusted. As a pastor, Im primarily concerned with the local church. How can I and others lead wisely as our congregations experience this politically induced divide between men and women? Theologically speaking, we need a healthy dose of the doctrine on which the church stands and falls. In Galatians 2, Paul recounts how he opposed Peter for practicing justification by works. If we divide over political preference, were doing just the same. And like Peter, we stand condemned. No person is justified by works of the lawand that includes political preference. We are justified by grace through faith in Christ and have no right to build barriers between people and God, or people and the church, based on their voting records. Practically speaking, church leaders need to model healthy friendship across genders. Yes, boundaries matter, and each person needs to follow their Spirit-led convictions. But male-female friendships are essential to healthy communities. Cross-gender relationships have an undeniable presence in the Bible, in church history, and in any thriving culture. Modeling charitable, gracious, and, yes, wise friendship across the gender boundary is a helpful way to foster unity in the local church. Article continues below But perhaps theres nothing we need to take more urgently from this moment than the truth that people want to be wanted. Its a judgment on our political era that so many people feel one of the two major parties has told them, You are not welcome here. Shame on our churches if half the population hears the same from us! If we treat the leftward drift of women as the problem, well only puff up the pride of some and push out others. If we treat the rightward drift of men as the problem, well only puff up the pride of some and push out others. But if we model the love of Jesus Christ, who gave himself for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), including men and women, the Left and the Right, our words and actions will say loud and clear, You are not a problem here. You are welcome. You are wanted. You are loved. Lets follow Jesus together. Taylor Combs serves as lead pastor of Kings Cross Church in East Nashville, TN. [ This article is also available in Portugues. ] When he was eight years old, my son Jonah joined me on a trip to Salt Lake City. I was meeting with leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about religious liberty questions that concerned both of our communities. I thought Jonah would be bored, but I neednt have worried. Everyone treated him with such kindness that I told my wife, We have to get home soon. Jonahs having such a good time that Im afraid hell soon be on a bicycle handing out Books of Mormon door to door. I was joking, of course. But it was true that the other children showing him such hospitality would one day spend two years somewhere in the world on a mission that the church expects of them. For a long time, this struck me as a misguided use of time and resources. After all, have you ever met someone who embraced the teachings of Joseph Smith because a pair of barely-out-of-adolescence Latter-day Saints showed up at their door? But I was wrong in my evaluation, because I misunderstood what these missions are actually about. In his book Nonverts: The Making of Ex-Christian America, Stephen Bullivant recalls a conversation with a couple of young Latter-day Saints just back from their missions. Neither had seen a single person converted to their faith. Yet interestingly, from the perspective of the LDS Church, this doesnt mean that their mission trips have failed, he writes. The experience of spending two years trudging around rainy England, living in each others (name-badged) pockets, and trying to strike up meaningful conversations with secular Brits is nothing if not character building. More importantly, he notes, the odds of them returning home even more deeply committed to being upstanding lifelong Mormons will certainly have risen appreciably. Bullivant contrasts this devotion with mainline Protestantism, which has bled out over the past 50 yearsespecially with youth. A key, he argues, is the eclipse of an emphasis on equipping young people to do personal evangelism. If a church doesnt inculcate in its members the feeling that what they have is something thats worth sharing with others ... then it sends the message that perhaps its not so essential for me either, he writes. Conversely, actively trying to evangelize others cements the value of it for oneself. The same is true for our evangelical Protestant world, regardless of how much we think we are committed to personal evangelism. The 2022 Census of American Religion by the Public Religion Research Institute showed that the median age of both white mainline Protestants and their evangelical counterparts was around 54, in contrast to a median age of all Americans of 48. With these sorts of numbers, many will attempt to ramp up the same market-driven ministry to young people thats failed for decades. But what if thats not the solution and is, instead, a big part of the problem? Are we sending an implicit message to the next generation that we see them as consumers of a ministry product? Compared with the Latter-day Saints, are our expectations for the next generation way too low? I am committed to Nicene Christian orthodoxy and I, of course, reject LDS theology on the most important matters of the faiththe Trinity, the Incarnation, the way of salvation, and so on. But when it comes to the sociology of high expectations for youth, I find something that resonates. We may equip our young people to defend themselves intellectuallyfrom naturalistic materialism, sexual hedonism, and so onwith a Christian worldview. But we are not doing as well at training them to authentically and persuasively share their faith as genuine good news and to expect that the Spirit actually can and does change hearts. The biblical model of the church is one body with many membersand a critical aspect of membership is the use of ones gifts to build up the church (1 Cor. 12). Too many of our young people are seeing a flawed vision of Christianity, not because theyve concluded that they dont need the church but because theyve concluded that the church doesnt need them. We need to communicate to our children that we will not only train them to carry on the faith but also trust them to do so. Our expectations for the next generation are just not high enough for these latter days. Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here. Church distributes over 1,000 pairs of sneakers at back-to-school giveaway event A nondenominational congregation in Massachusetts recently helped distribute more than 1,000 pairs of sneakers and school supplies to local low-income families. The Springfield campus of the multisite Vox Church recently partnered with the local chapter of the Boys & Girls Club to host a back-to-school giveaway event in which around 400 families benefitted. Vox Springfield team member Dan Tedone, who spearheaded the giveaway event, told The Christian Post that each child who came was given a pair of sneakers and a backpack filled with school supplies. According to Tedone, Vox got the sneakers through a partnership with a nonprofit known as Provision Ministry and purchases the church made through a wholesale company. Vox Church is grateful to Health New England, Yankee Home Improvement, Springfield Together, and Bethany Assemblies of God for donating additional cash to purchase the remaining sneakers and provide funding for the event, Tedone said. This was the third annual sneaker giveaway event that Vox has organized. Tedone said the event came about after Springfield campus Pastor Matt DeCiccio looked for ways to make an impact in the city. At its inaugural event in 2021, the church gave away around 600 pairs of sneakers to students in need and gave away around 1,000 pairs in 2022. By the third year, the event has an amazing reputation in the city and local businesses and churches were ready to donate funds or products, Tedone said. Many of Springfields leaders joined the event, from the mayor of Springfield to a state Senate representative to City Council members. This wouldnt have been possible without support from numerous community partners. Tedone considers the event unique in that aside from receiving new sneakers and backpacks, each child that walks through the doors experiences hope. We dont merely give the students new sneakers. A volunteer sits down across from them, asks them their name, how old they are, what they like to do, and then asks if they can take off their shoes and wash their feet, he explained. Every child has the option to say no, and we will always respect their decision, but over 95% of the students in attendance say yes. Volunteers wash the students feet, explaining that we serve because Jesus served us. In many cases, this action leads to an opportunity to pray with the child and the parents. Tedone believes the event demonstrates the hope and love of Jesus to children and families in the City of Springfield and is a way that his church is seeking to see New England transformed from the least churched region in America to the most spiritually vibrant place on earth. Church of Haitian pastor who led members into deadly clash with gang is shut down: gov't official Haitian authorities have reportedly temporarily suspended the operating license of the Church of the Pool of Bethesda in Caradeux after the congregations pastor, Marcorel Zidor, recently led hundreds of his members into a deadly confrontation with a violent gang then blamed the deaths of at least seven of them on their lack of faith. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship Jean Victor Geneus announced the suspension of the churchs operating license, according to Haiti Libre, but it doesnt appear to have kept the church from operating. The church's YouTube channel shows that since Zidor, who is popularly known as Pastor Marco, convinced his followers to engage in the deadly confrontation with the gang controlling a suburb of Port-au-Prince called Canaan, has streamed church events online four times since Aug. 25. A church announcement noted that one event is planned for Sept. 9. Many of his followers also appear devoted to him as they left many encouraging messages online showing their support of his ministry. In an earlier press statement, Haitis Police Chief Frantz Elbe said Zidor, who is popularly known as Pastor Marco, led several hundred of his followers, some of whom were armed with sticks and machetes, to overthrow the gang in Canaan. Elbe said police tried to stop the protest by setting up security perimeters and warning church officials that confronting the gang members was not a good idea, but they ignored the warnings. In an earlier report, The Christian Post noted that Zidor had convinced his parishioners that they could not be harmed by the bullets from the gangsters, and they believed him. They were determined because the pastor told them, They will not get shot, Elbe said during a subsequent press conference. There was a belief in this crowd; there was a determination, he added. The police did everything they could to prevent the crowd from arriving at its destination. A video posted on X, formerly known as the platform Twitter, shows gang members opening fire on the church members with what appears to be the lifeless bodies of a man and woman from the protests at the end of a trail of blood in the unpaved streets of the squatter community. Other videos posted on YouTube show several members who were also kidnapped. Zidor allegedly abandoned his flock on a motorcycle, Haiti Libre reported. In an interview with Mega Radio, cited by Reuters, Zidor said the members of his flock who died after they were shot had died because they "went to hide" in houses. "Those who died are those who went to hide in the houses," he said. "Ninety-five percent of my parishioners were being shot at, none of them got hit. 'Dr. Death' promotes coffin-shaped suicide pod invention offering people a 'quick death' Updated 12:58 p.m. EDT, Sept. 5, 2023 An assisted suicide advocate nicknamed "Dr. Death," who once argued that troubled teens should be allowed to kill themselves, has garnered global attention for his latest invention: a coffin-shaped pod that enables people to end their lives with the push of a button. The man behind the invention, Philip Nitschke, is a former physician and the head of Exit International, a nonprofit organization that campaigns for assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia legislation. Nitschke's nonprofit has also developed 3-D Printed Sarco Pods, which the Exit International founder revealed are expected to be used in Switzerland. Switzerland allows assisted suicide, so long as the motive is unselfish and the provider carrying it out only does so for "altruistic" reasons. The country requires the individual choosing to die to possess "decision-making capacity" and "ownership of the action" of their death. Bobby Schindler, president of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, responded to the pods' invention by condemning the "deceptive" cultural message of telling doctors that they have a responsibility to help patients die." "The fundamental duty of doctors has always been to act as healers for their patients, not assist in killing them," Schindler told The Christian Post. "Any doctor who helps a patient commit suicide by whatever means violates this sacred oath." Schindler is the brother of Terri Schiavo, a woman who fell into a persistent vegetative state in 1990. The case received significant attention due to a legal battle between her husband and parents, with the former arguing that Schiavo wouldn't want to live with a brain injury. In March 2005, a Florida court ordered the removal of Schiavo's feeding tube, and she died of starvation and dehydration. In an emailed statement to CP, Nitschke said, "The Sarco concept evolved from a request in 2012 by lawyers for Tony Nicklinson in the U.K. about a possible device/machine that would allow a seriously disabled person the ability to end their own life. Tony had locked-in syndrome and eventually ended his life by refusing food and drink." He continued: "The development of a 3D-printed device that would allow a peaceful hypoxic death with the press of a button (or by voice or eye activation) proceeded over the following years. We are now working on a third model for use in a country like Germany or Switzerland (where it is lawful to provide the means for a person to end their life). Once Sarco is successfully employed, it will be able to be printed in other countries," like the U.S. Nitschke said he and Exit International also "dispute the idea that Sarco 'glamorizes' suicide. Rather, the device has been designed to give a sense of style and elegance to this most important day, the day of one's elective death, and we would be critical of those who claim there are other ways of 'helping people' who want to die, by offering something that doesnt actually help them die." As The Daily Mail reported, each pod costs between $4,000 and $8,000, and a few days before speaking with the outlet, Nitschke had visited Switzerland to verify the invention met all of the necessary requirements. The former physician intends for the pods to serve as an alternative to the pills Switzerland allows people to take if they want to kill themselves, as some might not have the ability to swallow. Nitschke added that he worries someone ingesting the pills might vomit, preventing absorption of the drugs. The pods are portable devices that enable people to kill themselves by reducing internal oxygen levels after they press a button. According to the outlet, the name of the pods is derived from the word "sarcophagus." Use of the pod is limited to members of Exit International, and an individual membership fee costs $100. "The person will climb into the machine, they will be asked three questions, and they will answer verbally: 'Who are you?' 'Where are you?' and 'Do you know what happens if you press the button?" Nitschke told MailOnline. According to the former physician, if the individual answers those questions, the machine will then turn on, and they can press the button. The Exit International founder told the outlet that the person who presses the button will "die quickly." "We'll be using the traditional method of getting a Swiss psychiatrist to basically talk to the person and assess their mental capacity and we'll have that done before a person is able to use the device," Nitschke said. Wesley J. Smith, chair and senior fellow at the Discovery Institute's Center on Human Exceptionalism, a conservative think-tank, said that regulations surrounding the use of the pods will eventually "melt," as is typical in these cases. "So the idea of a psychiatrist exam is, I feel, just a veneer to make it a little more acceptable," Smith told CP. "But what kind of a psychiatrist is going to approve suicide?" "The purpose of psychiatry is to help people not commit suicide," he continued. "And if the psychiatrist says, 'Wow, this is reasonable and thought out, and I think I would want to kill myself if I were in that circumstance too,' you're basically abandoning the patient." "What is the response of a loving community when one of our brothers and sisters is in such despair that they want to kill themselves?" Smith posited. "It seems to me the only proper action is suicide prevention." The Discovery Institute senior fellow highlighted Nitschke's past assisted suicide advocacy, pointing to a 2001 interview with National Review Senior Fellow Kathryn Jean Lopez. During the interview, Nitschke said he believes that all people have the right to end their lives, finding it ethically inconsistent to say one has the right to life while denying them the means to die. "And someone needs to provide this knowledge, training, or recourse necessary to anyone who wants it, including the depressed, the elderly bereaved, [and] the troubled teen," Nitschke said. Smith said that he resents the idea that allowing someone to die by suicide enables them to die a dignified death. The lawyer and author shared that his father died of colon cancer in hospice during the '80s and that his mother died in 2016 of Alzheimer's while in hospice. "Are we going to say that that was not a dignified death?" Smith asked. "If the idea is truly seeking to normalize suicide as the best approach to death and dying rather than care, it's very dangerous in that regard." He also noted that promoting assisted suicide encourages suicidal ideation, as some studies have found a connection. As CP reported last November, the Anscombe Bioethics Centre released a study that month titled "Does Legalizing Assisted Suicide Make Things Better Or Worse?" that analyzed multiple studies in Europe and North America. According to the research, the number of self-inflicted suicide rates increased alongside the number of physician-assisted suicide deaths. Women were also more likely to die via self-inflicted suicide in places that allow euthanasia and assisted suicide. Texas Supreme Court allows ban on sex-change surgeries for minors to take effect The Supreme Court of Texas has allowed a state law to take effect that bans the provision of sex-change surgeries and puberty-blocking drugs to minors suffering from gender dysphoria, overruling a lower court decision. In a brief order released last Thursday, the highest court in Texas denied an emergency motion to temporarily block Senate Bill 14 from taking effect as scheduled at the beginning of September. A lawsuit filed against the measure by multiple families with trans-identifying children living in Texas will be heard before the state supreme court on Nov. 28. The Texas Office of the Attorney General released a statement expressing support for the court's denial of temporary relief, calling it a win for child protection. "The OAG 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, unproven' gender transition' interventions," the statement reads. The groups that filed the lawsuit on behalf of the families included the Texas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, the national ACLU, Lambda Legal, the Transgender Law Center, Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP and Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP. In a joint statement, the organizations called the order a "cruel ruling" that puts trans-identifying youth "directly in harm's way." "But let us be clear: The fight is far from over," the groups asserted. "In its ruling, the district court clearly articulated the ways in which S.B. 14 likely violates the Texas Constitution by infringing upon the fundamental right of parents to make decisions concerning the care, custody, and control of their children, infringing upon Texas physicians' right of occupational freedom, and discriminating against transgender adolescents with gender dysphoria because of their sex, sex stereotypes, and transgender status." "We couldn't agree more, and look forward to continuing this fight." In June, Texas passed SB 14, a measure that bans medical professionals from performing sex-reassignment surgeries, such as castration or mastectomies, on minors or prescribing puberty blockers to children. The law provides exceptions to this ban, such as when a minor is "experiencing precocious puberty," "born with a medically verifiable genetic disorder of sex development," or if a child "does not have the normal sex chromosome structure for male or female as determined by a physician through genetic testing." Additionally, the ban on puberty blockers does not apply to "a continuing course of treatment that the child began before June 1, 2023," although the minor "shall wean off the prescription drug over a period of time and in a manner that is safe and medically appropriate and that minimizes the risk of complications." The progressive groups filed suit in July. Last month, the 201st Judicial District Court of Travis County granted an injunction that temporarily blocked the law. More than 20 states have laws or policies that prevent health providers from facilitating sex-change surgeries or hormonal interventions on minors struggling with their gender identity. In August, a three-judge panel for the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a similar law in Alabama, likewise overturning a lower court decision. In June, a federal judge issued a permanent injunction against an Arkansas law that bans sex change surgeries and hormone intervention for minors with gender dysphoria. 60 years since MLK's 'I have a dream speech': Good and bad changes since Is it possible that it has been 60 years since the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. so eloquently called his fellow Americans to live up to the promises of our founding documents and acknowledge the full citizenship of our fellow black citizens? Incredibly, the answer is, yes. Sixty years is three generations of Americans. And yet, anyone who heard Dr. Kings incandescent oration from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial remembers how it electrified the nation. I watched it on television as a 16-year-old boy who had just acknowledged the call to full-time Gospel ministry as a Baptist minister. For me, someone raised in the segregated South (Houston, Texas), having attended segregated schools, a segregated church, and living in a segregated neighborhood, his sermon to America was a clarion call to commitment and action in support of a cause that was demanded both by our founding documents and, more importantly, by the Gospel proclaimed in the New Testament. It is often overlooked by the secular media that the driving force informing and motivating Dr. Kings ministry was the paramount fact that he was first and foremost an ordained Baptist minister and his ministry to America was driven by his commitment to a biblically based belief in the fundamental dignity and equal value of every human life what he often summarized as somebodiness. To understand Dr. King and his message it is critically important to understand that he was the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a divinely called, seminary-trained, and fully ordained Baptist minister and pastor who believed in both the sacredness and the equality of every human soul. In 1967, in what tragically turned out to be his last book (Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?) written before his assassination, he wrote: Let us be dissatisfied until men will recognize that out of ONE BLOOD God made all men to dwell upon the face of the earth. Let us be dissatisfied until that day when nobody will shout white power when nobody will shout black power, but everybody will talk about Gods power and human power. Based on these words, one can only imagine how saddened Dr. King would be by the degeneration into the ethnic rivalries and hostilities that plague present-day American society. I firmly agree with American commentator and Wall Street Journal editorial board member Jason Riley that if Dr. King were alive today he would be disappointed that black-white gaps persist in income, employment, incarceration, schooling and other areas. Yet its hard to believe that he wouldnt be pleased with the gains in recent elections, black voter registration, and turnout rates have hit record highs and in some cases exceeded white rates. ... Black median incomes still trail those of whites, but as economist Thomas Sowell writes in his new book, Social Justice Fallacies, 2020 census data show more than 9 million black Americans with higher incomes than the median incomes of white Americans. For those of us old enough to have made the journey through the civil rights revolution of the last six decades, the progress between then and now has been extremely encouraging and should inspire America to continue her journey to complete fruition. Riley had the courage to write that one reason blacks continue to lag behind whites is that many government efforts to help the black underclass have backfired. Welfare-state expansions have increased dependency and subsidized counterproductive behavior. In the early 1960s, two-thirds of black children lived with a mother and a father. By the mid-1990s, it was down to one-third. That would disappoint King as well. Perhaps, unlike a lot of black leaders today, he would be willing to talk about it. I have no doubt that the Rev. King would indeed talk about the breakdown of the black family. Dr. Kings niece, Alveda King, explains that her uncles dream is not something set apart from the American Dream but a vision for all people deeply rooted in the promises that make up America. Dr. Kings dream was rooted in his biblical understanding of the equality of all humanity and the fact that Americas founding documents are based on similar principles: All men are created equal they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Dr. Kings vision of an America where people were judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character is not a vision driven by moral relativism, but by a biblically grounded Judeo-Christian morality. Frankly, I suspect I speak for many Americans in expressing my grief and disappointment that we, as a nation, have not made more progress toward the realization of Dr. Kings vision. I suspect one major reason for that lack of progress is the fact that too many Americans mistook desegregation as a synonym for integration. It is not. Desegregation means the demise of formal de jure segregation. With the passage of the Civil Rights laws we desegregated America, but we did not integrate it. As I have pointed out before, Jesus commands Christians to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matt. 5:13-16). The salt of the law can change actions, only the light of the Gospel can truly change attitudes. The salt of the law can change behavior, it is only the light of the Gospel that can truly change beliefs. The salt of the law can change habits, but only the light of the Gospel can truly change hearts. The salt of the law can end segregation, but only the light of the Gospel can generate true integration. The law has done about all it can do in desegregating America. True integration will depend on American Christians of all ethnicities practicing the reconciliation made possible through the life-changing Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Cor. 5:15-20). We must always remember that among the redeemed, There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28). Progress toward the fulfillment of Dr. Kings dream is inextricably intertwined with the health of the Christian faith in America. Church membership in America, as a percentage of the population, is now at a record low down more than 20 points in the 21st century. It is difficult, if not impossible, to perceive of an America successfully renewing her commitment to Dr. Kings dream as we become less religious. Religious renewal and revival of Dr. Kings dream will rise or fall together. The most in-your-face Christian doctrine A number of economic observers believe San Francisco is caught in a doom loop. Doom loops start with a triggering event often tied to a major industry, such as when manufacturing jobs began evaporating in Detroit during the 1970s. Naturally, tax income shrinks, services do too, businesses close, and social disorder rises. This causes residents to leave, commuters and shoppers to bail, and the cycle spirals downward. Which is precisely whats happening in San Francisco. John Chachas, who owns one of the citys most well-known department stores Gumps paid for ad space in a print edition of San Franciscos Chronicle to run an open letter decrying the state and moral decay of the citys downtown. In her article applauding Chachas editorial, Erica Sandbergs way of summing up San Franciscos problem really caught my eye. The city has a let people do whatever they want problem, she said. So, I have a question: if people are allowed to do whatever they want in San Francisco, why dont they want to do good things instead of bad? Why isnt the city a blessed and happy utopia instead of a dark and mangled dystopia? The Babylon Bee answers this amusingly in one of their satire pieces saying, A newly released report has revealed that people are following their hearts at record levels, with remarkably disastrous results. 'People are just being true to themselves! Why is everything so terrible?' said lead researcher Tim Scottsdale. 'It's almost like there is some innate depravity in the heart of man. It's very surprising.' Except, of course, that its not surprising. Well, at least not to those of us with a Christian worldview. Thats not to say non-Christians havent noticed the problem. The 18th-century philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau diagnosed the issue by saying that were all born as innocent savages but we get corrupted by society. A prickly fact escaping Rousseau was that societies are composed of people who are supposedly born innocent. Others turn a blind eye to the problem like psychologists Abraham Maslow, who said, As far as I know we just don't have any intrinsic instincts for evil and Carl Rogers who stated, I do not find that evil is inherent in human nature. Oh, but it is. R. C. Sproul says, If each one of us is born without a sinful nature, how do we account for the universality of sin? If four billion people were born with no inclination to sin, with no corruption to their nature, we would reasonably expect that at least some of them would refrain from falling ... But if everybody does it, without exception, then we begin to wonder why. Theologian Francis Schaeffer labeled our problem mans dilemma, writing, Man is able both to rise to great heights and to sink to great depths of cruelty and tragedy. Schaeffer asked what hope we have, in and of ourselves, that we will get any better, especially since the 20th century was the bloodiest in human history. Well, here we are in the 21st century where our current culture has never preached more about tolerance and morality, and yet it shows less acceptance, kindness, and moral respect towards others than in the past. Novelist Franz Kafka described our present situation long ago when he said, The state we find ourselves in is sinful, quite independent of guilt. The Bible describes that as having a conscience, which is seared (1 Tim 4:2). And when you have people with seared consciences running around doing whatever they want with no objective moral law constraining them, as in San Francisco, you experience what philosopher L. D. Rue called the madhouse option, which results in complete chaos and societal breakdown. The other choice in a secular-only culture, said Rue, is the totalitarian option. And weve seen how well it plays out. That plan delivers a horrifyingly brutal culture, which gets worse and worse. As C. S. Lewis said: The more cruel you are, the more you will hate; and the more you hate, the more cruel you will become and so on in a vicious circle forever. Sounds like a different kind of doom loop, doesnt it? Of course, there is another possibility other than the madhouse or totalitarian options listen to what the Bible says about our brokenness and heed its plan on how to fix it. In the Psalms, David writes, Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me (Ps. 51:5), with Jeremiah concurring: The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it (Jer. 17:9). This being the case we are by nature children of wrath (Eph. 2:3) and dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1) going estranged from the womb (Ps. 58:3). John Wesley said about our condition: Such is the freedom of the will; free only to evil; free to drink iniquity like water; to wander farther and farther from the living God and do more despite the Spirit of grace! Any honest observer of history would have to concur with Wesley. Maybe this is why Reinhold Niebuhr once remarked, The doctrine of original sin is the only empirically verifiable doctrine of the Christian faith. Its the one thats constantly in our face with no way of denying it. The biblical antidote for it will cure both San Franciscos doom loop and each one of us: Be saved from this perverse generation (Acts 2:40). Thats strong, life-changing medicine, which has proven effective 100% of the time, but few on the Left coast and other places like it seem willing to down the remedy. Without it, theres only one conclusion: An end is coming; the end has come! It has awakened against you; behold, it has come! Your doom has come to you (Ezek. 7:6-7). 7,000 join March for Life UK in London's Parliament Square, lament highest-ever abortion numbers Thousands of people marched through London to support of the unborn over the weekend. Police estimates put the number of participants in this year's March for Life UK at 7,000. They marched to Parliament Square on Saturday under the banner of "Freedom to Live" despite being heckled by pro-abortion activists on the sidelines. A number of pro-life speakers took to the stage in Parliament Square. They included March for Life Co-Director Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who shared her experience of being arrested for praying silently near an abortion clinic. A public spaces protection order (PSPO) in place around the abortion clinic she prayed near prevented pro-life activity within the vicinity, including prayer and offering information and assistance to women seeking alternatives to abortion. Vaughan-Spruce was later found not guilty but was subsequently arrested a second time for praying silently within a PSPO zone near an abortion clinic and is still waiting to hear if she will be formally charged. She told the crowds in Parliament Square: "On the second time I was arrested, I was told my prayers were an offense. I'll tell you what is offensive: that our country has the highest ever abortion figures, 100,000 of them annually being repeat abortions, and the only response we see happening in our government is a clamp down on those who peacefully offer alternatives to pregnant women." Lois McClatchie-Miller with Alliance Defending Freedom said the mantra of "my body, my choice" has "led to a deficit of male responsibility, allowing men to shrug and say, 'your body, your choice, your problem.'" Abortion protester: "Fascists!" A priest: "I love you." Tensions flared today in #London outside parliament as abortion activists mobilized against the @March4LifeUK rally. A direct action was called by various left-wing groups, including trans & #Antifa groups. #March4LifeUKpic.twitter.com/sbCbZ8ko4O Andy Ngo ?????????? (@MrAndyNgo) September 2, 2023 Scott Klusendorf, president of The Life Training Institute, encouraged pro-lifers "to have the confidence to make our case persuasively." The march was supported by Christian leaders, including Catholic Bishops John Sherrington, Richard Moth and John Keenan, and Free Church of England Priest, the Rev. Calvin Robinson. A young woman named only as Ellie shared her heartbreaking experience of abortion trauma. "I instinctively knew when it was time to go to the toilet and deliver my baby. That moment of separation is burned into my memory forever," she said. "I think I can speak for every post-abortive woman who stood here today that abortion didn't grant us freedom but made us captives in one way or another." Tory MP Sir. Edward Leigh was also there on Saturday. Tweeting about the march, he said, "Great to see so many turn out for this weekend's March for Life UK defending the rights of the most vulnerable in our society." March for Life is aims to bring 10,000 pro-lifers to London next year when it marks its 10th anniversary. Originally published at Christian Today Episcopal Church leader accuses retired bishop of unwanted physical contact A prominent leader in The Episcopal Church has accused a retired bishop of unwanted physical contact and verbal harassment in an incident that allegedly occurred last year. Episcopal Church House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris wrote a public letter to church deputies last week accusing an unnamed former bishop of physical and verbal harassment. Ayala Harris said that shortly after she was elected president in July 2022, the retired bishop "physically overpowered" her and made "inappropriate verbal statements." Ayala Harris submitted a Title IV complaint under the purview of the Disciplinary Board for Bishops against the retired bishop, while another Episcopal bishop who reportedly witnessed the alleged incident also filed a report, according to Episcopal News Service. Title IV refers to the section of denomination's bylaws addressing the "ecclesiastical discipline" processes when church leaders are accused of misconduct. Ayala Harris told ENS that she didn't feel comfortable publicly naming the accused at this time. "Going through the Title IV process this past year was not something I would want anyone to have to endure," Ayala Harris wrote in the letter to the deputies. "Yet, living through that experience has given me an important perspective that I can apply in my leadership role, and it has renewed my long-lasting commitment to increased safety in our communities." According to Ayala Harris, there were three reports by two third-party investigators that found the retired bishop likely violated The Episcopal Churchs Title IV canons and New York sexual harassment laws. Meanwhile, a third report stated that the bishop may have violated restrictions on his ministry. A church attorney referred the case for a pastoral response instead of discipline, ENS reports. I find this outcome deeply unsettling and feel the referral to be an obvious abuse of discretion by the church attorney, Ayala Harris said. Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said in a statement shared by ENS that there are "larger concerns about our mechanisms for accountability" and "the need to live more fully and effectively into the values of Title IV." Ayala Harris stated that her "motivation for sharing this story stems from a deep love for our church" and that it was "from this place of profound care and concern that I raise important questions about safety and accountability." "If the president-elect of our House and deputy chair of the Legislative Committee on Sexual Harassment, Sexual Exploitation, and Safeguarding can experience unsafe treatment right at the door of the House of Bishops during the General Convention, then who in our church can truly be safe?" she added. The accused retired bishop has been removed from serving on various denominational governance bodies and put on restrictive ministry during the Title IV investigation, reported ENS. In July 2022, lay leader Ayala Harris was elected president of the 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, becoming the first Hispanic woman to lead the House of Deputies. She was elected on the third ballot, beating out four other candidates by receiving 417 votes, or 53% of the 791 votes. She succeeded the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, who became the first woman to hold the position in 2012. "I think that by the election of a young person of color, perhaps this could be the beginning of the church seeing leadership differently," Ayala Harris told The Living Church after her election. A federal judge is poised to rule on the effort by former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to remove his part of the Georgia election interference case to federal court. U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones is expected to rule at any time on whether former President Donald Trumps top lieutenant should be tried in federal court, where he might be able to get the conspiracy charges tossed altogether. This booking photo provided by the Fulton County Sheriffs Office shows former President Donald Trump on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, after he surrendered and was booked at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta. Meadows says his case should be heard in federal court because he was acting as a federal employee when he allegedly helped Trump plot to overturn his loss in the 2020 election. Prosecutors counter that he was acting as a political associate of Trump and has no legitimate defense in federal court because government employees are barred from political activities. Meanwhile, former Trump campaign lawyer Kenneth Chesebro Tuesday asked a Fulton County judge to dismiss the state case against him on the grounds that the acts hes accused of committing are covered by federal, not state, law. Chesebro is facing an Oct. 23 trial date after he invoked his right to a speedy trial. Jones last week asked and received legal briefs from both sides about whether even Meadows is entitiled to be tried in federal court if even one act mentioned in the indictment could be considered as falling under his job description. Meadows took a massive gamble by testifying under oath in a hearing last week about his actions that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis says were part of a sprawling racketeering scheme to keep Trump in power. Legal analysts say he slipped up by admitting that he participated in Trumps fake electors scheme after initially denying that. He also conceded that he helped Trumps alleged plot in part because he feared getting yelled at by Trump, a less-than-airtight defense. Meadows admitted visiting a Georgia vote recount center in December 2020, claiming he only stopped by because he happened to be visiting his children nearby. The fact that Meadows high-powered legal team let him take the stand illustrates how high the stakes could be for him. A trial in federal court would allow Meadows to make a motion for immunity, which could be his best ticket for avoiding criminal exposure even though it is a much higher legal bar than simply winning removal to federal court. Meadows has long been considered the most important figure after Trump in his alleged election interference scheme. He was surprisingly not mentioned as an unindicted co-conspirator in special counsel Jack Smiths federal indictment of Trump. In the Georgia case, Meadows is one of 18 co-conspirators along with Trump. He pleaded not guilty and waived an arraingment that was scheduled for Wednesday pending the federal court decision. Willis charges him with engineering several aspects of Trumps plot, including playing an active role in the fake electors scheme and Trumps infamous call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which he demanded the official find just enough votes to outstrip Biden in the Peach State. Raffensperger said he considered the call to be on behalf of the Trump campaign, meaning Meadows would have been acting outside his role as White House chief of staff. Iraqi Christian leaders join UN conference on investigations into ISIS targeted genocide of Christians Iraqi Christian leaders convened with a United Nations team and international representatives in Iraqs Kurdistan Region to discuss ongoing investigations into ISIS targeted genocide against Christians, which was described as barbaric attacks, rooted in hate and inhumanity. The United Nations Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh/ISIL, or UNITAD, organized the conference, which also included political leaders from various countries. UNITAD Special Adviser Christian Ritscher revealed the investigations findings, saying ISIS had destroyed Christian cultural heritage in Mosul and the Ninawa plains (also known as Nineveh plains). Churches, monasteries, cemeteries, manuscripts and Christian symbols were targeted in what Ritscher described as barbaric attacks, rooted in hate and inhumanity, the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern noted in a statement. Safeen Dizayee, head of the Kurdistan Regional Governments Department of Foreign Relations, emphasized Kurdistans role as a refuge for Iraqs Christians. Christians are the indigenous people of this land and must continue their lives with dignity and security, Dizayee said. Dindar Zebari, the Kurdistan Regional Governments Coordinator for International Advocacy, said the majority of the remaining 200,000 Christians in Iraq have taken refuge in Kurdistan. Zebari recounted the history of Christian persecution in Iraq, noting that displacement due to terrorism peaked after ISIS' attacks in 2014. UNITADs conference gathered over 30 Christian community leaders and international representatives from the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Hungary and the European Union. Ritscher commended the resilience of the Christian community. Your togetherness and your resilience are inspirational, not just to the Christian community in Iraq, but also to us at UNITAD, he said, according to UNITADs press release. Ritscher also mentioned that individual case files for ISIS members involved in crimes against Christians are being developed. These identities are corroborated by testimonial evidence and internal ISIS documents. U.S. Consul General Mark Stroh and French Acting Consul General Rodolphe Richard reiterated their countries support for UNITADs investigations. Both emphasized the importance of investigating crimes against the Christian community and other minorities in Iraq. During the conference, UNITAD investigators provided updates on their progress. They discussed modern tools and methodologies used in international crime investigations. Christian leaders at the conference shared recommendations on evidence gathering and witness accounts. They stressed the importance of documenting ISIS international crimes against the Christian community to hold perpetrators accountable in court. At last years G20 event centered on religions role in helping solve global problems, the Most Rev. Bashar Warda, the Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Erbil, warned that Christianity in Iraq was on the very edge of extinction. During his remarks at the G20 Religion Forum in Bali, Indonesia, in November, the archbishop stressed that sectarian violence was a significant problem in Iraq. This country suffered the rise of an Islamic State stronghold during the last decade in which thousands of Iraqi religious minorities were killed, enslaved or forced to flee their homelands. Without an end to this sectarian violence, there is no future for religious pluralism in Iraq, or anywhere else in the Mideast for that matter, he said. The brutal logic of this is that there does eventually reach an end point where there are no minorities left to kill, and no minorities left to persecute. Warda added, As I share with you this experience, I pray that you will find in our story a clear warning to you all. He noted that after around 1,900 years of existing in the region, we Christians of Iraq now find ourselves on the very edge of extinction. Although Christians in Iraq once numbered around 1.5 million, that number has fallen to below 200,000 today as the Christian population has deteriorated since the United States military intervention began in 2003. U.S. forces and their allies killed at least 686 Islamic State suspects in Iraq and Syria in 2022 to degrade the terror groups ability to direct and inspire destabilizing attacks in the region and globally, according to the U.S. Central Command. Francis calls relations with China 'respectful' after Mongolia trip Pope Francis praised the openness of the Chinese people and stated Russian culture must not be cancelled because of politics during a press conference on Monday where he railed on the dangers of imperialism and ideology. The pope's comments were made while answering questions by journalists aboard the papal flight returning form Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, where he paid homage to the small Catholic community in the majority Buddhist country. The four-day visit was sometimes overshadowed by the neighbouring country of China, which banned local bishops from travelling to the event. "Relations with China are very respectful. I have a great admiration for the Chinese people. They are very open, so to speak," the pope said. The Vatican recently renewed a provisional agreement with Beijing on the appointment of bishops, which has caused controversy among Catholics due to its secrecy and ambiguity. The United States and Europe have also urged the Vatican to take a firmer stand when negotiating deals with China. While Francis praised "the good work" done by the Sino-Vatican commission led by the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, China has often failed to respect the terms of the agreement and has recently imposed further restrictions on religious freedom in the country. "We must go forward on the religious front so we can understand each other better," Francis said. "The Chinese citizens must not think that the church is not accepting of their culture and their values or that the church represents another foreign power." During his trip to Mongolia, Pope Francis spoke to the Chinese people directly while addressing the current and former bishops of Hong Kong who were present. Small groups of Chinese Catholics clandestinely attended the papal events in Mongolia, given the unlikelihood of a pontiff ever sitting foot in China in their lifetime. The pope praised Mongolia for its ability to negotiate relations with its larger and powerful neighbours, China and Russia, stating that while some imperialistic forces have often sought to dominate, the Mongolian people have chosen to dialogue instead. In May, the pope appointed Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, an experienced peacemaker from the ranks of the Catholic lay movement of St. Egidio, to lead a peace mission to Kyiv, the United States, China and Moscow. While the pope has been a vocal advocate for peace in Ukraine, he has stopped short of openly condemning the invasion by Russia or its leader Vladimir Putin in the hopes of keeping open mediation channels. Recent comments to a group of Russian students, in which Francis cited Peter the Great and Catherine the Great as part of Russia's rich legacy, were interpreted by some as praising the country's imperialist past, forcing the Vatican to issue a retraction. Francis told reporters aboard the plane that his intent was to encourage the young Russians to "take charge of their heritage" but admitted his examples might not have been appropriate. His remarks on Great Russia were, he said, more in reference to the culture than the politics. "Russian culture is so beautiful, so immensely profound and it must not be cancelled because of political issues," the pope said, citing the works of Dostoevsky. The transmission of culture "must never be imperial, never!" "Always dialogue," he added. Francis denounced "imperialism that wishes to impose its ideology," especially when it's "removed from the culture. That is the poison." This is true also for the church, he added, stating that "ideologies detach the church from its roots." Tensions over ideology have been rampant in the Catholic Church, especially surrounding the Synod on Synodality, a summit of bishops and lay Catholics that will take place in the Vatican this October and is poised to address questions of power, inclusion and diversity in the church. U.S. Papal critic Cardinal Burke recently wrote that the synod risks promoting division and even schism in the church and that it risks challenging church doctrine. "If you look deeper into the origin of these ideas you will find ideology," the pope said, when asked on the plane about blowback over the synod. "Ideology always leads away from the communion with the church," the pope said, criticizing "doctrine with quotation marks that is like distilled water and has seen nothing. It's not true Catholic doctrine. Real catholic doctrine causes scandal." The pope said that "there is no space for ideology in the synod," which is centered on prayer, dialogue and communion. Answering questions over whether discussions at the synod will be private, the pope said the meeting must preserve "a synodal environment." A commission led by the Prefect of the Vatican Communications Department, Paolo Ruffini, will Francis said, "be very respectful of everyone's interventions and won't have any gossip." The pope also spoke about his update on the "green" encyclical, Laudato Si, which will be published on October 4, the feast day of his namesake St. Francis of Assisi. "It's an update of what has happened since the Paris Climate Agreement, the greatest success so far," the pope said, adding that the new document will be shorter and it will address some of the lingering issues concerning the environment. Asked whether he intends to visit Vietnam, Pope Francis said he is open. "If not me, maybe it will be John XXVI!" he quipped, hinting at the possibility of his pontificate ending soon. The 86-year-old said that while he plans to visit Marseille in France for the Mediterranean talks later in September and to visit another country in Europe possibly Kosovo his health makes travel increasingly difficult. "For me, travelling now is not as easy as it was in the beginning," he said. Religion News Service Sarah Young, publicity-shy superstar author of 'Jesus Calling,' dies at 77 Sarah Young, a former missionary whose devotional prayers became a Christian publishing juggernaut, has died at age 77. The author of "Jesus Calling," which has sold more than 40 million copies, died Thursday (Aug. 31) after struggling for years with chronic illness and Lyme Disease. News of the Nashville native's death, first reported by US magazine Christianity Today, came a day after Publisher's Weekly reported that the author's health was "rapidly failing." "It has been a joy and an honour to have Sarah Young as part of our publishing family," Mark Schoenwald, president of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, said in marking her passing. "Sarah was a remarkable woman who deeply loved God. Her words have resonated with people from all walks of life, and the global impact of her work is unparalleled." Her passing brought an end to a writing career that was as successful as it was unexpected. After graduating from Wellesley College, Young, who also held graduate degrees from Tufts and Covenant Theological Seminary, travelled to Europe, where she visited the L'Abri community in Switzerland, run by Francis Schaeffer, an influential evangelical pastor and author. While there, she later recalled, Young had a conversation that led her to embrace Christianity. She met her husband, Steve, while in seminary, and after the couple graduated in 1977, they became missionaries with Mission to the World, a missionary agency of the Presbyterian Church in America. They served first in Japan and later in Australia, where Young worked as a Christian counsellor. The so-called "Satanic Panic" of the 1990s, when a rash of rumors about devil-worshipping cults spread across the country, inspired Young to begin writing a series of journal entries that would become "Jesus Calling." During her prayer time, Young later recalled that she would spend time listening to God and "jotting down what came to mind." "Jesus Calling" was published in 2004 when Young was in her late 50s. After a modest beginning, the book became a huge hit spawning a series of related products, including children's books, journals and podcasts. All told, the Jesus Calling brand had sold 45 million copies by July of 2023, according to Thomas Nelson, Young's publisher. In August 2023, "Jesus Calling" ranked second on the bestseller list compiled by the Evangelical Christian Publisher's Association. Notoriously publicity-shy, Young lived mostly in seclusion in her hometown of Nashville later in life, refusing to give in-person interviews and shunning the kind of social media and public appearances common to superstar authors. When "Jesus Calling" was first published in 2004, Young was living in Perth, Australia, and that remote location made it difficult to do publicity for the book, she told Religion News Service in a 2021 interview, conducted by email. "Because of my isolated location and my chronic health issues, I've never been on a book tour," said Young, who returned to Nashville a decade ago due to her illness. "Though my name may be well known, my face is not." Written as if Jesus were speaking to the reader, Young's books have been controversial at times. She told The New York Times in 2013 that she did not consider herself a prophet, nor did she consider "Jesus Calling" a new book of Scripture. "I agree that revelation has ceased in the sense that the Bible is complete," Young told the Times in a written response to questions. "However, what I am doing is devotional writing, and I do so by asking Jesus to guide my mind as I spend time with Him to help me think His thoughts." In 2021, she told RNS that her books also point people to the Bible. "My books tend to speak to different people in different ways, meeting them right where they are," she said. "I think that's because the books help people connect with Jesus, and He meets us right where we are. The books are designed to help people connect not only with Jesus, the living Word, but also with the Bible, the written Word." Young told RNS that she'd often heard from readers about how "Jesus Calling" helped them draw closer to God, brought them comfort in times of illness and grief or gave them courage in the midst of their struggles. Her success came with a great deal of responsibility. "Becoming a bestselling author has meant that I have a lot more people to pray for than I did at first!" she told RNS. "And that has motivated me to pray at length every day for readers of all my books. I consider this a sacred responsibility and a delightful privilege." Young is survived by her husband, Steve, two children and six grandchildren. A memorial service for Young is planned for Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville on Sept. 9. UN voices alarm over Manipur violence UN experts have expressed alarm about ongoing violence in the Indian state of Manipur that has left over a hundred Christians dead. They raised concerns about the "inadequate humanitarian response" and deteriorating situation for religious and ethnic minorities in India after months of ethnoreligious violence between the mostly Hindu Meitei ethnic community and largely Christian Kukis. A statement from the experts, who include Nazila Ghanea, the UN's Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, condemned reports of sexual violence, destruction of homes, extrajudicial killings and torture among other abuses in the north-eastern state. The statement expresses particular concern about acts of violence against Kuki women and girls. "We are appalled by the reports and images of gender-based violence targeting hundreds of women and girls of all ages, and predominantly of the Kuki ethnic minority. The alleged violence includes gang rape, parading women naked in the street, severe beatings causing death, and burning them alive or dead," the experts said. "It is particularly concerning that the violence seems to have been preceded and incited by hateful and inflammatory speech that spread online and offline to justify the atrocities committed against the Kuki ethnic minority, particularly women, on account of their ethnicity and religious belief. "We are further alarmed by the reported misuse of counterrorism measures to legitimise acts of violence and repression against ethnic and religious minorities." At least 160 people are reported to have been killed in Manipur in the last few months, most of them Kukis. Hundreds more have been injured. Open Doors, a non-profit organisation that monitors persecution against Christians around the world, believes more than 120 Christians have been killed in the violence while another 50,000 have been displaced. The charity reports that around 4,500 Christian buildings and homes, and around 400 churches have been destroyed. The UN experts are calling on the Indian government to step up its efforts to hold perpetrators to account and provide relief for victims. "We have serious concerns about the apparent slow and inadequate response by the government of India, including law enforcement, to stem physical and sexual violence and hate speech in Manipur," they said. Weapons talks between Russia and North Korea are advancing, with their leaders set to meet this month, a U.S. official said Monday. An unnamed official said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would most likely travel from his countrys capital Pyongyang by armored train to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok, where both are set to attend the Eastern Economic Forum that starts Sunday and runs through Wednesday. Kim is also expected to visit Russias Pier 33, the Russian navys Pacific fleet docking spot, the official told The New York Times. The anniversary of North Koreas founding Sept. 9, 1948 falls on Saturday. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson on Monday said Putin and Kim exchanged letters after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to Pyongyang over the summer to try to get North Korea to sell artillery ammunition to his country. We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia, Watson said, adding that the U.S. is working to persuade North Korea to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia. Potential joint military exercises might also be on the table, Reuters reported Monday. The exercises could also include China, officials have said. With News Wire Services Software applications underpin every aspect of an organisation: how it operates internally and how it interacts with customers and business partners. Today, these applications are growing in number, complexity and in the ways they interact with each other. At the same time the demands placed on applications are growing and changing ever more rapidly. Established practices of software development and adaptation are inadequate to meet these challenges. What is needed is a reimagining of applications: exploring and adopting new ways to improve user experience, features and functionality, performance, security and integration, and interoperability. However, what cannot be seen cannot be reimagined. Full-stack observability (FSO) is necessary. This involves capturing, analysing and visualising data from every layer of the technology stack applications, infrastructure and user interactions to gain a better understanding of how applications behave in different environments and under various conditions. Cisco Full-Stack Observability (FSO) delivers visibility and telemetry from every networking domain, every cloud, the applications, the code, and everything in between. It uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to consume the various data elements in real time, figure out dynamically how to troubleshoot and get to the root cause of a problem faster and more accurately. Cisco FSO is a key enabler for reimagining applications. Heres how. FSO Use Cases Here are seven ways in which Cisco FSO can provide the insights essential to maximising IT efficiency and the insights to enable applications to be reimagined. Hybrid Application Monitoring With traditional domain-centric monitoring tools it is difficult to map application dependencies, identify the root causes of issues impacting performance and prioritise issues according to business impact. Cisco FSO allows application performance to be correlated with user experience and business results, enabling proactive, prioritised management and remediation of issues. Modern Application Monitoring Many businesses today rely on cloud-native applications which are often microservice-based and distributed. Application performance can be degraded by infrastructure-related issues that are difficult to troubleshoot because they span cloud environments. Cisco FSO empowers development teams to monitor and optimise performance of cloud-native applications hosted on, and spanning across, public or private clouds. Customer digital experience monitoring User experience is often impacted by issues in external services, such as third-party Internet services or their own devices into which IT teams have limited visibility, hampering their ability to detect and remediate problems. Cisco Customer Digital Experience Monitoring brings together Cisco application observability and network intelligence capabilities to uncover application and network dependencies that were previously invisible. Application Dependency Monitoring Application performance relies on the successful interaction of distributed components, often via APIs. With traditional tools, IT teams have little visibility and no control over these components. Cisco Application Dependency Monitoring provides visibility beyond the enterprise into external networks, services, and dependencies, including Internet and cloud provider networks, APIs, and third-party services. Hybrid Cost Optimisation Cloud services in distributed application environments are often overprovisioned to ensure adequate application performance, and on-premises infrastructure is often scaled to handle peak application load estimates, and under-utilised most of the time. Cisco Hybrid Cost Optimisation enables costs to be reduced by matching public cloud usage to needs and increasing utilisation of on-premises assets. Application resource optimisation Applications resource requirements depend on utilisation. Lack of visibility into these impedes the ability of infrastructure and application teams to collaborate effectively to optimise user experience. Cisco Application Resource Optimisation improves application performance by taking the guesswork out of resource allocations for workloads, on-premises and in the public cloud. Application Security IT and security teams need shared visibility and insight into the scope of security incidents and their impacts on applications, end users, and the business overall. Cisco FSO enables incidents to be prioritised and applications to be protected with real-time security visibility enables policies to be enforced, blocks attacks, and delivers rapid visibility into exploits. FSO in Action Here is how three leading organisations have leveraged Cisco Full-Stack Observability for increased efficiency and optimal customer service. Royal Caribbean International Royal Caribbean International is one of the worlds largest cruise operators, sailing from more than 60 countries on six continents. To provide the best possible guest experience technology teams need continuous visibility into how the business is functioning, and how any performance issues affect guests. It has deployed Cisco Full-Stack Observability with Cisco AppDynamics and Cisco ThousandEyes to gain visibility into its services and user experiences, enabling it to be proactive rather than reactive and identify and remediate issues before any customer impact. Cisco ThousandEyes provides a 360-degree view of a hybrid digital ecosystemacross cloud, SaaS and the Internetby combining Internet and WAN visibility, browser synthetics, end-user monitoring and Internet insights. Royal Caribbeans Director of IT Service Management, Alice McElroy, says full-stack observability has lifted developer productivity by almost 100 percent. First Abu Dhabi Bank First Abu Dhabi Bank is the largest bank in the United Arab Emirates. It provides corporate, investment and personal banking services and has a presence on five continents. To move its client-centric strategy forward, the bank performed an audit to determine what IT needed to do to break down data silos and gain more control over the customer experience. The bank started by replacing its existing monitoring tools with Cisco AppDynamics, an application performance monitoring solution and a component of Cisco FSO. This delivered many quick insights. It also added another FSO component, Cisco ThousandEyes to its technology stack to provide comprehensive monitoring of end users digital experience. AppDynamics integrates with third-party tools to take data out ofor bring data intothe system. It enables the bank to understand the root causes of performance issues and triage them at source rather than simply patching them at the surface. Today the bank uses AppDynamics to monitor 180 applications. It has enabled the bank to reduce incidents and improved availability. Carhartt Carhartt is a US based workwear company, founded in 1889. Today it is a global brand, still owned by descendants of its founder. It relies on SAP to manage all aspects of its operations, everything from sewing the workwear to operating its distribution centres and maintaining its 24/7 global ecommerce site. Ninety six percent of its applications are in the cloud. The company uses Cisco FSO to monitor all critical applications and eliminate downtime: any glitch in its distribution site or disruption of its ecommerce site would have significant financial impact and created a bad customer experience. See More, Solve More. Watch Cisco FSO Platform overview video and learn more about Observability. New York State has a rigorous Freedom of Information Law, called FOIL, where anyone can request public records from government agencies and the records will be supplied, with a few narrow exceptions. This applies equally regardless of who makes the request. So either everyone gets access or everyone gets denied. At least thats what we thought until last week, when lawyers for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo were promised documents held by state Attorney General Tish James that the Daily News was denied 18 months ago. James, the states chief legal officer, cant have it both ways. The materials in question are the informal interview memos from 179 witnesses questioned by private lawyers Joon Kim and Anne Clark, who were retained by James to conduct the probe of allegations of sexual harassment against Cuomo. Their Aug. 3, 2021 report caused Cuomo to resign that month. We submitted a FOIL to the AG on Feb. 7, 2022, for the 179 memos. On Feb. 28, we were denied by Assistant Attorney General Abisola Fatade, citing the attorney-client privilege and attorney work product exemption. We appealed and on April 11, 2022, our appeal was denied by Assistant Solicitor General Kathryn Sheingold, again on the same two grounds. Meanwhile, on Feb. 17, 2022, the Cuomo accuser known as Trooper 1 filed a lawsuit in Brooklyn federal court against the state and Cuomo. Cuomos state-funded lawyers then sought the records collected by Kim and Clark, which the AG opposes. On Feb. 7, 2023, exactly a year after our FOIL request, the two sides argued for three hours before Brooklyn Federal Magistrate Judge Taryn Merkl as we watched from the rear row. The AGs lawyer, Special Litigation Counsel Andrew Amer, said several times in that hearing that the subpoenas should be quashed, but there is a procedure under FOIL for any member of the public to seek agency documents. We felt like standing up and shouting that we tried a FOIL and were refused, but held our tongue. On July 21, Merkl denied the subpoenas as being too broad (73,000 records) and on July 25 Cuomos lawyer Rita Glavin submitted a FOIL to the AG for the 179 memos. So we were astonished that on Aug. 30, an anonymous records access officer replied that, We estimate that, by March 1, 2024, we will be able to begin producing to you the records that respond to your request. Not a denial like we got 18 months earlier. And not really supplying the documents, as a ridiculous six-month wait is constructive denial, which Glavin can appeal. So, are the 179 memos secret or available? Today we are refiling our FOIL. As for Merkl, she was asked to reconsider disclosure on a much narrower request for records, focusing on the same memos. While Merkl wrote that The Court reminds counsel that the parties confidentiality designations do not provide a basis for sealing, and that legal and factual argument are highly relevant to the judicial function and are afforded a strong presumption of public access, she should be wary of an argument put forward by a lawyer for one of Cuomos accusers that he would like to relitigate the Kim-Clark report. As the secret memos indicate, that report was never litigated. Microsoft will partner with G42, a technology holding company owned by a top security official in the United Arab Emirates, to build out that companys sovereign cloud capabilities and jump-start its AI capabilities. Microsoft will work on a number of different individual projects on behalf of G42, whose ties to the countrys government include being owned by Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the son of the UAEs founder and the countrys national security advisor. Microsofts sovereign cloud technology will provide a platform for the UAEs public sector and its closely regulated industries, according to a Microsoft statement, allowing users to secure sensitive information, have access to the latest cloud and AI features available on Azure public cloud, and help compliance with the countrys data sovereignty laws. The deal will also see Microsoft expand its data center presence in the UAE, specifically via a further partnership with Khazna Data Centers, a government-backed hosting provider. Judson Althoff, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Microsoft, said that the deal will help the countrys private and public sectors take advantage of the latest technology to solve societal problems. With data privacy, security, and compliance as our core priorities, we have a unique opportunity to help organizations responsibly innovate for the benefit of citizens and residents across the UAE, he said in the statement. The announcement also noted that details about further collaboration between G42 and Microsoft will be released in the forthcoming months, although Microsoft did not respond to requests for further details as of this writing. Background and Organizational Context The UN Human Rights Office (Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights OHCHR) represents the world's commitment to universal ideals of human dignity. It has a unique mandate from the international community to promote and protect all human rights. The OHCHR field presence in Moldova, led by the Human Rights Adviser, assists the UN RC Office, UN Country Team in Moldova (UNCT), Government and civil society in strengthening human rights and human rights-based approaches, working closely with the UN Country Team on capacity building and mainstreaming human rights in their work, as well as providing support in engagement with national actors on human rights, including advising national authorities upon request. Thematic priorities for work are: Strengthening rule of law and accountability for human rights violations; Enhancing equality and countering discrimination Integrating human rights in sustainable development; Enhancing civic space and peoples participation. Position Purpose Starting from June 2023, OHCHR will begin a protection monitoring project aiming at improving the protective environment and equal access to services for refugees with specific needs and the most vulnerable host community members in Moldova including the Transnistrian region. With the overall aim to ensure effective Programme implementation, OHCHR will hire a Programme Associate. The Programme Associate will report to the Finance and Administrative Associate, and ensures a smooth running of the project, assisting in the implementation of day-to-day activities, as needed, in the framework of the relevant OHCHR Annual Work Plan. The incumbent is expected to exercise full compliance with all relevant programming, financial, procurement and administrative rules, regulations, policies and strategies applying. The Programme Associate applies and promotes the principles of results-based management (RBM), as well as a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP and OHCHR rules and regulations. Pentru a aplica, va rugam sa adresati link-ul: Apply Now Data de incheiere a postului vacant : 19 septembrie 2023 Key Duties and Accountabilities 1. Administrative Management Assist in the smooth and efficient implementation of program activities, as requested; Provides logistical support to the organization of meetings, events, external translation and other related activities; Assist the OHCHR Finance and Administrative Associate and other key OHCHR staff in all administrative-related matters, such as logistics support to different events organized by the program, drafting of the minutes for these events and, coordination of field visits and international missions to the program; Maintain records on all project personnel/national consultants and their respective status (contracts, -ToRs, time and attendance, if appropriate etc.) in accordance with policies and procedures in force; Prepare and issue contracts related to the program; Make pertinent logistical arrangements for the prompt and effective implementation of program activities; Handle the preparation of all program-related documents; Maintain the programs database, including registry and maintenance of program files and records; Maintain office equipment and manage office stationary supplies; Provide general efficient receptionist and information services; Draft and translate correspondence, when needed; Compile, copy and distribute all program reports. 2. Financial Management Prepare requests in advance of funds and/or direct payments; Monitor budget expenditures and maintain a proper record of budget and spending; Prepare proposals for budget revisions; Prepare and submit expenditure and budget status reports; Undertake other financial and administrative tasks on ad hoc basis; Arrange for procurement of equipment, supplies and services. Education Secondary Education or equivalent is required. University Degree in economics, finance, accounting, law, human rights, public administration or another related field is desirable, but not a requirement. Experience, Knowledge, and Skills At least six years of experience (with secondary education) or three years (with Bachelor degree) in administrative work, accounting/finance, economics, or other substantive area is required. Previous experience in an international organization, consulting company, or NGO is a very strong advantage. Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems. Fluency in both oral and written English, Russian and Romanian is a must. Working Knowledge of one or more additional languages relevant for Moldova, including Bulgarian, Gagauzian, Romani, Ukrainian is an asset. Core Competencies Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements Learn Continuously LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback Adapt with Agility LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible Act with Determination LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident Engage and Partner LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships Enable Diversity and Inclusion LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination Cross-Functional & Technical competencies Cross-Functional & Technical competencies Thematic Area Name Definition Business Management Project Management Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals Business Management Communication Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and ambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels Business Management Monitoring Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results Business Management Customer Satisfaction/Client Management Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns. Business Management Working with Evidence and Data Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making Digital & Innovation Social Media Knowledge of social media and ability to advise the use of social media for development outcomes Programme and Policy Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights Human Rights Mainstreaming Non-discrimination UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status. UNDP is committed to workforce diversity. Women, persons with disabilities, Roma and other ethnic or religious minorities, persons living with HIV, as well as refugees and other non-citizens legally entitled to work in the Republic of Moldova, are particularly encouraged to apply. Scam warning The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web. Pentru a aplica, va rugam sa adresati link-ul: Apply Now Data de incheiere a postului vacant : 19 septembrie 2023 Primeste notificari pe email Nota bene: Adresele email cu extensia .ru nu sunt acceptate. Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele The Daily News in July revealed that Rachel Atcheson, a staffer of Mayor Adams, had contact with the ringleader of an alleged scheme to defraud New York City taxpayers. While Atcheson and Adams have not been accused of wrongdoing, the news raises alarming questions about the citys public matching funds program for local elected offices. Its not the first time a politician or his supporters stand accused of exploiting these taxpayer funds. This spring, we learned of ex-con Lamor Whiteheads alleged attempt to swindle public money in his failed campaign for Brooklyn borough president. According to federal prosecutors, Whitehead fraudulently declared that his own campaign contributions originated from other people so that he could pump his war chest full of undeserved matching funds. Who would have guessed that a convicted felon who served time in Sing-Sing for identity theft would ever lie about the source of his campaign cash? If you pitched it in a writers meeting, it would be rejected for being too on the nose. Federal prosecutors claim they have ample evidence of the scheme but have not yet filed charges. A letter submitted in Manhattan Federal Court by prosecutors from U.S. Attorney Damian Williams office in an unrelated case detailed the allegations. The citys program incentivizes scams by shoveling $8 in tax dollars for every $1 of eligible campaign contributions to politicians. The big pot of free money makes illegal straw donor schemes enticing. If a sleazeball can magically and illegally transform one big contribution into several smaller contributions, he can multiply each dollar eightfold. Ironically, supporters of such taxpayer-funded schemes claim they reduce corruption by making small-dollar donors more important and making candidates less reliant on special interests. In reality, these programs attract crooks by creating new avenues to exploit public money. Even politicians who long enjoyed a reputation for honesty and scrupulousness have been convicted of defrauding taxpayers through these rackets. So, what must that mean for the less morally upright? Well soon find out. This year, taxpayer-financed campaigns expanded statewide. Lawmakers in Albany recently approved Gov. Hochuls whopping $39.5 million budget allocation to the new taxpayer-funded system. Passed during a devastating pandemic and plummeting tax revenue, New Yorks new budget law gives tens of millions of tax dollars to political campaigns. Instead of using the money to benefit the public, politicians thought state residents should instead fund the robocalls, consultants, and political ads of candidates. The New York Legislature really knows how to prioritize. As a result, the government now forces Empire State residents to finance the campaigns of candidates with whom they disagree. Because the First Amendment rightfully prevents the government from discriminating based on viewpoint, the state campaign finance board must fund any eligible participating candidate, regardless of his message. This means that the public pays for campaigns with hateful messages, too. To see what the future holds for the state, look to a previous New York City Council race in which former candidate Thomas Lopez-Pierre received nearly $100,000 in taxpayer money for a blatantly antisemitic campaign. If a participating state candidate wants to run on a similar platform targeting greedy Jewish landlords, guess whos footing the bill? It feels slimy just thinking about it. Instead of taxpayers subsidizing abhorrent messages, making politicians rely on their campaigns would be much easier. But then self-serving lawmakers couldnt fill their own campaign coffers while claiming to stop corruption. Thats the real obstacle. Defenders of tax-financed schemes peddle them as beneficial political newcomers, but thats another lie. No one benefits more than wealthy, well-connected incumbents who already have the name recognition and media contacts to generate significant matching funds. In 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio saw a windfall of nearly $3 million in tax dollars for the primary alone, in a reelection race he was heavily favored to win. Letitia James, who is now the states attorney general, received more than $750,000 in public matching funds for her 2017 reelection for city public advocate against a little-known and poorly funded first-time candidate. Supporters convince themselves that championing these setups makes them pro-democracy. What could be less democratic than famous, wealthy, or connected bigwigs taking taxpayer money to fuel their own political fantasies? Scamming the system is anti-democratic, too. Corruption makes people lose trust in the democratic process. And, unfortunately, taxpayer-funded campaign systems are corruption magnets, attracting con artists like flies to manure. New Yorkers should be disappointed, but not surprised, by news of alleged straw donor schemes. So long as these resources exist, their exploitation will persist. Donnelly is the deputy director of communications at the Institute for Free Speech. Transparenta Consiliului Superior al Procurorilor, intre a fi sau a nu fi. Ce constatari se regasesc intr-un raport prezentat de CRJM? Staff at the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) are set to strike for the first time since the charity was founded 270 years ago. Those represented by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) have voted to strike for two days. Staff have given notice of strike action for 19 and 21 of September, the latter day being the day RSA hosts the Princess Royal for an awards ceremony. Around four in five IWGB members at the RSA voted, the union said, over nine-tenths of which supported strike action. The union told Civil Society it is unsure how many workers will strike, but it assumes at least 39 from the ballot results. The entire bargaining unit consists of 87 workers who are eligible to strike. The union states staff are demanding a flat pay rise of 2,800 for all staff members. RSA has said pay discussions between the charity and IWGB have been ongoing since the union was formally recognised in March 2023. Members of IWGB employed by the RSA had applied for voluntary union recognition at the charity last year, which it rejected. This months strike follows industrial action elsewhere at charities this year, including an indefinite strike that recently concluded at the homeless charity St Mungos . Union: Paltry offer An IWGB member at the RSA said: This result confirms what we already knew that a majority of staff are united in our disappointment with managements paltry pay offer and their cynical approach to negotiations. Managements failure to engage with the collective voice of the workforce in a mature way has led us to this point. Alex Marshall, president of the IWGB, criticised the charitys leadership teams approach to pay negotiations, saying they have cynically attempted to undermine democracy, sew division and impose a meagre raise during a cost-of-living crisis. Meanwhile senior management not only enjoy bumper salaries but are also sat on reserves of 32m. The result of the ballot reflects workers resolve to win the pay rise they deserve and they will not give up until they have won it. RSA said none of its leadership team has received a pay rise in the past two years. RSAs highest-paid employee in its most recently published accounts earned between 120,000 and 130,000 in the year to March 2023. It had total reserves of 31.7m as of March 2023. Civil Society has contacted the RSA for comment. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- City Council could put the wraps on most of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations this week, with the need to pare less than $5 million off the requested funding wish list. The city still has about $16 million in unallocated ARPA funds to work with; the top ranges of remaining requests total just over $20 million. Guidehouse consultant Priyam Khan told council that most of the requests presented during an Aug. 22 work session would likely qualify for federal ARPA funds -- as long as theres a tie-in to pandemic relief and recovery. She also planned some deeper dives into some of the proposals. Out of the original $38.8 million in ARPA funds allocated to Cleveland Heights, council already has approved more than $22 million in projects and programs. What could be a final workshop is set for Friday (Sept. 8). About $18 million of the ARPA set-asides will go toward easing rate shock on sewer infrastructure upgrades to bring the citys antiquated system into federal compliance with the Clean Water Act. The funds must be obligated by the end of 2024 and spent by the beginning of 2026. Council also asked Guidestone to delineate what projects qualify best as separate ARPA projects and which would better fall under the designated $10 million umbrella of city revenue replacement. For example, the $1.8 million already approved by council for a rebuild of the north ice rink at the Cleveland Heights Community Center fits best under revenue replacement as opposed to a separate ARPA category, Khan said. So do acquisitions such as four new police cars and possibly two ambulances. Meanwhile, the $1.5 million Cain Park Stramp -- a combination of steps and ramps designed to provide access for disabled people as well as event seating -- appears to come in under its own regular ARPA category, as opposed to revenue replacement, although Khan planned to verify that. Additional park and recreation improvements will likely be another big-ticket item, beginning with Cumberland pool, which Council President Melody Joy Hart said has aged out, with many leaks, rusty locker rooms and a wading pool that needs to be replaced. On the lower end of the spectrum, Councilwoman Gail Larson proposed a $90,000 mini-park program in which 10 vacant lots north of Mayfield Road would be identified and receive $9,000 apiece. Rather than renting shipping containers to be used for low-overhead small business leasing and start-ups in city parks, city officials are also looking at buying them with ARPA funds, at a proposed cost of up to $500,000. Housing funds Under housing initiatives, Khan also wanted additional information on a $1.3 million request for the city to acquire vacant and abandoned properties that have not yet wound up in the Cuyahoga County Land Bank. Councilman Tony Cuda introduced this proposal. Mayor Kahlil Seren has requested $1 million for lead safety programming, which Khan noted has done well through ARPA in other cities. Down payment assistance ($500,000 to $750,000) and an external repair program ($2.5 million) should score well, as long as they correspond to qualified census tracts and other low- to moderate-income guidelines, and especially if the repairs are 50-50 -- with half the money coming from the homeowner, Khan said. Additional data may be needed for a Heights Tiny Village proposal from Councilwoman Davida Russell, whos requesting $100,000 to $500,000 to assist seniors who would like to downsize and may otherwise face homelessness. Business districts, proposals More specifics may be needed for a $1.5 million to $3 commercial investment fund that would be administered through the citys relatively new community improvement corporation, where Khan again suggested strong connections to the pandemic. The city administration is also looking for $100,000 to bolster its Shared Spaces program, making it easier for restaurants to expand outdoor dining opportunities, another offshoot of the pandemic. Council Vice President Craig Cobb asked if the Noble CVS pharmacy that closed possibly as a result of the pandemic could qualify for ARPA funding if it reopened as an urgent care facility. Khan said renovations for a new healthcare facility could be looked upon favorably. A $100,000 proposal for special improvement districts (SIDs) could go through for the existing three (Cedar-Lee, Coventry and Cedar-Fairmount) since they are nonprofits, although ARPA funds to start a new SID elsewhere might not fly. With that in mind, the city is also seeking $100,000 to reactivate a merchants association in the Noble neighborhood, with Cobb noting earlier that the city used to provide Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) years ago until the group disbanded. Khan noted that the U.S. Treasury Department tends to steer away from loan programs -- especially the revolving ones -- in favor of grants, after the city proposed a $250,000 ARPA-backed commercial loan program in Noble and another $125,000 elsewhere in the city. A $250,000 storefront rehabilitation program, with half of that earmarked in Noble, could qualify for ARPA, although further details were requested, as was the case with $300,000 proposed for incentive programs to bring new businesses into town. A Noble business incubator and resource center also has been proposed, at a projected cost of $100,000. And local officials are seeking $1.25 million for city parking garages, parking lot resurfacing and landscaping. Safety features Aside from the city requesting $500,000 to $1 million for better safety lighting, blue box cameras and renovations for police and fire stations, Khan said violence intervention and mitigation programs are all eligible for ARPA funds. The city has lined up several of those, proposing partnerships with organizations such as the Journey Center for Healing and Safety, the Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance, Bellefaire JCB and the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District. Councilwoman Janine Boyd said discussions continued last month about the city and school district sharing costs -- particularly for the Peacemakers, who already got an endorsement from CH-UH Schools Superintendent Liz Kirby at a recent council meeting. The schools have their own ARPA equivalent coming through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) program. The CH-UH District has received about $17 million, which could in turn free up city funds for other programs, officials noted earlier. In all, the city proposes about $400,000 for roughly a half-dozen programs, some of those running two years, which could signal shared funding with the schools on those. Nonprofit requests With nonprofit organizations also faring well in ARPA funding, council received $2.8 million in additional requests that include: -- FutureHomes revitalization program: $925,000 for three years from 2023-2026 -- Coventry SID: $460,000 (to be discussed in a separate story) -- Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging: $350,000 for renovating another floor of elderly housing within the city -- Heights Libraries: $300,000 for Coventry PEACE Park and playground renovations -- Building Heights Summer Youth Program: $258,359 for three years through 2026 -- Beth El-The Heights Synagogue: $205,000 -- Journey Center for Healing and Safety: $194,000 -- Local Business Outreach and Support Programs: $172,500 for three years -- Artful Studios: $175,000 -- Cedar-Fairmount SID: $28,000 in city loan forgiveness -- Forest Hill Homeowners Association: $24,000 -- Kulture Kids: $15,000 -- Lake Erie Ink: $15,000 -- Pride Among Daughters and Sisters: $11,400 Council also received some late-breaking funding requests at the Aug. 22 meeting, including a proposal for an additional bus line running from University Circle and Little Italy up to Cleveland Heights. This would be over and above the RTA, University Circle Link bus shuttle and Case Western Reserve University circulators, at a proposed cost of $300,000 to $500,000, a spokesman told council. Other new proposals called for additional bike lanes and heated bus shelters, with cost figures still under development. Read more from the Sun Press. MEDINA, Ohio -- When Medina County Juvenile Detention Center Superintendent Ron Stollar proposed a Behavioral Level System program in 2015, some within the facility had their doubts. Prior to the Behavioral Level System, we had what I would call a consequence-based (system), Stollar said. (Since instituting the new system), our number of incidents has gone down 60 percent. As an example, Stollar pointed to cases of inmates flooding their cells, which used to happen several times a week. The center has had just two such incidents since 2015. He said the average stay at the Medina County Juvenile Detention Center is around two weeks, with the majority of the incarcerated juveniles -- ages 10 to 21 -- charged with domestic violence, drug or sex offenses. Our goal is that we want them engaged in something as productive as possible, Stollar said, noting that both defiance and boredom play into incidents of insubordination within the facility. To that end, privileges for those reaching the first three levels of the Behavioral Level System could be considered basic to most -- extra time for phone calls, increased shower time, being able to keep reading material in their cells. Recently, the program has added its highest Honoree level, in cooperation with Hi Voltage Indoor Karting, at 333 Foundry St. in Medina. Those reaching this level of the Behavioral Level System will receive free passes for races at Hi Voltage upon their release from the center. Hi Voltage owner Greg Cordray said he was deeply moved by the program after visiting the detention center and meeting Stollar and Assistant Superintendent Megan Millikin. Their commitment to these young lives is nothing short of inspiring, Cordray said. I am genuinely excited and hopeful about the difference we can make together in the days ahead. Millikin readily admits, however, that she was dubious of the Behavioral Level System concept when Stollar first floated it to the staff. I did tell Ron, This is not the job I signed up for. I thought there was no way the staff would buy in and also just didnt think the kids had any interest. They just want to do their time and thats it, Millikin said. But having a goal to work toward, even during a short stay, proved a more enticing offer than she had imagined. Both Millikan and Stollar recounted one particularly surprising instance of a juvenile rising quickly through the level system. Prior to the level system, he had been in four or five times, Stollar said. He was always defiant. He just did not care. Out of nowhere, when we put the system in place, he rose to level three as quickly as possible. I asked him, What is going on? He said, My mom and dad have always told me I wasnt going to be good at anything, so I wanted to prove to myself I could do this. Millikin said punitive measures still exist at the detention center, but the Behavioral Level System -- including new community partnerships like the one with Hi Voltage Indoor Karting -- adds another layer of positive reinforcement. A lot tell us they wanted to break the rules, but now they have flipped a switch and said, I wanted to show myself I could do this, she said. Read more news from the Medina Sun. Woody Allen and wife Soon-Yi Previn walked the red carpet at the Venice International Film Festival Monday to celebrate the premiere of the directors 50th film. The rare red carpet presence by Allen, 87, and Soon-Yi, 52, was made all the more notable as they were joined by daughters Bechet, 24, and Manzie, 23, People reports. Allens Coup de Chance received a three-minute standing ovation, but also spurred protests, Variety reports. I was lucky my whole life really, Allen said at a press conference Monday. I had two loving parents, I have good friends. I have a wonderful wife and marriage, two children. The embattled Annie Hall and Manhattan director has been ousted from Hollywoods good graces since the resurgence of sexual abuse allegations by daughter Dylan whom Allen adopted with then-partner Mia Farrow. Farrow also adopted Soon-Yi with the late German composer Andre Previn. The exact timeline of Allens relationship with Soon-Yi, who has maintained she never regarded him in a paternal manner, has been the subject of dispute between the couple and Farrow. The allegations by Dylan, 38, which first surfaced in the 1990s, were the centerpiece of HBOs 2021 docuseries, Allen v. Farrow. My reaction has always been the same, Allen told Variety in an interview published this week. The situation has been investigated by two major investigative bodies. And both, after long detailed investigations, concluded there was no merit to these charges. The fact that it lingers on always makes me think that maybe people like the idea that it lingers on. You know, maybe theres something appealing to people. Asked whether hes seen Dylan or his son, Ronan Farrow, again, Allen said he was always willing to but no, no The Venice Film Festivals artistic director, Alberto Barbera, spoke to The Guardian about his decision to feature Allens work on this years slate, alongside that of Roman Polanski and Luc Besson. Chinatown filmmaker Polanski, who has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women, pleaded guilty in 1978 to the statutory rape of a minor. A French court cleared The Fifth Element director Besson of rape allegations in June. Im not a judge who is asked to make a judgement about the bad behavior of someone, said Barbera. Im a film critic, my job is judging the quality of [Polanskis] films. But of course, its a very difficult situation. Referring to Polanskis crimes as huge mistakes 50 years ago, Barbera pointed to Allen and Besson both being deemed not guilty in the face of justice. Why should we be more strict against them? We need to have faith in the justice system. NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio -- The base salary of Biagio Sidoti, treasurer of North Royalton City Schools, has risen from $124,744 in December to $156,149 in August -- an increase of 25 percent -- under a new five-year contract with the district. In addition, Sidoti will receive perks and benefits that will bring his total annual compensation package to about $198,000 in the first year of his new contract. On July 17, the school board unanimously approved the contract and compensation package, which went into effect Aug. 1. We are all extremely pleased with all the hard work that youve done in the past for the district and the time and energy that youve put into it, school board President John Kelly told Sidoti, according to an audio recording of the July 17 meeting. Im even more excited about what the next five years will bring for not only this community, but for the district, Kelly said. Sidoti thanked the board, saying the North Royalton district was a great place to be. I really feel that Im in the right seat on the right bus going to the right direction, Sidoti told the board. However, to make the new contract possible, Sidoti first had to resign from his position July 17. Then, with the very next agenda item, the board reappointed him to the same position and ratified the new five-year contract. Sidoti said the resignation and rehiring was necessary because under Ohio law, a school treasurer cannot enter into a new contract until his or her existing contract is set to expire in 18 or fewer months. Sidotis previous contract was scheduled to expire July 31, 2026, which means the earliest the board could have entered into a new contract with him, if he had not first resigned, was January 2024. Spirit of the law When asked if the district was skirting or violating the spirit of Ohio law with the resignation/rehiring/new contract maneuver, Sidoti said, My understanding is that if a board of education wishes to extend a treasurer contract prior to the 18-month (period), the existing contract must be resigned in order to issue a new term contract. When asked the same question, Kelly said, In consultation with board counsel, the manner employed (resignation/rehire/new contract) was in full compliance with the (state) statute. When you have excellent employees, you sign them for as long an employment period as you can, Kelly added. This contract term is the maximum time frame allowed by law. If we could sign him for a longer period, we would. On Aug. 29, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the City of Wickliffe wasnt allowed under state law to immediately rehire its fire chief the day after he formally retired so that he could collect both a city salary and a state pension. The retire-rehire practice is known as double-dipping, and several city and school district officials in the Sun Star Courier coverage area have taken advantage of it over the years. Sidoti is not a double-dipper. The Supreme Court ruled that in the case of Wickliffe, the city was required, under state civil-service law, to fill the fire chiefs vacancy through a competitive exam. It remains to be seen how that ruling, based on state law specifically regarding fire department vacancies, might affect the ability of other public officials in Ohio to make a retire-rehire move. John Britton, an attorney for the North Royalton Schools, was asked by cleveland.com if the case in Wickliffe presented any legal concerns for Sidotis retire/rehire/new contract arrangement. The short answer is that there are none and the (Wickliffe) case is not germane to the (North Royalton) district, Britton said in an email to cleveland.com Britton said the position of school treasurer in North Royalton, unlike the fire chief position in Wickliffe, is not subject to civil service laws. Thus, there is no need or requirement for a civil service test to fill the treasurer position. Phenomenal performance Sidoti isnt the only schools treasurer to receive a generous increase recently. Last year, the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Schools treasurer received a 17 percent base salary raise. Kelly said Sidoti deserves the new contract and compensation increases because his performance has been nothing short of phenomenal. He is unique among treasurers in the state of Ohio, because not only is he skilled in money management and the details of being the district CFO, he is also an excellent communicator to all the citizens of North Royalton, Kelly said. He is regarded by his fellow treasurers as one of the finest treasurers in the state, Kelly said. He is the treasurers treasurer. Kelly said Sidoti works with the Ohio Association of School Business Officials treasurer advisory group and has won the Ohio auditors award for a clean financial audit every year since he started with the district in 2014. Sidoti was named treasurer of the year in 2018. The board felt his contract needed to better reflect his skill, competence and value to North Royalton, Kelly said. He said that under Sidoti, the districts investment earnings increased in fiscal year 2023 by more than $855,000. And the districts unencumbered balance has risen from $10.7 million in 2014 to more than $23.1 million, thus reducing the need for a tax increase. That accomplishment occurred even with new employment contracts for all staff at a competitive wage, increased costs of health care, a worldwide pandemic and no new money since 2009, Kelly said. Perks & benefits Under his new five-year contract, which runs through July 2028, Sidoti will receive 2.5 percent increases to his base salary annually starting in August 2024. The school board has the option to increase his salary even more. Additional perks and benefits will include: Contributions to an annuity. The district will contribute $3,000 a year into an annuity, IRA, savings bond or any type of investment for retirement purposes. Sidoti can also choose to accept the cash instead. The contract states that the district will increase Sidotis salary by an additional 13.5 percent so that he can invest that money into an annuity or retirement plan. However, Sidoti said the 13.5 percent will be deducted from his base salary, although the contract doesnt seem to make that point clear. Payments to the Ohio State Employees Retirement System: $19,284 in the first year of the contract. Medicare tax pickup: $2,780 a year Longevity pay: $15,615 in the first year of the contract. Cell phone expenses: $1,200 annually. Read more from the Sun Star Courier. WESTLAKE, Ohio -- Westlake Porter Public Library will host a Community Welcome Fair from 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 16 at the library, 27333 Center Ridge Road in Westlake. Library officials said the fair is a way for neighbors of all backgrounds to come together and build strong connections within the community. A variety of local cultural groups and businesses will be on hand to share their stories, traditions and food. Participants will include Horizon ATA and Karate, JK Kang Taekwondo, The Almutairi Family-Learn About Saudi Arabia, Westlake Chinese School, West Cleveland Muslim Association, Council on Islamic Relations, The Hope Center for Refugees and Immigrants, the Nut Shop and the International Community Council/Worldwide Intercultural Network. Author and storyteller Lindsay Bonilla will share folktales from various countries and cultures. The program begins at 1 p.m. and is suitable for all ages. The Community Welcome Fair is the culmination of Welcoming Week, which will include special programs, such as Multilingual Storytime on Monday (Sept. 11) and a Kids in the Kitchen program featuring world recipes Sept. 14, as well as special blog entries throughout the week. To learn more or to register for programs, visit westlakelibrary.org/welcoming-week. The library also received the good news that it passed its recent audit -- the most recent successful audit in a long streak -- which means auditors found no weaknesses or deficiencies in the librarys financial management and record-keeping. In addition, the library was found to be in compliance with the laws, regulations, contracts and other agreements it is required to meet. Fall luncheon, fashion show: Bay Historical Society will present Silhouettes of Style, a luncheon and fashion show featuring clothing styles from the late 1800s to early 1900s, at 11 a.m. Sept. 24 at Lakewood Country Club. Proceeds will benefit the historical society. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this collection, said Marie Albano, historical society member. The clothing is from personal collections and not from the museum. It includes hoop dresses, walking skirts, Edwardian fashions and accessories like parasols and muffs, most of the fashion dating from 1860 to 1890. There will be display tables of vintage clothing. We have a complete outfit from 1911, a 1927 dress from Halle Bros. and a maternity outfit from the Civil War era, she added. Five models will be modeling 13 outfits. The event includes a silent auction, mystery bags and raffle items. Tickets are $45. A cash bar will be available. Co-chairs are Pamela Ebert and Monica Thomas. Deadline for reservations is Sept. 19. Send reservations with a check made payable to the Bay Village Historical Society to Pamela Ebert, 153 Kensington Circle, Bay Village, Ohio 44140. Those who are part of a table of eight or 10 should indicate their table preference. Driver training financial assistance: The Westshore Enforcement Bureau, also known as WEB, is offering teen driver education scholarships to students attending high schools in Bay Village, Fairview Park, Lakewood, North Olmsted, Rocky River and Westlake. The grant will help teens from families with low incomes or those who are struggling financially to get access to free driver training. Funding for the grants is from the Ohio Traffic Safety Office. Financially eligible families with students ages 15-17 with a valid temporary permit can be referred through their schools guidance office for an application. Students who receive the Drive to Succeed scholarships will be able to select driver education training taught by 911 Driving School or Professional Driving School. The scholarship will cover the entire class fee, less a $25 deposit. Since 1975, WEB has provided drug and alcohol prevention services through a broad range of community programs. Westshore Young Leaders Network, which consists of middle and high school students from the six communities served by WEB, meets monthly during the school year to support young leaders and promote healthy, safe and substance-free lifestyle choices. Coffee chats: Bay Village Schools Superintendent Scot Prebles will have a community coffee chat from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Sept. 12 at Java Bay, 27225 Wolf Road in Bay Village. Additional coffee chats will take place at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 2 at the Bay Village Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library, 27400 Wolf Road, meeting room B-117; 7:30 a.m. Jan. 19, 2024 at Mojos, 600 Dover Center Road; 6 p.m. March 20 at the school board offices, 377 Dover Center Road; and at 10 a.m. May 10 at Bay Provisions, 328 Bassett Road. All locations are in Bay Village. Portions of a large tree on Clague Road near Smith were evidence of the violent storms that tore through the area Aug. 24-25. (Carol Kovach/special to cleveland.com) Storm aftermath: The violent weather that blew through Greater Cleveland Aug. 24-25 brought high winds and heavy rain and spawned several tornadoes in Northern Ohio. It left behind many damaged trees and buildings, but fortunately, no injuries were reported. Connecting for Kids: Music Therapy and More will be offered by Connecting for Kids (CFK) for children up to age 6. Families who have concerns about their childrens development can join for a hands-on program designed to teach them how to use music to improve their childs academic, motor, communication and social skills. as well as behavior. This program is led by a board-certified music therapist. The program will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 16 at Lakewood Public Library, Main Branch, 15425 Detroit Ave. in Lakewood or at 10:30 a.m. Friday (Sept. 8) or 10:30 a.m. Saturday (Sept. 9) at Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road in Westlake. Visit connectingforkids.org/music for more information. CFK and the Lakewood Family Room will offer an inclusive play group that is open to families and their children ages 0-6, with or without concerns about development. The group will meet at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 14 at the Lakewood Family Room at Cove Community Center, 12525 Lake Ave. in Lakewood. Caregivers will have a chance to get hands-on support, meet other families and connect to community resources. The program will be led by an experienced early intervention support coordinator and CFK staff, Children and caregivers can learn strategies for dealing with behavior challenges, communication concerns and sensory issues. Registration is welcome, but not required. The program is funded by the Healthy Lakewood Foundation. CFK provides resources, support and community to families in Northeast Ohio who have concerns about their children. The group supports families who have children with mental health concerns, developmental delays and disabilities as well as those facing major life changes. CFK offers library programs, resources fairs and a family resource specialist program. Library programs include support groups for adults, presentations by professionals as well as hands-on programs that caregivers attend with their child. The FRS program offers a CFK staff member who meets with families and assists them in navigating resources. All programs are offered free to families. There also are virtual CFK programs offered for which registration is required. Register online at connectingforkids.org/register, by email at info@connectingforkids.org or by calling/texting 440-570-5908. Annual meeting: College Club West, a group of college-educated women, will have its annual meeting at 7 p.m. Sept. 20 at Don Umerley Civic Center, 21016 Hilliard Blvd. in Rocky River. The club, which is approaching its 100th anniversary, is seeking potential new members. The two main goals of College Club West are to provide annual college scholarships to Cleveland area women with financial need and to provide opportunities for members through programming and group activities. For more information, visit CCW on Facebook and attend the upcoming meeting. Planning ahead: Its never too early to start thinking about the holidays. Rocky River Historical Society will be selling Christmas wreaths, sprays, arrangements and small tabletop live trees again this holiday season. The society will offer hands-free ordering online. In addition to wreaths, there will be holiday sprays for doors and LED lights to accent purchases. Sales will benefit the historical society. Order holiday greens online at giftitforward.com and use fundraising code ROCKYROH002. The name of the referring member can be your name or RRHS. Deadline for ordering is Nov. 14. Information, please: Readers are invited to share information about themselves, their families and friends, organizations, church events, etc. from Bay Village, Rocky River and Westlake for the West Shore Chatter column, which I write on a freelance basis. Awards, honors, milestone birthdays or anniversaries and other items are welcome. Submit information at least 10 days before the requested publication date to carolkovach@hotmail.com. Read more from the West Shore Sun. AKRON, Ohio An Akron teenager was sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of the shooting death of a 19-year-old man outside a home in the Sherbondy Hill neighborhood. Christopher Blue, 19, will not be eligible for parole until serving at least 24 years in prison for the 2021 slaying of Owen Barzal, according to a news release from Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh. Blue was sentenced by Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Kelly McLaughlin. The sentencing comes after a jury convicted Blue on July 17 of murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence. On Oct. 12, 2021, police were called to the 1400 block of Bernice Avenue at about 4:30 p.m. They found Barzal, who had multiple gunshot wounds, in the drivers seat of a vehicle. Police say Barzal was able to drive a short distance after being shot. Prosecutors say Barzal was shot after being lured to the home by Blue. Investigators found Blues phone in the backseat of Barzals car and they found snapchat messages asking Barzal to come to Akron. Blues DNA was found on the murder weapon, which was recovered from Blues home, prosecutors say. CLEVELAND, Ohio A Senate committee is set Thursday to review the qualifications of President Joe Bidens nominee for U.S. attorney in northern Ohio. The Senate Judiciary Committee will decide whether to recommend Becky Lutzko as the top federal prosecutor for the states northern-most 40 counties. If the committee decides in favor of Lutzko, the full Senate will vote on whether to approve her nomination. Ten judges and another U.S. attorney from Illinois are also on the committees agenda. U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, who is not a member of the committee, previously said he would try and stall all of Bidens nominees for U.S. attorney because he believes the Justice Department unfairly targeted former President Donald Trump in its investigations. Lutzko is currently the interim U.S. attorney after the judges in the Northern District of Ohio appointed her in a rare move. Biden in June nominated Lutzko for the role that has gone without a Senate-confirmed leader for the longest stretch in the offices 166-year history. Bidens initial pick to lead the office, Marisa Darden, was confirmed by the Senate but never stepped foot in the office. She resigned after a convicted U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent told the Associated Press that Darden partied on a boat he bought with money he took from Mexican drug cartels that he was supposed to be investigating. Lutzko has been a federal prosecutor since 2005 and served a two-year term as a Hinkley Township trustee from 2018 to 2020. Adam Ferrise covers federal courts at cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. You can find his work here. MADISON, Ohio Oak matters. Dry, red wine drinkers will learn more about how oak matters at the 12th Casks, Corks & Forks Progressive Food and Wine Tasting from noon to 5 p.m., Sept. 9, in Northeast Ohios Grand River Valley wine region. Wine and food pairings will be available, during this drive-yourself tour, at five wineries from the Winegrowers of the Grand River Valley. These include Debonne Vineyards, Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Grand River Cellars Winery & Restaurant, Laurello Vineyards, and Cask 307 Winery. The tasting includes a limited-release Cask 1023 red wine from, each winery paired with an appetizer created to compliment the wine. The cost is $12 per person at each location. New this year, wine drinkers who visit all five wineries receive a commemorative 18-ounce red wine glass at their final stop. These Cask brand wines arent just any red, but wine produced as part of the regions Cask Project. The project started in 2010 to demonstrate the influence of aging in oak of different origins. Debonne Vineyards uses a French oak cask, Grand River Cellars Winery uses a Hungarian oak cask, Laurello Vineyards uses a Hungarian oak cask with heads made from French oak and so on. Oak barrels from both France and Hungary are usually made from the same tree species but impart different characteristics to the wines. The first year of The Cask Project 2010 -- each winemaker filled their 524-gallon cask with estate red wines. The following year, a select amount of wine was removed, bottled and sold. That amount was replaced by the new years chosen red blend. Wines are labeled for the year the project started and the year the wine was bottled. The first is Cask 1011, followed by 1012 ... this year is Cask 1023. As this is harvest season, visitors will enjoy the aroma of ripening grapes as they drive by vineyards. Those making the event part of weekend travel will find more to do from the Ashtabula County Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Lake County Convention & Visitors Bureau. More information is available about the Cask Tasting Event. Cask Tasting Menu Debonne Vineyards, 7840 Doty Rd, Madison -- French Oak Barrel Coq au Vin Chicken Skewers Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, 5585 State Route 307, Geneva -- French Oak Barrel -- Ravioli in roasted wild mushroom truffle cream sauce Grand River Cellars Winery & Restaurant, 5750 S. Madison (Route 528), Madison --Hungarian Oak Barrel -- Penne pasta with a puttanesca Bolognese sauce Laurello Vineyards, 4573 State Route 307, Geneva -- Hungarian Oak Barrel with French Oak Heads -- House-made meatball in sauce with a crostini Cask 307, 7259 State Route 307, Madison -- French Oak Barrel -- Chocolate Truffle Wine Cupcake Paris Wolfe writes about food, dining and drinking for Cleveland.com. You can reach her with story ideas at pwolfe@cleveland.com. Heres a directory of her latest posts. Follow her on Instagram @pariswolfe. Be one of the cool kids and follow all Cleveland.coms food, dining and drinking coverage in the weekly DineDrinkCLE newsletter. It curates the latest on openings, closings, tastings and other events, plus recommendations, features and guides from our team of writers and critics.. SUBSCRIBE Follow us on Instagram @dinedrinkcle COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohioans will decide Nov. 7 whether to add a constitutional amendment enshrining abortion rights, but questions around reproductive rights will likely continue to make headlines for years even if voters pass the amendment. If the amendment passes, lawsuits from the state and anti-abortion activists will push courts to review dozens of abortion laws the legislature has passed since the mid-1980s, from 24-hour waiting periods to whether parents need to consent to a minors abortion. CLEVELAND, Ohio Staff with Cuyahoga Countys Division of Children and Family Services and the union that represents them say theyve run out of patience for empty promises of change. They want a safer work environment now. Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1746 union, which represents about 500 social workers, will hold a safety rally at 4 p.m. on Wednesday in front of the Jane Edna Hunter Social Services office building, and they are signing a petition, demanding county officials take action to improve conditions in the building. COLUMBUS, Ohio Backers of a proposal to overhaul Ohios system of drawing political maps by replacing politicians with a citizen-led commission submitted a new proposal on Tuesday to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, after the Republican rejected the first submission. Yost rejected the first proposal on Aug. 23, saying it wasnt a fair and truthful summary of what the proposal would do. He provided the backers with nine examples. 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The deal which was brokered between Turkey, the United Nations, Ukraine and Russia in July 2022 helped ease the Kremlin's naval blockade in the Black Sea and established a humanitarian corridor for agricultural exports. "We believe that we will reach a solution that will meet the expectations in a short time," Erdogan said during a press briefing in Sochi, a resort town on the Black Sea, according to a Reuters report. Read more: Global food insecurity caused by Russia-Ukraine war tops agenda as U.S. assumes UN Security Council presidency "Ukraine needs to especially soften its approaches in order for it to be possible for joint steps to be taken with Russia," the Turkish president added. Putin said that he was ready to "consider the possibility of reviving the grain deal" provided that Russian agricultural products are "fully implemented" in the new agreement. The Russian leader also placed the blame on Western governments for stoking a global food security crisis following Moscow's exit from the Black Sea grain deal. "There is no physical shortage of food," Putin told reporters following the bilateral meeting with Erdogan. The Russian leader added that food prices did not rise after Moscow axed the agreement. Close-up of blue logo on sign with facade of headquarters buildings in background near the headquarters of Apple Computers in the Silicon Valley, Cupertino, California, August 26, 2018. Three senior Apple executives have lost their bid to stop the U.S. Justice Department from calling them as witnesses in the government's upcoming trial accusing Alphabet's Google of abusing its search power. The Apple executives Eduardo Cue, John Giannandrea and Adrian Perica had argued in Washington, D.C., federal court that compelling them to testify at trial was "duplicative" and "unduly burdensome," since they had already answered questions at an earlier stage in the case. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in a brief order on Monday denied Apple's effort to quash the subpoenas. Companies often try to bar or minimize subpoenas seeking testimony or information from top executives. Apple, which is not a defendant, said it has been the subject of "overbroad" demands in the case and that it already has disclosed more than 125,000 documents from senior executives. Cue oversees Apple Music, Apple TV and other services. Giannandrea is the executive in charge of machine learning and AI strategy, and Perica oversees Apple's corporate development wing, including leading the company's mergers and acquisitions efforts. Representatives from Apple and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Justice Department declined to comment. Google and its lawyers have denied any wrongdoing in the case, one of two Justice Department antitrust lawsuits against Google. A lawyer for Google, John Schmidtlein, told U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in D.C. at a hearing this year that "offering a superior product, winning business on the merits is never unlawful." The Justice Department said its case centers on Google's sharing of billions of dollars in annual advertising revenue with business partners such as Apple in exchange for Google's search being default on other companies' devices. The government has called Apple "chief among Google's distribution partners" and said Google's relationship with Apple through an information-services agreement "will be a central issue at trial." Apple's attorneys warned recently that trial testimony would force the lawyers and Mehta to "navigate the risks of inadvertent disclosure of its most competitively sensitive information." In a filing, Apple said it wanted to shield information concerning business negotiations, confidential contract terms and "forward-looking product opportunities." Attorneys for Apple argued that the company had "provided all the discovery (and more) that the parties could need for trial." The bench trial is set to begin on Sept. 12 in Mehta's court. The case is United States v. Google, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, No. 1:20-cv-03010-APM. Myanmar migrant workers hold a portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi during the march to mark International Labor Day in Bangkok, calling for the workers rights and protesting against the Myanmar military government on May 1, 2023. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Southeast Asian nations must adopt a cohesive position on Myanmar's civil conflict and the ASEAN summit is a chance for leaders to "recalibrate," Marty Natalegawa, Indonesia's former foreign minister told CNBC. "I get the sense that ASEAN is at a loss for ideas one can speak with eloquence about one individual member state's wish to happen in Myanmar. But first and foremost, we need to have a common ASEAN position," he told CNBC's JP Ong on "Street Signs Asia." The 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit kicked off in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Tuesday, with Myanmar's political crisis and the South China Sea disputes set to dominate discussions. watch now The 10-nation bloc is made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. This is the second year in a row that Myanmar was not invited to the regional meeting, following the military coup in February 2021 which saw its elected leader Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi ousted from power. At the moment, I'm reminded more about the divisions rather than the unity this is not only a litmus test for ASEAN, but in my view is an existential threat to ASEAN. Marty Natalegawa Indonesia's former foreign minister Natalegawa said that while it is commendable the junta is excluded from the meetings, ASEAN member states have become "a little bit divided" over the past year in addressing Myanmar's prolonged civil strife. The bloc has long operated on the principle of non-interference to ensure sovereignty of member states, but some countries urged the bloc to take bolder action. Malaysia, for example, called for the imposition of "strong" measures against Myanmar's ruling generals, according to a Reuters report last month. "At the moment, I'm reminded more about the divisions rather than the unity this is not only a litmus test for ASEAN, but in my view is an existential threat to ASEAN," Natalegawa added. In April 2021, Myanmar's junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and the other nine ASEAN nations reached an agreement on the Five-Point Consensus, which called for the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, and dialogue among the parties involved. Myanmar's military administration, however, has not implemented the peace plan despite agreeing to it two months after the democratic government was overthrown by the coup. 'A la carte regionalism' Another issue that could test the ability of ASEAN to act as a cohesive bloc is the dispute in the South China Sea. "Some ASEAN member states in dispute feel that they are not being provided a common ASEAN home, so as if they are left on their own devices to deal with this issue," said Natalegawa. We must not allow countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei [to] feel that their security needs are being unmet by ASEAN. Marty Natalegawa Indonesia's former foreign minister Want to invest around artificial intelligence? Take a look at Oracle , according to Barclays. Oracle shares have surged nearly 48% in 2023 and close to 62% over the past 12 months. Barclays thinks the company is set to maintain high levels of growth in the near future as its tailwinds have yet to fully take effect. Analyst Raimo Lenschow upgraded shares to overweight from equal weight. He also raised his price target to $150 from $126, suggesting 24% upside from Friday's close. ORCL YTD mountain ORCL in 2023 "We see a multi-year opportunity for solid growth at high margins driven by an ongoing positive mix effect of better [software as a service] and [Oracle Cloud Infrastructure] (OCI)I outweigh the lower growth parts of the business," Lenschow wrote in a Tuesday note. "OCI, partly fueled by emerging AI workloads, will be key to the database and overall story." He added that OCI is well-positioned for an AI tailwind due to its close relationship with Nvidia. Oracle was also one of the first cloud solutions providers to enter the market with Nvidia's software as a service products, Lenschow added. Overall, the analyst is confident OCI will be one of the company's core drivers of growth. He added that other software offerings Fusion and NetSuite will also help propel the company's growth story. "OCI 2.0 has led to a growth inflection for the infrastructure business, and we think there is more room to go here given the small scale and AI as an additional tailwind," Lenschow said. "The business may never reach the size of AWS or Azure, but we don't think this is necessary given the smaller size of the overall company compared to these hyperscalers. More important is that OCI is following a similar trajectory of growth as AWS and Azure when the offerings were at a similar scale." Shares of Oracle gained 1.6% Tuesday during premarket trading. CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report. WASHINGTON President Joe Biden tested negative Monday night for Covid-19, a day after his wife tested positive and three days before he is scheduled to travel overseas. Biden is negative and not experiencing any symptoms, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday. First lady Jill Biden tested positive on Monday night, but so far she has experienced mild symptoms, the White House said. The Bidens were at their home together in Rehoboth, Delaware, over Labor Day weekend after stopping in Florida on Saturday to survey damage caused by Hurricane Idalia. The president last saw the first lady on Monday morning before he traveled to an event in Philadelphia. The first lady will remain in Delaware for the rest of the week, Jean-Pierre said. The president is scheduled to depart for India on Thursday to attend the Group of 20 summit, and then go on to visit Hanoi, Vietnam, on Sunday. On Monday, Biden will be in Alaska to observe the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. If Biden were to test positive for Covid in the next few days, he could attend the G20 meetings virtually, like his predecessor Donald Trump did during the Covid pandemic. If he were forced to stay home, the president could accidentally find himself in ignominious company. Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the conference for the second year in a row, and Chinese President Xi Jinping also plans to skip it. "I am disappointed," Biden said of Xi's absence, "but I am going to get to see him." BMW revealed the BMW Vision Neue Klasse, a concept electric vehicle that will underpin its foray into battery-powered cars. MUNICH BMW will build its semi-autonomous driver assistance system on Amazon's cloud computing technology, the two companies said Tuesday. The German automaker's next-generation advanced driver assistance system, or ADAS, will feature in its Neue Klasse range of electric cars that the company revealed on Saturday that will launch in 2025. It comes as traditional automakers look to boost the technology in their cars, with a particular focus on ADAS, to compete with Tesla . An ADAS is a software system that can offer drivers assistance with actions such as lane changing or parking. Automakers are looking to introduce an increasing number of these features as they push toward autonomous driving. Tesla's ADAS for example is called Autopilot. ADAS will require large amounts of data processing as the software relies on hardware sets, including cameras and semiconductors. Artificial intelligence processes are key to underpinning these assisted driving systems. An American flag on the U.S. Capitol Building is seen in Washington, August 31, 2023. Kevin Wurm | Reuters A deeply divided Congress returned Tuesday from a monthlong summer vacation with the clock ticking to pass spending legislation to avoid a government shutdown and boost U.S. emergency response funding following multiple natural disasters. The U.S. government will shut down at midnight on Sept. 30 if Congress fails to pass spending legislation. While the Senate is back in session Tuesday, the House will not return to work until Sept. 12, leaving nearly three weeks to pass funding before the deadline. The White House on Thursday asked Congress to pass a single short-term measure, called a continuing resolution, to fund the federal government at current levels and avoid a shutdown while negotiations continue over a dozen long-term funding bills. The leaders of both chambers agree that a short-term measure is the best way to avoid a government shutdown. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said in August that he and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., agreed that Congress should pass a continuing resolution to extend funding at existing levels for a few months. The continuing resolution is a stopgap measure that would set up for a potential shutdown at a later date if Congress cannot in the interim pass the longer-term spending bills. The Republican-led House of Representatives has only passed one of a dozen bills needed to fund the federal government through 2024. McCarthy came out publicly in support of a continuing resolution to keep the government running during an interview with Fox News last month. He sought to cajole House Republicans into supporting the measure with a warning that investigations into the Biden administration would grind to a halt if the government shuts down. "If we shut down, all of government shuts it down, investigations and everything else. It hurts the American public," McCarthy told Fox News. But far-right members of the House GOP are pushing back against McCarthy. The House Freedom Caucus is trying to tie government funding to legislation that would crack down on undocumented immigration and restart construction of the border wall. And Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., told constituents during a town hall last Thursday that she would not vote to fund the government unless the House votes to open an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Bank of America analysts in a note Tuesday put the chances of shutdown as a flip of the coin given the conditions conservative Republicans are putting on funding legislation. If a shutdown does occur, it will have a minimal impact on financial markets, UBS analysts said in a note Tuesday. Bank of America believes a shutdown is unlikely to last long if it does occur given the potential political consequences for the GOP and the added pressure to fund the government given the devastating wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, and the destruction from Hurricane Idalia in Florida and the Southeast last week. FEMA disaster funding A map of a GOP proposal to redraw Alabama's congressional districts is displayed at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Ala., Tuesday, July 18, 2023. The ruling in U.S. District Court in Alabama is the latest judicial hammer to drop against the Republican-led state legislature, whose prior congressional district map had been struck down by the Supreme Court in June. "The law requires the creation of an additional district that affords Black Alabamians, like everyone else, a fair and reasonable opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. The 2023 Plan plainly fails to do so," wrote U.S. Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus and U.S. District Judges Anna Manasco and Terry Moorer. The judges, in a 217-page opinion, also expressed deep concerns about the state's defiance of prior court rulings for them to fix key elements of the congressional map, a situation that the court described as unprecedented. Finding that it would be "practically impossible" for the state's legislature to fix the map ahead of the 2024 election cycle, the panel ordered a special master and a cartographer to draw up a new one. A panel of three federal judges on Tuesday struck down an Alabama congressional map accused of being racially gerrymandered against the state's Black voters. The conservative-leaning high court, in a surprise 5-4 vote, upheld a lower court ruling that the map violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act. That lower court had ruled that the state must craft a redistricting plan that includes "either an additional majority-Black congressional district, or an additional district in which Black voters otherwise have an opportunity to elect a representative of their choice." After the Supreme Court ruling, Alabama asked for a five-week delay to enact a new plan, which the court granted. But in July, the legislature passed, and Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed, a map that once again included just a single majority-Black district. Alabama has seven congressional districts, and nearly 27% of its population is Black, according to the 2020 census. "The State has explained that its position is that notwithstanding our order and the Supreme Court's affirmance, the Legislature was not required to include an additional opportunity district in the 2023 Plan," the judges wrote in Tuesday's opinion. "That concession controls this case," the judges wrote as they ruled that the latest plan would likely once again violate the voting rights law. The judge also noted that they have "no reason to believe that allowing the Legislature still another opportunity to draw yet another map will yield a map that includes an additional opportunity district." "Moreover, counsel for the State has informed the Court that, even if the Court were to grant the Legislature yet another opportunity to draw a map, it would be practically impossible for the Legislature to reconvene and do so in advance of the 2024 election cycle," they wrote. "Accordingly, the Special Master and cartographer are directed to commence work forthwith on a remedial map," they ruled. The judges said they were "disturbed" by the evidence that the state sought a delay without attempting to revise its congressional map as the courts had ordered. "We do not take lightly federal intrusion into a process ordinarily reserved for the State Legislature. But we have now said twice that this Voting Rights Act case is not close," they added. "And we are deeply troubled that the State enacted a map that the State readily admits does not provide the remedy we said federal law requires." In this photo illustration, Abbott's at-home covid-19 rapid test kits are seen on display in Orlando. As Covid cases surge again in the U.S., Americans are digging out unused at-home tests that they stashed earlier on in the pandemic. Many of those tests may have passed their expiration dates, but don't throw them away just yet. The Food and Drug Administration has extended the expiration dates of many popular at-home test products, which means some of your old kits may still be safe to use. You can check by visiting a page on the FDA's website that lists expiration information for each test brand. "That's the first thing I would do before using an expired test or throwing it away," Andrew Pekosz, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told CNBC. If the date has not changed, the FDA advises against using expired tests. Doing so increases the chance of an inaccurate test result, which could put your or another person's health at risk. A false result carries more risk again as Covid gains a greater foothold nationwide, primarily driven by newer variants of the virus like the now-dominant EG.5 strain, or "Eris." Covid hospitalizations jumped nearly 19% last week, marking the sixth straight week of increasing admissions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public health experts say testing remains a critical tool for protection as Covid metrics climb. But lab PCR tests the traditional way of detecting Covid have become more expensive and less accessible for some Americans since the U.S. government ended the public health emergency in May. The end of that declaration also changed how public and private insurers cover at-home tests, potentially leaving some people unable to get those tests for free through their plans. However, certain local health clinics and community sites still offer at-home tests to the public at no cost. Before buying new at-home tests, it wouldn't hurt to check if any expired ones sitting in your medicine cabinet are still safe to use. Here's a walkthrough for how to do that, and everything else you need to know about these tests. Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, Elon Musk attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre on June 16, 2023 in Paris, France. Elon Musk on Monday posted that he was against antisemitism and blamed the Anti-Defamation League for lost advertising revenue since his acquisition of X, formerly known as Twitter. The tech mogul posted his stance on free speech and antisemitism seemingly out of the blue on his verified account Monday afternoon. When asked by a user who was questioning his stance, Musk alleged that the ADL has been "trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic." "If this continues, we will have no choice but to file a defamation suit against, ironically, the 'Anti-Defamation' League," Musk wrote. "If they lose the defamation suit, we will insist that they drop the the 'anti' part of their name, since obviously " He later wrote in another post that X has "no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit" against the group to clear his company's name. An email to attorneys representing Musk and X asking whether a complaint has been drafted was not immediately returned. Musk also noted that X's advertising revenue remains down by 60% in the U.S. and alleged that advertisers have told the social media platform that pressure from the ADL is part of the reason. The ADL said Monday that as a matter of policy it does not comment on legal threats. A spokesperson referred NBC News to a general statement the organization made in response to a recent #BanTheADL campaign on the platform, which Musk has engaged with. Musk suggested in a post on Saturday that maybe he should "run a poll" on the matter. "Such insidious efforts don't daunt us," the statement said. "Instead, they drive us to be unflinching in our commitment to fight hate in all its forms and ensure the safety of Jewish communities and other marginalized groups." NBC News reported in November that advertisers were pulling back from the platform as companies had concerns regarding what changes Musk would make with the social media platform. Musk blamed "activist groups" for attempting to "destroy free speech in America" in a post at the time. The comments from Musk were later given additional context by users, which linked to news articles that suggested advertisers were acting on their own accord. X filed a lawsuit last month against the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit organization that monitors hate speech and disinformation. He accused the center of orchestrating a "scare campaign to drive away advertisers from the X platform," according to the suit filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The lawsuit alleges that CCDH published reports accusing the platform of failing to take action against hate speech and that the CCDH committed "a series of unlawful acts designed to improperly gain access" to the platform's data. Imran Ahmed, the center's founder and chief executive, accused Musk of bullying in a statement at the time, describing the suit as "straight out of the authoritarian playbook." "The Center for Countering Digital Hate's research shows that hate and disinformation is spreading like wildfire on the platform under Musk's ownership and this lawsuit is a direct attempt to silence those efforts," Ahmed said. The ADL also posted a report in March accusing the platform of failing to take action against hate speech. The group's ADL Center for Technology and Society found that only 28 percent of posts flagged for antisemitic content were taken down or sanctioned. "While we have no way to actually verify if the company is de-amplifying antisemitic content, we have found that Twitter is failing to take down tweets that clearly violate hateful conduct policies," the report said. X did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday afternoon. A study from Montclair State University last year showed a spike in hate speech on the platform the day after Musk took over the company in October. The terms studied included vulgar and hostile terms for individuals based on race, as well as other protected classes. "The data conclusively shows that there is a correlation between Musk's arrival and a broader perceived acceptability to posted hostile content on Twitter," the university said. In April, the social media site received backlash for seemingly stepping back from a longstanding policy that aimed to protect transgender people on the platform. Twitter had banned the targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender people since 2018, but a line referring to that ban was removed from its policy earlier this year. GLAAD named Twitter, now X, "the most dangerous platform for LGBTQ people" in its Social Media Safety Index. US President Joe Biden, right, and Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, at an arrival ceremony during a state visit on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, June 22, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned the normally sedate rotating presidency of the Group of 20 nations into a branding vehicle to burnish India's geopolitical importance underscoring India's emergence as a key voice on the world stage. The country's diplomats now face a race against time to broker tangible multilateral outcomes at this weekend's G20 leaders' summit in New Delhi that will mark the end of India's year-long presidency of the bloc of leading industrialized and developing economies. India has so far not been able to foster consensus for a joint communique from the previous G20 meetings in other major tracks that it has convened. Member states haven't been able to agree on binding action due largely to Russia's and China's objections to the language referring to the Ukraine crisis. In a banner year for Indian diplomacy that also saw the world's most populous nation take on the rotating presidency of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, India risks having little to show for its efforts that may in turn undercut the country's credibility and Modi's domestic messaging. One of the risks is that by elevating India's presidency of the G20 so much, there are now expectations for India to deliver some concrete breakthroughs. Manjari Chatterjee Miller Council on Foreign Relations "What is different about India's presidency of the G20 and what I'm amazed by is how the Modi government has turned the G20 into a nonstop advertisement for both India and his leadership," said Manjari Chatterjee Miller, a senior fellow for India, Pakistan and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C. "One of the risks is that by elevating India's presidency of the G20 so much, there are now expectations for India to deliver some concrete breakthroughs," she told CNBC in an email. "India has been trying to use the G20 to bring the Global South together and offer itself as a bridge between the Global South and the West. But there remains the problem of Russia and China." With Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping sitting out the Sept. 9-10 meeting, the prospect for any real breakthrough appears dim. Putin has not been known to have traveled out of Russia since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant in March against him and his allies for war crimes in Ukraine. Russia-Ukraine impasse Indeed, the specter of Russia's Ukraine invasion has loomed large over G20 meetings for the various tracks that India has convened. India had hoped to forge consensus on a range of issues from a regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies to the resolution of crippling debt issues for developing countries. Other areas include reforms in multilateral banks as part of its agenda to foster progress on sustainable development, as well as the admission of the African Union as a member of the G20. Despite its neutral position on the Ukraine crisis, New Delhi has not been able to broker a single joint statement in any of the key discussion tracks since India took over the G20 presidency in December 2022. Instead, it has only managed non-binding chair's summary and outcome documents. watch now In fact, Russia disassociated itself from the status of the outcome document in a June meeting on development issues in Varanasi, due to references to the Ukraine war. China said the meeting outcome should not include any reference to the Ukraine crisis. "The original language was accepted by Russia at the Bali G20 and Indian diplomats in fact, played a major part in getting Russian acceptance on that," Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, Eurasia Group's head for its South Asia practice, told CNBC in a telephone interview from New Delhi. "But since then, Russia has hardened its position and joined by China to say that we don't accept the original body language, which is taken from the UN Security Council resolution," he added. "Last I heard, India is still struggling to get an agreement on what type of language would be acceptable to all 20 countries," Chaudhuri said. "If they fail to bridge that gap, then we may see the failure to issue a joint statement, and there probably won't be an action plan afterwards." [Modi] is trying to portray this as a great recognition that India has arrived under his under his prime ministership. Pramit Pal Chaudhuri Eurasia Group Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who is due to represent Russia at G20 leaders' summit in place of Putin reportedly warned there will be no general declaration at the meeting in New Delhi if Russia's position is not reflected. The Kremlin insists that its invasion of Ukraine is a "special military operation" in an existential war against the West that's determined to take down Russia. Domestic setback? This could well be a setback for Modi's government, which has convened more than 200 G20 meetings in more than two dozens cities across India. "It's actually quite brilliant and one has to give him and the BJP credit for making an event that is usually elitist and esoteric, and a rotating presidency that is routine into something the whole country can understand and be proud of," CFR's Miller said, referring to Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. More than just lining streets with banners and signs that injected plenty of visibility to the various G20 meetings, Modi has also used these meetings to clean up host cities, promote local products and more. "At the national level, [Modi] is trying to portray this as a great recognition that India has arrived under his under his prime ministership," Eurasia Group's Chaudhuri said. "I think the messaging has been strong, but the reception is harder to work out, it's harder to quantify." The biggest risk for Modi is the lack of tangible multilateral accomplishment out of the G20 presidency after all that has been done and invested, possibly with an eye on boosting the legacy and standing of his Hindu nationalist BJP after a decade in power and ahead of national elections next year. watch now Underscoring that wariness, India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was quick to tout the "unanimous support" from G20 member states, for two outcomes that India proposed at the Varanasi G20 ministerial meeting on developmental issues. He even labeled it the "biggest achievement" of India's G20 presidency so far despite Russia and China abstaining. "There may be a sort of backlash, or a degree of cynicism may set among voters who say we have heard a lot we seem to have spent a lot of money, but nothing really seems to have happened here," Chaudhuri added. Still, Modi could point to other evidence of India's place as a key global player in a year that saw New Delhi emerge as a strategic U.S. ally in its Indo-Pacific strategy aimed at checking China's might. India walked the diplomatic tightrope even as China pushed for an expansion of BRICS alliance of developing nations to build support for a broad coalition aimed at challenging U.S. dominance over the global political and economic system. watch now "India will continue to maintain healthy diplomatic relations with Russia amid an increasing reliance on that country's energy imports," Sumedha Dasgupta, a senior analyst with the Economist Intelligence Unit, told CNBC. Moscow is India's leading source of crude oil. "Simultaneously, India will develop stronger diplomatic bonds with the US and its allies through means such as the Quad, co-operation on critical technology and defense, which will over time amount to a gradual geopolitical shift," she said in an email. Underscoring India's strategic importance, Biden hosted Modi in June in the Indian prime minister's first state visit to the U.S. Warming India-U.S. ties contrast with India's continued standoff with China. India along with Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan sharply rebuked China last week for a new national map that Beijing claims contested territories as its own. As the U.S. ramps up efforts to limit the transfers of strategic technology to China on grounds of national security, India stands to gain from American companies looking to diversify their supply chains at China's expense. watch now In January, India's commerce minister told CNBC that Apple was manufacturing its latest iPhone 14 in the country and aimed to produce 25% of all iPhones in the country. Apple's efforts to move its assembly of products from China became more urgent in the last few years years as U.S.-China trade tensions intensified, and supply chain disruptions caused by Beijing's zero-Covid policy unraveled. This development serves to buttress India's burgeoning economic clout, the basis of its greater confidence and assertiveness geopolitically. It's a happy coincidence for the moment, I think, for India to showcase itself as an improved economy; as an improved place for international investors ... and as an alternative to China. Pravin Krishna Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, at an event in Seoul, South Korea, on June 9, 2023. Indonesia has awarded OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman its first "Golden Visa" a week after the program was launched to attract foreign investment to Southeast Asia's largest economy. "There are several categories of golden visas apart from those based on investment/capital investment, one of which is the golden visa which is given to figures who have an international reputation and can provide benefits for Indonesia," Silmy Karim, Indonesia's director general of immigration, said in a statement. "With this golden visa, the hope is that Altman can contribute towards the development and use of AI in Indonesia," Karim said. Altman's Golden Visa is for 10 years. As a holder of the visa, the American entrepreneur will get to enjoy priority screening at airports across the country's vast archipelago, along with longer periods of stay, and ease of entry and exit. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell leaves his Washington, D.C., house to return to work at the U.S. Senate, less than a week after he froze for more than 30 seconds while speaking to reporters at an event in his home state of Kentucky, in Washington, D.C., Sept. 5, 2023. Brain scans conducted on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell found no evidence he has a seizure disorder or experienced a stroke in connection with the most recent of two episodes of freezing up as he spoke in public, a doctor said Tuesday. Dr. Brian Monahan, the attending physician for Congress, also told McConnell in a letter that there is no evidence that the Kentucky Republican has "a movement disorder such as Parkinson's disease." "There are no changes recommended in treatment protocols as you continue recovery from your March 2023 fall," Monahan wrote. McConnell, 81, was hospitalized in early March after suffering a concussion from a fall at a hotel during a private dinner in Washington, D.C. McConnell froze up while speaking to reporters on Wednesday in Covington, Kentucky. He stood at a lectern for about 30 seconds without speaking after being asked a question. He experienced a similar episode while speaking to reporters July 26 in the Capitol during a press conference by Senate Republicans. Monahan in his letter wrote that he examined McConnell after the second "brief episode." That exam "[included] several medical evaluations: brain MRI imaging, EEG study and consultations with several neurologists for a comprehensive neurology assessment." Oil prices rose a dollar a barrel on Tuesday to their highest since November, after Saudi Arabia and Russia extended their voluntary supply cuts to the end of the year, worrying investors about potential shortages during peak winter demand. Brent crude futures rose by $1.04, or 1.2%, to settle at $90.04 a barrel, closing above the $90 mark for the first time since November 16, 2022. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude October futures gained $1.14, or 1.3%, to settle at $86.69 a barrel, also a 10-month high. Investors had expected Saudi Arabia and Russia to extend voluntary cuts into October, but the three-month extension was unexpected. "This is a clear indication that oil prices trump volume (for Saudi Arabia)," said Jorge Leon, senior vice president at Rystad Energy. "These bullish moves significantly tighten the global oil market and can only result in one thing: higher oil prices worldwide," Leon added. Both Saudi Arabia and Russia said they would review the supply cuts monthly, and could modify them depending on market conditions. "With the production cut extended, we anticipate a market deficit of more than 1.5 million barrels per day in 4Q23," UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo wrote in a note to clients. UBS now expects Brent crude to rise to $95 a barrel by year-end. Reflecting concerns about the short-term market supply, front month Brent and WTI contracts were also trading at their steepest premium since November to later-dated prices. This structure, called backwardation, indicates tightening supply for prompt deliveries. Also supporting oil prices on Tuesday, Goldman Sachs said it now sees the probability of a U.S. recession starting in the next 12 months at 15%, down from an earlier forecast of 20%. Along with the Saudi supply cuts, which began in July, prospects of the U.S. economy avoiding a hard recession have helped lift oil demand and prices in recent months. Both Brent and WTI futures have gained more than 20% since the end of June. Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, leader of The Proud Boys, attends a protest showing support for Cubans demonstrating against their government, in Miami, Florida on July 16, 2021. Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the far-right group Proud Boys, was sentenced to 22 years in prison Tuesday after being convicted of seditious conspiracy to disrupt the 2020 presidential election certification on Jan. 6, 2021. Tarrio's sentence is four years longer than the second-longest prison term received by any of the 1,100-plus people who have so far been charged in connection with the Capitol riot. The Department of Justice sought to put Tarrio behind bars for 33 years, saying he used his skills as a "naturally charismatic leader" and "savvy propagandist" to organize and execute the plan to forcibly stop the peaceful transfer of power from former President Donald Trump to President Joe Biden. A defense attorney for Tarrio had asked the judge to issue a sentence of no longer than 15 years. Before he was sentenced, Tarrio approached the bench to express remorse and to disavow some of his statements surrounding the events of Jan. 6. "To the men and women of law enforcement who answered the call that day, I'm sorry," Tarrio said, NBC News reported. Tarrio said he "failed miserably" to hold himself to a higher moral standard. "I thought of myself morally above others and this trial has humbled me," he said. But U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly appeared unmoved by Tarrio's remarks. "I don't have any indication that he's remorseful for the actual things that he's convicted of," the judge said before sentencing the former Proud Boys chair to more than two decades in prison. Tarrio, 39, was convicted in May on six felonies including seditious conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding and destruction of government property. Kelly last week delivered lower sentences than what prosecutors requested for Tarrio's co-defendants, three of whom were also convicted of seditious conspiracy. But they hardly got off scot-free. Ethan Nordean, who led the Seattle chapter of the Proud Boys, on Friday was sentenced to 18 years in prison, tying him with Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes for the longest Jan. 6-related sentence prior to Tarrio's. Qualcomm 's tech is inside nearly all our smartphones. It pioneered the ability to connect wirelessly in the '80s, all the way to the 5G modems of today making licensing fees for every device that communicates using its patented core technologies. And now, it's working on an entirely new way of using generative AI. Until last month, Qualcomm was also the world's biggest fabless chip company. Now Nvidia has taken the title, following its revenue doubling in its most recent earnings report. The runaway stock's success has been fueled by the hype around generative artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT, which are trained on Nvidia's graphics processing units, or GPUs. That's why it comes as no surprise that Qualcomm is positioning itself as a key player in the AI space, with announcements today that the company has introduced new in-vehicle generative AI capabilities, expanded into two-wheelers and has a new partnership with cloud computing leader Amazon Web Services. So far, large language models have relied on immense amounts of data on the cloud to generate text and images. But Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon is betting that one day, generative AI will be in high demand off the cloud, too. "You're running a massive amount of computation in the data center for every word that is generated," Amon told CNBC during an interview in June. "I think we have a very unique capability to run those models locally and not only improve performance, but you significantly improve cost." Apple is one of Qualcomm's biggest customers, but uncertainty about the future of that relationship may be another reason driving Qualcomm's push to diversify. Qualcomm modems are inside all iPhone models currently being made, including the next model set to come out next week. But Amon has been open with investors about how that deal might end soon. "We don't have visibility whether we're going to be in the iPhone in '24 or not," he said. Even as Apple develops its own silicon, Qualcomm remains the top provider for modems in Android phones. "Apple is actually a smaller and smaller portion of our business," said Chris Patrick, who heads up Qualcomm's smartphone division. Launching the cellular age Qualcomm has been at the center of smartphones since the very beginning. In 1985, seven colleagues from a tech startup called Linkabit met in the home of Irwin Jacobs in San Diego, where they thought up the idea for Qualcomm, short for Quality Communications. Jacobs would remain at the helm for 20 years. In 1989, the company decided to move away from the accepted telecommunications standards at the time, placing the first phone call using Code Division Multiple Access. With CDMA, several transmitters send information simultaneously over a single communication channel, "trying to get enough capacity so everybody in the world could have a cellphone," Amon explained. CDMA went on to become the foundation for 3G, 4G and 5G today. "Nobody believed them. Nobody thought CDMA would work," said Jay Goldberg of D2D Advisory, who has been covering Qualcomm for 20 years. "Not only did they make CDMA work, but then they went on and made the rest of mobile work better." For a short time, Qualcomm made its own cellphones, releasing the first commercial CDMA smartphone in 1998. Its first Snapdragon chipset for mobile phones came out in 2007, and Snapdragon remains the product line Qualcomm is best known for today. Snapdragon processors help power and connect phones, PCs, tablets, cars and more. "That really is the brains of the device," Patrick said. "So that's where a lot of the digital processing is done. That includes the modem that does the communication with the cellular tower, etc. ... In the heart of the products that you love, that you use every day, there's a very good chance Qualcomm's at the center of it." And it's not just Qualcomm's hardware that's involved. The company also makes money from licensing the core technology concepts that shape how we communicate. Today, Qualcomm has more than 140,000 patents. "One of the things that tends to be misunderstood about Qualcomm is it's not only a chipmaker, it's also a company that licenses its intellectual property," said Daniel Newman, CEO of the Futurum Group. "That creates revenue streams from companies like Apple, from other OEMs that the company makes even if their chipsets aren't being specifically used in a device. Newman added, "It's probably one of the most controversial parts of the Qualcomm business." In 2017, Qualcomm faced two major lawsuits, including one from the Federal Trade Commission over potentially unfair patent licensing practices due to its prominent position in the wireless chip sector. In 2020, an appeals court threw out the previous antitrust verdict, translating to a victory for Qualcomm. The other lawsuit came from Apple, which sued Qualcomm for roughly $1 billion for charging royalties for technologies Apple said Qualcomm had "nothing to do with." Months later, Qualcomm sued Apple for patent infringement. In 2019, a settlement brought an end to the legal action between the companies. Also in 2017, Qualcomm faced a $117 billion hostile takeover attempt from Broadcom . The deal was blocked by then-President Donald Trump, citing national security concerns. "There was a period of time for four or five years where it was just like one thing after the other," Stacy Rasgon, senior analyst at Bernstein Research, told CNBC. "It was just like whack-a-mole. It was insane. ... Effectively, on all the legal stuff, they prevailed on everything." Still, such a big focus on licensing the tech behind the curtain has created a separate issue around public awareness. "The fact that people don't know it's Qualcomm often is what is the hindrance," Newman said. "You don't know when you buy that GM or that BMW that it's powered by Qualcomm. You don't know when you buy that Samsung device that it's powered by Qualcomm ... which I think is often its friction in terms of investors, and why it's valued at often a much lower level than some of its peers like Nvidia, Apple and others that are building silicon." Another point of friction comes from geopolitical issues. Mounting tensions with China, and between China and Taiwan, have raised concerns about how much all major chip designers rely on chipmakers in Asia. That's why Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Samsung, Intel and others are building huge advanced chip fabs in the U.S. They're aiming to reshore manufacturing, with incentives from the $52 billion CHIPS and Science Act. Some of those plans have already hit delays due to a shortage of skilled semiconductor labor in the U.S. Qualcomm's Amon told CNBC it's committed to "close to half of the capacity" at TSMC's delayed fab project in Arizona. A recent sell-off in airline stocks has created an attractive entry point but investors should be careful about which names they buy, according to Deutsche Bank. Airline stocks have pulled back about 15% since peaking in mid-July, analyst Michael Linenberg told clients in a note released Monday. That comes as investors attempt to gauge how rising fuel prices, increases in domestic capacity and macro economic uncertainty will impact these companies. In this environment, Linenberg reiterated major carriers American , Delta and United as buys. "As we head into the latter part of 2023, investors should be targeting names that can check the most boxes of the following list: healthy cash flow generation, strong margins, earnings growth, balance sheet de-leveraging, pro-shareholder initiatives, prudent capacity deployment, formidable competitive position, diversified revenue streams, among others," he told clients. Despite the recent drawdown, American is still up more than 15% this year, while Delta and United have both climbed more than 30%. The NYSE Arca Airline Index is up 16% this year. AAL DAL,UAL YTD mountain The three airlines this year Airline stocks, he said, are discounting a hard economic landing unlike the broader market. Because of these expectations, he said airlines that have the most exposure to high-end consumers will do better and nab a relatively higher valuation. High fuel prices have also been a key driver of downward pressure on these stocks, he said. And the rising prices come as labor costs also increase, while investors wonder if domestic markets are now over supplies. In the short term, Linenberg said investors will focus on how much of the fuel price increases airlines can "recapture" in revenue. Those that have the most diversified businesses and least elasticity in price revenue streams should outperform in this environment, he said. Still, there are some bright spots. Linenberg said the latter half of 2023 will see corporate travel sales nearly in line with 2019. And International markets have outperformed, though he warned that investors should watch China given recent macroeconomic challenges. Beyond these major carriers, Linenberg also had some recommendations in the small-cap space. His favorite buy-rated small airlines include Alaska , Allegiant , SkyWest and Sun Country . CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report (L-R) Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton greets former U.S. President Donald Trump at the 'Save America' rally on October 22, 2022 in Robstown, Texas. AUSTIN, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton pleaded not guilty to 20 articles of impeachment alleging corruption, abuse of public trust, misuse of public funds and more, as the Texas Senate began a historic impeachment trial Tuesday. The Republican firebrand was impeached in May by an overwhelming vote in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives over his involvement with real estate developer and donor Nate Paul. Now, the state Senate convened as a high court of impeachment will determine whether or not to remove him from office. Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is presiding over the proceedings, swore in the Texas senators as jurors on Tuesday morning, while some 200 spectators including members of the public and the media watched from the Senate gallery above, before turning to pre-trial motions. Paxton's attorneys had filed more than a dozen motions to dismiss the articles of impeachment or exclude evidence from being considered, and all of them failed Tuesday morning when as many as a dozen Republican senators joined with the Democratic senators to vote against the motions. But Paxton secured one key win Tuesday, when the lieutenant governor who alone decides procedural matters, under the rules approved by the Senate decided that Paxton could not be forced to appear as a witness at his own trial. House impeachment managers had sought to compel the attorney general to be called to the witness stand, though they said in a filing that they expected he would invoke his right not to self-incriminate. The historic trial marks a dramatic fall for a man who gained a national profile as a leader of red states' opposition on everything from health care to immigration during President Barack Obama's administration and who became a key conservative ally of Donald Trump when he was in the White House. Paxton has denied all wrongdoing and vowed to fight the allegations. More than 100 people have received subpoenas to testify, and some of them appeared outside the Senate door on Tuesday. Two declined to speak, citing a gag order Patrick issued surrounding the case. The potential witnesses reportedly include Paul, the developer and donor from whom Paxton is accused of accepting bribes, and current and former staffers from the attorney general's office some of whom told the FBI he should be investigated for bribery and abuse of office. The attorney general's 2022 primary challenger George P. Bush and even famed Texas political strategist Karl Rove are also both on the list of potential witnesses, as is Laura Olson the woman with whom Paxton was allegedly having an extramarital affair according to The Dallas Morning News, which obtained the confidential witness. State Sen. Angela Paxton, the attorney general's wife, and state Sen. Bryan Hughes also appeared on the initial witness lists, a reminder of how inherently political and personal the proceedings are within the Texas Republican Party. Angela Paxton, who cannot vote in her husband's impeachment trial but must attend, has since been removed, according to The Dallas Morning News. "It's not a criminal trial. It's not a civil trial. It's a political trial," Patrick said in an interview with Fox 26 Houston, a local television station, this summer. Paxton and his allies, including Trump, have already threatened political retribution for impeaching Paxton. "Hopefully Republicans in the Texas House will agree that this is a very unfair process that should not be allowed to happen or proceed I will fight you if it does," Trump wrote on Truth Social during House impeachment proceedings against Paxton. Jonathan Stickland, president of the far-right Defend Texas Liberty PAC, recently appeared on Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast with a candidate for Dallas County GOP chair, Lauren Davis. The pair rallied viewers to pressure a half-dozen specific Republican senators to vote against impeachment. "We're spending millions of dollars," Stickland said on the show. "Anyone who votes against Ken Paxton in this impeachment is risking their entire political career, and we will make sure that that is the case." Some Paxton supporters also showed up in hopes of seeing the articles of impeachment dismissed by the Senate. "He got elected by us, they're trying to overturn our votes," said Kaci Sisk, president of the Bulverde Spring Branch Conservative Republicans. Sisk and members of her group arrived at the Capitol in matching red shirts just after 6 a.m. to wait in line for tickets to sit in the Senate gallery. "We don't care, we don't care. We elected him knowing everything," Sisk said. "He is the best attorney general that we have ever had. He's very important to not just the state of Texas, but to this country. He leads the way for this country." "Daily" statements by former President Donald Trump "threaten to prejudice the jury pool" in the federal case where he is charged with crimes related to trying to reverse his loss in the 2020 election, prosecutors said Tuesday. Prosecutors made that claim as they pushed back on a call by Trump's lawyers to allow a three-week briefing process for Judge Tanya Chutkan to decide whether "every ordinary" court filing that refers to sensitive materials should be placed on the court's public docket. "Such a requirement would grind litigation in this case to a halt, which is particularly infeasible given the pressing matters before the Court including the defendant's daily extrajudicial statements that threaten to prejudice the jury pool in this case, as described in the Government's motion," prosecutors from the office of special counsel Jack Smith wrote. The case, pending in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., is one of four criminal cases Trump is facing as he seeks the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Trump regularly blasts the prosecutors in those cases on social media and in interviews, claiming they are pawns of President Joe Biden, and that the nearly 100 charges they filed are designed to harm his chances of defeating the Democrat in a rematch of their 2020 election contest. The claim by prosecutors that Trump's out-of-court statements could make it difficult to seat a fair jury in the case came as part of a squabble with his lawyers over the protocol for filing legal motions. Earlier Tuesday, prosecutors from Smith's office asked Chutkan to be allowed to file a motion in the case that would be sealed from public view. The details of that motion are not known, but do contain "sensitive materials," according to a subsequent court filing. Trump's lawyers later filed an emergency motion asking Chutkan to vacate the prosecutors' motion, claiming that Smith's office had not first asked the defense lawyers their opinion on that move, or "otherwise notify Defendant it would be filing the Motion for Leave." Defense lawyers also noted that Chutkan granted Smith's motion without giving Trump the chance to respond, asking that she allow them "sufficient time to respond to every motion filed in this matter." Smith's office fired back in another court filing. Prosecutors wrote that they had in fact asked Trump's lawyers for their position on the sealed motion and that they had informed Chutkan of that position. The prosecutors also said the filing was consistent with the terms of a protective order previously issued by Chutkan, who told the parties to submit filings under seal if those documents include unredacted "Sensitive Materials." But Chutkan later issued an order granting Trump's motion. She told defense lawyers to respond to the prosecutors' motion to file their document under seal by Monday. "Going forward, all motions, including motions for leave to file, must (1) indicate whether the movant has conferred with opposing counsel, and (2) state the nonmovant's position on the motion, if known," Chutkan wrote. "As it has done here, the court may require briefing on motions for leave to file under seal on a timeline shorter than the default periods provided for in the Local Criminal Rules" Sergei Surovikin, the former commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, seen here in 2021. A photo has emerged online that appears to show Russian General Sergei Surovikin, a top military figure who was regarded as an ally of Yevgeny Prigozhin, alive and in public. Surovikin had not been since since Prigozhin's failed mutiny in June, prompting speculation that he had been detained for his links to the ill-fated mercenary boss. Prigozhin, the head of the mercenary Wagner Group, died last month in a plane crash. The general's last public appearance was on the day of the rebellion itself as he called on Prigozhin to turn back as he and a band of Wagner mercenaries headed to Moscow. The rebellion was seen as the culmination of a long-running dispute between Prigozhin and Russia's defense ministry. On Monday, however, a photo was posted on Telegram by Russian media personality Ksenia Sobchak purportedly of Surovikin and his wife. NBC News was unable to authenticate the image. "General Sergei Surovikin is out. Alive, healthy, at home, with his family, in Moscow. Photo taken today," Sobchak wrote in a caption on the picture on Telegram. The general was reportedly arrested in June and then dismissed as the head of Russia's Aerospace Forces in August, according to the Moscow Times. Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that Surovikin appeared to have been freed but cited unnamed U.S. officials as saying it was not clear if his movement was restricted. The Kremlin and Russian defense ministry have refused to answer reporters' questions on the whereabouts and role of Surovikin now. Surovikin had been appointed to lead Russia's armed forces in Ukraine last October, and was credited for spearheading the building of deep lines of Russian defenses on occupied territory ahead of Ukraine's counteroffensive. The defensive lines have proved a hard obstacle for Ukraine to overcome. Surovikin was replaced by Putin loyalist General Valery Gerasimov in January 2023, with speculation that he was replaced because he had become too powerful. Holly Ellyatt Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks at the top of a meeting on Climate with Cabinet members and leaders at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as part of the U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit at the Loy Henderson International Conference Room at the U.S. Department of State on U.S. Department of State on Friday, May 13, 2022 in Washington, DC. Kent Nishimura | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images Vice President Kamala Harris will deepen her outreach to Southeast Asia this week at an international summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she'll try to erase doubts about U.S. commitment to the region stirred by President Joe Biden's absence. It's Harris' third trip to Southeast Asia and fourth to Asia overall, and she's touched down in more countries there than any other continent. The repeat visits, in addition to meetings that she's hosted in Washington, have positioned Harris as a key interlocutor for the Democratic administration as it tries to bolster a network of partnerships to counterbalance Chinese influence. This latest journey is another opportunity for Harris to burnish her foreign policy credentials as she prepares for a bruising campaign year. She's already come under attack from Republican presidential candidates who say she's unprepared to step up if Biden, the oldest U.S. president in history, can't finish a second term. John Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, said Harris has "made our alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific a key part of her agenda as vice president," and he described her itinerary as "perfectly in keeping with the issues that she's been focused on." But Biden's decision to skip the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, has caused some frustration, particularly because he's already going to be in India and Vietnam around the same time. The president's proximity makes his nonattendance "all the more more glaring than would otherwise be the case," said Marty Natalegawa, Indonesia's former foreign affairs minister. However, Natalegawa conceded that ASEAN is struggling to convince world leaders that it deserves to play a central role in the region. That's even though the alliance represents more than 650 million people across 10 nations that collectively have the world's fifth largest economy. watch now The organization has not resolved civil strife in Myanmar, which saw a military coup two years ago and has been disinvited from meetings. A peace plan reached with the country's top general did not lead to any progress. Negotiations over territorial claims in the South China Sea remain bogged down as well, and ASEAN faces internal disagreements over global competition between the United States and China. Some members, such as the Philippines and Vietnam, have sought closer ties with Washington, while Cambodia remains firmly in Beijing's orbit. "We can complain all we want about other countries not respecting us or not coming to our summits," Natalegawa said. "But ultimately, it is actually a point of reflection." Unless ASEAN becomes more effective, Natalegawa said, "we may end up with less and less leaders turning up." Kirby, the national security spokesman, rejected the idea that Biden was snubbing the organization or the region. "It's just impossible to look at the record that this administration has put forward and say that we are somehow walking away," Kirby said, noting that Biden already hosted the first Washington summit with ASEAN leaders last year. Phil Gordon, a national security adviser to Harris, said "every country wants the president of the United States to show up" when it holds an event, but "there's a great amount of enthusiasm" for the vice president's stop in Jakarta as well. He also said the summit was a valuable opportunity to engage with countries in the region. "There are differences among them, but there's also a lot of common ground," Gordon said. "And there's common ground with us." Ja-Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, said Harris' presence helps the U.S. cover its bases at an event that may not prove productive on key issues. "You want to show that you're paying attention, you send the vice president," he said. Harris departed Monday morning and is scheduled to spend two days enmeshed in meetings in Jakarta. Her office has not yet detailed her schedule, but she's expected to attend summit events and hold individual talks with some foreign leaders. watch now Soon after Harris returns from Indonesia, Biden is headed to India for the annual Group of 20 summit, which pulls together many of the world's richest countries and is a staple of any president's calendar. Then he plans to stop in Vietnam, where he's focused on strengthening ties with a country that is an emerging economic power. "I don't fault the administration for the choice that they made. It's just unfortunate that they had to make that choice," said Gregory B. Poling, who directs the Southeast Asia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Leaders are gathering in Jakarta amid heightened tension over the South China Sea after Beijing released a new official map that emphasizes its territorial claims there. The map has angered other nations that consider the waters to be part of their own territory or international byways. The South China Sea is a critical crossroads for global trade. U.S. officials and analysts believe Beijing's aggressive approach to the region has created an opening for Washington to forge stronger partnerships. "In many ways, the PRC is doing its work for us," said David Stilwell, using the acronym for the People's Republic of China. Stilwell served as the assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs under President Donald Trump. watch now Share Market Live NSE Vedanta Resources Ltd. on Tuesday (September 5) announced that it has regained control of the Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) in Zambia, marking a significant milestone for both the global mining industry and India's burgeoning demand for copper. The decision to reinstate Vedanta as the majority shareholder, with a 79.4 percent stake in KCM, was hailed as a strategic move by the Government of the Republic of Zambia. KCM, known for its copper reserves and resources of 16 million tonnes of contained copper, will serve as a linchpin in Vedanta's ambitious strategy to vertically integrate in the copper sector, aligning with the pressing needs of a decarbonising world, it said in a statement. Chairman of Vedanta Resources, Anil Agarwal , said, "I welcome the decision of the Government of the Republic of Zambia to reinstate Vedanta at KCM. We have been committed to KCM since 2004 and believe that it is a prized asset in our portfolio. Copper is a critical mineral for the technologies of the future. Vedanta will become a fully integrated producer of copper and cater to Indias fast-growing demand while also making Zambia the leading producer of copper in the world." Paul Kabuswe, Minister of Mines and Minerals Development, expressed, "Vedanta will return to run and resuscitate the operations of KCM as the majority shareholders." This restoration of Vedanta to KCM's leadership role holds immense significance for India, which sees its copper demand growing at a staggering 25 percent annually. The move ensures a secure supply chain of this critical mineral, reducing India's current reliance on over 90 percent copper concentrate imports and more than 40 percent of finished copper imports. The decision is lauded as a testament to Vedanta's commitment to sustainable development and governance. Vedanta is dedicated to reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050, pledging $5 billion over the next decade to accelerate the transition to net-zero operations. Under the Anil Agarwal Foundation, Vedanta has pledged Rs 5,000 crore over the next five years for social impact programs, emphasising nutrition, women & child development, healthcare, animal welfare, and grassroots sports. From climate change to clean energy transition to the Russia-Ukraine war, world leaders are all set to discuss a host of issues during the 18th G20 (Group of 20) Summit in Delhi this week. The mega event will take place on September 9 and 10 at 'Bharat Mandapam', the newly-built international convention and exhibition centre at Pragati Maidan in Delhi. US President Joe Biden , Australian President Anthony Albanese, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are likely to attend the G20 Summit. Several other leaders are likely to participate India is hosting the annual summit of the influential grouping in New Delhi in its capacity as the current president of G20. As preparations for the summit are underway, here's a look at the agenda of the G20 meet, what leaders would talk about during the meet and what initiatives India took under its G20 presidency. What is the agenda of G20? Several issues including climate change, sustainable energy, international debt forgiveness and taxing multinational corporations are likely to come up during this year's G20 meeting. According to reports, India may try to break an impasse over a deal that allowed the export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. This time, the G20 leaders have centred discussions around more loans to developing nations from multilateral institutions, reforming international debt architecture, regulations on cryptocurrency and the impact of geopolitical uncertainties on food and energy security. Ahead of the G20 Summit, Albanese emphasised Australia's commitment to India Pacific to enhance "growth and prosperity, stability and respect for sovereignty and lasting peace." Meanwhile, Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is likely to lead criticism of Russia over the Ukraine war. South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeo is likely to highlight North Korea's ever-escalating missile provocations and nuclear threats in front of global leaders, NDTV reported. Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu might focus on promoting foreign investment in the country and mobilising global capital for infrastructural development. Other areas of discussion may include: > Accelerating Progress on Sustainable Development Goals > Green Development, Climate Finance and LiFE (Low-carbon Technologies for Fighting Epidemics) > Technological Transformation and Digital Public Infrastructure > Accelerated, Inclusive and Resilient Growth > Women-led development > Multilateral Institutions for the 21st Century Bilateral meetings There might also be some bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. Earlier this month, the White House said US President Joe Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8 . "President Joseph R. Biden Jr. will travel to New Delhi, India, from September 7-10 to attend the G20 Leaders Summit," the White House statement read. It said Biden will speak with world leaders about tackling climate change, mitigating the economic and social impacts of Russias war in Ukraine, and getting global organisations such as the World Bank to do more to fight poverty. It added that Biden and G20 partners will also discuss clean energy transition and combating climate change increasing the capacity of the multilateral development bank. French President Emmanuel Macron is also expected to hold bilateral talks with PM Narendra Modi to discuss a range of issues. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will also try to hold a bilateral meeting with PM Modi, PTI reported. G20 declaration A G20 Leaders Declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the G20 Summit, stating Leaders commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings. Challenges for India The biggest challenge would be to arrive at a consensus and issue a joint communique, amid rivalry between India and China, and division between the West and developing nations on the Ukraine war. Besides, climate change goals have also divided developed and developing countries. The differences were prominent in the July meetings of the group. Officials said the positions are not likely to change at the summit. New initiatives under India's G20 presidency Here's an overview of new initiatives undertaken during Indias G20 presidency to address Global Challenges: > StartUp 20: First-of-its-kind engagement Group under G20 Voice of the global startup ecosystem. > Disaster Risk Reduction: A new Working group to encourage research and knowledge sharing on disaster risk reduction > Maharishi (Millets and other ancient grains international research initiative): A global research and awareness initiative for millets and other ancient grains > G20 conference on cyber security: An initiative for coordinated action to make the digital world safer for all > Chief Scientific Advisers' Roundtable: An effective platform to discuss and achieve solutions for issues related to scientific research, technology development and deployment. > LiFe Principles at G20: Enabling policy environment for integrating climate and developing goals through responsible consumption New Focus Areas in G20 > Women-led development > Counter narcotics: For the first time, G20 leaders discussed the topic and called for inclusive and strong international cooperation. > Traditional medicines: First ever global summit for traditional medicines was held in Gujarat What is G20 The group of G20 countries comprises 19 nations including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, United Kingdom, United States and the European Union. According to the G20 website, the 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. The G20 members represent around 85 percent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. The official invite sent out for the G20 summit dinner to be hosted at the Rashtrapati Bhawan mentions President of Bharat instead of President of India and this has sparked speculations about the Central governments move to change the name of the country from India to Bharat. This is the first time an official invitation mentioned a change in Indias nomenclature and it has drawn criticism from the opposition parties. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. So, the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. But now even this Union of States is under assault, Ramesh tweeted. So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'.Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 5, 2023 If this change happens, it wouldn't be the first instance of a country officially changing its name. This is something that countries have done before, often influenced by politics, nationalism or branding factors. These changes have a significant impact on how the world sees and remembers those nations. Here's a look at some countries that have changed their names Turkiye - Formerly Turkey Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared the official name change from Turkey to Turkiye. This alteration aims to better represent the country's rich culture, values and civilization on the global stage. Czechia - Formerly Czech Republic In April 2016, the Czech Republic streamlined its name to Czechia. This change was motivated by a desire for simplicity, making it easier for the nation to be recognised in sporting events and international marketing efforts. Eswatini - Formerly Swaziland The African nation of Swaziland embraced its local heritage by renaming itself Eswatini, meaning The Land of Swazis. This change eliminates confusion with Switzerland and aligns with the country's indigenous language. The Netherlands - Formerly Holland The Netherlands opted for a name change in January 2020, shifting the focus away from Holland for promotional purposes. This move reflects the nation's aspiration to project itself as an open, inventive and inclusive country. Republic of North Macedonia - Formerly Macedonia To join NATO and distinguish itself from Greece, which also has a region named Macedonia, the Republic of Macedonia became the Republic of North Macedonia in February 2019. Sri Lanka - Formerly Ceylon Sri Lanka discarded the colonial name Ceylon in 2011 to assert its independence and remove historical remnants of Portuguese and British rule. Ireland - Formerly Irish Free State In 1937, Ireland adopted a new constitution, renaming itself Ireland and officially becoming a republic. Republic of Cabo Verde - Formerly Cape Verde In 2013, Cape Verde adopted the full Portuguese spelling, Republic of Cabo Verde, to honour its official language and eliminate linguistic discrepancies. Thailand - Formerly Siam Siam, rooted in Sanskrit, was replaced by Thailand in 1939, reverted to Siam briefly between 1946 and 1948, and then officially became the Kingdom of Thailand, a name it retains today. Myanmar - Formerly Burma In 1989, Myanmar replaced Burma as the country's official name, reflecting linguistic accuracy despite some ongoing global usage of the older name. Cambodia Cambodia underwent various name changes over the years, reflecting its complex history, including the Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, State of Cambodia and Kingdom of Cambodia. Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of Congo has seen multiple name changes, evolving from Congo Free State to Belgian Congo, Congo-Leopoldville, Republic of Congo, Republic of Zaire, and finally, the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1997. Iran Formerly Persia Iran transitioned from Persia to Iran in 1935, altering how the country and its citizens were identified. The interchangeability of Persia and Iran continues to be a topic of debate among Iranians. (CNN) Billionaire businessman Terry Gou has resigned from the board of directors of Foxconn, the worlds largest electronics manufacturer, days after announcing his bid for Taiwans presidency. In a statement to CNN, Foxconns parent company Hon Hai Technology Group confirmed Gous resignation and said it would not immediately elect a director as the board had eight other directors and independent directors. A self-made, septuagenarian billionaire with a net worth of $6.8 billion, the 72-year-old Gou founded Foxconn, established as Hon Hai Precision Industry in Taiwan in 1974. It grew to become an international business empire and one of the worlds largest electronics contract manufacturers. Its top clients include Apple. In 2019, he handed over leadership to Young Liu, the groups current chairman, but remained as a director, and joined the Kuomintang nationalist political party. Having declared his intention to run as an independent presidential candidate in 2024, Gou now has to secure approximately 290,000 endorsements between September 19 and November 2. Taiwans presidential election, due in January, comes at period of fraught tensions between the island of 24 million people and its superpower neighbor, China. Gou has criticized Taiwans independence movement and is characterized by his friendliness towards mainland Chinese business interests. He joins an already crowded China-friendly camp to challenge the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). This is his second bid at the presidency. He has already held rallies around Taiwan in recent months to build support for his candidacy. Taiwans presidential election is expected to take place on January 13, 2024. This story was first published on CNN.com. "Taiwan billionaire Terry Gou resigns as Foxconn board member amid bid for presidency" Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) Members of the K-pop group CRAVITY tell what sets them apart from other groups and share some details about their upcoming sixth mini album Sun Seeker. As individuals we are all unique and we bring different charms to the table, CRAVITYs lead rapper Allen told CNN Philippines New Day. I think when all nine of us come together as one, it makes it so much more colorful and more interesting for our audiences to watch. Asked about what sound does CRAVITY have, Allen said they are bright, pop, and upbeat. It really suits our members' visuals and also suits our voices and in the way we perform on stage as well, he added. The rising K-pop group said this is what they want to show through their new album Sun Seeker, which will be out on Sept. 11. Lead dancer Taeyoung said the album is about finding ones path and strength, and walking down the road which will lead that person forward. In this albumwe are telling our fans to follow your gravity, to seek what attracts you, what makes you want to do what you want to do, Allen explained. One of the tracks the group is excited for the fans to hear is Vibration, which talks about the feeling people experience when they are on the right path towards achieving their goals. Asked about possibly collaborating with other artists, the group said they hope to work with P-pop kings SB19 and folk pop group Ben&Ben. CRAVITY was in the Philippines last month for the Manila stop of the groups Masterpiece world tour. Some of the group's tracks are Groovy, Adrenaline, and My Turn. K. Kavitha Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K. Kavitha has made an appeal to all political parties to pass the Women's Reservation Bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament. Kavitha, daughter of Telangana Chief Minister and BRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao, has written letters to leaders of all political parties. Former MP from Nizamabad, K. Kavitha, sent letters to the presidents of 47 political parties with representation in the Indian Parliament, urging them to unite and pass the long-awaited Women's Reservation Bill. The member of Telangana Legislative Council addressed the letters to BJP president J.P. Nadda, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, YSR Congress Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Telugu Desam Party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad, Samajwadi party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi and others. In this letter, she called upon them to set aside political differences and prioritise the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament. The Women's Reservation Bill seeks to reserve 33 per cent of seats in the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies for women. Despite being a crucial step towards gender parity and inclusive governance, the bill has remained in legislative limbo for far too long. In her letter, Kavitha underscored the pivotal role women play in Indian discourse and the pressing need for their representation in legislative bodies. She highlighted the proof of concept provided by the 14 lakh women already active in public life, demonstrating their ability to lead and govern effectively. Kavitha emphasised the importance of inclusivity in our democracy, asserting that increased women's representation is not a matter of exclusivity but a means to build a more equitable and balanced political landscape. She urged all political parties to recognise the urgency of this matter and throw their weight behind the Women's Reservation Bill. In March Kavitha sat on a hunger strike in March in New Delhi demanding the tabling and passing of the Women's Reservation Bill. She has been engaging with political parties and civil society organisations across India to escalate the demand for the Bill. A few days ago, she had announced her plans for another protest in the national capital during the winter session of the Parliament. She said leaders of both BJP and Congress will be invited. The BRS leader had made this announcement when Congress and BJP mocked her protest after BRS named only six women in 115 candidates announced for coming Assembly elections in Telangana. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 4) The Senate Committee on Finance has approved the 758.6 billion proposed 2024 budget of the Department of Education (DepEd), including 150 million for confidential funds which minority senators quizzed during the hearing. On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel asked the DepEd if it could live without its request for confidential funds and instead realign the request to priority programs of the agency. Logic tells us, if you can live without the 150 million in confidential funds, then maybe we can give that amount to these three programs which are sorely lacking in funds, Pimentel said. If 150 million, 2.5 million per classroom, it would actually contribute 60 classrooms, not bad. Education officials said an average classroom costs 2.5 million. Undersecretary Michael Poa told senators that the DepEd originally submitted to the Department of Budget and Management a 953-billion proposal for the education department. RELATED: Duterte: Proposed 2024 budget for DepEd not enough to improve basic education Construction of new school buildings, funding for school furniture, and the implementation of its school-based feeding program were some of the items that saw huge cuts in the recalibrated budget proposal, Poa said. He, however, reiterated that the allocation of confidential funds will make our jobs easier in protecting our learners, teachers, and non-teaching personnel. Sen. Risa Hontiveros also argued that security agencies have the mandate to conduct intelligence operations even in the context of education, and not the DepEd. Vice President Sara Duterte, the concurrent education secretary, stood firm that the confidential funds are in line with their mandate to provide a safe and enabling learning environment for learners, and safe spaces for teaching and non-teaching personnel. Voluntary contributions Sen. Raffy Tulfo got into an argument with Duterte after raising in the committee hearing alleged voluntary contributions for electric fans, chalk, and floor wax, among others, that were collected from students through Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meetings. Ang mga estudyante na walang pang-contribute kung minsan pinapahiya pa, nilalagay pa sa group chats [Students who cannot contribute are shamed in group chats], Tulfo said, citing complaints he received from parents. Duterte interjected that Tulfo can help by passing a law to prohibit these contributions and penalize teachers or parents insisting on the collection of voluntary contributions. It is a voluntary contribution, ibig sabihin hindi po pinipilit yung mga estudyante o yung mga magulang na mag-contribute, kung yun man ang nadesisyonan na project ng PTA, she also explained. [Translation: It is a voluntary contribution, meaning students or parents are not forced to contribute, if the PTA had decided on such a project.] Unang-una, wala akong kapangyarihan para ipatigil yan, Tulfo replied. However, merong kapangyarihan ang DepEd para ipatigil po yung mga voluntary contributions sa PTA. [Translation: I have no power to stop that practice. However, the DepEd has the power to stop the voluntary contributions to the PTA.] The vice president said she took note of the senators advice. Duterte: We are not ready with the correct blended learning program Hontiveros also flagged the decrease of the DepEds computerization program budget for 2024, saying it was some sort of dissonance in its pronouncement for a heavier dependence and reliance to ICT to improve basic education delivery. Poa answered that the agency feels the proposed 8 billion for next years computerization program is sufficient, as they will still utilize all of its 2023 budget, including 2022 continuing funds. Duterte said the e-learning carts are e-libraries on wheels. She said its a cheaper alternative instead of building computer laboratories. The DepEd is also forming the online and offline platform for learning materials and resources needed for the blended learning program, as well as mapping out schools with zero internet connectivity, among other initiatives, Duterte said. We are not ready with the correct blended learning program that we want to implement in the Department of Education, Duterte told the Senate panel. We hope to be ready next year in time for the phased implementation of the MATATAG curriculum. Duterte earlier told members of the House of Representatives that the agency is eyeing to institutionalize blended learning to address the congestion in classrooms, the lack of classrooms, and the shortage of teachers. CNN Philippines correspondent Eimor Santos contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) Some 16 public high schools in the National Capital Region are engaged in recruitment activities for the New People's Army (NPA), Department of Education (DepEd) spokesperson Michael Poa claimed. Poa made the allegation during the Senate hearing on DepEd's proposed 2024 budget on Monday, as the agency led by Vice President Sara Duterte pushed for its request for 150 million in confidential funds. Vladimir Quetua, chairperson of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, dismissed Poa's claims as "purely wild hallucination" to justify confidential funds. RELATED: Senate panel okays OVP budget, grills Duterte on 500-M confidential funds "The numbers, for example, for recruitment, 12.3% of the rebels those who surrendered in 2016 to 2020 were minors, 12 to 17 years old," Poa told the hearing. "In fact, we have information that 16 schools just within Metro Manila are involved in recruitment activities, these are public high schools," he added without providing evidence. The DepEd official said the 12.3% figure came from the military's Eastern Mindanao Command, while the information on public high schools involved in recruitment activities came from the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency. He did not give a list of these schools to senators. On Tuesday, Poa said that the DepEd is addressing the issue in coordination with law enforcement agencies, as well as crafting awareness programs for students. The department insisted that confidential funds will help it provide a safe and enabling environment, especially with the current "threats" faced by learners, teachers, and non-teaching personnel. Aside from communist rebels' recruitment, Poa said threats include drug-related cases that involve minors. He also cited incidents of school violence and sexual exploitation. In her interpellation, Sen. Risa Hontiveros argued that security agencies have the mandate to conduct intelligence operations even in the context of education, and not the DepEd. The Senate finance committee on Monday approved the 758.6 billion proposed 2024 budget of the DepEd, including 150 million in confidential funds. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) The Department of Health (DOH) reported on Tuesday that 92% of the COVID-19 bivalent vaccines donated by Lithuania last June have been administered to dedicated priority groups as of September 1. This is equivalent to 359,318 administered doses, Health Undersecretary Enrique Tayag said in a media forum. Tayag, also the DOH spokesperson, said those from priority groups who want to get vaccinated may still do so if there are available supplies, but he warned that stocks are very limited. Those currently eligible to receive the bivalent vaccines are healthcare workers, senior citizens, and people with comorbidities or who are immunocompromised. "Wala pa pong binibigay sa 'ming pahayag kung [ang COVID-19 bivalent vaccines] ay madadagdagan bago matapos ang taon sa panibagong donasyon na maaari nating matanggap kung saka-sakali, bago matapos 'yong taon o sa mga unang buwan ng 2024," he said. [Translation: We don't have information yet on whether we will receive additional COVID-19 bivalent doses if ever, we might receive them before year-end or during the first few months of 2024.] Tayag also reiterated that COVID-19 bivalent vaccination is not yet recommended for the general public. He also noted that vaccination efforts against COVID-19, especially for those without their primary doses, will continue despite the country lifting the public health emergency status last July. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) The former police officer who threatened a cyclist with a gun in a road rage incident in Quezon City said that he was just acting in self-defense, adding that he was also a victim. Wilfredo Gonzales said biker Allan Bandiola dented the roof of his car after he allegedly punched it while wearing gloves with plastic knuckles on them. He also alleged that the latter mocked and taunted him. "Biktima rin ako rito eh. Nawalan ako ng trabaho. Na-ano ako sa social media, mga anak ako, pamilya ko, na kung hindi naman sinuntok yung kotse ko. Siguro yung bangga lang sa bumper ko pagpapasensyahan ko na," the 63-year-old dismissed cop said during a Senate panel hearing Tuesday. [Translation: I was also a victim. I lost my job. My family and I were mocked on social media just because someone punched my car. If it was only my bumper that was hit, I would let that pass.] But Bandiola denied all the accusations of Gonzales. Senators also called out the dismissed cop for his claims as the viral video showed that Bandiola was not wearing any gloves. "You cannot fool this committee. Very clear yung nakikita sa picture na wala siyang gloves, said Senator Ronald Dela Rosa. [Translation: The picture clearly shows that he was not wearing any gloves.] Bandiola explained that he just tapped Gonzales' vehicle as it was already occupying the bike lane. He said he had no choice because he would either be hit by Gonzales' car or he would fall on passengers waiting for a ride. The viral video showed Gonzales also hit Bandiola's head during the heated argument. "Ang intensyon ko po nun, bumunot ako at kumasa ng baril dahil pasugod po siya sa akin. Kahit i-review po natin yung ano [] dinepensa ko lang po yung sarili ko at 45 degrees lang po" said Gonzales. [Translation: My intention for bringing out my gun was because he was about to attack me. You can review the cameras [] I just defended myself and my gun was only at 45 degrees.] Although he admitted that he planned to retaliate, Bandiola said that the former cop's action was unnecessary. "Eh normal reaction ko lang po yun, binatukan niya ako...Kasi bakit niya ako binatukan? Sabi ko pwede naman niya ako kausapin nang maayos," said Bandiola. [Translation: That was a normal reaction for me because he hit my head...Why does he need to do that? He could have just talked to me nicely.] Nonetheless, both parties said that they have already settled the issue after the incident happened last month. Regret Meanwhile, former Quezon City Police District chief PBGen. Nicolas Torre III admitted that he was wrong for allowing Gonzales to join him in a press conference after the video went viral. Torre said that Gonzales was just in another room at the QCPD headquarters when he called for a press conference last August 27. So he decided to call the embattled former police officer to join him. "I should have done it in a different manner. What I should have done is I made a statement to the media and let Mr. Gonzales go on his way and face the media on his own," he said during the hearing. Torre resigned from the post after receiving flak for holding the press conference. Former Philippine National Police Public Information Office chief BGen. Redrico Maranan is now the acting QCPD director. Special law Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri proposed that a special law be created to penalize road rage. "Para sa ganun, maski natatakot yung naagrabyado na mag-file ng kaso, it becomes 'People of the Republic of the Philippines vs. so and so. So it will become a burden of the government to file the case against these individuals," he said. [Translation: Even though the aggrieved party is afraid to file a case, it will be a 'People of the Republic of the Philippines vs. so and so.' So it will become a burden of the government to the file the case against these individuals.] But a road safety advocacy group said that a legal definition of road rage must be established first. "We do not have any clear legal definition of road rage," Philippine Advocate for Road Safety NCR chapter president Jun Estallo said, adding there are no parameters to determine when a confrontation between motorists can be considered a case of road rage. Your article is being updated or not found. Please refresh after a moment Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) Tropical Depression Ineng (international name: Yun-Yeung) will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon, or habagat, which will dump rains over parts of Luzon in the next three days, the state weather bureau said late Tuesday evening. In its 11 p.m. buletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Ineng is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Wednesday. Raising storm signals remains unlikely at this time. "Asahan pa rin natin bukas na maulap ang kalangitan sa gitnang bahagi ng Luzon pero significantly mababawasan na 'yong malalakas na pag-ulan na naranasan natin noong mga nakaraang araw," weather specialist Obet Badrina said. [Translation: Cloudy skies are still expected in the central part of Luzon tomorrow, but the heavy rains that we experienced in the past few days will be significantly reduced.] Ineng was last spotted 1,175 kilometers (km) east of extreme Northern Luzon with sustained winds of 55 km per hour (km/h) near the center and gustiness of up to 70 km/h. It is moving northeastward at 30 km/h. PAGASA said rainfall is expected over Ilocos Region, Abra, Benguet, Zambales, and Bataan. It also warned against sailing in the seaboards of Northern Luzon, the western seaboard of Central Luzon, the western and southern seaboards of Southern Luzon, and the western seaboard of the Visayas. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) A lawmaker is proposing the creation of a fund that will provide subsidies to farmers to ensure rice remains affordable, while tillers also earn profit. Speaking to CNN Philippines The Source on Tuesday, Agri Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee said his House Bill 9020 or the proposed Cheaper Rice Act aims to ensure the staple grain remains affordable for the public. We have to buy palay from farmers directly na may kita 'yung farmers [at a rate that farmers earn profit] and sell low to the consumers, he added. Under the bill, the Price Stabilization Fund will be used for payouts and subsidies for the countrys 2.6 million rice farmers. Aside from ensuring profits for rice farmers and reasonable prices for consumers, the fund also wants to encourage the entry of new farmers, and to help increase a strategic buffer stock for the country that would discourage hoarding and unscrupulous speculation. Lee said that as long as the government is willing to provide such investments for farmers, the 20 per kilo campaign promise of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. can be achieved. We have to make our local farmers as our food security soldiers, the congressman emphasized. The government has to really allot money every year for this. Marcos, who is also the agriculture chief, approved last week a price cap for regular milled rice at 41.00 per kilogram and for well-milled rice at 45.00 per kilogram after the government detected a price surge. Prior to its implementation on Sept. 5, some retailers urged authorities to defer the regulation due to possible losses they will incur. Lee welcomed the decision of Marcos, but noted this is only a temporary solution. The government should also actively monitor markets since there is a possibility that retailers will temporarily stop selling due to losses. READ: Gov't to offer aid as rice traders lament losses due to price ceiling Asked if Marcos should remain as the secretary of agriculture, Lee said as long as agriculture remains a priority for the president then he can keep the position. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) The Philippines will take the lead in the rotating chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2026, said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday. During the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia, Marcos said the country is "ready to take the helm and chair ASEAN in 2026." "We will fortify the foundations of our community-building and navigate ASEAN as it embarks on a new chapter," he said. "We will count on the support of fellow Member States and continue to work with our partners to strengthen ASEAN Centrality, and to promote peace, security, stability, and prosperity in the region," the president added. The country last hosted and chaired the ASEAN summit during its 30th meeting in Manila in April 2017. Based on news reports in August, Myanmar decided to give up its chairmanship in 2026 amid its domestic situation. During his speech, Marcos urged his counterparts to boost mutual trade among the ASEAN network, and back small enterprises in the digital economy. He also highlighted the need to empower the marginalized and vulnerable sectors with the right skills as the region pushes for digital transformation. "Improving access to safe and secure digital learning opportunities, fostering digital literacy, and developing transferable skills in ASEAN will therefore remain our priority," he said. He added that the Philippines remains committed to building international cooperation in relation to equipping the region against climate change. Marcos is in Indonesia until Sept. 7 for the summit. READ: Marcos to advance PH priorities during ASEAN trip ASEAN chairmanship is rotated yearly in an alphabetical order among its 10 members -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam. The chair also serves as host of various meetings and summits throughout the year. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to subsidize small-scale rice retailers affected by the price cap. Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said he was directed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to use the agencys Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP). The DSWD chief said the SLP currently has a 5.5-billion budget which can be immediately used to cushion the impact of the price cap among rice retailers with small inventory. Gatchalian said in a radio interview that the DSWD aims to begin the release of the subsidy next week, pending the list of qualified small-scale rice retailers, which will be provided by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture. He said qualified recipients of the financial aid could receive a maximum of 15,000. Bagamat kino-compute pa ng DTI at DA ang dapat matanggap ng bawat tatamaang rice retailers, ang maximum na ibinibigay ng programang SLP ay 15,000. One-time big-time, the DSWD chief added. [Translation: DTI and DA are still computing the amount to be received by the affected rice retailers. It will be a maximum of P15,000 under SLP. The total amount will only be given once.] Retailers appealed to the government to defer the implementation of the rice price cap, saying they would suffer heavy losses because they would be required to sell at a lower price after Malacanang mandated a price ceiling for regular milled rice at 41.00 per kilo and for well-milled rice at 45.00 per kilo due to price spike. Marcos on Monday acknowledged that the price ceiling would negatively impact retailers and traders. But instead of agreeing to suspend it, he ordered concerned government agencies to facilitate the immediate distribution of financial aid to retailers affected by the price cap. House Speaker Martin Romualdez also vowed to raise another 2 billion to augment the SLP budget, according to Gatchalian. House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Rep. Elizaldy Co, who was tasked by Romualdez to look for additional funds, said they are considering getting the budget from unprogrammed funds to augment DSWD's efforts. "Ang priority muna ng ating pangulo ay ang NCR (National Capital Region) dahil yun ang most affected," he said in an ambush interview on Tuesday. "Yung mga talagang small retailers, nasa sari-sari store, mga barangay, or nasa palengke na talagang hindi naman siya yung bigtime. Yung mga talagang affected lang, yung mga mayayaman na kaya namang i-absorb, hindi na siya covered." [Translation: The president's priorities are those from NCR who are the most affected. They are the small-scale retailers with sari-sari stores and selling in markets. We will prioritize those who are truly affected. The rich retailers will not be covered by the assistance because they can absorb the losses.] Speaking to CNN Philippines The Source on Tuesday, Agri Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee said the 2 billion assistance will be enough for now, but he emphasized this should be implemented very soon. Hindi rin naman pwede itong patagalin because nalulugi nga yung mga retailerswe have to balance everything, he said, while also warning that if this will not be done immediately, some may opt to stop selling rice. [Translation: This cannot be prolonged because retailers are losing money...we have to balance everything.] Other forms of support Marcos also directed the DTI to provide assistance to rice retailers and wholesalers, including small supermarkets, through loan programs, logistics support and market linkages. The market linkages will connect local farmers with supermarket chains to promote bulk buying or advance purchase of supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, resorts, and other commercial establishments. RELATED: Marcos: Smugglers, hoarders the only reason behind high rice prices The government will also provide transportation in delivering rice from traders to retailers to reduce logistical costs. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) Tropical Depression Ineng (international name: Yun-Yeung) exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility at around 4 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the state weather bureau. "Sa ngayon ay wala na tayong bagyo minomonitor sa loob ng PAR. Wala na rin tayong minomonitor na ibang low pressure," weather specialist Obet Badrina said in a press briefing early Wednesday morning. [Translation: Right now, we don't have any typhoons being monitored within the PAR. We are also not monitoring any other low pressure.] But according to Badrina southwest monsoon or "habagat" enhanced by Typhoon Haikui (locally named Hanna) will still continue to dump rains over some parts of Luzon, but is expected to weaken in the coming days. In its 5 a.m. bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said rainfall is expected over the Ilocos Region, Bataan, and Zambales. "In general, posibleng medyo mainit na panahon ang mararanasan sa malaking bahagi ng Luzon, Visayas, at Mindanao," he added. [Translation: In general, it is possible to experience relatively hot weather in large parts of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.] Ineng was last spotted at 1,240 kilometers (km) east of extreme Northern Luzon with sustained winds of 55 km per hour (km/h) near the center and gustiness of up to 70 km/h. It is moving northeastward at 20 km/h. by George Friedman Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced over the weekend that he replaced his defense minister with someone new unsurprising, given the exhaustion the minister must have endured since the Russian invasion (and even before). Even so, the move is less about the concern Zelenskyy felt for his defense minister and more about the fact Ukraine has reached a critical stage in the war. It is so critical, in fact, that a group of senior U.S. generals met with Ukrainian generals on the border with Poland. The meeting was held there to validate the claim that U.S. forces are not involved in Ukraine proper, which is both true and false. U.S. forces are not in Ukraine, but logistical support and strategic advice have been generous. Coupled with the defense ministers replacement, the message the U.S. delivered was that Ukrainian strategy was going to fail, and a new strategy had to be adopted. Clearly, Zelenskyy listened. Rustem Umerov (R) with President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) in Saudi Arabia in May 2023. (Rustem Umerov / Twitter) Ukraines strategy has been brilliant, especially in the early stages of the war. Rather than attempting to block Russian advances with concentrated forces that Russia could destroy relatively easily, Ukraine distributed its force into small units, each granted a high degree of freedom. The point was to focus on the tactical level rather than create a single, integrated and centrally commanded force. It doomed Russias initial invasion. A massed force engaged and slowly attritted by much smaller forces made it impossible for Russia to destroy the Ukrainian army as quickly as it intended. The armys knowledge and familiarity with the terrain it was fighting on enabled small teams to locate and engage Russian forces and then disappear like phantoms. The hope was that a discouraged Moscow would simply reconsider its campaign. That didnt happen; the Russian army instead spent a year trying to capture cities rather than destroying the Ukrainian army. Uncertain as the strategy was, it played to Russias strengths in massed forces and artillery. It had the added benefit of, in theory, destroying Ukrainian morale. But given the way the Wagner Group carried the campaign out, the subjugation of the cities took too long, and whatever psychological effects were possible quickly dissipated. With Wagner now sidelined, the Russian General Staff is now in control, and it has devised a particularly sound, if unimaginative, strategy. In reverting to its earlier strategy, Russia is massing forces in order to force the Ukrainian army to fight and, in theory, lose. Moscow now knows the extent to which Ukraine will fight, and it understands the essence of Ukrainian strategy. The possibilities of a Russian victory are therefore higher, to some extent. U.S. generals believed they could see things more clearly. To them, the time for diffused defense against massed Russian forces is over. The Ukrainian army is now blooded, equipped and experienced with weapons that are appropriate for the next phase of the war. The U.S. evidently thinks that if Ukraine does not change its strategy, it will be defeated. Washington is arguing for massing forces into one or two powerful thrusts to serve as an effective force. Given that it has access to artillery, drones and excellent intelligence, plus a battle-hardened force, the time has come to break the Russian offensive, drive through any gaps and threaten Russian logistics. To me, there seems to be a small but obvious element of desperation in this move. Ukraine is not beaten, and though both sides are tired, one is defending its homeland and that may give it an advantage. I am reminded of the Vietnam War, where there was an element of teaching the Vietnamese to fight like Americans i.e., massing and moving. But the Vietnamese were not as eager to fight as the Ukrainians clearly are. I have no idea what the tone of the meeting on the border was. Its hard to believe, but Americans dont always resist others. More likely, they didnt need to be briefed to know how to behave. In any case, with minimal knowledge of the situation on the ground, I think that a shift in the approach to the battle is needed. And I would guess the new defense minister does too. George Friedman is an internationally recognized geopolitical forecaster and strategist on international affairs and the founder and chairman of Geopolitical Futures. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 6) President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to raise the territorial dispute issue in the West Philippine Sea during trilateral talks with the United States and Japan, Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel "Babe" Romualdez said Tuesday. "We're all allies, basically Japan, the United States and the Philippines. Obviously, the West Philippine Sea will most likely be part of the discussion," the ambassador said. According to Romualdez, the agenda of the meeting will also include how the three countries can work together to strengthen economic security. "Economic cooperation between the two countries with the Philippines is also very important for us... The president was very eager to have that meeting," he added. Marcos arrived in In Indonesia on Tuesday to attend the 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits from Sept. 5 to 7. During his departure speech, Marcos said he would push the county's priorities during the summit and use his time in Indonesia to build stronger ties with other nations. But Romualdez said they are still trying to figure out when the trilateral talks will be held, given the tight schedule of US Vice President Kamala Harris. During her historic visit to Palawan last year, Harris reaffirmed America's support for long-standing ally Philippines amid tensions in the WPS. With reports from CNN Philippines' correspondent Rex Remitio. Would you like to receive our news updates? Signup today! Sign up to receive notifications when a new Columbia Gorge News e-Edition is published. Error! There was an error processing your request. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Gorge Social Information from the News and our advertisers (Want to add your business to this to this feed?) Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. (Xinhua) -- Indigenous boarding schools that native American children attended have surpassed the number of previously reported institutions, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing a non-profit group. Native American children have attended at least 523 Indigenous boarding schools since the 19th century, including hundreds run by the federal government to assimilate them into White society, said the report. Members of the 23 Native Pueblos of the U.S. state of New Mexico, plus several tribes from the state of Arizona, celebrate the Inaugural Indigenous Peoples Day at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the United States, Oct. 14, 2019. (Photo by Richard Lakin/Xinhua) The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition released a new list of Indigenous boarding schools, including many that have closed and some that are still in operation today. "Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Native American children were sent to schools where they were renamed, told not to use Indigenous languages and had their hair cut," said the report. "Many (schools) operated like military training camps where children were subject to abuse, neglect and corporal punishment." The U.S. Interior Department's initial investigation found that 19 boarding schools accounted for the deaths of more than 500 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children but noted the number of recorded deaths was expected to rise, it added. Baidu CEO Robin Li on Tuesday said Chinese institutions and technology companies have released over 70 large language models (LLMs) with over one billion parameters, further escalating the ongoing US-China trade war that has seen both the nations vie for supremacy in technology prowess, including chipmaking, quantum computing, and AI. Baidu last week secured regulatory approval in China to launch its AI chatbot which is seen as China's response to OpenAI's ChatGPT. Li claimed that the AI chatbot, Ernie 3.5, is capable of twice the processing power compared to its predecessor, with 50% improved efficiency. Lis comments come on the heels of several Chinese companies releasing ChatGPT-like generative AI assistants in the domestic market after getting due approvals from regulators, according to a news report from ChinaDaily. These companies included the likes of TikTok-owner ByteDance, SenseTime, Zhipu AI, MiniMax, and Baichuan Intelligent Technology. On the other hand, several US-headquartered technology companies and institutions have also released several large language models over the past few months including Metas Llama 2, OpenAIs GPT 3.5 and GPT-4, Googles PaLM 2 and LaMDA, IBMs watsonx models, Anthorpics Claude 2, Databricks Dolly, and Amazons Titan foundation models. US-China trade war dampens LLM and AI collaborations While there is no definitive number for the total number of models released by US institutions and companies till 2023, data from a Stanford University study showed that the majority of the worlds large language and multimodal models (54% in 2022) are produced by American institutions. The same study also showed that collaboration between Chinese and American organizations for developing large language models had dropped severely post-2020. The US put restrictions on the export of chipmaking technology to China in an effort to stop Chinas growing geopolitical influence, including the countrys technology prowess. In contrast to the period between 2010 and 2020, which saw the number of AI research collaborations between the United States and China increase approximately four times, the period between 2020 and 2021 saw the most negligible (2.1%) year-on-year growth since 2010, the study showed. The US has more newly funded AI companies In addition, the study claims that the US still leads the world in terms of total private investment in artificial intelligence. In 2022, the $47.4 billion invested in the US was roughly 3.5 times the $13.4 billion invested in China. Further, the US also continues to lead in terms of the total number of newly funded AI companies, according to the study. For 2022, the number of newly funded AI companies in the US was 1.9 times more than the European Union and the UK combined and 3.4 times more than China. Is China chipping away at the US AI and LLM dominance? Analysts believe that China is progressing rapidly in the LLM domain, and its hard to predict who wins the race for supremacy. Their LLM models are growing at a fast pace as big Chinese tech giants such as Baidu and Alibaba are doubling down in the space, said Pareek Jain, principal analyst at Pareekh Consulting. As Chinese firms try to benchmark their models against US-developed models such as GPT-4, they might have an edge in the domestic market due to the availability of large data sets in local languages. The Stanford University study also showed that China was catching up with the US in terms of AI research papers and citations. While China still lagged in the number of AI research papers and citations in the non-profit, government, and industry sectors, it has overtaken the US in the education sector. The ongoing trade war between the US and China has also seen US lawmakers urging the Biden administration to take more action to impede Chinas progress in gaining dominance in areas such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing. These suggestions included imposing trade restrictions on Chinese memory chip maker Changxin Memory Technologies as a counteroffensive to China banning the use of Microns chips in order to tactfully pressurize the US to convince the Netherlands and Japan to join the chip-making technology ban on China. Apple and Microsoft are attempting to circumvent the European Unions Digital Markets Act (DMA) by arguing that neither iMessage nor Bing are sufficiently popular enough to be regulated by the legislation. The DMA was approved in July 2022 and is designed to rein in the power of large tech corporations such as Apple, Amazon, Google and Meta, forcing them to change how they integrate digital services and handle customer data. It enables a range of antitrust action while also addressing issues including the right to uninstall software on devices, greater personal data access controls, enhanced advertising transparency, an end to vendors self-preferencing their own services, and a stop to certain restrictive app store requirements for developers. The legislation is set to target large companiescalled "gatekeepers"that provide core platform services and are most likely to enact unfair business practices. This includes companies with a market capitalization of at least 75 billion ($81 billion) or sales in Europe of over 7.5 billion, at least 45 million monthly users in the EU, and which provide certain applications such as web browsers, virtual assistants, and messaging or social media services. The EU is set to publish the list of gatekeepers that will be subject to the legislation on September 6. However, Microsoft has argued that Bing should not be subject to the same regulatory obligations as its rival Google, according to a report by the Financial Times, as Bing only has around a 3% market share and under the obligations placed on platforms by the DMA, Microsoft would be required to give users the choice of other search engines, which the company argues could offer a further boost in market share for Google. Apple has separately argued that iMessage does not meet the 45 million active monthly userthreshold to be designated a gatekeeper and therefore should also not be subject to the legislation. Apple hasnt published official figures regarding the number of iMessage users for several years, but as the chat feature comes prebuilt onto every iPhone, iPad, and iMac, it could have as many as 1 billion global users. The European Commission said it had no comment about arguments put forth by the tech companies, while Microsoft and Apple have yet to respond to requests. Microsofts argument may be reasonable, but Apples is a headscratcher Microsoft's arguments may hold some weight, said Zach Meyers, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, who said the company could reasonably argue that a platform with a 3% market share is not an "important gateway" for businesses. He added that while there may be some concern around Microsoft's vast ecosystem and its aggressive promotion of Bing, the search engines low market share illustrates how insurmountable Google's lead is, even with Microsoft throwing everything at it. However, Meyers said Apples argument had left him scratching his head and it was difficult to see how iMessage doesnt meet the monthly user threshold. Unlike with Bing, iMessage plays an important role keeping users within the iOS ecosystem and clearly lawmakers wanted it regulated, Meyers said. We've seen Apple play hardball in the UK already, with appeals to slow down investigations and regulation. This now looks like the strategy in the EU. Ravi Menon retiring from Monetary Authority of Singapore after 29 years; Chia Der Jiun to take over as MD One of the best known Indian-origin business leaders in Singapore, Ravi Menon is retiring as the managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), a position he has had since 2011. His successor as MD is Chia Der Jiun, who currently serves as Permanent Secretary (Development) at the Ministry of Manpower and has earlier worked at MAS for 18 years. Leaders of MAS today and tomorrow: Ravi Menon and Chia Der Jiun. Photo courtesy: Public Service Division A media release from the government said that the President of the Republic of Singapore has appointed Mr Chia Der Jiun as Managing Director (Designate), MAS, from 1 November 2023 to 31 December 2023, and as Managing Director, MAS, from 1 January 2024 to 31 May 2026. Mr Chia will also be appointed a Director on the MAS Board on 1 January 2024. The release added: Mr Chia takes over from Mr Ravi Menon, who will retire from the Singapore Public Service and step down as Managing Director, MAS, as well as from the MAS Board on 31 December 2023. During his time at MAS, Chia had played a leadership role across MAS major functions, including monetary policy implementation, reserve management, banking supervision, prudential policy, and macroeconomic surveillance, said the release. The government statement thanked Ravi Menon for nearly three decades of service and his leadership as MD. It said that the Board of Directors, management and staff of MAS thank Mr Menon for his visionary leadership as MAS Managing Director since 2011 and outstanding contributions during his 29 years with MAS. According to the release: During his first 16 years in MAS (1987-2003), Mr Menon was involved in monetary policy, macroeconomic analysis, organisational development, banking regulation, and integrated supervision of complex financial institutions. As Managing Director, Mr Menon has been the driving force behind MAS initiatives to make Singapores financial sector more resilient, innovative, and purposeful. Mr Menon led the reform of Singapores financial regulatory framework following the global financial crisis, strengthened the enforcement regime against money laundering and market misconduct, and developed MAS macroprudential policies to ensure a sustainable property market. His leadership as MD was exceptional during the pandemic, when Menon was instrumental in the swift introduction of innovative response measures, including new liquidity backstop facilities, low-cost funding for banks to better support SMEs, credit and insurance reliefs for individuals and SMEs, and schemes to accelerate digitalisation and workforce training in the financial sector. After waiting nearly a year for a response from the United States, Poland was finally told that the United States would supply it with 96 of the latest version of the AH-64E helicopter gunship. Each one will cost 125 million dollars, although that also includes support equipment, some training and an initial supply of spare parts. Poland ordered the AH-64s as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022l. Poland ordered a lot of other modern weapons to handle the potential Russian threat to Poland. In 2011 the U.S. Army began receiving the first of 51 Block III models of the AH-64D Apache helicopter gunship. The Army soon decided to rename the new model the AH-64E. This was the latest version of the AH-64 which had its first flight in 2008. It was decided that the Block III improvements were so numerous and dramatic that it made more sense to go to a simpler and more descriptive AH-64E designation. The first model, the AH-64A, entered service in 1986. The last AH-64A was taken out of service in 2012 for upgrade to the AH-64D standard. The AH-64B was an upgrade proposed for the early 1990s, but was canceled, as was a similar C model upgrade. Some of these canceled improvements were in great demand. Thus the B and C model upgrades were incorporated in the AH-64D Block I (1997). The AH-64D Longbow, so named because of the radar mast, making it possible to see ground targets and flying obstacles in all weather, began appearing in 1997. By 2006, over 500 American AH-64As had been upgraded to AH-64Ds. By 2010 634 army AH-64s were upgraded to the new AH-64E standard. The first AH-64Es entered service in 2011 and were heavily used to reveal any design or manufacturing flaws. These were fixed before mass production and conversion begins. AH-64Es have more powerful and fuel efficient engines, as well as much improved electronics. AH-64Es will also have Internet-like capabilities enabling these gunships to quickly exchange images, video, and so on with other aircraft and ground troops. AH-64Es will be able to control several UAVs and launch missiles at targets spotted by these UAVs. The AH-64E III radar will have longer range and onboard computers will be much more powerful. The electronics will be easier to upgrade and maintain. The combination of improved fire control and Internet capabilities is expected to greatly increase the capabilities of the AH-64. The 10 ton AH-64E carries a pilot and a weapons officer, as well as up to 16 Hellfire missiles (plus the 30mm automatic cannon). Sorties average three hours. The AH-64 can operate at night and has a top speed of 260 kilometers an hour. In addition to the U.S. Army, the AH-64E is exported to a growing number of allies, who also qualify for future upgrades. About 2,500 have entered service since the first one appeared in 1986. The U.S. sought to develop a replacement for the AH-64 but found that the constant upgrades to the AH-64 made that difficult and certainly not cost-effective given the high cost and long time required to design and get a new helicopter gunship into production. As a result, the AH-64 will remain the primary American helicopter gunships until 2060 if not longer. These days, the relationship between comedy and tragedy is so well-trodden as to feel dominating. At this point, it feels like its the rule rather than the exception, and if you tell somebody you do comedy, theyre more likely to assume your parents locked you to a radiator than that you were a class clown. Even with its overexposure, though, comedy remains one of human lifes premier coping mechanisms. And sometimes, the tragedy in a future comics life can be more than vaguely traced to their eventual success. Now, Im not such a results-oriented sociopathic robot that I think any of these outcomes are actually positive. If I was, I would be running Disney by now instead of writing internet articles. But if you look at them instead, as a triumph by that same person to not only work through for themselves, but in a cathartic way for fans, it gets a little less dour. Either way, here are four big-time bummers that launched a comedy career Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox. 4 Richard Pryor Marianna Diamos, Los Angeles Times One of the most famous comics of all time, Pryors childhood was a series of horrific brain-twisting abuses and tragedies. He grew up in a brothel, where he was an unwilling spectator to his mothers sexual escapades with a variety of customers. Look, I support sex workers, but you gotta get your kid a babysitter, or at the very least, a separate room and an iPad, while youre working. Pryor was also physically and sexually abused as a child. Its the sort of formative experience that feels like it could open a Netflix serial killer documentary just as easily as one about a famous comedians life (he didnt get out entirely unscathed, with accusations of abuse at his own hands later in life.) But as Pryor sought to escape the horrors thrust upon his unworthy young head at the movies, he saw a path for himself that hed eventually follow to worldwide success. Advertisement 3 Christopher Titus Public Domain Where Pryor unpacked his childhood trauma over the course of a career, Titus somehow managed to wrangle much of it into a single, blistering show that would almost single-handedly land him his first sitcom. Titus grew up with an alcoholic father who did things like read entries from his diary to his friends at poker, and a schizophrenic mother who would eventually shoot and kill one of her abusive husbands, acquitted after the jury saw evidence of her beatings. Not exactly a childhood out of a storybook, unless youre talking about one of the original, horrifying Hans Christian Andersen nightmares. Titus took all this horror, twisted it and compressed it into a one-man show with the disturbingly perfect title, Norman Rockwell Is Bleeding. The show was a huge success, and after appearing at the famous Just for Laughs festival, Fox gave Titus a deal to turn it into a sitcom. The eponymous Titus, a foil to feel-good family comedies of the time, would run for three seasons on Fox and expose him to a nationwide audience. Advertisement 2 Tig Notaro Gage Skidmore Advertisement It would be disrespectful to really say that Notaros comedy career was made by her tragedy. Shed already carved out a space as a cult favorite comic through deadpan performances, as a beloved podcast guest, a Conan set and with the excellent debut album Good One. You could accurately say, though, that her now-famous performance at Largo in Los Angeles, in the extremely recent wake of a cancer diagnosis, launched her career into a higher stratosphere of public attention. Unlike other performances dissecting tragedy, the show came with little warning even to the performer herself. Given that Notaro was previously known for funny, creative observations, things like imploring the audience to imagine how funny a baby taking a shower would look, nobodys brain was tuned to deal with an onslaught of awful plot twists that belong in a soap opera, not in a real human life. In the next half-hour, Notaro unpacked, with the same rare perspective she brought to her evaluation of hotel signs, an absolutely grueling segment of her life, including a recent cancer diagnosis, the death of her mother and a couple more tragedies just to bring out the flavor of the first two. Advertisement Lets take a look at whats going on below the public eye at American colleges. We mean stuff under the surface. Underground stuff. No, were not talking about scandals that colleges hushed up. Were talking about stuff thats literally covered up, literally buried. When you go to colleges and dig up dirt (again, literally), you may unleash the secrets of... 5 The Millennia-Old Mounds What would you say is the oldest human-made structure on Earth? The Pyramids of Giza are a decent guess, since they were thousands of years old when the Coliseum went up. Other structures, like the pillars in Gobekli Tepe in Turkey, are thousands of years older still. Over in Louisiana are a series of mounds that were made by some unidentified ancient people even before the pyramids went up. The oldest estimates say they contain cremated remains from 11,000 years ago, which would probably make the mounds the oldest remaining structures made by any humans, period. Spatms/Wiki Commons The oldest humans were big fans of boobs. Even if those wildest estimates arent accurate, these mounds are spectacularly old. They are not, however, some remote archaeological site. They are a part of the campus of Louisiana State University, and are formally known as the LSU Campus Mounds. They were here long before LSU existed, says the college, in a bold example of understatement. And if youre wondering what the school has done with this bit of land, well, mostly, it was known for tailgate parties. Its been a great spot for hanging around on game day, and this partying left some wear and tear on the mounds, making them slide and split. In 2010, LSU finally put an end to the destructive festivities. They cordoned off the mounds, and theyve been working ever since on a more permanent plan to preserve the site. This wasnt a hugely popular decision among veteran partiers, who figured that if the mounds lasted so many millennia, they can probably shrug off seven days a year of kids and alums playing drunken tag on them. The dispute will ultimately be settled by a battle between the boys of Delta Kappa Epsilon and the no-fun Dean, and this will feature a bulldozer, a parade and someone catching fire. Advertisement 4 The Ancient Tunnels In the 19th century, Ohio State University buildings didnt have what youd call central heating. Instead, the various buildings linked up through a network of steam tunnels. These stretched out for four miles at first and then grew to twice that. Open the wrong door in some academic building, and you might stumble into these tunnels even today. Ohio State University Ohio State University. Go, Morlocks! So, are these some convenient route from one building to another? Not exactly. The tunnels arent lit. Get lost down there, and maybe no one will find you because current maps dont track all the tunnels twists. Summers an especially dangerous time to go spelunking. The temperature down there hits 160 degrees, you cant touch a handrail without gloves, and professional crews cant last more than 10 minutes. You shouldnt venture there unless youre the universitys official technical director of utilities. And if you are the universitys official technical director of utilities, well, then you go down for an inspection one night, a water pipe bursts, the brick floor dissolves, and you get sucked into a hole and fully submerged. Advertisement Advertisement Naturally, students are forbidden from entering, outside of a sanctioned tour once a year. One time, a group of four were caught in the tunnels taking pictures and drinking beer. Police initially suspected they were planning some heist (seriously), but when they realized the kids were just having fun, they went easy on them. The penalty was only 30 days in jail. 3 The Lost Observatory It may sound strange that a university can forget where it dug industrial-size tunnels, after such a fairly short length of time, but thats quite normal. Consider this photo, of Michigan State University from around 1888: Michigan State University This was a weekly meeting of the Boater Hat Appreciation Society. Advertisement Thats a photo of an observatory that the college used to have. It was built by a professor named Rolla Carpenter, who had an uncanny knack for carpentry, and it cost the 19th-century equivalent of $14,000, a very reasonable sum. But by the 21st century, the observatory was long gone. Where exactly had it been located? No one knew. Also, no one knew when it had been destroyed, or why. Then, this past summer, a couple of workers were sticking hammock poles into the ground over in the east side of campus, presumably so they could set up a comfortable napping spot, when they hit something solid. They informed a professor named Stacey Camp, who had an uncanny knack for camping and who also directs the schools archaeology program. They had stumbled on the foundations of the lost observatory, she concluded. Advertisement Advertisement MSU is now going to further excavate the site, in hopes that the observatory contains one or more pieces of Eden, ancient relics of technology left by the time travelers who we all know seeded Earth with life. 2 The Rocky Caves Limestone mines are good for a whole lot of stuff once youre done mining for limestone. You can store decades of government records, run computer servers, pipe in trillions of cubic feet of gas or just plop in a bunch of cheese. Park University in Kansas City started mining its own limestone in 1981 (kind of a weird direction to take, a hundred years into the colleges operation), and then they found themselves with hundreds of thousands of square feet of new usable space. Elizabeth Hansen But student rooms are still 100-square-feet each, sorry. Advertisement Unlike ancient steam tunnels, caves are comfortable places to hang out, air conditioned in the summer and naturally warm in the winter. The university leases out a chunk of the space for commercial storage. For space they manage themselves, they ran a library out of there, then when that seemed too normal, they moved the library elsewhere and put their nursing program in its place. Now, they have a simulation lab down there, so students can carry fake patients in gurneys in a mock hospital environment. Its a perfect replication of what real hospital life is like, assuming well move all hospitals below ground because the surface world is lost. When you give a mouse a cookie, hell ask for a glass of milk. If you give a mouse a joke, hell be like, Uh, thanks, that was amusing, but I still want a cookie. Screw that ungrateful rodent. Learn these jokes from some great comedians so you can keep your cookies away from those greedy mice... Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox. 18 George Carlin on the Beach There is something refreshingly ironic about people lying on the beach, contracting skin cancer, in an attempt to acquire a purely illusory appearance of good health while germ-laden medical waste washes up on the sand all around them. 17 Jackie Kashian on Dating Nerds I tell people to go out with a guy who plays video games, go out with a guy who collects action figures and reads comic books. Go out with that guy and marry that guy because that guy is home. Right now! Hes got a curio shelf, and hes gotta organize his action figures. It keeps him off the pipe; It keeps him off the pole. Its nice. 16 Nate Bargatze on Baby Dolls When youre a baby, and youre born, they give you a baby doll. So they give you a baby when youre a baby. 15 Fortune Feimster on Kindergarten I have a picture of me at five years old, in kindergarten class, and Im holding a hammer and nails. Thats the first reality bomb Feimster dropped about her kindergarten experience in the 1980s, and it just keeps going from there. Advertisement Advertisement 14 Jaboukie Young-White on the Trump Presidency I kinda feel like ever since Trump won, everything I do is radical just because Im a minority. Like I wake up in the morning? Revolutionary. 13 Tiffany Haddish on Bad Influences Anybody got that one friend that can motivate you to do shit you aint got no damn business doing? That friend that can make you move into doing things you know youre gonna go to jail for? You ever see that movie Pinocchio? Pinocchio was trying to go to school. He was trying to be a good boy, and his friend came in, saying, Lets go have fun; lets go do something cool. Hes like, Yeah, we go! And they turned into fucking donkeys. They turned into jackasses. Advertisement Advertisement 12 Sam Morril on Dating I was talking to my therapist, and he goes, You tend to pursue damaged people and try to help them. I was like, You too. 11 Richard Lewis on Religion We werent very religious. On Hanukkah, my mother had our menorah on a dimmer. Advertisement Advertisement 10 Roy Wood Jr. on Black British Actors Every Black person remembers the day they found out Idris Elba wasnt from Baltimore. That was a troubling day in the Black American community. Thats like finding out your daddy wasnt your daddy. 9 Daniel Tosh on His Lack of Killer Instinct I dont think I could stab somebody cause Im really bad at a Capri Sun. Advertisement Advertisement 8 Billy Connolly on What Keeps Him Up at Night I worry about ridiculous things: How does a guy who drives a snowplow get to work in the morning? That can keep me awake for days. 7 Todd Glass on Target vs. K-Mart Heres the business plan for Target: Well basically sell what K-Mart sells, but well wipe shit off. Advertisement Advertisement 6 Nicole Byer on Tinder I matched with this guy named Nick. His first message to me was, Puerto Rican, Black or Mexican, lets talk about it. So I said, Are you asking what I am? Im real Black. He said, That was my inference, could have gone either way, though. I said, Cool, what are you white, white trash, privileged white or rapey white? 5 Brian Regan on Eye Doctors Im wearing new contacts. I just had my prescription changed after six years. You ever wait that long and get new lenses? Youre like, Man, I could have been seeing things! How can instantly improving vision not be at the top of your to-do list? Ill see tomorrow. I dont have time. Advertisement Advertisement 4 Jim Gaffigan on Cake vs. Pie Pie cant compete with cake. Put candles in a cake; its a birthday cake. Put candles in a pie, and somebodys drunk in the kitchen. 3 River Butcher on the Whitest Thing Hes Done I moved into a new neighborhood, and one of those neighbors is a pot-bellied pig. I was home one day, and I heard that pot-bellied pig next door. I was home in my apartment, and I could hear her whine. I was like, Pigs are pack animals. That pig is over there by herself. I should go over there, I should knock on that front door and I should be like, Excuse me! I think your pig is lonely! And thats the whitest thing Ive ever thought to do in my entire life. Advertisement Advertisement 2 Norm Macdonald on ADD Children Nowadays, they have the ADD and stuff like that. If a kids in class and theyre like, Hey, Id like to go out, they go, Were gonna drug you. China is adding a nuclear submarine and a Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine to its growing number of museum ships. With these new additions China will have seven museum ships. Worldwide there are over 200 museum ships, most of them established and maintained by non-government organizations. In China the government owns and maintains the seven military museum ships. Many countries maintain some commercial vessels as museum ships. All but two of the seven Chinese military museum ships were foreign built. The Chinese built museum ships include a destroyer and a nuclear submarine. The rest were originally obtained from Russia. Chinese are particularly proud of the nuclear submarine museum ship because the sub was built in China. It is a Type 091 Long March No. 1 SSN (nuclear attack boat), completed in 1974. This first Chinese SSN was definitely a learning experience, not fully entering service until the mid-1980s. The Type 091s are small (4,100 tons) as SSNs go and have a crew of about 75 sailors. French sonar was installed, and a lot of the other electronics came from foreign suppliers. In the 1980s it was thought the Chinese would just scrap this class but they kept repairing and updating them. The 091s are hopelessly out of date but five were built, one has been retired and the oldest is being turned into a museum ship. The other Chinese museum ships include three destroyers, one frigate, and a Kiev-class Russian aircraft carrier. The Chinese are particularly proud of the museum ships built in China, especially the nuclear submarine. There are a growing number of military museum ships worldwide, but many of them are not maintained by the government but by private groups. The growing number of museum ships has created a crisis in dealing with the growing cost of maintaining old warships as museums and tourist attractions. Most of these vessels are in the water and literally rusting away. Many are now in need of major refurbishment, which can cost over $100 million for a carrier or battleship. Even smaller ships (cruisers, destroyers, and submarines) can require over $20 million to put back into shape to just sit in the water, receive visitors, and not sink or fall apart the next time a major storm hits. Most of the largest of these museum ships are American, largely because the U.S. has had the largest fleet in the world for nearly a century. The end of World War II and the Cold War put a lot of warships out of work. Most were broken up for scrap or sunk using weapons as a form of training. But increasingly over the years many were donated by the U.S. Navy for use as museum ships. Most of these were smaller ships, like PT Boats or patrol boats. A small seaside town could afford to maintain these small craft with local volunteers and some cash donations. But many cities sought to obtain large ships. This led to five aircraft carriers (USS Hornet, Intrepid, Lexington, Midway, and Yorktown) and ten battleships (USS Alabama, Arizona, Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin) becoming impressive and very expensive to maintain museum ships. The Arizona was sunk at Pearl Harbor during the infamous 1941 Japanese sneak attack and a museum and memorial built around the largely submerged vessel. The other carriers and battleships are tied up at a pier and visitors are allowed to view many parts of the ship. There are also over fifty destroyers, cruisers, amphibious ships, and submarines serving as museum ships. More are on the way, if the cost of maintaining current museum ships does not scare off everyone. The World War II Museum Ships are all up for major refurbishment and the few that have had it have demonstrated that this sort of thing is very expensive. For example, in 2009 the U.S. Navy retired its last non-nuclear aircraft carrier, the USS John F. Kennedy. The navy offered the ship to any government or non-profit organization that wants to maintain it as a museum ship. The navy never found any organization willing or able to turn the carrier into a museum ship and it was scrapped in 2021. Entering service in 1968, the Kennedy was 321 meters (1052 feet) long and displaces 82,000 tons. It would have been the largest museum ship ever. The big problem was that it could cost several hundred million dollars to transform it into a museum ship and maintain it. The U.S. Navy has long been willing to donate old ships to groups that were willing to maintain the retired vessels as museum ships. But the navy attached some very expensive strings. That is, the navy expects the ship to be kept in decent shape. This is a problem with many old metal ships, as they rust. And eventually they rust so much that the hull is breached and ultimately will collapse. The navy has not yet repossessed any museum ships but a growing number of these ships are deteriorating. Refurbishment is so expensive that some sponsoring groups are considering letting the navy have the ship back. For example, the World War II era Essex class carrier USS Intrepid, in New York City, returned to its display berth in 2009, after a two year refurbishment costing $120 million. The entire hull was examined, in dry dock, for decay and over a hundred square meters (nearly a thousand square feet) of hull had to be replaced. A sister ship of the Intrepid, the Yorktown, requires a similar refurbishment. Since 1975, the Yorktown has been on display in Charleston, South Carolina, with several other museum ships. The Yorktown, which entered service four months before the Intrepid, needs the same kind of work. The navy is insisting on it, with the alternatives being sending the ship to the breakers or a lawsuit. The naval museum in South Carolina is in a bad situation, as $120 million is hard to find, even when the economy (and wealthy donors) are doing well. The big donors are much harder to find these days. Another popular option is to use old ships for target practice. A prominent example of this is how most of the 30 decommissioned Spruance class destroyers were used for target practice. Some old warships are sunk closer to the shore, to provide reefs for fish and scuba divers. Running a SINKEX (sinking exercise) enables the navy to test some theories on how vulnerable, or invulnerable, modern warships are. But environmentalists oppose these two methods as well because it puts toxic materials into the ocean. Going to the breakers is now seen as viable because of more efficient breaking techniques and higher prices for recycled metals. For the moment anyway. The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has entered into a new, far-reaching and long-term strategic partnership with Red Sea Global (RSG) to develop and expand Saudi Arabias rapidly growing tourism landscape and boost the Kingdoms status as one of the worlds most in-demand locations for tourists and investors. Signed at a meeting between Amr AlMadani, the CEO of the Royal Commission for AlUla, and John Pagano, CEO of Red Sea Global, the Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) agreement will act as a catalyst for the continued growth and expansion of Saudi Arabias tourism sector, allowing each project to transfer knowledge, expertise, best practices, innovative ideas, and solutions as they drive ahead with their shared goal of meeting the Kingdoms Vision 2030 aspirations. As two of the worlds most ambitious tourism projects located just 350 km apart the ongoing regeneration of Saudi Arabias Red Sea region has many attributes in common with AlUla, each facing and overcoming a variety of unique challenges as they progress with comprehensive development strategies. The new partnership, which will function on a national and global scale, will fuel the growth of Saudi Arabias economic diversification allowing each destination to achieve its full potential while benefiting local communities and stakeholders alike. As the core developer of Saudi Arabias stunning Red Sea region, RSG is spearheading a new model of regeneration that is helping to reimagine the sustainable luxury tourism industry by merging the vast coastal areas rich environmental biodiversity and cultural heritage with unrivalled amenities and hospitality services. Now established as a must-visit destination for holidaymakers seeking high-end accommodation and one-of-a-kind cultural experiences within an incredible natural landscape, AlUla is one of the world's most diverse and immersive destinations welcoming global guests. Both RCU and RSG have captured the worlds attention for the scale, ambition, and success of their work to establish the Kingdom as a hot spot for tourism and a dynamic hub for economic development. Opportunities created because of this new MoC will spark exciting advancements in areas such as sustainability, destination marketing, heritage & archeology, art & culture, economic development, community engagement, education & learning development, green mobility, construction management, and sports. AlMadani pointed out that national partnerships had been a vital pillar of RCU's strategy, and this MoC represents a new wave of multi-level co-operation across diverse areas of investment, all of which are aligned with the common goal of super-charging Saudi Arabias burgeoning tourism sector. "The similarities between RCU and Red Sea Global are many, but most clear is our shared commitment to making our ambitions a reality. We look forward to working together on innovative regeneration projects bringing about positive social and economic outcomes that will be felt for generations," he added. On the deal, Pagano said: "As a custodian of some of Saudi Arabias most precious sites of natural beauty, environmental value, and vibrant community life, we are dedicated to spearheading a new model of development that prioritizes people and planet." "With RCU sharing our green ambitions and social values, our collaboration will drive innovation in how we develop destinations and infrastructure and, moreover, how we do so responsibly," he stated. "Together, we have the potential to deliver unparalleled progress for the Kingdom and challenge the status quo in both tourism and sustainability," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Governments and I mean all governments must stop using children as guinea pigs. Anyone who lived through Labours comprehensive school experiment in the 1970s will have cringed on hearing the comments by the partys shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, this weekend. She said she wants schools to stop demanding that pupils wear branded items such as a school blazer. Labour would set a limit of three items that schools could insist on being branded items. Her words were nothing more than a regurgitation of standard socialist education policy from days gone by. But I suspect she is inadvertently revealing the conversation currently taking place among the Labour shadow front bench and MPs who want school uniform banned altogether with little regard for the benefits a mandatory uniform policy provides to children from deprived backgrounds. NADINE DORRIES: Labour want to ban school uniform - they couldn't be more wrong (file photo) School uniform is a life saver for hard-pressed families, as I know from experience. When I started at my secondary modern, everyone wore uniform. For girls, it was a grey pinafore, white shirt, a black tie with white stripes and a bottle-green V-neck jumper or cardigan. It was hideous, but in that uniform we were all equal. Or we were until, under a Labour government, my school became a comprehensive overnight. The requirement to wear a school uniform was removed. Many of us continued to wear it not as a protest but because the cost of wearing a different outfit every day was too much for parents. But, of course, that wasnt the case for every family, and we all know how competitive some children can be. Week by week, the now obvious poverty gap widened between the kids in uniform and those able to show off in a range of fashionable items. Our school uniform had been a tool of inclusivity and equality. It had fostered a sense of oneness, that we were all on the same team and part of a cohesive community. That disappeared in a flash, to be replaced by a new pressure which brought with it a secret despair for some children and their parents. The better-off girls began to walk to school wearing two-tone Crombie coats, platform shoes and Mary Quant-inspired mini skirts. Anyone who lived through Labour s comprehensive school experiment in the 1970s will have cringed on hearing the comments by the partys shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, this weekend (pictured on Sunday) The girls who still sported the blazer (me!), would walk behind them, joined by those who in an attempt to be in with the in crowd had abandoned the standard school uniform, but who, when it came to fashion, didnt quite cut it with the Crombie coat brigade. Having to wear the same clothes two days on the trot became an event of deep embarrassment. The schools shoes policy flat, black, lace-up or T-bar and sturdy was rejected in favour of cheap, high-fashion shoes which didnt last a month. That meant that some girls couldnt go to school at all at times because their parents couldnt afford to replace the shoes that had fallen apart. But the true unseen and unforgivable harm inflicted on pupils as a result of this policy was the stigma, the deep and hurtful shame of not being able to afford the right clothes. It was an emotion from which those who came from poorer families had been protected when we all wore uniform. Which brings me to free school meals. That was another huge contributor to the negative experience of education for many youngsters: the division between those who got them and those who didnt. I rarely find myself on the same side of an argument as Londons Labour mayor Sadiq Khan, but he has extended this benefit to all children attending a state primary in London from this term. According to a poll by the School Food Review, more than half of prospective Tory voters are in favour of free school meals for all children from families on Universal Credit, with a further expansion of the scheme to all pupils eventually. Like Jamie Oliver, who campaigns on this issue, I believe free school meals for all primary school children would remove the stigma, increase the chances of healthy outcomes and improve society as a whole. We dont need any more studies to tell us that children who arrive at school without breakfast are more likely to lack discipline and the necessary concentration to learn. Surely, its a no brainer. If an autumn mini-break in Paris is in your sights, you may want to think again. The city is suffering from an infestation of bed bugs. Mass outbreaks of the small, brown, wingless insects are being reported in homes, hotels and cinemas. I have some experience of these nasty, biting critters. In the 1960s, we left our original family home in Liverpool for a house on one of the new, post-war council estates in what was described as a slum-clearance programme. The coal man helped us move all our belongings on the back of his flat-bed lorry, having found a side hustle to move a family a day. Soon after, we discovered wed picked up bed bugs during the move. I will never forget the look of despair on my mothers face when she saw the tell-tale bites on our bodies. Fastidiously clean, she scrubbed the house from top to bottom on her hands and knees, doing her best to remove both the smell and the residue from the resulting fumigation process. So I wont be visiting Paris any time soon, thanks. One brush with those bloodsucking pests was enough for me! Emma's lack of skirt is the stuff of MY nightmares! Looking at the pictures of The Crown star Emma Corrin stepping out at the Venice Film Festival in a designer ensemble, comprising a cardie and a pair of knickers, sent shivers down my spine. I have this nightmare on a regular basis that Ive dashed out of the house for an important event and forgotten to put on my skirt. Poor Emma whose preferred pronouns are they/them, I understand was obviously sleepwalking and living the dream (with apologies to Oscar Wilde!). Emma Corrin attends a photocall for the MiuMiu Women's Tales during the Venice Days at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 03 I cant help myself Im afraid, when it comes to Prince Harry. I can only view him through the eyes of a mother and worry for him. Which is why it was such a relief to see him enjoying himself on Sunday night at Inter Miamis match in Los Angeles as he sat minus wife Meghan alongside celebrity guests. Thats the Harry we miss. And what a contrast to the Prince who had been caught on camera looking very glum indeed at a Beyonce concert a few nights earlier, as Meghan, her mother Doria and Meghans friends danced along in their private box. Maybe theres a common denominator here..? Bounceback Britain is far from broken So Britain was the third fastest G7 nation to come out of the pandemic in terms of economic recovery, according to newly revised figures released last week by the Office for National Statistics. During the last three months of 2021, the economy was 0.6 per cent bigger than it had been before the Covid-19 outbreak triggered a global lockdown. The figures suggest that GDP is now 1.6 per cent bigger than pre-pandemic levels, which puts us well ahead of a very sluggish Germany and not far behind France and Italy. I bet this news had the doomsters and Remainers forever promoting a Broken Britain gritting their teeth! Meanwhile, over the weekend we had the unedifying spectacle of certain politicians popping up on our screens trying to claim credit for the economic bounceback. Well, be in no doubt that two of the biggest contributing factors were Boris Johnsons relentless pursuit of, and funding for, a vaccine, and the bold decision not to run scared, as so much of Europe did, when the Omicron variant hit at the end of 2021. The UK was, of course, the first country in the world to embark on a mass vaccination programme with an approved Covid-19 vaccine in December 2020 barely a year after Covid-19 had emerged. All credit to the Vaccine Task Force which made it happen, but we all played our part, too, with an army of volunteers facilitating the jabs and some people queuing through the night to get one. Yet how soon we forget. For more than two years the narrative has taken hold that the UK was the worst-performing G7 nation post-Covid. Talking down Britain has become a national disease, and while it is true that political turmoil and in-fighting in Westminster squandered some of the advantage we had, we should never underestimate the ability of the people of this great country to rise to the challenge as proven by the new figures. Today's literary gem: 'Theyve promised that dreams can come true but forgot to mention that nightmares are dreams, too.' attributed to Oscar Wilde Wherever there is a trendy, 'progressive' and entirely unaffordable new policy doing the rounds, you can guarantee the Scottish National Party will be found nearby, praising its virtues. So it is that the Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf is to propose a big new idea to boost his country's flagging economy: give Scottish public servants an extra day off every week. In his Programme for Government speech at (Holyrood's equivalent of Westminster's King's Speech), Mr Yousaf is today expected to propose a pilot for a four-day working week for those in the public sector. The wheeze could be put into action by the end of this year and, if deemed a success, be rolled out to incorporate more of the Scottish Government's 22,000 civil servants and 32 local councils. Nice work if you can get it. First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf during a visit to Rowantree Primary School But this policy risks enraging the country's private sector workers many of whom, thanks to Mr Yousaf's government, are already paying the highest income tax rates in any part of the UK. They are hardly likely to look kindly on the prospect of public sector workers enjoying a day off during the week at their expense. But the idea of a four-day week isn't just a Scottish phenomenon: it's been gaining ground in the English public sector, too. Earlier this year, Liberal Democrat-run South Cambridgeshire district council became the first in Britain to move nearly 500 desk-based staff to a 30-hour, four-day week all on full pay. It sounds lovely for the lucky few: who wouldn't like to work one day fewer for the same pay? But with the tax burden at its highest since World War II and councils set to raise rates throughout Britain, many with no choice but to work five days a week will be left scratching their heads. So concerned were locals in South Cambridgeshire that the Government ordered the Lib Dem council to end its trial of the four-day week on the basis that it may have been breaching its legal duty to provide value for money to taxpayers. Inevitably, the scheme had been enacted at a time when roads were already scarred by potholes, bin collections being missed, phone calls going unanswered, and the council had increased tax by the maximum legally permitted. Meanwhile, the council's chief executive, Liz Watts, faced accusations of having a vested interest when it emerged she had been working on a PhD thesis examining the potential benefits of the four-day week. For proponents, the idea is a no-brainer: a happier, less stressed workforce, with more time for family and friends, is more productive in the office or on the factory floor. If we know we're going to be rewarded with a long weekend, won't we be more inclined to give the job our all, instead of killing time and browsing the internet? Meanwhile, the council's chief executive, Liz Watts, faced accusations of having a vested interest when it emerged she had been working on a PhD thesis examining the potential benefits of the four-day week But while the low productivity of British workers is an acknowledged phenomenon, the jury is still out on the benefits of the four-day week. Though it may be appropriate for some highly competitive firms, particularly in the technology industry, it is unlikely to work in the public sector, where many services require staff to be on call throughout the week. Bosses also fear that as soon as a pilot becomes permanent, workers will soon go back to their less-than-productive ways, and spend as much time scrolling through Facebook as they did before. It is true that there is some evidence to support the effectiveness of the new measure in the private sector. Last year, around 3,000 workers at over 60 UK companies worked four days a week on full pay, as part of a six-month trial study. At the end of the pilot, seven out of ten employees said they felt reduced levels of burn-out. And rather than reinstating the five-day week, most of the companies decided to continue the scheme. But some dropped it, and others may yet do so. Unless the reform is first justified beyond doubt in the private sector, the case for the four-day week in the public sector will be considerably weaker. First, there's the price tag. The four-day week policy was included where else? in Jeremy Corbyn's notorious 2019 Labour manifesto. Like pretty much everything else, it was entirely uncosted. However, researchers at the Centre for Policy Studies think-tank concluded that the cost of recruiting the extra staff, all working only four days a week who would be needed to man phones, sweep the roads and care for the elderly could be as high as 45 billion. That figure has been disputed by supporters of the scheme, but even they accept the cost of a four-day week would run into the billions, requiring 500,000 extra staff to be recruited across the UK. Those jobs are used as if they're a winning argument as if here is a great way of creating new jobs. Yet adding more staff to the public sector pay bill would pile an even greater burden on the British taxpayer, while simultaneously reducing the number of people available to work for private sector firms. The four-day week policy was included where else? in Jeremy Corbyn's notorious 2019 Labour manifesto This highlights the basic unfairness in the idea and how it would only widen the private-public gap which already exists in Britain. Post-Covid, it's already an open secret that much of the public sector remains 'working from home', with government departmental offices still only half full. As the Daily Mail reported yesterday, it's now reached the stage where, over the past three years, town hall bosses have approved more than 1,000 requests to work abroad. If an extra day off a week is to be added to the bonuses that come from a public sector lifestyle, how appealing is a private sector alternative going to be? Those who propose making life ever more cushty for those in the public sector forget that it will naturally always fall to the private sector to generate economic growth. And all this would add to almost unprecedented tax bills. In Scotland, higher earners are girding themselves for a clobbering later this year when Mr Yousaf is expected to increase rates on those people earning over 75,000. Is it really fair to land even higher taxes on people working five (or six, or seven) days a week, so that a lucky few can take Friday off? In England, the Government appears to be having none of it. Local Government Minister Lee Rowley has written to South Cambridgeshire District Council to warn that 'removing up to 20 per cent of the capacity to do those activities is not something which should be acceptable for a council seeking to demonstrate value for money for its taxpayers and residents'. Meanwhile, north of the border, Scottish Conservative finance spokeswoman Liz Smith has begun the backlash, warning that 'Humza Yousaf is living in fantasy land if he thinks this ridiculous plan is feasible at a time when our economy is lagging behind the rest of the UK'. She's right. Mr Yousaf's pilot scheme may well go ahead, but, even in SNP Scotland, reality will have to intrude at some point. Rolling this out to everyone is both unaffordable and unwanted. The truth is that with Britain's economy chugging away in the doldrums, we need workers in both the public and private sector back at the office full time if we're to get the country going again. Fridays in the office look set to stay. An adorable stray dog who kept breaking into the nursing home across the street from his animal shelter has become a permanent fixture after residents fell so in love with him they decided to adopt him. Stray brown mutt Scout, who's thought to be aged 10 to 12, was rescued by Antrim County Animal Shelter in Michigan and arrived with pellets in his jaw and a fear of strangers. Heather Belknap, the shelter's director, told The Washington Post: 'Somebody obviously abused him. When he ended up in the shelter, he ended up in the right place'. However, Scout had other ideas and in 2017, the stray dog escaped the Antrim County Animal Shelter three times, at around midnight on every occasion, to sleep in Meadow Brook Medical Care Facility for seniors. After repeatedly running off to the nursing home, staff there adopted him and he's been a firm favorite with residents ever since. Scout escaped his animal shelter in Michigan and took up residence at the Meadow Brook Medical Care Facility for seniors across the road Retiree, Butch Craig, has crafted a special bond with the once-neglected stray mutt - and established himself as one of Scouts favorites after generously supplying him with treats The adorable dog, who escaped his animal rescue shelter to sleep in a nursing home and spend time with elderly residents As soon as the shelter noticed him going missing, they retrieved their stray mutt and investigated how Scout had managed to leave and enter so easily. Belknap discovered that to leave the animal shelter Scout would have had to cross multiple fences and a highway to get across the street. She then discovered that once hed reached the other side of the road, he used the nursing homes automatic revolving doors to enter the lobby. Once hed strolled into this lobby, hed parked himself onto a brown couch - where he was found asleep on all three occasions. When a nurse noticed him on the lobbys couch, she was so alarmed that she alerted the county sheriff - and he was swiftly returned to the animal shelter. But it was after Scouts third and final uninvited visit that he was on the way to winning Meadow Brooks affection - with a staff member taking the adorable dog home with her. However, she had other dogs at home and they didn't all gel with Scout, so she had to think about the next steps for the stray. Along with her coworkers, she decided that their workplace would be a good place to house him - given that he was so drawn to the nursing home in the first place. Scout strolled into Meadow Brook's lobby, entering through an automatic revolving door, before parking himself onto a brown couch Staff at Meadow Brook started to welcome Scout with open arms, with one member even taking him home with her, before residents approved them adopting the dog Scout has undoubtedly brought joy to the Meadow Brook nursing home who took the adorable dog into their nursing home after being at nearby Antrim County Animal Shelter After getting approval from residents, the home agreed to adopt the dog, who has called Meadow Brook his home since 2017. And it isnt just the staffs hearts he melted - Scout has established himself as a firm favorite with elderly residents at the medical facility. One resident, 82-year-old Shirley Sawyer, who's been at the home for a year describes the canine as a 'perfect dog' you can 'pet and talk to'. Another retiree, Butch Craig, has crafted a special bond with the once-neglected stray mutt - and established himself as one of Scouts favorites after generously supplying him with treats. And Meadow Brook staff have noticed a lovely pattern in Scouts behavior - whenever he senses that a resident is about to pass, hell go into their rooms for a cuddle. Pictured here is 82-year-old Shirley Sawyer, who's been at the home for a year has taken a special liking to the carnivore, who she describes as a 'perfect dog' you can 'pet and talk to' In February, Scout was crowned Resident of the Month thanks to his sudden rise to fame While Scout provides support to his fellow residents, they reciprocate this in times of danger - when there's a thunderstorm hell gravitate towards a resident he feels will protect him, clutching onto them for a cuddle. Earlier this year, Meadow Brook staff set up a fundraiser for their beloved dog - to support Antrim County Animal Shelter - the very animal shelter that rescued Scout off the streets after years of abuse. While the team were confident that the fundraiser, Scout's House Paws for the Pantry, would raise tons of money internally, they weren't expecting global donations. In February, Scout was crowned Resident of the Month. Theres no doubt that Scout has brought infinite joy to Meadow Brook Medical Care Facility who took him in after three unexpected visits. Papa Johns is set to delight spice fans everywhere from today as it launches five new 'tantalising' limited edition items. The fast food giant, headquartered in Indiana, has announced that the new selections are in their limited edition range, available from September 4 to November 5. The first offering is the new Xtra Hot Meat Feast pizza, available in all sizes as usual and full of pepperoni, spicy beef, ham, jalapenos, red chillies and hot sauce. Another hot pizza added to the menu is the Spicy Veg Feast pizza - which is topped with tomatoes, green peppers, jalapenos, red chillies and hot sauce. Customers are still welcome to make additions to their base, including fan favourites like the stuffed crust for an extra 2.99. The first of the lineup: the new Xtra Hot Meat Feast pizza, available in all sizes as usual and full of pepperoni, spicy beef, ham, jalapenos, red chillies and hot sauce Another hot pizza added to the limited edition au menu is the Spicy Veg Feast pizza - which is topped with tomatoes, green peppers, jalapenos, red chillies and hot sauce But it's not just pizza the world's third-largest pizza delivery company is offering - they've also released an Epic Garlic Stuffed Crust, which features the original base with a garlic, herbs and cheese stuffed crust. It's important to note that the new stuffed crust option isn't available with vegan cheese or small pizzas. However, hungrier customers are welcomed to add the cheesy garlic crust to any medium-XXL pizza with an original base. The next launch in the exciting new range is Papa Johns' Hot Sauce - if you want to add an extra kick to the new ultra spicy pizzas or simply a mild hint of heat to standard items. Made with cayenne pepper, South Asian naga chillies and jalapeno sauce, the Papa Johns Hot Sauce claims to be an answer to spice lovers' prayers everywhere. The condiment has been added to the 'create your own' list, as has the final limited edition item - cheddar can now be added onto your DIY pizza. But don't forget that Papa John's latest offerings are limited edition - but you have most of autumn to devour the delights. Hungrier customers are welcomed to add the cheesy garlic crust to any medium-XXL pizza with an original base Hot sauce has been added to the 'create your own' list, as has limited edition cheddar Papa Johns UK Marketing Director Rebecca Rose said: 'We know our customers enjoy some extra spice with their orders, so we're delighted to welcome two new spicy pizzas and a Hot Sauce to the menu this autumn'. She added: 'With recipe innovation at the core of the brand, the new Epic Garlic Stuffed Crust and Cheddar toppings offer flavour experience like no other for our customers. Rose went on to say: 'We hope they'll enjoy creating new culinary combinations with the "create your own" feature'. Papa Johns was founded in 1984 when 'Papa' John Schnatter installed a pizza oven in the cleaning cupboard of his father's pub. The business took off - and now has over 5,400 locations globally, with around 300 shops in the UK. Will you be trying out the new limited edition pizzas? Let us know below. He posted a video revealing the exorbitant cost of Coca-Colas in France A Canadian dad who slammed Disneyland as the 'biggest money printing machine on Earth,' was also horrified to learn that even something as small as soda doesn't come cheap in Europe. Father-of-two Mario Zelaya recently took a trip to France with his wife and two sons, deciding to take his family to the iconic park when they were in Paris. However, once he arrived in Europe, he found things were a tad pricier than he'd anticipated - including some refreshing beverages. In a video Zalaya shared, he detailed the exorbitant price of a fizzy Coca-Cola at the family's hotel in Versailles - revealing they were $10.80, or $15 CAD, each. The father-of-two couldn't believe how much the drinks cost Zalaya also posted a video telling everyone to avoid Disneyland Paris due to the high costs 'The 5-star hotel tax,' Zalaya wrote on the video with a picture of the receipt from Bar Galerie, an eatery at the Wadorf Astoria hotel in Versailles, France, behind him. 'Look at this, 30 euros,' the dad said in disbelief as he pointed to the receipt. The traveler went on to say 'never' in his life did he think he'd spend '$45 on three Cokes.' His bill in total was 155 euros - about $167 in USD or $227 in CAD. Many of his followers were astounded by the sky-high price of soda, 'I've done that in Portugal . Wine was cheaper than pop and water,' one user commented 'Europe is soooooo expensive,' wrote another. Others commented the man - who is known for posting videos about how to invest and generate wealth - wasn't in a position to complain about money. 'Yes because Versailles is a universal symbol for frugality,' joked one. 'Tell me you're using a money complaint to flex how rich you are with your Versailles vacation without telling me,' laughed another. He shared the costly drink receipt to TikTok The father branded Disney the 'biggest money printing machine on Earth,' adding that the lines were too long In another video, Zalaya slammed Disneyland Paris for it's astronomical prices, saying he had a 'dreadful time' due to the 'huge bill' he and his family racked up. In the now-viral video, with over 383,000 views, the father slammed the day at the famous theme park as a 'huge mistake.' 'I went to Disneyland in Paris. I'm almost embarrassed at how much money I spent,' he said in the clip. ''Just the tickets alone, that's $1,200. Why the hell would I do that?' Zalaya's other costs came from upgrading his family to premier passes to skip the line - which was an extra $173 per person, which he reasoned was cheaper than coming back to the park again. 'Now, if you total up all the rides that we did, when we did all of the rides, we would have been waiting for over 25 hours,' he explained. 'You're better off buying the Disney access pass to bypass the line then you are to buy a three-day parks day,' he added. 'The crowds are just endless,' he declared. 'My advice: don't go to Disney.' She says it's perfect for people who want company and to save some cash The cost of living crisis has forced people to get creative, with one forward-thinking entrepreneur making bank by renting half of her mattress to those looking for a cheap sleep - dubbing the practice 'hot bedding.' Monique Jeremiah - from Queensland, Australia - came up with the idea of hot bedding during the pandemic, when her income dried up and she was looking for some extra cash. The Australian woman rents out half of her bed for a cool $631 a month - declaring it the 'perfect solution' for those feeling lonely and poor. The 36-year-old used the extra income to revive her career and start up her own dream company, Diversity Models, which is a modelling agency that specializes in providing curve, cultural, and mature-aged models for businesses. Monique Jeremiah - from Queensland , Australia - came up with the idea of hot bedding during the pandemic The Australian woman rents out half of her bed for a cool $631 a month - declaring it the 'perfect solution' for those feeling lonely and poor The entrepreneur-turned-Australian reality TV-star claims that this will be the future for property owners, stating that 'it is the perfect avenue to save money, live simply, and of course not be alone.' 'Hot bedding is excellent for people who are able to detach emotionally and sleep next to another person in a completely respectful and non-strings-attached manner,' Jeremiah told Caters News. Declaring it the 'perfect situation,' the entrepreneur did admit it was important to set some boundaries - for both parties involved. 'It is the perfect situation, especially if you are a sapiosexual, like myself, and you prefer companionship over the physical,' she explained. She added: 'It takes two people who respect each other's space, values, and boundaries to do hot bedding.' According to Jeremiah, hot bedding is 'just like' sharing a room with two beds. The key difference is you share a singular mattress. 'It is just like sharing a room with two beds; however, you only sleep in the same bed together, so you definitely want a big bed and lots of space in the room to make it worthwhile,' she added. Jerimiah had the idea to start 'hot bedding' during the COVID-19 pandemic after her world - like many people's - turned upside down. 'At the start of COVID in early 2020, I suddenly found myself single; my thriving business of an international education agency and student accommodation collapsed overnight, and my teaching career suddenly became unfulfilling as education went online,' she explained. 'My life was literally imploding beyond my control,' the hot-bed guru continued. 'I knew my only option was to innovate and think outside the box, and thats how I decided to do hot bedding.' According to Jeremiah, hot bedding is 'just like' sharing a room with two beds. The key difference is you share a singular mattress The Queensland entrepreneur has also shared half the mattress with her ex-boyfriend, who pays $160 a week Jeremiah recalled a moment where she had to 'swallow her pride' and contact her ex-boyfriend -whom she hadn't spoken to in a year - but had occupied her bed for two of the years they dated. '[I] said to him, "Do you want to survive COVID together?" and to my surprise, he said, "yes,"' she recalled. Surprisingly the arrangement worked, leading Jeremiah to do it a couple more times - though the prices have increased to align with the cost of living - but she insists it's well worth it. 'I have rented to my previous partner now twice,' she said. 'He will be sleeping with me again soon.' 'I will be raising the hot bedding rate to $160 a week when he returns as the cost of living has gone up significantly in Australia and my room is still a beautiful, comfortable room, the size of a five-star hotel suite,' she said. Although some find the concept odd, Jeremiah says it has been ideal for her so far. 'Being an entrepreneur is already a lonely journey as you build a company,' she explained. 'So why sleep alone when you can sleep with a companion, with someone with the same discipline and drive, while making money in your sleep?' She says her room is still a 'beautiful, comfortable room, the size of a five-star hotel suite' Home sweet home for two: Several TikToks spoke about the concept, with some users declaring it 'sad' Jeremiah thinks hot bedding is the way of the future, with the concept of hot bedding growing as the cost of living does The concept of hot bedding is growing as the cost of living does. A 2021 survey from the University of Technology Sydney polled 7,000 international students living in Sydney and Melbourne. Of the students surveyed, three per cent reported hot-bedding to save on rent with 40 per cent reported they skipped meals due to financial costs. According to a poll taken in 2022 in the U.S., nearly three quarters of Americans said they were worried by the rising costs of electricity and gas, as consumers faced steep increases in prices of heating oil, propane and other fuels in the coming colder months. Nearly two thirds of those surveyed said the energy crisis and the rising cost of living were affecting their spending plans - and for good reason, with the cost of rent in major cities outpacing the average income. The average rent has increased in the U.S. by 134.9 percent since 1999, while incomes have gone up by 76.8 percent in the same period, according to data from Moody's Analytics. The Moody's analysis found that, in 2022, the proportion of American household income needed to rent an average-priced apartment breached 30 per cent for the first time in 25 years of tracking the trend. The 'hot bedding' trend appears to be picking up among cash-strapped renters. Some TikToks posted about the concept have had users declare it 'sad,' but others have admitted they already do it. 'Just get a bunk bed,' one person objected, while another added: 'It's a very sad way people are forced to live.' Other TikTok users said they had even tried it themselves. 'I'm a med student in New Zealand and my friend and I do this. ofc (of course) we weren't friends at first it was totally anonymous but decided to meet,' they wrote. 'I work with a nurse who does this. 8 people in a 2 bed room house. one room does morning and nightshift, the other does 9-5 people and interstate,' another commented. Ikea Australia has announced its slashing the price of 500 popular and in-demand products as cost of living pressures mount. Starting this week, hundreds of items will have their prices lowered by $5 - $160 and will remain that way while stocks last. The products - which will be identifiable via a new 'Lower Prices' tag - will range from lounges and mattresses to outdoor tables and work from home furniture. They'll also include currently trending accessories like kitchen trolleys, wine glasses, plates and glass storage containers for the kitchen. Standout bargains include $160 off the VIMLE sofa, the MICKE desk for WFH or study down to $79, and the NISSAFORS kitchen trolley for just $35. Shoppers can nab $160 off the VIMLE sofa, the new price is $1,149 The MICKE desk for WFH or study is down to $79 from $99 The HEMNES TV bench has been reduced to $349 from $379, the KALLAX shelving unit is down $10 to $119 and and the NAMMARO storage box is down $40 to $99. The store has also announced an additional 15 per cent off on the SKUBB range for loyalty members. The popular range includes affordable and customisable storage solutions such as boxes, cases and hanging storage that are ideal for organising and de-cluttering spaces within the home. The NAMMARO storage box is down $40 to $99 The NISSAFORS kitchen trolley is $35 from $45 The 15 per cent off offer is available to members until September 11. 'We know that Aussies are continuing to feel the pinch due to the rising cost of living,' Christopher Nilsson, Ikea's Service Experiences Leader, told FEMAIL. 'With households impacted nationwide, we want to ensure our customers are still able to make the most of their home through the year-round affordable products as well as limited time offers.' Photographer Rankin has revealed the story behind the famous portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth smiling for her Golden Jubilee, and the blunder that made the monarch laugh. John Waddell, better known in the professional industry as Rankin, went on Lorraine this morning to speak about the stories behind his snaps. The artist from St. Albans has photographed stars such as David Bowie, Madonna, Kate Moss and even The Rolling Stones, but when he got the call in 2002 and was asked to take a picture of the Queen, for her Golden Jubilee, Rankin said he thought it was a prank. He told Lorraine: 'When they phoned I thought it was a prank call. I was like "what me? Photographing the Queen? Are you sure you're asking the right person?".' On the day, he suffered a technical issue and much to John, known in the professional industry as Rankin, went on Lorraine this morning to speak about the stories behind his snaps 'I was one of ten photographers who did her Golden Jubilee I had prepared so much to meet her and I was sent to Buckingham Palace to shoot her in the Throne Room where they knight everybody.' Rankin said he knew he wanted to get a photograph of the Queen smiling, because he had read that she had a 'really good sense of humour'. 'I was sitting there waiting for her to come and she walked down this really long corridor with this very very tall footman and they were laughing and I went "Yes! She's going to be fun, she's gonna have a sense of humour",' he said. Rankin said that when the late Monarch walked into the room, there was an 'overwhelming wave of empowerment'. But halfway through photographing the Queen, Rankin was faced with a problem. He said that when he started shooting her Majesty with his assistant, Matt, part of his camera fell off. 'She started laughing and I was like to my assistant Matt, "Get the sync lead in" and in my head I was like, "Come on get it in!", he said. 'As he got it in, she stopped smiling. And I went, "No, Ma'am can you smile please!" and I kept saying, "Ma'am can you smile please?". And then she smiled three times.' Rankin said he knew he wanted to get a photograph of the Queen smiling, because he had read that she had a 'really good sense of humour'. Pictured: The photograph of the Queen he took However, the picture didn't get used initially for the Golden Jubilee, as the Palace decided to go for a 'half smile' photograph instead. When Lorraine asked whether Rankin would photograph King Charles, he replied: 'I would love to. 'I was actually asked to photograph him, I don't know if he knew I was asked, but the Big Issue called me and asked [if I] would photograph the Prince of Wales at the time. 'And I felt hmmm I don't feel that that's somebody I should photograph, you know, thinking I was pretty cool and I'm Scottish. 'And so because I'm Scottish it was like I'm not sure if my mum and dad would like it. And then the minute I put the phone down I was said "No!" 'You should never say no, you should always say yes, so I would love to photograph him.' When asked by Lorraine about who he has always wanted to photograph, Rankin said that he has a 'massive crush' on Russell Crowe. 'Even now, he's a very beautiful actor and so I've always to photograph him. And I keep saying it in interviews until maybe he'll say yes,' he said. READ MORE: Linda Evangelista shares up-close look at her 'deformed' face After an MRI and a biopsy, it turned out she had cancer in her pectoral muscle The supermodel, 58, also revealed she discovered a lump in her chest last year She spoke about her 2018 breast cancer diagnosis for the first time in a new chat Linda Evangelista has revealed for the first time that she was diagnosed with breast cancer and quietly underwent a double mastectomy five years ago. In a new interview with WSJ Magazine, the 58-year-old supermodel spoke out about her December 2018 diagnosis that led to her having a bilateral mastectomy before she found another lump in her chest last year. Evangelista's first brush with cancer was detected during her yearly mammogram. 'The margins were not good, and due to other health factors, without hesitation, because I wanted to put everything behind me and not to have to deal with this, I opted for a bilateral mastectomy. Thinking I was good and set for life. Breast cancer was not going to kill me,' she said in an interview published on Tuesday. Linda Evangelista speaks out about her 2018 breast cancer diagnosis for the first time But unfortunately she had another cancer scare in July last year after discovering a lump in her chest But unfortunately she had another cancer scare in July last year after discovering a lump in her chest. The supermodel recalled that her oncologist was 'unimpressed,' but she went ahead with an MRI. What was found during the MRI prompted her doctor to do a biopsy, it turned out she had cancer in her pectoral muscle. At the time, Evangelista said she told her doctor: 'Dig a hole in my chest. 'I don't want it to look pretty. I want you to excavate. I want to see a hole in my chest when you're done. Do you understand me? I'm not dying from this.' Since then she was told by doctors that her prognosis was good, which led her to question why it wasn't 'great' and being informed: 'Well, once it's come back, there's a chance.' Evangelista said she had 'a horrible oncotype score,' which is a number that predicts the likelihood of the cancer coming back. 'I know I have one foot in the grave, but I'm totally in celebration mode,' she added. It turned out she had cancer in her pectoral muscle. At the time, Evangelista said she told her doctor: 'Dig a hole in my chest... I'm not dying from this' She has been told by doctors that her prognosis was good, but not 'great' The supermodel is pictured here in 2018, the year she was diagnosed and had a double mastectomy The supermodel said 'only a handful of people knew' about her cancer ordeal. It's unclear if she had a breast reconstruction after her bilateral mastectomy. Evangelista also shed some light on her close relationship with Salma Hayek, who is married to her son's father, Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault. The supermodel and Pinault share Augustin James, who is now 16, after the former couple's brief relationship. 'I love that woman. She's a woman's woman. Just like me, [she's] so family-oriented, and so positive. She's a blessing to us. She was very, very generous and kind to me while I was going through my chemo,' Evangelista said of Hayek. But this is not the first health battle that Evangelista has faced, previously she has spoken out about a botched cosmetic procedure that left her face 'brutally disfigured.' She spent six years 'in hiding' after suffering from a rare reaction to the procedure known as CoolSculpting, which was designed to decrease her fat cells, but instead, made them become enlarged. The model previously told Vogue she was 'so depressed' that she 'hated' herself following a CoolSculpting procedure. Evangelista also shed some light on her close relationship with Salma Hayek, who is married to her son's father, Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault. The supermodel pictured with her son But this is not the first health battle that Evangelista has faced, previously she has spoken out about a botched cosmetic procedure that left her face 'brutally disfigured.' She's pictured here in August 2022 She claimed the faulty procedure caused her to lose her livelihood and left her with things 'protruding' from her body. Linda had two liposuction surgeries in an attempt to fix the problem, and announced back in February 2022 she was done living in 'shame.' In September 2022, Linda took to her Instagram to announce that she had filed a lawsuit, now settled, in New York against Zeltiq Aesthetics for grievous injuries. Linda said: 'If I had known side effects may include losing your livelihood and you'll end up so depressed that you hate yourself I wouldn't have taken that risk. 'Am I cured mentally? Absolutely not. But I'm so grateful for the support I got from my friends and from my industry you're not going to see me in a swimsuit, that's for sure. 'It's going to be difficult to find jobs with things protruding from me; without retouching, or squeezing into things, or taping things or compressing or tricking.' Some 160 students at British School of Bahrain (BSB) improved their performance by 4.6 percentage points participating in a pilot programme using Inspired AI platform. The success of the pilot means Inspired AI will continue to be rolled out to the wider BSB school community. The Inspired AI platform leverages artificial intelligence to create bespoke pathways for students across both their classwork and homework, whilst at the same time providing real-time analytics and recommendations to both teachers and parents, said a statement. Inspired AI uses initial diagnostic testing to assess an individual students respective strengths and weaknesses and, using this data, then creates tailored exercises and modules for each student across subjects including English, Maths and Science. Individualised pathways These individualised pathways ensure a students specific weaknesses are addressed and improved upon, whilst at the same time further amplifying their strengths across each subject. Notably, students involved in the broader international study saw, on average, the greatest improvement in performance across Biology, 10.6 percentage points, and Chemistry, 9.4 percentage points. John Maguire, Executive Headmaster, British School of Bahrain, commented: BSB has an enviable reputation for innovation and adopting technology to support learning. This ethos has strengthened our position as the leading British school within the country. Embracing AI aligns with Bahrains commitment to educational excellence, especially with Bahrain holding the regions longest-established education system. We can see a glimpse into the future of education, where innovation drives us towards greater academic achievement, and were excited to see what more we can do with it in the future." In its everyday usage in schools, the Inspired AI platform serves three primary purposes. Firstly, accelerating learning for students through intelligent personalisation. Secondly, the platform also reduces the workload for teachers, particularly in terms of marking, analysis, and resource creation. Finally, Inspired AI also compliments and enhances the work of teachers, by providing actionable insights on individual students and flagging interventions where needed. More than a tool Lorna Drennan, Head of Year 5 and Upper Juniors Computing in the BSB Junior School, added: "Inspired AI is more than just a tool it's a partner in learning. We kickstart students' journeys with diagnostic exercises, empowering them to learn anytime, anywhere, breaking free from classroom constraints. With Inspired AI, we can tailor class tasks, homework, and assessments to each student's unique needs, while allowing teachers to quickly harness large datasets and uncover valuable insights. Its intuitive interface and ability to quickly process vast amounts of data has saved me countless hours and allowed me to make more informed decisions. It's not just tech; it's a guide to excellence. I look forward to continuing to use it in the future to maximise my potential as a teacher. " As the leading global group of premium schools, Inspired Education Group schools currently educate more than 80,000 students across over 111 schools in 6 continents providing a best-in-class learning experience from Year 1 to Year 13. Inspireds Three Pillars approach to educational philosophy, equally focused on academic excellence, performing and creative arts and sports is proven to provide a holistic, world-class education. Over 90% of Inspired graduates go on to their first-choice university, with alumni attending leading universities worldwide, including Harvard, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and University College London.-- TradeArabia News Service Many of us think flight attendants have glamorous jobs where they get to travel the world for free - but one stewardess has claimed that a job at McDonald's is actually more lucrative. Saffron Laszkowicz, from Doncaster, known as @saffronkatiie on TikTok recently shared a series of clips outlining her employment journey, and explaining why she left her job at budget Irish airline Ryanair for shifts at McDonald's. Earlier this month she told fans: '[I] started working at McDonald's in December 2020 during Covid. Had nothing to do because we were in lockdown. Saffron revealed: '[We] worked 50+ hour weeks earning good money' in the video titled 'Anyone else quit then come back?'. Saffron Laszkowicz, from Doncaster, thought that cabin crew was her 'dream job' and completed her training with Ryanair After realising that working as cabin crew wasn't as lucrative as she'd hoped, she returned to her former job working at McDonald's However, things took a turn for the worse when the TikToker 'decided to pursue her dream of becoming a flight attendant in May 2022'. Although she was initially ecstatic when she 'quit McDonald's and did her six weeks training', she noticed a financial loss so decided to go back to her old job at the fast-food giant. While perfecting her golden tresses on camera she said: '[I] realised I wasn't earning as much as I used to so decided to go back to McDonald's part time in October 2022'. But Saffron was ambitious, she didn't give up her dreams completely, opting to work at the restaurant while undertaking flight attendant shifts to support herself. 'Flying didn't turn out to be what I thought it would be', she confessed, citing low pay as the motivator behind leaving the Irish budget airline. The former flight attendant added: 'I decided to quit and go back to McDonald's full time', before adjusting a grey crew member hat ready for her shift. Sympathetic to her plight, one TikTok user said: 'People dont realise how bad flight attendants get paid. Thats why I havent left retail for it yet'. Although, a plethora of former McDonald's workers did not recommend working at the chain, with one telling the video platform: 'I quit McDonald's after 9 years last October and I will never go back'. In a follow up video update shared on TikTok, she explained that as of August 2023, she was 'at her 3rd Maccies store in 3 years', but acknowledged: 'Got to laugh or I'll cry'. She joked: 'I never would have believed you if 3 years ago you told me I'd be here working my dream job, because I'm not', with the 23 second video showing shots of her transforming from her blue and yellow Ryanair jacket into her grey McDonald's uniform. In the final TikTok discussing her trajectory, Saffron responded to criticism after being slammed online for going 'from a flight attendant to Maccies'. Unafraid, she specifically tagged the scathing TikTok user in the video and pointed out some of the perks McDonald workers benefit from. She started by asking: 'Why are you trying to make this into a negative?' The McDonald's worker gleefully explained: 'I get paid for every minute. It's less travelling time to get to work'. Saffron went on to tell fans: 'I'm earning the same (if not more) for much less stress'. A series of comments showing TikTok users supporting the former Ryanair flight attendant Adding: 'I get more free time to spend with my family and work on myself'. But the TikTok star was most excited to reveal that she gets 'free food every shift'. This time - users were overwhelmingly positive, with several coming to Saffron's defence. One said: 'People who dont understand the stress and strain of being cabin crew are the only people who would comment stuff like that'. Another shared a similar experience: 'I literally made more at Maccies than Ryanair as well'. And a different user said: 'Do what feels right for you. Your life your career no one else', to which the former Ryanair worker responded: 'Exactly that. Ive not chose this job for the career. But its good money and very flexible'. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands looked radiant in a coral dress as she attended a mental health charity talk in Groningen today. The royal mother-of-three, 52, attended an explanation of Mentally Healthy in Groningen, an initiative aimed at improving care for those suffering with mental health problems. The 52-year-old accessorised her summery outfit with a matching orange suede clutch bag and a sophisticated pair of caramel heeled pumps. Maxima's jewellery was equally stunning, with a striking layered silver bracelet matched with a pair of two-tiered wooden ball earrings. The mother-of-three is the honorary president of MIND Us charity, which focuses on the influence of sport on the mental health of young people. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands (pictured), 52, visited Groningen to attend an explanation of Mentally Healthy Groningen A natural beauty, the royal kept her makeup to a minimum, revealing her bronzed summer tan. Maxima opted for a casual hairstyle, with her blonde locks effortlessly hanging on her shoulders. The Dutch royal sported a classic Cartier 'Tank Must Large Leather Strap Watch' to the event. Queen Maxima's working visit to Groningen was related to her role as Honorary President of MIND Us. MIND Us works on the healthy development of young people to become more mentally resilient. The charity creates a platform where young people feel seen and heard alongside policy makers, municipalities, entrepreneurs and scientists. During the visit, the royal received an explanation of Mentally Healthy Groningen, and the initiative aimed at improving care for young people dealing with mental health issues. The Queen was photographed carrying a black notebook to the event, appearing keen to learn about the charity's work. The mother-of-three is the honorary president of MIND Us charity, which focuses on the influence of sport on the mental health of young people Radiant as ever, the Dutch queen sported a summery coral pencil dress with mid length flowy sleeves Maxima sported a classic Cartier 'Tank Must Large Leather Strap Watch' (pictured above) to the event The Dutch monarch's working visit to Groningen was related to her role as Honorary President of MIND Us During the visit, the royal received an explanation of Mentally Healthy Groningen, and the partnership aimed at improving care for young people dealing with mental health issues It comes just days after the royal sported a vibrant green dress as she and her husband visited the scenic trail of the Appelpad on the outskirts of Nijkerk. The royal lit up the room in the bright ensemble, which featured layered detailing over the skirt, teamed with a camel trench coat for the chilly morning. She and King Willem-Alexander, 56 - who put on a dapper display in a chic navy suit - held onto umbrellas to shield themselves from the rain. The couple were greeted by adoring fans, including many little children holding Dutch flags, and signed autographs for the excited crowds. One sweet snap shows the mother-of-three signing handouts for a group of little children. Maxima accessorised with a cream headpiece that swept her blonde tresses back , nd ornate earrings which made her eyes pop. The queen held onto an off-white handbag and started the outing in comfortable silver sandals before later slipping into chunky platform sliders. She opted for a relaxed make-up look, focused on accentuating her summer tan, and finishing the look off with a pink lipstick. Princess Mary of Denmark appeared to become emotional as she and Prince Frederik paid tribute to the country's fallen soldiers this morning at the annual Flag Day event. The mother-of-four, 51, was pictured wiping her eye while at the Military Headquarters Kastellet, where she and her husband participated in the traditional wreath-laying ceremony for Danish soldiers abroad. Honouring people who are or have been sent on a mission by Denmark, the service was also attended by veterans. The Australian-born princess was dressed in a pink and blue floral skirt with a navy long sleeved blouse tucked in at the waist. She teamed the elegant ensemble with a navy wide-brimmed hat, featuring an eye-catching purple flower. Princess Mary of Denmark appeared to become emotional as she and Prince Frederik paid tribute to the country's fallen soldiers this morning at the annual Flag Day event The royal finished off her look with a pair of dainty pear earrings, plenty of gold bracelets and cream heels. In her hands, she carried a pair of grape coloured gloves and a matching clutch. The Crown Prince, 55, who was dressed in military regalia, sat by Princess Mary's side during the ceremonies. September 5 is an official day in Denmark to pay respect to deployed soldiers and is marked by a number of different events and ceremonies throughout the day. Last month, Princess Mary returned from her summer holidays with her family and opened a centre to help people with grief in Vejle. The mother-of-four donned a stunning white midi dress, which featured a subtle monochrome pattern, as she stepped out at the Danish National Center for Grief. She opted for natural makeup and swept her long brown hair over her shoulder as she arrived. It comes after the royal returned from her family's summer holiday in Ibiza, where she was spotted enjoying the sunshine and sea with her husband Crown Prince Frederik. The Danish National Center for Grief offers free counselling to anyone who has lost a parent, a sibling, a child or spouse, or people who are relatives of people suffering from severe physical illness. The centre also offers a helpline, called Griefline. The mother-of-four, 51, was pictured wiping her eye while at the Military Headquarters Kastellet, where she and her husband participated in the traditional wreath-laying ceremony for Danish soldiers abroad Honouring people who are or have been sent on a mission by Denmark, the service was also attended by veterans. Pictured, the royal couple standing in front of the Monument for Denmark's International Effort Since 1948 The Australian-born princess was dressed in a pink and blue floral skirt with a navy long sleeved blouse tucked in at the waist She teamed the elegant ensemble with a navy wide-brimmed hat, featuring an eye-catching purple flower Princess Mary was seen soaking up the sun on the Spanish island with her husband Prince Frederik in August. Mary took a refreshing dip in the ocean with Frederik and flaunted her stunning figure in a one-piece green swimsuit by Danish brand Copenhagen Cartel. The 51-year-old wore the same one-piece on Sydney's Palm Beach in December 2022. Mary and Frederik were spotted taking a break from the kids and their luxury yacht when they took a dinghy to a beach with another couple. The loved-up pair look relaxed as they swam, chatted and laughed together in the turquoise water. Once on shore, Mary covered up with a bright yellow button-up shirt and khaki shorts while Frederik wore a blue T-shirt over his board shorts. The princess protected herself from the sun with a white Panama hat and Wayfarer-style sunglasses. Mary didn't skip the accessories with gold layered necklaces and a $256 Jerome Dreyfuss leather phone bag. Former First Daughter Sasha Obama was spotted smoking a cigarette with friends while donning a skimpy bikini at a Labor Day party in Los Angeles on Monday - days after her dad, Barack Obama, became embroiled in a scandal over claims made by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that the former President had been involved in relationships with men. The recent University of Southern California graduate, 22, certainly appeared to be enjoying the federal holiday. Photographers caught the youngest daughter of former President Barack taking some puffs from a lit cigarette as she stood on the street with her pals. Sasha wore only a small white swimsuit top - which left her midriff and belly button ring on full display - and a long, flowing navy blue maxi skirt, which she paired with black flip flops. Former First Daughter Sasha Obama was spotted smoking a cigarette with friends while donning a skimpy bikini at a Labor Day party in Los Angeles on Monday The recent University of Southern California graduate, 22, certainly enjoyed the federal holiday Photographers caught the youngest daughter of former President Barack Obama taking some puffs from a lit cigarette as she stood on the street with her pals Flaunting her figure! Sasha wore only a small white swimsuit top - which left her midriff and belly button ring on full display - and a long, flowing navy blue maxi skirt The 22-year-old kept it natural with minimal makeup, and she left her long, braided, brown locks loose Readjusting? Sasha was seen fixing her bikini top at one point The 22-year-old kept it natural with minimal makeup, and she left her long, braided, brown locks loose. This is certainly not the first time that Sasha has been caught smoking - as paparazzi have snapped shots of her partaking in the act on numerous occasions. It's a habit she may have picked up from her father, who previously admitted to smoking up to 10 cigarettes a day and has been very honest about his struggle to quit. Keeping it casual: She paired the look with black flip flops Barack, 62, began smoking as a teenager and he famously promised his wife, Michelle, 59, that he would quit before he campaigned for president. In 2009, he admitted during a press conference, 'As a former smoker I constantly struggle with it. 'Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes. Am I daily smoker or a constant smoker? No. 'I don't do it in front of my kids. I don't do it in front of my family. 'And, you know, I would say that I am 95 per cent cured, but there are times where there are times where I mess up.' In his 2020 memoir, A Promised Land, the former President said that he at one point smoked up to eight, nine or 10 cigarettes a day. This is certainly not the first time that Sasha has been caught smoking - as paparazzi have snapped shots of her partaking in the act on numerous occasions It's a habit she may have picked up from her father, who previously admitted to smoking up to 10 cigarettes a day and has been very honest about his struggle to quit Like father like daughter: Barack, 62, began smoking as a teenager and he famously promised his wife, Michelle, 59, that he would stop before he campaigned for president In 2009, he admitted during a press conference, 'As a former smoker I constantly struggle with it. 'Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes. Am I daily smoker or a constant smoker? No' Sasha and her older sister, Malia, 25, are currently living together in Los Angeles He credited his eldest daughter, Malia, now 25, with helping him to quit, writing that seeing her 'frown' at him after she 'smelled it on his breath' made him determined to stop. Malia has been seen puffing on a cigarette numerous times in recent years. The spotting comes days after Fox alum Tucker made a slew of accusations about Sasha's dad. During an appearance on the Adam Carolla Show, Tucker claimed that Barack had a gay love affair in the '90s, but that the media failed to report it after it came to light in 2008 due to threats from the Obama campaign. Back in 2008, a man named Larry Sinclair alleged that he had sex with Barack in 1999, and witnessed him buying and smoking cocaine. The allegation emerged while then-Senator Barack was gearing up for the presidential election, and was roundly condemned as an attempted political hatchet-job. But Tucker claimed Wednesday that it was 'really clear' that Larry was telling the truth and that news outlets didn't give it enough attention because Barack's team 'threatened them.' 'In 2008, it became really clear that Barack Obama had been having sex with men and smoking crack,' he said. Sasha moved to the West Coast in 2022, after she transferred to USC from the University of Michigan She graduated from the college in May with a major in sociology, while her parents cheered her on from the crowd Living it up: The sisters were seen partying into the wee hours of the morning alongside a slew of celebrities at a party hosted by Drake last month Back in November, their mom, Michelle, gushed over how her two daughters became each other's 'best friends' after going through a period of not being able to 'stand each other' 'A guy came forward, Larry Sinclair, and said "I'll sign an affidavit" and he did, "I'll do a lie detector" and he did. '[Larry said], "I smoked crack with Barack Obama and had sex with him," that was obviously true. 'Nobody reported it not because they were squeamish about sex or drugs but because the Obama campaign said anyone who reports on this gets no access to the Obama campaign,' Tucker alleged. 'So, they didn't report on it. 'The amount of lying in the media about it was unbelievable. This happens all the time up and down government.' Sasha and Malia are currently living together in Los Angeles. Sasha moved to the West Coast in 2022, after she transferred to USC from the University of Michigan. She graduated from the college in May with a major in sociology, while her parents cheered her on from the crowd. As for Malia, she headed to California after she finished her studies at Harvard in 2021, and she's currently working as a screenwriter. 'The thing that I love the most is that those two girls are each others best friends,' Michelle told Today hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager of Sasha and Malia Michelle admitted of her daughters: 'There was a period of time when they couldnt stand each other, and I said, "You two share something very unique," given what theyve been through' 'To see them in that place where theyre one anothers support systems and theyve got each others backs, it's the thing that a mother would want,' she gushed The spotting comes days after former Fox News host Tucker claimed that Sasha's dad Barack had a gay love affair in the '90s Back in 2008, a man named Larry Sinclair (seen) alleged that he had sex with Barack in 1999, and Tucker said news outlets didn't give Larry's claims enough attention because Barack's team 'threatened them' The sisters seem to be enjoying the razzle and dazzle of LA, and they were seen partying into the wee hours of the morning alongside a slew of celebrities at a party hosted by Drake last month. The star-studded bash took place at the coveted members-only club, The Bird Streets Club, and was attended by tons of famous faces like Saweetie and Anderson .Paak. Sasha and Malia also recently jetted off to their family's lavish $12 million estate in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, where they joined their parents for their annual family vacation. Back in November, Michelle gushed over how her two daughters became each other's 'best friends' after going through a period of not being able to 'stand each other.' 'The thing that I love the most is that those two girls are each others best friends,' she told Today hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager. 'There was a period of time when they couldnt stand each other, and I said, "You wait, you are going to wake up one day and youre going to look over at that other person, and youre going to know that you two share something very unique," especially given what theyve been through. 'To see them in that place where theyre one anothers support systems and theyve got each others backs, it's the thing that a mother would want.' Princess Charlene of Monaco has made a rare appearance with her husband Prince Albert today, amid claims they are living apart and only see each other 'by appointment'. The royal couple put on a united front as they received the new French Ambassador to Monaco, Jean D'Haussonville, at the Prince's Palace. Former Olympic swimmer Charlene, 45, cut an elegant figure in a navy skirt and blouse, teamed with a pearl necklace, in a snap taken of the meeting. Offering only the slightest of smiles, the mother-of-two appeared to stand awkwardly next to her smartly-dressed husband, who in contrast, wore a beaming grin for the camera. The couple - who share eight-year-old twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella - have been at the centre of speculation after reports in European media alleged Charlene was living in Switzerland and only saw husband Albert 'by appointment'. Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco put on a united front as they received the new French Ambassador to Monaco, Jean D'Haussonville, at the Prince's Palace Charlene also deleted her Instagram account last month, leading to further questions. Meanwhile, last month Prince Albert posed next to his former mistress Nicole Coste as they marked their son Alexandre's 20th birthday with an outside dinner. They were joined by Jazmin Grimaldi - Albert's other illegitimate child. A source close to Charlene and Albert told French newspaper Voici that the former Olympic swimmer and son of Grace Kelly are just a 'ceremonial couple'. It adds that Charlene has promised to return to Monaco on official occasions and is now allowed to see her children more often - with the pair splitting care of the children. 'Albert and Charlene are now good partners, take turns taking care of the children,' a source added to German newspaper Bild. Rumours of the state of the couple's marriage have swirled for years, since Charlene cried on her wedding to Grace Kelly's son in 2011. However, the rumour mill went into overdrive when Charlene spent most of 2021 apart from her husband after returning to her native South Africa for what was supposed to be a month-long trip. She wasn't picture in Monaco from January 2021 until March 2022, citing a sinus issue which stopped her from flying. Last month Prince Albert posed next to his former mistress Nicole Coste as they marked their son Alexandre's 20th birthday with an outside dinner. They were joined by Jazmin Grimaldi - Albert's other illegitimate child Upon her return to the principality, Albert claimed she was 'overwhelmed' and 'unwell'. Speaking to People magazine at the time, Albert said the family reunion in Monaco last week initially went 'pretty well' in the first few hours, but it then became 'pretty evident' that Charlene was 'unwell.' He said the former Olympian 'realised she needed help', adding: 'She was overwhelmed and couldn't face official duties, life in general or even family life.' Claims she will stay in Switzerland were backed up by a source who knows the couple well, who said: 'The South of France is too close, but Switzerland has superb private medical facilities, and Charlene will be well looked after there.' The couple have been at the centre of split rumours for years, but have always denied there's an issue with their marriage. Earlier this year, the Palace was forced to deny rumours first reported in French magazine ROYAUTE which suggested the couple were on the brink of divorce. In March, the Palace's press office said they 'formally deny the malicious rumours peddled by the magazine'. A spokesperson said: 'I would like to formally deny the malicious rumours peddled by the French magazine Royaute. Please disregard this article which is totally unfounded.' Last month, the royal couple also put on a united front as they relaxed on a yacht in Corsica. Photos show the couple relaxed while on a yacht in the Mediterranean. In one shot Albert lovingly wraps his arm around Charlene, while in another they sit side-by-side on the beach. The couple, alongside their twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, spent the summer on a yacht owned by Kazakh businessman Bulat Utemuratov. The couple shared a seemingly awkward kiss during their religious wedding ceremony on July 2, 2011 in Monaco Cried and groom: Charlene had been accused of trying to run away three times before she married The royal couple went on to have two children, eight-year-old twins, Jacques and Gabriella (pictured at National Day 2022 at the Monaco Palace) Albert is the current head of the pocket-sized principality. But it was the financial acumen of his father, Prince Rainier, that set Monaco on its current path to riches. Together with his wife Princess Grace, formerly Hollywood's Grace Kelly, they created one of the most unashamedly glamorous families on the planet - and a world combining high society with the high-octane thrill of the Monaco grand prix. Today, Prince Albert and Princess Consort Charlene, mother of his two children, attract the attention of photographers whenever they step out in public. But, the wealthy lifestyle is accompanied by a fair degree of drama. Guests at the wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco in 2011 could not help but notice that his bride, Charlene, cried through much of the ceremony. And they didn't look like tears of joy. Numerous photographs showed Charlene dabbing at her eyes, ignoring Albert's audible entreaties to stop crying. Charlene later proffered the explanation that she had been 'overwhelmed' by the proceedings but her awkward demeanour added to rumours that the couple's relationship was in trouble well before their wedding day. The family toured the historic D-Day beaches and the American cemetery Jenna Bush Hager has opened up about visiting the historic D-Day beaches of Normandy with her daughters during her family's 'magical' trip to France.' The Today star returned to the show on Tuesday with stories from their trip after both she and her co-host Hoda Kotb took the week off of work ahead of the Labor Day holiday. Bush Hager, 41, and her husband, Henry Hager, 45, also visited Paris while enjoying their first international adventure with their daughters, Mila, 10, and Poppy, eight. 'I had the most magical [vacation]. My 83-year-old mother-in-law took all of us well, not all of us. One of us stayed home,' she said of her four-year-old son, Hal, who did not go to France with them. Jenna Bush Hager, 41, opened up about her family's 'magical' trip to France on the Today show The Today host and her husband, Henry Hager, visited Normandy and Paris with their daughters, Mila and Poppy. Their four-year-old son, Hal, stayed home Bush Hager said she was surprised by her daughters' maturity on the trip, saying their favorite day was when they visited the American cemetery in Normandy The mother of three noted she was pleasantly surprised by her oldest daughters' maturity throughout their travels. 'Their favorite day was when they visited the American cemetery in Normandy. They just thought it was moving, and they could feel it,' she explained. 'They never said, "I'm bored."' Bush Hager noted that they pre-gamed the trip with 'a lot of teaching of history,' saying 'Mila read Poppy some books' ahead of time. 'Then, also, it was like you're grandmother's 83, and her father fought in World War II, and it's going to be meaningful for her,' she said. 'It was really beautiful.' The former first daughter described it as being a 'once in a lifetime' vacation for her family while recalling how special it was to share those memories with her daughters. 'They've never been anywhere, so to witness their [faces] when they saw a different culture. It was really incredible,' she explained. Bush Hager also noted that her daughters 'slept on the plane' and were 'well-behaved' with only one day 'where the was a little grumpiness.' 'I think if we re-set our expectations for our kids, they follow suite,' she said. The family struck a pose in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris during their travels The mom also captured her daughters doing their best impression of 'The Thinker' at the Rodin Museum The Hager girls were also treated to breakfast in bed in their hotel room While in Paris, they visited the Eiffel Tower and museums. The Read with Jenna founder shared pictures from their vacation on her Instagram Stories on Friday, including a snapshot of them eating at a cafe. The family posed in front of a mirror for an artistic selfie, and the mom captured her daughters doing their best impression of 'The Thinker' at the Rodin Museum. Bush Hager also shared a sweet photo of her girls enjoying room service in bed in their hotel room. After returning stateside, she and her husband spent Labor Day weekend saying 'goodbye summer' with her Today co-star Savannah Guthrie, her best friend Laird Gough, and their respective husband, Mike Feldman and Ross Gough. After returning stateside, Bush Hager spent Labor Day weekend saying 'goodbye summer' with her Today co-star Savannah Guthrie (left) and her best friend Laird Gough (right) The three pals posed for a photo together with their respective husbands Bush Hager also included some pictures of her children making s'mores, including her son, Hal, licking marshmallow off of his lip The group appeared to be at Bush Hager's new home in Connecticut, where the kids went swimming over the holiday weekend The host posted a picture of all the couples posing together, writing, 'Perfect way to say goodbye.' In another snapshot, she has her arms wrapped around Guthrie and Laird Gough. Bush Hager also included some pictures of her children making s'mores, including her son, Hal, licking marshmallow off of his lip. Guthrie and Feldman were joined by their children, Vale, nine, and Charley, six, who had fun swimming with the Hager children over the holiday weekend. The group appeared to be at Bush Hager's new home in Connecticut. They moved to Fairfield County last year after listing their New York City condo for $5.375 million in the spring of 2022. The Hagers also own a Long Island cottage with an open-air pool, where they like to spend their summers. SHOPPING Contains affiliated content. Products featured in this Mail Best article are selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, Dailymail.co.uk will earn an affiliate commission. Click here for more information. Maya Jama and Stormzy are officially back together. And what did the Love Island host pack for the romantic holiday that confirmed the rumours? She posed for an Instagram selfie in a pair of dreamy gold earrings by Missoma, which she teamed with what looks like Jaded London's 'Hydra' bikini (appropriate given they were on the Greek island Hydra). We're definitely keen to couple up... Lucy Williams x Missoma chunky waffle hoop earrings The plaited effect is almost giving us Chanel vibes, plus these 18ct gold plated earrings are the ideal size to wear with everything. 115 makes them a nice treat, but not as expensive as you might have imagined for celebrity-approved jewellery! Shop Don't Miss-oma out! These chunky gold earrings are from the ever popular Lucy Williams line It's certainly not the first time Maya has turned to Missoma's trusty earrings, and she's not the only famous fan of the brand either. Emily Ratajkowski, Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Florence Pugh, the Princess of Wales, Meghan Markle... we could be here all day listing them! And if you're lucky enough to be heading off on holiday anytime soon, take style tips from Maya, starting with her leather-look bikini. Copy Maya's holiday wardrobe Iris Smit is the founder behind successful brand The Quick Flick A young woman who has a shelf full of framed Coles receipts has revealed the reason behind her 'strange' collection. Iris Smit, from Perth, is the founder of the multi-million dollar business The Quick Flick which she launched in 2017 from her dining room table and led to her making the Forbes 30 under 30 rich list. The brand went from strength to strength after it was featured on Shark Tank, but she famously rejected the panel's $300,000 offer for a 25 per cent share as it wasn't enough. Over the years as the brand launched into Coles and Priceline, Iris, 28, has purchased her own products and framed the receipts as a memento. While the habit may seem 'weird' to others at first glance, the receipts act as a reminder of how far she's come. Scroll down for video Iris Smit, from Perth , is the founder of the multi-million dollar business The Quick Flick which she launched in 2017. She frames receipts as mementos 'You might think it's weird that I frame my Coles receipts, so I'll let you in on the back story,' Iris said. 'Six years ago today I started my business from my dining room table. I was an architecture student at the time, obsessed with how I could use my design knowledge to create better beauty products that solved everyday beauty problems.' The first product created was a world first eyeliner stamp that makes it easier to create the perfect winged look. Last year supermarket giant Coles spotted the sunscreen line and offered Iris the 'biggest retail deal' the brand has 'ever secured' with 830 stores across the country stocking the range. 'Quick Screen was such a success that I wanted to create mini sized of the line and after asking our customers if they though this was a good idea, mini sized turned into a full on travel pack,' she said. Iris went from rejecting a $300,000 Shark Tank offer to building a $15million beauty empire. She revealed her best-selling products are the two she launched in late 2021 containing SPF Seeing the products on shelves in Coles was a 'super exciting' experience for Iris who dreamt of one day launching in big-name retailers Seeing the products on shelves in Coles was a 'super exciting' experience for Iris who dreamt of one day launching in big-name retailers. So she decided to keep the receipts. 'I feel like we move through life so quickly, forgetting to pause and se how far we've actually come,' she said. 'We're so caught up looking to the next thing, focusing on what we haven't achieved rather than what we have. Sometimes I feel like I blinked and six years of running my business just went like that.' Iris hopes others take time to stop and reflect on their own past achievements, even if it means framing receipts. The Quick Screen range includes products for your skin, eyelashes and eyebrows (pictured) The idea for The Quick Flick came in 2016 when she was searching for an easier way to do her winged eyeliner everyday. When she made the Forbes rich list in May 2022, Iris told FEMAIL she was honoured to have made the list in what had been a difficult time for businesses in the Asia Pacific region. She was one of 4,000 people to be put up for a place on the coveted list. The youngest person to make the list was just 14 - while the average is usually 26.8. The young entrepreneur - who invested $10,000 of her own money into her brand - appeared on Shark Tank in May 2018 just three months after launch. The 'sharks' were interested in her $35 product with Andrew Banks offering to invest $300,000 - a deal for 25 per cent of her company - just three months after she launched in 2016. But five months later when it was time to sign the contract, Iris realised her business was worth far more than the offer. 'My business was valued by the sharks on the show at $1million, however by the time the show aired in May its valuation had already tripled. I wasn't in the position where I really needed the $300,000,' she said. The winged eye-liner queen went out on her own - and within 12 months, she had turned over $10 million dollars. Read more: My innocent symptoms were written off as 'normal pregnancy pains' - but what happened next turned into the most traumatic experience of my life How I get rid of my double chin in seconds: 'Mewing' beauty trend sculpts your face using only your tongue 'Martha's rule' would make it easier for worried patients to get a second opinion Parents of a teenager who died in hospital after medics failed to escalate her care are calling for a new NHS rule to make it easier for families of patients to get a second medical opinion. Martha Mills would have been 16 today but she died in 2021 after developing sepsis while in King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London. Despite concerns from her parents about her condition at the time, medics ignored them and instead sought to 'manage' them. Now her mum, Merope Mills, is calling for 'Martha's rule', to give patients, families and carers the chance to easily request a second opinion from a senior doctor in the same hospital if they suspect medics aren't taking concerns seriously. Health Secretary Steve Barclay has announced today the Government would look into introducing 'similar measures' to 'Marthas rule'. Martha Mills, pictured, who would have been 16 today, died after developing sepsis while under the care of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London The teenager was being looked after at King's after sustaining an injury to her pancreas following a bike accident while on a family holiday in Wales. The accident pushed her pancreas against her spine causing an internal laceration to the organ. After spending a few weeks on the ward, she developed an infection. Martha's condition worsened daily and she developed signs of sepsis, a life threatening overreaction to an infection where the body's immune system starts to damage the tissue and organs. In the UK 44,000 people die from sepsis every year. A coroner ruled last year that the 13-year-old would most likely have survived if medics had identified the warning signs and transferred her to intensive care earlier. WHAT IS SEPSIS? Sepsis occurs when the body reacts to an infection by attacking its own organs and tissues. Some 44,000 people die from sepsis every year in the UK. Worldwide, someone dies from the condition every 3.5 seconds. Sepsis has similar symptoms to flu, gastroenteritis and a chest infection. These include: S lurred speech or confusion lurred speech or confusion E xtreme shivering or muscle pain xtreme shivering or muscle pain P assing no urine in a day assing no urine in a day S evere breathlessness evere breathlessness I t feels like you are dying t feels like you are dying S kin mottled or discoloured Symptoms in children are: Fast breathing Fits or convulsions Mottled, bluish or pale skin Rashes that do not fade when pressed Lethargy Feeling abnormally cold Under fives may be vomiting repeatedly, not feeding or not urinating for 12 hours. Anyone can develop sepsis but it is most common in people who have recently had surgery, have a urinary catheter or have stayed in hospital for a long time. Other at-risk people include those with weak immune systems, chemotherapy patients, pregnant women, the elderly and the very young. Treatment varies depending on the site of the infection but involves antibiotics, IV fluids and oxygen, if necessary. Source: UK Sepsis Trust and NHS Choices Advertisement The trust has since apologised for mistakes in Martha's care and said in a statement that it 'remains deeply sorry that we failed Martha when she needed us most'. Marthas mother, Merope Mills, an editor at the Guardian, said she and her husband, Paul Laity, raised concerns about Marthas deteriorating health a number of times but these were not acted upon. Ms Mills says she felt 'ignored' when she mentioned her concerns to a junior doctor when he misdiagnosed her daughter's sepsis as a simple rash. She even voiced her concern that Martha would go into septic shock over a bank holiday weekend, but this was dismissed. Martha then died in the early hours of the following Tuesday's morning. Ms Mills said: 'At Kings College Hospital, there were no consultants present after the ward round during the weekend when Martha deteriorated, and so when I had doubts about Marthas care I had no-one senior to turn to.' She added that nurses on the ward told her to 'trust the doctors'. Ms Mills said: 'I had been "managed", I hadnt been listened to and I felt powerless. 'A national expert on sepsis worked just down the corridor in paediatric ICU (intensive care): had he seen her following a review, we know her treatment would have been utterly different. 'If a patient and family escalation system such as Marthas rule had existed and had been clearly advertised around the hospital with posters and stickers Im sure I would have used it and it could well have saved Marthas life.' 'When you are in hospital you are totally powerless', Ms Mills told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme. 'One lesson from Martha's deterioration is that more agency on the part of patients to challenge the culture or make hospitals safer.' 'Asking for a second opinion when there is a deterioration shouldn't be a problem and it shouldn't involve confrontation.' 'The idea of Martha's rule it would effectively formalise the idea of asking for a second opinion from a different medic outside the team who are currently looking after you.' Ms Mills said she thinks about her daughter every day and hope the introduction of 'Martha's rule' will help other patients. She said: 'I hope by having these conversations we can stop other people going through this horror.' Similar systems to the proposed 'Martha's rule' already exist in some NHS trusts, such as the Royal Berkshire Hospital which has one called 'Call 4 Concern'. It allows patients to call a hotline for immediate help if they think a patient is deteriorating and they feel their concerns are not being recognised by the health team. In a report with the thinktank Demos calling for 'Martha's rule' Ms Mills recalls being told not to do her own research and to trust the doctors. Marthas mother, Merope Mills, pictured, has said she and her husband, Paul Laity, raised concerns about Marthas deteriorating health a number of times but these were not acted upon She said: 'By Marthas bedside, I was told not to look up her symptoms on the internet, to leave everything in the doctors hands. 'Now, to a degree that I can never fully express, I wish Id done more, challenged the doctors, asked for a second opinion from outside the ward. 'For the future, Id like to make such action easier for other patients and their carers to make such challenges a little more acceptable and run-of-the-mill.' Ms Mills believes 'Martha's rule' would give patients and families another option if they were 'scared and unconvinced'. That might be by allowing a patient or family member to escalate to another team over the phone to get an urgent critical care review. Health Secretary Steve Barclay told the House of Commons today: 'Were exploring introducing Marthas rule to the UK. 'Marthas rule would be similar to the Queensland system called Ryans rule its a three-step process that allows patients or their families to review a clinical review of their case from a doctor or a nurse if their condition is deteriorating or not improving as expected. 'Ryans rule has saved lives in Queensland and Ive asked my department and the NHS to look into whether similar measures could improve patient safety here in the UK.' An NHS spokesperson said: 'All patients and families are able to seek a second opinion if they have concerns about their care and, as professional guidance for doctors in England sets out, it is essential that any patients wishes to seek a second opinion are respected.' A spokesperson at Kings said the trust remains 'deeply sorry that we failed Martha when she needed us most. 'Since Marthas death, we have put a number of improvements in place to help identify deteriorating children early, including mandatory sepsis training for all clinical staff in paediatrics. 'We have established a new paediatric iMobile service, which involves a specially trained team reviewing any seriously unwell children on our wards, and escalating their care where necessary. 'We also now formally document any parental concerns on our electronic paediatric early warning charts, and we have guidelines in place that recommend escalation of a childs care in those cases where we are unable to provide sufficient reassurance to parents. 'These are just some of the measures we have put in place, and our teams will continue to do everything they can to improve the care we provide as a result of learnings from Marthas sad death.' A strain of bird flu spreading in China has 'pandemic potential', experts have warned. Called H3N8, it is different to the H5N1 strain, which experts have already identified as having pandemic potential in humans, sparked fears of a fresh pandemic after fuelling the world's biggest ever bird flu outbreak. The variant is common in birds, horses and dogs and has even been found in seals, but it has rarely infected people. But in March a Chinese woman became the first confirmed H3N8 fatality. UK and Chinese scientists issued their warning after their laboratory tests on ferrets and mice infected with the bird flu strain showed humans could be 'vulnerable to infection at epidemic or pandemic proportions'. UK and Chinese scientists have issued a warning about the variant after their laboratory tests on ferrets and mice have showed humans could be 'vulnerable to infection at epidemic or pandemic proportions' Called H3N8, it is different to the H5N1 strain, which experts have already identified as having pandemic potential in humans, sparked fears of a fresh pandemic after fuelling the world's biggest ever bird flu outbreak. The variant is common in birds, horses and dogs and has even been found in seals, but it has rarely infected people. But in March a Chinese woman became the first confirmed H3N8 fatality Writing in the journal, Cell, the team of researchers said: 'Human populations, even when vaccinated against human H3N2 virus, appear immunologically naive to emerging mammalian-adapted H3N8 AIVs [avian influenza viruses] and could be vulnerable to infection at epidemic or pandemic proportion.' To test how deadly a mammal-spread H3N8 virus could be, researchers first infected a group of mice with one of five diseases then monitored them for 14 days. The viruses included two H3N8 viruses collected from infected people, two H3N8 viruses from chickens and a human seasonal flu virus as a baseline. They found clinical symptoms decreased activities, body weight loss and ruffled fur were 'clearly evident' at a mammal-spread H3N8 virus dose of 50 per cent. In contrast, no clinical signs, body weight loss, and mortality were observed in mice infected with the same doses of the chicken viruses or the human seasonal flu. Read more: Urgent bird flu warning to holidaymakers as experts beg Brits flocking to coast NOT to touch sick or dead birds Advertisement Scientists discovered all H3N8 viruses replicated well in tissues inside the mice's noses as well as their lungs. But mice infected with the human-derived H3N8 viruses were found to have a 'significantly higher' level of the virus in both areas compared to regular flu. Experts also observed that abnormalities on the lung were also 'more severe' than those caused by the chicken-derived H3N8 and seasonal flu. The experiment was then replicated on groups of two ferrets. Ferrets were chosen for the study as they have a similar respiratory makeup to humans, providing experts with an idea of how a virus would interact in people. Researchers found the animals infected with seasonal flu and chicken H3N8 'showed few clinical signs' of being ill. Ferrets with human-derived H3N8 however suffered serious symptoms including wheezing, difficulty breathing and coughing. High virus levels were also found in the their nasal tissue, as well as the animals' tracheae, lungs, and even brains. Infection with this bird flu strain also triggered peribronchiolitis a dangerous inflammation of lung tissue and bronchopneumonia. Concerningly, scientists discovered the H3N8 human viruses were airborne, capable of spreading between animals with no direct contact. In comparison, the chicken-derived H3N8 viruses failed to transmit between ferrets at all. Paper co-author Professor Jinhua Liu, an expert in veterinary microbiology at the China Agricultural University in Beijing, said the team discovered the virus had acquired properties enabling it to more easily transmit via the air. He added: 'Human populations, even when vaccinated against human H3N2 virus, appear immunologically naive to emerging mammalian-adapted H3N8 avian influenza viruses and could be vulnerable to infection at epidemic or pandemic proportions. Professor Kin-Chow Chang, an expert in veterinary molecular medicine at the University of Nottingham, who was involved in the study, also said: 'We demonstrate that an avian H3N8 virus isolated from a patient with severe pneumonia replicated effectively in human bronchial and lung epithelial cells [which line the airways and make mucus].' He added that the virus was 'extremely harmful in its effects in laboratory mammalian hosts and could be passed on through respiratory droplets'. UK scientists tasked with developing 'scenarios of early human transmission' of bird flu have warned that 5 per cent of infected people could die if the virus took off in humans (shown under scenario three). Under another scenario, the scientists assumed 1 per cent of those infected would be hospitalised and 0.25 per cent would die similar to how deadly Covid was in autumn 2021 (scenario one). The other saw a death rate of 2.5 per cent (scenario two) Over 700 confirmed cases of H5N1 have been detected among wild birds in England since September 2022, according to the UKHSA. Pictured above, a bird flu outbreak in February in Queens Park, Heywood, Rochdale In March, a Chinese woman became the first person to ever die from the H3N8 strain. Health officials believe she caught the virus from a wet market, where live animals are bought and sold, which she spent time before becoming ill. Experts have long warned of the mounting disease threat such markets pose, labelling them ideal grounds for transmission of pathogens. The unidentified woman was only the third person ever to officially be diagnosed with H3N8 - one of the most common strains in birds. Two young boys were struck down with the same virus in April and May last year in China in unlinked cases, but both survived. Like other forms of bird flu, human infections can occur when enough of the virus gets into a person's eyes, nose, mouth or is inhaled, usually in the form of infected droppings or other material from the animals. Such cases are usually the result of 'direct or indirect exposure to infected live or dead poultry or contaminated environments', according to the World Health Organization. Although there have only been a limited number of cases of this strain globally, the illness is believed to be similar to other bird flus in people. Usual symptoms include fever, fatigue, nausea and other flu-like symptoms. Sufferers may experience diarrhoea, sickness, stomach pain, chest pain and bleeding from the nose and gums, and pink eye. It comes as research in April, yet to be peer-reviewed found the H5N1 strain could also 'cause lethal disease in multiple mammalian species'. Canadian researchers, including some from Government health bodies, infected ferrets with one of four strains of H5N1. In March, a Chinese woman became the first person to ever die from the H3N8 strain. Health officials believe she caught the virus from a wet market, where she spent time before becoming ill Wet markets are large collections of open-air stalls where sellers flog live animals, raw meat and fish, as well as fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices. Experts have long warned of the mounting disease threat such markets pose, labelling them ideal grounds for transmission of pathogens They found that 'direct contact' with one strain of H5N1 isolated from an infected bird, resulted 'in lethal outcomes', the paper added. It raises the prospect that the strain may have developed 'certain adaptations that allow for a higher degree of replication, pathogenicity, and transmission'. At the time they warned that if such a strain made the leap to humans, the consequences could be catastrophic. 'Because there is little to no H5-specific population-wide immunity, if an H5N1 isolate capable of sustained transmission made a species jump into humans, this would likely represent a destructive infection in immunologically naive population,' they wrote. Some nations, including China, have been vaccinating against the H5N1 strain for years. Birds are vaccinated either via an injection into the egg or a spray onto chicks when they are still in boxes. Under UK health policy however, vaccinating chickens is currently illegal. But the Animal and Plant Health Agency, an arm of DEFRA, is currently looking at potential candidate vaccines for humans in the UK, if the virus spills over into people. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the bird flu death rate is believed to be around 50 per cent globally. In the UK, the Animal and Plant Health Agency, an arm of DEFRA, is reviewing the bird flu risk to humans every week. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has currently set the threat level to level three, given there is 'evidence' of changes in the virus genome that could trigger 'mammalian infection', it said. Any 'sustained' mammal-to-mammal transmission of the pathogen would raise the threat level to four, while human-to-human would push it to five. The Oman Health Exhibition and Conference (OHEC) will highlight cutting-edge healthcare technologies, medical practices and research by Omani, as well as reputed international companies, and delegations. The event, which will run from September 18 to 20 at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center, will also foster an environment for collaboration between industry peers while serving as a platform to promote trade. It will see an array of insightful sessions and engaging panel discussions on topics spanning the future of healthcare, education, investing in healthcare, and modern medicine. Announcing OHEC at a press conference were Dr Qamra Al Sariri, Director General of Quality Assurance Center (DGQAC), Dr Said Mohamed Al Mughairi, Director of Quality Assurance and Patient Safety, Directorate of Private Health Establishment, and Ashley Roberts, Managing Director, CONNECT. Organised by CONNECT (Oman Exhibitions Organising Company) in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MOH). OHEC is also supported by Directorate General of Quality Assurance Centre (DGQAC), the Directorate of Private Health Establishment and the Directorate General of Pharmaceutical Affairs and Drug Control (PADC). Oman Health Conference Co-located at the exhibition will be the Oman Health Conference held under the patronage of the MOH, and accredited by CPD certification. The second day of the conference will mark World Patient Safety Day with sessions and discussions on patient engagement and community involvement. Dr Al Sariri said: Such a large-scale event that brings national and international members of the health sector is necessary as it is very important for Omans healthcare sector to share our experiences with the international healthcare sector. OHEC's alignment with Oman's Health Vision 2050 cements its role as a driving force in positioning the country as an attractive destination for medical tourism. Medical tourism Alongside home-bred brands, the event will also see the participation of hospitals and clinics from India, Iran, Malaysia, Thailand, Poland, Pakistan, UK and Lebanon with a lot to showcase in the way of medical tourism offerings. OHEC will see a remarkable roster of participants, featuring prominent players from the region. At the event, Omans MHD ACERE will display HospiCare with a focus on providing high quality products for different departments such as Emergency, Intensive Care Unit, Operation Theater and surgical products. Bluedot will have its state-of-the-art Air Ambulance and Medical Assistance services on display. Visitors will also witness the unveiling of Al Farsi Medical Supplies B2B e-commerce platform, HospitalShop.com, which offers over 10,000 products spanning medical, dental, and laboratory segments; and their locally manufactured medical equipment brand Trusta. This robust engagement underscores the industry's acknowledgment of OHEC as a pivotal nexus for networking, showcasing innovations, and driving industry growth. Another key highlight that is geared at elevating OHEC's prestige is the presence of the VIP delegation from Malaysia, headed by Farizal B Jaafar, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), at the inauguration on September 18. Collaborative opportunities MHTC, alongside Malaysias leading private hospitals, namely Alpha IVF & Womens Specialists, KPJ Healthcare Berhad and Sunway Medical Centre, will showcase Malaysias world-class healthcare offerings, as well as explore collaborative opportunities to extend the reach of its quality and affordable healthcare to the Middle East. OHEC will feature an exclusive Malaysian pavilion. Jaafar said: Malaysia Healthcare is committed to offering our medical expertise, fostering innovation, and providing high-quality healthcare solutions to serve as a viable alternative to Middle Easterners, or specifically, Omanis that are seeking treatment abroad. Hence, I would like to invite industry players and potential healthcare travelers to visit us at the Malaysia Pavilion Booth No: 5500, Hall 3, and discover Malaysia Healthcare. We also look forward to engaging in meaningful discussions, exchanging knowledge, and exploring potential collaborations that can help expand our presence in this region.-- TradeArabia News Service In parts of the US, weekly positivity rates for Covid are as high as 20 percent President Biden removes his face mask during a Medal of Honor ceremony today - an act that appeared to exemplify Americans' fatigue with masks Jill Biden tested positive for Covid for a second time Monday, prompting multiple rounds of tests on President Joe Biden, who continues to result negative. As a precaution, the president, 80, wore a face mask for the first time in months as he went about his duties at the White House today. However, he took it off during a Medal of Honor ceremony and did not put it back on - an act that encapsulated Americans' fatigue with Covid masks. The 72-year-old First Lady's positive result is a reminder the virus that has been a backdrop issue for months is still disrupting people's lives as cases are on the rise again and positivity rates have climbed as high as 20 percent in some parts of the US. But Covid is no longer the deadly threat it once was. While hospital admissions involving the virus have been rising for weeks, they are still about 10 times lower than levels seen at the peak in January 2022 and deaths are about 40 times below the peak in late 2020. Many doctors now compare the virus to the common cold or the flu, which while disruptive and deadly among vulnerable groups, will not cause serious illness in the vast majority of people. The transition from deadly virus to manageable seasonal illness can be attributed to the high levels of immunity among Americans from infection or vaccination, plus an arsenal of highly-effective therapies and drugs. For these reasons the federal government declared the pandemic over in May this year and ended the public health emergency, scrapping legal requirements to mask, isolate, test and get vaccinated. But with Covid making a comeback, here's everything you need to know about the situation in the US: The above map shows the percent positivity of Covid tests by US region during the week ending Aug. 26. The percent positivity is highest in the region that includes New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana, where it is 20 percent or more The above map shows the weekly hospital admissions rate due to Covid-19 by US county in the week ending Aug. 19 The above maps shows the percentage of deaths due to Covid by state during the week ending Aug. 26 Will mask mandates be reinstated? While some individual companies and universities have put mask requirements in place, there is no indication state or federal mask mandates will return. When asked last week, the CDC said it had no intentions to bring back compulsory masks in any setting. Instead, a spokesperson said: 'Anyone may choose to wear a mask in crowded or poorly ventilated indoor areas, including on public transportation and in transportation hubs at any time.' Health officials in New York went one step further in saying that it was a 'good idea' to wear face coverings in indoor spaces over Labor Day weekend. Meanwhile, Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia, from reinstating a mask requirement for 14 days for students and staff just days after classes began late last month. The college also banned parties and large student events on campus and implemented temperature checks. Additionally, a recent editorial by the American College of Physicians called for mask mandates to return to healthcare facilities. A Kaiser Permanente hospital in California and several in New York state reinstated mandates for at least several weeks. Hollywood movie studio Lionsgate also reinstated its mask requirement briefly last month, before quickly reversing its decision. Do I need to isolate if I test positive for Covid? People are encouraged to but there is no legal requirement. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) latest guidelines, as of May 2023, people who test positive for Covid should isolate and keep separate from others for at least five days, regardless of vaccination status. President Biden removed his face covering to award the Medal of Honor to Captain Taylor If someone with Covid is showing no symptoms, the isolation period begins the day after they receive a test. However, if the person develops symptoms any time within 10 days of when they tested, the isolation period restarts on the day of symptom onset. If a person is showing symptoms, day one of the isolation period is the first full day following the day symptoms began. Isolation can end after day five if symptoms are improving and a person is fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medications. If symptoms do not approve after day five, people should continue to isolate until they are fever-free. However these are all recommendations, rather than rules. While isolation can end after five days, people who test positive should continue to wear a high-quality mask around others and in public for 10 days or until they receive two negative tests 48 hours apart. People with Covid should also inform anyone they recently had close contact with that they have the virus, though no one is legally obligated to report if they've tested positive. Do I have to stay home from work? There is no legal requirement but people are encouraged to take sick days if they become sick with Covid. Before May, some states forced employers to provide an additional amount of paid leave for reasons that applied to Covid - to help employees follow mandatory quarantine periods without using all of their sick and vacation leave. But those rules have lapsed in several jurisdictions. For example, California's COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave expired on December 31, 2022. However, some jurisdictions, such as New York State, still have COVID-19 sick leave laws in effect that require employers to provide separate paid leave beyond what an employee may otherwise be entitled to under a state or local paid sick leave law or an employer's policy for certain employee needs related to COVID-19. First Lady Dr Jill Biden speaks at the Chicago Federation of Labor Labor Day event in Chicago, Illinois on Aug. 30, 2023 President Joe Biden and first lady Dr Jill Biden walk on the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 2, 2023 Do I need to test if I am exposed to Covid? Current CDC guidelines recommend people who are exposed to Covid wear a mask as soon as they find out about their exposure. They should continue wearing a mask for 10 days and get tested for the virus five days after exposure. Even if the result is negative, the CDC says people should continue wearing a mask in public and around others for 10 days as symptoms can still develop. If a person tests positive, they should isolate immediately. Tests for Covid-19 had long been freely available and covered by government and private health insurances. However, with the Biden administration ending the Covid public health emergency in May, health insurance plans no longer need to cover tests and free test kits from the government are no longer being sent out, meaning Americans may need to pay for their own Covid testing. However, some insurers may still choose to cover testing. What are the new variants? Two variants driving the surge in cases, EG.5, or Eris, and BA.2.86, or Pirola, were thought to be highly mutated and transmissible and doctors believed they could be better at avoiding current vaccine immunity. While concerns over Pirola prompted concern from public health officials and new mask mandates, early lab results carried out in the US, Sweden and China suggest these warnings may have been overblown. Results indicated Pirola may be another 'scariant' and not the second coming of Omicron, Dr Dan Barouch, a virologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in New York who was behind one of the lab tests, told CNN. The tests found antibodies from people vaccinated against Covid and people who had recovered from an infection in the previous six months were just as effective at protecting against a Pirola infection as they were with other variants. Dr Barouch said after reviewing test results, he was confident Pirola did not pose the public health risk originally thought. While virologists have warned it is too early to reliably pinpoint BA.2.86 specific symptoms, its ancestor BA.2 had some tell-tale signs. Experts aren't yet certain, however, if it behaves like similar Omicron subvariants. Signs to watch out for include a runny nose, sore throat and fatigue What are my chances of becoming severely ill or dying from Covid? While Covid cases are on the rise in the US, public health officials say the majority of people are experiencing mild symptoms comparable to a cold or flu. Additionally, the CDC considers the hospitalization rate of Covid patients to be low and the weekly death rate is near a historic low. There were more deaths during the week ending Aug. 19 from Alzheimer's disease, which killed more than 1,649 people, diabetes, responsible for more than 1,107 deaths and cancerous tumors, which more than 8,796 people died from, according to the CDC's Weekly Provisional Counts of Deaths by State and Select Causes. Are cases, hospitalizations and deaths on the rise? In recent weeks, public health agencies have observed an increase in the number of positive Covid tests and hospitalizations. Over the past month, however, deaths from Covid have declined. The CDC reports there were approximately 4.5 new hospital admissions for every 100,000 people in the US in the week ending Aug. 19, the most recent data available. The CDC considers this a low rate and it is nearly 10 times lower than at the peak of hospital admissions in January 2022. The Covid death rate per 100,000 people in the week ending Aug. 26, was 0.1, compared to the high of 7.8 per 100,000, which was recorded in January 2021. Covid is now responsible for approximately two percent of all deaths in the US, compared to the peak of 30 percent in January 2021. While these numbers are promising, the elderly, those with comorbidities or those who are immunocompromised are still at a high risk of contracting the virus and suffering potentially dangerous complications and should take precautions amid the uptick. The above graph shows the weekly percent Covid test positivity (orange line) and the weekly Covid hospital admissions (blue bars) in the US throughout the pandemic as of Aug. 31 The above graph shows the weekly deaths from Covid in the US throughout the pandemic as of Aug. 31 Do I need another Covid vaccine? Doctors are advising people to hold off on getting another Covid booster until an updated one is available, which should be in mid- to late-September. Medical experts say people who are not immunocompromised or extremely vulnerable should postpone an immediate booster until the fall to maximize the protection gained from the updated vaccine. Vaccine manufacturers, such as Moderna, are updating their shots in order to better protect against new strains. Health officials say the new boosters, formulated based on subvariants of the Omicron strain, have been shown to provide significant antibodies against some of the circulating variants. Vaccines are currently free to most Americans with private or federal health coverage and to the uninsured. The US government has been paying about $26 per dose of the vaccine, but some manufacturers, such as Pfizer and Moderna, are planning to increase the price up to $130 when the shots are sold on the private market this fall. This price hike will be especially concerning in the fall, when the federal government plans on shifting Covid vaccine distribution to the commercial market, meaning manufacturers can sell their updated vaccines directly to healthcare providers instead of the government. Federal and corporate programs are planning to assist uninsured Americans in paying for the vaccine should they want to receive one and Pfizer and Moderna intend to establish patient assistance programs. A Sri Lankan teenager had to have a wire surgically removed from his penis after a dangerous masturbating technique went wrong. The 17-year-old - who has not been named - had developed a fetish for putting electrical wire down his urethra to intensify his orgasms. But on one occasion, he accidentally shoved an eight-inch-long wire too far, and it became lodged inside his penis, causing him extreme pain when he peed. He went to the hospital nine days after the pain in his abdomen became too intense. At that point, doctors had to surgically remove it. His tale was revealed in a medical case report. The photo shows the long, coiled wire found within the patient's bladder. It had become encrusted with deposits of calcium salts An X-ray of the man's pelvis showed an opaque foreign object within the pelvic cavity (pointed out in the scan) extending into the mid-urethra The above photo shows the foreign object, an eight-inch-long wire, that was extracted from the patient's body Polyembolokoilomania, or PEKamania for short, is a condition that sees people repeatedly insert foreign objects from wires and toothbrushes to lightbulbs into bodily orifices such as the urethra, rectum, and vagina while masturbating to reach orgasm. The teen did not suffer any severe health consequences from the masturbation session gone awry, though doctors lost touch with him soon after the procedure, meaning if he did endure further bodily harm, the hospital would not have known about it. The doctors at the hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka discovered the unknown coiled mass in the patient's abdomen via ultrasound scan. They performed a quick procedure called a cystoscopy which involves inserting a tube with a light and a camera at the end into the urethra to see inside the bladder. Once they got a more comprehensive view of the calcium salt-encrusted wire in the bladder, doctors were then able to surgically remove it. A few days elapsed between the patient going to the hospital and finally admitting to his care team that he had engaged in the risky habit of inserting foreign objects into his body while masturbating. He disclosed to them that he had been doing it for the past two years and was usually able to remove the foreign object himself. The man had shown signs of being hooked on masturbating. He admitted to doing it about three times a day and added that he had no control over his urges to do it despite wanting to cut back. The condition PEKamania is not only a rare masturbatory phenomenon, but it can also be dangerous, potentially leading to a severe infection that kills off bladder tissue. Doctors said: Complications of inserting a foreign body into male urethra are numerous. Serious complications including bladder tissue necrosis have been reported after the insertion of corrosive substances like batteries. After the wire was removed, doctors sent the young man for psychological counseling that included efforts to help him cut down on his urges to masturbate. He was found to have some anxieties around forming social and romantic relationships, but was otherwise in good mental health overall. Researchers from the University of Rochester, New York, found that men were more likely than women to come to hospital with a foreign object lodged in their rectums. They suggested, however, that this may be down to reporting bias because women were less likely to put non-sexual objects in their rectums, reducing the chances of their case being recorded The above shows the objects that were found in people's rectums. Writing implements may include pens, erasers or sharpeners. Miscellaneous included light bulbs and even a World War One bomb The patient was also issued a prescription for the generic version of the antidepressant Prozac to treat his paraphilia, a psychological disorder marked by abnormal sexual desires that are often harmful, such as pedophilia. The patient, however, was lost to follow-up after discharge, meaning doctors lost track of him and he never continued with psychological help. While the patient was not diagnosed with a particular mental disorder, doctors pointed out that a wide spectrum of psychiatric conditions can motivate the insertion of foreign objects through orifices of the body. Some of the main psychological and psychiatric causes are sexual gratification, paraphilic disorder, non-pathologic sexual preferences, non-suicidal self-harm attempts and borderline personality disorder. The patient was also found to have a moderately low IQ of 78. The doctors pointed out that individuals with low IQs may be more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors. They added: It is anticipated that his risk of re-engaging in such behavior with associated surgical complications is high. Sri Lanka has been identified as a country with a high level of stigma attached to mental disorders. It is our opinion that stigma may contribute to in these patients avoiding contact with health services. The case study was published in the journal Psychiatry Research Case Reports. Scientists found no sign it was more likely to cause infection or severe disease Early results from lab tests suggest warnings over 'Pirola' may be overblown A new Covid variant that sparked panic may be less infectious and deadly than previously feared. BA.2.86 or 'Pirola' was feared to have mutated to infect vaccinated and recently infected people with ease, prompting warnings from US and global health agencies. Those fears spooked several colleges and businesses into bringing back mask mandates, while health officials in New York encouraged people to don face coverings over Labor Day weekend. But early results from lab tests carried out in the US, Sweden and China suggest that these warnings may have been overblown and that this variant may actually be 'another scariant' and 'not the second coming of Omicron'. The tests found that antibodies from vaccinated people and those who had recovered from an infection within the last six months were just as effective against BA.2.86 enabling them to stop infection as they were with other variants. Scientists say that BA.2.86 may actually be less infectious than other currently circulating strains (stock image) While virologists have warned it is too early to reliably pinpoint BA.2.86 specific symptoms, its ancestor BA.2 had some tell-tale signs. Experts aren't yet certain, however, if it behaves like similar Omicron subvariants, the signs to watch out for include a runny nose, sore throat and fatigue Chinese researchers also found BA.2.86 was about 60 percent less infectious than XBB.1.15 the variant that was dominant in the US until EG.5, or Eris, emerged which they said may explain why it is only being detected at low levels. Scientists warned that while immunity from previous infections or vaccinations won't stop people catching the virus, tests suggest they are not more likely to suffer a severe infection. Dr Dan Barouch, a virologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in New York who was behind one of the lab tests, told CNN that he initially didn't believe the results, and asked his team to conduct the tests again. But, when the results came back the same, Dr Barouch said he was confident that this variant did not pose the risk that was first feared. He said: 'It was not exactly what I was expecting. '[But] now they've been repeated, and so now we're confident about them.' 'Two independent labs have basically shown that BA.2.86 essentially is not a further immune escape compared with current variants.' He also referred to BA.2.86 as a 'scariant'. Experts initially feared BA.2.86 would spark a fresh wave of infections because it had more than 35 mutations compared to its next closest ancestors. This was an evolutionary leap comparable to when Omicron first emerged, they said, suggesting it would be better able to trigger infections. This rang alarm bells because the Omicron wave sent infections and hospitalizations in the US to their highest point since Covid first emerged. It also sent deaths to their second-highest peak of about 3,000 Americans dying from Covid every day. Alarm bells were initially raised due to Pirola, technically called BA.2.86, having a catalog of 35 mutations that experts feared could help it evade immune defenses, driving up infections and cases of severe illness. But the US study suggests that despite Pirola coming from a different branch of the Omicron family trees than other recent and less concerning variants, including Eris and Arcturus, the protection offered from jabs and prior infection still holds Early results from a US lab found those who had previously been infected with Covid or had a jab had a similar level of immunity to other fellow Omicron Covid variants. While this won't stop people from catching the virus, it suggests the UK's wall of immunity should still help prevent many people from becoming severely ill But in tests conducted at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in New York and published late yesterday, scientists found the variant was not more contagious than other circulating strains. In the tests, first, they built the spike proteins from BA.2.86 and attached them to the body of a separate virus. Then they took plasma the clear part of the blood containing Covid-fighting antibodies from 66 Americans. Of these, 44 had been vaccinated against Covid while the rest had all recovered from an infection with one of the currently circulating XBB variants within the last six months. Early results showed the antibodies were as effective against BA.2.86, and sometimes more effectively than they were against other currently circulating variants. This suggests that the strain is no more likely to cause infections or severe disease than other currently circulating strains. Global cases of the Pirola have doubled in the last week and has now been detected in the UK, US, Israel, Denmark, South Africa, Portugal, Sweden, France, Canada, Thailand and Switzerland. Health experts fear it is rapidly spreading worldwide undetected In a second US experiment published today, Dr David Ho, a microbiologist from Columbia University in New York, also found the variant may not pose a higher risk of infection. He also tested Covid-fighting antibodies against the new variant. Blood plasma was taken from 61 Americans, of which 17 had had three monovalent vaccines which target the Wuhan strain and two bivalent vaccines which also targeted some Omicron strains. Another 25 had recently recovered from a BA.2 infection, while 19 had recovered from an XBB infection. Early results from his study showed that antibodies from these patients were just as able to bind to to BA.2.86 and stop an infection as they were with other currently circulating strains. The studies have several limitations, including that they were carried out in a petri dish rather than a person. The results, however, suggest that Pirola is likely not more infectious or more likely to cause severe disease than other currently circulating variants. Dr Stephen Griffin, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Leeds, in the UK, said the studies were 'welcome news'. He said: 'It is welcome news to see studies emerging that show BA.2.86 to perhaps be somewhat less antibody evasive than suspected. 'This begs the question, though, of how this very divergent virus has spread across multiple continents.' He added: 'The answer may lie in another advantage that the virus has over present dominant XBB strains that we have not yet assessed. 'This may involve evading the very early, or "innate" immune response, or possibly infection of a different part of the lungs.' Hospitalizations across the United States are going up, which is feared to be being driven by the EG.5 Covid variant because it is causing cases to rise Deaths due to Covid have also risen slightly, official surveillance suggests Dr Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert at the University of East Anglia, added: 'It is now difficult to say whether a new variant will really take off or not.' These studies' results align with previous experiments by labs in Sweden and China published late last month. In Sweden, researchers found that antibodies from older blood samples from late 2022 struggled to neutralize BA.2.86. But more recent blood samples, from more recent Covid waves, showed improved efficacy. And in a second experiment from China using the blood of vaccinated mice and from vaccinated and recently infected people, researchers found BA.2.86 was around 60 percent less infectious than the XBB.1.5 virus, nicknamed 'Kraken'. The scientists suggested this may explain why the strain has been detected in so many different countries, but only at low levels. They also detected a twofold drop in the ability of immunity from vaccination to neutralize BA.2.86 compared to XBB.1.5. While this was a fall, they pointed out that an eightfold drop in the ability of a vaccine to neutralize a new influenza virus is the benchmark scientists use to update the flu shot. Dr Yunlong Cao, a virologist at Peking University who carried out the research, told CNN: 'I would say it will slowly circulate in the population. 'It will not be able to compete with other fast-prevailing variants,' he said. Dr Ben Murrell, a virologist at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden behind their tests, added: 'Overall, it just doesn't appear to be nearly as extreme a situation as the original emergence of Omicron.' Surveillance shows that BA.2.86 is still behind barely a handful of infections across the United States, with EG.5 the dominant strain behind more than one in five cases. Data shows Covid hospitalizations across the US are ticking up, with about 15,000 people admitted to wards over the week to August 19 up 18 percent compared to the previous seven-day period. But this is also still well below the levels reported earlier this year, when there were 44,000 admissions a week in January. Deaths are also rising, with 616 fatalities recorded over the week to August 5, the latest available up 20 percent from 512 in the previous week. But this is also well below levels recorded earlier this year. Daily 4am queues for the dentist risk becoming the 'new normal', experts have warned. Leigh, in Greater Manchester, has joined a growing list of communities where struggling patients have queued from the break of dawn to access a dentist. It follows reports from Faversham, in Kent, where last month a practice received 27,000 calls for just 60 NHS slots. And in May, a practice in King's Lynn saw queues of more than 300 people form from 4am. Dentist leaders have warned the exodus of dentists from the NHS will grow without fundamental reform, and the service will not have a future. Leigh, in Greater Manchester, has joined a growing list of communities where struggling patients have queued from the break of dawn to access a dentist. It follows reports from Faversham, in Kent, where last month a practice received 27,000 calls for just 60 NHS slots. Pictured, the queue outside dentist surgery Faversham Smiles last month Dentist leaders have warned the exodus of dentists from the NHS will grow without fundamental reform, and the service will not have a future. Pictured, the queue outside dentist surgery Faversham Smiles last month. By 8am, more than 100 people desperate to access the subsidised service had queued up outside the practice in Kent Only 43 per cent of over-18s were seen by a dentist in the 24 months to June this year, compared to more than half in the same period before the pandemic struck Overall, 18.1million adults saw their dentist in the two years to June 2023, up from 16.4million in the 24 months to June 2022. But it is still well below the 21million seen in the two years to June 2020 Analysis of recent government data suggests more than 12 million people currently have an unmet need for dentistry, up a million on 2022 figures. Over six million adults tried and failed to get an appointment in the past two years, and 4.4 million simply did not try because they thought they could not secure one. Figures are now nearly three times pre-pandemic totals - in 2019 unmet need sat at over 4 million people. Separate figures show 121 fewer dentists delivered NHS care last year than the year before and the number has fallen by more than 500 since lockdown. Campaigners have warned the access 'crisis' is forcing patients to turn to DIY dentistry, with some pulling out their own teeth as they struggle to be seen. A recent Health and Social Care Committee inquiry described the state of the NHS dental service as 'totally unacceptable in the 21st century'. It set out fundamental change centered on reform of the NHS contract dentists work to. The British Dental Association (BDA), which represents dentists, characterized the reform plan as an 'instruction manual' to save NHS dentistry. A recovery plan for the service - promised in April - has yet to be published by the government. BDA Chair Eddie Crouch said: 'These scenes have no place in wealthy 21st century nation, but risk becoming the new normal for millions of patients. 'The Conservative Party will gather in Greater Manchester in little under a month. Ministers need to come armed with solutions to this crisis or NHS dentistry won't have a future.' The Department of Health and Social Care has been contacted for comment. Republican presidents were more likely to appoint people directly from industry Over a third of people appointed to the HHS leave to take jobs in private sectors More than half of Centers for Disease Control (CDC) staff go on to work for big pharma, a first-of-its-kind report has found. The analysis found that, between 2004 and 2020, 54 percent of workers who left the agency for another job moved into the private health sector. At the same time, a significant number of new staff hired by government health agencies come directly from private drug firms. Researchers from the University of Southern California and Harvard University who published the report said this 'revolving door' between federal workers and private healthcare companies has made government agencies vulnerable to corruption. The study leader called to expand federal 'cooling off' laws which prohibit former government employees from immediately lobbying on behalf of private organizations. The researchers found that 15 percent of HHS employees had been employed in private industry immediately prior to their appointment in the government (stock pic) The report also found that over a third of people appointed to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) leave to take jobs in the healthcare private sector, as do 53 percent of employees at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The HHS is the branch of the US government that deals with health, and the CDC is one of its major components. Currently, government ex-employees must wait one year after leaving these health agencies before lobbying or having 'any communication to or appearance before any officer or employee of their former agency on behalf of anyone seeking official action.' This was set up to prevent people from 'switching sides' on a matter they worked on during their government role. But the new report says the laws don't go far enough. The researchers looked at the career histories of 766 people appointed to HHS between 2004 and 2020 who occupied political appointments, including agency heads, senior-level administrators and their aides. They used the United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions, also known as the Plum Book, which is published every four years after each presidential election and lists all positions in the federal government. They used the book to collect the names of all HHS employees occupying appointed positions. They then manually searched LinkedIn to see where each person worked in the two years before and two years after their HHS appointment. They found that 15 percent had been employed in private industry immediately before their appointment in government. Almost a third (32 percent) left their HHS role for industry. Industry was the most common next destination after working at HHS, rather than other jobs in government, nonprofit and academia. Republican presidents were more likely to appoint people directly from industry. The authors said: 'The mere existence of a revolving door is not surprising or necessarily problematic.' Employees can get higher salaries in biopharmaceutical industries than government jobs, and government regulators who previously worked in industries they are regulating might have helpful insights. But Genevieve Kanter, study co-author and associate professor of public policy at the University of Southern California, said she was 'really concerned' about 'whether the personnel flow might lead to biases in government decision making.' She explained that current cooling-off laws tend to last no more than two years and are narrow in scope because they 'do not cover much lobbying related to agency decision making, like regulations and drug authorizations so they don't necessarily deter that behavior.' Ms Kanter added: 'The direction one might go is to expand the cooling off laws. But that's a blunt instrument for a lot of subtle things that might be going on in terms of the effects of the revolving door.' The study was published in the journal Health Affairs. In 2015, former Medicare chief Marilyn Tavenner was hired as the new CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) a national trade organization of health insurance companies. Ms Tavenner previously worked as the chief administrator at the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services between 2013 and 2015. Her appointment to AHIP in 2015 came just a few months after the health insurance industry also hired former Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz, a Pennsylvania Democrat, to head up Better Medicare Alliance a research group that supports the private health insurance option Medicare Advantage. Meanwhile, the former head of Eli Lilly between 2012 and 2017, Alex Azar, made the jump into government to serve as the HHS secretary from 2018 to 2021 under President Trump. A 2012 investigation by Sunlight Foundation found that, on average, a chief of staff at Capitol Hill could increase their earnings by 40 percent by moving into the private sector. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has said the NHS's 'Monday to Friday culture' following concerns over the death of Martha Mills. The 13-year-old died in hospital in 2021 after developing sepsis with a coroner ruling she could have have survived if medics had transferred her to intensive care earlier. Her death, which followed a bank holiday weekend, came despite concerns from her parents about her condition at the time, with medics ignoring them and instead seeking to 'manage' them. Speaking about the criticism of weekend staffing levels, Mr Streeting admitted today he was 'worried' that the Monday to Friday culture sees patients 'potentially at greater risk over the weekends'. Asked on the BBC Radio 4s Today programme whether it was something that needed examining, he replied 'it is something that Labour is looking at as we think about the next general election'. Martha Mills, pictured, who would have been 16 today, died after developing sepsis while under the care of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London Mr Streeting was asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme about criticism of weekend staffing levels after the 13-year-old died while under the care of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London He added: 'I am worried about the fact that NHS services on any day of the week are overstretched and poorly performing in too many cases. 'I do worry about the Monday to Friday culture that sees patients potentially at greater risk over the weekends that just can't be tolerated.' Martha's mother, Merope Mills, an editor at the Guardian, said she and her husband, Paul Laity, raised concerns about Martha's deteriorating health a number of times but these were not acted upon. Martha eventually developed a rash, with her mother voicing her concerns to NHS staff that the youngster would go into septic shock over a bank holiday weekend. One of the trust's own intensive care doctors told Martha's inquest he would '100 per cent' have admitted her if he had seen her. King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where Martha was being cared for, has since apologised for mistakes in her care. Asked later about changes made under Labour in 2003, which mean doctors can refuse to attend at weekends for non-emergency cases, he said: 'The last Labour government delivered the shortest waiting times, the highest patient satisfaction in the history of the NHS, but I also talk to NHS staff who increasingly want more flexible working. 'And I wonder if there's the opportunity to have the best of both worlds here, which is seven-day care and consistent care right throughout the week for patients, at the same time as offering NHS staff greater flexibility as they juggle their own family lives. 'Those are some of the reform-driven conversations that I'm having right across the NHS workforce at the moment.' Asked specifically about inadequate weekend cover in Martha's case, he said 'that's something I take very seriously and why we're looking at it'. 'It's not something I can make a commitment on today, but it is something we're looking at and you can certainly expect to hear more from Labour on this as we approach the general election,' he said. Marthas mother, Merope Mills, pictured, has said she and her husband, Paul Laity, raised concerns about Marthas deteriorating health a number of times but these were not acted upon Mr Streeting said he had shed tears while listening to Ms Mills tell her story and pledged to implement Martha's rule, which would give patients, families and carers the chance to easily request a second opinion from senior medics in the event of a suspected deterioration or serious concern. He said: 'We've got to take action because one of my reflections listening to Merope speak about her experiences as a mother is that this is someone who is very capable of articulating for herself, very confident working in a professional environment which can be quite argy-bargy actually. 'If someone like her didn't know her rights, and wasn't able to get the NHS to listen to her and to listen to the family, what hope is there for some of the constituents that I represent, where often they struggle to articulate, to get a hearing at all? 'So I just think something's got to change and that's why I think Martha's rule is something that's got to happen, it's something that a Labour government would deliver.' Rob Behrens, the parliamentary and health service ombudsman, told Today he had limited powers to look at wider NHS issues because the law states Martha's family would need to bring the case to him. 'In law, unfortunately, unlike all my European counterparts, I have to wait until someone brings an issue or complaint to me,' he said. 'I don't have the power to go out and look at issues unless people complain about them.' He said he would welcome such powers, adding he was 'virtually the only ombudsman in Europe that doesn't have that power'. Mr Behrens said: 'The key point is the people who most need our help as ombudsman are the people least likely to complain'. He said Martha's rule would 'make a difference if it is properly introduced and if it has the support of the NHS leaders and culture'. 'Unfortunately, there are big issues around the NHS culture and its defensiveness and its preference for supporting organisational reputation over patient safety. That has to be addressed for something like this to work properly,' he added. He said 'very little is often done as a result of these inquiries' that follow patient deaths. 'There are big issues around the failure of the duty of candour, the failure of whistleblowing, which need to be addressed in order to change the culture in the NHS, which depends upon leaders actually taking responsibility for championing patient safety,' he said. On Monday, Mr Barclay told the House of Commons the Government was exploring introducing Martha's rule to the UK. He said similar measures in the Australian state of Queensland had saved lives 'and I've asked my department and the NHS to look into whether similar measures could improve patient safety here in the UK'. European defence stocks rallied as analysts predicted an increase in shareholder returns and deal making across the industry next year. Bank of America said firms have taken huge strides in generating cash over the past two years and now have healthier balance sheets and lower debt. This means there is greater scope to return cash to investors or pursue mergers and acquisitions, analysts at the investment bank added. Looking at the London market, Bank of America said it expects Rolls-Royce to reinstate dividends next year. In a further boost, analysts at Jefferies said Rolls was likely to benefit from its civil aerospace division and improved cash flow. Take-off: Bank of America said European defence firms have taken huge strides in generating cash over the past two years and now have healthier balance sheets and lower debt The broker also sounded an optimistic note on Frances Thales, raising its rating from hold to buy on the belief that the recent Rafale jet orders should increase cash flow momentum. Shares in Rolls-Royce, which has been one of the best performing stocks in the FTSE 100 this year, rose 0.4 per cent, or 0.8p, to 219.9p and BAE Systems rose in early trading but closed flat at 1007.5p. In Europe, Thales rose 1.1 per cent. The FTSE 100 dropped 0.2 per cent, or 11.78 points, to 7452.76 and the FTSE 250 slid 0.07pc, or 12.76 points, to 18524.14. Outsourcer Mitie bought JCA Engineering for 31.5million. The mid-cap firm said its purchase of the Stevenage-based group, which focuses on projects regarding data centres, life sciences and healthcare sectors, is part of a strategy to invest in high growth companies. Mitie shares rose 0.7 per cent, or 0.7p, to 98.4p. Rolex seller Watches of Switzerland received a vote of confidence following the recent sell-off as four board members purchased nearly 1million of shares. Finance boss Anders Romberg bought 584,700 of stock. Chairman Ian Carter snapped up 205,690. Stock Watch - Advanced Medical Solutions Shares in Advanced Medical Solutions tumbled after it said revenue and profit will be lower than hoped. The AIM-listed maker of medical dressings warned of uncertainty over the royalty income it is paid from a licensing agreement with US firm Organogenesis. The move is expected to shave 2million off its profit in 2023 and 4million every year until 2026. Revenue is expected to be between 124million and 127million this year. Shares plunged 26 per cent, or 65p, to 185p. Non-executive directors Tea Colaianni and Robert Moorhead both purchased nearly 50,000 of shares. The stock plunged by a quarter on August 25 amid fears the watchmaker could lose its market share after Rolex bought rival Bucherer. Shares gained 3.7 per cent, or 21.5p, to 611p . CMC Markets appointed Albert Soleiman to be its finance boss. He first joined the spread betting company in 2005 and became group head of tax three years later. Having briefly left the company, Soleiman returned in 2020 to lead the launch of CMC Invest. He will succeed Euan Marshall, who took on the role in November 2019. Shares fell 1.3 per cent, or 1.4p, to 106.4p. Johnson Matthey failed to extend its gains after shares soared 9.9 per cent on Friday. Takeover speculation boosted the stock last week as the industrials investor Standard Industries doubled its stake in the chemicals giant. Deutsche Bank Research said the move reiterates under-appreciated strategic value in the mid-cap firm. But shares fell 2.2 per cent, or 38.5p, to 1752p. AFC Energy, the hydrogen fuel cell developer, signed a distribution agreement with a Saudi Arabian vendor involved many of the countrys major infrastructure and mining projects. As part of the deal, Tamgo will market, sell or lease the firms generators to countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kazakhstan. Shares soared 9.5 per cent, or 1.44p, to 16.68p. Property services firm Belvoir said a strong performance in its lettings business helped offset a slump in housing sales. Revenue rose 3 per cent to 15.9million in the first six months of 2023 while profit was up by a tenth to 4.4million. The company increased its interim dividend by a quarter to 5p a share. Shares gained 3.9 per cent, or 8.5p, to 228.5p. A sharp slump in exports could tip Germany back into recession underlining its status as the sick man of Europe. In a bleak report yesterday, the federal statistics office said exports fell 0.9 per cent in July as global demand continued to falter. The figures underlined the crisis facing the German economy, which has for decades been powered by sales of its goods to countries around the world. Slump: Shipping containers awaiting transit at Hamburg Port, Germany. Germany's federal statistics office said exports fell 0.9% in July as global demand continued to falter Trade is no longer the strong resilient growth driver of the German economy that it used to be, but rather a drag, said Carsten Brzeski, global head of macroeconomics at ING. Supply chain frictions, a more fragmented global economy and China increasingly being able to produce goods it previously bought from Germany, are all factors weighing on the German export sector. German output declined in the final three months of last year and the first three months of this year meaning it was in recession. The economy stagnated in the second quarter but fears are mounting it will decline again in the current third quarter leaving the country on the brink of another recession. The International Monetary Fund believes it will be the only member of the Group of Seven advanced nations to shrink in 2023. The boss of BMW has warned that banning petrol and diesel vehicles poses an 'imminent risk' to the European car industry amid a price war with China. Oliver Zipse, chief executive of the German car maker, said plans to ban combustion engine vehicles could put further pressure on companies that are already struggling to compete. 'The base car market segment will either vanish or will not be done by European manufacturers,' Zipse said. 'I want to send a message: I see that as an imminent risk.' Zipse joins a number of industry leaders that have questioned the time frame for phasing out petrol and diesel cars in a bid to push drivers towards electric vehicles (EV). Tough talk: BMW boss Oliver Zipse believes the whole of Europes traditional car industry is under threat The EU plans to ban the sale of new combustion engine cars by 2035 while the UK deadline is five years earlier in 2030 something that has been criticised for being unrealistic with the current EV charging infrastructure. The Mail has launched a 'Rethink The 2030 Petrol Car Ban' campaign to highlight the pitfalls in this hasty transition to electric. Speaking to the Financial Times, Zipse said the charging infrastructure in Europe was still 'far behind expectations, there are countries where they are not developing anything at all'. The BMW boss also sounded the alarm over the rising prevalence of Chinese EV manufacturers that are driving down prices and undercutting European players as they look to expand on the Continent. China dominates the international market for electric cars partly due to its grip on the supply chain. The nation has a hold on much of the mining of crucial raw materials, 80 per cent of the battery-making for EVs is controlled by Chinese firms and it is the world's top car exporter. Although Zipse said the price war was less brutal for more premium players such as BMW, he warned a growing number of cheap Chinese cars on the market would hit smaller players as they try to pivot away from fuel and towards electric. The average price of an EV in China was less than 27,000 in the first half of 2022 compared with around 48,000 in Europe, according to researchers at global automotive market research company Jato Dynamics. BYD, China's biggest electric car maker, declared war on Western companies last month, with its founder Wang Chuanfu claiming that the 'time has come for Chinese brands'. Last week BYD said profits soared 145 per cent in the three months to July to 740million after it sold a record number of cars. It is not just the chief of BMW who is concerned about the implications of China. Speaking at a mobility show in Munich yesterday, Renault boss Luca de Meo said: 'We have to close the gap on costs with some Chinese players that started on EVs a generation earlier.' The French firm was forced to slash its EV production costs by as much as 40 per cent because of these price pressures from the East. And Carlos Tavares, chief executive of Peugeot and Fiat owner Stellantis, has said the competition with Chinese manufacturers was likely to be 'extremely brutal'. 'Their cost competitiveness is 25 per cent against us. We have to fight,' he said in July, calling the Chinese push an 'invasion'. The UK is the largest market in Europe for Chinese electric car brands, accounting for almost a third of sales in 2023 so far, according to Schmidt Automotive Research on the 18 largest European car markets. Chinese manufacturers have already secured 8.2 per cent of the European electric car market, selling 86,000 battery electric cars so far this year. EnQuest shares tumbled on Tuesday after the windfall tax and falling prices sent the energy producer swinging to a first-half loss. The London-listed business reported a $21.2million loss for the six months ending June, compared to a $203.5million profit for the same period last year. It said the result was driven by a $76million charge related to the Energy Profits Levy (EPL), equivalent to more than half its overall tax bill. Losses: London-listed EnQuest reported a $21.2million loss for the six months ending June Discounting the EPL, the firm still saw pre-tax profits slump by around 38 per cent to $112.9million because of declining oil and gas prices hitting turnover, which plunged by over $200million to $732.7million. Following the trading update, EnQuest shares slumped 15.8 per cent, or 2.75p, to 14.7p by early Tuesday afternoon, making them the biggest faller on the FTSE All-Share Index. Petroleum prices skyrocketed over much of 2022 due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine squeezing energy supplies across Europe and loosening Covid-related restrictions enabling factories to reopen and people to travel more regularly. They have slid significantly since then amidst a global economic slowdown and governments imposing energy-efficiency measures. Wholesale gas prices have also taken a hit from mild weather conditions, improved storage levels and weak demand from China. For the first half of 2023, global petroleum prices were an average of $75.8 per barrel, against $89.9 the previous year, while the average day-ahead gas price fell from 182 pence to 108 pence per British thermal unit. Enquest's results were further affected by average production levels dropping by 8.5 per cent to 45,480 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Output at its Kraken field fell by around a third following the failure of some hydraulic submersible pump transformers in May, while the Golden Eagle operation also saw a decline in production. Back in February, the company said it would put new drilling at the Kraken field on hold due to the impact of the EPL. Introduced in May last year by then Chancellor Rishi Sunak, the windfall tax is a 35 per cent surcharge on the profits of North Sea oil and gas businesses, who now pay an effective tax rate of 75 per cent. Amjad Bseisu, chief executive and co-founder of EnQuest, warned that the industry faces 'significant challenges and loss of competitiveness' because of uncertainty deriving from the recent tax changes. He added that 'timely legislative reform is required to restore confidence in the UK oil and gas sector to protect jobs and deliver both energy security and decarbonisation.' Fellow North Sea producer Ithaca Energy announced a fortnight ago that it had been forced to delay and cancel some domestic projects because of the EPL. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'Treatment of tax is an accounting issue, and it definitely suits UK oil and gas firms to accentuate the impact of the new levies they face it is through their decisions to shelve and pull investment that they provide a credible signal of disquiet.' In response to industry criticism of the tax, the UK government has promised to abolish it should oil and gas prices descend below historically normal levels for a sustained period. Under the Energy Security Investment Mechanism, the levy would end when average oil prices drop to, or below, $71.40 per barrel and gas hits 54 pence per therm for two successive quarters. Bahrains Labour Fund (Tamkeen) has signed an agreement with major Japanese Application developer, E-Growth aimed at supporting international training opportunities for Bahraini talent. As part of Tamkeen's Global-Ready Talent Programme, the initiative marks a significant milestone in the collaboration between Bahrain and the Bahrain Embassy in Japan. The 12-month programme will see Bahrainis join E-Growth as Application developers, working on mission-critical applications, building, designing, and developing Java applications, and coordinating with their team on different layers of the web infrastructure. Degree in ICT Those with a bachelor's degree in the ICT field are selected to benefit from this 12-month programme. Interested individuals in obtaining similar training opportunities in the ICT sector can register through Tamkeens newly launched Kawader platform. Tamkeens Chief Executive, Maha AbdulHameed Mofeez said: The partnership between Tamkeen and E-Growth signifies a transformative opportunity for young Bahrainis in the vastly growing ICT sector. By aligning with Japan's technological advancement, which opens doors to world-class training, knowledge transfer, and hands-on experience with industry giants. The initiative not only empowers Bahraini youth with specialised skills, but also gives them experience in cross-border collaboration, enhancing their global readiness. It's a strategic investment for the future, nurturing talent, driving innovation, and reinforcing Bahrain's position as a hub for technological excellence. Application development E-Growth is a major player in Application development in Japan. The institution's partners include Japanese and global players such as IBM Japan Limited, HP Japan Inc, Sega XD Co and Softbank Technology Corporation. E-Growth President, Akiyoshi Sakaguchi, said: I would like to express my gratitude to Tamkeens team for their efforts in fostering cooperation between E-Growth and the Kingdom of Bahrain. We look forward to making steady strides together in reshaping the world of information technology and contributing to the growth of this sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain, while enhancing the skills of young local talent. Tamkeen has supported 51 Bahrainis to date through the Global-Ready Talent Programme, where individuals successfully joined the workforces of various international companies. These include Fives Group, Arla Foods, CERN, ZEN Data, and ProDrive International.--TradeArabia News Service Robin Terrell has been appointed as the company's new non-executive chairman Jet2 have revealed Robin Terrell, the company's current senior independent non-executive director, has been appointed as non-executive chairman. Terrell replaces Philip Meeson following the announcement in July that Meeson was stepping down from Jet2 after an illustrious stint in which he built it into Britain's biggest seller of package holidays. The airline and package holiday business outlined its reasons for unanimously agreeing on the appointment of Terrell as the company's new chairman. Jetting in: Robin Terrell is the new non-executive chairman of Jet2 In a statement, Jet2 said: 'Of particular importance was the need to ensure a seamless leadership transition together with the requirements to support the company's continued growth ambitions, uphold its established values of people, service, profits and contribute to its long-term success in continuing to deliver a customer first experience. 'Furthermore, the board recognised that practical experience of the business and its culture, plus strong relationships with the senior management team, were key criteria for any appointment to ensure continuity of culture and strategy.' Terrell, who qualified as a chartered accountant, previously led online and retail businesses including Amazon UK, John Lewis Direct and Tesco UK. Robin Terrell said: 'It is an immense privilege to be asked to chair a company of the calibre of Jet2 plc and I am very much looking forward to this new challenge. 'Over my three years with the company, I have seen first-hand the unmatched customer focus, attention to detail and level of engagement from Colleagues around the business and it has been a pleasure to be a member of the board.' In July, Jet2 was lifted by buoyant demand for package holidays as Britons seek certainty on spending in a cost of living crisis, helping it meet annual profit forecasts. The holiday group has opted to restart its final dividend after a pandemic hiatus, paying out 8 pence per share. Steve Heapy, chief executive officer, said: 'As a result of his determination and unstinting commitment to Jet2, Philip has enabled countless UK consumers to enjoy value for money, 'On behalf of all Jet2 Colleagues, I want to pay tribute to his remarkable career and we look forward to his continued support as an adviser. I am very pleased that Robin has agreed to become our non-executive chairman. 'We have worked well together in the three years that Robin has been on the Board, and his new role will be pivotal as we continue our unwavering commitment to our Customers and deliver on our strategy to be the UK's Leading and Best Leisure Travel company.' Jet2 shares were down by 1.04 per cent to 1,045p in afternoon trading on Tuesday. But he claims Ghislaine Maxwell could 'write a book on what not to do' A prison consultant has revealed how celebrity criminals pay up to six-figures for his help preparing for life behind bars - and says firebrand inmate Ghislaine Maxwell could 'write a book on what not to do.' Justin Paperny, director of White Collar Advice, told DailyMail.com that high profile inmates often rub felons up the wrong way, and survival can depend on fitting in as fast as possible. 'When you go to prison and you immediately want things, it's off putting for people who have never had it,' he said. Notably, Maxwell did exactly this and quickly earned the nickname 'prison Karen' after filing over 400 complaints following her conviction in December 2021. Paperny, who is an ex-con, said successful inmates find purpose through projects such as earning a degree or teaching and crucially 'not complaining' - adding that Maxwell has 'chosen to go down a totally different path, making it harder.' Paperny did not advise Maxwell but has helped a string of celebrities including currently-incarcerated Real Housewives star Jen Shah and reality couple Todd and Julie Chrisley. He charges up to six-figures for prison preparedness training and also offers free guidance. Ghislaine Maxwell poses with Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell quickly earned the nickname 'prison Karen' after filing over 400 complaints following her conviction in December 2021 Although Maxwell is a rare case due to her odious conviction for sex trafficking, the prison expert said most anxiety-stricken clients come in with the same questions. 'Their initial obsession is the prison,' he said. 'What's it like? The food? The showers? The commissary? Am I not going to have sex for a while?' He said while those things are important, they should be far more focused on 'avoiding problems and contributing to the community of felons.' 'It's surprising how many people are getting into trouble in prisons,' he added. While less infamous inmates may be able to accrue a larger social circle than Maxwell, Paperny said that the rich and famous who fall foul of the law must be cautious in the way they approach others inside. 'It starts with gratitude and recognizing the majority of people with whom we work have had a lot of benefits and opportunities throughout their life,' he said. 'It's about finding perspective that many people in that system have had nothing but ups and downs throughout their life, in and out of prison, maybe parents who might've been in prison, they didn't have opportunities. 'So we encourage our people that to find that perspective to be grateful, never complain.' Maxwell is locked up at FCI Tallahassee, which could be her home until July 2037 Ghislaine Maxwell has filed more than 400 complaints over the unfavorable conditions in prison since starting her 20-year sentence at FCI Tallahassee last July Among the advice banged up celebs are often given by prison consultants includes avoiding eavesdropping on other inmates or encroaching on their privacy, while so-called prison etiquette also plays a huge role in survival. Christopher Zoukis, an author on prison preparedness, said that a proper introduction to a convict's new cellmate could make or break their time behind bars. Zoukis, who himself was locked up for 12 years, told Town and Country Magazine that after being assigned a bunk, new inmates should wait to make a good first impression before moving their possessions into the cell. 'Even though you've been assigned to that cell, you're still invading someone's living space,' he said. 'Instead, walk up to the door, leave your stuff outside, knock, and say, "Hi, I'm your new cellmate."' For those facing a lengthy prison sentence after a lucrative career, Paperny's company can charge up to six figures to guide people through their time behind bars and help set them up for success after. This includes introducing inmates to prison programs such as teaching, where they document their good behavior to help reduce their sentences. These programs aim to give prisoners a sense of purpose, he said, which is important to a formerly-relevant individual. Alongside Shah, Paperny said he is also working with reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were put behind bars in January for tax evasion. Justin Paperny told DailyMail.com that the keys to surviving behind bars are laying low and avoiding causing problems with other inmates, particularly on a first impression Traumatic: Chase Chrisley has claimed jailed parents Todd and Julie are enduring 'nightmare' conditions as they serve lengthy prison sentences for bank fraud and tax evasion (pictured together 2018) The duo both are reportedly 'at their lowest point they have been yet' after having recent appeals for home confinement rejected, and are set to wait out their sentences of 12 and seven years respectively. Before his own arrest in 2008, Paperny was a stock broker with hundreds of millions of dollars under his command. He said a series of bad decisions led him down the wrong path, and he was convicted for securities fraud violations. His experience as a white-collar criminal plunged into the world of incarceration led him to start helping others who found themselves in a similar position. Jen Shah, shown in January in New York City, has been teaching classes to make the most of her time in prison He added that because most high status people who commit white collar crimes are able to hire a team of lawyers to help, they often have shorter sentences than others in jail with them - which can breed resentment. To overcome this, celebrities should humble themselves by helping the prison community they are in, which he said helps his clients because 'they learned from others who have had it worse and they are finding them inspiring.' 'They focus on what they can and cannot control,' he continued. 'You might not be able to control your bunk or your prison job, or when you can have visitors or access to the phone, but you can control your attitude.' While Maxwell has been plaguing prison officials, Paperny says some celebrities are able to successfully navigate jail - claiming that his client Jen Shah, the star of Salt Lake City Housewives, has been a model prisoner since she was incarcerated at FPC Bryan Prison Camp in Texas. Shah was sentenced in January to six and a half years in prison for her role in a telemarketing scam targeting the elderly. But since her arrest, Shah has worked with Paperny to create a 'release plan' to make the most of her time behind bars. Holmes takes a stroll through the prison yard in Bryan, Texas, where a prison expert said she could be using her time to prepare for the outside far better The disgraced tech CEO wore a casual outfit as she smiled and walked into prison on May 30, where she surrendered to authorities to serve an 11-year sentence 'She's teaching and mentoring and advising other prisoners. That's a very good way to serve time, she's contributing and giving back and staff can appreciate she's making the most of her experience,' he said. 'She's very upbeat and very positive. I admire her for never complaining,' he continued. 'She recognizes that at some point this is going to end, and she wants to be ready for life.' He said Shah has been following his prison guidance programs by documenting her teaching, which could help her gain favor with probation officers and prison officials and allow her to rebuild her reputation when she is free. Shah is locked up with another famous recent convict, Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, who Paperny felt was using her spare time less effectively. 'Elizabeth Holmes should be doing the same thing,' he said. 'The question is, what is she doing during her time to prepare, to prove worthy of love to her family, to somehow create a path where she can make some payments for her victims. 'So I would encourage Elizabeth Holmes to follow the Jennifer Shah plan - never complain, find gratitude, focus on what you can and cannot control. 'Prepare for the hardest part - coming come.' One of the issues White Collar Advisors specializes in is prison sentence shortening, primarily because 'we send too many people to prison and the sentence lengths are far too long.' But while some celebrities accused of a crime may dream of the chance to clear their name in open court, Paperny said that may be a poor decision in the long run. Sam Bankman-Fried, 31, has chosen to publicly fight the charges against him - a decision that a prison expert said could come back to bite him 'If they're innocent, they absolutely have the right to go to trial, as Elizabeth Holmes did,' he said. 'But we help them understand the consequences that follow by exercising your right to go to trial. 'When its United States of America versus your name, it's very hard to prevail. When the Department of Justice brings a case, it's because they think they're going to get the conviction.' Because fighting a case can lead to a longer conviction as it suggests a lack of remorse, Paperny said he also has advice for another high profile individual who is facing a lengthy prison spell - Sam Bankman-Fried, 31. The disgraced crypto tycoon has been fighting his case publicly in Manhattan Criminal Court, and was sent back to jail to await trial after catching the ire of prosecutors by flouting the rules of his record $250 million bail. The disgraced vegan crypto king appeared in court earlier this week to complain about the food in jail, claiming he was surviving on bread, water and peanut butter. 'Bankman-Fried is going down that path of Elizbeth Holmes, by blaming, excusing, saying "it wasn't my fault". That's fine, he just needs to understand the consequences that most likely will follow. And he's got to own it.' Bankman-Fried's insistence on his innocence is more common than many think, Paperny said - but warned others not to follow his lead unless they are committed. 'A lot of people say things like "I didn't have bad intentions", and "I was swept into this", the majority of people say they didn't have bad intentions,' he said, noting his company receives around 4,000 messages a month from people awaiting trial. 'The Department of Justice don't care,' he added. 'They care about the end result, and part of our work is helping people understand.' An OnlyFans star whose beloved cat was stripped from her and sent back to the US by China Airlines has befriended a family of felines outside her Bali villa. Content creator Nina Galy was left heartbroken after Baby Cat was turned around at Taipei Taoyuan Airport in Taiwan due to a 'human error' by LAX ground staff in July. But her sorrow turned to fury when she realized her 10-year-old pet had been left stuck in a vomit-soaked cage for 38 hours - before finally being released. Now Galy, 30, has revealed she's made seven new cat friends while in Bali, despite still missing her beloved Baby Cat. Content creator Nina Galy was left heartbroken after Baby Cat was turned around at Taipei Taoyuan Airport in Taiwan due to a 'human error' by LAX ground staff in July Galy has revealed she's made seven new cat friends while in Bali, despite still missing her beloved Baby Cat The 30-year-old OnlyFans model accused China Airlines of keeping her pet cat in a cage for 38 hours after not allowing her to bring the animal on plane to Bali While she was filming a video this week she heard a distant meow and saw a mother cat helping her babies down a tree. She then found what she believed to be the 'dad cat' on her back patio outside of her room. The male cat was extremely friendly and let Galy feed and pet him. Galy believes that the orange cat is the 'daddy' of the kids that showed up after him. Galy went out on the patio to be with the cat family saying: 'They were waiting for me to get home. Baby Cat would've hated y'all.' Galy gets videos of Baby Cat everyday from her mom and notices that she is more playful than ever before. Galy told DailyMail.com: 'Baby Cat is more of a solitary cat, at least that's what the vet told me in the past.' While she was filming a video this week she heard a distant meow and saw a mother cat helping her babies down a tree She didn't allow her new feline friends inside because she was worried about them being strays. She did put a container of water out for them and told them to 'relax on the porch' Speaking to DailyMail.com, Galy said she was considering legal action against the airline She didn't allow her new feline friends inside because she was worried about them being strays. She did put a container of water out for them and told them to 'relax on the porch.' Her caption on her one story said: 'They need to be groomed before I let them come inside again.' One of the cats is called Stephanie, villa staff said. Galy enjoyed dinner with her the other night as Stephanie hopped on Galy's lap and shared salmon and crepes. There are a total of seven cats that Galy found and she thinks that this is due to the universal cat distribution system which is when people meet cats purely based on circumstances. Gally described it as: 'You don't find cats, they find you.' Although she couldn't bring her own cat with her, she feels that this happened for a reason and is happy that not just one, but a family of cats found her. Weeks later, Galy's initial TikTok - and several others since - caught the carrier's attention, leading a rep to reach out to Galy with an offer of compensation, after she spent nearly $1,500 on consultations and vaccinations to ensure the cat could enter the country. She was also forced to fork over another $1,900 for the flight home Galy - who has more than 400,000 followers on TikTok - recounted to DailyMail.com how the ordeal left both her and her cat emotionally and physically ill Galy went viral in July when she accused China Airlines of traumatizing, sedating, and starving Baby Cat by locking it up during an initial 13-hour layover flight from LA to Taiwan. When the influencer touched down airline officials told her the cat would not be allowed into Indonesia, and she would have to fly back to the US immediately. She eventually obliged - but was ultimately dismayed when she found the animal had urinated and thrown up in her cage. Weeks later, Galy's initial TikTok - and several others since - caught the carrier's attention, leading a rep to reach out to Galy with an offer of compensation. She had already spent $1,500 on consultations and vaccinations to ensure the cat could enter the country. She also paid another $1,900 for the flight home. Galy previously recounted to DailyMail.com how the ordeal left both her and her cat emotionally and physically ill. 'She's been through everything with me from my college degree to my divorce,' she said of the animal, whose name is Baby Cat. The influencer - who has chalked up the airline's apparent oversight to 'human error' - added: 'Honestly, I felt like the worst cat parent, the worst human being. 'I felt like I betrayed my cat.' After being told she had to go back to the states, Galy was not able to be with her cat for another 13 hours, until the next plane took off for LAX. Galy said that China Airlines told her that the cat is going to be held in the basement with a blanket over her carrier for that time She added she began the process of legally importing Baby Cat to Indonesia more than three months earlier, spending $1,900 on travel expenses and certifications. As her July trip to the country's popular island neared, she said she thought she had done everything to make sure her cat could tag along with her. Tracking down the appropriate doctors, she gathered all the paperwork and paid for a series of blood and COVID tests for both her and Baby Cat. Each test had to be separate, with each appointment being 2-3 weeks apart, she said. Eventually, she was able to depart as planned July 5 - but was met with her first roadblock when she and Baby Cat arrived at LAX airport. It was there Galy was informed her pet could not travel with her in the cabin, and would instead need to be stowed away as cargo. For this, she said the airline charged her a total $730 in four separate transactions, adding to her already costly itinerary. China Airlines have since said Baby Cat should not have been allowed to board at LAX, but did not elaborate why - despite Galy insisting to DailyMail.com she had rigorously checked the rules and regulations in place for pet travel. That said, Galy went on to concede how she thought this was just a small blip in the road of her journey - that is, until she touched down in Taiwan. When she arrived, she said she was told by airline officials Baby Cat could not enter Indonesia and claimed she was told 'human error' was the reason. They did not specify why, and arrived at the decision even though the cat's carrier had a final destination tag to Bali on it, as is required by the airline. Her only option, she was told, was for them both to fly back to the US. She also had to pay for the flight back to the United States for both of them, even after admitting that they allowed this mishap to take place. While she waited for hours on end in the Taipei Taoyuan Airport, Galy attempted to ask China Airlines to at least fly her back to the US. Speaking to DailyMail.com, she recalled how a manager allegedly responded with, 'I do not accept your opinion. China Airlines does not owe you anything.' From when they boarded their first flight at LAX, Galy and Baby Cat were already separated for 13 hours. After being told she had to go back to the states, Galy was not able to be with her cat for another 13 hours, until the next plane took off for LAX. Galy added that the airline told her that the cat was kept in a basement with a blanket over her carrier during that span. A representative said in an email an internal investigation found LAX staff were wrong to accept Baby Cat on to the flight, and staff 'immediately explained the situation' to Galy, That correspondence also insisted airline staffers 'ensured that the cat was well-fed and in good health.' A Russian theatre manager has been screening a pirated copy of Barbie for thousands of fans - despite it not being released there due to the Ukraine war. Vladimir Tikhonenko, 21, has been airing a rip-off version of the Hollywood blockbuster on two screens in Tyumen, Siberia, over the last month. He has also organized rooftop 'Barbieland' parties featuring DJs, yoga sessions and lectures on 'Barbie philosophy'. Tikhonenko airs the film at great personal risk as the Russian state frequently censors Western media and would likely deem his actions subversive. Barbie, as well as Oppenheimer, were not released in Russia by Hollywood production companies in protest at Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Vladimir Tikhonenko, 21, has been airing a rip-off version of the Hollywood blockbuster on two screens in Tyumen, Siberia, over the last month But Tikhonenko told DailyMail.com how he was among those still screening the film, with him showing over 70 audiences over the last few weeks. He said: 'Primary versions are all over the Internet now and we have all of them. There was no good enough copy of Barbie when it was released in July.' Tikhonenko removed adverts from the finest version he could find among all the poor-quality copies pirated from movies theaters outside of Russia. The copy he screened also featured Russian dubbing, hinting it might have come from a Russian-speaking region. Russians have been able to watch Western movies despite major producers - such as Warner Brothers, Disney and Paramount - pulling out of the country due to the war. He has also organized rooftop 'Barbieland' parties featuring DJs, yoga sessions and lectures on 'Barbie philosophy' Cinemas in Russia sold tickets for little-known Russian documentaries and screenings for entirely different films. It meant they got around copyright laws and Russian laws that require distribution certificates from the government Most copies flowed in from Kazakhstan, among other Russian-speaking markets. Cinemas in Russia sold tickets for little-known Russian documentaries and screenings for entirely different films. It meant they got around copyright laws and Russian laws that require distribution certificates from the government, the Financial Times reported. Tikhonenko said he was not worried about censorship or copyright issues. His cinemas were small-scale and only screened movies on the rooftop in summer. 'The government has not paid attention to us, hopefully and fortunately,' he said. He also threw the biggest event of the year in his area called 'Barbieland' last week. It featured a DJ, yoga, a lecture on 'Barbie philosophy' and a screening of the film. Enthusiastic Barbie fans donned various shades of pink as they savored pizza and beer while watching the smash hit. He also threw the biggest event of the year in his area called 'Barbieland' last week. It featured a DJ, yoga, a lecture on 'Barbie philosophy' and a screening of the film Russian film critic Ilya Dolenko slammed the 'Barbie' screening in Tyumen for 'sh***y' dubbing and pop-up gambling ads, Moscow Times reported Tikhonenko added: 'Everyone was having fun, dancing and taking pictures. The atmosphere was great and exciting.' Russian film critic Ilya Dolenko slammed the 'Barbie' screening in Tyumen for 'sh***y' dubbing and pop-up gambling ads, the Moscow Times reported. But Tikhonenko hit back, saying: 'It's false because this movie critic is from Moscow. 'He wasn't at our first screening and every person who attended our events can prove that.' But he's come under fire from some, with critics slamming him for the terrible quality of his copies, while others attacked him for airing the movie at all Meanwhile Russian lawmaker Maria Butina, who has been convicted and jailed in the US for acting as an unregistered foreign agent, called for a ban on Barbie. 'What do we see in the film? Gays. Trans people. Women who have taken over the world. 'Nothing about the union between men and women, nothing about love,' she said on the Russian Duma TV channel. Tikhonenko said he was aware of the critics, but said: 'What can we do when living in such a reality? We just want to have fun and see the movie.' Donald Trump says Democrats' bid to use the 14th Amendment to stop him from appearing on the ticket in 2024 is a 'trick,' as some states try to advance the effort to boot him from the ballot. New Hampshire appears to have the most robust movement so far toward keeping Trump from being able to run for president in the first-in-the-nation primary election state. But voters in other states like Michigan and Florida have also mounted legal battles to challenge the constitutionality of Trump's White House bid. Clause 3 of the 14th Amendment is used as a basis for the anti-Trump argument that the ex-President cannot run for office again after swearing an oath to uphold the Constitution when he took office and then allegations that he engaged in an insurrection, which is what critics call the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. 'Almost all legal scholars have voiced opinions that the 14th Amendment has no legal basis or standing relative to the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election,' Trump posted to his social media site Truth Social on Monday evening. Donald Trump posted on Truth Social Monday evening that the argument to use the 14th Amendment to keep him off the 2024 ballot in some states is a Democratic 'trick' New Hampshire-based attorney Bryant Messner met with the state's GOP Secretary of State David Scanlan to discuss keeping Trump off the ballot but Scanlan insists he has not advanced the idea in any way yet He added: 'Like Election Interference, it is just another 'trick' being used by the Radical Left Communists, Marxists, and Fascists, to again steal an Election that their candidate, the WORST, MOST INCOMPETENT, & MOST CORRUPT President in U.S. history, is incapable of winning in a Free and Fair Election.' States are looking to keep Donald Trump off the 2024 ballot amid arguments the ex-President broke his 14th Amendment oath to uphold the Constitution and is therefore disqualified from the race. Specifically, the 3rd clause prevents those from serving in federal or state office if they've 'engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the [U.S.], or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.' Many claim that Trump's inaction on that day amounts to involvement and his insistence that the 2020 election was stolen only emboldened those who descended on the U.S. Capitol. New Hampshire-based attorney Bryant 'Corky' Messner, suggested last month that he intends to file a legal challenge questioning Trump's 2024 candidacy. Messner, who ran for U.S. Senate in 2020 with Trump's endorsement, met last week with New Hampshire's Republican Secretary of State David Scanlan to discuss keeping Trump off the ballot. Scanlan says he is not currently looking to remove any names from the presidential primary ballot and has not sought to do so. New Hampshire GOP Chairman Chris Ager has said that the party is going to 'fight to make sure that candidates are not denied access to the ballot.' Following conservative media personality Charlie Kirk's claims New Hampshire is trying to keep Trump off the ballot, Scanlan's office has been inundated with calls from supporters of the ex-President. As the state's top election official, Scanlan could act to keep candidates off the ballots but the GOP Secretary of State told multiple media outlets that he intends to seek legal advice on the matter. In Michigan, the Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is also looking for legal opinions on keeping Trump off the ballot under provisions of the 14th Amendment. In Michigan, the Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is looking for legal opinions on keeping Trump off the ballot and said she would work with counterparts in other battleground states like Nevada, Pennsylvania and Georgia to determine how to proceed The potential of using the 14th Amendment to disqualify Trump from running for President again gained traction in recent weeks after the ex-President was indicted twice for his role in the scheme to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden Benson suggested to MSNBC that she would work with her counterparts in other battleground states like Nevada, Pennsylvania and Georgia to determine how to proceed with the efforts to stop Trump from running in 2024. Lawsuits are already underway from voters in Florida and Michigan who are challenging the constitutionality of Trump's name being on the ballot. This could force election officials to act even if they don't want to. Trump said in his Labor Day musing on Truth Social that any attempts to prevent him from being on the ballot is another instance of election interference. The claims come as Trump continues to face legal challenges related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 elections results. It's expected that the legal challenges to Trump's candidacy could make their way all the way to the Supreme Court. The potential of using the 14th Amendment to disqualify Trump from running for President again recently gained traction now that the ex-President has been indicted twice for his role in the scheme to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. A law review article from two conservative legal experts is helping bolster some Republican support for Trump's disqualification. The mothers of a young woman who was killed when she was run over by a car while walking outside a club with two friends and the love of her life have spoken out for the first time since her tragic death. Aspiring model Libby Ruge, 19, died on Flinders Street in Wollongong, south of Sydney, at 10.30pm on November 7 2020, when a Toyota Camry mounted the kerb and ploughed into the group. The teen's two friends, Tye West and Eva Harrison, were injured, while her partner, Luke Day, was left unscathed. Jaskaran Singh, 19, was behind the wheel of the car, with his friend Arpan Sharma, 21, sitting in the passenger seat. Mr Sharma, who was intoxicated, abruptly pulled the handbrake, resulting in the car skidding, mounting the curb, and colliding with the teenagers. Mr Singh was found guilty of dangerous driving occasioning death and grievous bodily harm, and leaving the scene without rendering assistance. He was sentenced to six years prison, with a non-parole period of four years. His passenger, Mr Sharma, pleaded guilty to three dangerous driving charges and was sentenced to five years jail, with a non-parole period of three years and four months. After their prison sentences were imposed, Libby's mothers, Jules Harrison and Julie Ruge, shared their message with the men responsible for their daughters' deaths. Jules Harrison and Julie Ruge have opened up about the tragic death of their daughter Libby Ruge for the first time in years 'I didn't want them to feel like, 'Poor me, they hate me'. I don't want them to be victims,' Jules said. 'I hate the situation, and I hate that it happened, but I don't hate them.' Julie added: 'All the way through, we've tried to stay strong and honest for Libby, and just tried to be not angry, just respectful to the process, and what everybody has done for us to support us.' It has been three years since that tragic night, yet Jules and Julie continue to grapple with the loss of their daughter. The couple recently decided to move out of the house where Libby grew up, explaining that they were constantly waiting for their daughter to come home. 'We found ourselves constantly waiting for her to come home, for her to just walk back through the front door,' Julie told 7News. They said Libby's generosity was evident in all aspects of her life, whether it was offering chocolates to a struggling school peer or providing comforting support as a dental assistant. Libby had worked at four different dental clinics and aspired to become an orthodontist. Libby Ruge (pictured), 19, died when a Toyota Camry ploughed into her and her group of friends during a night out in Wollongong in November 2020 Julie and Jules have set up a foundation in Libby's memory called Be Kind Like Libby, or BKLL, which helps people access specialist dental care (pictured, Libby) In her honour, her parents have established the 'Be Kind Like Libby' foundation with the mission of providing specialised dental care to Aussies who are struggling financially. Julie and Jules have successfully raised thousands of dollars for the charity and helped many young Aussies get the smile of their dreams. Libby's mothers have urged people to constantly check in with their loved ones. 'Tragic things can happen so unexpectedly, so quickly,' they said. 'Tell people you love how much you love them - you just never know.' A festival in Sydney and Melbourne is calling on ticketholders to 'Pay the Rent' with an additional fee to compensate traditional owners of the land the events will be held on. Tickets for the Summer Camp Festival, held which is to be held in December, are cost $228.88, with an optional $3.01 'Pay The Rent' First Nations Community Donation'. Organisers have described the payment as a way to acknowledge that colonisation continues to affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. SHOULD FESTIVALS ASK GUESTS TO 'PAY THE RENT?' HAVE YOUR SAY IN THE COMMENTS A festival in Sydney and Melbourne later this year is calling on ticketholders to 'Pay the Rent' with an additional fee to compensate traditional owners of the land the events will take place on The two headline acts for the festival - which vows to 'bring the best of queer culture' - are Jessie Ware from the United Kingdom and drag queen DJ Trixie Mattel from the United States 'This amount will be added to Summer Camp's donation to a First Nations organisation chosen in consultation with the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council,' it said. The two headline acts for the festival - which vows to 'bring the best of queer culture' - are Jessie Ware from the United Kingdom and drag queen DJ Trixie Mattel from the U.S. Poll Should festivalgoers 'Pay the Rent' to attend? YES NO Should festivalgoers 'Pay the Rent' to attend? YES 22 votes NO 1398 votes Now share your opinion In July 2021, when the Coalition was in government, Summer Camp Festival received a $397,328 federal grant under the RISE initiative. The initiative was established as part of a $200million Covid recovery package for creative industries, and issued 541 grants to help relaunch Australia's arts scene. Summer Camp Festival, then operating under the business name Pride in the Parkland, received a grant in the fourth batch of approved recipients. The Pay the Rent initiative has been around for a long time, but the concept has been at the forefront of recent discussions over the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament. While the constitutional amendment - if the referendum succeeds on October 14 - will not make any reference to 'paying the rent', some of the government's handpicked First Nations advisors have been outspoken in their desire for a Voice to advance treaty negotiations. Organisers have described the payment as a way to 'Pay the Rent' to the traditional custodians of the land our event is held on, acknowledging that colonisation continues to affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people The Pay the Rent initiative has been around for a long time, seen as a way to compensate Indigenous Australians for colonisation and the continued inhabitance of Australia Prominent Yes Campaigner Thomas Mayo listed 'all the things we imagine when we demand' a Voice, including 'reparations, land back, abolishing harmful colonial institutions'. Mr Mayo said a 'guaranteed representative body' was 'needed [to]... properly pursue the rent that is owed and an abolishment of systems that harm us'. And prominent Voice architect Teela Reid said 'Aboriginal people built the nation and now it's time you pay the rent'. More recently, it was revealed that Professor Megan Davis gave a speech in 2018 describing treaties as being 'about reparations' and that 'Treaty is not an end, it's a beginning'. She said: 'Treaties are legal texts. There will be disputes over interpretation. The treaties are about reparations for past injustices and they are about land and they are about resources.' There are concerns, both within the No camp and the wider general public, that there is a undercurrent of trying to popularise the movement. Lawyer Teela Reid, a Wiradjuri woman and public speaker, once described the proposal to change the constitution as a 'journey with all Australians to demolish the systems that continue to oppress us' Some of the government's handpicked First Nations advisors have been outspoken in their desire for a Voice to advance treaty negotiations. Pictured: Teela Reid and Thomas Mayo But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese flatly rejected calls to pay Indigenous Australians reparations. He said in an interview last month it was wrong to imply the Voice could lead to reparations or 'rent' being paid to live on Australian land. 'There's nothing in the Uluru Statement about reparations,' he said. 'I don't support reparations.' While reparations are not mentioned in the one-page Uluru Statement which is being relied on for the Voice, the concept is discussed several times in the longer manifesto which informed the statement. The official Pay the Rent movement describes the proposal as a means of moving 'toward justice, truth, equality and liberation'. 'Any non-Indigenous person, organisation, or business using or benefiting from First Nations land should Pay the Rent,' the group says. 'It is appropriate to Pay the Rent for special events held on First Nations land, such as weddings, conferences or festivals.' In all, the group recommends people pay about one per cent of their annual income as a 'good rule of thumb', and the money is then funnelled back into Indigenous communities. The official organisation has helped to fund 1,978 funerals and sorry business with the 'rent' money it has received from participants, who have the option to pay a one-off fee or make ongoing contributions. Boots and M&S meal deals are under threat as hundreds of staff at Britain's biggest sandwich maker are set to go on strike. The action is threatened at Greencore, which supplies sandwiches to all the major supermarkets, ranging from Boots and Aldi to Lidl and M&S. Its products can also be found in Boots, coffee shop chains and petrol station convenience stores. More than 500 workers at Greencore, who are demanding an increase to their 10.53-an-hour pay, will strike from September 11 to October 9. Greencore made 975million sandwiches and other food-to-go products last year from 16 factories. The Boots meal deal could be under threat after Greencore workers threatened to go on strike in a row over pay The firm said some 52 per cent of its sandwiches that are bought in supermarkets are part of a meal deal. The Unite union says the workers at Greencore's Manton Wood site in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, will walk out over what it calls poverty levels of pay and claims it is likely to lead to a shortage of sandwiches on the shelves. In October, Greencore reported full-year revenue of 1.7billion - up from 1.3billion in 2021. A rise in the sales of meal deals has been driven by a return to the office and the cost of living crisis. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'Greencore workers do difficult work to ensure sandwiches reach supermarket shelves across the country,. 'Yet their employer, whilst making substantial profits, sees fit not to share the spoils with its workers.' A Greencore spokesman said: 'Having been in discussions with union representatives regarding pay in respect to colleagues at our Manton Wood site since January, we are disappointed that Greencore's final pay offer, which we believe to be both strong and competitive, has been rejected by union members on a small turnout. 'We will be undertaking a number of planning and mitigation measures at the site in the coming weeks in order to prevent any disruption to service levels for our customers should potential industrial action take place. 'In parallel, we will continue to liaise with both Unite and our Manton Wood colleagues with the aim of reaching agreement.' The sandwich-maker supplies shops up and down the country, including Boots and M&S, as well as petrol stations and convenience stores Workers at a factory which produces KP Nuts have agreed to postpone strike action following a new pay offer. Trade union Unite previously warned that its members at the site in Rotherham, South Yorks, would start a week-long walkout on Tuesday and take two more weeks of strikes from September 18 if the dispute over pay was not resolved. After a meeting with KP Snacks management on Monday, strike action will be suspended while workers vote on the revised pay offer from the company, Unite said. Speaking before the latest pay offer, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'The workers have made it abundantly clear that they're sick of being paid peanuts while the company rakes in tens of millions in profit. 'That's why the workers are determined to secure a fair pay deal.' The workers previously rejected an 8% pay offer.' Statistics published last month by sandwich-maker Greencore revealed that more than half the sandwiches sold by UK supermarkets are bought as part of meal deals. Greencore has distribution and manufacturing sites dotted around the UK, including a dedicated M&S site in Northampton, and a food to go unit in West Drayton, Heathrow, where it prepares sandwiches, wraps, and baguettes. But northerners will only shell out a fraction of the cost for a similar treat Londoners may pay around 13 for a post-night out kebab and over 6 per pint Londoners are paying almost three times more for pints and kebabs than in Britain's cheapest towns, it has been revealed. There is a clear divide between pub prices in the North and South, where drinkers in the County Durham town of Consett only pay 2.65 for a pint, according to analysis. Meanwhile, the price of a beer in London will usually cost more than 6, with the dearest average coming in at 6.63 in the west of the city. And a post-night out treat at a kebab shop also sees a stark difference in how much a hungry Briton can expect to pay depending on where they live, MailOnline can reveal. Those in Greenwich, south-east London can pay up to 13.90 for a doner kebab, while Surrey also sees high prices of around 12. A post-night out treat at the kebab shop sees a stark difference in how much a hungry Briton can expect to pay depending on where they live (file picture) In comparison, Northerners will only have to fork out half as much money, with a kebab in Normanton, West Yorkshire coming in at 5 and Blaydon-on-Tyne offering a 5.50 bargain. THE NORTH-SOUTH BEER AND KEBAB DIVIDE IN FULL LOCATION BEER KEBAB CONSETT 2.65 6.50 BLAYDON ON TYNE 2.77 5.50 FERRYHILL 2.87 6 DALTON IN FURNESS 2.97 6.50 NORMANTON 3.05 5 LOUTH 3.07 7 HEXHAM 3.09 7 HALIFAX 3.15 5.90 BRIGG 3.18 6.90 HECKMONDWIKE 3.20 6.80 LONDON WC 6.63 9.90 LONDON EC 6.62 8 TEDDINGTON 6.60 9.60 LONDON SW 6.55 7.50 LONDON W 6.53 8.50 ISLEWORTH 6.47 7.50 RICHMOND 6.45 11 VIRGINIA WATER 6.40 11.90 GREAT MISSENDEN 6.38 9.90 LONDON SE 6.38 13.90 For many, a trip to the pub and a kebab shop visit comes as the highlight of the working week. But the cost of living crisis may see some priced out of what once was a simple treat with friends in the evening. Experts at data consultancy CGA surveyed 9,000 pubs in 865 areas to analyse where drinkers are getting the best value for their money. Eight out of ten of the most expensive areas for pints could be found in London, with the other two just outside the capital at Virginia Water in Surrey, and Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire. The most pricey areas for a kebab were also in London, where customers will expect to pay at least 8. Paul Bolton, head of GB drinks at the CGA, said: 'We definitely see a North-South divide, with prices for a pint in London and the South-East way above those in the central and northern regions in terms of average price of a pint.' He added: 'It is also ultimately down to what consumers are willing to pay in those areas.' The consultancy looked at prices over 12 weeks over July and August from pubs and bars. The CGA said that figures may vary depending on the type of pint and establishment - as well as varying business rates, rents and wages. The average price of a kebab in the County Durham town of Consett is 6.50 (file image) Halifax in West Yorkshire has an average price of 5.90 for a kebab (file image) MailOnline looked at the price of a doner kebab around the country - but some establishments emphasised their prices could be higher due to the addition of sides, such as chips, and a higher quality of meat. READ MORE: One in four pubs have hiked the price of beer by 10 per cent in six months Advertisement Mr Bolton added: 'It is not all black and white certain pub chains for example are able to offer cheaper pints based on their business model, regardless of where they are. 'Also, a pint in the centre of Manchester is likely to cost significantly more than one in Hyde just seven miles away, due to the variation of the cost of doing business in both of those areas.' Jane Peyton, from drinks consultancy School of Booze, said: 'When ordering a beer in the north I've often questioned the price and said 'I asked for a pint not a half,' and they laugh and say: "This is not London."' 'The cost of doing business rents, rates, wages is much higher in London than rural areas in the North.' It was revealed earlier this week that the price of beer has almost doubled in 15 years, and a pint can now cost 9 in some areas in London. Those in South-East London can pay up to 13.90 for a doner kebab in Greenwich (file image) The average price of a kebab in Isleworth, west London, is 6.47 (file image) Back in March it came to light that one in four pubs had hiked the price of beer by 10 per cent in six months - and the increases have only continued in the months since. Even value chain Wetherspoons recently saw the price rocket by 25p to 7.10 a pint at some pubs. Customers may be in shock as they come to pay the bill, as the usually cheap prices have spiralled in recent weeks. Belgian beer Leffe has seen a price hike of 3.5 per cent at some Wetherspoon pubs, with the cost rising from 6.85 to 7.10, The Sun reported. Pints including Corona, San Miguel and Stella Artois are also all nearing 7 at the chain. A City lawyer fractured a 'tipsy' investment banker's jaw with a single bunch after he allegedly shouted gay slurs at him in an exclusive London nightclub, a court heard. Barnaby Gush, 30, claims Jonathan Luke - who needed two metal plates to repair his jaw - shouted the gay slur: 'F*** off you little p***,' due to his flamboyant dancing at the members-only basement Vault bar. Mr Luke, 32, denies he was drunk and aggressive during his company's end-of-summer night out, insisting he was nothing more than 'reasonably tipsy'. Gush, a property solicitor, has pleaded not guilty to one count of inflicting grievous bodily harm on September 24, 2021. But he admits striking out in self-defence, claiming Mr Luke twice bumped into him on the dance floor before moving aggressively towards him as the pair 'squared up' in the early hours. Barnaby Gush, 30, (pictured) claims Jonathan Luke - who needed two metal plates to repair his jaw - shouted the gay slur: 'F*** off you little p***,' due to his flamboyant dancing at the members-only basement Vault bar Mr Luke, 32, (pictured) denies he was drunk and aggressive during his company's end-of-summer night out, insisting he was nothing more than 'reasonably tipsy' Mr Luke told Inner London Crown Court his evening began at The Happenstance, near St. Paul's Cathedral, where there was a 'drinking event' with a 'free bar'. After 'two or three' beers, 'one or two' glasses of wine, plus a shot his group continued drinking cocktails at the Ned, a popular nightspot located near the Bank of England. 'I was with colleagues and having a nice time and I remember feeling this punch at the bottom of my jaw from the right. It felt like a big, sudden impact, a shock,' he told the court. 'I was not braced for any impact and it was very sore. I felt a bit of a hole in my mouth and it was where the jaw had displaced. 'I hoped I could sleep it off, but the police called in the morning and suggested I should go to A&E. 'I could not swallow and two metal plates were put in to crack the lower jaw back into place.' However, Gush's lawyer Aisling Byrnes suggested: 'You were very drunk that evening. Do you recall wandering around the dance floor going from group to group?' Gush, a property solicitor, has pleaded not guilty to one count of inflicting grievous bodily harm on September 24, 2021. Pictured: Inner London Crown Court Mr Luke denied this, but the lawyer added: 'You were making a little bit of a nuisance of yourself on the dance floor. You made physical contact with Mr Gush while he was dancing and it is no dispute he hit you. 'He and his friend moved away and you backed into him harder than before while he was dancing.' Mr Luke denied Gush's account of events, insisting: 'I didn't really bump into anyone.' He also denied shouting the foul-mouthed gay slur. 'Had you seen him dancing flamboyantly with his friends?' asked the lawyer. Gush, of Islington, says he told Mr Luke: 'Why do you keep bumping into me? Leave me alone.' The court heard there was talk of 'let's go outside,' with Gush recalling telling the taller Mr Luke: 'I'd rather you f*** off.' The banker denied moving towards the defendant with his right arm and shoulder at Gush's 'neck and chest height' moments before the blow. Security staff intervened and called the police as Mr Luke, who had blood on his chin and shirt, was being attended to. Gush admits striking out in self-defence, claiming Mr Luke (pictured) twice bumped into him on the dance floor before moving aggressively towards him as the pair 'squared up' in the early hours Prosecutor Lewis MacDonald told the jury that Gush replied 'no comment' when interviewed by police. 'He now suggests he was acting in self-defence because he felt threatened by Mr Luke, but the complainant did not commit any act of violence and we say nothing justified the defendant punching him in the face with such force. 'Witnesses describe them on the dance floor squaring-up and Mr Gush punching Mr Luke in the face and is heard shouting: 'Let's take this outside,' or: 'Let's have a fight.' 'Security staff at The Ned immediately intervened and separated the men and called the police, waiting with Mr Gush until he was arrested. The trial continues. The first edition of the Global Water, Energy and Climate Change Congress (GWECCC), opened today (September 5) in the Kingdom of Bahrain, offering a global platform to discuss challenges, opportunities and technology for the sustainability of the water and energy value chain. Held under the theme, 'Water Sustainability and Energy Transition: Implications on CC & the World', the event was opened by Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister. GWECCC, which aims to promote sustainable development, integrated management, and regional and international strategy-related programs to maintain and flourish resources, will run till September 7 at The Gulf Hotel Bahrain. Acwa Power Chairman Mohammad Abunayyan and Mark Thomas, Group Chief Executive of nogaholding, spoke at the opening session of the event. The event showcases advanced technologies and innovations, and bring together global leaders, experts, and policymakers to exchange experiences, best practices, and explore opportunities to support and sustain water resources and mitigate scarcity and preservation concerns. The conference is set to discuss a number of pressing topics related to enabling policies for sustainable management of water and energy in climate change, investing for water and energy sustainability, the energy trilemma on affordability, security and sustainability, emerging technologies and solutions for water and energy sustainability, and the role of community in water and energy security. The conference also includes a number of accompanying events, such as the Technology and Youth Forums, and a Technology Exhibition with participants from a number of specialised companies to showcase the state-of the-art technologies and best practices. In addition to Bahrain's Ministry of Oil and Environment, the congress has the support of the Water Resources Council, ICONEX Global and a number of Local, Regional and international organisations such as Aramco, Bapco Energies, Kuwait National Petroleum Company, Petroleum Development Oman and University of Bahrain, Acwa Power, Aluminum Bahrain, Enowa.Nwom, the Labor Fund (Tamkeen), Saudi Water Partnership Company etc., with the aim of providing a means for the GCC countries, Asia and the Middle East to exchange good practices and lessons learned from the development of water and energy resources, ensure their proper utilisation and focus on the interrelationship between water, energy and climate change. We are eagerly looking forward to participating at the inaugural GWECCC conference. Acwa Power is committed to providing reliable, sustainable, economical and fast solutions for large-scale desalination, and we are proud to support and collaborate with our Gulf neighbours, said Marco Arcelli, the CEO of Acwa Power. This dedication manifests in providing economical and fast solutions for clean water while transitioning to a more sustainable future. Im confident that this event will pave the way for even more collaboration in achieving our goals in providing clean water while transitioning to a more sustainable future, he said in a message to TradeArabia.-TradeArabia News Service A mum has recalled the horror of seeing her baby boy battered and bruised after he was attacked by an older child while left unsupervised at a Brisbane daycare centre. Seven-month-old Jack Swindells was lying under a playmat, waiting for a nappy change, when he was beaten, scratched and bitten by a four-year-old child. It was only the second time he had attended the facility. Staff contacted Jack's mum, Angela, to let her know her son had been scratched on the head. But nothing could prepare Ms Swindells for the shocking extent of his injuries when she went to pick up Jack and his older sister from childcare later that afternoon. She was horrified to find Jack with two black eyes and covered in scratches. Ms Swindell claims staff tried to assure her that an educator was in the room at the time of the incident, which lasted 'mere seconds'. Seven-month-old Jack Swindells (pictured) was left covered in scratches and bites marks after he was attacked by an older child at his daycare while left unsupervised 'I was furious. He had black eyes, he'd been hit with a wooden jigsaw puzzle piece that had left an imprint on the back of his head, he had bite marks on his arms, scratches all over his face,' Ms Swindells told ABC's 7.30. 'When I took my son to the doctor [they] told me that his injuries wouldn't have happened within seconds, it would have been sustained over several minutes.' But when Ms Swindells probed further and filed a complaint, the centre admitted that Jack had been temporarily left alone in the room with older children unsupervised. READ MORE: Toddler dies two days after medical incident Humpty Doo death is being investigated Fact-box text Advertisement An email from the childcare centre stated: 'The educator supervising at the time is writing a critical reflection and is extremely remorseful that this took place when she went to change a child's nappy; despite having adequate staff for the amount of children, we must be more mindful of when to carry out other tasks.' The family is now pursuing legal action against the childcare centre. The Swindells are represented by Shine Lawyers, which has seen a growing caseload of injuries sustained at childcare centres across Australia. One concerning case involves a child who broke their back after falling from a tree. 'Across the board, we're typically seeing incidents where children are falling from heights,' lawyer Sharntiesha Hogan said. 'So falling from tables or chairs, incidents where children are falling from play equipment and injuring themselves, and where children being physically attacked by other children. 'And the common factor across all of those incidents really comes back to the lack of supervision.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Shine Lawyers for further comment. It comes a month after a toddler was rushed to hospital after suffering a head knock at a childcare centre in Adelaide. In a separate incident, another daycare centre was slapped with a record $90,000 in fines this week after an unsupervised child was found unconscious with a skipping rope around their neck. According to the latest data, an astonishing 27,551 breaches occurred nationwide at approved early childhood education centres in 2021-22. The most frequent breaches related to failing to protect children from harm and hazards and inadequate supervision. Around 27,551 breaches occurred nationwide at approved early-childhood education centres in 2021-22. Pictured is federal early childhood services minister Anne Aly Experts claim safety standards have been compromised in childcare settings due to a critical staffing shortage across Australia. 'It is beyond a crisis. And unless something is done, we will not have an early childhood education system in Australia anymore,' Professor Susie Garvis from Griffith University's Institute for Educational Research said. Early childhood education minister Anne Aly has requested the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority to review childcare safety standards. She added the government doesn't know why breaches in childcare settings have risen by 10 per cent in the last five years. 'We know that there are more children in care. We know that there are more early childhood education and care providers, which may well be contributing factors to this,' Ms Aly told 7.30. Six men have been arrested across Queensland and charged with more than 100 child sex offences after all were allegedly found in possession of child abuse material. The men, aged between 22 and 46, had their homes raided by specialist safety detectives over the past week. The first charged was a 44-year-old from Beerwah in the state's Sunshine Coast, who was charged with 62 child sex offences including possessing and making child exploitation material, and sharing it on various social media platforms. A 42-year-old from Upper Kedron, northwest of Brisbane, was arrested on August 28 and charged with the possession of child exploitation material using an online platform and the use of a carriage service to access the footage. One man had children's toys beside him as he spoke with police Six men across Queensland have been arrested and charged with child sex offences The alleged offenders had their homes raided within the past week A 39-year-old from Cairns was charged with similar offences. The youngest man charged, a 22-year-old from Albion, allegedly committed 14 child sex offences. His charges include making child exploitation material as well as grooming a child under 16 years of age on social media and exposing them to indecent matter. Police then arrested a 26-year-old man from Carina, Brisbane, with five child sex offences. He allegedly used the internet to try and lure a 14-year-old for the 'purpose of sexual exploitation'. Police recorded footage of the arrests with the men due to face court later this month and in October All the men arrested were allegedly found in possession of child exploitation material The 26-year-old was also charged with possessing and making child exploitation material. The last man to be charged was a 46-year-old man from Fortitude Valley, who was arrested over 20 child sex offences, including the possession and making of child exploitation material. He also allegedly created a hidden network of child exploitation material online and groomed a child under 16. The man also allegedly filmed and took photos of children in public toilets. Detectives are seen speaking with one man who has been charged Footage of the arrests showed police speaking with the alleged offenders inside their living rooms. A woman answered the door at the property where a man was charged, while another alleged offender was seen sitting on a couch with children's toys beside him. A woman's wig was also seen inside the study of one alleged offender's home as detectives combed through computers and laptops. The six arrests coincided with Queensland's Child Protection Week, Detective Acting Superintendent Glen Donaldson from the Child Abuse and Sexual Crime Group's unit Argos said. 'These arrests are a reminder to parents and caregivers of the dangers of online predators and how crucial trusted loved ones are in teaching children about privacy, personal safety and that nothing is so awful they can't speak to them about it,' he said. The men arrested are due to face court later this month and in October. An Australian woman who was overheard having loud sex has lashed out after her neighbour sent a 'gross' note threatening to record her. The woman explained she had invited 'a boy over' and 'things got heated' before the pair were interrupted by a window slamming shut next door. 'Halfway through the deed we hear the neighbour slam the window shut and realised the window was open,' she wrote on Facebook. 'We popped up quickly to shut the window and resumed the act'. The next day the woman returned from work to find a furious letter, scrawled in capital letters, left at her home. A woman's embarrassment at being heard having sex was made worse when her neighbour left a note calling the noise 'disgusting' The couple had to stop mid-hookup to close their window after a neighbour 'theatrically' slammed a window (stock image) 'Your performance last night is disgusting,' the note read. 'Close a window at least you don't have to let the world know. You invaded my privacy. Next time you will be recorded.' The woman was left outraged and responded with neatly-written and scathing note of her own. 'A simple polite note or knocking on my door would have sufficed,' she wrote. 'What I do in the privacy of my own home is none of your concern, nor do you get to call it disgusting. 'I have not invaded your privacy, you have invaded mine,' she wrote. The woman explained she did not know the window was open at the time. 'The window was an honest mistake and did not realise it was open until you raised a commotion and slammed yours theatrically, to then which we closed the window,' she wrote. 'Recording someone within the privacy of their home is illegal and a criminal offence. 'Recording an individual having private activities and distributing it without their permission is also illegal and can lead to jail time. The woman later explained in a Facebook update the argument between the pair had escalated with the neighbour 'yelling very loudly' out of her window. 'Maybe I might get some sleep tonight,' the neighbour said. The loved-up woman responded with a neatly-written but scathing note of her own The woman said she had reported the incident to police, claiming she had security footage of the neighbour leaving the note. '[The officer] actually laughed when I read out the note,' she wrote. 'She told me to keep the note and the video as this is intimidation and a threat and if this woman keeps souting/ harassing then I can get an order out on her.' The woman pointed out she rarely has company over at her place. 'I haven't had anyone over in the longest time and this isn't something that happens every single night,' she wrote. 'Am I right in taking everything to the police? I'm so flustered.' Social media users swooped in to defend the woman. 'This is so dramatic on the neighbour's behalf,' one wrote. 'I can understand being annoyed at hearing your neighbours in the act, but one would usually laugh it off.' They wrote if it happened often the right thing to do would be to leave a note letting them know the woman and her partner could be heard. 'Threatening to record it? Gross behaviour,' they wrote. Even Theresa Mays staunchest defenders would hardly describe her as a barrel of laughs. Famously, the Mails Quentin Letts asked Mrs May during the 2017 general election campaign whether she felt she was coming across as a bit of a glumbucket. But a new portrait of the former prime minister arguably depicts her looking even more gloomy than she looked in her political heyday. The painting, by artist Saied Dai, was unveiled at Westminster yesterday and will eventually hang in Portcullis House, Parliaments offices. Mrs May is shown wearing a blue suit with a navy coat hanging over her shoulders. She holds a lily of the valley a plant associated with the month of May. Captured: The portrait of Theresa May will be displayed in Portcullis House Former prime minister Theresa May speaking in the House of Commons earlier this year The artist said he tried to convey a psychological characterisation of the former Tory leader as well as a convincing physical likeness in the picture, which was commissioned for 28,000 by the Speakers advisory committee on works of art. Mr Dai explained: A good painting needs to be a revelation and also paradoxically, an enigma. It should possess an indefinable quality in short, a mystery. Mrs May said the portrait was a huge honour. MP Dean Russell, chairman of the committee, said: The Parliamentary Art Collection records those who have made an important contribution to politics and public service. He said: Few embody this more than Theresa May our second female Prime Minister, as well as a devoted Parliamentarian and a dedicated public servant. But one Westminster insider said: Its really rather grim. Like something that might adorn the walls of the Kremlin at the height of the Soviet era. Paintings of former PMs are usually hung in Portcullis House at first as they cannot move to the Palace of Westminster until they have been out of office for two terms. Saied Dai trained at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, and is a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters in 2004 and the New English Art Club. Qantas downgraded a 78-year-old Vietnam veteran from business class to economy to give his fully paid for seat to an employee. Stephen Jones, who served in a combat unit in Vietnam, was flying with his wife back to Adelaide after a holiday in New Zealand when he was called to the Qantas desk during a Melbourne stopover on Sunday. 'We were sitting in Business Lounge enjoying a coffee and I got a call over the intercom for Stephen Roy Jones to go up to the desk,' Mr Jones told Melbourne radio station 3AW. 'The Qantas employee there said: "I've got some bad news for you, you've been bumped". 'It didn't register at first. I wasn't quite sure what bumped meant.' A Vietnam veteran has told a Melbourne radio station he got booted out of Qantas business class so the airline could give his seat to an employee (stock image) 'She said: "I have to reissue your ticket for economy class, we have a tech who's flying to Adelaide and his contract states that he must fly business class".' Mr Jones said the Qantas employee sat next to his wife for the flight to Adelaide but they did not talk. 'He wouldnt look at her,' Mr Jones said. Upon returning to Adelaide, Mr Jones wrote a letter of complaint. Qantas replied saying that as 'a goodwill gesture' they were offering Mr Jones 5000 airline points. 'I was a little facetious,' Mr Jones said. 'I said thanks for your very generous offer but I don't think I can take it. 'I'd be a hypocrite because I don't think anything is going to change unless there are ramifications or costs for Qantas when they upset their customers.' READ MORE: Qantas issues a grovelling apology to Australians after nightmare week Advertisement After Mr Jones' case was mentioned on 3AW he received a call from Qantas 'Customer Care' with the airline promising to refund half his business class fare for the Melbourne to Adelaide flight. The airline also wrote to 3AW and explained it was a pilot, not a tech, who was given the seat paid for by Mr Jones. 'As part of their enterprise agreement pilots that are flying to another city to then operate flights are to be provided with a seat in business class,' Qantas said. As the business cabin was full on the flight to Adelaide this meant Mr Jones had to be downgraded to economy. 'We have apologised to the customer and explained why the downgrade happened,' Qantas said. Downgraded Qantas passenger Stephen Jones, 78, served in one of Australia's Vietnam War frontline units (stock images) 'When this happens we provide a partial refund.' Mr Jones confirmed the man who sat next to his wife was in uniform. 'I perfectly understand that pilots are entitled to rest in comfort in order to fly a plane back,' Mr Jones said. 'It was just a little unsettling at the time and it made me a little irritable.' Lawyer Justin Lawrence told 3AW that Qantas can downgrade passengers because their terms of carriage allow it. 'This happens so often they actually have a term for it,' Mr Lawrence said. 'They call this involuntary downgrading when they oversell business or first class they will need to bump someone out and they will do it almost immediately before the flight. 'This is just standard operating procedure from the point of view of the airline - not just Qantas, they all do it. 'Anytime we buy a seat and we think we are buying a seat in that particular class there are no guarantees when that plane takes off you are going to be sitting in that class.' A lawyer said that because of the terms of carriage for a typical plane ticket, any passenger can be downgraded at an airline's discretion He said airlines typically only inform customers 20 to 30 minutes before a flight that they have made a 'discretionary decision' to downgrade them. However, he had a tip for those unwilling to accept this. 'Do not fly that leg,' Mr Lawrence said. He advised passengers to say they 'were hanging around' until they could be put on the next business or first-class flight. 'The minute you take that (downgraded) leg your claim for compensation reduces to almost nil,' Mr Lawrence said. Qantas has been contacted for comment. A homeless mother who found her 10-month-old dead in the bed they had been sharing says that if she that if she had a house of her own, her son would still be alive today. Crystal, 32, found her son, Kenneth, entangled in the sheets of the bed they were sharing in Mullewa, five hours north of Perth, on July 31. Although it is unknown what caused Kenneth's death, Crystal is convinced that his fate may have been different if they hadn't been squatting in an overcrowded house. Crystal was considered one of the state's 'hidden homeless', meaning that she had been relying on relatives and friends to house her while the state attempted to find her somewhere of her own to live. West Australia is grappling with the worst housing crisis on record and advocates warn Kenneth won't be its last victim if pregnant women are left on the streets. Kenneth (left) was found dead by his mother Crystal (right) in the bed they had been sharing in an overcrowded house in July The two had been living between homes in Mullewa, five hours north of Perth, while Crystal waited to be approved for public housing 'We couldn't even have a cot for him, the only thing I owned was my car, the only thing my son owned of his own was his car seat,' Crystal told the West. 'I honestly believe that things might have been a lot different if we had our own house.' Crystal had been on West Australia's public housing waitlist for months before her case was elevated to priority status in June last year when officials were notified that she was pregnant with Kenneth. The average time it takes to be housed is roughly 135 weeks for those on the general waitlist and 74 weeks for those with priority, according to the Department of Communities. Western Australia is grappling with the worst housing crisis in the state's history, with more than 19,000 people on the waitlist for public housing (pictured Perth) Dr Betsy Buchanan, who has with the Daydawn Advocacy Centre for over a decade, had also worked with Crystal to try and find her a home. The veteran housing advocate said the impact of homelessness on children was common. 'It's by no means a one-off it's common. We've just lost another child a week after Crystal's baby in the same scenario,' Dr Buchanan told the ABC. 'We're dealing with two babies' funerals within the space of two weeks and that's just me, and I'm only one advocate.' The child that died one week after Kenneth was a premature birth that had been cared for by doctors before the mother returned to homelessness, according to Ms Buchanan. 'I think it does come back to this systemic problem that there's just simply not enough housing at the moment,' she said. After waiting for more than a year and losing a son, Crystal has now been offered a public housing option in a Perth suburb, according to the ABC. The billionaire claims the ADL has accused him and 'X' of being anti-Semitic Musk blamed the ADL for lost advertising revenue since he purchased Twitter Elon Musk claims he is going to sue the Anti-Defamation League for defamation Elon Musk is threatening to sue the Anti-Defamation League for 'roughly $22billion' for trying to destroy X by accusing him and the social media giant of being anti-Semitic. In a series of tweets sent out Monday night, Musk, 52, said he plans to launch a lawsuit against the ADL 'to clear our platform's name on the matter of anti-Semitism.' 'It looks like we have no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League oh the irony!' the billionaire wrote. He added: 'In our case, they would potentially be on the hook for destroying half the value of the company, so roughly $22 billion.' In May, it was reported that the app's value had fallen to one-third of what it was when Musk purchased it in October - from $45 billion to $15 billion in six months. Elon Musk claims that he is going to sue the Anti-Defamation League for defamation as he believes the organization is falsely accusing him and X of being anti-Semitic 'It looks like we have no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League oh the irony!' the tech giant wrote in a tweet Monday evening ADL Chair Ben Sax (left) and ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt (right) Musk's battle with the ADL began Monday morning when he called out the organization for being responsible for the company's quickly falling profits 'Since the acquisition, The @ADL has been trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic,' he wrote in an initial tweet. 'Our US advertising revenue is still down 60 per cent, primarily due to pressure on advertisers by @ADL (that's what advertisers tell us), so they almost succeeded in killing X/Twitter,' his tweet continued. In a separate tweet, he shared that he believes the ADL is responsible for as much as 50 percent of Twitter's fallen value - 'roughly $22 billion,' according to Musk. Earlier in the day, Musk responded to a tweet from X News Daily sharing that X's advertising revenue in the US is down by around 60 percent. The account shared that the advertising revenue decrease is a 'significant factor behind X's continuing issues with achieving profitability.' Musk purportedly believes that the ADL has urged advertisers not to use X over Musk's relaxing of rules around hate speech and harassment. Some Jewish users online have claimed to see an uptick in anti-Semitic tweets that go unpunished by Musk and anyone else at X. In response to the accusations of rampant anti-Semitism on the platform, the Chief Twit vehemently denied letting hate speech run free on his app. 'To be super clear, I'm pro free speech, but against anti-Semitism of any kind,' he wrote in a tweet. 'Giving them maximum benefit of the doubt, I don't see any scenario where they're responsible for less than 10% of the value destruction, so ~$4 billion,' Musk wrote in another tweet Even with his ongoing battle, Musk said he has no plans to ban ADL from X. Following his barrage of tweets about the organization, a movement to '#BanTheADL' has emerged from some of Musk's most devoted followers. The CEO has engaged with tweets that are part of the movement but clarified online that he has no intention to ban them anytime soon. 'Despite the immense harm ADL has done to X/Twitter, they still will not be banned in this platform, unless they break the law,' he shared. It's unclear whether or not Musk and his lawyers have filed an initial complaint against the organization. ADL officials did not immediately respond to inquiries from DailyMail.com. It's unclear whether or not Musk and his lawyers have filed an initial complaint against ADL To be super clear, Im pro free speech, but against anti-Semitism of any kind Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 4, 2023 A study published in 2022 by Montclair State University shows there was a spike in hate speech the day after Musk took over Twitter in October Just last month, X filed a lawsuit against a nonprofit group that monitors hate speech, making similar accusations of poisoning the water for online users. Lawyers for X claimed the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) orchestrated a 'scare campaign to drive away advertisers from the X platform.' At the time, X officials accused CCDH of publishing reports that indicate X did not take action against hate speech on the app. They also accused CCDH of committing 'a series of unlawful acts designed to improperly gain access' to the platform's data,' in the lawsuit. A study published in 2022 by Montclair State University shows there was a spike in hate speech the day after Musk took over Twitter in October. According to university officials, the data showed a 'correlation between Musk's arrival' and 'hostile content on Twitter.' Similarly, GLAAD recently named X - then Twitter - as the 'most dangerous platform for LGBTQ people' in its Social Media Safety Index. William Tyrrell's foster mother kicked an 11-year-old and hit her with a wooden spoon during clashes between the girl in two different homes on Sydney's exclusive north shore. The foster mother, 58, who has pleaded guilty to two charges of assaulting the 11-year-old, allegedly struck her the girl during one of several disciplinary sessions after the child called her a 'f***ing b***h'. Police allege the foster mother, referred to in the court as 'SD', threatened the girl while William's 56-year-old foster father, known as 'JS' by the court, allegedly 'grabbed' the girl by the neck and 'physically restrained her to sit back down' in the kitchen of a suburban home. The child was reportedly 'pleading' with SD to stop while the two defendants allegedly subjected her to a 15-minute 'tirade of verbal abuse'. When the girl threatened to poo on the kitchen floor, the foster mother then allegedly warned the girl that if she did, she would rub her face in it. Police allege that when the child screamed out in pain, SD forced her to sit on the floor for an extended period of time. The foster mother then kicked the girl when she tried to get up, police allege. Details have emerged on what William Tyrrell's foster mother (above, after pleading guilty on Monday) actually did to an 11-year-old girl A judge has said police prosecution evidence that the schoolgirl feared threats of 'phsyical violence, humiliation and intimidation' may well hold water She later told a teacher she was afraid to go back to the house, police allege. In a series of incidents occurring between January and August 2021, police allege the foster parents stalked and intimidated the girl. While pleading guilty to two counts of assault, the foster mother maintains she is not guilty of stalking the girl. The foster father has pleaded not guilty to one charge each of common assault and stalk and intimidate. READ MORE: William Tyrrell's foster mum pleads guilty to assault of an 11-year-old William Tyrrell's foster mum, known as JS Advertisement Prosecutors said the child using a phone without permission ended with her calling the foster mother 'a f***ing b***h'. The girl is due to testify via pre-recorded evidence during a week-long trial at Parramatta Local Court in Sydney's west. The court heard about heated verbal exchanges between the child and allegedly about a recording of the then primary schoolgirl being smacked. Defence barrister John Stratton, SC, argued the repeated incidents, including a threatened warning by the foster mother that if the child continued to behave badly 'she would slap her' was just 'lawful chastisement, not a criminal activity'. He said if a threat by a parent to issue a child with a smacking was deemed criminal 'that would criminalise every household in Australia'. But police prosecutor Detective Sergeant John Marsh said the 'smack, smack, smack' was clear on the recording, and the multiple incidents and alleged threats was 'certainly not what (happened in) every household in Australia' He said a reference in a recording to a 'smack, smack smack, could have been a recording of 'someone in the family striking a desk'. But Magistrate Susan McIntyre said she was prepared to allow prosecutions evidence on the stalk and intimidate charges. The parents of William Tyrrell are on trial for allegedly stalking and intimidating an 11-year-old girl over an eight month period in 2021 in two North Shore houses READ MORE: How William Tyrrell's foster parents escaped scrutiny... until now The problems that beset the William Tyrrell case from the moment the three-year-old vanished go directly to the heart of Australia's flawed foster parent system. On one side, you have a his foster parents, a wealthy, well-educated couple who live in a $4 million home on Sydney's exclusive north shore. And on the other are his biological parents, who fell under suspicion from police because of the problems which saw them lose custody of the little boy in the first place: substance abuse and issues with law and order. READ MORE: How toddler 'couldn't get up' after 'distressing' accident, hit and bit foster mum Advertisement Her Honour dismissed an application to have the prosecutions tendency evidence thrown out, saying it had probitive value in pointing towards the foster mothers guilt. She said it was possible it maye be proven that the girl feared 'the prospect there will be some kind of physical violence should conduct continue' and 'the prospect that if personal hygiene ... (is considered) not to be appropriate that there will be consequences including humiliation and punishment'. 'It is the cumulative effect of all these incidents to show that (the foster mother) knew her conduct was likely to cause fear but nonetheless continued.' Attending the hearing was a large group of detectives from Strike Force Rosann, which is investigating the disappearance of William Tyrrell, including the task force commander Detective Chief Inspector David Laidlaw. The court was told the foster mother had been 'attempting to intervene in the (alleged) victim's problematic behaviours'. SD and her husband JS were charged with common assault of the girl in late 2021, as police embarked on a new search of bushland near the NSW Mid North Coast town of Kendall for the remains of William Tyrrell. They have also entered guilty pleas to charges of using a dummy bidder to increase the sale price of their former 'forever home' for missing William on Sydney's North Shore at an auction in 2020. William Tyrrell (above) disappeared aged three in September 2014 in the NSW Mid North Coast town of Kendall and no trace of the toddler has ever been found The charges were downgraded to regulatory offences under the Property and Stock Agents Act and the pair will be sentenced this week and fined. William disappeared aged three in September 2014 in the NSW Mid North Coast town of Kendall and no trace of the toddler has ever been found. No-one has ever been charged over his disappearance. A new search of bushland within 700m of the Kendall house where William was last seen was conducted in late 2021, but no items of significance have been identified. Thousands of schools and colleges are in danger of breaking the law over recognising pupils' gender, a report warned yesterday. Teachers that allow children to use toilets and changing rooms according to their chosen 'gender identity' rather than their biological sex risk breaching the law and could face legal action, according to the review. The report, by campaign group Sex Matters, found that schools in England were legally obliged to recognise students' biological sex and could not lawfully allow 'social transition', where the child is treated according to a chosen gender different to their biological sex. Research has found that almost 79 per cent of teachers said their schools had pupils who identified as transgender or non-binary. A fifth said their schools would allow pupils to use facilities that matched their chosen gender identity rather than their sex, and 81 per cent said their schools would use a child's chosen pronouns. Teachers that allow children to use toilets and changing rooms according to their chosen 'gender identity' rather than their biological sex risk breaching the law and could face legal action, according to the review (file image) In its review, Sex Matters warned that schools which took those steps could be acting unlawfully and risk facing legal action. It blamed 'a lack of government guidance and faulty existing guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission'. The report follows a warning from Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman that updated guidance for schools was 'urgently needed'. Previous guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission said it was discriminatory for schools to fail to provide appropriate changing facilities, or to use trans pupils' previous names. The commission has said the guidance is under review 'as a matter of priority' and that it will update it as soon as possible. The Sex Matters report said schools were not legally obliged to accommodate children who wanted to transition to a different gender identity by calling them by a new name or pronoun, or by allowing them to use different toilets or changing rooms. The report, by campaign group Sex Matters, found that schools in England were legally obliged to recognise students' biological sex and could not lawfully allow 'social transition' (file image) It said: 'Social transition - treating a boy as if he is a girl, or a girl as if she is a boy - is not compatible with schools' statutory responsibilities, and the Department for Education's guidance should reflect this. 'Schools must be clear that a boy who identifies as a "trans girl" is not a girl, and a girl who identifies as a "trans boy" is not a boy. 'They should not make the mistake of concluding that a policy that meets a male child's wish to use girls' facilities is good for girls because "trans girls are girls".' The review said schools might need to be sensitive toward any 'gender-distressed' pupil, but said distress could not override safeguarding or other legal obligations towards the child and their classmates. Sex Matters executive director Maya Forstater said the review had analysed more than 20 laws and regulations, including the Education Act, the National Curriculum, the Schools Standards and Framework Act and teaching regulations. A DfE spokesman said: 'We've been repeatedly clear about the importance of biological sex and we advise that schools and colleges proceed with caution prioritising the safeguarding and wellbeing of all children and involving parents in decisions relating to their child.' Exasperated Tories have branded Gillian Keegan as a 'damning indictment' of Rishi Sunak's cabinet - after she said she's doing 'a f***ing good job'. The Education Secretary was caught out by the 'hot mic' incident yesterday as she said others had 'sat on their a***' after an interview with ITV news - as Rishi Sunak was told to get a grip over the school concrete crisis. Days before the start of the autumn term more than a hundred schools in England were told they could not fully open because of safety fears over crumbling concrete. It has emerged that Keegan was on holiday in Spain - where she reportedly owns properties in Madrid and Marbella - last week while the crisis unfolded. Aides said that she was 'working from home' between August 25 and 31, when it was announced more than 100 schools would be closed, The Telegraph reported. Exasperated Tories have branded Gillian Keegan as a 'damning indictment' of Rishi Sunak's cabinet - after she said she's doing 'a f***ing good job' The Education Secretary was caught out by the 'hot mic' incident yesterday as she said others had 'sat on their a***' after an interview with ITV news MPs have now condemned both Keegan and the Prime Minister himself for failing to get a grip on the crisis. One Tory MP told the newspaper: 'The way she's conducted herself - in particular in that ITV interview - shows she is selfish and shameless and not fit to stay in office. 'It's a damning indictment of Rishi Sunak and the people he has appointed to his Cabinet.' Another added that they believed Ms Keegan had been 'over-promoted', while one more said she was on her last chance to keep her position in government. The concrete crisis has meant scores of pupils began the school year by learning online in an echo of the huge disruption caused by the pandemic. Teachers spent the weekend scrambling to erect tented classrooms and acquiring festival-style toilets in a bid to keep classrooms open. The closures left parents racing to find emergency childcare as they juggled remote learning with full-time work. However, it has come to light that initial concerns were raised early last month, weeks before the last-minute panic before schools returned. Ms Keegan came under fire for failing to appear on the airwaves over the weekend to address the issue, and instead released a bizarre video with a dance music soundtrack. Rishi Sunak has been urged to get a grip on the concrete crisis as schools were shut at the last minute In a round of broadcast interviews yesterday, she admitted hundreds of schools could be affected by crumbling reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). But then in an extraordinary outburst, filmed as a TV camera repositioned for extra shots, she said: 'Does anyone ever say, you know what, you've done a f****** good job because everyone else has sat on their a**e and done nothing? No signs of that, no?' She said ITV journalist Daniel Hewitt, who conducted the interview, had been 'pressing me quite hard' and claimed he was 'making out it was all my fault'. In her apology, the Education Secretary refused to say who she believed had 'sat on their a**e'. She added: 'It was an off-the-cuff remark after the news interview had finished, or apparently after it had finished. 'I would like to apologise for my choice language.' In other developments on a chaotic day in Westminster: Mr Sunak insisted that 95 per cent of England's schools were unaffected leaving open the possibility that more than a thousand could still be hit by the crisis; Labour's Keir Starmer said ministers appeared to be trying to 'pass the buck' for the closures and said the situation was descending into farce; Union leaders wrote to Mrs Keegan demanding urgent answers on the RAAC 'emergency' including clarity over the funding and support for schools; The Labour-run Welsh Government said two schools on Anglesey that had been due to open for the autumn term today would be closed temporarily; The Scottish Government confirmed that RAAC had been discovered in 35 schools with local authorities in the process of checking other buildings; The Ministry of Justice is inspecting buildings built in the 1990s for RAAC after Harrow Crown Court was found to contain the material; The PM is facing yet another by-election after former Tory chief whip Chris Pincher lost an appeal against a lengthy Commons suspension over groping allegations. Mr Sunak was dragged into the concrete crisis yesterday after a former top civil servant claimed the PM had failed to fully fund a programme to rebuild schools. Jonathan Slater, ex-permanent secretary at the Department for Education, blamed the Prime Minister for halving the rebuilding budget while he was chancellor in 2021. Rishi Sunak hosts a cross government briefing on RAAC in the cabinet room in 10 Downing Street Mr Sunak insisted that 95 per cent of England's schools were unaffected leaving open the possibility that more than a thousand could still be hit by the crisis; In an embarrassing blunder on the first day back from parliament's summer recess, Mrs Keegan was caught on camera insisting that she had done a 'f****** good job' while others 'sat on their a**e' Mr Sunak rubbished the claim, insisting: 'Actually one of the first things I did as chancellor, in my first spending review in 2020, was to announce a new ten-year school rebuilding programme for 500 schools. Now that equates to about 50 schools a year that will be refurbished or rebuilt. If you look at what we have been doing over the previous decade, that's completely in line with what we have always done.' The row follows a lacklustre summer which has riled many Tory MPs who fear the PM is not doing enough to win the next election. They have grown frustrated by stubbornly poor poll ratings and misfiring campaigning events such as 'small boats week' a plan to hail progress in tackling Channel crossings that soon unravelled. A senior backbencher said: 'The Government is spending all its time addressing problems and cock-ups from the past that's all the media we're getting. It's time to get on to the front foot and have a positive message, otherwise the floating voter will start firming up for Labour.' Another ex-minister said that Mr Sunak was 'showing he can't cope and is not up to the job sadly'. No 10 said Mr Sunak yesterday held a cross-government meeting with key departments affected by the concrete crisis including education, health and justice. He is said to have made clear that parents should be given clarity and reassurance. Ministers have also promised that a list of schools confirmed to have RAAC in their buildings will be published this week. The material was used for many public buildings between the 1950s and the mid-1990s and is prone to failure. The collapse of Singlewell primary school in Gravesend, Kent, in 2018 sparked concerns over the concrete, which was dubbed 'Aero-like' by structural engineers. But it was the collapse of a beam at a school once deemed to be safe during the summer that spurred action. A Department for Education spokesman said: 'The Education Secretary took the cautious and proactive decision to change guidance on Raac and this week has chaired daily operational calls with ministers and senior officials in the department and virtually.' Originally built in 1913, Elkonin Tel Aviv hotel in Tel Avivs picturesque Neve Tzedek neighbourhood has been meticulously restored, and reimagined as a charming 44-room boutique hotel. Officially welcoming guests since May 2023, the eclectic architecture-style property is part of the prestigious MGallery Hotel Collection. Franco-Israeli owner Domonic Romano acquired the defunct building in 2004 with the intention to give Elkonin a second life, and re-introduce the art of hospitality to the institution. Housed in a property that served as Tel Avivs first-ever hotel, it had played host to some of the most prominent figures in art, literature, politics and royalty, including Albert Einstein, King Abdullah of Jordan, and the first prime minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion. Elkonin Tel Aviv has been restored with meticulous attention to detail by Tel Aviv-based architecture studio, Bar Orian, and interior design studio, Iconique, hailing from Paris. Bar Orian restored the 20th-century listed property protecting its original architectural motif, including stone pillars, railings and magnificent extended window sills, and extend the property to add a site-specific glass-ensnared eight-story modern structure that provides access to the rooftop on the seventh floor. The interiors were envisioned by Adriana Schor of Iconique studio, who created a timeless and sophisticated European-style ambiance with custom-designed furnishings and lighting by Art et Floritude. The crown jewel of the property can be found on the hotels ground floor, adjacent to the lobby, at the propertys flagship restaurant L'Epoque by Robuchon. Seating up to 70 guests, LEpoque provides an intimate restaurant experience. The restaurant also offers a private dining space for up to 20 guests offering a library-style ambiance. Alternatively, the restaurant offers a Bar Lounge on its ground floor, adjacent to the main restaurant, and is open from morning to night. Beyond a traditional hotel, Elkonin Tel Aviv is a testament to the rich art and culture scenes of Tel Aviv. The property showcases Israeli artists in its public spaces, rooms and suites. Hand-selected and curated by Adriana Schor, Elkonin Tel Aviv has acquired original pieces by leading international artists and photographers, including a specially commissioned Love Wall by James Goldcrown. The hotel also collaborated with photographer Tom Hegen to adorn its walls with a series of aerial photographs of salt fields, creating a symmetry between the interior design and colour scheme of the Mediterranean location of the hotel. Reviving the buildings artistic heritage, on the second-floor stairwell of the preservation building, adjacent to the entrance of the hotel, is a hand-painted fresco dating back to the early 1920s, which the hotel commissioned expert restoration artists, Shay Farkash and Eli Shaltiel of Israeli preservation studio, Tchelet, to protect and beautify. The propertys restoration also saw the addition of three basement floors, housing the hotel operations centre, a restaurant kitchen and a spa level with courtesy of French wellness brand Clarins, featuring five treatment rooms, dressed in shades of white and beige, a relaxation lounge and hammam allowing guests to totally immerse themselves and disconnect from everyday life. - TradeArabia News Service Vivek Ramaswamy said he doesn't think there should be mental competency tests for lawmakers despite the recent slew of health issues with members of Congress. The 2024 hopeful told DailyMail.com Monday that he thinks it's up to the voters to decide who governs them. But Ramaswamy has suggested he would support term limits in Congress, which could solve the health-related issue many lawmakers and politicians are running into when they reach their mid to late 70s. Most recently Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 81, froze for 30 seconds last week during a press conference in Kentucky. It was an eerily similar incident to a month prior where he stopped moving and speaking while speaking to reporters at the Capitol. Presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy told DailyMail.com during a picnic in Salem, New Hampshire Monday that he does not support mental competency tests for members of Congress, claiming it's voters' decision who to elect and keep in office. Pictured: Ramaswamy (right) and his wife Apoorva attend the Salem GOP Labor Day Picnic on Monday It comes after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suffered for the second time in just one month a freezing episode when speaking at a press conference McConnell's office and the Capitol Physician say the events were connected to lightheadedness from a concussion he suffered in March after falling at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C. Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who is also running in the 2024 Republican primary, said Sunday that there needs to be mental competency tests for everyone running for Congress incumbent and newcomer alike. 'I tend to leave it to the voters,' Ramaswamy said when asked how he feels about this proposal. 'So I think that we should trust the voters of this country when it comes to deciding who actually governs.' 'I don't favor eliminating people for running for office because I'd rather trust the voters with it,' he told DailyMail.com. 'It goes for age as well,' he added. 'I've been very consistent on that.' At the age of 38, Ramaswamy is by far the youngest candidate in the 2024 race. He's followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, 44. While he has not gone publicly on record to speak about term limits for Congress, Ramaswamy, who said Monday he wants to cut the federal workforce by 75 percent, thinks there should be eight-year term limits for unelected federal bureaucrats. This, he said, would be similar to term limits in Congress. Ramaswamy has identified multiple agencies he wants to abolish completely, including the FBI and Department of Education. Ramaswamy was one of five candidates to speak at the picnic on Monday but was by far the fan favorite Vivek and Apoorva Ramaswamy spoke with voters before the biotech millionaire made his remarks in Salem, New Hampshire Ramaswamy was one of five candidates who spoke at the Salem GOP Labor Day picnic in New Hampshire on Monday. He spoke on the same stage Monday afternoon was in order: Former Vice President Mike Pence; former Texas Rep. Will Hurd; former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson; and former Cranston, Rhode Island Mayor Steve Laffey. Pence was met with a lone protester sitting front-and-center waving a t-shirt with Donald Trump's mugshot with the message: 'Never Surrender.' Trump's first mugshot was released last month when he turned himself over to authorities in Fulton County, Georgia after his fourth and latest indictment in the scheme to overturn the 2020 election results. The mugshot was immediately embraced by his supporters - as evident by it's use on the t-shirt to protest Pence on Monday. By far the fan-favorite at the Salem GOP Labor Day Picnic was Ramaswamy, who made a splash at the first Republican debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin last month. Pence was also one of the eight candidates on that stage, which was noticeably absent of Trump. Pence has faced hecklers and protesters several times in the past, specifically those die-hard Trump supporters who think the former vice president is a traitor for refusing to block Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results. The ex-VP has stood by his actions that day, claiming that he took a vow to uphold the Constitution and did so by overseeing certification of the Electoral College votes on January 6, 2021. Despite holding arguably one of the highest name recognitions of the other about a dozen candidates below Trump, Pence is struggling to gain ground in polls and has remained in the middle of the pack. The Foreign Office has apologised to a British academic who had accused the Government for 'abandoning' him while he was tortured in the UAE after being falsely accused of spying for the MI6. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has admitted that officials 'did not fully follow our guidance on torture and mistreatment' in the case of Matthew Hedges. Mr Hedges was sentenced to life in jail after being arrested at Dubai airport in May 2018. He was held in UAE custody where he suffered intense interrogations and torture amid accusations he was collecting sensitive information which went 'far beyond' academic research. The Durham University researcher was released after being granted a presidential pardon and returned to the UK in November 2018. The apology - which Mr Hedges has hailed as a 'watershed moment' - comes after Parliamentary Ombudsman ruled last month that the FCDO failed to protect Mr Hedges, should issue a formal apology and pay him compensation. The UAE Government categorically denies torturing Mr Hedges, and said his claims are 'wholly untrue and without any foundation'. The Foreign Office has apologised to British academic Matthew Hedges (pictured last month) who had accused the Government for 'abandoning' him while he was tortured in the UAE after being falsely accused of spying for the MI6 The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) admitted that officials 'did not fully follow our guidance on torture and mistreatment' in the case of Matthew Hedges. Mr Hedges is pictured with his wife Daniela The FCDO issued a formal apology to Mr Hedges in a letter on August 31 this year, MailOnline can reveal. In the letter the authority accepted the findings of the parliamentary watchdog's internal review in full and told Mr Hedges that officials 'recognise the profound impact of your detention in UAE on you and the injustice you have faced' (stock photo) The FCDO issued a formal apology to Mr Hedges in a letter on August 31 this year, MailOnline can reveal. In the letter the authority accepted the findings of the parliamentary watchdog's internal review in full and told Mr Hedges that officials 'recognise the profound impact of your detention in UAE on you and the injustice you have faced'. The letter reads: 'On behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, I acknowledge, and apologise for, the failing identified by the Ombudsman, specifically I recognise that we did not fully follow our guidance on torture and mistreatment and that this failure has left you uncertain as to whether more could have been done on your behalf.' READ MORE: British academic accused of spying and tortured in the UAE slams Foreign Office for 'abandoning' him Advertisement The Ombudsman, which began its probe in 2019, ruled last month that the FCDO did not act in accordance to its own internal guidance when it came to 'spotting signs of torture when meeting with British detainees'. The watchdog recommended the FCDO should issue a formal apology to Mr Hedges within three months, as well as pay him 1,500 in compensation. The Ombudsman also advised that the authority review their internal practices. Mr Hedges - who last month told MailOnline that he 'felt completely abandoned' by the British Government and 'could not believe that they were not able to understand the very clear and obvious signs of my torture' - said he is 'delighted' to have received the apology from the FCDO. 'It has been a battle to reach this stage. The FCDO's acknowledgement of the torture and injustice I suffered at the hands of the UAE is a watershed moment, not just for me and my family, but for all British nationals,' he told MailOnline on Monday. 'There is now no doubt that the FCDO failed in their obligations towards one of their citizens and I truly hope that the hundreds of other British nationals who are currently detained and suffering torture will benefit from the FCDO's promise of reviewing their clearly outdated and insufficient policies.' However, Mr Hedges claims the apology does not alleviate all of the pain he endured, including the fact that 'I still have a criminal record for espionage on behalf of the British Government'. He criticised the Government's continued relationship with the UAE, saying 'it is baffling that the UK continues to work alongside the UAE knowing how callous they are with British lives'. Mr Hedges also called the FCDO to 'do more to push the UAE to clear my name given that they have this close relationship'. He also acknowledged that the false allegations of espionage were 'refuted by all levels of the UK Government at the time of my detention'. Four years after his detention at a state facility in the UAE, the Parliamentary Ombudsman last month ruled the FCDO failed to protect him from torture. Mr Hedges (pictured) claims the FCDO's apology does not alleviate all of the pain he endured, including the fact that 'I still have a criminal record for espionage on behalf of the British Government' Mr Hedges on Monday criticised the Government's continued relationship with the UAE, saying 'it is baffling that the UK continues to work alongside the UAE knowing how callous they are with British lives'. He is pictured with his wife Daniela Mr Hedges was arrested at Dubai Airport on May 5, 2018, as he was poised to leave the country, having been in the UAE on a two-week research trip for his PhD in security. He was accused of being an MI6 agent, detained and eventually found guilty on spying offences, before being given an official pardon after a long campaign by his wife Daniela and an intervention from Mr Hunt. Last month he told MailOnline: 'The reluctance of the FCDO to protect me - a completely innocent British citizen, within a country that they themselves know commits torture - was one of the most shocking things to deal with during that time.' British PhD student who says he was wrongly imprisoned in UAE for six months on spying charges accuses the Gulf state of smearing him: READ MORE HERE Advertisement The academic has always fiercely denied being involved with any spying agency and the UK government has previously confirmed it did not see any evidence which supported the state's claims. During his detention, Mr Hedges was kept in a windowless cell, and for the first few months was forced to sleep on the floor with the lights constantly switched on. Mr Hedges also previously revealed that he was forced to take a cocktail of drugs that doctors were made to prescribe for him, was constantly watched and repeatedly interrogated. While in confinement, he suffered from anxiety and panic and was unable to sleep. After being sentenced to life in prison, he attempted to take his own life. But he was granted clemency in November 2018 and returned to the UK shortly afterwards. He submitted his complaint to the Ombudsman in September 2019 and the watchdog last month ruled the FCDO failed to protect him. The watchdog said embassy staff who visited Mr Hedges while he was in detention noticed his voice was shaking, he avoided eye contact and mentioned having anxiety attacks. It added these were signs he might have been subject to torture or mistreatment, and that Foreign Office guidelines say that staff should have acted in response even when they do not have consent. The Ombudsman recommended the authority not only apologise and pay compensation, but also 'say what it will do to ensure its handling of similar circumstances is consistent with relevant guidance'. Mr Hedges has now said it is a 'real shame' that the 'long-awaited apology' only came in response to the parliamentary watchdog's investigation. 'I would have hoped that the FCDO would take the initiative to learn from their own mistakes without needing an oversight body to force them to do so,' the academic told MailOnline on Monday. 'I cannot overstate how fundamental it is that the FCDO improves its procedures for protecting British citizens that are detained abroad, especially for those like Jaghtar Singh Johal in India, and Alaa Abd El-Fattah in Egypt, who like me, have suffered torture at the hands of the authorities holding them also British allies.' Mr Hedges, pictured at Heathrow upon his arrival back to the UK in 2018, has called the FCDO to 'do more to push the UAE to clear my name given that they have this close relationship'. He also acknowledged that the false allegations of espionage were 'refuted by all levels of the UK Government at the time of my detention' Matthew Hedges (right) is pictured in November 2021 with British citizen Ali Issa Ahmad, who was also allegedly tortured in UAE custody Mr Hedges said he will 'continue to fight for those who are not lucky enough to have been freed' and for those who have 'ridiculous false charges made against them'. He added: 'And today I revel in the fact that the FCDO have agreed they must do more to protect and help British citizens.' His vow to continue advocating for other alleged victims of torture, echoes remarks he made last month. Last month, responding to the Ombudsman's findings, Mr Hedges said he wants to do everything in his power to warn other British nationals about the dangers of travelling to the UAE, adding 'there are serious limits to what the FCDO will actually do to help and protect you'. He told MailOnline at the time: 'Nothing will ever make up for what I went through, but it feels like a semblance of justice to know that the behaviour of the Foreign Office was unacceptable and to have their failure to protect recognised.' 'The Foreign Office doesn't tell you it's unsafe, but people aren't educated that this is a country that is known to do this. 'The FCDO knows the UAE tortures and abuses people, it's in the report. They know this occurs and they act as if there's no issue. 'This is when the anger starts to rise', he said of individuals he is currently pursuing legal action against. 'They act as if nothing happened and if something did happen they are disregarding it. 'They are cosying up to the people involved in this, it questions their morality. I'm not here to say never contact these people. But they saw this torture occur and their acting as if nothing happened.' Mr Hedges added that he was not angry with the FCDO as a whole, but instead with 'individuals in the Foreign Office' who he feels failed to protect him. Mr Hedges (pictured with his wife) was arrested at Dubai Airport on May 5, 2018, as he was poised to leave the country, having been in the UAE on a two-week research trip for his PhD in security He has now said he will 'continue to fight for those who are not lucky enough to have been freed' and for those who have 'ridiculous false charges made against them'. Mr Hedges is pictured in May 2019 Last month, a statement from the UAE government said Mr Hedges was convicted of espionage following a 'fair and transparent trial at which he admitted the charges against him'. The UAE government said it provided Mr Hedges with 'entirely proper care and treatment'. 'He was never subjected to, or threatened with, either torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment of any sort. The UAE has evidence to support this,' the statement read. 'Allegations by Mr Hedges of mistreatment are categorically false and lack evidentiary basis. His claims of being 'tortured' while in UAE custody are wholly untrue and without any foundation whatsoever. It added: 'None of Mr Hedges' claims have ever been accepted by any court, government, or international body.' An FCDO spokesperson said: 'We recognise that Mr Hedges and his family's experience was a distressing one that has had a profound impact. 'We have accepted the ombudsman's finding for Mr Hedges, apologised and will pay the suggested compensation. 'The ombudsman rejected elements of the complaint and its report concluded we did act correctly in seeking access to Mr Hedges. We always aim to act in the best interest of the individual and acting without their consent in raising concerns about torture and mistreatment creates unacceptable risks. 'Helping British nationals abroad is a top priority and we offer advice and support at any time of day or night, helping over 20,000 British people and their families every year.' If there is a better metaphor for the shambolic state of Britain under this Tory Government than the crumbling schools crisis, the Mail is struggling to see it. A sluggish economy. Spiralling NHS waiting lists. A painful cost of living. And ministers seemingly unable to control illegal immigration. There is a disquieting but inescapable sense that the walls and ceilings are tumbling in on the country. Take a deeply troubling Mail on Sunday poll. Three-quarters of people think 'Britain is broken'. It's increasingly hard to disagree. After a long summer of lassitude and drift, Rishi Sunak must have hoped Parliament's return offered him the opportunity to hit the reset button. The last thing he needed was an omnishambles. Yet that's what he got. At the end of a TV interview, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan was recorded on camera ranting that she had done a 'f***ing good job' sorting out the concrete crisis. This was as arrogant and delusional as it was witless. If there is a better metaphor for the shambolic state of Britain under this Tory Government than the crumbling schools crisis, the Mail is struggling to see it Hours before the new academic year started, her department had shut or partially closed 104 schools because unstable concrete made them too dangerous to enter. After assessment, hundreds more may follow. For children now consigned to having lessons in portable cabins or, worse, Covid-style remote learning, and their parents her self-important moan will trigger fury. Such severe disruption to their schooling is not Mrs Keegan doing a 'good job'; it is a fiasco. And the naivety of the minister's foul-mouthed outburst while hooked up to ITV's microphones is flabbergasting. The broadcaster is notoriously and unremittingly hostile to the Tory party. Could she not have waited until reaching the sanctuary of her office before venting? It is not, of course, the Government's fault these schools were constructed with a flawed type of concrete used widely in the 20th Century. And when classrooms considered safe deteriorated over the summer, the Department for Education rightly acted. Yet ministers have known about this problem for years. Wouldn't it have made sense to grasp the nettle when schools were shut during the pandemic? The trouble is, politicians prefer shiny new projects that generate positive headlines to funding boring repairs. Amid the ongoing scandal, it was no surprise that a former DfE mandarin called Jonathan Slater emerged to point the finger of blame at the Prime Minister. At the end of a TV interview, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan was recorded on camera ranting that she had done a 'f***ing good job' sorting out the concrete crisis The embodiment of the Left-wing Whitehall Blob, he was given a platform by the BBC to attack Mr Sunak for cutting the school repairs budget while chancellor. Naturally, the Corporation failed to mention that Mr Slater harboured a grudge, having been sacked over the Covid exam farce in 2020. The quaint notion of Civil Service neutrality is now history. While the Government lurches from crisis to crisis, Sir Keir Starmer has given his shadow cabinet a fresh feel ahead of next year's general election. Bringing back Blairites once pushed to the margins by Jeremy Corbyn, he wants to persuade Middle England that they have nothing to fear from him as PM. But is this true? After all, he fought tooth and nail to put Mr Corbyn, an anti-Semite Marxist, in No 10. And while pledges such as not raising income tax are designed not to scare the horses, he has flip-flopped so many times he simply can't be trusted. There is no great affection for Sir Keir. But to have a chance of beating him, the Conservatives must show improvements on migration, the economy and NHS. A year ago tomorrow, the hugely popular Boris Johnson quit as PM after being toppled in a coup by Tory MPs not fit to polish his shoes emboldened by Mr Sunak himself. Having seized the crown he so desperately craved, it is imperative his premiership is a success. If Britain continues to limp along, could voters be blamed for turfing him out? Cops are expected to work through the night to figure out why this happened The unnamed man is said to have suffered burns across 90% of his body A man is fighting for his life in a life-threatening condition after he reportedly set himself on fire at a petrol station. Emergency services sped to a Tesco petrol station in Blackley, Manchester, at 7:35pm on Monday after the as-yet-unnamed man set himself alight on the forecourt. He is reportedly in hospital suffering with burns across 90 per cent of his body. A 'burnt-out suitcase' could be seen at the site of the incident, as well as two fire extinguishers and a large empty bottle. A burnt shoe could also be seen at the scene, though it is not know who it belonged to. A burnt shoe could also be seen at the scene, though it is not know who it belonged to Detectives are expected to be working through the night to figure out why the man set fire to himself Emergency services raced to the Tesco petrol station in Blackley, Manchester on Monday night It is not currently known why the man reportedly set himself on fire, and detectives are working to figure this out. Crime scene investigators from Greater Manchester Police were seeing poring over the scene of the incident, with a forensic officer being spotted taking swabs from across the forecourt. The petrol station is usually open till midnight, but was closed off from 7:40pm onwards. It is believed investigation work will continue through the night. A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: 'At around 7.35pm, officers were called to reports for the concern of the welfare of a man on Victoria Avenue East, Manchester. A man was taken to hospital with serious injuries, where he remains in a life-threatening condition. A cordon remains in place.' Detectives were seen combing through a burnt-out suitcase looking for clues Crime scene investigators from Greater Manchester Police were seeing poring over the scene of the incident The petrol station is usually open till midnight, but was closed off from 7:40pm onwards A spokesman for the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: 'At 7.30pm this evening, firefighters were called to a supermarket on Victoria Avenue, Manchester. 'Two fire engines from Philips Park and Whitefield fire stations arrived quickly at the scene. 'Fire crews helped a male casualty at the scene, including trauma care, before they were conveyed to hospital via our colleagues at North West Ambulance Service. GMFRS remain at the scene.' MailOnline has contacted Tesco for comment. Princess Diana biographer Andrew Morton commits a faux pas, telling Sky News that Meghan may not be keen on visiting her estranged in-laws as she would have to curtsy to Kate, now Princess of Wales. The old rules of who should bow/curtsy to whom are old hat. The late Queen abandoned much of the protocol in homage to both changing times and the arrival of a greater number of commoners into the family (among them Kate, Sophie, Tim Laurence, Mike Tindall, Jack Brooksbank and Camilla herself). The only requirement now is for the King himself to be acknowledged and Meghan might feel herself even exempt from that. It was noticeable that amid the sea of dips and bows as the King left his coronation, Harry didnt join in. Perhaps his view was obscured by Aunt Annes plume hat. Princess Diana biographer Andrew Morton commits a faux pas, telling Sky News that Meghan may not be keen on visiting her estranged in-laws as she would have to curtsy to Kate, now Princess of Wales In his forthcoming play The Interview, about Princess Dianas Panorama encounter with Martin Bashir, Jonathan Maitland is set to defy the BBC ban and Williams plea that it should never be aired again by using untransmitted footage. So who will play Bashir? He even suggested who might play him, says Maitland. Idris Elba was one idea and, er, Martin Bashir that is, him playing himself - another. Convinced that Louis Theroux had stolen her original TV documentary format, Ruby Wax, pictured, was suspicious when she agreed to be interviewed by him. She even brought a pair of healers along for support. I had two people putting their hands on me to calm me down so I wouldnt have a panic attack, she says. It clearly worked. He ended up like my best friend. We really get on. Jonathan Aitken, jailed for perjury after Mohamed Al Fayed blew the whistle on his unpaid Paris Ritz bill, now regrets his infamous Sword of Truth claim during his libel action. Im always ashamed when I watch the clip you just played, he tells Sky News. I feel very sorry and repentant about it. Will he be paying his respects to the late Al Fayad? Asked before he knew of Mohameds interment if he would be paying his respects, Aitken said: I might go to his funeral just to make absolutely sure that he is dead, he adds sweetly. Jonathan Aitken now regrets his infamous Sword of Truth claim during his libel action Offering his Hampstead house for sale at 17million, Boy George insists potential purchasers recite the Buddhist chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo before they enter. They also have to wipe surfaces clean once they have touched them and remain silent in Georges yoga room. How is it going so far, George? The bad news is I did not sell the house, he wails. Do they really wanna hurt me? Get out! Like former MPs Neil Hamilton and Tim Smith, Mr Hardcastle did accept a gift from the late Al Fayad over lunch at Harrods. But it was a mere trifle compared with the 1994 Cash for Questions scandal: a clip-on Turnbull & Asser tie similar to the one he was wearing. Mo stood up and dramatically whipped his tie off, saying: You wear this tie - you never get strangled! The school had organised the event as part of a fundraiser Teachers at the school were told to pretend to 'live with a disability' A posh school has been forced to scrap bizarre plans to make teachers 'live with a disability' for a day as part of a charity fundraising effort. The poorly conceived plan for the event at Methodist Ladies College in Claremont, in Perth's west was slammed by a disability advocate as 'insensitive'. The prestigious K-12 all-girls school had asked students to sponsor a teacher to 'live with a disability' for a day last Thursday. The boarding school. which charges Year 12 students $30,699 in annual fees, had arranged for the fundraiser to be held this week on campus. The Methodist Ladies College has been forced to ditch a fundraising activity which planned to make teachers to pretend to 'live with a disability' for a day. The funds would have been given to people with disabilities who are receiving care from Nulsen Disability Services in Western Australia. People with Disability Australia president Nicole Lee told The West Australian the planned event was inappropriate, even though it may have been for a good cause. 'It's insensitive, without meaning to be offensive,' Ms Lee said. 'It really just highlights the need ... to make sure you're engaging with the diverse community you're raising the funds for. 'It's certainly not something that we the disability community condone'. Principal Rebecca Clarke admitted that the event was misguided in an interview with Radio 6PR. The school's principal Rebecca Clarke said the event missed the mark, after the school encouraged students to sponsor their teachers to live with a disability for a day 'It is fair to say that that the activity... is not hitting the right mark,' Ms Clarke said. A College spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that the event is part of a campaign to build understanding about disability amongst the school's community. 'The week that we run at school is a fundraising initiative, it aims to raise awareness for all types of disability,' the spokeswoman said. '[The fundraiser] was done in consultation with our full internal community but we realised that it may have missed the mark and as such we decided to pull it'. 'We will continue to support Nulsen Disability Services and we will run some kind of fundraising activity on a yearly basis'. A spokeswoman from the prestigious school told Daily Mail they have ditched the event, which was organised to raise funds for a charity that supports people with disabilities Nulsen Disability Services is an organisation that provides disability accommodation and support services, for people with disabilities in Western Australia. The group has been providing disability support services to people in the community for the past 70 years. Burning Man has descended into chaos as fed-up revelers snapped and fought during the mass exodus from the washout festival. Tempers frayed during the hours-long line of RVs and campers on the way out of the Nevada desert, with cops warning many had turned hostile towards each other. Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said exhausted partygoers 'lashed out' at one another after finally breaking following a weekend of misery in the rain and mud. Drone footage from DailyMail.com showed snaking crowds of vehicles inching their way slowly across the sand as they made for the exits on Monday afternoon. Some tried to cut in front of each other while others swerved in the mud to avoid crashing, with reports of patience running thin throughout the gridlock. Long lines of vehicles are pictured on Monday as festival attendees leave the annual event A long line of vehicles exiting following a weekend of misery in the rain and mud Long lines of vehicles are pictured on Monday during the mass exodus from the washout festival It came as the grand finale - the burning of 'the man' - finally got underway a day late on Monday night, with the wooden statue lit for the dwindling crowd who'd stayed. Meanwhile officials named the man who died during the festival on Saturday as 32-year-old Leon Reece, and admitted the weather hampered their response. 'As usually happens in what burners refer to as the "default world" people allow their emotions to override their reasonableness and they are lashing out at each other as they leave the playa and attempt to make it to their next destination,' Pershing County Sheriff Allen told the San Francisco Chronicle. 'This behavior definitely does not fall within the 10 principles of Burning Man, but that is not the fault of BMP either, but is a societal issue.' Allen also said the unusual weather delayed the arrival of the emergency services when Reece collapsed on Saturday. 'Pershing County dispatch received a call regarding a male subject who was on the ground and unresponsive at the Burning Man Festival and medical personnel were administering CPR to the male,' Allen said. 'Due to the unusual rain event happening on the Playa, access to the area and investigative efforts were delayed. 'Upon the arrival of Pershing County Sheriff's Office Deputies, the doctor at the Festival had already pronounced the male subject, later identified as Leon Reece, a 32-year-old male, deceased.' He said an investigation is underway and a toxicology report being carried out. The sheriff said the abnormal weather was causing problems with trash. 'This year is a little different in that there are numerous vehicles strewn all throughout the playa for several miles,' the sheriff said. 'The Man' is pictured going up in flames on Monday night, at the end of the Burning Man festival The giant sculpture - the centerpiece of the annual event - is pictured looming over the encampment before Monday's burning The giant effigy is seen being lit on Monday in the Nevada desert Jerry Allen, sheriff of Pershing County, said that festival goers were losing their tempers and 'lashing out' The sheriff said some people had forgotten the principals of the festival, of kindness and compassion and leaving behind no trace of their visit Allen said some of the 'Burners' were becoming 'angry' as the festival drew to a close A RV is stuck in the mud as the drivers tried to leave the Nevada site Muddy boots are abandoned by the side of the road on Monday 'Some participants were unwilling to wait or use the beaten path to attempt to leave the desert and have had to abandon their vehicles and personal property wherever their vehicle came to rest. 'The playa is unforgiving when it is wet and will consume your vehicle until such time as it dries enough to be able to traverse.' Organizers on Monday said 64,000 revelers remained on the site, and begged those trying to leave the filthy encampment to have patience. A half-inch of rain fell on Friday, turning the site into a quagmire, and attendees were ordered not to leave because the exit roads were impassable. Some said the weather engendered a sense of community, but others admitted there was a mild panic at the thought of being stuck with dwindling food and water. Social media users laughed at the 'harrowing' stories of fleeing the site. The road reopened at 2pm on Monday and 'the exodus' began. Those leaving the festival before 'the burn' on Monday faced five-hour waits until they reached the open road. 'Take it slow and mind those directing traffic,' organizers pleaded. 'Please be patient as you exit through Gate Road, and respect Burning Man staff who are working hard to make the Exodus experience as smooth and safe as possible.' People in parrot suits sit on Monday and stare out at 'the man' - the effigy in the distance People are pictured wading through the mud in Nevada on Monday Shai Peza of Chicago dances in the mud after the rain on Saturday Molly of Salt Lake City poses for a photo at Burning Man People were being urged to delay their departure until Tuesday if possible. They were also asked not to attempt to walk. Some attendees - among them comedian Chris Rock, actor Austin Butler and DJ Diplo - had already left the festival on foot. The event began on August 27 and had been scheduled to end Monday morning, with attendees packing up and cleaning up after themselves. 'We are a little bit dirty and muddy, but spirits are high. The party still going,' said Scott London, a Southern California photographer, adding that the travel limitations offered 'a view of Burning Man that a lot of us don't get to see.' Attendees walk through a muddy desert plain on Monday A man makes his way through the mud in the desert on Monday Burning Man organizers announced on Monday it was safe to leave, but said no one could drive out of the event at speeds higher than 10mph Hundreds of Burning Man attendees who planned to leave on buses wait for information about when they will be able to leave A man surveys the muddy scene in Black Rock, Nevada, on Monday 'Dirty D' of Los Angeles dives into the mud at Burning Man One person could even be seen with a boat that had been parked up on the site The annual gathering, which launched on a San Francisco beach in 1986, attracts nearly 80,000 artists, musicians and activists for a mix of wilderness camping and avant-garde performances. Disruptions are part of the event's recent history: Dust storms forced organizers to temporarily close entrances to the festival in 2018, and the event was twice canceled altogether during the pandemic. President Joe Biden told reporters in Delaware on Sunday that he was aware of the situation at Burning Man, including the death, and the White House was in touch with local authorities. The event is remote on the best of days and emphasizes self-sufficiency. Amid the flooding, revelers were urged to conserve their food and water, and most remained hunkered down at the site. Some attendees, however, managed to walk several miles to the nearest town or catch a ride there. Diplo, whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz, posted a video to Instagram on Saturday evening showing him and Rock riding in the back of a fan's pickup truck. He said they had walked six miles through the mud before hitching a ride. 'I legit walked the side of the road for hours with my thumb out,' Diplo wrote. Diplo had ski goggles to protect his eyes from the desert dust as he left the site Actor and comedian Chris Rock, 58, found himself amidst the muddy chaos that descended upon the Burning Man festival site and hitched a ride out of the chaos on Saturday Lines of traffic snake across the desert on Monday as festival attendees try to leave Trash is left by the side of the road on Monday along the exit route out of Burning Man People appeared to have just flung their trash bags out of their vehicles on Monday The spirit of Burning Man is self-sufficiency, but many people appeared to have ignore it and left their trash behind A double rainbow is seen over the site on Friday, amid heavy rainfall Cindy Bishop and three of her friends managed to drive their rented RV out of the festival at dawn on Monday when, Bishop said, the main road wasn't being guarded. She said they were happy to make it out after driving toward the exit and getting stuck several times over the course of two days. But Bishop, who traveled from Boston for her second Burning Man, said spirits were still high at the festival when they had left. Most people she spoke with said they planned to stay for the ceremonial burns. 'The spirit in there was really like, 'We're going to take care of each other and make the best of it,'' she said. Rebecca Barger, a photographer from Philadelphia, arrived at her first Burning Man on August 26 and was determined to stick it out through the end. 'Everyone has just adapted, sharing RVs for sleeping, offering food and coffee,' Barger said. 'I danced in foot-deep clay for hours to incredible DJs.' A heartbroken mother revealed she held her five-year-old son as he died after suffering horrific burns to 90 per cent of his body in a motorbike explosion. Max Knight succumbed to his injuries on Monday after his motorbike caught fire at his family's Murphy's Creek property, in Queensland's south, on Sunday. Max was riding his Yamaha Peewee 50 bike on Father's Day morning when his dad, Harley, stopped to refuel his tank with a jerry can. Tragically a fire broke out, possibly due to the engine being too hot, and both were left severely injured. Max was flown to the Queensland Children's Hospital where he died from his injuries the following day with his father still in hospital and unaware of his son's death. His mother Emma Whybird revealed in a series of heartbreaking tributes on Facebook that she held him 'while he passed away'. Max Knight (above) died at about 7am on Monday after suffering burns to 90 per cent of his body in a motorbike crash on Sunday Max's mother, Emma Whybird (pictured together above), said she had to 'hold him while he passed away' 'My beautiful baby boy, I'm going to miss your beautiful smile, your precious hugs, your kisses good night, your warm touch,' she wrote. 'It's never going to be the same without you Max. My heart aches so much not cuddling you to sleep and reading you your favourite books. 'I wish you could come back to me my precious boy. Max, you will always be in Mummy and Daddy's life forever. 'We love you so much my darling little Max, the Knight rider.' Harley suffered burns to roughly 40 per cent of his body, mostly on the face, chest and arms. He remains in an induced coma at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital while doctors wait for his condition to stabilise enough to operate. He won't find out about his five-year-old son's death until he is woken, which is expected to be either on Thursday or Friday. Ms Whybird said her 'heart hurts' thinking about the conversation. Max's grandfather Tennocy Knight described his grandson as 'a good little kid'. Max's father, Harley (pictured together above), suffered burns to 40 per cent of his body in the crash and has been in an induced coma since - he doesn't know about Max's death Max (above) was described as a 'good little kid' with Ms Whybird writing, 'You will always be in Mummy and Daddy's life forever' 'He lived life to the fullest, like his father. It has been a really tough day for us and we are just trying to cope with the loss,' he told the Toowoomba Chronicle on Monday. 'The hardest thing for us as a family was to sit there beside his bed and do nothing.' He described Max and Harley as a close father-son duo. 'Motorbikes were their life, they loved riding together and they loved fishing too,' Mr Knight said. Sweden has urged Iran to release one of its nationals, who works as an EU diplomat, from prison, claiming that he's been arbitrarily held for over 500 days. Sweden's foreign ministry says that it is working 'very intensively' on the case of Johan Floderus, a 33-year-old native Swede who works for the European External Action Service, the EU's diplomatic arm. His case has been kept under wraps since April 2022, when he was arrested in Iran's capital, Tehran, while on holiday with some Swedish friends, but was first reported by the New York Times on Monday. He was arrested on April 17 2022 at an airport in Tehran while making his way back home. The native Swede, who held several positions in EU institutions, and was even featured in an advertising designed to encourage young Swedish people to work for the EU, is now reportedly being held in Iran's notorious Evin prison. Johan Floderus (pictured), a 33-year-old native Swede who works for the European External Action Service has been named for the first time He is believed to be held in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran Evin is known for being the home of most of Iran's political prisoners since 1972 The site has been home to Iran's politican prisoners since 1972. It even has a wing nicknamed 'Evin University' due to the sheer number of intellectuals and students forcibly kept there. Neither the Swedish authorities nor the European Union have confirmed the detainee's identity. But Johan's family said in a statement: 'We, Johan's family, are deeply worried and in despair. Johan was suddenly and without reason deprived of his liberty on a vacation trip and has been in an Iranian prison for more than 500 days.' 'We know that many are working hard to get him free and we are grateful for that. At the same time, every day is a huge trial, for us and above all for Johan. He must be released and allowed to come home immediately.' Iran announced in July last year it had arrested a man on suspicion of espionage, but has so far not commented on the revelation of Floderus' name. His arrest comes after Iran allegedly held several more people in arbitrary detention. A Belgian aid worker who was imprisoned on espionage charges until May seemingly referenced Floderus shortly after he was released. Olivier Vandecasteele referred to a Swedish cellmate of his in the Evin prison. 'We became like brothers. We promised each other that we would do everything for each other and whoever came out first would help each other's family and loved ones,' he told music lovers at a festival held in his honour. Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian charity worker who was held in Iran for six years on false charges of espionage, told the New York Times: 'This arrest in 2022 was a real escalation. It is shocking for me that the Swedish government and the E.E.A.S. have sat on it.' 'A Swedish citizen - a man in his thirties - was detained in Iran in April 2022. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Sweden in Tehran are working very intensively on the case and are maintaining close contact with the EU,' Sweden's foreign ministry said in an e-mail. 'The Swedish citizen has been arbitrarily deprived of his freedom and should therefore be released immediately.' The ministry added it was in daily contact with the detained man's family. 'We are aware and have been following very closely the case of a Swedish national detained in Iran,' a European Commission spokesman said. 'We are in a very close touch with the Swedish authorities who have the consular responsibility. 'This case has also to be seen in the context of the growing number of arbitrary detentions involving EU citizens. 'We have used and will continue to use every opportunity to raise the issue with the Iranian authorities to achieve - in close cooperation with the member states involved - the release of all arbitrarily detained EU citizens.' MailOnline has contacted Sweden's Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affair, and the European External Action Service for comment. A woman is outraged after a driver swiped the side of her car before leaving a two-worded note that said 'so sorry'. The woman had parked her Subaru Forester outside an art gallery in Kurnell, in Sydney's south, on Saturday afternoon only to return to find a huge dent on her rear passenger door. Making matters worse, the driver responsible left a note behind without any of his personal details and instead wrote a two-word apology. 'What is wrong with people these days?' the woman posted on Facebook, along with photos of her banged up 4WD. The woman had parked her Subaru Forester outside an art gallery in Kurnell, in Sydney's south, on Saturday afternoon only to return to find a huge dent on her rear passenger door 'I'm sorry too but the nearby houses have you on camera. And we have some details from a witness. 'Grey Toyota four wheel drive with roof racks. Age 40+ male. Solid build.' The woman said that while nearby CCTV cameras had captured the other driver, his licence plate was not visible. The driver responsible for the accident didn't leave any of his details behind and said just wrote 'so sorry' She also claimed it was the second time her car had been involved in a hit-and-run, and has reported the incident to police. Many residents of the Sutherland Shire condemned the other driver, with one accusing him of leaving a note only because he knew he was being watched. 'That's disgusting, hope he gets caught and pays the price,' one said. 'Weak and gutless!' another commented. NSW drivers can be fined $362 if they are involved in an accident and fail to leave their details behind. Government announce land border refurbishment The Government is planning a major refurbishment of the pedestrian and vehicular entrances to Gibraltar at the land border with Spain. The refurbishment had been delayed pending the negotiation of a treaty with the European Union. This is because of the plans to install a battery of automatic border control gates on the Gibraltar side, in addition to the manual checks, in order to allow for a more fluid access of persons in the event of a No Negotiated Outcome to the treaty. The use of these e-gates will allow more people to be processed at the same time. The e-gate proposal already has planning permission. The intention is to submit the proposed refurbishment of the pedestrian arrivals hall and the external areas for vehicles to the Development and Planning Commission, given that it would make sense to carry out the two projects at the same time, in the event that the e-gates become necessary. The Minister for Tourism Vijay Daryanani, who is responsible for visitor entry points, said that the proposed refurbishment of the land access points will dramatically improve the experience for the many millions of people who come through the border on an annual basis. Three soldiers at Fort Cavazos have died by suicide in the last month - in the latest in a series of mysterious deaths on military bases across the country. Fort Cavazos, formerly Fort Hood, is investigating all three and another death, the cause of which has yet to be confirmed, an Army spokesman said. The base is where Vanessa Guillen went missing on April 22, 2020, before she was found dismembered and buried nearby two months later. More recently it is where a soldier absconded for 10 days then turned up the day after his transgender wife was found dead in their home. The deaths also come after 17 soldiers were revealed to have died so far at an Oklahoma USAF base, with 11 due to 'natural causes' and six remaining unclear. Before the fourth Fort Cavazos soldier died last week, a spokesman said 'all initial indicators point to these tragedies being suicides'. Their names were not released. Three soldiers stationed at Fort Cavazos base have committed suicide in the last month in the latest in a series of mysterious deaths on American military bases Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, the commander of III Armored Corps and Fort Hood, expressed his sadness over the deaths in a statement. 'In the wake of these losses, our leaders are engaged with the families of the deceased to ensure they have the information and resources they need,' he said. 'Our leaders also work hard to protect the privacy of these families as they mourn the loss of a loved one.' The post announced that it is increasing suicide prevention and mental health programs as a response. GIs and their commanding officers held a 'call to action' day on August 16 where they claimed they spoke honestly about mental health issues. 'This training was supported by behavioral health professionals, chaplains, and other non-clinical counselors from across the Fort Cavazos installation,' Fort Cavazos leaders said in a statement. Fort Hood officially changed its name to Fort Cavazos in May as part of the US Army's ongoing effort to rename a handful of bases that currently carry the names of Confederate officers. The base has struggled in recent years with a number of murders and deaths - including the brutal beating of servicewoman Guillen - happening on its premises. Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, the commander of III Armored Corps and Fort Hood, expressed his heartbreak over the deaths in a statement The post announced that it is increasing suicide prevention and mental health programs as a response Earlier this year, the Army opened a probe into the death of 21-year-old Fort Hood engineer Ana Basalduaruiz, who had told her mother she was being sexually harassed by her superior. Perhaps no scandal rocked the base and the nation as much as the death of Guillen. After Guillen's death, her family's claims of sexual harassment at the Texas base ignited a movement on social media of former and active service members who shared their experiences at military bases throughout the country using the hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen. Then-U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said during a visit to the Texas base that it had one of the highest rates of murder, sexual assault and harassment in the Army. He added that the patterns of violence were a direct result of ' leadership failures. ' State and federal lawmakers passed legislation in 2021 honoring Guillen that removed some authority from commanders and gave survivors more options to report abuse and harassment. Army officials disciplined 21 commissioned and non-commissioned officers in connection with Guillen's death. Two other soldiers have died at the base this summer, one in a car accident with another's cause of death not yet revealed. Police said Guillen, 20, was bludgeoned to death and her remains buried by Army Specialist Aaron Robinson, who was assisted by Aguilar Guillen, 20, (pictured) was last seen at Fort Hood on April 22, 2020, in the parking lot of her barracks. She vanished after telling her family that she had been sexually harassed Craig Chamberlain was found on May 26, a day after his wife was found dead, and ten days after he vanished from home and absconded from Fort Cavazos. Cam Chamberlain reported her husband missing on May 15. She was found dead on May 25 at the couple's home It comes just weeks after the Air Force revealed 11 of 17 deaths on an Oklahoma air base this year were from natural causes - but six remained under investigation. Tinker Air Force Base has found itself in the spotlight since Military.com confirmed there had been 17 deaths on the base this year, where more than 30,000 service members, government employees, contractors and civilians work. Most of the 17 who died were civilians, said Colonel Abigail Ruscetta, the 72nd Air Base Wing Commander. One source told Military.com that some of the deaths were potential suicides, and some were Covid-19-related. Military suicides are at an all-time high, according to the USO. In 2021 alone, 30,177 active duty personnel and veterans who served in the military after 9/11 died by suicide. More Australian men are receiving cosmetic surgery to keep their jobs over fears they are being edged out of the workforce by their younger colleagues. From tradesmen to top executives, Australian men are going under the knife for a number of procedures including botox, nose jobs, calf and chin enlargement, liposuction, breast reduction and body lift surgery. Cosmetic procedures are typically popular among women with the new trend among men known as 'brotox'. Dr Joseph Hkeik, a Sydney cosmetic physician with 24 years experience, told Daily Mail Australia that 40 per cent of his clients are men. 'I think its across the board doesn't matter where they come from all walks of life, there's no particular groups that stand out,' Dr Hkeik said. One of the more shocking reasons men are turning to cosmetic procedures is so they can remain looking young over fear they will be pushed out of the workforce because of their age. There has been a massive increase in the number of Aussie men getting cosmetic procedures specialists have claimed, as the rise of 'Brotox' shows no sign of slowing Michael Clarke is one leading Aussie man long rumoured to have had cosmetic work done in recent years 'A lot of career men in their 50s and 60s recognize there a younger generation at work and there's alot of competitiveness in the workforce,' Dr Hkeik said. 'The younger surpassing them so they want to look good to try and maintain their positions in the company.' READ MORE: Cosmetic surgery crackdown to target fillers, botox and other procedures in Australia Advertisement This was accelerated by the dramatic increase in zoom meetings during the pandemic. 'The rise in virtual meetings means many professionals now frequently find their faces on screen, making them more attuned to signs of aging,' Perth cosmetic physician Dr Kate Jameson told Daily Mail Australia. Dr Hkeik opened All Saint Clinic at Double Bay, in Sydney's east, in 1999 but had enough business to run a second clinic in Sydney's west at North Parramatta. The changes come as long-held gender stereotypes defining what it means to be a man begin to crumble. In some cases straight men are also beginning to wear nail polish and dresses, such as Olympic boxer Harry Garside who turned heads after wearing an Armani skirt at last year's GQ Men of the Year awards. Dr Hkeik said there are two main groups of men getting procedures, one being men wanting to keep up with their more youthful partners. 'Their wives and partners are getting treatments and they realise they're looking a lot older than their partner,' he claimed Sydney cosmetic physician, Dr Joseph Hkeik, who has 24 years experience told Daily Mail Australia that 40 per cent of his clients are men. Pictured, a stock image of a man Most popular cosmetic procedures HydraFacial Liquid facelifts Brotox (aka botox) Nose reshaping Eyelid lifts Face lifts Liposuction Male breast reduction Body lift surgery Chin enlargement Calf implants Skin tightening after weight loss Advertisement 'In some cases the partners suggest they should get some work done so they both feel and look good.' His most popular procedures include a non-surgical 'liquid facelift', which starts at $1600, and one called 'micro needling with radiofrequency', which he says tightens and preserves the skin. Dr Hkeik said many men are influenced by the youthful appearances of many leading Aussies. Among those rumoured to have had cosmetic procedures, including 'brotox' are Chris Hemsworth, Michael Clarke, Keith Urban and Hugh Jackman. Sydney pub baron Stu Laundy admitted he had 'a few injections' before appearing on The Bachelorette in 2017. He said it was administered at a friend's beauty clinic and he volunteered as a 'crash-test dummy'. Dr Jameson said there has been 'a noticeable increase' in the past five years in the number of men interested in aesthetic procedures, including injectables, skin treatments and lasers. 'Traditionally male beauty and self care was limited to things such as haircuts, facial hair, a chiseled jawline and muscles, but were seeing a changing definition of masculinity and a deeper exploration into this which is very exciting. Dr Jameson said many men get cosmetic work done because they want to look good in virtual meetings Sydney pub baron Stu Laundy (50) admitted he had 'a few injections' before appearing on The Bachelorette in 2017, after which he dated Sophie Monk 'With this has come more willingness to explore cosmetic injectables to delay the signs of ageing and correct facial volume loss or bone structure changes, as well as more interest in a skin health approach.' Long facials are all the rage with men, especially tradies, Dr Jameson said. 'We treat a substantial number of FIFO workers who visit Youth Lab regularly for rejuvenating Hydrafacial treatments,' she said. 'These treatments help cleanse and nourish their skin, combatting the effects of extended hours spent outdoors and frequent travel.' Worldwide 13.8 per cent of all cosmetic surgery procedures in 2022 were performed on men and the rate was slightly higher for non-surgical procedures at 14.3 per cent. The global market in male grooming is expected to be worth $200billion within five years. President Joe Biden has been tested and is currently negative FLOTUS has 'mild symptoms' and will stay at their Delaware property First lady Jill Biden has tested positive for coronavirus, her office confirmed on Monday night - as the White House said Joe Biden has tested negative. The 72-year-old is 'experiencing only mild symptoms' and will remain at the couple's home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, a statement said. Meanwhile the White House said the president has, so far, tested negative for COVID, as cases of the virus are on the rise again globally. The couple spent Sunday night together at their Rehoboth Beach home before Joe flew to Philadelphia Monday to mark Labor Day with a speech to union workers. The president also spent several hours at their Wilmington home - which the Secret Service is doing work on - before jetting back to DC to start the work week. Jill Biden has tested positive for coronavirus, her office confirmed on Monday night. Pictured: Jill is seen greeting Floridians following Hurricane Idalia on Saturday, September 2 Joe and Jill Biden walk towards Air Force One before departing from Gainesville, Florida, on Saturday. The couple spent Sunday together at their Rehoboth Beach, Delaware home The First Lady had accompanied the president Saturday to Florida to survey hurricane damage and then they headed to their Delaware beach home. In a statement released Monday, Jill's spokesman Elizabeth Alexander said: 'This evening, the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19. 'She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms. She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware,' Alexander said. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: 'Following the First Lady's positive test for COVID-19, President Biden was administered a COVID test this evening. The President tested negative.' Dr. Biden previously had COVID last August and got stuck at the property the couple had vacationed at on Kiawah Island in South Carolina. Biden waves as he walks on the South Lawn after returning to the White House on Monday She was prescribed the antiviral Paxlovid and tested positive with a rebound case of COVID several days later. President Biden tested positive for COVID last July. He also was treated with Paxlovid and suffered a rebound case days later. Both the president and first lady are vaccinated and boosted. The president is expected to leave Thursday for the G20 summit in New Delhi, India. The first lady was not expected to attend. 'The President will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms,' Jean-Pierre said. While COVID cases are on the rise, neither the president nor the first lady have worn a mask in public recently. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recently turned heads by conceding that data was lacking on whether masks stopped the spread of the virus. 'When you're talking about the effect on the epidemic or the pandemic as a whole, the data are less strong,' Fauci recently said on CNN. 'But there are other studies, that show at an individual level, for individuals, they might be protective.' Jill greets residents impacted by Hurricane Idalia in Live Oak, Florida, on Saturday afternoon Former President Donald Trump, who got very sick from COVID when he tested positive in October 2020, just weeks before Election Day, railed against 'fearmongering' over the uptick in new COVID cases. In a video posted to social media Thursday, the GOP presidential candidate - who likely lost the last election over his handling of COVID - commented on the recent spike in cases. 'The left wing lunatics are trying very hard to bring back COVID lockdowns and mandates with all of their sudden fearmongering about the new variants that are coming. Gee whiz, you know what else is coming?' Trump mused. 'An election.' 'They want to restart the COVID hysteria so they can justify more lockdowns, more censorship, more illegal dropboxes, more mail-in ballots and trillions of dollars in payoffs to their political allies heading into the 2024 election,' he continued. 'Does that sound familiar?' Part of Trump's push that he unfairly lost the 2020 election came from the widespread use of mail-in ballots due to the pandemic. Democrats, and thus Biden's voters, were more comfortable voting by mail as it was encouraged by the party. Trump and other Republicans pushed their base to vote in-person on Election Day. This also produced a red mirage, with votes cast on Election Day counted first in many competitive states. Democratic-leaning mailed-in ballots took several days to tally, which was why Biden's win wasn't announced until the Saturday after. As president, Trump first backed lockdowns and then did an about-face several months later. He was always reluctant to put on a mask. He's wearing in this photo because it was during his October 2020 bout with the disease 'They rigged the 2020 election and now they're trying to do the same thing all over again, by rigging the most important election in the history of our country, the 2024 election, even if it means trying to bring back COVID,' Trump said Thursday. 'But they will fail because we will not let it happen.' When COVID cases started popping up in the United States in March of 2020, the Trump administration implemented a 15-day lockdown across the country entitled: '15 Days to Stop the Spread.' It later was extended another 30 days. But after initially backing lockdowns, Trump did an about-face. He was also insistent about not wearing a mask, turning it into a political issue. Trump put together Operation Warp Speed to get the COVID-19 vaccines developed and was one of the first Americans vaccinated, though later realized the stance was not popular with the Republican base, as other conservative figures became prominent anti-vaxxers. On Thursday Trump addressed 'every COVID tyrant who wants to take away our freedom.' 'Hear these words: We will not comply. So don't even think about it,' he said. 'We will not shut down our schools. We will not accept your lockdowns. We will not abide by your mask mandates and we will not tolerate your vaccine mandates.' Initially they claimed she was at-fault, then they stalled repairs An off-duty cop has been put through hell after her insurer initially blamed her for a multiple car pile-up - and then refused to pay for some of the repairs. Jenny rang into Sydney's 2GB radio on Tuesday to talk to Ben Fordham about her daughter's NRMA insurance claim after a July 9 crash on the Hume Highway in NSW. Jenny initially filed the claim on July 10 to an overseas call centre whose operator incorrectly identified her daughter as the at-fault driver. Despite providing dashcam footage, the ordeal still plagues the family two months after they booked the car into a repair shop, with NRMA now refusing to pay for two new panels to be painted. A huge crash on the Hume Highway in NSW on July 9 caused a nightmare insurance claim for an off-duty cop whose car was involved Jenny had assumed that it would be an easy case as footage showed her daughter stationary before one car clipped another behind her, causing it to roll several times. When we initially made the claim over the phone through one of their overseas call centres, she kept referring to it as 'our car hitting another car',' Jenny told Fordham. 'I kept saying to them 'no, that is not correct', but they kept referring to that. 'When they contacted (us) a couple of days later, they still had not confirmed that we were not at fault, even though the dashcam footage proves that we are not at fault. The issue was finally resolved when Jenny took matters into her own hands, personally driving to her closest NRMA office to talk to a representative in person. The brand new car, which Jenny's daughter had purchased in May for $61,000, was approved for repair in late July, but by August 1 another problem emerged. After booking the car in for repairs, NRMA called Jenny to discuss the discrepancies between what the repair shop wanted and what the insurer was willing to pay for. The repairman had told Jenny that the guidelines of their shop said that if a panel has to be replaced then the paint has to be blended to the surrounding areas. Damage to the car from the accident required both a front panel and a door to be replaced. 'Well the NRMA to this day will not allow that to happen,' Jenny said. 'What happened to the NRMAs famous motto, 'Help (is who we are)'?' After weeks of trying to resolve the issue, Jenny and her daughter instead lodged a separate claim through the insurer of the at-fault car. The officer's mother, Jenny, told 2GB's Ben Fordham that despite dashcam footage clearly showing that her daughter was not at fault, NRMA would not agree to cover some of the claim Jenny told Mr Fordham that she was told not to lodge the second claim by NRMA, but with the help of the repairer had done so within a day. The at-fault insurance company rang me and confirmed all the details and they approved it within days - the identical claim that we had put through the NRMA,' Jenny revealed. After the long and arduous insurance battle, Jenny now hopes that her daughter will get the car back before the end of the week. She said that despite being involved in the crash herself, her daughter had taken responsibility for co-ordinating the crash scene even though she was not working at the time. She had to control the scene, make all the phone calls, get the ambulances there, the firies, the other police officers, and she had to control that scene until they arrived. 'She also had to check on the five people in that car that had rolled over - that they were ok and not deceased.' Fordham assured Jenny that he is now on the case and will personally contact the insurance company after the radio host uploaded dashcam footage to his website. Daily Mail Australia has contacted NRMA for comment. She claims her 'boob got in the way' Seatbelt was twisted across her chest A Gold Coast mother has been left outraged after being slapped with a $1,161 fine for a situation she claims to have had 'no control over'. Margaret Bowen, from Pimpana, was fined after her chest caused a twist in her seatbelt while travelling on Brisbane Road, Bundama, on August 8. The infringement notice said Ms Bowen had been fined for not wearing a seatbelt properly adjusted or fastened while riding in the passenger seat. Ms Bowen was left outraged and complained about the hefty fine on a local community Facebook group. Margaret Bowen, from Pimpana, was fined after her chest caused a twist in her seatbelt while travelling on Brisbane Road, Bundama, on August 8 (pictured) 'I had the belt on properly over the shoulder, across the chest and buckled in,' she explained. 'My boob got in the way and caused what looks like a slight twist. 'I really can't believe I received the fine for something I feel I have no control over.' The Gold Coast mum said she was even more vigilant about seatbelts after her daughter was involved in a serious car accident a few months ago. Ms Bowen has contested the fine, which she believes is 'not warranted'. 'People are being fined for things that are sometimes beyond their control and sometimes, as in my case, are not warranted,' she said. 'People are struggling enough and to be fined this amount for not breaking a law is ridiculous. Ms Bowen was captured on a seatbelt camera with her seatbelt twisted over her chest 'Mistakes will and are being made. These cameras do not give the full picture.' Dozens of Pimpana locals expressed outrage at the fine. 'Jeez, imagine the boobs getting in a way of a fine,' one empathised. Another added: 'This is bureaucracy gone mad. Contest it.' Daily Mail Australia contacted the Queensland Treasury for comment. Some have suspected and alleged that a person is poisoning the water Ducks are mysteriously being found sick, dying or dead in one LA neighborhood Los Angeles residents have been left horrified after dozens of ducks washed up at a local park - as locals worry someone is poisoning them. The mysterious deaths have been happening in the Boyle Heights area at Hollenbeck Park where dozens of birds have died over the past several days. Experts say a number of factors could be causing the deaths including avian botulism or water contamination. Many in the area worry that someone is intentionally harming the birds, however. 'Unfortunately, it looks like someone has been poisoning the ducks, I think, because they are dying slow,' said local Margarito Garcia, who walks at the park each week. Residents in a Los Angeles neighborhood say they are shocked as ducks have been washing up at a local park - as locals are worried someone is poisoning the water 'Unfortunately, it looks like someone has been poisoning the ducks, I think, because they are dying slow,' said local Margarito Garcia, who walks at the park each week Garcia told KTLA that while he was walking around the park, he noticed a goose hovering around a dying duck. Other residents described the scene as worrisome as duck carcasses pile up. 'I usually come running here around the lake and, you know, sometimes you'll see birds, but there's just any number of them, like at least 15 or so just washed up on the shore,' said one woman who didn't give her name. She said she first saw dead ducks around the pond on Saturday. The woman returned on Sunday to the park and found even more animals dead and at least one struggling to live. 'Hopefully, it's something small and people are not intentionally killing them,' another park visitor said. Several locals who talked to the outlet said they have reported the issue to animal control but that they did not receive a response. It's still currently unknown what is causing the birds to die. Howie Berkowitz, founder of the Duck Pond of Lake Elsinore, said he believes there could be major issues causing the ducks to fall ill. 'One is that the water is actually contaminated and that could be either through someone has done that, or the other possibility is that there is poisonous algae out there, especially during the summer when the water gets hot,' he said. Experts say botulism or water contamination could be to blame for the deaths The deaths are occurring at Hollenbeck Park in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of LA Garcia told KTLA that while he was walking around the park, he noticed a goose hovering around a dying duck Ducks are seen lying along the lake in the Boyle Heights area Berkowitz has run a duck sanctuary for the last 10 years and said the ducks falling ill should concern locals and animal control. He said any sick animals need to be taken to a veterinarian right away. 'The faster they can administer some activated charcoal, the faster it'll stop the problem,' Berkowitz said. Another avian expert said they believe it could be avian botulism to blame. Avian botulism causes a duck to ingest lethal bacteria and infect the greater ecosystem after flies feed on the duck's carcass. It's only possible to know if avian botulism is the cause if a necropsy is performed. DailyMail.com reached out to local animal control officials for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. Alan Joyce leaves his role as Qantas chief executive as a fantastically wealthy man, but with the reputation of the once cherished national carrier in tatters - hated by some passengers, loathed by workers, and sued by customers and regulators. And almost everyone blames him. The burgeoning list of controversies meant the airline finally forced out Mr Joyce, 57, on Tuesday; two months earlier than arranged and cushioned by a $24million golden handshake. So who is this diminutive Irishman, this son of a cleaner and a tobacco factory worker, who had never even flown in a plane until he was 22. His initial dream of becoming a pilot - despite his lack of flying experience - was dashed by his poor eyesight and self-confessed 'hyper' personality. Mr Joyce instead joined the Irish carrier Aer Lingus as a research analyst after graduating from Trinity College Dublin and admits 'the smell of kerosene gets into your blood and you become addicted.' Alan Joyce's initial dream of becoming a pilot - despite his lack of flying experience - was dashed by his poor eyesight and self-confessed 'hyper' personality The complicated logistics of air travel have always thrilled the double graduate in applied science and management, who, like John Travolta, collects airline timetables as a hobby Alan Joyce rose to be head of Qantas's budget subsidiary Jetstar in 2003 After eight years he joined Ansett in the dying years of the failed domestic Australian airline before moving over to Qantas in 2000. He rose to be head of its budget subsidiary Jetstar after just three years, and five years later he was appointed Geoff Dixon's successor as Qantas boss in 2008. His 15 years in the top job was a lengthy term as chief executive by the standards of corporate world, and a reward for his delivery of record profits. But those profits came at some cost, with his reputation for ruthlessness putting him at odds with just about everyone not getting rich off Qantas shares. During a union dispute in 2011, he shut down the entire Qantas network and locked out the airline's workforce, stranding 100,000 passengers worldwide. The show of force cost Qantas $50million, including $20million in flights for furious customers, but that faded into insignificance compared to its war with Virgin Australia. The airfare war with the cut-price import airline cost a staggering $8.75million a day, with the final bill for Qantas running up a record $2.8billion company loss in 2014. And during Covid, he illegally sacked 1700 ground crew staff while the airline was shut down by the pandemic. In the wake of his early retirement on Tuesday, union bosses slammed Joyce's 'brutal' reign in charge for putting the Qantas share price ahead of passengers and staff. 'Qantas staff used to be proud to work for the Spirit of Australia,' said Australian Council of Trade Unions president Michele O'Neil. 'But Alan Joyce broke that spirit by prioritising shareholders over the welfare of staff and passengers.' Transport Workers Union national secretary Michael Kaine added: 'We've had a CEO and a management team that has been brutal... 'Brutal in its tactics against workers but brutal also in the way that it's treated those that it's charged to serve and that is the general public.' The complicated logistics of air travel have always thrilled the double graduate in applied science and management, who, like John Travolta, collects airline timetables as a hobby. Ansett's demise in the wake of 9/11 in 2001 taught him the importance of 'do whatever it takes', he once admitted. 'You have to have management that is determined and aggressive and will do what they have to do,' he said in 2007. Ansett's demise in the wake of 9/11 in 2001 taught Alan Joyce the importance of 'do whatever it takes', he once admitted He was appointed Geoff Dixon's successor as Qantas boss in 2008 (pictured together) Alan Joyce (pictured in 2011) was diagnosed with prostate cancer and warned he would likely have been dead if he had waited for a routine check up when turning 50 as he planned Such corporate aggression has made his time at Qantas a high-turbulence trip. He has overseen both historic losses for the company, but also record profits this year of $2.5billion, and the volatility was reflected in a share price which dipped as low as 90c a share in 2013 before bouncing back to $7.34 in 2019. He leaves his CEO successor Vanessa Hudson a legacy of a fleet with an average age of 15 years, and many up to 21 years old, which will cost billions to replace. The airline has 169 new aircraft on order between now and 2030, including more than 50 set to arrive by the end of next year. It's also seen Mr Joyce, a left-leaning working class 'progressive', embroiled in a series of political rows after the airline received $2.7billion in taxpayer support during Covid, which the Irishman has indignantly refused to ever pay back. The emergence from Covid lockdowns saw Qantas' reputation severely tarnished in the eyes of customers, as staff shortages and inexperienced workers saw a litany of cancelled flights and lost luggage. Mr Joyce's role persuading Anthony Albanese's government to stifle local competition by blocking Qatar Airways' bid for more Australian operations has prevented much lower ticket prices for travellers. The airline's one-eyed support for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament ignores the split among its own customer base on the issue. His support for such left-wing causes have alienated him from those on the right, while his attacks on the union movement has lost him any support from the left. In a damning reaction to the announcement, Labor senator and former union boss Tony Sheldon said Mr Joyce's legacy was 'low pay, insecure work, illegal sackings and consumer rip offs.' His chummy relationship with Mr Albanese has also come under scrutiny after the PM's son Nathan, 23, and the PM's girlfriend Jodie Haydon were gifted membership of the prestigious Qantas Chairman's Lounge. During it all, Mr Joyce - who shares a harbourside penthouse apartment in The Rocks overlooking Sydney Opera House with his husband Shane Lloyd - has battled and won a fight with prostate cancer. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2011 and warned he would likely have been dead if he had waited for a routine check up when turning 50 as he planned. 'I was extremely lucky,' he admitted But rather than take the diagnosis as a sign to slow down, instead he saw it as a reason to work harder. 'It gave me more drive, more passion for doing what I need to do,' he said at the time. 'It was a real moment where I got refocused. Coming back into what we had to do, it gave me that extra spirit of energy.' Alan Joyce will be free to spend more time with his husband Shane Lloyd Alan Joyce splashed out on a sprawling $19million waterfront mansion overlooking Sydney harbour in Mosman last year but he and his husband Shane Lloyd never moved in before selling it in July. The couple recently purchased this $9.5million penthouse which is being combined with his neighbouring unit at the Cove Apartments in Sydney's The Rocks district Alan Joyce leaves his role as Qantas chief executive as a fantastically wealthy man, but with the reputation of the once cherished national carrier in tatters - hated by passengers, loathed by workers, and sued by customers and regulators Now at last he may start to relax in retirement - and even as long ago as 2007 he started to plan his life after work. After previously turning down a chance to return to Ireland as CEO of Aer Lingus, he still harbours a desire to split his life between the two countries he calls home. He admitted: 'Maybe when I retire I'll spend six months in Ireland and six months in Australia each year.' But will he fly Qantas to get there...and will his baggage arrive? The whereabouts of footage capturing Steve Irwin's harrowing final moments remain a mystery 17 years after his tragic death. Monday marked the 17th anniversary of Irwin's sudden death, with his wife Terri and their children Bindi and Robert leading the outpouring of tributes. The beloved conservationist was killed when he was barbed by a stingray on September 4, 2006, at Batt Reef near Port Douglas in far north Queensland, with the news sending shockwaves across Australia and around the world. Camera crews worked desperately to save the environmental icon before getting him to shore, where paramedics performed CPR - but he died before reaching the hospital. The entire incident was caught on camera for the TV program, Ocean's Deadliest, with tapes handed over to authorities to help their investigation into his death. The footage has never seen the light of day, thanks to the wishes of Irwin's close friends and family. Friend and family have ensured the tape showing the tragic death of Steve Irwin (pictured) has never seen the light of day Except for one, all copies of the footage that captured Irwin's death were destroyed immediately after authorities completed their investigation in 2007. The whereabouts of this footage are shrouded in mystery, but is believed to be sitting in a dusty police vault somewhere, according to Irwin's widow Terri. Irwin had ordered all his teams to film everything that happened regardless of the dire situation, with the horrific footage immediately handed over to authorities investigating his death. 'He tells his camera crew to always be filming,' Irwin's IMDb biographer Tommy Donovan once said. 'If he needs help, he will ask for it. Even if he is eaten by a shark or croc, the main thing he wants, is that it be filmed. If he died, he would be sad if no one got it on tape.' Irwin's best mate and director, John Stainton, vowed at the time of the tragedy that he would ensure the video was never made public, insisting the footage was far too distressing to be shown. 'When that is finally released [after being investigated], it will never see the light of day. Ever. Ever,' Stainton told CNN host Larry King in an emotional interview shortly after Irwin's death in 2006. 'I actually saw it, but I don't want to see it again.' 'I would never want that tape shown.' It's been 17 years since the tragic death of Steve Irwin shocked the world. He's pictured with wife Terri and daughter Bindi in 2002 Irwin's best mate and director John Stainton (pictured left with Irwin) said the footage would 'never see the light of day' and previously admitted he wished he'd never watched it In a tragic twist, Irwin was not meant to be at sea that day as filming for his show 'Ocean's Deadliest' was cancelled due to bad weather. Bored at his hotel with his cameraman Justin Lyons and director Stainton, the trio embarked on a small boat to Batt Reef off the Port Douglas coast. After failing to track a deadly tiger shark off the reef, Irwin locked in on a large, eight-foot stingray for a separate project they were working on, believed to be his daughter's Bindi the Jungle Girl show. 'Suddenly, he expressed interest in encountering some typically harmless stingrays. It should have been an innocuous encounter for a children's program,' Stainton recalled. Irwin swam above the usually docile and harmless stingray, before it projected one of its barbs into his chest - potentially mistaking him for a shark. Rays use the barbs, which are three venomous spinal blades in their tail, as a defence mechanism when threatened or stepped on. The stingray pierced Irwin's chest as he swam over it and struck his heart, with crews rushing the icon to their boat. 'It went through his chest like a hot knife through butter,' Lyons recalled. Irwin told his team the ray 'punctured me lung' after being hit, not realising it had instead struck his heart. 'It probably thought Steve's shadow was a tiger shark, who feeds on them pretty regularly, so it started to attack him,' Lyons recalled. 'As we're motoring back, I'm screaming at one of the other crew in the boat to put their hand over the wound, and we're saying to him things like, 'Think of your kids, Steve, hang on, hang on, hang on'. 'He just sort of calmly looked up at me and said, 'I'm dying.' And that was the last thing he said.' Steve Irwin's widow Terri shared this flashback snap of the couple last week Bindi and Robert, who were aged eight and two respectively when their dad died have also paid several tributes in recent days Stainton accompanied Irwin's body on a seaplane back from Cairns following his death before watching as his wife Terri and children Bindi and Robert arrived to see his casket for the first time. 'I travelled on the plane with him for six hours, just him and I. For five hours, I couldn't stop crying. It was devastating,' he said. Australia mourned the loss of one of its favourite sons, with his funeral broadcast internationally from his beloved Australia Zoo in Queensland in the days following. It has been reported Terri was handed the final copy of her husband's last moments. Terri told You magazine in 2018: 'After Steve died, 100 million viewers watched a video of his death that was released on YouTube.' 'That film was a complete fabrication exploiting people's sadness. I have never watched the real footage. Why would I? I know how my husband died, and I was relieved that the children weren't on the boat as they usually would be; it would have been horrendous if they had witnessed it.' Bindi shared this flashback photo as a little girl with her beloved dad on the anniversary of his death on Monday Terri paid tribute to her late husband on Monday by sharing a flashback snap of the Aussie icon in a reflective mood with his dog. 'Remembering Steve,' the post read. Bindi and Robert, who were aged eight and two respectively when they dad died have also paid several tribute in recent days. The anniversary of his death came one day after Father's Day. 'Today is Father's Day here in Australia. Days like this are filled with so many different emotions, but above all, I choose to make it a happy day to remember the best moments with the best Dad,' Robert wrote on Sunday. Bindi commented: 'Dad is SO. PROUD. OF. YOU. He's always with us. Love you. Human remains discovered in rural Australia a year ago have been identified and belong to a man who is believed to have met with foul play almost 15 years ago. The remains were discovered at Sheep Station Creek in the Central Highlands Region, in Queensland, in July 2022. Queensland Police revealed on Tuesday the remains belong to Francis Foley with the 62-year-old last seen at Rubyvale, west of Rockhampton, in December 2008. Detectives believe Mr Foley was murdered and have offered a $500,000 reward for anyone with information that could lead to an arrest. 'We do believe that with public assistance, irrespective of the passage of time, this crime can be solved, offenders can be brought to justice and we can provide some closure to Frank's family and friends,' Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell said. Queensland Police are now offering a $500,000 to convict those responsible for the alleged murder of Francis Foley after his human remains were discovered near his property Mr Foley went missing on Christmas Eve in 2008 after he went Christmas shopping with a neighbour, in the Emerald CBD on December 24, 2008. Mr Foley reportedly went missing after he came home. Neighbours recalled hearing the sound of gunshots from Mr Foley's cabin that afternoon. One neighbour went to check on Mr Foley, five days later after the area was hit by floods. They found a gas bottle which had exploded and Mr Foley's wallet which had been thrown onto the ground. Detective Senior Sergeant Kentwell said the damage to the gas bottle was consistent with 'having been hit by a gunshot blast'. 'Blood located at the scene was later identified as belonging to Frank,' she said. Mr Foley was allegedly murdered after officers from Queensland Police concluded that gunshots were fired. A person searching for gems at Sheep Station Creek a kilometre downstream from Frank's home discovered the human remains more than a decade later. 'With assistance from the Australian Federal Police National DNA Program for Unidentified and Missing Persons, the remains were identified as belonging to Francis Foley,' a Queensland Police spokesperson said. Mr Foley moved to Rubyvale in Queensland in 2003. He worked in various trades including carpentry, building, and vehicle repairs before he took over a mining lease. It's believed Mr Foley owned a number of valuable gemstones, even though he wasn't a gem miner. Forensic analysts identified the remains of Mr Foley after a person who was searching for gems near Mr Foley's property found the remains The son of Mr Foley Shaun Charlton said he hoped someone had information about his father's death. 'Almost fifteen years after my father's death, it would mean everything to know what happened and have some closure,' he said. 'We ask anyone in the Rubyvale and fossicking communities to please, if you know something, speak to police'. Detective Senior Sergeant Kentwell said there are several people of interest who have been identified in their investigations. Sergeant Kentwell said she is confident the cold case will be solved. Queensland Police are on the hunt for those responsible for Mr Foley's alleged murder, as authorities appeal for information to solve the cold case 'Someone out there knows what happened to Frank and they now have 500,000 reasons to come forward and speak to police,' Sergeant Kentwell said. 'Anyone with knowledge of Frank's movements on 23 December 2008, or who may have information relating to this investigation, is urged to contact police'. READ MORE: Vigil held for boys killed in Heckenberg crash Noise-detecting cameras could become a new addition to Australian roads to stamp out hooning, drag racing and reckless driving. The security cameras track vehicles generating loud noise, which can come from exhaust systems, engines, horns, brakes, sound systems or screeching tyres. The devices capture the vehicle's licence plate, with the owner of the car issued a fine if it's found that it had breached noise restrictions. The City of Bayside in Sydney's southwest may be the first council area to trial the cameras in the country. It follows a spate of reckless driving and deaths resulting from high-speed crashes in the area. Noise cameras could be introduced to Sydney roads which track vehicles generating loud noise READ MORE: Terrifying moment tradie broken down on the side of the road loses the plot after a driver stops to see if he's OK Advertisement Alina Kauffman, 24, and her brother Ernesto Salazer, 15 were killed when the driver behind a Mercedes allegedly sped down a road before smashing into the vehicle they were in at Heckenberg last Friday. Late last month, Xavier Abreu, 10, and his brother Peter, nine, died when the Subaru WRX they were in slammed into a tree on Grand Parade in Monterey. The driver Jimmy Martin Brito, 33, has been charged with two counts of dangerous driving causing death and one count of causing bodily harm by misconduct. Bayside mayor Dr Christina Curry said the local community 'have had enough' and wants to set up the cameras. 'Council is very supportive of trialling the noise cameras,' she told 9News. 'We are prepared to try anything.' There is no set date for when the cameras will be rolled out. The cameras will be used to stamp out hooning, drag racing and reckless driving (stock image) The NSW Environment Protection Authority is determining whether to approve the use of the cameras. Noise cameras have already been used and trialed in the UK, the US and Israel. NSW drivers can currently be fined up to $600 for excessive noise. Gibraltar denies Spanish media reports Spain responsible for delays for cross-frontier workers New measures introduced at border by Spain Gibraltar reluctantly implemented reciprocal measures in response to Spanish escalation His Majestys Government of Gibraltar wishes to clarify its position as to the issues involved in the recent tensions at the border leading to heavy queues. Citizens of both Gibraltar and Spain have been subjected to lengthy queues at the border throughout the month of August as a result of the actions of the Spanish authorities. Whilst queues were experienced sporadically throughout, on 24th August new measures were introduced without prior warning which involved the scanning of a significant number of passports, including those held by Gibraltar resident red card holders and some Spanish nationals. The Government says it understands that some ID cards were also scanned. These actions quickly led to the build-up of long queues that inconvenienced tourists and cross-frontier workers. Further changes were implemented yesterday, with officials claiming that Gibraltar had been given fifteen days warning. The measures involved the separation of 4-wheeled vehicles and 2-wheeled vehicles, causing severe delays at rush hour for workers crossing into Gibraltar, the majority of whom are Spanish nationals. Gibraltar was asked to guide vehicles into separate lanes following the Spanish measure. This was physically impossible and would have put Gibraltar immigration officials at risk. His Majestys Government of Gibraltar is amenable to new traffic flow arrangements to separate two-wheel vehicles from cars, as Gibraltar already does (and has done for years) in its own queuing area (known as the loop). Govt says that such changes to traffic flow must be subject to cross frontier consultation and agreement, not imposition. In seeking to act in a manner that did not pursue proper consultation, the relevant Spanish authorities acted in a manner that caused the problems experienced yesterday. Gibraltar now looks forward to working with the relevant Spanish authorities to establish a new, mutually beneficial traffic flow system. In response, Gibraltar has reluctantly started reciprocal, ad hoc, scanning of non-UK citizens documentation. His Majestys Government of Gibraltar has denied reports in the Spanish media that it is responsible for the long queues and delays. A paedophile who pressured a 14-year-old girl to perform a sex act on him before the school bell rang has been savaged in court by her devastated mother. Melbourne dad Alan Leah was slammed as a 'pathetic, diabolic and depraved monster' when he appeared via video-link in Victoria's County Court last week. The then 31-year-old tradie sexually assaulted the 14-year-old and performed sexual acts in front of her between June 2020 and February 2021, the Herald Sun reports. He pleaded guilty to child sexual assault and sexual activity in the presence of a child as the court was read a victim impact statement written by the teen's mother. Melbourne man Alan Leah, from Cranbourne East, was slammed as a 'pathetic, diabolic and depraved monster' by his young victim's mother in a Victoria court last week The court heard on one occasion in October 2020, Leah put his arm around her, lifted up her top and put his hand down her pants before the victim pushed him away, prompting him to call her a p**** and 'weak'. In her statement, the teenager's mother said it was only Leah who was weak. 'You had the audacity to call my 14-year-old daughter a p**** and weak when she tried to defend herself from a grown man in his 30s, but the only weak person is you Alan to do that to a child,' the statement read. 'Here we stand to expose what really is beneath this great guy persona that he projects to the world that is simply the dangerous predator you are, Alan.' A few days after the incident, prosecutor Alisa McVean said Leah exposed his penis and told her to perform a sex act on him, telling her to 'do it quickly before the school bell goes', before she refused. The court heard Leah (pictured) put his arm around her, lifted up her top and put his hand down her pants before the victim pushed him away In her statement to the court, the girl's mother said her daughter no longer looks at the world with wonder and mystery and struggled to find the will to live. Leah's defence lawyer, Martin Kozlowski, asked the judge to adjourn the matter so he could provide further details of his client's mental health at the time of offending. Mr Kozlowski said his client suffered from bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety but that a psychological report did not convey these diagnoses 'on the face of it'. Leah is expected to be sentenced on October 5. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has accused Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of wanting Indigenous people 'to be seen but not heard' during a heated clash in Question Time. The claim came after Mr Dutton grilled the PM on Tuesday over new polls which showed more than half the country does not support the government's Voice to Parliament proposal. The Liberal leader said the latest surveys showed even a third of Labor voters oppose the Voice and warned the campaign ahead of next month's referendum would 'divide our country clean down the middle'. But Mr Albanese fired back at the Opposition's own proposal for a second referendum on constitutional recognition of Aboriginal people's historical ties to the land. 'No one is asking for a second referendum,' said the PM. 'No one, no way. 'He wants he wants to see Indigenous people. He just doesn't want them to be heard.' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said Opposition Leader Peter Dutton wants Indigenous people 'to be seen but not heard' during a heated clash in Question Time Peter Dutton said the latest surveys showed one in three Labor voters didn't want The Voice and warned the PM's referendum would 'divide our country clean down the middle' The PM also blasted the Opposition for calling for new wording in the referendum, just five weeks before it is held on October 14, having earlier approved the current wording in Parliament. 'He said we can change the question,' said Mr Albanese in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. 'He voted for the legislation. He said, "I'm here for the legislation." That is the wording of this referendum. 'The Leader of the Opposition wants to defeat this referendum for political reasons. And then he says he says we'll have another referendum. 'Because he wants two referendums. He wants to talk about this for year after year after year after year. 'We want outcomes.' Deputy Opposition leader Sussan Ley later tabled a 200-page book of the history of the Uluru Statement from the Heart - which prompted the Voice referendum - by its architects Megan Davis and Pat Anderson. 'Which, knowing the Prime Minister's form, he's probably never read,' she added. She said the book clearly says the Uluru Statement is '15-pages long'. The Prime Minister has insisted the statement is only one page, and that the other pages attached to it - which raise the prospect of a treaty and reparations - were merely background documents. 'Does the Prime Minister still maintain...that any suggestions otherwise are "conspiracy theories and nonsense"?' she asked. Deputy Opposition leader Sussan Ley (pictured with Speaker Milton Dick) tabled a 200-page book of the history of the Uluru Statement from the Heart by Megan Davis and Pat Anderson The PM dodged the question with a jibe. 'Wait 'til they find the secret verses of You're The Voice by John Farnham,' he said sarcastically. 'Because they're out there somewhere...wait 'til they find that. 'There's a silent 10-minute bagpipe solo that goes on and on and on...' He added: 'In the lead up to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, there were hundreds of meetings involving thousands of Indigenous people set up under the former government. 'They know full well that Megan Davis has made it very clear that the Uluru Statement is one page. 'They say that people are confused, but they try to add to every bit of confusion with what is an utter untruth, that they know is totally untrue.' Two people have been shot on the parade route of the West Indian Day Carnival in Brooklyn - while the historically bloody J'Ouvert festival remained violence-free. The West Indian American Day Carnival takes place along the Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights and began at 11am, while J'Ouvert is an annual pre-dawn celebration that honors Caribbean heritage starting at 6am. All was calm until around 4.20pm on Monday when a fight saw an individual seemingly shoot himself in the leg. Around one hour later, a second person was thought to have been shot along the Eastern Parkway near Rochester Avenue. Police later clarified that two people were in fact stabbed in the leg with a third being slashed in the hand. On the parade route itself, a fourth person was slashed in the arm. All are expected to recover. One of the shootings occurred at Eastern Parkway and Utica Avenue in Brooklyn Members of the parade in fantastic carnival outfits take part in the celebrations in Brooklyn Many of the outfits were daubed with feathers and colorful beads The costumes are particularly intricate and colorful for the J'Ouvert festival The motives behind any of the incidents are still unknown. Three hours after the end of festivities at 8:50pm, a 51-year-old man was fatally shot several times just three blocks away from the parade route, near the intersection of Sterling Place and Schenectady Avenue. The man was taken to Kings County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. So far, no arrests have been made. The incidents came following a violence-free J'Ouvert where in contrast to previous years, there were no reports of shootings or stabbings during the event. Seven people were arrested on gun-related charges, with five arrests carried out by the NYPD's Critical Response Team and two by patrol officers. Armed police were seen along the parade route Two people were shot along the parade route of the West Indian Day Carnival in Brooklyn on Monday Police set up crime scene tape following shootings close to the West Indian American Day Carnival The was plenty of police presence along the parade route on Monday morning All manner of police vehicles were out and about to protect participants and onlookers Participants dressed up in flamboyant outfits including this dinosaur costume The area where the one of the shootings occurred was sealed off by crime scene tape Tens of thousands of revelers gathered on the streets of Brooklyn for the J'Ouvert Festival, which has historically been associated with violence The annual festival, which means daybreak in French is a celebration of Caribbean culture rooted in emancipation The music filled celebration is fueled by Caribbean cultural sounds, including Rhythm and Masquerade Bands Bedazzled tops were worn by many making for a splash of color along the parade route Many participants wear the colors of the flags of their homeland A woman is pictured taking part in Monday's early morning J'Ouvert celebration in Brooklyn Last week, the NYPD promised to have thousands of police officers out and about to keep the event safe. 'Last year was one of our safest and most successful Labor Days on record, and we intend to achieve the same results this year,' NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said. 'The NYPD will have thousands of officers working throughout the weekend from all of our bureaus: patrol bureau, detective bureau, community affairs, intelligence, counterterrorism and many more,' Chell explained. 'Now for anyone who thinks they're gonna come into this community this weekend with bad intentions, we all here stand together and we say not this weekend, nor any other weekends, Our police officers will be diligent, visible and some won't be visible. They'll be firm but fair to make sure everyone has an enjoyable weekend.' In previous years the event has been marred by violence with the killing of a lawyer in 2015 who was caught in the crossfire between two rival gangs, while in 2020 five people were shot. Revelers donned devil horns, body paint and even oil at the event which kicked off at 6am this morning Some people dress in rags and don helmets with giant horns. Others cover themselves in black paint, grease or motor oil in a very traditional 'mas' costumes, such as a Jab Molassie - meaning molasses devil People wear horns to embody a character called 'Jab Jab' (from the french for Devil) in a Caribbean street carnival starting at dawn Revellers, covered in black oil, wear horned headdresses in a display of Grenada's Jab Jab masquerade culture during the annual West Indian American Day parade in the Brooklyn The parade is one of the more colorful events to hit the streets of Brooklyn Revelers don colorful costumes, a nod to Caribbean culture, history and emancipation as they take part in the street carnival Many participants waved flags as they took their positions along the parade route Many people got up early in order to be there for the start of celebrations at 6am on Monday People take part in the annual West Indian American Day parade in Brooklyn There were feathers all over the place thanks to the flamboyant outfits New York is home to the largest Caribbean community off the islands. And the J'ouvert festival is a reflection of the celebration of its culture In the Caribbean, the celebration happens before Lent in the winter, but in Brooklyn it was moved to the end of August because the weather was better The festival of J'ouvert, which is celebrated across the Caribbean and in Caribbean communities all over the world, is the start of a carnival that includes the separate New York Caribbean Carnival Parade later Monday featuring 'pretty mas,' or masquerade. It dates back to the emancipation of slaves in the early 19th century. But while the masquerade is full of revelers in giant feathery costumes riding on bright floats, J'ouvert marks a darker point in history. Many of its costumes, called 'ole mas,' are a nod to the original celebrations that began in Trinidad in the mid-1800s when slaves were emancipated. Other traditional costumes see revelers dress as devils who symbolize slave masters; or dressing as political figures to mock them. People wear rags or pajamas to represent slave clothing. Some don sailor costumes to mimic the U.S. Navy after World War II; they puff talcum powder into the air as both a nod to African rites and to the skin color of the sailors. Some people dress in rags and don helmets with giant horns. Others cover themselves in black paint, grease or motor oil in a very traditional 'mas' costumes, such as a Jab Molassie - meaning molasses devil. Some of the participants covered their bodies in motor oil, and wore the devil horns to represent slave masters J'ouvert's costumes are called 'ole mas' and are a nod to the original celebrations that began in Trinidad in the mid-1800s when slaves were emancipated J'Ouvert 2023 officially kicks off the Labor Day Weekend Celebration, a precursor to West Indian Day Carnival Thousands flooded the streets of Brooklyn for the city's 56th annual West Indian J'Ouvert Parade on Monday in celebration of the cultural event for the second time since the pandemic Many of those along the parade route proudly dressed up in the colors of Caribbean flags Anyone who was clean at the start was covered in paint of powder by the end of it Even some NYPD police officers were getting in on the action and seen dancing Crowds are seen gathered on the streets of Brooklyn as the sun is rising Spirits were high and this year the parade was violence free Jab Molassie dates back to sugar plantation days when recently freed slaves would daub themselves in molasses, a thick black sugar by-product, as a Jab, or devil, costume for J'ouvert. The jab represented both the devil and the former slave masters, and would also often incorporate metal restraints and shackles in the costume. Some believe the J'ouvert traditions may also be in remembrance of the civil disturbances in Port of Spain, Trinidad, when the people smeared themselves with oil or paint to avoid being recognized. J'ouvert, meaning daybreak from the French words 'jour' and 'ouvert', has taken place in the pre-dawn darkness of Labor Day in New York for almost a century. But its origins are even older. Carnival was introduced to the Caribbean by French settlers in the late 18th century where slaves were not allowed to take mart in the elaborate masquerade balls. So slaves would hold their own mini events in the backyards, mocking their masters' ostentatious behavior, and weaving in their own traditions. J'ouvert, meaning daybreak from the French words 'jour' and 'ouvert', has taken place in the pre-dawn darkness of Labor Day in New York for almost a century Revelers donned colorful costumes, a nod to Caribbean culture, history and emancipation as they take part in the street carnival Some of the participants covered their bodies in motor oil, and wore the devil horns to represent slave masters When slavery was banned, the former slaves held their own J'ouvert street parties as an expression of their newfound freedom. But's also a collective moment of letting off steam. The event began in New York in the 1920s in Harlem, when Caribbean people first started migrating to the city. Now, New York is home to the largest Caribbean community off the islands. It took a hiatus during the war years, and moved to Brooklyn. In the Caribbean, the celebration happens before Lent in the winter, but in Brooklyn it was moved to the end of August because the weather was better. A group of federal MPs from across the political spectrum will travel to Washington later this month seeking to stop the US' ongoing legal pursuit of Australian WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The delegation includes Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, Labor's Tony Zappia, independent MP Monique Ryan, Liberal senator Alex Antic and Greens senators Peter Whish-Wilson and David Shoebridge. They plan to lobby their counterparts to abandon attempts to extradite Assange, 52, to the US in relation to historic allegations of espionage during their September 20-21 visit. Their trip is aimed at drawing attention to Assange's circumstances in the month leading up to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's visit to the White House at the end of October. Independent Monique Ryan (left), Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce (second left) and Labor's Tony Zappia (right) are among a delegation of MPs who will head to Washington later this month READ MORE: US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy flags potential plea deal for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy has hinted at a possible deal to allow Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to return to Australia Advertisement Assange, an Australian citizen, published a trove of classified documents more than a decade ago. He has been in prison in the United Kingdom for more than four years and is fighting extradition to the US. 'Australians are united in their view that this matter must come to an end now,' Australian human rights lawyer and Assange campaign advisor Greg Barns said in a statement on Tuesday. 'Julian should be immediately reunited with his wife and children. That can only happen if the US Department of Justice drops its extradition bid at once.' Assange's brother Gabriel Shipton said the US administration was being 'vengeful'. 'Even Australians who didn't support Julian's actions believe he has suffered enough and should be set free immediately,' he said. Mr Joyce said there was no other alternative other than to try. 'My heart goes out to Gabriel and the family, because they really are the ones who can carry the most weight on this,' he told reporters at a press conference in Canberra on Tuesday. The MP delegation will urge their US counterparts to to abandon attempts to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (pictured in 2020) A giant billboard spotted in Melbourne on Tuesday calls for the release of WikiLeaks founder, Australian Julian Assange The news of the delegation comes after nine former attorneys-general - including those at a federal, state and territory level - wrote to Mr Albanese last month, labelling Assange's treatment as 'deeply troubling'. Since winning office in 2022, the Albanese government has been advocating for the US pursuit of Assange to end. Assange faces 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks' publication of hundreds of thousands of classified diplomatic and military documents in 2010. American prosecutors allege he helped US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal classified diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks later published, putting lives at risk. The delegation will meet with members of Congress and Senate, the US State Department and the Department of Justice. They will also meet with think tanks and organisations including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders. Shocking footage has captured the moment a taxi driver haggled with his passengers after claiming he wouldn't charge them a fee. Will Woods, Seb Bush, Choccy Dan and Jabari had flown from Perth to Sydney to take part in a sushi-eating challenge. The group of friends run a YouTube channel under the name Misfit Minds and filmed the moment they got into a cab after touching down in the NSW capital. The driver is seen telling the group that he will take them for free before suddenly raising the price. A group of YouTubers known as Misfit Minds have filmed their brutal taxi ride on a trip to Sydney, revealing the dire state of cab fares in the harbour city 'I'll take you free then [sic],' the man said. 'For free?' a member of the group asked. 'Because just going to be $12 [sic]' the driver replied. The tension quickly escalates between the driver and the group of friends. 'You were saying free earlier', Jabari said. 'Don't be smart mate,' the driver replies. The price increases to $25 with Jabari urging the driver to run the meter instead. 'Let's go back and forth and we'll see how much the meter says and then we can go from there,' he said. The comment drew an unimpressed response from the driver who mocked Jabari. 'You are really smart,' he said. 'You are going to be the next Prime Minister of Australia'. Eventually, the group pays $35 for their trip after the driver drops them off at their destination. He's is then seen in the video driving off, giving the middle finger to the group. 'There's a reason why people all call ubers because taxi drivers try take you for everything you've got,' Seb said. The taxi driver gave the middle finger to his passenger before driving off after he dropped the four men at their destination The group agree to pay $35 for the cab fare after a tense exchange with driver who initially offered to drive them for free A clip of the video was posted to Redditt under the caption 'Are Sydney taxi drivers all like this?'. The post drew plenty of comments from social media users who lashed out at expensive cab fares. 'I had a taxi driver who overcharged me up to $72 dollars for a 9km trip from the airport because he was taking the so-called "toll roads",' one user said. 'Caught an Uber to the airport. $35. Caught a taxi back home again from the airport. $70. That's it. That was my last ever taxi...' another wrote. A bitter row has broken out between an Indigenous man voting No to the Voice to parliament and a group of 'whitie' Yes23 campaign workers. Footage posted online shows the man arguing with three volunteers manning a Yes23 campaign stall set up outside a grocery store in the far north NSW town of Mullumbimby. The man starts by explaining his version of what happened with the Uluru Statement from the Heart, the document that came out of a 2017 convention which makes the case for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament to be enshrined in the Constitution. 'The Elders already had a plan and the plan was the Commonwealth Government needs to treaty with us, they (the government) didn't want to do that,' the man says. One of the volunteers can be heard objecting that South Australia has a treaty with First Nations people. 'Listen,' the man snaps back. An Indigenous man has argued strongly against Yes23 campaigners in the NSW town of Mullumbimby 'They (Australian governments) didn't want a treaty, they wanted to do it their way and the way they want to do it is backwards.' The man argued he was already 'a sovereign person of this country' as his ancestors 'have been here for 1,000 years' 'What do you whities want to do, is you say "we want to acknowledge you (Indigenous people)". 'We want to recognise you and what we would like to do for you is we would like to add you to our constitution to make me Australian. 'That is insane, that is illegal.' A female voice off camera shouts: 'It's an insult'. One of the Yes23 campaigners insists: 'Everything's going to change'. 'Is it going to change?' the unseen woman wonders. The man refuses to be sidetracked. 'Vote no and come back to the table,' he insists. 'What if they don't go back to the table though?' asks a Yes23 advocate. 'If they don't guess what? I will still carry on my culture, when my children raise up they will know their language, when you are dead and gone and I am dead and gone my people will still be here,' the man replies. 'In the Uluru Statement you've got Voice, Treaty, truth-telling, all those things,' one of the campaign workers objects, even though Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described the proposal as 'just an advisory body'. The man claims the Uluru Statement was 'manipulated'. The Yes23 campaigners insisted the Voice would 'change everything' for Indigenous people 'The government came in with the Aboriginals who are connected to the government by their organisations, if you're a land council, if you're an organisation, if you're a Pty ltd you get funding off the governments to run programs,' he said. 'That's how it works, I call those people coconuts, they're black on the outside but they're white on the inside. 'They sold our people out because money will always make them go selfish and money, too much of it will always make them greedy. Nothing's going to change.' The Yes23 campaigners object that the Voice will lead to meaningful change. 'It's based on trust,' the man says. 'For the last 232 years the government's had opportunities. 'So, I look at that government's behaviour and from that I go "wow, clearly I cannot trust you guys" because of the government and their failure to provide good governments'. The man said governments have been not just failing 'his people'. 'Look at the cost of living, look at the housing crisis. They are providing bad governance at the moment, our government and it's about good governance,' he said. 'I think the Labor government is providing better government than the Liberals,' one of the Yes23 volunteers replies. 'I think we should destroy both parties, bring that system down, that democracy that came from Europe... bring it down and have a transitioning from coal to gas, what a circus, what an absolute circus,' the man retorts. 'Then we will bring a circular government nominated by the citizens of the land white, black, refugees, migrants and create a circular government.' Undeterred a Yes23 worker tries to convince the man again. 'Don't you think this is what the Voice is trying to do with Aboriginal people? 'It is trying to talk to all groups of nations all around Australia and come up with solutions?' 'How are they going to do that?' the man asks. 'No, it's divisive. 'It (the Voice) hasn't come from the government though it has come from Elders of First Nations peoples,' a Yes23 worker says. 'No, you're wrong,' the man bluntly replies. 'Who cares it they went and sat out in the desert and created Uluru statement. 'What's that do for my people? Absolutely nothing. 'But your people were at that gathering,' the volunteer interjects. 'And we said "no",' the man replies. 'There were only two groups that walked out (of the First Nations National Constitutional Convention), the rest said Yes,' the Yes23 worker fires back. She adds: 'The lady overseeing this Yes campaign is a local Aboriginal woman.' 'Yeah, yeah good for her,' the man replies. 'I don't know her. I don't know her songlines and out of respect for her I can't talk about her. 'I can talk about here on country where I belong.' He then tells the stall workers he is going but 'wanted to tell you how I feel'. 'I wanted to say that sign (Yes23) and that poster is offensive to my people,' he said. The referendum to decide on whether the Voice will be enshrined in the constitution as a means of recognising Australia's first inhabitants will happen on October 14. To succeed the referendum proposal needs to be approved by an overall majority of voters and also win in a majority of the states. Police have swooped in on a prominent member of the Alameddine crime family in Sydney's eastern suburbs after a month allegedly on the run. Ahmad Alameddine was arrested following a police operation at a residence in South Coogee, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, on Tuesday. The 33-year-old has allegedly been on the run from police after jumping the fence at his parents' Greenacre home as elite officers swooped in. It is understood Mr Alameddine again attempted to run from police on Tuesday. A police spokesperson confirmed one person had been taken into custody following a search warrant at a home on Bundock St about 9am. Wanted gangland figure Ahmad Alameddine is on left. His girlfriend Jade Heffer - who was arrested last month - is on right Officers were still on the scene in Coogee by the early afternoon on Tuesday. Mr Alameddine's partner, Jade Heffer, was arrested and charged with hindering police following the August raid and remains behind bars. Ms Heffer, who was previously married to slain Lone Wolf bikie Yusuf Nazlioglu, and Mr Alameddine's sister, Susan, who was also charged with hindering police after the raid, have not entered pleas and remain before the courts. Mr Alameddine is wanted over multiple alleged offences, including disposing of two guns into a neighbouring property in June. When little-known senator Ralph Babet jumped to his feet on Tuesday to raise concerns about the transparency of Scott Morrison's government, there was a split- second of silence as his colleagues pondered his question. The question was directed at Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, who represents the Prime Minister in the Senate. The United Australia Party senator asked her: 'Now minister... the former Morrison government, this mob over here, honoured an appallingly low rate of just 48.7 per cent of Senate order for production of document requests. How terrible. 'Does the minister believe that the former Morrison government was a transparent government? Because I dont think they were.' She rose to her feet as those behind her appeared perplexed. Some even grumbled about the failings of the previous government. Then Liberal senator Michaelia Cash stated the obvious: Beware the supplementary questions. When Senator Ralph Babet jumped to his feet in the chamber on Tuesday and raised concerns about the transparency of Scott Morrison's government, there was a split second of silence as his colleagues pondered his question The Government is under increased pressure to be more transparent, amid further questions about the decision to block Qatar Airways from having more access to Australia. The decision is said to have cost Australian travellers up to 40% on their airfares. But Penny Wong has been in parliament for 21 years, and her guard was up. 'I am going to anticipate your next question... I am someone who has been her for quite a long time. I have never seen as many OPDs [orders for the production of documents] used as indiscriminately as the Opposition... are using them,' she said. 'I don't believe any fair minded person looking at Mr Morrison's secret ministries or the Robodebt tragedy would think the standards of transparency were sufficient. 'We remember what Mr Morrison was like and the lack of accountability... even to his own colleagues when he took their jobs from them.' Mr Babet said she obviously knew where he was going this 'not being your first rodeo'. 'Your government is at 20.4 per cent. Twice as secretive as Scott Morrisons government. Why?' Minister Wong has been in politics for 21 years, and it was apparent her guard was up Ms Wong said: 'We remember what Mr Morrison was like and the lack of accountability... even to his own colleagues when he took their jobs from them' Ms Wong argued there had been a significant increase in the amount of OPDs being filed, and the amount being approved, but has vowed to investigate Mr Babet's question. Ms Wong was subjected to most of the scrutiny in the Senate on Tuesday given her role as the representative for the Prime Minister in the chamber. She was also peppered with questions from Nationals Leader of the Senate Bridget McKenzie, who questioned the division within Labor about the Qatar Airways decision. Ms McKenzie asked for clarity as to 'what exactly the national interest grounds' in blocking additional flights from Qatar were. 'The minister considers a range of factors when determining whether an expansion of bilateral air rights is in our national interest,' Ms Wong said. She maintained there was nothing unusual about the government's decision, and noted Qatar is welcome to increase flights into Adelaide, Avalon, Cairns, Canberra and the Gold Coast. Mr Albanese and Labor are being peppered with questions about the decision to deny Qatar Airways more flights into key Australian airports (pictured, the PM with former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce) READ MORE: QANTAS BOSS STEPS DOWN Advertisement Her answer was met with jeers from the Coalition, demanding to know just what those factors were. Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives, Mr Albanese was facing intense questioning of his own. The Nationals MP for Cowper, Pat Conaghan asked if the PM had 'a conversation of any kind with Mr Alan Joyce prior to the governments decision concerning Qatar Airways'. The PM, realising the breadth of the question, responded: 'I can confirm that Ive met Alan Joyce, which is basically what the question was.' Opposition Leader Peter Dutton later asked if Mr Albanese had any conversations with Virgin Australia over the application. Mr Albanese said: 'Yes.' Later, Mr Albanese faced another question, this time from LNP's Bert van Manen, who asked if he had any conversations with Mr Joyce or senior execitves regarding the application before a decision was handed down. Mr Albanese said: 'No.' Labor was elected on a policy of transparency, and is now facing increasing calls from across the chamber to honour that commitment. While the Coalition would like an inquiry into the Qatar decision, the Greens are first calling on the government to release documents from the time of the decision. Is your school closed? When did you find out? Email martin.robinson@mailonline.co.uk Furious parents today blasted the return to lockdown learning amid the RAAC concrete crisis - as teachers were forced to crouch outside the school gates with laptops because they've been banned from entering. The majority of UK's 24,000 schools will be back by tomorrow morning - but 104 are closed or partially closed due to the use of aerated concrete with one headteacher predicting disruption for children until 2025. One parent of a pupil at St Benet's Catholic Primary in Ouston, County Durham, has had to delay starting a new job as childcare worries deepen amid the crisis. Wishing to remain anonymous, the mother, whose child is due to start Year Six, said: 'We're not sure when the school will open again and it's the not knowing which is the worry. 'We don't know if it's going to be a few days or even longer. Apparently the school is working with the trust today to come up with an update. I'm getting bothered about it because my daughter is going into quite an important year group. It's the year she does the SATS. 'We're just all up in the air at the moment and home schooling is not ideal. We tried it in Covid and it doesn't work. I was supposed to be starting my new job but that's on hold now.' Staff outside St Anne's Catholic Primary School in Harlow Hill, Gateshead, using their laptops on the street because they are banned from entering Heather Mullarkey with daughter Daphne, and Khraj Sandhu with children Viktoria and Jan, who attend Crossflats Primary School near Keighley. It is one of the schools affected by the issue with RAAC concrete Parents outside St Martin's in the Field Girls' School in London, where pupils from Corpus Christi Catholic School, Brixton about a mile away are relocated after it was affected with sub standard reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) Scaffolding holding up the ceiling of a Leicester primary school containing RAAC concrete Zoe Jenkins' children are among the thousands back doing home learning Problems at St Thomas More Catholic School in Eltham means that portaloos are needed for students returning this week Despite the criticism, Schools Minister Nick Gibb today insisted that the Government's response to the crumbling concrete crisis has been 'world-leading'. There is a scramble for portable cabins, portable loos and tents because classrooms and toilets are closed for safety reasons. Thousands of students have been asked to bring packed lunch for the foreseeable because of kitchens are shut with marquees planned as temporary canteens. At Crossflatts Primary in Bingley, West Yorkshire, school staff have divided the main hall into three classes for years four, five and six as their classrooms have been affected by the issue. Heather Mullarkey, 36, at teacher herself, has a daughter in year four and her youngest daughter was starting her first day today. She said that the school is planning a 'cabin village' of temporary classrooms. 'My daughter was in yesterday and I'm a teacher, so when they said they were dividing the main hall into classes, I thought 'god help them with 80 eight-to-11-year-olds in the hall', she told MailOnline, adding: 'But they sent us picture in the hall and how they've set it up, they're like proper classrooms, they've done an amazing job of it'. Staff at a school affected by the country's concrete crisis were seen crouching on the pavement outside the gates with their laptops this morning. One worker at St Anne's Catholic Primary in Gateshead confirmed the group were trying to get as close to the building as possible to access the wi-fi after being banned from the grounds. St Anne's was meant to reopen today but remained shut. However, there were no sign of any maintenance work or inspections being carried out. Gemma Chapman's four-year-old daughter Violet was meant to start reception this morning. Gemma, 39, said: 'We all found out about the closures on Friday when the school sent us e-mails and messages. I think a lot of parents are questioning how long the issue has been known about.' Gemma added: 'It's typical that this has happened right at the end of the holidays'. Furious parents blasted ministers today over their handling of the schools concrete crisis, with pupils left wondering if they are heading back to lockdown learning for months because their classrooms are crumbling. There is turmoil all over the country after more than a hundred schools in England were told they could not fully open because of safety fears on the eve of the start of the autumn term. The last-minute scramble has left thousands of families 'stressed to bits', as they took to social media to share their frustration over the farce and why it wasn't addressed over the holidays. One mother, posting an image of a freshly-cleaned blazer, shirt and tie, wrote: 'The uniform will remain hanging there; my daughter's school is closed because #RAAC [Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete]. 'She was looking forward to starting her secondary school today. Now sitting anxiously home; yet another education disruption. Why was this problem not fixed before the summer?' St Thomas More Catholic Comprehensive School in Eltham, south east London, has been forced to put its girls' and boys' toilets out of action as well as the school hall, gym, and drama studio. The school is also considering putting a marquee up for youngsters to have packed lunch meals, as the canteen has been closed. One mum, whose child had their first day in year 7 today said she was only told about the concrete crisis on Thursday. The woman, who asked not to be named, said: 'We only got told about it on Thursday last week. 'My child was really excited to start school, but now they've got to use portable loos as toilets and eat in marquees. 'I think the way the Government has handled it is a bit of a mess.' Parents have been left furious over the farce, questioning why it couldn't have been addressed during the holidays Altrincham College, an academy-run school in Trafford has also been confirmed as having RAAC concrete. More than 100 schools are closed or partially closed, in a disaster for children Construction workers appeared to be on scaffolding dismantling bricks from a chimney at Sale Grammar School today as the concrete crisis gripped schools Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School in Essex said it had identified that aerated concrete was present in its central building and that four classes will need to be taught at a nearby school while this is addressed. It said reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was in the roof, affecting eight of 14 classrooms, the dining hall, part of the kitchen, some children's toilets, administrative offices and a staff room. Of the eight affected classes, alternative space has been found at the school for half, while the remaining four will be taught from a nearby school in the same trust whose buildings are unaffected by Raac. The school said it would rely on packed lunches to meet the needs of children on free school meals, with arrangements in place from Monday. 'Staff have worked around the clock to get pupils back to school and to these new temporary arrangements as soon as possible,' the school said in a statement. 'We are fortunate to be part of a very positive and collaborative school community - parents, staff and the wider community have been completely supportive, enabling us to focus on the safety and education of our pupils. As you will appreciate, this has been a challenging period.' Year 7 pupils arrived for their first day at secondary school today, with the rest of the pupils due in on Wednesday. It comes as Education Secretary Gillian Keegan is said to be fighting for survival today after claiming she is doing 'a f***ing good job' while others had 'sat on their a***s' in an embarrassing 'hot mic' incident yesterday. Last week she was holidaying in Spain when headteachers had to scramble to find temporary classrooms or carry out last minute repairs after the Department for Education told them last Thursday that aerated concrete panels could crumble and collapse. In some schools up to half of buildings contained Raac concrete, meaning that classrooms, toilets, staff rooms and corridors have had to be sealed off. This has led to a return to online learning for thousands of children, echoing the dark days of the pandemic that was so damaging to the education of millions of children. Sarah Ingham, 46, from Hebburn, South Tyneside, is recovering from breast cancer and may now have to cancel crucial hospital appointments after school start was delayed for her daughter Lucy. She said: 'I am sitting here stressed to bits. We all know school is closed tomorrow [Wednesday] and a crystal ball might tell me after that. 'I can feel my anxiety rising. Lucy is missing her friends and just wants to be back. I am stressed with the not knowing. I am so worried that if Lucy isn't back in face-to-face education soon, my hospital appointments may have to be cancelled and moved, which is going to have a knock-on effect on my health.' Jill Simpson, 51, received an email on Friday advising her that St Leonard's Catholic School in Durham would not be reopening as planned and teaching would be done online for the foreseeable future. Ms Simpson, whose child is starting Year 10, said: 'My daughter's grades are slipping due to loss of school and teachers' strikes and Covid, so we now have to get a private tutor for maths for her to start with to bump her grades back up'. Tori Hamblin, from Hadleigh, Suffolk, fears she may have to quit her job as a HR manager in the care industry if online learning returns for as long as feared. Her eight-year-old Phoebe is now not in school this week but her mother fears it could be months. She told The Times: 'As a parent I feel really sad. My daughter's last two school years at primary were affected by Covid then we had teachers' strikes, and now this. I am worried. Her education could really suffer from this. 'I do have to be in the office sometimes. So it's not ideal I'd be at risk of losing my job. I wouldn't have a choice. It's just a massive headache'. Tens of thousands of children are heading back to classrooms in England this week despite hundreds of schools still having no idea whether they will be teaching in unsafe buildings containing RAAC - a lightweight form of concrete used between the 1950s and 1990s. Some 1,500 schools have not returned surveys asking whether they have concerns about the concrete on their estates. Exasperated Tories have branded Gillian Keegan as a 'damning indictment' of Rishi Sunak's cabinet - after she said she's doing 'a f***ing good job'. The Education Secretary was caught out by the 'hot mic' incident yesterday as she said others had 'sat on their a***' after an interview with ITV news - as Rishi Sunak was told to get a grip over the school concrete crisis. It has emerged that Keegan was on holiday in Spain - where she reportedly owns properties in Madrid and Marbella - last week while the crisis unfolded. Aides said that she was 'working from home' between August 25 and 31, when it was announced more than 100 schools would be closed, The Telegraph reported. Exasperated Tories have branded Gillian Keegan as a 'damning indictment' of Rishi Sunak's cabinet - after she said she's doing 'a f***ing good job' MPs have now condemned both Keegan and the Prime Minister himself for failing to get a grip on the crisis. One Tory MP told the newspaper: 'The way she's conducted herself - in particular in that ITV interview - shows she is selfish and shameless and not fit to stay in office. 'It's a damning indictment of Rishi Sunak and the people he has appointed to his Cabinet.' Another added that they believed Ms Keegan had been 'over-promoted', while one more said she was on her last chance to keep her position in government. The concrete crisis has meant scores of pupils began the school year by learning online in an echo of the huge disruption caused by the pandemic. Teachers spent the weekend scrambling to erect tented classrooms and acquiring festival-style toilets in a bid to keep classrooms open. The closures left parents racing to find emergency childcare as they juggled remote learning with full-time work. However, it has come to light that initial concerns were raised early last month, weeks before the last-minute panic before schools returned. Ms Keegan came under fire for failing to appear on the airwaves over the weekend to address the issue, and instead released a bizarre video with a dance music soundtrack. In a round of broadcast interviews yesterday, she admitted hundreds of schools could be affected by crumbling reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). But then in an extraordinary outburst, filmed as a TV camera repositioned for extra shots, she said: 'Does anyone ever say, you know what, you've done a f****** good job because everyone else has sat on their a**e and done nothing? No signs of that, no?' She said ITV journalist Daniel Hewitt, who conducted the interview, had been 'pressing me quite hard' and claimed he was 'making out it was all my fault'. In her apology, the Education Secretary refused to say who she believed had 'sat on their a**e'. She added: 'It was an off-the-cuff remark after the news interview had finished, or apparently after it had finished. 'I would like to apologise for my choice language.' In other developments on a chaotic day in Westminster: Mr Sunak insisted that 95 per cent of England's schools were unaffected leaving open the possibility that more than a thousand could still be hit by the crisis; Labour's Keir Starmer said ministers appeared to be trying to 'pass the buck' for the closures and said the situation was descending into farce; Union leaders wrote to Mrs Keegan demanding urgent answers on the RAAC 'emergency' including clarity over the funding and support for schools; The Labour-run Welsh Government said two schools on Anglesey that had been due to open for the autumn term today would be closed temporarily; The Scottish Government confirmed that RAAC had been discovered in 35 schools with local authorities in the process of checking other buildings; The Ministry of Justice is inspecting buildings built in the 1990s for RAAC after Harrow Crown Court was found to contain the material; The PM is facing yet another by-election after former Tory chief whip Chris Pincher lost an appeal against a lengthy Commons suspension over groping allegations. Mr Sunak was dragged into the concrete crisis yesterday after a former top civil servant claimed the PM had failed to fully fund a programme to rebuild schools. Jonathan Slater, ex-permanent secretary at the Department for Education, blamed the Prime Minister for halving the rebuilding budget while he was chancellor in 2021. Mr Sunak insisted that 95 per cent of England's schools were unaffected leaving open the possibility that more than a thousand could still be hit by the crisis; Mr Sunak rubbished the claim, insisting: 'Actually one of the first things I did as chancellor, in my first spending review in 2020, was to announce a new ten-year school rebuilding programme for 500 schools. Now that equates to about 50 schools a year that will be refurbished or rebuilt. If you look at what we have been doing over the previous decade, that's completely in line with what we have always done.' The row follows a lacklustre summer which has riled many Tory MPs who fear the PM is not doing enough to win the next election. They have grown frustrated by stubbornly poor poll ratings and misfiring campaigning events such as 'small boats week' a plan to hail progress in tackling Channel crossings that soon unravelled. A senior backbencher said: 'The Government is spending all its time addressing problems and cock-ups from the past that's all the media we're getting. It's time to get on to the front foot and have a positive message, otherwise the floating voter will start firming up for Labour.' Another ex-minister said that Mr Sunak was 'showing he can't cope and is not up to the job sadly'. No 10 said Mr Sunak yesterday held a cross-government meeting with key departments affected by the concrete crisis including education, health and justice. He is said to have made clear that parents should be given clarity and reassurance. Ministers have also promised that a list of schools confirmed to have RAAC in their buildings will be published this week. The material was used for many public buildings between the 1950s and the mid-1990s and is prone to failure. The collapse of Singlewell primary school in Gravesend, Kent, in 2018 sparked concerns over the concrete, which was dubbed 'Aero-like' by structural engineers. But it was the collapse of a beam at a school once deemed to be safe during the summer that spurred action. A Department for Education spokesman said: 'The Education Secretary took the cautious and proactive decision to change guidance on Raac and this week has chaired daily operational calls with ministers and senior officials in the department and virtually.' A manhunt is underway in country Victoria for an inmate, identifiable for his curly brown hair and tattooed legs, who escaped from a prison 'farm' last night. Daniel Briffa, 50, escaped Langi Kal Kal Correctional Centre at Trawalla, 40 kilometres west of Ballarat, between 7.30pm and 9.30pm on Monday night. He was serving time for drug, theft and traffic offences. Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday afternoon that extensive searches are underway in Ballarat and surrounding areas. According local sources, a police helicopter and officers on foot 'swarmed' Victoria Park near the Ballarat Pony Club on Tuesday. Daniel Briffa (pictured) escaped Langi Kal Kal Correctional Centre at Trawalla, 40 kilometres west of Ballarat, 'by unknown means' between 7.30pm and 9.30pm on Monday Police swarmed a park adjacent the Ballarat Pony Club on Tuesday during their search for Briffa, who escaped from a Victorian prison farm. Pictured: Victoria Park, Ballarat Police confirmed the activity was related to the search for Briffa but that he is still at large. They described him as solidly built, approximately 170cm tall with short brown curly hair, a full beard and moustache. He also has tattoos on his lower legs. Members of the public have been warned not to approach Briffa, although he is snot believed to be dangerous. He was last seen wearing a 'forest green' tracksuit but may have changed clothes since his escape. Police said Briffa 'escaped the centre by unknown means' on Monday evening. He is known to have frequented the Werribee, Hoppers Crossing and Tarneit areas in the past. Lang Kal Kal is a minimum security facility, described by Corrections Victoria as 'a working farm with a focus on preparing prisoners for life back in the community'. Briffa escaped on Monday night from Lang Kal Kal prison, is 'a working farm' where inmates learn skills to prepare them for life back in the community It is an 11 square kilometre property with an angus cattle stud on site. Prisoners there learn skills in agriculture, horticulture, woodwork, cleaning services and kitchen work. Anyone who sees or come into contact with Briffa is urged to contact triple-zero (000) immediately. Anyone with information that may assist in locating him should contact the Ballarat Police Station on 5336 6000 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Service dogs: Newfoundlands become a Christmas (tree) tradition for many Elkhorn's Project Lead the Way programs spark interest, push forward Elkhorn couple pleads not guilty to prostitution charges Complaint: Williams Bay charged with fourth OWI was speeding Walworth woman charged with stealing more than $3,000 from snowmobiling club Service dogs: Newfoundlands become a Christmas (tree) tradition for many Walworth woman charged with stealing more than $3,000 from snowmobiling club Elkhorn's Project Lead the Way programs spark interest, push forward Power outage reported in Delavan Elkhorn couple pleads not guilty to prostitution charges UPDATE: Police say no suspicious devices found at Whitewater High School This is the chilling moment a hooded man was seen stalking past houses carrying a 'machine gun', prompting a huge manhunt by armed police. CCTV captures footage of the stranger swinging and pointing the weapon, as he lurks around Gravesend, Kent. Police were called to Pelham Road on September 2 after concerned locals raised the alarm, but after a three-hour search, the man was nowhere to be seen. Kent Fire and Rescue Service also deployed a drone in a bid to track down the man who was dressed head-to-toe in black clothing. In one video which was posted to social media, captioned 'good old Gravesend', the man points the gun straight ahead and begins to run. CCTV footage shows a hooded man lurking around Gravesend, Kent with a 'machine gun' In a video posted to social media and captioned 'good old Gravesend', the man points the gun straight ahead and begins to run In another clip the man is seen ducking and using the large 'gun' as a walking stick as he walks past a driveway. A Kent Police spokesman said: 'Patrols attended the scene and completed a search but the man had left prior to their arrival. Inquiries are under way into the circumstances.' The police have been contacted for an update. Police were called to Pelham Road on Saturday, September 2 following the concerning reports A woman has discovered her surgeon left a device the size of a dinner plate inside her abdomen after she gave birth via a Caesarean section in a New Zealand hospital in a jaw-dropping medical mishap. The discovery of the Alexis wound retractor - a soft tubal instrument used to hold open surgical wounds - was made an entire 18 months after the initial operation at Auckland City Hospital. The woman endured severe pain throughout this agonising year and a half, seeking help from multiple doctors until a CT scan finally revealed the shocking truth, igniting outrage and calls for accountability. Initially, the Auckland health district board, Te Whatu Ora Auckland, vehemently argued that they had exercised reasonable care and skill during the procedure. But health regulators have condemned the public hospital system, asserting that it had utterly failed the patient. In a scathing assessment, New Zealand's Health and Disability Commissioner Morag McDowell declared: 'It is self-evident that the care provided fell below the appropriate standard because [the device] was not identified during any routine surgical checks, resulting in it being left inside the woman's abdomen. 'Staff involved have no explanation for how the retractor ended up in the abdominal cavity or why it was not identified prior to closure.' The discovery of the Alexis wound retractor - a soft tubal instrument used to hold open surgical wounds - was made only 18 months after the initial operation at Auckland City Hospital Auckland City Hospital Mike Shepherd, Te Whatu Ora Group's director of operations for Auckland, later issued an apology to the woman after regulators railed against the health board. 'We have reviewed the patient's care, and this has resulted in improvements to our systems and processes which will reduce the chance of similar incidents happening again,' he said. 'We would like to assure the public that incidents like these are extremely rare, and we remain confident in the quality of our surgical and maternity care.' The Alexis wound retractor is a large transparent plastic device suspended between two plate-sized rings. It is used to hold open surgical wounds during the operation, and in the course of a C-section is typically removed after the uterine incision is closed. The woman underwent several X-ray scans, but the item was not discovered because it is 'non radio-opaque' - meaning it could only be identified by the more sophisticated, three-dimensional CT scan. This shocking incident marks the second time in just two years that a foreign object has been left inside a patient at an Auckland hospital, raising serious concerns about patient safety. Expressing her disappointment, the commissioner pointed out that the Auckland District Health Board had previously breached the code of patient rights in 2018 after a similar incident involving a swab left in a woman's abdomen post-surgery. The hospital was therefore expected to have strict protocols in place to prevent such mishaps from reoccurring, according to McDowell, and following that incident, the board had promised to enforce its 'count policy' to ensure that all surgical staff meticulously account for every item used during procedures. But McDowell claimed some surgeons at Auckland City Hospital had not even read the policy at the time of the woman's C-section. It comes as analysis of figures show that UK surgeons fished out a record number of 'foreign objects' from inside patients last year. Blunders involving items accidentally left in the body during surgical and medical care led to a record 291 'finished consultant episodes' in 2021/22. Items could include swabs, gauze or even surgical devices, including drill bits. Two decades earlier, in 2001/02, there were 156 of these episodes. The lowest number over the last 20 years was in 2003/04, when 138 episodes were recorded by clinicians. Blunders involving a 'foreign object accidentally left in body during surgical and medical care' led to a record 291 'finished consultant episodes' in 2021/22. This could include swabs, gauze or even surgical devices, including drill bits. Two decades earlier, in 2001/02, there were 156 of these episodes NHS England data shows there were 98 cases of a foreign object including scalpels and drill bits left inside patients after procedures in England from April 2021 to March 2022. Graph shows: The most common objects left in patients over the year Last year, the average age of patients with a foreign body left inside them was 57. But patients ranging from babies to those over the age of 90 have been affected. Swabs and gauzes used during surgery or a procedure are among of the most common items left inside a patient, but in rare cases surgical tools such as scalpels and drill bits have been found. There are strict procedures in hospitals to prevent such blunders, including checklists and the repeated counting of surgical tools. Leaving an object inside a patient after surgery is classed as a 'never event' by the NHS meaning the incident is so serious it should never have happened. Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: 'Never events are called that because they are serious incidents that are entirely preventable because the hospital or clinic has systems in place to prevent them happening. 'When they occur, the serious physical and psychological effects they cause can stay with a patient for the rest of their lives, and that should never happen to anyone who seeks treatment from the NHS. 'While we fully appreciate the crisis facing the NHS, never events simply should not occur if the preventative measures are implemented.' Earlier analysis, published in May 2022, found that some 407 never events were recorded in the NHS in England from April 2021 until March 2022. Vaginal swabs were left in patients 32 times and surgical swabs were left 21 times. Some of the other objects left inside patients included part of a pair of wire cutters, part of a scalpel blade, and the bolt from surgical forceps. On three separate occasions over the year, part of a drill bit was left inside a patient. Politicians from across the spectrum have been urged to take part in a 'Respectful Referendum Pledge' to protect First Nations people's mental health during the increasingly hostile Voice to Parliament debate. The Black Dog Institute has teamed up with some of Australia's most prolific First Nations mental health groups to discourage divisive politicking over the Voice. Advocates have been warning the government that the ongoing debate is having negative impacts on the 'social and emotional wellbeing' of First Nations peoples. The group behind the push has compared the treatment of Indigenous Australians to that of LGBTQI+ people during the same-sex marriage plebiscite. 'We are already seeing first-hand the negative impacts of the debate in our communities, Dr Clinton Schultz, a Gamilaroi man and Director of First Nations Partnership and Strategy at the Black Dog Institute, said. Politicians from across the spectrum have been urged to take part in a 'Respectful Referendum Pledge' to protect First Nations' mental health during the increasingly hostile Voice to Parliament debate Advocates have been warning the government that the ongoing debate is having negative impacts on the 'social and emotional wellbeing' of First Nations peoples Dr Schultz said there had been an uptick in 'psychological distress, increased need for support and increased use of mental health services' over the course of the referendum campaign so far. 'This Referendum is a much-needed conversation that we should not shy away from. But we should be aware of the risks involved in having the debate and be proactive in reducing its potential harms.' Of the $364.6million the government set aside in the 2023 Budget to deliver the Voice to Parliament referendum, $10.5million was allocated specifically to mental health supports. READ MORE: No campaigner and Senator subjected to vile trolling Advertisement The money was assigned to the Department of Health and Aged care to protect mental health for Aboriginal people in the lead up to the referendum. The 'Respectful Referendum Pledge' will ask politicians to abide by seven guidelines over the next six weeks, ahead of the October 14 polling date. These include listening to First Nations people and acknowledging that there is no one correct perspective, as well as elevating Indigenous Voices using the guiding principle of 'nothing about us, without us'. Further pledges are to 'provide a safe space for First Nations advocates' and acknowledging risks associated with speaking out. Building common ground with campaigners from across the spectrum is also considered crucial, as is 'setting the standard' for respectful debate by 'avoiding personal attacks, offensive language, inflammatory statements and dismissive behaviour'. Politicians are encouraged to 'use culturally appropriate language' and to 'build trust through action' as part of the pledge. The 'Respectful Referendum Pledge' will ask politicians to abide by seven guidelines over the next six weeks, ahead of the October 14 polling date. Politicians are encouraged to 'use culturally appropriate language' and to 'build trust through action' as part of the pledge. What are the seven pledges? Protesters chanting 'no rape culture' scuffled with Venice Film Festival security ahead of the premier of Woody Allen's 50th film last night. The director - acclaimed and controversial in equal measure - arrived on the red carpet with his wife Soon-Yi Previn, the adopted daughter of his ex-partner. The 87-year-old has been shunned by Hollywood since the #MeToo movement emerged, due to allegations he molested Previn in the 1990s, his own adopted daughter, which he says were fabricated by his ex, actress Mia Farrow. Allen's arrival on the red carpet was greeted by boos from the crowd ahead of the premier of his film Coup de Chance ('Stroke of Luck'). Scuffles also broke out, with protesters chanting 'no rape culture' and clamouring to get on the red carpet before they were eventually led away from the event. The director Woody Allen (left) - acclaimed and controversial in equal measure, arrived on the red carpet with his wife Soon-Yi Previn (right), the adopted daughter of his ex-partner Protesters chanting 'no rape culture' (pictured) scuffled with Venice Film Festival security ahead of the premier of Woody Allen's film Coup De Chance last night The 87-year-old Woody Allen (pictured on Monday in Venice) has been shunned by Hollywood since the #MeToo movement emerged, due to allegations he molested Previn in the 1990s, which he says were fabricated by his ex, actress Mia Farrow Valerie Lemercier, Woody Allen and Lou De Laage attend a red carpet for the movie Coup De Chance at the 80th Venice International Film Festival. Allen's arrival on the red carpet was greeted by boos from the crowd The red carpet arrivals continued unhindered and the group were soon removed from in front of the Lido cinema, witnesses said. Despite the frosty reception to Allen outside, journalists during a press conference were reported to have given him a standing ovation as he walked into the room. His film - his first movie entirely in French - also received a warmer reaction at the festival than his fellow Hollywood outcast Roman Polanski, who suffered a critical mauling with his movie The Palace. He did not attend in person. The festival has drawn flak for including Allen and Polanski, who has a child sex conviction and faces other unresolved assault allegations. Speaking in Venice, Allen told Variety that he backed #MeToo 'where it does something positive'. 'I read instances where it's very beneficial... for women,' he said, but added: 'When it's silly, it's silly.' He also told reporters he has lived a 'very, very lucky life', making no reference to the scandals that have dogged his latter years. 'I have had nothing but good fortune and I hope it holds out, although obviously it is early this afternoon,' he told reporters ahead of the premiere. 'I had two loving parents, I have good friends, I have a wonderful wife and marriage, two children. In a few months I will be 88 years old. I have never been in a hospital. I have never had anything terrible happen to me,' he said. The four-time Oscar-winning director of Annie Hall and other comedies has had a turbulent personal life that has seen him increasingly shunned by many celebrities and executives in Hollywood. Allen met Mia Farrow in 1979, with the pair starting a relationship in 1980. Farrow starred in 13 of Allen's films from 1982 to 1992, but they never lived together - instead living in separate apartments on opposite sides of New York City's Central Park. When they met, Farrow had seven children - three biological sons from an earlier marriage as well as four adopted children, including Soon-Yi Previn. When Allen and Farrow were unable to have their own baby together, Farrow adopted another baby girl - Dylan Farrow - in 1985. Farrow went on to give birth to their son, Satchel Ronan Farrow (now a well-known journalist) in 1987. Allen and his personal life hit the headlines in the 1990s following his affair and marriage to Previn, as well as sex abuse accusations by Allen and Farrow's adopted daughter Dylan. He has always denied the accusations and was never charged. It is understood Allen and Previn developed a close relationship in 1991, and in 1992, Mia Farrow says she found nude photographs of her in Allen's home. Allen admitted to taking the photographs two weeks after first having sex with Previn, according to testimony he gave in a later custody battle, when she was 21. In a 1992 interview with Time Magazine, Allen said: 'I am not Soon-Yi's father or stepfather', adding, 'I've never even lived with Mia. 'I've never in my entire life slept at Mia's apartment, and I never even used to go over there until my children came along seven years ago. I never had any family dinners over there. I was not a father to her adopted kids in any sense of the word.' Pictured: Protests are seen at the Venice Film festival ahead of the premier of Allen's new film Pictured: Protesters are seen near the red carpet at the Venice Film festival on Monday night Protesters scuffled with security outside the film festival on Monday ahead of Allen's film The filmmaker, 87, was supported by his wife Soon-Yi Previn and their adopted daughters Manzie Tio, 23, and Bechet, 24, at the premiere of his film (L-R Woody Allen, Soon-Yi Previn, Bechet Allen and Manzie Tio Allen) Appearing at a press conference earlier that day, Allen admitted he has been 'very lucky my whole life' and 'not been held accountable for things I did poorly' The family gathered as they posed for photos in Venice on Monday evening Allen (left) met Mia Farrow (right) in 1979, with the pair starting a relationship in 1980. Farrow starred in 13 of Allen's films from 1982 to 1992, but they never lived together - instead living in separate apartments on opposite sides of New York City's Central Park. Allen and his personal life hit the headlines in the 1990s following his affair and marriage to Previn, as well as sex abuse accusations by Allen and Farrow's adopted daughter Dylan. He has always denied the accusations and was never charged He was also accused by his adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow, then aged seven, of having sexually molested her in Mia Farrow's home. Allen has repeatedly denied the allegation, and has never been found guilty of an offence. Allen and Soon-Yi, who have a 35-year age difference, are still married and have two adopted daughters. Speaking about his film, Allen said he originally intended to cast US actors in the main roles of Coup de Chance, but said he had always been inspired by European filmmakers so was happy to switch languages, even though he doesn't speak French. 'It was very simple. If you watch a Japanese film, you can tell if the acting is good, realistic and natural, or if it is dramatic and silly and too exaggerated. 'It is the same thing here,' he said. Like many of his films, Coup de Chance draws inspiration from the themes of love, adultery and death. However, Allen said it was not worth dwelling too long on death. 'There is nothing you can do about it. It is a bad deal and you are stuck with it,' he said. Allen has previously suggested Coup de Chance might be his final movie. However, on Monday he said he had a good idea for a story based in his native New York and would make it if he could find a backer willing to accept his terms - not to read the script or to know whom he had cast. 'If some foolish person agrees to that, then I will make the film in New York,' he said. As for Polanski, his slapstick comedy The Palace was torn to shreds by critics after its premiere on Saturday. Set in a fancy Swiss hotel at the turn of the century, and with jokes that include a dog humping a penguin, critics called The Palace a 'laughless debacle' (Variety) and 'soul-throttlingly crap' (The Telegraph). 'It beggars belief, but, at the age of 90, Polanski may have actually cancelled himself with a film that will probably never see the light of day in any English-speaking countries,' wrote Deadline. The life of the 90-year-old Franco-Polish director has often seemed dangerously in step with the most extreme highs and lows of the past century. He has been a victim of horrific crimes - losing a mother to the gas chambers of Auschwitz, and a wife and child (the pregnant Sharon Tate) to the Manson Family cult. He has also been a perpetrator - a convicted child rapist, and later accused of other sex crimes. Despite the frosty reception of Allen himself, his film - his first movie entirely in French - received a warmer reaction at the festival than his fellow Hollywood outcast Roman Polanski (pictured in 2019), who suffered a critical mauling And he remains seen as a great artist - with films such as Chinatown, Rosemary's Baby [starring Mia Farrow] and The Pianist winning eight Academy Awards from 27 nominations, as well as many other prizes around the world. For a long time, his achievements overshadowed his crimes, particularly in France where he fled in 1978 from what was widely seen as a botched trial in California for unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl. But as attitudes changed in later years, Polanski's privileged status became a lightning rod for protests. In 1977 Polanski was arrested after 13-year-old Samantha Gailey accused him of plying her with drugs and champagne, and forcibly sodomising her against her will. Seeking to spare the child a trial, prosecutors dropped the most serious charges in a plea deal, with Polanski accepting guilt for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. He served 42 days behind bars in the notorious Chino prison while undergoing psychiatric evaluation. However, the judge, Laurence Rittenband, who had already taken several controversial decisions in the case, then appeared set to change his mind and hand down a lengthy prison sentence - at which point Polanski fled to Europe, beginning a new life as a fugitive. All parties - including Gailey and the chief prosecutor - agreed the judge mishandled the case, with Gailey's own lawyer saying that despite Polanski's 'outrageous' crime, 'he was supposed to be treated fairly in court and clearly he was not'. The case has dogged Polanski for the rest of his life, even after Gailey publicly forgave him in 1997 and said her treatment by the press and judicial system were worse than the original crime. An Interpol red notice was issued for Polanski in 2005, and he was detained in Switzerland when he came to pick up a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival. After two months in detention and eight more under house arrest, the US extradition request was rejected. A similar attempt at extradition was also blocked in Poland in 2015 after a brief detention. Polanski married his third wife, French actress Emmanuelle Seigner, in 1989, and the couple have two children. 'In the eyes of many people I am a kind of gnome and debauched individual,' Polanski wrote in his autobiography. 'But my friends - and the women in my life - know exactly what they are dealing with.' 'He's an intense director, a man who's lived an intense life. He was exhilarating,' said Pierce Brosnan, who starred in his 2010 thriller The Ghost Writer. The festival has drawn flak for including Allen and Polanski (pictured in Venice in 2019), who has a child sex conviction and faces other unresolved assault allegations 'When Roman Polanski invites you to join him in any project you really don't say no,' said Kate Winslet, who starred in 2011's Carnage. But the mood shifted in the MeToo era. His best director win at the French Cesar Awards in 2020 for An Officer and a Spy triggered protests inside and outside the venue, and led the entire academy to resign. By then, more allegations had surfaced from women who said Polanski raped them when they were minors, claims he denied. The Venice Film festival also saw the dark side of Elvis Presley with Sofia Coppola's well-received biopic of the rocker's wife, Priscilla. There were strong reviews, though many said it made disturbing viewing, showing Elvis wooing a 14-year-old when he was 24 - 'an insecure narcissist fixated on a teenage girl and unwilling to allow his young wife any independence', according to The Independent. Priscilla herself told reporters 'Sofia did an amazing job', but added: 'It's very difficult to sit and watch a film about you, about your life and your love.' She defended their relationship, saying they 'never had sex' when they were first together during Elvis's military service in Germany. 'He was very kind, very soft, very loving, but he also respected the fact that I was 14 years old,' she said. Coppola won the top prize Golden Lion in Venice in 2010 for Somewhere - controversially awarded by her ex-boyfriend, Quentin Tarantino. Her new film stars Cailee Spaeny (Mare of Easttown) as Priscilla, and Jacob Elordi, famous as the heartthrob in Netflix show Euphoria, as the rock'n'roll legend. It is understood Allen and Previn developed a close relationship in 1991, and in 1992, Mia Farrow says she found nude photographs of her in Allen's home. Allen and Soon-Yi, who have a 35-year age difference, are still married and have two adopted daughters There are 23 films competing for the Golden Lion, to be announced on Saturday. Frontrunners include Poor Things, with Emma Stone as a sexually voracious reanimated corpse, and Maestro, in which Bradley Cooper transforms into legendary conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein. David Fincher's The Killer, starring Michael Fassbender as a cold-blooded assassin losing control, and Michael Mann biopic Ferrari were also well-received by critics. Many of the stars have been unable to attend the festival due to strikes by Hollywood actors and writers, primarily over pay in the streaming era and the threat of AI. A Sydney council has voted unanimously to oppose a Native Title Land Claim on one of the city's favourite family beaches and prime pieces of real estate. In a closed session on Tuesday night Mosman Council in the city's north committed itself to opposing the claim by Sydney's Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council for the Lawry Plunkett Reserve situated on Balmoral Beach. The reserve is 4000sq/m area of parkland between between Botanic Road and Plunkett Road sitting just off of the Esplanade and is a favourite spot for walks and picnics by locals and tourists. Balmoral Beach is widely considered to be one of Sydney's best family beaches featuring a strip of vibrant cafes and restaurants surrounded by some of the city's most 'prestigious' real estate. The 4000sq/m area of parkland between Botanic Road and Plunkett Road sits just off of the Esplanade at Balmoral, on Sydney's lower north shore A Sydney council is set to debate a confidential claim on a $100million block of land at Balmoral Beach, without anyone from the public in attendance Following the meeting on Tuesday night former Mosman deputy mayor, who was deposed from that position at the meeting, Roy Bendall spoke to Sydney radio station 2GB. Councillor Bendall said the claim for the land was made under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act of 1983, which allows Land Councils to claim 'unused Crown land'. 'We are amazed this is even subject to a claim,' Councillor Bendall said as council had been tending the reserve for over a 100 years and it was 'highly used' for public recreation and had bush care groups tending to it. He said council voted not just to 'strongly' oppose the claim but to 'use all our resources possible to try to fight this claim'. The claim dates from 2009 but has only now entered the assessment phase when Council is notified and only have a month to respond. Councillor Bendall said the responsible NSW government departments also decreed that it remain classified up until about 30 minutes before the council meeting. 'We had to agree not to put in the media, not put it to the public not tell the residents who are next to the claim that this was happening,' Councillor Bendall said. 'We spent a week trying to find out what was the basis of the legal confidentiality.' A Mosman Council spokesperson said the claim had been rejected after 'lengthy debate and representations from local residents'. The Council unanimously resolved ... that the land has been lawfully used and is required for essential public purposes, and therefore should in no way be considered claimable land.' Coucillor Bendall said there were worrying precedents for the reserve because of what has happened in other local government areas 'especially down in the Northern Beaches with Lizard Rock and in the Waverton Bowling Club at our neighbours in North Sydney. 'One a claim is made and freehold title is given to the claimants then Council is in a terrible position where we are no longer are the manager of the Crown land,' he said. 'Although we have zoning control then it only requires an application to the department of zoning to do something else with the land,' he said. Sydney's Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council CEO Nathan Moran revealed on Wednesday morning there are almost 3,000 Native Titles claims for land in Sydney yet to be assessed and for NSW the total is a staggering 40,000. Mr Moran explained that under the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act of 1983 Native Title can be claimed on any Crown land that is not being used or is being used for purposes other than its original gazettal as compensation of original dispossession. However, he said that prior to 2018 Land Councils, which are the elected Indigenous bodies who can make claims, were denied access to gazette data and so had to make claims 'blindly' on the 'suspicion' it was not being used for its proper purpose. 'Prior to 2018 ... we would simply look at a site, understand it and realise is it potentially not used by government than we would make claims,' he said. About two thirds of claims made by the Metropolitan council have been rejected he said. 'Not all claims are actually made successfully and granted to us,' he said. Mr Moran said he 'found it hard to believe' Mosman Council did not have record that attest to the claim made 14 years ago. 'I am a bit bewildered by that statement they didnt know about it,' he told Fordham. Mr Moran said if they were granted the area near Balmoral Beach 'a range of opportunities comes up'. 'We always look through the eyes of it is cultural, it is social, it is environmental is it recreational, or is commercial/residential,' he said, 'Thats the prisms we understand all land for is generally. We approach it by case-by-basis.' He sent the Metropolitian Council worked with local bodies who had been using the land. 'We dont kick anyone off,' Mr Moran said. 'We work with them and offer licences to continue that relationships.' Former Prime Minister and member for Warringah Tony Abbott told 2GB he fears similar claims could increase if the Voice referendum is successful. 'I'm a little reluctant to comment on a land claim that I know nothing about,' Mr Abbott said. 'Except to say that there is nothing happening in this space that's not likely to accelerate and intensify should the Voice be established.' Balmoral Beach (pictured) is widely considered to be one of Sydney's best family beaches featuring a strip of vibrant cafes and restaurants surrounded by 'prestigious' real estate Campaigners guarding Britain's wonkiest pub, which was razed to the ground in a suspected arson attack, have resorted to locking away its bricks after adverts selling them for 50 popped up on Facebook. Around 200 people, including the local MP, turned out on Saturday to watch the rubble being packed onto pallets and placed in a shipping container, before it was safely locked to avoid any more thefts. The Crooked House, in the West Midlands, is loved by campaigners who have pledged to rebuild it 'brick by brick' after a huge blaze gutted the entire establishment on August 5. Two people were later arrested by police and bailed after it emerged the fire was being treated as a suspected arson attack. More than 25,000 bricks were said to have been saved over the weekend after campaigners found them for sale on eBay and Facebook Marketplace. Bricks, allegedly from the Crooked House pub, are being sold on Facebook for as much as 50 each It is thought around 25,000 bricks have been saved after campaigners locked them away securely The pub was left completely ablaze in the fire, which authorities have since said is a suspected arson Supporters were outraged after the burnt-out pub was completely demolished just two days after the fire, with hundreds of people travelling to visit the wreckage themselves. But not all of them were there to mourn the pub, instead taking bricks, pieces of the pub's sign and other memorabilia to sell online. One post on Facebook Marketplace read: 'House bricks from the crooked house. Have around 60 first come first served. 50.' A second said: 'Bricks from the former Crooked House pub. Clean ones 10. Extra 2.50 for the ones with soot on. Extra 5 for warm ones.' Letters from the Crooked House's sign were also allegedly removed from the site - with the C finding its way onto Facebook Marketplace within just a few hours. The posted put the price as 1,111,111 and invited users to 'make me an offer'. Campaigners branded the posts as 'abysmal' and said: 'Whoever is buying these things should be ashamed of themselves.' One added: 'People obviously profiteering from this with no thought on the actual situation! How selfish and sad.' The sales even caught the attention of local MP Marco Longhi, who has advocated for the rebuilding of the pub in the House of Commons. Posting on social media, he shared photos of himself while the bricks were being secured. One seller posted a photograph of the pub's C from its sign at the site of the wreckage, telling buyers to 'make me an offer' 'What a great weekend it has been,' the MP wrote. 'I was extremely happy to see so many bricks being salvaged from The Crooked House site. 'The hard work starts now: I am monitoring closely the work by South Staffordshire District Council and the Police, and I will be making sure that they continue with their process without slowing down. 'Parliament is now back from recess and I am already making 'manoeuvres' to make sure that legislation is changed.' The bricks were secured several weeks after reports of sales first emerged - but until last week, specialist investigative teams were still sifting through the rubble. Campaigners have staged protests at the pub against its demolition as they call for it to be rebuilt The wreckage of the pub was demolished without the council's permission Campaigners had hoped to restore the pub after it was completely gutted in the blaze Staffordshire Police said in a statement that a 66-year-old man from Dudley and a 33-year-old man from Milton Keynes had been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. They have since been bailed. The historic building, which became famous for its wonky floors and walls, was gutted in a suspected arson attack on August 5 and bulldozed without council permission two days later - sparking both mystery and anger over what happened. Suspicions grew as the popular pub was destroyed just days after it was sold. The owners at the heart of the storm - 34-year-old owner Carly Taylor and her husband Adam - removed themselves from the situation by escaping on holiday in a luxury 15,000-a-week villa in Corfu shortly after the demolition. Mr Taylor previously refused to respond to requests for a statement about the destruction of the much-loved 18th century pub that was about to become a listed building after he was confronted by a Daily Mail reporter. A statement from South Staffordshire council made clear it had not given any permission to the owners to carry out a full-scale demolition. Council leader Roger Lees said: 'Our officers carried out a site visit to the site yesterday (August 7th), prior to the demolition of the building. 'Officers agreed a programme of works with the landowner's representative to ensure the safety of the building and the wider site. 'The agreed course of action included the removal of three elements of the first-floor front elevation only. This was only to avoid the weak parts of the structure from falling. 'At no point did the council agree the demolition of the whole structure nor was this deemed necessary. 'This council finds the manner in which the situation was managed following the fire completely unacceptable and contrary to instructions provided by our officers. 'As such, we are currently investigating potential breaches of both the Town and Country Planning Act and the Buildings Act. Campaigners have pledged to rebuild the pub 'brick by brick' if necessary 'Demolition of a building should be carried out in accordance with Schedule 2 Part 11 Class B of The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015. The steps required by the legislation were not carried out in this case. 'We have referred these matters to our legal team with a view to taking enforcement action. 'As soon as we were made aware of the breaches during the demolition, we notified the Health and Safety Executive. 'We are also liaising with many other relevant statutory bodies, including Historic England, the police and fire services, amongst others. These bodies will take the lead on investigating the issues surrounding the fire, safety of the unauthorised demolition and securing the ongoing safety of the site. 'Our own investigation is in its early stages and whilst it continues at pace, we as ask for time to consider the facts thoroughly to ensure any future actions are meaningful and proportionate. 'The council is incredibly saddened by the loss of the building which, whilst not listed, was a heritage asset and important landmark to the local area and community. 'Over recent months, the council had been in conversation with the relevant national bodies regarding how best to protect and preserve this important heritage asset.' Black workers were racially discriminated against in slurs from white colleagues who dropped the n-word, told staff 'black people are f***ing lazy' and hung nooses up at the biggest crane firm in the US, a new lawsuit has claimed. The lawsuit accused TNT Crane & Rigging of subjecting four black employees to a hostile work environment that included an open display of nooses and white supremacy symbols without disciplinary action. Racially offensive language, including the n-word, was reportedly used to refer to employees Edwin Crayton, Lorenzo Smith, Freddie Campbell and Jason Pradia by colleagues and managers. Additionally, white employee Nathan Cook was allegedly targeted after reporting the harassment and discrimination of black colleagues he witnessed at the company, which is one of the biggest crane providers in the US. The lawsuit, filed on August 24 by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, accused TNT Crane & Rigging of subjecting four black employees to a hostile work environment that included the open display of nooses and white supremacy symbols (stock image) One of the alleged incidents outlined in the lawsuit, filed on August 24 by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, involved crane operator Smith, who was ordered by his field manager to pick up an air conditioning unit at the Fort Worth facility in Frisco, Texas, in April 2018, the Atlanta Black Star reports. His manager allegedly replied: 'N*****, if you are going to b**ch about it, you can turn that truck around and take your a** home.' Smith said he didn't receive an 'effective response' from his management after he reported the remark. Crayton said he experienced similar discriminatory treatment as he was called the n-word by a field manager, while Campbell said he overheard his colleagues using a racial slur and found out they referred to him as a white co-worker's 'black daddy'. When Campbell reported this to his management, he was reportedly told it would be handled - but it never was. The forth employee mentioned in the lawsuit, Pradia, joined the company to work as a rigger in 2019. He was allegedly told by a white colleague: 'A lot of black people are f***ing lazy. Youre different, youre not like other n******. You work though; thats what I like about you.' White employee Cook reported the harassment and discrimination, but was later allegedly physically assaulted and called a 'wigger' and 'snitch' by his co-workers. Racially offensive language, including the n-word, was reportedly used to refer to employees Edwin Crayton, Lorenzo Smith, Freddie Campbell and Jason Pradia by colleagues and managers at the company His hours and pay were reduced following his complaint and he later resigned due to the alleged relation. 'TNT knowingly permitted a work environment filled with racist comments and imagery,' EEOC attorney Brian Hawthorne said in statement on the lawsuit. 'No employee should have to work in an environment openly hostile to their race, and no employee should suffer reprisal for objecting to discriminatory practices. 'The EEOC will vigorously defend employees right to work in a place free from discrimination and retaliatory conduct.' The lawsuit requests compensatory and punitive damages for the black employees and similar relief for Cook, including back pay, front pay, or potential reinstatement. TNT Crane & Rigging has been contacted for comment. Jeremy Vine has apologised for playing the Beyonce song 'Halo' just moments after talking about the concrete crisis that has led to the closure of more than 100 British schools. The radio host played Beyonce's song - which contains the lyrics 'Remember those walls I built? Well, baby, they're tumblin' down' - after reading out a listener's commment which slammed the UK for its handling of the concrete crisis. 'France has banned RAAC concrete. We accept it. Successive governments have been incapable of keeping our kids safe,' the comment read out by the Radio 2 presenter said. Vine later apologised for the song lineup on Twitter after social media users pointed out the scheduling decision. 'This is on me. Apologies everyone,' the Radio 2 presenter said, after a Twitter poster commented: 'Still deciding whether the music scheduler should be sacked or given a pay rise' Jeremy Vine played the Beyonce song Halo - which features the lyrics 'Remember those walls I built? Well, baby, they're tumblin' down' - while discussing the concrete crisis The radio presenter apologised for the lineup after a Twitter user pointed out the scheduling decision Almost crashed the car when I heard this (wait for the song). Still deciding whether the music scheduler should be sacked or given a pay rise pic.twitter.com/lLetYAKZDF Charlotte Morgan (@MorganBroadcast) September 4, 2023 More than 100 schools across Britain have been forced to close buildings following concerns about the safety of the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) used in their construction. The UK government has, however, claimed its response to the RAAC crisis has been 'world-leading' - despite having ordered the full or partial closure of more than 100 schools in England just weeks before the start of term. Schools Minister Nick Gibb's comments came after his boss Gillian Keegan said she was frustrated that no one was acknowledging what a 'f****** good job' she was doing. READ MORE: RAAC concrete safety measures could see schools closed until 2024 as portacabins and marquees are shipped in to replace crumbling classrooms and pupils return to lockdown learning Advertisement Mr Gibb said the Department for Education (DfE) was acting to keep children safe from the risk posed by collapse-prone reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac). Asked about the Education Secretary's sweary outburst, Mr Gibb told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'What she was trying to get across is the huge amount of work that the DfE has done. 'We are world-leading in terms of identifying where Raac is in our school estate. 'We're talking about a small number of schools out of 22,500 schools, but we have conducted surveys since March last year, so we know where Raac is, and we're sending in surveyors to identify Raac. 'And then the decision was taken, an important decision was taken last Thursday to keep children safe with new evidence that emerged about non-critical Raac that we now believe is unsafe, and we took the difficult decision because we want to keep children safe.' In criticism caught on camera after an interview on Monday, a frustrated Ms Keegan hit out at those who she argued had 'sat on their arse and done nothing'. She also questioned why no one was saying 'you've done a f****** good job', before being forced to go before broadcasters to apologise for the language she used. Ms Keegan went on to admit to being on holiday in Spain in the run up to ordering more than 100 schools and colleges in England to make complete or partial closures. She was facing her Cabinet colleagues on Tuesday morning as the Prime Minister assembled his top team for their first meeting since returning from the long Commons' summer break. Ministers have been accused of taking a 'sticking plaster approach' to essential maintenance by the head of the Whitehall spending watchdog. Writing in the Times, National Audit Office chief Gareth Davies suggested that there had not been sufficient focus on 'unflashy but essential tasks' such as maintaining public buildings that have faced 'underinvestment'. The RAAC crisis has led tot eh closure of more than 100 British schools following concerns about the safety of the building material On Monday, the Prime Minister admitted hundreds more schools could have been built with problematic Raac. He insisted that 95% of England's schools were unaffected, leaving open the possibility that more than a thousand could still be impacted by the collapse-risk material. READ MORE: Rishi Sunak is urged to a get a grip as Gillian Keegan's TV blunder exposes Tory chaos in response to the concrete crisis that has forced more than 100 schools to close days before the new year Advertisement Downing Street said the total number was expected to be in the hundreds rather than the thousands. Mr Sunak was also accused by a former top official at the Department for Education (DfE) of having declined a request for funding to rebuild more schools while he was chancellor. RAAC is a lightweight form of concrete that was used to build schools, colleges and other buildings across the country from the 1950s to the mid-1980s. Concerns have been raised about the product's safety, with the Standing Committee on Structural Safety stating the material is 'very different from traditional concrete and, because of how it was made, much weaker'. RAAC's weaknesses mean the material has a life expectancy of 30 years and is susceptible to sudden failure. The collapse of a classroom ceiling in Singlewell primary school in Gravesend, Kent in 2018 heightened fears over a looming crisis, as it was revealed that 700,000 children are currently being taught in schools made using RAAC. The UK government has subsequently come under fire for failing to manage the problem, which has been known about for more than three decades. Following the collapse of the Singlewell primary school ceiling in 2018, the Department for Education only sent out a questionnaire asking schools about the presence of RAAC in their buildings in March 2022. The crisis has also raised concerns that crumbling RAAC concrete could lead to children being exposed to asbestos in Britain's schools. Fears were raised the crisis could lead to a return of lockdown-style learning, with schoolchildren forced to take their lessons online. But German court refused to extradite him after UK authorities could not confirm the conditions of his detention would meet minimum requirements for safety The suspect is accused of drug trafficking and laundering some 330,000 A German court has refused to extradite an Albanian man accused of drug trafficking to the UK after his lawyer successfully argued the conditions of the British prison system are so poor it would infringe his human rights. The unprecedented decision by Karlsruhe Higher Regional Court in southwest Germany is believed to be the first of its kind and is seen as a scathing indictment of British prisons, with a member of the Law Society describing the court's ruling as a 'severe rebuke' and an 'embarrassment for the UK'. The case centres around an Albanian man who while living in Britain faced accusations of drug trafficking involving approximately 5kg of cocaine and laundering approximately 330,000. The Westminster Magistrates Court issued an Interpol red notice - an international arrest warrant - seeking his return to the UK after the accused had travelled to Germany. But the German court determined that since it did not receive assurances the suspect would be held in adequate conditions upon his return to the UK, it denied the request for his extradition and granted him his freedom. HMP Wandsworth is pictured. The suspect's defence lawyer said that Wandsworth prison was massively over-capacity and could not meet minimum requirements to safely hold him Defence lawyer Jan-Carl Janssen successfully argued that his client should not be extradited to UK because of the state of the prison system The Albanian man had been arrested by German authorities upon issuance of the red notice and held in extradition custody. But his defence lawyer Jan-Carl Janssen, who had studied in Glasgow and conducted research on UK prison conditions, cited evidence of chronic overcrowding, staff shortages, and violence among inmates in British prisons during the court proceedings. In response, the German court sought assurances from UK authorities that the suspect would be detained in conditions that comply with minimum standards as per the European Convention on Human Rights. The court requested details from British authorities about the specific prisons where the Albanian man would be detained and the conditions he would face. According to German legal journal Strafverteidiger, the first request from the court received a response from a police station in Manchester that simply said 20,000 extra prison places were under construction to address the issue of overcrowding, without providing specific details of how the man's safety would be accounted for. Janssen then argued that HMP Wandsworth, one of the remand prisons in London where the Albanian man was likely to be held upon his return to the UK, was at 160 per cent capacity. When the court pointed this out and made a second request for assurances that minimum conditions would be met, which subsequently went unanswered according to German media. A translated court report said: 'The court decided that the extradition of the Albanian to Britain was ''currently inadmissible''. Without British guarantees, extradition is not possible in view of the state of the British prison system. There are no legal remedies against this.' FILE IMAGE: Prisoners are transported to prison by SERCO in high security vans. HMP Wandsworth, London, United Kingdom While concerns have been raised previously about prison conditions in certain European nations, this incident marks the first time such apprehensions have been linked to UK prison conditions. Jonathan Goldsmith, a Law Society member, expressed his views on the case, asserting it as a severe blow to the UK government's track record in administering justice. 'This is an embarrassment for the UK,' he wrote. 'There have been similar court decisions before under the European arrest warrant framework, but in relation to member states whose records on prisons and human rights the UK would not wish to compare itself with.' Given that the UK is no longer an EU member, the European arrest warrant framework no longer applies. But the trade and cooperation agreement between the EU and the UK in 2020 permits arrest warrants to be subject to specific conditions, including additional guarantees of security and safety, 'if there are reasonable grounds to believe there is a real threat to the fundamental rights' of a defendant. In response to the controversy, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson stated: 'This government is doing more than ever to deliver safe and secure prisons that rehabilitate offenders, cut crime, and protect the public. 'We continue to press ahead with delivering 20,000 additional, modern prison places, and our 100m investment in tough security measures including X-ray body scanners is stopping the weapons, drugs, and phones that fuel violence behind bars.' The Tate Modern has partially re-opened its top floor viewing gallery with misspelled 'no photos' signs after the owners of 2million luxury flats overlooked by it won a privacy case. Five residents triumphed in the Supreme Court earlier this year when a judge ruled that living in the homes was like 'being on display in a zoo', with visitors to the Tate able to see into their properties. The residents first applied for an injunction requiring the Tate Modern, in Bankside, south-east London, to cordon off parts of the top floor platform in 2017, but were unsuccessful. The top-floor gallery, which includes an exterior terrace, had been fully closed since it was shut at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Part of it finally re-opened yesterday with several 'no photos' signs dotted around the venue. It has been renamed 'Level 10' and boasts a small cafe, but the south-facing portion with the dominant views over the flats remains inaccessible to the public because a permanent resolution with the residents has not yet been reached. Signs with the word 'neighbours' misspelled as 'neigbours' warn visitors not to take pictures and tell them that the south-facing part is 'emergency access only'. Tate Modern has partially re-opened its viewing platform with 'no photos' signs after the owners of 2million luxury flats overlooked by it won a privacy case The 'no photos' signs show a camera with a line through it and include the request: visitors: 'Please respect our neigbours' privacy.' The sign on the barrier blocking off the south-facing portion of the platform re-iterates the message, stating: 'No photography'. The 2017 injunction resulted in a judge at the High Court ruling against the flat owners, stating that they should take their own measures to protect their privacy, such as simply 'lower their solar blinds' or 'install privacy film (or) net curtains'. The owners then lost the penultimate stage of their fight at the Court of Appeal in February in 2022 when a judge agreed with the previous High Court decision. But in February this year the Supreme Court ruled by a three-to-two majority in the residents' favour. The owners - Giles Fearn, Gerald Kraftman, Lindsay Urqygart, and Ian and Helen McFadyen - had argued that the platform goes against their right to privacy, as enshrined by Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). Giving the court's majority ruling, Lord Leggatt said the lower courts had found that the living areas of the flats - which have floor-to-ceiling windows - were under 'constant observation from the Tate's viewing gallery for much of the day, every day of the week'. Visitors on the exterior walkway today at the re-opened top-floor viewing gallery at Tate Modern Signs with the word 'neighbours' misspelled as 'neigbours' warn visitors not to take pictures and tell them that the south-facing section is 'emergency access only' The view of the flats in 2016. Residents first applied for an injunction requiring the gallery to cordon off parts of the top floor platform in 2017 A Mail on Sunday reporter in one of the flats in 2016, seen from the viewing platform, showing how visitors could see into the apartments at Neo Bankside The south-facing section of the viewing platform with the dominant views over the flats is not accessible to the public because a permanent resolution with the residents has not yet been reached A barrier blocking off the south-facing portion of the platform bears a sign reading 'Emergency access only' and 'No photography' The view from windows on the first floor of Tate Modern, looking south towards the block of flats where residents won a Supreme Court battle The viewing platform at Tate Modern's Blavatnik Building gives a view directly into Neo Bankside flats The north-facing view from the viewing platform at the Tate Modern Another portion of the north-facing view shows St Paul's Cathedral He continued: 'It is not difficult to imagine how oppressive living in such circumstances would feel for any ordinary person - much like being on display in a zoo.' Lord Leggatt found that Tate Modern's viewing gallery is not a 'normal' use of the museum's land and is a legal 'nuisance' to the flat owners. He said: 'It is beyond doubt that the viewing and photography which take place from the Tate's building cause a substantial interference with the ordinary use and enjoyment of the claimants' properties. 'Inviting members of the public to look out from a viewing gallery is manifestly a very particular and exceptional use of land. It cannot even be said to be a necessary or ordinary incident of operating an art museum.' In his ruling, with which Lord Reed and Lord Lloyd-Jones agreed, the Supreme Court justice said that a 'normal use' of the Tate's building would not allow the flat owners to bring a claim. The Supreme Court heard that the residents' flats, on the 13th, 18th, 19th and 21st floors of one of the Neo Bankside blocks, are approximately 112ft (34m) away from the Tate Modern and that those on the 18th and 19th floors are at around the same height as the viewing gallery. Lord Leggatt said the five residents had bought their flats in 2013 and 2014, and the Tate Modern's Blavatnik Building - which houses the viewing gallery - opened in 2016. Dismissing the High Court claim in 2019, Mr Justice Mann found that the developers of the flats were aware a viewing gallery was going to be built, but 'did not foresee the consequences'. However, Lord Leggatt said that 'what the Tate and the developers of the Neo Bankside flats knew of each other's intended uses of their land' was not relevant to the appeal. Lord Leggatt added: 'The nature and extent of the viewing of the claimants' flats goes far beyond anything that could reasonably be regarded as a necessary or natural consequence of the common and ordinary use and occupation of the Tate's land.' The case was set to return to the High Court to determine whether the residents would be able to get an injunction to stop the viewing platform from being used at all. Pictures taken by MailOnline on the first and second floor of the Tate earlier this year showed how visitors to the Tate could see into the flats without going up to the viewing platform. The view from the platform in 2020, showing how Tate Modern visitors could peer into the Neo Bankside apartment block One resident said at the time that the costly legal battle had been a 'complete waste of time and money' because their privacy was 'still being invaded'. A Tate spokesman told MailOnline today: 'Tate Modern closed in March 2020 in response to the pandemic. 'We re-opened the gallery spaces after lockdown and have since been gradually re-opening other areas of the building as our programme and visitor numbers recover. 'We have now reached the point where we can sustainably operate Level 10 as part of our regular public offer. 'We will continue to work towards opening other spaces that currently remain closed.' The government's decision to block Qatar Airways' request for an additional 21 flights into Australia will be the subject of an inquiry. Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has been advocating for an official probe this sitting week, and was supported 32-31 on Tuesday afternoon. Labor and the Greens voted against the motion, while the Liberal Party, Nationals, One Nation and David Pocock and the Lambie Network voted in favour of it. Outgoing Qantas CEO Alan Joyce last week told a Senate committee hearing allowing Qatar flights would distort the market, and said he sent a letter to the government in October 2022 about Qatar's proposal. Ms McKenzie said of the decision: 'The Senate has agreed to a short and sharp inquiry into Federal Labor's decision to restrict flights into major capital cities. 'Finally we can get to the bottom of why the Gov has restricted Australians from having a safe, reliable and competitive airline industry.' The government has maintained there was nothing out of the ordinary in its decision to refuse Qatar's request. The government has maintained there was nothing out of the ordinary in its decision to refuse Qatar's request Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Qantas Alan Joyce are pictured together READ MORE: QANTAS BOSS STEPS DOWN Advertisement Several government ministers have noted Qatar can add additional flights into Canberra, the Gold Coast, Adelaide and Avalon. Ms McKenzie also secured enough votes to demand the production of documents, giving the government until next week to table them or explain why they're being withheld. In Question Time, she accused the government of running a 'protection racket' for Qantas after the transport minister refused to elaborate on why her decision was made in the 'national interest'. 'Who is the government really protecting when it says this decision was in the national interest?' she said on Tuesday. The committee for the inquiry will be comprised of three Opposition members, two from government and two from either a minor party or Independent. The deputy chair must be a senator from a minor party or an Independent. It will examine all 'federal government decisions relating to any proposals received in the past 12 months for additional services to Australia's major airports'. In Question Time, Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie accused the government of running a 'protection racket' for Qantas. Qatar Airways flight attendant pictured The senate vote comes on the same day embattled Mr Joyce stood down as CEO with a $24million golden handshake after 15 years at the helm. In a shock move, Mr Joyce announced he was leaving the company two months ahead of his previously announced departure date in November as the national carrier is buffeted by accusations of dodgy conduct and souring customer sentiment. Labor Senator Tony Sheldon described the extraordinary payout as the 'swindle of the century', declaring the Qantas board and shareholders 'have an obligation to knock Mr Joyce's bonus off'. 'If the board allows Mr Joyce to walk away with $24million after illegally sacking 1,700 people, gouging customers and while subject to an ACCC prosecution, it will be the swindle of the century,' Senator Sheldon said. Last week Mr Joyce was grilled during a senate hearing about Qantas' seemingly close links to the Anthony Albanese. Nathan Albanese (centre), the 23-year-old son of Prime Minister Albanese and his ex-wife Carmel Tebbutt, a former NSW deputy premier, was reportedly given special treatment He repeatedly refused to say if Prime Minister's son was given a Chairman's Lounge membership. Members of Parliament, with rare exceptions, are usually given passes to exclusive areas of airports to save them from having to mix with regular travellers in departure lounges. But Nathan Albanese, the 23-year-old son of Mr Albanese and his ex-wife Carmel Tebbutt, a former NSW Labor deputy premier, was reportedly given special treatment. This occurred as Qantas, a prominent supporter of Labor's Voice to Parliament, lobbied the federal government to stop Qatar Airways from being allowed to bring extra flights into Australia. Mr Joyce, appearing before a Senate committee in Melbourne on August 29 repeatedly refused to confirm if he had discussed the issue with Anthony Albanese. 'Again, I'm not going to comment on Chairman's club membership, I've got privacy issues where we will not comment on who's in, who's been offered it and why they're there,' he said. 'I will not be making any comment on that, confirming or denying it.' Mr Joyce also refused to confirm if any family members of any MPs had been given free Chairman's Lounge membership, under sustained questioning from Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne, the deputy chair of the parliamentary committee. 'Again, I will not comment on the Chairman's Lounge, I will not comment on who's in or who isn't there,' he said. 'There are privacy issues with that.' Mr Joyce refused to even say how a Chairman's Lounge membership is granted. 'I'm not making any reference to who or who is in the lounge or under which criteria that is granted,' he said. Nationals senator Matt Canavan interrupted to suggest Mr Joyce could take the questions on notice, calling out the Qantas CEO for using privacy as spin for avoiding scrutiny. 'I realise there are some matters of confidentiality here,' he said. 'I'm not quite sure this falls into a category for that information not to be provided.' Liberal senator Jane Hume, the chair of the Senate Select Committee on the Cost of Living, suggested Mr Joyce take questions on notice and provide written answers. 'Perhaps this skirts the edges of that terms of reference however perhaps Mr Joyce you might come back to the committee on notice on the grounds on which ... you have refused to answer the questions,' she said. Mr Joyce, who was paid $2.272million in 2022, agreed to have written answers provided to the committee. 'I'm happy to do that, chair,' he said. Senator Hume also suggested senators declare if they had Qantas Chairman's Lounge membership. 'It is probably appropriate for them to declare whether they are also members of the Chairman's Lounge and as a chair, I would declare my membership of the lounge,' she said. 'Thank you, very much to Qantas, for bestowing that on senators when they are elected to Parliament.' Senator Allman-Payne also confirmed she was a member. 'Just to clarify, chair, I have a membership,' she said. Outgoing Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has repeatedly refused to say if Prime Minister Anthony Albanese 's son was given a Chairman's Lounge membership Mr Joyce also refused to confirm if any family members of any MPs had been given free Chairman's Lounge membership, under questioning from Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne (Nathan Albanese is pictured left with his father Anthony Albanese and the PM's girlfriend Jodie Haydon, right) The five questions Alan Joyce was asked by a Greens senator 1. Mr Joyce, in relation to the decision to grant the Prime Minister's son a Chairman's Lounge access, did you have any discussions with the Prime Minister regarding that decision? 2. I'm not asking you to divulge names, but my question is: have you given any family members of any other politician a similar, free membership to the Chairman's Lounge? 3. I'm not actually asking you to divulge anyone's name, just whether or not that is the only family member that has one. 4. Just a few more questions around this proposal for Qatar Airways to add those additional flights. Mr Joyce, you said Qantas sent a letter in October 2022. Did you discuss the proposal with either the Prime Minister of the Minister for Transport (Catherine King)? Can I provide a question on notice for you to provide the dates and times that you had those conversations and when and where they took place? 5. Would it reduce Qantas' profit? When you say the market would be distorted, does it flow then that Qantas' profits would have been reduced if that had happened? It's really a simple yes or no question. Advertisement Members of Parliament are usually given Chairman's Lounge membership but in 2019, it was revoked from former Queensland One Nation senator Fraser Anning after he blamed the Christchurch massacre on Muslim immigration, following the shooting murder of 51 people at two mosques in New Zealand. Mr Joyce was also asked whether Qantas actively lobbied the Albanese government to block rival Qatar Airways from getting extra flights to Australia. 'We do make representations on a lot of these issues,' he said. 'That's the way the system works. 'We think, given the nature of Qatar's operations, what they will offer in this market would cause a short-term distortion which we didn't think was appropriate.' Qantas is linked to Qatar Airways through the Oneworld Alliance of airlines - but does not feature its name or logo on its website alongside its 25 other international Oneworld or partner airlines. The national carrier partners with UAE-based Emirates airline - Qatar Airways' Middle Eastern rival - on many of its international route, while its chief rival Virgin Australia has an official tie up with Qatar. Mr Joyce also denied ever lobbying the government against high-speed rail during his 15 years as Qantas CEO. 'No, we have never lobbied against high-speed rail,' he said. But he used spin when asked if anyone else at Qantas had, arguing it had 22,000 staff. He also denied the government raising the possibility of the commonwealth taking an ownership stake in Qantas, which was privatised from 1992 to 1995. Qantas last week announced it had delivered a record $2.5billion profit only a year after suffering a deep loss, with Mr Joyce delivering his last financial result before finishing up as CEO in November and handing over to his chief financial officer Vanessa Hudson. The full-year underlying profit before tax of $2.465billion marked a major turnaround from a $1.859billion loss for 2021-22 covering a period before Australia reopened its borders to international travellers. 'There's lots of criticism of corporate profits at the moment, due in large part to the cost of living pressures happening in parallel and we understand that,' Mr Joyce said. 'In Qantas' case, we have put a lot of thought and balancing to the needs of those who rely on us and who we rely on.' Revenue doubled to $19.8billion in the year to June 30, up from $9.1billion, and surpassing the $17.97billion level of 2018-19, before the pandemic. Qantas has also been a prominent campaigner for the Yes case with Mr Albanese set to call a referendum in October for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. But shortly before the hearing Labor senator Tony Sheldon, a former secretary of the Transport Workers Union, suggested Mr Joyce had destroyed Qantas, having grounded flights in 2011 during an industrial dispute with the TWU, the Australian and International Pilots Association and the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association. 'Joyce has sucked the Spirit of Australia out of Qantasit's time he answered for it,' he said reposting a tweet from TWU leader Michael Kaine. Ministers are expected to announced today that the de facto ban on onshore wind farms is being ditched. The U-turn is set to be confirmed later as Rishi Sunak struggles to quell Tory infighting over planning rules and the Net Zero drive. Former Cop26 president Alok Sharma has been leading backbench pressure to drop rules which allow a single objection to block development. It is understood the written ministerial statement will set out changes to come into force with immediate effect. A U-turn on onshore wind farms is set to be confirmed as Rishi Sunak struggles to quell Tory infighting over planning rules and the Net Zero drive. Pictured, a wind farm in East Sussex Mr Sunak, pictured yesterday, pledged last October to keep tight rules on onshore wind farm in place A Government source said: 'We are very clear that onshore wind developments should have the consent of, and benefit, local communities. 'However, we want to see the sector thrive and believe that this is an important step forward.' Former minister Sir Alok said MPs who have signed his amendment to the Energy Bill, set to be debated in the Commons later, want to see a 'much more permissive planning regime' on onshore wind. Sir Alok told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We want to see the lifting of the current planning restriction, which means that a single objection to an onshore wind development can block it. 'And of course, allied with this, we want to ensure that local communities who are willing to take onshore wind developments will receive direct community benefits.' He continued: 'I think it's going to be very important to see the detail of what the Government puts forward in terms of its ministerial statement, in terms of what ministers say from the despatch box. 'But I hope that the Government will have listened and will be willing to move forward.' Sir Alok said he wants to see the 'outdated' right of an individual to effectively veto a wind farm to be removed. He added: 'The current situation we have is that just one objection can prevent a wind farm from being built. 'I mean, clearly, that is not a community veto and, frankly, I don't think it's a sensible way for a planning system to operate.' He said there should be a 'direct linkage' between communities willing to take onshore wind farms and them getting a direct benefit, which could be a discount on their bills. Sir Alok's Energy Bill amendment would require the Government to show developers how they can demonstrate that local communities support their plans and how they can provide financial benefits to those communities. The plan would also prohibit appeals against a decision by a local council to refuse planning permission for a wind farm to ensure local wishes are respected. Former Cop26 president Alok Sharma has been leading backbench pressure to drop rules which allow a single objection to block development The amendment had been signed by more than 20 backbench Conservatives, including ex-prime minister Liz Truss and several other former ministers. Other signatories include former party chairman Sir Jake Berry, former chief whip Wendy Morton, Wales Committee chairman Stephen Crabb and former levelling up secretary Sir Simon Clarke. The current rules, introduced under David Cameron in 2015, require councils to draw up detailed plans showing all the areas suitable for onshore wind development before new wind farms can go ahead, and also mean that proposals can be blocked even if just a single person objects to them. Downing Street refused to be drawn on speculation about a shift yesterday, saying the Government position 'has not changed' since Mr Sunak pledged last October to keep the rules in place. A battlefield video has emerged showing the burning wreck of a British Challenger 2 tank - the first of its kind to ever be lost in combat - after it was hit by Russian forces in Ukraine. The footage, which is also the first verified sighting of one of the British-supplied tanks on the frontline in Ukraine, features a Ukrainian vehicle driving past the wreckage of a burnt-out tank near Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. It is believed to be one of the 82nd Air Assault Brigade's former main battle tanks, which have taken a key role in the counteroffensive in the south since last month. A Western defence source told the BBC that the video did show a Challenger 2 and that all the crew onboard survived. Pro-war Russian channel Grey Zone also reported earlier today that the video 'seems to be the first documented destroyed British Challenger 2 tank in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.' The exact details of how and when the tank was destroyed remain unclear. The shaky footage was shot from a Ukrainian vehicle driving past the wreckage of a tank Fire and black smoke surround the burnt-out wreckage of an armoured vehicle in Ukraine Britain initially supplied 14 of its Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, and then doubled the number to 28, it announced in May. The Ministry of Defence website describes the Challenger 2 as 'a main battle tank, designed to destroy other tanks'. It has been used in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Iraq and, according to the MoD, 'has never experienced a loss at the hands of the enemy'. Russian Telegram channel Military Informant wrote after the footage emerged this week: 'It seems that the British Ministry of Defence will have to change the description of the Challenger on its official website.' The 82nd Air Assault Brigade was reported to have entered the battlefield for the first time only last month after receiving modifications to help defend against drone strikes. Mesh cages were welded on top of the tanks to help reduce the damage caused by munitions dropped from drones. The 82nd, arguably Ukraine's most powerful brigade, held back for six weeks before joining the push to retake the occupied south. Towards the end of August, the brigade gave Ukrainian forces the leverage needed to liberate Robotyne from the Russians. Russian sources have acknowledged the Challenger 2s were being used in the south of Ukraine to help break the stalemate around Zaporizhzhia, a region which has seen intense fighting since the start of the war. The pro-war channel Rybar said the burnt-out tank seen this week was 'on the western outskirts of Verbove [where] enemy assault groups are trying to gain a foothold', adding: 'And, quite likely, British tanks were used to break through the defences, where they were covered by artillery. 'This again confirms the thesis that the Challengers, Leopards and Abrams are all equipment that can and should be destroyed.' A Challenger 2 main battle tank, which saw service in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq before Ukraine A British Challenger 2 tank pictured in service with Ukrainian armed forces this year There was no independent confirmation of the Russian claim about the burning tank, nor its location and timing. The retreating Ukrainian troops do not name the type of tank. Separate footage shows the Challenger 2 deployed by the Ukrainian armed forces in the war zone. MailOnline contacted the Ministry of Defence for comment. They caused significant damage to the 32nd Wall and have since been arrested Two construction workers reportedly created gap to fit their excavator through Workmen have caused 'irreversible damage' to the Great Wall of China after trying to create a shortcut by digging a 'big gap'. Construction workers in the Shanxi province used an excavator to dig a hole in the 32nd Wall of the ancient landmark, which has been a Unesco world heritage site since 1987. They had allegedly dug the 'big gap' in an existing hole in the wall so that their machinery could fit through. A 38-year-old man and 55-year-old woman were reportedly working near the damaged area in the Yang Qianhe Township. Police were called to the area on August 24. Two unidentified people have since been detained and police officers are investigating the incident, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Pictured is the 'big gap' created by two construction workers who dug a hole so that their excavator could fit through The workers damaged the 32nd Wall of the ancient landmark (pictured), which has been a Unesco world heritage site since 1987 It reported that the suspects had caused 'irreversible damage' to the Ming Great Wall, a protected part of the structure which was built and rebuilt from around 220 BC until the Ming Dynasty in the 1600s. Local police said in a statement: 'At about 4:20pm on August 24, the County Public Security Bureau Command Centre received an alarm saying that a gap had been dug in the Thirty-Two Great Wall in Yang Qianhe Township. 'After receiving the alarm, the Criminal Investigation Team quickly rushed to the scene. After inspecting the traces on the scene, the police initially determined that the ancient Great Wall was damaged due to excavation by large machinery. 'Subsequently, the police patrolled the line and found an excavator and a man and a woman in neighbouring counties. 'After on-site questioning, it was found that the ancient Great Wall was destroyed by the two people. The police summoned the two people back to the county public security bureau for further investigation.' The Great Wall of China was first built in the Qin Dynasty (259BC to 210BC) by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. It is the world's largest man-made structure at around 13,170 miles long. Highlighted is where the wall was damaged The suspects caused 'irreversible damage' to the Ming Great Wall after they created the 'big gap' (pictured) The famous Great Wall of China consists of multiple fortifications, built in a piecemeal fashion between the last millennia BC and the 17th century AD. Comparable to the London Underground, different 'lines' were built over centuries and run alongside and against each other to form a giant network. Building work started during the Qin Dynasty (259BC to 210BC) as part of a defensive line against enemies to the north. Large sections were built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644) to help defend against the Mongolian tribes. The sections built during this period are what most tourists tend to visit today. On average the most popular areas receive around 20,000 tourists a day. The Great Wall also provided a border boundary that allowed the Chinese authorities to impose duties on goods carried along the Silk Road trade route. The fallout from the chaotic 2023 iteration of Burning Man continues as the local sheriff slammed attendees for leaving trash strewn across the Nevada desert in the wake of the washed-out festival. 'As usually happens in what burners refer to as the "default world" people allow their emotions to override their reasonableness and they are lashing out at each other as they leave the playa and attempt to make it to their next destination,' Pershing County Sheriff Allen told the San Francisco Chronicle. 'This behavior definitely does not fall within the 10 principles of Burning Man, but that is not the fault of BMP either, but is a societal issue.' In addition to racial inclusion and 'radical self-expression,' the festival counts 'leaving no trace' among its core principles. 'Our community respects the environment. We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave such places in a better state than when we found them,' the festival website reads. The area where the festival takes place is temporarily built each year on top of alkali flats, lava beds and the bottom of what was once Lake Lahontan on federally protected land in the town of Gerlach, Nevada. Long lines of vehicles are pictured on Monday as festival attendees leave the annual event The spirit of Burning Man is self-sufficiency, but many people appeared to have ignored it and left their trash behind People appeared to have just flung trash bags out of their vehicles on Monday Trash is left by the side of the road on Monday along the exit route out of Burning Man This photo, provided by Maxar Technologies, shows an overview of the center camp at the Burning Man festival on Monday A satellite image shows people waiting to load buses after a weekend of revelry Vehicles snaking their way through the desert on the long road home The dry alkali flats created a unique problem for those attending the festival when the area was hit with weeks' worth of rain in few days. 'It was really, really wet and really, really slick. But it's also very alkaline. So you do have to be careful for no prolonged exposure of your skin to the mud because, apparently it can actually start to really, gently burn your skin,' attendee Justin Schuman told CBS News. Sheriff Allen also said exhausted partygoers 'lashed out' at one another after finally breaking following a weekend of misery in the rain and mud. Drone footage from DailyMail.com showed snaking crowds of vehicles inching their way slowly across the sand as they made for the exits on Monday afternoon. The 10 principles of Burning Man The ten principles of Burning Man were written by festival co-founder Larry Harvey in 2004. They are as follows: 1. Radical Inclusion Attendees are asked to 'welcome and include' strangers at the party. 2. Gifting Festival-goers are encouraged to give gifts to others and not to expect one in return. 3. Decommodification A commitment that there will be no sponsorship or advertising at the festival. 4. Radical Self-reliance Revelers are asked to rely on their 'inner resources.' 5. Radical Self-expression You are asked to show off your 'unique gifts' through the festivities. 6. Communal Effort Despite the self-expression, attendees are asked to work together to ensure a good time for everyone. 7. Civic Responsibility Festival-goers must 'assume responsibility for conducting events in accordance with local, state and federal laws.' 8. Leaving No Trace As part of a commitment to the environment, party-goers are asked to clean up after themselves. 9. Participation Those in attendance are asked to work and play as part of the community. 10. Immediacy Revelers are asked to get involved right away at the festival. Advertisement Some tried to cut in front of each other while others swerved in the mud to avoid crashing, with reports of patience running thin throughout the gridlock. Tempers frayed during the hours-long line of RVs and campers on the way out of the Nevada desert, with cops warning many had turned hostile towards each other. It came as the grand finale - the burning of 'the man' - finally got underway a day late on Monday night, with the wooden statue lit for the dwindling crowd who'd stayed. Meanwhile officials named the man who died during the festival on Saturday as 32-year-old Leon Reece, as they admitted the weather hampered their response. Allen also said the unusual weather delayed the arrival of the emergency services when Reece collapsed on Saturday. 'Pershing County dispatch received a call regarding a male subject who was on the ground and unresponsive at the Burning Man Festival and medical personnel were administering CPR to the male,' Allen said. 'Due to the unusual rain event happening on the Playa, access to the area and investigative efforts were delayed. 'Upon the arrival of Pershing County Sheriff's Office Deputies, the doctor at the Festival had already pronounced the male subject, later identified as Leon Reece, a 32 year old male, deceased.' He said an investigation is underway and a toxicology report being carried out. The sheriff said the abnormal weather was causing problems with trash. 'This year is a little different in that there are numerous vehicles strewn all throughout the playa for several miles,' the sheriff said. 'The Man' is pictured going up in flames on Monday night, at the end of the Burning Man festival The giant sculpture - the centerpiece of the annual event - is pictured looming over the encampment before Monday's burning The giant effigy is seen being lit on Monday in the Nevada desert Jerry Allen, sheriff of Pershing County, said that festival goers were losing their tempers and 'lashing out' The sheriff said some people had forgotten the principles of the festival, of kindness and compassion and leaving behind no trace of their visit Allen said some of the 'Burners' were becoming 'angry' as the festival drew to a close A RV is stuck in the mud as the drivers tried to leave the Nevada site Muddy boots are abandoned by the side of the road on Monday 'Some participants were unwilling to wait or use the beaten path to attempt to leave the desert and have had to abandon their vehicles and personal property wherever their vehicle came to rest. 'The playa is unforgiving when it is wet and will consume your vehicle until such time as it dries enough to be able to traverse.' Organizers on Monday said 64,000 revelers remained on the site, and begged those trying to leave the filthy encampment to have patience. A half-inch of rain fell on Friday, turning the site into a quagmire, and attendees were ordered not to leave because the exit roads were impassable. Some said the weather engendered a sense of community, but others admitted there was a mild panic at the thought of being stuck with dwindling food and water. Social media users laughed at the 'harrowing' stories of fleeing the site. The road reopened at 2pm on Monday and 'the exodus' began. Those leaving the festival before 'the burn' on Monday faced five-hour waits until they reached the open road. 'Take it slow and mind those directing traffic,' organizers pleaded. 'Please be patient as you exit through Gate Road, and respect Burning Man staff who are working hard to make the Exodus experience as smooth and safe as possible.' People in parrot suits sit on Monday and stare out at 'the man' - the effigy in the distance People are pictured wading through the mud in Nevada on Monday Shai Peza of Chicago dances in the mud after the rain on Saturday Molly of Salt Lake City poses for a photo at Burning Man People were being urged to delay their departure until Tuesday if possible. They were also asked not to attempt to walk. Some attendees - among them comedian Chris Rock, actor Austin Butler and DJ Diplo - had already left the festival on foot. The event began on August 27 and had been scheduled to end Monday morning, with attendees packing up and cleaning up after themselves. 'We are a little bit dirty and muddy, but spirits are high. The party still going,' said Scott London, a Southern California photographer, adding that the travel limitations offered 'a view of Burning Man that a lot of us don't get to see.' Hundreds of Burning Man attendees who planned to leave on buses wait for information about when they will be able to leave One person could even be seen with a boat that had been parked up on the site The annual gathering, which launched on a San Francisco beach in 1986, attracts nearly 80,000 artists, musicians and activists for a mix of wilderness camping and avant-garde performances. Disruptions are part of the event's recent history: Dust storms forced organizers to temporarily close entrances to the festival in 2018, and the event was twice canceled altogether during the pandemic. President Joe Biden told reporters in Delaware on Sunday that he was aware of the situation at Burning Man, including the death, and the White House was in touch with local authorities. The event is remote on the best of days and emphasizes self-sufficiency. Amid the flooding, revelers were urged to conserve their food and water, and most remained hunkered down at the site. Some attendees, however, managed to walk several miles to the nearest town or catch a ride there. Diplo, whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz, posted a video to Instagram on Saturday evening showing him and Rock riding in the back of a fan's pickup truck. He said they had walked six miles through the mud before hitching a ride. 'I legit walked the side of the road for hours with my thumb out,' Diplo wrote. Diplo had ski goggles to protect his eyes from the desert dust as he left the site Actor and comedian Chris Rock, 58, found himself amidst the muddy chaos that descended upon the Burning Man festival site and hitched a ride out of the chaos on Saturday Lines of traffic snake across the desert on Monday as festival attendees try to leave A woman in China has claimed to have filmed a 50ft-long creature breaching the surface of a small lake in a mysterious sighting that has drawn comparisons to the Loch Ness monster. Ms Li claims to have seen the bizarre creature while visiting Lake Tianchi in north-western China on August 31. Ms Li, from Shanghai, said she heard what sounded like fish splashing in the water. She told local media: 'At first, I thought it might be several fish, but upon closer inspection, it was just one long, silver-coloured creature. 'It felt like it could be about 15 metres [50 feet] long.' Phone footage filmed by Ms Li shows the still surface of the lake being disturbed by something swimming underneath and causing waves and ripples. Pictured is a creature a woman claims is 50-foot-long in Tianchi Lake of Tianshan Mountain, Xinjiang, China She claimed that the creature was moving in a regular pattern, and it was swimming quite fast. Staff at the scenic area later responded saying that due to the unclear quality of the video and the lack of a clear description, they could not determine what exactly it was. The staff added, however, that similar situations have been reported by other tourists in the past, but were also unable to identify the species due to the distance. They added: 'Imagination is quite vivid. We hope there really is an aquatic creature that can satisfy everyone's curiosity, but whether it exists or not is hard to say.' The staff also noted that known aquatic creatures in Tianchi include rainbow trout, among others. However, none of them exceed three feet long. In 2020, a similar creature was claimed to have been 'spotted' on the surface of the Tianchi, or 'Heaven Lake', at the Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province. The alpine lake is renowned for having a mysterious beast - the Chinese equivalent to the Loch Ness Monster - said to be first sighted nearly six decades ago. The mountain caretaker, Xiao Yu, told MailOnline that he spotted the seven-foot-wide creature while patrolling the scenic spot. Eerie footage captured by the employee, Xiao Yu, shows a black round object floating on the surface of the Tian Chi, or 'Heaven Lake', at the Changbai Mountain in northeast China Since the first reported sighting in 1962, dozens of people claimed to have witnessed what is said to be the Heaven Lake monster. Xiao Yu, who has worked at the Changbai Mountain National Park as a souvenir shop assistant for the past decade, said he saw the unusual object in the middle of the lake. 'I went to the Heaven Lake to film footage as usual,' Xiao Yu, 28, told MailOnline. 'I didn't notice it at first, but I suddenly saw a black dot.' The footage, filmed from a viewing platform 500 metres (1,640 feet) above the lake, shows the black circular object remaining still on the water surface. The park worker can be heard saying: 'An unknown object appeared at the Heaven Lake. The black spot looks small [on the video] but it is actually fairly big.' The 'mysterious beast' remained visible for several minutes while the mountain caretaker was filming the video. He eventually left and headed back to work. 'I had similar sightings before but they were clearly fishing boats,' Xiao Yu added. 'But this time, I could not tell what it was. It definitely wasn't a boat.' The protected lake, covering 4.9 square kilometres (1.9 square miles), lies on the border between China and North Korea. Nearly 300 girls showed up to school in France wearing abayas in a defiant move French schools sent dozens of girls home for refusing to remove their abayas - an over-garment from the shoulders to the feet worn by Muslim women - on the first day of the school year, a government minister said on Tuesday. Defying a ban on the Muslim dress, nearly 300 girls showed up on Monday morning wearing an abaya, education secretary Gabriel Attal told the BFM broadcaster. Most agreed to change out of the dress, but 67 refused and were sent home, he said. The government announced last month it was banning the abaya in schools, saying it broke the rules on secularism in education that have already seen Muslim headscarves banned on the grounds they constitute a display of religious affiliation. The move gladdened the political Right but the hard-Left argued it represented an affront to civil liberties. French schools sent dozens of girls home for refusing to remove their abayas - an over-garment from the shoulders to the feet worn by Muslim women - on the first day of the school year, a government minister said on Tuesday. Pictured: A woman wears an abaya in Nantes on August 31 Announcing the ban last month, Attal said at the time: 'When you walk into a classroom, you shouldn't be able to identify the pupils' religion just by looking at them. I have decided that the abaya can no longer be worn in schools.' Today, Attal said the girls refused entry were given a letter addressed to their families saying that 'secularism is not a constraint, it is a liberty'. If they showed up at school again wearing the dress there would be a 'new dialogue', the minister said. On Monday evening, president Emmanuel Macron defended the controversial measure, saying there was a 'minority' in France who 'hijack a religion and challenge the republic and secularism', leading to the 'worst consequences' such as the murder three years ago of teacher Samuel Paty for showing Mohammed caricatures during a civics education class. 'We cannot act as if the terrorist attack, the murder of Samuel Paty, had not happened,' he said in an interview with Youtube channel HugoDecrypte. An association representing Muslims has filed a motion with the State Council, France's highest court for complaints against state authorities, for an injunction against the ban on the abaya and the qamis, its equivalent dress for men. The Action for the Rights of Muslims (ADM) motion is to be examined later on Tuesday. France's education secretary, Gabriel Attal (pictured left with Macron on September 1 in Orange, southeastern France), has banned the garment in schools and government buildings Abdallah Zekri, vice-president of the French Council for Muslim Worship, said last month the abaya 'has never been a religious symbol' and should not be banned. He said the ban was yet another example of politicians using dress favoured by women and girls to attack some five million Muslims living in France. 'I think the minister could have asked the opinion of religious leaders,' said Mr Zerkri. 'For me, the abaya is not a religious dress, it is a form of fashion. 'If you go to some stores, you find abayas. It's a long and loose dress at the same time. It has nothing to do with religion.' A law introduced in March 2004 banned 'the wearing of signs or outfits by which students ostensibly show a religious affiliation' in schools. This includes large Christian crosses, Jewish kippas and Islamic headscarves. Unlike headscarves, abayas occupied a grey area and had faced no outright ban until now. People on social media have been left baffled by a mysterious skyscraper that's as tall as 40 storeys in New York City. The creepy and unsettling building stands out against those around it and has caught the eye of many confused passers-by. Its concrete face towers 40-stories high but there are no windows in sight, leading people to question what on earth goes on inside? From an office for vampires to Men in Black headquarters, there are crazy theories about what lurks behind its doors. Every few years, images and videos of the eerie skyscraper re-circulate on social media - back in 2017, even Tom Hanks tweeted: 'This is the scariest building I've ever seen! WTF goes on inside??' After videos of the building were shared this week on Twitter and Reddit, commenters began to conspire about what's inside, with one person writing: 'Gives off MI-6 vibes,' and another joking: 'Lizard people don't need windows.' The creepy and unsettling building stands out against those around it and has caught the eye of many confused passers-by After videos of the building were shared this week on Twitter and Reddit , commenters began to joke about what's inside, with one person writing: 'Gives off MI-6 vibes,' and another joking 'Lizard people don't need windows' What was the building used for? The truth behind the building doesn't quite live up to the wild theories of aliens and 'lizard people' - however, it is interesting and does reportedly have some dark secrets. It's located at 33 Thomas Street in New York City and is also known as the Long Lines Building. It was designed and built between 1969 and 1974 to house AT&T (the American Telephone and Telegraph Company) telephone switching equipment - one of the most important telecommunications hubs in the USA. The equipment required a high level of space and a secure location, therefore the building's floors are taller than average. Despite being as high as a 40-story tower, it actually only has 29 floors. The skyscraper is also rumored to be originally designed to withstand a nuclear blast and had enough food to keep 1,500 people alive for two weeks in the event of a catastrophe. What is it used for today? Since being built it functioned as AT&T's long-distance telephone exchange until 1999, when the company moved elsewhere. Today, the windowless skyscraper is still sometimes used for its original purpose of telephone switching by some local exchange carriers. Other areas of the building are reportedly used as a high security datacenter. It's now more commonly known as 33 Thomas Street, rather than the AT&T building or the Long Lines Building. It's located at 33 Thomas Street in New York City and is also known as the Long Lines Building It was designed and built between 1969 and 1974 to house AT&T (the American Telephone and Telegraph Company) telephone switching equipment - one of the most important telecommunications hubs in the USA The dark secrets behind it However, an investigation by The Intercept in 2016, revealed that there's more than meets the eye when it comes to this building. They, alongside a multitude of conspiracy theorists, believe it's a secret base of the NSA (National Security Agency). Their investigation, that includes leaked documents by Edward Snowden, provides 'compelling evidence' that 33 Thomas Street has served as an NSA) surveillance site, code-named TITANPOINTE. The Intercept claims that according to a former AT&T engineer, 'there is a major international gateway switch" which routes phone calls between the United States and countries across the world.' Reportedly, the agency has tapped into these calls from a secure facility within the AT&T building, and it's one of the most important National Security Agency surveillance sites in the United States. The leaked Edward Snowden documents claim the structure was used for spying on phone calls, fax messages and Internet data and was first developed under the name Project X. The NSA declined to give a comment to The Intercept on the investigation and what really goes on behind the building's doors remains a mystery. Surrounded by other normal looking buildings, 33 Thomas Street stands out like a sore thumb, towering into the sky The Intercept, alongside a multitude of conspiracy theorists, believe it's a secret base of the NSA (National Security Agency) The Intercept claims that, according to a former AT&T engineer, 'there is a major international gateway switch" which routes phone calls between the United States and countries across the world' What are the other theories? Some social media users lean into the wild theories, whereas others aren't as convinced. One Redditor wrote: 'Probably data center and not occupied by people' while another added: 'Its a telecom central office no big mystery at all, most major cities have several. Its air conditioned due to the equipment.' Meanwhile on Twitter, users theorized: 'So is this where all the vampires live now?' and: 'Looks like something that should be in Dune.' The vampire theory has proved popular, as users jested that they wouldn't be able to work with sunlight coming in through the windows. Others are convinced little green aliens and other extraterrestrial creatures are being hidden away from the world, behind the building's eerie walls. One user said: 'This where they keep the aliens,' and another added: '100% Lizard headquarters.' Another guessed: 'I believe it's the headquarters of Men in Black,' while someone else questioned: 'Gotham city?,' joking that the skyscraper belongs in Batman. A hungry koala has been been caught 'green-handed' after eating thousands of seedlings that were intended to be used to create a new koala habitat. The marsupial wrecked havoc on about $60,00 worth of tree seedlings at the Eastern Forest Nursery, on NSW's far North Coast, during a two-month rampage. The nursery's owner, Humphrey Herington, initially believed the damage was being done by possums until one morning when he came across the greedy koala. Mr Herrington found Claude after a particularly large night of indulging on the seedlings and he had become too large to climb his tree. He said that Claude had 'eaten thousands of seedlings' from 'every type of koala food tree we grow here'. A hungry koala named Claude (pictured) for his long claws, has been found to have engorged himself on about $6000 worth of seedlings at the Eastern Forest Nursery, NSW's North Coast READ MORE: Exhausted koala cuddles up to a lookalike ornament in family's suburban backyard Advertisement Mr Herrington initially tried to relocate Claude, however the 'leaf thief' returned to his buffet just days later. 'I put a towel around him and moved him a few hundred metres down the road to a big tree at my neighbour's place,' he said in a statement from the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature-Australia. 'He was pretty stroppy when I picked him up. 'Two days later Claude was back and he's been hanging around getting into the seedlings every night.' Having been eaten 'out of house and home' by Claude, Mr Herrington intends to build a fence around the nursery to keep any critters out of the seedlings. 'I'm sorry Claude but the party's over. You are eating me out of house and home so I've started work on a fence to keep you out,' he said. 'It's back to normal tucker for you.' In all the years that Mr Herrington had grown seedlings at his nursery, he had never seen a koala act similarly to Claude. Claude had munched his way through thousands of seedlings that were being grown to help create new habitats for numerous animals like him 'To me this is not normal koala activity,' he told the Saturday Telegraph. 'However, they don't have too many choices of where they can go to get new food. 'There must be a shortage of food around here'. The nursery grows all of the seedlings on-site, all of which go towards helping restore habitats in projects led by Bangalow Koalas and the World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia. 'These seedlings are well watered and fertilised and are top shelf food for a koala,' Tanya Pritchard, Senior Manager Koala Recovery at WWF-Australia, said. 'Claude has developed champagne tastes and with his what-are-you-looking-at attitude has decided he is not to be denied.' The billionaire claims the ADL has accused him and 'X' of being anti-Semitic Musk blamed the ADL for lost advertising revenue since he purchased Twitter Elon Musk claims he is going to sue the Anti-Defamation League for defamation X users have called out Elon Musk after his latest threat to sue the Anti-Defamation League for $22billion. In a series of tweets sent out Monday night, Musk, 52, said he plans to launch a lawsuit against the ADL 'to clear our platform's name on the matter of anti-Semitism.' 'It looks like we have no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League oh the irony!' the billionaire and owner of X (formerly Twitter) wrote. Now Musk has been called out for being a free speech 'absolutist' who sues his critics, with a user on his own social media platform saying: 'What a weak, weak man. His "free speech absolutist" platform is so fragile the mere presence of the ADL is too threatening - apparently his revenue model counts on unfettered anti-Semitism.' Another joked: 'I'm a free speech absolutist but if I don't like your speech I'm going to sue you and if my business partners don't like it you may be put to death.' Elon Musk claims that he is going to sue the Anti-Defamation League for defamation as he believes the organization is falsely accusing him and X of being anti-Semitic 'It looks like we have no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League oh the irony!' the tech giant wrote in a tweet Monday evening Now Musk has been called out for being a free speech 'absolutist' who sues his critics, with users on his own social media platform commenting on the 'irony' as Musk called it 'If I wanted to "clear our platforms name of anti-Semitism" I would simply rid the platform I own of nazi propagandists rather than interacting with and promoting them,' a third wrote. Another compared Musk to Trump: 'Amazing. He's doubling down. He's going full Trump - say outrageous things and then throw around frivolous lawsuits.' One added: 'I love the implication that the erratic management, mass layoffs, incoherent moderation, destruction of verification, decimated engineering staff, serial unbanning of racists, and crumbling infrastructure had nothing to do with twitter losing half its value. Nope, just Jews.' 'That's not irony, Elon - it's you finding yet another way of implying that Jews are behind all your problems, and by extension everybody else's. Bet the new blue checks are lapping this up. Stop this now,' said another. In May, it was reported that the app's value had fallen to one-third of what it was when Musk purchased it in October - from $45 billion to $15 billion in six months. Musk's battle with the ADL began Monday morning when he called out the organization for being responsible for the company's quickly falling profits. 'Since the acquisition, The @ADL has been trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic,' he wrote in an initial tweet. 'Our US advertising revenue is still down 60 percent, primarily due to pressure on advertisers by @ADL (that's what advertisers tell us), so they almost succeeded in killing X/Twitter,' his tweet continued. In a separate tweet, he shared that he believes the ADL is responsible for as much as 50 percent of Twitter's fallen value - 'roughly $22 billion,' according to Musk. ADL Chair Ben Sax (left) and ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt (right) 'Giving them maximum benefit of the doubt, I don't see any scenario where they're responsible for less than 10 percent of the value destruction, so ~$4 billion,' Musk wrote in another tweet Earlier in the day, Musk responded to a tweet from X News Daily sharing that X's advertising revenue in the US is down by around 60 percent. The account shared that the advertising revenue decrease is a 'significant factor behind X's continuing issues with achieving profitability.' Musk purportedly believes that the ADL has urged advertisers not to use X over Musk's relaxing of rules around hate speech and harassment. Some Jewish users online have claimed to see an uptick in anti-Semitic tweets that go unpunished by Musk and anyone else at X. In response to the accusations of rampant anti-Semitism on the platform, the Chief Twit vehemently denied letting hate speech run free on his app. 'To be super clear, I'm pro free speech, but against anti-Semitism of any kind,' he wrote in a tweet. Even with his ongoing battle, Musk said he has no plans to ban ADL from X. Following his barrage of tweets about the organization, a movement to '#BanTheADL' has emerged from some of Musk's most devoted followers. The CEO has engaged with tweets that are part of the movement but clarified online that he has no intention to ban them anytime soon. 'Despite the immense harm ADL has done to X/Twitter, they still will not be banned in this platform, unless they break the law,' he shared. It's unclear whether or not Musk and his lawyers have filed an initial complaint against the organization. ADL officials did not immediately respond to inquiries from DailyMail.com. It's unclear whether or not Musk and his lawyers have filed an initial complaint against ADL To be super clear, Im pro free speech, but against anti-Semitism of any kind Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 4, 2023 A study published in 2022 by Montclair State University shows there was a spike in hate speech the day after Musk took over Twitter in October Just last month, X filed a lawsuit against a nonprofit group that monitors hate speech, making similar accusations of poisoning the water for online users. Lawyers for X claimed the Center for Countering Digital Hate orchestrated a 'scare campaign to drive away advertisers from the X platform.' At the time, X officials accused the center of publishing reports that indicated X did not take action against hate speech on the app. They also accused the center of committing 'a series of unlawful acts designed to improperly gain access' to the platform's data,' in the lawsuit. A study published in 2022 by Montclair State University shows there was a spike in hate speech the day after Musk took over Twitter in October. According to university officials, the data showed a 'correlation between Musk's arrival' and 'hostile content on Twitter.' Similarly, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation recently named X - then Twitter - as the 'most dangerous platform for LGBTQ people' in its Social Media Safety Index. Hefei city, capital of East China's Anhui province, is a source of 12.1 percent of China's quantum patents, only second to Beijing. The Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone is now a leading hub for quantum research and innovation and has over 600 researchers working on quantum-related projects. One significant accomplishment in this field was in recent years made by Origin Quantum, which is based in the zone. In 2021, the company produced China's first superconducting quantum computer, making the nation the third in the world to deliver a complete quantum computer. To drive advancements in quantum computing, Origin Quantum and the Chinese Academy of Sciences established the Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center last year. This center has formed partnerships with various sectors, including finance and power systems, to explore the practical applications of quantum computing. Additionally, it has collaborated with more than 60 universities to promote research cooperation and talent development. "While quantum computers are not yet capable of solving specific problems on their own, they can enhance the capabilities of conventional computers," said Zhao Xuejiao, vice-president of Origin Quantum. The company had also collaborated with the Shanghai Supercomputer Center to build an innovation center that was unveiled in June. "This initiative aims to cater to the rising computing demand in the Yangtze River Delta region and foster scientific and technological innovation," said Zhang Hui, director of the Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center. A Pocket Bully that 'ripped off' part of a little girl's cheek in a savage dog attack outside a Nisa store will be put down, police have confirmed. Farrah-Leigh Nichol, five, suffered 'horrific' injuries when she was mauled by the dog as she tried to pet it outside the shop in Stockton, Teesside, on August 12. The youngster was rushed to hospital - in scenes all too familiar amid a spate of dog attacks in recent months. Nearly one month later, little Farrah-Leigh still requires treatment with a gruelling schedule of operations ahead, and was told she would need skin graft operations on her left cheek. Mother Danielle Kemp and father Alex Nichol described the family's ordeal as a 'nightmare' after staying close by their daughter's side during her hospital stay. To the shock of the family, who had assumed the dog would have already been put down, the male dog - a smaller variant of the American Bully - was previously being held in police kennels. It is unclear when the dog will be euthanised. The Pocket Bully dog that allegedly attacked Farrah-Leigh will be put down, it has been confirmed Farrah-Leigh Nichol's face was torn open during the vicious attack, which happened after the five-year-old asked to pet the dog The youngster is now recovering in hospital but her family has been told she has a gruelling series of operations ahead of her to repair her face Farrah-Leigh's mother, 32, previously told MailOnline: 'It needs destroying. That dog needs killing as soon as possible and the owner needs to be prosecuted. 'Justice needs to be served for my poor baby girl who is suffering the trauma of having to go into surgery.' She added that her daughter's injuries and screams will continue to 'haunt' her. Farrah-Leigh had asked to stroke the Bully after coming out of the store with her father when the horrific attack occurred. Her father, Mr Nichol, said: 'We came out and I pressed the button to cross the road and she said, "Can I stroke that dog?" 'I said, "Yes, but you will have to ask the man first." 'She said, "Can I stroke your dog?" and he said, "Yes, no problem." 'She went to stroke the dog on the head. She loves dogs. She was stroking it really gently. 'The dog jumped and she jumped back and I thought, that was lucky. 'But then the next minute I saw her curled up on the floor and she said, "Dad". 'She was crying and all her face was off. Her face was gone. It was just gruesome. 'I booted it. I stamped on it. I picked my daughter up and went back to the house.' He added that his daughter 'loves dogs' and that the family have three at home. He told MailOnline he thinks all breeds should have to be muzzled when outside for children's safety. She suffered shocking wounds to her face outside the Nisa store in Stockton, Teesside, on August 12 Farrah-Leigh with her own family's dog. Her dad, Alex Nichol, said: 'She loves dogs' The community has rallied behind the youngster with a GoFundMe page set up to pay for a trip to Disneyland for her and her family, once she has made a recovery. It has so far raised more than 3,600. At the time, a spokesman for Cleveland Police said: 'Officers attended the scene within minutes of the report being called in and provided medical assistance to the girl whilst waiting for the ambulance. 'The girl has suffered significant injuries to her face and is receiving treatment in hospital. 'The owner of the dog remained at the scene following the attack and cooperated with police. The dog has been seized. 'We would politely ask people not to post photos relating to the incident and to avoid speculating on social media whilst officers continue with their investigation.' Yesterday Cleveland Police confirmed that the dog will be destroyed. A spokesman for the force said: 'The dog, which was seized at the scene, will be euthanised with the full cooperation of its owners. 'The girl involved has now returned home from hospital to recover from her injury but will require further treatment in the future. Enquiries are continuing.' Farrah-Leigh Nichol must now endure a long recovery following the attack Farrah-Leigh's dad Alex Nichol says he would happily muzzle his three dogs if it 'saved just one child' from being attacked Dog attacks led to more than 1,000 surgeries on children in 2022 with, 40 per cent of victims aged under four. In total, victims of all ages needed surgery after being bitten or mauled 3,473 times in 2022 - the highest number since data was first released 16 years ago. Experts said the number of children being attacked is 'very worrying' but that many of the bites are 'preventable'. The shocking figures from NHS Digital showed that the total number of hospitalisations following dog attacks has nearly doubled from 4,699 in 2007/8 to 9,336 in 2022/3. Nuclear war is the 'inevitable' conclusion of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a Russian general who wrote the nation's 'war bible' has warned. The chilling forecast came from retired Major General Alexander Vladimirov, who penned Russia's three volume book called the 'General Theory of War'. 'For the transition to the use of weapons of mass destruction, only one thing is needed - a political decision by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief [Vladimir Putin],' the veteran commander warned in an interview with journalist Vladislav Shurygin. 'The goals of Russia and the goals of the West are their survival and historical eternity. 'And this means that in the name of this, all means of armed struggle available to them will be used, including such a tool as their nuclear weapons.' He warned: 'I am sure that nuclear weapons will be used in this war - inevitably, and from this neither we nor the enemy have anywhere to go. Nuclear war is the 'inevitable' conclusion of Russia's invasion of Ukraine , a Russian general who wrote the nation's 'war bible' has warned. Pictured: Launch of Sarmat intercontinental missile in Russia in April 2022 The chilling forecast came from retired Major General Alexander Vladimirov, who penned Russia's three volume book called the 'General Theory of War' 'The sooner our politicians and leadership realise this, the sooner we start to train troops and the population for this - the more chances we will have for survival, which means victory.' In Vladimirov's 2013 book, the retired Major General argues that there has been a transition from the traditional theory of war - where there was a distinction between peace and war - to a permanent state of war which is characterised by constant fear and insecurity. During his interview, Vladimirov, 78, said training of troops was vital so they have the 'ability to wage war under the conditions of the use of weapons of mass destruction'. His book has key lessons for Russians, he said. 'If you want peace - fight until you win,' he said. 'If you want a long and strong peace, bury the hatchet on the territory of the enemy along with him. 'So, we need to be prepared. Prepare the Army, the State, the Economy and the population of the country.' A Ukrainian soldier fires a mortar towards the Russian positions near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Saturday He spoke as Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu claimed Russia was inflicting a huge toll on Ukraine in the war, despite Western aid for Kyiv. 'During the last month alone 34 command points of the Ukrainian army were destroyed,' he said. 'From the start of the so-called counteroffensive the enemy's losses exceeded 66,000 men and 7,600 ammunition units 'During the last month Russia downed 159 [Ukrainian] HIMARS missiles, 13 cruise missiles and over a 1,000 drones.' More than 200 women who have been left with 'crippling pain' after having the Essure contraceptive coil fitted can now take legal action against its manufacturer, it has been ruled. Lawyers representing the women have said the coil 'has caused irreparable damage physically and mentally.' German manufacturers Bayer has indicated it will defend itself against the claims. The Essure coil, which is a metal device inserted into a woman's fallopian tubes to prevent pregnancy, was withdrawn from the UK market in 2017. Some women have reported suffering from constant pain and various complications after having it fitted, including heavy bleeding. This has forced some to have the device removed early or getting hysterectomies. Amy Speers, from Northern Ireland, was left in agony after having an Essure sterilisation implant in 2014 The Essure coil, which is a metal device inserted into a woman's fallopian tubes to prevent pregnancy, was withdrawn from the UK market in 2017 The UK's medicines regulator has said there are no risks to safety from the device, but those left with devastating effects have now won the right to launch a group lawsuit against Bayer. Other women, who are not involved in the lawsuit, have also spoken about their experiences with Essure. Colette Masters told MailOnline she had the Essure coil fitted around eight years ago. 'I am now on the waiting list to have it removed. I am tired of trying to get my doctors to listen to me, as they are saying that me feeling the way I do is just my age. 'Like the majority of women I want be heard and want the powers that be to be [held] accountable.' READ MORE: Mother reveals she was left in agony and suffered seizures for five years after having a sterilisation coil fitted - and even begged doctors to give her a scalpel to cut it out Advertisement A second woman previously told MailOnline how she was left with such serious pain after having the coil fitted that she begged A&E staff for a scalpel to cut it out herself. Amy Speers, from Northern Ireland, was 28 when she felt her family of four children with husband Chris was complete and decided to have an Essure sterilisation implant. However the procedure, which was carried out in January 2014, instantly left Amy in chronic agony, despite being told she could have the implant - a flexible coil inserted into the fallopian tubes - inserted in her lunch break without any pain. She has since had a hysterectomy, but said: 'I was in chronic pain for five years leading up to that and I was in and out of hospital with seizures and chronic pain in the pelvic area and just really really sore.' Following her experiences she launched her own campaign to try and ensure Essure was held to account. Laura Linkson, who was fitted with Essure in 2013, said the pain left her suicidal, unable to move and feeling like a burden on her family. Amy launched a campaign against Bayer Health Pharmaceuticals after her experiences, and hopes to never see the coil surface onto the market again Another patient, Victoria Dethier, who was implanted with Essure in 2012, suffered pain for three years before having a hysterectomy to remove the device in 2015. Both women spoke to Victoria Derbyshire about their experiences in 2017. WHAT IS ESSURE? Essure is a permanent birth control procedure that involves inserting a tube into women's fallopian tubes. It is non-hormonal and causes the build-up of scar tissue that prevents eggs from reaching the womb. Accoding to Essure.com, it is 99.3 percent effective when used as a sole method of contraception. Vaginal bleeding, abdominal discomfort and cramping are expected after the procedure. Long-term risks include pain of varying intensity. In the US, more than 15,000 women have reported complications to the FDA, including pain, allergic reactions and 'migration of device'. Allergic reactions are thought to occur due to the device containing nickel and polyester. Advertisement Deborah Chalk has told the BBC how she immediately noticed severe symptoms after having the Essure coil fitted. She said: 'I began to suffer with headaches, abdominal pain, heavy bleeding, rashes, extreme itching and mood changes, to name a few. 'The Christmas after the device was inserted, I woke up and my face had gone numb, which led to neurologists believing I had multiple sclerosis.' Ms Chalk had the device removed privately and said she felt 'immediate relief'. The company behind the coil, Bayer, stressed the device had been through 10 clinical trials. A spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Bayer's highest priority is the safety profile and effectiveness of our products and we have great sympathy for anyone who has experienced health problems while using any of our products, regardless of cause. 'The company stands by the safety profile and efficacy of Essure and will continue to defend itself from these claims vigorously.' They continued: 'Bayer believes the claims brought in this litigation are without merit and will vigorously defend itself. 'While all birth control products and procedures have risks, the totality of scientific evidence on Essure demonstrates that the benefit risk profile is positive. 'Its safety profile is consistent with the risks disclosed since its approval and is comparable to other female permanent birth control options.' A heroic pilot has died after trying to save two children when they got into difficulty in a river at a Welsh beauty spot. Mohan Muruganantharajah, 27, raced into the water at Sgwd Y Pannwr waterfall in the Breacon Beacons to save the youngsters at around 4.40pm on Friday. Both children were pulled from the water, but tragically Mr Muruganantharajah disappeared from view. Emergency teams including police, air ambulance, fire crews and mountain rescue experts were called to the scene, but Mr Muruganantharajah could not be saved. The qualified pilot's body was located using underwater cameras and was recovered the following day. Rescue teams were called to the scene but Mr Muruganantharajah could not be saved Rescue teams were called to Sgwd Y Pannwr waterfall in the Brecon Beacons Friends paid tribute to the pilot, saying he 'touched so many lives'. A tribute from his badminton club in Swansea said: 'It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Mohan. 'He touched the lives of so many and brought warmth and love to all who knew him with his never ending smile. 'Thank you for your love, support, and compassion during this challenging time.' Sgwd Y Pannwr in the Brecon Beacons - now known as Bannau Brycheiniog - is popular with walkers and photographers for its cascade of almost 40ft. It also known as the 'Fall of the Fuller' and is situated on the River Mellte. Hero pilot Mohan Muruganantharajah, 27,died after trying to save two children from a river in the Brecon Beacons A spokesperson said: 'A multi-agency response was commenced with representation from the police, fire service, mountain rescue, hazardous area response team and both the UK Air Rescue Team and the Wales Air Ambulance landing their aircrafts nearby. 'At shortly after 7pm the fire service located the body of 27-year-old Mohananeethan Muruganantharajah in the water with an underwater camera. 'Unfortunately, due to conditions at the site, recovery was not possible that evening, and specialist divers were brought in the following morning. 'His family is being supported by specialist officers.' Bars in a popular Greek party resort have been caught collecting discarded drinks in canisters and repurposing them to make new shots for other tourists. Tax authorities raided bars in Kavos, Corfu, last week and found that bartenders have been serving alcohol that had already been bought by a previous customer, according to local media. Seven establishments were also found to use drinks that did not have identification numbers on their packaging, meaning that they were serving illegal or smuggled alcohol. It also came to light that 26 businesses in the party town did not issue up to 40,578 receipts, which totals 267,418 (228,793). As a result of the raids by the Independent Public Revenue Authority (AADE) and customs auditors, 28 bars were temporarily closed for 48 hours and issued fines. Bars in Kavos have been caught using old drinks to make new ones for unsuspecting tourists (file image) Raids found that Kavos bartenders have been serving alcohol that had already been bought by a previous customer (file image) Up to eight samples were sent to the country's General Chemical State Laboratory for tests. Authorities are now conducting similar checks in other Greek party resorts, according to local media. It comes as last week a British policewoman tragically plunged to her death while on holiday in Corfu. Hannah Emily Byrne, 22, had been out on the first night of her holiday in Kavos when she suffered a fatal head injury after falling several metres in the early hours of Friday. The officer, who was serving with Surrey Police, had decided to stay out while her colleague went back to their hotel on Friday night. Greek authorities believe the fatal injuries she sustained outside a bar are compatible with an 'accidental fall'. But authorities on the island are now investigating whether the victim had unwittingly drunk alcohol that had been laced with methanol, which is much more toxic than the ethanol found in regular alcoholic drinks. The Brit was allegedly left bleeding on the street - possibly for hours - before she was found, according to Greek media. A couple who say their $90,000 life savings vanished from their Commonwealth account during a bungled transfer have been dealt a blow, with the bank disputing their claim. Ellie Houston, 21, and her partner Trae Murphy, 23, say they transferred $90,000 from their account to a Bank of Melbourne account on June 30. The pair had saved the substantial amount of money for a land settlement in Yarrawonga, a town located near the NSW and Victoria border. Ms Houston claimed in an interview with Radio 3AW on Monday that the money initially bounced back into their account - before eventually disappearing altogether. She claimed that she has screenshots and receipts that show the money moving between the two accounts - but Commonwealth is refusing to refund them the lost money. Ellie Houston, 21, and her Trae Murphy, 23, say they transferred $90,000 from their account to a Bank of Melbourne account A spokesman for Commonwealth Bank (CBA) said it had investigated the claims and had since told Mr Murphy that the receipt numbers he provided 'do not exist in CBA records'. 'On examination of the images of the receipts provided, the documents differ from genuine CBA receipts and the receipt numbers do not exist in CBA's records,' the spokesman said. The statement added: 'Mr Murphy contends the balance of his account should be $96,000. Following an investigation by CBA, we have informed Mr Murphy: 'The account in question (or any other account held Mr Murphy) did not have a balance of $96,000 (or an amount close to it) at the time of the relevant transfers or the 12 months prior. 'The account from which the transfers allegedly took place is a NetBank Saver which only permits transfers to another CBA account and is unable to process transfers to another financial institution. 'Subject to receiving additional information from Mr Murphy, CBA is willing to make further enquiries.' This differs to the account of events provided by Ms Houston and Mr Murphy, who said they were emailed a link to the Beyond Blue suicide line by Commonwealth following their complaint. 'Our money bounced back into our CBA account because both our names weren't approved yet on the Bank of Melbourne account,' Ms Houston told 3AW radio on Monday. The couple tried again to transfer the $90,000 to the Bank of Melbourne account on July 4, but the money bounced back to their account a few days later. As they were on holiday in Bali at the time the couple couldn't transfer the money internationally and were charged a $2,500 late settlement fee. A spokesman for Commonwealth Bank (CBA) said it had investigated the claims and had since told Mr Murphy that the receipt numbers he provided 'do not exist in CBA records' 'We came home from Bali on the 20th (of July), we went straight into Commonwealth to settle this land and transfer the money to the Bank of Melbourne,' she said. 'No money in our account. 75c. And they can't tell us where it's gone, nothing.' Ms Houston said the $90,000 had been in the CBA account while they were in Bali but when it came to transferring it to the Bank of Melbourne when they returned home, it had disappeared. She and her partner took a day off work to sit in the office of a bank employee in the hopes of finding the deposit. 'We were visibly distressed because we had lost so much money,' she said. 'They asked us if we were being held ransom because we were so upset. This was a whole day, then they took five weeks to come back with an answer.' The couple claim Commonwealth Bank sent a link to Beyond Blue, a suicide prevention hotline, after she described the toll the missing money was having on her and her partner The couple were finally given a 'three dot point' explanation from the complaints team who stated their records did not match those of the couple. Ms Houston says she has receipts and screenshots from the two occasions the $90,000 was transferred. She claims the bank sent a link to Beyond Blue, a suicide prevention hotline, after she described the toll the missing money was having on her and her partner. 'They said 'we're really sorry, we're still investigating this, here are some links if you need some help',' she recalled. The couple have had to increase the amount of an existing loan to keep the land. 'My partner and I have been together since we were 15 years old, we've saved for so long for this land and our goal was always to pay it off before we put a house on it so we could then travel,' she said. 'It feels like everything's been taken from under us.' Sunday, November 13 2022: Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were stabbed to death at their home in Moscow, Idaho in the early hours of the morning, sometime between 3am and 4am. Earlier that evening, Mogen and Goncalves were captured on a Twitch livestream close to a food truck while waiting for an order of pasta carbonara. A sorority driving service drove the young women home around 1:56am. Kernodle and her boyfriend Chapin had returned from the Sigma Chi frat house around 11 minutes earlier. Two other female roommates who survived the attack went to bed around 1am and didn't wake up until the next morning. Goncalves called her ex-boyfriend Jack DuCoeur seven times between 2:26 and 2:44, her sister Alivea said. He was quickly cleared as a suspect. A 911 call was made at 11:58am that mornig. At 2pm, students were told of the murders by the University of Idaho, with staffers urging them to 'shelter in place.' Monday, November 14 2022: Moscow Mayor Art Bettge said the killings were a 'crime of passion,' only to later backtrack. He said that theory was one of several under consideration. Tuesday, November 15 2022: Moscow Police called the killings an 'isolated, targeted attack' and added that there was 'no imminent threat to the community at large.' But angry locals - as well as the four victims' families - slammed what they described as contradictory statements from investigators. Wednesday, November 16 2022: Moscow PD Chief James Fry disclosed the fact that two roommates at home had survived. He said there were no signs of forced entry, but refused to say who had made the 911 call, and why it had been made an estimated eight hours later. Fry angered locals by backtracking on an earlier claim their was no danger to the wider community. He warned them to 'please stay vigilant.' Thursday, November 17 2022: The killings are officially ruled homicides by stabbings by Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt. She said all four victims were likely attacked as they slept, and that each had multiple stab wounds. Distressingly, some victims were found to have defensive wounds - suggesting they'd woken up while being attacked - but there were no signs of sexual assault. Sunday, November 20: DailyMail.com exclusively reveals a local dog was skinned and filleted three weeks before the killings, sparking fears of a connection. Cops later insisted this was not the case. They added that Goncalves' dog was home at the time of the slayings. November 22 2022: Cops admitted Goncalves had been followed around a supermarket around a month before the killings, but said they were unable to verify claims she had a stalker. November 30 2022: Kaylee Goncalves' father Steve said his daughter and friend Maddie Mogen had been sleeping in the same bed when they were stabbed. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Latah claimed one of the victims was 'undoubtedly targeted.' Hours later, Moscow Police Department contradicted that claim, only to admit that they did consider the crime a 'targeted' one the following day. Six people are ruled out as suspects: A man seen close to Goncalves and Mogen at the food truck; the driver who took them home; Goncalves' ex-boyfriend; the surviving roommates and another student who'd moved out of the property several months earlier. December 5 2022: Goncalves' dad Steve slammed cops 'absurd' approach to the case, claiming Moscow Police Department had been too quick to clear potential suspects, and rule out links to other cases December 7 2022: Cops make their first appeal for a white 2011 to 2013 Hyundai Elantra spotted at the crime scene around the time of the murders. A white Hyundai Elantra is said to have been towed from suspect Bryan Kohberger's home in Scranton, Pennsylvania on December 30 after he was arrested. December 12 2022: Steve Goncalves reveals Kaylee had 'big open gouges' as a result of the deadly attack. He branded cops 'cowards' for not sharing more information, and said his daughter's wounds were more severe than Maddie's. December 18 2022: New footage emerges showing Goncalves and Mogen hours before their killings, walking through downtown while discussing a man named Adam. Goncalves' family lawyer later clarified that the Adam in question is a bartender. December 27 2022: More leaked footage shows Goncalves and Mogen inside the Corner Club bar in Moscow shortly before returning home. December 30 2022: Cops announce they've made an arrest in connection with the killings in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The suspect is named as University of Washington criminology Ph.D student Bryan Christopher Kohberger. Kohberger was nabbed at his home by SWAT teams, and arraigned the same morning. January 5 2023: Kohberger is extradited to Idaho from Pennsylvania and appears in Latah County Court for the first time. He faced crying family members of his alleged victims as he remained silent during the hearing. January 12 2023: Anne Taylor, Kohberger's defense attorney, waived his right to a speedy trial. May 16 2023: Kohberger is indicted by a grand jury on one charge of burglary and four of murder. The indictment means that a preliminary hearing planned for June is cancelled. May 22 2023: During a plea hearing Kohberger 'stands silent', and refuses to enter a plea. A judge overseeing proceedings in Latah County District Court enters the not guilty plea on his behalf. June 26 2023: Prosecutors announce that they are intending to seek the death penalty. The State says that the murder was 'especially heinous, atrocious or cruel, manifesting exceptional depravity' and that the defendant showed 'utter disregard for human life'. August 24 2023: Kohberger waives his right to a speedy trial, cancelling his trial date of October 2. A photo has emerged showing the leader of Finland's new largest opposition party posing with friends who are doing Nazi salutes. Antti Lindtman, the new leader of the Finnish Social Democratic party (SDP), is seen in the photograph with four friends at a Christmas party. While Lindtman is seen in the photo wielding a fake handgun and wearing a balaclava, he himself is not giving the Nazi salute. Nevertheless, the emergence of the photo - taken more than two decades ago - has overshadowed Lindtman's election as the new party leader, replacing the party's previous leader and Finland's former prime minister Sanna Marin. The image first started circulating online a few weeks ago, and it has come back to haunt him after Lindtman won the SPD leadership. A photo has emerged showing the leader of Finland 's new largest opposition party Antti Lindtman (second-left) posing with friends who are doing Nazi salutes. While Lindtman is seen in the photo wielding a fake handgun and wearing a balaclava, he is not giving the salute It also caused a stir as the Nordic country's finance minister, Vilhelm Junnila, was forced to step down over references he made to Nazi terminology - as well as the number 88, a numeric code used for 'Heil Hitler'. Announcing his resignation, Mr Junnila said: 'For the continuation of the government and the reputation of Finland, I see that it is impossible for me to continue as a minister in a satisfactory way.' For his part, Lindtman has admitted the photo is genuine while trying to distance himself from it, insisting that he is and never has been a Nazi sympathiser. 'Even though the pictures are from my youth, I'm not hugely proud of them,' he told Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat in an interview this summer. 'It seems the guys went a bit too far with their poses I was not and am not a Nazi sympathiser. Not back then and not now. 'Quite the contrary: I don't think the neo-Nazis liked my views even then,' he said. He also addressed issues relating to social media. The image first started circulating online a few weeks ago, and it has come back to haunt Lindtman (right with Sanna Marin, left) after he won the SPD leadership Lindtman has admitted the photo is genuine while trying to distance himself from it, insisting that he is not and never has been a Nazi sympathiser 'If someone imagines that by spreading and manipulating more than 20-year-old photos, I would give up opposing extremism, they are mistaken,' he said. 'Let's defend Finnish democracy together and fight extremism together.' The SDP was at the centre of another controversy when it selected 33-year-old Mikkel Nakkalajarvi - who has a history of animal cruelty - as party secretary. In 2006, when he was a teenager, Nakkalajarvi beat a neighbour's cat to death with a shovel while he was at a summer cottage with friends. Speaking after his election, Nakkalajarvi said: 'I want Finland to be a country where anyone can become anything. A country where everyone can succeed, but also fail and try again.' Lindtman succeeded Marin who stepped down as leader and chairman of the SPD after she lost her re-election bid in April to the conservative National Coalition Party, led by Finland's current prime minister Petteri Orpo. A popular figure abroad, Marin herself was not a stranger to controversy at home. Marin, who announced her intention to quit soon after the election loss, was the world's youngest prime minister when she took the post in 2019 aged 34, attracting attention around the globe and helping lift Finland's profile. Finland's Social Democrats Party Chair, former Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin waves from the stage before her resignation speech at the Party Congress of the Socialdemocrats of Finland in Jyvaskyla, central Finland, September 1, 2023 After leading the country through Covid-19 lockdowns and the ensuing economic turmoil, Marin became a vocal supporter of Ukraine after Russia's invasion in 2022 and successfully pushed to end Finland's military non-alignment in favour of NATO membership. She chaired her party's conference for the last time on Friday and in a brief speech, she reiterated her criticism of Finland's eastern neighbour. 'Russia and its representatives must be held accountable for the illegal crime of aggression, war crimes and the consequences of war,' Marin said. 'In addition to Finland's steadfast support for Ukraine and the Ukrainians, we must also send a strong message of hope for the reconstruction of the country, for a European future.' Marin, now 37, has appeared on the covers of Vogue and Time Magazine, has a million followers on Instagram and is considered by fans around the world as a millennial role model for progressive leaders. But at home, voters concerned with issues like immigration and a growing public deficit in April handed Marin a narrow defeat to the Right-wing National Coalition and the far-right Finns party, triggering the government's fall. She weathered several publicity storms while in office, including over her nightclubbing during the pandemic, hosting private parties at her official residence and voluntarily taking a drug test after a party video was leaked to the media. The drug test was negative, Marin announced, and she apologised to Finns when a picture from a party at the prime minister's seaside residence showed two well-known female influencers covering their bare breasts with a 'Finland' sign. Sanna Marin receives a hug from Social democrats parliamentary group chairman Antti Lindtman, 2019 After her election loss, Marin said she looked forward to a quieter life and later also announced a divorce from her husband. Entering the stage on Friday to the beat of Aretha Franklin's 'Respect', Marin thanked her party for its support. She was due to formally hand over the reins later on Friday after the Social Democrats elected a new leader. Marin remains a member of parliament and has also enlisted as a public speaker with a US agency and founded a consultancy with her former assistant. An emotional Lidia Thorpe has spoken out about her complex feelings towards her white father who called her a 'very racist person' in a public spat earlier this year. The controversial senator said she hasn't spoken to her dad, Roy Illingsworth, since he made that comment in an interview with Sky News in April, but she said 'I love my dad. I love him with all my heart.' Ms Thorpe also told the ABC's Annabel Crabb on the Kitchen Cabinet that she felt 'a bit sad for him' when he gave that interview. 'He was a good dad in my early years. Probably not a good husband but he was a good dad to me,' she said. The former Greens politician, who is now an independent, also revealed the vile schoolyard slur that caused her to 'punch out' a fellow pupil in high school. One day a boy called her an 'Aboriginal Bum Cleaner', which she said was a common insult at the time, which was often shortened to 'ABC'. An emotional Lidia Thorpe (left) has spoken out about her complex feelings for her father Roy Illingsworth (right) after he called her a 'very racist person' last April READ MORE: Inside rogue senator's 'Blak republic sovereignty' agenda Lidia Thorpe wants Australians to pay the 'rent' to Indigenous people, to rewrite the constitution and establish a treaty with 'colonial' settlers - as she quits as a member of the Greens in a bid to become the head of the 'Blak sovereignty' movement. Advertisement 'So I punched this guy out ... for calling me an ABC,' she said. 'And he punched me straight back out too. 'So we walked home with black eyes that day.' Ms Thorpe and her cousin were the only Aboriginal children at her school in Melbourne, where she said 'there a lot of racism from the other kids and teachers'. 'We were forced to participate in the bicentennial celebration (in 1988, marking 200 years since the white settlement of Australia). 'Which was against our religion if you like, the invasion of this country. But I was very proud to be black and I never shied away from questioning people's teachings of this country. 'And that usually ended up in conflict, particularly with teachers,' she said. The fiery senator admitted that she gets on better with right wing politicians than those on the left. 'It's really weird,' she said, saying she thinks it's because she knows where those on the right of politics stand. 'It's like the netball court, (I get) white line fever once I'm in that Senate, I'm there for business ... And I've got my agenda, which is black justice in this country. 'And then out of the court, I'll be your friend.' She doesn't just get on with right wingers such as One Nation's Malcolm Roberts, who she calls 'a real gentleman', her father encouraged her to join Pauline Hanson's party. '(My dad) moved to Queensland and the further north he went, he started to change, and he became a One Nation supporter. 'And when I became a Greens politician, he said, oh, well, why go there? He said, I should join One Nation. 'I just said, OK, Dad, maybe we shouldn't talk about politics.' Lidia Thorpe (pictured) said One Nation's Malcolm Roberts is 'a real gentleman' Lidia Thorpe (left) appeared on ABC's Kitchen Cabinet with Annabelle Crabb (right) Ms Thorpe (pictured) said her father encouraged her to join One Nation and she was also asked to run for the Liberal Party in Victoria Ms Thorpe also revealed that she enjoys having a 'good chat' with former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett and that he tried to get her to run for the Liberal Party. She politely declined, telling him 'You know what my family would do to me if I ran for you guys, you got no hope. 'Thanks for thinking of me though. I really appreciate it.' Though she is known for never backing down from a fight, Ms Thorpe said she regrets shouting 'at least I kept my legs shut' at Liberal senator Hollie Hughes in December 2021. Ms Hughes said it was a 'vile' reference to her autistic son, Fred. In an interview with Sky News at the time, an emotional Ms Hughes said the comment implied that if she kept her legs shut she would not have an autistic child. She said she found the comments 'beyond disgusting, beyond vile'. But almost two years on from the comments that shocked the nation, Ms Thorpe claimed it was all a misunderstanding. 'It was the wrong thing to say. And I admit that and I accept that,' she said. 'Earlier in the day, the senator was sitting in a way that I could see her knickers and I said to my colleague next to me, should we go up and tell Holly that we can see her knickers?' Ms Thorpe (pictured) said she regrets shouting 'at least I kept my legs shut' at Liberal senator Hollie Hughes in December 2021 Senator Hughes (pictured) said she found the comments 'beyond disgusting, beyond vile' When she later shouted out to Ms Hughes about keeping her legs shut, it was a reference to her underwear, not her son, Ms Thorpe claimed. 'And I was just beside myself and she was horrified, which is understandable.' She said she later apologised to Ms Hughes, but the fact that she'd made the comment in the first place made her feel 'unwell. 'I felt so bad for what come out of my mouth.' HAVE YOU HAD YOUR BAG SEARCHED AT THE SUPERMARKET? Shoppers at major UK supermarkets including Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Aldi are reporting heightened security measures in UK stores such as bag searches after using self-service checkouts following a rise in shoplifting. Customers claim they have found themselves under 'close inspection' following an increase in the number of bag checks at certain stores before leaving the premises. It follows the introduction of barriers at many Sainsbury's and Morrisons self-checkouts, which require a valid receipt to be scanned before shoppers can exit. Mary Burrows, from Kingston-upon-Thames, posted on NextDoor and said her bags had been search on the last three times they had visited their local branch of supermarket giant Sainsbury's. She said: 'I've used self-scan since it started and have had my bags checked maybe twice in all that time until this week. HAVE YOU HAD YOUR BAG SEARCHED AT THE SUPERMARKET? Tell us about your experience: Email natasha.anderson@mailonline.com Customers have found themselves under 'close inspection' following an increase in the number of bag checks at certain stores before leaving the premises. Mary Burrows, from Kingston-upon-Thames, posted on NextDoor and said her bags had been search on the last three times they had visited their local branch of the supermarket giant. 'The last three shops I've done at Sainsbury's in Surbiton Basin have been checked, including a close inspection of my bag and sun hat. 'I know this is random well, I assume it is random but is shoplifting on the rise at Sainsbury's and other shops? 'Their staff are helpful, products are good, my nearest shop too so this isn't a rant. I just wondered if there is a problem?' Others reportedly responded to Ms Burrows confirming they had noticed a similar trend. Shoppers on various social media sites reported similar experiences. One Twitter user said: 'Just went to Sainsbury's local in Charing X Road, they didn't have what I wanted, so went to leave the store empty handed. 'Was stopped by a security guard and told he had to search my other bag and he was backed up by a floor Manger who then told him to search my pockets! 'Apparently this is policy! I was so furious, I said do not touch me and why was I being exploited and treated as if I was a criminal? 'I was then "allowed" to leave I've made a formal complaint to their customer service team. They are not getting away with this!' Others reported bag checks at Aldi, with one customer writing: 'Aldi now search people's bags at the till by till staff before serving them in case of shoplifting. 'If you refuse to be searched - no shopping! Happened to my 80-year-old mum. I've been told it's new Aldi policy.' Aldi declined to comment when approached. A source from Sainsbury's told The Telegraph: 'Staff in stores who monitor [self-service checkouts] have been instructed to scrutinise a bigger number of customers going through them. 'There were fears some shoppers might miss an item or two when scanning.' They added there were fears shoplifters 'felt they could just walk through the self-scan area and out the store without even buying anything.' Sainsbury's previously installed security gates at many of its stores which mean customers must scan a valid receipt in order to leave its self-service area. A Sainsburys spokesperson said: 'We have a range of security measures in place and we have not changed our bag check policy.' There has been a reported rise in shoplifting since the onset of the cost of living crisis as more people struggle to make ends meet. But shoppers hit out at the British firm as they said the barriers put innocent customers 'under suspicion of stealing'. The barriers have also been deployed in other major shops and supermarkets, including Aldi, Morrisons, and Primark. They first started appearing in British shops at the end of last year, having also been spotted in shops in Europe. Customers slammed the shop's new security measures as they compared the experience to 'entrapment' and being treated like a 'prisoner'. Shoppers also hit out at the gates for slowing down their shopping trips as they complained about having to find their receipts to exit. Dunelm was seen to be locking its expensive bedding away in a glass cupboards Dunelm has locked up duvets and pillowcases in PIN-code protected cabinets as Britain faces a rise in shoplifting. Bedding is the latest in a long list of household goods being locked away, with butter, cheese, meat and baby formula all being security tagged in shops in the past year. Pictures showed Dunelm storing its more expensive bedding away in giant glass cupboards, which need to be opened by a staff member. Shopper Suzie Morris, 28, couldn't believe her eyes when she nipped into the home store to find the duvet covers and pillowcases in cupboards with keypads, she told The Sun. It comes as the Office for National Statistics revealed that shoplifting levels in England and Wales had risen by 24 per cent in the past year. Pictures showed Dunelm storing its more expensive bedding away in giant glass cupboards, which need to be opened by a staff member It comes as the Office for National Statistics revealed that shoplifting levels in England and Wales had risen by 24 per cent in the past year Many supermarkets introduced security tags or casings on baby formula products to prevent thefts Shoppers were left dumbfounded earlier this year after 5 tubs of Lurpak were locked inside security netting Experts have said the rise has come as Brits face a severe cost of living crisis. Cuts of beef worth just 3.75 have been spotted in locked boxes on Co-op shelves, as well as 'display-only' coffee jars after a 200g jar of Kenco Smooth instant coffee rose 13 per cent in price. In April, a dumbfounded customer shared a video of a 600g tub of Lurpak worth 5.35 locked up in security netting in Aldi on TikTok after spotting it in a store in Kidbrooke, south-east London. And last December Tesco resorted to putting security tags on its cheese. One customer at a Tesco Express in Taunton, Somerset, noticed 'security protected' stickers were being put on a number of cheeses at the supermarket giant - including its own brand product. Meanwhile, a member of the security staff at the Priorswood Road branch was seen 'slapping' the tags on cheeses in the chiller, which would set off the alarm if somebody exited the store without paying. An Aldi store even placed tags on packets of sweets worth as little as 85p. The budget supermarket's Rushey Green branch in Catford, south London, placed yellow security stickers on a range of its confectionary items - including a Kinder Snack Bar priced at 85p, Haribo Tangfastics costing 1 and a pack of five Cadbury Twirls selling for 1.05. Even baby formula was found stashed behind the counter with the e-cigarettes and spirits or security tagged - as desperate parents are forced to turn to a new 'black market' to feed their babies amid the cost of living crisis. An investigation by Sky News revealed the new 'black market' for baby formula, with one set of parents saying they regularly purchase it from a 'fence' contact, who sells stolen formula for a third of the shelf price. Staff at a Co-op franchise in Walthamstow, north London, had previously put 'display only' coffee jars on it shelves after a 200g jar of Kenco Smooth instant coffee rose 13 per cent in price Cuts of beef worth just 3.75 were spotted in locked boxes on Co-op shelves in an attempt to deter shoplifting during the cost of living crisis Tesco had previously put security tags on its cheese amid fears that cash-strapped customers might try to steal it due to the cost-of-living crisis Baby formula was seen stored away behind the counter with e-cigarettes and spirits in one Sainsbury's One mother described how her partner steals formula from supermarkets after the cost of living crisis made it unaffordable. Speaking about retail theft due to soaring food costs in May, Joshua Bamfield, director of the Centre for Retail Research, told MailOnline: 'There are some people who feel that [it's] the only way they can have a good lifestyle, but they didn't steal before. 'Retail theft has increased terrifically over the last 12 months as the cost of living crisis has become more severe. 'Has retail crime increased because people are hard up? I think the answer is yes. 'There may be a small number of people doing this, but if you can make it difficult for them, from a store manager's point of view this is a success. 'If you put electronic tags on some of the most stolen products you make it difficult for the thief to be successful in the hope they will go elsewhere.' The chilling moment a woman dubbed the 'pyjama killer' confessed to police she has murdered her husband and 'might go and stab him again' has been revealed in a new true crime documentary. Penny Jackson stabbed 78-year-old David three times after a row about a TV remote and bubble-and-squeak following a home meal to celebrate her birthday during the pandemic. She stabbed her husband three times with a kitchen knife; the final, fatal blow delivered after he had dialled 999, with the emergency services still on the line. When police arrived, they found Jackson's handwritten confession. Jackson became known as the 'pyjama killer' when she joked to police about being arrested in her Marks & Spencer pyjamas. Haunting audio from a 999 call reveals how Jackson told the operator she had stabbed him, adding: 'He's in the kitchen bleeding to death, with any luck'. It was revealed in a new series of Faking It, available to stream on Discovery+. Penny Jackson stabbed 78-year-old David three times after a row about a TV remote and bubble-and-squeak At the end of a furious row following a gourmet dinner to celebrate her 66th birthday, Jackson killed her husband with a kitchen knife (pictured, Jackson in her pyjamas before being taken away by police) Audio from the call, originally made by her victim, shows how Jackson had a cold-blooded attitude after the stabbing. When asked if she was with her husband, the killer replied: 'Well, I might just go and stab him again'. The operator told her: 'Do not stab him again.' Jackson asked the operator why she should not stab her husband again, before asserting that she was of sound mind: 'I am compos mentis.' She continued: 'I'm in the lounge and he's in the kitchen bleeding to death, with any luck.' When asked how many times she had stabbed her husband, Jackson said: 'I did the once, and then he said I wouldn't do it again so I did it twice more.' She continued: 'Well once, I thought I'd get his heart. Well he hasn't got one, and then twice in the abdomen.' Linguistics professor Dawn Archer told the documentary: 'There's a very real difference between 'I thought I'd get his heart' and 'I thought I got his heart'. 'If I'm saying 'I thought I'd get his heart', I'm aiming for it.' She explained this would suggest an 'intent' to stab him in the heart. Another clip in the documentary shows that when arrested by police at the family home, originally on suspicion of attempted murder, Jackson told officers: 'Hopefully it's not attempted [...] I admit it all.' Audio from the call, originally made by her victim, shows how Jackson had a cold-blooded attitude after the stabbing Linguistics professor Dawn Archer told the documentary the 999 call showed Jackson had been aiming for her husband's heart, rather than hitting it by accident Jackson was arrested outside her home while her husband was dying on the kitchen floor as paramedics tried to save him Commenting on the clip, forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes said: 'You don't expect this of course from a 66-year-old woman who lives in Somerset and has led a very middle England existence up to this point. 'It's darkly comical, in some respects, but of course it's not comical at all because we've got a dead man here. We've got a man who's a father, and he's lost his life.' Body language expert Dr Cliff Lansley pointed out Jackson seemed 'proud of her actions'. 'She wants to get the message across: "I admit it all". There's almost a little bit of pride and flair in it as she flicks back, yes I admit it all, I'm proud of what I've done.' A third clip from the documentary shows Jackson being rearrested for murder, to which she replied: 'Oh good!' She later added: 'I'm very sorry for being a nuisance.' After having her temperature taken as she was tested for covid-19, she asked an officer: 'Have you got my slippers?' Dr Lansley said: 'I can't help laughing but getting her slippers, being convicted of murder, and getting Covid all seem to be on the same level for her. 'She must be in shock. It doesn't excuse what she has done, it doesn't negate the testimony we're hearing here, but that detachment from the consequences at this point and the disassociation with her actions is incredible.' The documentary analyses Jackson's state of mind and intentions from the 999 call and other interactions she had with police Body language expert Dr Cliff Lansley pointed out Jackson seemed 'proud of her actions' Forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes provided expert insight into the criminal mind During trial the former Ministry of Defence accountant told Bristol Crown Court that she lost control after decades of verbal and physical abuse. Retired Lieutenant Colonel David Jackson, she claimed as she sought to be convicted of manslaughter, was a bully who pushed her to her limits. But the jury rejected her version of events and convicted her of murder. The couple's seemingly happy marriage was actually riddled with infidelity, tragedy and lies. Stuck at home during lockdown, the couple's previous issues intensified to the point that Jackson took irreversible action. When police arrested her, in her nightwear, she asked them: 'Do you usually have murderers where they're wearing Marks & Spencer pyjamas?' And despite mother-of-three Jackson's attempt to paint herself as a victim, she had left three marriages before she ended up with Mr Jackson, whom she married in 1996. As one of her former brothers-in-law puts it: 'I can't honestly see Penny, especially the way she's disposed of three other husbands, being someone who would take abuse for all those years.' Stewart Warrender, whose brother Alan, Jackson's third husband, killed himself in 1993 after Penny left him, adds: 'Narcissistic is probably the best word for the way she is. No empathy. For somebody to be like that there's got to be something wrong with them.' In court, Jackson alleged that David was aggressive. Her daughter Isabelle backed up her claims, recalling how, when she was eight, David held a knife to her mother's throat. On another occasion, he pinned her mother against the wall. On yet another occasion, David smashed the mug Isabelle had bought for Mother's Day. David's own brother, Alan Jackson, told the Mail that he could be an 'arrogant bully'. 'No-one deserves to die the way he did but I can believe that Penny would have been pushed to her limits,' he said. 'I don't think anyone will ever really know what kind of a life she had with David.' Police have published new CCTV images of a man they are searching for A 36-year-old woman was sexually assaulted at Ipswich Station on August 19 Detectives are searching for a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman in public toilets on the platform at Ipswich Station. The suspect is accused of following a 36-year-old woman into the station toilets and sexually assaulting her before she managed to escape. The woman shouted and then managed to get away from the man before running to find help. The suspect then left Ipswich Station following the incident at 5am on Saturday August 19. The British Transport Police have now released CCTV images of a man they would like to speak to in relation to their investigation. Police are hunting for a man accused of sexually assaulting a 36-year-old woman in toilets at Ipswich Train Station The attacker followed the 36-year-old man to the station from Ipswich town centre, the police said in a statement. The force urged anyone with information that may help with the investigation to contact them. The police force said anyone with information about the man could also call crime fighting charity Crimestoppers on their anonymous tip-off line. The British Transport Police asked members of the public whether they recognised the man shown in the CCTV images. The male sought by police is pictured wearing a white puffer jacket, white trainers, and ripped jeans. 'Anyone who recognises him is asked to contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference number 121 of 19 August,' the British Transport Police said in a statement. 'Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111,' the force added. The world's largest private collection of James Bond memorabilia is being sold by a 007 fanatic for 250,000. Nick Bennett has held the Guinness Book of Records title for the largest James Bond collection since 2014, amassing more than 12,000 unique items. The 57-year-old started his collection in the 1990s - during the Pierce Brosnan 'Goldeneye' era - and has built up an impressive array of 007 related toys, posters, shop displays, props, books and arcade games. Mr Bennett, from Leigh in Greater Manchester, even has a Bond speedboat that was used in cinemas to promote Live and Let Die in 1973. His collection is now so vast that he is currently forced to rent a warehouse on an industrial estate to store it in. Nick Bennett, 57, (pictured) has the Guinness world record for the world's largest James Bond collection The businessman now has such a large collection of James Bond memorabilia he is force to store it in a warehouse. This poster collection is expected to sell for 3,000 Nick Bennett is set to sell his collection of memorabilia at auction for 250,000. His collection of paperbacks is expected to sell for 3,000 Nick Bennett started collecting James Bond memorabilia in the 1990s during the Goldeneye era But he has now decided to put the huge collection up for auction with Merseyside-based Omega Auctions who have called it an 'unprecedented' sale. Mr Bennett has been a fan of the world's most famous spy since his parents took him to see Live and Let Die at the cinema when he was aged seven. The businessman started collecting in the 1990s and quickly amassed a huge trove of Bond-related items, travelling all over the world to meet other collectors and buy pieces he didn't have. But he says he does not watch the films a lot or go to any fan events, and doesn't show his collection to friends and family, just collects the memorabilia for his eyes only. He said: 'I had a friend who collected Batman and I was so impressed with his one subject collection that I thought I would like to do that too. I already collected toys and I had a few James Bond ones so decided to go for that. 'I had a toy business so I would buy full collections, take out what I wanted and needed for my collection and sell the rest. I travelled to the States and drove through parts of Europe. His collection has built up an impressive array of items in the previous few decades, including this 'You Only Live Twice' billboard which is expected to sell for 600 Nick Bennett's 'You Only Live Twice' poster is expected to fetch 1,200 This first edition copy of Casino Royale is expected to sell for 3,000 Nick Bennet's first edition copy of Casino Royale is expected to sell for 3,000 'I wanted to know how I compared to other people so I contacted Guinness and they gave me a figure of what they thought I needed to have the record, which was 10,000 unique items and I thought I can definitely do that. 'I hadn't counted mine, I had it everywhere - business offices, garages. Once one place was full I would shut the door and move on to the next. 'I bought a warehouse and started pulling everything together and I had nearly 13,000 unique items. 'I have scaled down now. 'I don't have anything James Bond in my house, I don't do fan clubs and I don't particularly watch the films. I don't discuss it with my friends and nobody comes to see the collection, it's my private collection. 'But now I've sold my business and it's time to move on. Life is about collecting stories. I'm a man who loves his collection and has loved putting it together but now realises it's time. 'Over 30 years of collecting and now these items will find new homes for the world's greatest spy.' Omega Auctions think it will take at least ten auctions to sell the whole collection. This 1962 Dr No US six sheet poster is expected to sell for 1,500 This The Spy Who Loved Me/Live and Let Die double bill poster is expected to fetch 300 This A View To A Kill, 1985, 'Marley Hayley' poster set is expected to sell for 2,500 The first sale of the collection is starting on September 26 with over 300 lots, including rare posters and first edition books, expected to fetch in excess of 70,000. Among the top lots is a full set of first edition Pan paperbacks, which have an estimate of 3,000, a Dr No original US poster, which is expected to fetch 1,500, and a UK first edition of Casino Royale from 1953 which is worth about 3,000. Auction manager Dan Muscatelli-Hampson said: 'It's a real honour for us to have the chance to work with Nick on a collection of this significance. 'His collection is absolutely jaw-dropping. It's so impressive and took him a long time to put together. 'Some of the items are incredible and extremely rare, particularly some of the toys. It's definitely going to be a process going through it all. 'We're seeing a marked increase in sales and in general interest in James Bond memorabilia and collectables, especially for posters and first edition books, so I believe that although it's been a tough decision for Nick to part with the collection, it's as good a moment as ever to do so. 'We are not sure yet how many sales it'll take us to work through the entire collection, probably about ten - but to offer this kind of quantity to the market is certainly unprecedented.' Police are investigating Kanye West and his 'wife' Bianca Censori after they were caught on camera in a compromising position during their Italian holiday. The couple sparked controversy last week while in the romantic city of Venice as West exposed his bare buttocks while on a boat and Bianca was seen kneeling in front of him. In other images the American rapper, 46, was seen seated at the back of a river taxi while Australian Bianca, 28, nestled her head in his lap. Now MailOnline can exclusively reveal that police in the lagoon city - popular with British holidaymakers - have identified the driver of the taxi they were on. He is expected to be questioned in the next few days about what exactly he saw on the boat and police are also asking for photographers to hand over the images that went around the world. Police are investigating Kanye West and his 'wife' Bianca Censori after they were caught on camera in a compromising position during their Italian holiday (pictured) A Venice police source said: 'There are standards of public decorum that have to be followed by tourists and locals alike and any breaches are severely punished. 'The images of West with his trousers down while in a taxi as he and his partner crossed the lagoon were seen all over the globe. 'You could clearly see his trousers were half down and we have received complaints from people who witnessed it. Now we have identified the driver of the boat and we will be asking him what he saw as well. 'The images show the couple clearly in a state of intimacy and if the local prosecutor decides to press charges then we will notify the couple, most probably through the relevant embassies. 'The offence being investigated is acts contrary to public decency which is punishable by an administrative sanction.' Venetian officials have also expressed outrage - hardly surprising considering the city issues fines for infractions like swimming in the canals, open air picnics and sprawling on the steps of public buildings. Elisabetta Pesce, councillor for public security in Venice, told MailOnline: 'Without any shadow of doubt what we saw from the couple was a lack of respect for Venice, which is the most enchanting city in the world.' The couple sparked controversy last week while in the romantic city of Venice as West exposed his bare buttocks while on a boat and Bianca was seen kneeling in front of him In other images the American rapper, 46, was seen seated at the back of a river taxi while Australian Bianca, 28, nestled her head in his lap A source close to the city's mayor Luigi Brugnaro said :'By chance the monthly meeting on public security is imminent and this sort of behaviour will be discussed. 'Venice is famous for being one of the most beautiful cities in the world and we expect tourists to maintain a respectable level of decency when visiting. 'These public acts of spectacle are not what we or the millions of tourists who come here each year wish to see and we take a very dim view of it. 'We can only hope that the prosecutor imposes a fine and then the couple will think long and hard about their behaviour if they return to Venice in the future.' A spokesman for Venezia Turismo Motascafi - the firm that owned the boat the couple were on, said that it was 'completely unaware' of the incident. They added the pair would have been kicked off the boat if the driver had noticed their public exposure. It went on: 'The driver had to keep a lookout for traffic and did not see these obscenities. 'If this had happened, he would have immediately disembarked and reported the transgressors to those in authority.' The Italian rental company noted that 'third person on board the taxi' who was riding with Ye and Ms Censori had 'obstructed the captain's view' to the back of the boat. The company has since banned the couple from using their boats in the future. 'We completely dissociate ourselves from such acts and behaviour. Mr West and his wife will certainly no longer be welcome on board our company's boats.' This ban is not the first in recent times, as Bianca has recently sparked controversy in Italy due to her wardrobe choices. Prior to boarding the boat, West was covered from head-to-toe in an all-black ensemble while Censori wore a knee-length trench coat which she teamed with a pair of nude heels Last month, Italian locals complained to the police that the 28-year-old was walking around in public 'virtually naked'. She managed to avoid a fine for that but if convicted of public indecency they could face a fine from 5,000 to 10,000. Prior to boarding the boat, West was covered from head-to-toe in an all-black ensemble while Censori wore a knee-length trench coat which she teamed with a pair of nude heels. However both shed their layers once getting on board, with Censori ditching her coat in favour of a a strapless nude-coloured number as West pulled down his pants which exposed his bare behind. It appeared that things were getting very steamy as Censori rested her elbows on his knees while he was then seen cradling her head as they sailed along the river. And the couple didn't appear to mind who spotted them during the trip - given that they were surrounded by other boats filled to the brim with tourists, all of whom had a perfect view of the pair putting on their amorous display. The fashion designer who is widely believed to be behind all of Censori's recent and controversial looks and his new muse were first romantically linked in January 2023 just months after his divorce from Kim Kardashian was finalised. The couple wed in a private ceremony in Beverly Hills in January, about two months after the rapper's divorce to Kim Kardashian was finalised. The couple have already made headlines for their odd wardrobe choices, with critics taking aim at Censori for 'going around virtually naked' in the conservative Catholic country Censori has been seen sporting a series of skin-tight bodysuits during their trip, prompting fury among locals However, the legality of the union is in question, as they did not file a marriage certificate. Kardashian filed for divorce in February 2021 after six years of marriage. Throughout their longtime romance, West often called her his 'muse' and heavily influenced her fashion choices. The former couple share four children together North, ten, Saint, seven, Chicago, five, and Psalm, four. Police have launched an investigation after a University of Wisconsin senior was left with a broken jaw and severe life-threatening injuries in an early morning attack. The woman, 20, was found between two houses in Madison, Wisconsin, at 3.20am on Sunday, with cops saying she remains in a critical condition. Authorities have launched a manhunt for her 'attacker or attackers', following the violent incident, and detectives are asking for anyone with video footage of the area to come forward. Investigators are increasing patrols in the area because of the incident, with no arrests having been made. Friends claimed that she as strangled, beaten and sexually assaulted by the random assailant and was left with a broken jaw, according to WISN-12. Police say that they will leave 'no stone unturned' in the investigation which left the woman, 20, in a critical condition The University sent out an email regarding the incident, warning student to remain 'vigilant' and 'maintain awareness of their safety and surroundings.' Officers were called by a neighbor to the 500 block of West Wilson Street in the early hours of Sunday morning, as fellow students are 'terrified' of a repeat attack. Neighbors claim that the young woman was walking along the street before she was forced into an alleyway between two houses, before a homeowner heard her crying for help. During a press conference, Madison police Assistant Chief Paige Valenta confirmed that they collected DNA evidence from the scene, adding that they had called in multiple resources to investigate the incident. She said: 'My heart goes out to the victim and her family. 'We have reached out to our partners in the Madison area, including the UW Police Department to ensure that they are supported as they try to cope with this terrible crime. 'I want to ensure the victim, the family, and our community that the police department will leave no stone unturned to hold accountable the person or persons who committed this violent attack. 'This investigation is in its preliminary stages right now. We have called in numerous Madison Police Personnel on this holiday weekend to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation. Officers were called by a neighbor to the 500 block of West Wilson Street in the early hours of Sunday morning, as fellow students are 'terrified' of a repeat attack Police Chief Shon Barnes added: 'I have authorized a full complement of police resources to bring this person or persons to justice' 'The Madison police department will pursue every lead in this investigation to hold the offender accountable in our criminal justice system until then everyone should be on alert and be proactive about their own safety.' Officers are urging locals to avoid walking alone in the area, particularly at night, and to let friends know when you leave and arrive safely at a location. Student Abby Lokai said: 'I'm usually pretty cautious, especially at night, but definitely tend to hold my keys a little tighter, I usually have some other people walking with me at all times. I think that's the best thing. Travel in groups,' Madison Police Department did not immediately respond to a request by DailyMail.com for an update on the case or the condition of the victim. Police Chief Shon Barnes added: 'I have authorized a full complement of police resources to bring this person or persons to justice.' Video and information can be shared by contacting the Madison Police Department's non-emergency line at 608-255-2345 or Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014. Information can also be shared anonymously through Crime Stoppers at p3tips.com. Hundreds of tourists are stranded on a Greek holiday island as terrifying flash floods and torrential rainstorms lash the country - with many 'trapped' inside their hotels as emergency services warn them to stay inside. Desperate Brits have taken to social media to beg for help after being left with power cuts, 'no way to get food' nor methods of communication after severe flooding struck the small island of Skiathos, which is to the east of the Greek mainland. As evening falls on the island, tourists stuck with no electricity have described the situation as 'horrendously scary' and say there have been no flights in or out of the airport, which is just over a mile from the flooded town centre of Skiathos. Jet2 has said that the horrendous conditions have left them with no choice but to cancel all flights that are due to depart to Skiathos today and tomorrow, five in total. One British holidaymaker told MailOnline he and his wife were due to fly home at 8pm but their flight has been cancelled and they have received little information from TUI as to when they can get back to Manchester Airport. They are currently stranded at their hotel with no power and 'food is running low'. Locals are also being accommodated for at the hotel after the floods destroyed their homes on the beach. 'Food supplies are running out at the hotel. No more can be supplied because the road by our hotel has collapsed. 'The rain has been heavy for around 36 hours. Our hotel is now homing local families who have lost theirs on the beach,' he said. Streets in Skiathos have been completely submerged by floodwater, with business owners working to salvage tables and chairs at what are usually bustling restaurants Residents desperately try to remove debris from a flooded area in the town of Volos, central Greece Footage shared by locals shows gushing water inundating the Skiathos town's streets Authorities have been sending alerts to cellphones in several areas of Greece. Pictured: A screenshot from a British holidaymaker's phone on Tuesday evening Desperate Brits are begging for advice after finding themselves stranded on the flooded island of Skiathos or the surrounding islands The sun sets on Skiathos, Greece. It has rained non stop all day. Streets are flooded. Heartbreaking. pic.twitter.com/qAxb8QLHtM Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) September 5, 2023 Police have ordered all residents and tourists to stay off the streets and the island's mayor has put in a request to declare a state of emergency following the 'biblical rain', local media reported. It comes just hours after two women were rescued from a road after it became submerged in water. Footage shared by locals shows fast moving water rushing through the town's streets, where just days ago Brits were enjoying the end of their summer holidays. Meanwhile the adverse conditions are damaging homes and accommodation across the small island, leaving many holidaymakers stranded at hotels struck by power cuts and severe water damage. Holidaymaker Emma Taylor said that fearful hotel staff asked guests to check out of their rooms if they were due to fly home. They were then allowed to check back in again if their flights were cancelled, as many have been, she said. The mother said: 'This is a serious storm. Flooding in our hotel corridors, ceilings, power cuts, and we're lucky as we're up high at the Skiathos Palace, Koukounaries. Some guests have been asked to check out of their rooms.' Emma, whose daughter is celebrating her 22nd birthday today on the holiday island, said her family are trying to make the most of it amid electricity outages, flooding and torrential rain outside. She told MailOnline that the whole experience has been 'dramatic and stressful' and that she and her family have been 'trapped' inside their hotel. Tourists have also complained they are stranded at the island's airport. Dangerous sea conditions have forced ferries to and from the island to be halted, leaving many passengers unsure whether they will be able to catch their flights home over the next few days. Pictured are boats and cars being washed away by severe flooding sweeping across Skiathos Storm Daniel has battered eastern parts of Greece, including Skiathos island Cars being washed away in Skiathos. pic.twitter.com/0YO2xwDDJ5 Chris McCash (@chrismccash) September 5, 2023 Footage shows a car being swept away as huge rolling waves crash into the pier in Agios Ioannis Jet2 said in a statement on Tuesday evening: 'We are aware of the weather conditions affecting Skiathos, and we are closely monitoring the situation with our customers best interests in mind. 'As a result of the conditions, which are completely outside our control, we have taken the decision to cancel all flights that are due to depart to Skiathos today and tomorrow (five flights in total). 'This is in addition to one flight from London Stansted to Skiathos which diverted to Thessaloniki because of the weather yesterday, where customers have been provided with hotel accommodation. This flight will return customers to the UK tomorrow (Wednesday 6th September). 'We are contacting all affected customers and they will of course receive a full refund.' The travel operator earlier advised customers on X that staff are 'aware of the weather conditions currently affecting Skiathos' and 'are monitoring the situation very closely with our customer's best interests in mind'. Storm Daniel is causing severe flooding across the region, with people being ordered off the streets. Footage shared on social media shows a car being swept away as huge rolling waves crash into the pier in Agios Ioannis, a village on the east side of the mainland. Residents in the central mainland town of Volos and the nearby mountain region of Pilion have been told to not leave their homes as a severe storm hit the area, turning streets into flooded torrents. The ban, which covers all except emergency services and roadside assistance vehicles, will remain in place until the storm subsides, police said. One man was killed in Volos when a wall buckled and fell on him, while another man was reported missing, believed to have been swept away by floodwaters, firefighters said earlier today. Cars are pictured battling rising water as people wade through it in the city of Volos Floodwaters submerge a car and surrounding houses in Milina village, Pilion region, central Greece Underwater: Floods have ripped through streets in Volos, Greece, as storms lash the country Dramatic videos and pictures have revealed the scale of the floods sweeping through Volos in Greece , , 5 2023. . pic.twitter.com/dCMDCgt3wL meteo.gr - (@meteogr) September 5, 2023 Authorities also sent push alerts to cellphones in several other areas of central Greece, the Sporades island chain and the island of Evia, warning people to limit their movements outdoors due to the storm. Government spokesman Yannis Artopios told public broadcaster ERT: 'Storms and heavy rains were hitting Tuesday. 'The basement of Volos hospital was flooded and firefighters are in the process of pumping out the water,' Mr Artopios said. Greece's weather service said the Pilion region was forecast to receive about 650-700 millimeters (25.5-27.5 inches) of rain over Tuesday and Wednesday, while 550-600 millimeters were forecast for the central Greek town of Karditsa. The weather service noted that the average annual rainfall in the capital of Athens region is around 400 millimeters. A man is pictured attemting to drive his motorbike through flood waters in Volos A man is pictured clearing debris off the road following a flash flood in Volos Pictured are fast flowing stream waters that have risen during a heavy storm in the city of Volos A fallen tree pictured in a flooded river during the brutal storm in the city of Volos Sobering scenes continue to emerge from Thessaly, Greece as the region is experiencing one of its worst flooding events on record. Continuous heavy rainfall have turned the streets of Skiathos into raging rivers. pic.twitter.com/iHumXamWem Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) September 5, 2023 The extreme weather comes on the heels of major wildfires that hit Greece over the past few weeks, with some burning for more than two weeks and destroying vast tracts of forest and farmland. More than 20 people were killed in the fires. A massive blaze raging over the last two weeks destroyed swathes of the Dadia national park in the northern Evros region. Artopios told AFP that the Dadia fire front, raging since 19 August, was 'under control and no area was active'. 'Firefighters are staying in position to survey the situation,' he added. Officials rescue a man after the downpour caused floods and stream overflows in Demirkoy district of Kirklareli, Turkiye A car washed in the sea at Arapia camping near Tsarevo at the Bulgarian Black sea coast after heavy rains led to flooding Two people died and one more was missing as torrential rains hit Bulgaria's Black Sea coast on Tuesday Classified by experts as a 'megafire', the blaze raging in Dadia destroyed more than 81,000 hectares (200,155 acres) of the forested area, protected by the European agency Natura 2000. The devastation in Dadia accounts for almost half the total area burned by wildfires in Greece since the start of the summer, according to the European climate service Copernicus. Like several Mediterranean countries, Greece faces fierce wildfires every summer, which this year left 26 people dead and at least 150,000 hectares burned. Jet2, Volotea and TUI have been approached for comment by MailOnline. Elsewhere, floods have struck the Black Sea region, with at least two people confirmed dead in Bulgaria. Heavy downpours in parts of Turkey have also seen rivers bursting their banks, with rescue officials jumping into action in the latest natural disaster to hit the country this year. Spain has also been struck by Police and rescue services searched on Tuesday for three people missing after devastating floods hit central Spain as trains to the south resumed after thousands of passengers were left stranded. The torrential downpour that swept over large swathes of Spain on Sunday and Monday, caused by a so-called cut-off low phenomenon, left three people dead and wreaked havoc on transport infrastructure, shutting roads, subway lines and high-speed train connections. The heaviest damage was in the provinces of Toledo and Madrid in the country's centre. Local authorities, the army's emergency response corps, firefighters and law enforcement officers were working to 'guarantee the stability of a key pipeline in the system supplying water to more than 270,000 people in the south of Madrid and Toledo', Environment Minister Teresa Ribera told reporters. Ribera was speaking from the town of Aldea del Fresno, southwest of Madrid, which was devastated by the flooding of the Alberche River. A Russian dominatrix who tried to kill her US doppelganger with a piece of poisoned cheesecake to steal her identity has taken up art while in prison as she continues to profess her innocence. Viktoria Nasyrova, 45, was wanted for murder in Russia when she fled to America in 2014 and began a new life offering quality massages. But she was jailed for 21 years in April for attempting to murder eyelash stylist Olga Tsvyk with phenazepam at her home in Queens borough of New York City and making off with the victim's passport, cash and employment authorization card. Nasyrova was caught when the daughter of her original victim hired a private detective to track her down and discovered she had also drugged and robbed a series of New Yorkers she met on dating sites. I didnt do anything, Nasyrova told the New York Post from the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, They turned the trial into a Broadway show. Viktoria Nasyrova said 'everybody knows who I am here as she spoke from prison about her conviction for the attempted murder of her former friend Olga Tsvyk Olga Tsvyk (above) met Nasyrova six months before she was poisoned in 2016 Nazyrova was accused of killing Alla Alekseenko, 54, in 2014, and Alekseenko's daughter Nadeza Ford hired a private detective to track her down Nasyrova was branded an an extremely dangerous woman by the judge who sent her to a New York prison after hearing about her crime spree that lasted for nearly ten years. The inmate admitted her reputation preceded her when she arrived at her new home strapped up like Hannibal Lecter, following a fight with a transport guard. Everybody knows who I am here, she told the New York Post. There are a few Russian-speaking inmates and before I arrived they were asking them about me, You know shes coming here? Shes a legend. I dont want to sound like Im better than others, although in some ways I am, she said of her fellow prisoners. But to find a person on your intellectual level, its hard to find people here that I can really communicate with. I want to talk about art, culture, travel, books. Nasyrova is now earning hundreds of dollars a month as she passes time with her new art hobby. I make all sorts of things for inmates: Cards, posters, t-shirts, she said. Nasyrova ate two slices of cheesecake herself before passing a poisoned third slice to her friend The powerful Russian tranquilizer phenazepam which was used to poison Tsvyk Tsyvk(left) was said to be a look alike of Nazyrova (right) the glamorous Russian dominatrix who was tied to a string of crimes dating to 2014 Once, I made birthday decorations for an inmates daughter. She liked the minions, so I made large cardboard cut-outs, painted them like the minions. Then I put on 3-D glasses, stood them up, then made t-shirts for all the kids with the Minions characters and their names on each t-shirt, Its only the beginning. But not all the inmates have enjoyed her arrival. Once I got into a fight, and I was so angry that I kept beating her, and she was covered in blood, she said. Then I realized that if I dont stop, I am going to seriously maim her. So I stopped. Nasyrova (left) appears in court after poisoning Tsyk (right) in the hope of stealing her identity Nasyrova has ties to crimes that date back more than a decade. She allegedly had sex with a local police officer to escape from Russia after the remains of her neighbor Alla Alekseenko, 54, were found burned and buried two miles from her home in Krasnodar. Traffic cameras pictured the victim's body in the front seat of her car as Nasyrova drove it to the burial site after murdering her for her money. Interpol put Nasyrova on its Most Wanted list but she made it to New York where she was jailed after trying to steal her new friends identity and pass off an alleged murder as a suicide. Tsyvk, an eyelash stylist, met Nasyrova six months before she was poisoned in 2016, the victim shared in court. Nasyrova, the former dominatrix, learned how to get an employment authorization card from her new friend. On the day Tsyvk was attacked in 2016, Nasyrova had arrived at her home in Forest Hills, Queens, in desperate need of her services. In exchange, Nasyrova insisted she would bring the stylist cheesecake she purchased at a local bakery. After arriving at her home, Nasyrova ate two slices of cheesecake offering a third slice, that prosecutors say had been laced with Russian tranquilizer Phenazepan, to Tsvyk. Tsvyk told the court she started to feel sick about 20 minutes after eating the cake and began to vomit as she laid down in her bed. Tsvk was found by her sister, Iryna Kozachenko, who called the police. The victim told the judge and jurors that she lived in fear for months after she survived the attack, especially since it took months to capture the former dominatrix. Alla Alekseenko, 54's, body was found months later, badly burned and reduced to a skull and a few bones identifiable only through dental records While Nasyrova was on the run, Alekseenko's horrified daughter learned that the wanted Russian beauty lived just miles away from her in Brooklyn. Alekseenko's body had been found months after her murder, badly burned and reduced to a skull and a few bones identifiable only through dental records. Investigators found $17,000 in cash and jewelry missing from the home. Alekseenko's daughter then paid a private detective in New York to look into Nasyrova and bring her to justice. The detective was able to hunt Nasyrova down and arrest her. At the time, Nasyrova was also wanted by NYPD on suspicion of drugging and robbing at least three men she met via a New York dating website. Victim Ruben Borukhov, 54, testified in court to being drugged by the con artist while on a date with her. He woke up to find charges up to $2,600 on his credit card and his watch missing. On the day she was attacked in August 2016, Nasyrova had arrived at her home in Forest Hills, Queens, in desperate need of her services. In exchange, Nasyrova insisted she would bring the stylist cheesecake she purchased at a local bakery. Nasyrova laced the Cheesecake she gave to Tsyvk Nasyrova still holds a grudge about the trial even years after the attempted murder. The trial was built on the fact that I tried to kill this woman because we look alike and I want to steal her identity, the convict said this week. But she is not a US citizen, she doesnt have a green card, she doesnt have any rights what is the point for me to try to kill this woman? Im not gangster, Im not criminal, Im a regular human being. But she insisted she does not tolerate any disrespect, in prison. When people call me Russia or anything other than my name I dont respond, she added. I tell them, You can call me Viktoria or inmate Nasyrova, not Russia, or whitey, or anything other than my name. You dont have to like me, but you have to respect me. Nasyrova said 'f*** you' to the Queens Supreme Court judge Kenneth Holder as he sentenced her She said the food in her new home is garbage but is pleased to have lost 20lbs. She has also refused to participate in anger management courses. Its bullst, she said. I do have anger issues, but they are not the kind of anger issues that these classes can help me with. She compared herself to Matt Damons character in The Martian, a movie she said had inspired her. Can you imagine a person in such a situation? To be left alone on a foreign planet, and not only to survive, but to make it back home? she demanded. For me its the same situation not only to survive in jail, but to gain my freedom. But Tsvyk told the Post she is scared that Nasyrova might win her freedom and return to finish her off. Shes a very dangerous person, a scary person, Tsvyk said. She is a manipulator and a liar. I thank God that she cant do what shes been doing to people anymore, although who knows what shes doing in jail. She is capable of anything. I hope they dont let her out early, lest she come after me. A devastated mother whose two children were killed in a car crash is furious that passengers who fled as the siblings lay dying will not face any charges. Alina Kauffman, 24, was picking up her brother Ernesto Salazer, 15, from work when they were struck by an allegedly stolen car at Heckenberg, in Sydney's south-west, at about 9.20pm on Friday. The Mercedes smashed into the Toyota Echo the siblings were in, metres from their home, before it also hit a stationary Toyota RAV4 and flipped onto its side. NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the siblings when they found them trapped in the wreckage however they both died at the scene. None of the passengers in the Mercedes will face any charges under good Samaritan laws that stipulate only the driver of a car must stop or report a car crash. The alleged driver of the Mercedes, Johnson Kokozian, 20, has been charged with two counts of failing to stop and assist after vehicle impact causing death, two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death, negligent driving occasioning death, and driving a vehicle during a disqualification period. The siblings' mother, Angelina Kauffman, has pledged to attend Kokozian's appearance at Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday. Alina Kauffman, 24, was picking up her brother Ernesto Salazer, 15 (pictured), from work when they were struck by an allegedly stolen car at Heckenberg, in Sydney 's south-west, at about 9.20pm on Friday Ms Kauffman was appalled at the actions of the passengers of the Mercedes who left her children to die. 'They just ran and left them, like (they're) nothing,' Ms Kauffman told 7News. She also criticised those who decided to take footage of the crash with their smartphones instead of helping her children, saying 'help, do something'. The lack of charges prompted the state's deputy premier, Prue Car, to declare at a press conference: 'If there are gaps in the law, we will be open to looking at that.' Lawyer Paul McGirr hit back at any plans to expand on good Samaritan laws and enforce the public to act in a time of crisis. 'It depends on what they know, what they saw, what mindset they're in at the time,' he said. 'Making it a law that some person should do some act, that's the grey area.' The driver of the Toyota Echo (pictured) Alina Kauffman, 24, and her 15-year-old brother Ernesto Salazer and were treated by paramedics at the scene but were unable to be saved Ernesto Kauffman, 15, is pictured the family pet Alina Kauffman, 24, was killed in Friday night's crash About 150 people gathered on Sunday night to pay tribute to the brother and sister. Mourners were seen placing cards, flowers and toys at the roadside crash site during the vigil. Mum Ms Kauffman broke down in tears after returning to the crash site on Saturday. She shared a harrowing tribute to her children, describing them as 'good people' who wanted to make a difference. 'My babies, they took them from me, my babies,' Ms Kauffman said. 'My kids were going to help people, my kids wanted to make a difference in this world, my kids were good people. 'My daughter she's such a beautiful girl, she loves her brother and my son, he loves his sister. 'Now my son is gone and my daughter she's gone. My kids are gone and I have to live the rest of my life with no kids, why? I don't understand.' The passengers of a Mercedes that fled the crash can not face any charges as only the driver of a vehicle can be charged with failing to stop and assist after vehicle impact A vigil (pictured) was held for the brother and sister killed in a horror crash when an alleged stolen Mercedes smashed into their car just metres away from their home in Heckenberg Ms Kauffman said Alina was a dedicated nursing student with a kind heart, while Ernesto was an animal lover who was working at K-mart saving for his first car. She explained her daughter had collected her son from his new job at Kmart and the pair were nearly home when they were hit. 'Alina called me and said ''mum I picked up my brother, we are going to get some food and then we are coming home'',' Ms Kauffman said. 'I said ''are you okay'' and they said ''yes mummy''.' When she didn't hear from them in 20 minutes, Ms Kauffman and her other child tracked their location down via social media. The distraught mother said she arrived at the scene just minutes after the crash. Devastated mother, Angelina Kauffman, whose two children were killed in a car crash is furious that passengers who fled as the siblings lay dying will not face any charges 'The police came and told me my kids died. My beautiful kids,' she continued tearfully. 'These people hit my kids and left them to die.' Officers arrested 20-year-old Johnson Kokozian after he handed himself into Liverpool Police Station on Saturday. Kokozian denies he was behind the wheel but was charged over the crash and refused bail at Parramatta Court on Sunday. Kokozian allegedly filmed himself eating KFC in the hours before turning himself into police. The Mercedes was reported stolen by Kokozian's father after police attended his address about an hour after the crash. Police have charged Johnson Kokozian (pictured) over the crash. The 20-year-old denies he was behind the wheel of the Mercedes Johnson Kokozian, 20 allegedly filmed a Snapchat video of himself enjoying a meal from KFC just after the crash (pictured) CCTV allegedly shows the Mercedes travelling at high speed along a residential road just minutes before the crash. Another 18-year-old handed himself in to police on Sunday but was released without charge. Police allege Kokozian and two other people climbed out of the wrecked Mercedes and got into another car to drive off after making no attempt to help the siblings who were fatally wounded in the Echo. Police are also on the hunt for the person who filmed the crash victims dying inside the car before sharing it to social media. A six-second video circulated online on Sunday of the moments after the crash showing the two siblings sitting inside the wreckage. The gruesome video shows the young people close to death but no attempt made by the camera operator to offer first aid. A new video documenting the growing number of high-profile stores in Beverly Hills that have closed recently, places renewed emphasis on the crisis facing the retail sector in most major cities. The video, posted by an account called cody90210, shows some 11 popular Beverly Hills retail stops now entirely shuttered, including the iconic former Barneys location, Brooks Brothers, All Saints, and the high-end women's fashion boutique Escada. Both Escada and Barneys filed for bankruptcy in recent years. The closed shops, which also include convenience retailers like Rite Aid and Chipotle, and even popular workout class option SoulCycle, have shuttered their doors on Wilshire Boulevard, leaving the area bereft of its former appeal. Their sad decline marks a departure from the area's lengthy heyday, which even saw band Weezer pen a song with the lyrics 'Beverly Hills, that's where I want to be.' The reasons for the ample number of closures vary, as many brands see a decrease in demand for in-person retail experiences, while others pivot business strategies following acquisitions by other brands. The downturned economy has also negatively impacted most brands, but especially those marketing luxury products. While stores lining Wilshire Boulevard were once popular spots for celebrities of the moment to have their pictures captures and circulated by paparazzi, the relevance of that type of media coverage has dwindled in the age of social media. Businesses in Beverly Hills, and Los Angeles in general, are also in the midst of contending with a major spike in crime that has left many stores defenseless against mobs of robbers. Barneys New York closed its iconic Beverly Hills store - a formerly popular stop for celebrities and the elite of the area to spend a few hours Last month, stunned bystanders caught the shocking moment a gang of at least 30 brazen thieves ransacked an Yves Saint Laurent store in an upscale California shopping mall. Videos posted online showed multiple people in dark clothes, hoods and masks running into and then quickly out of the store at the Americana at Brand shortly before 5pm Tuesday. Glendale police said the thieves got away with about $300,000 worth of merchandise, after they overwhelmed the staff and took everything they could in less than a minute. None of the thieves used any weapons in the brazen scheme, and no injuries were reported. An investigation is ongoing, as California continues to deal with an increased number of significant robberies after officials lowered the punishment for theft of items valued at less than $950. Across California brazen robberies have become more rampant as lawmakers continue to lower the penalty for such crimes. Those convicted can in theory face six months in a county jail, but in most cases cops don't bother pressing charges. The California Senate also passed legislation in May that prevents employees from confronting active shooters or shoplifters in California. Supporters of the protocol say it protects staff from violence, but stores and employees say the move will only embolden further shoplifting, which the evidence appears to be bearing out. The Brooks Brothers in Beverly Hills shuttered permanently as the brand continues to evaluate its failing business strategy The old Beverly Hills Niketown store back in 2013 Over the last 15 years, the novelty of the celebrity spotting at Beverly Hills shopping stops has worn off. Here, Dustin Hoffman is pictured in a Porsche after a stop at Barney's New York in Beverly Hills Even more recently, a group of thieves stole $300,000 worth of luxury goods from a Nordstrom at the Westfield Topanga Mall near Calabasas. The gang of more than 30 criminals adorned themselves in black and covered their faces during a raid of the store in August. Videos circulated online show the thieves grabbing luxury goods from brands like Yves Saint Laurent, Burberry and Bottega Veneta. Deputy Police Chief of the LAPF Alan Hamilton said after the robbery was likely the result of organized criminal planning. 'Some of it involves gang members, some of it involves people that are what you would identify as professional retail thieves. 'It runs the gamut, and there is a black market for purchasing these items, unfortunately. 'The same people [are] then turning around and committing these acts again, over and over again. 'The way this type of crime typically works, a lot of the times they will already know where theyre going to offload these goods to. 'Those goods are going to be separated from the people that were involved in the crime very quickly. 'Theyre not going to be keeping it in places for days or anything like that.' This type of brutal ransacking and reselling of luxury goods became relatively commonplace during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when high end stores in cities where protests and riots were going on became targets. The same Nordstrom store at Westfield Topanga, was looted in November 2021 when robbers attacked a security guard with bear spray and stole designer purses Los Angeles Police Protective League spokesperson Tom Saggau told Fox News Digital that he believes the surge to be due to a zero cash bail policy. He told the outlet: 'The elimination of cash bail for these types of offenses is really an invitation to these kind of folks who are inclined to break the law and inclined to do it so brazenly.' The policy means individuals who are arrested and charged with a crime are then released from custody without having to pay bail money upfront. Utah's special election on Tuesday could put to the test for the first time since Donald Trump's indictments whether voters will stick by the ex-President and his backers despite the mounting legal complications. Julianne and Derek Hough's father, who voted for Trump in 2020, is running in Utah's special election to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah). Meanwhile, voters will also decide who will take the seat of former Democratic Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline vacated earlier this year. Tuesday's primary special elections are in heavily partisan districts, meaning that the Republican nominee in Utah's 2nd district and the Democratic one in Rhode Island's 1st district will likely head to Congress. This means the election will likely not see any party-line changes in the House pending an upset in the general election. In Utah, there is very little difference between the three Republican candidates on the ballot looking to replace Stewart, who announced earlier this year he would leave Congress in September. Derek and Julianne Hough's father Bruce Hough (right) is running for Congress in Utah's 2nd congressional district as the only Republican candidate who voted for Donald Trump in 2020 The special election Tuesday is the first since Trump's fourth and latest indictment and will put to the test whether voters still want pro-Trump candidates in office The main difference between the three candidates is whether or not they support Trump. Celeste Maloy is a former congressional attorney for Stewart and earned his endorsement in the race to take his seat. Maloy got a spot on the ballot by amassing support from enough delegates at a special election convention. Meanwhile, former state lawmakers Becky Edwards and Bruce Hough, who is also a former Utah Republican National Committee chairman, both qualified to run by earning the required signatures to get on the ballot. Hough, father of famous dancers Julianne and Derek, appears to be the only pro-Trump candidate in the race. Edwards said she voted for Joe Biden rather than Donald Trump in 2020. And Maloy says she hasn't voted in a presidential election in years. Hough is capitalizing on the Trump angle by emphasizing that he voted for the ex-President in the 2020 election. The four-times indicted former president turned himself over to authorities in Fulton County, Georgia last month. It was the first time his mugshot was taken and released despite three prior bookings. Poll after poll shows that voters are still supporting Trump above all other candidates in the 2024 presidential race, but Tuesday's special election in Utah could prove whether GOP voters there still see a candidate's pro-Trump leaning as a reason to sent them to Congress. Utah's special election will see who replaces outgoing Utah Republican Rep. Chris Stewart, who announced earlier this year that he will leave Congress in September. Utah's 2nd district is highly partisan, so whoever wins the GOP primary on Tuesday will likely be the next lawmaker for the district in Congress Meanwhile, across the country, around a dozen candidates are vying for former Democratic Rep. David Cicilline's seat in Rhode Island's 1st congressional district after he left the seat vacant at the end of May While Edwards is ahead, according to a Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll released last week, a whopping 47 percent of registered Republican voters say they are undecided for whom they would cast their ballot. Edwards earned 32 percent support from those who plan to vote in the primary election on Tuesday, while 11 percent said they would cast their ballot for Hough. Maloy, despite having the outgoing congressman's support, comes in third and last place with 9 percent support. Maloy, Edwards and Hough are largely in agreement on some of the biggest issues to voters, like the economy, government spending, taxes and even the war in Ukraine. The other special election on Tuesday is taking place across the country to see who will replace former Rep. David Cicilline, who left Congress in May and now leads the Rhode Island Foundation. There are nearly a dozen candidates vying to take the seat in the northeast state. Despite the competitive nature of this particular race, there are also few differences between the several candidates in the race just like in Utah. None of the candidates are risking their current positions since there are no other elections happening at the same time as Tuesday's special primary election, which is likely why the contest has seen so many candidates enter the running. Rhode Island's Lieutenant Gov. Sabina Matos appears to have an edge over the rest of the crowded field. She is endorsed by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' Bold PAC and the pro-abortion Emily's List. Matos' campaign got embroiled in a scandal over fraudulent petition signatures to get her on the ballot, which the lieutenant governor's campaign blamed on an outside vendor. The Congressional Black Caucus is backing former White House staffer Gabe Amo. Progressives Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) are backing former Rhode Island state lawmaker Aaron Regunberg. Other candidates in Rhode Island's election are current local leaders like state Rep. Stephen Casey, state Sen. Ana Quezada, state Sen. Sandra Cano and Providence City Council member John Goncalves. Parents in a Colorado school district are accusing teachers of breaking state and federal laws by allegedly asking kids about their preferred pronouns in secret surveys. Denice Crawford, a mom of three kids in the district, said her son was subject to one such survey this past week, and is confused since laws should require the district to obtain written consent from her before asking for sensitive information. The claims stem from an email sent to teachers in Jefferson County this past week - an area along the Front Range of the Rockies on the western edge of Denver. The region includes cities like Lakewood and Arvada, and is largely suburban. In the letter, first obtained by CBS News, officials from the county's presiding teacher's union seemed to suggest instructors are surveying students about their preferred pronouns, and then hiding evidence afterwards. Speaking to CBS, Crawford - after finding out teachers were being told 'if you do a questionnaire, please make it a paper and pencil activity', and warned that 'any digital records... may be requested under federal law' - said she feels betrayed. Scroll down for video: Parents such as Denice Crawford (seen here in a Friday interview) are complaining that teachers in her kids' school district in suburban Colorado are breaking state and federal laws by allegedly asking her and other kids about their preferred pronouns in secret surveys The claims stem from an email reportedly sent to teachers in Jefferson County, in which instructors were warned that if they are surveying students about their preferred pronouns, to be sure to not to leave behind a paper trail 'Deceived, lied to, taken advantage of,' she recalled of the email sent by members of Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA) to all staffers before the start of the school year. 'I don't feel I can trust the teachers,' she said. 'This is not political. It's just they're breaking the law.' The letter seemed to substantiate some of the Jefferson mom's claims, such as passages in which warned that if surveying students, teachers should be sure not to leave behind a paper trail to potentially be perused later. It also showed how officials such as JCEA president Brooke Williams - who penned and defended the letter - were aware that 'state and federal law prohibits 'making the collection of [such information] mandatory.' Instructors were then told: 'If you do a questionnaire, please make it a paper and pencil activity. 'Any digital record are more permanent and may be requested under FERPA,' it explained. FERPA, or the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law passed in 1974 that protects the privacy of student's education records. Under the guidance, parents have the right to inspect and review every aspect of their student's school education records - preferred pronouns included. In the letter sent to staffers ahead of the school year, officials from the county's presiding teacher's union, Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA), seemed to suggest instructors are surveying students about their preferred pronouns and hiding evidence after The letter looked to substantiate some of the Jefferson mom's claims, such as passages in which warned that if surveying students, teachers should be sure not to leave behind a paper trail to potentially be perused later After CBS aired their report about the correspondence Friday, the union issued a statement blaming the district - saying it had given contradictory directions regarding kids' preferred pronouns. It did not address why teachers were directed to use paper and get rid of surveys JCEA president Brooke Williams - the person who penned the letter - this week pointed to another passage in the leaked letter that explicitly states 'please no preferred pronoun/gender identity questionnaire. Do not promise to keep information from parents.' Local laws in the state of Colorado similarly bar such practices - considering students' personal information 'protected.' After CBS aired their report about the correspondence Friday, the union issued a statement blaming the district - saying it had given contradictory directions regarding preferred pronouns. Also penned by Williams - who has been the union's president since 2020 - the statement cited another passage in the leaked letter that explicitly states 'please no preferred pronoun/gender identity questionnaire. Do not promise to keep information from parents.' The statement did not address why teachers were directed to use paper and get rid of surveys, and accused people like Crawford of politicizing the issue. It read: 'By allowing students an optional avenue to share their preferred pronouns while maintaining student privacy, we can better ensure that students feel safe, respected, and validated.' 'We encourage and support educators to follow Jeffco's district policy which states: School staff shall not disclose information that may reveal a student's transgender status to others, including parents and other school staff, unless legally required to do so or unless the student has authorized such disclosure.' The school has since defended the letter, but parents such as Susan Miller, remain unconvinced, claiming it shows how local 'leadership actually provided an avenue to get around the law... basically saying it was OK' It concluded: 'Transgender and gender nonconforming students have the right to discuss and express their gender identity and expression openly and to decide when, with whom, and how much to share private information.' That said, parents such as Susan Miller, remain unconvinced, claiming the letter shows how local 'leadership actually provided an avenue to get around the law... basically saying it was OK.' A member of the local school board, she told the station: 'The district takes this very seriously,' and demanded a retraction. 'Maybe do a corrective that says, "hey we were wrong. We need to abide by the laws written. They are there for a reason."' As of Tuesday, a retraction has yet to be issued - as similar instances involving kids' gender identity across the US continues to rise. In six states, lawsuits have been filed by parents arguing that their 14th Amendment rights to direct the upbringing of their children are violated when schools do not inform them of their childrens pronouns or names. It has set the stage for a battle over transgender students rights at school already at several states such as New Hampshire's Supreme Court, while jurists in places like Massachusetts have set some precedent by ruling tp not disclose kids' gender identities. Still, the issue remains marred in uncertainty, any many lawsuits in places like Maine are still ongoing. The senator froze last week during a press conference in Kentucky The Capitol physician shut down speculation that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 81, suffered a stroke or seizure after his second 'freeze-up' incident last week, as the Senate is set to reconvene today after a 40-day hiatus. McConnell's health has been under increasing scrutiny following his second public freeze-up in recent weeks during a press conference in Kentucky where he didn't respond for 30 seconds after being asked if he would run for reelection in 2026. The episode mirrored the senator's first freezing event that occurred at a July press conference in the Capitol. It also comes just months after McConnell suffered a concussion and broken rib when he tripped and hit his head at the D.C. Waldorf Astoria and was admitted to hospital for treatment. Capitol Physician Dr. Brian Monahan said there is 'no evidence' that McConnell suffered a stoke or seizure or has a 'movement disorder' such as Parkinsons disease, according to a letter publicized by the minority leader's office on Tuesday ahead of his return. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) leaves his Washington house to return to the U.S. Senate, less than a week after he froze for more than 30 seconds while speaking to reporters The physician said he consulted with neurologists and examined McConnell's MRIs and an EEG study in making his determination. As a result, he writes that there are 'no changes in recommended treatment protocols' since the senator's fall and concussion in March. The minority leader's office said last week that he was just feeling 'lightheaded' and assured he would consult a doctor as a precautionary measure. Dr. Monahan cleared McConnell on Thursday to continue working, saying the episode could be attributed to dehydration and that it's normal to experience lightheadedness during concussion recovery. Senators will reconvene at 3pm today for the first time since the end of July. It is customary that the leader would make remarks on the Senate floor at that time, but it is unclear if McConnell plans to do so or if he will address his recent health issues. McConnell is returning to work in the Senate Tuesday after a 40-day recess hiatus The Senate has a busy few weeks ahead as government funding is set to run out by Oct. 1. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has stated his plan to move forward a series of spending bills over the next several weeks. But the House of Representatives is not set to return to D.C. until next Tuesday, not leaving much time to get a deal done and starve off a government shutdown. Speaker Kevin McCarthy has floated the idea of a one-month short-term funding bill, but he is receiving push back from farther right members of his conference. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., is also continuing his blockade on military appointments - which sparked a rare public rebuke from the secretaries of the Army, Air Force and Navy in an op-ed this week calling it a 'dangerous hold.' The House minority leader made a series of calls to his Senate allies following the latest troubling episode, DailyMail.com confirmed last week. It was an apparent effort to assure them of his stable health and drum up support as worries intensify. South Dakota Sen. John Thune's spokesperson Ryan Wrasse confirmed to DailyMail.com that the Minority Whip spoke with McConnell and the leader 'sounded like his usual self and was in good spirits.' A spokesperson for Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., did not confirm that a call took place between the senators, but said they were aware of reports that the two spoke. McConnell told Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, that he is doing well when the two spoke after the incident on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the senator confirmed to DailyMail.com. The GOP senators, known as the 'Three Johns,' are also next in line to replace the minority leader in the event that he steps down or is unfit to serve. The very swift all-clear comes as reports emerge that a handful of Republican senators are discussing holding a meeting amid McConnell's declining health. It does not appear that party leadership is involved in these alleged talks. At least a dozen GOP offices said when reached by DailyMail.com last week that they are not aware of any meetings on the topic. The latest episode has led to renewed calls for term limits in the House and Senate even from those within the walls of Congress. GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley called the Senate the 'most privileged nursing home in the country' after McConnell's recent episode. 'What I will say is, right now, the Senate is the most privileged nursing home in the country,' she said last week. 'I mean, Mitch McConnell has done some great things and he deserves credit. But you have to know when to leave.' Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., said the limits would help restore 'human decency' for elderly politicians like McConnell and Democratic California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 90, who is also suffering public health scares. McConnell enters his U.S. Capitol Police SUV as he leaves his Washington house to return to work in the Senate Senate Republican Mitch McConnell appears to freeze up for more than 30 seconds during a public appearance in Kentucky last week McConnell also froze mid-press conference while speaking just off the Senate floor in July, requiring assistance from fellow lawmakers to walk him back to his office 'For goodness sake, the family, friends, and staff of Senators Feinstein and McConnell are doing them and our country a tremendous disservice,' Phillips wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. 'It's time for term limits for Congress and the Supreme Court, and some basic human decency.' His criticism of Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein comes after the 90-year-old was hospitalized earlier this month following a trip and fall at her home in San Francisco. She was released after tests showed she was fine, but the latest health incident raised more questions about her ability to carry out her duties as a senator. Her many absences since the start of the year have hampered the majority Democrats' ability to move nominations through the Judiciary Committee. The White House is going on the attack as Congress returns to Washington, accusing House Republicans of making the fentanyl crisis worse so they can appease conservatives like Marjorie Taylor Green, who want to impeach President Joe Biden. The salvo comes as Congressional Republicans and the White House prepare for a showdown over funding the federal government ahead of a September 30th deadline - or face a shutdown. The White House argues that closing the government would make the fentanyl crisis worse. Voters cite the opioid crisis as one of their top concerns and Biden has faced criticism for not doing enough on the issue. 'House Republicans have a stark choice to make: will they honor their word, meet their responsibility to avoid a shutdown, and act on life and death priorities like fighting the fentanyl crisis?,' White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates wrote in a memo released on Tuesday. President Joe Biden's White House is going on attack against Republicans as lawmakers return to Washington D.C. 'Or will they break their promise and choose to shut down the government hurting our economy, undermining our disaster preparedness, and forcing our troops to work without getting their paychecks all to appease Marjorie Taylor Greene and her far-right friends' demands for a baseless impeachment stunt simply to politically attack the President?,' Bates added. Senators return to Capitol Hill on Tuesday with the House returning next week. Republicans are dealing with two competing priorities: the deadline to pass a federal budget and a desire by some in the GOP to start impeachment proceedings against Biden. The White House has set up a war room to deal with the impeachment threat and now it's on the offensive ahead of a possible government shutdown, reminding voters that popular programs will shutter if the budget isn't passed. 'House Republicans have a pressing choice to make: do they keep their commitment to the country and provide the resources we need to address our urgent challenges, or do they set back the most critical needs of the American people by deciding that a baseless impeachment stunt demanded by Marjorie Taylor Greene and their most extreme members is somehow more important?,' Bates wrote. 'The DEA, Border Patrol, and Department of Homeland Security need the anti-fentanyl funding President Biden is seeking. Lives are at stake,' he added. Greene has been a regular target of the White House. She is one of Biden's fiercest critics and one of the more recognizable faces of the GOP. And many in the White House and Biden campaign see Greene as a prime example of what the president calls the 'extreme-MAGA' wing of the GOP. She has said she would refuse to vote for any government funding if the House does not open an impeachment inquiry. 'The White House is attacking me for demanding an impeachment inquiry before I'll vote to fund one penny to our over bloated $32 TRILLION dollar in debt failing government,' Greene wrote in Saturday on X, formerly known as Twitter. Biden himself has been vulnerable on the fentanyl issue. The White House has announced $80 million in funds for rural communities dealing with the opioid crisis, and $450 million to combat addiction. But Republicans say Biden's border policies allow a wave of drugs to pass over the border. Much of fentanyl and related synthetic opioids are made in Mexico. Americans see opioids and fentanyl as the Number One public health threat, an Ipsos poll found earlier this summer. The United States averages about 100,000 deaths from overdoses each year. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has been a regular target of the White House. She is one of Biden's fiercest critics and one of the more recognizable faces of the GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is dealing with funding the government and those in his party who want to impeach President Biden Pressure will be on lawmakers in the coming days. The clock is ticking. The House is scheduled to meet for just 11 days before the government's fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. In a letter to his colleagues Friday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote that the focus when the Senate returns will be 'funding the government and preventing House Republican extremists from forcing a government shutdown.' There are vast differences between the two sides on the federal budget. House Republicans want to block abortion coverage and transgender care. The White House wants more disaster relief and funds for the Ukraine. The White House has called for a temporary funding deal to avoid a shutdown but it's unclear if Republicans will agree to that option. In the Senate, there are concerns about Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's health. The 81-year-old has had a couple of episodes where he has frozen while speaking. Capitol Physician Dr. Brian Monahan cleared McConnell to continue working. On the House side, Speaker Kevin McCarthy is trying to get his GOP conference on board with passing a federal budget. He's argued a government shutdown would halt Republican investigations into the Biden administration and the president's son, Hunter. 'If we shut down, all of government shuts it down - investigations and everything else - it hurts the American public,' McCarthy said on Fox News last week. McCarthy doesn't have the votes to bring full impeachment articles against Biden as moderate Republicans are wary of such a move. But the GOP can launch an impeachment inquiry against the president. Donald Trump, who's leading the race for the GOP nomination to challenge Biden, is pushing the House to move on the issue. 'I dont know how actually how a Republican could not do it,' the former president said in an interview on Real America's Voice. 'I think a Republican would be primaried and lose immediately, no matter what district youre in.' Stephan Thomas Rodda, 37, has been accused of murdering his 16-year-old son with a mechanical saw A Florida dad used a mechanical saw to allegedly murder his teenage son inside a mobile home, in a crime police described as 'horrific.' Stephen Thomas Rodda, 37, was arrested Monday in connection to the killing of Stephen Lee Rodda, 16, inside the Polk County mobile home where the victim's grandfather lived. Police have not released a motive in the killing, but Sheriff Grady Judd described the father as 'nasty, nasty evil person.' The 16-year-old's grandfather left the home Monday morning to go visit his wife in rehab and saw Stephen Thomas outside when he returned home around 11am. The dad told the teen's grandfather, 'I wouldn't go in there if I was you. I killed someone. You may need to call the police.' Stephen Thomas Rodda, 37, has been charged in connection killing his 16-year-old son using a mechanical saw at a home in Polk County, Florida Stephen Lee Rodda, 16, was found dead at his grandparents' kitchen. He had a dream of becoming a technician and was set to start working at Burger King Stephen Lee was living with his grandfather to help him as his wife was in rehab. The teen had a dream of becoming an electrician and was to set to work at Burger King to earn money to buy a car, Judd said Monday afternoon. 'Stephan Rodda was a great kid,' Judd said. 'Not just a good kid, but a great kid. It breaks our heart, there aren't adequate words to explain how horrific this event is.' The grandfather told investigators it was 'not uncommon for the suspect to say bizarre things.' The suspect has a history of using methamphetamine and has had psychotic episodes previously, Sheriff Judd said. The suspect showed up at the grandparents' house on Old Bartow Road in Lake Wales about a month ago after traveling around the country, Judd said. He'd been in Washington, D.C., and Ohio. He also had an outstanding warrant in South Carolina, the sheriff said but did not reveal the nature of the charges. 'We don't know why he did what he did today, other than he is a nasty, nasty, evil person,' the sheriff said. 'We don't know why he did what he did today, other than he is a nasty, nasty, evil person,' Judd said Monday afternoon The grandfather told investigators it was 'not uncommon for the suspect to say bizarre things'. The suspect showed up at the mobile house on Old Bartow Road in Lake Wales about a month ago after traveling around the country, the sheriff said 'The world lost a great young man today,' Judd said When the grandfather went into the home, he found Stephen Lee dead in the dining room/kitchen area. Further details of the crime were not released. The specific charges Stephen Thomas faces have not been released. Deputies caught the suspect on Highway 60, about a mile from the homicide scene while he was trying to flee. 'It breaks our heart there aren't adequate words to explain how horrific this event is,' Judd said. The sheriff added he spoke to family members who described Stephen Lee - who was in the 11th grade at Frostproof High School - as a stellar young man. 'The world lost a great young man today,' Judd said. 'And we have an evil, evil man in custody, and we're going to do our best to see that he spends the rest of his life in prison.' A shocked woman discovered with an at-home DNA test that her real father was a removals man from Essex whose sperm had been used without his permission by a Harley Street fertility doctor. The disturbing story is set to be revealed in The Gift, a new BBC radio series which will air from next Monday. It explores how millions of Britons and others across the world have taken tests sold by firms including Ancestry.co.uk and 23andMe, often after being given them as presents from friends and family. One of the anonymous interviewees, who is identified under the false name of Madeleine, had always believed her father was a young medical student who had willingly donated his sperm before it was used to impregnate her mother at a clinic run by Dr Reynold H Boyd, who died aged 90 in 1991. Having come to suspect that Dr Boyd himself might be her father, she took a DNA test but found after uploading the results to Ancestry's website that the fertility expert was not related to her. Instead, her real father turned out to be a man identified as Peter, who had never been a sperm donor but had produced samples at another clinic in East London run by Dr Boyd when trying to conceive with his wife. It is believed Dr Boyd then used Peter's sperm when treating Madeleine's mother, who was allegedly unaware about its true origins. A shocked woman discovered with an at-home DNA test that her real father was a removals man from Essex whose sperm had been used without his permission by a Harley Street fertility doctor. Above: The woman's mother was treated at the clinic of Dr Reynold Boyd, at 52 Harley Street (pictured). The clinic closed decades ago Peter, who is now in his 80s and is retired, had done his own DNA test after he received one as a gift from his family. Madeleine, who was born in 1969, initially sent messages to him on Ancestry's platform but received no reply. After tracking down his phone number, she then rang him out of the blue. Madeleine says in the upcoming programme: 'He answered the phone and I said, "I'm a match to you on Ancestry. "A parent-child match, on the DNA test." He sounded a bit confused and just said "what do you mean?" 'I said, "On Ancestry. Ancestry, you know, the DNA test you did. I told him about the clinic, I said my mum had been there, and donor-conceived sperm and things like that. 'He said, "I really don't know what you mean'. And then I said, "did you not go to a fertility clinic in London and donate your sperm?" 'And then he said no, no he didn't. Then he started saying, well thinking about it he had been to a fertility clinic but it wasn't in London, it was in Wanstead... Dr Reynold H Boyd died aged 90 in 1991 'I was like oh my god, that clinic is run by Dr Reynold Boyd,' she said. Dr Boyd's clinic, at 52 Harley Street, closed decades ago. As was then common, Dr Boyd wrote his own obituary. It is in a file available on the website of the British Medical Journal. It tells how he was born in New Zealand and had traveled to England with his wife in the 1930s. He initially specialised in genitourinary surgery before moving on to infertility treatment. As well as his clinics in Harley Street and East London, he also had a set-up in Chelmsford. 'I began working in fertility... when a semen analysis was an insult to the husband,' he wrote. 'I pioneered artificial insemination.' Peter says in the programme that he never consented for his sperm to be used 'willy nilly'. 'All I can assume that Madeline's mother went up there to try and sort herself out and got some of my stuff,' he adds. Madeleine went on to meet her father in person, an experience she described as 'awkward' because he was 'a complete stranger'. Madeleine did not discover until she was 40 that the man she had always believed to be her biological father was not her real dad. She and her brother were conceived in separate fertility clinics after the man she believed to be her father had had a vasectomy. Presenter Jenny Kleeman says in the preview for The Gift that a global database of DNA has been created 'without us really noticing' as a result of people using the kits. The series will hear from other men and women whose lives were changed after taking a test, which are priced at 59 by Ancestry.co.uk and require users to spit into a tube before sending it off in the post. Ms Kleeman adds: 'Over six episodes, I will be meeting the men and women whose lives changes forever after they opened a box containing a DNA test.' Ancestry's DNA kits, which have been bought by millions of Britons, promise to reveal behavioural traits that are determined by your genetics. Above: One of the kits DNA databases on popular websites have in the past been used to help solve crimes. The infamous serial killer Joseph James DeAngelo, better known as the Golden State Killer, was caught using the method. Officers created a DNA profile of DeAngelo using crime scene evidence and then uploaded it to a public genealogy database ordinarily used by people to find relatives. Police were then able to identify the killer's distant relatives and then used public records to build a family tree and eventually identify him. Ancestry's DNA kits, which have been bought by millions of Britons, promise to reveal behavioural traits that are determined by your genetics, including whether you are introverted or a risk taker. Ancestry's kits are priced at 59. Above: The test taken by a MailOnline reporter earlier this year Ancestry determines behavioural traits by surveying people who have had their DNA analysed, and finding correlations between their genes and responses Earlier this year, a MailOnline reporter put one of the kits to the test. While some of the identified traits were correct, others - including the likelihood of taking naps and remembering dreams - did not match up to reality. Some Britons have discovered earth-shattering facts about their parentage using the DNA kits. Teacher Nicki Field told MailOnline in 2019 how she used one of Ancestry's tests to help find her real father. She had been told by her mother when she was a teenager that the man she thought was her dad was in fact just her stepfather. Her mother then told her that a man called Gary Holmes was her father, but DNA tests showed he was not related to her. After sending her DNA to Ancestry.co.uk, she posted the results on sites which match people with shared genes. Finally, in July 2017, she was alerted to someone who was said to be her first cousin. Further investigations revealed that his uncle, a married dad of four, was Nicki's biological father. The Gift begins on Monday 11th September at 11:00 with episodes broadcast on BBC Radio 4 weekly. Episodes will be available to listen back on BBC Sounds. Police have identified the five teens who were killed in a fatal Atlanta crash early Monday that caused a vehicle to flip over a wall, ejecting the passengers from the car in a 50-foot drop. Three girls and two boys were pronounced dead at the scene: Katy Gaitan, 17, of Atlanta, Ashley Gaitan, 16, of Atlanta, Coral Lorenzo, 17, of Atlanta, Hung Nguyen, 18, of Lawrenceville, and Abner Santana, 19, of Suwanee. At least three of the victims were students at Lakeside High School in DeKalb County. The three-vehicle collision occurred right before 4am Monday on a ramp to the southbound lanes of Interstate 85 in Gwinnett County, according to police. Police have identified the five teens who were killed in a fatal Atlanta crash early Monday that caused a vehicle to flip over a wall, ejecting the passengers from the car in a 50-foot drop The three-vehicle collision occurred right before 4am Monday on a ramp to the southbound lanes of Interstate 85 in Gwinnett County, according to police The accident caused a vehicle to flip over a wall of the elevated ramp, falling onto traffic lanes, police said in a statement. Multiple people were ejected during the incident. Three other people were injured and transported to local hospitals. Their condition is currently unknown. Cpl. Christian D'Allaird with the Gwinnett County Police Department said that all of the people who were killed were presumed to be in the same vehicle. 'I'd say it was about a 50-foot drop,' he said. Pictured: Abner Natanael, 19 of Suwanee Pictured: Hung Nguyen, 18, of Lawrenceville Pictured: Katie Gaitan, 17, and Ashley Gaitan, 16, of Atlanta Pictured: Coral Lorenzo, 17, of Atlanta FATAL ACCIDENT UPDATE: @GwinnettPd tells @FOX5Atlanta that five people are dead and three others were transported to the hospital after a multi-vehicle wreck that happened at the intersection area of I-85SB and State Route 316. The cause of the wreck is under investigation. pic.twitter.com/GqQTewa304 Billy Heath III (@BillyHeathFOX5) September 4, 2023 'As to what factors went into why the vehicle went over the wall, we don't know that yet,' D'Allaird said. The collision caused closures on the ramp from Highway 316 West to I-85 South for several hours on Monday, but they had reopened later that morning. 'The main I85 SB travel lanes are clear and reopened. The C-D from both I85 SB and SR316 WB remain closed and will be closed for an extended period of time while the Gwinnett County Police Accident Investigation Unit handles the investigation,' Gwinnett police officials posted on Facebook. Police are still investigating what led up to the fatal collision. Three others have drowned in dangerous currents along the Jersey Shore over Labor Day weekend The veteran was videoing himself surfing and captured the dramatic rescue on camera A marine veteran saved the life of a drowning swimmer caught in rip tide along the Jersey Shore This is the dramatic moment a marine veteran rescued a swimmer who was caught in a rip tide in New Jersey. Stephen Houser, 35, who was out with his family, was filming a YouTube video of him surfing when he spotted Gabe McCabe struggling in the water off Sea Bright beach. Houser used his surf board as a life raft to haul the struggling swimmer from the dangerous waters. Houser saved McCabe's life when he nearly drowned in the rough waters at a beach in Sea Bright, New Jersey Marine veteran Stephen Houser rescued swimmer Gabe McCabe from drowning in the dangerous rip tide along the Jersey Shore The surfer told ABC7 : 'With those currents it could have turned out really deadly. Just having that inflatable board that I had, a really buoyant board, right when Gabe grabbed onto that board I knew I had him.'The rescue came as three swimmers died along the Jersey Sore on Labor Day weekend amid rip tide warnings all along the East Coast. McCabe told Good Morning America: 'I've never experienced anything like this.' Houser rescued swimmers in the past and had experience with being caught in rip currents himself and said: 'your first instinct is panic'. McCabe said: 'I'm not sure I'd be here today but thankfully I am.' Others swimming at beaches along the Jersey Shore over Labor Day weekend weren't as lucky. A 22-year-old man drowned at Beach Haven, New Jersey on Sunday Afternoon and was identified as Edwin Antonio Made Sanchez from the Dominican Republic. Sanchez was swimming in the ocean at Fifth Street Beach in Beach Haven, Ocean County, when he drowned in the rough waves caused by rip currents. Two other swimmers along with Sanchez were caught in the dangerous rip tides in Beach Haven which prompted lifeguards to create a human chain to search for them. Lifeguards pulled the two swimmers safely to shore but efforts from the Police and emergency medical services in the area failed to save the 22-year-old man from drowning in the rough waters. Houser had saved swimmers in the past and said that he's been caught in rip currents in the past Houser was surfing nearby with his family and videoing himself when he noticed McCabe struggling and rushed over to save him Swimmers at Belmar Beach, New Jersey, faced severe rip currents and five swimmers had to be rescued from the drowning this weekend. A sixth person was pulled from the water by officials but was unresponsive and taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. At the Seaside Park Beach in the Jersey Shore six more swimmers were in distress which led to a search by the United States Coastal Guard. Five of the six swimmers were found and rescued but the sixth person, a 31-year-old male swimmer, is still lost despite overnight efforts from the USGC to find the victim. Cuba has uncovered a Russian human trafficking ring that is coercing its citizens into fighting for Moscow in the Ukraine war, its foreign ministry has announced. Havana said that Cubans living in Russia and 'even some in Cuba' had been 'incorporated into the military forces taking part in the war in Ukraine' and accused Moscow of turning the men into mercenaries. Cuba said it 'does not form part of the conflict in Ukraine' and would 'act decisively against those who ... engage in human trafficking with the aim of recruiting Cuban citizens to bear arms in any country.' The furious statement issued Monday marks a rare moment of discord between the old Cold War allies - just months after their foreign ministers were pictured grinning together at a summit in Havana. Moscow has not yet commented on the allegations. In late May, a Russia newspaper in Ryazan city reported that several Cuban citizens had signed contracts with Russia's armed forces and had been shipped to Ukraine in return for Russian citizenship. The paper published this photo of Cuban men signing up with the Army and reported: 'the men expressed their desire to take part in the special military operation in the territory of Ukraine' Russia last year announced a plan to boost the size of its armed forces by more than 30 percent to 1.5 million combat personnel, a lofty goal made harder by its heavy but of yet undisclosed casualties in the war. In late May, a Russian newspaper in Ryazan city reported that several Cuban citizens had signed contracts with Russia's armed forces and had been shipped to Ukraine in return for Russian citizenship. It published a photo of Cuban men signing up and reported: 'The men expressed their desire to take part in the special military operation in the territory of Ukraine.' The newspaper said that in exchange for their service, the men would be given Russian citizenship. It was not immediately clear if the Cuban foreign ministry statement was associated with the Ryazan report. Cuba's government said it had already begun prosecuting cases in which its citizens had been coerced into fighting in Ukraine. The statement was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez who was seen earlier this year looking chummy with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. The pair were pictured shaking hands and smiling together on April 20 as Lavrov made the first stop of a Latin American tour which also included Brazil, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (R) and Cuba's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodriguez, shake hands during a meeting in Havana on April 20, 2023 Former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio will be sentenced on Tuesday afternoon for his role in a plot to attack the U.S. Capitol in a failed bid to stop the transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden. Tarrio, 39, is the final leader of the neo-fascist group convicted of seditious conspiracy in the January 6, 2021, attack to receive his punishment and faces 33 years in prison. Three fellow Proud Boys found guilty by a Washington D.C. jury of the rarely used sedition charge were sentenced last week to prison terms ranging from 15 to 18 years - less than prosecutors wanted. The Justice Department has asked for Tarrio to spend more than three decades in prison, describing him as the ringleader of a plot to use violence to shatter the cornerstone of American democracy and overturn the election victory by Joe Biden, a Democrat, over Trump, the Republican incumbent. The far-right propagandist wasn't in Washington on January 6 - he was arrested two days earlier in a separate case - but prosecutors say he helped put in motion and encourage the violence that stunned the world and interrupted Congress' certification of Biden's electoral victory. Former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio was found guilty for his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio (pictured with Joseph Biggs) was found guilty of seditious conspiracy over January 6 riot in 2021 Tarrio was convicted in May of conspiring to block the transfer of presidential power in the hopes of keeping Republican Donald Trump in the White House after he lost the 2020 election Tarrio discussed 'revolutions' and 'storming' the Capitol complex prior to January 6, but was arrested upon entry into the capital on January 5, 2021 for a prior offense of burning the Black Lives Matter flag and on several weapons charges. The Miami native was supposed to be sentenced last week in Washington's federal court, but his hearing was delayed because Judge Timothy Kelly got sick. Kelly, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, sentenced Tarrio's co-defendants to lengthy prison terms - though far shorter than prosecutors were seeking. Self-described Proud Boys organizer Joe Biggs sobbed as he was sentenced to 17 years on Thursday for his role in the riot after pleading for leniency to take care of his daughter and ailing mother. Judge Kelly wasn't having it, as he said Americans are the envy of the world and U.S. elections must be respected, telling Biggs: 'You did play a role in riling up the crowd. 'If you dont like how an election is being conducted... you can speak out, call, write or meet with election officials. You can engage in peaceful protest. File a lawsuit.' The judge ruled that Biggs qualified for a terrorism sentencing enhancement because he teared down a fence that stood between police and rioters. Former Proud Boys leader Joe Biggs sobbed as he was sentenced to 17 years in prison over his role in the January 6 , 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol Proud Boys member Ethan Nordean walks toward the U.S. Capitol in Washington, in support of President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021 Proud Boys members including Zachary Rehl, left, Ethan Nordean, center, and Joseph Biggs, walk toward the U.S. Capitol in Washington, in support of President Donald Trump Ethan Nordean, who prosecutors said was the Proud Boys' leader on the ground on January 6, was sentenced to 18 years in prison, tying the record for the longest sentence in the attack. Prosecutors had asked for 27 years for Nordean, who was a Seattle-area Proud Boys chapter president. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who was found guilty of seditious conspiracy in a separate case, was sentenced in May to 18 years in prison. Prosecutors, who had sought 25 years for Rhodes, are appealing his sentence and the punishments of other members of his antigovernment militia group. 'Tarrio has repeatedly and publicly indicated that he has no regrets about what he helped make happen on January 6,' prosecutors wrote in court documents. Lawyers for the Proud Boys deny that there was any plot to attack the Capitol or stop the transfer of presidential power. 'There is zero evidence to suggest Tarrio directed any participants to storm the U.S. Capitol building prior to or during the event,' his attorneys wrote in court papers. 'Participating in a plan for the Proud Boys to protest on January 6 is not the same as directing others on the ground to storm the Capitol by any means necessary.' Police arrested Tarrio in Washington on Jan. 4, 2021, on charges that he defaced a Black Lives Matter banner during an earlier rally in the nations capital, but law enforcement officials later said he was arrested in part over concerns about the potential for unrest during the certification. He complied with a judges order to leave the city after his arrest. On Jan. 6, dozens of Proud Boys leaders, members and associates were among the first rioters to breach the Capitol. The mobs assault overwhelmed police, forced lawmakers to flee the House and Senate floors and disrupted the joint session of Congress for certifying Bidens victory. The backbone of the governments case was hundreds of messages exchanged by Proud Boys in the days leading up to Janury 6. As Proud Boys swarmed the Capitol, Tarrio cheered them on from afar, writing on social media: 'Do what must be done.' In a Proud Boys encrypted group chat later that day someone asked what they should do next. Tarrio responded: 'Do it again.' Tarrio wrote 'Do what must be done' on social media as they swarmed the Capitol, and when asked what they should do next, he replied: 'Do it again' Prosecutors argued the Proud Boys were at the front lines of the mob on Capitol grounds and were there when the first barriers were breached 'Make no mistake,' Tarrio wrote in another message. 'We did this.' Tarrio led the neo-fascist group - known for street fights with left-wing activists - when Trump infamously told the Proud Boys to 'stand back and stand by' during his first debate with Joe Biden. During the month long trial, prosecutors argued that the Proud Boys viewed themselves as foot soldiers fighting for Trump as the Republican spread lies that Democrats stole the election from him. Attorneys argued that members of the group were prepared to go to war to keep their preferred leader in power. Defense lawyers denied there was any plot to attack the Capitol or stop Congress' certification of Biden's win. The investigation has become the largest for the Justice Department in American history, and it hadn't tried a seditious conspiracy case in over a decade. The riots followed months of false claims by Trump and his allies that the election had been rigged against him. A select House committee investigated the riots and in its final report accused Trump of a criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The committee estimated that from the election to Jan. 6, the president and aides made hundreds of efforts to pressure officials to overturn the results. Trump supporters surround a noose and a gallows near the Capitol, on January 6 Targets included states he lost but that had GOP-led legislatures such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona. Trump has since been indicted for this role in the riots, with a grand jury indictment accusing him of spreading 'lies' and 'sham' investigations while stoking an 'angry' mob on January 6. Special Counsel Jack Smith said in a televised public statement following the release of the indictment that the attack on the Capitol was 'fueled by lies' made by Trump 'targeted at obstructing the bedrock function of the U.S. government - the nation's process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of the presidential election.' He pledged that his office will conduct a 'speedy' trial. Trump is facing four counts including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and obstruct the electoral count for trying to overturn the 2020 election. The 45-page indictment says he was 'determined to remain in power' despite 'having lost.' He and his six co-conspirators 'used knowingly false claims of election fraud' to try to 'subvert the legitimate election results and change electoral votes' to take down Joe Biden, according to the indictment. He has plead not guilty. The father of 10-year-old Sara Sharif found dead in her Surrey home claimed her death was an 'accident,' the child's grandfather has told BBC news. Muhammad Sharif, the father of Urfan Sharif who fled to Pakistan and is at the centre of a manhunt, said his son left the UK out of fear. 'His daughter died and when you go under so much trauma, obviously you can't think properly,' he said. Muhammad said he saw Urfan after he arrived in Pakistan, adding: 'It was an accident, he didn't tell me how it happened.' The young girl was found dead on August 10 at her home in Woking, a day after three of her relatives including her father Urfan fled the UK to Islamabad. Police launched an international manhunt after discovering Sara's body following a phone call made by Urfan, 41, who left the country with his wife Beinash Batool, 29, and brother Faisal Malik, 28. Muhammad said: 'All I can say is that they should have faced the case, they should have stayed there and faced it instead (of coming to Pakistan). They will ultimately go back to the UK and face their case.' Sara Sharif was found dead on August 10 at her home in Woking, Surrey Sara's father Urfan Sharif, 41, (pictured) who left the country with his wife Beinash Batool, 29, and brother Faisal Malik, 28 In a message for the trio being hunted by police, he told them - wherever they are - that they should come out of hiding and answer questions they face. He said he has not been in touch with his son recently. The grandfather also paid tribute to Sara who he said had visited Pakistan two times, and was beautiful. It has previously been reported that Urfan contacted a friend who owned a money transfer shop to get eight last-minute plane tickets. Taxi driver Urfan told Nadeem Riaz on August 8 he urgently needed the one way tickets due to the death of a cousin and needed to fly out to Islamabad as soon as possible. The next day he, his partner Beinash Batool and his brother Faisal Malik left the UK on a British Airways flight with five of the couple's children, aged between one and 13. After arriving in Pakistan the father phoned 999 and informed police they would find the body of his oldest daughter at their address in Horsell. She was discovered with 'multiple and extensive' injuries which are believed to have occurred over a 'sustained and extended' period of time. A post-mortem was unable to determine a precise cause of death for Sara, and further tests are ongoing Police want to speak to Sara's father (left) and his partner Beinash Batool (right) Faisal Malik is also on the run alongside her father and his partner Flowers and police outside of the home to Sara Sharif, 10, in Woking, Surrey Mr Riaz told the Times he had often had business with Sharif before. His shop doubled as a travel agency, and he had previously secured flights for the family after the death of Sharif's mother last November. He said: '[Sharif] sounded normal. No different to his usual self.' A post-mortem was unable to determine a precise cause of death for Sara, and further tests are ongoing. Sara's devastated mother, Olga Sharif, 36, has appealed for her ex-husband to hand himself in, as has Sara's grandfather. This week, a cousin of Sara's step-mother, Batool, also asked her to hand her herself in to police. The relative, who asked not to be named, told Sky News: 'Beinash should come back to the UK. 'I don't know where she is. But I'm worried about her. I'm worried about her kids. 'She should come back to the UK, go to the police and tell them exactly what happened.' She added: 'I don't know my family don't know what happened. It could have been an accident; a misunderstanding.' A major-general in the Russian FSB security services has been seriously wounded after an explosion at his house in Luhansk. Yuri Afanasevskii, 64, and his son are in a critical condition in hospital. Explosives were reportedly planted by a Ukrainian sabotage group in a mobile phone that had been handed to Afanasevskii. Russian sources blame the Ukrainian SBU secret service for the attack in the Russian-occupied Luhansk People's Republic. Afanasevskii was head of customs in the area of Ukraine's Luhansk that Vladimir Putin's forces annexed in 2014 and last year claimed to incorporate into Russia. Yuri Afanasevskii, a major-general in the Russian FSB security services, has been seriously wounded after an explosion at his house in Luhansk, according to reports He was sanctioned by Britain, the EU, Canada, Switzerland and Japan. The major-general was shown to have financial interests in the British Virgin Islands. A woman has been detained and is under investigation for attempted murder and handing an explosive device to the FSB officer. She gave him 'a mobile phone with an explosive device that was set off after the phone was activated. The attacker is detained, she has already confessed,' said the Russian Investigative Committee. Investigators had 'interrogated a wide range of people' and 'seized objects of interest' over the explosion. A report by the Russia Today news channel said the FSB official's wife was also injured in the explosion. A statement from the Russian Investigative Committee said: 'The man and his son received multiple injuries. They are currently in a medical facility.' Reports of the attack on Afanasevskii came just days after another senior Russian officer was killed by a drone in Russia while mowing his lawn on his day off. Alexei Chernykh, deputy chief of a local branch of the anti-corruption police, was blown up by a drone at his home in the Russian village of Shchetinovka, reports said. The village sits just one mile from Russia's border with Ukraine in the Belgorod Oblast, which has come under frequent drone strikes in recent months as Ukraine has stepped up its cross-border attacks. The Telegram channel Baza, which has known ties to Russian security services, said a drone dropped a bomb on Chernykh's property on Sunday, August 27. Afanasevskii is understood to have been attacked in the Russian-occupied Luhansk People's Republic, where heavy fighting is raging Alexei Chernykh (pictured right), deputy chief of a local branch of the anti-corruption police, was blown up by a drone at his home in the village of Shchetinovka late last month 'A Ukrainian drone dropped ammunition on his site in Shchetynovka,' the Telegram channel reported. It said he 'was on his day off and was mowing [his] lawn'. The police lieutenant colonel would have turned 40 on the day he was allegedly assassinated, according to information on his social media account. Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov accused Ukraine of being behind a drone strike in the region on the same day, saying that it had killed a 'civilian'. He accused Ukraine of dropping 'an explosive device from a drone' which hit a civilian who was 'at his summer cottage mowing the grass' at the time. Gladkov said the man died from shrapnel wounds. He did not name the person killed in the attack. Ukraine, which has yet to achieve a major success in its summer counter-offensive, has struck deep into Russia in recent months, including an attack on the Kremlin in May and numerous drone attacks on civilian targets in Moscow. Ukraine typically does not comment on who is behind attacks on Russian territory, although officials have publicly expressed satisfaction over them. If Chernykh's death is confirmed, he would become the latest high-ranking Russian official to meet his end since Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine. At least six generals have been confirmed by Russian sources to have been killed since February 2022 (including four who held the rank of major-general and two lieutenant-generals), with Ukraine claiming the true figure to be 15. Either way, the number of Russian generals killed in the conflict is unprecedented since the Second World War. The tally has been attributed to senior commanders personally going into the field to address command difficulties, the faltering performances of Russian forces on the front lines, insecure communications and US intelligence gathering. Late in July, Lieutenant-General Oleg Tsokov, 51, was killed in a strike believed to have been carried out using a British-supplied Storm Shadow missile. Tsokov was personally known to Putin and had been sanctioned by Britain and the EU for his role in the war against Ukraine. Vladimir Putin has lost at least six generals since he invaded Ukraine - the most since the Second World War Meanwhile, the Ukrainian parliament approved the dismissal of Oleksii Reznikov as defence minister today, and the removal of Rustem Umerov as head of the main privatisation agency, clearing the way for Umerov to take over from Reznikov. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that he was sacking Reznikov and proposed Umerov to replace him. To do so, he required parliament to approve their removal from their current roles and to support Umerov's appointment as defence minister. Parliament completed the first stage of the process in two separate votes today and is expected to back Umerov's appointment in a vote tomorrow. Reznikov resigned on Monday. The moves amount to the biggest shake-up of Ukraine's defence establishment in 18 months of war with Russia. Reznikov has been at the forefront of Kyiv's lobbying for Western weapons to fight Russia's invasion, but his departure after months of corruption allegations against his ministry is not expected to have a big impact on military operations. Confirming parliament had voted to remove Reznikov, the Defence Ministry hailed his work and listed some of the weapons Ukraine has received since Russia's full-scale invasion. 'He held this office for 22 months and made the impossible possible by ensuring large-scale arms supplies for the #UAarmy from the free world,' it said on the social media platform X. It added that F-16 fighter jets, which Kyiv has not received so far, 'will make Ukraine's victory inevitable'. The outcome of the vote to remove Umerov from his current post was confirmed by several lawmakers who attended the parliamentary session. Umerov, 41, is a Crimean Tatar and former lawmaker who since 2020 has been a member of a government task force working on strategy to end the occupation of Crimea, which was seized and annexed by Russia in 2014. The Democrat Chicago treasurer, who has her sights set on Congress, has been accused of forcing taxpayer-funded staff to plan her daughter's birthday and act as her personal bodyguard. The city's treasurer, Melissa Conyears-Ervin, who was elected in May 2019, was accused of running a corrupt office and illegally firing two employees who raised concerns about her alleged misdeeds. In a letter from December 2020, which was only just unsealed and published by the Chicago Tribune, the official is accused of having a 'disturbing conduct' and using 'pervasive practices' for her own benefit. Conyears-Ervin allegedly threatened staff, telling them they: 'Should not care if her plans are illegal since the only way they could lose their jobs is if she fires them.' The former state House member - who has discussed running for the U.S. House to replace Rep. Danny Davis - blasted the allegations saying she never misused taxpayer money. The city's treasurer, Melissa Conyears-Ervin, who took office in May 2019, was accused of running a corrupt office and illegally firing two employees who raised concerns about her alleged illegal misdeeds The Democrat Chicago treasurer was accused of forcing taxpayer-funded staff to plan her daughter's birthday (pictured in 2020) and act as her personal bodyguard The ordeal that triggered the accusations was the firing of two of her top aides under the alleged guise of an 'office shake-up' in November 2020. Tiffany Harper and Ashley Evans alleged their firings 'violated the Illinois whistleblower act, federal laws, and a city ordinance.' Before they were fired, the letter claimed Conyears-Ervin told the women if they refused to implement her plans their 'as*** can walk' and that they 'will be walking the f*** up out of here.' Conyears-Ervin believed 'this is (her) f***ing office and (her) vision,' the blistering letter from 2020 alleged. They sent the letter to the city's Board of Ethics demanding reinstatement. They were eventually given a $100,000 settlement to share in 2021. The scathing letter, written by their attorney Michael Kanovitz, claimed Conyears-Ervin only fired his clients out of retaliation. Conyears-Ervin also decided to hire an ex-Chicago police officer as her private security guard and driver - which was also a point of contention for the former staffers. Conyears-Ervin allegedly threatened staff, telling them they: 'Should not care if her plans are illegal since the only way they could lose their jobs is if she fires them' It read: 'The retaliation is clear, as is the corruption in the Treasurer's office. The inference of retaliation is inescapable.' One of the misconducts Conyears-Ervin is accused of is the hiring of Gina Zuccaro. Zuccaro, who is her political ally, was hired to be an administrative assistant - a position she was not qualified for, the letter contends. Zuccaro organized a birthday party for Conyears-Ervin's daughter and did her grocery shopping on the taxpayer's dime, the letter claims. 'The Treasurer uses her for personal services like running errands, planning her daughter's birthday party, grocery shopping and the like,' the letter states. 'The Treasurer also used City resources to support Ms. Zuccaro's run for the and Illinois House of Representatives seat by allowing her to campaign on City time. 'This misuse of hiring to obtain personal services and favor her allies is a pervasive problem, extending well past these two employees to numerous other employees and contractors.' Conyears-Ervin (left) is accused of is the hiring of Gina Zuccaro (right) as an administrative assistant. Zuccaro organized Conyears-Ervin daughter's birthday party and did her grocery shopping on the taxpayer's dime, the letter claims The letter was only just unsealed after the Chicago Tribute fought to make it public The letter continued: 'Treasurer Conyears-Ervin engaged in a pattern of disturbing conduct against the public trust, many of which violated the City of Chicago ethics rules as well as state and federal law. 'Her consistent and pervasive practice has been to misuse City money, City employees and City resources to benefit her private interests as well as those of her friends and campaign supporters.' Conyears-Ervin also decided to hire an ex-Chicago police officer as her private security guard and driver - which was also a point of contention for the former staffers. Conyears-Ervin allegedly threatened staff, telling them they: 'Should not care if her plans are illegal since the only way they could lose their jobs is if she fires them' The letter continued: 'After losing a public battle with the Mayor on this issue, the Treasurer hired an ex-CPD officer to fill the opening of Assistant to City Treasurer, a job that requires financial training and experience which the candidate was utterly lacking. 'This employee does not provide any services to the office and does not even come into the office. 'Rather he serves as a private armed security guard to the Treasurer and is her driver.' As well as this, the treasurer was accused of using city money and resources to 'advance the agenda of several churches and other religious organizations, many of which support her and her husband.' Conyears-Ervin declined to address any of the specific allegations in the letter, but said last week in a statement given to the Tribune: 'While I am not allowed to discuss the specifics of this settlement, I will make a general statement as I take these matters seriously. 'I have never, nor will I ever abuse or misuse taxpayer dollars and breach the public trust. I treat my responsibility to the citizens and taxpayers with the utmost respect.' Police are investigating after three Ukrainian teenagers endured a racially motivated attack in Edinburgh on Sunday night - in which one of them was stabbed. At around 8.30pm, the trio - two of them aged 13 and another aged 15 - were walking towards a bus stop in Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh. As they approached the shelter, a gang of eight youths dressed in dark clothing walked up to them. Two youths from the gang assaulted one of the 13-year-olds, leaving him with a cut to his ear. Other members of the group then attacked the other two youths. The 15-year-old was punched and the 13-year-old was stabbed. The trio - two of them aged 13 and another aged 15 - were walking towards a bus stop in Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh, when they were attacked The group, who were all wearing dark clothing, ran off following the incident. The injured boys were treated at hospital and the incident was reported to police on Monday, 4 September, 2023. Officers are treating the incident as racially aggravated. Relevant CCTV footage is being reviewed for any additional information on the group of youths. Detective Inspector Keith Fairbairn said: 'I know there were members of the public in the area at the time of the attack and I am asking them to contact us with any information they may have. 'We are appealing for details on the group of youths, who were dressed in dark clothing, perhaps you saw them somewhere else, did you see them running off, any small piece of information could assist us in identifying those responsible for these attacks.' Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 2523. You can also call Crimestoppers and give your information anonymously. They can be contacted on 0800 555 111. A package shipped from Argentina bound for the United States was intercepted after customs agents discovered that a crafty criminal had illegally hidden thousands of dollars in an unexpected place - the holy bible. Three bibles that contained $16,800 attached across its pages were seized before the box they were packaged in could be loaded aboard a DHL cargo plane at Ezeiza International Airport last week. The bust was made possible when a General Directorate of Customs sniffer dog detected an irregularity with the cardboard box. Footage of the bust shows an agent pulling out a bible and unzipping it before flipping the pages and encountering one that had a $100 bill. An agent with Argentina's General Directorate of Customs opened a box that contained three bibles that were used to conceal $16,800 that were being shipped to the United States One of the three bibles seized by customs agents last week at Ezeiza International Airport had $2,500 concealed Some of the bible pages had up to four $100 bills stacked on top of each other He continued and came across multiple pages that had four $100 bills placed over each other. The agent proceeded to check a second bible and unzipped its cover and saw four more $100 bills stacked over each other on the page. Sources familiar with the investigation told Argentine newspaper La Nacion that one of the bibles was stuffed with $10,000. Another bible had $4,300 concealed in it and a third had $2,500 spread across its pages. The money was turned over to the Federal Administration of Public Revenues, as part of the investigation. Customs agents at Ezeiza International Airport in Argentina last week confiscated three bibles containing $16,800 that were being shipped to the United States via DHL According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, it is legal to transport currency or other monetary instruments that dont surpass $10,000 or its foreign equivalent into the United States from another country or from the United States to another country. However, any amount that surpasses $10,000 must be declared through a paper form or online. It is also illegal from a family that resides in the same household to split any amount that totals more than $10,000. Foreign travelers leaving the United States with more than $10,000 are required to sign a form of declaration prior to departing. Ma Operio, 61, was found unresponsive outside her Illinois home last Wednesday with a zip-tie around her neck, after being assaulted by a car jacker A Chicago woman has died after having her neck zip-tied by a car jacker as he stole her Toyota, who left a note confessing to the attack saying he was 'deeply sorry'. Ma Operio, 61, was found laying on the street outside her home in Harwood Heights, Illinois, last Wednesday with a zip tie around her neck after a carjacking. According to police, eye witnesses said that they heard 'grunts' and observed a male wearing a black hoodie on top of Operio who was laying next to her Toyota Scion. The man, later identified as 24-year-old Reese Miller, then made off with the vehicle and left Operio unable to breathe with the zip tie still around her neck. Miller was arrested after the vehicle was spotted and confessed to the crime, leaving a note in the vehicle which said: 'I'm deeply sorry for hurting anyone at the moment, it seemed to be the only choice.' Operio's mom Maria Gimeno has since spoken out about the crime, saying she hopes that what he did to her daughter happens to him too. Operio later died from her injuries on Sunday after spending days on life support in a critical condition 24-year-old Reese Miller (pictured) was later found by officers behind the wheel of her Toyota and confessed to the attack Operio later died from her injuries on Sunday after spending days on life support in a critical condition. Miller, who worked in a nearby bakery and was homeless, was read his Miranda warning which he waived and provided a statement to officers confessing to the crime. When police officers tracked him down, he was wearing the same clothes described by a witness at the scene and had scrapes on his hands and knees, with blood on his jeans. Miller was also spotted on surveillance footage walking toward the victim's home, wearing the same clothes just minutes before the attack. He was then charged with first degree murder and aggravated vehicular hijacking and following Operio's death on Sunday police said they would pursue additional charges. Operio's mom Maria Gimeno told WGNTV that her daughter had just returned from vacation in Texas when she was cleaning her car on Wednesday morning. Gimeno told the outlet: 'They said that when she was laying on the pavement she was already dead. 'They revived her when they took her to the emergency room and then she was brain dead. 'She was a great person, everybody loves her. I pray to god what happened to her happens to him.' Ma Operio, pictured here, was found unresponsive outside her Illinois home last Wednesday with a zip-tie around her neck Operio's mom Maria Gimeno, pictured here, told WGNTV that her daughter had just returned from vacation in Texas when she was cleaning her car on Wednesday morning In a statement, Harwood Heights Police Department said: 'The safety of the community, its residents and all stakeholders is of the utmost priority of the Harwood Heights Police Department. 'At this time there are no other known threats to the community. 'As the investigation is ongoing, anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Harwood Heights Police Department.' Miller appeared at Rolling Meadows Bond Court last Friday and the presiding judge denied bail. Operio's family have since set up a GoFundMe page to help with the funeral expenses. Texas has sent the 12th bus filled with migrants to Los Angeles just a week after the city voted to pursue legal action and a criminal probe against the Lone Star state over the bus program. The bus arrived at Union Station in Los Angeles on Monday morning and carried 23 men, 20 women and 21 children onboard. The migrants are from Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Russia and Venezuela, according to Fox News. Los Angeles' deputy mayor Zach Seidle said that a plan was put in place earlier this year for migrant arrivals in the city, which was activated as soon as they were made aware about the bus. The bus arrived just a week after the city council in Los Angeles had voted to pursue legal action and a criminal probe against Texas over their program to 'bus' migrants over to the sanctuary city. The migrant bus (like the one pictured above) arrived at Union Station in Los Angeles on Monday and carried 23 men, 20 women and 21 children onboard Abbott's (pictured above) spokesperson Andrew Mahalis told Fox News: 'The LA City Council members are complete hypocrites. In June, they unanimously voted to become a sanctuary city, welcoming migrants to the city' Members of the council requested an investigation by the city attorney's office to probe whether Texas Governor Greg Abbott has committed crimes via the program. Abbott's spokesperson Andrew Mahalis told Fox News: 'The LA City Council members are complete hypocrites. 'In June, they unanimously voted to become a sanctuary city, welcoming migrants to the city. 'Texas began busing migrants to sanctuary cities like Los Angeles last year to provide relief to our overrun and overwhelmed border communities.' The migrant bussing program has brought 435 migrants to LA between June 14, when the first bus arrived, and now. This comes after LA City Council approved a motion to formally establish the city as a sanctuary city on June 9. Overall, more than 30,000 migrants were sent in busses to Democrat-led across the US, including New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Governor Abbott previously said: '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. '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.' The number of migrants arriving in the US has drastically increased in 2022 The latest group were dropped off at LA 's Union Station yesterday (file photo) 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. The Biden administration has opened up new ways for migrants to enter the US legally as part of a broader strategy to discourage people from crossing the US-Mexico border illegally. Migrants waiting in Mexico can apply for US entry on a smartphone app and later request asylum, but slots on the app fill up quickly. Under another Biden program, Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans can request to enter the US by air if they have US sponsors. But those routes do not provide the same benefits available to refugees or a direct path to permanent residence and eventual citizenship. It is not yet known how she will present herself tomorrow for the first day of classes Lemieux was seen without the signature blond wig and Z-cup prosthetic breasts that caused chaos last fall Teacher Kayla Lemieux was seen by DailyMail.com meeting with officers on Tuesday - the day before she reports to work for the first day of school School officials and police went to extraordinary lengths Tuesday to protect Kayla Lemieux, the high school teacher who previously donned enormous, size Z-cup prosthetic breasts in front of students. Lemieux drove to a Tim Horton's coffee shop only blocks away from Nora Frances Henderson Secondary School in Hamilton, Ontario, and met with two female plainclothes officers from the Halton Regional Police Service. As she did the week prior and revealed in exclusive DailyMail.com pictures Lemieux presented as a man. There was no sign of the teacher's long blond wig or gigantic prosthetic breasts under tight-fitting tops. It is not yet known how she will present herself tomorrow on the first day of classes nor have school officials made any pronouncement about its views. Teacher Kayla Lemieux was seen by DailyMail.com meeting with officers on Tuesday - the day before the first day of classes at a Canadian elementary school There was no sign of the teacher's long blond wig or gigantic prosthetic breasts under tight-fitting tops Lemieux drove to a Tim Horton's coffee shop only blocks away from Nora Frances Henderson Secondary School in Hamilton, Ontario, and met with two female plainclothes officers from the Halton Regional Police Service Security is expected to be even tighter on Wednesday morning when students file into the school for the first day of classes Lemieux followed the officers to a nearby police station, where they spoke for about 30 minutes no doubt reviewing the measures in place for Wednesday's start of classes at the school. Meanwhile, a trio of security guards contracted by the school board patrolled the sprawling property and monitored the entrances to its two parking lots. At 9.15am local time, Lemieux arrived at the school escorted by an unmarked Halton Regional Police Service. She entered the building at the rear, where her shop class is located. Poll Should Kayla wear her wig and Z-cup breasts to class? Yes No Should Kayla wear her wig and Z-cup breasts to class? Yes 60 votes No 1877 votes Now share your opinion Security is expected to be even tighter on Wednesday morning when students file into the school for the first day of classes. In a letter to parents, principal Tom Fisher warned of 'possible media interest onsite and protests' when the school re-opens on Sept. 6 due to the hiring of an 'experience educator' who was 'recently the subject of public attention, pertaining to their gender expression, while teaching at a school in a different community.' Fisher did not name Lemieux but outlined precautions, including 'having students enter and exit the building using assigned doors at entry and dismissal' and 'locking exterior doors during school hours, only using the front main doors during school hours.' Fisher could not be reached for comment. It remains to be seen if there will be protests after the Daily Mail revealed Lemieux showing up the week before school dressed as a man and sporting facial hair. Lemieux kept mum when approached by a Daily Mail reporter and asked why she previously claimed the giant prosthetic breasts were real and did not respond when asked if she would be teaching as a female or male. Lemieux caused chaos last fall when photos circulated showing massive breasts while working at a Canadian high school It is not yet known how she will present herself tomorrow on the first day of classes nor have school officials made any pronouncement about its views Lemieux is now working at the Nora Francis Henderson Secondary School. The principal warned parents of 'possible media interest onsite and protests' The controversial teacher insisted the enormous breasts are real a result of a condition called 'gigantomastia' and said she is not transgender but intersex, meaning she was born with male and female sex organs. Lemieux admitted she had nothing from a doctor to back up his claims. Police won't say if there have been any threats against Lemieux or the school. On Tuesday, a lone woman waited on the street outside the school. 'I'll be back tomorrow,' she said, adding it was important to 'protect the kids.' Lemieux outraged parents and caused chaos last fall when photos circulated showing her working at Oakville Trafalgar High School. Lemieux was placed on home assignment earlier this year after the Halton District School Board (HDSB) failed to implement a dress code that would have tamed the teacher's cartoonish appearance. The HDSB complained that its hands were tied due to the province's Human Rights Code. 'The HDSB recognizes the rights of students, staff, parents/guardians and community members to equitable treatment without discrimination based upon gender identity and gender expression,' the board said in a statement. 'Gender identity and gender expression are protected grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code.' Lemieux's new employer, the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board for whom she previously worked while teaching tech at Ancaster High School is not commenting, citing his right to privacy. According to the Ontario College of Teachers, which certifies educators, 'Kerry Luc Lemieux' has been a teacher 'in good standing' since 2006. A driver who was high on coke when he killed a schoolgirl has been convicted of two further drug-driving offences while waiting for the case to come to court. Gavin Prodger, 53, admitted causing the death of Lily Lockwood whilst having excess drugs in his system at the time of the crash in July 2021. But Maidstone Crown Court was told that since the fatal accident Prodger has twice been convicted of drug-driving. Judge Philip Statman took the unusual step of addressing the victim's family from a seat in the corner of his bench to thank them for attending and explain why it had taken more than two years for Prodger to enter his guilty pleas. Prodger, of Beaulieu Rise, Rochester, pleaded guilty to causing her death in Watling Street, Dartford. He was warned he faces a long sentence as the case was adjourned until October 23. Gavin Prodger, 53, admitted causing the death of Lily Lockwood (pictured) whilst having excess drugs in his system at the time of the crash in July 2021 He had denied the more serious charge of causing her death by driving dangerously and he was cleared when the Crown offered no evidence. Jobless Prodger, who also admitted possessing a Class A drug, lowered his head as Lily's family were introduced to the judge. Judge Statman told them: 'I express my sincere condolences to all of you.' He then ordered a pre-sentence report before adjourning sentencing. The judge granted Prodger - who is already serving a driving ban for the other two driving offences - bail until the next hearing. Gavin Prodger, 53, pleaded guilty to causing her death in Watling Street, Dartford, while having excess drugs in his system, including cocaine at Maidstone Crown Court (pictured) An inquest has already been opened into the child's death who was struck by a yellow Audi S1 near the junction with Meadow Way. The Brent Primary School pupil was taken to Kings College Hospital for treatment where she died shortly after on July 12. A medical cause of death was given as 'catastrophic brain injuries' related to a road traffic incident. Almond Park, a local play area near to where Lily lived, is now set to become a permanent memorial. It was revealed in March that the community space is going to be renovated with a butterfly theme in honour of the youngster. The criminals took everything, including: passports, cameras, phones, iPads, laptops, and luggage Shocking footage captured by journalist Arisley T. Pacheco, revealed a car's trunk vandalized, with shattered glass scattered across the ground Multiple groups of tourists fell victim to the brazen smash and grab car break-ins that occurred in broad daylight within minutes at a San Francisco Beach Numerous groups of tourists visiting a beach in San Francisco had all their belongings stolen from their cars, including their passports, while at the ocean for just minutes. On their second day in San Francisco, a group of tourists from Malta contemplated cutting their trip short and returning to Europe after the brazen smash and grab that occurred in broad daylight within a mere 10-minute window. At the same beach, another European family enjoying a day by the ocean fell prey to a car break-in. Shocking footage captured by Matty Lopez on Instagram and shared by journalist Arisley T. Pacheco, who documents robbery victims, revealed their car's trunk vandalized, with shattered glass scattered across the ground. The man recording the video questions the tourists, 'So what happened - you went to the beach for five minutes?' Their response is disheartening: 'They took everything we had - passports, cameras, phones, iPads, laptops, luggage - everything.' Numerous groups of tourists visiting a beach in San Francisco had all their belongings stolen from their cars, including their passports, while at the ocean for just minutes On their second day in San Francisco, a group of tourists from Malta contemplated cutting their trip short and returning to Europe after the brazen smash and grab that occurred in broad daylight within a mere 10-minute window The video was shared on Tuesday, but the exact timing of these break-ins remain unclear. The incident occurred at the northernmost tip of Ocean Beach in San Francisco. While some viewers expressed sympathy, others attributed the incidents to the rising crime rates in San Francisco, questioning why people would choose to visit the city. One user commented, 'Why don't people learn not to visit California?' Another added, 'You can't leave anything in your car anymore.' Others brought politics into the discussion, blaming voters for electing politicians who they believe don't take a strong stance against crime. Shocking footage revealed the car's trunk vandalized, with shattered glass scattered across the ground The incident occurred at the northernmost tip of Ocean Beach in San Francisco In August alone, San Francisco reported nearly 1,670 car break-ins, contributing to the nearly 10,000 thefts from vehicles recorded in the city this year. Criminals often engage in 'bipping and boosting,' smashing car windows and swiftly driving away, frequently targeting multiple parked vehicles in a single day. Last month, thieves in San Francisco were captured on camera cruising the streets in a Lexus, stopping at parked cars to smash windows and steal valuables inside. One SUV even had a person sitting in the back when the windows were smashed, but the thief still snatched the victim's bag before escaping in the waiting Lexus. Signs can be seen throughout the city warning residents and tourists not to leave anything inside their cars, but the crime rate has remained stubbornly high. Tourist areas such as the North Beach, Japantown and Presidio have the highest rate of break-ins in cars per 10,000 residents. Last year, McCray, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Federation, fell victim to the crime herself. Her car was parked on the 1200 block of Franklin Street, in between the Tenderloin and Japantown, on March 23, 2022, while she visited a relative at the CPMC Van Ness Campus hospital. McCray said she was parked for less than 30 minutes, but still her car was broken into. Last month, thieves in San Francisco were captured on camera cruising the streets in a Lexus, stopping at parked cars to smash windows and steal valuables inside In August alone, San Francisco reported nearly 1,670 car break-ins, contributing to the nearly 10,000 thefts from vehicles recorded in the city this year She wrote a blog post entitled: 'Hell - they got me, too!' Supervisor Dean Preston, whose district includes several hot spots for car break-ins in neighborhoods such as Alamo Square and Japantown, last month called for a hearing with the Mayor's Office, police, Municipal Transportation Agency and a other city departments to explain to the Board of Supervisors what is being done about the problem. 'Despite many announcements, the city has made no noticeable progress in addressing this persistent issue,' he said. 'It's time to let the public know what's been working and what hasn't, and what can be done collaboratively to finally reduce car break-ins. 'Meanwhile, residents continue to deal with broken car windows, stolen possessions, and shattered glass on streets and sidewalks, while visitors are left with trauma, financial loss, and less-than-ideal memories of their visits.' Back in 2011, police arrested only about 2 percent of reported car break-ins. Today, that figure is under 1 percent. One of the possible reasons so few people get caught, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, is due to the police force decentralizing its investigative units in 2009, when it moved toward 'community policing.' The new model involves officers getting assigned to patrol specific neighborhoods mainly on foot, to build 'familiarity and trust,' according to the outlet. 'The grand jury believed this model made the department 'ineffective' at curbing organized rings committing car break-ins across the city, groups they estimated were behind 70-80 percent of incidents,' according to the report. Charles Ryan, a case worker for San Francisco's Pretrial Diversion Project said without repercussions for first-time offenders, their behavior will 'eventually escalate.' A nurse who was more than twice the drink drive limit and ploughed into an elderly man crossing the road in a fatal hit and run on Christmas Eve before driving off has been jailed for five years. Katrina Mahoney, 34, had gone out to buy cigarettes when she struck retired nurse and church treasurer Ron Fealey, 82, in Merthyr Tydfil, with her 15-year-old son in the car, on December 24 last year. But mother-of-two Mahoney failed to stop driving despite her windshield being smashed and bystanders had to step into help Mr Fealey, who died days later in hospital as a result of a traumatic brain injury. She claimed she had drunk one Malibu and Baileys, but a breathalyser test revealed she had 73mg of alcohol per 100ml breath, more than twice the drink drive limit. Mr Fealey's son, also a nurse, spoke of his horror at hearing the person who had run his father over and driven off 'was drunk, a registered nurse and had her child in the car'. Katrina Mahoney (pictured) who was more than twice the drink drive limit and ploughed into an elderly man crossing the road in a fatal hit and run on Christmas Eve before driving off has been jailed for five years Mahoney had gone out to buy cigarettes when she struck retired nurse and church treasurer Ron Fealey (pictured), 82, in Merthyr Tydfil, with her 15-year-old son in the car, on December 24 last year Mahoney claimed she had drunk one Malibu and Baileys, but a breathalyser test revealed she had 73mg of alcohol per 100ml breath, more than twice the drink drive limit Mr Fealey had been at the Winchester pub in Merthyr Tyfil on the evening of the crash. He left the pub around 9.50pm and was seen on CCTV walking on the pavement. A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Tuesday heard Mahoney's teenage son was in the car at the time of the collision, and she dropped him off home before returning to Avenue de Clichy with a nursing friend. Prosecutor Andrew Jones played footage of the collision, which took place around 10pm. At the point of the crash, Mahoney was driving at 40mph in a 20mph zone and in the process of overtaking when she hit Mr Fealey. He hit the front of the vehicle and fell to the floor. Mr Jones said: 'The defendant collided with Mr Fealey but didn't stop her vehicle and instead she returned to her home, leaving Mr Fealey bleeding and unconscious in the road. She had her 15-year-old son with her in the car at the time.' Witnesses started first aid on Mr Fealey and due to a wait for an ambulance, firefighters from the nearby station assisted. Mahoney returned to the scene 10 minutes later with her friend and spoke to a police officer. She told the officer: 'That's my car yes, you can see the damage that is done. He literally just wondered in front of me. The lights were on green and he wondered into the road and I hit him.' The officer could smell alcohol on her breath and asked her if she had been drinking, but she claimed to have only had one drink. At the point of the crash, Mahoney was driving at 40mph in a 20mph zone and in the process of overtaking when she hit Mr Fealey Mahoney returned to the scene 10 minutes later with her friend and spoke to a police officer, who she told: 'That's my car yes, you can see the damage that is done' Mr Fealey was admitted to the Prince Charles Hospital and found to have suffered a scalp laceration and abrasions, traumatic brain injury, left subdural haemorrhage, diffuse axonal injury, internal bleeding, fractures to his vertebrae, ribs, and hip. It was concluded the traumatic brain injury was not survivable and Mr Fealey died as a result of his injuries on December 26. Mahoney, of Hawthorn Avenue, Gurnos, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving while unfit through drink and drink driving. In devastating victim personal statements read out to the court, Mr Fealey's family expressed their grief at the loss of the much loved great-grandfather. His son Michael described how his father was initially unknown when admitted to hospital so was without family for much of his first night in hospital. Michael Fealey, also a qualified nurse, added: 'I was heartbroken. He had no family with him all night and we were unable to hold his hand or comfort him. 'Imagine my horror when I found out the person who done this was drunk, a registered nurse and had her child in the car, when she left my father unconscious in the road. She didn't even call an ambulance.' He said his father had 'carried his nursing values with him his whole life', adding he struggled to accept that a nurse had knocked him down and drove off. James Fealey, Mr Fealey's grandson, said he was like a 'father figure' following the death of his own father, and described him as his 'idol'. Mahoney, of Hawthorn Avenue, Gurnos, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving while unfit through drink and drink driving A police officer could smell alcohol on Mahoney's breath and asked her if she had been drinking, but she claimed to have only had one drink He added: 'For his life to end in such circumstances has left me lost and unguided. I turned to him for every piece of advice and support which has been stolen from me.' Rachel Fealey, Mr Fealey's granddaughter, said her grandfather could have lived for another 10 years and should have been there for the birth of her son and her wedding. She added: 'Our grandfather was one of the most selfless people, helping others and was well known in Merthyr. This woman robbed the town of this man.' In a letter written to the court, Mahoney said: 'I think about (Mr Fealey) and his family every day, all I see is this man hitting the car. I know what grief feels like and knowing I have impacted grief upon another family breaks my heart. 'I will never forgive myself for what I have done and I'd like the family to know I am so sorry. If I could take it away I would take it away in a heartbeat because I know how they are feeling.' Sentencing, Judge Lucy Crowther said: 'Mr Fealey was a much loved family man. A husband, a father, a brother, grandfather and great grandfather. They struggle to understand how you could have possibly left him in the road. You have changed their lives for the worst.' In mitigation, Tim Evans said Mahoney had struggled with her mental health during the Christmas period following the death of her mother, best friend, and two of her brothers. The court heard she discovered her mother hanging on the day of her best friend's funeral. Mahoney was sentenced to five years imprisonment, and will serve half the sentence in custody before she is released on licence. She was also disqualified from driving for seven-and-a-half years. The father of a little boy who died after suffering horrendous 90 per cent burns in a motorbike explosion on Father's Day is still in a coma and doesn't know his son is dead. Max Knight succumbed to his injuries on Monday after his motorbike caught fire at his family's Murphy's Creek property, in Queensland's south, on Sunday. Max was riding his Yamaha Peewee 50 bike on Father's Day morning when his dad, Harley, stopped to refuel his tank with a jerry can. Tragically a fire broke out, possibly due to the engine being too hot, and both were left severely injured. Max was flown to the Queensland Children's Hospital where he died from his injuries the following day with his father still in hospital and unaware of his son's death. His mother Emma Whybird revealed in a series of heartbreaking tributes on Facebook that she held him 'while he passed away'. Max Knight (above) died at about 7am on Monday after suffering burns to 90 per cent of his body in a motorbike crash on Sunday Max's father, Harley (pictured together above), suffered burns to 40 per cent of his body in the crash and has been in an induced coma since - he doesn't know about Max's death 'My beautiful baby boy, I'm going to miss your beautiful smile, your precious hugs, your kisses good night, your warm touch,' she wrote. READ MORE: Father of two boys killed in collision constantly reminded of their deaths in Sydney's south Advertisement 'It's never going to be the same without you Max. My heart aches so much not cuddling you to sleep and reading you your favourite books. 'I wish you could come back to me my precious boy. Max, you will always be in Mummy and Daddy's life forever. 'We love you so much my darling little Max, the Knight rider.' Harley suffered burns to roughly 40 per cent of his body, mostly on the face, chest and arms. He remains in an induced coma at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital while doctors wait for his condition to stabilise enough to operate. He won't find out about his five-year-old son's death until he is woken, which is expected to be either on Thursday or Friday. Ms Whybird said her 'heart hurts' thinking about that conversation. Max's grandfather Tennocy Knight described his grandson as 'a good little kid'. Max's mother, Emma Whybird (pictured together above), said she had to 'hold him while he passed away' Max (above) was described as a 'good little kid' with Ms Whybird writing, 'You will always be in Mummy and Daddy's life forever' 'He lived life to the fullest, like his father. It has been a really tough day for us and we are just trying to cope with the loss,' he told the Toowoomba Chronicle on Monday. 'The hardest thing for us as a family was to sit there beside his bed and do nothing.' He described Max and Harley as a close father-son duo. 'Motorbikes were their life, they loved riding together and they loved fishing too,' Mr Knight said. A mother and her two children who died in a crash with double-decker bus had fled war-torn Ukraine, it emerged today. Daria Bartienieva, 35, Anastasiia Bartienieva, 15, and Ihor Bartienieva, six, were killed when two cars collided with the bus near Ripon in North Yorkshire on Sunday. The tragedy came seven months after the children's father also died in a car crash in Ukraine in February - leaving a surviving daughter aged 15, now orphaned in Britain. Donna Chilcott, whose fundraising page has amassed over 8,000 for the bereaved teenager, said the family were liked by locals in Ripon, where they sought sanctuary. The supermarket team leader added that Anastasiia, Ms Bartienieva's step-daughter, had only been in the UK for five weeks before she died in the collision on the A61. The incident happened eight days after a 59-year-old motorcyclist died in a crash on the same stretch of road. That incident on August 26 saw the Suzuki Bandit rider involved in a collision with a dark Land Rover Discovery and a white Ford Transit van. The crash was on the A61 between South Stainley and Ripley in North Yorkshire (file image) Ms Chilcott, 39, said: 'It's heartbreaking, especially for her. She lost her dad in February in Ukraine and then lost the rest of her whole family in one car crash. 'As far as I'm aware, he also died in a car crash. She's now being looked after by a family friend. The little boy had quite a lot of friends at the school that he went to. 'The other girl, Anastasiia, had only been here for five weeks, in the UK, then died in a car crash. The mum was really nice from what everyone has been saying. 'My daughter goes to school with the girl that has been left on her own. But I didn't really know the family. I'm friends with the lady who has taken her in.' Police said the family's silver Vauxhall Meriva collided with a blue Toyota Aygo and a bus, which was travelling in the opposite direction to both cars, at around 2.20pm. The driver of the bus was taken to hospital with leg injuries, while some of its passengers were also needed treatment after sustaining minor injuries. The family were liked by locals in Ripon, North Yorkshire, where they lived (file image) The two people who were travelling in the Toyota were not hurt in the crash, which happened on the rural road between South Stainley and Ripley. A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said today: 'We are now able to confirm the identities of the woman and two children who tragically died in a collision on the A61 near Ripon on Sunday. 'They are Daria Bartienieva, 35, her son, Ihor Bartienieva, aged 6, and Daria's step-daughter, Anastasiia Bartienieva aged 15. 'All three were from Ukraine and living in Ripon, North Yorkshire, at the time of the collision. Our thoughts are with their family members in the UK and Ukraine at this time.' Following the news of the family's passing, scores of locals took to social media to share their shared sense of grief. One wrote: 'How very sad to hear such tragic news and the poor girl now without a family. Very sad and I hope she will get the support she so will desperately need at this difficult time. North Yorkshire Police advised motorists of the A61 closure on Sunday afternoon and evening Another said: 'How devastating and heartbreaking for this young girl, bless her.' A third simply said: 'Heartbreaking. I have no words.' A further local wrote: 'Such a tragedy, I hope she has a lot of support and love around her. My heart breaks for her.' After the incident, police said yesterday that the next of kin of the three victims had been receiving 'specialist support'. One witness, Christine Henderson, said: 'I was about five cars behind and it looked horrific... so sad.' Others claimed the area could be dangerous, with former local bus driver Miles Body saying: 'It's so sad to hear about the news of yesterday. RIP to those involved. 'But if it's where I think the crash happened, the council should get rid of that overtaking bit. When I was a bus driver I had a couple of near misses there.' Local resident Katie Denton-Leach said: 'How many people have to die on this road before they do something about it? Poor father/partner losing their family in one accident. Shocking for people involved too.' Another, Richard Chew, added: 'I think double-decker buses have ten-plus cameras on board, including front and back dash-cams. 'So these should hold the key to this awful tragedy. Something needs to be done to make that stretch of road safer - guess the coroner may rule on that.' Another local mother, Rowan Darlington, from Harrogate, added: 'It seems the number of catastrophic crashes in our area has boomed this year. 'My daughter uses that road a lot and it's terrifying to think how quickly lives are gone. Condolences to the families that have been affected.'. Officers at North Yorkshire Police are now appealing for witnesses, urging anyone who saw the crash or any of the vehicles prior to the collision to get in touch. They are also asking anyone who has dashcam footage of any of the vehicles travelling along the A61 before the collision, or of the crash itself, to contact them. The road was closed to allow all emergency services to attend the collision and for investigators to examine the scene. It reopened at about 11.30pm on Sunday night. Sergeant Paul Cording, a roads policing sergeant and senior investigating officer at North Yorkshire Police, said on X: 'Such utterly tragic news as three people confirmed dead following a collision on the A61 between Harrogate and Ripon. My thoughts are with all those affected by this devastating incident.' Anyone who can help is urged to email Julie.brown@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and pass information for incident 12230166439 The de facto ban on onshore wind farms is being drastically overhauled, ministers announced today. Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove confirmed the U-turn as the government struggles to contain Tory infighting over planning rules and the Net Zero drive. Former Cop26 president Alok Sharma has been leading backbench pressure to drop rules which allow a single objection to block development. The new measures mean communities can apply to their local authority to have turbines built, though the final decision will still be taken by elected councillors. Town halls will also have to take into account the view of communities as a whole and not just a small minority in opposition. Areas that choose to host turbines will benefit from cheaper electricity, Mr Gove said in a written statement to Parliament. However, other Conservatives made clear they are not happy with the proposals. A U-turn on onshore wind farms is set to be confirmed as Rishi Sunak struggles to quell Tory infighting over planning rules and the Net Zero drive. Pictured, a wind farm in East Sussex Mr Sunak, pictured yesterday, pledged last October to keep tight rules on onshore wind farm in place Mr Gove said the measures will help the drive to net zero, with wind farms only being built where there is local support. Campaigners have described the announcement as 'feeble tweaks' that 'go nowhere near close enough' to unblocking the restrictions introduced during David Cameron's government which have led to very few onshore turbines being built since. Mr Gove said: 'To increase our energy security and develop a cleaner, greener economy, we are introducing new measures to allow local communities to back onshore wind power projects. 'This will only apply in areas where developments have community support, but these changes will help build on Britain's enormous success as a global leader in offshore wind, helping us on our journey to net zero.' Renewable energy made up 42 per cent of the UK's electricity generation in 2022, though much of this was from turbines offshore. Energy experts say onshore wind must be scaled up rapidly if the UK is to decarbonise fast enough to meet its net zero goals. However, former minister Sir John Hayes told the BBC he was concerned about loosening the rules. 'You either care about the landscape or you don't,' he said. 'I would object to wind turbines being imposed on communities and I don't look forward to a watering down of the rules. 'I don't see it that way. Maybe we can amend and look again at the details of this.' Sir Alok has now dropped his amendment to the Energy BIll, which would have required the Government to set out paths for developers to show local communities support their plans. It would have also prohibited appeals against a decision by a local council to refuse planning permission for a wind farm to ensure local wishes are respected. Former Cop26 president Alok Sharma has been leading backbench pressure to drop rules which allow a single objection to block development The amendment had been signed by more than 20 backbench Conservatives, including ex-prime minister Liz Truss and several other former ministers. Sir Alok said his proposed new clause to the Energy Bill would ensure there was a 'more permissive planning regime' for onshore wind farms. He said he had 'constructive dialogue' with the Government over the past days, and said changes will 'help to deliver a more permissive regime for onshore wind'. He added: 'The de facto ban is lifted.' Sir Alok told the Commons: 'Given that this ministerial statement does indeed move us forward, I welcome it, and it's for that reason that we will not seek to press new clause 43 to a division.' Other signatories included former party chairman Sir Jake Berry, former chief whip Wendy Morton, Wales Committee chairman Stephen Crabb and former levelling up secretary Sir Simon Clarke. The current rules, introduced under David Cameron in 2015, require councils to draw up detailed plans showing all the areas suitable for onshore wind development before new wind farms can go ahead, and also mean that proposals can be blocked even if just a single person objects to them. Official at the US consulate in Matamoros, a Mexican border town, were instructed to 'shelter in place' Monday as gun violence linked to the country's drug cartels surrounded them. Matamoros, a city right across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, Texas, is where four Americans were kidnapped, two of whom were murdered, earlier this year after apparently being mistaken by the local gangs for rivals of the drug cartels. The Labor Day lockdown was reportedly triggered by the killing of four people in a shootout with the Mexican military in the city. A Monday tweet from the consulate read: 'US Consulate General Matamoros employees are currently under a shelter-in-place order until 1:30 p.m. in Matamoros due to gun violence occurring in the city.' 'We recommend you shelter in place and stay tuned to local news for updates in your area.' Officials at the US Consulate in Matamoros, Mexico were told to shelter in place Monday as fatal gunfire broke out in the surrounding area The altercation, which reportedly left four people dead, was between a member of the Mexican military stationed in Matamoros, largely considered to be one of the most dangerous areas in Mexico The shooters engaged with a Mexican marine patrolman, and authorities later recovered guns and tactical gear from the scene, according to a state official. The Gulf Cartel, a drug trafficking and crime syndicate, is based out of Matamoros. The Jalisco Cartel New Generation also has a presence in the city. Back in March, when the American tourists were captured and two were killed, the Gulf Cartel acknowledged that several of its members played a role in the crime and apologized in a letter to the Mexican police. The group additionally turned in five of its members who said they were responsible for the March 3 killings. The FBI said the group of medical tourists entered Matamoros through Brownsville, Texas. They had travelled in a white minivan with North Carolina license plates. They became caught in the crossfire between two armed groups, according to Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The vehicle came under fire shortly after entering Mexican territory, according to an investigation by the San Antonio FBI office. A woman who witnessed the kidnapping told The Associated Press that the mini van was crashed into by another vehicle at an intersection before shots were fired at it. An SUV then then arrived from which several men emerged. 'All of a sudden they (the gunmen) were in front of us,' she said. 'I entered a state of shock, nobody honked their horn, nobody moved. Everybody must have been thinking the same thing, `if we move they will see us, or they might shoot us.'' A map highlighting the six of 32 Mexican states that the US State Department currently has listed under its most severe 'do not travel' category, due to local cartels that may rob and/or kidnap American tourists In recent years Matamoros has been plagued by violence linked to drug trafficking operations. Matamoros is located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, considered one of the most dangerous territories in the country. It is currently one of six states in Mexico listed under a 'Level 4: Do Not Travel' advisory by the US State Department due to the high levels of crime and kidnapping. Lawyers for Alex Murdaugh have filed an appeal against his conviction claiming that the court clerk interfered in his trial - and even landed a book deal from the case. The team submitted a motion on behalf of the disgraced South Carolina attorney on Tuesday, claiming that Rebecca Hill repeatedly 'tampered with the jury.' Court documents seen by DailyMail.com state that Hill told jurors 'not to be fooled by' Murdaugh, 55, and told them their 'deliberations shouldn't take them long'. It stated: 'Ms. Hill did these things to secure for herself a book deal and media appearances that would not happen in the event of a mistrial. Ms. Hill betrayed her oath of office for money and fame.' Murdaugh's legal team says he was 'shaking and in disbelief' after they presented him with the evidence. He is currently serving two life sentences for the murders of Maggie and Paul. The team submitted a motion on behalf of the disgraced South Carolina attorney on Tuesday, claiming that Rebecca Hill repeatedly 'tampered with the jury' Hill, pictured with Judge Newman, is being accused by Murdaugh's defense team of influencing the jury as they move for a retrial Court documents seen by DailyMail.com state that Hill told jurors 'not to be fooled by' Murdaugh, 55, and told them their 'deliberations shouldn't take them long Hill, who is on her first term as elected Clerk of Court, published a book, Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders, on the trial in July. Lawyers for Murdaugh said in a press conference that they were informed of Hill's alleged behavior after the publication of the book, when jurors who were 'upset' with her came forward. 'We were hitting brick walls until her book came out,' Dick Harpootlian said. 'Then jurors who obviously were not comfortable in how she handled matters, and even less comfortable with her going on a book tour and making money off it, they reported it to us. 'She's trying to make a lot of money. Thats the point. Trying to make money off it by selling the book. 'Was it a successful scheme? I don't know. If youve read, and I'm not going to give a book review, but the book is not well written. The story is not accurate in our opinion.' They say that they are 'optimistic' for a retrial, but would not answer questions about any new suspects or evidence they would bring in the case. James Griffin and Harpootlian say Hill traveled with jurors to New York when they appeared on NBC's Today Show. NBC did not immediately respond when contacted by DaiylMail.com for a request for comment. Lawyers for Murdaugh are pushing for a retrial, and also claim that Hill traveled with jurors to New York when they appeared on NBC's Today Show James McDowell, Gwen Generette and Amie Williams waived their right to anonymity to appeared on NBC's TODAY show to discuss the case that captivated the nation for six weeks 'We read right through it': None of the four jurors who publicly spoke after the trial said they believed Murdaugh's tears. All say he harmed his defense on the stand Convicted killer Alex is currently serving two life sentences for the murders, despite insisting from the witness stand during his trial that he is not guilty Joe McCulloch, lawyer for two jurors who signed affidavits, told News Nation that his clients 'reluctantly agreed' to speak to the defense team. He added: 'This is one of those chips fall where they may. I have a lot of regard for the clerk and it's unfortunate that we find ourselves here. 'It is hard to say where this goes but it is a challenge to our court system to evaluate all this and determine what is the next right thing to do. Murdaugh is pictured in a mugshot with his head shaved and wearing a yellow jumpsuit 'I will say that the assertions by the defense today, with statements made by people I represent they're serious and there certainly is a way that the court could find that this cannot be assigned as harmless error. 'But well have to wait for the court to do its work.' Murdaugh's attorneys are arguing that Hill breached a South Carolina code which states: 'No public official, public member, or public employee may knowingly use his official office, membership, or employment to obtain an economic interest for himself.' Hill is understood to have also organized a post-trial drink with members of the media and court staff, following Murdaugh's double murder conviction. Harpootlian added: 'Today, we filed a petition based on newly discovered evidence with the SC Court of Appeals to stay Alex Murdaugh's appeal while a hearing is held on a motion for a new trial. 'Concurrently, we have sent a request to the South Carolina U.S. Attorney to open a federal investigation into the violation of Alex Murdaugh's civil rights.' The court documents add: 'Ms. Hill had frequent private conversations with the jury foreperson, a Court-appointed substitution for the foreperson the jury elected for itself at the request of Ms. Hill. Juror Craig Moyer appeared on Good Morning America before Murdaugh's sentencing to explain why he and his fellow jurors felt Murdaugh was guilty Legal documents say that they would 'go into the jury room's single-occupancy bathroom together', with Hill banning anyone from asking questions about the conversations Murdaugh's defense team previously said they planned to appeal the conviction, but not on what grounds Court documents claim Hill, right, would enter the jury room on a regular basis, as well as having private conversations with the jury foreperson 'lasting five or ten minutes'. 'During the trial, Ms. Hill asked jurors for their opinions about Mr. Murdaugh's guilt or innocence. 'Ms. Hill invented a story about a Facebook post to remove a juror she believed might not vote guilty.' They claim that she would enter the jury room on a regular basis, as well as having private conversations with the jury foreperson 'lasting five or ten minutes'. Hill, who is on her first term as elected Clerk of Court, published a book, Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders, on the trial in July Legal documents say that they would 'go into the jury room's single-occupancy bathroom together', with Hill banning anyone from asking questions about the conversations. Murdaugh's attorneys argue that Hill told the jury to 'watch him closely' as he gave evidence - stating 'at least one juror understood that to mean Mr Murdaugh was guilty.' The jury foreperson is also accused of telling other members of the panel that Murdaugh was 'crying on cue' and criticized the former foreperson for handing him a box of tissues. In addition to the motion for a new trial, the defense team sent a letter to the U.S. attorney for the District of South Carolina, asking for a federal probe into Hill's alleged misconduct. They wrote that Murdaugh may 'very well be a victim of the corruption he symbolizes.' During the trial Judge Clifton Newman ordered Hill to produce a Facebook post that she had seen, claiming that a juror's ex-husband was 'saying stuff' about how his former wife told him what her 'verdict was going to be'. But the new documents now claim that Hill 'invented' the post, with the juror claiming it could not be possible as she hadn't seen her ex-husband in more than ten years. 'Ms. Hill never saw any such Facebook post. She made it up,' the newly filed motion claims. Buster, Paul, Maggie and Alex Murdaugh at the Moselle estate in a picture uploaded on Maggie's Facebook to mark Father's Day 2020 Murdaugh's eldest son Buster, 26, has also broken his silence on his father's crimes, telling Fox Nation's The Fall of the House of Murdaugh , that he felt his father's ' manipulation and lies' made him a psychopath The former spouse also denied the allegations that he wrote the post, as well as a follow-up apology, in a sworn affidavit. Judge Newman ultimately dismissed the juror, but said: 'Oh boy. I'm not too pleased about the clerk interrogating a juror as opposed to coming to me and bringing it to me.' Smokers on the jury were also reportedly banned from taking a smoke break during deliberations by Hill, despite being allowed to do so during the course of the trial. The court document added: 'Ms Hill told jurors that after the trial they would be famous and predicted that the media would request interviews with them. 'Ms. Hill even handed out reporters' business cards to jurors during the trial. 'After the verdict and immediately before sentencing, Ms. Hill pressured the jury to speak as a group to reporters from a network news show. 'She traveled with jurors to New York City when they appeared on the Today show.' Murdaugh's defense team previously said they planned to appeal the conviction, but not on what grounds. Throughout the six-week trial, they objected to several of the court's rulings, including the admission of Murdaugh's financial crimes into evidence. It comes after the South Carolina Department of Corrections confirmed that Murdaugh lost his prison phone and canteen privileges. He is accused of engaging with the media, stemming from an investigation that found he read his journal entries to Griffin in a recorded phone call. The recording was for a Fox Nation documentary, according to an incident report by the SCDC. Murdaugh's eldest son Buster, 26, has also broken his silence on his father's crimes, telling Fox Nation's The Fall of the House of Murdaugh, that he felt his father's 'manipulation and lies' made him a psychopath. Donald Trump's former chief of staff Mark Meadows pleaded not guilty to trying to subvert the 2020 election results in Georgia, as a report emerges that he could be preparing to flip on his old boss. Meadows became the latest of the 19 co-defendants, including the ex-President, to waive Wednesday's arraignment and avoid an appearance that will be broadcast live on TV. He pleaded not guilty to racketeering charges accusing him of trying to help Trump steal Joe Biden's election victory. Meadows is free on $100,000 bail and is fighting to have his case moved to federal court. Lawyers for once Trump's top White House aide argue that he was acting in his official capacity as a government employee in the aftermath of the 2020 election. Donald Trump's former chief of staff Mark Meadows has pleaded not guilty to trying to subvert the 2020 election results in Georgia Meadows' legal team also doesn't believe he can get a fair trial with a jury pool from Fulton County. The court filing came hours after a report claimed Meadows and other co-defendants could be preparing to turn on Trump to save themselves. Attorneys for Meadows have paid more attention to Trump's prominent role in the bid to overturn the results, according to Politico. It suggests their legal strategy could focus on pinning Trump as the 'primary driver'. An example they used was the infamous January 2, 2021 phone call where Trump asked Georgia's Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to 'find 11,780' votes, which is the exact amount he needed for a victory over Joe Biden in the Peach State. Meadows' lawyers insist that his role in the call was 'minor' even though he arranged it. Trump and 18 other co-defendants, including Meadows, were indicted last month by a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia with racketeering charges, among others, related to the scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Many co-defendants have already submitted in writing their not guilty pleas to avoid the on camera arraignment scheduled for Wednesday in Fulton County. Among those charged in the indictment are several lawyers for the ex-President involved in trying to get him a 2020 victory. This includes Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, John Eastman and Jenna Ellis. A group of at least 61 protesters have been indicted on RICO charges for trying to stop the construction of Atlanta's controversial 'Cop City'. Activists have been trying to block the building of the police and fire training site since it was announced by then-mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, in 2021. The city approved funds for the $90million project in June and the facility would cover 85 acres of the forestland south east of Atlanta. There have been a number of acts of violence over the past year at the proposed site, including protestors letting off fireworks, throwing Molotov cocktails at police officers and vandalizing equipment. A total of 61 people have been charged with violating the states Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, with some facing additional charges of domestic terrorism and money laundering. Pictured: Members of the Defend the Atlanta Forest Woodland group at the 'Cop City' site earlier this year There have been several acts of violence over the past year at the site, including protestors letting off fireworks, throwing Molotov cocktails at police officers and vandalizing equipment. Pictured: Fires at the site in March Activists have been trying to block the building of the police and fire training site since it was announced by then-mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, in 2021 The sweeping indictment was handed last Tuesday in Fulton County court. They are being prosecuted by Georgia Attorney Generals Office and most of them are not from the state. Protestors have argued the $90million project will irrevocably destroy the local environment and also strengthen the police. Demonstrations turned violent in Downtown Atlanta when those against plans for the Cop City set a police car on fire and broke businesses windows in January. Activist Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, 26, who was camping in the woods where the proposed 'Cop City' site is planned when he was shot by police in January 2023 It came in response to the fatal police shooting of Manuel Paez Teran, a 26-year-old activist known as 'Tortuguita' who had been camping in the woods of the proposed project. But police have alleged that Teran shot at them first. Arrests over protests first began in May 2022, when a group of activists were taken into custody at the training center. They were accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at police officers and causing a small fire. While in December, five were charged with domestic terrorism and other offenses after an officer claimed they threw rocks at police cars and attacked EMTs outside the neighboring fire stations with rocks and bottles. The five people that were arrested on that night are the only ones in the recent indictment who are facing additional first degree domestic terrorism and arson charges. The vast majority of the indictment relates to protestors arrested at the site on March 5. A group of 23 were arrested and charged with domestic terrorism after allegedly throwing large rocks, bricks, Molotov cocktails and fireworks at police officers at the site. They all only face once RICO charge. Three protesters have been accused of giving out flyers in April which identified one of the officers involved in Terans death and were also charged. They were handed out in Bartow County, which is the area where the cop is believed to live. The project has faced passionate opposition since it was announced, with the decentralized 'Stop Cop City' movement galvanizing protesters from across the country. DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced in June that she would withdraw her office from prosecuting cases which relate to the training center over differences in 'prosecutorial philosophy' with Georgia Attorney Generals Office. The case has been assigned to Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Adams. The indictments come after three organizers who lead the Atlanta Solidarity Fund were arrested on May 31 for money laundering and charity fraud. Marlon Scott Kautz, 39, Savannah D. Patterson, 30, and Adele Maclean, 42, were arrested in a dramatic raid at their home. They were also named in the recent indictment and face one RICO charge and 15 counts of money laundering. Prosecutors accused the three activists of money laundering and charity fraud, saying they used some of the money to fund violent acts of 'forest defenders.' Warrants cite reimbursements for expenses including 'gasoline, forest clean-up, totes, Covid-19 rapid tests, media, yard signs.' Pictured: Protestors gather in the atrium of Atlanta City Hall to protest the proposed police training center on Monday, June 5, 2023 Heavily-armed police in riot gear descended on the site in March after rioters set fire to a construction vehicle and a surveillance tower The charred remains of what appears to be a police vehicle on the scene are pictured An abandoned protest campsite is seen inside Weelaunee People's Park with a sign sprayed onto a table 'Kill Cops' The activist groups are protesting construction of an 85-acre police training facility planned to be built in forestlands southeast of Atlanta, Georgia The trio are leaders of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund that supports the movement against the planned center, which opponents call 'Cop City.' It is part of the Network for Strong Communities and has provided bail funds and other legal resources to protesters. Protesters had been camping at the site since at least last year, and police said they had caused damage and attacked law enforcement officers and others. Numerous instances of violence and vandalism have been linked to the 'Stop Cop City' movement, including a January protest in downtown Atlanta in which a police car was set alight. In March, there was an attack in which more than 150 masked protesters chased off police at the construction site and torched equipment before fleeing and blending in with a crowd at a nearby music festival. Those two instances have led to more than 40 people being charged with domestic terrorism, though prosecutors have had difficulty so far in proving that many of those arrested were in fact those who took part in the violence. Additionally, activists have been smashing windows and damaging offices across the US as part of an ongoing protest against the proposal to build the training facility in a forest outside Atlanta. Members of the Stop Cop City movement have claimed credit for vandalism in 19 states in the last nine months, targeting businesses like Amazon, Porsche, and Wells Fargo. The group has said they target businesses based on their affiliation with the Atlanta Police Foundation and the proposed facility known as Cop City. Opponents of the controversial training center in Atlanta are trying to put the issue on the ballot. The 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals granted the city a temporary delay on a July 27 injuction by a federal judge which allowed non-Atlanta residents to collect signatures and extended the timeframe by 60 days for the petition that needs 58,231 signatures. City officials approved funding for Cop City' in June in an 11-4 vote on June 6. Hundreds of activists packed City Hall and spoke for hours in fierce opposition to the project, which they say will destroy the local environment and militarize the police. Protestors gather in the atrium of Atlanta City Hall in June to protest the planned police training center For about 14 hours, residents again and again took to the podium to slam the project Opponents of the project say it would be a gross misuse of public funds to build the huge facility in a large urban forest in a poor, majority black area For about 14 hours, residents took to the podium to slam the $90 million project, saying it would be a gross misuse of public funds to build the huge facility in a large urban forest in a poor, majority black area of southeast of Atlanta. But councilmembers agreed to approve $31 million in public funds for the site's construction, as well as a provision that requires the city to pay $36 million - $1.2 million a year over 30 years - for using the facility. The rest of the funding for the project would come from private donations to the Atlanta Police Foundation. Mayor Andre Dickens said the passage of the budget resolution 'marks a major milestone for better preparing our fire, police and emergency responders to protect and serve our communities.' He added that 'Atlanta will be a national model for police reform with the most progressive training and curriculum in the country.' City officials say the new 85-acre campus would replace inadequate training facilities and would help address difficulties in hiring and retaining police officers that worsened after nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice three years ago. But opponents, who have been joined by activists from around the country, say they fear it will lead to greater militarization of the police and that its construction will exacerbate environmental damage. 'This is just part of the avalanche of Chinese espionage we are under,' Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., told DailyMail.com Top lawmakers are slamming the Biden administration for not forcefully countering China after a shocking new report alleges that there have been more than 100 instances in which U.S. military bases were infiltrated by Chinese nationals. The Chinese nationals posed as 'tourists' wandered onto a missile launch site in New Mexico, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal. In addition, some reportedly staged as scuba divers in order to get close to a Florida rocket launch site, while others claimed to be staying on an Army base in Alaska. Th operatives have reportedly claimed to be tourists who are 'lost' and unable to find their way to a Burger King or McDonalds coincidentally close to a U.S. military base. Government officials say that Chinese nationals are often 'pressed into service' and required to report their findings back to the Chinese government. 'This is just part of the avalanche of Chinese espionage we are under,' Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., told DailyMail.com in reaction. 'Communist China will continue to use these kinds of collectors against U.S. entities to steal intelligence, launch cyber attacks, or use other means like spy balloons [until] they are met with consequences.' 'Unfortunately the Biden Administration keeps setting up senior level meetings with Chinese officials rather than show any strength,' said Waltz, who sits on the House Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees. According to the report, the FBI, Defense Department and other agencies have been aware of the infiltrations and have held summits in order to address the problem. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, called it 'brazen espionage' by the CCP in a statement to DailyMail.com and accused Biden of 'looking the other way.' Fort Wainright in Alaska, the center of the US military's operations in the Arctic, was the subject of an apparent espionage attempt, the Wall Street Journal reports A group of Chinese nationals were stopped while scuba diving close to missile row in Cape Canaveral in Florida 'Whether it's their spies speeding through security checkpoints, 'scuba diving' near a U.S. rocket-launch site, or crossing into a U.S. missile range should send a chill up every Americans' spine,' said Hinson, who sits on the House Select Committee on the Communist Party. The CCP continues to surveil and probe American defenses even here on U.S. soil. Thats why we need to take common sense precautions like preventing CCP-linked entities from purchasing land near our military bases or other national security-related infrastructure,' CCP Committee Chairman Mike Gallagher told DailyMail.com. 'We cannot allow the CCP to collect valuable intelligence here at home that they might leverage in the event of a crisis. This latest bombshell comes just months after the Chinese spy balloon crossed over the U.S., which officials say had rudimentary flight controls, passed over a number of nuclear missile facilities in late January and early February. The balloon was eventually shot down by an F-22 Raptor fighter off the coast of South Carolina. President Joe Biden caught heat for downplaying the Chinese spy balloon that drifted across the U.S., alleging that Beijing may not have known about the operation. 'Communist Party espionage will keep escalating until Democrats take their heads out of the sand,' Rep. Jim Banks, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the CCP committee, told DailyMail.com. Most of the Chinese nationals who are caught are cited, given small fines and asked not to return, as trespassing is generally not considered a federal crime. A spokesperson with the Chinese embassy in D.C. called the report 'purely ill-intentioned fabrications.' 'We urge the relevant U.S. officials to abandon the Cold War mentality, stop groundless accusations, and do more things that are conducive to enhancing mutual trust between the two countries and friendship between the two peoples,' Liu Pengyu said. In what the Journal describes as a 'recent case,' a group of Chinese citizens claimed that they were staying a Holiday Inn which is located in Fort Wainright, Alaska. Security at the base became immediately suspicious as tourism in the area is extremely unusual. The base plays host to the US Army's 11th Airborne Division. Emily Harding, a former official with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, told WSJ that the Chinese spy operation is more of a numbers game. 'The advantage the Chinese have is they are willing to throw people at collection in large numbers. If a few of them get caught, it will be very difficult for the U.S. government to prove anything beyond trespassing, and those who don't get caught are likely to collect something useful,' Harding said. In 2019, three Chinese nationals were sentenced to prison for illegally taking photographs at a Florida Navy base. Lyuyou Liao, 27, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, after pleading guilty to illegally entering NAS Key West and taking photographs and video footage of property on the Truman Annex of the station. 'This is just part of the avalanche of Chinese espionage we are under,' Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., told DailyMail.com President Joe Biden downplayed the Chinese spy balloon that drifted across the U.S. in February, alleging that Beijing may not have known about the operation Two others, Jielun Zhang, 25, and Yuhao Wang, 24, were sentenced to 12 months and nine months in prison, respectively, for entering the base in January 2019, and taking photographs of military and naval infrastructure. The same year, a Chinese woman was sentenced to eight months in prison after she entered then-President Donald Trump's estate Mar-a-Lago along while carrying electronic devices and two passports. Also in 2019, two Chinese citizens were expelled from the U.S. after attempting to drive on to the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Virginia Beach, reported the Virginia Pilot. Lucy Letby racked up a nearly 1million legal aid bill while on trial for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others, MailOnline can reveal. Representatives for the serial killer received at least 980,133.92 in legal aid, the Ministry of Justice confirmed in response to a Freedom of Information request. Anyone facing a Crown Court trial is eligible for legal aid, however applicants can be required to pay contributions up to the entire cost of the defence it they are convicted of at least one offence they had been charged with. It is unclear if Letby, 33, who was sentenced to a whole-life term after a jury found her guilty of murder and attempted murder, will have to repay the legal aid. Her legal aid total comes as it was revealed that taxpayers coughed up more than 2.5million to prosecute Letby during her 10-month trial. Lucy Letby racked up a nearly 1million legal aid bill while on trial for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others, MailOnline can reveal. Pictured: Letby while she worked as a nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital Representatives for the serial killer received at least 980,133.92 in legal aid, the Ministry of Justice confirmed in response to a Freedom of Information request. A total of 975,889.24 was provided to her solicitor and barrister at Manchester Crown Court. Her solicitor at the Police Station received another 4,244.68. Pictured: Letby while on trial at Manchester Crown Court Letby's legal aid expenses are in addition to the 2,504,245 bill that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) ran up to jail the serial killer. Lucy Letby is pictured in custody Legal aid was provided to Letby's representatives at both Crown Court and the Police Station, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has disclosed. A total of 975,889.24 was provided to her solicitor and barrister at Manchester Crown Court. Her solicitor at the Police Station received another 4,244.68. READ MORE: Lucy Letby was caught after a witness was haunted by accounts of the screams of the babies she killed Advertisement However, the total spend on Letby's case could increase after the Legal Aid Agency receives receipts of all claims associated with her trial. The MoJ notes that receipts are received and paid in arrears upon conclusion of a case. But in situations involving ongoing proceedings, recent sentencing or appeals, further claims can be made until all lawyers involved have completed the billing process. Letby's legal aid expenses are in addition to the 2,504,245 bill that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) ran up to jail the serial killer. The CPS, responding to The Sun's Freedom of Information request, said the figure accounts for 'counsel, experts and presentational fees'. The former nurse, who is Britain's most prolific child killer, was sentenced to 14 whole-life orders for the murders and seven attempted killings. She is currently at Low Newton prison, Co Durham and will die behind bars. Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke has branded the CPS bill for her trial as 'shocking', alleging that it demonstrates how Letby's 'psychopathy' continued 'until the end'. 'She was fully aware of her guilt but decided to put the families through the ordeal of the awful case when she could have pleaded guilty,' he told The Sun. 'She probably got a kick out of that and by putting pressure and costs on to the system.' The former nurse, who is Britain's most prolific child killer, was sentenced to 14 whole-life orders for the murders and seven attempted killings. Lucy Letby is pictured holding an infant at Countess of Chester Hospital in 2012 Total spend on Letby's case could increase after the Legal Aid Agency receives receipts of all claims associated with her trial. Pictured: Letby being arrested outside her home in June 2018 The UK Government has also announced an inquiry into Letby's crimes. Pictured: Police interview Letby in an interview room in July 2018 The UK Government has also announced an inquiry into Letby's crimes, with one of the country's most senior judges slated to lead the probe. The inquiry will have legal powers to compel witnesses, including former and current staff of the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where Letby worked and killed, to provide evidence. READ MORE: Chilling image shows Lucy Letby at the christening of a newborn baby who died on the unit where nurse carried out her killing spree Advertisement Health Secretary Steve Barclay, making a statement to the House of Commons on Monday, said: 'This inquiry will examine the case's wider circumstances, including the (hospital) trust's response to clinicians who raised the alarm and the conduct of the wider NHS and its regulators. 'I can confirm to the House that Lady Justice Thirlwall will lead this inquiry. 'She is one of the country's most senior judges, currently sitting in the Court of Appeal and with many years of experience as a senior judge and a senior barrister before that.' He added: 'I have raised with Lady Justice Thirlwall that the families should work with her to shape the terms of reference. 'We hope to finalise these in the next couple of weeks so the inquiry can start the consultation as soon as possible. 'I have also discussed with Lady Justice Thirlwall the families' desire for the inquiry to take place in phases so it provides answers to vital questions as soon as possible.' Mr Barclay later told MPs: 'The crimes of Lucy Letby were some of the very worst the United Kingdom has witnessed. Health Secretary Steve Barclay told MPs Lady Justice Thirlwall (pictured) has 'many years of experience' as a senior judge. She will lead the inquiry The inquiry will have legal powers to compel witnesses, including former and current staff of the Countess of Chester Hospital. Pictured: The corridor within the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit 'I know that nothing can come close to righting the wrongs of the past, but I hope Lady Justice Thirlwall's inquiry will go at least some way to giving the victims' families the answers they deserve.' READ MORE: One of Britain's most senior judges to lead killer Lucy Letby inquiry Advertisement Mr Barclay said another look will be given to calls to disbar senior managers for serious misconduct. He said such a recommendation in the 2019 Kark review had been previously looked at by the NHS but it was decided introducing wider changes called for by the same review 'mitigated the need to accept this specific recommendation on disbarring'. Mr Barclay told MPs: 'In light of the evidence from Chester and ongoing variation in performance across trusts, I have asked NHS England to work with my department to revisit this. 'They will do so alongside the actions recommended by General Sir Gordon Messenger's review of leadership, on which the Government has already accepted all seven recommendations from the report dated June last year. 'This will ensure the right standards, support and training are in place for the public to have confidence that NHS boards have the skills and experience needed to provide safe, quality care.' The hospital saw a significant rise in the number of babies suffering serious and unexpected collapses in 2015 and 2016. Letby's presence when collapses took place was first mentioned to senior management by the unit's head consultant in late June 2015. Countess of Chester Hospital (pictured) saw a significant rise in the number of babies suffering serious and unexpected collapses in 2015 and 2016. Letby's presence when collapses took place was first mentioned to senior management by the unit's head consultant in late June 2015 Concerns among some consultants about Letby increased and were voiced to hospital bosses when more unexplained and unusual collapses followed, her trial at Manchester Crown Court heard. But Letby was not removed from the unit until after the deaths of two triplet boys and the collapse of another baby boy on three successive days in June 2016. She was confined to clerical work but registered a grievance procedure, which was resolved in her favour, and was due to return to the unit in March 2017. The move did not take place as soon after police were contacted by the hospital trust. The Philadelphia Police Commissioner has resigned from her spot - as the Democratic-run city deals with a wave of homicides and lawlessness - to take a deputy role with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Danielle Outlaw, 48, who has been Philly's top cop since February 2020, will officially leave the department on September 22. She called her resignation 'voluntary,' according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Outlaw's new role will be the Deputy Chief Security Officer at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where she will oversee the airports, bridges, tunnels and other transportation infrastructure in the New York City area. Philly Mayor Jim Kenney, who is set to leave his post in a few months as a new mayor is sworn in, made the announcement on Tuesday. He wished Outlaw 'success in her new position and her dedication to serve the residents of Philadelphia.' Before she took office, Philadelphia saw less than 400 homicides each year since 2007. Both 2021 and 2022 have seen more than 500 homicides across the city. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, 48, is the first black female commissioner in the police department. She has been in the position since February 2020 and officially leaves on September 22 Before she took office, Philadelphia saw less than 400 homicides each year since 2007. Both 2021 and 2022 have seen more than 500 homicides across the city Two Port Authority police officers are pictured in New York City. Outlaw's new role will be the Deputy Chief Security Officer for the agency The crime data shows that from 2007 to 2019, Philadelphia recorded between 246 and 391 homicides annually. In 2020, when she took over, there were 499 homicides, followed by 562 in 2021 and 516 in 2022. So far in 2023, there have been nearly 300 homicides. While violent crimes, overall, have dropped by 6 percent in 2023 from 2022, there has been a massive spike in property crimes. Cases of burglaries, retail theft and stolen cars are up more than 23 percent in 2023 compared to 2022. There have been 17,087 stolen car reports in 2023 - a 100 percent increase from the 8,312 by September 2022, according to Philadelphia police data. The number of retail thefts has seen a spike in Philadelphia as well. There have been 12,132 cases in 2023, compared to 9,082 cases by September 2022. Philadelphia police investigate a July 3 shooting. Outlaw said her departure comes at the right time, citing the drop in gun violence and the city's homicide rate Outlaw called her time at the department an 'honor and privilege to serve during Mayor Kenney's administration and alongside each member of the Philadelphia Police Department' Outlaw called her time at the department an 'honor and privilege to serve during Mayor Kenney's administration and alongside each member of the Philadelphia Police Department.' Before Outlaw became the commissioner for the City of Brotherly Love she worked as Chief of the Portland Police Bureau in Oregon. She also served as deputy chief in Oakland. The Mayor praised Outlaw - who was is the first black female commissioner in the police department - and her team's diligence amid the crime epidemic facing the city and the nation. 'Commissioner Outlaw has worked relentlessly for three and a half years during an unprecedented era in our city and a number of crisis situations, and she deserves praise for her commitment to bring long-overdue reform to the Department after years of racism and gender discrimination prior to her appointment,' Kenney said and Fox News reported. 'As weak gun laws in Pennsylvania continue to allow illegal and legal guns to infiltrate our city, the Commissioner and her team have stayed focused on new approaches to manage the gun violence crisis,' Kenney said. 'During the Commissioner's time as leader, a record-number of guns have been recovered, clearance rates have improved and non-fatal shootings and homicides have decreased at a rate double the rate of some of the other major U.S. cities that have also seen decreases.' He added: 'Even with these successes, we continue to face the challenge of more guns on the streets than ever but we've been able to decrease shootings and homicides and I give the Commissioner and her team credit for making that happen.' When Outlaw started her role as police chief she faced some challenges. At the time, it was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and she had a limited workforce. While violent crimes, overall, have dropped by 6 percent in 2023 from 2022, there has been a massive spike in property crimes. Cases of burglaries, retail theft and stolen cars are up more than 23 percent in 2023 compared to 2022 According to her office, the department lost a number of officers in the line of duty due to COVID. She was also dealing with the civil unrest that was facing the city and the country sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the Black Lives Matters protests. Outlaw expressed her gratitude to her team and the department. 'The hard work, resilience, and professionalism of our force is truly commendable. Our team has shown incredible adaptability and has worked tirelessly to maintain our pillars of organizational excellence, crime prevention and reduction, and community engagement and inclusion even in the face of adversity,' she said. 'My staff's teamwork, innovative thinking, and determination have kept the Department moving forward, and for that, I am extremely grateful.' She pointed out that her departure is the right time citing the drop in gun violence and the city's homicide rate, which she believed the decline was due to the department and it's dedicated team of 6,000 employees. 'We're really beginning to see the fruits of our labor,' Outlaw said. 'We not just me, all of us have really endured some challenging times,' the Inquirer reported. It was also an opportune time fo the commissioner to step aside as the city will be led by a new mayor. She added: 'whomever the new mayor is the opportunity to select their commissioner.' First Deputy Commissioner John Stanford has been appointed by Kenney to Interim Police Commissioner, according to a press release. Disturbing images show a depressing sight in Philadelphia as drug users and the homeless litter the streets of the City of Brotherly Love over Fourth of July weekenk Footage by Dailymail.com in May revealed the scale of Philadelphia's untamed 'tranq' epidemic, which has transformed the city's streets into a drug-infested hellhole As crime has soared across Philadelphia, it has come as homelessness and drug use on the street have become more prevalent. Homeless people and drug addicts are often driven to petty theft as a way to find ways to sustain themselves or scrape enough money together to supply their addictions. Footage by Dailymail.com in May revealed the scale of Philadelphia's untamed 'tranq' epidemic, which has transformed the city's streets into a drug-infested hellhole. Just two months later, images showed that the situation was the same. Gruesome scenes in the 'City of Brotherly Love' show droves of homeless addicts aimlessly staggering through the streets, surrounded by tents and scattered trash. One person gave Dailymail.com an inside look into the harrowing situation, explaining 'people are starving, people are overdosing.' 'I've had to do CPR on five people out here. We have found three dead bodies, people just stepping over bodies that are laying there. I've lost count of how many times we've had to do Narcan, uh, for folks,' the person said. Democratic District Attorney Larry Krasner, is a self-described 'progressive prosecutor.' His failure to crack down led to his impeachment in 2022 for 'dereliction of duty', however he remains in office after his trial was indefinitely postponed. Philadelphia has become overwhelmed by drug-fueled crime under Democratic District Attorney Larry Krasner, a self-described 'progressive prosecutor.' His failure to crack down led to his impeachment in November 2022 for 'dereliction of duty', however he remains in office after his trial was indefinitely postponed. The postponement came after Democrats took the majority of the Pennsylvania House. Krasner, who was overwhelmingly reelected by Philadelphia voters last year, was not accused of breaking the law. Instead, Republicans argued that he should be removed from office for various reasons, including his failure to prosecute some minor crimes, his bail request policies, his staff oversight and reports that his office didn't adequately notify crime victims about certain matters. Krasner said in a statement that the vote was the only time the state House has ever 'used the drastic remedy of impeachment of an elected official because they do not like their ideas.' Former prosecutor Rep. Tim Bonner, R-Mercer, said at the impeachment that 'anarchy and violence will prevail' if elected leaders can choose what laws to obey or enforce. No one individual has the right to set aside the laws of Congress or the General Assembly because they simply do not like the law. No one has that degree of absolute power,' Bonner said. Democrats argued that Krasner was being scapegoated for wider problems with crime, that the case against him is weak and that his removal would be an abuse of legislative power. Scotland could ban disposable vapes under First Minister Humza Yousaf as a host of other nations look set to crack down on e-cigarettes. Following concerns from campaigners about the environmental impact caused by plastic vape tubes being left on the ground and its popularity amongst youngsters - Mr Yousaf said he will 'take action'. 'I hear too often about how common vaping is among our young people', he told the Scottish Parliament. 'In the next year we will take action to reduce vaping - particularly among children. 'I'm pleased to announce that this government will consult on curbing the sale of disposable single-use vapes, including consulting on an outright ban.' First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf, pictured on Monday, has said he will 'take action' to stop young people smoking disposable vapes Campaigners have warned about the environmental impact of disposable vapes, which are often thrown on the floor [File image] Earlier this month, the French government vowed to push ahead with its own plans to ban disposable e-cigarettes by the end of 2023 over claims they encourage smoking among young people. France's plans follow the imposition of tough new restrictions on vapes in both Australia and New Zealand, alongside plans put forward by countries including Germany and Ireland to crack down on e-cigarettes. French prime minister Elisabeth Borne said in an interview with RTL radio on September 3 that the French government is planning to unveil new plans to tackle smoking, which will include a ban on disposable vapes. Campaigners have since called on Britain to follow Australia, New Zealand and France's lead. More than 150,000 people have now signed a Greenpeace petition to ban disposable e-cigarettes after Britain's local councils previously called for a ban on the 'inherently unsustainable products' that 'blight our streets'. The Local Government Association (LGA) previously urged the UK to take action 'to protect our planet, keep children safe and save taxpayers money' as it warned vapes are 'almost impossible to recycle' and that they are being marketed to young people. Elisabeth Borne (pictured), France's prime minister, said in an interview with RTL radio that the government will soon unveil its new plan to combat smoking, which she said is the cause of 75,000 deaths a year in the country More than 150,000 people have now signed a Greenpeace petition to ban disposable e-cigarettes [Stock image] This also comes after it was revealed earlier today that Nitrous oxide will become an illegal Class C drug by the end of the year. The substance, also known as 'hippy crack', is being targeted with a crackdown following widespread complaints about antisocial behaviour and littering by users. Suella Braverman said the move was part of attempts to 'get tougher on flagrant drug taking in the streets'. Those found in unlawful possession of the drug could face up to two years in prison or an unlimited fine, and up to 14 years for supply or production. Nitrous oxide is the third most used drug among 16 to 24-year-olds in England, with heavy use linked to anaemia and - in more severe cases - nerve damage or paralysis. A Maryland police officer has seemingly been caught making out with a woman outside his patrol car before the two got in the backseat together in a park. Officers with the Prince George's County Police say they have opened a probe after being made aware of the video. 'As soon as we became aware earlier today, we opened an investigation to determine the circumstances,' the department tweeted on Tuesday. 'Additional information will be released once investigated and confirmed.' The video first shows the pair kissing as the woman touches the officer's head. The woman then heads to the back of the car, with the officer's arm around her. A Maryland police officer has seemingly been caught making out with a woman outside his patrol car before the two get in the backseat together The officer is seen following the woman into the car She opens the door before getting in, with the officer joining her. The footage was originally posted to TikTok on Monday night and has been watched more than two million times. The poster wrote: 'Pg cops don't care.' Kids can he heard and seen running nearby the couple. The officer in the footage has not been identified, and it's not clear when the video was taken. A group of men can be heard in the background speaking Spanish as they judge the scene. One says: 'Look! Look! He's taking her to the car!' Another adds: 'He's an animal, the bald cop!' Thousands of social media users have commented on the video, with many calling for the officer to be fired. 'This needs the "you about to lose your job" sound,' said one TikTok user. 'Should've called the cops... oh,' said another. 'Meanwhile a lil old lady somewhere getting robbed or worse,' added a third. Others wondered how the loved up pair would get out of the backseat, as the backseats of police cars supposedly can't be opened from the inside. One person said: 'Obviously, there's a trick to open from the inside.' DailyMail.com has reached out to Prince Georges County police for comment on this story. A labour councillor has sparked online backlash after saying he looks forward to 'eradicating the Greens from Parliament' at the next election. Joshua Garfield, who represents Labour as a councillor in Newham, East London, took to social media on Sunday following comments from Zack Polanski, Deputy Leader of the Green Party. Polanski had posted about his pride of being a Jewish person in a leadership position in British politics, which prompted a response from Garfield calling the Greens a 'joke'. He then said he wished to 'eradicate' the party from British politics, prompting severe backlash from punters left unimpressed by his choice of language. Garfield's phrasing and talk of eradication had some linking the outburst to the atrocities of the Holocaust, when around six million Jewish people were murdered. Joshua Garfield (pictured), who represents Labour as a councillor in Newham, East London, has sparked online backlash after saying he looks forward to 'eradicating the Greens from Parliament' at the next election Garfield took to social media on Sunday following comments from Zack Polanski (pictured), Deputy Leader of the Green Party But Garfield, who is Jewish, made a post on Twitter about Jo Bird, a Green candidate who was excluded from the Labour party for speaking at a meeting of a proscribed organisation. Ms Bird is herself also Jewish. Garfield wrote: 'Jo Bird was kicked out of Labour for supporting a group that coralled support for antisemite Chris Williamson and labelled Jews fighting antisemitism as ''witch hunters''. 'The Greens welcoming expelled Labour activists with open arms tells you everything you need to know about their values.' Polanski had taken to social media on Sunday, writing: 'There's been five Jewish people in leadership positions in British political history. 'I'm really proud to be one of them - and I'm proud of the role the Jewish Greens play more widely in The Green Party. 'Now let's go get Jo [Bird] elected in Birkenhead.' Just three hours later Garfield took issue with the post and responded: 'The entire party is a joke. Look forward to eradicating the Greens from Parliament at the next election.' Social media users were quick to call out the politician and added their own views on the vitriol shown in the tweet. Garfield's phrasing and talk of eradication (pictured) had many linking the outburst to the atrocities of the Holocaust, when around six million Jewish people were murdered Garfield also posted a tweet saying: 'The greens welcoming expelled Labour activists with open arms tells you everything you need to know about their values' Stuart Dillion said: 'Labour is a cesspit who are offering nothing but hate.' Paul Kelly said: 'Eradicating Greens because they are Jewish? Better think that one through again.' Alan Kennedy said: 'Holy f***, this is in response to a Jewish Green Party politician. Labour are turning into absolute trash.' Colleen Hawkins said: 'Do you have a lot of fantasies about eradicating Jews?' MailOnline has contacted Mr Garfield for comment. Russia has warned that it will view the US returning its nuclear weapons to British military sites as an escalation. The stark warning comes after it was reported that the US Air Force has secured $50 million (39 million) in funding for a military project that could see American nukes on British soil for the first time in 15 years. 'If this step is ever made, we will view it as escalation, as a step toward escalation that would take things to a direction that is quite opposite to addressing the pressing issue of pulling all nuclear weapons out of European countries,' Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova warned at a briefing on Tuesday. She added that the Kremlin would be forced to take countermeasures to 'safeguard security interests of our country and its allies,' though did not specify what these countermeasures would be. Following a Congressional decision last week, RAF Lakenheath, roughly 60 miles northeast of London, is set to receive millions to build a 144-bed dormitory, which the US Air Force said will 'house the increase in enlisted personnel as the result of the potential surety mission.' Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova (pictured) made the stark warning at a briefing on Tuesday RAF Lakenheath is set to have a 144-person dormitory for US military personnel stationed in the UK for a 'potential surety mission', which experts say is a euphemism for nuclear weapons safety According to the Federation of American Scientists, a global policy thinktank, the phrase 'surety mission' is a euphemism for the military's ability to keep nuclear weapons 'safe, secure and under positive control.' The US withdrew its nuclear weapons from British soil in 2008, after they were first deployed here in 1954. The 100-or-so warheads were kept at RAF Lakenheath, the same base that will now be extended to support US personnel from February 2026, when the new dormitories are expected to be completed. The thinktank previously reported that the Pentagon added the UK to its 2023 budget, claiming it had helped Britain, as well as other countries including Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey, by investing $384 million in infrastructure for the storage of 'special weapons' over 13 years. The phrase 'special weapons' is a euphemism for nuclear weapons. Though Britain is one of just five countries that are considered 'nuclear-weapon states', the Trident nuclear submarine programme has been its only operational nuclear weapons system since 1998. The exact locations of any of the four Vanguard-class submarines that carries the UK's nuclear arsenal is secret. MailOnline has contacted the US Department of Defence and the UK's Ministry of Defence for comment. BANKS have been accused of 'depriving' the elderly and vulnerable of essential services after it emerged that one in eight branches will close this year. Britain's biggest high street lenders have axed 424 branches this year and a further 212 are set to close by the end of December. And a further 42 banks are earmarked for closure in 2024, data from cash machine network Link reveals. More than half of Britain's branch network has closed since 2015, consumer rights group Which? reveals. After around 5,600 closures, there are now just 4,000 branches remaining. Lenders have been cutting back on sites over recent years, claiming that more customers are switching to online banking and cash use is declining as more transactions are carried out on credit and debit cards. Britain's biggest high street lenders have axed 424 branches this year and a further 212 are set to close by the end of December (file image) But critics said axing branches is 'grossly unfair' on elderly and vulnerable customers, as well as on small businesses and those who need face-to-face advice. Charity Age UK has blasted the 'continuing avalanche' of closures, saying that while those in rural areas are hardest hit 'those in towns and cities are not immune'. Its director Caroline Abrahams said: 'Being able to manage your money is key to living independently as you age, but the rush towards digital banking means millions of older people are being deprived of this, simply because they do not use computers. 'They are perfectly capable of organising their own finances, just not online. It is grossly unfair that they are being infantilised in this way and their legitimate interests brushed aside in the pursuit of profit. 'Our own research tells us that there is strong support for in-branch services among older people with a bank or building society account. 'Older people are constantly telling us how much harder life is when they can't talk to someone face to face.' Charity Independent Age says it often hears from 'anxious' older people who are worried about their bank branch closing. John Palmer, its director of engagement, said: 'As the cost of living crisis continues, especially for those struggling financially, it can be reassuring to know that there is someone they can speak to if they aren't confident using online services. 'Banks must ensure that closures do not leave behind older people who cannot or do not want to use online banking.' More than half of Britain's branch network has closed since 2015, consumer rights group Which? reveals. After around 5,600 closures, there are now just 4,000 branches remaining (file image) Customers are forced to rely on banking hubs and pop-up sites when they are left without a permanent branch nearby. But the rollout of banking hubs has been too slow, says Which? While 80 hubs have been announced some as long ago as December 2021 so far only seven have opened. Some 67 locations have been earmarked for a new deposit service but none has opened, the consumer group said. Ms Abrahams said banks needed to 'get a move on' with opening hubs and, in the meantime, should pause branch closures. She said: 'We support the idea of shared banking hubs in places where all the individual bank branches have closed. But they are coming into being at a snail's pace, leaving some towns and villages without any physical banking options nearby at all - a situation that is set to worsen as the year goes on.' Derek French, a former NatWest executive and campaigner for community banking services, said: 'Full in-person banking hubs are needed now in over 200 towns with a population of more than 15,000 people which have lost all their banks. 'Where is the sense of urgency at the top? Banking hubs are the future but the programme needs igniting.' United Airlines has lifted its nationwide ground stop of all its flights on Tuesday. The airline had made the request over a computer issue, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The airline had said all planes in the air would be able to land but none would be taking off as of 1.10pm EST. The ground stop was lifted at 1.50pm EST. 'We have identified a fix for the technology issue and flights have resumed,' the airline told DailyMail.com. 'Were working with impacted customers to help them reach their destinations as soon as possible.' According to FlightAware, United cancelled seven flights and delayed 260 on Tuesday. United Airlines grounded all its flights on Tuesday as it dealt with an 'equipment failure' The exact reason behind the ground stop remains unknown. Social media users were quick to react to the news of the ground stop. 'United Airlines about to have the worst day of the decade,' read one post on X. 'Someone get Mayor Pete on the phone!' read another post about secretary of transportation Pete Buttigieg. Buttigieg issued a statement saying he was aware of the ground stop. 'FAA is currently receiving more information about the cause and scope of the issue, and DOT will make sure UA meets its obligations to affected passengers,' he posted on X. 'We are experiencing a systemwide technology issue and are holding all aircraft at their departure airports,' United told DailyMail.com during the ground stop. 'Flights that are already airborne are continuing to their destination as planned. Were currently investigating and will share more information as it becomes available.' The ground stop came during the last day of Labor Day weekend travel. United had predicted it would have its busiest Labor Day Weekend on record, expecting 2.8 million passengers from Wednesday to Tuesday. An American man appeared in a Colombian court and insisted that he was above suspicion of killing his DJ girlfriend. John Poulos, 36, is accused of murdering Valentina Trespalacios earlier this year in Bogota before he fled to Panama, where he was arrested and extradited back to Colombia. Poulos appeared before a judge Tuesday and said: I am not going to accept the charges and I maintain my innocence. The Attorney General's Office is charging him with aggravated femicide and concealment of evidence, and could sentence him to up to 60 years if they get a guilty verdict. Valentina Trespalacios was dating John Poulos for almost a year before her violent death in January John Poulos, who is on trial for the murder of his Colombian girlfriend Valentina Trespalacios, told a Bogota judge on Tuesday that he was not accepting aggravated femicide and concealment of evidence. 'I am not going to accept the charges and I maintain my innocence,' he said during the hearing.' In June, Poulos was beaten at La Picota Prison by an inmate who he reportedly berated in English without thinking the man understood what he had said John Poulos sat in a courtroom in Bogota, Colombia, on Tuesday and told the judge that he was innocent of murdering his girlfriend, Valentina Trespalacios Prosecutors say that the divorced father-of-three strangled Trespalacios and stuffed her body into a suitcase that he abandoned in a dumpster on January 22. Poulos then drove to El Dorado International Airport and boarded a flight to Panama City. He was apprehended January 24 at Tocumen International Airport, where he was planning to take a second flight to Istanbul, Turkey. He had also purchased a ticket to Montenegro, which does not have an extradition with Colombia. Prosecutors are planning to bring multiple witnesses to the stand, including Trespalacios mother, Laura Hidalgo. They are also looking to introduce one of the last videos that Trespalacios sent to her mother in which she said that she and Poulos 'were on their way with a gift bag and on their way home. An autopsy report showed that 21-year-old Valentina Trespalacios was strangled and beaten Valentina Trespalacios was found dead in a garbage dumpster in Bogota, Colombia, in January They will also call Trespalacios friend, DJ Silvana Nunez, who has knowledge about Poulos hiring of a private investigator who followed her to a party to confirm whether she was seeing anyone else but him. Prosecutors will also bring a car rental employees to the stand and question them about the scratches they spotted on Poulos' face when he returned the car and headed to the airport. Poulos and Trespalacios had been dating for almost a year and he traveled to Bogota on January 19. A court document showed that Poulos asked the Uber driver that picked him up at El Dorado International Airport if he knew where he could purchase Tusi, a pink synthetic drug. However, the driver responded that he was not aware of where it could be bought. On January 20, Poulos moved her into an apartment located in the north side of Bogota and claimed to have rented it long-term as part of his plans to marry her. However, he is accused of murdering Trespalacios during the early hours of January 22, having sex with her and then beating and choking her to death. John Poulos (left) had plans of living in Colombia full time and marrying his DJ girlfriend, Valentina Trespalacios (right). He was arrested in Panama on January 24, two days after her body was found inside a suitcase in a dumpster in the Colombian capital city of Bogota Valentina Trespalacios was beaten and strangled to death before she was stuffed into a suitcase that was dumped in a construction waste container near a park in Bogota, Colombia, on January 22. The 21-year-old was dating John Poulos, a resident from Texas, who is accused of killing her and made his first court appearance Thursday A hallway surveillance camera showed Poulos departing the apartment, pushing a cart with his luggage bags and an additional suitcase that he allegedly used to place Trespalacios body inside. He covered it with a blanket because her head did not fit inside, authorities say. Poulos placed the luggage inside a rental car and drove to the south side of Bogota, where he tossed the luggage back inside a dumpster, cops maintain. Trespalacios body was discovered by a homeless man who was searching for recyclables later in the day. There are still 385 people on the official list of those missing following the Maui wildfire, which tore through the seaside town of Lahaina one month ago. Now, amid the destruction and damage, Maui locals are begging tourists to book vacations to the island to help its struggling tourism industry. Last week, the Hawaii Tourism Authority announced a $2.6million push to help rebuild the ailing sector. The agency said West Maui - where Lahaina is located - accounts for roughly 15 percent of the state's total tourism revenue. The state has lost an estimated $9million per day because of the drop off in tourism following the fire. The tourism board is now attempting a multi-million dollar push to generate tourism on Maui and to other Hawaiian Islands not impacted by the fires. Ilihia Gionson, the agency's public affairs representative, told CNN that people may not want to intrude on the part of the island dealing with the aftermath of the fire, but in an area entirely dependent on tourism, 'the last thing you want is an economic downturn to follow the disaster.' The Fairmont hotel on Maui, where the state's tourism board is encouraging visitors to continue coming in the wake of the devastating fire In the aftermath of the devastating Maui fire, Governor Josh Green declared a tourism emergency as visits to the state and island fell dramatically Ten days after the fire, Governor Josh Green declared a 'tourism emergency' as visitors to the island dropped off dramatically. Rental car fleets, usually at about 90 percent utilization this time of year, have dropped to 25 percent utilization. The total job less figure is not yet clear, but Gionson said that a sample size of about 12 businesses returned a figure of some 200 layoffs. He emphasized that the best way to help is to keep reservations and already booked trips to the island, so long as they are not slated to stay in West Maui. As tourists are coaxed back to the island, nearly 400 people remain missing following the devastating fire - though Governor Green said Monday morning that authorities are handling just 41 active missing persons cases. Last week, Green said he expected the number of missing people would fall below 100. Authorities believe that at least 115 were killed by the 1,000-degree blaze. The names of 50 of the deceased have been made public, and most of the rest have yet to be identified. On August 8, flames pushed by 60 mph gusts of wind tore through the 12,000-person town, razing homes and businesses alike and destroying a place with strong ties to Native Hawaiian history. More than half of the town's residents are now living in hotels and short-term rentals as they figure out what's next as the EPA works to eliminate hazardous waste left in the town's burn zone. Reconstruction will be a long and expensive process. The state has lost an estimated $9million per day because of the drop off in tourism following the fire 'The last thing you want is an economic downturn to follow the disaster,' said Ilihia Gionson, the state tourism agency's public affairs representative It is possible that power lines from Hawaiian Electric began the blaze, though no cause has formally been declared. Maui County has sued the utility company, which has in turn acknowledged that its power lines started a wildfire early on August 8. However, the company faulted county firefighters for declaring the blaze contained and leaving the scene, just for a second wildfire to begin close by. Local officials in Maui and Lahaina have come under significant scrutiny for their alleged failure to respond appropriately to the threat of the fire. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen has evaded questions about his actions the day of the fire. He said he did not call the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency on the day of the blaze, despite it being his job to ask the state for emergency backup. 'I can't speak to what - or whose responsibility it was to communicate directly,' Bissen told CBS last week. 'I can't say who was responsible for communicating with General Hara,' the director of the Emergency Management Agency. Hara recently said that key details about the fire were not given to him. He said he was not made aware of any fatalities from the fire until the day after it burned. He said in a statement Thursday that he is attempting to figure out what happened in the early hours of the wildfires. 'The early hours of a disaster unfolded with our emergency responders facing conditions that were made extraordinarily difficult, with high wind, falling debris, including utility poles, and a rapidly advancing wildfire,' he said. 'The severe gravity of the impact was not clear in the initial hours, as our firefighters and police on the ground placed all of their efforts and actions towards helping people in the areas.' More than half of the town's residents are now living in hotels and short-term rentals as they figure out what's next as the EPA works to eliminate hazardous waste left in the town's burn zone Last week, Green said he expected the number of missing people would fall below 100. The count remains closer to 400 one month after the tragic fire Many local and federal public officials have come under scrutiny for their allegedly insufficient responses to the tragedy as it unfolded The fire that destroyed some 3,000 structures devastated the historic Hawaiian town, where reconstruction will take years and billions of dollars President Joe Biden waited nearly three weeks to visit the island following the fire He faced criticism from the start for his response to the fires when he told a reporter he had 'no comment' while he lounged on the beach in Delaware Republicans in Washington have launched a formal investigation into the federal government's response to the fire. 'The response by federal, state, and local officials to the catastrophic wildfire in Maui raises serious questions,' House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer said in a statement last week. 'As recovery efforts continue, the House Oversight Committee has a responsibility to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used efficiently and effectively. To minimize the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars, the Oversight Committee will examine the federal government's response in Maui.' Comer added that his committee would work with other committees 'to ensure accountability.' Speaker Kevin McCarthy previewed the investigation last month. 'I think there's gonna have to be a congressional investigation in response of what happened. How could we lose that many Americans in today's age? And the federal response seems very delayed,' he said. Biden, who visited Maui close to three weeks after the fire, faced criticism from the start for his response to the fires when he told a reporter he had 'no comment' while he lounged on the beach in Delaware. The White House later said that he did not hear the reporter's question about Maui when he made the remark. His visit to the island was always going to be contentious, and the president's motorcade was drove past both boos and jeers, with some showing their middle finger and waving Trump 2024 flags. The president's speech promised Maui the federal government's support would be 'with you as long as it takes.' 'The country grieves with you, stands with you, and we'll do everything possible to help you recover, rebuild, and respect culture and traditions when the rebuilding takes place.' US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Hawaii Governor Josh Green, and wife Jaime Green walk along Front Street to inspect wildfire damage in Lahaina, Hawaii on August 21, 2023 Diving crews search for remains in the water surrounding Lahaina Weeks after the fire, cell service and access to electricity has been spotty at best, and survivors said they struggled to find housing, medical aid and daily necessities Biden approved an emergency declaration hours after the fire broke out and deployed hundreds of federal workers there to assist with the fallout But otherwise Biden did little to endear himself to the traumatized islanders, delivering a rambling speech referencing the death of his wife and baby daughter in 1972, and later telling an anecdote about a 2004 kitchen fire in his Delaware home. Biden approved an emergency declaration hours after the fire broke out and deployed hundreds of federal workers there to assist with the fallout. 'Whatever you need, you're going to get,' he told residents. Weeks after the fire, cell service and access to electricity has been spotty at best, and survivors said they struggled to find housing, medical aid and daily necessities. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has pledged one-time $700 payments for necessities to nearly all households affected by the fires, in addition to doling out food and other essentials at camps set up to house displaced residents. The New York Police Department has reached an extensive settlement with the ACLU after attacking protests during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. Police will be banned from kettling - the practice of confining demonstrators into small areas - and using 'intimidating' helicopters - while the New York City taxpayers foot the $1.45million bill for an 'oversight review committee.' During the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in the city, the NYPD 'pepper sprayed demonstrators, struck them with batons, hit pedestrians with bicycles and trapped protestors in closed spaces.' Now, a new four-tiered response system will be set in place to determine how the NYPD responds to protests - as well as creating a new role in the department to oversee compliance in the field. Kettling and using helicopters to intimidate have been banned - and there is now a limit on the use of force regarding pepper spray, and baton and bicycle strikes. Following the settlement that was the result of a lawsuit, NYPD will only break up protests as a last resort and must give orders to disperse three times before any arrests. NYPD officers face demonstrators after curfew during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd on June 2, 2020 Protestors clash with members of the New York Police Department at City Hall Park on July 1, 2020 NYPD officers arrested more than 1,300 people during protests between May 28 and June 4. There were other protests later in the summer. The new measures will minimize the number of police at future protests and change the way they respond. The NYPD will also be forced to 'improve its treatment' of the press and improve reporters' access to record and report on gatherings. Those measures include increased training and not being allowed to put up crime scene tape for the sole purpose of keeping the media at a distance. There will also be the creation of an 'oversight committee' to ensure the new practices are implemented and followed. That group includes the Attorney General's office, the ACLU, the NYPD Department of Investigation and others. The NYC chapter of the ACLU said following the settlement: 'Our historic settlement means the NYPD can no longer arbitrarily flood protests with copsnew protocols keep cops out of most protest, and require a proportional response. 'The NYPD also won't easily involve its notoriously brutal Strategic Response Group (SRG).' They first launched the lawsuit in October of 2020, and said that the cops 'ran over, beat, pepper-sprayed and tossed peaceful protesters to the ground.' The group claimed in one incident in the Bronx, officers 'intentionally trapped protesters so they couldnt escape and then unleashed waves of toxic gas on them before moving in to attack members of the helpless crowd.' That tactic is known as kettling. New York Attorney General Letitia James said today: 'The right to peacefully assemble and protest is sacrosanct and foundational to our democracy. 'Too often peaceful protesters have been met with force that has harmed innocent New Yorkers simply trying to exercise their rights. 'Todays agreement will meaningfully change how the NYPD engages with and responds to public demonstrations in New York City. 'As the Attorney General, it is my duty to protect New Yorkers rights and this agreement will ensure that peaceful protesters can make their voices heard without fear, intimidation, or harm.' Attorney General Letitia James said: 'The right to peacefully assemble and protest is sacrosanct and foundational to our democracy' Corey Stoughton, attorney-in-charge of the Criminal Defense Practices Special Litigation Unit at The Legal Aid Society, said: 'Today's settlement represents a novel approach to policing protests that, if implemented faithfully by the NYPD, will ensure that protesters are never again met with the sort of indiscriminate violence and retaliatory over-policing New York saw in the summer of 2020. 'We look forward to seeing these reforms unfold and will hold both the City and the NYPD accountable should the Department and individual officers fail to adhere to these new and needed practices.' Molly Biklen, deputy legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said: 'This landmark settlement holds the NYPD, the nations largest and most influential police force, to its oath to protect New Yorkers right to protest. 'The NYPDs violent response to protestors during the 2020 demonstrations for Black lives made clear to the world what too many New Yorkers already knew, that the NYPD is unable or unwilling to police itself. 'Todays settlement ensures the NYPD can no longer indiscriminately deploy the notorious Strategic Response Group to protests and no longer escalate force on a whim.' Protestors clash with members of the New York Police Department at City Hall Park on July 1, 2020 Demonstrators gather before a march on June 6, 2020 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City Protestors clash with members of the New York Police Department at City Hall Park, July 1, 2020 in New York, Protesters march down 5th Avenue in solidarity for police reform on June 10, 2020, in New York City Police officers stand guard during Black Lives Matter protest as demonstrators locked down the streets by City Hall and Police Plaza, July 1, 2020 In July, New York City agreed to pay out $13 million to more than 1,000 citizens who were arrested during the George Floyd demonstrations in the summer of 2020. The civil rights lawsuit has been brought on behalf of roughly 1,380 racial injustice demonstrators arrested or beaten by police in protests that swept the city. If approved by a judge, the settlement would be among the most expensive pay-outs ever awarded in a lawsuit over mass arrests, experts said. The lawsuit focused on 18 of the many protests that erupted in New York City in the week following the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis. New Yorkers were among millions of Americans who took to the street nationwide to protest police brutality and systemic racism. With certain exceptions, people arrested or subjected to force by NYPD officers at those events will each be eligible for $9,950 in compensation, according to attorneys for the plaintiffs. The agreement, one of several stemming from the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, allows the city to avoid a trial that could be both expensive and politically fraught. A shirtless man slashed himself with a knife following a violent street robbery on Oxford Street, according to a BBC reporter who was live on air at the time. The victim of theft was targeted outside the Royal Gifts Gallery on Tuesday, with shop staff coming to his aid as thieves tried to steal his watch and phone. BBC reporter Anna O'Neill said on Twitter that one of the thieves began slashing himself with a large knife until his accomplice was released. 'While I was live on air, a violent street robbery happened outside one of the gift shops! Poor Phil, visiting the UK on business, was attacked for his watch,' she wrote. 'He was wrestled [...] by two men who tried to take his watch and phone. A shirtless man slashed himself with a knife following a violent street robbery on Oxford Street in London (pictured), according to a BBC reporter who was live on air at the time (File image) 'The men in the gift shop came out and pulled the robbers off Phil. They managed to apprehend one of the men who was wearing a grey suit.' She added: 'But his partner came back with a large knife and started slashing himself until they let his partner go, which they did. 'We've heard police cars, vans and an ambulance heading towards Marble Arch. 'The second man was naked from the waist up and covered in blood, holding a large knife.' Ms O'Neill was speaking to Eddie Nestor on BBC Radio London as the drama unfolded. The victim, named only as Phil, later spoke to the broadcaster. He said: 'They tackled me and they were trying to get my watch off me and get my phone. 'And I was able to hold on to the small guy who was trying to take my watch and I wouldn't let him go. 'These guys were around him and pulling them off, and then he got up and he ran without getting my watch. 'And they retained the other fellow but the other guy came back, the small fellow who tackled me, and he was starting to cut himself with a knife.' The man who slashed himself is believed to have run off to Marble Arch Tube station, although this has not yet been confirmed by police. A spokesman said: 'Police were called at 10.51am on Tuesday, September 5, to reports of a man with a knife in Oxford Street. 'It was reported that he was harming himself and threatening to harm others. 'Officers attended along with paramedics from the London Ambulance Service. 'A man was detained nearby, inside Marble Arch Underground station. 'No other injuries were reported.' The school has started a GoFundMe page to support both of Maria's children Neighbors said that the couple had recently moved into a house in Palmetto Estates A Florida math teacher was killed in a murder-suicide by her husband who also shot a family acquaintance before turning the gun on himself. Maria Cruz de la Cruz, 51, a middle school teacher at Doral Academy K-8 Charter School and mother-of-two, was shot by her husband. He then shot another man in the room before shooting himself in the head. The husband's name has not been released by the police. Police found three injured people in a room at a house in Palmetto Estates, Miami. There was a fourth person, a woman, present in the house but she was not harmed. Maria Cruz de la Cruz, 51 was shot by her husband. He then shot another man in the room before shooting himself in the head Maria and the male victim were rushed to Jackson South Medical Center where she died due to injuries while the other victim remains in a critical condition. A vigil was held by the people in the 9900 block of Southwest 165th Terrace neighborhood in honor of Maria. One woman who lives a few doors away from where the murder-suicide happened told NBC6: 'You don't know what the neighbors are capable of, it could have happened outside and someone could have gotten hurt innocently. 'I just hope that nothing like this ever happens again.' The woman also said the couple were new to the neighborhood. A local resident said that he heard the gunshots from his home and called 911. Police found three injured people in a room at a house in Palmetto Estates, Miami. There was a fourth woman present in the house but she was not harmed. Neighbor Raidel Munoz, said: 'Noticed a bunch of ambulances coming by, firefighters, helicopter then I came outside to see what was going on.' Another neighbor Raidel Munoz, said: 'Noticed a bunch of ambulances coming by, firefighters, helicopter then I came outside to see what was going on. 'Quite very concerning, I never expected something like this so close to my home.' The Academy has started a GoFundMe page to support both of Maria's daughters. She taught algebra, geometry and Spanish at the school. The page reads: 'Please join our school community as we grieve the tragic loss of Ms. Maria Cruz, a beloved teacher who showed unwavering love and dedication to our Doral Academy and Just Arts and Management students for nearly a decade.' Maria was a a middle school teacher at Doral Academy K-8 Charter School. She taught algebra, geometry and Spanish As of now, the page has raised nearly $33,000 for her children. The goal amount is set at $100,000. Doral Academy Principal Eleonora Cuesta said: 'It is with a heavy heart that we inform you of the loss of our cherished Ms. Maria Cruz. 'May the memory of our beloved Maria Cruz be a blessing.' Police are not looking for any suspects as this is a murder-suicide case but are seeking any information on domestic violence history between the couple. Eleven people have gone on trial in Scotland accused of sexually abusing children and involving them in witchcraft. The seven men and four women face 32 charges between them, all of which they deny. It is alleged all the accused forced two children to participate in seances and used a Ouija board to convince the children they could 'communicate with spirits and demons'. They are accused of making them participate in classes involving witchcraft causing them to believe they had 'metamorphosed' into animals on various occasions between 2016 and 2020. It is also alleged all the accused 'stabbed' dogs to death and forced two children to stab them in 2018. Eleven people have gone on trial in Scotland accused of sexually abusing children and involving them in witchcraft. Pictured: Glasgow High Court The seven men and four women face 32 charges between them, all of which they deny The 11 accused all deny the charges against them: Iain Owens, 45; Elaine Lannery, 39; Lesley Williams, 41; Paul Brannan, 41; Marianne Gallagher, 38; Scott Forbes, 50; Barry Watson, 47; Mark Carr, 49; Richard Gachagan, 45; Leona Laing, 50; and John Clark, 46. Owens, Lannery, Williams, Brannan and Clark are accused of attempting to murder a girl who was allegedly put in a microwave, forced to eat dog food, and hung by her clothes from a nail, as well as being chased by people wearing a devil mask, on occasions between December 2015 and June 2019. Some of the accused face charges of rape and other charges include possession of Class A drugs. There are also claims members of the group 'did clap, cheer and verbally encourage' as well as video record children being sexually abused. It is alleged the offences, relating to four young children, happened between 2010 and 2020 at various locations in Glasgow. The trial, which began on Tuesday at the High Court in Glasgow, continues. Two swimmers were injured after suffering shark bites in separate incidents on the same Florida beach over Labor Day weekend. A 37-year-old woman from Apopka, Florida, was bitten on her right foot when she was in waist-deep water on the Ponce Inlet beach. She did not see the shark that bit her, according to a news release from Volusia County Beach Safety. The woman was treated at a hospital and is expected to recover, said the officials. The second victim was a man in his 30s, who was bit on the hand by a shark while he was surfing near the Ponce Inlet Jetty. He refused medical care at the scene and drove himself to a hospital. His condition is unknown. It's the second notable shark attack in Volusia County in recent weeks, after a college student was bitten along a different beach in the area in late July. The attacks in Florida are part of a pattern of bites across the US this summer, including in New York and the Carolinas, that has left beachgoers on edge along the Atlantic. Two swimmers suffered shark bites on the same beach along Ponce Inlet in Volusia County, Florida, over Labor Day weekend Blacktip (pictured) and bull sharks were the two shark species mostly involved in biting incidents in Volusia County Red flags were flown on Volusia County beaches Monday morning, warning of high-hazard conditions such as high surf and strong currents. There will be no efforts to hunt and capture the sharks, said Captain A.J. Miller, the logistics captain for Volusia County Beach Safety. He added that bites in the area were 'normally accidental in nature.' Volusia County in Florida boasts the highest number of shark attacks, totaling 343 incidents from 1882 to the present day, according to data from the International Shark Attack File. Blacktip and bull sharks were the two shark species mostly involved in biting incidents in Volusia County but neither poses a significant threat to humans. Although Volusia County sees more shark bites and attacks than anywhere else across the country, only three shark bites in the county have been recorded so far this year. There were seven shark bites reported in 2022 and 16 in 2021. Both injuries were non-life-threatening and there will be no efforts to hunt and capture the sharks, officials said Volusia County has held the record for the highest number of shark attacks, totaling 343 incidents from 1882 to the present day Florida is by far the shark capital of the world, registering 16 unprovoked nonlethal bites last year The United States has led the number of shark attacks in the world. Roughly 1,600 unprovoked shark attacks in the U.S. has been recorded since the 16th century. The next country with the most attacks, Australia, has seen less than half than the U.S., totaling 691. The number of yearly shark attacks has risen over the last 70 years; in 1950, there were 50 reports of shark attacks worldwide, and by 2020 the average number of bites each year had risen to 70. Last year, the country saw 41 of 57 confirmed cases worldwide, which is a shocking 72 percent of the world's total for 2022. Florida is by far the shark capital of the world, registering 16 unprovoked nonlethal bites last year - the most attacks of any other state or any single place, for that matter. The United States has led the number of shark attacks in the world with 1,604 unprovoked shark attacks recorded since the 16th century Volusia County saw 44 percent of the total attacks in Florida. New York saw the next most attacks last year, with eight total. Hawaii was next, with five total bites, one of which was fatal. Shark experts have offered advice on how to avoid a shark attack. Biologist Jeff Corwin warned 'if you're in a healthy marine ecosystem... you're often never more than 100 yards from a shark'. 'An awful lot of attacks occur in river mouths, where there is silt and other material in suspension in the river people washing their clothes, people washing themselves,' Richard Peirce, the former chair of UK-based Shark Trust and Shark Conservation Society, suggested. Beach-goers should also avoid swimming early in the morning or late at night, Peirce said, explaining: 'A lot of shark attacks are cases of mistaken identity due to reduced ability and identification ability on behalf of the sharks.' On the same token, Chris Lowe, professor in marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, said people should try not to wear anything shiny in the water. Chris Pospisil was chasing waves on Friday when he was attacked in the waters of Volusia County's New Smyrna Beach, widely regarded as the shark attack capital of the world Natalie Branda, 26, was bitten by sharks in Florida on July 29 The attack left Branda 14 stiches in the hospital, but still smiling about the incident A harrowing shark attack struck college student Chris Pospisil, 21, in Volusia County earlier this year. The college student was chasing waves when he was attacked in the waters of Volusia County's New Smyrna Beach on July 14. Fortunately, his good surfing buddy Reece Redish was close at hand, and jumped into action to save him. Pospisil suffered serious injuries, but surgeons managed to save his foot, and he believes the outcome could have been far worse if his friend had failed to act. In the same month, Natalie Branda, 26, was bitten by sharks in Florida. She was 'extremely lucky' to be alive after surviving a boat party shark attack by one of the most aggressive species. The attack, which left Branda needing 14 stitches, came when the Gulf Coast city local sailed out to Tampa Bay with friends on July 29 for a birthday party. 'We were jumping off the boat, swimming around, floating for a few hours - just having a fun day, ' she said. But their idyllic celebration turned to chaos as the group finished up their swim around dusk - the time when sharks, as mostly nocturnal creatures, are most active. 'I just felt pressure, and it released, and I was like: 'I got bit!'' she said. 'I swam the fastest I ever swam to the boat.' A person was found dead outside a North Carolina State residence hall on Monday - as campus returns following a year that saw 14 student deaths. Students returning to NC State on Monday saw police tape around Sullivan Residence Hall on the Raleigh campus as officers investigated the death of a male student. Last year, NC State saw 14 deaths, including seven by suicide. Two deaths were overdoses, one by car wreck and four were 'natural causes.' Students on campus fear this year may be no different, with another death just two weeks after returning to campus. It gave me this dark feeling, Sullivan House resident Matthew Davis told ABC 11. That could be somebody I know. It could be anybody. The student's body was found outside the university's Sullivan House hall of residence which houses many engineering students Students returning to college from the Labor Day weekend found police tape outside their hall of residence Student Matthew Davis told the outlet that the latest death could be any one of his friends For this academic year, NC State increased its mental health clinicians from 35 to 50 in the face of a furious student backlash as the deaths mounted last year. It set up a mental health task force that concluded there is not only room for, but also a need for, additional efforts. But Vice Chancellor and Dean Doneka Scott insisted that 100 or 1,000 counselors would not resolve the crisis. Institutions across the country are grappling with this,' she told ABC in May. This is not an NC State-only issue, it's an issue in higher education writ large. The university averaged eight student deaths a year, including three by suicide, among its 36,000 students before last years spike. Seven of last years deaths, including three of the suicides, were at NCs School of Engineering. Many of the students housed in Sullivan Residence Hall are engineering students. I'm just a freshman, so it just makes me put everything into perspective and think about everything differently and just see everything differently, Davis said. NC State Police Chief Dan House said the students cause of death has not been confirmed, while university Chancellor Randy Woodson issued his latest statement of condolence. The loss of any member of our Pack is tragic, and I recognize that this loss is particularly impactful for many of our on-campus residents and housing staff, Woodson wrote. There are no words I can share that will heal what many of you are feeling. 'Simply, I grieve with you. Student April Anderson told ABC students were checking up on each other after a death that had hit them hard Half of last year's deaths were among people studying at the School of Engineering College Chancellor Randy Woodson issued the latest in a series of condolence messages after the latest death Fellow resident April Anderson said: I was just getting back into the rhythm of things, getting ready for school tomorrow. But then that's when I heard. That's when I heard and I was really sad about that. It made everybody just a lot more sullen, but also it united us because we were all checking up on each other like it's just really hard on all of us. Students told the task force that social media and the difficulties of isolation during the pandemic had left them more vulnerable, along with fear over the state of the planet and difficulty in accessing help. When I have to reach out to my professors and ask for these things because I just want to get any amount of sleep or like I just physically can't make myself do work because I'm so burnt out, one anonymous student said. It's a bit humiliating, honestly, and it's scary because they can just say no. Nearly one-third of all US high schoolers report suffering from poor mental health. It comes as some of the nation's leaders say the country is undergoing a youth crisis. Females suffered the most, with 40 percent reporting poor mental health that year The CDC found that one in ten US high schoolers attempted suicide in 2021, up from 8.9 percent a year earlier. Females were struck hardest, with 13.3 percent attempting suicide that year More than 6,600 people between the age of 10 and 24 died by suicide in 2020, according to the National Center of Health Statistics, and suicide is second only to accidents as the leading cause of death among college students. A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in April found that 10.2 percent of US high school students said they had attempted to kill themselves in 2021, up from around eight per cent in 2019. It also found that 30 percent of high schoolers also said they had poor mental health 'most of the time'. For girls, the figure was even higher at 40 per cent. NC says that of its 14 student fatalities last year seven died by suicide, two fatally overdosed, four died from natural causes, and one student was killed in a car accident. A number of college events were cancelled after the latest death was discovered on Monday, including a mental health workshop. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday rejected a claim made in a new book that said President Joe Biden had fumed over his aides treating him like a 'toddler' after his accidental call to remove Russian President Vladimir Putin from power. In The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future, The Atlantic's Franklin Foer wrote that Biden felt like he was being babied after he quipped that Putin 'cannot remain in power,' while addressing a crowd in Warsaw, Poland in March 2022. During Tuesday's press briefing, Fox News' Peter Doocy pointed out that Biden, at age 80, is the 'oldest president in U.S. history,' and then asked why White House staff treated him like a 'baby.' 'No one treats the president of the United States, the commander-in-chief, like a baby,' Jean-Pierre answered. 'That's ridiculous.' The press secretary went on to say that there will always be a 'range of books about every administration' that are filled with a 'variety of claims.' Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday rejected a claim made in a new book that said President Joe Biden had fumed over his aides treating him like a 'toddler' after his accidental call to remove Russian President Vladimir Putin from power In The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future , The Atlantic's Franklin Foer wrote that Biden, pictured Sunday in Rehoboth Beach, felt like he was being babied after he made a gaffe about Russian President Vladimir Putin 'That is not unusual,' she continued. 'That happens all the time. And we're not going to litigate thoes here. That's something that we're not going to speak to.' She then spoke to some of those claims. The Atlantic's Franklin Foer's Biden book was released Tuesday 'There is one thing that I do want to - 'cause I think I was asked this question last week by one of your colleagues about this particular excerpt that they were referring to.' DailyMail.com had asked Jean-Pierre about Biden's admission that he felt 'tired,' attributing that to his advanced age, pointing to how few morning events were held at the White House. Jean-Pierre called it a 'ridiculous assumption to make.' Foer's book noted that it was 'striking that he took so few morning meetings or presided over so few public events before 10 a.m.' 'His public persona reflected physical decline and time's dulling of mental faculties that no pill or exercise regime can resist,' the author said. 'In private, he would occasionally admit that he felt tired.' But in the same passage, Foer says that the president's 'wartime leadership', regarding supporting Ukraine in its fight against the invading Russian army, 'drew on his weathered instincts and his robust self-confidence'. Regarding the war in Ukraine, Foer writes that 'the advantages of having an older president were on display.' 'He wasn't just a leader of the coalition, he was the West's father figure, whom foreign leaders could call for advice and look to for assurance. It was his calming presence and his strategic clarity that helped lead the alliance to such an aggressive stance, which stymied authoritarianism on its front lines,' the book says. Jean-Pierre said White House officials had seen the excerpt. 'And it seemed to be making the opposite overall point about how the value of his experience and wisdom resulted in rallying the free world against authoritarianism, which is important, we have seen this, you all have seen this, in the passage of the most historic agenda in recent history, in his handling of foreign policy like rallying the world around Ukraine,' she said. Doocy also pointed to Wall Street Journal polling that found that even two-thirds of Democrats believed Biden was too old to run for a second term. 'Look here's what I know, here's what I can speak to. I can speak to a president who has wisdom. I can speak to a president who has experience. I can speak to a president who has done historic, has taken historic action and has delivered in historic pieces of legislation. And that's important,' Jean-Pierre answered. She also repeated an attack line against former President Donald Trump that Biden often deploys, including at a Labor Day speech the day before. 'When the last guy was in the Oval Office talked about infrastructure week it was a joke, and the president passed a pretty important piece of legislation in a bipartisan way because of his wisdom, because of his experience, and now we have infrastructure decade,' she said. The online job search company Indeed is offering transgender employees who seek gender-affirming care, a $10,000 benefit to cover expenses needed to relocate to a place that provides 'care' and 'support.' Indeed's 'gender-affirming care relocation benefit' initiative went into effect in July, the company told Axios in a statement last week. 'Our transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming colleagues are integral to our business and culture,' Misty Gaither, Indeed's vice president of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, said in the statement. 'We know employees thrive and do their best work when they can bring their authentic selves to work,' she added. 'We also believe that everyone has the right to make the healthcare decisions that they feel are right for themselves and their families.' The program is for US-based employees and their immediate family members who seek gender-affirming care but currently live in a location where 'state laws or government-issued directives criminalize or restrict access to such medical care.' Indeed's 'gender-affirming care relocation benefit' initiative went into effect in July, the company told Axios in a statement last week The states with bans, restrictions, or limitations on gender-affirming care include Alabama , Arkansas , Florida , Georgia , Idaho , Indiana , Iowa , Kentucky , Louisiana , Mississippi , Missouri , Montana , Nebraska , North Dakota , Oklahoma , South Dakota , Tennessee , Texas, Utah , and West Virginia The online job search company Indeed is offering transgender employees who want to relocate for 'care' and 'support,' a $10,000 benefit to cover expenses This includes families who live in places that attempt to restrict support for children who are 'gender non-conforming, transgender or non-binary,' and want to move to a new state that allows children to be prescribed puberty blockers. Employees approved for the benefit are expected to receive approval to relocate to a state or jurisdiction where they have access to the care and support they need, as well as $10,000 to support their relocation expenses, Indeed told Axios. Other companies also stand by their non-binary employees by offering various benefits to those who identify as transgender. Meta, Netflix, Amazon and Starbucks are just a few of the big companies that offer gender-affirming care for trans employees. More than 20 states have adopted policies that restrict some gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Some states are attempting to enforce these laws but they are not yet in effect or have been put on hold by courts. Just this week, the Texas Supreme Court allowed a new state law banning gender-affirming care for minors to take effect on Friday, making Texas the state with the largest population to enact such restrictions on transgender children. The Texas ban was signed into law in June by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. 'Our transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming colleagues are integral to our business and culture,' Misty Gaither, Indeed's vice president of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, said in the statement to Axios Employees approved for the benefit are expected to receive approval to relocate to a state or jurisdiction where they have access to the care and support they need, as well as $10,000 to support their relocation expenses, Indeed told Axios Some minors seeking care in states where it is restricted, which can include hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and genital reconstruction, travel as long as nine hours to receive the treatments. Up until the wave of state bans began in 2020 and 2021, there were no restrictions at the federal level for access to these treatments, which in cases are irreversible. As of May 2023, 20 states have enacted legislation, executive actions, or other policies that restrict or ban healthcare for transgender youths, and more than 100 additional bills are under consideration. All of the states are Republican or Republican-leaning, and all but one voted for former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. The states with bans, restrictions, or limitations on gender-affirming care include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia. These states fall along party lines when it comes to the topic of transgender rights. Of the 25 states that went red in the 2020 election, 19 of them have enacted restrictions. Georgia is the only state that went blue in 2020, but has restrictions in place. Approximately 89,100 transgender minors aged 13 to 17 years old live in states with restrictions, representing 30 percent of all transgender minors in the US, and one-in-four gender-affirming clinics are located in states with restrictions. However, additional states are considering legislation that would implement limitations or bans, including states that, as of now, represent the closest clinic for neighboring states with restrictions. Following the implementation of anti-transgender laws, the number of transgender minors between the ages of 10 and 17 years old who resided more than one hour away from a clinic that did not provide care nearly doubled from 27 percent prior to restrictions to 50 percent after restrictions. Before limitations were enforced, 1.4 percent of minors lived more than a one-day drive, classified as eight hours round trip, away from a clinic. That number increased to 25 percent after limitations. Pro-LGBT+ protesters hold signs in support of transgender Texans outside a federal courthouse in downtown Houston An anti-LGBT+ demonstrator yells at pro-LGBT+ demonstrators in Glendale, California after a school board discussed recognizing June as Pride Month, which sparked violent protests The above map from a study published in JAMA shows the median travel time to the nearest gender-affirming clinic before various states enacted restrictions on medical care for transgender youth. Gender-affirming care for minors has been at the center of political debate in recent years amid concerns that patients who get it are vulnerable and not fully aware of the risks. For example, studies suggest those who are transgender are six times more likely to suffer from autism, and up to 70 percent of trans youths are depressed. Other studies, including one by the National Institutes of Health, suggest patients are happier after the surgery, further complicating the issue. There are concerns among Republican lawmakers about the lack of long-term safety data on puberty blockers and hormone drugs, which have seen other countries like the UK and Scandinavia restrict access in minors. The Food and Drug Administration approved puberty blockers 30 years ago to treat children with precocious puberty - a condition that causes sexual development to begin much earlier than usual. Sex hormones - synthetic forms of estrogen and testosterone - were approved decades ago to treat hormone disorders or as birth control pills. The FDA has not approved the medications specifically to treat gender-questioning youth, but they have been used for many years for that purpose 'off label.' Former Proud Boys boss Enrique Tarrio has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison after begging a judge for mercy for commanding the Capitol siege - the longest sentence handed down over January 6. Tarrio, 39, was the final leader of the neo-fascist group convicted of seditious conspiracy to be sentenced and faced 33 years in prison. Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that Tarrio was 'the ultimate leader of that conspiracy,' but still did not abide by the government's sentence request. During his hearing, Tarrio dropped a bombshell and admitted that Trump lost the 2020 election. 'On November 3, 2020, something that I never expected happened my candidate lost. I felt like something was personally stolen from me.' The Florida-native turned to blame the right-wing media saying: 'Every media channel that I turned to told me I was justified.' He said that he was 'not a political zealot' and changing the outcome of the election was not his goal on January 6. Former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio has been sentenced to prison Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio (pictured with co-defendent Joseph Biggs) was found guilty of seditious conspiracy over the January 6 riot in 2021 Tarrio's lawyer said he took the above picture by the Capitol because he felt bad for the Proud Boys who were being detained after the riot The far-right propagandist wasn't in Washington on January 6 - he was arrested two days earlier in a separate case - but he was convicted of helping put in motion and encourage the violence interrupted Congress' certification of Biden's electoral victory after Donald Trump's electoral loss. Wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and escorted by U.S. Marshals, the Cuban-American from Florida took the stand to ask judge Timothy Kelly for mercy, apologizing to the officers who responded during the riot and the citizens of D.C., saying he 'blamed himself.' 'Today I stand before you a different man... I wish to reorient my life's purpose I want to rejoin my local church and be an active part of helping others,' Tarrio told the court. 'I hope your honor can hear the sincerity please show me mercy... 'Do not take my 40s from me God bless this entire court.' He claimed that he had really believed the presidential election was stolen and let media coverage influence his desire to 'protect' right wingers from Antifa protesters. 'I have failed as a son, as a fiancee, as a brother, as a nephew I have been selfish,' Tarrio said. Judge Kelly said of January 6: 'That day broke our previously unbroken tradition of the peaceful transfer of power, which is truly among the most precious things that we had as Americans that previously unbroken string is now broken. And it's going to take time and effort to fix it.' The judge seemed to be particularly disturbed by Tarrio's infamously comparison of the January 6 rioters to the nation's founding fathers. He added: '[Tarrio's] apologized here today, but I must say, comparing what Dominic Pezzola did to George Washington - the man who helped encourage the notion of a peaceful, orderly transfer of power - by relinquishing power to let someone else be chosen it slanders the father of our country.' Three fellow Proud Boys found guilty by a Washington D.C. jury of the rarely used sedition charge were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 15 to 18 years - less than prosecutors wanted. Tarrio's defense team argued during the sentencing hearing that the convicted sedition conspiracist is a 'misguided patriot' instead of a terrorist, and was just being a 'Keyboard Ninja,' saying things 'he shouldn't have,' as reported by independent journalist Gonzo News. Judge Kelly reminded Tarrio's lawyers team that a jury did not buy that defense strategy when it decided to convict him, and ruled that Tarrio was at the top of the Proud Boy's command structure during the riot. Ultimately the judge ruled Tarrio's crimes intended to coerce the conduct of government when his lieutenants brought down a barrier between police and rioters and thus qualified him for terrorism enhancement for his sentencing. However, the judge again noted the Proud Boys' crimes did not have the terror 'intent' of someone who blows up a building. Tarrio's aunt and godmother sent in letters pleading for leniency which were read by defense attorney Nayib Hassan. 'Henry [Tarrio's birth name] is not a monster like he's made out to be,' the letter read. Tarrio's mother, fiancee, and his younger sister also spoke of Tarrio's character as they asked for leniency, saying his incarceration has greatly affected his family. The younger sister teared up as she spoke, saying: 'he is the glue that keeps us together... the idea of him not being around for all the milestones is hard to bear.' Tarrio is seen in a court sketch after his March, 2022, arrest in Miami Tarrio discussed 'storming' the Capitol prior to January 6, but was arrested upon entry into the capital on January 5, 2021 for a prior offense of burning the Black Lives Matter flag The Justice Department has asked for Tarrio to spend more than three decades in prison, describing him as the ringleader of a plot to use violence to shatter the cornerstone of American democracy and overturn the election victory by Joe Biden, a Democrat, over Trump, the Republican incumbent. Tarrio discussed 'revolutions' and 'storming' the Capitol complex prior to January 6, but was arrested upon entry into the capital on January 5, 2021 for a prior offense of burning the Black Lives Matter flag and on several weapons charges. The Miami native was supposed to be sentenced last week in Washington's federal court, but his hearing was delayed because Judge Kelly got sick. Kelly, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, sentenced Tarrio's co-defendants to lengthy prison terms - though far shorter than prosecutors were seeking. Self-described Proud Boys organizer Joe Biggs sobbed as he was sentenced to 17 years on Thursday for his role in the riot after pleading for leniency to take care of his daughter and ailing mother. Judge Kelly wasn't having it, as he said Americans are the envy of the world and U.S. elections must be respected, telling Biggs: 'You did play a role in riling up the crowd. 'If you don't like how an election is being conducted... you can speak out, call, write or meet with election officials. You can engage in peaceful protest. File a lawsuit.' The judge ruled that Biggs qualified for a terrorism sentencing enhancement because he teared down a fence that stood between police and rioters. Prosecutors on Tuesday asked Kelly to hand out a harsher punishment for Tarrio than his co-defendants, arguing he was the leader of the operation, and as a someone with a criminal record was a less sympathetic figure than Biggs, who's a veteran. 'We need to make sure the consequences are clear to anybody who might be unhappy with any future election as long as this case is remembered...this was a calculated act of terrorism,' prosecutors said during the sentencing. Former Proud Boys leader Joe Biggs sobbed as he was sentenced to 17 years in prison over his role in the January 6 , 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol Proud Boys member Ethan Nordean walks toward the U.S. Capitol in Washington, in support of President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021 Proud Boys members including Zachary Rehl, left, Ethan Nordean, center, and Joseph Biggs, walk toward the U.S. Capitol in Washington, in support of President Donald Trump Ethan Nordean, who prosecutors said was the Proud Boys' leader on the ground on January 6, was sentenced to 18 years in prison, tying the record for the longest sentence in the attack. Prosecutors had asked for 27 years for Nordean, who was a Seattle-area Proud Boys chapter president. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who was found guilty of seditious conspiracy in a separate case, was sentenced in May to 18 years in prison. Prosecutors, who had sought 25 years for Rhodes, are appealing his sentence and the punishments of other members of his antigovernment militia group. 'Tarrio has repeatedly and publicly indicated that he has no regrets about what he helped make happen on January 6,' prosecutors wrote in court documents. Lawyers for the Proud Boys deny that there was any plot to attack the Capitol or stop the transfer of presidential power. 'There is zero evidence to suggest Tarrio directed any participants to storm the U.S. Capitol building prior to or during the event,' his attorneys wrote in court papers. 'Participating in a plan for the Proud Boys to protest on January 6 is not the same as directing others on the ground to storm the Capitol by any means necessary.' Police arrested Tarrio in Washington on Jan. 4, 2021, on charges that he defaced a Black Lives Matter banner during an earlier rally in the nations capital, but law enforcement officials later said he was arrested in part over concerns about the potential for unrest during the certification. He complied with a judges order to leave the city after his arrest. On Jan. 6, dozens of Proud Boys leaders, members and associates were among the first rioters to breach the Capitol. The mobs assault overwhelmed police, forced lawmakers to flee the House and Senate floors and disrupted the joint session of Congress for certifying Bidens victory. The backbone of the governments case was hundreds of messages exchanged by Proud Boys in the days leading up to Janury 6. As Proud Boys swarmed the Capitol, Tarrio cheered them on from afar, writing on social media: 'Do what must be done.' In a Proud Boys encrypted group chat later that day someone asked what they should do next. Tarrio responded: 'Do it again.' Tarrio wrote 'Do what must be done' on social media as they swarmed the Capitol, and when asked what they should do next, he replied: 'Do it again' Prosecutors argued the Proud Boys were at the front lines of the mob on Capitol grounds and were there when the first barriers were breached 'Make no mistake,' Tarrio wrote in another message. 'We did this.' Tarrio led the neo-fascist group - known for street fights with left-wing activists - when Trump infamously told the Proud Boys to 'stand back and stand by' during his first debate with Joe Biden. During the month long trial, prosecutors argued that the Proud Boys viewed themselves as foot soldiers fighting for Trump as the Republican spread lies that Democrats stole the election from him. Attorneys argued that members of the group were prepared to go to war to keep their preferred leader in power. Defense lawyers denied there was any plot to attack the Capitol or stop Congress' certification of Biden's win. The investigation has become the largest for the Justice Department in American history, and it hadn't tried a seditious conspiracy case in over a decade. The riots followed months of false claims by Trump and his allies that the election had been rigged against him. A select House committee investigated the riots and in its final report accused Trump of a criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The committee estimated that from the election to Jan. 6, the president and aides made hundreds of efforts to pressure officials to overturn the results. Trump supporters surround a noose and a gallows near the Capitol, on January 6 Targets included states he lost but that had GOP-led legislatures such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona. Trump has since been indicted for this role in the riots, with a grand jury indictment accusing him of spreading 'lies' and 'sham' investigations while stoking an 'angry' mob on January 6. Special Counsel Jack Smith said in a televised public statement following the release of the indictment that the attack on the Capitol was 'fueled by lies' made by Trump 'targeted at obstructing the bedrock function of the U.S. government - the nation's process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of the presidential election.' He pledged that his office will conduct a 'speedy' trial. Trump is facing four counts including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and obstruct the electoral count for trying to overturn the 2020 election. The 45-page indictment says he was 'determined to remain in power' despite 'having lost.' He and his six co-conspirators 'used knowingly false claims of election fraud' to try to 'subvert the legitimate election results and change electoral votes' to take down Joe Biden, according to the indictment. He has plead not guilty. ASDA chairman Lord Stuart Rose has said shoplifting has effectively been decriminalised thanks to lack of police action. Lord Rose, who was previously the boss of Marks & Spencer, said the authorities have turned their heads away from a shocking wave of crime being battled by shop staff. He also echoed calls by the boss of Tesco for more to be done to protect workers from attacks and blamed complacent authorities which have allowed lawlessness. Theft is a big issue, he said speaking to LBCs Nick Ferrari yesterday. It has become decriminalised. It has become minimised. He added: Its actually just not seen as a crime anymore. Weve become risk averse. Kirk Wharton is seen on CCTV stashing item in his coat in a foiled shoplifting attempt Lord Stuart Rose (pictured) said authorities have turned their heads away from a shocking wave of crime being battled by shop staff The police have got lots of other things to do, although Suella Braverman now says that all crime will be investigated, so lets see what happens. His comments came after a rallying cry by Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy for the Government and police to help supermarkets to better protect staff from abuse. Writing in The Mail on Sunday, the boss of the countrys largest supermarket called for English laws to go further and make abuse or violence towards retail workers an offence in itself, as in Scotland. He also called for better links between police forces and businesses to both take criminals to task and prevent incidents in the first place, as he pledged to offer a body camera to every frontline Tesco store worker. The British Retail Consortium found that incidents of violence and abuse against retail workers almost doubled from more than 450 per day in 2019-20 to more than 850 last year. Mr Murphy said physical assaults at Tesco were up by a third on this time last year. Lord Rose said Mr Murphys push to raise awareness on staff safety was very important and said we do have to be careful about how our staff are exposed to dangers. When asked why such a state of lawlessness had occurred, Lord Rose said: Well, because weve allowed it to happen. Police should have a zero tolerance approach to shoplifting and investigate all instances, policing minister Chris Philp has said. Pictured: Officers on Oxford Street But Lord Rose stopped short of agreeing that all Asda store staff should wear body cameras, saying this would not be a good place to be. He said: I dont really want to get to a world where we, you know, you sit down and everybodys photographing everybody else for whatever action they take. Last year retailers spent 953million on anti-crime measures, including increased security personnel, body worn cameras and more CCTV, according to the British Retail Consortium. The industry group claims that retailers are reluctant to report incidents of retail crime as in many cases the police rarely turn up, resulting in a vicious cycle. The pandemic - which saw supermarket staff brave the risk of Covid - is thought to have triggered an increase in abuse towards shop workers. Henriquez is accused of steering contracts to an ex-city employee while she oversaw the Community Challenge Grant Program The director of a neighborhood grant program in San Francisco has been placed on leave following allegations that she accepted a significant handful of bribes over a number of years. The Office of the City Administrator announced last week that Lanita Henriquez, 53, is now on administrative leave 'during the ongoing law enforcement process.' Henriquez has pleaded not guilty to a handful of charges, including six counts of bribery and one count of misappropriation of public funds. The charges were filed by the San Francisco District Attorney's Office. In a statement, the city's mayor, London Breed, said: 'When individuals violate the public trust, it hurts our city and undermines the important work and commitment of our entire workforce who show up day after day to serve the public.' Lanita Henriquez (Right), 53, is accused of taking bribes from Rudolph Dwayne Jones (Left) during her time overseeing a program that dolled out public funds to community improvement projects Prosecutors said that the contracts Henriquez allegedly directed to Jones on behalf of The City were worth more than $1.4million in total 'We have already implemented a number of good government reforms to address the problems of the past, and we remain committed to having strong policies and protocols that allow us to deliver critical services with integrity and efficiency,' she continued. The program Henriquez oversaw dolled out public funds to community improvement projects, including art initiatives, cultural foundations, and climate change organizations. Henriquez is accused of accepting a number of checks totaling $25,000 from ex-city employee Rudolph Dwayne Jones, who is the founder and president of RDJ Enterprises - a 'multifaceted professional services company specializing in the development and administration of public engagement campaigns, business diversity and workforce development programs.' The checks were allegedly accepted between February of 2017 and October of 2018. Henriquez is also accused of directing 23 contracts to 'entities controlled by Jones,' in which she had a financial stake in the years spanning 2016 to 2020. Prosecutors said that the contracts Henriquez allegedly directed to Jones on behalf of The City were worth more than $1.4million in total. Companies owned and operated by Jones allegedly gave Henriquez nine checks totaling some $33,000. Additionally, her family and friends received 48 checks in the total amount of close to $157,000. 'When individuals violate the public trust, it hurts our city and undermines the important work and commitment of our entire workforce,' said Mayor London Breed Henriquez oversaw a program that dolled out public funds to community improvement projects, including art initiatives, cultural foundations, and climate change organizations San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, whose office is running the investigation, also announced that they have 'initiated a process of suspension and debarment' against Jones, his companies, and any partners. Chiu said the process is to ensure that San Francisco does not provide any further funds or contracts to RDJ Enterprises. The City Administrator's office also asked Chiu to conduct a review of the Community Challenge Grant Program to 'identify any necessary improvements to the program's policies and procedures.' In a statement, City Administrator Carmen Chu, 'There is no tolerance for the misuse of public funds for personal gain anywhere in our government. Even while the investigation is ongoing, we must act swiftly to review internal processes and ensure accountability.' The Delta flight from Atlanta to Barcelona forced to turn back after a passenger suffered a horrific bout of diarrhea had to undergo a five-hour cleanup operation which included the entire carpet being torn up and replaced. Passengers onboard shared updates detailing how staff used vanilla-scented disinfectant while they made the return to Atlanta on Friday night, where the plane was thoroughly cleaned. After a five-hour wait, while crews tore up the carpet, passengers posted on social media that the plane was even cleaner than when they first boarded. Following an 8-hour and 13-minute flight, the plane finally landed in Barcelona at 5:10pm - eight hours behind schedule. One took to social media, saying that her partner reported that the offending excrement had been dribbling down the aisle. One passenger praised the crew and cleanup staff with how they dealt with the situation Some with knowledge of the situation posted to social media after passengers arrived back in Atlanta The woman, known as Dee W on X, said: 'My partner was on that flight! It was pretty bad. It was dribbled down the aisle, smelled horrible. 'The vanilla scented disinfectant used on it only made it smell like vanilla s***. After the plane landed, it was thoroughly cleaned. They didn't leave until around 2:30am. 'The flight was met by emergency vehicles and EMTs carried the sick passenger off the plane. 'My partner said the plane was cleaner when they got back on at 2am than it was the first time they got on. No smell either.' Another passenger onboard the Airbus A350 aircraft also praised the cleanup operation. 'Both my wife and I were on the flight. It was a mess. The pilots made the right decision to turn around. The ground crew ripped out the carpet and put new in. 'Considering the circumstances, the ground crew did a great job, along the attendants and the pilots,' wrote John Hurdt. The aircraft bound for Barcelona returned to Atlanta and underwent a five hour cleanup operation in which the carpet had to be removed (file photo) The plane was only one hour into its journey when it was forced to turn around due to the incident A FAA flight strip is pictured here, in which the crew relayed details highlighting the issue onboard In a text message sent to Air Traffic Control, the captain was succinct in explaining the problem: 'Divert to ATL passenger diarrhea all over aircraft biohazard.' Air traffic control audio recordings also reveal one of the pilots confirming the situation over the radio, saying: 'It's just a biohazard issue, we had a passenger who had diarrhea all the way through the airplane so they want us to come back to Atlanta.' The plane was met on the ground by emergency vehicles who took the passenger off the plane before it was cleaned. While Delta acknowledged the flight encountered an unexpected medical event, the airline remained tight-lipped about the specifics. The aircraft touched down in Atlanta at 10:40pm and eventually resumed its journey to Spain just over five hours later at 3am, a stock Delta plane is seen here 'Our teams worked as quickly and safely as possible to thoroughly clean the airplane and get our customers to their final destination. 'We sincerely apologize to our customers for the delay and inconvenience to their travel plans,' the airline wrote in a statement. Delta have since confirmed to DailyMail.com that the plane was given a deep cleaning and would remain in service. In a statement to DailyMail.com, the Federal Aviation Administration said: 'Delta Air Lines Flight 194 returned safely to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport around 10:40 p.m. local time on Friday September 1 after the crew reported a passenger medical emergency. 'The Airbus A350 was headed to Barcelona.' DailyMail.com has approached Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for further comment on the matter. An Afghan refugee who spent years selling fake Louis Vuitton bags from a stall in Camden Market has avoided jail. Mohammed Abdullah, 30, who specialises in knock-off purses and handbags, was first convicted in 2017 when investigators from the designer and tech giant Apple made a series of test purchases. But the following year he continued his crimes, and an undercover investigator purchased items from a shop on Camden High Road on three separate occasions. Abdullah appeared at Southwark Crown Court wearing a blue and white striped shirt. Donal Lawler, prosecuting, said: 'This case concerns the sale of counterfeit namely counterfeit goods claiming to be Louis Vuitton items, and between 22 November and 15 December, 2018 three test purchases were made from the defendant were made from the defendant from a shop on Camden High Road. Mohammed Abdullah, who spent years selling fake Louis Vuitton bags from a stall in Camden Market, has avoided jail after attending Southwark Crown Court (pictured) for his crimes 'All the goods have subsequently been confirmed subsequently to be counterfeit.' The first test purchase that the undercover investigator made was of a purse supposedly produced by Louis Vuitton on November 22, 2018. It was priced at 20 - twenty five times less than the cost of a real Louis Vuitton purse. 'Analysis of the purse showed a number of incorrect slots, inferior material, and most importantly, Louis Vuitton don't make wallets with that type of pattern,' Mr Lawler said. An investigator made three further purchases from the store. On December 6 the investigator bought a bag for 20, which is estimated to have cost 1,250 had it been genuine. On December 18 they purchased another bag for 40, which would have cost 855 had it been a real Louis Vuitton bag. Analysis of the material, the stitching, lining and embossing on the items confirmed that they were fake items. 'The prosecution does not accept that he was a mere shop worker acting under the direction of others,' Mr Lawler said. James Manning, defending, said: 'The defendant is supporting his family. His wife does not work and is receiving child benefits for their three children.' Abdullah appeared at Southwark Crown Court wearing a blue and white striped shirt The court heard that he was unable to attend his father's funeral at the beginning of the year because of his immigration status, and was therefore unable to leave the country. He has applied for permanent leave to remain but the Home Office had delayed resolving his application due to his pending criminal case. 'He has been assessed as being at low risk of reoffending.' Mr Manning also emphasised that Abdullah did not make significant amounts of money. 'The defendant was selling the items for 20 or 40. Whatever financial gain made was modest. 'There has been a significant delay in this case, and not just a delay, a delay that has detrimentally affected the defendant.' Sentencing Abdullah, the judge Ms Recorder Joanne Clement said: 'I am satisfied that none of the items were genuine Louis Vuitton items. 'I take into account the lapse of time since the offending and your caring responsibilities for your young children.' 'This is serious enough to require a community order.' Abdullah, of Finchley, denied but was convicted of three counts of selling counterfeit goods, and one count of possessing counterfeit goods after a trial. He was sentenced to a community order, which includes having to complete 150 hours unpaid work in the next 12 months. Police have IDed a suspect in the case surrounding a 60-year-old woman's brutal beating on the New York City Subway - a 43-year-old man with at least nine other arrests. Named in a press conference by the city's top transit cop, Norton Blake's laundry list of priors reportedly range from drug possession and assault to trespassing and resisting arrest. He remains at-large, NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper told reporters on Tuesday - nearly four days after victim Laurell Reynolds was filmed being brutalized with her own walking stick by a man believed to be Blake. Within days, the two-minute clip went viral - sparking a search for the man in footage after he successfully fled before cops arrived. The attack happened just before 3:30am Friday, as Reynolds - who resides in the Bronx - was making her way through the station at West 116 Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem. In comments to The New York Post, Reynolds' daughter revealed she learned of the assault only after seeing the video online. Scroll down for video: Cops have IDed 43-year-old Norton Blake as the sole suspect in the Friday attack, which happened at a West Harlem train station at about 3:30am and was filmed Laurell Reynolds was filmed being brutalized with her own walking stick by a man believed to be Blake. 'Now I know,' recalled 41-year-old Lashanne Reese, also of the Bronx, after being left wondering why her mom never made it to back her apartment for a party she was having Saturday, after leaving her home to go home and change. Of the harrowing footage - which looked to have been filmed from inside a subway toll booth - she said: 'I'm hurt - it hurts.' 'That man could've killed my mother,' she added, as her mom remains hospitalized and is believed to be in stable condition. 'You all did nothing. I have a problem with that.' As Reese suggested, no one on the platform stepped up to assist her mom over the course of the attack - which many have since speculated was filmed by an MTA worker. On Tuesday, shortly after Kemper revealed officer were now 'looking' for Blake, MTA Chair Janno Lieber said he was not sure who filmed the incident instead of helping Reynolds, and that he didn't 'know about the specifics of what took place.' He did, however, maintain that workers employed by the taxpayer-funded agency have been instructed to call both the NYPD and the Rail Control Center in the event of a potential crime. Kemper said a call reporting an assault at the station came in at around 3:30am, but by the time officers responded, the suspect was already gone. A timeframe for this sequence of events was not provided Tuesday - but Kemper did suggest cops from his force were coming close to making an arrest. The beating - which commenced after Blake snagged the woman's walking stick from her hands - continued as she fell to the ground, and left thousands across the city and country shocked due to its prolonged and relentless nature Insiders reportedly said that Blake, while on the run, is well known to the force - and has prior arrests for drug possession, trespassing, resisting arrest, evidence tampering, possessing stolen property, and assaulting two officers in 2003 and 2017 You can see the suspect hit her with the cane on her head, stomach, legs, arms, hands and her back, eventually breaking the walking stick. Speaking to the New York Post, her daughter said she was not sure why she had been traveling to Manhattan from the Bronx so late at night At no point were any transit staff or police around to either take notice or attempt to stop the brutal beating- which appears to have been filmed from inside the station's toll booth. City staffers have said they do not know who took the footage 'Were looking for him, and Im pretty confident that in short order, he will be arrested and charged for that assault,' Kemper assured reporters after revealing Blake to be their sole suspect. Of how the altercation initially transpired, the top cop said he and others believed the suspect and Reynolds had engaged in some kind of argument as the victim traversed one of the station's staircases. 'A witness [said] they were arguing over something that might have dropped,' Kemper said, claiming it was still unclear whether the two knew each other. 'He might have been helping her carry something up the steps and something might have dropped, causing them to argue,' he theorized. The dispute soon devolved into one of the most heinous assaults on the system in recent memory, during which Blake allegedly hit Reynolds in the head, stomach, leg, arms, back, and hands. The beating - which commenced after Blake snagged the woman's walking stick from her hands - continued as she fell to the ground, and left thousands across the city and country shocked due to its prolonged and relentless nature. Local law enforcement sources further told the Post that Blake, while on the run, is well known to the force - and has prior arrests for drug possession, assault, trespassing, resisting arrest, evidence tampering, and possessing stolen property. NYPD Chief Michael Kemper named the suspect in a press conference Tuesday, while sources said he has laundry list of priors ranging from drug possession and assault to trespassing and resisting arrest. The top cop said Tuesday that officers were still trying to make an arrest Shortly after Kemper revealed officer were 'looking' for Blake, MTA Chair Janno Lieber (pictured) said he was not sure who filmed the attack, and he didn't 'know about the specifics of what took place.' The case - which comes amid a series of violent incidents - is ongoing Two of the assault offenses saw the suspect strike other NYPD Officers, the insiders said - one in 2017 while resisting arrest and another in 2003 where he punched an officer in the face while he was off-duty. Not sure why her mom had been headed to Harlem, Reese lamented the situation to The Post - and how neither the witness nor the person who filmed the footage jumped in to help. 'We're supposed to be a loving, caring community. It's unity in community if we put unity in, we get a whole community,' Reese said. 'For them not to do that this is why it's going on everywhere,' she continued. 'Everywhere this is happening because there is no unity in our community.' Of the suspect, she tearfully said: He needs help No, he shouldnt be on the street. 'He just attacked my mother and beat her with a cane. He dont belong on the street. Subway crime has been labeled one of the city's major crises and though statistics say transit offenses are down slightly, even progressive Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said last month he was afraid for his family when they road the subway. 'I know the statistics that transit crime is down, but when one of my family members gets on the train, I, too, get a knot in my stomach,' he told FOX 5 News when asked about the perception that the subway system is becoming increasingly unsafe. 'I live here, I'm raising my family here, so we have a lot more work to do,' he added. Major crime decreased 9.9% in the subway system in July, according to the city's statistics. Suella Braverman has banned mercenary outfit the Wagner Group as a terrorist group. The Home Secretary will make Wagner a 'proscribed' organisation under anti-terror laws, meaning it now ranks alongside Islamic State and al-Qaeda. She described Wagner as 'terrorists, plain and simple'. Anyone who is a member of the mercenary group, or who shows support for it, will face arrest and prosecution. Mrs Braverman said: 'Wagner is a violent and destructive organisation which has acted as a military tool of Vladimir Putin's Russia overseas. The Home Secretary will make Wagner a 'proscribed' organisation under anti-terror laws Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was buried in his home city of St Petersburg last week, six days after his death in a plane crash A flag bearing the logo of private mercenary group Wagner as it flutters in the wind at a makeshift memorial in front of the PMC Wagner office in Novosibirsk, southern Russia 'While Putin's regime decides what to do with the monster it created, Wagner's continuing destabilising activities only continue to serve the Kremlin's political goals. 'They are terrorists, plain and simple - and this proscription order makes that clear in UK law.' She went on: 'Wagner has been involved in looting, torture and barbarous murders. 'Its operations in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa are a threat to global security. 'That is why we are proscribing this terrorist organisation and continuing to aid Ukraine wherever we can in its fight against Russia.' Draft measures to ban the Wagner Group under the Terrorism Act 2000 will be laid in Parliament today WEDS. Once passed, supporting it will carry up to 14 years' imprisonment, and its assets can be categorised as terrorist property and seized. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was buried in his home city of St Petersburg last week, six days after his death in a plane crash. But there remains speculation that it was a body double, not Prigozhin, who perished. Pictured: An informal memorial to Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin in Moscow A fighter of the Wagner private military force stands at an informal memorial next to the former 'PMC Wagner Centre' in St Petersburg, Russia A bomb is thought to have been detonated on his Embraer Legacy 600 private jet, although smoke trails seen may indicate the aircraft was targeted by a surface-to-air missile. The Wagner boss died two months after leading a mutiny against the Kremlin which, briefly, seemed likely to plunge Russia into civil war as Prigozhin and thousands of his soldiers drove from Ukraine towards Moscow. Putin banished him to Belarus as punishment. The Commons' foreign affairs committee called for the Wagner Group to be proscribed in a report published in July. It said evidence presented to MPs suggested the move would 'limit Wagner's access to ports, natural resources, and corridors of power that the group has been able to exploit for the benefit of the Russian Federation'. The Wagner boss died two months after leading a mutiny against the Kremlin which, briefly, seemed likely to plunge Russia into civil war as Prigozhin and thousands of his soldiers drove from Ukraine towards Moscow The MPs added: 'A proscription may also support legal action against Wagner members in British courts, encourage whistle-blowers to come forward, and allow the use of pre-existing international mechanisms of counter-terrorist financing.' The report said 'risks of a proscription include the possibility that it would drive the network 'underground', as well as causing damage to the UK's diplomatic ties with affected countries'. But it concluded: 'The Government should proscribe the Wagner Network as a terrorist organisation, recognising that-while there are risks of doing so-there are also risks of failing to do so.' Wagner's co-founder Dmitry Utkin named it after Hitler's favourite composer because, according to investigative website Bellingcat, he had 'an obsessive fascination with the history of the Third Reich'. Currently, 78 international terrorist groups are proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000, with 14 further Northern Ireland organisations including the IRA banned under earlier legislation. Capt. Larry Taylor, a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, wiped away a tear Tuesday as President Joe Biden presented him with the Medal of Honor. Taylor, 81, flew hundreds of missions and saved countless lives, but no rescue flight was as daring, or as meaningful to the veteran, as the one for which he received the U.S. Armed Forces' highest military decoration. On the night of June 18, 1968, Lt. Taylor took off in his attack helicopter and pulled off the dramatic rescue of four men who had become surrounded and were in danger of being overrun by enemy troops in a rice field. 'The Medal of Honor is our nation's oldest and highest recognition of valor,' Biden told a crowd in the East Room Tuesday afternoon. 'Now when I called Larry to let him know he was finally receiving this recognition the response was, "I thought you had to do something to receive the Medal of Honor."' 'Larry, you sure as hell did something, man,' the president said. 'If you ask anyone here, I'm pretty sure they'd say you did something extraordinary.' A tear is seen on the cheek of Capt. Larry Taylor (left) as he is presented the Medal of Honor Tuesday afternoon by President Joe Biden (right) Capt. Larry Taylor was responsible for saving four lives with a dramatic helicopter rescue during the Vietnam War David Hill, one of the men Taylor saved that night, said Taylor's actions were what 'we now call thinking outside the box.' Hill and the three others were on a night mission to track the movement of enemy troops in a village near the Saigon River when they were found by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops. An intense firefight ensued and soon they were running out of ammunition. They radioed for help. Taylor flew off in his attack helicopter, arriving just minutes later at the site northeast of what at the time was Saigon, since renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Taylor said the first problem with getting to the trapped soldiers was poor visibility. 'It's difficult to support you because I can't see you and I can't see the bad guys. I'm afraid if I start throwing some rockets out here, I'm going to kill one of you all,' he recalled telling them over the radio. He asked the patrol team to send up some flares to mark their location in the dark. Taylor and a pilot in an accompanying helicopter started firing their ships' Miniguns and aerial rockets at the enemy, making low-level attack runs and braving intense ground fire for about half an hour. The two American helicopters attacked the enemy troops, using all their rockets and nearly 16,000 machine-gun rounds. Lt. Larry Taylor flying a Cobra in the mid-to-late 1960s. He flew more than 2,000 combat missions during his time as an Army aviator during the Vietnam War 1st Lt. Larry Taylor sitting in a UH-1 'Huey' helicopter in an undated photo. After completing flight training, Taylor was assigned to one of the Army's first Cobra helicopter companies in Vietnam where he served from August 1967 to August 1968 Capt. Larry L. Taylor and wife, Toni Taylor. Taylor will become the newest recipient of the military's highest award for valor in battle when President Joe Biden presents the Vietnam veteran with the Medal of Honor on Tuesday more than 55 years after his heroic actions American troops on military operation fighting Viet Cong during the Vietnam war in 1967 But with both helicopters nearly out of ammunition and with the enemy continuing to advance, Taylor surveyed the team's intended escape route to a point near the river and concluded that the men would be overrun if they tried to get there. He had to think of something else. Now running low on fuel and with the reconnaissance team also nearly out of ammunition, Taylor directed his wingman to fire the rounds left in his Minigun along the team's eastern flank and then head back to base camp, while Taylor fired his remaining rounds on the western flank. He used the helicopter's landing lights to distract the enemy, buying time for the patrol team to head south and east toward a different extraction point he had identified. After they arrived, Taylor landed under heavy enemy fire and at great personal risk. The four team members rushed toward the helicopter and clung to the exterior - it only had two seats - and Taylor whisked them away to safety. He was on the ground for about 10 seconds. 'I finally just flew up behind them and sat down on the ground,' Taylor explained during an interview. American military operation during the height of the Vietnam War when the Marines faced the North Vietnamese Army close to the DMZ separating North and South Vietnam General view of American soldiers walking in the jungle at the Hill 875 near Dakto on November 29, 1967 Members of Co D, 2nd Bn, 35th Inf, 3rd Bde, 4th Inf Div, unload from a CH-47A Chinook helicopter at the Landing Zone to conduct a helicopter combat assault in 1967 'They turned around and jumped on the aircraft. A couple were sitting on the skids. One was sitting on the rocket pods, and I don't know where the other one was, but they beat on the side of the ship twice, which meant haul ass. And we did!' What Taylor did that night had never before been attempted, the Army said. 'I was doing my job. I knew that if I did not go down and get them, they would not make it,' Taylor told Stripes.com. Hill put their odds of survival at 'absolutely zero' without Taylor's outside-the-box thinking. 'His innovation was well beyond the call, as was his courage,' said Hill, the only member of the patrol team who is still alive. 'And that's the short of it, folks. 'Hell, we were dead,' Hill said. 'The fortunes of war had turned against us that night.' We were in a Custer-like situation,' Hill said, referencing Custer's Last Stand, an American battle from 1876. 'We were finally able to make a breakout because he directed us to the very weakest portion of the enemy envelopment,' Hill explained. Taylor basically concocted the plan as he flew along. 'There's nothing in the book that says how to do that and I think about 90 percent of flying a helicopter in Vietnam was making it up as you go along,' he said. 'Nobody could criticize you `cause they couldn't do any better than you did and they didn't know what you were doing anyway.' Taylor said he flew hundreds of combat missions in UH-1 and Cobra helicopters during a year's deployment in Vietnam. 'We never lost a man,' he said. 'You just do whatever is expedient and do whatever to save the lives of the people you're trying to rescue,' he said. Taylor was engaged by enemy fire at least 340 times and was forced down five times, according to the Army. The Medal of Honor is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, guardians and Coast Guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor After more than six years of pushing, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the Army's recommendation and forwarded Taylor's file to Biden. Biden signed off and called Taylor in July with the news He received scores of combat decorations, including the Silver Star, a Bronze Star and two Distinguished Flying Crosses. Taylor left Vietnam in August 1968, a couple months after that flight. He was released from active duty in August 1970, having attained the rank of captain, and was discharged from the Army Reserve in October 1973. He later ran a roofing and sheet metal company in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He and his wife, Toni, live in Signal Mountain, Tennessee. Hill said he and supporters of Taylor were astonished to learn decades after that harrowing night that Taylor had not been awarded a Medal of Honor. Taylor had been awarded a Silver Star, one of the military's top honors for valor in combat, but to his supporters, that medal represented a 'failure by the Army to adequately, or his commanders at the time, to adequately recognize his valor, his courage, his dedication' in Vietnam, and 'we were determined to turn that around,' Hill said. They wanted Taylor to have a Medal of Honor, the military's highest decoration given to service members who go above and beyond the call of duty, often risking their lives through selfless acts of valor. So the team dug into the process, gathering documentation, witness statements and other information, including asking Bob Corker, then Taylor's home-state senator, for his help. A After more than six years of pushing, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the Army's recommendation and forwarded Taylor's file to Biden. Biden signed off and called Taylor in July with the news. Republicans investigating misconduct in Hunter Biden's criminal case are accusing the administration of allegedly tipping off the first son before an FBI interview - and are now demanding more documents and testimony to prove it. The GOP lawmakers are following up on allegations made by a former FBI supervisory special agent working on the Hunter Biden case, who told them last month that he was not allowed to interview the first son in 2020 after the agency tipped off Secret Service and the Biden transition team. The agent, who worked for the FBI for more than two decades and retired from the bureau last year, said the interview was to occur on December 8, 2020 - weeks after the presidential election. The agent said that Hunter's Secret Service detail was supposed to be notified at 8 a.m. on the morning of the interview of their 'intent' to speak with the first son. But instead, on the evening before, he learned that both the Secret Service and the Biden transition team had already been notified. 'This essentially tipped off a group of people very close to President Biden and Hunter Biden and gave this group an opportunity to obstruct the approach of the witness,' he said in testimony. Now, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is ramping up his probe to get to the bottom of the allegations. He issued six subpoenas Tuesday - one to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to provide documents and the rest to the Secret Service for in-person testimony related to the alleged 'tip off.' A former FBI supervisory special agent working on the Hunter Biden case was not allowed to interview the first son after the agency tipped off Secret Service and the Biden transition team, according to newly released transcripts Both Biden transition team and Secret Service were notified of FBI's intent to speak with Hunter The Secret Service is housed under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 'The Department of Homeland Security is obstructing our investigation by muzzling the Secret Service from providing a response to Congress,' Comer said in a statement to DailyMail.com. 'The American people deserve transparency, not obstruction.' A DHS official told DailyMail.com that the claim the agency obstructed or 'withheld' a response is 'categorically false' and the Republican subpoenas are baseless. The agency was working on responding to the committee's inquiry appropriately through 'standard procedures,' the official said. In August, the former FBI agent said that the tip off well in advance was not necessary and may have impacted their investigation into Hunter. 'I felt it was people that did not need to know about our intent,' he said in testimony from August. 'I believe that the Secret Service had to be notified for our safety, for lack of confusion, for deconfliction, which we would do in so many other cases, but I didn't understand why the initial notification,' the agent testified last month. The agent was then told to give his contact information to Secret Service and not to approach the house but to wait outside for a call saying Hunter was ready for the interview. However, the agent said that he had never recalled being told to wait for a target to call and say they were ready for an interview. The call never came and the agent had other interviews to conduct, so he left. As far as the Biden transition team being clued in, 'I don't know why that would have happened,' the agent said. 'This is only one example of a systemic problem throughout the investigation that allowed Hunter Biden to avoid accountability and answering difficult questions about the source of his income, the legality of his actions, and the people who worked with and benefitted from his worldwide efforts to peddle access to his father,' Comer states in the letters informing DHS and the Secret Service of the subpoenas. He also outlines a series of alleged 'obstruction' by the agencies that have hampered his committee's investigation. The unusual interview attempt occurred under the Trump administration, while U.S. Attorney David Weiss in Delaware was overseeing the Hunter Biden case. He was appointed in 2018 and his investigation is still ongoing. Weiss has since been appointed special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland over the case, giving him greater independence from the main Department of Justice. When asked if he had 'ever known U.S. Attorney David Weiss to make prosecutorial decisions based upon political influence,' the agent replied 'no.' IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley, who was working with the FBI agent on the Hunter Biden case, said last month in an interview that the agent had essentially been muzzled by the DOJ ahead of his interview. 'He was given a letter the Sunday before from DOJ basically telling him not to talk,' Shapley said. 'I know that he could have confirmed additional material facts on this investigation,' he went on. 'And he did confirm the FBI headquarters notifying the transition team and Secret Service,' added Shapley, referring to claims that the FBI notified the Secret Service and Biden transition team that they planned to interview Hunter Biden in December 2020. 'But really that was the only thing that he was able to speak about.' The FBI and Delaware US Attorneys Office have said they cannot share everything with Congress because there's an 'ongoing investigation' - referring to the Hunter Biden plea deal blow-up last month. Both Shapley and former IRS agent Joe Ziegler explained that agents involved in the investigation of Hunter Biden's tax affairs recommended he be charged with a felony. But the Department of Justice did not charge him with one, and so the pair have suggested politics could have been at play. Democrats including top Oversight Democrat Jamie Raskin had accused the Republican of hiding testimony by the FBI agent that they said 'undercut' IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler's claims. The FBI agent who gave testimony said later in his testimony that he had never known anyone in the Delaware U.S. attorney's office - which handled the case - to make decisions based on politics. And he also added that said it was 'common' for FBI agents and prosecutors to disagree about investigative steps and charging decisions. But Republicans are still pressing forward as they investigate alleged interference in the Hunter probe and any connections to his father, President Joe Biden. Rep. Comer issued six subpoenas Tuesday - one to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to provide documents and the rest to the Secret Service for in-person testimony related to the alleged 'tip off' IRS Supervisory Special Agent Gary Shapley, left, and IRS Criminal Investigator Joseph Ziegler, are sworn in at a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing with IRS whistleblowers from July Last week, Comer said an impeachment inquiry is 'imminent' and that he will use a subpoena to get his hands on emails sent by Joe Biden using a pseudonym when he was vice president to discuss Ukrainian business with Hunter. The House Oversight Committee chairman is chasing allegations that Biden and his foreign connections were central to his son's moneymaking endeavors. 'Joe Biden's role in this family influence peddling scheme continues to grow on a daily basis,' Comer told Fox News host Sean Hannity. 'I mean, he was front and center in this.' The White House insists Biden was never involved in son Hunter's businesses and on Thursday dismissed Comer's latest allegations as lies. Most suggested someone with a stable job and savings Landlords have revealed their secret and strange rules in choosing a tenant for their properties, including one who won't rent to single women. It comes as the nation deals with an ongoing housing crisis which has resulted in scores of renters struggling to find a home as prices soar. A Facebook group set up for Australian property investors recently delved into what landlords look for in a prospective tenant. A-soon-to-be-landlord from New South Wales created the post to try and figure out what they should be looking for. Multiple property owners said the first thing they consider is whether a tenant has a stable job and savings so they can cover the rent. Aussie landlords have revealed how they really choose who they rent their homes to in a Facebook post (stock image) 'Jobs, money in the bank, good history, etc, but I went with my gut too, and it has served me well every time,' wrote one. Another added a good rental history was also important in selecting a tenant. 'Clear rental ledger, clear rental history. A family (long term) is a good choice less chance of them breaking up and not being able to cover rent. Good income,' they said. 'Don't let the rent exceed 30 per cent of their wage.' Others felt that going by the 30 per cent rule was difficult to follow through with in light of the cost-of-living crisis and high rental prices. They preferred a clear rental history and long-term tenancy. Other landlords gave some more unusual responses to the question. One advised landlords not to 'have single women as tenants'. 'You run a risk with DV problems, boyfriends moving in etc., especially with the new DV laws,' they said. The laws in NSW protect those experiencing domestic violence by permitting them or their dependent child to end their tenancy immediately without being penalised. Others recommended requesting pictures of a renter's car and pets to see if they look after them, which they said would give good insight into whether they would look after the property. 'If they have dogs I like to see pictures of them so that I can tell they're well cared for,' said one. 'I've found people that take care of their dogs tend to take care of everything in their life... bit anecdotal but it has rung true so far,' said one. Another landlord advised investors 'check out' a prospective tenant's car because 'if they don't look after that, they won't look after your house'. Multiple property owners said the first thing they consider is whether a tenant has a stable job and savings so they can cover the rent (pictured, rental sign outside a Brisbane home) Renters have been doing it tough for years with very high rents and few properties available (pictured, people queueing to view a rental property) Sydney is Australia's most expensive rental market with median weekly unit rent in the year to July surging by 24.1 per cent to $666.39 as equivalent house rent rose by 15.9 per cent to $963.92, SQM Research data showed. READ MORE: Australian cities which are least affordable to buy a house Advertisement The city's rental vacancy rate is still low at 1.6 per cent, with Sydney's population growing by an average, annual pace of two per cent during the past decade 'driven mainly by international migration'. Last month, it was revealed as little as one in 100 rentals are affordable for essential workers. Kasy Chambers, executive director of Anglicare Australia which conducted the snapshot, says the numbers help explain why essential industries are facing labour shortages, as workers cannot afford to live in areas where the shortfall is the worst. 'Virtually no part of Australia is affordable for aged care workers, early childhood educators, cleaners, nurses and many other essential workers we rely on,' she said. 'They cannot afford to live in their own communities.' The survey, taken on March 17, looked at 45,895 rental listings across the country and calculated how many were available for less than 30 per cent of the award rate for 16 categories of essential workers. It found early childhood educators, hospitality workers and meat packers could only afford 0.9 per cent of listings available across Australia that weekend. Aged care workers could afford 1.1 per cent of rentals, nurses 1.5 per cent and ambulance drivers 2.4 per cent. Even in regional Australia, where prices have historically been lower than in urban centres, homes were unaffordable on the whole unless they were so remote that jobs were not widely available there. Kasy Chambers, executive director of Anglicare Australia, said the private housing market had failed those on low incomes, with rental vacancies at a record low 0.8 per cent (pictured, an auction in Melbourne) Treasurer Jim Chalmers acknowledged Australia had a huge housing challenge and people needed to be able to live close to their workplaces. But he said the main issue was supply, which could be solved with the $10billion Housing Australia Future Fund. The proposal stalled in the Senate but the Greens have promised to help pass the legislation if the government offered the states and territories money to cap rents and offer greater rights for tenants. Ms Chambers said the private housing market had failed those on low incomes, with rental vacancies at a record low 0.8 per cent despite a record high number of homes built over the last 10 years. 'The best way to make rentals more affordable is to build social and affordable homes,' she said. 'And we need tax reform to put people in need of homes, not investors, at the centre of our system.' White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted on Tuesday that President Joe Biden planned to visit the town of East Palestine, Ohio, despite more than seven months passing since it became the site of a railway disaster. On Saturday, while surveying damage in Florida from Hurricane Idalia, the president was asked why he seemingly snubbed a visit to the Ohio town. 'Well, I haven't had the occasion to go to East Palestine. There is a lot going on here, and I just haven't been able to break,' Biden said from Live Oak, Florida. At Tuesday's press briefing, Fox News' Peter Doocy asked if Biden had not had a break since February 3, the date of the derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train and subsequent hazardous chemical spill. 'The president will go to East Palestine. He promised that he would and he will,' Jean-Pierre answered. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted on Tuesday that President Joe Biden planned to visit the town of East Palestine, Ohio, despite more than seven months passing since it became the site of a railway disaster 'I just haven't been able to break,' President Joe Biden said Saturday when asked why he had yet to visit East Palestine, Ohio. He spent parts of August on vacation at Rehoboth Beach (pictured) and Lake Tahoe Federal officials were on the ground immediately, but it took 20 days for Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to pay East Palestine a visit, and Biden never scheduled a trip. Trying to show a contrast, former President Donald Trump flew to Ohio the day before Buttigieg's appearance. On Tuesday, Doocy followed up by asking if Biden's recent family vacation to Lake Tahoe wasn't considered a 'break.' 'I will say this again, the president is going to go to East Palestine, as he has said he is committed to do,' Jean-Pierre said. Biden spent part of August on vacation in Lake Tahoe and at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware home. 'I was thinking whether I'd go to East Palestine this week, but I then was reminded I've got to go literally around the world. I'm going from - from Washington to India to Vietnam to - and so, I - it's was going to be a while,' Biden said from Florida. 'But we're making sure that East Palestine has what they need materially in order to deal with their problems,' the president added. President Joe Biden was asked Saturday why he never visited East Palestine, Ohio. He was surveying Hurricane Idalia damage in Live Oak, Florida He truncated a Labor Day weekend getaway to Rehoboth Beach with his trip Saturday to Florida. 'You saw him just this Saturday visit a rural area that was devastated, some parts were devastated, by Hurricane Idalia and he was there with the first lady. They were able to hear directly from the American people and he was able to talk about what is it that they need, what else do they need from the federal government,' Jean-Pierre said. 'The president is going to go to East Palestine, I don't have a time or a date to announce at this time but he will go,' Jean-Pierre added. Residents of the Ohio town interviewed by News Nation in recent days expressed anger they never received a presidential visit. 'The only difference between East Palestine and a hurricane, is the hurricane never left from above us, it's still there seven months later, it's just invisible,' said resident Jamie Wallace. 'You can't see the homes that it destroyed, that are full of chemicals that people can't live in.' 'If he doesn't care enough about American citizens to come here and visit us, give us the support that we need,' Wallace added. Wallace also floated that maybe Biden should just skip the visit. Monday marked seven months and one day since the East Palestine, Ohio train disaster and President Joe Biden has yet to make a trip to the town 'You know at this point, I think it's pointless to come,' she said. 'Just give us the federal support that we need,' she told News Nation. 'You've already shown us how little you think of us, so coming now would just add to the insult, because we know he would be forced to come in here.' Resident Tammy Tsai noted how Biden 'was at his homes in Rehoboth and Wilmington and Lake Tahoe relaxing and having family time,' calling his snub of East Palestine 'reprehensible.' 'He should have been here. He should be helping these people. He should learn how to say the name of the town,' Tsai said. When Biden was asked about East Palestine on Saturday, he pronounced it '-stein' and not '-steen.' Up to a million sickness and disability benefit claimants are to be ordered to seek work. Unveiled by Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride tonight, the blitz is aimed at slashing the 26billion welfare budget. An estimated 2.5 million incapacity claimants are deemed unable to work and languish on handouts. But ministers believe this total could be cut by hundreds of thousands if those excused work because of mobility or anxiety problems are told to look for employment. They also hope the shake-up will plug gaps in the labour market and boost the economy. Official surveys suggest that up to half a million people on sickness benefits want a job and are keen to receive help. Those deemed capable of work could have their benefits docked if they refuse to cooperate. Unveiled by Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride tonight (pictured), the blitz is aimed at slashing the 26billion welfare budget Mr Stride assured MPs that the changes would not affect the terminally ill or those with severe learning difficulties or disabilities. But the proposals sparked a backlash from disability groups last night, with the MS Society saying they would 'create worry, fear and the real threat of major financial loss'. Rishi Sunak said helping people back into work could 'transform lives ... providing not just greater financial security, but also providing purpose that has the power to benefit individuals, their families, and their communities'. He added: 'The steps we're taking will ensure no one is held back from reaching their full potential through work, which is key to ensuring our economy is growing and fit for the future.' Mr Stride said capability assessment rules were a decade old and 'don't reflect the reality of work today'. Ministers believe the growth of working from home since the pandemic means that many people once deemed unable to work could now hold down a job. Currently those deemed unable to walk or wheel themselves 50 metres without experiencing 'significant discomfort' are not required to look for work. Similar exemptions apply to those suffering incontinence and to those with mental health problems that leave them unable to engage with others without experiencing 'significant distress'. Rishi Sunak said helping people back into work could 'transform lives' But ministers believe that, with support, many of these people could now hold down a job from home. One senior government source said officials believe only a million of the 2.5million are so disabled they are incapable of doing any work. Officials will also review whether too many people are being written off because of depression. Mr Stride launched a consultation last night that could lead to the guidelines being changed or scrapped altogether. He told MPs: 'Our plans include taking account of the fact that people with mobility problems or who suffer anxiety within the workplace have better access to employment opportunities from the rise in flexible and home working.' However, the changes are not due to be brought in until 2025, after the next election, raising the prospect they could be scrapped by Labour. Former Cabinet minister Sir John Redwood urged ministers to 'speed it all up' rather than wait until 2025: 'Why on Earth is it going to take so long? This is something we need to be doing now to ease our workplace shortages and to give those people earlier support and hope.' Mr Stride told MPs he shared Sir John's 'keenness' to see changes made as soon as possible, but said they would require 'quite a lot of work' with IT systems. Ministers have intervened following a surge in claims for incapacity benefits. Those who qualify for the payments are divided into two groups those deemed able to work and those who are not. But since 2011, the proportion in the latter group, who are not required to seek work, has soared from 21 per cent to 65 per cent. Real-terms spending on incapacity benefits has soared by 62 per cent over the past decade, rising from 15.9billion in 2013 to 25.9billion this year. Mr Stride launched a consultation last night that could lead to the guidelines being changed or scrapped altogether Government sources said that on current trends, the bill would rise to 29.3billion by 2027, with a further 500,000 people set to be written off. The British Chambers of Commerce welcomed the plan. Deputy policy director Jane Gratton said: 'Across the country, businesses are crying out for workers to fill job vacancies. 'Being employed has many positive benefits for people, so it makes sense to help everyone who wants to work to find a good job that meets their needs and personal circumstances. 'Employers understand this and want to be as flexible as possible to assist.' But James Taylor of Scope, a disability equality charity, said: 'We're worried these proposals will end up forcing huge numbers of disabled people to look for work when they aren't well enough, making them more ill. If they don't meet strict conditions, they'll have their benefits stopped. In the grips of a cost-of-living crisis this could be catastrophic.' Sarah White, of the disability charity Sense, said: 'We're seriously concerned that if the Government does overhaul its assessment process without putting any additional support in place, then disabled people are just going to be put under more pressure to find work, without having the support they need to do so.' A grieving pensioner was stripped and murdered in her own home by a young couple, who left her body to decompose while they went on a 'massive spending spree', a court heard. Susan Hawkey, a 71-year-old who lived alone, was described as 'highly vulnerable' when she was fatally attacked last September. Prosecutors said Chelsea Grant, 28, and boyfriend Xyaire Howard, 23, 'preyed' on their slightly built victim, who was 'struggling to cope' following the death of her parents and a partner. Police found her body after friends reported that Miss Hawkey - who was found with her lower clothing removed, and her T-shirt slashed - had not been seen for weeks. The suspects are alleged to have blindfolded, tied and murdered Miss Hawkey in her home, before stealing her bank cards and PIN and frittering away 13,000 of her money during a three-week spending spree. Susan Hawkey (pictured), a 71-year-old who lived alone, was described as 'highly vulnerable' when she was attacked in her own home Prosecutors said Chelsea Grant, 28, (pictured) and her partner 'preyed' on their slightly built victim, who was 'struggling to cope' after the death of her parents and partner Opening the trial at the Old Bailey today, prosecutor Annabel Darlow KC said: 'The prosecution say she was strangled during an attack motivated purely by greed and self-interest.' She added: 'Miss Hawkey had been tied up, with both her hands tied together, her eyes had been taped shut and a ligature knotted around her neck. 'Her body was found under a duvet and had been decomposing for some time after her death. '(The suspects) were boyfriend and girlfriend and lived in a flat a short walk away from Miss Hawkey. 'At some stage during the summer of 2022, they had clearly spotted Miss Hawkey and recognised in her an ideal victim.' The court heard the pair mugged her twice on the street, and then used her stolen keys to enter her home in Neasden, north west London, within the space of a few weeks, to take her card, making a small number of transactions. Xyaire Howard, 23, (pictured) and Grant are alleged to have blindfolded, tied and strangled Miss Hawkey last September, before stealing her bank cards and frittering away 13,000 of her money during a three-week spree The suspects lived a short walk away from Miss Hawkey in Neasden, north-west London, adding they had 'recognised in her an ideal victim' Jurors were told 'feisty' Miss Hawkey cancelled her stolen card each time, and threatened to 'thrash them' with a hammer if they broke into her home again. But, shortly after, the pair are alleged to have returned, extracting the PIN to her bank card which Miss Hawkey had 'committed to memory'. Ms Darlow said it was 'only if she was the victim of considerable violence and aggression that she would hand over' the four-digit number. The court heard the pair made nearly 150 transactions, with the vast majority of Miss Hawkey's savings 'burnt away' in three weeks. The couple are alleged to have bought 'luxury' items including watches, a new television and speakers, with money spent on brands including John Lewis, Michael Kors and Puma, the court heard. Grant is alleged to have conducted internet searches about body composition, while Howard is said to have researched transaction limits. Miss Hawkey's bank card was finally stopped on September 28 - around three weeks after she was last seen alive - at the request of police, and the defendants were arrested. The couple, also from Neasden, have denied murder and robbery charges, although Howard has admitted a single charge of robbery. The trial is expected to last for up to five weeks. Scots can look forward to soaking up the rays for the rest of the week as the weather could bring an official late summer heatwave. Forecasters have predicted 'unseasonably high' temperatures across much of Scotland until Friday, giving people a last chance to head to beaches and parks for a spot of sunbathing. Yesterday the mercury peaked at 28.1C (83F) in Auchincruive, Ayrshire, with Threave in Kirkcudbrightshire reaching 27.1C (81F) and Prestwick, Ayrshire, recording 26.5C (80F). The country can expect spectacular red sunsets due to a plume of Saharan dust off the north-west coast and night-time temperatures are expected to remain in double figures. Sunbathing friends, Chloe Gaconnier, Galen Terranova and Lailia Latif on Portobello Beach, Saharan dust helped to create a stunning Edinburgh sunset Rollo, 4, is enjoying a splash in Loch Lomond As hot weather spreads across the UK today (Tuesday) swimmers at the Gourock Pool on the Inverclyde coast enjoy the high temperatures Tetiana Santalova (39) from Ukraine (now living in Aviemore) is enjoying the hot weather at Loch Morlich The sultry conditions yesterday followed two days of hot weather in the North-East, when Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire recorded 27.1C. Scotland officially enters a heatwave once three consecutive days of temperatures above 25C are recorded at the same weather station. June was the only month to have seen a heatwave this year, with Threave enjoying the hottest day of the year at 30.7C (87F) on June 12. The Met Office has said the highest temperatures for the rest of the week are expected to be around 25C. Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said: 'It is unusually warm. Average temperatures at this time of year would be the high teens, so it's almost ten degrees above average. Towards the west there will be some good sunshine. It's been caused by the jet stream. Alexander 2 with his mum Kirsty Ross from Port Glasgow cooling down in Gourock Pool A black-and-white ruffed lemur has a nutrient filled ice pole at Blair Drummond Safari Park People enjoying the weather in Luss, Loch Lomond People enjoying the hot weather at Loch Morlich 'During the bad weather in July and August, the jet stream was stuck across the UK but it's moved further north, which has allowed high pressure in, and we've got a breeze that's bringing warm air up from the South.' Network Rail Scotland has warned that the weather could be hot enough to force trains to slow down. A spokesman said: 'Our overhead electricity cables are made of metal, which expands in the heat. During extremely hot days, they can start to sag lower than normal meaning we have to slow trains down to prevent damage occurring.' Across England and Wales, temperatures are likely to climb even further, and could beat this year's UK high of 32.2C (90F), also set in June. The mini-heatwave should see temperatures peak at around 32C today and tomorrow. By Sunday, temperatures will have cooled down and conditions will be more unsettled, with spells of rain forecast for next week. STV has had a boost in viewer numbers thanks to the usual wet and rainy conditions in Scotland. Chief executive Simon Pitts made the claim as he announced a slump in profits for the channel, despite attracting a higher audience than its BBC rival. Mr Pitts said: 'It's glorious up here today but it isn't always the case so [there's] more TV watching.' Profits made by STV Group dropped by 61 per cent in the first six months of the year, falling to 3.3million, amid a weak advertising market. Vallow's attorney filed her appeal on Thursday citing 16 issues with her trial She was found guilty in May of multiple murder-related charges, for the deaths of Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 16 life in prison for killing her two kids Cult mom Lori Vallow has appealed her murder conviction for killing her two kids claiming she was not fit to stand trail after spending ten months in a mental hospital. Vallow, 50, filed her appeal last week and listed numerous reasons she should get a new trial. Vallow was found guilty in May of killing her two youngest children, 7-year-old Joshua 'JJ' Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell, her fifth husbands previous wife, Tammy Daybell. 'Jesus Christ knows the truth of what happened here,' Vallow said at her sentencing. 'Jesus Christ knows no one was murdered in this case. Accidental deaths happen, suicides happen, fatal side effects of medications happen. Her husband, Chad Daybell, is awaiting trial on the same murder charges. He is scheduled to stand trial in April 2024. Vallow, 50, filed her appeal last week after being convicted of killing her two kids Vallow was sentenced to two life terms for the gruesome murder of her kids, found buried in a yard JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan vanished in September 2019. Their bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell's backyard in June 2020 Vallow's attorney, Jim Archibald, who represented Vallow at trial, filed an appeal on August 31, citing 16 issues including his client's mental competency, right to a speedy trial, evidence, grand jury indictment amendments, among other concerns. The first issue raised was the court's finding that Vallow was competent to stand trial on April 11, 2022, after spending 10 months in a psychiatric facility, Court-TV reported. The filing also referenced the courts denial of a defense motion to return Vallow to the facility on November 15, 2022, rather than proceed to trial. Archibald also filed a motion for the state to appoint an appellate public defender in her case. During Vallow's July 21 sentencing hearing, she told the court she communicates with her dead children in heaven. 'Because of these communications I know for a fact that my children are happy and busy in the spirit world. I know my friend Tammy Daybell is also very happy and extremely busy,' the cult mom said. The Idaho cult mom told the court she was 'friends' with Tammy, who is also 'extremely busy in heaven', and said all three regularly visit her. She also claimed to have died and gone to heaven herself in 2002. 'Jesus knows me and Jesus understands me. I mourn with all of you who mourn my children and Tammy,' Vallow said. Earlier this year, the judge in her case agreed to her request to have the death penalty taken off the table as punishment for prosecutors violating a court rule during the discovery phase of the trial. Vallow's attorneys had asked for a 20-year minimum sentence, and begged the judge to give her 'hope' and claiming the world will be a better place with 'hope.' 'If we give her hope, we protect society by keeping her behind bars until her 70s, where she has the incentive to be a model prisoner,' Archibald said at the sentencing. The 'charred remains' of Tylee Ryan, 16, and JJ Vallow, 7, were found at the couple's home in Salem, Idaho. Pictured: Investigators searching the property on June 9, 2020 Vallow's attorney, Jim Archibald, who represented Vallow at trial, filed an appeal on August 31, citing 16 issues including his client's mental competency, right to a speedy trial, evidence, grand jury indictment amendments, among other concerns Vallow also faces two other cases in Arizona - one on a charge of conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and one of conspiring to kill her niece's ex-husband. Charles Vallow was shot and killed in 2019, but her niece's ex survived an attempt later that year. The case began in July 2019, when Vallow's brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in a suburban Phoenix home. Cox told police he acted in self-defense. He was never charged in the case and died later that year of what authorities determined were natural causes. Vallow was already in a relationship with Chad Daybell, a self-published author who wrote doomsday-focused fiction loosely based on Mormon teachings. She moved to Idaho with her kids and brother to be closer to him. The children were last seen alive in September 2019. Police discovered they were missing a month later after an extended family member became worried. Their bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell's yard the following summer. Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow married in November 2019, about two weeks after Daybell's previous wife, Tammy, was killed. Chad Daybell, 54, was due to stand trial alongside Vallow before their cases were separated The case began in July 2019, when Vallow's brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in a suburban Phoenix home. Pictured: Vallow speaks to police after the shooting of Charles Vallow Netflix's series, which features her surviving child Colby Ryan, 26, reveals the details behind the killings Tammy Daybell initially was described as having died of natural causes, but an autopsy later showed she had been asphyxiated, authorities said. Defense attorney Jim Archibald argued during the trial there was no evidence tying Vallow Daybell to the killings, but plenty showing she was a loving, protective mother whose life took a sharp turn when she met Chad Daybell and fell for his 'weird' apocalyptic religious claims. Archibald suggested that Daybell and Vallow's brother, Alex Cox, were responsible for the deaths. Daybell told her they had been married in several previous lives and she was a 'sexual goddess' who was supposed to help him save the world by gathering 144,000 followers so Jesus could return, Archibald said. Vallow's former friend Melanie Gibb testified during the trial that Vallow believed people in her life had been taken over by evil spirits and turned into 'zombies,' including JJ and Tylee. The family and the case was featured on the popular Netflix TV documentary, 'Sins of our Mother.' Netflix's series, which features her surviving child Colby Ryan, 26, reveals the details behind the killings, and Lori's beliefs that convinced her there was a 'dark spirit' inside her daughter, and the only way to 'free the spirit is to kill the body.' Humza Yousaf is digging in. His Programme for Government statement proceeded as though the past five months never happened. In fact, the policy platform he outlined sounded as though Nicola Sturgeon never left. Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross branded it continuity from a continuity First Minister in a sustained, scathing takedown. This probably explains why the atmosphere was so flat. The first day back after summer recess is usually buzzing: gossipy pow-wows at the coffee bar, plots thickening in corridors, happy warriors recharged and raring to go. Not this time. It could have been any given Tuesday, so humdrum were the proceedings. This may be the result of Presiding Officer Alison Johnstones new rules that curb speaking times. She was quick to chide the SNP benches when they applauded a line in their leaders speech. No, it was something more than that. It was the Programme for Government itself. How else can you greet the regurgitation of a decade of talking points than with weary equanimity? What can you say about a First Minister who declares his programme unashamedly anti-poverty, thus delivering a righteous blow against all those who are proudly pro-poverty? Humza Yousaf, First Minister, had to fend off fierce criticism from his opponents By contrast to the First Ministers tepid tones, Douglas Ross was a wee fizzing firecracker. The sparks started shooting out when he got fired into the Government on the issue of business. This speech was meant to mark a reset of the SNPs relationship with the private sector. Ross trumpeted a survey showing only 9 per cent of Scottish business owners have confidence in the Government. At least we can now put a figure on the number of hopeless optimists in the country. Next Ross seized on the Programme for Government documents and noted that there wasnt a single mention of oil and gas. A raucous squall broke forth from the Nationalist benches as Ross warned them theyd soon be left without any MSPs in the North-East. The Tory leader then zoomed onto his next line of attack, the First Ministers pledge to complete dualling of the A9. Ross tried to goad his quarry by offering to sit down if Yousaf wanted to provide a date for that completion. The First Minister glared with all the menace of a disgruntled chihuahua. Bum remained firmly on seat. Ross seized on new health statistics showing that more than 820,000 Scots are languishing on waiting lists. It was a theme then picked up by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who went on a right old rant against the First Minister and his hopeless Government. Yousaf went heavy on progressive-sounding rhetoric but gave no indication of how the outcomes would be measured It had taken the First Minister 22 minutes to mention the NHS in his remarks, a factoid Sarwar spat out in disgust. In fairness, if the NHS is offended at having to wait 22 minutes for a mention, it should try phoning up for a GP appointment. Yousaf took the bait and was soon on his pins lacerating his Labour opponent for his summer of U-turns over welfare and energy policy. Sarwar, in turn, reminded everyone of the SNPs many woes. They really get under each others skin. Their eyes give them away. Yousafs narrow, like two missiles training on their target. Sarwars leap open as though hes just stepped barefoot on a piece of Lego. Programme for Government 2023 was a Sturgeon tribute act and, like Sturgeon, Yousaf went heavy on progressive-sounding rhetoric but gave no indication of how the outcomes would be measured. He pledged that his Government would take a side but he already has. He takes the side Sturgeon did. Hes not a First Minister, hes a rebrand. Keep it to yourself but Holyrood isnt always wretched. Douglas Ross led MSPs in a round of applause for Glenn Campbell, the BBC Scotland political editor who has been undergoing treatment for a brain tumour. Up in the press gallery, Campbell nodded stoically at the tribute. It was a nice moment and a classy thing for Ross to do. Police plans to no longer investigate every crime will set a 'dangerous precedent' and lead to public mistrust of the force, rank-and-file officers have warned. The Mail reported yesterday that a trial project in the North-East will see officers told not to follow up on some minor crimes. Police Scotland insists it will be a 'proportionate response to crime' and provide more time to focus on responding to emergencies. But critics have accused the SNP Government of a 'shabby surrender to criminals' after imposing cuts on the Police Scotland budget. Last night David Threadgold, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), representing rank-and-file officers, said: 'For a national police force to say to to its citizens they will potentially no longer be investigating crime is a very dangerous precedent indeed. Rank-and-file officers fear scheme could jeopardise 'the strong bond of trust they have with the public' 'We could have a situation where this gets rolled out across Scotland, and then reasonably intelligent criminals target certain areas safe in the knowledge there will be no investigation on the back of their crime that is a real concern for us and could be a reality for our citizens.' Pay rise ends threat of 'work to rule' A pay hike of 7 per cent has been agreed for all police officers in Scotland, heading off the prospect of a 'work to rule'. The deal also includes a commitment to commission an independent review of pay and benefits. Martyn Evans, chairman of the Scottish Police Authority, said: last night 'I am pleased we have now reached an agreement which recognises the valuable contribution of our police officers and the unique set of duties and requirements placed upon them.' The Scottish Police Federation had called for a pay rise of 8.5 per cent and last month it urged officers not to report for duty when they should not be working. A demonstration by off-duty police officers, which would have been held outside the Scottish parliament today, has been called off. The federation said it will now start talks over next year's pay deal. Advertisement Mr Threadgold told the BBC he had concerns about the ability of staff to decide what is and is not investigated, saying: 'Sir Iain Livingstone, the former Chief Constable, said police staff do incredible things and their success is the strong bond of trust they have with the public. How can we even try to continue that if we send them the message we will not assist them?' Mr Threadgold said the move could lead to younger police officers not getting the skills they need to go on and investigate more complex crimes, and could also result in low-level criminals moving on to more serious offences. He did not believe the scheme would free up police time so officers could focus on responding to more serious crimes. The SPF has suggested investing more money in the NHS and other public services so police officers spend less of their time dealing with mental health crises. Kate Wallace, chief executive of Victim Support Scotland, said 'all crime types can be traumatising for people who have been affected'. Police Scotland's North-East Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Graeme Mackie, said: 'The pilot process will enable local police officers to focus on those crimes that have proportionate lines of inquiry and potentially enable them to give more time to local concerns and priorities.' The Scottish Government said: 'While these decisions are a matter for the Chief Constable, it is vital Police Scotland continues to inspire public trust and maintains relationships with local communities.' Neil Kinnock, in his most famous speech as Labour leader, launched a savage attack in 1985 on the running of Liverpool by the extreme Left-wing Militant Tendency. His thunderous verbal assault denounced the municipal leaders for their attachment to dogma, which had led to the grotesque chaos of a Labour Council hiring taxis to scuttle round the city to deliver redundancy notices to its own workers. Almost 40 years later, that resonant phrase grotesque chaos could be applied to Labour-run Birmingham, Europes largest local authority, which has effectively filed for bankruptcy because of its colossal debts. Its desperate financial position is a brutal indictment of the citys shambolic mismanagement, reckless disdain for public money and inability to understand the realities of its own policies. Instead of serving its residents, this empire of bureaucratic waste and incompetence has ended up punishing them. Bust: Bull sculpture in citys Bullring Birmingham City Council has declared itself effectively bankrupt after facing a 760million bill Birmingham used to be emblematic of British innovation and the strength of local democracy. In the late Victorian age, the city was run by the brilliant industrialist Joseph Chamberlain, who pioneered a host of improvements like the creation of parks and the introduction of gas supplies. The contrast with the present mediocrities could not be greater. A recent internal report by Labours own National Executive Committee stated that there was a dysfunctional climate at the top of the citys Labour Group. The report led to the replacement of the ineffectual Ian Ward as city leader by John Cotton, a Labour apparatchik, communications officer and freelance consultant. But the problems remained. The primary cause of this weeks meltdown has been the councils failure to settle a landmark compensation case involving 170 female workers who were found to have been denied the same bonuses paid to men between 2006 and 2012. Protesting its inability to pay the bill in full, the city has allowed its liability to keep on growing at up to 14 million a month. So far, it has forked out over 1.1billion in payouts but still owes 760million, which it now says it cannot pay. Once again, we see the destructive consequences of socialism in action. Wishful rhetoric about equality has led to financial chaos. Recklessness and ineptitude are endemic throughout Birminghams municipal corridors. A worker clears the street of rubbish in Birmingham city centre on September 5, 2023 All new council spending in the city, with the exception of protecting vulnerable people and statutory services, must stop immediately With a loud fanfare, the council brought in a new Oracle IT system which not only failed to work properly but its budget soared from 19million to a potential 100million. Similarly, a gargantuan new central library was built at a cost of 189million, plus an annual 12million Private Finance Initiative repayment. Inevitably, industrial relations are appalling, as epitomised by two recent long-running strikes in refuse collection and home-care. The citys housing operations are such a mess that the local authority has been described as the citys worst slum landlord. Some 29 per cent of its tenants live in sub-standard homes and 4,000 families are in temporary accommodation. This is the desperate position to which Birmingham has been reduced through woeful maladministration. The citys dire record is a blot on both municipal Britain and Labours credibility. Giant rats the size of 'small dogs' have turned a street in Scotland's largest city into a no-go zone for refuse workers. Council staff have been told it is not safe to empty bins behind Earl Street, in the Scotstoun area of Glasgow. It comes a month after city council leader Susan Aitken denied the number of rats was growing claiming they were simply becoming more visible. However, film has emerged of rodents running down children's slides, scampering across lawns, feasting from bins and getting into fights with seagulls. One cleansing worker reported seeing rats 'the size of chihuahuas'. Large rats have been plaguing Earl Street in Scotstoun The street has become a no-go zone for binmen Chris Mitchell, GMB convenor for Glasgow's cleansing workers, said some staff had needed hospital treatment after being bitten or scratched by rats in other areas of the city. Vermin infestations in Glasgow rose by 31 per cent from 2021 to 2022, with 10,323 reports. Communal bins have been placed in front of the Earl Street properties until the rats are dealt with. A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: 'We are hopeful our pest control treatments at this location are having an impact but we will continue to monitor this situation closely.' Four young men are lucky to be alive after a P-plate driver lost control and slammed into a power pole in a fiery high speed crash on one of Sydney's busiest roads. The dark grey Toyota Camry was reportedly travelling in excess of 100km/h along the Hume Highway in Greenacre in Sydney's south-west when the driver lost control around 9.50pm on Tuesday night and crashed into a truck. The car then slammed into a power pole and a set of traffic lights before bursting into flames. The Camry driver and his three passengers managed to escape the the fiery wreckage. The truck driver, 58, wasn't injured in the crash. Harrowing footage from the scene show the gutted Camry totally destroyed and several injured occupants lying on the ground being treated by emergency responders. Two of the men who escaped the fiery wreckage were later rushed to hospital The driver and his three passengers managed to escape the the fiery wreckage The driver, 19, was rushed to Prince of Wales Hospital for treatment and to undergo mandatory drug and alcohol testing. His front seat male passenger, also 19, was transported to Westmead with serious injuries. Both are believed to be in a stable condition. Two other men aged 19 and 20 suffered minor injuries but were not taken to hospital. Police are investigating reports the driver was allegedly street racing prior to the crash. A crime scene was established as an investigation was launched. No arrests or charges have yet been laid. 'Investigations are continuing into the circumstances surrounding the crash,' a police statement on Wednesday read. Traffic and Highway Patrol south-west superintendent Rob Toynton is expected to give a further update later on Wednesday. The dark grey Toyota was reportedly travelling in excess of 100km/h along the Hume Highway The crash occurred just four days after Alina Kauffman, 24, and her brother Ernesto Salazer, 15, were killed when an out-of-control driver slammed into their vehicle metres from the family home near Liverpool. Their mother Angelina Kauffman vowed to attend when the alleged driver Johnson Kokozian, 20, appears in Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday. Anyone with dashcam footage or information about the Greenacre crash is urged to contact police. This is the heroic moment cops rescued a family, including a child, from the roof of their home after an extratropical cyclone made landfall in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul and killed 21 people. Dramatic footage showed a police officer being lowered to roof of a residence in the municipality of Roca Sales on Tuesday after the Taquari River overflowed. The child was the first to be evacuated before police came back for his parents and an elderly woman. 'We never thought that going through a situation like this ended up in our city,' the boy's mother, Jaquisele dos Santos, told Brazilian news outlet G1. 'Pharmacies, markets and a lot of people on top of the roofs asking for help. A police officer prepares to evacuate a child from a roof in the southern Brazilian city of Roca Sales on Tuesday, a day after an extratropical cyclone slammed the state of Rio Grande do Sul and killed 22 people Delve Francescatto (left) and his wife Ironi Godoi (right) were killed Monday in Ibiraiaras, Brazil, when they attempted to cross a river and were swept away by a strong current that destroyed their vehicle The extratropical cyclone displaced 2,984 people and left 1,650 residents homeless, according to the Rio Grande do Sul Civil Defense A separate helicopter rescue ended in tragedy Tuesday in the town of Lajeado when the cable holding a military police officer and an elderly woman broke. Both fell into a river, where the woman died from the fall. The cop survived and was taken to a local hospital, where he was being treated for serious injuries. Married farming couple Delve Francescatto, 50, and his wife Ironi Godoi, 44, were killed Monday in the town of Ibiraiaras when they attempted to cross a river and were swept downstream in their car. Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite told reporters that 15 people were found dead in a home in the municipality of Mucum. The storm formed Monday night and caused severe damage in 67 cities, according to the Rio Grande do Sul Civil Defense. Flood waters also caused the collapse of a vehicular bridge in the Roca Sales on Tuesday morning. A bridge in the Rio Grande do Sul city of Roca Sales was destroyed by flood waters Tuesday The cyclone displaced 2,984 people and left 1,650 residents homeless. Classes were suspended in at least 29 cities, according to the State Department of Education. The storm also killed a man driving a vehicle when a eucalyptus tree crushed it in the state of Santa Catarina. Brazilian authorities expected the storm to move away from Brazil on Tuesday. Extratropical cyclones 'have cold air at the core' and 'derive their energy from the release of potential energy when cold and warm air masses interact,' according to the National Weather Service. The storm can develop over land or in the ocean and always are connected by one or multiple fronts. Its winds can be 'as weak as a tropical depression, or as strong as a hurricane.' The former nurse is now facing a charge of tampering with consumer products Weberg allegedly gave them Hepatitis C at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup Cora Weberg allegedly injected herself using patients' needles in 2017 and 2018 A Washington State nurse who allegedly injected herself with narcotics and used the same needle on patients has finally been charged five years after her arrest. Cora Weberg, a former nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, is accused of giving a dozen patients a genetically similar strain of Hepatitis C in 2017 and 2018. Prosecutors alleged the 36-year-old would inject herself with narcotics meant for patients and then administer the rest of the drug to patients with the same need. She was initially arrested in May 2018 but was quickly released. At the time, cops urged prosecutors to charge her with assault but charges were never filed. But on September 1 she was charged with at least one count of tampering with consumer products. She is expected to plead guilty. Cora Weberg (pictured) has been charged five years after she was initially arrested. She allegedly used drugs meant for patients and then reused the needle on patients Weberg formerly worked at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Washington (pictured) In 2018, law enforcement officials in Pierce County said the woman administering smaller portions of drugs to patients after she used some on herself. Weberg was 'in the grips of depression' when she tampered with drugs at the hospital, her lawyer told The Daily Beast. A probable cause statement alleges Weberg confessed to stealing the drugs, and said she had a plan 'to end her life.' She was reportedly dealing with a failing relationship with her boyfriend. Two patients immediately fell ill and 10 more became sick over the next three months as they all tested positive for a similar strain of Hep C. From there, investigators singled out Weberg as a suspect as she was the only hospital employee connected to all of the patients. A CDC report following the Hepatitis C outbreak said that Weberg was 'the only common epidemiological link' between all 12 patients. Officials said that the RN - in addition to being the common link - had accessed drugs more frequently from the hospital's automated system than other workers. A CDC report indicated that Weberg tested positive for Hepatitis C, although her lawyers at the time said that she had tested negative. Pictured: Weberg with her lawyers She also admitted to diverting patient injectable narcotic drugs for personal use,' the CDC report on the outbreak shared. The report also indicated that Weberg tested positive for Hepatitis C, although her lawyers at the time said that she had tested negative. After being identified as a suspect, the woman was arrested at the Canadian border on May 4, 2018. She was released the next day and never formally charged. It's unclear why prosecutors waited five and a half years to charge the woman. On Tuesday, a combined arraignment and plea hearing was held, according to court records out of Washington state. A bill of information states that Weberg acted 'with reckless disregard for the risk that another person would be placed in danger of death and bodily injury, and under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to such risk.' In Washington, the charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Talking with The Daily Beast, Bryan Hershman, Weberg's attorney, said the 'feels terrible that these patients were apparently infected with Hep C.' 'That said, per CDC and DOH written memo, there is no genetic connection between Ms. Weberg and these patients,' Hershman wrote in an email. 'Moreover, the crime to which she is entering a plea is purely a drug based charge, since, in the grips of her depression, she was diverting leftover ampules of drugs OUT OF THE DISPOSAL BIN, after they had been used on the patient.' Weberg was allegedly 'in the grips of depression' at the time of her arrest and in earlier months Patients who were all under the woman's care tested positive for the same or a similar genetic strain of Hepatitis C. Other hospital patients who tested positive but were not under Weberg's care 'were infected by strains that were genetically distant' from one another. Blood testing run after the fact did not prove a conclusive genetic link between Weberg and the infected patients, however. After her initial arrest, Weberg held a press conference alongside her lawyers. She said she 'never intentionally or unintentionally stuck anyone with a needle with which I'd previously stuck myself.' Weberg lost or surrendered her nursing license in four states after her arrest. It's unclear when her next court appearance will be held. The man accused of murdering NSW paramedic Steven Tougher has been charged with a string of new offences. The 29-year-old father-of-two was nearing the end of his shift when he was allegedly stabbed to death in the back of his ambulance while on a food break at a McDonald's in Campbelltown, in Sydney's southwest, at about 5.30am on April 14. Jordan Fineanganofo was charged with his murder. The man accused of murdering NSW paramedic Steven Tougher (pictured) has been charged with a string of new offences His matter remains before the courts. On July 27, Mr Fineanganofo was arrested by police over three incidents that allegedly occurred in suburbs surrounding Campbelltown - including Blair Athol, Ingleburn and Raby - around April 13-14. They are unrelated to Mr Toughers murder. He was remanded in custody and charged with common assault, destroy or damage property, armed with intent, two counts of attempted wounding with intent, and stealing. He will face Campbelltown Local Court on Wednesday. Tougher had only been in the job for around a year before the alleged stabbing. His colleague pressed the duress alarm, alerting emergency services. Tougher was then rushed to Liverpool Hospital in an ambulance before he died. The 29-year-old father-of-two was allegedly stabbed to death in the back of his ambulance at Campbelltown McDonald's in Sydney 's southwest about 5.30am on April 14 He had married his wife Madison five weeks earlier. She gave birth to their baby girl Lily-Mae Stevie Tougher two months after the incident. Toughers father Jeff posted a tribute to his son shortly following the incident. People ask me if theres anything I need. Well, there is. I need your support. I need your voice,' he wrote on Facebook. 'I need you to back me in a bid to advocate for stronger laws to protect these people who serve the community with such passion and dedication.' Last year nearly 3.7billion was diverted to cover asylum costs at home The Illegal Migration Act could close off funding for housing small boat arrivals New immigration laws may prevent ministers using billions in overseas aid to cover spiralling asylum costs in Britain. A watchdog, the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), said the new Illegal Migration Act could 'close off the main source of funding' for housing small boat arrivals. As the Channel crisis intensified last year nearly 3.7billion was diverted from Britain's overseas aid fund to cover asylum costs at home. But new laws which will prevent migrants from claiming asylum in this country may mean that funding can no longer be used, with costs covered from the Home Office's budget instead. It came as a senior Tory MP revealed that plans to use barracks at Catterick Garrison to house asylum seekers have been abandoned. New immigration laws may prevent ministers using billions in overseas aid to cover spiralling asylum costs in Britain. Pictured: A group of people thought to be migrants being brought into Dover yesterday A group of people thought to be migrants are driven away from the Border Force compound in Dover, Kent, on Tuesday In March, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was said to have been 'showing leadership' by bringing forward proposals to use the barracks, which is located in his north Yorkshire constituency. Speaking in the Commons, senior backbencher Sir Edward Leigh questioned savings from the Home Office's new asylum centres - such as the one planned for former RAF base at Scampton, Lincs. READ MORE: Migrant flashes hand sign as Border Force bring group ashore after 286 crossed the English Channel in five vessels yesterday Advertisement 'When the Prime Minister announced that he was imperilling 300million worth of levelling up on RAF Scampton he said he was going to lead by example by accepting migrants into Catterick camp in his constituency,' Sir Edward said. 'Home Office officials have now informed us that is not happening, so where is the leadership in that?' Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said: 'We do believe that this policy is in the national interest. 'It's right that those coming to this country are accommodated in decent but never luxurious accommodation so we don't create a pull factor to the UK.' The ICAI report, published today WEDS, says aid funding can only be spent on 'in-donor refugee costs' if individuals are awaiting an asylum decision. The new immigration Act - which was passed by Parliament earlier this year but has yet to be fully brought into force - strips illegal migrants of the ability to lodge asylum claims. Dr Tamsyn Barton, the ICAI's chief commissioner, said: 'Our analysis of the aid rules suggests that the Illegal Migration Act, if fully implemented, could close off the main source of funding the Government is using to house asylum seekers.' It came as a senior Tory MP revealed that plans to use barracks at Catterick Garrison to house asylum seekers have been abandoned (file image) The new immigration Act - which was passed by Parliament earlier this year but has yet to be fully brought into force - strips illegal migrants of the ability to lodge asylum claims Sarah Champion, the Labour MP who chairs the Commons' International Development Committee, described the finding as a 'spectacular own goal' for the Government. The Home Office said it is still assessing the Act's impact on aid spending. In the Commons, Mr Jenrick also confirmed it will be 'weeks' before asylum seekers can move back onto the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset. The first occupants arrived on the barge last month but were moved off again just days later after tests revealed legionella - the bacteria which can cause the potentially fatal Legionnaires' disease - in the vessel's water system. Mr Jenrick said the barge would be back in use 'as soon as possible' once tests were complete. The number of small boat migrants to have reached Britain so far this year is 21,372, after 286 arrivals on Monday. A government spokesman said: 'It is vital that we deter people from risking their lives in extremely dangerous small boat crossings. 'The Illegal Migration Act will mean that people who come to the UK illegally will not have a right to stay. 'Instead they will be liable to be returned either to their home country or relocated to a safe third country, breaking the business model of people smugglers and stopping the unprecedented strain on our asylum system.' Later, the Home Office insisted plans for asylum housing at Catterick were still under development. A spokesman said: 'Work is ongoing to bring forward accommodation at Catterick Garrison as part of our wider efforts to relieve pressure on the asylum system.' It was unclear why Mr Jenrick did not correct Sir Edward's comments in the Commons yesterday. Tourism chiefs and MPs criticised 'nannying' warnings about the weather yesterday as summer finally arrived. Temperatures hit 29C (84F) in some parts and they are expected to remain high and climb further, possibly beating this year's 32.2C (90F) high, set in June. It means sun lovers, who have been flocking to beaches and parks, will enjoy better weather than Cuba, Athens and Ibiza this week. But the UK Health Security Agency responded by issuing an amber heat-health alert used in situations that can potentially put the whole population at risk. It also warned of 'significant impacts' on the NHS and increased rates of mortality. And it advised people to 'stay hydrated and keep cool'. People enjoy the Sunshine and warm weather, Tower Bridge, Central London Sunbathers packed the beach on Monday as they flocked to the seaside resort of Lyme Regis in Dorset People enjoy being out on the river Cam in Cambridge yesterday morning An aerial view of Lyme Regis today as Britons bask in an autumn heatwave But Conservative MP Peter Bone dismissed the 'nanny state' tone, saying: 'There will be a time when there is a need for a real alert because temperatures are very high. The danger is if you issue them all the time, people ignore them. They ought to be careful about issuing alerts.' Fellow Tory Giles Watling, MP for Clacton On Sea, added: 'Obviously for those vulnerable people in society we've got to say be careful but I for one welcome the Indian summer. To issue a general warning to the whole population is overplaying it.' Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg branded the warning 'ridiculously overblown', adding: 'It isn't for the state to tell you to put on suncream or drink water.' Malcolm Bell, spokesman and until recently chief executive of Visit Cornwall, pointed out 'beautiful sea breezes' would make conditions more bearable along the coast. He said: 'The danger is people do the opposite when confronted by the nanny state. Just give them the facts and let them decide.' And VisitEngland chief Patricia Yates said everyone should take 'sensible precautions' but urged them to use the 'wonderful opportunity to get out and explore the outstanding tourism our country offers'. The mini heatwave should see temperatures peak at around 32C today and tomorrow. It will also usher in uncomfortably warm 'tropical nights', when temperatures stay above 20C. The UK has not recorded consecutive tropical nights in September previously. Met Office chief meteorologist Neil Armstrong said: 'High pressure is situated to the south-east of the UK. The highest temperatures are expected in the south and heatwave conditions are likely across England and Wales. 'Parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland are also likely to see some high temperatures.' It's not suggested organisers knew the hit-and-run did not take place But now Indonesian police say that Mr Ward was at fault on wrong side of road Generous Australians donated over $40,000 for his surgery and flight home Initial reports that the accident had been a hit-and-run involving Russian driver An Australian tourist left with life-changing injuries after a head-on motorbike collision in Bali was the one at fault, Indonesian police say. Benji Ward, 24, suffered a serious head injury and broke four bones - including the tibia and fibula of his right leg, which pierced the skin - in the head-on crash at 2am last Thursday in the North Kuta district of Bali's Badung Regency. Well-wishers have donated over $40,000 after a GoFundMe page was set-up by Mr Ward's friend and OnlyFans model Bailey Scarlett to raise funds for his surgery and medical evacuation back to Melbourne. A now-deleted update on the page suggested Mr Ward had been injured in a hit-and-run, a claim he echoed in comments from his hospital bed made four days ago. 'They're (the police) trying to find the Russian guy who hit me because he also hit another person on the same night and broke his arm,' Mr Ward said. But now Daily Mail Australia can reveal that there was no hit-and-run, according to local police. Instead, Mr Ward signed a 'peace agreement' through an intermediary on Monday to pay compensation to the Russian driver, Dmitry Akimenko, to avoid being charged with a traffic offence. Benji Ward (pictured), 24, suffered a serious head injury and broke four bones, including the tibia and fibula of his right leg, which pierced the skin, in the head-on crash at 2am on Thursday in the North Kuta district of Bali's Badung Regency Well-wishers donated over $40,000 after a GoFundMe page was set-up by Mr Ward's friend and OnlyFans model Bailey Scarlett to raise funds for his surgery and medical evacuation back to Melbourne Mr Ward, who was riding a Yamaha NMax with a 155cc engine in the early hours of the morning, allegedly tried to overtake another rider when he passed into a lane of oncoming traffic. He then collided with Mr Akimenko's Kawasaki Ninja. Mr Ward was left with extensive injuries, while Mr Akimenko suffered relatively minor knee injuries. Daily Mail Australia understands that Mr Ward has agreed to pay just over $1,000 to cover Mr Dmitry's medical expenses and $3,500 to pay for the damage to his bike. 'It was not a hit-and-run crash, and both parties has decided to resolve the case with peace agreement,' Badung Police chief Teguh Priowarsono said. It is not suggested that Ms Scarlett knew that the hit-and-run did not take place when she set up the GoFundMe. Daily Mail Australia approached Mr Ward and Ms Scarlett for comment about the new revelations. A now-deleted update on the page suggested Mr Ward had been injured in a hit-and-run (pictured), a claim he echoed in comments from his hospital bed made four days ago (below) An update on the GoFundMe page, which suggested Mr Ward was involved in a hit-and-run and that police were looking for the other driver, has been deleted. On Monday, Ms Scarlett shared a breakdown of Mr Ward's current medical costs on the GoFundMe page and claimed the total bill so far was $39,000. The same day, Mr Ward shared a Australian Air Ambulance aeromedical retrieval quote for $180,750 to his Instagram stories. 'Some people have the audacity to try say I'm trying to make money off the flight home so here you go,' he captioned the post. 'Don't think in the situation I'm in this is necessary but some low life's clearly have nothing better to do then (sic) talk s***.' On Monday, Mr Ward shared this update from his hospital bed He also hit back at critics who apparently suggested he was trying to make money off his flight home Mr Ward required an urgent blood transfusion and underwent surgery to have a a metal halo splint drilled into his right leg. 'Everything's all good, the surgery went well,' said Mr Ward from his hospital bed four days ago. 'I've got another surgery in three weeks, I've got a Halo on at the moment and there's no bleeding from the brain all the blood from my head has stopped so its all looking positive. He also thanked friends and family who had donated. Ms Scarlett, who is an OnlyFans model and influencer, has form for representing Australians in Bali suffering some form of medical crisis. She previously acted as a de facto media spokesperson for the family of baby 'Lucky'. Mr Ward (pictured left) will have a metal halo brace drilled into his leg requiring him to use a wheelchair for months Bailey Scarlett, an OnlyFans model and actress, set-up the GoFundMe page for her friend Mr Ward. She also acted as a de facto media spokesperson for Baby Lucky's parents Honey and Pan Ahimsa in February. It is not suggested that Ms Scarlett knew that the hit and run did not take place when she set up the GoFundMe In February, the family captured the nation's hearts when Lucky's mum, Honey Ahimsa, launched a desperate bid to charter a medical evacuation. Her then-seven-week-old daughter needed to fly back to Australia for life-saving care not available in Indonesia. Ms Ahimsa, a wellness influencer and mother-of-two originally from Melbourne, said doctors in Bali gave her baby a 50 per cent chance of survival. Almost $200,000 was raised in a matter of days by kind-hearted donors who rallied behind the stranded family as Lucky battled sepsis, severe pneumonia, lung failure and RSV-bronchiolitis. She was flown to Brisbane on a medevac flight in February, and doctors treated her successfully. A few months later in July, Daily Mail Australia revealed Ms Ahmisa and her partner Pan, along with Lucky and their other young child, have returned to Bali where they are renovating a house. Do you know more? Email tips@dailymail.com A police officer charged with child sex offences just a month out from his dream wedding has been suspended without pay. Constable Conor McCurley, 26, was ordered off work by Victoria Police high command after he was charged with 19 historical offences. The officer, who was stationed in Victoria's North West Metro region, appeared at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Friday in the first of likely many upcoming court dates. Junior policeman Conor McCurley (left with his fiancee) is accused of committing 19 child sex offences when he was a teenager It's alleged Conor McCurley (above) committed the indecent acts before he became a policeman Those charges include committing indecent acts with or in the presence of a child under 16, sexual penetration and touching his alleged victim's genitals. Sources have told Daily Mail Australia the alleged victim was a young relative of McCurley. The girl alleges McCurley committed the acts before he was a member of Victoria Police. A police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia McCurley had been suspended without pay until the matters are resolved in court. McCurley was charged on August 16 following an internal police investigation by Victoria Police's Sexual Offences and Family Violence Unit. He appeared via videolink in court on Friday where the matter was adjourned until November 10. The news comes just weeks before McCurley is due to wed his fiancee of two years at the picturesque Acacia Ridge Winery in Yarra Valley, which costs $13,800 to hire for the venue alone. The couple's wedding-countdown website shows a timeline of their love story, detailing how they met in May 2020, bought a block of land together to build their first home in January 2021 and were engaged by May that year. McCurley is due to wed his fiance of two years (pictured together) in Yarra Valley on September 30 The news comes just weeks before McCurley is due to wed his fiancee of two years at the picturesque Acacia Ridge Winery in Yarra Valley The glitzy venue costs $13,800 to hire - and that's before catering and flowers are factored in The couple also held an engagement party in February last year. The dress code for their nuptials is 'formal cocktail', with an afternoon ceremony followed by an evening reception. McCurley's fiance is having five bridesmaids, while he has five groomsmen - who he refers to as 'The Gentlemen'. The couple have asked their 120 guests not to bring their children, saying: 'Whilst we love your little ones, to give all of our guests the opportunity to properly celebrate, we kindly ask for there to be no children.' It is unclear whether the wedding is still going ahead. McCurley's court hearing fell on the same day another Victorian first constable was charged with a list of sexual crimes. The 35-year-old male officer was charged with seven counts of sexual assault which allegedly occurred between 2018 and 2020 in western Victoria while he was off duty. He will appear before a court at a later date. A female teacher who admitted to having sex with her 16-year-old student in the backseat of her car will not be sent to jail. Monique Ooms, 31, of Maffra, was sentenced on March 24 by County Court of Victoria Judge John Smallwood to a four-year community corrections order, with 300 hours of community work for the crime. That sentence was promptly appealed by Victoria's Office of Public Prosecutions amid claims the judge got it wrong. Monique Ooms nurses her 'baby bump'. She had claimed to be infertile during a pre-sentence plea hearing Monique Ooms, 31, of Maffra repeatedly had sex with her young student. She got pregnant soon after her sentence On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal dismissed that appeal, allowing Ooms to walk free yet again and granting her costs be paid. Sitting in the dock with the hand of a supporter on her shoulder, Ooms began to cry as the decision was handed down. In coming to their decision, Justices Richard Niall, Maree Kennedy and Cameron Macaulay found Ooms was entitled to leniency due to a mental condition they agreed contributed to her offending. 'In our view, having regard to the seriousness of the offence, the matters personal to the respondent and the correct application of the sentencing purposes, the sentence imposed by the judge, whilst lenient and perhaps merciful, was not wholly outside of the range of dispositions reasonably open to him,' the judges stated. The court had heard Ooms had been depressed about being infertile when she decided to bed her victim. But in July, it was revealed she had fallen pregnant the very week she was sentenced in the County Court of Victoria. Ooms had pleaded guilty in Victoria's Latrobe Valley County Court to four counts of sexual penetration of a child under her supervision and care. Her barrister Jason Gullaci, SC told the Court of Appeal Ooms' pregnancy was the most 'significant factor' of her latest defence. Psychological reports tendered on Ooms pre-sentence hearing claimed the sex offender had been in a 'fragile mental state around the time of the offending'. 'The respondent found out that she was infertile, which increased her own vulnerability to irrational thinking to which she was disposed because of a constellation of mental health conditions afflicting her,' the court heard. Psychologist Megan Rodgers claimed Ooms was 'experiencing a high level of personal vulnerability which led her to poor decision making regarding the nature of the relationship with the victim'. Dr Suzanne Williams was of the view that Ooms' low self-esteem and poor sense of self significantly contributed to immature and poor judgment in making decisions about relationships. Monique Ooms leaves the Supreme Court of Appeal on Tuesday in Melbourne Ooms had used her own wretched upbringing to convince psychologists she was not responsible for her perverted actions. The court heard she had been raped in 2018 and involved in several relationships with men that involved 'a degree of either degradation or abuse'. The judges accepted that because of her childhood difficulties, Ooms had been diagnosed as having a complex post-traumatic stress disorder, diagnosis of bipolar, extreme anxiety and extreme depression. 'The judge found that the collection of circumstances leading to her offending produced an 'unusual situation',' the Court of Appeal found. 'Her risk of re-offending was low and her rehabilitation was already underway. Balancing all considerations, we are not persuaded that the four-year community correction order with its onerous conditions was, in all of the circumstances of this particular case, a manifestly inadequate sentence.' During her initial sentence, the court heard Ooms' young victim - who was just a few weeks short of turning 17 - had snuck out in the dead of night to have sex with his then school teacher. The 16-year-old had been grieving the loss of a close friend who died in a fatal car crash the week before and was in a 'vulnerable situation emotionally'. The court heard Ooms had preyed upon her student in the weeks after his friend was killed. While the pair initially chatted over social media and phone, before long Ooms was texting her student photos of herself in her underwear. In July last year the pair shared their first kiss and discussed all the things that were wrong with what had occurred. The next time they met the pair had sex in the back of Ooms' car while parked in a forest at night. The court heard Ooms had sex with her student at least four times over the next few weeks in the backseat of her car before arranging hook-ups at her home. Monique Ooms made it known to her sentencing judge that she couldn't get pregnant. Then she did Ooms was duped by police into getting into a text exchange with a friend where she made admissions The 31-year-old appears to have embraced her new tradie life and has posted photos of herself wearing an Akubra in front of a 4WD on her social media pages The former teacher (right) had reached out to the student after noticing he was more withdrawn and offered her Instagram handle, and later her phone number Ooms' grubby relationship was discovered when someone wrote two letters to the school principal, who promptly alerted police. While Ooms initially attempted to deny her antics, she eventually confessed to police after she was duped into making admissions to a friend via text message. The court heard when asked 'You did actually do it, didn't ya?' she responded 'Yeah'. In bringing on the appeal, Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Ruddle, KC argued Ooms should have been jailed due to the fact she used her good character to get a job as a teacher in the first place. She further claimed Judge Smallwood might have acted differently had the accused teacher been male. 'One thing that strikes me when you read (Judge Smallwood's) reasons, if you swap the genders of the complainant and the offender some of the statements would be pretty concerning around lack of the presumption of harm for instance,' she told the Court of Appeal. 'This is serious offending, multiple occasions, it's planned, there's unprotected sex on a number of occasions, and that seems to be swept away sometimes when the complainant is a male victim, but in my respectful submission it ought not be.' Ooms had faced a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail. Tenants need to be on a salary of at least 50,000 a year to rent without sharing in many places in London and the South East, new data suggests. These two areas saw the biggest increases in rental prices last month, the latest rental index by Goodlord found. Average prices rose by 7.98 per cent in London to 2,145 a month in August compared to July and by 13.95 per cent in the South East to 1,497 a month. Greater London and the South East saw the biggest increases in rental prices last month A 50,000 annual salary produces take home pay after tax of around 3,169 a month. Take the Goodlord average monthly rent of 2,145 from this figure and tenants are left with around 1,000 a month to cover all other bills. These bills include water, gas and electricity, as well as council tax, insurance, travel and food costs, along with any telephone and TV subscriptions. Tenants would be left with 1,024 a month or 236 a week. This is based on a tenant renting an averagely priced rental property on their own and not sharing with anyone else. Tenants need an annual income of at least 30 times the monthly rent they are intending to pay One London-based lettings agent explained that tenants need to be earning an annual salary of at least 30 times the monthly rent they are intending to pay if they are a single occupant. Harriet Scanlan, of estate agency Antony Roberts, said: 'To satisfy reference agencies, applicants need an annual income of at least 30 times the monthly rent they are intending to pay. 'In Richmond for example, fierce competition means the average rental price for a one-bedroom is 1,700 per calendar month, so prospective tenants require an annual salary of at least 51,000 if they are to sign up to the tenancy as a single occupant. 'That's quite an ask, even for those working in London where salaries tend to be higher, and is likely to mean that many applicants will end up sharing, rather than enjoy the luxury of living on their own.' Goodlord said the rental market continued to be 'red hot' across England in August, with little change expected this month. Despite average rents dipping marginally after a record breaking July - where average prices broke the 1,300 barrier for the first time - tenants continue to face high prices during what is the market's busiest season, it said. The average price of rent dipped slightly between July and August, with prices across England coming down by 1.5 per cent to an average of 1,347 per property. Despite not beating July's Index setting record of 1,367, August 2023 prices are up 10 per cent compared to the same time last year. Average rental costs are also 15 per cent higher than the 2023 year-to-date average. Prices across the summer are typically driven up by an influx of student lets. This year, this has combined with historic pressures on the rental market; driving up prices to record-breaking highs. Greater London and the South East saw the biggest rise in average prices. It was a different picture in the North West, which saw a drop of 20 per cent in average prices. This mirrors the pattern seen in the region last year with a major July spike in rents, followed by a more subdued August. Rental prices across the summer are typically driven up by an influx of student lets Rents also dropped in the North East by 6 per cent and the South West by 10 per cent. Both regions saw huge increases in rental costs during July. William Reeve, of Goodlord, said: 'There were so many records broken in July, it's not altogether surprising to see a slight dip in average rents and slightly longer void periods during August. 'However, when you look at the bigger picture, the market is clearly still running extremely hot. 'Year-on-year averages for rental costs are significantly increased, with the 1,300 per month barrier now broken for a second month in a row. 'September often brings with it the annual peak in prices, so it's likely that we'll see another month of high rents and short voids before any seasonal shift in pace kicks in.' A six-month-old boy was given the antiviral drug favipiravir to treat Covid A six-month-old boy prescribed an antiviral drug to treat Covid had a bizarre reaction - his dark brown eyes turned a bright blue. The unnamed infant from Thailand was given favipiravir, a treatment commonly used for influenza and Ebola, which was used as a Covid therapy in parts of Asia and Europe during the pandemic but was never approved in the US. Doctors in Bangkok who treated the infant said the antiviral drug released a fluorescent chemical that accumulated in the boy's corneas. The boy's eyes changed hue 18 hours after receiving the treatment but returned to their natural color five days after medication cessation. The six-month-old boy's eyes are naturally dark brown. He was diagnosed with Covid and given favipiravir as a treatment - making him the youngest patient to receive the drug Within just 18 hours of the first dose, the boy's mother noticed his eyes turned a bright blue color In Thailand, favipiravir is the main antiviral given to children infected with SARS-CoV-2. The most common side effects of the treatment include an increase of uric acid in the body, diarrhea and a low count of white blood cells, which account for roughly 20 percent of adverse events. READ MORE: Biden Administration will use $1.4BILLION to develop new Covid drugs and shots Officials said the funding - to be awarded in grants - will be used to develop 'a new generation of tools and technologies to protect against COVID-19 for years to come.' Advertisement Favipiravir is approved in Japan, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Moldova and Kazakhstan and received approval for emergency use in Italy in 2020. The US began trialing the drug in April 2020 with a small group of 50 people at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. But the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve favipiravir in the US. The report on the infant was published in April 2023, but the exact date of the side effect is unknown. On day one, he received 82 milligrams, and 18 hours later, his mother noticed the eye color change. 'No bluish discoloration was observed in other areas such as skin, nails, or oral and nasal mucosa. Symptoms improved after three days of favipiravir therapy,' the researchers wrote in the study published in the journal Frontiers in Pediatrics. An eye examination was performed after treatment was over. 'The patient was able to fix and follow the light in all directions,' reads the study. Researchers wrote that this fluorescence 'may be due to the drug, its metabolites, or additional tablet components such as titanium dioxide and yellow ferric oxide.' Several medications can affect the eye, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, blood thinners and antihistamines. A class of medication called prostaglandins, used to treat glaucoma, has a side effect of darkening the iris color that can be permanent. A 2021 study reports the case of a 20-year-old man in India who endured the exact eye color change He received favipiravir, and on the second day, he noticed discoloration of his eyes - the same deep blue that returned to natural brown when treatment had stopped Doctors also found the cornea was clear and lacked a bluish corneal hue, and no blue pigment deposit was observed on the surface of the iris or the anterior lens capsule. While the boy is the youngest patient to receive the treatment, he is not the first to experience the bizarre side effect. A 2021 study reports the case of a 20-year-old man in India who endured the exact eye color change. He received favipiravir, and on the second day, he noticed discoloration of his eyes - the same deep blue that returned to natural brown when treatment had stopped. 'We assumed that the bluish corneal hue could be related to favipiravir and advised the patient to stop using favipiravir immediately. It was remarkable to note that the very next day, upon stopping favipiravir the patient's corneas returned to normal color,' reads the paper published by a team from Medicine Healthway Hospitals in India. Following this case, the team sifted through the literature to find other instances but determined this man is the first case of favipiravir causing bluish discoloration of the corneas. Emmy-award nominee Percy Hynes White has been written out of the Netflix smash hit Wednesday, nine months after he was accused of assaulting a woman at a party in Toronto, industry insiders have told DailyMail.com exclusively. The Canadian actor, 22, played Xavier Thorpe in the Addams Family spinoff a student at Wednesday's school who can make art come to life. A source close to his family, who split their time between homes in Toronto and Newfoundland, confirmed the news. Hynes White had been a rising star with notable appearances in The Twilight Zone and The Gifted before the allegations emerged in a now-deleted Tweet posted by an anonymous social media user on January 18. Percy Hynes White has been written out of the Netflix show Wednesday six months after an anonymous Tweet accused him of sexual assault. Here he is at a Golden Globes after-party with the show's star Jenna Ortega Hynes White has been back home in Canada. His mother Sherry White posted this picture of the two of them hiking in the Newfoundland woods on August 20 'My family has been doxxed, and my friends have received death threats. Underage photos of me were used, and examples of me acting in character were presented as hateful,' Hynes White wrote after the allegation was made Novelist Joel Tomas Hynes has come out in support of his soon, saying he has had to rethink his belief in the adage that where there's smoke there was fire The poster claimed she had been sexually assaulted by the actor at a party he was hosting and accused him of throwing the bash with the intention of getting women drunk enough to get them to have sex with him. 'Percy is wonderful young man, that's the truth,' an insider told DailyMail.com. 'He never took part in any of the false claims again him, which were on Twitter and never followed up or substantiated. 'Percy is respectful, gracious, talented actor, a true professional. He's unfailingly polite to all, including the crew and his fans, most of whom are loyal to him as it should be. 'For Netflix to drop him from the show is a disgrace. It was just false rumors. It's just not right.' Netflix is claiming that because of the strikes now besetting Hollywood, no decision on casting has been made. Hynes White and his parents, both of whom are actors and writers, have strongly denied the allegations with Hynes White describing it as a 'campaign of misinformation' in an impassioned Instagram post in June. He wrote: 'Earlier this year, somebody I've never met started a campaign of misinformation about me online. Wednesday was nominated for two Emmys and two Golden Globes 'Because of this, my family has been doxxed, and my friends have received death threats. Underage photos of me were used, and examples of me acting in character were presented as hateful. 'My friend Jane was falsely portrayed as a victim, and her attempts to set the record straight have been ignored. She gave me permission to include her in this message.' He continued: 'The rumors are false. I can't accept the portrayal of me as someone bigoted, or criminally negligent of people's safety. 'These are the kind of baseless, harmful claims that can create mistrust toward victims. It's very distressing to know that this misinformation has upset people. 'I'm really thankful for everyone who's stood by me and helped share the facts. Harassment of my family, friends and coworkers needs to stop please. Thank you for taking the time to read this.' The double Emmy-nominated Wednesday invents a new life for Wednesday Addams. She gets expelled from school for putting live piranhas in the swimming pool and is enrolled in Nevermore Academy a Vermont school for 'monstrous outcasts' which her parents Gomez and Morticia both attended. Hynes White's character is also a student at Nevermore. Hynes White's father, the actor and novelist Joel Thomas Hynes, 47, has also posted his support for his son and described him as 'wrongly accused'. Hynes White's character Xavier Thorpe is a classmate of Wednesday Addams at Nevermore Academy, a Vermont school 'for monstrous outcasts' He posted on Instagram how the allegation that he threw a party to get women so drunk they would have sex with him has affected him and his family Jenna Ortega gave Hynes White a huge hug when he dropped he off at the Toronto airport in January Days after the allegation was first made, Hynes White and his mother stepped out at a benefit in Los Angeles Wednesday has been played by several actresses in various Addams Family shows over the years, most notably by Christina Ricci in the 1990s and the original, Lisa Loring, 30 years earlier Hynes wrote: 'I used to quite blindly subscribe to the old adage that where there's smoke there must be fire. 'But if these past few months have made anything absolutely clear, it's that where there's smoke (even if there's a whole lot of it) sometimes that's all it is smoke.' He added: 'This anonymous online hatred, it's powerful stuff. But what truly empowers these types of campaigns is the culture of fear and silence that prevents ANYONE from speaking up for the wrongly accused lest the mob should turn their beady eyes on you and yours. 'If publicly offering my support for my kind and gentle, massively talented son equates to me throwing myself to the wolves so be it, come what may,' Hynes wrote. 'Really, who cares? What's a life for? I've been around for a long time and I'm planning to stick around for a good while yet. 'Malcom X once famously stated 'I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it's for or against'. 'When all this SMOKE clears (and it eventually must), I'll still be here, standing beside my son and holding firm to the one adage worth safeguarding that truth is perpetually moving toward the light. So come on, let there be light.' The post was reposted by Hynes-White's mother Sherry White, 52, herself a successful writer and film producer. In March, Jenna Ortega, 20, who plays the title character in Wednesday, also came out in support of him during an appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast in which she spoke glowingly of sharing an apartment with him during filming which took place in Romania. She said: 'Literally, we mothered each other. So it's like whenever someone was busier, like going through something, we were there.' Although The Gifted actor will not be returning to Wednesday, he does have other projects in the pipeline, including Winter Spring Summer or Fall a romantic comedy filmed with Ortega in Utah earlier this year. 'Percy will be just fine,' said the insider. ' People in the business know his character and talent. Netflix and the show Wednesday, should be ashamed of themselves for treating him so unfairly.' Gemma Chan discussed advocating for change beyond on-screen storytelling as she appeared on one of a suite of covers for ELLE UKs October issue. The Don't Worry Darling star, 40, will receive the Changemaker award at the ELLE Style Awards 2023, held in partnership with Tiffany & Co - and didn't hold back from telling her view on the Hollywood industry. Its still inherently risky, I think, to bite the hand that feeds you. And theres still a lot of bad behaviour in the industry. Its very difficult to change that culture,' she said. The actress has openly called out bad behaviour in the movie industry, remarking it's still very challenging to call into question toxic environments. Gemma got candid about the most efficient use of her social media platforms, saying she would like to use them to spotlight other causes and asking herself a series of questions before doing so. Making a change: Gemma Chan discussed advocating for change beyond on-screen storytelling as she appeared on one of a suite of covers for ELLE UKs October issue Speaking her mind: Its still inherently risky, I think, to bite the hand that feeds you. And theres still a lot of bad behaviour in the industry. Its very difficult to change that culture,' she said Is it helpful for me to be saying something about this? Am I the best-placed person to say something about this? Am I going to take up space from someone else? 'Its all evolving for me, and Im still trying to work out how I can help rather than hinder the progress that we all want,' the actress added. The Eternals sensation also spoke her mind on the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes which have been causing turmoil in the movie industry. I think were at this inflection point where something has to be done. Its painful, but necessary, to be going through this. On the progress towards a nuanced approach to East and Southeast Asian storytelling in the movie industry, Gemma believes they've got their 'foot in the door'. The Submarine star remarked there's a whole storytelling that unfolds in all genres and that it will further prove they're 'not a monolith'. The actress highlighted there is a multitude of experiences and stories yet to be narrated from the Asian communities. Since July 17, Hollywood has ground to a halt as members of the SAG-AFTRA union joined the Writers Guild Of America in going on strike over growing concerns of the use of artificial intelligence and streaming residuals. Taking a side: The Marvels actress spoke her mind on the current WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes: I think were at this inflection point where something has to be done. Its painful, but necessary, to be going through this' According to Variety, a select list of films premiering at Venice have obtained SAG-AFTRA interim waivers since they are independent productions that have not been produced by AMPTP members. The ongoing SAG-AFTRA Strike, which enters its 45th day of protests, have seen many well-known actors showing solidarity with striking actors by doing one (or several) of the following actions: issuing statements of support of the strikes; joining picket lines in LA, New York City; and donating/handing out water bottles and/or food to the picketers. Among the well-known names who took part in the picket lines in either Los Angeles or New York City include Jason Sudeikis, Susan Sarandon, Vanessa Hudgens, Mandy Moore, Logan Lerman, America Ferrera, and Josh Gad, to name a few. The U.K. actors union Equity held rallies in London and Manchester on July 21 in support of SAG-AFTRA Strike. Brian Cox, Jim Carter, Hayley Atwell, David Oyelowo, and Oscar-nominated actress Imelda Staunton, were in attendance. While there has been little movement in talks between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA, discussions with the WGA appear to have reached a stalemate. The sides have not met since August 18 when the AMPTP rejected a counter-offer from the WGA, and since then there's been no move to resume talks. SAG-AFTRA told members in an email on Sunday that the negotiating committee is ready to return to the table 'at a moment's notice,' but so far there has been little progress. Bethenny Frankel gave her 3.3 million followers a look into her Labor Day weekend experience by sharing a photoset on her Instagram account on Monday. In the snaps, the 52-year-old reality television personality donned several different outfits while spending time by the ocean, including a patriotic cardigan styled after an American flag. Bethenny, who recently spoke about her strained relationship with Bravo executives, was also joined by her daughter Bryn and fiance, Paul Bernon while posing for the snaps. In one of her first photos, Frankel showed off her playful cardigan on top of a white button-up shirt and a cropped denim skirt while preparing to enter a vintage Ford Bronco. The former Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills cast member also donned a white wide-brimmed hat and leather boots. Good times: Bethenny Frankel gave her 3.3 million followers a look into her Labor Day weekend experience by sharing a photoset on her Instagram account on Monday On the waterfront: In the snaps, the 52-year-old reality television personality donned several different outfits while spending time by the ocean Good company: The media figure, who recently spoke about her strained relationship with Bravo executives, was also joined by her daughter Bryn and fiance Paul Bernon while posing for the snaps The reality television mainstay also showed her patriotic side while wearing a maxi skirt that featured the flag's design in another snap. The entrepreneur eventually changed into a floral-printed dress while enjoying a seaside lunch. She was seen while wearing a low-cut red dress underneath a navy blue button-up shirt during a trip to the beach. Frankel also donned a flowing long-sleeve dress as she embarked on a boating trip. The Bravo star included a snap that showed her sitting next to Bryn, 13, as they prepared to watch a gorgeous sunset. The Skinnygirl founder subsequently posed for a selfie with Bernon after they made it back to dry land. She accessorized with various pieces of jewelry and pairs of sunglasses while spending time in front of the camera. Her gorgeous dark brunette hair contrasted perfectly with the bright tones of her clothing. Proud: The reality television mainstay also showed her patriotic side while wearing a maxi skirt that featured the flag's design in another snap Out to sea: Frankel also donned a flowing long-sleeve dress as she embarked on a boating trip Having fun: The entrepreneur eventually changed into a floral-printed dress while enjoying a seaside lunch Relaxing: She was seen while wearing a low-cut red dress underneath a navy blue button-up shirt during a trip to the beach Beautiful: Her gorgeous dark brunette hair contrasted perfectly with the bright tones of her clothing Frankel's posts were shared not long after she publicly called for a reality star union to be formed. The entrepreneur made her comments in light of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, which kicked off earlier this year The Bravo star spoke about her desire to form a union during a wide-ranging interview with Variety, where she stated that 'networks and streamers have been exploiting people for too long.' She added that 'just because you can exploit young, doe-eyed talent desperate for the platform TV gives them, it doesn't mean you should.' Anhui province in East China, where it has the country's largest industrial base for new energy vehicles, said it would like to attract more foreign investments and better promote high-level opening-up, says local government officials. The local government of Anhui plans to hold a group of activities to encourage the better utilization of foreign investments, and it has held the first event named Haike Commerce Roundtable in Beijing on Friday. "We will make every effort to build a new energy vehicle industry cluster with global influence in Anhui, and strive to achieve an output value of over 1 trillion yuan ($137.6 billion) of the automotive industry by 2025," Wang Qingxian, governor of Anhui, said during the roundtable. In the first six months, the GDP growth rate of Anhui reached 6.1 percent year-on-year. Last year, the output of new energy vehicles in Anhui accounted for 7.5 percent of the total output nationwide, the local government reported. By holding the roundtable event, the local government aims to build an efficient platform which connects with more international organizations, industry associations, capital institutions, and multinational corporations, and thus better form a network for utilizing foreign investments. During the event, 17 business leaders from renowned financial institutions, funds, and corporations globally, including Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Eurazeo Investment Group, and Boyd Corp, spoke at the meeting. They agreed that the growth momentum of Anhui is strong, providing various opportunities for foreign-funded enterprises, and they would like to visit the province and reach more potential cooperation. Wang said Anhui would take the opening-up of industrial development as the core, continue to create a first-class business environment, and provide convenient services for foreign enterprises to develop in the province. A man has revealed his steamy fling with an Australian TV host before she broke his heart. According to a blind item posted by Daily Mail columnist Jana Hocking during one of her 'Saucy Secrets' Instagram sessions, the well-known star enjoyed a brief romance with the man. The follower contacted Jana saying the presenter ended their relationship last month after 'casually' dating, but raved about what a great person she is off-camera. 'Broken off a month or so but was seeing [redacted] casually. Absolute class of a woman,' they wrote. '[She] broke is off with me. She said she couldn't give me the time I deserved and didn't want to drag me along.' Man has his heartbroken by a VERY well known Aussie TV host and reveals what she was really like off-camera Every Monday, the columnist asks her followers to send in blind items for her 'Saucy Secrets' sessions, and sometimes these include juicy gossip about celebrities. During a recent 'Saucy Secrets' sessions, a Melbourne man revealed his steamy fling with a massive British popstar before she found global fame. One follower contacted Jana saying they initially hooked up with the pop star while they were in LA, and the fun didn't end there. 'Before [redacted] got massively famous we ended up hooking up and back at a hotel together in LA,' they wrote. According to a blind item posted by Daily Mail columnist Jana Hocking during one of her 'Saucy Secrets' Instagram sessions, the well-known star enjoyed a brief romance with the man 'When she was in Melbourne for her tour we ran into each other again when we were at a nightclub. 'Needless to say you can guess what happened after it all.' Jana shared the message alongside a stock photo of a woman's legs in fishnet stockings with a disco ball between her feet. Knowing her followers would be curious about who the musician is, she added: 'VERY famous brunette pop star'. The follower contacted Jana saying the presenter ended their relationship last month but she is a great person off-camera Megan Fox and fiance Machine Gun Kelly were spotted out and about in the Big Apple on Monday. The 37-year-old actress who recently announced she wrote a book of poems turned heads as she rocked a fiery new look. The bombshell sizzled in a bright red wig that was cut into a bob with face-framing bangs. Fox paired it with a low-cut black satin mini dress that showed off her voluptuous chest and toned legs. Meanwhile, her 33-year-old rapper/rocker love joined her in silvery gray relaxed fit Y2K-style pants and a tan ribbed tank top. Stepping out: Megan Fox and fiance Machine Gun Kelly were spotted out and about in the Big Apple on Monday Fun look: The 37-year-old actress who recently announced she wrote a book of poems turned heads as she rocked a fiery new look Total transformation: Fox is known for her trademark brown hair Kelly, whose birth name is Colson Baker, bared his fully tattooed arms in the sleeveless look. He accessorized with silver-toned jewelry including a chain necklace and matching bracelets. The father-of-one rounded out his trendy look with a pair of black and white Rick Owens sneakers. Megan, who stars in the forthcoming Expend4bles movie, matched his footwear as she wore a pair of chunky black and white Oxford loafers. And she drew attention to her chest as she donned a layered gold chain necklace with large, black stone pendant. Additionally, she matched her nails to her tresses as she flaunted a long, pointy-tipped, blood red manicure. The superstar's visage was fully made up to accentuate her stunning features as she rocked winged eyeliner and long lashes. Finally, the cosmetics look was completed with a matte pink hue coated on her plump pout. Cozy: As the lovebirds walked back to their arm, he draped her arm lovingly around her shoulders Sweet: The couple looked totally in sync as they walked down the sidewalk as they left Soho House arm-in-arm Exclusive: Fox and Kelly looked relaxed after spending the afternoon at the members' club Cool guy: The rapper put his expansive tattoo collection on full display in his shirt On their walk back to a black SUV, the musician draped her arm lovingly around his bride-to-be's shoulders The outing comes after last month Megan announced she is releasing a literary effort this fall. The multihyphenate took to Instagram at the beginning of August to share the cover of her poetry book Pretty Boys Are Poisonous. Sharing with her 21.4 million followers, she explained, 'These poems were written in an attempt to excise the illness that has taken root in me because of my silence. 'I've spent my entire life carrying the secrets of men, my body aches from carrying the weight of their sins. Last month, a source told Us Weekly that the pair were back to planning their wedding 'Theyre on the right track again,' an insider told the site. 'Theyve had so much success in therapy together. As they start to trust each other, theyve been talking about getting married again' Tatted: Kelly has more than 90 pieces of ink covering his entire body Hot! The bombshell sizzled in a bright red wig that was cut into a bob with face-framing bangs 'My freedom lives in these pages and I hope that my words can inspire others to take back their happiness and identity by using their voice to illuminate what's been buried, but not forgotten, in the darkness.' While she has not shared much about the content, it's safe to assume she might have been inspired by her relationship with Kelly and split from Brian Austin Green. She and Kelly got engaged after a year and a half of dating on January 11, 2022. The location for the proposal was outside the Spa Botanico at the Ritz-Carlton Dorado Beach in Puerto Rico. Last month, a source told Us Weekly that the pair were back to planning their wedding. Style maven: Fox paired her fresh hairstyle with a low-cut black satin mini dress that showed off her voluptuous chest and toned legs Fierce: Megan displayed her unmatched style as she joined her look with chunky black and white Oxford shoes. She accessorized with a chunky gold and stone necklace Going strong: The pair got engaged on January 11, 2022 'Theyre on the right track again,' an insider told the site. 'Theyve had so much success in therapy together. As they start to trust each other, theyve been talking about getting married again.' This comes after a break in March. There were claims the duo paused their wedding planning in order to work on their issues. Their relationship began shortly after she and Green ended their 14-year relationship. He and his girlfriend, Sharna Burgess, welcomed their first child together, a son, named Zane Walker, in June 2022. Australian porn star Angela White has opened up about the key qualities she looks for in a prospective mate. The adult film actress, 38, revealed her preferences on the One Night With Steiny podcast, where she was a guest alongside fellow porn pro Sky Bri. Host 'Steiny' asked Angela to list the main qualities she wants in a man. 'What are some of the traits and qualities that you really appreciate when you're in search of your significant other?' Angela was quick to respond: 'Kindness, intelligence, I guess openness because I'm a sexually adventurous person.' 'You never hear openness. I love that. I really think that people sleep on that,' claimed Steiny. 'Kindness was the first thing that came to mind. Kindness is my number one,' the porn star said. But the adult performer's ambitions have been less romantic, and more career driven recently. Australian porn star Angela White was asked on the One Night with Steiny podcast what key qualities she looks for in a prospective mate. Angela was quick to respond: 'Kindness, intelligence, I guess openness because I'm a sexually adventurous person,' she said After several high-profile TV and podcast appearances, the adult film star seems to be angling for a gig in mainstream media or academia. She hinted at her future career path earlier this year when she spoke at a conference at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Angela posed for a photo on Instagram next to social sciences and media studies professor Constance Penley. After several high-profile TV and podcast appearances, the adult film star seems to be angling for a gig in mainstream media or academia 'Academic pursuit remains an interest of mine and something I wish to return to in the future,' she wrote in the caption. During the college lecture, Angela spoke to film studies students about her career. Not only does Angela have an extensive body of work in adult cinema, but she also holds a degree in gender studies from the prestigious University of Melbourne. She hinted at her future career path earlier this year when she spoke at a conference at the University of California, Santa Barbara. 'Academic pursuit remains an interest of mine and something I wish to return to in the future,' she has said The performer, who popularised the sex position 'The Angela', took part in a question and answer session with students after her speech. 'This is my third time as a guest speaker at this film studies class that approaches pornography as worthy of serious inquiry as a genre and as popular culture,' she said after the lecture. Angela thanked the students for their 'well-informed, thought-provoking questions' about her 'career as a performer and director' as well as her academic research. 'While it has been a number of years since my research dissertation was published in The Routledge Companion to Media, Sex, and Sexuality, academic pursuit remains an interest of mine and something I wish to return to in the future,' she added. Priscilla Rating: Elvis Presley fell for Priscilla Beaulieu when he was 24 and she was just 14. Even allowing for different eras, different sensibilities, it would be hard to tell that story without it seeming irredeemably creepy. Sofia Coppola's biographical drama Priscilla tries to do so, but fails. Among its other failures, alas, is the music. The film is based on the 1985 memoir Elvis And Me by Priscilla Presley, who is also one of the executive producers, so Coppola was understandably all shook up when the Presley estate denied her the rights to play his songs. Instead, her movie begins with Baby, I Love You by The Ramones, and ends with Dolly Parton singing I Will Always Love You. They're great but they're not Elvis. Indeed, the only time we get any real sense of his bewitching charisma as a performer is when Jacob Elordi, well cast as Elvis, does a Jerry Lee Lewis impression, hammering at the piano and belting out Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On. Nicely played: Cailee Spaeny is pictured as the young Priscilla Age gap: Elvis Presley fell for Priscilla Beaulieu when he was 24 and she was just 14 Baz Luhrmann's 2022 biopic Elvis, not blighted by such problems, is a whole lot better. However, none of that stopped Priscilla from getting a rousing reception last night at the Venice Film Festival, where the movie had its world premiere. And it does at least tell Presley's familiar story from a fresh perspective, that of his young bride, nicely played by Cailee Spaeny. It starts in West Germany in 1959, where Elvis, like Priscilla's stepfather, is stationed with the US military. Spotted by one of Elvis's acolytes sipping Coke at a counter, Priscilla is invited to a party at the Presley home. Perhaps that is entirely innocent, but to suspicious minds it looks grimly like the sexual procurement of a minor. Later, Elvis asks her a rhetorical question: 'Where have you been all mah life?' It is only in the audience that the obvious, non-rhetorical response occurs: That she wasn't alive for nearly half of it. Undaunted by her extremely tender years, Elvis the King, though temporarily deposed from his throne while he serves in the army, soon invites her upstairs and sobs about his homesickness and the recent death of his mother. 'Ah wish my mama could've met you,' he wheedles. And again we think: why? All she has done is smile sweetly. Still, her young heart is touched and soon, so is the rest of her. Yet Elvis, as both the film and Priscilla's memoir tell it, refrains from sex until they are married seven years later. Actors: Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi in a scene from the new film Priscilla Even when she is old enough, he tells her that her virginity is 'sacred' to him. We are perhaps intended to admire his gentlemanly restraint. But it just makes him seem weird and controlling. Once Priscilla is installed at Graceland, back in Memphis, his possessive control-freakery gets worse. She is lavished with gifts - a poodle, a car, a gun - but told what she can and can't wear. At her parents' insistence, she attends high school, but must not bring friends home. And Elvis's influence on her is baleful in other ways: he plies her with amphetamines, to keep her awake at school. All this sounds interesting enough, yet it unfolds in a peculiarly anodyne manner. For large chunks of the film the screenplay might as well read: 'Elvis blows his top, Priscilla is hurt, Elvis says 'sorry, baby'. Repeat.' Yet there are some eyebrow-raising episodes clearly based on fact, as when she is gifted a matching handgun for every dress. By this point, sanity has left the building. Nonetheless, on and on we go, enduring this cycle of him being odd and her being long-suffering. They take LSD; he becomes obsessed with the teachings of a yogi; their daughter Lisa Marie is born; he has an affair with his Viva Las Vegas co-star Ann-Margret; eventually, Priscilla leaves him. Coppola has said that she was inspired to tell this story partly by her own experience of growing up with a famous, rather overbearing father figure (her dad is director Francis Ford Coppola). That's understandable, yet it makes the result all the more disappointing. She's a fine film-maker, but this is not a fine film and it makes the viewer think that even if he couldn't help falling in love with Priscilla, this rocker belonged in a jailhouse. She is one of Australia's best known actresses and models. And Melissa Tkautz delighted fans on Tuesday when she appeared on Channel Seven's The Morning Show for a rare interview. The 49-year-old, who played the role of Nikki Spencer on popular Australian TV soap E Street, looked unrecognisable as she discussed her career. The actress' face appeared taut and puffy while her cheeks and lips appeared more voluminous. Melissa looked stylish in navy striped pants, a white T-shirt and a matching coloured vest for her TV appearance. During the interview, she discussed landing her 'dream role' on E Street when she was just 16 years old. 'You're only 16, getting the dream role back then. I remember how daunting it was,' she said. 'The next minute I'm sitting in the green room with all these actors going, what am I doing here? How has this happened? It took me a couple of weeks to get into it but everyone was so lovely to work with.' 'They were an amazing cast,' she added. Melissa also revealed her desire to play the role of a character different to what she usually plays. Melissa Tkautz doesn't look like this anymore! E Street glamour looked unrecognisable in rare TV interview Her face appeared taut and puffy while her cheeks and lips appeared more voluminous 'We have a very small industry so it is hard to work in our country and there are very limited jobs but I feel as though I do get the same roles,' she said. 'I'm not complaining about that, I just saying that I do get pigeonholed.' Joining the cast E Street at age 16, Melissa's character was so popular that she released a single - Read My Lips - which was promoted on the show. In 2017, Melissa made a return to the spotlight starring on reality show The Real Housewives of Sydney. Holly Willoughby hit back at any negativity on Monday as she showed her unwavering support for the 'wonderful' Alison Hammond. In her latest blog post for her lifestyle brand Wylde Moon, the TV host, 42, encouraged readers to vote for her co-host ahead of the The National Television Awards on Tuesday evening. Unlike Holly, Alison, 48, is shortlisted in the TV Presenter award category this year against rivals including Ant and Dec, while This Morning has been nominated again for best daytime show. This didn't stop Holly rallying behind Alison though, writing: Having been lucky enough to have this summer break to focus on the children, its now lovely to be back on the sofa and there was certainly joy in abundance with Alison Hammond today! 'This wonderful lady has been nominated in the Best Presenter category at tomorrow nights NTAs and there is still time to vote for her. Support: Holly Willoughby hit back at any negativity on Monday as she showed her unwavering support for the 'wonderful' Alison Hammond Nominated: In her latest blog post for her lifestyle brand Wylde Moon, the TV host, 42, encouraged readers to vote for her co-host ahead of the The National Television Awards on Tuesday evening 'So, youve ever been filled with joy by The Hammondand lets be honest, who hasnt?!...then you know what to do, click here to vote!' She added: 'This weeks lunar phase is the Third Quarter Moon. Its known as a good time to release negativity and any old habits that might be hindering you, which sounds very fitting for the new beginnings that come with the arrival of September. 'Lets make every effort to shed anything thats holding us back and move forwards with light, love and positivity.' Holly returned to the This Morning sofa on Monday after her eight-week summer break. But ITV viewers blasted her musical return to This Morning as 'peak cringe' - as the show faces a 'make or break' battle for survival following the Phillip Schofield scandal. Holly, smiling effusively in a black and white polka dot dress, was seen dancing along to a rendition of ABBA's Dancing Queen by the cast of Mamma Mia The Party before embracing her fellow presenter Alison. But fans were less than convinced about the show of forced bonhomie to mark the end of Holly's eight-week summer break at her luxury villa in Portugal, with one complaining: 'It's too early for this cringefest!' Once considered a crown jewel of ITV's schedule, This Morning now faces an uncertain future following Schofield's departure in May after he admitted to an 'unwise but not illegal' affair with a much younger male colleague. It has now emerged that the show has poached the boss of its rival Channel 4 daytime series Steph's Packed Lunch as it awaits the results of an external investigation into complaints about the network's toxic working culture. Vivek Sharma has been hired from the lunchtime show hosted by Steph McGovern to work closely with under-fire This Morning editor Martin Frizell. Sweet: Unlike Holly, Alison, 48, is shortlisted in the TV Presenter award category this year against rivals including Ant and Dec , while This Morning has been nominated again for best daytime show Awkward: Holly Willoughby returned to her role on the This Morning sofa on Monday after her eight-week break to present alongside Alison Hammond with a musical start that fans blasted as 'cringe' Producers will be desperate to recapture some of This Morning's pre-Schofield scandal magic, but reactions to today's opening scene suggest they are a long way off winning over viewers. One wrote: 'If there's a more cringe inducing show than #ThisMorning I'd like to know.' A second said: 'They couldn't have possibly opened the show worse than this' as another asked: 'What on earth is this fresh hell??' Others branded it a 'cringefest' and 'peak cringe', while another wrote: 'I've had surgeries more enjoyable than this'. But others came to Holly's defence and praised her return, with one person writing: 'Love these 2!!! Finally can enjoy this #thismorning again. Jealous trolls just stop.' READ MORE - Body language expert analyses Holly's return Advertisement Another agreed, tweeting: 'Welcome back @hollywills #thismorning' and a third echoed: '#thismorning loving Alison and Holly presenting together'. Holly took to her Instagram ahead of the show to display her outfit and to express her excitement to be returning. She wrote: 'And just like that it's back to school can't wait to see you!!! @thismorning'. Today, body language expert Darren Stanton that Holly seemed 'unsure' during her first show back, while Alison 'made presenting look easy and effortless'. Speaking on behalf of Spin Genie, Darren picked up on Holly's body language, explaining that she was fidgeting on camera - which is a 'sign of impatience and nervousness'. He then explained that he saw the presenter 'tilting away' from Alison when sitting on the sofa, suggesting she finds Alison's presence 'overpowering'. Darren said: 'Alison comes across as super relaxed, comfortable and confident. She makes it look easy and effortless. It's clear Holly depends on her co-hosts when she is presenting, but Alison could own the room. 'When the pair were standing up and speaking to the camera, Alison had her hands down to her front, while Holly had her hands to the side as well as touching her fingers. 'This fidgeting is a sign of impatience and nervousness. She definitely comes across as nervous, unsettled and unsure. It's clear it's very much new to her and she's still adjusting. 'Alison is quite animated, she comes across as super confident, but when Holly sits next to her on the sofa as they present as a duo, we see Holly tilting herself away to the left. Tough: It hasn't been a good year for This Morning after the Philip Schofield scandal earlier in May left the programme in turmoil. (Holly and Philip pictured together in January on Dancing On Ice) Not-so happy family: Toxic allegations have surrounded the show in the latter months suggesting the show won't bag Best Daytime Show at this year's NTAs (This Morning cast pictured at the awards in 2020) 'This suggests she finds Alison's presence a bit overpowering. It's a way of saying, 'This is too much for me.' 'Alison is loud, bubbly and confident - and she's also tactile with Holly. She has very strong eye contact with her. 'She's often making jokes and touching her hand a couple of times. This is to show she is here to support Holly.' He went on to explain: 'She wants to make her feel supported. Holly hasn't yet made that gesture with Alison, and that tells me Alison has a much stronger authenticity and rapport with Holly than she has with her. 'I have seen Holly masking a couple of her smiles. This doesn't suggest she was lying, but she could be wanting to put on a front to protect how she's feeling. It shows she isn't completely comfortable on the sofa. She also displayed a twitching gesture with her fingers, which suggests she wasn't feeling completely secure at that moment.' Nearly two weeks after their hit CW series Riverdale ended its seven-season run, stars Lili Reinhart and Camila Mendes were spotted at the Venice Film Festival. Reinhart, 26, and Mendes, 29, best known for playing Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge on Riverdale, were spotted in Venice were spotted heading back to the airport on Monday after a weekend in Venice. They were both spotted with their boyfriends Jack Martin and Rudy Mancuso, while waiting for water taxis to the airport. Just days earlier, Reinhart turned heads in a stunning gown while attending the Giorgio Armani One Night In Venice party. Reinhart attended the bash with her boyfriend Martin while Mendes was also spotted at the gala with her beau Rudy Mancuso. Vacation: Nearly two weeks after their hit CW series Riverdale ended its seven-season run, stars Lili Reinhart and Camila Mendes were spotted at the Venice Film Festival Airport: Reinhart, 26, and Mendes, 29, best known for playing Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge on Riverdale, were spotted in Venice were spotted heading back to the airport on Monday after a weekend in Venice Reinhart was spotted wearing a white t-shirt under a unique black and white coat with a black backpack strapped to her back. She had her blonde locks tied back in a ponytail and wore dark sunglasses while heading to the taxi. The actress completed her look with light blue jeans and white sneakers for the outing. Her co-star Mendes opted for a white top under a black coat, with her black hair tied back in a ponytail as well with black sunglasses. She also essentially matched her co-star with similar light blue jeans and white sneakers while heading back home. Months after they sparked dating rumors, Jack went Instagram official with Lili in a slew of Instagram snaps shared in July. Jack has a huge following on social media, in particular, TikTok, where he has over 50 million likes. While the Venice Film Festival usually attracts the biggest names in Hollywood, stars have been shunning the do this year because the SAG-AFTRA strikes has prevented them from promoting their work there. Since July 17, Hollywood has ground to a halt as members of the SAG-AFTRA union joined the Writers Guild Of America in going on strike over growing concerns of the use of artificial intelligence and streaming residuals. According to Variety, a select list of films premiering at Venice have obtained SAG-AFTRA interim waivers since they are independent productions that have not been produced by AMPTP members. The sides have not met since August 18 when the AMPTP rejected a counter-offer from the WGA, and since then there's been no move to resume talks. The ongoing SAG-AFTRA Strike, which enters its 43rd day of protests, have seen many well-known actors showing solidarity with striking actors by doing one (or several) of the following actions: issuing statements of support of the strikes; joining picket lines in LA, New York City; and donating/handing out water bottles and/or food to the picketers. Kate Moss once declared her motto was 'Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,' which prompted criticism that she was encouraging eating disorders. Now, the model has performed a dramatic U-turn by using her wellness brand to sell healthy food supplements. I can disclose that she has won a legal battle with a pharmaceutical firm over the name of her lifestyle brand Cosmoss. It means she has trademarked Cosmoss for ranges such as herbal preparations for medicinal purposes, plus food and mineral supplements. 'Kate has huge ambitions for the Cosmoss brand,' I'm told. Moss, 49, (right) applied to the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) last year to trademark Cosmoss for applications from aromatherapy candles, vitamin supplements and teas to magazines, videos and home furnishings. But I disclosed Danish firm Pharmacosmos had objected to her application. The company, which makes products for those with iron deficiencies, has been in business for more than 50 years. Model: Kate Moss (pictured) once declared her motto was 'Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,' which prompted criticism that she was encouraging eating disorders. Now, she has performed a dramatic U-turn by using her wellness brand to sell healthy food supplements Business: Moss has trademarked Cosmoss for ranges such as herbal preparations for medicinal purposes, plus food and mineral supplements It gave a 'likelihood of confusion' as the reason for its objection. But now the opposition to Moss's application has been dropped. A newly filed update at the IPO shows Cosmoss no longer plans to trademark goods intended for treating iron deficiency, meaning there would be no clash with the Danish firm. Moss launched Cosmoss amid great fanfare last year, claiming it would 'open a door' to 'balance, restoration, and love'. It's been likened to a British version of Gwyneth Paltrow's U.S. wellness business Goop. It was a change for Moss, who was branded 'Cocaine Kate' in 2005 after pictures surfaced that a newspaper claimed showed her snorting drugs at a music studio. She lost her 1 million contract with H&M and booked herself into a rehab clinic. Duchess of Rutland's 61st year gets off to a flying start The Duchess of Rutland was given the rock star treatment for her birthday. Emma Manners celebrated her 60th by 'crowd-surfing' over guests during a lively party at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire. The duchess, who lives in a separate wing of the castle from her estranged husband, the Duke of Rutland, stretched herself flat as she passed over the heads of partygoers - looking like a rock star who had just leaped from the stage into a concert crowd. 'Made it to 60! Wings outstretched,' she jokes. 'Seventy, here I come.' One of her three spirited daughters, Lady Alice Manners, can be seen on the far left helping to keep her mother in the air at the celebration, which had the theme: Swinging Sixties and Seventies. Flying: Emma Manners celebrated her 60th by 'crowd-surfing' over guests during a lively party at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire Chinese whispers for Boris's dad Stanley Johnson is undeterred by Nigel Farage's criticism of his close links to China - in which the ex-UKIP leader accused him of being 'in bed with the Chinese Communist Party'. First, the former I'm A Celebrity contestant entertained China's ambassador to lunch at his London home. Now, I hear Stanley, 83, and his son Max had a dinner in their honour at ambassador Zheng Zeguang's residence. 'We have to get on with China,' he tells me. 'More than ever, there is a need today to build bridges from East to West and from West to East.' Boris Johnson's father returned last month from China after seven weeks filming his travels there. Father: Stanley Johnson is undeterred by Nigel Farage's criticism of his close links to China - in which the ex-UKIP leader accused him of being 'in bed with the Chinese Communist Party' Glossy King's royal trip Prince George shouldn't have too much trouble getting into Eton, if Prince William chooses to send his son to his alma mater. Yet King Charles may have boosted his grandson's chances of winning a place nonetheless. George, ten, was seen visiting the 50,000-per-year Berkshire boarding school with his parents in June. Weekend: Sir Nicholas Coleridge, who will soon be announced as Eton's new Provost, has spent the weekend with the King and Queen Camilla at Balmoral Now Sir Nicholas Coleridge, who will soon be announced as Eton's new Provost, has spent the weekend with the King and Queen Camilla at Balmoral. The former boss of Conde Nast magazines was joined by his vivacious wife, Georgia. He's pictured at the Braemar Gathering - the most famous of the Highland Games. Eton's Provost - roughly equivalent to the head of governors - is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister. Happily, Rishi Sunak was also at Balmoral. Was there ever a more magnanimous monarch than Queen Elizabeth II? I hear that she offered Kathy Burke an OBE, even though the actress once called the Queen's husband Prince Philip a 'selfish c***'. Burke, 59, known for roles in comedies such as Absolutely Fabulous, boasts 'I got offered one of them,' in a discussion about honours on her podcast Where There's A Will, There's A Wake. Burke says she told officials: 'Nah mate. Stick it.' Charming. Jeffrey Archer is mourning his personal assistant Alison Prince, who has died aged 59. 'It seems impossible to believe that until only a few short weeks ago this effervescent woman, who managed my life with such skill and dedication, is no longer with us,' the novelist tells me. 'After 26 years of being my adviser, confidante and friend, she will be quite literally irreplaceable, as I have recently discovered having double-booked appointments and turned up at the wrong place, at the wrong time.' Follow me on Twitter @richardaeden and on Instagram @edenconfidential richard.eden@dailymail.co.uk The Inheritance Rating: The most valuable historical evidence from the past 2,000 years might just be on video recorder mini-tapes in my loft. Trouble is, I've lost the battery charger. Academics will dispute, of course, whether home movies of my children in the 1990s are really that important. And right now, historically speaking, they're not. But films like those, millions of them taped at family gatherings and weekend barbecues, will become a priceless social record one day. Imagine if we had thousands of hours on record from ordinary lives in Tudor times, or ancient Rome. Instead of piecing together the past from fragments of broken pottery, archaeologists would be enhancing screen grabs to zoom in on fascinating background details. The Inheritance: In a clever twist on the flashback technique, we're able to delve into the back-story of three bickering siblings - because someone is studying their old family videotapes Actor: Jemima Rooper is pictured as Chloe in the new drama The Inheritance All those home videos will one day become the closest thing possible to a time machine. They might also supply evidence for a murder investigation, in The Inheritance (Ch5). In a clever twist on the flashback technique, we're able to delve into the back-story of three bickering siblings - because someone is studying their old family videotapes. Famous friends of the week Rose Matafeo's romcom Starstruck (BBC3) was living up to its name, with Minnie Driver 'talking like a cartoon villain' as a theatrical agent and John Simm, unrecognisable in sideburns, playing the world's worst co-star. Quite a cast. Advertisement The victim is Larry Lamb as Dennis, a well-off widower living in a house he designed himself. When he's discovered dead on the hall floor, with a stomachful of booze and sleeping pills, his children protest to the coroner (Pauline McLynn): their dear old dad wasn't a drinker. But that isn't the half of it. Dear old dad was secretly married to his best mate's ex-wife, Susan (an icy Samantha Bond) . . . and he's left everything to her. House, jewellery, bank balance, the lot. Susan declares she adored their father, and was in a relationship with him for years before their mother died. She seems less than distraught at his death, though. For that matter, the children aren't exactly beside themselves with grief, until they discover they've been left nothing. Downton's Robert James-Collier plays son Dan, an entitled bully whose restaurant business is in hock to a loan shark. Gaynor Faye and Jemima Rooper are sisters Sian and Chloe, one dating dodgy blokes she meets online and the other in a suspiciously all-too-perfect marriage. There's plenty of melodrama, not least at the funeral when Dan denounces his father, before the coroner turns up with a police escort to seize the body. The characters are roughly drawn and the unexplained death is slightly humdrum, but this four-part drama's combination of domestic thriller and psychological mystery is strong enough to draw me in. You & Me Rating: The romantic weepy You & Me (ITV1 & ITVX) is more straightforward still. Boy meets girl at the bus stop, boy and girl start a family, heartbreak happens. It's a sweetly undemanding story, somewhat muddled by leaps back and forward in time. Harry Lawtey and Sophia Brown are charming as lovers Ben and Jess we don't learn very much about them, other than that they fall in love at first sight, but that's all we need to know. Romantic: You & Me is a sweetly undemanding story, somewhat muddled by leaps back and forward in time. Harry Lawtey and Sophia Brown are charming as lovers Ben and Jess (pictured) Julie Hesmondhalgh supplies some depth, as Ben's mother, turning up when his world falls apart. She doesn't have many lines but doesn't need them: she can speak volumes with a look of reproof or aching sympathy. Writer Jamie Davis includes touches that add conviction, such as the way Ben and Jess are still celebrating the weekly anniversary of their first date, more than a year later. If that sounds too cloying, this love story won't be one for you. I'm enjoying it, but I'm a softie. 'I met someone really special,' Ben tells his mum, 'and I'm never gonna meet anyone as special again.' If that brings a bit of a lump to your throat, rather than a curl to your toes, the three-part series continues tonight and tomorrow, and is worth seeking out. One of Australia's top influencers has slammed two upmarket bridal boutiques after a failed shopping expedition to find her dream wedding dress. Em Davies, who announced her engagement to boyfriend Joel Gambin in March, visited Sydney's upmarket suburb of Paddington to visit several bridal stores late last month, but left empty handed. Expressing her frustration in a TikTok video on Friday, the 28-year-old slammed two boutiques for their poor customer service and 'hostile' environment, but chose not to refer to the brands by name. 'It was just the biggest letdown. I'm like, not even being dramatic guys. Like, it just felt really hostile in both places that we went to,' Em told the camera, admitting she felt 'pretty sad' after the shopping trip. 'And I just think if you're spending that much money on a dress, like some decent customer service would [be appreciated],' she added. Queensland influencer Em Davies, 28, (pictured) has slammed two upmarket bridal boutiques after a failed shopping expedition to find her dream wedding dress Em admitted she had a better experience at the first boutique compared to the second place she visited. She then clarified she 'didn't want to drag anyone' by naming either of the brands, adding: 'It's just my experience, I'm sure a lot of other people that have gone there have had really good experiences.' 'I tried on like, freaking 20 dresses or something in 30 minutes. Like, it wasn't enjoyable and I felt like... I didn't really get much of a say in a lot of what was going on and I just... you know. I just had higher hopes,' she complained. Em, who announced her engagement to boyfriend Joel Gambin in March, visited Sydney's upmarket suburb of Paddington to visit several bridal stores late last month, but left empty handed. She documented the trip in a now-deleted Instagram video Expressing her frustration in a TikTok on Friday, the blonde slammed two boutiques for their poor customer service and 'hostile' environment, but chose not to refer to the brands by name Since Daily Mail reached out to her for comment, Em has deleted her wedding dress shopping vlog and subsequent TikTok rant. Em is certainly no stranger to controversy. In August last year, the Perth star landed herself in hot water after she uploaded an image of a sealed zip lock bag containing a brownie, as she made her way to the airport to catch a flight to Bali. 'Are we going to regret eating this weed brownie on our way to the airport?' she wrote alongside a 'yes' or 'no' poll. I'm like, not even being dramatic guys. Like, it just felt really hostile in both places that we went to,' Em told the camera, admitting she felt 'pretty sad' after the shopping trip Em admitted she had a better experience at the first boutique compared to the second place she visited. (Em is pictured with fiance Joel Gambin) The post was deleted a few minutes later, presumably when Davies realised it was shared with her more than 360,000 followers, rather than her close friends. She also raised eyebrows in January 2020 she shared a joke video of herself on Instagram following a New Year's Eve gathering, where she pretended to snort a white powder with pals. In the clip, Em was seen lifting a non-illegal substance from a small piece of paper to her nose, guided by a tiny metal spoon. The influencer was then seen laughing at the camera, before saying: 'Yeah, the boys!' Em wore a striking Prada crop top while shipping for her wedding dress last month Shark Tank Australia judge Jane Lu copped a cake to the face during her $40,000 viewing party last Wednesday night. The Showpo founder, 36, was celebrating her stint on the Channel Ten reboot when her Senior Brand Manager Jessica Dang hit her with the confectionary. While the entrepreneur appeared to take the prank in good spirits, even posting a video of the incident to Instagram, her followers were horrified. The footage began innocently enough with Jane sporting a huge smile as she celebrated after watching the premiere episode of Shark Tank. Surrounded by friends, family and co-workers, she cheered in front of the media wall she had set up in the Presidential Suite at Crown Sydney. One of her employees then tapped Jane on the shoulder and threw the celebration cake in her face when she turned around. The brutal hit sent the budding television star reeling into the media wall where she hit her head against the brick wall. Despite the shock, Jane laughed the incident off along with Jessica as partygoers filmed the incident. However her toddler son Lachy was shocked and burst into tears in the heartbreaking footage. Shark Tank Australia judge Jane Lu, 36, (pictured) copped a cake to the face during her $40,000 viewing party last Wednesday night The Showpo founder was celebrating her stint on the Channel Ten reboot when her Senior Brand Manager Jessica Dang smashed the confectionary into her face While the entrepreneur appeared to take the prank in good spirits as she posted a video of it to Instagram, her followers were horrified Followers flocked to the comment section of the video to express their horror. 'Came to the comments to check it wasn't just me. I'd be so upset if somebody did this to me,' one person said. Another added: 'Was she trying to steal your spot light ? Seriously who in their right mind spoils someone's shining moments?' The footage began innocently enough with Jane sporting a huge smile as she celebrated after watching the premiere episode of Shark Tank But things quickly took a turn when one of her employees decided to tap Jane on the shoulder and throw the celebration cake in her face when she turned around 'Oh my god. Thus hurt me to watch. I hope you're okay,' a third added, while someone else wrote: 'Yeah this not funny at all.' Someone else said they 'would cry' if their friends ever ruined their big celebration by smashing cake in their face. Jane paid to have her makeup and hair done for the event, and also rented out a $40,000 a night Presidential Suite at Crown Sydney to host the viewing party. The entrepreneur shared a video to Instagram in which she gave followers a tour of the palatial suite which has an office, karaoke room and spa. Kim Kardashian sported matching silver outfits with her family as they all attended Beyonce's Los Angeles Renaissance tour stop on Monday at SoFi Stadium. The reality star, 42, was joined by her sister Khloe Kardashian, 39, as well as her mother Kris, 67, daughter North West, 10, and niece Penelope Disick, 11. Kim and her mother Kris showed off their smooth visages as they posed for glamorous photographs while milling about the crowds at the concert. The family also adhered to Beyonce's request for fans to wear all-silver outfits to her birthday concerts as they all sported very glitzy matching metallic ensembles. Kim showed off her incredible figure in a bejewelled custom made Swarovski silver crop top complete with a choker necklace, which she styled with distressed grey jeans. Glitzy: Kim Kardashian sported matching silver outfits with her mother Kris Jenner as they attended Beyonce 's Los Angeles Renaissance tour stop on Monday at SoFi Stadium Very excited: Kim sported a busty ensemble as she held her daughter North's hand, who appeared to be very excited Matching! The reality star, 42, was joined by her sister Khloe Kardashian , 39, as well as her mother Kris, 67, daughter North West, 10, and niece Penelope Disick, 11 She clutched a silver handbag in one hand and showed off her smooth visage as she sported a high-glamour make-up palette. Kris looked equally stylish in a metallic silver jacket and matching trousers, which she teamed with a glittering T-shirt and matching trainers. Meanwhile, Khloe sported fitted silver trousers and a white crop top as she posed with her arm around her daughter Penelope. Penelope and Kim's daughter North both smiled as they also posed in silver ensembles, nailing Beyonce's desired dress code. They joined the star-studded line-up at the concert, including the likes of Diana Ross, Adele, Zendaya and Kate Hudson. Before arriving, Kim, Khloe and the girls were seen singing their hearts out to Beyonce's 2013 hit song Drunk In Love in their party bus. Kim acknowledged Beyonce's 42nd birthday, writing on her clip: 'On our way to see the birthday girl!' and adding a crown and a bee emoji. The SKIMS founder stunned in a sparkling diamond choker and matching bra top. After arriving to SoFi Stadium, Kim shared clips of them to her Instagram page enjoying the concert as a family. Glam: Kim showed off her smooth visages as she posed for glamorous photographs while milling about the crowds at the concert Dress code: The family also adhered to Beyonce's request for fans to wear all-silver outfits to her birthday concerts as they all sported very glitzy matching metallic ensembles Group shot: The family were also joined by Jeff Bezos and his partner Lauren Sanchez as they joined the stars in the crowds Wow! North appeared to be completely overwhelmed as she looked shocked while milling through the crowds at the concert Sparkling: Kim showed off her incredible figure in a bejewelled silver crop top complete with a choker necklace, which she styled with distressed grey jeans Trendy: Khloe looked stylish in sparkling silver trousers and a white crop top as she posed with Hailey Bieber Stars: Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, also milled among the crowds with Kerry Washington and Kelly Rowland All smiles: Lizzo also flashed a peace sign as she posed with Chris Rock at the glitzy affair Meanwhile, Kim and Khloe's sister Kylie Jenner was seen publicly with boyfriend Timothee Chalamet for the first time during the same concert - while hanging out with their other sister Kendall Jenner. The family fun took place on a bus, with Kim holding the camera as Khloe entertained the girls with her singing. She also shared an artistic snap of Khloe's outfit, which consisted of a white crop top, silver pants and a silver cross choker. Khloe wore her platinum tresses in a straight style, and accessorized with a pair of shades. She also shared a clip of the pre-concert festivities to her Stories, where she sang alongside North. Khloe flashed a smile as North showed off her cool dance moves. Sweet embrace: Kim was seen greeting her mother Kris as they all joined each other in the crowds All smiles: Kris looked equally stylish in a metallic silver jacket and matching trousers, which she teamed with a glittering T-shirt and matching trainers Doting mother: Kim pulled out all the stops to entertain North as they were both seen standing waiting for Beyonce Holding hands: Kim led the way as she held her daughter North's hands as they walked through the crowds to find their seats Stars: The stars were joined by Kim's mother Kris as they milled through the swarm of fans at the concert Skimpy: Kim put on a very busty display in her glitzy top as she pulled an excited North forward, while excited fans swarmed ahead Greetings: Kim appeared in jovial form as she gave her mother Kris a hug as they stood in the crowds Family affair: The group were also joined by Khloe and her daughter Penelope for the family day out Fans: Fans were seen holding their phones up and snapping pictures as the family made their way through the crowds Wow! Kim toted a small silver handbag in one hand as she pulled out all the stops with her glitzy ensemble Embrace: Kim was seen leaning over a railing to greet her mother Kris as the family enjoyed the night out Great seats! Kim and her daughter North had a bird's eye view of the concert from their raised seats Selfies: Kim was seen giving the peace sign and posing for photographs with excited fans as they swarmed her in the crowds Mobbed: The famous family were surrounded by excited fans as they went to find their seats Busy: The crowds were heaving with eager fans holding up their phones to snap pictures ahead of the concert Family time: North was seen holding hands with Khloe's daughter Penelope as the group all supported each other Grinning: North appeared to be having the time of her life at the star-studded concert Family time! Kim Kardashian attended Beyonce 's Los Angeles Renaissance tour stop on Monday at SoFi Stadium. The reality , 42, was joined by her sister Khloe Kardashian , 39, as well as daughter North West, 10, and niece Penelope Disick, 11 Singing along! After arriving to SoFi Stadium, Kim shared clips of them to her Instagram page enjoying the concert as a family On her way: Kim shared some fun footage as she made her way to Beyonce 's Los Angeles Renaissance tour stop on Monday Birthday girl Beyonce: Kim acknowledged Beyonce's 42nd birthday, writing on her clip: 'On our way to see the birthday girl!' and adding a crown and a bee emoji Family time: The reality TV star, 42, was joined by her sister Khloe Kardashian, 39, as well as daughter North West, 10, and niece Penelope Disick, 11 Close up: Kim wore her raven tresses parted on the side and cascading down in loose locks Looks like she's having fun! Kim sand along while headed to the stadium on Monday, which is the last LA stop - and Beyonce's birthday Niece: Khloe pictured with her niece Penelope, who is the daughter of Kourtney Kardashian Mom and me: She enjoyed her time with her eldest daughter, whom she shares with rapper Kanye West, along with three other kids Sparkling: The SKIMS founder stunned in a sparkling diamond choker and matching bra top Fun! Kim, Khloe and the girls were seen singing their hearts out to Beyonce's 2013 hit song Drunk In Love Stunner: Kim wore her raven tresses parted on the side and cascading down in loose locks Mom and daughter: Kim and North sang along in the videos Silver dress code: The gals all stuck to Beyonce's silver dress code for the show Impressive jewels: Khloe wore an impressive silver cross choker and sported her platinum tresses in a straight style Artistic: Kim also shared an artistic snap of Khloe's outfit, which consisted of a white crop top and silver pants Khloe's own daughter True Thompson, five, who recently started kindergarten, was not present for the show, which will run into the late hours of the night. Beyonce kicked off her three-date California residency on Friday. The concert proved to be popular as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were in attendance, as well as Markle's mother Doria Ragland. It also attracted a host of celebrity names including model Shanina Shayk and actor Terry Crews. The show, which clocks in at around two and a half hours and is split into six acts, is the latest from Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour that began back on May 10 in Stockholm, Sweden. For the tour, Beyonce performs the tracks off her studio album, Renaissance (2022), in order and interspersed with songs from across her entire catalog. As for the visuals, the stage consists of a giant screen with a large 'portal' in its center, and features sculptures, robotic arms and ultraviolet technology. And then there's Beyonce herself, singing and dancing while decked out in an array of eye-catching ensembles while delivering the hits. Three-and-a-half months into her Renaissance Tour, Beyonce is scheduled to keep making her way around the U.S. until the finale show at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on October 1. The concert was the perfect way to have some fun for Kim, who was reportedly left 'desperately embarrassed and worried' last week, in light of her ex husband Kanye West's antics in Italy. In the City of Angels: Beyonce kicked off her three-date California residency on Friday Kim shares North as well as Psalm, four, Saint, seven, and Chicago, five, with the rapper, 46. Kanye was pictured baring his naked buttocks during an amorous boat ride with his new 'wife' Bianca Censori, 28, in Venice, with calls for the couple to be 'arrested for indecent exposure.' The couple have since been banned for life by the Venetian boat rental company. Kim believes 'something clearly isn't right' and doesn't know how she will 'explain it all to the kids' according to a source who spoke with The Sun. 'Kim's been so worried about the new pics that have come out with Bianca - like how will she explain it all to the kids?' the insider revealed. The Kardashians star filed for divorce from the musician in February of 2021. Ariana Madix looked crazy in love while attending Beyonce's Renaissance world tour with her boyfriend, Daniel Wai, at The Shay in Culver City, California on Monday. Before making their way to SoFi Stadium together to see Queen B, the Vanderpump Rules star, 38, looked blissfully happy as she cozied up to her man, 37, who sported silver glitter on his temples. For their fun date night, the actress stunned in a completely sheer mesh dress over a black bra and matching underwear. She opted to straightened her platinum blonde tresses and showcased her natural, glowing skin by wearing minimal makeup, apart from foundation, blush and mascara. Once at the concert venue, the TV personality held up a fan, with the name of Beyonce's 2022 track, Heated, on it. Smitten: Ariana Madix looked crazy in love while attending Beyonce's Renaissance world tour with her boyfriend, Daniel Wai, at The Shay in Culver City, California on Monday PDA: Before making their way to SoFi Stadium together to see Queen B, the Vanderpump Rules star, 38, looked blissfully happy as she cozied up to her man, 37, who sported silver glitter on his temples The pair recently enjoyed a cast trip to San Francisco with her Vanderpump Rules costars, including her ex-boyfriend, Tom Sandoval, Lala Kent, Scheana Shay, Katie Maloney, James Kennedy and Tom Schwartz. While appearing the Scheananigans with Scheana Shay, last month, Madix described Wai as having 'a very grounding, calming, positive energy.' 'He's very like, always trying to help with things,' she gushed to Shay. The bombshell went on to rave about how he likes to help her with mundane tasks, like calling her credit card company. As for their future together, Madix said she is going to continue to do what makes her 'happy and going in that direction.' 'He is someone who does bring a whole lot of happiness,' she continued, which prompted Shay, 38, to say she is 'obsessed' with Wai. Shay went on to say how unlike her pal's 'past relationships' that this one brings out 'the best' in Madix. 'You're with someone for the first time that I've personally ever seen who supports you, who's happy to help you and empower you and also take a backseat and just f**king let you shine,' Shay praised. Part of the Beyhive: Once at the concert venue, the TV held up a fan, with the name of Beyonce's 2022 track, Heated, on it During the interview, Madix also spoke about living with Sandoval, five months after the messy end to their nine-year relationship. While navigating the end of their nine-year relationship, following his affair with her friend, Raquel Leviss, the former couple have continued to reside at the Los Angeles home that they purchased for $2 million in 2019. Despite Bethenny Frankel recently criticizing their awkward living arrangement on her Just B podcast, the reality star stated 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 explained. 'I'm taking care of myself.' It's complicated: Madix is still living Sandoval, five months after the messy end to their nine-year relationship (pictured last year) Open book: Last month, the Buying Back My Daughter star explained why she has not moved in the comment section of one of her recent Instagram posts 'I live in my home that I own while working with my lawyer and financial advisors to navigate the best path forward before uprooting my dog and my elderly cat and causing more trauma for the three of us,' she told a follower (Madix and Sandoval's dogs pictured above) The performer 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.' 'Yes, we're in the same house, but I don't have to think about [him],' the former bartender told listeners. The Buying Back My Daughter star also explained why she has not moved in the comment section of one of her recent Instagram posts. 'I live in my home that I own while working with my lawyer and financial advisors to navigate the best path forward before uprooting my dog and my elderly cat and causing more trauma for the three of us,' she told a follower. Robert Irwin went 'Instagram official' with his girlfriend Rorie Buckey last month. And things appear to be getting serious between the couple, with Rorie, 19, joining the family on their annual conservation trip to Weipa in Far North Queensland. On Monday, the Irwin family were seen returning from their trip on the anniversary of Steve Irwin's death. Robert's mother Terri, 59, wore a printed shirt and beige pants as she left the plane with Rorie by her side. His sister Bindi, 25, dressed casually in blue jeans and a check shirt as she carried her two-year-old daughter Grace. The Irwin clan embrace Rorie Buckley as Terri keeps Robert's new girlfriend by her side amid return from their annual 'Croc Trip' On Monday, the Irwin family were seen returning from their trip on the anniversary of Steve Irwin's death Robert also wore blue jeans, a T-shirt and held a backpack as he walked alongside Bindi and her husband Chandler. Robert was just two and Bindi was eight years old when their father was killed by a stingray barb at the age of 44 to the heart while filming a wildlife documentary on the Great Barrier Reef. The Irwin family keeps Steve's memory alive by continuing his conservation work. 'We're also very lucky because through all of dad's amazing documentaries we basically have our life on TV,' Robert told ET last October. Robert's mother Terri, 59, wore a printed shirt and beige pants as she left the plane with Rorie by her side His sister Bindi, 25, dressed casually in blue jeans and a check shirt as she carried her two-year-old daughter Grace Robert wore blue jeans, a T-shirt and held a backpack as he walked alongside Bindi and her husband Chandler 'So all we have to do is put the DVD in the DVD player and rewind and press play and we can relive these amazing memories. So we are very, very lucky in that respect.' The trip comes after Woman's Day claimed Rorie had to win over the Irwin family by having a willingness to get out into nature. An insider said Rorie was 'determined to not let Robert down and show him - and his mum and sister - that she's not just some puff piece. And she blew them away.' The Irwin family keeps Steve Irwin's memory alive by continuing his conservation work Robert was just two and Bindi was eight years old when their father was killed by a stingray barb at the age of 44 to the heart while filming a wildlife documentary on the Great Barrier Reef The trip comes after Woman's Day claimed Rorie had to win over the Irwin family by having a willingness to get out into nature The couple, who have been dating since November 2022, live on opposite sides of the country, with Robert in Queensland and Rorie in Western Australia, but are reportedly making it work. But there is also mounting speculation Rorie winning the Irwin's good graces means she will be moving to Australia Zoo sooner rather than later. Irwin and Buckey both come from famous Australian families, as Robert is the son of late conservationist Steve 'The Crocodile Hunter' Irwin while Rorie is the niece of the late Oscar winning actor Heath Ledger. An insider said Rorie was 'determined to not let Robert down and show him - and his mum and sister - that she's not just some puff piece. And she blew them away' The couple, who have been dating since November 2022, live on opposite sides of the country, with Robert in Queensland and Rorie in Western Australia, but are reportedly making it work Irwin and Buckey both come from famous Australian families, as Robert is the son of late conservationist Steve 'The Crocodile Hunter' Irwin while Rorie is the niece of the late Oscar winning actor Heath Ledger After a video of her facial reaction when Sydney Sweeney stopped by on the red carpet, Lili Reinhart is shooting down any speculation there is any sort of drama between them. Both Sweeney, 25, and Reinhart, 26, were on the red carpet for the Giorgio Armani Beauty event during the Venice International Film Festival over the weekend. Shortly thereafter, a TikTok video went viral, showing Reinhart's facial expression changing after Sweeney came over. The video also suggested that others on the red carpet like Lukas Gage were watching Lili for her reaction to Sweeney's arrival. However, Reinhart shot down any speculation of any ill will between the two, sharing a snap of the actresses together on Instagram... and even went on a double date. What drama? After a video of her facial reaction when Sydney Sweeney stopped by on the red carpet, Lili Reinhart is shooting down any speculation there is any sort of drama between them by sharing this selfie Viral: This video of Lili reacting to Sydney on the red carpet sent fans into overdrive 'I'll be over here if you need us,' Reinhart captioned the snap, showing both ladies wearing black. Reinhart also took to Twitter to address the situation, stating, 'Stop making villains out of women every chance you get.' Sweeney also reposted the snap on her own Instagram story as well. The Riverdale star and the Euphoria star even had a double date together in Venice after the viral red carpet moment. Reinhart and her boyfriend Jack Martin dined with Sweeney and her fiance Jonathan Davino at Cipriani in Venice over the weekend. Months after they sparked dating rumors, Jack went Instagram official with Lili in a slew of Instagram snaps shared in July. Jack has a huge following on social media, in particular, TikTok, where he has over 50 million likes. While the Venice Film Festival usually attracts the biggest names in Hollywood, stars have been shunning the do this year because the SAG-AFTRA strikes has prevented them from promoting their work there. Double date: The Riverdale star and the Euphoria star even had a double date together in Venice after the viral red carpet moment Rumors: Months after they sparked dating rumors, Jack went Instagram official with Lili in a slew of Instagram snaps shared in July. Since July 17, Hollywood has ground to a halt as members of the SAG-AFTRA union joined the Writers Guild Of America in going on strike over growing concerns of the use of artificial intelligence and streaming residuals. According to Variety, a select list of films premiering at Venice have obtained SAG-AFTRA interim waivers since they are independent productions that have not been produced by AMPTP members. The sides have not met since August 18 when the AMPTP rejected a counter-offer from the WGA, and since then there's been no move to resume talks. The ongoing SAG-AFTRA Strike, which enters its 43rd day of protests, have seen many well-known actors showing solidarity with striking actors by doing one (or several) of the following actions: issuing statements of support of the strikes; joining picket lines in LA, New York City; and donating/handing out water bottles and/or food to the picketers. She's the queen of khaki when she's at work, tirelessly running Australia Zoo. But Terri Irwin unleashed her wild side on Tuesday when she stepped out in a colourful shirt alongside son Robert, his girlfriend Rorie and son-in-law Chandler Powell. The wildlife warrior appeared relaxed in the aqua and teal sportswear, emblazoned with a barramundi. While she runs a multimillion dollar dynasty, Terri proved she's a thrifty shopper as she made her way across the airport tarmac in the Sorido fishing shirt that retails for $54. Terri's fashion statement comes after she publicly marked the anniversary of her husband Steve Irwin's death with a solemn tribute to the late Crocodile Hunter. Terrie Irwin (left) is the queen of khaki when she's at work, tirelessly running Australia Zoo. But she unleashed her wild side on Tuesday when she stepped out in a colourful shirt alongside son Robert, his girlfriend Rorie (right) and son-in-law Chandler Powell The wildlife warrior appeared relaxed in the aqua and teal sportswear, emblazoned with a barramundi. Pictured: Robert Irwin (right) The wildlife star, 59, who only joined Instagram last week, shared a rarely seen photo of Steve sitting crouched in a hut with a dog next to him. Terri kept it brief but deeply meaningful on the 17th anniversary of her husband's death, leaving the caption, 'Remembering Steve,' with just a singe red love heart. Steve tragically died when a stingray barb pierced his chest on September 4, 2006, while filming near Batt Reef, Queensland, in his native Australia. He was just 44-years-old at the time. While she runs a multimillion dollar dynasty, Terri proved she's a thrifty shopper as she made her way across the airport tarmac in the Sorido fishing shirt that retails for $54 Get Terri's look! But you better be quick Terri's fashion statement comes after she publicly marked the anniversary of her husband Steve Irwin's death with a solemn tribute to the late Crocodile Hunter The wildlife star, 59, who only joined Instagram last week, shared a rarely seen photo of Steve sitting crouched in a hut with a dog next to him. Pictured Terri kept it brief but deeply meaningful on the 17th anniversary of her husband's death, leaving the caption, 'Remembering Steve,' with just a singe red love heart Fans of Steve quickly poured their heart out to Terri, offering love and support to the beloved conservationist, as they too remembered Steve. 'Thank you for keeping him alive and present for all of us. You have forged a path for the rest of us widowed mamas to follow,' one fan wrote. 'I wish I could say how much Steve Irwin and you Terri meant to us growing up...I wish you had more time together, but he is with you always and shaped the next generation in many ways. Love to you and your family from the USA!' wrote another. Yet another wrote their daughter was becoming a vet after being inspired by Steve's work with animals and passion for wildlife. Sam Burgess, 34, and Lucy Graham, 33, are just weeks away from welcoming their first child together. And the pair looked hotter than ever for each other on Tuesday, as they soaked up the sun at the beach. A shirtless Sam put on an amorous display with Lucy, as he rubbed sunscreen into her bare bottom as she sizzled in a graphic bikini. Lucy returned the favour, later touching Sam's muscular behind. The pair also shared a number of kisses on the beach before enjoying a refreshing dip under the beating hot sun. Sam Burgess , 34, and Lucy Graham, 33, are just weeks away from welcoming their first child together. And the pair looked hotter than ever for each other on Tuesday, as they soaked up the sun at the beach A shirtless Sam put on an amorous display with Lucy, as he rubbed sunscreen into her bare bottom as she sizzled in a graphic bikini Lucy wore her blonde tresses scraped back in a ponytail for the couple's fun in the sun. Meanwhile, Sam flaunted his toned physique in a pair of pink swim shorts. He added to the look with designer sunglasses to keep his famous face under wraps from the eyes of prying onlookers. Sam was previously married to Phoebe Burgess with the pair sharing two children: Poppy, six, and Billy, four. Lucy is heavily pregnant with her first child with Sam, and is due in September. Lucy returned the favour, later touching Sam's muscular behind Lucy wore her blonde tresses scraped back in a ponytail for the couple's fun in the sun The couple were sun smart on the day, lathering their bodies in sunscreen Meanwhile, Sam flaunted his toned physique in a pair of pink swim shorts. He added to the look with designer sunglasses to keep his famous face under wraps from the eyes of prying onlookers. The former Rabbitohs player proposed to Lucy in June, just nine months after they went public with their relationship. Burgess previously revealed he was extremely nervous when he asked the Leeds hairdresser to marry him. Appearing on Channel 7's Sunrise shortly after arriving back in Australia, Sam was asked how he proposed to Lucy. The former Rabbitohs player proposed to Lucy in June, just nine months after they went public with their relationship Sam was previously married to Phoebe Burgess with the pair sharing two children: Poppy, six, and Billy, four Appearing on Channel 7's Sunrise shortly after arriving back in Australia, Sam was asked how he proposed to Lucy While he kept the details private, he said: 'I was very nervous actually, I dropped the ball so to speak, it was a great day, a great time away, we are both very happy.' Lucy appeared extremely happy with her engagement ring, as she shared photos flaunting it on Instagram. Lucy recently made the decision to move Down Under from the UK permanently and it's believed her pregnancy was the reason. It was recently revealed that Lucy used to be a member of British girl group The Ultra Girls, who were featured heavily on The X Factor UK in 2009. While he kept the details private, he said: 'I was very nervous actually, I dropped the ball so to speak, it was a great day, a great time away, we are both very happy' Lucy recently made the decision to move Down Under from the UK permanently and it's believed her pregnancy was the reason It was recently revealed Lucy used to be a member of British girl group The Ultra Girls, who were featured heavily on The X Factor UK in 2009 Graham sang and danced with three other young women in the girl power group that took inspiration from The Spice Girls. One of their career highlights was supporting Kylie Minogue when she performed her Aphrodite World Tour in London in 2011. Unfortunately, despite heavy publicity their debut single Girls Will Be Girls failed to chart, ending Graham's dreams of making it as a pop star. Graham sang and danced with three other young women in the girl power group that took inspiration from The Spice Girls. Susanna Reid has revealed she had a 'stressful' mammogram appointment after putting off the check-up and ignoring her reminder letter due to fear. The presenter, 52, told co-host Ed Balls on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday she had finally gone to hospital for the scan after hearing Sarah Ferguson's pleas for women to go to the routine test. In June, Sarah, 63, announced she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has undergone a successful single mastectomy at King Edward VII's Hospital in London. Susanna described how she plucked up the courage to go to the scan ahead of property presenter Sarah Beeny, 51, appearing on the show to talk about her breast cancer battle and being given the all-clear. The NHS Breast Screening Programme invites all women from the age of 50 to 70 registered with a GP for screening every three years. Health: Tearful Susanna Reid has revealed she had a 'stressful' mammogram appointment after putting off the check-up due to fear Diagnosis: In June, Sarah Ferguson, 63, announced she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has undergone a successful single mastectomy at King Edward VII's Hospital in London 'I did go for mammogram that do you remember we were talking about Sarah Ferguson and she had urged everybody to go and do it,' Susanna said. 'I was really resistant to it and then there was a big a row wasn't there that some health authorities weren't sending regular reminders. I remembered that there had been a letter somewhere and so I did it.' Ed asked if she found the experience stressful to which Susanna described how things didn't start off smoothly as she left her phone in the car. She said: 'Do you know what? It was slightly stressful because our lovely editor Daniel drove me there and then I left my mobile phone in the car. And then I felt stressed because I didn't have my mobile phone. 'Then I had to go up to someone else in the waiting room to ask them if I could possibly send an email from their mobile phone to the programme secretary to see if she could contact... anyway the point I was completely distracted. 'Thank you Daniel for driving me to my mammogram. I went in the nurse was absolutely lovely.' Susanna said she was expecting the scan to be 'far, far worse' as she urged others to not put it off like she did. She said: 'It was the least bit painful or uncomfortable I was expecting it to be far, far worse. The results came within a few weeks and it came back all clear.' Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson's cancer scare began in early May when a routine test first detected something was seriously wrong before the Coronation. Important: The presenter, 52, told co-host Ed Balls on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday she had finally gone to hospital for the scan after hearing Sarah Ferguson's pleas Check-up: The scan uses low-energy X-rays to examine the human breast for diagnosis and screening. It can detect cancers that are too small to see or feel (pictured stock photo) Sarah attended an appointment in London for a mammogram. Rather than being given the all-clear, as expected, the technician explained that a 'shadow' could be seen in the breast. Given the size of the area, a lumpectomy was ruled out and Sarah was strongly advised to go ahead with a single mastectomy, which would eradicate the shadow of cancerous cells across the breast. Sarah was said to be devastated but determined to press ahead with a mastectomy as soon as possible, telling friends she had 'no choice' but to go through with the operation. The Duchess endured a punishing eight-hour operation. Fergie said she questioned whether having a 'a body part cut off' was something she needed 'in order to wake up?'. 'Not because of seeing death but waking up to stop worrying, stop self-hatred, stop self-doubt, stop all these things. Stop not liking yourself...' she said. After Sarah questioned if it had 'taken that' to get to a more confident place, Fergie said: 'Yes, it did in my case'. She said that since her life after the operation, her self-esteem had been transformed. She explained: 'You've got an enormous scar, but you like yourself....You like yourself a lot.' 'You've got a badge of office, you just are what you are, and... of course the last thing that the Queen said to me [was]: 'Just be yourself Sarah'. 'And she saw it. She just got so annoyed when I wasn't being myself. And that's probably when I got into all the pickles. 'But now I am myself and I'm just so lucky to be able to be myself.' She continued: 'I'm very lucky that my sister sent me to the mammogram because that was something which saved my life.' The Duchess also spoke about how she had recovered since the operation, saying her reconstructed breast 'Derek' was doing 'very well.' She said she had started to return to a more active lifestyle over the summer, including walking while holidaying in Scotland to keep in shape as 'at 63, you do need to do exercise. Speaking out: On Tuesday's show, property presenter Sarah Beeny spoke about her battle with breast cancer and being given the all-clear Tough: Sarah revealed in August last year she was undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy for breast cancer and has had a double mastectomy On Tuesday's show, property presenter Sarah Beeny spoke about her battle with breast cancer. Sarah revealed in August last year she was undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy for breast cancer and has had a double mastectomy. One year on, the TV favourite reflected on the past 12 months on the show. She said: 'I prefer to rub out the difficult bits and just remember all the good bits. That's my personal way of doing it. 'It was a little bit grueling. I had a very lucky diagnosis and I'm very lucky to live in the UK with the amazing treatment and research. I feel very fortunate and I know other people aren't as fortunate as me.' Sarah has four sons Billy, 18, Charlie, 16, Rafferty, 14, and Laurie, 12, with her husband of 19 years Graham Swift, and cites them as her motivation for going public with her diagnosis. The presenter given the all-clear from breast cancer but will have to stay on medication for the next ten years and be 'very vigilant'. Emotional: Last month, Susanna paid tribute to her 'beautiful friend' Suki Thompson who died of skin cancer just days after appearing on Good Morning Britain Touching: She posted a photograph of the order of service for Suki's funeral and wrote about how her friend was the 'embodiment of strength' Last month, Susanna paid tribute to her 'beautiful friend' Suki Thompson who died of skin cancer just days after appearing on Good Morning Britain. Suki was interviewed by Susanna on GMB from her hospital bed about having been diagnosed with cancer four times over the past 15 years and how important it is to wear SPF on your skin in the sun. Just days later, on July 30, the campaigner - who raised more than 200,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support following her diagnosis - sadly died and Susanna has now paid tribute to her 'beautiful' friend in an emotional post shared to Instagram. She posted a photograph of the order of service for Suki's funeral and wrote about how her friend was the 'embodiment of strength' in an accompanying caption. She posted: 'Our beautiful friend Suki Thompson. The embodiment of strength & optimism. A passion for living life to the fullest. Go well lovely.' Speaking from her bed in a hospice in Cornwall, Suki opened up to Susanna and co-host Martin Lewis about how she would be spending her final days. Susanna was left visibly emotional as she and her friend told each other how much they meant to each other, with the broadcaster hailing her pal as 'an inspiration'. Susanna told Suki: 'It's been a privilege knowing you and being friends with you.' She went on to call her an 'incredible person', before adding: 'What you are doing is so so remarkable. Huge love to you and the family. And just keep going, keep going. Human sunshine.' Extending the kind words back to her pal, Suki said back to Susanna: 'I am so inspired by having a friend like you Susanna.' Touched by Suki's moving words, Susanna choked back tears as she quickly added: 'You're the inspiration.' Suki's diagnosis came when she discovered what she thought was a wart on her foot and was given verruca cream to treat it, before it was confirmed it was more serious. The cancer then spread to her brain and became terminal. Netflix's live-action adaptation of One Piece has broken viewing records held by Stranger Things and Wednesday. Originally announced in January 2020, the long-awaited series has won legions of fans after bringing the anime phenomena into the live-action world when it was released last week. Developed by showrunners Matt Owens and Steven Maeda (Helix, Pan Am), the series is based on the ongoing manga by Eiichiro Oda, which was adapted into a popular anime from 1999. In the first few days of its release, One Piece has risen to become the No 1 ranked TV series in 84 different countries around the world. This surpasses a milestone set by season one of Netflix's Addams Family adaptation Wednesday and season four of Stranger Things. Success: Netflix's live-action adaptation of One Piece (pictured) has broken viewing records held by Stranger Things and Wednesday Both those shows only ranked No 1 in 83 territories over their first weekends of release. Last week Netflix's long-awaited adaptation of the One Piece anime finally hit the streaming service, and boasts a bumper budget to match its vast fanbase. It's been confirmed that the eight-part series cost an eye-watering $17 million per episode, more than even the fantasy HBO epic Game Of Thrones. According to Netflixwoche and re-posted by a die-hard fan, the official German site of the streaming service, Game Of Thrones cost around $3 million less per-episode, with a budget of around $14.79 million for each addition of the series. This figure is akin to the total budget for Thrones' eighth and final season, which was believed to cost around $90 million, and disappointed fans with its finale. Originally announced in January 2020, the long-awaited series is finally ready to bring the anime phenomena into the live-action world. Developed by showrunners Matt Owens and Steven Maeda (Helix, Pan Am), the series is based on the ongoing manga by Eiichiro Oda, which was adapted into a popular anime from 1999. The Netflix series stars Inaki Godoy as the lead character Monkey D. Luffy, who embarks on a quest to find the legendary treasure. Wow! In the first few days of its release, One Piece has risen to become the No 1 ranked TV series in 84 different countries around the world (Stranger Things pictured) Popular: This surpasses a milestone set by season one of Netflix's Addams Family adaptation Wednesday (pictured) and season four of Stranger Things Before he does that though, he must first assemble his pirate crew, who include Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero as Usopp and Taz Skylar as Sanji. The show looks to be a big success, after One Piece manga sold over 500 million copies to date and continues to be a phenomenon both inside and outside of Japan. A synopsis of the eight-episode series reads: 'Monkey D. Luffy is a young adventurer who has longed for a life of freedom since he can remember. 'Luffy sets off from his small village on a perilous journey to find the legendary fabled treasure, One Piece, to become King of the Pirates! 'But in order to find the ultimate prize, Luffy will need to assemble the crew he's always wanted before finding a ship to sail, searching every inch of the vast blue seas, outpacing the Marines, and outwitting dangerous rivals at every turn.' One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda, who served as an executive producer on the Netflix adaptation, previously stated there were 'no compromises' in the live-action show. 'After the launch, I'm sure I'll hear about some people pointing out how this character is missing or that scene is omitted, or this bit is different from the manga. 'But I'm sure they'll come from a place of love, so I intend to enjoy even those comments!' Oda wrote in an open letter. Exciting: Originally announced in January 2020, the long-awaited series has won legions of fans after bringing the anime phenomena into the live-action world when it was released last week Expensive! It's been confirmed that the eight-part series cost an eye-watering $17 million per episode, more than even the fantasy HBO epic Game Of Thrones (pictured) He added: 'Even after the shoot was over, there were numerous scenes the production agreed to re-shoot because I felt they weren't good enough to put out into the world. 'On the other hand, there were also some lines that I thought didn't feel like Luffy on paper but when I saw the filmed scenes, I went, "It works when it's Inaki performing it as Luffy, as a matter of fact, it works great!!'" 'There were so many things that had to be done to keep things from looking too unnatural in live action.' The graphic novels by Eiichiro Oda have sold more than 516 million copies across 103 volumes in 61 countries. James Corden cut a casual display in cream shorts and a navy top as he grabbed an ice cream during a solo bike ride in London on Monday. The former Late Late Show host, 45, who recently returned with his family to the capital, looked trendy in the shorts that featured a multi-coloured strip detailing. The comedian was spotted eating a Mr Whippy ice cream after picking one up from an ice cream truck as he cooled down in the unseasonable temperatures. The Gavin and Stacey actor opted for a pair of white trainers to compliment his outfit and shielded his eyes with a pair of sunglasses. James was pictured standing in front of a green Uber bike while tapping away on his phone. Day-off: James Corden cut a casual display in cream shorts and a navy top as he grabbed an ice cream during a solo bike ride in London on Monday Chilled: The comedian was spotted eating a Mr Whippy ice cream after picking one up from an ice cream truck as he cooled down in the unseasonable temperatures James recently returned to the UK after standing down from his long-running chat show, The Late Late show. The TV personality and his wife are looking to make London home once again by building a new home on the plot of a 1960s property. James and Julia have been given the green light to demolish an the 8million pad and replace it with a modern six-bedroom pad, complete with an outdoor pool, sauna and steam room. The couple, who tied the knot in 2012, share three children - Max, 11, Carey, eight, and Charlotte, four. James has previously faced objections from the local council and English Heritage, but has now been given the go-ahead for the works. A source told The Sun: 'James and his team have made sure everyone is happy with the plans and he cannot wait to have a proper base for his family. 'It's been a long road but the place will be incredible when completed.' Now, James hopes to move into the home with wife Julia and their three children as soon as possible, which is based in Oxfordshire. Out and about: The Late Late Show host, who recently returned with his family to the capital , looked trendy in the shorts that featured a multi-coloured strip detailing Back home: James and his wife Julia Carey, 47, who tied the knot in 2012, recently moved back home to the UK from the US with their children - Max, 11, Carey, eight, and Charlotte, four Previously: The star recently sold his LA mansion to the daughter of a Hong Kong private equity billionaire for $17.1 million - $5million less than what he wanted They have reportedly had to make a number of concessions in the planning, including a lighting project to protect bats, badgers and glow worms. There is also landscaping to keep safe 45 granite megalithic stones on the grounds. MailOnline has contacted a representative for James Corden for comment. Married At First Sight star-turned-OnlyFans performer Hayley Vernon has revealed the staggering amount of adult scenes she's set to film during her upcoming trip to Europe. The former reality star, 36, took to Instagram on Tuesday evening to share her toe-curling work schedule with some of Europe's biggest names. In footage shared to the social media platform, the busty brunette said she will shoot '21 scenes in 10 days' and describes the work ahead as 'hectic'. 'It will be the most I have ever worked in my life in this industry,' she said. Hayley went on to reveal she was excited to spread her wings after 'four years of just doing the basics in Australia' and see what opportunities await her. Married At First Sight star-turned- OnlyFans performer Hayley Vernon has revealed the staggering amount of adult scenes she's set to film during her upcoming trip to Europe. Pictured In footage shared to the social media platform, the busty brunette says she will shoot '21 scenes in 10 days' and describes the work ahead as 'hectic'. 'It will be the most I have ever worked in my life in this industry,' she said 'To get out the country... and explore is so exciting. It shows I have so much more ahead of me,' she said. Hayley finished by saying her trip is 'going to be a once in a lifetime thing' for her. Hayley will visit the UK and Czechoslovakia during her jaunt. Hayley, who appeared on the seventh season of Married At First Sight, previously revealed she has made a cool $1.3 million from sex work. Speaking during Yahoo's All-Star MAFS Reunion, she shared the monumental impact the show has had on her life. 'It's completely changed my life,' Hayley proudly stated. 'Although I did go through a bit of s**t, I've just bought my first house at 36 and my life has changed tremendously.' 'I've been able to help my family, I've been able to invest money into my parents' businesses when they were struggling and different things. 'I'm actually living my best f**king life, and I f**king love it, and I wouldn't swap it for the world.' In footage shared to the social media platform, the busty brunette said she will shoot '21 scenes in 10 days' and describes the work ahead as 'hectic' Hayley, who appeared on the seventh season of Married At First Sight, previously revealed she has made a cool $1.3 million for sex work. Pictured on MAFS In May, Hayley revealed she had split from her boyfriend at the time in an emotional Instagram post. 'Goodbyes are never easy. I caught up with him last night to get closure and pack away that chapter,' she began. 'Lots of tears but it's something I had to do, I had to say what I felt and this morning I feel lighter for doing so.' Hayley went on to say she was grateful for the lessons the relationship had taught her. 'He taught me how I should be loved and I'll be forever thankful for that, right person wrong time and that's going to take some time to heal from.' Former Hollyoaks star Jeremy Edwards has revealed why he has turned his back on fame after being a poster pin-up in the nineties. At the height of his fame the actor, 52, played Kurt Benson in the Channel 4 drama and was engaged to S Club's Rachel Stevens, but Jeremy has now given up acting up for good in favour of a very different career. Jeremy revealed last year he decided to part ways with his acting agent - and he couldn't be happier living a life out of the spotlight. 'When Rishi Sunak was chancellor in lockdown he was saying that actor's should look at other skills they could do. I agreed with him. I think that people don't use their transferable skills enough,' Jeremy told The Sun. 'During Covid the simple fact was there was no work and now there is an actor's strike in America. There are so many reasons why you can be out of work and I thought, this is so unpredictable and I have a family. I thought I've got thirty years of experience here, what am I doing?' Fresh start: Jeremy Edwards has revealed why he has turned his back on fame after being a poster pin-up thanks to his role in Hollyoaks in the nineties Heartthrob: The actor, 52, played Kurt Benson in the Channel 4 drama and was engaged to S Club's Rachel Stevens in 2002, but has now given up acting up for good (pictured in 2004) Jeremy decided to teach drama at Film UK in Hampshire and has had parents sheepishly tell him he was on their wall when they were teens. The former soap star is now a father-of-two and happily married to wife Lydia Metz. Jeremy briefly dipped his toes into a career as a builder back in 2011 but went on to star in a few plays. But it was after an acting job where he got paid 'pittance' he decided to turn his back on showbusiness for good as he said it's 'dog eat dog' and he 'never enjoyed being famous'. 'It doesn't matter how much you have done in the past, they treat you like s***. You are playing to half empty theatres and you think, what are you doing with your life? I really like acting but I don't like the business. People are mean. You are just a product', he said. Jeremy said he gets more nervous now teaching a class of excited students than recording in front of the camera. He said the job security is much better and even though it's long hours, he's determined to provide for his family. Earlier this year, Jeremy said he was convinced Rachel Stevens cheated on him while they were together in the early noughties after it emerged she was dating her former Dancing On Ice partner Brendyn Hatfield. He told The Sun: 'Since this story came up, its brought all this up again. And Ive thought about it more, Ive thought about our relationship, and I think she did have a fling. Throwback: Jeremy decided to teach drama at Film UK in Hampshire and has had parents sheepishly tell him he was on their wall when they were teens (pictured in Hollyoaks in 1995) Noughties: At the height of his fame, Jeremy was engaged to S Club 7's Rachel Stevens Career change: Jeremy with his wife Lydia Metz. The couple have two children with Jeremy now teaching drama after giving up his agent (pictured 2012) 'I would never have had her doing the bedroom bolero with a Dancing On Ice pro. 'I would never in a million years have thought she would do something like this. 'But because of the story that has come out, it just makes me question our relationship.' A spokesman for Rachel said Jeremy's allegations that Rachel cheated on him are 'false.' The couple were engaged from 2002 to 2003 and it was previously reported they split because of his drinking. Although he now insists they went their separate ways after he struggled to trust her. Jeremy and Rachel's relationship blossomed after they met in 2000. Ozzy Osbourne shared sweet moments with his infant grandson just weeks after his family shared a promising health update amid his Parkinson's disease battle and surgery recovery. The 74-year-old rock icon was pictured cuddling up with his nine-month-old grandson Sidney in an Instagram post from wife Sharon, 70, on Sunday. Ozzy playfully covered his mouth as he stared adoringly at the child his daughter Kelly Osbourne welcomed with partner and Slipknot DJ Sid Wilson less than a year ago. The Black Sabbath frontman wrapped his arm around the baby boy as he had an iPad on his lap. 'Two peas in a pod': Ozzy Osbourne was pictured cuddling up with his nine-month-old grandson Sidney in an Instagram post from wife Sharon, 70, on Sunday Sharon captioned the sweet snap to he 1.2million followers: 'Two peas in a pod.' This comes weeks after Ozzy's loving family have shared a promising update on his health, revealing that he is 'living life' despite a spate of recent worrying setbacks. It's been a tumultuous few years for the Black Sabbath rocker, 74, who announced in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with a form of Parkinson's disease, Parkin 2, which affects the nerves in the body. More recently though, Ozzy was forced to pause touring in February this year following extensive spinal surgery because he was not 'physically capable' of the travel involved. He had previously fallen at home in 2019, which intensified his injuries from a near-fatal quad bike crash in 2003. In July, Ozzy made the 'painful' decision to cancel a scheduled performance at Power Trip festival in California due to his body not being 'ready yet' and that he didn't want his show to be 'half-assed.' Shedding light on Ozzy's current health ahead of the release of The Osbournes Podcast on September 12, daughter Kelly, 38, said: 'He's got Parkinson's and a terrible spine surgery and he's still getting up every day, and still making music, and still doing singing lessons....' Wife Sharon, 70, who married her rock star husband in Hawaii in 1982, added: 'You know, he is living his life.' Legend: The 74-year-old rock icon is seen performing at the Download Festival in Donington Park, Castle Donington, UK back in June 2018 This comes just weeks after his daughter Kelly revealedthat the rocker still had a zest for life despite his spate of health setbacks, the two are seen at the Grammy Awards back in January 2020 The mother and daughter duo also shared that Ozzy's sense of humor hadn't waned despite his series of setbacks. 'He's in a real alien kick right now,' Kelly divulged. 'This morning, I came down to get a bottle for the baby because I was staying with my parents for the last couple of weeks and I found him watching live court hearings of the UFO trials. It's six o'clock in the morning!' Kelly is currently living back with her parents for a little bit of extra help with her little one, although she often finds herself waiting on her father. 'Essentially, I am my dad's b**** in the sense. He wants me to do everything at any time of day,' she said. 'Ozzy will text Kelly to get him takeaway food sent over,' Sharon added. 'He calls Kelly, Kelly orders it for him. She's like his in-house waitress.' 'Everything that he's discovered on YouTube, he wants me to look up for him and new books he's very funny,' Kelly continued. Kelly has said that being at home with her family has brought her a lot of joy. Speaking about her little boy, she beamed: 'He really, really makes my dad happy. The Black Sabbath rocker, 74, hasn't lost his sense of humor in the wake of his Parkinson's diagnosis and spate of surgeries Ozzy's wife Sharon told DailyMail.com that he was 'living life' as the family prepared for the launch of their podcast The wildly iconic family have recorded new episodes of The Osbournes Podcast 'You know, he has his papa minutes where he goes up in the morning and sits with my dad and every night before he goes to bed he sits with my dad. 'And he makes him laugh and it is just, they love each other.' The Osbournes Podcast is set for a triumphant return some five years after the last episode dropped. The new series comprises of 20 episodes, with Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly, and Jack sitting in their living room to discuss everything from Emmy memories to pop culture, current events, and mental health. Ozzy and Sharon tied the knot in 1982 and share three children together: Aimee, Jack, and Kelly. The family pictured in 1987 Kelly - who welcomed her first child, a son named Sidney - revealed she was currently living back with her parents and waited on her dad's every request 'Some days, Dad didn't make it because he was not feeling great or whatever,' Sharon revealed. 'But Ozzy's done about 20 of his own shows with his friend, Billy Morrison, and they discuss everything from nuclear bombs to squirrels.' Kelly revealed that comedian and actress Margaret Cho, 54, also featured. 'She blew my mind a little bit with how much she knows about crime and criminal investigations and different serial killers. And that was really interesting,' she said. In July, Ozzy himself said that he was 'battling through' his health issues and recently had a filter removed from his artery. The Osbournes Podcast is officially back on September 12 - and will feature celebrity guests Speaking on his Ozzy Speaks SiriusXM channel, he told listeners: 'When I had the blood clots in my legs, they put a filter in your artery to stop the blood clots going to your heart and your brain. It sounds worse than it is. So, on Monday I went to have it removed. 'The blood clots have jammed you all up. It's just disappointment after disappointment. Just get this thing f***ing done so I can go get on with my life.' Ozzy admitted he was in 'constant pain' and added: 'I feel like a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest. The only thing I've got that keeps me going is making records. But I can't do that forever. 'I gotta get out there. I'm still in constant pain. I do the best I can to stay away from the pain medication.' The Osbournes Podcast launches on Tuesday, September 12 on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher. Hollyoaks star Jorgie Porter has discussed helping her fiance Oliver Piotrowskito come to terms with the loss of their quadruplets. The couple welcomed their first son Forrest in December 2022 after tragically miscarrying quadruplets at 14 weeks in August 2021. Jorgie then had a second miscarriage six weeks into another pregnancy in February 2022 - on the day of the couple's engagement party. Jorgie, who has dated Oliver since 2020, recently appeared on an episode of Giovanna Fletcher's podcast, Happy Mum Happy Baby. Opening up about the tragic miscarriage, she said: 'I remember just like, we were arguing and stuff. Opening up: Hollyoaks star Jorgie Porter has discussed helping her fiance Oliver Piotrowskito come to terms with the loss of their quadruplets Heartbreaking: The couple welcomed their first son Forrest in December 2022 after tragically miscarrying quadruplets at 14 weeks in August 2021 'And I was just like, you have to tell me what you're feeling and thinking because you'd like keep it in a bit at times. And then he'd like, let loose and tell me everything. 'And I was like, Ah, okay, and so we really lucky with each other, that we opened up so much, maybe in an argumentative way. But then we came around afterwards and was like, to so caring, so loving, so understanding and so like, oh, it's not just me, the mum that's been through this, like, Ollie as the dad has suffered loss. She added: 'And also, he's not been able to do anything physically, emotionally, like he didn't have, you know, a very helpless position to be Yeah. 'And so, he felt like he couldn't say anything at the time. But now I was like, you have to because you are a part of it. It's a partnership.' Speaking about finding out they were due to have four babies, Jorgie said: 'Yes, (the nurse) did say I can see three sacks. So she said they could be triplets. 'Ollie lost his mind. He went 'whoa, what?' He went pale. He didn't speak. I was like, 'Oh, wow, triplets. Jeez.' And I remember leaving that room be like, Whoa, that's a lot. 'And he was like, we have to change the car, I don't want to drive a minibus. Like he's thinking we can't really afford three and I'm like, wow, three. Okay, that's cute. 'So, then we get to this hospital the next day and the woman was on a computer for good half an hour. Like really long. They were all silent. And we've all got masks on. 'Couldn't see anyone's expression as well. So, we were like, when she turned to me, like I was like, I've actually counted four Ollie, literally lost his mind. Silence. And I was like, Four! Four! And I was swearing, I was like 'I can't hold f******g four!, I'm too small.' Amid the couple's heartache, Jorgie shared the happy news that Ollie had popped the question three weeks before Christmas. Opening up about the tragic miscarriage, she said: 'I remember just like, we were arguing and stuff.' Love life: Amid the couple's heartache, Jorgie shared the happy news that Ollie had popped the question three weeks before Christmas The actress, best known for her role as Theresa McQueen in the Channel 4 soap, got engaged to Ollie while staying at the Gleneagles Hotel in Perth and Kinross. The former Dancing On Ice star and her fiance have been dating since 2020 and went Instagram official in October of that year. Jorgie returned to Hollyoaks in 2020 as part of a storyline to mark the soap's 25th birthday. Download Giovanna Fletchers Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast every Tuesday at 6am from acast.com Chicken Run's highly-anticipated sequel dropped its first look trailer on Tuesday, 23 years after it became the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film in history. But fans were left pining for Julia Sawalha's familiar voice as heroine Ginger after producers replaced the actress, 54, with Thandiwe Newton, 50. Viewers branded Thandiwe's voice 'jarring and disappointing' as they reacted to the initial teaser for the upcoming film Dawn Of The Nugget, set to be released on Netflix on December 15th. The casting shake-up caused controversy when Aardman Animation announced plans to bring a follow-up to their blockbuster hit - but with a different cast. Julia, 54, said at the time she had been 'plucked, stuffed and roasted' and claimed she was axed for 'sounding too old'. It's back! Chicken Run's highly-anticipated sequel dropped its first look trailer on Tuesday, 23 years after it became the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film in history Shake-up: But fans were left pining for Julia Sawalha's (right) familiar voice as heroine Ginger after producers replaced the actress, 54, with Thandiwe Newton (left) Mel Gibson, who portrayed American Cockerill Rocky, was recast after the backlash of Winona Ryder's claims he called her an 'oven-dodger' at a party when he learned she was Jewish - something which he vehemently denies. Zachary Levi takes on the role of Rocky in the sequel and fans have taken to X - formerly known as Twitter - in their droves with their first opinions. One wrote: 'Let me get this straight, Julia Sawalha sounded "too old" to come back and voice Ginger in the Chicken Run sequel (which is a lie btw), but they've cast someone who sounds NOTHING like Ginger's voice in the slightest. Kind of takes me out a bit, I won't lie.' Another viewer added: 'Absolutely no interest in the new Chicken Run movie without Julia Sawalha, Phil Daniels or Timothy Spall in it.' Timothy portrayed mouse Nick in the franchise, while Phil played Fetcher, the other mouse. In the sequel Romesh Ranganathan will take on Nick and Daniel Mays is Fetcher. David Bradley is the new Fowler while Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton and Lynn Ferguson have reprised their roles as Babs, Bunty and Mac. Bella Ramsey, Nick Mohammed and Josie Sedgwick-Davies voiced three new characters, Molly, Dr. Fry and Frizzle. Recast: Zachary Levi takes on the role of Rocky in the sequel Dawn Of The Nugget Out: Mel Gibson, who was Rocky, was recast after the backlash of Winona Ryder's claims he called her an 'oven-dodger' at a party when he learned she was Jewish - something he denies 'So disappointing': Fans have taken to X - formerly known as Twitter - in their droves with their first opinions as they pined for original cast members New roles: Mischievous mice Nick and Fetcher have been recast in the sequel Changes: In the sequel Romesh Ranganathan (L) will take on Nick, originally played by Timothy Spall (R) Switch-up: Phil Daniels (L) has been replaced by Daniel Mays (R) in Dawn Of The Nugget at mouse Fetcher Others wrote: 'It looks quite promising although not hearing Julia's Sawalha's voice as Ginger is so jarring and disappointing.' 'I don't really know who it's for? The modernisation and recasting suggests it's for a new young audience (fine, cool) but then the entire thing of it being a sequel and Chicken run conceptually feels like it's appealing to the nostalgia of an older generation... Odd trailer,' added another. 'Can we all take a moment to appreciate the fact that in an effort to go less controversial, the new Chicken Run movie has the character prev voiced by Mel Gibson now done byZachary Levi L O L.' In January, Zachary was slammed online after he posted a critical tweet of the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. The Shazam! Fury Of The Gods faced backlash after he tweeted a post from an account espousing anti-vaccine views that claimed Pfizer was 'a real danger to the world'. The trailer comes three years after Julia hit out at Aardman Animation after being told her role in the anticipated Chicken Run sequel was being recast. The British actress posted a statement telling fans she had been 'unfairly dismissed' from the sequel to the 2000 film. Posting a statement on Twitter under the heading 'Chicken Run 2 announcement! I have officially been plucked, stuffed & roasted #ageism', Julia wrote she was told 'out of the blue' that the film's creatives were planning on recasting. 'Last week I was informed out of the blue, via email, through my agent that I would not be cast as Ginger in the Chicken Run sequel. The reason they gave is that my voice now sounds 'too old' and they want a younger actress to reprise the role,' she wrote. 'Usually in these circumstances, an actress would be given the chance to do a voice test in order to determine the suitability of their pitch and tone, I however was not given this opportunity.' 'Ageism': At the time of the casting, Julia hit out at Aardman Animation after being told her role in the anticipated Chicken Run sequel was being recast Speaking out: 'I was informed out of the blue, via email, through my agent that I would not be cast as Ginger in the Chicken Run sequel', Julia wrote in an open letter at the time Excitement: Despite the controversy over the cast shake-up, Chicken Run trended on X with many sharing their excitement for the film's release Determined to prove her voice has not changed in 20 years, Julia explained that she recorded a voice test at home and sent it to producers, providing a link to the video. But her efforts were wasted as she later received an email from producers saying they still planned to recast. 'I received my letter of dismissal the day before it was announced that the 'Lone Free Ranger' had been axed from the sequel and that the character of Rocky was to be re-voiced,' she continued, referring to the character voiced by Mel Gibson in the original. 'The reason given was that his voice is now too old. I feel I have been fobbed off with the same excuse. 'I went to great lengths to prove to the production that my voice is nigh on the same as it was in the original film. If they will be using some of the original cast members let's be frank, I feel I have been unfairly dismissed.' She continued: 'To say I am devastated and furious would be an understatement. I feel totally powerless, something in all of this doesn't quite ring true. I trust my instincts and they are waving red flags. 'I am saddened that I have lost the chance to work with Nick Park and Peter Lord from whom I learnt so much. The three of us, together, created Ginger.' 'There is nothing more I can do, other than to thank all of you who loved and still love Chicken Run, as I do. I'm off for the chop now,' she added, before signing off as Ginger. MailOnline contacted Aardman for comment at the time. Despite the controversy over the cast shake-up, Chicken Run trended on X with many sharing their excitement for the film's release. One wrote: 'What a gem the first chicken run is. Cant wait for this sequel. It seems to be quite a wonderful film in the making. Seems very faithful to the original in all factors.' The plot followers Ginger and Rocky hatching a little girl called Molly. While the couple's world seems complete, but they're later forced to turn their attention towards the dangers of the mainland. The dynamic duo assemble their troops and put their freedom on the line in a bid to overcome threat from the evil Mrs Tweedy. Julia Fox put on an eye-popping display for a new advert campaign just days after showcasing her stunning figure to promote her upcoming memoir. The 33-year-old star sizzled in a tiny bikini top and mini skirt combination for her latest Camper campaign. The advertisement for the US-based footwear company featured an action shot of Julia falling off of a bike after the front wheel flew off. The model managed to still look glam as she smized into the camera while showing off her ripped abs in a tiny knit bikini top and a very short metallic silver mini skirt. She teamed the look with a pair of white chelsea boots featuring a turquoise detailing at the heel which are responsibly raised leather ankle boots from Camper called Pelotas Mars. Uh oh: Julia Fox sizzled in a tiny bikini top and mini skirt combination for her latest Camper campaign Julia's brunette locks blew in the wind as she completed her look with her signature dramatic make-up topped off with turquoise eyeshadow. Last week the stunner showed off her incredible muscular frame in a skimpy bikini and heels in a sizzling video to promote her upcoming memoir, Down The Drain, this week. The Uncut Gems star displayed her honed legs, ample cleavage and chiseled abs as she posed in a thong two-piece, paired with an edgy two-piece cut-out jacket. The star balanced on dominatrix-style stiletto boots as she posed up a storm. Her tresses were worn in damp waves and she sported smoky eye make-up and metallic lipgloss. She captioned the post: 'My masterpiece is almost here!!!!!! I literally cannot wait for the girls to psychoanalyze me to filth lol Pre order to get your copy first!!! Love u all.' A synopsis for Fox's memoir reads: 'Fox recounts her turbulent path to cultural supremacy: her parents volatile relationship that divided her childhood between Italy and New York City and left her largely raising herself. 'A possessive and abusive drug-dealing boyfriend whose torment continued even from within Rikers Island; her own trips to jail as well as to a psychiatric hospital; her work as a dominatrix that led to a complicated entanglement with a sugar daddy; a heroin habit that led to New Orleans trap houses and that she would kick only after the fatal overdose of her best friend. Oh my: This comes days after the 33-year-old star showed off her incredible muscular frame in a skimpy bikini and heels in a sizzling video to promote her upcoming memoir Down The Drain Cheeky: The star showed off her derriere in a thong bikini 'Her own near-lethal overdoses and the deaths of still more friends from drugs and suicide; an emotionally explosive, tabloid-dominating romance with a figure she dubs The Artist; a whirlwind, short-lived marriage and her trials as a single parent striving to support her young son. During a recent interview with Evening Standard, the model opened up about her love of fashion and how it started when she was at a young age. 'I remember being young and poor and really loving fashion.' 'I would steal the magazines from my lobby that would go to other neighbors who had subscriptions to Vogue or whatever, and I would cut them up and make collages,' she recalled. 'But it just seemed so inaccessible, so far away. Now that I have the stage, in terms of fashion, I want to show that you dont need everything head-to-toe Balenciaga.' Jumping back to the current time, the star also discussed her own unique sense of style and explained that when it comes to fashion, 'I'm just doing what I want to do.' 'That's the thing: sometimes I'll do something and it'll go viral, and it'll get picked up with outlets, and it's like, really? That was so not even planned,' Julia explained to the outlet. Wow: The Uncut Gems star, 33, displayed her honed legs, ample cleavage and chiseled abs as she posed in a thong two-piece, paired with an edgy two-piece cut-out jacket Stunning:Her tresses were worn in damp waves and she sported smoky eye make-up and metallic lipgloss Revealing: The star showed off her pert posterior in her ensemble Along with being prominent in the fashion industry, Julia recently helped promote the Canadian-Swiss trans drama titled, Something You Said Last Night, which was directed by Luis De Filippis. Fox took on the role of an executive producer for the project, which officially released commercially in Canada on Friday, July 7, per Variety. The movie previously premiered last year in September at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. However, her main focus is on her son, Valentino, two, whom she shares with ex-husband, Peter Artemiev. Olivia Hack has sought legal protection from her boyfriend's estranged wife. The 40-year-old actress, best known for her role in the 1995 The Brady Bunch movie, said she was at beau Paul Hogan's house, when his estranged wife Sabine Spekreijse allegedly began hurling obscenities at her and more. In documents obtained by TMZ, the popular voice actress said the woman's behavior 'could only be described as unhinged.' The Gilmore Girls actress claimed Spekreijse then sat next to her on the sofa and began digging her fingernails into her thigh, leaving bruises and scratches. The petite actress said she was also intimidated due to the difference in size. Protection: Actress Olivia Hack, 40, sought an order of protection after claiming she was attacked by her boyfriend's estranged wife; Olivia seen in 2022 Hack in 5ft2in. She claimed Spekreijse is 6ft1in. The couple called police, but the woman was reportedly gone by the time officers arrived. However, she allegedly returned the next morning and banged on the door until she was told to leave. The court documents also included a claim that the woman relentlessly calls Hogan whenever he and Hack are together, even though they have been separated for three years. A judge has reportedly ordered Spekreijse to stay at least 100 yards from the Harry Potter: Magic Awakened actress, her home, her job and her car. Paul Hogan, 83, is best known in the US as the star of the Crocodile Dundee films. The actor has suffered a series of health problems over the past few years including kidney problems. 'I had a problem on the aorta and the kidney and the treatment fixed it but it shrunk me,' he told A Current Affair in November of last year. Unhinged: Hack said she was at beau Paul Hogan 's house, when his estranged wife Sabine Spekreijse allegedly began hurling obscenities at her and more. In documents obtained by TMZ , the voice actress said the woman's behavior 'could only be described as unhinged' Child star: Hack is best known for her role as Cindy in 1995's The Brady Bunch movie and as Rory's roommate in Gilmore Girls. She is also a popular voice actress for cartoons and video games Paul Hogan, 83, is best known in the US for his roles in the Crocodile Dundee films (Pictured in Sydney in 1988) 'Theres a saying that turning 80 is not for sissies because things start to fall apart but, no, I cant complain.' The actor, who says he would like to return to his native Australia, but remains in the US to be close to his son Chance, 25, whom he shares with ex-wife Linda Kozlowski, 65. The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee star has five older children and 10 grandchildren back in Australia. 'Id rather be there,' he told the outlet, 'but I have my last child who is an American he only has me, whereas my tribe at home, theyve all got each other.' 'So Im hanging in there a bit longer, but eventually Ill get back.' Jimmy Buffett's younger sister Laurie Buffett McGuane has described her brother's final days and how he continued to emit his usual 'fun-loving' energy shortly before his passing at age 76. Speaking with People, Laurie, 74, recalled how her brother's positivity endured in the days leading up to his death. Jimmy died last week following a four year battle with skin cancer, and Laurie said nothing about her brother's spirit had changed in the face of the disease. 'He was always high-spirited, fun-loving, hard working and creative,' Laurie told the outlet. 'It is remarkable to be able to say that he remained the same during the last month of his life. His sense of humor was fully intact. God bless him for keeping himself that way.' Laurie was at her brother's side when he passed away along with their sister Lucy. They delighted him by recalling their early years growing up in Alabama. 'He was always high-spirited': Jimmy Buffett's younger sister Laurie Buffett McGuane has described her brother's final days and how he continued to emit his usual 'fun-loving' energy shortly before his passing at age 76 'We shared memories of our childhood with Jimmy during his last days,' she said. 'We would repeat stories, and Jimmy would laugh and nod his head to let us know that he remembered. I have never seen Jimmy depressed ever. Not even at the end. We all like to joke and laugh and that was very much Jimmy.' Jimmy was heartbroken having to cancel shows on account of his illness, his sister said. 'He brought joy to so many. I am very emotional now,' Laurie added. 'When Jimmy was in the world, I felt safe. Even though I have Tom, it will be a whole new thing for me to be without my brother Jimmy.' Laurie spent time with her sibling during the last few months with her husband Thomas McGuane. Laurie's husband appears alongside Jimmy in All That Is Sacred, a film about Florida's Key West during the early 1970s, according to People. Tom was present for the film's premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado this past weekend. He was originally supposed to go with Buffett. While Tom ended up attending on his own, he recalled the letter he sent his brother-in-law shortly before his passing: 'I told him that, "What you did in your career has a long future, but you may not be there for the applause."' Tom said a funeral for Jimmy will likely occur in October. Music legend: Jimmy died last week following a four year battle with skin cancer; pictured 2010 'It is remarkable': Laurie, 74, recalled how her brother's positivity endured in the days leading up to his death Jimmy battled a rare form of skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma. He was diagnosed with the skin cancer four years ago before the disease progressed to lymphoma which ultimately his cause of death. Laurie revealed she was diagnosed with cancer 'about the same time' as her brother. Laurie discovered she had pancreatic cancer during the COVID pandemic and underwent surgery and treatment is now cancer-free. During their health struggles the pair leaned on each other for support and grew closer as a result. 'When Jimmy found out [I had cancer] he brought the whole family and the dogs to Montana to be with me,' she told People magazine. 'Jimmy and I became closer because of our cancers. We talked before and after our scans. We shared a club that nobody wants to join,' she said. 'He brought joy to so many': Jimmy was heartbroken having to cancel shows on account of his illness, his sister said Laurie went on to speak about how she was particularly proud of her brother's achievements during his incredible career. 'Jimmy always had a dream that he pursued until the end. He did a lot of things in between, but hit Key West when he was pretty unknown, and never gave up, up until crowds began coming to listen to him perform,' she stated. The songwriter's sibling concluded by stating that her older brother 'was a phenomenal person.' Jimmy had been on hospice for a week before he passed away. Sir Paul McCartney, 81, reportedly visited the Grammy nominee at his home within the last week to sing to him. Icon: Buffett pictured performing at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2006 A statement posted on Jimmy's social media accounts that announced his death said: 'Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1 surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs. 'He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.' Jimmy is survived by his wife, Jane Slagsvol, as well as daughter Savannah, daughter Sarah and son Cameron. Ashley Benson showed off her massive engagement sparkler on an outing with her fiance Brandon Davis just days after being seen on a similar chic outing. The 33-year-old actress was seen leaving the Malibu Chili Cook-Off over the weekend with the 43-year-old oil heir and mid-2000s party boy. Ashley showcased her massive $800K engagement ring as she carried along several stuffed animals from the event including a large Mogwai from the Gremlins film franchise. The Spring Breakers actress kept her look casual in a forest green crewneck sweater with baggy black jeans and black leather loafers. She accessorized with large black designer sunglasses and multiple gold necklaces. Just us: Ashley Benson showed off her massive engagement sparkler on an outing with her fiance Brandon Davis as they were seen leaving the Malibu Chili Cook-Off over the weekend Her signature platinum blonde locks were worn down in a middle part as she accentuated her porcelain skin with complementary make-up topped off with a swipe of shiny pink lip. Brandon kept it simple in a black knit sweater with an orange line across the chest along with light blue jeans and grey suede loafers. Back in July the Pretty Little Liars star revealed her engagement. The actress who has dated the likes of rapper G-Eazy and model Cara Delevingne shared the news by flashing her giant diamond engagement ring on Instagram. As per her Stories, Brandon proposed to Ashley over a romantic dinner date. He called her the 'love of my life' in a post on his Instagram Story while Ashley wrote: 'My best frienddddd I love you' in response. The couple were first romantically linked in January but have been in the same Hollywood circle for years. 'They have a lot of mutual friends and are both super fun and very social people,' a source told PEOPLE in February. Bling: Ashley showcased her massive $800K engagement ring as she carried along several stuffed animals from the event including a large Mogwai from the Gremlins film franchise Vibes: The Spring Breakers actress kept her look casual in a forest green crewneck sweater with baggy black jeans and black leather loafers Brandon is the grandson of the late oil tycoon Marvin Davis, a billionaire who owned such eye-watering assets as 20th Century Fox and the Beverly Hills Hotel. Over the years, Brandon has been arrested for battery, cocaine possession and a DUI and has been in treatment for substance abuse twice. He briefly dated Paris Hilton in the 2000s, and at other times was just a close pal who was often seen with her on the nightclub circuit. In 2006 Paris was caught cackling on camera while Brandon launched into a scathing diatribe about 'fire-crotch' Lindsay Lohan, whom he said 's***s out freckles.' 'I think she's worth about $7 million, which means she's really poor. It's disgusting,' he sneered, wondering: 'And who would want to f*** her?' The viral TMZ video marked the beginning of Paris' infamous feud with Lindsay, which finally came to an end only in late 2021. Brandon dated Mischa Barton from 2004 to 2005, when she was 18 to 19 appearing on The OC and he was 24 to 25. He was also linked to Brittny Gastineau in 2007, the year after he became a media sensation because of his jabs at Lindsay. Congrats! Back in July the Pretty Little Liars star revealed her engagement; seen in January Wow! The actress, 33 who previously dated the likes of rapper G-Eazy and model Cara Delevingne shared the news by flashing her giant diamond engagement ring on Instagram As per her Stories, Brandon proposed to Ashley over a romantic dinner date The couple were first romantically linked in January but have been in the same Hollywood circle for years; seen in April Ashley was last linked to photographer Sofia Malamute just a few months before taking her relationship with Brandon public. Ashley seemingly came out as pansexual in 2021 as she told Cosmopolitan UK that 'it's about who I connect with, not gender.' 'I usually keep my relationships private. You obviously can't help if you get photographed together,' she added. Her relationship with British runway maven Cara is considered her most publicized and adored by fans. Ashley and the 30-year-old beauty sparked romance rumors in 2018. They met on the set of Her Smell where they portrayed lovers Cassie and Roxie in nineties riot grrrl band Akergirls. It's been rumored that Cara is the 'first' girl that Ashley had ever dated. They mostly kept their relationship out of the public eye and made rare event appearances. But in May 2019, Ashley and Cara went viral after they were photographed hauling a leather sex bench into their West Hollywood home. It gave curious fans some insight into their racy love life as they revealed their extremely saucy purchase in photos obtained by DailyMail.com. Lovers: Ashley's two-year romance with model Cara Delevingne was her most publicized; seen in 2019 End of an era: Cara and Ashley put on a loved-up display while attending Milan Fashion Week in February 2020 (pictured) but they broke-up just a few months later in May That same month, Ashley was spotted hanging with G-Eazy and they became an on/off item for two years Fling: She briefly dated Glee hunk Chord Overstreet in 2012 after attending the Teen Choice Awards together (pictured) Good times: After Chord, Ashley found herself in the throws of an on/off three-year romance with Justin Bieber's close pal Ryan Good; seen in 2015 Nothing official: She was also rumored to have had a secret romance with her Pretty Little Liars co-star but he told Teen Vogue that they 'never officially dated' Cara and Ashley put on a loved-up display while attending Milan Fashion Week in February 2020 but they broke-up just a few months later in May. That same month, Ashley was spotted hanging with G-Eazy and subsequently 'liked' an Instagram post confirming to fans that she and Cara were done. She and G-Eazy had connected while working on music together in quarantine. After engagement speculation and G-Eazy publicly declaring his 'love' for Ashley, they parted ways in February 2021. They reconciled the following year and a source told Us Weekly that Ashley and G-Eazy 'like to keep their relationship private.' Their finite split came sometime in 2022. After becoming a teen queen of Pretty Little Liars in the mid-2010s, Ashley found herself linked to a number of eligible bachelors. She briefly dated Glee hunk Chord Overstreet in 2012 after attending the Teen Choice Awards together. Socialite: He briefly dated Paris Hilton in the 2000s, and at other times was just a close pal who was often seen with her on the nightclub circuit; pictured with Paris and Nicky Hilton in 2006 Actress: Brandon dated Mischa Barton from 2004 to 2005, when she was 18 to 19 appearing on The OC and he was 24 to 25; seen in 2004 Brandon is the grandson of the late oil tycoon Marvin Davis, a billionaire who owned such eye-watering assets as 20th Century Fox and the Beverly Hills Hotel; seen with Nicky Hilton seen in 2003 After Chord, Ashley found herself in the throws of an on/off three-year romance with Justin Bieber's close pal Ryan Good. They called it quits in 2015. She was also rumored to have had a secret romance with her Pretty Little Liars co-star but he told Teen Vogue that they 'never officially dated.' He did admit that 'sometimes the lines blurred a little' while navigating life as co-workers and close pals. The actor continued: 'We had periods when we felt more for each other, but ultimately we're good buds. For the most part, those rumors made us laugh.' SKIMS has announced the launch of a new campaign starring actress Madelaine Petsch. The 29-year-old 'ushers in SKIMS' next era of Cotton' for Kim Kardashian's successful brand, it was revealed in a press release shared on Tuesday. 'When I wear SKIMS I feel sexy and comfortable,' said Madelaine, who hails from Washington state. Petsch is best known for her starring role as Cheryl Blossom in The CW's Riverdale, a pop culture-disrupting series that resonated with teen viewers and Gen Z for seven seasons up until its finale in August 2023. Along with being a star of one of the most popular teen dramas of the past decade, Madelaine has become a social media phenom in her own right, connecting with millions of next-gen followers. Skimmy for Kimmy: SKIMS has announced the launch of a new campaign starring actress Madelaine Petsch Pink prettiness: The 29-year-old 'ushers in SKIMS' next era of Cotton' for Kim Kardashian's successful brand, it was revealed in a press release shared on Tuesday SKIMs' genius: Kim seen on Monday evening at Beyonce's performance at SoFi in Inglewood 'I had such a good time on set and felt really confident in my SKIMS, the Cotton Collection is the softest loungewear.' This campaign introduces new styles to the brands most tagged collection ever, the Cotton Collection. And it highlights how SKIMS continue to engage up-and-coming talent in order to connect with the next generation of consumers and serve as a reflection of pop culture. The Cotton Collection SKIMS' most viral collection to date has been updated with all-new color blocked details and the return of the fan-favorite pink colorway. The collection features Cotton Jersey and Cotton Rib styles, thoughtfully designed as a modern take on classic cotton underwear. Shot and directed by Stevie Dance, the campaign launches Tuesday, on Skims.com and across digital and social platforms. The new cotton collection will drop on Thursday, September 7th at 9am PT. SKIMS fever: 'When I wear SKIMS I feel sexy and comfortable,' said Madelaine, who hails from Washington state Cry me a River(dale): Petsch is best known for her starring role as Cheryl Blossom in The CW's Riverdale, a pop culture-disrupting series that resonated with teen viewers and Gen Z for seven seasons up until its finale in August 2023 Co-founded in 2019 by Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede, SKIMS is the solutions-oriented brand creating the next generation of underwear, loungewear, and shapewear. It is also setting new standards by providing solutions for every body, the company has said. From technically constructed shapewear that enhances your curves to underwear that stretches to twice its size, the brand's goal is to consistently innovate on the past and advance the industry. SKIMS sells directly through its website (SKIMS.com), as well as through select partnerships with retailers including Nordstrom, Selfridges, SSENSE, Net-a-Porter, Lane Crawford, Holt Renfrew and David Jones. Striking: The redhead stunner posed in a pair of ivory undergarments from the brand Details: The ribbed pieces flattered the toned and fit star Star power: Along with being a star of one of the most popular teen dramas of the past decade, Madelaine has become a social media phenom in her own right, connecting with millions of next-gen followers Skim feel: Co-founded in 2019 by Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede, SKIMS is the solutions-oriented brand creating the next generation of underwear, loungewear, and shapewear Ashley Tisdale was seen for the first time after it was revealed that she is being sued over a car crash she allegedly caused in 2022. The 38-year-old actress looked somber on an errand run in Los Angeles on Monday morning. She looked all business in a white button down blouse with a black midi skirt and matching leather loafers. The star accessorized with large designer shades and a blue Celine bag while holding an iced latte. Her brunette tresses were worn down as her fringe ended just above her eye as she accentuated her natural looks with complementary make-up. Moving on? Ashley Tisdale was seen for the first time after it was revealed that she is being sued over a car crash she allegedly caused in 2022. This comes as it was revealed that the High School Musical star - who recently celebrated her 38th birthday - is being taken to court by a woman named Lina Gonzales, who claims she suffered injuries from the accident, which occurred on Hollywood Blvd last September, as per TMZ. Gonzales states that because of the crash she has 'suffered wage loss, medical expenses and loss of love and protection' and is now seeking damages. Her attorney, Michael R. Parker, told the publication that following the crash Gonzales claims Tisdale 'called her names' and 'made a big fuss about the situation.' Parker explained the accident took place as Gonzales was waiting to make a left turn in the left lane. However, while Gonzales was waiting Tisdale allegedly changed lanes and collided with her. DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for Tisdale. Parker claims that the accident caused his client 'severe neck and back injuries' and that she is facing around $140k in medical expenses. The attorney said he made a $600k demand to Tisdale but because it was rejected they have proceeded to take the matter to court. Chill: The 38-year-old actress looked somber on an errand run in Los Angeles on Monday morning Out and about: She looked all business in a white button down blouse with a black midi skirt and matching leather loafers Meanwhile a representative for Tisdale told the publication 'there was no aggressiveness or words exchanged' following the crash and that the two exchanged information and moved on. This is not the first car drama the actress has dealt with. In 2019 she took to Twitter and accused filmmaker Kevin Smith of damaging her car in a minor accident and then driving off without so much as an apology. The two lived in the same neighborhood in the highly coveted and beautiful Hollywood Hills at the time. 'Thanks @ThatKevinSmith for scratching my mirror on my car and not stopping. Classy move neighbor!' she wrote. A few hours later, the Clerks director tweeted back an apology and explanation. 'Apologies - I drive like Cruella de Vil in the Hills! However I did do a courtesy stop. Then when you pulled away first, I was like 'That's soooo Sharpay...' The actress seemed to buy his story and shot back: 'HA! Apology accepted.' Legal woes: This comes after it was revealed that Tisdale is being sued over a car crash she allegedly caused in 2022 on Hollywood Blvd; She is pictured March, 2023 Latest: The High School Musical star, 38, is being taken to court by a woman claiming she has 'suffered wage loss and medical expenses' due to the collision; Tisdale seen driving in 2007 Yikes: The alleged victim claims that following the crash Tisdale 'called her names' and 'made a big fuss about the situation'; Tisdale pictured in 2019 Recollections may vary: Meanwhile a representative for Tisdale told the publication 'there was no aggressiveness or words exchanged' following the collision; Tisdale seen in 2023 The two later rectified the situation in a face-to-face meeting as Kevin Tweeted that Ashley came by his house and apologized. The lawsuit comes after Tisdale recently enjoyed a birthday celebration. Tisdale offered her fans a beachy photo carousel and some life advice after turning 38 in July. The former Disney star showed off her trim torso in a black one piece bathing suit and white unbuttoned shorts. 'This last year has had so many unbelievable moments,' the MTV Movie Award winner began. 'Things Ive dreamt up but never thought was possible.' 'Here is what I learned thus far. Manifestation is real, being present is most important, hard work pays off, being authentic takes learning about yourself and that takes time, being there for others goes such a long way, and when life surprises you and it gets hard learn the lesson and rise above! 38 and life is great ' Birthday gal: The lawsuit comes after Tisdale celebrated her 38th birthday in July Family: The High School Musical star celebrated the big day in New York with her husband, Christopher French, 41, and their daughter Jupiter, two Claim to fame: Tisdale shot to fame when she landed the role of Sharpay Evans in the fan-beloved High School Musical film series, from 2006 until 2008; Seen in 2006 promo shot The High School Musical star celebrated the big day in New York with her husband, Christopher French, 41, and their daughter Jupiter, two. The couple have been married since 2014. Tisdale came to prominence as Maddie Fitzpatrick in the Disney Channel teen sitcom The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, which ran from 2005 until 2008. She then landed the role of Sharpay Evans in the fan-beloved High School Musical film series, from 2006 until 2008. Alabama Barker is trying to take the high road when it comes to dealing with online critics. The 17-year-old daughter of rocker Travis Barker, 47, and model Shanna Moakler, 48, has seen her social media profile increase since her dad tied the knot in May 2022 with Kourtney Kardashian, 44. The teen, who has become a popular influencer with nearly two million followers, often receives multiple negative comments on her posts. 'Highly sexualised creature,' wrote one critic next to a recent Instagram post. 'Scary what children these days are being taught on social media and the bad culture in over excess.' High Road: Alabama Barker, 17, is trying to take the high road when it comes to dealing with online critics. 'Sometimes I find myself wanting to clap back. Bite at everyone who barks at me,' the teen wrote in a heartfelt social media post Sunday 'Nice parenting here,' commented one irate follower. 'You cant even vote yet. You are a child. Why is any 17 year old child dressing like this? Why are the parents allowing her body parts to be seen through her clothing. Shes 17. This is not age appropriate.' 'It is sad you a beautiful girl but every photo you post is like a craigslist back page,' contended another. In response to the barrage of negativity, Alabama released a heartfelt missive in her Instagram Stories Sunday. 'Sometimes I find myself wanting to clap back. Bite at everyone who barks at me,' the Boxy Charm partner wrote. 'But then I look at those people, like really look at them what kind of life theyre living. The choice theyre making. The things they do. Compared to who I am, what I do & how I live,' she explained. 'And that, itself keeps me humble,' she maintained. 'Misery loves company,' the teen continued, 'but were cut from different cloths, made from different sauces.' Profile: Alabama is the daughter of rocker Travis Barker , 47, and model Shanna Moakler, 48. She has seen her social media profile increase since her dad tied the knot in May 2022 with Kourtney Kardashian, 44 Humble: Alabama wrote that when she compares her life to that of the people who criticize her, 'keeps me humble' Blessed: The influencer ended her missive writing, ''Stay blessed, wish them well, and remind yourself that the evil-hearted never wins' She concluded the message penning, 'Stay blessed, wish them well, and remind yourself that the evil-hearted never wins.' Alabama's step-mom, Kourtney, who is in the final trimester of her pregnancy, is reportedly resting at home after a trip to the hospital last week. Travis rushed home from the Blink 182 European tour to be by her side. The couple revealed in June they were expecting a boy. People reported a source told them, The Kardashians star is 'back home now with her kids.' 'She is feeling better. She is happy to have Travis back home too.' Blueface's mother, Karlissa Saffold, made a shocking claim that her son and his baby mama ChriseanRock 'could possibly cousins.' During an Instagram Live video, Saffold alleged that the 26-year-old rapper ((born Johnathan Jamall Porter) and his former partner, who recently welcomed their first child together, may be related. 'I knew something was going on,' Blue's mom told her followers on Monday. 'Come to find out, Chrisean's mama is a Dorsey. She's a Dorsey. They related to me. Them my people.' Saffold continued: 'Girl, if them Dorseys...Dorseys. Come on now, all the Dorseys are related and they all act like that. They all strong and act like that. John done had a baby with his cousin.' She went on to say: 'He did. I bet you we need to test the baby. The baby is probably...that's why the baby had our DNA. What the f**k? Y'all think I'm playing. This could be real.' Disturbing theory: Blueface's mother, Karlissa Saffold, made a shocking claim that her son and his baby mama ChriseanRock 'could possibly cousins' At this time, her claim is completely unsubstantiated, and as TMZ pointed out, it is 'worth noting Blueface doesn't have the best relationship with his mother.' In 2019, both his mom and sister recorded and posted videos on him kicking them out of his home after reportedly getting into a fight with one of his girlfriends. At the time, he addressed the drama on his Instagram Story as he marveled: 'Sheesh you know it's getting hectic when yo own momma do it for the clout.' Meanwhile his sister claimed: 'You only got clout cuz of mommy stupid! How you think you got here? Saddest thing is she paid all those studio sessions when you was living in your car!' On Sunday morning, ChriseanRock livestreamed the birth of her first child - son Chrisean Malone Jr. - via Instagram. The Baltimore-born 23-year-old - who boasts 3M social media followers - put her mother Charla Malone in charge of filming her during the natural labor inside a hospital. ChriseanRock gave birth while rocking her signature long false lashes, long blue acrylic nails, three diamond chokers, and a diamond watch. In between contractions, the Crazy in Love producer-star voiced her concerns to the nurses about her baby potentially suffocating, her baby's potential head shape, the medical instruments, and potentially defecating. Yikes: During an Instagram Live video, Saffold alleged that the 26-year-old rapper ((born Johnathan Jamall Porter) and his former partner, who recently welcomed their first child together, may be related It's a boy! On Sunday morning, ChriseanRock livestreamed the birth of her first child - son Chrisean Malone Jr. - via Instagram When ChriseanRock said she couldn't 'feel s***' while pushing a nurse responded: 'The epidural works wonders!' At one point, a nurse urged the nervous mother-to-be to not move upright otherwise labor would take longer and she replied: 'I think if I stand up he'll just come out.' ChriseanRock warned her supportive mother - who gave her ice cubes and lip ointment - to stop filming as soon as the baby arrived as she did not want him to be on camera. ChriseanRock and Blueface (born Johnathan Jamall Porter) have had a tumultuous on/off relationship since they began dating during the height of the pandemic on his OnlyFans reality show, Blue Girls Club. Daddy: Blueface was later confirmed to be Baby Chrisean's father while taking a DNA test on their Zeus reality show, Crazy in Love, and he even attended the gender reveal party last month At first, the rapper denied he was the father, accusing ChriseanRock of having 'encounters with 10 different men in the last year' via Twitter as well as stealing his G-Wagon. Blueface was later confirmed to be Baby Chrisean's father while taking a DNA test on their Zeus reality show, Crazy in Love, and he even attended the gender reveal party last month. The Lit couple - who pretended to marry in his Dear Rock music video - hosted a family gathering at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore on September 16, which ended with her father Eugene Malone and Blueface in a physical altercation. 'So my boyfriend knocked my dad out da family stuff didn't go well [I don't] even know what's going on,' ChriseanRock wrote via Instastory at the time. Screenwriter, playwright and producer Nathan Louis Jackson has died at age 44. Jackson, whose screenwriting credits include the Marvel show Luke Cage and the drama series Shameless, passed at his home in Lenexa, Kansas, on August 22, his wife Megan Mascorro-Jackson informed The Hollywood Reporter. Jackson suffered from heart issues, and in 2019 he had an aortic dissection, his wife told the outlet. His family have decided against having an autopsy to learn his cause of death. Jackson penned two episodes of Luke Cage, which starred Mike Colter as the titular superhero and ran from 2016 to 2018. He also worked as a co-producer and executive story editor of the show. As a playwright, Jackson earned numerous awards, and his works included Broke-ology and When I Come to Die. Screenwriter, playwright and producer Nathan Louis Jackson, pictured 2009, has died at age 44 Speaking of Luke Cage, he previously told The Kansas City Star: 'The series makes a bigger, grander statement about African American men and how we view them. 'It is undoubtedly a Black show. But at the same time, its just a superhero show. We deal with something all the other superheroes deal with. We just do it from a different standpoint.' Jackson's impressive screenwriting credits also include S.W.A.T, Resurrection and Genius. On his IMDb, he has a teleplay credit for an episode of 13 Reasons Why. Jackson hails from Kansas City, Kansas, and received an MFA in Playwrighting from The Julliard School. Broke-ology debuted at the Williamstown Theater Festival in Massachusetts when Jackson was still attending Julliard, according to The New York Times. In 2009, it opened Off Broadway at the Lincoln Center's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater. From 2013 to 2019, Jackson was the playwright in residence at the Kansas City Repertory Theater. In a statement shared with Playbill, his family said: 'Jacksons work often showcased his love for his hometown. Having lived and worked on both coasts, Nathans heart belonged in Kansas City. Jackson suffered from heart issues, and in 2019 he had an aortic dissection, his wife told the outlet. His family have decided against having an autopsy done to learn his cause of death Jackson penned two episodes of Luke Cage, which starred Mike Colter as the titular superhero and ran from 2016 to 2018 (Colter and Finn Jones pictured on the show in 2018) His screenwriting credits also include the popular series Shameless (Emmy Rossum and William H. Macy pictured) Accomplished: On his IMDb, he has a teleplay credit for an episode of 13 Reasons Why; pictured Dylan Minnette, Josh Hamilton, and Amy Hargreaves 'Nathan was especially passionate about bar-b-que and his Kansas City Chiefs. Jackson was a devoted supporter of the arts community within Kansas City.' 'Jackson will be remembered by his loved ones for his warmth and kindness, and his phone calls. He did not believe in text messaging, preferring to speak voice to voice whenever possible.' Jackson has received numerous awards for his writing, including two Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Awards and a Mark Twain Comedy Playwriting Award. Jackson is survived by his wife Megan, his mother Bessie, his children - daughter Amaya and son Savion - his sister Ebony Maddox, and his brother Wardell. Cara Delevingne appeared to be in good spirits as she was seen leaving Burning Man after flooding left tens of thousands stranded in the Nevada desert. The model, 31, was pictured leaving the festival with her pal Tessa Thompson after the storms dried up enough for party-goers to begin their exodus from the desert. Cara and actress Tessa, 39, reportedly hiked for five miles to a paved road with their pals to their flashy vehicle, according to a post shared to social media. In the snaps, Cara cut an edgy figure in what appeared to be waterproof trousers and a black fleece, which she styled with sturdy black trainers. She walked with her belongings across her front in a backpack and appeared to be in good spirits despite the chaos as she flashed a peace out sign. Festival: Cara Delevingne appeared to be in good spirits as she was seen leaving Burning Man after flooding left tens of thousands stranded in the Nevada desert Tessa looked equally trendy in patterned trousers and a black T-shirt, while she had a jacket tied around her waist and shielded her eyes with oval sunglasses. They were joined by other pals as they walked through the muddy roads after flooding from the summer storm. Other pictures then showed Cara and Tessa reaching a paved road, where flashy vehicles waited to collect them. MailOnline has contacted Cara and Tessa's representatives for comment. Cara is a regular festival-goer at Burning Man and often attends with her pals, normally sharing snaps to her social media of her time at the event each year. It comes after Burning Man descended into chaos this year as fed-up revelers snapped and fought during the mass exodus from the washout festival on Monday. Tempers frayed during the hours-long line of RVs and campers on the way out of the Nevada desert, with cops warning many had turned hostile towards each other. Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said exhausted partygoers 'lashed out' at one another after finally breaking following a weekend of misery in the rain and mud. Drone footage from DailyMail.com showed snaking crowds of vehicles inching their way slowly across the sand as they made for the exits on Monday afternoon. Some tried to cut in front of each other while others swerved in the mud to avoid crashing, with reports of patience running thin throughout the gridlock. Home time: The model, 31, was pictured leaving the festival with her pal Tessa Thompson after the storms dried up enough for party-goers to begin their exodus from the desert Festival lover: Cara is a regular festival-goer at Burning Man and often attends with her pals, normally sharing snaps to her social media of her time at the event each year (pictured in 2016) Exit: It comes after Burning Man descended into chaos this year as fed-up revelers snapped and fought during the mass exodus from the washout festival on Monday Tense: Tempers frayed during the hours-long line of RVs and campers on the way out of the Nevada desert, with cops warning many had turned hostile towards each other It came as the grand finale - the burning of 'the man' - finally got underway a day late on Monday night, with the wooden statue lit for the dwindling crowd who'd stayed. Meanwhile officials named the man who died during the festival on Saturday as 32-year-old Leon Reece, as they admitted the weather hampered their response. 'As usually happens in what burners refer to as the 'default world' people allow their emotions to override their reasonableness and they are lashing out at each other as they leave the playa and attempt to make it to their next destination,' Pershing County Sheriff Allen told the San Francisco Chronicle. 'This behavior definitely does not fall within the 10 principles of Burning Man, but that is not the fault of BMP either, but is a societal issue.' Allen also said the unusual weather delayed the arrival of the emergency services when Reece collapsed on Saturday. 'Pershing County dispatch received a call regarding a male subject who was on the ground and unresponsive at the Burning Man Festival and medical personnel were administering CPR to the male,' Allen said. 'Due to the unusual rain event happening on the Playa, access to the area and investigative efforts were delayed. 'Upon the arrival of Pershing County Sheriff's Office Deputies, the doctor at the Festival had already pronounced the male subject, later identified as Leon Reece, a 32 year old male, deceased.' He said an investigation is underway and a toxicology report being carried out. The sheriff said the abnormal weather was causing problems with trash. 'This year is a little different in that there are numerous vehicles strewn all throughout the playa for several miles,' the sheriff said. Festival: 'The Man' is pictured going up in flames on Monday night, at the end of the Burning Man festival Big event: The giant sculpture - the centerpiece of the annual event - is pictured looming over the encampment before Monday's burning Tensions: Jerry Allen, sheriff of Pershing County, said that festival goers were losing their tempers and 'lashing out' Belongings: The sheriff said some people had forgotten the principals of the festival, of kindness and compassion and leaving behind no trace of their visit Fuming: Allen said some of the 'Burners' were becoming 'angry' as the festival drew to a close Weather issues: A RV is stuck in the mud as the drivers tried to leave the Nevada site 'Some participants were unwilling to wait or use the beaten path to attempt to leave the desert and have had to abandon their vehicles and personal property wherever their vehicle came to rest. 'The playa is unforgiving when it is wet and will consume your vehicle until such time as it dries enough to be able to traverse.' Organizers on Monday said 64,000 revelers remained on the site, and begged those trying to leave the filthy encampment to have patience. A half-inch of rain fell on Friday, turning the site into a quagmire, and attendees were ordered not to leave because the exit roads were impassable. Some said the weather engendered a sense of community, but others admitted there was a mild panic at the thought of being stuck with dwindling food and water. Social media users laughed at the 'harrowing' stories of fleeing the site. The road reopened at 2pm on Monday and 'the exodus' began. Those leaving the festival before 'the burn' on Monday faced five-hour waits until they reached the open road. 'Take it slow and mind those directing traffic,' organizers pleaded. 'Please be patient as you exit through Gate Road, and respect Burning Man staff who are working hard to make the Exodus experience as smooth and safe as possible.' Storm: People in parrot suits sit on Monday and stare out at 'the man' - the effigy in the distance Muddy desert: People are pictured wading through the mud in Nevada on Monday Annual event: Molly of Salt Lake City poses for a photo at Burning Man People were being urged to delay their departure until Tuesday if possible. They were also asked not to attempt to walk. Some attendees - among them comedian Chris Rock, actor Austin Butler and DJ Diplo - had already left the festival on foot. The event began on August 27 and had been scheduled to end Monday morning, with attendees packing up and cleaning up after themselves. 'We are a little bit dirty and muddy, but spirits are high. The party still going,' said Scott London, a Southern California photographer, adding that the travel limitations offered 'a view of Burning Man that a lot of us don't get to see.' Struggles: Attendees walk through a muddy desert plain on Monday Difficulties: A man makes his way through the mud in the desert on Monday Burning Man organizers announced on Monday it was safe to leave, but said no one could drive out of the event at speeds higher than 10mph Hundreds of Burning Man attendees who planned to leave on buses wait for information about when they will be able to leave A man surveys the muddy scene in Black Rock, Nevada, on Monday 'Dirty D' of Los Angeles dives into the mud at Burning Man One person could even be seen with a boat that had been parked up on the site The annual gathering, which launched on a San Francisco beach in 1986, attracts nearly 80,000 artists, musicians and activists for a mix of wilderness camping and avant-garde performances. Disruptions are part of the event's recent history: Dust storms forced organizers to temporarily close entrances to the festival in 2018, and the event was twice canceled altogether during the pandemic. President Joe Biden told reporters in Delaware on Sunday that he was aware of the situation at Burning Man, including the death, and the White House was in touch with local authorities. The event is remote on the best of days and emphasizes self-sufficiency. Amid the flooding, revelers were urged to conserve their food and water, and most remained hunkered down at the site. Some attendees, however, managed to walk several miles to the nearest town or catch a ride there. Diplo, whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz, posted a video to Instagram on Saturday evening showing him and Rock riding in the back of a fan's pickup truck. He said they had walked six miles through the mud before hitching a ride. 'I legit walked the side of the road for hours with my thumb out,' Diplo wrote. Diplo had ski goggles to protect his eyes from the desert dust as he left the site Actor and comedian Chris Rock, 58, found himself amidst the muddy chaos that descended upon the Burning Man festival site and hitched a ride out of the chaos on Saturday Lines of traffic snake across the desert on Monday as festival attendees try to leave Trash is left by the side of the road on Monday along the exit route out of Burning Man People appeared to have just flung their trash bags out of their vehicles on Monday The spirit of Burning Man is self-sufficiency, but many people appeared to have ignore it and left their trash behind A double rainbow is seen over the site on Friday, amid heavy rainfall Cindy Bishop and three of her friends managed to drive their rented RV out of the festival at dawn on Monday when, Bishop said, the main road wasn't being guarded. She said they were happy to make it out after driving toward the exit and getting stuck several times over the course of two days. But Bishop, who traveled from Boston for her second Burning Man, said spirits were still high at the festival when they had left. Most people she spoke with said they planned to stay for the ceremonial burns. 'The spirit in there was really like, 'We're going to take care of each other and make the best of it,'' she said. Rebecca Barger, a photographer from Philadelphia, arrived at her first Burning Man on August 26 and was determined to stick it out through the end. 'Everyone has just adapted, sharing RVs for sleeping, offering food and coffee,' Barger said. 'I danced in foot-deep clay for hours to incredible DJs.' EastEnders' Ben Mitchell is furious as he discovers Emma Harding's return and bans her from seeing granddaughter Lexi in upcoming scenes. Patsy Kensit, 55, who plays tragic Lola Pearces mum Emma, departed Walford back in March with her character seen struggling to cope with her daughter's terminal illness. And in upcoming episodes, Jay finds out Lexi has been in contact with Emma again, after being cagey with her phone. Lexi has been messaging her for weeks, saying that shes really worried about her. Jay throws Emma out, but Callum - Ben's partner - pleads with Jay to listen for his daughter's sake. Trouble: Ben Mitchell is furious as he discovers Emma Harding's return and bans her from seeing granddaughter Lexi Exit: Patsy Kensit, 55, who plays tragic Lola Pearces mum Emma, departed Walford back in March with her character seen struggling to cope with her daughter's terminal illness Later, Kathy tells Jay to put Lexi's feelings first after losing mother Lola, as she loves her grandma. Jay is heartbroken when Emma shows him the anguished messages Lexi has been sending her as Lexi didn't want to upset her dads further. Jay then promises to speak to Ben about letting Emma see Lexi, but his reaction is not what the family hoped for. EastEnders bosses have been left seriously impressed with Patsy after she returned to the hit BBC soap for a second time. The actress departed Walford back in March with her character seen struggling to cope with her daughter's terminal illness. Patsy returned last month briefly for Lola's emotional funeral and made quite the impression on BBC bosses. Soap sources have now revealed that she has been back on set filming and is a 'big hit' with the rest of the cast. Angry: Jay then promises to speak to Ben about letting Emma see Lexi, but his reaction is not what the family hoped for Family: Kathy tells Jay to put Lexi's feelings first after losing mother Lola, as she loves her grandma An insider told The Mirror: 'Patsy has been back in Albert Square filming on multiple occasions this month so it seems fans have not seen the last of Emma. 'Patsy has really impressed the bosses, and is a big hit with the rest of the cast. She loves the show too, so she was thrilled to be asked to return as Emma. 'She, like audiences, had thought her cameo appearance at Lolas funeral was her last on the Square.' Lola, played by Danielle Harold, was at the centre of one of the BBC soaps most emotional storylines after she developed a brain tumour. Lolas mum Emma, who abandoned her when she was just three, arrived in Walford after Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) hunted her down. But their family reunion was short-lived after Lolas husband Jay (Jamie Borthwick) told Emma to either stick around for good or leave and soon after she left. 'She is a big hit': The actress, 55, who plays tragic Lola Pearces mum Emma Harding, departed Walford back in March before making another appearance last month At the British Soap Awards, actress Danielle picked up the Best Leading Performer for Lolas cancer storyline, while EastEnders won the gong for Best British Soap. Mum-of-two Patsy said she had an 'awesome experience' while appearing on EastEnders. She gushed on social media: 'Cannot thank my amazing cast members [enough] for being so kind and loving to me. 'Big thank you to the BBC, the producers, writers, crew and the EastEnders familyJamie and Danielle for making me laugh my a**e off everyday. I love you both Emma Barton so so many people.' Stacey Solomon has revealed she's in the 'non-romantic' phase of her relationship with husband Joe Swash. The TV personality, 33, also ruled out having another baby, as she admitted she couldn't cope with welcoming a sixth new addition. While taking part in a photoshoot in her Essex Home, Pickle Cottage, Stacey - who married Joe in July 2022 - told OK! Magazine: 'I think me and Joe are in our non-romantic era. 'It is important just to get time for us, but we're at that stage in our life where that's not really possible. We recently went to a friend's wedding and had a night together, which was really lovely, but outside of that it's once or twice a year that happens.' Stacey and Joe are parents to Rose, 15 months, Rex, three and seven-month-old Bell. Opening up: Stacey Solomon has revealed she's in the 'non-romantic' phase of her relationship with husband Joe Swash No more: The TV personality, 33, also ruled out having another baby, as she admitted she couldn't cope with welcoming a sixth new addition While Stacey also shares son Leighton, 10, with ex-partner Aaron Barham, and eldest Zachery, 14, with Dean Cox. Joe is also a father to son Harry, 15, who he shares with his ex-fiancee Emma Sophocleous. The on-screen star has ruled out having more children, saying: 'We don't want any more we cannot cope with it. 'Yeah, we wanted all these kids and we're so grateful to have them. So we will get romantic but in 20 years' time.' The pair recently returned from a lavish holiday in Turkey with their kids. Stacey hit back over criticism of her 3,000-a-week family trip to Turkey which sparked backlash. She spent time soaking up the sun with her family at the luxury Regnum Carya resort in Antalya, Turkey. The lavish resort boasts its own private beach, 15 bars, an epic waterpark, eight pools, and 10 a la carte restaurants, as well as a patisseries on site and a lavish spa. After a wave of backlash to the lavish trip she said on her Story on Tuesday night that fans should 'unfollow' her if her getaway pictures 'didn't make them feel good'. Family: Stacey and Joe recently returned from a lavish holiday in Turkey with their kids Zachary, 15, Leighton, 11, Rex, 4, Rose, 1 and six-month-old Belle And now she has doubled down in another post where she said she had only had 'two holidays abroad in the last three years'. It came as she answered a Q&A from fans about her holiday as she penned: 'Loads of you asking if I know about any other places nearby or similar hotels in different price ranges etc... 'I've only been to two places abroad in the last 3 years so I know nothing but I asked Suzi @trendingtravel & she sent me a link of the deals she thought were good ones. Different price ranges, prices and things to do. Hope this helps!' On Tuesday Stacey told fans to 'unfollow' her after jetting off on 3k-a-week holiday sparked backlash. In an Instagram story post, Stacey appeared to hit back as she posted a family snap. She wrote: 'I'll do a little holiday Q&A while I'm on my way to work tomorrow night so feel free to ask away.' Stacey added: 'If me sharing our holiday doesn't make you feel good then unfollow or just mute me or something. I love coming on here and sharing things so much and I love our community on here. 'All I ever want is to take you on the adventure with us and hopefully make you smile along the way.' She continued to post more photos after sending out the message.' Career move: Interiors enthusiast Stacey announced on Tuesday an exclusive partnership with George at Asda Interiors enthusiast Stacey announced on Tuesday an exclusive partnership with George at Asda. In a post on her Instagram, which has over 5.7m followers, Stacey shared the exciting news that she will launching her very own homeware collection ' At Home with Stacey Solomon Exclusively for George Home' with the homeware brand. Over a year in the making, the 200+ piece collecAon is designed by Stacey and features items for the whole home across bath, bed, dining, living and accessories. Stacey said: 'I am beyond excited to be launching my very first collecAon with George Home! As someone who's obsessed with interiors, I'm always snooping in the George Home aisle They always have great quality ranges at an affordable price and that was really important when it came to designing my own. 'I've loved the whole process of creaAng each piece. There's lots of my own style in the designs, from the olive leaf theme that's inspired by the trees at Pickle CoSage to my very own Peanut and Teddy paSern. I hope people love it as much as I do!' Wegmans has been forced to refund customers after a glitch meant they were charged twice. The mishap affected shoppers who paid via credit card during August, with complaints cropping up at stores in Massachusetts and New York. And many took to social media to complain about being left out-of-pocket. One customer in New York raged on social media on August 17: '@wegmans as if your prices weren't already high enough, I was doubled charged by the Chili Paul location yesterday. What are you to do for everyone involved?' In a response to the customer, a spokesman for the chain explained it was aware of a widespread issue. 'We recently identified an issue with credit card transactions processed on August 16' Wegmans wrote. A customer recently tweeted that they were overcharged at a Wegmans location in Chili Paul, New York. The supermarket chain responded quickly to the complete on X, formerly known as Twitter The Wegmans supermarket in Chili Paul, New York is one of the many stores that is part of the New York-based chain. There are over 100 locations throughout the US The supermarket chain responded almost immediately to the customer's complaint on social media - confirming the issue that caused this overcharge 'Some credit card transactions were inadvertently charged twice for their order.' The spokesperson continued: 'We are working with our processor to reverse the charges. Customers will see this reversed in the upcoming days.' Wegmans shoppers in Massachusetts were also overcharged due to a processing error on August 16. A Wegmans spokesperson said: 'Some credit card transactions were inadvertently charged twice for their order, however, EBT and debit card transactions were not affected unless they were processed as credit at the customer's request.' The company began reaching out to customers after their overcharging complaints in August - confirming when to expect refunds. 'Customers who have not already seen the charges reversed should see the duplicate charges refunded in the upcoming days,' Wegmans stated. It is unclear if all five Wegmans locations in Massachusetts were affected by the same error made in New York. Complaints of overcharge also occurred at Wegmans Massachusetts location. There are currently 5 Wegmans in Massachusetts The grocery store chain is not the only company to fall into this issue. Customers at Walmart and Sam's Club also faced overcharging at select Alabama stores The news of the overcharge came shortly before Walmart and Sam's Club customers realized they too were paying more money than they needed to. Shoppers in Alabama complained that they were being overcharged on sales tax after the state changed its tax base rate on food from 4% to 3% on September 1. A Walmart spokesperson told WAFF: 'Earlier today, some Walmart customers and Sams Club members across were incorrectly overcharged sales tax while shopping with us.' 'Our systems mistakenly charged both the old rate and the new rate at the time of sale' they continued. Not all of the chains Alabama locations experienced the issue, but the matter was in the process of being resolved. 'Were asking potentially impacted customers to take their receipts to their nearby stores or clubs for a refund of the higher sales tax' the Walmart spokesperson stated. Daily Mail has reached out to Wegmans for comment. The Paris prosecutor's office announced on Monday September 4 that it had opened an investigation to determine the circumstances of the death of two holidaymakers, including a Franco-Moroccan, killed by gunfire attributed to Algerian coast guards. This investigation, pending the Moroccan investigation, was opened for intentional homicide and entrusted to the criminal brigade of the Paris judicial police, said the prosecution. In particular, it must provide a legal framework for collecting information. For their part, the lawyers for the families of the two victims announced on Sunday the filing of a complaint in Paris for "aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, hijacking of a ship and failure to assist a person in danger". It should be filed on Tuesday, one of the lawyers Me Hakim Chergui told Agence France-Presse. According to the testimony of a 33-year-old Franco-Moroccan, Mohamed Kissi, four vacationers, including himself, got lost at sea during a jet-ski trip on August 29. Leaving from the beach of Saidia (north-eastern Morocco), on the border with Algeria, they were joined by an Algerian coastguard boat, which fired on them, he said. A 29-year-old Franco-Moroccan merchant His brother Bilal Kissi, a 29-year-old Franco-Moroccan trader and father of two young children, and his cousin Abdelali Mechouar (or Mchiouer), a 40-year-old trader living in France and father of a 5-year-old child, were killed. A friend, Smail Snabe, Franco-Moroccan, was arrested by the Algerian coastguards. Mohamed Kissi was rescued by the Moroccan navy. The prosecution of Oujda, a city in northeastern Morocco bordering Algeria, ordered the next day the opening of an investigation to determine the circumstances "of a violent incident at sea", according to a judicial source at the Moroccan agency MAP. On Sunday, the Algerian Ministry of Defense explained that the coastguards had intercepted "three jet skis having smuggled across our territorial waters". Despite "a sound warning" and verbal summons, "the defendants refused to comply and fled by performing dangerous maneuvers", according to the ministry. After several "warning shots", "shots were fired forcing one of the jet skis to come to a stop, while the other two fled", added the ministry, recalling the "increased activity of drug gangs and organized crime" in this border area. Venice will test a ticket system starting next spring that will force those who come to spend the day in the historic Italian city to pay 5 euros ($5.36), in an attempt to stem the flood of tourists. The Executive Council of the City Council has supported the project weeks after Unesco recommended adding Venice to its list of world heritage in danger, partly because of the impact of mass tourism. "Regulating the flow of tourists in some periods is necessary, but this does not mean closing the city," said the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro. "Venice will always be open to everyone," he adds. The project, long debated, still has to be approved by the City Council as a whole. Many details remain to be finalized, such as how many tickets can be reserved. The Executive Council agreed to test the system for 30 days, likely during the holidays and weekends in the spring and summer of 2024. The inhabitants, non-resident workers, students and children under 14 years of age will be exempt, as well as tourists who spend the night in the city. "The objective is to discourage daily tourism in certain periods, given the fragility and uniqueness of the city," the local authorities said in a statement. Probably, residents of the Veneto region, where Venice is located, do not have to pay either, although they do have to book the visit, they explain. With the new system, Venice will be "a global pioneer", highlights Simone Venturini, councilor in the Tourism area. Venturini has stressed that the city does not seek to obtain benefits, since the tax will only serve to cover the costs of the system, but to find "a new balance between the rights of those who live, study or work in Venice and those who visit the city". On July 31, UNESCO warned that Venice is at risk of "irreversible" damage from climate change and mass tourism. The recommendation to include the city in its list of world heritage in danger will be discussed at the meeting that UNESCO's World Heritage Committee will hold in Riyadh this month. The largest rhinoceros farm in the world, set up in South Africa by a millionaire with the ambitious project of saving the species from poaching but who had been struggling for months to find a buyer, was finally bought by an NGO. African Parks, an organization to which Prince Harry is linked and which manages around twenty protected parks on the continent, announced on Monday, September 4, to be the new owner of the 7,800 hectares of land located less than 200 km to the south-west. Johannesburg and the 2,000 white rhinos they contain, representing 15% of the species' global population. "African Parks has become the new owner of Platinum Rhino, the largest private captive rhino breeding company in the world," the NGO said in a statement. Wealthy businessman John Hume, 81, opened the farm in 2009. Burdened by the exorbitant costs of his vast project, he put his property up for auction in April, saying he was looking for another "millionaire" to take over. raises. Rhinoceros breeding is an expensive hobby, the breeder conceded in an interview with AFP before the sale, adding that he had run out of money. Hume, who did not respond to a request for comment on Monday, said he spent a total of $150 million on saving the large mammal. "No offers have been received, putting these rhinos at great risk of poaching," African Parks said. The organization's CEO, Peter Fearnhead, quoted in the statement, said he had a "moral obligation to find a solution for these declining wild animals", even though he originally "never had the intention to own a captive rhino breeding business". The NGO, which did not specify the amount disbursed, received support from the South African government and conservation bodies, as well as financial assistance for the buyout. Less than 13,000 specimens South Africa is home to almost 80% of the world's white rhino population, estimated today at less than 13,000 individuals. The country has become a poaching hotspot, driven by demand from Asia, where keratin horns (the same substance as human fingernails or hair) are used in traditional medicine for their purported therapeutic or aphrodisiac effects. In 2022, 448 rhinos were killed in the country, according to the government, despite tightened anti-poaching measures in national parks. The horn thieves, whose price per kilo on the black market rivals the price of gold and reaches 60,000 dollars, have adapted their strategy and are now attacking private parks, which are more vulnerable. South Africa's Minister for Forests, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, in the statement hailed an "important agreement". The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has applauded a "lifeline thrown to a near-threatened species". African Parks plans to reintroduce farmed rhinos into the wild over the next ten years, including relocating them to protected areas in Africa. "This is one of the largest species rewilding projects on the continent," the NGO said, noting that the goal is to "reduce the risk to the species in the future and phase out to the breeding project". One of the strategies to fight against the massacre of rhinos is to preventively cut the coveted horns, which can then grow back. In South Africa, domestic trade in rhino horn is permitted although controversial but export is illegal. John Hume had organized an online sale of horns in 2017 to raise funds and finance conservation, provoking the indignation of the defenders of the environment. : The Government is looking to engage an asset valuer for valuing assets and providing assistance in strategic disinvestment of IDBI Bank. The government along with the LIC is selling about 61 per cent stake in IDBI Bank and has received multiple Expressions of Interest (EoI) for the same. Currently, the government and RBI are in process of vetting bids received. Security clearance from government and fit and proper clearance from RBI would be necessary for bidders to move to second stage of bidding process which is due diligence and subsequent invitation of financial bids. The Department of Investment & Public Asset Management (DIPAM), on behalf of Gol and LIC, on Monday floated an RFP to engage a reputed Asset Valuer Entity -registered with Insolvency & Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), to act as the Asset Valuer for undertaking the IDBI Bank assets valuation and provide requisite assistance in the process of strategic disinvestment of IDBI Bank, till the completion of the transaction. The last date to submit bids is October 9. The asset valuer would be required to value IDBI Banks investments (including investments in subsidiaries and associates and joint ventures and affiliates, as applicable); loans & advances; fixed assets and other assets. The banks liabilities include deposits, borrowings and other liabilities and provisions. The asset valuer shall work closely with transaction advisor and legal advisor appointed by DIPAM. The contract (of asset valuer) in respect of the assignment shall be initially valid for a period of 3 (three) years from the date of issue of appointment letter and shall be extendable by 1 (one) more year on existing terms and conditions, the RFP said. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in May, 2021, had approved strategic disinvestment of GoI and LICs equity, along with transfer of management control, in IDBI Bank. Following this, DIPAM, which manages government holding in state-owned enterprises, in October, 2022, invited EoIs for selling 30.48 per cent stake in IDBI Bank, along with 30.24 per cent stake of LIC. As of March 2023, LIC holds 49.24 per cent, while the government holds 45.48 per cent in IDBI Bank. After the strategic sale, the government and LIC will own 15 per cent and 19 per cent respectively in IDBI Bank, taking their total holding to 34 per cent. The investors who have put in EoIs have already submitted with their preliminary bids required information to secure fit and proper and security clearance. Shares of IDBI Bank closed at Rs 64.96, up 8.03 per cent over previous close on the BSE. The Opposition has managed to cobble up a formidable alliance, though several issues are yet to be settled, including seat sharing The newly formed Opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A. took a positive step last week in cementing a solid coalition in Mumbai. This decision was made during their third meeting, preceded by two previous conferences in Patna and Bengaluru. Their goal is to replicate the 1977 or 2004 scenario where the weaker Opposition won against the ruling dispensation. Representatives from 28 political parties gathered for a two-day meeting on Thursday and Friday in Mumbai. Sixty-three attendees discussed a shared campaign strategy and ways to counter the NDA. Following the meeting, the alliance declared they would participate in the election "together to the best of their ability." They will begin organizing state seat-sharing arrangements immediately, using a "collaborative spirit of compromise." Additionally, they aim to hold public rallies nationwide as soon as possible. A 13-member coordination was also set up. The Opposition leaders realise there are many obstacles to overcome, both internal and external. The coalition faces a challenge in negotiating seat-sharing with regional parties. The I.N.D.I.A. team faces the difficult task of overcoming inherent contradictions among coalition partners. They must agree on a give-and-take policy for seamless seat allocation and collaborate at the grassroots level. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi acknowledged it. For example, in Delhi and Punjab, Congress and AAP are political rivals, while Trinamool Congress, the Left parties, and Congress share common interests in West Bengal. The Left and Congress also have a shared stake in Kerala. Mamata Banerjee suggested releasing the bloc's manifesto by October 2nd, while Arvind Kejriwal proposed finalizing the seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha elections by the end of next month. The main thing is to boost the morale of its workers, which has been affected by the BJP's ten-year tenure. Many are unwilling to endure another five years in the political wilderness. Therefore, choosing the most suitable candidate and reaching a consensus on specific seats is crucial. The give-and-take policy can help in this regard. It is also vital to ensure the victory of their candidate and the commitment of everyone in their group, including ground-level workers. These workers are confused about how to support a party they have been fighting against till yesterday. There are other issues which are yet to be decided. The coalition must identify a viable candidate to challenge Modi and develop a new narrative. There is yet to be a consensus on the convenor or the Prime Ministerial face. In all these, Congress remains the only pan-national Party in the block. Despite experiencing a decline in strength over the past decade, the Congress Party remains the only political entity with nationwide appeal. In the 2019 general elections, the Congress won 52 seats and came second in 196 seats. They received over 12 crores of votes, while the combined opposition bloc received less. Any change in their fortunes could significantly impact the country's politics. The Congress and BJP are facing a direct contest in one-third of the Lok Sabha seats. The Party still holds a significant amount of influence in Punjab, Assam, Karnataka, Kerala, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Goa, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland, which together account for 155 Lok Sabha seats. One significant concern is when the next elections will take place. The BJP may be hesitant to call for early general elections due to their previous experience. in 2004, they were expected to win, but the Congress-led UPA. surprisingly defeated them. The BJP has a strong presence in the Hindi heartland but has yet to make substantial progress in the South, with 129 seats up for grabs. However, some opposition chief ministers, such as Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee, M.K. Stalin, and Arvind Kejriwal, speculate that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections may occur sooner. It could coincide with the upcoming Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Mizoram, and Telangana. Additionally, the B.J.P. has advocated the 'one nation -one election' idea. There is no confirmed news on whether the Lok Sabha elections will be advanced. Neither the B.J.P. nor the Election Commission has provided any indication. The final decision rests with Prime Minister Modi, known for making unexpected choices. The BJP considers Modi to be their lucky charm. The Party governs ten states, and four states with the coalition lead the N.D.A. coalition with over 55% of the seats in the Lok Sabha. Modi aims to take advantage of the Opposition's chaos to win a third term. The BJP has made thorough preparations for every conceivable situation. It has mobilized around 40,000 booth workers to cover 100,000 booths across all 543 parliamentary constituencies. The ruling Party keeps its plans secret and aims to reduce the Opposition's influence while maintaining its strength. This includes neutrality with parties like BJD, YSRCP, and BRS. Their ultimate objective is to prevent funds from flowing to the opposing side while getting more funds for BJP. The next few months will see feverish activities in both camps. Modi's popularity, BJP's financial resources, and strong organization may still give the ruling Party an edge. Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, and Mizoram could be a trailer of what's to come. (The writer is a popular columnist; views expressed are personal) Reviving borewells, harnessing solar power and embracing data-driven solutions is need of the hour, writes Kiran Ramaraj Breaking a 50-year-old rainfall record, Himachal Pradesh, this year, witnessed unprecedented destruction as relentless rainfall caused devastating floods. Experts label it a 'man-made' catastrophe of the Himalayas, attributing the destruction to soil vulnerabilities, failed drainage systems, debris dumping in rivers, and unchecked illegal mining at riverbeds. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research reports that 54% of India's total area faces high to extremely high water stress, and 29% of the country's land suffers from degradation, impacting the lives of nearly 600 million Indians. Deforestation also poses a significant concern, with around 3,34,000 hectares of primary rainforest lost. Despite efforts to curb unauthorized tree cutting, development pressures lead to substantial losses as land is diverted for industrialization, roads, and irrigation projects. As per a Lancet study, this results in severe pollution, causing over 2.3 million premature deaths, including 1.6 million from air pollution and more than 500,000 from water pollution. These environmental challenges further compound erratic weather patterns attributed to climate change. To shape a world where nature thrives and future generations flourish, collective action is key. Policymakers and government agencies wield significant influence in facilitating the adoption of sustainable practices among farmers and rural communities. By considering behavioural factors like beliefs, social background, and knowledge, policymakers can design effective policies. Today, farmers are encouraged to embrace sustainable techniques through financial support in the form of subsidies and incentives. Notable success stories like the 'Zero Budget Natural Farming initiative in Andhra Pradesh' and the 'Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana' exemplify the transformative impact of such endeavours, resulting in enhanced yields, cost savings, and ecological resilience. Initiatives, such as the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, and Soil Health Card Scheme, offer indispensable financial and technical support to farmers which can lead to increased crop yields, reduced input costs, and improved water quality. Addressing the pressing issue of water scarcity, schemes like the 'Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana' promote the adoption of efficient irrigation practices. Parallelly, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) scheme and the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) are playing a crucial role in promoting renewable energy and solar pumps in India. These government-led initiatives, coupled with stakeholder collaborations, have fostered the growth of India's start-up ecosystem. These start-ups now spearhead groundbreaking solutions, from optimizing water usage to promoting sustainable practices, forging a powerful transition from vision to action. One such example is Urdhvam which has designed and developed Bore Charger, a sustainable technology to revive failing and low-yielding borewells with very low investment. By increasing the water-yielding capacity of existing borewells and replenishing water in deep confined aquifers, the enterprise contributes to the conservation of water resources. BoreCharger increases the rainwater recharge rate of a borewell by 2 to 20 times, improves quantum by 4 to 60 lakh litres and enhances longevity by 1 to 6 months along with better water quality. Start-ups, as drivers of innovation, play a significant role in implementing sustainable strategies. Uniting both public and private efforts, India can make significant strides in sustainable development. This approach will prevent man-made catastrophes while also promoting economic growth. (The writer is Associate Sector Lead, Climate Action) Our lunar and solar missions were carried out using indigenous technologies at highly competitive rates The kingmakers of the next century will be those who make a presence in other celestial bodies in outer space. The successful launching of Chandrayaan -3 followed by the launch of Aditya L1 made India a leading player in space research and exploration. We are on the list of select countries that have made their scientific presence both on the moon and sun explorations. Our first solar mission Aditya-L1 lifted off from the launch pad at Sriharikota on 2nd September at 11:50 IST and will travel 1.5 million km (932,000 miles) from the Earth, before reaching the designated Lagrange point (L1) after 135 days, if everything goes as planned. Lagrange Points, named after the French mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange is a spot where the gravitational forces of the Sun and the Earth cancel each other out, allowing a spacecraft to "hover". Lagrange points are used in space exploration and astronomy because they provide stable positions where spacecraft and observatories can maintain a consistent relative position concerning multiple celestial bodies. This stability is particularly valuable for missions that require continuous observations of distant objects, such as telescopes studying the cosmos or spacecraft monitoring the Sun. There are five Lagrange points in the Earth-Sun system, among them L1 is close to Earth and allows for an unobstructed view of the Sun without being hindered by eclipses or occultation. This will allow scientists to study solar activities and their impact on space weather in real-time. Once the Aditya spacecraft reaches the L1 parking area, it will be able to orbit the Sun at the same rate as the Earth. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a joint NASA-European Space Agency mission that launched in December 1995, is already positioned at L1. The Aditya L1 is equipped with seven payloads, namely the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph, Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope, Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer, High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer, Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment, Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya, and Advanced Tri-axial High-Resolution Digital Magnetometers. The seven scientific instruments carried in the orbiter will observe and study the dynamics of the turbulent star sun. Four of them will view the Sun directly, while the other three will carry out in-situ measurements to explore the nature of the space weather that the Sun generates in interplanetary space. The payloads of Aditya L1 are anticipated to offer vital data for comprehending the phenomenon of coronal heating, coronal mass ejection, pre-flare and flare activity, as well as their features. The solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME) can affect our planet Earth. Intense CMEs that hit our planet, for example, trigger geomagnetic storms that can disrupt satellite navigation and power grids. India currently has more than 50 satellites in orbit, which provide a variety of important services to the country, including communication links, weather data, and forecasting pest infestations, droughts, and impending disasters. According to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), approximately 10,290 satellites remain in Earth's orbit, with nearly 7,800 of them functioning. Space weather has an impact on satellite performance. Solar winds or storms can destroy satellite equipment and potentially bring power grids down. Knowing about the Sun's activities, such as solar wind or a solar eruption, a couple of days ahead of time will allow us to relocate our satellites. This will help to extend the life of our space satellites. Both our lunar and solar missions were carried out using indigenous technologies. The impetus given to space research in recent years, especially by PM Narendra Modi needs to be lauded. (The writer is a science communicator and an adjunct faculty at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore) Lord Krishna imparts invaluable guidance on leading a purposeful, spiritually enriched life In Shrimad Bhagavad Gita which is a 700-verse interaction between Lord Krishna & Arjuna, Universal Teacher Lord Shri Krishna has enlightened us with life goal irrespective of caste creed or sect Dharma (Duty and Righteousness): One of the central themes of the Bhagavad Gita is the importance of fulfilling one's duty or dharma. Arjuna faces a moral dilemma on the battlefield and seeks guidance from Lord Krishna. Krishna emphasizes the significance of performing one's duty without attachment to the results, as it upholds the cosmic order and maintains the harmony of society. Detachment and Non-Attachment: Lord Krishna advises Arjuna to perform his duty without being attached to the outcomes. This lesson teaches the importance of detachment from the fruits of one's actions, emphasizing that the pursuit of success and happiness should not be the sole motivation for action. Self-Realization: Lord Krishna encourages self-inquiry and introspection. He teaches that the true self, the Atman, is eternal and beyond the physical body. By understanding one's true nature, individuals can overcome fear, sorrow, and ego. Yoga and Meditation: Lord Krishna discusses various paths of yoga, including Karma Yoga (the yoga of action), Bhakti Yoga (the yoga of devotion), Jnana Yoga (the yoga of knowledge), and Dhyana Yoga (the yoga of meditation). These paths offer different ways to attain spiritual growth and self-realization. Equality and Non-Discrimination: Lord Krishna underscores the idea that all individuals are equal and that one should treat everyone with respect and compassion, regardless of their social status, caste, or background. Resilience and Courage: Arjuna is counselled by Lord Krishna to be brave in the face of challenges and to stand up for what is right. This lesson emphasizes the importance of resilience, courage, and not succumbing to adversity. Control of the Mind: Lord Krishna teaches the importance of controlling the mind, which can be tumultuous and unsteady. Practising mental discipline and mindfulness can help overcome distractions and lead to better decision-making. Surrender to the Divine: Lord Krishna encourages surrendering one's ego and will to the divine or cosmic forces. This surrender is not a sign of weakness, but rather a recognition of the interconnectedness of all things and a way to find inner peace. Balance in Life: The concept of balancing various aspects of life is emphasized by Lord Krishna in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. Balancing one's material and spiritual pursuits, as well as managing responsibilities and self-care, are important for leading a harmonious life. Continuous Self-Improvement: Lord Krishna teaches that growth is a continuous process. It encourages individuals to constantly improve themselves intellectually, morally, and spiritually. Compassion and Service: Lord Shri Krishna in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita promotes compassion for all beings and highlights the importance of selfless service to others as a way to contribute positively to society. Lord Shri Krishna endeavours to impart invaluable guidance through Shrimad Bhagavad Gita on leading a purposeful, spiritually enriched life. The teachings offered therein encapsulate a treasure trove of lessons, applicable to individuals, parents, siblings, friends, partners, and leaders. In these teachings, one can discern a wealth of wisdom waiting to be embraced and integrated into our lives. (The author is the Spiritual Guru of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness) Chandan Mitra was a sophomore, a dog lover and, yes, a damn good editor: The man I knew before he became the editor of The Pioneer Chandan, I met when he was Resident Editor, Hindustan Times in the early 1990s when I was full of reporting on Nepal. In those days, I had not graduated to the edit page of HT. Chandan let me into the pages of HT with my news and analysis pieces. One that especially broke news was on Sumdorong Chu with the late Shri Jaswant Singh of BJP asking: Why are we vacating our territory. The question is being asked now by Congress on why we have surrendered territory in East Ladakh to China. Chandans advice to me then was: General, look beyond Nepal. The most beautiful and scintillating Ritu Beri, then a rising star in the fashion world in its infancy in India at the time, helped to cement our relationship. She became an icon and in many ways, still is. But Chandan is no longer around to admire her talent. Chandan established his mark as a journalist at HT, sharpening his own and others political instincts. My association with The Pioneer predated Chandan becoming its editor-in-chief. Vinod Mehta then editor took my first article titled: Too Early to Blame LTTE which was patently an inaccurate assessment of Prabhakaran and his warped thinking on Eelam. With a brief break from The Pioneer, I returned to the edit page when Chandan took charge and I am perhaps the longest-lasting contributor to the edit page. Chandans political career in BJP came at a time when my friends and associates in the party included Maj Jaswant Singh who was my batchmate at the National Defence Academy and George Fernandes who invariably rose to support the underdog and tried to rescue me from the shenanigans of the establishment. Chandan chose to part from the BJP when the current dispensation elected to change the rise of India from a liberal democratic framework to the majoritarian Gujarat model. Most of the Vajpayee team was marginalized which included Chandan. But while still there, he followed a middle path. As the convenor of the longest-running India-Pakistan Track II dialogue under the auspices of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Berlin, I got him to join the first breaking the ice seminar at Kathmandu in 2003 following the terrorist attack on Parliament in December 2001 and the one-year long Operation Parakram that followed. Since the Kathmandu seminar, Chandan attended several other India-Pakistan dialogues initially as a journalist and later as BJP Member of Parliament. His understanding of Pakistan was very special as he had friends across the Radcliffe Line. Pakistan was different under President Gen Pervez Musharraf. It was the most eventful period in India-Pakistan relations when LoC was generally violence-free and the Army was able to construct the fencing. Infiltration was reduced by 55 per cent and by April 2007, the backchannel interlocutors had arrived at the four-point Kashmir formula. I recall we were at Bangkoks Park Hotel for the annual India-Pakistan dialogue when Chandan, having met Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs special envoy, Satinder Lambah, spoke about the likely fruition of the back-channel he was engaged in with his Pakistani counterpart. Unfortunately, there were political difficulties for Dr Manmohan Singh and domestic troubles for Musharraf in Pakistan. Chandan was very suspicious about the Kashmir formula and his hunch proved correct when in 2008, Mumbai happened. The India-Pakistan dialogue was being held in Singapore days after the terrorist attack. If I recall correctly, Chandan refused to participate in the seminar. He later said that Lashkar e Taiba orchestrated by the Pakistan Army killed the four-point Kashmir formula. And the rest, as they say, is history. The last India-Pakistan seminar that Chandan attended was held in Dubai just before COVID-19 when fellow journalist Aroon Purie of India Today was also part of the Indian team of participants. It was here once again on the sidelines of the conference that Chandans prolific repertoire of Indian films and music came to the fore. Chandan got on famously with Pakistans former Interior Minister and close confidant of Musharraf, Lt Gen Moinuddin Haider. After sunset, a combination of Single Malt, Begun Akhtar and Shayari would hold the seminarists and the German organisers spellbound. COVID interrupted our India-Pakistan peace process. Chandan took ill and one did not realise how unwell he was. When The Pioneer shifted from Patriot House to NOIDA, we had planned to meet. But that never happened. One other passion we shared was our love for dogs. After we lost our greatest friend on the day Prabhakaran was killed in Sri Lanka, The Pioneer carried my column Goodbye Snoopy. Shobori, Chandans wife, also a lifelong journalist, is holding the fort now. The Pioneer has gone through a difficult time after Chandan. But problems are on the mend. So, Chandan, wherever you are, enjoy Patiala, listen to Begum Akhtar and be reassured The Pioneer is in good hands. Chandan, we miss you. (The writer, a retired Major General, was Commander, IPKF South, Sri Lanka, and founder member of the Defence Planning Staff, currently the Integrated Defence Staff. The views expressed are personal) Digital transformation and automation require upskilling and those who do, will be the best fit for the industry in the time to come The world has been captivated by the remarkable journey of Chandrayaan-3 to the lunar south pole. India's triumphant moon landing underscores the significance of blending basic scientific expertise with ingenuity and pursuing ambitious objectives despite prior setbacks. This accomplishment showcases the potential of the Indian workforce and their determination to surpass their limitations. We can draw valuable lessons from this moonshot success and apply them to improve the skills of workers in other fields of employment. Like Chandrayaan-3, we must strive for innovative skills and push the limits of what can be achieved to attain success. Both employers and employees need to establish their ambitious objectives, known as "moonshot goals." These goals should challenge us to push past our limitations and strive for something that may seem impossible. Accomplishing such goals requires a combination of skill and attitude, and requires meticulous planning and execution. By setting moonshot goals, India can prepare itself to become a global leader in skilled workforce. To empower the world's largest workforce with essential skills for the long term, a moonshot effort is required. The economy is rapidly changing, and technological advancements are accelerating at an even faster pace. In today's globalized world, the demand for a skilled workforce is constantly growing. However, many companies and employees are struggling to keep up with the changing needs of the present and the future, hindering their ability to thrive. The skills gap is a significant problem, with a staggering 58% of employees requiring new skills to perform their jobs with excellence, according to Gartner. Upskilling, the process of expanding an employee's skill set, is a crucial solution to this global challenge. The World Economic Forum (WEF) released a report in 2021 highlighting the economic imperative of upskilling. The report argues that embarking on an upskilling revolution is critical for entrepreneurs. This allows employees to immerse themselves in the future of work, stay ahead of the competition, and help grow the economy by trillions of dollars. In recent years, India has been making efforts to shift from a labour-based economy to one that focuses on honing skills. The World Bank recently gave a nod to a $250 million Skill India Mission Operation. This initiative aims to enhance the marketability of short-term skill development programs lasting anywhere from three to twelve months. By 2025, it is expected that 70% of India's population will reach working age. However, there is uncertainty regarding whether they will be able to secure employment. It is crucial to provide skill development training to the younger generation as it is essential for the nation's growth. Failing to do so could pose a significant challenge to India's demographic advantage. Unfortunately, Skill India has not been able to achieve the expected success due to a lack of training infrastructure and insufficient private-sector involvement. Skill India Mission and skill development of the new generation is a national need, important to building a strong foundation of Aatam-Nirbhar Bharat. Under the aegis of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas every youth is likely to be empowered with skill wings from school time to achieve a successful career. Skilling Indias youth should undoubtedly be a high priority. However, government initiatives to improve Indias skilling track record have not been very satisfactory yet. An analysis by the Sharda Prasad Committee on Skill India Reforms (2016) found that skill development courses often offered limited value to their employment opportunities. While some skilling schemes have since been restructured, the problem has not been fully addressed. For instance, when the government introduced the Garib Kalyan Rozgar Yojana (GKRY) in 2020 to address skilling and unemployment issues that emerged in the wake of reverse migration, it did not pan out as anticipated. Many reports suggest that GKRYs market demand-driven skilling initiatives were not successful; they did not reach the intended beneficiaries. This hints at a systemic problem that affects the talent ecosystem in India. The number of skilled and certified workers is not meeting the demand, causing a significant imbalance. The International Labor Organization (ILO) predicts that by 2030, India could face a shortage of about 29 million skilled employees. Currently, there is a shortage of skilled workers in companies, while there are many educated individuals in the country who are unemployed. Unemployment is a significant problem that can be reduced by enhancing people's skills. India is expected to contribute 25% of the global workforce in the next few years. Failure to skill, re-skill and up-skill our young population will prevent us from fulfilling our global responsibilities. Regular global skill gap assessments are necessary, and recruitment patterns need to shift from "degree-based" to "skill-based." To address these issues, the National Skills Universities Bill 2015 proposes the establishment of National Skills Universities (NSU). Organizations can also benefit from upskilling their employees, but the highest return on investment is achieved when priority areas and skills are identified based on company goals and vision. Company leaders should prioritize skills that will have the biggest impact and focus on upskilling employees in those areas. Upskilling can lead to increased employee engagement and retention by providing growth opportunities for employees within the company. This can prevent employees from leaving their roles due to a perceived lack of career advancement. By investing in upskilling, companies can also save significant costs associated with employee turnover. On average, it costs around a third of an employee's annual salary to replace them when they leave a company. As a recruiting tool, companies can provide growth opportunities to attract job seekers. 86% of employees consider job training essential. A culture of learning can boost morale, teamwork, and satisfaction. According to PwC data, 77% of workers want to upskill. Upskilling employees can help them advance in their careers and increase professional development. Digital transformation and automation require upskilling to meet these challenges. Employees who upskill can improve their ability to perform better in their roles and increase their confidence in their abilities. Superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Tuesday offered prayers at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in the hill town of Tirumala in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, days before the release of his much-anticipated film "Jawan". The 58-year-old superstar was accompanied by his daughter Suhana Khan, "Jawan" co-star Nayanthara, her filmmaker husband Vignesh Shivan and other members of his team. In a PTI video, Shah Rukh can be seen inside the temple premises with his security and others managing the crowd as he exits. The actor wore white kurta pyjama with traditional upper cloth for his early morning visit to the temple. He first paid obeisance to the flag pole and then offered prayers to Lord Venkateswara. Jawan, a high-octane action thriller, is directed by Tamil filmmaker Atlee. It is set to arrive in theatres on September 7. The film also stars, Vijay Sethupathi, Priyamani and Sanya Malhotra. Deepika Padukone is making a special appearance. The film will be released in theatres on Thursday in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages. Looking forward to his visit to India this week, US President Joe Biden has said he is disappointed that Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi. China on Monday officially announced that President Jinping will not attend the G20 conclave and the delegation will be led by Premier Li Qiang. Interacting with reports late on Sunday in Washington, Biden said, Yes, I am, when asked whether he was looking forward to his visits to India and Vietnam. He expressed his disappointment over President Xi Jinping not attending the summit in New Delhi. I am disappointed, but I am going to get to see him, Biden said in response to a question. He, however, did not say when that meeting may take place. Biden will travel to India on September 7 to participate in the G20 Summit and will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8 on the sidelines of the high-profile event. On Monday Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in Beijing that at the invitation of the Government of the Republic of India, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India on September 9 and 10. Mao did not provide any reason for President Xis absence from the high-profile conclave hosted by India for the first time. The spokesperson said China looks forward to the G20 New Delhi Summit reaching a consensus on tackling challenges in the economy and development, conveying confidence to the outside world and promoting shared prosperity and growth. I have made the announcement just now and shared with you the information I have, she said in response to a question about why President Jinping is not attending the G20 Summit in India. I already covered this. The G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation. China attaches high importance to and actively participates in G20 activities, Mao said in response to another question about the President skipping the Summit. The G20 is an important forum for international economic cooperation. China has all along attached great importance to and taken an active part in G20 events, Mao said. During this years G20 Summit, Premier Li Qiang will share Chinas views and propositions on G20 cooperation, and promote greater solidarity and cooperation among G20 countries and joint response to global economic and development challenges, Mao said. We are ready to work with all parties to make the G20 Summit a success and contribute to the steady recovery of the global economy and sustainable development, she added. In response to a question by Chinas official media, Mao said as the world economy experiences more downward pressure and challenges grow for global sustainable development, it is important that the G20, being the premier forum for international economic cooperation, strengthen partnership and rise up to the big challenges facing global economy and development so as to contribute to world economic recovery and growth and global sustainable development. We hope the New Delhi Summit will form consensus on that, send out a message of confidence, and promote shared prosperity and development, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson added. President Jinping is also skipping the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and East Asia summits in Jakarta this week. Premier Li will be representing China at the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia. In its capacity as the current president of G20, India is hosting the annual Summit of the influential grouping in New Delhi on September 9 and 10. Biden, along with more than two dozen world leaders, is scheduled to attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi that is being hosted by Prime Minister Modi. The world leaders, who have already confirmed their participation in the upcoming G20 meet, include French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has already conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi his decision not to attend the summit in-person. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent the country at the Summit. Modi will hand over the baton of the G20 Presidency to Brazilian President Lula on September 10. Brazil will formally assume the G20 Presidency on December 1. The G20 member countries represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. The grouping comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union. US President Joe Biden has tested negative for COVID-19 and will travel to India on Thursday to attend the G20 Summit during which he will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the White House said on Tuesday. The announcement comes a day after First Lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. President Biden was tested for the virus on Monday following his wifes positive test, but his results were negative. The US President will travel to India on Thursday to attend the G20 Summit, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told a press conference at the White House. Jake said President Biden will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi. The US President will participate in the official sessions of the G20 Summit on Saturday and Sunday, he said. Biden is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi on September 8 on the sidelines of the summit, as previously announced by the White House. Meanwhile, France announced on Tuesday President Emmanuel Macrons participation in the summit and stated that it will be an opportunity to make progress in implementing joint responses to major global challenges. Macrons office said the president will travel to Delhi to participate in the G20 Summit on September 9 and 10, following which he will leave for Bangladesh for a bilateral visit. In a statement, it said the summit will enable Macron to continue his ongoing dialogue with his counterparts from every continent to combat the risks of fragmentation of the world. World leaders who have already confirmed their participation in the upcoming G20 Summit include Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. In the run-up to the G-20 Summit here next week, the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday began a 10-day exercise along its northern borders with China and Pakistan to secure the airspace and check any rogue drone or aircraft sneaking into the Indian territory to spoil the spirit of the mega event. Nearly 70 VVIP aircraft, including Air Force One carrying the US President, will land at the Palam Technical airport of the IAF here for the G20 Summit. Four other airports around the national Capital have been designated as reserve airports for any contingencies, officials said. The exercise styled as Trishul (trident in English) will run until September 14 in the regions of Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab, sources said. The drills will include fighter jets, transport aircraft and helicopters. The IAF has deployed a battery of airborne early warning systems and air defence missile systems at vital locations to keep an eye in the sky, officials said. Sources said the Army along with the IAF, Delhi Police and paramilitary forces, will deploy anti-drone systems to prevent aerial threats, while 400 firefighters will remain on standby. The northern regions of the nation will remain under vigilant surveillance through the utilisation of the Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS). The four other airports earmarked as reserve are Lucknow, Jaipur, Amritsar and Indore, sources said. PK Mishra, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, and Delhis Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena oversaw the arrangements at Palam Technical Airport. The four reserve airports were identified at a high-level meeting with officials from the Union Home Ministry, the Intelligence Bureau, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, the Central Industrial Security Force and the Delhi Inter-national Airport Limited. The Air Traffic Control has been directed to be on high alert and monitor all flights entering Delhi. In case of any emergency situation, flights will be diverted to any of the four airports that are part of the contingency plan, the sources said. The VVIPs will land at the technical airport but aircraft and private jets carrying them will be parked at the Delhi airport. Special arrangements have been made to park the Air Force One and a few other important aircraft at the Palam Air Force Station. Days after the INDIA Opposition blocs ambitious meeting ahead of the crucial Assembly elections in the Hindi heartland of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh amongst others, the remarks by the DMK in Tamil Nadu that Sanatan Dharma must be eradicated have given enough fuel to the BJP and simultaneously shaken up the Opposition consolidation in which the DMK is a major stakeholder. On Monday, several Union Ministers as well as the BJP intensified its attack on the Opposition over DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalins remarks, asking the Congress if the INDIA bloc had met in Mumbai to target the religion and stressed that they should not play with Hindu sentiments. Stalin has rubbished the genocidal claim and said his speech had pointed to social evils. The BJP also sought to know why the top leaders from the coalition Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Nitish Kumar, Sharad Pawar, Arvind Kejriwal were silent on the issue that has hurt billions of people owing allegiance to the ancient religion of the universe. Another major constituent of the India alliance, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), too differed from the DMK and said, India is a country that believes in unity in diversity. However, Stalins critical remark got affirmation from his alliance colleagues, Congress leader and a Minister in Karnataka, Priyank Kharge who is also son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha MP Karti Chidambaram, son of former Home Minister P Chidambaram. While Priyank said any religion that does not give equal rights is not a religion and is as good as a disease, Karti said Sanatan promotes caste and division which is not good. Amid different voices within the Congress and the INDIA bloc, the grand old party in its official statement said it respects all religions and stressed that others also have the freedom to express their views. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal hit out at the Opposition parties and asked the Congress if the INDIA bloc had met in Mumbai to finalise its agenda against Sanatan Dharma and how to finish it off across the country. Another Union Minister Prahlad Patel alleged that the attack on Sanatan Dharma was part of a conspiracy hatched during the Opposition parties meeting in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the leaders of the ghamandia gathbandhan (arrogant alliance) seem to be competing with each other to abuse Indian civilisation, its core belief and the Hindu dharma. Pradhan also recalled as a how before 2014 the Congress and Opposition parties mentioned saffron terrorism though none had till that time ever referred to pink, blue or magenta terrorism. Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad recalled how the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared that he is a Sanatani. In his address at a meeting of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association in Chennai on Saturday, State Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin alleged that Sanatan Dharma is against equality and social justice, and that it should be eradicated. Likening Sanatan Dharma to coronavirus, malaria and dengue, Udhayanidhi said such things should not be opposed but destroyed. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said while the Congress stand is clear, every other political party has the freedom to express its own view. Actually, our view is very clear - Sarvadharma Sambhav (equal respect to all religions) is the Congress ideology. But, you have to understand that every political party has its own freedom to state their views, he said. We respect everybodys beliefs, the Congress leader said in a way supporting the DMK. Congress leader and former Union Minister Karan Singh, however, termed the DMK leaders statement as preposterous and most unfortunate. Crores of people in this country follow, to a lesser or greater extent the tenets of Sanatan Dharma. Besides, the greatest Sanatan Dharma temples in the world are in Tamil Nadu in Thanjavur, in Srirangam, in Thiruvannamalai, in Chidambaram, in Madurai, in Suchindram, in Rameshwaram and many more, Singh said in a statement. TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said every religion has separate sentiments and India is about unity in diversity. I have high regards and respect for the people of Tamil Nadu and South India. But my humble request is respect all, as every religion has separate sentiments. India is a secular and democratic country, she said. About Stalins comment, Mamata termed him a junior leader who may not know about it. From my side, I am not clear about why and on which grounds he has made his comments. I feel that each and every religion should be equally respected ... I respect Sanatan Dharma and we derive our learnings from the Vedas, she added. Mamata said the West Bengal Government gives pension to Hindu priests. We have so many temples across the country. We visit temples, mosques and churches. We should not be involved in any matter which might hurt a section of people, she stressed. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on her part attacked the BJP, accusing it of showing fake concern over Sanatan Dharm for its politics and termed it as hypocrisy. Invitations for a G20 dinner, sent out by President Droupadi Murmu, restyling her position as President of Bharat instead of the customary President of India, triggered a massive outcry on Tuesday. The Opposition alleged that the Centre is planning to drop India and stick with just Bharat as the countrys name. Dubbing the move as divisive and a distortion of history, the Opposition claimed that the Government was scared of the INDIA bloc. Union Ministers and ruling party leaders, however, hailed the move, saying the name Bharat is even part of the Constitution. The move also fueled speculation that the issue of changing the name of the country could come up during the five-day special session of Parliament beginning September 18. Bharat has been used as the name of the country in some of the documents relating to the G20, and the move was part of the conscious decision of the Government, sources said. Bharat is the official name of the country. It is mentioned in the Constitution as well as in the discussions of 1946-48, reads a booklet prepared for G20 delegates. As Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Giriraj Singh shared their respective G20 dinner invitations from Murmu for Saturday at Bharat Mandapam, the venue for the G20 summit of world leaders, the Congress slammed the Government, saying it was trying to destroy history. However, senior BJP leaders and Union Ministers cheered the move by Rashtrapati Bhavan. Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar asked the Opposition what the problem is with using President of Bharat as our country is also Bharat. The invitation led the Opposition to charge that the move was reflective of the BJP being scared of the INDIA bloc. Several Opposition leaders shared Article 1 of the Constitution, which states that India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States, and also the provision that refers to the countrys president as the President of India. Congress chief spokesman Jairam Ramesh said in a social media post, So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of President of Bharat instead of the usual President of India. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. But now even this Union of States is under assault, Ramesh alleged. In another post, he said the BJP was the one that had come up with the India Shining campaign, to which the Congress response was Aam Aadmi ko Kya Mila. Also, remember that it was the BJP that came up with Digital India, Start-Up India, New India, and so on, to which the Congress response was the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the first anniversary of whose launch is the day after tomorrow, he said. West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said, We all know India is Bharat, but the world knows us as India. What suddenly changed was that we should use only Bharat, she quipped. Her Tamil Nadu counterpart MK Stalin too lashed out at the Government over the issue, saying that after non-BJP forces united to dethrone the fascist BJP regime and aptly named their alliance INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), now the BJP wants to change India for Bharat. Stalin himself is embroiled in a controversy over a remark eradicate Sanatan Dharam made by his son Udaynidhi, who is a minister in the Tamil Nadu cabinet. While Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked whether the BJP would change the name of Bharat if the Opposition alliance INDIA rechristened itself Bharat, NCP president Sharad Pawar said no one has the right to change the countrys name. RJD leader and a member of Rajya Sabha Manoj Jha said the BJP is jittery because of the INDIA alliance. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said the BJP was using its majority in Parliament to treat the entire country as its fiefdom. Trashing the Opposition charge, the BJP reacted with delight to the G20 dinner invitation that referred to Droupadi Murmu as the President of Bharat, saying the use of the Hindi name for the country underscores its civilisation march, and rejected the Oppositions charge. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on the microblogging site X, Republic of Bharat happy and proud that our civilization is marching ahead boldly towards Amrit Kaal. Netizens too went on an overdrive over the political slugfest, with the lyrics Bharat Ka Rahane Waalaa Hoon, Bharat Ki Baat Sunata Hoon, a popular song from Manoj Kumar starrer Purab Aur Paschim trending on X with the hashtag Bharat (in Hindi and English). Megastar Amitabh Bachchan took to X and simply wrote, Bharat mata ki jai. He also shared a tricolor emoji with the post. The Delhi Police clarified on Tuesday that the National Capital will remain open during the G20 Summit, with the exception of a portion of the area under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). All medical shops, grocery stores, milk booths, and vegetable/fruit shops will continue to operate throughout Delhi, including New Delhi. The police, in various posts on the microblogging site X, assured that essential services such as milk booths and hospitals will remain functional in the New Delhi area. The entire Delhi is open. Only a small part of the NDMC will have restrictions... We want to emphasise that restrictions are limited to a small portion of the NDMC area. Do not believe in rumors, stated the Delhi Police in one post. In another post, the police clarified that although commercial activities are banned between September 8 and 10, all essential services, such as milk booths, medical shops, hospitals, and other services falling under the essential category, will remain operational in the New Delhi area. Government employees, media personnel, medical practitioners, and paramedics will be allowed to use both private and government vehicles within the Controlled Zone. The Delhi Traffic Police has compiled a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about traffic regulations in the city during the G20 Summit. However, the police noted that despite sharing the traffic advisory on social media handles and the Delhi Traffic Police website, they are still receiving numerous queries. General traffic, including all types of commercial vehicles and buses already present in Delhi, will be allowed on the Ring Road and the road network beyond the Ring Road towards the borders of Delhi. Passengers will be able to travel to the airport, railway stations, and ISBTs as these facilities will remain operational during the G20 Summit. Bonafide residents and authorised vehicles will be permitted to move within the New Delhi districts. In the New Delhi district, all online delivery services, except for medicines, will be suspended during the G20 Summit, as announced by the Delhi Police on Monday. Essential services, such as postal and medical services, as well as sample collections by path labs, will be allowed throughout Delhi. Commercial activities will not be permitted in the New Delhi area, and online delivery services will also be prohibited, except for medicine deliveries, stated Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) SS Yadav on Monday. Valid permissions granted for essential services will be honored, he added. The Delhi Police has commenced vehicle checks at various locations across Delhi for G20 Summit scheduled for September 9 and 10. Surprise checks were conducted at India Gate and other parts of the city between Monday night and early Tuesday. Police personnel were observed conducting thorough vehicle inspections. Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Deependra Pathak assured that adequate arrangements have been made to ensure that Delhi residents do not encounter any inconvenience during the G20 summit. He emphasised the real-time coordination between the police, Central agencies, and the Special Branch. Whenever we receive any information or assessments, we organise accordingly. Our primary focus is to ensure that citizens do not face any inconvenience, but we also request citizens to cooperate with the police personnel, he stated. G20 is a highly prestigious summit for India and Delhi, and we take great pride in it. The Delhi Police has the responsibility for safety, security, and maintaining law and order, and we see it as a challenge. We are planning it with professional excellence and executing it on the ground. We have different segments of the Delhi Police with specific roles for the summit area. In addition, we have the responsibility for maintaining law and order in other parts of the city, and we have made plans and are conducting rehearsals for that, he added. To present India as an ancient land with a modern vision, the Centre released a set of two booklets on Tuesday: Bharat, The Mother of Democracy and Elections in India. These booklets trace Indias history from 6,000 BCE and will be handed over to the dignitaries visiting the national capital for the G20 summit. According to one of the booklets included in the documents at the G20 summit, the Modi Government is highlighting how Bharat has been the mother of democracy since historic times. The Bharat, the Mother of Democracy booklet, which contains 26 pages, describes that Bharat is the official name of the country, as mentioned in the Constitution and discussions from 1946-48. It features the bronze statue known as the dancing girl, believed to be from the Indus Valley civilisation, which existed around 5,000 years ago. The statue is described as a symbol of confidence, with the girl appearing self-assured and looking at the world eye-to-eye, independent, and liberated. The booklet further discusses the oldest scriptures, the four Vedas, and delves into the civilisational value system incorporating political, societal, and educational principles. It also describes democratic elements found in epics. The booklet explains that in Bharat, which is India, seeking the consent of the people in governance has been a part of life since the earliest recorded history. According to Indian ethos, democracy comprises values such as harmony, freedom of choice, freedom to hold multiple ideas, acceptability, equality, governance for the welfare of the people, and inclusivity in society. The booklet cites democratic elements even in the times of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, emphasising that governance for the welfare of the people has been a central feature of thought in India since time immemorial. In the the Ramayana, it mentions that Lord Ram was chosen as king after his father sought approval from his council of ministers. Similarly, in the Mahabharata, the patriarch Bhishma, on his deathbed, imparted lessons on good governance to Yudhishthira. The booklet also explores the principles of Buddhism that influenced Indias democratic ethos through the rule of several kings, including Ashoka, Chandragupta Maurya, and Chhatrapati Shivaji. It also mentions Krishna teaching the Bhagwad Gita to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. The booklet provides references to historical events and rulers who practiced democratic values. It explains that Akbar was the understanding monarch, Chhatrapati Shivaji left a legacy of loktantra, and Emperor Ashoka held elections for ministers every five years. Furthermore, it discusses how Shivaji promoted governance with representatives who were aware of their duties, ensuring equal rights for the people. Shivajis legacy of loktantra was continued by his successors, and the booklet describes how he appointed eight ministers who represented governance through decentralisation. It states that even the king could not overrule their counsel. The booklet also highlights Emperor Akbar as the understanding monarch who introduced the doctrine of Sulh-I-Kul (universal peace) as a tool against religious discrimination. The exhibition on the democratic traditions of India will showcase its history from the Vedic period to the modern era. The textual content, along with audio, will be presented in 16 global languages, including English, French, Mandarin, Italian, Korean, and Japanese. The history of Indias democratic ethos will be summarised and retold through 26 interactive screens arranged in multiple kiosks. Upon their arrival in the exhibition area, heads of state, delegates, and other guests will be greeted by an AI-generated avatar that will provide them with a concise overview of the exhibition, the source said. A replica sculpture of the Harappan girl, placed on a rotating elevated podium, will stand in the centre of the hall in the exhibition area. The actual height of the object is 10.5 cm, but the replica was created to be 5 feet in height and 120 kg in weight in bronze. N Valarmathi, the unsung heroine of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is no more. Though she remained away from the media glare, Valarmathi was famous among space-faring nations across the world which used to monitor the launch of ISRO space missions from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota. Valarmathis voice reverberated across the globe as she performed the final countdown to the launch of each space mission. The last time she was heard was during the launch of the Chandrayaan 3 mission from SDSC as she lent her voice to the countdown from the Mission Control Room. The 64-year-old, who was an electronics and communication engineer and had headed the ISROs first-ever indigenously-developed Radar Imaging Satellite Project, bade farewell to her friends and colleagues on Sunday following a massive cardiac arrest. Her voice was synonymous with the countdown and excitement of the blasting off of each launch vehicle of ISRO. Though she never put any extra effort to create any emotions, people who gathered at the SDSC used to be in a trance as Valarmathi took control of the countdown to the launch. It is doubtful whether there are any scientists who could generate the kind of anticipation and excitement that Valarmathi created with her voice. Hers was the voice of the space missions. I do not know of any other persons among us who could do the countdown announcement with the kind of elan which she did, said Dr R Purushothaman Nair, former ISRO senior scientist who had worked with her during the launch missions, The credit of breaking the barriers of a field till then dominated by males goes to none other than Valarmathi, said A Subramanian, who headed the successful Space Capsule Recovery mission of the ISRO. G Madhavan Nair, former chief of ISRO, choked with emotion when asked about Valarmathi. She was a scientist/engineer with a difference. Valarmathi could take up any project which even the bravest of men would think twice or thrice about before taking up, he said. The lady engineer was to ISRO what Melville De Mellow and Surajit Sen, the pioneer newscasters were to the All India Radio. She had that captivating voice. Though she was unaware of it, the voice and diction with which she performed the countdown and the post-launch counting was unique, said Madhavan Nair. The Tamil Nadu Government under J Jayalalithaa had honoured Valarmathi with the first-ever Abdul Kalam Award in 2015 for her contribution to the field of engineering and technology. Hers was the voice of ISRO and we will definitely miss her, said Nair Monday was a day of sorrow and joy for ISRO. While it lost Valarmathi, it had yet another breakthrough in the Chandrayaan Mission. ISRO on Monday said the Vikram lander successfully underwent a hop test when it made the soft-landing again on the lunar surface. On command it (Vikram lander) fired the engines, elevated itself by about 40 cm as expected and landed safely at a distance of 30 to 40 cm away, ISRO said in an update on X. Noting that the Vikram lander exceeded its mission objectives, ISRO said the importance of the exercise was that this kick-start enthuses future sample return and human missions. All systems performed nominally and are healthy. Deployed Ramp, ChaSTE and ILSA were folded back and redeployed successfully after the experiment, the space agency added. After that the ISRO scientists switched off the lander Vikram and Pragyan. S Somanath, ISRO chairman had told reporters last Saturday after launching the Aditya spacecraft that the Chandrayaan 3 payloads would be switched off to save energy and extend the life of its battery. But the important news from ISRO is that the space scientists have mastered the knowhow and technology to bring back to Earth samples collected from the lunar surface in its future missions. The temperatures could go up to -200 degree Celsius on the lunar surface soon. The payloads may not be able to withstand extreme temperatures while they are still powered on. Therefore, the payloads have been switched off and will be powered on only after conditions are conducive for them to work again, the ISRO Chairman had said. Scientists at ISRO said that after the Chandrayaan 3 Mission landed on the lunar surface on August 23, Vikram and Pragyan performed all their planned experiments within one lunar day or approximately 14 earth days and finally after a hop test, have been put on sleep mode. They said all the operations are being performed as scripted by the mission heads and managers. Unfazed by a bland bowling effort, India hit the top gear through Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, who made polished unbeaten fifties, to post a 10-wicket win over Nepal that also ensured them an Asia Cup Super Four berth here on Monday. Amidst frequent rain interruptions, Nepal posted an impressive 230 after being asked to bat first. India, required to score 145 from 23 overs as per DLS calculations, went past the line as Rohit (74 not out off 59 balls) and Gill (67 not out off 62 balls) gave power to their chase. Hence, India finished their Group A engagements with three points, while Pakistan had already entered the Super Four having logged three points. Nepal bowed out of the Asia Cup without any points. But they had some special moments in the match both with ball and bat. Nepal pacers KC Karan and Sompal Kami worked up some good pace to trouble Indian openers Rohit and Gill early on. Karan pinged Rohit's pads twice in the first over, with one resulting in Nepal resorting to DRS review, and beat him all ends up once with a lovely outswinger. But Gill, though got beaten once by Kami outside the off-stump, played three super smooth shots to find the boundary rope, a testament to his inherent timing. Though he made a bit of a stuttering beginning to his innings, Rohit came into his own after the rain break with a series of fluent shots, including his archetypal pulls. Once they upshifted, Nepal bowlers did not have the experience to pull things back. Though the victory might be treated as a solid step, the Indian think-tank would not have liked the way their bowlers performed against Nepal, who were expected to get rolled over. Their day was also not made easier by fielders who were quite shabby on the field. India dropped three catches inside the first five overs, and there were several misfields and overthrows. But that should not be held against the gutsy Nepalese batsmen. Aasif Sheikh (58 off 97 balls), Kushal Bhurtel (38 off 25 balls) and Kami (48 off 55 balls) gave some tight moments to the Indian attack. Nepal who were bundled out for 104 by Pakistan in their opening match, went off the blocks in a cracking style, reaching 65 for 1 in the first 10 overs. Bhurtel was the engine room of that initial charge in their first international match against India. However, India would soon regret the two reprieves they gave to Bhurtel. Shreyas Iyer dropped Bhurtel on 1 off Shami in the very first over. A little later Ishan Kishan spilled a chance behind the stumps off the same bowler when the batter was on 7. Exploiting the chance given to him, the Nepal opener slammed pacer Mohammed Siraj over square leg for a six, and followed it with another maximum off Shardul Thakur over fine leg. But Thakur brought India the first breakthrough when he induced an edge from Bhurtel and this time Kishan did not commit any mistake. Ravindra Jadeja joined the act with three wickets between the 16th and 21st overs to reduce Nepal to 101 for 4. The left-arm spinner dismissed captain Rohit Paudel, Kushal Malla and Bhim Sharki to slow down Nepal's progress. Sheikh, however, kept his end going with a pragmatic approach. Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav was expected to pose a big threat to the Nepal batsmen. But Sheikh played Kuldeep well, reading his googlies and the only time he looked in trouble was when the Indian bowled the deliveries that skidded away from him. However, Siraj ended Sheikh's stay with a delivery that climbed on him which he jabbed uppishly to Virat Kohli. Nepal were 132 for five at that stage and they soon slipped to 144 for six with the dismissal of Gulsan Jha by Siraj. India might have hoped to put a quick end to Nepal's innings from that point but that proved futile. Perhaps, the best bowling strategy against lower order batsmen is to adopt a stump-to-stump line. But the Jasprit Bumrah-less Indians rather opted for an outside the off-stump line. Dipendra Airee (29 off 25 balls) and Kami were not complaining either. The Nepal pair played some daring shots and added 50 runs for the seventh wicket to carry them past the 200-run mark, which on the day was not enough. Bangladesh received a big boost with the comeback of their premier wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das just in time for the Asia Cup Super Four stage. Bangladesh clinched a place in the Super Four after a convincing 89-run victory over Afghanistan in their final group match in Lahore on Sunday. Litton, who was initially ruled out of the tournament because of illness, joined the team after getting his medical clearance on Tuesday. "The Asia Cup squad has a few injury concerns and the team management felt the need for an additional player going into the Super Four," Bangladesh chief selector Minhajul Abedin was quoted as saying in 'ESPNCricinfo'. "We have received the BCB medical team's clearance regarding Litton's health and have decided to send him to Pakistan." Bangladesh are facing several injury concerns within the team. During his century against Afghanistan, Najmul Hossain Shanto was seen clutching his hamstring on multiple occasions. Mehidy Hasan Miraz suffered finger cramps while scoring his century and had to retire hurt. In a prior match against Sri Lanka in Pallekele on August 31, Mustafizur Rahman picked up a niggle that prevented him from playing against Afghanistan. Medicinal plants of various categories have been in use since ancient times in traditional medicine practices. Various plant parts such as roots, tubers, barks, leaves, flowers and seeds are used for treating different health issues and diseases. We have so many wonderful natural remedies around us that nature has provided for treatment of common health problems like cut, burns, fever, cold, sneezes, indigestion and many more. The World Health Organisation has stated that 80% of global population even today depends directly or indirectly on various medicinal plants for curing different ailments. Ayurveda encourages lifestyle interventions through the use of plant products to regain a balance among the body, mind, spirit and environment. The State of Odisha has been blessed with many species of medicinal plants, which are widely distributed in natural ecosystems, more importantly in the hill forests of Similipal in north, Gandhamardan in west and Mahendragiri in south. Plants like tulsi, amla, pudina, aloevera, aswagandha, bhuinlimba, pippali, guduchi, sarpagandha, satavari and brahmi are commonly available that can be cultivated commercially with economic profitability. This needs to be popularised among the farmers with the support of the State Medicinal Plant Board for the benefit of the people. A strong networking system for cultivation, procurement, marketing and utilisation has to be developed for enhanced use of medicinal plants from herbs to trees. Experts expressed such views while speaking in a seminar on the theme Potential of medicinal plants in Odisha organised by the Orissa Environmental Society (OES). Pradesh Congress Committee president Sarat Patnaik on Monday said from September 25, the party would start a campaign Ghare Ghare Congress in the State. Odisha i-charge A Chella Kumar would launch the campaign. Patnaik said the campaign would be held from September 25 till October 31 in all the blocks and panchayats in the State. All the party MPs and former MPs , MLAs and former MLAs , AICC and PCC members , Student and Mahila Congress members would participate and spread the Congress message in every house. The party would highlight the failure of 9-year-old Narendra Modi Governments like providing 2 crore jobs every year, controlling price of essential commodities and doubling the farmers income. Besides, the constant attacks on the Constitution and democracy would be pointed out, he said. Similarly, the atrocities on women in State in the tenure of the Naveen Patnaik Government, rising unemployment problem, failure in retuning the money of chit fund investors, distress sale of paddy by farmers would be brought to the notice of the people, Patnaik said. It is a matter of shame that the Government of Odisha has chosen to ignore Government servants right to Freedom of Speech and Expression, thereby disregarding the Orissa High Court judgment that was delivered way back on August 2, 1971. But on the other hand, it is presenting itself as a propagator of the medievalist culture centring round the Jagannath Temple of Puri. This is opined by Freethought Party of India general secretary B Ramchandra CST Voltaire. 118 years back, France which stands for liberty, equality and fraternity chose to separate religion from politics. The separation has been there since 1905. The framers of the Constitution of India have borrowed the French concept and put the same in the Preamble to the Constitution of India. Now after 73 years of Constitutional Democracy in India, the Government of Odisha has chosen to sabotage the spirit of the Constitution by relying on the theme of the feudalistic caste-based culture. The AONO (Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha) scheme is totally against the vital provisions contained in the Constitution of India. The scheme has the word Nabin. How can the Chief Minister have a scheme named after him? It is 100% unethical and inappropriate in a democratic polity, says Voltaire. Under the AONO scheme, each panchayat gets Rs 50 lakh for development purposes, including its temple or any religious institutions. India is a secular, socialist democracy that has put its emphasis on promotion of scientific temper, love for equality, liberty, fraternity and dignity of individual. Most of these highly-valued terms are there very much in the Preamble to the Constitution of India. With such Constitutional mandate and obligation, how can the Government of Odisha ask the rural authorities to work for promotion, preservation and protection of Jagannath culture in the State where many tribes live with their traditional beliefs? The Freethought Party of India urges upon the State Government to withdraw the AONO scheme and all the rural people whatever be their cultural background should be given scientific education so that they can appreciate any spectacular scientific achievements of India like the Chandrayaan-3. The renewable capacity of Madhya Pradesh has increased 11 times in last decade following constant efforts. It is about 24 percent of States installed capacity. The solar energy capacity has increased by 52 percent. Currently, 1000 MW Solar Parks are operational and 1778 MW will become operational soon while 3350 MW is in pipeline. The operational projects of 1000 MW include 250 MW Mandsaur Solar Park, 750 MW Rewa Solar Park, which achieved record low tariff of Rs 2.97 per unit due to innovative transaction structuring. It has received innovation. World Bank President Award and included in PM book. The solar energy projects of 1778 MW under implementation include 1500 MW Agar, Shajapur and Neemuch Solar Parks, the projects coming up shortly include 500 MW Neemuch Park and 600 MW floating solar park at Omkareshwar reservoir - the largest in the world. It will be fully operational by end of this year. Other pipeline projects involving 3350 MW capacity include 1400 MW Morena and 450 MW Chhatarpur Parks, 1500 MW floating solar projects in reservoirs in Birsinghpur reservoir, Indira Sagar Reservoir and Gandhisagar Reservoir. Madhya Pradesh has taken a good start. In a little span of time, the state is shining on Indias Renewable Energy Map. Many milestones have been achieved. Many records have been made and now a history is in the making. Aggressive progression with futuristic policies and strong leadership of the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will make the State a Hub of Renewable Energy of India. The journey has gained pace. Madhya Pradesh has come a long way from Power-Deficient to Power-Rich stage by achieving self-reliance in energy. It is now striving to ensure Energy Security for all. Energy for the future is everybodys concern. The sustainable power generation to satiate the energy demands of humans and industries is a challenge across the world. Harnessing of inexhaustible Green Energy therefore remains the only solution in sight. The alternative sources of energy need to be trapped in such a manner that energy as a resource becomes affordable and accessible to the neediest. Investors and green energy developers are now looking towards Madhya Pradesh as an ideal destination. The Global Investors Summit (GIS) at Indore is going to witness a host of companies keen on investing in the state. Undoubtedly, it is a significant positive change at a nascent stage. Though, there are miles to go. Madhya Pradesh is going to experience a complete transformation in energy sector with Central leadership and support. The Prime Minister Narendra Modiji had clearly spelt out his vision of promoting renewable energy Madhya Pradesh today remains the most preferred destination for genuine investors. The investors wish to assure themselves of uninterrupted power supply. Their choice falls on alternative sources, which they can afford to have with them. This is a significant change in the investment behaviour. Madhya Pradesh has readily given space for this in its well-designed policies. The state has a potential of more than 5000 MW in wind power, 1200 MW in biomass, 750 MW in small hydro and 5000 MW in solar sector. Just eleven years back in 2012, the total installed capacity in wind, solar, biomass and hydro power sectors was 438.24 megawatts. The installed capacity solar sector was only 2 MW. At present it is 868.65 MW and in next three years it will be 6400 MW. The solar sector will have 2654 MW installed capacity and the wind will have 3261 MW. The Centre has proactively come forward with enthusiastic support to help the state increase the share of renewable sector in States total power production upto 30 percent. Asia's first 130 MW solar power project has been set up in Neemuch district in a record time of 8 months. The worlds largest 750 MW ultra mega solar power project has come up at Rewa. It is a joint venture of State Government and Solar Energy Corporation of India with the World Bank funding. In sum, Madhya Pradesh has not only emerged as investment destination but also as Hub of Renewable Energy in India. Investing in Green Energy simply means investing in The Future. Two persons were killed and several others were injured after a three-storey building collapsed in the Fatehpur Kotwali area of Barabanki district. The rescue operation is on as three more persons are trapped under the rubble. According to Barabankis Superintendent of Police Dinesh Kumar Singh, the two deceased have been identified as Roshni Bano (22) and Hakimuddin (28), both of Fatehpur town in Barabanki district. Around 3 am on Sunday, a three-storey building suddenly collapsed in Fatehpur Kotwali area of Barabanki. There was a stir in the whole area due to the loud sound of the building falling. We received information about this from the local residents, the SP said. The SP further said that shortly after the information about the collapse of the building was received, the police along with the fire brigade and a team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) reached the spot. The rescue team immediately started the rescue operations and 12 people were pulled out of the rubble. They were seriously injured, the police said. The SP added that the 12 injured were sent to the district hospital for treatment. During treatment, two people succumbed to their injuries. Eight others in critical condition were sent to King Georges Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow. Two people were discharged after first aid at the district hospital, the police official added. Those sent to the KGMU for treatment were identified as Mehak (12), Shakeela (50), Sultan (24), Kulsum (47), Zainab Fatima (7), Zafarul Hasan (20), Salman (26) and Sameer (16). The two injured who were discharged from the district hospital are Mohammed Azam (18) and Altamas (11), both residents of Fatehpur town in Barabanki district. The official stated that by 6 am, the rescue team was still evacuating three people trapped under the rubble of the building. As per the local residents, the building was not dilapidated and had been built only a few years back, the SP added. He said the reason for the collapse was not known and further investigation was underway. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the mishap in Barabanki district and expressed deep grief over the loss of lives in the incident. Wishing peace to the departed soul, he expressed condolences to the bereaved family. The chief minister instructed the district administration to provide proper treatment to the injured. He also wished for speedy recovery of the injured. Delhi Fire Service (DFS) Director Atul Garg on Monday said 35 fire tenders and 500 personnel will be deployed for the G20 Summit scheduled to be held here later this week. Garg said the department is geared up to combat any fire-related contingencies during the summit. The DFS has also procured four special high-voltage water pumping machines to avoid any waterlogging in the Rajghat area if it rains, he said. Every department is preparing for the upcoming G20 meet. DFS is considered one of the most prominent departments, and the department has prepared itself to tackle any fire incident that may take place, according to Garg. As per the action plan, the DFS has divided the summit area into three prominent parts for deployment. First will be the meeting venue Bharat Mandapam, where all the delegates will gather for the meeting. The second area is where all dignitaries will stay (mostly all the prominent hotels of the city). And the third part includes the tourists' places where all dignitaries will visit, Garg elaborated. The DFS has deployed 35 fire tenders for the G20 duties and a total of 500 people are assigned for the same. During the G20 Summit, all the holidays of the employees have been cancelled and they will be ready with advanced and new equipment. We have chalked out a proper plan so that we will also provide immediate help and respond to routine calls as well. We almost receive 100 fire calls in a day, we will manage them as well," he added. The DFS had been conducting mock drills by the crew who are part of the assignment for a better understanding of how they will immediately take charge of any condition. There will be six to seven members in every unit. Units will be deployed at key locations and they will be prepared for any situation. From Delhi airport to every important location, we have also decided that these units will not be carrying out any bird rescue exercise," he added. The G20 Leaders' Summit is scheduled to be held from September 9-10 at a newly built international convention and exhibition centre -- Bharat Mandapam -- at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) Chairman and former Odisha Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy has been re-elected as the president of the Bhubaneswar Club. The retired bureaucrat was elected as head of the elite club for a third consecutive year. Tripathy defeated his key rival Tapesh Roy with a huge margin in the election held on Sunday here. More than 1,100 members had exercised franchise in the annual poll, of which Tripathy received over 900 votes. Besides, Pragati Mohanty was elected as the vice-president of the club, Ashok Mishra as the secretary and Ripul Patnaik as joint secretary. Six more candidates were elected as Executive Committee (EC) members of the club. In a shocking incident, a first year undergraduate student in Bulandshahr was allegedly gang-raped in a moving car and later thrown out of the vehicle in Aurangabad area of the district. She was found in a serious condition and admitted to hospital. The local police registered a case but denied that the victim was raped. They also took one of the accused into custody. As per reports, the victim hailing from Jahangirabad Kotwali area of Bulandshahr district is a student of BA first year in a local degree college. According to the victims mother, the girl had left home for college two days back, when a youth lured her and took her to Bulandshahr on a motorcycle. She said the youth stopped the motorcycle in front of a car occupied by his three friends and they pulled her daughter inside the car and started moving. She alleged that that her daughter shouted for help but all the accused raped her one by one in the moving car and later when she turned unconscious, they threw her out of the car in the Aurangabad Kotwali area and escaped. The accused also made a video of the act and threatened to make it viral if the girl reported the incident to the police. The victim was shifted to the hospital, where, on regaining consciousness, she narrated her ordeal to her family members. Meanwhile, senior officials denied rape charges and claimed that they arrested one of the culprits and were trying to extract details from him so that the remaining culprits could be also brought to book. The victim was also sent for medical examination to confirm of rape. Meanwhile, in Harraiya locality of Basti, a 15-year-old minor girl, who was going to give food to her father at the shop in a village, was raped. The incident took place on Saturday afternoon but the Harraiya police registered a case on Sunday. The victims father has filed a complaint against the accused, a resident of the same area. The superintendent of police also inspected the spot and enquired about the incident from the people of the village. Police also conducted raids to nab the accused but he was found absconding. In his complaint the girls father stated that he works as a barber in Gumti on the other side of the village. His 15-year-old daughter comes to deliver food to him in the shop everyday during the afternoon. When she was coming to give food at around four oclock on Saturday, the accused intercepted her and after gagging her, he pulled her inside a vacant house where he raped her. He said that when his daughter did not reach the shop, he and other family members went to look for her and after finding her bicycle lying outside a house, they suspected foul play and knocked on the door during which the accused jumped out and escaped. Later they rescued the girl who confirmed her trauma. A case was registered and further investigations are on. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday wrote Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking allocation of funds for housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). Baghel sought assistance for 6,99,439 families currently on the permanent waiting list for housing as well as an additional 47,090 families identified in the Chhattisgarh government's socio-economic survey 2023. The Chief Minister said his government has decided to release the state's share to provide housing benefits to these families. Earlier, in a letter dated July 3, the state government requested allocation of targets for 8,19,999 families under Awas Plus, in addition to the 6,99,439 families on the permanent waiting list. Furthermore, it was communicated that the Centre had withdrawn the target of 7,81,999 houses allocated to Chhattisgarh for 2021-22. As of today, there has been no response from the Central government regarding the requests made by Chhattisgarh, Baghel said. He highlighted that based on the 2011 census data the Indian government created a permanent waiting list. In 2018, they compiled the Awas Plus list, which included 8,18,989 eligible families in addition to those on the permanent waiting list. He also pointed out that the Centre conducts a socio-economic and caste census/BPL survey every 10 years, which has not yet been carried out. The Chief Minister said his government conducted a socio-economic survey in 2023 based on the parameters of the socio-economic and caste census 2011, identifying a total of 47,090 homeless families. Keeping this in view, the state had decided to allocate funds of its share to build houses for 6,99,438 families on the permanent waiting list and the 47,090 homeless families identified in the 2023 survey as part of the housing scheme. The government is all set to effectively tackle the planned effort of the opposition to corner it on various issues during the monsoon session of the Vidhan Sabha starting today. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami presided over the meeting of the BJP legislature party held at the CM residence here on Monday evening. According to party sources, during the meeting the ministers were told to come fully prepared to effectively answer and also rebut the questions and allegations of the opposition. The government will provide satisfactory replies to questions which may be raised by the opposition. The ministers and members are prepared to give a befitting rebuttal to the opposition members, said a party leader. It is pertinent to mention here that as seen in the past, issues being raised by the opposition are expected to be raised vociferously during the Assembly session. The ministers concerned will counter the opposition on issues including anti-encroachment drive underway in various parts of the State following court orders, the action taken by the State government in response to disaster situations experienced in various parts of the State during the monsoon and other issues which the opposition may raise. A controversy over the Panchmukhi Hanuman temple located at Guptar ghat in the Cantonment area of Ayodhya district once again took a serious turn when in the early hours of Sunday, bombs were allegedly hurled targeting the room of Mahant Vimal Krishnadas in the temple premises. There were four loud explosions in the temple premises. The mahant narrowly escaped the attack but the window of his room was damaged. Bomb disposal squad and forensic team reached the spot and carried out an investigation. This attack is said to be related to a dispute over possession of the temple. Mahant Vimal Krishnadas said that he was sleeping in the morning on Sunday when there was a loud explosion. Krishnadas said that luckily he was sleeping in another room and not the room in which the bombs were hurled. He said that after hearing a loud explosion, he and other occupants of the temple, including those living in the area, came out in panic but by then the assailants had managed to escape. The mahant claimed that he was in the service of the temple for almost three years and had been attacked earlier too. Presently the arrangement of the temple is being managed by the Maniramdas Cantonment Trust. Chanda Baba, a resident of Sadar Bazaar, claims that he owns the temple. The mahant has accused him of conspiring the attack on Sunday. Local police along with senior officers rushed to the spot and carried out an investigation. They also called forensic experts to collect evidence from the spot. Police have secured the remains of the bomb from the spot for investigation. According to the police, the bomb appears to be used in fireworks. The investigation report will be available soon. The police were reportedly interrogating three people including Chanda Babas brother Gulli after taking them in custody. Senior Superintendent of Police Rajkaran Nayyar said that in the investigation so far and in the investigation of CCTV footage, it has not been confirmed that anyone ran away after throwing the bomb. The investigation is underway by taking the suspects into custody. There was a dispute over the Hanuman temple on July 24 also. Chanda Baba had accused Mahant Vimal Krishnadas and his associates of assault. The FIR is registered in the Cantonment police station. A video of this incident was also circulated on the internet. The SSP said that the old dispute had also been brought under investigation. The said charge sheet was going to be filed in this case. A former alumnus of Delhi University and National School of Law Bangalore, advocate Bibhu Prasad Tripathy is currently working as AGA in Orissa High Court. Dealing with Constitutional matters is his cup of tea. A leviathan in legal jurisprudence, Tripathy has played a pivotal role in achieving many landmark judgements to his credit during his chequered legal career. He is widely acclaimed for championing the cause of marginalised sections of the society. He has produced many books besides contributing articles to various periodicals, magazines and peer-reviewed legal journals. He was elected to the State Bar Council in 2014 for the first time and he is elected to the same post once again for a second time in 2023. In an interview to The Pioneer, Tripathy spoke to Sugyan Choudhury from his chamber at Bhubaneswar. Could you tell us about your being elected as a member of State Bar Council? What is your feeling? The legal profession is a solemn and serious occupation. It is a noble calling and those who belong to it are its honourable members. My victory is that of conscientious lawyers of the State. Many lawyers were awaiting my victory. I felt lighter in my heart that I have been given responsibility to serve the honourable members of my community. It is allegedly learned that in an intellectual forum in the State Bar Council, money and some extraneous forces are playing decisive role. How are you going to weed out such a scenario to make the image of council resplendent? Election to the bar council this year was no different from the general election to the Parliament or the legislature or the panchayat election in which invariably efforts are put to woo voters through political cards besides money power being exhibited. But in this service-oriented noble profession this had deeply hurt me. The role of lawyers in framing the Constitution needs no special mention. We are the custodians of the rule of law. It is regretful to say that in this most prospective profession, we need to conduct ourselves in an exemplary manner. We claim ourselves as elitists and our profession's nobility will last as long as the members maintain the commitment to integrity and service to the community. But the bitter truth is that there are manifestation of general erosion of professional values among all professional at all levels. But despite the said erosion, there are many bar associations such as Bisam Cuttack, Mohana, Digapahandi, Rajgangpur where I have found large numbers of lawyers maintaining their ethical, personal standard and conduct during the election.Those lawyers live by their own rules of honest conduct. General public has unqualified trust and confidence on the lawyers and hence efforts are all level need to be taken to ensure that the sanity of the institution is not defiled. What are your plans to evolve an ideal relationship between the Bench and the Bar? It is truly said that a good Bar can make a good Bench and a good Bench can make a good Bar that both Bar and Bench play an important role in the administration of justice. They are the two wheels of a chariot for keeping the institutional integrity high. There must be reciprocity at all levels to maintain the cordial relationship. It is to be remembered that the administration of justice is not something that concerns bench only. It concerns the bar as well the bench. They must be fearless and independent in discharging their duties and at the same time they must ensure that their actions should not hamper justice and equality. The independence of the judiciary ensures public trust in it as the last resort institutions where justice to be served with a cordial relationship with bar and bench. The number of cases pending in Orissa High Court has reached an all-time high. What should be role of the bar for reducing the backlog of cases? As per the annual report of the high court, one lakh thirty-six thousand five hundred ninety nine cases were disposed by the court in 2022 compared to one lakh five thousand one hundred eighty two cases in 2021. Likewise, 5 lakh 15 thousand three hundred ninety one cases were disposed by district courts in 2022 compared to two lakh thirty eight thousand five hundred eighty eight cases in 2021. It is not disposal of cases but dispensation of justice should be the top priority for the lawyers as well as the judges reducing litigation and settling dispute peacefully, is the role of the lawyers as well as the role of trial judges. Pre-litigation remedies are not being resorted. Both lawyers and laymen tend to think of the lawyers as an advocate for the clients. Therefore to reduce the pendency in some cases, the lawyers can advise their clients to settle the dispute at the pre-litigation stage itself. What should be the role of the bar council towards extending the legal aid to the poor? In the bar council, there is a legal aid committee as per the Advocate Act. 1961, but during my last tenure I had not come across a single case where bar council has provided legal aid. Legal aid is important in providing access to justice by ensuring equality for law. In a State like Odisha, large numbers of persons cannot afford to have access to the justice delivery system and it is the duty of the bar council to organise legal aid to poor. We would try to strengthen this committee during this tenure by engaging quality lawyers to provide free legal aid to the litigants. In this process, we would also request senior lawyers to be a part of free legal aid movement. It is alleged that the enrolment fee for licence to practise law by the Bar Council of Odisha is at an exorbitant level. How would you like to address this issue for aspiring advocates? Teacher's Day celebrated at DPS Chas Bokaro: The students of DPS Chas celebrated Teachers Day with zeal and zest. The function was held in the school auditorium, and the excitement in the school atmosphere was quite contagious. The students of class XII took over the duties of the teachers for the day. A morning assembly was held by the students, in which the students paid tribute to the great teacher Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. They express gratitude towards their teachers by presenting flowers and cards. A beautiful programme was organized by the student council and showcased with a melodious song sung by the school choir and a fabulous dance performance by the girls students, who won the hearts of everyone. The entire celebration paved a new hope for teachers to rejoice in the journey as some of the teachers were felicitated for their hard work and dedication. Teacher's Day celebrated at DAV Public School Sector-4 Bokaro: On the occasion of Teacher's Day in DAV Public School, Sector 4 (Bokaro), the children of the school got the opportunity to become teachers, wardens and principals. Fulfilling all those responsibilities, the children taught different subjects to the children of class VI, VII and VIII. It was a unique experience for the children. Through this activity students learned how difficult the responsibilities of a teacher and with how much hard work and dedication a teacher teaches children simultaneously they shape their future. During the event Principal AK Jha said, Strive for progress, not just completion. The purpose of education is to create progressive human beings and not just those who vaguely run after perfection. If you think about it, it will be simple to make human society a civilized society. ARO Arun Kumar said that, "Teaching is one of the most noble and selfless professions. Teachers try to impart best practical and ethical knowledge to their students through many creative and innovative methods to make them better human beings and great learners". Teachers Day celebrated in Lohardaga Lohardaga: Teachers Day was celebrated with pomp in the district including State Girls Middle School, Ursuline Convent Girls School, Manohar Lal Aggarwal Saraswati Vidya Mandir Inter College. The programme started by lighting the lamp and offering floral tribute to Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. On the occasion, the students welcomed the teachers by giving them welcome songs, congratulatory letters, gifts and bouquets. During the program, all the students presented many interesting programs to celebrate Teacher's Day. On this occasion, Principal of Girls Middle School, Bijay kumar Principal of Vidhya Mandir Inter College, Uttam Mukherjee, teachers of Ursuline Convent School gave blessings while clarifying the relationship between Guru and disciple and said that the entire life character of Bharat Ratna Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who rose from a teacher to the highest position in the country, is exemplary. JCB Prize for Literature 2023 Longlist revealed In a highly anticipated literary event, the JCB Prize for Literature 2023 has unveiled its longlist, featuring a diverse array of Indian authors and works. The esteemed jury, led by author and translator Srinath Perur, selected ten outstanding books from across India, encompassing multiple languages and genres. Notable inclusions are three debut novelists and four translations from Bengali, Hindi, and Tamil. Renowned author Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, previously shortlisted as an author, returns to the list as a translator for Manoj Rupda's Hindi book. The Longlist for 2023 includes a mix of fresh voices and established talents, promising a compelling literary journey for enthusiasts worldwide. The winner of the JCB Prize for Literature will receive a substantial cash prize of Rs 25 lakh, with the translator earning Rs 10 lakh. The shortlist of five titles will be revealed on October 20th, and the ultimate winner will be declared on November 18th, with additional cash prizes for both authors and translators. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance launches ICICI Pru GIFT Pro A versatile income plan designed to meet customers' short and long-term financial needs. This innovative non-participating savings product offers the choice of year-on-year increasing income or a constant regular income for up to 30 years, providing financial security for families. Customers can customize the plan by selecting income benefits, premium payment terms, and the option to receive a lump sum benefit, which can be chosen at any time, allowing them to plan for significant life milestones. Even in the event of the policyholder's demise, the nominee continues to receive the income during the income period. With a premium payment term ranging from 5 to 12 years, customers can save according to their convenience and goal timeline. ICICI Pru GIFT Pro aims to empower customers with flexibility and financial protection, catering to their unique needs in an era of hyper-customization in financial services. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that sensitivity in the political field forms the basis of the development of the state. In Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has worked as a public servant in the form of a sensitive Chief Minister. Due to his public service, Madhya Pradesh has come out of the category of sick state and is moving towards development. Rajnath Singh was addressing the public at a programme in Neemuch today. Union Minister Singh said that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Madhya Pradesh in the year 2001-02 was Rs 71 thousand 594 crore, which has increased today to more than Rs 13 lakh 22 thousand crore in 2023. Similarly, in twenty years the per capita income of Madhya Pradesh has increased tenfold from Rs 11 thousand 718 to Rs 1 lakh 40 thousand. Madhya Pradesh has an important contribution in reducing poverty in India. Madhya Pradesh government has done this wonderful job. Madhya Pradesh is contributing 4.8 percent to Indias economy. Due to such contribution, India has become the fifth largest economy in the world. In the coming times, we will be in the top three. Praising the works of the Chief Minister, Union Defence Minister Singh said that Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the Dhoni of politics. He has been serving the public for years. He has affinity with the public. He takes special care of the poor. He has taken Madhya Pradesh forward on the path of development. Rajnath Singh said that the biggest need for a poor person is his own house. In Madhya Pradesh, the former government had returned 2 lakh houses out of the 8 lakh houses sanctioned under the Central Governments Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana. Along with this, central schemes were also blocked. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that Prime Minister Modi did good to more than 100 other countries including India by arranging the vaccine at the time of Corona. He considers all the people living on the earth of the world as his own. India has given the message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. No country in the world could do what Modi did when Indian students were trapped during the war between Ukraine and Russia. Our planes safely brought the students to India. Prime Minister Modi talked with the Presidents of America, Russia and Ukraine. There was ceasefire for a few hours and about 23 thousand of our students returned to India safely. This is the status of India in the world. Rajnath Singh said that the entire Malwa region including Neemuch is considered the economic engine of Madhya Pradesh. The governments sympathies lie with the poor, destitute, deprived, Dalits and extremely backward classes and not with mafia and criminals as seen during previous regimes, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday. Distributing appointment letters to 240 candidates selected for the posts of junior assistant and computer operator in the Minority and Technical Education departments at a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan auditorium in Lucknow, the chief minister described criminals as barriers to security, good governance and development of society, and said that cracking down on them as well as building a corruption-free, safe and fair society where the underprivileged had access to governments schemes were the priorities of his government. The chief minister also conveyed his best wishes to the 240 candidates who have been selected through Manav Sampada Portal under Mission Rozgar and emphasised his commitment to providing employment opportunities to the youths of Uttar Pradesh through a transparent and impartial process of Mission Rozgar. In the past six years, Uttar Pradesh has achieved new heights in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Candidates hailing from 60 different districts have been selected, ensuring that opportunities are accessible to individuals across the entire state. The government is maintaining absolute transparency in the entire recruitment process. No minister or secretary knows where a person will be posted after selection, Yogi said. He said that computer assistants had also played a big role in the transformation of UP. Perceptions of people have changed about Uttar Pradesh. Files are no longer kept pending. Today the state has achieved the goals of security and ease of living and ease of doing business. We have brought the Centre's projects on the ground. Files are cleared within three days these days, he said. He also encouraged employees to seek guidance from their superiors, avoiding backlog, as it can breed corruption. Today, when corruption has been curbed, talented people like you have found a place. Otherwise it was a dream before 2017, he quipped. Chief Minister Yogi mentioned the marked reduction in bureaucratic red tape that delayed development projects in the past in UP. He also talked about the enhanced security, improved quality of life and a business-friendly environment in the state. The government has diligently implemented various projects initiated by the Central government, ensuring efficient execution, Yogi asserted. The chief minister said that earlier one used to visit 54 tables for the clearance of one file, but it is cleared on a single table today. At airport, you must have seen trolleys to move the luggage. Similarly, focus on ease of doing business is necessary and technology has made this work easy. The government is providing a monthly pension of Rs 1,000 to one crore elderly people, with a single click of the mouse without any human intervention, he pointed out. He further highlighted the importance of maintaining a positive and respectful demeanour. This will carry a message that there has been a change in the state, he said. Akanksha Rani from Moradabad said that getting selected for the Minority department and receiving an appointment letter from Chief Minister Yogi was the biggest achievement of her life. While extending gratitude to the chief minister, Vivek Kumar Tiwari from Prayagraj said that he was feeling very proud about the selection being done through a completely transparent and fair process. Deepali Srivastava, appointed as a computer operator in the Technical Education department, termed it a proud moment and a symbol of women and youth empowerment. Ex-Serviceman Dharmendra Singh from Bareilly said, I express my heartfelt gratitude to Chief Minister Yogi for my selection as junior assistant in Technical Education. I assure you to discharge my duty and work honestly. An IndiGo flight on Monday made an emergency landing at the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here after one of its engines developed a technical snag. As per sources, the New Delhi-bound flight with 180 passengers on board landed safely. Even as reports claimed that a bird hit the left engine of the flight leading to the technical snag, there has been no official statement in this connection. Sources said the flight took off from Bhubaneswar airport for New Delhi at 7:50 am. Just after 20 to 25 minutes, the pilot learned about the technical snag in one of the engines and returned to BPIA. Poor rainfall during August has raised worries of a possible drought-like situation across Madhya Pradesh, with 26 of the state's 52 districts receiving around 20% deficient rain, while nine districts including the capital Bhopal, have seen a 30% shortfall, as per IMD reports. The situation prompted Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to call an emergency meeting of senior officials late on Sunday and issue directions to chalk out a plan to combat the possible drought threat looming in the state. During the meeting, Chouhan said that due to poor rainfall, farmers may face a tough situation in the coming days as their crops have been damaged. "We have to be prepared to combat this possible drought. We have to take steps to protect our farmers," he told officials. The officials apprised the Chief Minister about the situation of dams and other water resources in Madhya Pradesh. Chouhan also said the electricity demand has increased manifold and has directed the officials to provide water for irrigation. "Till now the dams of the state have not been filled due to the rains. The electricity demand is increasing, efforts are being made to fix all the arrangements. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that everything goes well," he added. According to the India Meteorological Department in Bhopal, the entire state as of September 3 has reported an 18% rain deficit. As many as 47 out of districts have reported below-normal rains, ranging between 2 per cent below normal in Anuppur and 46 per cent below normal in Satna district. The IMD report suggested a very serious position in at least 29 districts, spanning from Sehore and Vidisha (21%) in central MP and Satna, Mandsaur and Ashok Nagar (40-46%) in Vindhya, west MP and Gwalior-Chambal regions, respectively. While 17 of the 29 worst-hit districts have reported 21-28% below normal rain, between June 1 and September 3, at least eight districts have recorded 30-39% shortfall, while three other districts have reported over 40% below average rainfall in the same period. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday chaired a meeting of the High-Power Land Purchase Committee (HPLPC) in which approval was granted for the purchase of approximately 148 acres of land through the E-Bhoomi portal for six projects in five districts--Charkhi Dadri, Faridabad, Hisar, Jind, and Sirsa with the consent of landowners. The land cost is estimated to be around Rs 96 crore. During a video conference with the respective Deputy Commissioners, Khattar directed them to ensure the registration of these lands within a month and expedite the implementation of proposed projects after acquiring the land. Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala and Energy Minister Ranjit Singh were also present at the meeting. Additionally, landowners who expressed their consent to provide land for government projects also joined the meeting through video conferencing from the respective districts. In the meeting, approval was given for the purchase of 5.39 acres of land for the construction of canal-based water supply schemes in Barodi, Jhanjkalan, Jind. This water works facility will have a capacity of 6 MLD. Furthermore, approximately 35 acres of land were approved for the construction of water works in the village of Rania, district Sirsa. Approval was also given to purchase 4 acres of land for expansion of OP Jindal Nalwa Distributory in Hisar district. During the meeting, approval was given to purchase about 98 acres of land in village Bhairvi for the construction of District Jail in Charkhi Dadri. Apart from this, approval was given to purchase about 1 acre of land for construction of RUB at railway line crossing from Delhi Mathura Road to Mujesar in Faridabad, 5.12 acres of land for construction of STP for upgrading water works at Bass Town in Hisar district. Khattar said that land acquisition used to be a lengthy process, causing delays in various development projects. Therefore, the government has developed a system under which land has been purchased with the consent of farmers and landowners through the e-Bhoomi portal, facilitating a faster implementation of projects. Landowners who participated in the meeting praised the government's transparent approach to land purchase for government projects through the E-Bhoomi portal. They expressed their gratitude to Chief Minister and highlighted that the present government prioritises the welfare of farmers and the underprivileged. Providing relief to commuters, Delhi Police has revoked its order from September 2, which stated that some metro station gates that open towards the VVIP route or venue of Summit will be closed from September 8 to 10. As per Delhi Police, train services will be available at all stations except Supreme Court Station, where the services will be affected. However, there may be temporary gate closures of 10-15 minutes at some stations due to VIP movements and security restrictions. In a communication to the chief security officer of the Delhi Metro on Monday, police said they are withdrawing their request on "administrative grounds". The request letter for the Closure of Gates of 39 Metro Stations which was made vide this office letter No. 2488/G-20 Cell/Metro, dated 02.09.2023 is hereby withdrawn administrative grounds, read another letter sent by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Metro) G Ram Gopal Naik, to the Chief Security Commissioner of Delhi Metro. In its first letter sent to the Delhi on Saturday, the Delhi Police said that the gates of more than 20 metro stations, including three of Khan Market, two of Moti Bagh and five of ITO, are "required" to be closed to strengthen the security matrix from September 8 to September 10. "As you are aware that the G20 Summit-2023 is around the corner and we are making all possible efforts to enhance the security matrix. Hence, in order to maintain foolproof security arrangements during the upcoming summit, it is required to ensure that the gate numbers of metro stations that open towards the VVIPs route/venue of summit/place of stay may be closed from September 8 to 10," the letter stated. It also stated that if any gate-closing request is received from any deputy commissioners of police or the police headquarters or if circumstances warrant, the Delhi Metro shall be informed immediately at a short notice. This has the approval of the "special commissioner of police/vigilance and the public transport safety division, Delhi", the letter stated. However, in a letter to the Delhi Metros chief security commissioner on Monday, the Delhi Police said the request letter for the closure of gates of 39 metro stations which was made vide this office on Saturday is hereby withdrawn on "administrative grounds". The Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar, celebrated its 49th Foundation Day on September 4. A series of events were held to commemorate the institutes rich history and significant contributions to the field of physics. Distinguished physicist Professor Pinaki Majumdar, Director, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Prayagraj (Allahabad), graced the event as the chief guest. Prof Majumdar shared invaluable insights into the role and enduring relevance of research institutions within the broader educational landscape of India. The event, held under the able leadership of Prof KK Nanda, Director of the Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar, featured a stimulating discussion on the institute's academic and research endeavours. Prof BR Sekhar, Chairman, FDC-2023, Dr SN Saragi, Registrar and Dr Basudev Mohanty, convener of the programme were present. A cultural programme ended the event showcasing the institute community's diverse talents and artistic expressions. People travelling from the Delhi airport will be able to see a life-size sculpture of Lord Ganesha that was unveiled here on Monday by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena as part of the beautification work for the G20 Summit. Gadkari appreciated the efforts to beautify the tri-junction in front of the Dhaula Kuan Metro Station on NH-48 which is crossed by lakhs of travellers every day and said it was an appropriate location for installing the sculpture. He congratulated the workers, officers and all others involved in the upgradation of the stretch of the road from Dhaula Kuan to IGI Airport. Named 'Vighnaharta' The sculpture will be visible to travellers to and from the IGI Airport, Gurgaon, Janakpuri, Delhi Cantonment and Dwarka. "Undertaken as a part of the larger exercise of beautifying and aesthetically upgrading the city in the run-up to the G-20 Summit, this life-size sculpture of 117x54x32 inch dimension has been sculpted by noted sculptor from Odisha, Dhruba Charan Swain," the official said. This statue was procured after the Delhi L-G visited Odisha in June. There he scouted for and picked sculptures that include the 'Vighnaharta', the 'Yakshinis' installed at the Ulanbatar Marg and the Yakshini Chowk and the 'Konark Wheel' installed at Delhi Gate. Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena has sought some clarification from the Delhi Government on its proposal seeking a hike in circle rates for agricultural land in the national Capital. Returning the proposal to the Delhi Government, the Raj Niwas said the file was silent on the rationale and the manner for classification of villages in the Green Belt for the purpose of differentiated rates. Earlier, the AAP Government has claimed that the proposal to hike circle rates for agricultural land has been halted by the L-G. The Governor has perused the proposal of the Dept at pre pages and before forming an opinion, has desired that following points may please be clarified: (1) The proposed rates are based on the report dated 15. 04. 2017 of a Working Group constituted for capturing rates of Agricultural Land and since 2017 a number of villages have been urbansied.It appears this has resulted in overlapping of some villages in the categories of Urbanised and Green Belt Villages in respect South-West of district. (2)The file is also silent on the rationale and the manner for classification of villages into Green Belt for the purpose of differentiated rates circle. The LG office said that there were differences in rates in SW Distt for rural and urban villages. In rampant situations, where portions of the same village are rural as well as urban, with almost non existent demarcation. Will it not provide corruption breeding discretion to officials? the L-G office said. The Kejriwal government had sent the file for approval to increase the circle rate by up to 10 times for agricultural land to L-G, who instead of giving approval, sent it back with two objections. Consequently, the wait for Delhis farmers for the increase in the circle rate has extended. It is noteworthy that on August 7, the Kejriwal government decided to increase the circle rate for agricultural land in Delhi after 15 years. Proposed circle rates of agricultural land in Delhi: South Delhi and New Delhi Rs 5 crores per acre; North Delhi, West Delhi, North West, and South West Delhi Rs 3 crores per acre; Central and South East Delhi Rs 2.5 crores per acre; Shahadra, North East, and East Delhi Rs 2.25 crores per acre. AAP government sources said that this is not the first time that Saxena returned the file without approval. The Lt Governor has previously halted several initiatives in the interest of the public, including sending government school teachers to Finland for training and offering free yoga classes. Delhi L-G Saxena has previously halted several initiatives in the interest of the public, including sending government school teachers to Finland for training and offering free yoga classes, the sources said. They said that Revenue Minister Atishi had presented the proposal to increase the circle rate for agricultural land before Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had immediately approved it. Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology Bhopal celebrated its 64th Foundation day on Monday in the Civil Engineering auditorium of the Institute. On this occasion, Ajay Kumar Sharma (IPS), Director General, Economic Offence Cell Bhopal has graced the occasion as Chief Guest. Biplab Dey, the president of MANIT Alumni Association has participated in this function as guest of honour. PC Chaturvedi, an alumnus of 1960, the first batch of the Institute has graced the occasion as guest of honour. Prof. K.K. Shukla, Director MANIT Bhopal, has presided over the function. On the occasion, the deans, registrar, faculty members and students, esteemed alumni, staff and retired faculty members of the institute were present. There were more than 100 alumni and retired faculty members present in the function amongst more than 300 participants at the MANIT Auditorium. PC Sharma, MLA and noted alumni of the Institute has also spared time from his busy schedule and participated in the function. This program was also telecasted live on YouTube for all the alumni across the globe. On this occasion Prof. Shukla, director of the Institute has urged the alumni, faculty, staff and the students to come together and work hard for improving the name and fame of the Institute. Biplab Dey has informed the gathering about donations by MANIT alumnus Vivek Devangan who has donated four electric buses and two charging stations for the Institute. He told about another noted alumni Sanjeev Barjatya, who has initiated scholarships for the meritorious girl students of the Institute. He has also assured that the Alumni across the globe is determined to provide all possible help to the Institute for regaining and maintaining its glory. The chief guest of the day, Ajay Sharma has also assured the MANIT administration to extend all the help, whenever and whichever way it's possible. He emphasized that this Institute was a glorious and prestigious Institute in the past and shall regain its glory in coming future with the joint efforts of Faculty members, students and Alumni members. Prof Manisha Dubey Dean (ID & IR) has presented the efforts of the Institute for improvement of industry-academia relation in her welcome address. The programme ended with the vote of thanks to all the stake holders of the Institute by Dr Sanjeev Singh, Associate Dean (PG & PhD). | The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted raids at eight locations in five districts of Uttar Pradesh in connection with its ongoing probe into a Naxal case. The raids were conducted in Prayagraj, Varanasi, Chandauli, Azamgarh and Deoria districts. As per official sources in the anti-terror agency, the raids were conducted in connection with NIA Case no. RC- 01/2023/NIA/LKW revival of NRB of CPI (Maoist) case. Multiple NIA teams carried out searches simultaneously in the residential and office premises of the suspects. Coinciding with the coordinated operations launched against the Maoists in all the Left-wing extremist-affected states in the country. Meanwhile, the sources said that NIA was taking major action in the CPI terror funding case. An NIA team has arrived for further investigation in a case related to Naxal activities in Uttar Pradesh. The NIA team had received information that Naxalites were being funded by luring the youth. Reports said NIA raided a house in Mahamanapuri Colony, Varanasi, on Tuesday morning. The NIA team interrogated two girls belonging to a student organisation in the house. During this time, the entire area was sealed and movement from the side of the house was stopped. NIA action was going on in Uma Nagar town of Deoria. The NIA team was present at the house of Dr Ramnath Chauhan, who is the national general secretary of Janwadi Kranti Dal. A huge number of police forces were deployed outside the house. Chauhan held various positions in the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and is currently the national general secretary of Rashtriya Janwadi Kranti Dal. The NIA team reached his house at 5 am on Tuesday. Although Chauhan was not at home, his family members were interrogated. It may be mentioned that earlier, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officers of Uttar Pradesh Police had arrested five Naxalites from Ballia. They were taken into police custody remand to extract details about their operations and source of funding. Officials claim that the five accused who were prominent members of the banned Community Party of India (Maoist) were arrested from a house where they gathered for a meeting. The ATS had got a 10-day remand of three alleged Naxalites, including a father-daughter duo, who were also allegedly involved in naxal activities. Five days after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government in Punjab withdrew its decision to dissolve over 13,000 gram panchayats due to technical flaws and suspended the services of two senior bureaucrats, it has retracted its notification for conducting Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections on Tuesday. What adds a layer of intrigue to this development is the new notification, which stipulates that while elections for Panchayats will proceed as planned by December 31, the elections for Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samitis have been abruptly withdrawn. Notably, the Government had previously issued a comprehensive notification on August 10, outlining elections for all three tiers of rural local bodies, setting the date for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections as November 25. The notification for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections had faced legal challenges, with opponents contending that holding these elections 11 months ahead of their term expiration was premature and potentially unconstitutional. The matter had reached the corridors of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, where a hearing was scheduled for Wednesday to address the legal validity of the notification. However, the governments swift withdrawal has now thrown the legal proceedings into uncertainty. Sources within the State Government have hinted at technical flaws in the election notification, echoing similar issues that were exposed in the notification regarding the dissolution of Panchayats. The latest development has left the Government open to allegations of mismanagement and hasty decision-making in matters of vital public interest. Reinstate Senior IAS Officers of Panchayat Dept: Bajwa Seeking the reinstatement of two suspended senior bureaucrats of the Panchayat Department, the Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday said that the AAP Government was running away from conducting an inquiry on the issue, which means that Panchayat Minister and Punjab Chief Minister were at fault. Dissolving Panchayats was certainly a politically-motivated decision. The Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, and the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann were closely monitoring the entire process of strangulation of the democratic institute. The possibility of some higher AAP leaders involvement in the entire sordid episode cannot be ruled out, said Bajwa, Senior Congress leader alleged that DK Tiwari, Principal Secretary (Water Supply and Sanitation) and Financial Commissioner (Rural Development and Panchayats); and Gurpreet Singh Khaira, Director (Rural Development and Panchayats) were made scapegoats and suspended in a haste to hush up the matter. AAP Government has already taken a U-turn and withdrawn its decision on the dissolution of Panchayats after the Punjab and Haryana High Court intervened. It will soon take another U-turn and reinstate both of the suspended senior bureaucrats. It is illegitimate to suspend any official without ordering an inquiry on the issue. The government must tell the people of Punjab what wrong these two officials did that they got suspended, said Bajwa. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday, while emphasizing the importance of instilling good values in youth alongside material development said that in addition to material progress in life, nurturing ethical values in individuals is of utmost significance. He further stressed that the more society collectively moves in this direction, the more India will progress. The Chief Minister delivered these remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar held on the topic of 'Hamare Bhartiya Sanskaron Ka Mahtav in Panchkula. He highlighted that values shape attitudes and the efforts are being made by the Sant Samaj through such events to create an environment conducive to instilling positive values in young people. During his address, the Chief Minister mentioned that a Cyclothon, as part of the drug de-addiction campaign, is being organized in Haryana starting from September 1. This initiative aims to motivate youth to distance themselves from drugs. He emphasized the significance of imparting good values to the youth through knowledge and education. He underlined that India is gaining global attention due to its strong moral values. The Chief Minister also said that youth acquire positive values from spiritual programs within society. He expressed pride in the fact that the Gita's sermon in Kurukshetra, Haryana, is a unique example of Lord Shri Krishna discussing ethics on the battlefield. He emphasized the continued relevance of the teachings of the Gita in today's world, as it guides us in the art of living. He said that International Gita Mahotsav is being organized with the aim of spreading the essence of Gita to the common people. We have also started International Gita Mahotsav programs in about a dozen countries so that the message of Gita can reach every corner of the world. Besides, verses of Gita have been made mandatory in education also. The Chief Minister also shared the ambitious goal set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India to become a 5 trillion-dollar economy within the next 3 years. Moving forward in this direction, we will be on the path of continuous progress, he added. All online delivery servicesaside from medical deliverieswill be prohibited in the New Delhi district during the G 20 Summit. Cloud kitchen and food delivery or any commercial delivery like Amazon deliveries will not be allowed as we have stopped commercial services in New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). Online delivery services will not be allowed but medicine delivery will be allowed, Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) SS Yadav said while addressing a press conference on Monday. Ahead of the G20 Summit in Delhi, food delivery providers, restaurant chains, and food services businesses petitioned the government to permit deliveries as part of "essential services similar to the pandemic lockdowns." App-based taxis will be allowed with passengers with valid ID card/tickets," said Yadav. Yadav further said essential services such as postal and medical services, sample collections by path labs will be allowed throughout Delhi. He further made it clear that there are no changes in the traffic advisory issued by the police on August 25. Valid permissions granted for essential services will be "honoured", he added. New Delhi will be regarded as a "controlled zone," according to a number of limitations and closures that have been issued by the administration. Yadav said that barring at the Supreme Court station, metro services will not be affected. "There might be closure of gates for 10-15 minutes at stations due to VIP movement and security restrictions. But apart from at Pragati Maidan (Supreme Court), metro services will not be affected at other stations," he added. Yadav said people with hotel bookings in the New Delhi district and travelling from the airport or railway station will be allowed entry, subject to the production of boarding passes and booking documents. "There might be 10-15-minute delays due to security restrictions at that point but they will be allowed entry," he added. The Special CP said that from 5 a.m on September 8 to 11:59 p.m on September 10 New Delhi district will be termed the "Controlled Zone 1". Parts of North and Central Delhi, around Rajghat, Bahadurshah Zafar Marg and Shanti Van Chowk, will be treated as "Controlled Zone 2". However, refuting the speculation of a lockdown in the city, the Delhi Police announced that there would be no lockdown during the G20 Summit. "Dear Delhiites, don't panic at all! There is no lockdown. Just keep yourself updated with traffic information available on @dtpftraffic's Virtual Help Desk," the Delhi Police posted on X (formerly Twitter). Paradip BJD MLA Sambit Routray has landed in trouble after police complaints were filed against him by a woman for allegedly misbehaving with her during a visit to an ashram in Kujang block of Jagatsinghpur district on Monday. The victim, identified as Kanchan Swain, a former BJD woman leader of Bagoi panchayat in the block and now a member of BJP Mahila Morcha, has accused the legislator of misconduct during an interaction at the Bana Bihari Math renovation programme in the area. As per reports, Routray had gone to attend the event under 5T programme where Swain sought answers from him on some issues. However, the MLA reportedly hurled abuses at her in public, a video of which has gone viral. Swain filed two separate police cases against the MLA and demanded strict action against him, failing which the Mahila Morcha would take to the streets. MLA Routray had come to the Bana Bihari Matha programme with which I have been associated for a while. I had never seen him here getting involved in any of the works. When I asked him as to what brought him to the Matha, he got provoked and verbally abused me, she stated in the complaint. Meanwhile, Routray in a video message has dismissed the allegations, calling it a ploy of the BJP to defame him. Working towards the goal to make Punjab a drug-free state by the next Independence Day, the state Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Tuesday convened a crucial meeting with 44 Village Level Defence Committees (VLDCs) in Pathankot to devise a foolproof strategy to dismantle the drug supply network and curb drug smuggling. VLDCs, which act as eyes and ears of the security forces, plays a vital role on ground in getting real-time info leading to disruption of drug networks. Inviting all the VLDCs to work as cohesive teams, DGP Yadav said that the Punjab Police have enforced a three-pronged strategy Enforcement, De-addiction and Prevention to completely root out the menace of drugs from the State. In a landmark moment, Pathankots 44 VLDCs have taken a resolute stand against drug-related issues and declared their villages Drug-Free Zones. Representatives of VLDCs have vowed to work hand-in-hand with the Punjab Police to eradicate the drug menace from their communities. Accompanied by IG Border Range (Amritsar) Narinder Bhargav, DIG BSF Gurdaspur, Pathankot Deputy Commissioner Harbir Singh, and Pathankot SSP Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh, DGP Yadav bestowed VLDCs with new identification cards and unique jackets to facilitate their identification and collaboration with law enforcement. He also lauded the extraordinary dedication and courage displayed by VLDCs during a critical flood crisis and honoured two outstanding VLDC members for their exemplary service. During the meeting, DGP Yadav also stressed the need to revive an old human intelligence through real-time collection and sharing of information, emphasizing that collective efforts are instrumental in addressing border-related challenges. He also ordered to equip Village Police Officers (VPOs) with new beat books to streamline the sharing of vital drug-related information with the police and timely exchange of crucial intelligence between the community and law enforcement. Pertinently, the DGP Punjab had already made a significant announcement by offering a reward of Rs one lakh for individuals providing information on drone movements leading to the recovery of weapons or narcotics. This proactive measure aimed at curtailing illicit activities and enhancing security along the Punjab border. State-Wide Raids at 206 Places Linked with Persons with Criminal Background Punjab Police on Tuesday carried out a massive Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) at as many as 206 places linked with persons with criminal background. The simultaneous raids from 7 am to 10 am were conducted in all districts across the State on the directions of the state DGP Gaurav Yadav. Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla said that CPs and SSPs were directed to personally monitor these raids and make sufficient numbers of Police teams so that raids could be carried out simultaneously. The raids were planned after the questioning of several persons, who have links with anti-social elements sitting in and out of the country, he added. Notably, as many as 115 parties of Punjab Police, headed by Inspectors or Sub-Inspectors, were deployed to conduct these raids at suspected places of anti-social elements. Police teams have conducted thorough searches at the houses and other premises linked with these mischievous elements and also collected data from their mobile phones and other electronic devices, which will be sent for forensic examinationsThe operation was aimed at disrupting the nexus between India and abroad-based anti-social elements, which keep attempting to disturb the hard-earned peace of the State, he said. Amidst the speculations of ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab joining hands with the principal opposition party in the state, the Congress, for 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the state unit of the grand old party on Tuesday declared to contest all 13 parliamentary seats independently. Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring made it clear that the party would independently contest all 13 Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming polls in the State. The announcement comes following a unanimous resolution passed by the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) during a meeting of party MLAs and senior leaders held at the Punjab Congress Bhavan on Tuesday. The resolution not only ratified the partys decision to go solo in the elections but also granted full authority to the PPCC president and the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) to convey this decision to the Delhi Durbar the Congress high command. The decision marks a clear departure from the earlier discussions of a potential coalition with AAP, which had been a subject of speculation and debate within the states political circles. The rejection of a coalition with AAP underscores the party's intent to contest the upcoming polls on its own strength, while deflecting from the party high commands alliance at the national level of which AAP is also a part. Adding further intrigue to the political landscape, all Congress Members of Parliament (MPs) from Punjab have been summoned for a meeting with the party high command in New Delhi. This meeting is expected to shed more light on the party's strategy, coordination, and campaign plans for the impending Lok Sabha elections, along with the decision on coalition in Punjab. Notably, Punjab Finance Minister and senior AAP leader Harpal Singh Cheema had, only recently, expressed the partys intent to form an alliance with the Congress for the parliamentary polls to save the country. However, the state Congress leaders have vehemently opposed any such coalition. During the meeting at Punjab Congress Bhavan, a considerable number of leaders opposed an alliance with AAP. As per information available, three former Ministers, who attended the meeting, strongly rejected the idea, emphasizing that such a coalition would only lead to the resurgence of the Akali Dal, as Congress workers were overwhelmingly against it. PPCC president Warring and the Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa were entrusted with the task of conveying this decision to the party high command during an upcoming meeting on the sidelines of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting scheduled for September 16 in Hyderabad. Responding to the state Congress resistance to an AAP alliance, Finance Minister Harpal Cheema emphasized the national leaderships decision to contest elections jointly, stating, Brushing aside our differences, we are fighting together to stop the BJP from succeeding in its efforts to silence all opposition in the country, which is very dangerous for our democracy. The PPCC chief clarified that no formal resolution was passed, but the leaders expressed their collective reluctance to form an alliance with AAP, requesting that their concerns be conveyed to the party high command. During the meeting, party leaders voiced their belief that an alliance with AAP would jeopardize their role as the principal opposition party, potentially leading to a loss of cadres and leaders. They expressed concerns about their ability to effectively hold the ruling party accountable, which has been a primary focus of their political agenda. In a separate development, on Tuesday (September 5), Punjab Congress president Warring held a meeting with all MLAs and district committees to strategize for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. It was reaffirmed during the meeting that the Congress would independently contest all 13 parliamentary seats in Punjab for the 2024 general elections, firmly ruling out any electoral understanding with AAP. This decision underscores the Congress's role as the primary opposition to the ruling AAP government in the state. Warring emphasized, Punjab Congress is preparing to contest all 13 seats in Punjab as per the directions of Congress high command, which has clearly asked leaders in the state to prepare for all 13 seats. When questioned about the possibility of seat-sharing between Congress and AAP, Punjab Finance Minister and senior AAP leader Harpal Singh Cheema mentioned that the alliance discussions were in a preliminary stage, with the final decision to be made by the party leadership in Delhi. Punjab Government will honour 80 teachers from across the states schools during the state-level function at Moga on the occasion of Teachers Day on Tuesday. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who will be the chief guest, will give away the awards to the teachers, selected under four different categories. The states School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Monday approved the list of 80 teachers to be honoured in four categories. The Teachers State Award will be given to 54 teachers while the Young Teacher Award will be given to 11 teachers. Apart from this, 10 teachers will also be given administrative awards and five teachers will also be facilitated with special honours, he said. This time, the selection for the award was done by the district-level committee and the jury at the state level with a transparent manner to select the hardworking and deserving candidates, said the Minister. Congratulating all the teachers selected for the award by the State Government, Bains hoped that the teachers who received the award would become a beacon of light for other teachers. Bains, extending warm greetings to the teaching fraternity on the eve of National Teachers Day, urged them to make all-out efforts to inculcate the noble qualities of discipline, righteousness, honesty, integrity, dedication, and good conduct in the students to enable them to become ideal citizens of the society. The AIIMS Bhubaneswar celebrated the Chandrayan Mahotsav with much gaiety and excitement. Led by the Executive Director, Dr Ashutosh Biswas, the faculty, medical, nursing, and paramedical students came together to mark the special occasion in a truly unique manner. A highlight of the event was the captivating Rangoli artwork featuring the iconic Rover Pragyan, intricately crafted by the talented students of the premier health institute. The Rangoli masterpiece stole the hearts of all those in attendance. Additionally, the meticulously designed model of the Moon Mission, placed strategically at two locations within AIIMS, captured the attention of students and the general public alike. Countless selfies were taken with these artistic renditions, making the celebration truly memorable. Dr Biswas speaking on the occasion emphasized the significance of technology and its potential to position the youth of the nation as global leaders. He noted, "With the help of technology, the youth of the country can lead India to be the prime driving force in the world. The event was graced by Dean Dr PR Mohapatra, Medical Superintendent Dr Dillip Kumar Parida, College of Nursing Principal Dr Asha P Setty, PR Cell FIC Dr Prabhas Ranjan Tripathy, DDA(I/c) Rasmi Ranjan Sethy. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan performed bhoomi-pujan of Shri Ramraja Lok in the Shri Ramraja Temple complex in Orchha and laid the foundation stone for the construction work. Chief Minister Chouhan said that Ujjain has changed into Shri Mahakal Lok and now Orchha will change in Shri Ram Raja Lok. The huge Shri Ram Raja Lok will be constructed in Orchha, the city of Lord Shri Ram, at a cost of Rs 81 crores, encompassing Shri Ramraja temple complex and surrounding areas. It is worth mentioning that Shri Ramraja Temple is the main center of the World Heritage Orchha in Niwari district. It was built by the then Bundela rulers. The center point of Orchha is Shri Ram Raja Temple, which is visited by a large number of devotees and tourists. Shri Ramraja Lok will be developed in Shri Ramraja Temple in Orchha keeping in view the sentiments of the devotees and amenities for tourists. Sri Ramraja temple complex is spread over approximately 2.86 acres. Shri Ramraja Lok will be developed in about 12 acres of area around the temple. Shri Ramraja Lok will start from the Grand Durbar Corridor at the entrance. In the temple premises, the works that will be undertaken with Rs 41 crores include development of Plaza with Sri Ramraja entrance, Prasadalaya, Qatar Parisar, Development of Sri Janaki Temple Complex, Food Plaza, Restoration of nearby shops, crowd management, beautification of shops and description of the Bal Swaroop, Shri Ramraja durbar, courtyard and premises with the description of Bal Kaand. Some important items related to Ramayana will be used in the courtyard. Kamal Stambh and Pushpak Vimana inspired by the beautiful Kamala Nayan will be seen. The unique form of local architecture, temple courtyard and historical buildings will be seen in this Lok. The architecture of Shri Ramraja Lok will be an example of the authenticity and integrity of Bundelkhand. Chouhan called upon all the people to pray to God for rain in the temples of their respective villages. He said that along with prayers and worship, we will also do work. If any crisis arises due to lack of rain, there is no need to panic. Electricity consumption has increased in the state, dams are not full, but we are ready to deal with every kind of crisis. Our government will take the farmers and all the people of the state out of every kind of crisis. Chief Minister Chouhan while raising slogans for Achhru Mata said- There is no need to be afraid of drought - we will face every situation together. Chouhan said that the Ladli Bahna Yojana has increased the self-confidence and self-esteem of women. On the 10th of this month, Rs one thousand will be deposited in the accounts of women from Gwalior. Rs 1250 per month will be made available to the women from the month of October. This amount will be gradually increased to Rs.3000. Urging women to join self-help groups, Chouhan said that the scope of work being done by the women is continuously increasing. Now they have started operating the toll nakas in the state and 30 percent of the income generated from its operation is being given to them. Along with providing funds to the women, funds are also being made available to the farmers by Prime Minister Modi and the state government. Many public welfare schemes were withdrawn by the previous government. Work is going on to merge Ken and Betwa rivers. Every farm in Bundelkhand will get water from this project. Union Home and Cooperatives Minister Amit Shah said in a public meeting in Mandla today that an incredible work has been done in transforming Madhya Pradesh from a Bimaru to a progressive state. For this, the efforts of States Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan were pivotal. He endlessly worked to make Madhya Pradesh a developed state through welfare of the poor and backward people. Madhya Pradesh is pioneering to implement PESA law for tribal development. The announcements made in the Tribal Conference in Madhya Pradesh have been fulfilled. Shah said that today, we have got an opportunity to visit the region of Narmada, where one attains salvation. Narmada is the lifeline for Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Shah described the land of Rani Durgavati as the land of heroes and recalled the sacrifices of Shaheed Raghunath Shah and Shankar Shah. Union Minister Shah said that the memory of the martyrs is inspiring for the youth. A grand memorial has been constructed in Jabalpur. Chief Minister Chouhan deserves congratulations for honouring sacrifices of the tribals. Amit Shah said that Modi is a Prime Minister who has received the highest civilian honours in the world. The honour is not of an individual but for the entire nation and it's citizens. Prime Minister Modi is working to make India self-reliant. The country which was at number 11 in the world during the previous government, is now the 5th largest economy. Development is happening all around. We took action with the surgical strike on the enemy. The Prime Minister has a clear opinion that no one should tamper with Indias border and army. The central government gave a clear signal to the attackers of Pulwama and Uri that now there is a vigilant government here. It is a government that is improving Indias image in the world. This is a government that promotes daughters. Also, the Central and State Governments together have done important work towards reducing poverty. About 51 schemes were closed in Madhya Pradesh during the previous government. Union Minister Shah said that the G-20 conference is making the world aware of Indias culture and development. Prime Minister Modi sanctioned cooking gas cylinders to 10 lakh women and Pradhan Mantri Awas to 42 lakh poor. After the crisis of Corona, the lives of 130 crore people, which included 60 crore poor people, were saved through vaccinations. In Madhya Pradesh, the work for welfare of the poor, Dalits and backward people was done. Per person 5 kg free food grains is being provided. Union Minister Shah said that special work has been done in the field of tribal development in Madhya Pradesh. Mandla district is making achievements in literacy. The previous government was engaged in appeasement instead of giving rights of water, forest and land. Our government has worked for the welfare of dalits, backward, scheduled castes and tribes. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi took charge, he saluted the floor of the Parliament and took a pledge for the welfare of the backward classes of the society, the poor and the tribes. The Ministry of Tribal Development was created during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal ji. If we look at the year 2023, there are numerous transformation in the last 9 years. We have worked towards the protection of citizens, their dignity and inclusive development along with the rights of water, forest and land. The Union Home Minister said that 23 castes have been added to the tribes. The birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda was started to be celebrated as Tribal Pride Day. Museums of tribal heroes have been set-up at 10 places in the country. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) shared a glimpse of the International Media Centre in the Pragati Maidan Complex, which is set to host thousands of journalists and media persons from across the world. On Tuesday, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur reviewed the preparations at the International Media Centre at the Bharat Mandapam complex for the G20 summit and said a mini-India will come alive there. He took stock of readiness of the media centre from where proceedings of the G20 meetings will be broadcast to the world. Earlier, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi shared the video on X and wrote, Here is a glance of the International Media Centre as it stands ready to welcome media persons for the upcoming G20 Summit. Watch as we take you on a walkthrough. The video shows workers giving the finishing touches to the International Media Centre at Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the Leaders Summit. The state-of-the-art centre boasts spacious halls, nine work zones, studios, four media briefing halls, six interview rooms, around 1,300 workstations, and open workspaces for journalists who will be covering the G20 Summit. There are also designated zones for Embassy Press officials and foreign officials. High-speed internet, an international broadcasting centre, lounges, recreational zones, media booths, live reporting positions, a help desk, medical room are the other facilities available at the centre. The Pradesh Student Congress led by its president Yaseer Nawaj on Monday beat gongs before the colleges and universities in the State demanding students union elections. The agitators including Student Congress members and students held demonstrations before Utkal University, Capital Law College, Debaray College, Maharishi College, and BJB College in the capital city. They burned tryres and blocked the roads. Nawaj said for the last eight years the Naveen Patnaik Government has snatched the Constitutional and democratic rights of the Odisha students. In the colleges and universities, the Biju Chhatra Janat Dal has formed committees and spreading a reign of terror in those educational institutions. In the colleges BCJD supporters and members are frequently indulging in violence. Those who are not joining the BCJD are being targeted. Commuters across the national Capital found themselves grappling with significant traffic disruptions on Tuesday during peak hours due to a carcade rehearsal conducted by the Delhi Police in preparation for the forthcoming G20 Summit. Unlike the rehearsals on Saturday and Sunday, Tuesdays rehearsal was unannounced, although smaller in scale, and caught motorists by surprise. Earlier in the day, authorities had issued a notice informing Delhiites that traffic conditions were likely to be impacted in various parts of New Delhi until 2 PM, and they advised commuters to plan their journeys accordingly. Commuters from Gurugram also faced traffic jams on several stretches. Due to carcade rehearsal and special traffic arrangements, some congestion is expected on Bhairon Marg, Bhairon Road, Ring Road, Mathura Road, C-Hexagon, Sardar Patel Marg and Gurgaon Road till 2 PM. Commuters are advised to plan their journey accordingly, the traffic police said in a post on X. Outer Ring Road near Indraprastha Park, C-Hexagon and Sardar Patel Marg were among the other road stretches that saw congestion on Tuesday. Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj targeted Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena over the traffic congestion in the city. I dont understand what Delhi Traffic Police has done, Delhi people are facing traffic jams everywhere. This police function was the only thing which LG saab had to handle, but its causing lot of inconvenience to common people of Delhi (sic), he wrote on X. Ankita Singh, who was travelling from Noida to New Delhi, said traffic on the Outer Ring Road stretch near Indraprastha was heavier than usual and Vikas Marg was also congested. It took Singh around one hour to reach her destination, which usually takes her around half an hour. The commuters travelling from Gurugram to Delhi could face traffic snarls through Tuesday due to the carpeting work being carried out on stretches of the road between Delhi airport and New Delhi district in preparation to welcome guests for the G20 Summit. Carpeting work is being carried out on some stretches of the road between the airport and the New Delhi district. Since the work is expected to continue till evening, we advise commuters to use the metro for swift movement, a senior Delhi traffic police officer said. Another commuter Ishita Singh, who was travelling from Gurgaon to Chanakyapuri in Lutyens Delhi, said she, too, was stuck in a traffic jam and the road repair work at Sardar Patel and other locations added to her inconvenience. Commuters also complained of facing traffic congestion in several other areas, including Africa Avenue Road, Sarita Vihar, near Zakir Hussain College and Bhera Enclave underpass. Commuters also complained of jams in several other parts of the city, from Delhi-Meerut Expressway to Mukarba Chowk. While commuters complained about police barricades and checking causing jams at several other stretches of roads in the city, police attributed them to the morning hour traffic and the intensified checking as part of security measures in view of the summit. Bagh Sewania police have arrested three persons including a woman and a minor boy for killing a 35-year-old man; accused were nabbed from Khandwa, woman with the help of her lover and minor boy strangulated the man in the night on July 25 at Purani Basti Ram Mandir. After the murder, the three accused had fled from Bhopal. All three remained absconding in Khandwa and Rajasthan. Police teams tracked the three accused from Khandwa. Police have brought the accused to Bhopal. The statements of all three are being recorded. The scarf and knife used in the murder were recovered by the police from the spot. Police said that Manik Singh of village Sujasar Bikaner Rajasthan married to Aarti Chauhan of Khandwa on July 10 this year. After marriage, he came to Bhopal in search of work and started living. He got a job at a sweet shop. Both husband and wife were living in Purani Basti near Ram Mandir. On July 22, the wife went to her maternal home as her mother was ill. From here she returned to Bhopal on the night of July 25 with her lover Raja Varma and when Manik asked about the boy she they will not live together anymore. She was in a relationship with Raja for ten years after which there was a dispute between husband and wife regarding this matter. The wife gave her scarf to her lover and they strangulated Manik to death and slited his throat. Raja had also brought his cousin (minor boy) with him to Bhopal. Ranjit, who was standing outside. All three absconded after the murder. Because Aarti had already gone to her maternal home, no one was aware of her arrival here. After the murder, the police received information that Aarti was seen leaving Manik Singh's house on the night of July 25. On scanning the footage of CCTV cameras, two suspicious youths were also seen going to the house. On checking Aarti's CDR, it was revealed that she used to talk to a young man for 10-12 hours a day. The number on which she called was used by Raja Verma, a resident of Khandwa. It was from here that the police became suspicious of the wife and later crime was revealed. A 40-year-old DUSIB toilet complex caretaker was found dead with stab injuries on Monday morning in central Delhi's Anand Parbat area, police said, adding that the murder suspect has been nabbed. The incident took place at Holi Chowk, Punjabi Basti, Baljeet Nagar, they said. According to the police, they received a PCR around 6 am regarding the incident. The deceased was identified as Pappu, a resident of Shastri Nagar and native of Basti in Uttar Pradesh. He was working as caretaker of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) toilet complex, a senior police officer said. The body carried stab injury marks. A police team, along with FSL and crime teams, rushed to the spot, inspected the spot and preserved pieces of evidence, the officer said. The police are checking CCTV cameras of the area to gather information about the incident and the culprits. A suspect identified as Ankit, a resident of Baljeet Nagar, has been apprehended, police said. Prima facie, it emerged that Pappu was in a live-in relationship with the suspect's sister, who had died by suicide about eight to nine years back. Traffic on many routes will remain diverted in Dehradun due to the Assembly session which is scheduled to commence from Tuesday. The police informed that considering the probable protests and rallies on the routes, barricades will be installed at Pragati Vihar, Shastri Nagar, Haridwar Bypass, Defence Colony and Vidhan Sabha junction. All heavy vehicles will be diverted from Kargi Chowk and Doiwala towards Dudhli Road during the session. Due to heavy traffic pressure in the Rispana area, heavy vehicles might be partially stopped at Laltappad, Harrawala and Nayagaon. Vehicles going from Dehradun to Haridwar, Rishikesh, Tehri and Chamoli will be diverted towards Chhe Number Puliya via Nehru Colony and Fountain Chowk. The police informed that the traffic passing through Dharampur Chowk to ISBT will be diverted from the old Bypass Chowki to ISBT via Mata Mandir Road. Traffic going towards Mussoorie from the Mohkampur route will be diverted to Jogiwala, Raipur Ring Road, Ladpur, Sahastradhara crossing and IT Park to reach Mussoorie. All protest rallies for which permission has been granted will proceed only from Bannu School while the vehicles of the protesters will remain parked on the school premises. Vehicles arriving from Rispana towards the city will be diverted from the Haridwar Bypass towards Old Bypass Chowki when the rallies move towards the Pragati Vihar barrier. Some other routes can be diverted across the city as per the requirement. The police appealed to commuters to use two-wheelers rather than cars till the Assembly session ends. Former Chief Minister Uma Bharti here on Monday expressed her disappointment on not being invited by the BJP for its Jan Ashirwad Yatra flagged off by JP Nadda in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal. Claiming that the BJP's victory over the Congress under her leadership in 2003, Bharti said, If Jyotiraditya Scindia helped them form the government in 2020, even I helped them form a bigger majority government in 2003." The 64-year-old BJP firebrand, however, said, "I love him (Scindia) as my nephew. But at least I was worthy of being invited to the yatra launch, even though I wouldn't have gone there." The BJP leader also asserted that she would continue to campaign for the party in the coming polls. While the BJP was yet to comment on her statement, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, who was in Bhopal, criticised the BJP alleging that it is "habitual of insulting all its leaders". Modi and Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government has continuously sidelined veteran party leaders. The prime minister sidelined his own leader Lal Krishna Advani, retired Murli Manohar Joshi. In our culture, even God does not forgive the one who does not respect elders, the Congress MP said. In 2003, leading the BJP to a three-fourth majority, Bharti had put a full stop to the 10-year-old Congress rule in Madhya Pradesh -- then headed by Digvijaya Singh. However, in 2005, the senior BJP leader was expelled from the party and then reinstated in 2011. In 2013, Bharti was appointed as one of the 13 vice-presidents to steer the BJP party through the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP leader refused to support then BJP party leader Yashwant Sinhas idea of declaring Narendra Modi as the NDAs prime ministerial candidate because of his growing popularity. Bharti told media perosns that popularity cannot decide the prime ministerial candidate and there were several leaders with lesser mass appeal who could be very efficient as Prime Minister. On being asked about Tamil Nadu minister Udhyanidhi Stalins Sanatana Dharma remark, Bharti told reporters, It is highly condemnable. The INDIA bloc should apologise to the nation. He is Stalin's son and associated with the opposition alliance. If the INDIA alliance leaders don't apologise, it'll cost them." The main structure of the Datengxia water resources management facility in Southwest China has been completed four months ahead of schedule, the Ministry of Water Resources said on Saturday. The project, which is located in the Xijiang River, a tributary of the Pearl River, has eight power generation units, each with an installed capacity of 200,000 kilowatts. It can annually generate more than 6 billion kilowatt hours of electricity. The ministry said the project is also expected to contribute to flood control, navigation, water resources allocation, and irrigation in the Pearl River Basin. In cooperation with other reservoirs in the basin, the project can help Wuzhou, a city with a population of over 2.8 million in Guangxi, cope with once-in-a-hundred-year floods. Previously, the city was only able to withstand floods that occur once every 50 years. The project also enables some cities in the Pearl River Delta to resist floods that happen once every two centuries. Thanks to the project, vessels of up to 3,000 metric tons can now navigate in the Qianjiang River, a section of the Xijiang River, up from only 300 tons. The ministry said the Datengxia facility will also provide strong support to rural vitalization, offering irrigation water to 80,000 hectares of farmland and addressing drinking water shortage for almost 1.4 million people in Guangxi. The project has already played significant roles in the past three years when it was put into trial operation. For example, in June last year, it helped prevent and store about 700 million cubic meters of floodwater when the Xijiang River was hit by a flood. In the peak, it reduced water flow by 3,500 cubic meters per second. To date, the power generators with the project have generated 11.5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity. With a total investment of over 35.7 billion yuan, the Datengxia water resources management facility is a landmark project that will benefit millions of people in Southwest China. The state machinery in Uttar Pradesh is gearing up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, with significant changes and preparations underway at the administrative level. This can be gauged from the fact the way the Uttar Pradesh government has taken swift action by reassigning district magistrates and Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officers in line with the Election Commission of Indias guidelines to ensure a smooth electoral process. One of the key directives from the Election Commission is the removal of officers involved in election-related duties who have been stationed in a district for three or more years. This move aims to maintain the efficiency and impartiality of the election process. To comply with this requirement, the state government initiated a large-scale reshuffling of officers even before receiving formal instructions from the Election Commission. This proactive approach not only aligns with the Election Commissions guidelines but also offers officers valuable experience in different regions before their crucial roles during elections. It ensures that elections are conducted under the supervision of well-trained and experienced officials, minimising the risk of procedural errors, a senior official told this reporter on Monday. As a result of this reshuffling, several district magistrates who had been in their positions for an extended period have been transferred to new districts. The notable transfers are of the district magistrates of Bijnor, Etah and Lalitpur, who were posted in the respective districts since 2021. Of the present lot, 65 district magistrates out of the total 75 districts have performed duties as electoral officers since 2022 or later, with only 10 district magistrates having conducted elections before October 2021. In view of this, there is possibility of further reshuffling in several districts as the election preparations progress, the official said. In a recent development, the Election Commission has appointed a new chief electoral officer (CEO) for Uttar Pradesh. Alongside the CEO, two additional chief electoral officers (ACEOs) have also been deployed to the State Election Office, strengthening the election machinerys top leadership. The upcoming Lok Sabha elections have drawn significant attention from Indias political spectrum, with leaders from various parties, including Congress, Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal, and Trinamool Congress expressing their belief that the Narendra Modi government may call for early elections. Even Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, who has declared herself neutral from both Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has shared similar apprehensions. Amidst these political speculations and preparations, Uttar Pradeshs government machinery is working tirelessly to ensure that the electoral process runs smoothly, with experienced officers at the helm, reinforcing the states commitment to conducting fair and transparent elections, the official said. | The Uttar Pradesh government is leaving no stone unturned to make sure that the benefits of its facilities and schemes reach the farmers of the state. The government has recently approved release of Rs 46.19 crore to complete the pending works under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha and Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM Kusum Yojana). The allocated funds will facilitate the accomplishment of 92 tasks spanning four distinct categories. These works encompass a variety of activities, including eight office-related projects, maintenance of 15 vehicles and purchase of petrol, and the resolution of 27 subsidy cases, alongside meeting 42 other expenses. The disbursement of Rs 46.19 crore from the total provisioned amount of Rs 210.77 crore for the PM Kusum Yojana in the state will accelerate various departmental tasks, including those related to subsidies and other schemes. Among the four categories for which the states share has been released by the Yogi government, the subsidy category receives the highest amount of Rs 46.07 crore. Simultaneously, an allocation of Rs 2 lakh has been sanctioned for eight office-related expenses, Rs 5 lakh for vehicle maintenance, and petrol procurement, and Rs 5 lakh for 42 other expenditures under the PM Kusum Yojana. All these works will be done on the basis of the Uttar Pradesh Budget Manual and Financial Rules Collection as per the instructions of the Government of India and the rule book of the Uttar Pradesh government. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday asked the BJP whether it will change the name of Bharat if any organization names itself Bharat. He said this amid controversy over G20 dinner invites purportedly sent on behalf of the President of Bharat. The Chief Minister said the invite sent by the Modi government for G20 dinner refers to the President as "President of Bharat" and not of India. "The BJP's recent move to change the reference from 'President of India' to 'President of Bharat' in official invitations has raised eyebrows and ignited a public debate. "How can the BJP strike down INDIA? The country doesn't belong to a political party, it belongs to 135 crore Indians," Baghel said. He said the BJP was afraid of the new INDIA alliance and so has even changed the name of the country to Bharat in a panic reaction. In order to make Uttar Pradesh number one state in the country in the field of education, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to work towards claiming top rankings in the School Education Quality Index (SEQI) and Performance Grading Index (PGI) released by NITI Aayog. There are more than 1.41 lakh council and secondary schools in Uttar Pradesh where over 2.37 crore students are studying. The Yogi governments allocation for education in the current year stands at Rs 83,000 crore, with an annual expenditure of Rs 35,000 per student. After coming to power in 2017, the Yogi government has brought about significant changes in the education system of the state. Under the Kayakalp Abhiyan, the work of improving the condition of dilapidated schools has been done robustly. In the month of August, the Yogi government launched the second phase of Operation Kayakalp. Over 1.36 lakh council schools have been restored with the availability of basic facilities. The state governments most significant accomplishment is the transparent recruitment of 1.64 lakh teachers. This achievement not only involves the digitisation of teacher-related processes through the Manav Sampada portal but also includes the direct transfer of funds to the accounts of over 1.91 crore parents for educational materials related to their children. Apart from this, the government has also developed real-time monitoring and grievance redressal mechanisms in the form of Vidya Samiksha Kendra. The other aim of the Yogi government is to declare UP as a proficient state by connecting 5,760 schools of the state with world class facilities by 2026. Until six years ago, conducting cheating-free examinations in the state was a dream. Today, not only the 10th and 12th UP Board exams have become completely free from cheating, but over three lakh cameras have been installed in the schools to ensure cheating-free examinations. Additionally, the government has implemented the Sharda programme for out-of-school children and the Samarth programme for children with disabilities. Furthermore, Kasturba Gandhi Girls Schools have been extended up to the 12th grade. Simultaneously, the establishment of Atal residential schools in 18 districts across the state is a major achievement of the Yogi government in the field of education. The Yogi government will spend Rs 7.8 lakh to develop the necessary infrastructure in the school as soon as possible. The chief minister has already given instructions to officials to provide these funds to schools through various financial sources and inter-departmental convergence. An amount of Rs 11,000 crore is to be spent by the state government for the renovation of schools. Out of this, Rs 5,500 crore will be received from the State/Central Finance Commission, Rs 3,900 crore from state fund, Rs 450 crore from Jal Jeevan Mission, Rs 415 crore from municipal corporations, Rs 250 crore from corporate social responsibility (CSR) Fund and Rs 20 crore from District Mineral Fund. XLRI, Jamshedpur, has emerged victorious in the 17th Annual E-PARCC Teaching Case and Simulation Competition, a globally recognized competition hosted by Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, New York, USA. The institution's exemplary teaching case, titled "GEWEL: Sustainable Solution for Empowering Girls and Women in Zambia," authored by Prof. Trilochan Tripathy and Benudhar Sahu, secured the coveted 1st place position, winning the Glendel E. and Alice D. Wright Prize Fund for Conflict and Collaboration Case Studies in International Development. The winning case was meticulously crafted and developed within XLRI's Case Research and Simulation Development Centre (XL-CRSDC), a renowned repository for case studies. This particular case shed light on the collaborative strategy orchestrated by the World Bank, bringing together a myriad of stakeholders, including private enterprises, governmental bodies, and international agencies, to execute the Girls' Education and Women's Empowerment and Livelihoods (GEWEL) Project in Zambia. This initiative aims to empower girls and women hailing from the most impoverished households in Zambia. Prof. Trilochan Tripathy expressed his intention to continue producing cases spanning diverse realms of business management and public policy. He stated, "Winning this prestigious award motivates us to create more cases centered around the concept of 'collaboration,' a concept increasingly relevant in today's world. Collaboration enables individuals and organizations to collectively address common challenges that no single government or private entity can tackle alone. Our commitment to developing cases, especially those related to public policy issues, aligns with XLRI's dedication to fostering inclusivity and the greater good of society." The award-winning case meticulously outlined the formal, consensus-driven, deliberative collective decision-making processes integral to the GEWEL project, which is geared toward empowering women and girls in Zambia. The Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC), hosted by Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, stands as a multifaceted, interdisciplinary research center committed to advancing both theoretical understanding and practical solutions for resolving disputes and fostering cooperation in various international development contexts. E-PARCC, a project under the Collaborative Governance Initiative, offers an online repository that equips educators with effective and innovative teaching cases and simulations to engage students in addressing complex problems and formulating collaborative solutions. The project extends free online access to academicians and researchers worldwide working within the realm of conflict and collaboration. XLRI's remarkable achievement in the E-PARCC Teaching Case and Simulation Competition reaffirms its dedication to academic excellence and its significant contributions to the field of collaborative governance and international development. | Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for nominating Dinesh Sharma as the candidate for bypoll to the lone Rajya Sabha seat in the state. Sharma on Tuesday filed his nomination for the by-election to the Rajya Sabha seat in UP which went vacant in June after the demise of BJP MP Hardwar Dubey. Sharma is all set to be declared unopposed as only one nomination was filed on the last day of nomination. Addressing party officials and workers at the BJP headquarters on the occasion, CM Yogi said: Today is Teachers Day and on this occasion, Dinesh Sharma, a teacher, is going to file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha by-election. While congratulating all of you on Teachers Day, I congratulate him too from the bottom of my heart. Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya, Brajesh Pathak, and partys state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary were also present on the occasion. Yogi commended Dinesh Sharma for his outstanding work in various capacities within the organisation, both as a regular party worker and as the national vice-president of the party. He also acknowledged Dinesh Sharmas excellent work during his tenure as the Lucknow mayor. The chief minister further said, Between 2017 and 2022, after the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in Uttar Pradesh, Dinesh Sharma carried out the responsibilities of the deputy CM along with overseeing the departments of Secondary and Higher Education, Science and Technology, and Electronics and IT. During this period, he took significant steps to improve the education sector as well. Yogi mentioned that Dinesh Sharma has always been connected with the values and principles of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. On this occasion, I express my gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda and the entire Union Cabinet and party for nominating Dinesh Sharma as a Rajya Sabha candidate, he added. Over 21 per cent of the electorate in Uttar Pradesh's Ghosi Assembly constituency cast their votes in the first four hours of polling for the by-election on Tuesday, the first electoral showdown in Uttar Pradesh after the formation of the opposition INDIA bloc. Voting began at 7 am and is being held at 455 polling stations. It is slated to conclude at 6 pm. The bypoll was necessitated following the resignation of Dara Singh Chauhan, who had won the seat in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, from the Samajwadi Party in July. He returned to the BJP and was selected by the party to contest the bypoll. The Samajwadi Party has fielded Sudhakar Singh for the bypoll. The Akhilesh Yadav-led party has alleged misuse of official machinery and has written to the Election Commission on the matter. It was alleged that Muslim voters were being prevented from voting in some places. Till 11 am, 21.57 per cent of votes were polled, the office of the state chief electoral officer said. The SP's national executive member Arvind Kumar Singh has written to the Chief Election Commissioner alleging that Muslim voters in booth number 147 are being not allowed to vote by the polling officer. Despite their names being on the voter list, they are being told to go back since their votes have already been cast, he alleged. The letter claimed that when voters resisted, the police and polling officials "at the behest of the ruling BJP are using abusive words to drive them away". It is a criminal act to deprive any voter of his franchise, Singh said in the letter. It also alleged that Ravindra Nath, a village head, and Dharmendra Yadav, a polling agent, were being pressured to vote in favour of the BJP. In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Chauhan defeated BJP candidate Vijay Kumar Rajbhar by a margin of 22,216 votes. Ghosi had recorded a polling percentage of 58.59. In the bypoll, Chauhan is being supported by NDA partners Apna Dal (Sonelal), Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (NISHAD) Party and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, a former SP ally. On the other hand, Samajwadi Party candidate Sudhakar Singh has received support from INDIA bloc constituents -- the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, RLD, AAP, CPI(ML)-Liberation and Suheldev Swabhiman Party. The bypoll will have no bearing on the BJP government, which enjoys a comfortable majority in the 403-member state assembly. However, its outcome could be an indicator of what is in store for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Uttar Pradesh sends 80 MPs to the 543-member Lok Sabha. Of the nearly 4.30 lakh voters in Ghosi, it is estimated that around 90,000 are Muslims, 60,000 Dalits, 45,000 Bhumihars, 16,000 Rajputs and 6,000 Brahmins. A total of 10 candidates are in the fray. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has not fielded any candidate in the bypoll. The counting of votes will be held on September 8. Last months mob attacks on churches and homes of Christians in eastern Pakistan erupted after three Christians threw the pages of Islams holy book outside the house of two others to falsely implicate them in a blasphemy case due to a personal dispute, police said Monday. The three detained suspects confessed to conspiring and throwing Quran pages outside Raja Amirs house, three police officials said. Amir and his brother had been arrested after they were accused by Muslims of desecrating the Quran. The suspected mastermind was Pervez Kodu, who thought Amir had an affair with his wife and knew Muslims would target Amir if Kodu had thrown the pages outside his house to give the impression Amir had desecrated the holy book, three police officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media on the record. They said the three men now face charges of causing violence and falsely implicating Amir and his brother in a blasphemy case. Khalid Mukhtar, a local priest, said he had heard about the arrests of the three men and told The Associated Press that he was trying to get details about the investigations from the police. At least 17 churches and nearly 100 homes were damaged in the Aug. 16 mob attacks in Jaranwala, a city in Punjab province. There were no casualties but it was one of the most destructive attacks on Christians in the country. Since then, authorities have repaired most of the churches and handed out thousands of dollars to nearly 100 families whose homes were destroyed or damaged. Police have also arrested nearly 200 Muslims over involvement in the attacks. Under Pakistans blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam can be sentenced to death. While authorities have yet to carry out capital punishment for blasphemy, often mere accusations can incite mobs to violence and lynching. Russia has likely proposed that North Korea participate in three-way naval exercises with China, according to a lawmaker who attended a closed-door briefing with the director of South Koreas top spy agency on Monday. The briefing came days after Russias Ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, told Russian media that including North Korea in joint military drills between Russia and China seems appropriate. Matsegora added it was his own point of view and that he wasnt aware of any preparations, according to Russias Tass news agency. According to lawmaker Yoo Sang-bum, when South Korean National Intelligence Service Director Kim Kyou-hyun was asked about the possibility of such drills, he said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu likely proposed holding trilateral naval exercises with North Korea and China while meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in July. Kim Jong Un invited Shoigu to a major military parade in Pyongyang in July while vowing to expand military cooperation with Moscow, which US officials say could involve North Korean supplies of artillery and other ammunition as Russian President Vladimir Putin reaches out to other countries for support in his war against Ukraine. Last week, the White House said Kim and Putin exchanged letters as Moscow looked to Pyongyang for more munitions. Amid deepening nuclear tensions with Washington, Seoul and Tokyo, Kim Jong Un has been trying to boost the visibility of his partnerships with Moscow and Beijing as he seeks to break out of diplomatic isolation and have Pyongyang be a part of a united front against the United States. Diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington has stalled since 2019 over disagreements over the crippling US-led sanctions against North Korea and the Norths faltered steps to wind down its nuclear weapons and missiles program. In the briefing, the service director Kim Kyou-hyun also said that North Koreas recent testing activities suggest its warplanes were highly reliant on its tactical nuclear systems as its aims to achieve swift victory over the South if war breaks out, as its otherwise ill-equipped military would struggle to handle a prolonged war, according to lawmaker Yoo. Kim has used the international focus on Russias war on Ukraine to dial up his weapons demonstrations, which have included more than 100 missile launches since the start of 2022. Kims testing spree has been punctuated by verbal threats of pre-emptive nuclear attacks against South Korea and other rivals if the North perceives its leadership as under threat. Nepals government has been working out agendas, ranging from agricultural development to opening the northern checkpoints to hydropower development, for the official visit of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda to China later this month, according to his close aide. Prime Minister Prachanda will visit China at the end of this month, a trip aimed at maintaining a balance in ties with both the neighbours - China and India. This will be his second foreign trip after assuming the office in December last year. The 68-year-old Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-MC) leader visited India in June as his first foreign trip after assuming office for the third time. Prime Minister Prachanda is embarking on a visit to China leading a Nepalese delegation towards the third week of September, and the agenda of the visit range from agricultural development to opening northern checkpoints to hydropower development, Foreign Minister N P Saud said during a press conference in Solukhumbu district on Sunday. During the visit, Prachanda is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, among others, and discuss matters relating to the construction of a cross-border transmission line with Chinese officials. During the bilateral talks, matters relating to the grants pledged by President Xi during his Nepal visit in 2019 will also feature, he said. The programmes will be decided on a priority basis to utilise the grants to be provided by the government of China during the visit, he added. Stating that there are around a dozen checkpoints on the northern border with China, he said the talks will also touch upon the operation of these border points. Some of these checkpoints were shut down in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, and efforts will be made to reopen these checkpoints during the visit. Saud said that the delegation will float proposals to move forward for attracting Chinese investment for developing hydropower projects lying on the China border including Kimathanka. Besides these, the projects including the construction of transmission lines from Rasuwa and Kimathanka will also be discussed, he said, adding that the east-west highway, Seti Corridor, road construction from Hilsa to Surkhet, Nuwakot-Chhahare tunnel road construction and upgradation and renovation of Kodari Highway are on agenda. Similarly, cooperation on health-related matters including the extension of Civil Hospital and Bir Hospital of Kathmandu will feature during the bilateral talks, he said. The two sides will also discuss trade-related issues including reducing Nepals high trade deficit, the minister said. We will identify goods to be exported to China and also explore the possibility of establishing export-oriented joint venture industries by attracting Chinese investment to address the trade deficit currently facing Nepal, he added. Prachanda will leave for an official visit to the US and China on September 16. He will travel to the US first, where he will attend the 78th United Nations General Assembly. After spending five days in the US, Prachanda will fly directly to Beijing. Prachandas visit to China is a bid by the senior Maoist leader to strike a balance in relations with China and India. China has been actively investing in Nepal in many infrastructure projects. 12 hours ago Still thinking about buying 3M for its dividend? Consider this Wall Street analysts typically go into hiding every three months when the long-awaited earnings season kicks off, making them earn their paychecks through long hours of due diligence and financial modeling. This time, you bet they had to dig into 3M Company (NYSE: MMM) and its unusually high potential. With financial titans like BlackRock Inc. (NYSE: BLK) and Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) advising their clients and also their own funds to move into undervalued stocks and seek quality Read Article ChargePoint Holdings, Inc. provides electric vehicle (EV) charging networks and charging solutions in the United States and internationally. The company provides comprehensive solutions for any size fleet and is fundamental to the build-out of global EV charging infrastructure. The company was founded in 2007 as a pure-play focused on EV infrastructure with the intention of serving the needs of EV drivers and the EV industry at large. The company is headquartered in Campbell, California, and has offices across the US and Europe. ChargePoint Holdings offers a portfolio of hardware, software, and services that provide an end-to-end solution for EV charging needs of all varieties. The company serves the commercial, fleet, and residential markets and lays claim to a network of more than 18,000 EV charging stations and growing. Among the many attractive features of ChargePoints stations is the open nature of the network. Individuals, businesses, and OEM manufacturers can easily join and use the stations at any public location, worldwide while tracking their activity with cloud-based software. Solutions for fleet management include charging stations, fleet management software, and cloud-supported hardware. Solutions for businesses include in-house charging points that can be used internally, provided to clients and customers as an amenity, or used as a source of income. Solutions for individuals include propriety, award-winning hardware installed in-home, and access to the worldwide network of charging stations. The network of charging stations can be located and accessed via a mobile app. The app shows all charge points within a set distance and indicates which ones are free or in use. The app can also control the charging session and other account features including payments. As of 2022, company stats indicated a charge was completed every second of the day and the pace was accelerating. In regard to the companys scope and reach, more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies are customers and that figure is only limited because there is so much competition in the market. The four key differences that set ChargePoint apart from its competition are its networked charging stations, complete cloud-based software solutions for all verticals, the mobile app, and 24/7 service for clients. The networked charging system alone allows for easy access to stations as well as improving uptime, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Boot Barn Holdings, Inc., a lifestyle retail chain, operates specialty retail stores in the United States. The company's specialty retail stores offer western and work-related footwear, apparel, and accessories for men, women, and kids. It offers boots, shirts, jackets, hats, belts and belt buckles, handbags, western-style jewelry, rugged footwear, outerwear, overalls, denim, and flame-resistant and high-visibility clothing. The company also provides gifts and home merchandise. The company also sells its products through e-commerce websites, including bootbarn.com; sheplers.com; and countryoutfitter.com. The company was formerly known as WW Top Investment Corporation and changed its name to Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. in June 2014. Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is based in Irvine, California. Nomad Foods Limited manufactures, markets, and distributes a range of frozen food products in the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France, Sweden, Austria, Norway, Spain, Serbia, Croatia, Switzerland, and rest of Europe. The company offers frozen fish products, including fish fingers, coated fish, and natural fish; ready to cook vegetable products, such as peas and spinach; and frozen poultry and meat products comprising nuggets, grills, and burgers. It also provides meals products that include ready to cook noodles, pasta, lasagna, pancakes, and other ready-made meals; ice-creams; and other products consisting of soups, pizzas, bakery goods, and meat substitutes. The company sells its products to supermarkets and food retail chains directly or through distribution arrangements primarily under the Birds Eye, iglo, Findus, Green Cuisine, Aunt Bessie's, Goodfella's, Frikom, Ledo, La Cocinera, and Belviva brand names. Nomad Foods Limited was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Feltham, the United Kingdom. The following companies are subsidiares of Amphenol: 3395 Walden Avenue Acquisition Corp., ARIA (Shenzhen) Technologies Co. 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Bhd., FCI Connectors Sweden Aktiebolag, FCI Connectors UK Limited, FCI Deutschland GmbH, FCI Electronics Hungary Kft., FCI GBS India Private Limited, FCI Japan K.K., FCI Nantong Ltd., FCI OEN Connectors Limited, FCI PRC Limited, FCI Taiwan Limited, FCI USA LLC, FCIs-Hertogenbosch B.V., FEP Fahrzeugelektrik Pirna, FEP Fahrzeugelektrik Pirna GmbH & Co. KG, FEP Fahrzeugelektrik Pirna Verwaltungs GmbH, Fiber Systems International Inc., Filec Production SAS, Filec SAS, Flexus Electronics Inc., Flexus USA Inc., Friedrich Gohringer Elektrotechnik GmbH, GIC & GJM Automotive Harnesses S.R.L., GJM Components MX S. de R.L. de C.V., GJM Components N.A. Inc., GJM Components S.R.L., GJM S.A., Genasco S.A. de C.V., General Assembly Corporation, Guangzhou Amphenol Electronics Co. Ltd., Guangzhou Amphenol Sincere Flex Circuits Co. Ltd., Guangzhou FEP Automotive Electric Co. 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Read More Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. engages in designing, building, overhauling, and repairing military ships in the United States. It operates through three segments: Ingalls, Newport News, and Mission Technologies. The company is involved in the design and construction of non-nuclear ships comprising amphibious assault ships; expeditionary warfare ships; surface combatants; and national security cutters for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. It also provides nuclear-powered ships, such as aircraft carriers and submarines, as well as refueling and overhaul, and inactivation services of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. In addition, the company offers naval nuclear support services, including fleet services comprising design, construction, maintenance, and disposal activities for in-service the U.S. Navy nuclear ships; and maintenance services on nuclear reactor prototypes. Further, it provides life-cycle sustainment services to the U.S. Navy fleet and other maritime customers; high-end information technology and mission-based solutions for Department of Defense (DoD), intelligence, and federal civilian customers; nuclear management and operations and environmental management services for the Department of Energy, DoD, state and local governments, and private sector companies; fleet sustainment; nuclear and environmental services; and unmanned systems. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Newport News, Virginia. 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. The CoSHOP features small works of fine art as well as a selection of design-and foodie-forward home goods, wearables, wellness items, and paper goods that are created by Dayton, Ohio, and Midwest artists and artisans. SHOP items are selected on an ongoing basis through submission through the Cos website codayton.org/call-for-entry. Items are accepted on consignment with artists receiving 60% of the retail sale of their item(s). Consignment terms vary and artist paymens are made monthly by check or ACH. The BJP drew parallel between DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks on Sanatan Dharma and German dictator Adolf Hitler's diatribe against the Jews. (X.com) The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday drew parallel between Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalins son Udhayanidhi Stalins remarks on Sanatan Dharma and German dictator Adolf Hitlers diatribe against the Jews. "There is eerie similarity between how Hitler characterised the Jews and Udhayanidhi Stalin described Sanatan Dharma. Like Hitler, Stalin Jr also demanded that Sanatan Dharma be eradicated We know how Nazi hate culminated in Holocaust, killing approx 6 million European Jews and at least another 5 million Soviet prisoners of war and other victims," the BJP said through its official Twitter handle. There is eerie similarity between how Hitler characterised the Jews and Udhayanidhi Stalin described Sanatan Dharma. Like Hitler, Stalin Jr also demanded, that Sanatan Dharma be eradicated We know how Nazi hate culminated in Holocaust, killing approx 6 million European Jews and pic.twitter.com/bu1MNWGq6Z BJP (@BJP4India) September 5, 2023 "Uday Stalins meditated comment is unadulterated hate speech and a call for genocide of 80% population of Bharat, who follow Sanatan Dharma. Congress and I.N.D.I Alliance support for Stalins bile is most disconcerting," the BJP said. In his address in Tamil at a meet of Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association here on Saturday, Udhayanidhi likened Sanatana Dharma to coronavirus, malaria, fever caused by dengue virus and mosquito, and said that such things should not be opposed but destroyed. The DMK leader was speaking on the theme of the meeting "Sanatan elimination". In his first comment on Jews that Hitler made on September 16, 1919, he characterized the effect of a Jewish presence as a "race-tuberculosis of the peoples". Notably, Naidu and TD leaders have maintained a silence on the issue. Naidu did not respond to the I-T notices. (Representational Image: DC) VIJAYAWADA: In a new twist to the alleged Rs 118-crore Amaravati construction scam and income-tax notices issued to Telugu Desam chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu in this respect, the AP CID has launched a detailed probe. The CID reportedly issued notices to two main individuals involved in the alleged scam. With this, the Andhra Pradesh government has taken a significant step in investigating the corruption allegations against Naidu vis-a-vis the Amaravati scam. Notably, Naidu and TD leaders have maintained a silence on the issue. Naidu did not respond to the I-T notices. According to official sources, the AP government would launch a comprehensive investigation to ascertain where there were potential commonalities or connections between the IT scam and the AP Skill Development Corporation scam. APCID officials were tight-lipped over the issuing of notices to two key persons but official sources confirmed that the notices were issued. It is also reported that AP CID additional DG N. Sanjay is likely to reveal details about the CID investigation in a day or two. YSR Congress ministers, MLAs, MPs, and leaders have demanded a thorough investigation into the `118-crore scam and the arrest of Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh. The sources said the CID has issued notices to key figures associated with the IT scam, Manoj Vasudev Pardasanny and Yogesh Gupta, with links to the Skill Development Corporation scam. Gupta allegedly played an important role in the earlier scam in re-routing `371 crore in five phases over three months. He is also suspected to have had a hand in this alleged loot of public money with regard to the Amaravati matter. In November 2019, the income-tax department carried out investigations on Pardasanny, who represented Shapoorji Pallonji, contractor for the construction of the Secretariat. Sources said the AP government is diligently the information unearthed subsequently, which suggested that the AP Township and Infrastructure Development (TIDCO) may have inflated the construction costs. Serious allegations have been leveled against Naidu's PA Srinivas, who reportedly received money in connection with the IT scam and the Skill Corporation scam. Investigating agencies are actively pursuing leads suggesting that funds were appropriated in both scams. Additionally, there were accusations of funds reaching Naidu in Dubai. The CID would inquire into this aspect. Plans are afoot to send an investigation team to Dubai to collect evidence. BJP Telangana state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar. (Twitter) Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday penalised BJPs Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar Rs 50,000 for failing to appear before the advocate commissioner for recording his evidence in an election petition filed against minister Gangula Kamalakar. After the 2018 elections, Sanjay and Congress Ponnam Prabhakar, who lost to Kamalakar, filed separate election petitions in the High Court, seeking a declaration of Kamalakars election as void. Sanjay alleged that Kamalakar had spent more than the amount fixed by the Election Commission of India. He requested the court to give a direction stating that the returning officers declaration was invalid and to declare him (Sanjay) as the winner. Dealing with the election petitions, Justice Chillakuru Sumalatha, on July 10, appointed an advocate commissioner to record the evidence and cross-examine them. The court directed Sanjay to appear before the advocate commissioner to provide the evidence. For 45 days, Sanjay did not appear citing the Winter Session of Parliament. The court, on July 31, directed him to appear before the commission between August 11 and 17. Though the advocate commissioner scheduled a meeting four times between July 10 and September 5, Sanjay failed to appear. The BJP leaders counsel requested the court to schedule another date because Sanjay would return from a foreign trip on September 12. The court viewed it as deliberate and wilful disobedience of its orders and imposed the costs on Sanjay. The court ordered him to deposit the amount to the Army Welfare Fund and to submit the proof of evidence. The court directed him to appear before the advocate commissioner and adjourned the election petition to September 20. Telangana Chief Minister and BRS chief K. Chandrashekar Rao. (Twitter) Hyderabad: It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for any one political rival to keep up with the brilliant strategies and unconventional tactics of Telangana Chief Minister and BRS chief K. Chandrashekar Rao, who has, just ahead of an excruciatingly difficult state Assembly election, created a wave of collywobbles for the two main Opposition parties Congress and BJP by activating his sleeping supporters. Even as the saffron party is reeling from the Congress onslaught to firm up the perception in the state that the BJP has a clandestine agreement with the ruling BRS, the party found the statement of one of its top leaders in fulsome praise extolling the invincibility of the rival, Chief Minister Rao. Although he modified his statement subsequently, claiming it to have been misleadingly paraphrased by the media, senior BJP leader P. Muralidhar Rao said, "It will not be easy to take on KCR on the issue of welfare programmes. He is way ahead than anyone else on this front." It was a good demonstration of Chandrashekar Raos power to shock his opponents. Several senior BJP leaders, over the past year, confessed in private conversations that whatever is discussed in the party fora or even relatively small groups, reaches the BRS boss through his well-established channels. "We dont have a clue what KCR is thinking, planning or will do, but it seems he even knows what we had for lunch," a source said. Intelligence is the most powerful soft weapon with a lethal impact on the course of any war, and the elections to be held for the next Assembly is nothing less than war, as the principal contender Congress realised recently, when senior leader K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao known for his strong support to anti-Telangana agitation and a supporter of Samaikhyavadam (advocacy of united AP) at a ceremony to launch a book on late Dr Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy recently, said that he should be seen at least now as a half-Telanganite. It has jolted the Congress, which is buoyed currently by recent surveys and assessments of having overtaken the BRS in both vote shares and seats, but is short of the majority mark by a little, because any successful manoeuvring by anti-Telangana or pro-Andhra forces into the Congress frontline at this stage will give Rao a strong handle to crush them, again, like in the last elections. In both cases, neither the BJP nor the Congress could respond strongly to the comments made by their senior leaders, which are more likely to hurt them and help the BRS. The ruling pink party made merry, with its leaders setting the stage for a strong campaign. "Why did KVP not think of writing a book on YSR all these years since 2009? Just a few weeks before elections, he is trying to bear hug the Telangana Congress," a leader, not wishing to be identified, said. "The entire episode of trying to bring in Y.S. Sharmila Reddy into the party is also a game by the same players. And with the same intent," the leader said. BRS is bound to use the perception that Andhra leaders are taking the reins of the Telangana Congress. While the Congress is confident of a win, several BJP leaders are hoping there is a hung house, enabling them to form an alliance after the elections and be a part of the next government. But beyond senior leaders Muralidhar Rao and KVP who become easy targets of their rivals, who dub them as "coverts of KCR" because they belong to the same community there are dozens of others, insiders in both parties confess, who can be made to do the bidding of Chief Minister Rao at a signal, and to which the rivals have little answer. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. (PTI) Hyderabad: The TPCC extended committee meeting on Tuesday thanked party senior leader Sonia Gandhi for accepting the request by the state unit to hold the CWC meeting in Hyderabad. "In the backdrop of fast changing political developments, we requested Sonia Gandhi to announce the five guarantees here," said TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy. Addressing the meeting at Gandhi Bhavan, Revanth Reddy said, "With the BJP at the helm, democracy is in tatters. We need to make the programmes of September 16, 17 and 18 a success. Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal is coming (on Wednesday) to review the arrangements." He said the party would hold a mega rally on September 17 where Sonia Gandhi will announce five guarantees. News of the five guarantees will be taken to the people on September 18 by important leaders to the 119 Assembly constituencies "We sought permission on September 2 from the defence ministry to hold our meeting in the Parade Ground on September 17. But the BJP and BRS are trying to deny us the ground with Kishan Reddy now saying that they will hold a meeting on the same date at the venue. We condemn this attitude." "Its tragic that the government is becoming a party to such maverick actions. When leaders who are under SPG protection come on a visit, the government should show sanity and take decisions. As a second option we have asked LB Stadium as the venue, the TPCC chief said. Reiterating that the meeting would take place despite obstacles being placed by the BJP and BRS, he said, "We need to be ready to hold the meeting in the outskirts if needed. Revanth Reddy noted that September 7 would mark the first anniversary of the Bharat Jodo Yatra undertaken by Rahul Gandhi. In this backdrop, padayatras should be taken at the mandal and district centres and the occasion celebrated at the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi. "Coordinators will be appointed for all the 119 constituencies. They should explain about the significance of the yatra to the people," he said. Holding the CWC meeting in Telangana mirrored the primacy that the party was giving the state, said AICC Telangana incharge Manikrao Thakre. "The entire country is now looking towards Telangana. We should strive to make the CWC and the public meeting a grand success," he said. Damodara Raja Narasimha, nominated permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee, said, "We had held AICC, CWC meetings in Hyderabad during the YSR regime. Taking a lesson from those experiences we should make the CWC meet a success," he said. Arrangements in progress for the Telangana Liberation Day celebration at Parade Grounds last year. (DC Image) HYDERABAD: The Parade Ground in Secunderabad, ownership of which lies with the Union defence ministry, but one that is allowed to be used by political parties for their rallies, has emerged as a bone of contention between the Congress and the BJP. The Congress is upset that its request for using the Parade Ground on September 17 for a mega rally to be addressed by its leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi has not been approved, with authorities citing plans by the Centre to hold official celebrations of the Telangana Liberation Day at the same venue, on the same date. Originally, the expectation was that the Liberation Day celebrations would be held in Warangal, but the change of plan was announced by Union minister and BJP state president G. Kishan Reddy on Tuesday. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee working president Mahesh Kumar Goud told reporters: "We applied for permission on September 2 itself to hold our meeting in Parade Ground on September 17. But the news that the grounds will now be used for a meeting to be addressed by Union home minister Amit Shah on September 17 smacks of ill-will and shows how disconcerted the BJP is with the rising graph of the Congress in Telangana." He added: "This is a new low in politics." Earlier in the day, Kishan Reddy, addressing a press conference on the Meri Maati-Mera Desh programme, said the Liberation Day programme by the Union government will be held at Parade Ground. Asked if this would not clash with the Congress plans to hold its event on the same day at the same venue, Kishan Reddy said the Liberation Day celebration was an official Government of India event and it was not a BJP event. "The BJP may claim anything it wants to, but the fact is it is trying to deny space for a meeting to be addressed by our top party leaders. Come what may, we will hold the CWC (Congress Working Committee) meeting successfully and the public meeting also. We have sought the LB Nagar Stadium as an alternative venue for our rally," Mahesh Kumar Goud said. This will be the second year in a row that the Government of India will be celebrating Telangana Liberation Day at Parade Ground. Last year too, Shah was the chief guest and after the official ceremonies and a march past by Central security force contingents, addressed a public meeting at the venue. Thanks to a new discovery linked to shares of Tesla, regular folks can now target gains of 100% or more in six days or less. New research shows its happened 23 different times this year. The next trade is scheduled for this Thursday. iShares MSCI Japan ETF (the fund), formerly Ishares Msci Japan Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the Japanese market, as measured by the MSCI Japan Index (the Index). The Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. The Index is reviewed quarterly. BlackRock Fund Advisors (BFA) serves as the investment advisor to the Fund. Northern Irelands politicians must restore the devolved assembly to prevent harm to the union, a UK minister warned. Steve Baker urged DUP MPs to return to Stormont as the Commons gave its backing to a budget for Northern Irelands public services. He implored them to make the union work and pursue the best of available futures for Northern Ireland by returning to the power-sharing executive, and restoring the assembly. The budget is being set in Westminster due to the continued political stalemate in Stormont. The DUP refuses to enter a power-sharing devolved government over concerns that implementing the post-Brexit trade arrangements in the Windsor Framework would loosen Northern Irelands ties to the rest of the Union. The Windsor Framework, negotiated by Rishi Sunak earlier this year and approved by Parliament, proposes reduced checks in goods travelling directly to Northern Ireland from Great Britain to reduce trade barriers within the UK. Goods travelling onto the Republic of Ireland would continue to be subject to checks required by EU law. Speaking during the third reading debate of the Northern Ireland Budget (No.2) Bill, DUP MP Sammy Wilson laid out his partys continued objections to the agreement. He told MPs: Quite honestly, no Government can expect unionist representatives who have fought to maintain the union, to go back into Stormont to implement policies which will drive a further wedge between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, where they will be obliged to accept EU legislation which even the Windsor Framework indicated would be a cause of divergence between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. So if the Government really does want politicians in Northern Ireland to play a role in deciding budgets and how budgets are spent and everything else, then they first of all have to accept that Unionists will not, and cannot, and should not be expected to participate in the demise of the union by having to sit in an assembly which would be forced to implement the very policies which they believe are detrimental to the union. He later added: We are not being truculent we simply are making it quite clear that the ask which is being made either in terms of the political compromises on the union, and secondly the financial difficulties which this budget would cause, make it impossible for the assembly to be up and running again. Northern Ireland minister Mr Baker responded: On the point of the budget, the surest way now surely to harm the union is to allow Northern Ireland to fail, because people vote for change when the world isnt working for them. I have to say to him that when I look at the available futures for Northern Ireland the one that is going to work best and best preserve the union is to get on and get Northern Ireland working. I know he is frustrated. I am frustrated too and I say to him I would have liked to have done better on the Windsor Framework but now we have to choose from the best of available futures. Mr Baker went on: This Government does believe in the union but we also respect the Belfast Good Friday Agreement in all its dimensions and that includes devolution and I just implore him to make the union work. Elsewhere in the debate, shadow Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn urged ministers to work to regain trust of Northern Irelands political parties. The newly appointed Labour frontbencher added: The Labour Party does not oppose this Bill as to do so would cause deeper instability but as I think everybody has contributed so far tonight has said, the best and the only way forward is the restoration of Stormont so that local representatives can get to grips with the budget and be accountable to the people who elected them, the people of Northern Ireland for the decisions that they make, and frankly that day cannot come soon enough. Alliance MP Stephen Farry (North Down) said there is no sign of any return to devolution, adding: The response from (Mr Wilson) to the minister of state I think illustrates the lack of realism that there is there in terms of the choices that face us in Northern Ireland collectively, and indeed the choices that face unionism in terms of ensuring Northern Ireland works for everybody. The Bill will undergo further scrutiny in the House of Lords at a later date. Powers would have to be taken by the Westminster Government to approve any new chief constable in Northern Ireland in the continued absence of an executive at Stormont, Parliament has been told. Northern Ireland Office minister Lord Caine said in the unfortunate circumstance the devolved institutions were still not up and running when any appointment was made, then it would fall to the UK administration to ratify the chosen candidate. The Tory frontbencher pointed out this had happened back in 2019 for the appointment of the chief constable Simon Byrne, who quit amid controversy this week. Mr Byrnes resignation was announced on Monday following a series of rows, including a data breach which revealed personal details of officers and staff, and a critical High Court judgment which said the disciplining of two officers following an arrest at a Troubles memorial event in Belfast in 2021 was unlawful. The turmoil has led to renewed calls at Westminster for the reestablishment of the executive and assembly, as it was warned people in the region continued to be let down by the failure of their elected politicians. There have been no functioning devolved institutions since last year when the DUP withdrew from the powersharing arrangements in protest over the post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland. Despite efforts to resolve difficulties caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol, the DUP has said its concerns must be met before it returns to government. Responding to questions in the House of Lords on the major Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) data breach, Lord Caine said the appointment of a new top officer was a matter for the regions policing board. He said: I am sure that they will wish to seek a resolution to this issue very quickly. What is important is that the PSNI has strong leadership restored as quickly as possible. It is within their power to appoint an interim chief constable while the formal recruitment process is ongoing. Lord Caine added: In the unfortunate circumstance that the appointment be made before the executive is reestablished we would have to take powers for the (UK) Government to ratify any appointment that would normally be ratified by the justice minister, which is something that happened back in 2019 when the outgoing chief constable was appointed and there was no executive and assembly functioning. Tory grandee Lord Cormack, who as an MP chaired the Northern Ireland Affairs select committee, said: It really is essential that the executive is reestablished. It really is absolutely essential that the people of Northern Ireland are not continued to be let down by the failure of their elected politicians. Lord Caine said: I completely agree that the imperative is to restore the executive, to get the institutions fully functioning, up and running at the earliest opportunity. The Secretary of State and the entire ministerial team are focused on that outcome. Liberal Democrat Lord Bruce of Bennachie said: We cannot go on kicking things backwards and forwards between Westminster and a non-existent assembly or executive. Those people who are blockading the reestablishment of the assembly are actually preventing the very issues they are raising concerns about from being resolved in a proper fashion using the devolved administration that was created for the purpose. Lord Caine said: We need an executive back in Northern Ireland as quickly as possible. We are doing everything we can to bring about that. That would obviously include the appointment of a justice minister within the department who could give political direction. Publications Find publications from government departments and agencies, including news, press releases, reports, and Freedom of Information responses. This page is still in development and is not a complete list of all publications. Further information on publications can be found on the individual department websites. HIGHLIGHTS WhatsApp is releasing an advanced search filters feature for channels. This feature is currently rolling out on both Android and iOS. With the new feature, users can filter channels by country and activity level. Meta-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp has started to roll out an advanced search filters feature for channels on both Android and iOS, according to a new report. With two new filters, users can filter channels by country and activity level. According to a report by a known WhatsApp tipster publication, WABetaInfo, WhatsApp has removed the filter button from the channels screen and replaced it with a new feature that provides users with an advanced search experience. Also read: WhatsApp may soon let users disable instant video message feature | Digit Now, users can filter channels to display those from a specific country. Further, they can filter the display results by the most active, popular and newest channels. Also read: You can now create a WhatsApp Group with no name, no we aren't joking | Digit The new filters provide users with a better experience while exploring channels, by allowing them to personalise their channel browsing experience. Also, this makes sure that users receive updates from channels that are most relevant to their interests and location. Its important to note that WhatsApp Channels are currently only available in 9 countries Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Kenya, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, Singapore, and Ukraine. However, Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg mentioned during a recent earnings call that the messaging platform will introduce channels to more countries over the year. What are WhatsApp Channels? Introduced in June, WhatsApp Channels are a simple, reliable, and private way to receive important updates from people and organisations, right within WhatsApp. According to the company, channels are a one-way broadcast tool for admins to send text, photos, videos, stickers and polls. Who users decide to follow is their choice and its private. Channel followers can not see the admins phone number and profile photo. Similarly, following a channel wont reveal users phone number to the admin or other followers. Also, admins can block screenshots and forwards from their channel. As the aim of WhatsApp Channels is to reach a wide audience, they are not end-to-end encrypted by default. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Taiwan-made SSDs enter space supply chain, aiding NASA lunar missions The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) released a press statement applauding K. S. Pua, the CEO of Phison Electronics, for his recognition by the American aerospace company Skycorp. This recognition is attributed to Phison's development of a 4TB Solid State Drive (SSD), which underwent testing aboard the International Space Station in 2022 and holds potential for future utilization in NASA's lunar missions. In September 2022, Phison and Skycorp announced their collaborative partnership aimed at bolstering space data processing and storage infrastructure. Skycorp incorporated Phison's SSD storage solution into the Intelligent Space Systems Interface (iSSI) experimental aviation electronics equipment deployed on the International Space Station (ISS). This SSD originally featured a 4TB capacity and was seamlessly integrated with Microchip Technologies' Polarfire System on Chip (SoC). These technologies have since advanced, resulting in the development of an 8TB SSD variant. In order to secure NASA Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL-6) certification, Phison subjected its 8TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD to a rigorous battery of tests. These evaluations encompassed exposure to deep cryogenic temperatures, replicating lunar conditions, electromagnetic environmental certification assessments, as well as simulated pressure and environmental trials simulating a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch. Skycorp provided valuable assistance throughout these testing phases, collaborating with government and private testing facilities situated in Silicon Valley. Within NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, Lonestar, a company specializing in data storage and edge computing services, had its data center loaded onto Intuitive Machines' NOVA-C lander. This groundbreaking development marked the inauguration of the world's first data center dispatched to the lunar surface. To facilitate this remarkable mission, Lonestar selected Skycorp as its trusted partner for space-grade hardware infrastructure. Skycorp contributes its cutting-edge multi-core RISC-V hardware components to the space server architecture, which prominently features Phison's space-certified 8TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD storage solution. Pan, a Malaysian overseas Chinese student, faced limited educational opportunities due to the Malaysian government's lack of support for Chinese education. Consequently, studying abroad became the sole option for Malaysian overseas Chinese students seeking higher education. Pan chose to enroll in the Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering at National Chiao Tung University, which paved the way for his career in IC design. Pan strongly emphasizes the significance of research and development as the cornerstone of Taiwan's technological industry. Beyond consumer-oriented R&D, Phison proudly contributes to space projects by providing essential components. Notably, Phison's products were employed in NASA's "Perseverance" rover, which successfully landed on Mars in 2020. Additionally, Phison's proprietary enterprise-grade SSD technology plays a crucial role in addressing the cybersecurity needs of government agencies. In accordance with the amendment to Article 10-2 of the "Statute for Industrial Innovation" (Taiwan version of CHIPS Act) passed by the Legislative Yuan, companies that incur research and development expenses exceeding NT$6 billion, achieve a research and development density of 6%, and spend at least NT$10 billion on advanced process equipment are eligible for tax incentives upon approval by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Phison stands out as one of the few semiconductor companies in Taiwan that meet these stringent criteria. LG Magna e-Powertrain to build first European production facility in Hungary LG Magna e-Powertrain, a joint venture between LG Electronics and tier-1 automotive supplier Magna International, announced on September 4 that it will build a new production facility in Hungary. Construction is expected to be finished in 2025. The company disclosed the news at IAA Mobility 2023 in Germany. According to an announcement, the new facility will be LG Magna e-Powertrain's first production facility in Europe. The factory will be located in Miskolc, Hungary, and near the company's local OEM customers and other Magna facilities. LG Magna e-Powertrain said it aims to complete constructing the Hungary plant in 2025 and start producing electric motors in 2026. The facility will manufacture a suite of electrified powertrain solutions in the future, the company added. Established in 2021, LG Magna e-Powertrain manufactures drive motors, power conversion devices and integrated systems. CEO Cheong Won-suk said the facility in Hungary is expected to amplify the company's growth in the European market. He also said with plants in Mexico, China, South Korea and Hungary, LG Magna e-Powertrain can accelerate its position as a go-to mobility solutions partner in the global EV market. On the other hand, Magna announced on Monday the start of production of its Gen5 front camera module system for a European OEM. According to the automotive supplier, the wide field of view that the camera module offers allows long-range perception of obstacles exceeding 160 meters in front of the vehicle. The technology also enables the detection of side objects like traffic lights or cut-in vehicles. Magna said the camera module offers eight megapixels of resolution, a frame rate of 36 frames per second and a full-color image. It offers features such as trained park assist (TPA), environmental condition recognition (ECR) and hazard detection (HZD). The camera also enables monocular scene reconstruction (MSR), which detects the transition from drivable to non-drivable areas. Dutch photonic chip industry looks to Taiwan in pursuit of a mature supply chain As photonic integrated circuits (PIC) begins to garner growing attention in light of its vast potential in data centers, telecommunications and automotive, the technology has also emerged as the overarching theme of Dutch-Taiwan semiconductor cooperations. On the eve of SEMICON Taiwan, a Dutch innovation mission focusing on integrated photonics and advanced packaging has arrived in Taiwan, with delegates from various key players in the Dutch photonics ecosystem, including PhotonDelta, a Eindhoven-based growth accelerator for the photonic chip industry, SmartPhotonics, a foundry offering development and production services for indium phosphide (InP) based PICs, and PHIX, which provides assembly and packaging service for PICs. Among the delegates are also representatives of various leading research institutions, such as University of Technology in Eindhoven, University of Twente, Chip Integration Technology Center (CITC), and Photonic Integration Technology Center (PITC). Silicon-based photonic IC platform, commonly known as silicon photonics (SiPh), has become one of the main highlights of the cooperation, given its compatibility to the CMOS process for volume production. Thanks to SiPh's vast potential in data centers, telecommunications, and other sectors, by 2025 the market for SiPh is expected to reach US$3.9 billion, according to the research firm Yole. Among them, data center transceivers will account for US$3.6 billion, while long-haul transceivers, 5G transceivers, and automotive LiDAR will account for US$186 million, US$61 million, and US$44 million, respectively. Laurens Weers, CFO of PhotonDelta, pointed out that the Netherlands has long been engaged in the PIC industry, with fundamental research and academic collaborations traced back to the 1970s. When it comes to InP-based and silicon nitride (SiN)-based photonic chips, Weers noted that the Netherlands is among the global top three in research publications. "We share the same godfather with TSMC, as Philips was very advanced in InP development, with decades of relevant R&D work," the PhotonDelta CFO told DIGITIMES Asia. Above all, the country has the largest concentration of companies working on PIC technology. In 2022, PhotonDelta itself was awarded EUR1.1 billion by the Netherlands' National Growth Fund to further strengthen its PIC position. There's no dominant platform for integrated photonics Though silicon photonics technology, in terms of cost and production processes, is a little more mature and CMOS-compatible, Weers believes that there won't be a dominant platform for PIC, because all have different advantages. "It's going to be a mix and match driven by different applications," he observed, indicating that SiPh does not deliver all the required functionalities on a single chip. For example, as silicon is not a direct bandgap material, it cannot emit light and can't serve as a laser source. "If you want an active laser, you will have to come up with a different solution, and I think InP is a good fit - as it is a light source in its own right," Weers pointed out. Nevertheless, as major foundry players like TSMC, Intel and GlobalFoundries have all introduced their silicon photonics platforms, Weers sees it as a great opportunity for the Dutch ecosystem to pursue further integration with them, noting that PhotonDelta is also working closely with Imec to integrate its technology platforms with silicon photonics. "For PhotonDelta, the current focus is basically maturing the supply chain, to further industrialize it," said Weers. "Therefore, it's important to join forces with the leading players in the semiconductor industry to leverage their expertise in scaling up production and both in frontend and backend." Referring to collaboration with Taiwan, apart from the assistance to move from prototyping to volume production, the PhotonDelta CFO also drew attention to the importance of building PDK libraries with world-class building blocks, so as to ensure that many applications are more accessible, especially to startups. Albert Hasper, CEO of PHIX, also sees that InP-based and SiN-based PIC platforms will work in conjunction with Si-based platforms. "What we see is silicon photonics, but also in combination with SiN and InP platforms. So we call it hybrid or heterogeneous assembly: the trend is that different platforms are being co-packaged in one package," said Hasper. Unlike in the mainstream silicon-based semiconductor world where a single platform dominates, different platforms are needed when it comes to photonics , as the applications of these SiPh chips are different such as in biosensors and transceivers, according to the PHIX CEO. Packaging critical to a reliable supply chain Founded in 2017, PHIX specializes in hybrid PIC assembly and fiber array interfacing. From a backend perspective, Hasper sees the main challenge of the PIC industry in setting up a complete and reliable ecosystem from design to package, in addition to having enough volume. "We can see that the PICs are still under development and the volume remains low, and our customers cannot rely on a reliable chip supply chain," observed Hasper, adding that the same holds for the design kits that are also immature. "The whole ecosystem should mature itself to a level that our customers can really count on." Though the European Chips Act marks a milestone, Hasper believes that it is primarily earmarked towards frontend process, even though there's also a gap in packaging in the supply chain as backend capacity remains concentrated in Asia. "Even with TSMC in Europe, the supply chain is not complete, because without packaging, you have nothing," remarked the chief executive, observing that there has been increasing attention for packaging as its complexity dramatically increases. "Heterogeneous packaging will clearly be on the agenda of the bigger packaging firms like ASE, Amkor and all these big players," indicated Hasper. "I think if they want to also do photonic packaging, what we have developed is also needed for that, and then there will also be cooperation together." The most complicated thing, according to Hasper, is to transfer from medium-volume to high-volume production, and there exists a lot of room for cooperation with Taiwan in this area. "We are well aware that we cannot be independent on our own, and we need international collaboration with Taiwan, and with the rest of the world, to get the industry mature and going," the PHIX CEO pointed out, adding that PHIX would like to see how the photonics infrastructure in Taiwan is developing and work with Taiwan's customers. 1 During the introduction of the new Bing, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella referred to Google as the 800-pound gorilla of the online search space. The phrase just Google it itself illustrates how Googles name has practically become synonymous with online search. Google revamped its familiar search engine, integrating AI capabilities with it, and unveiled it in May during the annual Google I/O event. Now, this novel search method is available not only in the United States but also in India and Japan. In a recent blog post, Google announced the expansion of the search generative experience (SGE) to a broader audience. The blog post stated, This week, we launched Search Labs in the first countries outside the US India and Japan enabling people to opt into SGE to help them better understand topics faster, uncover new viewpoints and insights, and get things done more easily. Furthermore, Google introduced a unique feature for Indian users, offering a language toggle to facilitate easy switching between English and Hindi for multilingual speakers. Additionally, Indian users have the option to listen to search results, catering to popular preferences. Advertisements will continue to appear in designated slots on the search page. Much like Microsofts AI-driven Bing, Googles innovative search approach consolidates information from the internet and presents it in a coherent manner to users. Typically, when performing a Google search, users receive a list of links to webpages and must sift through these links to extract the desired information. With SGE, Google takes on this task, providing an AI-generated summary at the top of the search results. Google is also emphasizing a more visual approach to search, incorporating multiple images into the results. As for the links to the original web pages, they will still be available, but users will need to scroll past the AI-generated summary if they wish to delve deeper into the content. To utilize this new search experience, users must enable it through Search Labs by following these steps: 1 In New Jersey, USA, an individual of Indian American descent has been apprehended for involvement in a technical support scam that victimized over 7,000 individuals, resulting in a total fraud amount exceeding $13 million. This was revealed by a US attorney on Thursday, 31 August. Manoj Yadav, facing a single charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud, appeared before US Magistrate Judge Jose R. Almonte in the federal court in Newark. According to US Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, the defendant and his co-conspirators are alleged to have deceived their numerous victims into believing that they represented a legitimate technology support company affiliated with a major software corporation. Allegedly, after asserting that they would provide technical support for issues related to the software companys widely used accounting software, they imposed excessively high fees on victims for support services that were not authorized by the software company. FBI special agent in charge James E. Dennehy stated, We allege that Yadav deceived software users and compelled them to pay for services that should have been provided free of charge with their initial purchase. The charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross profit or loss caused by the offense, whichever is greater. Dennehy added, The amount he is accused of stealing from his victims and the number of victims involved may appear astonishing; nevertheless, we are witnessing a significant surge in various types of tech support scams. Fraudsters are adept at deceiving people into parting with their money, even those who believe they are too savvy to fall for such schemes. If you suspect you are a victim, please contact the FBI. Federal prosecutors claim that from 2017 through 2023, Yadav and many of his co-conspirators, who were primarily located in India, deceitfully presented themselves as a technology support firm associated with a major US business and accounting software company that created and distributed a widely used accounting software product. They operated under multiple deceptive business names, including Phebs Software Services, LLC, Phebs Software Services, PN Bookkeeping Services, Phebbs Consulting, Quickbooks Tech Assist, Quickbook US, Quickbooks Accounting, and Quickbooks Support Team. As per court documents, the conspirators would contact victims, pretending to resolve technical problems they encountered with the accounting software. After receiving tech support from these fraudsters under false pretenses, victims were either charged exorbitant fees or additional subscription fees. All of these services were fraudulent, as genuine customers contacting the actual software company did not incur any additional charges, and the software company never authorized Yadav or his co-conspirators to act on its behalf or to impose fees. Yadav personally participated in the scheme by billing victims for these deceitful technology support services and channeling millions of dollars from these victims to his co-conspirators. It is alleged that he fraudulently acquired these funds through Phebs Software Services, LLC, an entity he had established. This entity operated under the names Phebs Software Services, and Quickbooks Accounting. Yadav also employed these entity names to falsely present himself to banks and victimized customers as a legitimate accounting company affiliated with the software company. This was done to prevent chargebacks, complaints to the Better Business Bureau, and the closure of bank accounts. The allegation further claims that Yadav retained approximately 17 per cent of the funds when transferring them to his co-conspirators, sending over $13 million in ill-gotten gains. 1 While visiting New Delhi to participate in the upcoming G20 Leaders Summit this week, US President Joe Biden is expected to engage in discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding Indias import restrictions on items such as laptops and other electronic products, according to individuals familiar with the matter. Bidens visit to India is scheduled from September 7 to 10, and he is set to hold a bilateral meeting with Modi on the second day of his trip. India attributed its recent decision to impose restrictions on the import of various electronic items, including laptops, tablets, personal computers, and servers to concerns about security risks to citizens. The decision is slated to be effective from 1 November 2023. Last month US trade representative Katherine Tai brought up this matter during her discussions with commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal at the G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial. She expressed concern that the policy might negatively affect US exports to India. While the Indian move is said to have stemmed from a desire to reduce Chinese imports and promote indigenous manufacturing, this argument is not sounding convincing to observers outside India. On the face of it, the proportion of Indias IT hardware product imports from the US is relatively modest compared to its imports from other countries, among which China predominates. But prominent American computer and server manufacturers, including Apple, Dell, HP, and Cisco are worried because they rely heavily on manufacturing facilities in China and Southeast Asia to cater to the Indian market. In recent decades, technology firms have established intricate and interconnected global supply chains. While the US continues to lead in the design and innovation aspects of the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, a substantial portion of manufacturing is contracted out to companies operating in China. While the US administration has been evaluating essential ICT supply chains with the aim of decreasing its dependence on China, it is also aiming for a seamless transition. Conversely, India has assured the industry that it will streamline the import licensing process for companies. Members of the industry have called on the government to reconsider the new import policy. Jason Oxman, president and CEO of the Information Technology Industry (ITI), a global trade association for the technology sector, has stated, Companies like Apple, Dell, HP, and others are engaged in manufacturing in India and are eager to expand their operations. However, such transitions cannot happen overnight. In the previous month, a coalition of eight industry associations, including ITI, the Consumer Technology Association, and the National Association of Manufacturers, sent out a letter to both Katherine Tai, the US trade representative, and Gina Raimondo, US secretary of commerce. In the letter, they raised apprehensions regarding Indias dependability as a trade and supply chain partner. The letter stated, This policy, unveiled without advance notice or public consultation, has the potential to substantially disrupt trade, impede endeavors to further integrate India into worldwide supply chains, and have adverse effects on businesses and consumers in both nations. We strongly urge you to prioritize this matter in your discussions with the Indian government and take measures to ensure that any actions taken by India in this domain align with its international obligations. A lawyer who represents the families of a number of Troubles victims has called on the Labour Party to publicly state that it will repeal the Governments controversial legacy Bill if it comes to power. Kevin Winters has also asked the Irish government to confirm it will lodge a legal challenge at the European Court of Human Rights when the proposed legislation becomes law. A spokesperson for the Irish government said it has sought legal advice on the matter. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is set to return to the House of Lords later on Tuesday and is expected to complete its passage through Parliament this week. The Bill includes a form of limited immunity for some perpetrators of crimes committed during the conflict and would also prevent future civil cases and inquests into Troubles offences. All of the main political parties in Northern Ireland and victims groups are opposed to the Bill. Mr Winters, from KRW Law, said both the Labour Party and the Irish government have publicly stated their concerns about the Bill and said they now need to commit to formal legal positions. He said: In November 2022 KRW Law contacted the Irish government and invited them to commit to formally confirming they would lodge an inter-state application before the European Court of Human Rights as soon as the UK legacy Bill receives royal assent and becomes law. To date they have singularly failed to substantively respond. We specifically raised the issue of families in the Republic of Ireland who are the relatives of conflict-related victims who will now be deprived of justice and truth when the Bill is enacted. That has made no difference in terms of securing a response. There is now a real opportunity for the Taoiseach to formalise legally what he has said politically. The Irish government cannot let this moment pass without pressing for an inter-state application. Mr Winters said he had also written to the leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer asking him to confirm the legislation would be repealed. He added: Equally disappointing is the absence of any acknowledgement on what was a reasonable request to commit to a legal position on this matter. Our submission was proportionate and responsive to otherwise very strong political condemnation by Keir Starmer and Peter Kyle (former shadow Northern Ireland secretary). The complete absence of any meaningful response by either the Irish government or the Labour Party to these respective requests serves only to undermine the integrity of their respective opposition to the legacy Bill. A real opportunity is being missed here to gain maximum credibility by committing to a legal position on foot of what has been said publicly. The Labour Party has been approached for comment. In January of this year, Sir Keir told an audience at Queens University that he would repeal the legislation if he became prime minister. Senator Emer Currie, Fine Gaels spokeswoman for Northern Ireland, said the Irish Government should consider an inter-state challenge to the European Court of Human Rights, as it could be the only way to stop the Bill. As the Bill becomes law our best hope to stop it is through an inter-state challenge, before irreparable harm is done to victims rights, victims voices, to truth and justice for all, she said. This is the route I believe the Irish Government should take. A spokesperson for Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs said the Irish government had been clear and consistent in our opposition to the Bill. A statement said: The Tanaiste (Micheal Martin) has raised the governments concerns around this legislation with British counterparts on multiple occasions. Most recently, with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris on Saturday. The spokesman added: The government are aware of calls for consideration of the initiation of an inter-state case against the United Kingdom before the European Court of Human Rights in relation to the UK legacy Bill. As the Tanaiste stated at the weekend, he has sought legal advice on this matter and when that advice is received the government will consider what subsequent action will be taken. The Northern Ireland Office said earlier this week that a new approach was needed to deliver greater information, accountability and acknowledgement to victims and families affected by the Troubles. A spokesperson said: The Governments legislation provides a framework that will enable the Independent Commission for Reconciliation & Information Recovery (ICRIR) to deliver effective legacy mechanisms, while complying with our international obligations. The ICRIR, established by the Bill, has a primary objective to provide information to families, victims and survivors. Since the Bills introduction, a number of substantive UK Government amendments have been adopted to the legislation that address a number of key issues raised by stakeholders. A total of five Louth-based charities and community organisations have become the latest beneficiaries of ALDIs Community Grants programme, with each charity receiving a grant from the ALDI store teams in County Louth. Receiving 500 grants are Feileacain, Outreach Connect FRC, Ardee Hospice Homecare, Sosad Ireland and the Simon Community. ALDIs Community Grants programme helps fund local charities and community organisations that contribute vital work and services in their local communities. Each beneficiary is chosen by ALDI employees, enabling them to help the local good causes they are passionate about. By the end of 2023, the programme will have donated over 615,000 to more than 1,000 local charity branches and community organisations across Ireland since its inception in 2016. Receiving charities and organisations range from rescue teams to animal sanctuaries, cancer support to mental health support, or any charitable organisation that resonates with ALDI colleagues. Commenting, Liz Fox, National Sustainability Director, ALDI Ireland said: We are very proud to continue to support local charities and community organisations across the country through the ALDI Community Grants programme and were pleased to see the impact of our donation in the local communities of County Louth. The Community Grants programme is one example of how ALDI is committed to investing and partnering with local communities and charities across Ireland and we look forward to continuing this engagement for years to come. Operating five stores in County Louth, ALDI is deeply involved in the local community. To date, the stores have donated over 78,000 meals to local charities through ALDIs partnership with FoodCloud, avoiding a total of 105,000kgs of CO2e. ALDI partners with nine innovative Louth food and drink producers, spending over 16 million with them in 2022. Dundalk-Carlingford's Cllr John Reilly has said that the addition of St Brigid's Shrine and Faughart graveyard to the Ireland's Ancient East website is a major development for the Faughart area. Cllr Reilly, who is from the Kilcurry area, has confirmed that the Ireland's Ancient East is to include both local historical areas on the tourist website. "We have a massive amount of history in both sites", said Cllr Reilly. "Faughart of course is the birthplace of St Brigid and next year is the 1,500th anniversary of her death." The Fine Gael councillor continued, "The marketing of Faughart will take on a new dimension in the coming months ahead. With the interest in St Brigid becoming stronger into the lead up to next years anniversary and not forgetting a national holiday in her name. "But this area has so much more to offer to the day tripper, with the burial-ground of Edward De Bruce (High King of Ireland) who was killed at the famous battle of Faughart in 1318, to the holy well in Faughart Graveyard, the site of early Christianity at the edge of Leinster and Ulster looking down on the Gap of the North." "Bringing tourism to north Louth has been one of my top priorities", claims Cllr Reilly, "and this recent achievement has been a major first step." Four students from Louth have been awarded an All Ireland Scholarship which will cover the full duration of their undergraduate studies. The 2022 leaving certificate students; Aoife McGroddy, Emmett Judge, Grace Carthy and Peidi Li will be honoured at the All Ireland Scholarships Award Ceremony 2023 on the 16th of September in University Concert Hall, University of Limerick. In attendance at the ceremony will be Guest of Honour and Limerick Senior Hurling Team Manager John Kiely, Minister for Further and Higher Education Niall Collins T.D. and Deputy Secretary, Skills and Education Group, Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland, Moira Doherty as well as the family, friends and principals of the scholarship recipients. Commenting on the scheme, Scholarship Sponsor JP McManus said: 1,348 successful graduates have emerged with primary degrees and are now either embarking on further studies or in the case of the majority, pursuing successful careers. "This figure demonstrates that the key objective to provide financial support to many gifted young students so they may succeed during their third-level education has worked. Their drive and determination is admirable, and they should be very proud. We look forward to celebrating the most recent recipients achievements at the upcoming ceremony. The All Ireland Scholarships were established in 2008 by JP McManus and this year marks its 15th anniversary. The third level educational scholarship is awarded to 125 of the highest achieving students per year, with a minimum of two students from each of the 32 counties. The recipients must meet a further set of criteria, including attending a non-fee-paying school and be in receipt of a third level education maintenance grant from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) or be in receipt of an Education Maintenance Allowance in Northern Ireland. The scholarship offers full academic financial support for the duration of the students' third level studies. To date, 1,674 scholarships have been awarded across the island of Ireland, of which 1,348 winners have already graduated from university and have embarked on successful careers. The most popular courses chosen by the 2022 cohort of scholarship recipients include science, engineering, pharmacy, finance and medicine. 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. EBRD and EU sign first loan under EFSD+ Financial Inclusion Guarantee Programme with Acba Bank Focus on supporting smaller businesses in rural regions Funding will facilitate long-term loans in local currency The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU) are helping improve access to finance for Armenian micro, small and medium-sized sized enterprises (MSMEs) through Acba Bank. This collaboration sees the EBRD extending a loan equivalent to US$ 15 million in Armenian drams to help Acba Bank reach more businesses, especially those located in rural areas. The funding will also address the growing demand for longer-term local currency financing. Supported by the EU, the project operates within the framework of the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) guarantee programme. This initiative introduces an innovative first loss risk cover, currently available in the southern and eastern Mediterranean region (Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon and the West Bank and Gaza) and eastern Europe and the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). The EFSD+ financial inclusion programme is designed to empower MSMEs, fostering their competitiveness and growth. By offering effective financial tools and expertise, the programme aims to drive development and create jobs. The official signing of the loan agreement took place in Yerevan with Acba CEO Hakob Andreasyan and the EBRDs First Vice President Jurgen Rigterink formalising the commitment. Mr Rigterink said: We are pleased to step up our support for MSMEs in Armenia together with our financial and institutional partners. A strong private sector is among the EBRDs priorities in the country and the funding will support more private businesses in rural areas. Making the funding available in drams will protect borrowers from foreign currency-related risks. Lawrence Meredith, Neighbourhood East and Institution Building Director at the European Commission, commented: We welcome this EU-backed loan agreement between the EBRD and Acba Bank, which will provide new opportunities to MSMEs across the country, especially in rural areas. Supporting a sustainable, innovative and competitive economy is among the five flagship initiatives of the EUs Economic and Investment Plan in Armenia. As we address the pressing need for extended local currency funding, we pave the way for a more resilient and innovative future for Armenias business ecosystem. Hakob Andreasyan, CEO of Acba Bank, added: Acba Bank and the EBRD have a rich history of partnership going back to 2003. Our partnership has continuously expanded over the years through different programmes directed at supporting the Armenian economy, particularly during economic shocks or downturns. The EBRD has been always innovative in its programmes. We are delighted to join our forces once again with our partners, the EBRD and the EU, to continue to support local MSMEs in terms of their current liquidity needs and long-term investments, especially in rural Armenia. This project also contributes to the implementation of the EUs Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) in the Eastern Partnership countries. One of the key flagship priorities of the EIP for Armenia is to promote a sustainable, innovative and competitive economy by directly supporting up to 30,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country. Acba Bank, a long-standing partner of the EBRD since 2003, is one of the leading banks in Armenia, with a strong position in lending to agriculture and MSMEs, especially in rural areas. With its network of 64 branches in all regions of Armenia, it can reach out to numerous clients in diversified sectors. The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Armenia. The Bank has invested close to 2 billion across 206 projects in the country to date, where it is supporting private sector development and the transition to a sustainable, green economy. EBRD reallocates part of existing sovereign loan to the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (formerly Ukravtodor) 182 million to finance upgrades to Lviv to Rava-Ruska road on Ukrainian-Polish border Project to enhance domestic and Ukraine-EU transport links, improving accessibility The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is reallocating part of an existing sovereign loan to the State Agency for the Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine formerly known as the State Road Agency of Ukraine (Ukravtodor), to provide 182 million to upgrade a section of road between Lviv and Rava-Ruska on Ukraines border with Poland. The EBRD had originally agreed to provide a 450 million sovereign loan to be on-lent to Ukravtodor in December 2020. The loan aimed to support the construction and rehabilitation of major highways in the country around Kyiv, Odesa and Lviv. Its three tranches have yet to be disbursed. The Bank has a long history of working with the agency, having financed five road rehabilitation projects for a total amount of 1.2 billion over the last 20 years. Russias war on Ukraine has resulted in disruption to trade via its Black Sea ports, causing the redirection of traffic flows to land routes in western Ukraine that connect to the European Union (EU). This has prompted the Ukrainian government to reassess its priorities and seek the reallocation of existing funds to the financing of repairs of the M-09 road section from Lviv to Rava-Ruska. This is the main route connecting Lviv to Warsaw and part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), on which traffic intensity has increased significantly since the start of the war. There is now an urgent need to improve the condition of the road and make critical road safety improvements, including the installation of barriers to separate traffic and bicycle infrastructure connecting settlements along the road, as well as climate adaptation measures. The road repairs will enhance existing transport links between Ukraine and its EU neighbours, as well as within Ukraine, and reduce the logistical costs of freight traffic. Upgrading the M-09 road supports the Ukrainian government and its partners priorities of developing alternative transport routes to facilitate the export and import of vital goods (including agricultural exports and critical imports), in line with the Solidarity Lanes initiative and in response to the war on Ukraine. The reallocated loan to the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine forms part of the EBRDs five-pronged approach to supporting Ukraines real economy. The Banks support focuses on vital infrastructure, energy and food security, trade finance and support for the private sector. A CORK TD has said that the HSE has done little to quell anxiety for patients across the northside after concerns about the potential loss of some services from SouthDoc Blackpool were raised. Sinn Fein TD for Cork North-Central Thomas Gould told The Echo that he had learned in recent weeks that the vehicle used for out-of-hours house call treatment in Cork city is to be relocated from Kinsale Rd to Blackpool where one locum doctor is based. The HSE has told The Echo that there are no plans to withdraw access to SouthDocs services from patients and that Blackpool will continue to be open by appointment. However, Mr Gould said: What has come out now is that the car will be based in Blackpool and that if a call comes in from anywhere in the city, the locum would carry out those house visits, but that would mean there is no one there to meet with people who ring in to Blackpool. I am very disappointed with this because what it is really is an attempt to close SouthDoc Blackpool. Theyre trying to close Blackpool by the back door. Ill be raising this with the Minister, the HSE, and the Department of Health. STtement A statement issued to The Echo by Cork Kerry Community Healthcare (CKCH) read: SouthDoc continually evaluates the service provision, formally with the HSE and on an ongoing basis internally. There are no plans to close any treatment centre in this area. There are no plans to withdraw the availability of or access to SouthDocs services in Cork city or for patients in the North Cork area generally. There are also no plans to withdraw the availability of the centres in the city from service and/or for when in-person consultations are deemed clinically necessary by a doctor. SouthDoc continuously reviews the allocation of doctors, both member GPs and locum doctors to ensure the most effective allocation of their clinical skills and expertise to ensure the safest and most effective service. It is important to emphasise that if an individual in Cork city requires care, that care will be provided by appointment in either the Blackpool or Kinsale Rd Treatment Centre or via home visit depending on clinical condition of the patient as assessed by the doctor. There is no reduction in service to city patients and existing resources can meet the demand comfortably. The SouthDoc out-of-hours service remains available to the patients and full access to the services provided by them. The SouthDoc Treatment Centre facility in Blackpool will continue to be by appointment. Any patients that may require a home visit due to their clinical condition will be treated accordingly. All patients continue to be dealt with by appointment and this will remain unchanged. SouthDoc continues to deliver the service in response to the patients needs in a manner which assures safety, ease, and equity of access. All patients are dealt with in accordance with their clinical needs. Deputy Gould said there is no clarity from the HSE in its statement and fears that it will do little to quell rumours that are causing anxiety for people across the northside. We need to see a strong response with a commitment to the retention of a doctor in Blackpool. I have written to the HSE and the Minister for Health seeking clarity. People are understandably concerned given previous efforts by SouthDoc to shut down the Blackpool service, he said. It is a vital facility for people, especially those who are vulnerable or dont drive. Travelling to Kinsale Rd or waiting for a house call is not an option for some people. A Chinese student who was given notice to leave her rented accommodation after only days in Cork returned to the house for a cup of washing powder and told the landlady she was not leaving until she was compensated and until she got her self-esteem back. 33-year-old Jing Tang of no fixed address had no previous convictions. Having failed to appear in court for the case against her she was convicted in her absence of engaging in threatening behaviour, failing to leave a disturbance when directed by a garda and failing to appear at Cork District Court. However Judge Olann Kelleher adjourned the case until September 4 for her to make a 300 contribution to Cork Simon Community. Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said that as a matter of principle she was refusing to pay this contribution. He said the case against her was previously dealt with in her absence and that she might have pleaded not guilty had she appeared. He said that in what was a clear lack of understanding she chose not to attend court thinking that to do so would be an acknowledgement of guilt. Judge Kelleher said the defendant could not take the law into her own hands. Jing Tang interrupted the judge to say in relation to the incident, She abused me first. I have still some of my stuff out in that house, she kicked me out so suddenly and those gardai arrested me. Judge Kelleher said it was an unusual case and he concluded, I find the facts proved but I will apply a dismissal under the Probation of Offenders Act. NO PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS Mr Buttimer said the defendant had no previous convictions in Ireland or in China. He said the gardai did give her an opportunity leave the scene on the occasion but she stayed to protest, claiming she was being treated unfairly. Sergeant Gearoid Davis said the background to the case was that Jing Tang is a Chinese student who arrived in Ireland on March 16 and was staying in a rented room at Park Na More, Ballincollig, County Cork. On Sunday March 19, the homeowner informed Ms Tang that she was terminating her lease and was giving her seven days notice. Ms Tang left the house immediately. At 4.50 p.m. on March 22 the landlady contacted gardai in a distressed state to say that Ms Tang was banging on her door and threatening her. Gardai arrived at the scene and met Ms Tang who was extremely irate and abusive. Ms Tang stated that she was present to retrieve a cupful of washing powder which she had left behind her. Once this was returned Ms Tang refused to leave stating she was not leaving until she got her self-esteem back and was also seeking compensation for stress. She was shouting and abusive and there were numerous members of the public passing by. Gardai attempted to reason with Ms Tang for 30 minutes and gave her numerous directions to leave the area but she failed to do so. Once Ms Tang had been escorted to the top of the estate she phoned the homeowner and again began to threaten her down the phone. Ms Tang was arrested and taken to Togher garda station where she was offered an adult caution. But she refused this and said she would rather go to court instead, Sgt. Davis said. A 15-YEAR-OLD girl enjoying the Sunday afternoon sunshine with friends at the Mardyke in Cork was attacked and robbed of a 300 necklace which she got for her Confirmation, a court has heard. Garda Conor Cronin arrested 35-year-old Michelle Harrington of Ravensdale Rd, Mahon, Cork, and charged her with carrying out the robbery on the teenager at around 4pm on September 3. Ms Harrington said she spoke with the teenager and her two friends, but had nothing to do with any attack or robbery. It is alleged that the defendant demanded money from all three teenagers, but that the 15-year-old only had 1 her bus fare home and the injured party was told this was not enough and she was then punched in the face, kicked in the back, caught in a headlock, and robbed of her chain. Ms Harrington was brought before Cork District Court charged with three counts of robbery. Gda Cronin objected to bail and said that one of the grounds for the objection was the seriousness of the alleged incident which occurred on Sunday, September 3. Gda Cronin said: At approximately 4pm, two females aged 15 and 16, and a male aged 18, were together in an area beside the skate park at Mardyke Walk, talking and enjoying the sun. They were approached by two females one of them being Michelle Harrington. At first the two females were talking normally to them. As the three began to leave, Michelle Harrington said they were not allowed to leave until they handed over money. The male handed over 9, the 16-year-old female handed over 4.80 and the 15-year-old female handed over 1, as that was all she had for the bus home. Michelle Harrington and the other female wanted more from this teenager, and they attacked her. She was boxed in the face and body numerous times and kicked into the back. Michelle Harrington left and came back approximately 10 seconds later. She caught the injured party in a headlock and removed a chain from around her neck. She [the teenager] had gotten this for her Confirmation. As the three were leaving, Ms Harrington ran after her and threatened her that she knows who she is and she knows where she lives. After outlining the allegations, Gda Cronin said the accused was arrested near the scene a short time later. She admitted meeting three people, but said nothing happened, said Gda Cronin. As well as the seriousness of the alleged robberies, another ground for the objection to bail was the possibility of interference with witnesses. This was a very serious and frightening incident for three very young injured parties, said Gda Cronin. It was a completely unprovoked attack in particular on a very young girl who did not have enough money to hand over and was held in a headlock and had her necklace taken from her. When asked to reply to the robbery charges, the defendant said: I was there, I didnt do it, I had no chain, I took no money. Defence solicitor Eddie Burke said on Ms Harringtons behalf: She has no idea where this person lives and has no intention of going next or near her. Mr Burke called the defendant to the witness box and put to her the prosecutions concern about her knowing one of the injured parties, and she replied: No, no such thing like that. She confirmed under cross-examination by Sergeant Gearoid Davis that she had a drink and drug problem. Judge Olann Kelleher refused bail and remanded her in custody until September 11 when she will appear by video link from prison on the three robbery charges. SUBSTANTIAL water network works from Uisce Eireann have helped save over 17m litres of water, representing a 50% reduction in leakage in Cork City, the utility has said. Uisce Eireann continues to carry out substantial water network works across the city that only occur once in several generations as part of a commitment to enable homes and businesses across the city to thrive by providing a more secure and sustainable water supply. These upgrade works and the finding and fixing leaks are being carried out as part of Uisce Eireanns National Leakage Reduction Programme. Water flows through approximately 600km of water mains across Cork city, and much of this clean drinking water is lost through leakage as the city continues to rely heavily on a network that is now over 100 years old. Uisce Eireann said that the challenge of driving down leakage is momentous due to the vast and complex network of pipes below the ground, but progress is being made due to technological advancements and the ability to gather water-main performance data. Uisce Eireanns Kevin Murphy said Cork city has seen millions of euros of investment. Reducing leakage involves detailed planning, collaboration, and a number of different work streams which will make the most impact on leakage levels in a given area, he said. As part of the National Leakage Reduction Programme, Cork city has seen millions of euros worth of investment to secure, replace, and develop water services which are the backbone of a thriving local economy. Mr Murphy thanked residents and business owners for their patience, saying: I want to acknowledge the co-operation and patience of local residents and businesses while these works are ongoing. Any short-term inconvenience to deliver water services for Cork city is outweighed by the benefits that current and future generations will enjoy. Cork City Council senior resident engineer Brian McCarthy said: People often underestimate the complexity of fixing leaks. These are complex projects that involve working around several underground services such as gas, telecoms, and electricity. As a result of the close collaboration between Cork City Council and Uisce Eireann, homes and businesses are enjoying a more secure and reliable water supply. The 44-year-old man involved in protests at Corks main library over LGBTQ+ reading material who challenged the Lord Mayor of Cork on an online video only to end up with the mayor singing, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, was arrested and brought before Cork District Court today. Ross Lahive of Church Street, Shandon Street, Cork, was arrested by Detective Garda Pat Russell at 6.47 p.m. on Monday evening, September 4 and charged with failing to appear in Cork District Court on that morning. Det. Garda Russell said today that Ross Lahive was due to appear in court on a charge related to August 26 which stated that at Bridewell garda station, Kyrls Street, Cork, he did have a knife in his possession, contrary to Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act. Judge Olann Kelleher asked the accused if he had a solicitor. The defendant said his solicitor was in Donegal. At that stage the detective who arrested him said there was an objection to bail as gardai believed he would not turn up for the case against him. Judge Kelleher appointed Diarmuid Kelleher, solicitor, to represent him on free legal aid for his bail application, stating that if his bail application was unsuccessful he would be at risk of being remanded in custody for seven days. Ross Lahive was asked about his circumstances and said he was not working and was on 220 Jobseekers Allowance. Det. Garda Russell charged Lahive with failing to appear in court on September 4 and he replied after caution, I thought that was next week. # He made the same reply after caution to the charge of having a knife in his possession at the Bridwell on August 26. Det. Garda Russell said it was not believable that the defendant would forget his court date in a period of nine days. Diarmuid Kelleher called Ross Lahive to the witness box to give evidence and put to him the prosecution concern that he would deliberately not turn up in court if granted bail. He replied, I will turn up the next date, absolutely. CONDITIONS Judge Olann Kelleher attached conditions to his bail that he would reside at his home address at Church Street, provide his phone number to Det. Garda Russell and be contactable at all times. The judge did not accede to an application by Sergeant John Kelleher requiring the defendant to sign on at Mayfield garda station three times a week. The case is suitable to be heard summarily at Cork District Court, Sgt. Kelleher said. It was adjourned by Judge Kelleher until October 3. It is possible that there will be a further adjournment of the case at that stage for a date for a hearing of the matter. An online video shows Lord Mayor Cllr. Kieran McCarthy being confronted by Ross Lahive at North Main St carnival on Saturday morning, August 26, on a matter related to the library protest. Mr Lahive asked Mr McCarthy if he knew who he was, and Mr McCarthy responded, "Yes, Ive been waiting for this". The Lord Mayor then delivered a spirted performance of, Oh What a Beautiful Morning from the musical Oklahoma. The body of an eight-year-old girl was recovered from the water in Fountainstown at around 7.45pm this evening following an extensive search operation. It is understood the child got in to difficulty at around 4.30pm. Emergency services including gardai and ambulance services were involved in a major search operation this afternoon. A spokesperson for An Garda Siochana said earlier that they were "engaged in a search operation along the coastline at Fountainstown Beach, near Crosshaven, Co. Cork." The Irish Coastguard helicopter was launched from Shannon. The search at Cork Harbour was also assisted by Crosshaven Lifeboat and other vessels. A postmortem on the body of the child will be carried out at Cork University Hospital. An inquest will likely follow in the coming months. A garda statement issued tonight read: "A search and rescue operation at Fountainstown Beach, near Crosshaven, Co. Cork, has been stood down following the recovery of the body of a female child this evening, Tuesday 5th September 2023. "At approximately 4:40pm this afternoon, Gardai received report of a female child entering the water at Fountainstown Beach. "A search and rescue operation was launched involving the Coast Guard, RNLI, Fire Services, Customs, Mallow River Rescue and Garda Units from Crosshaven and Carrigaline Garda stations. "At approximately 7:45pm, the body of the child was removed from the water by emergency services and pronounced deceased. "The body of the child will be removed from the scene and taken to Cork University Hospital where a post mortem will take place. "The Coroner has been notified." The passing of the little girl comes in the wake of a number of deaths in the sea in Cork in recent weeks. Fourteen year old Jack O'Sullivan died on August 24th last after he got in to difficulty while swimming with friends at Passage West on Cork's Lower Harbour. Jack had been due to go in to second year at Colaiste Eamann Ris at St Patrick's Road in Cork city. He was described at his funeral as being a charming and friendly young man who radiated joy. Meanwhile, on August 20th Ivan Chittenden (64) from Toronto, Canada and Brendan Wall (45) of Cardrath, Co Meath died in separate incidents during the swim section of the Ironman event in Youghal, Co Cork. Acollaboration of minds and passions has led to the creation of a special new event that will see a food producer and food preparer join forces for a unique culinary experience in Cork. While farmers and chefs have always collaborated, this latest event will see such a collaboration brought to a whole new level. Maris Urbanovics, acclaimed head chef of The Cove Restaurant at Fota Island Resort, is set to cook food produced by Peter Twomey of Glenbrook Farm and serve it up in a barnyard on Glenbrook Farm. To call this farm to fork is an understatement. This is growing, preparing, cooking, presenting and dining, all in one fell swoop. Peter Twomey of Glenbrook Farm is a third-generation farmer living with his wife, Kate, and children, 15 minutes north of Cork city. I recently visited the farm. On the day I arrived, the sky was a cloudless canvas of blue and green hills tumbled for miles around. Although it felt remote, their land is still within the confines of Cork city, which is perfect for throwing a foodie event. Maris holding a piglet of around 10 days old. Their land is a dairy farm and has always had cows but recently they incorporated free-range pigs and are now also producing honey. Its rare to find free-range pigs, Kate explained to me. We see cows everywhere across our countryside, but where are all the pigs? We eat pork, sausages, rashers, bacon so where does it all come from? Kates statement hit home. For a country that prides itself on its bacon and cabbage, we never see pigs roaming our farmlands the same way we see cows. Glenbrook Farm is changing that. Peter and Kate showed me their mother pig with her piglets. The sows snout was covered in mud and grass, which is great, Peter explained, as its what you want to see. Theyre outside eating grass doing what theyre meant to be doing. They certainly seemed in a state of bliss, rolling around the damp, soft and shaded sod. Maris is a chef with the flair of an artist and is extremely considered about where his produce comes from. Over time he has removed all large-scale meat producers and now works solely with local, smaller-scale productions. Maris calls his local suppliers his Champions and he is their biggest advocate. The sow, Ping Pong, with her litter of babies relaxing in their shaded mucky bliss, being checked on by Peter Twomey, Owner of Glenbrook Farm. He is a truly passionate creator of dishes and only the finest local ingredients will do. Maris was holding a bouquet of what seemed like gorgeous flowers but on closer inspection was actually an edible bunch of leaves grown from the allotment rented by Rooftop Farm who will provide all the veggies for the event. A guided tour of the farm was given and the vegetables were shooting out of the ground like wild with the white wings of butterflies fluttering in and out of the alternating rows of kale and purple broccoli, courgettes and celery. Apparently, because cows have been using the land for so many years, the soil is richly fertile so the produce is growing faster than normal, and the method of farming seemed to be favourable for biodiversity given the volume of pollinators on display. The vegetable patch felt perfectly in line with the mantra of the event. Great produce, grown locally, prepared exquisitely. Maris whizzed around excitedly exclaiming how he could re-design the menu all over again with the abundance of wonderful ingredients at his disposal. Maris and the Twomeys seem to be a match made in heaven, as they, seemingly in lockstep unison, explained the concept behind their event. They very clearly have the same vision in mind and equally share the same passion. The bouquet of ingredients that will be showcased for the event. Maris has designed a six-course menu that celebrates his Champion producers of Cork, with pork from Glenbrook Farm, as well as Rossmore Oysters. A broad range of ages has already bought tickets so anyone with an interest in high-quality food production and cuisine will enjoy this event. Parking will be available on the night, but also taxis seem appropriate given the short distance if youre traveling from the city. Wines are being supplied by Le Caveau. 40 guests will be treated to Mariss culinary creations as they are seated at long dining tables with interaction from Peter who will explain his farming ethos and the processes behind the rearing of his pigs. They seem to have struck an interesting partnership and I can envisage more events like this occurring down the line. The Glenbrook Farm pop-up restaurant will take place on Saturday and Sunday, September 16 and 17. All ticket information can be found on@glenbrookfarmcork. People can also visit Glenbrook Farm to buy pork boxes and various products direct from the farm shop. FIRE has been marauding its way across vast swathes of the western world in recent years, filling our media landscape with churning skies of smoke, crawling red blazes, and citizens clasping rags to their mouths escaping from the encroaching black tide. This year, Europe, Canada, and Hawaii have experienced events that have captured global discourse and spread ever more dread with regards that all too familiar threat of climate change. However, there is a rather large aspect of this problem that is often neglected, and that is the ecological function of fire itself. Is fire purely a symbol of hellscape? Or does fire perform duties many of us are unaware of? Wildfires are broadly categorised as events that occur outside of human planning and control. For an ecologist, they represent a specific type of abiotic force that has potential to shape an environment. Natural phenomena like floods, droughts, and hurricanes, mould environments which in-turn shape ecosystem compositions. Ecologically speaking, for the most part these phenomena are not catastrophes, they have always and will always occur. Sometimes, sensitive ecosystems that have not evolved alongside these phenomena get disrupted and disassembled by them, but ecosystems always reassemble again, in one form or another. Nature knows how to deal with fire - human civilisation is what struggles. Due to this overlapping tension, wildfires have become a problematic socio-ecological issue. The components required to produce wildfires are fuel of sufficient combustive material, climatic conditions to exacerbate combustion, and an initial source of ignition. They can start naturally or at the hands of humans, and spread as a result of a variety of conditions beyond ecological ones; urban sprawl and an excess of flammable materials, for example. Several biomes such as savannas, prairies, and coniferous forests have adapted to wildfires and actually rely on them for regeneration. This is counterintuitive given how fire is destructive, but fire helps to eliminate excess decaying material and speeds up the nutrient cycle, enriching the soil quicker. Many coniferous trees actually have a flammable component. Ever notice the excess pine needles on the floor of a pine plantation? Those decay very slowly, suffocating the forest floor, preventing organisms from growing. Fire solves that problem when it ignites the flammable resin inside those pine needles and sweeps across a land, regenerating the soil, and opening up the forest floor to sunlight again. Destructive or productive? Animal casualties are often quite low in ecosystems that are adapted to wildfires, as they flee or burrow to safety. Conversely, invasive species that have not yet adapted can often be wiped out. Negative or positive? There is a fine balance between society and nature, and an equally fine balance between fire suppression and allowing fires to occur naturally. A certain amount of fire is required in many natural systems across the globe, and agriculturalists often mimic wildfire with periodic-prescribed-burns to fertilize their land and to eliminate surplus flammable matter. Not all fire is bad, and not all fire is strictly because of climate change. Given the large percentage of human-caused fires, its fair to consider them as socio-ecological hazards. To lump all the blame purely on climate conditions seems too narrow a causation. If people disposed of cigarettes correctly and lit campfires responsibly, how fewer wildfires would we see? Although, lightning strikes (another source of ignition) are also seemingly increasing due to atmospheric warming. Between 1998 and 2015, the total acreage of land globally burned due to wildfire fell by 24% according to NASA satellite technology and a publication in Science. This was said to be caused by a livelihood shift from nomadic tribal lifestyles to more settled, agriculturally based lifestyles in places like South America, the Eurasian Steppe, but mainly Africas savannas. It is said Africa used to burn as much land as half the U.S every year. A lot was burned intentionally to keep pasture productive and free from shrubs, and a lot occurred naturally. Nowadays, agricultural settlements have taken over vast swathes of land so the need for the same kind of burning has much diminished. Not only has it diminished, but communities now actively work to prevent fires from occurring and destroying their croplands. The same study noted warming at higher latitudes resulted in increased fires events, however, the decrease in mid-latitudes led to an overall decrease. The increase in European fires seems to be a result of high-latitudinal warming, as Europes wildfire season is starting sooner than expected, but lest we forget the other reasons of human causation, also. Another 2022 Science Direct publication noted that, from 2004-2019, global fire incidences decreased in frequency by 11%. The wilderness-urban interface is intensifying with an increase in population and human dwelling near hazardous wooded areas, leading to a rise of human risk and infrastructure damage. The regions experiencing wildfires with more frequency and intensity are those not as equipped to manage them, such as southern European countries like Spain, France, Italy and Greece. They do experience large areas of wildfire annually; however the earlier season and intensity of recent years has created a large problem for these holiday destinations. Like any complicated problem, there is a myriad of factors at play. Prolonged periods of drought is the most obvious one, creating an environment more easily engulfed in flames. It has also been suggested that the evacuation of agricultural areas by younger people and the concentration in urban sprawls also plays a factor. Land management was easier when there were more active and responsible farmers populating the countryside. Also, ironically, an increase in green biomass throughout the countryside creates an increase of flammable material which allows wildfire to spread. It has been reported that over 20,000 hectares of Natura 2000 protected areas have burned. Dr Johann Georg Goldammer, of the Max Planck Institute of Chemistry, has suggested careful forestry and land management will prevent the root causes. But this is long-term thinking and its difficult to prove the benefits of preventing fires that have never happened. Perhaps, with these few difficult years and the onerous potential of more flames on the horizon, the topic of land management will become a more actionable concern and practice. Tom Tuite A London woman arrested at Dublin Airport over a 740,000 cannabis seizure after a flight from the United States thought she was transporting handbags, a court has heard. Mother of one, Yejieda Johnson (26), who has no fixed address in Ireland, was arrested at Dublin Airport at the weekend and charged with unlawful importation and possession of drugs and having them for sale or supply. Garda Tom McLoughlin objected to bail when the accused appeared at Dublin District Court. He alleged the accused had two suitcases and there was a deliberate attempt to conceal 37kg of cannabis. The court heard she flew from New Yorks JFK Airport and was due to get a connecting flight to London on Saturday. Garda McLoughlin believed Ms Johnson was a clear and immediate flight risk. In cross-examination, the garda said that the accused maintained she thought she was transporting handbags and never touched the cannabis. The officer agreed with defence counsel Karl Monaghan that the case would likely go forward to the Circuit Court. The barrister submitted that his client could wait two years until her trial. The court heard she lived all her life in London and previously worked in a hotel spa and a coffee shop. The woman pleaded for bail and said, I am innocent. She told the court she lived with family members and would return to Ireland to prove her innocence. Judge Treasa Kelly set bail in her bond of 1,000 and required a 10,000 independent surety, which has yet to be approved. Gardai must also confirm her London address, and she must provide a contact phone number on release. Ms Johnson was remanded in custody to appear again on September 11th. Podcast: Traceable viscose back in black WAKEFIELD Philip Berman sits down with Caroline Ledl, head of product and application management at the Lenzing Group to hear about the companys plans to ramp up its production of its spun-dyed viscose in Indonesia. Lenzing launched its EcoVero branded viscose in 2017 in response to demand for more transparent viscose fibres, but with expansion of its dope-dyed Black version imminent, listeners can hear Ledl clarify what the companys expansion plans in South Asia will mean for sourcing both raw materials and energy in its regional manufacturing facility. Key here, Ledl tells Ecotextile Talks, is that Lenzing has made more than 300,000 tons of EcoVero, but as demand has grown, its been working to increase capacity at its site in Purwakarta, Indonesia where it currently produces standard viscose. Asked about the selection of Indonesia as a site, Ledl explains that it was essential for Lenzing to increase its capacity in an environmentally friendly way. We are now ramping up our sustainability credentials at our facility in Indonesia, reducing our emissions there, she says. We are also installing a new wastewater treatment plant as well as looking at quality control improvements. Lenzing has also switched to renewable energy at the site so it can start producing EcoVero by the end of Q3 this year. The selection of Indonesia for expansion, however, begs a further question on transparency something that EcoVero is based on, particularly when considering the ancient and endangered status of forests in Indonesia and the case of companies that were recently outed by Greenpeace alleging it was still a risk when it came to sourcing wood pulp in the region. Ledl tells listeners though that Lenzing is confident that no wood pulp used in the facility will actually be sourced in Indonesia itself. Our pulp sourcing is one of the key topics when looking at viscose production, she says, we know all our suppliers and your readers/listeners can look this up at our website. Our Hot Button rankings demonstrate how thoroughly we audit our suppliers. Cherkizovo to engage in crop farming in Tula Region, Russia Cherkizovo Group is expanding its land bank as part of a grain segment development by acquiring 10ha of agricultural land in Russia's Tula Region. The deal will help the company cover its growing needs for raw materials used in feed production. Cherkizovo Land Company and Cherkizovo Grain Production (both part of Cherkizovo Group) have entered into agreements to purchase agricultural assets in the Tula Region. As a result, the group will take possession of land plots totaling approximately 10,000ha as well as agricultural machinery and warehousing facilities, purchasing them from two individuals. Barley, wheat, rapeseed and buckwheat are currently grown on the acquired land. This year's crop will be harvested by Cherkizovo Grain Production, with wheat and soybean to be cultivated on these sites going forward. The deal gives Cherkizovo Group its first crop production assets in the Tula Region, marking a departure from its previous focus solely on poultry farming and meat processing in the region. Following the acquisition, Cherkizovo's total land bank will increase to 340,000ha. "The Tula Region holds strategic importance for Cherkizovo Group as this is where we are actively expanding our business and building (Russia's) largest meat processing cluster," said Anastasia Mikhailova, head of communications at Cherkizovo Group. "Therefore, it was a logical move for us to acquire well-maintained crop farming assets locally. The transaction will increase our self-sufficiency in raw materials required for feed production." Cherkizovo Group's lands are located predominantly in fertile spots in Russia, namely the Lipetsk, Orel, Tambov, Voronezh and Penza regions. The company grows soybean, wheat, corn, sunflower and rapeseed. Every year, it harvests approximately 600,000 tonnes of crops that go straight to its feed mills. - Cherkizovo Lallemand to present new research at XXII Congress of World Veterinary Poultry Association Lallemand Animal Nutrition has announced its sponsorship of the XXII Congress of the World Veterinary Poultry Association (WVPA) held in Verona, Italy. As a leading advocate for microbial-based solutions in the poultry industry, Lallemand's technical poultry team will be attending the event to present two new studies. This highly anticipated gathering of global experts and scientists offers valuable opportunities to exchange information about the latest advances in poultry veterinary science, encompassing a wide range of key topics within the field. "We are thrilled to support this year's Congress of the WVPA and present our latest research findings," said Lallemand's Florence Barbe. "We are demonstrating that our microbial-based solutions, namely probiotics and competitive exclusion products, help harness the power of the birds' microbiota and have the potential to support poultry gut health and immunity in both broilers and layers. They are readily available technical tools to help the poultry industry continue to grow in a sustainable manner." Mitigating gut inflammation consequences in layers Gut inflammation is a reality in poultry farming. It often goes unnoticed at first but can turn into reduced performance in the long run, Lallemand said. The company's R&D team conducted a study including an inflammatory challenge in laying hens with the following objectives: - To investigate the consequences of gut inflammation on laying performances; - To evaluate the potential of the probiotic Pediococcus acidilactici CNCM I-4622 (BACTOCELL) to mitigate the negative effect associated to the inflammatory trigger on egg production (Barbe et al., 2023). Results showed the locally induced inflammatory challenge drastically degraded all laying performance criteria, including feed intake, exported egg mass, laying rate and feed conversion ratio, as well as negatively affected egg quality. Moreover, the study demonstrated fecal calprotectin levels has the potential to be used as a non-invasive biomarker of acute intestinal inflammation in birds. When the layers were fed the probiotic bacteria, they experienced quicker performance recovery and improved egg quality parameters following the induced inflammation. Gut health was also more quickly restored as indicated by lower levels of fecal calprotectin. Preserving performance and gut integrity during broiler vaccination Since coccidiosis remains a major threat in poultry production, live coccidiosis vaccines are gaining ground. However, numerous publications reported vaccination can have negative impacts on zootechnical performance. A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the early application of a competitive exclusion product (AVIGUARD) to mitigate the negative effect of a coccidiosis vaccine on broiler performance (Chevaux et al., 2023). The study confirmed vaccination impaired growth performance as measured by body weight at days 28 and 35, feed conversion rate and average daily gain. The early application of the competitive exclusion solution, AVIGUARD, allowed broilers to maintain zootechnical performance after vaccination against coccidiosis. In addition, the treatment minimised the risk of intestinal lesions induced by coccidiosis in vaccinated birds, which is a known side effect of the vaccination. Authors of the publication concluded this study presents an interesting strategy to mitigate some of the negative effects reported to be associated to live cocci vaccines. Moreover, it indicated the competitive exclusion solution did not alter the mode of action of the live vaccine, making it compatible with coccidiosis vaccine. Lallemand Animal Nutrition's participation at the XXII Congress of the WVPA underscores the company's commitment to helping its partners and farmers sustainably feed a growing global population through improved animal performance and well-being with a strong research and innovation focus, the company concluded. - Lallemand Animal Nutrition Australian opposition looks to quick resolution of Indonesia's LSD-related ban on Aussie cattle New export restrictions slapped on two West Australian cattle yards by Indonesia will need to be resolved by September 12, according to Australia's federal opposition. There has been ongoing tension between Australian livestock producers and the Indonesian government since July when its authorities claimed to detect lumpy skin disease (LSD) in 13 exported Australian cattle. Four facilities were banned from exporting to Indonesia until an investigation was undertaken, including Wyndham's Consolidated Pastoral Company's yards. Australia's Acting Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Beth Cookson said it had been advised by Indonesia that eight additional positive tests had been recorded in cattle from three registered establishments in Australia after the livestock arrived in Indonesia "These registered establishments have not been suspended," she said. The federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry confirmed two of the establishments were near Broome, while it was believed a third from the Northern Territory was under investigation. Opposition agriculture spokesman David Littleproud said there had been a concerted effort by Australian authorities to rectify the issue. "I am 100% confident we don't have LSD," he said. Littleproud said the investigation into July's detections had since been sent back to Indonesia to "vindicate" Australia's LSD-free status. "My understanding is there is a timeline," he said. "Indonesia has until September 12 to respond to that, and we are hoping at that juncture we will be able to demonstrate that the LSD in those cattle didn't come from Australia, because Australia does not have LSD." Littleproud said he backed Dr. Cookson's assessment. Dr. Cookson said the investigation had tested more than 1,000 cattle across Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory, and there had been no trace of the disease. "Our disease status has not changed," she said. "The negative test results further highlight Australia's robust systems for the ongoing monitoring of animal diseases, including LSD. "Indonesia and Malaysia have been provided the results of the testing in a technical report that each country is now considering. "We continue to work closely with our Indonesian and Malaysian counterparts, including engagement at a technical official-to-official level to discuss the next steps. "We are awaiting advice from the relevant Indonesian and Malaysian authorities on the lifting of their cattle and buffalo import restrictions." - ABC ASEAN urged to embrace role as global agriculture, aquaculture hub Indonesia's Minister of Co-operatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Teten Masduki, emphasised the need for ASEAN to assert itself as the global centre for agriculture and aquaculture production, Antara reported. Speaking at the ASEAN Weekend Market event in Senayan, south Jakarta, Minister Teten Masduki highlighted the importance of ASEAN nations claiming their position as global leaders in agriculture and aquaculture. He particularly focused on Indonesia's pivotal role in these sectors, given its status as the largest country in ASEAN. Masduki said that ASEAN possesses not only a wealth of creative products, including fashion, culinary delights, and crafts, but also boasts a robust agricultural and aquaculture industry. In 2019, ASEAN countries contributed 21.9% to the world's total fisheries production, with projections indicating a 5% increase by 2025. Nations like Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand were responsible for 16.5% of the world's shrimp exports. Masduki stressed that in its pursuit of becoming a global agricultural and aquacultural hub, ASEAN faces the challenge of fostering a business ecosystem conducive to the growth and advancement of micro and small enterprises through co-operatives and supply chain partnerships. He underlined the strategic role of ASEAN as a platform for strengthening co-operatives and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) within the region's ecosystem. - Antara TARS 2023 raises bar with huge interest among stakeholders across Asia "TARS 2023 - Shrimp Aquaculture: Regeneration", which was held in Bali, Indonesia, on August 16-17, had a successful two-day running with 253 participants from 24 countries, led by Indonesia, Thailand , Philippines and Malaysia, its organisers said. The meeting reflected on the current situation in Asia's shrimp aquaculture, mired by ten-year lows in shrimp prices with a global oversupply situation. This year's programme featured 43 speakers, session chairs and panellists participating in 10 sessions. Dr. TB Haeru Rahayu, Director General of Aquaculture at the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia, delivered the opening address. Indonesia, he said, has invested US$11.4 million on its zone-based environmentally friendly pond model to spearhead shrimp aquaculture. Further expansion is planned in East Nusa Tenggara, covering an area of 1,800ha. "The Indonesian shrimp industry has the potential to become a significant investment hub for sustainable aquaculture, but this requires embracing sustainable culture practices and effective marketing strategies for its long-term growth and resilience," said Haris Muhtadi of the Shrimp Club Indonesia (SCI) whose members contribute to almost 70% of Indonesia's production of farmed shrimp. "Why, with so much technology, has the industry lost profitability," said Robins McIntosh of Charoen Pokphand (Thailand). "Our success with technology has resulted in higher productivity and lower production costs, but we are now paying when the principle of carrying capacity is exceeded. Farmers have no control on market forces but do have control on costs. Therefore, we should remember the fundamentals of farming shrimp." "There is no doubt that shrimp aquaculture is a risky business but there are opportunities," said Zuridah Merican, the editor of Aqua Culture Asia Pacific, co-organiser of the TARS series together Corporate Media Services PL (Singapore). "TARS offers all stakeholders a way to work together and move forward by identifying bottlenecks and proposing solutions for industry adoption. The roundtable breakout session is an important part of this event where all participants have a voice. "We are happy that despite today's challenges in shrimp farming and economic environment, we reached our goal. We take this as a positive sign as Asia's stakeholders see the need to network and work together to position themselves for the future growth of the industry." Technical presentations highlighted current challenges along the supply chain and provided solutions. Genetics has played a major role in the expansion of Asia's shrimp farming industry and will continue to support production efficiency, but it is not enough on its own. Post larvae is a critical investment and optimising protocols for the first 30 days in hatcheries and nurseries can deliver strong post larvae for successful crops. According to Dan Fegan, SyAqua (Thailand), the next step will require big data and automation for better management of resources and greater profitability. In the Disease Mitigation session, based on a better understanding of the microsporidian EHP and WFS, a recommendation was to increase pH of pond water before stocking post larvae. A promising opportunity was shown to proactively mitigate outbreaks of AHPND, WSSV and IMNV with data collection and AI to predict trigger points. With feed playing an important role in the sustainable shrimp agenda, there was a focus on nutritional approaches for optimal production performance including opportunities with enzymes and functional additives to improve nutrient digestibility, disease resistance, reduce feed costs and promote the sustainability of shrimp farming. The conversation was also on optimising feeding protocols and with volatility in quality of feed ingredients, effects of mycotoxin contamination on flesh quality. The Future Proofing session explored technologies in disease prevention, smart feed management and modelling systems for pond carrying capacity. Microbiome monitoring and its management allows for diagnosis of health problems before they become critical. Vietnam, faced with high costs of production, was developing models in consideration of carrying capacity. A future industry goal should be to focus on cost and quality for specific markets. A new era with smart feeding was presented with examples of simulations on growth and feed requirement. A dive into life cycle assessments (LCAs) in the shrimp value chain demonstrated how this is a powerful tool for decision making in the future. There was an unfettered exchange of information, divergent perspectives on strengths and weaknesses and how to remake the industry by the panel of young professionals in shrimp aquaculture at the Industry Dialogue session. Most agreed that the presence of startups, data analytics and technology, such as in Indonesia and Vietnam, is rejuvenating farming towards a more science-based industry. While aquaculture can be attractive for young farmers and investors, such as in Indonesia, the group sees the need for long term commitments and to professionalise the industry. While acknowledging that Asia should be responsible and produce sustainable shrimp either for mass or niche markets, business leaders representing different segments at the Hard Talk session displayed some scepticism on the ability to do so. Today, the focus is to strife for steady margin. Asia has sustainable shrimp but the question remains whether it is doing enough to promote or tell a story. Within this fragmented industry in Asia, there is a structural issue with lack of an organisation for a branding. While governments in India and Vietnam are already supporting the testing and Thailand is tracking on traceability, the proposal was for marketing and creating consumption. Shrimp aquaculture in Asia started with the black tiger which was the pride of Asia. The panel on the resurgence of the black tiger shrimp deep dived into the current scenario of prices and how to target premium markets. Panelists Regis Bador (New Caledonia), Manoj Sharma (Mayank Aquaculture; India), Catherine Lee (GST; Malaysia), Yufan Zhang (Alltech; China) and Dean Akiyama (Indonesia) delivered the message that producers need to understand the exigent demands of key markets, particularly, with regard to quality and a sustainability story for premium markets. Asian shrimp aquaculture is highly fragmented and to develop sustainable shrimp, the key is traceability along the supply. This year at the Interactive Roundtable Breakout Sessions, a hallmark of TARS, participants were tasked with proposing traceability criteria between two segments: Hatchery & Genetics and Farming (HGF); Farming and Feed Production (FFP); and Processing & Marketing and Farming (PMF). In the final panel session, group leaders Craig Browdy, Ziegler Feeds (HGF), Romi Novriadi (Jakarta Technical University) and S. Santhana Krishnan (Marine Technologies) presented the collated output from their respective groups. - Aqua Culture Asia Pacific Lib Vannin backs plans for renewable energy on the Island The chair of the Liberal Vannin party has disputed Michael District Commissioners claim that wind turbines would be just as bad in Druidale as they would in the south. Paul Weatherall says hed be surprised if Manx Utilities proposed wind farms were installed by 2026. His party backs the plans for renewable and green energy but says environmental reports need to be taken into account. Mr Weatherall says residents must also be consulted about the plans. Local Democracy Reporter Emma Draper has been speaking to him: Media Android 14 is fast approaching. But before Google publicly releases the next big version of the mobile operating system alongside its latest Pixel devices, the company has revealed a refreshed Android logo. In a blog post, Android consumer brand management director Jason Fournier wrote that the company wanted the bugdroid to "appear as dynamic as Android itself." By overhauling the full-body look of the mascot, the hope is that it will be easier for the bugdroid to look consistent across both digital and real-world environments. The refreshed bugdroid and updated logo will start appearing on Android devices and elsewhere later this year. Along with the rebrand, Google has revealed the details of the quarterly Android feature drop. The headline feature is a new widget called Assistant At a Glance. The aim of this is to bring helpful information such as weather alerts, event reminders and travel updates. The widget uses AI to surface these details. There's a very useful-sounding accessibility feature coming to Android imminently. It's called Image Q&A on Lookout. You'll be able to use voice commands or type questions to find out more details about AI-generated audio descriptions of visual content. Google designed the feature with blind and low-vision people in mind. You'll soon be able to add passes with barcodes and QR codes (such as your library and gym cards) to Google Wallet to save you having to carry those around. There will be the option to add Fitbit/Google Fit activity and sleep data to personal routines to help you keep track of your wellness goals. Meanwhile, Google has redesigned the Personal Safety app with the goal of making it easier for users to share their live location, record surroundings and call 911. Last but not least is an Android Auto update. Webex and Zoom support is coming soon. You'll be able to join conference calls via audio and view meeting schedules on the car's display. We've seen automakers bring meeting apps to their infotainment systems, but Android Auto support may mean that there's no escape from a conference call. These features, which Google is rolling out gradually, will start arriving today on the Pixel 5, Pixel 5a and Pixel 4a. They'll land on Pixel 6 and Pixel 7-series phones as well as the Pixel Fold over the next few weeks. You can expect all of these features on the latest batch of Pixel devices that Google will announce next month too. You might have faced an unexpected but perhaps brief delay if you were catching a United Airlines flight today. The company issued a nationwide ground stop because of a "computer issue," as ABC News first reported. "United Airlines asked the FAA to pause the airlines departures nationwide," the Federal Aviation Administration told Engadget. At 1:45PM ET, however, United lifted the ground stop and it started to spin operations back up. United told Engadget that a software update "caused a widespread slowdown" in its "technology systems." Airborne flights still carried on to their destinations during the brief stoppage. After the issue was resolved, the company resumed flights and began working with customers whose travel was disrupted by the grounding. We have identified a fix for the technology issue and flights have resumed. Were working with impacted customers to help them reach their destinations as soon as possible. United Airlines (@united) September 5, 2023 United grounded its flights following a similar issue in the UK just last week. An air traffic control glitch led to the cancellation of a fifth of UK departures and 27 percent of flights that were due to arrive into the country last Monday, when the issue occurred. Update, September 5, 2023, 4:50PM ET: This story has been updated with a statement from United explaining the ground stop was due to a software update, and to note that the ground stop has been lifted. COP28 President-Designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber addressed the inaugural Africa Climate Summit, held in Nairobi, Kenya . President-Designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber addressed the inaugural Africa Climate Summit, held in . Speaking to heads of state at its high-level opening, Al Jaber announced a $4.5 billion clean energy investment initiative between the UAE and Africa that aims to unlock Africa's capacity for sustainable prosperity. clean energy investment initiative between the UAE and that aims to unlock capacity for sustainable prosperity. Working together, The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Etihad Credit Insurance, Masdar and AMEA Power will join with Africa 50 as a strategic partner under the guidance of the UAE and African leadership to "develop 15 GW of clean power by 2030." 50 as a strategic partner under the guidance of the UAE and African leadership to "develop 15 GW of clean power by 2030." The initiative will "demonstrate the commercial case for clean investment across this important continent" and will be "designed to work with Africa , for Africa ." , for ." "Will act as a scalable model that can and should be replicated and will support COP28's global goal of tripling renewable energy by 2030." "Al Jaber grounded his remarks in the reality that "the world is losing the race to secure the goals of the Paris Agreement and struggling to keep 1.5 within reach" And that Collectively, "we are not delivering the results that we need in the time we need them." Al Jaber cited that currently, " Africa contributes just 3 per cent of global emissions, yet suffers some of the worst consequences. Droughts, floods and failed harvests have exposed one fifth of Africa's people to hunger, tripled the number of people displaced in the last three years, and is dragging down Africa's GDP growth by at least 5 per cent every year. contributes just 3 per cent of global emissions, yet suffers some of the worst consequences. Droughts, floods and failed harvests have exposed one fifth of people to hunger, tripled the number of people displaced in the last three years, and is dragging down GDP growth by at least 5 per cent every year. In response, he called on "all parties to unite around a plan of action that is fully inclusive, that fast tracks a just, responsible and well managed energy transition, focuses on people, lives and livelihoods, and fixes climate finance." Al Jaber called Africa "a beacon of hope, filled with potential and a global example of what pro-climate, nature positive development should look like, adding that "it simply makes sense for Africa to get a fairer share of the pie." "a beacon of hope, filled with potential and a global example of what pro-climate, nature positive development should look like, adding that "it simply makes sense for to get a fairer share of the pie." The "key to making this happen is finance, but it must be made available, accessible and affordable." In his remarks, the COP28 President-Designate made calls to raise ambitions, including by "calling on donors to close out the 100-billion-dollar pledge they made over a decade ago, to replenish the green climate fund, to double adaptation finance by 2025 and for all parties to transform the Global Goal on Adaptation from theory into real action and tangible results." President-Designate made calls to raise ambitions, including by "calling on donors to close out the pledge they made over a decade ago, to replenish the green climate fund, to double adaptation finance by 2025 and for all parties to transform the Global Goal on Adaptation from theory into real action and tangible results." He also called for "early pledges for the loss and damage fund to help vulnerable countries." "What was promised in Sharm El Sheikh , must be delivered in Dubai ." , must be delivered in ." During the three-day trip, the Al Jaber spoke on multiple platforms on topics including cooling, youth engagement, adaptation and security; as well as meeting with African leaders and visiting local communities experiencing climate-related hardships. Dr. Al Jaber was joined by esteemed member of the COP28 leadership team, including HE Shamma Al Mazrui, Youth Climate Champion; HE Razan Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion; HE Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi , Director-General of COP28 and HE Adnan Amin, CEO of COP28 (Informacion remitida por la empresa firmante) NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- COP28 President-Designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber addressed the inaugural Africa Climate Summit, held in Nairobi, Kenya, where he emphasised the need for mitigation and adaptation finance as critical success factors for climate progress in Africa and globally. Noting that the world is "losing the race to secure the goals of the Paris Agreement and struggling to keep 1.5 within reach," Dr. Al Jaber called on "all parties to unite around a plan of action that is fully inclusive, a plan of action that fast tracks a just, responsible and well managed energy transition, focuses on people, lives and livelihoods, and fixes climate finance. Addressing heads of state at the high-level opening of the summit, Al Jaber announced a new $4.5 billion initiative between the UAE and Africa that seeks to unlock Africa's capacity for sustainable prosperity. Al Jaber announced that "The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Etihad Credit Insurance, Masdar and AMEA Power will join with Africa 50 as a strategic partner under the guidance of the UAE and African leadership to develop 15 GW of clean power by 2030. Working together, we will deploy 4.5 billion dollars that will catalyze at least an additional 12.5 billion dollars from multilateral, public and private sources." "It is our ambition that this will launch a new transformative partnership to jump start a pipeline of bankable clean energy projects," said Al Jaber. The President-Delegate explained that the partnership will "demonstrate the commercial case for clean investment" across Africa and "act as a scalable model that can and should be replicatedit is designed to work with Africa, for Africa." Al Jaber acknowledged that "Africa contributes just 3 percent of global emissions, yet suffers some of the worst consequences. Droughts, floods and failed harvests have exposed one fifth of Africa's people to hunger, tripled the number of people displaced in the last three years, and is dragging down Africa's GDP growth by at least 5 per cent every year. Al Jaber also recognized the scale of energy poverty within Africa, acknowledging that "almost half of Africa's population still have no access to electricity, almost one billion people lack clean cooking fuels, and this energy gap will only increase as Africa's population grows." Discussing how to fast track low-carbon solutions for Africa's growing population, Al Jaber said that the "key to making this happen is finance, but it must be made available, accessible and affordable." As a part of the COP28 Presidency's Action Agenda, Al Jaber emphasized his plan to fix climate finance. He urged donors to "close out the 100-billion-dollar pledge they made over a decade ago and to replenish the green climate fundIn parallel, we need a complete upgrade of the global financial architecture that was built for a different era. IFIs and MDBs must up their game, including by raising concessional capital and lowering debt burdens. They need to attract and leverage private capital at a multiple. And the multilateral, public and private sectors need to mesh together and work as true partners to accelerate the delivery of practical solutions and real, impactful projects on the ground." Addressing the imbalance between financing for mitigation and adaptation, Al Jaber called on donors to "double adaptation finance by 2025", and to "transform the Global Goal on Adaptation from theory and text into tangible action and real results." We also need early pledges for the loss and damage fund, to help vulnerable countries recover from severe climate impacts that they are already experiencing: The COP28 President-Designate stated, "What was promised in Sharm El Sheikh, must be fully operational in Dubai." During his remarks, Al Jaber also highlighted many of Africa's trailblazing climate initiatives noting that many African countries are already leading the way. Al Jaber noted how "Kenya is closing in on its goal of 100 per cent clean energy by 2030, the African Union's Great Green Wall is helping reclaim degraded agricultural land across the Sahel. Ethiopia's Green Legacy Initiative is enhancing food security and stimulating green jobs across the Horn of Africa. And the countries of the Congo Basin are protecting vital rainforests and helping preserve the world's natural carbon sinks." Al Jaber expressed his belief that Africa is "a beacon of hope, filled with potential and a global example of what pro-climate, nature positive development should look like." Al Jaber concluded his remarks at the summit by saying that climate change is a "global fight and demands a global solution". If Africa loses, we all lose, If Africa succeeds, we all succeed. Progress for one is progress for all. This inaugural Africa Climate Summit was co-hosted by the Republic of Kenya and the African Union Commission, to convene national leaders from across Africa and the world, as well as leading figures from business, policy and civil society: to design and catalyze solutions which address climate change in Africa and across the world. The summit was attended by global and African leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Chair of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, and President of the African Union, H.E. President Azali Assoumani. The full COP28 Presidency team accompanied the COP28 President-Designate to the Summit, taking part in a series of speaking engagements, meetings with national leaders, and community visits to improve collaboration on climate action. The full COP28 UAE Presidency leadership team consists of: His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber , President-Designate for COP28 , President-Designate for Her Excellency Shamma Al Mazrui, Youth Climate Champion Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment Her Excellency Razan Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion His Excellency Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi , Director-General of COP28 , Director-General of His Excellency Adnan Amin, CEO of COP28 Hana AlHashimi , UAE Chief Negotiator COP28 During the visit, H.E. Al Mazrui visited the Kibera Slum, Africa's largest urban slum, to meet individuals whose lives are profoundly affected by climate change. UN Climate Change High Level Champion for COP28Razan Al Mubarak took part in a series of events focusing on nature-based solutions for climate action, investments for nature, and inclusion. COP28's Director General Ambassador Al Suwaidi participated in an event to develop solutions for Voluntary Carbon Markets and announced a new 'Pact on Fragility', developed in collaboration with Kenya and Germany, to drive finance to countries experiencing climate change and conflict. Ambassador Al Suwaidi also visited the Dadaab refugee camp and witnessed the experience of refugees who have fled conflict in Somalia, whose hardships are compounded by prolonged droughts. Dr. Al Jaber also engaged in bilateral meetings with African leaders, including the presidents of Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, African Development Bank, and several important officials and heads of states. Discussions revolved around mobilizing broader support for the COP28 agenda, addressing vulnerability to climate change impacts, seeking critical EU endorsement for COP priorities, garnering support for the hydrogen agenda, accelerating financing for adaptation efforts, and pursuing outcomes related to nature conservation packages, and many other important areas. Notes to Editors COP28 UAE: COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023 . The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors. UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from . The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors. As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals. UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals. The UAE will lead a process for all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition and a "leave no one behind" approach to inclusive climate action." The four pillars of the COP28 Presidency's Action Agenda are fast tracking the energy transition, fixing climate finance, focusing on people, lives, and livelihoods, and underpinning everything with full inclusivity. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cop28-presidency-partners-with-african-leaders-to-raise-climate-ambitions-seize-opportunity-of-green-growth-through-fairer-climate-finance-for-africa-301917521.html (Informacion remitida por la empresa firmante) Organizations' needs for DevOps, Agile, cloud, and ITSM solutions and skills keep growing globally as all businesses become software companies HELSINKI, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Eficode grew organically and with acquisitions by over 170% in its last fiscal year, from 79,3 million euros to 189,6 million euros. Eficode's compound annual growth (CAGR) during the previous four fiscal years has been 70%. During the past fiscal year, Eficode grew to nearly 600 employees and contracting consultants for DevOps, Agile, and associated tools and services. Eficode sees a strong connection between customers' need for consulting expertise and sales of licenses, cloud subscription for software development tools, and managed services. Profitable growth with heavy financial backing In December 2022, Eficode announced a significant investment from Investcorp, a leading global alternative investment firm. Investcorp became a majority shareholder in Eficode. Eficode's founder Risto Virkkala, CEO Ilari Nurmi, management team, and many employees remain significant shareholders, committed to the ambitious growth journey. "We already see how partnering with Investcorp has prepared Eficode for the next growth phase. They have the expertise and experience to support our global expansion strategy," says Ilari Nurmi, CEO of Eficode. " In August 2023, Eficode acquired Avoset, and we continue to build Eficode's business both organically and inorganically with Investcorp." The United States and the United Kingdom became key regions for Eficode In October 2022, Eficode acquired Clearvision, a solutions provider for Atlassian, Git, and open-source tooling to bolster its growth in the UK and US. For the fiscal year ending on 30 June 2023, the regions became the most significant in terms of revenue, together representing over 40% of Eficode's revenue. The UK and US are essential growth regions because Eficode offers a broader services portfolio for existing customers. In addition, Eficode UK has been shortlisted by Best Companies as one of the best small companies to work for in the UK. Business in Continental Europe grows organically During the year, Eficode acquired notable new customers in Continental Europe: A significant Atlassian consolidation and transformation agreement with a global provider of energy projects, technologies, systems, and services; A significant Atlassian migration and license agreement with a worldwide renewals and energy solutions company; An Atlassian Cloud migration project and a long-term contract with a global airline based in Continental Europe; In aggregate, Eficode's business in Continental Europe grew 135 %. Innovations and AI enter software development As a notable development in customer demand, consulting services and tools to capitalize on Artificial Intelligence in software development have surged rapidly. Eficode is working with all major technology companies in the software development industry to build a way to global leadership in the ecosystem and to be a driving force during the era of AI-driven software development. Eficode received Atlassian Partner of the Year 2022 Services EMEA for its outstanding contribution and achievements. During the year, the company was awarded specialization status in all Atlassian areas: Agile at Scale, ITSM, and Cloud. By combining Eficode ROOT, a managed DevOps platform, and Total Support, a productized support solution for companies using Atlassian tools, Eficode continues to provide innovation and customer value. Gartner recognized Eficode as a Representative Vendor in the recent Gartner Market Guide for Digital Accessibility. According to this Market Guide, "Gartner expects to see a turning point for digital accessibility akin to the 'General Data Protection Regulation moment' experienced in privacy." Eficode partakes in the advisory councils for all its major technology partners, Atlassian, GitHub, and GitLab, thus shaping the software development tooling and consulting industry. Media contacts Ilari Nurmi, Chief Executive Officer, Eficode. ilari.nurmi@eficode.com, +358 40 577 5084 Lauri Palokangas, Chief Marketing Officer, Eficode. lauri.palokangas@eficode.com, +358 50 486 4918 The following files are available for download: View original content: https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/eficode-grew-170-last-financial-year-and-propels-forward-with-strong-customer-demand-301917483.html Igualdad Montero defiende el derecho al cuidado y pide al Estado que se haga "corresponsable" de una tarea que es "esencial" Archivo - COMUNICADO: Nshift: 63% of shoppers seek retailers that share their values - NSHIFT/PR NEWSWIRE - Archivo (Informacion remitida por la empresa firmante) Lingerie specialist sees significant improvements in customer experience, warehouse visibility and sustainability. LONDON, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hunkemoller , Europe's fastest-growing lingerie specialist, has seen a spike in sales after working with nShift , the global leader in parcel delivery management software, to digitize returns. By using nShift Returns, Hunkemoller has been able to offer its customers seamless reverse ecommerce experience. Since its recent go live, Hunkemoller has experienced a change in customer behaviour shifting online to warehouse returns towards in-stores with an increase of 15%. This has not only created the chance to strengthen customer relationships but also created new remarketing and repurchase opportunities. Already operational in 19 countries with state-of-the-art webshops and over 900 stores acting as digital hubs, Hunkemoller has deployed nShift Returns in six markets across Benelux, Germany and the Nordics. However, the project has been such a success that the company plans to roll it out to the rest of Europe and other global markets. "Returns are an integral part of ecommerce today but consistently high return rates are not healthy - they're bad for the business, customer and the environment", said Pieter Schalk, Sales Director at nShift. "What Hunkemoller has been able to do so effectively is focus on improving the returns experience, which not only helps control the return rate, but also provides customers a better experience based on convenience, choice and communications. The combination of which keeps them coming back for more." Prior to using nShift, Hunkemoller was using a traditional hardcopy return label in the box method for customers to return online purchases. However, this meant the company didn't know early in advance how many returns came back every day or and what was driving those returns. By digitizing the entire process, Hunkemoller is now growing customer loyalty through this frictionless solution. "We've made returns part of a seamless omnichannel customer experience with increased returns control and insights" said Robin Visser, Omni Channel Business Development Manager, Hunkemoller. "What was a historical pain point for the company and our customers has been changed into something that adds real value. And because we've added more intelligence to the process, we're getting much more in the way of consumer touchpoints helping us to constantly improve the service and experience we offer." The change in returns process has also led to improvements in the warehouse. The Hunkemoller team now has clear visibility on the status of all orders as well as what is coming and leaving days ahead and with a real-time dashboard where all returns are being shared, the Hunkemoller team can plan for the capacity they need. It is also helping the company achieve its sustainability objectives too. By digitizing the process, the Hunkemoller returns process has gone from paper to paperless, almost overnight. About nShift nShift is the global leading provider of cloud delivery management solutions enabling frictionless shipment and return of almost one billion shipments across 190 countries annually. nShift's software is used globally by e-commerce, retail, manufacturing and 3PL shippers. The company is headquartered in London and Oslo. It has over 500 employees across offices in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, United Kingdom, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Romania. About Hunkemoller Hunkemoller is Europe's fastest-growing lingerie brand in 19 countries with state-of-the-art webshops and over 900 stores acting as digital hubs. Our customers (Sheroes) are attracted by distinct product and brand handwriting, continual new collections and sub-brands appealing to a range of Sheroes across ages, cultures, body shapes, tastes and budgets, all delivered via an inspiring and rewarding shopping experience - whatever the channel. Our mission is to always be a much-loved, social and inclusive brand and we do this by offering a combination of market-leading, design-led products, an inspiring Omni-Channel customer experience, passionate staff delivering World-Class service, smart use of data and technology, in touch marketing and social media to build lifetime loyalty. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1782566... View original content: https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/nshift-helps-hunkemoller-increase-in-store-returns-by-15-301917735.html (The Center Square) House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said Tuesday he is sending six subpoenas as part of an investigation into allegations of the Biden administration's interference into the case of Hunter Biden, the presidents son. Comer said he is subpoenaing U.S. Secret Service agents, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and employees at the agency. The Department of Justice initiated the Biden family coverup and now DHS under the leadership of Secretary Mayorkas is complicit in it, Comer said. "Investigators were never able to interview Hunter Biden during the criminal investigation because Secret Service headquarters and the Biden transition team were tipped off about the planned interview. This is just one of many examples of the misconduct and politicization during the Department of Justices investigation. DHS oversees the Secret Service. The subpoenas are part of a broader investigation into the interference into the Hunter Biden case. Hunter Biden faces tax and gun-related criminal charges for which a court hearing is set. He also faces more allegations of helping coordinate an international bribery scheme using his father, President Joe Biden, to rake in millions of dollars from nations adversarial to the U.S. Two IRS whistleblowers testified before Congress over the summer that the U.S. Department of Justice interfered in their investigation of Hunter Biden in what they considered an improper and unusual way. The Oversight Committee along with the Judiciary and Ways and Means Committees is seeking interviews with key witnesses, including employees at the Secret Service, Comer said. The Department of Homeland Security is obstructing our investigation by muzzling the Secret Service from providing a response to Congress. The American people deserve transparency, not obstruction. Comer, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., sent a letter to the Secret Service in June wanting answers to allegations that the Secret Service may have helped interfere into the investigation into Hunter Biden. Specifically, the Committees seek to examine whistleblower claims that on December 7, 2020, a whistleblower was informed that FBI headquarters had notified Secret Service headquarters, and the Biden transition team, about IRS CIs plan to interview Hunter, the letter said. The whistleblower added, this essentially tipped off a group of people very close to President Biden and Hunter Biden and gave this group an opportunity to obstruct the approach on the witnesses. Comer said the Secret Service was willing to comply with the letters request for interviews, but that DHS blocked it. BLACK ROCK CITY, Nevada - Roughly 70,000 festival goers spent their weekend at the Burning Man Festival but they were left stranded after substantial rain. The Black Rock Desert, where the festival is held, received two to three months' worth of rain over the weekend and while conditions are improving now, thousands are spending another day in the mud. "You come out here to be in a harsh climate and you prepare for that. So, in many ways, everyone here just kind of made friends with their neighbors, it's a community event. It's an event about the arts and kind of just went back to the roots," said Andrew Hyde, festival attendee. We took to FaceBook this morning to see if any Montanan viewer or their loved ones were stranded at the festival and one woman said her daughter is stuck here, but the good news is she is safe. For most of the day, the gate road remained too wet and muddy for most vehicles to leave, but some are inching their way out of the heavy mud. "People are trying to get out but the roads are still pretty muddy and they're still standing water. And so there's new roads that are forming around and that's just people working together to get each other out of jams," said Tony "Coyote" Perez, superintendent of Black Rock City. But many are staying put for the finale, where a giant wooden stick figure will be set on fire. "Probably as you've heard, the burning man will burn at like nine pm. So everybody's kind of just taking our time until then tonight," said Angela Peacock, a festival attendee. Some sad news though, local emergency services in the area confirm that one man died at the festival on Friday; he was in his 40's and collapsed and could not be resuscitated. Authorities say his death was not related to the weather conditions and the cause is still under investigation. Burning man is keeping everyone up to date with their Wet Playa Survival Guide that has information on driving conditions, exodus opening, resources, and more and you can find that by clicking here. Over 25 cows have been fitted with GPS collars at Slievenacloy Nature Reserve in Northern Ireland to help restore the designated grassland site. The collars enable the cattle to be guided into carefully chosen areas of this 258-hectare Area of Special Scientific Interest where grazing is most needed. The collars work by emitting audio signals to move the herd. If the animal ignores the signal and gets too close to the boundary, a small electrical pulse is emitted to get them back on track. Conservation grazing is seen as a tool in helping to restore and manage sensitive habitats, such as flower-rich grasslands, and enabling wildlife to flourish. The charity behind the move, Ulster Wildlife, said the technology was 'a game-changer' in helping to restore parts of Slievenacloy Nature Reserve. Andy Crory, nature reserves manager at Ulster Wildlife, said: The collars encourage the cattle to work harder for us. "We can guide them into areas of rank vegetation that arent as palatable but which are in need of a bit of extra TLC in the form of extra grazing. Already, the cattle have started to open up the grassland and increase the diversity of the habitat by making space for a greater variety of wildflowers, such as orchids. "Grassland management through grazing provides all the things that the birds, butterflies, moths, and lizards that make Slievenacloy special, need to thrive. Slievenacloy Nature Reserve is one of the best species-rich grasslands in Northern Ireland, hosting priority species such as skylark, cuckoo, frog orchid, small heath butterfly and marsh pug moth. In 2022, Ulster Wildlife purchased an additional 133 hectares of adjacent land, expanding Slievenacloy Nature Reserve by 52% to 258 hectares. Police have released images of three men accused of 'significant damage' to a farmer's land and crops after they drove off-road bikes across it. South Yorkshire Police said it had released the images as the incident had 'destroyed' the farmers livelihood. On 16 July, it is reported that off-road bike riders gained access to farmland in Balby, causing damage to land and crops. It is then believed that when the farmer approached the men, they became aggressive and threatening towards him and his livestock, before leaving the scene. (Photo: South Yorkshire Police) A police spokesperson said: "Were now keen to identify the men in the images in connection to the on-going investigation. "Do you recognise them? If you believe you can help please report information online, via live chat or by calling 101 quoting incident number 383 of 16 July 2023. "You can provide information anonymously via independent charity Crimestoppers- 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org." Donald Trump is more likely to become president again as a result of the "nonsense" charges against him. Eric Trump says his father will win back the White House in 2024 The former US president's son Eric Trump claims that the four indictments against the controversial billionaire have only made him more powerful both politically and financially. Despite his legal issues, Trump is thrashing his rivals in polling for the Republican presidential nomination and Eric believes that the American public are "infuriated" with the treatment of his father. Trump Jnr told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: "What has happened in the last five months will make him president of the United States again. "The nonsense that he's faced over the last five months is transparent to every single American and will win him the White House in 2024." Eric hit out at the system that has allowed Democrat district attorneys to prosecute the Republican politician and suggested that politics in the country has been "weaponised". He said: "Our country is sick and tired of the weaponisation of politics. They are not fooling anybody. Americans are infuriated. "The more times they indict, the stronger he becomes, politically and financially for the campaign. It raises him a tremendous amount of money." Trump recently had his mugshot taken after being arrested in Georgia for attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state and his campaign has seized on the image to boost fundraising and galvanise supporters. T-shirts, bumper stickers and mugs have been emblazoned with the photograph along with the "never surrender" tagline. Vendula London has grown to be one of fashions funkiest brands with one guiding philosophy to make others ask. where did you get that bag?! Vendula Their ever-growing list of captivated fans (Vendulettes) are across the UK, Europe, Asia Pacific and North America. The brand is quirky and ethical - famous for their shop front and animal inspired designs although working with the legendary rock band Queen for their Queen X Vendula collection is also another firm favourite with fans and celebrities too. CEO Raymond Lam FCCA is a former accountant in the fashion industry. He had his inspired moment when looking through fashion magazines and thought, there must be a kinder way handbags do not need to be made from exotic animal skins and he hasnt looked back since. Raymond says; My aim was to create a brand to show customers we do not need to exploit animals for fashion and provide fantastic quality vegan handbags with incredible attention to detail. Our values are to live life to the full and as you can see we love to experiment and have fun with our designs. Like us our client Ms Vendula London - likes to stand out from the crowd. We don't shy away from drawing attention with colours and design. Our bags are beautifully crafted inside and out and we always pay attention to the hidden small details. Vendula London collections come hot off the sketchbooks of their in-house design team, and they just love pushing boundaries. Sometimes their ideas are so crazy they are not sure they can make them - a handbag in the shape of a shop, anyone? However they work to find the right materials to turn these ideas into reality. 20th anniversary celebrations include a photoshoot for 2 Vendulette competition winners, a vegan party as well as their much awaited and top secret 20th anniversary handbag collection that is due to be announced towards the end of June. The collections have come a long way initially manufactured in canvas however now their vegan leathers have increased durability, their feel and look is luxurious and the designs have gone from strength to strength too. Plant leathers also now being tested out. Starting with just the founder Raymond the team now consists of 20 members of staff who are all as equally passionate and enthusiastic about the brand. Vendula at 20 Since launching Vendula London has sold over a million pieces of vegan friendly handbags and has also branched out into wallets, purses, accessories and homeware. Vendula London has a very long and good relationship with the factory in China that produces their products. They have produced exclusively for Vendula London for over 10 years. This long-term and close working relationship has enabled Vendula London to have full control over the manufacturing process and make sure that all processes and materials used are carried out with attention to detail and care for the vegan cause as well. Even the glue they use is vegan. Vendula London visits the factory regularly and arrives unannounced in order to ensure that the working conditions are of a high standard. They advocate locally for workers rights and have ensured that all factory workers are paid a fair wage. Most of the staff have been working with Vendula products for numerous years and raising their families. On a recent visit, our workshop supervisor, sister Mui showed me a photo of her daughter, Mei Fei in high school uniform. The last time I met her was when she was 4 and I was practising English with her. It suddenly dawned on me how time has flown. Raymond adds; When I started out, I had no idea that Vendula London would be where it is today. This is thanks to my outstanding team and our customers who are true loyal fans. I am excited to see where the next 20 years brings. To Follow Vendula: Instagram Twitter Facebook Indias 54th tiger reserve in Dholpur-Karauli marks Rajasthans successful efforts in wildlife preservation Indias tigers are doing well, thank you. Government data shows a notable increase in the population of tigers within the country from 2,967 in 2018 to 3,682 in 2022, which is a growth of 6 % yearly. Among the states, Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers at 785, followed by Karnataka (563), Uttarakhand (560) and Maharashtra (444). Rising from 32 tigers in 2006 to 88 in 2022, Rajasthan, too, presents remarkable growth. And, soon, it is expected to do even better. Approval has been granted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to Rajasthan to establish Indias 54th tiger reserve in the Karauli and Dholpur districts, an initiative that is sure to give the wildlife preservation efforts within the state a fillip. Dholpur-Karauli will be Rajasthans fifth tiger reserve, alongside Ranthambore (main image), Sariska (above), Mukundra Hills and Ramgarh Vishdhari. Additionally, Kumbhalgarh has also received in-principle approval to be declared a tiger reserve. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has hailed these decisions as promising tigers a better future in Rajasthan. He added that it would safeguard a valuable ecosystem, encourage biodiversity and provide employment opportunities to locals through ecotourism initiatives. Images: Shutterstock Also Read: Thinking Of Travelling Solo? Do A Road Trip Alone First Turkiyes foreign trade gap fell by 21.2 per cent year on year (YoY) and by 27.4 per cent month on month (MoM) to $8.9 billion (TL 238.32 billion) in August this year, official data showed. Its exports rose by 1.6 per cent YoY to $21.6 billion in the month, while imports dropped by 6.3 per cent YoY to $30.5 billion. Exports amounted to nearly $165 billion in the first eight months of the year, driving the 12.1 per cent YoY increase in trade deficit during the period to $82.4 billion. Turkiye's foreign trade gap fell by 21.2 per cent year on year and by 27.4 per cent month on month to $8.9 billion in August. Its exports rose by 1.6 per cent YoY to $21.6 billion, while imports fell by 6.3 per cent YoY to $30.5 billion. Exports were worth $165 billion between January and August, driving the 12.1 per cent YoY rise in trade deficit to $82.4 billion. Germany ($1.8 billion) continued to be the highest recipient of Turkish exports in August, followed by the United States ($1.3 billion), Iraq ($1.09 billion), the United Kingdom ($1.06 billion) and Italy ($877 million). The countrys maximum imports were from China ($3.8 billion) in the month, followed by Russia ($3.4 billion), Germany ($2.56 billion), the United Arab Emirates ($2.08 billion) and Switzerland ($1.49 billion), according to Turkish media reports. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) Kareena Kapoor Khan is all geared up for the release of her OTT debut film Jaane Jaan which is directed by Sujoy Ghosh. The trailer of the film is finally out now. On Tuesday, at the trailer launch event, Kareena revealed that she was pregnant with her second son Jehangir when she received the script of Jaane Jaan.When asked about debuting with a thriller on OTT, she replied, "I personally enjoy watching a thriller, crime, mystery and that's generally my go-to whenever I'm watching, I steered towards that. So, when I read this story I was like 'It's amazing'. It was a personal choice. I think when you watch these kinds of shows or movies, you want to kind of do that. So what better will it be than debuting on OTT with a thriller? So, it was an instant kind of a feeling and I have also loved Sujoys (Ghosh) work and we have always wanted to work together. For over a decade, we have been going back and forth."Talking about her experience in working with Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat she revealed that she forgot her lines while watching Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat working, something that has never happened to her before. She also stated that her husband, actor Saif Ali Khan had asked her to be on her toes since Jaideep and Vijay cme prepared on set.When asked about doing something different, Kareena said, "I think it's nothing, there is no thought behind it. I think as an actor everybody wants to try to do something different at every stage in their life, of course with me it's always been very difficult because I've always been known that whether it is quirky, just like I said in the announcement and it's sat on my mind that now I want to do different things even though I have always tried but people always still push those roles ahead, they don't give the films that I have before chosen the character in Yuva, Chameli, Omkara, but they still go back to that. But hopefully, now I've been trying to do it (different roles) and I know they will keep coming back to do it again."Meanwhile, Jaane Jaan is adapted from the best-selling novel, The Devotion of Suspect X, written by a Japanese author, Higashino Keigo. The film also stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma. It is slated to be released on OTT on September 21. Vicky Kaushal Katrina Kaif: Actor Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif have been married for the past two years now. During their courtship, both did not acknowledge their relationship in public. But ever since they are married, the two actors have been sharing cutesy anecdotes about their love lives, and we just can't stop falling in love with them again and again. Vicky and Katrina dated briefly before tying the knot in Rajasthan in 2021, and recently, the Zara Hatke Zara Bachke actor opened up about his dating phase with Kat, how he fell in love with her, and his initial inhibitions. Vicky Kaushal Felt Odd After Getting Attention From Katrina Kaif Vicky Kaushal recently appeared on We Are Yuvaa's Be A Man Yaar episode and got candid about his relationship with his wife, actor Katrina Kaif. Talking about how he and the Tiger 3 stars came close, Vicky said he was in disbelief when Katrina started giving him attention. Mentioning that when he came closer to her, he understood her most endearing quality, which was her compassion towards others. Vicky revealed that the initial attention from Katrina made him feel odd. He said, "First, I used to feel odd getting attention from her. I used to be like, 'Hain? Are you ok?' She was a phenomenon. Shuru shuru mein obviously ye lagta tha, 'Why me?'" From Vicky Kaushal To Ram Charan, 7 Actors We're Crushing On Right Now He added, "But she is a lovely human being and once I got to spend time with her, got to know Katrina Kaif, the human being, I realised I had never met a person like her. I have never heard her say anything ill about anyone. She is very compassionate about the people around her, about the environment she is in, and that, for me, is like my biggest turn-on." Vikcy Kaushal talks about how he fell in love with Katrina Kaif The Sardar Udham actor then stated that he had doubts about himself before approaching Katrina. He said, "I have had trouble coming to that reality that I can." Admitting that he never fell for her because of her superstardom status. "The factors were never the reason why I fell in love with her. Why I fell in love with her is because when I got to know the human part of her, the person she is, I was just fully in love. I knew that I would love to have her as my life companion," the actor said. Further, he also revealed that their relationship began after he asked her out for dinner over text. Vicky was last seen in Zara Hatka Zara Bachke with Sara Ali Khan. He is looking forward to the release of The Great Indian Family and Sam Bahadur. Katrina is a part of Salman Kahn's Tiger 3, which is releasing this Diwali. Does Vicky Kaushal Take Wifey Katrina Kaifs Advice SERIOUSLY? Heres What He Has To Say Parents are rightly called a child's first teachers. For The Freelancer actor Navneet Malik, this has a deeper meaning as learning from his father, in more ways than one, has not ended until today. On Teacher's Day, the actor hails his greatest teacher, his father, who is incidentally also a school teacher in Haryana. "Since my early childhood days, my father has been giving me life lessons about doing the right thing, never giving up, being kind and so much more. Back then, as a child, I didn't understand all these deep talks but they always stayed with me, especially in my subconscious. And they have proved to be such precious learnings," Navneet says. He adds that people appreciating how well he behaves and treats them is all thanks to what he has learnt from his dad. Navneet remembers being his father's student at the government school in Haryana in Class 4 and attending a primary school he opened in their house. "He is a great educator so much so that he has won the State Award as the Best Science Teacher," states the proud son. From the classroom to his living room, the teachings by his dad haven't ended even today. Navneet tell us that his father calls him every single evening at about 9 pm. And their conversations are not just about catching up or checking in on Navneet. "Besides asking how I am doing and about my work, every day he shares some words of wisdom with me. Two things have not changed ever since I moved so far away from my parents. My dad's calls at 9 pm everyday and at two lines of some advice and learnings for me," he beams. Navneet says that he listens to his father as keenly today as he did when he was a kid. "I really wish everyone had a loving dad who is also a wise guru, just like my father. There's no greater teacher for me than him to honour today on Teacher's Day." Vijay Varma, currently one of the most popular and exceptionally talented actors, has been on a successful streak with a series of impactful releases that have left a lasting impression on audiences. With "Jaane Jaan" being his fourth film in a year, fans are excited to see their favorite actor back on screen once again. The recently released trailer for "Jaane Jaan" holds promise, with Vijay portraying a detective role, showcasing his versatility after playing various complex characters in the past. During the trailer launch, when asked about how he feels about 2023 being called the 'Year of Vijay Varma,' he humorously responded, "Just very glad that this is happened at this stage in my life where work is coming out and is connecting with people and I find it damn flattering that they're calling the Year of Vijay Varma. I want the chinese calendar also to call it the Year of Vijay Varma." With "Jaane Jaan" marking his fourth release this year, 2023 is undeniably becoming a remarkable year for Vijay Varma, thanks to his outstanding performances throughout. Up next on the professional front, Vijay will be seen in 'Jaane Jaan' which will release on 21st September on Netflix, apart from which he has 'Mirzapur 3' and Homi directorial 'Murder Mubarak' 7 Direct Tamil Movies Releasing This Week With Jawan: Reports says that seven direct Tamil films are releasing this week amidst the release director Atlee's big budget Tamil dubbed Hindi movie Jawan starring Shah Rukh Khan, Vijay Sethupathi & Nayanthara. Cheran's Tamil Kudimagan Director Cheran has attracted the attention of the people with a different plot through the film Autograph. He has been working with multi-talented skills like directing, acting and producing. In that way, the movie Tamil Kudimagan is being produced under the direction of Isaki Karvannan and starring Cheran. The film is releasing in theatres on September 7. Sri Priyanka, Lal, Deepa, Vela Ramamurthy and others have played important roles in this film. Rajesh Yadav has done the cinematography for the film, which has music composed by Sam CS. Lakshmi Creations has produced the film. The teaser of the film, which talks about caste atrocities, has been released and has been well received. Vimal Starrer Thudikkum Karangal Under the direction of debutant Veludas, the action movie Thudikkum Karangal, starring actor Vimal, is releasing this week on September 8 with a mix of suspense, romance and comedy. This film is produced by K Annadurai. Cinematography is done by Rami, editing by Lawrence Kishore, music composed by Raghav Prasad. Mishra Narang has acted opposite Vimal. Also Sathish, Soundarapandian and many others have played the prominent roles in the film. Aruvi Madhan's Debut Directorial Film Noodles Noodles directed by Aruvi Madan, who is famous as an actor with the film Aruvi, is releasing on September 8. The film is produced by Rolling Sound Pictures Arunprakash. Harish Uthman, a famous actor who has made a mark as a villain in many South Indian languages, has played the role of the protagonist in the film. Sathyaraj Starrer Angaaragan Angaaragan is a thriller film where actor Sathyaraj plays the villain. The film is slated to hit the screens on September 8. The press meet of this film was held in Chennai recently. Actor Sathyaraj spoke about his late mother, his political activities, and the controversial superstar issue in the event. Small Screen Celebrities Join Comes Together With Parivarthanai Parivarthanai is a movie produced by Senthivel on behalf of the MSV production company. Screenplay written and directed by S Manibharathi. Small screen artists like Surjith, Swathi, Rajeshwari, Bharti Mohan and others have acted. Rashand Arvin has composed the music for this movie. Manibharathi says, 'We have made this film based on the idea that if you wait, love will come.' The film is also slated to release on September 8. Red Sandalwood Based On A True Story It has been also announced that the movie Red Sandalwood starring actor Vetri in the lead role will be released on September 8. The film is based on Tamils who were killed for slaughtering red sandalwood in 2015. Oongi Adicha Ondra Ton Weightu Da directed by debutant Siva G is another movie which is also releasing on the same date. Leo Second Single Release Date LEAKED: Information has been leaked on social media about when the second single of Thalapathy Vijay's Leo will be released. Expectations Are Too High For Leo After Beast and Varisu, Vijay has acted in Lokesh Kanagaraj's Leo. Now he needs the success of Leo as his fans have involved him in the next superstar race. Vijay fans are confident that this film will be a huge blockbuster as the current most wanted director Lokesh Kanagaraj is directing it. The film releases on October 19. Lokesh Kanagaraj announced that the shooting was wrapped up recently. And Vijay, who is in the US for his next film pre-production work, is expected to return to India soon to finish dubbing for his portion in Leo. It was said that the Leo audio launch could be held in any of three cities namely Trichy, Madurai and Coimbatore. But due to some reasons it is now reported that the audio launch event is more likely to happen in Malaysia. But it is also said that the film crew thinks that if it is held abroad, it will create a negative thought among the Tamil fans and because of that, the film crew is planning to conduct the grand event at the Nehru Indoor Stadium on September 30. Fans Want The Second Single To Be A Clean Hit Meanwhile, glimpses of Sanjay Dutt and Arjun's character from Leo were released in July and August. With only a month left for the movie release, the subsequent updates from Leo are definitely expected to come more frequently. In this situation, the information about the release of the second single of the film Leo has been leaked on social media. Accordingly, the song is expected to be released in the second week of this month. Anirudh has sung this song and it is said that there are only two songs in the film. The first song Na Ready was a hit but met with controversy. Therefore, Vijay fans are saying on social media that this song should become a clean hit. Metti Oli Actor Delhi Kumar Breaks Silence About Aravind Swamy: Serial actor Delhi Kumar said in an interview that he is the father of actor Aravind Swamy. Romantic Hero Aravind Swamy Aravind Swamy is one of the few romantic heroes who impressed many young women in the 90s. There are stories of women who reached marriageable age during that period nagging their parents to have a husband like Aravind Swamy. Even though he appeared in a few scenes as a collector in Superstar Rajinikanth's film Thalapathy, the Kollywood circles were amazed with his charming look in the film. Arvind Swamy, who became a noticeable actor in his first film, played the lead role in Mani Ratnam's next film Roja. Aravind Swamy, who acted in many hit films after that, got into an accident and became unrecognizable. After that, he continued to exercise and again acted as a villain in Thani Oruvan after a long gap. Arvindsamy, who had been playing the hero so far, took on the role of villain in many films after his re-entry and proved his mettle among masses. Unconfirmed Information When actor Aravind Swamy made his debut in cinema, he was said to be the son of popular serial actor Delhi Kumar. But there is no photo to prove it, not even at a family function. Thus, it remained unconfirmed information for all these years. Serial actor Delhi Kumar, in a recent interview given to a leading media portal, said that Aravind Swamy is his son and his sister adopted him immediately when he was born. He comes home only when there is some important event in the family. He said that he used to leave as soon as he came, so he could not see him often. Also, on the question of whether Delhi Kumar will act with Aravind Swamy, he said, "I will definitely act if the story and the situation are right." However, he said that the opportunity to act with him has not come yet. It is worth noting that character actor Delhi Kumar became famous for playing a very important father role in the Metti Oli serial. Gauahar Khan Calls Out Rakhi Sawant: Gauahar Khan, the Bollywood actress and former Bigg Boss winner, slammed those, she accuses of exploiting Islam for their own publicity-hungry stunts. Gauahar Khan's scathing remarks were made through her Instagram stories. While lambasting, she also called for action against individuals who trivialize sacred aspects of Islam for the sake of drama. This attack comes at a time when Rakhi Sawant made a visit to the holy pilgrimage sites of Mecca and Madina and performed Umrah. Gauahar Khan's social media post, which has since been widely shared and commented upon, seems to be an indirect dig at Rakhi Sawant, who garnered considerable attention during her pilgrimage. GAUAHAR KHAN TAKES A DIG AT RAKHI SAWANT Khan wrote, "N then there are losers taking Islam for granted n making a joke out of this holy pilgrimage which is soooooosacred to believers of Islam. I wonder how did a drama hungry person get to visit n use n to create more drama?? One minute u have accepted Islam, the next minute "oh I didn't do it willingly" ... what bull**it. U don't deserve to understand the beauty of Islam if u can disregard it n accept it when it suits your publicity hungry stunts! Shameless creatures." Expressing her wish for stricter measures, Gauahar added, "I wish a board of Islam in India or Saudi take strict action against such publicity stunts, so people can't exploit something sacred! N by the way, wearing horrendous-looking abayas doesn't make u Muslim, having akidah n understanding the 5 pillars of Islam." Rakhi Sawant claimed her conversion to Islam following her wedding to Adil Khan Durrani last year. However, their marriage hit the rough patch earlier this year, leading to Adil's arrest and subsequent allegations exchanged between both the two parties. Adil has since been granted bail. Ankit Gupta and Priyanka Choudhary make for a stunning pair and their chemistry both on and off the screen have managed to win millions of hearts. From their first project Udaariyaan to their stint in Bigg Boss 16, Priyanka and Ankit's (fondly addressed as PriyAnkit) have strengthened and has been goals for the fans. Interestingly, Priyanka and Ankit have managed to grab eyeballs with their bond post Bigg Boss 16 and it continues to strengthen despite the two being in different cities. For the uninitiated, Priyanka Choudhary is currently working in Mumbai while Ankit Gupta has been shooting for Junooniyatt in Chandigarh for months now. Ankit Gupta Aaj Raat...: PriyAnkit Fans Gush Over Priyanka Chahar Choudhary's HOT Desi & Western Avatar Needless to say, maintaining a long distance bond is quite difficult. However, when Priyanka was quizzed about it, the actress stated that she likes it that way as it gives both of them space for themselves. She made the statement during her interview with TV Times and emphasised, "Humari long distance friendship hai ye abhi. He is in Chandigarh, he is happy there working and I am here. But it's fine yaar. Mujhe pasand hai thoda sa space rehta hai aapka ki aap apne space me bhi rehte ho. Aur aaj kal it's very easy yaar video call kar lo, 2 din ki chutti hai to hum mil lenge aise wala scene hai. So it's okay... lagta hi nahi hai ki door hai". Interestingly, there have been endless rumours about Ankit and Priyanka dating each other. However, the two have always maintained the just friends stance. PriyAnkit EXCLUSIVE! Ankit Gupta-Priyanka Chahar Choudhary To Work In NEW Project Together? Meanwhile talking about the work front, there are reports that Priyanka and Ankit will be collaborating soon for a web show. A reliable source exclusively told Filmibeat, "Ankit Gupta and Priyanka Chahar Choudhary might do a web show together. Yes, you read that right! Things are at initial stage and will be finalised in the upcoming days. We can say it will full conviction that PriyAnkit have been offered a web show, where they will be seen together, if things go as planned. Considering their popularity and scorching on-screen romance, the casting team is keen to rope the two celebrities". However, an official announcement in this regard is yet to be made. MILAN, Sept. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The BBWO in China, Barolo Barbaresco World Opening, which completes the three-year schedule of the Top Tales project launched in 2019, is at the starting blocks. The activities in China include the participation of more than 85 Barolo and Barbaresco companies in various industry fairs and the organization of several workshops. From Sept. 11 to 15, 2023 as part of Vinitaly China Roadshow, the Veronafiere-branded event, Barolo and Barbaresco will be the stars of the days on a taste itinerary between Beijing, Changsha and Hangzhou. The first stop is Beijing at Jing Guang Centre, Hujialou, Chaoyang District, followed by Changsha, in Hunan Province, one of the culinary capitals of China, in which case the event will take place at IFS Tower T1, 188 Jiefang West Road. The last event will be in Hangzhou, one of the most important cities in coastal China at 1366 Qianjiang Road, Shangcheng District. Barolo and Barbaresco wineries will be involved in the Walk Around Tasting in first-class hotels where wine and spirits industry operators will be invited: wholesalers, importers, distributors, horeca operators, selected retailers and ecommerce, sommeliers, KOLs and specialized media with strong communication impact. Concurrently with the Vinitaly China Roadshow, a number of masterclasses will be held with top-level speakers and the fourth edition of Italian Wine Week in collaboration with leading wine bars, bistros and restaurants in the cities involved in the Roadshow. Two experienced and recognized wine industry speakers, Sophie Liu and Fongyee Walker will lead BBWO's masterclass entitled: Barolo & Barbaresco: The king and the queen of red wines, to which 50 participants will have access. The purpose is to educate wine professionals in emerging cities and create a tasting area with food & Barolo and Barbaresco pairing tastings. Specifically, the Roadshow will be held in Beijing on 11/09, in Changsha 13/09 and in Hangzhou on 15/09. In addition to Vinitaly China Road Show, BBWO member companies will participate in Interwine on Nov. 7, 2023, this is an exclusive B2B dedicated to Barolo and Barbaresco companies in Shanghai, and finally ProWein Shanghai from Nov. 8-10, 2023. The exhibition booth number will be 58/59 for the three venues. BBWO Barolo Barbaresco World opening is an activity that is part of Top Tales A piece of Europe on your Table, a project funded by the European Union and promoted by DOCG Barolo and Barbaresco, Fontina DOP Valle d'Aosta and Riso di Baraggia Biellese, and Vercellese DOP. Website: https://toptales.cn Images: link Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2199015/BBWO.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2199080/BBWO_China_2023_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/barolo-and-barbaresco-fly-to-china-for-vinitaly-china-roadshow-301915766.html Visual artists will take over Hox galleries across Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Paris and Rome as part of the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Saw This Made This campaign, transforming the spaces with creative art installations, complemented by innovative gin cocktails, inspired by their location, from the Hoxton bartenders. LONDON, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and The Hoxton will be coming together to bring an exciting addition to their neighbourhoods in Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Paris, and Rome as part of the gin brand's Saw This Made This campaign. The Hoxton is a series of hotels that prides itself on supporting local communities, whether that be local food, local creatives, or the local streets and scenes that it calls home around the world. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is a brand that celebrates creativity both inside the cocktail glass and beyond, and now the two have teamed up to unveil a special, locally flavoured art installation series. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and the Hoxton will be championing new-gen artists in five European locations in the form of five unique pop-up art installations, with the aim of encouraging guests to discover the creative inspiration all around them. This latest news is revealed as part of the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Saw This Made This campaign; launched firstly with iconic film director Baz Luhrmann as the campaign Creative Director, with the aim of inspiring people to see creativity and beauty all around them. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is continuing its global mission, calling for everyone to be inspired in their local areas, engage their own creativity, and unlock their creative potential. The project comes as an extension of the Hox Gallery; an area within each hotels' public spaces dedicated to showcasing exciting, up-and-coming local artists through seasonal programming, demonstrating long-term, meaningful support to the creative communities in and around each Hox neighbourhood. Drawing from a wide range of mediums, genres and influences, the chosen artists in each city are united by the inspiration they draw from the feel and character of their local setting, taking over lobbies, windows and rooftops across Europe. With BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin's balanced flavour profile and versatility, it is the ideal canvas for cocktail creativity. The world-renowned gin brand has partnered with the head bartenders at The Hoxton bars to create a series of Saw This, Made This limited-edition cocktails, taking inspiration from the local city. Each art installation and unique gin cocktail will be available so guests can enjoy a creative tipple while taking in the wonders of the artist's installations. London The line-up of local talent involved in the installations begins with London-based, Argentina-born fine artist Sofia Clausse. Sofia will be putting her Royal Academy-trained skills to use celebrating the city she now calls home at The Hoxton, Holborn this August, creating a colourful stained glass-style mural to mirror the vibes of one of London's liveliest neighbourhoods. Sofia was attracted to the series of arched windows by the bar in the lobby of the Holborn Hox, which look out onto High Holborn, seeing them as reminiscent of stained-glass windows, particularly because of the arched shape, so chose these as the canvas for her artwork. Much of Sofia's work uses lines, and she has created her own sets of painting tools to create these, from custom screen-printing squeegees to 3D printed tools. The London bar team have been inspired by the crossroads in High Holborn and The Kingsway, an almost perfect north/south/east/west crossroads. The Crosstown Traffic includes BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, Claret Vermouth and sage and hop-smoked Honey - a play on a Martinez served in a rocks glass. The large cross-stamped ice block evokes the crossroads motif, garnished with brushstrokes, black for the road, red for the Central Line and blue for the Piccadilly Line. Barcelona French-born, Barcelona-based illustrator and muralist Perrine Honore will be spreading joy in The Hoxton, Poblenou, using her ebullient style and pops of awesome colour to reflect the area's vibrant beachside appeal. While Perrine works across a variety of mediums including street art, textiles, posters and even jewellery, all her work is united through a festive and colourful aesthetic, building a narrative where spontaneity prevails. Perrine chose to move to Barcelona because of the city's buzzing network of dynamic designers and illustrators, and Poblenou is a hub for the local creative community; in recent years urban regeneration has seen old textiles factories and mills converted to artist studios, design showrooms and art schools, breathing fresh life into the neighbourhood and establishing it as one of the most cultural districts of the city. Inspired by a typical beach in Barcelona, the Cala is made with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, grapefruit juice, cider and salty butter syrup and garnished with a banana leaf and butter cracker, drawing upon the atmosphere and lifestyle in Spain, mixing salty flavours with bitter and floral notes. Amsterdam Over at The Hoxton, Amsterdam, self-taught Dutch artist Frederique Matti will be using thick layers of paint to depict the cosy vibes of an Amsterdam party in full flow. Her tactile, colour-popping motifs will appear on a glass wall just inside the hotel entrance, capturing local moments in her signature line style, expressed through objects you might find at a party, telling a story about the guests, surroundings and energy. Frederique's art is inspired by her inner world, acting as a visual diary of little life moments translated into colour, shapes and objects, with the subjects simultaneously important and insignificant. Using thick layers of paint to depict the minor yet charming moments that fill people's ordinary lives, her work has a highly tactile quality and is characterised by flat shapes and an abundance of colour. The Dutch bar team has created the Spirit of Resilience featuring BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, tarragon infused genever, Green Chartreuse, apple cordial and lime juice. The name was chosen to depict the windmills found in Amsterdam which have been a familiar structure throughout the history of the Netherlands. The cocktail is garnished with a banana leaf to represent the propellers of the windmills. Rome For the pop-up installation at The Hoxton, Rome, visual artist Luca Font will be taking centre stage. His bold, geometric graphics with strong blacks and primary colours will come to life in the Rome lobby in the form of four wanderlust illustrations Giclee printed. Luca captures the local spirit of Rome by absorbing the city's many artistic historic and cultural layers and tells stories of everyday life. His distinctive work ranges from tattooing to illustration and painting, focussing on bold graphics, strong blacks, and primary colours: a contemporary take on mid-century European art and Italian futurism, with a retro feel. In Rome, inspiration for the drink comes from the vine found near the Colosseum - the ancient Pantastica grapes found on Palatine Hill in the heart of Rome. To represent this the Colosseum Shadow is made from Roman wine 'tea' - made from leftover local wine infused with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, Roman chamomile, wine syrup and lemon juice. Paris Parisian artist Caroline Derveaux, will be using a joyful palette to create a dream-like artwork on the glass roof of The Hoxton, Paris. Caroline combines bright colours with geometric shapes and abstract elements, and a mix of architectural and organic forms creating an imagined microcosm exploring dreams, emotions and memories. The design will play with the natural light streaming through the hotel's glass roof and is inspired by evening cocktails at golden hour in the City of Light. Caroline wanted her installation to give an immersive feel, adding figurative elements to her abstract style, alluding to the end of summer in Paris - her favourite time to enjoy the city. The French bartenders have been inspired by the Grand Palais and to bring this to life their cocktail Le Palais Carre is served in a hexagon shaped glass with a pyramid shaped ice cube and includes BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, Martini Riserva Special Rubino, lemon juice, strawberries, grapefruit zest and figs. Notes to editors About The Hoxton The Hoxton is a series of open house hotels, rooted in culture and community, located in key cities across the UK, Europe and North America. Each hotel is a reflection and extension of its neighbourhood, inspired by the diversity and originality of the streets that surround them. Vibrant, welcoming public spaces and exciting dining concepts mean every Hoxton is as much a destination for the local community as it is for guests. The Hoxton, Shoreditch opened in 2006, followed by Holborn (2014), Amsterdam (2015), and Paris (2017). Global expansion saw the arrival of The Hoxton, Williamsburg (2018), Portland (2018), Chicago (2019), Downtown LA (2019), Southwark (2019), Rome (2021), Poblenou and Shepherd's Bush (2022), and Charlottenburg and Brussels (2023). The Hoxton is part of Ennismore, a creative hospitality company rooted in culture and community, with a global collective of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with purpose at their heart. thehoxton.com | ennismore.com @thehoxtonhotel About BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Based on a 1761 recipe, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin is created by perfectly balancing a unique combination of 10 hand-selected exotic botanicals from around the world. Every drop of our gin is distilled at Laverstoke Mill in the south of England and is 100% vapour-infused, a process where the natural flavours of the botanicals are skilfully captured, resulting in the fresh and vibrant taste with which BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is synonymous. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is pioneering a more sustainable future - all 10 botanicals are sourced sustainably, while the design of the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE distillery was awarded 'outstanding' by BREEAM; the world's leading environmental assessment for buildings. Best known for the iconic blue bottle of BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, the brand has expanded its family to create a portfolio of premium and super-premium gins including Bombay Citron Presse and BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru Murcian Lemon. The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE brand?has been part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda for more than 25 years. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. bombaysapphire.com @bombaysapphire ENJOY BOMBAY SAPPHIRE RESPONSIBLY BOMBAY SAPPHIRE IS A TRADEMARK Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201176/The_Hoxton_and_BOMBAY_SAPPHIRE.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bombay-sapphire-and-the-hoxton-partner-with-artists-inspired-by-their-local-cities-for-saw-this-made-this-installation-series-301917158.html EQS-News: invIOs GmbH / Key word(s): Study invIOs starts further clinical trial of APN401, novel cell therapy against solid cancers, and secures major Austrian grant funding 05.09.2023 / 09:00 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. invIOs starts further clinical trial of APN401, novel cell therapy against solid cancers, and secures major Austrian grant funding Multi-center trial of novel autologous cell therapy APN401 leveraging two GMP-compliant manufacturing sites has received regulatory approval and patient recruitment has started; invIOs awarded up to 45% funding of trial costs by Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) to support Phase 1b RP2D trial; invIOs recently also awarded grant funding to advance novel CAR-T cell therapy INV451 against lung cancer with Medical University of Innsbruck. Vienna, Austria, 5 September 2023: invIOs GmbH ("invIOs"), a privately held biotechnology company developing novel therapies for cancer, today announces that it has started patient recruitment for a Phase 1b trial of its novel autologous cell therapy, APN401, in patients with solid tumors, and has successfully secured grant funding. The PALINDROM study aims to determine the optimal dosage of APN401 in a multi-site setting for a subsequent Phase 2 study. PALINDROM is a multi-center trial taking place in Austria with two GMP-compliant manufacturing sites in Vienna and Linz. The trial will evaluate two dosage levels of APN401 infusions in up to 12 patients across four clinics, focusing on the treatment's tolerability, safety and clinical activity in patients with advanced and metastatic solid tumors for whom established standard therapies have either become ineffective or are not suitable. As part of the Austrian Life Sciences Programme 2023 initiative, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) has awarded invIOs funding to support the PALINDROM study. The study, which will be carried out under the EU's new Clinical Trial Regulation, has received regulatory approval from the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES). Patient recruitment has started, and invIOs aims to complete enrollment by the end of the year. "I am delighted that the Austrian government is supporting our latest clinical trial using the EPiC cell therapy platform to develop an innovative and potentially game-changing approach to treating solid tumors," said Peter Llewellyn-Davies, CEO of invIOs. "The Austrian Life Sciences Programme is a massive boost for the wider Austrian biotech industry and in particular for invIOs, as we continue to make strong progress across our three EPiC-based programs." Dr. Romana Gugenberger, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of invIOs, added: "We have already demonstrated the safety and technical feasibility of our EPiC cell therapy platform technology that underpins APN401 in first-in-human clinical trials. This new study aims to show that EPiC can be effective when multiple manufacturing and treatment sites are involved. We look forward to taking this novel, easy-to-administer treatment option to the next phase of development." The primary endpoint of the PALINDROM study is to define and confirm the safety profile of APN401. Secondary endpoints will include measures of immunological and anti-tumor activity, including overall response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS), as well as analysis of relevant biomarkers. By establishing the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and/or maximum manufacturable dose (MMD) of APN401, PALINDROM is expected to pave the way for a larger Phase 2 study of APN401, including in earlier lines of treatment and potentially as a combination therapy. APN401 is an innovative approach that leverages invIOs's proprietary EPiC cell therapy platform to transfect autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with siRNA to silence Cbl-b, which belongs to a class of proteins found in immune cells that are known to play a key role in inhibiting immune responses against cancer. By transiently blocking Cbl-b it is possible to overcome the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and enhance killing of tumor cells and also to induce prolonged anti-tumor immune cell memory. As an individualized treatment, APN401 educates and empowers the patient's own most recent immune cells to detect and attack tumor cells. Previous pilot trials have shown the potential clinical benefits of the treatment including rapid cell manufacturing, short vein-to-vein time, tumor-agnostic applicability and very good tolerability. invIOs earlier this year announced promising clinical data from a Phase 1 study suggesting clinical activity of APN401 in two heavily pre-treated patients, one with metastatic appendix carcinoma and one with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, who achieved stable disease for up to six months during treatment. The study further demonstrated that the EPiC platform represents a feasible approach for rapid local manufacturing of a Cbl-b silenced cell therapy, enabling out-patient treatment of patients with advanced solid tumors with vein-to-vein times of less than 24 hours. In addition to the funding for the PALINDROM study, invIOs also recently secured a grant from the FFG to progress a novel CAR-T cell therapy approach leveraging the EPiC platform against aggressive lung tumors in a joint project with the Medical University of Innsbruck. The INV451 project is invIOs's third program from the EPiC platform. The project aims to refine and enhance the efficacy of CAR-T cell therapies against solid tumors by discovering additional insights into the mechanisms that tumors use to escape detection and evade destruction by the immune system, and hence to identify druggable factors that can overcome resistance to treatment. About invIOs invIOs is a privately held biotech company based in Vienna, Austria, focusing on the discovery and development of novel therapies for cancer. The invIOs team leverages deep expertise in immune system activation to develop individualized and targeted approaches against solid tumors. invIOs is advancing a pipeline of three programs encompassing small molecule and cell therapy approaches. EPiC, invIOs's proprietary cell therapy platform, enables rapid treatment of patients in an out-patient setting. EPiC is a technology platform that allows the creation of personalized cell therapies based on localized processing of a patient's fresh immune cells. The first asset from the EPiC platform, APN401, is in Phase 1 clinical trials against various solid tumors. The second asset, INV441, is being developed against glioblastoma and is in preclinical evaluation. The third EPiC program, INV451, is a novel CAR-T cell approach against lung cancer being developed with the Medical University of Innsbruck. INV501 is a novel small molecule candidate that can selectively enhance anti-tumor immune responses. It induces T cell activation, proliferation, and tumor-reactive cytotoxicity. An orally available compound with good bioavailability, INV501 is currently in preclinical testing in several solid tumor models and has demonstrated preclinical proof of concept with strong data in multiple solid tumor indications. For further information, please visit www.invios.com and connect with us on LinkedIn . Contacts invIOs Peter Llewellyn-Davies CEO/CFO T +43 1 8656577 0 Email: investors@invios.com MC Services AG Raimund Gabriel, Dr. Regina Lutz, Laurie Doyle T +49 89 210 228 0 Email: invios@mc-services.eu 05.09.2023 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com Syngenta has launched a dynamic multi-media campaign to inspire people towards creativity, collaboration, and impact for sustainable agriculture. Called Agcelerators, the campaign will showcase people transforming agriculture and will run initially throughout Europe, Africa, and Middle East to help speed up the creation and adoption of more sustainable agricultural practices. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905630430/en/ For more information about Agcelerators, visit: www.syngenta.com/agcelerators (Photo: Business Wire) With the world's population expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, the global food system must undergo urgent change to ensure there is adequate food for everyone without destroying the planet. The World Resources Institute's 2019 World Resources Report: Creating a Sustainable Food Future revealed that meeting this challenge will require closing three gaps: A 56 percent "food gap" between what was produced in 2010 and food that will be needed in 2050; A nearly 600 million-hectare "land gap" (an area nearly twice the size of India) between global agricultural land area in 2010 and expected agricultural expansion by 2050; and An 11-gigaton "greenhouse gas mitigation gap" between expected emissions from agriculture in 2050 and the level needed to meet the Paris Agreement. The challenge for sustainable agriculture is to balance the need for increased food production with the need to protect the environment, conserve natural resources, and ensure the long-term viability of agricultural systems. And this is where the Agcelerators step in, helping accelerate the transformation of agriculture. "Agcelerators are champions in the agricultural sector," said Alexandra Brand, Regional Director, Syngenta Crop Protection, Europe, Africa and Middle East. "They are the people developing and embracing new ideas and establishing new partnerships and ways of working. They are the driving force behind sustainable farming practices that will have a lasting impact on our planet. It is now time we hear their stories." The Agcelerators campaign embodies Syngenta's dedication to addressing critical challenges faced by the farming community and the wider ecosystem. In addition to showcasing cutting-edge technologies and pioneering approaches, Syngenta seeks to catalyze a movement that leverages the collective strength of farmers, stakeholders, and the broader community to shape a new era for agriculture. "Our vision for Agcelerators is to create a movement that unites stakeholders, amplifies impact, and ultimately drives the adoption of sustainable farming practices," said Robert Renwick, Head of Business Sustainability, Syngenta Crop Protection, Europe, Africa and Middle East. "Over the coming weeks, through traditional and social media we will be demonstrating how people are helping transform agriculture through a variety of modern techniques and technologies, including data analytics, diagnostics, and biologicals. Their voices. Their stories." Through Agcelerators, Syngenta will highlight its enduring commitment to environmental stewardship, innovation, and support for farmers, showcasing people, products and services that are making a positive difference. The campaign humanizes the efforts through telling real-life stories, demonstrating the positive and tangible impact being made on the lives of individuals and communities around the world. For more information about Agcelerators visit: www.syngenta.com/agcelerators About Syngenta Crop Protection Syngenta Crop Protection is a leader in agricultural innovation, bringing breakthrough technologies and solutions that enable farmers to grow productively and sustainably. We offer a leading portfolio of crop protection solutions for plant and soil health, as well as digital solutions that transform the decision-making capabilities of farmers. Our 17,900 employees serve to advance agriculture in more than 90 countries around the world. Syngenta Crop Protection is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, and is part of the Syngenta Group. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Syngenta, www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/syngenta Data protection is important to us. You are receiving this publication on the legal basis of Article 6 para 1 lit. f GDPR ("legitimate interest"). However, if you do not wish to receive further information about Syngenta, just send us a brief informal message and we will no longer process your details for this purpose. You can also find further details in our privacy statement. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This document may contain forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as 'expect', 'would', 'will', 'potential', 'plans', 'prospects', 'estimated', 'aiming', 'on track' and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. For Syngenta, such risks and uncertainties include risks relating to legal proceedings, regulatory approvals, new product development, increasing competition, customer credit risk, general economic and market conditions, compliance and remediation, intellectual property rights, implementation of organizational changes, impairment of intangible assets, consumer perceptions of genetically modified crops and organisms or crop protection chemicals, climatic variations, fluctuations in exchange rates and/or commodity prices, single source supply arrangements, political uncertainty, natural disasters, and breaches of data security or other disruptions of information technology. Syngenta assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors. 2023 Syngenta. Rosentalstrasse 67, 4058 Basel, Switzerland. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905630430/en/ Contacts: Contact Information Liam English Communications Head, Europe, Africa Middle East Region Syngenta Crop Protection Liam.English@syngenta.com Boomi, a category-leading, global software as a service (SaaS) company, continues its global expansion into Barcelona, Spain, bringing dozens of jobs to the city's diverse tech hub BoomiTM, the intelligent connectivity and automation leader, today announced it is expanding its global presence in Barcelona, Spain. Boomi plans to establish a Center of Excellence in the 22@ area of the city, the heart of technology and innovation in Barcelona, to support its growing commercial sales team. As Boomi expands into Barcelona, the company will tap into the skilled and international workforce as it aims to immediately add dozens of team members this year, with plans to add more in the coming year. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905951947/en/ Boomi Continues Global Growth In Barcelona, Spain (Graphic: Business Wire) "With a vibrant culture of innovation and fast-evolving digital ecosystem, Barcelona has emerged as an important tech hub, attracting multinational tech companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, making it an ideal place for international workers to grow their careers," said Steve Lucas, CEO at Boomi. "Similar to our recent entry into Vancouver, CA, this Center of Excellence will support strategic business functions, including sales and business development." The new Center of Excellence will be managed by Angus McGeachie, who recently joined Boomi to expand Boomi's commercial business in EMEA. A veteran of the technology sector, Angus is a seasoned sales executive with experience building and leading local Barcelona sales teams at high-growth technology companies including SAP, VMware, and Qlik. "My passion lies in cultivating and growing early-career talent within values-driven organizations," said McGeachie. "Boomi is well-known in the industry to have a world-class team and industry-leading technology, making it the ideal company to kickstart or grow a career in tech. I personally joined Boomi for its entrepreneurial spirit and mission to make a real impact, and to be part of building something big. I look forward to growing our team in Barcelona, an unparalleled location for fostering diversity, flexibility, and work-life balance." As a category-leading, global SaaS company, Boomi offers end-to-end intelligent automation solutions that enable modern, digital organizations to accelerate business outcomes. The company serves approximately 20,000 customers across more than 70 countries, including globally recognized brands such as AT&T, LinkedIn, Moderna, and Sky. Included on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 and Inc. 5000 lists as one of America's fastest growing and most innovative technology companies, Boomi was recently named to Nucleus Research's list of "Hot Companies to Watch in 2023." The company was also recently positioned as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS), Worldwide for the ninth consecutive time; positioned as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Cloud Integration Software and Services (iPaaS) 2023 Vendor Assessment; and named a Strong Performer in the Forrester Wave: Integration Platforms As A Service, Q3 2023. Boomi has won numerous awards as an employer of choice, including its listing as one of Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces. Boomi has also won two International Stevie Awards, for Company of the Year and Product Innovation; the Gold Globee Award in the Platform as a Service (PaaS) category; the Merit Award for Technology in the Cloud Services category; the Stratus Award as a Global Leader in Cloud Computing 2022; and received the prestigious 5-star rating in the CRN Partner Program Guide for two consecutive years. Additional Resources Apply for one of Boomi's open roles Learn more about the Boomi platform Explore the Boomiverse Community Follow Boomi on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube About Boomi Boomi aims to make the world a better place by connecting everyone to everything, anywhere. The pioneer of cloud-based integration platform as a service (iPaaS), and now a category-leading, global software as a service (SaaS) company, Boomi touts the largest customer base among integration platform vendors and a worldwide network of approximately 800 partners including Accenture, Capgemini, Deloitte, SAP, and Snowflake. Global organizations turn to Boomi's award-winning platform to discover, manage, and orchestrate data, while connecting applications, processes, and people for better, faster outcomes. For more information, visit https://boomi.com. 2023 Boomi, LP. Boomi, the 'B' logo, and Boomiverse are trademarks of Boomi, LP or its subsidiaries or affiliates. All rights reserved. Other names or marks may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Statements in this material that relate to future results, future hiring, and future events or investment are forward-looking statements and are based on Boomi's current expectations. In some cases, you can identify these statements by such forward-looking words as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "confidence," "may," "plan," "potential," "should," "will" and "would," or similar expressions. Actual results, hiring, customer trends, and events in future periods may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements because of a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including the challenge of finding and onboarding new personnel, marketplace trends, ongoing management attention to the market, the uncertainties associated with technology changes and the development and release of new technology. Boomi assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905951947/en/ Contacts: Media: Kristen Walker Global Corporate Communications kristenwalker@boomi.com +1 415-613-8320 License allows AlgenScribe to expand its research and development activities using CRISPR/Cas9. DUBLIN and NICE, France, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ERS Genomics Limited ('ERS') is pleased to announce a new license agreement with AlgenScribe SAS ('AlgenScribe'). This is a non-exclusive licensing agreement granting AlgenScribe access to the ERS CRISPR/Cas9 patent portfolio. ERS founder, Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, won the 2020 Nobel Prize for the discovery of CRISPR/Cas9. The ERS patent portfolio is the definitive collection of proprietary rights to this gene editing technology. AlgenScribe, headquartered in Nice, is a biotechnology company developing a genome editing platform to improve human health. This platform possesses unique abilities to increase the efficiency of homologous recombination and addresses limitations related to nuclease-based genome editing. The company mission is to translate technologies into therapeutics. Commenting on the deal, Frederic Zampatti, CEO of AlgenScribe stated: "This license from ERS enables us to access the CRISPR IP portfolio which will be used in combination with our own platform. This will allow us to show synergies in different applications within a known legal framework." Eric Rhodes, CEO, ERS Genomics was enthusiastic about the new relationship: 'AlgenScribe's mission of 'technologies into therapeutics' resonates with our commitment to propel scientific advancement by enabling CRISPR/Cas9 accessibility. Witnessing the practical influence of our technology within our industry is a significant goal for us. We're genuinely excited to see what AlgenScribe has in store for the future.' Financial details of the agreement are not being disclosed. Photos. Eric Rhodes, CEO ERS Genomics. Frederic Zampatti, CEO of AlgenScribe. About AlgenScribe Founded in 2022, AlgenScribe SAS is actively crafting a genome editing framework tailored for human well-being encompassing therapeutics, bioproduction, research tools and diagnostics. AlgenScribe's objective is to unlock the complete potential of genome editing, focused on eliminating obstacles that hinder the application of these technologies across specific-use scenarios. The company is supported and financed by the Provence Cote d'Azur incubator (PCA) and the South Region. For more information visit: www.algenscribe.com Contact information: contact@algenscribe.com About ERS Genomics ERS Genomics is a biotechnology company based in Dublin, Ireland. The company was formed to provide broad access to the foundational CRISPR/Cas9 intellectual property held by Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier. Non-exclusive licenses are available for research and sale of products and services across multiple fields including research tools, kits, reagents; discovery of novel targets for therapeutic intervention; cell lines for discovery and screening of novel drug candidates; GMP production of healthcare products; companion animal and livestock health; production of industrial materials such as enzymes, biofuels and chemicals; and synthetic biology. ERS holds over 100 patents worldwide. For additional information, please visit www.ersgenomics.com Media contact: Dara O'Donnell dara.odonnell@ersgenomics.com; Tel: + 353-1-539 0083 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2195615/Eric.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2195610/Zampatti_AlgenScribe.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2090619/4241753/ERS_Logo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2195609/AlgenScribe_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ers-genomics--algenscribe-enter-into-crisprcas9-licensing-agreement-301912397.html COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BioInnovation Institute (BII), an international non-profit foundation incubating and accelerating world-class life science research, today announces that six companies are to receive additional financial support through its Venture House program, created to further support former Venture Lab companies through their next phase of growth. The Venture House program provides exclusive follow-on funding in the form of a founder-friendly convertible loan of EUR 1.3M to selected companies that have already participated in the 12-month Venture Lab program created to support business acceleration, scientific and team development. As part of the Venture House program, companies will also take advantage of BII's extensive network to help establish a strong board, chairman and key scientific advisors. This is the third cohort of companies to be accepted into the Venture House program since its launch in August 2022. To support product innovation and ecosystem growth, the program consists of four executive sprints, each focused on a key development area to help mature the project and ultimately attract further funding. The first sprint focuses on helping companies develop an operational plan, while the following sprints provide training and support in fundraising, partnership, and leadership. Bobby Soni, Chief Business Officer at BioInnovation Institute, said: "These six companies have shown promise during their time in the Venture Lab program and collectively align with BII's focus on providing solutions to benefit people and society. On behalf of the team at BII, we look forward to continuing to work alongside these innovative companies as they mature and attract funding." All six companies have partaken in BII's Venture Lab program that supports business acceleration, scientific development and team development in which each company received a risk-free convertible loan of EUR 500,000 plus access to labs and offices at the BII's entrepreneurial ecosystem in the center of Copenhagen. Thus, after entering the Venture House program they have received in total EUR 1.8M. The new companies the BII has accepted into the Venture House program are: TriptoBIO is developing a high-value plant compound production platform focused on triptolide to liberate the world from rat poison. is developing a high-value plant compound production platform focused on triptolide to liberate the world from rat poison. Agrobiomics develops transformative natural solutions, with a vision of securing sustainable food supply, that make agriculture resilient to climate change. The Company's solutions are affordable and highly potent, thereby enabling growers globally to increase yields of crops affected by abiotic stress such as salinity and drought. develops transformative natural solutions, with a vision of securing sustainable food supply, that make agriculture resilient to climate change. The Company's solutions are affordable and highly potent, thereby enabling growers globally to increase yields of crops affected by abiotic stress such as salinity and drought. MATR Foods is producing delicious new plant food from the side streams of the current food industry. is producing delicious new plant food from the side streams of the current food industry. HHC Medical is building a platform technology for non-viral delivery of genetic therapies. The approach will enable genetic therapies to be delivered very specifically to a target volume anywhere in the body. is building a platform technology for non-viral delivery of genetic therapies. The approach will enable genetic therapies to be delivered very specifically to a target volume anywhere in the body. Solid Therapeutics is developing novel cancer therapeutics with dual performance targeting cancer cells and immune cells to treat solid tumors. is developing novel cancer therapeutics with dual performance targeting cancer cells and immune cells to treat solid tumors. FimmCyte is dedicated to developing tailored women's health therapeutics. FimmCyte's lead program, FMC2, is a first-in-class disease-modifying treatment for endometriosis. FimmCyte is jointly supported by BII and Ferring Pharmaceuticals through a strategic collaboration. Since its inception in 2018, BII has supported 87 start-ups and projects with EUR 85 million alongside the venture capital, industry and business expertise it provides to help them accelerate to the next level. In total, BII's start-ups have raised over EUR 424 million in external funding from both local and international investors. Recent company successes include Embark Laboratories, Adcendo, Stipe Therapeutics, Twelve Bio, Octarine Bio, and Cirqle Biomedical. Read more about the Venture House program here. About the BioInnovation Institute Foundation: At BioInnovation Institute (BII), we accelerate world-class life science start-up innovation for the benefit of people and society. As a non-profit institute, BII operates the company creation programs, Bio Studio, Venture Lab and Venture House, to support life science start-ups with knowledge, network, infrastructure and funding of up to 3M EUR per projects and 1,8 M EUR per start-up. With our expertise, network, funding, and infrastructure, we empower startups to succeed and believe in the transformative power of life science innovation. Read more on www.bioinnovationinstitute.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/six-companies-enter-bioinnovation-institutes-venture-house-program-receiving-additional-financial-support-301917116.html EQS-News: Element Materials Technology / Key word(s): Miscellaneous Element unveils fully integrated pharma services platform, strengthening its expanding Life Sciences Division 05.09.2023 / 10:00 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. PRESS RELEASE Element unveils fully integrated pharma services platform, strengthening its expanding Life Sciences Division 05 September 2023 - Element Materials Technology (Element), a leading global Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) company, has launched an integrated offering for its pharmaceutical services. This strategic initiative brings together the expertise and capabilities of its recent North American acquisitions of Nanosyn and JMI labs into its existing Life Sciences business. This integration creates a team of over 1,400 scientists and chemists operating across a worldwide network of laboratories. Combining the Contract Development & Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and Contract Research Organizations (CRO) allows Element to provide robust support to its customers at every stage of their product's life cycle. The large team combines extensive knowledge in scientific and regulatory fields with a wide selection of advanced equipment and creative solutions, ensuring it can deliver exceptional expertise and innovation. With a strategic location in the San Francisco Bay Area, Nanosyn's laboratories function as a CDMO, providing a seamless platform to cater to customers throughout the development life cycle. Boasting a history dating back to 1998, Nanosyn has a remarkable track record of advancing small molecules from initial hits to Investigational New Drugs (IND), supported by an exceptional team of over 50 scientists equipped with cutting-edge technology and efficient operations. Nanosyn's laboratory in Santa Clara specializes in chemistry and drug discovery services, housing one of the largest chemical inventories of any pharmaceutical synthesis lab in the US. The dedicated scientists at Santa Clara also boast co-authorship of over 300 patents. The company's Santa Rosa lab is an FDA-inspected kilo lab facility, offering manufacturing capabilities across 6 GMP suites and 2 class 10,000 clean rooms, alongside state-of-the-art R&D facilities. Furthermore, Element has established a market-leading CRO based in North Liberty, Iowa, previously known as JMI Laboratories. The CRO boasts a proprietary and long-standing SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program, which plays a vital role in US-FDA regulatory submissions and new drug applications. With a dedicated team of over 70 professionals, the CRO meets and exceeds the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments Act 1988 and is CLIA certified for clinical trials and possesses the capacity to conduct Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) studies, enabling complete lab-to-market product support for customers through drug development, molecular testing, clinical trials, medical writing, and surveillance services. Marie Keeley, Vice President Life Sciences America at Element said "Pharmaceutical companies face a myriad of challenges in their pursuit of developing new products. The industry contends with supply chain disruptions, escalating development costs, staffing constraints, and manufacturing delays, making the process of bringing a new drug to market more demanding than ever before. With the unveiling of our integrated pharmaceutical services platform, Element Life Sciences now stands ready to address these challenges head-on. By providing Contract Research Organization (CRO) and Contract Development & Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), plus Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) services, we offer comprehensive support to customers throughout the entire product life cycle. Our team boasts deep expertise in scientific and regulatory domains, complemented by a diverse array of cutting-edge equipment and innovative solutions." Element's global Life Sciences division reaches across a network of laboratories to deliver complete and comprehensive scientific solutions. This network supports customers' end-to-end product development lifecycles from early R&D to navigating complex regulatory approvals, while also supporting the production stages and beyond. Element Life Sciences stands as a steadfast partner, empowering pharmaceutical companies to overcome obstacles and advance their groundbreaking innovations in the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of the life sciences industry. Ends About Element The Element Materials Technology Group is one of the world's leading global providers of testing, inspection, and certification services for a diverse range of products, materials, and technologies in advanced industrial supply chains where failure in use is not an option. Headquartered in London, UK, Element's c.9,000 scientists, engineers, and technologists, work across a global network of over 270+ laboratories, support customers from early R&D, through complex regulatory approvals, and into production ensuring their products are safe, sustainable and achieve market access. Element has achieved the highest ESG ranking in the testing, inspection and certification industry and a place in the top 150 companies in the world from Sustainalytics, a global leader in ESG research and data. This is built on industry-leading environmental commitments which adopt science-based targets and commit to net zero emissions across its entire global business by 2035. For more information about Element, please visit our website, connect with us on LinkedIn , Twitter , Instagram and subscribe to our Youtube channel . Company Contacts Element Materials Technology Chris Alfred Chris.Alfred@Element.com Media Contact MC Services AG Raimund Gabriel Element@MC-Services.eu 05.09.2023 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com LONDON, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Wirex, a global leader in crypto payments with over 6 million users, is using the Polygon CDK (Chain Development Kit) to build its payments-focused App Chain (W-Pay). This positions Wirex at the forefront of the crypto payment revolution, leveraging the advancements in Polygon blockchain protocol technology. Wirex has opted to use the Polygon CDK, an open-source codebase for launching ZK-powered L2 chains for Ethereum, on demand, to build its own payments-focused L2. All chains deployed using Polygon CDK are interoperable, with automatic access to the unified liquidity of all Polygon chains, and one-click access to the entire liquidity of Ethereum. They also offer the enhanced security of zk proofs and near-instant finality. Pavel Matveev, CEO of Wirex, commented: "Polygon CDK allows Wirex to transition our existing payment infrastructure on-chain. This move not only streamlines our operations but also makes the traditional banking infrastructure composable, priming it for integration into various decentralised applications." As a licenced and regulated entity and a principal member of Visa and Mastercard, Wirex is uniquely positioned to craft more advanced and innovative products in the payment domain. Matveev further added, "One of our initial use cases will be the introduction of a non-custodial Visa card connected to Account Abstraction (AA). This will empower every Dapp user to seamlessly transact with digital assets in real-world scenarios. Our vision is clear: we aim to bring all 6 million Wirex users fully on-chain." Jordi Baylina, Co-Founder of Polygon says "It is exciting to see Wirex choose Polygon Chain Development Kit (CDK) to build their own L2 payment chain. Wirex's payment chain has the potential to innovate and provide new use cases in the payment industry that can help to drive more widespread adoption of Web3 technology. Secured by zk proofs and with near instant finality, Polygon CDK can become the bedrock for Wirex to pursue their goal to bring all 6 million of their users on chain." In a dedicated move to enhance the utility of the Wirex ecosystem, the new Wirex App Chain will utilise WXT, the Wirex ecosystem token, as gas. It is expected to bolster the token's utility and generate increased demand from chain's participants. The decision to launch the app chain stems from the overwhelming interest Wirex has received from enterprise players, further proving its position as a pioneer in the crypto payment domain. Furthermore, Wirex's established presence with 6 million users across the UK, EEA, APAC, and the USA, underscores its commitment to revolutionising the payment landscape. Leveraging its vast user base and industry affiliations, Wirex's W-Pay is poised to redefine how consumers transact in the digital age. About Wirex Wirex is a worldwide digital payment platform and regulated institution that has forged new rules in the digital payments space. In 2015, the firm developed the world's first crypto-enabled payment card that gives users the ability to seamlessly spend crypto and traditional currencies in real life. Wirex was created in 2014 by CEOs and co-founders Pavel Matveev and Dmitry Lazarichev, who identified the need to open up the esoteric world of cryptocurrencies and make digital money accessible for everyone. With the core aim of making it as easy as possible to use digital assets in everyday life, Wirex provides a trusted and cost-effective service for crypto and traditional currency transactions by incorporating the next generation of payments infrastructure integrated with cryptocurrency blockchains. With over 6 million customers across 130 countries, the company offers secure accounts that allow customers to easily store, buy and exchange multiple currencies instantly at the best live rates on one centralised mobile app. Quick and simple crypto transfer options are available, as well as the freedom to spend 150+ traditional and cryptocurrencies in more than 80 million locations around the world using the Wirex card. Wirex continues to develop the product in line with market developments, whilst adhering to regional regulations and securing appropriate licensing where it exists. A proven industry pioneer, Wirex launched their own native utility token, WXT, and introduced the world's first crypto reward programme, Cryptoback, which earns cardholders up to 8% back in WXT for every transaction they make. To reflect the growth of Web3, from 2021, the company has expanded their product to enable mainstream access to DeFi and wealth management. Starting with the launch of their popular X-Accounts feature, offering unprecedented levels of interest, Wirex has continued to add to their DeFi arsenal with the release of the non-custodial Wirex Wallet and a partnership with Nereus, a decentralised liquidity market. Wirex is based in London, with offices in Singapore, Kyiv, Lviv, Sydney, Zagreb, and Atlanta. With over $20bn worth of transactions processed already and rapid expansion into new territories, including the US and Australia, Wirex is uniquely placed to support and promote the mass adoption of a cashless society through creative solutions. | wirexapp.com | Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2031625/Wirex_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/wirex-chooses-polygon-cdk-to-build-its-upcoming-payment-focused-app-chain-301916930.html CTO Graeme Cox's triumph at the Samsung Bosphorus Race mirrors RingStone's commitment to innovation and growth. LONDON, ENGLAND / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / RingStone, a leading technical due diligence provider for software and tech-enabled companies, proudly acknowledges the remarkable achievement of Graeme Cox, an established executive, who conquered the challenging Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race. The cross-continental race, navigating a rigorous 6.5-kilometer (4.03 miles) course, is one of the top 100 toughest swims. Graeme's inspiring accomplishment mirrors RingStone's commitment to innovation and collaboration, showcasing the parallel journeys of pushing boundaries and achieving success. RingStone CTO Graeme Cox Swims the Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race. Graeme Cox, a RingStone Principal Practitioner, brings over three decades of technology industry experience to the team, including 20 years as CTO and CEO, and embodies visionary leadership. A graduate of Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science from the University of Edinburgh, Graeme holds multiple technology patents, boasts research grant awards and regularly contributes as a subject matter expert to publications highlighting AI, machine learning, biometrics, and cybersecurity. Graeme's entrepreneurial spirit and extensive expertise, including big data, AI, machine learning, and cybersecurity, seamlessly align with RingStone's mission to empower businesses through insightful technology and practical strategies. "The Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race pushed my limits, much like the challenges we embrace at RingStone," shared Graeme Cox. "I approached the race with the same determination my colleagues and I bring to every project - with a spirit of exploration, problem-solving, and growth. It's about overcoming obstacles and fostering progress." RingStone, recognized as a leader in technical due diligence and value creation, partners with private equity investors and acquiring firms to amplify the value of their businesses and investments. "Graeme's remarkable achievement echoes Ringtone's dedication to innovation and teamwork," said Hazem Abolrous, RingStone's Chief Executive Officer. "Graeme's journey resonates with our shared values - the commitment to embracing challenges, collaborating, and driving positive outcomes. His swim embodies the essence of our approach, focusing on practical solutions that fuel growth and success." With a global presence in Europe and North America, RingStone is driven by the forward-thinking approach of Graeme Cox in its mission to promote innovation and excellence. About RingStone Through technical due diligence, benchmarking, and targeted assessments, RingStone helps clients to transform their organization for future growth. The RingStone team is united by a common vision to use experience, the power of AI technology, and data to solve challenges for investors while providing a distinctive approach to technology diligence and value creation. Learn more at ringstonetech.com. Contact Information Hazem Abolrous Managing Partner hazem@ringstonetech.com +14259988740 SOURCE: RingStone View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/779776/making-waves-ringstone-celebrates-cto-graeme-coxs-symbolic-swim-and-visionary-leadership 4P-Pharma, a pioneering biotechnology company based in Lille and specializing in drug regeneration, is thrilled to achieve a significant milestone in its history. During the latest strategic board meeting, the appointment of Didier Landais as the new CEO of 4P-Pharma was confirmed. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905514097/en/ DIDIER LANDAIS CEO 4P-PHARMA Founded in 2014 by Revital Rattenbach, 4P-Pharma is entering a new era of its development. On September 1st, 2023, Didier Landais succeeds Revital Rattenbach as CEO of 4P-Pharma. She now holds the position of Executive Chairwoman. With over 30 years of international experience in the pharma/biotech industry, Didier Landais stands out as an executive leader. His career has been marked by accomplishments in key areas such as research and development, strategy, and business development. His extensive international experience and proven leadership position Didier Landais as the ideal choice for this strategic function. His past achievements attest to his exceptional ability to guide our teams towards excellence, turning ambitious visions into tangible results. Together, the new executive will combine forces to expedite the company's development." "We stand on the brink of a pivotal period for 4P-Pharma. The appointment of Didier reinforces our commitment to innovation and growth. His passion for scientific research, coupled with his profound market understanding, will propel forward our mission to transform how we approach health and well-being, driving dynamics of success." stated Revital Rattenbach, 4P-Pharma's Executive Chairwoman A strong expertise both in France and internationally, to accelerate the development of 4P-Pharma. Didier Landais holds a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University Louis Pasteur (Strasbourg), as well as an Executive MBA from ESSEC (Paris). He started his career as a researcher and oncology project leader at the Gene Therapy Division of RPR-Gencell (Sanofi) before assuming the role of Director of Business Development and General Manager of Cell Therapy, overseeing the international development of a cancer vaccine at IDM Pharma. He has also held positions including Director of Development at Biotecnol and Chief Business Officer at Genome Profiling. Under his leadership as Global Head of Licensing, Servier concluded several notable agreements, including with Celsius, Oncodesign, and Seal Rock. More recently, he served as COO and CBO at Labgenius Ltd in London." "Joining 4P-Pharma is a significant step for me. We are developing high-potential molecules that truly transform patients' lives. With the support of Revital and our dedicated teams, I am confident that we will reach new horizons and push the boundaries of innovation even furtherexpressed Didier Landais, 4P-Pharma's CEO. As CEO, Didier Landais holds the responsibility for the company's overall strategy in terms of science, partnerships, and external growth. Revital Rattenbach, now 4P-Pharma's Executive Chairwoman, remains actively involved in financial consolidation and strategic directions, ensuring the continuity of the company's founding vision 4P-Pharma remains deeply committed to its partners, investors, and its mission to provide innovative solutions to global health challenges." ABOUT 4P-PHARMA 4P-Pharma is a clinical stage biotech company, pioneering in drug regeneration, founded in Lille in 2014. We focus on untreated serious diseases with high unmet medical needs, aiming to rapidly deliver effective, regenerated, first-in-class therapiesThe company has developed a proprietary development engine to address the main pain points of traditional drug development: time, costs, and predictability to deliver optimized risk adjusted returns. We leverage assets with a short time to market, strong IP position, and regulatory opportunities (emergency use or conditional marketing authorizations) in blue-ocean markets. Website: https://4p-pharma.com/fr LinkedIn: https://fr.linkedin.com/company/4p-pharma Twitter: https://twitter.com/4p_pharma The only version of the 4P-Pharma press release that is legally binding is the one in its original language. Translations must always be compared to the source text, which will establish precedence. The press release text resulting from a translation should not be considered official in any way. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905514097/en/ Contacts: Press Najette Chaib nchaib@beyondcom.fr 06 18 38 11 14 SINGAPORE, Sept 5, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - Spikes Asia, APAC's most prestigious and sought-after award for creativity and marketing effectiveness, has confirmed its return to a physical event in Singapore for 2024. Returning in-person for its 37th edition, the event will include two days of content and networking, on 13-14 March 2024, at the Conrad Centennial, Singapore. Once again, the Juries will convene in Singapore to judge the work and set the definitive benchmark for creativity in the region.Jaime Ng, Festival Director, Spikes Asia, said: "2024 will be a landmark year for Spikes Asia, as it returns physically for its 37th edition. We are putting the foundations in place to build a purposeful event that allows the APAC community to come together in a meaningful way. Through inspiring curated content, networking opportunities and agenda setting initiatives, Spikes Asia will provide a forum to address the most pressing issues creatives across APAC are facing today."Plans for Spikes Asia will involve a bespoke content and networking programme on day one and exclusive "Inside the Jury room" sessions, which will provide delegates with the insights and trends from the work, in addition to peer to peer roundtable discussions designed for brand engagement. The CMO Growth Council will also return to Spikes Asia and sit at the heart of the event. Day two will be a curated programme of inspiring thought-leadership on the main stage, from brand marketers across the spectrum of Asian creativity. The event will conclude with the Spikes Asia Awards Ceremony, which for the first time will include a sit down dinner, as the 2024 winners are announced and celebrated.As Spikes Asia is being held during Ramadan, there will be on-site facilities provided to delegates observing the religious period including a prayer room and halal certified dishes will be catered during the Awards dinner.2024 will also see the return of the Young Spikes Competitions and the Spikes Academy, both of which will run in person. The Spikes Academy is designed as a home for the next generation of professionals to grow their potential and learn from industry leaders.Atifa Silk, Managing Director, Haymarket Media Ltd, commented: "For over 35 years, Spikes Asia has served as the region's oldest and most prestigious awards for creativity in marketing communications. We are delighted to be returning Spikes Asia, its initiatives and Awards in person. This year provides us with an opportunity to innovate the event for the future and it is set to be a truly special moment for Spikes Asia."Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: "We can't wait to reunite the industry and bring the APAC community together once again to celebrate and learn from the region's greatest minds. Spikes Asia sets the bar for creative excellence in APAC, and through the body of winning work that our Juries choose, we'll get a unique insight into the creative spirit of the region and the direction the industry is heading in."Entries for Spikes Asia and event registration will open on 26 October 2023. Further information on Spikes Asia 2024 can be found at www.spikes.asia.About Spikes AsiaSpikes Asia, the home of Asian creativity, is the region's oldest and most prestigious awards for creative advertising. Building on over 35 years of the illustrious Spikes Awards and Tangrams Strategy & Effectiveness Awards, Spikes Asia is the result of a collaboration between Ascential, the organiser of Cannes Lions and Haymarket, publisher of Campaign Asia Pacific.Spikes Asia celebrates creative excellence in the Asia-Pacific region alongside learning and networking opportunities. The Awards serve as the definitive benchmark for creative excellence, marketing strategy and effectiveness in Asia-Pacific.For more information, visit www.spikes.asia.About AscentialAscential delivers specialist information, analytics, events and eCommerce optimisation to the world's leading consumer brands and their ecosystems. Our world-class businesses improve performance and solve customer problems by delivering immediately actionable information and visionary longer-term thinking across Digital Commerce, Product Design, Marketing and Retail & Financial Services.With more than 3,800 employees across five continents, we combine local expertise with a global footprint for clients in over 120 countries. Ascential is listed on the London Stock Exchange.For more information, visit www.ascential.com.About HaymarketHaymarket Media Group creates award-winning specialist content and information for international audiences. The company has more than 70 market-leading brands created by world-class experts in locations in the UK, the US, Hong Kong, Singapore, India and Germany. Haymarket's consumer and professional brands connect people and communities across digital, mobile, print and live/virtual media platforms. Although Haymarket's portfolio is diverse, its mission is the same across borders and markets: to deliver brand experiences which truly meet the needs of its audiences and clients. Haymarket's brands include Campaign, PRWeek, What Car?, Autocar, AsianInvestor and Finance Asia.For more information, visit www.haymarket.com.Contacts:Jaime NgFestival DirectorSpikes AsiaJaimen@spikes.asiaCamilla LambertHead of Press & PRSpikes AsiaCamillal@canneslions.comTash NaidooPR ManagerSpikes AsiaTashn@canneslions.comPress Portal:press.canneslions.comSource: Spikes AsiaCopyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. COP28 President-Designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber addressed the inaugural Africa Climate Summit, held in Nairobi, Kenya. Speaking to heads of state at its high-level opening, Al Jaber announced a $4.5 billion clean energy investment initiative between the UAE and Africa that aims to unlock Africa's capacity for sustainable prosperity. Working together, The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Etihad Credit Insurance, Masdar and AMEA Power will join with Africa 50 as a strategic partner under the guidance of the UAE and African leadership to "develop 15 GW of clean power by 2030." The initiative will "demonstrate the commercial case for clean investment across this important continent" and will be "designed to work with Africa, for Africa." "Will act as a scalable model that can and should be replicated and will support COP28's global goal of tripling renewable energy by 2030." "Al Jaber grounded his remarks in the reality that "the world is losing the race to secure the goals of the Paris Agreement and struggling to keep 1.5 within reach" And that Collectively, "we are not delivering the results that we need in the time we need them." Al Jaber cited that currently, "Africa contributes just 3 per cent of global emissions, yet suffers some of the worst consequences. Droughts, floods and failed harvests have exposed one fifth of Africa's people to hunger, tripled the number of people displaced in the last three years, and is dragging down Africa's GDP growth by at least 5 per cent every year. In response, he called on "all parties to unite around a plan of action that is fully inclusive, that fast tracks a just, responsible and well managed energy transition, focuses on people, lives and livelihoods, and fixes climate finance." Al Jaber called Africa "a beacon of hope, filled with potential and a global example of what pro-climate, nature positive development should look like, adding that "it simply makes sense for Africa to get a fairer share of the pie." The "key to making this happen is finance, but it must be made available, accessible and affordable." In his remarks, the COP28 President-Designate made calls to raise ambitions, including by "calling on donors to close out the 100-billion-dollar pledge they made over a decade ago, to replenish the green climate fund, to double adaptation finance by 2025 and for all parties to transform the Global Goal on Adaptation from theory into real action and tangible results." He also called for "early pledges for the loss and damage fund to help vulnerable countries." "What was promised in Sharm El Sheikh, must be delivered in Dubai." During the three-day trip, the Al Jaber spoke on multiple platforms on topics including cooling, youth engagement, adaptation and security; as well as meeting with African leaders and visiting local communities experiencing climate-related hardships. Dr. Al Jaber was joined by esteemed member of the COP28 leadership team, including HE Shamma Al Mazrui, Youth Climate Champion; HE Razan Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion; HE Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi, Director-General of COP28 and HE Adnan Amin, CEO of COP28 NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- COP28 President-Designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber addressed the inaugural Africa Climate Summit, held in Nairobi, Kenya, where he emphasised the need for mitigation and adaptation finance as critical success factors for climate progress in Africa and globally. Noting that the world is "losing the race to secure the goals of the Paris Agreement and struggling to keep 1.5 within reach," Dr. Al Jaber called on "all parties to unite around a plan of action that is fully inclusive, a plan of action that fast tracks a just, responsible and well managed energy transition, focuses on people, lives and livelihoods, and fixes climate finance. Addressing heads of state at the high-level opening of the summit, Al Jaber announced a new $4.5 billion initiative between the UAE and Africa that seeks to unlock Africa's capacity for sustainable prosperity. Al Jaber announced that "The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Etihad Credit Insurance, Masdar and AMEA Power will join with Africa 50 as a strategic partner under the guidance of the UAE and African leadership to develop 15 GW of clean power by 2030. Working together, we will deploy 4.5 billion dollars that will catalyze at least an additional 12.5 billion dollars from multilateral, public and private sources." "It is our ambition that this will launch a new transformative partnership to jump start a pipeline of bankable clean energy projects," said Al Jaber. The President-Delegate explained that the partnership will "demonstrate the commercial case for clean investment" across Africa and "act as a scalable model that can and should be replicatedit is designed to work with Africa, for Africa." Al Jaber acknowledged that "Africa contributes just 3 percent of global emissions, yet suffers some of the worst consequences. Droughts, floods and failed harvests have exposed one fifth of Africa's people to hunger, tripled the number of people displaced in the last three years, and is dragging down Africa's GDP growth by at least 5 per cent every year. Al Jaber also recognized the scale of energy poverty within Africa, acknowledging that "almost half of Africa's population still have no access to electricity, almost one billion people lack clean cooking fuels, and this energy gap will only increase as Africa's population grows." Discussing how to fast track low-carbon solutions for Africa's growing population, Al Jaber said that the "key to making this happen is finance, but it must be made available, accessible and affordable." As a part of the COP28 Presidency's Action Agenda, Al Jaber emphasized his plan to fix climate finance. He urged donors to "close out the 100-billion-dollar pledge they made over a decade ago and to replenish the green climate fundIn parallel, we need a complete upgrade of the global financial architecture that was built for a different era. IFIs and MDBs must up their game, including by raising concessional capital and lowering debt burdens. They need to attract and leverage private capital at a multiple. And the multilateral, public and private sectors need to mesh together and work as true partners to accelerate the delivery of practical solutions and real, impactful projects on the ground." Addressing the imbalance between financing for mitigation and adaptation, Al Jaber called on donors to "double adaptation finance by 2025", and to "transform the Global Goal on Adaptation from theory and text into tangible action and real results." We also need early pledges for the loss and damage fund, to help vulnerable countries recover from severe climate impacts that they are already experiencing: The COP28 President-Designate stated, "What was promised in Sharm El Sheikh, must be fully operational in Dubai." During his remarks, Al Jaber also highlighted many of Africa's trailblazing climate initiatives noting that many African countries are already leading the way. Al Jaber noted how "Kenya is closing in on its goal of 100 per cent clean energy by 2030, the African Union's Great Green Wall is helping reclaim degraded agricultural land across the Sahel. Ethiopia's Green Legacy Initiative is enhancing food security and stimulating green jobs across the Horn of Africa. And the countries of the Congo Basin are protecting vital rainforests and helping preserve the world's natural carbon sinks." Al Jaber expressed his belief that Africa is "a beacon of hope, filled with potential and a global example of what pro-climate, nature positive development should look like." Al Jaber concluded his remarks at the summit by saying that climate change is a "global fight and demands a global solution". If Africa loses, we all lose, If Africa succeeds, we all succeed. Progress for one is progress for all. This inaugural Africa Climate Summit was co-hosted by the Republic of Kenya and the African Union Commission, to convene national leaders from across Africa and the world, as well as leading figures from business, policy and civil society: to design and catalyze solutions which address climate change in Africa and across the world. The summit was attended by global and African leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Chair of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, and President of the African Union, H.E. President Azali Assoumani. The full COP28 Presidency team accompanied the COP28 President-Designate to the Summit, taking part in a series of speaking engagements, meetings with national leaders, and community visits to improve collaboration on climate action. The full COP28 UAE Presidency leadership team consists of: His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, President-Designate for COP28 Her Excellency Shamma Al Mazrui, Youth Climate Champion Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment Her Excellency Razan Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion His Excellency Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi, Director-General of COP28 His Excellency Adnan Amin, CEO of COP28 Hana AlHashimi, UAE Chief Negotiator COP28 During the visit, H.E. Al Mazrui visited the Kibera Slum, Africa's largest urban slum, to meet individuals whose lives are profoundly affected by climate change. UN Climate Change High Level Champion for COP28 Razan Al Mubarak took part in a series of events focusing on nature-based solutions for climate action, investments for nature, and inclusion. COP28's Director General Ambassador Al Suwaidi participated in an event to develop solutions for Voluntary Carbon Markets and announced a new 'Pact on Fragility', developed in collaboration with Kenya and Germany, to drive finance to countries experiencing climate change and conflict. Ambassador Al Suwaidi also visited the Dadaab refugee camp and witnessed the experience of refugees who have fled conflict in Somalia, whose hardships are compounded by prolonged droughts. Dr. Al Jaber also engaged in bilateral meetings with African leaders, including the presidents of Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, African Development Bank, and several important officials and heads of states. Discussions revolved around mobilizing broader support for the COP28 agenda, addressing vulnerability to climate change impacts, seeking critical EU endorsement for COP priorities, garnering support for the hydrogen agenda, accelerating financing for adaptation efforts, and pursuing outcomes related to nature conservation packages, and many other important areas. Notes to Editors COP28 UAE: COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023. The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors. As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake - a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals. The UAE will lead a process for all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition and a "leave no one behind" approach to inclusive climate action." The four pillars of the COP28 Presidency's Action Agenda are fast tracking the energy transition, fixing climate finance, focusing on people, lives, and livelihoods, and underpinning everything with full inclusivity. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cop28-presidency-partners-with-african-leaders-to-raise-climate-ambitions-seize-opportunity-of-green-growth-through-fairer-climate-finance-for-africa-301917521.html LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / The Gen-AI craze has largely overshadowed the revolutions bringing AI to the physical world: Robotics. A 22-year-old serial entrepreneur is embracing both AI and Robotics to revolutionise the way we consume food and has assembled an A-list team of respected innovators and "do-ers". The core philosophy of KAIKAKU centres around augmenting human capabilities by automating the repetitive chores and manual tasks native to the restaurant sector, which has long been riddled by chronic staff shortages and low job satisfaction. Unleashing the potential of robotics and AI, they aim to empower hospitality staff to embrace creativity and innovation, making the industry more dynamic and engaging than ever before. At its helm is CEO Josef Chen, a serial tech and food entrepreneur who at just 17 years old founded his first successful venture, which achieved a successful exit in just two years. Chen grew up in a Chinese Restaurant family helping with chores such as cutting cabbage at the age of 7: "Having experienced all the problems first-hand and seeing my parents struggle to find staff, I have thought about ways to radically change the industry almost every day." KAIKAKU, derived from the Japanese term for "radical change", was founded in April 2023 by a stellar team with a mixture of F&B and technical expertise. "I endeavoured to assemble the best team in Europe that can build everything at breakneck speed, and I believe we're off to an amazing start!", says Chen. Co-Founder and CTO Dr David Sharp, who has a remarkable track record of delivering breakthrough innovations as former Head of Ocado Technologies 10x and Head of Engineering of Ocado's Autonomous Mobility Team, joined the mission after researching commercial F&B Technologies: "There is an exciting opportunity to apply the latest automation, robotics and AI technologies to transform the customer proposition and operational economics for the quick service restaurant sector". Another notable addition is Piers Millar, who Chen convinced to drop out of his studies at the London School of Economics to join as Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer. Bringing hands-on experience as the UK's youngest Crew Trainer at McDonald's and having helped Chen scale a dark kitchen dessert brand to 6 figure revenues within 3 months of inception, Millar confidently projects: "By 2030, will robotics be a common sight at restaurants and cafes? No doubt!". "To achieve our hyper-ambitious goals, we also needed expertise on scaling the world's largest locations of F&B chains, creating delicious food consistently at massive scale and the details on creating and opening new F&B concepts from ground 0", Chen told us, "so we went out and found the world's leading experts in the fields to join our advisory board!". Featuring industry veterans such as Don Fertman, former Chief Development Officer of Subway, David Crean, former Global Chief Science Officer at Mars Inc and Jonathan Hart, former Managing Director of Caffe Nero and CEO of Thorntons. Automation and robotics aren't distant dreams for the F&B industry; they're today's reality. Leading restaurant chains worldwide are embracing technology to streamline their operations and elevate customer experiences, emphasising the immense potential that KAIKAKU is poised to harness. Contact: Josef Chen josef@kaikaku.ai https://kaikaku.ai Frantisek Jezek frantisek@kaikaku.ai SOURCE: KAIKAKU View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780359/transforming-restaurants-kaikakus-robots-to-augment-human-capabilities Amsterdam has now installed more than 1 million solar panels, with the Dutch capital currently boasting 250 MW of rooftop PV capacity across 120,000 households. The municipal government aims to equip around 500,000 home with PV systems by 2040.Amsterdam now hosts more than 1 million solar panels across 120,000 households, for a total capacity of around 250 MW. The municipal government said the number of solar modules deployed in the city has more than doubled in 2.5 years. "We want to use all suitable buildings for solar deployment by 2040," it said in a statement. "Which means that around 500,000 ... 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. NUCLIDIUM today announced the presentation of pre-clinical and clinical translation data from three of the company's precision oncology programs targeting epithelial tumours (KaliosTM), neuroendocrine tumours (TraceNETTM) and prostate cancer (NuriProTM) at the upcoming 36th Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM), 09-13 September 2023. The full pre-clinical data packages demonstrate the company's progress in the selection of diagnostic lead candidates for the KaliosTM and NuriProTM programs, as well as the successful establishment of a clinical-scale production process for the diagnostic component of its TraceNETTM program. The data, presented in two oral presentations and a poster presentation, support the advancement of these three programs into clinical translation. The programs are part of NUCLIDIUM's comprehensive pipeline of copper-based radiotheranostics based on its flexible CuTraceTM platform. "More than 50% of cancer patients are misdiagnosed which significantly impacts their survival chances. We aim to address this challenge with our theranostic approach leveraging the advantageous properties of copper isotopes to reduce side effects and increase the precision and efficacy of radiopharmaceuticals. The positive pre-clinical data for the diagnostic candidates from three of our programs and the preparation for clinical translation represent an important step for NUCLIDIUM. Our rapid progress towards clinical evaluation will help us establish a new standard in precision oncology and offer patients better access to highly effective and safe diagnostics and treatment options," said Leila Jaafar, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of NUCLIDIUM Presentation Information: Oral presentation on the development of diagnostic candidates from the KaliosTM program targeting Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP)-expressing tumours such as breast and lung cancer Title: Enhancing the tumor-to-background ratio of FAP-positive PET/CT scans with the novel 61Cu-Kalios derivatives: synthesis, in vitro and in vivo characterization Session: New Roads Towards FAP-directed Theranostics Presenter: Jacopo Millul, PhD, Postdoctoral Scientist at University Hospital Basel Date Time: September 11th, 3 pm CEST Summary: The presentation will detail the development and characterization of a 61Cu-based diagnostic to more efficiently visualize epithelial tumours. These types of tumours make up the majority of all cancer cases and often overexpress Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP), making FAP a promising target for cancer diagnostics and therapies. The data demonstrate the successful synthesis of four new FAP-targeting ligands with high hydrophilicity and affinity against FAP that were conjugated with 61Cu via the NODAGA chelator. In vivo analyses showed that two of the diagnostic KaliosTM conjugates are particularly promising for delayed time-point imaging, with superior tumour-to-background ratios at 4 hours. To select the best candidate for clinical translation, these two diagnostic KaliosTM conjugates will be directly compared to a 68Ga-based standard FAP-radiodiagnostic. Oral presentation on NUCLIDIUM's successfully established 61Cu production and on the labelling method for the diagnostic lead candidate from the TraceNETTM program targeting somatostatin-receptor-expressing neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) Title: Radiopharmaceutical Production of [61Cu]Cu-NODAGA-LM3 Injection Solution Session: Efficient Radiolabelling: Key for Clinical Translation Presenter: Manuel Alejandre-Lafont, PhD, Head QC/QA Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry at University Hospital Basel Date Time: September 11th, 4:45 pm CEST Summary: The presentation will highlight NUCLIDIUM's 61Cu production process, which was developed together with the University Hospital Zurich, and the labelling method and clinical transfer for the TraceNETTM lead diagnostic candidate, which was developed at the University Hospital Basel. TraceNETTM is designed to improve the visualization of somatostatin-receptor-expressing neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). The established technology allows to produce 61Cu in high yields and purity in a cyclotron and efficient labelling of the tumour-targeting molecule. Due to its favourable half-life properties, 61Cu enables a wide distribution radius, potentially broadening the patient population that can get access to 61Cu-based radiodiagnostics. The successfully established process enables clinical-scale production of the diagnostic candidate. Poster presentation on the development and selection of the lead diagnostic candidate from the NuriProTM prostate cancer program Title: 61Cu-PSMA PET in prostate cancer: development and selection of the first radioligand for clinical translation Session: New Imaging Agents Presenter: Prof. Melpomeni Fani, PhD, Division Head Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry at University Hospital Basel Date Time: September 13th, 9:45 am CEST Summary: The poster presentation will describe the development and lead candidate selection of the NuriProTM program's 61Cu-based diagnostic to improve the visualization of prostate cancer. Two newly developed 61Cu-based diagnostic conjugates targeting Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) with either DOTAGA or NODAGA as the chelator were compared preclinically against two currently used standard prostate cancer diagnostics based on 68Ga and 18F, respectively. In these, the NODAGA-conjugated NuriProTM diagnostic candidate exhibited superior biodistribution and pharmacokinetics than the DOTAGA-conjugate. In comparison to the standard diagnostics, the NODAGA-conjugated candidate showed a similar biodistribution but better results for delayed imaging due to improved tumour-to-background ratio in the imaging scan. Based on these findings, the NODAGA-conjugated variant was selected as the lead diagnostic candidate for translation into clinical trials. About NUCLIDIUM NUCLIDIUM is setting a new standard in the precision oncology landscape by developing best-in-class copper-based radiopharmaceuticals that enable the highest accuracy and accessibility for targeted cancer treatment and diagnosis. Our flexible CuTraceTM platform combines copper radiometals with a variety of highly specific cancer-targeting molecules to rapidly develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic programs. The resulting product portfolio leverages the unique properties of copper to achieve an improved safety and efficacy profile with advantageous economics for hospitals and patients. NUCLIDIUM's differentiated "diagnostic to therapeutic" approach de-risks our development pathway. With innovation as our core, we overcome supply limitations in manufacturing and distribution, bringing greater flexibility to medical facilities. We are a diverse and interdisciplinary team focused on changing precision radio-oncology for the better to deliver a true benefit to cancer patients. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905342403/en/ Contacts: NUCLIDIUM Leila Jaafar, CEO Email: info@nuclidium.com Investor/Media Contact NUCLIDIUM Trophic Communications Stephanie May, PhD, or Veronika Mate Email: nuclidium@trophic.eu Phone: +49 171 1855682 or +49 160 90816161 The global piezoceramic discs market is driven by the growth in demand for piezoelectric sensors and actuators from various end-use industries paired with an increase in the adoption of piezoelectric devices for application. PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Piezoceramic Discs Market by Type (Below 10mm, 10mm to 50mm, and Above 50mm), and Application (Sensor and Actuators, Energy Harvesting, Medical Device, Industrial Applications, and Consumer Electronics): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2031". According to the report, the global Piezoceramic Discs industry generated $2.9 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to generate $5.4 billion by 2032, witnessing a CAGR of 6.6% from 2023 to 2032. The number of applications of piezoelectricity in everyday electronic devices is growing at a steep rate. Piezo discs are capable to operate in high temperatures and environments while yielding high frequency and transient response. Piezoelectric discs can be manufactured in two ways - unimorph and bimorph. Request PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/164722 Prime determinants of growth The global piezoceramic discs market is driven by an increasing adoption of piezoelectric devices for application paired with the rising demand for piezoelectric inkjet print heads from the printing industry. However, the high cost associated with the raw materials for piezoceramic discs, limits their adoption, thereby hampering the market growth. On the contrary, the rising demand for piezoelectric devices in developing applications and growing demand for piezoelectric sensors and actuators from various end-use industries are expected to offer remunerative opportunities for the expansion of the global market in the coming future. Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2021 $2.9 billion Market Size in 2031 $5.4 billion CAGR 6.6 % No. of Pages in Report 212 Segments Covered Type, Application, and Region. Drivers Growth in demand for piezoelectric sensors and actuators from various end-use industries Rise in demand for piezoelectric inkjet print heads from the printing industry Increase in adoption of piezoelectric devices for application Opportunities High cost of raw materials for piezoceramic discs Restraints Rise in demand for piezoelectric devices in developing applications Covid-19 Scenario Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the piezoceramic discs market experienced supply chain disruptions and shortages of certain materials, leading to production delays and increased prices. However, the demand for piezoceramic discs-based applications continued to grow, particularly in the areas of industrial and consumer electronics, which helped to mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic. The above 50mm segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Based on type, the above 50mm segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for around two-fifths of the global piezoceramic discs market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. In addition, this segment is projected to grow at a high CAGR of 7.6% from 2023 to 2032, owing to surge in demand for underwater communication and sonar system. The sensor and actuators segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on application, the sensor and actuators segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global piezoceramic discs market, and is expected to follow the same trend throughout the forecast period of 2023-2032. However, the consumer electronics segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 8.7% from 2023 to 2032. The market for piezoceramic discs used in consumer electronics is being driven by the demand for accurate actuation, sensing, and power generation in smartphones, wearables, and other devices. North America region to maintain its dominance by 2031 Based on region, Asia-Pacific held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for nearly half of the global piezoceramic discs market revenue, and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period. This region also held the major CAGR of 7.0% in 2032. The rapid growth of industries in the Asia-Pacific region that use piezoelectric sensors and actuators, such as automotive, consumer electronics, and medical devices, is driving the demand for thinner, higher-performance piezoceramic discs that can provide faster actuation, more accurate positioning, and greater energy harvesting capabilities to power miniature devices, while advancements in piezoceramic material compositions and nanofabrication techniques are opening up a new application. Buy This Report (212 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://bit.ly/3PjdEhD Leading Market Players: - PI Ceramic Murata TDK Corporation Taiyo Yuden Sparkler Ceramics CeramTec Fuji Ceramics Corporation Physik Instrumente (PI) Micromechatronics Inc. American Piezo Ceramics, Inc The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global piezoceramic Discs market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, acquisitions, Expansion, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. Key Benefits For Stakeholders This report provides a quantitative analysis of the market segments, current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the piezoceramic discs market analysis from 2022 to 2032 to identify the prevailing piezoceramic discs market opportunities. The market research is offered along with information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities. Porter's five forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer network. In-depth analysis of the piezoceramic discs market segmentation assists to determine the prevailing market opportunities. Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global market. Market player positioning facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of the market players. The report includes the analysis of the regional as well as global piezoceramic discs market trends, key players, market segments, application areas, and market growth strategies. Piezoceramic Discs Market Key Segments: By Type Below 10mm 10mm to 50mm Above 50mm By Application Sensor and Actuators Energy Harvesting Medical Device Industrial Applications Consumer Electronics By Region North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico) (U.S., Canada, Mexico) Europe (UK, France, Spain, Italy, Rest of Europe) (UK, France, Spain, Italy, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Rest of Asia-Pacific) (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Rest of Asia-Pacific) LAMEA (Latin America, Middle East, Africa) Want to Access the Statistical Data and Graphs, Key Players' Strategies: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/piezoceramic-discs-market/purchase-options Trending Reports in Semiconductor and Electronics Industry (Book Now with 10% Discount + COVID-19 Scenario): Piezoelectric Sensor Market is projected to reach $3.9 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2022 to 2031. Wireless Sensor Market is projected to reach $102.5 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 20.6% from 2022 to 2031. Photonic Sensors Market is projected to reach $94,267.9 million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 16.8% from 2021 to 2030. Photoelectric Sensor Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032. Recordable Optical Disc Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032. About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact Us: United States 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/piezoceramic-discs-market-to-reach-5-4-billion-globally-by-2032-at-6-6-cagr-allied-market-research-301917530.html The global fund of funds, Golding Impact 2021, has been upgraded to "dark green" and now meets the strict requirements of Article 9 Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). This represents Golding Capital Partners' response to the increasing demand for investments with ambitious, measurable environmental and social sustainability objectives. In addition to investments in the EU, the fund's global private equity impact strategy also enables investors to gain exposure to countries such as the US, Canada, UK, Switzerland as well as selected emerging markets, without having to forego the strict transparency rules introduced by the European SFDR. This expands the universe of impact funds available to institutional Article 9 investors significantly and also increases the level of diversification substantially. The impact fund will focus on companies with cutting-edge, transformative business models within climate technologies (85 per cent) and inclusive finance (15 per cent). Impact fund opens up global Article 9 potential According to research by Golding Capital Partners, only 30 per cent of all private equity impact funds worldwide are classified as qualifying for Article 9 of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), although many more have sustainable investment objectives and conform to strict sustainability criteria. "Impact funds based outside the European Union are often able to meet the requirements for classification under Article 9, but are typically not willing to incur the additional administrative costs of doing so. As a result, investors seeking to make Article 9 investments have until now been missing out on these opportunities. Our verification and classification process, carried out in close cooperation with our target fund managers, enables us to close this gap in the interest of our investors", explains Dr Andreas Nilsson, Managing Director and Head of Impact Investing at Golding. The fund's investment strategy remains unchanged: It will focus on funds and their portfolio companies which on the one hand generate risk-adjusted market rate returns, and on the other hand contribute significantly to alleviating climate change, biodiversity loss and global inequality by virtue of their sustainable business models. The main geographic markets are Europe and North America, with a smaller allocation to emerging markets. The fund is structured as a Luxembourg SCS SICAV-RAIF and has a minimum commitment of 5 million. Detailed verification process based on SFDR standards The new classification is based on a process devised in cooperation with an advisory company, which mirrors the requirements of the SFDR for sustainable investments. Golding collects and reviews relevant data as defined by the SFDR to classify potential target funds based outside the EU and therefore not subject to the EU Disclosure Regulation, but still meet all the criteria of Article 9. "It is important to note that we are not reclassifying funds already covered by the SFDR according to our own criteria. What we are doing is reviewing target funds which are not formally classified under to the EU regulation with the aim to determine whether they conform to the SFDR criteria", adds Dr Andreas Nilsson. "Our impact strategy has a global scope and there is a large number of high-quality impact opportunities in North America, UK and some of the larger emerging markets that are not subject to the SFDR. The fact that we are now able to make them investable under the umbrella of an Article 9 fund is a great step forward and a pioneering achievement by our impact team. This expands the impact universe for institutional Article 9 investors by a significant multiple and enables even greater diversification", says Dr Matthias Reicherter, Managing Partner and CIO at Golding. About Golding Capital Partners GmbH Golding Capital Partners GmbH is one of Europe's leading independent asset managers for alternative investments, focusing on the asset classes infrastructure, private credit, private equity, secondaries and impact. With a team of more than 200 professionals at its offices in Munich, London, Luxembourg, Milan, New York, Tokyo and Zurich, Golding Capital Partners helps institutional and professional investors to develop their investment strategy and manages some 14 billion in assets. Its more than 230 investors include pension funds, insurance companies, foundations, family offices and ecclesiastical institutions, as well as banks, savings banks and cooperative banks. Golding became a signatory of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) in 2013 and has been a supporter of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) since 2021. Disclaimer The purchase of interests in the fund of funds represents an entrepreneurial investment, which in addition to the chance of income, also entails risks up to the total loss of invested capital. An investment decision should only be taken on the basis of the appropriate issue document, the partnership agreement, the subscription form, the most recent valuation (net asset value) and last annual report. The fund of funds is only open to knowledgeable investors within the meaning of the Luxembourg Law of 23 July 2016 relating to reserved alternative investment funds (RAIF) and who are professional investors within the meaning of the Luxembourg Law of 12 July 2013 on alternative investment fund managers (AIFM) or, to the extent that the legislation applicable to such investors allows the distribution of shares in this investment fund of funds to them, particularly those who qualify as semi-professional investors in Germany or qualifying private investors under Austrian or Swiss law. You are advised that Golding Capital Partners is not authorised to provide legal or tax advice. The information in this document is a presentation of Golding Capital Partners' internal opinion of the topic under discussion, which may not have been validated or not definitively by external legal or tax advisers and which does not apply in all circumstances. The presentations do not meet the statutory requirements intended to ensure the objectivity of financial analysis. None of the statements by Golding Capital Partners constitute investment advice or legal or tax advice and must always be reviewed by knowledgeable third parties authorised to provide legal or tax advice. Some of the legal matters involved may not have been definitively settled. It can therefore not be ruled out that third parties, regulatory and tax authorities and public auditors hold different opinions. For this reason, no guarantee for the accuracy of the statements can be given. Although the information contained in this document has been compiled with great care, we cannot guarantee that it has been reproduced without error. The information here represents the information available to us at the time the document was prepared. Nevertheless, we cannot guarantee that our analyses and our assessment of them reflect the current situation. The statements included in this information must only be understood as the opinions of Golding Capital Partners. You are advised that past performance and forecasts are not a reliable guide to future results. We cannot guarantee that the forecasts will actually materialise. No one should take any action on the basis of the information in this document without a thorough analysis of the relevant situation and without appropriate professional advice from third-party experts. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905104818/en/ Contacts: Golding Capital Partners GmbH Susanne Stolzenburg Director, Head of Marketing Communications T +49 (0)89 419 997 553 stolzenburg@goldingcapital.com PB3C GmbH Johannes Braun PR Director Real Assets T +49 (0)89 242 0865 36 braun@pb3c.com Scramoge Technology Ltd., an Irish-based company specializing in the licensing of technology in the field of wireless charging, responds to the misleading narrative (https://www.finnegan.com/en/firm/news/finnegan-and-bmw-successfully-dismantle-non-practicing-entitys-efforts.html) released by BMW's counsel, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett Dunner LLP. The true facts are far afield from the "one-two punch" described in Finnegan's August 23, 2023 press release. In 2022, Scramoge brought suit against BMW in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas arising out of BMW's infringement of patented technology owned by Scramoge. As a result of that lawsuit, BMW's supplier of the accused infringing technology engaged in reasonable licensing discussions with Scramoge which resulted in a license. As a result, Scramoge was legally required to dismiss its action against BMW in Texas, and promptly did so. Despite the dismissal of such action, and the granting of the license, several months later BMW inexplicably maintained a subsequent action it brought against Scramoge in the Eastern District of Michigan seeking a declaratory judgment that BMW did not infringe Scramoge's patented technology despite being advised that its supplier was licensed. When BMW and its counsel Finnegan refused to dismiss the Michigan action, Scramoge publicly filed a motion to dismiss BMW's action with the Michigan Court. In that motion Scramoge also advised Finnegan that it would be liable to Scramoge for fees and costs incurred by Scramoge for BMW and Finnegan continuing to pursue the baseless Michigan action Finnegan never responded. Before that motion was decided, Finnegan and BMW relented, agreeing to dismiss the Michigan action and additional challenges filed with the Patent and Trial Appeal Board, and the parties also submitted a pleading in Texas stipulating that they would consider the dismissal with prejudice. Far from being a total victory for BMW, Scramoge successfully enforced its patent rights against companies, like BMW, who infringe the patented wireless charging technology. Case/Docket: BMW of North America v. Scramoge Technology, 2:23-cv-10561-GAD-EAS (ED Mich) Scramoge Technology v. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, 2:22-cv-00472-JRG-RSP (EDTX) BMW of North America v. Scramoge Technology, Case No. IPR2023-01048 Case No. IPR2023-00913 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230828159439/en/ Contacts: Gavin Driscoll, +353 (0) 86 380 5322 gdriscoll@atlanticips.com INDRC Pioneers Combination of Biological Sciences and Medicine with Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Approaches to Identify Therapeutic Interventions for Alzheimer's Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Disorders Executive Director Appointment to Further Advance High-Impact Research Projects and Build Rapidly Growing Community of Scientists, Partners, and Investors New INDRC Publications Outline Path to Accelerating Identification of Treatments for Neurodegenerative Disorders by Merging and Advancing Dispersed Knowledge in Science and Applying Information Technology Solutions Near-Term Project to Develop AI/ML-Derived Algorithms to Detect Unrecognized Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Community Healthcare Systems International Neurodegenerative Disorders Research Center, (INDRC), a private, non-profit, global research institute applying artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) solutions to study function and information processing of healthy and diseased human brain to identify therapeutic interventions for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders, today announced the appointment of Ms. Lenka Uldrijanova as its new Executive Director and the release of two peer-reviewed scientific publications: Khachaturian A, et al: "Accelerating Innovations for Enhanced Brain Health. Can Artificial Intelligence Advance New Pathways for Drug Discovery for Alzheimer's and other Neurodegenerative Disorders?" published in the Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease Kaliszyk C, et al: "Combining Higher-Order Logic with Set Theory Formalizations" published in the Journal of Automated Reasoning "Since founding the INDRC institute two years ago, we have made considerable progress on our mission to improve the understanding of the biology driving neurodegeneration and develop new interventions to prevent and treat neurodegenerative disorders. The search for effective treatments for patients remains painfully slow due to the lack of understanding of the complex interrelationship between brain structure and brain function, as well as limited knowledge of the precise pathogenic pathways that impair or destroy neurons and their connections," said Martin Tolar, MD, PhD, Founder and Chairman of INDRC Executive Board, and Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Alzheon, Inc. "INDRC is the first organization of its kind to combine biological sciences and medicine with big data and artificial intelligence approaches to study function and information processing of human brain. Our global community of the world's leading experts in neuroscience, clinical research, mathematics, bioinformatics, AI, and computer science are together making fundamental advances to bridge the informational gap and build computational models to identify therapeutic interventions for these devastating diseases." The INDRC Institute convened a world-class Scientific Advisory Board to identify the following critical roadblocks in finding effective treatments: Inadequate understanding of complex interrelationship between brain structure and brain function Limited knowledge of precise pathogenic pathways that impair or destroy neurons and their connections Lack of application of AI and ML solutions to study function and information processing of healthy and diseased human brain Ineffective collaboration frameworks between leading experts in neuroscience, clinical research, mathematics, biophysics, biochemistry, bioinformatics, AI, and computer science Ms. Uldrijanova brings more than 15 years of leadership experience in customer care, and non-profit sectors to INDRC. Prior to joining INDRC, she led the Czech non-profit organization Liga vozickaru, which comprises nearly 100 employees dedicated to helping people with disabilities. She created effective strategies to maximize donations, identified and explored donor pools with a focus on creating long-term collaborations, and built alliances with other nonprofits. She also helped create a podcast series providing the public with insight into the perspectives of people living with disabilities, as well as organized sporting and cultural events for people with disabilities and their families. Previously, Ms. Uldrijanova served as the General Manager of the Regus office in Brno, Czech Republic, a British company that operates in more than 120 countries and provides back-office services to companies of all sizes. Ms. Uldrijanova is a member of the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Brno, a leading business association in the Czech Republic. Ms. Uldrijanova graduated in 1998 with a master's degree in history from the Faculty of Sciences of Masaryk University in Brno. "I am excited to assume operational leadership of such a high-impact global institute, especially during these exciting times when the clinical and biological understanding of Alzheimer's disease and neurodegeneration is rapidly evolving," said Ms. Uldrijanova. "The integration of fast-paced information technology into neurosciences will accelerate development of novel therapeutic solutions at INDRC, and I invite Alzheimer's and data-driven communities to reach out to us with projects, ideas, and solutions as we continue our journey." The INDRC Institute includes partners from the European Union, North America, and around the world, including leading universities, research institutes, clinical centers, as well as for-profit and non-profit companies. In September 2022, the Institute organized its first conference, INDRC Conference 2022: "Artificial Intelligence Solutions for Understanding and Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders.", which examined current theories and knowledge of Alzheimer's disease and neurodegeneration and set the following scientific and engineering goals for the Institute: Establish novel modelling framework to examine current theories and knowledge of Alzheimer's and neurodegeneration Institute common ontology to identify crucial aspects that provide linkages and interfaces between various sub-systems within complete brain architecture Create both an inventory of information about theories and a comprehensive knowledge management platform Construct high-performance AI/ML model platform "Modelbase" to explore and integrate currently available conceptual knowledge and experimental data Develop new methods, models, and algorithms to enable exploration of complex non-linear dynamics between biology, environment, disease, and public health "A key obstacle to the development of new therapies is the lack of understanding of the complex non-linear relationships between the clinical features of a given brain disorder and the underlying neurobiological mechanism," said Ara Khachaturian, PhD, Chair of INDRC Scientific Advisory Board, and Executive Vice President of Campaign to Prevent Alzheimer's Disease. "At present, neuroscience research communities do not have easy access to data and interpretation tools, which typically reside within advanced, high-performance computing laboratories and often require highly qualified programmers, engineers, and computer scientists to analyze the data and use the tools. These disciplines are rarely associated with biomedical research focused on brain disorders, and researchers do not currently possess adequate conceptual models of brain diseases, the requisite research mapping tools, or the knowledge visualization systems to efficiently investigate new and promising interventions that connect the complex origins of brain disorders with respective clinical symptoms," Dr. Khachaturian stressed. "Given the recent challenges of clinical trials to demonstrate effective options to modify the clinical course of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, INDRC's research priority is to slow the progression and delay the onset of disabling symptoms, so that people living with dementia and other chronic brain disorders can maintain their independence." About INDRC The INDRC, International Neurodegenerative Disorders Research Center, is a private, non-profit, global research institute based in Prague, Czech Republic, that for the first time combines biological sciences and medicine with big data and artificial intelligence approaches to study and treat Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.1 The INDRC goal is to merge and advance the globally dispersed knowledge in brain systems and neurodegeneration through research training fellowship programs of excellence, delivering outstanding independent research programs, building a world-class Scientific Advisory Board and research community, and enabling technological and therapeutic innovations with genuine impact on society and humanity.1 INDRC is interdisciplinary by design, addressing research bottlenecks and developing new analytical approaches to discover and model the non-linear dynamics between biology, disease, man, and environment.2 The Institute uses a transparent governance model that includes committed international partners from European Union, North America and around the world, including universities, research institutes, clinical centers, and for-profit/non-profit companies. INDRC projects apply artificial intelligence and machine learning to address the challenges facing the identification and validation of new therapeutic interventions in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative disorders to advance therapies with the greatest impact for patients. INDRC Scientific Publications 1 Khachaturian A, et al: Accelerating Innovations for Enhanced Brain Health. Can Artificial Intelligence Advance New Pathways for Drug Discovery for Alzheimer's and other Neurodegenerative Disorders?, The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, 2023; 10, 1-4. 2 Kaliszyk C, et al: Combining Higher-Order Logic with Set Theory Formalizations, The Journal of Automated Reasoning, 2023; 67, 20. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905176293/en/ Contacts: Media Christine Rathbun ViZEN Studios +1 (401) 578-6165 christine@vizenstudios.com The world's first premium leisure airline offers all-lay flat seating and a premium travel experience from start to finish Seats for the inaugural flights are available for purchase now through select travel agents and at flybeond.com Service from Munich and Zurich begins in mid-November 2023 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Beond, the world's first premium leisure airline, is pleased to announce that Munich and Zurich are the initial origin cities for the airline, flying to Male, Maldives. The inaugural flights are scheduled for November 2023, with the Munich inaugural departing November 15, and the Zurich inaugural departing November 17. Beond's Chief Commercial Officer, Sascha Feuerherd said: "We are thrilled to announce Munich and Zurich as launch cities for Beond. Our customers there will enjoy an incredible premium leisure experience on their way to Maldives, a beautiful destination. Our team is hard at work preparing for service launch with a goal to exceed every expectation of our first customers from the moment they book with us." Beond will begin operations this fall with Maldives as its first hub. The service launch from Europe will begin with an Airbus A319 aircraft with 44 state-of-the-art lay-flat configuration, and a premium on-board experience including fine dining. The airline recently received its Air Operator's Certificate in Maldives from the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority. About Beond Beond is the world's first premium leisure airline offering unique and tailored experiences for today's modern travellers. Beond will initiate flights from a variety of destinations with the latest aviation and luxury travel innovations. Visit www.flybeond.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/beond-airline-announces-munich-and-zurich-as-its-first-european-launch-cities-to-the-maldives-301916362.html Firm adds previous director of FX and Currency Overlay at NAB (National Australia Bank), Katie Renouf Highly experienced Financial Markets professional with more than 20 years experience, specializing in delivery of FX solutions to asset owners, asset managers and alternative fund structures CHICAGO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mesirow, an independent employee-owned financial services firm, is pleased to announce the appointment of Katie Renouf as a Senior Vice President in Global Investment Management, reflecting the firm's continued strategic expansion within the European market. This senior hire marks a significant step forward in Mesirow's global growth strategy, reinforcing its commitment to delivering innovative solutions to clients across Europe. "Katie brings a wealth of experience in developing and distributing FX solutions to institutional investors and investment consultants across Europe," said Joe Hoffman, Senior Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Currency Management. "Her experience and deep understanding of the European market will play a pivotal role in serving clients and advancing our strategic growth priorities." "With the addition of Katie, our ability to deliver tailored solutions that cater to the distinct challenges and opportunities of the European market comes at a time when the demand for Currency solutions is rapidly increasing in the region," said Steve Swierczewski, Senior Managing Director and Head of Mesirow Global Investment Management Distribution. "By establishing a stronger presence in London, Mesirow aims to deepen relationships with existing clients and partners further while tapping new markets." Katie has 20 years of experience in FX roles for large financial institutions. Before joining Mesirow, she was a Director in FX & Overlay sales at NAB, responsible for developing solutions for a range of sophisticated investors. Before that, she worked in a senior FX role at BNP Paribas Securities Services. About Mesirow Global Investment Management With global headquarters in Chicago, Mesirow Global Investment Management provides clients global alternative and traditional strategies that are customized by special teams to address individual risk and return objectives. Mesirow offers institutional investors customized currency management, high-quality private equity partnership and sponsorship opportunities, compelling direct real estate investments, small cap and small-mid cap equity strategies and fixed income products with distinct risk-return profiles for unique liquidity needs and capital constraints. For more information, please visit: mesirow.com/capabilities/global-investment-management About Mesirow Mesirow is an independent, employee-owned financial services firm founded in 1937. Headquartered in Chicago, with locations around the world, we serve clients through a personal, custom approach to reaching financial goals and acting as a force for social good. With capabilities spanning Global Investment Management, Capital Markets & Investment Banking, and Advisory Services, we invest in what matters: our clients, our communities and our culture. Mesirow has $56.8 billion in regulatory assets under management, $57.3 billion in assets under advisement and $142.5 billion in non-securities currency assets under management as of June 30, 2023.1 To learn more, visit mesirow.com and follow us on LinkedIn. Mesirow was recently named one of the Best Places to Work in Chicago by Crain's Chicago Business and one of the Top 100 RIA firms by Barron's. Media mediainquiries@mesirow.com | Michael Herley | 203.308.1409 Mesirow refers to Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. and its divisions, subsidiaries and affiliates. The Mesirow name and logo are registered service marks of Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc., 2023, Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. Investment management services provided through Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc., Mesirow Institutional Investment Management, Inc. and Mesirow Financial Private Equity Advisors, Inc., all SEC-registered investment advisor, a CFTC registered commodity trading advisors and member of the NFA, or Mesirow Financial International UK, Ltd. ("MFIUK"), authorized and regulated by the FCA, depending on the jurisdiction. As of 06.30.23 unless otherwise noted. | 1. "Assets under supervision" includes regulatory assets under management; assets under advisement; and non-securities currency assets under management. For these purposes: (1) regulatory assets under management ("RAUM") is calculated in accordance with Instruction 5A of Form ADV and includes all assets of securities portfolios (both discretionary and non-discretionary). (2) Some assets under advisement ("AUA") are on a 45-to-90-day lag due to time needed to confirm away assets. (3) Currency assets under management includes AUM associated with (i) active and passive currency risk management products $141.15 billion, (ii) non-fx overlay strategies such as equitization and beta overlays $713.60 million, and (iii) alpha strategies $633.50 million. In all such cases, AUM is calculated based on notional value of currency investments. Additionally, AUM for alpha strategies is adjusted because clients can select a volatility target (generally between 2% and 12% annualized), which is normalized to 2% in order to create a consistent depiction of alpha strategy AUM. This results in a "scaled" AUM, which is higher than the actual aggregate notional value of all alpha strategy portfolios if clients have selected a volatility target higher than 2%. As of 06.30.2023, the "unscaled" AUM for alpha strategies was $205.85 million. Award recognition disclosures: https://www.mesirow.com/award-recognition-disclosures Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2200305/Mesirow_Katie_Renouf.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1331657/Mesirow_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/institutional-investor-demand-drives-mesirow-london-team-expansion-301916545.html VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Mawson Gold Limited ("Mawson" or the "Company") (TSX:MAW)(Frankfurt:MXR)(OTC PINK:MWSNF) announces results from six drillholes (SDDSC068, 73-74, 76, 77B, 78) at the Sunday Creek Project in Victoria, Australia (Figure 1). SDDSC077B drilled 404.4 m @ 5.6 g/t AuEq (5.1 g/t Au, 0.3 %Sb) from 374.0 m (uncut), and traverses 13 individual high-grade vein sets (Figures 3-6). Seven intervals have >100 g/t Au (up to 2,670 g/t Au), 20 intervals at >15 g/t Au and 20 intervals have >5% Sb (up to 55.8% Sb). It is the best hole drilled to date on the project, a spectacularly wide and high-grade intersection of gold-antimony mineralization. SDDSC078 demonstrated the up-dip extension and continuation of five high grade zones towards the surface and SDDSC068 demonstrated the scale of the Sunday Creek system with a 500 m down-dip extension below prior drilling from the Apollo area. Sunday Creek is 100% owned by Southern Cross Gold ("SXG"), which is an ASX listed company owned 51% by Mawson. Four rigs continue to drill both in the main drill area where eleven holes (SDDSC079-81, 83-90) are currently being geologically processed and chemically analyzed, with four holes (SDDSC082, 91-93) in drill progress (Figures 5-6) and up to 7.5 km along strike at the Tonstal, Consols and Leviathan prospects where twelve holes (SDDTS001-7, SDDCN001 and SDDLV001-4) for 2,383 m (including two redrilled collars) have now been completed with results expected in the coming weeks (Figure 2). Highlights: Demonstrating Grade: SDDSC077B exceeds the previous best hole by almost three times. It contains the highest grades seen at Sunday Creek to date (up to 2,670 g/t Au) and includes the best intersection at Sunday Creek, as well as two others in the top 10. SDDSC077B exceeds the previous best hole by almost three times. It contains the highest grades seen at Sunday Creek to date (up to 2,670 g/t Au) and includes the best intersection at Sunday Creek, as well as two others in the top 10. Hole SDDSC077B intersected 404.4 m @ 5.6 g/t AuEq (5.1 g/t Au, 0.3% Sb) from 374.0 m (uncut). A selection of highlights include: 5.6 m @ 17.8 g/t AuEq (14.1 g/t Au, 2.4% Sb) from 392.2 m , including: 0.2 m @ 31.5 g/t AuEq (31.4 g/t Au, 0.0% Sb) from 392.2 m 0.4 m @ 231.6 g/t AuEq (182.0 g/t Au, 31.4% Sb) from 394.2 m 5.4 m @ 39.3 g/t AuEq (38.0 g/t Au, 0.8% Sb) from 407.7 m , including: 0.4 m @ 593.6 g/t AuEq (574.0 g/t Au, 12.4% Sb) from 407.7 m (uncut). A selection of highlights include: 4.9 m @ 36.1 g/t AuEq (20.1 g/t Au, 10.1% Sb) from 445.2 m , including: 1.4 m @ 113.9 g/t AuEq (66.6 g/t Au, 29.9% Sb) from 445.2 m 0.3 m @ 54.0 g/t AuEq (12.1 g/t Au, 26.5% Sb) from 449.7 m 6.9 m @ 205.2 g/t AuEq (204.5 g/t Au, 0.4% Sb) from 733.8 m , including: 0.8 m @ 1,741.5 g/t AuEq (1,736.4 g/t Au, 3.3% Sb) from 739.9 m: Including 0.4 m @ 731.2 g/t AuEq (731.0 g/t Au, 0.1% Sb) from 739.9 m Including 0.4 m @ 2,679.8 g/t AuEq (2,670 g/t Au, 6.2% Sb) from 740.3 m (20.1 g/t Au, 10.1% Sb) , including: Drill hole SDDSC077B is the first hole to date to expand the mineralized footprint 25 m to 60 m from SDDSC050 (305 m @ 2.4 g/t AuEq, reported 20 November 2022) and demonstrate continuity of mineralized structures between these holes at the Rising Sun prospect area (Figure 4). Drill hole SDDSC082 (in progress to plan 1,000m) is targeting mineralization 100 m below SDDSC077B and has intersected multiple zones of mineralization from 413 m to the current depth of 870 m down hole. Visible gold has been noted in multiple individual restricted zones to date. SDDSC078 intersected five mineralized structures over 214 m downhole length. Five individual assays of greater than 20 g/t gold, up to 162 g/t gold and high grades of antimony of up to 12.8% Sb were intersected. Visible gold was noted in six individual restricted zones. The Rising Sun area remains open up-dip, down-dip and along strike. Demonstrating Volume: SDDSC068 confirmed continuity of the known high-grade zones to great depth at Apollo by drilling 500 m down-dip from hole SDDSC066 (10.4 m @ 22.4 g/t AuEq) adding to the volume of the mineralized endowment. SDDSC068 confirmed continuity of the known high-grade zones to great depth at Apollo by drilling 500 m down-dip from hole SDDSC066 (10.4 m @ 22.4 g/t AuEq) adding to the volume of the mineralized endowment. The Apollo area remains open up-dip, down-dip below 1,000 m depth and along strike Mawson owns 93,750,000 shares of SXG (51%), valuing its stake at A$46.9 million (C$41.2 million) based on SXG's closing price on August 31, 2023 AEST. Noora Ahola, Mawson Interim CEO, states: "With the release of SDDSC077B, SXG's 100% owned Sunday Creek project solidifies its status as one of the best new gold discoveries in the world today. Thirteen individual high-grade vein sets with seven >100 g/t Au intervals and 20 >15 g/t Au over 400 m of strike speaks volumes on the quality of project. Hitting intercepts such as 0.4 m @ 2,670 g/t gold was the remaining factor that elevates Sunday Creek into the same league as the other globally high-grade epizonal gold deposits that exist in Victoria. "Along with recently reported holes SDDSC068 & 78, these holes confirm SXG's strategy to demonstrate grade, volume and scale at the project drilling both up and down dip of previously reported fantastic holes such as SDDSC050 and SDDSC066. "SXG recently announced a planned 26,000 m drill campaign to April 2024 and is fully funded and permitted to execute on its strategy across its 11 km mineralized trend at Sunday Creek. It has a total of 24 holes that are pending release from both the main drill area and its regional targets up to 7,500 m to the northeast. We expect a steady stream of positive results to come out of Australia." Results Discussion Drill hole SDDSC077B 404.4 m @ 5.6 g/t AuEq (5.1 g/t Au, 0.3% Sb) from 374.0 m (uncut) was designed to demonstrate continuity of mineralized structures between 25 m to 65 m spacing around hole SDDSC050 (305 m @ 2.4 g/t AuEq reported 20 November 2022) at Rising Sun. SDDSC077B (cumulative 2,272 AuEq g/t x m) exceeded SDDSC050 (cumulative 852 AuEq g/t x m), the previous best hole, by almost three times. SDDSC077B hole intersected 13 zones of mineralization from 375 m to 787 m down hole depth with visible gold noted in 28 individual restricted zones. SDDSC050 also traversed across the same 13 vein structures intersected in SDDSC077B with between 25 m to 60 m distance separating the two holes. SDDSC077B drilled parallel to the host breccia dyke but at a high angle to the predominant NW high-grade mineralization trend, and therefore, the true thickness of the mineralized interval is interpreted to be approximately 60-70% of the sampled thickness. Cumulatively the hole recorded a 2,272 g/t AuEq x m intersection. Seven intervals had >100 g/t Au (up to 2,679.8 g/t Au), 20 intervals at >15 g/t Au and 20 intervals with >5% Sb (up to 55.8% Sb) were intersected. Uncut, the hole graded 404.4 m @ 5.6 g/t AuEq (5.1 g/t Au, 0.3 %Sb) from 374.0 m. Figure 4 shows the plan view of drill holes SDDSC050 and SDDSC070. Spatial separation of the holes is shown along their traces. The figure demonstrates the continuity of mineralized structures, especially in the dyke hanging wall, and shows the opportunity to extend the high grades into the dyke hanging wall. Highlights from SDDSC077B include: 5.6 m @ 17.8 g/t AuEq (14.1 g/t Au, 2.4% Sb) from 392.2 m , including: (14.1 g/t Au, 2.4% Sb) , including: 0.2 m @ 31.5 g/t AuEq (31.4 g/t Au, 0.0% Sb) from 392.2 m (31.4 g/t Au, 0.0% Sb) 0.4 m @ 231.6 g/t AuEq (182.0 g/t Au, 31.4% Sb) from 394.2 m (182.0 g/t Au, 31.4% Sb) 5.4 m @ 39.3 g/t AuEq (38.0 g/t Au, 0.8% Sb) from 407.7 m , including: (38.0 g/t Au, 0.8% Sb) , including: 0.4 m @ 593.6 g/t AuEq (574.0 g/t Au, 12.4% Sb) from 407.7 m (574.0 g/t Au, 12.4% Sb) 24.0 m @ 3.6 g/t AuEq (3.2 g/t Au, 0.2% Sb) from 417.0 m , including: (3.2 g/t Au, 0.2% Sb) , including: 1.5 m @ 43.1 g/t AuEq (39.7 g/t Au, 2.1% Sb) from 422.1 m (39.7 g/t Au, 2.1% Sb) 0.4 m @ 24.0 g/t AuEq (17.3 g/t Au, 4.2% Sb) from 428.2 m (17.3 g/t Au, 4.2% Sb) 4.9 m @ 36.1 g/t AuEq (20.1 g/t Au, 10.1% Sb) from 445.2 m , including: (20.1 g/t Au, 10.1% Sb) , including: 1.4 m @ 113.9 g/t AuEq (66.6 g/t Au, 29.9% Sb) from 445.2 m (66.6 g/t Au, 29.9% Sb) 0.3 m @ 54.0 g/t AuEq (12.1 g/t Au, 26.5% Sb) from 449.7 m (12.1 g/t Au, 26.5% Sb) 33.8 m @ 3.0 g/t AuEq (2.4 g/t Au, 0.4% Sb) from 478.0 m , including: (2.4 g/t Au, 0.4% Sb) , including: 1.2 m @ 11.9 g/t AuEq (10.8 g/t Au, 0.7% Sb) from 486.6 m (10.8 g/t Au, 0.7% Sb) 0.5 m @ 21.0 g/t AuEq (20.9 g/t Au, 0.0% Sb) from 491.9 m (20.9 g/t Au, 0.0% Sb) 1.0 m @ 19.6 g/t AuEq (10.1 g/t Au, 6.0% Sb) from 498.5 m (10.1 g/t Au, 6.0% Sb) 0.2 m @ 183.2 g/t AuEq (168.0 g/t Au, 9.6% Sb) from 500.9 m (168.0 g/t Au, 9.6% Sb) 0.3 m @ 6.1 g/t AuEq (5.5 g/t Au, 0.4% Sb) from 506.6 m (5.5 g/t Au, 0.4% Sb) 6.5 m @ 10.2 g/t AuEq (2.8 g/t Au, 4.7% Sb) from 573.0 m , including: (2.8 g/t Au, 4.7% Sb) , including: 2.6 m @ 24.1 g/t AuEq (6.3 g/t Au, 11.3% Sb) from 574.0 m (6.3 g/t Au, 11.3% Sb) 6.9 m @ 205.2 g/t AuEq (204.5 g/t Au, 0.4% Sb) from 733.8 m , including: (204.5 g/t Au, 0.4% Sb) , including: 1.1 m @ 9.8 g/t AuEq (9.5 g/t Au, 0.2% Sb) from 737.1 m (9.5 g/t Au, 0.2% Sb) 0.8 m @ 1,741.5 g/t AuEq (1,736.4 g/t Au, 3.3% Sb) from 739.9 m (1,736.4 g/t Au, 3.3% Sb) Including 0.4 m @ 731.2 g/t AuEq (731.0 g/t Au, 0.1% Sb) from 739.9 m (731.0 g/t Au, 0.1% Sb) Including 0.4 m @ 2,679.8 g/t AuEq (2,670 g/t Au, 6.2% Sb) from 740.3 m SDDSC078 was drilled 250 m up-dip SDDSC050 (305.8 m @ 2.4 g/t AuEq) and successfully targeted the high-grade core of mineralization at Rising Sun. Visible gold was noted in six individual restricted zones within SDDSC078. With the team's greater understanding of targeting grade, including definition of the Golden Orb Fault (Figure 3), SDDSC078 was able to be successfully targeted to intersect mineralization. SDDSC068 was drilled 500 m down-dip of SDDSC066 (10.5 m @ 5.8 g/t AuEq, 7.8 m @ 5.4 g/t AuEq, and 10.4 m @ 22.4 g/t AuEq) and successfully targeted high-grades including 0.5 m @ 23.8 g/t Au from 1,010.4 m within a broader zone of mineralization including 13.3 m @ 1.6 g/t Au from 1,009.8 m at Apollo. Visible gold was noted. For further information on holes SDDSC068, 73-74, 76, 78, please visit SXG's website at www.southerncrossgold.com.au. Pending Results and Update With four diamond drill rigs operating at site, SXG's plan is to drill an additional 26,000 m by April 2024, with 19,626 m drilled so far in 2023. Demonstrating Volume: Eleven holes (SDDSC079-81, 83-90) are currently being geologically processed and chemically analyzed, with four holes (SDDSC082, 91-93) in drill progress (Figure 5). Demonstrating Scale: Twelve holes (SDDTS001-7, SDDCN001 and SDDLV001-4) for 2,383 m (including two redrilled collars) have now been completed at the Leviathan - Consols - Tonstal regional area between 3,500 m to 7,500 m along strike from the main drill area. Results are expected in the coming weeks (Figure 2). Demonstrating Grade: Preliminary visual geological logs of SDDSC082, drilled 100 m below hole SDDSC077B at Rising Sun intersected multiple zones of mineralization with visible gold noted in certain restricted zones. Assays are pending (Figures 5-6). Further discussion and analysis of the Sunday Creek project by Southern Cross Gold is available on the SXG website at www.southerncrossgold.com.au. Figures 1-6 show project location, plan, longitudinal and cross-sectional views of drill results reported here and Tables 1-3 provide collar and assay data. The true thickness of the mineralized intervals reported are interpreted to be approximately 60-70% of the sampled thickness. Lower grades were cut at 0.3 g/t Au lower cutoff over a maximum width of 3 m with higher grades cut at 5.0 g/t Au cutoff over a maximum of 1 m width, unless otherwise stated. Technical Background and Qualified Person The Qualified Person, Michael Hudson, Executive Chairman and a director of Mawson Gold, and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, has reviewed, verified and approved the technical contents of this release. Analytical samples are transported to the Bendigo facility of On Site Laboratory Services ("On Site") which operates under both an ISO 9001 and NATA quality systems. Samples were prepared and analyzed for gold using the fire assay technique (PE01S method; 25 gram charge), followed by measuring the gold in solution with flame AAS equipment. Samples for multi-element analysis (BM011 and over-range methods as required) use aqua regia digestion and ICP-MS analysis. The QA/QC program of Southern Cross Gold consists of the systematic insertion of certified standards of known gold content, blanks within interpreted mineralized rock and quarter core duplicates. In addition, On Site inserts blanks and standards into the analytical process. MAW considers that both gold and antimony that are included in the gold equivalent calculation ("AuEq") have reasonable potential to be recovered at Sunday Creek, given current geochemical understanding, historic production statistics and geologically analogous mining operations. Historically, ore from Sunday Creek was treated onsite or shipped to the Costerfield mine, located 54 km to the northwest of the project, for processing during WW1. The Costerfield mine corridor, now owned by Mandalay Resources Ltd contains two million ounces of equivalent gold (Mandalay Q3 2021 Results), and in 2020 was the sixth highest-grade global underground mine and a top 5 global producer of antimony. SXG considers that it is appropriate to adopt the same gold equivalent variables as Mandalay Resources Ltd in its Mandalay Technical Report, 2022 dated 25 March 2022. The gold equivalence formula used by Mandalay Resources was calculated using recoveries achieved at the Costerfield Property Brunswick Processing Plant during 2020, using a gold price of US$1,700 per ounce, an antimony price of US$8,500 per tonne and 2021 total year metal recoveries of 93% for gold and 95% for antimony, and is as follows: ???????? = ???? (??/??) + 1.58 ???? (%). Based on the latest Costerfield calculation and given the similar geological styles and historic toll treatment of Sunday Creek mineralization at Costerfield, SXG considers that a ???????? = ???? (??/??) + 1.58 ???? (%) is appropriate to use for the initial exploration targeting of gold-antimony mineralization at Sunday Creek. For previously reported exploration results referenced in this news release, refer to the following: December 1 4, 2022 SDDSC050 June 1, 2023 SDDSC066 About Mawson Gold Limited (TSX:MAW, FRANKFURT:MXR, OTCPINK:MWSNF) Mawson Gold Limited is an exploration and development company. Mawson has distinguished itself as a leading Nordic exploration company with its 100% owned flagship Rajapalot gold-cobalt project in Finland, and right to earn into the Skelleftea North gold project in Sweden. Mawson also currently owns 51% of Southern Cross Gold Ltd (ASX:SXG) which in turn owns or controls three high-grade, historic epizonal goldfields covering 470 km2 in Victoria, Australia. About Southern Cross Gold Ltd (ASX:SXG) Southern Cross Gold holds the 100%-owned Sunday Creek project in Victoria and Mt Isa project in Queensland, the Redcastle and Whroo joint ventures in Victoria, Australia, and a strategic 10% holding in ASX-listed Nagambie Resources Limited (ASX:NAG) which grants SXG a Right of First Refusal over a 3,300 square kilometer tenement package held by NAG in Victoria. On behalf of the Board, "Noora Ahola" Noora Ahola, Interim CEO Further Information www.mawsongold.com 1305 - 1090 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC, V6E 3V7 Mariana Bermudez (Canada), Corporate Secretary +1 (604) 685 9316 info@mawsongold.com Forward-Looking Statement This news release contains forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). All statements herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Although Mawson believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate, and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Mawson cautions investors that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, Mawson's expectations regarding its ownership interest in Southern Cross Gold, capital and other costs varying significantly from estimates, changes in world metal markets, changes in equity markets, the potential impact of epidemics, pandemics or other public health crises, including the current pandemic known as COVID-19 on the Company's business, risks related to negative publicity with respect to the Company or the mining industry in general; exploration potential being conceptual in nature, there being insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource on the Australian-projects owned by SXG, and uncertainty if further exploration will result in the determination of a mineral resource; planned drill programs and results varying from expectations, delays in obtaining results, equipment failure, unexpected geological conditions, local community relations, dealings with non-governmental organizations, delays in operations due to permit grants, environmental and safety risks, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Mawson's most recent Annual Information Form filed on SEDAR. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Mawson disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Photo 1: SDDSC077B from 739.9 m (0.8 m @ 1,741.5 g/t AuEq (1,736.4 g/t Au, 3.3% Sb) showing quartz-carbonate stockwork with visible gold in an altered dyke. Field of view 4cm. A 3D LiDAR scanned image of 20 cm of core from 739.9m can also be viewed here: https://magiscan.app/model/64c05072ee71b515fb1b0611.html. Figure 1: Location of the Sunday Creek project, along with SXG's other Victoria projects and simplified geology. Figure 2: Sunday Creek regional plan view showing LiDAR, soil sampling, structural framework, regional historic epizonal gold mining areas and broad regional areas tested by 12 holes for 2,383 m drill program. The regional drill areas are at Tonstal, Consols and Leviathan located 4,000-7,500 m along strike from the main drill area at Golden Dyke- Apollo. Figure 3: Sunday Creek factual plan view showing SDDSC077B reported in this press release (grey box), selected prior reported drill holes and pending holes (yellow collar and trace). For location see Figure 2. Figure 4: Sunday Creek unconstrained plan view showing SDDSC050 and SDDSC077B assays with other intersections also shown. Veins (red), dyke hanging wall surface relative to SDDSC077B and SDSSC050 (green) and hanging wall mineralized zone (from dyke hanging wall to dotted red line). The distance between SDDSC077B and SDSSC050 is shown along their traces. The RL at the start and end of holes is noted. For reference surface is approximately 300m RL. Of note is continuity of mineralized structures in the dyke hanging wall between SDDSC077B and SDSSC050. Host structure dips steeply to the north, veins dip steeply. Figure 5: Sunday Creek longitudinal section across C-D the plane of the dyke breccia host looking towards the north showing mineralized veins sets. SDDSC077B reported here, with restricted visible gold intersections shown in SDDSC082 and prior reported drill holes shown. Figure 6: Sunday Creek cropped cross section A-B (50 m influence) across the Rising Sun area looking towards 330 with mineralized veins sets, SDDSC077B and prior reported drill holes. Table 1: Drill collar summary table for recent drillholes in progress. Hole_ID Depth (m) Prospect East GDA94_Z55 North GDA94_Z55 Elevation Azimuth Plunge SDDSC068 1041.2 Apollo 331254 5868098.6 353.9 211.3 -77.7 SDDSC073 818.3 Apollo 331254 5868097 353.9 212.0 -69.0 SDDSC077B 834.2 Rising Sun 330478 5867882 289.0 73.3 -62.2 SDDSC078 439.5 Rising Sun 330617 5867890 300.0 83.6 -58.0 SDDSC079 700.7 Rising Sun 331254 5868098 353.7 210.0 -65.0 SDDSC080 374.6 Rising Sun 330754 5868022 294.3 185.0 -71.0 SDDSC081 338.5 Rising Sun 330754 5868022 294.3 210.0 -60.0 SDDSC082 In progress plan 1000 m Rising Sun 330484 5867895 289.0 74.0 -68.0 SDDSC083 347.5 Golden Dyke 330461 5867922 285.4 196.0 -54.0 SDDSC084 323.4 Rising Sun 330754 5868022 294.3 210.0 -53.0 SDDSC085 827.4 Apollo 331254 5868099 353.8 222.0 -64.0 SDDSC086 298.8 Golden Dyke 330461 5867922 285.4 208.0 -33.0 SDDSC087 286.7 Rising Sun 330754 5868022 294.3 214.0 -43.0 SDDSC088 360.0 Rising Sun 330754 5868022 294.3 214.0 -33.0 SDDSC089 390.0 Golden Dyke 330461 5867922 285.4 214.0 -48.0 SDDSC090 412.2 Christina 330461 5867922 285.4 226.0 -31.0 SDDSC091 In progress plan 580 m Gentle Annie 330871 5868064 305.6 210.0 -69.0 SDDSC092 In progress plan 830 m Rising Sun 330537 5867882 295.5 79.0 -60 SDDSC093 In progress plan 550 m Rising Sun 331291 5867823 316.8 271 -47.5 SDDTS001 179.8 Tonstal 336788 5870637 525.0 156.0 -50.0 SDDTS002 182.6 Tonstal 336788 5870637 525.0 111.0 -42.0 SDDTS003 197.8 Tonstal 336788 5870637 525.0 111.0 -73.0 SDDTS004 62.6 Tonstal 336788 5870637 525.0 79.0 -60.0 SDDTS004A 170.6 Tonstal 336788 5870637 525.0 79.0 -60.0 SDDTS005A 257.1 Tonstal 336788 5870637 525.0 70.0 -42.0 SDDTS006 368.6 Tonstal 336788 5870637 525.0 48.0 -50.0 SDDTS007 179.6 Tonstal 336788 5870637 525.2 230.0 -50.0 SDDCN001 200.5 Consols 336270 5870700 507.0 220.0 -60.0 SDDLV001 152.6 Leviathan 334240 5869962 552.2 190.0 -60.0 SDDLV002 131.9 Leviathan 334240 5869962 552.2 240.0 -50.0 SDDLV003 140.0 Leviathan 334240 5869962 552.2 90.0 -60.0 SDDLV004 143.4 Leviathan 334428 5870014 553.0 242.5 -40.0 Table 2: Tables of mineralized drill hole intersections reported from SDDSC077B using two cut-off criteria. Lower grades cut at 0.3 g/t lower cutoff over a maximum of 3 m with higher grades cut at 5.0 g/t AuEq cutoff over a maximum of 1 m. Drill Hole from (m) to (m) width (m) Au g/t Sb % AuEq g/t AuEq g/t * m SDDSC077B 374.0 778.4 404.4 5.1 0.3 5.6 5.6 SDDSC077B 379.7 380.0 0.3 7.0 2.2 10.5 2.6 SDDSC077B 392.2 397.7 5.6 14.1 2.4 17.8 99.1 including 392.2 392.4 0.2 31.4 0.0 31.5 6.6 including 394.2 394.5 0.4 182.0 31.4 231.6 85.7 SDDSC077B 404.6 404.9 0.3 11.3 4.1 17.8 4.4 SDDSC077B 407.7 413.0 5.4 38.0 0.8 39.3 210.2 including 407.7 408.0 0.4 574.0 12.4 593.6 207.8 SDDSC077B 417.0 441.0 24.0 3.2 0.2 3.6 86.1 including 422.1 423.6 1.5 39.7 2.1 43.1 65.5 including 428.2 428.6 0.4 17.3 4.2 24.0 9.1 SDDSC077B 445.2 450.0 4.9 20.1 10.1 36.1 175.3 including 445.2 446.6 1.4 66.6 29.9 113.9 159.4 including 449.7 450.0 0.3 12.1 26.5 54.0 14.6 SDDSC077B 459.9 460.2 0.3 14.3 0.0 14.3 4.3 SDDSC077B 478.0 511.8 33.8 2.4 0.4 3.0 102.7 including 486.6 487.8 1.2 10.8 0.7 11.9 14.5 including 491.9 492.4 0.5 20.9 0.0 21.0 9.4 including 498.5 499.5 1.0 10.1 6.0 19.6 19.6 including 500.9 501.1 0.2 168.0 9.6 183.2 36.6 including 506.6 506.9 0.3 5.5 0.4 6.1 1.8 SDDSC077B 517.0 536.2 19.2 1.5 0.7 2.6 48.9 including 519.3 519.7 0.5 5.0 3.3 10.3 4.6 including 524.3 524.4 0.2 31.2 0.9 32.7 5.6 including 526.1 526.7 0.7 9.1 1.7 11.8 7.7 including 528.2 529.8 1.6 2.9 1.8 5.8 9.6 including 531.6 533.1 1.5 1.3 2.0 4.4 6.7 including 535.8 536.2 0.4 10.7 5.2 18.9 7.2 SDDSC077B 545.6 546.3 0.6 7.1 0.2 7.4 4.5 SDDSC077B 568.4 568.5 0.1 0.1 17.0 27.0 1.9 SDDSC077B 573.0 579.5 6.5 2.8 4.7 10.2 65.8 including 574.0 576.6 2.6 6.3 11.3 24.1 63.1 SDDSC077B 699.5 701.2 1.7 7.6 0.4 8.3 14.2 including 700.1 700.8 0.7 18.2 0.7 19.4 13.4 SDDSC077B 733.8 740.7 6.9 204.5 0.4 205.2 1424.1 including 737.1 738.3 1.1 9.5 0.2 9.8 11.1 including 739.9 740.7 0.8 1736.4 3.3 1741.5 1410.7 SDDSC077B 752.4 752.7 0.3 11.7 0.0 11.7 3.5 SDDSC077B 777.3 777.4 0.2 5.3 0.0 5.4 0.9 Table 3: All individual assays reported from SDDSC077B >0.1g/t AuEq. Drill Hole from (m) to (m) width (m) Au g/t Sb% AuEq g/t SDDSC077B 101.00 101.50 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 105.58 106.07 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 109.55 110.00 0.5 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 110.00 111.00 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 310.65 311.30 0.7 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 349.00 349.30 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 371.04 372.00 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 373.00 374.00 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 374.00 374.35 0.4 0.4 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 374.75 375.10 0.4 1.1 0.1 1.2 SDDSC077B 375.10 375.90 0.8 0.8 0.0 0.9 SDDSC077B 375.90 376.75 0.9 0.6 0.0 0.7 SDDSC077B 376.75 377.70 1.0 2.2 0.3 2.7 SDDSC077B 377.70 378.80 1.1 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 378.80 379.30 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 379.30 379.70 0.4 0.2 0.0 0.3 SDDSC077B 379.70 379.95 0.3 7.0 2.2 10.5 SDDSC077B 379.95 380.90 1.0 0.6 0.2 0.9 SDDSC077B 380.90 381.55 0.7 0.2 0.0 0.3 SDDSC077B 381.55 382.30 0.8 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 382.30 383.25 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 383.25 384.00 0.8 0.7 0.0 0.7 SDDSC077B 384.00 384.30 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 386.91 387.24 0.3 0.8 0.3 1.3 SDDSC077B 389.20 390.20 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 390.20 391.19 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 392.16 392.37 0.2 31.4 0.0 31.5 SDDSC077B 392.70 393.20 0.5 0.4 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 393.20 394.17 1.0 1.2 0.6 2.1 SDDSC077B 394.17 394.54 0.4 182.0 31.4 231.6 SDDSC077B 394.54 395.00 0.5 1.1 0.8 2.3 SDDSC077B 395.00 395.54 0.5 1.3 0.4 1.9 SDDSC077B 395.54 396.25 0.7 1.8 0.5 2.6 SDDSC077B 396.25 396.46 0.2 0.4 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 396.46 397.50 1.0 0.2 0.1 0.4 SDDSC077B 397.50 397.72 0.2 0.7 0.0 0.7 SDDSC077B 398.50 399.25 0.8 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 400.90 401.24 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.5 SDDSC077B 403.90 404.15 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 404.15 404.60 0.5 0.3 0.0 0.3 SDDSC077B 404.60 404.85 0.3 11.3 4.1 17.8 SDDSC077B 404.85 405.40 0.6 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 405.40 406.15 0.8 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 406.15 406.92 0.8 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 406.92 407.65 0.7 0.1 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 407.65 408.00 0.4 574.0 12.4 593.6 SDDSC077B 408.00 408.33 0.3 0.7 0.0 0.7 SDDSC077B 408.33 409.02 0.7 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 409.02 409.98 1.0 0.3 0.0 0.3 SDDSC077B 409.98 410.40 0.4 0.5 0.1 0.7 SDDSC077B 411.05 411.64 0.6 0.4 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 411.64 412.09 0.5 1.6 0.1 1.7 SDDSC077B 412.09 413.00 0.9 0.6 0.0 0.6 SDDSC077B 413.82 414.85 1.0 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 416.00 417.00 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 417.00 418.00 1.0 1.0 0.1 1.0 SDDSC077B 418.50 418.85 0.4 0.6 0.0 0.7 SDDSC077B 418.85 419.26 0.4 0.7 0.1 0.8 SDDSC077B 419.26 420.15 0.9 0.0 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 420.15 421.10 1.0 0.3 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 421.10 421.70 0.6 0.4 0.1 0.5 SDDSC077B 421.70 422.08 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 422.08 422.47 0.4 144.0 7.8 156.3 SDDSC077B 422.47 422.83 0.4 1.1 0.4 1.7 SDDSC077B 422.83 423.60 0.8 5.0 0.1 5.1 SDDSC077B 423.60 424.50 0.9 0.0 0.1 0.1 SDDSC077B 425.96 426.75 0.8 0.3 0.0 0.3 SDDSC077B 426.75 427.10 0.4 1.1 0.0 1.2 SDDSC077B 427.10 427.80 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 427.80 428.20 0.4 1.8 0.2 2.1 SDDSC077B 428.20 428.58 0.4 17.3 4.2 24.0 SDDSC077B 428.58 429.20 0.6 0.2 0.1 0.3 SDDSC077B 430.10 430.75 0.7 0.9 0.0 1.0 SDDSC077B 431.20 431.85 0.7 0.4 0.1 0.6 SDDSC077B 431.85 432.20 0.4 0.3 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 433.00 434.00 1.0 0.4 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 434.00 435.00 1.0 3.1 0.1 3.2 SDDSC077B 435.00 436.00 1.0 1.1 0.0 1.2 SDDSC077B 436.00 437.00 1.0 0.4 0.1 0.5 SDDSC077B 439.00 440.00 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 440.00 441.00 1.0 0.5 0.1 0.7 SDDSC077B 445.15 445.45 0.3 101.0 15.0 124.7 SDDSC077B 445.45 445.84 0.4 35.5 34.8 90.5 SDDSC077B 445.84 446.07 0.2 85.9 27.7 129.7 SDDSC077B 446.07 446.55 0.5 61.2 36.3 118.6 SDDSC077B 446.55 447.00 0.5 0.8 0.2 1.1 SDDSC077B 448.00 449.00 1.0 0.4 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 449.00 449.74 0.7 0.4 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 449.74 450.01 0.3 12.1 26.5 54.0 SDDSC077B 450.01 450.65 0.6 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 458.70 459.05 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.9 SDDSC077B 459.05 459.55 0.5 0.2 0.1 0.3 SDDSC077B 459.55 459.90 0.4 0.9 0.1 1.0 SDDSC077B 459.90 460.20 0.3 14.3 0.0 14.3 SDDSC077B 460.20 460.50 0.3 0.9 0.0 1.0 SDDSC077B 460.50 461.05 0.6 0.8 0.0 0.8 SDDSC077B 461.05 462.00 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 462.00 462.80 0.8 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 468.80 469.50 0.7 0.0 0.1 0.1 SDDSC077B 472.25 473.05 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 477.95 478.29 0.3 0.4 0.1 0.6 SDDSC077B 479.29 479.93 0.6 0.7 0.9 2.1 SDDSC077B 479.93 480.35 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 480.35 480.55 0.2 1.0 0.9 2.4 SDDSC077B 480.55 481.40 0.9 0.3 0.1 0.5 SDDSC077B 481.40 481.72 0.3 1.5 0.9 2.9 SDDSC077B 481.72 482.41 0.7 0.3 0.1 0.4 SDDSC077B 482.41 483.50 1.1 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 483.50 484.00 0.5 0.5 0.1 0.7 SDDSC077B 484.00 484.40 0.4 3.5 0.0 3.6 SDDSC077B 484.40 485.00 0.6 0.9 0.1 1.0 SDDSC077B 485.00 485.90 0.9 0.4 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 485.90 486.20 0.3 1.7 0.5 2.5 SDDSC077B 486.60 486.90 0.3 3.7 1.1 5.5 SDDSC077B 486.90 487.41 0.5 0.9 0.5 1.8 SDDSC077B 487.41 487.82 0.4 28.3 0.6 29.2 SDDSC077B 488.47 488.89 0.4 1.6 0.4 2.3 SDDSC077B 488.89 489.52 0.6 0.2 0.2 0.5 SDDSC077B 489.52 490.34 0.8 0.2 0.1 0.3 SDDSC077B 490.34 491.10 0.8 0.2 0.1 0.3 SDDSC077B 491.10 491.90 0.8 0.9 0.2 1.2 SDDSC077B 491.90 492.35 0.5 20.9 0.0 21.0 SDDSC077B 492.35 492.70 0.4 1.8 0.2 2.1 SDDSC077B 492.70 493.25 0.6 0.4 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 493.25 493.90 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.4 SDDSC077B 493.90 494.60 0.7 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 494.60 494.82 0.2 1.1 0.5 1.9 SDDSC077B 494.82 495.87 1.1 0.1 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 495.87 496.85 1.0 0.2 0.1 0.2 SDDSC077B 496.85 497.80 1.0 0.8 0.2 1.1 SDDSC077B 497.80 498.50 0.7 0.7 0.1 0.8 SDDSC077B 498.50 498.83 0.3 16.4 11.7 34.9 SDDSC077B 498.83 499.50 0.7 7.0 3.2 12.1 SDDSC077B 499.50 500.50 1.0 0.4 0.3 0.9 SDDSC077B 500.50 500.90 0.4 1.9 0.1 2.1 SDDSC077B 500.90 501.10 0.2 168.0 9.6 183.2 SDDSC077B 501.10 501.50 0.4 1.1 0.4 1.6 SDDSC077B 501.50 501.90 0.4 0.6 0.0 0.7 SDDSC077B 501.90 503.00 1.1 0.3 0.1 0.5 SDDSC077B 503.00 504.00 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 504.00 505.25 1.3 0.8 0.0 0.9 SDDSC077B 506.15 506.55 0.4 0.5 0.1 0.7 SDDSC077B 506.55 506.85 0.3 5.5 0.4 6.1 SDDSC077B 507.85 508.20 0.4 1.8 0.5 2.6 SDDSC077B 508.20 509.00 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 509.30 509.70 0.4 1.3 0.2 1.5 SDDSC077B 509.70 510.34 0.6 0.1 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 511.10 511.76 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.4 SDDSC077B 514.55 514.85 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.4 SDDSC077B 514.85 515.30 0.5 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 515.30 515.75 0.5 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 517.00 517.80 0.8 0.3 0.1 0.4 SDDSC077B 518.70 519.25 0.6 0.2 0.1 0.3 SDDSC077B 519.25 519.70 0.5 5.0 3.3 10.3 SDDSC077B 519.70 520.05 0.4 1.2 0.7 2.4 SDDSC077B 520.05 520.35 0.3 0.3 0.6 1.3 SDDSC077B 520.35 520.70 0.4 1.3 0.5 2.1 SDDSC077B 521.50 521.80 0.3 0.6 0.4 1.3 SDDSC077B 523.40 523.70 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.3 SDDSC077B 524.25 524.42 0.2 31.2 0.9 32.7 SDDSC077B 524.42 525.20 0.8 0.1 0.1 0.2 SDDSC077B 525.20 525.35 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.3 SDDSC077B 526.05 526.20 0.2 4.8 0.7 5.9 SDDSC077B 526.20 526.70 0.5 10.4 2.0 13.6 SDDSC077B 526.70 526.95 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 526.95 527.30 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.5 SDDSC077B 527.30 528.15 0.9 0.2 0.1 0.4 SDDSC077B 528.15 528.41 0.3 4.8 1.3 6.9 SDDSC077B 528.41 528.67 0.3 5.9 1.8 8.8 SDDSC077B 528.67 529.16 0.5 0.5 0.3 1.0 SDDSC077B 529.16 529.31 0.2 2.5 1.5 4.8 SDDSC077B 529.31 529.46 0.2 1.0 0.0 1.0 SDDSC077B 529.46 529.80 0.3 3.7 5.4 12.2 SDDSC077B 529.80 529.95 0.2 1.8 1.0 3.4 SDDSC077B 529.95 530.40 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 530.40 530.70 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 530.70 531.00 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.9 SDDSC077B 531.00 531.30 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.8 SDDSC077B 531.30 531.60 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.4 SDDSC077B 531.60 531.90 0.3 1.4 2.9 6.0 SDDSC077B 532.50 532.80 0.3 2.1 1.6 4.6 SDDSC077B 532.80 533.10 0.3 3.0 5.4 11.5 SDDSC077B 533.10 533.40 0.3 0.7 0.9 2.0 SDDSC077B 533.40 534.05 0.7 0.3 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 534.05 534.60 0.6 0.5 0.5 1.3 SDDSC077B 534.93 535.23 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.3 SDDSC077B 535.53 535.78 0.3 3.8 0.1 3.9 SDDSC077B 535.78 536.16 0.4 10.7 5.2 18.9 SDDSC077B 538.70 539.10 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 542.35 542.85 0.5 0.1 0.1 0.2 SDDSC077B 543.20 543.75 0.6 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 544.35 544.85 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 544.85 545.25 0.4 0.9 0.1 1.0 SDDSC077B 545.25 545.64 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 545.64 546.25 0.6 7.1 0.2 7.4 SDDSC077B 546.25 546.85 0.6 0.2 0.1 0.3 SDDSC077B 546.85 547.30 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 547.30 547.85 0.6 0.7 0.1 0.8 SDDSC077B 552.85 553.70 0.9 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 553.70 554.25 0.6 1.8 0.5 2.6 SDDSC077B 555.20 555.60 0.4 0.5 0.1 0.7 SDDSC077B 556.15 556.50 0.4 2.4 0.8 3.7 SDDSC077B 556.50 557.40 0.9 0.5 0.2 0.7 SDDSC077B 557.40 557.80 0.4 0.4 0.1 0.6 SDDSC077B 557.80 558.50 0.7 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 558.50 559.00 0.5 1.9 0.0 1.9 SDDSC077B 559.00 559.60 0.6 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 562.20 562.55 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 562.85 563.10 0.3 0.0 0.9 1.4 SDDSC077B 563.10 563.45 0.4 0.3 0.1 0.5 SDDSC077B 563.45 563.75 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 564.30 564.90 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 564.90 565.35 0.5 0.1 0.4 0.7 SDDSC077B 568.43 568.50 0.1 0.1 17.0 27.0 SDDSC077B 568.50 569.00 0.5 0.0 0.1 0.2 SDDSC077B 573.00 573.85 0.9 0.3 0.0 0.3 SDDSC077B 573.85 573.98 0.1 1.9 1.9 4.9 SDDSC077B 573.98 574.35 0.4 11.3 55.8 99.5 SDDSC077B 574.35 574.60 0.3 2.4 22.3 37.6 SDDSC077B 574.60 575.40 0.8 2.1 3.0 6.7 SDDSC077B 575.40 576.22 0.8 0.9 0.8 2.1 SDDSC077B 576.22 576.60 0.4 24.5 0.8 25.7 SDDSC077B 576.60 577.16 0.6 0.6 0.1 0.8 SDDSC077B 577.16 577.50 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.4 SDDSC077B 577.50 578.16 0.7 0.3 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 578.16 579.08 0.9 0.4 0.2 0.6 SDDSC077B 579.08 579.25 0.2 0.9 0.4 1.5 SDDSC077B 579.25 579.45 0.2 0.5 0.0 0.6 SDDSC077B 579.45 580.06 0.6 0.1 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 582.40 582.90 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 611.74 612.00 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.3 SDDSC077B 614.12 614.40 0.3 2.3 1.2 4.2 SDDSC077B 614.40 614.90 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 614.90 615.05 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.5 SDDSC077B 615.05 615.40 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 631.00 632.00 1.0 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 635.00 636.00 1.0 0.4 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 673.91 674.41 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 699.00 699.50 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 699.50 699.88 0.4 0.3 0.0 0.3 SDDSC077B 699.88 700.14 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 700.14 700.83 0.7 18.2 0.7 19.4 SDDSC077B 700.83 701.20 0.4 0.8 0.6 1.8 SDDSC077B 701.20 701.56 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 716.00 717.00 1.0 0.2 0.2 0.4 SDDSC077B 717.00 718.00 1.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 SDDSC077B 718.00 718.37 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 718.37 718.86 0.5 0.3 0.0 0.3 SDDSC077B 722.38 723.43 1.1 0.6 0.0 0.6 SDDSC077B 725.00 725.50 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 725.50 726.00 0.5 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 728.90 729.72 0.8 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 733.00 733.46 0.5 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 733.46 733.80 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 733.80 734.05 0.3 0.5 0.0 0.5 SDDSC077B 734.05 734.70 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 735.00 735.45 0.5 0.9 0.0 0.9 SDDSC077B 735.45 736.32 0.9 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 737.12 737.40 0.3 17.4 0.2 17.7 SDDSC077B 737.40 737.70 0.3 1.9 0.5 2.8 SDDSC077B 737.70 737.96 0.3 1.9 0.1 2.0 SDDSC077B 737.96 738.25 0.3 16.4 0.0 16.5 SDDSC077B 738.25 738.75 0.5 1.1 0.1 1.2 SDDSC077B 738.75 739.27 0.5 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 739.27 739.60 0.3 1.3 0.0 1.3 SDDSC077B 739.60 739.93 0.3 1.5 0.0 1.5 SDDSC077B 739.93 740.32 0.4 731.0 0.1 731.2 SDDSC077B 740.32 740.74 0.4 2670.0 6.2 2679.8 SDDSC077B 740.74 741.30 0.6 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 741.30 741.77 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 741.77 742.58 0.8 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 746.77 747.07 0.3 4.9 0.0 4.9 SDDSC077B 749.10 749.60 0.5 0.6 0.0 0.6 SDDSC077B 750.50 751.40 0.9 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 751.73 752.40 0.7 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 752.40 752.70 0.3 11.7 0.0 11.7 SDDSC077B 755.70 756.70 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 756.70 757.70 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 757.70 758.30 0.6 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 763.55 764.66 1.1 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 764.66 765.23 0.6 0.3 0.0 0.3 SDDSC077B 765.23 765.41 0.2 0.4 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 765.41 766.00 0.6 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 766.00 767.00 1.0 0.4 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 767.00 767.55 0.6 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 767.55 768.25 0.7 0.3 0.0 0.3 SDDSC077B 768.25 769.15 0.9 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 769.15 769.50 0.4 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 769.50 770.00 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 770.25 770.50 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 770.50 770.72 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 771.45 771.80 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 774.17 774.48 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 774.48 774.80 0.3 0.4 0.0 0.4 SDDSC077B 774.80 775.57 0.8 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 775.57 776.30 0.7 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 776.30 776.60 0.3 0.0 0.1 0.1 SDDSC077B 776.60 777.25 0.7 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 777.25 777.42 0.2 5.3 0.0 5.4 SDDSC077B 777.42 778.15 0.7 0.2 0.0 0.3 SDDSC077B 778.15 778.35 0.2 3.5 0.0 3.5 SDDSC077B 778.35 779.10 0.8 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 779.10 779.61 0.5 0.3 0.0 0.3 SDDSC077B 779.61 780.20 0.6 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 781.20 782.16 1.0 0.8 0.0 0.8 SDDSC077B 782.16 783.00 0.8 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 783.00 784.00 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 784.00 785.00 1.0 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 785.00 786.00 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 SDDSC077B 786.00 787.06 1.1 0.2 0.0 0.2 SDDSC077B 787.06 787.60 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.5 SDDSC077B 795.00 795.20 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.1 SOURCE: Mawson Gold Limited View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780309/mawsons-subsidiary-sxg-drills-404-m-51-gt-gold-uncut-traversing-13-high-grade-veins-7-intersections-100-gt-gold-up-to-2670-gt-gold-assays-pending-on-100-m-step-out-hole-intersecting-multiple-zones-of-visible-gold Lead Project Financing Bank(s) Expected To be Appointed by late September TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Cerrado Gold Inc. (TSX.V:CERT)(OTCQX:CRDOF) ("Cerrado" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has commenced the tender phase for the Mandated Lead Arranger ("MLA") of its Export Credit Agency project financing program. As of September 4, 2023 the Company and its Advisors have issued detailed banking information memorandums to a number of Project Finance Banks who have indicated an interest in being the Mandated Lead Arranger as part of the UK Export Finance ("UKEF") supported export credit facilities for the Company's 100% owned the Monte Do Carmo Project in Tocantins State, Brazil ("MDC") and the Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium Project in Quebec, Canada ("MS"). (See press release dated July 5, 2023). The selection of the MLA is expected to be completed by the end of September. Once an MLA has been appointed, detailed due diligence will commence with the aim of receiving final terms for the ECA backed Project Financing at MDC towards the end of the year. As outlined previously, UKEF has expressed an interest to provide support for up to US$190 million for the MDC Project and up to US$420 million for the MS Project; representing 70% of total capital expenditure, interest payable during construction, the political risk insurance premium as well as other approved expenditures for each project. As previously announced on April 17, 2023 the Company appointed SD Capital Advisory Ltd and GKB Ventures Ltd ("S&G") to solicit interest for Export Credit Agency backed Project Financing. As a result of this process the Company appointed UK Export Finance to support potential export credit facility. UKEF is a department of the UK Government and is the UK's official Export Credit Agency ("ECA"). UKEF operates under an Act of Parliament to support UK exports, predominately through the provision of 100% unconditional guarantees backed by the UK Government. Mark Brennan, CEO and Chairman commented "We are very pleased to be moving forward to the next stage of determining project financing support to bring both our Monte Do Carmo and Mont Sorcier projects into development. We look forward to working with UKEF and the future appointed MLA to complete project financing in the coming months." About Cerrado Cerrado Gold is a Toronto-based gold production, development, and exploration company focused on gold projects in South America. The Company is the 100% owner of both the producing Minera Don Nicolas and Las Calandrias mine in Santa Cruz province, Argentina, and the highly prospective Monte Do Carmo development project, located in Tocantins State, Brazil. In Canada, Cerrado Gold is developing it's 100% owned Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium project located outside of Chibougamou, Quebec. In Argentina, Cerrado is maximizing asset value at its Minera Don Nicolas operation through continued operational optimization and is growing production through its operations at the Las Calandrias Heap Leach project. An extensive campaign of exploration is ongoing to further unlock potential resources in our highly prospective land package in the heart of the Deseado Masiff. In Brazil, Cerrado is rapidly advancing the Serra Alta deposit at its Monte Do Carmo Project, through feasibility and into production. Serra Alta is expected to be a high-margin and high-return project with significant exploration potential on an extensive and highly prospective 82,542 hectare land package. In Canada, Cerrado holds a 100% interest in the Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium Project, which has the potential to produce a premium iron ore concentrate over a long mine life at low operating costs and low capital intensity. Furthermore, its high grade and high purity product facilitates the migration of steel producers from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces contributing to the decarbonisation of the industry and the achievement of SDG goals. For more information about Cerrado please visit our website at: www.cerradogold.com. Mark Brennan CEO and Chairman Mike McAllister Vice President, Investor Relations Tel: +1-647-805-5662 mmcallister@cerradogold.com Disclaimer NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation, all statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the business and operations of Cerrado. In making the forward- looking statements contained in this press release, Cerrado has made certain assumptions, including, but not limited to the time required to reach production capacity at Las Calandrias, the future operating costs in Argentina, as well the timing of the feasibility study at Monte Do Carmo. Although Cerrado believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, Cerrado disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise. SOURCE: Cerrado Gold Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780230/cerrado-gold-enters-tender-phase-for-mandated-lead-arranger-for-its-export-credit-agency-supported-project-financing-at-its-monte-do-carmo-and-mont-soricer-projects PHOENIX, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TILT Holdings Inc. ("TILT" or the "Company") ( NEO: TILT ) (OTC: TLLTF), a global provider of cannabis business solutions that include inhalation technologies, cultivation, manufacturing, processing, brand development and retail, today announced that SFNY Holdings Inc. ("SFNY") and Standard Farms New York LLC ("Standard Farms NY"), each subsidiaries of the Company, entered into a membership interest purchase agreement ("Purchase Agreement") with CGSF Investments, LLC ("CGSF"), a wholly owned subsidiary of PowerFund Holdings II LLC ("PowerFund Partners"), pursuant to which CGSF acquired from SFNY all the membership interests in Standard Farms NY for the agreed consideration of $1,400,000. Standard Farms NY holds a 75% interest in CGSF Group LLC ("CGSF Group"), which was formed to establish vertical cannabis operations on the Shinnecock Nations aboriginal tribal territory in the Hamptons on Long Island, New York. The cannabis project development firm Conor Green Consulting, LLC will continue to hold a minority interest in CGSF Group. TILT initially partnered with the Nation in August 2021 providing financial investment, training, and mentoring to help establish the Little Beach Harvest, the first tribal owned and operated cannabis dispensary by the Nation on Eastern Long Island of New York. Following the transaction, PowerFund Partners will work in partnership with the Nation on the final stages of development of the Little Beach Harvest dispensary. "Since partnering in 2021, we are proud of what we have been able to accomplish with the Shinnecock Nation," said TILT Holdings Interim Chief Executive Officer Tim Conder. "Although changing market dynamics have caused us to evaluate the best approach to the New York market, we are excited to have PowerFund Partners acquire our position in this partnership and to continue our vision of supporting the Shinnecock people in creating a new economic engine. We wish the Nation continued success with their new partner and look forward to finding opportunities to work together with the Little Beach Harvest brand in the future." The Shinnecock Nation is one of the oldest self-governing tribes in the State of New York and became the 565th tribe formally recognized by the United States federal government on October 1, 2010. The Nation primarily holds jurisdiction over tribal territory at Shinnecock Neck, a peninsula that extends into the Shinnecock Bay encompassing approximately 900 acres, as well as 100 acres along the Peconic Bay which includes Westwoods in Hampton Bays. "A year ago we broke ground with TILT Holdings on the construction of Little Beach Harvest Dispensary and due to their partnership, today we have a building on those grounds. Thank you to the team at TILT for leading us through this journey," said the Council of Trustees of the Shinnecock Nation. "This transition to PowerFund Partners will bring us to the point of completion and official opening as the first tribally owned cannabis dispensary in Eastern Long Island on our Sovereign land. We are excited about what our business will bring to our people and the surrounding communities." "The mission behind Little Beach Harvest ("LBH") and the goals of Shinnecock Nation are perfectly aligned with the values and mission of PowerFund Partners," said Sean D. Power, Chief Executive Officer and President of PowerFund Partners. "We could not be more excited to partner with LBH to support the launch of Shinnecock Nation's first-ever dispensary in the coming weeks. PowerFund Partners expects to work in collaboration with Cure Company and the Originals and are eager to support an ecosystem of Shinnecock based cultivators and manufacturers." Little Beach Harvest is nearing its completion and slated to officially open Fall 2023. About PowerFund Holdings II LLC (PowerFund Partners) PowerFund Partners is a family-owned, privately-held, Boston-based development company with a focus on premium, sustainable cannabis operations. It is led by a core group of partners with decades of experience as industry leaders in business, government, media, development, cannabis, healthcare and community empowerment. PowerFund Partners has joined with the Cure Company and the Originals out of Southern California to create a fully-integrated, joint-venture cannabis cultivation operation in Massachusetts. About TILT Holdings TILT helps cannabis businesses build brands. Through a portfolio of companies providing technology, hardware, cultivation and production, TILT services brands and cannabis retailers across 39 states in the U.S., as well as Canada, Israel, South America and the European Union. TILT's core businesses include Jupiter Research LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary and leader in the vaporization segment focused on hardware design, research, development and manufacturing; and cannabis operations, Commonwealth Alternative Care, Inc. in Massachusetts, Standard Farms LLC in Pennsylvania, and Standard Farms Ohio, LLC in Ohio. TILT is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. For more information, visit www.tiltholdings.com. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information and statements (together, "forward-looking information") under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws which are based on current expectations. Forward-looking information is provided for the purpose of presenting information about TILT management's current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking information may include, without limitation the performance and success of the partnership between the Nation and PowerFund Partners, the expecting timing of the opening of the Little Beach Harvest dispensary, the opinions or beliefs of management, prospects, opportunities, priorities, targets, goals, ongoing objectives, milestones, strategies, and outlook of TILT, and includes statements about, among other things, future developments, the future operations, strengths and strategy of TILT. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "will", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. These statements are based upon certain material factors, assumptions and analyses that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection, including TILT's experience and perceptions of historical trends, the ability of TILT to maximize shareholder value, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that are believed to be reasonable in the circumstances. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions at the date such statements are made, there can be no assurance that it will be completed on the terms described above and that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information. TILT assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by applicable law. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to risks and uncertainties, and there are a variety of risk factors, many of which are beyond the control of TILT, and that may cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include, but are not limited to, those described under the heading "Item 1A Risk Factors" in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, "Item 1A Risk Factors" in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, "Item 1A Risk Factors" in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, and other subsequent reports filed by TILT with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on www.sec.gov and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. TILT Company Contact: Lynn Ricci, VP of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications TILT Holdings Inc. lricci@tiltholdings.com TILT Media Contact: Alice Moon Trailblaze on behalf of TILT Holdings TILT@trailblaze.co Little Beach Harvest Media Contact: Gia Moron GVM Communications on behalf of Shinnecock Nation and PowerFund Partners gia@gvmcommsinc.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - Canadian Copper Inc. (CSE: CCI) ("Canadian Copper" or the "Company") is pleased to provide a corporate update regarding its Murray Brook acquisition integration status and 2023 exploration plans. A new Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") for the Murray Brook deposit was commissioned in August with expected results in late September 2023. A 12-hole program totaling 2,300 meters permit request was submitted to the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources in August. This program is designed to test extensions of the Murray Brook deposit this year (Figure A). A prospecting and trenching program will begin this fall at the Murray Brook West Project (Figure B). Simon Quick, CEO of Canadian Copper. "We are feverishly working on integrating the Murray Brook asset acquisition. There are significant value accretion opportunities within the known resource in addition to various development scenarios given its proximity to a fully furnished milling and flotation facility. In parallel, we continue to strongly believe in the regions discovery potential which is a core pillar to our growth strategy. As a result, we will both explore the known limits of the Murray Brook deposit as-well as our exciting Murray Brook West property this year." Murray Brook Mineral Resource Estimate and Exploration Program The Company commissioned P&E Mining Consultants Inc. to calculate a new MRE for the Murray Brook deposit. There are two primary reasons for this effort: Several economic factors have improved since the previous MRE completed in 2013 that could increase the size of this large resource. Specifically, the previous MRE assumed US$/C$ exchange rate parity and lower metal recoveries for copper and lead. A total of 6,017 meters of drilling occurred between 2017 - 2019 which is currently not included. The Company is targeting release of the new MRE in late September. The results of this model are also integral in planning our next exploration efforts at the project. The objective of the Murray Brook exploration program is to test a new copper stringer zone starting from surface that was discovered in 2019 (MB19-01: 1.35% Cu, 19 g/t Ag, 0.18 g/t Au over 26.4 meters1). The Company expects to begin this program this year. Previous drilling results on this new zone can be found here. Murray Brook West Exploration Plans The Murray Brook West property is located directly adjacent to the Murry Brook deposit and encompasses the same geologic horizon as neighbouring Caribou and Restigouche deposits. Initial prospecting efforts will begin at Murray Brook West this year. Activities will include prospecting and trenching across the favorable Caribou Horizon shown in Figure B. Figure A: Murray Brook Proposed Drilling Areas To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9218/179498_17b999f2f4f2e837_001full.jpg Figure B: Murray Brook West Prospecting Plan To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9218/179498_17b999f2f4f2e837_002full.jpg Qualified Persons Mr. Eugene Puritch, P.Eng., FEC, CET, President of P&E Mining Consultants Inc. and independent Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical content of this news release. About Canadian Copper Inc. Canadian Copper is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company with a copper and base metals portfolio of historical resources and grassroots projects. The Company is focused on the prolific Bathurst Mining Camp (BMC) of New Brunswick, Canada. There are currently 85,322,540 shares issued and outstanding in the Company. For more information, please contact: Simon Quick, Director and CEO email simon@canadiancopper.com / ir@canadiancopper.com phone (905)-220-6661 web www.canadiancopper.com Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary and Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the statements regarding the acquisition of the MB Deposit from the Seller including the ability of the Company to fulfill the remaining terms under the Purchase Agreement, the growth of Canadian Copper's mineral resources, expanded asset base, market and regulatory approval, future exploration programs, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Often, but not always, forward looking information can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "will", "may", "should", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, statements as to the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, including the Company's option to acquire properties under the Puma Option Agreement, the proposed expenditures for exploration work thereon, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to fund its business activities and plans, delays in obtaining governmental and regulatory approvals (including of the CSE), permits or financing, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, the Company's limited operating history, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims, environmental issues and liabilities, as well as those factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's prospectus dated May 24th, 2022 and other filings of the Company with the Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval website at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this presentation or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law. Cautionary Note Regarding Mineral Resource Estimates and Historical Estimates Until mineral deposits are actually mined and processed, Mineral Resources must be considered as estimates only. Mineral Resource Estimates that are not Mineral Reserves have not demonstrated economic viability. Canadian Copper is not treating the "historical resources estimate" as a "current resources estimate" or "mineral reserves", as it has not taken steps to identify what work needs to be done to verify, upgrade or re-classify the "historical resources estimate" using a qualified person. 1 https://www.explorationpuma.com/en/puma-exploration-discovers-a-new-copper-zone-at-murray-brook-hole-mb19-01-intersected-1-35-cu-19-g-t-ag-and-0-18-g-t-au-over-26-4-meters/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179498 Sales increased by 10.6% year-on-year, totaling 3.7 billion Adjusted EBIT grew by 2.5% reaching 207 million, adjusted EBITDA rose by 4.5% to 232 million Order intake amounted to 3.5 billion Sales of around 8.0 billion expected for 2023 Exyte signed share purchase agreement to acquire pure media specialist Intega STUTTGART, Germany, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Exyte GmbH (Exyte), a global leader in the design, engineering, and delivery of high-tech facilities, accomplished sound financial results in the first half of fiscal year 2023. In the first six months of 2023 Exyte recorded a growth in sales of almost 11% to 3.7 billion (6M/2022: 3.4 billion). The order intake totaled 3.5 billion (6M/2022: 4.7 billion). Moreover, an increase in financial earnings was achieved with an adjusted EBIT of 207 million (6M/2022: 202 million) and an adjusted EBITDA of 232 million (6M/2022: 222 million). The adjusted EBIT margin and the adjusted EBITDA margin are slightly below last year's figures reaching 5.6% and 6.2% respectively. The substantial order backlog of around 6.4 billion ensures Exyte's future profitable growth. "In the first half of 2023 we were able to pursue our growth path with solid sales growth and increased financial earnings. Moreover, we were awarded with several key projects all over the world in all our business segments. This shows that Exyte's strong emphasis on megatrend-driven industries and its customer-centric strategy places the company in an advantageous position to maintain its growth momentum even amidst global economic uncertainties," says Dr. Wolfgang Buchele, CEO of Exyte. Financial year 2023: Positive outlook confirmed "We see that our markets are currently shifting regionally. While semiconductor factories have been built almost exclusively in Asia in recent years, many large-scale projects in the field of semiconductors and battery cells are currently being prepared or are already in implementation especially in the USA and Europe, also driven by government subsidies. This development is reflected in Exyte's current order and business development," Buchele continues. Exyte's outlook for the remainder of the financial year 2023 is positive, as the company will continuously pursue its 'Pathway to Ten' with expected sales of around 8.0 billion by the end of this year and envisaged sales of 10.0 billion by 2027. Order intake is expected around the same high level as in the previous year. Development of business segments: strong demand in battery cells, high potential in US data center market and additional acquisition for vertical integration In the first six months of 2023, all business segments contributed to Exyte's sales growth. The differences in incoming orders are due to specific market developments in the respective industries and are taken into account accordingly in Exyte's business planning. In 6M/2023 sales generated in the Advanced Technology Facilities segment grew by around 8% to 3.1 billion year-on-year (6M/2022: 2.9 billion). The business segment is currently executing large-scale semiconductor projects in all geographies. After a particularly strong prior-year period, Exyte achieved an order intake of 2.9 billion (6M/2022: 4.2 billion). Amongst others Exyte has been awarded major semiconductor projects in Germany and the US. Exyte also continues its success in the business with gigafabs for battery cells. In Europe, Exyte meanwhile is involved in the construction of several new gigafabs. The customers are German vehicle manufacturers, an Asian battery manufacturer and a consortium of vehicle manufacturers with an energy company. In addition, Exyte is in talks with other vehicle manufacturers and technology companies as well as with start-ups working on the next generation of battery cells. Sales of the Biopharma & Life Sciences business segment slightly increased to 293 million (6M/2022: 291 million). Major projects are currently being implemented in Germany, Malaysia, and Singapore. The segment saw a significant rise in incoming orders of more than 30% reaching 368 million (6M/2022: 283 million). The remarkable growth in order intake is based on large projects in Singapore and Denmark awarded by two leading global healthcare companies. The Data Centers segment accomplished a record in sales with 251 million, more than doubling last year's sale (6M/2023: 114 million). This sales development is driven by multiple projects for blue-chip software and technology companies in Denmark, Israel, Malaysia, and Taiwan. The order intake amounted to 124 million (6M/2022: 233 million). To accelerate the growth of the company's Data Centers business segment and to meet 2027 revenue targets, Exyte has decided to also enter the US data center market. There, the company wants to take advantage of the local data center industry's growth. "The data center industry in the US is experiencing rapid growth, with increasing demand for reliable and scalable infrastructure to support digital transformation. We are convinced that Exyte, with its experience and technological know-how, can offer its clients innovative solutions for sustainable and high-performance data centers," Buchele explains. The Business Area Technology & Services consisting of several entities providing cleanroom technology, critical equipment for subsystems as well as installation services and offsite manufacturing (OSM) recorded an increase in sales of around 22% to 438 million (6M/2022: 360 million). Moreover, incoming orders rose by close to 9% to 599 million compared to previous year (6M/2022: 552 million). The positive development of CPS Group in the US contributes substantially to this success. Exyte continues to strengthen its business in the area of mission-critical equipment and installation services. To this end, Exyte recently signed agreements to acquire Intega GmbH , a specialist in high-purity media supply systems. "With the acquisition of Intega, Exyte advances its strategy of vertical integration. The acquisition is the next important step in growing the competence in the area of critical sub-systems for advanced technology facilities, especially for the semiconductor industry. In addition, Intega will act as a nucleus for Exyte's European service activities," says Buchele. The transaction is subject to the required approvals by anti-trust authorities. Key financial figures at a glance 6M/2023 6M/2022 Change 2023 vs. 2022* Order Intake 3.5 bn 4.7 bn -26.6 % Sales 3.7 bn 3.4 bn +10.6 % Adjusted EBITDA 232 m 222 m +4.5 % Adjusted EBITDA Margin 6.2 % 6.6 % -0.4 PP Adjusted EBIT 207 m 202 m +2.5 % Adjusted EBIT Margin 5.6 % 6.0 % -0.4 PP * The percentage is calculated based on the values in million. For more details about our 6M-results 2023 please visit our website. About Exyte Exyte is a global leader in the design, engineering, and delivery of ultra-clean and sustainable facilities for high-tech industries. With cutting-edge expertise developed over more than a century, the company serves clients in the sophisticated markets of semiconductors, battery cells, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and data centers. Exyte offers a full range of services from consulting to managing the implementation of turnkey solutions with the highest standards in safety and quality to its customers worldwide. Exyte creates a better future by enabling key industries to enhance the quality of modern life. In 2022, the company generated sales of 7.4 billion with around 9,000 employees worldwide. Contact Rene Ziegler Vice President Corporate Communications & Investor Relations +49 711 88044606 +49 172 5838786 rene.ziegler@exyte.net www.exyte.net Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1487100/4253414/Exyte_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/exyte-with-robust-6m2023-results-sales-growth-of-almost-11-to-3-7-billion-euros-year-on-year-301916997.html LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ADC Therapeutics SA (NYSE: ADCT) today announced that Ameet Mallik, Chief Executive Officer, will participate in two investor conferences in September. Details of the events are as follows: Morgan Stanley Global Healthcare Conference - fireside chat on Monday, September 11th from 2:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. ET Cantor Global Healthcare Conference - fireside chat on Wednesday, September 27th from 4:45 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. ET Live webcasts of the fireside chats will be available via the Events & Presentations page in the Investors section of ADC Therapeutics' website, ir.adctherapeutics.com. A replay of each webcast will be available for approximately 30 days. About ADC Therapeutics ADC Therapeutics (NYSE: ADCT) is a commercial-stage global leader and pioneer in the field of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs). The Company is advancing its proprietary ADC technology to transform the treatment paradigm for patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. ADC Therapeutics' CD19-directed ADC ZYNLONTA (loncastuximab tesirine-lpyl) received accelerated approval by the FDA and conditional approval from the European Commission for the treatment of relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy. ZYNLONTA is also in development in combination with other agents and in earlier lines of therapy. In addition to ZYNLONTA, ADC Therapeutics has multiple ADCs in ongoing clinical and preclinical development. ADC Therapeutics is based in Lausanneand follow the Company on LinkedIn . ZYNLONTA is a registered trademark of ADC Therapeutics SA. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "would", "expect", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict", "potential", "seem", "seek", "future", "continue", or "appear" or the negative of these terms or similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to differ materially from those described. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: the success of the Company's updated corporate strategy including operating efficiencies, capital deployment and portfolio prioritization; the Company's ability to achieve the 2023 net product sales guidance for ZYNLONTA and the decrease in total operating expenses for 2023 and 2024, the expected cash runway into the middle of 2025, the effectiveness of the new commercial go-to-market strategy, competition from new technologies, the Company's ability to continue to commercialize ZYNLONTA in the United States and future revenue from the same; Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (Sobi) ability to successfully commercialize ZYNLONTA in the European Economic Area and market acceptance, adequate reimbursement coverage, and future revenue from the same; approval by the NMPA of the BLA for ZYNLONTA in China submitted by Overland ADCT BioPharma and future revenue from the same, our strategic partners', including Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, ability to obtain regulatory approval for ZYNLONTA in foreign jurisdictions, and the timing and amount of future revenue and payments to us from such partnerships; the Company's ability to market its products in compliance with applicable laws and regulations; the Company's expectations regarding the impact of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act; the timing and results of the Company's or its partners' research projects or clinical trials including LOTIS 5 and 7, ADCT 901, 601 and 602, the impact, if any, from discontinuation of the LOTIS-9 study, actions by the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities with respect to the Company's products or product candidates, the timing and outcome of regulatory submissions for the Company's products or product candidates; the ability to complete clinical trials on expected timelines, if at all; projected revenue and expenses; the Company's indebtedness, including Healthcare Royalty Management and Blue Owl and Oaktree facilities, and the restrictions imposed on the Company's activities by such indebtedness, the ability to repay such indebtedness and the significant cash required to service such indebtedness; and the Company's ability to obtain financial and other resources for its research, development, clinical, and commercial activities. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements is contained in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F and in the Company's other periodic reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, achievements or prospects to be materially different from any future results, performance, achievements or prospects expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this document. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release, except as required by law. CONTACTS: Investors Eugenia Litz ADC Therapeutics Eugenia.Litz@adctherapeutics.com +44 7879 627205 +1 908-723-2350 Media Nicole Riley ADC Therapeutics Nicole.Riley@adctherapeutics.com +1 862-926-9040 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Skeena Resources Limited (TSX:SKE, NYSE:SKE) ("Skeena" or the "Company") is pleased to announce an updated Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") for the 100% owned Snip Gold Project ("Snip" or the "Project") located in the Golden Triangle of British Columbia. Effective September 5, 2023, the updated MRE incorporates an additional 307 drill holes totaling 46,268 metres, enhancements to the geological interpretation, resource estimation methods, long hole mining method parameters, and updated metallurgical process recoveries. 2023 Snip MRE Highlights: Updated MRE of 823,000 ounces grading 9.35 g/t Au in the Indicated category and 114,000 ounces grading 7.10 g/t Au in the Inferred category An increase of 579,000 Au ounces in the Indicated Resource, representing a growth of 237% since the 2020 MRE 2021 and 2022 drilling programs heightened confidence of historical drilling data and improved certainty in continuity of the ore body Metallurgical recovery increased to 96% from 90% Randy Reichert, Skeena's President & CEO commented "With the successful conversion of over 570,000 gold ounces to the Indicated category, we are very pleased with the updated Mineral Resource Estimate for Snip. This Resource will form the basis of a detailed engineering study with project economics, which we anticipate being released in H1 2024. The study will demonstrate the potential benefits of adding Snip mineralization to the Eskay Creek Project as a satellite operation, likely including an increased mine life and improved concentrate payabilities at Eskay Creek. We look forward to continuing to unlock value for all stakeholders as we advance the Project." Table 1: 2023 Indicated and Inferred Underground Resource Reported in Veins Contained Within Long Hole Stope Optimized Shapes Created at a 2.5 g/t Au Cut-off Grade Category Domain Tonnes ('000) Contained Grade Au (g/t) Contained Ounces Au ('000) Indicated Main - V 850 9.59 262 Main - S 1,718 9.28 513 Twin West 171 8.69 48 Total Indicated 2,739 9.35 823 Inferred Main - V 115 7.38 27 Main - S 323 6.22 65 Twin West 61 11.02 22 Total Inferred 499 7.10 114 Table 2: 2020 vs 2023 Resource Comparison 2023 Snip Resource Category Tonnes (000) Contained Grade Au (g/t) Contained Ounces Au (000) Total Indicated 2,739 9.35 823 Total Inferred 499 7.10 114 2020 Snip Resource Category Tonnes (000) Contained Grade Au (g/t) Contained Ounces Au (000) Total Indicated 539 14 244 Total Inferred 942 13.3 402 2020 vs 2023 Resource Comparison Category Tonnes (000) Contained Grade Au (g/t) Contained Ounces Au (000) Total Indicated 408% -33% 237% Total Inferred -47% -47% -72% Resource Discussion Infill drilling programs were undertaken during 2021 and 2022 by Skeena and the Company's former partner Hochschild Mining, respectively. A total of 238 drill holes totaling 35,891 metres were completed by Skeena and 69 drill holes totaling 10,377 metres were completed by Hochschild. The 307 holes and 46,268 metres of infill drilling defined new zones of mineralization, expanded existing veins laterally, confirmed vein continuity interpretation, and upgraded variogram range confidence. The drilling programs also drilled in areas previously untested by Skeena to validate historical assays and potentially upgrade classification in those areas. Table 3: Underground Scenario Assumptions for Determining Cut-off Grades With Reasonable Prospects of Eventual Economic Extraction Assuming Long Hole Mining Method Input Parameters Value Unit Gold Price 1,700 US Dollars per Ounce Exchange Rate 1.3 CAD:USD Metallurgical Recovery 96 Percent Royalty 1 Percent Selling Cost 18.50 CAD Dollars per Ounce Mining Cost 115 CAD Dollars per Tonne Process Cost 29 CAD Dollars per Tonne G&A Cost 17 CAD Dollars per Tonne All-in Cost 161 CAD Dollars per Tonne Mining Method N/A Longhole: 10 m H x 5 m L x 2 m W Dip: 55 - 90 degrees 1 m offset to UG workings Cut-off Grade 2.5 Grams per tonne (g/t) Removal of 40 metre QAQC buffer In the 2020 MRE, a 40 metre omnidirectional 3-D buffer was created around the Skeena holes drilled during 2016 to 2019 as these recent holes contained QAQC data, whereas the historical assays had no other preserved data to substantiate the results. The 2020 classification strategy forced all Indicated Resources that were qualified by adequate drill spacing outside of this 40 metre buffer to be downgraded to Inferred Resources. During the 2021 and 2022 infill drilling programs, 28 twin drill holes totaling 3,318 metres were drilled to validate the historical drill intercepts. Comparative vein intervals and gold grades were captured in both the original and twin holes. Corresponding vein interval statistics demonstrated proper correlations between the historical fire assays and the twin hole fire assays. This has enabled the historical drill hole data to be used during the grade estimation process without additional constraints. Specific Gravity In the 2020 MRE, two density values were applied to the model; a value of 2.78 g/cm3 for vein mineralization, and 2.86 g/cm3 for the Biotite Spotted Unit ("BSU"). An additional 1,770 specific gravity measurements were incorporated into the 2023 model, which were reassessed within their appropriate lithology and vein units. The 2023 MRE utilized a value of 2.91 g/cm3 for vein mineralization, and 2.84 g/cm3 for the BSU. Application of Dynamic Anisotropy Veins were estimated in Skeena's 2020 MRE using the single-search ellipsoid of the variogram. In the 2023 update, dynamic anisotropy ("DA") was used for the larger veins showing good continuity, whereby the search ellipse was adjusted on a block-by-block basis using a surface that defines the overall folded orientation of the veins. DA allows the estimator to select composite intervals that are in the most suitable orientation, thereby resulting in an estimate that is locally more accurate and more in line with the original vein model interpretation. Expected Economic Study The Company expects to release a detailed engineering study with project economics on Snip in H1 2024. The study will highlight Snip as a potential satellite operation, providing feed to a centralized mill at Eskay Creek. Skeena expects the additional clean, high-grade mineralization from Snip to further bolster the mine life at Eskay Creek and likely reduce smelter penalties. Table 4: Reminder of Near-Term Value-Generating Catalysts for Skeena Catalyst Expected Completion Date Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for Eskay Creek Completed Q2 2023 Increased Land Package Surrounding Eskay Creek Completed Q3 2023 Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for Snip Completed Q3 2023 Metallurgical Optimization & Simplified Flowsheet at Eskay Creek Expected Q3 2023 Exploration Results from Eskay Creek Expected Q3/Q4 2023 Definitive Feasibility Study for Eskay Creek Expected Q4 2023 Maiden Engineering Study for Snip Expected H1 2024 About Skeena Skeena Resources Limited is a Canadian mining exploration and development company focused on revitalizing the Eskay Creek and Snip Projects, two past-producing mines located in Tahltan Territory in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company released a Feasibility Study for Eskay Creek in September 2022 which highlights an after-tax NPV5% of C$1.4B, 50% IRR, and a 1-year payback at US$1,700/oz Au and US$19/oz Ag. Skeena is currently continuing exploration drilling and plans on releasing a Definitive Feasibility Study for Eskay Creek in Q4 2023. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited, Walter Coles Randy Reichert Executive Chairman President & CEO Contact Information Investor Inquiries: info@skeenaresources.com Office Phone: +1 604 684 8725 Company Website: www.skeenaresources.com Qualified Persons The Independent and Qualified Person for the Snip MRE is Ms. Sheila Ulansky P.Geo., of SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. (Vancouver), who has reviewed, validated, and approved the Snip MRE as well as the technical disclosure in this release. In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Paul Geddes, P.Geo., Senior Vice President, Exploration & Resource Development, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has prepared, validated, and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting the exploration activities on its projects. Snip 2023 MRE Notes The Mineral Resources disclosed in this press release were estimated using the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves definitions, and guidelines prepared by the CIM standing committee on reserve definition and adopted by the CIM council. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of these Mineral Resources estimated will be converted into mineral reserves. As defined by NI 43-101, the Independent and Qualified Person for the Snip MRE is Ms. Sheila Ulansky P.Geo., of SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. who has reviewed and validated the Snip MRE. The effective date of the MRE is September 5, 2023. The close out date of the Snip database was June 29, 2023. In accordance with NI 43-101 recommendations, the number of metric tonnes was rounded to the nearest thousand. Any discrepancies in the totals are due to rounding effects. Estimates use metric units (metres, tonnes and g/t). Metal contents are presented in troy ounces (metric tonne x grade / 31.10348) Reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction were determined by means of applying stope optimization parameters summarized in Table 3. Resources are reported in-situ and undiluted within the veins contained within potentially economical and minable underground long hole stope shapes. The underground cut-off grade for the long hole mining method was calculated to be 2.5 g/t Au. Cut-off grades must be re-evaluated considering prevailing market conditions (including gold prices, exchange rates and costs). Cut-off grades are based on a metal price of US$1,700/oz Au and gold recovery of 96%. Mineral Resources have been depleted to account for past production and exclude mineralization within a 1 m buffer around historical underground developments. This 1 m exclusion zone is low and will need to be expanded in future resource estimates. An additional 307 drill holes for a total meterage of 46,268 m has been included into this estimate since the 2020 Maiden Mineral Resource. Two block models (Main Zone and Twin West Zone) were created using 4 x 4 x 4 m parent block sizes and 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 m subblocks. Block tonnage was estimated from volumes using a density of 2.91 g/cm 3 for all lithologies except the unmineralized BSU which used a density of 2.84 g/cm 3 . for all lithologies except the unmineralized BSU which used a density of 2.84 g/cm . Three mineralization domains were created to constrain the estimate: V, S and TW. The V and S domains are a collection of veins that occur in the Main Twin Zone, whereas TW domain is a series of veins in the Twin West Zone. A total of 94 veins were modelled: 13 V-Veins, 71 S-Veins and 10 TW-Veins. The vein model was created in Leapfrog Geo TM using composite intervals greater than or equal to 1.0 g/t Au if following interpreted structures and displaying mineralization continuity. Locally, lower grades were included in the veins if continuity was displayed. Local minor edits were done in Vulcan. using composite intervals greater than or equal to 1.0 g/t Au if following interpreted structures and displaying mineralization continuity. Locally, lower grades were included in the veins if continuity was displayed. Local minor edits were done in Vulcan. Assays were composited to 1.5 m honoring vein domain boundaries. To handle partial interval lengths, composites were distributed equally. Grade capping was performed on vein coded composites. Gold capping ranged from 40 - 350 g/t in the V-Veins, 100 - 215 g/t in the S-Veins and 45 - 110 g/t in the TW-Veins. Gold variograms were used to determine the spatial relationship of grade over distance. Maximum continuity in the V-Veins, S-Veins, and TW-Veins was 50 m, 55 m, and 45 m, respectively. Ordinary Kriging was used for the estimation of gold in all vein domains using the 1.5 m equally distributed composites and honouring hard vein boundaries. Composite lengths of less than 0.1 m were excluded from the estimate. In the V- and -S veins that were continuous and greater than 237,000 tonnes, and TW-veins greater than 100,000 tonnes, a DA surface was utilized during estimation to honour locally varying vein orientations. Mineral Resources were estimated using three passes having increased variogram range-based search radii. Pass 1, 2, and 3 used variogram ranges of 2/3 range, range, and 2 times the range respectively. A 4 th Pass was used for global statistical reporting and was not used in Classification. Pass was used for global statistical reporting and was not used in Classification. Indicated and Inferred Resources were classified according to the following scheme: The Indicated category is defined by blocks interpolated during Pass 1 and 2 only, using a minimum of 3 drill holes, and an average distance of less than 35 metres (approximately 70% of the average variogram range). The Inferred category is defined by blocks interpolated during Pass 1, 2 and 3, using a minimum of 2 drill holes and an average distance less than 75 metres (approximately 50% more than the average variogram range) Blocks were locally reclassified to reduce "spotted" Indicated resources within Inferred resources and vice versa. Neither the company, nor GRE, is aware of any known environmental, permitting, legal, title-related, taxation, socio-political, marketing or other relevant issue that could materially affect this mineral resource. The quantity and grade of reported Inferred mineral resources in this estimation are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to redefine the Inferred mineral resources as Indicated mineral resources. It is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to the indicated mineral resources category. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements Certain statements and information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These statements relate to future events or our future performance. The use of words such as "anticipates", "believes", "proposes", "contemplates", "generates", "progressing towards", "in search of", "targets", "is projected", "plans to", "is planned", "considers", "estimates", "expects", "is expected", "often", "likely", "potential" and similar expressions, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "might", "will", "could", or "would" be taken, achieved, or occur, may identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Specific forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the results of the Feasibility Study, processing capacity of the mine, anticipated mine life, probable reserves, the potential impact of the Definitive Feasibility Study for Eskay Creek, and the Maiden Engineering Study for Snip on the anticipated mine life and/or the conversion of resource ounces from the Inferred to Indicated categories or from Measured or Indicated categories to the Reserve category, estimated project capital and operating costs, potential reductions in process plant capital and operating costs, sustaining costs, results of test work and studies, planned environmental assessments, the future price of metals, metal concentrate, and future exploration and development generally and specifically in relation to the potential for additional mineralization in the recently increased land package. Such forward-looking statements are based on material factors and/or assumptions which include, but are not limited to, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and the assumptions set forth herein and in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2022, its most recently filed interim MD&A, and the Company's Annual Information Form ("AIF") dated March 22, 2023. Such forward-looking statements represent the Company's management expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events or circumstances on the date the statements are made, and are necessarily based on several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date hereof, are not guarantees of future performance. Actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein, and are subject to significant operational, business, economic, and regulatory risks and uncertainties. The risks and uncertainties that may affect the forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others: the inherent risks involved in exploration and development of mineral properties, including permitting and other government approvals; changes in economic conditions, including changes in the price of gold and other key variables; changes in mine plans and other factors, including accidents, equipment breakdown, bad weather and other project execution delays, many of which are beyond the control of the Company; environmental risks and unanticipated reclamation expenses; and other risk factors identified in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2022, its most recently filed interim MD&A, the AIF dated March 22, 2023, the Company's short form base shelf prospectus dated January 31, 2023, and in the Company's other periodic filings with securities and regulatory authorities in Canada and the United States that are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca or on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and the Company does not undertake any obligations to update and/or revise any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws. Cautionary note to U.S. Investors concerning estimates of mineral Reserves and mineral Resources Skeena's mineral Reserves and mineral Resources included or incorporated by reference herein have been estimated in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") as required by Canadian securities regulatory authorities, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. The terms "mineral reserve", "proven mineral reserve", "probable mineral reserve", "mineral resource", "measured mineral resource", "indicated mineral resource" and "inferred mineral resource" are Canadian mining terms as defined in accordance with NI 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") "CIM Definition Standards - For Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves" adopted by the CIM Council (as amended, the "CIM Definition Standards"). These standards differ significantly from the mineral property disclosure requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Regulation S-K Subpart 1300 (the "SEC Modernization Rules"). Skeena is not currently subject to the SEC Modernization Rules. Accordingly, Skeena's disclosure of mineralization and other technical information may differ significantly from the information that would be disclosed had Skeena prepared the information under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules. In addition, investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of Skeena's mineral Resources constitute or will be converted into Reserves. These terms have a great amount of uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to assume that any "measured", "indicated", or "inferred" mineral Resources that Skeena reports are or will be economically or legally mineable. Further, "inferred mineral Resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian securities laws, estimates of "inferred mineral Resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or prefeasibility studies, except in rare cases where permitted under NI 43-101. For these reasons, the mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates and related information presented herein may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements under the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. SOURCE: Skeena Resources Limited View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780140/skeena-increases-indicated-resource-at-snip-to-823000-gold-ounces-representing-a-237-increase Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - MTB Metals Corp. (TSXV: MTB) (OTCQB: MBYMF) (FSE: E8H) ("MTB" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") for gross proceeds of up to C$1,000,000 from the sale of any combination of flow-through units of the Company (each, a "FT Unit") at a price of C$0.18 per FT Unit and non-flow through units of the Company (each, a "Unit") at a price of C$0.16 per Unit. Red Cloud Securities Inc. will be acting as a finder in connection with the Offering. Each FT Unit will consist of one common share of the Company to be issued as a "flow-through share" within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (each, a "FT Share") and one half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "FT Unit Warrant"). Each FT Unit Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one common share of the Company (each, a "Warrant Share") at a price of C$0.25 for a period of 24 months following the issue date. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (each, a "Unit Share") and one common share purchase warrant (each, a "Unit Warrant"). Each Unit Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Warrant Share at a price of C$0.18 for a period of 24 months following the issue date. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Offering for the exploration of the Company's projects in the prolific Golden Triangle of northern British Colombia. The gross proceeds from the issuance of the FT Shares will be used to incur resource exploration expenses which will constitute "Canadian exploration expenses" as defined in subsection 66.1(6) of the Income Tax Act and "flow through mining expenditures" as defined in subsection 127(9) of the Income Tax Act (the "Qualifying Expenditures"), which will be renounced with an effective date no later than December 31, 2023 to the purchasers of the FT Units in an aggregate amount not less than the gross proceeds raised from the issue of the FT Shares. If the Qualifying Expenditures are reduced by the Canada Revenue Agency, the Company will indemnify each subscriber of FT Units for any additional taxes payable by such subscriber as a result of the Company's failure to renounce the Qualifying Expenditures. The closing of the Offering is subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals including the TSX Venture Exchange. Finder's fees will be payable in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. The FT Shares, Unit Shares, Warrant Shares and any common shares of the Company that are issuable from any finder's warrants will be subject to a hold period ending on the date that is four months plus one day following the issue date in accordance with applicable securities laws. The securities offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor in any other jurisdiction. The Company also announces an expansion of the drill program presently underway at the Telegraph porphyry copper-gold project, with the intention of locating and mobilizing a second drill rig. Further details will be announced shortly. About MTB MTB has six active projects spanning 670 square kilometres (67,587 hectares) in the prolific Golden Triangle of northern British Columbia. With the focus on the Telegraph project, discussions are now underway leading to joint ventures and/or spinouts of other projects. Telegraph is located in the vicinity of 4 world-class porphyry deposits being advanced by major mining companies: Galore (Teck / Newmont), Schaft (Teck), Saddle (Newmont) and the operating Red Chris copper-gold mine (Newcrest / Imperial Metals). Field work by MTB on its 310 square kilometre property, together with earlier results, provides compelling evidence for the presence of one or more porphyries, similar to others in the area. The American Creek project is centered on the historic Mountain Boy silver mine. The project is road accessible and 20 km from the deep-water port of Stewart. There are multiple silver, gold and copper occurrences on the property, including a 2006 drill hole that encountered 5 kgs of silver over 5 metres. Red Cliff is a past producing gold and copper mine in which the Company holds a 35% interest. Recent drill results include 2 meters of 26 g/t gold. On the BA property, 182 drill holes have outlined a substantial zone of silver-lead-zinc mineralization located 4 km from the highway. Several targets with high-grade silver potential remain to be tested. Surprise Creek, to the north, hosts the same prospective stratigraphy. On the Theia project, work by MTB and previous explorers has outlined a silver bearing mineralized trend 500 metres long, highlighted by a 2020 grab sample that returned 39 kg per tonne silver (1,100 ounces per ton). Two other zones on the property produced copper values over 5%. Southmore is in the midst of some of the largest deposits in the Golden Triangle. It was explored in the 1980s through the early 1990s and was overlooked until MTB consolidated the property and carried out airborne geophysics and field work which confirmed several zones of gold and copper, with values up to 20% copper and 35 g/t gold. On behalf of the Board of Directors: Lawrence Roulston President & CEO For further information, contact: Caroline Klukowki info@mountainboyminerals.ca 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. This news release may contain certain "forward looking statements". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Not for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179502 Acquisition enhances the Company's extensive Bulk Chemical Distribution offerings, and operational and logistics capabilities to meet growing customer needs DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Univar Solutions Inc. ("Univar Solutions" or the "Company"), a leading global solutions provider to users of specialty ingredients and chemicals, today announces the acquisition of FloChem Ltd. and certain of its affiliates ("FloChem"), an industry leader in the distribution of chemicals and related dispensing systems in Eastern Canada. The acquisition gives the Company access to new market segments, increased market position on key in-demand products, and new service capabilities. FloChem is a distributor of commodity and specialty chemical solutions from North American manufacturers, including caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, hydrogen peroxide, bleach and sulfuric acid. Other offerings include products serving a variety of disinfectant and cleaning formulations in wastewater and water treatment; pool and spa; mini-bulk offerings; and food and beverage, to name a few. "As an industry leader in chemical distribution and dispensing systems, FloChem is uniquely positioned within our Canadian market to expand our bulk chemical distribution (BCD) network while expanding our access to some of the most widely used industrial chemicals and services," said David Jukes, president and CEO of Univar Solutions. "This acquisition demonstrates our continued focus on our growth strategy and strategic imperatives to drive success now and into the future." FloChem also offers a variety of value-added services, including specialty formulas/blends, custom packaging, and bulk freight service through a dedicated private fleet of trucks and tanker trailers. "Responsiveness, reliability and safety are all hallmarks of our commitment to customers and shared values between our two companies," said Jim Holcomb, president of North America and chemicals and services for Univar Solutions. "The addition of FloChem's value-added services helps us continue our focus on service excellence while also opening the doors to several new markets, increased local capabilities with the addition of MiniBulk, and greater flexibility to manage logistics in Eastern Canada." "We couldn't be more pleased to join a leading global solutions provider that aligns so well with our company, our values, and our culture," said Terry Tucker, CEO and president for FloChem. "This agreement represents a great step toward increased collaboration with our customers and supply chain partners to offer value-added products, solution-driven initiatives, and innovative new processes." Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. About Univar Solutions Univar Solutions is a leading global specialty chemical and ingredient distributor representing a premier portfolio from the world's leading producers. With the industry's largest private transportation fleet and technical sales force, unparalleled logistics know-how, deep market and regulatory knowledge, formulation and recipe development, and leading digital tools, the Company is well-positioned to offer tailored solutions and value-added services to a wide range of markets, industries, and applications. While fulfilling its purpose to help keep communities healthy, fed, clean and safe, Univar Solutions is committed to helping customers and suppliers innovate and focus on Growing Together. Learn more at univarsolutions.com. About FloChem FloChem is an industry leader in the distribution of chemicals and related dispensing systems. Founded in 1992, FloChem works in collaboration with its customers and supply chain partners to offer value-added products, solution-driven initiatives and innovative new processes. FloChem includes its own freight division with in-house trained drivers to service customers as needed. To learn more, visit flochem.com. Forward-Looking Statements and Information This communication contains "forward-looking statements" under applicable law regarding financial and operating items relating to the Company's business. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seeks," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or other comparable terms. All forward-looking statements made in this communication are qualified by this cautionary language. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond the Company's control, that could result in expectations not being realized or could otherwise materially and adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Although the forward-looking statements are based on what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, we caution you that the forward-looking information presented in this communication is not a guarantee of future events or results, and that actual events or results may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking information contained in this communication. For additional information regarding factors that could affect the Company, please see the Company's most recent annual report and other financial reports, including the information set forth under the caption "Risk Factors." Any forward-looking statements represent the Company's views only as of the date of this communication and should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any subsequent date, and the Company undertakes no obligation, other than as may be required by law, to update any forward-looking statement. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201067/Univar_Solutions_Inc.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1094780/UnivSol_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/univar-solutions-increases-footprint-product-portfolio-and-services-in-eastern-canada-with-acquisition-of-flochem-ltd-301917103.html Transformative Tech Executive to Usher in New Era of Innovation and Growth for Enterprise Liquidity Management SaaS Pioneer Kyriba, the global leader of cloud-based finance and liquidity solutions, announced today the appointment of Melissa Di Donato as Chair and Chief Executive Officer. A respected technology visionary and accomplished leader, Di Donato will succeed Jean-Luc Robert, who is stepping down from this position and will join the company's Board of Directors. Di Donato joins Kyriba from open source innovator SUSE where, as the first female CEO, she spearheaded unprecedented growth, including two strategic acquisitions and a multi-billion-euro IPO debut on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Her track record of success also includes senior executive roles at SAP, Salesforce, IBM, and Oracle. Known for her commitment to customers, people, and inclusive leadership, she will bring her expansive industry experience and bold vision to lead Kyriba into a new era of growth. "I am honored to join Kyriba and build upon its unmatched heritage in treasury management," said Di Donato. "Kyriba is poised to enter a new era of success. Together with this exceptional team, we will capitalize on the enormous opportunities before us to deliver greater value and meet our customers' end-to-end needs in enterprise liquidity management. Jean-Luc has set a strong foundation and trajectory, and I am eager to lead Kyriba into its next chapter of customer-focused growth." Outgoing Kyriba CEO Jean-Luc Robert added, "I am proud of our success over the past 20 years, evolving from a SaaS startup to a global brand and technology innovator. We have redefined the treasury software industry and are now at the cusp of an exciting inflection point. Melissa is a proven leader with the strategic acumen needed to expand our market leadership and I have every confidence in her ability to lead Kyriba in this new chapter." In addition to her role at Kyriba, Melissa brings valuable experience from serving on the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG, and as a Non-Executive Director at J.P. Morgan Europe Limited. For more than 10 years, Di Donato has been an Advisor and Board member for Notion Capital portfolio companies helping leaders, companies, and boards scale for commercial excellence with a current focus on Mews Systems. She also serves as the Chief Executive of the Handelsblatt and Bain Company Female Allstar Board and was recently appointed as a Non-Executive Director at the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Committed to empowering young women, Melissa is the co-founder of Inner Wings, a charitable foundation focused on mentoring and role modeling programs for girls. Among her accolades are KPMG and Wirtschaftswoche's Women in Tech Forum and Decision Maker awards, as well as the 2023 European CEO Award recognizing her as Business Woman of the Year. About Kyriba Corp Kyriba empowers CFOs, Treasurers and IT leaders to transform liquidity performance and drive value creation through data-driven financial decisions. Kyriba is a secure, scalable SaaS platform that delivers intelligence and financial automation enabling thousands of multinational corporations and banks to maximize growth, improve financial resilience and increase operational efficiency. For more than 2,500 clients worldwide, including 25% of Fortune 500 and Euro Stoxx 50 companies, Kyriba manages more than 1.3 billion bank transactions and $15 Trillion in payments annually. Kyriba is headquartered in San Diego, with offices globally. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905953345/en/ Contacts: Jenny Robles KCSA Strategic Communications kyriba@kcsa.com Through the acquisition of Soya International, National Lecithin gains access to an active customer base in bakery, dairy, and confectionery sectors, promising growth and enhanced product solutions. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / New Jersey-based National Lecithin, Inc. has acquired the business assets of Soya International LLC, a New York-based food ingredients supplier. The business will continue to trade under the name National Lecithin. Patricia Burno and Sonu Arora Patricia Bruno - Sonu Arora at National Lecithin's processing facility in New Jersey. National Lecithin was founded in 1976 and is one of the nation's best-known lecithin suppliers, operating out of processing facilities on both the East and West Coast. Domestic processing of lecithin is seen as a huge advantage in servicing customers' demands and guaranteeing the availability of products during uncertain global economic and geopolitical factors, which have blighted imports of lecithin in recent years. The acquisition of Soya International's US business will help drive that growth by adding an active customer base of food processors in the bakery, dairy, and confectionery sectors, as well as access to Soya's large existing distributor network. The combined business will be supported by a national sales team located in New York and California. "We are very excited to be part of National Lecithin, which has a proud heritage and a portfolio of specialty lecithin exclusively Made in USA," said Sonu Arora, founder of Soya International LLC, who will now act as CEO at National Lecithin. "Their reputation and experience in the industry for almost 50 years will help us realize our ambition to become the largest independent lecithin supplier in the USA. By combining and leveraging our resources, we will ensure our customers are provided with the best product solutions available." The acquisition also gives National Lecithin a sizable ingredients portfolio in the spice, herb, and seeds business that Soya International has developed since 2010. Outgoing CEO Patricia Bruno of National Lecithin commented, "I am very happy to see the business entering this new chapter with Sonu and a highly successful and experienced management team. The food industry has changed tremendously over my 40-year career, and I cannot imagine a better fit for this business and its future growth." www.nationallecithin.com Email: info@nationallecithin.com Contacts Carl Riano Operations Director carl.riano@soya-group.com 516-737-1464 Patti Bruno Owner info@nationallecithin.com 973-940-8920 SOURCE: National Lecithin View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/779145/national-lecithin-expands-reach-in-food-ingredient-sector-with-soya-international-acquisition PARIS, FRANCE / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Tribun Health, a leading innovator in the field of digital pathology, is delighted to announce the completion of its Series B financing round, securing an investment of 15 million. This financing round is led by the Fonds Patient Autonome managed by Bpifrance, alongside several new investors, including Owkin and Vivalto Family, with whom the company has also signed commercial agreements, and the renewed support of its historic investor LBO France. Tribun Health, already twice awarded for the quality of its products and services by winning the prestigious "Best in KLAS Digital Pathology" global competition in 2022 and 2023, has been chosen to be part of the French Tech 2030 program, recognizing the company's remarkable achievements and confirming its potential to be at the forefront of innovation in digital healthcare. The Series B funding round's success represents an important accomplishment for Tribun Health, further strengthening the company's financial position and opening new opportunities for growth in Europe and North America. The capital infusion will be utilized to accelerate the development and commercialization of Tribun Health's AI-powered digital pathology portfolio, for both diagnostic and pharmaceutical laboratories. By leveraging artificial intelligence and digitizing laboratory workflows, Tribun Health's platform empowers pathologists to efficiently analyze and interpret histological and cytological samples, leading to faster and more accurate diagnoses, ultimately benefiting patient outcomes. The funds will facilitate the expansion of sales and marketing activities in Europe and North America, bolster the development efforts, and scale up deployment resources to meet the growing demand for digital pathology solutions used in hospitals and private labs. It will additionally serve as funding for the recent purchase of Keen Eye company. The Keen Eye computational pathology platform, EyeDo, will be enhanced to capitalize on the secondary utilization of real-world oncology data for pharmaceutical and biotech purposes. "We were impressed by both the potential of Tribun Health's software platform and the quality of its services. These strengths are supported by a strong management team and an innovative global vision that places the acquisition and valorization of healthcare data at the heart of tomorrow's diagnostics," said Jean-Briac Lesne, Investment Director at Bpifrance. "This stance solidified our decision to invest in the company to be part of their long-term success. I strongly believe that Tribun Health has the potential to transform the field of pathology and improve patient diagnosis and care," stated Sebastian Woynar, Managing Director - LBO France. "We are very excited to continue to be part of their remarkable journey." In addition to the successful funding round, Tribun Health's selection as one of the participants in the highly selective French Tech 2030 program highlights the company's remarkable achievements and recognition as a leading player in the healthcare sector, particularly in the diagnostic landscape. Spearheaded by the French General Secretariat for Investment, the French Tech Mission, and Bpifrance, French Tech 2030 aims to provide tailored support to emerging innovators in strategic sectors. Tribun Health's participation in the program will grant access to extensive resources, collaboration opportunities with like-minded companies, engagement with private investors, and potential partnerships to further its technological advancements. "We are honoured to be selected for the French Tech 2030 program, which recognizes our commitment to innovation and our impact on the health organization, providing solutions to improve the speed and the precision of cancer diagnosis," said Jean-Francois Pomerol, CEO of Tribun Health. "The provided support will enable us to push the boundaries of our AI-powered pathology platform, amplify our market reach, and make meaningful strides in the global healthcare landscape." Rothschild acted as financial advisor to the company and Goodwin as legal advisor. Contacts Lorine Marcoux Marketing Programs Manager - Tribun Health lmarcoux@tribun.health +33 1 89 20 38 53 Guillaume Caille CEO - Vivalto Family guillaume.caille@vivalto-gp.com Talia Lliteras Product Marketing Director Diagnostics - Owkin talia.lliteras@owkin.com Antoine Denry Director - LBO France antoine.denry@taddeo.fr +33 (0)6 18 07 83 27 Pierre Cejka Press officer - BpiFrance pierre.cejka@bpifrance.fr +33 6 63 78 64 21 SOURCE: Tribun Health View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/779705/tribun-health-secures-15-million-euros-in-series-b-funding-round-led-by-autonomous-patient-fund-of-bpifrance-with-lbo-owkin-and-vivalto-family-as-prominent-investors INNIO nominated in the category for Developers and Manufacturers of More Sustainable Engines and Turbines Nomination underscores INNIO's successful endeavors to empower communities and industries in transitioning to green energy while enhancing its own operational sustainability Winners will be announced in Dusseldorf on November 23, 2023, as part of the 16th German Sustainability Day JENBACH, AUSTRIA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / INNIO Group (INNIO*) has been nominated for the prestigious German Sustainability Award in the category for Developers and Manufacturers of More Sustainable Engines and Turbines. This prominent award, given annually, recognizes companies that excel in addressing industry challenges and make meaningful contributions to sustainable transformation through their products, services, or operations. INNIO Group HQ The nomination highlights INNIO's efforts to support the green energy transition and empower industries and communities to make sustainable energy work today. For instance, customers can already purchase all energy solutions from the Jenbacher* product portfolio with a "Ready for H2"** option, enabling them to convert to 100% hydrogen operation once hydrogen becomes more readily available. Simultaneously, the company is taking significant steps to make its own operations more sustainable and reduce its carbon footprint. By 2030, INNIO plans to reduce the carbon footprint of its production and office sites by 50%, while also safeguarding and conserving natural resources. INNIO reports on its progress annually through its sustainability report. "The nomination underscores the pioneering role we assume with INNIO in the industry and acknowledges the work our INNIO team accomplishes daily to make energy more sustainable," says Dr. Olaf Berlien, President and CEO of the INNIO Group. "I am proud of the entire team and would like to thank all employees for their contribution to what we have achieved." The German Sustainability Award seal is regarded as the most prestigious German recognition for exemplary ecological and social achievements. Sponsors of the award include the German Sustainability Award Foundation in collaboration with the German federal government, associations, business groups, civil organizations, research institutions, and the media. The winners will be announced in Dusseldorf on November 23, 2023, as part of the 16th German Sustainability Day. INNIO has previously received multiple awards for its sustainability commitments. INNIO's award recognitions include the Platinum Medal by EcoVadis, which ranks INNIO among the top 1% of evaluated companies. Additionally, Sustainalytics named INNIO as the global number 1 among industry companies as part of the ESG risk rating at the time of the rating. ### About INNIO Group (INNIO) INNIO* Group is a leading energy solution and service provider that empowers industries and communities to make sustainable energy work today. With our product brands Jenbacher* and Waukesha* and our digital platform myPlant*, we offer innovative solutions for the power generation and compression segments that help industries and communities generate and manage energy sustainably while navigating the fast-changing landscape of traditional and green energy sources. INNIO is individual in scope, but global in scale. With our flexible, scalable, and resilient energy solutions and services, we enable our customers to manage the energy transition along the energy value chain wherever they are in their transition journey. INNIO is headquartered in Jenbach (Austria), with other primary operations in Waukesha (Wisconsin, U.S.) and Welland (Ontario, Canada). A team of more than 4,000 experts provides life-cycle support to the more than 55,000 delivered engines globally through a service network in more than 100 countries. At the time of the assessment, INNIO's ESG risk rating ranked it first globally among the more than 500 engineering companies assessed by Sustainalytics. For more information, visit the INNIO Group website at www.innio.com. Follow INNIO and its brands on Twitter and LinkedIn. * INNIO, Jenbacher, Waukesha, and myPlant are trademarks of the INNIO Group or one of its affiliates. All other trademarks and company names are the property of their respective owners. ** In general, "Ready for H2" Jenbacher units can be converted to operate on up to 100% hydrogen in the future. Details on the cost and timeline for a future conversion may vary and need to be clarified individually. Contact Information Susanne Reichelt INNIO Media Relations susanne.reichelt@innio.com +43 664 80833 2382 SOURCE: INNIO Group View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780178/industry-pioneer-innio-nominated-for-the-german-sustainability-award COLLEGE STATION, TX / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Enzolytics, Inc. (OTC PINK:ENZC) (https://enzolytics.com/). Biogenysis, Inc. ("BGEN"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Enzolytics, Inc. (the "Company" or "ENZC"), a drug development biotech company, announced today a continued partnership with Khalpey AI Lab (https://khalpey-ai.com ) and Contenta, Ltd., Estonia, to identify biomarkers for early onset Alzheimer's disease. Such a discovery could lead to early diagnosis and the design of preventative therapies for effective treatment to stop the progression of Alzheimer's at an early stage. Alzheimer's disease affects over 6 million people in the United States and significantly impacts the economy, costing an estimated $321 billion in 2022, with an additional $271 billion in unpaid caregiving. Unfortunately, the number of people in the U.S. impacted by Alzheimer's is expected to double to 12.7 million individuals by 2050, resulting in an annual cost of nearly $1 trillion. Despite the predicted increase in Alzheimer's disease and its impact on those affected, significant obstacles remain. Diagnosis and treatment rates remain low across all stages of the disease. Therefore, developing accurate and user-friendly diagnostic tests and biomarkers is crucial. Identifying and validating these biomarkers is essential for predicting, diagnosing, and treating the disease. AI has shown promise in various fields, such as microbiome research, genetics, and nutrition. AI analysis of the biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's disease holds the promise of novel solutions for addressing the disease early. Biogenysis is marshalling its expertise and relevant contacts to address this opportunity today. The structured partnership will combine the efforts and expertise of Biogenysis with those of Khalpey AI Lab and Contenta, Ltd. Riin Ehin, the CEO of Contenta, Ltd., said, "Estonia has a rich history in biology and medicine, focusing strongly on gut microbiota in immunity. The Estonian Genome Project Foundation (EGPF) has over 200,000 genome samples, and the Estonian Health Information System is comprehensive. We are honored to be part of the Alzheimer's disease consortium with Biogenysis and to make a positive impact on Alzheimer's disease patients." Biogenysis AI Advisory Board Member Dr. Kirsten Bischof stated, "The potential of Artificial Intelligence in analyzing gut-brain communication is immense. Unlocking new biomarkers of neurodegenerative illnesses opens avenues for novel, simpler, less toxic treatments. Researchers have identified significant differences between preclinical AD patients' and healthy individuals' microbiomes. This discovery will lead to early diagnosis and help design preventative therapies for effective treatment to stop the disease's progression. ML algorithms can identify molecular signatures and predict specific disease states. Collaborating with Contenta and Khalpey AI Lab will make possible analysis of the gut microbiota of thousands of patients to identify those at higher risk of developing dementia and permit the design of preventative treatments to avoid cognitive decline." Dr. Zain Khalpey, the Director of the Khalpey AI Lab, stated, "Our team is dedicated to advancing the field of AI, with a focus on creating innovative healthcare solutions. We are proud to work with partners to achieve our goals and bring these solutions to the patient bedside. Our AI Lab is passionate about positively impacting healthcare outcomes. The partnership between Biogenysis and Contenta is a significant step forward in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. This includes identifying early biomarkers for use in delaying disease progression to benefit countless patients. We feel honored to contribute to Dr. Chandra's state-of-the-art AI platform, which has the potential to revolutionize various therapeutic approaches." Dr. Gaurav Chandra, CEO of Biogenysis, Inc., said, "In Alzheimer's, the neurons in the brain responsible for memory, language, and thinking are damaged first. Even though these symptoms are new to the affected person, the changes in the brain that cause them are believed to start at least 20 years before the symptoms manifest. With this collaboration, we aim to find early biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and discover new therapeutic targets to slow its progression." The CEO of Enzolytics, Charles Cotropia, said: "With regard to the future use of Artificial Intelligence, we agree with experts who have said, 'AI will change the world'. It is undeniable that AI will impact healthcare as well as all other technology areas. Biogenysis is at the forefront of applying AI to create new and improved health therapies. The Company has 4 pending International Patent Applications claiming significant discoveries derived from application of its AI Platform to produce new and effective therapies. Many more developments are planned including the patenting of each. Our partnering with Khalpey AI Lab and Contenta, Ltd. will accelerate the Company's objective to use AI to develop infectious disease therapeutics for improving health care around the world. This partnership and our planned business combination with Sagaliam Acquisition Corporation will provide the basis for achieving this objective." Enzolytics, Inc. Overview Enzolytics, Inc. is a drug development company committed to commercializing its proprietary monoclonal antibodies and proteins to treat debilitating infectious diseases. Biogenysis, Inc., a subsidiary of Enzolytics, Inc., uses proprietary techniques to produce fully human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against infectious diseases. The technology is currently being employed to produce monoclonal antibody therapeutics for treating the CoronaVirus (SARS-CoV-2), HIV-1 and the Feline Leukemia Virus. The Company has also identified conserved epitopes on and has plans to produce mAbs targeting many other viruses, including H1N1 Influenza, HTLV1 & HTLV2, Leukemia Virus, Herpes Simplex I Virus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Smallpox Virus, Rabies, Influenza A, Influenza B, Ebola Virus, Epstein Barr Virus, and Monkey Pox Virus. The Company has also analyzed epitopes of animal viruses and plans to produce mAbs for treating these animal viruses. Virogentics, Inc., a subsidiary of Enzolytics, is advancing multiple therapeutics targeting numerous infectious diseases. One patented and clinically tested compound, ITV-1 (Immune Therapeutic Vaccine-1), is a suspension of Inactivated Pepsin Fraction (IPF), covered by U.S. Patent Nos. 8,066,982 and 7,479,538. Studies have shown it to be effective in treating HIV/AIDS. ITV-1 has also been shown to modulate the immune system. Safe Harbor Statement : This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties associated with financial projections, budgets, milestone timelines, clinical development, regulatory approvals, and other risks described by Enzolytics, Inc. from time to time in its periodic reports filed with the SEC. The Company's therapeutics are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or by any comparable regulatory agencies. While Enzolytics, Inc. believes that the forward-looking statements and underlying assumptions contained therein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, including, but not limited to, the ability of Enzolytics to establish the efficacy of its therapeutics in the treatment of any disease or health condition, the development of studies and strategies leading to commercialization of its therapeutics in the United States, the obtaining of funding required to carry out the development plan, the completion of studies and tests on time or at all, and the successful outcome of such studies or tests. Therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this release will prove to be accurate. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations. They involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert, or change any of the statements made, and cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update the forward-looking statements or update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Company Contact: Biogenysis, Inc. Texas A&M Institute for Preclinical Studies 800 Raymond Stotzer Parkway College Station, Texas 77843-4478 SOURCE: Enzolytics, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780237/biogenysis-inc-announces-partnering-with-khalpey-ai-lab-and-contenta-ltd-to-incorporate-ai-in-microbiome-analysis-to-identify-biomarkers-for-use-in-accurately-predicting-alzheimers-disease-onset-and-prevention Lingerie specialist sees significant improvements in customer experience, warehouse visibility and sustainability. LONDON, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hunkemoller , Europe's fastest-growing lingerie specialist, has seen a spike in sales after working with nShift , the global leader in parcel delivery management software, to digitize returns. By using nShift Returns, Hunkemoller has been able to offer its customers seamless reverse ecommerce experience. Since its recent go live, Hunkemoller has experienced a change in customer behaviour shifting online to warehouse returns towards in-stores with an increase of 15%. This has not only created the chance to strengthen customer relationships but also created new remarketing and repurchase opportunities. Already operational in 19 countries with state-of-the-art webshops and over 900 stores acting as digital hubs, Hunkemoller has deployed nShift Returns in six markets across Benelux, Germany and the Nordics. However, the project has been such a success that the company plans to roll it out to the rest of Europe and other global markets. "Returns are an integral part of ecommerce today but consistently high return rates are not healthy - they're bad for the business, customer and the environment", said Pieter Schalk, Sales Director at nShift. "What Hunkemoller has been able to do so effectively is focus on improving the returns experience, which not only helps control the return rate, but also provides customers a better experience based on convenience, choice and communications. The combination of which keeps them coming back for more." Prior to using nShift, Hunkemoller was using a traditional hardcopy return label in the box method for customers to return online purchases. However, this meant the company didn't know early in advance how many returns came back every day or and what was driving those returns. By digitizing the entire process, Hunkemoller is now growing customer loyalty through this frictionless solution. "We've made returns part of a seamless omnichannel customer experience with increased returns control and insights" said Robin Visser, Omni Channel Business Development Manager, Hunkemoller. "What was a historical pain point for the company and our customers has been changed into something that adds real value. And because we've added more intelligence to the process, we're getting much more in the way of consumer touchpoints helping us to constantly improve the service and experience we offer." The change in returns process has also led to improvements in the warehouse. The Hunkemoller team now has clear visibility on the status of all orders as well as what is coming and leaving days ahead and with a real-time dashboard where all returns are being shared, the Hunkemoller team can plan for the capacity they need. It is also helping the company achieve its sustainability objectives too. By digitizing the process, the Hunkemoller returns process has gone from paper to paperless, almost overnight. About nShift nShift is the global leading provider of cloud delivery management solutions enabling frictionless shipment and return of almost one billion shipments across 190 countries annually. nShift's software is used globally by e-commerce, retail, manufacturing and 3PL shippers. The company is headquartered in London and Oslo. It has over 500 employees across offices in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, United Kingdom, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Romania. About Hunkemoller Hunkemoller is Europe's fastest-growing lingerie brand in 19 countries with state-of-the-art webshops and over 900 stores acting as digital hubs. Our customers (Sheroes) are attracted by distinct product and brand handwriting, continual new collections and sub-brands appealing to a range of Sheroes across ages, cultures, body shapes, tastes and budgets, all delivered via an inspiring and rewarding shopping experience - whatever the channel. Our mission is to always be a much-loved, social and inclusive brand and we do this by offering a combination of market-leading, design-led products, an inspiring Omni-Channel customer experience, passionate staff delivering World-Class service, smart use of data and technology, in touch marketing and social media to build lifetime loyalty. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1782566/4233092/nShift_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/nshift-helps-hunkemoller-increase-in-store-returns-by-15-301917735.html Maintains "all of the above" strategy calling for a diverse deployment of new technologies supported by the North Carolina Utilities Commission in its 2022 Carbon Plan Proposes new advanced nuclear at Belews Creek, new hydrogen-capable natural gas facilities at Roxboro and Marshall, plus significant increase in renewables and storage Retires coal by 2035; achieves carbon neutrality by 2050, as required by North Carolina's clean energy law under least-cost and reliability mandates CHARLOTTE, N.C. / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Duke Energy filed a new resource plan to advance the company's energy transition while prioritizing reliability and affordability - one designed to help maintain North Carolina's status as the nation's top state for economic development. The Carbon Plan Integrated Resource Plan (CPIRP) builds on the trajectory of the North Carolina Utilities Commission's (NCUC) 2022 Carbon Plan, which established a least-cost path to meet the carbon dioxide emissions reduction targets of House Bill 951, North Carolina's clean energy law. In the updated proposal, Duke Energy has identified new generation to meet unprecedented strong growth in the Carolinas and take the place of retiring coal plants: advanced nuclear at Belews Creek (Stokes County) and hydrogen-capable natural gas plants at Roxboro (Person County) and Marshall (Catawba County). The plan also significantly increases solar, storage and wind compared to the 2022 proposal, maintaining the "all of the above" strategy supported by the NCUC. "This plan delivers a path to cleaner energy without compromising grid reliability, affordability or the energy demands of a growing region," said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy's North Carolina president. "We project exponential growth, far beyond what has already made us the top state for business, so we've charted an ambitious roadmap for meeting that need while protecting reliability and affordability for our customers." Reducing carbon while accommodating growth Between economic development success, population growth and increased adoption of electric vehicles, energy use by Duke Energy customers in the Carolinas is projected to grow by around 35,000 gigawatt-hours over the next 15 years - more than the annual electric generation of Delaware, Maine and New Hampshire combined. To accommodate this, the CPIRP includes three core energy portfolios for the NCUC to review and ensure a pathway to carbon reduction that is least-cost and maintains equal or greater reliability than customers have today. The three portfolios reach HB951's interim 70% carbon reduction target by 2030, 2033, and 2035, respectively, utilizing the flexibility given to the NCUC under state law to protect reliability and encourage advanced nuclear and offshore wind. All three portfolios reach carbon neutrality by 2050. "We've already made tremendous progress in the energy transition, retiring two-thirds of our aging coal plants in the Carolinas and reducing emissions by 46% since 2005," said Bowman. "Now we're proposing specific new generation at existing plant sites, leveraging our current infrastructure, transmission system and workforce to save customers money while supporting job creation and tax base in these communities." Diverse mix of resources to reliably meet growth The new plan maintains Duke Energy's commitment to exit coal by 2035. To meet the significant increase in projected energy demand, all three proposed portfolios are more ambitious in pace and scale than the 70% by 2030 portfolio from the company's 2022 Carbon Plan proposal. The company has recommended a "near term action plan" based on the least-cost, least-risk portfolio. Activities in that plan would facilitate the following new resources: Solar - 6,000 megawatts (MW) by 2031 Battery storage - 2,700 MW by 2031 Hydrogen-capable natural gas - 5,800 MW by 2032, which includes replacing coal retirements at Roxboro (Stokes County) and Marshall (Catawba County) Wind - 1,200 MW onshore by 2033; preserve option of 1,600 MW offshore for 2033 or later Pumped storage hydro - 1,700 MW by 2034 at Bad Creek Hydro in Oconee County, S.C., serving both states Advanced nuclear - 600 MW by 2035, partially replacing coal retirements at Belews Creek (Person County) and one other existing plant location to be determined Duke Energy's industry-leading energy efficiency and demand response options - voluntary programs that incentivize customers to reduce their energy use and save money - will help keep the need for new resources as low as possible. These options are projected to deliver a cumulative demand reduction of 22% over the next 15 years. Stakeholder input critical to the process Duke Energy held five stakeholder engagement meetings over a four-month period on technical, complex issues involving resource planning. More than 100 individuals, representing a diverse group of organizations that included customers, environmental advocates, community leaders and other industries, attended these virtual sessions. The presentation materials and Q&A from these engagement sessions, as well as additional documents and links related to the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) process, can be viewed on Duke Energy's IRP website. These technical sessions were augmented by environmental justice conversations in North Carolina that will continue with local community outreach in the months ahead for communities where new infrastructure is proposed. More public input ahead Today's filing in North Carolina begins a public regulatory process at the NCUC that involves the evaluation of thousands of pages of testimony and data from the company, other parties to the proceeding and the input of customers. The NCUC will hold public hearings before issuing its final CPIRP order by the end of 2024. The same resource plan was also filed in South Carolina on Aug. 15. Regulators there will independently conduct their own proceedings to consider the IRP and are expected to issue an order in spring 2024. The plan will be checked and adjusted every two to three years, incorporating technology advances, updated cost forecasts and applicable federal funding to ensure ongoing affordability and reliability for customers. Duke Energy Carolinas/Duke Energy Progress Duke Energy serves nearly 3.7 million households and businesses in North Carolina through two utilities, Duke Energy Carolinas (central and western North Carolina, including Charlotte, Durham and the Triad) and Duke Energy Progress (central and eastern North Carolina plus the Asheville region). Duke Energy Carolinas owns 19,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2.8 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 24,000-square-mile service area in North Carolina and South Carolina Duke Energy Progress, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.7 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 29,000-square-mile service area in North Carolina and South Carolina. Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people. Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2023 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "World's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. ### 24-hour media line: 800.559.3853 View original content here. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Duke Energy on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Duke Energy Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/duke-energy Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Duke Energy View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780402/duke-energy-files-updated-carbon-plan-to-serve-the-growing-energy-needs-of-a-thriving-north-carolina NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / AllianceBernstein By Daniel C. Roarty, CFA| Chief Investment Officer-Sustainable Thematic Equities and Ben Ruegsegger, CFA| Portfolio Manager-Sustainable US Thematic; Senior Research Analyst-Sustainable Thematic Equities There's a big buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential to change the world. But much less has been said about its energy footprint. Companies that help solve this energy conundrum could enable a sustainable future for this burgeoning technology-and create opportunities for equity investors. What's known as "generative" AI uses machine learning to generate content-including text, audio, video and images. OpenAI's wildly popular ChatGPT is perhaps the most well-known example. There are countless applications for generative AI, from academic writing to audio and video editing to scientific research. Companies everywhere are hunting for AI applications that can enhance productivity and create business benefits in industries ranging from healthcare to investment management. But here's the rub: AI requires massive computational power to train models. And that raises a thorny issue-namely, the energy impact of AI. Generative AI Is an Energy Hog What's behind the magic of machine learning? There are two primary stages. The first is training, which involves gathering information so that machines can learn everything possible to create a model. The second is inference, whereby the machine uses that model to generate content, analyze new data and produce actionable results. All of this requires energy. The more powerful and complex the AI model, the greater the training time and energy required (Display). OpenAI's GPT-3 model is illustrative. The energy needed to train GPT-3 could power an average American's home for more than 120 years, according to a report from Stanford University. Meantime, Bay Area chipmaker NVIDIA notes that energy requirements for training models that include transformers-a form of deep-learning architecture-have increased by 275 times every two years. The Many Sources of Energy Consumption AI's energy consumption will come from many corners. In addition to training and running large models, the proliferation of AI-assisted products, including AI search and chatbots, will gobble up terawatts. Increasingly complex models will, in turn, require the use of more specialized hardware, such as graphic processing units (GPUs). The good news is that GPUs deliver much more performance-per-watt than traditional central processing units (CPUs), which could offset the overall power requirements to train and run AI models. Ultimately, these drivers of energy consumption will accelerate the construction of power-hungry data centers, which already account for nearly 1% of global energy use, according to the International Energy Agency. Even before AI began to take off, studies predicted a sharp increase in data center construction, driven by the energy needs of new technologies. There's also the issue of emissions to consider. In particular, investors are pushing companies to measure Scope 3 emissions-upstream and downstream emissions that can be difficult to quantify. As AI use increases, the Scope 3 emissions of all data users-including firms that traditionally have low carbon footprints-are likely to grow correspondingly. How Are Companies Addressing the AI Energy Conundrum? Fortunately, companies are beginning to address the enormous AI energy challenge. These include firms that are central to AI and those only nibbling at the periphery. We think investors should pay attention to three key areas: Hardware and Software: Reducing AI-related energy use will require new processor architectures. US semiconductor makers like AMD and NVIDIA are focused on delivering more energy-efficient performance. In fact, AMD has set a goal of increasing the energy efficiency of its processors and accelerators used in AI training and high-performance computing by 30 times over a five-year period. According to NVIDIA, its GPU-based servers in some applications, such as large-language model training, use 25 times less energy than CPU-based alternatives. As GPUs from AMD, NVIDIA and others take share from CPUs in data centers, energy efficiency should increase even further. Conserving energy will also require advanced transistor-packaging techniques. Technologies such as dynamic voltage frequency scaling and thermal management will be required to produce more efficient machine learning. We believe companies involved in semiconductor chip production and inspection, including Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC and Netherlands-based ASML, will have a significant role to play in bringing these new innovations to market. Investors will also be hearing more about power semiconductors, which help improve the power management of AI servers and data centers. Power semiconductors regulate current and can lower overall energy use by integrating more functionality in smaller footprints. Firms like Kirkland, Washington-based Monolithic Power Systems and German semiconductor manufacturer Infineon Technologies are at the forefront of their development, in our view. Improvements in Data Center Design: As AI adoption fuels the expansion of data center capacity, firms that supply data center components could reap benefits. Key components include power supplies, optical networking, memory systems and cabling. Tech companies that use the data centers themselves-think Amazon.com, Google and Microsoft-also have a strong incentive to continue improving data center design and energy consumption. Coming full circle, AI itself is being used to optimize data center operations. In 2022, Google DeepMind released the results of a three-month experiment that involved training a learning agent called BCOOLER to optimize Google's data center cooling procedures. The result: BCOOLER achieved roughly 13% energy savings-underscoring that energy efficiency is improving in data centers, even as their numbers grow. Renewable Energy: Renewables made up 21.5% of US electricity generation in 2022, according to the Energy Information Administration. With 80% of the US power grid nonrenewable, near-term power could come from traditional fossil fuels. But over time, AI demand could open the door for more renewable energy use. That's especially true given that AI data centers will be operated by the likes of Microsoft and Google's parent company, Alphabet, Inc., whose net zero policies are among the industry's best. As a result, we expect that accelerated adoption of AI could improve the investment prospects of the entire renewable-power ecosystem. Investing in Energy Solutions In all these areas, we believe that investors should search for quality companies with a technological advantage, persistent pricing power, healthy free-cash-flow generation and resilient business models. Companies with strong fundamentals that are poised to participate in and benefit from increased demand for energy-efficient AI capabilities could provide attractive opportunities for equity investors with a sustainable focus and those with an absolute-return mandate. As AI adoption accelerates and search engines are replaced by chatbots, the energy impact of this revolutionary form of machine learning should not be overlooked. Initiatives aimed at creating a more energy-efficient AI ecosystem might not be in the spotlight now, but they could eventually unlock attractive return potential for investors who can spot the potential solutions early. Claire Walter, Research Analyst-Sustainable Thematic Equities, contributed to this analysis. The views expressed herein do not constitute research, investment advice or trade recommendations and do not necessarily represent the views of all AB portfolio-management teams. Views are subject to revision over time. Learn more about AB's approach to responsibility here View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from AllianceBernstein on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: AllianceBernstein Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/alliancebernstein Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: AllianceBernstein View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780396/ab-energy-addiction-ais-next-big-challenge CNH Industrial (NYSE: CNHI / MI: CNHI) is a world-class equipment and services company. Driven by its purpose of Breaking New Ground, which centers on Innovation, Sustainability and Productivity, the Company provides the strategic direction, R&D capabilities, and investments that enable the success of its global and regional Brands. Globally, Case IH and New Holland Agriculture supply 360 agriculture applications from machines to implements and the digital technologies that enhance them; and CASE and New Holland Construction Equipment deliver a full lineup of construction products that make the industry more productive. The Company's regionally focused Brands include: STEYR , for agricultural tractors; Raven , a leader in digital agriculture, precision technology and the development of autonomous systems; Flexi-Coil , specializing in tillage and seeding systems; Miller , manufacturing application equipment; Kongskilde , providing tillage, seeding and hay & forage implements; and Eurocomach , producing a wide range ofmini and midi excavators for the construction sector, including electric solutions. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Southern Empire Resources Corp. (Southern Empire; TSX-V:SMP; Frankfurt:5RE; OTC:SMPEF) is very pleased to announce that in an August 31, 2023 Press Release, the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) stated that Southern Empire's subsidiary, SMP Gold Corp., was approved to "move forward with mineral exploration on public lands" at its wholly owned Oro Cruz Project located in Imperial County, California. David Tupper, Southern Empire's VP of Exploration stated, "Receiving the BLM's approval for our planned Oro Cruz exploration is a major step forward for us, one that brings us much closer to both drilling the high-grade, oxide gold zone of the Cross Mine, which last produced gold in 1996, and to establish surface infrastructure that will enable us to access its underground workings, which remain in excellent condition." On September 1, 2023, the BLM issued a Decision Record (DR), based on information provided by an Environmental Assessment prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and a signed Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), approving proposed exploration activities (the Proposed Action) as described in both Southern Empire's Plan of Operations (the Plan) for the Oro Cruz Project and in the Environmental Assessment/Mitigated Negative Declaration (EA/MND) jointly prepared in coordination with the Imperial County Planning Department (ICPD), which is the lead agency for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) permitting for the Oro Cruz Project. BLM approval of the Proposed Action set out in the Oro Cruz Project Plan of Operations allows for: Establishment of up to 65 drill pads in seven drill target areas Reverse Circulation (RC) and/or core drilling of up to 65 drill holes Improvement and construction of access roads Creation of a staging area at the Cross Mine underground portal for infrastructure required to support future underground drill programs. The Plan proposes that Southern Empire conduct the Proposed Action on lands administered and managed by the BLM that specifically occur within a 257-hectare (ha; 635 acre) area of the ~184,000-acre Picacho Area of Critical Environmental Concern, which covers important cultural and biological resources and the historic Cargo Muchacho - Tumco Mining district. The actual surface disturbance from the Proposed Action is limited to approximately 8.3 ha (20.5 acres) and most of the proposed drill sites are within areas previously disturbed by the historical American Girl Mining Joint Venture operations, which concluded in 1996. The EA/MND analyzed the affected environment and environmental impacts and established environmental protection measures to avoid or mitigate conflicts with, and undue degradation of, natural, cultural, and historic resources associated with the Proposed Action. The BLM's approval of the Proposed Action, as described in the Plan and the EA/MND complies with federal and state laws related to environmental protection and the protection of cultural resources and is in conformance with applicable land use plans, laws, and regulations and that it will not cause unnecessary or undue degradation. In addition, the BLM has determined that the Oro Cruz Project is "reasonably incident" to mining and would attain the stated level of protection and reclamation required by specific laws in the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA). Public and Regulatory Involvement in Oro Cruz Project Permitting The Plan was initially submitted to the BLM's El Centro Field Office on September 28, 2020. The BLM, following its procedural review, determined on November 16, 2021 that the Plan was administratively and technically complete and consistent with U.S. federal surface management regulations. Environmental, biological, cultural, hydrological and other baseline studies were completed in preparation for analysis in the permitting processes. The BLM published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register and on March 4, 2022, issued a press release announcing that the BLM was initiating an environmental review, seeking public input regarding the Plan and implementing a NEPA-required 30-day public scoping period regarding the Oro Cruz Project. The public scoping period ended on April 4, 2022, with six public scoping comment letters received, one from a federal agency and five from public interest organizations. A 582-page Reclamation Plan for compliance with the State of California's Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) was prepared and submitted to the California Department of Conservation's Division of Mine Reclamation (DMR) for their review on June 24, 2022. The Reclamation Plan was considered to be complete subsequent to DMR's review and comments received on October 28, 2022. This document is available at: SMP - Oro Cruz Project, Imperial County, California - Reclamation Plan 20220928. Pursuant to NEPA and CEQA, the BLM and the ICPD (on behalf of the State of California) jointly prepared a draft EA/MND, the purpose of which was to provide a project description, identify issues and describe affected environments, analyze and disclose any potential environmental, cultural, and recreational resource impacts associated with the Plan, identify and disclose any required mitigation measures, or project alternatives as appropriate. The BLM also prepared and published an unsigned FONSI, based on the information contained in the draft EA/MND, that stated that Proposed Action identified in the draft EA/MND would not significantly affect the quality of the human environment and that an Environmental Impact Statement is not required to be prepared for the Plan. Only after public review and commentary regarding the draft EA/MND and the unsigned FONSI could the BLM make a final decision regarding authorization of the Proposed Action. The draft EA/MND and the unsigned FONSI were published for a 30-day public review period from November 16, 2022 through December 16, 2022. During that time a Virtual Public Meeting was held on November 30, 2022 and, by the end of the open public comment period, 373 public comments had been submitted to the BLM. The ICPD held an Environmental Evaluation Committee public hearing on November 17, 2022 for review of the adequacy of the CEQA analysis within the EA/MND. Following the NEPA and CEQA public review periods, the BLM and ICPD coordinated with the third-party NEPA and CEQA contractors to revise the draft EA/MND as deemed necessary and to respond to any public comments received in order for the agencies to reach a decision on the Oro Cruz Project. Public comments received did not result in substantive revisions to the EA/MND and this document was finalized. Based on information in the EA/MND, the signed FONSI, and other related documents, the BLM has now determined to approve the Proposed Action as described in the EA/MND for the Oro Cruz Project, and finds this action conforms to BLM NEPA requirements. The BLM further finds this action in conformance with applicable land use plans, laws, and regulations and that it will not cause unnecessary or undue degradation. The BLM's Decision Record and signed FONSI, the Environmental Assessment/Mitigated Negative Declaration and other associated documents were posted for public review on September 1, 2023, online at the BLM NEPA Register. These documents are also available for public review at the BLM El Centro Field Office located at 1661 South 4th Street in El Centro, California. The BLM's September 1, 2023 decision is subject to a 30-day public appeal period. The Imperial County Planning Commission has set a hearing at 9:00 a.m. on September 13, 2023, in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 940 Main Street, El Centro, California, to make determinations regarding the Oro Cruz Project, including, but not limited to, the adoption of the EA/MND, resolutions adopting the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Reclamation Plan, and resolutions adopting the Reclamation Plan. Materials for this meeting are available at: https://www.icpds.com/assets/hearings/3.-RP21-0001-SMP-Gold-Corp-(Oro-Cruz)-PC-PKG-09-13-23.pdf. Southern Empire continues to seek other ancillary permits at the state and county level. Southern Empire's ongoing environmental and permitting efforts are coordinated by Del Fortner Consulting of Tucson, Arizona. Our broader environmental assessment and permitting team includes: Sespe Consulting, Inc., specialists on SMARA and CEQA baseline environmental analysis, permitting and reclamation plan requirements, that assist in document preparation for the CEQA analysis. Stantec Consulting Services Inc., an international firm that liaises directly with both the BLM and the ICPD to prepare NEPA documentation for the BLM and coordinate the CEQA environmental review process with the ICPD. WestLand Resources, Inc., specialists in environmental engineering, permitting and planning, have completed the Oro Cruz Project baseline environmental and cultural studies and have provided documentation and services necessary to comply with both the NEPA and CEQA permitting requirements. About Southern Empire Resources Corp. Southern Empire is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of metals and minerals deposits in the American southwest and northern Mexico and is particularly focused on those that are naturally oxidized and amenable to lower-cost metal extraction methodologies such as heap leaching. To achieve its goals, Southern Empire has assembled a board of directors, all veterans in mine and corporate finance, exploration, permitting, development, and operations that will guide the future growth of the company. In the Cargo Muchacho mountains of Imperial County, California, Southern Empire's wholly owned Oro Cruz Project has the potential to re-establish gold production from an oxide gold deposit located approximately 22.5 kilometres (14 miles) southeast of the operating Mesquite gold mine of Equinox Gold Corp., which has now produced more than five million ounces. At Oro Cruz, extensive historical drilling and large-scale open-pit and underground mining of the American Girl, Padre y Madre, Queen and Cross oxide gold deposits by the American Girl Mining Joint Venture (AGMJV; being MK Gold Company and Hecla Mining Company) occurred between 1987 and 1996. During that time, gold was recovered by heap leaching of lower-grade ores and milling of higher-grade ores. Following significant definition drilling and underground development, the Cross open-pit and underground mines operated successfully for only one year, producing about 61,000 ounces of gold, until AGMJV operations ceased in late 1996 as collapsing gold prices caused their entire operations to be shuttered and decommissioned. This left the Oro Cruz property with many gold exploration targets in addition to the Cross oxide gold deposit having a historical inferred resource estimate, as reported in 2011 by Lincoln Mining Corp., totalling 341,800 ounces gold based on 4,386,000 tonnes averaging 2.2 grams gold per tonne at a cut-off grade of 0.68 g/t Au (4,835,000 tons at 0.07 ounce gold per ton; please refer to the Cautionary Notice Regarding the Oro Cruz Property Historical Resource Estimate below). Although no surface facilities remain, the underground infrastructure at Oro Cruz (including a 2.4 kilometre haulage ramp, sublevels and draw points) remains in excellent condition and the open pit was abandoned just after stripping was completed prior to the start of its Stage II expansion. Southern Empire continues to finalize ancillary state and county permitting for the Oro Cruz Project. The planned work program of up to 65 exploration, confirmation and metallurgical drill holes will support a new mineral resource estimate and test the potential of waste rock dumps to yield residual gold production. In northern Mexico (Sonora, Chihuahua, and Durango), Southern Empire has a leachable copper prospect and three gold projects having bulk-tonnage potential. Our Mexican projects are the: Suaqui Verde Copper Project, Suaqui Grande, Sonora; Centauro Gold Project, Escalon, Chihuahua; Pedro Gold Project, Mapimi, Durango; La Loma Gold Project, Nazas, Durango; and, Southern Empire has recently entered into an agreement allowing for the acquisition of up to a 100% beneficial interest in the Suaqui Verde Copper Project, situated in the mining-friendly State of Sonora in northwestern Mexico. The Suaqui Verde copper deposit is characterized by oxide and enriched copper sulphide mineralization and has been explored through historical drill holes. It lies within the Sonora-Arizona porphyry copper province, known for its copper-molybdenum deposits. The project covers approximately 1,952 hectares and has been the subject of various historical open-pit mineral resource estimates. The agreement includes access to water usage rights and surface land rights. The location offers good access to infrastructure and workforce, and the deposit's potential development scenarios encompass open pit mining and heap leaching, or innovative in-situ leaching, both aimed at cathode copper production through SX/EW processing methods. Southern Empire aims to capitalize on previous investments and explore the deposit's expansion potential. The three gold projects are located along what Southern Empire is calling the Mapimi Gold Corridor, a 150-kilometre, southeast-trending Oligocene tectonostratigraphic belt, the regional geological setting of which, together with numerous coincident geological, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics as observed at Centauro, Pedro and La Loma, strongly supports the proposition that the Mapimi Gold Corridor has significant potential to host bulk-mineable, low sulfidation epithermal and/or Carlin-style gold deposits. For more information on Southern Empire, its people and its projects, please visit our website: www.smp.gold. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Southern Empire Resources Corp., Dale Wallster, CEO and Director For further information on Southern Empire please visit both www.smp.gold and SEDAR+ or contact: Lubica Keighery, (778) 889-5476, lubica@smp.gold . Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Notice on Forward-Looking Information and Forward-Looking Statements Information provided in this news release may contain forward-looking information or forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. Such information or statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations and are not guarantees of future performance. Southern Empire cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond its respective control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Southern Empire's limited operating history, the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations, results of exploration programs on its projects and those risks and uncertainties identified in its annual and interim financial statements and management discussion and analysis. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Southern Empire undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. Cautionary Notice Regarding the Oro Cruz Project Historical Mineral Resource Estimate The historical mineral resource estimate outlined above is disclosed in a technical report dated April 29, 2011, prepared for Lincoln Mining Corp. by Tetra Tech, Inc. and filed on the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR+). It is termed an inferred mineral resource, which is a category set out in NI 43-101 and was based on historical reverse circulation and core drill hole sample, underground channel sample, and blasthole sample assay results and calculated using ordinary kriging to estimate gold grades in 10-foot-by-10-foot-by-five-foot blocks. Accordingly, Southern Empire considers this historical estimate reliable as well as relevant as it presents key targets for future exploration work. However, a QP has not done sufficient work to verify or classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource and Southern Empire is not treating this historical mineral resource estimate as current mineral resources. SOURCE: Southern Empire Resources Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780406/blm-approval-received-for-drilling-at-southern-empires-oro-cruz-project Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. (TSXV: CVV) (OTCQX: CVVUF) (FSE: DH7N) ("CanAlaska" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its board of directors has unanimously approved a spinout of the Company's Halfway Lake, Resting Lake, Hunter, Odei River and Mel properties (collectively, the "Nickel Properties") totalling 36,174 hectares (Figure 1), and $1,000,000 cash (together with the Nickel Properties, the "Assets"), to its shareholders by way of a share capital reorganization effected through a statutory plan of arrangement (the "Arrangement"). Under the Arrangement, CanAlaska will transfer the Assets to its wholly-owned subsidiary, Core Nickel Corp. ("Core Nickel"), in consideration for approximately 25,000,000 Core Nickel common shares. The Core Nickel shares will then be distributed to CanAlaska's shareholders pro rata their interest in CanAlaska. Upon completion of the Arrangement, CanAlaska's shareholders will own shares in two reporting companies: Core Nickel, which will focus on developing the Nickel Properties, and CanAlaska, which will continue to retain an interest in over 25 separate property packages and will focus on the development of its uranium properties. Cory Belyk, CanAlaska's CEO & President, stated, "We believe the spinout of the Nickel Properties will be very beneficial to CanAlaska's shareholders. Among other benefits, it will unlock the value of the Nickel Properties by allowing them to be explored and developed separately by a skilled and experienced management team, and it will allow CanAlaska's shareholders to own shares in two public companies that are focussed on different critical metals. Investment in nickel discovery is poised to rapidly accelerate as demand for clean electricity storage and delivery is predicted to exponentially grow on a global scale. Additional nickel resources must be discovered!" The spinout transaction will be effected pursuant to the arrangement provisions of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and must be approved by the Supreme Court of British Columbia and by the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of CanAlaska's shareholders in attendance at a shareholders' meeting to be held on October 25, 2023 (the "Meeting"). Under the Arrangement, the Company's current shareholders will receive Core Nickel common shares by way of a share exchange, pursuant to which each existing common share of the Company will be exchanged for one new CanAlaska common share (each, a "New CanAlaska Share") and 0.19987 of a Core Nickel share. Holders of CanAlaska warrants will be entitled to receive one New CanAlaska Share and 0.19987 of a Core Nickel share on exercise of each warrant. Holders of each CanAlaska option will be issued a replacement option to acquire one new CanAlaska Share and 0.19987 of a Core Nickel option with each whole Core Nickel option entitling the holder to acquire one Core Nickel share. No fractional securities will be issued. On completion of the Arrangement, CanAlaska shareholders, warrant holders and option holders will maintain their interest in CanAlaska and will acquire a proportionate interest in Core Nickel. It is intended that Core Nickel will have approximately 25,000,000 common shares issued and outstanding upon completion of the Arrangement. CanAlaska currently has 125,070,842 issued and outstanding common shares. If this number changes prior to completion of the Arrangement, which may occur if outstanding warrants or options are exercised, then the fraction 0.19987 referred to above will be adjusted so that it is the fraction calculated by dividing 25,000,000 by the number of outstanding CanAlaska shares immediately prior to the effective time of the Arrangement. Figure 1 - Property Locations To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2864/179441_37e97a3304b2382a_002full.jpg Completion of the Arrangement is subject to a number of conditions, including the following: (i) CanAlaska shareholder approval at the Meeting; (ii) the approval of the Supreme Court of British Columbia; (iii) TSX Venture Exchange approval for the Arrangement by CanAlaska; and (iv) Canadian Securities Exchange approval for the listing of the Core Nickel shares upon completion of the Arrangement. Upon completion of the Arrangement, it is intended that Core Nickel will be managed by Misty Urbatsch, as Chief Executive Officer and President, and Harry Chan, as Chief Financial Officer. Core Nickel's board of directors will be comprised of Misty Urbatsch, Cory Belyk, Karen Lloyd and Shane Shircliff. Changes and additions to the management team and board of Core Nickel may be made thereafter, as needed, as the company moves forward with its exploration projects. Additional details regarding the Arrangement will be included in the Information Circular to be mailed to shareholders of CanAlaska on or about October 2, 2023, in connection with the Meeting. The Arrangement is expected to close in November, 2023. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons (as defined in the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration is available. About CanAlaska Uranium CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. (TSXV: CVV) (OTCQX: CVVUF) (FSE: DH7N) holds interests in approximately 350,000 hectares (865,000 acres), in Canada's Athabasca Basin - the "Saudi Arabia of Uranium." CanAlaska's strategic holdings have attracted major international mining companies. CanAlaska is currently working with Cameco and Denison at two of the Company's properties in the Eastern Athabasca Basin. CanAlaska is a project generator positioned for discovery success in the world's richest uranium district. The Company also holds properties prospective for nickel, copper, gold and diamonds. For further information visit www.canalaska.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Cory Belyk" Cory Belyk, P.Geo., FGC CEO, President and Director CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. Contacts: Cory Belyk, CEO and President Tel: +1.604.688.3211 x 138 Email: cbelyk@canalaska.com General Enquiry Tel: +1.604.688.3211 Email: info@canalaska.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking information All statements included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions made by the Company based on its experience, perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. In addition, these statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will prove inaccurate, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date hereof or revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events. Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179441 Orlando, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - Atacama Resources International, Inc. (OTC Pink: ACRL), a dynamic presence in the mining industry, is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking agreement that marks a significant step forward for its Tannahill Gold Property near Kirkland Lake, Ontario. The company has entered into a strategic agreement with the Naotkamegwanning First Nation and has chosen Asinike Diamond Drilling, a First Nation owned and operated drilling company, as its exclusive drilling contractor for the upcoming program on the Tannahill Gold Property. This partnership marks a pivotal moment in Atacama's commitment to responsible resource development and its dedication to fostering positive relationships with Indigenous communities. Asinike Diamond Drilling, with its extensive experience and expertise in the field, was a natural choice for Atacama as it embarks on its ambitious drilling program in the Kirkland Lake, Ontario region. Glenn Grant, CEO of Atacama Resources International, expressed his enthusiasm for this collaboration, stating, "We are thrilled and honored to join forces with the Naotkamegwanning First Nation and to have Asinike Diamond Drilling as our exclusive drilling partner. Asinike's outstanding track record in the diamond drilling industry aligns perfectly with Atacama's mission of responsible exploration and development. This partnership exemplifies our commitment to sustainable practices and meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities." Key Highlights of the Partnership: First Nation Collaboration : Atacama's partnership with the Naotkamegwanning First Nation exemplifies its dedication to fostering mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous communities while promoting sustainable economic growth. : Atacama's partnership with the Naotkamegwanning First Nation exemplifies its dedication to fostering mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous communities while promoting sustainable economic growth. Experienced Drilling Partner : Asinike Diamond Drilling brings a wealth of experience and expertise in diamond drilling, ensuring the success of Atacama's exploration efforts. : Asinike Diamond Drilling brings a wealth of experience and expertise in diamond drilling, ensuring the success of Atacama's exploration efforts. Sustainable Exploration : This partnership reflects Atacama's dedication to responsible resource development and sustainable practices in the mining industry. : This partnership reflects Atacama's dedication to responsible resource development and sustainable practices in the mining industry. Future Collaborations: Atacama Resources International is committed to exploring future opportunities for collaboration with the Naotkamegwanning First Nation on upcoming projects. As Atacama Resources International embarks on this new phase of exploration with the support of the Naotkamegwanning First Nation and Asinike Diamond Drilling, it continues to demonstrate its dedication to environmental stewardship and community engagement. About Atacama Resources International, Inc. Atacama Resources International is a publicly traded OTC Pink company with significant mining claims in the greater Kirkland Lake area of Northern Ontario. Metals and minerals under potential exploration include gold, silver, lithium, graphite, cobalt, and other rare earth minerals. Atacama is a dynamic company dedicated to responsible mineral exploration and development. With a commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement, Atacama continues to pursue opportunities that align with its mission to create sustainable value in the mining sector. About Asinike Diamond Drilling Asinike Diamond Drilling is a First Nation owned and operated drilling company known for its precision, safety, and excellence in mineral exploration. With a proven track record of delivering successful projects, Asinike Diamond Drilling is a trusted name in the industry. About Naotkamegwanning First Nation The Naotkamegwanning First Nation is a proud Indigenous community that actively seeks partnerships and opportunities to foster economic development, create jobs, and contribute to sustainable resource management. Additional information can be viewed on the Company's website www.acrlintl.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information set forth in this news announcement may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of Atacama Resources International. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, and projections about the Company's industry, management beliefs and certain assumptions made by its management. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Information concerning factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those contained in these forward-looking statements can be found in the Company's periodic reports filed with OTC Markets. Unless required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise to reflect future events or circumstances or reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. For more information please contact: Glenn Grant at ggrant@acrlintl.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179494 CognICA Shortlisted for Most Innovative AI Product in Healthcare Award at CogX Festival Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - Cognetivity Neurosciences Ltd. (CSE: CGN) (OTCQB: CGNSF) (FSE: 1UB) ("the Company" or "Cognetivity"), a leading artificial intelligence (AI) healthcare technology company is pleased to announce that it has been shortlisted for a major AI technology award, with the company's CognICATM platform being recognised in the CogX Awards in the Most Innovative AI Product in the Healthcare category. The CogX awards are part of the CogX Festival, the world's biggest festival of inspiration, impact and transformational change, being held in London, UK on the 12th to 14th September, 2023. Cognetivity's CEO Dr. Sina Habibi commented, "It is great to receive recognition for our innovative and game-changing Artificial Intelligence platform technology at such a prestigious gathering of the world's greatest minds in innovation, technology and Artificial Intelligence. To have our potential to transform the lives of millions of people acknowledged in such illustrious company is gratifying for our whole team and helps to spread the word that CognICA can transform the way that brain health issues are detected and managed, particularly at a time when new advances in treatments for Alzheimer's such as Eisai's leqembi and Eli Lilly's upcoming donanemab make early detection even more critical." Cognetivity Neurosciences' mission is to utilize its AI platform technology to transform the landscape of brain health globally, enhance the quality of care provided to patients and to reduce the burden and cost to providers and payers, delivering the company's vision of A Brighter Mind for a Fuller Life. ------- About Cognetivity Neurosciences Cognetivity is a technology company that has developed a cognitive testing platform for use in medical, commercial, and consumer environments. Cognetivity's CognICATM uses artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to test the performance of large areas of the brain to help detect early signs of cognitive dysfunction. CognICA is currently available for clinical use in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Canada and the Middle East, with regulatory approval in other regions expected later in 2023. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Sina Habibi" Sina Habibi Chief Executive Officer and Director Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements contained in this news release, including those identified by the words "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should" and similar expressions, to the extent they relate to the Company or its management, constitute forward-looking information or statements (collectively, the "Forward-Looking Statements"). These forward-looking statements are not historical facts and reflect current expectations regarding future results or events. This news release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Such statements are based on current expectations and various estimates, factors and assumptions, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such statements and information are based on a number of assumptions regarding our current and future business strategies and the environment in which we operate. We assume no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. The Canadian Securities Exchange is not responsible for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For more information, please visit: website: www.cognetivity.com or contact: info@cognetivity.com; media inquiries can be sent to pr@cognetivity.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179551 Las Vegas, Nevada--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - GENERAL EUROPEAN STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS INC. (OTC Pink: GESI) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that through its subsidiary companies Laakso Minerals Oy ("Laakso") and ZB Capital AG, it has entered into a Binding Memorandum of Understanding (the "MOU") with HMS Bergbau AG ("HMS Bergbau"), for the creation of a joint venture company (the "JV Company") to explore and develop deposits of the strategic minerals nickel, copper, cobalt, and platinum group elements (PGE) on the Company's concessions in Finland. Laakso currently holds five exploration licenses which are fully approved, as well as two additional licenses relevant for the cooperation with HMS Bergbau which are advancing in the application process. Transaction Highlights: HMS Bergbau and Laakso will establish a new JV Company in a mutually agreed jurisdiction for operations and management of the joint activities; Laakso will contribute and transfer its Finland exploration licenses relevant for the cooperation with HMS Bergbau to the JV Company; HMS Bergbau has agreed to pay for all licensing fees, annual carrying costs and arrange funding for the exploration and development of the mineral licenses which are relevant for the joint activities; HMS Bergbau will provide decades of valuable management, operational and technical experience through the use of its extensive international team of professionals; HMS Bergbau will initially hold a 49% shareholding in the JV Company; HMS Bergbau has the option to increase its ownership of the JV Company to 60%; HMS Bergbau has the option to acquire 60% of all the other Laakso mineral rights which may be obtained in Finland at any time after the end of the first year of the creation of the JV Company; HMS Bergbau has a right of first refusal in the event Laakso receives offers from third parties for its shares in the JV Company; HMS Bergbau will have priority rights to market and sell the minerals produced from the potential future mining activities of the JV Company. All parties have agreed to finalize the establishment of the new JV Company as expeditiously as possible upon completion of a customary due diligence process. Wolfgang Rauball, GESI's CEO, stated, "We are very proud to have been able to secure the technical and financial support of such a seasoned and respected industry operator as HMS Bergbau. This transaction is a win-win for all parties as HMS Bergbau realizes the opportunity provided by the fact that the deposits in question contain important strategic minerals and that Laakso's significant licenses are located in such a stable mining jurisdiction as Finland." Wolfgang Rauball also stated, "This transaction is important for GESI shareholders as it provides a clear path for advancement of the Company's substantial mineral rights in Finland without shareholder dilution." Dennis Schwindt, CEO of HMS Bergbau, remarked "We are very pleased to have the opportunity to enter into this cooperation with Laakso in Finland. Nickel, copper, cobalt, and platinum group elements are all important strategic minerals of great interest for Europe and around the world. The exploration, development and mining of strategic minerals is the core of HMS Bergbau's diversification strategy which has been adopted by HMS Bergbau in early 2022." About HMS Bergbau AG: HMS Bergbau AG is a leading independent diversified natural resources mining and commodity trading company headquartered in Berlin, Germany, that is engaged in mining, mineral development and related commodity trading activities in Asia, Africa and Europe. The company is actively expanding its production and logistical solutions activities. Shares of HMS Bergbau AG are listed on the Basic Board of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in Germany. Forward Looking Statements: This release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements include any that may predict, forecast, indicate, or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain the words "estimate", "project", "intend", "forecast", "anticipate", "plan", "planning", "expect", "believe", "likely", "should", "could", "would", "may" or similar words or expressions. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results and financial position to differ materially from those in such statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, including those relating to the Company's ability to grow. Actual results may differ materially from those predicted and any reported should not be considered an indication of future performance. Potential risks and uncertainties include the Company's operating history and resources, together with all usual and common economic, competitive, and equity market conditions / risks. Contact: Robert Seguin, V.P., Investor Relations General European Strategic Investments Inc. Robert.Seguin@gesi-usa.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179553 -- Popular Chicago-inspired vegan hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, and fried chicken sandwiches to join XMarket Vegan Food Hall when it opens in September -- VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / PlantX Life Inc. (CSE:VEGA)(Frankfurt:WNT1)(OTCQB:PLTXF) ("PlantX" or the "Company"), the digital face of the plant-based community, operating a one-stop shop for plant-based products, today announced that Chicago Not Dogs , a company putting a vegan spin on popular Chicago delicacies like hot dogs, Italian beef, fried chicken, and mozzarella sticks, will be added to the initial food lineup at the XMarket Vegan Food Hall as one of its six initial culinary concepts when the Midwest's largest food hall officially opens to the public on October 5. Founded in San Diego by Chicagoland natives, Chicago Not Dogs has relocated back to Chicago, with an initial restaurant on the North Side of Chicago, in the Avondale neighborhood. While in California, Chicago Not Dogs was named on VegOut's top new vegan restaurants in America 2021, and earned near 5 star reviews across social platforms. The eatery was also highlighted on CBS8 San Diego twice and listed as a featured destination in AAA magazine. Said Lorne Rapkin, PlantX CEO, "Food in Chicago isn't Chicago without hot dogs and Italian beef, and adding Chicago Not Dogs to our featured lineup will bring Chicago classics, with a heart-healthy, vegan twist. Chicago Not Dogs was immensely popular in San Diego, and received rave reviews at the annual Vegandale in Grant Park in June. Chicago Not Dogs will certainly make the culinary experience at our XMarket Vegan Food Hall even more enjoyable when it opens, just weeks away from today." "Joining the XMarket Vegan Food Hall will help us expand our presence in the Chicago vegan community, enabling us to reach new and existing customers following our move back from San Diego," added Brian Gervase, co-Founder of Chicago Not Dogs. "We love the idea of a food hall, integrating a wide range of healthy options under a single roof." Co-developed and operated with the Macromia Group, a restaurant developer specializing in building high-end dining and retail locations from concept to creation, the 6,500 square foot XMarket Vegan Food Hall will be the largest vegan food hall in the Midwest. The space will seat 375 people and include six restaurants, a wine and beer bar, a coffee shop, and a bodega-style grocery store that includes a vegan cheesemonger. The food hall is located at 804 W. Montrose Ave. on the north side of Chicago. About PlantX Life As the digital face of the plant-based community, PlantX's platform is a one-stop shop for plant-based products. With its fast-growing category verticals, PlantX offers customers across North America more than 5,000 plant-based products. PlantX also has other brands in the PlantX portfolio including a juice brand, a coffee company, a plant shop, and brick-and-mortar grocery stores. PlantX uses its digital platform to build a community of like-minded consumers and, most importantly, to provide education. PlantX's digital presence eliminates entry barriers for anyone interested in living a plant-based lifestyle and thriving in a longer, healthier, and happier life. Connect with PlantX: Email | Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram ?| YouTube | TikTok About Chicago Not Dogs We had set out to be a friendly neighborhood restaurant and bar where vegans and non-vegans would feel at home, enjoying vegan versions of authentic Chicago-style food. Chicago Not Dogs features fresh cut fries, not dogs and house-made Italian BeF, along with other delicious Chicago-Style comfort food. Connect with Chicago Not Dogs: Website | Facebook | Instagram Contact Lorne Rapkin Chief Executive Officer (416) 419-1415 Forward-looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "likely", "should," "would," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "potential," "proposed," "estimate," "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. The forward-looking information contained herein includes, without limitation, statements regarding the availability of Future Farm products, PlantX promotional events and the business and strategic plans of the Company. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct, and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. A variety of factors, including known and unknown risks, many of which are beyond our control, could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information in this press release including, without limitation: receiving sufficient demand for the Offering; the Company's ability to comply with all applicable governmental regulations including all applicable food safety laws and regulations; impacts to the business and operations of the Company due to the COVID-19 epidemic; the conflict in eastern Europe; having a limited operating history; the ability of the Company to access capital to meet future financing needs; the Company's reliance on management and key personnel; competition; changes in consumer trends; foreign currency fluctuations; and general economic, market or business conditions. Additional risk factors can also be found in the Company's continuous disclosure documents, which have been filed on SEDAR and can be accessed at www.sedar.com . Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this press release and is based on the beliefs, estimates, expectations and opinions of management on the date such forward-looking information is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. SOURCE: PlantX Life Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780162/plantx-adds-chicago-not-dogs-to-xmarket-vegan-food-hall SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Timekettle, the technology company specializing in AI translation devices, has brought its T series and W series products to IFA 2023, the world's biggest technology exhibition. These innovative translators cater to the needs of multilingual individuals in various scenarios and have garnered significant attention from business partners and visitors across Europe, and highly impressed with their high-quality translation and technological innovation. One of the highlights at this year's IFA is the unveiling of Timekettle's flagship product, the WT2 Edge translator earbuds. The cutting-edge technology of HybridComm sets this product apart from others in the market, and it revolutionizes traditional translation devices by introducing a completely different technical structure that enhances speech processing, simultaneous interpretation, and AI translation, particularly for engaging in profound and lengthy conversations. WT2 Edge users range from business professionals and multinational families to language educators and learners. In contrast to Timekettle's translator earbuds, the T series offers a highly portable handheld translator device with a compact size and user-friendly one-button translation. The Fluentalk T1 and Fluentalk T1 mini are part of this series, providing effortless usability with just a single click, users no longer need to rely on translation apps or tedious processes, they can access translations instantly, even in unexpected situations while traveling abroad. The Fluentalk T1 mini has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from overseas travelers, expats since being released two months ago. At IFA 2023, Timekettle eagerly welcomes business and media partners to try its groundbreaking translation solutions firsthand and experience some of the most natural, fluent, and accurate translation solutions on the market. Timekettle Booth at IFA 2023 Date:September 1st, 2023 - September 5th, 2023 Location: A219, Hall 5.2, Messe Berlin, Messedamm 22, 14055 Berlin, Germany About Timekettle Established in 2016, Timekettle is an industry-leading and award-winning provider of translation solutions. Their exceptional products have been recognized with numerous international accolades, including the CES Innovation Award, iF Design Award, and Japan Good Design Award. Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, Timekettle also operates a customer center in Los Angeles, United States. As the top-selling brand in the translator device industry, Timekettle currently holds the largest market share on Amazon, serving hundreds of thousands of users in 171 countries and regions worldwide. For further information, please visit https://www.timekettle.co/ or contact press@timekettle.co . Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201606/The_visitor_tests_translator_earbuds_Timekettle_booth.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/enhancing-global-connectivity-timekettles-revolutionary-translator-devices-take-center-stage-at-ifa-2023-301917792.html Join industry experts chatting about their true feelings on the veterinary space. HANOVER, MN / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Unfiltered Discussions is a group of veterinary industry professionals discussing field-related topics in an unstructured format. Topics are decided right before recording, and episodes are uploaded immediately with no editing. Listeners get to hear true opinions and share thoughts in the comments. Unfiltered Discussions - A Veterinary Podcast Join Dr. Rob Trimble, Dr. Peter Weinstein, Kelly Baltzell, CEO of Beyond Indigo Pets, Sam Schopler, a veterinary student and veterinary technology consultant, Dr. Jules Benson, and Dr. Jessica Trimble each month as they discuss the latest industry buzz topic. These conversations leverage varied perspectives of new and experienced minds in the industry to analyze trends, initiatives, and changes that impact established businesses navigating the veterinary space, and young veterinary professionals and pet owners. Sam Schopler states, "Helping build a tech company in veterinary medicine and now attending my 4th year of vet school, I have had the unique opportunity to witness the industry react to recent changes from multiple angles. Unfiltered Discussions exist because we need to be able to speak honestly and with unbridled intrigue about the fast-paced developments taking place around veterinary medicine." Each episode will delve into topics like change management, post-pandemic socio-economic shifts impacting veterinary spending, the influx of new practices making the hiring marketplace more competitive, and more. According to Kelly Baltzell, "Unfiltered Discussions is a powerful space for people to explore concepts and ideas that go deeper than the conversations happening around specific topics in the veterinary field. Unfiltered Discussions dives deeper and ferrets out the underlying meaning behind opinions." Unfiltered Discussions will release episodes monthly. You can listen to the first episode titled "Change Doesn't Have to Feel Like Torture" here. Unfiltered Discussions brings together experts from every facet of the veterinary field to give real thoughts on real industry topics. The esteemed panel of hosts includes: Dr. Rob Trimble: veterinarian and co-founder of Fuzzy Pet Health. He is the former Executive Director for the Veterinary Entrepreneurship Academy and is currently the VP of Harbor for Suveto. Dr. Peter Weinstein: has been a veterinarian, a hospital owner, and president of Southern California VMA, California VMA, and Vet Partners. He has authored various publications and currently teaches business and finance at the Veterinary College of Western University of Health Sciences. Kelly Baltzell: is the President and CEO of Beyond Indigo Pets marketing agency. Her articles and speaking engagements have been seen in MWI and around the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the UK. Kelly recently launched VetMarketingTalk: an online community for sharing marketing strategies and building connections between veterinary industry professionals. Sam Schopler: As Director of Veterinary Alliances, Sam has helped grow PetDesk over the last eight years and is now in his last year of vet school at NCSU CVM. He is fascinated by how technology influences pet care and what that means for the future of veterinary medicine. Dr. Jules Benson: is Nationwide's Chief Veterinary Officer and a strategic industry leader. He spent more than a decade in executive roles in the pet health insurance industry. He currently chairs the veterinary relations committee for the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA), and serves on the Executive Board of the Veterinary Innovation Council (VIC) board, and the MentorVet Advisory Board. Dr. Jessica Trimble: has been practicing veterinary medicine since 2013. She has worked in mixed and small animal clinical practice, general practice, urgent care, and house call settings. She is currently the Chief Veterinary Officer of Anipanion and advises veterinary start-ups. Contact Information Kelly Baltzell President & CEO kelly@beyondindigo.com SOURCE: Unfiltered Discussions View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/779503/unfiltered-discussions-podcast-delves-into-veterinary-industry-with-unedited-raw-discussions Ms. Taube Godard Brings 30 years of Expertise Working with Large Institutional Investors. Ms. Taube Godard Will Oversee Unison's Strategic Initiatives and Client Partnerships Across All Canadian Markets. SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Today, Unison, an equity-sharing firm with approximately $1.69 billion in assets under management, announced that Sandra Taube Godard has joined the organization as its Managing Director for the Investment Management team in Canada. In this newly created role, Ms. Taube Godard will be responsible for bolstering the firm's investment strategy and client relationships across Canadian markets. Ms. Taube Godard brings over 30 years of experience in private capital investing. Before joining Unison Investment Management, LLC (UIM), Ms. Taube Godard was Co-Head of Wells Fargo Securities Canada Ltd., responsible for commercializing the firm's Private Credit, Equity, and Real Estate capabilities. Prior to Wells Fargo Securities, Ms. Taube Godard was a Managing Director at UBS and was responsible for building the Alternate Capital Solutions initiative within the Investment Bank, delivering unique investment opportunities to private capital investors. Throughout her career, Ms. Taube Godard has taken the lead on working with longer-horizon investors, including Canadian public pensions, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, and select family offices. "Sandra's exceptional background and pragmatic leadership are what we need as we continue to expand Unison's global footprint. She understands investors' strategic needs, and we look forward to working with her to further our investment capabilities and capital-raising endeavors while continuing to serve our clients in the most efficient way possible," said Matt O'Hara, Chief Investment Officer. About Unison: Unison is a Delaware corporation based in San Francisco and Omaha that is pioneering a smarter, better way to own your home. Until now, the only way to finance a home was by taking on debt. Through Unison residential equity agreements, we help homeowners access their equity flexibly with no monthly payments or interest. We enhance home affordability, reduce debt, and deliver a less risky way for homeowners, investors, and society to think about that important asset - the home. Unison Investment Management, LLC is a Delaware limited liability company that serves as investment manager to Unison's investment funds and separately managed accounts. It powers efficient capital deployment and active management at scale. Our investment philosophy is ingrained in the models, systems, and processes we build to make investments. We are committed to providing institutional investors unrivaled transparency and innovative product offerings for this new asset class. For additional information, visit www.unison.com and www.unisonim.com. Contact Information: Helene Ton Anderson VP of Marketing mediadesk@unison.com SOURCE: Unison View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/779698/unison-investment-management-announces-sandra-taube-godard-former-wells-fargo-and-ubs-executive-as-managing-director-for-investment-strategy-in-canada A Conversation about the Intricacies of Centralized Digital Currency: From CBDC Development to Federal Overreach & Global Strategy SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Christian Briggs, Founder and CEO of Hard Asset Management, Inc., recently featured as a distinguished guest on the "On A Good Fight" radio show with host Jameson Haygood. The illuminating session dissected the nuanced facets of the rapidly evolving world of digital currencies. LISTEN TO THE EPISODE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hard-asset-money-show/id1576564099?i=1000626397388 A primary focus of the discussion was the marked contrast between decentralized digital currencies, such as Bitcoin, and the centralized Federal Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Briggs shed light on the central role of the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) based out of Switzerland - often dubbed as the "bank of banks." BIS has strategically orchestrated a white paper detailing the architecture of the imminent CBDC rollout across nations and the subsequent interconnection of these systems. One of the significant revelations from Briggs was the partnership with Ripple (XRP) in supporting this vast payment network. Close to 50 nations, as of now, have pledged to integrate the Ripple platform for their digital currency initiatives. Remarkably, data from the World Economic Forum (WEF) highlights the blistering pace of CBDC development: in June 2018, no country was reported to be involved in CBDC R&D. Fast forward to today, over 100 nations have plunged headfirst into CBDC projects. Christian Briggs stressed the profound implications of such a centralized system. "The rapid embrace of CBDCs globally offers governments a lens into individual financial activities at an unprecedented scale. This isn't merely a financial revolution; it's a shift that could significantly challenge our civil liberties," he commented. Highlighting a statement from March 2023, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell affirmed the need for congressional authorization for the Federal Reserve to release a CBDC. Contradictorily, Powell also hinted that certain CBDC forms might bypass legislative oversight entirely. Validating these claims, by July 20th, the Federal Reserve had already initiated "FedNow" - a foundational step toward a U.S. central bank digital currency. Notably, this pilot program has garnered the participation of over 120 banks and payment service providers. Hard Asset Management, Inc. consistently showcases its dedication and expertise in the world of rare coins and precious metals. As the financial landscape shifts and evolves, the firm remains steadfast in its mission to provide clients with unrivaled knowledge and opportunities in the rare coin market. Their unwavering commitment to excellence and client service solidifies Hard Asset Management, Inc.'s esteemed position in the industry. Contact Information John Grainer info@bmcham.com 844-426-4653 SOURCE: Hard Asset Management, Inc View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/779869/hard-asset-management-ceo-christian-briggs-breaks-down-the-digital-currency-landscape-on-on-a-good-fight-radio-show Costway Strengthens Its Partnership With Walmart by Expanding Into New Markets and Reinventing Its Sales Strategy to Achieve Mutual Benefits LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / ??????Costway, the leading online household supplier brand has recently announced its expansion into the Walmart Mexico and Canada markets. This exciting development comes after the participation of Costway's Vice President Sabine Sun in Walmart's first-ever seller summit, where she represented Costway as a top-level seller of household products at Walmart. Walmart First-Ever Seller Summit Costway, the leading online household supplier brand, has recently announced its expansion into the Walmart Mexico and Canada markets. Established in 2011, Costway made its debut in Walmart stores in 2016 and has since enjoyed a productive and mutually beneficial partnership with the retail giant. Over the past eight years, Costway has evolved into a full-category store on Walmart, achieving remarkable results through collaborations with various Walmart teams, including the WMC, WFS, and KA teams. Costway's commitment to quality and excellence aligns seamlessly with Walmart's vision, leading to this latest expansion into the Mexican and Canadian markets. Costway has been deeply rooted in Canada for several years, boasting its own Canadian warehouse and a profound understanding of Canadian logistics and market dynamics. "With a strong commitment to providing high-quality products and exceptional customer service, Costway has become a trusted name in the industry in North America. Therefore, when Walmart presented the opportunity to venture into the Canadian and Mexican markets, we enthusiastically embraced it," said Sabine Sun, Vice President at Costway. "The company's partnership with Walmart has paved the way for a seamless expansion strategy that we believe will replicate the resounding success we've achieved in the United States," she added. Participation in the Seller Summit also provided an opportunity for Costway and Walmart to exchange invaluable feedback on a range of topics, including Walmart's return mechanism, customer service team, and strategies to enhance sales during the upcoming shopping season. Walmart's steadfast support has strengthened the partnership, yielding impressive results this year, with a 20% increase in the total number of Christmas trees stocked for Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) during the Christmas season (compared to the previous year). As Costway continues to expand its global presence, the company remains committed to delivering exceptional household products to customers while fostering strong relationships with partners like Walmart. About Costway The story of Costway began in 2011 when the brand started as a household supplier retailer on Amazon and eBay. By providing high-quality products and thoughtful services, Costway became one of the most well-known online shopping websites for household supplies in 2016. Costway aims to inspire people to build their best homes irrespective of their budget, taste or requirements. The brand offers a wide range of high-quality and stylish home products at affordable rates and a promise of exceptional after-sales services. For more information, visit www.costway.com. Contact Information Jerry Xia Marketing Manager marketing@costway.com 8613738826559 SOURCE: Costway View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780291/costway-expands-its-footprint-in-walmart-mexico-and-canada-markets-after-successful-walmart-seller-summit-participation The technology publishing company open-sourced more useful design tools to help others build better sites, apps, and experiences. EDWARDS, CO / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / HackerNoon, the technology publishing company, announced today that it was open-sourcing the original pixel icons used to build HackerNoon.com. Published under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License, HackerNoon's Pixel Icon Library is on GitHub and Figma, available free for designers, developers, and anyone else on the internet. HackerNoon's Pixel Icon Library HackerNoon's Pixel Icon Library "Inspired by HackerNoon's retro design vibe, these icons capture the essence of the internet's good old days," said HackerNoon Designer Devansh Chaudhary. "Meticulously designed on a 24px grid, the Pixel Icon Library is designed to ensure perfect alignment and consistency to enrich your web/app/product/page/life experience." HackerNoon's Pixel Icon Library contains 120+ Pixel Icons as light SVG Files, with the entire collection totaling 64.7 KB. The PNG files are available in 12px, 16px, 24px, and 48px for both Light and Dark Mode. "In building HackerNoon, we end up creating many other publishing tools, designs and software that can create new value as standalone projects," said HackerNoon Creator and CEO David Smooke. "These original icon designs give HackerNoon a kinship to the early internet, and I hope that ephemeral feeling can find more homes in the apps, products, and experiences created by others." The entire Pixel Icon Library is licensed under Creative Commons 4.0 International - free to use with accreditation to HackerNoon and the Pixel Icon Library Repo. Read HackerNoon's open-source stories here. About HackerNoon How hackers start their afternoons. HackerNoon is built for technologists to read, write, and publish. We are an open and international community of 35k+ contributing writers publishing stories and expertise for 4M+ curious and insightful monthly readers. Founded in 2016, HackerNoon is an independent technology publishing platform run by David Smooke and Linh Dao Smooke. Start business blogging today. Contact Information Limarc Ambalina VP of Editorial limarc@hackernoon.com Sheharyar Khan Editor, Business Technology sheharyar@hackernoon.com SOURCE: HackerNoon View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780397/hackernoon-publishes-pixel-icon-library-as-open-source-repo-on-github-and-to-the-figma-community Presenting proof-of-mechanism clinical trial data in healthy volunteers of RLS-0071, the Company's dual action complement inhibitor and innate anti-inflammatory product candidate ReAlta Life Sciences ("ReAlta"), Inc., a clinical-stage biotech company addressing life-threatening rare diseases through harnessing the power of the immune system, today announced that it will be presenting additional clinical data from its Phase 1b trial in healthy volunteers on RLS-0071 at the European Respiratory Society 2023 International Congress taking place in Milan, Italy on 9-13 September, 2023. RLS-0071, the Company's complement inhibitor and innate anti-inflammatory product candidate, is being developed as a treatment for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and other acute inflammatory and rare diseases. The Phase 1b clinical trial (Protocol RLS-0071-103; NCT05351671) is a proof-of-mechanism (POM) study intended to establish RLS-0071 translatability from animal disease models of acute lung injury and other acute pulmonary exacerbations to humans by inhibiting neutrophil-mediated inflammation at the tissue level. The new data will be presented by Prof. Dr. Jens M. Hohlfeld, Division Director of Airway Research at the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (Hannover, Germany) and lead investigator on the Phase 1b trial. Details of the presentation: Title Safety and Efficacy of RLS-0071 on Neutrophils and Inflammatory Mediators in a Phase 1b Inhaled LPS Study Authors Jens M. Hohlfeld, Olaf Holz, Meike Muller, Saskia Carstensen, Linda Dell, Jessica Goss, Pam Hair, Philipp Badorrek, Kenji Cunnion, Ulrich Thienel Presentation PS-6 in Poster Area; Allianz MiCo Convention Centre, Level +2, Hall 4 Session Session 68 (PA608) From bench to bedside: translational studies in airway diseases Date/time Sunday, 10 September, 08:00 09:30am GMT+2 About ReAlta Life Sciences ReAlta Life Sciences, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotech company dedicated to harnessing the power of the immune system to address life threatening acute inflammatory and rare diseases. The Company's EPICC peptides are based on research into the human astrovirus, HAstV-1, which causes a non-inflammatory, self-limiting gastroenteritis unique among viruses by inhibiting components of the innate immune system. ReAlta's therapeutic peptides leverage these virus-derived mechanisms to rebalance complement and inflammatory processes in the body. The company's pipeline is led by RLS-0071, which has received IND clearance, and Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency for the treatment of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in neonates. The company launched in 2018 and is located in Norfolk, Virginia. For more information, please visit www.realtalifesciences.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905292669/en/ Contacts: John Rickman Chief Financial Officer jrickman@realtals.com Dalrada and Morocco-based company to begin seven-year partnership featuring energy-efficient heat pumps as the centerpiece of the agreement. Dalrada Financial Corporation (OTCQB: DFCO, "Dalrada"), a problem-solving innovator that addresses complex, multi-disciplinary global challenges in climate technology, clean energy innovation, and precision manufacturing, announced today that its climate technology subsidiary, Dalrada Technology Spain, has entered into an agreement with Morocco-based global distributor, Crown Glory Holding, to build and install as many as 4,500 energy efficient heat pumps over the course of seven years. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905641887/en/ Dalrada Technology Spain announces agreement with Morocco-based Crown Glory Holding to build and install up to 4,500 heat pumps. (Graphic: Business Wire) At least 150 of the commercial heat pumps are expected to be installed and operational within the first 12 months, commencing in October of this year, with increased numbers of the high-functioning machines installed each year until the agreement is fully satisfied. With the agreement, Crown Glory Holding also becomes the exclusive distributor of Dalrada heat pumps for the continent of Africa and select neighboring countries. Furthermore, it also increases the potential of the company to create a building and manufacturing center for Dalrada heat pumps in Morocco. "Dalrada and Crown Glory Holding working together presents a fantastic opportunity for both companies," said Brian Bonar, Dalrada's CEO and Founder. "We're proud to partner with them as they continue to set the bar for sustainability in that part of the world and we're ready to provide them with the tools and resources they need to become a true ambassador of clean energy technology." Jacques Benhamou, Managing Partner at Crown Glory Holding, agreed with Bonar: "Crown Glory Holding is delighted to announce its collaboration with our strategic partner, Dalrada Technology Spain. We share a common ambition to participate in the sustainable development of Moroccan industry with a Net Zero Carbon emission objective through technologies like heat pumps that are relevant, tangible, and eco-responsible from the first day of use." Dalrada's climate technology team is scheduled to visit Morocco in late September to outline a detailed strategy and create a schedule for building, shipping, and installing the new heat pumps for Crown Glory Holding clients. The agreement with Crown Glory Holding highlights Dalrada's recent global expansion as well as the company's ongoing mission of delivering advanced clean energy technology and improving sustainability on the path to Net Zero. Dalrada Technology Spain continues to accelerate its efforts in offering leading-edge products and services that optimize the energy resources of clients while minimizing environmental impact and reducing energy costs. About Dalrada Technology Spain Dalrada Technology Spain S.L. is a wholly-owned technology subsidiary of Dalrada Corporation that brings clean energy technology to Europe and the surrounding regions with upgraded tools, machinery, and services, including heat pumps, HVAC systems, modern air conditioning, and more. The company is committed to providing expert customer service throughout the design and implementation of projects, believing in transparency and creating true solutions, analyzing and studying client needs, and understanding and collaborating with clients to reach shared goals. Dalrada Technology Spain understands today's environmental challenges and works to develop modern technology solutions that focus on fighting climate change and reducing CO2 emissions. The company offers a dedicated suite of energy efficient products and services and constantly creates new solutions for renewable energies, guaranteeing energy performance and cost savings through continuous optimization. To learn more, please visit www.dalradatechnologyspain.com. About Dalrada Corporation Dalrada Financial Corporation (Dalrada) is a progressive organization that drives innovation to impact people, businesses, and the planet positively. The company owns and operates a global group of climate technology, clean energy, and precision manufacturing companies, each with a clearly-defined mandate to identify, address, and deliver solutions to unique economic, environmental, and efficiency problems facing public, government, and private sector organizations. Dalrada meets challenges by developing advanced technologies, products, and services with a clear and quantifiable value, generating a significant return on investment for its clients. Dalrada companies are on the leading edge of developing and applying innovative eco-sensitive next-generation science, engineering, and technology, serving a broad range of industries. The company's products and services significantly reduce energy costs and remove barriers for its clients, creating a more sustainable and prosperous future for us all. Dalrada's subsidiaries and strategic partners operate in the United States, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Spain, India, and Morocco, and are centrally managed from the company's San Diego, California headquarters. For more information, please visit www.dalrada.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Disclaimer Statements in this press release that are not historical facts, the statements are forward-looking, including statements regarding future revenues and sales projections, plans for future financing, the ability to meet operational milestones, marketing arrangements and plans, and shipments to and regulatory approvals in international markets. Such statements reflect management's current views, are based on certain assumptions, and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results, events, or performance may differ materially from the above forward-looking statements due to a number of important factors and will be dependent upon a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, our ability to obtain additional financing that will allow us to continue our current and future operations and whether demand for our products and services in domestic and international markets will continue to expand. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof or to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard to these forward-looking statements or the occurrence of unanticipated events. Factors that may impact the Company's success are more fully disclosed in the Company's most recent public filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including its annual report on Form 10-K. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905641887/en/ Contacts: Michael Eslinger meslinger@dalrada.com MARKET AWARENESS Stockwatchindex, LLC 442-287-8059 info@stockwatchindex.com BERWYN, PA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Chilean Cobalt Corp. (OTCQB:COBA) ("C3" or the "Company"), a US-based and US-listed critical minerals exploration and development company focused on its La Cobaltera, cobalt-copper project today announced that, effective September 1, 2023, the Depository Trust Company ("DTC") deemed the Company's common shares eligible for electronic clearing and settlement through DTC. DTC is a subsidiary of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, a company that manages the electronic clearing and settlement of publicly traded securities. Common stock that is eligible to be electronically cleared and settled through DTC is considered to be "DTC Eligible". A "DTC eligible security" is one that is freely tradable, qualified to be held by banks and brokerage firms at DTC and traded and serviced through DTC's electronic book-entry system. The eligibility process enhances capital market efficiencies and reduces costs by enabling eligible securities to be deposited, distributed and, for market transactions, to be settled through DTC's automated processes. This press release does not constitute an offer or sale of, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, securities of the Company nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Chilean Cobalt Corp. Chilean Cobalt Corp. ("C3") is a US-based and US-listed critical minerals exploration and development company focused on the La Cobaltera, cobalt-copper project, located in the past-producing San Juan District in northern Chile, one of the world's few primary cobalt districts known globally. C3 has a deliberate focus on building a dynamic and sustainable business with an emphasis on applying leading environmental stewardship, social engagement, and corporate governance practices to its strategy. Safe Harbor Statement This news release contains statements that involve expectations, plans or intentions (such as those relating to future business or financial results) and other factors discussed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These statements are forward-looking and are subject to risks and uncertainties, so actual results may vary materially. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words such as "may," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "plan" and other similar expressions. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors not within the control of the company. The company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The company disclaims any obligation subsequently to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events. CONTACTS: Chilean Cobalt Corp. Duncan T. Blount CEO & Director Duncan.blount@chileancobaltcorp.com SOURCE: Chilean Cobalt Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/779732/chilean-cobalt-corp-announces-dtc-eligibility 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. Less than a year after launching the partnership, the online fashion retailer will expand to use both sides of Rokt's AI powered marketplace to drive relevancy and tap additional revenues LONDON, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rokt , the leading ecommerce technology company that uses advanced machine learning and AI, perfected over a decade, to make transactions more relevant to each shopper, today announced it is expanding its partnership with online fashion giant boohoo to focus on increasing user engagement and profit per transaction across markets in North America, Europe and Australia/New Zealand. Within a year of launching, boohoo decided to expand to both sides of Rokt's marketplace, Rokt Ecommerce and Rokt Ads, to power relevant offers in the confirmation page and acquire new customers at scale. The partnership launched in September 2022 to drive value by unlocking relevant, non-endemic offers for boohoo's global customers across both browser and app transactions and across boohoo's leading brands, including boohoo, Nasty Gal, boohooMAN and PrettyLittleThing. Rokt's advanced AI powers placements on boohoo's transaction flow, and leverages first-party data to create relevant experiences tailored to each individual customer. As a result, Rokt effectively drives higher levels of customer engagement and fosters stronger brand loyalty, all while maximizing the overall value of every transaction. boohoo integrated with Rokt Ecommerce to increase customer loyalty through app downloads and repeat purchases. In addition, the fashion brands will also use Rokt Ads to acquire new customers at scale by accessing Rokt's exclusive inventory within premium brands such as Ticketmaster, Uber, AMC Theatres and more. Rokt Ads will enable boohoo to capture the full attention of relevant prospects transacting across premium ecommerce sites. "We're delighted that boohoo is expanding its partnership with Rokt to leverage our full suite of products powered by advanced AI which Rokt has developed over the last decade," said Craig Galvin, Chief Revenue Officer at Rokt. "We've seen incredibly strong outcomes so far and look forward to more growth ahead." "Our partnership with Rokt helps us achieve many of our customer experience and revenue growth goals. Our teams across Tech, UX, Marketing, Ecommerce and Finance have been working as a unified team, helping the partnership progress seamlessly," said Edith Batchelor, Senior Digital Marketing Manager at boohoo. "The partnership has helped us with experimentations that have proved to improve our customer experience across all our platforms. We are looking forward to exploring new placements, such as the payments page, with Rokt in the future." Today's announcement is the latest in a series of new partnerships fueling Rokt's growth globally, including Lyft, Gopuff, ASOS and Morrisons. To find out more, visit Rokt.com About boohoo Leading the fashion e-commerce market and founded in Manchester in 2006, the group started life as boohoo.com, an inclusive and innovative brand targeting young, value-orientated customers. For over 15 years, boohoo has been pushing boundaries to bring its customers up-to-date and inspirational fashion, 24/7. boohoo has grown rapidly in the UK and internationally, expanding its offering with range extensions into beauty, curve and menswear, through boohooMAN. The boohoo group is now a stellar portfolio of 13 leading British fashion brands who strive to provide great clothing for everyone, everywhere. www.boohoo.com About Rokt Rokt is the global leader in ecommerce technology, enabling companies to drive incremental value from every transaction by offering highly relevant messages at the moment customers are most likely to convert. Rokt's machine learning technology has powered billions of global transactions annually for the world's leading companies, including Live Nation, AMC Theatres, PayPal, Uber, Hulu, Gopuff, Staples, Lands' End, and HelloFresh. Founded in Australia, with US headquarters in New York City, the company operates in 15 countries across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Rokt for a third year in a row joined the fastest-growing private companies in the US on the Inc. 5000 list in 2023. To learn more, visit Rokt.com. Media Contact: Rokt Tarana Mehta tarana.mehta@rokt.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/997422/Rokt_RGB_Black_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/boohoo-expands-partnership-with-rokt-to-boost-user-engagement-and-profitability-301917884.html CHICAGO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The plasma fractionation industry is poised for remarkable growth in the near future, driven by several factors including advancements in biotechnology, increasing demand for plasma-derived therapies, and the global focus on healthcare infrastructure. As precision medicine gains prominence, the industry is expected to witness a surge in the development of novel plasma-derived products tailored to treat specific medical conditions. Additionally, the ongoing research into rare diseases and the escalating aging population will further fuel demand for plasma-based therapies, creating a robust market. Moreover, the industry's commitment to innovation, coupled with the potential for streamlined production processes and sustainable sourcing of plasma, is likely to enhance accessibility and affordability, ultimately reshaping the landscape of healthcare and therapeutics in the coming years. Plasma Fractionation Market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth $29.0 billion in 2023 and is poised to reach $40.4 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 6.9 % from 2023 to 2028 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The increasing use of immunoglobulins in a variety of therapeutic fields, as well as the market's players' strategic expansion of plasma collection centers and inventories, along with the rising incidence of respiratory diseases like alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) and Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are the main factors driving the market's expansion. Download an Illustrative overview: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=93798284 Browse in-depth TOC on "Plasma Fractionation Market" 380 - Tables 46 - Figures 331 - Pages Plasma Fractionation Market Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $29.0 billion Estimated Value by 2028 $40.4 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 6.9% Market Size Available for 2021-2028 Forecast Period 2023-2028 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Product, Application, and End User Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America (LATAM), and Middle East and Africa (MEA) Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Government strategies increasing regional self-sufficiency Key Market Drivers Growing prevalence of respiratory diseases and AATD The immunoglobins segment accounted for the largest share by-product in the plasma fractionation market in 2022. Based on product, the plasma fractionation market is segmented into protease inhibitors, coagulation factor concentrates, immunoglobulins, albumins, and other products. Immunoglobulins accounted for the largest share of the global plasma fractionation market in 2022. The dominance of this segment is mainly attributed to the rise in the cases of neurological and immunological diseases, the increase in off-label utilization of immunoglobulins, especially IVIg, and the increased usage of these immunoglobulins in the treatment of a variety of diseases and conditions that are linked to humoral immune deficiency or immune system dysfunction, including immune thrombocytopenic purpura, Kawasaki syndrome, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and graft-versus-host diseases after bone marrow transplantation. The pulmonology segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Based on application, the plasma fractionation market is segmented into pulmonology, hemato-oncology neurology, immunology, hematology, critical care, rheumatology, and other applications. In 2022, the pulmonology segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The increasing demand for immunoglobulins to prevent and treat upper and lower respiratory tract infections due to their efficiency is a major factor driving growth in this market segment. Additionally, the use of protease inhibitors such as alpha-1-antitrypsin has also increased substantially over the past few years. North America was the largest regional market for plasma fractionation market in 2022 The global plasma fractionation market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. In 2022, North America accounted for the largest share of the plasma fractionation market, followed by Europe and the Asia Pacific. The significant market share held by North America is supported by the region's rising hemophilic population as well as the rising demand for immunoglobulins for conditions like PID, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), allogenic bone marrow transplantation, pediatric HIV, and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The market in Asia Pacific, on the other hand, is projected to grow at the greatest CAGR throughout the forecast period. This can be attributed to the expansion of the healthcare sector, the increasing incidence of hemophilia, the increase in the number of organ transplants, the increased emphasis on early diagnosis and prophylactic care, the increased awareness of technologically advanced products, and the rising standards of living in many countries in APAC. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=93798284 Plasma Fractionation Market Dynamics: Drivers: Growing use of immunoglobulins in various therapeutic areas Rapidly growing geriatric population Growing prevalence of respiratory diseases and AATD New indications for plasma products Restraints: High costs and limited reimbursements Market disruption caused by recombinant alternatives Opportunities: Increased risk of communicable diseases Rising prevalence of bleeding disorders Challenges: Reduced supply of plasma due to low donor turnout Stringent government regulations Key Market Players: Key players in the plasma fractionation market include CSL (Australia), Takeda Pharmaceutical company limited (Japan), Grifols, S.A. (Spain), Octapharma AG (Switzerland), Kedrion S.P.A (Italy), LFB (France), ADMA Biologics (US), Sanquin (Netherlands), China Biologic Products Holdings Inc. (China), GC Pharma (Korea), Hualan Bioengineering Co., Ltd. (China), Japan Blood Products Organization (Japan), Emergent BioSolutions (US), Shanghai Raas Blood Products Co., Ltd. (China), Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (India), Bharat Serum Vaccines Limited (India), SK Plasma (Korea), Sichuan Yuanda Shuyang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (China), Kamada (Israel), Centurion Pharma (Istanbul), Prothya Biosolutions (Netherlands), PlasmaGen BioSciences Pvt. Ltd. (India), Virchow Biotech Private Limited (India), Fusion Healthcare (India), and Hemarus Therapeutics Limited (India). Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=93798284 Plasma Fractionation Market Advantages: Life-Saving Therapies: Plasma fractionation plays a pivotal role in the production of life-saving therapies such as immunoglobulins, clotting factors, and albumin, which are essential for treating various medical conditions, including immune disorders, hemophilia, and severe burns. Disease Management: Plasma-derived products provide effective disease management options for patients with rare and complex medical conditions, improving their quality of life and life expectancy. Safety and Purity: Rigorous screening and purification processes ensure that plasma-derived products are safe and devoid of pathogens, reducing the risk of infections and adverse reactions. Customized Treatments: Advances in plasma fractionation enable the development of customized treatments tailored to individual patient needs, contributing to the growth of precision medicine. Global Accessibility: Plasma fractionation facilities exist worldwide, increasing the availability of essential therapies to patients in both developed and developing countries, addressing healthcare disparities. Economic Growth: The plasma fractionation industry generates significant economic benefits by creating jobs, fostering research and development, and contributing to the growth of related industries such as healthcare, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. Research and Innovation: Continued investment in plasma fractionation research drives innovation in the field, leading to the discovery of new therapies and improved production processes. Sustainability: Efforts to ensure sustainable plasma sourcing, such as voluntary and compensated plasma donation, promote environmental and ethical practices within the industry. Emergency Preparedness: Plasma-derived products are crucial for emergency preparedness and response, as they are used in the treatment of mass casualties resulting from natural disasters, pandemics, and other crises. Long-Term Viability: The plasma fractionation market's long-term viability is supported by the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, an aging population, and the continuous need for specialized therapies, ensuring a stable demand for plasma-derived products. In summary, the plasma fractionation market offers a range of advantages that extend beyond healthcare, positively impacting society, the economy, and healthcare systems globally. Recent Developments: In April 2023, CSL (Australia) received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the 50mL/10gm prefilled syringe for Hizentra (Immune Globulin Subcutaneous [Human] 20% Liquid for patients suffering from PI and CIPD. In March 2022, Grifols (Spain) received European approvals for XEMBIFY, a 20% subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) In January 2022, Permira, a global investment firm, announced that it would be acquiring Kedrion and merging the company with BPL. Related Reports: Biosimilars Market - Global Forecasts to 2028 Clinical Chemistry Analyzers Market - Global Forecasts to 2028 Point of Care Diagnostics Market - Global Forecasts to 2027 Slide Stainers Market - Global Forecasts to 2027 In Vitro Diagnostics Market - Global Forecasts to 2027 About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/plasma-fractionation-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/plasma-fractionation.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/plasma-fractionation-market-worth-40-4-billion--marketsandmarkets-301917618.html CHICAGO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MarketsandMarkets has released 360 Quadrant for Top 21 Smart Grid Companies, Worldwide 2023 to help businesses make quicker and more informed decisions. Companies' market presence and product footprint are used to build quadrants, which will be revised annually. Access Research @ https://www.360quadrants.com/energy-and-power/smart-grid The global smart grid market size was valued at USD 43.1 billion in 2022 and it is expected that the smart grid industry will reach USD 103.4 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 19.1% from 2022 to 2027. The market growth is attributed to the ongoing technological advancements, high demand for renewable energy sources in power generation, stringent government policies and rapidly changing trends in the smart grid market. It was observed that the North American and European regions have been the early adopters of smart grid technology due to the presence of advanced technology and increased expenditure on IT infrastructure. Other regions like APAC, Latin America, and the Middle East are also experiencing significant growth in recent years. In 2022, the Asia Pacific region dominated the smart grid market with nearly 39.1%. While the other regions showed almost similar growth. However, the initial phase of the smart grid is capital-intensive and is one of the major factors that might hinder the growth of the smart grid market. Unveiling the Market Leaders: Honoring Excellence in Smart Grids Markets Siemens was identified as one of the market leaders in the 360 Quadrant, owing to its diverse product portfolio and wide market presence. Siemens Smart Grid offerings encompass a comprehensive suite of solutions and services that leverage advanced technologies to enhance grid efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. Some of these offerings include Grid Application Software, Meter Data Management Solutions, Energy IP, Digital Substation, Substation Automation, and others. was identified as one of the market leaders in the 360 Quadrant, owing to its diverse product portfolio and wide market presence. Siemens Smart Grid offerings encompass a comprehensive suite of solutions and services that leverage advanced technologies to enhance grid efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. Some of these offerings include Grid Application Software, Meter Data Management Solutions, Energy IP, Digital Substation, Substation Automation, and others. ABB is another prominent entity in the Smart Grids market that has established a robust presence and earned a reputation for excellence over the years. The company offers smart substation control and protection software, substation automation systems, and products, and power distribution systems. The company along with other entities is headed towards the adoption of virtualization in substations to meet future needs of utilities at the edge of the grid. is another prominent entity in the Smart Grids market that has established a robust presence and earned a reputation for excellence over the years. The company offers smart substation control and protection software, substation automation systems, and products, and power distribution systems. The company along with other entities is headed towards the adoption of virtualization in substations to meet future needs of utilities at the edge of the grid. General Electric (GE) registered a strong position in the global Smart Grids market and has been playing a significant role in reshaping the energy landscape. The company offers products ranging from generation to transmission and end use. These products optimize the efficiency, reliability, and security of the electrical grid. Some of the solutions include Grid diagnostics & visualization, Smart Meters, Substation digitization, Transformers & voltage management, Energy storage systems (Batteries), and Distribution Management Systems (DMS) among others. registered a strong position in the global Smart Grids market and has been playing a significant role in reshaping the energy landscape. The company offers products ranging from generation to transmission and end use. These products optimize the efficiency, reliability, and security of the electrical grid. Some of the solutions include Grid diagnostics & visualization, Smart Meters, Substation digitization, Transformers & voltage management, Energy storage systems (Batteries), and Distribution Management Systems (DMS) among others. Schneider Electric is a comprehensive player in the digital transformation of the energy management and automation field. The company's smart grid portfolio consists of smart grid software and services. The company also offers products like feeder and distribution automation, and substation automation products among others. Schneider Electric's commitment to innovation and sustainability in the smart grid space positions it as a vital player in the global energy transition. is a comprehensive player in the digital transformation of the energy management and automation field. The company's smart grid portfolio consists of smart grid software and services. The company also offers products like feeder and distribution automation, and substation automation products among others. Schneider Electric's commitment to innovation and sustainability in the smart grid space positions it as a vital player in the global energy transition. Hitachi is another prominent entity in the Smart Grids market. The company's global reach and diverse product portfolio enable it to cater to a wide range of customers. The company's portfolio includes grid automation hardware, software, and services. It also offers a Grid Automation Shield Program that offers a package of services to map and track the installed asset base, providing up-to-date information about the product lifecycle and the associated services. is another prominent entity in the Smart Grids market. The company's global reach and diverse product portfolio enable it to cater to a wide range of customers. The company's portfolio includes grid automation hardware, software, and services. It also offers a Grid Automation Shield Program that offers a package of services to map and track the installed asset base, providing up-to-date information about the product lifecycle and the associated services. IBM holds a significant position in the smart grid market. The company offers IBM Maximo Application Suite to manage the smart grid, which is an integrated AI-powered, cloud-based platform. It also offers other software solutions Enterprise Asset Management, Smart Metering, Remote Monitoring, and others. Categorization Of Smart Grid Companies On 360 Quadrants Smart Grid companies' evaluation was conducted for 35 companies, of which the top 21 were categorized and placed in a quadrant under Market Leaders, Contenders, Innovators, and Emerging Companies. All the companies in the market leader segment demonstrated strong offerings and the ability to influence the market's direction with their deep expertise. These companies include Siemens, ABB, GE, Hitachi, Schneider Electric, and IBM. These companies dominate the market, together accounting for nearly one-third of the entire Smart Grids market. Cisco, Oracle, Wipro, and Eaton have been recognized as contenders in the Smart Grid's quadrant. The contenders are companies with a strong market presence, excelling in specific niches. While not offering the full range of market leaders, they wield significant influence and impact. These companies focus on specific technologies and aim to establish leadership within their chosen segment. In the quadrant, innovators are highly innovative companies with a strong product portfolio, but a smaller market presence compared to leaders. They push industry boundaries with forward-thinking approaches and have the potential to become major players despite lower corporate growth strategies. SAP, Mitsubishi Electric, Itron, Landis+Gyr, and Sagemcom have been identified as the innovators in the quadrant. The 360 Quadrants effectively evaluates emerging companies in the Smart Grids industry. They focus on specific areas and offer specialized knowledge, targeted support, flexible terms, and competitive prices. While they may have limited capabilities, they are preferred for specific use cases. These companies employ strategies to expand sales and reach a broader client base. This segment of the quadrant has identified Honeywell, S&C Electric, Osaki Electric, Enel, Xylem, and Kamstrup as emerging companies. Evaluation Criteria The vendor evaluation was conducted on over 35 companies of which the top 21 were categorized and recognized as the quadrant leaders. Factors such as revenue, geographic presence, growth strategies, investments, and sales strategies for the market presence of the Smart Grid quadrant. While the top criteria for product footprint evaluation included Smart Grid Market by Component (Software, Hardware, Services), Application (Generation, Transmission, Distribution, Consumption/End Use), and Communication Technology (Wireline, Wireless). Claim Your Free Marketing Kit @ https://www.360quadrants.com/energy-and-power/smart-grid 360 Quadrants Scoring Methodology 360 Quadrants employs a comprehensive and transparent scoring methodology to evaluate companies. It identifies relevant evaluation criteria, collects and validates data from multiple sources, and employs an algorithm that considers parameter weights to generate scores. Normalization ensures fair comparisons and the aggregated scores categorize solutions into quadrants such as Market Leaders, Contenders, Innovators, and Emerging Companies. This unbiased approach equips users with accurate information, empowering them to make well-informed decisions and select solutions that best suit their needs and objectives. See Also: Top Paint and Coatings Companies, Worldwide 2023 Top Lubricants Companies, Worldwide 2023 Top 21 Sustainable Packaging Companies, Worldwide 2023 Top 21 Flexible Packaging Companies, Worldwide 2023 Top 20 Personal Care Ingredients Companies 2023 Top 21 Smart Grid Companies, Worldwide 2023 Top 20 Composites Companies, Worldwide 2023 Top 20 Hydrogen Generation Companies 2023 About MarketsandMarkets 360Quadrants MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research and facilitates analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. 360 Quadrants will also be launching 100 quadrants in Chemicals and Materials, Packaging, Energy & Power, and Healthcare. Visit https://www.360quadrants.com to access our interactive quadrants. For media inquiries, please contact: Mr. Agney Sugla MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road, Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: agney@marketsandmarkets.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201535/Smart_Grid_Quadrant.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/top-21-smart-grid-companies-worldwide-2023-marketsandmarkets-360-quadrant-revealed-301917619.html CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The euro weakened against its most major counterparts in the European session on Tuesday, as weak PMI readings from Europe and China fueled concerns about slowing global growth. Final data from S&P Global showed that the euro area private sector economy contracted the most in nearly three years in August. The HCOB composite output index fell to 46.7 in August from 48.6 in July. The initial score was 47.0 for August. The services Purchasing Managers' Index, or PMI, posted 47.9, down from 50.9 in July. Moreover, the pace of decline was the steepest since February 2021. The score was also below the initial estimate of 48.3. China's services activity expanded at the slowest pace in eight months in August, a private-sector survey showed earlier today. The euro touched 1.0716 against the greenback, its lowest level since June 8. The euro is seen finding support around the 1.06 area. The euro declined to 0.9536 against the franc, from an early high of 0.9552. The euro is likely to find support around the 0.94 level. The euro eased to 1.8246 against the kiwi and 1.6819 against the aussie, from an early 5-day high of 1.8319 and near a 2-week high of 1.6894, respectively. The next possible support for the currency is seen around 1.76 against the kiwi and 1.65 against the aussie. The euro dropped to a multi-week low of 1.4609 against the loonie, reversing from a previous 4-day high of 1.4702. The currency is poised to find support around the 1.44 level. The euro fell to near a 2-week low of 0.8540 against the pound, down from a prior 5-day high of 0.8576. The currency may face support around the 0.82 level. In contrast, the euro rebounded to 158.28 against the yen, heading to pierce its previous 5-day high of 158.40. If the currency rises further, 160.00 is likely seen as its next upside target level. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Mega-Chance: Der Indien Report Ihre Chancen im groten Wachstumsmarkt: 3 indische Top-Aktien. Die Highlights dieses Spezialreports: 1. Indien als Wachstumsriese, 2. Indiens Wirtschaft boomt!, 3. 3 Top-Performance-Aktien. Jetzt kostenlos downloaden. Hier klicken Dryden, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - Dryden Gold Corp. ("Dryden Gold" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that it will host a Town Hall Meeting on September 7, 2023, at 11:00am EST. Trey Wasser, Chief Executive Officer and Maura Kolb, President of Dryden Gold Corp. will provide shareholders and interested investors an update on recent land acquisitions and exploration vision for the company. Mr. Wasser and Ms. Kolb will be available to answer any questions that investors may have regarding the Company's exploration plans and its upcoming public offering during a live Q&A session. To register for the Town Hall Meeting, please click this link: https://lnkd.in/gTucm4Gv ABOUT DRYDEN GOLD CORP. Dryden Gold Corp. is a privately held exploration company focused on high-grade gold mineralization. The Company has a strong management team and Board of Directors comprised of experienced individuals with a track record of building shareholder value through property acquisition & consolidation, exploration success and merger & acquisitions. The Company has consolidated 100% of a dominate land position in the Dryden Camp in the greenstone belt in the Canadian Shield of Northwestern Ontario. (See Figure 1) Dryden Gold's property package ranges from historic gold mines to early-stage prospects. The property hosts high-grade gold mineralization over 50km of potential strike length. The property has excellent infrastructure with the Trans-Canada Highway running through the center of the property as well as Ontario Grid Power, rail, gas and proximity to the City of Dryden with its rich mining heritage. The Company is planning an initial public offering in the fall of 2023. For more information go to our website www.drydengold.com. QUALIFIED PERSON The technical disclosure in this news release has been approved by Maura J. Kolb, M.Sc., P.Geo. a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators. DISCLAIMER & FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, and by their very nature involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on currently available information, Dryden Gold Corp. provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Undue reliance should not be placed on "forward-looking statements". Figure 1 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9776/179563_0e9fc46c7448b82a_001full.jpg CONTACT INFORMATION Trey Wasser CEO Email: twasser@drydengold.com Phone: 940-368-8337 Maura Kolb, M.Sc.. P. Geo., President Email: mjkolb@drydengold.com Phone: 807-632-2368 www.drydengold.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179563 With the launch of Samurai XDR SaaS, businesses of every size now have access to enterprise-level threat detection and response TOKYO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NTT Security Holdings today announced the launch of Samurai XDR SaaS, making their advanced threat detection and response system accessible to organizations of all sizes for just $40 per endpoint per year. The cloud-hosted solution requires no infrastructure deployment, providing SMBs an affordable way to leverage NTT's real-time threat intelligence gathered across its global network. Samurai XDR integrates seamlessly with major security brands like CrowdStrike, Microsoft, Fortinet, Cisco and Palo Alto Networks. The self-service platform allows companies to identify and respond to threats proactively using AI and behavioral analytics. Samurai XDR gives users visibility and control across network, endpoint, cloud, email and more through an intuitive interface. With no long-term contracts, Samurai XDR SaaS combines the power of NTT's enterprise-grade technology with the flexibility and affordability SMBs need to protect against modern cyber threats. "Samurai XDR SaaS represents the next level in cybersecurity," said Shinichi Yokohama, Chief Executive Officer at NTT Security Holdings. "This cloud-based solution empowers businesses of all sizes with enterprise-grade security capabilities, effectively leveling the playing field against the most sophisticated cyber threats." Samurai XDR SaaS benefits from NTT's global threat intelligence network, one of the largest T1 internet backbones in the world. This grants unique real-time visibility into emerging threats, allowing businesses to proactively respond to malicious activity. Samurai XDR uses artificial intelligence and behavioral analytics to strengthen detection and response capabilities across the network. "With the launch of Samurai XDR SaaS," added Yokohama, "NTT is democratizing cybersecurity. The modern threat landscape requires businesses to adapt, and we're enabling them to do so effectively and affordably, regardless of their size." NTT invites businesses to experience the future of cybersecurity with a free trial of Samurai XDR SaaS. For more information, visit https://www.samurai.security.ntt/extended-detection-and-response Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2199299/NTT_Security_Holdings___Samurai_XDR.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2199300/NTT_Security_Holdings___Samurai_XDR_SaaS_interface.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2199301/NTT_Security_Holdings___Samurai_XDR_SaaS_promotion.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2086975/NTT_Security_Holdings_Logo_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/global-cybersecurity-leader-ntt-offers-saas-subscriptions-to-its-patented-xdr-platform-301916057.html Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, September 05 For immediate release 5 September 2023 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 100,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 865.67 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company. The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 17 January 2023. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 19,295,544; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 205,695,759. The figure of 205,695,759 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. For and on behalf of Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary For further information, please contact: Victoria Hale Frostrow Capital LLP Tel: 020 3 170 8732 Some of the largest law firms in Canada, including Gowling WLG, announce large-scale adoption of Alexi Memos. TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Alexi is announcing a new product being released later this month, to help lawyers brainstorm through their legal arguments, and is also announcing an adoption of its Memos product at one of Canada's largest firms, Gowling WLG, joining thousands of other lawyers that now rely on Alexi for their legal research. Alexi Arguments Screenshot from Alexi's newest AI product for litigators; Arguments. Alexi is a leader in generative AI for legal research, and helps lawyers know the law with confidence by producing comprehensive research memos on any legal issue, and now using generative AI to help lawyers identify the best legal arguments to advance their cases. Legal research is a time-consuming and error prone process for lawyers. Alexi's first product, Memos, automates this process, and provides lawyers with an answer to any question in memo-format, eliminating countless hours previously wasted, and increasing accuracy in the process. Arguments, Alexi's newest product, will utilize generative AI, as well as Alexi's proprietary domain-specific knowledge of the law, to help lawyers flesh out legal arguments they can advance in pursuit of a desired legal outcome. Mark Doble, CEO of Alexi, explains the company's mission as "striving to make the law more knowable, while, at the same time, not artificially removing ambiguity where it exists. We aim to empower all lawyers with the best technology to enable them to provide the best service possible. Our product development is value driven, not technology driven. We do not adopt new technologies or AI models because they are trending or have generated hype. We adopt new technologies because the data show they provide greater value to the professionals who use them." In response to those that are concerned that AI will replace lawyers, Doble says that "Human legal professionals should be the exclusive providers of legal services to the general public. This principle must be adhered to if we are to properly integrate AI into the legal industry and achieve what we refer to as "Professional AI Alignment." Ginevra Saylor, Director, Innovation and Knowledge Programs at Gowling WLG says that "Alexi is an excellent resource that further augments our lawyers' ability to provide outstanding legal services and value to our clients. In a fast-paced world, Alexi helps us get our lawyers what they need quickly; with Alexi's work product as a great starting point, our lawyers can turn their attention to the higher value strategic and experience-based aspects of their practice." Alexi has been serving thousands of customers across Canada and the US since 2017, and given the recent explosion of interest in generative AI, they have seen a 400% annual growth rate in the first half of 2023. About Alexi Alexi is a leader in generative AI for legal research, and helps lawyers know the law with confidence by producing comprehensive research memos on any legal issue, and generating objective legal arguments to help lawyers achieve their desired outcomes. About Gowling WLG With more than 1,500 legal professionals in offices across Canada, the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Gowling WLG provides clients with in-depth knowledge in key global sectors and a suite of legal services at home and abroad. Gowling sees the world through their clients' eyes, and collaborates across countries, offices, service areas and sectors to help them succeed, no matter how challenging the circumstances. Contact To contact us, please reach out to press@alexi.com Contact Information Daniel Diamond Head of Growth daniel@alexi.com SOURCE: Alexi View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780527/alexi-announces-new-ai-product-furthering-its-mission-of-empowering-lawyers-to-know-the-law-with-confidence Another new discovery further expands the copper mineralization footprint at Storm: Exploration Reverse Circulation (RC) drill hole SR23-52 has intersected a total of 19m of strong visual copper sulfide mineralization in two zones from 32m downhole, delivering a new discovery in an underexplored area of the Project The discovery is interpreted to be fault related and is located between the high-grade 2750N and 2200N Zones, which are located approximately 1km apart The new copper zone has been named 'Lightning Ridge' Over 10km of prospective structures have been identified in the immediate area with further potential across the Project tenure Initial assay results from the summer drilling program at the 2750N and 4100N Zones have returned high-grade near-surface high-grade copper intervals including: Drill hole SM23-02 (4100N Zone diamond drill QA/QC hole) has intersected (hole length): 46m @ 2.2% Cu from 64m, including, 15.6m @ 4.2% Cu from 65m, including, 0.3m @ 42.8% Cu from 67m Drill hole SR23-21 (2750N Zone) has intersected (hole length): 27.4m @ 1.5% Cu from surface, including, 7.6m @ 4% Cu from 7.6m, and, 27.4m @ 1.3% Cu from 30.5m, including, 9.1m @ 2.15% Cu from 33.5m Final assays for the summer drilling program comprising the remaining RC delineation holes and four deep diamond drill holes are expected regularly over the coming weeks TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. (TSXV:BAY)(OTCQB:ATBHF) ("Aston Bay" or the "Company") is pleased to report a new near-surface copper discovery as well as excellent drill results that confirm thick, high-grade copper over an expansive and growing footprint at the Storm Copper Project ("Storm" or the "Project") on Somerset Island, Nunavut, Canada. The program is being conducted by American West Metals Limited ("American West"), who are the project operator since entering an option agreement with Aston Bay in March 2021 "Discovery strikes again with another new near-surface copper discovery in the excellent exploration work conducted by our partners American West at Storm" stated Thomas Ullrich, CEO of Aston Bay. "The new Lightning Ridge discovery comes on the heels of the Thunder Zone discovery earlier this summer. We see the massive black chalcocite at the surface near the ridge edge south of the 2750N Zone and are pleased that the drill has confirmed that the mineralization continues at depth. As well, the drilling revealed a second copper zone that we believe is concealed beneath the scree at the bottom of the gully. "Both Lightning Ridge and Thunder point to the exploration potential for additional copper mineralization to potentially add to the near-surface delineation program currently underway. The latest results from both the 2750N and 4100N Zones confirm the continuity of the mineralization and include extremely rich zones up to 43% copper (Figure 1). We are well on our way toward a maiden resource for the near-surface mineralization, with these new discoveries already highlighting the potential for expansion. "Together with the exciting confirmation of sediment hosted copper mineralization at depth earlier this season, Storm is proving to be a compelling growth story for both near-surface development and deeper breakthroughs. We look forward to additional results from this season, and to continued exploration and discovery." Figure 1: Drill core from resource diamond drill hole SM23-02 from the 4100N Zone showing chalcocite (dark grey) in dense brecciation, veining and faulting (now rubble). The interval is from approximately 62.85m to 78m downhole and contains an average grade of 6.4% Cu between 65m and 73.3m. DRILL RESULTS HIGHLIGHT RESOURCE AND EXPLORATION POTENTIAL AT STORM The first batch of assay results from the summer 2023 resource drilling program have been received which includes all drill holes from the 2750N Zone, and five additional drill holes at the 4100N Zone (assays are still pending for the remainder of the 4100N Zone drilling). The resource drilling has included both Reverse Circulation (RC) and shallow diamond drilling in key areas of the near-surface prospects (Table 1). The initial assays have defined the highest copper grades to date at the 4100N Zone (Figure 1). The results continue to highlight the resource potential of the 2750N and 4100N Zones with consistent copper grades and good lateral continuity of the known copper mineralization. A single exploration RC drill hole (Figure 2) has made another discovery of near-surface mineralization in a large, underexplored area between the 2750N, 2200N and Thunder prospects. The new discovery has been named 'Lightning Ridge' and is located in an area of outcropping massive chalcocite and large-scale faulting. These latest results highlight the potential for further expansion of the high-grade, near-surface mineralization within the Storm Project area. Figure 2: RC Drill chips from RC drill hole SR23-52 from the Lightning Ridge Prospect. The interval is from 125ft (38m) to 155ft (47.2m) downhole. Chalcocite (80% copper) veins and chips are visible as dark grey, with malachite (copper oxide) seen as green. Hole ID Prospect Easting Northing Depth (m) Azimuth Inclination Thickness Strong Mineralization (m) SR23-01 4100N 464991 8174285 137.2 180 -65 28.9 SR23-02 4100N 464990 8174157 140.2 180 -59 21 SR23-03 4100N 465041 8174251 151 178 -65 52.5 SR23-04 4100N 465045 8174166 152.4 179 -69 25.9 SR23-05 4100N 464899 8174146 131.1 180 -66 21.3 SR23-06 4100N 464899 8174261 166.1 180 -69 13.7 SR23-07 4100N 464805 8174203 137.2 180 -71 7.7 SR23-08 4100N 464726 8174286 118.9 180 -69 6.1 SR23-09 4100N 464726 8174206 164.6 180 -69 13.8 SR23-10 4100N 464638 8174315 125 180 -70 12.2 SR23-11 4100N 464667 8174223 140.2 180 -70 18.2 SR23-12 4100N 465115 8174317 149.4 179 -73 10.6 SR23-13 4100N 465051 8174321 175.3 180 -65 29 SR23-14 4100N 464948 8174227 160 180 -65 25.9 SR23-15 4100N 464853 8174167 121.9 180 -65 10.7 SR23-16 4100N 465138 8174247 132.6 180 -70 - SR23-17 4100N 465139 8174173 129.5 180 -66 19.8 SR23-18 4100N 465186 8174280 182.9 180 -65 9.2 SR23-19 2750N 466176 8172771 70.1 180 -55 7.6 SR23-20 2750N 466231 8172821 97.5 196 -45 13.7 SR23-21 2750N 466277 8172792 59.4 180 -55 54.8 SR23-22 2750N 466230 8172820 114.3 150 -72 25.9 SR23-23 2750N 466276 8172791 79.3 090 -78 7.6 SR23-28 4100N 466184 8174210 149.4 180 -65 12.2 SR23-29 4100N 466233 8174254 132.6 180 -62 3 SR23-30 4100N 466231 8174174 120.4 180 -60 3 SR23-31 4100N 466268 8174115 125 182 -61 32 SR23-52 Lightning 466062 8172544 118.9 360 -45 19 SM23-01 2750N 466203 8172818 100 180 -50 12 SM23-02 4100N 465016 8174253 180 180 -45 46 Table 1: 2023 Resource and near-surface exploration drill hole details. Visual estimates of mineral abundance should never be considered a proxy or substitute for laboratory analyses where concentrations or grades are the factor of principal economic interest. Laboratory assays are required to determine the presence and grade of any contained mineralization within the reported visual intersections of copper sulfides. Portable XRF is used as an aid in the determination of mineral type and abundance during the geological logging process. LIGHTNING RIDGE COPPER DISCOVERY Exploration RC drill hole SR23-52 was drilled to a depth of 119m and completed in a largely untested area of significant outcropping chalcocite (Figures 3 and 4). The drill hole was designed to test an untested airborne VTEM target in an area with a single, shallow historical drill hole (ST97-06 2.6m core length @ 6.83% Cu from 35.4m), midway between the high-grade 2750N and 2200N Zones. The VTEM target was successfully tested and resulted in 44m of visual copper sulfides with a total 19m of strong visual copper sulfides (Table 2). The copper sulfide mineralization consists of dense breccia and vein-hosted chalcocite within two broad zones of mineralization (Figure 5). The upper zone of sulfide is particularly strong and is interpreted to be the source of the VTEM anomaly. The Lightning Ridge area is located to the south of the 2750N Zone, and across the main E-W gully. Outcropping massive chalcocite is visible on the steep slope near the gully ridge line and in boulders at the base of the scree slope. Its proximity to the gully and the style of mineralization is strongly suggestive that the mineralization is fault-related and steeply dipping, similar to the high-grade 2750N and 2200N Zones. Five significant, fault-related and widely spaced copper prospects have now been confirmed by drilling in the southern graben area. All of these discoveries are located at, or close to surface and have only been tested to a depth of approximately 100 vertical metres. Further exploration will look to expand the search space deeper, and along the vast fault network in the area. Over 10km of prospective structures have been identified in the southern graben area alone, highlighting the exploration potential along strike, and at depth below the known copper mineralization (Figure 4). The Storm Graben faults can be also traced for over 6km southeast into the Tornado and Blizzard Prospect areas, where there is widespread copper geochemical anomalism at surface as well as significant untested gravity anomalies. The Lightning Ridge discovery continues to highlight the effectiveness of EM as a targeting tool and the correlation with strong copper sulfides. Other high-priority EM targets have been tested during this drilling program with assay results pending. Hole ID From (m) To (m) Min Description SR23-52 0 18 Cape Storm Formation 18 20 ml Patchy ml on fractures 20 26 Allen Bay dolomudstone 26 29 ml Patchy ml on fractures 29 32 cc, ml Trace cc veinlets and ml on fractures (0.2%) 32 34 cc, ml Veinlets of cc (2.5%) 34 38 cc, ml, py Trace cc veinlets and ml on fractures (0.4%) 38 46 cc, ml, py Veinlets of cc (2%) 46 50 py Trace and patchy py (0.2%) 50 78 Dolomudstone 78 87 cc, py Veinlets of cc with trace py (1%) 87 105 cc, py Trace veinlets of cc and py (0.1%) 105 119 Dolomudstone Table 2: Summary geological log for drill hole SR23-52. Mineralization key: cc = chalcocite, py = pyrite, ml = malachite. (5%) = visual estimation of sulfide content. Visual estimates of mineral abundance should never be considered a proxy or substitute for laboratory analyses where concentrations or grades are the factor of principal economic interest. Laboratory assays are required to determine the presence and grade of any contained mineralization within the reported visual intersections of copper sulfides. Portable XRF is used as an aid in the determination of mineral type and abundance during the geological logging process. Figure 3: Plan view of the southern Storm area showing the known copper prospects, newly discovered copper prospects (Thunder and Lightning Ridge), interpreted copper mineralization footprint (defined by drilling, MLEM and VTEM), and drilling overlaying regional geology. Stated drill hole intersections are all down hole length, and true width is expected to be 60% to 100% of stated length. Figure 4: Plan view of the Storm area showing the known copper prospects and extensive network of high priority faults/structures (yellow) in the immediate Storm Area, overlaying regional geology. Figure 5: Geological section view at 466,060E showing drill hole SR23-52 details, the interpreted mineralization envelopes, and outcropping chalcocite locations. Stated drill hole intersections are all down hole length, and true width is expected to be 60% of stated length. DRILL HOLE DETAILS - 2750N ZONE Drill holes SR23-19, SR23-20, SR23-21, SR23-22, SR23-23 and SM23-01 have been successfully completed within the 2750N Zone. The drill holes were planned to infill key areas and to test the margins of the mineralization for the maiden mineral resource estimation. All five RC delineation holes intersected high-grade copper mineralization (Tables 3 to 8). The drill holes were designed to use only three drill pads to aid the logistics and to speed up the movement times between drilling. The mineralization encountered within the five drill holes is typical of that of the 2750N Zone with chalcocite dominant mineralization in the core and western portion of the deposit, and with chalcopyrite and pyrite present in zones of faulting and toward the eastern margin. Drill holes SR23-19 and SR23-21 were designed to test the upper, near-surface extensions of the high-grade copper mineralization along key drill sections (Figure 6). SR23-19 intersected an interpreted fault zone along the southern margin of the mineralized trend and confirmed the vertical continuity of the main zone. Drill hole SR23-21 was drilled up dip of 2022 drill hole ST22-05 and has intersected two distinct zones of very strong mineralization, potentially separated by a fault. The presence of faulting along the southern margin and an apparent bifurcation of the mineralization in the southern 2750N Zone may indicate the potential for another parallel zone of mineralization and further prospectivity to the south and east (Figure 6). These two drill holes confirm the extension of the high-grade mineralization to surface. Drill hole SR23-23 was drilled with an orientation to the east, along strike of the 2750N Zone and has intersected a fault zone with massive pyrite. There is copper mineralization on either side of the fault and this is consistent with the geology observed in 2022 drill hole ST22-03. Diamond drill hole SM23-01 was completed for resource infill and QAQC purposes. The drill hole was completed along section 466200E and designed to scissor 2022 drill hole ST22-02 (57m @ 2.5% Cu from 8m downhole). SM23-01 intersected several zones of discreet, chalcocite-dominant mineralization with assay grades up to 12.8% Cu. The recent drill holes further highlight the quality of the mineralization and have confirmed the steep orientation and potential for expansions to the known copper system. Tables 3 - 8 below summarise the significant intersections in drilling. Intersections are expressed as downhole widths and are interpreted to be approximately 90-100% of true width. A cut-off grade of 0.5% copper is used to define a significant intersection and is based on ore mineralogy, mineralization habit and expected beneficiation and processing performance. Hole ID From (m) To (m) Width Cu % Zn % Ag g/t SR23-19 9.1 15.2 6.1 1 - 4.8 Including 13.7 15.2 1.5 1.5 - 5 65.5 67 1.5 2.1 - 8 Table 3: Summary of significant drilling intersections for drill hole SR23-19 (>0.5% Cu). Hole ID From (m) To (m) Width Cu % Zn % Ag g/t SR23-20 32 33.5 1.5 1.6 - 26 50.3 53.3 3.1 1.1 - 3.5 62.5 71.6 9.1 1.4 - 8 Including 64 67.1 3.1 3.5 - 1.5 Table 4: Summary of significant drilling intersections for drill hole SR23-20 (>0.5% Cu). Hole ID From (m) To (m) Width Cu % Zn % Ag g/t SR23-21 0 27.4 27.4 1.5 - 20 Including 7.6 15.2 7.6 4 - 62 30.5 57.4 27.4 1.3 - 1.6 Including 33.5 42.6 9.1 2.2 - 1.7 Table 5: Summary of significant drilling intersections for drill hole SR23-21 (>0.5% Cu). Hole ID From (m) To (m) Width Cu % Zn % Ag g/t SR23-22 44.2 50.3 6.1 1.8 - 9 Including 45.7 47.3 1.5 6.1 - 22 61 80.8 19.8 1.1 - 7.5 Including 70.1 73.2 3.1 4.6 - 14 Table 6: Summary of significant drilling intersections for drill hole SR23-22 (>0.5% Cu). Hole ID From (m) To (m) Width Cu % Zn % Ag g/t SR23-23 0 6.1 6.1 1.2 - 0.8 Including 3 6.1 3.1 2.1 - 1 42.7 44.2 1.5 1.1 - 10 Table 7: Summary of significant drilling intersections for drill hole SR23-23 (>0.5% Cu). Hole ID From (m) To (m) Width Cu % Zn % Ag g/t SM23-01 24.7 25.5 0.8 2.9 - 3 41 43 2 1.1 - 3 51.3 66.5 15.2 1 - 2.6 Including 51.3 51.6 0.3 12.8 0.2 3 And 56 57 1 2.4 - 1.5 And 59.3 60.3 1 4 - 2.2 64.3 66.5 2.2 0.7 - 8.9 Including 64.3 65 0.7 1.1 - 9 Table 8: Summary of significant drilling intersections for drill hole SM23-01 (>0.5% Cu). Figure 6: Plan view of the 2750N Zone showing interpreted copper mineralization footprint (defined by drilling, MLEM and VTEM), historical and recent drilling details, overlaying regional geology. Stated drill hole intersections are all down hole length, and true width is expected to be 60% to 100% of stated length. Figure 7: Geological section view at 465,015E showing drill hole SM23-01 details, the interpreted mineralization envelopes (>1% Cu), and off-section previous drill holes on section 465050E. Stated drill hole intersections are all core length, and true width of SM23-01 is expected to be 90% to 100% of stated length. DRILL HOLE DETAILS - 4100N ZONE Drill holes SR23-28, SR23-29, SR23-30, SR23-31 and SM23-02 were successfully completed within the 4100N Zone (Figure 8). All drill holes have intersected copper sulfide mineralization (Tables 9 to 13) and were designed for resource definition work within, and on the margins of the known mineralization. Drill hole SR23-31 was completed within the southeastern margin of the 4100N Zone and intersected three zones of high-grade copper mineralization (Figure 8; Table 12). These zones contain a mix of copper sulfide minerals with the higher-grade zones containing chalcocite and bornite as the dominant copper minerals. This is an important resource drill hole that links the strong mineralization in historical drill hole ST99-53 (4.8m core length @ 3.7% Cu from 20.3m and 4.4m core length @ 4.6% Cu from 38.6m) with the main zone of mineralization (Figure 8). Diamond drill hole SM23-02 was designed to infill and capture QAQC information within the central portion of the 4100N Zone and in an area of strong EM anomalism (Figure 8). The drill hole intersected a very broad interval of 46m @ 2.2% Cu (including 15.6m core length @ 4.2% Cu). The mineralized interval contains bands of rich copper mineralization and includes some of the highest grades obtained from the 4100N Zone to date, with assays of up to 42.8% copper (from 67m downhole). Other bands contain individual grades of 13.2% Cu from 90.3m and 14.6% Cu from 91.4m downhole. Given SM23-02 was drilled at a fairly shallow angle (-45 degrees), the true thickness of the intersection is interpreted to be approximately 37m (Figure 9). This intersection highlights the strong continuity and grade of the generally flat-lying 4100N Zone and will give very high confidence in the continuity of the resource through the main zone of mineralization. The other three RC drill holes completed within the 4100N Zone (SR23-28, -29 and -30) were drilled in the eastern part of the 4100N Zone and in an area of less brecciation and sulfide veining (Figure 8). This area is characterized by more massive dolomudstone and with chalcopyrite as the dominant copper sulfide mineral. The area may represent a minor facies change in the sedimentary units which is common within sedimentary mineral systems. Historical drilling has confirmed that the copper mineralization re-intensifies to the east of the massive dolomudstone zone (i.e., STOR-1601D intersected 16m core length @ 3.1% Cu from 93m downhole - Figure 8). Figure 8: Plan view of the 4100N Zone showing interpreted copper mineralization footprint (defined by drilling, MLEM and VTEM), historical and recent drilling details, overlaying regional geology. Stated drill hole intersections are all down hole length. Figure 9: Geological section view at 465,015E showing drill hole SM23-02 details, the interpreted mineralization envelopes (>1% Cu), and off-section previous drill holes on section 465050E. Stated drill hole intersections are all down hole length, and true width is expected to be 80% to 90% of stated length. Tables 9 - 13 below summarises the significant intersections in drilling. Intersections are expressed as downhole widths and are interpreted to be approximately 80-100% of true width, and 75-80% for drill hole SM23-02. A cut-off grade of 0.5% copper is used to define a significant intersection and is based on ore mineralogy, mineralization habit and expected beneficiation and processing performance. Hole ID From (m) To (m) Width Cu % Zn % Ag g/t SR23-28 59.4 70.1 10.7 0.6 - 2 Including 64 65.5 1.5 1.1 - 2 And 67.1 68.6 1.5 1 - 1 Table 9: Summary of significant drilling intersections for drill hole SR23-28 (>0.5% Cu). Hole ID From (m) To (m) Width Cu % Zn % Ag g/t SR23-29 41.2 42.7 1.5 0.6 - 3 120.4 121.9 1.5 0.8 - 3 Table 10: Summary of significant drilling intersections for drill hole SR23-29 (>0.5% Cu). Hole ID From (m) To (m) Width Cu % Zn % Ag g/t SR23-30 32 33.5 1.5 0.5 - 4 38.1 39.6 1.5 0.5 - 2 Table 11: Summary of significant drilling intersections for drill hole SR23-30 (>0.5% Cu). Hole ID From (m) To (m) Width Cu % Zn % Ag g/t SR23-31 21.3 28.9 7.6 1.1 - 2.9 Including 22.9 24.4 1.5 4.4 - 11 42.7 61 18.3 0.5 - 1.5 Including 51.8 53.3 1.5 1.7 - 3 And 59.4 60.9 1.5 1 - 2 71.6 77.7 6.1 2.7 - 6.5 Including 73.1 76.2 3.1 3.8 - 6.5 Table 12: Summary of significant drilling intersections for drill hole SR23-31 (>0.5% Cu). Hole ID From (m) To (m) Width Cu % Zn % Ag g/t SM23-02 64 110 46 2.2 - 5.5 Including 65 80.6 15.6 4.2 - 10.8 Including 66.7 67.7 1 23.6 - 49.3 Including 67 67.3 0.3 42.8 - 76 And 89.9 91.7 1.8 6.1 - 10.1 And 106.4 110 3.6 2.4 - 5.9 118.2 118.6 0.4 0.8 - 1 131.8 132.1 0.3 0.8 - 36 143.9 145.8 1.9 0.9 - 18.5 Table 13: Summary of significant drilling intersections for drill hole SR23-12 (>0.5% Cu). PLANNED PROGRAM The field activities for the drilling and exploration program have been suspended for the year due to the Yellowknife fires, which have evacuated the town and placed restrictions on airport access other than for emergency purposes. All samples have been shipped to alternate processing facilities. Assays for a number of outstanding drill holes comprising the remaining RC delineation holes and four deep diamond drill holes are still pending and will continue to be received over the coming weeks. Beneficiation and process optimization continues on a range of mineralization types from the 2750N and 4100N Zones. Resource modeling and estimation work for the Storm Project has commenced and is continuing. A report on the Storm Project summer environmental program is being compiled. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. About the Storm Copper and Seal Zinc-Silver Projects, Nunavut The Nunavut property consists of 173 contiguous mining claims covering an area of approximately 219,257 hectares on Somerset Island, Nunavut, Canada. The Storm Project comprises both the Storm Copper Project, a high-grade sediment-hosted copper discovery (intersections including 110m* @ 2.45% Cu from surface and 56.3m* @ 3.07% Cu from 12.2m) as well as the Seal Zinc Deposit (intersections including 14.4m* @ 10.58% Zn, 28.7g/t Ag from 51.8m and 22.3m* @ 23% Zn, 5.1g/t Ag from 101.5m). Additionally, there are numerous underexplored and undrilled targets within the 120-kilometre strike length of the mineralized trend, including the Tornado copper prospect where 10 grab samples yielded >1% Cu up to 32% Cu in gossans. Storm Discovery and Historical Work High-grade copper mineralization was discovered at Storm in the mid-1990s by Cominco geologists conducting regional zinc exploration around their then-producing Polaris lead-zinc mine. A massive chalcocite boulder found in a tributary of the Aston River in 1996 was traced to impressive surface exposures of broken chalcocite mineralization for hundreds of metres of surface strike length at what became named the 2750N, 2200N, and 3500N Zones. Subsequent seasons of prospecting, geophysics and over 9,000 m of drilling into the early 2000s confirmed a significant amount of copper mineralization below the surface exposures as well as making the blind discovery of the 4100N Zone, a large area of copper mineralization with no surface exposure. Following the merger of Cominco with Teck in 2001 and the closure of the Polaris Mine, the Storm claims were allowed to lapse in 2007. Commander Resources staked the property in 2008 and flew a helicopter-borne VTEM survey in 2011 but conducted no additional drilling. Aston Bay subsequently entered into an earn-in agreement with Commander and consolidated 100% ownership in 2015. Commander retains a 0.875% Gross Overriding Royalty in the area of the original Storm claims. In 2016 Aston Bay entered into an earn-in agreement with BHP, who conducted a 2,000-station soil sampling program and drilled 1,951m of core in 12 diamond drill holes, yielding up to 16m* @ 3.1% Cu. BHP exited the agreement in 2017 and retains no residual interest in the project. Aston Bay conducted a property-wide airborne gravity gradiometry survey in 2017 and drilled 2,913m in nine core holes in the Storm area in 2018 yielding a best intercept of 1.5m* @ 4.39% Cu and 20.5m* @ 0.56% Cu. Agreement with American West Metals An earn-in agreement for the Storm and Seal properties was signed with American West Metals in March 2021. Under the terms of the agreement, an expenditure of C$10m will earn 80% ownership of the property for American West. Aston Bay is carried for all expenditures to the completion of a feasibility study and production decision. If Aston Bay chooses not to participate and is diluted below 10% ownership, the ownership converts to a 2% Net Smelter Royalty, half of which is purchasable by American West for C$5m at first production. Aston Bay received a cash payment of C$500,000 on signing. Recent Work American West completed a fixed loop electromagnetic (FLEM) ground geophysical survey in 2021 that yielded several new subsurface conductive anomalies. A total of 1,534m were drilled in 10 diamond drill holes in the 2022 season, yielding several impressive near-surface intercepts including 41m* @ 4.1% Cu as well as 68m of sulfide mineralization associated with a deeper conductive anomaly. In April 2022 results of beneficiation studies demonstrated that a mineralized intercept grading 4% Cu from the 4100N area could be upgraded to a 54% Cu direct ship product using standard sorting technology. Further beneficiation studies are ongoing. In April 2023, American West embarked on a spring delineation drilling program using a helicopter-portable RC drill rig as well as conducting gravity and moving loop electromagnetic (MLEM) ground geophysical programs. Results from the programs are in process and are released as they come available. The summer 2023 program planned further delineation drilling of the near-surface high-grade copper zones to advance them toward maiden resource estimates by late 2023 or early 2024. Diamond drilling is planned to test new high-priority gravity targets and environmental baseline studies will be initiated. *Stated drill hole intersections are all core length, and true width is expected to be 60% to 100% of core length. Figure 10: Storm Copper Project, Location Map. QA/QC Protocols The analytical work reported on herein was performed by ALS Global ("ALS"), Vancouver Canada. ALS is an ISO-IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 9001:2015 accredited geoanalytical laboratory and is independent of Aston Bay Holdings Ltd., American West Metals Limited, and the QP. Drill core samples were subject to crushing at a minimum of 70% passing 2 mm, followed by pulverizing of a 250-gram split to 85% passing 75 microns. Samples were subject to 33 element geochemistry by four-acid digestion and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) to determine concentrations of copper, silver, lead, zinc, and other elements (ALS Method ME-ICP61a). Overlimit values for copper (>10%) and were analyzed via four-acid digestion and ICP-AES (ALS Method Cu-OG62). Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. and American West Metals Limited followed industry standard procedures for the work carried out on the Storm Project, incorporating a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) program. Blank, duplicate, and standard samples were inserted into the sample sequence and sent to the laboratory for analysis. No significant QA/QC issues were detected during review of the data. Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. and American West Metals Limited are not aware of any drilling, sampling, recovery, or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred to herein. Qualified Person Michael Dufresne, M.Sc., P.Geol., P.Geo., is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release. About Aston Bay Holdings Aston Bay is a publicly traded mineral exploration company exploring for high-grade copper and gold deposits in Virginia, USA, and Nunavut, Canada. The Company is led by CEO Thomas Ullrich with exploration in Virginia directed by the Company's advisor, Don Taylor, the 2018 Thayer Lindsley Award winner for his discovery of the Taylor Pb-Zn-Ag Deposit in Arizona. The Company is currently exploring the high-grade Buckingham Gold Vein in central Virginia and is in advanced stages of negotiation on other lands with high-grade copper potential in the area. The Company is 100% owner of the Storm Project property, which hosts the Storm Copper Project and the Seal Zinc Deposit and has been optioned to American West Metals Limited. About American West Metals Limited AMERICAN WEST METALS LIMITED (ASX:AW1) is an Australian clean energy mining company focused on growth through the discovery and development of major base metal mineral deposits in Tier 1 jurisdictions of North America. Our strategy is focused on developing mines that have a low-footprint and support the global energy transformation. Our portfolio of copper and zinc projects in Utah and Canada include significant existing resource inventories and high-grade mineralization that can generate robust mining proposals. Core to our approach is our commitment to the ethical extraction and processing of minerals and making a meaningful contribution to the communities where our projects are located. Led by a highly experienced leadership team, our strategic initiatives lay the foundation for a sustainable business which aims to deliver high-multiplier returns on shareholder investment and economic benefits to all stakeholders. For further information on American West, visit: www.americanwestmetals.com. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Statements made in this news release, including those regarding the Option Agreement, grant of the Option and the expected closing date, American West's interest in the Storm Project and its other acquisitions and plans, plans for the upcoming field season, management objectives, forecasts, estimates, expectations, or predictions of the future may constitute "forward-looking statement", which can be identified by the use of conditional or future tenses or by the use of such verbs as "believe", "expect", "may", "will", "should", "estimate", "anticipate", "project", "plan", and words of similar import, including variations thereof and negative forms. This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect, as of the date of this press release, Aston Bay's expectations, estimates and projections about its operations, the mining industry and the economic environment in which it operates. Statements in this press release that are not supported by historical fact are forward-looking statements, meaning they involve risk, uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although Aston Bay believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which apply only at the time of writing of this press release. Aston Bay disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by securities legislation. For more information contact: Thomas Ullrich, Chief Executive Officer thomas.ullrich@astonbayholdings.com (416) 456-3516 Sofia Harquail, IR and Corporate Development sofia.harquail@astonbayholdings.com (647) 821-1337 SOURCE: Aston Bay Holdings Ltd View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780576/aston-bay-and-american-west-metals-announce-another-discovery-and-high-grade-copper-intervals-at-the-storm-copper-project-canada Redde Northgate Plc - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, September 05 NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION 5 September 2023 REDDE NORTHGATE PLC ("Redde Northgate" or the "Group" or the "Company") Transaction in Own Shares Redde Northgate plc (LSE:REDD) announces that on 5 September 2023 it purchased the following number of its own shares to be held in treasury: Class of shares : Ordinary shares of 50p ("shares") Number of shares purchased : 100,000 Weighted average purchase price paid : 325.5 pence per share Highest purchase price paid : 325.5 pence per share Lowest purchase price paid : 325.5 pence per share Following the above transaction, the Company's issued share capital consists of 246,091,423 ordinary shares of 50p each, of which 17,577,571 ordinary shares are held in treasury, and 1,000,000 preference shares of 50p each which do not carry any rights to vote. Therefore the total number of voting rights in the Company is 228,513,852 which may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in the Company under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation) as incorporated into UK domestic law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the schedule below contains detailed information about the purchases made by Numis Securities Limited on behalf of the Company as part of the Company's buyback programme. Schedule of Purchase - Individual Transactions (as at 5 September 2023) Number of shares purchased Transaction price (GB pence per share) Time of transaction Transaction reference number Venue 100,000 325.50 08:24:57 00066863321TRLO0 LSE Notes This announcement is made in accordance with the requirements of Listing Rule 12.4.6. For further information contact: Buchanan David Rydell/Jamie Hooper/Hannah Ratcliff +44 (0) 207 466 5000 Notes to Editors: Redde Northgate is the leading integrated mobility solutions platform providing services across the vehicle lifecycle. The Company offers integrated mobility solutions to businesses, fleet operators, insurers, OEMs and other customers across seven key areas: vehicle rental, vehicle data, accident management, vehicle repairs, fleet management, service and maintenance, vehicle ancillary services and vehicle sales. The Company's core purpose is to keep its customers mobile, whether through meeting their regular mobility needs or by servicing and supporting them when unforeseen events occur. With its considerable scale and reach, Redde Northgate's mission is to offer a market-leading customer proposition and drive enhanced returns for shareholders by creating value through sustainable compounding growth. The Group aims to achieve this through the delivery of its strategic framework of Focus, Drive and Broaden. Redde Northgate services its customers through a network and diversified fleet of over 120,000 owned and leased vehicles, supporting over 600,000 managed vehicles, with more than 170 workshop, body shop and rental locations across the UK, Ireland and Spain and a specialist team of over 6,000 automotive services professionals. Further information please visit the Company's website: MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / HSAC , the world's first attention economy token on the BRC-20 network, will debut in September at Les Couleurs Art Gallery at 223 E. Flagler St. in Miami, Florida. The event will be hosted by Les Couleurs, a local charity, and will be attended by crypto enthusiasts of all ages from around the state. HSAC BRC-20: Attention is now the most valuable commodity in the world. HSAC BRC-20 is the result of a bold question: in the blockchain era, what if attention is far more valuable than money, gold, or time? With consumers clicking through hundreds of online videos, posts, articles, and images each day, content creators face an uphill battle to capture - and keep - their interest. Digitization, of course, is firmly established in global society, so businesses cannot put the genie back in the bottle. Instead, they are turning to a new solution: HSAC BRC-20, a token that commodifies attention. The origin of HSAC is Bitcoin, which introduced decentralized cryptocurrency in 2009. By injecting security and transparency in financial transactions and traditional banking systems, Bitcoin revolutionized the very idea of money around the globe. The BRC-20 network, or the Odinals network, was created on Bitcoin's blockchain. Its unique combination of security, reliability, and open-source technology has inspired innovators to leverage the power of decentralization to improve problems across the planet. HSAC was born out of this technology and is catalyzing a change in how people of all backgrounds perceive and award attention. Since its worldwide debut, HSAC has quickly captured the imagination of digital currency enthusiasts. At its launch party on July 27, 2023, at the REVEL Nightclub in Manila, Philippines, the tech community turned out to celebrate the first attention economy token. Many of those in attendance were content creators, who appreciated the full potential of HSAC, including a new ability to be fairly compensated for their work, a personalized digital experience, and a game-changing vision for how online consumers interact with content, advertising, and social media platforms. HSAC's launch party in the Philippines on July 27, 2023 On September 14, 2023, at Les Couleurs Art Gallery at 223 E Flagler St. in Miami, that energy will continue with a new event that will highlight the fun and excitement of HSAC BRC-20. For more information on the event, including how to register and learn about how HSAC BRC-20 is monetizing attention for content creators, please reach out via HSAC's official channels: Telegram https://t.me/hsacash or @hsacash on Twitter. HSAC BRC-20 is the world's first attention commodity token and is reinventing how content creators are compensated for their expertise. For more information and to learn more about future launch parties, please visit www.hsac.cash or follow @hsacash on Twitter. Contact: Peter F. Andras niftieslab@proton.me 305-340-2940 SOURCE: HSAC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780594/hsac-brc-20-ramps-up-for-miami-event-after-successful-launch-in-philippines Pioneering the Future: Power TakeOff joins with Lime Rock New Energy, beginning a new chapter of growth and innovation in the energy efficiency landscape. DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Power TakeOff, a software-enabled energy efficiency services company, today announces that funds managed by Lime Rock New Energy, a growth equity investor in companies accelerating the energy transition, has acquired a controlling interest in Power TakeOff from the company's founding shareholder group. The Power TakeOff and Lime Rock New Energy teams will work closely to accelerate Power TakeOff's growth and service offerings for utilities nationwide. Kevin Martin and Peter Widmer, co-CEOs of Power TakeOff have also invested alongside Lime Rock New Energy and will to continue to lead the company. Power TakeOff Logo Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Denver, Power TakeOff delivers innovative energy efficiency solutions to the small and medium business customers of utilities nationwide via the application of Power TakeOff's proprietary artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) tools to utility automated metering infrastructure data lakes. Power TakeOff's sophisticated AI and ML algorithms enable its customer engagement specialists to identify opportunities for small and medium businesses to save energy and money by deploying easily implemented behavior-based changes to building control systems. The flagship offering of the company today is its Virtual Commissioning (VCx) program, which is centered on a unique pay-for-performance model, where the company is compensated based on verified energy savings. Today, Power TakeOff's client portfolio encompasses over twenty investor-owned and municipal utilities across the United States. The company has experienced rapid growth in recent years and is expanding its service offerings to provide additional solutions to its utility customer base, including Virtual Strategic Energy Management (vSEM), advanced measurement and verification services, and real-time metering and analytics. Kevin Martin, co-CEO of Power TakeOff, said, "Lime Rock New Energy is our first institutional partner in our 16-year history, and we're very excited to work with LRNE as we enter our next chapter of growth. We are proud of what the entire team has built at Power TakeOff to date, and we see significant opportunity to help our utility customers and their small and medium business customers achieve even more energy savings. We believe this partnership will accelerate our service and product offerings and work even more closely with our utility partners to create a more energy efficient, resilient, lower carbon, and lower cost power system." Mark Lewis, a Managing Director of Lime Rock New Energy, added, "As a former energy services company chief executive, I have long sought to partner with an energy services business with a defensible business model that delivers energy savings for its customers. Power TakeOff struck us as one of the most innovative businesses in the energy efficiency industry that we've encountered. By finding actionable opportunities for end users to save material amounts of energy and money without the need for incremental capital spending, we believe that Power TakeOff moves the needle for utilities and their small and medium business customers to achieve their climate and efficiency goals." About Power TakeOff, Inc. Since 2007, Power TakeOff has been an industry leader in the creation of data-first, virtual utility products, services and efficiency programs. Specializing in Energy Information Software, Power TakeOff uses advanced analytics to simplify the vast amount of utility AMI data into personalized, custom energy efficiency recommendations with proven, advanced M&V statistical saving results. Utility leaders across North America rely on Power TakeOff to transform complex, non-residential engagement challenges into solutions that deliver exceptional customer experiences and results, increase utility revenue, meet efficiency goals, and reduce GHG emissions. Visit us at www.PowerTakeOff.com. About Lime Rock New Energy Lime Rock New Energy is a growth equity investment partner for entrepreneurs building differentiated, innovative, and growing energy transition businesses. It invests in companies across three critical sectors: products and services to drive faster adoption of renewable energy and grid modernization, energy efficiency for industry and the built environment, and decarbonization of transportation. In partnering with entrepreneurs leading growing businesses that reduce carbon emissions, the Lime Rock New Energy team seeks to accelerate their companies' growth with capital, strategic and process experience, operations expertise, and the team's deep network of relationships across all facets of the new energy economy. For more information, please visit www.lrnewenergy.com. Contact Information Lauren Goldfarb Manager of Marketing & Communications lauren.goldfarb@powertakeoff.com (720) 835-1076 SOURCE: Power TakeOff View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/779783/lime-rock-new-energy-and-management-partner-to-acquire-power-takeoff LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Multi-talented artist Corey Feldman surprised fans with the release of his latest single, "Deceptive Deborah," which premiered over Labor Day weekend. The track is already receiving raving reviews from fans across all social media platforms, earning its place as one of Corey's most celebrated songs to date. "Deceptive Deborah" is a must-listen and is now available for download and streaming on all major digital music platforms and is proudly released by CiFi Records, distributed through Sony Orchard Distribution. Photo Credit: Bobbie Sunday In a bittersweet turn of events, Corey Feldman also shares some challenging news regarding his upcoming LOVE ReTours 2023. During intense dance rehearsals in preparation for the tour, Corey sustained a significant injury to his knee, which has been diagnosed as a meniscus tear. While the injury is a setback, Corey is determined to power through and ensure that the show goes on. Feldman will need to adjust some of his choreography to avoid further injury. Corey will continue to keep fans posted. Despite the setback, Feldman is excited to introduce a talented new addition to his touring family, Alexandra Danielle. She will take on the role of Keyboardist, DJ, and Backing Vocalist for the tour, stepping into big shoes previously filled by Corey's wife for over a decade. Corey encourages fans and supporters to extend a warm welcome to Alexandra as she joins the team. Alexandra Danielle, a Maui native, is not only a gifted musician but also someone who has persevered through adversity, as her family recently faced during the fires. Corey expresses his hope that the FeldFam will provide her with the love and support she deserves during this tour. Corey states "I'm genuinely so excited to welcome Alexandra to our touring family, she has worked very very hard to learn everything, and as a Maui native during this unimaginably difficult time her family just lost everything in the disaster, so I truly hope she receives the Love only FeldFam can give." Corey continues "I'm also thrilled about the fact that everyone really seems 2 be feeling the new song, however I am deeply sorry that my knees are not keeping up like they used 2. I'm gonna make it great, but honestly I don't know how much longer I can continue to deliver the same show. So I hope as many people get to see this go around as possible." For the latest updates on Corey Feldman's music, tour dates, and more, please visit coreyfeldman.net 09.09.23 RETRO JUNKIE WALNUT CREEK, CA 09.10.23 GOLDFIELD TRADING POST ROSEVILLE, CA 09.12.23 SUNSHINE STUDIOS COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 09.13.23 HERMANS HIDEAWAY DENVER, CO 09.15.23 TOKEN LOUNGE WESTLAND, MI 09.16.23 RIOT FEST CHICAGO, IL 09.17.23 LEMONADE PARK KANSAS CITY, MO 09.18.23 CITY WINERY NASHVILLE, TN 09.19.23 DIAMOND MUSIC HALL ST. PETERS, MO 09.21.23 BROWN COUNTY PLAYHOUSE NASHVILLE, IN 09.22.23 OASIS 2 LIVE MUSIC WEST PLAINS, MO 09.23.23 THOMPSON HOUSE NEWPORT, KY 09.24.23 THE KING OF CLUBS COLUMBUS, OH 09.27.23 THE NOOK DANVILLE, KY 09.28.23 CANAL CLUB RICHMOND, VA 09.29.23 DOUBLE BARRELL ROADHOUSE RED LION, PA 09.30.23 ANGEL CITY MUSIC HALL MANCHESTER, NH 10.01.23 THE HOMESTEAD MORRISTOWN, NJ 10.03.23 GROUND ZERO SPARTANBURG, SC 10.04.23 ROCKET REPUBLIC HUNTSVILLE, AL 10.05.23 SOUTHPORT HALL NEW ORLEANS, LA 10.06.23 WILDCATTER SALOON KATY, TX 10.07.23 ANTHEM SCHOOL OF MUSIC SAN ANTONIO, TX 10.08.23 THE PARISH AUSTIN, TX 10.11.23 THE MARQUEE TEMPE, AZ 11.16.23 HOUSE OF BLUES SAN DIEGO, CA 11.22.23 DNA LOUNGE SAN FRANCISCO, CA 11.24.23 OBSERVATORY OC SANTA ANA, CA 11.25.23 SAND DOLLAR LAS VEGAS, NV 03.10.24 1720 LOS ANGELES, CA MEDIA CONTACT: Samantha Waranch E-mail: samantha@c-360.agency SOURCE: Corey Feldman/Truth 22 Productions View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780641/corey-feldman-unveils-surprise-new-single-deceptive-deborah-and-shares-tour-updates DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Dallas-based oil and gas company, MDM Permian Inc (OTC PINK:MDMP) is pleased to announce the promising findings of geological and engineering reports for one of its recently acquired East Texas leases. These reports, verified by a petroleum engineer, provide compelling evidence of substantial oil and gas reserves within the Pettit formation. Based on comprehensive geological assessments and data from nearby locations, MDM Permian anticipates a recoverable oil volume of up to 730,000 barrels. This volume lies in the Pettit formation of three locations situated on one of MDM Permian's recently acquired East Texas leases. A nearby field, three miles to the NE, consisting of 26 wells, has already demonstrated impressive production figures. To date, it has yielded 1,325,280 barrels of oil and 7.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas. Similarly, another field 3 miles north, comprising 48 wells, has proved to be a prolific producer as well. It has delivered 305,104 barrels of oil and 27 billion cubic feet of natural gas. These figures underscore the significant hydrocarbon potential of the region. These promising findings highlight the potential for substantial growth and development in the East Texas region where MDM Permian is acquiring and building its assets. The company looks forward to harnessing these resources to meet growing energy demands and build value for its shareholders. About MDM Permian Inc MDM Permian, Inc. is an emerging oil and gas exploration and production company committed to delivering sustainable energy solutions. With a focus on responsible resource extraction, operational excellence, and environmental stewardship, MDM Permian, Inc. aims to meet the growing energy demands while minimizing its ecological footprint. The company's diverse portfolio spans across multiple regions, driving economic growth and creating value for its stockholders and stakeholders. For media inquiries, contact: Rachel D. Green V.P. Investor Relations 469-252-3603 rgreen@mdmpermian.com Safe Harbor Act: This release includes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involves risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the impact of competitive products, the ability to meet customer demand, the ability to manage growth, acquisitions of technology, equipment, or human resources, the effect of economic business conditions and the ability to attract and retain skilled personnel. The Company is not obligated to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release. SOURCE: MDM Permian, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780648/geological-and-engineering-reports-reveal-significant-reserves-in-recently-acquired-east-texas-lease SAN RAMON (dpa-AFX) - Workers at two major liquefied natural gas or LNG facilities in Australia, operated by Chevron Corporation (CVX), have declared their intention to strike for a two-week period due to an ongoing dispute concerning pay and working conditions. The Offshore Alliance union, representing employees at the Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG projects in Western Australia, disclosed that the strike will commence on September 14. The dispute between the workers and Chevron has been intensifying, with both parties struggling to find common ground in their negotiations. The Offshore Alliance, in a statement posted on its Facebook page, refuted Chevron's assertion that the negotiations were 'intractable' and vowed to escalate their Protected Industrial Action as a demonstration of their determination. The union highlighted that its members had not yet exercised their lawful workplace rights to undertake such action. The Offshore Alliance's decision to strike represents a significant escalation in the ongoing disagreement over pay and working conditions. Last month, the union had announced its intention to initiate rolling stoppages, bans, and limitations beginning on September 7. Mediation talks between the workers and Chevron are being facilitated by the Fair Work Commission, Australia's workplace tribunal. Australia is renowned as one of the world's leading LNG exporters, with the Gorgon and Wheatstone facilities jointly accounting for approximately 7 percent of global LNG supply. The prospect of an extended period of industrial action has generated concerns about potential disruptions to LNG exports, causing significant fluctuations in energy markets in recent weeks. While Europe has successfully replenished its gas reserves to over 90 percent of capacity since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a substantial reduction in Australia's LNG production could strain future supplies. The Offshore Alliance firmly believes that Chevron will ultimately concede to their demands, even if it entails significant financial losses for the company. The union expressed its confidence in Chevron's financial capabilities, quipping that the company has ample resources in its proverbial 'piggy bank' to weather the financial impact of the strike. The standoff between Chevron and its workers in Australia continues to garner attention as both sides remain entrenched in their positions, with the strike set to commence in less than two weeks. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Mega-Chance: Der Indien Report Ihre Chancen im groten Wachstumsmarkt: 3 indische Top-Aktien. Die Highlights dieses Spezialreports: 1. Indien als Wachstumsriese, 2. Indiens Wirtschaft boomt!, 3. 3 Top-Performance-Aktien. Jetzt kostenlos downloaden. Hier klicken Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - Alpha Peak Capital Inc. ("Alpha Peak" or the "Company"), a reporting issuer in the Provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, is pleased to announce closing of the first tranche of a private placement financing (the "Offering") as well as provides a corporate update on the Company's change of business to the oil and gas sector, name change to "Fiddlehead Resources Corp." (the "Name Change") and the appointment of Brent Osmond as Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") and Chairman. Private Placement The Company is pleased to announce that in connection with the Offering closed September 5, 2023 it raised aggregate gross proceeds of $581,800.20 and issued 4,848,335 common shares (the "Shares") at a price of $0.12 per Share. The Shares issued in connection with the Offering are subject to a four month and a day hold period from the date of issuance in accordance with Canadian securities laws. No fees were paid in connection with the Offering. Following closing of the Offering, the company has 13,841,757 Shares issued and outstanding. Change of Business and Name Change Following a strategic review to determine how best to maximize shareholder value, the Company's board of directors (the "Board") has determined that the Company should utilize its financial and personnel resources on the oil and gas sector with a particular focus on acquiring and operating revenue producing assets in Western Canada. To align the Company's corporate identity with its new strategic direction, the Board has unanimously approved to change the Company's name from "Alpha Peak Capital Inc." to "Fiddlehead Resources Corp." which is expected to be made effective on or about September 5, 2023. No further action is required by existing shareholders with respect to the Name Change. The Company is obtaining a new CUSIP number and new ISIN number. Certificates representing Shares of the Company will not be affected by the Name Change and will not need to be exchanged. Board and Management Changes The Company is also pleased to announce that Brent Osmond of Calgary, Alberta has been appointed as CEO and Chairman of the Company. Brent Osmond has 20 years of oil & gas experience, 13 of which have been in senior executive level roles. Mr. Osmond has experience building companies with assets in Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, North Dakota and Montana. He has guided private equity backed companies and publicly traded companies, and has also taken private companies through liquidity events including initial public offering (IPO) and reverse takeover (RTO) transactions. Mr. Osmond has worked for Husky Energy Inc., Questerre Energy Inc., Perpetual Energy Corp., and Mountainview Energy Inc. in the public domain, and private entities including Clover Oil & Gas, Inc., Nytis Exploration Company Inc. and Prosper Petroleum Ltd. Mr. Osmond is a strategic, creative, solutions-focused executive, having negotiated, structured and sourced over $500 million in debt and equity capital in his career. He founded and built a crude oil marketing and logistics firm that grew to manage $2.5 billion in crude by rail contracts. He is a financial accountant with a CPA (CMA) designation (Alberta), and a B. Comm. (Co-op) from Memorial University of Newfoundland. In connection with Mr. Osmond's appointment as CEO and Chairman, the Board has granted Mr. Osmond 500,000 stock options ("Options") at an exercise price of $0.12 per underlying Share, which are exercisable for five years from the date of issue, subject to certain vesting conditions, pursuant to the Company's stock option plan (the "Option Grant"). To create a vacancy for Mr. Osmond's officer and director appointments, Zachary Goldenberg has resigned as CEO of the Company and Peter Clausi has resigned as a Director. The Company wishes to thank Messrs. Goldenberg and Clausi for their contributions to the Company. The Company's management and Board now consists of Brent Osmond (CEO and Chairman), Carlo Rigillo (Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Secretary and Director) and Zachary Goldenberg (Director). Early Warning Reporting In connection with the Offering, certain reporting thresholds were triggered by Mr. Osmond that require the filing of an early warning report under National Instrument 62-103 - The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues. Prior to the Offering, Mr. Osmond held no securities of the Company. Following the Offering and the Option Grant, Mr. Osmond held 1,666,667 Shares and 500,000 Options which represents approximately 12.04% of the issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted and 14.35% on a partially diluted basis. Mr. Osmond holds the securities for investment purposes and may, from time to time, acquire additional securities of the Company or dispose of such securities as Mr. Osmond may deem appropriate. A copy of the early warning report that will be filed by Mr. Osmond may be obtained on the Company's SEDAR profile or by contacting the Company. For more information, please contact: Brent Osmond, CEO and Chairman Phone No.: (403) 999-8511 Email: bosmond@topshelffinance.com This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions or are those which, by their nature, refer to future events. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from the Company's expectations. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. All of the Company's public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedarplus.ca and readers are urged to review these materials. This press release is not, and is not to be construed in any way as, an offer to buy or sell securities in the United States. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179593 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - Sego Resources Inc. (TSXV: SGZ) ("Sego" or "the Company") announces the resignation of Director and CFO Selina Tribe, PhD, P.Geo. Selina has accepted a position with Natural Resources Canada and will be based in Ottawa, Ontario. We wish to thank Selina for all the hard work, support and dedication she has given to SEGO over the years. Congratulations and best wishes for continuing success in your new role with Natural Resources Canada in Ottawa! Brent Petterson, Sego's accountant, will assume the role of CFO of the Company. J. Paul Stevenson, CEO (604) 682-2933 Or toll free 1-866-683-2933 ceo@segoresources.com Forward-Looking Statements 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. No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this news release. This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statement of historical facts that address future production, reserve potential, exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that the Company expects are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and those actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179612 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / CMC Metals Ltd. (TSXV:CMB)(Frankfurt:ZM5P)(OTCQB:CMCXF) ("CMC" or the "Company") would like to announce that it will close the second Tranche of its current financing on September 15th. As announced on August 17th, the Company intends to raise up to C$500,000 through a non-brokered private placement. The proposed terms are to sell flow-through units of the Company (each, a "FT Unit") at a price of C$0.12 per FT Unit and non-flow-through units of the Company (each, a "Unit") at a price of C$0.10 per Unit. As announced on August 24th, the Company has closed the first tranche of the financing for aggregate gross proceeds of $214,250, subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. Please refer to the news release dated August 17th, 2023 for further detail. (https://cmcmetals.ca/site/assets/files/4006/23-08-17-cmc-nr.pdf) The Company also announces the resignation of Mr. Kristian Whitehead from the Board of Directors for personal reasons. Mr. John Bossio, Chairman stated, "We thank Kristian for his service, insight and incredible work ethic. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors." About CMC Metals Ltd. CMC Metals Ltd. is a growth stage exploration company focused on opportunities for high grade polymetallic deposits in Yukon, British Columbia and Newfoundland. Our polymetallic silver-lead-zinc CRD prospects include the Silver Hart Deposit and Blue Heaven claims (the "Silver Hart Project") and Amy and Silverknife claims in north-central British Columbia. Our polymetallic projects with potential for copper-silver-gold and other metals, include Terra Nova and Rodney Pond (central Newfoundland) and Terra Nova which has been option to Highbank Mining. On behalf of the Board: "John Bossio" John Bossio, Chairman CMC METALS LTD. For Further Information and Investor Inquiries: Kevin Brewer, P. Geo., MBA, B.Sc.(Hons), Dip. Mine Eng. President, CEO and Director Tel: (709) 327 8013 kbrewer80@hotmail.com Suite 1000-409 Granville St. Vancouver, BC, V6C 1T2 To be added to CMC's news distribution list, please send an email to info@cmcmetals.ca or contact Mr. Kevin Brewer directly. 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 may contain certain statements that constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law, including without limitation, statements that address the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles and exploitation activities and developments. In this release disclosure regarding the potential to undertake future exploration work comprise forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks, including the ability of the Company to raise the funds necessary to fund its projects, to carry out the work and, accordingly, may not occur as described herein or at all. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, the timing and receipt of government and regulatory approvals, the impact of the constantly evolving COVID-19 pandemic crisis and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are referred to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators for information on these and other risk factors, available at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation." SOURCE: CMC Metals Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780855/cmc-to-close-second-tranche-in-ten-days-and-announces-resignation-of-director VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Pampa Metals Corp. ("Pampa Metals" or the "Company") (CSE:PM)(FSE:FIRA)(OTCQB:PMMCF) announces that, further to its news release of August 10, 2023, effective at the opening of trading on September 8, 2023 (the "Effective Date") the common shares of the Company (the "Shares") will commence trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange on a consolidated basis, with one post-consolidated Share outstanding for every 2.5 pre-consolidation Shares (the "Consolidation"). As a result of the Consolidation, on the Effective Date, a total of approximately 29,117,310 Shares will be issued and outstanding, subject to adjustments for rounding, with approximately 13,221,894 Shares reserved for issuance. No fractional shares will be issued. The number of post-consolidated Shares to be received will be rounded up to the nearest whole number for fractions of 0.5 or greater or rounded down to the nearest whole number for fractions of less than 0.5. The exercise or conversion price and the number of Shares issuable under any of the Company's outstanding convertible instruments will be proportionately adjusted upon the effectiveness of the Consolidation. Shareholders of record as of the Effective Date who hold Shares represented by a physical certificate or DRS statement will receive a letter of transmittal from the transfer agent for the Company, Odyssey Trust Company, with instructions on how to exchange their existing certificates or DRS statements for certificates or DRS statements representing Shares on a post-Consolidation basis. ABOUT PAMPA METALS Pampa Metals is listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE: PM), Frankfurt (FSE: FIRA) and OTC (OTCQB: PMMCF) exchanges and wholly owns a portfolio of projects highly prospective for copper, molybdenum and gold along proven and highly productive mineral belts in Chile, the world's largest copper producer. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Joseph van den Elsen | President & CEO INVESTORS CONTACT: Joseph van den Elsen | President & CEO joseph@pampametals.com Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Pampa Metals expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will" or "may" occur. These statements are subject to various risks. Although Pampa Metals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. SOURCE: Pampa Metals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780904/pampa-metals-announces-effective-date-for-share-consolidation Atomicwork, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of an AI powered employee support platform, raised $11M in Seed funding. The round was led by Blume Ventures and Matrix Partners with participation from Storm Ventures, Neon Fund, and angel investors. The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its business reach. Founded in September 2022 by Vijay Rayapati, Kiran Darisi and Parsuram Vijayasankar, Atomicwork is an employee success solution that enables enterprises to deliver employee support workflows. Using AI, it integrates employees, processes, and systems for efficiency in support, service, and operations. Atom, Atomicworks AI assistant, learns from company processes and tribal knowledge to assist employees with their questions and requests without human intervention. The platform features the ability to have different service teams like IT, HR, Finance, and Legal work in their own private spaces while providing a unified experience for employees and efficiency for the enterprise. Atomicwork is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Singapore, Bangalore, and Chennai. FinSMEs 05/09/2023 Enzai, a Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK-based startup providing AI governance software, raised USD4M in Seed funding. The round was led by Cavalry Ventures with participation from Seedcamp, Techstart Ventures, Paul Forster, Jonathan Kewley, Sam Gill and Alexandre Berriche. The company intends to use the funds to build out their engineering capabilities and support their route-to-market efforts. Founded in 2021 and led by Ryan Donnelly and Jack Carlisle, Enzai offers an AI governance software platform providing organisations with a comprehensive toolkit to understand and manage the risks that come with AI while meeting their regulatory obligations complexities, ensuring the responsible development, deployment and usage of AI. Organisations can build up an inventory of their AI, apply policies and procedures to it, and then measure compliance in real time. The company is also announcing a new feature on the platform called Controls, which allows cross-functional teams to collaborate and conduct assessments of AI systems in ways that just arent possible using other tools. FinSMEs 05/09/2023 ThetaRay, a Hod Hasharon, Israel-based provider of an AI-powered transaction monitoring solution, raised $57M in funding. The round was led by Portage, with investments by existing investors JVP, OurCrowd and others. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate global growth plans. Led by CEO Peter Reynolds, ThetaRay offers a cloud-based transaction monitoring and screening solution that uses proprietary and patented AI technology to monitor financial transactions quickly and accurately. This allows the safe flow of funds across the world by establishing transactions, enabling Banks and FinTechs to grow their business and enter new markets while making more efficient use of their internal resources and reducing the risk of financial crime. Customers include financial institutions such as Santander, Travelex, Mashreq Bank, MFS Africa and ClearBank. The company has offices in New York, Madrid, London, Dubai and Tel Aviv. FinSMEs 05/09/2023 With less than two days left for Shah Rukh Khan and Nayanthara starrer Jawans release, the action-packed films advance bookings have sent fans and audiences into a frenzy. As per a report by industry tracker Sacnilk, the first day advance bookings for Atlees Bollywood debut venture are set to make an unprecedented record for a Hindi movie. Based on the statistics shared by film industry tracker Manobala Vijayabalan on X, more than 7 lakh tickets have so far been sold till today, leaving behind the Rs 20-crore gross mark across all theatres in India. As per the information, National Multiplex alone sold 3 lakh plus tickets for opening day. The film is eyeing to become SRKs second Rs 100 crore opener this year after Pathaan. However, the action-packed film is much behind Baahubali 2 in terms of first day advance collections. In yet another post on X, Vijayabalan compared other movies to Jawans increasingly advanced collections. The movies compared included Baahubali 2, Pathaan, KGF Chapter 2, War, Thugs Of, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Bharat, Sultan, Dangal and Brahmastra. Interestingly, Jawan is close to beating Shah Rukh Khans another hit released in January this year, Pathaan. Business Analyst Taran Adarsh posted an updated collection list a few hours ago. Based on the list, Jawans advance booking status stood at 3,03,000. Adarsh also conducted a fun poll asking if SRKs Jawan could surpass Day 1 business of Pathaan, which stands at Rs 55 crore, and emerge as the biggest opener in India. Almost 76 per cent of the audience agreed that it is possible. Take a look: Jawans trailer launch Jawan is slated for release on 7 September in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil. While the films plot is under wraps, the much-anticipated trailer, which was released in Dubai on 31 August, has whetted fans appetites. The 2 minute 45 second-trailer shows the Pathaan star in a dual role. Based on the storyline, SRKs character hijacks a metro with a six-women squad. Lady Superstar Nayanthara, who is set to make her Bollywood debut with this film, will play a police officer. Directed by Atlee, Jawan features Vijay Sethupathi, Yogi Babu, Priyamani, and Sanya Malhotra in pivotal roles. Deepika Padukone, on the other hand, will appear in a cameo. Earlier today, King Khan flew to Sri Venkateshwara Swamy Temple in Tirupati to pray for the films success. He was spotted alongside daughter Suhana Khan and co-star Nayanthara. Jawan writer Sumit Arora is gearing up for the juggernaut. In an interview with PTI, he said, It was the most enjoyable project. You have to keep in mind that the lines will be delivered by Mr Shah Rukh Khan so you have to keep lines that will justify his stardom and stature, his personality and character. He added, I had met Atlee when he was thinking of making his first Hindi film. At that point, the idea was to work together, there was no story then. When he had the draft of the screenplay ready, he reached out to me. Nobody makes mass films like he does. I was happy to be part of this journey with him. With just two days left for the release of Shah Rukh Khans much-anticipated film, Jawan, the actor is busy praying for its success at Indias most revered places. In the latest, King Khan flew to Sri Venkateshwara Swamy Temple in Tirupati in the wee hours of Tuesday. He was spotted alongside daughter Suhana Khan and Jawan co-star Nayanthara. In addition, the Tamil stars husband-filmmaker Vignesh Shivan and SRKs manager, Pooja Dadlani, was also seen with them. The temple video has gained immense traction online. Several users commented on the post: Jawan will be the blockbuster of the decade in highest ever revenue collection, commented a user. Another user named it Jawan ka promotion from Tirupati. King of hearts, said a user. Shah Rukh Khans Tirupati video Shah Rukh Khan was spotted wearing a cream mundu outfit with a short kurta and a stole with a golden border. Bollywoods Baadshah gave flying kisses to the devotees outside the temple and expressed his gratitude with folded hands. He was joined by Suhana Khan who was dressed in a white salwar kameez as she held her fathers hand. At the same time, Tamil stars Nayanthara and Vignesh were also dressed in white outfits for the temple visit. A group of roughly 20 people chanted outside the premiere of Woody Allens Coup de Chance at the Venice Film Festival Monday. While those inside Palazzo del Cinema watched the movie, the group yelled a variety of slogans, such as no spotlight for rapist directors and the alpha male doesnt exist. The rape culture of the Venice Film Festival According to reports published in the Hollywood Reporter, the protestors began their demonstration just as Allen stepped onto the red carpet of his film. They stopped shortly past the carpet, forming a line and taking off their shirts before chanting more. The demonstration lasted only a few minutes before they were led out of the festival area by police. One of the demonstators, who gave their name as Melania, told The Hollywood Reporter they were protesting the rape culture of this festival, which celebrates men accused of assault, while we have an epidemic of femicide in our country. Woody Allen calls cancel culture silly On the other hand, Woody Allen calls cancel culture silly as Coup de Chance premieres at Venice Film Festival. Midnight in Paris director Woody Allen met with severe criticism at the Venice Film Festival as his latest film, Coup de Chance premiered on September 2. This is his 50th film and is really special to him. Amid a growing resentment towards the director because of child sex abuse allegations against him, Woody Allen spoke about facing the cancel culture. When asked if he feels he has been cancelled following accusations of child sex abuse made against him, he said that he finds it all silly. Woody Allen has been in the middle of a controversy ever since his adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow accused him of molesting her when she was just seven years old. Woody adopted Dylan with his partner Mia Farrow. Woody Allen accused of molesting his daughter8 Film director Woody Allen defended himself on accusations by his now-adult daughter that he molested her as a child, calling the allegations ludicrous and the product of a bitter custody battle with his former partner, actress Mia Farrow. Allen has denied the allegations, which Dylan first made in 1992. She shared her allegations as an adult in an open letter published in 2014 on The New York Timess website. She also wrote an opinion piece in 2016 for The Los Angeles Times. She also did an interview in 2018 with CBS. No charges have been brought against Woody Allen. Allen was never arrested or prosecuted after the allegations of sexual abuse against him first surfaced in 1993 and were investigated by state police in Connecticut, where Mia Farrow and her children lived. (With added inputs from agencies) Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri is gearing up for his upcoming film The Vaccine War, which is slated to release on September 28. The film has created history by becoming the first Indian title to have a song launch at Times Square, New York. Agnihotri tweeted- HISTORY WAS CREATED TODAY: On the eve of #G20India. Who would have thought that one day NASADIYA SUKTA from RIG VEDA on the science of how the UNIVERSE WAS CREATED from #TheVaccineWar will be performed in KATHAK form at Times Square, NY. NOBODY can ever destroy what is SANTAN. The official spokesperson said, For the first time an Indian films song, will be launching at Times Square, New York. The makers of The Vaccine War will be launching a title song Shristhi se pehle, which will comprise Shlokas from Rigveda. Bharat Ek Khoj was a show that used to be telecast on Doordarshan in 1988 whose title track Shristhi Se Pehele will be used in Vivek Ranjan Agnihotris The Vaccine War. The programme explored Indias 5,000-year history, from its beginnings to independence from the British in 1947. The drama was directed, written and produced by Shyam Benegal with cinematographer VK Murthy. The grand song launch event will witness amazing performances by Indian dancers celebrating diverse cultures with dance forms like Kathak at this renowned melting pot of New York City. Earlier, Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri spoke to ANI during the special screening of The Vaccine War in the US. I think Indian science is now evolving and is getting on the world map and it is happening only because of women scientists. Im elated, I almost had tears in my eyes. Again the same story, like my film (The Vaccine War). Mostly women, whom the West does not consider empowered because of a variety of reasons. Its a great victory for Indian women and Indian science, he said. The Vaccine War narrates the tale of the triumph of scientists and 130 crore people who fought the battle in the Covid-19 era. With added inputs from agencies What kind of threat could the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc pose to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming 2024 general elections? By-election to seven Assembly seats in six states could give us the answer. Today, the BJP and the INDIA bloc will face off against each other in a mini-showdown ahead of the 2024 polls. The seats going to poll today are Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh, Dhupguri in West Bengal, Puthuppally in Kerala, Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, Dumri in Jharkhand and Boxanagar and Dhanpur in Tripura. In all seven seats, votes will be counted on 8 September. Here is an overview of the seven Assembly seats that are going to the polls and we also take a closer look at why these elections matter to the INDIA grouping. Ghosi, Uttar Pradesh An election in this constituency was necessitated by the resignation of Dara Singh Chauhan, who had won the seat in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, from the Samajwadi Party (SP) in July. He later jumped to the BJP and has been picked by the party to contest the bypoll. Chauhan has been pitted by SPs Sudhakar Singh, who has received support from INDIA bloc constituents the Congress, Communist Party of India(Marxist), Communist Party of India, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Aam Aadmi Party, CPI(ML)-Liberation and Suheldev Swabhiman Party. The bypoll will have no bearing on the BJP government, which enjoys a comfortable majority in the 403-member state assembly. However, its outcome is important as it could be an indicator of what is in store for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Uttar Pradesh sends 80 MPs to the 543-member Lok Sabha. Dhupguri, West Bengal The Dhupguri election will see a triangular contest between the TMC, CPI(M) both part of the INDIA bloc and the BJP. The bypoll comes after the death of BJPs Bishnu Pada Ray, who had secured the seat in 2021 by over 4,300 votes. The TMC has fielded Nirmal Chandra Roy, a professor at the local girls college, while the BJP has given the ticket to Tapasi Roy, whose CRPF jawan husband was killed in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. The CPI(M), on the other hand, has fielded famous folk artist Iswar Chandra Roy. Roy used to be a teacher in a madrasa earlier. The win in this seat is important to all contesting parties. For the BJP, it would arrest the string of defeats that it has seen in the state. In all seven bypolls held since the 2021 Assembly elections Bhowanipore, Dinhata, Khardah, Santipur, Gosaba, Ballygunge and Sagardighi the BJP has lost and even pushed to the third spot in two cases. For the TMC, its a matter of pride. Mamata Banerjee wants to prove to the BJP that she is the major player in the state. Puthuppally, Kerala Congress veteran Oommen Chandys demise prompted the election on Puthuppally seat in the southern state of Kerala. The constituency has been a Congress bastion with the former chief minister winning it since 1970. And despite the Left being a part of the INDIA bloc, the Congress and the Left have decided to pit opposing candidates for Puthuppally. The Congress has fielded Chandys 37-year-old son Chandy Oommen, hoping to bank on the late MLAs popularity. On the other side, the Left has fielded Jack C Thomas in the hopes that he can further cut into the Congresss vote share. The BJP has also fielded Kottayam district unit president Ligin Lal to contest in only his second ever poll. However, this by-election will be a direct contest between the Congress and the Left. Bageshwar, Uttarakhand The Bageshwar bypoll has been necessitated owing to the death of sitting BJP MLA Chandan Ram Dass, a four-time MLA and minister with the portfolios of Social Welfare, Minority Welfare, Road Transport, and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. The bypoll is significant as its result will be a reflection of the mood of the voters in the state ahead of the 2024 elections. The bypoll result is also being touted as a progress report of the Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami-led BJP government, which has completed over a year of its second term after registering a massive win in the 2022 Uttarakhand Assembly elections. The BJP has fielded Das widow Parvati in the bypoll and is hoping to capitalise on sympathy votes to retain the seat. There are four other candidates in the fray Congress Basant Kumar, Samajwadi Partys Bhagvati Prasad, Uttarakhand Kranti Dals Arjun Dev and Uttarakhand Parivartan Partys Bhagwat Kohli. However, the direct contest is likely to be between the BJP and the Congress. Dumri, Jharkhand The Dumri bypoll a result of the death of state Cabinet minister Jagannath Mahto will see a contest between Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)s Bebi Devi, wife of the late minister, and Yashoda Devi from the National Democratic Alliance. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has also fielded Md Abdul Mobin Rizvi. The NDA has campaigned heavily in this seat, with visits from Union ministers Arjun Munda and Annapurna Devi, and former chief ministers Babulal Marandi and Raghubar Das, in an attempt to wrest the constituency from the JMM. Boxanagar and Dhanpur, Tripura The northeastern state of Tripura will see two bypolls, in Dhanpur and Boxanagar, owing to a death and a resignation. Dhanpur is holding a bypoll since Union minister Pratima Bhoumik resigned as an MLA to retain her Lok Sabha seat. It will witness a contest between BJPs Bindu Debnath and CPI(M)s Koushik Chandra. In Boxanagar, the BJP has nominated Taffajal Hussain, who earlier lost to CPI(M) in the recently concluded Assembly elections. The Left party has fielded Mizan Hussain, the son of Samson Haque, who represented the constituency until his death in July. Notably, the recently founded tribal party Tipra Motha, led by erstwhile Tripuri royal Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma, is not fielding a candidate and officially has not backed either the CPI(M) or the BJP. Why these bypolls matter The results for these bypolls, which will be announced on 8 September, is being seen by many as a litmus test for the INDIA bloc and how they may fare in the 2024 general elections. It is also a chance for the Opposition grouping to show the people that despite their many differences, they are able to be one unit to defeat the Narendra Modi-juggernaut. The results even are even more important now after the recent Udhayanidhi Stalins controversy over his remarks of removal of Sanatana Dharma. The DMK dynasts remarks over the weekend have even divided the alliance with Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress saying that no one should make comments that hurt the sentiments of people. I respect Stalin but every religion has separate sentiments. India is about Unity in Diversity which is our origin. We should not be involved in any matter which might hurt a section of people, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee told PTI. With inputs from agencies This next weekend, Delhi will host the high-profile G20 summit. Extensive security measures have been made to ensure the unhindered travel of the leaders of state of the largest economies in the world and other attendees. Delhi Police has chosen Sandes, an Indian instant messaging service, even for communication security breaches, according to Indian Express. Heres all we know about the app. Also read: G20 Summit: How to travel in Delhi? Whats allowed and whats not? Delhi police to use Sandes app From inspectors to commissioners and police officers in Delhi, everyone is using the Sandes app to discuss sensitive information about dignitaries, the locations of the summit and other events, the routes that these dignitaries will travel, and other details. The Delhi Police, according to information obtained by Indian Express, issued an order in this regard a few days ago. In it, it was stated that officers had been seen sharing information about the G20 arrangements, including the point-to-point movement of VIP carcades, on groups on messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter), during rehearsals for the event. Police claimed they do not want to take the chance of a security breach. We have made all security, traffic, and other arrangements. Now, our prime target is to secure information. On this app (Sandes), if you are a user, you can only access (information) and cannot forward it to anyone whose number is not registered on the app. Inspectors to Special CP-rank officers have been asked to download this app for all G20-related communication. Information to all constables to sub-inspectors will be shared verbally, the officer said, adding, All police personnel have been warned that violation of the direction will be viewed seriously by senior officers of Delhi Police. According to a senior police officer, an official from the National Informatics Centre (NIC) visited the Delhi Police headquarters approximately 20 days ago to give a presentation to senior police officers and Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora. Also read: Rig Veda, Mona Lisa, and Magna Carta: The Culture Corridor on display at G20 summit About the app The mobile application, developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), was launched in August 2020. The app, an upgrade to the Government Instant Messaging System (GIMS), has undergone major updates making the platform more secure. GIMS was created for government officials only to provide them a messaging software similar to WhatsApp. However, the Sandes app provides versions for Android, iOS, and desktop for both individuals and government employees. The app enables safe information transmission. Users can only access the documents they share on the app as they do so over a secure internet protocol. A message can be marked as Confidential, on Priority, or Auto Delete, according to the Sandes platforms official website. According to NIC, the Sandes app is hard to hack and the documents transferred between users cannot be duplicated by any other user because individual and group chat communications are end-to-end encrypted. On police officers government-issued phones, not their personal devices, it has been downloaded. Earlier this July, the AIIMS-Delhi also introduced Sandes for all staff members to communicate among themselves at the premier medical institute to streamline the healthcare work. The move aimed at enhancing collaboration and streamlining communication within our esteemed organisation, AIIMS Delhi director Dr M Srinivas said. Also read: G20: How India has walked the talk on Global South How to sign up All you need to join up for Sandes is your phone number or email address. You will receive a six-digit OTP for authentication after entering your phone number or email. After registering, you can change your profile and choose a status update similar to WhatsApp. It contains capabilities that are almost identical to WhatsApp, from establishing groups to sending multimedia material. Also read: G20 Summit: Why a joint declaration is unlikely Difference between WhatsApp and Sandes The two chat apps differ in a few other ways as well. For instance, if one prefers not to use their phone number to join up for Sandes, they can do so using their email address. WhatsApp, however, needs a phone number. You can send chat backups from Sandes to any external site, including an email, of your choice. On Android and iPhone, the only backup locations for WhatsApp chats are iCloud and Google Drive. Once youve signed up for Sandes, you cannot modify your mobile number or email address. If you decide to do so, you can either close the current account and open a new one, or you can open a new one using a different phone number or email address. A specific Change Number feature is available in WhatsApp. With inputs from agencies Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often referred to India as Bharat in his many addresses to the people of the country. Now theres buzz that the government wants to rename the country. Yes, change it to Bharat. Reports in the media suggest that the Modi-led government has called the special session of Parliament to initiate the name change. The Centre has been emphasising liberating the nation from the slavery mentality and removing the word India from the Constitution is now part of the plan, say sources. The buzz grew louder as invites for dinner to be hosted at Rashtrapati Bhavan by President Droupadi Murmu on 9 September for world leaders coming for the G20 Summit in New Delhi were sent out. The invites used the phrase President of Bharat instead of the usual President of India. This is the first change in Indias nomenclature for an official event, reports NDTV. Bharat has also been used in a G20 booklet handed out to foreign delegates. Highlighting Indias rich democracy and its ethos, the document is titled Bharat: The Mother of Democracy. As the controversy snowballs, we take a look at the history of the names, India and Bharat and what is written in the Constitution. The origins of Bharat Bharat, Bharatvarsha and Bharata are the earliest recorded names and their roots are traced to Mahabharata and the Puranic literature. Bharatvarsha refers to the land of the sons of Bharat, the legendary emperor called Bharata Chakravarti. He is said to be the founder of the Bharata Dynasty and the ancestor of the Pandavas and Kauravas. A son of King Dushyanta of Hastinapur and Queen Shakuntala, he conquered all of Greater India, which was called Bharatvarsha. According to Puranas, Bharata lies between the sea in the south and the abode of the snow in the north. An article in The Indian Express quotes social scientist Catherine Clementin-Ojha as writing that Bharata refers to the supraregional and subcontinental territory where the Brahmanical system of society prevails. Over the years, Bharata became Bharat. During the freedom struggle, Bharat Mata ki Jai was a popular slogan. Those who speak Hindi often use Bharat instead of India. Experts say that the word Bharat is an endonym, a name given to us by ourselves. The etymology of India India is used extensively today in official correspondence and documents and even in popular parlance. The name, according to an article in Outlook, is an exonym, a name given to the country by outsiders. Like Hind, the origin of the word India lies in the word Sindhu, referring to the mighty River Indus, which originates in the Himalayas and is the source of the three great northern river systems Sindhu, Ganga, and Brahmaputra. Sindhu is the Sanskrit name of the river and its earliest mentions are in the Rig-Veda, one of the oldest sacred books of Hinduism which dates back to 1700-1100 BC. As knowledge about ancient India spread, Persians found it difficult to pronounce the S of Sindhu. They pronounced it as H and hence the name Hindu was born. It came to represent not only the river but also the land and its people who lived across the Indus. An inscription, dated to 528 BC, found in Irans Persepolis, which was the capital of the Persian or Achaemenid empire of Darius 1, mentions, Hi(n)du as one of his many domains, says the Outlook report. From the first century, the Persian suffix, stan was applied and the name Hindustan was formed. Around the same time, from Persia, the word Hindu spread to Greece, where H is silent. That gave birth to the root Ind. The Greeks transliterated Hind as Indus. In this form, it became part of Latin. India, as we now call it, can be traced back to Latin and its influence on the English language. In Old English, it is said to have appeared in King Alfreds translation of Orosius. However, under the influence of the French language, India was replaced by Ynde or Inde, according to a report in News18. The name India resurfaced in the late phase of Early Modern English, the latter half of the 15th Century to 1650 AD largely because of the growing influence of Latin, Spanish or Portuguese. India finds a mention in the first edition of the King James Bible and the works of renowned playwright William Shakespeare, the report says. By the 16th Century, most South Asians described their homeland as Hindustan. It referred to territories of the Mughals, which comprised much of South Asia, in the mid to late 18th century, according to a report in The Indian Express, which refers to an article by historian Ian J Barrow. But from the late 18th century, British maps started using the term India and it stayed on. The adoption of India suggests how colonial nomenclature signalled changes in perspectives and helped to usher in an understanding of the subcontinent as a single, bounded and British political territory, Barrow writes in the article titled From Hindustan to India: Naming change in changing names. The Constitution says In his book The Discovery of India, Jawaharlal Nehru mentioned the various names associated with the country. Often, as I wandered from meeting to meeting, I spoke to my audiences of this India of ours, of Hindustan and of Bharata, the old Sanskrit name derived from the mythical founders of the race. The Constitution of India came into effect in 1951 and it chose to omit Hindustan. Article 1 of the Constitution states, India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States. This means the Constitution recognises both India and Bharat as official names for the country. In 2020, the then Chief Justice of India SA Bobde stated, Bharat and India are both names given in the Constitution. India is already called Bharat in the Constitution. The Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea asking for a name change from India to Bharat. It suggested that the plea could be converted into a representation and forwarded to the Union government for an appropriate decision. The BJP and Bharat In recent years, the Modi government has been trying to rid India of colonial influences. Now reports say the Centre is planning to remove the word India from the Constitution. A preparation pertaining to the proposal is underway, reports News18. In December 2022, Mitesh Patel, a BJP MP from Gujarats Anand, raised a question in the Lok Sabha about renaming India as Bharat or Bharatvarsh as deliberated by the Constituent Assembly in September 1949. A member of the Assembly, Hargovind Pant, who represented the hill districts of the United Provinces, had said back then that the people of Northern India, wanted Bharatvarsha and nothing else. After the use of Bharat on the G20 dinner invite and booklets, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma cheered the change. REPUBLIC OF BHARAT happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL, he posted on X, formerly Twitter. REPUBLIC OF BHARAT happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 5, 2023 As Congress criticised the move, saying the Union of States is under assault, BJPs JP Nadda retorted, asking why does the party have so much objection to every subject related to the honour and pride of the country? Why do political yatras in the name of Bharat Jodo hate the proclamation of Bharat Mata Ki Jai? It is clear that the Congress has neither respect for the country, nor for the constitution of the country, nor for the constitutional institutions. He just means to praise a particular family. The whole country knows very well the anti-national and anti-constitutional intentions of the Congress, he posted on X. With inputs from agencies The spouses of G20 leaders who will soon arrive in Delhi for the summit on 9-10 September face a packed schedule. It includes a traditional welcome, a tour to an Indian Agricultural Research Institute millet farm in Pusa, lunch at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), and shopping at an exhibition of curated Indian crafts. They will also be treated to a special lunch at the iconic Jaipur House. Culture and gastronomy are always on the agenda, but this time they will be treated to a farm-to-fork experience. And, in keeping with the years trending grain, millet will dominate the menu. Visits to the NGMA and Dilli Haat The G20 Leaders Summit will take place on 9-10 September at the newly-built international convention and exhibition centre Bharat Mandapam at the Pragati Maidan. Also Read: G20 Summit: How to travel in Delhi? Whats allowed and whats not? Besides, special exhibitions and cultural activities at the main Summit venue, an event is also being hosted for the spouses of the leaders at the Jaipur House that is home to the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), an official source said to PTI. The spouses of G20 leaders will get to see Indian textiles and jewellery, traditional weaves and toys, and interior design materials from various regions of the country. In addition to the NGMA display, artwork from museums across the country are being flown in. Because we only have modern art at the gallery, it was decided to move things to Delhi so that they (visitors) could also get a sense of history, an unnamed NGMA official told to Hindustan Times. The NGMA possesses a rich collection of artworks, including paintings, sculptures, photographs and other forms of art. It comes under the Ministry of Culture. Also Read: G20 Summit: From millets to litthi chokha, the food being served to world leaders The idea is not just to have a touristy experience but one of content and substance, said an official in the Ministry of External Affairs on condition of anonymity. Due to security concerns, the government decided to have crafts and other textiles and artefacts in the complex so that shopping could also be facilitated, Hindustan Times reports officials saying. According to a top Delhi Police officer, similar trips are being planned for areas such as Dilli Haat, which is being spruced up to greet the invitees. Lunch at Jaipur House They (spouses of heads of states) will be treated to a special lunch at the Jaipur House, and the menu will include millet-based delicacies, another source told PTI. The British-era edifice, one of the several former royal houses facing the India Gate circle in the heart of Delhi, was built originally as a residence for the Maharaja of Jaipur in 1936. On 29 March, 1954, S Radhakrishnan (then vice president of India) inaugurated the National Gallery of Modern Art at the Jaipur House, according to the website of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. Jaipur House, one of the premier edifices, the butterfly-shaped building with a central dome, was designed by Charles G Blomfield and his brother Francis B Blomfield, it says. Recently, new shiny metallic signages in Hindi and English, bearing the name of the gallery have been put up on its facade, which also gets illuminated at night. Also Read: G20 Summit: What Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putins absence means for India An aesthetically made board bearing the emblem of the NGMA, Jaipur House has also been put up at its entrance gate. First ladies to embark on millet journey According to reports, prior to attending the luncheon at the Jaipur House, wives of visiting heads of state will also visit the Pusa campus on 9 September to learn more about producing millets, and a trip of the Rajghat is also planned for Sunday. Millets will take main stage as they explore IARIs sprawling 1,200-acre Pusa campus, not only in cuisines but also through businesses specialising in superfoods, celebrity chefs, and an exhibition that will delight visitors. Also Read: Modis Mission Millets: How PM is popularising nutri-cereals in the US They will also meet woman millet farmers from 11 states, during the visit, and will then be led to an exhibition on millets and other highlights of Indias agricultural journey, while three celebrity chefs will present millet- based snacks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vigorously promoted the crop in order to position India as the world centre for millets, and it has been included on various Summit menus. The United Nations has designated 2023 as the International Year of Millets. Being grown in more than 130 countries at present, millets are considered traditional food for more than half a billion people across Asia and Africa, the agriculture ministry earlier said. At the G20 events held under different tracks of the grouping across the country since India assumed its presidency on 1 December, millet-based dishes have been on the menus for lunches and dinners served to delegates. From the G20 Tourism Ministers Meeting in Goa in June to the G20 Culture Ministers Meeting in Varanasi in August, millet-based delicacies have been served to ministers and other delegates, at hotels hosting key meetings. In Varanasi, the Taj Ganges hotel, where the fourth G20 Culture Working Group and Culture Ministers Meeting took place, had curated a special menu for delegates, which included Ragi Litti and Chokha. Luxury hotels in Delhi are now also gearing up to host heads of state ahead of the G20 Summit and offer them gourmet delights including millet-based dishes. With inputs from PTI The Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of Bengal has often disagreed with Raj Bhavan over the appointment of VCs of state universities. The appointment of West Bengal governor Dr CV Ananda Bose as interim vice-chancellor for state universities with vacant positions has also sparked tensions with the state government. A day after West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose appointed interim vice-chancellors of seven state universities, Education Minister Bratya Basu, in a strong reaction on Monday, accused the Raj Bhavan of acting in a dictatorial manner and claimed that the move could destroy the university system. He said that the Governors move was violative of the bill passed by the state Assembly, concerning the roles and functions of the governor as the chancellor of varsities and the state government. On Sunday night, the Governor, in his capacity as the Chancellor of state-run universities, had appointed interim vice-chancellors for seven varsities, including the prestigious Presidency University, MAKAUT and the University of Burdwan. The Governors recent action is aimed at bankrupting the higher education system. He is destroying the statutes of respective state universities. Such appointments have been made without consulting anybody. He is acting in a dictatorial manner, Basu said while addressing a press conference. The governor, who is the chancellor of state universities as per law, cannot violate and cross the boundary. We will not remain silent spectators to such an action by the governor, he said. Governor CV Ananda Bose, who is also the Chancellor of state-run universities, is in the process of naming interim vice-chancellors in nine more universities. Adventurous and illegal A group of educationists, including former vice-chancellors of state universities, described the action by the Governor to appoint interim VCs in several varsities as adventurous and illegal. The Educationists Forum also said such appointments will not do any good to the higher education system of the state. The governor becomes overactive whenever we hold press meets and talk about the situation in state universities where no VCs are at the helm. He is not acting as per statutes. His action is adventurous and illegal, former VC of North Bengal University and spokesperson of the forum Om Prakash Mishra told PTI. Mishra also alleged that the Governor continues to persist in his adventurous and illegal activities to dismantle higher education system, management and leadership. The appointments Prof Raj Kumar Kothari has been appointed Interim VC of West Bengal State University, while Justice Subhrakamal Mukherjee, who currently holds interim charge of Rabindra Bharati University, will also be Interim VC of Presidency University. Prof Debabrata Basu has been appointed Interim VC of Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, while Prof Tapan Chanda was appointed Interim VC of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology. Prof Gautam Chakraborty has been given charge of University of Burdwan, and Prof Indrajit Lahiri will take charge as Interim VC of Netaji Subhas Open University. Prof Shyam Sundar Dana was appointed Interim VC of West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences. Sources said interim vice-chancellors of nine other universities have also been finalised and appointment letters will be issued soon. The Governor took the decision to mitigate the problems faced by students, they said. The criteria for selection of the interim vice-chancellors were eligibility, suitability, competence, willingness and desirability, the sources added. We will take legal action The education minister had, last week, said the government wanted to have a discussion with the Governor but if he continues in this way, we will take legal action. The minister was then referring to the governors earlier statement that he would administer the roles of VCs of the 16 universities lying headless after the expiry of the term of permanent VCs there. Reacting to the appointment of VCs, CPI (M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty alleged that the governor was appointing those as interim VCs, who have links with RSS and do not have the requisite 10-year experience. He is appointing non-academic persons as interim VCs. However, senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha said the Governor has done the right thing as he cannot allow the uncertainty, arising out of the absence of VCs, to continue and see the students suffer. With inputs from PTI After the highly successful G20 Summit in New Delhi, comes another meeting that is bound to grab headlines and eyeballs. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly started his journey to Russia for a summit with President Vladimir Putin. The travel comes after the United States had said last week that the two leaders would soon meet in Russia. The meeting between the two world leaders, who many dub as dictators, point to a significant deepening of military ties between Russia and North Korea as Moscows occupying forces try to contain a counteroffensive mounted by Ukraine. Where will Kim meet Putin? What will the two leaders discuss and whats the significance of a growing friendship between the two mean for the world? We give you all the answers and more. A rare visit South Korean broadcaster YTN was the first to report that Kim had departed for Russia on Monday, citing an unnamed senior government source. Reports state that the North Korean leader is on board a special armoured train, which he often uses for foreign visits. Earlier, it was reported that Kim would travel from Pyongyang, probably by armoured train, to Vladivostok, on the east coast of Russia, where he would meet with Putin, officials said. Kim could possibly go to Moscow, though that is not certain. The meeting is expected to take place as early as Tuesday local time. The New York Times had earlier reported that Kim also plans to visit Pier 33, where naval ships from Russias Pacific fleet dock. There are also talks about Kim visiting the Vostochny Cosmodrome, a space launch centre. Incidentally, it was the same spot where Putin met Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, in April 2022. The visit will indeed be significant as the North Korean leader rarely makes a visit out of his country. Kim met with former US president Donald Trump in Singapore in 2018 and in Hanoi in 2019. He has also travelled to China, and in 2019 he met with Putin in Vladivostok. This was also probably the last time Kim travelled abroad. Last week, commenting on the visit, United States National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson had said that it would be part of ongoing discussions over weapons sales between the two countries. As we have warned publicly, arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing, Watson said. We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia, she added. The discussions on arms and munitions between Russia and North Korea both sanctioned by the US comes when Moscow has been seeking weaponry from other countries in their ongoing war against Ukraine. Putin wants Kim to agree to send Russia artillery shells and anti-tank missiles, and Kim would like Russia to provide North Korea with advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, the officials said. Kim is also seeking food aid for his impoverished nation. Putin and Kims budding bromance In recent times, Putin and Kims friendship has blossomed and the two countries have shared better relations. The US reports that Russia will persuade North Korea for weapons for its ongoing war in Ukraine, a concern for the West and Kyiv itself. White House officials earlier reported that arms negotiations between the two countries had been advancing with National Security Council spokesman John Kirby being quoted as saying that Putin and Kim have also have exchanged letters pledging to increase their bilateral cooperation. Kirby added that while the letters were more at the surface level, talks on a weapons sale were advancing. In fact, this visit to Russia comes just months after Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, travelled to Pyongyang in July. It was the first time that a Russian defence minister had visited the country since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. During that visit Kim had taken Shoigu to an exhibition of weaponry and military equipment that included ballistic missiles banned by the United Nations. Shoigu had also told Russian media that there were plans afoot for Russia and North Korea to hold joint war games. Why not, these are our neighbours, Russias Interfax news agency quoted Shoigu as saying. Theres an old Russian saying: You dont choose your neighbours, and its better to live with your neighbours in peace and harmony. When asked about the possibility of joint exercises between the two countries, he said they were of course being discussed, the agency said. How this matters to the world According to the US, during the war Russia has received support from Iran and North Korea. Iran has sent drones and artillery and late last year North Korea delivered infantry rockets. In addition Chinese state-owned defence companies have sent technology and equipment, but US officials say they have seen no signs so far that China has provided weapons or lethal military aid to Russia. Also read: North Korea unveils new nuclear warheads: How the country has expanded its arsenal America had said that last year North Korea had delivered infantry rockets and missiles into Russia for use by Wagner forces. Now, Kirby ha said that the new deal being discussed would provide significant ammunition for different types of weapons systems, including artillery. Under these potential deals Russia would receive significant quantities and multiple types of munitions form the DPRK, which the Russian military plans to use in Ukraine. These potential deals could also include the provision of raw materials that would assist Russias defence industrial base, Kirby said. Commenting on the strengthening of the Russia-North Korea alliance, Jean H Lee, a recent senior fellow on the Koreas at the Wilson Centre, had told New York Times, The strengthening of the Russia-North Korea alliance comes at an opportune time for two countries with very few allies and a shared adversary in the United States. Its the resurrection of a traditional alliance that serves the strategic interests of both Putin and Kim. Retired US Army General Mark Hertling told CNN that the weapons aid from North Korea will most likely not have a great deal of significance in Putins war in Ukraine. You opened this saying these are two of Washingtons biggest rivals, Hertling told CNN. Theyre also two desperate leaders of the worlds most noted pariah states. This will generate a lot of attention, Hertling added. Its showing that Putin is scrambling for help. John Everard, who served as UK ambassador to North Korea between 2006 and 2008 had an interesting take on the matter. He told BBC that publicity around the possible visit was a strong reason why the visit is now unlikely to take place. Kim Jong Un is completely paranoid about his personal security. He goes to great lengths to keep his movements secret and if its known that hes planning to go to Vladivostok to meet President Putin, hes likely just to cancel the whole thing, he said. Pyongyang knows that Moscow is desperate for munitions and the price that North Korea will ask for them will be eye-wateringly high, he added. With inputs from agencies Will India be renamed Bharat? Thats the question everyone is asking after President Droupadi Murmu sent out a dinner invite for 9 September using the nomenclature President of Bharat. This comes in the backdrop of a slew of world leaders and thousands of delegates slated to attend the G20 in the National Capital on Saturday and Sunday. The Modi government has convened a special session of Parliament from 18 to 22 September just days after the G2O Summit concludes. There is no official word on the agenda for the special session and speculation is rife about the moves the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi could make. Lets take a closer look: As per NDTV, this is the first occasion that the term President of Bharat has been used on an official invite. The traditional nomenclature has been President of India. Murmus invite was sent to G20 leaders and chief ministers for Saturday. The term Bharat has also been used in G20 booklets distributed to foreign delegates to point to Indias democratic ethos. The booklet states, In Bharat that is India, taking the consent of the people in governance has been part of life since earliest recorded history. Bharat is the official name of the country, the booklet adds. Sources told News18 that the Modi government is planning to remove the word India from the Constitution. Mitesh Patel, BJP MP from Anand in Gujarat, speaking in the Lok Sabha in December, queried about renaming India as Bharat or Bharatvarsh as deliberated by the Constituent Assembly in September 1949.As per CNBC, BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav has also called for a constitutional amendment to change India to Bharat. Patel claimed the name India signifies the slavery that the country was subjected to as it was given by the British East India Company. As per CNBC, BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav has also called for a constitutional amendment to change India to Bharat. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted: REPUBLIC OF BHARAT happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 5, 2023 The BJP national president JP Nadda posted: ? ? , Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) September 5, 2023 BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav told news agency ANI, The entire country is demanding that we should use the word Bharat instead of IndiaThe word India is an abuse given to us by the British whereas the word Bharat is a symbol of our cultureI want there should be a change in our Constitution and the word Bharat should be added to it The Congress has slammed the Centre. Its general secretary Jairam Ramesh posted on X: So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of President of Bharat instead of the usual President of India. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 5, 2023 Congress leader Manish Tiwari posted on social media: Article 52 Constitution of India. There shall be a President of INDIA Cant get more explicit than this Can it ??????? pic.twitter.com/9OoPcLBktW Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) September 5, 2023 Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said he hopes the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with India while there is no constitutional objection to calling India as Bharat. He added that India has incalculable brand value built up over centuries. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal slammed the BJP. If an alliance of some parties become India, would they change the name of the country? The country belongs to 140 crore people, not to a party. Lets assume if the India alliance renames itself as Bharat, would they rename Bharat as BJP then? Whats this joke? BJP is thinking that their vote count will decrease so they should change the name of Bharat, Kejriwal said. The AAPs Raghav Chaddha said our national identity is not the BJPs personal property that it can modify on whims and fancies. Meanwhile, Congress Karti Chidambaram asked if everyone would need new passports. With inputs from agencies With only three days left, New Delhi is making sure that the prestigious G20 Summit runs without a hitch. The Ministry of Culture is also making extensive preparations for the highly anticipated Culture Corridor, which will provide a significant platform for fostering a sense of shared identity, knowledge sharing, inclusivity, and equality. It will also serve to promote understanding and appreciation of various cultural expressions, according to News18. The summits venue, the Bharata Mandapam complex, features a 10,000-square-foot cultural corridor on the second level where the heads of state will enter for all of the important meetings and events. Also read: G20 Summit: How to travel in Delhi? Whats allowed and whats not? The Culture Corridor India designed the corridor, which will showcase a portion of the cultures of all the G20 participants. The arena will host a digital exhibition on giant screens that measure 90 feet by 20 feet, in addition to the physical submissions that have been sent by the different participating countries. Over 29 renowned and illustrious cultural artefacts by the G20 members and the nine invited nations will be at display. The five categories for submissions were: Object of Cultural Significance (as a physical display), Iconic Cultural Masterpiece (as a digital display), Intangible Cultural Heritage (as a digital display), Natural Heritage (as a digital display), and an Artefact Related to Democratic Practices (as a physical or digital display), reported Hindustan Times. The experience is consistent with the G20 concept Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which is One Earth. One Family. One Future. The physical submissions and display pieces have all been placed in their own boxes. Up to six UN-approved languages will be represented on every display for these exhibitions. New Delhi gearing up for the upcoming #G20India Summit! Have a glimpse at the spectacular artwork depicting Indias rich culture ahead of the #G20Summit to be held in National Capital on 9th-10th September, 2023.#G20India2023 #G20 @PMOIndia @ianuragthakur @Murugan_MoS pic.twitter.com/Jcaziy2ESk Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (@MIB_India) August 28, 2023 A 100-person team meticulously selected articles to build a traditional exhibition of all G20 nations. Modern technology, including 3D and other cutting-edge technologies, will also be featured in the exhibition, as per News18. A selfie point has also been set up for the dignitaries at G20. The artefacts, which are on loan for four months, are likely to be opened for public viewing when the summit is over. Also read: G20 Summit: From millets to litthi chokha, the food being served to world leaders Indias submission for the corridor A copy of the Rig Veda will be on exhibit as part of the Indian culture showcase, with the theme Let us work together, as it is stated in one of the chapters of the Rig Veda. This is one of the original manuscripts that will be physically on display at the location. A treatise on Sanskrit grammar from the sixth to fifth centuries BCE, Panini Ashtadhyayi, will also be on display in addition to this, reported India Today. For the digital segment, New Delhi will highlight the Himalayan splendour, the Ganga river, which is the lifeline of the country, the Indian Ocean, which gives India its name, Indias pride, the Royal Bengal tiger, and the route bridge from Meghalaya. The Bhimbetka cave paintings, yoga, the Kumbh mela, Vedic chanting, Chola bronzes, and Patan Patola weaving will all be on display as part of Indias intangible heritage. A 90 by 20-foot U-shaped screen will be used for four fifteen-minute screenings of a three-dimensional immersive experience. The idea is to provide a 360-degree view of art from across the countries to the visitors, Hindustan Times quoted an official familiar with the matter as saying. The Bharat: The Mother of Democracy exhibition in India aims to show how democracy has been a fundamental component of Indian civilization for ages. It will have 26 interactive panels with information about the history of the nations democratic system, beginning with the time of King Ashoka and the Rigveda and Atharvaveda. The democratic institutions referenced in these texts, such as the Sabha, Samiti, and Sansadthe last of which is still used to refer to the Indian Parliamentwill also be discussed in these panels. Also read: G20 Summit: Why a joint declaration is unlikely Artefacts from other G20 countries According to News18, the United States will display Niagara Falls and the Statue of Liberty, while France has submitted a digital painting of the iconic Mona Lisa as part of the corridor. An exhibition titled Mother of Democracy, in which participating nations have concentrated on one crucial turning point in their democratic path, features a charter of freedom that incorporates the Declaration of Independence, the American Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. On the other hand, the United Kingdom has sent a copy of the Magna Carta from the 13th century and will also highlight the countrys extensive interest in rugby. World-famous artists like Leonardo Da Vinci and Vermeer (Girl with a Pearl Earring) will be represented, as will important cultural icons. A performance of Shakespeares famed tragedy Hamlet will also be presented, on loan from the UK, as per HT. Chinas participation in the exhibition will be symbolised by a porcelain Lotus jar and an iron Rhino Wine Container. Both of these tangible items date to the sixteenth century. Russia is sending items for the show, including the Apollo Belvedere, a sculpture by Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli (from Italy), as well as the customary Khakas womens clothing and the treaty on trade and justice. The Grand Canyon (US) and Baikal Lake (Russia) will both be on display among the natural heritage. Also on exhibit will be Mrs. Ples, a 2.5 to 2.8 million-year-old fossil skull discovered in South Africas Sterkfontein Caves. Other items include the Coatlicue Statue, an Aztec sculpture from Mexico; the Abrahamic Family House, an interfaith complex in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; and the Kosode, a short-sleeved Japanese garment and the Kimonos predecessor, according to Livemint. Other culturally significant artefacts on display include Ravann, a tambourine-like instrument used in Mauritius, and NEWater, highly purified reclaimed wastewater created by Singapores Public Utilities Board. Also read: G20 Summit: What Xi and Putins absence means for India The Digital Museum With participation from all G20 members and nine invited countries, the Culture Corridor-G20 Digital Museum is a unique joint effort. It was conceived under Indias G20 leadership. 180-degree immersive screens will be set up in the exhibition space. The exhibit will also include a 12-foot digital cube that will show the anamorphic content of the famous works of art, reported The New Indian Express. For this, nations have sent high-resolution digital images and sounds of their famous cultural works, Mona Lisa, the 16th-century painting by Leonardo da Vinci which is at the Louvre Museum in Paris, Girl With a Pearl Earring, the famed oil painting by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer from The Netherlands, Gutenberg Bible (1454) from Germany. Additionally, nations have sent displays of their intangible cultural heritage, such as traditional archery (Turkey), Bolshoi Ballet (Russia) and Manual Bell Ringing (Spain and the European Union). With inputs from agencies Diplomacy is the flavour of the weekend as world leaders flock to New Delhi for the G20 Summit. Amid all the action will be Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Before the gathering of the bloc, come the bilaterals, the most significant being the meeting with US president Joe Biden. The American leader left for India on Thursday and will arrive in the National Capital on Friday evening. He will be welcomed by Union minister General VK Singh (Retd) and then hold talks with PM Modi. The Indian premier is expected to host a private dinner for Biden at the Lok Kalyan Marg residence, where they will meet around 7.30 pm. This is Bidens first trip to India as US president. It comes three months after Modis state visit to Washington. During PM Modis US visit on 22 and 23 June, the two leaders discussed several matters of importance from jet engines to drones, from visas to consulates, and more and are now expected to move ahead on what was agreed upon. The Russia-Ukraine war and the divide over it among members of the G20 will also be a part of the discussions. G20 with Firstpost: Our complete coverage of the Summit Small nuclear reactors India-US civil nuclear cooperation is expected to be among the top agendas during the Modi-Biden bilateral in New Delhi. It could add momentum to negotiations between the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and US-based Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) for the construction of six nuclear reactors each with 1100 MWe generation capacity at Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh, according to a report by Deccan Herald. The two countries signed a nuclear deal in October 2008 but Indias nuclear liability law has been a concern of America. Washington is now looking at options on how to work with New Delhi on the matter. PM Modi and President Biden welcomed intensified consultations between the US DOE [Department of Energy and Indias DAE [Department of Atomic Energy] for facilitating opportunities for WEC to develop a techno-commercial offer for the Kovvada nuclear project. They also noted the ongoing discussion on developing next-generation small modular reactor technologies in a collaborative mode for the domestic market as well as for export, the joint statement released at the end of PMs June visit said. Now the two sides are looking to take the next steps. The two leaders are also expected to discuss bilateral cooperation in developing next-generation small modular nuclear reactor technologies for the domestic market and export. The subject was briefly discussed at the White House on 22 June. A nuclear pact on small reactors is on the cards in New Delhi, according to media reports. The jet engine deal Discussions on the jet engine deal, which was in the spotlight during PM Modis visit to the US, will continue. This deal allows GE Aerospace to transfer 80 per cent of its technology to India for the production of F414 fight jet engines. This transfer of tech aims to enhance the performance of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) MKII. The pact entails the joint production of F414 engines in India under the Air Forces Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 programme, reports India Today. Last week, the US Congress gave a go-ahead to the Biden administration to pursue the jet engine deal with India. Now the two nations hoping to finalise the conclusion of the deal. India has plans to procure the highly powerful drones, MQ-9B HALE UAVs. A discussion on setting up General Atomics Comprehensive Global MRO facility in India is expected, according to a report in The Indian Express. Easing of visas and new consulates During PMs visit, the in-country renewal of H-1B visas was announced. This would help thousands of Indian professionals staying in the US to continue working without the hassle of leaving the country to renew their work visas. A launch date for this programme is expected to be announced and finalised during Bidens India visit, The Indian Express reports. Two new US consulates are expected to come up in India in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. India is expected to open a consulate in Seattle. An announcement on two new consulates in the US is expected when the two leaders meet later in the week. The Russia-Ukraine war The Russia-Ukraine conflict will feature prominently in the discussion. The joint communique at the Summit is in the spotlight as G20 members remain divided over the war. While the US-led G7 has been critical about the war, India has taken the middle ground, and China is seen to side with Russia. Ahead of Bidens visit, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, We commend Prime Minister Modi for his leadership of the G20 this year and we are committed to helping ensure that India has a successful G20 host as they host (the Summit) this year. The US hoped that all the countries would sign the joint declaration but also signalled that it is difficult to get a consensus as countries like Russia and China are less likely to sign on it. On Thursday, John Kirby, National Security Council (NSC) coordinator for strategic communications, also pointed out that the G20 summit may also end without a joint declaration as Russia and the West continue to spar over the Ukraine war among other issues, reports ANI. Reforms of multilateral development banks During his India visit, Biden is expected to push for reforms of multilateral development banks (MDBs) with a proposal that enhances the financial capability of these institutions. This will help address the challenges of poverty elimination, boosting prosperity and addressing the climate crisis, according to a report in Hindustan Times. With inputs from agencies The Centre has called a special session of Parliament from 18 to 22 September just days after the conclusion of the G20 in the National Capital with no word about the agenda. Now, with Droupadi Murmu sending out a dinner invite to G20 leaders and chief ministers for 9 September with the nomenclature President of Bharat, it is little wonder then that the chatter about the Government of India possibly changing Indias name to Bharat continues to grow. But which other countries have changed their name? And why have they done so? Lets take a closer look: Turkiye The latest example of a country changing its name is Turkiye (formerly Turkey). The United Nations agreed to heed the change in June 2022 after foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu sent a letter to the body formally requesting that his country be referred to as Turkiye. The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the push as part of a package to rebrand the nation and some negative connotations associated with the previous name. Another reason the country gave is wanting to dissociate its name from the bird called Turkey. The Netherlands The Dutch in 2019 decided to drop the name Holland in favour of The Netherlands. According to the BBC, this was a marketing move aimed at rebranding its global image. As per The Guardian, the government wanted to refocus attention from among other things the countrys recreational drug culture and Amsterdams red-light district. The newspaper quoted a spokesperson as saying at the time that the move was done to increase exports, tourism, sport and spread Dutch culture, norms and values. It has been agreed that the Netherlands, the official name of our country, should preferably be used, the spokesperson added. North Macedonia Macedonia in 2019 changed its name to North Macedonia. It was previously known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or FYROM. This was done in return for Greece dropping its objections to its northern neighbour joining NATO to settle a nearly three-decade dispute. The country adopted the name Republic of Macedonia after it declared independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. It was recognised by more than 130 countries, but not by the United Nations, NATO or the European Union over Greeces objections. Greece claimed the use of the term Macedonia usurped its own ancient heritage and implied territorial ambitions on its own northern province of the same name, birthplace of the ancient warrior king Alexander the Great. Eswatini The tiny African kingdom of Eswatini changed its name from Swaziland in 2018. As per QZ, this was done to shed the country of its colonial baggage as well as avoid confusion for some between Swaziland and Switzerland. The announcement was made by King Mswati III during the countrys 50th anniversary of independence incidentally on his 50th birthday. Mswati at the time said many African countries upon independence reverted to their ancient, native names. We no longer shall be called Swaziland from today forward. Czechia Nearly three decades ago, Czechoslovakia split into two nations The Czech Republic and Slovakia. In 2016, Czechia officially changed its name from the Czech Republic in the United Nations. Though The Czech Republic continues to widely used, the shorter Czechia is slowly catching on. The name change was done for branding reasons. We are seeking to unify the presentation of our country abroad and at home after a long 30 years, Deputy foreign minister Martin Dvorak, an advocate of Czechia, told AFP last September. The current mess in naming our country is the biggest obstacle to creating a brand. We want to change it, Dvorak added. We can see some diplomats are having a hard time getting used to it, but the trend is already clear. But not everyone is a fan. In 2020, then Czech prime minister Andrej Babis, being alerted that his country was known as Czechia in English during an interview with the Wall Street Journal, said, I didnt know this. I dont like it at all. The newspaper quoted him as saying that his country could be confused with Chechnya. I dont like this. We are [the] Czech Republic. We are Czechs. And I dont know who came with such a stupid idea. Crazy, Babis added. Sri Lanka Sri Lanka changed its name from Ceylon in 1972. As per Britannica, this came courtesy of a new constitution that among other things changed the bicameral legislature to a unicameral body and replaced the governor-general part of the British crown as head of state with the president. As per India Today, the move was made to break away with the countrys colonial past. It was only in 2011 that the country decided to change all the names of the institutions that had the former name Ceylon in favour of its current name, as per BBC. Thailand As per Indiatimes, Thailand was for centuries known as Siam. It officially changed its name to Thailand in 1939. This was done to counter colonial influence and reassert the countrys unity and identity, as per India Today. The country briefly reverted to its previous name from 1946 to 1948 before changing it to the Kingdom of Thailand. Myanmar The country was previously known as Burma after its dominant Burman ethnic group for ages. Then, in 1988, the ruling junta brutally suppressed a pro-democracy uprising. The next year, military leaders suddenly changed the countrys name to Myanmar. According to India Today, this move was made ostensibly to legitimise the then ruling junta. At home, though, it changed nothing. In the Burmese language, Myanmar is simply the more formal version of Burma. The countrys name was changed only in English. Interestingly, the US still refuses to refer to the country as Myanmar. As per the outlet, this is due to alleged human rights abuses and assaults by the military on the democratic movements. The last two countries that the state department renamed following requests by their governments were North Macedonia and Eswatini. DR Congo In 1997, Zaire, the former the former Belgian Congo, decided it would change its name to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ruled by Belgium until 1960, it became the Republic of the Congo at independence. It was then renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1964 and yet again renamed Zaire by dictator Mobutu Sese Seko in 1971. The change came after the rule of Mobutu, who ruled Zaire for 32 years after seizing power in a 1965 coup, ended his reign in May 1997. The move was ostensibly made to turn the page from his regime. Iran Iran changed its name from Persia in 1935. The move was made by Reza Shah an army officer who became Shah in 1925 after forcing out the previous Qajar dynasty with the backing of the British. Shah ordered foreign diplomats to cease using the name Iran. According to the website Al Majalla, Shah felt the name Persia was too colonial, oriental, and demode. It was linked in peoples mind with endless wars and crippling debt accumulated by the gross mismanagement of his predecessors, the Qajars. For him, Persia spoke of the past, not of the future, the website states. Cambodia According to Economic Times, Cambodia has changed its name on several occasions. Known as the Kingdom of Cambodia between 1953 and 1970, it then changed its name to the Khmer Republic. Then, from 1975 to 1979, it was called Democratic Kampuchea. It was then known as the State of Cambodia from 1989 to 1993. After its monarchy was restored in 1993, it once again became the Kingdom of Cambodia. Cabo Verde The West African island nation changed its name from Cape Verde to Cabo Verde in 2013. According to DW, its previous name was a partial Anglicization of the original Portuguese cabo verde meaning green cape. The website quoted the then culture minister as saying the move was made as the country was seeking a standardised name that had no need of translation. He said the hope was the Cabo Verde gives off positive connotations of sea, sun and happy citizens. Ireland Previously known as the Irish Free State, Ireland changed its name in 1937. This came when the country adopted a new constitution ratified by referendum and made Ireland a republic associated with the British Commonwealth. Zimbabwe Zimbabwe was previously known as Southern Rhodesia a legacy of British colonialism. In 1964, the British changed Southern Rhodesias name to Rhodesia. The country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1980 and changed its name to Zimbabwe. With inputs from agencies Trouble keeps mounting for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalins son Udhayanidhi Stalin after his eradicate Sanatan Dharma remark. Death warnings are being issued against junior Stalin with Ayodhya seer Paramhans Acharya announcing Rs 10 crore bounty for beheading him. If Rs 10 crores is not enough for beheading him, I will increase the reward, but the insult of Sanatan Dharma will not be tolerated Whatever development has taken place in the country is because of Sanatan Dharma. He should apologise for his statement He has hurt the sentiments of 100 crore people in the country, the Ayodhya seer Paramhans Tuesday reiterated his death threat to Udhayanidhi Stalin. Will behead Udhayanidhi Stalin myself Expressing his anger on Udhayanidhi Stalin, Paramhans Acharya said, I would like to tell him to first read the history of Sanatan Dharma and then comment against it. He should apologise for whatever he has said against our Sanatan Dharma, and if he does not apologise, no matter if he is the son of a chief minister, he will get the punishment. If his head doesnt get beheaded, I will increase the bounty; if at all required, I will myself behead him, he added. Source of funds? When the seer was asked about the source of funds, he claimed to possess Rs 500 crore, considering the reward a minor expense. On Monday, Paramhans Acharya announced a reward of Rs 10 crore for beheading Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin over his remarks against Sanatan Dharma. I will pay a Rs 10 crore cash reward to anyone who beheads Stalin and brings his head to me, he said. Not afraid Responding to Paramhans Acharyas threat, Udhayanidhi said he is not afraid of such statements and he is on the path of his grandfather Karunanidhi, who had also received similar death threats. The Tamil Nadu minister went on to say that after making that remark at the conference, he already knew a lot of reactions would come from people, and now it is happening. You all know what has been happening for the last two days in Tamil Nadu. Its that one word, all speaking mostly, Sanatan Dharma, not only in Tamil Nadu but all over India, people are talking about me. Udhayandhi said. In Chennai, the day before yesterday, a conference was held that was named the Sanatan Dharma Eradication Conference. What I said in it is, that Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated like we eradicate mosquitoes, malaria, dengue, cholera, and COVID. In that stage itself, I said that what I said now would make many peoples stomachs burn. What I said has been done, Udhayanidhi added. DMK supporters burn Ayodhya seer Paramhans Acharyas effigy Meanwhile, supporters of Udhayanidhis political party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), burnt the effigy of Paramhans Acharya in Vellore after the Ayodhya Seer issued death threat to the Tamil Nadu Minister on his Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated remark. #WATCH | Tamil Nadu | DMK supporters in Vellore burn the effigy of Ayodhya Seer Paramhans Acharyas for his death threat to Tamil Nadu Minister Undayanishi Stalin on his Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated remark. pic.twitter.com/tPopAeiKJy ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023 Security increased outside Udhaynidhi Stalin's house in Chennai Security has been increased outside the residence of Udhaynidhi in Chennai amid the ongoing row over his recent remarks on 'Sanatan Dharma'. VIDEO | Security heightened outside the residence of Tamil Nadu minister Udayanidhi Stalin in Chennai amid the ongoing row over his recent remarks on 'Sanatan Dharma'. pic.twitter.com/VeElnqETpG Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 5, 2023 Reacting on Paramhans Acharya's death threat to Udhayanidhi, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said, "...If you are going to issue a death threat or put a bounty of Rs 10 crores on anybody who says anything, then what is the difference between you and other radicals? Doesn't your religion teach mercy and equality." #WATCH | On Ayodhya Seer Paramhans Acharya's death threat to TN Minister Undayanishi Stalin, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge says, "...If you are going to issue a death threat or put a bounty of Rs 10 crores on anybody who says anything, then what is the difference between you pic.twitter.com/KH9awC9e9K ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023 With inputs from agencies Claims of SFJ, a banned organisation under UAPA for erecting pro-Khalistan posters and graffiti at places to be visited by G20 delegates in Delhi are fake, said PIB fact-check. SFJ purportedly released a video of the incident, in which its chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is seen talking about the graffiti. In a video clip, it is claimed that he stated, (Prime Minister) Modi and India are targets. The organization asserted that their associates visited approximately four to five Metro stations and conveyed a message to G20 nations through graffiti. In 2019, the central government enacted a prohibition on the organization known as SFJ due to its engagement in separatist endeavors. Despite its long-standing presence, SFJs most recent pursuit of secession was named Referendum 2020, with the aim of achieving the liberation of Punjab from Indian control. Recently, fuelling security concerns ahead of the G20 Summit, which is set to be hosted in the national capital next month under Indias presidency, suspected activists of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a front for the separatist Khalistan Group, defaced more than five Metro stations with pro-Khalistan slogans, ANI reported. In pictures shared by Delhi Police, slogans are seen inscribed on the walls of Metro stations, reading Delhi Banega Khalistan and Khalistan Zindabad. Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) also released raw footage of Delhi Metro stations which were defaced with pro-Khalistan slogans, an officer was quoted by ANI as saying. Suspected SFJ activists defaced multiple Metro stations in Delhi from Shivaji Park to Punjabi Bagh with pro-Khalistan slogans, the officer added. Confirming the defacement of Metro stations, they were pursuing necessary action in the matter, as per law. People of every state want the country to be known as Bharat and the nation would remain as Bharat as long as the sun and the moon are there, said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday. Sarma, a senior BJP leader, also alleged that opposition parties were conspiring to eliminate the Hindu religion and the name Bharat. Bharat is as old as the sun and the moon. As long as the sun and the moon are in existence, Bharat will continue be in existence Every state and its people want that the country be know as Bharat, he claimed while talking to reporters here. Sarmas comments came as a massive furore erupted after invitations for a G20 dinner sent out by President Droupadi Murmu described her position as President of Bharat instead of the customary President of India. The opposition alleged that the Narendra Modi government is planning to drop India and stay with just Bharat as the countrys name. The chief minister said, The opposition is conspiring that the Hindu religion should be eliminated. Now, they are after this and want to eliminate Bharat too. He said the opposition should go and ask Congress leader Rahul Gandhi why did he name his foot march as Bharat Jodo Yatra and not India Jodo Yatra. When we say it is Bharat, they have a problem. But when they say Bharat, then they have no issues. The Congress is against Hindu and against Bharat, the BJP leader said. Sarma said that the Constitution has clearly mentioned that India means Bharat. This name of Bharat has been there for thousands of years Our countrys name was Bharat, now it is Bharat and it will remain as Bharat, he said. He said the country is moving towards Amrit Kaal and wondered why the country should be known by an English name. It should be a Bhartiya name and with a Bhartiya word, Sarma said. Earlier, in multiple posts on X, the chief minister said the Congress seems to have a strong aversion towards Bharat and the opposition alliance intentionally chose INDIA as its name with the aim of defeating BHARAT. REPUBLIC OF BHARAT- happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL, he wrote on X. While responding to a post by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on X, Sarma said, Now my apprehension has proven to be true. The Congress party seems to have a strong aversion towards Bharat. It appears that the name I.N.D.I alliance was intentionally chosen with the aim of defeating BHARAT. Ramesh, whose party is a constituent of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), has alleged that the Union of States is under assault by the Modi government as it claimed that a G20 dinner invite refers to the President as President of Bharat. The G20 Summit is being held in Delhi on September 9 and 10 under Indias presidency and several heads of state from across the world, including US President Joe Biden, are attending the event. With inputs from PTI. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted searches at eight locations in five districts of Uttar Pradesh in connection with its ongoing probe into a Naxal case. The raids are going on in Prayagraj, Varanasi, Chandauli, Azamgarh and Deoria districts of Uttar Pradesh. As per officials sources in the anti-terror agency, the raids were conducted early on Tuesday in connection with NIA Case no. RC- 01/2023/NIA/LKW revival of NRB of CPI (Maoist) case. Multiple NIA teams carried out searches simultaneously at all these eight locations which are the residential and office premises of the suspects. Coinciding with the coordinated operations launched against the Maoists in all the Left Wing Extremist affected States in the country, this NIAs operation in close coordination with the Uttar Pradesh Police is yet another blow to the rebels. With some leaders deciding to skip the G20 Summit, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said the focus should be on the position taken by countries on key burning issues than on the levels of representations at the conclave. At the end of the day, countries are represented by whoever they have chosen to represent them. The levels of representation do not become the final determinant of the position of a country, Jaishankar said. He made the remarks at a discussion on Doordarshan. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced in Beijing on Monday that Chinas President Xi Jinping will not attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi this week and the Chinese delegation will be led by Li Qiang. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi his decision not to attend the summit in-person as he has to focus on the special military operation in Ukraine. Putin had skipped the Bali summit of G20 in November last year as well. In his comments on Doordarshan, Jaishankar said this years G20 summit will be remembered for the outcomes it produced, adding the focus should be on solutions and actions to tackle the burning issues of the day. In its capacity as current president of G20, India is hosting the annual summit of the influential grouping in New Delhi on September 9 and 10. The G20 member countries represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. The grouping comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU). The Delhi Airport has issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) for the G20 Leaders Summit scheduled later this week. According to the notice, no landing or take-off for non-scheduled flights of scheduled airline operators, and general aviation flights (non-scheduled charter flights) will be allowed at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport while the summit is underway. India is hosting the G20 Summit on September 9 and 10 in its capacity as the current president of the grouping. However, scheduled flights by scheduled operators will be allowed to operate normally. Special flights for the G20 summit will also be allowed to operate, as per the notice. The plan of special flights of G20 dignitaries and their associated flights have been shared with Air Traffic Control (AIC), the notice said. SPECIAL FLIGHTS FOR G20 *Indian Air Force (IAF), Border Security Force (BSF), and Aviation Research Centre flights *Army aviation helicopters undertaking airborne or on other missions and casualty/immediate medical evacuation *State-owned aircraft/helicopter flying the Governor or Chief Minister *Scheduled flights by scheduled operators on ATS routes are permitted to overfly a zone of 300-kilometer radius around IGI Airport *Descending shall commence at a distance of 200 kilometres or more *Rohini Heliport shall remain closed Any other flight would require prior clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Safdarjung Airport will remain closed during this time, except for the IAF helicopters which may be deployed on emergency or VVIP duties, and BSF/IAF helicopters utilized by the National Security Guard (NSG) providing immediate backup support. A special exhibition is set to debut at the NGMA on September 9, featuring nearly 400 artefacts that include treasured Gandhara sculptures, Chola Bronzes, and scarce manuscripts. This exhibition is organized to welcome spouses of various heads of state who will gather here for the G20 summit.. The remnants of a chariot, originating from the historical period of 2500 BC to 1800 BC, were discovered by a team of archaeologists in 2018 at the Sanauli excavation site in Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, a collection of rare Mexican scrolls will be presented in a thematic exhibition, highlighting Indias abundant cultural heritage and its interconnectedness with G20 member nations and invited guests, according to official sources. The visiting guests will also inaugurate the exhibition at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), they said. The exhibition, Roots and Routes, explores Indias civilisational heritage, ethos and its inter-connectedness. It traces cultural marvels through Indian sagas based on archaeological artefacts, literature, numismatics, epigraphy and paintings, weaving a narrative that is truly diverse and rich, officials said. The project was conceived in the last several months and nearly 80-85 per cent of the artefacts for the exhibition were sourced from cultural institutions outside Delhi. The most prized display perhaps are the Gandhara and Mathura art pieces, Amravati friezes, and Chola bronzes, a source said. Artefacts have been sourced from Indian Museum in Kolkata; Government Museum in Chennai; Government Museum in Chandigarh; Asiatic Society in Kolkata; Government Museum in Mathura; National Museum in Delhi; NGMA; National Library in Kolkata; and Archaeological Survey of India site museums at Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh, Nalanda in Bihar, Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh and Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh; and Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts in Delhi. The continuous dialogue between roots and routes takes centre stage in this exhibition, presenting voices, thoughts and relatable stories, the source said. The British-era Jaipur House, home to the NGMA, was recently renovated and is being decked up to welcome the VVIP guests. Security personnel have been deployed at the gallery, which will open to the public again after the summit ends on September 10. Spouses of heads of state will also be treated to a special lunch at the iconic Jaipur House, sources had said earlier. The menu will also include millet-based delicacies, they had said. The G20 Leaders Summit will take place on September 9-10 at the newly-built international convention and exhibition centre Bharat Mandapam at Pragati Maidan. The Roots and Routes exhibition will take up almost the entire space of the two-storey Jaipur House and in the space beneath the rotunda, lotus-themed exhibits will be displayed. Lotus is also part of the G20 logo. The other themes include roots, Sanskrit, beauty and shringar, language, Indias world outreach and maritime outreach, among others. A rare over 200-year-old lithograph on musical instruments will also be on display. It contains artistic images of many instruments which are now presumed lost. Over 100-year-old glass plate negatives depicting Amaravati and Taxila archaeological sites will also be part of the exhibition. For the glass plate negatives, we have sourced about 24 of them from the ASI, they contain rare images of Amaravati and Taxila archaeological sites, Ajanata caves, Sanchi Stupa and Martanda temple. Many of the images are of structures which exist no more. So, it is rare in that way too, the source said when asked about the glass plates and their condition. The exhibition will seek to engage G20 priorities, the essential tenets of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), the core values of which are supremely universal. The chosen themes reflect the ethos of respect for nature and environment, democratic spirit, gender equality and education, officials said. The G20 country connect unravels too as part of shared global traditions. Subjects like shringar, sangeet and prakriti that are transnational are taken to portray the nuanced legacy of the Indian story. How Indian literature and art mirror each other completes the experience, a senior official said. The routes part, the outreach, through different mediums like language, philosophy, religion, literature, sculpture and paintings, the overland and maritime routes have been curated after diligent research, he added. It is not usual for Indias great antiquity to come together in such quantity and in such great diversity. The selection of the artefacts was carefully undertaken with a focus on historical significance, artistic merit and thematic relevance. The curatorial challenge of bringing together these priceless artefacts from all across India was made possible through close collaboration with all partners and meticulous logistical planning, the official said. The Swaminarayan sect removed two controversial murals on Lord Hanuman installed on the pedestal of a giant statue of the deity on the campus of a temple in Gujarat on early Tuesday. Considering the uproar over the issue, the Vadtal Gadi branch of the Swaminarayan sect, which manages the Hanuman temple at Salangpur in Botad district, on Monday announced the removal of the controversial murals. Talking to the media, the temple trustee said that two controversial murals in which the revered God (Lord Hanuman) is shown as a devotee of Sahajanand Swami, were removed and replaced with other murals. Temple authorities also shared photographs of the replaced murals. The Swaminarayan sect, with several factions, refers to Sahajanand Swami (1781-1830) as Lord Swaminarayan. A few months ago, the temple management installed a 54-foot statue of Lord Hanuman on the temple premises in Salangpur. The wall of its pedestal is covered with murals. In one mural, Lord Hanuman is shown kneeling before Sahajanand Swami, while in another, the deity is depicted as standing with folded hands in front of the parents of Swami. Hindu religious leaders have been demanding the removal of these murals for over a week and some of them have threatened action. They alleged the Swaminarayan sect is trying to project Swaminarayan as a supreme God above other Hindu deities. In a meeting of Hindu seers held at Shivananda Ashram in Ahmedabad on Monday evening, it was agreed that the temple management would remove the murals before sunrise on Tuesday. Meanwhile, prominent Hindu seers from Gujarat and other parts of the country met in Limbdi town in Surendranagar district on Tuesday. They claimed the issue is much bigger than these murals. During the meeting, the seers demanded that the Swaminarayan sect remove all the references in their religious texts where Hindu Gods were wrongly depicted, one of the attendees said. Amid speculation about the change of the countrys name from India to Bharat the Opposition on Tuesday accused the government of planting stories in the media and creating a smokescreen of diversion to divert attention from multiple governance issues. At the end of two back-to-back meetings a Congress internal meeting at Sonia Gandhis residence and a INDIA leaders gathering at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharges home the Opposition demanded that the government spell out the agenda of the special session and accused it of keeping the country in the dark. Modi govt is convening a special session of the Parliament for the first time without spelling out the agenda. No one from any opposition party has been consulted or informed. This is not the way to run a Democracy, Kharge posted on X, formerly Twitter. Every day, Modi govt plants a story in the media of a prospective agenda, thereby creating a smokescreen of diversion from real issues burdening the people The BJP wants to keep key issues like Price Rise, Unemployment, Manipur, Chinas transgressions, CAG Reports, Scams and Weakening of Institutions etc. aside and cheat our people, he added. Addressing a press conference, Congresss Gaurav Gogoi said, BJP itself is not able to tell is the agenda of the session is. The BJP has kept the country in the dark on this. This government is not transparent and responsible towards the country. People aware of the developments said it was decided at the meeting of INDIA bloc that Sonia Gandhi will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, listing issues that can be discussed during the special session including unemployment, price rise and Manipur violence. The INDIA delegation also expressed dismay over former President Ram Nath Kovind becoming an instrument of executive decision making. The Bharat-India debate started earlier today with the news that President Droupadi Murmus invite to G20 leaders introduces her as the President of Bharat instead of the traditional President of India. A G20 booklet handed to foreign delegates Bharat, The Mother of Democracy, which said Bharat is the official name of the country mentioned in the Constitution deepened the confusion. In the backdrop of the five-day special session of parliament due from September 18 for which no agenda has been provided by the government yet, there was room for more speculation. Many BJP leaders and celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan, Virender Sehwag and others, hailed Bharat on social media. Shortly after, the Opposition slammed the government and went into a huddle. Auto refresh feeds #WATCH | Security tightened outside the residence of Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in Chennai after he was given a death threat regarding his 'Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated' remark. pic.twitter.com/r3HSLCBmab After receiving a death threat for his statement that "Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated," security was stepped up outside of Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's Chennai home. The Sensex rose 39.15 points to 19,567.95. Titan, Sun Pharma, Larsen & Toubro, ITC, Bajaj Finance, Power Grid, Nestle, and Tata Motors were the top gainers on the Sensex. In early trade on Tuesday, equity benchmark indexes rose, extending their gain for the third day in a row, on the back of optimistic domestic macroeconomic data. "I consider great men like Mahatma Gandhi, Gautam Buddha, Shri Narayana Guru as my gurus, who gave us the knowledge of equality of all people in the society, and of showing compassion and love towards everyone," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on Facebook. On Teachers' Day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stated on Tuesday that he considers his opponents to be his teachers since their actions, falsehoods, and words educate him that the road he is on is entirely correct. According to the source, the accused were accessing government databases illegally, which is a significant concern. A police official stated that two people were detained in Gujarat's Surat city for allegedly faking papers such as Aadhaar and PAN cards, as well as voter IDs, using a website, posing a severe danger to national security. In today's financial landscape, the finance minister emphasised the essential significance of increased global collaboration, calling it an imperative requirement. She emphasised technology as a powerful instrument for bringing about positive change and innovation in the financial industry. Tax filing has climbed significantly across all income ranges, with certain categories seeing a fourfold increase. In her opening remarks at the Global Fintech Fest 2023, Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman emphasised the significance of newly revealed Income Tax Return (ITR) data for August, which indicates a considerable development in India's economy's formalisation. According to CIABC Director-General Vinod Giri, the G20 nations not only account for 80% of worldwide alcoholic beverage imports, but they also allow for higher product pricing and stronger operating margins. However, India has a little slice of that pie, accounting for only 0.1% of its imports. The removal of non-tariff obstacles in G20 countries, such as minimum maturation requirements for whisky, would assist increase alcoholic beverage exports from India, according to the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC), the apex organisation for spirits manufacturers. Residential sites, commercial properties, and a farmhouse in Bengaluru valued Rs. 104.90 crores, as well as confiscated cash totaling Rs. 14.5 lakhs, are among the connected immovable and moveable goods. According to a press statement issued on Monday, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has temporarily attached properties worth Rs 105.5 crores belonging to Bharath Infra Exports and Imports Ltd and others in a bank fraud case. "India's (G20) presidency has put on the table key issues related to regulating or understanding that there should be a framework for handling issues related to crypto assets," Nirmala Sitharaman said at an event in the financial capital of Mumbai. India's finance minister said on Tuesday that discussions are ongoing on a worldwide framework to oversee crypto assets, adding that cryptocurrencies could not be controlled properly without the cooperation of all countries. Apart from the president Minister, Bharatiya Janata Party state unit president VD Sharma and state Medical Education Minister Vishvas Kailash Sarang were present at the flag-off event. With barely a few months till the state's Assembly elections, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the 'Vikas Rath Yatra' from Bhopal on Tuesday. While revealing the details, SSP Kishtwar Khalil Poswal stated that, acting on credible intelligence, Kishtwar Police, along with Army 26 RR and CRPF 52 battalion, uncovered and neutralised the hideout located in the Paribag area of Bhadat Saroor, where Jhangir Saroori was suspected of hiding and planning subversive activities, according to a release. Officials claimed on Tuesday that the Kishtwar Police, in coordination with the Army 26 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and the CRPF 52 Bn, effectively demolished a hideaway belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terrorist Jhangir Saroori. The Delhi Police have begun conducting car checks at several points around the national capital in preparation for the impending G20 meeting on 9 September and 10 September. Between Monday night and early Tuesday morning, surprise checks were conducted at India Gate and other locations across the city. Police officers were observed stopping automobiles to perform comprehensive checks. Earlier on Monday, Meenakashi Lekhi, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, stated that paramilitary troops, Delhi police, and a number of other individuals are assisting in ensuring security for the G20 Summit. So I must say that so far as safety, security, et cetera are concerned, that arrangement is being looked after by various departments, including paramilitary forces, Delhi police and several other people are engaged in that process, Meenakashi Lekhi said while speaking to ANI. She also highlighted the diversity of the G20 Summit, held under Indias presidency, saying, Weve had about 52 locations and 250 plus events. So 250-plus conferences is not a joke to handle. Its a logistic nightmare if not done right, but everythings been done just right. Meanwhile, all the government officials were on alert mode as the G20 week commenced, considering a warning circulated earlier from a designated wing of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) from any misleading, fake and counterfeit emails being circulated by ill elements. Will India be now called Bharat? The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre is expected to bring a resolution on the possible renaming of the country during special Parliament session later this month. Changing of Indias name to Bharat has been long-standing demand of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In December 2022, BJP MP from Gujarats Anand, Mitesh Patel raised a question in the Lok Sabha about renaming India and Bharat or Bharatvarsh as deliberated by the Constituent Assembly in September 1949. Patel also claimed that India signifies the slavery that the country was subjected to, as the name was given by the British East India Company. Earlier on Tuesday, BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav said: Oxford dictionary describes India as poor, uneducated people. The British deliberately linked people of slave countries with the word Ind or India. With all due respect towards the makers of our Constitution, I want to say that they committed a mistake by keeping both India and Bharat words in the Constitution. VIDEO | Oxford dictionary describes India as poor, uneducated people. The Britishers deliberately linked people of slave countries with the word Ind or India. With all due respect towards the makers of our Constitution, I want to say that they committed a mistake by pic.twitter.com/X40zAb7fRQ Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 5, 2023 "With all due respect towards the makers of our Constitution, I want to say that they committed a mistake by keeping both 'India' and 'Bharat' words in the Constitution," says BJP Yadav added. VIDEO | "With all due respect towards the makers of our Constitution, I want to say that they committed a mistake by keeping both 'India' and 'Bharat' words in the Constitution," says BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav. pic.twitter.com/otxrbL6Avp Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 5, 2023 Congress not happy with Bharat Opposition Congress did not seemed convinced with the idea of renaming India and hit back at the Central government Tuesday after the Rashtrapati Bhawan sent out invitation for a G20 dinner, scheduled for 9 September, in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual President of India. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said: So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of President of Bharat instead of the usual President of India." So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 5, 2023 BJP slams Congress Defending the use of Bharat, senior BJP leader JP Nadda asked why does the Congress party have so much objection to every subject related to the honour and pride of the country?" Why do political yatras in the name of Bharat Jodo hate the proclamation of Bharat Mata Ki Jai? It is clear that the Congress has neither respect for the country, nor for the constitution of the country, nor for the constitutional institutions. He just means to praise a particular family. The whole country knows very well the anti-national and anti-constitutional intentions of the Congress," Nadda said. ? ? , Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) September 5, 2023 "The word 'Bharat' is not new, it has been in the DNA of all Indians since the yore," said BJP leader Tarun Chugh. VIDEO | The word 'Bharat' is not new, it has been in the DNA of all Indians since the yore," says BJP leader @tarunchughbjp amid debate over the word 'India'. pic.twitter.com/oGq5BsVfIc Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 5, 2023 With inputs from agencies Ahead of the G20 Summit slated to be held in the national capital later this week, under Indias presidency, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Tuesday said that the crucial summit will successfully put forth the voice of the Global South and also indicated that India was well on its way to becoming the voice of both developing nations and emerging economies. Kant was speaking at CNN-News18s G20 Town Hall, a discussion that highlighted Indias growing influence in geopolitics. India will aim to include the African Union as part of the G20 under its presidency. The move will help to give more voice to the Global South, Kant said. Over the years, India has also emerged as a more confident country, capable of leading and bringing about consensus on developmental issues. It is up to us to find solutions to regional geopolitical issues. We will bring everyone together to put forth the voice of the Global South at world forums, the G20 Sherpa added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time has requested all the participating countries to agree to the inclusion of the African Union. The proposal, Kant said is in the process of discussion and the world leaders will take a final call before the end of the Summit. With six of the fastest growing 12 nations of the world today belonging to the African Union, making it a permanent member of the influential G20 will truly mean that India has contributed to making the voice of the Global South being heard, Kant said. We strongly believe that the future depends on developing nations. Developing nations are the key to the rest of the world. And it is this future that the world is looking at. This year 80% of the growth is coming from emerging markets. The IMF has said in the next two decades, two-thirds of the growth in economies will come from developing countries because the demographics of these nations is very young while the population in the West is ageing, the G20 Sherpa elaborated. In days to come, India will take a leading role in becoming the voice which puts forth the issues of both developing markets and emerging markets, Kant said. On being asked about how challenging has the preparation for the G20 Summit been, Kant said, The G20 Sherpa meetings have been going on. These are very very complex negotiations on a range of issues because every single word is negotiated on. There are 29 countries 20 G20 member countries plus the 9 invitee nations and also a lot of international organisations all of them are a part of this negotiating process. Bringing everyone to a consensus is critical since every country has a veto power and therefore it is important in multilateral discussions to bring everybody on board. India has done this throughout the year and we are hopeful that we will be able to achieve what the PM has said will be an ambitious, inclusive, decisive and a very action-oriented presidency for India, Kant said. CNN-News18s G20 Town Hall is exploring Indias G20 theme One Earth, One Family, One Future, and the countrys role in driving development under the theme. Held in New Delhi, the G20 Town Hall had Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Meenakshi Lekhi, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, G20 Chief Coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla among others as participants. The event also featured panel discussions by diplomats of several developing nations who will attend the G20 Summit on September 9 and 10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Jakarta, Indonesia on night of 6 September to attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and the 18th East Asia summit, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (East) Saurabh Kumar said Tuesday. Addressing a special press conference, Saurabh Kumar said that PM Modi will return to India late evening on 7 September. At the invitation of President of Indonesia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jakarta for the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and the 18th East Asia summit scheduled for the 7 September, Saurabh Kumar said. Indonesian govt makes adjustments to facilitate PM Modis programme The MEA secretary (East) said, Given that the G20 Summit follows shortly after the ASEAN Summit, it will be a short visit. We are appreciative of the Indonesian government for making adjustments to the ASEAN meeting schedule as to facilitate PM Modis programme and his early return, Saurabh Kumar said. #WATCH | Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East), MEA says, PM Modi will visit Jakarta for the 20th ASEAN-India Summit & the 18th East Asia summit scheduled for the 7th of SeptemberGiven that the G20 Summit follows shortly it will be a short visit pic.twitter.com/UCMcktTXuh ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023 This will be the 9th ASEAN-India summit to be attended by PM Modi. This is the first ASEAN-India Summit after New Delhi and the ASEAN elevated ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership last year. "The Summit in a sense is special since it is the first one after the elevation of India-ASEAN relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership which happened last year," Saurabh Kumar said. In Indonesia, PM Modi will focus on trade and security ties with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Last week, MEA issued a statement saying that the forthcoming ASEAN-India Summit will review the progress of India-ASEAN relations and chart the future direction of cooperation. Which countries are member of ASEAN? ASEAN is composed of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. With inputs from agencies IRS officer Sachin Sawant, an accused in a money laundering case, allegedly gifted jewellery worth Rs 1.75 lakh to a south Indian actor, and layered his ill-gotten money through bank accounts of family members and friends, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has said in its chargesheet. The probe agency alleged that Sawant, who was the joint commissioner of customs, IRS (Customs & Central Excise) from January 2011 to August 2020, amassed huge assets in his and his family members name and incurred a huge expenditure to the tune of Rs 2.45 core disproportionate to their legal sources of income. Investigations conducted so far have revealed that the accused generated Rs 4.11 crore from illegal sources of income, the ED stated in the charge sheet. Sawant, who was arrested in June in connection with the case, is currently in judicial custody. The ED filed its charges against Sawant and other accused in the case before a special PMLA court recently. In his statement to the ED, Sawants driver claimed that an actor from Malayalam cinema was Sawants girlfriend and lived in the same building as the IRS officer in Mumbai. When the woman shifted to Kochi, Sawant went to meet her 15 to 20 times and gifted her a gold anklet worth Rs 1.75 lakh, the driver alleged in the statement, which is part of the chargesheet. However, Sawant in his statement to the probe agency said, the actor is his close friend, but he had never given her anything. Further, the accused stated that he had travelled to Kochi multiple times to visit Guruvayur and Mannarasala temples, the chargesheet mentioned. Reacting to the chargesheet, Sawants lawyer Vikram Sutaria, said, The matter is sub-judice. My clients have given accounts for each and every penny. My client has been falsely implicated in the present case. He does not have any relations with south Indian actors as alleged. The chargesheet revealed that the money generated from the illegal sources of income was deposited in the bank accounts of the IRS officers father, mother, brother, and other family members. Some of this money was used to repay loans and to purchase movable and immovable properties in the name of family members and other related entities and individuals, the ED said. The entire amount of Rs 4.11 crore illegally earned by the accused is the proceeds of crime under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Sawant allegedly layered his ill-gotten money into the bank accounts of companies, owned/controlled by his close friends/relatives, the chargesheet stated. This amount was later integrated into the bank accounts of his family members in the guise of salaries given to them every month, it said. By using the said modus operandi, Sawant had projected his tainted money as untainted money, it added. The investigation is underway to trace the proceeds of the crime, it added. The EDs case against Sawant is based on a case filed against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation. A young woman who was molested on a local train nearly a year ago woke up to a shocking surprise on Sunday when she found her alleged molester standing at her doorstep. When questioned about how he acquired her address, the accused, a daily-wage laborer, claimed that the police had provided it to him and insisted that she withdraw her complaint. However, as per reports, the Government Railway Police (GRP) refuted the accuseds claim, asserting that they had not disclosed any information to him. According to the GRP, the accused could have obtained the victims address from the copy of the chargesheet served to him in accordance with the law. Terrified for her safety and that of her family, the victim has reportedly stopped going out of her house and has opted to work from there. The incident of molestation occurred on September 21, 2022, while the victim was commuting for work in the first-class ladies compartment of a local train between Andheri and Jogeshwari stations. Upon reporting the incident to the Andheri GRP police post, the victim faced a lack of sensitivity from the officers. One officer questioned why she had not physically confronted the perpetrator, while a female officer even speculated whether the accused was her boyfriend. The victim was quoted in a TOI reports saying, They failed to grasp the gravity of what had occurred treating the case as if it were just another minor offense. The registration of the FIR took an agonizing three hours. After narrating her ordeal on X (formerly Twitter), the then-GRP commissioner, Quaiser Khalid, initiated an inquiry into the conduct of the police personnel, leading to the prompt arrest of the accused, Biharilal Yadav, within three days. On the morning of Sunday, Yadav rang the victims doorbell, finding her and her parents asleep. He appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. When asked multiple times by the victims mother how he had obtained their address, Yadav persistently claimed that he had received it from the police. He continued to shout the victims name, causing a commotion that attracted other residents of the housing complex. To make Yadav leave, the victims elderly father had to repeatedly assure him that they would withdraw the complaint. The victim stated, This individual is homeless. There is no way he could have deciphered court documents or used the internet to access my address. Following the incident, she took to X once more to share her harrowing experience. After my tweet, a senior police officer contacted me and, for about ten minutes, engaged in a rude conversation about jurisdiction, emphasizing that her case was under the purview of the GRP rather than the city police. The call was deeply distressing, she revealed. She expressed her frustration by saying, In this country, obtaining justice seems to hinge on having a substantial social media presence, being proficient in English to reach a wider audience, having internet access, and owning a smartphone to seek basic safety via an app. She also noted that the GRP had never informed her about the filing of the chargesheet or Yadavs release on bail. The police have registered a non-cognizable complaint and intend to take preventive measures against Yadav. They also plan to request the railway police to revoke his bail. A second case of Zika virus has been found in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Tuesday. The first case was reported on August 23. The second patient is a 15-year-old girl from suburban Kurla in eastern Mumbai which is under the jurisdiction of the civic bodys L-ward, a BMC release said. The girl, who had other comorbidities, complained of fever and headache since August 20 and received treatment from a private hospital, the release said. She was on Tuesday shifted to a government hospital where her condition is stable, the corporation said. Zika virus is transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes. Infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects in the child. There is no vaccine or medicine for Zika, which has symptoms like fever, rash, headache, joint pain, red eyes, and muscle pain. The BMC on August 23 declared that the first Zika case had been reported in the city after a 79-year-old man from Chembur contracted the viral infection. He completely recovered from it, BMC said. People should not panic as Zika infection is a self-limiting disease, the civic body said then. WHO has already declared Zika a public health emergency of international concern a designation under international law that compels countries to report outbreaks. The move was part of an effort to determine if Zika was linked to reports in Brazil of the severe birth defect microcephaly and the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Traditionally, Zika had only been thought to cause mild symptoms. The UN health agency maintained recommendations including that people exposed to the Zika virus should take preventive measures for six months to avoid sexual transmission. As many as 262 people, including 14 former judges, have written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud requesting for suo moto cognisance of Hate Speech made by Udhayanidhi Stalin that could incite communal disharmony and sectarian violence. Udhayanidhi, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and a state minister, last week claimed that Sanatan Dharma is anti-equality and social justice and should be abolished has sparked massive outrage across the nation. He further compared Sanatan Dharma to coronavirus, malaria, and dengue illness, claiming that such entities should be eradicated rather than fought. These remarks undeniably amount to hate speech against a large population of India and strikes at the very core of the Constitution of India which envisages Bharat as a secular nation. Moreover, the rule of law was further undermined when the State Government of Tamil Nadu refused to take any action against Udhayanidhi Stalin and rather chose to justify his remarks, the letter addressed to the CJI read. The signatories said Udhayanidhis remark has caused much anguish in the hearts and minds of common citizens of India and specially those who believe in Sanatan Dharam. They were even angry with the Tamil Nadu minister for refusing to apologise for his remarks and instead justifing himself by stating, I will say this continuously with reference to his remark that Santan Dharma should be eradicated. He reiterated that he stands by his remarks and offered ambiguities and nuances that did little to address the concerns raised by people. We the undersigned are deeply concerned with these remarks made by Udhayanidhi Stalin. These remarks undeniably amount to hate speech against a large population of India and strikes at the very core of the Constitution of India which envisages Bharat as a secular nation, the letter read. The signatories further expressed their anger over the Tamil Nadu government refusing to take any action against Udhayanidhi and rather choosing to justify his remarks. The State Government of Tamil Nadus actions run in the face of the Supreme Court of Indias judgments in the case of Shaheen Abdulla v. Union of India [Writ Petition (Civil) No. 943/2021] wherein the Supreme Court has directed that State Governments should take sue moto action against any hate speech crime without waiting for any complaint. Thus, cases should be suo moto registered and the offenders should be proceeded against in accordance with law. Any hesitation to act as per the directions would be viewed as contempt of court, the letter stated. Therefore, since the State Government has refused to take action and acted in contempt of the Courts orders and gravely undermined or rather made a mockery of the rule of law, we urge the Honble Supreme Court to take the suo moto notice of contempt, ensuring accountability for the inaction of the State Government of Tamil Nadu, and take decisive steps to prevent the inducement of hate speech, preserving public order and peace and we request you to take immediate appropriate actions, the letter read. We sincerely hope for the thoughtful consideration of our plea and implore immediate measures to ensure justice and rule of law to prevail, the signatories said. In just nine days, the Indian Space Programme seems to have climbed multiple ladders of success. The Chandrayaan-3s success on 23 August 2023 filled the hearts of common Indians with sheer joy and happiness. The outpouring of public emotion across India after seeing the Vikram lander making its soft-landing successfully would become a part of Indias space folklore. To commemorate that, the Government of India has rightly decided to mark that day as National Space Day. The success of Chandrayaan-3 has generated not only interest but enthusiasm among the masses. It is not a small feat to make a society talk about outer space in its day-to-day conversations. Chandrayaan-3 has made it happen. Now, the attention has shifted from the moon to the sun. Indias solar mission which is known as Aditya L-1 Mission took off from Sriharikota at around 11.50 am on 2 September, 2023. From the lunar mission to the solar mission, the ISRO is ticking all the boxes that need to be ticked for India to become a mighty space-powered nation. The sheer attempt to study the Sun is a serious attempt by the ISRO to understand the solar winds and the solar surface. Sun is the central point of our solar system and therefore even from an evolutionary standpoint (evolution of solar system), this mission might go a long way in assessing the historical origins of the solar system. Mankinds attempt at assessing the future only gets success when the histories are understood and sorted out. This philosophy also applies to space research. Future space missions would have better success rates if the scientific community, especially space engineers, astrophysicists, geologists and cosmologists get solid data by studying the sun. Its at this point exactly that missions like Aditya L-1 would be tested. The Indian Space Research Organisation has crisply put the core idea of this entire mission in these few words on its official website, Aditya L1 shall be the first space-based Indian mission to study the Sun. 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. A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses. This will provide a greater advantage of observing the solar activities and its effect on space weather in real time. The entire ISRO is in high spirits currently and this missions success would add another feather to Indias cap. However, the outer space is a part of the global commons. Any scientific data that is received from these missions should ideally be shared among the international scientific community. The reason is, that outer space almost forces humanity to cooperate to succeed. Going solitary or being a lone wolf in outer space has a high chance of failure. Although, the counter argument can be that any space mission, despite international cooperation, can fail. This is true, but no sane-minded space agency would knowingly take the path that has a high risk of failure. A nation like India, whose space missions have always worked on shoestring budgets, cant afford to take the risk of solitariness. The ideal of nationalism doesnt necessarily need to negate the cry for cooperation. This becomes even truer when Indias longstanding motto has been Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam, which means the entire world is a large family. Secrecy becomes paramount when space is looked at from a militaristic standpoint. Gladly, humanity has not reached the potential or possesses any capability or ambition to militarize the sun. These simulation exercises are best left to the writers of science fiction. The rise of interest among the masses in space missions is a key marker of the rise of scientific temper, especially for youngsters. In a way, these space missions are protecting Indias constitutional values of developing scientific temper as a part of the Directive principles of the state policy. To conclude, the interest in space-related activities is a positive sign for the nation and it could very well boost the enthusiasm of ISRO and its scientists too. The writer is a Doctoral Fellow at School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, 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. In a few days, Indias capital New Delhi is going to be buzzing with activity. The G20 Summit is a geopolitical event of immensely high stature. India last witnessed anything even nearing this significance only in March and November 1983, when two major conferences at summit levels were held at the Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), respectively. It was the period of Socialist India when its international reputation was allegedly one of being an underdog in the world of geopolitics; although the role it played in South-South cooperation was significant and it was a leading light of NAM having also been its founder. In the world of realpolitik, there were really no perceptions of any grandiose messages emanating from those conferences. The economic strength of the member states and their geopolitical weight were of comparatively low value. The Cold War was still at an intense high and that is really what mattered in the geopolitical world. India was then considered fully in the Soviet camp. No one probably cared too much to take these events significantly or read any messages from them. There were no threats to the agenda although some kind of radical and moderate camps within NAM were beginning to emerge. Terror was just raising its ugly head; consider the fact that just a year after CHOGM Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated as a consequence of events triggered by terror in Punjab. The Jammu and Kashmir terror movement was some years away. Only New Delhi had to be secured routinely, more than anything else. Outside Delhi the scope of any act on the borders, or anywhere in the states, or the metros was almost negligible. Mass communication existed as television, print media and radio with television beginning to become high profile. In comparison, the G20 Summit slated for 9-10 September 2023 is an event that draws the heads of the economically and geopolitically most powerful nations of the world to New Delhi. Its not just a meeting but the culmination of a process which involved 13 different Working Groups conferred repeatedly at different locations in India and came to a consensus action plan for G20 to adopt. All 36 states and UTs of India had at least one G20 Working Group meeting in their areas and almost 200 meetings have been conducted over the last nine months. It has all been happening with the backdrop of an increasingly contentious geopolitical divide which has seen the world hurtling towards a new Cold War with an even worse polarisation witnessed than in the previous one. India has been in a position of relative advantage having decided to remain uncommitted to either the US camp or the Sino-Russian combine. Now as the fastest growing economy in the world, after one of the worst economic crashes seen during the coronavirus pandemic, it draws friends and foes alike. While many would like to partner it to their advantage some would like to dilute its growing reputation and growth potential. A successful G20 Summit would add oodles of strategic confidence to India especially just after the achievements in science and technology which has given its space capabilities such a boost. Its all coming together at the end of PM Narendra Modis second tenure. The success would also power boost his government for the coming general election in 2024. In the uncertain and ambiguous geopolitical environment, Indias adversaries would not like to support the cementing of its success nor that of Prime Minister Modi whose presence as Indias leader may be anathema to some. To appreciate this, intelligence agencies would have evolved threat perceptions, some generic ones and others based on specified contingencies. These would have been war-gamed and response drills would have been practiced as part of preparedness. In the routine assessment, a terror act throws itself up as a likely threat contingency but there may be many other scenarios quite apart from this. India has been largely free of any strategic terror act for fairly long. Some outstanding footwork in the intelligence field has enabled that, the prime action in this field being the neutralising of networks. Yet, no one can ever discount a terrorist action in a region that has witnessed some very negative events. That is why Delhi will be on very high alert. What has to be understood is that terrorists also grade their actions. A terrorist act anywhere in India or on an Indian asset abroad, such as an embassy or a high commission would carry value but significantly lower than striking at Indias capital. The public has to understand this and offer its fullest cooperation to security agencies, with lockdowns and restrictions on movement etc. being imposed during the next few days. Delhis virtual closure for almost five days is for good reason. Beyond the employment of violence through terrorist acts there is the world of limited action, in consonance with the idea of limited war. There can be physicality associated with it or it can be played in the cognitive domain. On the physical side, there can be limited moves across the LoC and the LAC by adversaries, to primarily divert attention and give rise to public reaction. In days when Pakistan still had major capability to create narratives at the LoC, this was always a threat. Border Action Teams comprising Pakistani terrorists and some SSG elements attempted to target our LoC patrols. Ever since transparent retaliatory action has been guaranteed by the Indian side the risk of escalation may not be taken. Yet, nothing can be discounted and the army would remain on higher alert. The LAC can be fairly unpredictable too. We have witnessed walk in attempts across the LAC by the PLA during high-profile events such as the visit of Xi Jinping himself to India; again aiming to create uncertainty and leave us in search of options. Today there are 60,000 troops each of the PLA and the Indian Army with air force resources deployed too. The situation offers multiple options, scope and range through which a potential effect on the Summit may be felt. India is therefore taking no chances and has planned its proactive actions well. The Air Force is conducting Exercise Trishul showcasing its capabilities. The Navy and the coast guard are on the alert on the seas and near the coastline to deter any 26/11-type actions by adversaries. The army is bolstering internal security capability and maintaining a stronger vigil at the LoC and LAC. In Jammu and Kashmir, known soft targets, such as minorities, soldiers on leave and isolated policemen have to be cautioned about vulnerability and more proactive intelligence has to be ensured. One can recall the Chittisinghpura massacre of 19 March 2000 during the visit of President Bill Clinton to India. The one fresh threat against which we need comprehensive counter-action drills is the domain of drone technology. The cognitive domain is not free of controversy and offers much scope to generate negativity about an impending event. We have witnessed cartographic attempts to project claims by China through the publishing of maps. The world and the Indian public must also know that properly marked claim lines on military maps have never been handed over to India by China in support of its claims. Planting narratives in the minds of delegates before, during and just after the event is to divert their attention and attempt to dilute the sheen of an event that has seen some great potential in diverse fields which is bound to give Indias image a major fillip. Chinas Global Times, its influential mouthpiece, is going to be on the lookout for opportunities to air some diversionary issues. Indias Ministry of External Affairs too is well prepared for this. It has worked like a well-oiled machine over the last ten months with human resources from across the government contributing their bit. A successful communique is probably expected from the G20 Summit but that is also a difficult call given the fact that uncertainty and the grey zone appear to be the dominant terms at present. The world order is sufficiently murky to bring non-issues to the fore to paint an event meant for the good of humanity with all kinds of colours. Yet, Indias hard work is bound to be rewarded despite all perceptions of negativity that we can imagine. The writer is a former GOC of the Armys 15 Corps. 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. Having been a witness to the ethnic cleansing of the Brahmins of the valley of Kashmir, I took a special interest in this much-vilified caste. Our foundation, FACT, did a film on the plight of the Brahmins in India and my wife and I found out that they are a sorry lot: Hindu priests are very poorly paid by the government; the Sulabh toilets in Delhi and elsewhere, are all manned by Brahmins, 50 per cent of rickshaw pullers in the suburbs of Delhi, such as Patel Nagar, are Brahmins and in Andhra Pradesh the cooks and helps mostly belong to the Brahmin caste. Indeed, a recent study showed that 55 per cent of the Brahmins of India live below the poverty line! So why did Udhayanidhi Stalin say that Santana Dharma, a sacred concept coined by ancient Rishis, is worse than Covid-19 and should be eradicated? We understand that Marxism devised in its pure form by Marx and put into practice by Lenin and Mao Tse Tung, hated religions because it considered them divisive. Maybe there is some truth in it, as all religions, at some point or the other, exploited people and even used the might of their armies to convert people. Indeed, Christianity wiped out entire civilisations in the American continent, such as the Incas. We will not dwell too much here on the Islamic onslaughts of different people, such as Hindus and Buddhists, which were extremely violent and brutal. In contrast, Hindus never tried to convert other nations and Hinduism went peacefully towards the East as the wonders of Angkor Vat testifies and Westwards, its philosophy and spirituality influenced Greece and later the Celts of France and Ireland. Udhayanidhis statement is ludicrous on many counts: First, at least 85 per cent of Tamil Nadu belongs to the Santana Dharma and this state possesses some of the most beautiful Hindu temples, as well as the most refined Hindu practices, not only religiously but also in many social and cultural traditions, whether it is the Kolams in villages, or adornments and clothing of women and girls. Second, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi rightly pointed out, the ancient concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam which is also the theme of G20 this year is unique and makes Hinduism a universal religion in its outlook, non-sectarian, the only one in the world that still accepts that God, He or She, may manifest at different times, using different names and scriptures. Indeed, the spirituality that props up Hinduism from behind as defined in the Bhagavad Gita, may be the future religion of the world, as it accepts all and provides answers to the eternal questions of Mankind: Who am I? What happens when I die? What is Karma? What is Dharma? How can I lead a better life? Undeniably, this spirituality that Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo predicted, has already invaded the world: Two out of three Americans practise Hatha Yoga; medical studies have shown that meditation is extremely beneficial for both the body and mind; Sri Sri Ravi Shankars pranayama techniques are used in 144 countries; and Ayurveda, the most ancient medical system still in practice, which centuries ago performed plastic surgeries and knew that many illnesses have a psychosomatic origin, is slowly penetrating the West. So, one may assume that Udhayanidhi Stalin has made the anti-Sanatana statement out of complete ignorance without knowing the facts about his own culture and religion. Or, it may be a childish slander. The author is a French journalist and author of A History of India as It Happened (Garudabooks.com). He is also building a museum of true Indian history in Pune. 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. The BJP has been giving strong rebuttal to the Oppositions hullabaloo on G20 dinner invites sent in the name of President of Bharat instead of President of India as usual. Slamming Congress, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the grand old party should first go and ask Rahul Gandhi why did he call it Bharat Jodo Yatra and not India Jodo Yatra. They object when we call it Bharat, but when your Yuvraj (Rahul Gandhi) calls it Bharat, you have no problem, Sarma asked. Intensifying his attack on Congress, the Assam CM said: the Opposition is conspiring to erase Hinduism. Now, the issue is erasing Bharat itself. Sarma has also changed his bio on X (formerly Twitter) which now reads, "Chief Minister of Assam, BHARAT." Congress Tuesday slammed the Centre over G20 dinner invites sent in the name of 'President of Bharat', with party leader Jairam Ramesh accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of distorting history and dividing India. So, the news in indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of the President of Bharat instead of the usual President of India. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. But now even this Union of States is under assault, Ramesh said in a post on X. Later, Sarma went on social media to hail the Republic of Bharat. REPUBLIC OF BHARAT - happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL, he posted. As per reports, not just the Presidents invite, even the G20 booklet that would be handed over to foreign delegates is titled Bharat, The Mother of Democracy. As per sources, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre is expected to bring a resolution on the possible renaming of the country during special Parliament session later this month. There is a speculation that the Centre might amend Article 1 of the Constitution that says India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States. The five-day special Parliament session is scheduled to be held from 18 to 22 September. With inputs from agencies Facing massive trouble in North America, Europe, Australia, and certain countries in Asia, Chinese tech giants have now turned to West Asian countries, specifically, Saudi Arabia. Huawei, the tech company that has been the worst hit by sanctions from the aforementioned companies, in particular, has been eyeing the ever-increasing opportunities in Saudi Arabia as the oil-rich country tries to diversify and move away from dependence on a single asset. Huawei Technologies is expanding its presence in Saudi Arabia and has launched its first public cloud service in West Asia. Huawei has established a data centre in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, to offer public cloud services to clients in the region, including the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. These cloud services will encompass various capabilities, including artificial intelligence applications. Huawei aims to support Chinese companies in entering the Saudi Arabian market and assist Saudi companies in expanding globally through these cloud services. The company plans to foster the growth of 200,000 new developers in Saudi Arabia, collaborate with 1,000 local partners, and engage with 2,000 start-ups in the cloud computing sector over the next five years. At an event in Riyadh, Huawei introduced its Pangu AI model, specifically trained to support the Arabic language. This technology is expected to catalyze the development of local enterprises. Huaweis expansion into Saudi Arabia aligns with the countrys efforts to achieve the digital transformation goals outlined in Saudi Vision 2030, an ambitious plan aimed at reducing reliance on its oil reserves. Despite facing increased scrutiny and restrictions in Western markets, such as the US and Europe, Huawei is diversifying its revenue streams by venturing into new businesses like cloud computing in countries that dont have an indigenous IT background and have to import most of its tech Huawei has encountered challenges, including being placed on the US Entity List in 2019, which restricted its access to critical technologies, including advanced 5G semiconductors. Earlier this year, Huawei had pledged to invest $400 million over five years to establish a regional cloud service centre in Saudi Arabia. With the inauguration of its 30th cloud region in Riyadh, Huawei is leveraging the opportunities presented by Saudi Arabias commitment to digital transformation. In West Asia, Huawei has already established a strong presence, serving more than 200 government-related clients, over 30 clients in the financial services sector, and over 150 internet firms as cloud service clients. The company has been involved in building telecommunications networks and implementing 5G connectivity in Saudi Arabia since entering the market in 2002. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a long and productive meeting with Jensen Huang, the CEO of the American semiconductor giant NVIDIA. As per a tweet by the Indian Prime Minister, the two had a deep discussion about the exciting opportunities India offers in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Modi shared this news along with some pictures of their meeting on social media, saying, Had a fantastic discussion with Mr. Jensen Huang, the CEO of @nvidia. We delved into the vast potential that India holds in the AI domain. Had an excellent meeting with Mr. Jensen Huang, the CEO of @nvidia. We talked at length about the rich potential India offers in the world of AI. Mr. Jensen Huang was appreciative of the strides India has made in this sector and was equally upbeat about the talented youth of pic.twitter.com/zT6Cyrmk5z Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 4, 2023 Mr. Jensen Huang was appreciative of the strides India has made in this sector and was equally upbeat about the talented youth of India, PM Modi said. NVIDIA eyeing a plant in India? The meeting between the two has led to some serious speculation that suggests NVIDIA, the worlds foremost AI chip and GPU manufacturer may be considering opening up a manufacturing plant in India. To be clear, NVIDIA doesnt make its own semiconductors. It designs the GPU dies, and sets up the manufacturing process. The actual manufacturing is usually carried out by semiconductor manufacturers like TSMC. Nvidia Corporation, founded on April 5, 1993, by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem, originally aimed to revolutionize 3D graphics for gaming and multimedia markets. The Indian government has been very vocal about self-sufficiency or Atmanirbharta. At the same time, the government has been pushing the tech industry to manufacture the components and devices that they plan on selling in India, in the country. In such a scenario, it wouldnt be far-fetched to imagine that NVIDIA may want to set up a manufacturing plant in India. Furthermore, India is home to one of the largest pools of AI talent and has several software development studios and companies that are working extensively on AI. NVIDIAs history in India NVIDIA has established strong connections with India over the years. They first set up operations in India back in 2004, nearly twenty years ago, with their initial base in Bangalore. As of writing this piece, India hosts four engineering development centres, located in Gurugram, Hyderabad, Pune, and Bengaluru. This significant presence has led to the employment of over 3,800 professionals at NVIDIA in India. Furthermore, NVIDIA has cultivated a thriving community of developers in India, with more than 320,000 developers participating in NVIDIAs developer program based in the country. The popularity of NVIDIAs CUDA parallel programming platform is evident, with approximately 40,000 downloads each month in India. Additionally, its estimated that India boasts a substantial pool of 60,000 experienced CUDA developers. These statistics highlight the impressive impact NVIDIA has made within Indias tech ecosystem. NVIDIA is the worlds most valuable semicon company In terms of financial performance, Nvidia reported impressive revenue for the second quarter of 2023, reaching $13.51 billion, which is a remarkable 101 per cent increase from the previous year and an 88 per cent increase from the previous quarter. The earnings per diluted share for the quarter were $2.48, marking an incredible 854 per cent increase from the previous year and a 202 per cent increase from the previous quarter. As a result, Nvidias stock recently hit an all-time high, surging by an astounding 315 per cent. This meeting between Modi and Huang is their second encounter, underlining Nvidias significant role in Indias rapidly growing technology industry. Its worth noting that this meeting took place just a week after India achieved the historic feat of successfully landing on the Moons south pole, showcasing the expanding technological capabilities of the worlds largest democracy. Following the meeting with Modi, Huang had a chance to connect with numerous researchers from renowned institutions in science and technology, including the Indian Institute of Science and various Indian Institute of Technology campuses, during an informal dinner. Huawei Technologies in collaboration with Chinas leading chipmaker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp or SMIC, has produced an advanced 7-nanometer processor for its latest smartphone, the Mate 60 Pro. This development represents a significant step forward in Chinas efforts to establish a domestic chip ecosystem, as noted by analysis firm TechInsights. The Kirin 9000s chip, manufactured by SMIC, powers the Mate 60 Pro and is the first to utilize SMICs most advanced 7nm technology. This achievement underscores Chinas progress in developing its semiconductor capabilities. People who regularly follow tech will realise that in 2023, we are about to get smartphones made using 3nm technology. Most of the world in already using 5nm fabricated chips in higher-end smartphones. What makes the Huawei 7nm process unique, is that it was able to manage to create a chip this thin, while being placed under some of the harshest sanctions, with no technological or fabrication assistance, at least on paper. And despite the fact that the Mate 60 Pro is using an older technology, it is performing better than most current 5G smartphones. Chinese consumers who have purchased the Mate 60 Pro have posted teardown videos and conducted speed tests on social media, indicating that the smartphone is capable of achieving download speeds that surpass those of top-tier 5G phones. While the specifications for the Mate 60 Pro highlighted its ability to make satellite calls, they did not provide detailed information about the chipsets power. The launch of the Mate 60 Pro generated significant excitement on Chinese social media platforms and among state media, with some noting its timing alongside a visit by US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Since 2019, the US has imposed restrictions on Huaweis access to essential chipmaking tools required for producing advanced handset models. However, research firms previously suggested that Huawei was planning a return to the 5G smartphone market by the end of the year, leveraging its advancements in semiconductor design tools and collaborating with SMIC for chip production. According to Dan Hutcheson, an analyst with TechInsights, this development sends a clear message and is a slap to face for US, particularly in the context of Secretary Raimondos visit. It demonstrates Huaweis capability to innovate and develop cutting-edge technology without reliance on US resources. Nigerias Labour Congress has begun a two-day warning strike, their second such move in more than a month, to protest against the escalating cost of living caused by the governments removal of petrol subsidies. The union, the largest association of government workers nationwide, on Tuesday threatened to shut down Africas largest economy if their demands for improved welfare were not met. During a meeting last week, the union said the decision of Nigerias President Bola Tinubu to remove petrol subsidies in May has unleashed massive suffering on Nigerian workers and masses. Last-minute efforts to avert the strike failed on Monday evening after the labour unions leaders shunned a meeting called by the Ministry of Labour. Drawn from all sectors including health and electricity, the workers strike is expected to disrupt activities in many offices, further hit by declining government revenues and oil theft. President of the labour association, Joe Ajaero, said there would be a total and indefinite shutdown of the nation in two weeks unless the government fulfils the workers demands including a significant increase in wages. Earlier last month, the union had called off a strike scheduled for 2 August, after meeting Tinubu for negotiations. At his inauguration in May, the president had promised to reset the economy, raising hope among investors and citizens after a series of policy missteps that led to two recessions under the eight-year tenure of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari. Since the subsidy was removed on his first day in office, petrol prices have nearly tripled in Nigeria, angering unions and causing a spike in transport costs. The price increase has also hit small businesses and millions of households who rely on petrol generators for power due to intermittent grid supply. The governments devaluation of the currency further increased the prices of basic goods. Opposition critics have accused Tinubu of not acting quickly enough to cushion the effects of his policies. Tinubus administration has taken several steps to ease the hardship, including a $5.5m package comprising loans and grants to states. But the workers have said such steps do not go far enough when their wages remain the same. Many workers are no longer able to pay for transport to work, Ajaero said, speaking of the excruciating mass suffering and the impoverishment experienced around the country. The Nigerian government, meanwhile, said a strike would worsen the condition of Nigerians and requested more time to find ways to resolve the dispute. We cannot do this in an atmosphere devoid of industrial peace, Labour Minister Simon Lalong said. Over 50 security forces lost their lives and many others sustained injuries in a fierce clash with jihadists in northern Burkina Faso, the army said. On Monday, in the Koumbri commune within Yatenga province, a total of seventeen soldiers and three dozen volunteer fighters who support the military were tragically killed, as confirmed in an official army statement. The operation aimed at repelling the jihadists from Koumbri, enabling displaced individuals to return safely, also resulted in the elimination of several dozen Islamic militants, according to the armys account of the incident. This act of extreme cowardice will not go unpunished. Every effort is being made to disable the remaining terrorist elements on the run, the statement said. The West African nation has been ravaged by growing jihadi attacks linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that have killed thousands, displaced more than 2 million people and pushed tens of thousands to the brink of starvation. The violence has divided a once peaceful nation, leading to two coups last year and increased attacks, which are encircling the capital, Ouagadougou. Approximately half of the country is outside of government control, conflict analysts say. Since the first coup in January 2022 the number of people killed by jihadis has nearly tripled compared with the 18 months before, according to a report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. This violence, coupled with the geographic spread of extremist activities effectively surrounding Ouagadougou, puts Burkina Faso more than ever at the brink of collapse, the report said. Jihadis also have blockaded more than two dozen towns, cutting off nearly 1 million people from being able to easily access food and goods and move freely, the group said. The killings Monday were one of the largest attacks since Capt. Ibrahim Traore seized power in the second coup in September and was against one of the biggest military detachments, said Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank. While state forces are trying to recapture some areas and create an environment for displaced people to return, this attack rather put further pressure on other major localities in the area, such as the regional capital Ouhigouya, he said. It indicates the challenges state forces are facing and will be facing in coming months. The security forces have been accused by rights groups and analysts of killing civilians believed to be associated with the jihadis. The number of civilians killed by the military or volunteers since the first coup has more than tripled to 762 compared with the year and a half prior, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies said. In an investigation earlier this year, The Associated Press determined that Burkina Fasos security forces killed children in a military base outside the town of Ouahigouya. With inputs from AP. The feud between X (formerly Twitter) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) doesnt seem to be dying anytime soon. Elon Musk has insinuated the possibility of a defamation suit against ADL. He accused ADL of fraudulent claims of anti-Semitism, which he believes have damaged his platforms reputation and resulted in a 60 per cent drop in advertising revenue. On Monday, Musk took to X to state his position. To clear our platforms name on the matter of anti-Semitism, it looks like we have no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League, he said. Musk, who purchased Twitter for $44 billion last year, attributed the 60 per cent decrease in advertising revenue to the ADLs alleged efforts to dissuade advertisers from using the platform by falsely linking it and its new owner to anti-Semitism. In a post, Musk asserted that the ADLs actions nearly succeeded in killing X/Twitter. Since the acquisition, The @ADL has been trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 4, 2023 These remarks from Musk follow his recent suggestion to poll X users on whether to ban the ADL from his platform. This idea surfaced in response to a message from conservative Dutch activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek, who expressed frustration with what she perceived as excessive labelling of content as hateful/racist/dangerous/far-right and claimed that the ADLs intimidation tactics had lost their influence. The campaign to ban ADL from X began after the groups leader, Jonathan Greenblatt, held discussions with X CEO Linda Yaccarino regarding concerns over rampant hate speech on the platform. The ADL has accused X of failing to enforce its content moderation policies since Musk assumed ownership. Musk has consistently emphasized his commitment to making X a platform that upholds free speech, particularly in light of what he perceives as censorship targeting conservative voices on other platforms. He clarified that he is against anti-Semitism of any kind and humorously remarked that if he succeeds in the lawsuit, he would insist that the ADL drop the anti part of its name, effectively renaming it the Defamation League. Its worth noting that the ADL has faced defamation lawsuits in the past. In 2000, a Colorado couple won a $10.5 million verdict against the organization for false allegations, and in 2019, the ADL settled a suit related to illegal spying accusations. Additionally, in 2020, cartoonist Ben Garrison sued the ADL for defamation, claiming that the group falsely portrayed him as anti-Semitic and racist. Established over a century ago with the primary aim of combating attacks on Jews, the ADL now characterizes itself as the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Nevertheless, the group has faced criticism in recent years for promoting critical race theory and other left-leaning ideologies. The escalating conflict between Musk and the ADL continues to draw attention as the legal battle looms on the horizon. Kim Jong Un plans to travel to Russia this month to meet President Vladimir Putin and discuss the possibility of supplying Moscow with weapons for the war in Ukraine, as Russia says it is seeking closer military ties with North Korea. In a rare trip abroad, Kim would travel from Pyongyang, probably by armoured train, to Vladivostok, on the Pacific Coast of Russia, where he would meet Putin, the New York Times reported on Monday, citing US and allied sources. While in Vladivostok, a port city not far from North Korea, the two leaders would discuss Kims sending Russia artillery shells and antitank missiles in exchange for Moscows advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, the newspaper reported. At a time when the United States has expressed concern about growing military ties between the two countries, the news of Kims planned visit came after Russia said it was discussing holding joint military exercises with North Korea. Why not, these are our neighbours. Theres an old Russian saying: you dont choose your neighbours and its better to live with your neighbours in peace and harmony, Interfax news agency quoted Russias Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, as saying on Monday. When asked about the possibility of joint exercises between the two countries, he said they were of course being discussed, it said. South Korean news agency Yonhap earlier cited South Koreas intelligence agency as saying Shoigu, who visited Pyongyang in July, had proposed to Kim that their countries hold a naval exercise, along with China. Cold war allies The Kremlin said last week that Moscow intends to deepen its mutually respectful relations with Pyongyang, one of its close Cold War allies and also one of a small handful of countries to back Russias proclaimed annexation of parts of Ukraine in 2022. The New York Times reported that Kim could possibly go to Moscow, although that was not certain. Kims father, the reclusive Kim Jong Il who famously shunned planes and travelled by armoured train only, last visited Russia just months before his death in 2011. Shoigu visited North Korea for the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War in July, celebrated in North Korea as Victory Day, with South Koreas National Intelligence Service saying that he appeared to have held a private meeting with Kim, Yonhap reported. The United States said last week it was concerned that arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea were advancing actively, and that Shoigu had tried during his visit to convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Russia. On Saturday, Russias ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, told TASS news agency that he was not aware of any plans for North Korea to participate in trilateral military drills with China and Russia, but that in his opinion it would be appropriate in light of U.S.-led exercises in the region. Russia and North Korea have recently called for closer military ties but North Korea has denied having any arms dealings with Russia. The United States recently imposed sanctions on three entities it accused of being tied to arms deals between North Korea and Russia. North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests since 2006 and had been testing various missiles over recent years but it rarely holds military exercises with its neighbours. The United States and its ally, South Korea, hold regular military exercises, which North Korea denounces as preparations for war against it. In the past few days, there have been consistent attacks on the Christian community in Pakistan. On Tuesday morning, a directive for an attack on Christians was issued from a mosque in Lahore. Prior to that, in Faisalabad, a message in Urdu was written to intimidate Christians, saying, We have arrived. In Sheikhupura area of Lahore, there was a dispute involving a Christian youth and some locals, and soon after that, Muslims were called to gather at a local mosque. Following this, members of the Christian community began to flee the area and released a video, appealing for help and revealing the brutality they are facing. Watch: Christians are under Attack in #Pakistan. September 5, 2023 Sheikhupura, Lahore Pakistani Christians on the run to save their lives after an other false #blasphemy accusation Since Early morning An announcement from a local mosque to protest and attack Christian Houses in pic.twitter.com/2sQVzrXde2 Faraz Pervaiz (@FarazPervaiz3) September 5, 2023 Similarly, Christians in Jaranwala were attacked. Over 21 churches and more than 100 houses were burnt on 16 August. Nothing was left in #Jaranwala People cannot live in their houses now because they are burned. They are black. They are burned to ashes. Theres nothing. Not even a single cloth. Not even a single utensil. Not even a single bed or any bed linen was left there for them to use. pic.twitter.com/ai6DtmsEXp Faraz Pervaiz (@FarazPervaiz3) September 5, 2023 In Pakistan, members of the Christian community have been releasing videos, seeking assistance and shedding light on how they are being targeted in the country. With inputs from agencies The US stated Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will make a rare journey abroad to see Russian President Vladimir Putin, where they would likely discuss armaments for Moscows conflict in Ukraine. Ukraine is waging a closely watched counteroffensive in both the south and east, which Putin characterised as a failure on Monday, while Moscow looks ready to acquire further military supplies to reinforce its soldiers. The Kremlin said on Tuesday it was unable to confirm a summit between Putin and Kim. We have nothing to say on this, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The White Houses National Security Council (NSC) spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said Arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing, using an acronym for North Korea. We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia, she added. Last week, the US warned that Russia was already in secret discussions with the North to get a variety of armaments and supplies for Moscows war campaign. According to US and other sources, Kim is expected to travel by armoured train later this month to Vladivostok, on Russias Pacific coast near North Korea, to see Putin. From September 10 to 13, Vladivostok will host the Eastern Economic Forum, which drew representatives from 68 nations last year. According to the Times, Putin is seeking artillery shells and antitank missiles from North Korea, while Kim, who could even travel to Moscow, is reportedly in search of advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, as well as food aid for his impoverished nation. An official at Seouls unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean relations, said various developments indicated the growing possibility of an arms deal between Pyongyang and Moscow. Any form of cooperation between North Korea and neighbouring countries must be conducted in a way that does not undermine international norms and peace, he told reporters. Washington said last week that, despite its denials, North Korea supplied infantry rockets and missiles to Russia in 2022 for use by the privately controlled Wagner military group. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu travelled to North Korea in July seeking to acquire additional munitions for the war, Watson said Monday. Diplomatic isolation Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said both Pyongyang and Moscow needed to break away from diplomatic isolation, and a summit would send a message to Washington, which is ramping up defence cooperation with South Korea and Japan. As South Korea, the United States, and Japan have recently been strengthening cooperation, including the Camp David summit, North Korea and Russia also need to showcase their cooperation in a symbolic diplomatic sense, he told AFP. Last week at the United Nations, the United States, Britain, South Korea and Japan said that any deal to increase cooperation between Russia and North Korea would violate Security Council resolutions forbidding arms deals with Pyongyang resolutions Moscow itself had endorsed. They said another group of Russian officials travelled to North Korea for follow-up talks after Shoigus visit to Pyongyang. Cho Han-bum, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said sanctions will do little to stop Russia and North Korea from trading weapons. The war in Ukraine and the strategic competition between the United States and China have virtually neutralised the current UN Security Council system, Cho told AFP. Moscow and Pyongyang had no worries about sanctions because both countries were already operating under an array of Western punitive measures, he said, adding that military cooperation between the two was likely unstoppable. The United States last month sanctioned three entities accused of seeking to facilitate arms deals between North Korea and Russia as Washington tightened restrictions on support for Moscows war in Ukraine. The US Treasury Department said Russia was continuing to use up munitions and lose heavy equipment in Ukraine, forcing it to turn to its small pool of allies, including North Korea, for support. Ukrainian officials have claimed some progress in their counteroffensive, but Putin said again on Monday the attempt to retake land lost since Russias February 2022 invasion had been unsuccessful. It is not that it is stalling. It is a failure, Putin said during a news conference with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi. At least today this is what it looks like. Lets see what happens next. News of the likely meeting between Kim and Putin came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had visited his war-torn countrys frontline eastern Donetsk region, posting a video of himself meeting soldiers. Street crime is growing at an alarming rate in Pakistans biggest city Karachi. In just the first three months of 2023, over 21,000 cases were reported in the city. The most prevalent form of crime the people of the port city suffer is mobile and bike snatching. Its business as usual for videos of people getting robbed by a snatcher to do rounds on social media but the authorities have failed to improve the situation. Sindhs caretaker Interior Minister Brigadier (retd) Haris Nawaz has a unique piece of advice. Keep your mobile phones in those places where they cant get stolen, he said. Another piece of advice is to keep your phones in the hidden pockets. While Nawaz is drawing flak for the irresponsible remarks, hes not the first one to offer such advice. Last year, then-Karachi police chief Javed Alam Odho decried rising crimes and instead blamed the traders community for creating a sense of insecurity. Last year over 81,000 street crimes were reported in Karachi. 52,000 motorcycles were stolen and snatched, whereas, 26,400 citizens had their mobile phones snatched. Russia announced on Tuesday that it shot down Ukrainian drones over Moscow and the Kremlin-controlled Crimean peninsula. As Moscows assault in Ukraine enters its 19th month, Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory have virtually become routine. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defence systems had destroyed drones which were trying to carry out an attack on Moscow. There had been no casualties, Sobyanin said on social media. According to the defence ministry, one drone was flying over the Kaluga area southwest of Moscow, while a second was destroyed northwest of the city above the Istrinsky district in the Moscow region. A third was also destroyed in Tver, northwest of Moscow. Sobyanin stated that the area had been damaged as a result of falling debris, and that emergency personnel were working to eliminate the consequences. The drone seized in the Tver regions Zavidovo area was flying in the direction of Moscow, he claimed, adding that there were no casualties or damage. Last week, Sobyanin acknowledged the capital faced attempted terrorist attacks undertaken by Ukrainian authorities practically every day. The Russian defence ministry later said it had also downed a drone over Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula annexed from Ukraine in 2014. An unmanned aerial vehicle was destroyed over the territory of the Republic of Crimea by means of air defence on duty, the ministry said on Telegram. Ukraine has targeted Crimea throughout Russias offensive, launched in February last year. Chinese President Xi Jinpings decision of not attending this weeks Group of 20 summit in India has not hampered any bilateral ties with India, Beijing said on Tuesday emphasizing that relations between the two nuclear-armed Asian giants remain generally stable and cordial. China announced on Monday that Premier Li Qiang, who took office just this spring, would represent the country at the September 9-10 meeting in New Delhi. Relations between China and India remain frosty over their border dispute that led to a clash three years ago in which nearly 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed. It has turned into a long-running standoff in the rugged mountainous area, where each side has stationed tens of thousands of military personnel backed by artillery, tanks and fighter jets. Without mentioning the border dispute, or the reason for Xis decision not to attend the G20 Summit, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Chinese leaders have always supported Indias hosting of this years summit and are ready to work with all parties to make the G20 summit a success. At present, China-India relations remain generally stable, and dialogue and communication have been maintained at all levels, Mao told reporters at a daily briefing. We are willing to work with the Indian side to promote greater and continuous development of China-India relations, she said. Conflict between the two countries have also arisen over trade, technology and investment and Indias growing strategic ties with Chinas main rival, the United States. Both India and China have expelled the others journalists and once-plentiful educational exchanges have all but dried up. India recently overtook China as the worlds most populous nation and the two are rivals in computers, steel-making, space exploration and other high-tech fields. Looking at reducing the possibility of future clashes, Chinese and Indian military commanders met last month and pledged to maintain the peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control that separates Chinese and Indian-held territories from Ladakh in the west to Indias eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety. By not attending the G20, Xi passes on an opportunity for an interaction with President Joe Biden at a time when relations between their two countries have hit a historical low. Not only the G20 meet in New Delhi, China also appears to be hinting that Xi will not attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders meeting in San Francisco in November. After talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan said soon it would be possible to restore Black Sea grain deal. Russia quit the deal in July, a year after it was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, complaining that its own food and fertiliser exports faced serious obstacles. Earlier, the UN said the grain deal helped to ease food crisis by getting Ukrainian grain to market. Erdogan, who previously played a significant role in convincing Putin to stick with the deal, and the UN are both trying to get Putin to return to the deal. As Turkey, we believe that we will reach a solution that will meet the expectations in a short time, Erdogan said in the Black Sea resort of Sochi after his first face to face meeting with Putin since 2022. The Turkish president said Russias expectations were well-known to all and that the shortcomings should be eliminated, adding that Turkey and the United Nations had worked on a new package of suggestions to ease Russian concerns. Erdogan said Ukraine should soften its negotiating position against Russia in talks over reviving the deal and export more grain to Africa rather than Europe. Ukraine needs to especially soften its approaches in order for it to be possible for joint steps to be taken with Russia, he told reporters. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, speaking later on Ukrainian television, said Kyiv would not alter its stand, but would take note of Turkeys account of the Sochi talks. We should not continue to be hostages to Russian blackmail, where Russia creates problems and then invites everyone to solve them, Kuleba said. It is clear that we will stand in defence of all principled positions, especially regarding sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation. Standing beside Erdogan, Putin restated Russias position that it could return to the deal but only if the West stopped restricting Russian agricultural exports from reaching global markets. A separate memorandum agreed with the United Nations calls for conditions to facilitate Russias food and fertiliser exports. Reviving the grain deal We will be ready to consider the possibility of reviving the grain deal and I told Mr President about this again today we will do this as soon as all the agreements on lifting restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products are fully implemented, Putin said. He said Western claims that Russia had stoked a food crisis by suspending participation in the grain deal were incorrect as prices did not rise on its exit from the deal. There is no physical shortage of food, Putin said. While Russian exports of food and fertilizer are not subject to Western sanctions imposed after Russias invasion of Ukraine and Russia exported record amounts of wheat last year, Moscow and agricultural exporters say restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have hindered shipments. The West continues to block the supply of grain and fertilisers from the Russian Federation to world markets, Putin said, adding that the West had cheated Russia over the deal because rich countries got more than 70 per cent of the grain exported under the deal. Russia and Ukraine are two of the worlds key agricultural producers, and major players in the wheat, barley, maize, rapeseed, rapeseed oil, sunflower seed and sunflower oil markets. Putin said Russia expected a grain harvest of 130 million tonnes this year of which 60 million tonnes could be exported. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that he had sent Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov a set of concrete proposals aimed at reviving the deal. One of Moscows main demands is for the Russian Agricultural Bank to be reconnected to the SWIFT international payments system. The EU cut it off in June 2022 as part of sweeping sanctions imposed in response to the invasion. Putin said that a plan to supply up to 1 million tonnes of Russian grain to Turkey at reduced prices for subsequent processing at Turkish plants and shipping to countries most in need was not an alternative to the grain deal. He also said Russia was close to a deal with six African countries over a plan to supply Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic and Eritrea with up to 50,000 tonnes of grain each free of charge. With inputs from Reuters Two individuals were arrested Monday for causing harm to a portion of the Great Wall of China following complaints from the Shanxi Cultural Relics Bureau in China. As per the reports, police in Youyu County were informed about the incident sometime in the end of August since when an investigation was underway. As per official statements, a 38-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman, who were engaged in a construction project nearby, employed an excavator to widen a section of the wall. Their intention was to create a shortcut for their passage. Authorities have stated that these individuals have inflicted irreversible damage to the integrity of this UNESCO World Heritage site. The Great Wall of China is one of the most well-known national symbols in China and is a prominent attraction for tourists. Stretching over 20,000 kilometres across the northern expanse of the country, it boasts watchtowers along its length. This construction was originally initiated over 2,000 years ago as a defensive barrier against nomadic tribes. Over time, it has undergone multiple reconstructions, with the present sections predominantly dating back to the Ming dynasty, spanning from 1368 to 1644. According to a 2016 report by the Global Times, a mere 6,259 kilometres, which is less than 10% of the Ming-era wall, have been adequately preserved. The structure has been steadily deteriorating due to both natural factors and human activities. In Shanxi Province, the wall has suffered widespread pilfering of its bricks, particularly during the 1970s. Local residents excavated these bricks and later utilized them in the construction of homes and other structures, as reported by the Global Times. The UAE committed $4.5 billion in renewable energy projects in Africa on Tuesday during a historic climate meeting hosted by Kenya to lure money for efforts to tackle global warming. We will deploy $4.5 billion to jumpstart a pipeline of bankable clean energy projects in this very important continent, said Sultan Al Jaber, who heads the government-owned renewable energy firm Masdar, the UAEs national oil company ADNOC and the COP28 climate talks. Thousands of guests at the Nairobi meeting include heads of state, government and industry executives, and are showcasing Africas potential as a sustainable energy superpower. Following the Africa Climate meeting, the COP28 meeting in Dubai later this year is anticipated to contain conflicting agendas for the worlds energy future. If Africa loses, we all lose, warned Jaber, who is also the UAEs minister for industry and advanced technology. He said the investment aimed to develop 15 GW (gigawatts) of clean power by 2030 and catalyse at least an additional $12.5 billion from multilateral, public and private sources. As of 2022, the continents renewable generation capacity was 56 gigawatts, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. The three-day event in Nairobi, which began Monday, is billed as bringing together African leaders to define a shared vision for green development on the diverse continent of 1.4 billion people. On Tuesday, the summit will offer proposals to reform global financial structures that have resulted in only a tiny fraction of investments in climate solutions being directed towards Africa. Jaber called for a surgical intervention of the global financial architecture that was built for a different era, urging institutions to lower debt burdens. Countries in Africa are hamstrung by mounting debt costs and a dearth of finance, and despite an abundance of natural resources just three per cent of energy investments worldwide are made in the continent. UKs Opposition Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer on Monday demoted Indian-origin shadow minister Preet Kaur Gill among others. Despite being the first British Sikh female member of Parliament in the House of Commons, Gill faced demotion reportedly after many called her out for her links with pro-Khalistani extremists. Kaur has long been linked to the Khalistan movement with her own father being the leader of Smethwick Gurudwara. The same temple which preet took Keir Starmer too and has a shrine to Khalistani terrorists, including the still UK proscribed terror group Babbar Khalsa. Reportedly, she was also supported by the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), when they were a banned terrorist group as per UK law. She was supported by and then consequently supported the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), when they were a banned terrorist group as per UK law. ISYF was reconstituted into the Sikh Federation, which runs the All-Party Parliamentary (APPG) Group on Sikhs. The Parliamentary Chair of this Group is Preet Gill. Other members of this parliamentary community include labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Conservative MPs Caroline Nokes and Jane Stevenson. Apart from her tweet delete controversy in 2021 in which she came under fire on social media over a tweet she later deleted that referred to a Hindu terrorist behind the act of violence at Golden Temple in Amritsar, Gill has reportedly known for public appearances and photographs with Pro-Khalistani activists. Just a few days before labour party sacked her, tweets had emerged from a UK-based political analyst Chris Blackburn in which he went on to accuse Keir Starmer for backing radical Khalistan. In his tweets, Blackburn posted pictures of Gill and Starmer with alleged pro-Khalistani activists. He wrote: Does @Keir_Starmer back radical Khalistan? Here is Sir Keir at the GNG Smethwick. A hotbed of Khalistan radicalism. In 2006, Khalistanis kicked out Vice President Ravinder Singh Powar for trying to keep radicals out of the Gurdwara. Does @Keir_Starmer back radical Khalistan? Here is Sir Keir at the GNG Smethwick. A hotbed of Khalistan radicalism. In 2006, Khalistanis kicked out Vice President Ravinder Singh Powar for trying to keep radicals out of the Gurdwara.@TanDhesi @PreetKGillMP pic.twitter.com/u2vNU0BPsP Chris Blackburn (@CJBdingo25) August 28, 2023 In the same thread of tweets, Blackburn mocked British MP and shadow rail minister Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi saying he is also known to pro-Khalistanis as he had in the past helped them in starting their own TV channel, that was later shut down, Dhesi knows GNG Smethwick is a hive of Khalistan radicalism in the UK. GNG Smethwick helped to launch KTV that was shut down by @Ofcom for glorifying radicalism and murder, Blackburn wrote in the tweet. The next day, Blackburn claimed to have received response from Labour figures who allegedly told him that Sir Starmer didnt actually endorsed Sikh Manifesto despite being photographed with Pro-Khalistan extremists. Labour figures and activists have told me that @Keir_Starmer "didn't actually endorse the Sikh Manifesto," despite being photographed with it at GNG Smethwick in 2020. The manifesto was written by a Khalistani pictured with Starmer. Jas Singh and others were thrust upon pic.twitter.com/iouK0HB0mA Chris Blackburn (@CJBdingo25) August 29, 2023 The tweet read, Labour figures and activists have told me that @Keir_Starmer didnt actually endorse the Sikh Manifesto, despite being photographed with it at GNG Smethwick in 2020. The manifesto was written by a Khalistani pictured with Starmer. Jas Singh and others were thrust upon Starmer by Preet Gill MP. 1/ It has been a great privilege to serve as the Shadow Secretary for International Development through a tumultuous few years: a global pandemic that has set the clock back on years of progress, the UKs disastrous exit from Afghanistan, and Putins abhorrent war in Ukraine. Preet Kaur Gill MP (@PreetKGillMP) September 4, 2023 Meanwhile, after being demoted, Gill reiterated her support for Starmers leadership on Social media. It has been a great privilege to serve as the Shadow Secretary for International Development through a tumultuous few years: a global pandemic that has set the clock back on years of progress, the UKs disastrous exit from Afghanistan, and Putins abhorrent war in Ukraine, the Birmingham Edgbaston MP tweeted. I am proud of our work we have done holding the government to account: over its disastrous decision to abolish DfID and mismanaged aid cuts that have harmed so many livesIt couldnt be clearer that we need to turf out this rotten, zombie government and put a mission-driven Labour government in power. It is as clear today as it was three years ago when I supported his campaign to be leader, that Keir Starmer is the Prime Minister Britain needs, she also said. The development comes ahead of the general election expected next year. Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has now been appointed as the shadow levelling up secretary. Starmer handed promotions to Pakistani-origin Birmingham Ladywood MP Shabana Mahmood as the new shadow justice secretary, and Sri Lankan origin Thangam Debbonaire as the ew shadow culture secretary. Ukraine launched a drone attack on Moscow Tuesday early morning, forcing Russia to shut all the major airports in the capital as it scrambled to take the UAVs down. At least three of the drones were shot down, Russia claimed. Two of the drones were destroyed over Kalunga and Tver regions, while the third was downed in the Istra district of the Moscow region, according to the Russian defence ministry. Around 50 flights from over four major airports in Moscow: Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky, had to be cancelled or postponed due to the attack. Although Ukraine rarely claims responsibility, drone attacks on Moscow have become almost routine since early May. Russia also claimed to take down a drone over the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed from Ukraine in 2014. An unmanned aerial vehicle was destroyed over the territory of the Republic of Crimea by means of air defence on duty, the Russian defence ministry said. Meanwhile on the ground, Ukrainian army has made it to the final layer of the Russian defence line in southern Zaporizhia, according to George Barros, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War. Ukrainian forces continue pressuring the line between Verbove and Robotyne and may be setting conditions to breach the line in earnest, Barros was quoted as saying by the Telegraph. If Ukrainian forces managed to break through the line, it would be the first test for the Russian deep defences in the war, which began on 24 February last year. A success here would allow the Ukrainian forces to cut the land link between the Russian forces in Eastern and Southern Ukraine by pushing down to the Sea of Azov. The United Nations food agency announced that it will remove an additional 2 million hungry individuals from its food assistance program in Afghanistan this month due to a substantial lack of funding. This move resulted in a total of 10 million people being deprived of the World Food Programmes support within Afghanistan for the year, as stated in a release by the agency. With these recent reductions, the agencys capacity to offer food aid will be limited to roughly one-fifth of the 15 million Afghan citizens who require assistance, according to the agencys statement. Amid already worrying levels of hunger and malnutrition, we are obliged to choose between the hungry and the starving, leaving millions of families scrambling for their next meal, said Hsiao-Wei Lee, WFPs director in Afghanistan. With the few resources we have left, we are not able to serve all those people teetering on the edge of utter destitution. The Taliban promised a more moderate rule than during their previous period in power in the 1990s. But they have imposed harsh measures since seizing Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO forces were pulling out after two decades of war. Among their actions, the Taliban have prohibited Afghan women from working at local and non-governmental organizations. Aid agencies have been providing food, education, and health care support to Afghans in the wake of the Taliban takeover of August 2021 and the economic collapse that followed. The ban was extended to employees of the United Nations in April. The measures have triggered a fierce international uproar, increasing the countrys isolation at a time when its economy has collapsed and its humanitarian crisis grows more grim. In April and May, the WFP said it was forced to cut off 8 million people from food assistance. WFP is often the last lifeline for women, who are increasingly being pushed out of society and face dwindling options for making a living and feeding their children. The cuts announced Tuesday mean that 1.4 million new and expecting mothers and their children are no longer receiving specialized food designed to prevent malnutrition, the program said. WFP expects to see a sharp rise in admissions to nutrition centers in the months to come as children slide deeper into hunger. A small window of opportunity remains to avert catastrophe in Afghanistan, but we are running out of time, said Lee. The cost of inaction will be paid by the most vulnerable women and children. For the next six months, WFP needs $1 billion to reach 21 million people with lifesaving food and nutrition assistance. This includes money to place food in communities that will become cut off during the harsh Afghan winter, the statement added. With inputs from AP. India has strongly rejected comments by UN experts on Manipur, terming them unwarranted, presumptive and misleading and asserting that the situation in the Northeast state is peaceful. In the note verbale issued on Monday to the Special Procedures Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Indian mission underscored that the situation in Manipur was peaceful and stable and the Indian government was committed to taking requisite steps to maintain peace and stability. The Government is also committed to protecting the human rights of the people of India, including the people of Manipur, it said. The Permanent Mission of India completely rejects the news release as it is not only unwarranted, presumptive and misleading but also betrays a complete lack of understanding on the situation in Manipur and the steps taken by Government of India to address it, said the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva. Indias response came after a group of UN experts raised alarm about reports of serious human rights violations and abuses in Manipur, including alleged acts of sexual violence, extrajudicial killings, home destruction, forced displacement, torture and ill-treatment. Rejecting the news release by the Special Procedure Mandate Holders (SPMH) titled India: UN experts alarmed by continuing abuses in Manipur, the Permanent Mission of India expressed disappointment and surprise that the SPMHs chose to issue the press release without waiting for the 60 days period for the Indian government to respond to a joint communication issued on the same topic on 29 August, 2023. The Indian mission expressed hope that in the future, the SPMH would be more objective in their assessment, based on the facts. It hoped that the SPMH would refrain from commenting on the developments, which have no relevance to the mandate given to them by the Council and abide by the established procedure for issuing news releases and wait for inputs sought from the Government of India before doing so. The Indian mission reiterated that India is a democratic country, with an abiding commitment to the rule of law and to promoting and protecting the human rights of our people. Indian law enforcement authorities and security forces are committed to dealing with law-and-order situations strictly in accordance with the principles of legal certainty, necessity, proportionality and non-discrimination, it said. In their news release, the UN experts had said they were appalled by the reports and images of gender-based violence targeting hundreds of women and girls of all ages, and predominantly of the Kuki ethnic minority. The alleged violence includes gang rape, parading women naked in the street, severe beatings causing death, and burning them alive or dead, the experts said. The experts also pointed to an inadequate humanitarian response in the wake of the grave humanitarian situation in Manipur following the latest round of community conflict between the predominantly Hindu Meitei and the predominantly Christian Kuki ethnic communities that erupted in May 2023. US First Lady Jill Biden has tested for Covid, the White House said. President Joe Biden, who will be visiting India for the G20 Summit has tested negative. The 72-year-old first lady has been experiencing only mild symptoms, her office said, adding that she will remain in the couples home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Biden, 80, was administered a Covid test on Monday evening and the report was negative, the White House said. It even said the US President will continue regular testing and monitor for symptoms. The White House did not provide an immediate response to an inquiry related to potential impact of Bidens foreign travel plans. As per the US Presidents official schedule for the week, released shortly after the first ladys diagnosis, Biden will be travelling to New Delhi on Thursday to participate in the G20 Summit, followed by a schedule flight to Hanoi on Sunday. Jill Biden last tested positive for Covid a year ago. Over the recent week, the United States has been witnessing spike in Covid cases and surge in hospitalisation. According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 15,067 new COVID patient hospitalisations for the week ending Aug. 19, marking an 18.8 per cent jump from the week before, and a staggering 86.9 per cent increase over the past month. The CDC said it expects anywhere from 1,700 to 9,700 daily COVID admissions by the end of September. With inputs from agencies Samsung India has unveiled the eighth edition of its pan-India campus program, Samsung E.D.G.E, aimed at engaging young talents from Indias premier institutions. This initiative provides students with a unique opportunity to work on real-world problem statements, learn from Samsungs top leaders, and craft innovative solutions. The program will involve students from 35 campuses, including prestigious B-Schools, engineering colleges, and design schools. It will be conducted in three rounds, starting with ideation, where teams will create executive case summaries based on extensive research and analysis. Following this, 45 shortlisted teams will progress to the regional round, delving deeper into the case study and presenting comprehensive solutions. The top 10 teams emerging from the regional round will receive mentorship from Samsung leaders to refine their solutions. These final 10 teams will then compete in a National Round, with the top three teams earning cash prizes, a flagship Galaxy smartphone, and the potential opportunity to collaborate with Samsung. Each team can consist of up to three students from various specializations, with a focus on demonstrating cutting-edge innovation and leadership skills. The program, which began in December 2016, serves as a platform for Indias brightest talents to exchange insights and gain a head start in their careers. Students can know more about the program and register on Samsung India edge program microsite. Regarding the announcement, Sameer Wadhawan, Head, Human Resources, Samsung India, said, felicilin at 5-09-2023 08:23 AM (1 month ago) (f) The United Kingdom (UK) has announced that Visa is not enough for people wishing to enter the country. The United Kingdom (UK) has announced that Visa is not enough for people wishing to enter the country. The UK government on Monday, September 4 announced that Nigerians and other citizens, except British and Irish nationals, wishing to enter the country must apply for Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). The new rule becomes effective from November 15, 2023, and applies to everyone, including children. The new travel rule means that all visa applicants wishing to travel to the UK need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) card before they enter or transit through the country. The UK home office said persons who need the travel permit are those who were previously eligible to visit the UK without a visa and not already legally resident in the UK. Also listed for ETA are those on visits shorter than six months, business people, tourism, and those visiting family and friends. Applicants are required to apply online before booking any travel to the UK. Once granted, it will be valid for multiple journeys over two years or until the passport one is applying with expires. According to the UK Home Office, travellers with valid visas may not be allowed to board without a valid ETA, as the ETA is digitally linked to travellers passports. A statement from the UK office reads: The UK government on Monday, September 4 announced that Nigerians and other citizens, except British and Irish nationals, wishing to enter the country must apply for Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). The new rule becomes effective from November 15, 2023, and applies to everyone, including children.The new travel rule means that all visa applicants wishing to travel to the UK need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) card before they enter or transit through the country.The UK home office said persons who need the travel permit are those who were previously eligible to visit the UK without a visa and not already legally resident in the UK.Also listed for ETA are those on visits shorter than six months, business people, tourism, and those visiting family and friends. Applicants are required to apply online before booking any travel to the UK. Once granted, it will be valid for multiple journeys over two years or until the passport one is applying with expires.According to the UK Home Office, travellers with valid visas may not be allowed to board without a valid ETA, as the ETA is digitally linked to travellers passports.A statement from the UK office reads: Quote The UK travel requirements are changing. Except for British and Irish citizens, everyone, including children who enter or transit through the UK, will soon require permission before they travel. This means that if you were previously eligible to visit the UK without a visa and not already legally resident in the UK, you will need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), your stay must be shorter than six months and could include tourism or visiting family and friends, transit, business, and short term study. You do not need to show a paper copy, but it may be helpful to prove the confirmation email for your own records while an ETA grants you permission to travel to the UK, it does not grant you entry. So, you would still need to go through passport control at the border to enter the UK. Make sure you show the same passport you used to apply for your ETA and that your passport is valid for the whole of your stay. Post Reply Posted: at 5-09-2023 08:23 AM (1 month ago) | Addicted Hero Microsoft's Long-Running WordPad to Be Removed After Nearly 30 Years News oi -Kabir Jain In a decision that tugs at the heartstrings of long-time Windows users, Microsoft has officially declared the retirement of the iconic WordPad application, a program that has been a faithful companion for nearly three decades. The End of an Era Since its debut alongside Windows 95, WordPad has been a constant companion for Windows users. It's a basic word processing program that serves as a straightforward text editor, designed for users who require document creation and editing capabilities without the advanced features available in Microsoft Word or other fully-featured word processing software. Microsoft's Announcement Microsoft's decision to retire WordPad is not just about phasing out an old application; it's about encouraging users to embrace more powerful tools. According to a report from IANS, the main reason behind discontinuing WordPad is the absence of updates. The company has made it clear that WordPad will no longer receive updates, making it vulnerable to potential security risks and compatibility issues in the future. Embracing Microsoft Word & Notepad Microsoft is suggesting a straightforward alternative for those who have been using WordPad for their document needs: Microsoft Word. Word, a paid word processing software, has always offered a much broader range of features compared to the basic WordPad application. It's the go-to choice for anyone who needs to create rich text documents in formats like .doc and .rtf. For users who only require plain text documents, Microsoft recommends using Windows Notepad. Notable Updates for Notepad Interestingly, Microsoft's decision to retire WordPad comes shortly after they unveiled updates for Notepad. Traditionally, Notepad offered limited functionality, primarily allowing users to enter and format text. However, Microsoft has recently announced new features like autosave and tab management that will be added to the application. In more Microsoft news, the company is getting ready to introduce Windows 12, and although specific details are scarce, reports suggest that it will incorporate AI-powered features with a rumored release window of 2024. Via Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Motorola Moto G54 5G Launched: Check Specs, Features, Launch, Price, And Availability Of Budget Android Smartp News oi -Alap Naik Desai Motorola has launched its latest Android smartphone. The Motorola Moto G54 5G is an aggressively priced feature-packed 5G-enabled smartphone. The Moto G54 5G is now officially available in China, and it will arrive in India tomorrow, September 6, 2023. Let's look at the specifications, features, price, and availability of the Moto G54 5G. Motorola Moto G54 5G Price, Availability Motorola recently launched the Moto G84 5G in the Indian market. Despite being a new device and priced attractively, the latest Motorola midrange smartphone packs an older Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC, which powers its predecessor, the Moto G82. The Motorola Moto G54 5G, however, appears to be an entirely new Android smartphone, powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7020 SoC. There are two variants of the Moto G54 5G launched in China. This is the moto g54 5G pic.twitter.com/ZX11R4dWOP Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) September 5, 2023 The Motorola Moto G54 5G with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage is priced at just Yuan 1,099 (approx. $150 / 12,500). The Moto G54 5G will also be available with 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage at a slightly higher price. The Motorola Moto G54 5G will be launched in India tomorrow, September 6, 2023. Its price in India could be higher than the Chinese prices. Motorola Moto G54 5G (Indian / Chinese) Specifications, Features Motorola has built two models of the Moto G54 5G. In other words, Indian smartphone buyers will get a different model of the smartphone with slightly varying specifications and features. Both the Chinese and Indian models of the Motorola Moto G54 5G feature a 6.5-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD panel with 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a responsive 240Hz touch sampling rate. Both models have a 50MP primary camera on the back and a 16MP front-facing camera for selfies, video calls, and face unlock. Both models feature a dual rear camera setup. While the Chinese variant of the Motorola Moto G54 5G has a 2MP (depth) secondary camera on the back, the Indian model has an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens. The Dimensity 7020 SoC is paired with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. The smartphone runs Android 13 with a custom layer of MyUX. Motorola has promised 3 years of software support and a single major OS update. Two stunning colors, one tough choice! Which of these vibrant shades - Mint Green or Pearl Blue - captures your heart? Tell us in the comments below! Don't forget to use #motog54_5G, #GoBeyondSpeed. Motorola India (@motorolaindia) September 4, 2023 The Indian variant of the Moto G54 5G will pack a 6000mAh battery, which supports 33W wired fast charging. The Chinese model packs a 5000mAh battery that supports 15W wired fast charging. Motorola is expected to include a 33W charger in the Indian retail box of the Moto G54 5G. The Chinese variant of the Motorola smartphone is available in three Vegan Leather finish options: Blue, Green, and Magenta. The Indian variant will be available in Mint Green, Midnight Blue, and Pearl Blue. This variant will have a "glass-like" plastic finish. 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 New Nokia 5G smartphone launch date in India confirmed for September 6 News -Kuldeep Singh Nokia, a global name in the smartphone industry, is set to launch a new 5G device in India to increase its 5G mobile phone portfolio. Specific features of the smartphone remain undisclosed, but it is expected to strengthen the 5G segment in India. Launching soon, this latest offering follows recent releases, including the Nokia G310 5G in the US. Nokia, a popular name in the smartphone industry, is ready to bolster its 5G mobile phone portfolio in India with a new, unnamed device. The much-anticipated unveiling teaser of this new Nokia 5G phone was released on September 2 in India via X.com, formerly known as Twitter. The forthcoming mid-range smartphone's details are clandestinely kept under wraps. Even though specific details about its upcoming flagship are yet to be disclosed, Nokia India has revealed that the smartphone will be launched on September 6. Nokia 5G Smartphone in India As per the teaser, the device boasts curved corners, while being light on other information. Speculation about the new device continues to circulate, underpinning the anticipation. On the heels of the launch last month of the Nokia G310 5G and Nokia C210 in the US, Nokia's newest offering is poised to invigorate the 5G smartphone segment in India. Nokia G310 5G Specifications The Nokia G310 5G is equipped with a Snapdragon 480+ 5G SoC, coupled with a solid 4GB of RAM, and runs Android 13 straight off the box. The handset boasts a sizeable 6.56 inch HD+ (720 x 1,612 pixels) display with a 20:9 aspect ratio and a 90Hz refresh rate. Are you ready to experience speed with Nokia 5G smartphone? Stay tuned for the announcement on September 6, 2023.#Nokiaphone #5G #ComingSoon pic.twitter.com/XigoMvfxAW Nokia Mobile India (@NokiamobileIN) September 2, 2023 It comes with a robust 5000mAh battery support for 20W fast charging. Its durability is backed an IP52 rating, denoting its resistance against dust and splashes. The Nokia G310 5G promises commendable reception and calls, thanks to features like Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 5.1, GPS/AGPS, USB OTG, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. 5G for the Masses The phone is also equipped with Nokia's proprietary QuickFix technology that empowers users to carry out quick self-repair work. Through the launching of varied 5G smartphones, Nokia stays committed to its strategy of bringing 5G technology to more people. Whether it be the recently launched Nokia G310 or the newly teased 5G model, Nokia continues to pave the way for affordable and powerful 5G smartphones. Source FAQ's Is there a new Nokia 5G smartphone launching in India? Yes, there is news about a new Nokia 5G smartphone launching in India. What is the impact of the new Nokia 5G smartphone on Nokia's portfolio in India? The new Nokia 5G smartphone is set to enhance and bolster Nokia's 5G line-up in India. Is there any first-hand information available about the new Nokia 5G smartphone? The article mentions that there is first-hand information about the device, however, specific details are still under wraps. Is the new Nokia 5G smartphone a part of Nokia's 5G line-up in India? Yes, the new Nokia 5G smartphone is a part of Nokia's 5G line-up in India. What does the new Nokia 5G smartphone signify for Nokia in India? The new Nokia 5G smartphone signifies an enhancement and strengthening of Nokia's 5G portfolio in India. Best Mobiles in India M. Blaszczak: We are preparing the second phase of Polish-Korean cooperation involving the production of military equipment in Poland Republic of Poland 31.08.2023 "I am very grateful to the Minister for the fact that we have achieved so much by working together. We have achieved a lot for security and ensuring peace - by strengthening the Polish Armed Forces and by implementing the policy of deterrence in practice. It is the decision of the Polish authorities to focus on investing in security, to strengthen the Polish Armed Forces, to develop them.(...) We are preparing the second phase of our cooperation involving the production of military equipment in Poland," said Minister M. Blaszczak. - Minister M. Blaszczak said after the conclusion of talks with the South Korean delegation. On 31 August, talks between Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak and Lee Jon-sup, Minister of Defence of South Korea, took place in Warsaw. The main topic of the talks was the further strengthening the bilateral cooperation. The effects of this cooperation are tangible. Millions of people were able to enjoy the grand parade in Warsaw on 15 August. During this parade, modern equipment manufactured in Korea was presented. I have in mind here K2 tanks, K9 howitzers, FA-50 aircrafts (...) In the hands of Polish soldiers this equipment really is the equipment which guarantees safety. - emphasised the head of the Ministry of Defence. The security situation and issues of technical modernisation and further arms cooperation were also discussed during the meeting. We will jointly organise a demonstration of the Polish Armed Forces' defence capabilities at Bemowo Piskie on 17 September, as part of the 'Autumn Fire' [Polish: Jesienny Ogien] exercise. There we will be able to marvel at the effectiveness of Korean equipment in the hands of Polish crews. There, we will also be able to admire the Chunmoo, a missile system with a range of up to 300 km on Polish Jelches. Already the first copies of this weapon are in our country. - Minister M. Blaszczak added. In recent years, the partnership between the Polish and Korean industries has strengthened as a result of the conclusion of bilateral agreements for the supply of the Polish Armed Forces, which included K2 tanks, K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers, FA-50 light combat aircraft or K239 Chunmoo multi-launchers. Once again, I thank you for the cooperation so far, but I emphasise that there is still much to be done. This is a mutually beneficial cooperation - both for Poland and for Korea.(...) I am convinced that together we will achieve success. - Minister Baszczak concluded. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Nigerien Forces Sent to France's Military Base to Monitor Soldiers - Reports Sputnik News 20230903 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Soldiers of the Nigerien armed forces have been sent to France's military base in the capital city of Niamey to monitor French servicemen and women after the demands to withdraw from the country, Al Jazeera has reported, citing a source. The report said that Nigerien troops had received an order to monitor French soldiers at their base, who had not withdrawn from the country despite the termination of defense agreements between the two countries following the military takeover. On Sunday, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna told French media that the French military was unable to carry out its duties in Niger due to a lack of cooperation with Nigerien troops after the takeover in the African country in July. On Friday, mass demonstration took place near the French military base in the Nigerien capital, with protesters demanding that French forces leave the country, a Sputnik correspondent reported. Demonstrators were chanting slogans in support of the Nigerien National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), as well as of Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea that supported the military takeover in Niger, the correspondent added. The protests continued through Saturday, media reported. Earlier last week, Sky News Arabia reported that the CNSP, which was formed by the military that staged a coup in Niger in July, demanded a complete withdrawal of French troops from the country by September 3. It also announced the cancellation of all security and military agreements with France. On August 18, local media reported that Burkina Faso and Mali had deployed combat aircraft to respond to any military aggression against Niger. Guinea was the first country to back the Nigerien military. On July 26, Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted and detained by his own guard, led by Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani. France condemned the action, while expressing support for "the legitimate government" of its former colony. For their part, the rebels halted gold and uranium exports to France, blocked French media, and denounced several military pacts with Paris. In mid-August, they also demanded that French troops leave the country by early September. Since the takeover, mass rallies have taken place in Niger demanding the complete withdrawal of French troops from the country. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sweden's Liberals Call For Permanent Deployment of NATO Bases in Country Sputnik News 20230903 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Sweden's Liberals advocate permanent deployment of NATO bases in the country after accession to the alliance, party leader Johan Pehrson said on Sunday. "I think it should be clear that this is a way to enhance the security of the Swedish people in a situation where the outside world can pose a very serious threat to Sweden ... We will now have a completely different task in our part of the world, in our part of NATO. This, in our view, will mean the need for permanent NATO bases," Pehrson told local radio. The politician also spoke in favor of the continued presence of NATO forces in the country in times of peace, saying that "freedom must be protected." Sweden, along with Finland, submitted its NATO application in May 2022, several months after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine. Finland became a member of the alliance in April 2023. Sweden's application is still pending ratification by Hungary and Turkey. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gabon coup leader takes presidential oath Iran Press TV Monday, 04 September 2023 4:39 PM General Brice Oligui Nguema has taken the oath of office as Gabon's interim president, less than a week after he led a coup that toppled the 55-year-old ruling dynasty. Oligui, the head of the republican guard, led officers in detaining President Ali Bongo Ondimba in the early hours of July 30, moments after the election body announced President Ali Bongo had won a third term. Hours later, the president appeared in a video and called on his "friends" to "make noise." He said he was under house arrest at his residence and that his wife and son were being held separately. In a speech after taking the oath, General Oligui promised "free, transparent and credible elections" to restore civilian rule. He said he was seeking the participation of all "core groups" in the country to draft a new constitution, which "will be adopted by referendum." The general did not give a timeframe for election though. "When the people are crushed by their leaders ... it's the army that gives them back their dignity," he said. "People of Gabon, today the times of happiness that our ancestors dreamt of are finally coming." Oligui said he would instruct the future government "to consider ways of amnestying prisoners of conscience" and "facilitating the return of all exiles" from abroad. The general strongly defended last week's coup, describing it as a moment of national liberation and a manifestation of God's will. He said the military had acted to save lives following "an electoral process that was obviously loaded." After detaining the president, the coup leaders said they had dissolved the institutions, cancelled the election results and temporarily closed the borders. In his remarks on Monday, Oligui hit out at "international organizations" for criticizing the military takeover. "We are greatly surprised to hear certain international organizations condemn the act taken by soldiers who were simply upholding their oath to the flag - to save their country at the risk of their lives." The United States, Britain, France and certain other states have condemned the coup in Gabon. Gabon joined Mali, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Niger in the ranks of African countries that have undergone coups in the past three years. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel launches large-scale raid on Jenin, arrests Palestinians Iran Press TV Monday, 04 September 2023 10:42 AM Israeli forces, backed by drones and a helicopter, have stormed the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp, sparking clashes with local Palestinians and resistance fighters. Citing local sources, the WAFA news agency reported that the occupation soldiers used more than 40 military vehicles in their raid on the Palestinian city on Monday morning. The report said that four people were lightly wounded by Israeli fire. The Israeli forces arrested three people, two of whom were injured, it added. The Israeli military said in a statement that its troops were operating at the Jenin refugee camp to arrest "wanted" Palestinians. The Jenin Brigades resistance group posted a photo of an Israeli suicide drone that it had shot down. Reports said a Palestinian resistance fighter had survived the drone assassination attempt. On July 3-4, the Tel Aviv regime waged an aerial and ground offensive against Jenin. At least 14 Palestinians were killed and 140 others injured during the aggression. Israel launches raids on various West Bank cities almost on a daily basis under the pretext of detaining what it calls "wanted" Palestinians. The attacks usually lead to violent confrontations with residents. At least 230 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of the year. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Solomon Islands says Australia to enlarge, extend security deployment Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said "huge" security support is needed for the Pacific Games, national elections. By Stephen Wright for BenarNews 2023.09.04 -- Australia will increase its security force in the Solomon Islands to help ensure stability during the Pacific Games and next year's national elections, according to the island country's government. The Solomon Islands, which has caused concern for the United States and Australia by forging closer ties with China, is expected to receive thousands of visitors in November for the 24-nation Pacific Games and also will hold its delayed national elections in the first half of 2024. "The security support needed for both events is huge and Australia's affirmative response will definitely fill security gaps," the office of Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said in a statement Monday. The statement, without giving numbers, said Australia will increase personnel deployed in the Solomon Islands and extend the broader security deployment, which began in late 2021 in response to a domestic crisis, until the middle of next year. The Solomon Islands, home to some 700,000 people, has become a focus of the U.S.-China competition for influence in the Pacific and has sought to benefit from the rivalry by securing more development assistance. Sogavare's government switched its diplomatic recognition to China from Taiwan in 2019 and signed a security pact with Beijing last year that the United States feared could pave the way for a Chinese military presence in the region. China has bankrolled more than half the cost of hosting the 2023 Pacific Games including the construction of a 10,000 seat stadium. Australia sent more than 200 police and troops to the Solomon Islands in December 2021 at the request of Sogavare following anti-China and anti-government riots in the capital Honiara. Fiji, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand also sent forces. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday that "Australia is proud to be Solomon Islands' primary security partner." A spokesperson for the department said additional security personnel will be sent for the Pacific Games in the capital Honiara and Australia's contribution to the Solomons International Assistance Force-which is the bulk of that force-will continue until June 2024 to provide security for the national elections. The statement from Sogavare's office said the formal request for additional security assistance was made to Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in early August. Australia also will provide support for an increase in security forces from Papua New Guinea, the statement said. Papua New Guinea, meanwhile, is providing Solomon Islands with an electronic visitor processing system for the Pacific Games, according to a Papua New Guinea government statement last week. Relations between Australia and the Solomon Islands appeared to dive in July when the Pacific island country signed a police cooperation agreement with China during Sogavare's second visit to Beijing since 2019. Sogavare accused Australia of interfering in Solomon Islands' internal affairs after it called for the police agreement to be made public. Both China and Australia have been providing training and equipment to the Solomon Islands police, including weapons, sparking concern their rivalry could cause new instability in a South Pacific country that spiraled into chaos only two decades ago. In November last year, China handed over two water cannon trucks, 30 motorbikes and 20 white utility vehicles emblazoned with the red China Aid logo to Solomon Islands police while Australia donated 60 MK18 rifles and 13 vehicles, some of which will be used in a new mobile protection unit for VIPs. The Solomon Islands statement indicated that officials have been discussing security relations between Australia and the Solomon Islands beyond June 2024. "PM Sogavare encouraged officials of both countries to continue discussions on a comprehensive security partnership," it said. Sogavare has previously said the existing security agreement between Australia and the Solomon Islands needs to be reviewed to take into account challenges faced by both countries. Story updated to add comment from Australian Department of Foreign Affairs. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news service. 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 September 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 Afghan Women On Hunger Strike In Germany To Protest Taliban's 'Gender Apartheid' By RFE/RL's Radio Azadi September 04, 2023 A group of Afghan women's rights activists have launched a hunger strike in Germany to protest against the policies of the ruling Taliban that limit the rights and freedoms of Afghan women. The hunger strikers, who have set up camp in the German city of Cologne, want the Taliban's policies against women to be internationally recognized as "gender apartheid." After returning to power two years ago, the hard-line Islamist group has banned women from education and from working in most economic sectors. It has also imposed strict restrictions on their movement and how they can appear in public. In the latest prohibitions, the Taliban has banned women from public parks and closed women-only parks. "We want the ongoing gender apartheid in Afghanistan to be formally recognized as such," Tamana Zaryab Paryani, one of the protesting women, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Paryani, who noted her state of health was "not really good," said they decided to launch the strike three days ago after hundreds of protests inside Afghanistan and internationally failed to produce any results. "We wanted the discrimination [against women] to end, but it didn't happen," she added. In a July report, UN experts said that the situation of girls and women in Afghanistan was the worst in the world and added that systematic restrictions on women and girls could amount to "gender apartheid." "Our protest also aims to secure the release of political prisoners in Afghanistan," said Fatima Zahra, another protester in Cologne. She said that they want all financial support for the Taliban to end. "The Taliban [leaders'] trips to other countries need to end because most of them are already on [terrorism] blacklists," she told Radio Azadi. In a statement last month, Sima Bahous, the executive director of UN Women, declared the Taliban policies to be gender apartheid. "They have created a system founded on the mass oppression of women that is rightly and widely considered gender apartheid," she said. Bahous said that since returning to power, the Taliban "has imposed the most comprehensive, systematic, and unparalleled assault on the rights of women and girls" through "more than 50 edicts, orders, and restrictions." The Taliban, however, has so far resisted all international and domestic pressure calling for a change in their policies toward women. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-women-gender- apartheid/32578004.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 Wider Europe Briefing: NATO's Busy Autumn And How The EU Will Cope With A Glut Of Ukrainian Food By Rikard Jozwiak September 04, 2023 Brief #1: What Is NATO Up To This Autumn? What You Need To Know: After an eventful summit in Vilnius in July, NATO will return in the next few months to "bread and butter" issues. That means various military exercises, at least two ministerial meetings in Brussels before the end of the year (one for the bloc's defense ministers, the other for its foreign ministers) and possibly welcoming a new member, Sweden. There was an agreement between Stockholm and Ankara at the Vilnius summit that appeared to pave the way for Swedish membership. But the ratification process still hasn't begun in either Turkey or Hungary, which has pledged to align its policy with Ankara's. NATO officials I've spoken to on condition of anonymity still believe Sweden will become a member this autumn, most likely in October, despite recent comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinting that Sweden must first look into the Koran burnings there over the summer to avoid further slowing the ratification process. Deep Background: While NATO waits to welcome member No. 32, its autumn will essentially consist of implementing some of the things decided on in Vilnius. For example, are the updated defense plans outlining how NATO should respond if any member's territory is attacked truly sufficient? According to NATO sources I spoke to: "This autumn it is about checking the executability of our plans," or "putting flesh to the bones." In other words, are there enough combat-ready troops and military equipment to quickly come to the defense of potential frontline member states in the east? NATO will need the answers by the end of the year. Then there's the issue of turning the multinational battalions in the three Baltic states and Poland into brigades, going from roughly 1,000 troops to something closer to 3,000-5,000. This takes longer, as it requires facilities like housing and bigger training ranges for the new arrivals. Preparations can seemingly be completed in Lithuania, where Germany is the lead nation, by early 2024, and a bit later in the year in the other places. Drilling Down: We are also likely to see the first-ever NATO-Ukraine Council at the ministerial level (the council met on the ambassadorial level over the summer) when NATO defense ministers meet in Brussels on October 12-13 for their regular autumn ministerial session. The council was created in Vilnius and is meant to upgrade Kyiv's relations with the alliance. The idea now is to ensure the NATO-Ukraine Council is a more useful forum for Ukraine to approach NATO membership than its "predecessor," the NATO-Ukraine Commission. In the council, Ukraine will be sitting as a sort of coequal, with the right to call meetings with the military alliance whenever it sees fit. The big question is whether that's enough. NATO will work on two documents in the autumn to define its relationship with Kyiv: an annual national program for Ukraine and a proper work program for the NATO-Ukraine Council. This is very much a bureaucratic exercise. But for Ukraine's biggest supporters inside the bloc, known as the Bucharest Eight, the most important thing is that these papers avoid any new milestones or additional conditions for Ukraine to finally become a member. For the Bucharest Eight -- Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia -- the aim is clear: Ukraine is already interoperable with the alliance and a political decision is all that remains, i.e. should Ukraine become a NATO member soon or not? What is less clear is whether this decision will come at the next NATO summit in Washington, D.C. in July 2024. Of course, with so much dependent on the course of the war in Ukraine, it is far too early to make predictions. But it is worth noting that the summit will fall in the middle of the U.S. presidential campaign season; and given that the United States and Germany were among the most vocal skeptics in Vilnius of offering Ukraine a clear pathway to membership, chances are slim that the American position will shift much next year. It is entirely possible that the Washington summit becomes a one-day celebration of NATO turning 75, with few real political decisions taken. In the meantime, NATO will keep a keen eye on the Ukrainian counteroffensive. A few officials I have spoken to acknowledge that the counteroffensive may not have been as impressive as some perhaps were hoping for initially, but they are quick to caution that it is easy to sit far away in safety and make such remarks. Another description you hear a lot from NATO HQ when describing Kyiv's push to recover more territory is "steady and incremental" along with appreciative comments that Kyiv is managing this without air support. While the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16s is slowly starting now in places like Denmark, the Netherlands, and Romania, the jets won't be used in Ukrainian skies until next year. Aside from the war, speculation will intensify over top positions at NATO. Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg recently agreed to stay on for another year, but he will step down at the Washington summit after a decade in the job. There is some clamoring for the military alliance's first female head, but don't rule out the outgoing Dutch Premier Mark Rutte or Pedro Sanchez if he fails to cobble together a new Spanish government. The chair of the NATO military committee, one of the foremost military leaders in the organization, will also be up for grabs, with incumbent Dutchman Rob Bauer set to leave in 2024 and the current chief of the Italian Defense Staff, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, a favorite to replace him. Cybersecurity is also increasingly important for the alliance. Watch for its first-ever cyberdefense conference, in Berlin in November, bringing together high-level political leaders, military experts, and potentially even private-sector players. Brief #2: What To Do With The Glut Of Ukrainian Food In The EU? What You Need To Know: The European Commission is facing tricky decisions in the coming weeks over the influx of Ukrainian agricultural products into the European Union. September 15 marks the end of the so-called temporary preventive measures that have allowed wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seed from Ukraine to transit through Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. All four of those commodities must remain "unsealed" until they reach other EU member states -- ideally to EU ports to be shipped on to developing nations around the world. These measures came about in early May after Poland, then Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria unilaterally shut their borders to all Ukrainian exports a month earlier, complaining that a glut of Ukrainian agricultural goods was filling up local storage and depressing prices for local farmers. The European Commission scrambled for a solution that would satisfy the five frontline states (the above-mentioned four plus Romania) while being acceptable for Kyiv. There was also a need to ensure that Ukrainian agriproducts reached third countries, notably in Africa and Asia, that have reported food shortages. Moreover, there was evident interest in safeguarding against major distortions on the EU's internal market -- something that the European Commission is officially in charge of. That's a lot of circles to square, and Brussels' solution in early May was to agree to preventive measures regarding the four products for the five frontline countries for one month, plus financial compensation for their farmers. In June, the measures were prolonged with the understanding that they would be phased out on September 15 and, in a separate decision, the EU approved the extension by another year of a tariff-free regime with Ukraine covering all Ukrainian products entering the bloc. Deep Background: Now the five frontline EU member states are pushing for an extension until the end of the year. You have crucial parliamentary elections in Slovakia on September 30 and in Poland on October 15, and farmers are an important and influential constituency in both countries. The European Commission does have some understanding for the five, and numbers back up their worries. Before 2022, EU agricultural imports from Ukraine totaled 7 billion euros, and 90 percent came via the Black Sea route. By 2022, that figure had risen to 13 billion euros and 5 billion of the additional 6 billion euros of goods ended up on the markets of the frontline EU states. The big culprit here is, of course, Russia, which has severely hampered Ukraine's lucrative Black Sea trade. Since the outbreak of the war, 40 percent of Ukrainian grain has been exported via the Black Sea Grain Initiative that expired in July after Russia opted not to renew it. Turkey, which was key to the 2022 initiative that was struck to alleviate the global food shortage by opening trade from a handful of Ukrainian ports, has been working hard to resuscitate the deal. President Erdogan was expected to push for its renewal during a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on September 4. There's a question, however, as to whether Russia is interested in a renewal. By strangling the Ukrainian Black Sea option, which normally allows for larger and cheaper worldwide exports with huge cargo ships compared to transporting overland in the EU, Russia has seemingly outmaneuvered an important trade competitor and made its own grain cheaper and more lucrative worldwide. Drilling Down: Ukraine obviously wants the temporary measures removed on September 15 but finds itself in a difficult situation when it comes to its agricultural products. Only 3 percent of the products that are currently transported via the EU's solidarity lanes instead of the Black Sea route are being shipped from the EU to third countries. There simply aren't many global buyers for such expensive goods. Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain have instead increased Ukrainian imports, especially of maize, which is vital to feeding livestock and boosting meat production. instead of the Black Sea route are being shipped from the EU to third countries. There simply aren't many global buyers for such expensive goods. Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain have instead increased Ukrainian imports, especially of maize, which is vital to feeding livestock and boosting meat production. The EU is also investing to the tune of 1 billion euros to improve the Solidarity lanes -- and to reduce the costs for Ukrainian traders. The most obvious remedies include removing bottlenecks on various EU-Ukrainian border crossings by streamlining customs services, improving roads leading to the crossing, and increasing personnel there. But such measures take time to implement. The Baltic states have suggested easing the administrative burden on the EU-Ukrainian borders by shifting customs, veterinary, and phytosanitary controls to five Baltic ports (Tallinn, Riga, Ventspils, Liepaja, and Klaipeda), which have a combined annual capacity of 25 million tons. Croatia has also suggested using its Adriatic ports in a similar way. Currently, the most likely scenario is a prolongation of the preventive measures, judging by indications I've gotten from EU officials. And not only that. The frontline five want more products, including eggs and poultry, added to the four types of goods already listed. The European Commission has so far indicated there is no great influx from Ukraine of eggs or poultry. Raspberries, however, might be added after what one European Commission official described to me as a "drastic increase" in the EU market. The European Commissioner for agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, recently floated the idea of compensating Kyiv along with any extension. Noting that EU transit costs around 30 euros per ton and Ukraine needs to export around 20 million tons of food produce in the coming months, the European Commission would offer 600 million euros to Kyiv. This would act as a sort of economic subsidy to Ukrainian traders to enable the transport of grain all the way to EU ports. Ukraine would reportedly consider such an option, but it's unclear whether the entire European Commission would agree to the compensation. Expect that some sort of solution will be forthcoming as early as this week, especially given that a working platform set up in May to tackle the issue comprising relevant officials from the five frontline states, Ukraine, and the European Commission will discuss the issue in Brussels on September 5 as the bloc's agricultural ministers are meeting in the Spanish city of Cordoba on September 4-5. Looking Ahead Most eyes this week will turn to New Delhi and the G20 summit there on September 9-10. EU institutions will be represented by both European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel. The leaders of France, Germany, and Italy are also expected to come, as are the premiers of the Netherlands and Spain, both of whom are invited as G20 guests. Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, will replace him in India him due to Putin's "busy schedule." India is not a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader, so they are not obliged act on that warrant. Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani will be in Brussels on September 7. Among other things, she will visit NATO HQ in order to share information on the latest security developments in Kosovo. NATO boosted its presence there in May after its KFOR peacekeeping troops were attacked by ethnic Serbs following the forcible seating of ethnic Albanian mayors after boycotted elections in the Serb-dominated north. A week later, on September 14, Brussels will host the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo for another round of the EU-mediated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, the first such meeting since that violent episode. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-briefing- jozwiak-nato-ukrainian-food/32577569.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 Kosovo's President Accuses Serbia Of Following 'Putin's Plan' By Destabilizing Balkans By RFE/RL's Balkan Service September 04, 2023 Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani has accused Serbia of trying to destabilize the Western Balkans in a similar fashion to how she said Russia acted against Ukraine in 2014. Speaking during a visit to the Albanian capital, Tirana, on September 4, Osmani cited the conflict in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region, where Russian-backed separatists fought Ukrainian government forces, and the subsequent annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula as reference points for actions now being taken by Serbia in flashpoints across the region. "By precisely implementing the plan that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin implemented in 2014 against Ukraine, [Serbian President Aleksandar] Vucic and Serbia are aiming to destabilize the entire Western Balkans, and through the destabilization of our region attack the values and the system of values on which the EU and NATO stand," Osmani said. Osmani did not provide any evidence to support her claims and Serbian officials did not immediately respond to her statement. Tensions between majority Albanians in Kosovo and local Serbs supported by Belgrade erupted into ethnic violence that injured dozens of NATO peacekeepers in northern Kosovo in late May, after municipal elections a month earlier that were boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The United States and European Union each criticized Pristina's lack of coordination when it tried to forcibly install ethnic Albanian mayors in Serb-majority areas in late May. Weeks later, Serbian authorities detained three Kosovar police officers near their mutual border under unclear circumstances and held them for days. The role of Serbian agitators in the violence and tough rhetoric from Serbia's Vucic helped fuel criticism among international observers that the West was bending too much to accommodate Belgrade in the long-running spat. Relations between Serbia and its former province have been on edge for more than two decades. EU-mediated talks have failed to normalize relations between Serbia and Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 and is recognized by more than 100 countries but not Serbia, Russia, nor a handful of EU member states. In neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina, the situation is similar with Milorad Dodik, the president of the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska, pursuing increasingly nationalist and secessionist policies while seeking closer ties with Serbia and Russia. Kosovo's 1998-99 war of independence from Serbia left more than 10,000 people dead -- most of them ethnic Albanians. More than 1,600 people are still considered missing. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kosovo-osmani-serbia-vucic-russian- plan/32578187.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 Algerian Military Fires on Jet Skiers From Morocco, Killing Two Sputnik News 20230904 Egor Shapovalov Algerian officials claimed that their military fired "multiple" warning shots before opening fire on a group of jet skiers who inadvertently crossed into Algerian territory from Morocco as they were exploring the coastline near the Moroccan resort town of Saidia. The harrowing encounter reportedly resulted in the untimely deaths of two jet skiers, Bilal Kissi and Abdelali Mechouar. The heartbreaking event has sparked outrage in both Morocco and Algeria, with demands for a thorough investigation and justice for the victims. The family of Abdelali Mechouar is pleading for its loved one to be allowed a proper burial. The body of the other victim, Bilal Kissi, was fished out at sea by fisherman and has been buried. This incident has further exacerbated the longstanding tensions between Algeria and Morocco, with the border between the two nations having been sealed since 1994 and diplomatic ties severed in 2021. Algeria's defense ministry released a statement to justify officials' actions, citing the presence of drug smuggling gangs and organized crime in the maritime border area as the reason for their Coast Guard's decision to first fire warning shots. "After multiple attempts, shots were fired on a jet ski," reads the statement. However, Mohamed Kissi, one of the survivors, disputes this account, asserting that they never heard any warning shots and were fired upon directly without provocation. "I did not hear any warning shots. I only heard gunshots directly that killed my brother Bilal," said Kissi. Kissi added that the group was low on fuel and accidentally floated into Algerian waters. The situation took a dire turn when Smail Snabi, another member of their group, was detained by Algerian authorities, and it was reported that he has already been sentenced to 18 months in jail. Adding to the complexity of the situation, the survivors, including Bilal and Mohamed Kissi, hold dual Moroccan and French citizenship, intensifying international interest and concern. Morocco's National Human Rights Council has issued a stern condemnation of the shooting and has demanded Snabi's immediate release. France's Foreign Ministry is actively engaged in discussions with both the affected families and Moroccan authorities. Algerian authorities have remained silent on the matter, deepening the worries surrounding the tragic incident. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gabon Military Leader Sworn in Amid Calls for Return to Constitutional Order By Moki Edwin Kindzeka September 04, 2023 The leader of the coup that ousted Gabonese President Ali Bongo was sworn in Monday, amid international calls for a return to constitutional order. VOA visited Bitam, a town in northern Gabon near the border with Cameroon, to gauge people's moods. Scores of people in Bitam watch Gabon's national TV broadcasting the inauguration of General Brice Oligui Nguema as interim president. Bitam is a commercial town in the north of Gabon, near the Cameroonian border. During a ceremony attended by politicians, diplomats, clerics, the military and a huge crowd of civilians, the military leader pledged to respect what he called the charter of the transitional government. He gave no details. Among the civilians watching the ceremony in Bitam was local official and opposition supporter Pierre Marie Tsanga. Tsanga said he was not surprised that opposition presidential candidate Albert Ondo Ossa did not attend the inauguration ceremony. He says Gabon's military should not think that the ongoing excitement is because civilians love General Brice Oligui Nguema, who has seized power. He says civilians are happy that Ali Bongo has been toppled, putting an end to his family's close to 60-year grip on power.The 69-year-old Ondo also did not attend a meeting between the transitional president and opposition party leaders on Friday. Ondo said he wants to discuss the future of Gabon with the general in the absence of other opposition members and close aides to the military leader. Tsanga said the new leader should bring honor to himself and Gabon's civilians by making sure the results of the August 26 elections are processed, made public and the winner inaugurated as president in the shortest possible period of time. Tsanga said this should not exceed six months. Gabon's main opposition group, Alternance 2023, asserts that the 69-year-old Ondo, a former government minister and university professor, is the rightful winner of the August 26 election. On Friday, Alternance 2023 urged the international community to ask the junta to hand power to Ondo. The African Union and the Economic Community of Central African States last week called for a rapid return to constitutional order. Gabon was suspended from the African Union following the coup, which the U.N. and France have condemned. The AU said it will impose further sanctions on the coup leaders if they do not restore constitutional order. Mba Dominique is an international affairs analyst at Omar Bongo University in Libreville, the capital of Gabon. Dominique says calls by the AU, ECCAS and Gabon's neighbors Cameroon, Chad and Equatorial Guinea, for Gabon's military leaders to hand over to civilians are like cries in the wilderness. He says similar calls for the military juntas in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea to relinquish power or be punished have had no effect. The transitional leader takes over from Ali Bongo, who came to power in 2009 following the death of his father, Omar, who had led the central African country since 1967. Gabon's opposition says the family ruled with an iron fist and confiscated most of the oil-producing nation's wealth. The general said Monday that he will be transparent in his leadership and render an account of his stewardship. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Vice President Heads to ASEAN Summit as Regional Tensions Ramp Up By Patsy Widakuswara September 04, 2023 Vice President Kamala Harris stopped in Alaska Monday for a refuel on her way to Jakarta to meet with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, in a summit hosted by Indonesia, the outgoing chair of the 10-nation group. Her visit comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region as China released a controversial territorial map that has drawn the ire of India, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and the Philippines. Harris is expected to raise the issue of what the administration calls Beijing's "false maritime claims" during her meetings with ASEAN leaders. "She will not shy away from talking about our responsibilities as a Pacific power," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told VOA in an interview Friday. "Five of our seven treaty alliances are in the Indo-Pacific region, and so the vice president will certainly make it clear that the United States takes those responsibilities seriously." While Harris has been in the region several times since assuming office, this is her first time in Indonesia, a U.S. "strategic partner" since 2015 and a key player in the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific strategy. Last week, the country hosted its massive annual Super Garuda Shield live-fire military exercises with the U.S., Australia, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom and France. In August, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin announced the two countries would be working to increase Indonesia's defense capabilities with American weapons. The momentum is on the side of a forward-leaning U.S. approach in the South China Sea, especially considering China's recent publication of its latest territorial map and the Chinese Coast Guard's firing of a water cannon at a Philippine boat trying to resupply a military outpost on a disputed reef, said Prashanth Parameswaran, a fellow at the Wilson Center and founder of the weekly ASEAN Wonk newsletter. "A forward-leaning U.S. South China Sea approach would be in line with Indonesia's greater focus on the issue and initiatives under its chairmanship this year, such as a new regional maritime outlook and advancing ASEAN's Indo-Pacific vision," Parameswaran told VOA. However, ASEAN adheres to consensus-based decision-making, nonalignment and noninterference in the domestic affairs of other countries. Observers say those principles contribute to the group's ambiguity and ineffectiveness in addressing the geopolitical issues that will be the focus of this week's meetings: the South China Sea disputes, the crisis in Myanmar and the war on Ukraine. If the expectations are for ASEAN to solve those issues, ASEAN could be seen as irrelevant, said Bich Tran, an adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "But it's worth remembering that ASEAN has kept peace among its members," she told VOA. "In this sense, ASEAN is still relevant." During her three-day stay in the country, Harris will also be attending the East Asia Summit, which brings together ASEAN and its partners the United States, China, Russia, Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. Biden's missed opportunity? Observers have criticized President Joe Biden's decision to send Harris to Jakarta in his place as a missed opportunity to bolster diplomatic ties with Indonesia, ASEAN's largest economy. The archipelago has been seen as drifting toward China's sphere of influence as the government of President Joko Widodo places "economic diplomacy" as its premier foreign policy goal. Diplomatic sources who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations said Jakarta had been disappointed with Biden's decision, especially after it took steps to align ASEAN's meeting calendar with the U.S. president's travel to the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, in the hopes of securing his attendance. On the heels of the G20, Biden will instead travel to Hanoi, where he is expected to upgrade U.S.-Vietnam ties from the current "comprehensive partnership." Diplomatic sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly, told VOA that Vietnam has agreed to bypass a "strategic partnership" status for that of a "comprehensive strategic partnership," which would put Washington on par with China and Russia in terms of its ties with Hanoi. Previously hesitant to upgrade ties due to concerns of a potential backlash from China, Vietnam, a communist country and ideologically aligned with Beijing, is left with little choice but to diversify diplomatic ties in the face of Beijing's increasing assertiveness in its territorial dispute with Hanoi in the South China Sea. "They want relationships because they want China to know that they're not alone," Biden said during a campaign reception in August. Harris is expected to depart Jakarta Thursday and arrive in Washington Friday, as Biden heads to New Delhi. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address WFP races to cushion people from looming drought in Southern Africa in largest cash payout to date World Food Programme 4 September 2023 JOHANNESBURG -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has released a record-breaking US$ 12.8 million as part of efforts to combat the impending drought impact caused by El Nino in four southern African countries. The funds - the largest such pay-out to date - will be used to implement a range of anticipatory actions aimed at safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of over half a million people. The activation, co-funded by Germany, the European Union, and Norway, will enable the dissemination of early warning text messages, the distribution of drought-tolerant seeds and anticipatory cash, and the provision of safe water for communities and livestock. Over 550,000 individuals will benefit in Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. "We cannot afford to not act when we already know that early action saves lives and livelihoods," says Menghestab Haile, WFP's Regional Director for southern Africa. "The cost of inaction is severe - both in terms of hardship faced by people living on the edge, but also in in terms of the higher costs humanitarian actors and governments must pay if they respond after the event." Anticipatory Action (AA) aims to prevent and mitigate the effects of extreme weather on the food security and nutrition, lives and livelihoods of highly vulnerable people. The anticipatory actions are expected to protect people's purchasing power from reduced crop yields and livestock and decrease the likelihood of water shortages. The El Nino is anticipated to strike at a time when the region is already facing considerable stress, with approximately 47.4 million people facing severe food insecurity in parts of southern and central Africa. This phenomenon is expected to break regional temperature and rainfall deficit records, reaching its peak between November 2023 and January 2024. Coinciding with the lean season and extending until February of the following year, it is expected to reduce rainfall across most of the region, particularly during the crucial December-January planting period, thereby affecting the harvest in April 2024. "We are very concerned. The areas most vulnerable to the impact of El Nino are those that recorded below average rains in the last farming season. Another poor season will significantly worsen food availability," adds Haile. The latest activation is the result of years of work with governments and humanitarian partners to promote proactive approaches to climate risk management in southern Africa. The approach has proven successful in the past with similar activations in Madagascar and Zimbabwe, helping protect people from sliding further into food insecurity. Despite being one of the regions contributing the least to global carbon emissions, southern Africa is currently facing increasing problems due to climate change, with prolonged episodes of drought being a major cause of food insecurity in the region. # # # The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli military arrests 3 Hamas militants in West Bank raid People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:27, September 05, 2023 JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military announced on Monday the arrest of three Hamas militants implicated in attempted attacks on Israel during a raid in the occupied West Bank. The raid, which took place in the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Monday, involved more than 40 military vehicles, a helicopter, and drones, resulting in clashes between Israeli forces and local Palestinians. According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, at least four Palestinians sustained injuries. An Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement that the arrests were made following "precise intelligence" from the Shin Bet security agency. Abdallah Hassan Muhammad Zubah, identified by the army as a "senior Hamas operative," was involved in attempts to fire rockets at northern Israel from within the West Bank. The other two were involved in "shooting and explosive device attacks, as well as advancing additional terrorist attacks," the spokesperson said. This operation marked the largest Israeli raid on Jenin since an operation in the densely populated refugee camp of Jenin on July 3-4, which resulted in the deaths of at least 12 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier. Israeli raids in the West Bank, often resulting in Palestinian casualties, have been a source of ongoing tension over the past year and a half. Israel contends that these actions are necessary to apprehend Palestinian militants involved in attacks. Israel seized the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war and kept its control over the territory ever since, despite international criticism. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 25th Combined Arms Army U/I Motorized Rifle Division U/I U/I Motorized Rifle Division U/I U/I Tank Brigade U/I U/I Motorized Rifle Brigade U/I U/I Motorized Rifle Brigade U/I U/I Tank Battalion U/I U/I Artillery Battalion U/I On or about 01 September 2023 the recently formed 25th Combined Arms Army [roughly equivalent to an American Corps] began a relief-in-place operation to enable the battle hardened 41st Combined Arms Army to redeploy from the Kupyansk-Svatove salient at the very north of the Eastern Front, to the Orikhiv salient on the Southern Front. This movement came days after the experienced 76th Air Assault Division [VDV] was also redeployed to the Orikhiv salient. Over the early days of September. Ukrainian forces had brushed aside the initial echelon of the Surovikin Line, and embarked on a deep penetration of temporarily occupied territory, leading towards the Sea of Azov and severing Russian ground lines of communication. The relatively weak 25th CAA would either serve to defend a line which Ukraine did not seek to assault, or might possibly serve as bait to the Ukrainian forces to replicate their rapid advance into Luhansk Oblast in late 2022. Russia is forming new military units in its Central and Southern Military Districts, General Staff spokesman Brigadier General Oleksiy Hromov said in an interview with Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform on 05 July 2023. Hromov said that the new units may be used as a "strategic reserve." "Were currently aware of the enemy's formation of new military units as part of the 25th Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District, and the 40th Army Corps of the Southern Military District," Hromov said. The 25th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Ground Forces is the reserve of the Supreme Commander of the RF Armed Forces and began to form in early June 2023, on the basis of the military administrative unit of the Eastern Military District. It is expected that the strength of the new 25th Army of Russia will be about 30,000 contract soldiers, consisting of at least two motorized rifle divisions, tank battalions and artillery battalions. At the beginning of June 2023, many official administrative resources of the Primorsky Territory of the Far Eastern Federal District, on social networks, published recruiting materials about recruiting into the new 25th Army of Russia, with a record lump sum payment of 600 thousand rubles for citizens who signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense and with a permanent salary of more than 200 thousand rubles in the special operation zone in Ukraine. The creation of the 25th CAA [25th Combined Arms Army - 25-ya obshchevoyskova armiya] is a part of Shoigus long-term objective previously announced in January 2023 to form several new major ground forces formations. The 25th Army will include a motorized rifle division, two motorized rifle brigades and one tank brigade, while the 40th Army Corps will include a motorized rifle division and a brigade, Hromov said. The units wont be ready for deployment until at least 2024, Hromov said, after which they may participate in the full-scale war against Ukraine, depending on their "level of readiness." According to the administration of the city of Dalnegorsk, Primorsky Krai, the military personnel of the 25th Army will undergo combat coordination from September 1 to December 1, 2023, and after that, the unit will be redeployed to the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions in the Russian special operation zone in Ukraine. The administration of the Ternei district of Primorsky Krai writes in its official release on VK that contract soldiers from 18 to 65 years old are recruited into the 25th Army for the following VUS: a grenade launcher, a driver, a cook, a shooter, a senior electrician driver, a sapper, a telephone operator and a machine gunner, and junior officers and sergeants are also required for the command positions of deputy platoon commander, squad leader, staff instructor and radio station chief. From the military specialties required by the 25th Combined Arms Army, it becomes clear that the Eastern Military District does not recruit contract soldiers for specializations in tank crews, artillery crews and other technically complex positions. From the official comments of representatives of the administrations of the regions of Primorsky Krai, it may be concluded that many contract soldiers from other military units of the Eastern Military District are being transferred to the 25th Army. In addition, in the comments, representatives of the regions report that the army is being formed in the Primorsky Territory and the Irkutsk Region, but any Russian citizen can conclude a contract without reference to the region according to passport data. Also, officials in comments on social networks explain to citizens that the 25th Army of Russia is already part of the Southern Military District, despite the fact that it is being formed in the Far East. The UK Ministry of Defence reported 02 august 2023 that "Over the last two months, Russia has likely started forming up major new formations to add depth to its ground forces. These include the 25th Combined Arms Army. Since its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has mainly deployed mobilised reservists to back-fill established formations, or as part of territorial defence infantry regiments. It has rarely established new, all-arms organisations such as combined arms armies which are designed to be a self-sufficient force. An exception to this was the 3rd Army Corps created in summer 2022, which has generally performed poorly. Russia will likely deploy any new formation as a reserve force in Ukraine. However, in the longer term, Russia aspires to strengthen its forces facing NATO. Without a major new wave of mandatory mobilisation, Russia is unlikely to find enough new troops to resource even one new army. But Sergei Nakhimov suggested "With a greater degree of probability and judging by the demanded military units (see above), the 25th Army of Russia as an operational unit will consist of 40% of experienced contract soldiers of the active units and subunits of the Eastern Military District, which will occupy both command positions and technically complex regarding the specialty." At the moment, the Eastern Military District includes the 5th , 29th, 35th and 36th combined-arms armies of the Ground Forces, some units of which are already taking part in Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. From these formations and subunits, it is easy to rotate about 10 thousand military specialists into a new army being formed, without violating the defense capability of the Far East region. The composition and strength of the formations of the 25th Army is still unclear, which can be small and brigade, as in the Chita 29th Army, or large and divisional with 35,000 soldiers, as in the 58th Army of the Southern Military District . The official statement about the subsequent front-line deployment of the 25th combined-arms army in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, in the special operation zone, also raised a number of questions. The Kherson region belongs to the zone of responsibility of the Dnipro group , and the Vostok group of the Russian army is located in the Zaporozhye region and in the South Donetsk direction. In this sense, the presence of the 25th Army as an operational formation is possible only in one of the two sectors. The probable front-line subordination of the 25th Army to the military-administrative unit of the Southern Military District, which we wrote about above, with reference to officials, seems to be the most relevant - this district includes 3 combined arms armies with three army corps and the 7th airborne division , who are fully involved in the special military operation in Ukraine, occupying different sectors of the front. The transfer of the 25th Army in December 2023 to the special operation zone, in an estimated number of about 30 thousand people with tank battalions and artillery battalions as part of brigades or divisions, can strengthen the Dnepr grouping (Kherson direction) with motorized rifle units. Now, in the Kherson sector of the front, only numerous units of the Airborne Forces, the 61st Kirkenes Marine Brigade of the Northern Fleet, the 126th Separate Guards Coastal Defense Brigade, as well as the Storm detachments are fighting . Also, there is a possibility of front-line deployment of the 25th Army in the zone of responsibility of the Vostok grouping in the Zaporozhye and South-Donetsk directions, where there is already (judging by the reports) a high density of formations of the RF Armed Forces and heavy armored vehicles. Probably, the deployment of the 25th Army as part of the Vostok group will serve as a motivation for the RF Ministry of Defense to begin the liberation in this sector and the rotation of numerous marine corps units , which, with the arrival of the new army at the front, can take part in the airborne offensive operation in Nikolaevskaya and Odessa regions of Ukraine. Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence (GUR) Head Kyrylo Budanov reported that the Russian military deployed elements of a newly created reserve army (the 25th CAA) to enable units currently on the frontline in Luhansk Oblast to laterally redeploy to defend against the Ukrainian counteroffensive in southern Ukraine. Budanov stated on 31 August 2023 that the Russian military deployed elements of the newly formed 25th Combined Arms Army (reportedly formed under the Eastern Military District) to replace elements of the 41st Combined Arms Army (Central Military District) in the Kupyansk direction, and that these elements of the 41st Combined Arms Army (CAA) began a slow redeployment to an unspecified area in southern Ukraine. The Institute for the Study of War [ISW] reported 01 September 2023 The Russian military command appeared to have deployed elements of the newly formed and likely low quality or understrength 25th CAA to Luhansk Oblast to free up the relatively more effective 41st CAA elements for southern Ukraine. Budanov added that elements of the 25th CAA are already participating in hostilities in Luhansk Oblast. ISW reported the 25th Combined Arms Army was "unlikely to be combat effective at scale given its rushed deployment, ahead of a previously reported intended deployment date of December 2023." Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) formed a reserve army at the end of June, likely referencing the 25th CAA, which began recruiting personnel from the Russian Far East in mid-May. The 25th CAA will reportedly consist of 30,000 contract personnel in two motorized rifle divisions as well as an unspecified number of tank and artillery battalions, although it is unclear what elements have actually formed to date. Budanov stated that Russian forces formed the 25th CAA as a strategic reserve and did not intend for the formation to be combat ready before October or November 2023. A Russian administrator in Dalnegorsk, Primorsky Krai posted a recruitment ad for the 25th CAA on June 5 that claimed that the 25th CAA would train personnel from September 1 to December 1 and then deploy to either Zaporizhia or Kherson Oblast - ISW had not independently observed reporting of the October or November date Budanov cited but has no reason to question this statement. Ukrainian Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Department Oleksii Hromov stated on July 5 that the 25th CAA would not be combat ready until at least 2024. Budanov noted that the 25th CAA elements that had arrived in Luhansk Oblast were understaffed and lacked training, unsurprising due to their accelerated deployment. ISW cannot initially verify that elements of the 25th CAA are operating in Luhansk Oblast, and the scale of the 25th CAAs commitment is unclear from Budanovs comments. The current size and capabilities of the elements of the 25th CAA deployed to Ukraine five months prematurely are unclear. The formation is likely either severely understaffed and not near the paper strength of two divisions, or is poorly trained much like initial Russian mobilized units in fall 2022, or both. The 25th Army (25 A) was a combined arms army as part of the Armed Forces of the USSR from June 20 , 1941 to October 1945 in the Far East. First formed on June 20, 1941 as part of the Far Eastern Front. It included the 39th Rifle Corps, the 105th Rifle Division, 106th, 107th, 108th, PO and 111th fortified areas, artillery and other units. Carried out the task of defending the state border of the USSR in Primorye. From August 10, 1943, it was part of the Primorsky Group of Forces, subordinate to the Far Eastern Front until April 20, 1945, then directly to the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. On August 5, 1945, having received the 393rd Rifle Division, the 7th and 113th fortified areas, the 25th Army entered the 1st Far Eastern Front. During the Soviet-Japanese war, during the Harbino-Girin offensive operation (August-September 1945), by the end of August 10, army formations overcame the enemys tactical defense zone and captured the Tungning, Dunxin-zheng and Hunchun fortified areas, cut the Dongning - Tumynzza-Hunchun, advanced into the enemy defenses to a depth of 15-20 km. On August 11, the advancing army troops captured the cities of Laoheishan and Hunchun, and on August 12, in cooperation with the amphibious assault forces of the Pacific Fleet, they captured the ports of Yuki (Ungi) and Rasin (Najin) on the east coast of Korea. In connection with the successful development of the offensive in the 25th Army zone, on August 11, the commander of the front troops transferred to it the 17th Rifle Corps from the 5th Army, the 88th Rifle, 10th Mechanized Corps from his reserve and set the task of developing the offensive in the south - in the western direction, cut the communications of Japanese troops from the ports of North Korea to Central and Eastern Manchuria, in cooperation with the ships and marines of the Pacific Fleet, liberate cities and ports on the east coast of Korea. In carrying out this task, the army troops defeated the units of the Japanese 3rd and 34th armies and liberated the cities and ports of Wanqing (August 15), Seishin (August 16), Ranan and Yanji (August 17) and others. From 18 to 20 August, the 25th Army disarmed the capitulating Japanese troops. At the end of August, army formations were redeployed to the Pyongyang region. On October 1, 1945, the 25th Army became part of the Primorsky Military District. In 1958 , the 25th combined arms army was disbanded (its headquarters was located in the village of Shkotovo near Vladivostok) and eight motorized rifle divisions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 41st Combined Arms Red Banner Army, military unit 64128 (Novosibirsk) 201st Military Base [Motorized Brigade] Dushanbe, Tajikistan 7th Separate Tank Brigade Chebarkul 15th Separate Motorized Brigade Roschinskyy (Samara) 21st Separate Motorized Brigade Totskoe 23rd Separate Motorized Brigade Samara 28th Separate Motorized Brigade Ekaterinburg 32nd Separate Motorized Brigade Novosibirsk 35th Separate Motorized Brigade Aleisk 55th Separate Motorized Brigade (Mountain) Kyzyl, Tuva 74th Separate Motorized Brigade Yurga (Kemerovo) 3rd Separate SPETSNAZ Brigade Tolyatti 24th Separate SPETSNAZ Brigade Novosibirsk 28th Air Defense Brigade Chebarkul 61st Air Defense Brigade Yurga 92nd Missile Brigade Totskoe 120th Artillery Brigade Yurga 385th Artillery Brigade Totskoe 29th NBC Defense Brigade Ekaterinburg 35th C3 Brigade Kochenevo (Novosibirsk) 59th C3 Brigade Ekatirenburg On or about 01 September 2023 the recently formed 25th Combined Arms Army [roughly equivalent to an American Corps] began a relief-in-place operation to enable the battle hardened 41st Combined Arms Army to redeploy from the Kupyansk-Svatove salient at the very north of the Eastern Front, to the Orikhiv salient on the Southern Front. This movement came days after the experienced 76th Air Assault Division [VDV] was also redeployed to the Orikhiv salient. Over the early days of September. Ukrainian forces had brushed aside the initial echelon of the Surovikin Line, and embarked on a deep penetration of temporarily occupied territory, leading towards the Sea of Azov and severing Russian ground lines of communication. The relatively weak 25th CAA would either serve to defend a line which Ukraine did not seek to assault, or might possibly serve as bait to the Ukrainian forces to replicate their rapid advance into Luhansk Oblast in late 2022. The field command of the 41st Army in accordance with the directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of May 14, 1942 was deployed on the basis of the headquarters of the operational group of troops of the Kalinin Front with the deployment of the army headquarters on the day of formation in the n. Red Hill, 13 km northwest of the city of White Kalinin (now Tver) region. At the time of formation, the army consisted of the 17th Guards, 134th, 135th and 234th Rifle Divisions, 21st Panzer Brigade, 109th and 204th Separate Guards Mortar Divisions. Subsequently, the 24th Cavalry Division, 127th Communication Regiment, 883th Mixed Aviation Regiment, 104th Tank Brigade, 452nd and 592nd Fighter Anti-Tank Artillery Regiments, 93rd and 238th I am infantry divisions, 1st mechanized and 6th infantry corps, 150th infantry division, 83rd corps artillery regiment. The main task of the 41st Army, which was part of the Kalinin Front, was to prevent the advance of the enemy north and northeast of the city of Bely and to deprive him of the opportunity to threaten the rear of the 39th Army. In March-April 1943, the army completed the task assigned to it, and its formations and military units were transferred to the 39th and 43rd armies of the Kalinin Front. For the period from May 1942 to March 1, 1943, for the courage and heroism shown in the struggle against the Nazi invaders, 22593 military personnel of the army were awarded orders and medals of the USSR. On the basis of Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of July 27, 1998, No. 900 and the order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, on the basis of the command of the Siberian Military District on December 1, 1998, the command of the 41st combined arms army was re-formed with headquarters in Novosibirsk. Pursuant to the requirements of the Directive of the Minister of Defense of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation dated January 19, 2009 No. D-08, the command of 41 armies was reorganized into the command of 41 combined arms army (operational command). On the basis of Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of July 6, 2010 No. 843 and the directive of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation on September 1, 2010, 41 army from the troops of the Siberian Military District were transferred to the troops of the Central Military District. Units and military units of the 41st Army are deployed on the territory of 5 constituent entities of the Russian Federation: Novosibirsk, Omsk, Kemerovo, Irkutsk Regions, Altai Territory. On February 28, 2022, while performing a combat mission during a special operation in Ukraine, the deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army, Major General ANDREY ALEKSANDROVICH SUKHOVETSKY, heroically died. Graduated from the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School in 1995. He went from the commander of an airborne platoon to the chief of staff of the guards airborne assault unit. In 2009 he graduated from the Frunze Military Academy, and in 2018 from the General Staff Academy. In the period from 2019 to 2021, he commanded the 7th Guards Red Banner Airborne Assault Division (mountain). In November 2021, he was appointed Deputy Commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District. He was awarded two Orders of Courage, the Order of Military Merit, the Medal of Courage, and other medals. According to analysts, in an attempt to achieve success, by April 2023 the Russians brought to the Donbass at least three armies from two military districts, including the Airborne Forces, which had TOS-1A flamethrower systems at their disposal. The Russian occupiers failed the offensive in the Lugansk region, where they have not been able to achieve any success since the beginning of the year. This is stated in the report of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) for 23 April 2023. According to analysts, the Russian Federation sent units from its two military districts to the Lugansk region, where they were supposed to attack. At the same time, it turned out that it was inefficient and unsuccessful, so it was decided to end it. This is the territory along the Svatovo-Kremennaya line of the Luhansk region, where the possibilities of the invaders were limited. In the Svatovo-Kremenny direction, the following units of the invaders fought: 20th Combined Arms Army of the Western Military District (ZVO); 41st Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District (TsVO); airborne forces; GRU forces; irregular "D/LNR"; various special irregular formations. Given that most of these elements actively participated in offensive operations on the active front for most of the four months, they are probably exhausted and significantly degraded, the analysts concluded. By the way, the Russians used the forces of the Central Military District in the area west of Kremennaya, but the 35th separate guards motorized rifle brigade of the 41st combined arms army made an unsuccessful attack on Ukrainian positions using improvised explosive devices. The ISW came to the conclusion that the forces of the Central Military District had degraded enough and the current grouping consists of the restored remnants of several units. All because of the next appointment of Alexander Lapin as commander of the troops. "The exact hierarchy of command and control in this sector of the front is unclear - Lapin was fired after the fall of Liman, but then, apparently, was reappointed as commander of the Lugansk direction from April 18," analysts noted. Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence (GUR) Head Kyrylo Budanov reported that the Russian military deployed elements of a newly created reserve army (the 25th CAA) to enable units currently on the frontline in Luhansk Oblast to laterally redeploy to defend against the Ukrainian counteroffensive in southern Ukraine. Budanov stated on 31 August 2023 that the Russian military deployed elements of the newly formed 25th Combined Arms Army (reportedly formed under the Eastern Military District) to replace elements of the 41st Combined Arms Army (Central Military District) in the Kupyansk direction, and that these elements of the 41st Combined Arms Army (CAA) began a slow redeployment to an unspecified area in southern Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rustem Enverovich Umerov Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy replaced Oleksii Reznikov as defense minister. Zelenskyy said the Ukraine war effort needed a "new approach". He nominated Rustem Enverovich Umerov, a former people's deputy of Ukraine, to become the new defense minister. Umerov is the head of the country's State Property Fund. The replacement came as Zelenskyy continued a crackdown on corruption in government ministries. In general, during his career, Rustem Umerov built an impeccable reputation - his name had never appeared in corruption schemes, scandals or criminal cases. Umerov is also a delegate to the Kurultai of the Crimean Tatar people and adviser to the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, Mustafa Dzhemilev. He is known for being a skilled negotiator and anti-corruption campaigner. Umerov was a member of the Ukrainian team that negotiated with Russia in March 2022, a month after Russia's invasion. He also participated in talks on the Black Sea Grain deal and prisoner exchanges. He was skeptical that Russia would abide by the Black Sea Grain deal. Umerov's background in economics and political negotiation is expected to be a strength for the defense ministry. He is expected to play a key role in securing new deals for Ukraine as it continues to seek financial and military aid from allies. Rustem Enverovich Umerov was born on April 19, 1982 in the city of Bulungur, Samarkand region (Uzbekistan) into a family of deported Crimean Tatars from Alushta. Umerov grew up in a family of engineers - his father Enver worked as a process engineer, and his mother Meryem worked as a chemical engineer, he has an older brother - Omer Kyrymly Aslan. They come from the Crimea, but on May 18, 1944, the Umerov family was forcibly deported, together with the entire Crimean Tatar people, from their historical homeland to Central Asia and Siberia. The family was able to return to their native Crimea [possibly in the early 1990s, though other sources report that in the late 1980s, the family returned to the Crimea]. After repatriation, he studied at a Crimean boarding school for gifted children in Tankovoe, which until 2014 was financed by private investors from Turkey. After he graduated from the gymnasium in the Crimea, He was a scholarship holder of the American FLEX "Future Leaders Exchange Program" program for high school students, and spent a year in an American family in the USA. At the National Academy of Management (Kyiv, Ukraine) he received a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in finance. He also has a second higher education, which he received at the Institute of Applied System Analysis of the National Technical University of Ukraine "I. Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" . There Umerov received a diploma in the specialty "Computer Science and Information Technology". From 2003 to 2019, he held senior positions in various companies operating in the field of mobile communications, the Internet, communications, marketing, and logistics. In 2003, he began his career at lifecell (a mobile operator in Ukraine). From 2003 to 2007, he worked in the GSM/TDMA network development department as the head of the website management and legal support department. From 2007 to 2010, he was the head of the procurement, logistics, contract management department. In 2010, he was responsible for sales at Lifecell and customer relations. In the same year, he moved to ICG Investments, where he worked as a Managing Director. In 2011, he moved to the same position at iCapital. In 2013, he became a co-founder of the investment company ASTEM and its ASTEM Foundation. The Foundation funded the Ukrainian New Leaders Program at Stanford University. ASTEM manages investments in communications, information technology and infrastructure. In parallel with his work in these companies, Umerov was engaged in social activities and founded many foundations. He was engaged in business in the United States, founded a number of Crimean Tatar public organizations said by Russian sources to be controlled by American funds. Their work was focused on the development of regional representations of the Crimean Tatars on the territory of Ukraine, as well as strengthening the social, cultural and informational dialogue in the Crimean Tatar community in Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine. In 2007 he became a co-founder of the public organization "Fellowship of the Crimean Tatars". Their work was focused on the development of regional representations of the Crimean Tatars on the territory of Ukraine, as well as strengthening the social, cultural and informational dialogue in the Crimean Tatar community in Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine. Also in 2007, Umerov also became a co-founder of the international organization "Bizim Qirim", the youth organization of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars, whose goal was to preserve national interests, promote the restoration of political, socio-economic, cultural, linguistic and religious rights of the Crimean Tatar people. Since 2007, he was an adviser to the former head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, banned in Russia, Mustafa Dzhemilev, who was sentenced in absentia to three years in prison by the Russian-controlled Supreme Court of Crimea on charges of illegal border crossing, as well as illegal acquisition and careless storage of firearms, which resulted in the death of a person. During the period when the peninsula was part of Ukraine, the Mejlis received significant funds through the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA). In these schemes, the Krym Foundation, controlled by the Mejlis leaders, was actively involved. The owners of a serious business, Rustem Umerov and his brother Ruslan, were advisers to the People's Deputy Dzhemilev on economic issues and made a significant financial contribution to the activities of the Mejlis. In the period from 2011 to 2013, he was a co-founder and president of the Crimean Development Fund, through which Russian sources claim the main financial flows from Turkey passed. His work was aimed at promoting the social activity of the inhabitants of Crimea, the formation of a responsible community and overcoming the consequences of a large-scale catastrophe - the genocide and deportation of the Crimean Tatar people in 1944. In 2012, Umerov became a co-founder and board member of the Crimean International Business Association, which was involved in the development and implementation of strategies for the development of the Crimean economy. The organization also worked to support small and medium-sized businesses, introduce promising innovative technologies, develop international cooperation and improve the investment climate in Crimea. In 2012, the Umerov family initiated the restoration of the Orta-Jami mosque located in Bakhchisarai. The architectural monument of the 16th-17th centuries was restored at the expense of financing from the family's personal funds. It also served as a start for a national project for the restoration of cultural and historical heritage. On August 16, 2013, the grand opening of the reconstructed mosque took place. By the way, for more than 95 years, the mosque did not receive visitors and was closed. In 2013, together with his brother, he founded an investment fund - ASTEM Foundation . It focuses on improving public life by supporting initiatives in the areas of social innovation, regional communities, education, medicine, sports, culture, human rights and religious freedoms within the vision and mission of the organization related to predicting new challenges in the future. In addition, the foundation is one of the donors of the Ukrainian Emerging Leaders program at Stanford University, designed to train Ukrainian politicians, lawyers, social entrepreneurs, businessmen, and leaders of public organizations. Later, in 2014, Umerov founded the Evkaf charitable foundation , which provided assistance in the development of Muslim communities. In the same year, he founded the "Cultural Heritage Fund", which carried out its activities in the interests of the indigenous peoples of Crimea. The organization also took care of protecting the rights and fundamental freedoms of citizens in the field of education, culture, art, protection of cultural heritage, health and the environment, social protection of citizens and development of territorial citizens. Umerov is also a co-founder and member of the Board of Trustees of the Crimean National Wealth Fund , an international charitable organization that funds strategic national programs and supports the most socially disadvantaged Crimean Tatars. In November 2018, Rustem Umerov financed the restoration of the Ukrainian tug "Yana Kapu", which participated in actions in the Kerch Strait. Russian border guards rammed the ship and detained the border violators, after which the tug crew was convicted and returned to their homeland as a result of the exchange. The ships captured by the border guards were also returned to Ukraine in an incapacitated state. In May 2022, the ASTEM Foundation repaired, one of the co-founders of which is Rustem Umerov the Yany Kapu raid tug of the Ukrainian Navy, which was captured by Russia in November 2018 near the Kerch Strait. The fund is also a partner of the Kyiv School of Economics. From 2019 to 2022 he was a people's deputy of Ukraine from the party Holos ["Voice"]. Rustem Umerov began his political activity in 2019 - at the early parliamentary elections to the Verkhovna Rada he was elected a people's deputy. He was also the secretary of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Human Rights, De-occupation and Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories in Donetsk, Lugansk Regions and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the City of Sevastopol, National Minorities and Interethnic Relations. In addition, Umerov also held the position of Deputy Head of the Permanent Delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. It was especially important for Umerov to liberate the island from Russian invaders, because this is his homeland. Therefore, in his activities, he made considerable efforts to ensure that Crimea is de-occupied. So, in December 2020, the Crimean Platform inter-factional association was created in the Verkhovna Rada , where Umerov was elected co-chairman of the association. In his work, he communicates with the state bodies of Ukraine on the exchange of Crimean political prisoners and prisoners of war. Umerov has experience in the issue of the release of political prisoners, because in 2017 he contributed to the return of the Crimean Tatars Akhtem Chiygoz and Ilmi Umerov to Ukraine. Umerov was active in politics and worked to ensure that the rights of the Crimean Tatar people were protected. So, he was the initiator of the bill on the abolition of the free economic zone "Crimea" . Umerov also worked to restore the historical and political rights of the Crimean Tatars at the state level. Actively lobbied for the adoption of two bills important for the Crimean Tatars: on indigenous peoples and the status of the Crimean Tatar people. On his initiative, on July 1, 2021, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a number of important bills, including one on the indigenous peoples of Ukraine. In total, during his work as a people's deputy, Umerov, in co-authorship with his colleagues, registered almost 100 bills. In 2020, he joined the group for the development of the "state strategy for the de-occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol" under the National Security and Defense Council. Until the Crimean Platform was created, Umerov in March 2020 initiated parliamentary hearings on the de-occupation and reintegration of Crimea and Sevastopol. He worked tirelessly on this issue and in September 2020 joined the group for the development of the state strategy for the de-occupation of Crimea. In addition, Umerov is one of the authors of the draft law establishing the procedure for recognizing "stateless persons" . Thanks to this document, people could receive a certificate confirming their identity and establishing the legality of residence on the territory of Ukraine. By the way, the law came into force on July 18, 2021. As a member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, he became a co-author of the bill "Regarding attempts to resume large-scale water supply through the North Crimean Canal." The document provided responsibility for calls to somehow return the water supply to the inhabitants of Crimea. "The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine declares that the issue of large-scale water supply to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol can only be considered in the event of the restoration of Ukraine's state sovereignty over the Crimean Peninsula and the adjacent waters of the Azov and Black Seas," the adopted bill said. At the international level, Umerov was the co-chair of the group for inter-parliamentary relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Turkey. In addition, he is a member of the Friendship Group for Inter-Parliamentary Relations with the State of Israel, the People's Republic of China, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States, Japan and Canada. During the pandemic, Umerov was the author of the law on paying sick leave to doctors in connection with COVID-19 and initiated the redistribution of funds from the Fund to Combat Coronavirus to ensure the educational process and quality education under quarantine. With the start of a full-scale invasion, Umerov was a member of the Ukrainian delegation in negotiations with Russia. In July 2022, he was elected Chairman of the Interim Commission of Inquiry on monitoring the receipt and use of international logistical assistance during martial law. In February 2022, he joined the delegation of Ukraine to participate in negotiations with the Russian Federation on the preparation and approval of a draft treaty on security guarantees for Ukraine. In March 2022, he was part of a group from Kyiv that took part in peace negotiations with Russia, which took place in Belarus. At the same time, there was information in the media that they allegedly tried to poison Umerov, but he himself denied this. In 2022, Umerov left the Voice party and since September 7, 2022, he served as Chairman of the State Property Fund of Ukraine, which deals with privatization and lease issues, and also manages state property. He reporrted "over the course of a year, our team managed to transform the management of state assets, unite 65% of state-owned enterprises in FSMU and create new products - the Sovereign Fund, the Land Bank and the Real Estate Fund.... Over the course of a year, the new team managed to unite more than 2,300 state-owned enterprises in the Fund, restore privatization and attract investments to support the Defense Forces on a daily basis." During the year 2022, the economic effect of privatization amounted to 5.2 billion hryvnias - of which 3.8 billion went to the state budget, another 1.4 billion were taxes and returned debts. The privatization process is only gaining momentum and every month it brings in hundreds of millions of hryvnias, which go to support the Defense Forces. The sale of unprofitable enterprises not only allows Ukraine to get rid of the burden that generates losses every year. Such assets are attractive for the implementation of brownfield projects, when a new investor restores them. On August 4, 2023, he wrote a letter of resignation from his position of his own free will. Ukrainian media wrote about Rustem Umerov as a person "with Bankova". Bankova is the name of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine. The offices of the Presidential Administration are located on Bankova Street in Kyiv, Ukraine. Most of the street is closed to vehicles and is pedestrianized. He is associated with the head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak. The independent press was discussing corruption scandals, against which the current Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov resigned, and they emphasized that Bankovaya sought to take absolute control of financial flows from NATO countries. However, it is wrong to reduce Umerovs personality to mere relations with Yermak. He has fairly extensive international ties, including in the United States (from the time when he was an assistant to the head of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis * Mustafa Dzhemilev, accompanying him on trips abroad) "He also has very close relations with the Turkish authorities. In political circles, they even say that Umerov can contact Erdogan faster if necessary than representatives of the Ukrainian authorities," the Ukrainian edition of Strana.ua writes in its material. Yuri Butusov, editor-in-chief of one of the Ukrainian media, spoke out against the appointment of Rustem Umerov to the post of defense minister. According to him, this is "a person far from the war", who has no action programs and no understanding of what to do. "A person will somehow learn in a new higher position. Perhaps he will try to do it in good faith, try, but he will still learn, and spend time not on making decisions, but on searching and studying problems unknown to him. <> The main thing is that that he should not interfere with Yermak's people - Sharapov and others - to continue to resolve all financial, property and information issues of the Moscow Region," Butusov believes. The new appointment of the Ukrainian authorities is a purely formal step that will not have a significant impact on the course of hostilities. This opinion was expressed by political scientist and military expert Ivan Konovalov on the radio "Shutnik". Obviously, Umerov, judging by his career, knows how to track financial flows, manage them, hide what they need. He suits Zelensky. That is, this replacement does not take place against the backdrop of contradictions. They change one of their own for another of their own," the expert noted. Former deputy of the State Council of Crimea Ruslan Balbek said that Umerov is a pupil of the Turkish opposition leader Fethullah Gulen hiding in America and a protege of the United States. He stated this in a commentary to RIA Novosti. "The candidacy of the new Minister of Defense is best suited for a country that does not decide anything on its own. This person has nothing to do with either the Ukrainian or the Crimean Tatar people, since he was brought up in the penates of the preacher Fetulah Gulen, and received a political facet within the walls of the International Republican Committee United States (IRI)," Balbeck said. According to the politician, the appointment of a new minister may be due to the fact that the old one "didn't know how to properly share" [the implausible implication being that Reznikov was insufficienty corrupt, but that Umerov will be sure that every can wet their beak]. Umerov and two of his former deputies at the agency were currently the subject of a corruption investigation. The High Anti-Corruption Court (VAKS) of Ukraine opened the probe in August after receiving reports that Umerov had obstructed an embezzlement investigation and covered up the sale of electricity below market prices by Tsentrenergo, Ukraines only state-owned electricity-generating company. Summing up the shakeup at the Defense Ministry in Kiev, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on Wednesday that Zelensky had fired one defense minister over corruption but would not launch an investigation and instead appointed another minister, who is being investigated for corruption. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is even more corrupt than his predecessor Aleksey Reznikov, American journalist Seymour Hersh reported on 07 September 2023, citing an anonymous US intelligence official. The new guy is even more corrupt, Hersh quoted a knowledgeable US intelligence official as saying. He ran the sale of government property and made a fortune. Has a huge villa in Majorca. The source claimed that Umerovs name was not on a list of 35 corrupt officials allegedly presented to Zelensky by CIA Director William Burns in January 2023. The list was not a telephone book of crooks; just the ones receiving US military and economic financing, Hershs source said. In August 2021, by decree of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, Rustam Umerov was awarded the Order of Merit, III degree "For a significant personal contribution to state building, strengthening of defense capability, socio-economic, scientific, technical, cultural and educational development of the Ukrainian state, significant labor achievements, many years of conscientious work and on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Independence of Ukraine". Rustem Umerov is married, his wife's name is Leyla Seit-Yagya Kyzy. Together they raise two children - son Seyid Ahmed and daughter Meryem [other sources report three children]. Umerov professes Islam. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 04 September 2023 - Day 558 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 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 31 August 2023, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), alongside international partners, published a report on a malware campaign targeting Android mobile devices used by the Ukrainian military. The malware, referred to as 'Infamous Chisel', has been used by the Russian cyber threat group known as Sandworm. NCSC has previously attributed Sandworm to the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate's (GRU) Main Centre for Special Technologies (GTsST). Infamous Chisel enables persistent access to, and the collation and exfiltration of data from, compromised Android devices. This includes targeting applications used by the Ukrainian military. Infamous Chisel has highly likely been used with the aim of stealing sensitive military information. This activity demonstrates Russia's continued use of cyber capabilities to support the invasion of Ukraine. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of September 4, Russian forces launched 5x missile and 68x air strikes, 42x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. 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 September 4, there were 22x combat engagements. Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: the Russian invaders fired mortars and artillery at more than 15x settlements, including Karpovychi, Prohres (Chernihiv oblast), Nova Huta, Romashkove, Buhor, Malushyne (Sumy oblast), Udy, Vovchans'k, Vovchans'ki Khutory, Hatyshche, Ohirtseve, Ternova (Kharkiv oblast). Kup'yans'k axis: the Russian adversary launched an air strike in the vicinity of Budarky (Kharkiv oblast). More than 10 settlements suffered Russian artillery fire, including Fyholivka, Dvorivhna, Kindrashivka, Syn'kivka, Kyslivka (Kharkiv oblast). Lyman axis: Russian occupiers conducted unsuccessful offensives in the vicinities of Novojehorivka and Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast). Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Yampolivka and Spirne (Donetsk oblast). More than 10x settlements, including Nevs'ke, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, Spirne, Serebryanka, Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast), were shelled with artillery. Bakhmut axis: Ukrainian Defenders successfully repelled Russian attacks in the area north of Klishchiivka. Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Ivanivske (Donetsk oblast). More than 15x settlements, including Min'kivka, Vasyukivka, Bohdanivka, Chasiv Yar, Bila Hora, Pivnichne (Donetsk oblast), suffered artillery shelling. Avdiivka axis: Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Avdiivka. The occupiers fired artillery and mortar shells at the settlements of Oleksandropil', Novokalynove, Keramik, Avdiivka, Pervomais'ke, Sjeverne (Donetsk oblast). Mar'inka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the Russian offensive in the vicinity of Mar'inka (Donetsk oblast). The Russian adversary launched an air strike in the vicinity of Krasnohorivka. The Russian invaders fired artillery at the settlements of Krasnohorivka, Mar'inka, Hostre, Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast). Shakhtars'ke axis: Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Vuhledar. The adversary fired artillery at more than 10x settlements, including Vuhledar, Vodyane, Shakhtars'ke, Novoukrainka, Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast). Zaporizhzhia axis: Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Mala Tokmachka, Orikhiv, Robotyne, Stepnohirs'k (Zaporizhzhia oblast). The adversary fired artillery at more than 15x settlements, including Novodarivka, Ol'hivs'ke, Zaliznychne, Mala Tokmachka, Robotyne, Kam'yans'ke (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Kherson axis: Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Tyahynka and Molodizhne. The settlement of Burhunka came under artillery and mortar fire. 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 September 4, Ukrainian Air Force launched 11x air strikes on the concentrations of troops, weapons, and military equipment, as well as 2x air strikes on the anti-aircraft missile systems of the Russian adversary. During the day of September 4, the Ukrainian missile and artillery troops hit 11x artillery systems at their firing positions and 4x command posts of the Russian adversary. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the previous night, the Black Sea Fleet naval aviation aircraft have destroyed 4 U.S.-manufactured Willard Sea Force high-speed military boats with landing groups of AFU special operations forces units in the north-western part of the Black Sea. In addition, UAVs have struck a Ukrainian shipbuilding facility, where unmanned boats were assembled from imported components. In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces, in cooperation with aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems, have repelled three attacks by AFU assault groups close to Artyomovsk and Severnoye (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 285 Ukrainian servicemen killed and wounded, five armoured fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, U.S.-manufactured M109 Paladin and Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, as well as two U.S.-manufactured M105 howitzers. In Zaporozhye direction, as a result of active actions by units of the Russian grouping of troops, supported by aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems, the tactical situation has been improved close to Rabotino and Verbovoye (Zaporozhye region). The servicemen have also repelled one counterattack by an assault detachment of the 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade of the AFU. The enemy losses were up to 115 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, two M777 artillery systems, two M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzers, two U.S.-manufactured M119 howitzers, as well as two D-30, and one D-20 guns. In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces, aviation and artillery have repelled four counterattacks by assault groups of 32nd and 43rd mechanised brigades of the AFU north of Sverdlovka (Lugansk People's Republic). In addition, Russian troops have struck AFU manpower and hardware close to Vyssheye Solenoye, Ivanovka, Timkovka, and Sinkovka (Kharkov region), as well as near Novosyolovskoye (Lugansk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 60 Ukrainian servicemen, three motor vehicles, and one Polish-manufactured Krab self-propelled artillery system. In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, in cooperation with aviation and artillery, have hit manpower and hardware concentration areas of 63rd and 67th mechanised brigades, and the 12th Special Forces Brigade of the AFU near Yampolovka (Donetsk People's Republic), Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic), and near Serebryansky forestry. The enemy losses were up to 40 Ukrainian servicemen, three pickup trucks, and one D-30 gun. In South Donetsk direction, as a result of actions by units the Vostok Group of Forces, aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems, enemy units have been hit close to Novomikhailovka and Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic.) The enemy losses were over 120 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, and nine motor vehicles. One ammunition depot of the AFU 79th Air Assault Brigade has been destroyed near Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic). In Kherson direction, the enemy losses were up to 35 Ukrainian servicemen, eight motor vehicles, one U.S.-manufactured M777 artillery system, and one Msta-B howitzer. One ammunition depot of the AFU 124th Brigade of the Territorial Defence of Ukraine has been hit near Ponyatovka (Kherson region). Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised manpower and military hardware in 126 areas. In addition, two depots of missile and artillery ammunition of 118th mechanised and 82nd airborne assault brigades of the AFU have been hit close to Verkhnyaya Tersa (Zaporozhye region). Fighter Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces has shot down one Mi-8 of Ukrainian Air Force near Brusovka (Donetsk People's Republic). Air defence facilities have shot down three projectiles launched by HIMARS MLRS. In addition, 24 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been intercepted and suppressed by electronic warfare means close to Volcheyarovka, Shipilovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Berestovoye, Vodyanoye, Spornoye (Donetsk People's Republic), Skelevatoye, Pshenichnoye, Ocheretovatoye (Zaporozhye region), and near Proletarka (Kherson region). In total, 467 airplanes, 248 helicopters, 6,376 unmanned aerial vehicles, 435 air defence missile systems, 11,643 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,147 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,214 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 12,694 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation. Mateship thrives in inaugural exercise By Squadron Leader Courtney Jay 4 September 2023 For the first time, the ADF and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), with the support of the United States Marine Corps (USMC), have conducted Exercise Alon, focusing on combined amphibious operations. Multiple ships, aircraft and about 2400 personnel - including 1200 from the ADF, 1000 from the AFP and 150 US Marines - participated in the exercise in the Philippines from August 14 to 31. ADF Chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant General Greg Bilton attended two key activities and said the exercise was a significant activity within Indo-Pacific Endeavour that increased interoperability, deepened people-to-people links and enhanced defence cooperation. "I was extremely proud to see how the ADF, AFP and USMC worked so closely in this complex training and know that we will continue to build on our already close relationships," Lieutenant General Bilton said. "I'd like to express my gratitude to the Philippines for graciously hosting us and for their very kind hospitality." The exercise included combined force integration in Darwin and on board HMAS Canberra, an air assault exercise and a combined amphibious assault exercise across the Philippines. The Palawan air assault exercise in Rizal on August 21 simulated combat scenarios, enhancing the forces' preparedness and operational readiness across air, sea and land. More than 600 soldiers from the ADF, AFP and USMC, and RAAF F-35A Lightning II and E-7A Wedgetail aircraft supported this exercise. In the combined amphibious assault exercise in Zambales on August 25, a combined amphibious landing force was launched from Navy ships to secure beach landing sites. Assets from across the three nations supported the drills, including HMA Ships Canberra and Anzac, the Philippines' Tarlac-class landing platform dock BRP Davao Del Sur, RAAF F-35A Lightning II aircraft, an Australian Army M1A1 Abrams tank, USMC MV-22B Osprey, a parachute insertion and two Philippine Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicles. Defence AttachA to the Philippines Colonel Paul Barta said Australia and the Philippines had a long history of defence cooperation. "Mateship is a key part of Australian history and culture. In the Philippines, the equivalent term is bayanihan," Colonel Barta said. "Exercise Alon has provided the opportunity to deepen already strong ties and add complexity in training. It was tremendous to see ADF members working alongside their AFP and USMC counterparts in the Philippines, sharing experiences and learning from each other - a clear manifestation of mateship and bayanihan. "A lot of time and effort has gone into the planning and execution of this exercise, and the demonstration of our nations training together in complex scenarios is a great outcome." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China, Thailand hold joint naval drill, promote military cooperation Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Published: Sep 03, 2023 09:53 PM The navies of China and Thailand are holding a joint exercise closely following joint drills by the armies and air forces of the two countries, and experts said on Sunday that these consecutive interactions will promote military cooperation, with a latest example being the Thai navy chief's approval of the use of a Chinese engine in a China-Thailand submarine deal. The China-Thailand Blue Strike-2023 joint naval training exercise is scheduled to be held from Sunday to September 10 in the upper Gulf of Thailand and a marine camp in Sattahip, the Bangkok Post reported on Saturday. With the aim of enhancing the participating forces' training level and interoperability, boosting the two navies' pragmatic cooperation and elevating the capability in jointly dealing with regional security threats, the training exercise will feature subjects including sniping tactics, jungle survival, maritime search and rescue as well as cross-deck helicopter landings, said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson, at a regular press conference on Thursday. It marks the fifth edition of the Blue Strike bilateral naval exercises held since 2010. Chinese forces participating in the exercise, including the Type 071 comprehensive landing ship Simingshan, the Type 054A guided missile frigate Anyang, the Type 903A comprehensive replenishment ship Chaohu, a Marine Corps unit and a vessel-borne helicopter unit, arrived at the Port of Sattahip in Thailand on Thursday, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) East Sea Fleet said in a press release that same day. A Chinese Type 039 conventional attack submarine also arrived in Sattahip, according to Thai media reports. According to the report from the Bangkok Post, shortly before the joint exercise, Thai navy chief Admiral Choengchai Chomchoengpaet said on Friday that he had approved the use of the Chinese-made CHD620 engine as a substitute for a German-made one for an S26T Yuan-class submarine being assembled in China. The approval came after a long period of inspection, and it shows that the Thai Navy has recognized that the Chinese engine's performance is not inferior to its German counterpart, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Sunday. The original German engine was substituted because of US pressure on Germany not to provide the engine, Song said. With the participation of the Type 039 submarine in the joint exercise, the Thai Navy can better understand the Chinese submarine's capabilities and further promote its export, Song said, noting that the S26T is developed based on the Type 039. Thailand is a user of many Chinese defense products, including a Type 071 comprehensive landing ship, VN16 amphibious armored vehicles, VN1 wheeled armored vehicles and VT4 main battle tanks Just before the naval drill, armies of the two countries wrapped up the 18-day Strike-2023 joint training exercise in Thailand on Friday, the PLA Southern Theater Command said in a press release later that day. The two countries' air forces also held the 21-day Falcon Strike-2023 joint air combat drill in Thailand in July. Close, consecutive interactions between the Chinese and Thai militaries enhance mutual trust, deepen traditional friendship and boost joint operational capabilities, experts said. At a time when the US is rallying the Philippines and stirring trouble in the South China Sea, Thailand, a special country that maintains close relations with both the US and China and also an ASEAN member, could act as a bridge that balances and eases the situation, analysts said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Italian FM's visit underscores willingness to strengthen ties with China, despite Western 'decoupling' rhetoric Global Times By GT staff reporters Published: Sep 03, 2023 09:45 PM Italy attaches great importance to maintaining stable relations with China despite Western rhetoric of "decoupling" or "de-risking", the Global Times learned from the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, as the Italian foreign minister kicked off an official visit to China. There will be no "massive rewinding" of trade and investment internationalization, a senior Italian trade representative said at the CIFTIS over the weekend in Beijing. Italy sent one of the largest delegations to the event. When asked to comment about the rhetoric of "decoupling", Gianpaolo Bruno, trade commissioner with the Italian Trade Agency, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Saturday that he does not think it will "cause a massive change" that people read about in the newspapers. "Companies sometimes choose not to respond to geopolitical issues. They would like to engage in maintaining trade relations. They will not stop." The remarks came amid the three-day visit of the Italian Vice-President of the Council of Ministers, as well as Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, to China, scheduled from Sunday to Tuesday. His visit comes amid Western media reports that Italy is considering not to renew the Belt and Road cooperation agreement, and the visiting Italian foreign minister may discuss the issue with China. During the visit, Tajani and Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese Foreign Minister, will attend the 11th Joint Meeting of the China-Italy Government Committee. "We count on China as a major market and a major economic counterpart. So we hope with this mission we can lay the ground for the further development of our brilliant relationship," Bruno said, noting that next year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership. A representative of an Italian private art school who is attending the CIFTIS told the Global Times on Sunday that after the pandemic, the number of Chinese students to Italy increased significantly, which reflects the potential of cultural cooperation between the two countries. In the past five years, bilateral trade has increased by 42 percent, reaching nearly $80 billion last year. Italy has served as the guest country of honor at the China International Import Expo and Hainan Expo. Experts said that economic and trade relations between China and Italy have been relatively stable among the G7 nations despite global economic woes, with both sides having come to realize that economic "decoupling" with China is not feasible. "The Italian foreign minister's decision to visit China underscores its commitment to strengthening economic and trade ties with China," Zhang Jianping, director of the Center for Regional Economy with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Sunday. "We are now in an era of globalization that has developed over several decades, where the economies of countries are intricately linked through global supply chains...from this perspective, his visit to China is beneficial for both nations," Zhang said. As a member of the developed world, Italy complements China well in economic structure, and there are ample rooms for cooperation in industry and supply chains. Italy's influence in auto-making, especially in the mid- to high-end segments, holds weight in China. Italy also has substantial market growth potential in China for its machinery and equipment, including services, luxury goods and agricultural products. While cooperation under the comprehensive strategic partnership will be discussed, the most notable one for the Italian official's visit lies on the country's follow-up move on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which the country is mulling to quit. "The BRI is definitely an unavoidable thing to discuss during Italian foreign minister's visit...I think the Chinese side will discuss Belt and Road cooperation with the Italian side, but how much can the Italian side listen to and whether it can finally change its tendency toward the joint initiative needs to be determined from whether there will be any follow-up communication between the two sides," Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday. "Also, Italy has definitely been influenced by the US...but external factors work through internal factors," Cui said, indicating that there are also problems within Italy, including the fact that after the new government came to power, its China policy became increasingly conservative, which is in stark contrast from the Conte government. Experts said that if Italy decides not to renew the BRI agreement, Italy may risk losing opportunities to participate in some projects under the Belt and Road framework. "For example, future cooperation between the two parties in further optimizing the policy environment may come to an end," Cui noted. Declining to comment on the BRI cooperation renewal, Bruno said he is sure that the [Italian] government will take care in the best possible way not to ruin the relationship with China. "There will be a balanced approach. And we hope that our governments will make the right decisions for the benefit of our peoples." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US commerce secretary says talking to China no 'sign of weakness' for Washington Iran Press TV Sunday, 03 September 2023 7:23 PM US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has concluded a four-day visit to China, where she met with senior Chinese officials and business leaders to discuss the economic relationship between the two countries. During an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," on Sunday, Raimondo said the US and China have a mutually beneficial economic relationship that is important for the global economy. She reiterated cultivating the $700 billion bilateral relationship is valuable not just for the two countries in question, but also for the global economy. "It's in the US interest. It's in China's interest. Indeed, it's in the world's interest for the US and China to have a stable and significant commercial relationship," Raimondo said. She also emphasized that engaging in discussion with officials in Beijing should not be interpreted as a sign of weakness on the part of Washington. "I do not accept the premise that talking and communicating is a sign of weakness toward China," adding that talking is crucial to prevent escalating tensions and misunderstandings between the two countries. Raimondo recently returned from Beijing, where she held meetings with her Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao and Prime Minister Li Qiang. She is the fourth cabinet member to visit China this year and the first commerce secretary to visit China in five years. In recent months, high-ranking US officials, including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, US presidential envoy for climate John Kerry, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have engaged in visits to China in an effort to address various aspects of the complex US-China relationship and restart diplomatic discussions. Raimondo's trip to China is the latest by a senior US official in recent months as Washington tries to settle tensions with Beijing, as the US-China relations have dropped to some of their lowest levels in decades, with US trade curbs near the top of the list of disagreements. It came days after US President Joe Biden issued an executive order aimed at restricting certain US investments in sensitive high-tech areas in China, prompting Beijing to denounce it as being "anti-globalization." The fresh restrictions, expected to be implemented in 2024, target sectors such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Beijing has expressed dissatisfaction with US restrictions on the export of certain products to China, particularly high technology, viewing them as impediments to its economic growth. Meanwhile, Washington maintained that the export curbs are a matter of national security in the face of China's growing military power and expanding global footprint. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China bans book about the early history of the Mongolian people The ban comes after Xi Jinping visits Xinjiang, calls for efforts to boost a Chinese national identity. 2023.09.03 -- Chinese authorities have banned a book on the history of the Mongols, citing "historical nihilism" - a term indicating a version of history not in keeping with the official party line - in what appeared to be a concerted attack by Beijing on ethnic Mongolians' identity. Orders have been sent out to remove "A General History of the Mongols" by scholars in the Mongolian Studies department of the Inner Mongolia Institute of Education should be removed from shelves, the pro-Beijing Sing Tao Daily newspaper reported. It cited an Aug. 25 directive from the Inner Mongolian branch of the government-backed Books and Periodicals Distribution Association. The move comes after President Xi Jinping called for renewed efforts to boost a sense of Chinese national identity in a visit to the northwestern region of Xinjiang. Xi vowed to double down on China's hardline policies toward the 11 million mostly Muslim Uyghurs who live in the region, warning that "hard-won social stability" would remain the top priority, along with making everyone speak Mandarin rather than their own languages. And his warnings seemed to apply to other regions, too. "Forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation is a focus of .. all work in areas with large ethnic minority populations," Xi said in comments paraphrased by state media reports. "Education on standard spoken and written Chinese must be resolutely carried out to enhance people's consciousness and ability to use it," he said. Ethnic Mongolians, who make up almost 20 percent of Inner Mongolia's population of 23 million, increasingly complain of widespread environmental destruction and unfair development policies in the region, as well as ongoing attempts to target their traditional culture. Clashes between Chinese state-backed mining or forestry companies and herding communities are common in the region, which borders the independent country of Mongolia, with those who complain about the loss of their grazing lands frequently targeted for harassment, beatings, and detention by the authorities. Historical narrative The banned book, published in 2004, was previously lauded for its work in "connecting the history of Mongolia from ancient times to the medieval period, making the history of Mongolia more complete," according to a Baidupedia entry still available on Friday. "Systematizing, organizing, and using a scientific approach can help the world better understand China's five thousand years of glorious history, strengthen the unity of the Chinese nation, and make Chinese culture and history more prosperous," said the entry, which must have once been approved by government censors. Analysts said the book is already fairly nationalistic in tone, and describes the Mongols as part of the Chinese nation. But the ban comes as the authorities are increasingly concerned about a growing sense of Mongolian identity among ethnic Mongolians living in China. "A lot of Mongolian scholars and Mongolians in general don't like this book because it describes the Mongols as a people of China," Yang Haiying, a professor at Shizuoka University in Japan, told Radio Free Asia. "The Mongols have never considered themselves to be a Chinese people." Nonetheless, the book is now considered to contribute to a pan-Mongolian identity because it didn't go far enough in making the Mongols appear to be historically part of the Chinese nation, Yang said. A pro-government comment on the social media platform Weibo hit out at the book for "historical nihilism." "Criticizing the pan-Mongolian nationalist trend is conducive to #cultivating the consciousness of the Chinese national community, conducive to #ethnic exchanges, exchanges, and integration#, and conducive to #forging a strong sense of the Chinese nation's community !," user @XiMay1 wrote on Aug. 29. Ending Mongolian instruction At the start of the academic year in 2020, China announced it would end Mongolian-medium instruction in schools, prompting angry protests and a wide-ranging crackdown across the region. Taiwan-based strategic analyst Shih Chien-yu said the banning of the book sends a more general message to China's ethnic Mongolians. "There are still a lot of Mongolian cadres in the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party of China, a lot of Mongolian intellectuals and officials, while most of the ethnic minority intellectuals in the various central nationalities colleges and university-level schools are Mongolian," he said. "The main reason for banning the book is to warn them that they should believe they still have any clout within the regime," Shih said. "Don't put up any resistance behind our backs, because we can take away your power at any time." In 2018, Chinese authorities detained Lhamjab A. Borjigin, a prominent ethnic Mongolian historian who gathered testimony of a historical genocide campaign by the ruling Chinese Communist Party, prosecuting him on charges of separatism. He was handed a one-year suspended jail term for "separatism" and "sabotaging national unity," then released under ongoing surveillance. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. 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 September 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 China's chip industry 'not successful' even before sanctions: Ex-TSMC executive ROC Central News Agency 09/04/2023 04:04 PM Taipei, Sept. 4 (CNA) Former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) co-Chief Operating Officer Chiang Shang-yi (easc) has described the struggles of China's chip industry as predating U.S. sanctions, stating in an interview that "people" were the country's "biggest hurdle." Speaking on Era TV's "Taiwan Insights" program Sunday, Chiang, who worked in China for several years after leaving TSMC in 2013, said while Chinese firms may be capable of solving the technical aspects of research and development," he found during his time there that "the biggest hurdle was always people." Regarding his dealings with "political leaders" when serving as vice chairman of the Shanghai-based Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC), Chiang said he felt that he was "not trusted." "SMIC is headquartered in Shanghai but has factories in Beijing. I was asked by then-SMIC Chairman Zhou Zixue to fly to Beijing when a high-ranking official wished to visit the factories -- but twice I was shut out of the meetings because they only allowed People's Republic of China citizens to attend," Chiang said. According to Chiang, Zhou had tried to iron out the issue by setting up personal meetings with the Beijing leader for the then SMIC vice chairman, but "it was not a pleasant feeling." With regards to U.S. sanctions against Beijing, Chiang said they would certainly slow down the development of China's chip industry, however, it remained to be seen if the pressure could end up forcing chipmakers to stand on their own feet. "We do not know whether self-reliance could be achieved [in China's semiconductor industry], but one also has to note that China has been developing the industry for more than 10 years and the U.S. sanctions are actually very recent," Chiang said. He added that China's chip industry was "not that successful either when it was not restricted." Chiang was first recruited by SMIC, China's top foundry, as an independent director in 2016, before leaving to take up the CEO's position at Wuhan Hongxin Semiconductor Corp. (HSMC) in 2019. He left HSMC in July 2020 and returned to SMIC in mid-December 2020 to take over its vice chairmanship but left China altogether a year later. After leaving SMIC in 2021, he told local media in Taiwan that he would not work in China again. (By Alison Hsiao) Enditem/ASG NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China sets up a bureau for private economy Global Times Move set to bolster market confidence, inject impetus into economic recovery By Zhang Hongpei Published: Sep 04, 2023 07:01 PM Updated: Sep 04, 2023 11:29 PM In a significant move to further bolster the private sector, a crucial driving force for the country's economic output, China announced on Monday that it has set up a bureau specializing in promoting the private economy's development under the country's top economic planner. The latest arrangement has sent a reassuring signal to domestic private players that the country is resolved to improve the business environment by taking concrete actions to implement previously launched supportive measures in broader efforts to shore up the world's second largest economy, which has been on a bumpy road of recovery in recent months, experts told the Global Times. The newly launched bureau under the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) will strengthen policy coordination in relevant areas, and ensure that relevant measures are implemented as early as possible and achieve tangible results, Cong Liang, deputy head of the NDRC, told a press conference on Monday. Its major responsibilities include tracking, studying and analyzing the development of the private economy, coordinating and organizing the formulation of policies and measures to promote its development, and formulating policies to promote the growth of private investment, according to the NDRC. A regular communication mechanism with private firms will also be duties of the new bureau for private economy development, so as to listen to their major problems and figure out solutions. Following the announcement, China's stock market rallied. The benchmark Shanghai index rose 1.4 percent at Monday's closing, while the tech-heavy ChiNext index climbed 0.85 percent. All the 217 publicly listed shares on the Beijing Stock Exchange (BSE), a major board to drive funding for small and medium-sized enterprises, increased during the morning session on Monday. "The move of setting up a specialized agency to tackle issues and promote relevant work in the private sector is necessary, and has been long anticipated by the market," Pan Helin, joint director of the Research Center for Digital Economics and Financial Innovation affiliated with Zhejiang University's International Business School, told the Global Times on Monday. Just like the national data bureau that the country set up in March to advance the development of data-related fundamental institutions and push forward the planning and building of a digital China, the new private economy development bureau is established to respond to major policy deployment in a timely manner. "Previously, most policies were promoted by several departments in a synergized way with one major department taking the leading role. But this mode has often met with obstacles because those departments, at the same level, advanced their work in an inconsistent pace, thus affecting the implementation of relevant policies," Pan said. Cong of the NDRC said that promoting the development and growth of the private economy is a systematic project that involves a wide scope, a long policy chain, and various work nodes. "Now, the problem of inconsistency can be well fixed with the launch of the new bureau, the efficiency of which underscores that Chinese authorities have been attaching vital importance on the private sector," Pan noted. In the upcoming phase, the private economy development bureau will effectively perform its duties, improve the government-enterprise communication mechanism, strengthen the systematic design of policy promulgation, the tracking and effectiveness of policy implementation, and promote all major plans of the central leadership, Zhang Shixin, an official within the state planner, told the Monday press conference. Not 'lip service' Compared with the rollout of heavyweight supportive measures for the private sector in July, which greatly enhanced confidence among private entrepreneurs and boosted morale in the market, the new bureau establishment, which is translating words into action, carries more significance. It is expected to drive up the private sector and reinforce the momentum of domestic economic recovery in the remainder of the year, observers said. On July 19, Chinese authorities issued a 31-piont guideline to boost the growth of the private economy, promising to improve its business environment, enhance policy support and strengthen the legal guarantee for its development. "For any valuable policies, the key is to implement it," Feng Liguo, research fellow at Beijing-based Laboratory for National Economic Engineering, told the Global Times on Monday. Given specific responsibilities of the new bureau, if well executed together with other policies in the country's combined toolbox, it could revive the nation's private economy like "top-to-down refreshment," having a far-reaching influence in the remainder of the year and in the years to come, Feng said. Feng warned, however, that the effect of policy implementation still needs observation, considering that the downward trend of private investment has not seen a halt. From January to July, the national fixed asset investment came in at 28.6 trillion yuan ($3.9 trillion), a year-on-year increase of 3.4 percent. Among them, private investment reached around 15 trillion yuan, down 0.5 percent on a yearly basis, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed in August. With a mix of forceful policies landing, a stabilized private economy is set to inject certainty into the Chinese economic growth amid challenges, observers stressed. They believe the Monday move is also an affirmation of the country's "two unswerving" stances on equal support for both public and non-public sectors, rather than what some Western media tout as boosting a long-subdued sector with temporary pills for an "ailing economy." It also slapped in the face of some Western claims that Chinese government support for the private economy is just "a lip service." Notably, private entrepreneurs hailed the setting-up of the new agency as a shot in the arm. Chen Liang, general manager of Dongguan Jinconn New Material Holdings Co, a private company that makes magnetic materials, told the Global Times on Monday that "it's like we finally have a backer who can help us to grow stronger." "I think that experts in the new bureau will take a down-to-earth attitude and formulate a series of policies suitable for the domestic private sector with their expertise," Chen noted. The new bureau will certainly be a major benefit for private enterprises to participate in the national economic development to a greater extent, a manager surnamed Cao of JA Solar Technology Co told the Global Times on Monday at the sidelines of the ongoing 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services. "Enterprises expect the corresponding support," said Cao, who revealed that the company was surveyed by the NDRC for the development of the private sector recently. Private businesses have played an increasingly pivotal role in spurring economic growth, creating employment and revving up technological innovation over the past decades. They generate over 50 percent of tax revenue, over 60 percent of GDP, over 70 percent of technological innovation achievements and over 80 percent of urban employment. Private firms also account for 90 percent of the total number of enterprises, according to official data. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Italian Foreign Minister visits China, a signal of 'seeking cooperation and dialogue' Global Times Rome's possible withdrawal from Belt and Road pact not fundamental setback for China-Italy ties: experts By Chen Qingqing Published: Sep 03, 2023 10:02 PM Updated: Sep 04, 2023 12:22 AM Ahead of Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani's visit to China, the Italian official said that trade between the two countries did not meet expectations, which Western media interpreted as a hint that the only G7 country is preparing to withdraw from cooperation within the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Some Chinese experts said whether Rome's possible withdrawal would become a major setback for China-Italy relations depends on how discussions between the two sides progress, but the impact should not be "fundamentally detrimental" for bilateral ties. Tajani is scheduled to pay an official visit to China from Sunday to Tuesday, which is also seen as a signal of seeking cooperation and dialogue in spite of some noises surrounding BRI cooperation, experts said. Before leaving, he said at the European House Ambrosetti economic forum that BRI cooperation "did not bring the results we expected," Reuters reported on Saturday. In an interview with Bloomberg, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's deputy said the BRI cooperation pact "was a decision made in the past." Regardless of what Italy decides regarding the pact, "it will not be a message against China," he said. Some Chinese experts believe that Italy has put itself in a difficult position. On one hand, it has been facing growing pressure from the US-led Western allies, and its domestic political struggle made the China-proposed BRI pact a major target, while on the other hand, it hopes to keep the benefits of cooperating with China by maintaining open dialogue channels. Tajani's trip to China, which is seen as paving the way for a future visit by Meloni, still offers an opportunity for the two sides to thoroughly consider how much weight the BRI cooperation carries in the China-Italy ties and what the major impacts would be if Rome decides not to renew the BRI cooperation pact, some experts said, noting that the impact, however, should not be fundamentally detrimental for China-Italy relations. BRI in focus Tajani told the forum that Italy wants to continue to work closely with China, but "we must also analyze experts, the BRI has not produced the results we were hoping for," the official was quoted as saying in a report by the AFP on Saturday. The Italian official laid out a slew of trade data, saying that Italian exports to China in 2022 were worth 16.5 billion euros ($17.8 billion), whereas the figures for France and Germany were much higher at 23 billion and 107 billion euros respectively, according to the media report. "To some extent, the Meloni administration now wants to use its so-called withdrawal from the BRI pact as evidence that it has returned to mainstream Western politics. Clearly, there's significant political influence and pressure from the US and other Western countries," Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday. "To tackle the trade deficit, we must respect market rules. How much advantage do Italian products have in the Chinese market? This is not a problem of the Chinese government nor BRI cooperation, and they understand that," Cui said, noting that the Italian foreign minister is now merely looking for a way out as the Italian government might make adjustments to the BRI policy in the future. Meloni's far-right populist Brothers of Italy party is dominant in the incumbent government and noises about BRI deal renewal have been on the rise ever since the power change in 2022, some experts said. Recently, Guido Crosetto, Italian defense minister, has added to recent clamor that this G7 and NATO member state might exit the BRI, describing the decision to join the framework as "improvised and atrocious." Meloni said she and US President Joe Biden discussed Italy's participation in the BRI during her most recent visit to the US, but that Washington's approach was not to dictate Italy's policy on China, according to media reports. While the BRI pact is due to renew automatically in March 2024, Italy has been making some noises about its possible decision but is emphasizing that it will not upset China, which is a balancing act, Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Sunday. "There might be some impact if the Italian government decides not to renew the pact, for example, there won't be the same investment guarantee and the opportunity of setting investment rules for the BRI if it withdraws," Wang said. "But those impacts won't be a fundamental setback [for China-Italy relations]." The agreement reached between China and Italy under the framework of the BRI covers investment, infrastructure, technology, trade and other aspects. The Chinese ambassador to Italy Jia Guide told the Global Times in a previous interview that under the BRI pact, the practical cooperation in various fields has brought tangible benefits and positive effects for both nations and their people. Although the visit signals there is some "goodwill" from the Italian government to further cooperate with China, if Rome decides to "withdraw from the BRI pact, some projects under the pact will surely be affected," Cui said. "Will the withdrawal become a major setback in the China-Italy relations? This is something that China needs to carefully think about, and it will be decided by how the two sides discuss it," the expert added. Consecutive visits Following the visits of US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Canada's Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to China, Tajani is the fourth senior official from a G7 country to visit China in a week. Although Raimondo's visit to China yielded some positive results, some experts said Beijing should still be cautious about the future development of China-US relations. Major Western countries such as Canada and the UK have long aligned with the US on broad issues, but the need for pragmatic cooperation with China, especially in the economic and trade sectors, is also prominent, they noted. "Those countries' China policies have been greatly affected by Washington. As long as US-China relations improve, their relations with China will show positive signs," Wang said, noting that some Western countries like Italy need to continue cooperation with China to boost their economic recovery. China and Italy are comprehensive strategic partners and the China-Italy relationship is an integral part of China-Europe relations. In recent years, China and Italy have maintained close high-level interactions, deepened practical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, and demonstrated a positive momentum of growth, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a press conference on Friday. "China stands ready to work with Italy to take this visit as an opportunity to further deliver on the important common understandings between leaders of the two countries, cement political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, enhance multilateral coordination, promote the sound and steady development of China-Italy and China-Europe relations and jointly address global challenges," the spokesperson said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on September 4, 2023 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China At the invitation of the government of the Republic of India, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India on September 9 and 10.a Xinhua News Agency: Could you share China's expectations for the G20 Summit in New Delhi? Mao Ning: As the world economy experiences more downward pressure and challenges grow for global sustainable development, it is important that the G20, being the premier forum for international economic cooperation, strengthen partnership and rise up to the big challenges facing global economy and development so as to contribute to world economic recovery and growth and global sustainable development. We hope the New Delhi summit will form consensus on that, send out a message of confidence, and promote shared prosperity and development.aa CCTV: Recently President Xi Jinping replied to a letter from the US-China Youth and Student Exchange Association and friends from all walks of life in Washington state of the US and a letter from the grandson of General Joseph W. Stilwell of the US respectively, both receiving positive response from China and the US as well as the international community. Can you share more details with us? Mao Ning: Recently President Xi Jinping replied to a letter from the US-China Youth and Student Exchange Association and friends from various walks of life in Washington state and a letter from a descendant of General Joseph W. Stilwell respectively. In the letters, President Xi noted that to grow China-US relations, the hope is in the people, the foundation lies among the people, and the future lies with the youth. He also underscored the need for the two peoples to strengthen exchanges, increase mutual understanding and expand cooperation so as to give incessant driving forces to this relationship. The two letters fully reflect the high importance that President Xi Jinping places on closer exchanges and communication between the people of the two countries. Over the past 40-plus years since China and the US established diplomatic ties, people-to-people exchanges have been an inexhaustible source of driving force for China-US relations. As of today, 284 pairs of friendly provinces, states and cities have been established between the two countries, and a number of practical cooperation projects have been made possible by such exchanges, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries. After the pandemic was over, exchanges between the peoples across various sectors have rebounded, because closer exchanges and cooperation meet the aspiration of the people and the trend of the times, and serve the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples. In handling our relations with the US, we have always observed the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation proposed by President Xi Jinping as our fundamental guidance. We are committed to working with the US to explore the right way to get along with each other as two major countries, and China has always supported and encouraged people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. We hope the US will meet the aspiration of the people, work in the same direction with China, take concrete actions to deliver on the common understandings between the two presidents in their meeting in Bali, support exchanges and cooperation in various areas between the two countries, and bring bilateral relations back to the track of healthy and stable growth. AFP: You just announced that Premier Li Qiang will attend the G20 Summit. Does that mean President Xi will not attend the summit? If so, what is the reason? Mao Ning: As has been announced just now, Premier Li Qiang will lead a delegation to the New Delhi G20 Summit in India. The G20 is an important forum for international economic cooperation. China has all along attached great importance to and taken an active part in G20 events. During this year's G20 Summit, Premier Li Qiang will share China's views and propositions on G20 cooperation, and promote greater solidarity and cooperation among G20 countries and joint response to global economic and development challenges. We are ready to work with all parties to make the G20 Summit a success and contribute to the steady recovery of the global economy and sustainable development. Reuters: Pope Francis sent greetings to China on Sunday, calling Chinese citizens a "noble" people and asking Catholics in China to be "good Christians and good citizens". Is China open to upgrading its relations with the Vatican, and what conditions must be met before that can happen? Also, does China plan to reciprocate the goodwill gestures extended by the Pope while he was in Mongolia? Mao Ning: We noted the reports. My colleague shared with you China's position last week. China is positive towards improving the relations and we are in contact and communication with the Vatican. China Daily: It was reported that China recently invited Geneva-based diplomatic envoys from developing countries to China and they paid a visit to Tibet. Can you give us more details? Mao Ning: At the invitation of China's foreign ministry, Geneva-based diplomatic envoys from 11 developing countries, including Pakistan, Belarus, Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, came to China and paid a visit to Tibet from August 27 to September 2. The envoys spoke highly of China's people-centered development approach and efforts in fully safeguarding human rights of people of all ethnic groups. They said that the progress achieved in various sectors in Tibet exceeds expectation and the fruits of development are truly shared by the people thereaa vivid example that a happy life for all is what human rights protection is all about. The envoys observed bilingual classes in local middle and elementary schools, watched courses on Tibetan music, dancing, calligraphy, innovation and artificial intelligence, and visited the dormitories and canteens of boarding middle schools. The 15-year free education in Tibet received recognition from the envoys. They said that given the vast area of Tibet, providing boarding schooling to local students is an effective way of ensuring the equal right to high-quality education among children of all ethnic groups and that China provides a stellar example for all countries in protecting people's right to education. The envoys spoke highly of China's tremendous efforts in safeguarding the freedom of religious belief, protecting religious relics and carrying forward Tibetan medicine. They said that the lies about Tibet fabricated by some western countries couldn't be further from the truth. The international community will not be deceived by these lies. The achievement China has made attests to the importance that countries need to pursue their own path of human rights development that suits their national realities. The envoys expressed readiness to enhance exchanges and cooperation with China, strengthen multilateral coordination on human rights affairs, jointly oppose the politicization of human rights, safeguard international fairness and justice and advance the sound development of the international human rights cause. Shenzhen TV: On August 31, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its 2023 Report to Congress on Improving International Fisheries Management. The report identifies China as engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. What's your comment? Mao Ning: According to international law and customary international practice, the subjects of IUU activities are fishing vessels. The IUU activities of individual fishing vessels should not be attributed to their countries. There is no legal basis whatsoever for the US to broadly identify a nation for IUU fishing based on the activities conducted by a small number of fishing vessels. Such sweeping identification seriously disrupts international fisheries cooperationanothing but political manipulation. China is a responsible country and deeply committed to science-based conservation and sustainable use of international fisheries resources. China exercises the right to develop and use the fisheries resources on the high seas in accordance with relevant international law including UNCLOS. We actively fulfill our international obligations, and have put in place a complete system of distant-water fisheries management. We follow the world's most rigorous steps in vessel position monitoring and management, and we have taken the lead in implementing voluntary fishing moratoriums in certain parts of the high seas and worked with the international community to crack down on IUU fishing. China has joined eight regional fisheries management organizations including the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, and our compliance record has always ranked high in all of those organizations. By contrast, the US has exceeded catch limits for tuna in western and central Pacific Ocean in violation of relevant international laws over the years. What is more, at the recent annual meeting of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, the US was found suspected of 13 IUU fishing activitiesamore than any other member countriesawhich involve the fishing of whale sharks and turtles and harming sharks. Before identifying other nations as engaged in IUU fishing without valid reasons, the US needs to first of all take a hard look at itself and think seriously about how to stop the IUU fishing activities of its own fishing vessels.a Reuters: Australia said it would send additional police to Solomon Islands to boost security there and keep the police force there until June to assist with the general election. Does China plan to work alongside with Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea in Solomon Islands, to bolster the islands' domestic security? What is the extent of China's police presence so far after signing the pact with Solomon Islands on police cooperation?a Mao Ning: The police and law enforcement cooperation between China and Solomon Islands has played a positive role in enhancing security and stability in Solomon Islands. China will continue to support the country in achieving lasting security to the best of our capability in light of the will and needs of Solomon Islands. Dragon TV: According to reports, when meeting with Chairman Luo Zhaohui of China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) recently, Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene said that Mongolia is ready to step up development cooperation with China in areas such as desertification prevention and control under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Global Development Initiative (GDI). The two sides also unveiled the China-Mongolia Desertification Prevention and Control Cooperation Center on the same day. Do you have any comment? Mao Ning: Strengthening cooperation on desertification prevention and control is an important common understanding reached by the leaders of China and Mongolia and a good example of building a China-Mongolia community with a shared future. The establishment of the China-Mongolia Desertification Prevention and Control Cooperation Center is an important way of supporting Mongolia in implementing its plan to plant one billion trees. It shows China's commitment to the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and to friendship and partnership in its diplomacy with its neighbors. We believe that with the joint efforts of both sides and the support from the international community, China-Mongolia cooperation on desertification prevention and control will bring tangible benefits to the two countries and the rest of the region.a Reuters: US President Biden plans to visit Viet Nam this month and reports are saying that the US and Viet Nam may upgrade their diplomatic relations. What is China's comment on this? Mao Ning: In our view, in handling relations with Asian countries, the US needs to give up the zero sum game and Cold War mentality, observe the basic norms governing international relations, refrain from targeting any third party, and avoid undermining regional peace, stability, development and prosperity. Bloomberg: You just mentioned that Premier Li will be leading the delegation to the G20 and I understand this would mean that President Xi will not attend the G20. Do you have any comments on why he may not be attending? Mao Ning: I have made the announcement just now and shared with you the information I have. Anadolu Agency: If I'm not mistaken, it is the first time the Chinese leader doesn't participate himself in a leader's summit section of the G20. What is the reason of this arrangement? Mao Ning: I already covered this. The G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation. China attaches high importance to and actively participates in G20 activities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China warns neighbors against repeat of 'Ukraine tragedy' in Southeast Asia Iran Press TV Monday, 04 September 2023 6:32 PM China says Southeast Asian countries must be cautious about being used as geopolitical pawns by foreign players sowing discord in the region for their own gain. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a recent video address at a think-tank conference hosted by the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia in Jakarta that the Southeast Asian states must refrain from following in the footsteps of Ukraine and should not allow themselves to be used by "external forces." "The crisis in Ukraine has sounded the alarm for mankind, and similar tragedies must not be staged in Asia," the top Chinese diplomat said. "We must promote regional security through dialogue and cooperation and oppose seeking absolute security at the expense of other countries." Wang warned of a "backstage manipulator," apparently referring to the United States, which is fanning the flames of controversy over the South China Sea territorial dispute. "This black hand hiding behind the scenes must be exposed." "China is always willing to work with relevant countries to properly resolve differences through dialogue and seek effective ways to control the maritime situation." The Pentagon has sought to forge closer military ties with those countries in the region that have territorial dispute with China. The Philippines, for instance, agreed earlier this year to allow US forces to use four additional bases in the country. Beijing warned that Manila was binding itself to a "chariot of geopolitical strife." China and its neighbors must work together to safeguard the "hard-won peace" in the region by properly managing differences, Wang said. The Chinese diplomat predicted that foreign efforts to spur conflict in the South China Sea won't succeed. "We should abandon the Cold War mentality and oppose zero-sum games, keeping the region away from geopolitical calculations, and not become pawns in the great power competition," Wang said. Relations between China and the United States have deteriorated in recent years amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict and rising tensions over Washington's constant meddling in Taiwan. Beijing has repeatedly accused Washington of various military provocations in the South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, and elsewhere across the region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hong Kong students to go on more 'red' study trips to mainland China The government expands a program of compulsory school trips as universities follow suit. By Gigi Lee for RFA Cantonese 2023.09.04 -- Dressing up as revolutionary-era communist soldiers. Participating in military-style experiences. Visiting key spots where Mao Zedong consolidated his power during the 1934-35 "Long March." Hong Kong's government is boosting a program of school trips to mainland China, adding iconic destinations linked to Communist Party history and boosting "revolutionary education." Meanwhile, the city's universities are adding mandatory "national security" classes and sending students to absorb "red culture" at communist pilgrimage sites. It's all part of a concerted bid to change the mindset of Hong Kong's young people, starting as young as kindergarten, to make them more amenable to authoritarian rule. At its core is a program of Moral, Civic and National Education brought in to replace Liberal Studies in Hong Kong's primary and secondary schools, which was blamed by Beijing for several waves of mass popular protest in the city since the 1997 handover to Chinese rule. Authorities in Hong Kong have prosecuted hundreds of minors for taking part in the 2019 protest movement, with many already sent for "re-education" and military-style bootcamp training. Secondary school students will now be able to take part in military-style experiences at a national defense education facility in the southern province of Guangdong, "cultivate patriotism and enhance national security awareness," the Beijing-backed Wen Wei Po newspaper reported, citing a circular sent to schools by the Hong Kong Education Bureau. Teachers in Hong Kong's schools are also required from the start of this semester to report any "breach of laws and regulations or deviation from the moral standards generally acceptable to society" to the authorities. The government has also stepped up "national security education" in universities, with mandatory classes and tests for students. Last month, photos of students from the University of Hong Kong dressed as revolutionary-era communist soldiers in the former Mao-era base at Yanan were posted to social media platforms last month. 'Read thousands of books' Last month, Communist Party leader Xi Jinping wrote back to a class of secondary school students in Hong Kong, calling on them to "read thousands of books and travel thousands of miles to gain an in-depth understanding of the history, culture and current situation of their motherland, to deepen their patriotic feelings and hone their schools," Hong Kong education secretary Choi Yuk-lin said in a statement. "In the new school year, the Education Bureau will build on the good experience of the past few months, strengthen collaboration ... and further expand and deepen the effectiveness of mainland China study groups ... so as to implement the spirit of the Chairman's reply," Choi said in a reference to Xi's letter. Last year's school trip itinerary included a trip to Zunyi, where late supreme leader Mao Zedong consolidated his power at the head of the Chinese Communist Party and the Red Army in 1935, during the Long March. Choi said in a statement on Aug. 28 that more than 43,000 Hong Kong secondary school students have taken part in mainland China school trips so far under the program. "In the new academic year, inland study tours will include routes outside Guangdong Province and with a larger number of days," she said. "In a trial mode, students will be arranged to visit comprehensive practical activity bases in Guangzhou and Shanghai in part of the itinerary to participate in experiential learning activities in conjunction with the Civics curriculum, further broadening the scope of students' vision." One website offering study camps for primary and secondary school students in China is run by the Beijing-based company SmartCamp. Schools can book camps that include the teaching of "traditional Chinese culture, education in the revolutionary tradition, and education about the national situation," according to its website. Visits to tourist attractions, waste-processing facilities, ecological parks and industrial sites are also included, it said. Longer trips According to the Wen Wei Po, the number of compulsory field trips to mainland China will be increased from the previous 22 to 26, with students traveling further afield on longer, 4 to 5-day trips, including to Shanghai, Chongqing, Fujian, Hunan and Guizhou. Wong Ching-yung, head of Scientia Secondary School, told government broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong that the one-day visits may soon get much longer. "As we know, one-day tours are not that ideal. Even if you are going to the Greater Bay Area, transportation, meals, toilet breaks, getting on and off the car, and roll calls, actually took up most of the time," he said. "At this stage, one-day trips might be kept for another one or two years for schools that do not have much experience in holding mainland study tours to make the transition [to longer trips]." Last month, "outstanding" University of Hong Kong students visited Yan'an, the "cradle" of the Chinese communist revolution, by invitation only, according to a report on their trip posted to the social media platform Weibo. "After dinner, the students watched the first red-themed immersive play 'Return to Yan'an,'" the report said. "In the new era, the younger generation feels close to red culture - many students couldn't hide their tears when they watched it." "In that moment, everyone was deeply infected with the spirit of the Red Army," it said. The group went on to visit Zaoyuan, home to several former "proletarian revolutionaries" between 1943 and 1947. "Every plant, every tree, every brick and every tile here carries the red gene," the report said. Translated with additional reporting by Luisetta Mudie. 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 September 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 North Korea Conducts Drill Simulating Tactical Nuclear Attack - State Media Sputnik News 20230903 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - North Korea conducted a drill with a simulated tactical nuclear strike on September 2 in response to joint military exercise by the US and South Korea, Pyongyang-run news agency reported on Sunday. On Saturday, South Korea's news agency reported that North Korea had fired several cruise missiles into the Yellow Sea. "A firing drill for simulated tactical nuclear attack was conducted at dawn of September 2 ... The missile sub-unit involved in the drill fired the long-range strategic cruise missiles toward the West Sea of Korea [in the Yellow Sea] from the mouth of the River Chongchon," the state news agency of North Korea said, adding that the drill was held in response to "a joint guided missile firing and aerial bombing drill" held by the US and South Korea. As many as two long-range strategic cruise missiles tipped with mock nuclear warheads were fired, with each of them flying some 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) for 7,672 and 7,681 seconds, respectively, and exploding afterward at an altitude of 150 meters above the "target island," the news agency also stated. "An analysis indicated that North Korea's announcement this morning was exaggerated. Not all of them succeeded," a senior official of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) told news agency, expressing skepticism over Pyongyang's claims about successful drills. Earlier in the week, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea said that North Korea had launched two ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan, which flew some 360 kilometers before falling into the sea. The General Staff of the Korean People's Army said later that it had carried out a tactical nuclear strike drill simulating nuclear strikes at the territory of South Korea in response to the US-South Korea drills. The US and South Korea held the annual exercise dubbed Ulchi Freedom Shield from August 21-31. As part of the exercise, Seoul and Washington carried out an aviation exercise involving at least one B-1B strategic bomber. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DPRK fires long-range strategic cruise missiles in drill: report People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 13:07, September 04, 2023 SEOUL, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired two long-range strategic cruise missiles at dawn on Saturday, in a simulated tactical nuclear attack drill designed to send a warning against another round of U.S.-South Korea joint exercises, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Sunday. The missiles tipped with mock nuclear warheads were fired from the mouth of the River Chongchon toward the western waters off the Korean Peninsula, making a flight exceeding 7,600 seconds, before the warheads were detonated at a preset altitude of 150 meters above a target island, the report said. The Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea called on all the service personnel of the country's nuclear force to maintain high alertness and a mobilized posture, and make the United States and South Korea more acutely aware of the serious situation "through the overpowering exercise of the war deterrence," the report added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address CURTAIN RAISER India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Naval Commanders' Conference 2023/2 (04-06 Sep 23) Posted On: 03 SEP 2023 12:34PM by PIB Delhi The second edition of Naval Commanders' Conference of 2023 is scheduled at New Delhi from 04 to 06 Sep 23. The Conference is the apex-level biannual event facilitating interaction between the Naval Commanders for deliberation and formulation of important policy decisions. During the three-day Conference, being conducted in a 'Hybrid' format, the senior leadership of the Indian Navy, under the Chairmanship of the Chief of the Naval Staff, will review major operational, materiel, logistics, HR, training, and administrative activities undertaken during the previous six months. The Conference will also deliberate upon the course to be steered in the ensuing months. Hon'ble Raksha Rajya Mantri will address the Naval Commanders during the conference and interact with them, the Chief of the Defence Staff will also be present. The Conference also provides an opportunity for institutionalised interaction of Naval Commanders with senior Government officials to take ahead several inter-ministerial initiatives towards the development of a safe and secure maritime environment essential for the holistic economic growth of the country. The conference and the embedded interactions with the NSA, Chiefs of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force would also be utilised to analyse the operational environment, deliberate on the issue of Tri-Service synergy and assess the readiness of the Maritime forces. The last six months have seen an intense operational tempo as the Indian Navy's operations spanned from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Indian Naval ships were first responders for the evacuation of Indian nationals from Sudan as part of 'Op Cauvery' and HADR in Myanmar in the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha as part of 'Op Karuna'. In keeping with the expectations of IN being the preferred security partner and first responder to any crisis in the region, the forum will undertake a detailed review of the operational readiness of the Navy, with a particular focus on the performance of weapons/ sensors of the Naval platforms. The Commanders will also review the ongoing Naval projects with a focus on enhancing indigenisation through 'Make in India' in consonance with the vision of achieving complete 'AatmaNirbharta' by 2047. A demonstration of the indigenisation, Innovations and Tech initiatives by the IN is also planned on the sidelines of the conference. Various HR initiatives towards enhancing quality of life will be reviewed as well as the progress made towards identifying and removing archaic practices in the Indian Navy. **** VM/JSN (Release ID: 1954460) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Homegrown Karrar drone warned US aircraft off Iranian airspace: General Iran Press TV Sunday, 03 September 2023 11:30 AM The deputy commander of Iran's Air Defense Force says the homegrown Karrar target drone has on several occasions warned American spy aircraft and other foreign jets to stay away from Iranian airspace. Brigadier General Alireza Elhami said on Sunday the jet-powered drone has several times forced foreign manned and unmanned aircraft to change their course over the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Sea of Oman at high altitudes. "Karrar has warned the US military's Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft as well as Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk remotely-piloted surveillance aircraft and made them keep their distance from the Iranian airspace by flying at very high altitudes above the intruders," he said. The commander said a number of foreign military aircraft wanted to test Iran's air defense capabilities by changing their cruising altitude, not knowing that Karrar, which relies on a fully homegrown engine, can fly over them. Elhami also noted that Karrar has been furnished with a sophisticated radar system. Karrar, developed by Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA), is among the new generation of the Islamic Republic military aerial vehicles configured to intercept enemies' flying objects. Elsewhere in his remarks, Elhami underscored that Iranian experts at his unit have developed data acquisition and electronic warfare systems, alongside optical and combat field reconnaissance gear, that are installed on indigenous drones with various flight endurance and applications. He stated that Iran's Air Defense Force is the first military unit among the Iranian Armed Forces to have set a service ceiling record by flying a drone at an altitude of 47,000 feet above ground level. Prior to this achievement, he said, Iranian drones have given either radar or radio warnings to the foreign aircraft that have been approaching Iran's coastal waters or its flight information region (FIR). Iranian military experts and engineers have in recent years made remarkable breakthroughs in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient. Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran's defense capabilities will be never subject to negotiations. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has repeatedly called for efforts to maintain and boost Iran's defense capabilities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. aircraft warned off Iran's airspace several times in 2 years: commander People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:15, September 04, 2023 TEHRAN, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- A senior military commander said Iran had used its homegrown Karrar interceptor drone to warn U.S. aircraft off the country's airspace on a number of occasions over the past two years. In an interview with Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, which was published on Sunday, Alireza Elhami, deputy commander of the Iranian Army's Air Defense Force, made the remarks while commenting on the air force's drone and defense capabilities. Iran used the Karrar drone to warn U.S. aircraft as well as fighter jets from other countries to stay away from its southern waters, he said. On one occasion, an American Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft was forced to change its route after the warning, while on another occasion, a U.S. Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk drone was warned away, Elhami noted. He stressed that the Iranian drone, powered by a domestically-developed engine and equipped with a radar, can reach a height of more than 14,000 meters and is capable of flying above the intruding aircraft. Elhami said the Karrar drone will be equipped with air-to-air missiles in the near future so that it will be able to carry out combat missions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran FM: Unblocking funds in South Korea opens new chapter in bilateral relations Iran Press TV Monday, 04 September 2023 9:50 PM Iran's foreign minister says a recent agreement reached to unblock the country's frozen funds in South Korea will open a new chapter in the two country's relations. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a Monday phone call with his South Korean counterpart, Park Jin, during which the two sides discussed the most important issues of bilateral interest on regional and international levels. Referring to transfer of Iran's funds from South Korean banks to Switzerland, Iran's top diplomat said, "Now we can open a new chapter in bilateral relations." He added, "The Islamic Republic welcomes any initiative that would help promote ties between the two countries." The Islamic Republic and the United States recently reached a deal regarding the unblocking of about six billion dollars worth of Iran's funds, which were illegally blocked in South Korea under the pretext of US sanctions. South Korean media reported in late August that the unblocked Iranian funds had been transferred to Switzerland's central bank ahead of their transfer to Iran. Governor of the Central Bank of Iran Mohammad Reza Farzin said on August 12 that all of Iran's blocked funds in South Korea were released and will be used in the form of banking payment to purchase non-sanctioned goods and commodities. Elsewhere in the phone conversation, Amir-Abdollahian said promoting ties with Asian countries is among the priorities of the Iranian administration's foreign policy, adding, "We believe that the current century belongs to Asia." He emphasized that Iran and South Korea are "two important players" in Asia, and Tehran attaches special importance to cordial relations with Seoul. The top Iranian diplomat also expressed Tehran's readiness to boost cooperation with Seoul within the framework of regional and international organizations. The South Korean foreign minister, for his part, lauded the agreement on unblocking Iran's frozen funds in his country, saying the move showed Seoul's practical commitment to the Iranian government and people. Pointing to recent positive developments in relations between the two countries, he voiced Seoul's readiness to boost cooperation with Tehran with the goal of promoting peace and stability in the West Asia region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran, Saudi Arabia 'influential' countries in West Asia region, Muslim world: President Raeisi Iran Press TV Monday, 04 September 2023 2:07 PM Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi has praised Iran and Saudi Arabia as two influential countries in the West Asia region and the Muslim world, calling for further promotion of ties between Tehran and Riyadh. Raeisi made the remarks on Monday as he met with Alireza Enayati, Iran's new ambassador to Saudi Arabia, ahead of his departure for Riyadh. Highlighting the Islamic Republic's commitment to the expansion and consolidation of relations with its neighboring countries, the Iranian president called for the utilization of the existing capacities to further enhance Tehran-Riyadh ties. "Collaboration between Iran and Saudi Arabia, as well as increased regional cooperation at bilateral and multilateral levels, particularly in issues concerning the Islamic world ... will enhance the standing of regional countries," Raeisi said. He also noted that improved regional cooperation would decrease foreign interference in regional affairs. Behind closed doors on August 18, visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held "frank and fruitful" talks in Jeddah, the highest level talks since the two countries restored relations after years of estrangement. The two sides underscored the need to enhance sustainable relations in all fields, with Amir-Abdollahian expressing Iran's determination to improve relations with the countries in the region, particularly Saudi Arabia. Salman, for his part, said Saudi Arabia views the relationship with Iran as strategic and reiterated Riyadh's invitation to the Iranian president to travel to Saudi Arabia. Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed in Beijing on March 10 to resume relations and reopen diplomatic missions within two months. In a joint statement after signing the agreement, Tehran and Riyadh highlighted the need to respect the national sovereignty of one another and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of the respective countries. They also agreed to implement a security cooperation agreement signed in April 2001 and another accord reached in May 1998 to boost economic, commercial, investment, technical, scientific, cultural, sports, and youth affairs cooperation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran ready to hold joint air defense drills with friendly countries: Commander Iran Press TV Monday, 04 September 2023 9:43 AM The chief commander of Iran's Air Defense Force says the country is ready to share its defense experience with friendly countries and stage joint exercises with them. Addressing a group of foreign military attachAs in Tehran on Monday, Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard said the Islamic Republic's message for the allied and friendly countries is "peace and friendship". The Air Defense Force is prepared to promote military cooperation with the allied states in various fields such as training, exchange of technical and operational experiences, and holding joint war games, he added. "The Air Defense Force is tasked with securing Iran's airspace. By God's grace and efforts of my colleagues, it has managed to turn the country's skies into a safe place for friendly countries within the framework of international law and an unsafe place for hostile parties," Sabahifard said. "Deterrence as the defense doctrine of the Islamic Republic of Iran hinges upon amicable and mutual relations with all countries of the world, especially friendly and neighboring states in West Asia," he added. He also said that the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution set off the stage for a change in the unjust world order and collapse of unilateralism in international relations. The emergence of an Islamic system in Iran seriously challenged the interests of superpowers, especially in the strategic West Asia region, he stated. He said Iran's Armed Forces, while enjoying full and complete preparedness, employ state-of-the-art military gear and rely on homegrown capabilities, emphasizing that unconventional and mass destruction weapons have no place in Iran's military doctrine under a fatwa (religious decree) issued by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. The top general also underscored that Iran attaches paramount importance to self-sufficiency and utilization of domestically-developed missiles. Deterrence in the defense strategy of the Air Defense Force constitutes the ability to respond quickly and decisively to any hostile action of the enemy, he added. Sabahifard also explained that his force, in cooperation with the Iranian Defense Ministry and knowledge-based firms, has managed to diversify its medium-altitude, long-endurance systems over the past two decades, and ensure promising deterrence. He said the Air Defense Force, at the front line of countering potential military threats, relies on an integrated command and control network, properly protects Iran's skies and monitors air traffic. The commander emphasized that the force employs cutting-edge technologies in the field of telecommunications and develops secure communication systems, while it maintaining the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information by establishing data communication links between relevant systems and equipment. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iranian Professor Dismissed Amid Purge Ahead Of Amini's Death Anniversary By RFE/RL's Radio Farda September 04, 2023 Behrouz Chamanara, a professor at Kurdistan University in western Iran, has been dismissed following a directive from the Ministry of Intelligence as officials continue to attack academics for their support of protests over the death of a young woman in police custody for allegedly wearing her head scarf improperly. The Student Guild Councils of Iran said on its Telegram channel that Chamanara's removal came after the Kurdistan Intelligence Office rejected his qualifications to serve as a faculty member. Consequently, the university administrators terminated his employment based on the office's letter. Chamanara confirmed the news by sharing an image of a letter addressed to Hamed Ghaderzadeh, the president of Kurdistan University. In the letter, Chamanara explained that despite submitting two files regarding employment status conversion and contract extension to the university's recruitment committee at the end of the Iranian calendar year, his request for an extension was declined for reasons unrelated to academic or university matters. Chamanara faced detention by security forces on November 26 following a statement read by Kurdistan University professors on the university premises. He was released eight days later after posting bail. As the first anniversary of the start of the protests sparked by Masha Amini's death on September 16 approaches and a new academic year begins, the authorities have made clear that they will not tolerate a repeat of the type of student demonstrations that have shaken universities across Iran over the past 12 months. In recent weeks, officials have warned that students and educators will be under increased scrutiny, and there has been a wave of professors being removed from their positions. Most appear to have been fired for allegedly supporting student protests related to Amini's death and against the requirement that all women over the age of 9 wear the hijab, or hair-covering head scarf. On August 29, at least 10 professors were fired, some of them by telephone, in what student unions have described as a "new innovation in suppressing and dismissing university professors." Universities have historically been a battleground in the fight for social and political reforms in Iran. During the Islamic Revolution of 1979, university students played a prominent role, including the occupation of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. After the clerics came to power, the authorities instigated a mass purge of Iranian universities, firing hundreds of professors and altering curriculums to promote Islamic values. Since the revolution, university students have voiced their opposition to the clerical establishment, including during a 1999 protest against the closure of a reformist newspaper, resulting in a raid on a dormitory at Tehran University that left one student dead. The protests against Amini's death in September 2022 led to renewed pressure against students, specifically female students who failed to comply with the hijab law. Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-kurdistan-professor- dismissed-protests/32578020.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 Israel's Netanyahu orders Eritrean protesters to be deported immediately Iran Press TV Sunday, 03 September 2023 6:52 PM Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he wants Eritrean migrants who were involved in a protest in Tel Aviv to be deported immediately and has also ordered a plan to remove all African migrants from the occupied territories. "We want harsh measures against the rioters, including the immediate expulsion and deportation of those who took part," Netanyahu said at a special ministerial meeting on Sunday. He further said he didn't think deporting supporters of the Eritrean government would be a problem. "It is hard for me to understand why we would have a problem with those who declare that they support the regime; they certainly cannot claim refugee status." Netanyahu said that the ministers presented him with plans "for the removal of all the other illegal infiltrators". "Now there remains a serious problem with the illegal infiltrators in south Tel Aviv and elsewhere," the prime minister said. Netanyahu and others in his cabinet have blamed the so-called Supreme Court for blocking earlier attempted action to push migrants out of Israel. The far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir now plans to propose a bill that would overturn part of Israel's quasi-constitutional basic law on liberty to press ahead with the mass deportation of migrants who entered illegally. The remarks came a day after protests by rival groups of Eritreans in south Tel Aviv. The clashes came as Eritrean government supporters marked the 30th anniversary of the current ruler's rise to power, an event held near the Eritrean embassy in south Tel Aviv. Israeli forces, however, declared the gathering against the Eritrean government illegal, ordering demonstrators to clear the street, because they had originally promised to hold their protest away from the Eritrean government's supporters. The regime's forces then used live bullets, stun grenades, and mounted forces to disperse the protesters. The Israeli police officials confirmed that their forces had used live fire against protesters. Nearly 160 people, including 30 Israeli forces, were injured during the standoff. Israel's medical officials said 157 people were received for treatment, including a dozen with gunshot wounds, eight of whom were in serious condition. Nearly 40 protesters were also arrested, with Israeli authorities claiming that they had "assaulted police and threw stones" at them. Eritreans make up the majority of more than 30,000 African asylum seekers in Israel. The Tel Aviv regime has tried a variety of tactics to force them out, including sending some to a remote prison and holding part of their wages until after they agree to leave the occupied territories. Critics accuse the right-wing regime of trying to coerce the migrants into leaving. The Tel Aviv regime has been under fire by rights groups for racism and discrimination against non-white individuals. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel Will Reinforce Eastern Border With Jordan to Prevent Illegal Migration - Netanyahu Sputnik News 20230903 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Israel will reinforce its eastern border with Jordan by building a fence to prevent illegal migration and a possible wave of "infiltrators" from Africa, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. "Africa will double its population in the next 20 years ... Unfortunately, in Africa there is hunger and a lack of economic progress which could lead to another wave of infiltrators. Therefore, several weeks ago I directed that an eastern fence be built to thereby reinforce - first of all - the borders in order to ensure that we have a Jewish and democratic state," Netanyahu said in a statement published by his office. The prime minister also said that the fence along the Israeli-Egyptian border, which was completed in 2013, blocked "at least one million infiltrators," adding that the "problem is not over." "Regarding those who have already entered, several tens of thousands, we have already expatriated 12,000, with incentives. What we did not do, which in my opinion would have caused us a disaster if we had accepted it, was accept the UN proposal that would have given citizenship to 16,000 infiltrators," Netanyahu also said. He added that the clashes of Eritrean asylum seekers, who protested against their country's current government in Tel Aviv on Saturday, "crossed a red line." On Saturday, hundreds of Eritrean migrants clashed with supporters of the Eritrean authorities near the site of an event in Tel Aviv organized by the Eritrean Embassy in Israel. More than 100 people were injured in the clashes, including several dozen police officers. Netanyahu instructed relevant agencies to develop a plan for gradually deporting all undocumented migrants from Israel and called illegal migration from Africa a real threat to Israel's future. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel requests U.S. approval to purchase more F-35 aircraft People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 13:59, September 04, 2023 JERUSALEM, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Israel has submitted an official request to the United States to purchase a third squadron of F-35 stealth combat aircraft, the Israeli Defense Ministry said on Sunday. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant submitted a Letter of Request to the U.S. Department of Defense in order to sign the deal "in the next few months," according to a statement released by the Israeli Defense Ministry. The request follows a previous agreement, in which Israel agreed to buy from the United States 25 F-35 aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, in a deal that includes support and maintenance. The ministry estimates that the value of the deal is about 3 billion U.S. dollars, which would be financed by U.S. security aid funds to Israel. The first three jets of the new squadron are expected to arrive in Israel in 2027. Upon completion of the deal, the Israeli Air Force fleet will be expanded to 75 F-35 fighter jets. Israel received its first F-35 jets in December 2016, becoming the first country in the Middle East to receive them. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Netanyahu vows to build border fence with Jordan despite normalization Iran Press TV Monday, 04 September 2023 10:32 AM Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to build a border fence with Jordan, the second Arab country with which it signed a so-called peace accord. Netanyahu claimed that the move was aimed at preventing infiltrations from Jordan as Israel did on Egypt's border. "We erected a fence on our southern border (with Egypt) and prevented the infiltration from there into Israel," Netanyahu said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, adding "We thereby stopped more than a million infiltrators from Africa, who would have destroyed our country." "Now we will erect a fence on our eastern border (with Jordan) and ensure that there will be no infiltration from there either," he added. Israel's minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant said in July that the regime would build a new barrier along Jordan's border to prevent alleged gun-smuggling attempts. Jordan signed a so-called peace deal with Israel in 1994 to become the second Arab country to reach such an agreement with Tel Aviv after Egypt. Israel FM in Bahrain for talks On Sunday, Israel's foreign minister Eli Cohen arrived in Bahrain, one of the countries that have recently normalized ties with Tel Aviv, at the head of a political and commercial delegation for talks with the kingdom's senior officials. During the two-day trip, Cohen was scheduled to meet his counterpart as well as Bahrain's King in Manama. The trip follows the controversy that Cohen sparked late last month after he announced a secret meeting between him and his Libyan counterpart Najla al-Mangoush. His announcement sparked protests in Libya, which does not recognize Israel, and the sacking of al-Mangoush. Israeli and American officials were quoted by media as saying that the announcement has hampered US efforts to broker normalization between Libya and Israel. Israeli press commentators believe that the announcement has also compromised the US push for a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Netanyahu on Sunday criticized the publication of the secret meeting, and indirectly blamed Cohen for the leak that caused outrage in Libya. "There have been, just, innumerable confidential contacts made between Israel and Arab leaders, Muslim leaders... But we were very careful not to reveal this ahead of time," Netanyahu claimed. In late 2020, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco signed normalization deals, brokered by the administration of the then-US president Donald Trump, with the Israeli regime. The deals were condemned by Palestinians as a "betrayal" to their cause. The vast majority of people in Arab countries also oppose normalization and support the Palestinian cause. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Libya's prosecutor to probe secret meeting with Israel FM Iran Press TV Monday, 04 September 2023 8:10 AM Libya's chief prosecutor has set up a fact-finding mission to probe a recent secret meeting between the country's foreign minister and her Israeli counterpart that was publicized last week. General Prosecutor Al-Siddiq Al-Sour said in a statement on Saturday a fact-finding committee was set up to probe the meeting after receiving complaints that the minister violated Libya's rules of boycotting Israel. According to the statement, the fact-finding committee "will measure the extent of damage inflicted on the interests of the Libyan state." The committee is also assigned to collect all related materials about the meeting, including testimonies of all those involved in the incident. The meeting, which took place between Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush and her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen in Italy on August 22, was publicized by Cohen, who boasted in a statement on August 27 about "the great potential" for the two sides to cooperate. Following news of the controversial meeting that triggered protests in the North African country, Mangoush was suspended by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. She was later sacked after she fled the country. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the publication of the secret meeting as "not helpful" and "an exception to the rule" of secret contacts. He indirectly blamed Cohen for the controversy that followed the announcement of the meeting. "There have been, just, innumerable confidential contacts made between Israel and Arab leaders, Muslim leaders... But we were very careful not to reveal this [ahead] of time," Netanyahu told media. Last week, the Libyan foreign ministry issued a statement saying that the interaction did not include "any discussions, agreements or consultations", describing the meeting as "an unprepared, casual encounter". But Israeli and US officials later quoted by Axios refuted the claim. In a report last week, Axios said US President Joe Biden's administration had been pushing for normalization between Libya and Israel for two years and that the fallout of the disclosure of the meeting has harmed such efforts. Dbeibah on Thursday vehemently rejected any form of normalization with Israel. "We affirm our rejection of any form of normalization. Long live Libya, long live Palestine, and long live the Palestinian cause in all of our hearts," Dbeibah said during the televised meeting. Dbeibah has headed the government based in the capital since early 2021. He came to power under a UN-backed process with the aim of unifying Libya and preparing the country for elections. In late 2020, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco signed normalization deals, brokered by the administration of the then-US president Donald Trump, with the Israeli regime. The deals were condemned by Palestinians as a "betrayal" to their cause. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistani PM Claims Weapons Left Behind In Afghanistan Add To Security Threats By RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal September 04, 2023 Pakistan's caretaker prime minister says that weapons and military equipment left behind by U.S. and other foreign forces in Afghanistan are being used against Pakistan, worsening the security situation in the country. Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said on September 4 that many thought that the situation in Pakistan would improve after the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, but instead it has worsened. Kakar claimed the reason for the insecurity is the seizure by various groups of weapons left behind in the hasty withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces two years ago. "Weapons and military equipment in Afghanistan were left unmanaged after the withdrawal of the United States and its allies," Kakar said, adding that these weapons were dangerous for Pakistan, Central Asia, and Iran. The equipment includes modern weapons such as night binoculars, he said, speaking to a select group of journalists at his office in Islamabad. The Taliban seized U.S.-supplied guns, ammunition, helicopters, and other modern military equipment from Afghan forces who surrendered. There is no definite information on how much U.S. equipment was left behind. Kakar did not provide any evidence to support his allegation or directly link the Afghan Taliban to the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TPP). He said there was a need to adopt a "coordinated approach" to tackling the challenge of the leftover equipment. Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir, former Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, and other Pakistani officials have accused militants of traveling from Afghanistan to carry out attacks in Pakistan. The TPP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, has said that its militants are operating from tribal areas. The group says that Pakistani officials are blaming Afghanistan to cover up their failures. Amir Khan Muttaqi, the foreign minister of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, said in an interview with Al-Arabia TV last week that he was committed to regional security. He previously called on Pakistan to end the conflict with the TTP through negotiations. With reporting by AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-taliban- afghanistan-western-weapons/32578307.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 Pakistani Pastor Survives Assassination Attempt By Ayaz Gul September 04, 2023 Police in Muslim-majority Pakistan confirmed Monday that a leader of a local Christian congregation was shot and wounded in an eastern district where mob-led attacks on a Christian neighborhood burned around two dozen churches and scores of homes last month. The victim, identified as Pastor Vicky, told police in Faisalabad that he was heading home with his son on a motorcycle after leading prayers in a local church Sunday evening when a gunman targeted him. Vicky is currently under treatment in a local hospital for a bullet injury to his shoulder, local authorities and members of the minority Christian community said. The pastor described the shooting incident to police from his hospital bed, saying the assailant and another man had first intercepted him three days ago and threatened to kill him for allegedly insulting Islam's Prophet Mohammed. Area police officials confirmed that an investigation into the attack was underway. The pastor said in his written police complaint that unknown men had written Islamic slogans on the front walls of his church last week in violation of local laws, and he was able to get them removed with the help of area police. "Since then, I have been receiving death threats and been falsely accused of blasphemy," he wrote. "I call on authorities to ensure my safety and that of my Christian community so we can live in this country without fear. I demand the criminal involved in this attack and his supporters be brought to justice," the minister said. No one claimed responsibility for the assassination attempt. It came two weeks after thousands of Muslims stormed a Christian neighborhood in the district's impoverished Jaranwala town on August 16. The mob torched and ransacked 24 churches, several dozen smaller chapels, and scores of homes in Jaranwala. False allegations and rumors that two Christian men desecrated pages of the Quran, Islam's holy book, had provoked Muslims to riot, according to police and community leaders. The attack was widely denounced and described as one of the most destructive on a minority community in Pakistan's history. Police have since arrested nearly 200 people and are investigating them for their suspected role in the mob attack. Pakistani caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and the head of the country's military condemned the Jaranwala attack and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. Insulting the Quran or Islamic beliefs is punishable by death under Pakistan's blasphemy laws. No one has ever been executed, but the accused can expect to remain in jail for years while their case is on appeal. Human rights activists say that hundreds of suspects, mostly Muslims, are languishing in Pakistani jails because judges are often reluctant to move their trials forward or exonerate them under pressure from Islamist groups. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Korea warns the North to stop nukes program or risk regime instability Yoon said global community's resolute to deter Pyongyang must exceed its will to pursue nuclear development. By Jeong-Ho Lee for RFA 2023.09.04 --South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol has issued a fresh warning to North Korea Monday, urging Pyongyang to halt its nuclear program if it wants to avoid regime instability. "North Korean authorities are wasting scarce financial resources on the development of nuclear and missile capabilities," Yoon said in a written interview with the Associated Press. "Consequently, the hardships faced by North Koreans in their everyday lives are worsening, and its economy continues to register negative growth. "Amid such circumstances, unless North Korea stops its nuclear development, the regime's instability will continue to increase." The South Korean leader on Monday also pressed China to take "constructive efforts to denuclearize North Korea." He added that Beijing must realize Pyongyang's nuclear provocations pose "a negative effect on China's national interests by further disrupting regional order among other things." Yoon's remarks came on the heels of North Korea's simulated strike on the South on Saturday, in what Pyongyang called a "tactical nuclear attack" drill to bolster its nuclear capability against Washington and Seoul. North Korea launched two cruise missiles carrying mock nuclear warheads towards the West Sea of the Korean peninsula. The missiles traveled about 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) for more than two hours, before detonating at an altitude of 150 meters, the official Korean Central News Agency said. While firing cruise missiles isn't prohibited by the U.N., they present a significant threat to U.S. troops stationed in South Korea. The North's repeated nuclear provocations, combined with U.S.-China rivalry, have placed the Korean peninsula at the forefront of the ideological clash between democracy and authoritarianism. While Pyongyang's provocations have strengthened trilateral security cooperation among the U.S., South Korea and Japan, both China and Russia are defending North Korea on the international stage, with the North reciprocating this backing. "The international community must clearly demonstrate that its determination to stop North Korea's nuclear program is much stronger than North Korea's will to continue developing it," Yoon, who is set to attend ASEAN and the G20 summits this week, said. Cruise missiles pose a major security challenge to Seoul and U.S militaries stationed in South Korea, said Cheon Seong-whun, a former security strategy secretary for South Korea's presidential office. "They are challenging to intercept, and arguably, there's no current defense system entirely adequate against them," Cheon noted. "Given North Korea declaring its intention to deploy nuclear warheads on the cruise missiles, the allies must strategize and respond accordingly." "The allies must address this issue within the NCG framework agreed upon by the United States and South Korea," the former aide continued. Saturday's launches also coincided with the end of the U.S. and South Korea's 11-day training exercises, which North Korea had labeled as invasion rehearsals. The U.S. and South Korea held their inaugural Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) meeting in July, where they discussed "information sharing, consultation mechanisms, and joint planning and execution to enhance nuclear deterrence against North Korea," according to South Korea's presidential office. The NCG framework was announced during the bilateral summit in Washington in April against the backdrop of growing demands in South Korea for its nuclear armament in light of Pyongyang's escalating nuclear threats. North Korea has been ramping up its nuclear provocation over the past few weeks. The country disclosed that it had performed a "scorched earth" nuclear strike simulation targeting South Korea on Thursday. Earlier in the same week, Kim Jong Un characterized the heads of the U.S., South Korea, and Japan as "gang bosses," in an apparent derision to the three leaders' summit on Aug.18 in Camp David, Maryland. In response, the U.S. and South Korea imposed sanctions on individuals and entities implicated in illicit financing for weapons of mass destruction programs. Edited by Elaine Chan 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 September 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 Russia-Turkiye talks Talks between Vladimir Putin and President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan are currently underway in Sochi. September 4, 2023 13:20 Sochi The Russian side at the talks is represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister - Russian Co-Chair of the Mixed Intergovernmental Russian-Turkish Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation Alexander Novak, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office - Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, presidential aides Maxim Oreshkin and Yury Ushakov, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Minister of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev, Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, Director of the Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Management Company Kirill Dmitriev and Director General of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom Alexei Likhachev. * * * President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, friends, Welcome to Russia and Sochi. We agreed to hold this meeting long ago, but this is our first personal meeting since the elections in Turkiye. I have already had the pleasure of congratulating you on the election results, and I would like to do so again during our personal meeting, although several months have already passed. We continue to maintain the momentum in promoting relations between Russia and Turkiye, facilitated by your direct involvement. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that last year our trade increased by over 80 percent - by 86 percent, I think. This positive trend spilled over into the first half of this year, even if it has not been as massive as last year. But there is still positive momentum. Our relations are becoming increasingly diverse and not only within the sectors where we have been working together for quite a while, such as agriculture and energy, but also in other areas, which makes me happy. We have made headway, and I hope that we will complete our talks on establishing a gas hub in Turkiye in the near future, so as to make the energy situation in the region more stable and well-balanced. I believe that this will prove beneficial. As I have already said, we have expanded opportunities for delivering agricultural produce from Turkiye's farmers to the Russian market. This volume is very impressive and continues to grow. We continue to expand our relations in the iron and steel industry, and these relations have very good prospects all the same. As I have said, we are moving very confidently in the sphere of energy. The main suppliers and consumers on both sides have reached agreements, and I hope that this trend will continue, and that we will witness this in the near future. We continue to build the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. Today, Turkiye has become a member of the international club of nuclear states, following the delivery of the first batch of Russian nuclear fuel to Akkuyu. We will launch the first power unit next year, all goes according to plan. There are some interesting options for continuing our cooperation here. Today, a very large team of skilled specialists (nearly 25,000 people) continues to work at the NPP. We have a lot to discuss in the context of maintaining regional security. Of course, we will not overlook issues linked with the Ukraine crisis. I know that you intend to raise questions about the grain deal. We are open to talks on this issue. Of course, you and I have accomplished a lot for the situation in Syria. I know that the Republic of Turkiye perceives this as a highly sensitive issue; you and I are in the know. To my mind, we should formalise the most important achievements within the framework of the Astana format, and the platform itself, too. Of course, there are other countries in the region, I mean the Libyan issue. There are many other bilateral and international issues, and we will certainly focus on them today. Thank you very much for accepting our invitation and for arriving in Sochi today. President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan (retranslated): Mr President, First of all, I want to note that this invitation marks a different stage in relations between Russia and Turkiye. This visit is taking place against the backdrop of a war between Ukraine and Russia and the situation that is taking shape in this regard. And your invitation... we are glad to be invited and my delegation is glad to be invited. Our relations, relations between Turkiye and Russia, especially in terms of foreign trade turnover [are making good headway]: it has reached 62 billion US dollars. We have set the task of bringing foreign trade turnover to 100 billion US dollars, and this makes us happy. Today, the heads of the central banks [of Turkiye and Russia] are present here and they will hold a separate meeting. This will be an important step forward in trade relations between our countries, a step towards trade in national currencies. As for the Akkuyu NPP, the developments there are quite positive. The work is still in progress. As you said, the project employs a workforce of nearly 25,000. The developments regarding the first power unit are very good, as we said before. As for a nuclear power plant in the city of Sinop, I think we will take another step in this direction and build a new plant in that city. Creating a gas hub in the Thrace region will make our relations even richer in content. On the other hand, the tourism industry is yet another important aspect of relations between Turkiye and Russia. Today, Russians outnumber all other guests coming to our country as tourists. At the same time, I want to note that the most important step... We can say that the world's attention is on the grain deal. The world public wants to know what will come out of it and what the result will be. I think and I believe that after our contacts and during our news conference we will send the necessary message to the world, especially to the least developed African countries. A step in this direction will be of much importance. The military and defence industry and the energy sector are two other crucial areas. We have made steps, particularly with regard to natural gas. It is of paramount importance for us that we have good relations with Russia in this field. I think that we will promote our gas-related arrangements. I also want to note the following: the summer season and forest fires... It is common knowledge that you sent two aircraft to fight wildfires. They did help us a lot. But could we please increase the number of aircraft by at least two, because the danger is still there and the fires pose a great threat? These aircraft are very useful in the context of our efforts to extinguish fires. I want to thank you again on behalf of my new cabinet ministers. I hope that our meeting and contacts will be of use for our countries and regions. Thank you very much for the attention. Following the talks in expanded format with the participation of delegations, the conversation continued one-on-one, in a working breakfast format. Vladimir Putin: Mr President, you mentioned the effort to fight forest fires. I want to say that after the terrible earthquake that hit Turkiye, we were among the first to lend a hand to the Turkish people and help ordinary people and the [quake] victims. The same refers to fighting wildfires. All of this goes to say that you and I have brought Russian-Turkish relations to a very high level, and this is influencing all areas of our collaboration. I suggest that we work in the following way. First, we will give the floor to the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Commission, who will provide a general overview of what is going on in our relations, primarily in trade and the economy. Next, possibly, [we will ask] the foreign ministers [to speak]. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia proposes joint naval drill with China, North Korea Defense chief raised the idea to the North in his recent visit, said South Korean spies. By Jeong-Ho Lee for RFA 2023.09.04 -- Russia has formally proposed to China and North Korea for a joint naval drill in July, South Korea's spies said on Monday - a move that could further escalate tensions in East Asia. "Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has made an official proposal for a trilateral naval drill to Kim Jong Un when he last visited North Korea," Yoo Sang-beom, a lawmaker who was briefed by the nation's spy agency, in the National Assembly, told reporters. The assessment by South Korea's National Intelligence Service followed Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang two months ago, which has raised suspicions that the two nations were looking to enhance their military cooperation including arms trading that would support Russia's war with Ukraine. Washington issued a stern warning against North Korea last month regarding weapons transactions with Russia. The White House's national security spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. was concerned about potential arms deals between Russia and North Korea. While Pyongyang's recent provocations have strengthened trilateral security cooperation among the U.S., South Korea and Japan, both China and Russia are defending North Korea on the international stage, with the North reciprocating this backing. The South Korean spies also saw North Korea's missile launch Saturday as a response to the U.S.-South Korea joint drill, according to Yoo, hinting that authoritarian regimes in the world are seeking their own ways to counter military ties among democracies. North Korea launched two cruise missiles carrying mock nuclear warheads towards the West Sea of the Korean peninsula. The missiles traveled about 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) for more than two hours, before detonating at an altitude of 150 meters, the official Korean Central News Agency said. While firing cruise missiles isn't prohibited by the U.N., they present a significant threat to U.S. troops stationed in South Korea. North Korea's latest cruise missile launch marked only a partial success. The Intelligence Service confirmed that one of the two missiles launched on Saturday was unsuccessful. The partial success, however, hints at Pyongyang's revamped strategy to integrate its conventional arsenal and tactical nuclear weapons to threaten allies. "It seems clear that they are thinking of a short-term war, if there is any, merging their conventional arsenal with tactical nuclear weapons," Yoo said, citing the assessment of South Korea's spy agency. He said the intelligence agents have emphasized North Korea's inability to wage a long-term war, as the hermit state is strapped by an ongoing economic crisis. North Korea had imposed strict COVID restrictions in early 2020, shutting down its borders, including that with its biggest trading partner, China. The North Korean economy contracted for the third straight year in 2022, according to the Bank of Korea. COVID restrictions, compounded by international sanctions, are widely seen to have further depressed the North's struggling economy. The South's spies also reiterated the position that the agency has yet to draw any conclusion that Kim Ju Ae, Kim Jong Un's daughter, will succeed her father as North Korea's next leader. Kim Ju Ae was seen accompanying her father during the North's Navy Day last week. It was her first public appearance since May 16, when she showed up for an on-site inspection of a preparatory committee related to the North's attempt to launch a military spy satellite. The appearance was widely seen as a rare window of the regime's motivations to familiarize the North Korean public with potential future leaders, a strategy that Pyongyang has employed for decades. Edited by Elaine Chan and Mike Firn. 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 September 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 Detachment of Northern Fleet warships practise anti-submarine missions in Barents Sea 04.09.2023 A detachment of Northern Fleet warships practised anti-submarine tasks in the northern regions of the Barents Sea. The large anti-submarine ship Vice Admiral Kulakov and missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov took part in the event. They cooperated with crews of Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopters. Sailors practised different ways of searching for a submarine. The mission of the ships and support vessels is under command of Deputy Commander of the Northern Fleet Vice Admiral Oleg Golubev. The personnel of the Arctic expeditionary ship grouping of the fleet has already practised the defence of the island zone and the sea coast on the Franz Josef Land archipelago. During the exercise, the ships interacted with the Marines. The detachment has travelled more than 4,400 nautical miles since the start of the mission. In the near future, the forces of the Arctic expeditionary ship grouping of the Northern Fleet will continue to carry out tasks to ensure the defence of Russia's interests in the Arctic and operate in the northern regions of the Barents Sea in accordance with long-range mission plans. Information Activities Office of the Northern region (Severomorsk) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Production of Kamikaze Drones Launched In Russia's Kamchatka Region Sputnik News 20230904 The Russian Armed Forces have mastered the use of kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during the special military operation to achieve specific objectives without endangering military personnel. Production of kamikaze drones to cater to the needs of the special military operation has started in Kamchatka, the region's head, Vladimir Solodov, said on his Telegram account. "The production of kamikaze drones has been launched in the Kamchatka region - they will be sent to our fighters in the special military operation zone. The first batch - 80 drones - is already ready for delivery. Soldiers of the 40th marine brigade, soldiers of the 110th and 164th brigades will receive the equipment," Solodov wrote. He added that the regional government will still have to provide a number of Kamchatka manufacturers, operators, and training for units of the Russian Armed Forces, which are based in Kamchatka, to operate and service drones. "We have such an opportunity thanks to the fact that the project has received support under the Territory of Advanced Development 'Patriotic'," Solodov added. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ramaphosa: No Evidence South Africa Sold Weapons to Russia By VOA News September 04, 2023 South Africa's president said Sunday that an independent panel has found that there is no evidence that a Russian ship gathered weapons in South Africa for Russia. Reuben Brigety, the U.S. ambassador to South Africa, alleged in May that a Russian ship had docked at Simon's Town Naval Base near Cape Town to receive a shipment of weapons that would be transported to Russia. "None of the allegations made about the supply of weapons to Russia have been proven to be true," President Cyril Ramaphosa said Sunday. "No permit was issued for the export of arms and no arms were exported." The allegations raised issues concerning South Africa's neutrality about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and could have exposed the African nation to the possibility of Western sanctions. The South African leader said the allegations "tarnished" the country's image. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian army strikes two drones in Idlib, foils terrorist attack in Aleppo Iran Press TV Sunday, 03 September 2023 6:56 PM The Syrian army has reportedly shot down two drones belonging to foreign-sponsored terrorists in the northwestern province of Idlib. Syria's official news agency SANA, citing a statement issued by the Syrian Ministry of Defense on Sunday, said the army's units in Idlib countryside "shot down two drones through which the terrorists tried to target the safe civilian areas and some military points." The news agency also said the Syrian army foiled an attack by an armed terrorist group on the outskirts of the western city of Aleppo, inflicting "heavy losses" on their members and equipment. "The army's units destroyed an armed vehicle used by the terrorists to launch missiles," the statement added. Earlier in the week, a large number of foreign-backed militants were killed and wounded in Idlib after Syrian and Russian warplanes carried out a series of joint airstrikes on terrorist bases in the northwestern region. The Syrian Ministry of Defense said the aerial raids were in retaliation for recent terrorist attacks on the positions of Syrian army troops in the rural districts of Idlib and the neighboring province of Hama. While Syria has been battling terrorist groups across the country for the past years, the US military has had its forces and equipment stationed in the northeast, with the Pentagon claiming that the deployment is aimed at preventing the oil fields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh terrorists. Damascus maintains that the deployment is meant to plunder Syria's natural resources. Former US President Donald Trump admitted on several occasions that American forces were in the Arab country for its oil wealth. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian FM: Illegal presence of American, Turkish forces will eventually end Iran Press TV Monday, 04 September 2023 10:52 AM Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad has stressed that the American and Turkish illegal military presence in the Arab country will eventually end. Speaking at a conference in Damascus on Monday, Mekdad said "Turkey knows that its withdrawal [from Syrian territories] is the sole way to restore ties between the two countries." Turkey deployed forces in Syria in October 2019 in violation of the Arab country's territorial integrity. Ankara-backed militants were deployed to northeastern Syria after Turkish military forces launched a long-threatened cross-border invasion in a declared attempt to push militants of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) away from border areas. Ankara views the US-backed YPG as a terrorist organization tied to the homegrown Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been seeking an autonomous Kurdish region in Turkey since 1984. Also on Monday, Mekdad said "The US occupation of northeastern Syria, its act of plundering of its wealth, and its support of the separatist terrorist groups will end thanks to the struggle of our heroic people in Dayr al-Zawr and Hasakah, along with the Syrian Arab Army." The US also deployed forces and military equipment in Syria in 2014 without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate under the pretext of fighting Daesh. The US military claims its presence in Syria is aimed at preventing the oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh. Damascus, however, maintains the deployment is meant to plunder the country's natural resources. Former President Donald Trump of the United States admitted on several occasions that American forces were in the Arab country for its oil wealth. Touching up on Syria's future after its return to the Arab League, Mekdad said "We have never been outside the scope of the joint Arab action." He stressed that the US and Israel are "mistaken" if they think that they can separate Syria from the Arab world. Mekdad also noted that Damascus seeks to strengthen its ties with Latin American nations, "but the economic sanctions imposed on us and on some of those countries hinder that." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Clashes Resume Between Kurds, Arab Tribes in Syria Sputnik News 20230904 DAMASCUS (Sputnik) - Clashes between Kurdish formations of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Arab tribes have resumed in Syria's northeastern province of Deir ez-Zor, local sources told Sputnik on Monday. Earlier in the day, the US Embassy in Syria said two senior US officials had visited the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor and agreed with representatives of the SDF, the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) and local tribal leaders to deescalate the regional situation amid increased tensions. "In the morning, the SDF returned to storming the villages of Al-Khawaij, Ash-Shuheil and Zaiban, broke into Ash-Shuheil and detained local residents. Violent clashes continue in the Zaiban region that occupies a strategic position due to its proximity to the Omar oil field where the military base of the US forces is located," the sources said. Sources added that violent clashes were also taking place in the area of aaother villages of Deir ez-Zor. The Arab tribes managed to destroy several SDF vehicles. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) sent reinforcements to help the SDF. The SDF said that 22 fighters of the Kurdish detachments had been killed over the past week during the fighting against the Arab tribes in Deir ez-Zor. Last week, sources told Sputnik that the situation in the province deteriorated after the SDF arrested the head of the Deir ez-Zor Military Council. On Friday, the SDF announced a curfew for two days amid the unstable security situation in the province. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), composed primarily of the Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG), backed by the United States, control most of the Raqqa and Al-Hasakah provinces as well as several residential areas in the provinces of Aleppo and Deir ez-Zor. In particular, they control the greater part of the cities of Al-Hasakah and Qamishli. The official government in Damascus does not recognize the self-proclaimed autonomous administration of northern and eastern Syria. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, Kurdish-Led SDF, Local Leaders Agree on De-Escalation in Syria's Deir ez-Zor - Embassy Sputnik News 20230904 MOSCOW(Sputnik) - Two senior US officials visited the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor and agreed with representatives of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) and local tribal leaders to de-escalate situation in the region amid increasing tensions, the US Embassy in Syria has said. Last week, sources told Sputnik that the situation in the province had deteriorated after the SDF had arrested the head of the Deir ez-Zor Military Council. On Friday, the SDF announced curfew for two days amid the unstable security situation in the province. "NEA [Near Eastern Affairs] Deputy Assistant Secretary [Ethan] Goldrich and OIR [Operation Inherent Resolve] Commander Major General Joel Vowell met in northeast Syria with the SDF, the SDC, and tribal leaders from Deir El-Zour. They agreed on the importance of addressing the grievances of residents of Deir El-Zour, the dangers of outsiders interfering in Deir El-Zour, the need to avoid civilian deaths and casualties, and the need for de-escalation of violence as soon as possible," the embassy tweeted on Sunday. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), composed primarily of the Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG), backed by the United States, control most of the Raqqa and Al-Hasakah provinces as well as several residential areas in the provinces of Aleppo and Deir ez-Zor. In particular, they control the greater part of the cities of Al-Hasakah and Qamishli. The official government in Damascus does not recognize the self-proclaimed autonomous administration of the northern and eastern Syria. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan or bust Some experts say China's problems make it more likely to risk forcefully bringing Taiwan 'home.' By Chris Taylor for RFA and Hwang Chun-mei for RFA Mandarin 2023.09.04 -- In its daily briefing on Chinese military activities around Taiwan on Monday, Taipei's Ministry of National Defense said that just two People's Liberation Army aircraft were in the air. Just over a week ago, on the other hand, China sent a total of 32 military aircraft and nine naval vessels into Taiwan's air defense identification zone and waters around the island over a 24-hour period. An expert described it at the time as a mock "blockade." Speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of military matters in the Taiwan Strait, another military analyst told RFA that "blockade" was too strong a word. China, he said, was mostly carrying out "practice runs" on a non-invasive scale, but that didn't mean that China was simply "saber-rattling." Even as the daily tallies of air and sea vessels encircling Taiwan and pressing at the country's air defense identification zone are so routine as to barely raise an eyebrow in downtown Taipei, the notion of the threat of war is ever present. According to Chinese-language media reports in Taiwan, the Ministry of National Defense's recent "2023 PLA Military Power Report," which was submitted to Taiwan's Legislative Yuan, suggests that an invasion of Taiwan has become more likely during Chinese President Xi Jinping's third five-year term. Speaking to RFA Mandarin in late July after a high-profile shakeup of China's rocket command, Yao Cheng, a former lieutenant colonel in China's Navy Command who defected to the United States in 2016, said that Xi is determined to carry out a military invasion of Taiwan. "He definitely wants to go to war," said Yao. "Otherwise, he can't realize [the goals of] his third term in office." The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sees self-ruled Taiwan, or the Republic of China, as a province of China, even though the island has never been ruled by the CCP. At the last meeting of the National People's Congress Xi spoke of an "unwavering push for the reunification process of the motherland", and Wu Qian, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Defense recently said that Taiwan's future lies in national unification., Xi has ordered the PLA to "prepare for war" in his roles as General Secretary of the CCP and head of the Central Military Commission - the overall high command of the PLA - while U.S. President Joe Biden said at a Democratic Party fundraiser last month that China was a "ticking time bomb." "That's not good because when bad folks have problems, they do bad things," Biden added. The U.S. president said that China was in "trouble" due to turgid growth and high unemployment. Countdown to aggression The Taiwan Ministry of Defense "2023 PLA Military Power Report" speculates that the likelihood of China attacking Taiwan and the risk of military conflict has increased. Some experts, talking to RFA Mandarin, agree. Yu Jie, a writer based in the U.S. and author of a recent Chinese-language book on how China might invade Taiwan, told RFA's "Asia Wants to Talk" program that the CCP is currently moving in the direction of becoming a "global empire," describing Taiwan as the final puzzle piece. "The crisis is gradually approaching," said Yu. The author speculates that Xi's timeline for invasion is likely to be five to 10 years - before his possible retirement. "Xi hasn't cultivated a truly legitimate successor, so when factions vie for power, one of the contenders might wage an external war to boost their prestige," he said. Last year, the New York times reported that an attack on Taiwan could occur as soon as 2025, when presidential elections will take place in both Taiwan and the U.S., a scenario that few military strategists regard as likely - but not outside the realms of plausibility. Huang Pengxiao, a retired Taiwanese colonel and current affairs commentator, pointed out in RFA Mandarin's "Asia Wants to Talk" last week that logically, China would eventually attack Taiwan. But he added, "Unless U.S. hegemony declines, meaning the rise of the East and the decline of the West, the chances ... of an attack isn't imminent - there's still a wait." Author Yu Jie said that the U.S. expectation that increased trade with China would lead to a more relatable, friendly China hadn't happened, but the U.S. is appropriately changing the terms of engagement. "Decoupling might take a decade or even longer, so I agree with the approach [the U.S. is taking] of talking on one hand and sanctioning on the other." A PLA analyst who asked to remain anonymous said that China's current daily aerial and naval harassment of Taiwan could not transition into war overnight. "We'd expect a whole lot more activity in the Taiwan Strait if they were transitioning to war," he said. As John Culver recently wrote in the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, "China would have already started surging production of ballistic and cruise missiles; anti-air, air-to-air, and large rockets for long-range beach bombardment; and numerous other items, at least a year before D-Day." Edited by Mike Firn and Elaine Chan. 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 September 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 PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Sep. 4, 2023 ROC Ministry of National Defense 2023/09/04 PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Sep. 4, 2023 09:00iUTC+8i 1.Dateis 6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Sunday to Monday, Sep. 3-4 2.PLA activitiesis 2 PLA aircraft around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities. 3.Illustration of flight path is not provided due to no trace of PLA aircraft crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entering Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ during the time frame. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Eswatini Not Expecting 'Friction' With China Over Taiwan President Visit By Kate Bartlett September 04, 2023 Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen this week visits the Kingdom of Eswatini a the island's last Africa ally a following a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to continental powerhouse South Africa, which surrounds Eswatini. Despite being the last holdout on the continent against Beijing's "One-China" principle, a spokesperson for the Eswatini government said he did not "anticipate any friction" to arise from Tsai's visit. "Will this not anger China? We don't think so. The Kingdom of Eswatini and the Republic of Taiwan have had diplomatic relations since 1968; we have never had any issues and it is not for the first time by the way that the president of Taiwan visits the Kingdom of Eswatini," Alpheous Nxumalo told VOA. Percy Simelane, a spokesperson for Eswatini King Mswati III, echoed that, saying Tsai was coming to attend celebrations commemorating the country's 55 years of independence from Britain. "Eswatini's diplomatic relations with Taiwan are by choice, based on national interest," he told VOA, adding that Taiwan "has been a strong development partner." Development assistance Sanele Sibiya, an economics lecturer at the University of Eswatini, said aid is one of the reasons the kingdom has stuck by Taipei. "Taiwan has quite strategic importance for Eswatini in terms of official development assistance," he said, noting the many students from Eswatini go to study in Taiwan, and Taiwan also helps the impoverished southern African nation in terms of health, infrastructure and agriculture. Sibiya said he expected new deals to be announced during Tsai's trip, and for Eswatini "to continue the call for an independent Taiwan in the United Nations and there is an expectation that we will actually hear such a tone within the king's speech." Last month, Eswatini's representative to the U.N.'s Geneva office, Vuyile Dumisani Dlamini, said Taiwan's exclusion from the United Nations was "unjustifiable." A statement from Tsai's office regarding the Eswatini trip said the visit would take place from September 5-8 with "two major goals: to celebrate the enduring friendship between our two countries and to advance our sustainable cooperation." Tsai will attend a state banquet held by the king and have meetings with him, according to the itinerary. Her office said bilateral agreements will be signed and Tsai will "inspect the progress of Taiwan-Eswatini joint health care and women's empowerment projects and visit the Outpatient Department and Emergency Complex of Mbabane Government Hospital." A medical team sent from Taipei Medical University Hospital is practicing there. Asked by media whether the trip was intended as a competitive move after Xi's August visit to South Africa, a Taiwan government official responded that there were "no such considerations about competition and that the similar timing of these trips is nothing more than a coincidence." The Chinese embassy in South Africa did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Shifting allegiances The dispute between the People's Republic of China and Taiwan stems from the Chinese civil war in the 1940s when Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government lost to Mao Zedong's Communists on the Chinese mainland and rebased on the island of Taiwan, also called the Republic of China. Beijing considers democratically ruled Taiwan a breakaway province a to be retaken with force if necessary. For most of the 1960s, Taiwan was more influential than China in Africa, but that changed in 1971 when the U.N. General Assembly affirmed China's place on the body and denied Taiwan a role a with most African states voting with China. Since President Xi's global infrastructure project, the Belt and Road Initiative, came to Africa along with Chinese loans and investments, more countries have switched ties to Beijing, with Burkina Faso a the second-to-last supporter of Taiwan on the continent a choosing to sever ties with Taipei in 2018. Now only the absolute monarchy Eswatini a which has been criticized for human rights abuses a and Somaliland, an unrecognized breakaway region of Somalia, continue to support Taiwan. And it's not only African nations that have been changing course. Earlier this year, Honduras cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and allied with China. Taiwan now has formal ties with only 13 countries, many of them small nations like Nauru and the Marshall Islands in the Pacific. The United States recognizes China but sells weapons to Taiwan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin Says Hopefully Moscow, Ankara Will Agree on Turkiye Gas Hub Soon Sputnik News 20230904 On September 4, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived to Russia's Sochi to meet with his Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia is open to negotiations on resuming the Black Sea grain deal, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a meeting in Sochi on Monday. "I know that questions on the grain deal are planned to be raised. We are open to negotiations on this matter," Putin said during the meeting. Vladimir Putin said that issues related to the conflict in Ukraine will be included in the agenda of the Monday meeting. "There is something to talk about in terms of ensuring security in the region. Of course, we will not ignore the issues related to the Ukrainian crisis," Putin said at the meeting. The pace of development of relations between Russia and Turkiye has been maintained, the positive trend of trade turnover in the first half of the year has also been maintained, although it is not as strong as last year, Putin said. The Russian President said that he hopes that Moscow and Ankara will complete negotiations on the creation of a gas hub in Turkiye soon. "I hope that in the near future we will complete negotiations on the creation of a gas hub in Turkiye in order to make the energy situation in the region more stable and balanced. And I think this will be beneficial," Putin said. Regarding the energy cooperation, Putin said that "agreements have been reached" between main supplies and consumers on both sides. The Akkuyu nuclear power plant project in Turkiye is developing according to its plan, and its first unit will be launched in 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. "The construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant continues, now Turkiye has truly become a member of the international club of nuclear states, after the delivery of the first batch of Russian nuclear fuel Akkuyu, next year, everything is going according to plan, we will launch the first unit," Putin said at the meeting. Russia is among the first countries that is trying to help Turkiye in times of need, including in fight against forest fires and dealing with consequences of earthquakes, Putin added. "Dear president, you mentioned the fight against fires. I want to say that after the terrible earthquake that the Turkish people faced, we were among the first who tried help the Turkish people, to help ordinary people who suffered. The same goes for firefighting. All this suggests that we have brought Russian-Turkish relations to a very good and high level," Putin said. Key Statements of Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkiye and Russia are on the path of reaching $100 billion trade, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting. "We are going through a completely different period in relations between Turkiye and Russia, we are very pleased that our foreign trade is currently $62 billion, and we are moving towards our goal of $100 billion," the Turkish leader said. The negotiations on the Black Sea Grain Initiative between Turkiye and Russia are important for the whole world, including the African countries, Erdogan said. "Of course, the most important thing is the grain issue. The world is also waiting for today's results (of negotiations) ... I think that a step towards the underdeveloped African countries will be very important," Erdogan said. The project on the creation of a gas hub in Turkiye is of great importance for Ankara, Erdogan added. "Another significant element for us is the creation of a [gas] hub in East Thrace," Erdogan said. Erdogan also told Putin that works at the Akkuyu nuclear power plant are going well, adding that the sides will also take a step towards the construction of the Sinop nuclear power plant. "We maintain a high level of cooperation with Russia in the energy sector, especially in the field of natural gas. I believe that we will develop these relations further," Erdogan said. Switching to national currencies in bilateral cooperation between Ankara and Moscow is important, the Turkish President said. "I believe that the fact that the heads of our central banks will meet here today is important from the point of view of a step towards the transition to national currencies in bilateral relations between us," Erdogan said. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's Medvedev slams Ukraine's Western backers as 'pro-Nazi coalition' Iran Press TV Sunday, 03 September 2023 6:43 AM Russia's former president has described Ukraine's Western backers as a "pro-Nazi coalition", dismissing the idea of Moscow reconciling with the West as a vain illusion. Washington and its allies in Europe and elsewhere continue to support Kiev despite it acting increasingly like the Nazis during World War II, Dmitry Medvedev said in a Telegram post on Saturday. Moscow should abandon hope of reconciling with the West and see it for what it is, he added. The leaders of Ukraine are "increasingly talking about 'holding all Russians accountable'," Medvedev said, adding that Kiev sees all Russian citizens as "Russians" regardless of their ethnic background. In a thinly-veiled reference to the Nazis' plans for the Soviet Union, the former president said that the world had already seen similar aspirations. Medvedev noted that Ukraine is still being supported by almost every single Western leader, as well as by the heads of Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. All of them "are direct and obvious Nazi accomplices." "They should be treated as the leaders of a pro-Nazi coalition," he stated. The former president, who now serves as the deputy head of Russia's National Security Council and the Military Industrial Committee, then insisted that Russia should not "lapse into sweet daydreaming" about achieving reconciliation with the West and joining what he called a "big polyamory family of non-binary genders." Medvedev had earlier condemned what he called open glorification of Nazism in Ukraine, pointing to an initiative calling for the establishment of the Stepan Bandera Order that would supposedly be awarded to Ukrainian servicemen. Bandera was a notorious Ukrainian nationalist leader during World War II whose organization was responsible for mass killings in Ukraine, including the ethnic cleansing of more than 100,000 Jews and Poles. The petition requesting the creation of such an order in Ukraine appeared on the official website of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in May. It has since received nearly 2,300 signatures of the required 25,000. Medvedev blasted the initiative by comparing it to Germany establishing an order of Adolf Hitler or Italy introducing an order of Benito Mussolini. "What is there to be ashamed of?" Medvedev mockingly wrote on Telegram at the time. "Let's just glorify all European Nazis at once. This appears to be the new European ideology," he added. The Russian-speaking population of eastern Ukraine has long been a target of the Ukrainian nationalism movement led by notorious neo-Nazis linked to Kiev, including Ukraine's neo-Nazi Azov Battalion founder Andriy Biletsky. The self-proclaimed "White Leader" has called on Kiev to impose a tough and balanced state policy, which includes genocide alongside eugenics, to procreate a pure biological quality of individual Ukrainian families in the Russian-dominant regions of eastern Ukraine. Biletsky's manifesto, entitled "Language and RaceaPrimary Issues", expanded on this concept. "Ukrainian social-nationalism considers the Ukrainian Nation to be a blood-racial community... Race is everything for nation-buildingaRace is the basis on which the superstructure grows in the form of national culture, which again comes from the racial nature of the people, and not from language, religion, economy, etc." As for the Russian-speaking population of Eastern Ukraine, Biletsky wrote, "The issue of total Ukrainization in the future social nationalist state will be resolved within 3-6 months with the help of a tough and balanced state policy." Russian President Vladimir Putin cited one of the reasons for launching Moscow's February 2022 special military operation in the Russian-majority Donbas region to stop the persecution of its people by Kiev's pro-Nazi regime. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's Air Defense Downs 2 Ukrainian Drones Over Kursk Region, Crimea - Defense Ministry Sputnik News 20230903 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia's air defense forces have destroyed two Ukrainian aircraft-type drones over Russia's Kursk Region and the Black Sea near Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday. "Today, at around 1 a.m. Moscow time [22:00 GMT], an attempt by the Kiev regime to conduct terrorist attack using two aircraft-type drones against object on the Russian territory was thwarted. Air defense forces destroyed Ukrainian drones in the air over the Black Sea near the Crimean peninsula and over the territory of the Kursk Region," the ministry said. On Friday, Russian forces thwarted a naval drone attack on the Crimean Bridge, along with an aircraft attack in Russia's Belgorod region. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelensky Announces Resignation of Ukrainian Defense Minister Reznikov Sputnik News 20230903 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Sunday that Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov will leave his post, saying that the chief of the Ukrainian State Property Fund, Rustem Umerov, will head the country's defense department. "Oleksii Reznikov has gone through more than 550 days of a full-scale war. I believe that the [defense] ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society in general. Rustem Umerov is set to head the ministry now ... I expect the parliament to support this candidacy," Zelensky said in a video address on Telegram. The exact date of when Rustem Umerov's candidacy will be submitted to the Ukrainian parliament has not been revealed. On August 19, Reznikov said that he was ready to stand down amid a dispute over inflated military catering costs. Zelensky was reportedly looking to replace Reznikov after the defense minister came under fire over allegations of corruption that have been dogging the Ukrainian government since January. Rustem Umerov was born in 1982. He received a Bachelor's degree in economics and a Master's degree in finance from the Ukrainian National Academy of Management. He has been the Chairman of the Ukrainian State Property Fund (implements state policy in the areas of privatization, lease, use and alienation of state property, management of state property) since 2022. The change of defense minister in Ukraine, while it may not be a sign of direct distrust of the current army leadership on the issue of the so-called counter-offensive of the Ukraine military forces, nevertheless might rise questions regarding the efficiency of Western support to Ukraine's army. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Loses Nearly 600 Troops in Combat Over Past Day - MoD Sputnik News 20230903 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have eliminated about 600 Ukrainian troops during the special military operation in the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "Up to 250 Ukrainian troops were eliminated in combat in the Donetsk direction, in addition to two armored vehicles, three cars, a US-made M777 howitzer, a Polish-made Krab self-propelled howitzer, and a Msta-B and a D-20 howitzers," the ministry said. Another 130 Ukrainian troops were eliminated in the Zaporizhzhia direction, over 125 in the South Donetsk direction, 50 near Krasnyi Lyman and 40 near Kupyansk, according to the ministry's estimate. Ukraine also lost a MiG-29 fighter jet to the Russian air force near Bekarivka town in the Zaporizhzhia region, among other military hardware lost in combat over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Russian air defenses shot down 34 Ukrainian drones, five HIMARS missiles and a JDAM guided munition over the past day, the ministry also said. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Air Defenses Destroy Ukrainian Drone Over Belgorod Region - MoD Sputnik News 20230903 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian air defense systems shot down a Ukrainian drone over Russia's Belgorod Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "Today [September 3], at around 12:30 Moscow time [09:30 GMT], an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack by an unmanned aerial vehicle against objects in Russia was thwarted. The Ukrainian drone was destroyed by air defense over the territory of the Belgorod Region," the ministry said in a statement. On Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Russian armed forces shot down a Ukrainian airplane-type drone over the Belgorod Region and became one of at least five Ukrainian drones shot down over the Belgorod Region over the past two days. Ukrainian troops resorted to drone warfare in last several months after loss of several strategic locations and growing number of casualties. Military experts stress that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia pursue no meaningful military goal apart from boosting morale among Ukrainians. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Congress condemns local elections in occupied Ukrainian territories Council of Europe Congress Strasbourg 4 September 2023 The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Leendert Verbeek, condemns the decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation to organise local elections in the illegally annexed Ukrainian territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. It constitutes a flagrant violation of international law which Russia continues to disregard, as it was the case with the pseudo-referendums last year. These territories are and will remain an integral part of Ukraine. In addition, holding local elections in occupied territories only creates an illusion of democracy but clearly violates the right of citizens to participate in the conduct of local public affairs. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe reiterates its commitment to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognised borders, and will continue to extend its unwavering support to Ukraine and its people in their struggle against the aggressor. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine says it breaches Russia's first defense line in south People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 14:11, September 04, 2023 KIEV/MOSCOW, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments related to the Ukraine crisis: Ukrainian forces have breached the first line of Russia's defense near the city of Zaporizhzhia on the country's south, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Sunday, citing a Ukrainian military commander. "Now we are between the first and the second defensive lines," said Oleksandr Tarnavsky, commander of the operational-strategic grouping of troops "Tavria." The Ukrainian troops are now advancing on both sides of the breach and strengthening their positions, Tarnavsky said, adding that he believes that the second defensive line is weaker than the first one. - - - - The Russian Defense Ministry said Sunday that its air defense had destroyed a Ukrainian drone over the Belgorod region, preventing it from carrying out a terrorist attack on Russian facilities. "Today, at around 12:30 Moscow time (0930 GMT), Kiev attempted to carry out an attack by an unmanned aerial vehicle on objects in the Russian Federation was thwarted," a statement read, calling the move "a terrorist attack." "The Ukrainian UAV has been destroyed by the air defense over the territory of the Belgorod region," it added. - - - - Russia hit Ukraine's port infrastructure in an overnight drone attack on the southern Black Sea port city of Odesa, regional authorities said Sunday. Two civilian workers of the port were injured in the attack, said the Odesa regional military administration. Serhii Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian volunteer army "South," wrote in a Telegram post that a fire broke out on a port infrastructure facility following the attack. According to Ukraine's Air Force, the country's air defense intercepted 22 out of 25 Shahed-136 and Shahed-131 kamikaze drones launched against the region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin tells Erdogan: Russia open to grain deal negotiations Iran Press TV Monday, 04 September 2023 1:25 PM President Vladimir Putin says Russia welcomes negotiations on restoring the crucial Black Sea grain export deal to mitigate the impact of food crisis. The Russian president was meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday. Russia withdrew from the deal in July. The agreement was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, and Moscow says an attack on a Russian base in Crimea was to blame for the withdrawal. Under the deal, grain shipments were allowed to leave Ukraine's ports. During the meeting with Erdogan, Putin said, "I know you intend to raise the issue of the grain deal. We are open to negotiations on this issue." The Russian leader has said Moscow could return to the deal if the West fulfils a separate memorandum agreed with the UN to facilitate Russian food and fertilizer exports. Moscow has said restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have hindered shipments of Russian food and fertilizer. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has already sent Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov "a set of concrete proposals" aimed at reviving the deal, according to the Guterres office. The Turkish leader also said on Monday he would make a "very important" announcement on grain exports. Erdogan was a key player in brokering the grain deal. He said in August that the revival of the agreement depends on Western countries keeping "their promises." Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said the circumstances surrounding the deal did not live up to Moscow's expectations. The Russian state television said in its report on the Erdogan meeting in Sochi that promises made to Russia must be implemented this time around. Russia has also been discussing an initiative to supply up to one million tons of grain to Turkey at reduced prices for subsequent processing at Turkish plants and shipping to countries most in need. Russia and Ukraine are two of the world's key agricultural producers. The duo are influential players in the wheat, barley, maize, rapeseed, rapeseed oil, sunflower seed and sunflower oil markets. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Minister fired by Zelensky says West gave Ukraine $100bn in military aid Iran Press TV Monday, 04 September 2023 5:50 AM The Ukrainian defense minister, fired on Sunday night by President Volodymyr Zelensky, says Western allies have already provided Kiev with military aid worth about US$100 billion since the start of the Russian operation in the war-torn country. Oleksii Reznikov said in an interview with Ukrinform news agency on the same day that the money is spent on weapons and military equipment. "If we calculate and evaluate all the aid packages today, I think we have already received about US$100 billion" during the full-scale military campaign, Reznikov said. "We have received over US$100 billion in various weapons and equipment, rounds of ammunition, shells, and shots. From the United States alone, we received more than US$50 billion, approaching US$60 billion," he added. The defense minister went on to say that if the amount is multiplied by Ukraine's national currency exchange rate, it will be equivalent to trillions of hryvnias. Zelensky, citing the need for "new approaches" as the war with Russia enters its 19th month, said he has decided to replace Reznikov with Rustem Umerov, the former people's deputy of Ukraine. "This week, parliament will be asked to make a personnel decision ... I have decided to replace the minister of defense of Ukraine. Oleksii Reznikov has gone through more than 550 days of full-scale war," Zelensky said. The latest development comes as Western officials have criticized Kiev over the past weeks for failing to deliver on its promises of victory on the battlefield despite receiving ten-of-billions of dollars worth of weapons and munitions and just asking for more. Kiev launched its hugely publicized counteroffensive against Russian troops in June but failed to pass the Russian defense lines and switched instead to causing disruption deep inside Russia by launching drone and missile attacks on the capital city Moscow and elsewhere. Some Western officials have come to see the support for Ukraine as their loss and a distraction from their own domestic problems. The West has supplied Ukraine with various weaponry since the onset of the Russian military campaign in February 2022. Russia has frequently warned that the continued supply of Western weapons and munitions to the Ukrainian military would only prolong the war, add to losses, and exacerbate the sufferings of the Ukrainian nation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Erdogan Dismisses Alternatives To Grain Deal After Putin Meeting As Russian Drones Target Ukrainian Port By RFE/RL September 04, 2023 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ankara is against alternative proposals to the Black Sea Grain Initiative that it brokered last year with the United Nations to ensure Ukrainian grain exports to countries that need them to feed their populations. Russia and Ukraine have proposed alternative plans, but Erdogan said the proposals "could not offer a sustainable, secure, and permanent model based on cooperation between the parties like the Black Sea Initiative." Erdogan made the statement on September 4 at a joint news conference with Putin in Sochi, Russia, where the two leaders met for three hours to discuss revising the deal, which Moscow withdrew from in July. Erdogan helped broker the original deal, which went into effect in August 2022 and helped ease concerns about global food security by allowing the safe export of Ukrainian grain through three of its Black Sea ports. The Turkish president said at the news conference that Ukraine should "soften" its negotiating position "in order for it to be possible for joint steps to be taken with Russia," saying that more grain needs to be shipped to Africa rather than European countries. Erdogan told journalists earlier that he believed a solution would be agreed to "soon" regarding the grain initiative. He said the United Nations had prepared new proposals aimed at addressing Russia's problems with the deal, which include complaints that its own food and fertilizer exports face obstacles because of Western sanctions. "I believe that it is possible to get results. I believe that a solution that will meet Turkey's expectations will be reached soon," Erdogan said. Putin, who spoke at the news conference alongside Erdogan, repeated Russia's position that it would be ready to return to the grain deal once all agreements relevant to the accord were fulfilled. "We will be ready to consider the possibility of reviving the grain deal," he said. "And we will do it as soon as all the agreements on lifting restrictions on Russian agricultural exports are fully implemented." Putin also said Russia was nearing a deal that would secure free grain to six African countries. Russia will supply the food and carry out logistics free of charge, adding that deliveries "would begin in the next couple of weeks," he said. After quitting the deal in July, Moscow began increased attacks on Ukraine's southern Odesa and Mykolayiv regions, Ukrainian ports, and grain infrastructure on the Black Sea and Danube River that are vital for the shipment of grain. Russia launched another massive drone strike on a major Ukrainian grain-exporting port in the southern Odesa region early on September 4, damaging warehouses and production buildings along the Danube River. Seventeen Russian drones were shot down by Ukraine's air defenses, according to Odesa regional Governor Oleh Kiper, who also said there were no civilian casualties. "Unfortunately, there are also hits," Kiper wrote on Telegram. "In several settlements of the Izmail district, warehouses and production buildings, agricultural machinery, and equipment of industrial enterprises were damaged." Russia targeted another major Danube port of Reni on September 3, injuring at least two people and damaging the port's infrastructure. The Danube has become Ukraine's main route for exporting grain since the collapse of the grain deal. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said Russian drones had also detonated on the territory of neighboring Romania, a NATO member. But Romanian officials rejected the claim, saying the Russian attack did not "generate direct military threats to Romania's national territory or territorial waters." Ukraine claimed limited gains against Russian forces along the southern front -- the focus of its counteroffensive -- and took back territory near Bakhmut in the east. "The defense forces of Ukraine are continuing offensive operations in the Melitopol sector. Our forces had success near Novodanylivka and Novoprokopivka," Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said on state television on September 4. Ukrainian forces had also captured 3 square kilometers of territory near the war-battered city of Bakhmut, she added. In the capital, Kyiv, officials said there had been a fresh bomb threat against all schools and colleges in the city after a similar warning last week. "Kyiv police again received a report of a bomb threat in all schools and colleges in Kyiv," the city's military administration said on social media on September 4. They told the public to keep calm, adding that police were taking necessary measures. The first day back at school in Kyiv on September 1 was also marred by a bomb threat, but the military administration later said the information was not confirmed. With reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-drones-ukraine- odesa-putin-erdogan-grain-deal/32577425.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 Bucharest Denies Ukrainian Claim That Russian Drone Detonated On Romanian Territory By RFE/RL's Romanian Service September 04, 2023 Romania's Defense Ministry has "categorically" denied a Ukrainian Foreign Ministry claim that at least one Russian drone launched during an overnight attack on a Ukrainian port fell and detonated on Romanian territory. Kyiv said on September 4 that Russia launched the air strike on Ukrainian port infrastructure, and one of the drones hit across the Danube River in the territory of NATO-member Romania. The Romanian Foreign Ministry, however, said the information released by Ukraine was false. "The Ministry of National Defense categorically denies information from the public space regarding a so-called situation that occurred during the night of September 3 to 4 in which Russian drones allegedly fell on the national territory of Romania," it said. Romania said that it monitored in real time the situation both during the night from September 3 to 4 and the night before. "At no time did the means of attack used by the Russian Federation generate direct military threats to the national territory or the territorial waters of Romania," the ministry said. It added that measures to strengthen defenses on the eastern flank had been taken. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said earlier on Facebook that, according to the State Border Service, Iranian-made Shahed drones fell and detonated on the territory of Romania. This is another confirmation that "Russian missile terror is a huge threat not only to the security of Ukraine, but also to the security of neighboring countries, including NATO member states," Nikolenko said. Nikolenko published a photo showing flames of an explosion visible from across a river. It was not possible for RFE/RL to verify where and when the photograph was taken. NATO has a collective defense commitment under which the military alliance considers an attack on one ally to be an attack on all allies. Alliance members have provided Ukraine with military equipment and support but have warned against any moves that could provoke a slide into direct conflict with Russia. Nikolenko in his Facebook post also urged Ukraine's partners to speed up the supply of modern missile-defense and antiaircraft systems, as well as combat aviation, "which will strengthen the protection of the infrastructure of Ukraine and neighboring countries." The Russian military said on September 3 that its drone strikes hit the Ukrainian Danube River port of Reni on the border with Romania. It said fuel-storage facilities used to supply the Ukrainian military were the target. Since July, when Moscow abandoned a deal that lifted a de facto Russian blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports, it has repeatedly struck Ukrainian river ports that lie across the Danube from Romania. A Russian drone attack in July on Reni hit a Romanian commercial vessel, slightly damaging it. Romania said at the time that the damage was minor and the crew was not injured. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/romania-denies-russian-drones- ukraine-/32577643.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 Aerospace Forces Shoot Down Ukrainian Mi-8 Helicopter Sputnik News 20230904 The Russian Armed Forces shot down a Ukrainian Mi-8 military helicopter, 24 drones, and three HIMARS multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) missiles over the past 24 hours, the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry stated on Monday. "Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down an Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force near the settlement of Brusovka in the Donetsk People's Republic. Air defenses intercepted three rockets of the HIMARS MLRS," the report said. In addition, 24 Ukrainian drones were destroyed and suppressed by means of electronic warfare in the Lugansk People's Republic, Donetsk People's Republic, as well as the Zaporozhye and Kharkov regions. Since the beginning of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, the Kiev regime has lost a total of 467 jets, 248 helicopters, 6,376 unmanned aerial vehicles, 435 anti-aircraft missile systems, 11,643 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,147 multiple rocket launchers, 6,214 field artillery and mortar units, and 12,694 units of special military vehicles, according to the ministry's information. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin: Ukraine's Counteroffensive is Failure, Not Stalemate Sputnik News 20230904 On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi. Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a press conference after bilateral talks that Ukraine's counteroffensive was a failure, not a stalemate. He added that he hoped Ukraine's future counteroffensive would also be a failure. Putin said that Russia is ready to revive the Black Sea grain deal and will do so immediately when all agreements are implemented. "I want to reiterate our principled position that we will be willing to consider the possibility of reviving the grain deal. I told the President about it again today. And we will do it as soon as all the agreements stipulated in it are fully implemented," Putin said. He added that Russia would continue to export food and fertilizers. "While Russia clearly provided security guarantees for shipping under this [grain] deal, the other side used humanitarian corridors for terrorist attacks against Russian civilian and military facilities," Putin told a press conference. Western countries have lied to Russia about the implementation of the grain deal obligation, Putin stressed. Russia is ready to fully meet Turkiye's grain needs, Vladimir Putin added. "Turkiye is our great partner. Turkiye has a large flour-milling processing industry, we know this and we will fully meet the needs of the Turkish Republic," the Russian leader said. Putin stressed that Russia has always been, will be a reliable and responsible supplier of gas, intends to continue supplying gas to Turkiye and third countries. "I would like to emphasize that Russia has always been and will continue to be a reliable, responsible supplier of gas. We intend to continue to provide the Turkish economy with this cheap, but highly efficient and environmentally friendly type of fuel. Moreover, we are ready to export gas in transit through Turkey to consumers in third countries, where partners are interested in this," Putin said. He added that relations between Russia and Turkiye are developing successfully in all areas and that the meeting was successful. "The cooperation between Russia and Turkiye, which is based on the principles of good neighborliness, partnership and mutual benefit, is successfully developing in all areas. Today's talks, as always, were held in a constructive and businesslike atmosphere," Putin said. According to Putin, there is a tendency to use national currencies in settlements between Russia and Turkiye, and the share of euros and dollars is decreasing. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has thanked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for inviting him to Sochi for talks. "I thank my dear friend Putin for the kind invitation and hospitality," Erdogan told a news conference after the talks. He also said Ankara was grateful to Moscow for its help in extinguishing forest fires. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Drones Hit Shipbuilding Enterprise in Ukraine Sputnik News 20230904 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian drones have hit a shipbuilding enterprise in Ukraine, where unmanned boats are assembled from imported components, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday. "Unmanned aerial vehicles struck a Ukrainian shipbuilding enterprise, which assembled unmanned boats from imported components," the ministry stated. Additionally, Russian Black Sea Fleet aircraft have destroyed four military boats with the special forces of the Ukrainian troops in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, the ministry noted. Moreover, Ukraine has lost up to 285 servicemen both killed and wounded in the Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours, ministry stated. Over the past day, Russian armed forces have repelled three attacks in the Donetsk direction, one counterattack in the Zaporozhye direction, and four counterattacks in the Kupyansk direction, according to the ministry. "During the fighting in this [Donetsk] direction, the enemy lost up to 285 Ukrainian soldiers both killed and wounded, five armored combat vehicles, seven vehicles, self-propelled artillery mounts: US-made M109 Paladin and Gvozdika, as well as two US-made howitzers M105," the ministry said. Ukraine also lost over 115 military and 15 pieces of military equipment in the Zaporozhye direction, as well as over 120 military in the South Donetsk direction, the ministry added. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Four US-Made Boats With Ukraine's Troops Destroyed in Black Sea - Russian Defense Ministry Sputnik News 20230904 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Four US-made fast assault boats Willard Sea Force with landing troops of the Ukrainian armed forces were destroyed in the Black Sea overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday. "On September 4, 2023, aircraft of the naval aviation of Russia's Black Sea fleet destroyed four US-made fast military boats with amphibious groups of the Ukrainian armed forces in the northwestern part of the Black Sea as they were moving toward Cape Tarkhankut on the Crimean coast," the ministry said. Last week, the Russian Black Sea fleet destroyed four boats carrying 50 Ukrainian landing groups totaling 50 people. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Forces Hit Ukraine's Troop Command Post West of Vremevka in DPR - Defense Ministry Sputnik News 20230904 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian forces have hit a troop command post of the Ukrainian armed forces west of Vremevka in the Donetsk People's Republic, Oleg Chekhov, a spokesman for Russia's Vostok grouping of troops, told Sputnik. Russian Forces also hit temporary deployment points of Ukrainian troops in the South Donetsk direction, Chekhov added. "With the help of rocket and cannon artillery, frontline units of the Vostok grouping of troops have hit a troop command post of the Ukrainian armed forces west of Vremevka, points of temporary deployment of forces in Staromayorske, Novomikhaylovka, Vuhledar and Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk People's Republic," Chekhov said. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President ErdoAYan meets with President Putin of Russia Presidency Of The Republic Of Turkey 04.09.2023 President Recep Tayyip ErdoAYan, who is in the Russian city of Sochi for a working visit, met with President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation. President ErdoAYan and Russian President Putin spoke to reporters ahead of their bilateral meeting. Drawing attention to the distinct period the TArkiye-Russia bilateral relations are currently going through, President ErdoAYan stressed his happiness to be visiting Russia at the invitation of his Russian counterpart at a time when the Russia-Ukraine war continues. "Currently, our foreign trade volume between TArkiye and Russia is 62 billion dollars. We are very glad that we are taking steps towards the target of reaching 100 billion dollars. I believe that the meeting our Central Bank governors will hold here today is important in taking steps to use the domestic currency in our bilateral relations," President ErdoAYan said. Highlighting the positive developments in the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, which generates employment for nearly 25 thousand people, President ErdoAYan stated: "The first step taken about the first unit is highly favorable. I also think that a step is likely to be taken concerning the Sinop Nuclear Power Plant as well, as we have discussed with you previously. What is more, the formation of a 'hub' in Thrace will create momentum and vitality." GRAIN CORRIDOR Pointing out that the developments related to tourism constitute one of the most important aspects of the TArkiye-Russia relations, President ErdoAYan noted: "In tourism, Russia now ranks the first in TArkiye. This is Russia's status. Another important step concerns the grain corridor. Everybody is looking at the grain corridor issue, anticipating what will come out of today. I believe that the message to be conveyed in the press conference we will hold following our talks will be highly crucial as a step for the world, particularly for underdeveloped African countries." President ErdoAYan continued his remarks as follows: "Another important issue between us is the steps we have and will take in defense industry. In energy, particularly in terms of natural gas, we already have top-level, very important relations with Russia. I believe that we will further advance these relations. In the meantime, it is a season of wildfires and the two aircraft you sent to TArkiye have become of great help in healing our wounds. It would be highly helpful if this number could be increased or doubled given the fact that we constantly face the threat of forest fires in summer." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited combat brigades involved in repulsing Russian aggression in the Zaporizhzhia sector President of Ukraine 4 September 2023 - 23:14 During a working trip to Zaporizhzhia region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the command posts of the combat brigades involved in the liberation of Ukrainian land as part of the Tavria operational and strategic group of troops. The Head of State, together with First Deputy Minister of Defense Oleksandr Pavliuk, Commander of the Tavria operational and strategic group of troops Oleksandr Tarnavskyi and Commander of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Commander of the Marun operational and tactical group Maksym Myrhorodskyi, visited the command posts of the 148th separate artillery brigade, 82nd separate air assault brigade and 71st separate hunting brigade. The President of Ukraine heard reports of the commanders on the operational situation in the area of their responsibility and the actions of Ukrainian troops to de-occupy the territory of Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed with the commanders the tactics of combating enemy UAVs. During the conversation between the Head of State and the military, special attention was paid to their needs and current problematic issues. The President also awarded the servicemen who distinguished themselves in the defense of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the Zaporizhzhia sector. Volodymyr Zelenskyy conferred the title of Hero of Ukraine and presented the Gold Star Order to Major Oleh Dmytruk, commander of the airmobile battalion of the 46th separate airmobile brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who has been defending Ukraine from Russian invaders since 2014. The Major took part in the battles for the liberation of Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, Krasnyi Lyman, Kryva Luka, and Maryinka. During Russia's full-scale invasion in May 2022, he led an airmobile battalion that took part in the liberation of Beryslav district in Kherson region. The President also presented the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi of the I-III degrees, "For Courage" of the II-III degrees and the Order of Princess Olga of the III degree to the defenders from the Tavria operational and strategic group of troops who distinguished themselves by bravery in the defense of Ukraine. "On behalf of myself and all Ukrainians, I would like to thank you for the great service you have been performing these months and, unfortunately, years. The service that will definitely lead to the victory of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people for the sake of the future. I thank each and every one of you. Thank you for risking your lives to defend our country, each and every one of us. I wish you victory, to come back alive to your families, your parents, your children, your loved ones. Thank you once again from the whole of Ukraine," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The audience observed a minute of silence in memory of the fallen warriors and all those who gave their lives for the sake of Ukraine's freedom and independence. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President visited stabilization points where defenders wounded in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia sectors are provided with medical aid President of Ukraine 4 September 2023 - 22:04 During a working trip to the frontline regions of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited stabilization points providing medical aid to servicemen wounded and injured in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia sectors. Particularly, the Head of State visited the stabilization point of the 37th separate marine brigade. Here, medics provide first aid after evacuation from the battlefield to the warriors wounded in the Donetsk sector. The number of patients depends on the intensity of hostilities. Sometimes up to 30 servicemen with different types of injuries are treated here at the same time. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also visited the stabilization point that was deployed from the 450th military hospital of the Zaporizhzhia operational group of troops and the Tavria operational and strategic group of troops. Here, they stabilize the condition of wounded servicemen, perform emergency surgical interventions if necessary, and prepare the warriors for further evacuation. The President talked to the wounded warriors and combat medics and asked about their urgent needs. "Huge gratitude for saving the lives of many. Thank you very much for protecting our military. Thank you for putting them back on their feet. Stay safe. And thank you for saving the lives of everyone else. As for the wounded guys, it is very brave of you to stay in the ranks. Thank you for this choice you made - the choice to defend Ukraine. I wish you all only health and victory," the Head of State said. For courage displayed in the defense of Ukraine, the President presented combat medics and servicemen undergoing treatment with the Order "For Courage" of the III degree. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President paid a visit to the combat brigades defending Ukraine in the Donetsk sector President of Ukraine 4 September 2023 - 21:08 During a working visit to Donetsk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the command posts of the military units defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine as part of the Donetsk operational and tactical group. The Head of State, together with Commander of the Marines and the Donetsk operational and tactical group Yuriy Sodol and First Deputy Minister of Defense Oleksandr Pavliuk, visited the command posts of the 109th separate territorial defense brigade, 110th separate mechanized brigade named after Brigadier General Marko Bezruchko, 36th separate marine brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Bilynskyi, 53rd separate mechanized brigade named after Prince Volodymyr Monomakh, 59th separate motorized infantry brigade named after Yakiv Handziuk, 79th separate air assault brigade, 37th separate marine brigade, 38th separate marine brigade. The President of Ukraine heard reports from the commanders of combat brigades on the operational situation at the front, interaction of units in the area of responsibility of the Donetsk operational and tactical group, as well as on the status of combat missions and the level of logistics. Volodymyr Zelenskyy talked to the commanders about problematic issues, among which the commanders most often mentioned the growing need for UAVs and anti-drone weapons, insufficient manning of units and a shortage of certain types of ammunition. The Head of State and the military discussed the creation of an auxiliary system of support for brigades that will take over management functions and free up time for combat work for the commanders. They also discussed ways to increase the motivation of warriors. The President thanked the military for their strength, courage and effectiveness in the fight against Russian invaders. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un to Meet with Putin in Russia, Report Says By VOA News September 04, 2023 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia this month to discuss the possibility of supplying weapons against Ukraine, The New York Times reported on Monday, citing U.S. and allied sources. Kim would travel from Pyongyang, probably by armored train, to Vladivostok, on the Pacific coast of Russia, where he would meet with Putin, the newspaper said. Putin wants Kim to send Russia artillery shells and antitank missiles to Moscow, while the North Korean leader would like Russia to provide Pyongyang with advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, the officials said. Kim is also seeking food aid for his impoverished nation. The planned trip would come as Russia discusses holding joint military exercises with North Korea. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Adrienne Watson, a National Security Council spokeswoman, acknowledged that the United States expected "leader-level diplomatic engagement" on the issue of arms sales to take place between Russia and North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "We urge the DPRK to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia," she said in a statement after the Times story was published. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu met Kim in July in North Korea seeking artillery ammunition for Russia's war against Ukraine. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday that the United States was concerned that arms negotiations between the two countries were advancing actively. Grain deal flounders Putin said Monday that the U.N.-brokered Black Sea grain deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain safely through the Black Sea corridor won't be restored until the West honors Moscow's terms on its own agricultural exports. During a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Russian resort of Sochi on Monday, Putin maintained that unless restrictions on shipping and insurance that are hampering Russia's agricultural trade are lifted, Russia would not restore the deal. Russia bowed out of the Black Sea grain deal in July, complaining that a parallel deal promising to remove obstacles to Russian exports of food and fertilizer had not materialized. Putin reiterated those complaints Monday adding, if Moscow's terms were satisfied, Russia could return to the deal "within days." His remarks dashed hopes that his talks with Erdogan could revive the agreement, seen as vital for global food supplies, especially in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. However, Erdogan said he is still hopeful that a breakthrough could come soon. He said Turkey and the U.N. have put together a new package of proposals to unblock the issue. "I believe that we will reach a solution that will meet the expectations in a short time," Erdogan told reporters alongside Putin, after the leaders held talks in Sochi. The Turkish president also said that Ukraine should soften its negotiating position against Russia in talks over reviving a grain export deal. "Ukraine needs to especially soften its approaches in order for it to be possible for joint steps to be taken with Russia," Erdogan said. He said more grain needed to be sent to Africa rather than European countries. The meeting in Sochi came after talks by the foreign ministers of Russia and Turkey last week, after which Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he had given Turkey a list of Russian demands to restart the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Ukrainian advances Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited combat brigades Monday in Donetsk region. "It is extremely important to support our warriors, to communicate with the brigade and battalion commanders. It is very, very useful to hear from those who are going into battle directly what exactly is lacking, what exactly is enough and what exactly needs to be changed," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Monday that Ukrainian forces have made advances around the villages of Novodanylivka and Novoprokopivka in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia. She added that Ukraine has so far recaptured 47 square kilometers of land around Bakhmut since the beginning of its counteroffensive in June. Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said Monday its forces destroyed four Ukrainian high-speed military boats in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. In a Telegram post, the Russian ministry said the boats were carrying Ukrainian troops heading for the Crimean coast. Ukraine's air force issued multiple warnings overnight for Russian drones heading toward parts of Ukraine, including the Izmail area along the Danube River, which has been key to grain exports during the past few months. Oleh Kiper, governor of Odesa region, said on Telegram that Ukrainian air defenses shot down 17 Russian drones, but said there was damage on the ground to warehouses, production buildings and agricultural machinery in Izmail. Kiper said falling debris from the drones also caused several fires. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said on Facebook that according to Ukraine's state border guard service, Russian drones that were part of the attack on Izmail fell and detonated on the territory of neighboring Romania, a NATO member. Romania's Defense Ministry said it monitored the attack as it was happening, but that the "drone attacks by the Russian Federation did not pose any direct military threats against our national territory or Romania's territorial waters." "The Ministry of National Defense firmly condemns the attacks targeting the Ukrainian sites and civilian infrastructure elements, considering them unjustified and breaking all international humanitarian rules," it said in a statement. Defense leadership Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced Monday he submitted a letter of resignation to the chairman of the country's parliament, a day after Zelenskyy said he would replace Reznikov with Rustem Umerov. "It was an honor to serve the Ukrainian people and work for the #UAarmy for the last 22 months, the toughest period of Ukraine's modern history," Reznikov said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Reznikov has played a pivotal role in securing billions of dollars' worth of Western military aid to help the war effort. However, during his time in office, the Defense Ministry has been tarnished by graft allegations Reznikov has described as smears. Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Sunday that he expects parliament to give its approval to Umerov, a Crimean Tatar and a former lawmaker who is currently in charge of Ukraine's main privatization fund. 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 SYDNEY, Australia, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CubeOasis , the first AR to Earn (A2E) virtual world platform, is proud to announce the launch of their new metaverse space for both work and play. Blending the dynamic capabilities of Web3 with innovative offerings to embolden businesses, and set against the backdrop of an ever-evolving technological landscape, CubeOasis offers an exceptional avenue for enterprises to explore uncharted digital territories and harness newfound opportunities. Introducing CubeOasis: A Window into the Future of Business CubeOasis introduces an unprecedented paradigm shift for businesses, propelling them into a realm where 3D Virtual Space Display takes center stage. This groundbreaking feature allows enterprises to craft mesmerizing showcases within a virtual landscape, infusing products and services with captivating visual narratives. The platforms Personalized Management facet enables businesses to mold exclusive exhibits that mirror their distinct brand identities, ushering in a new era of limitless creativity. CubeOasis stands as the answer to a longstanding market demand, providing a seamless transition for businesses into the Web3 era. Existing solutions have grappled with the challenge of merging virtual and physical realms seamlessly. CubeOasis emerges as the definitive solutionforging connections and creating an interconnected ecosystem that nurtures business growth in this uncharted digital frontier. At its heart, CubeOasis carries a distinctive value proposition that redefines how businesses interact with customers and partners. Going beyond technology, CubeOasis empowers businesses to unlock their potential, fostering growth, creativity, and profitability within a domain that transcends convention. CubeOasis extends beyond being a mere platform; it represents a robust ecosystem of possibilities. The introduction of NFT and RWA Transactions ushers in novel trading modes, preserving the uniqueness and value of virtual blocks, thereby captivating investors and collectors. The platform encourages Community Interaction and Creation within its virtual haven, where users can engage in events, collaborations, and creative endeavors unbound by physical constraints. Moreover, CubeOasis remains committed to User Education and Documentation, offering resources that enrich comprehension and optimize the user experience within the virtual block universe. A Progressive Business Model CubeOasis thrives on a dynamic, user-centric business model, cultivating avenues for unprecedented growth: Transaction Fees: Nominal charges for virtual block transactions generate consistent revenue, ensuring platform sustainability. Nominal charges for virtual block transactions generate consistent revenue, ensuring platform sustainability. Creation Tool Sales: By providing access to creation tools and digital assets for sale, CubeOasis amplifies the design and showcasing of virtual blocks. By providing access to creation tools and digital assets for sale, CubeOasis amplifies the design and showcasing of virtual blocks. Virtual Space Rentals: The platform allows for the leasing of display areas within its virtual landscape for personal or commercial use, presenting new avenues of revenue generation. The platform allows for the leasing of display areas within its virtual landscape for personal or commercial use, presenting new avenues of revenue generation. Virtual Events and Competitions: CubeOasis engages users through virtual events and competitions, harnessing revenue from sponsorship and participation fees. CubeOasis, already a trailblazer, has completed its initial build and now awaits businesses to embark on their exploratory journey. The platforms OG users have rigorously tested and validated its capabilities, setting the stage for upcoming milestones. CubeOasiss meticulously laid-out roadmap charts a course toward a future where it redefines the digital business landscape. Forging Collaborative Alliances Collaboration lies at the core of CubeOasiss essence, evident through its strategic partnerships with industry giants, including renowned names like Huawei. The collaboration with Metasurge, an acclaimed agency within the web3 domain, solidifies CubeOasiss stature as an industry leader. Extending beyond, the projects network encompasses influential partnerships with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), collectively shaping the trajectory of digital business. Embrace the Future with CubeOasis CubeOasis isnt a mere platform; its an evolution. It encapsulates innovation, immersive interactions, and a business landscape unrestrained by conventional norms. CubeOasis bridges contemporary businesses and the future of enterprise, where success finds limitless expression. The journey begins now, and it commences with CubeOasis. Official Channels Website: https://cubeoasis.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cube_oasis Medium: https://medium.com/@CubeOasis Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CubeOasis ATLANTA, GA, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI), an online child care training provider dedicated exclusively to the early care and education workforce, offers ADM116: Creating an Eco-Friendly Child Care Environment as a no-cost trial course to new CCEI users September 1-30, 2023. Research shows that the first years of a childs life are critical to shaping their future health and development. The small changes a child care provider makes can have a big impact on the children in their care. From reducing toxins in the environment to reducing waste, caregivers can make simple changes that will benefit the health and well-being of the children and the planet. Creating a healthy environment for children involves plenty of active play, positive encouragement and guidance, adequate rest, and healthy meals. But a healthy early care environment is also one that is healthful for children and embraces good stewardship of the environment. Caring for children means caring for the world in which they are developing. Caregivers can impact their future by mentoring them and encouraging eco-friendly practices in the child care setting and the surrounding community. By practicing and teaching environmentally friendly habits, caregivers will contribute to a healthier planet, and cleaner air, water, and food will ultimately contribute to healthier people. An eco-friendly program practices sustainability by managing resources and preventing and reducing waste. Caregivers can model sustainability for the next generation to help them develop lifelong eco-friendly attitudes and habits. Children must grow up to become the next generation of environmental stewards and to protect the environment. Helping them develop a love for the earth today will have a lasting impact on how they treat the earth in the future. And the best way to help them love the earth is to help them notice the beauty in nature and to take care of the natural world. Once children see that the world is full of beauty and wonder they will have an incentive to save planet Earth. Ultimately, that sense of wonder will add to their enjoyment and appreciation of life. This course provides an overview of what constitutes an eco-friendly child care environment, with a major focus on the hazards of environmental exposure and recommended practices for maintaining a safe, healthy environment for young children. This course also offers strategies for developing and implementing a sustainability plan at a child care center, including activities for promoting environmental awareness in young children and increasing family involvement. Children are the most treasured resource and if caregivers have the opportunity to protect them by reducing toxic exposure and introducing healthy foods then they will be doing a great service to them as well as the environment, says Leslie Coleman, Education Director for CCEI. Ultimately caregivers will be supporting a sustainable lifestyle to pass along a healthy and safe planet for future generations. ADM116: Creating an Eco-Friendly Child Care Environment is a two-hour, beginner-level course and grants 0.2 IACET CEU upon successful completion. This course is also offered in Spanish as ESP_ADM116. Current CCEI users with active, unlimited annual subscriptions can register for professional development courses at no additional cost when logged in to their CCEI account. Users without subscriptions can purchase child care training courses as individual or block hours through CCEI online enrollment. For more information, visit www.cceionline.edu or call 1.800.499.9907, prompt 3, Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST About ChildCare Education Institute, a StraighterLine Company ChildCare Education Institute provides high-quality, distance education certificates and child care training programs in an array of child care settings, including preschool centers, family child care, prekindergarten classrooms, nanny care, online daycare training and more. Over 200+ English and Spanish child care training courses are available online to meet licensing, recognition program, and Head Start Requirements. CCEI also has online certification programs that provide the coursework requirement for national credentials including the CDA, Director and Early Childhood Credentials. CCEI, a Council for Professional Recognition approved training partner, is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and as an IACET Accredited Provider, offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. Visit www.cceionline.com for more information. Attachments More than 50 brands from 21 global automakers select the HERE ISA Map to comply with the EU Intelligent Speed Assistance regulation. HERE location data and software used in 180 million vehicles globally. IAA Mobility, Munich The European Unions (EU) Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) regulation has been in effect since July 2022, and an overwhelming majority of automakers have selected the HERE ISA Map for their solutions to comply with the regulation. ISA is an in-vehicle system that leverages speed limit data to inform, warn and discourage drivers from exceeding the statutory limit on any given EU roadway. The HERE ISA Map provides automakers selling vehicles in the EU market with up-to-date and accurate speed limit information. This is accomplished by the companys unique map making and multi-source data processes. HERE combines high-quality map data captured daily with vehicle camera sensors, local government sources, and more, to ensure drivers have the most accurate speed limit information. To date, HERE has signed contracts with 21 passenger and commercial vehicle makers, covering 50+ brands, to utilize the HERE ISA Map. Brands include BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, VinFast, IVECO, Scania and more. Since July 2022, all new passenger and commercial vehicle types and models introduced in the EU must be equipped with an ISA solution. From July 2024 onwards, all newly registered vehicles in the EU must feature such a solution. In addition, providing accurate speed information will help automakers receive better Safety Assist scores for their vehicles under the European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Many automakers are combining Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) with other ADAS such as adaptive cruise control (ACC). A particular strength of ISA Map layers is their ability to effectively see over the horizon and around corners, allowing the ACC to proactively adjust driving speed in anticipation of a change in the speed limit, guaranteeing a smooth and comfortable ride, while also keeping the vehicle within the speed restrictions, said James Hodgson, Research Director at ABI Research. Combining multiple sensor inputs in a sensor fusion process is common practice in the automotive industry, and helps automakers have confidence that their safety systems are operating with a full and accurate understanding of the road environment. By leveraging ISA map data to support active camera sensors, automakers can identify local speed restrictions with greater confidence. The ISA feature is a critical tool for improving road safety. We are proud that automakers are overwhelmingly choosing the HERE ISA Map and we have successfully contributed to those solutions that are now homologated in the market. It demonstrates that a foundational map, combined with a multi-source data loop to maintain freshness, is the way to ensure reliability and performance under all visibility-impairing environmental conditions, said Remco Timmer, Vice President of Product Management at HERE Technologies. Vehicles with the HERE ISA Map onboard will have fresh and accurate speed limit information, including conditional limits and non-posted signs. To date, HERE location data and software services are used in 180 million vehicles globally, with more than 34 million cars having maps from HERE for ADAS and automated driving on board. The HERE platform presently ingests live sensor data from an estimated 40 million connected vehicles to power its maps and services for connected navigation, advanced driver assistance systems and automated driving solutions. Data from this large population of vehicles also helps HERE continuously update speed limits in its map. Learn more about the HERE ISA Map and visualize EU country speed limit data at: https://www.here.com/platform/intelligent-speed-assistance Media Contacts Jordan Stark +1 312 316 4537 jordan.stark@here.com Dr. Sebastian Kurme +49 173 515 3549 sebastian.kurme@here.com About HERE Technologies HERE has been a pioneer in mapping and location technology for almost 40 years. Today, HEREs location platform is recognized as the most complete in the industry, powering location-based products, services and custom maps for organizations and enterprises across the globe. From autonomous driving and seamless logistics to new mobility experiences, HERE allows its partners and customers to innovate while retaining control over their data and safeguarding privacy. Find out how HERE is moving the world forward at here.com. Attachment LONDON, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- High-flying influencer marketing agency, Disrupt, has been selected by Wizz Air, Europe's fastest growing and the worlds most environmentally sustainable airline* to build brand awareness and trust among younger travellers through creator partnerships. Wizz Air has become the award-winning agencys latest high-profile client. London-based Disrupt is lining up an influential curated selection of brand-authentic creators who will target a broad millennial audience of price conscious, adventurous and bold travellers in a range of travel sectors. As part of this activity, Disrupt will also monitor brand uplift through AI-driven sentiment analysis. With pandemic travel restrictions left behind, Wizz Airs low-cost fares open up a world of opportunity thanks to the expanding airlines fleet of 185 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft. Stevie Johnson, managing director of Disrupt and former Made in Chelsea star, said: Our Wizz Air campaign is taxiing for take-off, and were about to put the airline on the tip of everyones tongues and on their travel documents. Wizz wants customers especially young travellers to explore and live life to the full. Wizz Air is an airline which is disrupting the travel market with an ever-expanding range of destinations from UK, Europe and Middle East airports. Disrupt is here to help Wizz Air soar whilst driving increased trust across for the ultra-low cost, reliable airline that will ensure young people see more of the world. Disrupts Wizz Air influencer strategy will target price-conscious, adventurous millennials who are excited about exploring hidden gems. Wizz Air carried 45 million passengers in 2022. The company was recently named one of the world's top ten safest airlines by airlineratings.com, the world's only safety and product rating agency, and Airline of the Year by Air Transport World (ATW) in 2020. Wizz was also Airline of the Year in the Air Transport Awards in 2019 and in 2023, the most coveted honour an airline or individual can receive, recognising individuals and organisations that have distinguished themselves through outstanding performance, innovation, and superior service. Wizz Air has also been recognised as the Most Sustainable Low-Cost Airline in the World Finance Sustainability Awards 2022 and Global Environmental Sustainability Airline Group of the Year* by the CAPA-Centre for Aviation Awards for Excellence 2022. Fruzsina Polacska, Marketing Manager at Wizz Air, said: We chose Disrupt because their team was full of campaign ideas which we believe will resonate with our price-conscious, environmentally aware, young passengers. With Disrupt, we know that Wizzs content will increase brand clarity and drive attention in order to help us reach and educate new audiences about the possibilities out there for adventurous young travellers. In the UK, Wizz Air operates from London Luton and Gatwick airports, as well as from Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds and Liverpool. The airline has 8,000 employees in more than 50 countries and operates more than 950 routes to nearly 200 destinations worldwide. About Disrupt: Disrupt makes brands famous by creating cut-through social and influencer campaigns that command attention and deliver stand out results. It harnesses the power of AI and uses smart, data-driven insights, to build meaningful and relevant relationships with the right creators, so that attention converts into action, and action converts into revenue. www.disruptmarketing.co A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/51cb781c-7ecc-4bab-8139-8b0257edf192 Pune, India, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Eyewear Market size was valued at USD 105.56 billion in 2020 and market is projected to grow USD 172.42 billion by 2028, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.0% during the forecast period. Growing preference among people to use eyeglasses due to heightened awareness of optical issues, coupled with increasing prevalence of vision problems. Request a Free Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/eyewear-market-101749 Key Industry Development: March 2021: JINS eyewear announced the launch of the JINS&SUN sunglasses brand, particularly in the United States, featuring 29 distinct designs and 84 different styles. Key Takeaways: The market encompasses items like eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses. In July 2021, Luxexcel unveiled Luxexcel VisionPlatform 7, their advanced manufacturing platform for the future. According to the World Health Organization's projections from 2015, it was estimated that by 2020, there would be approximately 2.2 billion new cases of myopia worldwide. In 2020, North America recorded a revenue of USD 30.87 billion. Discover the Leading Players Featured in the Report: Alcon (Part of Novartis AG) (Switzerland),EssilorLuxottica (France),CooperVision (U.S.),Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. (U.S.),Bausch Health Companies Inc. (U.S.),Carl Zeiss (Germany),Fielmann AG (Germany),Safilo Group S.p.A (Italy) Report Scope & Segmentation Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 CAGR 6.0% 2028 Value Projection USD 172.42 billion Base Year 2020 Market Size in 2021 USD 114.95 billion Historical Data 2017-2019 No. of Pages 120 Segments covered By Product Type, End User, and Region Browse Complete Report Details: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/eyewear-market-101749 Driving factor: Rising Occurrence of Eye Health Concerns to Bolster Market Growth Globally, there is a growing awareness of optical conditions in emerging nations, which is expected to boost the adoption of eyeglass products. A larger population experiencing eye-related issues is anticipated to be a major factor influencing the growth of the eyewear market. According to projections by the World Health Organization in 2015, it was estimated that by 2020, there would be approximately 2.2 billion new cases of myopia worldwide. In countries like South Korea, Japan, and China, people also embrace colored contact lenses for enhanced aesthetic purposes. Segmentation: In terms of product categories, the market can be divided into spectacles, sunglasses, and contact lenses. The spectacles segment was expected to have the largest market share in 2020, and it is projected to maintain its dominant position by the end of the forecast period. In 2020, it accounted for 79.1% of the market share. Regarding distribution channels, the market is categorized into retail stores, online stores, and ophthalmic clinics. In terms of geographical regions, the market is classified into North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East & Africa, and Europe. By Product Type Spectacles Frames Lenses Sunglasses Plano Prescription Contact Lenses Toric Multifocal Sphere By Distribution Channel Online Store Retail Store Ophthalmic Clinics By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America The Middle East & Africa Quick Buy https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/101749 Regional insights: North America to Lead Backed by Surging Approval of Vision Care Products In 2020, North America dominated the eyewear market, generating a revenue of USD 30.87 billion. The increasing adoption of vision care products is projected to drive market growth in this region. Europe held the second-largest market share, driven by factors such as a preference for high-quality eye care products, heightened awareness of eye conditions, and an increasing ability to purchase premium sunglasses in European countries. Conversely, Asia Pacific is expected to come in second after North America in terms of revenue in the global eyewear market by 2028. Competitive Landscape The market exhibits significant fragmentation due to the presence of both regional and international players. Leading companies have divisions in both the contact lens market and the spectacles and sunglasses market. Additionally, Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. holds the largest share in the global contact lens market, followed by Alcon. FAQs How big is the Eyewear Market? Eyewear Market size was USD 114.95 billion in 2021. How fast is the Eyewear Market growing? The Eyewear Market will exhibit a CAGR of 6.0% during the forecast period, 2021-2028 Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/eyewear-market-101749 Related Links: U.S. Reading Glasses Market Size, Share, Growth Industry Report Vision Care Market Share, Size, Demand, and Forecast Ophthalmic Disease Therapeutics Market Size, Share, Growth Industry Report Ophthalmic Lasers Market Share, Size, Demand, and Forecast Ophthalmic Femtosecond Lasers Market Share, Size, Demand, and Forecast About Us: Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US :+1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Attachment New York, NY, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zion Market Research has published a new research report titled Welding Robotics Market By Type (Spot, Laser, Arc, MIG/TIG, And Others), By Payload Capacity (Low (6kg-22kg), Medium (30kg-60kg), And High (80kg-300kg)) By End-User (Automotive, Construction, Railway & Shipbuilding, Aerospace & Defense, Mining, Electrical & Electronics, And Others), And By Region - Global And Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, And Forecasts 2023 2030 in its research database. According to the latest research study, the demand of global Welding Robotics Market size & share in terms of revenue was valued at USD 6 billion in 2022 and it is expected to surpass around USD 15 billion mark by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 8% during the forecast period 2023 to 2030. What is Welding Robotics? How big is the Welding Robotics Industry? Report Overview: The global welding robotics market size was evaluated at $6 billion in 2022 and is slated to hit $15 billion by the end of 2030 with a CAGR of nearly 8% between 2023 and 2030. Welding robotics is a method that automates the act of welding with the purpose of boosting accuracy. This results in improved accuracy and safety, in addition to a reduction in the amount of time required to finish each job. Because of all of these benefits, the welding robotic technique has become the most widely used alternative to the traditional manual metal joining method. In addition to this, there has been an increase in the usage of welding, which has led to an increase in the output of welding lines as well as serious collisions in the workplace. To set the record straight, robotic welding technology is used extensively in a variety of industries, including metalworking, electronics, automotive, aerospace, and fabrication. As a result, industrial operations are able to save money and complete their tasks more quickly. Get a Free Sample PDF of this Research Report for more Insights with a Table of Content, Research Methodology, and Graphs - https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/welding-robotics-market (A free sample of this report is available upon request; please contact us for more information.) Our Free Sample Report Consists of the Following: Introduction, Overview, and in-depth industry analysis are all included in the 2023 updated report. The COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak Impact Analysis is included in the package About 231+ Pages Research Report (Including Recent Research) Provide detailed chapter-by-chapter guidance on Request Updated Regional Analysis with Graphical Representation of Size, Share, and Trends for the Year 2023 Includes Tables and figures have been updated The most recent version of the report includes the Top Market Players, their Business Strategies, Sales Volume, and Revenue Analysis Zion Market Research research methodology (Please note that the sample of this report has been modified to include the COVID-19 impact study prior to delivery.) Global Welding Robotics Market: Growth Factors The demand for products and services on the global market has been motivated by a growth in the use of Industry 4.0 technology. The growing adoption of the ideas underlying Industry 4.0 has led to an increase in demand for welding robots in the transportation and automotive industries. This demand has been a driving force behind the expansion of the market for welding robotics across the world. For example, in the second half of the year 2020, ABB India will announce the launch of a new robotics unit with the goal of assisting the digital transformation of manufacturing processes in India. This will be accomplished by utilising concepts from Industry 4.0, which include the utilisation of robots and online systems. Recent developments not just in automated systems and procedures, but also in automated systems themselves, have prepared the path for enormous growth in markets all over the world. In addition to this, rising costs of labour combined with the imperative to ensure the health and safety of employees have resulted in the widespread adoption of welding robots across a wide range of manufacturing processes. The introduction of new products has been a driving force behind the expansion of any industry, and the welding robotics industry is no exception to this rule. For example, Kemppi Oy, a welding company based in Finland, has introduced the Kemppi AXE MIG Welder, a powerful robotic welder that features seamless integration, an easy-to-use tool, and updated welding systems. The company is known as Kemppi. The Welding Robotics Market and Its Limiting Factors It is possible that by the year 2030, the growth of global industry will be hampered by the requirement for large amounts of cash to purchase welding robots. The global growth of the welding robotics business may be hampered by the necessity of making substantial upfront investments for the purpose of acquiring, maintaining, and programming welding robots. In addition to this, the limited acceptance of welding robots by small and medium-scale businesses can further put a brake on the trends that are occurring across the global sector. Directly Purchase a copy of the report with TOC @ https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/buynow/su/welding-robotics-market Report Scope Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2022 USD 6 billion Projected Market Size in 2030 USD 15 billion CAGR Growth Rate 8% CAGR Base Year 2022 Forecast Years 2023-2030 Key Market Players Fanuc Corporation, IGM ROBOTERSYSTEME AG, Kuka AG, Yaskawa Electric Corporation, Estun Automation Co. Ltd., UNITED PROARC CORPORATION, EVS TECH CO. LTD., Daihen Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., Panasonic Corporation, NACHI-FUJIKOSHI CORP., ABB Ltd., and others. Key Segment By Type, By End-User, By Payload Capacity, and By Region Major Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East &, Africa Purchase Options Request customized purchase options to meet your research needs. Explore purchase options Welding Robotics Market: Segmentation Analysis The global market for welding robotics may be broken down into four distinct segments: end-user, payload capacity, geography, and kind. In terms of the many types of welding robots available, the global market for welding robotics may be broken down as follows: spot, laser, arc, MIG/TIG, and others. In addition, it is anticipated that the arc segment, which had about half of the total market share in 2022, will achieve the highest CAGR in the years to come. It is possible that the large-scale penetration of arc welding in the automobile industry and other end-use industries that require accuracy will be responsible for the rise of this particular market in the years to come. The global welding robotics market may be broken down into three different segments: low (between 6 and 22 kilogrammes), medium (between 30 and 60 kilogrammes), and high (between 80 and 300 kilogrammes) payload capacity. In addition, the medium segment, which ranges from 30 kg to 60 kg and contributed significantly to the overall revenue of the global industry in 2022, is expected to dominate the overall spike in the global industry throughout the course of the evaluation timeline. It is possible that an increase in the utilisation of medium (30kg-60kg) payload capacity in automotive and other end-use sectors under extreme climatic conditions is the root cause of the segmental expansion over the predicted timeline. The global market for welding robotics is segmented into several different categories depending on the end-user, including automotive, electrical & electronics, construction, aerospace & defence, railway & shipbuilding, mining, and others. In addition, the automotive sector, which accounted for a significant portion of the global market in 2022, is anticipated to play a leading role in the advancement of the global market throughout the course of the anticipated timeline. It is possible that large demand for welding robots in automobile manufacturing activities would play a significant role in the segmental expansion over the anticipated timeline. Welding robots are in more demand in the automobile industry as a result of the growing emphasis placed on the expeditious assembly of vehicle components and spot welding. The global Welding Robotics market is segmented as follows: By Type Spot Laser Arc MIG/TIG Others By End-User Automotive Construction Railway & Shipbuilding Aerospace & Defense Mining Electrical & Electronics Others By Payload Capacity Low (6kg-22kg) Medium (30kg-60kg) High (80kg-300kg) Browse the full Welding Robotics Market By Type (Spot, Laser, Arc, MIG/TIG, And Others), By Payload Capacity (Low (6kg-22kg), Medium (30kg-60kg), And High (80kg-300kg)) By End-User (Automotive, Construction, Railway & Shipbuilding, Aerospace & Defense, Mining, Electrical & Electronics, And Others), And By Region - Global And Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, And Forecasts 2023 2030" Report At https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/welding-robotics-market Competitive Landscape Some of the main competitors dominating the global Welding Robotics market include - Fanuc Corporation IGM ROBOTERSYSTEME AG Kuka AG Yaskawa Electric Corporation Estun Automation Co. Ltd. UNITED PROARC CORPORATION EVS TECH CO. LTD. Daihen Corporation Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. Panasonic Corporation NACHI-FUJIKOSHI CORP. ABB Ltd. Key Insights from Primary Research: According to the analysis shared by our research forecaster, the Welding Robotics market is likely to expand at a CAGR of around 8% during the forecast period (2023-2030). In terms of revenue, the Welding Robotics market size was valued at around US$ 6 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach US$ 15 billion by 2030. The global welding robotics market is anticipated to easy access to facial treatment along with enhanced consciousness about new techniques. In terms of type, the arc segment is slated to register the highest CAGR over the analysis period. Based on the payload capacity, the medium (30kg-60kg) segment is anticipated to dominate the segment over the projected period. Based on the end-user, the automotive segment is anticipated to dominate the segment over the projected period. Region-wise, the North American welding robotics industry is projected to register the fastest CAGR during the assessment timeline. Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/inquiry/welding-robotics-market Key questions answered in this report: What is the market size and growth rate forecast for Welding Robotics industry? What are the main driving factors propelling the Welding Robotics Market forward? What are the leading companies in the Welding Robotics Industry? What segments does the Welding Robotics Market cover? How can I receive a free copy of the Welding Robotics Market sample report and company profiles? Key Offerings: Market Size & Forecast by Revenue | 20232030 Market Dynamics Leading Trends, Growth Drivers, Restraints, and Investment Opportunities Market Segmentation A detailed analysis By Type, By End-User, By Payload Capacity, and By Region Competitive Landscape Top Key Vendors and Other Prominent Vendors Request for Customization on this Report as per your requirements - https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/7499 (We tailor your report to meet your specific research requirements. Inquire with our sales team about customising your report.) Regional Analysis: Asia-Pacific is projected to retain its global market leadership over the estimated timeframe Asia-Pacific, which accounted for 65% of the global welding robotics market revenue in 2022, will be the dominating region over the assessment timeline. Moreover, the regional market growth can be credited to surging industrial automation in Japan, South Korea, China, and Taiwan. Moreover, the use of Industry 4.0 techniques will augment the expansion of the market in the region. Additionally, the presence of key players in the region will account majorly towards the regional market growth in the upcoming years. North American welding robotics industry is set to register the fastest CAGR in the next couple of years subject to a rise in the allocation of funds on research activities related to automated processes and automated devices such as industrial robots in countries such as the U.S. By Region North America U.S. Canada Rest of North America Europe France UK Spain Germany Italy Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Rest of Asia Pacific The Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of the Middle East & Africa Latin America Brazil Argentina Rest of Latin America To know an additional revised 2023 list of market players, request a brochure of the report: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/requestbrochure/welding-robotics-market Browse Other Related Research Reports from Zion Market Research: Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/liquid-crystal-polymer-market Programmable Robots Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/programmable-robots-market Waterproofing Membranes Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/waterproofing-membrane-market Mosquito Repellent Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/mosquito-repellent-market Wireless Health Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/wireless-health-market Marketing Analytics Software Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/marketing-analytics-software-market Cheese Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/cheese-market Smart Mirror Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/smart-mirror-market Portable Printer Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/portable-printer-market Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/digital-polymerase-chain-reaction-market Electrosurgery Devices Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/electrosurgery-devices-market Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly And Testing Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/outsourced-semiconductor-assembly-and-testing-market Permanent Magnet Motor Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/permanent-magnet-motor-market Seaweed Snacks Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/seaweed-snacks-market Contraceptive Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/contraceptive-market Underwater Monitoring System For Oil And Gas Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/underwater-monitoring-system-for-oil-and-gas-market Printed Electronics Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/printed-electronics-market Diagnostic Imaging Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/diagnostic-imaging-market Prefilled Syringes Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/prefilled-syringes-market Pruritus Therapeutics Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/pruritus-therapeutics-market About Zion Market Research: Zion Market Research is a leading market research organization offering industry expertise and scrupulous consulting services to clients for their business development. The reports and services offered by Zion Market Research are used by prestigious academic institutions, start-ups, and companies globally to measure and understand the changing international and regional business backgrounds. Our clients/customers conviction on our solutions and services has pushed us in delivering always the best. Our advanced research solutions have helped them in appropriate decision-making and guidance for strategies to expand their business. Follow Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zion-market-research/ Follow Us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zion_research Follow Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zionmarketresearch Follow Us on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/zionmarketresearch/ Follow Us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Y0Yfi7N8zSs Contact Us: Rushikesh Dorge USA: +1 347 690-0211 United Kingdom: +44 2032 894158 Japan: +81 50 5806 9039 India: +91 7768 006 007 Web: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/ Blog: https://zmrblog.com/ Still, Looking for More Information? OR Want Data for Inclusion in Magazine, Case Study, or Media? HIGHLIGHTS Many mineral occurrences have geological characteristics similar to the adjacent Copper Mountain Mine currently in production. Previous work identified copper, gold, silver, zinc and lead, many of which are interpreted to represent porphyry related copper-gold mineralization. Alkalic porphyry Cu-Au mineral occurrences have been identified, having porphyry-style characteristics similar to the Copper Mountain orebodies. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- COLLECTIVE METALS INC. (CSE: COMT | OTC: CLLMF | FSE: TO1) (the Company or Collective) interprets the Whipsaw Property, west of, and immediately adjacent to, the south Princeton Project (Project) as being significant to further evaluation of the Project and its mineral potential. Work completed on the Whipsaw Property has, to date, identified copper, gold, silver, zinc and lead mineralization related to the Whipsaw porphyry stock, comprising primarily porphyry related copper-gold mineralization. Christopher Huggins, Chief Executive Officer of Collective, commented, There is strong support for additional opportunities for exploration and discovery in this area of our Project. There is potential for the mineralized halo from the Eocene Whipsaw porphyry to the west; and late Triassic porphyry alteration and mineralization on the eastern edge close to Copper Mountain to extend onto the Property. The MINFILE occurrences discussed here show the untapped potential of this Project for multiple, unique mineralization centres. Copper, molybdenum and gold mineralization occurs mainly in the Nicola Group rocks, associated with the contact of the Whipsaw Porphyry. Mineralized occurrences containing gold, silver, zinc, and lead in pyrite-bearing quartz veins and in wallrock adjacent to the veins have been identified in historical drill holes. These holes, drilled based on geophysics and geochemistry correlated with geology, have returned significant intervals of 0.2% to 0.3% Cu mineralization with some molybdenum. Of the twelve separate and distinct MINFILE occurrences identified on the Whipsaw property, two, the Whipsaw (092HSE102) and Whipsaw - South Zone (092HSE265), are interpreted to document porphyry-style mineralization. MINFILE occurrences in the adjacent host Nicola Group rocks include hydrothermal vein hosted mineralization interpreted to represent a zoned mineralized halo surrounding the Whipsaw Stock, such as 41 Mile Creek (092HSE266). Still other MINFILE occurrences are interpreted to document mafic hosted, Besshi-style volcanogenic massive sulphide potential in host Nicola Group rocks, including T.G.S. (092HSE206), Knight and Day (092HSE072), Marian (092HSE074), Metestoffer (092HSE097) and S and M (092HSE073). These MINFILE occurrence are interpreted to suggest similar mineral potential in the Southern half of the Project. MINFILE occurrences in the Copper Mountain camp, east of Highway 3, interpreted as examples of target mineralization on the Project, include Friday Creek (092HSE033), Deep Gulch (92HSE080), T (092HSE104) and Norma (092HSE143). These occurrences contain copper and gold mineralization and are classified as alkalic porphyry Cu-Au occurrences similar to the Copper Mountain orebodies. Finally, the Goldrop MINFILE occurrence, located immediately north of the Trojan - Condor Corridor, is described as a feldspar porphyritic andesite having minor silicification and chloritization which occasionally contains zones of intense calcite veining up to several metres wide. These intervals of calcite veining are mineralized with massive pyrite and sphalerite, with minor chalcopyrite. The association of calcite veining with minor silicification is interpreted to have similarities to iron carbonate-silica alteration described elsewhere on the Project (i.e., Fourteen Mile Creek, Massey et al 2009-08). With respect to mineralization previously identified on the Project, grab samples northwest and west of the Trojan Condor Corridor, returned anomalous Cu, Mo and Ag values, interpreted to suggest mineralization associated with the Whipsaw Stock porphyry Cu system could extend east onto the Project. Furthermore, the calcareous matrix of volcanic rocks within the lower Nicola Group sequence is locally and variably altered to skarn with associated sulphides. Several grab samples collected in the northwestern part of the map area, spatially associated with areas of orange brown, iron carbonatesilica alteration occur in Nicola Group volcanic rocks. Analyses of the samples returned variable, yet elevated, As and Ag values with moderate Au and Cu. Figure 1: Mineral Occurrences Map, showing MINFILE occurrences within the Trojan-Condor Corridor and to east (Copper Mountain Mine camp) and west (Whipsaw Property). Figure 2 - Property Area Geology Map, includes Whipsaw Creek Property Area, See Figure 3 for key to geological units. Abbreviations: BF, Boundary fault; BBF, Baby Buggy fault; SFF, Similkameen Falls fault; WF, Whipsaw Creek fault; FF, Frenchy Creek fault (Massey et al, 20082). Figure 3 - Geological units in the map area. Nicola Group abbreviations: s, clastic sedimentary rocks; p, phyllite; v, volcanic rocks; vs, volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks; v, schistose volcanic rocks. Eastgate-Whipsaw metamorphic belt abbreviations: a, amphibolite; q, quartzitebiotite-quartz schist; m, mixed metavolcanic-metasedimentary unit. Intrusive units abbreviations: w, Whipsaw porphyry; d, diorite; p, pyroxenite; SFF, Similkameen Falls fault. (Massey et al, 20082). An interpreted graben was proposed (Rockell, 2011) bounded by the Whipsaw Creek fault system to the west and the Boundary Fault to the east. The proposed graben was interpreted to have preserved a Princeton Group cover sequence, which thickens to the east, and the underlying Nicola Group rocks. Under this interpretation rocks within the graben were displaced downward relative to both the multiple mineral deposits comprising the Copper Mountain Mine (to the east) and the mineralized Whipsaw Stock and Nicola Group host rocks to the west. As such, mineralization identified at surface in the Project, specifically with respect to the Trojan - Condor Corridor, is interpreted to correlate to a higher structural level (see News Release dated Aug. 1, 2023), with the corresponding mineralization at depth (see News Release dated Aug. 10, 2023). Figure 4 - Regional Airborne Magnetic Intensity and Interpreted Graben. White dotted lines define an interpreted wedge bounded by the Boundary Fault (east) and a fault east of the Whipsaw Fault that approximately follows the Nicola Princeton Group contact. Within the wedge thus defined, the intensity of the magnetic features is lower than that of the magnetic highs outside the wedge, both to the east (Copper Mountain) and the west. The interpretation therefore is that the area inside the wedge may be a complex graben, possibly with larger downward displacement in the south relative to the north3. The Companys flagship Project is easily accessible by road and is located immediately west of Highway 3 south of Princeton, BC, in a well-established mining district with excellent infrastructure, a local workforce and support services. The Project hosts potential for identification of one (or more) copper gold alkalic porphyry occurrences similar in age and deposit type to the Copper Mountain Mine. The Project is also approximately 10 km west of HudBay Minerals Incs currently producing Copper Mountain Mine, which hosts a Proven and Probable Mineral Reserve of 702 Mt of 0.24% Copper2. General Corporate Update The Company advises that the option granted to the Company pursuant to a definitive agreement between Rover Metals Corp. and Silver Range Resources Ltd. (SSR) whereby the Company could acquire up to a 75% interest in the Up Town Gold property held by SSR, as detailed in a December 6, 2020 news release, has been terminated. Qualified Person This news release has been reviewed and approved by Rick Walker, P. Geo., who is acting as the Companys Qualified Person for the Princeton Property project, in accordance with regulations under NI 43-101. The information disclosed is not necessarily indicative of mineralization on the Princeton Project. References 1 Copper Mountain Mine Life of Mine Plan and 65Kt/D Expansion Study Update NI 43-101 Report, Richard Klue, VP Technical Services, CMMC; Patrick Redmond, VP Exploration and Geoscience, CMMC; Luis Alberto Chang, VP Mining, CMMC; Berge Simonian, Director of Metallurgy, CMMC; Amaru Humala, Director of Mechanical Engineering, CMMC Scott Weston, VP Business Development and Strategy, Ausenco; August 1, 2022. 2 - Southern Nicola Project: Whipsaw CreekEastgateWolfe Creek Area, Southern British Columbia (NTS 092H/01W, 02E, 07E, 08W), N.W.D. Massey, J.M.S Vineham and S.L. Oliver, BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Geological Fieldwork 2008, Paper 2009-1, pp. 189 - 204. 3 - Report on Induced Polarization, Resistivity and Magnetic Surveys in the Tulameen Project Area, E.R. Rockel 2011, Assessment Report 33,626C, dated November 10, 2022, 31 p. + maps. About Collective Metals: Collective Metals Inc. (CSE: COMT | OTC: CLLMF | FSE: TO1) is a resource exploration company specializing in precious metals exploration in North America. The Companys flagship property is the Princeton Project, located in south-central British Columbia, Canada, approximately 10 km west of the currently producing Copper Mountain Mine. The Princeton Project consists of 29 mineral tenures totaling approximately 28,560 ha (70,570 acres) in a well-documented and prolific copper-gold porphyry belt and is easily accessible by road, located immediately west of Highway 3. The Companys Landings Lake Lithium Project is located in northwestern Ontario where numerous lithium deposits have been delineated to host significant reserves of Li 2 O. The Landings Lake Lithium Project is located 53 km east of Ear Falls, Ontario and covers 3,146 hectares. The Whitemud Project, with several identified pegmatite outcrops, neighbours the Landings Lake Project and consists of 381 single cell mining claims totaling 7,775 hectares. Social Media ON BEHALF OF COLLECTIVE METALS INC. Christopher Huggins Chief Executive Officer T: 604-968-4844 E: chris@collectivemetalsinc.com Forward Looking Information Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking statements, including with respect to future plans, and other matters. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including but not limited to, business, economic and capital market conditions, the ability to manage operating expenses, and dependence on key personnel. Forward looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements respecting: mineralization potential and possible exploration targets of the Project. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, anticipated costs, and the ability to achieve goals. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, the continued availability of capital and financing, litigation, failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations, loss of key employees and consultants, and general economic, market or business conditions. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a6fa58f-a6d9-479d-99e8-665e736daff4 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d7547069-e89e-4e8d-a063-4f3049b94196 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6cfb4f4f-c24b-4425-9fa4-23664774ef32 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c8ed1c71-03a2-46e2-973f-57920cebf3c0 Pune, India, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global green cement market size was valued at USD 32.3 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow from USD 35.7 billion in 2023 to USD 69.0 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 9.9% during the forecast period. Green cement, an eco-friendly alternative, is produced using discarded waste such as blast furnaces and fly ash. The increasing demand for residential buildings due to global infrastructure developments and population growth is driving the market growth. Fortune Business Insights presents this information in their report titled "Green Cement Market, 20232030." Get a Free Sample Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/green-cement-market-107251 Major Players Profiled in the Green Cement Market Report: JSW Cement (India) Green Cement Inc. (U.S.) Holcim Ltd (Switzerland) ACC Limited (India) UltraTech Cement Limited (India) Anhui Conch Cement (China) CEMEX S.A.B. de C.V. (Mexico) CRH plc (Ireland) CarbonCure Technologies Inc. (Nova Scotia) Heidelberg Cement (Germany) Report Scope & Segmentation: Report Attributes Details Forecast Period 2023-2030 Forecast CAGR 9.9% 2030 Value Projection USD 69.0 Billion Market Size in 2022 USD 32.3 billion Historical Data 2019-2021 No. of Pages 100 Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Company Profiles, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors and Latest Trends Segments Covered By Thickness By Type By Application Regions Covered North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East and Africa Green Cement Market Growth Drivers Growing Adoption and Environmental Benefits Propel Fly Ash's Market Leadership Increased Product Adoption Gains Ground in Residential Construction, Catalyzing Market Growth Browse Detailed Summary of Research Report with TOC: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/green-cement-market-107251 Segments Growing Adoption and Environmental Benefits Propel Fly Ash's Market Leadership By type, the market is segmented into fly ash, slag, recycled aggregate, and others. The fly ash segment dominates the market and is expected to maintain its leadership due to increasing adoption as a sustainable alternative to Portland cement. Growing Consumer Preference and Regulatory Support Fuel Residential Segment's Growth By application, the market is classified into residential, non-residential, and infrastructure. The residential segment holds the largest green cement market share globally, driven by increasing consumer demand for sustainable buildings to improve living standards, with government regulations supporting green building construction activities. From the regional ground, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. COVID-19 Impact Lockdowns and Material Movement Restrictions Hampered Growth during Pandemic The global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread lockdowns and restricted movement of materials in several countries, decelerating market growth. This severely affected the supply chain of green cement manufacturers, leading to decreased demand and major losses in the construction industry due to project delays, labor shortages, and hiked raw material prices. Get a Quote Now: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/get-a-quote/green-cement-market-107251 Report Coverage The research report presents a comprehensive market examination, emphasizing crucial elements, including the competitive environment, distribution channels, and prominent product categories. Furthermore, the report provides valuable observations on market trends and significant industry advancements. Apart from the aforementioned factors, the report encompasses numerous variables that have bolstered market expansion in recent times. Drivers and Restraints Increased Product Adoption Gains Ground in Residential Construction, Catalyzing Market Growth The rising demand for green cement in residential buildings, driven by population growth, urbanization, and consumer disposable income is expected to boost its adoption. Increasing building policies and codes for energy-efficient structures also contribute to the product's adoption in the residential sector. Government projects in Canada, such as the New Building Canada Plan and Affordable Housing Initiative, are further driving product adoption in the industry. However, limited awareness, complexities in advanced manufacturing, and high expenses associated with technology may impede the adoption of products, impeding the green cement market growth. Regional Insights North America Leads with Rising Infrastructure Development and Favorable Regulations The North America market size was USD 12.0 billion in 2022, driven by rising infrastructure development, supportive environmental regulations, and urbanization. The U.S. holds the dominant share and is expected to lead the market during the projected period. The Asia Pacific market is thriving due to the development of the construction industry and growing population, leading to increased adoption of green cement in commercial and residential spaces. Competitive Landscape Leading Players Pioneering Sustainable Solutions to Sustain Market Dominance Major players in the market are actively engaged in processing green-cement and implementing initiatives to reduce global CO2 emissions. They focus on developing sustainable solutions to lower carbon emissions and achieve emissions below the global average. These efforts demonstrate their commitment to environmental sustainability and the advancement of green construction materials. Ask for Customization: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/ask-for-customization/green-cement-market-107251 Detailed Table of Contents: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Key Emerging Trends For Major Regions Key Developments: Capacity Expansions, Acquisitions, Partnerships, etc. Latest Technological Advancement Insights on Regulatory Scenario Porters Five Forces Analysis Qualitative Insights on Impact of COVID-19 on Global Green Cement Market Supply Chain Analysis & Challenges due to Covid-19 Steps taken by Government / Companies to Overcome this Impact Potential Challenges and Opportunities due to COVID-19 Outbreak Global Green Cement Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2019-2030 Key Findings / Summary By Type (Value and Volume) Fly Ash Slag Recycled Aggregate Others By Application (Value and Volume) Residential Non-Residential Infrastructure By Region (Value and Volume) North America Europe Asia Pacific Rest of World TOC Continued...! Speak to Our Expert: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/green-cement-market-107251 Key Industry Development May 2023: Ambuja Cements expanded its clinker capacity by 8 million tons at the Bhatapara and Maratha units, prioritizing the highest ESG standards. This significant expansion will enable the production of 14 million tons of Blended Green Cement. The company aims to commission the project within 24 months. Read Related Insights: Precast Concrete Market to Hit USD 159.85 Billion by 2028 | Industry to Reach at 4.4% CAGR Fly Ash Market to Worth USD 20.47 Billion by 2030 | Fortune Business Insights About Us: Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Address: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 9th Floor, Icon Tower, Baner, Mahalunge Road, Baner, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US: +1 424 253 0390 UK: +44 2071 939123 APAC: +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Follow Us: LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter Attachment Bethesda, Maryland, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CareMetx, LLC, a pioneering technology-enabled Hub services company dedicated to improving patient access and adherence to specialty medications, is pleased to announce the appointment of Brent Barber as the Chief Operations Officer (COO). With a career spanning more than twenty-five years, Barber brings an exceptional track record of orchestrating start-up initiatives, driving financial turnarounds, and cultivating high-performing teams within the healthcare ecosystem. Barber's appointment comes at a pivotal juncture for CareMetx, as the company further solidifies its commitment to providing high-touch support to accelerate patient access and adherence. He brings knowledge across payer and provider operations, as well as business process optimization. Barber is poised to lead the charge in advancing CareMetx's operational agility and customer-centric focus. Barber joins CareMetx from Cognizant, where he has held instrumental leadership roles over the past decade. In his most recent role as VP Healthcare, Digital Operations - Global Delivery Head, Barber directed complex teams across global locations, driving efficiency in payer and provider services. His ability to navigate outcome-based and BPaaS models has led to impressive improvements in revenue growth and operational excellence. "Barber's proven expertise in driving revenue growth, fostering strategic partnerships, and optimizing operational processes aligns seamlessly with CareMetx's commitment to provide top-tier support for patients and clients," says Jim Rowe, CEO of CareMetx. With Brent's leadership, we will continue to meet and exceed the expectations of our clients and patients." Brent Barber shared his enthusiasm, saying, "I am eager to collaborate with Jim and the CareMetx leadership team to usher in a new era of operational excellence. I look forward to contributing to the development of scalable solutions that provide patients with unparalleled support." About CareMetx CareMetx, LLC is a leading technology-enabled hub services company facilitating patient access and adherence to specialty medications. Serving pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturers, CareMetx leverages a digital front-end, proprietary automation, an integrated platform and best-in-industry call center services to promote efficiency in the healthcare ecosystem and remove barriers for patients and providers. CareMetx is committed to delivering compassionate advocacy to patients, decision-making data, and confidence-building insight to manufacturer clients. Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, CareMetx serves more than 80 brands. Learn more at https://www.caremetx.com and follow us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/caremetx-llc. Attachment Charleston, SC, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- James Z. Cox is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, an information technology specialist, and an avid reader who has set out to confront commonly held ideas about religion. Coxs book Hocus Pocus: Walking By Sight Not By Faith centralizes arguments in support of atheism and advocates Coxs position that religion is rooted in fear of the unknown. Often focusing specifically on Coxs concerns regarding the Bible, the book is designed primarily for readers who find fundamentalist interpretations of Christian belief to be problematic, and indeed for those who question the idea of Gods existence entirely. Cox vehemently challenges religious ideas and holds the concept of fundamentalist faith as antiquated in the face of science. One of Coxs points of argument involves discrepancies between a literalist interpretation of the creation narrative in Genesis and the prevailing scientific theories of lifes origin. Cox also disagrees with many of Christianitys moral teachings. The book may serve to be a provocative conversation piece for discussions about philosophy and religion. Hocus Pocus: Walking By Sight Not By Faith is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com. For more information about the author, please visit his social media platform Twitter: @Wanderer_3000 About the Author: Veteran and IT Specialist James Z. Cox has an insatiable curiosity and a drive to research the world around him. He is passionate about intellectually stimulating discourse, and he is a believer in the power of science and reason to guide our pursuit of knowledge. When hes not writing, Cox enjoys weight training and reading about many different subjects. He currently lives in California. Attachment LOS ANGELES, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The realm of healthcare, a crucible of innovation and compassion, is poised to receive a promising injection of excellence through the newly launched Dr. Lauren Papa Scholarship for Healthcare Students. This prestigious scholarship, with a resounding commitment to fostering the next generation of healthcare luminaries, is pleased to announce its debut offering of a one-time award of $1,000. Under the stewardship of Dr. Lauren Papa, an esteemed figure in healthcare education and wellness advocacy, the scholarship is set to honor academic prowess, unwavering dedication to patient well-being, and a fervent desire to advance the healthcare landscape. As an ardent proponent of health education, Dr. Lauren Papa believes that nurturing a compassionate and knowledgeable healthcare workforce is pivotal to elevating individuals' well-being. She is renowned for her involvement in community outreach endeavors and enlightening workshops, all underpinned by the belief that knowledge empowers individuals to make informed choices about their health. The Dr. Lauren Papa Scholarship for Healthcare Students mirrors Dr. Papas dedication to excellence and empathy. It stands as a beacon for individuals who share these values, beckoning them to follow their academic pursuits and contribute positively to the healthcare domain. With an unwavering commitment to progress, the scholarship seeks to propel the recipients towards achieving their educational aspirations and carving out a transformative impact in healthcare. Dr. Lauren Papa Scholarship for Healthcare Students is open to current students who are actively chasing degrees in a diverse array of healthcare disciplines, encompassing chiropractic care, physical therapy, nursing, and related fields. Exceptional academic accomplishments are treasured, reflecting the scholarships dedication to nurturing brilliance and intellectual acumen. The heart of the scholarship also beats in resonance with candidates commitment to patient care. Those who possess an unswerving dedication to bettering patient lives through compassionate healthcare provision will find themselves in alignment with the scholarships core values. Moreover, an appetite for personal growth within the healthcare realm, an eagerness to expand knowledge horizons, and the knack for creative problem-solving are qualities that are bound to capture the selection committee's attention. Central to the application process is an essay requirement, wherein applicants are invited to articulate their perspective on the role of preventive care in advancing holistic well-being. This is a remarkable opportunity for healthcare enthusiasts to showcase their innovative ideas on how healthcare professionals can synergistically prioritize preventive measures to amplify wellness across communities. Apply Now and Secure Your Chance to Shape the Future of Healthcare! The application portal for the Dr. Lauren Papa Scholarship for Healthcare Students is now open. Prospective candidates are encouraged to visit the official scholarship website at https://drlaurenpapascholarship.com to learn more about the application process and eligibility criteria. The deadline for submission is March 15, 2024. The scholarship winner will be announced on April 15, 2024, offering an exciting opportunity for the chosen candidate to embark on a transformative journey in healthcare. Join us in celebrating the launch of the Dr. Lauren Papa Scholarship for Healthcare Students, an initiative that upholds the legacy of Dr. Lauren Papa and paves the way for a brighter, more compassionate future in healthcare. About Dr. Lauren Papa: Dr. Lauren Papa is a distinguished advocate for health education and wellness promotion, renowned for her commitment to empowering individuals to take control of their well-being. Through community outreach programs and enlightening workshops, Dr. Papa champions the cause of informed health choices, reflecting her belief that knowledge is the cornerstone of healthier lives. Dallas, TX, United States, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SRS Real Estate Partners today announced a significant nationwide expansion of SRS Industrial with the hiring of six industrial real estate veterans in the key markets of Atlanta and Southern Californias Inland Empire. SRS Industrial was formed in April 2022 when Managing Principal Brant Landry and a team of industrial specialists joined SRS to help the firm expand on its retail foundation and offer more extensive commercial real estate solutions to tenants, owners and investors. In just a little over a year, SRS Industrial has cemented themselves as leaders in this critical sector of commercial real estate with a client-centric, value-driven approach to tenant advisory and owner services, said Chris Maguire, SRS CEO and Chairman of the Board. We are pleased to announce the pivotal expansion of this team into two of the top five industrial markets in the country, and were actively pursuing further expansion to other key markets. The new industrial team in Atlanta includes Managing Principal Chip Watson, Vice President Michelle Scheffler, Senior Associate Olivia Diaz, Associate Charles Williams, and Client Services Coordinator Paige Purinton, who are joining SRS from Avison Young. Watson has more than 20 years of industrial experience, most recently as a Principal at Avison Young. His expertise includes build-to-suits, manufacturing facilities, food processing plants, transportation hubs, third-party logistics and supply chains. Scheffler brings 20 years of real estate experience with a diverse background in research, retail and industrial. Prior to Avison Young, Scheffler worked for Cushman & Wakefield in Dallas and also spent more than 10 years in the real estate sector of the restaurant industry. As Managing Principal and Market Leader, David Pinsel will lead industrial efforts for SRS on the West Coast. He is joining SRS in Southern California from DFP Real Estate Company where he specialized in acquisitions, dispositions, capital markets, and leasing and development of industrial, office and multifamily properties. Pinsels 20 years in commercial real estate include leadership roles with Colliers in North Texas and Californias Inland Empire. The SRS Industrial team works directly with retailers, distributors and manufacturing companies to support their evolving needs for industrial space, while also serving more traditional industrial clients through tenant and owner services, capital markets, and development services. The team has logged more than 1,000 transactions totaling $92.8 billion in transaction value. SRS Industrial aspires to be a leading national industrial service firm, and the addition of these top professionals is a key step, said Landry. Further short-term expansion efforts will focus on Austin, Chicago and New Jersey to round out the top five industrial markets in the country, and our longer-term focus is on other top industrial markets like Houston, Denver, Phoenix, and South Florida. About SRS Real Estate Partners Founded in 1986, SRS Real Estate Partners is building upon its retail foundation to provide extensive commercial real estate solutions to tenants, owners, and investors. Headquartered in Dallas, with more than 28 offices in the U.S., SRS has grown into one of the industrys most influential and respected leaders. Our commitment to excellence is strengthened by our Guarantee of Value and our success is measured in the achievement of our clients objectives, satisfaction, and trust. For more information, please visit srsre.com. ### Attachments VAIL, Colo., Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Foot and ankle specialist Jonathon Backus, MD, joins The Steadman Clinics medical team on September 5. Dr. Backus will be located at The Steadman Clinic, Frisco and will also see patients at The Steadman Clinic headquarters in Vail. Dr. Backus is certainly familiar with Vail as he was part of the prestigious Foot and Ankle Fellowship Program at The Steadman Clinic in 201516. With his addition to the Steadman team, there are now eight full-time doctors at The Steadman Clinic that served as fellows in Vail, representing 35% of the total physician team. Dr. Backus is another physician who is part of what is becoming a long line of our former fellows to return to The Steadman Clinic in a full-time position, said Dr. Marc J. Philippon, managing partner of The Steadman Clinic and chair of Steadman Philippon Research Institute (SPRI). He trained here as a fellow under the guidance of our foot and ankle specialist (now retired) Dr. Thomas Clanton and his familiarity with our clinic will make his transition extremely smooth. Jon will enhance our outstanding surgical staff with his expertise in foot and ankle surgery. Dr. Backus comes to Vail after spending over four years as an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery where he led research for the foot and ankle division at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He is also on the board of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. Prior to working at Washington University, he was in private practice in the Denver area. Dr. Backus graduated from Duke University School of Medicine and also completed his residency at Washington University in St. Louis. The opportunity to return to The Steadman Clinic and to move his young family back to Colorado was an ideal situation for Dr. Backus. The Steadman Clinic is one of those places that I never wanted to leave, said Dr. Backus as he reflected on his one-year fellowship in Vail. I am very grateful for the opportunity to return to this prestigious practice and join Dr. Tommy Haytmanek in the foot and ankle practice and follow the path of our mentor Dr. Clanton. I have known Dr. Haytmanek since he was a resident at Duke while I was a medical student. Its awesome that we are now both working together at The Steadman Clinic and following the path of our mentor Dr. Clanton. According to Dr. Backus, the level of patient care is what places The Steadman Clinic at the top of its field. Essentially, it is the concierge care of orthopaedics and they make the patient experience a truly amazing one, said Dr. Backus. The Steadman Clinic goes the extra mile and it really sets them apart from other institutions. To be part of this team and elevate the level of care for our patients is a real honor. A native of a southern Illinois farming town outside of St. Louis, Dr. Backus attended the University of Illinois and graduated with distinction, earning a Bachelors degree in molecular and cellular biology. He also spent a semester abroad studying biology at Kings College in London. Following graduation, he was awarded a Cancer Research Training Award Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. While in medical school at Duke, he solidified his interest in orthopaedics and spent a year researching post-traumatic osteoarthritis. The hiring of Dr. Backus is another step in the expansion of The Steadman Clinics services throughout the Vail Valley and Colorado mountain regions. The Steadman Clinic now has offices and/or surgical centers in Aspen, Basalt, Edwards, Dillon and Frisco in addition to Vail. Attachment TUCSON, Ariz., Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In Hitlers Germany, the efficiency of the Nazi extermination machine was refined with the help of physicians. Are there any parallels in todays America? Twenty years ago, the late Anna Scherzer, M.D., presented reflections that are reprinted in the fall issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Scherzers parents, Ben and Vladka Meed, survivors of the Nazi Holocaust, participated in the creation of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. Dr. Scherzer explained: After World War I in Germany, physicians were seen as servants of the State, rather than independent practitioners. Their primary allegiance was pledged to the government. At this same time, the chronically ill were viewed as an undesirable tremendous economic burden on the German society. The sickly, the impaired, and the undesirables were problems to be eliminated. This is different from America todaybut only by a small step, Dr. Scherzer warns. In Nazi Germany changes were clearly imposed upon the population through a dictatorship. But the population was systematically made ready and accepting of it. Even in 1993, Dr. Scherzer felt that as a group of physicians, we are being herded into a similar crisis mind-set as pre-World War II Germany. We are threatened with the Truth that we have a Crisis. German physicians who wanted to follow their conscience paid a heavy price. American physicians who objected to the demands of health reform to put the good of society before individual patients needs had their personal and family obligations to think about. Dr. Scherzer listed various excuses for complying with the system, such as: Just a short while before I can retire from the whole thing. After all, it couldnt be all that bad. I do support many of those ideals. Lets work with them. The Germans were quite calculating in the progression of the restrictions they placed on people, to minimize resistance. Dr. Scherzer urged us to learn from history, and to remember our Oath. I did not pledge to the State to satisfy its greater political or budgetary goals. The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons is published by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), a national organization representing physicians in all specialties since 1943. CAPE CORAL, Fla., Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Associa Gulf Coast (AGC), a leading provider of community management services throughout the greater Sarasota, St. Petersburg, and Ft. Myers areas, recently partnered with the Sandoval Community Association to host a community-wide safety event in conjunction with the 2023 National Night Out (NNO). The branch and association board members organized the event to promote neighborhood solidarity, resident safety, and police-community partnerships. More than 140 residents and neighbors attended the event, which featured giveaways, food and snow cone trucks, live music, and a visit from the Cape Coral police and fire departments and Lee County sheriffs department. As the community management industrys sole national sponsor of NNO, Associa works closely with its respective community partners through Associa Supports Kids (ASK), a community outreach program, to educate parents and children on the importance of neighborhood safety. Tens of thousands of ASK giveaway items are provided annually to NNO event attendees who attend both Associa-managed and non-Associa managed community safety events. NNO traditionally takes place on the first Tuesday in August throughout all 50 U.S. states, territories, and on military bases worldwide. Texas and other selected regions celebrate the first Tuesday in October for heat-related reasons. Associa sponsored a total of 104 events in August and looks forward to working with many more communities on Tuesday, October 3, as part of Texas NNO. The goal of all the programs is to promote neighborhood camaraderie and inclusiveness and to help make communities safer, more caring places to live. Any community hosting a National Night Out event this October can register and request free promotional materials and handouts by visiting the following link: Associa Supports Kids / National Night Out. The deadline to register is September 18. About Associa With more than 275 branch offices across North America, Associa is building the future of community for more than 6.5 million residents worldwide. Our 14,000+ team members lead the industry with unrivaled education, expertise, and trailblazing innovation. For more than 44 years, Associa has brought positive impact and meaningful value to communities. To learn more, visit www.associaonline.com. Stay Connected Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associa Subscribe to the Blog: https://hub.associaonline.com/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/associa Join us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/associa Attachment Pittsburgh, PA, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Andrew P. Cross has joined the firms Pittsburgh office as of counsel in the Finance, Restructuring, and Bankruptcy group. Andrew focuses his practice on derivatives transactions and investment management regulatory matters. He joins from Perkins Coie LLP. Nationally, Blank Rome has experienced significant and strategic growth since the start of the year, including opening a Dallas office with a team of leading corporate, real estate, and finance partners, adding a team of nine leading litigators in New York, welcoming a group of nine international trade attorneys and legal professionals in Washington, D.C., and bolstering its Chicago office with a real estate finance trio. We are pleased to welcome Andrew to our firms leading finance practice and our growing Pittsburgh office, said Grant S. Palmer, Blank Romes Chair and Managing Partner. Andrews derivatives transactional experience and extensive background in the investment management space will further strengthen our national finance team and will be of great value to our clients. Concentrating his practice on complex financial transactions and regulatory matters, Andrew advises a diverse client base that includes financial institutions, commodity trading firms, family offices, public companies and other corporate end-users, registered investment advisers, registered investment companies, and private funds. Andrew routinely negotiates complex derivatives transactions and related trade agreements, so that clients can achieve their investment and risk management objectives. On the regulatory front, Andrews practice covers issues arising under federal statues that govern the use of derivatives for investment or hedging purposes. He routinely advises clients regarding the application of the Commodity Exchange Act, the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act, the Investment Company Act, and the Investment Advisors Act. Additionally, Andrew has more than 20 years of experience as an investment management attorney, regularly advising mutual funds and their boards and investment advisers with respect to regulatory matters, including client commission arrangements and related fiduciary oversight matters, as well as fintech regulatory issues. We are thrilled to have Andrew join our finance team as his derivatives transactional experience and ability to provide regulatory analyses will greatly benefit our financial services clients in Pittsburgh and across the country, said Lawrence F. Flick II, Partner and Chair of Blank Romes Financial Services industry group. Combined with Blank Romes innovative work with commodity and energy finance transactions, Andrews experience will help us expand our asset-management focused derivatives regulatory and transactions practices. Blank Rome has an incredible reputation in the finance industry, and I am excited to work with such talented and experienced attorneys, added Cross. There are already synergies with several partners who practice in the derivatives transactional space, including David Kronenberg and Brendan Delany, making Blank Rome a great fit for me to serve my clients, further develop my practice, and contribute to the growth of the firms derivatives and investment management service offerings. Andrew earned his J.D./M.B.A from the University of Pittsburgh, his M.A. from the University of Balamand, and his B.A., summa cum laude, from Washington & Jefferson College. Andrew has been recommended by The Legal 500 and recognized in DerivAlerts Whos Who in OTC Derivatives Reform. About Blank Rome Blank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 15 offices and more than 680 attorneys and principals who provide comprehensive legal and advocacy services to clients operating in the United States and around the world. Our professionals have built a reputation for their leading knowledge and experience across a spectrum of industries and are recognized for their commitment to pro bono work in their communities. Since our inception in 1946, Blank Romes culture has been dedicated to providing top-level service to all of our clients and has been rooted in the strength of our diversity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, please visit blankrome.com. ### Attachment Los Angeles, CA, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright announced today that trial lawyer Helen B. Kim, who focuses on securities and other complex commercial litigation, has joined its Los Angeles office as a partner. Joining from K&L Gates, Kim has more than 30 years of experience representing public and private companies, as well as their directors, officers and principal shareholders before the courts and in arbitration proceedings. She defends clients in shareholder derivative suits, nationwide securities class actions and securities and commodities enforcement proceedings. She also guides companies and their officers through regulatory investigations. Jeff Cody, Norton Rose Fulbrights US Managing Partner, said: I am pleased to welcome Helen to Norton Rose Fulbright and our proud tradition of litigation success. We are committed to growing our West Cost presence with accomplished lawyers, and Helen fits this strategy perfectly. Steve Jansma, Norton Rose Fulbrights US Head of Litigation and Disputes, commented: Helen is a respected litigator with a strong reputation in California. Her experience working on complex securities and shareholder litigation matters makes her a phenomenal addition to the firms litigation team and the Los Angeles office. Kim, who was recognized as one of the most influential women lawyers (2017-2018) and most influential minority lawyers (2018) in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal, said: Norton Rose Fulbright is widely known as a litigation powerhouse that represents clients in high-stakes cases around the world. I am excited to join the firm, which has a people-first, client-centric culture that I appreciate. Licensed in California and New York, Kim received her law degree from Yale Law School and her bachelors degree from Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges. She also holds a master of music in classical piano performance from The Juilliard School. Attachment JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital Jacksonville announced Curtis Whetzel as its new Chief Executive Officer. Whetzel brings over 10 years of physical therapy experience and over five years of healthcare operational leadership to his work with Reunion. He most recently served as an area director for therapy services across Florida managing staff, clinical and financial outcomes, and the customer experience. "As the CEO of Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital Jacksonville, it is my personal mission to combine my passion for therapy and my relationships throughout Florida to open and operate a successful rehab hospital that believes in excellent patient care and proven business strategies, said Whetzel. Whetzel holds a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences and has worked as a physical therapist in multiple hospitals and clinics. As the Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital Jacksonville CEO, he strives to make Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital a provider and employer of choice in Greater Jacksonville. He will lead his team to drive positive performance results across the hospital's clinical, financial, and overall operating capacities. Whetzel will also lead the hospital team to provide the exceptional quality care and positive patient experiences that are hallmarks of Reunion Rehabilitation Hospitals. About Reunion Hospital Jacksonville Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital Jacksonville is designed to provide comprehensive, high-quality post-acute medical rehabilitation therapies to a wide variety of patients. At this state-of-the-art inpatient rehabilitation hospital, the clinical team embraces new tools and processes to give patients with physical, occupational, or cognitive limitations positive outcomes and an opportunity to return to their active lives. For more information, please visit www.reunionrehabhospital.com Media Contact: Nhi Le, nle@brandonholdings.com Sioux Falls, SD, USA, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avera Research Institute has been awarded federal grant funding that will total up to $58 million over seven years to conduct research to benefit the health of mothers and children, especially those in American Indian and rural communities. Our goal is simple: improving health for mothers and their children. The complex part is reaching all of our different populations, as we never want anyones ZIP code to determine their maternal or pediatric health, said Amy Elliott, PhD, Chief Clinical Research Officer at Avera Research Institute, a department of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center in Sioux Falls. Significant funding for these initiatives allows us to build upon our extensive research thats underway and will effect real change for the populations we serve. Avera is a health system based in Sioux Falls, SD, comprised of 315 locations in 100 communities across South Dakota and portions of four surrounding states, including Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and North Dakota. Avera serves the city of Sioux Falls and a largely rural footprint of 72,000 square miles across the Upper Midwest. ECHO Cycle 2 The largest grant is up to $47 million over seven years for ECHO Cycle 2. Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) is a large national research network launched and supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ECHO focuses on how early environmental influences affect child outcomes. The first two years of $12.5 million have been awarded with the next five years to be contingent on meeting milestones as the grant progresses. ECHO Cycle 2 builds upon the work weve been doing for the past seven years, Elliott said. In 2016, Elliotts research group was one of only 35 nationwide cohorts chosen to participate in ECHO. The goal of this study was to improve child and adolescent health by looking at how a broad range of environmental influences including sleep, nutrition, allergens and social relationships affect children both prenatally and after birth. With over 3,500 enrollees we are one of the largest ECHO research cohorts in the nation, Elliott said. In ECHO Cycle 2, Christine Hockett, PhD, Director of Community Research, will join Dr. Elliott in leading this exciting program. ECHO looks at five outcomes including neurodevelopment with a particular focus on autism; airways and asthma; childhood obesity; positive health (healthy habits like getting enough sleep); and delivery outcomes. ECHO builds upon research completed during the Safe PASSage study, a project that investigated the association between prenatal alcohol and nicotine exposures, SIDS and stillbirth. PASS participants in Sioux Falls and Rapid City were later eligible for ECHO. The PASS Network laid the foundation for our success in ECHO Cycle 1, due to the dedication and support of our participants and community partners, Elliott said. Our PASS children currently range from 5 to 14 years of age. Aims of ECHO Cycle 2 include examining how early life exposures impact childrens health, specifically childhood obesity and neurodevelopment. Such factors include physical effects of stress and life events during pregnancy, lifestyle-related exposures and early nutrition. At the same time we gather data, our team loves the opportunity to work with more than 3,500 ECHO kids to help improve their health and lives, Elliott said. The hope is that this work will lead to a healthier future for each child. MARCH Center of Excellence The second grant is $11 million over seven years awarded by the National Institutes of Health. Avera is one of only 10 research centers nationwide to receive $24 million in first-year funding to establish Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence. The grants are expected to last seven years for a total of $168 million for all 10 centers nationwide. Part of NIHs Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative, the centers will develop and evaluate innovative approaches to reduce pregnancy-related complications and deaths and promote maternal health equity. One aspect we are very excited about is that this is the first large NIH initiative to focus solely on maternal health, Elliott said. Through this grant funding, Avera Research Institute will create the Maternal American Indian Rural Community Health Research (MARCH) Center of Excellence. Two cores of the grant are training and community partnership, as well as one large research project led by Arielle Deutsch, PhD, Research Scientist. Overall, our center is looking into how to reduce maternal mortality and severe health conditions as well as improving accessibility of care, Elliott said. Avera has many exciting initiatives in womens health, including the HRSA-funded RMOMS program. MARCH will work to integrate service programs, womens caregivers and research studies to foster great synergies to promote change, Elliott said. The Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program (RMOMS) grant, awarded by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), provides $1 million per year over four years for a total of $4 million to help increase access to obstetrics services and improve outcomes such as pre-term labor, low birthweight, infant mortality and more in South Dakota. As part of the MARCH Center of Excellence, a Transformation Board will include health care decision makers, state policymakers and stakeholders from national organizations who will consider how to take research findings and bring about change, both in health care practices and government policies. Center of Excellence components will be focused on two populations with stark health disparities in our region American Indian and rural residents, Elliott added. We seek to find new ways to improve access to care, to better understand the barriers that exist, and move forward to bring about meaningful change. RMOMS-SD is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $4,000,000 over 4 years with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov. Attachments NEW YORK, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bernstein Liebhard LLP: Do you, or did you, own shares of Sea Limited (NYSE: SE)? Did you purchase your shares between April 23, 2022 and May 15, 2023, inclusive? Did you lose money in your investment in Sea Limited? Do you want to discuss your rights? Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of Sea Limited (Sea or the Company) (NYSE: SE) between April 23, 2022 and May 15, 2023, inclusive (the Class Period). The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona and alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against the Company and certain of its officers (the Complaint). If you purchased or acquired Sea securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Sea Limited Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@bernlieb.com. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than September 17, 2023 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesnt require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member. The Complaint alleges that Defendants made materially false and misleading statements throughout the Class Period. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (i) Sea overstated its ability to manage the growth of its user base and loan book while enhancing its profitability; (ii) Seas expansion to a broader user base and growing loan book rendered the Company significantly more vulnerable to higher credit losses; (iii) as a result, the Company was likely to book a significant increase in loan loss reserves; and (iv) the foregoing was likely to have a significant negative impact on Seas earnings. On May 16, 2023, Sea issued a press release announcing its financial results for the first quarter of 2023. Among other items, Sea reported first-quarter earnings that fell significantly short of expectations due to a sharp increase in loan loss reserves. The Company advised that [o]ur provision for credit losses increased by 120.5% to US$177.4 million in the first quarter of 2023 from US$80.5 million in the first quarter of 2022, primarily driven by expansion to a broader user base and the growth of our loan book On this news, Seas American Depositary Share (ADS) price fell almost 18%. If you purchased or acquired Sea securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Sea Limited Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@bernlieb.com. Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journals Plaintiffs Hot List thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for sixteen consecutive years. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. 2023 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. Contact Information: Peter Allocco Bernstein Liebhard LLP https://www.bernlieb.com (212) 951-2030 pallocco@bernlieb.com Calgary, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Invest Alberta invites media to join an event hosted by Mphasis celebrating the first anniversary of the companys Canadian delivery centre. Mphasis CEO Nitin Rakesh will host a discussion about Albertas tech transformation with Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation, and a panel discussion about women leadership in tech. *RSVP IS REQUIRED NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 6 at NOON* WHEN: Wednesday, September 6, 2023 START TIME: 4:30pm WHERE: Mphasis office, First Tower, 411 1 St SE, 2nd Floor Conference Centre PROGRAM: 4:30 pm: Welcome 4:40 pm: Fireside chat Minister Nate Glubish and Nitin Rakesh 5:00 pm: Panel discussion on women in technology 5:15 pm: Mphasis + AgeCare partnership announcement 5:30 pm: Networking with guests including Mayor Jyoti Gondek, University of Calgary President Ed McCauley, Invest Alberta CEO Rick Christiaanse, Calgary Chamber of Commerce CEO Deborah Yedlin, Mphasis executives, and more. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: Please RSVP to Deepa.Nagaraj@Mphasis.com no later than September 6 at noon. Parking details will be provided upon confirmation of attendance. About Invest Alberta Invest Alberta engages the world and provides high-end tailored support to companies, investors, and major new projects. With team members strategically positioned in key markets around the world, Invest Alberta works to break down barriers so businesses can start up, scale up, and succeed without limits. Since 2020, Invest Alberta has supported the commitment of nearly $20 billion in investment that created more than 27,000 new high-value jobs for Albertans. For more information, please visit investalberta.ca. About Mphasis Mphasis purpose is to be the Driver in Driverless Car for Global Enterprises by applying next-generation design, architecture, and engineering services, to deliver scalable and sustainable software and technology solutions. Customer centricity is foundational to Mphasis and is reflected in the MphasisFront2Back Transformation approach. Front2Back uses the exponential power of cloud and cognitive to provide hyper-personalized (C=X2C2TM=1) digital experience to clients and their end customers. Mphasis Service Transformation approach helps shrink the core through the application of digital technologies across legacy environments within an enterprise, enabling businesses to stay ahead in a changing world. Mphasis core reference architectures and tools, speed, and innovation with domain expertise and specialization, combined with an integrated sustainability and purpose-led approach across its operations and solutions are key to building strong relationships with marquee clients. Click here to know more. (BSE: 526299; NSE: MPHASIS) KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) today announced that Tony Bowen, Chief Financial Officer, and Michaella Gallina, Vice President, Investor Relations, ESG, & Productivity, will host investor meetings at Barclays Global Financial Services Conference on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, in New York City, New York. To request a meeting, please contact your Barclays salesperson. About H&R Block H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) provides help and inspires confidence in its clients and communities everywhere through global tax preparation services, financial products, and small-business solutions. The company blends digital innovation with human expertise and care as it helps people get the best outcome at tax time, and be better with money using its mobile banking app, Spruce. Through Block Advisors and Wave, the company helps small-business owners thrive with year-round bookkeeping, payroll, advisory, and payment processing solutions. For more information, visit H&R Block News or follow @HRBlockNews on X. For Further Information YELLOWKNIFE, Northwest Territories, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Forum Daily News spoke with Home Base Yellowknife Executive Director Tammy Roberts. https://youtu.be/UCodcTMo8Ww Home Base Yellowknife Ensures Safety and Support for Vulnerable Youths Amidst Wildfire Evacuation Home Bases staff decided to evacuate prior to the official evacuation notice, and began the journey south with 19 youth, 9 staff, 2 social workers and two dogs in 5 vehicles. After briefly seeking refuge in Fort Providence, the organization continued south to set up in Zama City, Alberta. Once in Zama City, they were joined by the organizations executive director, 3 more dogs and a kitten. "Home Base Yellowknife's youth, who are approximately 96% Indigenous and over two thirds female, are at the heart of our unwavering commitment. The safety and well-being of these vulnerable youths remain our utmost priority," stated Tammy Roberts, Executive Director of Home Base YK. "Many of our staff have evacuated with us, leaving their own family behind while they ensure our programs are administered and the youths receive the support they need through this crisis. Without their selfless commitment to our youth, we would not be able to provide what they need in this challenging time. It is often small charities that do amazing work across Canada. Home Base Yellowknife is one of those organizations. Their sacrifice and commitment to help vulnerable youth in their area is very inspiring true heroes, said Tore Stautland, Founder of The News Forum Despite the disruption of the evacuation, Home Base remained committed to ensuring its vital services continued without interruption. The organization continues to provide shelter, guidance and support to homeless youth, which is increasingly important in these challenging times. Home Base chose to settle in Zama City, Alberta, because it offers a quiet and secure environment away from larger affected areas. This decision aligns with their mission to provide a stable and nurturing environment for the youths in our care. Home Base YK is currently seeking out an Indigenous elder in the area of High Level to perform a prayer and medicinal ceremony for the youths and staff. With the evacuation putting a strain on their regular operating budget and forecasted expenditures, the organization is looking for financial support to continue to provide the youth in their care with financial support, counselling, shelter, food, clothing, and personal hygiene products. "We are humbled by the gracious support of Albertans who are familiar with the challenges of wildfire evacuations. Their generosity is instrumental in providing a safe haven for our youths," said Roberts. For those interested in supporting Home Base Yellowknife's Emergency Relief Fund, donations can be made through their GoFundMe campaign at the following link: GoFundMe https://www.gofundme.com/f/q6ubx-emergency-relief-funds For media inquiries, please contact: Tammy Roberts Executive Director Home Base Yellowknife ed@homebaseyk.com https://youtu.be/UCodcTMo8Ww A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e56abfb5-b7c9-4be6-916e-3a45d0acd16e Chicago, IL, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UIC Law to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Fair Housing Clinic at this years Fair Housing Conference, featuring Pulitzer Prizer winner Bill Dedman. The conference will take place on Thursday, September 7 and Friday, September 8 at UIC Law and will feature a Law Review Symposium and celebratory reception. For three decades, the UIC Law Fair Housing Legal Support Center & Clinic has played a pivotal role in educating the public about fair housing laws and tirelessly working towards the eradication of discriminatory housing practices. To commemorate this significant milestone, the conference will host distinguished experts who will delve into a wide range of topics, along with a featured presentation from Bill Dedman on the conference theme: Fair Housing: Thirty-Five Years after The Color of Money The Struggle Continues. The presentation will highlight the progress made since Dedmans groundbreaking, "The Color of Money," series shed light on racial discrimination by banks and savings and loan associations in middle-income Black neighborhoods. The Law Review Symposium will serve as a platform for legal scholars, practitioners, and experts to share their insights and research on various aspects of fair housing. In addition to the symposium, the celebratory reception will offer attendees a chance to reflect on the achievements of the Fair Housing Clinic over the past three decades. View the agenda and register for the event on the UIC School of Law website. Join us in shaping a future where fair housing is a reality for everyone. ### About the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law The University of Illinois at Chicago School of Law is a part of the University of Illinois Chicagos largest university and only public Carnegie Research 1 Institution. Its mission is to make a difference in the lives of students and the community. Located in the heart of the citys legal, financial, and commercial districts, UIC Law is recognized as one of the most diverse law schools in the nation and is a leader in providing access to underrepresented students. From our nationally recognized faculty and programs to the impact of our legal clinics, we prepare students with the knowledge, skills, experience and values to change lives. For more information, visit https://law.uic.edu/. TORONTO and CHICAGO, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medexus Pharmaceuticals Inc. ("Medexus" or the "Company") (TSX: MDP) (OTCQX: MEDXF), is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Research Capital Corporation, as sole bookrunner and sole underwriter (the Underwriter), pursuant to which the Underwriter has agreed to purchase, on a bought-deal basis, 3,389,900 units of the Company (the Units) at a price of C$2.95 per Unit for gross proceeds to the Company of C$10,000,205 (the Offering). Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a Common Share) and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a Warrant). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of C$3.65 at any time up to 30 months following the Closing Date (as defined below). The net proceeds of the Offering will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes. The Company has granted the Underwriter an option (the Over-Allotment Option), exercisable in part or in whole at the Underwriters discretion, at any time until thirty (30) days following the Closing Date, to purchase up to the number of additional Units, and/or the components thereof, equal to 15% of the aggregate number of Units sold in the Offering to cover over-allotments, if any, and for market stabilization purposes. The Offering will be completed: (i) by way of a short form prospectus to be filed in all provinces of Canada other than Quebec pursuant to National Instrument 44-101 Short Form Prospectus Distributions; and (ii) on a private placement basis in the United States pursuant to exemptions from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), and applicable U.S. state securities laws. The closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about September 21, 2023 (the Closing Date), or such later or earlier date as the Underwriter and the Company may agree upon, and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the Company receiving all necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange, and the securities regulatory authorities, and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. The securities referred to in this press release have not been, nor will they be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities, nor a solicitation for offers to buy any securities in the United States, nor in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About Medexus Medexus is a leading specialty pharmaceutical company with a strong North American commercial platform and a growing portfolio of innovative and rare disease treatment solutions. Medexus's current focus is on the therapeutic areas of oncology, hematology, rheumatology, auto-immune diseases, allergy, and dermatology. For more information about Medexus and its product portfolio, please see the company's corporate website at www.medexus.com and its filings on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Contacts Ken d'Entremont | CEO, Medexus Pharmaceuticals Tel: 905-676-0003 | Email: ken.dentremont@medexus.com Marcel Konrad | CFO, Medexus Pharmaceuticals Tel: 312-548-3139 | Email: marcel.konrad@medexus.com Forward Looking Statements Certain statements made in this press release contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (forward-looking statements). The words anticipates, believes, expects, will, plans and similar expressions are often intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Specific forward-looking statements contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the proposed closing date of the Offering, the receipt of regulatory approvals and the anticipated use of proceeds of the Offering. These statements are based on factors or assumptions that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection, including assumptions based on historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Since forward-looking statements relate to future events and conditions, by their very nature they require making assumptions and involve inherent risks and uncertainties. The Company cautions that although it is believed that the assumptions are reasonable in the circumstances, these risks and uncertainties give rise to the possibility that actual results may differ materially from the expectations set out in the forward-looking statements. Material risk factors include those set out in the Companys materials filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities from time to time, including the Companys most recent annual information form and managements discussion and analysis. Accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date hereof. Other than as specifically required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise. Jerome, I.D., Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Idaho Milk Products will present Episode 8 in their Formulating with Milk Proteins webinar series on How to Future-Proof R&D Formulations Using Sustainable and Clean Milk Protein and Milk Permeate. In this upcoming free webinar, attendees will learn the importance and use of clean and sustainable ingredients like Milk Protein Concentrate (MPC), Milk Protein Isolate (MPI), and Milk Permeate Powder (MPP) in food applications. Speakers will include Kevin Quinn, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Idaho Milk Products, Rohit Kapoor, Ph.D., Vice President of Product Research with Dairy Management Inc., and Venkat Sunkesula, Ph.D., Vice President of Research and Product Development at Idaho Milk Products. Kevin Quinn joined Idaho Milk Products in December 2022 as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. He brings over 30 years of sales, marketing, and finance experience from working with major companies in the food industry, including Nestle, Sara Lee, White Wave, Leprino Foods, and Darigold. He graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder and started his career in Colorado. Kevin will be presenting the history of Idaho Milk Products. Dr. Kapoor leads DMIs dairy product science research programs in important areas such as milk powders, whey, milk protein ingredients, and dairy co-products at major Universities to drive dairy innovation and sales on behalf of Americas dairy farmers. He has over 20 years of dairy foods R&D experience in industry and academia combined. Dr. Kapoor previously worked at companies such as Nestle USA and Kerry Americas, where he provided R&D leadership towards cheese and dairy ingredient-focused innovation. He received his B.S. in Dairy Technology from the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Science, emphasizing dairy science and technology from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Venkateswarlu (Venkat) Sunkesula, Ph. D., joined Idaho Milk Products in July 2019 and is the VP of Research and Product Development. He is responsible for leading the team at the Milk Innovation Center that researches dairy ingredients and supports customers as they develop high-protein dairy and food products. He has over 20+ years of experience in the industries of Confectionery, Brewing, Chemicals, and Dairy Foods. Venkat holds bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees in dairy science manufacturing. He has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. This eighth webinar will be broadcast on September 14, 2023, and hosted by Global Food Forums, Inc. Those wishing to register can contact our team at marketing@idahomilk.us . In previous episodes, Idaho Milk Products covered Formulating with Milk Proteins, Protein Ready-to-Drink Formulation Tips, How to Formulate Excellent Quality High-Protein Ice Cream, Protein Bar Formulations, High Protein Yogurts, Replacing Caseinates in Beverages, Milk Protein Concentrate/Isolate Helps Create Excellent High-Protein Food Applications and Formulating Clean-label Protein-enhanced Healthcare Nutrition RTDs. If you want to view past webinars, visit https://www.idahomilkproducts.com/download-center/ or talk to one of our sales managers at sales@idahomilk.us. ### About Idaho Milk Products Idaho Milk Products is a privately held, vertically integrated international milk processing leader, supplying Milk Protein Isolate (MPI), Milk Protein Concentrate (MPC), Milk Permeate (MPP), and Cream derivatives to customers around the globe. Owned by local Idaho dairy farmers, Idaho Milk Products has a dedicated, consistent milk supply and delivers reliable, quality dairy ingredients. For more information, visit idahomilkproducts.com. Attachments CALGARY, Alberta, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- STEP Energy Services Ltd. (STEP) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Rachel Moore as an independent director of STEPs board of directors, effective October 1, 2023. Ms. Moore is currently serving as the executive vice president, corporate services, at Ovintiv Inc. (TSE:OVV), a position she has held since January 2020. Ms. Moore previously served as Ovintivs vice president, human resources since January 2015. Before joining Ovintiv, Ms. Moore held a variety of senior leadership positions including executive vice president, human resources at Savanna Energy Services Corporation, and vice president, human resources, at Enerflex Systems Ltd. Ms. Moore currently serves on the board of directors for the Wilder Institute (Calgary Zoo) in support of wildlife conservation and previously served as the chair of the board for the United Way of Calgary and Area. Ms. Moore holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Calgary. Steve Glanville, president and CEO of STEP, commented, We are pleased to welcome Rachel as our newest member of our board of directors. We look forward to her contributions and the positive impact she will make as we continue to innovate, grow, and reach new milestones. STEP also announces that Ms. Donna Garbutt will be retiring as a member of the board of directors effective September 30, 2023. Ms. Garbutt has served as a member of the board since April 2017 and was chair of STEPs HSE Committee. Mr. Glanville adds, On behalf of the board and management team, I want to express our appreciation to Donna for her significant contributions and exceptional leadership during her tenure on STEPs board, where she also served as chair of STEPs HSE Committee. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for her commitment over the last six years and wish her a fulfilling and happy retirement. Following the retirement of Ms. Garbutt and the appointment of Ms. Moore, STEPs board of directors will consist of seven members. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains certain information that is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties (such statements are usually accompanied by words such as "anticipate", "expect", "believe", "may", "will", "should", "estimate", "intend" or other similar words). All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this document are intended to provide STEP security holders and potential investors with information regarding STEP and its subsidiaries, including management's assessment of STEP's and its subsidiaries' future plans and financial outlook. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to, but not limited to information regarding the retirement of Ms. Garbutt and the appointment of Ms. Moore. All forward-looking statements reflect STEP's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made and as such are not guarantees of future performance. As actual results could vary significantly from the forward-looking information, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information and should not use future-oriented information or financial outlooks for anything other than their intended purpose. The forward-looking information and statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of the document, and none of the Company or its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to publicly update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required pursuant to applicable laws. We do not update our forward-looking information due to new information or future events unless we are required to by law. For additional information on the assumptions made, and the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the anticipated results, refer to the most recent Quarterly Report to Shareholders and Annual Report filed under STEPs profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. ABOUT STEP STEP is an energy services company that provides coiled tubing, fluid and nitrogen pumping and hydraulic fracturing solutions. Our combination of modern equipment along with our commitment to safety and quality execution has differentiated STEP in plays where wells are deeper, have longer laterals and higher pressures. STEP has a high-performance, safety-focused culture and its experienced technical office and field professionals are committed to providing innovative, reliable, and cost-effective solutions to its clients. Founded in 2011 as a specialized deep capacity coiled tubing company, STEP has grown into a North American service provider delivering completion and stimulation services to exploration and production (E&P) companies in Canada and the U.S. Our Canadian services are focused in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB), while in the U.S., our fracturing and coiled tubing services are focused in the Permian and Eagle Ford in Texas, the Uinta-Piceance and Niobrara-DJ basins in Colorado and the Bakken in North Dakota. Our four core values; Safety, Trust, Execution and Possibilities inspire our team of professionals to provide differentiated levels of service, with a goal of flawless execution and an unwavering focus on safety. For more information please contact: VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ValOre Metals Corp. (ValOre; TSXV: VO; OTCQB: KVLQF; Frankfurt: KEQ0, the Company) today provided an update on the fully funded 2023 core drilling program at ValOres 100%-owned Pedra Branca Platinum Group Elements (PGE, 2PGE+Au) Project (Pedra Branca) in northeastern Brazil. The 2023 core drilling program has been a great success, with near surface high-grade PGE intercepts in three distinct exploration targets: Galante, Troia and Nambi, and a newly drilled sequence of chromite-bearing peridotite at the Salvador target, for which assays are pending, stated ValOres Exploration Manager, Thiago Diniz. The 75-metre ultramafic intercept in drill hole DD23TU33, situated 150 metres to the south of the resource envelope at the Trapia 1 deposit demonstrates the impressive upside potential of what is already the single largest orebody delineated at ValOres property. We look forward to receiving the remaining assays and expanding the ongoing drill program. Highlights To Date: Multiple near surface high-grade intercepts at three distinct exploration targets: Galante, Troia, and Nambi, including: 8.6 meters (m) grading 3.18 grams per tonne palladium + platinum + gold (g/t 2PGE+Au) from 15 m, including 2.1 m grading 5.26 g/t 2PGE+Au from 17.9 m in drill hole DD23GE07 at Galante ; 16.4 m grading 1.03 g/t 2PGE+Au from 31.2 m, including 2.6 m grading 4.03 g/t 2PGE+Au from 43.3 m in drill hole DD23TR07 at Troia ; 7.0 m grading 1.09 g/t 2PGE+Au from 52.4 m, including 3 m grading 1.61 g/t 2PGE+Au from 53.1 m in drill hole DD23TR09 at Troia ; 23.6 m grading 1.56 g/t 2PGE+Au from 32.9 m, including 7.9 m grading 2.80 g/t 2PGE+Au from 42 m in drill hole DD23NB04 at Nambi ; Trapia 1 resource expansion drilling has confirmed host rock continuity and resource expansion potential 300 metres along strike at Trapia 1. Trapia 1 is the single largest orebody at Pedra Branca, and is part of the 2022 NI 43-101 inferred resource within the Trapia region which totals 885,000 oz 2PGE+Au contained in 28.8 Mt grading 0.96 g/t 2PGE+Au: DD23TU32, drilled 300-metre to the south-southeast of the current resource, intercepted a 20-metre thick, magmatic sulfide-bearing ultramafic layer, showing potential for high-grade PGE and potential for associated base metals mineralization. Assays pending; DD23TU33, drilled 150-metre to south-southeast of the current resource intercepted a 75-metre chromite-rich, and locally sulfide-rich, ultramafic zone, marking a great continuity with the main resource zone. Assays pending; Salvador drilling discovered chromite-bearing peridotite and dunite in a previously untested section of the Troia trend: Four holes drilled to date in the Salvador target, with thick ultramafic horizons intercepted in all holes (45 to 80 m-thick). Assays pending; 2023 Drill Program Overview Galante, Troia and Nambi represent near surface, predominantly undrilled, PGE mineralized targets advanced through 2022 exploration with the application of ValOres proven exploration methodology. These targets were not included in the 2022 NI 43-101 Resource Estimate (2022 Resource). The ongoing 2023 core drilling program commenced in early June and is also serving to test additional two drill-ready pipeline targets advanced in 2022-2023: Ipueiras and Salvador (Mendes South). In addition, the resource expansion potential of select PGE deposits included in the 2022 Resource have been tested in this program, including Massape, Trapia 1 and Cedro. A total of 44 diamond drill holes (DDHs) have been completed at Galante, Troia, Nambi, Ipueiras, Massape, Cedro, Trapia and Salvador, with PGE-bearing ultramafic rocks (UM) intersected in 38 holes drilled to date. Selected intervals from all holes sent to SGS Geosol Laboratorios Ltda. (SGS Geosol) in Vespasiano, Minas Gerais, Brazil with assay results pending for 22 holes from 7 of 8 targets. Table 1: Drilling Totals by Zone Target Total Drilled (m) # Holes # Holes w/ UMs Total UMs (m) Core Samples Assays Received Assays Pending Galante 790 11 11 169 384 384 0 Troia 1,029 9 6 66 188 155 33 Nambi 665 6 6 76 185 49 136 Ipueiras 228 4 3 27 83 0 83 Massape 380 4 3 18 48 0 48 Cedro 545 2 1 4 14 0 14 Trapia* 1,390 5 4 117 159 0 159 Salvador* 491 4 4 218 247 0 247 Total 5,518 45 38 695 1,308 588 720 * Drilling, logging, and sampling in progress. Table 2: Core Assay Highlights (g/t 2PGE+Au): Target Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) 2PGE+Au (g/t) Summary Interval Galante DD23GE01 56.00 56.63 0.63 0.99 0.63 m @ 0.99 g/t 2PGE+Au from 56 m DD23GE02 10.25 19.30 9.05 0.35 9.05 m @ 0.35 g/t 2PGE+Au from 10.25 m DD23GE03 31.50 32.35 0.85 0.57 0.85 m @ 0.57 g/t 2PGE+Au from 31.50 m and 3.02 m @ 0.15 g/t 2PGE+Au from 35 m 35.00 38.02 3.02 0.15 DD23GE04 26.65 56.60 29.95 0.33 29.95 m @ 0.33 g/t 2PGE+Au from 26.65 m DD23GE05 35.60 48.70 13.10 0.30 13.10 m @ 0.30 g/t 2PGE+Au from 35.60 m DD23GE06 33.00 35.55 2.55 0.63 2.55 m @ 0.63 g/t 2PGE+Au from 33 m DD23GE07 15.00 23.60 8.60 3.18 8.60 m @ 3.18 g/t 2PGE+Au from 15 m incl. 2.10 m @ 5.26 g/t 2PGE+Au from 17.90 m 17.90 20.00 2.10 5.26 DD23GE08 16.70 31.50 14.80 0.15 14.8 m @ 0.15 g/t 2PGE+Au from 16.7 m DD23GE09 24.55 29.65 5.10 0.49 5.10 m @ 0.49 g/t 2PGE+Au from 24.55 m DD23GE10 12.20 19.25 7.05 0.16 7.05 m @ 0.16 g/t 2PGE+Au from 12.2 m incl. 1.05 m @ 0.39 g/t 2PGE+Au from 12.2 m 12.20 13.25 1.05 0.39 DD23GE11 10.60 22.70 12.10 0.25 12.1 m @ 0.25 g/t 2PGE+Au from 10.6 m and 3.9 m @ 0.43 g/t 2PGE+Au from 43 m and 4 m @ 0.22 g/t 2PGE+Au from 55 m and 10.1 m @ 0.6 g/t 2PGE+Au from 75.3 m 43.00 46.90 3.90 0.43 55.00 59.00 4.00 0.22 75.30 85.40 10.10 0.60 Troia DD23TR05 22.25 26.83 4.58 0.75 4.58 m @ 0.75 g/t 2PGE+Au from 22.25 m DD23TR06 23.10 42.90 19.80 0.71 19.8 m @ 0.71 g/t 2PGE+Au from 23.1 m DD23TR07 31.15 47.50 16.35 1.03 16.35 m @ 1.03 g/t 2PGE+Au from 31.15 m incl. 2.6 m @ 4.03 g/t 2PGE+Au from 43.25 m 43.25 45.85 2.60 4.03 DD23TR08 22.45 32.95 10.50 0.57 10.5 m @ 0.57 g/t 2PGE+Au from 22.45 m DD23TR09 52.42 59.43 7.01 1.09 7.01 m @ 1.09 g/t 2PGE+Au from 52.42 m incl. 3 m @ 1.61 g/t 2PGE+Au from 53.1 m 53.10 56.10 3.00 1.61 DD23TR11 62.00 62.80 0.80 0.17 0.8 m @ 0.17 g/t 2PGE+Au from 62 m Nambi DD23NB02 48.64 50.33 1.69 0.56 1.69 m @ 0.56 g/t 2PGE+Au from 48.64 m DD23NB03 40.00 42.05 2.05 0.22 2.05 m @ 0.22 g/t 2PGE+Au from 40 m DD23NB04 32.94 56.57 23.63 1.56 23.63 m @ 1.56 g/t 2PGE+Au from 32.94 m incl. 7.9 m @ 2.80 g/t 2PGE+Au from 42 m 34.10 42.00 7.90 2.80 *Reported core assay interval lengths are estimated to represent 90-100% of true width Newly Discovered Chromite-Bearing Peridotite and Dunite: Salvador Target ValOres exploration methodology helped identify surficial high-grade PGE mineralization along 1.3 kilometres (km) of trend, which was subsequently followed up by the excavation of two trenches (86 m) in the targets main zone. Chromite-bearing target UMs (80 m) were intercepted in both trenches (assays pending). Four 2023 DDHs were designed to test the depth potential of surface PGE mineralization at Salvador reported herein. Chromite-bearing ultramafic rocks were intercepted in all 4 holes, including chromitite reefs, a lithology typically associated with high-grade palladium-platinum values at Pedra Branca. To date, the mineralized UM package at Salvador is demonstrating significant thickness and continuity at depth and has warranted additional follow-up core drilling. A fifth drill hole is currently in progress. Assays remain pending for all 2023 DDHs at Salvador. Geological mapping and soil sampling were completed over a strike length of approximately 1.5 km, with total of 157 soil samples and 40 rock samples collected; PGE-in-soils values reached up to 1,695 ppb 2PGE+Au (1.695 g/t); Rock Assay PGE Highlights include: 23.6 g/t 2PGE+Au (sample 103709); 5.2 g/t 2PGE+Au (sample 103705); and 5.1 g/t 2PGE+Au (sample 103712); Total of 70 m drilled in 14 Trado auger holes, with UMs encountered in 13 of 14 holes (62 m total); auger holes, with UMs encountered in 13 of 14 holes (62 m total); Trado auger PGE Highlights include: 4 m grading 1.76 g/t 2PGE+Au from 0 m (Trado hole AD23MES09) 7 m grading 1.01 g/t 2PGE+Au from 0 m (Trado hole AD23MES06) 5 m grading 1.18 g/t 2PGE+Au from 0 m (Trado hole AD23MES05). auger PGE Highlights include: Figure 1: Pedra Branca project property map, highlighting location of the 2023 drill targets and current resource zones. Figure 2: Trapia 1 deposit plan map, highlighting location of the 2023 drill holes and surface contour of the 2022 NI 43-101 Resource Pit. Figure 3: Trapia 1 deposit long section 3D view, looking west. Highlights location of the 2023 step-out drill holes and current resource pit. Figure 4: Trapia 1 core photos. A to C showing chromitite and chromite-rich peridotites from drill hole DD23TU33 (75-metre interval); D: Net textured sulfide enrichment in DD23TU33. E and F: Semi massive to brecciated pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite interval associated with ultramafic rocks in DD23TU32. Figure 5: Salvador target plan map, highlighting location of mineralized Trado and rock samples and 2023 drill holes. First two holes have been drilled from the same drill pad to follow up trench 1 intercept. Third and fourth drill holes, also drilled from same pad, approximately 120 m to the northeast along strike, following up Trench 2 UMs intercept. Figure 6: Salvador target. A: Drill hole DD23MES03 in progress, following up trench TR23MES02, in perspective view, looking East. B, C and D showing chromite-rich peridotites and a cm-scale chromitite reef intercepted to date in Salvador drill holes. Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) CLICK HERE for a summary of ValOres policies and procedures related to QA/QC and grade interval reporting. Qualified Person (QP) The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements set out in NI 43-101 and reviewed and approved by Thiago Diniz, P.Geo., ValOres QP and Exploration Manager. About ValOre Metals Corp. ValOre Metals Corp. (TSXV: VO) is a Canadian company with a team aiming to deploy capital and knowledge on projects which benefit from substantial prior investment by previous owners, existence of high-value mineralization on a large scale, and the possibility of adding tangible value through exploration and innovation. ValOres Pedra Branca Platinum Group Elements Project comprises 52 exploration licenses covering a total area of 56,852 hectares (140,484 acres) in northeastern Brazil. At Pedra Branca, 7 distinct PGE+Au deposit areas host, in aggregate, a 2022 NI 43-101 inferred resource of 2.198 Moz 2PGE+Au contained in 63.6 Mt grading 1.08 g/t 2PGE+Au ( CLICK HERE for news release dated March 24, 2022). ValOres team believes the Pedra Branca project has significant exploration discovery and resource expansion potential. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Jim Paterson James R. Paterson, Chairman and CEO ValOre Metals Corp. For further information about ValOre Metals Corp., or this news release, please visit our website at www.valoremetals.com or contact Investor Relations at contact@valoremetals.com . ValOre Metals Corp. is a proud member of Discovery Group. For more information please visit: http://www.discoverygroup.ca/ 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 statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Although ValOre believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements have been based on factors and assumptions concerning future events that may prove to be inaccurate. These factors and assumptions are based upon currently available information to ValOre. Such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results or events and cause actual results or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. A number of important factors including those set forth in other public filings could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the future operations of ValOre and economic factors. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release and, except as required by applicable law, ValOre does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. ValOre undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of ValOre, or its financial or operating results or (as applicable), their securities. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6671e0d5-f6d7-4034-ac58-fbdd01c69327 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/09d90df5-e790-4f84-a425-999677dfea15 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3ef36506-bc83-49b8-a795-3b89c2649a32 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/960715fc-3040-4134-953d-37064a981039 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/15bdd8ce-3b3c-47f9-9b83-e19c5c82d034 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6f8da088-0b2c-4da6-8126-25a8dcd4023f VANCOUVER, September 5, 2023 - Reyna Silver Corp. (TSXV:RSLV)(OTCQX:RSNVF)(FRA:4ZC) ("Reyna Silver") and Reyna Gold Corp. (TSXV:REYG)(OTCQB:REYFG) ("Reyna Gold") are pleased to announce that they have entered into a Property Option Agreement (the "Agreement") with Golden Gryphon USA Inc. ("Gryphon") on the Gryphon Summit Project (the "Project") located in Eureka and Elko Counties, Nevada. The Project comprises 1286 unpatented and 8 patented lode mining claims located in the Diablo Range, which lies in an area of excellent infrastructure between the Carlin and Eureka-Battle Trends of north-central Nevada. The 10,300-hectare Gryphon project covers 8 by 16 kilometres of ground laced by well-developed, variably mineralized structures. The structures show strong evidence of having sequentially controlled multiple mineralizing events, including Carlin-style Gold; Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Gold Carbonate Replacement veins (CRDs); and stratabound Nickel-Zinc mineralization (See Figure 2). This style of overlapping mineralizing events is a key element of significant deposits like Ruby Hill, which lies just 70 km along trend southeast of the Gryphon project in the famous Eureka District, now known for its overlapping Carlin-style gold and historic CRD Pb-Zn-Ag deposits (See Figure 1). In addition, the Gryphon project contains an interpreted stratabound Nickel-Zinc sequence, providing a critical mineral opportunity in one of the best jurisdictions in the world (See Figure 3). Historic exploration at Gryphon Summit was by Majors who focused on the gold and undertook extensive geological, geochemical, and geophysical programs. These resulted in localized shallow drilling programs, several of which showed strong results that were never followed up. Golden Gryphon Exploration subsequently recognized multiple superimposed silver-lead-zinc-copper and nickel mineralization events combined with a possible porphyry driver. Reyna Silver and Reyna Gold plan to deploy the first-ever integrated ore-systems approach here to unravel the individual components of this large, composite district-scale project. "Reyna Silver's strength is the ability to take on large, district-scale projects. The multiple overprinted silver, gold and nickel events seen here and increasingly by others in the immediate neighborhood suggests Gryphon fits perfectly into our wheelhouse," said Jorge Ramiro Monroy, CEO of Reyna Silver. "We're delighted to team with our sister company Reyna Gold on this precious metals-rich multistage property smack dab in the middle of one of the world's best-understood gold mega-districts." "We are excited by the opportunity to expand into this new jurisdiction with shared talents and capital. Our geological team has considerable expertise in Carlin Gold deposits we can bring to bear," said Michael Wood, CEO of Reyna Gold. "The investment structure of the deal allows us to build systematically on existing work, and the joint venture provides our shareholders jurisdictional diversity through exposure to a district-scale property in the U.S., complementing our La Gloria project in Mexico." "It's remarkable when the opportunity arises to acquire an exploration project on Main Street for both the Carlin Gold and Eureka-Ruby Hill CRD trends, especially one with a huge inventory of high quality but underutilized exploration data," noted Dr. Peter Megaw, Chief Exploration Advisor to Reyna Silver. "Gryphon is just across the valley from i80 Gold's Ruby Hill, where the two major regional mineralization styles are co-mingled, creating some pretty special mining economics." The Agreement: The Agreement gives Reyna Silver and Reyna Gold, jointly, the ability to earn up to a 70% equity interest in the Project (the "Option"). Reyna Silver and Reyna Gold have formed an unincorporated joint venture for the purpose of holding the Option (the "Reyna JV"). The Option is subject to the Reyna JV performing the following by April 30, 2027: (i) expending a total of US$9,500,000 on the Project; (ii) making cash payments to Gryphon in the aggregate amount of US$1,100,000; and (iii) issuing a total of 1,200,000 common shares in the capital of Reyna Silver and 1,200,000 common shares in the capital of Reyna Gold to Gryphon. Upon completion of the Option, Gryphon and Reyna JV will enter a joint venture to continue exploration and development of the Project. See below for the detailed terms. Reyna Silver and Reyna Gold already share a number of technical team members and advisors; for efficiency, Reyna Silver will assume the technical lead of the Gryphon Summit project. Reyna Gold will contribute both capital and their gold expertise, including advisor Tony Longo, whose experience in Carlin-style Deposits will significantly benefit the project. The structure of the agreement is designed with the intent to focus funds for the first two years into the ground for exploration. The project lies in the Basin and Range province of Nevada between the Battle Mountain-Eureka and Carlin trends, along the eastern boundary of the Roberts Mountain Thrust. This area's NS to NNW high-angle horst-graben structures provided excellent pathways for mineralizing fluids generated by a series of metallogenic events. Calcareous lithologies dominate the geologic sequence, including limestone, dolostone and calcareous shale, as well as clastics and quartzite. Particular rock units of interest include the Pogonip Group (the host rock for the Carlin-style mineralization in Eureka), Devil's Gate Limestone (a major host for Eureka CRD mineralization), and the Vinini Formation (a major host for gold mineralization in the Horse Canyon Carlin Gold mine). Figure 1. Gryphon Summit is located in Northeastern Nevada, 70 km NW of the Eureka district and 54 km from Carlin. The project is 73 km west of Reyna Silver's Medicine Springs CRD Project. Gryphon Summit exhibits both the key features indicative of a Carlin-style system and at least 8 out of the 13 key features associated with major CRDs (See Figure 5). Extensive systematic sampling revealed gold grades up to 15-24 g/t Au, silver grades up to 300-2060 g/t Ag, nickel grades up to 0.2-0.4% Ni, and zinc grades up to 3-35% Zn (See Figures 2 and 3). The exceptional zinc grades concentrate along structures and associate with stratiform Ni-Zn mineralization (See Figure 3). Exploration will build on extensive earlier work conducted by Golden Gryphon Exploration (GGE) or their prior optionees, including 133 RC holes (11,620 m with most under 100 m depth. We have complete data for 73 of these holes), 11 core holes (4862 m), and most recently, Agnico Eagle's 12 diamond drill holes (2987 m; 250 m average depth) (See Figure 4). In addition, the Reynas inherit over USD$2,000,000 of geochemical and geophysical data, including over 3,000 analyzed rock samples with a curated reference sample library, magnetic, gravimetric, 39 km of IP, CSAMT, and 17 km of NSAMT geophysics. The project is crossed by 35 km of well-maintained roads connecting all the key areas and existing permitted drill targets. These combined elements make Gryphon primed for the Reyna's disciplined, systematic, ore-systems approach to exploration. Figure 2: Anomalous geochemical results from outcrop and grab samples. Gold is yellow, Silver is blue, and Nickel is purple. Claim boundary delineated by the grey line. (Data generated/compiled by Golden Gryphon USA). Figure 3. Nickel and Zn mineralization. Nickel is in purple, with grades up to 0.2-0.48%. Zinc is in green with grades up to 3-35%. (Data generated/compiled by Golden Gryphon USA). Figure 4. Historic Drilling at Gryphon. The previous drilling consisted of 133 RC holes displayed in grey and 23 Core holes displayed in dark grey. (Data generated/compiled by Golden Gryphon USA) Figure 5. The CRD Initial Checklist, with the 13 key features common to all large known CRD deposits. Gryphon exhibits 8 out of 13 to date. Key Terms of the Property Option Agreement To complete its full 70% earn-in under the Agreement, Reyna JV must complete the following: Make expenditures in relation to the Project up to the total amount of US$9,500,000, on the following schedule: US$500,000 on or prior to April 30, 2024; US$2,000,000 on or prior to April 30, 2025; US$3,000,000 on or prior to April 30, 2026; and US$4,000,000 on or prior to April 30, 2027; Make cash payments to Gryphon in the total amount of US$1,100,000, on the following schedule: US$100,000 on entering into the Agreement; US$100,000 on or prior to April 30, 2024; US$100,000 on or prior to October 31, 2024; US$150,000 on or prior to April 30, 2025; US$150,000 on or prior to October 31, 2025; US$250,000 on or prior to April 30, 2026; and US$250,000 on or prior to October 31, 2026.; Issue an aggregate of 1,200,000 Reyna Silver common shares to Gryphon, on the following schedule: 125,000 within five business days of acceptance of the Agreement by the TSX Venture Exchange; 125,000 on or prior to April 30, 2025; 200,000 on or prior to April 30, 2026; and 750,000 on or prior to April 30, 2027; Issue an aggregate of 1,200,000 Reyna Gold common shares to Gryphon, on the following schedule: 125,000 within five business days of acceptance of the Agreement by the TSX Venture Exchange; 125,000 on or prior to April 30, 2025; 200,000 on or prior to April 30, 2026; and 750,000 on or prior to April 30, 2027. The initial US$2,500,000 in required expenditures, the initial US$300,000 in cash payments and the initial issuances of 250,000 Reyna Silver common shares and 250,000 Reyna Gold common shares are firm obligations and must be paid regardless of whether the Option is subsequently dropped by the Reyna JV. Reyna Silver and Reyna Gold will each be severally responsible for 50% of the required expenditures and required cash payments under the Agreement. Upon exercising the Option in full, a new joint venture will be formed between Gryphon and Reyna JV, the terms of which will be negotiated on or before April 30, 2025. Gryphon will be granted a 2% net smelter returns royalty on the Project (subject to a 50% buy down right to a 1% royalty), except that the part of the Project comprising the eight patented mining claims will be subject only to a 1% net smelter returns royalty (not subject to further buy-down) (the "NSR Agreement"). The terms of the NSR Agreement will be negotiated on or before April 30, 2025. The Agreement is subject to (i) a 30-day due diligence period in favour of Reyna JV and (ii) acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. The technical data contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Dr. Peter Megaw C.P.G., who is responsible for ensuring that the geologic information provided in this news release is accurate and who acts as a "qualified person" under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Dr. Megaw is not independent as he and/or the companies with which he is affiliated hold Net Smelter Royalties on the Guigui and Batopilas Projects that predate Reyna Silver acquiring them and is Chief Technical Advisor for, and a shareholder of, Reyna Silver. Jorge Ramiro Monroy Chief Executive Officer of Reyna Silver Corp. For Further Information, Please Contact: Reyna Silver Corp. Jorge Ramiro Monroy, Chief Executive Officer info@reynasilver.com www.reynasilver.com Michael Wood Chief Executive Officer of Reyna Gold Corp. For Further Information, Please Contact: Reyna Gold Corp. Michael Wood, Chief Executive Officer info@reynagold.com www.reynagold.com About Reyna Silver Corp. Reyna Silver Corp. (TSXV: RSLV) is a growth-oriented junior exploration and development company focused on exploring for high-grade, district-scale silver deposits in Mexico and USA. Reyna's principal properties are the Guigui and Batopilas Properties in Chihuahua, Mexico, plus Medicine Springs and Gryphon Summit in Nevada, USA. Guigui covers the interpreted source area for the Santa Eulalia District, and Batopilas covers most of Mexico's historically highest-grade silver system. The Company also has an option to acquire 100% of the Medicine Springs CRD project in Elko Co., Nevada, USA, and the 10,300-hectare combined Carlin-style and CRD Griffin Summit Project in Eureka Co., Nevada, USA, as well as several early-stage properties in Mexico. About Reyna Gold Corp. Reyna Gold Corp. is a gold exploration company focused on district-scale exploration. The Company has a portfolio of assets on the Mojave-Sonora Megashear and the Sierra Madre Gold in Mexico, and an option to acquire the 10,300-hectare combined Carlin-style and CRD Gryphon Summit Project in Eureka Co., Nevada, USA. The Company has an experienced management team with a proven track record of wealth creation through project discovery, advancement, and monetization. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the terms and conditions of the option agreement; the ability of the Reyna JV to fully-earn in the Option, use of funds; the business and operations of the Reyna JV and the exploration of the Property. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals; and the uncertainties surrounding the mineral exploration industry. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE: Reyna Gold Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/780361/reyna-silver-and-reyna-gold-announce-signing-of-option-agreement-for-gryphon-project-in-nevada Vancouver, September 5, 2023 - District Metals Corp. (TSXV: DMX) (FRA: DFPP); ("District" or the "Company") is pleased to report that Bergslagen Metals AB (a 100% owned Swedish subsidiary of District) has received approval from Bergsstaten (Mining Inspectorate) for the Nianfors nr 1 and 2 mineral license applications to explore for copper, zinc, molybdenum, yttrium and other rare earth elements (REEs) located in the Gavleborgs County, central Sweden (Figure 1). The Nianfors mineral licenses are in good standing for a three-year term that ends on June 30, 2026. Renewal for an additional three years will require payment of mineral license fees to the Swedish Mining Inspectorate, and the completion of at least some geological, geochemical, or geophysical work on the mineral license before June 30, 2026. Nianfors Property Highlights: Mineral license Nianfors nr 2 contains the Majsaberget uranium-yttrium-molybdenum occurrence that consists of 889 mineralized boulders over an approximate area of 500 m by 200 m1. Assay results from the Majsaberget mineralized boulders returned a weighted average of 0.16% U 3 O 8 and 0.08% Y1. A 1982 report by the Swedish Geological Survey (SGU) reported mineralized boulder assays ranging from 0.01 to 1.4% U 3 O 8 , 0.08 to 0.69% Y, 0.05 to 0.22% Mo, and 0.02 to 0.31% Th2. The Majsaberget Occurrence was historically estimated to host at least 12,998,896 lbs U 3 O 8 grading 0.07 to 0.14% U 3 O 8 4. This historical exploration target estimate is based on a 1985 Report by the SGU, and the Company is not treating it as a current mineral resource estimate nor is the Company aware of any more current estimate. The potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature, as there has not been sufficient exploration to define the target at this time; and it is uncertain that further exploration would result in the definition of a current resource. A moratorium on uranium mining and exploration in Sweden was imposed in 2018. The current Swedish Government has expressed a positive stance on re-evaluating the moratorium. Garrett Ainsworth, CEO of District, commented: "We applied for the Nianfors mineral licenses based on the large boulder field and exploration target at the Majsaberget occurrence that has returned high grade uranium, yttrium, and molybdenum values. During my lead role in the 2012 discovery of the Triple R Uranium Deposit in the southwest Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan the importance of following mineralized boulders "up-ice" to the bedrock source can't be overstated. The mineralized boulder field and mineralized outcrop on the Nianfors Property underpins a very large exploration target that outcrops at surface. The two styles of mineralization at Nianfors are very similar to what we have seen at our Sagtjarn Property, which makes the historical exploration target estimate at Nianfors very exciting. No known exploration work has been carried out at Nianfors since the early-1980's, which makes it an ideal energy metals property to unlock using modern exploration techniques such as detailed UAV (drone) radiometric and magnetic surveys. In addition, recent forest clear cuts on the Nianfors Property has made for excellent access." Background The Nianfors mineral occurrences were discovered in 1980 during follow-up work of airborne radiometric anomalies by the Swedish Geological Survey (SGU)1. Detailed outcrop mapping, boulder hunting and sampling started in 1981-1982. Over 1,000 radioactive and mineralized boulders and outcrops have been mapped. Three areas of interest were outlined, including Nybodvallen, Nissamybacken and Majsaberget (Figure 1). The Nianfors Property and surrounding area is dominated by Proterozoic meta-sedimentary rocks which have experienced upper amphibolite metamorphic grades, forming porphyroblasts of cordierite, sillimanite and garnets. The meta-sedimentary rocks have been intruded by younger uraniferous meta-granite and meta-pegmatites. The two types of mineralization identified include neosome-pegmatite hosted which averages 0.07 to 0.09% U 3 O 8 , and impregnation mineralization within meta-sedimentary rocks which averages 0.14% U 3 O 8 4. The Majsaberget occurrence appears to be the most prospective and includes 889 mineralized boulders that cover an area of 500 m by 200 m. Assays from the Majsaberget boulder field returned a weighted average of 0.16% U 3 O 8 and 0.08% Y1. A 1982 report by the SGU assayed seven mineralized boulders that returned results ranging from 0.01 to 1.4% U 3 O 8 , 0.08 to 0.69% Y, 0.05 to 0.22% Mo, and 0.02 to 0.31% Th2. Several mineralized outcrops were also found at the Majsaberget occurrence. In the largest of the outcrops, the mineralized zone dips vertically and has a width greater than 4 m where historic assays returned 0.27% U 3 O 8 and 0.1% Y. Mapping of outcrop at the Majsaberget Occurrence generated a historical exploration target estimated to host at least 12,998,896 lbs U 3 O 8 grading 0.07 to 0.14% U 3 O 8 4. This historical exploration target estimate is based on a 1985 Report by the SGU, and the Company is not treating it as a current mineral resource estimate nor is the Company aware of any more current estimate. The potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature, as there has not been sufficient exploration to define the target at this time; and it is uncertain that further exploration would result in the definition of a current resource. Additional work including geophysical surveys and diamond drilling was highly recommended in a 1984 report by the SGU, but was never conducted at the Majsaberget occurrence3. No exploration work has been conducted on the Nianfors Property for approximately 40 years, and no modern exploration techniques including geophysics and multi-element sampling (including lithium or other REEs) has ever been conducted. Figure 1: Nianfors Mineral Licenses To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7971/179491_04d9fab0f487d80f_002full.jpg References 1 Svensson, S., 1981: Uranium Prospecting in Norrland. Uranrapport 1981-8, Sveriges Geologiska Undersokning, BRAP 81083, p. 67. 2 Forsberg, L-O., 1982: Uranium Prospecting in Norrland. Uranrapport 1982-12, Sveriges Geologiska Undersokning, BRAP 82042, p. 33. 3 Kullman, F., 1984: SKBF:s Detaljprospektering i S. Norrland. Uranrapport 1984-4, Sveriges Geologiska Undersokning, IRAP 84010, p. 52. 4 Forsberg, L-O., Kullman, F., Lofroth, B., 1985: Description of SKBS Mineral Reserves. Norrland. Uranrapport 1985-3, Sveriges Geologiska AB, IRAP 85026, p. 17. Technical Information All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared by, or approved by Garrett Ainsworth, PGeo, President and CEO of the Company. Mr. Ainsworth is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The data disclosed in this news release is related to historical results. District has not undertaken any independent investigation of the sampling nor has it independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work in order to verify the results. District considers these historical results relevant as the Company is using this data as a guide to plan exploration programs. The Company's current and future exploration work includes verification of the historical data through drilling. Mr. Ainsworth has not verified any of the information regarding any of the properties or projects referred to herein other than the Nianfors Mineral Licenses. Mineralization on any other properties referred to herein is not necessarily indicative of mineralization on the Nianfors Mineral Licenses. About District Metals Corp. District Metals Corp. is led by industry professionals with a track record of success in the mining industry. The Company's mandate is to seek out, explore, and develop prospective mineral properties through a disciplined science-based approach to create shareholder value and benefit other stakeholders. District is a polymetallic exploration and development company focused on the Viken and Tomtebo Properties in Sweden. The Viken Property covers 68% of the uranium-vanadium Viken Deposit, which is an asset with substantial exploration and development expenditures that resulted in the definition of large historic polymetallic resource estimates and positive economic studies in 2010 and 2014. The Viken Deposit is amongst the largest deposits by total historic mineral resources of uranium and vanadium in the world. The advanced exploration stage Tomtebo Property is located in the Bergslagen Mining District of south-central Sweden and is situated between the historic Falun Mine and Boliden's Garpenberg Mine that are located 25 km to the northwest and southeast, respectively. Two historic polymetallic mines and numerous polymetallic showings are located on the Tomtebo Property along an approximate 17 km trend that exhibits similar geology, structure, alteration and VMS/SedEx style mineralization as other significant mines within the district. For further information on the Tomtebo Property, please see the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Update Technical Report on the Tomtebo Project, Bergslagen Region of Sweden" dated effective October 15, 2020 and amended and restated on February 26, 2021, which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. On Behalf of the Board of Directors "Garrett Ainsworth" President and Chief Executive Officer (604) 288-4430 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information. This news release contains certain statements that may be considered "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "targets", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "an opportunity exists", "is positioned", "estimates", "intends", "assumes", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" and any similar expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, predictions, indications, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent management's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. Forward-looking statements in this news release relating to the Company include, among other things, statements relating to the Company's Nianfors Property to explore for copper, zinc, molybdenum, yttrium and other rare earth elements (REEs) located in the Gavleborgs County, central Sweden; the Company's planned exploration activities, including its drill target strategy and next steps for the Nianfors Property; and the Company's interpretations and expectations about the results on the Nianfors Property. These statements and other forward-looking information are based on opinions, assumptions and estimates made by the Company in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the Company believes are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances, as of the date of this news release, including, without limitation, assumptions about the reliability of historical data and the accuracy of publicly reported information regarding past and historic mines in the Bergslagen district; and in respect of the Nianfors Property; that the Swedish government will eventually lift or amend its moratorium on uranium mining in Sweden; the Company's ability to raise sufficient capital to fund planned exploration activities, maintain corporate capacity; and stability in financial and capital markets. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date such statements are made, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to risks associated with the following: the reliability of historic data on District's Properties; the Company's ability to raise sufficient capital to finance planned exploration; that the Swedish government maintains its moratorium on uranium mining in Sweden for the foreseeable future; the Company's limited operating history; the Company's negative operating cash flow and dependence on third-party financing; the uncertainty of additional funding; the uncertainties associated with early stage exploration activities including general economic, market and business conditions, the regulatory process, failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals, technical issues, potential delays, unexpected events and management's capacity to execute and implement its future plans; the Company's ability to identify any mineral resources and mineral reserves; the substantial expenditures required to establish mineral reserves through drilling and the estimation of mineral reserves or mineral resources; the uncertainty of estimates used to calculated mineralization figures; changes in governmental regulations; compliance with applicable laws and regulations; competition for future resource acquisitions and skilled industry personnel; reliance on key personnel; title matters; conflicts of interest; environmental laws and regulations and associated risks, including climate change legislation; land reclamation requirements; changes in government policies; volatility of the Company's share price; the unlikelihood that shareholders will receive dividends from the Company; potential future acquisitions and joint ventures; infrastructure risks; fluctuations in demand for, and prices of gold, silver and copper; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; legal proceedings and the enforceability of judgments; going concern risk; risks related to the Company's information technology systems and cyber-security risks; and risk related to the outbreak of epidemics or pandemics or other health crises, including the recent outbreak of COVID-19. For additional information regarding these risks, please see the Company's Annual Information Form, under the heading "Risk Factors", which is available at www.sedar.com. These factors and assumptions are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors and assumptions that could affect the Company. These factors and assumptions, however, should be considered carefully. Although the Company has attempted to identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in the forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Also, many of such factors are beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. All scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been prepared by or reviewed and approved by Garrett Ainsworth, PGeo, President and CEO of the Company. Mr. Ainsworth is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179491 TSX.V: DME U.S. OTC: DMEHF Frankfurt: QM01 VANCOUVER, Sept. 5, 2023 - Desert Mountain Energy Corp. (the "Company") (TSXV: DME) (U.S. OTC: DMEHF) (Frankfurt: QM01) From the President of the Company. The Company is excited to report its ongoing success in reassembling the helium processing facility in New Mexico. An additional dehydration unit will be added to the system, resulting in the removal of helium, inert gases, and heavy C-molecules. This will lead to a higher net price for the methane gas produced by the company. The elimination of these particles will have an immediate and substantial impact on the net price received by the Company for its natural gas. The Company will continue replacing specific portions of flow lines and has implemented a scheduled maintenance program for the flow lines. The continued pigging of lines will help to lower flowing pressures from the furthest distant wells. Smaller gathering system compressors have been delivered, when coupled with line pigging will enable boosting production from the wells testing with elevated levels of helium. As stated in the press release on 08/16/23, the geologic team conducted independent gas analysis on specific individual wells, focusing on wells that showed higher levels of helium in previous tests over the past two years. The overall average gas composition of the tested wells, including C1-C10, Nitrogen, and Helium percentages, falls within the expected ranges based on testing and reported by the former operator. The Company plans to continue conducting additional independent gas composition tests on specific wells to further delineate opportunities to increase the overall helium throughput of the plant. THE McCAULEY PROJECT IN ARIZONA DME, in partnership with Beam Earth Ltd., is planning an airborne, low-altitude, geophysical survey over specific properties in Arizona. The properties to be surveyed include the McCauley Field, the Winslow South Field, and the O'Haco properties. By incorporating data from previously drilled wells, the survey aims to improve the accuracy of the final data sets by establishing additional correlations. The results of this high-resolution survey will be used to verify and, if necessary, redefine drill targets for each of the properties. INCENTIVE OPTIONS Pursuant to the appointment to the Board of Directors and head of the Audit Committee, the Company has set options for Mr. Michael O'Shea. The 300,000 options were set at a premium to Friday's closing price, $0.44 per share vesting over one year with a five-year expiry date of 09/01/28. ABOUT DESERT MOUNTAIN ENERGY Desert Mountain Energy Corp. is a publicly traded resource company primarily focused on exploration, development and production of helium, hydrogen and noble gases. The Company is primarily looking for elements deemed critical to the renewable energy and high technology industries. We seek safe harbor "Robert Rohlfing" Robert Rohlfing Exec Chairman & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in polices of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The statements made in this press release may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ from the Company's expectations. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward looking statements and information herein include but are not limited to statements regarding the Company's anticipated performance in the future the planned exploration activities, receipt of positive results from drilling, the completion of further drilling and exploration work, and the timing and results of various activities. Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company and its operations to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such factors include, among others, changes in national and local governments, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and the United States; financial risks due to helium prices, operating or technical difficulties in exploration and development activities; risks and hazards and the speculative nature of resource exploration and related development; risks in obtaining necessary licenses and permits, and challenges to the Company's title to properties. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the continued operation of the Company's exploration operations, no material adverse change in the market price of commodities, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause results to be materially different from those anticipated, described, estimated, assessed or intended. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company does not intend to, and nor does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking statements or information, other than as required by applicable law. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/desert-mountain-energy-gives-update-on-the-west-pecos-slope-abo-gas-field-301917157.html SOURCE Desert Mountain Energy Corp. Vancouver, September 5, 2023 - European Energy Metals (TSXV: FIN) (FSE: W28) ("European Energy" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has received regulatory approval for and thus completed its previously announced acquisition of seven mineral reservations (the "Reservations") located in northern and central Finland (the "Transaction"). Pursuant to the Transaction, the Company has acquired all of the shares of BB Gold Inc., a company existing under the laws of Newfoundland and Labrador and its wholly owned Finnish subsidiary Sisu Exploration Oy, the direct owner of the Concessions, from a private individual (the "Vendor") in exchange for the issuance of 1,250,000 common shares (the "Consideration Shares"). The Consideration Shares are subject to the following contractual resale restrictions: Number of Consideration Shares Contractual Resale Restriction Period 500,000 No contractual resale restriction 250,000 December 1, 2023 250,000 March 1, 2024 250,000 June 1, 2024 The Vendor has also been granted a 1% net smelter royal on six of the seven Concessions. About the Properties Through this agreement the company acquires a 100% interest in 7 Mineral Reservations covering approximately 3,106.5 km2 as outlined in the Table and Map at the end of the press release and described more fully below. Kontti and Kontti 2 Reservations These reservations are underlain by a series of approximately 1.8 billion year old granitoids, including S-type "microcline" granites intruding migmatites and metasedimentary rocks of the Central Lapland Granitoid Complex and hosting numerous pegmatite occurrences. These reservations are considered prospective for battery and rare metals (Lithium, Cesium and Tantalum), and rare earth elements (Ytrium, Niobium and Fluorine) among others. Haara Reservation This reservation in the northern part of the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt (CLGB) is also underlain by a series of approximately 1.8 billion year old granitoids, including 2 mica granites intruding meta-sedimentary and meta-volcanic rocks and pegmatites. This reservation is considered prospective for battery and rare metals (Lithium, Cesium and Tantalum), and rare earth elements (Ytrium, Niobium and Fluorine) among others. Mairivaara and Nousu Reservations These reservations are underlain by mafic and ultramafic volcanic rocks and sedimentary rocks of the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt (CLGB) and are considered prospective for precious and base metals. Angelvaara This reservation is underlain primarily by mafic and ultramafic igneous rocks in the Eastern portion of the CLGB and is considered prospective for base (N-Cu-Co) and precious metals. Kiila This reservation is underlain primarily by meta-sedimentary rocks of the Pohjaanma Schist Belt which hosts the Kaustinen Li-Pegmatite cluster of deposits, currently under development and lies within 25 km of Keliber Oys Battery Metal Processing Plant in Kokkola, Finland. This reservation is contiguous with the Lappajarvi Reservation which is the subject of an agreement between the company and Capella Minerals Ltd. (See press release dated March 20, 2023). This reservation is considered prospective for battery and rare metals (Lithium, Cesium and Tantalum), and rare earth elements (Ytrium, Niobium and Fluorine) among others. Permit Holder Reg. Number Permit Name Permit Status Date of Submission Date of Decision Date of Expiry Area, km2 Sisu Exploration Oy VA2022:0048 Nousu Valid 2022-06-28 2022-09- 07 2024-06- 27 489.19 Sisu Exploration Oy VA2022:0069 Mairivaara Valid 2022-09-17 2022-11- 29 2023-09- 16 465.35 Sisu Exploration Oy VA2023:0047 Haara Valid 2023-05-03 2023-06- 22 2025-05- 02 307.3 Sisu Exploration Oy VA2023:0048 Kontti Granted 2023-05-03 2023-06- 22 2025-05- 02 1406.32 Sisu Exploration Oy VA2023:0049 Angelvaara Granted 2023-05-10 2023-08- 21 2025-05- 09 210.91 Sisu Exploration Oy VA2023:0056 Kontti 2 Application 2023-05-31 168.13 Sisu Exploration Oy VA2023:0068* Kiila Application 2023-07-26 59.29 Figure 1 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9006/179443_384a85deb4437b16_001full.jpg R. Tim Henneberry, P.Geo. (BC), a Director of European Energy Metals Corp., is the Qualified Person who has reviewed and approved the technical content disclosed in this release. About European Energy Metals Corp. European Energy Metals Corp. is a junior mining company currently focussed on the Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum Finnish Pegmatite Project in central Finland. Governing bodies in Europe and Finland are legislating environmentally friendly and energy independent laws and policies. One of the key components is access to REE and, specifically, lithium. The company concessions are located within 11 miles of the Keliber mine under construction which is expected to begin production in H2 of 2025. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Jeremy Poirier, CEO Telephone: 604-722-9842 Email: info@europeanenergymetals.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the future results of operations, performance and achievements of the Company. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that such expectations will prove to be correct. All such forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. This information, however, is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or revise the forward-looking information contained in this news release, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179443 Vancouver, September 5th, 2023 - Atco Mining Inc. (the "Company" or "Atco") (CSE:ATCM); (OTC:ATMGF); (Frankfurt:QP9) is pleased to announce that on August 30th, The Honourable Andrew Parsons, KC, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, announced the completion of the call for bids for wind-hydrogen development in the province. As a result of this process, four companies will receive Wind Application Recommendation Letters: EverWind NL Company; Exploits Valley Renewable Energy Corporation; Toqlukuti'k Wind and Hydrogen Ltd. (ABO); and World Energy GH2 Inc According to the Newfoundland Government, the issuance of recommendation letters to four bidders is the next step in the development of a wind-hydrogen industry in the province. These four companies now have the right to pursue the development of their project and can proceed through the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador's Crown land application and approval process. The construction, operations and decommissioning phases of these four projects (ranging from 35 to 40 years) are anticipated to have an overall economic impact (GDP) of $206.2 billion, and revenue to the province of $11.7 billion. Based on the plans for the four projects, peak employment is estimated at 11,694 full-time equivalents during construction. Total capital spend is estimated at $66.3 billion. Projects will be required to have benefits plans with the province, including commitments to full and fair opportunity as well as a gender equity and diversity plan that outlines proactive measures for the inclusion of women and other under-represented groups. Bids were subject to a two-phase assessment conducted by an evaluation committee, with representation from Industry, Energy and Technology; Finance; Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation; Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro; a third-party Financial and Business Analyst (EY); a third party Technical Advisor (Power Advisory); a third party Project Management Analyst (EY); and a Fairness Advisor (Optimus SBR Inc.). Environmental Assessment registration is required prior to final award of Crown land and an environmental assessment will be required for these wind projects. Requests for connection to the provincial electricity grid to support hydrogen production and/or rates other than published rates will be subject to the PUB regulation. The Provincial Government is committed to continuing to work with the companies that were not successful in this round and they will have opportunities in the future to apply, either through private lands or future calls for bids. Honourable Andrew Parsons, KC, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology: "Newfoundland and Labrador has some of the best onshore wind resources in North America, which can be used to power wind turbines and generate electricity for industrial users/customers, export through transmission lines and the production and export of hydrogen/ammonia. I am pleased that these four projects have been independently reviewed and determined to provide the overall greatest benefits to the province. I look forward to these projects moving through the next stages of review and am excited about the economic benefits these projects will bring to the province in the years to come." "This is an incredible announcement from the Newfoundland Government" says Etienne Moshevich, CEO of Atco Mining. "This is going to attract a tremendous amount of investment to the area and as we work to progress our Flat Bay and Eagle Salt Projects in Southwestern Newfoundland with the help of RESPEC Consulting, I believe we will be in a great position to move Atco as a leader in the industry." About Atco Mining (CSE: ATCM): Atco is a junior exploration mining company focused on exploring for green energy metals throughout Canada. Atco is also exploring for sulphide-rich VHMS deposits in Saskatchewan as well as salt opportunities in Western Newfoundland. Investors are encouraged to visit the company's website here: www.atcomining.com For further information contact: Atco Mining Inc. Email: info@atcomining.com Telephone: (604) 681-0084 www.atcomining.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not in any way approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: Certain information in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law. Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Ricciardo likely to sit out two more F1 races Daniel Ricciardo will definitely sit out a third consecutive grand prix next weekend - and probably another one after that. Daniel Ricciardo, Hungarian GP 2023 Red Bull That is the claim of Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, when asked about the status of Australian Ricciardo's recovery from a broken hand sustained in practice at the recent Dutch GP. He was replaced at Red Bull's second team, Alpha Tauri, by rookie substitute Liam Lawson, at both Zandvoort and Monza last weekend. Ricciardo, 33, had surgery in the days after the Dutch GP and his team boss Franz Tost said the Australian is still undergoing rehabilitation in Barcelona. He is doing well in the circumstances, Alpha Tauri boss Tost told Sky Deutschland. "I called him and he's getting physical therapy treatments there. We will see now how fast the healing process is, but I hope it's only a matter of weeks and not too many. But for sure we are not going to see him in the car in the next two to three weeks. But we'll see. Horner agrees with that assessment, meaning Ricciardo will certainly miss Singapore and probably also Suzuka after that. The good news for Alpha Tauri is that New Zealander Lawson, 21, is already well acquainted with Suzuka given his full-time role this year in the Japanese series Super Formula. I should think he's pretty keen to be in the car in Suzuka, but we'll just take it on a day-by-day basis and see how the recovery goes and how nature takes its course, Horner said. Lawson admits he likes the idea of racing the Alpha Tauri at the fabled Japanese venue - if Ricciardo is still not fit. If, exactly, he said. "If I get the chance. At the moment I have no idea. I'll prepare as normal but we'll wait and see. Horner admits that Singapore is definitely a no-go for Ricciardo. Japan would also be optimistic, he said. "But the recovery is going well. He has regained some movement in the hand and is now undergoing rehabilitation. We just want to make sure he has fully recovered before we put him at the wheel of a car again, as we've seen plenty of examples of motorbike racers trying to return too quickly and causing more damage, Horner added. The next race after Suzuka takes place in Qatar in early October. (GMM) Wolff to skip Japanese GP to have knee surgery Toto Wolff has announced that, a week after the forthcoming Singapore GP, he will not be joining Formula 1 as the sport makes the long haul to Japan. Toto Wolff, Abu Dhabi GP 2021 Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd. A couple of years ago, the Mercedes boss said that because of the ever-longer F1 calendars, he will start to skip a few races . He also sat out Suzuka last year, and he missed the Brazilian GP in 2019. But Wolff told Kronen Zeitung that the reason for his absence at the Japanese GP is because of some scheduled knee surgery. He explained to the Austrian newspaper that he cannot currently fully extend his left arm following a mountain biking fall during the August break. I rode over slippery rocks, said Wolff. "It wasn't that I couldn't handle it, but I wanted to support myself with my left leg - and it just snapped because I no longer have a cruciate ligament. "After Singapore I'm going to the Hochrum Clinic (in Austria), where I will get a new ligament. Then I can do everything I want to again. I'll skip Japan, then it's a free weekend after that. I'd like to be walking around in Qatar without crutches. Then it's even possible that I can ski in the winter, he added. Wolff said in August that, if he is ever absent at grands prix, he will be replaced by new deputy Mercedes chief Jerome d'Ambrosio, a former F1 driver. (GMM) Libi Homes commences new apartment project, The Milton at Airport Residential Area in Accra Libi Homes, a real estate company known for commitment to offering buyers top-quality builds in Ghana across budgets, has commenced a new apartment project - The Milton at Airport Residential Area in Accra. The estate developer has three development projects in the pipeline and The Milton condominium located in the heart of Airport Residential Area in Accra, is garnering much interest in Ghana and across the African Diaspora. Ownership assures investors circa 15% in annual yields for year-round suite guest rentals. The commencement of construction at The Milton hotel apartment site follows the successful signing of a contract with a project contractor, marking a collaborative effort to bring this vision to life. The project site, just off Patrice Lumumba Boulevard and 5 minutes from Kotoka International Airport, has undergone meticulous setting-out and preparation, and is cleared and ready for excavation in September 2023. This is a truly exciting time for our client as we move into the bustling apartment market. Our offer at The Milton is competitive and were already seeing good off-plan sales as home seekers value the attractive central location and promise of quality and modernity, the Development Director at The Summerton Group LLC, Anthony Okyere said. Designed as twin towers soaring nine floors high, The Milton will encompass 156 high-end apartment units, thoughtfully designed to offer homeowners and guests the 5-star lifestyle they have been waiting for. The Milton delivers a variety of space options, ranging from stylish 41-square-meter studios to spacious 4-bedroom duplexes spanning 220 square meters. Each luxurious apartment boasts of high-quality interiors and stylish design touches. Residents will enjoy secure access to their private quarters, complemented by inviting communal spaces including a cafe, laundry, car rental, retail outlets, and concierge services. The standout feature is a stunning double atrium entrance that leads to a retail area and a lovely outdoor pool for residents' relaxation. Sales start at $83,950. As construction at The Milton takes off, Libi Homes solidifies its commitment to crafting not just homes, but experiences that redefine luxury living. With an impressive portfolio of lands in some of Ghanas most desirable locations, Libi Homes offers a range of options for investors and homeowners alike. Investors are assured steady returns while homeowners enjoy a warm dwelling to create lifelong memories. Discover more about The Milton and Libi Homes at www.libihomesgh.com or call +233 55 009 0900 / +233 50 856 2777. Central Bank losses: Potential impact on the economy Dr Richmond Atuahene & K.B. Frimpong Business News Sep - 05 - 2023 , 10:41 The possibility of central bank losses may look like a "science fiction story" in most developed countries. It is indeed expected that a central bank carrying out traditional central banking functions in a stable macroeconomic environment will make profits. However, in the unstable macroeconomic environment of many developing countries like Ghana, central bank losses have emerged as a complex "real world drama: At times, central bank losses have created problems in the effective design and implementation of International Monetary Fund programs because of large and unexpected or unexplained movements in "other items net" in the balance sheet of central banks (Leone 1991). Dalton and Dziobek (2005) opined that under normal circumstances, a central bank should be able to operate at a profit with a core level of earnings derived from seignorage. Losses have, however, arisen in several central banks from a range of activities including: open market operations; sterilization of foreign currency inflows; domestic and foreign investments, credit, and guarantees; costs associated with financial sector restructuring; direct or implicit interest subsidies; and non-core activities of a fiscal or quasi-fiscal nature. Failure to address ongoing losses, or any ensuing negative net worth, will interfere with monetary management and may jeopardize a central bank's independence and credibility. Transparency and accounting standards require net losses to be recorded as such in the income statement, charged against capital, and any resulting negative net worth to be properly disclosed in the equity section of the balance sheet. Net losses should not be presented in the balance sheet as assets unless they have been formally covered by the government. According to Honohan (2023) also opine that central banks running with negative equity does not matter but however economic logic compels that functioning of central bank to have positive equity. However, some central banks over the years that ran on negative capital were Central Bank of Israel, the Czech National Bank and the Central Bank of Chile. According to Honohon (2023) if the central banks losses persist with sizable net liabilities denominated foreign currency and restructured domestic debt could disable a financially weak central bank. Failure to address ongoing losses, or any ensuing negative net worth, will interfere with monetary management and may jeopardize a central bank's independence and credibility. Moreover, central banks are not subject to capital adequacy requirements or bankruptcy procedures and can operate effectively even with negative equity, as the central banks of Chile, the Czech Republic, Israel and Mexico have done over several years (Bell et al., 2023). However, losses or negative equity can pose communication challenges. For instance, some policy decisions, such as retaining rather than selling government bonds, could be misinterpreted as being motivated by a desire to contain losses rather than as actions to pursue specific policy mandates. Central bank credibility This would reduce central bank credibility. Likewise, financial flows from government, including actions to strengthen central bank capital positions, could be perceived as being inconsistent with central bank independence. This underscores the importance of clear communication about the reasons for losses and of a transparent framework for financial flows between the central bank and the government. Central bank losses are not an indication of a policy error and need not hamper the effectiveness of monetary and financial policies. The policy mandates of central banks include price stability and financial stability, but not profit maximization. Their current losses, as well as their earlier gains from QE, are a by-product of policy actions designed to help achieve their mandates. Moreover, central banks are not subject to capital adequacy requirements or bankruptcy procedures and can operate effectively even with negative equity, as the central banks of Chile, the Czech Republic, Israel and Mexico have done over several years (Bell et al., 2023). Central bank losses affect the public finances by reducing or ending central bank payments to the Treasury in the form of income taxes or remittances. Moreover, reverse cash flows (i.e., payments from the Treasury) may occur if central banks are entitled to be compensated by the government for certain losses, such as Quantitative Easing-related losses. For instance, in the United Kingdom, the Bank of England Asset Purchase Facility (APF), through which QE asset purchases were conducted, is fully indemnified by the Treasury. Impact on economy The Bank of Ghanas losses in 2022 is not the first in the past decade, in 2017 Bank of Ghana recorded loss of (US$ 347 million) GHC1.64 billion, according to its annual report announcing a pre-tax profit of (US$ 150 million) that was GHC 709.5 million However, the report showed an impairment loss of US$ 85.5 million in 2016 and rebound of 208% to US$275 million in 2017. The analysis of the dismal financial performance showed that the situation was attributable to the regulators support to the insolvent local banks that operated between 2013-2016 as the biggest contributor to the central bank loss position. Bank of Ghana posted losses totaling GHC 60.81 billion (US$5.3 billion) for the 2022 financial year compared to a profit of GHC 1.21 billion for 2021. According to IMF Country report (23/168) opined that the Bank of Ghanas balance sheet could be affected by the debt restructuring, and requested that the Government and the Bank of Ghana would be required to assess the impact and develop plans for its recapitalization with technical assistance support from IMF. Bank of Ghana engaging in quasi-fiscal activities has been responsible for most such losses because it increased the Bank of Ghanas expenditures. The Bank of Ghana reported a loss of GHC 60.8 billion as reported in the audited financial statement of the year end 2022. The main reason for this huge loss is the impairment of the holding of marketable Government stocks and non-marketable instruments of Government all being held in the books of the Bank of Ghana. In addition, the Bank of Ghanas exposure to COCOBOD, which has been built over the years, was also impaired. As we all know, the Government of Ghana embarked on both domestic and external debt restructuring. The holdings of Government instruments and COCOBOD exposures were all part of the perimeter of the debt exchange. Whereas all other stakeholders that participated in the Domestic Debt Exchange (DDEP) did not have principal haircuts, but rather had new instruments with new tenors and coupon structure, the Bank of Ghana, served as the loss absorber to the entire debt exchange program, a key requirement that allowed the Government of Ghana to meet the threshold for the approval of the IMF program. As a result, the Bank of Ghana had to take on a 50 percent principal haircut on the total principal (which stood at GHC 64.6 billion at the time of the exchange). Consequently, Bank of Ghana had new instruments with extended tenor and significantly reduced coupon. IFRS 9 requirements By applying the full requirements of IFRS 9, this means that from the principal alone, a 50% haircut on the non-marketable (government accommodation finance of GHC64.6 billion by Bank of Ghana) amounted to a loss of GHC32.3 billion. Restructuring of marketable instruments amounted to a loss of GHC16.1 billion. The impairment from exposure to COCOBOD also amounted to GHC4.7 billion. These three DDEP items (i.e. marketable, non-marketable and COCOBOD) accounted for GHC53.1 billion out of the total loss of GHC 60.8 billion for 2022. In addition to these three items, price and exchange rate valuation effects accounted for GHC 5.2 billion of the total loss, whereas interest expense on cost of monetary policy operation accounted for GH3.3 billion. Bank of Ghana losses occurred for three main reasons. First, market securities valued GHC16.1 billion held by the central bank are sold at a value inferior to the one they were bought (DDEP). Second, losses occurred because of 50% haircut of non-market debt of GHC 64.5 billion in the form of accommodating finance of government in 2022. Third, there was a revaluation of foreign exchange holdings, i.e. that the domestic currency devalued against reserve currencies, this can lead to a loss. The central banks holdings of government debt were restructured. Non-marketable holdings of government of Ghana instruments including long-term stocks, a COVID-19 Bond and overdraft were subjected to a 50 per cent haircut. Bank of Ghanas other claims (holdings of marketable instruments) were exchanged under similar terms as other financial institutions under the DDEP. This led to an impairment of GH48.40 billion in 2022. At the same time, the Bank incurred revaluation losses on its foreign assets and liabilities due to exchange rate depreciation. The impairments and revaluation losses led to a negative equity position of GH55.12 billion for 2022 Lets prioritise the digital economy agenda Daily Graphic Editorials Sep - 05 - 2023 , 09:50 Ghana has experienced digital technology growth in leaps and bounds, and now ranks among the leaders in sub-Saharan Africa in technology adoption. A 2019 survey by the World Bank indicates that the country ranks third behind Nigeria and South Africa in terms of how digital platforms are transforming the economy. It is second after Kenya regarding mobile money adoption in Africa. That is why the government is prioritising digitisation in sectors such as the implementation of initiatives, including national ID issuance, digital address systems and land records. It is consolidating them to improve productivity and service delivery. It is also digitising fiscal revenue collection, supporting a cashless society and improving online education delivery, as well as investing in the national fibre optic network to expand and improve internet connectivity. Indeed, the government is also prioritising the promotion of increased digital literacy to support technology entrepreneurs to build technology hubs and export IT-enabled services such as business process outsourcing. At the graduation ceremony of the University of Education, Winneba, on August 26, 2023, the Chancellor, Neenyi Ghartey VII, called on the government to accelerate the transformation of the digital economy to leverage its potential to generate jobs and transform traditional industries. It was his view that there was the need to launch targeted and time-bound employment initiatives that focused on labour-intensive sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture and manufacturing to improve the unemployment situation. The Daily Graphic couldnt agree more with the suggestion because of the dire consequences of unemployment on national development. We need not forget that unemployment creates fertile ground for the youth to indulge in unhealthy activities and become easy prey to be poached into criminal activities. The advice by Neenyi Ghartey should also serve as a wake-up call to our students also that the era of looking for employment in government agencies is far gone, hence the need for them to be proactive in taking advantage of technological advances, innovation, entrepreneurship and skills development to be relevant in the national development agenda. The advanced economies reached their present state because of the emphasis on vocational and technical education backed by research which fuels speedy economic development. Already, some of these countries are turning their attention to developing countries for skilled human resources to fill gaps in their job markets, especially industries. This is why the Daily Graphic is impressed with the governments decision to focus more on vocational and technical education to equip the workforce with the relevant skills to bridge the skills gap and increase employability. We expect our universities to align their programmes and courses to the initiatives by the government so that the country will be the winner. The current situation where most of our public universities are running the same programmes and competing for students without any corresponding skills development or entrepreneurship can only result in many more unemployed graduates. The Daily Graphic believes that all stakeholders must revisit the subject of how we can achieve our development agenda and also address the unemployment canker. Our students must also have in mind that as they pursue higher education, they will be graduating to create their own jobs and not to look up to any government institution. By creating jobs, they would also be contributing to the countrys development. As Neenyi Ghartey said, it was high time that graduates adopted a proactive mindset rather than waiting for the perfect job to come their way. They must consider becoming job creators themselves. Graduates must see unemployment as an opportunity for innovation and transformation. The Daily Graphic appeals to the government to intensify its support not only to industry, but vocational and technical education in particular. The country has vast arable lands but we are unable to produce enough. When the rains come in abundance, instead of us being happy for a possible attendant good yield, we lose hope because the rainwater washes away our farmlands, houses and even sometimes lives are lost after hours of heavy rainfall. If we had the right combination of knowledge, skills and technical know-how, solutions could have been found to this problem long ago. Let us work together to advance the development of our country. Surviving a book launch - Occasional Kwatriot writes Kwesi Yankah Opinion Sep - 05 - 2023 , 19:56 Since the launch of my book, The Pen at Risk on 30th August, I have regained my freedom to breathe, take naps, as well as eat my favorite meals. The entire exercise was worth it, but also stressful; it should have been meant for youthful authors with a stony heart; not a fragile writer as this one. Just a week to D-day, one could simply have checked the authors blood pressure and heart beat on hearing of possible delays in the books arrival at the port: the new arrival of the freight was to be days after the event. Happily, Providence somehow intervened and restored the original arrival date. Otherwise the Intensive Care Unit of the UG Medical Centre, would have had on hand, an unusual guest! But it was all worth the suspense and palpitation. The attendance at the launch was rich and diverse: the presence of a huge delegation of elders and friends from Duakwa and environs was heart-warming. They could testify to the wonder priest and his resurrection, and properly situate my juvenile ventures and escapades. It was also great to see my immediate family, and relations who could embellish the great sibling rivalry in childhood. Particularly pleasing was the sight of relations of key figures in the book who are no more. It was wonderful seeing a grandson of Paa Willie, the great William Ofori Atta, who was part of the Big Six and stole the hearts of many in the late 1970s. Henry Abraham, son of Nkrumahs advisor, Willie Abraham of whom I wrote, honored me with his presence. The late PAV Ansah was with us in spirit, but also in person; his daughter Esi Ansah made it to the book launch and did not miss a photo opportunity with me. The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences and the University of Ghana, that enriched my academic life, were ably represented by their headships, including past and present vice chancellors, and a throng of scholars. The business community was there, and so were key public figures who were either present or represented. The Vikings of Sarbah Hall were there. The First Deputy Speaker tip toed in and sat in a humble nook, but was instantly arrested and properly seated. Deputy Minister for Education, the young dynamic Reverend Fordjour gave a great speech on behalf of the Vice President. And how can I forget the IGP Dr Dampare who majestically sauntered in, with big police capos. The great Sir Sam Jonah made my day, filling the chairmanship position with aplomb. But I could not have missed past students of Winnesec, Molestus, Ampofo, Opoku Beeko and all, who deepened my reminiscences in the book, and knew what I meant by Winnesec secrets. The energetic Captain Eyi Acquah from Winneba could not miss this. And oh, I nearly forgot: colleagues of Agona East with the District Chief Executive, who joined the event and expressed pride in such great company. It was also great to experience my daughter, Elorm, thanking everybody at the tail end of the event, but also heaping praise upon herself, for helping Daddy to press this button and not that, on the computer; or else the whole memoir would have been deleted. Below, however, let me present a brief on the author of the book, The Pen at Risk, which was inadvertently omitted in the proceedings. Kwesi Yankah Kwesi Yankah is a humanities scholar of international repute, professor of linguistics, public intellectual, and university administrator. He is a product of Winneba Secondary School, University of Ghana and Indiana University, USA. At Legon, he held several positions including Dean of Students, Head of Linguistics Department, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, and Pro-Vice Chancellor in charge of academic and student affairs. As Dean of Students, he is credited to have played a pivotal role in the setting up of Radio Univers, the first educational broadcast station in the country, driven by the vision of Professor George Benneh then Vice Chancellor. In Mensah Sarbah Hall where he held virtually every high administrative position (from Senior Hall Tutor, Hall Master, to President of the Senior Common Room), he introduced several innovations which still stand in his name. As an academic, Yankah has award winning books to his credit, and was duly honored by the Ghana Book Development Council that gave him the Ghana Book award in 1991; the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, where he earned the Gold Book award in 1996 (before becoming a fellow), Valco Literary Award, and the WEB Du Bois award by Ghana Association of Writers. At Indiana University where he did his doctoral work in ethnography of communication, he was in 1986 given the Esther Kinsley award for outstanding doctoral dissertation, the first by an African. Yankah has held fellowships and visiting professorships in several universities including, Stanford University, Indiana University, University of Pennsylvania, University of California at Berkeley, University of Michigan, Northwestern University, University of Birmingham, etc. From 2009 till 2017, Kwesi Yankah was also Associate Director of the African Humanities Program, established by the American Council of Learned Societies. In Ghana here, Yankah is known also as a public intellectual, having written regular columns for several newspapers on contemporary national issues since he was only 27. As far back as 1987, he was given the columnist of the year award by the Ministry of Information, and in 1996 honored by Ghana Journalist Association, for significant contribution to journalism, after writing the longest running column in the history of Ghanaian journalism, according to the GJA. From 2003 to 2009, Yankah was the Chairman of the Governing Board of New Times Corporation. Kwesi has since not given up writing, and is still prolific in the social media. After retiring from Legon in 2011, Professor Kwesi Yankah in 2012 was appointed President and later Vice Chancellor of Central University until 2017, when he was appointed as Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, a position he says he survived limping, He is currently Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Media, Arts and Communication (a merger of GIJ, NAFTI and GIL). Professor Yankah has been a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences since 1997, and was Honorary Secretary of the Academy from 2003 to 2006. As recently as 2022, he was inducted into the prestigious fellowship of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a rare honour. The book he has launched, The Pen at Risk, is his second in the past three years. Late 2021, he launched a 325-page book, Beyond the Political Spider: Critical Issues in African Humanities, published by the African Humanities Program. Kwesi Yankah is married to Daavi Victoria; they have three adult girls, all products of Wey Gey Hey and Legon. Professor Yankah says his hobby is dancing to brass band music. Finally, the retired professor says he is available to offer his services free of charge to any Ghanaian university that needs him to share knowledge with students. Cattle ranch torments Danfa Adoteiman residents Maclean Kwofi Sep - 05 - 2023 , 07:38 Residents of Danfa in the La-Nkwantanang Madina Municipality are in grave discomfort following the siting of a cattle ranch (kraal) in the centre of their community. The situation has resulted in consistent insect bites, destruction of property and offensive odour emanating from the cattle and their ranch, causing great inconvenience for outdoor living and activities. Majority of the residents, including children, have scars on their skins from bites caused by blackflies, tsetse flies and other insects that follow the cattle back to the ranch from their daily outdoor grazing. The ranch is located at Adoteiman, a residential area near the Danfa Community Clinic, contrary to the bye-laws of the La-Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly (LaNMMA). The bye-law The bye-laws of LaNMMA, among other things, stipulate that no person shall keep any pig, cattle, sheep, goats, grass cutters and other domesticated animals within the area of administration of the assembly without a permit. It states that a person may keep the animals on condition that the animals are kept in pens or kraals, do not create nuisance to the neighbours, and attended to by veterinary officers and that owners are to ensure that sanitary rules, specified by the municipal environmental health officer, are maintained. Community visit The Daily Graphics week-long monitoring of the community followed concerns raised by some residents who could no longer bear the suffering and nuisance caused by the presence of the cattle and their ranch. The team observed that both adults and children put on clothing to cover the entire body as a means to ward off the insects when outside. The ranch which has generated controversy During the tour and monitoring, the team came across a five-year-old child in the community who was recovering from severe bites by the insects. Also, the residents, who stay within the Adoteiman community where the ranch is sited, also complained that noise from the cattle disturbed their sleep and an unbearable stench from the ranch polluted the atmosphere when it rained. The residents said they had reported the issue through several letters since 2021 to the LaNMMA, yet no action had been taken so far. Residents in distress A resident and lecturer at the Ghana Christian University, Samuel Agbenyefia, said he had been enduring the difficulties with his family ever since they moved into the community in 2013. He said the owner had promised to relocate the cattle to the Central Region but that was yet to happen, leaving the cattle to cause a lot of nuisance in the neighbourhood. As we speak, my five-year-old child is the latest victim. Initially, when we saw the rashes on the skin of the child, we thought they were normal until we realised that when the insect bites, they leave blood stains on the body. The hospital also confirmed that the child was bitten by harmful insects, he said. Anytime we complain, the owner keeps telling us that we, the human beings, came to meet the cattle and for that reason, we should rather accommodate them, a grocery shop owner, Rose Dzanka, who is also a resident, said. The assemblyman of the Danfa Electoral Area, Charles Kotei, who corroborated the concerns of the residents, said his office had formally reported the issue to the Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit (EHSU) of LaNMMA for redress. He said the assembly assured them that the issue would be resolved. Assemblys position When the Daily Graphic contacted the Head of EHSU of the assembly, Joseph Quarcoe, he said the bye-laws frowned on the siting of the cattle ranch in a residential area. He explained that cattle kraals were not allowed in residential areas and, for that reason, the assembly did not issue permits to owners of such animals. He promised to investigate and take the necessary action on the issue. Action so far The Daily Graphic gathered that the LaNMMA had issued a notice on September 1, 2023 to the owners of the cattle, who are Nii Oseremwou III, Nii Adjatey and Fati Amadu, all residents of Adoteiman, to abate the nuisance within seven days. The notice, which had since been handed over to the representatives of the owners, read in parts: The nuisance complained of is (1) rearing of cattle within a residential area; (2) accumulation of cow dung exposed to flies and giving off offensive odour; (3) overgrowth of weeds serving as a breeding place for reptiles. You are to stop, relocate and abate the said nuisances and report at the Zonal Council on September 4, 2023 at 10 a.m. prompt for further action. Mr Quarcoe added that we are waiting for them to comply within the specified time, failure of which they will be put before court. Central Region ECG embarks on loss reduction programme - Allocates 140,000 meters to customers Shirley Asiedu-Addo Sep - 05 - 2023 , 06:56 The Central Regional office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has made available more than 140,000 meters for customers under the company's Loss Reduction Programme (LRP). With the availability of the meters, the company promises to clear its backlog of over 5,000 meter applications in about a month and gave an assurance that customers would have meters applied for supplied within 10 days of payment. The General Manager, ECG, Central Region, Emmanuel Lumor, who made this known, said the company had more than enough meters to supply, describing the exercise as a win-win situation for the company and its customers. "We have benchmarked the system in such a way that any customer that walks to ECG for service connection, within 10 days that service would be provided," he stated. The LRP is an initiative by the ECG management to install Meter Management System (MMS)-compliant smart meters in order to improve energy accounting. In the Central Region, the LRP is being implemented in five ECG districts including Kasoa North District, Kasoa South District, Agona Swedru District, Winneba District and Cape Coast Metropolis. The project is also aimed at ensuring the availability of meters to meet service connection requests and reduce system losses. Last Thursday, officials of the company held a brief ceremony to mark the official commencement of the project in the region. Mr Lumor said the project would also ensure the immediate replacement of all faulty meters. He admitted that before the project commenced, the company had a challenge meeting customer demand for meters, making customers wait months for connection. He indicated that with the project, customers did not have any excuses for illegal connections, warning that anybody found to have engaged in illegal connection or tampering with the meters would be made to face the law. The Cape Coast District Manager of ECG, Ebenezer Kwakye Sarkwa, said the project would impact positively on the district's performance. "When the customer is satisfied it impacts our revenue and so we are happy about this project, he added. The Central Regional Commercial Manager of ECG, Simon Kpabitey Agyemani, said the services had been categorised into standard, express and premium, saying with all of the services, a customer was assured of services within five and 10 days for the standard and express and 24 hours for premium applicants. The Project Manager, Dr Belinda Yeboah Dwamena, advised workers to work harder to reduce losses to help build a stronger revenue base for the company. She also urged ECG contract services providers to be professional and to ensure customer satisfaction. Some members of the public the Daily Graphic spoke to new development said it was a good initiative which would ease customer frustrations in the application for meters. Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) ends strike action Kweku Zurek Sep - 05 - 2023 , 11:31 The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) has decided to call off their recent strike action. The decision to end the strike was reached following a voting process conducted under the supervision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the association on September 4, 2024. Members of CETAG had embarked on the industrial strike from August 1, 2023, to impress upon the government to adhere to their negotiated conditions of service. However, a majority of CETAG members have voted in favour of discontinuing the strike. In light of this voting outcome, the strike action is officially suspended, effective from Tuesday, September 5, 2023. CETAG has stated that it reserves the right to reconsider its position if, by October 31, 2023, all the Arbitral Awards issued have not been implemented by the Employer/Ministry of Education. The Association has also communicated that all its members are expected to resume work by no later than Thursday, September 7, 2023. It will be recalled that the strike resulted in the Ministry of Education directing the Controller and Accountant Generals Department (CAGD) to freeze the August 2023 salaries of CETAG members. DEK Vaccines signs agreement with partners to manufacture vaccines Mary Anane-Amponsah Sep - 05 - 2023 , 07:44 The Korean International Vaccine Institute (IVI), EuBiologics and DEK Vaccines Limited, yesterday signedan agreement for the transfer of technology to produce oral cholera vaccines (OCV) in the country. Per the agreement, IVI Korea and EuBiologics would unveil the technology that would be made accessible to DEK Vaccines for manufacturing. Officials of DEK Vaccines would be trained by EuBiologics at its factory to enable them to produce vaccines that would be of the same quality with those produced by the company in Korea. The agreement is also aimed at increasing global vaccine production capacity, including reducing disparities in vaccine access for African children. The event was attended by industry players and experts from the fields of science, medicine and industry. Collaboration The Chief Executive Officer of DEK, Dr Kofi Nsiah-Poku, said the event symbolised the seamless exchange of knowledge, innovation and progress from one realm to the other, and also marked the beginning of a promising journey towards technological advancement and collaboration for vaccine manufacturing in the country and Africa as a whole. The chief executive said that production of the vaccines would begin at the end of 2024. We are going to start with cholera vaccine and later do typhoid vaccines as well. DEK Vaccines Limited is committed to its mission of advancing science for the benefit of humanity, and this technology transfer represents a significant stride towards achieving that goal, Dr Nsiah-Poku added. Currently, he said that the company was building the necessary infrastructure to train its personnel on the technology. About EuBiologics The International Marketing Team Leader of EuBiologics, Rachel Park, said that EuBiologics was a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company based in South Korea which was focused on vaccine development for global public health. She said the company had two manufacturing sites in Chuncheon, with a total capacity to produce 500 million doses of vaccines. Ms Park said that the company was the largest and the only supplier of oral cholera vaccine to WHO funded global stockpile, adding that we have shipped more than 110 million doses to low and middle-income countries since October 2016. Our oral cholera vaccine manufacturing capacity is up to 90 million doses after the completion of expansion ongoing with the support of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. We are into the development of cholera conjugate vaccine with the International Vaccine Institute to improve efficacy for children under five years. Given that cholera conjugate vaccine is successful, we will consider developing combination vaccines, cholera/typhoid/meningitis, she said. A representative of IVI, Seongmin Andrea Kim, expressed concern over the plight of the continent in dealing with cholera and other water borne diseases such as typhoid and meningitis, for which reason he said the company had decided to make Ghana a hub of making waterborne diseases conjugate vaccines in Africa. Self-reliance The Director in charge of Technical Coordination of the Ministry of Health, Dr Baffour Awuah, said: All this attest to the fact that Ghana is ready to become self-reliant soon. He thanked the partners for having confidence in DEK and also for the agreement. Dr Awuah gave an assurance that the ministry would continue to provide the needed support for the successful implementation of the initiative and called on other private manufacturers to partner the company. Fanteakwa North farmers endorse new maize varieties Haruna Yussif Wunpini Sep - 05 - 2023 , 06:49 Farmers in the Fanteakwa North District in the Eastern Region have expressed satisfaction with the yield of two new varieties of maize introduced in the area about a year ago. They said the new varieties Aburoo Legon (Legacy 2 white) and Legacy 26 yellow when cultivated during the appropriate season, especially on May 8 every year, are capable of yielding approximately eight to nine tonnes per hectare, unlike the local maize (Abontem) which produce low yields. The farmers expressed their satisfaction with the new varieties at a demonstration farm of the new varieties at Onuku Besea, one of the farming communities in the area. The farmers were taken to the demonstration farm by the Executive Director of the Legacy Crop Improvement Centre (LCIC), a private company that improves maize cultivation, Dr Amos Azinu and the Fanteakwa North District Director of Agriculture, Pastor Solomon Anani Attipoe, to learn more about the new varieties. Maturity Dr Azinu and Ps Attipoe told the farmers that since they had realised the good yield of the new varieties, they should always plant the seeds of such varieties, which were capable of producing maize within three months. Dr Azinu, who indicated that the new varieties were climate resilient, said this year, over 100 tonnes of such seeds had been sold locally. He explained that on average, each farmer had been given 30 kilos of the new varieties for cultivation. "Now that the farmers have realised the very high yield of the new varieties, I do not believe that our farmers will go back to the local seeds (Abontem) which cannot give so much yield, he said. Affordable seeds A farmer needs GH35 to get enough seeds of the new varieties to plant, so most of the farmers can afford to purchase," Dr Azinu stated. Dr Azinu said Ghana had all the potential to produce enough maize for sale and consumption, but the lack of technology was hindering such a goal and that was why LCIC was changing the mode of production. He was, therefore, hopeful that in the next five years, Ghana would have more commercial farms producing high-yielding varieties of maize. That, he said, would ensure food security because Ghana would be able to feed the people. Challenges Ps Attipoe, for his part, said since he took over as Agric Director for the district, he had realised the farmers were facing a lot of challenges such as post-harvest losses, lack of storage facilities for farmers' produce, poor roads to convey produce to the marketing centres, as well as the purchase of the produce at low prices by market women. Apart from that, he noted that herdsmen had been allowing their animals to destroy their farms. Mr Attipoe indicated that his outfit was, however, trying to address such challenges to enable the farmers to fully benefit from their labour. Farmers appreciation Some of the farmers the Daily Graphic spoke to expressed satisfaction about the yield of the new varieties and stated that they would now cultivate such varieties. One of the farmers who cultivated the new varieties of maize seeds, Jude Adinkraba-Appaw, said he was able to double his yield with the new varieties. He advised colleague farmers to only cultivate the new varieties to make more income for themselves and their dependents. FULL TEXT: Attorney-General's address at the 40th International Symposium on Economic Crime Godfred Dame Sep - 05 - 2023 , 05:49 KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE HONOURABLE ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND MINISTER FOR JUSTICE OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA AT THE FORTIETH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ECONOMIC CRIME ACKNOWLEDGMENTS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SYMPOSIUM, Mr. Saul Froomkin, KC, THE CO-CHAIRMAN OF THE SYMPOSIUM AND PROFESSOR AT THE CENTRE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, Prof. Barry Rider, MY LORDS, HER MAJESTYS ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR ENGLAND AND WALES, HONOURABLE ATTORNEYS-GENERAL FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES REPRESENTED HERE, HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS THE RT. HON. LORD MAYOR OF THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, THE RT. HON. LORD MAYOR OF THE CITY OF LONDON, SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE JUDICIARY Gathered here, HEADS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT INSTITUTIONS AROUND THE WORLD gathered here, THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL & DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE of the Republic of Ghana, Good morning everyone. I bring you greetings from the President and the people of the Republic of Ghana. I feel honoured to be invited to deliver a Keynote Address at the 40th Cambridge Symposium on Economic Crime. This is my third appearance at this forum, and my second as Attorney-General and Minister for Justice of the Republic of Ghana. My sincere gratitude, and congratulations as well, go to the Chairman and Co-Chairman of this Symposium, Saul Froomkin KC and Prof Barry Rider, as this week will see a consolidation of the noble activity they have been engaged in the past 40 years. Year after year, this forum literally brings under one roof those at the helm of the prevention and reduction of abuse to the financial system worldwide, and whose voices and actions matter globally, in the establishment of values that protect the global financial system from the consequences of economic crime and misconduct. From Attorneys-General around the world to senior legislators, judicial officers, diplomats, leading academics in law and business and police chiefs in over 100 countries, participants have regularly analysed and examined the constantly evolving threats facing the global financial system as a result of criminal and other nefarious activity. In all of this, distinctly, the Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime is far from being a mere talk shop. Its enviable track record for being a global platform that delivers practical solutions to economically motivated crime and misconduct worldwide is truly established. We must applaud Prof Barry Rider and Saul Froomkin KC for the consistency in the organisation of this symposium. The theme for this years symposium Integrity could not have been more appropriate. Integrity is the one word which runs through the grain of everything we do as persons concerned with enriching any system we work with. In the words of former US Senator, Alan K. Simpson, If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you do not have integrity, nothing else matters. Classically, this sums up the importance and indispensability of integrity in every situation including the creation of a world economic order insulated from the nefarious activities of criminal and unethical behaviour. Whilst noting that the use of the word integrity may be more common in professional and personal contexts, the intricate relationship between integrity and economic practices cannot be lost. The creation of a clean, transparent and accountable financial environment is dependent on structures and systems anchored in integrity. The deployment of sophisticated schemes to circumvent procedures and facilitate the commission of crime and other kinds of improper conduct in the global financial space, brings into sharp focus questions of ethics and integrity. The manifestations of economic crime are increasingly getting complex because of various actions by professional enablers whose conduct borders on unethical behaviour. These are breaches of procedures, violation of laws, laundering, creation of shell companies, opaque financial systems and concealment of illicit wealth. Mr. Chairman, the intricacy and multidimensional nature of economic crime undoubtedly enjoin us to have a network of gatekeepers such as lawyers, bankers, real estate agents, insurance service providers and luxury service providers who are bound up by strong rules of ethics and accountability. A free, progressive and equitable society requires a world with men and women of integrity. GHANAS EFFORT IN PROMOTING INTEGRITY IN THE ECONOMIC SECTOR Ghana has had and continues to have its fair share of threats to its financial and economic sector. In my role as Attorney-General and Minister for Justice of the Republic, I have come to understand that any serious endeavour to fight economic crimes must be firmly rooted in the establishment of systems for its deterrence, undertaking of smooth investigations where same occur and a sound vehicle for prosecution and punishment in a fair and efficient manner. These systems have a close connection with the peculiarities of the Ghanaian society. In Ghana, public procurement plays a preeminent role in the development of the nation. At the same time, public sector corruption evokes strong emotions. In view of this, the nation has enacted a set of rules, from the Constitution of the country to specific laws in the financial sector, founded on the principles of integrity, to regulate procurement in the public sector and to curb abuse and insider trading. Thus, public servants are forbidden by article 284 of the Constitution from placing themselves in situations where their personal interests interfere with or are likely to interfere with the discharge of their duties. One piece of legislation that is directly intended to prevent economically motivated crimes and the abuse of office is the PUBLIC PROCUREMENT ACT of 2003 (Act 663). Annually, the Ghanaian government and public institutions enter into many contracts, for the provision of infrastructure, goods, and services. The Procurement Act regulates such procurement undertaken with public funds. The guiding principles of the Procurement Act of Ghana are fairness, transparency, non-discrimination, the attainment of a clean process in order to obtain value for money, promote a competitive local industry and increase the confidence of stakeholders in public procurement processes in the country. In addition to this, the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) enshrines a body of laws to regulate the financial management of the public sector within a macroeconomic and fiscal framework and defines the responsibilities of persons entrusted with the management and control of public funds as well as the accounting and audit of public funds. Mr. Chairman, the question to ask is, have these sets of laws been foolproof for wrongdoing? The answer is a resounding no! Indeed, it is the case that wrongdoers will always find a way. They will constantly devise artful means of evading the long arm of the law. In spite of these protective measures, corrupt activities occur at various stages in the procurement process. These unquestionably have a significant negative impact on the economy and harm the development of society. Insider trading is just one of many unethical behaviors. Some officials responsible for procurement activities in various public institutions abuse the trust by engaging in what is popularly known as behind the scenes business with contractors and suppliers. The unique position they occupy gives them access to insider information, which they unethically convey to contractors or suppliers to hand an unfair advantage to them over their competitors in a bidding process. This practice results in dissatisfaction and defeats the principle of fairness in procurement. The detection of false or inconsistent claims by contractors is hampered by the illicit protection extended by public procurement officers who have the mandate to detect and revise them. The most chilling, and perhaps shocking case of insider dealing was witnessed when a former head of the Public Procurement Authority was implicated in what was notoriously dubbed Contracts for Sale. As the head of the Procurement Authority, he was alleged to have established a company in which he held majority shares and which also actively bid for government contracts. This company was alleged to usually win the contracts which were then sold to other contractors at a higher price. The revelation of these acts promptly resulted in the termination of his employment by the President of the Republic and a withdrawal of his membership of various professional institutions and subsequent prosecution which is still ongoing. The record also shows a trial of other cases involving insider dealing in various courts in Ghana. Mr. Chairman, last year, I spoke about a phenomenon that afflicted the financial sector of Ghana between 2018 and 2020, that is, the emergence of many unlicensed financial entities operating illegally. The leaders of such entities often lived a lavish lifestyle on the proceeds of their illicit activities. I indicated that prominent among such entities was an amorphous organisation operating a microfinance institution under the guise of guess what - gold trading and illegally using the name of a bank. It called itself Menzbank, before metamorphosing into Menzgold. It dealt in the purchase and deposit of gold collectibles from the public and issued contracts with guaranteed returns to clients without a licence from the relevant authorities. The modus operandi of that company highlighted some of the major factors for the success of some fraudsters. These are ignorance, vulnerability and greed of the victims. In this situation, the vulnerability and ignorance of thousands of otherwise hardworking Ghanaians was the oxygen for the operations of the company, as we often witness in the case of many Ponzi schemes around the world. People paid their life savings to the suspects in the case, resulting in losses worth millions of dollars and in some cases, loss of lives. The misery and distress caused to many homes nearly unleashed a social crisis as riots and demonstrations broke out on the streets of Accra and other parts of the country. In reality, people lost their homes, and some marriages even broke up as a result of the Menzgold saga. I am happy to state that after painstaking investigations, criminal prosecution has commenced against the perpetrators. At last, by the Grace of God, justice will be served to victims of those dastardly acts. In my respectful view, transparency is the bedrock of integrity. Thus, with the understanding that the haven for economic crimes is an atmosphere conducive to its concealment, and that, access to information remains a vital tool in the elimination of economic crimes, the Government of Ghana in 2019, ensured the passage of the Right to information Act 2019 (Act 989). The Act provides for the implementation of the constitutional right to information held by a public institution to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in public affairs, subject to a few exemptions necessary and consistent with the protection of the public interest in a democratic society. I have observed an increased utilisation of the Right to Information Act, by Ghanaian citizens to access information from public officers. Accountability is indeed the winner. Mr. Chairman, the Government of Ghana has boosted the whistleblower regime by promoting a law to amend the Whistleblower Act, 2006 (Act 720) which introduces a reward system for whistleblowers. The new amendment, passed by Parliament only about a month ago, ensures that thirty percent of all revenue accruing from cases conducted on the strength of a whistleblowers activity is paid into the Fund, and 10% of the income directly generated by the whistleblowers efforts is paid to the whistleblower. Coupled with the centrality of access to information, we have identified a deliberate policy of digitalisation of the Ghanaian environment as crucial to the creation of accountability and integrity in society. Policies like a robust National Identification System, Digital Property Address System, Paperless Port Systems, E-Justice Systems, Pensions and Insurance data and a digitized Land Title Registry have as their overarching objective, the need to enhance transparency, accountability and efficiency in the public space. A digitised environment ultimately helps to eliminate and prevent corruption in various institutions and agencies. Important institutions of state like the Passport Office, Ports and Harbours, Office of the Registrar of Companies, National Health Insurance Service and the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority, which hitherto were fertile grounds for corrupt activity, have been remarkably transformed. The introduction of the Ghana.Gov platform, making it possible for services to be accessed and payment made online by card without the conduit of middlemen, has significantly reduced the risk of public sector corruption through embezzlement. There is an inimical tendency on the part of public officers to enter into contracts with high rates of interest especially compound interest. In order to curb this tendency, my Office has successfully sponsored the enactment of an amendment to the Contracts Act, 1960 (Act 25) to prohibit the payment of compound interest by the State in transactions entered into on her behalf by public officers. This amendment was passed into law in July, this year, a month ago. The states hard-pressed purse will be further protected by this amendment to the Contracts Act. The need to ramp up international effort and cooperation to tackle economic crimes Our survival as a global community depends on the continuous trust reposed in us. We must bear in mind that businesses exist to do business and to make profits which, ultimately, will be at the expense of the rights of others. The extent to which they succeed depends on the society, population, and culture in which they operate. We must be acutely aware that the development and integrity of the global financial system are at risk from exploiters of weaknesses in the system to perpetrate financially motivated crime. But we can conquer wrongdoers and opportunists through a coordinated effort based on mutual cooperation between criminal justice partners and the private sector worldwide. Criminals exploit differences between countries to further their objectives, enrich their organisations, expand their power, and avoid detection or apprehension. They gain influence in government, politics and commerce through corrupt and illegitimate means. The need for states to cooperate in combating the threat of economic crimes is, therefore, more than imperative. Certainly, the interaction between business, politics and justice is crucial and that is what makes this forum truly remarkable. The consequence of a failure of integrity is far too dire to contemplate. When those who have been entrusted with authority to ensure that right procedures are followed derelict on same, the trust and confidence of the people are abused. We need to punish corruption and other forms of economic crime through a fair, honest and efficient justice system. As I have said before, a robust legal system, underpinned by the rule of law, goes hand in hand with economic prosperity as it bolsters the confidence of the people and deters the perpetration of wrongdoing. The efficiency of a nations justice system is tested particularly by the speed and efficiency with which cases seeking to hold high-profile members of society to account as well as top financial crimes, are conducted. May we be guided by the words of the famous American salesman and author, Zig Ziglar Integrity gives you real freedom because you have nothing to fear since you have nothing to hide. I wish you a fruitful week as we listen to the rich insight of distinguished and accomplished speakers from around the world gathered here. Thank you. God bless us all!!! GODFRED YEBOAH DAME ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND MINISTER FOR JUSTICE 04/09/2023 Ghana committed to climate leadership Jinapor Timothy Ngnenbe Sep - 05 - 2023 , 10:00 The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has assured the global community that Ghana remains committed to providing leadership for nature-based climate action. Mr Jinapor, who is a Co-Chair of the Forests and Climate Leaders Partnership (FCLP), stressed that the debilitating impact of the climate crisis was cross-cutting and required collective action from all countries to overcome. And this is why Ghana is ready to partner with other nations, both north and south, to promote nature-based climate action, he said. Mr Jinapor stated this at the launch of the FCLP working group on Strengthening Supply and Demand of High-integrity Forest Carbon Credits at the maiden Africa Climate Summit (ACS) in Nairobi, Kenya yesterday. The one-week event dubbed, Africa Climate Week (ACW), is one of four regional climate summits being held ahead of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) of the United Nations Framework on Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is a build-up to the continents participation in COP 28 in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in December, this year. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and 18 other African heads of state and leaders have converged on the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, for the ACS. Aside from the African leaders, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, and the President of the European Union Commission, Ursla Von der Leyen, are participating in the one-week summit. Launch The launch of the working group was attended by the United States Presidential Envoy on Climate and Co-Chair of the FCLP, John Kerry. Mr Jinapor described the ACS as timely because it was the rallying point for the continents leaders to take urgent action and work together with other stakeholders to address the climate crisis. He observed that forests, which contributed a third of global climate solutions, were crucial to attaining the 1.5 degrees Celsius target. The role of preserving, restoring and sustainably managing our forests has become paramount in our global mission to mitigate the far-reaching impacts of climate change, he said. The Lands and Natural Resources Minister stressed that the FCLP was committed to implementing initiatives that would help to halt forest loss and land degradation by 2030, in accordance with the Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forests and Land Use. Mr Jinapor added that as part of measures to facilitate the work of the FCLP, a working group, jointly led by Ghana, Gabon, Guyana and the United Kingdom, had been constituted to address High-integrity Forest Carbon Credit Supply and Demand issues. He said the group would unveil a roadmap and strategy for fortifying and expanding forest carbon credits by COP28 and COP30. The minister explained that the strategy would include mid-term actions to bolster high-integrity forest carbon finance and the announcement of forest carbon results-based finance transactions. Ghana will continue to play a lead role in this group and the broader FCLP, to accelerate nature-based climate action, Mr Jinapor stated. Background With COP 28 considered as global stocktaking on climate actions, the meeting of the African leaders, policymakers and civil society organisations (CSOs) in Nairobi, Kenya, will discuss region-focused contributions to addressing the climate crisis on four thematic areas. These are energy systems and industry; cities, urban and rural settlements, infrastructure and transport; Land, ocean, food and water; and societies, health, livelihoods, and economies. Apart from President Akufo-Addo, the other African leaders at the summit are the Presidents of Rwanda, Paul Kagame; Senegal, Macky Sall; Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio; South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit; Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan; Mozambique, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi; and Libya, Younis A. Menfi. The rest are the Presidents of Eritrea, Isaias Afwerki; Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde; Djibouti, Omar Guellah; Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso; Comoros, Azali Assoumani; Central African Republic, Faustin Archange Touadera; and Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye. Also present at the summit are the Prime Ministers of Egypt, Mostafa Madbouly and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sama Lukonde. The event, which started yesterday, provides a platform for policymakers, practitioners, businesses and civil society to explore sustainable climate solutions. It would also be a medium through which the stakeholders would examine how to overcome barriers to clean energy and the opportunities that exist in different regions. Menzgold customers will get justice - A-G assures at Cambridge forum Emmanuel Bonney Sep - 05 - 2023 , 10:23 The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has given an assurance that justice will be served to victims of the Menzgold saga. He said the efficiency of a countrys justice system was tested particularly by the speed and efficiency with which cases seeking to hold high-profile members of society to account, as well as top financial crimes, were conducted. Consequently, he said: We need to punish corruption and other forms of economic crime through a fair, honest and efficient justice system. He said people paid their life savings to the suspects in the case, resulting in losses worth millions of dollars, and in some cases loss of lives, adding that the misery and distress caused to many homes nearly unleashed a social crisis as riots and demonstrations broke out on the streets of Accra and other parts of the country. In reality, people lost their homes, and some marriages even broke up as a result of the Menzgold saga. I am happy to state that after painstaking investigations, criminal prosecution has commenced against the perpetrators. At last, by the grace of God, justice will be served to victims of those dastardly acts, Mr Dame said in a keynote address at the 40th Cambridge Symposium on Economic Crime at the University of Cambridge in the UK yesterday. It was his third appearance at the forum, which was christened: Integrity, and his second as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice. It was attended by Members of the House of Commons, attorney-generals and heads of law enforcement organisations from various countries. Mr Dames assurance to the public comes in the wake of the new 39 charges instituted against the Founder of Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah, aka Nam1, who remains the key character in the controversial financial investment scheme. Although the firm was shut in 2018, prosecutions around the matter have dragged on, featuring a list of adjournments until the latest charges. Manifestation In the address which discussed a wide range of issues, the Attorney-General said the manifestation of economic crimes were increasingly getting complex because of various actions by professional enablers whose conduct bordered on unethical behaviour. Those behaviours, he said, included breaches of procedures, violation of laws, laundering, creation of shell companies, opaque financial systems and concealment of illicit wealth. The intricacy and multidimensional nature of economic crime, undoubtedly, enjoin us to have a network of gatekeepers such as lawyers, bankers, real estate agents, insurance service providers and luxury service providers who are bound up by strong rules of ethics and accountability. A free, progressive and equitable society requires a world with men and women of integrity, he said. Mr Dame said the creation of a clean, transparent and accountable financial environment was dependent on structures and systems anchored in integrity. The deployment of sophisticated schemes to circumvent procedures and facilitate the commission of crime and other kinds of improper conduct in the global financial space, he said, brought into sharp focus questions of ethics and integrity. He said a robust legal system, underpinned by the rule of law, went hand in hand with economic prosperity as it bolstered the confidence of the people and deterred wrongdoing. Inconsistent claims Mr Dame said that the detection of false or inconsistent claims by contractors was hampered by the illicit protection extended by public procurement officers otherwise mandated to detect and revise them. The most chilling, and perhaps shocking case of insider dealing, he said, was witnessed when a former head of the Public Procurement Authority was implicated in what was notoriously dubbed Contracts for Sale. As the head of the procurement authority, he was alleged to have established a company in which he held majority shares and which also actively bid for government contracts. This company was alleged to usually win the contracts, which were then sold to other contractors at a higher price, he said. Mr Dame said the revelation of those acts promptly resulted in the termination of his employment by the President, and a withdrawal of his membership of various professional institutions and subsequent prosecution, which remained ongoing. The record, he said, also showed a trial of other cases involving insider dealings in various courts in the country. Ghana Ghana, Mr Dame said, had continued to have its fair share of threats to its financial and economic sector and that in his role as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, he had come to understand that any serious endeavour to fight economic crimes must be firmly rooted in the establishment of systems for its deterrence, undertaking of smooth investigations where same occurred, and a sound vehicle for prosecution and punishment in a fair and efficient manner. Those systems, he said, had a close connection with the peculiarities of the Ghanaian society. In Ghana, public procurement plays a preeminent role in the development of the nation. At the same time, public sector corruption evokes strong emotions. In view of this, the nation has enacted a set of rules, from the Constitution of the country to specific laws in the financial sector, founded on the principles of integrity, to regulate procurement in the public sector and to curb abuse and insider trading, he said. Thus, he said, public servants were forbidden by Article 284 of the Constitution from placing themselves in situations where their personal interests interfered with or were likely to interfere with the discharge of their duties. One piece of legislation that is directly intended to prevent economically motivated crimes and the abuse of office is the Public Procurement Act of 2003 (Act 663). Goaso Krontihene found dead in forest Biiya Mukusah Ali Sep - 05 - 2023 , 09:53 The people of Goaso, the capital of the Ahafo Region, woke up yesterday to the news of the suspected murder of the Krontihene of the Goaso Traditional Area, Nana Yenhyira Kojo Kuma. The death of the sub-chief, who had been embroiled in a dispute with the Omanhene of Goaso, Nana Akwasi Bosomprah, for about a year now, has thrown Goaso and its adjoining communities into a state of shock and mourning. The Daily Graphic learnt that the pending dispute was scheduled for hearing at the Asanteman Council in Kumasi on Friday, September 8, this year. Missing A family source told the Daily Graphic at Goaso yesterday that Nana Kuma, who is believed to be in his early 60s, went missing on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, after visiting the farm at Kyenkyehenekrom, near Ayomso, some 15 km from Goaso the same day. The source said when Nana Kuma left Goaso for the farm, he left his mobile phone and motorbike at home with the explanation that he would not keep long. The following morning, when he had still not returned home, his relatives went to the farm in search of him but he was nowhere to be found. Subsequently, radio announcements were made but to no avail. A search party then embarked on another adventure yesterday morning and eventually found his body on the outskirts of his farm with torn clothes. The food he sent to the farm and a bottle of suspected DDT, a poisonous substance, were also found beside the body. Investigation Consequently, a report was made to the police who conveyed the decomposing body to the Goaso Government Hospital mortuary while investigation continued. When contacted, the deceaseds family declined to speak to the media, except saying they were preparing a press release to officially announce what they knew about the death of their breadwinner. Efforts to reach the Ahafo Regional Police Command for further details were unsuccessful. Dispute The Krontihene, who ran a plumbing business in the area, found himself in a dispute with the Omanhene, a case which had been pending at the Manhyia Palace for some time now. Nana Bonsomprah is said to have declared the Krontihene destooled over some disagreements. But Nana Kuma challenged the said destoolment and invoked the Great Oath of the Asantehene to challenge the matter. Graphic, Melcom management confer Juliet Akyaa Safo Sep - 05 - 2023 , 07:03 The management of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) has paid a fraternal visit to the Melcom Group of Companies to strengthen their long-standing relationship. The two companies believe that a deeper relationship would help sustain their businesses. They renewed their commitment when the Managing Director (MD) of the GCGL, Ato Afful, led a team from GCGL to visit the Management of the Melcom Group in Accra last Thursday. The visit was also to introduce the new Editor, Graphic, Theophilus Yartey, to the Melcom Group led by its Joint Managing Director, Ramesh Sadhwani. Also present were the Corporate Communications Manager, GCGL, Emmanuel Arthur, and the Melcom Group Director of Communications, Godwin Avenorgbo. Digital Unit Mr Afful informed the Melcom team that Graphic was diversifying its channels and going deeper into the digital space with the introduction of its Digital Unit. He said editions of the newspaper from 1950 had been digitised and could be accessed easily by the public and thus urged the Melcom Group to visit the Digital Unit to access stories written about the company over the years. The GCGL MD further stated that the company had expanded its portfolio beyond digital media. He said the company provided courier services and had also expanded its medical services, which originally served staff of the company only, but were now open to the public. We believe that when we help one another to grow, there will be better news ahead for both of us, he said. Media space Mr Yartey added that GCGL was interested in advocacy, promising that the editorial team was ready to support the Melcom Group to ensure its sustainability. We are interested in advocacy, our new direction is to follow up on issues identified until we get solutions to them, he said. Mr Yartey thanked the management of Melcom for the warm welcome and gave an assurance to support them when the need arose. Mr Sowa highlighted some online thought-leadership activities of GCGL such as discussions on Twitter Spaces and Facebook Live which the Melcom Group could plug in. We can create content around areas of your interest from an advocacy and educational perspective, he said. Good relationship Mr Ramesh Sadhwani, acknowledged their long-term relationship with Graphic and thanked the company for providing media coverage on its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. He said the Melcom Group would continue with its CSR activities such as building school blocks, offering scholarships to brilliant schoolchildren and conducting annual blood donation exercises to help the national blood service to feed blood banks in all regional centres. The group, he further stated, also provided support in other areas to facilitate speedy medical service delivery at major medical institutions in Ghana such as the Police Hospital, the 37 Military hospital, the National Cardiothoracic Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and some private hospitals in the country. We have organised blood donation exercises and donated blood refrigerators and vaccine refrigerators to help with storage, he added. In view of business, Mr Sadhwani was optimistic that the current business environment, which was currently tough, would be better in the coming years. Ghana is a good destination for business, hence our expansion. We have diversified the business so we are not solely dependent on the core retail, but building business around the core retail. Hopefully by the end of October, we will open gyms and spas so that we become a destination for families, where they can spend the day and everyone has something to do, he said, expressing commitment to strengthen their working relationship with Graphic and explore other avenues of collaboration. New secret tape on IGPs removal pops up - Committee to conduct in-camera hearing Nana Konadu Agyeman Sep - 05 - 2023 , 10:20 A new secret tape claimed to be the comprehensive tape containing the discussion on the purported plan to oust the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, from office has been made available to the parliamentary committee investigating the authenticity of the audio. The source of the tape has, however, not been made known. Per the testimonies of two of the witnesses who appeared before the committee Commissioner of Police (COP) George Alex Mensah and Superintendent George Asare the tape being relied upon by the committee is doctored, cut and paste. The two separately urged the committee to obtain the original tape from the President and the IGP. Possible cross-examinations Speaking to the press after a three-hour grilling of Supt Asare in Parliament yesterday, the Chairman of the committee, Samuel Atta Akyea, said, Now, we have the benefit of a tape on the assumption that it is authentic and the members of the committee will have to internalise that tape. It will be transcribed and we will look at it to do proper analysis. That will inform us about what to do, he said. Mr Atta Akyea said due to national security implications, the committee would conduct what he described as a long in-camera hearing. We will be guided strongly by the fact that this is not a simple exercise and not everything that should be to the general public as it will have implications for the nation. If your name is on the tape and your role is significant and we are doing proper fact finding, it is automatic you have to appear before the committee, he said. Petition Mr Atta Akyea added that the committee, during its sitting yesterday, received a petition from senior police officers, but that the committee was yet to peruse the petition. But trust us as a committee that there is nothing of consequence that we will brush aside. It is going to be a comprehensive interrogation, and we will not block those who want to aid our fact finding, he added. The chairman indicated that the committee had realised that some senior police officers had also taken the IGP to court in relation to their promotion. So, I have instructed that they should first furnish us with the writ so that we know the content of what is pending in court, he said. At the commencement of yesterdays hearing, the chairman asked Supt Asare if he admitted that his voice was on the tape. The witness admitted that the voice on the tape is mine" but insisted that it was cut and paste which made the tape incomplete. The tape that has been played here on three occasions is doctored, and the one who doctored it meant evil for a private and confidential conversation we had with Bugri Naabu, he said. Supt Asare, however, resisted the temptation to divulge the sensitive details in public, referencing the security implications of his revelations, and urged the committee to allow him to testify in-camera. He indicated that he also had the same intelligence that supported the assertion by COP Mensah that it was the IGP who collaborated with Bugri Naabu, the former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to tape the private conversation. The IGP agreed with Bugri Naabu after he (Naabu) had gone to inform the IGP that somebody wants his post and had come to him to the extent that the CV that was collected from COP Mensah and sent to Bugri Naabu by those boys are prepared to come here and testify. Bugri Naabu gave the CV that was intended for the appointing authority to the IGP, and I will be happy that I say more when I am in-camera, he said. Supt Asare said after the tape had leaked, Mr Naabu erroneously called him Asante. This Asante, per our intelligence, is a corporal or a sergeant who has been promoted to go the Police College to become Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), and it was COP Mensah who made this same ASP to go to peacekeeping mission, he said. How he met Bugri Naabu, Supt Asare, who has been with the police service for 27 years and now stationed at the Police Headquarters Protocol Department, identified the voices on the tape as that of himself, Commissioner of Police (COP) George Alex Mensah, and Bugri Naabu. He, therefore, expressed surprise that Bugri Naabu would identify Supt Emmanuel Gyebi as the other person who featured in the conspiracy. Supt Asare said on that fateful day, the three gentlemen had a meeting in Bugri Naabus office at Osu at the invitation of Bugri Naabu. He said he got to know Bugri Naabu through his son, Prophet Emmanuel Teye Bugri Naabu, who was his friend and a spiritual father. Supt Asare said he had three different conversations with Bugri Naabu in his office, with the first conversation occurring when Prophet Naabu asked him to accompany him to his fathers office. When they got to the office, Prophet Naabu introduced him to Bugri Naabu who sought his assistance to redress a domestic issue with his househelp whom Supt Asare knew. Following that, he said Bugri Naabu invited him to go to his house for a discussion that bordered on the NPPs intention to change the current IGP. He said Bugri Naabu asked him (Supt Asare) if he knew any senior police officer he could recommend to replace Dr Dampare and I told him yes. The witness said he then mentioned COP George Alex Mensah, whose credentials, particularly his academic qualifications, were highly respected among the rank and file of the police service. He said Bugri Naabu said he knew COP Mensah since he had visited him at his house at Dansoman after some boys in Jubilee House brought him to his house. Supt Asare quoted Bugri Naabu as saying it was some boys from the Jubilee House that brought him to his house and by his investigations, COP Mensah was on retirement. I took time to let Bugri Naabu understand that COP Mensah is not on retirement and anybody that told him that is a liar. COP Mensah is on his terminal leave pending retirement and that does not mean he is on retirement, he said. Malice With Bugri Naabu asking him to recommend other possible police officers who could also replace the IGP, Supt Asare told the committee that he went ahead to also mention COP Ernest Owusu, COP Maame Yaa Tiwa Addo-Danquah and COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno. On June 19, 2023 at about 2.13 p.m., Bugri Naabu called me that there is some good news so I should come with COP Mensah but I asked him to call him since he has his number, the witness said. Supt Asare said Bugri Naabu went on to call COP Mensah 12 consecutive times, with the last call at 5.57 p.m. Chief Bugri Naabu still wanted to see me and I never knew there was any malice. I thought that just as he called me some time ago to his house, I must go and listen to him. When I started walking away, I had a call from COP Mensah, my boss, who asked me where I was and that they Bugri Naabu and COP Mensah were waiting for me, he told the committee. On reaching the house, Supt Asare said the two were already engaged in a conversation and Bugri Naabu sought his opinion on the IGP, which he obliged. Nobody contracted me to lobby When his opinion was sought on how the IGP was appointed, Supt Asare said the appointment of the IGP was the sole prerogative of the President in consultation with the Council of State. Asked if it was right to lobby for the IGP position, the witness said lobbying had been with man from antiquity but I have not lobbied for anything before. He denied ever being contracted by anybody to lobby on their behalf, including COP Mensah. Questioned about what role he felt Bugri Naabu could play in facilitating the appointment of an IGP, he said Bugri Naabu, a politician and National Council member of the NPP, told him during their meeting that he recommended the current IGP to the President. The meeting we had with Bugri had nothing to do with politics at all but he told us that there could be a possible change in the top hierarchy in the police service and it could be possible COP Mensah could get the nod, he said, saying that whether he was lying or not I cannot tell. Granted that COP Mensah will be given the nod, I will be happy since every policemans dream, like a politician, is they will be an IGP one day. So, if a Police Commissioner who joined the service as a chartered accountant becomes the IGP, he will be happy and some of us who have worked under him and know his capabilities will also be happy, he said. Ill comment on IGP in-camera A member of the committee, Patrick Yaw Boamah, asked the witness to confirm or deny the accusation made by COP Mensah against the IGP on the grounds that he was mismanaging the Ghana Police Service. Responding, Supt Asare declined to comment publicly about the IGPs performance but assured the committee that he was ready to do so in-camera. Reward system for workers crucial UG Vice-Chancellor Timothy Ngnenbe Sep - 05 - 2023 , 09:16 State and non-state institutions must prioritise the welfare of their workers by putting in place systems that reward hard work and innovation. This is because the ability of organisations to make an impact in society is dependent on the quality of human resource and how the workers are motivated to put in their best at work. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, who made the call, stressed that recognition was one of the most important factors in driving workplace engagement, productivity and employee retention. "As a country and as organisations, we need to acknowledge that it is human beings who make systems run and those who excel at what they do must be rewarded," she said. Prof. Amfo was speaking at an awards ceremony held by the College of Humanities at the university last Wednesday. The ceremony was also used to unveil the college cloth. Staff of the college who distinguished themselves were presented with awards in various categories such as beyond the call to duty, meritorious service, dedicated service, star performers, best innovator and most responsive unit. Prioritise human resource The Vice-Chancellor expressed worry that some institutions underestimated the contribution of employees to the success of the entities. Prof. Amfo, who unveiled the college cloth, described motivated workers as the oxygen that fueled growth and development of any organisation or society. "An institution is only as great as its people, so organisations must learn to give honour to people to whom honour is due," the Vice-Chancellor stressed. She observed that apart from motivating workers to give of their best, effective reward system helped to promote the overall development of institutions. The Vice-Chancellor also urged workers to invest in their personal and professional development to remain relevant to their organisations. She urged the colleges within the university to replicate what had been done by the College of Humanities "so that it will cascade through the entire university." Sustainability For his part, the Provost of the College of Humanities, Prof. Daniel Frimpong Ofori, said the college was aware that it could only achieve greatness when its staff was motivated. In that regard, he said the award scheme would be expanded and sustained to benefit more deserving workers. "We do this knowing that productive organisations are those who have productive employees and productive employees are those who are happy," Prof. Ofori said. The Technician at the Office of the Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Samuel Boadu Ashirifi, who designed a software used to collect, process and store data and disseminate information, including tracking of correspondence at the college, was presented with the Best Innovator award. Mr Ashirifi told the Daily Graphic in an interview that the Sashirif Office Information Management System (SOIMS) he created had enhanced the dissemination of information and would soon be scaled up to the entire university. Right to Information Month launched to increase awareness Beatrice Laryea Sep - 05 - 2023 , 17:44 This years Right to Information (RTI) Month has been launched with the aim to sustain the awareness creation efforts the RTI Commission has embarked upon. The objective of the celebration this year is also to improve the deliberative platforms provided for the implementation of the law and best practices that have helped some pioneers of the RTI law to be successful in their jurisdiction. The month-long celebration scheduled for this month is on the theme: The Importance of the Online Space for Access to Information. RTI The Right to Information Act, 2019 (ACT 989) was passed by the Parliament of Ghana in 2019, and assented to by the President same year to give constitutional right to access to information held by public institutions. Its purpose is to promote transparency and accountability by empowering people to access information on central and local governments as well as non-governmental organisations, which are publicly funded. Consequently, the RTI Commission was established to oversee the implementation of Act 989 and as part of its education, has set up the yearly celebrations in September. Launch, focus Present at the launch were the Deputy Board Chairperson, Elizabeth Asare; board members, Nana Kwame Duah, David Oppon-Kusi, Victoria Susuawo; Head of the Commissions Legal Team, Francis Owusu, and staff of the Commission. In his address, the Board Chairman of the RTI Commission, Justice K. A. Ofori Atta (retd), said the celebration held immense significance in the ongoing commitment to advancing the principles of transparency, accountability and good governance and citizen empowerment through accessing information. He explained that this year, the focus is on a theme which has become increasingly vital in the digital age. In the world where information travels at the speed of light and digital platforms have become central to how we communicate, collaborate and share knowledge, it is imperative that we recognise the transformative potential of the online space, he said. As we navigate this theme throughout the month, we aim to highlight the fact that the digital world is not just a tool but a catalyst for democratising access to information like never before, he noted. Online space Mr Ofori Atta further stated that the online space had really defined the way people saw, perceived and exercised their right to information, adding it has revolutionalised the way persons interact with government agencies, public institutions and each other. Mr Ofori Atta added that throughout the month, his outfit would engage in dialogue and interactive sessions that aimed to foster a deeper understanding of the symbiotic relationship between the online space and the right to information. As we delve into the various dimensions of the theme, we will explore how the online space has enabled unprecedented levels of government transparency and accountability. We will also address the challenges that come with these digital transformations such as the need to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of information, thereby guiding against misinformation and disinformation, safeguarding online privacy and promoting digital literacy, he explained. We believe that by harnessing the potential of technology while upholding the values of accountability and accuracy, we can create a future where every citizen is not only a recipient of information, but an active participant in the democratic process, he emphasised. Activities Some of the activities earmarked for the commemoration are a stakeholders engagement to be held on Thursday, September 14, at the British Council; a health walk and games on Saturday, September 16, at the Presbyterian Boys School at Legon, and a quiz on Act 989 on Sunday, September 24 at the GBC studios in Accra. Also, a public lecture has been scheduled to coincide with the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) on Thursday, September 28. Young Ghanaian receives Freedom of the City of London award Daily Graphic Sep - 05 - 2023 , 06:31 A young Ghanaian, Emmanuel Nii Odartey Lamptey, has been admitted to the Freedom of the City of London at the Guildhall in London. The honour is in recognition of his contribution towards the development of the youth in London as the President of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) between January and December 2021. As a recipient, the 33-year-old was presented with a prestigious title including citizenship in London, as part of a tradition dating back almost 800 years. Freedom of the City of London The Freedom of the City of London award was, in the past, an essential requirement for all who wished to carry on business and prosper in trade within the Square Mile. As a result, the privileges attached to freedom were eagerly sought, while the duties and obligations of freemen were faithfully observed. Prior to 1996, the freedom was only open to British or Commonwealth citizens. Now, however, it has been extended globally and persons of any nationality may be admitted, either through nomination or by being presented by a Livery Company. Although it is no longer necessary to be a freeman to work in the city, the proud history of the City of London is such that large numbers of men and women have rightly regarded it a privilege to be admitted to the freedom of the city. Honour A special citation presented to him read in part: Emmanuel Nii Odartey Lamptey was admitted to the Freedom of the City of London and made a declaration required by law. Lamptey was nominated for the citys award by two previous recipients of the title and members of the JCI in London, Chris Edge and Corinna Edge. The admission of Mr Lamptey brings to 12, the number of Ghanaians who have attained freedom from the City of London Corporation. Sense of pride Receiving the award at a special ceremony in London, Mr Lamptey, expressed delight in the feat. I am extremely proud to have been awarded the Freedom of the City of London title. It is a wonderful honour for myself and my family, and a real privilege to follow so many great figures and names in history. For me, this award showcases how my contribution to the youth of London has been recognised by the City of London Corporation, he said. He noted that through the tenet of hard work, the JCI London received three awards during his period as the president in 2021, and it was the first in more than five years. Opened for collaboration Mr Lamptey, who is a financial consultant in London, said he was ready to build strong collaborations and partnerships that could support the development of the youth in Ghana. I am a Ghanaian and keen to make a positive impact in Ghana. I have only been in the UK for about nine years but whatever I have done here, I would like to replicate in Ghana to support my local community. I am looking for opportunities to make a difference in Ghana, he added. Notable list Being awarded the Freedom of the City of London, Mr Lamptey joins an illustrious group of Africans who have attained the freedom of the city status including late former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandella, and a former South African Anglican Bishop and theologian, Desmond Tutu. Alan Kyerematen withdraws from NPP presidential race Graphic.com.gh Politics Sep - 05 - 2023 , 10:52 "Due to unforeseen circumstances, we regret to announce the postponement of the intended media engagement by Hon. Alan Kyerematen, which was originally scheduled for today, September 5, 2023, at 2:00 PM," the Alan Kyeremanten campaign team has announced. Mr Alan Kyerematen had planned to speak to the media on Tuesday afternoon [Sept 5] in what was dubbed "Alan Speaks." A poster advertising the event, which was expected to be carried live on radio and TV and invitation letters were sent to various media houses including Graphic Online. Graphic Online gathered that event platformed was going to be used to announce Alan Kyerematen's withdrawal from the race but it was postponed at the last minute. In a statement issued Tuesday morning [Sept 5] a few hours to the event by Barima Sarpong, Press Aide to the Alan Kyerematen for President Campaign, it was explained that the event has been postponed. No new date has been provided. Read also: Why Alan Kyerematen withdrew from NPP flagbearer race In the evening of Tuesday, Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen announced his withdrawal from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential race. He announced his decision in a press statement signed and issued Tuesday evening [September 5, 2023]. Mr Kyerematen wrote, "The question I keep asking myself is, How did we get here as a Party in the first place, and how far are we prepared to tread on this dangerous path to self-destruction?" "Regrettably, I am not convinced that the circumstances I have referred to earlier, will not persist or even be escalated in the next round of elections, for which balloting is scheduled for Wednesday, 6th of September 2023. "In light of the foregoing, I wish to confirm that I am honourably withdrawing from the process that will lead to the Presidential Primaries to be held on the 4th of November 2023. In the next upcoming weeks, I will provide an indication of the role that I will play in politics in Ghana, after consultations with my family and other well-wishers, various stakeholders and interest groups. "I wish all the other Aspirants well as they continue on their journey. I also wish to use this opportunity to express my profound gratitude once again to my family, the Alan 4 President (A4P) Campaign Team, and all my teeming supporters in Ghana and from around the world, who have supported me in diverse ways over the years. Please be assured that the battle is still the Lord's, and that those who wait upon the Lord shall have their strength renewed." Attached below is a full copy of Mr Kyerematen's statement explaining why he withdrew from the race On Sunday, the 27th of August 2023, I issued a public statement which made reference to the selection and shortlisting of Presidential Aspirants by the Special Electoral College convened by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on the 26th of August 2023. After having carefully analysed the results of the said elections, it is absolutely clear to me from events leading to, during and after the elections, that the Special Delegates Conference was strategically and tactically skewed in favour of one particular Aspirant. The pronouncements made by some leading Members of our Party both before and after the elections, also lend weight to my observations. The level of intimidation of varying intensity, directly and indirectly unleashed on a significant number of Delegates at various Voting Centers across the sixteen regions, is unprecedented in the history of our Party. In addition, the fact that my Polling Agent in the North East region has suffered severe damage to his eye sight, arising from his bold and courageous effort to ensure compliance with the very rules and regulations for the conduct of the elections as approved by the Presidential Elections Committee, will forever remain a dark spot in the history of internal elections within the Party. This incident and various acts of violence and collusion, reported in other Voting Centers, are appalling, unconscionable, and despicable. I am committed to, and value the safety of those who work with me and for me, and I will always fight for their interest. The question I keep asking myself is, "How did we get here as a Party in the first place, and how far are we prepared to tread on this dangerous path to self-destruction?" Regrettably, I am not convinced that the circumstances I have referred to earlier, will not persist or even be escalated in the next round of elections, for which balloting is scheduled for Wednesday, 6th of September 2023. In light of the foregoing, I wish to confirm that I am honourably withdrawing from the process that will lead to the Presidential Primaries to be held on the 4th of November 2023. In the next upcoming weeks, I will provide an indication of the role that I will play in politics in Ghana, after consultations with my family and other well- wishers, various stakeholders and interest groups. I wish all the other Aspirants well as they continue on their journey. I also wish to use this opportunity to express my profound gratitude once again to my family, the Alan 4 President (A4P) Campaign Team, and all my teeming supporters in Ghana and from around the world, who have supported me in diverse ways over the years. Please be assured that the battle is still the Lord's, and that those who wait upon the Lord shall have their strength renewed. God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong! ...Signed............... HON. ALAN KYEREMATEN The message below is what was contained in the notice for postponement "IMPORTANT NOTICE! "Due to unforseen circumstances, we regret to announce the postponement of the intended media engagement by Hon. Alan Kyerematen, which was originally scheduled for today, September 5, 2023, at 2:00 PM. "We count on your support until further notice. Thank you. Barima Sarpong Press Aide to the Alan Kyerematen for President Campaign." The results declared by the Electoral Commission at the special delegates conference that shortlisted the 10 presidential aspirants of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) from 10 candidates to five indicated a convincing endorsement for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for the second round of the presidential primary on November 4, 2023. Also qualifying for the next round is Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto and Francis Addai Nimoh. Nimoh qualifies based on Boakye Agyarko's decision not to be part of what he said was an illegality by allowing only the National Council to vote in a run off. Nimoh and Agyarko obtained nine votes each in the selection exercise and were due for a run off but it was called off after Agyarko decided not to be part of it. Related: See the selected aspirants for NPP's November 2023 presidential race Final results Mahamudu Bawumia - 629 (Selected) Ken Agyapong - 132 (Selected) Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen - 95 (Selected) Owusu Afriyie Akoto - 36 (Selected) Boakye Agyarko - 9 (tie) - Selected Francis Addai Nimoh - 9 (tie) Kwabena Agyei Agyepong - 6 Joe Ghartey - 4 Kwadwo Poku - 3 Kofi Konadu Apraku - 0 There has been some calls for Alan Kyerematen to step down and throw his support behind Vice President Bawumia and so it was anticipated that the public address through the press conference dubbed "Alan Speaks" was going to provide some answers to that call. The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has for instance predicted a 75 per cent victory for Vice President Bawumia in the November 4 race. In a radio interview on Accra based Okay FM monitored by Graphic Online on Monday morning, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said he was confident that Dr. Bawumia will lead the NPP as the flagbearer into the 2024 general elections. Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also the Member of Parliament for Suame in Kumasi said: "I am convinced and persuaded in my mind that next time, when the contest comes on, the least the man [Bawumia] can have is 75% nationwide." Mr Kyerematen issued a statement expressing some views about the special delegates conference especially in relation to the physical attack on his agent in the North East Region after the August 26 exercise. In the statement immediately issued after the shortlisting exercise, he said the team was "currently analysing the results of the Special Electoral College Election, and in the course of this week will deliver a public broadcast on the way forward for his campaign." I wish to reassure my teeming supporters, particularly those at the grassroots level that the battle is still the Lords, and that those who wait upon the Lord shall have their strength renewed, a statement issued and signed by Mr Kyerematen on Sunday (August 27) said. Mr Kyerematen, one of the top four aspirants who were selected for the November 4 national congress to elect a flag bearer for the NPP in the 2024 general election, expressed his appreciation to the delegates of the Special Electoral College who voted for him and congratulated all his fellow aspirants who participated in the selection process. | wish to use this opportunity to thank the Almighty God for His grace and mercy in guiding my path this far. "I would also like to express my profound appreciation to the delegates of the Special Electoral College who voted for me in this initial selection process, it said. My appreciation also goes to my family and the Alan for President (A4P) 2024 campaign team, including members of the Pro-Alan Groups, for their dedication and commitment to my campaign agenda, stated. Writer's email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Follow @enochfrimpong Follow @Graphicgh Why Alan Kyerematen withdrew from NPP flagbearer race Enoch Darfah Frimpong Politics Sep - 05 - 2023 , 17:58 Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen has withdrawn from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential race. He announced his decision in a press statement signed and issued Tuesday evening [September 5, 2023]. Mr Kyerematen wrote, "The question I keep asking myself is, How did we get here as a Party in the first place, and how far are we prepared to tread on this dangerous path to self-destruction?" "Regrettably, I am not convinced that the circumstances I have referred to earlier, will not persist or even be escalated in the next round of elections, for which balloting is scheduled for Wednesday, 6th of September 2023. "In light of the foregoing, I wish to confirm that I am honourably withdrawing from the process that will lead to the Presidential Primaries to be held on the 4th of November 2023. In the next upcoming weeks, I will provide an indication of the role that I will play in politics in Ghana, after consultations with my family and other well-wishers, various stakeholders and interest groups. "I wish all the other Aspirants well as they continue on their journey. I also wish to use this opportunity to express my profound gratitude once again to my family, the Alan 4 President (A4P) Campaign Team, and all my teeming supporters in Ghana and from around the world, who have supported me in diverse ways over the years. Please be assured that the battle is still the Lord's, and that those who wait upon the Lord shall have their strength renewed." Mr Kyerematen had earlier scheduled a press conference Tuesday afternoon at 2pm, dubbed "Alan Speaks". It was anticipated that event was going to be the platform to officially announce the withdrawal from the race but that press event was cancelled and an announcement was made that it had been postponed. No new date was provided for that press engagement. How Alan performed at the special delegates selection exercise The results declared by the Electoral Commission at the Special Electoral College election that shortlisted five candidates out of the 10 presidential aspirants of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) indicated a convincing endorsement for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for the second round of the presidential primary on November 4, 2023. Also qualifying for the next round is Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto and Francis Addai Nimoh. Nimoh qualified based on Boakye Agyarko's decision not to be part of what he said was an illegality by allowing only the National Council to vote in a run off. Nimoh and Agyarko obtained nine votes each in the selection exercise and were due for a run off but it was called off after Agyarko decided not to be part of it. Related: See the selected aspirants for NPP's November 2023 presidential race Final results Mahamudu Bawumia - 629 (Selected) Ken Agyapong - 132 (Selected) Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen - 95 (Selected) Owusu Afriyie Akoto - 36 (Selected) Boakye Agyarko - 9 (tie) - Selected Francis Addai Nimoh - 9 (tie) Kwabena Agyei Agyepong - 6 Joe Ghartey - 4 Kwadwo Poku - 3 Kofi Konadu Apraku - 0 There had been some calls for Alan Kyerematen to step down and throw his support behind Vice President Bawumia and so it was anticipated that the public address through the press conference dubbed "Alan Speaks" was going to provide some answers to that call. The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu for instance predicted a 75 per cent victory for Vice President Bawumia in the November 4 race. In a radio interview on Accra based Okay FM monitored by Graphic Online on Monday morning, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said he was confident that Dr. Bawumia will lead the NPP as the flagbearer into the 2024 general elections. Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also the Member of Parliament for Suame in Kumasi said: "I am convinced and persuaded in my mind that next time, when the contest comes on, the least the man [Bawumia] can have is 75% nationwide." Mr Kyerematen issued a statement expressing some views about the special delegates conference especially in relation to the physical attack on his agent in the North East Region after the August 26 exercise. In the statement immediately issued after the shortlisting exercise, he said the team was "currently analysing the results of the Special Electoral College Election, and in the course of this week will deliver a public broadcast on the way forward for his campaign." I wish to reassure my teeming supporters, particularly those at the grassroots level that the battle is still the Lords, and that those who wait upon the Lord shall have their strength renewed, a statement issued and signed by Mr Kyerematen on Sunday (August 27) said. Mr Kyerematen, one of the top four aspirants who were selected for the November 4 national congress to elect a flag bearer for the NPP in the 2024 general election, expressed his appreciation to the delegates of the Special Electoral College who voted for him and congratulated all his fellow aspirants who participated in the selection process. | wish to use this opportunity to thank the Almighty God for His grace and mercy in guiding my path this far. "I would also like to express my profound appreciation to the delegates of the Special Electoral College who voted for me in this initial selection process, it said. My appreciation also goes to my family and the Alan for President (A4P) 2024 campaign team, including members of the Pro-Alan Groups, for their dedication and commitment to my campaign agenda, stated. Attached below is a full copy of Mr Kyerematen's statement explaining why he withdrew from the race On Sunday, the 27th of August 2023, I issued a public statement which made reference to the selection and shortlisting of Presidential Aspirants by the Special Electoral College convened by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on the 26th of August 2023. After having carefully analysed the results of the said elections, it is absolutely clear to me from events leading to, during and after the elections, that the Special Delegates Conference was strategically and tactically skewed in favour of one particular Aspirant. The pronouncements made by some leading Members of our Party both before and after the elections, also lend weight to my observations. The level of intimidation of varying intensity, directly and indirectly unleashed on a significant number of Delegates at various Voting Centers across the sixteen regions, is unprecedented in the history of our Party. In addition, the fact that my Polling Agent in the North East region has suffered severe damage to his eye sight, arising from his bold and courageous effort to ensure compliance with the very rules and regulations for the conduct of the elections as approved by the Presidential Elections Committee, will forever remain a dark spot in the history of internal elections within the Party. This incident and various acts of violence and collusion, reported in other Voting Centers, are appalling, unconscionable, and despicable. I am committed to, and value the safety of those who work with me and for me, and I will always fight for their interest. The question I keep asking myself is, "How did we get here as a Party in the first place, and how far are we prepared to tread on this dangerous path to self-destruction?" Regrettably, I am not convinced that the circumstances I have referred to earlier, will not persist or even be escalated in the next round of elections, for which balloting is scheduled for Wednesday, 6th of September 2023. In light of the foregoing, I wish to confirm that I am honourably withdrawing from the process that will lead to the Presidential Primaries to be held on the 4th of November 2023. In the next upcoming weeks, I will provide an indication of the role that I will play in politics in Ghana, after consultations with my family and other well- wishers, various stakeholders and interest groups. I wish all the other Aspirants well as they continue on their journey. I also wish to use this opportunity to express my profound gratitude once again to my family, the Alan 4 President (A4P) Campaign Team, and all my teeming supporters in Ghana and from around the world, who have supported me in diverse ways over the years. Please be assured that the battle is still the Lord's, and that those who wait upon the Lord shall have their strength renewed. God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong! ...Signed............... HON. ALAN KYEREMATEN Writer's email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Follow @enochfrimpong Follow @Graphicgh Ghanaians urged to appreciate role of Parliament Daniel Kenu Politics Sep - 05 - 2023 , 06:13 Ghanaians must appreciate the role of Parliament in consolidating the country's democratic gains, the Head of the Public Engagement Unit of Parliament, Superintendent Effia Tengey (rtd), has stated. She pointed out that if the citizenry see the importance of parliamentary democracy, they will do all they can to protect the country's Constitution. Sup. Tengey said this last Friday when she and her team paid a working visit to the Information Services Department (ISD) to deepen relations and collaboration in order to produce the right information to the public and thereby help to protect the integrity of the 1992 Constitution. Democracy "We don't want to be oblivious of what is happening in the sub-region. I can count not less than 10 coups in the sub-region over the last three years," the former Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer said. She said Ghana had been saved from these instabilities and coups perhaps because "we may be doing something right. "So, how can we continue to strengthen it? The sovereignty of the people is in Parliament where everybody is represented," she added. Engagement Due to that, Supt Tengey said there was the need to start the engagement which requires a concerted effort between Members of Parliament (MPs) and the citizenry with much focus on the citizens because "we need them to participate in the process." Mrs Tengey said it was as a result that the unit was opening more channels of communication to have a collective idea of what "we can do to govern our country." "Government or governance is not one person against the other. It is the government of the people," she said. She said the unit has decided to do a stakeholder mapping to identify major stakeholders in Ghana, particularly state institutions, to engage on how to achieve such an objective. The Public Engagement Unit was departmentalised from the erstwhile Public Affairs Department and now has three divisions. It's now made up of the media relations unit, the broadcasting unit and the public engagement unit. It is to ensure participatory and more inclusive democratic process. It is to get the public to understand the works of Parliament and functions of Parliament and to be carried along. Citizens' Bureau Contributing to the discussion, the head of Citizens' Bureau, one of the new creations in Parliament, Obed Appiah, said henceforth the ordinary Ghanaian would be allowed to sit in all committee meetings of Parliament and be privy to every report including loan agreements. To begin with, in carrying the public along, the Standing Orders of Parliament has been amended to reflect the new direction by the Speaker, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin. A portal has been created where all such documents will be uploaded and simplified for public consumption. For his part, the Acting Chief Information Officer of the Information Services Department (ISD), David OwusuAmoah, said the service was shifting from the old ways of doing things including the over reliance on vans for public education. The new model, according to him, is the reliance on research as a critical component in taking decisions and analysing them before going public. The Service has Digitalised all its operations and could track all relevant information, correct misinformation and disinformation, relay it to the minister of information for cabinet consumption. IPAC promotes fair, credible elections Dr Afari-Gyan Daily Graphic Politics Sep - 05 - 2023 , 06:24 The former Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, has emphasised the importance of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) in enhancing political parties participation in electoral processes to ensure fair and credible elections. He has, therefore, called for the revival of IPAC to enhance political parties participation in the electoral processes ahead of the crucial 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Dr Afari- Gyan was speaking on the topic Free and Fair Election at the third Annual Lawyers Conference of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Lawyers Association in Akosombo in the Eastern Region last Friday. The former Chairman of the EC, therefore, used the platform to call on the NDC to return to the IPAC immediately. He explained that was because it was the forum the party could use to achieve the free and fair elections it seeks in the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections. Flashback The largest opposition party, the NDC, totally withdrew from IPAC in 2021 after a series of boycotts before the 2020 general election, accusing the Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa, of open bias and refusal to listen to suggestions and inputs made by the NDC at IPAC meetings. With the seeming breakdown of the IPAC, the EC, in 2019, launched a 21-member Eminent Advisory Committee (EAC) to enhance engagement and interaction between it and the public before the 2020 elections. Important forum The former EC Chairman further said IPAC was the single most important forum that ensured political parties participation in electoral processes and decisions for inputs to enhance free and fair elections. Under Ghanas Electoral system, there are many opportunities for political parties to participate in Electoral processes that promote free and fair elections, Dr Afari-Gyan advised. He, therefore, suggested the need for IPAC to be made effective again as the nation prepared for another crucial election. Dr Afari-Gyan also urged the government to provide the needed financial resources to the EC so that the commission does not cut corners in any of the electoral activities. Disenfranchisement A former Director of Elections of the NDC, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, also said it was unfortunate that the current EC Chairperson, Mrs Mensa, still went ahead with the decision to conduct limited registration at the district level instead of electoral areas, which would potentially disenfranchise many qualified voters. He called on well-meaning Ghanaians to speak up on the matter to ensure that the EC averts the consequences of its action, especially when the geopolitical environment of West Africa had become vulnerable to political instability. IPAC concept The concept of IPAC was conceived by the Commission based on experiences gained from the 1992 general elections. The EC came under intense criticism, especially from political opposition parties, ranging from the electoral process to the conduct of the polls. IPAC was, therefore, formed in March 1994 to bring together representatives of the political parties and members of the EC every month to discuss and try to build a consensus on electoral issues. Minority protest against BoG Governor: Court to deliver ruling Sept. 8 Justice Agbenorsi Politics Sep - 05 - 2023 , 06:18 The High Court in Accra has scheduled Friday, September 8, this year, to determine whether or not the Minority in Parliament can go ahead to embark on a demonstration in protest against the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison and his two deputies. Consequently, the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has rescheduled the demonstration which was originally scheduled for today, (Tuesday, September 5, 2023), to Tuesday September 12, this year. The application seeking to debar the demonstration was filed by the Ghana Police Service in the interest of public safety following a disagreement on selected routes for the demonstration. In Court yesterday, Counsel for the demonstrators, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, raised a preliminary legal objection on grounds that the application was irregular and ought to be dismissed. He argued that per section 99(1)(a) of the State Proceedings Act, 1998 (Act 555), the Attorney-General or a person authorised by the A-G was the sole person mandated to conduct the proceedings and not a lawyer from the Ghana Police Service since on the face of the charge sheet, the police had labelled the Republic and not the Ghana Police Service as the institution conducting the case. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Sylvester Asare, lawyer for the Police, he said, was not the A-G, or an officer authorised by the A-G adding: Therefore, he cannot purport to sign this originating process for and on behalf of the Republic. Counsel argued that although police officers were allowed to prosecute cases on behalf of the A-G, it was only limited to criminal cases and cases at the lower courts. He further added that the Ghana Police was a corporate body with the capacity to sue and be sued hence, the action ought to have been filed by the Inspector General of Police. However, DSP Asare, who is also the Head of Legal and Prosecutions at the Criminal Investigations Department, argued that the points raised by Mr Tamakloe were unfounded. There is nothing that bars a constitutionally mandated institution such as the Ghana Police Service from bringing a public order action. The Public Order Act clearly gives us the mandate to apply to this court praying for the prohibition of the proposed special event, he added. Upon listening to both sides, the Court presided over by Justice Edward Twum adjourned the case to Friday, September 8 to deliver his ruling on the matter. Background The Greater Accra Police Command filed the motion at the court to address the issue of routes for the Minoritys intended demonstration and picketing at the Bank of Ghana (BoG). This comes on the back of the Minority insisting that they will use their planned routes irrespective of the challenges the police had with them. The Police indicated that the selected routes for the planned demonstration by the Minority would endanger public order and safety. Consequently, the police filed the application in a bid to put an injunction on the demonstration. NPP Youth Organiser accuses John Mahama of undermining judicial independence GraphicOnline Politics Sep - 05 - 2023 , 06:22 In a recent statement, Salam Mustapha, the National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has expressed concern over what he perceives as attempts by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and former President John Mahama to undermine the credibility of state institutions, particularly the judiciary. Mr. Mustapha began by lamenting what he called the NDC's habit of levelling baseless allegations against institutions such as the Electoral Commission. He criticized what he sees as unreasonable claims against court rulings, suggesting that such actions harm the integrity of these vital institutions. The NPP youth leader pointed to a recent incident where John Mahama criticised the Judiciary during a meeting with NDC lawyers, claiming that 80 percent of Judges had been appointed because of their affiliation with the NPP. Mr. Mustapha questioned the motive behind these allegations and accused Mahama of hypocrisy. Mr. Mustapha argued that if the NDC and Mr. Mahama were genuinely concerned about judicial appointments, they should explain why former NDC members of parliament have been appointed as Judges. He questioned why Mr. Mahama appeared to confer special rights on those affiliated with the NDC. The NPP Youth Organiser also challenged Mahama to provide evidence that the appointed judges were not qualified for their positions, arguing that it was unfair to suggest that NPP-affiliated Judges were incompetent. Mr. Mustapha emphasized that these judges were also Ghanaian citizens with the necessary qualifications to hold their positions. In conclusion, Mr. Mustapha accused the NDC of organized hypocrisy driven by desperation for power, which, in his view, has led them to make unsubstantiated claims that undermine public institutions. He expressed surprise at John Mahama's leadership in these efforts, considering his extensive political career and positions of influence in the country. Mr. Mustapha ended by pondering how Mr. Mahama would interact with these institutions if he were to become President again, given his current stance on them. He raised concerns about the potential impact on the country's democratic institutions. Read the entire statement below; SALAM MUSTAPHA WRITES: NDC AND JOHN MAHAMAS HYPOCRISY OF BASTARDIZING THE COURTS WILL NOT WASH It is heart-wrenching to see the NDC and John Mahama continue to bastardize state institutions. If it is not a baseless allegation against the Electoral Commission, it is an unreasoned claim against the ruling of the courts. The leader in charge of this deliberate smear on our institutions of trust appears to have taken it to the next level. John Mahama at a recent meeting with NDC lawyers in an unproved manner, attacked the Judiciary, claiming 80% of Judges have been appointed because of their affiliation to the NPP. But one wonders what the concerns of the NDC and John Mahama truly are. If not for hypocrisy, why would the NDC and John Mahama cry foul when the likes of Amos Larwey Buertey, Francis Korbieh and George Buadi, all former members of parliament but appointed as Judges. It appears the former President seeks to confer special rights on persons who associate with the NDC. What in the world stops anybody allegedly believed to be affiliated to the NPP from becoming a Judge if NDC former MPs have been given such positions. It is not as though, the NDCs John Mahama has been able to provide a scintilla of evidence that the supposed Judges are not qualified for their roles. Is it Mr. Mahamas point that these supposed NPP-affiliated Judges are incompetent and do not merit such a position? Obviously, that cannot be a valid claim. To think of it, arent they Ghanaians? Don't they have the requisite qualification to hold such positions.? If known NDC members like Justin Francisco Kumi can be called to the bench why should another be stopped by just being perceived to be affiliated to the NPP. This can only be hypocrisy at its peak. Its my view that this is an organized hypocrisy perpetrated by the NDC. Organized hypocrisy born out of desperation. The desperation of the NDC and John Mahama for power is unheard of. This has clouded their judgments, to the extent that their comments lack substance, but full of innuendos aimed at destroying public institutions, all for one mans parochial interest. It is surprising that former President John Mahama is the one leading this charge. Im yet to meet a person that this country has benefitted than John Mahama. He has literally enjoyed the perks of majority of the positions that matter in this country. He has been MP, Deputy Minister, Minister, President, and wants to be President again. Yet he keeps bastardizing the same institutions that guarantee our freedoms as a people. I wonder what his approach would be towards these institutions, if in the unlikely event, John Mahama becomes president again. How will he work with these institutions? SALAM MUSTAPHA NATIONAL YOUTH ORGANISER, NPP The Motorola Moto G54 is official and ready to ship in China and India, but the two markets get slightly different versions of the phone. The key components are shared though, starting with the 6nm Dimensity 7020 chipset packaged with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Upfront, there's a 6.5-inch 1080x2400px IPS LCD of 120Hz refreh rate and a 240Hz touch sampling rate. A 50MP main camera is on the back. There's a 16MP sensor on the opposite end. The China-bound Moto G54 is powered by a 5,000mAh battery with 15W charging, which is where the versions start to differ. It measures 8.04mm thick and weighs 179.7 grams. The secondary camera on the back is a mere 2MP depth helper. The finish on the back is also different. In China the phone comes draped in three Vegan Leather options - Blue, Green, and Magenta. You can order the Moto G54 there right now and it will ship today, priced at CNY 1,099 (140, converted). The Indian Moto G54 has a larger 6,000mAh battery - that's around 16% extra capacity. It's also faster to charge with a pre-bundled 33W brick in the box. The Moto G54 for India packs a higher-end 12/256GB configuration to go along with the 8/128GB. The G54 premiers the Dimensity 7020 chipset to the Indian market. This G54 is also thicker at 8.89mm, and heavier at 192 grams. It features a "glass-like" plastic finish on its three colorways - Mint Green, Midnight Blue, and Pearl Blue. Indian buyers also get better cameras - the 50MP main camera sits next to an 8MP ultrawide unit with autofocus. Motorola says the Moto G54 will eventually be updated to Android 14 and will get 3 years of security updates. The India-bound Moto G54 The Moto G54 will go on sale in 8/128GB and 12/256GB and in three colors - Mint Green, Pearl Blue, and Midnight Blue - from tomorrow September 6. Pricing should be confirmed shortly. Source 1 | 2 Its been three months since Artist Roy Lucian Bazas latest music video, You & Me, premiered. If you havent seen it yet and are looking for a gentle reminder of the depth and beauty of a slowly blossoming love, nows your chance. The video, which premiered in June, is a part of the short film Where It Began, which follows the journey of Roys character, Roy Paco, as he navigates love and life. You & Me is a song about a deeper connection, finding the love you never thought youd have and experiencing something real for the first time, said the 28-year-old who splits his time between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The inspiration for this song is my hopes and wishes for what I would want in my personal life down the line. The music video for You & Me comes from the overall short film, Where It Began. I wrote the script alongside my costars CeCe Johnson and Fady Deminan, said Baza whose uncle is Rudy Paco, the mayor of Mongmong-Toto-Maite, and whose cousin is Krystal Paco-San Agustin, the governors communication director. I had full control of where this story was going and where we wanted to leave the audience at the end. We were building off of the story that ended within Roy: The Film, Baza said. I knew that I wanted my character to go out into the world and find what he has always been looking for. Honestly that comes from myself, as I do the same with my life. In the film Bazas character, Roy Paco, moves to Boston, Massachusetts after a breakup occurring in the first film, Roy: The Film. Upon arriving in Boston he meets Mikael Chancellor, played by Fady Demian. It all comes to a beautiful ending within You & Me when he and Mikael finally see that all they have been looking for in life is each other. The video is a visual feast. The cinematography by Ant Rojas, who directed the video and is the head of Roy Lucian Visual Productions, is impeccable. The use of colors, especially during the bridge scene where Roy and Fady Demians character Mikael dance by the pier, brings a certain romantic vulnerability to the screen. In that scene, Baza and Demian are framed against the backdrop of an aged tree, with golden sunlight piercing through the branches. The camera glides effortlessly, capturing the delicate motion and emotions of the characters. This scene, Baza revealed, was his favorite to shoot. Its so simple and romantic, Baza said. Ill never forget it. That day is forever one of my favorite days. The lyrics of You & Me are complemented beautifully by the visual narrative. Baza emphasized the emotional journey that the characters undertake. By the time we get to You & Me, you really get a full glimpse into the lives and deep love that these two men have created together, Baza said. Its emotional and earned, just like the lyrics within the song. Another intriguing element of the video is the plethora of Easter eggs scattered throughout, particularly in Roy and Mikaels apartment. These are subtle nods to Roy: The Film and serve as a treasure trove for the keen-eyed fans. The video also features the mellifluous voice of Joseph Eid. The chemistry between Baza and Eid is palpable, and Eids vocals add a layer of tenderness to the song. Working with [Joseph Eid] was a beautiful memory, shares Baza. Honestly, there was nothing challenging about producing this video and of course the film it comes with. It was such a joy every day, he added. Our set was filled with love, and its something Ill always cherish. You & Me stands as the grand finale of the Roy debut album era. I hope it leaves you lovestruck, wanderlust and hopeful, Baza said. I hope youll be vocal about who you are and who you love. No matter what anyone says, the bond between you and your partner, that is no ones place to judge. Bazas You & Me is more than just a music video; its a piece of cinematic art that tugs at the heartstrings and reminds us of the purest forms of love. Through its exquisite cinematography and poignant storytelling, it beckons viewers to embark on a journey of self-discovery and love. To stay updated on Bazas work, follow him on Instagram @roylucianbaza. I hope this song leaves you hopeful and in a state of not settling until you find the right one, Baza said. You & Me is the definition of who I am. Community First Guam Federal Credit Union opened its new location at Hagatna and welcomed members to conduct transactions beginning Sept. 5, 2023. The Guam Community College unveiled its new multipurpose auditorium at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Mangilao campus on Aug. 31. The long-awaited new auditorium in Building 300, spanning a total of 12,500 square feet, will be the central facility for numerous GCC activities, such as their student orientations, culinary arts buffet lunches, work-ready boot camp completion ceremonies, the cardboard challenge and election debates hosted by GCC students. The auditorium can also be used for community activities when available. It can hold up to 500 individuals within one space, or it can be divided into four sections to accommodate multiple activities. As the auditorium meets LEED standards, the building is equipped with a grid-tied photovoltaic system, rainwater catchment, energy efficient HVAC and lighting systems, among other eco-friendly features. The building is designed to meet structural and typhoon wind strength standards as part of the partial funding by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to renovate and harden Building 300 from natural disasters, especially typhoons. FEMA contributed $1.19 million dollars through a hazard mitigation grant for the $4.45 million construction project. The prior Building 300 was part of the original GCC campus and was one of the last remaining butler buildings on campus. Dr. Mary Okada, GCC president, noted the auditorium project has been in the works for several years, but it has been well-worth the time and effort. I must say that this particular project leads the way in which we amplify the community in our name by providing opportunities for our students, said Okada. Ive spent the last 16 years working with my team to rebuild and strengthen the campus. When opportunities like this emerge, it truly represents the support for the community of Guam in developing our workforce. Dr. Okada also recognized and thanked J&B Modern Tech, the projects contractor, and Taniguchi Ruth Makio Architects, who provided the architectural design. Veronica Verde, an External Affairs Officer with FEMA, stressed the importance of the buildings strengthening. Repeatedly, studies have validated, mitigation will result in returns that can be as high as six to seven times the initial investment in terms of averting future damage, said Verde. The Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program was designed and constructed to bolster the structural integrity of the building, rendering it resilient against the formidable forces of typhoons, tropical storms, and high wind events. During her remarks, Ms. Verde made a surprise announcement. FEMA announced the round two of the 2022 BRIC selections, and the Guam Community College Building 600 retrofit project was one of the selected projects for funding consideration, stated Verde. The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities funding of $1.38 million would allow GCC to continue to strengthen several of the existing structures. Building 600 houses the classrooms and work bay for the construction program. Sen. Sabina Perez, as chairperson of the legislative committee on the environment, will be holding a public hearing at the Guam Congress building on Tuesday at 9 a.m. for a resolution regarding Japans dumping of the water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. The hearing will also allow participants to testify on a bill relative to prohibiting the production and use of nuclear energy on Guam. Perezs Resolution 93-37, which was originally filed on April 21, will urge the government of Japan to consider alternatives to the discharge of more than one million tons of water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster into the Pacific Ocean. According to Perezs resolution, a 2022 science-based study declared that the risks involved with the government of Japans intended method of disposal of nuclear waste could lead to decades of damage that will have widespread consequences and long-term effects on human health and the global marine environment. Since then, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, provided a comprehensive report on July 4 that the discharges of the treated water would have a negligible impact. Based on its comprehensive assessment, the IAEA has concluded that the approach and activities to the discharge of ALPS treated water taken by Japan are consistent with relevant international safety standards, said Grossi in the reports foreword. Furthermore, the IAEA notes the controlled, gradual discharges of the treated water to the sea, as currently planned and assessed by TEPCO, would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment. According to the IAEA, the report is the outcome of nearly two years of work since April 2021. The IAEA Task Force was created to evaluate how the water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station would be treated. Internationally recognized nuclear safety experts from the following eleven countries took part in advising the task force: the US, the United Kingdom, Russia, South Korea, Australia, Canada, China, Argentina, France, Vietnam and the Marshall Islands. Grossi further noted their heavy task is just beginning. The IAEA will continue to provide transparency to the international community making it possible for all stakeholders to rely on verified fact and science to inform their understanding of this matter throughout the process, he said. On Aug. 25, the US Department of State released a statement to remind the public that the after-effects of the radioactivity were due to a national tragedy in Japan. Japan suffered a tragedy on March 11, 2011 when a 9.1 magnitude earthquake and a subsequent tsunami devastated the Tohoku region, stated Matthew Miller, spokesperson for DoS. Nearly 20,000 people were killed, thousands were injured, and 2,500 went missing. We continue to grieve with the people of Japan who suffered so greatly from this natural disaster and who have shown the world their courage and resilience in recovering. Miller affirmed that Japan has been open and transparent as it has sought to responsibly manage the Fukushima Daiichi site and the eventual release of treated water through the proactive coordination with scientists and partners. The professionals have come from all across the Indo-Pacific Region proactively coordinating with scientists and partners from across the Indo-Pacific region as well as with the IAEA. As Secretary Blinken noted on Aug. 15, the United States is satisfied with Japans safe, transparent, and science-based process, concluded Miller. We welcome Japans continued transparency and engagement with the IAEA as well as with regional stakeholders. George L. Charfauros Jr. is a former Homeland Security Advisor to Governor Eddie Calvo. He retired as a Colonel from the US Army and served as the Director of Operations for the Guam National Guard for several years. During his career in the Guard, he responded to several major local disasters: Typhoons Paka, Chataan, and Pongsona, the KAL 801 crash, and the islands security response to the 9/11 attacks. Haiti - FLASH : CARICOM in Haiti carrying a proposal to resolve the crisis Monday, September 4th, 2023, the Group of Eminent Persons of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), appointed as mediator of the Haitian crisis, composed of former Prime Ministers : Kenny Anthony of Saint Lucia, Bruce Golding of Jamaica and Perry Christie of the Bahamas arrived in Port-au-Prince where they will stay until September 10, with a view to continuing discussions with all the actors involved in the current crisis and finding a political compromise aimed at stabilizing the country and promoting a democratic transition The mediators should submit a document to the stakeholders of this crisis aimed at a possible political agreement which includes, among other things, the balance of powers between the executive actors, the inclusion and the responsibility of the High Transitional Council, the Control Body of the Government action, a Government of national unity and the operations of the Council of Ministers... The other points of this possible agreement relate to the electoral process, security and reforms (institutional and judicial). Alongside this [ultimate ?] mediation mission, Roosevelt Skerrit the Prime Minister of Dominica and current President a.i. of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) announced last week at a press conference that the leaders of the organization will meet in Videoconference on September 6, 2023 to discuss the socio-political situation in Haiti. He underlined "We owe a lot to this people. And it is important that not only the Heads of Government, but also the entire Caribbean community, commit to the problems that Haiti is facing, so that we can provide it with a moral and collective commitment [...]" According to Skerrit, the leaders of the Caribbean region will meet to receive a report from the group of eminent persons and to determine the future actions that Caricom should take to provide assistance and support to Haiti adding that Caricom will play a "crucial" role in the coordination of global efforts to provide Haiti with all the support it needs. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40090-haiti-crisis-2nd-negotiation-session-caricom-prefers-to-speak-of-some-progress-than-failure.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40038-haiti-news-zapping.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39779-haiti-politic-ariel-henry-back-from-jamaica-empty-handed-video-speech.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39977-haiti-politic-haitian-crisisjoint-declaration-of-caricom-heads-of-government.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39754-haiti-politic-opening-of-the-summit-on-the-haitian-crisis-in-jamaica-pm-speech.html SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Education : Towards the certification of teacher skills This Monday, September 4th, 2023, during the first day of a 3-day workshop dedicated to the training of pedagogical and supervisory staff of the Haitian school organized by the Ministry of National Education, the speakers and the participants had a long exchanged around the "Referential of professional skills of the teacher". A document that defines the 16 competences for teaching and that sets their components and describes the observable facts that underlie them. At the opening of this workshop, the Minister of Education Nesmy Manigat thanked the National Commission for the Development of the Validation of Acquired Professional Experience (CNDVAEP) which, under the leadership of its coordinator, Charles Levelt Joseph, been able to work on the development of this document, with the support of Swiss cooperation. This Tuesday, the second day of this workshop, the executives of the technical departments of the Ministry of the Office of the Secretary of State for Literacy, of the National Office of Partnership in Education, of the National Institute of Vocational Training, will have to focus this time on the "National Policy for the Training of Teachers and Supervisory Staff", and on the "Document of Governance, Framework and Orientation of Continuing Education Actions for Teaching and Administrative Staff" ; two texts developed with the assistance of the Training and Development Department. For the Minister Manigat, it is important, at the beginning of the academic year 2023-2024, to achieve the consistency of these three renovating texts while facilitating their popularization and their appropriation by the educational community, and mainly by teachers. for certification of their skills and professional development. On Wednesday, September 6, during the third and last day of this workshop, these three technically revisited documents will be presented in particular to teachers' unions and to teacher training institutions and education specialists. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Justice : 219 detainees died of starvation or disease in Haitian prisons The prison situation in Haiti is most worrying, at the National Penitentiary of Port-au-Prince, at the Prison of Cap-Haitien and in other prison centers in the country, we have witnessed inhuman conditions of detention. 219 detainees died in 2022, mainly from malnutrition or lack of access to adequate medicines and health care due to the shortcomings and dysfunctions of the judicial system at all levels. According to William O'Neill, United Nations Human Rights Expert, "[...] an effective justice system is essential to combat the corruption and impunity that fuel the cycle of violence and have paralyzed the country for decades," believing that the lack of control, accountability and sanctions of officials in the judiciary creates fertile ground for corruption and impunity. In overcrowded Haitian prisons, detainees are crammed into cramped cells, in stifling heat, sometimes without access to water, sanitation and with insufficient food. "Jurisdictions must make every effort to allow detainees to live in dignity and commit to significantly increasing the number of cases processed for people in pretrial detention," said William O'Neill, deeming it urgent to restore the Court of First Instance of Port-au-Prince, which has not been operational for more than a year. Read also on this topic : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37763-haiti-justice-poor-detention-conditions-threats-of-recourse-against-the-state.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34148-haiti-flash-the-hell-of-haitian-prisons-report.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29574-haiti-justice-the-iachr-finds-found-human-rights-violations-in-prisons.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23478-haiti-flash-haiti-world-champion-of-prison-overcrowding.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22998-haiti-flash-explosive-situation-among-the-detainees-of-the-commissariat-of-petit-goave.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20317-haiti-justice-gustavo-gallon-harshly-judge-the-haitian-prison-system.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19870-haiti-flash-new-wave-of-deaths-at-the-national-penitentiary.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-18727-icihaiti-justice-the-national-penitentiary-of-death.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-16781-icihaiti-humanitarian-the-state-can-not-feed-all-the-inmates-of-its-prison.html HL/ S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Gangs : 8 Haitians killed every day The August monthly report published by the Organization of Citizens for a New Haiti (OCNH) identified 245 people killed throughout the national territory, including 9 girls, 5 police officers, an agent of the Armed Forces of Haiti, 20 women, 4 newborns and 14 boys. During the same month, 9 alleged gang members were lynched by the population through the "Bwa kale" movement. Nearly 17,000 people fled the violence in 3 days Fleeing the violence of the Grande Ravine gang, the residents of Carrefour-feuilles descend on the Palmes region and the South-East department. Between August 31 and September 2, 2023, 16,589 people (3,327 households) took refuge in 18 spontaneous sites, informs the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which confirms that moreover, that several cases of cholera have been recorded in IDP sites in Port-au-Prince. 30 people kidnapped in 24 hours Last weekend, more than thirty people were kidnapped by bandits from Savien in the Morodouin locality located between Pont-Sonde and Mirebalais, confirmed Andre Saint-Louis, Coordinator of the Initiative Committee for Peace in the Lower -Artibonite. UN discusses support for Haiti with Mexico In Brazil, Maria Isabel Salvador, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, met with Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira to discuss support for Haiti. Access to the International Airport, blocked Monday, September 4, 2023, road access leading to Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, in particular to Delmas 31, was blocked by vehicles placed across the road. One do not know so far neither the perpetrators nor the motive of these acts... The Haitian priest Jean-Germain Latus, parish priest in Spain Haitian priest Jean-Germain Latus is the new parish priest of Montemayor. It was installed on Sunday September 3 at the parish church. A delegation from the Embassy of Haiti near the Kingdom of Spain was present. Father Latus is from Baptiste, he studied philosophy at the major seminary Notre Dame d'Haiti and theology at the University of Navarra in Spain. HL/ HaitiLibre Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up New Ad-free Subscriber Login Email Password Password Username Subscribe to our daily NewsLetter Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password or receive our NewsLetter. Stay logged in Lost password Contact Published on 2023/09/05 | Source New stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "Kyungmi's World" (2023) Advertisement Directed by Koo Ji-hyeon With Lee Young-ran, Kim Mi-soo, Baek Song-ha, Yu Jae-hee, Kim Ka-eun, Lee Jae-eun-III,... Synopsis Soo-yeon reluctantly visits her grandmother's hospital in Tongyeong after receiving a call that her grandmother's house, the only family member, must be demolished. Soo-yeon and her grandmother Yeong-soon, who met after seven years, surround their long-disappeared mother Kyeong-mi and bite each other with contempt. Soo-yeon, who says that her grandmother tortured her mother like hell, and she finally locked her in her room, and the grandmother who gave birth to a monster-like Soo-yeon, said that her daughter was crazy and framed herself all over her neighborhood. Soo-yeon, ignoring the pain of loss, encounters her forgotten past while searching for her grandmother's novel and her mother's torn diary. "Did I ruin you or did you ruin me? Which story do you like?" Release date in Korea : 2023/09/20 ShareBar Comments must be on-topic and civil in tone (with no name calling or personal attacks). Any promotional language or urls will be removed immediately. Your comment may be edited for clarity and length. Gemini 21st May to 20th June Daily Horoscope Prediction says, Enjoy the day trouble-free Express love today and experience the best romantic relationship. The professional life will be creative. Read for detailed daily horoscope predictions. Gemini Daily Horoscope for September 6, 2023: Express love today and experience the best romantic relationship. New love will enter your life today. Parents will agree with your decision related to love. Professional life will be creative but chaotic. Stay free from financial issues. Minor health issues may affect life today. Also Read Horoscope Today Gemini Love Horoscope Today Your love will be selfless and sincere today and the partner will recognize that. Spend more time together and you may also discuss a future vacation which may strengthen the bonding. An outside dinner is also a good option today to take the relationship to the next level. Some female Gemini natives may also get conceived today. And for a married couple, this is the best time to start a family. Also Read Love Horoscope Today Gemini Career Horoscope Today You are good today at the office. No major professional hiccup will come up and perform diligently to prove my skills. Office politics is not your cup of tea. Be ready to handle risky situations and you can be sure that you will troubleshoot all problems. Some jobs would require you to spend long hours even after the office at the workstation. Businessmen will be happy to find new sources to raise funds. Also Read Career Horoscope Today Gemini Money Horoscope Today Financially, you will have a good day as prosperity will flow from different sources. Today is good to buy a vehicle or renovate a house. Some Gemini natives will also contribute money to charity today. Utilize the wealth smartly as you may need to invest in different places, including stock, mutual funds, and speculative businesses. A relative or sibling may demand financial help and you may provide it. Gemini Health Horoscope Today Though the horoscope predicts good health today, some senior natives may develop chest-related issues which may require medical attention. Stay away from cold and aerated drinks and substitute them with fresh juice. Do not intake sugar in high quantities. Minor issues including viral fever, headache, and digestion issues will be common among Gemini natives today. You should also skip alcohol and aerated drinks today and instead go for fresh juice. Gemini Sign Attributes Strength: Insightful, Wise, Smart, Pleasant, Quick-witted, Charming Weakness: Inconsistent, Gossipy, Lazy Symbol: Twins Element: Air Body Part: Arms & Lungs Sign Ruler: Mercury Lucky Day: Wednesday Lucky Color: Silver Lucky Number: 7 Lucky Stone: Emerald Gemini Sign Compatibility Chart Natural affinity: Aries, Leo, Libra, Aquarius Good compatibility: Gemini, Sagittarius Fair compatibility: Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, Capricorn Less compatibility: Virgo, Pisces 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 Woman's Plaza is an eminent figure in the world of exuberant fashion, dazzling the world of luxurious shopping. This exclusive establishment provides an oasis to anyone seeking the best in fashion with a commitment to promoting creativity and showcasing avant-garde labels. Woman's Plaza transcends conventional boundaries by offering a curated collection that resonates with the sophisticated tastes of its clientele. It is a harmonious combination of exclusive and creative expression. Woman's Plaza takes delight in showcasing luxurious garments that have been meticulously handpicked from the most prominent designers in the industry. The collection is graced by the best designers offering a stunning selection of alternatives that will satisfy all preferences. Seema Gujral: Redefining Elegance Seema Gujral, a designer of extraordinary talent, creates gorgeous poetry in threads with her creations. The Hot Pink Gota Patti Lehenga Set, a symphony of delicate gota patti embroidery embellished with pearls and crystals, is exemplary. This stunning pink lehenga ensemble, which includes a matching organza dupatta and an embroidered strapless blouse, embodies timeless elegance. The Blue On Blue Resham Work Lehenga Set is an exquisite marvel , v -neck blouse and a net dupatta with elaborate resham embroidery are harmoniously incorporated with the softest fabric and beautiful resham embroidery. With its all-over sequin, pearl, and crystal decorations, the Rust Antique Sequin Lehenga Set, a vision in cream, dazzles. The matching net dupatta completes this artistic combo, while the pearl tassels on the blouse lend a touch of grace. A world of grandeur is brought to us by the Tuscan Sun Lehenga Set. Sequin embroidery and elaborate yellow threadwork bring life to a cream raw silk canvas. This outfit is elevated to elegance with a fully embroidered blouse and an organza-draped, four-sided embroidered dupatta. Dolly J: Breathing life in Fashion Designs by Dolly J, a name associated with grace, are absolutely enchanting. An illustration of their expertise is the Ebony Metallic Organza Gown. This charcoal metallic organza is further beautified by the elegantly arranged feathers on its pockets. It is embellished with crystals and tiny Japanese cutdaana. The Cleo Kamdani Saree Set combines a gold sequin crystal embroidery with a silver chiffon kamdani saree. A stunning combination is put together. This nine-yard wonder and a bustier choli have been elegantly embroidered. An ethereal harmony can be seen in the Shirin Sharara With A Jacket And Waistcoat. A sophisticated air of grace is depicted by an ivory woven dotted tulle sharara, which is worn with an organza and tulle jacket and an embroidered waistcoat with a satin design. The Amber Chiffon Kurta And Palazzo is a must-have as it perfectly encapsulates meticulous craftsmanship. A chikankari chiffon kurta is paired with a chikankari organza dupatta and chiffon palazzo pants. 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! Pune (Maharashtra) [India], September 5: Bonkers Corner, the dynamic luxury fashion and lifestyle brand, recently announced the grand opening of its inaugural retail store in Pune. Situated in the bustling Phoenix Mall of Millennium (Wakad), this trendy store is set to redefine fashion in Pune. Boasting a unique design that captures the essence of Pune's vibrant culture and spirit, the store's interior draws inspiration from minimalist colors, making their products and designs a visual treat for fashion enthusiasts. Spread across an impressive 1400 square feet, the Bonkers Corner store in Pune is a haven for fashion connoisseurs. With a carefully curated collection of luxury fashion and lifestyle products, the store promises an unmatched shopping experience for Pune's fashion-savvy community. The store hosts a wide variety of unique products and collections including Disney, Marvel, Toki Doki, Playboy, Starwars, and Pokemon. Founder and CEO Shubham Gupta shared his vision for Bonkers Corner: "We are dedicated to making a lasting impact in the fashion industry, and our entry into Pune marks a significant step in that direction. We are committed to innovation and connecting with our audience in unique and exciting ways. This is just the beginning, and we are excited about expanding our presence across various geographical markets in the next 2-3 years. The first day saw such an overwhelming response and we are all geared to keep up the momentum. It simply made us realize how much our brand is loved. " The grand opening of Bonkers Corner's Pune store promises to be a celebration of style and sophistication. To mark the foray the brand did not leave a single stone unturned and curated a strategic digital media campaign, titled #BonkersInPune. The three-phased campaign exceeded all expectations, garnering massive attention and engagement on social media. It not only created a sense of anticipation but also reinforced Bonkers Corner's position as a brand that understands and resonates with the pulse of its fashion-savvy community. About Bonkers Corner: Bonkers Corner is a contemporary fashion and lifestyle brand dedicated to offering high-quality, trendy clothing and accessories. With a focus on innovation and customer satisfaction, Bonkers Corner has quickly become a go-to destination for fashion-forward individuals looking to express their unique style. Website Link: https://www.bonkerscorner.com/ 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! Exploring Dental Implants in Turkey with DentaTur When it comes to dental health and aesthetics, one cannot underestimate the significance of dental implants. Dental implants not only restore the functionality of your teeth but also enhance your overall appearance and self-confidence. If you're considering dental implant treatment, you'll want to explore your options thoroughly. In this article, we will delve into the world of dental implants in Turkey and introduce you to DentaTur, a leading name in the field of dental care. Understanding Dental Implants Dental implants have revolutionized the field of dentistry, offering a long-term solution for missing teeth. These prosthetic replacements serve as artificial tooth roots, providing a strong foundation for fixed or removable replacement teeth. Dental implants are known for their durability, natural appearance, and the ability to prevent bone loss, making them a preferred choice for many patients. Why Choose Dental Implants in Turkey? Turkey has emerged as a prominent destination for dental tourism, attracting patients from around the world with its high-quality dental care, affordable prices, and breathtaking tourist attractions. Among the numerous dental clinics in Turkey, DentaTur stands out for its exceptional services and expertise in dental implantology. Dentatur Clinics: Your Go-To Destination If you're seeking dental implants in Turkey, look no further than Dentatur clinics. DentaTur is a renowned name in the dental industry, offering you the best types of dental implants in Turkey. With a team of experienced and highly qualified dentists, DentaTur ensures that you receive top-notch treatment and care throughout your dental implant journey. Why DentaTur? Expertise: DentaTur specializes in dental implantology, ensuring that you receive treatment from professionals who are experts in their field. Cutting-Edge Technology: The clinic utilizes state-of-the-art equipment and technology to ensure the highest quality of dental implant procedures. Affordability: Turkey is known for its cost-effective medical and dental treatments, and DentaTur is no exception, offering competitive prices without compromising on quality. Customized Solutions: DentaTur understands that every patient is unique. They provide personalized treatment plans tailored to your specific needs and preferences. Stunning Locations: DentaTur clinics are strategically located in some of Turkey's most picturesque cities, offering you a chance to combine your dental journey with a memorable vacation. Full Mouth Dental Implants: More Options with DentaTur If you're in need of extensive dental restoration, you can get more options with the full mouth dental implants are the perfect solution. This comprehensive package provides you with more options and benefits than ever before. What Sets DentaTur's Full Mouth Dental Implants Apart? Comprehensive Assessment: DentaTur conducts a thorough assessment of your oral health, ensuring that the full mouth dental implant procedure is tailored to your unique needs. Cost-Effective Packages: DentaTur offers attractive package deals, making full mouth dental implants an affordable option for patients seeking complete oral rehabilitation. Experienced Surgeons: The surgery is performed by experienced oral surgeons who are well-versed in complex implant procedures. Natural-Looking Results: DentaTur's commitment to aesthetic dentistry ensures that your new teeth will look and feel completely natural. Exploring the Benefits of Dental Implants Dental implants offer a plethora of benefits that extend beyond the restoration of your smile: 1. Improved Oral Health: Dental implants help preserve adjacent teeth, promoting overall oral health. 2. Enhanced Aesthetics: They look and feel like natural teeth, boosting your confidence and self-esteem. 3. Durability: Dental implants can last a lifetime with proper care, making them a long-term investment. 4. Improved Speech: Unlike dentures, which can affect speech, dental implants allow you to speak naturally. 5. Convenience: Dental implants eliminate the hassle of removable dentures, allowing you to enjoy your favorite foods without restrictions. 6. Prevent Bone Loss: They stimulate jawbone growth, preventing deterioration over time. Planning Your Dental Journey with DentaTur When considering dental implants in Turkey, it's essential to plan your trip effectively. Here are some key steps to ensure a smooth and successful dental implant experience with DentaTur: 1. Consultation: Schedule an initial consultation with DentaTur to discuss your treatment options and expectations. 2. Travel Arrangements: Plan your travel to Turkey, considering factors such as accommodation and transportation. 3. Treatment: Undergo the dental implant procedure at DentaTur's state-of-the-art clinic. 4. Recovery: Allow time for healing and follow post-operative care instructions. 5. Enjoy Turkey: While in Turkey, explore the country's rich culture, history, and stunning landscapes. 6. Follow-Up: Schedule follow-up appointments with DentaTur to ensure the success of your dental implant treatment. Conclusion Dental implants have transformed the lives of countless individuals, restoring their smiles and confidence. With DentaTur, you can experience the best types of dental implants in Turkey, whether you require single tooth replacements or full mouth dental implants. Trust in DentaTur's expertise, technology, and commitment to your oral health, and embark on a journey to rediscover your smile and well-being. Explore the beautiful landscapes of Turkey while receiving world-class dental care, all at an affordable price. Your dream smile awaits at DentaTur clinics. 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! Traders Union (TU) financial experts have taken the Forex trading world by storm, revealing their list of the Top Forex Brokers for 2023. Drawing upon more than a decade of experience, TU analysts have consistently fine-tuned their Evaluation Methodology, combining it with an analysis of user reviews and experiences. Remarkably, Traders Union's recent research has resulted in the identification of the top Forex brokers in the world poised to make a mark in the industry. At the forefront of this lineup is RoboForex, leading the pack among the 351 evaluated companies with an impressive TU Overall Score of 9.78. The Belize-based broker offers a minimum deposit of $10, coupled with a leverage of up to 1:2000. Pocket Option follows closely as the second standout, securing a notable score of 9.71. This platform introduces traders to a copy trading service that simplifies their trading journey. Meanwhile, Tickmill follows suit with a TU rate of 9.64, known for its attractive minimum deposit of $100 and varying leverage options. Notably, Exness, a veteran in the Forex market since 2008, has established a score of 9.57, underpinned by its extensive presence across over 130 countries with an astounding monthly trading turnover of $325.8 billion. AAFX, with a TU Overall Score of 9.50, positions itself as an STP and ECN broker, renowned for its tight spreads and optimal trading conditions. Moreover, Vantage, Forex4you, Amarkets, XM Group, and OctaFX were also featured in the list, all securing scores surpassing 9.15. Traders Union's evaluation of Forex brokers is based on a set of standardized criteria designed to assess each broker according to international auditing standards. TU carefully examines each broker against a comprehensive set of more than 100 standard evaluation criteria, which cover fundamental categories. These areas dig into essential aspects of how brokers perform, ensuring a thorough review of what they offer. In addition, the evaluation process considers 30 further internal factors that come from insights related to traders' experiences, assessing trading platforms through real trading scenarios. Accordingly, this practical testing approach provides a direct experience of how the broker's platform performs, revealing its functionality and responsiveness. At the same time, Traders Union conducts thorough "test drives" of brokers, involving steps from creating personal accounts to withdrawing earned profits. Notably, another vital part of TU's evaluation involves analyzing customer reviews of brokers and their services. All these procedures contribute to a comprehensive evaluation process, allowing market participants to provide a well-informed and complete assessment of each broker. 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! The demand for a comprehensive SEO approach has reached new heights. With numerous enterprises establishing their online presence daily, the digital competition has intensified significantly. In this highly competitive market, being found at the top of Google Search results is a crucial parameter to ensure the success of your business. In such a scenario, Link Building is one of the vital SEO strategies to improve rankings of businesses on Google Search Results. But what is Link Building? Link Building is a strategy under Search Engine Optimisation in which backlinks or hyperlinks are inserted in relevant websites or pages that lead to your website. It is not as simple as it sounds! Poor Link Building may push your businesss search results down even further. Dont worry we got you covered. This article is your go-to guide to learn SEO Link Building for small businesses. Why is Link Building vital for SEO, especially small businesses? Google uses different parameters to decide its search results. Backlinks and their locations are one of the factors that Google considers when it receives a query. In simple words, backlinks are recommendations or referrals, and we as humans have a tendency to consider referrals, especially, when we are new to the area. Many customers visit any local store after searching it online, so digital presence is the stores first impression on customers. Hence, small businesses need to build credibility and establish authority online to increase footfall and revenue; backlinking helps them tremendously in this. It helps them in increasing their brand visibility, brand awareness, credibility, foot traffic, revenues, Search Engine Result Pages Rankings (SERPs) and gives them an edge in the competition. Local Link Building: Tapping into India's Digital Community 52 percent of Indias total population has access to the internet. Now, with voice command features and use of AI, search has become very easy and an everyday tool. People rely on search results as a source of information with credibility. If you're a business running in a particular area or city, local link building is your thing. Local Link building means acquiring backlinks from websites related to a particular region. To put it another way, it involves obtaining links from websites in the same region or locality as the business. Local link building aims to improve a business's visibility in local search results and ranking for location-specific keywords. The best method to acquire backlinks is to focus on creating exceptional content that provides value to your audience. Guest posting can be an effective method for acquiring backlinks, especially when done strategically. There are many platforms that could be of help and one of the trusted platforms is SeoWebFirm that may help your business with guest posting services. Other Local Link Building Strategies specific to Indian markets Local link building tactics emphasize using local context to strengthen SEO efforts. In order to build beneficial connections, focusing on neighborhood directories and community-based platforms serves the purpose. 1. Local Business Directories: Include current and accurate information about your company, such as your address, phone number, and services. You can consider online directories like JustDial, Sulekha, and Yellow Pages India. 2. Regional Communities and Forums: Join online groups and forums that are targeting Indian cities or areas. Be subtle while advertising your business and keep sharing your knowledge and ideas there. 3. Local Business Associations: Join local business associations and chambers of commerce. Many of these associations have websites that feature member listings and resources. 4. Local News Websites and Blogs: Try to find opportunities to get featured in local news websites and blogs that eventually highlight your business. 5. Influencer Collaboration: Try to collaborate with local influencers or radio jockey to mark presence on social media. 6. Social media profiles: Keep your social media profiles updated and interactive. But if you are looking for genuine recommendations, consider Seowebfirm. It assures quality backlinks from highly popular and genuine blogs that are visited and read by a selected audience. The platform has been providing services since 2018 and is being counted as a reliable website for all your backlinking woes. To keep it more authentic, the posts that they submit to the blogs are qualitative and detailed explaining the topic or subject well. They also add relevant images to make the post genuine and more natural. Criteria for Evaluating Potential Local Link Partners: When you are assessing websites for potential link building opportunities, it's important to consider various factors. First, analyze the content, both written and visual, across the website, including blogs and website content. Second, assess the administration to determine if any advertising is present and to understand the associated policies. Then scrutinize the link profile to gauge the quality and relevance of the backlinks. Identify the authors responsible for creating the main content. Lastly, delve into the technical aspects to investigate how users navigate and engage with the content or website from a technical perspective. Avoiding Common Pitfalls: Staying Clear of Black Hat Techniques and Penalties Black hat technique is a bad SEO practice that goes against the search engine guidelines. They intend to improve site rankings but are unethical. Search engines impose penalties if it senses a black hat technique being used. Common black hat techniques are keyword stuffing, cloaking, and using private link networks. Strategies to avoid Black hat SEO Techniques You can certainly avoid SEO bad practices. Start by writing the content for the searcher and not the search engine. Use free guidelines available to write content following SEO best practices. Avoid using paid links to increase the presence of your website. Good quality content always stands out, focusing on the same will help you steer away from penalty by any search engine. Measuring Success: Tools and Metrics to Track Your Link Building Impact With tools like Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush, and Majestic, it is feasible to find and audit existing backlinks, spot problems or opportunities, explore potential link possibilities, analyze competitor performance, and examine how links impact organic traffic, rankings, and conversions. Always keep in mind that creating genuine connections with your audience and offering them value is the key to generating relevant links. Make sure the websites you're targeting are credible and pertinent to your organization, and place an emphasis on quality above quantity. You can improve your local link development efforts in the Indian market by concentrating on neighborhood directories and community-based platforms. 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! Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday announced the dates for the next three editions of Karnataka's flagship event, Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS). Priyank Kharge.(ANI) While the event will take place from November 29 to December 1 this year in the state capital, the schedule for 2024 and 2025 editions will be between November 19 to 21 in both years. "The event dates for 2024 and 2025 were announced early to encourage international tech organisations to play their participation well in advance," the Minister said in a press conference. He said announcing the dates in advance was a testament to Karnataka's continued commitment to the growth of the sector, while transcending national and international boundaries through collaborations. READ | Religion that promotes inequality is as good as disease: Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge on Sanatana Dharma row Earlier, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, at a curtain-raiser programme ahead of BTS, said the annual event stands as a proof of the Karnataka government's commitment to innovation, technology, and progress. "We celebrate not just our remarkable technological achievements but also the indomitable spirit of innovation that has come to define our state. This summit is a testament to our unwavering dedication to fostering an ecosystem that nurtures and propels cutting-edge technology," he said during an interactive session. According to Siddaramaiah, the Congress-led government introduced Karnataka's first IT policy in 1992. This policy laid the groundwork for the development of Electronics City, which eventually became a symbol of India's IT prowess, he said. "The Congress has always given stability to the political system, governance and administration in the state. We are committed to provide a stable and predictable policy environment to make long-term commitments," Siddaramaiah said. READ | BJP MLA Yatnal says Karnataka government will collapse, Congress hits out The Chief Minister conceded that Bengaluru being one of the fastest growing cities in the world is facing challenges in terms of infrastructure development, standard of living, traffic, transportation, etc. However, there is definitely a shift in priorities of the Congress government compared to the previous regimes, he added. "Our government is on the fast track to reduce traffic problems by improving public transport usage experience, improving last-mile connectivity and creating infrastructure to remove bottlenecks. We are committed to expanding the metro network rapidly," Siddaramaiah said. The Chief Minister also told the gathering that Karnataka is identified as a preferred destination for investments by leading Indian and global multinational companies. 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 22-year-old youth from South Sudan, who left three people injured after ramming their motorcycles with his car on a flyover in Kharar on Sunday, was driving under the influence of liquor, his blood test report has revealed. The three injured continue to battle for life. Among them, Harpreet Kaur, 45, was rushed to PGIMER, Chandigarh, on Monday after her condition worsened. (Getty image) Therefore, the accused, El Amin Mudhowi Adwok, a student at Punjab College of Technical Education (PCTE), Baddowal, has also been booked for drunken driving, said police. On Sunday, police had recovered beer bottles from the car of Adwok, who was accompanied by three more youths. Meanwhile, the three injured continue to battle for life. Among them, Harpreet Kaur, 45, was rushed to PGIMER on Monday after her condition worsened. The other injured are Paramjit Kaur, 45, and her son Harpreet Singh, 23. All three are relatives and residents of Nanuwal village, Fatehgarh Sahib. They were headed to a gurdwara on Sunday, when they were struck by Adwoks car. Kharar DSP Karan Singh Sandhu said the accused had been booked under Sections 279 (rash driving), 337 (driving by a drunken person) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of 50) of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 185 (driving by a drunken person) of the Motor Vehicles Act. 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 Besides being the financial capital of India, I had always known Mumbai or Bombay through the colourful prism of Bollywood films. Termed the city of dreams and maximum city, Mumbais cinematic portrayal encompasses the famous Marine Drive, Gateway of India, its Gothic architecture, crowded suburban trains, nightlife and the underworld. Besides being the financial capital of India, I had always known Mumbai or Bombay through the colourful prism of Bollywood films. Termed the city of dreams and maximum city, Mumbais cinematic portrayal encompasses the famous Marine Drive, Gateway of India, its Gothic architecture, crowded suburban trains, nightlife and the underworld. (HT Photo) About five years ago when I was transferred to Mumbai, I got a chance to see the city face-to-face and how it represents a melting pot of cultures. Its heritage is a combination of traditional festivals, multiple cuisines, including street food, music and fine arts. Also known as the city that never sleeps, it is one of the busiest places in India with traffic continuously on the move on all main arteries. The first look at the city and its places made me believe that everything had shrunk to some degree probably due to the paucity of land. For many, Mumbai denotes an urbanism that welcomes everyone but initially I found myself to be sleepless on some days. During the initial days of my stay in Mumbai when I was putting up at the official guesthouse and living out of a suitcase, I used to go for an after-dinner walk on the promenade of Marine Drive. Ambling down the road at 10pm, I noticed a family of three, a couple with their infant daughter sleeping on a rugged sheet of linen on the footpath near Churchgate station. Their meagre belongings were packed in a bag lying under the head of the male member. The noise of approaching trains and cars couldnt disturb them. Coming from a small town, I discovered a new facet of the metropolitan city. Were they not scared of people trampling them while walking on the footpaths or rogue car drivers running over them? What about the vagaries of weather? With these thoughts crossing my mind, I moved ahead towards Marine Drive. It was the same story the next day, too. Sound sleep under the canopy of the blue sky and multitude of stars, I murmured to myself. One night, I found the family awake and decided to interact with them. What do you do? Where do you stay during the day? I said. We came to Mumbai in search of work. We spend the day at a construction site but the contractor doesnt allow us to sleep there, the male member replied. How do you manage during the monsoon? I asked. We sleep under some bridge or any other partially covered place we can find, he said. I had nothing to offer them except my best wishes for a better tomorrow. The experience left a deep impression on my psyche. It gave me a sense of enhanced gratitude for all that I had and the constant cribbing about the first-world problems of small rooms, difficulty in living out of a suitcase and cacophony of rush-hour traffic disappeared to a large extent. Lakhs of migrant workers flock to Mumbai in search of jobs. Most of them stay in shanties, slums and some of even on pavements. Slowly, they amalgamate into teeming millions and their never-say-die attitude proves that nothing can stop the people of the city. The writer, an Indian Revenue Service officer, is commissioner of income tax in Mumbai. He can be contacted at sharmaajay25@yahoo.co.in 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 Hisar sadar police have booked seven policemen, including the head of the narcotic cell of the Hisar police, for allegedly torturing a 40-year-old man from Fatehabad, who died during treatment at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) on September 1. The victims family has been sitting on a dharna at the PGIMS since his death and they accepted his body today and cremated at his native village in Fatehabad after the police booked seven cops. The Hisar sadar police have booked seven cops, including the head of the narcotic cell of the Hisar police, for allegedly torturing a 40-year-old man from Fatehabad, who died during treatment at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) on September 1. (Getty Images/ Representational image) Those booked are Hisar narcotic cell in-charge Pawan Kumar, Naveen Kumar, Jasbir, Parmod, Rajbir, Rajesh and Hemraj, on a complaint filed by victim Harpals wife Suman. The cops were booked under Section 302 of the IPC. Suman said her husband had gone to bring some household items on July 1, but he did not return. On July 2, I received a call from Hemraj, who is posted at Rohtak narcotic cell, stating that my husband has been arrested in an NDPS case. The next day I along with my brother-in-law went there but the cops did not allow us to meet my husband. We met him at the Rohtak court complex, and he told us to arrange 15-20 lakh, else the Hisar narcotic cell head will torture him, she alleged. Victims cousin Vinod claimed that the police picked up Harpal on July 1 and later they brought him to a place in Rohtak from where they claimed to have recovered drugs from his possession. A case was registered against Harpal at the urban estate police station in Rohtak and the Hisar police had taken him on remand. They gave him third-degree torture in Hisar and when his health worsened, the narcotic cell officials called a quack. When Harpals health deteriorated, he was admitted to a private hospital in Hisar and a local from our village had seen him there and he informed us, the victims cousin added. He claimed that when they had gone to the private hospital to meet Harpal, police denied them permission. Then we approached the court and Harpal was brought to the PGIMS on July 15, and he succumbed to his injuries on September 1, he 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! Twenty-one candidates in the race to make it to the Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) and others hoping to serve as department representatives will be watching anxiously as 15,693 eligible voters hit the ballot rooms today. There are nine candidates vying for the presidents post and four candidates each for the post of vice-president, secretary and joint-secretary of Panjab University Campus Students Council. (HT File) As many as 179 voting booths have been set up in various departments as PU goes to the polls on Wednesday. There are nine candidates vying for the presidents post and four candidates each for the post of vice-president, secretary and joint-secretary of PUCSC. Out of the 21, only four are women. Simultaneously, the voting to elect 68 department representatives (DRs) will also be held in 29 departments while in 40 departments, 58 DRs have been elected unopposed. The Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), which had won the presidents post in their debutant poll in 2022, will aim to repeat their performance this year as they contest for the presidents seat. In the 2019 elections, Chetan Chaudhary of the Student Organisation of India (SOI) was elected the campus president. The year before, in 2018, Kanupriya from Students For Society (SFS) had become the first woman president of PUCSC. Holidays may impact voter turnout Candidates fear that the voter turnout may be lower this year as students, especially hostellers, may give voting a skip as the polling day falls right after the weekend and a day before Janmashtami. Last year, because of delayed admissions at University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET), freshers had been unable to participate in the polling. However, this time around 500 extra votes will come from his department. No clear favourite this time This time, no clear favourite has emerged so far. Last years president post winner, CYSS, had been in a strong position till Monday, the last day of campaigning, but the last-minute violence may influence some voters. Panjab University Students Union (PUSU) president Davinder Pal Singh was allegedly thrashed by members of the party on Monday. PU authorities have confirmed that they have found eyewitnesses and will take action based on the testimony. While CYSS has claimed they were not involved with this, the videos of the candidates turban being tossed went viral and this may influence many voters. The voters will also associate CYSS with its earlier displays of power when their MLA made rounds of the campus on at least three instances. While National Students Union of India (NSUI) candidate Jatinder Singh has a strong base in South Campus, being a bachelors and masters engineering student, instances of cross voting are feared in the NSUI cadre this time due to rifts between different groups in the party. NSUI national in-charge Kanhaiya Kumar had also come to the city to insist all is well, but it is feared that Jatinder joining the party just a day before being declared the presidential candidate wont be go down well with some members. While the other two student parties are in close contact with their parent parties, a senior BJP insider revealed that Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which is the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has tried its best to keep its distance from the BJP. Rather than use the BJPs political acumen, the students decision to base their campaigning on just their ideology is something that has confused some of the BJP leaders who insist that the student leaders need to be more practical while campaigning. Three pre-poll alliances have been forged this time. The CYSS has joined hands with Himachal Students Union (HIMSU), and decided to contest only for the presidents post. Last year, too, CYSS was in alliance with Panjab University Helping Hands (PUHH) that has tied up with ABVP this time. Students Organisation of India (SOI) has tied up with Indian National Students Organisation (INSO) and Himachal Pradesh Students Union (HPSU). SOI will contest for the presidents seat, INSO for vice-president and secretary, and HPSU for joint secretary. Last-ditch efforts to woo voters On Tuesday, there had been a ban on campaigning. Student leaders were however spotted doing some one-on-one campaigning without any stickers so as to not flout the Lyngdoh guidelines. The leaders were especially active around UIET, which is the biggest department with 2,527 voters. UIET, UILS and Department of Laws alone have over 35% of the voters. Three of the nine presidential candidates are from these departments and hold sway among the voters here. Students who have taken admission in the university till September 5 will be permitted to cast their votes. If any such student has not been issued an identity card from the department, he/she can enter the campus by showing the fee slip along with any identity proof and can cast the vote after verification of the admission, office of the dean student welfare, said in a circular issued on Tuesday. 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 local court on Tuesday sentenced a sanitary worker employed at the Ludhiana municipal corporation to rigorous life imprisonment for killing his two-month pregnant wife. The complainant revealed that his daughter, Mahi, had been married to the accused for around three years and the couple had a one-and-a-half-year-old son. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Additional sessions judge Dishan Saroop handed over the sentence to Sandeep Kumar and also imposed a fine of 10,000 on him. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional two years of rigorous imprisonment. The victim, Mahi alias Santosh Devi, 23, was found dead in the couples home in Subhash Nagar by her father, Shalinder Singh, on April 15, 2015. A first information report (FIR) was lodged against the accused following Singhs complaint. Singh, a resident of Meharban, had alleged that Kumar used to suspect Mahi of infidelity. The complainant revealed that his daughter, Mahi, had been married to the accused for around three years and the couple had a one-and-a-half-year-old son. Singh said that on the fateful day, he received news that his daughter was strangled by her husband. Upon reaching their residence, he discovered his daughters lifeless body lying in a room. 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! That morning assembly at Punjab Public School, the boarding school I attended at Nabha many years ago, will remain etched in memory. Our enthusiastic headmaster, Manjitinder Singh Bedi, surprised us with the announcement: Its encouraging to see improvement in the spoken English of students of Jamuna House. Congratulations to housemaster Shaju Antony for his efforts. We were thrilled and Antony sir deserved the accolades. An English teacher from Kerala, he made the best use of his time and ensured we did, too. Some students found him too strict and prayed for his transfer to another House of the school. Every morning, even before our rouser bell, he would write down two new words with their usage in sentences on our notice board. He could test anyone at any time about the words so we made it a point to take note. (Representational image) An English teacher from Kerala, he made the best use of his time and ensured we did, too. Some students found him too strict and prayed for his transfer to another House of the school. Every morning, even before our rouser bell, he would write down two new words with their usage in sentences on our notice board. He could test anyone at any time about the words so we made it a point to take note. With all newspapers available in our study room in the evening, it was a ritual for him to ask us about current affairs. Most of us carried a pocket diary along to jot down words and facts. But, the most important rule for us was to communicate in English, even if it was incorrect. He had chosen some students to apprise him of the list of their contemporaries who avoided English. Like spies, we would keep him updated and for a long time, I was successful in keeping my role secret. He joined us during cupboard and washing inspections and just before bed-time as he was an expert in detecting stains. In the morning, he wanted beds made the Japanese way. His fear, though slowly, fuelled in us the Japanese spirit that showed up in our neat and clean attire and shining shoes. At times, the methods he employed were funny. For instance, to wake us up instantly in winter, he would switch on the fans, while in summer, he would simply turn them off. It worked! He knew many students climbed the hostel wall on Sunday to visit eating joints and phone call booths in the nearby market. Soon, he figured out places frequented by students and caught them just as they would unsuspectingly step in. He knew where to hide and lie in wait, hence we called him Bond, James Bond. Many recall his villainous smile. Upon catching a student in mischief mode, it felt as though his mission had been accomplished. The student had no choice but to face the music. In the classroom, his lecture on the plays of Shakespeare felt like we were attending theatre. There was something in him for even students who had never imagined being on stage, found themselves there. Some children participated in debates, while others took part in in-house shows. No wonder, most of us who may not have liked him back in the good old days, desperately miss him now. Thankfully, social media keeps us connected. A few months ago, I visited him and his family in Texas, where he now lives. I enjoyed his hospitality. Every day, we recalled memories from the Nabha days and I couldnt agree more, when he said, I may have been strict but my intention was to make you all do better. And, so should it be every teachers intention. The writer is an Amritsar-based freelance contributor. He can be contacted at rameshinder.sandhu@gmail.com 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 Rameshinder Singh Sandhu Rameshinder Singh Sandhu is a staff reporter based in Ludhiana. He mainly covers administration, besides writing on agriculture, lifestyle trends, culture and travel. ...view detail The work to connect the cloverleaf junction on Dwarka Expressway with Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway (NH-48), and the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) near Kherki Daula will be completed by the end of the month, and this will ensure seamless connectivity to commuters across all three roads, confirmed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and highway contractor L&T. Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari on an inspection visit to Dwarka Expressway on Monday evening. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo) Although both entities aver that the road will be ready by the month-end, neither was ready to confirm when it will be opened to traffic. The 29km Dwarka Expressway is being constructed in four packages with package one and two falling in Delhi, while package three and four, around 18km, falling in Gurugram. The cloverleaf that will connect the Dwarka Expressway with NH-48 is part of package four and it starts from Basai railway overbridge and ends on the NH-48 near Kherki Daula. A senior L&T official, when asked about the connectivity of cloverleaf with NH-48, said the work to connect the four ramps with NH-48 has been initiated and is expected to be completed by the month-end. We have started the work of connecting the cloverleaf with the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and it will be completed by end of the month, he said. When asked about the opening of the cloverleaf and the package three and four of Dwarka Expressway, NHAI officials said they have not received any direction from the headquarters or Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, who was on an inspection visit to Dwarka Expressway on Monday evening. We have not received any direction regarding the opening of the road, said a senior NHAI official, asking not to be named A large number of commuters presently use Loop One of the cloverleaf to travel from sectors 81 to 95 towards Rajiv Chowk. But they can access NH-48 only via the service road, which is broken at several places and gets waterlogged near Narsinghpur whenever it rains. The work on the Ramp One is almost complete and the access road has also been blacktopped, said NHAI officials. The work on Ramp Two is also underway, and it takes the traffic from Kherki Daula towards the Dwarka Expressway and work to construct the road has been taken up. Ramp Three of the cloverleaf takes the traffic from SPR to Kherki Daula and towards Jaipur. The work on this section is likely to take some time as a drain has to be diverted on that stretch. Ramp Four of the cloverleaf will take the traffic from Gurugram towards SPR. A L&T official said commuters can use a combination of ramps and loops on the four way junction to access the three major roads of Dwarka Expressway, Southern Peripheral Road, and NH-48. Tanmoy Chatterjee, project director, L&T, said, The work on the cloverleaf will be completed by end of the month but the decision to open it to traffic can be taken only by the NHAI, he said. Officials privy to the matter said the deadline for completing the work on the cloverleaf is between September 15 and September 17. Prakhar Sahay, an apartment owner on Dwarka Expressway, said the opening of the cloverleaf will greatly ease commuting on both sides of NH-48, particularly those living in sectors 81 to 95. Currently, there is heavy traffic congestion on the service lane of NH-48 which connects the cloverleaf leaf with the highway. The road is also broken and in a bad shape. The opening of the cloverleaf will greatly ease traffic, he said. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Abhishek Behl Abhishek Behl is principal correspondent, Hindustan Times in Gurgaon Bureau. He covers infrastructure, planning and civic agencies in the city. He has been covering Gurgaon as correspondent for the last 10 years, and has written extensively on the city. ...view detail KOLKATA: An internal probe committee set up into the death of a first-year Jadavpur University student in the hostel on the campus last month has recommended the expulsion of four students, people familiar with the matter said. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee launched Anti Ragging Helpline numbers after the death of a Jadavpur University student (HT File Photo) The internal committee has made certain recommendations, including expulsion of some students. At this state, we are not disclosing the exact recommendations made by the committee. All we can say is that the committee has suggested some minimum punishment for all students who were present in the block on that night, Buddhadeb Sau, interim vice chancellor of the JU said. A 17-year-old student allegedly jumped off the second floor of the universitys main hostel on the night of July 9 after he was ragged and sexually harassed. The student succumbed to his injures the following day. Police registered a murder case on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victims father. Over the next few weeks, 13 current and former students were arrested. While the state government set up a four-member fact-finding committee to look into the administrative lapses and infrastructure gaps in the university, Governor CV Ananda Bose set up a panel headed by the former chief justice of the Karnataka high court Subhro Kamal Mukherjee to look into the issue and recommend steps to end ragging and violence on the campus. The internal probe committees recommendations would be placed before the universitys anti-ragging committee. The anti-ragging committee may further investigate or place the recommendations before the executive council which would take the final all, said Sau. A senior professor at the university said that the committee recommended expulsion of four students and registration of a police complaint against six former students. It also asked the authorities to bar at least 25 former students, who were illegally staying in the hostel, from the premises. It also recommended that five students be suspended for four semesters 11 students for two semesters and 15 students for one semester, said the professor. The students parents, who met West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat on Monday, met Kolkata police commissioner on Tuesday. The state government has decided to give a job to the victims mother. On Tuesday, a two-member team of the Indian Space Research Organization also visited the JU campus following a request by the governor to seek help to curb ragging incidents in colleges across the state. 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! West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday threatened to block funds to state-run universities if they dared follow the orders of governor CV Ananda Bose and warned of a sit-in protest outside Raj Bhavan . West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee addresses a programme on the occasion of Teachers Day in Kolkata on Tuesday. (ANI) If you interfere with any university or if any university or college takes your order, I will create economic obstructions. Tit for tat. No compromise. Let me see how you pay the salaries of university staff. We never interfere in the education system, Banerjee said while addressing a government program to celebrate Teachers Day. The chief minister directed senior bureaucrats of her administration to gear up for an all-out legal battle against the Raj Bhavan. There was no response from the Raj Bhavan. Please take care. We have to fight this battle all out. And if it turns out that there is interference in the federal structure, I will be forced to stage a dharna outside the Governor-house. I wont allow the education system to collapse, she added. Happenings in West Bengal are part of a trend of confrontation between governors and state governments in non-BJP ruled states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Bihar over running of the state universities. The state governments are opposed to governors playing a proactive role in running universities and say the governor is only a nominal head of the universities. Banerjees statement came three days after Raj Bhavan issued a circular saying that university officials were not mandated to take direct orders from the state government or execute it without the knowledge and consent of the vice-chancellor. The governor appoints the vice chancellor. We make the policies and fund the universities and he will give orders? Have you ever heard that the vice-chancellor of a university is appointed after midnight superseding 16 others? An IPS officer from Kerala was appointed the V-C of a university. A former judge was appointed the V-C of another university. I know him because he was my classmate during my Masters, she said while adding that a man who is not a cook is being asked to prepare biriyani. The functioning of state-run universities has been a bone of contention between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Raj Bhavan since 2019, when former governor Jagdeep Dhankhar assumed charge. Bose, who is chancellor of all state-run universities, recently drew the ire of the TMC government by deciding to be acting vice-chancellor (VC) of 14 universities where the posts were lying vacant. An injured tiger is more dangerous than a healthy tiger. Today you are attacking us. But will you be able to stand the retaliation? Please wait and watch. We will take legal recourse, the chief minister 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! KANPUR A special court in Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday awarded 23 people 10 years of imprisonment in connection with the killing of eight policemen in an ambush by deceased gangster Vikas Dubeys aides in 2020. According to special director general of police (law and order) Prashant Kumar, seven remaining accused were acquitted by the special Gangster Act court. (Pic for representation) According to special director general of police (law and order) Prashant Kumar, seven remaining accused were acquitted by the special Gangster Act court. Additional district judge-5 Durgesh, who passed the order, also imposed a penalty of 50,000 on each of the convicts, he said. The counsel for one of the convicts said he will move Allahabad high court against the judgment. The case pertains to the killing of eight policemen, including deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Devendra Mishra, in Bikru village on July 3, 2020 when they were on their way to arrest Dubey in connection with an abduction and an attempt to murder case. All 30 accused were charged under the Gangster Act on October 21, 2021. Out of 30 accused, 23 were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment, and a fine of 50,000 was imposed on each of them. The remaining were acquitted, Kumar told reporters. Public prosecutor Raju Porwal also confirmed the punishment and said he will soon challenge the acquittals of the seven people. Following the July 3 incident, two of Dubeys associates Prem Prakash Pandey and Atul Dubey were killed in an encounter in Kanpur, according to the police. Vikas Dubey was arrested in Madhya Pradeshs Ujjain city on July 9, 2020. A day later, he was killed in a purported police encounter. Following the courts verdict, police security was stepped up in Bikru village. Joint commissioner of police Anand Prakash Tiwari said police have been directed to maintain a close watch on the village, particularly on the relatives of the convicts. 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: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday took a swipe at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over speculation that the government could introduce legislation to name the country as Bharat NCP chief Sharad Pawar said no one has the right to change the countrys name (ANI) Pawar said no one has the right to change the countrys name, India. Im unable to understand why the ruling parties are rattled by a name (INDIA) which is directly related to the country, Pawar said, referring to the coalition of 28 opposition parties, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), that was formed to take on the BJP. Speculation that the government agenda during the special session of Parliament on September 18-22 could include legislation to change the countrys name was triggered after photographs of invitation cards for the G20 official dinner on September 9 at the presidential palace cards emerged on social media. These were sent out on behalf of the President of Bharat, and not the President of India. But as he took a swipe at the Centre, Pawar acknowledged that they didnt really know the governments plans. We dont know what the Centre is up to, Pawar said at a press conference in Maharashtras Jalgaon district and added that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has called a meeting of senior leaders of the INDIA alliance to discuss all these issues on Wednesday afternoon in Delhi. There will be deliberation on this in the meeting, but no one has the right to change the name (of the country). No one can change the name, the NCP chief said. The government announced on Saturday the constitution of a committee to study the feasibility of having simultaneous elections, just days ahead of the five-day special session that initially prompted buzz that the Lok Sabha polls may be brought forward and a bill for simultaneous or synchronised elections may be tabled. The government hasnt announced any agenda for the special session. Pawar said these developments were efforts by the government to divert attention as they are shaken because of the opposition alliance. The reason behind (all this) is the meeting of the INDIA alliance. As many as 7-8 chief ministers and heads of 18 other political parties attended the Mumbai. meeting. The ruling parties are rattled looking at the response and hence doing all this, the veteran leader said, insisting that there was no real need to call the special session. The former union minister also questioned the governments seriousness about its one nation, one election proposal. I have never seen any government appointing a committee under a former president. If they are really serious, then they should have roped in opposition leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge in the process, he said and pointed out that the government made BJP leaders part of the panel instead of making the opposition parties part of the process. It means they want to divert peoples attention from the current issues before the country, he said. There has been no reaction from the Centre or the BJP to the speculation. 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 30-year-old woman was allegedly shot dead at her home in a village of Greater Noida on Tuesday afternoon by unidentified men who arrived on a motorcycle, police said. The police at the womans residence on Tuesday. The incident took place around 2.30pm in the Brij Vihar colony in Chhapraula village under Badalpur police station limits. (HT Photo) The incident took place around 2.30pm in the Brij Vihar colony in Chhapraula village under Badalpur police station limits in Central Noida zone, they said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Noida) Suniti said the deceased has been identified as Soni, a native of Bihar who was residing in Chhapraula village for the past six months with her husband, Mausam Kumar, a 10-year-old daughter and 25-year-old brother Vishal. This was her second marriage and Soni had a dispute with her former husband, the DCP said. We received information about the incident around 2.40pm from a local hospital in the area, which reported that a woman was brought dead with gunshot wounds. Immediately, a team from Badalpur police station along with senior officers rushed to the spot. During our investigation, it was found that two men on a motorbike arrived at the womans house and fled after shooting her, said the DCP. Investigators said three bullet cartridges were recovered from the spot and locals told police that they heard three gunshots. The womans husband works at the regional transport office (RTO) in Noida and was at work when the incident happened. Mausam Kumar said, Two strangers rang our doorbell and my wife opened the door. They asked her about me after which she called me around 2.30pm and asked me to speak to them over phone. I could not recognise their voice and so I asked them to return in the evening when I would be back from work. Then my wife took the phone but suddenly I heard gun shots over the call. The womans brother was at home at the time and he rushed her to the hospital where she was declared dead on arrival, Kumar said. I have suspicions on my wifes former husband Vinod and have lodged a complaint with the local police. He had been troubling my wife recently, said Kumar, adding that Sonis daughter from her first marriage lived with them. According to the DCP, Soni and Kumar started living together around a year ago. As per preliminary information, Soni got married to Vinod around 10 years ago but left him as he used to beat her. Since the last one year, the woman had been living with Kumar. The woman had a daughter from her first husband and the child is currently living with her, Suniti said, adding that while the police cannot verify whether Kumar and Soni are legally married, Kumar has refereed to Soni as his wife in the complaint submitted to the police. The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination and further investigation is underway. A case under relevant sections is being registered on the basis of the complaint and teams are scanning the CCTV footage of the area to identify the suspects, Suniti 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 LUCKNOW Lawyers from the district court burnt effigies of the chief secretary and the DGP at the old high court crossing on Tuesday in protest of the Hapur incident, wherein the police had used canes against lawyers on August 29. Lawyersprotest (HT File) On the second day of the statewide strike, lawyers refrained from work in district courts across the state. Lawyers from the Allahabad high court and its Lucknow bench also participated in the strike. The strike is set to persist on Wednesday, affecting district courts and the Allahabad high court and its Lucknow bench. Lawyers congregated at the old high court building and ignited effigies of the chief secretary and the states DGP, as part of the statewide lawyers protest. Kuldeep Narain Mishra, president of the Lucknow Bar Association at the district court, said, The strike will continue on Wednesday as well since the state government has not taken action against the police officers responsible for baton-charging lawyers in Hapur. On Tuesday, the Oudh Bar Association (OBA) of the Lucknow high court passed a resolution to continue the strike on Wednesday, according to Anand Mani Tripathi, president of the OBA. Notably, the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh had called for a three-day strike commencing on September 4. They will make decisions regarding the future course of action on Wednesday evening. Ex-principal judge appointed as member of committee The state government has appointed Harinath Pandey, the former principal judge of the family court, as a member of the committee investigating the Hapur incident. The committee, which already comprises three members including the Meerut divisional commissioner, inspector general (IG) of police, and deputy IG of Meerut, now welcomes Pandey as its fourth member. His appointment followed the Allahabad high courts intervention on September 4 during the hearing of the Hapur incident. Chief Justice of the Allahabad high court, Pritinker Diwaker, had directed the state government to include Harinath Pandey, the former Principal Judge of the Family Court, as a committee member. On September 4, the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh called for a three-day statewide strike among lawyers, demanding action against the police officers who baton-charged their colleagues. The incident in Hapur occurred on August 29 when lawyers were protesting the registration of an FIR against district lawyer Priyanka Tyagi and her father. The case arose from a collision between a motorcycle carrying two policemen and Tyagis car. Lawyers were advocating for the FIR to be quashed, but the police responded with baton charges, resulting in injuries to 30 advocates. Police officials, on the other hand, denied the allegations, asserting that they used mild force when lawyers began assaulting a passerby during the protest. According to Hapur police, at least eight police personnel were also injured during the incident. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! PATNA: Bihar governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Tuesday sharply criticised a top state education department official at a Patna university event for challenging the authority of the chancellor and trying to curtail the autonomy of universities but made it clear that his views on the officials recent actions did not imply he had differences with chief minister Nitish Kumar. Bihar governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and chief minister Nitish Kumar were at a Patna University event Arlekar referred to letters sent by the education department to Raj Bhavan over the past few months and stressed that a secretary-rank official challenging the authority of the chancellor and the autonomy of universities was unheard of. The governor is the ex-officio chancellor of state universities. How does he dare do this? What problem can an officer have with autonomy? The improvement in the states universities and colleges cannot come if all the wings - Raj Bhavan, the government and the institutions - work in isolation. It has to be a coordinated effort for the common good. One needs to think and act to prevent such unsavoury situations. There is no need to take things further, Arlekar said after inaugurating the refurbished iconic Wheeler Senate House at the university on Teachers Day. In his speech, Nitish Kumar had sought an extension to vice chancellor Girish Choudhary whose three-year tenure ends on September 22. Choudhary has batted for a five-year term for vice-chancellors, saying this would enable them to complete projects. Arlekar said he could look into Nitish Kumars request, but not if the authority of the chancellor was undermined by an official. The governor did not name additional chief secretary KK Pathak, who heads the education department, in his speech. If attempts are made to put down the chancellor, it cannot happen. If an officer can act like this with the chancellor, one can well imagine the treatment meted out to vice-chancellors and teachers, he said, a reference to the back-and-forth between Raj Bhavan and the education department headed by Pathak. The governor said that he had been receiving messages and emails from vice-chancellors, pro-vice-chancellors and university, college and school teachers about the way they were humiliated by the officials. Teachers are the ones who command the highest respect. If I am here today, it is because of my teacher, he added, advising the state government and its bureaucracy to reflect on why teachers were being driven to the streets to protest. Seeking a change in the mindset of officials, the governor said the bureaucrats are supposed to improve the system and provide the facilities to let them perform in the best possible way. There is no substitute for a teacher. We must think about what is driving teachers to the streets so frequently. Why are they so dissatisfied? Why is there such an acute shortage of teachers in schools and colleges? After all, everyone bows before teachers and they deserve the highest pedestal It pains when they are insulted and made to suffer, he added. The governor said the administration and officials needed to have the right approach towards teachers. Arlekar said his remarks did not signal that there were differences between the chief minister and him. I read in the media about a showdown between Raj Bhawan and the government. There is nothing like this. I and the chief minister can sit and discuss, but an officer should know what he should do. There is no better day than the Teachers Day to resolve to make a coordinated effort to improve the system, he added. The chief minister said he was an alumnus of Patna university and always favoured its development. This is why he had batted for central university status. But it could not happen. We still want it to get central university status, as it is the seventh-oldest university in the country, Kumar said. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR 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: To research and learn more about Jainism in India, the Deccan College Deemed University has started a six-month, certificate course in Jain Archaeology the first-of-its-kind in India from this academic year. According to the Centres guidelines under the National Education Policy (NEP), the course will be a practical-oriented one for students visiting Jain heritage sites across the country. The Pune-based, 202-year-old Deccan College, recently earned deemed university status, and is in the process of starting the Bhagwan Shantinatha Chair for Jain Archaeology to promote research in this field. Deccan College Deemed University has started a six-month certificate course in Jain Archaeology from this academic year. (HT) This course has been started from this academic year in collaboration with the International School of Jain Studies (ISJS) Pune. The ISJS had approached us a few months ago, as they were interested in working on Jain archaeological sites, their history, research and artefacts. As most of the archaeological societies in India are in constant touch with us, it was decided to design and organise a course in Jain Archaeology, said professor Pramod Pandey, vice-chancellor of Deccan College Deemed University. Initially for three years, the ISJS will fund the research undertaken by the Chair. The syllabus for the course focuses on Jainism, and various spiritual and heritage sites across the country. Most places where Mahavir and the other Tirthankars went and stayed at will be studied during the course. Professor Pandey said that the course will not have just classroom studies but also actual site visits and hands-on training for the students. For this academic year, the course will have a capacity of 30 students. The fees will be 6,000 per student. Dr Shrinetra Pandey, director of the ISJS Pune, said, There are a number of courses in Jain philosophy across the globe, but when we have actual deliverance about Jainism and its historical places and archaeology, no such studies have been carried out. Through this course, we will know more about the Tirthankars who travelled and were worshipped across the country. To bring authentication to Jain history, it is necessary to study through archaeology which is why we have started this course in Jain Archaeology which is the first-of-its-kind in our country. 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 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras will start the online application process for the Joint Admission Test for Masters (JAM) 2024 today, September 5. Candidates can apply for JAM 2024 up to October 13 on jam.iitm.ac.in. JAM 2024 registration begins today on jam.iitm.ac.in Eligibility Those who have an undergraduate degree and those who are in the final year of their undergraduate degrees can apply for the examination. For foreign nationals, an Indian degree is required to appear in JAM 2024. However, admissions will be subject to policies of respective institutions, organising institute IIT Madras has informed. There is no age limit to appear in JAM. Application fee SC, ST, PwD and female candidates: 900 for one and 1,250 for two papers For all others: 1,800 for one and 2,500 for two papers. JAM Score is used for admission to these postgraduate programmes in various disciplines: MSc MSc (Tech) MSc- MTech dual degree MS (Research) Joint MSc- PhD MSc- PhD dual degree. The entrance test is scheduled for February 11 and results will be out on March 22. The test will be held in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode for seven papers: Biotechnology (BT), Chemistry (CY), Economics (EN), Geology (GG), Mathematics (MA), Mathematical Statistics (MS, and Physics (PH). Around 3,000 IIT seats and over 2,000 seats at IISc, NITs, IIEST Shibpur, SLIET, and DIAT which will be filled through JAM. 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 Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) will release the admit card for the written examination for the post of Assistant Professor on September 5. Candidates who have appeared for the examination can download the admit card from the official website at jkpsc.nic.in. JKPSC to Release Admit Card for Assistant Professor post on Sept 5; Exam on Sept 10. Download from jkpsc.nic.in.(HIndustan Times) However, the candidates who will not be able to download their admit card can approach the commission at the Jammu/Srinagar office on or before September 8. The written examination for the post of Assistant Professor of Commerce, Assistant Professor of Fine Arts Music and Language, Assistant Professor of Industrial Chemistry, Assistant Professor of Renewable Energy, Assistant Professor Dogri, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, and Assistant Professor of Physics will be held on September 10. JKPSC Assistant Professor admit card 2023: Know how to download Visit the official website at jkpsc.nic.in On the homepage, click on the Assistant Professor examination admit card link Key in your login details Your admit card will be displayed on the screen Download and take print for future reference. 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 The higher education landscape in India has witnessed a rapid expansion of sorts with over one thousand universities, 42 thousand plus colleges and 40 million plus students thus claiming to be the worlds second largest educational system. These numbers are cheering especially in light of the demographic dividend that we as a country are looking forward to reap. Integrating the pursuit of happiness in educational settings (Getty Images/For representation) Apprehensions on the quality of education and increasing commercialization have been repeatedly raised by various stakeholders; and they have not always remained unaddressed. The New Education Policy (NEP), 2020, specifically envisages developing a higher educational system that enhances student learning experience. To quote from the Policy: A quality higher education must enable personal accomplishment and enlightenment, constructive public engagement, and productive contribution to society. It must prepare students for more meaningful and satisfying lives and work roles and enable economic independence. Clearly, the youth bulge will translate into a dividend only when the educational system equips them with not only the necessary job-ready skills but also transforms them into happy holistic individuals, ready to adapt and willing to contribute. But with reports like one in seven youth suffering from depression or more than 35 students taking their lives every day, one wonders what kind of distress educational systems are putting our students through! Anxiety issues and panic attacks have become usual in classrooms and every other student is going through some form of therapy. Students undoubtedly are grappling with academic stress, peer pressure, financial stress and all of this will also have repercussions on their productivity as students or future members of the workforce. Education is supposed to be liberating and not binding young minds with ropes of despair, anguish or hopelessness. More than anything else that a university or a college can teach, the need of the hour is to teach them happiness. Can happiness be taught? Can it be learnt? Many universities in India, on the recommendation of the NEP, have initiated courses on psychology, emotional well-being, or health & wellness offered as ability enhancement courses. Internationally, universities such as Harvard and Yale also offer courses on mental health and well-being and the New York Times reported 3.3 million online learners signing up for the course on Science of Well-Being offered by Yale university via Coursera. Popularly known as the Happiness course, it teaches students to rewire their minds, track their habits, become more mindful to avoid upward comparison and bring kindness, gratitude and meditation into their routines. Happiness can be taught and it should be taught more. In our very own Bhagavad Gita, Krishna speaks to the depressed, distraught warrior Arjuna on the most salient topics of psychology, well-being and more. Working without being obsessed with results is one of the principal themes from the Gita, which if inculcated in academic life will provide students with the much needed equipoise. Additionally, he counsels Arjuna to not imitate others work but rather stick to ones own work as per the ability and aptitude. There is rewirement too when he highlights the need to regulate our lives with not too less or too much amount of food, sleep and recreation. There is extensive discussion on what the psychology Professor at Yale, Prof Santos calls the annoying features of the mind. Through an extensively methodical presentation on the functioning of the mind at three levels; goodness, passion and ignorance, the Gita explains how prudent choices can be made to improve our state of well-being and become happy by rewiring the mind in goodness. For instance, one of the annoying features of the mind is to either hanker for something in the future or lament for something in the past. But living in the present, tolerating both adversity as well as prosperity, is the key to happiness. Truly enough, for students it is not just academic failure that causes stress but also academic success; when they are faced with increasing expectations coupled with confusion resulting from a variety of opportunities that come knocking. The ideas of transience and insignificance that are laced with the momentousness of ones unique identity in the Gita evoke the most profound values of gratitude, kindness and empathy in an individual motivating them to give their best with a sense of resilience. Acting on impulse with the fear of missing out or the fear of failure seems to prompt many students time and again to give up. This lesson on happiness, however, is both ambitious and arduous to teach, harder than it is to learn. We as teachers need to have cracked the happiness code ourselves first in order to pass it on to students. Speaking from psychological theories, empirical evidence or citing from the Gita will act as mere lip service; teaching by example however, can contribute to students wellness greatly. In as much as an orange when squeezed can give only orange juice, a happy teacher can exuberate only happiness in class when embraced! A cynic, arrogant and sadist teacher will only bring gloom to the class no matter how brilliant they are in their domain. One happiness class in the curriculum may not enhance the ability of students but a collective, collaborative effort by all teachers as well as parents certainly will. Happier students will emerge from an educational system that acknowledges and acts on their developmental needs at all three levels; physical, mental and spiritual. Beginning with schools, reinforced in homes, sustaining in universities and practiced daily, happiness can be taught and learnt. Grounded in our roots and ancient wisdom, it is time to train both the teacher and pupil in the Gita and beyond to ease the burden of our depressed adolescents, our posterity. Author Prof. (Dr.) Pushkarni Panchamukhi, Associate Dean, School of Economics, RV University, Bangalore. Views expressed here are personal. 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 Teachers' Day, or Shikshak Diwas is celebrated in India on September 5, a month ahead of the World Teachers' Day. This date marks the birth anniversary of the great philosopher, scholar, and Bharat Ratna Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan who served as the first Vice-President and the second President of the country. Why India celebrates teachers day on September 5?(Illustration: Rushikesh Tulshiram Gophane) World Teacher's Day, on the other hand, is observed on October 5, a month later. Apart from this, many countries celebrate Teachers' Day on different dates. Teachers' Day in India and World Teachers' Day: The key difference Radhakrishnan became President of India in 1962. After that, he was visited by a few students of him with a request of celebrating his birthday. Instead, Dr Radhakrishnan asked them to dedicate it to teachers. Thus, celebrations of September 5 as Teachers' Day started in India. World Teachers' day is a joint initiative of the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and Education International. On this day, in 1966, the 1966 ILO/UNESCO recommendation concerning the status of teachers, regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers was adopted. It also marks the adoption of the UNESCO recommendation concerning the status of higher-education teaching personnel by the UNESCO General Conference in 1997. Celebrations of World Teachers' Day started October 5 onwards. 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 With multiple voices rising for or against the name change of India to Bharat, actor Amitabh Bachchan has seemingly chosen a side. Amid all the buzz surrounding the change, Amitabh made a telling tweet on Tuesday afternoon. Amitabh Bachchan has seemingly tweeted in support of India's name change. Amitabh's tweet Amitabh tweeted, Bharat mata ki jai (Hail mother Bharat), in Hindi. He also added a Tricolour emoji and a red flag emoji to his tweet. The tweet got 7,000 likes in just 30 minutes. While many reacted to his post in support, some also asked why he had made such a tweet. India vs Bharat debate The buzz around India's name change started with screenshots of a dinner invite being circulated on social media. The invite for a G20 dinner on September 9 was in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual President of India. Many political leaders raised objection to the same. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the Article 1 in the Constitution can read Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States and accused the government of assaulting the idea of Union of States. BJP leaders hailed the use of Bharat. BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav said the entire country is demanding that the word 'Bharat' should be used instead of India. The word 'India' is an abuse given to us by the British whereas the word 'Bharat' is a symbol of our culture...I want there should be a change in our Constitution and the word 'Bharat' should be added to it," he said. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hailed the Republic of Bharat. REPUBLIC OF BHARAT - happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL, he said in a tweet. Updates on Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh has lately been busy with Kaun Banega Crorepati season 15. Recently, h hosted West Bengal chief minister Mamata Bannerjee at his home in Mumbai. His entire family, including wife Jaya Bachchan, son Abhishek, daughter in law Aishwarya Rai, daughter Shweta Bachchan and his grandkids were also present for the meeting. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Jennifer Lopez took to Instagram on Sunday and posted steamy pics of herself, wearing black lingerie with white lace details. She also highlighted that it was a paid partnership with Italian lingerie retailer Intimissimi. Jennifer Lopez (Instagram/@jlo) Lopez captioned the series of pictures as: "When it feels rightnothing else matters". In the first picture, Lopez is seen looking at herself in the mirror. In the second one, she lies on the bed and poses for the camera. In the third and fourth pictures as well, the Hollywood star is seen giving sensual looks to the camera. ALSO READ| Kevin Costner's estranged wife spent $18,000 per month on clothing, claims the Yellowstone star's forensic accountant Fans absolutely loved Lopez's new pics and complimented her for the same. "Queen on fireeee," read one comment. "You are my inspiration every day for having such a beautiful body," wrote a second user. "You are absolutely beautiful. Congrats to you for how hard you work and how dedicated you are to feel good about yourself," commented a third person. "YOU KNOW WHAT I ALWAYS SAY, MY JENNY: YOU ARE GORGEOUS INSIDE OUT," read another comment. "So amazing so beautiful so wonderful. very pretty," posted a fifth person. Recently, Lopez celebrated her one year marriage anniversary with husband Ben Affleck. Lopez and Affleck had got married in 2022 at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. Later, the couple had their marriage celebration on August 20, 2022 at Affleck's residence in Georgia. Both Lopez and Affleck have children from their previous marriages. With ex-husband Marc Anthony, Lopez shares her 15-year-old twins, Emme and Max. On the other hand, Affleck shares three children namely Violet, Seraphina and Samuel with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner. Sofia Coppola's Priscilla premiered at the 80th Venice Film Festival on Monday to a warm response. If the first reviews are anything to go by, many are considering this her finest film since Lost in Translation. Based on the 1985 memoir Elvis and Me, written by Priscilla Presley and Sandra Harmon, Coppola's Priscilla was greeted with a rapturous 7 minute-long standing ovation after its premiere. The cast and Presley were seen holding back tears, overcome with emotion. (Also read: Roman Polanski's The Palace debuts with a dismal 0% Rotten Tomatoes score after premiere at Venice Film Festival) A still from Priscilla. About Priscilla Sofia Coppola's film stars Cailee Spaeny as the teenage Priscilla Beaulieu and chronicles her whirlwind relationship with Elvis (played by Jacob Elordi), whom she met as a 14-year-old. Both the stars and the director were present at the premiere, along with Priscilla herself. At the films press conference, Priscilla said, "Its very difficult to watch a film about you and about your life and about your love. But Sofia did an amazing job. She did her homework, and I really put everything out for her that I could. Glowing reviews Meanwhile, after a combined score based on 22 reviews, the film stands at a handsome 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The review for Time hailed the film, and wrote, "Priscilla invites us to walk side-by-side with her, but not so we can ultimately be punished by the fallacy of her dream; rather, this is a story about deep, cavernlike loneliness, and how one persons responding to the loneliness of another can be both an adventure and a destiny." The review for The Daily Beast said, "Coppola displays perhaps more tenderness than ever before, making for a film which, for all its slightness and occasional missteps, is affectingly clear-eyed and candid." Rolling Stone also gave a glowing review of the film and said, "People may fault Coppola for dipping her toe in familiar terrain, but its hard to argue with the result: a transportive, heartbreaking journey into the dark heart of celebrity, and her finest film since Lost in Translation." Praise was also shared by the performances by its two lead actors. The review for The Film Verdict said, "Spaeny captivates throughout Priscilla learns when to remain silent, and Spaenys eyes convey volumes within those silences and shes matched by Elordi, who captures the magnetism and the occasional monstrousness of the superstar without caricature." The BBC review opined, "As the years slip by, and the excellent Brie Larson-alike Spaeny grows convincingly from lovesick schoolgirl to strong wife and mother, the film becomes a haunting dark fairy tale about a beautiful princess trapped in a castle by a controlling king, but, again, Coppola is more understated than that might suggest." "An impeccable union of director and subject," said the review for The Hollywood Reporter. Priscilla is set to release in US theatres in October 27. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A bizarre phrase that began trending on X (formerly Twitter) took the internet by storm late Monday, September 4. RIP Josh began trending, prompting scores of Josh Pecks fans to believe the actor had died. Josh notably featured on the Nickelodeon series Drake & Josh. Josh Peck attends The Hollywood Reporter's Kids Power Issue Celebration at Westfield Century City on June 10, 2023 in Los Angeles, California (Photo by Elyse Jankowski / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP) An X user named Katsu was the first to share a post saying Josh was dead. RIP Josh Peck, thank you for all the childhood memories, the user wrote on X. While some fell for the fake news and started sharing RIP Josh posts, others questioned the claim as no credible media house had reported it. No one from the actors team and family had confirmed the claim either. People refused to believe the claim as Josh had shared a post on Instagram less than 24 hours ago. Is Josh Peck okay? Multiple social media users later debunked the rumours to confirm that Josh is very much alive. One user suggested that it was a MAGA cultist who actually died, and not Josh. A post on X paid tribute who the actual Josh who allegedly died. Josh out worked 99% of political activists, and he did so being a quadriplegic, living in a nursing home in the middle of nowhere. He's an example of what one man can accomplish against all odds and with a fantastic work ethic and attitude. We love you, bro. Rest in paradise, X user Brenden Dilley wrote. "okay so when I see RIP Josh, I panic and think it means Josh Peck's dead. Turns out it ain't that, it's some MAGA cultist who died. Honestly good riddance, got damn bait and switched. Least we still have the TRUE Josh with us. Also y'all should watch Drake and Josh RIGHT NOW," one X user wrote. RIP Josh is NOT Josh Peck. Josh Peck is just fine. Its whoever this Jack a** was, one user said, sharing a post about the actual Josh who died. One user wrote, RIP Josh is NOT Josh Peck. Josh Peck is just fine. Josh Peck is ALIVE, please STOP spreading FALSE misinformation on a person especially if you have no personal connection with them, one user wrote. Pregnant Kourtney Kardashian and her husband Travis Barker sparked concerns after they were seen leaving a hospital on Saturday, September 2, shortly after Travis and his band postponed a tour due to an urgent family matter. However, it has now been revealed that Kourtney only had a brief hospital stay and is now back home now with her kids. Kourtney Kardashian is expecting her first child with Travis Barker (travisbarker/Instagram) "She is feeling better. She is happy to have Travis back home too, a source told the news outlet PEOPLE. Page Six previously revealed that the couple was seen walking out of the Los Angeles-area medical centre with security guards, eventually approaching a black SUV. This came shortly after Travis band, Blink-182, announced on X that their European tour had to be cancelled. Due to an urgent family matter, Travis has had to return home to the States. The Glasgow, Belfast, and Dublin shows are being postponed. More information in regards to his return to Europe and rescheduled dates will be provided as soon as available, the post read. At the time, Travis former wife, Shanna Moakler, said she is praying for Travis and his wife although she does not know what exactly has happened. I dont know whats going on, I just know that our kids are safe and sound obviously thats important to me, the model told photographers. Obviously, whenever they have to cancel shows, its a really big deal. Im just praying that his immediate family and the baby and Kourtney and everyone is safe and OK. Kourtney is expecting her first child with Travis. She revealed her pregnancy on June 16, holding up a handwritten sign during her husbands Los Angeles concert with Blink-182. Kourtney is just beyond excited," a source previously told the news outlet PEOPLE. "She had happy tears when she told her family. They have all known for a while." The teaser trailer of Loki Season 2 is here. On Monday, Marvel Studios officially released a new trailer for Loki Season 2 featuring the titular character played once again by Tom Hiddleston. He has to warn the universe about Kang's presence and prevent him from taking over the multiverse. "What I am about to tell you, is going to be hard to believe... again," he says. (Also read: Loki Season 2 teaser out - Fan reactions, where to watch, plot and more!) A still from the new teaser trailer. About Season 2 The short teaser trailer of Loki Season 2 gives fans a glimpse of the adventures that are in store, taking cues from where Season 1 came to an end. Sophia Di Martinos Sylvie warns that everything is turning to sh**. Mobius (Owen Wilson) is also back to assist Loki, but since this time around, Loki might be in a different timeline, it is unclear whether or not Mobius is still the same. Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan is the new addition to the cast, as he stars as Ouroboros, "OB", a TVA technician. In the meantime, Loki has to navigate an ever-expanding multiverse and warn the universe about potential danger. Fan reactions Reacting to the teaser, many fans added to the comments enthusiastically. One said, "I'm really excited to see him use more of his powers. I think they were very underutilized in the movies so it's really cool to see all he can do besides shape-shifting." A fan added, "It seems like theyre going to show more of Lokis powers and different locations that look interesting, cant wait!!!" Another said, "I CANT even explain how excited I am, I cant wait for season 2 I just know its gonna be amazing." A comment read, "Oh my god, I cannot wait for this show. This looks absolutely incredible." "This looks to be greater than season one! The origin of Kang, and the question of how (and if) Loki is moving through time ties in with that. This might become my favorite Hiddleston/Owen time travel show this side of 'Midnight in Paris'!" exclaimed a second fan. Season 2 of Loki is set to air on Disney+ on October 6, with weekly releases ahead. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Teachers possess the ability to touch thelives of young minds in a way that no one else can. And thats how two Delhi-based teachers Arti Qanungo and Ritika Anand have been enlisted among the 50 teachers who will receive the National Award for Teachers (today, September 5) from President Droupadi Murmu. But a common pedagogy that makes them a class apart is their ability to keep the spark of a fun alive in the process of teaching, especially when it comes to taking examples from Bollywood/Hollywood. Arti Qanungo and Ritika Anand will be felicitated with the National Award for Teacher's Day, today. When you teach children about menstruation, they might not be able to associate well with the subject. But if you include a movie like Akshay Kumars Padman, to give them examples and educate them about how menstrual hygiene is important in the first place, theyd surely be able to associate with the topic and actually remember it, says Arti Qanungo, an English teacher at Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Laxmi Nagar. Qanungo used references from Pad Man (2018) to help students relate with menstrual hygiene better. Qanungo is known to educate students at the government school about menstrual health and her lessons that come with a touch of popular cinema surely connect the youngsters with reality. She adds, Students find it a lot easier to connect with us as teachers, if we speak a language that they understand. Not only does it make us accessible for all their questions but also makes them curious to learn better. Similarly, Ritika Anand identified how students were excited about Chandrayaan-3 and used the opportunity to guide them towards knowledge. A teacher in Physics and vice principal of St. Marks Senior Secondary Public School in Meera Bagh, Anand says, The students at my school were had earlier attended a screening of the Mission Mangal movie, which got them interested in Astrophysics. I often conduct offbeat classes and interact with them about what they are watching in terms of movies, and get curious about it especially if the films are based on scientific topics. In fact, thats how I had three classes dedicated only to discuss the concepts of double-slit experiment in Oppenheimer! Ritika Anand recalls holding classes dedicated to discussing the double-slit experience in Oppenheimer (2023). Their practice is in stark contrast to teachers in yesteryear who would often lament the act of students preferring to watch films over studying. Pehle movies bhi aisi nahi aati thi that were based on themes that can help educate youngsters, says Anand, adding, Now, if we do have movies with a message then why not propagate this medium as a means to help students learn better. After all, our motive is to guide them towards knowledge-seeking. And its always good to have examples from popular culture as it helps students come up with queries because it enables them to understand things better. 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 special court in Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday awarded 23 people 10 years of imprisonment in connection with the killing of eight policemen in an ambush by deceased gangster Vikas Dubeys aides in 2020. Vikas Dubey was arrested in Madhya Pradeshs Ujjain city on July 9, 2020. A day later, he was killed in a purported police encounter (HT) Also Read| Kanpur mobile tower scam: CBI conducts searches in Lucknow after FIR against 3 army officers According to special director general of police (law and order) Prashant Kumar, seven remaining accused in the case were acquitted by the special Gangster Act court. Additional district judge-5 Durgesh, who passed the order, also imposed a penalty of 50,000 on each of the convicts, he said. The counsel for one of the convicts said he will move Allahabad high court against the special courts judgment. The case pertains to the killing of eight policemen, including deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Devendra Mishra, in Bikru village on July 3, 2020 when they were on their way to arrest Dubey in connection with an abduction and an attempt to murder case. All 30 accused were charged under the Gangster Act on October 21, 2021. Out of 30 accused, 23 were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment, and a fine of 50,000 was imposed on each of them. The remaining were acquitted, Kumar told reporters. Public prosecutor Raju Porwal also confirmed the punishment and said he will soon challenge the acquittals of the seven people. Also Read| Kanpur SI suspended for inappropriate advances towards woman Following the July 3 incident, two of Dubeys associates Prem Prakash Pandey and Atul Dubey were killed in an encounter in Kanpur, according to the police. While Pandey was killed hours after the deaths of the policemen on July 3, Atul Dubey was killed on July 5. On July 8, Amar Dubey (key shooter of gangster Vikas Dubey), who carried a reward of 50,000, was killed in an alleged police encounter in Maudaha village of Hamirpur district. The following day, Kartikeya alias Prabhat and Bauwa Dubey alias Praveen were killed in separate encounters in Kanpur and Etawah districts, respectively, the police said. Police said all the deceased were directly or indirectly involved in the ambush. Vikas Dubey was arrested in Madhya Pradeshs Ujjain city on July 9, 2020. A day later, he was killed in a purported police encounter after he tried to escape when a police vehicle ferrying him from Ujjain to Kanpur met with an accident. The slain gangsters aide Shyamu Bajpai (35) and his alleged financier, Jaikanth Bajpai, alias Jay (37), are among those convicted. Advocate Shivakant Dixit, who appeared for Jaikanth Bajpai, said: The investigating officer in his testimony said he did not have any evidence against Bajpai. We could not convince the court the way we would have liked. I am hopeful of getting justice from the high court. Following the courts verdict, police security was stepped up in Bikru village. Joint commissioner of police Anand Prakash Tiwari said police have been directed to maintain a close watch on the village, particularly on the relatives of the convicts. High voter turnout was recorded in most of the six assembly constituencies in seven states where the by-election was held on Tuesday. 64.84 per cent of the 298,000 registered voters exercised their franchise on Tuesday in the Dumri assembly by-election (HT Photo) The counting of votes is on September 8 for the by-election - seen as a litmus test for the opposition alliance INDIA against the BJP-led NDA ahead of the assembly polls in five states later this year and the 2023 Lok Sabha election. Dhanpur and Boxanagar seats in Tripura, where the Congress had extended support to the CPI(M), the turnout was around 76 per cent. Six persons were injured in a stray incident of violence in the northeastern state. In Dhupguri in West Bengal and Puthuppally in Kerala, where the INDIA bloc constituents were up against each other, the turnout was around 76 per cent and nearly 73 per cent respectively. The by-election saw the INDIA alliance also putting up a united front in the Ghosi constituency in Uttar Pradesh, where the voting was moderate at around 50.30 per cent, and in Jharkhands Dumri where a total of 64.84 per cent of 2.98 lakh voters exercised their franchise Uttarakhand's Bageshwar, where the main contest is between the BJP and the Congress, saw 55.44 per cent voting. Out of the seven seats, three (Dhanpur, Bageshwar and Dhupguri), were held by the BJP and one each by the SP (Ghosi), CPI(M) (Boxanagar), JMM (Dumri) and the Congress (Puthuppally). In Uttar Pradesh, the Ghosi seat fell vacant after the resignation of Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA and OBC leader Dara Singh Chauhan, who rejoined the BJP. While the ruling BJP-led NDA has fielded Chauhan, Samajwadi Party candidate Sudhakar Singh has got the support of the Congress and Left parties. Chauhan was a minister in the previous BJP government headed by Yogi Adityanath. He resigned from the Council of Ministers on January 12, 2022 and switched to the SP. The Akhilesh Yadav-led party has alleged misuse of official machinery and has written to the Election Commission on the matter. It claimed that Muslim voters were being prevented from exercising their franchise in some places. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak rejected the SP's allegations, claiming that the opposition party was fearing defeat in the bypoll. The Dhupguri assembly constituency in north Bengal witnessed a three-cornered contest among the TMC, BJP and the Congress-supported CPI(M). While the TMC had won the seat in 2016, it was snatched by the BJP in 2021. Polling was held amid tight security across 260 booths in the constituency. Central paramilitary forces were present at all the booths, an election official said. Two BJP leaders including an MLA, who are not residents of the constituency, were found in a party office. One of them, the BJP district president, had to leave as he could not show any document allowing him entry into Dhupguri during the voting. Police said six persons were injured when they were allegedly attacked by some villagers at Mohanbhog in Dhanpur Assembly constituency in Tripura. The villagers set afire five motorcycles, triggering tension, but the situation was brought under control, a police officer said, adding that the injured have been admitted to hospital and are out of danger. "I urge the people to maintain peace during the polling and repeat the precedent of peaceful voting in last assembly elections," Chief Minister Manik Saha said in a Facebook post. Tipra Motha, the main opposition, and Congress have stayed away. The Tripura Pradesh Congress had on Sunday urged people to vote for opposition bloc INDIA candidates in the two seats. BJP's Tafajjal Hussain, who unsuccessfully contested the Assembly election in February, is fighting against CPI(M)s Mizan Hussain in minority-dominated Boxanagar constituency, still considered the Left party's stronghold. Dhanpur, once a strong bastion of the communists, is heading for a direct fight between BJP's Bindu Debnath and CPI(M)s Kaushik Debnath. The BJP won the Dhanpur seat for the first time in the assembly poll held seven months ago. The by-election to the Boxanagar constituency was necessitated by the death of CPI(M) MLA Samsul Haque. In Jharkhands Dumri, INDIA bloc candidate Bebi Devi is locked in a direct contest with NDA candidate Yashoda Devi. "The election passed off peacefully across 199 polling booths in Giridih and 174 booths in Bokaro district. No report of violence or law and order situation was reported from anywhere," Giridih district election officer Naman Priyesh Lakra told PTI. The polling was held amidst tight security in 373 polling stations, 200 of which were identified to be Maoist-affected areas. The seat has turned out to be a prestigious one for both alliances amid Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) claiming that the INDIA bloc will begin its victory journey from Dumri, while the NDA exuded confidence that it is all set to snatch the seat from JMM. The INDIA bloc includes 28 parties including the Congress, NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT), TMC, JMM, AAP, DMK, NC, PDP, CPI(M), CPI, RJD, SP and RLD. The by-election was necessitated following the death of JMM MLA Jagarnath Mahto, former education minister, in April. Mahto had been representing the seat since 2004. However, the Congress and the ruling Left took on each other at the Puthuppally bypoll in Kerala, with the opposition party in the state banking on "anti-incumbency" and the late Oommen Chandy's legacy. Intermittent rainfall did not deter voters from exercising their franchise. The UDF level alleged that there was slow polling in some select booths and people had to wait for several hours to vote. LDF candidate Jaick C Thomas said if there has been any delay in the polling process in some booths then it should be investigated. The Congress-led UDF opposition has fielded Chandy's son, Chandy Oommen, to benefit from the sympathy wave following the former CM's death. On the other hand, the ruling Left once again decided to go with DYFI leader Thomas who had unsuccessfully contested from the segment in 2016 and 2021 against the late Chandy. The BJP has fielded its Kottayam district president G Lijinlal. The BJP and the Congress are in a straight contest in Uttarakhand. Bageshwar District Magistrate Anuradha Paul said 55.44 per cent voting was recorded in the bypoll. The voter turnout for the seat in 2022 assembly polls was 60.01 per cent, she said. Polling was peaceful with no untoward incident reported from anywhere, she said. People, including women, in large numbers began queuing up outside polling booths from 6 a.m. The ruling BJP has fielded Parvati Das, the wife of Chandan Das who won four consecutive elections since 2007. His death necessitated the bypoll. In July, the opposition alliance formed to take on the ruling BJP-led NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections announced that it would be called the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). Reiterating the death warning against Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin over his "eradicate Sanatan Dharma" remark, Ayodhya Seer Paramhans Acharya on Tuesday said that "if required, I myself will behead MK Stalin's son, and I will also increase the bounty of 10 crore if that is not enough for beheading him." On Monday, Paramhans Acharya announced a reward of 10 crore for beheading the DMK leader over his remarks against 'Sanatan Dharma.(X) "I would like to tell him to first read the history of Sanatan Dharma and then comment against it. He should apologise for whatever he has said against our Sanatan Dharma, and if he does not apologise, no matter if he is the son of a chief minister, he will get the punishment. If his head doesn't get beheaded, I will increase the bounty; if at all required, I will myself behead him, Paramhans Acharya said, adding, "Whatever development has taken place in the country is because of 'Sanatana Dharma'. He should apologise for his statement. He has hurt the sentiments of 100 crore people in the country." On Monday, Paramhans Acharya announced a reward of 10 crore for beheading the DMK leader over his remarks against 'Sanatan Dharma. "I will pay a 10 crore cash reward to anyone who beheads Stalin and brings his head to me," he said. Responding to Paramhans Acharya's statement, Udhayanidhi said that he is not afraid of such statements and that he is on the path of his grandfather Karunanidhi, who had also received similar death threats. He further went on to say that after making that remark at the conference, he already knew a lot of reactions would come from people, and now it is happening. "You all know what has been happening for the last two days in Tamil Nadu. It's that one word, all speaking mostly, Sanatan Dharma, not only in Tamil Nadu but all over India, people are talking about me." Udhayandhi, said while speaking to the media. "In Chennai, the day before yesterday, a conference was held that was named the Sanatan Dharma Eradication Conference. What I said in it is, that Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated like we eradicate mosquitoes, malaria, dengue, cholera, and COVID. In that stage itself, I said that what I said now would make many people's stomachs burn. What I said has been done." "From Amit Shah to Nadda, all are speaking about Udayanidhi now. A complaint has been registered to arrest me all over India. Today a saint has set a prize for my head. He has said that whoever chops off Udayanidhi's head will be rewarded with 10 crore rupees. Whoever says this is a saint I am asking, What's the affection for you on my head? You are a saint; how can you have 1 crore rupees? Are you a real saint or a duplicate saint? I have doubts about you. Why 10 crore to chop my head? If you give me 10 rupees for a comb, I myself can comb my hair," he said. "The same situation happened to Karunanidhi too, where a saint said before that if someone chops off Karunanidhi's head, he will be rewarded one crore rupees. Karunanidhi said that even if you give 100 crores, I can't even comb my hair. I am on the path of Karunanidhi and Ambedkar. Periyar, Anbazhagan, and our leader (Stalin) who struggles till now to eradicate Sanatan Dharma, and till that, the DMK will struggle," he added. Udhayanidhi's statement at the 'Sanatana Abolition Conference' has sparked massive outrage across the nation. Several leaders and people have strongly criticised him for making such a statement and have even asked for an apology from the INDIA bloc as DMK part is a member of the INDIA alliance. Meanwhile, Uddhayanidhi on Monday said that he is ready to say whatever he has said about Santan Dharma again and again. As the Narendra Modi government gears up for the G20 Summit this weekend, the Indian Prime Minister will hold bilateral conversations with Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina followed by his scheduled meeting cum dinner with US President Joe Biden on Friday. File photo of PM Narendra Modi with Mauritius Prime MInister Pravind Jagnauth. He will meet French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday and hold talks with Comoros President Azali Assoumani as chairperson of the African Union also during the summit weekend. It was at PM Modi instance that the African Union was invited to the G20 Summit with India focusing on economic growth and development of pandemic-hit Global South. African nations are reeling under Belt Road Initiative debt with Chinese EXIM banks swapping debt for equity in major infrastructure projects like ports, rail roads and highways in that continent. Even though PM Modi will be hard-pressed for time as the host, there is a possibility of more bilateral meetings during the summit provided the travel schedules of the VVIP visitors match. It is understood that the G20 Sherpa and secretariat briefed PM Modi about all the relevant issues of the summit and a briefing of the Union Council of Ministers is scheduled before the summit kicks off. While work is in progress on the G20 communique, the leaders will have to navigate on geo-political issues like Ukraine and Climate Change even though the G-20 s main charter is economic growth and development. The two issues that will be taken up for Ministers and summit leaders to negotiate and seal are Ukraine and the debate of phasing out coal versus other fossil fuels for addressing climate change. Even though the coal versus other fossil fuels debate is the topic for COP28 in Dubai later this November-December in Dubai in UAE, the topic will be hotly debated with the summit expected to reach a green development understanding with defined green goals. There appears to be a broad consensus over focusing on sustainable development goals and promoting millets for global food security. On his part, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to the economic upliftment of the global south with a special focus on Africa, which has been worst hit by the global pandemic and is in need of assistance from the G20 group to recover and counter political instability sweeping parts of the continent. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ahead of the G20 Summit where heads of states and governments along with significant leaders of various institition will meet, the central government on Tuesday released a set of two booklets that traces India's history back to 6,000 BCE. Two booklets Bharat, The Mother of Democracy and Elections in India will be handed over to the dignitaries at the summit. Commuters make their way past a billboard installed along a street ahead of the two-day G20 summit in New Delhi(AFP) Both the booklets, in a total of 40 pages, talk about epics including Ramayana and Mahabharata as well as the anecdotes of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Akbar along with India's transition to electoral democracy. Both the booklets focus around the idea of the existence of democracy in the subcontinent for millennia. The first book depicts India as the mother of democracy. It features the bronze statue named the dancing girl that was believed to be from the Indus Valley civilisation which existed around 5,000 years ago. The statue was described as a sign of confidence where the girl is self-assured and looking at the world eye-to-eye. Independent. Liberated. It further talks about oldest scriptures, the four Vedas, and discusses about the civilisational value system incorporating political, societal and educational principles. It also describes the democratic elements through epics. In Ramayana, the book mentions, Lord Ram was chosen as king after his father sought approval from his council of ministers. Similarly in Mahabharata, the patriarch Bhishma, on his death bed, gave lessons of good governance to Yidhishthira. The first book also talks about the principles of Buddhism that influenced India's democratic ethos through the rules of several kings such as Ashoka, Chandragupta Maurya and Chhatrapati Shivaji. The second book discusses the history of elections in India since 1951 till the last Lok Sabha election. It compares the change in citizens' participation in electoral democracy between the first election in independent India and the last general election. It also highlights the progress made in factors ranging from the number of electorates, contestants and female participation and the evolution of the Election Commission of India. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) lawmaker K Kavitha on Tuesday made an appeal to 47 political parties, urging them to unite and pass the long-awaited Womens Reservation Bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament. BRS lawmaker K Kavitha. (File Photo) The move came amid speculation that the Womens Reservation Bill could be taken up during the special session of Parliament, scheduled to commence on September 18. Earlier on Monday, vice- president Jagdeep Dhankhar had said that the day is not far when women will get their due representation in Parliament through an amendment to the Constitution. In her letter, Kavitha, the BRS MLC and daughter of Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, called upon the parties to set aside political differences and prioritise the Womens Reservation Bill, which seeks to reserve 33% of seats in the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies for women. The issue of representation of women in Parliament is of utmost importance and I request all political parties with folded hands to take up this issue and rise above political partisanship, she said. HT has seen a copy of the letter. Women constitute approximately 50% of our population and play a pivotal role in every aspect of our society. Yet, when it comes to legislative representation in State Assemblies and in our Parliament, their presence remains woefully inadequate. This glaring disparity hampers our nations progress and undermines the principles of democracy upon which our great country is built, she added. Kavithas letter were sent to Bharatiya Janata Party chief JP Nadda, Samajwadi Partys Akhilesh Yadav, DMKs MK Stalin, NCPs Sharad Pawar, Congresss Mallikarjun Kharge, YSRCPs Jagan Mohan Reddy among others. This is not the first time Kavitha has made a public appeal about the Bill. In March this year, Kavitha sat on a hunger strike in Delhi demanding the tabling and passing of the Womens Reservation Bill. On March 9, 2010, the UPA government led by the Congress passed the Womens Reservation Bill in Rajya Sabha with the support of the BJP, JDU and Left parties with a huge majority. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has been batting for this Bill since a long time now and had even written to PM Modi on two occasions ensuring her partys support for the Bill. The Women reservation Bill was first introduced in the Lok Sabha in 1996 as the 81st amendment. A day after Xi Jinping decided to skip the G20 Summit in Delhi, Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Bidens national security adviser, said that China has the option to come in and play the role of a spoiler at G20, but India, the US, and all other members of the G20 would encourage China to set aside geopolitical questions and play a constructive role on a range of pressing international issues. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China's President Xi Jinping attend a BRICS summit meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.(Reuters) Sullivan made the comment in response to a question on whether tensions between India and China may affect the outcome at G20. Sullivan was addressing a press briefing at the White House where he previewed the Presidents upcoming visit to India. Biden is scheduled to land in Delhi and hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8. He will then attend the G20 Summit over the weekend before heading to Vietnam. Speaking about the other contentious issue that has engulfed the G20, Sullivan said that getting an absolute consensus on Ukraine at G20 was a challenge, and he did not expect Russia, which will be represented by foreign minister Sergey Lavrov at the Summit, to change its position. But, Sullivan added, most members of both the United Nations as well as G20 opposed Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine. He added that Biden will speak out against Russias war which has had devastating consequences and will seek just and durable peace in line with the UN charter, international law, and principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Moscow and Beijing have opposed even including the language agreed upon during the last summit at Bali on Ukraine, jeopardising the prospect of a joint communique. When asked about Indias position on the war, Sullivan said that India had signed on to the statement. In his opening remarks at the briefing, Sullivan said that the US was deeply committed to the G20 as a forum to deliver meaningful outcomes at a time of historic international economic shocks. Linking the American agenda at the Summit with Bidens domestic economic policy of greater investments at home, the NSA said that the US will push forward an ambitious agenda of reform of multilateral development banks, particularly the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and the quest to make it bigger and better. In this regard, he pointed out that the US administration had asked the US Congress for additional funding to the Bank. Claiming that these multilateral development banks (MDBs) remained the most effective instruments to provide high- standards, non-coercive, transparent, sustainable, and resilient lending and funding streams to low and middle income countries, Sullivan also said this was an affirmative agenda. This was in response to a question on whether the agenda of reform was directed at China. The NSA pointed out that China, too, was a shareholder of the Bank, and in response to another question, claimed that Xis absence would not affect how US pitched the issue. Sullivan added that the US was looking forward to welcoming African Union (AU) as the newest permanent member of the bloc, an indication that the proposal to add AU is likely to get through. India has championed the cause of including AU in G20 as a sign of its commitment to the global south and making the international governance architecture more inclusive and representative. Among other issues to be discussed at G20, Sullivan flagged climate, health, digital transformation, responsible development of artificial intelligence. In response to a question on human rights situation in India and whether it will come up in Bidens conversations, Sullivan referred to the Presidents past statements on the issue, including during the last State visit of Modi to the US. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent an invite for a G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of President of Bharat instead of the usual President of India. In a post on X, he cited the Constitutions Article 1 that Bharat, that is India, shall be a Union of States and added now even this Union of States is under assault. India assumed the intergovernmental forum G20s presidency in December. (PTI) Ramesh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi can continue to distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States. He added that they will not be deterred. After all, what is the objective of INDIA parties? It is BHARATBring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation And Trust. Judega BHARAT Jeetega INDIA! His reference was to the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, which on Friday announced the launch of a joint campaign of its constituents themed Judega Bharat, Jiteega India [India will unite and win]. India assumed the intergovernmental forum G20s presidency in December and has since held a series of meetings related to 32 sectors. The events will culminate with the meeting of heads of the governments and states of the worlds 20 largest economies in New Delhi on September 9-10. Rameshs tweet came days after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat last week suggested the use of Bharat instead of India. The name of our country has been Bharat for ages ... .Whatever maybe the language, the name remains the same, Bhagwat said at an event in Guwahati. Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Harnath Singh Yadav called the usage of India colonial. He told news agency ANI that the kind of inspiration and devotion the word Bharat invokes, India can never do. India is an abuse that the British used for us. They used the word to refer to anyone who they thought were uncouth, fools and criminals. New DelhiAn invitation for a G20 dinner sent out by President Droupadi Murmu in her capacity as President of Bharat instead of President of India triggered a controversy on Tuesday and set off furious speculation that such a move could be part of the legislative agenda in the upcoming special session of Parliament. HT Image The Opposition said the decision violated the Constitution and sought to link it to the decision to name the 28-party opposition grouping INDIA, but some senior government ministers said it was meant to snap ties with a colonial past. The invite for the September 9 dinner at 8pm, to be hosted by Murmu in Bharat Mandapam, will come in the middle of the G20 leaders summit in New Delhi. This should have happened earlier. This gives great satisfaction to the mind. Bharat is our introduction. We are proud of it. The President has given priority to Bharat. This is the biggest statement to come out of the colonial mindset, said education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was among the first leaders to share the invite sent out by the external affairs ministry on behalf of Rashtrapati Bhavan. But the Opposition was unimpressed, pointing out that Article 1 of the Constitution said, India, that is Bharat, shall be a union of states adding that the decision was a knee jerk move to undercut the Opposition INDIA bloc. So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9 in the name of President of Bharat instead of the usual President of India. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said. Though there was no official confirmation, some speculated that changing the name of the country to Bharat could well be the reason for a special five-day session of Parliament to be called beginning September 18, the 74th anniversary of the day when the Constituent Assembly adopted Article 1. Experts also pointed out that Article 52 of the Constitution says, There shall be a President of India, with no mention of Bharat. The jury was still out on whether (if the government wants to go ahead with the move) it can be achieved through a simple resolution, given that Article 1 uses both names, or it requires a constitutional amendment. That change has to be brought about by an amendment in the Constitution, otherwise Indias name is India only. India that is Bharat written in Article 1 is only descriptive, it is not that these two are interchangeable. It will be suicidal to use them interchangeably. There is only one name for one country, said constitutional expert PDT Achary. The row came four days after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat made a strong pitch for using Bharat instead of India. BJP Lok Sabha member Parvesh Verma said he was, in any case, going to bring a private members bill in the next session the special session has no time demarcated for private members bill seeking to amend the Constitutions preamble to remove the word India. In the bill, which HT has seen, Verma cited Puranas and said the country was named Bharatavarsha after Bharat Chakravarti, the son of Lord Rishabhdev. Bharat matches more with the history and culture of our great nation, said Verma, denying his initiative has anything to do with the Opposition INDIA bloc. I prepared it much before that announcement and will be introducing it in the next session. The Opposition hit out at the move within hours of the G20 invitation going public. West Bengal chief minister supremo Mamata Banerjee criticised the move. We all know India is Bharat, but the world knows us as India. What changed suddenly that we should use only Bharat? she asked. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal asked whether the BJP would change the name of Bharat if the opposition alliance Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance or INDIA rechristened itself Bharat. A Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) lawmaker even said that work had already begun to change the alliances name to BHARAT Bring Harmony, Reconciliation, And Trust. The BJP dismissed the Oppositions objections and said the use of the Hindi name underscored its civilisation march. Congress looks at everything as tinkering I dont see any problem. If we wont use the name of Bharat as Bharat, then what else, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said. In a post on X, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who had commented to the INDIA groupings name hours after it was announced in July attacked the Congress. The Congress seems to have a strong aversion towards Bharat. It appears that the name INDIA was intentionally chosen with the aim of defeating BHARAT, he said. In June 2020, the Supreme Court sent a petition seeking renaming of India as Bharat for the Centres consideration.Bharat and India are both names given in the Constitution. India is already called Bharat in the Constitution, then Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde orally said in that hearing. The petitioner, Namah, a Delhi resident, said in his plea that the word Bharat instilled national pride while India is of Greek origin. The petitioner sought an amendment to the Constitution and referred to the Constituent assembly debates that made a strong pitch for the adoption of Bharat and not India. On social media, the move also sparked other questions: What Will Indias new top level domain (currently it is .in) be if it changes its name? Will the IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) and the IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management) have to change their name? What of institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India, organisations such as the Indian Space Research Organisation, or commercial entities such as the State Bank of India? What would happen to the passport, which mentions the Republic of India on the cover? Or would both names now be used interchangeably? There were also questions on the impact of the change, if it happens, south of the Vindhyas, given the Hindi association of the name, although India is already called Bharatam in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.It is an attempt to impose a language on the entire country, said Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A close aide of former Union minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader M K Alagiri was allegedly attacked by an armed gang in Bengalurus Kammanahalli on Monday evening, police officers familiar with the matter said. The police suspect that the attack was a result of an ongoing gang rivalry. (HT Archives) The survivor, VK Gurusamy (53), is a DMK functionary and allegedly a Madurai-based gangster who has multiple criminal cases pending against him. According to the police, Gurusamy was in Bengaluru to look for a house on rent and was in touch with a broker. The incident took place at Sukh Sagar Hotel in Kammanahalli near Banaswadi on Monday evening. Gurusamy was with a real estate agent when a group of five men got out of a car and attacked them with machetes. The gang had followed him in a car and attacked him before fleeing from the spot, the police officer said. Gurusamy sustained multiple injuries from sharp weapons used during the attack and was rushed to a hospital where he is currently being medically treated, the police officer said, adding that the real estate agent escaped with minor injuries. The Banaswadi police have obtained CCTV camera footage to identify the assailants. Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (East) Bheemashankar S Guled told reporters that the police, while taking swift action, has formed two special teams to nab the assailants. Immediately after we got the information, we rushed to the spot and took Gurusamy to the hospital. He is a rowdy-sheeter and it appears he was looking to rent a house in Bengaluru. After searching for several houses, they [Gurusamy and the real estate agent] were having tea at the restaurant when he was attacked, the DCP said. It is suspected to be a gang rivalry. We have already sent two teams to Madurai, and the accused will be arrested soon, the DCP added. According to the police, Gurusamy belongs to one of the two gangs involved in a rivalry and they suspect that the attack was a result of an ongoing gang rivalry. The police also suspect that Gurusamy was looking for a house in Bengaluru fearing threat to his life. Gurusamy has more than 15 cases pending against him, including those under charges of murder and attempt to murder. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Parents who force children below the age of three years to attend preschool are committing an "illegal act," the Gujarat High Court said, while dismissing a batch of pleas challenging the state government's decision to set six years as the minimum age limit for Class 1 admission in the academic year 2023-24. The children whose parents moved the plea were admitted to a preschool before they completed three years A group of parents of children who did not complete six years as on June 1, 2023 sought to challenge the state government's notification dated January 31, 2020 prescribing the age limit for admission to Class 1 in the academic year 2023-24. "Forcing children to go to a preschool below the age of 3 years is an illegal act on the part of the parents who are petitioners before us," the division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice N V Anjaria observed in a recent order. The petitioners "cannot seek any leniency as they are guilty of violation of the mandate of the Right to Education Rules, 2012 of the Right to Education Act, 2009", it said. Quoting Rule 8 of the RTE Rules, 2012, which deals with admission procedure in a preschool, the court said no preschool shall admit a child who has not completed three years of age as on June 1 of the year. "A bare perusal of Rule 8 shows that there is a prohibition for admission of a child in a preschool who has not completed three years of age as on June 1 of the academic year. Three years of 'early childhood care and education' in a preschool prepares a child to take admission in 1st standard in a formal school," it said. The children whose parents moved the plea were admitted to a preschool before they completed three years the minimum age prescribed for admission in a preschool in the RTE Rules, 2012, which has been enforced in Gujarat with effect from February 18, 2012, it said. The petitioners' counsels told the court that they seek to challenge fixing June 1 as a cut-off date of the current academic year, only because this will deprive around nine lakh children in the state of their right to education in the current academic session. They sought the court's direction to accommodate children who completed three years in preschool but have not completed six years of age as on June 1, 2023 for the current academic year by granting them relaxation. They argued that denial of admission would result in infringement of their right to education recognised by Article 21 A of the Constitution and Right to Education Act, 2009. The court said that the contention of the parents that their children are school-ready as they have completed three years of elementary education in a preschool, as they were admitted there in the academic session 2020-21, does not impress it. It said that as per section 2(c) of the RTE Act, 2009, a child of the age of six years is eligible for admission in a neighbourhood school to exercise his or her right to free and compulsory education till the completion of his/her elementary education. "The right conferred upon a child by the constitutional provision of Article 21A and Section 3 of the RTE Act, 2009 begins after completion of the age of six years," the court stated. A conjoint reading of sections 2(c), 3, 4, 14, and 15 of the RTE Act, 2009 makes it clear that a child above the age of six cannot be denied education in a formal school, it said. The National Education Policy, 2020 has recognised children under six years of age require 'early childhood care and education', it said. As per the NEP, 2020, more than 85 percent of a child's cumulative brain development occurs prior to the age of six, indicating the critical importance of appropriate care and stimulation of the brain in the early years to ensure healthy brain development and growth, the court observed in its order. Chennai: Amid a furore led by the BJP against the DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalins remarks on sanatana dharma, more than 200 former judges, bureaucrats and officers of the armed forces have requested the Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud to take suo motu cognisance of his hate speech which could incite communal disharmony and sectarian violence. Tamil Nadu chief ministers son and minister for sports, Udhayanidhi Stalin on Saturday during an event in Chennai had said that Sanathana Dharma must be eradicated like malaria and dengue (PTI) The issue began after Tamil Nadu chief ministers son and minister for sports, Udhayanidhi Stalin on Saturday during an event in Chennai had said that Sanathana Dharma must be eradicated like malaria and dengue. On Sunday, Union home minister Amit Shah accused the opposition bloc INDIA (which includes the DMK) of hating Hinduism and attacking our heritage. The issue has continued to escalate with the BJP mounting its attack on the INDIA alliance, DMK. While allies of the DMK in Tamil Nadu have backed Udhayanidhi, the other parties in the India alliance such All India Trinamool Congress have called for a nuanced approach. These remarks undeniably amount to hate speech against a large population of India and strikes at the very core of the Constitution of India which envisages Bharat as a secular nation, the letter to the CJI read. Moreover, the rule of law was further undermined when the State Government of Tamil Nadu refused to take any action against Udhayanidhi Stalin and rather chose to justify his remarks. The three-page letter was signed by former judge of the Delhi high court, SN Dhingra and shipping secretary Gopal Krishna. As many as 262 signatories comprising 14 former judges, 130 former bureaucrats and 118 army veterans are part of the signatories. They accused the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government of going against the Supreme Courts judgments which had previously directed that state governments to take so motu action against any hate speech crime without waiting for any complaint. Thus, cases should be suo motu registered and the offenders should be proceeded against in accordance with law. Any hesitation to act as per the directions would be viewed as contempt of court, the letter said. Udhayanidhi has continued to stand by his statement. Tamil Nadu Congress committee chief KS Alagiri described Udhayanidhi as a young Periyar (EV Ramaswamy) the father of the Dravidian movement who had opposed sanatana dharma. Are they suggesting that Sanatana dharma, which classifies people as untouchables, must not be changed? questioned Alagiri. Udhayanidhi has the right to say it. His father, grandfather, party founder Anna, and Periyar have said the same. Are you (BJP) making a fuss because of the approaching elections? Amit Shah is using it to divert people in the north by alleging that DMK and Congress are anti-Hindu. BJPs Tamil Nadu state vice president Narayanan Thirupathy reacted to Alagiris remarks as the DMK and Congress conspiring. So now it is clear and proven that it is the conspiracy of the Congress with the DMK to demolish Hindu religion, that is, sanatana dharma in order to get the votes of the minority religion, said Thirupathy. AIADMK broke their silence over the issue on Tuesday which the party general secretary and leader of opposition Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) terming it as DMKs diversionary tactics. It is an irony that the DMK, which voted against Ramnath Kovind and Droupadi Murmu, who represent the marginalised section, in the Presidential elections, is talking about social justice. Now against Sanatana Dharma, which is diversionary, EPS said. Meanwhile Udhyanidhi on Tuesday took light of the situation of a seer putting a bounty on his head for 10 crore. A comb priced 10 is enough to comb my hair, he said and questioned if the seer was genuine or fake. From Amit Shah to (BJP national president) JP Nadda, everyone is talking about Udhayanidhi. A complaint has been filed against me all over India and now a saint has set a prize for my head, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON President Xi Jinping is not coming to India to attend this weeks Group of 20 or G20 Summit and instead sending his Premier Li Qiang to represent China at the September 9-10 event to be held in Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping(MEA India) While Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning declined to answer the reason behind Xi Jinping's decision to skip the G20 meeting, it's out in the open that relations between China and India have grown frosty over their disputed border. (Follow G20 Summit LIVE updates) US President Joe Biden said he was disappointed that Xi planned to skip the G20 Summit. I am disappointed...but I am going to get to see him, Biden told reporters without saying when a meeting with Xi might take place. 5 probable reasons why Xi Jinping is not attending G20 Summit 1. Beijing recently released a so-called standard map laying territorial claim over Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin as well as Taiwan and the South China Sea, Alipov attempted to play it down. China releases the standard map every year but it is the first time that India has lodged a strong protest over the map issues, rejecting the claims of the Communist nation. The timing of the map release was a little surprising since it came just a few days ahead of the G20 Summit. At the recently concluded BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a brief interaction with Xi wherein he had expressed grave concern over the situation along the Line of Actual Control. 2. Relations between China and India have grown frosty over their disputed border. Three years ago, the tensions resulted in a clash in the Ladakh region that killed 20 Indian soldiers. It turned into a long-running standoff in the rugged mountainous area, where each side has stationed tens of thousands of military personnel backed by artillery, tanks and fighter jets. 3. Frictions have also risen over trade and India's growing strategic ties with China's main rival, the United States. Both India and China have expelled the other's journalists. 4. Wen-Ti Sung, political scientist at the Australian National University, told news agency Reuters that, "Xi's skipping the West-heavy club of G20 right after attending the BRICS summit may be a visual illustration of Xi's narrative of 'East is rising, and the West is falling', as well as showing solidarity with Russia's President Putin who is also not attending." 5. Alfred Wu, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, said Xi might be reluctant to travel abroad, given his focus on domestic issues. "Xi Jinping is setting his own agenda where his top concern is national security and he has to stay in China and make foreign leaders visit him instead," Wu said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Delivery of online orders, and a host of other services will be prohibited for three days in the national capital's New Delhi district on account of this week's G20 Summit, the Delhi Police announced on Monday. A model of the G20 logo outside a Metro station ahead of the G20 Summit in New Delhi on Monday. (Reuters) All cloud kitchens, commercial establishments, markets, food delivery, and commercial delivery services will be shut from September 8 to 10 in the New Delhi district, SS Yadav, Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said during a press conference. Orders due to be delivered even through companies such as Amazon and Flipkart, too, are prohibited in the controlled New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) zone, Yadav added. Exemptions The senior officer, however, noted that certain services, including delivery of essential medical items, have been exempted from the restrictions. Lab reports and sample collection will be permitted throughout the city. Vehicles for hotels, hospitals, and other significant installations in the district that are involved in housekeeping, catering, trash disposal, etc. will be permitted following verification, the Special CP further stated. The Delhi Summit The G20 Leaders Summit will be held on September 9 and 10 at the newly-built Bharat Mandapam International Exhibition-Convention centre at the revamped Pragati Maidan complex. World leaders such as US President Joe Biden, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak, Canadian premier Justin Trudeau, among others, will attend the Delhi G20 Summit; India is the first South Asian host of the G20 meet. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ahead of the high-level G20 Summit, scheduled to be held at the sprawling Bharat Mandapam at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi from September 9-10, an Amritsar-based artist painted a portrait of US President Joe Biden to welcome him to the mega event. 5ft by 7ft portrait of Joe Biden painted in Amritsar ahead of G20 summit.(Sameer Sehgal/ HT) Jagjot Singh, who made a 7ft by 5ft hand-made painting of Biden in Amritsar to welcome him to India, said it took 10 days to paint the portrait with acrylic colours. "He (Joe Biden) is coming to India first time after becoming US President. When PM Modi went to the US, he got a rousing welcome. That time, I made up my mind that whenever the US President comes to India, I will make the US President painting," Singh told news agency ANI. In his painting career, Singh has painted portraits of President Droupadi Murmu, and former Indian presidents Pranab Mukherjee and Pratibha Patel, for which he also received appreciation letters. Biden will travel to India on September 7 to attend the G20 Summit and a bilateral meeting with Modi. On September 8, Biden will participate in a meeting with Modi, the White House said in its week-ahead schedule of the President. While on September 9-10, Biden will attend the G20 Summit, to discuss a range of joint efforts to tackle global issues. He will also commend Modi for his leadership of the G20, and reaffirm the US commitment to the G20 as the premier forum of economic cooperation, the White House had earlier announced in a statement. Announcing the US Presidents schedule, White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre said Biden will travel to Hanoi, Vietnam, on September 10 following his participation in the G20 Summit in New Delhi." India assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1 last year. The 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi scheduled to be held on September 9-10 will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year. Voting is underway for seven assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura, Kerala, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand on Tuesday, the outcome of which will gauge the level of public support for the Opposition's I.N.D.I.A bloc or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. The results of these polls will be announced on Friday. The counting of votes for the bypolls will be done on Friday. These seats are namely Ghosi in UP, Dhupguri in West Bengal, Dumri assembly seat in Jharkhand, Boxanagar and Dhanpur seats in Tripura, Bageshwar in the hill state of Uttarakhand and Puthuppally seat in Kerala. (Bypolls LIVE updates) Both I.N.D.I.A and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance campaigned extensively for the bypolls, seen as a litmus test for I.N.D.I.A. These bypolls also come ahead of the major assembly elections scheduled in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Telangana later this year the key semi-finale before the 2024 Lok Sabha election. In view of the high stakes, both the alliances placed bets on candidates they believe will sway the outcomes in their favour. Here's the key candidates fielded in the bypolls: Jharkhand: The bypoll to Dumri assembly seat was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA Jagarnath Mahto, who was also a minister in the Hemant Soren government. The I.N.D.I.A has fielded joint candidate Bebi Devi, the deceased leader's wife. While the NDA has placed its bet on Yashoda Devi, the All Jharkhand Student Union (AJSU) leader. Yashoda Devi had contested the 2019 assembly election on an AJSU ticket and stood second, losing to Mahto. Tripura: The Boxanagar and Dhanpur seats in Tripura are witnessing bypolls due to the demise of sitting MLA Samsul Haque and resignation of Union minister Pratima Bhoumik. Boxanagar is considered a CPI(M) stronghold. Here, the Left has fielded Mizan Hussain, the son of MLA Haque who passed away. Meanwhile, the BJP has placed its bet on Tafajjal Hussain, who unsuccessfully contested the last assembly election from Boxanagar. Dhanpur will see a fierce contest between BJP's Bindu Debnath and CPI(M)s Kaushik Debnath. This constituency was once considered a stronghold of the Left, however, the BJP won this seat for the first time in the assembly poll held seven months ago. West Bengal: Here, the Dhupguri assembly seat was vacated following the death of sitting MLA Bishnu Pada Ray. Here, an interesting triangular contest has emerged, putting I.N.D.I.A unity to test as the Trinamool Congress is contesting against Congress-CPI(M) alliance, also members of the Opposition bloc. The seat is currently held by the BJP. CPI (M)'s Ishwar Chandra Roy is contesting as the candidate of the Congress-Left alliance, while the ruling TMC has fielded Nirmal Chandra Roy, a teacher by profession. Meanwhile, the BJP has nominated Tapasi Roy, the widow of a CRPF jawan who died fighting terrorists in Kashmir a few years back. Uttar Pradesh: The Ghosi bypoll is the first election battle between INDIA and the NDA in India's most populous state. The seat fell vacant after Samajwadi Party''s Dara Singh Chauhan resigned to join the BJP. The INDIA parties have extended their support to Samajwadi Party's candidate Sudhakar Singh. Singh will contest against the sitting MLA Chauhan who is seeking re-election after his crossover. Uttarakhand: The Bageshwar seat in the hill state fell vacant after the demise of sitting MLA Chandan Ram Das. BJP candidate Parvati Das will fight the bypoll to retain her late husband's seat While the Congress has fielded Basant Kumar. Kerala: Congress veteran Oommen Chandy's demise has prompted the election on Kerala' s Puthuppally seat. The Congress-UDF candidate for this seat is Chandy Oommen, the son of the late former chief minister, who represented the seat for 50 years. Meanwhile, the ruling party CPI(M) has fielded Jaick C Thomas from this constituency. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Himachal Pradesh has decided to reopen its tourism services to some of its prominent tourist destinations, following the mayhem caused by the rain and landslide, which resulted in losses over 10,000 crore for the hill state. Additionally, flight services in Shimla and Dharmashala have been reinstated, with the state offering attractive discounts to entice travellers, news agency PTI reported quoting an official source. Alliance Air from Delhi to Shimla, and further from Shimla to Dharamshala have been resumed. (Deepak Sansta/HT) A statement from Amit Kashyap, the Director of the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, on Tuesday, indicated that popular tourist resorts such as Kasauli, Shimla, Chail, Narkanda, Kinnaur, Dharamshala, Mcleodganj, Palampur, Dalhousie, and Khajjiar have now reopened. Moreover, the roads leading to these destinations have been deemed safe for travel. Kashyap also mentioned that tourists can take advantage of discounts available in many of the hill state's hotels during the current season. He also highlighted the significance of the tourism sector in the state, which contributes seven per cent, equivalent to over 14,000 crore, to the State Gross Domestic Product (SGDP). Additionally, it provides around 14.42 per cent of direct and indirect employment in the state. The hill state endured severe monsoon damage during July and August, resulting in flash floods, landslides, and extensive destruction of both public and private property, as well as the loss of human lives. In terms of transportation, Kashyap noted that daily flights operated by Alliance Air from Delhi to Shimla, and further from Shimla to Dharamshala, have resumed. The airline has introduced discounted fares for all seats on the Shimla-Dharamshala-Shimla route, with rates set at 3,000 plus taxes. Furthermore, to facilitate visitors, the helicopter service provided by Pawan Hans Limited, operating from Chandigarh to Shimla and onward to Rampur, Kullu, Mandi, and Dharamshala under the UDAN scheme, has also been reinstated. Himachal CM Sukhu visits rain-affected areas Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu made a visit to the Sujanpur Constituency in Hamirpur district on Tuesday to take a stock of the damage caused by the recent unprecedented rains and landslides. During this visit, he also inspected the ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts. Sukhu announced a significant relief package introduced by the state government, which includes a notable provision for providing tenfold increased compensation to those who have been adversely affected by rain related incidents. Previously, compensation stood at 12,500 for partial damage to concrete houses and 10,000 for partial damage to mud houses. However, recognising the magnitude of the damage resulting from these calamities, the government has now raised the compensation to a substantial one lakh rupees. Under these newly implemented provisions, financial assistance of 55,000 is being extended per milch animal, including cows and buffaloes, in the unfortunate event of their death. Moreover, financial support for the loss of sheep and goats has seen an increase from 4,000 to 6,000. The chief minister's visit also encompassed areas such as Sachuhi, Bajahar, Jol-Palahi, and other localities within Sujanpur, where he personally oversaw the relief and rehabilitation operations. He issued necessary directives to the local administration to ensure that affected families receive the assistance they require during these challenging times. (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lingamgunta Nirmitha Rao Trainee Content Producer at Hindustan Times Digital Stream. India's regional languages attract me. ...view detail While the Bharatiya Janata Party has slammed Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for his Sanatana Dharma comments and questioned Rahul Ganghi's stand, the Opposition seems to be divided over the controversy. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tamil Nadu CM and DMK chief MK Stalin during the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) meeting in Mumbai on September 1. (PTI) The Congress, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Aam Aadmi Party, which are part of the Opposition INDIA bloc, distanced themselves from the DMK leader, who had likened Sanatan Dharma to coronavirus, malaria and dengue and had said such things should not be opposed but destroyed. On Monday, the TMC condemned the remarks of Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin's son, and said the Opposition bloc had no connection with such comments. "We condemn such remarks. Harmony is our culture. We have to respect other religions. The I.N.D.I.A. bloc has no connection with such comments. Whoever he may be, if anyone says something like this, we should condemn such statements," TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said. TMC supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, without naming anyone, said people should not comment on anything that may hurt the religious sentiments of the people adding that she respects Sanatan Dharma. "I have great regard for the people of Tamil Nadu. But my humble request to them, every religion has its separate sentiments. India is a secular country, it is a democratic country and at the same time, unity in diversity is our origin. So, I respect Sanatan Dharma. We go to temples, mosques, churches everywhere. We should not be involved in any matter which may hurt any section," Banerjee said. "Instead of saying 'condemn', my humble request to everybody is that we should not comment on anything which may hurt the major section or the small section. We have to remember unity in diversity," she added. Congress leader Karan Singh strongly objected to the DMK leader's comments saying it is most unfortunate and totally unacceptable. Terming the comments preposterous, Karan Singh said that crores of people in India follow a lesser or greater extent the tenets of Sanatan Dharma. At a press conference held in Delhi, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal was the first Congress leader to speak on Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi's remark and said the party believes in Sarva Dharma Samabhava and respects everyone's belief. "Our view is clear: 'Sarva Dharma Samabhava' is the Congress' ideology. Every political party has the freedom to express their views. We are respecting everybody's beliefs," said Venugopal. Reacting to the controversy, Karnataka minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge, who is also the son of party president Mallikarjun Kharge, said any religion that does not give equal rights is not a religion and "is as good as a disease". "Any religion that does not promote equality, any religion that doesn't ensure that you have the dignity of being a human being is not a religion, according to me. So it is as good as a disease," Priyank said. Hitting out at the BJP, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi accused it of showing "fake concern" over Sanatan Dharma for its politics and called it hypocrisy. "Sanatan Dharma stands for eternal truth - the way to live life- the conscience & being. Sanatanis have long withstood attacks by invaders to end their identity yet they have not just survived but thrived. The country's bedrock, which is linked to Sanatan Dharm, has been inclusiveness of all faiths and identities. Anyone making derogatory comments against it is ignorant of what it stands for," she said on X. "Also, the fake concern shown by BJP over Sanatan Dharma for their politics exposes their sick hypocrisy while they are brutally lathi charging sanatanis who are fighting for their rights in Maharashtra...," she said. Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya said the BJP is marketing the word 'Sanatan' and they are playing with the sentiments of the people in the name of religion. Union ministers slam Opposition Several Union ministers, including Rajnath Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Prahlad Patel, Dharmendra Pradhan and Anurag Thakur took on the opposition alliance and asked it not to play with Hindu sentiments. Rajnath Singh hit out at the opposition over the comments, wondering why Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Ashok Gehlot are "silent" on the issue. Addressing a public meeting at Ramdevra in Jaisalmer on the launch of the third round of the BJP's Parivartan Yatra in Rajasthan, he said the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), a part of the INDIA bloc, has hurt Sanatan Dharma and the Congress leaders are "silent" on the issue. "What Udhayanidhi Stalin has said is shocking and shameful", former Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, noting that the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has repeated his remarks. Prasad also attacked Congress MP Karti Chidambaram for supporting Udhayanidhi. "Why are opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee silent? Are you playing with Hindu sentiments for votes? They should know that hundreds of years of Islamic rule could not exterminate Sanatan Dharma and British imperialism could not dilute it," Prasad told reporters. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is a declared Sanatani, he added. Thakur alleged that the INDIA alliance was stooping to "politics of polarisation". (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON NEW DELHI: Leaders of India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will review their relations in areas ranging from maritime security to the digital economy and provide directions for future cooperation at a summit in Indonesia on September 7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for Indonesia during the night on September 6 and return to New Delhi late in the evening the following day (via REUTERS) A new initiative on maritime security is expected to be among key outcomes of the Asean- India Summit to be held in Jakarta on Thursday, people familiar with the matter said. Days ahead of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making a brief visit to Indonesia to attend the India-Asean Summit and East Asia Summit. Modi will leave for Indonesia during the night on September 6 and return to New Delhi late in the evening the following day. Indonesia, the current chair of Asean, made adjustments to the schedule for both summits to facilitate Modis early return. Officials said Modi will not hold any bilateral meetings on the margins of the two summits in view of his tight schedule. This will be the first Asean- India Summit since the two sides elevated their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022, and the focus since then has been on maritime security, cyber-security, digital economy and emerging areas of cooperation. An Asean-India defence ministers meeting was held last November and the two sides conducted their first maritime exercise in May. The Asean Summit will be an opportunity for the leadership to review progress in relations and to provide further direction for cooperation, said Saurabh Kumar, secretary (East) in the external affairs ministry. The relationship with Asean is a central pillar of Indias Act East policy and the vision for the wider Indo-Pacific, he told a media briefing. Both sides also share a similar vision for the Indo-Pacific and are committed to building on the synergy between Aseans outlook on the Indo-Pacific and Indias Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, Kumar said. With India and Asean observing the 30th anniversary of their partnership in 2022, the Indian side has focused on increasing connectivity in the physical, digital and economic domains. India and Indonesia launched direct flights through two private airlines in August, and India has also started direct flights to Vietnam. Following the linking of the real-time cross-border payment systems of India and Singapore in February, Kumar said the Indian side is looking at ways to expand this to other Asean countries. India-Asean trade was worth $131.5 billion during 2022-23, with the 10-member bloc accounting for more than 11% of Indias total trade for the period. The two sides have also begun a review of the India-Asean trade in goods agreement to make it more friendly and trade facilitative, to enhance and diversify trade, and to address existing asymmetries. This review is expected to be completed by 2025, Kumar said. The East Asia Summit, which brings together the 10 Asean members and eight dialogue partners (Australia, India, China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the US), is a key mechanism for dialogue on strategic matters. Kumar said India is committed to strengthening this platform and making it more effective to deal with contemporary challenges. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rezaul H Laskar Rezaul H Laskar is the Foreign Affairs Editor at Hindustan Times. His interests include movies and music. ...view detail Is our country INDIA going to be renamed Bharat? The buzz around a possible name change by the Narendra Modi government has grown louder after a viral picture of a G20 dinner invite sent by Rashtrapati Bhawan was signed in the name of President of Bharat instead of the convention President of India. The opposition parties including Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party have cried foul over the invite. The grand old party has even gone on to accuse the ruling dispensation of trying to distort history out of fear of the newly formed I.N.D.I.A alliance. The controversy over the G20 dinner invite comes ahead of the special session of parliament, that has already triggered immense speculations as to what will be on agenda. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan shared the screenshot of President's G20 invite.(X/Dharmendra Pradhan) Cong slams Republic of Bharat G20 invite Several Congress leaders including Jairam Ramesh, KC Venugopal, Manish Tewari and Shashi Tharoor took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), questioning the Modi government over a rumoured name change of the country. So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. But now even this Union of States is under assault, Congress general secretary in-charge (communications) Jairam Ramesh posted. Ramesh's party colleague and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal too attacked the BJP. The BJP's destructive mind can only think of how to divide people. Once again, they are creating a rift between Indians and Bharatiyas. Let's be clear - we are the same! As Article 1 says - India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States. This is petty politics because they are scared of INDIA. Try what you will, Modi ji. Judega Bharat, Jeetega INDIA! Congress MP Shashi Tharoor suggested using both India and Bharat. While there is no constitutional objection to calling India Bharat, which is one of the countrys two official names, I hope the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with India, which has incalculable brand value built up over centuries. We should continue to use both words rather than relinquish our claim to a name redolent of history, a name that is recognised around the world, he posted on X. BJP's big hint on Bharat Unfazed by the criticism, the Bharatiya Janata Party hit out at the constituents of the I.N.D.I.A alliance, accusing them of hating the word Bharat. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan shared the invite by the President bearing Republic of Bharat on his X handle. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in a post on X called the move a bold step towards Amrit Kaal. REPUBLIC OF BHARAT - happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL", he said. Now my apprehension has proven to be true. The Congress party seems to have a strong aversion towards Bharat. It appears that the name 'I.N.D.I alliance' was intentionally chosen with the aim of defeating BHARAT, Sarma added. What does Constitution of India say? The opposition parties have cited Article 1 of the Constitution to support their arguments on Bharat vs India row. Here's what the article states:- "(1) India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States. (2) The States and the territories thereof shall be as specified in the First Schedule. (3) The territory of India shall comprise (a) the territories of the States; (b) the Union territories specified in the First Schedule; and (c) such other territories as may be acquire". 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 proposed modifications to a law governing coalfields that allow for indefinite leases to state-run miners and diversion of unused acquired land to private entities would hamper the interests of Jharkhand, the state government has said in a letter to the Centre, officials aware of the development said. The Centre will consider all aspects based on feedback received from the states, said Pratul Shahdeo, spokesperson of the Jharkhand unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (HT Archive) Jharkhand has forwarded its objections regarding the Coal Bearing Area (Acquisition and Development) Amendment Bill, 2023, which seeks to replace a 1957 law, they said. The consultative committee of the Centre had sent us the draft of the amendment Bill seeking our opinion. The department has written back, raising the states concerns with certain proposed clauses in the Bill, said Aboobacker Siddique P, the states mines and geology secretary. Jharkhand is one of the member states of the consultative committee, officials said, and some of the major concerns raised by the state include tweaking rules to extend the lease period indefinitely to state-owned miners that would have a bearing on the royalty paid to the state government. As per the section 8 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 and rule 24 (c) of the Minerals Concession Rules, 1960, the lease period for the public sector mining companies is fixed. Now it is being proposed that the lease period for mining would be for the entire life period of the concerned mines, which is against the existing rules, an official said, declining to be named. The 1957 law and subsequent amendments in 2021 say that any lease or its extension for mines in fifth schedule areas entail additional payment to the respective state. But the proposed amendment of lifetime lease would deprive the states of additional funds, the official added. The fifth schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with administration and control of areas where tribal people live. Jharkhand has also questioned the proposed modifications related to land acquisition for public and private firms. The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 provides for acquisition of land for the public sector firms only for mining purposes. Any additional land acquisition for infrastructure development or residential purposes is done under the Land Acquisition Act, the official said. However, now the Centre wants to dilute the original Act and amend the law so that land acquired for public sector firms could also be given to private entities for infrastructure development. Concerns have also been raised about handing over land acquired for public sector firms, especially in the scheduled areas, to private entities would be an encroachment on the rights and privileges of tribal people and moolvasis, or original inhabitants. If the unused land of the mining firms is diverted to other firms, it would affect the initiative of the state government to return such unused lands back to the original owners, the official said. The Centre will consider all aspects based on feedback received from the states, said Pratul Shahdeo, spokesperson of the Jharkhand unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party. At present, its feedback time, where the opinion and feedbacks of all affected states is being sought. Our government at the Centre is seized of the concerns of those displaced due to land acquisition as well as the federal structure. The Centre would take any final decision only after considering the feedback, Shahdeo said. Manoj Pandey, spokesman of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, however, alleged that the Centre was amending the law to help private firms. The incumbent government at the Centre is only interested in helping their corporate friends. They tried similar things with the land acquisition Act and bringing an ant-farmer bill, but had to withdraw under opposition pressure, Pandey said. Our party would always fight for the interest of the tribals and the moolvasis of the state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vishal Kant Vishal Kant works as an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times. He tracks developments in Aam Aadmi Party and Delhi government. Vishal has spent about a decade covering the city politics and governance, besides writing on Delhis civic issues, urban transport and infrastructure. ...view detail Those who assassinated journalist Gauri Lankesh, author Govind Pansare and rationalist Narendra Dabholkar have same mindset as that of the killer of Mahatma Gandhi, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday. Gauri Lankesh (HT Archives) He was speaking at a memorial event in Bengaluru to mark the sixth death anniversary of Lankesh, who was shot dead outside her Rajarajeshwarinagar home on September 5, 2017. Justice will be served only when the person who killed her is punished... I hope that the verdict will bring peace to her family and supporters, Siddaramaiah said. The investigation is going well and the charge sheet has been filed as well. Whatever they try, they will not succeed in getting away. The special investigation team (SIT) probing the Lankesh murder case has maintained that an unidentified organisation had recruited right-wing activists to carry out the crime. Those who killed Gauri, Pansare, Dabholkar are of same mindset as those who killed Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi worked for the harmony of people from all communities and opposed communal forces. These are the same people who killed Gauri, Siddaramaiah added. Despite the charge sheet in the case being filed under the stringent Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act in 2018, the trial remains in its initial stages. Only 83 of over 500 witnesses in the case have deposed before the court so far. The trial began as late as March 2022. Pointing at the slow pace of the proceedings, Lankeshs family members have demanded a special fast-track court to conduct the trial on a day-to-day basis. The charge sheet was filed in 2018, but instead of a speedy trial, the proceedings are being dragged on. We hope the government will speed up the trial, Kavita Lankesh, the younger sister of Gauri, said. The trial is also crucial because the SIT probe has unearthed a link between the case and the murders of rationalists MM Kalburgi, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar. This is not just a story of one person. This is the story of anyone who raises their voice against communal forces. No one should fear them, because our fear is their strength, Siddaramaiah said. He recalled his several meetings with journalist Lankesh during his previous stint as the chief minister. She always spoke about communal harmony, issues of adivasis, Naxalites, farmers and women. She was the voice of the people from all communities, Siddaramaiah added. The Maharashtra SIT, which is probing the murder of Govind Pansare, also found that the same gun was used in the Lankesh and Pansare murders. The link between the murders of Lankesh and Narendra Dabholkar another rationalist from Maharashtra who was shot dead on August 20, 2013 emerged during the later stages of the investigation. Meanwhile, the state government has handed over the probe into death threat letters to several writers across the state for over a year now, to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru City Police. Over 15 writers and intellectuals from the state have written to G Parameshwara, the state minister of home department, stating that they have been receiving threatening letters for the past year and have sought time to meet him. They also said that they received letters saying that they will meet the fate of the late activists MM Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh. According to the complaint from the writers over the past year, several liberal writers in Karnataka have been persistently receiving death threats signed by an entity identifying as Sahishnu Hindu. While one individual was apprehended in connection with these threats, the threatening letters have persisted. The state government has handed over the probe into death threat letters to several writers across the state for over a year now, to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru city police. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Karnataka government is planning to replace the monetary assistance for beneficiaries under Anna Bhagya scheme with the distribution of 5kg rice in taluks that have been designated as drought-hit, Food and Civil Supplies minister KH Muniyappa has said. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah with deputy chief minsiter DK Shivakumar and Food & Civil Supplies minister KH Muniappa during the launch of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) under the Anna Bhagya Scheme, at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on July 10, 2023. (PTI) Muniyappa said that the distribution of rice would commence once the government finalises the list of drought-affected taluks. Currently, due to insufficient rice stocks, the government provides monetary aid to beneficiaries instead of the additional 5 kg of rice, as promised in the Congress manifesto. In the coming ten days, the state government will make a decision regarding the distribution of 10 kg of rice to each beneficiary. We are engaged in discussions with Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh to get rice at a reasonable cost, he said. Following the meeting of the cabinet sub-committee on Monday, Revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda had said that 62 taluks in the state can be declared as drought-hit, as per the guidelines of the central government. These taluks were identified after conducting a survey in 113 taluks, which face severe crop losses due to shortage of rain. Gowda further said that since a drought-like situation was reported in the remaining 51 taluks after the survey, the Congress-led state government will conduct one more survey before submitting the final list. Regarding the direct transfer of benefits under Anna Bhagya scheme, Muniyappa revealed that the government successfully implemented this initiative for 97 lakh cardholders in July this year. In July, a total of 566 crore was disbursed to approximately 3.45 crore [34.5 million] individuals. In August, 606 crore was distributed to 3.69 crore [36.9 million] people. Currently, 21 lakh [2.1 million] individuals lack bank accounts, but we are in the process of establishing accounts for 14 lakh [1.4 million] of them, he said. As the condition of draught worsens in Karnataka, the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj has recommended increasing the number of workdays for labourers from 100 to 150 days under the NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scheme in the drought-affected taluks. The state has so far received 26% less rainfall than the overall normal. Therefore, the drought environment is dense and till now 62 taluks are eligible to be declared as severe drought as per the guidelines of the central government. In this background, it has been recommended by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj to increase the number of man days from 100 days to 150 days per worker under the NREGA scheme in drought-affected taluks, state Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) minister Priyank Kharge said. He also said that 105 gram panchayats in 34 taluks are grappling with water shortages, including 37 villages facing acute scarcity. A contingency plan has been formulated, with 7 crore already disbursed. Furthermore, each zilla panchayat has received 1 crore, he told reporters. Meanwhile, Congress MLA Prakash K Koliwad launched a cloud seeding operation(a type of weather modification technique that improves a clouds ability to produce rain) in Haveri district on Monday, financing the initiative himself. Koliwad said that the cloud seeding would continue for the next two days. A flight took off from Hubballi airport and flew to Haveri district, where the operation was conducted. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Arun Dev Arun Dev is an Assistant Editor with the Karnataka bureau of Hindustan Times. A journalist for over 10 years, he has written extensively on crime and politics. ...view detail Hyderabad Bharat Rashtra Samithi on Tuesday appealed to all political parties in the country to extend their support to the Womens Reservation Bill. (PTI) Amid talks on the introduction of a bill in the upcoming five-day special session of Parliament from September 18 seeking to provide reservations for women in the legislative bodies, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi on Tuesday appealed to all political parties in the country to extend their support to the bill. BRS lawmaker and Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Raos daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha wrote a letter to the presidents of as many as 47 political parties represented in the Parliament, requesting them to ensure that the Centre introduces the long-pending womens reservation bill and passes the same unanimously. Let us all set aside the political differences and prioritise the passage of the Womens Reservation Bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament thereby ensuring reservation of 33% of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women, the letter said. She regretted that despite being a crucial step towards gender parity and inclusive governance, the Womens Reservation Bill remained in legislative limbo for far too long. Stating that women who constitute nearly 50% of the total population of the country played a critical role in society, Kavitha said insufficient representation of women in legislatures was an obstacle to the nations progress and a weakening of democratic principles. She pointed out that 14,00,000 women were already active in public life, demonstrating their ability to lead and govern effectively. Increased womens representation is not a matter of exclusivity but a means to build a more equitable and balanced political landscape, the letter said. Kavitha stressed in her letter that diverse representation in legislatures was essential to fulfil aspirations of citizens and urged for the importance of avoiding one-sided representation. Increasing womens representation in politics would not only empower women but also serve as an inspiring example for millions of girls across the nation. The former MP stated that womens active participation in policy decisions had led to innovative proposals. She argued that enhanced female representation in legislatures would lead to more effective policies, benefiting the society as a whole. Expressing regret over the lack of commitment among political parties to provide women with adequate representation in legislatures, Kavitha urged all political parties to recognise the urgency of this matter and throw their weight behind the Womens Reservation Bill. In March this year, Kavitha sat on a day-long hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, demanding the tabling and passing of the Womens Reservation Bill in the Parliament. All India Congress Committee in-charge of Telangana affairs Manickam Tagore criticised the BRS leaders call for Womens Reservation Bill. She is raking up the issue now, only to appease women ahead of the assembly elections in Telangana. But the women have decided to vote against the BRS, he said. Tagore, however, said the Congress would extend support to the womens reservation bill if introduced in the Parliament. In the past, it was the UPA government which had introduced the bill in Rajya Sabha and got it passed, thanks to the initiative taken by Sonia Gandhi. Unfortunately, it could not get the bill passed in Lok Sabha due to lack of majority for the Congress, the AICC leader said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Kochi: A voter turnout of 73.05% was recorded at the end of polling in the Puthuppally Assembly by-election in Kerala on Tuesday, the returning officer said. UDF, LDF and BJP workers gather at Pampady junction at the end of the publicity campaign for the Puthupally by-election, in Kottayam on Sep 3. (PTI) As of 6 pm, the turnout was just over 73% but there were still queues outside some polling stations. Those votes will have to be tallied along with 2491 postal votes. The final figure would be around 73%-74% and will be available by today morning, Returning Officer Vinod Raj said. In 2021, the turnout in the constituency was 74.84%. Brisk polling was seen in the early morning hours at several polling stations in the constituency as voters braved heavy rains to cast their ballots. The constituency has 1,76,000 registered voters and 182 polling stations. Four booths were termed as sensitive and additional security was deployed there. The by-election was necessitated by the death of veteran Congress leader, two-time CM and 12-time MLA Oommen Chandy who represented the seat uninterrupted since 1970. Chandy had succumbed to cancer at a private hospital in Bengaluru on July 18. The Congress named his son Chandy Oommen as the candidate in the bypoll. Oommen is also a youth Congress leader who participated full-time last year in the Rahul Gandhi -led Bharat Jodo Yatra. The CPM candidate was Jaick C Thomas, a DYFI leader from Puthuppally who contested unsuccessfully twice against Chandy in 2016 and 2021. In 2021 election, Thomas was able to bring down Chandys victory margin from over 27,000 votes to 9000 votes. The CPM-led LDF also controls six of the eight grama panchayats that make up the constituency. The BJP, a minor player in the constituency, named its district president Ligin Lal as its candidate. In 2021, the party got less than 10% of the vote share. On Tuesday, as polling entered the last hour, Chandy Oommen, the Congress candidate, alleged that the process was unusually slow at several booths, resulting in voters standing in long queues and even leaving without voting. I have seen several elections in Puthuppally and in other constituencies. This has never happened before. (Polling) was slow in all eight panchayats, but in select booths. Everyone should be allowed to vote, he told reporters. CPMs Thomas told reporters that he had the confidence that voters would make the right choice in creating a new Puthuppally. It is a historic day for voters here to guide the constituency in a new direction, he said. In Puthuppally, among Hindus, who form over half of the population, Ezhava and Nair communities dominate. Christians comprise nearly 40% of the population with Orthodox and Jacobite Syrian Christian communities influential in the constituency. While Oommen belongs to the Orthodox faction, Thomas is a member of the Jacobite Christian community. The result in Puthuppally will not have an impact on the state government as the CPM-led LDF with 99 seats has a brute majority in the 140-member Assembly. The Congress-led UDF has 41 seats. Counting of votes will take place on September 8, Friday. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Kolkata Police on Tuesday filed a murder case against the principal, vice-principal and two teachers of a private school in connection with the death of a Class 10 student, who allegedly fell from the fifth floor of the institute a day earlier, a police officer said. HT Image According to the officer, who did not wish to be named, an FIR against the four people was registered on the basis of a complaint by the deceaseds father, who alleged his 16-year-old son was thrashed for not completing a project and was also being targeted by the faculty as he had demanded a reduction in the school fees during the Covid-19 pandemic. HT tried to reach out to school authorities for a comment but did not get one immediately. The student, the officer cited above said, died after he fell from the fifth floor of the school in Kasba in south Kolkata at around 2.15pm on Monday. While there was no official statement from the school on the incident till the time of filing this report, the deceaseds family alleged he was tortured by his teachers for not completing a project, the officer said. The family also said he was being targeted since he had sought a reduction in school fees during the pandemic, the officer added. We have registered an FIR under sections 302 (murder) and 120b (criminal conspiracy) of IPC against four people principal, vice-principal and two teachers on the basis of a complaint by the victims father, the officer said. The deceaseds father said: He was beaten up by school teachers. He was being targeted as during the pandemic, we had demanded a reduction in fees. New Delhi: A leaked draft of the paragraphs on climate change from one of G20 Communique drafts circulating has raised concerns on whether the G20 will provide clear goals on a peaking year for emissions globally; trebling of renewable energy capacity; and phasing down fossil fuels which are critical for meeting Paris Agreement goals. A G20 draft on climate change hints at a little breakthrough on goals for global emissions. (HT Archive) G20 countries had failed to agree on these critical issues of climate crisis mitigation at the G20 environment and climate ministerial in Chennai. The draft states that G20 nations responsible for 80% global emissions will continue their efforts to meet the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius. We reiterate our resolve to pursue further efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 C. This will require meaningful and effective actions and commitment by all countries, considering different approaches, through the development of clear national pathways that align long term ambition with short and medium-term goals, and with international cooperation and support, including finance and technology and sustainable and responsible consumption and production as critical enablers, in the context of sustainable development, the draft states. There continue to be brackets around the goal of global peaking by 2025. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said last year that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels will now require global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to peak before 2025 at the latest and be reduced by 43% by 2030. There are also brackets around We recall that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) noted that the largest share of historical and current global emissions of GHGs has originated in developed countries. This indicates there are red lines over acknowledging historical responsibility. The communique or the chairs summary is also expected to urge all countries that have not yet aligned their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) with the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement, to revisit and strengthen the 2030 targets in their NDCs, as necessary, by the end of 2023, taking into account different national circumstances. There may be significant directions for the future and COP 28 but there are no clear numbers or timelines in the draft yet, said a senior delegate from a non-G20 observer country. G20 leaders face a moral imperative: commit to an equitable phase-out of gas, oil, and coal; end fossil fuel subsidies by 2030; and triple renewable energy capacity annually by that same deadline. Anything less is an abdication of responsibility. Carbon capture and storage technologies are nothing more than dangerous distractions; genuine innovation is a must. Furthermore, wealthier nations must not just meet, but exceed, the $100 billion annual commitment to climate financerecalibrating for a needs-based target from 2025 onward. The clock is ticking, and half-measures are no longer an option, said Harjeet Singh, head of global political strategy at Climate Action Network International To be sure, climate negotiations have been some of the hardest to crack on global forums over an inherent difference in the priorities of developed countries and developing nations. HT reported on July 29 that at the Chennai environment and climate ministers meeting among the issues on which the countries were unable to put up a united front were scaling up renewable energy, phasing down unabated use of fossil fuel, doubling the global rate of improvement of energy efficiency, and ensuring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions peak no later than 2025. HT had also reported on July 23 that G20 ministers failed to reach consensus G20 failed on trebling of renewable energy deployment and phasing down of fossil fuels at the energy ministers meeting in Goa. Ahead of the Leaders Summit on September 9 and 10, global energy think tank Ember released a report on per capita coal emissions of G20 countries on Tuesday. Australia and South Korea stood out as the top two coal power polluters per capita among the G20 in 2022, an unchanged status since 2020, according to the analysis. Chennai: The Enforcement Directorate arrested Balaji on June 14 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act for a case dating back to 2014 when he was transport minister under the AIADMK regime. (PTI) The Madras high court on Tuesday left it to the wisdom of chief minister MK Stalin to take a decision on whether V Senthil Balaji , who currently is a minister in the state cabinet without a portfolio, should continue to hold his ministerial position. The court also put forth that it serves no purpose and does not augur well with the Principles of Constitutional ethos on goodness, good governance and purity in administration. The state government argued that neither the Constitution nor the Act of 1951 disqualifies a person to be a Member of the State Legislative Assembly after he is under custody or is undergoing trial and no other disqualification is prescribed for a person of the Legislative Assembly to be a minister. The contention of the petitioners that though the minister is disabled from performing work, he enjoys the perks and allowances at the cost of the public exchequer. Certainly, no purpose is served by just ceremonially retaining him as a minister, the court said. Observing that the chief minister is an Executive head who assigns ministerial responsibilities, the court said that there cannot be moral or Constitutional basis to retain such an MLA as a minister without portfolio. The founding fathers of our Constitution may not have comprehended corrosion of good and clean governance to an extent that a person would be retained as a minister without portfolio, that too while in custody nor did they envisaged that the Executive head would reward an elected member the status of a minister, though finding him not fit to discharge the responsibilities of a Minster, the court said. The bench on Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi removing Balaji as a minister on June 29 on moral turpitude and a few hours later keeping that in abeyance said, in the absence of any statutory disqualification incurred by Balaji, it would not be permissible for the Court to issue certain directions to the governor. ... it will have to be held that if the governor chooses to withdraw his pleasure in respect of a minister, he must exercise his discretion with the knowledge of the chief minister and not unilaterally. While experts said that the governors actions do not withstand legal scrutiny, the DMK government at that time said that they were disregarding the governors letters. The Enforcement Directorate arrested Balaji on June 14 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act for a case dating back to 2014 when he was transport minister under the AIADMK regime. He was hospitalised from the time of his arrest and underwent a heart surgery. The chief minister reallocated his portfolios of electricity and excise duty and prohibition on grounds of his health even as he continues to be under judicial custody and presently in Puzhal Central Prison. The present petition brings to the fore the erosion of the high standards of character and conduct demanded from the Members of the Legislature, the court said. The petitioners expect and legitimately so high standards of moral conduct by the persons in power. The chief minister is the repository of the peoples faith. Political compulsion cannot outweigh the public morality, requirements of good/clean governance and Constitutional morality. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday threatened to block funds to state-run universities if they dared follow the orders of Governor CV Ananda Bose and warned of a sit-in protest outside Raj Bhavan . Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has directed senior bureaucrats of her administration to gear up for an all-out legal battle against the Raj Bhavan. (Hindustan Times) If you interfere with any university or if any university or college takes your order, I will create economic obstructions. Tit for tat. No compromise. Let me see how you pay the salaries of university staff. We never interfere in the education system, Banerjee said while addressing a government program to celebrate Teachers Day. The chief minister directed senior bureaucrats of her administration to gear up for an all-out legal battle against the Raj Bhavan. HT reached out to the Raj Bhavan for a comment but did not get a comment immediately. Please take care. We have to fight this battle all out. And if it turns out that there is interference in the federal structure, I will be forced to stage a dharna outside the Governor-house. I wont allow the education system to collapse, she added. Happenings in West Bengal are part of a trend of confrontation between governors and state governments in non-BJP ruled states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Bihar over running of the state universities. The state governments are opposed to governors playing a proactive role in running universities and say the governor is only a nominal head of the universities. Banerjees statement came three days after Raj Bhavan issued a circular saying that university officials were not mandated to take direct orders from the state government or execute it without the knowledge and consent of the vice chancellor. The governor appoints the vice chancellor. We make the policies and fund the universities and he will give orders? Have you ever heard that the vice-chancellor of a university is appointed after midnight superseding 16 others? An IPS officer from Kerala was appointed the V-C of a university. A former judge was appointed the V-C of another university. I know him because he was my classmate during my Masters, she said while adding that a man who is not a cook is being asked to prepare biryani. The functioning of state-run universities has been a bone of contention between the ruling Trinamool Congress and Raj Bhavan since 2019, when former governor Jagdeep Dhankhar assumed charge. Bose, who is chancellor of all state-run universities, recently drew the ire of the TMC government by deciding to be acting vice-chancellor (VC) of 14 universities where the posts were lying vacant. An injured tiger is more dangerous than a healthy tiger. Today you are attacking us. But will you be able to stand the retaliation? Please wait and watch. We will take legal recourse, the chief minister said. New Delhi National Conference (NC) parliamentarian Akbar Lone on Tuesday filed a two-paragraph affidavit in the Supreme Court, choosing to refrain from stating that Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India even as he reiterated his oath as a member of Parliament to preserve and uphold the provisions of the Constitution of India and to protect the territorial integrity of the nation. NC MP Akbar Lone is one of the chief petitioners before the Constitution bench which is hearing a clutch of petitions against the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 (HT Archive) Lone filed his affidavit a day after the top court directed him to submit a categorical affidavit pledging allegiance to the countrys sovereignty after it received complaints that Lone in 2018 raised Pakistan zindabad slogans in the Jammu & Kashmir assembly. The NC MP is one of the chief petitioners before the Constitution bench, which is hearing a clutch of petitions against the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 that granted J&K special status and restructured the state into two Union territories. On Monday, the five-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, demanded an affidavit from Lone endorsing that he unconditionally accepts the sovereignty of India and that J&K is an integral part of India, emphasising that a person seeking to assert constitutional rights must be unequivocal about his allegiance to the Constitution and sovereignty of the people of India. The bench, which included justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, Bhushan R Gavai and Surya Kant, said it wants Lone to file his personal affidavit within 24 hours in deference to the Constitution and integrity of the nation, besides acknowledging J&K as an integral part of the country. However, Lones affidavit on Tuesday read: I am a responsible and dutiful citizen of the Union of India. I have exercised my right to approach this Honble Court through Article 32 of the Constitution...I reiterate the oath taken while being sworn in as Member of Parliament to preserve and uphold the provisions of the Constitution of India and to protect the territorial integrity of the Nation. Solicitor general (SG) Tushar Mehta, who had on Monday opposed Lones intervention in the case arguing that somebody who does not owe his allegiance to India does not deserve an audience from the Supreme Court, called this affidavit inadequate. He urged the bench to read what is not written in the affidavit and what Lone chose not to say despite the courts exhortation on Monday. The bench said that it would look into the affidavit, as it closed the arguments in the matter and reserved it for judgment. The complaint against Lone was made by Roots in Kashmir, an organisation of Kashmiri Pandit youth that filed an application on Saturday, contending that Lone is a known protagonist for secessionist forces in J&K that support Pakistan and that in February 2018, he had raised pro-Pakistan slogans on the floor of the assembly. On Monday, Mehta requested the bench to direct Lone to file an affidavit saying he owes allegiance to the Union of India and the Indian Constitution and that he is against the secessionist forces. Attorney general R Venkataramani supported Mehta. Responding, the bench enquired from senior counsel Kapil Sibal, Lones lawyer, about what he has to say on this. At the outset, Sibal said that nobody on the petitioners side challenged the sovereignty of India and that he would rather want to focus on the legal arguments. I am not standing for him or what he said, if he said it. If he has said it, in what circumstances, is it recorded, you ask him for an affidavit...He is a member of Parliament today. He has sworn to the Constitution of India. He is a citizen of India. How can he say otherwise? And if anyone has said it, at my level, I deprecate it, Sibal said on Monday. The issue was again raised on Tuesday when the NGO brought on records some more statements reportedly made by Lone, as the SG said Lone must be asked to file an affidavit and disown the statements that were against the sovereignty of the country. At this point, senior counsel Gopal Sankaranarayanan stood up to object, saying filing a petition to challenge the abrogation of Article 370 is being dubbed as a separatist agenda by the central government. The bench, however, disagreed. This is uncalled for. Up to this point, nobody has said that the filing of the petition constitutes a separatist agenda. Access to our court for ventilating grievances of citizens within the framework of the Constitution is a constitutional right in itself. Anyone who accesses justice under Article 32 cannot be turned out on the ground that you are following this agenda or that agenda, it retorted. The bench pointed out that the Centre has so far argued the matter on merits and did not press for dismissal of a petition on any other ground. It has been argued on constitutional terms. We have said that we will resolve on these terms...Sometimes when intervenors come before this court, there is an anguish...we as judges know how to deal with it, it added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Utkarsh Anand Utkarsh Anand is Legal Editor at the Hindustan Times. He writes on law, judiciary and governance. ...view detail Bengaluru: A Lokayukta special court in Bengaluru has issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against VK Sasikala, a confidante of the late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa. This action was taken after she failed to appear before the court for a hearing in a case regarding the alleged VIP treatment she received during her incarceration at a prison in Bengaluru. Sasikala, who was convicted in a disproportionate asset case in 2017, was lodged at the Parappana Agrahara central prison in the city. The court also issued an non-baillable warrant for another accused, Ilavarasi, who is Sasikalas sister-in-law (AFP) The court also issued an NBW for another accused, Ilavarasi, who is Sasikalas sister-in-law. Two individuals who had provided sureties for the former AIADMK leader were also issued notices before the court adjourned the hearing on September 4. Sasikala and Ilavarasi were convicted by a special court in the disproportionate assets case involving Jayalalithaa and them. They spent four years in the central prison. It was alleged that Sasikala received VIP treatment at the Parappana Agrahara central prison and was accused of bribing prison officials to obtain these privileges and special treatment not accorded to other convicts. Former DIG (Prisons) D Roopa had also alleged that an exchange of 2 crore had taken place between prison officials and Sasikala for the same purpose. According to a report submitted by Roopa in February 2022, a whole corridor comprising five cells had been set aside for the private use of Sasikala and Ilavarasi. The report stated that the authorized capacity of the female barracks, with 28 cells, was 100 prisoners. This meant that an average of four prisoners were to be lodged in each cell. The report alleged that when five cells are taken away for two prisoners, the allocation of prisoners in the remaining 23 cells would be much higher than the authorized level. In 2018, the Karnataka government ordered an inquiry into the alleged special treatment given to Sasikala. The inquiry sought to probe the role of senior officials at the Bengaluru central prison in the alleged special treatment case. The high-level inquiry, led by retired IAS officer Vinay Kumar, into allegations of irregularities at the Bengaluru Central Prison, found serious lapses and falsification of records on the part of senior prison officials in extending special treatment to Sasikala. Considering the photographs provided by Roopa of a pressure cooker and vessels in the cells, alleging that a separate kitchen was made available to Sasikala, the committee examined the then-jail superintendent and others. They maintained that there was no cooking activity and that the cooker was used to store jail food. However, the committee concluded that the pressure cooker was primarily used for cooking food rather than for storage. Based on the report in February 2022, a charge sheet was filed in connection with the case. In May this year, the high court of Karnataka quashed the case against three prison officers who were accused along with Sasikala, Krishna Kumar, the then chief jail superintendent; Dr Anitha, then assistant superintendent of prisons; and Gajaraja Makanur, then police sub-inspector. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the members of a restaurant body to use the term "staff contribution" for the amount they were claiming from their customers as a "service charge". The court noted that the two petitioners were the apex bodies which represented the interests of the restaurants.(Unsplash) Justice Prathiba M Singh, who was hearing the petitions against guidelines prohibiting hotels and restaurants from automatically levying service charge on food bills, directed the Federation of Hotels and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) to clearly specify the imposition in their menu cards and not charge more than 10 per cent of the bill. "They will make it clear that it is not a levy by the government," the judge observed. The FHRAI informed the court that they have over 3,300 establishments as its members and while there was no uniformity with respect to the levy of service charge amongst its members, they did not have any objection to the use of an alternative term for the amount. The senior counsel for FHRAI said some of its members were imposing service charge as a mandatory condition. Petitioner National Restaurant Association of India, which has around 1,100 members, however, said service charge was the accepted terminology that cannot be replaced and there was no confusion with respect to its use. "The matter would require a hearing. In the meantime, it is directed that the members of the FHRAI shall use the term 'staff contribution' for the amount of service charge that they are charging," the court said. "The same shall not be more than 10 per cent excluding GST. Menu cards shall specify in bold that no further tip is to be paid to the establishment," ordered the court as it clarified that it was only an interim order that is subject to the final outcome in the petitions. The court noted that the two petitioners were the apex bodies which represented the interests of the restaurants. It directed that the matter be listed for hearing on October 3, observing that "this affects the entire country". Earlier, the court had asked the petitioners to state if there was any objection to the term "service charge" being replaced with alternative terminology, such as "staff welfare fund", to prevent confusion in the minds of the consumer that the same is not a government levy. Petitioners had moved the high court last year by fling two separate petitions challenging guidelines prohibiting hotels and restaurants from automatically levying service charge on food bills. The guidelines, issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on July 4 last year, were stayed by the high court later that month. Petitioners have said that service charge, which has been present for the last several years, is a traditional charge and is disturbed amongst those who are not before the customers and the restaurants are seeking the same after displaying due notice on their menu cards and on their premises. They have thus argued that the CCPA order is arbitrary, untenable and ought to be quashed. Seeking dismissal of the petitions, CCPA, in its counter affidavit, said the petitioners have totally failed to appreciate the rights of the consumers, whose hard-earned money is unjustly collected automatically or by default in the name of service charge. It has added that the objective of collecting mandatory service charge from consumers over and above the price of food items and applicable taxes is unlawful as no proportionate service is separately provided to consumers. The high court had on July 20, 2022, stayed the CCPA guideline and said the stay is subject to the petitioners ensuring that the levy of service charge, in addition to the price and taxes, and the obligation of the customer to pay the same is duly and prominently displayed on the menu or other places. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said that it is the duty of teachers as well as the parents to recognise the unique abilities of each child and help them in developing those abilities with sensitivity. President Droupadi Murmu presented the National Teachers Award to 75 teachers for their remarkable contributions in the field of education on the occasion of Teachers Day. (ANI) The President was addressing the ceremony of the National Teachers Award 2022 where she presented awards to 75 teachers for their remarkable contributions in the field of education. The event was organised on the occasion of Teachers Day that is celebrated on September 5 to mark the birthday of first Vice-President of India Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. In her address, the president said that parents hand over their children to teachers with great trust and desire that they get special attention and treated with affection. It is the duty of the teachers as well as the parents to recognise the unique abilities of each child and help the child to develop those abilities with sensitivityIt is a great privilege for every teacher to get the opportunity to share love among 40-50 children in a class, she said. The President said that teachers build the future of the nation. Quality education is considered the fundamental right of every child and the role of teachers is the most important in achieving these goals. The importance of teachers as nation-builders has also been clearly stated in the National Education Policy 2020, she said. Highlighting the importance of elementary education, the President highlighted the three-H formula for the balanced development of children. She said that the three-H stand for heart, head and hand. Heart is related to sensitivity, human values, strength of character and morality. Head or brain is related to mental development, reasoning power and reading and the hand is related to respect for manual skills and physical labour. All-round development of children would be possible only by emphasising on such a holistic approach, she said. The President further said that everyone remembers their teacher and stressed that giving love and affection is more important than giving them knowledge. ..The praise, encouragement or punishment that children get from teachers remains in their memories. If children are punished with the intention of improvement in them, they realise it later, she said. The President mentioned Charak, Sushruta, Aryabhata, Pokhran and Chandrayaan-3, and said that our teachers and students take inspiration from them and think big and work for the bright future of the nation. She also stressed on the importance of more female teachers receiving awards in order to increase their participation in the profession. Encouraging female students and teachers is very important for women empowerment, she said. For the first time, the ministry has expanded the ambit of these awards and brought teachers from higher education and skill education under it. The winners had also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. The winners included Arti Qanungo from Delhi, Chetna Khambete from Madhya Pradesh, Mujib Rehman from Kerala, Asiya Farooqui from Uttar Pradesh, Sunita Singh from Odisha, and Sheela Asopa from Rajasthan, among others. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Sambit Patra on Tuesday shared a picture on social media platform X, which addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as The Prime Minister Of Bharat. The picture shared on X pertains to Modi's participation in the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and 18th EAS Summit in Indonesia on September 7. Patra's post comes in wake of the speculation around the Centre bringing out a legislation in the upcoming special session of parliament to rename India as Bharat. Earlier in the day, the Congress and other opposition parties alleged that the G20 dinner invite sent by Rashtrapati Bhawan had President of Bharat instead of President of India written over it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an interview with PTI, in New Delhi.(PTI file) The BJP, on the other hand, welcomed the move and hit out at the opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A for being averse to Bharat. ALSO READ: Here are institutions in the country with India and Bharat in their names Who is opposing the name Bharat? Now have you even started feeling the pain at the mention of Bharat? These are the same people who put party before the nation and are stuck in the quicksand of politics. They also have attempted to malign the country from foreign soil, Union minister Anurag Thakur was quoted by PTI as saying. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused the opposition of trying to eliminate the Hindu religion and name Bharat. Bharat is as old as the sun and the moon. As long as the sun and the moon are in existence, Bharat will continue be in existence Every state and its people want that the country be know as Bharat, Sarma said. ALSO READ: AAP MP Raghav Chadha's advice to I.N.D.I.A on Bharat' row: We might consider Will require several amendments in Constitution Constitutional expert PDT Achary has told PTI that any change in name from Republic of India will require several amendments. The former Lok Sabha secretary general said, "They will have to amend the Constitution. Article 1 (will have to be changed) and then there will be resultant changes in all the other articles." "Wherever India is used will have to go. You can have only one name for the country. There cannot be two names interchangeable, that will create a lot of confusion not only in India but outside also," he told PTI. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A petition has been filed in Supreme Court on Tuesday challenging the validity of Rahul Gandhi's return to Parliament as Lok Sabha MP. Challenging the Lok Sabha Secretariat notification on the reinstating of the Congress leader's membership, the plea said once a lawmaker loses his office following a conviction by a court of law, he can't return as an MP before the acquittal of all the charges. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi(HT_PRINT) Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years' imprisonment in a criminal defamation case which led his disqualification as a parliamentarian as per the Representation of People Act, 1951. However, the apex court later put a stay on his conviction following which his Lok Sabha membership was reinstated. The petition was filed by a Lucknow-based advocate who sought quashing of the Secretariat's notification reinstating Gandhi's membership. The plea mentioned that after being awarded two years' of imprisonment, Lok Sabha Speaker's decision was not right to restore Gandhi's lost membership. "Rahul Gandhi lost his membership of Lok Sabha when he was convicted for defamation and was awarded two years sentence and as such the Speaker was not right in restoring his membership," the advocate said in the petition. The petitioner further mentioned that the Lok Sabha Speaker was right to dismiss Gandhi's membership but he was wrong when on the basis of an order passed by the Supreme Court staying the conviction, the order passed by him on January 13 was restored vide order impugned dated August 7. A local court in Gujarat's Surat convicted Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on Modi surname ahead of 2019 general election. He said, How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?" at a rally in Karnataka, taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After the conviction, the Congress leader moved the top court after receiving no relief from the sessions court and high court seeking a stay on the case. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON NEW DELHI: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to undertake a state visit to India after participating in the G20 Summit this weekend to review bilateral ties and cooperation in areas ranging from energy to security, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. FILE PHOTO: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will arrive over the weekend to participate in the G20 Summit on September 9-10 and return home late on September 11 (VIA REUTERS) The de facto Saudi ruler, who also holds the post of prime minister, is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the day-long state visit on September 11. He is expected to arrive over the weekend to participate in the G20 Summit on September 9-10 and return home late on September 11, the people said. Saud Al-Sati, the Saudi deputy minister for political and economic affairs, travelled to New Delhi last month to review preparations for the visit by Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS as he is popularly known. Al-Sati, who earlier served as the ambassador to India, met Ausaf Sayeed, secretary (overseas Indian affairs) in the external affairs ministry, and reviewed the gamut of bilateral relations. The current Saudi ambassador, Saleh Eid Alhusseini, also met external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday. Look forward to the further development and progress of the India-Saudi Arabia relationship across all domains, Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting. Modi and MBS had a phone conversation in June when they reviewed bilateral cooperation and discussed ways to bolster ties in connectivity, energy, defence, trade and investment. This was the first contact between the leadership of the two countries since China brokered a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of Indias key partners in West Asia in recent years, especially in defence, security and energy. Saudi Arabia is also home to 2.6 million Indians, one of the largest concentrations of expatriates in the region. MBS last visited India in February 2019, and this was followed by a visit to Saudi Arabia by Modi in October the same year, when the two countries created the Strategic Partnership Council. This body has two pillars a political, security, social and cultural committee headed by the foreign ministers, and a committee on economy and investments led by the Indian commerce minister and the Saudi energy minister. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its judgement on a batch of petitions filed in a long-pending case challenging the Centre's decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution that gave a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The petitioners also challenged the J&K Re-organisation Act which was utilised to bifurcate the state into two Union territories. The Supreme Court bench(HT_PRINT) Five judges, including Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, of the apex court were hearing the arguments from both side petitioners and the Union government for 16 days, after the significant case remained dormant for over three years. "We are satisfied with the arguments done. All aspects were argued convincingly," said Hasnain Masoodi, National Conference leader and one of the petitioners challenging the abrogation. The hearing started on August 2 and over the period of 16 days, the apex court witnessed extensive arguments and discussions on the case from both sides. According to LiveLaw, the counsels from petitioners' side argued for first nine days. During the argument, the counsels discussed the nature of Jammu and Kashmir's relationship with India and stressed upon how the erstwhile Maharaja of J&K didn't give up its internal sovereignty to the Dominion of India. In response, the Union government argued that the abrogation of Article 370 resolved the psychological duality of the people of J&K and that it was not repealed earlier because there was a sense of discrimination against the people there. The Centre further argued that the maker of the Constitution of India considered Article 370 as a temporary provision and that they wanted it to die. Senior advocates including Kapil Sibal, Zaffar Shah, Gopal Subramanium, Rajeev Dhavan, Dushyant Dave, Dinesh Dwivedi contended for the petitioners. From Union government's side, Attorney General of India R Venkataramani, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj were defending the decision. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Three senior police officers and six others have been arrested in Assams Bajali district after a businessman alleged he was illegally detained and asked to pay 5 crore or else he would be killed in an encounter and accused of links with Pakistani and Bangladeshi jihadi elements. Siddhartha Buragohan, who was Bajalis police superintendent until his transfer, was among those arrested. (HT PHOTO) In his complaint, Rabiul Islam, the businessman, said a man claiming to be an encounter specialist made the threats. Siddhartha Buragohan, who was Bajalis police superintendent until his transfer over the weekend, deputy police superintendent Pushkal Gogoi, additional police superintendent Gayatri Sonowal, her husband, Subhas Chander, sub-Inspector Debajit Giri, constable Injamamul Hassan one Kishore Baruah, and police drivers Nabir Ahmed and Dipjoy Kalita were arrested on Monday. Assam police chief G P Singh said a First Information Report (FIR) in the case was registered on August 31 as Islams complaint was found to be prima facie true. He added they remain committed to action against corrupt practices. The nine accused have been booked for attempt to murder, extortion, criminal intimidation, wrongful confinement, and criminal conspiracy. In his complaint, Islam said police barged into his home around 1.30am on July 16, dragged him out, and questioned him about drugs and cash he knew nothing about. He accused police of punching and kicking him for hours and searching his house without a warrant. Islam alleged his belongings were also taken away before he and his two relatives were brought to a police station. He added the following day he was taken to Buragohans residence and interrogated and assaulted. Islam said he was later taken back to the police station where he was again assaulted. He added he was then taken to a factory and asked to run. Islam said he was told he would be shot as per Assam police chiefs directions and asked to accept his links with jihadi elements and that he has illegally acquired properties. Islam said a person tried to shoot him and demanded 2.5 crore, saying he was an encounter specialist. He added he was threatened that if he did not pay the amount, he will be killed and the police will show he had links with Pakistani and Bangladeshi jihadi elements. Islam said he was taken back to the police station when he agreed to pay. He added he paid 10 lakh in cash and his mother issued 21 cheques for 10 lakh each. He added he was still not released and that Sonowal demanded another 2.5 crore before he was allowed to go with the threat of an encounter if he did not make the payment. Police superintendent (criminal investigation department) Pranabjyoti Goswami said they were investigating the case and more charges may be added as their probe proceeds. People aware of the matter said the residences of all those arrested were searched and some of the houses have been sealed. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday shared a clip of students of a Gurugram school performing flash mob in a mall to celebrate the success of Aditya-L1 and Chandrayaan-3, two of ISRO's (Indian Space Research Organisation) recent space missions. A screengrab of video shared by Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Wonderful #Flashmob by young students to celebrate #Chandrayaan3 & #AdityaL1 and PM @narendramodi ji's inspiring transformation of our India. I enjoyed watching this do watch & share, Chandrasekhar wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). In the clip, which has a duration of 105 seconds, students of Gurugram's The Vivekananda School dance to the song India Waale from the Shahrukh Khan-Deepika Padukone starrer Happy New Year. They are cheered on by the people visiting the mall. Also, the students and viewers congratulate ISRO, and thank prime minister Narendra Modi. Additionally, the first few seconds of the video are of a female scientist counting down to a mission launch; this is the voice of N Valarmathi, a senior scientist with the national space agency who used to countdown the seconds left to a mission launch. On Sunday, Valarmathi passed away in Chennai after a cardiac arrest. The highly successful Chandrayaan-3, launched on July 14, turned out to be her final countdown. 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 Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned until next week the hearing on the bail plea of former Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Umar Khalid, indicating that no further adjournment will be granted. Former Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Umar Khalid. (HT PHOTO) Khalids lawyers requested the adjournment due to the unavailability of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who has been leading their arguments. A bench of justices Bela M Trivedi and Dipankar Datta accepted the request as a last opportunity. How many times has this case been adjourned? the bench asked. Mr Sibal is bound to be busy. We cant wait for a senior counsel to begin the case, it added when told this was the second adjournment request due to Sibals unavailability The Delhi Police last month opposed Khalids bail in the case related to his alleged role in the 2020 Delhi riots saying it was essential for fearless, truthful and freely deposition of protected witnesses. Khalid moved the Supreme Court in April after the Delhi high court refused him bail in October. On May 16, the Supreme Court gave police nearly two months to respond to his petition. Khalid has been booked under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. On August 9, Supreme Court judge PK Mishra recused from hearing Khalids petition. The matter was later listed before another bench. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday greeted the nation on the occasion of Teachers Day saluting the teachers for their unwavering dedication and great impact. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an interaction with teachers who have been honoured with the National Teachers' Awards, in New Delhi.(PTI) "Teachers play a key role in building our future and inspiring dreams. On #TeachersDay, we salute them for their unwavering dedication and great impact. Tributes to Dr. S. Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary," he said on X (formerly Twitter). He also shared glimpses of his interaction with the National Teachers' awardees on Monday. The prime minister interacted with the winners at his residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, Delhi along with Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. A total of 75 teachers from across the country have been selected for the award, which will be conferred on them by President Droupadi Murmu on September 5, according to education ministry officials. Each award carries a certificate of merit, a cash award of 50,000 and a silver medal. The department of school education and literacy, ministry of education, has been organising the function on Teachers Day every year to confer the national awards to the best teachers in the country. The selected awardees include 50 school teachers, 13 teachers from higher education institutions and 12 from the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship. The purpose of the award is to celebrate the contribution of teachers in the country and to honour those teachers who, through their commitment and dedication, have not only improved the quality of education but also enriched the lives of their students, a senior ministry official had said. Teachers Day is celebrated on September 5 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of India's first vice president Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was born on this day in 1888. The day also commemorates the role of the teachers in shaping their students lives. Radhakrishnan, a scholar and Bharat Ratna recipient, was the first vice president of the independent India (19521962). He was also the second president of India from 1962 to 1967. (With inputs from agencies) The INDIA blocs initial round of campaigns is likely to be held in Patna, Nagpur, Chennai, Guwahati and Delhi, and will gradually spread across some poll-bound states such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and the countrys most populous state Uttar Pradesh, said two members of the panel, requesting anonymity. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge chairs a meeting of opposition INDIA alliance in New Delhi on Tuesday. (PTI) The new campaign committee of the INDIA group held its first meeting on Tuesday and decided that the campaigns will mention local elements for better public outreach, said one member, declining to be named. We felt that we have to set the narrative and aggressively campaign on our tagline Judega Bharat, Jeetega INDIA to counter the governments plans. Many leaders also discussed the caste census in the backdrop of the Rohini Commissions report on sub-quota of OBCs (Other Backward Classes), said the second member, wishing to remain anonymous. The 19-member committee will share its recommendations with the coordination and election strategy committee, which is the pivotal group for poll preparations. The campaign committee, INDIA held its first meeting and had preliminary discussion on the modalities and functioning, Congress leader Gurdeep Sappal posted on X (formerly Twitter). Fifteen members attended the meeting. The leaders discussed possible venues for the rallies. In the Mumbai meeting, Patna, Nagpur, Chennai, Guwahati and Delhi were identified as venues for the first five public rallies, said a non-Congress leader, seeking anonymity. Today, when the members discussed the plan, many leaders suggested rallies should also be held in Uttar Pradesh and poll-bound states such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh. The Congress Working Committee, which will meet in Hyderabad on September 16-17, will be followed by a public rally. The alliance leaders have planned to have the next INDIA meeting at Bhopal and hold a public rally after the brainstorming sessions, said the leader. In the campaign panel meeting, many leaders suggested the focal point of each rally should have elements that are important to the concerned state. We cant say the same thing in Bihar and Chennai. The issues, politics, social structures are different, the first member said. In Patna, we have to talk on social justice and caste census, while in Chennai, we might need other issues. The common themes of the INDIA campaign across states would be issues such as unemployment, price rise, manipulation in GDP figures, how the government rapidly hiked the (cooking gas) cylinder price and then gave discount of 200, according to a third member. The panel will meet again on September 11 to discuss setting up a secretariat, among other things, the third member said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Air India on Tuesday announced travel restrictions in the national capital between September 7 and 11 due to G20 Summit. The airline has announced that the passengers having confirmed ticket to fly to or from Delhi on these dates have been offered a one-time waiver of applicable charges if they wish to change their date of travel or their flight. Only the fare difference for the rescheduled flight, if any, would be applicable. For any query related to this please contact us on 0091242641407/ 00912026231407, Air India said in a post on social media platform X. World's top leaders will gather in the national capital on September 9 and 10 for the G20 Summit. The government and private offices, educational institutions across the city, markets and banks in the New Delhi Police district will be shut between September 8 and 10. The Delhi Police has made elaborate security and traffic arrangements in the capital for the global summit. Whole Delhi is open. Just a small part of NDMC will have restrictions... It is once again reiterated that restrictions are only imposed in a small portion of NDMC area. Don't believe in rumours, PTI quoted Delhi Police as saying. ALSO READ: G20 Summit traffic FAQs: Will Delhi Metro remain closed? Will cars be allowed? Air India has announced that the passengers having confirmed ticket to fly to or from Delhi on these dates have been offered a one-time waiver of applicable charges if they wish to change their date of travel or their flight Online deliveries prohibited in Delhi The Delhi Police on Monday announced that the delivery of online order and other services will be barred in the New Delhi district due to the G20 Summit. All cloud kitchens, commercial establishments, markets, food delivery, and commercial delivery services will be shut from September 8 to 10 in the New Delhi district", SS Yadav, special commissioner of police (traffic) had said. However, the senior police official said that certain services, including delivery of essential medical items, have been exempted from the restrictions. 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 Amid a massive political slugfest over Udhayanidhi Stalin's Sanatana Dharma remarks, a group of 262 eminent citizens, including former bureaucrats, judges and Army veterans, on Tuesday wrote to the Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud urging him to take suo moto cognisance of the alleged hate speech made by the Tamil Nadu minister that, according to them, could incite communal disharmony and sectarian violence. Tamil Nadu youth minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.(File) In a letter seen by HT, the group cited the concerns lately expressed by the Supreme Court over the need to counter instances of hate speech. Your lordship is aware of the importance of Santana Dharma and the same cannot be understatedNot only did he make a hate speech but Udhayanidhi Stalin refused to apologise and rather justified himself. During a conference on Saturday, Udhayanidhi called to eradicate Sanatana Dharma a set of religious duties practised in Hinduism and had equated it to dengue and malaria. As controversy over his remarks intensified, Udhayanidhi clarified that he did not call for any genocide as alleged by the Bharatiya Janata Party. He also reiterated his stance about uprooting Sanatana Dharma, which he said divides people in the name of caste and religion. 'Tamil Nadu govt undermining rule of law' The letter further alleged that Udhayanidhi's hate speech struck at the core values of the Constitution of India and blamed the Tamil Nadu government for undermining the rule of law by not acting against the youth minister, who is also the son of Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin. Tamil Nadus actions run in the face of the Supreme Court judgement in cases directing the state governments to take suo moto action against any hate speech crime without waiting for any complaint, the letter read. Since the Tamil Nadu government has gravely undermined or rather made a mockery of the rule of law, we urge the honble Supreme Court to take the suo moto notice of contempt, ensuring accountability, it said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nisha Anand Trainee Content Producer at HT Digital. I read about feminism, late modern history, and globalisation of Korean music. ...view detail The Union government could introduce a bill during the special session of Parliament from September 18-22 to officially rename India as Bharat. The speculation about this was fuelled amid reports that Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent an invite for a G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of President of Bharat instead of the usual President of India. The special session of Parliament will be held from September 18-22. (PTI) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Parvesh Verma has also prepared a private members bill seeking to amend the Constitutions preamble to remove the word India even as lawmakers have been informed that there will be no private members day or zero or question hours during the special session. There was no official confirmation of the introduction of the renaming bill even as the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc constituents linked the reference to the Bharat in the G20 invite to the BJPs nervousness over the formidable challenge they pose to the ruling party. HT has reached out to officials over the speculation and the copy will be updated accordingly. The government has not confirmed the agenda of the special Parliament session. On Thursday last, the government announced the special session and triggered speculation that it has been convened for a Uniform Civil Code legislation, the celebration of Indias G20 presidency, and the new Parliament building, etc. BJPs ideological fount, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has been pushing for the change in name from India to Bharat. It uses Bharat in its communication. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rashtrapati Bhawans invite for the G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of President of Bharat instead of the usual President of India. In a post on X, he cited the Constitutions Article 1 that Bharat, that is India, shall be a Union of States and added now even this Union of States is under assault. He said Modi can continue to distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States. He added that they will not be deterred. After all, what is the objective of INDIA parties? It is BHARATBring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation And Trust. Judega BHARAT Jeetega INDIA! His reference was to the INDIA bloc, which on Friday announced the launch of a joint campaign of its constituents themed Judega Bharat, Jiteega India [India will unite and win]. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal asked the BJP whether it would change the name of Bharat if the opposition alliance INDIA renamed itself Bharat. There is no official information about it but I have heard rumours. Why is this happening? Some parties have come together to form the INDIA bloc. If the INDIA alliance changes its name to Bharat, will they rename Bharat? Kejriwal said. This is treason. Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha said the BJP is jittery because of the INDIA alliance. We did not know the BJP would be so jittery... It has been only a few weeks since this INDIA alliance was formed and you are bringing a resolution to change the Republic of India to the Republic of Bharat, Jha said. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat last week again suggested the use of Bharat instead of India. The name of our country has been Bharat for ages ... .Whatever maybe the language, the name remains the same, Bhagwat said at an event in Guwahati. Verma cited Puranas and said the country was named Bharatavarsha after Bharat Chakravarti, the son of Lord Rishabhdev. India and Bharat sound totally different in Hindi and English. It should sound the same as America, Japan, and so on. Bharat matches more with the history and culture of our great nation, said Verma, denying his initiative has anything to do with the Opposition INDIA bloc. I prepared it much before that announcement and will be introducing it in the next session. Vermas bill says the name Bharat has been widely recognised internationally as an alternate name for India. By officially adopting Bharat as the formal name of our nation, we will establish a unified identity in global forums, promoting Indias cultural and historical heritage on the international stage. Renaming India as Bharat will reinforce our cultural identity, foster national unity, and project a more authentic representation of our countrys rich heritage on the global stage. It adds this move will align with the aspirations of the citizens seeking to embrace and celebrate our cultural roots. Amid the row over the invite, BJP Member of Parliament Harnath Singh Yadav called the usage of India colonial. He said the kind of inspiration and devotion the word Bharat invokes, India can never do. India is an abuse that the British used for us. They used the word to refer to anyone who they thought were uncouth, fools and criminals. New Delhi: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said even if Opposition parties do not agree with the one nation, one election theory, it is their democratic responsibility to discuss the matter. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar (ANI) An issue came up regarding one nation, one election. They [the opposition] are saying we will not discuss it at all. It is your job to discuss it; it is your discretion to agree or disagree with it, Dhankhar said while addressing students in Rajasthans Kota. The Rajya Sabha chairman further said that the political parties do have the right to do their politics, but it is not possible that they dont debate, dont dialogue, and dont discuss. If there is no discussion in a democracy, then where is that democracy? It is necessary for democratic values that there are discussions and debates, Dhankhar added. The Centres decision of calling a five-day special session of parliament from September 18 to 22 triggered a speculation of introduction of the one nation, one election bill for simultaneous national and state assembly polls. The agenda for the special session has not yet been revealed. Dhankhar, who was on a day-long visit to Kota, also attended an event to felicitate pensioners. Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla and Union parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi also attended the event. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar suddenly fell down after his foot slipped during an event at the Patna University on Tuesday. During the incident, state Governor Rajendra Arlekar was also present on the stage. Nitish Kumar (HT) According to a report by Live Hindustan, the chief minister had visited the Patna University along with the governor to participate in the teachers' felicitation and inauguration ceremony at the newly built Senate Hall on the occasion of Teachers' Day. While on stage, he suddenly lost his balance and fell down. The security officials present around quickly helped him. Kumar, however, did not sustaIn any injuries and narrowly escaped. A video of the incident is widely circulating on the social media. Nitish Kumar was seen smiling after regaining his balance and continued with the event normally thereafter. Both of the chief guests inaugurated the Senate Hall and then addressed the function. Meanwhile, teachers of state-run schools in the state wore black bands and badges to work on Teachers' Day in protest over a host of issues, reported PTI. At least 15 teachers' associations have decided to protest against the government, and teachers of all 75,309 state-run schools wore black bands and badges to work, convener of TET Primary Teachers' Association Raju Singh told PTI. Singh demanded that the administration should stop engaging school teachers in governmental activities, including election-related works. The teachers will also burn the effigies of Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav outside block offices across the state on September 9, the convenor said. The education Department on Monday withdrew the controversial order to reduce the number of holidays of school teachers on Diwali, Durga Pooja, Raksha Bandhan, and other festivals from 23 to 11, as per a government order. "The holiday table issued for government/government-aided elementary and secondary/higher secondary schools under departmental order memorandum no. 2112 dated 29.08.2023 is cancelled with immediate effect," a circular issued by the Director of Secondary Education read. The order had sparked off a political slugfest between the opposition BJP and the ruling Mahagathbandhan government. Union minister Giriraj Singh had said, ""It is an attempt to dissociate children from Sanatan culture so that they remain unaware of festivals like Haritalika Teej, Janmashtami and Navratri." While responding to the criticism, Kumar had asked what is wrong with "educating children"? He said he supports education and the step has only been taken to ensure children are taught well on time. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday gave an incisive response to the row over the use of President of Bharat in place of the traditional President of India in the official dinner invitation of foreign dignitaries to the upcoming G20 Summit. The Aam Aadmi Party convenor asked whether the ruling party in the Centre would change the country's name to BJP if the Opposition alliance decides to call itself Bharat. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal(HT_PRINT) Drawing parallels with I.N.D.I.A., the name given to the recently-formed Opposition coalition, Kejriwal questioned the rationale behind changing the name from India to Bharat in the invitation. "I have no official information that this (a name change) is happening. Just because many opposition parties have formed an alliance and called it INDIA, will the Centre change the name of the country? The country belongs to 140 crore people, not to one party. If the name of the alliance is changed to Bharat, will they change the name of Bharat to BJP?" he asked at a press conference. AAP is a member of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. The Delhi CM further termed the move as treason and alleged that BJP resorted to such changes because it is afraid of the alliance. "What a joke is this!? This is our country. We have an ancient culture," he added. He said BJP diverted people's attention with its one nation, one election plank, after the Opposition parties first announced the alliance. "How will it benefit people? How will it benefit you, and your family? Will it lead to a reduction in price rise, unemployment?" he reiterated his questions. The row erupted after Congress on Tuesday raised concerns over the invitation sent to the foreign dignitaries referring President as President of Bharat and not India. Congress leaders including Jairam Ramesh, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor and KC Venugopal took to X (formerly Twitter) and shared a snapshot of an invite alleged to be released by the Rashtrapati Bhawan. So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. But now even this Union of States is under assault, Ramesh said. AAP MP Raghav Chadha echoed similar views and asserted that "our national identity" is not "BJP's personal property." "The BJP's recent move to change the reference from 'President of India' to 'President of Bharat' on official G20 summit invitations has raised eyebrows and ignited a public debate. How can the BJP strike down 'INDIA'? The country doesn't belong to a political party, it belongs to 135 crore Indians. Our national identity is not the BJP's personal property that it can modify on whims and fancies, Judega Bharat Jeetega INDIA," he said in a post on X. Several BJP leaders in the past have raised demands for changing the name 'India' to 'Bharat'. In the recently concluded Monsoon Session, BJP MP Naresh Bansal in the Rajya Sabha had said that the name 'India' is a symbol of "colonial slavery" and should be removed from the Constitution. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court earlier refused to hear a plea seeking a name change from India to Bharat. (With agency inputs) NEW DELHI: The Congress parliamentary party met on Tuesday and identified the latest revelations on the Adani Group, economic issues such as unemployment and price rise, the natural disaster in Himachal Pradesh and the ongoing instability in Manipur as its agenda for the upcoming special session of Parliament. The Congress made it clear that the party will press for debate on several issues that are important for the country (X/INCIndia/Screengrab) The government has called a special session from September 18 to 22 and has indicated that government business will dominate the proceedings of the session. The Congress, however, made it clear that they will press for debate on the issues that are important for the country. We are not going to listen to Modi chalisa for five days, said party general secretary Jairam Ramesh. There are political, social and diplomatic issues. We want to discuss our border situation. We are not going to sit for a Modi chalisa. We wanted to raise our issues in all the sessions but were not given time. We are hopeful that in this session, the government will take us on board. We will pick 5-7 issues and we will demand that under any rule, these issues are discussed, added Ramesh. Congress Lok Sabha deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi said that at the CPP meeting, the party decided to raise key national issues such as the economic situation be it unemployment and price rise floods in Himachal Pradesh and the North East. Even today, the instability continues in Manipur, We also discussed the news related to Adani that has been published in international publications. Social tension is rising be it Nuh or in other places because of BJPs divisive politics. These are key issues before the country. Both Gogoi and Ramesh slammed the government for not revealing the proposed business during the special session. It is surprising that a special session has been announced but the BJP has not been able to reveal what are the important issues. The government is accountable to the people and parliament, said Gogoi. Ramesh said Whenever special sessions are called, opposition parties are informed about the agenda. On a broader level, discussions take place between the government and the Opposition and an agenda is made. This is the first time a special session is called but the government is not revealing its agenda. There has been speculation that the government may bring a number of legislative items such as legislation on sub-quota in the 27% OBC reservation after the Rohini Commission has submitted its report to the President. On Tuesday, there was buzz that the government could bring in legislation to rename the country Bharat. Some Opposition parties also expect the government to bring the womens reservation bill in the special session. The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday honoured artisans and craftsmen on Teachers' Day, hailing them for their craftsmanship and passing on their skills to future generations. "We have gathered here to celebrate Teacher's Day. We believe that every artisan is a teacher because this craft, skill and knowledge is passed on from one generation to another through him as a teacher. That is how the next generation acquires the knowledge," Industries and Commerce Commissioner-Secretary Vikramjit Singh said. J&K administration honours artisans and craftsmen on Teachers' Day, and recognises their importance in passing on skills. (Representative image)(Waseem Andrabi / HT Photo) Singh said the purpose of the celebrations was to honour the craftsmen and artisans especially those who have worked in the Karkhandar Scheme. "We have more than doubled the exports from J&K. The majority of those comprise handicrafts and handloom from Kashmir. So there is a huge scope. The skill of the craftsmen is unparalleled. (Also read: Happy Teachers' Day 2023: Best wishes, images, messages and quotes to share with your favourite teachers on September 5 ) "What is required now is to ensure that they are able to get the maximum value of their money and that can be done by the initiative taken by the department," he said. Singh listed market access, GI tagging, and democratising access to finance as some of the steps that can connect the craftsmen and artisans to the buyer. Mushtaq Ahmad, a Kani Shawl artisan, thanked the department for the felicitation. "As an artist, I find it a delightful initiative. The platform will give them support and encouragement from the department. These types of events will help our art get recognition nationally as well as internationally," Ahmad said. Bisma Jan, who works as a senior instructor in the department, said it was the first time that a day was marked to celebrate craftsmen. "Such initiatives boost the morale of people who are associated with this work. We hope such events take place in the future as well," she said. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Teachers' Day 2023: The special day is here. Every year, Teachers Day is celebrated with a whole lot of pomp and grandeur all across the country. Teachers Day also marks the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan first Vice President of India and second President of India. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was also a teacher, scholar and a philosopher, who was posthumously awarded the highest civilian honour of the country the Bharat Ratna. Teachers' Day is celebrated by everyone this day is dedicated to the teachers of our lives who taught us that no matter what happens, we need to strive for excellence. Teachers' Day 2023: 7 unique ways to make your teachers feel special on this day(Unsplash) On this day, students shower their teachers with gifts, cards and words of gratitude. As we near the special day, here are a few ideas to make the day extra special for the teachers: ALSO READ: Happy World Teachers' Day 2022: Know its date, history, significance and theme Thank you note: Nothing can make a teacher's day special than knowing how his/her contributions have changed your life for the better. This Teachers' Day, let your teacher know how much you are indebted to them for their learnings and how they have helped you to carve a path for yourself in life. Video tribute: We all have teachers who stay in different cities and countries. As we grew up, we changed base and somehow, we lost touch with the gurus of our lives. This Teachers' Day, create a video tribute, compiling the best memories of yours with the teacher and thanking them for always telling us the right thing to do. Potluck: A little fun in the classroom can go a long way. Potlucks are not just fun, but also a way of showing unity in diversity. Take out time from the busy schedule of the classroom and arrange a potluck with all the students and teachers. Memory book: A compilation of the best memories of the teacher can be made into a handmade memory book which you can give the teacher on Teachers' Day. 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 According to an expert analysis published in the European Respiratory Journal, people with lung disorders such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffer even greater risks from climate change. People with lung conditions face extra risks from climate change: Study(Shutterstock) The report brings together evidence on how the effects of climate change, such as heatwaves, wildfires and flooding, will exacerbate breathing difficulties for millions of people around the world, particularly babies, young children and the elderly. On behalf of the European Respiratory Society, which represents more than 30,000 lung specialists from 160 countries, the authors are calling on the European Parliament and governments around the world to urgently reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses and mitigate effects of climate change. ALSO READ: Why people with lung disorder face risk of severe Covid-19 found Professor Zorana Jovanovic Andersen, Chair of the European Respiratory Societys Environment and Health Committee and based at the University of Copenhagen, was an author of the report, Climate change and respiratory health: a European Respiratory Society position statement. She said: Climate change affects everyones health, but arguably, respiratory patients are among the most vulnerable. These are people who already experience breathing difficulties and they are far more sensitive to our changing climate. Their symptoms will become worse, and for some this will be fatal. Air pollution is already damaging our lungs. Now the effects of climate change are becoming a major threat to respiratory patients. According to the report, these effects include higher temperatures and a subsequent increase in airborne allergens, such as pollen. They also include more frequent extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts and wildfires, leading to episodes of extreme air pollution and dust storms, as well as heavy rainfall and flooding, leading to higher humidity and mould in the home. The report particularly highlights the extra risk to babies and children, whose lungs are still developing. This year, new records have been set for high temperatures around the world, and Europe has experienced heatwaves, devastating wildfires, rainstorms and flooding. As respiratory doctors and nurses, we need to be aware of these new risks and do all we can to help alleviate patients suffering, Professor Jovanovic Andersen said. We also need to explain the risks to our patients so they can protect themselves from adverse effects of climate change. Existing European Union (EU) standards on air quality are well above those laid out in the World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines (25 micrograms per cubic meter for fine particles [PM2.5] and 40 micrograms per cubic meter for nitrogen dioxide in the EU compared to 5 micrograms per cubic meter for PM2.5 and 10 micrograms per cubic meter for nitrogen dioxide in the WHO guidelines). However, the EU is currently revising its Ambient Air Quality Directive. Professor Jovanovic Andersen said: The current limits are outdated and fail to protect the health of EU citizens. Ambitious new air quality standards would ensure cleaner air and better health for all Europeans, as well as helping to mitigate climate change crises. We urge the European Parliament to adopt and enforce safer limits without delay. We all need to breath clean, safe air. That means we need action from policy makers to mitigate impacts of climate change on our planet and our health. 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 annual Machail Mata pilgrimage witnessed a record-breaking footfall this year with nearly 2 lakh pilgrims paying obeisance at the Himalayan temple in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, officials said on Monday. Over the years, the 43-day pilgrimage, rooted in decades-old tradition, has instilled deep faith in devotees travelling to seek the blessings of Mata Chandi Devi at the 9,705-foot high shrine, they added. The Shree Machail Mata Yatra has experienced a remarkable surge in attendance this year, with a staggering increase from around 58,000 arrivals in 2022 to 1.94 lakh this year, an official spokesperson said. The Shree Machail Mata Yatra has experienced a remarkable surge in attendance this year, with a staggering increase from around 58,000 arrivals in 2022 to 1.94 lakh this year. (Representative image)(HT File ) "This meteoric rise can be attributed to a myriad of factors, primarily the foolproof arrangements, augmentation of boarding facilities by the administration, coupled with the seamless execution of the pilgrimage's schedule," the spokesperson said. "The Yatra's new-found popularity and its remarkable growth in turnover underline the enduring spiritual significance it holds for countless devotees, drawing them in increasing numbers," he added. The doors of the Himalayan temple are every year opened on the auspicious Baisakhi festival in April. The Shree Machail Mata Yatra commenced officially on July 25, witnessing a substantial influx of devotees right from the outset, the official said. One of the notable accomplishments was the provision of accommodation at the Yatri Bhawan in Gulabgarh, capable of hosting 2,000 pilgrims simultaneously, he added. A tent city surrounding the temple and local homestays became a significant attraction this year, beckoning pilgrims with open arms. Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Devansh Yadav oversaw the arrangements, ensuring seamless coordination with local, civil and police administrations besides other departments, army personnel, and teams of the Border Raod Organisation, the official said. This comprehensive approach catered to the needs of the Yatris while unlocking the region's tourism potential as well, he added. The Machail Yatra of 2023 would conclude on September 5, officials 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! Are frequent elections across different levels of our federal polity (and the accountability burden that comes with it) a public inconvenience and a costly hindrance to governance and development? PREMIUM Voters stand in line during polling for the seventh phase of the West Bengal assembly elections in Kolkata. (Representational Image / PTI) This is the rationale offered for simultaneous state and national elections, or what the Prime Minister has termed One Nation, One Election (ONOE). India is permanently in election mode, the argument goes, with an average of two to five state assemblies going to polls every six months. This is an expensive proposition that incentivises political parties to remain permanently in election mode, focusing on short-term, vote-grabbing agendas and oiling the parties financial wheels rather than long-term development. Moreover, the model code of conduct, put in place in the run-up to the elections, disrupts the routine administrative and developmental activity of the Union and poll-bound states. And finally, given the length of each election cycle, security personnel, bureaucrats, and other officers, are kept away from their core tasks for prolonged periods of time. Accept, for a moment, the proposition that frequent elections are too expensive and disruptive. Does it really merit a solution as radical as one election that will result in significant constitutional changes? Surely, more humble electoral reforms, such as enforcing transparency in political party financing, scrapping the opaque electoral bonds scheme, and reducing the time taken to conduct elections can help achieve these goals? What is really at stake here is not the cost that elections impose on Indias governance and development, but the checks and balances to power imposed by Indias federal compact. ONOE risks moving India closer to a One Nation, One Party model of politics by enabling the nationalisation of political competition. The underlying motivation behind the proposal is undoubtedly centralising. The Union governments high-level committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind to make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections has no representatives from state governments or regional parties. This is surprising because states and regional parties will be most directly affected if the proposal were to be implemented. Moreover, the committees terms of reference mandate it to examine whether the proposal and relevant constitutional amendments would require ratification by the states. By implication, even the mere suggestion that such significant constitutional amendments can be made bypassing the states can seriously undermine their constitutional position as autonomous units of government by positioning states as subservient to the Union. But the greater danger to federalism lies in the fact that ONOE could undermine multi-party-political competition, the real strength of our democracy. A commonly repeated argument against simultaneous polls is that it will blunt voter preferences and result in greater synchronisation of electoral outcomes at the state and national level, tipping the outcome in favour of the national party. This broad generalisation of electoral maths is untrue. The path to centralisation is more complex. As Indias democracy has matured, states have emerged as primary sites of political competition. Regional parties have been far more effective in responding to regional and ethnic identity assertions, and their presence in national politics is linked to their ability to negotiate regional claims on the national stage. Voters have routinely expressed differing political preferences at the national and state level, based on their perception of the role regional parties can play. The resultant split-ticket voting is evident even in simultaneous elections. In Odisha in 2019, where state and national elections were held simultaneously, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saw a significant gap in its vote share between state elections (33%) and national elections (38%). Crucially, the Biju Janata Dal (which won the state elections) secured a far lower vote share in 14 out of 21 constituencies in the national elections. This differential voter choice is unlikely to change in the short run, precisely because regional parties are increasingly better placed than centralised national parties to respond to identity assertions. So, the argument of large-scale changes in electoral outcomes at the state level might be overblown. But as I have argued in a paper with political scientist Neelanjan Sircar, simultaneous polls give the BJP (or any national party, for that matter) a structural advantage against regional parties in national elections. The one election model, strengthens the hand of the national party by simply undercutting the space for regional parties to form national alliances, and expend resources in presenting a credible national alternative. Essentially, simultaneous polls pave the way for one-party dominance at the national level. The change, therefore, might not be as visible in state capitals, as in Delhi. Over time, this will allow the Union government to use its dominant electoral position to deploy fiscal and administrative resources to undermine state government autonomy, reducing them to deconcentrated administrative units. This is a trend we have witnessed in recent years, with a nationally dominant BJP. The long-term political consequence is that it allows the dominant national government to blur the distinction between states and the Union, opening the space for the national government to claim political credit for governance, even in state elections. This is how one-party dominance in states and the Union can be achieved in the long run. So, lets be clear. ONOE is not about better governance but about taking a big leap toward a unitary, one-party model of governance. It is fundamentally anti-federal and will end up being deeply injurious to our democratic health. Yamini Aiyar is president and chief executive, CPR. The views expressed are personal Parag Agarwal, who lost his job as Twitter CEO days after Elon Musk's October 2022 acquisition of the social media giant, was sacked because Agarwal, Musk opined, was not a fire-breathing dragon, a new book has revealed. Elon Musk and Parag Agarwal The book, a biography of the billionaire titled after him, is authored by Walter Isaacson and is set to be published on September 12. Recently, The Wall Street Journal published an excerpt from the biography; the story sheds light on an Agarwal-Musk dinner meet from March last year, days before the latter, on April 14, made an offer to Twitter to purchase the company, eventually closing the deal at $44 billion on October 27. What Elon Musk said about Parag Agarwal? This is what the world's richest person said about the then-Twitter CEO after the meeting: He is a really nice guy, but managers should not aim to be liked. What Twitter needs is a fire-breathing dragon and Parag is not that. Bret Taylor, the company's then board chair, was the third person who attended the dinner. Isaacson, an ex-CNN CEO and former Time editor, spent three years trailing Musk for the biography. Who is the current Twitter CEO? After terminating Agarwal, Musk himself took over as the CEO. In June, former NBCUniversal executive Linda Yaccarino was appointed to the post, and is the incumbent chief executive. Also, in July, the San Francisco-headquartered firm got rebranded to X Corp. 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 Nash Vail, the co-founder of a Bengaluru startup called Fold Money has apologised to a customer for sharing a 'passive aggressive' response to their feedback. Since the tweet made by the company went viral, many people criticised them A startup's reply to a customer did not go well with netizens. (Unsplash) It all started when X (formerly Twitter) user Dushyant took to the microblogging platform and wrote, "Fold money has turned out to be such an empty burger. A ton of banks are not supported, fails to fetch transactions half the time, and doesnt fetch them frequently either. Really fell for the invite hype." (Also Read: Bengaluru start-up fires 18 employees, sparks Twitter debate for offering job assistance) Soon, the company replied to his tweet, asking him to "research a bit before signing up for an app that's in beta". But this is not where it ends. Dushyant informed the company that he had not read their blog post before installing the app. To this, Fold Money said, "Yup dragging the hard work of a team in public, especially the one you didn't pay for, without understanding how the product works is much easier than reading a blog post." At last, Dushyant finally wrote them back about being 'passive aggressive' on social media. After this tweet went viral, Nash Vail, the co-founder of Fold Money, replied to a X user and apologised. "We have a whole channel with 100s of feedbacks. Youve been in the design industry long enough to understand what feedback is. Still, we have apologised for handling it too harshly," wrote Vail. The tweet was shared by Dushyant on September 2. It has since been viewed more than one lakh times. The share has also garnered more than 500 likes. Many even took to the comments section of the post and criticised Fold Money for handling the situation poorly. Here's what people are saying about it: An individual wrote, "Oh wow. @foldmoney_is already showing its true colours. This attitude towards a user who is a beta tester for free doesn't bode well for a company that intends to help you manage your money. Better now than later, I suppose." A second added, "So whos job is it exactly to make the product understandable for the user? If a user fails at understanding your product, who exactly failed? Whos working for whos convenience and planning to make money later from them?" (Also Read: Bengaluru startup founder faces backlash for 'celebrating' layoffs in Twitter post) "True. Got irritated with their invite codes. In a matter of minutes, the code got expired. Thought it had too much demand, but later realised they limited to a tiny number for each code. So uninstalled the app. After a week or so, received their invite via email. Was too disappointed with the features I was in the impression that the transactions in my HDFC Bank would be auto-tagged as seen in one of the videos or posts. It was really lame. Now, the way they respond to feedback uninstalled again," expressed a third. A fourth shared, "Good lesson in customer service. How to talk to your beta users. I wonder how long it will take for fold to fold." 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 Travel company MakeMyTrip emailed its customers falsely claiming Delhi Bandh Hai [Delhi is closed] from September 08 to 10 due to the G20 Summit. Delhi Police tweeted a screenshot of the email and wrote that it is completely untrue. The department even requested the travel company to retract the email, following which the travel company issued a clarification. After Delhi Police debunked the email circulated by MakeMyTrip, the company issued a clarification. (X/DelhiPolice) The email sent out by @makemytripcare falsely claims that Delhi is closed from September 08 to 10th, 2023. In wake of the #G20Summit, there will be restrictions in New Delhi District. We request @makemytrip to retract their email & issue a clarification, tweeted Delhi Police along with an image. In its post on X, Delhi Police informed people that the movement will be restricted only in the New Delhi district. Only bonafide residents of the area will be permitted to travel. Furthermore, all essential services will remain operational throughout the G20 Head of States and Governments Summit. Heres what the Delhi Police tweeted: After the tweet gained traction, MakeMyTrip shared a reply to the tweet. The travel company wrote, We acknowledge the concern. What our email meant was that Delhi educational institutions, banks, financial institutions, and most offices will be closed and that movement will be restricted in the New Delhi district. The email may have caused a misunderstanding and is open to misinterpretation. We are immediately sending a clarification to the same email base. In its clarification mail to its customers, the company wrote, We wish to clarify that essential services in New Delhi district will remain open, and although the movement would be restricted, bonafide residents of the area will be allowed. Take a look at the entire email here: A screengrab of the clarification email by MakeMyTrip. (Delhi Police) The tweet was shared by Delhi Police a day ago. It has so far garnered over 21,000 views. Additionally, it has accumulated scores of likes. A few even flocked to the comments section of the tweet and left their thoughts. Heres how people reacted to the Delhi Polices tweet: Delhi Police should impose a fine on MakeMyTrip. Through this, a strict message should be given to everyone that strict action will be taken against anyone who tries or spreads confusion in the context of G20 submission, read a comment from an X user when translated from Hindi to English. Another added, MakeMyTrip should be penalised for sharing misleading information. Appreciate your prompt response, expressed a third. A fourth shared, Isnt this a case of duping? This company should be booked. Misinterpretation and misinformation to book profit. 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 Formula One Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr,had his 5,00,000-pound (approximately 5 crores) Richard Mille wristwatch stolen in Milan shortly after finishing third in the Italian Grand Prix. He did, however, chase down the criminals and successfully recovered his watch. Ferrari's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Jr.(AFP) After the incident, Sainz took to X to discuss what had transpired. He wrote, "As many of you already know, we had an unfortunate accident yesterday in Milan. Most importantly, we are all fine and, this will only be remembered as an unpleasant little story. Thanks to all the people who helped us yesterday, to the Milan Police for their very fast intervention, and thanks for all your messages." (Also Read: Ferrari's Carlos Sainz pips Max Verstappen to Italian Grand Prix pole) The Ferrari driver was approached by burglars near the Armani Hotel in Milan. Sainz, his trainer, and members of the public, who witnessed the crime, chased and apprehended the perpetrators, reports ESPN. A video of Sainz, along with the cops and robbers went viral on social media. The clip shows Sainz still wearing his team kit after leaving the Monza circuit, whereas the police can be seen arresting the suspects. The caption in the video explains that Carlos was out of breath after chasing down the thieves. The tweet made by Sainz was shared just one day ago. Since being posted, it has been viewed more than nine lakh times. The share has also received close to 13,000 likes. Several even shared their reactions in the comments section of Sainz's post. Here's what people are saying about this incident: An individual wrote, "I'm glad everyone's safe. Take care, Carlos." A second added, "Defending like a lion on and off the track." A third shared, "I'm glad everyone is safe and the matter is resolved!" "Thank god everything's alright Carlos, be careful next time and make sure your life is not at risk," expressed a fourth. A fifth said, "The important thing is that you all are well." 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 video of MasterChef India judges Vikas Khanna and Pooja Dhingra recreating an iconic scene from the romantic drama Kuch Kuch Hota Hai has left people amused. The video was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Vikas Khanna. Vikas Khanna recreated a scene from SRK's Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. (X/@TheVikasKhanna) When the best way to calm your nerves on your first day on the sets of MasterChef India is creating this iconic scene from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai with chef @poojadhingraa [Pooja Dhingra]. Remember to always find the fun and light in everything, Khanna wrote as he posted the video. In the caption, he also mentioned that the video was captured by another MasterChef India judge, Ranveer Brar. Also Read: Vikas Khanna melts hearts with his sweet gesture for retiring Air India crew member The video opens to show a split screen with a scene from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai playing in one part. In the other part, the judges are seen recreating it shot by shot. About Kuch Kuch Hota Hai scene: The scene that the chefs recreated shows the protagonist of the film, Rahul Khanna (played by Shah Rukh Khan), meeting his friend, Anjali Sharma (essayed by Kajol), after decades. In the scene, the duo unexpectedly meet and recreate their signature handshake from their college days. Take a look at the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai-related video shared by Vikas Khanna: The video was shared on September 4. Since being posted, it has accumulated more than 12,000 views and counting. The post has also received close to 150 likes. People posted varied comments while reacting to the video. What did X users say about Vikas Khannas video? Super cute, wrote an X user. Too cute to handle, posted another. Feeling jealous. I am your huge fan, joined a third. 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! Mumbai Police took to their social media handle to commemorate the Teachers Day that is being celebrated today, September 5. The police department shared a video where they creatively inserted common things that teachers often say and used them to talk about road safety. The post has left people saying how they can remember the instances where their teachers said those things. Teachers' Day 2023: Mumbai Police post on the day emphasises road safety. (Instagram/@mumbaipolice) Dont make us say This is the Worst Batch Weve Seen Driving. Lets all be a little more mindful of our driving etiquette and must-haves! wrote Mumbai Police while sharing a video on Instagram. The video shared by Mumbai Police opens with the text: Things teachers say, we could say to you too. The video then transitions to the dialogues that the police department can say to the public when they unnecessarily honk, forget their licence, and break traffic rules because others do it too. Watch the quirky video shared by Mumbai Police on Teachers Day 2023 here: The Instagram post was shared a few hours ago. Nearly 10,000 people have since viewed it. Many even liked the Mumbai Polices post and shared their views in the comments. Heres what people have to say about Mumbai Polices Teachers Day post: An Instagram user wrote, Stand in a straight line behind the white line. What creatives! I could literally hear my teachers say all of these, expressed another. A third commented, Whosoever is handling social media. Legend bhai [brother]. Happy Teachers Day, posted a fourth, while a fifth commented, Superb! What are your thoughts on this post shared by Mumbai Police? Did this video remind you of your teachers? About Teachers Day Teachers Day is celebrated every year on September 5 to commemorate the birthday of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the first Vice President and former President of India. He was also a renowned scholar, philosopher, and recipient of the prestigious Bharat Ratna award. The day also honours his contributions to the field of education. 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 Nearly 11 lakh Indians are worst hit by the green card backlog, with new applicants from India expected to have a lifetime wait, a report by Washington DC-based Cato Institute stated. It added that 4.24 lakh applicants may die waiting for green card, 90 per cent of them being Indians. In March this year, at least 80,324 employment-based pleas were pending, representing about 1,71,635 applicants with their spouses and minor kids of the workers included.(Reuters File) Green Card is basically a Permanent Resident Card, and allows you to live and work permanently in the United States. According to the report, the employment-based green card backlog touched a record 1.8 million cases this year. This backlog comprises immigrants who are waiting to receive green cards, this due to low green card caps for employer-sponsored immigrants and investors. No country may receive more than 7 percent of the green cards (the country caps) unless they would otherwise go unused, the report added. When an employer files a petition for a green card to the worker, the plea is wait-listed if no green card is available under the country cap. A worler may file a plea to adjust the status to permanent residence when a green card spot is available. In March this year, at least 80,324 employment-based pleas were pending, representing about 1,71,635 applicants with their spouses and minor kids of the workers included. Another 13 lakh applications were waitlisted and 2.89 lakh were pending adjustment of status applications. Some employment-based immigrants were waiting for immigrant visa adjudications at consulates abroad, the US State Department has not provided information regarding this. The Cato report spoke about a backlog of 123,234 permanent labour certification applications, which is the start of the employmentbased green card queue. Countrywise backlog Such is the backlog that 4.24 lakh applicants may die waiting for their green cards. Out of these, 90 per cent of them will be Indians. On the other hand, Chinese applicants face 17-year-wait. The waiting period for Salvadorans, Hondurans, and Guatemalan applicants are longer. This employment-based green card application backlog comes on top of the 83 lakh case backlog for family-sponsored system. It means that legal immigration to the US is nearly impossible, the report added. Even entering the backlog is considered to be good fortune, and those who make it through that stage face the prospect of not getting green cards in decades or even during their lifetime. 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 Fierce rainstorms battered neighboring Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria on Tuesday, triggering flooding that caused at least five deaths, including two holidaymakers swept away by a torrent that raged through a campsite in northwestern Turkey. Residents remove debris from a flooded area in the town of Volos, central Greece, Tuesday.(AP) Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said four other people were missing after the flash flood swept over the campsite in Kirklareli province, near the border with Bulgaria. He said about 12 vacationers were at the site when the waters hit. Search teams had located two bodies, he said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The search and rescue efforts for the missing (four) continue uninterrupted, he added. Television footage showed rescuers carrying a young girl and an adult to safety from waters reaching waist-high in some areas. The rains also damaged and forced the closure of a main road, HaberTurk television reported. In Greece, police banned traffic in the central town of Volos, the nearby mountain region of Pilion and the resort island of Skiathos as record rainfall caused at least one death, channeled thigh-high torrents through streets and swept cars away. The fire department said one man was killed near Volos when a wall buckled and fell on him. Five people were reported missing, possibly swept away by floodwaters. Authorities sent cellphone alerts in several other areas of central Greece, the Sporades island chain and the island of Evia warning people to limit their movements outdoors. Streams overflowed their banks and swept cars into the sea in the Pilion area, while rockfalls blocked roads, a small bridge was carried away and many areas suffered electricity cuts. Greeces minister for civil protection, Vassilis Kikilias, said the storms were forecast to ease after midday Wednesday and urged people in afflicted areas to stay indoors. According to meteorologists, it's the most extreme event as far as maximum rainfall in a day is concerned since record-keeping started, he said, adding that in one part of Pilion 6.45 centimeters (2.5 inches) of rain had fallen by early afternoon. Kikilias warned that rainfall was forecast to intensify later Tuesday and again Wednesday morning after a brief respite overnight. Greeces weather service said the Pilion region could get about 6.5 to 7 centimeters (2.5 to 2.8 inches) of rain Tuesday and Wednesday, while 5 to 6 centimeters were forecast for the central town of Karditsa. It noted that the average annual rainfall in the Athens region is around 40 centimeters. The storm comes on the heels of major summer wildfires that hit Greece over the past few weeks, with some burning for more than two weeks and destroying vast tracts of forest and farmland. More than 20 people were killed in the fires. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis blamed both the wildfires and storms on climate change, while conceding that his center-right government clearly didn't manage things as well as we would have liked on the wildfire front. I am afraid that the careless summers, as we knew them ... will cease to exist and from now on the coming summers are likely to be ever more difficult, he said Tuesday. Farther north in Bulgaria, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said two people died and three others were missing after a storm caused floods on the country's southern Black Sea coast. Overflowing rivers caused severe damage to roads and bridges. The area also suffered power blackouts, and authorities warned residents not to drink tap water due to contamination from floodwaters. High winds sent 2-meter (6-foot) waves crashing onto beaches at tourist resorts amid torrential rain that flooded streets and houses. TV footage showed cars and camper vans being swept out to sea in the hardest-hit southern resort town of Tsarevo. Authorities declared a state of emergency in Tsarevo and urged people to move upstairs as the ground floors of some hotels were inundated. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Nine people were killed in fighting between two Colombian guerrilla groups, an official said Monday, even as progress was reported in talks seeking to end decades of armed conflict in the South American nation. Governor Wilinton Rodriguez did not say if the dead and injured were fighters or civilians.(Rep image) Another five people, including a teenaged girl from an Indigenous community, were injured in the clashes between dissidents of the now-disarmed FARC guerrilla group and the National Liberation Army (ELN), according to the governor of the eastern Arauca department. Governor Wilinton Rodriguez did not say if the dead and injured were fighters or civilians. The ELN -- Colombia's last recognized guerrilla group, on Monday concluded a fourth round of negotiations with the government in neighboring Venezuela, announcing agreement on humanitarian aid for conflict-hit areas. But shortly after the talks ended, ELN fighters were reported to have been engaged in battles with members of the dissident so-called Central General Staff (EMC) in the municipality of Puerto Rondon near the Venezuela border since the weekend. Talks with the ELN form part of leftist President Gustavo Petro's stated quest for "total peace" in Colombia, which also envisions negotiations with FARC dissidents. The country has seen more than five decades of conflict between the government on one side, and leftist guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries, drug cartels and other criminal groups on the other. The Arauca department, a hub for the trafficking of cocaine and illegally mined minerals due to a paucity of security forces, has been the scene of repeated violent confrontations. Peace desired by all In Caracas, the government and the ELN said they had identified "critical zones" to benefit from humanitarian relief. "We have reached new agreements that move us closer to the peace desired by all," government negotiator Otty Patino said. For his part, ELN leader Pablo Beltran said the identified areas have suffered "attacks against communities" caught up in the fighting. It was not immediately clear who will be providing the humanitarian aid. The so-called Caracas agreement identifies two communities -- Bajo Calima and San Juan -- in the eastern Cauca Valley as areas to receive urgent attention. Others will be added later. Under the plan, the zones will benefit from "humanitarian actions" and "social development projects," according to the text. It added that in the coming weeks, "delegations will travel to the territories" to start identifying projects. The ELN started as a leftist ideological movement in 1964 before turning to crime, focusing on kidnapping, extortion, violent attacks and drug trafficking in Colombia and neighboring Venezuela. With some 5,800 combatants, the group is primarily active in the Pacific region and along the 2,200-kilometer (1,370-mile) border with Venezuela. Official data shows the ELN has a presence in more than 200 municipalities where fighting has displaced communities caught up in the violence. At the end of May, some 1,500 people, mainly from Indigenous communities, had to flee their territory in western Choco due to fighting between the ELN and the Gulf Clan, the country's biggest drug gang. The ELN became the oldest armed group in the Americas after the disarmament of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia under a 2016 peace agreement. The ELN has taken part in failed negotiations with Colombia's last five governments. In the last talks with Petro's government, held in Cuba, the two sides agreed on a ceasefire that entered into force in August. Another round of negotiations, for which a date has yet to be set, will take place in Mexico. The EMC, for its part, has about 3,500 armed fighters. On Saturday, the government and EMC said they would reactivate a ceasefire that has been suspended since May, but without specifying when this would come into force. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON China is set to launch a new state-backed investment fund that aims to raise about $40 billion for its semiconductor sector, two people familiar with the matter said, as the country ramps up efforts to catch up with the U.S. and other rivals. A Chinese flag is displayed next to a "Made in China" sign seen on a printed circuit board with semiconductor chips, in this illustration.(REUTERS) It is likely to be the biggest of three funds launched by the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, also known as the Big Fund. Its target of 300 billion yuan ($41 billion) outdoes similar funds in 2014 and 2019, which according to government reports, raised 138.7 billion yuan and 200 billion yuan respectively. One main area of investment will be equipment for chip manufacturing, said one of the two people and a third person familiar with the matter. President Xi Jinping has long stressed the need for China to achieve self-sufficiency in semiconductors. That need has become all the more pressing after Washington imposed a series of export control measures over the last couple of years, citing fears that Beijing could use advanced chips to boost its military capabilities. In October, the U.S. rolled out a sweeping sanctions package that cut China's access to advanced chipmaking equipment and U.S. allies Japan and the Netherlands have taken similar steps. The new fund was approved by Chinese authorities in recent months, two of the people said. China's finance ministry is planning to contribute 60 billion yuan, said one person. Other contributors could not be immediately learned. All the sources declined to be identified as the discussions were confidential. The State Council Information Office, which handles media queries on behalf of the government, the finance ministry and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. The Big Fund also did not immediately respond to requests for comment. INVESTMENTS TO DATE The fundraising process will likely take months and it was not immediately clear when the third fund will be launched or if further changes will be made to the plan, said the first two sources. Backers of the Big Fund's previous two funds include the finance ministry and deep-pocketed state-owned entities such as China Development Bank Capital, China National Tobacco Corporation and China Telecom. Over the years, the Big Fund has provided financing to China's two biggest chip foundries, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation and Hua Hong Semiconductor, as well as to Yangtze Memory Technologies, a maker of flash memory and a number of smaller companies and funds. Despite those investments, China's chip industry has struggled to play a leading role in the global supply chain, especially for advanced chips. INVESTMENT MANAGERS The Big Fund is considering hiring at least two institutions to invest the new fund's capital, said the three people. Several senior officials and former officials at SINO-IC Capital, the sole manager for the Big Fund's first two funds, have been under investigation by China's anti-graft authority since 2021. Even so, SINO-IC Capital is expected to remain one of the managers for the third fund, said two of the people. SINO-IC Capital did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Chinese officials have also reached out to China Aerospace Investment, the investment arm of state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, to discuss being one of the managers, said two of the people. China Aerospace Investment did not immediately respond to a request for comment. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Amid the news of First Lady Jill Biden testing positive for COVID-19, conspiracy theories have emerged online, suggesting a hidden agenda behind the announcement. The First Lady's communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, confirmed her positive test and mild symptoms, revealing she would be isolating at the family's Delaware beach house. (FILES) US First Lady Jill Biden speaks during a back-to-school K-12 Cybersecurity Summit in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 8, 2023. The First Lady's communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, issued a statement on September 4 announcing that First Lady Jill Biden had tested positive for Covid-19. She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms.(AFP) The White House later reported that President Joe Biden had tested negative but would continue to be monitored. This positive infection for President Biden, 80, comes at a potentially inconvenient time, as he is scheduled to travel to India for a G20 summit and Vietnam for a diplomatic visit. However, the timing of Jill Biden's infection announcement coincides with a spike in COVID-19 cases in the United States, driven by the emergence of new virus variants. This has led to speculation that the country might see a return of pandemic restrictions, including mask mandates. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows over 15,000 COVID-19-related hospitalizations in the U.S. during the week ending August 19a nearly 19 percent increase from the previous week. While hospital admissions have been steadily rising since July, they remain below the pandemic's peak levels and are concentrated in specific hotspots. The CDC, at present, has no plans to reinstate mandatory mask-wearing but has not ruled out the possibility if cases linked to new variants increase significantly. Conspiracy theories about COVID-19 restrictions have been circulating for some time. In August, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones predicted mandatory mask-wearing on air travel by mid-October, followed by a "full COVID protocol" return by December. Authorities, however, have refuted these claims, with the Transportation Security Administration and CDC dismissing them as baseless. Conspiracy theorists have seized upon Jill Biden's diagnosis as evidence of a nefarious plot. Some have suggested it's a deliberate ploy to push for renewed lockdowns. Others have questioned why she contracted the virus despite being vaccinated and receiving booster shots. Experts clarify that vaccines primarily enhance the body's ability to fight an infection rather than preventing it altogether. This is akin to a castle wall that doesn't stop an attack but makes the castle easier to defend when an attack occurs. Mask mandates have become a contentious issue, with debates over personal liberties versus public health. Some states have banned mask mandates in public institutions, while others are open to reinstating them if deemed necessary. While there are varying opinions in the scientific community regarding the effectiveness of masks, most experts agree that, when used in conjunction with other measures like handwashing, social distancing, and vaccination, they play a crucial role in curbing the virus's spread. Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon fell 66.11% in August to its lowest level for the month since 2018, Environment Minister Marina Silva said on Tuesday, in a significant mark for its environmental policy as destruction often spikes this time of year. Brazilian indigenous peoples gather as the Supreme Court on weighing the constitutionality of laws to limit the ability of Indigenous peoples to win protected status for ancestral lands, in Brasilia, Brazil August 30.(REUTERS) Satellite data from Brazilian space research agency INPE indicated that 563 square km (217.38 square miles) of rainforest were cleared in the month, a 66.1% drop from the same period a year ago. In the first eight months of the year, INPE's figures showed, deforestation has fallen a cumulative 48% from the same period of 2022. The data give President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reasons to cheer as he has promised to end deforestation in the region by 2030 after destruction surged under his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, who slashed environmental protection efforts. Earlier, Lula celebrated the decline, saying on social media that it is a "result of the great work of the Environment Ministry and the federal government." Some experts feared the significant drop of more than 40% in deforestation seen in the first seven months of Lula's administration could have been put at risk by higher destruction in August and September, when the weather turns drier. Initial signs, however, are that those concerns did not materialize. Deforestation in the Amazon causes the loss of many species and their habitats, negatively impacts indigenous people and their health, causes fire, an increase in CO2 emission, soil erosion, flooding, desertification, pollution of rivers and lands, and negatively alters water cycle around the world. Brazil last month hosted a major rainforest summit, where eight Amazon nations agreed to a list of unified environmental policies and measures to bolster regional cooperation but failed to agree on a common goal for ending deforestation. Lula has staked his international reputation on improving Brazil's environmental standing. On Tuesday, he signed the demarcation of two new Indigenous lands - part of his efforts to reverse some policies put in place by Bolsonaro, who halted land recognition while in office. The recognition of the two Indigenous reservations grants them legal protection against invasions by illegal loggers, gold miners and cattle ranchers. "We are experiencing a new moment, with more assertive policies and greater political will in favor of the Amazon," WWF-Brasil's director, Mariana Napolitano, said. But more is still needed, including traceability and transparency in the trade of livestock, gold and other commodities, she added. A former chairman of the right-wing Proud Boys group was sentenced on Tuesday to 22 years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump trying to overturn the former president's election defeat. Members of the far-right Proud Boys, including leader Enrique Tarrio (C), rally in support of U.S. President Donald Trump to protest against the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, in Washington, U.S. November 14, 2020. (REUTERS) Enrique Tarrio was convicted of charges, including seditious conspiracy, for his role in planning the storming of the Capitol, when thousands of supporters of the Republican then-U.S. president violently tried to stop Congress from certifying the results of an election that Trump falsely claimed had widespread fraud. Federal prosecutors had asked U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly to impose a 33-year prison sentence on Tarrio, who was not present at the Capitol on the day of the violence because another judge had ordered him to stay out of Washington. Prosecutors said he helped direct the attack from Baltimore. Tarrio's attorneys had asked for a substantially shorter sentence. Kelly last week sentenced another far-right Proud Boys leader, Ethan Nordean, to 18 years, less than the 27 years prosecutors had sought. Oath Keepers militia founder Stewart Rhodes in May was also sentenced to 18 years. Nordean and Rhodes had previously been tied for the longest sentence handed down in the case. More than 1,100 people have been arrested on charges related to the Capitol assault, and of those at least 630 have pleaded guilty and at least 110 have been convicted at trial. Five people, including a police officer, died during or shortly after the riot and more than 140 police officers were injured. The Capitol suffered millions of dollars in damage. Special Counsel Jack Smith, who was tapped to investigate broader efforts to overturn the 2020 election, has charged Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, for trying to keep himself in power. Bill Dengler is trying to become an Italian citizen. He has all the documents ready to go. But Mr Dengler, an American software engineer who was born fully blind, cannot make an appointment with the Italian consulate in San Francisco. Its booking system uses a colour-based calendar, which is not legible to his screen reader, a device that delivers a websites content in audio form. And, perhaps because slots fill rapidly, rules prohibit him from hiring someone to make the appointment on his behalf. PREMIUM The spectre of litigation may help push up standards(Pixabay) What are Mr Denglers options? This being America, he could, of course, sue. The government largely relies on private citizens and their obliging lawyers to enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the federal law passed 33 years ago to protect the civil rights of disabled people. This deputisation has resulted in tonnes of litigation, some of which has done more for lawyers than for disabled people. In the past five years, website-accessibility lawsuits have surged to comprise about a fifth of such claims. According to UsableNET, a company that both tracks litigation and sells services to help clients prevent it, plaintiffs have filed more than 16,700 digital-accessibility lawsuits in state and federal court since 2018. The ADA only permits plaintiffs to recover attorneys fees. But New York and California, where the vast majority of cases are brought, allow plaintiffs to tack on state-level claims to their federal cases and sue for damages. The financial incentives for both plaintiffs and lawyers are hard to ignore. I think that this was a gravy train that people jumped on, says David Stein, who defends businesses. The countrys most active law firm, according to UsableNET, appears to have been founded in 2020; the fourth-most-prolific opened in 2021. Serial plaintiffs abound. In a single month in 2018, a blind man in Queens filed 43 lawsuits. In the year from January 2022, six people, represented by one law firm, brought 435 suits. The most active plaintiffs in 2021 and 2022 filed over 100 lawsuits each, according to Accessibility.com, which also tracks litigation. While the ADA orders businesses to add wheelchair ramps, it has never set out precisely how they should design their websitesit simply mandates effective communication. Nearly 5% of Americas population is blind or has low vision (uncorrectable with glasses). Making the web broadly usable was always the goal: at the First International World Wide Web conference in 1994, Tim Berners-Lee, the father of the internet, called upon pioneers to prioritise this feeling that the web is totally accessible to everybody. By 1995, a group of organisations started what eventually became the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. These are now about 50 technical recommendations, regularly updated, that prescribe minimum standards for colour contrast, keyboard operability (visually impaired people use the tab key, rather than a mouse) and alt-text (written descriptions of images). They have not been adopted by the ADA, but are frequently cited in plaintiffs lawsuits. Some of those standards meaningfully ease the burden on disabled site-goers; others are less critical. But the lawsuits tend not to differentiate. Complaints can hinge on technical non-conformance, says Kris Rivenburgh, founder of ADAcompliance.net. Since virtually all settle before they reach trial, judges rarely weigh in on whether they created a barrier to access. On occasion, the Department of Justice (DoJ) has intervened directly. It brought enforcement actions, for example, against pharmacy giants Rite Aid and Kroger forrecalling Mr Denglers consulate conundrumcreating inaccessible COVID-19 vaccine portals. The private lawsuits, meanwhile, tend to target smaller companies reporting annual revenue under $25m; and most are retailers, not purveyors of education or health-care services. The spectre of litigation may help push up standards. But Jeffrey Gottlieb, a plaintiffs attorney in New York, frankly admits he is not so sure that litigation has had a broader deterrent effect. Others speculate that the lawsuits have even stymied progress, causing corporations to throw up their arms and say Im going to get sued anyway, as Mr Stein puts it. Jason Taylor, the head of innovation at UsableNET, argues that the profusion of lawsuits can indeed take credit for significantly improving accessibility. Still, he admits, to be on the cynical side, large companies may believe that settling lawsuits is cheap compared to doing it the right way. The wrong way is with overlays, plug-ins that show customisable website interfaces to disabled users, promising to help companies achieve accessibility without overhauling code. These interfaces often interfere with the technology blind people already use, and they do not prevent litigation: UsableNET reports that over 400 companies using overlays were hit with lawsuits in the first half of 2023. Experts say there is no substitute for auditing sites, designing fixes and manually testing them. Two things could curb lawsuits, says Rob Thorpe, a defence attorney. Plaintiffs could be required to issue notice, providing the offending business the chance to fix the problem before suing. The other would be for the DoJ to give more clarity on the requirements for websites, a move that seemingly everyone supports. Both have the advantage of benefiting the real parties on either side, rather than those profiting from the confusion. Stay on top of American politics with Checks and Balance, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter, which examines the state of American democracy and the issues that matter to voters. 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com The gates of North Korea, closed since January 2020 ostensibly to keep COVID-19 out, are finally creaking open. On August 27th North Korean state media announced that citizens who had been locked out of the country during the pandemic were starting to return home. Some North Korean civil aeroplanes have already made return trips to Beijing. PREMIUM Ground crew work near an Air Koryo commercial plane on the tarmac at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. A North Korean commercial flight has landed in Beijing amid signs that Pyongyang is opening borders again after almost three years of COVID-19 restrictions. (AP/PTI)(AP08_22_2023_000117A)(AP) Many will welcome any relaxation of restrictions, in the hope it will lead to more food imports from China to stave off the countrys endemic shortages. But for one group of North Koreans, the news inspires dread. According to the UN, as many as 2,000 North Korean defectors are now languishing in Chinese prisons, awaiting a possible forced return to a country that deals extremely harshly with those suspected of trying to escape its clutches. Some North Koreans were trapped in China against their wishes when the borders shut. Many of them had gone there, with the permission of Kim Jong Uns regime, to study or earn money for the state. After so much time away from its propagandists, they are likely to be forced to endure re-education to reassure the authorities of their ideological reliability. Others left without the regimes approval, either to engage in trade or to escape its tyranny. They can expect rougher treatment. Merely crossing the border without permission is punishable by up to five years of reform through labour. Those repatriated in the past have been subjected to torture, sexual violence, forced abortions and other forms of mistreatment, says Su Bo-bae, a researcher at the Database Centre for North Korean Human Rights, a think-tank in Seoul. An escapee interviewed by another rights group, Rights for Female North Korean Defectors, was imprisoned after being forcibly repatriated from China. He was sentenced to hard labour and forced to adopt stress positions for five hours every morning. Violence in his facility was routine. He recalled seeing a guard grabbing an elderly woman by the hair until it came out in clumps and pounding her face. Although the situation is most worrying for North Koreans in detention in China, all defectors there are at risk. In recent years Chinese digital surveillance infrastructure has improved and fake residency cards have become harder to obtain. The need to show a QR code linked to residence papers when entering public places during the pandemic has made undocumented North Koreans easier to spot. Most defectors are women and many risk being separated from their children if sent back. A defector who spoke to The Economist and other media outlets in South Korea, at a naturalisation centre for North Korean arrivals, exemplifies this. She escaped to China in 2014 and married and had children therebefore escaping to the South for fear of repatriation. I had something to protect, she says, I was worried about my family. When reminded by the UN of its legal obligation not to return anyone to a country where they might be tortured, the Chinese government routinely responds that North Korean border-crossers are economic migrants whom it handles in keeping with Chinese laws, international law and humanitarianism. This illustrates Chinas broader see-no-evil approach to its neighbours transgressions. On August 17th the UN Security Council addressed North Korean human-rights abuses for the first time in five years. Chinas representative called the discussion irresponsible, unconstructive and an abuse of the councils power. In the build-up to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, China permitted seven North Korean defectors to travel to third countries. Some activists have suggested it might make a similar allowance ahead of the Asian Games in Hangzhou in September. This is optimistic. Before the Olympics, China and Western countries were cooperating in a joint effort to talk the North Koreans out of their nuclear ambitions. Now Sino-American rivalry is raging and China, fiercely opposed to the West, seems unmoved by any North Korean outrage. 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com In a memorable phrase that captured his precocious ambition four years before he ran for the French presidency, Nicolas Sarkozy confessed in 2003 that his mind was focused on the top job and not only when he shaved every morning. The comment marked the start of his long and fractious struggle to succeed his boss, Jacques Chirac, which he did in 2007. Today, four years before the French elect a successor to their current president, an undeclared race to take over from Emmanuel Macron is also breaking out among his present and former lieutenants. PREMIUM French President Emmanuel Macron meets with pupils during a visit the Daniel Argote secondary school in Orthez, southwest France, September 5, 2023, as part of a trip for the start of the new school year. (Photo by Caroline BLUMBERG / POOL / AFP)(AFP) The French constitution allows a president to serve only two consecutive terms (though after stepping down in 2027, when he will be only 49, Mr Macron could stage another bid five years later). But he still has plenty of time to try to reshape France, and he gives no sign of tiring of the job, nor of shrinking ambition. He vowed recently to keep governing until the last quarter of an hour of his term. Yet would-be successors from within Mr Macrons broad centrist camp are keenly aware not only that there is no single natural successor among them, but that they cannot leave it too late if they are to stand out. On everyones mind is the need to find a credible candidate to take on the hard-right Marine Le Pen. Three front-runners seem to think they have what it takes. The showiest is Gerald Darmanin, the tough-talking interior minister, appointed by Mr Macron to secure his right-leaning flank. On August 27th he staged a big political event, over saucisse and chips, in the industrial northern city of Tourcoing, where he was formerly mayor. Ostensibly to discuss political strategy, the happening carried more than a scent of personal ambition. Elisabeth Borne, the prime minister, was hastily dispatched to the event to keep him in order. The son of a bar owner and a housekeeper, Mr Darmanin (pictured, with Mr Macron) is styling himself as a politician whounlike the dry technicians who sit beside him in the cabinetunderstands everyday worries. If mainstream politicians cannot find a way to speak to the working-class and middle-class vote, he declared, outlining a job description tailored to himself, Ms Le Pens victory in 2027 will be quite probable. A more discreet but no less resolute aspirant is Edouard Philippe, formerly Mr Macrons prime minister. Like Mr Darmanin he hails originally from the conservative Republicans party, and tops polls as the most popular French politician with 55% approval, 13 points ahead of Ms Le Pen in ninth place, and 18 points ahead of Mr Darmanin in 18th, according to Ifop, a polling group. Mr Macron trails in 23rd place, with 32%. As French politicians do, Mr Philippe will mark la rentree, or the return to work, by publishing a new book, outlining his vision and ties to France, on September 13th. After leaving government in 2020 he founded his own political movement, Horizons, which sits in parliament as part of Mr Macrons minority coalition. Mr Philippe is also mayor of Le Havre, a port city in Normandy. This gives him a convenient perch from which to appear semi-removed from daily politics in Paris. Those who have seen Mr Philippe recently say that he is indeed firmly focused on preparing for 2027. A third potential runner is Bruno Le Maire, the finance minister, yet another ex-Republican and currently the second-most popular politician, with a 46% rating. More discreet in public about his personal aspirations, and more usually spotted in airless summit meeting rooms, he was to be seen this summer in shirt sleeves enthusiastically greeting holidaymakers atop an Alpine mountain pass. Earlier this year the besuited technocrat raised eyebrows when he published a racy novel. Mr Le Maire has now been finance minister for the longest unbroken period of any under the Fifth Republic, created in 1958. But he may at some point feel that he needs to move on if he is to broaden his appeal and work on his own chances. Others too are said to be mulling over theirs, including Jean Castex, another ex-prime minister, Yael Braun-Pivet, head of the National Assembly, or even Gabriel Attal, the 34-year-old education minister. Each will have to tread a delicate line between the desire to remain loyal to Mr Macron, to whom they owe their jobs, and the political need to distance themselves from the unpopular president, who has faced strikes and rioting this year. Even if it were in his gift to anoint an heir, this might not do the anointee any favours. Four years is a long time, and Mr Macron himself was a little-known back-room adviser that long before his first presidential bid. Nor is there any organised process within his party, Renaissance (formerly En Marche), to pick a candidate. The party anyway lacks roots, and may not in its current form even outlive the president. Yet the threat of a Le Pen presidency lends the matter great urgency. The hard-right leader has been quietly biding her time, sitting politely on the opposition parliamentary benches and trying to look like a president-in-waiting. Mr Macron may not like to think about succession planning. But the most painful legacy for a leader who has done much to modernise France would be for his two-term presidency to be followed by her election, just as Barack Obamas was by Donald Trumps. 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com Britain is to ban Russian mercenary outfit the Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation, media reports said on Tuesday, quoting Home Secretary Suella Braverman. Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.(AFP) The UK was set to make the Wagner Group a "proscribed" organisation under anti-terror laws, putting it on a par with Islamic State and al-Qaeda, a report in the Daily Mail said. "Wagner is a violent and destructive organisation which has acted as a military tool of Vladimir Putin's Russia overseas," the newspaper quoted Braverman as saying. "While Putin's regime decides what to do with the monster it created, Wagner's continuing destabilising activities only continue to serve the Kremlin's political goals." Under the Terrorism Act 2000 the home secretary has the power to proscribe an organisation if they believe it is involved in terrorism. A proscription order makes it a criminal offence to support the group. "They are terrorists, plain and simple -- and this proscription order makes that clear in UK law," a BBC report added, quoting the minister. "Wagner has been involved in looting, torture and barbarous murders," Braverman added in the Daily Mail. The group's operations in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa "are a threat to global security," she said. "That is why we are proscribing this terrorist organisation and continuing to aid Ukraine wherever we can in its fight against Russia." Draft measures to ban the Wagner Group under the act will be laid in Parliament on Wednesday, the reports said. In July, Britain announced sanctions against 13 individuals and businesses it said had links to the Russian group in Africa, accusing it of crimes there including killings and torture. The people and entities targeted -- which are no longer able to deal with UK citizens, companies and banks, and have any UK assets frozen -- were allegedly involved in Wagner's activities in Mali, Central African Republic (CAR) and Sudan. They included the purported head of Wagner in Mali, Ivan Aleksandrovitch Maslov; its chief in CAR, Vitalii Viktorovitch Perfilev; and the group's operations head there, Konstantin Aleksandrovitch Pikalov. Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, who died last month in a plane crash, had already been sanctioned by Britain alongside several of his key commanders who had participated in Russia's war in Ukraine. Prigozhin -- a Kremlin confidant turned "traitor" -- died two months after ordering his troops to topple Russia's military leadership. A forensic psychiatrist has revealed what killer nurse Lucys Letbys motive may have been, days after she was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of release for killing seven babies in her care, and attempting to kill six others as a neonatal nurse in Chester Hospital in Cheshire, England. The 33-year-old is now being considered one of the most prolific child killers in the history of the United Kingdom. A handout image taken from police bodycam footage released by Cheshire Constabulary police force in Manchester on August 17, 2023, shows the nurse Lucy Letby being arrested at home in Chester on July 3, 2018 (Photo by Cheshire Constabulary / AFP) (AFP) Dr. Sohom Das, a qualified Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist who assesses, treats and rehabilitates criminals who are mentally disordered, has now weighed in on Lucys motives. It is difficult to know Lucys incentives, as she has not opened up her psyche to the world. However, we can look at some of the most high-profile healthcare professionals who committed their crimes, and compare and contrast, Sohom said in an interview with Hindustan Times. Perverse pleasure in deceiving parents Beverley Allitt, also an English nurse, was convicted of murdering four infants, attempting to murder three others, and causing grievous bodily harm to a further six in Lincolnshire between February and April 1991. She had Munchausens by proxy. This contentious disorder leads the individual to intentionally fake or even artificially create illness. The perpetrator gets some sort of perverse pleasure from feeding off the sympathy and attention that is afforded to the victim, he explained. He added, With Harold Shipman, an English doctor, considered to be one of the most prolific serial killers in modern history, with an estimated 250 victims, there seemed to be a God complex. His thrill was from holding the fragility of death in his hands and the power of deciding who lives and dies. With Lucy, I imagine that there were elements of both of these notorious killers. Sohom said there may have been other motives, such as power and control or a morbid fascination with the parents" grieving process. It is also possible that she took some perverse pleasure in deceiving parents, i.e. being the cause of their babys death yet also the person who comforts them. She may have also been jealous of the ideal family unit, perhaps as in her mind it was somehow obtainable. In her bitterness, she decided to simply annihilate what she couldnt have, he said. It has been revealed that multiple warnings about Lucy went unheeded by the hospital. Shockingly, the Countess of Chester Hospital Foundation Trust contacted the Cheshire Constabulary, which is the police force responsible for the area, only in early May 2017. This was about a year and a half after doctors at the hospital began raising suspicions about the babies deaths. The court heard during the trial that several paediatricians who worked alongside Lucy had alerted hospital executives about the nurse on multiple occasions. Finally, it was Dr Sandie Brohin who reportedly helped bring down Lucy, following discoveries she made during an investigation into the babies deaths. On being asked whether Lucy may have been battling mental health issues, Sohom said, It has been established that Lucy suffered from some background anxiety and depression. However, crucially, in my view, this did not affect her criminal culpability. It may have given her a negative outlook on life, but that still does not explain and certainly does not excuse what she did. Reinaldo Fuentes, a 68-year-old Venezuelan drug dealer known as 'Taliban,' met a grim end in the Caribbean Sea near Martinique. Fuentes, embroiled in a tumultuous drug feud, found himself handcuffed, gagged, and attached to an anchor before being cast into the unforgiving waters. But who was this enigmatic figure, and what led to this macabre fate? Venezuelan drug dealer 'Taliban' drowned in Caribbean after hijacking cocaine; ruthless cartel revenge cited.(X/EmmaRincon) Fuentes had orchestrated a daring heist, hijacking a cartel's massive 450-pound cocaine shipment, valued at a staggering $10 million, and making off with the cash. Initially discarding the drugs at sea, he concocted a fictitious coast guard pursuit to explain his failure to deliver the narcotics to his superiors. However, his audacious scheme unraveled when his associates turned informants, ultimately sealing his watery fate. A video shared on social media, captured the horrific moment. Fuentes, bloodied and bound, stared at the camera before being unceremoniously thrown overboard. The sinister act left him with little chance of survival, his hands zip-tied to ensure his doom. His executioners remain unidentified, with one heard on the video cautioning against showing their faces. The motive behind this chilling act was clear: retribution for the stolen cocaine. Fuentes had managed to live under an alias, Miguel Fulcar, thanks to a fake national identification document in the Dominican Republic. He led a seemingly ordinary life, dating a prominent lawyer and caring for her daughter in the city of Bonao. His criminal legacy stretched back to his hometown in Venezuela, where he earned the moniker 'Taliban' due to his illicit dealings with Middle Eastern drug traffickers. Two of his associates met a violent end in a police shootout in Buenos Aires, and a cache of weapons seized from a Bonao residence was reportedly linked to Fuentes. The 68-year-old's ill-fated journey began on July 14 when he entered the Dominican Republic. He was lured to a cartel meeting on July 17, leading to his abduction and subsequent dumping at sea. Also Read | Video shows deranged man beating woman 50 times with her own cane in NYC subway as no one intervenes This incident underscores the ruthlessness of the Clan del Cartel, also known as the Gulf Cartel, one of Mexico's oldest criminal organisations. With a history dating back to the Prohibition Era, the cartel has evolved into a major player in the drug trade, collaborating with the infamous Colombian Cali Cartel to establish trafficking routes to the United States. Fragmentation within the Gulf Cartel has made it difficult to identify a central leader. In August, former leader Dairo Antonio Usuga David, also known as Otoneil, was sentenced to 45 years in an American prison for his role in the drug trafficking operation. Prince Harry is set to celebrate his 39th birthday on Friday, September 15, 2023. Amid his strained ties with the British Royal Family, there have been speculations whether Harry's father King Charles III and Prince William would reach out to the Duke of Sussex on his big day. Amid the speculations, King Charles' former butler named Grant Harrold has weighed in on the matter. Princes William and Prince Harry(AFP) According to a report by the New York Post, Harrold has predicted that Prince Harry may receive a text or an email as a wish on his upcoming birthday. If they chat on WhatsApp, he might get a text, or he might get an email. I hope they do reach out. Id like to think William would pick up the phone to wish him a happy birthday, said Harrold. But you never know. We will probably never know. It would be the opportunity for his dad to reach out, and offer an olive branch, added Harrold. Harrold further added that it is the perfect time for them to check in. The former butler also highlighted that if indeed Prince William and King Charles wish Harry on his upcoming birthday, then the Duke of Sussex should reciprocate on their birthdays. I would hope that Harry would do the same to them on their birthdays, Harrold added. ALSO READ| Red Dawn Redux? Why US intelligence agencies are worried about Chinese spies trespassing military sites Talking about Harry's relationship with the Royal Family, Harrold said: I think the damage has already been done now and I think at this moment in time, I dont see it dramatically changing. On the question of whether a public wish would be made on Harry's birthday by the Royal Family on social media, Harrold highlighted how the family handled Meghan Markle's 42nd birthday on August 4, 2023. Well, it was only just Meghans birthday and it wasnt mentioned by the royal family at all, said Harrold. Its a bit weird. Even though theyre not working royals anymore, they would always have mentions on social media and suddenly its come to a stop. It could be similar for Harrys birthday too, he added. Walgreens Boots Alliance said on Friday, September 1, that Roz Brewer has resigned from her position as chief executive officer of the firm. This comes as the company focuses more intently on its ambition to transition from a chain of pharmacies to a health care provider. On Thursday, August 31, she also resigned from the company's board of directors. A press announcement claims that the split was amicable. Premarket trading saw a little decline in Walgreens stock. Interim CEO While Walgreens seeks a permanent successor, lead independent director Ginger Graham will serve in the role of temporary CEO. Graham has worked in the medical field for many years. She has prior executive leadership experience at Amylin Pharmaceuticals. Until a permanent CEO is chosen, the organization may rely on Brewer's counsel. "Our Board and leadership team will intensify our focus on creating value for our customers and our shareholders while we advance the search for a successor with deep healthcare experience to lead in today's dynamic environment," stated Stefano Pessina, executive chairman at Walgreens. Graham was appointed lead independent director of Walgreens in October 2022 after serving on the board since 2010. Her career began with Eli Lilly and Company, and she has since served on the boards of many other hospitals and medical organizations. See Also: Kraft Heinz CEO Resigns Amid Declining Revenues, Higher Pricing Brewer and Walgreens Before Friday's statement, things had been tense between Brewer and Walgreens, according to CNBC. As of Thursday's closing, Walgreens' stock had fallen by more than 32% this year, as the business has failed to recover from a precipitous decline in demand for COVID testing and vaccinations. Since customers can purchase and get toiletries like toothpaste and shampoo from rivals like Walmart and Amazon, the company has witnessed a steady decrease in its front-end retail revenues. For the first time since July 2020, the company's fiscal third-quarter profits report fell short of Wall Street projections in June. It also reduced its forecast for the year's profits. Brewer has managed Walgreens since March 2021 and previously worked at Walmart and Starbucks. Her short employment coincided with a significant portion of the COVID-19 pandemic, at which time Walgreens actively pushed a move that would rebrand the firm as a health care provider rather than a drugstore. It has hundreds of clinics operational, some of which are located in close proximity to Walgreens shops after it bought primary care provider VillageMD. In addition, an agreement was reached with specialized pharmacy Shields Health Solutions and post-hospital care management firm CareCentrix. When it comes to consumer goods, Brewer has been a major player in the retail industry for decades. However, as Walgreens shifts its focus from being a pharmacy to a health care provider, her expertise is no longer a good fit for the organization. See Also: Discount Retailers Dollar Tree, Family Dollar Reach Agreement Aimed At Enhancing Employee Safety @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The latest Ohio police brutality, which happened in the last week of August, took the life of a pregnant Black woman. Now, the body-camera footage showing the victim's last moments is expected to be released. Kor Ohio Police Body-Cam Footage Showing Shooting Incident to Be Released According to The Guardian's latest report, the body-camera footage containing the last moment of Ta'Kiya Young could be released to the public on Friday, Sept. 1. Young, a 21-year-old resident of Columbus, Ohio, was the victim of the shooting incident. She was pronounced dead on Aug. 24 after she was shot outside a grocery store in Blendon Township. Aside from her, the unborn daughter she was pregnant with also didn't survive. Since it has been days, many people have been asking why the body-cam of the police who shot her wasn't immediately shared with the public. Sean Walton, the lawyer of Young's family, explained that the police department wants to minimize media attention on potentially damaging footage. This is why police officials waited for days before agreeing to release the video recorded by the shooter's body camera. John Belford, the Blendon Township police chief, said that the footage release delay resulted from a staff who was trying to redact the footage by the state's law properly. Belford added that Young's family will be the first people outside the police department to see the video before it is publicly available. Read Also: Maryland Teen Stabbed to Death by Another Teenager at Washington McDonald's Over Sauce Dispute Why the Police Shot the Pregnant Black Woman The New York Post reported that the pregnant Black woman was shot after allegedly stealing alcohol from the supermarket. Recently, Belford said that Ta'Kiya and other unnamed individuals were stealing from the Kroger store before the shooting incident happened. He added that when two police officers reached Young, the woman was already in her sedan. They tried to stop her, asking the woman to step out of the vehicle. However, Belford said Young tried to escape by accelerating her car directly at one of the police responders. Because of this, the officer fired a single gunshot through the window, which killed the Black woman. Related Article: University of North Carolina Shooting: Faculty Member Fatally Shot on Campus, Suspect Under Custody @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The family of Gboyega Odubanjo, an award-winning poet who died after he went missing, is now planning to start a foundation. The Odubanjo family said that they want a foundation that will support low-income Black writers. Gboyega Family's Foundation for Low-Income Black Writers Heartbroken that weve lost Gboyega Odubanjo. Cant imagine the grief your love ones are feeling. Rest In Peace King. pic.twitter.com/GZ4wKB7ZPT Amanda Gorman (@TheAmandaGorman) August 31, 2023 According to The Guardian's latest report, the Odubanjo family started fundraising for the foundation they want to establish. This foundation will honor Gboyega, whose body was found after he went missing at a music festival in England. On the GoFundMe website of Gboyega's family, their main goal is to raise 30,000 (over $37,000). As of writing, the donations they receive reached more than 39,000 (over $49,000). But, since the GoFundMe page is still active, it looks like the family wants to get more donations. They explained that the foundation that they will establish will continue the legacy that the award-winning poet started. "Gboyega gave support and mentorship to many developing artists; his contribution within the poetry community was invaluable," his family shared. They added that Gboyega has been a "beacon of light" to many writers. By establishing the new Odubanjo Foundation, the poet's family will continue their beloved son's legacy by supporting low-income Black writers. Read Also: Lucy Letby Case: British 'Monster' Nurse Kills 7 Babies at Neonatal Facility, Prompts Review Care of 4,000 Infants What Happened to Gboyega? My beautiful best friend Gboyega Odubanjo, home in my heart and acclaimed poet, highly anticipated novelist, the best son and brother. You know how I love you. I tell you all the time. I will never stop making sure that the world sees how special you are.https://t.co/OzKjtvB967 pic.twitter.com/5AtvLgilf6 Tice Cin (@ticecin) September 1, 2023 Sky News reported that Gboyega Odubanjo went missing from the Shambala festival in Northamptonshire England. The 27-year-old poet was supposed to do a reading at the festival on Aug. 27. However, he wasn't able to arrive for his performance. Authorities said that the Black writer was last seen at the event on Aug. 26 at around 4:00 a.m. His relatives said that they were worried because the disappearance of Gboyega was entirely out of character for the poet. They added that it is unlikely for him to suddenly vanish. Because of this, they were worried for his well-being and safety. Sadly, his lifeless body was found on Aug. 31 after the police conducted a search operation to find the man. After checking the poet's body, authorities said that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. But, Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell clarified that Gboyega's death will remain a live investigation. He warned that speculations would not be helpful in solving the man's death and would only affect his family. Gboyega's relatives and friends were deeply saddened after knowing that the poet died. They said that he was a beloved colleague, friend, and an incomparable poet. Gboyega will be deeply remembered in the poetry community he helped during his lifetime. Related Article: Oscar-Winning British Actress, MP Glenda Jackson Dies at 87 @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP) (LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images) Meta is allegedly considering adding a paid subscription service to Facebook and Instagram for users in the European Union region over data privacy concerns. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is allegedly looking into adding a paid subscription service to the social media platform and Instagram for its EU customers to address concerns around data privacy and ads. There is currently no information on exactly how much the subscription would be or when the company would roll it out. Additionally, whether or not the paid subscription idea will push through has not been confirmed. Meta's Planned Paid Subscription The situation comes as Meta has been fighting with the EU and several other European regulators regarding alleged privacy violations by the company's ad-tracking services and data transfers. Previously, Ireland's Data Protection Commission fined Meta $1.3 billion for transferring data of European users to the United States, which is considered a violation of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In July, the U.S. and the EU signed a data transfer agreement, easing restrictions on social media platforms, as per The Verge. The social media company has already started offering the ability for users to opt out of targeted advertising if they are from the EU. Meta also reportedly proposed going further and shifting it to an opt-in option for everyone in the region. Additionally, Meta delayed the release of its new platform, Threads, in the region because of regulatory concerns. The company is concerned about the approaching Digital Markets Act that would prevent companies from reusing personal user data, including their name and location. The potential move highlights how tech companies, including Meta, may be forced to redesign products to comply with new regulations, especially in Europe. Various regulations limit how companies can use users' data for advertising. While having an ad-free experience can help Meta address regulatory concerns about its current business model, according to Neowin, it is uncertain how many users would be on board for such an idea. Read Also: Elon Musk's X Revises Privacy Policy to Obtain User Biometric Info, Employment Records Digital Regulations in the EU Additionally, Meta was forced to take some action to prevent users from the EU from accessing its delayed Threads app using VPNs back in July. The company has not yet released any information on its plans to release the new app in the EU, but it could become available later this year and include an ad-free subscription. Most of Meta's revenue is from selling targeted ads, and the European Union accounts for roughly 10% of the company's overall ad business. This makes the region the second-most lucrative region, just behind North America. Meta's core business for the last two decades has focused largely on offering free social networking services to its users and selling advertising to companies looking to reach that audience. In a statement, a Columbia University law professor, Anu Bradford, the author of "Digital Empires: The Global Battle to Regulate Technology," said that the situation shows that tech companies are complying with the EU's digital regulations. According to the New York Times, she suggests that companies remain beholden to governments and not vice versa. Related Article: The Guardian Blocks OpenAI From Using Its Content in ChatGPT @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Nathan Howard/Getty Images) Several members and leaders of the far-right extremist group, Proud Boys, were sentenced to prison for their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riot. Two Proud Boys members and one of its leaders have been sentenced to prison over their alleged involvement in the unprecedented Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riot. One of the leaders of the far-right extremist group, Ethan Nordean, was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment after officials found him guilty of seditious conspiracy. The nearly two-decade sentence ties for the longest sentence so far in the Jan. 6 prosecutions, given to Oath Keepers' Stewart Rhodes. Proud Boys Members, Leaders Sentenced to Prison In a statement during sentencing, US District Judge Timothy Kelly told the defendant that it was a tragedy how the latter "got from A to B." In a release, the Justice Department said that Nordean and a Proud Boys member, Dominic Pezzola, participated in every consequential breach at the Capitol. The two were allegedly among those who led a group of Proud Boys onto the Capitol grounds, which resulted in the dismantling of barricades, breaching of the Capitol building, assaulting of police officers, and destruction of property, as per CBS News. On Friday, while in court, Nordean apologized for his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, noting that "people were seriously hurt and some people lost their lives." However, he also maintained that he had the safety of other people in mind during the insurrection. Nordean added that he had to face the sobering truth of the matter, which was that he became a leader at the time of the riot. He said he came to keep people out of trouble and other people safe. Additionally, the defendant's wife and sister were both in court during the hearing and cried. Jordan's wife, Cory Dryden, said they all miss him, and his daughter misses him the most. Read Also: Indiana Resident Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Violating Federal Narcotics Laws Seditious Conspiracy Charges Two others were sentenced to more than a decade in prison, former Proud Boys Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl leaders. The length of the sentences were 17 years and 15 years, respectively, and are considered the second and third longest handed down amid the crackdown on Jan. 6 rioters, according to the Associated Press. Biggs and Rehl were the first Proud Boys to be sentenced by Judge Kelly. The far-right extremist group's national chairman and top leader, Enrique Tarrio, is set to be sentenced on Tuesday, which comes after a delay because the judge was sick. While Tarrio was not in Washington on the day of the Capitol Hill riot, he was arrested two days prior on charges that he defaced a Black Lives Matter banner at a rally in the capital. After his arrest, he also complied with a judge's order to leave the city. Prosecutors said that 38-year-old US Army veteran Biggs was an instigator of the storming of Congress. He pleaded in court for leniency and expressed remorse for his actions. On the other hand, Rehl, who is a former U.S. Marine and leader of the Philadelphia branch of the group, was seen spraying a chemical irritant at police officers outside of the Capitol during the riot, said BBC. Related Article: Body-Cam Footage Showing Pregnant Black Woman Getting Shot to be Released @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Newsweek has lost its cool. The anxious publication's recent "bombshell" report about a series of already-dismissed and settled lawsuits garnered a total of six viewers. Not surprising, for an outlet that has long abandoned all journalism ethics in the face of recent fraudulent ownership, tax fraud, ad fraud, defamation, and sexual harassment scandals rocking its leadership to the core. NEWSWEEK'S ARTICLE ABOUT OLIVET ASSEMBLY IS NONFACTUAL AND SELF-CONTRADICTORY On Friday, Newsweek published an article about thrice-dismissed court complaints filed by aggressive e-commerce lender, 8fig a company online users call "predatory" in a failed attempt to bash Newsweek's legal opponents, as part of a series of attacks on their Christian religious values. To this end, Newsweek's story attempted to falsely portray the Olivet Assembly as part of a "fraud" and "racketeering" network. Not only was this assertion wrong and based on nonfactual claims from an opportunistic lender's lawsuit; the statement was also ironic given that Newsweek's CEO Dev Pragad is himself currently accused in a lawsuit by The International Business Times of taking over Newsweek ownership using fraudulent means. Newsweek's fake news article failed from the start because the "lawsuit" that it reported on was already settled between the real parties of the lawsuit, which tellingly did not include Olivet Assembly. Thus, the article was a non-story that contradicted the premise of its own sensationalistic title. NEWSWEEK TRIES TO DETRACT ATTENTION AWAY FROM ITSELF Meanwhile, as Newsweek faces a growing litany of problems, it appears to be attempting to detract attention away from itself by writing these ever-more-desperate stories. Newsweek has been repeatedly caught publishing fake news targeting religious and non-profit groups its owner, Pragad, personally dislikes. The newsroom has unethically failed to challenge its own CEO on controversial practices and statements, such as his documented texts saying he would launch a "nuclear" media attack on his religious opponents, and that he would mow them down like "puppies before a machine gun." Pragad has been the target of a tax fraud investigation in recent years. During those years, Pragad was also allegedly at the center of ad fraud allegations over click-bot activity according to IBT's complaint. Pragad hired a former Reuters editor who was accused of sexual harassment. Pragad subsequently whitewashed the editor's record with a legal "vetting" declaring the editor innocent of all harassment, even though he was fired from Reuters for the very behavior he was "cleared" of by Pragad. Newsweek faces an ongoing defamation lawsuit over allegedly publishing false statements against Olivet University. Writer Naveed Jamali, who co-authored the most recent story, is a co-defendant in the defamation lawsuit as well. Jamali has in the past had to explain his defense of the Muslim Brotherhood an organization labeled a terrorist organization by several countries. At the same time, he has written aggressive attack articles against Christian organizations using ethically questionable journalistic methods, including lobbying state agencies to take actions against a Christian university. Jamali has also posted a video on TikTok admitting that he is motivated by fear of being fired if he does not write these negative articles against Olivet University to protect Pragad's ownership of Newsweek. Newsweek also mentioned an "ark" theory that anti-American communists in Japan used to try and attack Olivet University. They were punished two times by Japanese courts for defamation and forced to recant all their media falsehoods. NEWSWEEK'S STORY OMITTED FACTS AND USED FAULTY PREMISE Olivet University responded to HNGN's request for comment on the September 1st report with a statement: "The report is about a civil legal matter in which OU was never served." This fact was not mentioned in Newsweek's story unsurprising given its bias. The university further stated that the action has been "resolved in its entirety" without the school even having knowledge of the settlement terms, further underscoring how unrelated these matters are to the university, despite Newsweek trumping up the matter as "racketeering." Recent similar lawsuits filed by 8fig "were outright dismissed in Texas state court for lacking merit," the university stated. In fact, sources say Newsweek threatened to publish the story sooner, but delayed because its defense lawyers needed to scour the article to protect its reporters from potentially engaging in more reckless reporting that would make it liable for even more defamation lawsuits from Olivet University. The Olivet Assembly says it is looking into its legal options and considering its own defamation suit against Newsweek. Meanwhile, Newsweek uncritically wrote its article based on a lawsuit filed by a money lender that has a 1.8 out of 5-star rating on Glass Door, about which users online warn: "Do not trust." The shark lender "will give you a growth plan" and then "modify it in the middle so that you owe a lot all at once," said a Reddit user. Newsweek writer Jamali unashamedly leveraged the complaint of 8fig, a company that 80% of Glass Door reviewers would not recommend to a friend because of "zero transparency," "poor leadership," "poor company culture," and "not qualified managers." Newsweek parrots, without any cross checking, a completely defunct complaint from a loan company that has poor consumer credit which online users claim charges over 40% interest. The lender's complaint rehashed many points Newsweek itself previously filed in a sensational $30,000,000 claim against Olivet that was completely rejected by trial and appellate courts. Such types of claims against Olivet and other entities mentioned in Newsweek's article have now been thrown out in both state and federal courts across the nation, but despite this fact, Newsweek unearths the dead, faux claims as its key article source to exaggerate a settled matter to try and attack its foes. Other sources said it was unreasonable for Newsweek to request comments from "parties" who had not even received the complaint because the case had already ended. Paradoxically, by trying to leverage an unserved, untested, and already-dismissed complaint for its story, Newsweek only revealed how desperate its leadership and editorial teams are. It appears that as Newsweek's legal woes pile up, its newsroom is facing increased pressure to conjure up a problem for the Olivet Assembly, even by reporting on a defunct and settled legal complaint having nothing to do with the Christian denomination. NO COMMENTS FOR NEWSWEEK Once again, no one responded to Newsweek's request for comments, not even the lenders whose lawsuit Newsweek was attempting to hype. "Why would anyone respond to Newsweek the magazine that already shot its credibility long ago," said one source familiar with the matter. Ultimately, the article has no news value, other than the first word of the headline: "Settlement." That may be the one thing Newsweek finds elusive as it fights its own battles in court. Related Articles: @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 21: Police officers lock down the scene after two NYPD officers were shot in Harlem on January 21, 2022 in New York City. One officer was killed and the other remains in critical condition at Harlem Hospital. The officers were shot while responding to a domestic violence call near the 32nd precinct in Harlem. Christopher Pray, an escaped inmate from Oregon State Hospital (OSH) labeled "extremely dangerous" by law enforcement, was arrested and stuck to his armpits in muck in North Portland on September 1. This incident made the terrifying escape of a dangerous offender public, which raised concerns about the safety and management of mental health facilities in the state. Escaped Oregon State Hospital Inmate Christopher Pray The terrifying incident started at 8:17 a.m. when Portland Fire & Rescue and the Portland Police Bureau received a report of a possible body in a pond near North Force Avenue and North Victory Boulevard. Responders found Pray engulfed in the dangerous terrain up to his armpits, buried in the mud about 75 feet from a solid surface. After a complicated rescue mission, he had to be freed using ropes and ladders. It took this rescue operation almost an hour to successfully accomplish. Pray was taken to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center for a comprehensive checkup after being saved. However, he gave hospital staff a false name to hide his genuine identity. An alert employee called the Portland Police Bureau after noticing a similarity to Christopher Pray. As soon as they arrived, Pray's identity was established, and PPB swiftly detained him after being arrested. Just two days had passed after Pray's dramatic escape from the Oregon State Hospital on August 30 at about 10:45 p.m., when the perplexing episode occurred. The early reports of his escape were incredible, claiming that Pray had managed to flee while being tied with leg shackles, a belly chain, handcuffs, and a restraint connecting all three. According to a statement sent to KATU by an Oregon State Hospital spokesman regarding the escape, Pray had a altercation with another OSH patient on August 30 that required a trip to the emergency room of a nearby hospital. Pray was able to gain control of the OSH transport van-the identical white 2016 Dodge Caravan stated in the initial release-when he returned to OSH at about 10:30 p.m. and made a daring escape. After taking the transport van, Pray started driving south on Interstate 5, which prompted a police chase. Unfortunately, the safety concerns forced the end of the pursuit, leaving Pray and the stolen car on the run, as per CNN. Read Also: US Troops to Stay at Southern Border Until Sept. 30 Missing Details Raise Questions Amidst Grave Concerns Details about the guards or OSH employees who were likely with the transfer van when Pray escaped were noticeably missing from official accounts. In light of Pray's criminal record and the nature of his alleged acts, the consequences of his escape are incredibly severe. He was being held on suspicion of attempted murder, assault, robbery, and other major offenses, all of which had led Oregon State Police to label him "an extreme danger to the public." His most recent accusation concerned a gun-related attempted homicide that harmed a Portland lady he was accused of robbing. Surprisingly, Pray's lengthy criminal history was unknown to the public for almost a full day after his breakout. There are many unanswered questions regarding the delay in making this important information public, and a state hospital official has neglected to provide any justification for this omission. The escape and subsequent capture of Christopher Pray raises significant questions about the safety precautions taken at mental health facilities like the Oregon State Hospital. It emphasizes the need for a comprehensive inquiry of Pray's escape circumstances and whether security protocol violations let such a dangerous person flee despite being restricted. This incident also emphasizes how crucial openness is when informing the public about potentially harmful people in general. Public safety can be ensured and cooperation with law enforcement activities facilitated by timely and accurate information distribution. It is crucial that lessons are taken from this episode to stop similar incidents from happening again in the future, especially as Christopher Pray faces legal repercussions for his escape and the allegations that are still pending against him. For all relevant authorities and institutions, public safety and the security of mental health facilities must continue to be top priorities, according to Katu. Related Article: Indiana Resident Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison on Charges of Violating Federal Narcotics Laws @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Photo by STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images) Inmates protest demanding the return to this prison of the leader of the "Los Choneros" gang, alias Fito, at the Zonal Penitentiary No. 8 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on August 14, 2023. Alias Fito was transferred on Saturday, August 12 to La Roca, a maximum-security prison within the same penitentiary complex. With a string of vehicle bombs and the horrifying hostage-taking of more than 50 law enforcement officers inside various jails, Ecuador, which already struggles with a precarious security situation, is thrown into even greater chaos. These frightening developments took place only a few weeks after the assassination of a presidential contender shook the nation, as the New York Post reported. Vehicle Bombings and Prison Hostages in Ecuador Spark Concerns Even though, fortunately, no one was hurt right away, these episodes highlight the growing difficulties Ecuador is having in maintaining law and order. As a series of vehicle bombings shook Quito, the capital of Ecuador, the city was plunged into anarchy. The National Police responded quickly to avert casualties, but the occurrences nonetheless left the town on edge. The first explosion happened on a Wednesday night and was directed at a location once a prison system office. The capital was shaken again the following day, this time by a bomb that occurred outside the agency's new headquarters. Following these tragic events, officials launched inquiries that led to the discovery of a stash of hazardous items at the Quito murder scenes. Investigators found fuel, fuses, gas cylinders, and even chunks of dynamite among the rubble. Using gas tanks in the attacks implies a purposeful desire to cause chaos and destruction. These revelations raise questions about the sophistication and level of preparation involved in these attacks. The hostage situation in Ecuador's jails was unusual, and officials there were dealing with it simultaneously. In six different prisons, more than 50 law enforcement agents were held captive. Thankfully, Interior Minister Juan Zapata reaffirmed that no officers had been hurt while being taken hostage, According to the Daily Mail. Read Also: Research Shows Unemployed Veterans are Increasing Ecuador Faces Escalating Challenges Authorities have explained these bold deeds as criminal organizations' responses to recent correctional system reforms in Ecuador, which involve the transfer of prisoners. The National Service for Attention to Persons Deprived of Liberty in Ecuador, which runs the jail system, has had many difficulties recently. It no longer controls several sizable jails, which have become violent enclaves with deadly riots and gang-related conflicts. The prison system has resorted to moving offenders in trying to regain order, which appears to be causing these violent reactions. The assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio shocked the nation and was followed by these recent tragedies. Ecuador is caught in a complicated web of security issues from organized crime to political violence. As they work to retain control and guarantee the safety of their residents, the authorities are put to the test on several different levels. The recent vehicle bombings and the hostage situation inside Ecuador's jails are proof that the country's security situation is still tricky. The management of its correctional institutions and the ongoing conflict with criminal groups are among the challenging tasks the government must do to address these difficulties' underlying causes. Ecuador must prioritize its citizens' safety and well-being as it navigates this difficult time, working relentlessly to restore law and order and public trust in its security forces. According to Zapata, seven captives are jail guards, and the remaining are police officers. Lt. Alonso Quintana, a police officer, requests that decision-makers "not make decisions that violate the rights of persons deprived of their liberty" in a social media video that Zapata verified as genuine. He may be seen speaking while being surrounded by police and correctional officers. He claims that the inmates are holding roughly 30 people hostage. Authorities in Ecuador claim that the rise in violence over the previous three years is a result of a power vacuum brought on by the death of Jorge Zambrano, also known as "Rasquia" or "JL," the head of the neighborhood Los Choneros gang, in 2020. Members control jails, conduct extortion schemes, move and sell drugs, and carry out contract executions, As per Voa News. Related Article: Ohio Police Brutality: Body-Cam Footage Showing Pregnant Black Woman Getting Shot to be Released @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images) This photo illustration shows the logo of trading application Robinhood on a mobile phone in Arlington, Virginia on January 28, 2021. - An epic battle is unfolding on Wall Street, with a cast of characters clashing over the fate of GameStop, a struggling chain of video game retail stores. The conflict has sent GameStop on a stomach-churning ride with amateur investors taking on the financial establishment in the mindset of the Occupy Wall Street movement launched a decade ago. The renowned commission-free stock trading app's developer, Robinhood Markets, has effectively settled a lengthy ownership issue by repurchasing shares worth $606 million. These shares were formerly involved in an ownership dispute involving Sam Bankman-Fried, the troubled cryptocurrency tycoon accused of planning a multibillion-dollar fraud today, according to Bloomberg. Robinhood Repurchases Contested Shares The ownership disagreement has existed ever since Bankman-Fried's crypto empire, which includes the FTX trading platform, fell apart. More than 55 million Robinhood shares were at the ownership dispute's focus. These shares were purchased initially by Sam Bankman-Fried-owned holding firm Emergent Fidelity Technologies. After FTX's failure in the fall of 2022, which resulted in Emergent Fidelity's bankruptcy, the situation worsened. The ownership of these shares was disputed by four different parties, including FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried personally, the insolvent cryptocurrency lender BlockFi, which asserted that Emergent had pledged the shares as collateral for a loan, and an individual FTX creditor. The ownership dispute raised questions about the ownership structure of Robinhood and the future of these challenged shares. However, with Robinhood's buyback of the claims, the resolution has long been accomplished. Robinhood disclosed that it had successfully repurchased the shares from the United States Marshal Service, which held possession of them after being initially taken by the Justice Department in January, in a regulatory filing on a Friday. This purchase has clarified who owns these priceless shares, which is good news for the business. The value of Robinhood's shares increased significantly-by more than 3.5%-after the repurchase announcement. The market's favorable response reflects investors' satisfaction with the ownership dispute's resolution. Chief Financial Officer of Robinhood, Jason Warnick, highlighted the company's happiness with the completed acquisition while reiterating their dedication to pursuing growth strategies that benefit users and shareholders. The repurchase deal is a significant step in stabilizing the business's ownership structure and assuring a more straightforward future, As per CNN via MSN. Read Also: US Troops to Stay at Southern Border Until Sept. 30 Ownership Dispute Resolution It's crucial to remember that Sam Bankman-Fried is currently up against formidable legal obstacles. US prosecutors charge the 31-year-old businessman with planning a multibillion-dollar fraud operation that includes misleading investors and stealing money from FTX clients. Despite these charges, Bankman-Fried has entered a not-guilty plea to all of them and will go on trial in October, Reuters reported. The ownership controversy over Robinhood's shares has been a difficult and protracted chapter in the history of the business. Bankman-Fried had revealed that he owned a 7.6% stake in Robinhood just six months before the collapse of his crypto enterprise. He declared at the time that he had no plans to seize control of the retail trading platform and was excited about Robinhood's future commercial potential. However, Bankman-Fried's financial situation was significantly impacted by the later failure of FTX and its associated companies. As a result, he suffered a considerable loss of fortune, underscoring the erratic and volatile character of the bitcoin market. US District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is in charge of Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal prosecution, accepted the share repurchase arrangement because it was appropriate and in everyone's best interests. This legal confirmation establishes Robinhood's ownership of the disputed shares and guarantees the transaction's legality. A noteworthy accomplishment for the business is Robinhood's successful repurchase of shares that had been embroiled in a lengthy ownership battle. This resolution offers clarity and stability as Robinhood navigates the constantly shifting financial landscape, allowing it to concentrate on its expansion goals and commitment to its users and shareholders. However, Sam Bankman-Fried's legal battle adds another level of intricacy to the narrative and serves as a reminder of the difficulties and dangers present in the bitcoin industry, as the CNBC reported. Related Article: Biden's Pseudonymous Emails Raise Questions About Ukraine Probe @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Amateur mushroom pickers often rely on books to get tips for their hobbies. However, experts warned that newbie mushroomers should be careful when purchasing books online since they could actually be written by AIs. Why Amateur Mushroom Pickers Should Avoid AI-Generated Books According to The Guardian's latest report, AI-generated books about mushroom picking are becoming more rampant on Amazon. Originality.ai, an American AI content detection firm, examined some e-books that are sold on the Amazon online store. These include "Wild Mushroom Cookbook: From Forest to Gourment Plate" and "The Supreme Mushrooms Books Field Guide of the South-West." The U.S.-based AI checker discovered that all the e-books it examined had an AI detection score rating of 100%. This means that they are not written by humans. The problem with this is that these e-books on Amazon are claimed to be written by real people. Since they are not written by professional mushroom pickers, there's a high chance that many of the tips they provide are incorrect. Read Also: New Study Says Paper Cups Are as Harmful as Plastic Cups; Scientists Explain Why AI-Generated Mushroom Picking Books Contain Incorrect Infos Family Foraging Kitchen mycologist Leon Frey said that the books have serious flaws. One of these is that they claim that smell and taste are great identifying features when picking mushrooms. "This seems to encourage tasting as a method of identification. This should absolutely not be the case," he warned. Frey said that mushroom foragers need to choose books that are written by reputable people. Aside from him, Carleton University fungi expert Prof. Myron Smith also criticized the AI-written e-books. Because of the incorrect tips they provide, Smith said that these AI-generated books are "totally irresponsible." What is Mushroom Picking? Mushroom picking is a popular hobby and leisure activity in the United States and other parts of the globe. It is also called mushrooming, mushroom foraging, or mushroom hunting, as reported by The Conversation. Experts said that this activity is associated with social activities, local cultures, or just finding food. Since many mushrooms are very poisonous, newbie mushroom pickers are the ones most at risk when doing this activity. Once they mistake a poisonous mushroom for an edible one, they can suffer from vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, and other food poisoning symptoms. Related Article: Study Shows More Americans are Getting Vasectomies-Doctors Explain Why @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Russia's propaganda film about the war in Ukraine was recently released in the country. Unfortunately, the movie "The Witness" wasn't successful as it flopped in cinemas. Russia-Sponsored Propaganda Movie 'The Witness' Flops! According to The Guardian's latest report, movie theaters showing Russia's state-sponsored movie titled "The Witness" were usually empty. The movie is considered to be Kremlin's first featured film about the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. The Russian government is allegedly using the state-sponsored movie to justify why it is invading the European country. But, "The Witness" wasn't successful as it became a box-office flop. The movie's budget was allegedly roughly $2 million (200 million RUB). However, during the first two weeks of its showing, "The Witness" only grossed less than $150,000 (14 million RUB). Russian residents who decided to watch the Kremlin-sponsored movie claimed that cinema halls were empty. "When I got to the theatre room, I thought the viewing [had] ended because it was so empty," said one of the viewers. Now, the failure of "The Witness" raises questions about the effectiveness of Russian propaganda movies. Ivan Philippov, AR Content's creative executive, said that Russian residents are usually bombarded with force-fed propaganda movies and other content. They usually see these on state television, in schools and universities, as well as on the streets. "It is no surprise people don't want to spend their own money to see more of the same," added Philippov. Read Also: New Russian Malware Targets Ukrainian Military Devices, Seeks To Know Ukraine's Battle Plan About Russia's 'The Witness' Movie Time Magazine said that "The Witness" premiered in Russia on Aug. 17. The movie lasts for around two hours. In the Russia-sponsored film, Ukrainian troops are depicted as violent neo-Nazis who are killing their own people. This has been the narrative that Russia has been promoting ever since the invasion of Ukraine began. The movie revolves around the fictional character named Daniel Cohen; a Belgian violinist who arrived in Kyiv. In the film, Cohen witnessed inhumane crimes and "bloody provocations" by Ukrainian nationalists. At the end of the movie, Cohen serves as a witness who will tell the truth about Ukrainians. Of course, these happenings in the movies are false, as explained by movie analysts and other experts. Related Article: Putin Says Enemies Might 'Think Twice' as Russia Deploys Superweapon Satan II Missiles @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In an interview, Ukraine's troops admitted that Russian soldiers are stronger; claiming that their enemies are overpowering them on the battlefield. This new information about the war between Russia and Ukraine was shared by NATO-trained Ukranian troops. Ukrainian Troops are Not Prepared According to Business Insider's latest report, some NATO-trained Ukrainian soldiers shared that Russian soldiers are more powerful. Reporter Igor Kossov of The Kyiv Independent-a Ukraine-based media outlet-interviewed Ukrainian soldiers from the 32nd Separate Mechanized Brigade; a brigade of the Ukranian Ground Forces. The Ukrainian army subdivision's members were civilians. When they joined the brigade, they only received three weeks of NATO basic training in Germany. After that, they were deployed in Ukraine to fight Russian troops. Some of the recruits interviewed by Kossov said that the three-week NATO basic training is not enough for them to be prepared for the harsh reality of war in Ukraine. Read Also: Ukraine Claims Drone Strike Successfully Struck, Set Ablaze Russian Factory Making Missile Microchips Russia Soldiers Overpower Ukrainian Troops Volodymyr, an infantry sergeant of the 32nd brigade, said that the news was not showing the reality of war in Ukraine. "Everything is not like what you read in daily briefings and on the news," he said. The recruit even asked what's the point of being heroic in the ongoing war if you will end up losing limbs or even dead. When it comes to resources, Russia is believed to have the upper hand, especially since its soldiers are better equipped compared to Ukrainian troops. As of writing, Ukraine is putting almost all its resources in the south of the country; leaving troops in the northern sector with insufficient vehicles, ammunition, and other war equipment. Ukrainian officials said that Russia is taking advantage of this situation. Recently, Kyiv authorities said that Putin amassed more than 100,000 Russian soldiers at the Kupiansk axis on the northern side of the country. Other Ways Russia Overwhelm Ukraine Aside from force, Russia is also fighting Ukraine using its hacking tactics. CNN Politics reported that Kremlin-supported military hackers are targeting Ukraine's mobile devices. They are doing this to steam sensitive information about the battlefield plans of the Ukrainian military. If you want to learn more about this effort of Russia against Ukraine, you can click here. Related Article: New Russian Malware Targets Ukrainian Military Devices, Seeks To Know Ukraine's Battle Plan @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A new Chinese study revealed a shocking event in human history. Involved scientists were surprised to find out that the feared human extinction almost happened around one million years ago. Human Extinction Almost Happened, Claims New Study According to The South China Morning Post, humans almost went extinct between 930,000 and 813,000 years ago. Pan Yi-Hsuan, an evolutionary and functional genomics scientist, and her Shanghai team were surprised to discover that early humans experienced a bottleneck event. They said that only around 1,300 humans at reproductive ages have been left on Earth. This population is very low and could have led to human extinction. At first, Pan and her colleagues were in disbelief, especially since humans are now on top of the food chain. Because of this, they decided to repeat numerous tests to check if the figures they acquired were credible. Throughout their study, they accumulated evidence that convinced them that the results could be true. This newly discovered human bottleneck event is a big deal for scientists since it can help them understand human evolution further. "The size of populations is a crucial parameter for our understanding of human evolution," said China's BGI Research Institute Deputy Director Dr. Jin Xin, who was not involved in the study. "It directly impacts the diversity of the human genetic heritage and the history of evolutionary migrations," he added. Read Also: Alive After 46,000 Years: Worms Frozen by Siberian Permafrost Revived by International Team of Scientists What Caused the Human Bottleneck Event Scientists explained that a bottleneck event is a common evolutionary phenomenon. It is believed that natural disasters, diseases, and climate change are the main causes of bottleneck events. The new Chinese study didn't confirm the exact reasons why the newly identified human bottleneck happened. But, the popular decline appears to coincide with significant global climate changes that turned glaciations into long-term events, as reported by The Guardian. Involved Chinese scientists also stated that the human bottleneck happened when there was a long-period drought and sea surface temperature decrease in Eurasia and Africa. Prof. Giorgio Manzi of Sapienza University of Rome, a study's senior author, said that humans were lucky enough to survive the bottleneck event. If you want to learn more about the new Chinese study, you can check it via the Science Journal. Related Article: Humans 300x Deadlier Than Sharks! Scientists Finally Add More Specific Figures @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A bodybuilder from Essex, England, almost died after his shoulder clicked. 51-year-old Mark Oakes, a former karate black belter and professional bodybuilder, shares his experience in 2022 that completely changed his life. Bodybuilder Almost Died After His Shoulder Clicked According to The Daily Mail UK, the life-threatening experience of Mark began in 2022 when he was cleaning windows at home. During his house chores, the former bodybuilder said that his shoulder made a clicking sound. At first, he disregarded what happened as he believed it was normal for his age. However, he can no longer move his arm after a few hours. He decided to sleep earlier even though he was feeling shivery and feverish. Since his condition wasn't getting any better, Mark visited A&E (accident and emergency). LADBible reported that doctors thought the patient only needed orthopedic surgery. Health specialists gave him painkillers and sent him home while waiting for the needed surgery. When his condition worsened, Mark used the Apple Watch of her wife, Heather. They discovered his blood oxygen levels were 68% lower than the healthy average of 95-100pc. Mark went back to the hospital to inform doctors about his very low oxygen levels. They placed him under anesthetic in order to drain his shoulder. Unfortunately, his kidneys and liver also started failing. Around 15 hours later, doctors decided to put him in intensive care. Read Also: Health Officials Warn Public About Brain-Eating Amoeba After Texas Swimmer's Death Sepsis Almost Took Mark's Life Doctors confirmed that Mark was suffering from sepsis, the body's extreme response to an infection. After three days of treatment, the hospital called Mark's wife and his son to say their goodbyes. Thankfully, the ex-bodybuilder was able to survive his medical condition. "Heather was confident I would be alright in the end though - she views me as strong and a fighter," said Mark. He added that his wife had the toughest journey while he was at the hospital. After recovering, Mark wanted to help raise awareness about this health condition. Currently, he is working with the Sepsis Research FEAT, a charity organization in the United Kingdom. Mark Oakes is just among the hundreds of thousands of U.K. residents affected by sepsis. If you want to learn more about this deadly medical condition, you can click this link. Related Article: [STUDY] Choosing the Correct Arm for COVID-19 Vaccine Could Lead to Stronger Immune Response, But How? @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. California's new bill, SB 596, concerns many parents since they believe it would affect their First Amendment rights. Nicolle Young, the Placer County Chair for Moms for Liberty, even claims that the new school bill would legislate their First Amendment "out of existence." California SB 596 Could Affect First Amendment of Parents According to Fox News' latest report, SB 596 could expand the terms of an existing law that prevents parents from disrupting classrooms and extracurricular events where school employees are present. Once this new California bill is passed, it could include off-campus activities, such as school board meetings. Young explained that the bill was introduced to prevent parents from protesting against sexually explicit material in school curricula. "596 was written because the senator who wrote the bill, in his district, there have been a lot of parents who have objected to the sexually explicit material within the curriculum," explained the Moms for Liberty official. She added that SB 596 was created to prevent parents from voicing their concerns about school curriculum and activities. "It is framed as a way to protect teachers and school board members. But really, it's going to be used as a cudgel to silence parents' voices," said Nicolle. Read Also: West Virginia University Plans To Cut Budget, Remove Languages Department in Effort To Address $45 Million Deficit About California's Controversial SB 596 Bill The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) stated that if SB 596 becomes law, California parents could face jail time for just speaking at school board meetings. Critics explained that this controversial bill was amended to adjust the meaning of harassment from lawful violence or a credible threat of violence to "torments" or "terrorizes." Pacific Legal Institute State Legal Policy Deputy Director Jim Manley said tSB 596 has potential red flags. Manley even provided an example to prove his point. He said that if parents send emails to school board officials and they mentally suffer, then those parents will be punished by the new bill. Sarah Parshall, The Heritage Foundation's Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies senior legal fellow, also believes that SB 596 is an attempt to prevent parents from questioning school board officials. "It's clear they're trying to chill parents from speaking out," she said. The controversial bill was passed in the California State Senate back in May. As of writing, it is making its way through the lower chamber as lawmakers broaden its terms. Related Article: Southern California School Board Formally Rejects Curriculum Mentioning Harvey Milk, But Why? @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Santiago Barros, a publicist in Argentina, has been attempting to use artificial intelligence (AI) to visualize what the children of parents who vanished under the dictatorship would look like now as grownups. From the well-known activist organization Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, who look for missing children, Barros almost daily posts these pictures to an Instagram account named Iabuelas, a combination of Spanish for AI and grandma (abuela). "We have seen the photos of most of the disappeared, but we don't have photos of their children, of those children who were stolen. It struck me that these people did not have a face," Barros told AP News. Magic of AI App Military authorities in Argentina often kidnapped infants belonging to political dissidents who were either arrested or murdered during the country's violent dictatorship that lasted from 1976 to 1983. Babies were regularly adopted and raised by families with ties to or ideological allegiance to the dictatorship. Barros uses an app called Midjourney to create representations of what their children's faces could look like now by combining photographs of the missing dads and moms from the public archive of the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo website. In each combination, the app displays two female and two male candidates. Barros then selects the most credible depiction of each sex. The goal of the research is not to duplicate the work of the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo in tracing grandchildren via genetic analysis. Instead, Barros said they want to remind people, especially those over the age of 46 who may be questioning their own parentage, that their grandmothers had been looking for them for more than four decades. See Also: Will AI Soon Replace Pets? Expert Voices Concern Back to Family About 500 children were taken from their families, according to the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo. In all, 133 grandchildren have been discovered thanks to genetic testing, as reported by AP News. Barros' attempt to bring attention to the abducted and missing children under the dictatorship has been praised by the organization. However, they do voice the concern that DNA testing, which the National Genetic Data Bank advocated for back in 1987, is the only way to reunite these individuals with their biological families. Barros incorporates photographs given by interested persons in addition to images taken from the archives of the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo. Those who have looked at Iabuelas' Instagram have often noted a uniformity in the pictures, which makes them wonder how close they are to the actual thing. In other cases, though, families looking for a missing one have been taken aback by the uncanny similarity they saw in the photos taken. See Also: NYPD's Use of AI to Monitor Highway Traffic Raises Legal Concerns @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Many big insurers have stopped providing crucial protection to homes in high-risk locations in the wake of recent natural catastrophes. Allstate, American Family, Nationwide, Erie Insurance Group, and Berkshire Hathaway are just a few examples of the major US property insurers that have informed regulators that climate change is causing them to stop writing coverages in certain areas. Reportedly, these companies also exclude protections from certain weather events and increase monthly premiums and deductibles. Changes in Insurance Policies In a report by The Washington Post, major insurers have stated that they will exclude damage caused by hurricanes, wind, and hail from policies underwriting assets along coastlines and in a wildfire country. This is according to a public poll by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, a group of state officials regulating insurance rates and policy forms. Insurance companies are also more likely to cancel insurance in areas more at risk from natural catastrophes. Most homeowners insurance policies only last for a year; therefore, insurance companies are under no obligation to continue providing service beyond that. That implies those who live in areas formerly thought to be secure from natural disasters may lose insurance coverage just as their exposure to natural disasters increases or move to other areas as global temperatures rise. The corporations disclosed the changes in policy as part of their survey submissions to the regulatory body. Fifteen states conducted the poll in 2022 and got replies, some as recently as last month, from insurance providers representing 80% of the US market. Allstate has announced that it would impose tropical cyclone and wind or hail deductibles or exclusions in locations particularly vulnerable to storms to reduce its exposure to climate risk. Nationwide insurance provider has already begun to scale down. The corporation claimed in 2020 that it had decreased exposure in some of California's most dangerous wildland-urban interface zones. Nationwide responded to the authorities' study by saying it would no longer provide insurance to homes within a specific distance of the coast due to the risk of hurricanes. Because of the rise in climate-related catastrophes, Berkshire Hathaway, which also provides reinsurance (insurance for insurers), said that it is likely that policy terms and conditions may be modified or amended to reflect changes in such risk. Also Read: Wildfires, Building Costs Force State Farm to Quit Selling Home Insurance in California Recent Catastrophes in the US The unexpected tragedies experienced by US homes in recent weeks have highlighted the significant difficulties confronting insurance markets. Hurricane Idalia caused catastrophic floods in Georgia and the Carolinas and ravaged areas of Florida that had never before been affected by a tropical storm. Reportedly, tropical storm Hilary cost the West Coast $600 million in damages. Damage from the fires on the island of Maui in Hawaii was estimated at $3.2 billion. The cause of the flames is currently under investigation. Also Read: How to Stay Safe from Flesh-Eating Bacteria in Floodwaters @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Russian military recruited hundreds of thousands of new soldiers in 2023, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced. Dmitry, currently the Russian Security Council Deputy Chair, confirmed the recruitment achievement on Sunday, Sept. 3. Russian Military Recruits 280,000 Soldiers According to Reuters' latest report, Medvedev is visiting the Far East of Russia to coordinate with local officials to improve the country's armed forces. "According to the Ministry of Defence, since Jan. 1, about 280,000 people have been accepted into the ranks of the Armed Forces on a contract basis," said the Russian Security Council deputy chair. In 2022, the Russian government said it wants to expand its military forces by around 1.5 million personnel (a 30% increase). This is a difficult and ambitious task, especially since undisclosed Russian soldier casualties in the war against Ukraine could discourage recruits. But, thanks to the recruitment efforts of the Russian military, the country's combat forces are still expanding. Read Also: Ukraine Claims Drone Strike Successfully Struck, Set Ablaze Russian Factory Making Missile Microchips Russian Military's Recruitment Efforts Russia is using different strategies to encourage recruits to join the military. One of the Russian government's techniques is offering a $5,200 sign-in bonus, as reported by Business Insider. This benefit is partnered with a salary of at least $2,000. The Russian military is offering this to its own country and its neighbor, Kazakhstan. The former Soviet republic country is a great place to recruit Russian soldiers since it is home to around 3.5 million ethnic Russians. Kazakhstan is also an allied country of Russia. However, the Kazakh government clarified that it doesn't support the Russian military in its fight against Ukraine. Aside from this, Kazakhstan also has a law that makes it illegal to join military conflicts abroad just to have financial gains. This is why Russia is doing its best to persuade Kazakhstan residents to join the military. On its official website, the Russian Army said that Kazakhs who will join them will receive extra benefits. Critics describe the move of Russia to get new recruits from Kazakhstan as a "desperate" strategy. "They are trying to use any possible means to recruit people, and they are activating their efforts," said Yuriy Mukhin, a Ukrainian Victims of War board member. Despite criticisms, Russia is still doing its best to increase the number of its soldiers as the war in Ukraine continues. Related Article: New Russian Malware Targets Ukrainian Military Devices, Seeks To Know Ukraine's Battle Plan @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Six Italian villagers were hung on a mountainside in southern Italy in October 1943 by German forces as collective punishment for the death of a soldier who had been scavenging for food. This occurred after the Nazis brutally occupied the country, which had previously been their ally. Justice for War Crime Reuters reported that some of the families of the men executed at Fornelli will get a portion of the 12 million euros ($13 million) granted by an Italian court as recompense for the agony their loved ones endured 80 years later. "We still mark the event every year. It hasn't been forgotten," said Mauro Petrarca, the great-grandson of one of the victims, Domenico Lancellotta. All but one of the family members who were still alive when the murders happened are now dead. Nevertheless, under Italian law, the money owed to them can still be given to their children. According to a court order in 2020, Petrarca will earn around 130,000 euros ($142,000). "This wasn't about the money. It was about seeking justice for a war crime, a question of pride," said Fornelli mayor Giovanni Tedeschi, as reported by Sky News. See Also: North Korea Reportedly Conducts Tactical Nuclear Attack Drill to 'Warn Enemies' 'Very Tormented Issue' After losing a fight at the International Court of Justice over whether Berlin may still be accountable for damages related to World War II crimes and atrocities, it will be Italy to pay up and not Germany. Jewish groups in Italy say Berlin should shoulder the cost of recognizing German culpability for the Holocaust. However, victim advocacy organizations are concerned that Rome is taking too long to process a flood of claims that will strain its finances. Vice President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI) Giulio Disegni has been monitoring the situation on behalf of Jewish victims of Nazi atrocities and described it as "a very tormented issue, both from a political and a legal perspective." The German government financed research in 2016 estimating that 22,000 Italians, including up to 8,000 Jews transported to death camps, fell victim to Nazi war crimes. Reparations are due to the thousands of Italians who were enslaved as slave laborers in Germany. The first group of persons to get compensation from the government's new fund to handle claims are the families of the six Catholic Fornelli men, who were executed by German troops. They were killed for the murder of a soldier hunting for food. Their deaths occurred a month after Italy signed an armistice with the Allied forces, terminating its wartime involvement and abandoning the Nazis, who promptly began their takeover of the nation. See Also: Ukrainian Troops Admit Russian Soldiers are More Powerful @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. During Florida's Labor Day weekend (Sept. 4), a Neo-Nazi rally was conducted by two extremist hate groups. Neo-Nazis did the Nazi salute (aka Hitler salute), as well as paraded swastika flags. Florida Labor Day Sees Neo-Nazi Rally According to Business Insider's latest report, the latest Neo-Nazi protest in Florida was conducted by The Goyim Defense League and Blood Tribe. The Blood Tribe is a Neo-Nazi group that considers Hitler as a deity. It was founded by former U.S. Marine Christopher Polhaus (aka Hammer), who is linked to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack. Meanwhile, the Goyim Defense League, an antisemitic hate group, is known for harassing Jews. The two Neo-Nazi organizations teamed up to organize a rally called "March of the Redshirts" during Florida's Labor Day. The Daily Mail UK reported that members of the white supremacist hate groups were seen marching through parks in Orlando on Saturday, Sept. 2. One of the Neo-Nazi groups even went to the gates of Walt Disney World. In the video captured by State Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, involved Neo-Nazis can be heard saying, "We are everywhere." While chanting, they can be seen doing the Hitler salute. "Nazis in Altamonte Springs at Cranes Roost Park screaming 'we are everywhere,'" said Eskamani via her official X post. "Absolutely disgusting stuff and another example of the far-right extremism growing in FL," she added. Read Also: Protesters Clash Outside New York City Mayor's Home Amid Worsening Migrants Surge What is Neo-Nazi? The Sydney Morning Herald explained that Neo-Nazi means "new Nazi" or "revived Nazi." Neo-Nazi believers adopted ideologies similar to the ones that the Nazi Party had when Hitler ruled Germany between 1933 and 1945. Neo-Nazis base their belief on the notion that white people are superior to all other races. They consider Jews, as well as Black people, to be at the bottom of the hierarchy. They are also against members of the LGBTQ+ community. The main goal of Neo-Nazis is to end the current society. After that, they want to build a new world based on the principles of racial purity. To do this, they want each race to stay in their designated countries/nations, such as Australia being for white people. These are just some of the things you need to know about Neo-Nazism. If you want to learn more, you can click this link. Related Article: Neo-Nazi Propaganda Shows Up Alongside Disney, Microsoft, NBA Ads on Twitter, Activist Says @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : MIKE NELSON/AFP via Getty Images) The Burning Man festival held in Nevada has become a disaster this year after heavy rains caused a muddy environment, stranding roughly 70,000 people and resulting in at least one dead. The Burning Man festival in Nevada became a disaster after one was found dead and 70,000 others were left stranded after heavy rains created a muddy environment in the surrounding area. The tens of thousands of people who attended the festival were asked to shelter in place and conserve what food and water they still had on Saturday. In a statement on social media,organizers of the event said that access to and from Black Rock City, where Burning Man is held, has been temporarily closed for the remainder of the festival. Burning Man Festival Disaster The agency that manages the land on which the festival takes place, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, also issued a statement that said that rain in the last 24 hours has created a situation that mandated a full stop of vehicle movement on the playa. It added that they expect more rain to come over the next few days and that conditions are will not improve to allow vehicles to enter, as per Reuters. One of the attendees at the festival, Paul Reder, had an RV, which was surrounded by thick, pasty mud on Saturday afternoon. He said they were fortunately in a big camp with many supplies and had started sharing. Reder has been attending the Burning Man festival for over two decades and said it would take at least two days for the area to dry out. He noted that while he was prepared to ride it out, some attendees were leaving the site on foot and started to trek to the nearest highway. The festival organizers estimated that Black Rock City saw more than half an inch of rain overnight. The event's website noted that more than 60,000 participants travel to and from the remote area in northwest Nevada each year. They gather in the temporary city to make art, dance, and enjoy the community. Read Also: Natural Catastrophes No Longer Covered by Some Home Insurers as Climate Threats Rise One Dead and 70,000 Stranded Despite the celebrations, authorities have reported at least one death during the festival and have advised people not to drive at this point. According to CNN, they said that they would be issuing updates on the driving ban after the weather front has left the area. The National Weather Service office in Reno said they expected more rain on Sunday afternoon. It noted that stronger storms will bring heavy rainfall, small hail, and wind gusts stronger than 40 mph. The death at the festival is now under investigation by the sheriff's office, which did not publicly identify the person or provide any details regarding the circumstances surrounding the fatality. A news release on Saturday added that the deceased's family has been notified about the situation. A DJ and producer, Diplo, said he had to hitch a ride in the back of a pickup to get out of Black Rock City, joined by comedian Chris Rock. He said that he had to walk on the side of the road for several hours because he had a show in a different area, said NBC News. Related Article: A Neo-Nazi Rally Was Performed During Florida's Labor Day Weekend @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded to criticism by climate change alarmists following the destruction brought by Hurricane Idalia. The Republican lawmaker, also one of the GOP presidential candidates for the 2024 race, cited an 1896 storm that reportedly had winds of 125 mph. He also talked about the state's Labor Day hurricane in 1935. During a Sunday press conference, he said those two instances resulted in massive destruction and deaths. DeSantis Pushes Back Against Climate Alarmists DeSantis called the notion that hurricanes are new to the state false, adding that people should stop politicizing the weather and natural disasters. The Florida governor said that history had shown that there were times, in the late 40s and early 50s when there were a lot of significant hurricanes. The Republican pushed back against adopting what he called left-wing policies at the federal level, saying that it would not reduce the number of hurricanes that occur. As per Fox News, he claims that some people were trying to take the situation and use it as a pretext to advance their agenda. The situation comes as the Florida governor declined to meet with United States President Joe Biden during the latter's trip to the state in the hurricane's aftermath. Hurricane Idalia landed on Wednesday along Florida's sparsely populated Big Bend region. It was a category three storm that resulted in widespread flooding and damage before it moved northward toward Georgia and the Carolinas. One reporter previously asked DeSantis if he trusted the federal government to assist in the situation in Hawaii and East Palestine, Ohio. The Florida governor said they had prepared for the weather phenomenon and responded accordingly. Read Also: Sen. Kaine Claims Donald Trump Could Be Disqualified in US Presidential Election Providing Assistance to Florida The Republican lawmaker added that the federal government's role in the situation is turning on programs that Congress has enacted for many years. DeSantis said that disaster response is done from the bottom up. One noteworthy development in Florida is that electric vehicles caught fire after coming into contact with the saltwater that Hurricane Idalia brought. According to WIONews, firefighters from Palm Harbor, Florida, cited the incidents that included Tesla cars and warned residents of the risk. They said it was crucial to relocate electric vehicles that have come into contact with saltwater from floods in the last 24 hours from garages. The department's Facebook post also urged the public to transfer their electric vehicles to higher ground if possible. Biden also surveyed the destruction left by Hurricane Idalia in Florida, offering his support and condolences to those affected by the weather disaster. The president saw houses with fallen trees and said that thinking individuals could not doubt that climate change is happening. Following a DeSantis spokesperson's announcement that the Florida governor would not meet with the president, Biden was asked if he was disappointed with the decision. He said that he was not, arguing that the Republican may have other reasons to choose not to attend a meeting, said Aljazeera. Related Article: At Least 1 Dead, 70K Stranded During Burning Man Festival in Nevada @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday announced that he would be replacing his Defense Minister, Oleksii Reznikov, citing the need for "new approaches" amid its 18-month-long conflict with Russia. Reznikov's position as defense minister has been in the spotlight and increasing speculation following reports of financial improprieties and the start of investigations into official corruption. In a statement, Zelensky said that the defense minister has not been implicated in the probes regarding the mishandling of military contracts. Zelensky Fires Defense Minister The president added that Reznikov would be replaced by Rustem Umerov, the country's State Property Fund chairman. Zelensky also said that he expects the nation's Parliament, which is needed to approve the change, to sign off on his request. Zelensky said that Reznikov has already experienced more than 550 days of the Ukraine-Russia war, adding that the ministry needs "new approaches," among other things. As per the New York Times, the president's decision comes as the nation is in the middle of a counteroffensive against Moscow's military troops. Last week, Ukrainian officials said they successfully captured the southern village of Robotyne, which suggests that the offensive had already penetrated the first layer of Russia's minefields, tank traps, trenches, and bunkers. An official in the Ukrainian president's office said that the decision was made based on several factors, including an understanding that the country will require new leadership as the war continues. Other factors are criticism from civil society groups and media outlets regarding the contract scandals and Reznikov's requests to step down from his position. Umerov has taken various critical roles for Zelensky's administration since the beginning of the war against Russia despite being a member of an opposition political party and a former investment banker. He was previously the chief Ukrainian negotiator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative and a negotiator on prisoner exchanges. Read Also: Hundreds of Thousands of Soldiers Recruited by Russian Military Ukraine's New Approaches Zelensky's decision to shake up leadership also comes after Reznikov claims that F-16 fighter jets supplied by the country's allies are set to be deployed next spring. According to Aljazeera, he also boasted during an interview about Ukraine's plans to increase drone production. At the time, Reznikov said there would be a boom in producing various Ukrainian drones, either flying, floating, crawling, or others. Zelensky spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday to discuss the "functioning" of a sea corridor. This would be set up by Kyiv and is meant to provide safe navigation of ships after Russia decided to exit the landmark Black Sea Grain deal. The talks happened on the eve of a summit held in Russia between President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Amid the war against Russia, Reznikov's ministry has lobbied the West to get past so-called taboos on supplying powerful military gear to Ukraine. These include Germany's main battle tanks and HIMARS rocket artillery. A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment regarding Zelensky's decision, saying it was internal. Reuters said this comes despite Reznikov having numerous interactions with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Related Article: Italian Victims of Nazi to Receive $13 Million Compensation 80 Years Later @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, has issued a fervent demand for the immediate expulsion of individuals involved in the violent riots in Tel Aviv involving migrants from Eritrea. The violence, which broke out between supporters and opponents of the regime of the African nation, resulted in the injuries of scores of people and sparked a critical debate about Israel's policy regarding African migrants currently living within its borders, as per the New York Times. Netanyahu Calls for Immediate Deportation The confrontations on the streets of south Tel Aviv escalated to alarming proportions as both sides held construction timber, metal shards, and rocks during the fighting there. The majority of the damage was done to storefronts and police vehicles, which prompted Israeli riot cops to use tear gas, stun grenades, and live rounds of ammunition. In the wake of this upheaval, Netanyahu called a special conference of the cabinet ministers to discuss the fallout and devise a comprehensive plan of action. Netanyahu stated his position during the meeting, saying, "We want harsh measures to be taken against the rioters, including the immediate deportation of those who took part." He then signaled a fundamental shift in policy by demanding complete plans for the deportation of the country's African migrants from his ministers, who he had instructed to report back to him. Israel has long struggled with roughly 25,000 African migrants, most of whom originate from the countries of Sudan and Eritrea and claim to have fled repression and conflict in their home countries. On the other hand, the Israeli government has shown reluctance to oblige asylum seekers, instead classifying them as economic migrants. With the help of this classification, Israel has established that it is under no legal obligation to offer asylum to the individuals in question, according to Daily Mail. Read Also: Hundreds of Thousands of Soldiers Recruited by Russian Military Israel's Varied Strategies to Encourage Voluntary Departure of Migrants Throughout the years, Israel has used a variety of strategies to encourage migrants to leave freely. These strategies include detaining some migrants in jails that are located in distant areas, withholding a portion of their salaries until they agree to go, and providing monetary incentives to migrants who are willing to move to other countries in Africa. However, these restrictions have been met with criticism, and the discussion regarding how migrants are treated in Israel continues to be controversial. One of the most significant points of disagreement is that, according to international law, Israel is prohibited from forcefully expelling migrants to countries where there is a risk to their lives or freedom. In response to the recent violence, Netanyahu expressed confidence that deporting Eritrean government supporters would not be a problem. He said this in response to the fact that the clashes had occurred. However, the ramifications of such deportations in terms of ethics and practicalities continue to be disputed. The members of the opposition in the Knesset have expressed their concern regarding Netanyahu's response to the violence, and they have been pressing him for specifics regarding the destination of the refugees who would be deported. The complexity of this matter extends beyond immediate concerns about safety to include questions about the humanitarian implications of deporting particularly vulnerable communities. Additionally, political tensions within Israel have been stoked due to Netanyahu's demand for rapid deportations. While the far-right coalition that makes up Netanyahu's government is adamant that instigators and ringleaders should be deported, they blame the Supreme Court for thwarting earlier deportation attempts. Members of the opposition in the Knesset claim that successive governments have been unable to adequately solve the situation with migrants, and they highlight the fact that the issue is fraught with political ramifications. Paul Brennan, reporting for Al Jazeera from West Jerusalem, notes in his observations that lawmakers from a wide variety of political persuasions have expressed their opinions regarding the issue. "There's politics involved in this," he says, underlining that Netanyahu's approach appears to be driven by a desire to be perceived as taking decisive action. "There's a political element involved in this," he emphasizes. The tension between Israel's security concerns, humanitarian considerations, and its commitments under international law continues to pose a serious obstacle as the country struggles to address the complicated problem of African migrants living within its borders. This sensitive subject has been thrown into the spotlight due to the recent violence in Tel Aviv, causing Israel to wrestle with the way forward in addressing the presence of its African migrant population, Al Jazeera reported. Related Article: Sen. Kaine Claims Donald Trump Could Be Disqualified in US Presidential Election @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Photo by ISAAC LAWRENCE/AFP via Getty Images) Members of the Civil Aid Service (CAS) remove debris caused by Typhoon Saola at a village in Lei Yue Mun in Hong Kong on September 2, 2023. Typhoon Saola swept across southern China on September 2 after tearing down trees and smashing windows in Hong Kong, although the megacity avoided a feared direct hit from one of the region's strongest storms in decades. Typhoon Haikui made its first direct landfall on Taiwan in more than four years. As the powerful storm swept through the region, leaving a path of destruction in its aftermath, thousands of people were evacuated, and power was knocked out in several villages. Winds with a maximum sustained speed of 137 kph (85 mph) and gusts of 173 kph (107 mph) accompanied Hurricane Haikui's arrival on Sunday afternoon, according to BBC. Typhoon Haikui Ravages Taiwan in First Direct Landfall in Over Four Years The typhoon struck the mountainous and sparsely populated southeastern region of Taiwan, unleashing heavy rainfall and disruptive winds that significantly impacted transportation services, cut off roads, and disrupted mobile connectivity. Taiwan took precautionary measures in anticipation of the typhoon's arrival by suspending flights, rail transport, and ferry services, as well as canceling classes and outdoor events. Officials vehemently urged employees to remain at home, putting safety first. About 4,000 people were evacuated from vulnerable areas, and residents were advised to avoid the water and not leave their homes unless essential. Taiwanese airlines proactively canceled all domestic flights for the day, and ferries to the surrounding islands were also temporarily suspended. According to the Civil Aeronautics Administration, there were only 41 international flight cancellations reported on Sunday, indicating that the impact was less severe. Despite the potentially catastrophic nature of typhoons, Taiwan suffered comparatively few casualties during the storm's initial hours. In the eastern county of Hualien, only two persons were reported to have suffered minor injuries when a tree fell on a truck. Fortunately, there were few additional reports of significant damage. As Typhoon Haikui persisted along the coast of China, it was anticipated to move inland, prompting authorities in the Chinese city of Shantou, Guangdong province, to issue precautionary warnings. Haikui was significantly weaker than Typhoon Saola, which struck Hong Kong and the southern Chinese province of Guangdong just one day prior. Tropical Storm Risk predicted that Haikui would make landfall in Taiwan as a typhoon of Category 1 or 2 strength, as per Independent. Read Also: European Researchers Warn People With Lung Conditions are More at Risk as Climate Change, Air Pollution Worsen China's Daily Routine Upended by Twin Typhoons In some regions of China, the advent of these twin storms had already disrupted daily life. Numerous workers in numerous Chinese cities remained at home, and the start of the school year for pupils was postponed from Friday to Monday. On Friday, trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange was suspended, leaving hundreds of travelers stranded at the airport as approximately 460 flights were canceled. The impacts of Saola's destructive force were felt in the city, a regional business and transportation center. Despite these natural disasters, China's military continued to conduct operations aimed at intimidating Taiwan, a self-governed democracy that Beijing aims to subjugate by any means necessary. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense closely monitored the movements of Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels near the island. Although there was no evidence that they had crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait or entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone, similar incidents have occurred in the past, heightening tensions in the region, South China Morning Post reported. Related Article: European Researchers Warn People With Lung Conditions are More at Risk as Climate Change, Air Pollution Worsen @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Kanye West and his wife, Bianca Censori, are going viral after their scandalous behavior while riding a boat in Italy was captured and spread online. Now, the Venice boat company that toured them decided to ban the rapper and his wife permanently. Kanye West's Italy Scandal Update: Venice Boat Company Bans Rapper and His Wife Kanye West casually getting a blowjob with his ass out on a boat in Italy pic.twitter.com/vLGcgm7S4y JASON KEATS (@Jason_Keats) August 29, 2023 According to The Independent UK's latest report, Ye and Censori are banned by the Venezia Turismo Motoscafi, saying that they will no longer allow the two celebrities to use their services. The boat service company, which also serves Harry Styles, Ben Affleck, Lady Gaga, and other famous people, clarified that they were not aware of the obscene activity of the two. The company's spokesperson explained that if the boat operator witnessed the scandalous act of West and Censori, the driver would immediately stop the trip and disembark them. The official added that they would report the transgressors to the authorities. Unfortunately, the boat driver didn't notice what Kanye and his wife were doing at the back of the boat. "In addition, there was a third person on board the taxi, who accompanied Mr and Mrs West, who obstructed the captain's view to the stern in any case," said Venezia Turismo Motoscafi's spokesman. The boat service provider reiterated that it doesn't support scandalous/obscene acts and behaviors, promising that Kanye and his wife will not be allowed to make future trips with them. Read Also: Rihanna's Beloved Cousin Tanella Allayne Dies at 28, Six Years After Brother Shot Dead What Kanye and His Wife Did Based on photos and videos shared on Twitter and other social media platforms, Kanye West and Bianca Censori were allegedly pleasuring one another while on the boat. If you check the images, you can see Censori kneeling in front of the rapper. Other photos show the back of Kanye West, in which his behind is peeking out. Because of this, many netizens concluded that the rapper's pants were down, which is already obvious evidence proving their scandalous behavior. Kanye West photographed with his pants down and his wife on her knees during a Gondola trip in Venice, Italy. pic.twitter.com/Z45p9hl3ub Oli London (@OliLondonTV) August 30, 2023 There are also some videos showing that their boat ride was interrupted. In the footage, you can see Kanye trying to hide from the public. #NEWZ Kanye West Caught by paparazzi getting head on a boat in Italy. pic.twitter.com/76K7r2Hd67 6ixLegendz (@6ixLegendz) August 29, 2023 The Daily Mail UK reported that the boat scandal is just one of the obscene activities of Ye and Censori during their summer vacation in Italy. In another issue, Censori was the main focus because she was wearing a see-through outfit. Aside from this, some viral photos also showed Ye's wife in very revealing clothes. If you want to learn more about the scandals of Kanye and Censori in Italy, you can click this link. Related Article: Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter Sued for Third Sexual Assault Allegedly Committed Years Ago @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Five people were killed in four separate shooting incidents around Washington DC Friday (September 1), one of many violent losses of life across the county over the Labor Day weekend. The first shooting happened around 13:45 local time (17:00 UTC) when police alleged they responded to a shooting in the 5100 block of Astor Place SE. Officers found a certain 32-year-old named Mannin Quarles suffering gunshot wounds but was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are still looking for two suspects in connection to the incident. The first is a Black man about 5' 7" high (170 cm) who was last seen wearing a red shirt, blue jean shorts, and black and red Nike shoes. The second person is a heavyset woman who was last seen wearing a tan shirt and tan bottoms. Aside from the US capital, several cities also reported fatal shooting incidents over the Labor Day weekend, such as Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, and Kansas City. Read Also: At Least 1 Dead, 70K Stranded During Burning Man Festival in Nevada After Heavy Rains Create Muddy Environment Other DC Shootings DC Police also responded to a string of other shooting incidents, such as the one in the 100 block of Farragut Street NW, where they found 43-year-old Richard Ruffin III dead at the scene. No suspects or persons of interest were identified. Two teenagers and a girl were also shot in the 1300 block of Seventh Street NW. All three were taken to hospital, but both teenagers, Mikeya Ferguson, 19, of Southeast; and Cle'shai Perry, 18, of Northwest, died from their injuries. The girl remains in a critical but stable condition. A 15-year-old named Zyion Turner was the fifth person shot dead on that night when police arrived at the scene early Saturday morning (September 2) of an incident in the 4200 block of Fourth Street SE. No suspects or persons of interest were also identified. Turner was killed on the first night of DC's juvenile curfew hours in parts of the city, running from midnight to 06:00 local time. It was unclear whether or not Turner was inside the residence at the time of his death. Related Article: 'Extremely Dangerous' Oregon Suspect Escapes Mental Health Facility, Drives Off in Hijacked Van Despite Being in Full Shackles @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The U.S. is trying to become the first nation with systematic AI laws. The question is, will tech CEOs in the United States allow this to happen? Will Tech CEOs Allow US to Be First Country With AI Laws? As of writing, the U.S. government is making efforts to formulate a codified set of artificial intelligence regulations. However, Firstpost reported that thought-leaders of AI have different plans. Specifically, tech executives, such as Sam Altman (OpenAI), Sundar Pichai (Google), Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), and other tech leaders are expecting regulatory leniency from the government. Before 2023 ends, a major meeting with these AI thought leaders is expected to happen. The U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer confirmed that they are planning to meet with prominent figures from the tech sector. The gathering, which has been labeled as the "AI Insight Forum," will aim to acquire insights from tech CEOs, which the U.S. government can use to shape the needed AI laws. Aside from tech leaders, the meeting will also invite civil rights and labor leaders, such as AFL-CIO President Liz Schuler. Experts claim that the AI Insight forum could lead to an impending regulatory action. However, since the majority of the participants are from the tech industry, the effectiveness of the gathering is being questioned. Read Also: US Restricts AI Chip Exports by Nvidia, AMD to China, Middle East EU Overtakes US in Regulating AI According to The Guardian, the European Union is one step ahead when it comes to regulating artificial intelligence. EU has been working on regulation around AI-related issues. Meanwhile, the United States' regulatory process is just beginning. Compared to the U.S., AI discussions in the EU are more advanced. CNBC reported that the European Parliament already approved the bloc's landmark rules for AI called the EU AI Act. This new law is the first formal AI regulation in the West. Under this law, AI tools, such as ChatGPT, are required to follow restrictions. Aside from this, generative AI developers are also required to send their systems to the EU before they can commercially release them. Workday's public policy senior director, Jens-Henrik Jeppesen, explained that the AI Act was established to create safeguards for AI developments. Jeppesen explained that the EU's new law will ensure that they can have an innovation-friendly environment for artificial intelligence tools so that society can benefit from them with fewer risks. These are just some of the restrictions imposed by the EU AI Act. If you want to learn more about this first-of-its-kind law, you can click here. Related Article: Elon Musk Sparks Federal Investigation of EV Manufacturer Tesla Over Use of Company Funds on Secret House Project @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Both US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are scheduled to attend global summits happening in Asia. Biden plans to attend the G20 summit scheduled for September 7 to 10 in India. Beforehand, China's President Xi Jinping has been speculated to not attend the summit and has designated Premier Li Qiang to represent Beijing in the meeting. Meanwhile, Harris would represent Washington at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Indonesia to erase the bloc's doubts about US commitment to the region due to Biden's absence. Biden 'Disappointed' with Xi's No-Show at G20 Summit Biden told reporters Sunday (September 3) he was disappointed Xi would likely not attend the G20 summit in New Delhi, but added he would be "see[ing] him" without elaborating why, when, or how. After G20, he would travel to Vietnam to seek US relations in Asia, Reuters reported. "I want a little more...coordination," he said. "I think they both [India and Vietnam] want much closer relations with the United States and that can be very helpful." This year's G20 meeting would focus on several issues, like the war in Ukraine and the tensions between China and its land and maritime neighbors with the release of its recently released map. The last time both Biden and XI met was during the G20 summit in Indonesia last year. The BBC reported there is a possibility both leaders would have an opportunity to speak at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, slated this November. Putin Also a G20 No-Show, Talks with Erdogan on Grain Deal The Kremlin also confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not attend the G20 summit. On the other hand, he is in Sochi on Monday (September 4) and is currently meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding a possible renewal of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which Russia abandoned upon its expiry last July. Erdogan and the United Nations, who jointly brokered the deal, have since been urging Moscow to renew it in order not to cause a food shortage after the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported last month that the food price index averaged 123.9 points in July due to food products not allowed to be shipped out of Ukraine, such as wheat grain and sunflower oil. Putin told Erdogan he would tackle the grain deal after finishing talks about establishing a natural gas hub in Turkey. For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also sought Erdogan's backing on the grain deal as the war in his nation continues. Read Also: China's Current Map of the South China Sea Rejected by Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia Harris Sent to ASEAN Meet to Allay Regional Fears Since the G20 and ASEAN summits are logistically scheduled close to each other, Harris has been the designated representative to the regional bloc's meeting in Jakarta. According to the Associated Press, this trip would be her third Southeast Asian trip and fourth to Asia overall as Washington positioned her to become a key interlocutor for the Biden administration as it tries to bolster a network of partnerships to counterbalance Chinese influence, as well as to strengthen her foreign policy credentials as she prepares to run for a second term in office and a possible takeover should Biden be incapable of finishing a probable second term. Speaking about Harris, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said she made the country's alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region a "key part of her agenda" as vice president, and also described her itinerary as "perfectly in keeping with the issues that she's been focused on." However, Biden's absence from the ASEAN Summit remained a cause of frustration to some in the bloc, particularly because he would be visiting both India and Vietnam at around the same time. For former Indonesian foreign affairs minister Marty Natalegawa, the president's proximity would make his absence "all the more glaring than would otherwise be the case." On the other hand, Natalegawa conceded that ASEAN was struggling to convince world leaders to consider their place and role in the region, which represents over 650 million people and has the world's fifth-largest economy combined across its 10 member-states. Some of the factors the organization is facing are the non-resolution of the civil unrest in Myanmar, as well as China's territorial claims in the South China Sea. This creates tensions between the member nations, with the Philippines and Vietnam leaning towards Washington, while Cambodia leans toward Beijing. "We can complain all we want about other countries not respecting us or not coming to our summits," Natalegawa added. "But ultimately, it is actually a point of reflection." Back in Washington, Kirby rejected the purported notion of Biden's ASEAN snub, emphasizing he had already hosted the first-ever Washington Summit with ASEAN leaders last year. However, the National University of Singapore associate professor of political science Chong Ja-Ian retorted that Harris's presence would help the US cover its bases at an event that analysts perceived might not be productive on key issues. Meanwhile, Center for Strategic and International Studies Southeast Asia director Gregory Poling called Washington's choice to send Harris to the ASEAN Summit to fill in for Biden "unfortunate." Related Article: G20 Summit 2023: US President Joe Biden Expresses Disappointment Over Chinese President Xi Jinping's Hint of No-Show @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Texas' new law, Bentley's Law, now requires drunk drivers who accidentally kill parents to pay for child support. Texas Bentley's Law The Bentley's Law was signed by Texas on Friday, Sept. 1. It was first adopted by Tennessee in July. After that, the legislation was introduced in numerous U.S. states (24 states to be exact). Yahoo News reported that Bentley's Law was created by Cecilia Williams, a St. Francois County woman. Before she created the law, Williams' son, Cordell, daughter-in-law, Lacy, and her 4-month-old grandson died in April 2021 because of a drunk driver in Missouri. "I made a promise to my kids, and my grandson, and other people that I was going to do what I could to stop people from driving under the influence," said Williams via KHOU. "I made a promise to my kids, and my grandson, and other people that I was going to do what I could to stop people from driving under the influence," she added. The death of the two parents left their two sons, Bentley and Mason. Now, Texas finally adopted Williams' law to punish drunk drivers who accidentally kill people with children. Read Also: 'Extremely Dangerous' Oregon Suspect Escapes Mental Health Facility, Drives Off in Hijacked Van Despite Being in Full Shackles Killer Drunk Drivers Now Required to Pay Child Support Under the new Bentley's Law, drivers in Texas who accidentally kill parents will be required to pay child support to their orphaned victims. The legislation states that the charges that DUI (driving under the influence) convicts will face will depend on the orphans' physical and emotional condition, education needs, and standard of living. Killer drunk drivers will be ordered to pay for child support until their victims turn 18 years old or until they graduate from high school. If the criminals are not able to pay for the child support, the law will allow them to settle it on the first anniversary of their release. But, this will only apply to those facing incarceration. Many people support the arrival of the new Bentley's Law in Texas. These include the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). The organization said that it supports Bentley's Law, as well as other similar bills in the future. Related Article: Ohio Police Brutality: Body-Cam Footage Showing Pregnant Black Woman Getting Shot to be Released @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) claims that Chinese nationals are pretending to be tourists just to breach U.S. military sites. These Chinese violators, whom the FBI calls "gate crashers," are now facing a major investigation. FBI Investigates Chinese Nationals Pretending To Be Tourists As of writing, the FBI said that it tracked over 100 incidents involving Chinese nationals posing as tourists. Aside from U.S. military sites, the law enforcement agency said that these fake tourists are trying to access federal sites. The FBI shared numerous incidents that show how these Chinese violators attempt to breach U.S. military and federal sites, as reported by Fox News. One of these is when Chinese tourists were detected crossing into an American missile range in New Mexico. In another incident, the Chinese gate crashers were reportedly scuba diving. However, they allegedly tried to swim in murky waters near a U.S. government rocket launch site in Florida. Reuters reported that the FBI investigation stated that the Chinese gate crashing incidents typically happen in rural areas in the U.S. where there is little tourism. Officials explained that these fake tourists from China are pressed into service and required to report back to the Chinese government. Read Also: Russia Drones Strike Ukrainian Port Near Romanian Border as Putin Prepares for Grain Deal Talks with Erdogan Is the FBI Making Efforts to Prevent Them? In 2022, the FBI, the Department of Defense, and other agencies held a review focused on preventing Chinese gate-crashing incidents. But, it is still unclear if their efforts to deter fake Chinese tourists are working. This is because they are having a hard time identifying the real Chinese gate crashers. Many factors affect their investigation, such as the arguments provided by these Chinese violators. For example, many of the alleged Chinese gate crashers claim that they were only following Google Maps to reach their destinations. They argued that Google Maps and other navigational apps they were using directed them to nearby military bases, which they didn't notice. If you want to learn more about the FBI's ongoing Chinese gate-crashing investigation, you can click this link. Related Article: China Allegedly Making Harassment Phone Calls to JapanIs the Fukushima Wastewater Release to Blame? @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Xinjiang-based company credited its reportedly rapid construction to the refining of its assembly line and installation process ashore. "Through strategies like rotor pre-assembly, modular designs, improved conditions for upending tool disengagement, etc., Goldwind can speed up hoisting by 26 hours, improving overall efficiency by 40%!" the company said. Read Also: US Restricts AI Chip Exports by Nvidia, AMD to China, Middle East 30 working hours is the time it takes for the GWH252-14.3MW wind turbine to start rotating from scratch in Zhangpu. #Goldwind leverages its expertise to transform wind into electricity in every offshore area, contributing to green energy. See ocean and feel the future. pic.twitter.com/DSZXUDkYno Goldwind (@Goldwind_Global) September 4, 2023 Where Was the Turbine Installed? Goldwind claimed the turbine was installed at the Zhangpu Liuao Phase 2 offshore wind farm in the southeastern Fujian Province, along the southern portion of the Taiwan Strait, and was being built by state-owned power company China Three Gorges (CTG), Electrek reported. The company has also announced a 16 MW turbine they installed last June already ran at its fullest capacity for 24 consecutive hours beginning September 1. According to Chinese media, it also withstood the onslaught of Typhoon Doksuri's extreme winds at the end of July. The 400 MW Zhangpu Liuao Phase 2 offshore wind farm was claimed to be capable of producing about 1.6 terawatts per hour (TWh) of electricity per year. According to CTG, this performance could save about 500,000 tons of standard coal and reduce emissions by about 1.36 million tons annually. However, there was no information on whether or not they would expand their wind farms to its coastline or install them near the hotly-contested South China Sea in the future. Related Article: China's Current Map of the South China Sea Rejected by Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Alexander Zemlianichenko / POOL / AFP) (ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un will reportedly travel to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin to discuss a potential arms deal. North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to allegedly discuss advancing arms negotiations to support Moscow's war against Ukraine. Reports suggest Kim would first meet with Putin in Russia, but the exact locations are unclear. The potential contact between the two world leaders comes after the White House said that it acquired new information that arms negotiations between North Korea and Russia are "actively advancing." Kim-Putin Meeting On Wednesday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Russia's defense minister had recently traveled to North Korea. He said it was meant to "convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition" to Russia. Kirby noted that after the visit, the two countries' leaders exchanged letters where they pledged to bolster bilateral cooperation. The spokesman added that intelligence obtained by the United States indicated that following the visit to North Korea by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, several more Russian officials traveled to the Asian nation for further talks about a potential arms deal between North Korea and Russia, as per Newsbreak. Kirby also said that the United States was urging the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to stop its arms negotiations with Russia. He argued that they should abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Moscow. Additionally, the US official warned that the White House will take direct action, including imposing sanctions, against any individual or entity that works to facilitate the supply of arms between North Korea and Russia. Potential deals between the two nations could include "significant quantities and multiple types" of munitions from North Korea. These are those that Russia would utilize in its war against Ukraine. Kirby warned that any weapons deal between the two countries would violate numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions. Read Also: G20 Summit 2023: Biden Expresses Disappointment Over Xi's Hint of No-Show Providing Arms to Russia The situation comes as Russia has received support from Iran and North Korea amid its ongoing war with Ukraine. According to CNN, the former sent drones and artillery late last year, while the latter delivered infantry rockets. Furthermore, Chinese state-owned defense companies have sent technology and equipment to Russia, but US officials said they have seen no signs that Beijing was providing weapons or leather military aid to Moscow. US President Joe Biden's administration has also routinely declassified intelligence regarding the support Russia is receiving or planning to receive. This is to deter countries from supporting Moscow's war effort against Ukraine. In exchange for North Korea supplying weapons to Russia, Kim wants Moscow to provide Pyongyang with advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines. He was also seeking food aid for his impoverished nation. Amid the talks of a meeting between Kim and Putin, they are both set to attend the Eastern Economic Forum, which is set to run from Sept. 10 to Sept. 13. Additionally, the North Korean leader will visit Pier 33, which is where naval ships from Russia's Pacific fleet dock, said the New York Times. Related Article: Russian Nuclear Strike Could Hit US Territories, Warns Russia's State TV @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Malin Selander has been recruited as new Communications Director for Scandic Hotels Group where she will be responsible for the company's external and internal communication. Most recently, she was VP Communications at Telia Sweden. Malin Selander has broad experience from senior leadership positions within communications at large Nordic companies including SAS, Tele2 Sweden and SATS Group. Most recently, she has been responsible for Telia Sweden's communications department with a focus on proactive, commercially driven communication strategies and change processes. Malin will take over after current Communications Director Elin Westin, who after seven years at Scandic has decided to leave the company. Malin started as Communication Director for Scandic Hotels Group on September 1, 2023. Chef Ashley James has been appointed culinary director of Dorchester Collection's The Beverly Hills Hotel - overseeing the entire culinary operation including all restaurants, banquets, and in-room dining. Chef Ashley James joins the hotel with a wealth of experience, with more than 30 years cooking in prestigious kitchens throughout the world - most recently, he was managing director of Culinary at Di Bruno Bros in Philadelphia and previously spent 18 years with the Four Seasons brand. WASHINGTON - The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) on Friday recognized National Hotel Employee Day. AHLA and the National Day Calendar established National Hotel Employee Day in 2022 to honor the nearly two million employees who work in the hotel industry. It is observed annually on September 1. This year, National Hotel Employee Day came as hotels across the nation are working to quickly fill nearly 100,000 open hotel jobs, according to Indeed. To attract more talent, hotels are offering current and prospective employees near-historic wages, better benefits, and more flexibility than ever before. Americas nearly 62,500 hotels are a bright spot for the nations economy. In 2022 alone, they supported 8.3 million American jobs and paid employees more than $104 billion in wages, salaries, and other compensation. Last year, hotel guests spent a total of more than $691 billion on lodging, transportation, food and beverage, retail and other expenses. To continue growing, however, hotels need to hire more people. More than 80% of hotels are experiencing staffing shortages, and 26% report being severely understaffed, according to a survey of hoteliers conducted by AHLA. The most critical staffing need is housekeeping, with 40% ranking it as their top hiring need. These staffing challenges coupled with strong summer travel demand are resulting in historic career opportunities for hotel employees. U.S. hotel wages are averaging more than $23.00 per hour this year, and hotel benefits and flexibility are better than ever. Employees are the lifeblood of every hotel, and we created National Hotel Employee Day to help thank Americas nearly two million hotel professionals for their incredible service and dedication. Today and throughout the year, we are proud to celebrate hotel employees and their important work. From wedding receptions to family reunions and vacations, our workforce helps create some of Americans most important memories. And with hotel pay, benefits, flexibility, and upward mobility all at near-historic levels, theres never been a better time to start a hotel career. AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers To learn about hotel career opportunities and search for jobs, visit www.thehotelindustry.com. To learn about National Hotel Employee Day, visit www.ahla.com/day. About the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the sole national association representing all segments of the U.S. lodging industry. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support and workforce development programs to move the industry forward. Learn more at www.ahla.com. Melia Hotels International has announced that its recently appointed Chief Financial Officer, Sonia Jerez Burdeus, is stepping down from her role due to personal reasons. Thanking Jerez for her services, the Mallorca-based group has announced the appointment of Angel Luis Rodriguez Mendizabal, Vice President of Joint Ventures and Portfolio Management in the Real Estate Area, as the new Chief Financial Officer. Angel Luis Rodriguez, who has a solid track record in the company, joined the group in 2004. Before that, he held various positions in Financial Management and Project Development in different companies within the hotel industry, both in Spain and abroad. This appointment has been approved by the Appointments, Remuneration and Sustainability Committee of the company's Board of Directors. In line with this change and following the current structure of the Senior Executive Team and the Company's Strategic Plan - focused on digital transformation - the Company is also merging the Information Technology (IT) Department, which until now was part of the Finance Area, with the Digitalisation Department, which is part of the Strategy Area. From now on, both will report to the Chief Strategy Officer, Carlos Gonzalez. According to Melia's Chairman and CEO, Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, Appointing Angel Luis Rodriguez as the new CFO brings a combination of the company's culture and values and a comprehensive knowledge of the organisation and its financial needs, both in terms of the group and its key partners in the different joint ventures. He also has broad expertise in the real estate market and a thorough understanding of all aspects of the business and corporate areas. He is highly regarded in the market and the financial and real estate fields. And so, we would like to thank Sonia Jerez for having been part of our executive team and are thrilled to welcome the Company's new Chief Financial Officer. About Melia Hotels International Founded in 1956 in Mallorca (Spain), Melia Hotels International operates more than 380 hotels (portfolio and pipeline) throughout more than 40 countries, under the brands Gran Melia Hotels & Resorts, Paradisus by Melia, ME by Melia, Melia Hotels & Resorts, The Melia Collection, INNSiDE by Melia, Sol by Melia and Falcon's Resorts by Melia, plus a wide portfolio of affiliated hotels under the "Affiliated by Melia" network. The Group is one of the leading companies in resort hotels worldwide, while also leveraging its experience to consolidate the growing segment of the leisure-inspired urban market. Its commitment to responsible tourism has led the Group to become the most sustainable hotel company in Spain and Europe, according to the last S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (Silver Class). It also has ranked seventh in the Wall Street Journal's list of the 100 most sustainably managed companies in the world (and the leading travel company) and is the only Spanish travel company included in the list of "Europe's Climate Leaders 2021" by Financial Times. Melia Hotels International is also included in the IBEX 35 Spanish stock market. For more information, visit www.meliahotelsinternational.com LONDON Mews, the leading cloud-native property management system (PMS), has been chosen by PoB Hotels to power their innovative vision of luxury hospitality driven by personalized guest service. PoB Hotels is a collection of the finest independent hotels across the British Isles. We've carefully curated the most luxurious rooms, the finest restaurants and the most relaxing spas, said Kalindi Juneja, CEO of PoB Hotels. Our process of selecting a PMS was equally diligent. In Mews, we found an agile partner with an in-depth knowledge of independent hotels and the best technology to help them thrive. The essence of PoB Hotels is built on British heritage, honouring provenance and sincere, authentic service. Their curated breaks showcase the absolute best of a region, incorporating local culture, food and sites with stays at PoB Hotels. This sense of individuality and genuine connection makes independent hotels such an enticing prospect for guests. We're both convinced that the best technology blends into the background, said the Founder of Mews, Richard Valtr. Mews helps ensure that the guests of PoB Hotels remain immersed in the beautiful surroundings while empowering their staff to offer unique guest experiences and push the boundaries of traditional hotel expectations. Pampering, Outstanding, British the ethos of PoB Hotels is reflected in their exquisitely crafted gastronomic offer too. Several Michelin stars are shared across the PoB Hotels collection, as well as scores of AA Rosettes. With their dedication to sustainability and charity, PoB Hotels are on an inspiring journey to create a positive impact within the local communities. We recognize the pivotal role that a Property Management System (PMS) plays in shaping the guest experience. It is an absolute necessity, seamlessly connecting all the moving parts of a hotel to create a symphony of efficiency, continued Kalindi, CEO of PoB Hotels. The makeover of our operational set-up opens the door to an even more sophisticated guest experience, along with significant revenue-increasing potential. About Mews Mews is the leading platform for the new era of hospitality. Over 3,500 properties across more than 80 countries are powered by Mews. Mews Hospitality Cloud is designed to streamline operations for modern hoteliers, transform the guest experience and create more profitable businesses. Customers include Accor, Generator-Freehand, Nordic Choice Hotels, The Social Hub, Life House and Airelles, as well as hostel groups such as YHA Australia, Clink Hostels and Wombats Hostels. Mews has been named the World's Best Independent Hotel PMS Provider by World Travel Tech Awards (2022) and Best Place to Work in Hotel Tech (2021, 2022) by Hotel Tech Report. The company has offices in Europe, the United States and Australia. About PoB Hotels From castles brimming with northern charm to seafront lodges sitting along the southern coast, PoB Hotels is a collection of the finest independent hotels dotted all over the British Isles. With carefully curated luxurious rooms, the finest restaurants and the most decadent spas, each of the hotels is a door to new experiences. Each completely unique. Each hand-picked. Each the Pride of Britain. PoB Hotels is committed to responsible travel and the importance of sustainable practices, partnering with EarthCheck to develop environmental good practice and certification for hotel members, and company-wide regenerative practices. For more information, please visit https://pobhotels.com/. George Barker Director of Communications Crans-Montana - Les Roches is proud to announce the extension of its commitment to sustainable mobility with the introduction of an electric car sharing system for students and staff at its Crans-Montana campus. Building upon the successful launch of this initiative at its Marbella campus in May 2022, Les Roches takes another significant step in its environmental journey by bringing electric car sharing to its Swiss campus. Carlos Diez de la Lastra, CEO of Les Roches, underlines the institution's pioneering role in sustainability, stating, At Les Roches, we are resolute in our dedication to pioneering sustainable education. The expansion of our electric car fleet initiative is a tangible reflection of our commitment to integrating innovation, luxury, and environmental responsibility. Under the visionary leadership of Carlos Diez de la Lastra, the institution embraces a transformative ethos encapsulated in its rebranding as A bespoke experience to educate tomorrow's leaders in hospitality. This rebranding highlights the four essential pillars of its unique approach: a community mindset, immersive resort experience, professional excellence, and sustainable practices. The introduction of the electric car fleet seamlessly aligns with these core pillars. Carlos Diez de la Lastra comments, Our objective is to foster a community mindset that exemplifies our dedication to sustainability. The electric car-sharing initiative exemplifies our commitment to uniting students, faculty, and staff in a shared environmental responsibility. By introducing a luxury car-sharing scheme exclusively for its community and committing to the use of 100% premium and 100% electric vehicles, the institution is setting a remarkable precedent for sustainability within the education sector. The campus has selected 6 Tesla Model Y and 4 BMW iX50 for this initiative. Giovanni Odaglia, Dean of Students, explains, We meticulously chose the Tesla Model Y and the BMW iX50. These top-of-the-line electric vehicles offer students an ideal transportation experience while contributing to their reduced carbon footprint. Les Roches Crans-Montana has partnered with Activacar to implement this car-sharing system. Giovanni Odaglia underscores the significance of this collaboration, which has already proven successful in Marbella: Our partnership with Activacar underscores our commitment to sustainable innovation. Together, we are setting an exemplary standard for sustainable education. To access the service for the first time, users must register their details through a mobile application, after which the initial hour of hire is complimentary. Once registered, students and staff can access an available car within seconds via the smartphone app, making the smartphone the central hub for this service. The choice of larger vehicles enables national and international travel, facilitating weekend and holiday trips, thereby enhancing the overall campus experience. Through these initiatives, the institution reaffirms its commitment to training a new generation of leaders who embody both excellence and environmental responsibility. About Les Roches Les Roches is a Swiss institution focused on creating the innovative and entrepreneurial minds of tomorrow. Founded in 1954, Les Roches offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Hospitality and Tourism Management following the Swiss model of education. With campuses across Switzerland and Spain, a student body of more than 100 different nationalities, the institution provides students with a unique culturally diverse experience. As of 2021, Les Roches also has an academic alliance with the Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) with a partner campus in Gurugram (Delhi NCR). Les Roches ranks 4th in the worlds higher education institutions for hospitality and leisure management (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2023). Part of Sommet Education, worldwide leader in hospitality education, Les Roches is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). For more information, visit Les Roches. Anouck Weiss Chief Communication Officer, Sommet Education Les Roches View source EHL's Master of Science in Global Hospitality Business (MGH) provides not only a 360-degree view of the industry and its different departments and challenges, but also offers experience and understanding of countries' different cultural needs, giving learners a complete global overview of the industry. So what are the most memorable and transversal features of this program, what are the best reasons for doing a Masters Degree and how can they help prepare graduates for today's changing business landscape? Personality and Soft Skills Development In addition to the academic and strategic business skills that allowed me to get into a real estate finance role, I developed some valuable soft skills. I gained self-confidence and learned to work effectively in teams. Rubina Insam, EHL Master in Global Hospitality Management graduate The MGH program concentrates heavily on the fact that soft skills are key to the hospitality sector since it is first and foremost a people business. Whether back or front of house, there are few touch-points in this industry that do not involve human exchange. Whether between employees, teams or customers, the more this exchange is imbued with a spirit of empathy, agility, collaboration and communication, the better the outcomes. The human-centric leadership style aims to achieve both individual and collective impact that effectively replies to the needs of all stakeholders. While soft skills and EQ may seem more like personal traits rather than business ones, these are the precise skills needed to deliver outstanding customer experiences in the multi-cultural environments. When delivering a service, designing a service experience or business concept, these skills are essential to helping shape the identification and execution of a distinctive Customer Value Proposition. Dr Ines Blal, Executive Dean Ambitious future leaders need to understand that success depends as much on how well they deliver a tight business plan as it does on how well they manage the people-centricity of their team and mindset. Furthermore, the soft skills associated with hospitality are today even more sought-after across industry due to the renewed call for optimal human interaction in the post-pandemic landscape. During the program, MGH classes are kept small to make sure that the students have a real one to one relationship with the professors, and that their fellow students - with whom they travel the world and share this wonderful experience eventually - turn into family, which is one of the core values at EHL. Given that we have a history of dealing in a human business, we aim to teach a human-centric approach to hospitality management and leadership, because we think happy employees create happy customers. Hence the focus should not be on the customers, it should be on the employees. Leading with humility, empathy and self-awareness - all this is built into the DNA of the graduate academic content. We start as a team and finish as a team; maintaining the cohort group feeling is key to the MGH program. Dr Achim Schmitt, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs Cultural Nuances: experience the lifestyle on three different continents Not only do classes have a cultural mix of on average 14 different nationalities, but one of the biggest assets of the program is the cultural immersion and field trips students will experience during the year and a half of study. Each of the three semesters are located on a different continent, providing the students with a very different lifestyle experience for approximately five months. Understanding cultural nuances and developing awareness of personal cultural biases is an important aspect that the MGH program explores. Throughout each of these semesters the students are taken on three different field trips to visit hotels and restaurants. While in Lausanne the students are taken to Paris, Berlin, and Lisbon; in Hong Kong they are taken to Macau, Beijing, and Shanghai; in Houston they are taken to Washington DC, Mexico & Las Vegas. In Hong Kong, my favorite thing to do was to discover the restaurants and bars of this vibrant city, visit the beaches and search for the best vistas on the hills of the island. The campus is in Kowloon, which is the less westernized part compared to Hong Kong Island, making it an amazing location for anyone interested in stepping into Asian culture. Rubina Insam Why is career planning important? This program is geared for those looking to continue working within the hospitality industry. Upon graduation some students go on to work for the companies with which they did their Capstone Project - one of their biggest projects throughout the program. Thanks to the numerous business field trips, students are given ample networking opportunities and the chance to meet numerous leaders from the industry. I probably met more than a hundred industry professionals, and every time it was an opportunity to perfect my personal strategy for making a lasting first impression. This is essential in my line of work as I have to convince clients to trust in me, my professionalism and skills. Rubina Insam The MGH also provides an easy access to the fast track trainee programs that most hotels offer these days. It is a qualification that implies both hard and soft skills. In brief, it equips students with not only a 360-degree view of the industry and its different departments and challenges, but it also allows them to experience and understand the different cultural needs within different countries, giving them a complete global overview of the industry. What about career outcomes? The MGH offers one seamless program based on academic study, industry exposure and global experience - all taught from three prestigious academic institutions (EHL Lausanne, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Houston University). Built for todays global hospitality industry, this master's degree ensures professional success by giving you the ability to manage the complexity of worldwide operations, with the local touch that makes great hospitality managers. What awaits learners are three semesters packed with an exceptional blend of classes, cultural and business immersion periods on three continents, with industry seminars delivered by world-class speakers, a real-life business project and three professional certifications. Students graduate from this program with one diploma from EHL as well as from Polytechnic University of Hong Kong and University of Houston; consequently, they also join the alumni networks of all three universities. I chose EHLs MGH because it is a unique program that offers so much industry exposure and global experience. I was interested in the real-world industry projects, such as the Capstone Project with a real company and the business field trips where you get the chance to meet numerous leaders from the industry. Rubina Insam How this life changing experience will open new perspectives The MGH is life changing! This 18-month program is a quick-starter for careers, especially for students who have hospitality experience that is limited to one area of operations or one area of the world. I probably met more than a hundred industry professionals, and every time it was an opportunity to perfect my personal strategy for making a lasting first impression. This program opens the horizons for your career options and gives you the confidence to take your career to the global stage much faster. Rubina Insam EHL Hospitality Business School Communications Department +41 21 785 1354 EHL View source Under the influence of international operators, hotel management methods in France and Europe have evolved, with management agreements increasingly being favoured over leases. The profile of hospitality investors has also changed, with highly professional funds able to adopt this type of management solution. For the record, hotels in France are operated in several different ways. These include BEFA1 or commercial lease contracts with a predominant trend towards variable rents; civil leases with their proven versatility; multifaceted and flexible lease-management contracts (that transfer the operating risk to the lessee-manager); and lastly, hotel management agreements the golden ticket. Hotel management agreements: a one-of-a-kind hotel management solution Hotel management agreements allow owners to benefit from the value of both the property and business, making management agreements an ideal tool for managing financial risk in the hotel sector. In addition to agency contracts2 and management leases, hotel management agreements (the most common type of contract in the international market) have gradually become more prevalent in France, with owners assuming the operational risk, including that relating to staff. A hotel management agreement is a contract between the hotel management company (the operator) and the hotel property owner, under which the operator assumes responsibility for the operational management of the hotel. In return, the operator generally receives a fee of between 11% and 13% of revenues, including brand and marketing rights, and a profit-share linked to the hotels operating performance. Hotel management agreements as practiced in France today are not governed by any specific legal text. Hotel management agreements are thus sui generis contracts, governed by ordinary contract law and practice, where parties have complete freedom to negotiate and draw up the contract in accordance with Article 1103 of the French Civil Code3. Yet is there a legal status specific to France that should be retained? Legal status is an essential indicator of whether or not the obligations of parties under a contract are legal and binding in the country concerned. Case law on the subject is rare in France. In 2012, however, the Paris Court of Appeal ruled on the famous dispute between SAS Hilton International France and SAS Immobiliere et Hoteliere du Parc Monceau (SIHPM). The Court of Appeal ruled that the agreement should be considered as an agency contract contrat de mandat governed by Article 1984 of the French Civil Code, under which the principal (owner) grants the agent (hotel operator) the power to perform legal actions in its name and on its behalf. This ruling was confirmed in 2014 by the French supreme court, the Court of Cassation, which thus confirmed the agency contract status. In this case, the Supreme Court considered the hotel management agreement to be an agency contract under which the owner had appointed the operator to manage the hotel in its name and on its behalf. In our view, within the meaning of Articles 1984 et seq. of the French Civil Code, an agency contract does not fully embrace the complex nature of a hotel management agreement. The latter is generally a partnership with multiple layers of respective contractual commitments concluded over the long term between the parties and often starting with the provision of technical assistance for hotel construction or renovation, followed by hotel operation. Indeed, the term agency implies representation. In most cases however, hotel management agreements do not entail representation of the owner by the operator. The notion of agency thus gives only a partial view of the reality of a hotel management agreement. Management agreements, business contracts and agency contracts: a subtle difference The difference between these three management approaches may appear subtle yet it can be justified by how hotel management agreements adapt to the particularities of the sector, itself constantly evolving. The legal status of business contract contrat dentreprise, defined as a contract for work and materials, was rejected by the judge. Indeed, considering the management agreement as a business contract would have meant that the hotel operator own the business, employ hotel staff and bear the hotels operating risks. However, this was not the case since hotel employees were hired by the owner. As a result, the material actions on which the operator could rely to invoke a business contract were in fact performed by the owners employees. This was primarily the case for actions performed by the hotels General Manager, responsible for the day-to-day management of the hotel and an employee of the owner, even though recruited by the operator under the terms of the hotel management agreement. The Paris Court of Appeals instructive November 9, 2012 ruling on this headlining dispute crucial for the parties involved endorsed the following principles: the hotel operator shall not bear the operational risk associated with running a hotel; the management agreement shall stipulate that the operator act in the name and on behalf of the owner; and lastly, the operator shall not be considered the owner of the business, or the de facto employer of the staff. Hotel management agreements have gradually become more complex, adapting to the profile of institutional investors who are not specialised in the luxury hotel sector. This is where reverse management agreements come in, since they specify that the operator is the sole employer of the hotels staff, including the General Manager. This relieves the investor of all responsibility for managing employees. Other operational risks, however, are still assumed by the owner. A hotel management agreement should not be confused with an agency contract, either an operating model based on the rules of agency and governed by Articles L 146-1 to 4 of the French Commercial Code5. Some institutional investors still use the agency regime for upper-end hotels: this is clearly of no particular interest to the hotel or to the parties involved. In conclusion, the Paris Court of Appeals 2012 ruling confirms the legal status of hotel management contracts and the respective obligations of hotel owners and hotel operators. In fact, most hotel management contracts are governed by the rules of agency set out under Article 1984 of the French Civil Code, thus adopting in practice the analysis of the Paris Court of Appeal. Moreover, if there is one advantage that hotel management agreements can claim in France, it is their flexibility. Subject to compliance with the contractual principles of common law governing hotel management contracts, parties are free to adapt their contractual relationship as they see fit. When it comes to complex clauses, the balance of interests between investors and operators is becoming tricky to maintain in the face of the vivid imagination of those who draft hotel management agreements within international hotel groups. However, in France, thanks to the creativity of legal experts working for major operators, the drafting of management agreements can be enriched by other general principles of law, inspired in particular by management leases6 contrat de location-gerance. The question remains as to whether, in the event of dispute following the breach of one of these new complex hotel management agreements, for instance, the courts will continue to consider them under the agency regime. 1. Bail en etat futur dachevement: Off-plan lease contract 2. Articles L.146-1 et seq. of the French Commercial Code 3. See Article 1103 of the French Civil Code: Contracts which are lawfully formed have the binding force of legislation for those who have made them 4. Article 1710 of the French Civil Code 5. See our articles on hotel agency contracts 6. See our article on LinkedIn - Hotel management contracts vs. hotel management leases: similarities and differences Christopher Boinet FR - IE Paris - Avocats In Extenso Avocats In today's ever-evolving hospitality landscape, one demographic stands out as a significant and growing force in shaping industry spending: millennials. Their unique preferences and values influence how hotels and restaurants operate, making it essential for businesses to adapt to their demands. In this blog post, we will explore how millennials impact spending in the hospitality sector and how hotels change their purchasing practices to meet these evolving customer needs. A Dominant Force in Hospitality Spending Born between 1981 and 1996, millennials represent the largest adult cohort worldwide, comprising 23% of the global population. Their influence on the hospitality industry is undeniable, as they have shown a propensity for travel and exploration. In 2019 alone, they spent a staggering $200 billion on travel, projected to increase by approximately 10% per year by 2025. This generation's penchant for exploration presents a significant opportunity for hotels and restaurants to capture their attention and loyalty. Understanding the Millennial Traveler Hotels and restaurants have recognized that to cater to these travelers effectively, they must address three key areas: Customized Experiences: They seek unique and personalized experiences that resonate with their tastes and preferences. They value authenticity and are likelier to choose destinations that align with their values and interests. Digital Convenience: Millennials are tech-savvy travelers who rely heavily on digital platforms for booking, check-in, and other aspects of their journey. Seamless digital experiences are not just a perk; they are an expectation. Relevant Social Media Information: This group often uses social media and peer recommendations when selecting travel destinations and accommodations. Hotels that actively engage with these platforms and provide valuable content can attract this influential demographic. Sustainability Matters According to an article by Kent State University, sustainability has become a paramount concern for millennials when choosing where to stay and dine during their travels; sustainability has become a paramount concern for millennials. They evaluate the environmental impact of hotels, restaurants, and activities as part of their decision-making process. Organic food, in particular, plays a pivotal role in their choices. Organic food may entail higher hotel procurement costs but aligns with their environmentally friendly dining preferences. Surveys by Hospemag indicate that 65% of consumers are willing to pay up to 10% more to dine at an environmentally-friendly restaurant. This willingness to invest in sustainable options satisfies millennial preferences and drives higher hotel margins. In the rapidly evolving world of hospitality, millennials are undeniably a force to be reckoned with. Their preferences for customized experiences, digital convenience, relevant social media engagement, and sustainability have reshaped the industry's landscape. To remain competitive and capture the loyalty of this influential demographic, hotels, and restaurants must adapt their purchasing practices to meet the demands of these travelers. Incorporating sustainability practices, offering personalized experiences, and enhancing digital convenience are key strategies to help businesses thrive in this changing landscape. By aligning with millennial values and preferences, the hospitality industry can meet customer needs and drive higher hotel occupancy rates and profitability. As the largest adult cohort in the world, they are here to stay, and their influence on hospitality spending will continue to grow. Adapting to their preferences is not just a trend; it's a smart business strategy that will pay dividends in the long run. Article collaborator: Erin Fay. About BirchStreet Systems BirchStreet Systems powers hospitality and food and beverage enterprises with a comprehensive procure-to-pay business solution. As the global leading provider of spend management solutions in the hospitality industry, 15,500 enterprises in over 130 countries subscribe to BirchStreet to connect with a network of more than 450,000 suppliers. Established in 2002, BirchStreet is privately held and is headquartered in Las Vegas, NV with offices in California, China, Singapore, India, and the UK. For more information, please visit www.birchstreetsystems.com. Request Demonstration BirchStreet Sales BirchStreet Systems Intro The travel and tourism industry represents one of the most important sectors in the economy. It is a highly competitive sector that relies on customer engagement and service that exceeds customer expectations. The most successful organizations find themselves trying to acquire their target guest time, not just their discretionary spend. This research highlights trends in the industry, customer behavior, and other emerging issues; it demonstrates how trends in the customer reservation system in the travel and tourism sector benefit from maintaining an efficient and knowledgeable contact center and customer engagement platform. Contact centers play an integral role in delivering quality customer service and engagement services in the travel and tourism industry. Competition has necessitated providers in the industry to rely heavily in e-commerce in their business models to enhance customers experiences. Understanding the real-time behavior of customers through these online platforms offers an opportunity to develop customer positioning. Direct phone reservations have not been completely replaced by online booking and payment. Online transactions are subject to mistakes, delays, and other complications that require clarifications from a trained and knowledgeable customer care agent. Contact centers continue to play a crucial role in facilitating communication between consumers and the organization. Some common problems faced when consumers book online include the inability to transfer funds, restricted inventory, gaps in product descriptions, failure to receive a receipt, or delays in receiving confirmation. Sometimes, clients do not understand resort options, and require instantaneous communication to make reservations (Nazli, 2020). Contact centers provide quick and effective communication and clarifications on urgent matters, especially when embedded seamlessly within the reservation process (chat or voice). The most successful organizations find themselves trying to acquire their target guest time, not just their discretionary spend. COVID 19 has significantly changed the travel and tourism industry, which has transformed the role of contact centers. Customers need to have up-to-date information about the pandemic, safety measures, and requirements. Customer care platforms must collect the most current information, regulations, and policies to ensure that the customers are safe and in compliance with local laws. Restrictions on movement have made it necessary for customers to conduct business online and utilize contact centers when they face complexities (Zito et al., 2018). The travel and tourism industry continues to experience changes that could also transform the role of contact. COVID 19 brought a paradigm shift in how people travel. Providers have recognized the problem and are working to better integrate contact centers as part of the customer service function. Efficiency in the industry requires adaptation to changes, where contact centers play the most critical role in providing precise, knowledgeable, and customer centered assistance. Trends in the Reservation Systems The reservation system has also experienced changes due to the influences of different generations. There are different reservation systems adopted in the travel and tourism industry. Some of the channels include hotel websites, online travel agents, central reservation offices, global distribution systems, and hotel walk-ins or phone reservations. The emergence of mobile devices and smart technologies have transformed how customers make reservations through online systems. The development of mobile applications offers a real-time medium for customers to observe the seats or rooms available for booking. The application has integrated features that also facilitate payment processing of receipt with ease. Technology continues to change and transform the travel and hotel reservation system as innovation changes different aspects of the service journey, however, immediate person-to-person contact remains the most efficient means of contact across all generations. OTA channels represent about 24% of all online distribution in the reservation in the North American market. Direct contact centers can provide an organization the same personalized customer care, at a fraction of the price. The digital revolution has transformed the travel and tourist industry. There has been a surge in the number of online travel agents, which is a major component of the innovation in the sales and distribution of rooms. Agents can list rooms available for rent and offer support services to facilitate booking. Travel agencies have been critical because they provide variety and offer a platform to compare services. It is referred to as a sharing economy involving selling underutilized capacity through coordinated means on the internet. These travel agents can charge a commission of 20-25% for the reservations they book. Currently, online travel agents represent about 24% of all online distribution in the reservation in the North American market. Direct contact centers can provide an organization the same personalized customer care, at a fraction of the price. This arrangement depends on the contact centers ability to provide instantaneous communication and real-time engagement with customers (Sharma et al., 2020). The digital revolution has transformed the role of contact centers because they have become the primary tool of engaging customers before they arrive on site. Purchasing patterns of millennials and generation X have led to a social media revolution with outstanding implications on the distribution and marketing of the travel and tourism industry. Digital advertising has become the largest platform for promoting services in the travel and hospitality industry. Facebook has become one of the leading mediums, with 79% of all advertisements channeled through the platform in 2018. The demographic characteristics of millennials and gen X make social media and online platforms the best avenue to advertise. They are tech-savvy, understand different applications, and are interested in smart OTA channels represent about 24% of all online distribution in the reservation in the North American market. Direct contact centers can provide an organization the same personalized customer care, at a fraction of the price. technologies (Monaco, 2018). Digitization has transformed practice in the travel and tourism industry and enabled providers to reach a larger customer base, for example, 97% of millennials share photos and other information about their experiences when they travel. The younger generations have also recorded the highest level of adoption of online reservation and booking systems has pushed the proportion of online reservations to 84% of the total (Kutschera, 2021). Digitization of the reservation system has transformed the role of contact centers because they connect the organization to customers. Older generations such as the Baby boomers consider the telephone reservation system a reliable method of making a reservation. Direct booking (walk-ins and phone reservations) forms a huge proportion of all reservations, representing 49%. The diversity of booking mediums enables organizations in the industry to reach more people and helps in promoting efforts to penetrate the market. Conclusion Contact centers offer support to assist customers and solve online and digital service experience problems. Customers lack the patience to wait for a problem to be solved and often require an instant solution. Contact center agents can provide clarifications and advising, process requests for orders, and provide technical assistance, while creating a positive guest experience. Contact centers provide strategic benefits because they provide one of the most relevant avenues of engaging customers. Professional contact center representatives are aware of the appropriate language and have the technical ability to understand the needs and preferences of customers. For that reason, they support enhancing the satisfaction of customers. Contact centers operate around the clock and ensure that customers can engage the organization, solve any issue, make the necessary inquiries, and offer advice to customers. References Kutschera, S. (2021). Travel trends that will drive the tourism industry in 2019. Track Soft. Retrieved 22 July 2021 Manoukian, J. (2019). The Ultimate List of Travel Statistics for 2019 & 2020. Crowdriff.com. Retrieved 22 July 2021 https://crowdriff.com/resources/blog/travel-statistics https://crowdriff.com/resources/blog/travel-statistics Monaco, S. (2018). Tourism and the new generations: emerging trends and social implications in Italy. Journal of Tourism Futures, 4(1), 7-15. https://doi.org/10.1108/jtf-12-2017-0053 https://doi.org/10.1108/jtf-12-2017-0053 Nazli, M. (2020). Customer Representatives Competence of Call Center Employees: An Exploratory Study. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism. https://doi.org/10.31822/jomat.671224 https://doi.org/10.31822/jomat.671224 Sharma, S., Singh, G., & Pratt, S. (2020). Does Consumers Intention to Purchase Travel Online Differ Across Generations? Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 24. https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v24i0.2751 https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v24i0.2751 Slivar, I., Aleric, D., & Dolenec, S. (2019). Leisure travel behavior of generation Y & Z at the destination and post-purchase. E-Journal of Tourism, 147. https://doi.org/10.24922/eot.v6i2.53470 https://doi.org/10.24922/eot.v6i2.53470 Zito, M., Emanuel, F., Molino, M., Cortese, C., Ghislieri, C., & Colombo, L. (2018). Turnover intentions in a call center: The role of emotional dissonance, job resources, and job satisfaction. PLOS ONE, 13(2), e0192126. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192126 View source 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. 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. For many of us, summer is a fun, exciting season. From out-of-town road trips to spending every weekend at the beach, theres always an adventure to look forward to. However, summer can also still be a bummer for some, especially those who have to stay home and endure the effects of the ever-rising temperatures. Thankfully, you can still enjoy summer while staying at home by having an efficient air conditioning unit to keep you and the whole family cool and comfortable, all season long. Choosing an energy-efficient air conditioning unit that works hard while saving you money is a must nowadays, especially if you are planning to keep your ACs on throughout the hot summer months. The best option? 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Easy maintenance and care Moreover, Samsung designed the S-Inverter with a Tri-Care Filter and equipped it with an Easy Filter Plus to better take care of you and your health. These filters ensure that dust particles, fibers, and dirt will be one less worry. Plus, cleaning your unit will not be a hassle. The Easy Filter Plus is placed strategically on the top of your S-inverter unit, making it easy to detach and clean. If you are still deciding whether to get an air conditioner that quickly cools while delivering big savings, or one that is designed with hygiene and safety in mind, Samsung has got the best of both worlds with the new S-inverter! Its time to upgrade to an air conditioner that is built for you and your ever-changing needs. The Samsung S-Inverter is now available through their online store (www.samsung.com/ph) and through authorized dealers and appliance stores. 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 }} Two people have been arrested for using an excavator to dig a hole in the Great Wall of China causing irreversible damage to one of Unescos world heritage sites, the state broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday. Local police in Shanxi province in China said in a statement that a 38-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman were accused of digging through the Great Wall in order to create a shortcut for their nearby construction work. Police said that a part of the wall of the Great Wall has been severely damaged. After the investigation, the police statement said that the suspects Zheng, 38, and Wang, 55 used excavators to dig the original opening of the ancient Great Wall into a large gap in order to save distance, so that excavators could pass through the gap. It caused irreversible damage to the integrity of the portion of the Great Wall and the safety of cultural relics. Local media said that the police in Yuyou County in Shanxi province apprehended the two suspects after receiving reports of the damage to the Great Wall on 24 August. The case is currently under investigation, the police said. It was reported that the damage occurred to a segment of the Great Wall dating back to the Ming dynasty (AD1368-1644), specifically known as the 32nd Great Wall. This section also includes a relatively well-preserved watchtower which is listed as a provincial cultural relic. Currently, the two suspects have been criminally detained in accordance with the law, and the case is continuing to be investigated, CCTV reported. The massive structure of the Great Wall has suffered from both natural wear and tear, as well as inadequate maintenance over time, according to CGTN. It says presently, only 8.2 per cent of the Great Wall constructed during the Ming Dynasty remains well preserved and a significant portion, three-quarters of it, is in poor condition, and approximately a third of the structure has even disappeared. The Great Wall of China measuring a total of 21,196.18km begins on the eastern coast and extends to the far western deserts, meandering through 404 towns in 15 provincial regions across northern and central China. 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 }} Police in Hong Kong on Tuesday were investigating allegations of rape of an 18-year-old Education University student at an orientation camp. A 28-year-old man has been accused of allegedly sexually assaulting a junior student at a joint university orientation camp in Yuen Long in July. The suspect is also allegedly involved in another incident of sexual harassment, where he has been accused of peeking into a third-year student's bath during a separate orientation camp held on Lantau Island last month. Both the women were students of the Education University. Authorities have classified the cases as rape and voyeurism but no arrests have been made so far, Radio Television Hong Kong reported. The incidents were condemned by Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu, who called the acts intolerable". "If there is any behaviour that is illegal or that infringes on the rights of others, schools must cooperate with law enforcement to ensure that we can deal with such conduct, Mr Lee said. "If such behaviour does not breach the law but is in conflict with campus regulation, schools have responsibility to ensure discipline," he added, according to South China Morning Post. The Education University on Tuesday said it would step up a task force to review the institute's management of student orientation camps in the wake of multiple sexual abuse allegations. The university added it was cooperating with the police investigation and would initiate disciplinary action as it had a "zero-tolerance" policy towards sexual harassment. Sammy Hui, the institution's dean of students, sent a letter to students and staff offering counselling services to those affected by the incident. I feel deeply saddened and disturbed, and wish to assure you that the university takes such matters, and their impact on students, extremely seriously, Mr Hui was quoted by SCMP as saying. A second-year University of Hong Kong student was earlier charged for allegedly sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman in an activity room at an orientation camp last month. 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 }} Hong Kong's top court has ruled in favour of recognising same-sex civil unions in a landmark verdict for the LGBTQ+ community, but stopped short of granting gay marriage rights. The Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal on Tuesday said the government was violating the city's Bill of Rights by failing to provide an "alternative legal framework" for recognition of same-sex unions to meet "basic social requirements". The court granted two years time to the city administration to ensure rights, such as access to hospitals and inheritance, in an effort to protect same-sex couples. Same-sex couples also need to "have a sense of legitimacy which dispels any sense of them belonging to an inferior class of person whose committed and stable relationships are undeserving of recognition", the panel of judges, including chief justice Andrew Cheung, wrote. However, the court refused to grant equal marriage rights to gay couples. The court "unanimously dismisses the appeal in relation" to same-sex marriage and recognition of foreign same-sex marriage, it said. The ruling comes following a five-year legal battle fought by jailed pro-democracy activist Jimmy Sham, who had appealed to the government in 2018 for recognition of overseas same-sex marriages. Mr Sham, 36, married his partner in New York in 2013 and twice lost in lower courts after launching his bid for the Asian financial hub to recognise overseas same-sex marriages. The activist is one of the 47 democrats charged under China's national security law over an unofficial primary election held in 2020. The judges suspended a declaration that the city administration's lack of an alternative legal framework had violated Mr Sham's rights, allowing the government two years to make further submissions. Detained activist Jimmy Sham, center, leaves a prison van to enter the Court of Final Appeal (AP) Judges Roberto Ribeiro and Joseph Fok noted that same-sex couples face "real difficulties in many situations". "Problems like these have unsatisfactorily led to recurrent approaches to the courts asking them to deal with each controversy on a case-by-case basis," they wrote. "The absence of legal recognition has been seen to be essentially discriminatory and demeaning to same-sex couples." Lawyers and activists say the court ruling would have a far-reaching impact on the LGBTQ+ community and force the city administration to create legal regime to allow smoother inheritance and insurance options as well as tax allowances, among other rights. Jerome Yau, co-founder of Hong Kong Marriage Equality, said the ruling marked a "major development" for the community for the recognition of same-sex marriage. Given all the considerations, and what the court majority has said, I think this is a major step forward and it is a good thing, he told the Hong Kong Free Press. The ruling isn't a victory for the appellant but is a victory for the community, said Azan Marwah, a legal advisor for Hong Kong Marriage Equality. The easiest thing for the city administration to do was provide same-sex marriage in substance by amending the relevant legislation, he told the newspaper. Mr Marwah suggested that Hong Kong authorities could follow the "comprehensive and sensible" legislation put in place in England. Mainland China decriminalised homosexuality in 1997, and in 2001, removed it from its list of mental illnesses, but same-sex marriage is not recognised and no official legal protections exist. Recent surveys in 2023 found 60 per cent of the respondents in Hong Kong supported same-sex marriage, a 38 per cent rise since 2013. 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 }} Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday embarked on a four-day "state visit" to Eswatini the island's only remaining ally in Africa amid escalating pressure from China. The president is visiting the country of 1.1 million people in southern Africa to "celebrate the friendship between the two countries". Ms Tsai will be in Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, from 5-7 September for the 55th anniversary of the country's independence, while marking 55 years of bilateral relations. She last visited the land-locked nation in 2018. Calling Eswatini a "familiar old friend", Ms Tsai said, "Not only will Taiwan's footsteps to the world not stop, we will continue to move forward more firmly and self-confidently, so that the world can see Taiwan's steady force for good. Taiwan has provided large amounts of aid to the small southern African country ruled by an absolute monarchy, including in 2021 antiviral medication to help King Mswati III recover from Covid-19. Accompanied by economy minister, Wang Mei-hua, the president will fly directly to the African nation without stopping anywhere, unlike her previous visit to Latin America which required transits via the US. China claims Taiwan is obliged to reunite with the mainland, if necessary by force, despite the island being self-ruled since its split in 1949. Beijing also frowns at Taiwan's diplomatic ties with foreign nations, which have reduced over the years with Taipei's once allies cowing to China's pressure. Taiwan maintains official diplomatic relations with just 13 sovereign nations almost all small less developed countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific, like Belize and Nauru. China has managed to poach nine countries since Ms Tsai took office in 2016, with Honduras being the latest to switch recognition to Beijing in March. Beijing demands its allies agree to its One China principle, which claims that Taiwan is a part of the People's Republic of China. "Diplomacy is the accumulation of step by step, Ms Tsai said on Tuesday. Hinting at diplomatic expansion, she added that Taiwans steps onto the globe will not stop. While the US does not officially recognises Taiwan as a sovereign nation, it maintains a robust relationship with the island. Earlier this month, Washington for the first time approved a direct transfer of $80m military aid to Taiwan under the Foreign Military Financing, which is a programme reserved for sovereign states. However, Washington in a statement claimed the assistance does not imply any recognition of the sovereignty of Taiwan. 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 }} India could officially be renamed Bharat by the Narendra Modi government, according to recent reports that have been fueled by invites for the G20 summit that asked people to join the President of Bharat for dinner. Various Indian media reports suggest Mr Modis ruling Hindu nationalist government is looking to change the countrys name during an upcoming special session of parliament, though this has not been confirmed by officials. A new official document calling Mr Modi the prime minister of Bharat added to swirling rumours that the country could get a name change. On Wednesday, photos emerged of the document on Mr Modis current visit to Indonesia, just two days before India plays host to scores of foreign leaders in its capital New Delhi for the high-profile G20 summit. In recent years the Modi administration has steadily chipped away at the legacies of former governments and leaders, changing names of official landmarks and buildings of national importance, while the prime minister says India has left behind former rulers Britain in a move to break away from the countrys colonial past. Some senior BJP figures have welcomed the rumoured name change, while it has been met with a backlash and derision from opposition politicians across India. What is India officially called? The official name for the country is mentioned in the Indian Constitution as India, that is Bharat that shall be a Union of states. The Indian Constitution was written and made public in 1951 and the issue had been heavily debated after India gained independence as well, in 1947. Nehru, also a historian, had said in his book, Discovery of India: Often, as I wandered from meeting to meeting, I spoke to my audiences of this India of ours, of Hindustan and of Bharata, the old Sanskrit name derived from the mythical founders of the race. He had mentioned the three most popular names Hindustan, India and Bharat with their own roots, geographical and historical relevance to the country. All the official documents for the country in English carry the name India when referring to the Republic, its ministries, domestic and foreign correspondence, and describe government figures as Indian leaders. Valid identity cards like passports and voting cards use the term India as the official marker of citizenship. But documents published in Hindi, which alongside English is one of Indias 22 official languages, say Bharat instead of India. Where do the names India and Bharat come from? The earliest records used to identify the country reveal the usage of Bharat, Bharata or Bharatvarsha. These commonly used terms have found a place in the Constitution alongside India. Bharat, a Sanskrit name for the country, comes from ancient Puranic literature and also from one of the two major epics of India the Mahabharata in which Indians are believed to be the descendants of king Bharat, a mythical figure Hindus claim had started the Indian race. Many historians believe it dates back to early Hindu texts. The word also means India in Hindi. The name India traces its origins to the river Indus (now Sindhu), and closely-related words have been used to refer to the subcontinent as a whole for many centuries, dating back to the Ancient Greek historians. The English form India gained greater relevance when the country was ruled by the British from the late 18th century onwards, and was prominently used in historical maps. After gaining freedom, the countrys new leaders did not do away with the usage, but incorporated it in official documents. Who is calling for Bharat to be used? After centuries of the country being known as India both inside and outside its borders, the Modi administration is reported to be pushing for the name change. Right-wing political leaders from Mr Modis BJP insist India was introduced by British colonialists, is a symbol of slavery and argue that a name change is an effort to reclaim Indias Hindu past. Several of Mr Modis ministers have dropped India from their social media bios and replaced it with Bharat in the past few weeks. A number of officials in Mr Modis party have openly called for the country to be referred to only as Bharat, without explaining how official documents, prominent national buildings, hospitals, colleges and universities using India in their name will be renamed. Several right-wing leaders of the ruling party cheered on the possible use of Bharat as the only official name for the country on Tuesday, after photos widely shared across social media showed an official invite for Indias G20 summit asking foreign dignitaries to join the President of Bharat with no mention of India on the card. Recent media reports about a special session of the Indian parliament, coupled with the photo of the invite, have also sparked rumours that BJP is planning to use the rare session to announce its intention to officially rename the country. Why is it in the news now? Calls for the name change have occasionally been made for several years now, but the conversation around the topic has exploded after photos widely shared across social media showed an official invite for Indias G20 summit asking foreign dignitaries to join the President of Bharat for dinner, with no mention of India on the card. But this also comes just weeks after the countrys opposition leaders formed an alliance bloc called INDIA short for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance in a bid to remove Mr Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from power in elections next year. The opposition bloc says it wants to protect India and its democracy from a government pushing a Hindu majoritarian agenda, to the detriment of the countrys religious minorities including more than 200 million Muslims. 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 }} An official invite for Indias G20 summit has fuelled rumours that the government is considering changing the countrys name to the Hindi word Bharat. Photos widely shared across social media showed the invite, meant for foreign dignitaries landing in New Delhi this week, with the words President of Bharat emblazoned on it instead of the usual President of India. The President of Bharat requests the pleasure of the company of (names) at dinner on Saturday at 2000 hrs, the invite says. So the news is indeed true, posted former minister and opposition Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on X. Rashtrapati Bhawan [the Presidential Palace] has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on September 9th in the name of President of Bharat instead of the usual President of India. The term Bharat is colloquially used to describe India in the Hindi language and has its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language. The political debate over the official usage of Bharat has only grown since prime minister Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist government came to power in 2014 and there are recent unconfirmed reports that Mr Modi might finally push to officially change the countrys name in all instances. Recent media reports about a special session of the Indian parliament, coupled with the photo of the invite, have also sparked rumours that Mr Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is planning to use the session to announce its intention to officially rename the country. A resolution to that effect could be taken up by the BJP in the upcoming special session, in which the usual question hour will not take place, which is slated for 18-22 September, officials said last week. The special session marks a departure from the existing format of the three parliament sessions that are currently held. Some senior BJP figures have welcomed the rumours, with the chief minister of the BJP-led Assam state, Himanta Biswa Sarma, changing his location on X to Assam, BHARAT. Rumours of the name change come just weeks after Indias opposition leaders made an effort to rebrand themselves and call their bloc INDIA, or the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, ahead of crucial elections next year. The use of the countrys name as an acronym for the opposition coalition which includes almost all major regional leaders in a united front against the ruling party was met with a strong backlash from the BJP, including Mr Modi. In turn, opposition figures who are part of the INDIA bloc criticised the idea of changing the countrys name unilaterally, saying it does not belong to one political party, but to billions of citizens. While there is no constitutional objection to calling India Bharat, which is one of the countrys two official names, I hope the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with India, which has incalculable brand value built up over centuries, said Congress party leader Shashi Tharoor. If an alliance of some parties become INDIA, would they [BJP] change the name of the country? The country belongs to 140 crore people, not to a party. Lets assume if the India alliance renames itself as Bharat, would they rename Bharat as BJP then? Whats this joke? questioned Delhis chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, another leading opposition figure. While Bharat and India are both official words to refer to the country, the preamble to the Indian Constitution starts with: We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. The term India has been used since independence from British rule in 1947, by government ministries, top schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, educational institutions and airports. 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 Narendra Modi addressed the G20s foreign ministers at a gathering in Delhi earlier this year, he urged the worlds top diplomats to rise above their countries differences and build consensus. Citing Indias chosen theme of One Earth, One Family, One Future, he called upon member states to work together to achieve common and concrete objectives. That meeting, like every other ministerial meeting of Indias G20 so far, ended without a joint statement. Now, with prime ministers and presidents descending on New Delhi for this weekends leaders summit, India faces the very real prospect of presiding over the first G20 ever to fail to agree a leaders communique. Analysts say India has faced a seemingly insurmountable task in bridging the gap between Western nations on one side and allies Russia and China on the other, with their differences over the Ukraine war having only widened throughout the year since India assumed the G20 presidency. Nonetheless, the Indian government has invested a huge amount of time and money in presenting this G20 as the moment when the country takes on a leadership role on the world stage, with Modi himself as the Vishwaguru or global teacher providing a voice for the whole developing world. Preparations for Delhi to host the high-stakes summit on 9 and 10 September are in their final stages, with a beautification drive targeting unsightly open rubbish dumps and webs of hanging electrical wires, street dogs and monkeys temporarily driven out of the city centre, and new walls erected to obscure the view of slums and congested neighbourhoods. A sprawling new convention centre, Bharat Mandapan, has been built in the heart of the national capital at the cost of Rs 27bn (250m) to host dignitaries and media delegations from across the world. Behind closed doors, Indian officials are preparing for what will be Modis biggest diplomatic challenge yet. Indias foreign minister insisted in a recent interview that the government is still hopeful of agreeing a Delhi Declaration this weekend, with S Jaishankar telling NDTV he was very confident that among G20 member states there will be a shared interest in coming out with a common solution and a common statement about all the key problems in the world during the summit. The world today is in a far more worrisome state than it has been. In such a situation, the G20 president should not just be a neutral country but also one that commands respect. That country is India today, he said. The G20 began in 1999 in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis and India says this years summit is a huge opportunity at a time when global growth is projected to fall to 3 per cent, while more than 50 countries across the world face debt crises. Yet, the economic forum is being overshadowed by the geopolitical fallout of Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine, and objections over the wording of joint communiques when it comes to the conflict have impacted all this years G20 meetings and working groups so far. Instead of joint statements, India has been issuing a chairmans summary after each event, outlining what was discussed. If this weekends summit only ends in a similar chairmans summary it would be seen as an embarrassment for India, says Rand Corporation analyst Derek Grossman but hardly a surprise. It is mostly, if not entirely, a failure of the G20 format rather than Indias failure, he tells The Independent. It would be stunning if India succeeds in issuing a joint statement despite all the challenges. My sense of it is that India is really trying hard to hash something out, because they know that it would be kind of an embarrassment, although a very predictable embarrassment, to the G20 platform [if they fail], he says. The forum has a track record for producing surprising displays of unity in spite of strong undercurrents of global disagreement. Australias summit in 2014 managed a joint communique in 2014 shortly after Russia illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula, a move which was widely condemned by the Western world. That joint statement simply avoided mentioning Crimea, and there was even a family photo with all leaders including Putin. Last years summit, under Indonesias presidency, remarkably came to an 11th-hour consensus on a joint statement, despite Russia dropping missiles on key Ukrainian infrastructure even as world leaders sat down for dinner. Putin did not attend that gathering, and a carefully-worded Bali Declaration noted that most members, but not all, strongly condemned Russias invasion of Ukraine. India, which according to the White House played a key role in producing last years joint communique, had been hoping to gloss over the Ukraine issue by having members repeat their agreement to the Bali Declaration. Migrant labourers climb over a wall, newly painted in preparation of the G20 summit, in New Delhi, India (AP) But Russia and China have said that what they signed up to in Indonesia is no longer acceptable because the increased involvement of Western nations in arming and training the Ukrainian military has changed the status quo on the ground. Modis government has had remarkable success in walking a tightrope of non-alignment between historical ally Russia and Western partners like the US and UK, but while this might work for justifying New Delhis own increased imports of cheap Russian oil, it is proving a lot trickier to navigate in multilateral forums. Harsh V Pant, vice-president for studies and foreign policy at the Observer Research Foundation in Delhi, says that while this might be the first G20 summit to end without a joint communique, going forward one can safely assume that this is going to be the norm rather than the exception. The world is entering into a phase where major power contestation is becoming the norm. So it is safe to assume that the G20 cannot remain immune from that process, he tells The Independent. If China and the West are looking at the world [through] different lenses and this is permeating economic aspects, then its fair to assume that that is going to happen. This is, of course, about Russia and the West, he adds. Modi will have to lead from the front to make the G20 a success in other ways, Pant suggests. Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin have remained close despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine (AFP via Getty) While many countries focus remains on Ukraine, India is staking its G20 legacy on its position as a champion for the global South, saying it wants to be a voice for the aspirations of developing and underdeveloped countries in Asia as well as Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. One key agenda point being pushed by India is the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the grouping, similar to the EUs role now. It is a test of Modis credibility among other leaders as to whether they will go along with India in projecting the summit as a success, with or without a joint statement, if progress can be made on other agenda items, according to Hamdullah Baycar from Exeter University. Indias priority is not to have joint discussions on the table at all but rather to present the Delhi Summit as a platform where issues regarding the global South were discussed, most importantly the membership of the African Union, he says. A joint declaration will be a victory for him, while a lack of it will situate him as an ordinary leader, not a problem solver or a leader of the global South. Along with changes in the Ukraine conflict, the big difference between this year and Indonesias summit in 2022 is the role of China. There are concerns that Beijing would be happy to see the G20 fall flat while it is hosted by its rival Asian giant and one which it has been engaged in an active border conflict with since 2020. China has now confirmed President Xi will not be travelling to Delhi and that it will instead be represented by prime minister Li Qiang, a downgrading of Beijings involvement that Grossman says sends a worrisome message. He says China may well find other ways to undermine its rivals hosting of the summit and thereby its emergence as a leader on the global stage. Pant echoes these concerns, saying that China may arguably pose a bigger problem to the group than Russia given its status as the biggest economic power in the world after the US. [Beijing] can create more problems [for India]. Or it might just be happy with the fact there is already one problem the Russia-Ukraine war that will not allow it to be a grand success. Russia confirmed some weeks ago that Putin will also not be attending the summit this weekend, a decision that India might have hoped would allow it to maintain its Ukraine balancing act and move the focus onto other issues. But Grossman argues Indias position is increasingly becoming untenable as the Ukraine war drags on and becomes ever more consequential for the rest of the world. If India does not take a stand in a situation when Russia goes Hitleresque across Europe or threatens nuclear war, then history will be very harsh on India for not making the right decision, he says. Putting national interest first is OK but values-based judgement matters in geopolitics. I feel like New Delhi is playing with fire. 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 }} Chinas ban on Japanese seafood after the release of treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant was totally unacceptable, Japan told the World Trade Organization on Monday. The statement from the foreign ministry comes as prime minister Fumio Kishida announced an emergency fund of $141m for exporters hit by Chinas restriction. The release of the treated wastewater into the ocean, which began on 24 August and is expected to continue for decades, has been strongly opposed by fishing groups and by neighboring countries. China immediately banned all imports of Japanese seafood in response. The move was aimed at preventing the risk of radioactive contamination of food safety caused by Japans Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water discharge, and to protect the health of Chinese consumers, the Chinese customs department said in a statement. However, the Japanese government defended the decision saying that the measure was necessary for the extensive work spanning decades aimed at decommissioning the facility. Despite assurances by Japan and the approval of a two-year International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) investigation which deemed the water safe to release, several neighbouring countries expressed scepticism over the plan. The chief executive of Hong Kong, John Lee, criticised the release as irresponsible, saying that it posed impossible risks to food safety and the irreparable pollution and destruction of the marine environment. In an apparent effort to show that it is safe to consume seafood from the area, Mr Kishida ate fish from Fukushima fish sashimi at a lunch meeting last week. apan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, front left, tries a seafood at Toyosu fish market in Tokyo Thursday, 31 August 2023 (Kyodo News) Earlier last week, some Japanese officials had signaled the country may file a WTO complaint against China over the ban, which the US ambassador to Japan said the United States would support. Japan will explain the safety of the released water at diplomatic forums, including the Asean Summit in Indonesia and G20 Summit in India this month, chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters today. "Nothing is decided about a Japan-China leaders meeting," added Mr Matsuno, Tokyos top government spokesperson. Japanese prime minister and Chinas premier Li Qiang will attend the Asean and G20 summits, while Chinese president Xi Jinping is skipping both conferences. Chinese trade restrictions have affected Japanese seafood exporters even before the release began, with shipment held at customs for weeks. Prices of scallops, sea cucumbers and other seafood popular in China have plunged. The ban has affected prices and sales of seafood from places as far away from Fukushima as the northern island of Hokkaido, home to many scallop growers. Mainland China is the biggest overseas market for Japanese seafood, accounting for 22.5 per cent of the total business, making a ban a major blow for the industry. This picture taken on 20 January 2023 shows the reactor unit no. 1 building of the Tokyo Electric Power Companys (Tepco) Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, in Okuma of Fukushima prefecture (AFP via Getty Images) Mr Kishida said the emergency fund is in addition to $547m that the government previously allocated to support fisheries and seafood processing and combat damage to the reputation of Japanese products. We will protect the Japanese fisheries industry at all costs, Mr Kishida said, asking people to help out by serving more seafood at dinner tables and other ways. The money will be used to find new markets for Japanese seafood to replace China and fund government purchases of seafood for temporary freezing and storage. The government will also seek to expand domestic seafood consumption, while simultaneously cultivating new export destinations in Taiwan, US, Europe, the Middle East as wells as Southeast Asian countries. Additional reporting from the agencies For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Fears are growing over the health of Aung San Suu Kyi after a request for urgent medical care was denied by military authorities in Myanmar with her youngest son calling for the junta to reverse the callous and cruel decision regarding his mother. According to sources within the country, Ms Suu Kyi, 78, had been prescribed a number of medications by the doctor treating her, including for gum disease, which has left her unable to eat due to pain. Yet, a request for private medical care to treat Ms Suu Kyi who was imprisoned after her democratically-elected government was ousted in a military coup in 2021 has been denied despite it being made by prison authorities. Speaking to The Independent, Kim Aris has expressed deep concern about the consequences for his mother, saying that he believes Ms Suu Kyi has been experiencing bouts of vomiting and severe dizziness. He added that being unable to eat could put her life at risk. To deny a sick prisoner access to recommended medical care is callous and cruel, said Mr Aris, a British national. To the best of my knowledge, my mother has been vomiting and has severe dizziness as a result of her ill health. Urgent care has been recommended by prison authorities, but this has been denied by the military junta. Anyone who has such painful gum disease that they are unable to eat obviously has their entire health at risk if suitable treatment is denied, he added. Mr Aris wants his mother to be allowed to return to her home in Myanmars largest city Yangon formally known as Rangoon in order to be treated. I urge the authorities in Myanmar to relent and act in a humane way, he said. There were suggestions last month that Ms Suu Kyi could be placed under house arrest, after the military junta pardoned a number of cases against her as part of a wider amnesty. However, military authorities have not confirmed any such move and Ms Suu Kyi is still in prison. The continued detention of Ms Suu Kyi has sparked outrage from the international community. While authorities pardoned her over five of the 19 cases that the former leader faces, that merely brought down the number of years she faces in jail from 33 to 27. At her age, that is still effectively a life sentence. The slew of cases against Ms Suu Kyi is seen by both her supporters and officials in the West as trumped up, aimed at discrediting her in order to legitimise the militarys takeover, while also preventing the former leader from returning to politics. Myanmars supreme court is said to have declined requests by Ms Suu Kyis legal team for special appeals in the five cases in which she has been pardoned, saying that she has already been granted clemency. Ms Suu Kyis team is continuing with the appeals process in order to prove her innocence. Those five cases, the earliest convictions Ms Suu Kyi faced, include charges over allegedly violating coronavirus restrictions, illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies, as well as sedition. There are appeals in the works for a number of the other 14 cases that Ms Suu Kyi faces, although her legal team have faced a number of hurdles including not being able to meet with the former leader in person. Despite a number of requests to see Ms Suu Kyi, lawyers have not been unable to do so since December. Mr Aris said that it is heinous that his mother is facing such debilitating health issues on top of her unjust detention. To hold someone illegally in prison, a move condemned by the outside world, is compounded into further and heinous wrong when basic human rights are abrogated, he 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 }} Leaders around the world must pressure Myanmars military junta into providing immediate medical care for jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the countys government-in-exile has said. The National Unity Government (NUG), a coalition of all the political parties in Myanmar, including prominent pro-democracy figures and members of the former government of Ms Suu Kyis party, was responding to reporting by The Independent of growing concern over the health of Ms Suu Kyi. According to sources within Myanmar, Ms Suu Kyi, 78, had been prescribed a number of medications by the doctor treating her, including for gum disease, which has left her unable to eat due to pain. Yet, a request for treatment has been denied by the junta despite it being made by prison authorities. Kyaw Zaw, spokesperson for the NUG, said: The international community should pressure the junta for the healthcare and security of all the political detainees including Aung San Suu Kyi. Ms Suu Kyis youngest son, Kim Aris, has called her treatment by the military junta heinous and callous. Anyone who has such painful gum disease that they are unable to eat obviously has their entire health at risk if suitable treatment is denied, he told The Independent, saying that he believed his mother has been experiencing bouts of vomiting and severe dizziness. Mr Aris also called on military authorities to allow his mother to return to her home in Myanmars largest city Yangon formally known as Rangoon in order to be treated. Following the coup in February 2021, Ms Suu Kyi was arrested, initially being held at her official residence in the capital before being moved to an undisclosed location widely believed to be on an army base. She was transferred again, this time to prison, on 22 June 2022. While authorities recently pardoned Ms Suu Kyi over five of the 19 cases against her. that merely brought down the number of years she faces in jail from 33 to 27. At her age, that is still effectively a life sentence. The slew of cases against Ms Suu Kyi is seen by both her supporters and officials in the West as trumped up, aimed at discrediting her in order to legitimise the militarys takeover, while also preventing the former leader from returning to politics. Many governments, including the US and UK, have called for Ms Suu Kyis unconditional release, along with thousands of others who were detained in the juntas bloody crackdown on protests against its rule. Ms Suu Kyi spent 15 of the 21 years from 1989 to 2010 under house arrest, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her struggle for democracy. Ms Suu Kyi helped establish the countrys first civilian government in half a century after her party won a landslide in a 2015 election. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An estimated 70,000 Burners remained trapped at Burning Man on Monday, after tropical downpours turned the desert landscape into a muddy swamp. A deluge of rain in the Nevada desert has tested the annual bacchanals ethos of radical self-reliance like no other in its 35-year history. While services such as internet and wi-fi were gradually being restored, sodden roads remained too treacherous to pass for the beginning of the traditional Exodus from the festival on Sunday. Burners had been warned to conserve food and water and hunker down after the remnants of Tropical Storm Hilary brought up to three months of rain in a few hours over the weekend. Festival organisers said they expected to be opening the gates at 9am local time (12pm ET). Despite the challenging conditions, many festival goers were making the most of their prolonged stay. Heres a timeline of key events in the 2023 Burning Man. 21 August - Tropical Storm Hilary strikes The omens for a sodden festival began days before gates officially opened, when Tropical Storm Hilary slammed into California causing widespread flooding and damage. The unseasonal storm left the festival site in the Black Rock Desert covered in water, with the arid landscape unable to absorb the heavy rainwater. Organisers warned the thousands of attendees who turn up early to construct the desert encampment for build week that gates would remain closed until 23 August. Mud covers the ground at the site of the Burning Man festival (PAUL REDER via REUTERS) If you were planning to travel to BRC with a Work Access Pass before then, delay your plans, it said in a social media post. DO NOT drive to Gerlach, you will be turned around there are no rooms available. 23 August - Delayed set up begins Gates officially open to festival workers, allowing artists access to the five mile squared Black Rock City site to build this years centerpiece, the Temple of the Heart structure. Remember to drive safely, be aware of speed limits, and respect our neighbors. Engage those Communal Effort and Civic Responsibility muscles, the Burning Man Traffic social media account advised. Festivalgoers were warned to stock up on wet-weather gear and additional water and food. Some reported that the flooding seemed to have largely dissipated. 27 August - Gates open, with major logjam Gates officially open, and the majority of the tens of thousands of revellers begin to arrive. The average wait time at the gate is around two hours, according to festival organisers. Climate activists attempted to blockade the festival by tying themselves to a structure in the middle of road, causing a major logjam. A Pyramid Lake Paiute tribal ranger rammed his patrol vehicle through the protesters structure, and pulled his weapon on them. Protesters can be heard in clips posted to social media telling the ranger that they were unarmed and nonviolent. A double rainbow over the flooded Burning Man site (UGC/AFP via Getty Images) The tribes chairman, James J. Phoenix, later released a statement and said the ranger was using his patrol vehicle to clear debris out of the roadway after climate activists refused to leave. The rangers actions were under review, Mr Phoenix said. Seven Circles, the environmental group that had organised the demonstration, said the rangers actions excessive in a statement released to the Associated Press. The excessive response is a snapshot of the institutional violence and police brutality that is being shown to anyone who is actively working to bring about systemic change within the United States, including the climate movement, the statement said. The incident occurred on a remote highway on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe reservation in northwestern Nevada. 1 September - Months of rain fail in a single day The festival site is hit with 0.8 inches of rain in a space of 24 hours over the evening of 1 September and into the next day, the inclement weather a result of the long tail of Tropical Storm Hilary. This amounts to 2-3 months worth of rain. The dry desert ground turns into a quagmire, with up to a foot of thick mud making driving almost impossible and even walking treacherous for the festivals final weekend. Temperatures are much cooler than normal, dropping into the low 50s. All traffic to and from the festival is closed, and organisers place a ban on bicycles and buggies inside the camp and tell Burners to conserve food and water. Do not drive your vehicle. Do not ride your bike, do not push your bike around. Remain where you are, organisers warn. Secure structures and belongings in your camp. Dont operate generators or other electrically powered instruments that are standing in water. Cover or secure anything electrical. Check on your campmates and neighbors to make sure theyre OK, and help them as needed. Take advantage of a moment of calm to connect with campmates and hunker down. The Burning Man airport a few miles from the campsite is closed, grounding dozens of private aircraft. About 73,000 attendees are stuck inside the site, according to authorities. According to USA Today, toilet cleaning services are suspended and cell phone coverage is virtually non existent. The weather forces the cancellation of several large-scale effigy burnings. 2 September - Revellers look to escape Some hardy festival goers opt to take matters into their own hands and walk for miles through the mud to nearby pickup points. Among them are comedian Chris Rock and DJ Diplo, who posted a video to his Instagram account after they were given a lift by a passing truck. Just walked five miles in the mud out of Burning Man with Chris Rock and a fan picked us up, the music producer said in a social media post. https://twitter.com/diplo/status/1698095454544949421?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1698095454544949421%7Ctwgr%5Ee343eb64185db4e99cc37127a113b88440f8c9e7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-4900424192555199437.ampproject.net%2F2308181609000%2Fframe.html Festival organisers confirm the death of a 40-year-old man at the festival. His identity has not yet been released. Burning Man said in a statement that the death was unrelated to the weather. The death is under investigation by the Pershing County Sheriffs Office. An enormous double rainbow is sighted over Black Rock City. The Bureau of Land Management tells anyone headed to the festival to turn around and head home. Rain over the last 24 hours has created a situation that required a full stop of vehicle movement on the playa, the BLM said in a statement announcing the closure of access roads. More rain is expected over the next few days and conditions are not expected to improve enough to allow vehicles to enter the playa. Despite the difficult conditions, many Burners said they were continuing to party and share food, water and shelter. Radical self-reliance is one of the principles of Burning Man, longtime attendee Ed Fletcher told the Associated Press. The desert will try to kill you in some way, shape or form. The burning of the large Man effigy that normally occurs on Saturday night was postponed. 3 September - Thousands left trapped In a 9am update, Burning Man organisers say roads remain closed due to the mud and an uncertain weather front is approaching Black Rock City. Some vehicles with 4WD and all-terrain tires are able to navigate the mud and are successfully leaving. But we are seeing most other types of vehicles that try to depart getting stuck in the wet mud which hampers everyones Exodus. Those trapped at the festival try to make the most of the enforced delays, with bars and communal areas reportedly packed. In a post that evening, the festival says is trying to clean portable toilets and restore cell phone reception via mobile trailers. It also advises that rumours of a transmissible disease that were spreading on social media are unfounded. False claims of an ebola outbreak at the encampment had been circulating. Organisers said the Man wooden effigy burn was now scheduled for the evening of Monday 4 September, and the Chapel of Babel would burn at midnight. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Three major water companies allegedly broke the law by discharging sewage water on days of no rainfall in 2022, according to a report. The companies Thames Water, Wessex Water and Southern Water are accused of engaging in dry spilling, a prohibited practice of discharging sewage into rivers and seas during dry weather, following an investigation by BBC News. Pumping raw sewage into the environment is permitted only when firms are dealing with unusually heavy rainfall. But the investigation published on Tuesday says these three water companies collectively released sewage in dry spills for approximately 3,500 hours throughout 2022, in violation of their permits. Dry spilling is banned because it can lead to higher concentrations of sewage in waterways, posing environmental and health risks. Without rainwater, the sewage remains undiluted, leading to issues such as the growth of algae, which can produce toxins that can be fatal to pets and pose a health risk to swimmers, Dr Linda May, a water ecologist at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, told the broadcaster. The companies allegedly initiated dry spills 388 times in 2022, even during periods of drought and on the hottest day on record, 19 July 2022, when temperatures exceeded 40C in some regions. Water UK, the industry body, has called for an investigation into these allegations. Last year, an analysis by campaign group Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) found that the law prohibiting dry spilling had been ignored by several water companies with 146 dry spills detected from October 2021 to September 2022. The research published in 2022 found Southern Water responsible for four times as many dry spills as the next worst offender, South West Water. The new BBC report alleges that instances of these illegal operations are three times higher than the Environment Agencys records. An anonymous EA worker told the BBC that there was a firm link between the agencys failure to identify and investigate dry spills and budget cuts and staff losses. The officer told BBC the agency was increasingly relying on water companies to report their own dry spill incidents because of these cuts, the report said. We are committed to increasing our regulatory presence to hold the water companies to account, the Environment Agency was quoted as saying. Southern Waters head of wastewater operations, John Penicud, told The Independent that so called dry spills are a complex issue and the company was required to report incidents as spills even when they were caused by rising groundwater entering pipes. We work with the Environment Agency and stakeholders to cut these so-called dry spills and all forms of water and wastewater releases, he said. A Thames Water spokesperson said: There are a number of methodologies for defining and calculating why and how dry day spills occur. The Environment Agencys methodology for calculating dry day spills is still being determined and we will continue to work with our regulators as they define this. We regard all discharges of untreated sewage as unacceptable, and we have planned investment in our sewage treatment works... Stopping discharges altogether will take time and sustained investment, however each step we take on this journey is a move in the right direction. A spokesperson for Wessex Water noted that the new report only focuses on three major companies because other water companies refused to provide information. The company said three spills identified by the BBC were due to rising groundwater and therefore legal. It described such incidents as a known issue that is being fixed as part of the industrys 10bn investment programme. It contested the claims on other spills, although the BBC said these were based on its own data. 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 }} Is it love at first sight? Do you often speak in a high-pitched voice when looking into your furry friends big eyes? Well, there may be a reason for that. New scientific research that explores communication between humans and animals has found that a womans vocal pitch increases when addressing dogs with larger eyes. In a paper called The Puss in Boots Effect: Dog Eye Size Influences Pet-directed Speech in Women, researchers confirmed that pet-directed speech (PDS) is consistent with the way people speak to babies this is known as infant-directed speech. So, if you find yourself baby-talking your pets, it may be a sign of your love for those precious furballs due to their sweet infant-like eyes. The study conducted by a group of scientists from the University of Lincoln, UK, the University of Sussex, the University of Saint-Etienne and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in the US, noted that: The retention of juvenile features in adult mammals, means dogs with larger eyes tend to elicit an increase in the pitch range of womens voices. There are many reasons why people speak directly to their pets, this includes engaging the attention of dogs, fostering a social bond and evoking caregiving behaviours in the owner, the paper said. In order to understand this better, the team of researchers conducted a speech test with 21 male and 24 female participants to assess the pitch used when addressing images of dogs whose eye size had been manipulated to increase or decrease from their breed baseline. More than 400 people were also asked to rate the sex, age and cuteness of the images they had seen of these dogs in an online survey. The results of the study confirmed that large eyes in dogs induced pet-directed speech in women but not men. The female participants also rated dogs with a 30 per cent larger eye size as younger than dogs with apparently smaller eyes. Holly Root-Gutteridge, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Lincoln, said the results show the way men respond differently to cuteness, even at an unconscious level, as men responded less to the changes in eye size than women. It also confirms that as humans, we do respond more to the perceived youthfulness of animals, Dr Root-Gutteridge added. Jemma Forman, a doctoral researcher at the University of Sussex, also discussed the uncanny valley effect and how if the eyes are too big, it can be quite unsettling for people. The uncanny valley phenomenon can be described as an eerie feeling that some people get in response to not-quite-human figures. This may be a robot, for example, or maybe even computer-generated figures. Women increase the range of their voices when viewing bigger eye sizes. Conversely, when the eye size becomes too big and looks out-of-place, an uncanny valley effect takes over in which the dogs become overall less pleasant and more unsettling to view, Dr Forman said. Therefore, women speak with a less exaggerated vocal range to the dogs with large, uncanny eye sizes. This effect is more obvious in breeds such as the pug or Pomeranian, breeds of dog who already have relatively large eyes for their head size. Raffaela Lesch, assistant professor in zoology and bioacoustics at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, said: When analysing the acoustic data of all participants, it was impressive to discover how strongly certain participants modulated their voices. During interactions with dogs, we cant really help it but use this very specific type of speech and it is very similar to the type of speech we use around little kids. 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 }} Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep can be an early sign of Alzheimers disease, a vicious cycle that can accelerate harmful changes to the brain. As a way of possibly breaking this cycle, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis conducted a two-night study on 38 participants aged 45 to 65 with no cognitive impairments. Participants who took a sleeping pill before bed experienced a drop in the levels of key Alzheimers proteins which is a positive sign, since higher levels of such proteins track with worsening disease. The sleeping pill, known as suvorexant, which has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is used to aid insomnia and hints the potential of sleep medications to slow or stop the progression of Alzheimers disease, although much more work is needed to confirm the viability of such an approach, a press release by the university said. Suvorexant belongs to a class of insomnia medications known as dual orexin receptor antagonists. Orexin is a natural biomolecule that promotes wakefulness and when orexin is blocked, people fall asleep. This is a small, proof-of-concept study. It would be premature for people who are worried about developing Alzheimers to interpret it as a reason to start taking suvorexant every night, said senior author Brendan Lucey, MD, an associate professor of neurology and director of Washington Universitys Sleep Medicine Center. We dont yet know whether long-term use is effective in staving off cognitive decline, and if it is, at what dose and for whom. Still, these results are very encouraging. This drug is already available and proven safe, and now we have evidence that it affects the levels of proteins that are critical for driving Alzheimers disease, Professor Lucey added. In their latest study, Professor Lucey and the team wanted to see if improving sleep with the aid of sleeping pills could lower levels of tau and amyloid-beta in the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord. Thirteen people were given a lower dose (10 mg) of suvorexant, 12 people were given a higher dose (20 mg) of suvorexant, and 13 were given a placebo. The participants then proceeded to sleep at 9pm in a clinical research unit at Washington University. Scientists then withdrew a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid via spinal tap every two hours for 36 hours. Researchers started one hour before the sleeping aid or placebo was administered, to measure how amyloid and tau levels changed over the next day and a half. For people who received a higher dose of suvorexant, amyloid levels dropped 10 per cent to 20 per cent and levels of a key form of tau known as hyperphosphorylated tau dropped 10 per cent to 15 per cent compared to people who had received a placebo. This showed that there was not a significant difference between the people who received a low dose of suvorexant and those who received the placebo. When the study hit 24 hours after the first dose, hyperphosphorylated tau levels had increased while amyloid levels remained low in the high-dose group compared to the placebo group. Once participants were given their second dose of suvorexant, on the second night, this sent the levels of both proteins down again for people in the high-dose group. If we can lower amyloid every day, we think the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain will decrease over time, Professor Lucey said. And hyperphosphorylated tau is very important in the development of Alzheimers disease because its associated with forming tau tangles that kill neurons. If you can reduce tau phosphorylation, potentially there would be less tangle formation and less neuronal death. Professor Lucey and the team have further studies underway to assess the longer-term effects of orexin inhibitors in people at higher risk of dementia. Future studies need to have people taking these drugs for months, at least, and measuring the effect on amyloid and tau over time. Were also going to be studying participants who are older and may still be cognitively healthy, but who already have some amyloid plaques in their brains. This study involved healthy middle-aged participants; the results may be different in an older population, Professor Lucey said. Im hopeful that we will eventually develop drugs that take advantage of the link between sleep and Alzheimers to prevent cognitive decline, he continued. Were not quite there yet. At this point, the best advice I can give is to get a good nights sleep if you can, and if you cant, to see a sleep specialist and get your sleep problems treated. In 2020, as many as 5.8 million Americans were living with Alzheimers disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There is still a lot that remains undiscovered with Alzheimers disease and the CDC says there is likely not one single cause but rather several factors that can affect people differently. Some of the warning signs of Alzheimers may be memory loss, difficulty with completing tasks, misplacing things or being unable to retrace steps and mood changes. The study was published on 20 April in Annals of Neurology. 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 }} Who remembers short-lived, salon-based reality show Celebrity Scissorhands? It had celebrities working in a salon? Mid-Noughties era? OK, nobody, fine it changed my life regardless of its relative obscurity. One contestant, Sabrina Washington from R&B girl group Mis-Teeq, was challenged to wax the most armpits in five minutes and a mate lulled me into being one of the waxees. To maximise Sabrinas chances, producers put the fairest, blondest, most pluckable volunteers at the front. They put me dead last. With 45 seconds left, they shoved me in, a knackered Sabrina applied a waxy spatula to my pit and then the buzzer went. Fair play to her: she kindly completed the process once the stunt had ended and Ive been grateful to Sabrina from Mis-Teeq ever since, because it acted as the gateway to the world of waxing Id always secretly wanted. I am in the (roughly) half of the population of men who feel like theyre too hairy. I have an Iranian mum and a dad whose hair miraculously didnt fall out during chemotherapy. I come from hairy stock, in other words. None of this is a sin, yet since my early thirties, Ive felt my smattering of body hair to be utterly shameful. Why wouldnt I? After all, one survey of women between 18 and 44 suggested that 90 per cent found a hairy back unattractive, while another said 61 per cent of men think the same. Even though its a naturally occurring phenomenon, wherein multiple dark strands comprising a cuticle, core and medulla sprout out of my body, it still made me anxious as hell. So I did something about it. Emboldened by my youthful experience of a celebrity armpit wax, I started sporadically waxing other bits of my body in my thirties. Its only in my forties that Ive stopped to wonder what the hell it was all for. Men of my generation have been on a pretty wild ride when it comes to the cultural status of man fur. In particular, those of us who were Nineties teenagers grew up during a pivot point where previous notions of hirsute, virile alpha men were upended. I came of age when hairy-chested men like Sean Connery, Burt Reynolds and Tom Selleck were seen as dinosaurs from a bygone era. They had been replaced by much more boyish, smoother physiques such as those of Leonardo DiCaprio or a young David Beckham. Even classic beefcakes like Peter Andre were as smooth as eels. A more sensitive era of manhood was being exemplified in the promotion of sleeker, less macho bodies. In the first Austin Powers movie of 1997, the satirical throwback character had chest hair subtly shaped like male genitals for extra lols. At the same time, body hair beyond the chest was verboten. It was socially acceptable for Charlotte in Sex and the City to be grossed out by her beaus hairy back, while even Hugh Jackmans Wolverine in X-Men had a totally smooth back and shoulders. Not even Wolverine was allowed to be a bit tufty. If the Nineties gave men a complex about their body hair, the following decade at least provided a solution. The concept of metrosexuality, which gained currency in the early 2000s, did wonders for men mainly by slowly destigmatising the idea that straight men of any status could make themselves feel more confident via better clothes, products and grooming techniques. It feels almost quaint to talk about metrosexuality today, such has been the way it has whisper it pervaded even the most straighter-than-straight male backwaters across the world. Today even the most ardent of lads moisturises. Amazingly there hasnt even been a culture war backlash urging a return to the good old days before Queer Eye, when men smelt like Old Spice and had the complexions of a shrivelled scrotum. And yet, despite this, theres still somehow a weird void when it comes to body hair. Whats more socially awkward in 2023: having hairy shoulders or admitting to getting them waxed? Polls put the percentage of men who get their bodies waxed at between 16 to 33 per cent, which is a lot of men. But theres rarely been a normalisation of male waxing which is doubly weird given the explosion in products aimed at manscaping which is polite consumer jargon for removing ones pubic hair. Where men would previously have had to walk on the wild side of the supermarket aisle to discreetly snaffle some Veet from the female sections of the shop, versions for mens intimate bits are now common, while the brand Manscaped who claim to sell the Ultimate Ball Trimmer began appearing in Boots just this month. Ironically, its become much more socially acceptable among men to talk about shaving your balls than your back. But just as hair removal becomes more accessible, I wonder if Ive made a mistake here. Did I ever need to sell my naturally hairy self out? As is always the way, going clubbing offers the chance to get some proper profound perspective on life. Male gay clubbing culture, for example, offers a rare beacon of acceptance and positivity when it comes to letting your body be itself. Most people are aware of the concept of bears in male gay culture, but otters? Otters are less blessed with bulk than a classic bear, and are less overtly macho, but are nevertheless hirsute and celebrated for their body hair regardless. Similarly, in queer nightlife culture, theres a very tacit understanding that body hair is a form of self-expression to be both encouraged and in no way to be seen as a point of shame. And away from clubs, theres been so much inspirational activism and dialogue in non-male circles around destigmatising body and facial hair that was once cruelly seen as undesirable that the effect has been to make me feel like a fool for ever having cowered in the first place. I feel this especially given my Iranian heritage as though I somehow betrayed my racial roots by trying to assimilate into a majority-white concept of what a man should look like. Where I once felt like I needed to wax to not look like a dinosaur, I almost feel like a dinosaur today for having waxed in the first place. The only way men are going to feel comfortable being hairy is well to be hairy in the first place, which makes me a bit of a scab to the cause. I do still blitz my armpits quite regularly, as a paean to my twenties and the kindness of one-third of Mis-Teeq. The rest? I dont care if you dont. 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 }} Rumoured couple Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet made their first public appearance together at Beyonces Renaissance world tour concert in Los Angeles. Make-up mogul Jenner, 25, and Oscar nominee Chalamet, 27, were spotted chatting during the gig at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Monday night (4 September). A video shared on social media showed the rumoured couple talking and laughing while watching the concert, which marks Beyonces third and final night in LA on her Renaissance tour. Jenner and Chalamet were first romantically linked back in April, but neither of the stars has addressed the press speculation about their relationship status yet. The Independent has contacted representatives for Jenner and Chalamet for further comment. Photos posted on Twitter/X also showed Jenner and Chalamet kissing during the gig. The A-list pair are thought to have met during Paris Couture Week in January, and were then linked in reports in the spring, with insiders suggesting that they were keeping things casual. At the time, a source told Us Weekly that Kylie has only hung out with Timothee a couple of times, so things arent that serious. However shes enjoying getting to know him better and is open to seeing where things go. The source added that the Dune actor is not like any of the other guys [Jenner has] dated before and although he may not seem like her type, they have really good chemistry. Jenner was later pictured arriving at Chalamets Beverly Hills home, but in August, reports emerged that the pair had split, with Life & Style claiming that Chalamet had called time on the rumoured relationship. Shes telling people that things between them naturally fizzled out because theyre both busy and travelling, a source told the magazine, adding: But friends are whispering that Kylie got dumped. (Getty Images for Karl Lagerfeld) However, a report in TMZ then debunked those rumours, with multiple sources close to the couple telling the publication that Jenner and Chalamet were still together and that any reports that say otherwise are false. Us Weekly later claimed that although the pair are not in a committed relationship, they are still communicating on a pretty regular basis and have remained friends despite the fact that they dont hang out that often. The Kardashians reality star Jenner was previously in a relationship with Travis Scott, and shares two children, five-year-old daughter Stormi and one-year-old son Aire, with the rapper. The former couple started dating in 2017 but called time on their on-off romance for good in January. Meanwhile Chalamet has been linked to fellow actors Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of Johnny Depp, and Eiza Gonzalez, and was previously in a relationship with Lourdes Leon, Madonnas eldest daughter. 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 }} Israel's Supreme Court on Tuesday delayed the first of three pivotal hearings on the legality of the judicial overhaul, spearheaded by the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu, after the country's attorney general expressed staunch opposition to the plan. For the eight months since the coalition took power, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a Netanyahu ally, has refused to convene the committee that selects the nation's judges, leaving numerous judgeships open across the country. Lawyers for Attorney General Gail Baharav-Miara, will now argue against the justice ministers counsel in court, a situation which experts said is highly exceptional. Levin, a key architect of the overhaul, seeks to change the makeup of the selection committee to give Netanyahu's far-right ruling coalition the final say over the appointment of judges, part of a broader judicial overhaul proposed by Netanyahu's government. Before the Court delayed the hearing for 12 days, petitions challenging Levins refusal were set to be heard on Thursday. Under normal circumstances, experts said, Levin's position would have been represented by the attorney general. But after Baharav-Miara made clear she opposed the overhaul and Levin's position, he requested the hearing be delayed so he had time to seek independent counsel. This is all highly exceptional, said Amichai Cohen, a constitutional law professor and senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. Until the current government took office, he said, the attorney general and government rarely took separate positions. "Usually there is a dialogue in which a unified position is adopted, he said. The Supreme Court delayed the hearing until Sept. 19. In a filing to the court on Monday, Baharav-Miara said Levin's actions had led to numerous vacancies. If the selection committee is not convened by the end of the year, according to the filing, there will be over 53 vacant judgeships across the country over 5% of the national bench. Levin has until Sunday to secure independent counsel and submit his position to the Court. The hearing is one of three pivotal cases Israels Supreme Court will hear this month over the legality of the judicial overhaul. The judiciarys rulings could set the stage for a constitutional crisis if Netanyahus government chooses not to obey the decisions. The highest-profile case is set for Sept. 12, in which the court will hear challenges to the coalition's move in July to eliminate the reasonableness standard. The standard is used by the Court to strike down parliamentary decisions and appointments on the basis that they are unreasonable. Netanyahus coalition dominated by religious and ultranationalist parties says the countrys non-elected judges wield too much power and must be reined in. Critics of the overhaul, who represent a wide swath of Israeli society, say the plan will destroy the countrys system of checks and balances and concentrate power in the hands of Netanyahu and his allies. For over eight months, tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to protest the overhaul, marking the most sustained demonstrations the country has ever seen. The coalition says judges should not be allowed to overturn key decisions by elected officials. The governments critics say removing the standard of reasonability opens the door to corruption and improper appointments of unqualified cronies to important positions. 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 }} Asylum applications in the European Union continued to rise in the first half of 2023 following a major hike last year, pressuring limited hosting capacities and moving the issue up the political agenda in many nations. The European Union Agency for Asylum said applications in the 27-nation bloc plus Switzerland and Norway rose 28% in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year. In all of 2022, applications increased 53%. Based on current trends, applications could exceed 1 million by the end of 2023 in the region of about 460 million people, the agency said in a statement. The numbers are in addition to people fleeing the war in Ukraine, who are estimated at about 4 million and are hosted under temporary protection provisions. Syrians fleeing unrest and violence at home were the biggest group seeking asylum in the first half of the year, totaling 67,000, an increase of 47% from a year earlier. The rise in applications is putting greater pressure on hosting facilities, as is evident from the increase in cases awaiting a ruling, which rose by 34%. Based on initial decisions, 41% of applicants receive refugee status or another kind of protection. What happens to those who are rejected but do not leave the bloc is an increasingly difficult political issue. The increase of asylum seekers and other migrants is an increasingly divisive issue in many European nations, pitting those who say that more should be turned away at borders against those who feel the continent should continue to welcome those fleeing persecution. Last week, the Belgian government said it will no longer provide shelter for single men seeking asylum, arguing that its insufficient hosting capacity should prioritize families, women and children. The 46-nation Council of Europe, the continents most important human rights organization, and aid groups condemned the move as reneging on international commitments. Last month, the issue of reining in migration was the final stumbling block that brought down the Dutch government, exposing deep ideological differences within a politically splintered nation. The EU is equally split on the issue and never fully got to grips with a solution after well over 1 million migrants entered Europe in 2015, sparking one of the blocs biggest crises. Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check 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 Health Check email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A 33-year-old New Zealand woman who was accused of faking debilitating symptoms has died of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Stephanie Aston, 33, passed away in her home in Auckland on 1 September, the New Zealand Herald reports. Aston became an advocate for patients' rights after doctors refused to take her EDS symptoms seriously and blamed them on mental illness. She was just 25 when those symptoms began in October 2015. At the time, she did not know she had inherited the health condition. EDS refers to a group of inherited disorders caused by gene mutations that weaken the connective tissues, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These tissues are responsible for many important functions, and they support the skin, bones, blood vessels, and other organs. Symptoms of EDS include fragile, small blood vessels; loose joints; abnormal scar formation; abnormal wound healing; and soft, stretchy, velvety skin that bruises easily, per the NIH. There are at least 13 different types of EDS, and the conditions range from mild to life-threatening. EDS is extremely rare: Only one in every 5,000 people have it. Patients with EDS can sometimes receive treatments that might help manage their symptomssuch as physical therapybut there is no cure for the illness. People who live with EDS often have to restructure their lives to learn how to protect their joints and prevent injuries. Aston sought medical help after her symptomswhich included severe migraines, abdominal pain, joint dislocations, easy bruising, iron deficiency, fainting, tachycardia, and multiple injuriesbegan in 2015, per the New Zealand Herald. She was referred to Auckland Hospital, where a doctor accused her of causing her own illness. Stephanie Aston passed away at age 33 after becoming an advocate for patients with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes New Zealand/Facebook) Because of his accusations, Aston was placed on psychiatric watch. She had to undergo rectal examinations and was accused of practising self-harming behaviours. She was suspected of faking fainting spells, fevers, and coughing fits, and there were also suggestions that her mother was physically harming her. There was no basis for the doctors accusations that her illness was caused by psychiatric issues, Aston told the New Zealand Herald. There was no evaluation prior to this, no psych consultation, nothing, she said. She eventually complained to the Auckland District Health Board and the Health and Disability Commissioner of New Zealand. I feel like I have had my dignity stripped and my rights seriously breached, she said. Research suggests women are often much more likely to be misdiagnosed than men. A 2009 study of patients with heart disease symptoms found 31.3 per cent of middle-aged women received a mental health condition as the most certain diagnosis, compared to just 15.6 per cent of their male counterparts. Additionally, a 2020 study found that as many as 75.2 per cent of patients with endometriosisa painful disorder that affects the tissue of the uterushad been misdiagnosed after they started experiencing endometriosis symptoms. Among those women, nearly 50 per cent were told they had a mental health problem. One reason womens health conditions are often ignored or misdiagnosed could come down to where the research stands. A 2022 paper states that females remain broadly under-represented in the medical literature, sex and gender are poorly reported and inadequately analysed in research, and misogynistic perceptions continue to permeate the narrative. Womens pain, in particular, is especially under-researched: 70 per cent of people with chronic pain are women, yet 80 per cent of available studies on pain have focused on men or male mice, per Harvard Health Publishing. Those who knew her say Aston will be remembered for her advocacy. She started the Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes New Zealand society in 2017; the community honoured Astons legacy in a Facebook tribute posted after her death. It is with much sadness that we have to announce the passing of Steph Aston, it read. She hasbeen a beacon for many in our community. Hosting multiple events in Auckland throughout the years and being active in our support groups and helping give direction to manyEven until the very end she was keen to help anyone and lend an ear. You will be sorely missed. I hope you rest well now. 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 }} Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday began a four-day trip to Eswatini, one of the island's 13 remaining allies. Tsai, who is serving her last year as president, is visiting the country of 1.1 million people in southern Africa to celebrate the friendship between the two countries, she said, as she departed Taiwan. Since Tsai took office in 2016, China has started putting pressure on countries that have a diplomatic relationship with Taiwan to switch their formal recognition from Taiwan to China. Beijing has successfully poached 9 countries, leaving Taiwan with just 13 countries that acknowledge its statehood. Taiwans most recent diplomatic loss was Hondura s, which switched recognition to Beijing in March. Taiwan is a self-ruled island claimed by China. The two sides have been at odds since 1949 when the Communist Party won in the civil war against the Nationalists. The Nationalists fled to Taiwan and set up government on the island. China today demands its allies agree to its One China principle, which claims that Taiwan is a part of the People's Republic of China. Tsai belongs to a political party that states Taiwan is already independent. Diplomacy is the accumulation of step by step. Taiwan's steps onto the globe not only will not stop, she said. We will continue forward more resolutely, with self confidence, to let the world see Taiwan's steady and good power. Tsai is also accompanied by the mayor of the port city of Kaohsiung in Taiwans south. Eswatini is an absolute monarchy, and most of the country's population live below the poverty line. It was rocked by pro-democracy protests in 2021, but those protests were put down violently, per reports. 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 lawyer who represents the families of a number of Troubles victims has called on the Labour Party to publicly state that it will repeal the Governments controversial legacy Bill if it comes to power. Kevin Winters has also asked the Irish government to confirm it will lodge a legal challenge at the European Court of Human Rights when the proposed legislation becomes law. A spokesperson for the Irish government said it has sought legal advice on the matter. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is set to return to the House of Lords later on Tuesday and is expected to complete its passage through Parliament this week. The complete absence of any meaningful response by either the Irish government or the Labour Party to these respective requests serves only to undermine the integrity of their respective opposition to the legacy Bill Kevin Winters The Bill includes a form of limited immunity for some perpetrators of crimes committed during the conflict and would also prevent future civil cases and inquests into Troubles offences. All of the main political parties in Northern Ireland and victims groups are opposed to the Bill. Mr Winters, from KRW Law, said both the Labour Party and the Irish government have publicly stated their concerns about the Bill and said they now need to commit to formal legal positions. He said: In November 2022 KRW Law contacted the Irish government and invited them to commit to formally confirming they would lodge an inter-state application before the European Court of Human Rights as soon as the UK legacy Bill receives royal assent and becomes law. To date they have singularly failed to substantively respond. We specifically raised the issue of families in the Republic of Ireland who are the relatives of conflict-related victims who will now be deprived of justice and truth when the Bill is enacted. That has made no difference in terms of securing a response. There is now a real opportunity for the Taoiseach to formalise legally what he has said politically. The Irish government cannot let this moment pass without pressing for an inter-state application. Mr Winters said he had also written to the leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer asking him to confirm the legislation would be repealed. He added: Equally disappointing is the absence of any acknowledgement on what was a reasonable request to commit to a legal position on this matter. Our submission was proportionate and responsive to otherwise very strong political condemnation by Keir Starmer and Peter Kyle (former shadow Northern Ireland secretary). The complete absence of any meaningful response by either the Irish government or the Labour Party to these respective requests serves only to undermine the integrity of their respective opposition to the legacy Bill. A real opportunity is being missed here to gain maximum credibility by committing to a legal position on foot of what has been said publicly. The Labour Party has been approached for comment. In January of this year, Sir Keir told an audience at Queens University that he would repeal the legislation if he became prime minister. Senator Emer Currie, Fine Gaels spokeswoman for Northern Ireland, said the Irish Government should consider an inter-state challenge to the European Court of Human Rights, as it could be the only way to stop the Bill. As the Bill becomes law our best hope to stop it is through an inter-state challenge, before irreparable harm is done to victims rights, victims voices, to truth and justice for all, she said. This is the route I believe the Irish Government should take. A spokesperson for Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs said the Irish government had been clear and consistent in our opposition to the Bill. A statement said: The Tanaiste (Micheal Martin) has raised the governments concerns around this legislation with British counterparts on multiple occasions. Most recently, with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris on Saturday. The spokesman added: The government are aware of calls for consideration of the initiation of an inter-state case against the United Kingdom before the European Court of Human Rights in relation to the UK legacy Bill. As the Tanaiste stated at the weekend, he has sought legal advice on this matter and when that advice is received the government will consider what subsequent action will be taken. The Northern Ireland Office said earlier this week that a new approach was needed to deliver greater information, accountability and acknowledgement to victims and families affected by the Troubles. A spokesperson said: The Governments legislation provides a framework that will enable the Independent Commission for Reconciliation & Information Recovery (ICRIR) to deliver effective legacy mechanisms, while complying with our international obligations. The ICRIR, established by the Bill, has a primary objective to provide information to families, victims and survivors. Since the Bills introduction, a number of substantive UK Government amendments have been adopted to the legislation that address a number of key issues raised by stakeholders. 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 death of the late Queen plunged a shocked nation into mourning for its longest-reigning monarch. Here is how the historic day unfolded: Thursday September 8 2022: Rumours begin to swirl in newsrooms early on that the Queen has taken ill at Balmoral Castle, and possibly had a fall. Two days before, the Queen was happily hosting guests on the Aberdeenshire estate, and carrying out official duties by bidding farewell to Boris Johnson and appointing Liz Truss as the new prime minister. But she looked frail in photographs and postponed a Privy Council meeting on the Wednesday after being ordered by doctors to rest. 10.30am: Behind the scenes, the then-Prince of Wales makes a 120-mile dash by helicopter from Dumfries House to Balmoral after being alerted to the Queens worsening condition. The Duchess of Cornwall cancels a not-yet publicly announced official visit to a cancer centre in Lanarkshire and travels by road from Birkhall. The Princess Royal, who is staying in Scotland, is already at the Queens bedside. Charles visits his mother and later goes foraging for mushrooms on the estate as he contemplates his accession and imminent duty as king, before he returns to the Queens side. 12.12pm: Initial indications that something is afoot are seen in the House of Commons. Then then-chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Nadhim Zahawi, sits down next to PM Liz Truss and begins whispering to her while she listens to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmers response to her energy statement. Labour MP Chris Bryant tweets: Something odd is going on in the Commons. Zahawi briefing pm urgently. Sir Keir, too, is passed a note by his deputy Angela Rayner, with Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle also being handed a piece of paper updating him about the developing situation. Ms Rayner later reveals the note read: The Queen is unwell and Keir needs to leave the Chamber as soon as possible to be briefed. Ms Truss and Sir Keir depart. 12.32pm: Buckingham Palace then issues a concerning statement, confirming the Queen is under medical supervision. It reads: Following further evaluation this morning, the Queens doctors are concerned for Her Majestys health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision.The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral. Close family have been informed, the Palace says. BBC One interrupts Bargain Hunt at 12.39pm to deliver the statement and suspends its regular programming. 12.46pm: Clarence House confirms Charles and Camilla have travelled to Balmoral, and a minute later Kensington Palace say William, then-the Duke of Cambridge, is to head north. The Duchess of Cambridge remains in Windsor where her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are starting at a new school. 1.38pm: Palace sources say the Duke of York and the Earl and Countess of Wessex are also on their way to the Queens Scottish home. 1.54pm: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announce they are going to Balmoral. Charles has phoned Harry earlier to tell him of the Queens worsening health. Harry texts William to ask whether he and Kate are flying up, but receives no reply. Behind the scenes, Charles calls Harry again to ask him not to bring Meghan. The duke says in his memoir that he tells his father Dont ever speak about my wife that way. Charles says only immediate family will be there, and not Kate. 2.39pm: A Royal Air Force flight takes off from RAF Northolt in South Ruislip, west London, carrying William, Andrew, Edward and Sophie. 3.10pm: Elizabeth II the nations longest reigning monarch dies at the age of 96 in her bedroom in the castle, surrounded by Charles, who immediately accedes to the throne as the new King, Camilla and Anne. Also there is the Queens doctor, GP Douglas Glass. Her death the cause of which is listed on her death certificate as old age brings an end to the Second Elizabethan age which has spanned 70 years. 3.50pm: The royals on the RAF plane, a Dassault Falcon, land at Aberdeen airport, too late to say their final farewells. 4.30pm: Prime Minister Liz Truss is informed of the Queens death by Cabinet Secretary Simon Case. -4.38pm: Sources close to Harry and Meghan say Harry is now travelling alone. He charters a private flight from Luton. Just after 5pm: A fleet of cars, including a Range Rover driven by William, arrives at Balmoral. Andrew is in the passenger seat and Edward and Sophie are in the back. 5.50pm: A double rainbow appears over Buckingham Palace after a heavy downpour as members of the public gather outside. 6.30pm: News of the Queens death is announced to the world. A Buckingham Palace statement reads: The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. The union flag at Buckingham Palace is lowered to half mast. Newsreader Huw Edwards reads out the news on the BBC. Tributes flood in from around the globe. 7.04pm: Charles issues his first statement as King, and describes his mothers death as a moment of the greatest sadness. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother, the new sovereign says. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. 7.07pm: Prime Minister Liz Truss, dressed in black, addresses the nation outside No 10. Today the crown passes, as it has done for more than 1,000 years, to our new monarch, to our new head of state, His Majesty King Charles III, she says announcing the monarchs choice of regnal title for the first time. Around 8pm: Harry arrives at Balmoral. He is in the air when the announcement of the Queens death is made. When he lands at Aberdeen airport, he receives a text from Meghan telling him to call, but learns the news after checking the BBCs website on his phone. The duke is greeted at the castle by Anne. Charles, William and Camilla the new Queen have already left for Birkhall. Harry visits the late Queens body to pay his respects, whispering that he hopes she is happy and with Grandpa. Behind the scenes, the long-held London Bridge plans for the Queens death are rapidly put into action, setting out the next 11 days according to a strict timetable which feature a lying in state and then the solemnity and grandeur of a state funeral. A grieving Charles and Camilla dine with William at Birkhall, and prepare to return to London the next day, Friday, with the King due to address the nation on television. The Kings historic Accession Council is set for Saturday September 10. 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 disqualified driver has been convicted for causing the death of a happy little boy while he was out buying sweets for a family picnic. A jury at Newcastle Crown Court on Monday found Darren Jacques, 42, guilty of killing Layton Darwood on 25 August 2020, when the five-year-old fell off a trailer attached to a van Jacques was driving. Afterwards, Jacques who was halfway through a 42-month ban for drink driving gave the police a false name and repeatedly lied about his identity as emergency services tried to save Laytons life. The boys family said Laytons death was their worst nightmare and Jacques conviction was a bitter sweet situation in a statement. Northumbria Police said it was pleased the jury saw through the excuses and lies told by Jacques, calling the convicted mans behaviour completely unacceptable. During a six-day trial the court heard distressing details of the investigation as well as witness testimony from another child who was present at the scene of the fatal collision, police added. A subcontractor, Jacques was driving a Ford Transit Tipper and trailer provided by his employer, and was returning to Cumbria from Fenham, Newcastle when he stopped at a shop on Willow Avenue to buy a bottle of beer. He returned to the van and began driving without realising that Layton, who was in the same shop with three other children, had climbed on to the trailer before getting caught and falling from it. Phone data revealed contact between Jacques and his employer shortly after the collison, during which Jacques was provided with the details of another man to give to the police. CCTV footage of Darren Jacques buying a bottle of beer before killing Layton Darwood (Northumbria Police) He continued to lie about his identity for around two hours, even as paramedics and doctors tried to save Laytons life nearby. It was only after officers asked Jacques to use a finger-print scanner that he revealed his real name. Later that night, Layton died in a hospital as a result of his injuries. After the verdict, Laytons mother Stephany Darwood said: We are devastated by what happened and miss Layton beyond words. He was a loving, happy little boy with his whole life ahead of him and our worst nightmare came true the day we lost him. Although some sort of justice has been served today its a very bitter sweet situation. It has taken a long, hard three years with many setbacks and challenges along the way. If it had not been for the determination of my mam and Northumbria Police we would not be here today, seeing justice be served for Layton. Darren Jacques, who killed boy Layton Darwood in a collision (Northumbria Police) The investigations lead officer Sergeant Russell Surrey of Northumbria Police said: To say this case has been devastating would be a complete understatement as losing Layton has caused this family unimaginable pain and suffering no one should ever have to go through. I would like to praise the strength and resilience they have shown throughout the investigation and subsequent court proceedings. I really hope today can act as that first step towards the closure they deserve and help them move forward from this awful, tragic incident. I am pleased the jury saw through the excuses and lies told by Darren Jacques. Despite being banned from the roads he was brazenly driving in a work capacity and was even in charge of a large, heavy-duty vehicle which he wasnt trained or qualified to operate. Not only that, but instead of admitting what he did, Jacques supplied attending officers with the details of another person in an attempt to cover his tracks, but our road-side checks caught him in the act. He had plenty of opportunities to admit what he did, but instead has refused to accept his actions, repeatedly denying what he did and putting Laytons family through the anguish of a trial. Jacques behaviour was completely unacceptable and I hope he can now reflect on the severity of his actions. This case has had a profound impact on everyone involved, including the officers and staff who have helped bring Jacques to justice, and it goes without saying that no one, especially a young child, should ever lose their life on our roads. We all have a responsibility to drive safely and in accordance with the law. Laytons death is a stark reminder that a momentary lapse of concentration, or failure to carry out the most basic of checks has the potential to destroy many lives. Jacques is due to be sentenced on 4 December, as the judge warned him not to expect anything less than a custodial sentence. 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 }} Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) has been found in more than 100 schools, forcing them to either fully or partially close. However, other buildings are believed to contain Raac, with experts warning that offices, court houses, hospitals, and factories could be at risk of collapse. But what is Raac, and why is it a potential safety risk? What is Raac? Raac is made up of two parts, aerated autoclaved concrete, and a steel reinforcement. The aerated autoclaved concrete is made by adding aluminium into a lime or cement based concrete mix. This reacts to make millions of tiny bubbles which form the bulk of the material. The steel reinforcement is coated with a latex or cement mix before the concrete is then cast around it. The material is mostly found as precast panels in roofs, as well as floors and walls. When was it introduced? Raac was invented in Sweden in the 1930s. It was used in British buildings from the 1950s to the mid-1990s. Why was Raac used? Raac is cheaper than traditional dense concrete, and is quicker and easier to install. It was also used due to its lightweight thermal properties. Where has Raac been found? So far a lot of the focus on Raac has been on its usage in schools, with more than 100 fully or partially closed in England due to its presence. However, experts warn the problem could be far wider than just schools. Indeed, almost 700 million has already been allocated for NHS hospitals in England with Raac issues. Harrow Crown Court was closed indefinitely last month, and urgent concrete tests have been ordered on courts built in the 1990s. A report by the Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures published in April 2020 urged its members to check as a matter of urgency whether their buildings contained the material. The report said that Raac was used primarily in offices and schools but that it had also been found in a wide range of other buildings in both the public and private sector. Why is Raac a potential risk? Raac is less durable than concrete, and is prone to collapse when wet, as moisture soaks into its aerated holes. It has a life expectancy of little more than 30 years. This means that buildings built between the 1950s to the 1990s that have not been assessed by a structural engineer could be at risk of collapse. Several roof failures in public buildings have been linked to Raac panels, with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warning that the material is now life-expired and liable to collapse with little or no notice. What can be done about Raac? Building owners can hire specialist surveyors to check if Raac is present in their buildings. If Raac is found, building owners can hire a structural engineer to carry out remedial works, such as adding timber or lightweight structures to support the panels. 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 }} Birmingham residents have been warned all bets are off on what services could be cut after the city council declared itself effectively bankrupt. The Labour-run council might have to shut libraries, lessen the frequency of bin collections or raise council tax after it issued a section 114 notice meaning it cannot meet its financial liabilities. The council has blamed 760m of equal pay claims, the expenses of a new IT system, and years of funding cuts by successive Tory governments for its financial woes. It has an in-year financial gap in its budget of 87m. A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: Birmingham City Council has issued a 114 notice as part of the plans to meet the councils financial liabilities relating to equal pay claims and an in-year financial gap within its budget which currently stands in the region of 87m. In June, the council announced it had a potential liability relating to equal pay claims in the region of 650m to 760m, with an ongoing liability accruing at a rate of 5m to 14m per month. The council is still in a position where it must fund the equal pay liability that has accrued to date (in the region of 650m to 760m), but it does not have the resources to do so. Are you concerned about Birminghams cuts? Email joe.middleton@independent.co.uk A section 114 notice means that Birmingham City Council, which is the largest authority in the UK and Europe, will stop all new spending, with the exception of protecting vulnerable people and statutory services. Jonathan Werran, chief executive of Localis, an independent think-tank, said that a number of services for residents would now be in the firing line. Its like being up in a hot air balloon and then you throw things out of the basket to keep it up in the air... all bets are off, he said. Services that could face budget cuts include street cleaning, parks and maintenance, leisure, childrens services that are not social care, libraries and even the frequency that your bins are collected. Geoff Winterbottom, head of research and policy at Sigoma, who represents 47 urban authorities in England, said the council could also raise council tax to help its financial problems. At the moment councils can only increase the local tax by a maximum of 5 per cent without a referendum. However, due to its perilous financial situation, Mr Winterbottom said the council could ask the government to allow it to increase it above the 5 per cent level without the need for a local poll. Sharon Thompson, deputy leader of Birmingham City Council, told councillors at a meeting on Tuesday that the notice was a necessary step as we seek to get our city back on sound financial footing. She said: I want to stress that despite the significant challenges that we face, we will prioritise core services that our residents rely on in line with our values of supporting the most vulnerable in this city. In June, the council revealed it had paid almost 1.1bn in equal pay claims in the last 10 years after it lost a case at the Supreme Court in which female employees said they were not paid bonuses that were awarded to men on the same pay grade. The council has a current liability relating to the claims between 650m to 760m, accruing at a rate of 5m to 14m per month. The council also said that Birmingham had 1bn of funding taken away by successive Conservative governments. Leader of the Conservative opposition Robert Alden said it was cloud cuckoo land to say Birminghams problems are being replicated across the country and the situation was embarrassing for this great city. In a statement, he said: Labours failure in Birmingham has become clear for all to see, what Labour pledged was a golden decade ahead to voters in 2022 turns out to be based on budgets in 20/21 and 21/22 that did not balance and were unfunded. Combined with Birmingham Labours refusal to deal with equal pay over the last decade this has created this mess where residents will now lose valuable services and investment. The first section 114 notice was issued by Hackney Council in 2000, with Northamptonshire County Council following suit in 2018. Croydon council issued its third section 114 notice in November 2021, while Thurrock in Essex took the step in December last year after it got into difficulties over borrowing large sums to invest in solar energy. Woking also issued a section 114 in June this year due to what it said was an extremely serious financial shortfall owing to its historic investment strategy that has resulted in unaffordable borrowing, inadequate steps to repay that borrowing and high values of irrecoverable loans. Shaun Davies, Chair of the Local Government Association (LGA) said: Councils in England face a funding gap of almost 3bn over the next two years just to keep services standing still. Councils ability to mitigate these stark pressures are being continuously hampered by one-year funding settlements, one-off funding pots and uncertainty due to repeated delays to funding reforms. The government needs to come up with a long-term plan to sufficiently fund local services. This must include greater funding certainty for councils through multi-year settlements and more clarity on financial reform so they can plan effectively. 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 ongoing heatwave in Ireland could lead to the occurrence of a weather event termed blood rain. Temperatures across the country have been soaring this week, with highs of 27C forecast in the warmest regions in the south and east. The hot weather will increase the likelihood of thunderstorms and blood rain or rain mixed with dust, as a weather expert highlighted that a Saharan dust cloud has settled over Ireland. According to the Met Office, blood rain occurs when a large concentration of red-coloured dust gets mixed into the clouds, giving rain a reddish appearance as it falls. This rarely, however, happens in the UK where very small quantities of yellow or brown dust get caught with clouds. What you will notice instead is a thin film of dust left behind on your cars, after the rain has evaporated. Alan OReilly, who runs the Carlow Weather social media account, on Monday forecast that dusty rain was likely in the southwest of Ireland on Tuesday in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The Carlow Weather tweet read: Dust will move over Ireland over coming days but larger stay above us unless you catch a shower that brings it down to the surface. Most likely in the Southwest tomorrow. On Tuesday, Mr OReilly shared photos and videos of cars covered in dust, in places such as West Cork, on X. Alongside, he tweeted: More reports from Southwest of the Saharan dust on cars and windows after showers overnight. The dust will remain over us for the rest of the week but will only come down with showers. As per his latest update, dusty rain will continue for some in the south and west but the clouds will move fairly quick and break up as the week progresses. On Monday, it was reported the Saharan dust clouds will pass over the UK over the next two days, as the Met Officwe said Britons could be treated to picturesque sunsets in a post on X. 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 }} A pilot has died after trying to save two children from a river where they got into difficulty. Mohan Muruganantharajah raced into the water at a waterfall in the Brecon Beacons, Wales, on Friday afternoon in an attempt to save the youngsters. Both children were pulled from the Sgwd Y Pannwr waters but Mr Muruganantharajah disappeared from view. The 27 year-old pilots body was later located using underwater cameras and recovered the following day. A tribute from his badminton club in Swansea said he touched many lives. It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Mohan, the statement said. He touched the lives of so many and brought warmth and love to all who knew him with his never-ending smile. Thank you for your love, support, and compassion during this challenging time. The Sgwd Y Pannwr waterfall is popular with walkers and photographers for its cascading falls dropping from almost 40ft high. A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: We were called to Sgwd Y Pannwr waterfall, Ystradfellte, at approximately 4.40pm on Friday (1 September) to a report of a man having gone into the water to rescue two children and not come out. A multi-agency response was commenced with representation from the police, fire service, mountain rescue, HART and both the UK Air Rescue Team and the Wales Air Ambulance landing their aircrafts nearby. At shortly after 7pm the fire service located the body of 27-year-old Mohananeethan Muruganantharaja in the water with an underwater camera. Unfortunately, due to conditions at the site recovery was not possible that evening, and specialist divers were brought in the following morning. His family is being supported by specialist officers. A GoFundMe page has been launched to raise money for Mr Muruganantharajahs funeral. A message posted by the Blue Lions Badminton Club said: In this difficult time, we are faced with the unexpected financial burden of arranging Mohans funeral and memorial services. We kindly ask for your support to help us give him the farewell he deserves. Anyone who wishes to donate can do so here. Close Expert explains why Raac is more dangerous than standard concrete 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 }} Sir Keir Starmer has blamed the crumbling concrete crisis on cutting corners and sticking plaster politics as he grilled the prime minister in PMQs today. The Labour leader: Its the sort thing you expect from cowboy builders saying everyone else is wrong, everyone is to blame, protesting that theyre doing an effing good job even if the ceiling falls in except in this case the cowboys are running this country. He added: Isnt he ashamed that after 13 years children are cowering under steel supports, stopping their classroom roof falling in. Rishi Sunak said he was not sorry for the decision to close around 100 of the 156 schools with Raac, saying he would make no apology for acting decisively in the light of new information. It comes as the Department for Education has published a full list of the schools affected with Raac in England. Are you a parent whose child has been affected by RAAC closures? E-mail alexander.butler@independent.co.uk 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 }} Around 200 women are launching legal action after claiming they endured excruciating pain, bleeding and nickel poisoning after having a contraceptive device fitted. Lawyers said thousands of women around the world have the Essure coil device and said many have gone on to endure adverse repercussions. The German Pharma firm Bayer, which manufactures the Essure, has now taken it off the market as it faces lawsuits around the world related to its use. Pogust Goodhead, a law firm representing women in the UK, said many women who had the coil fitted have later undergone hysterectomies or are waiting for procedures to get the coil taken out. Lawyer Lisa Lunt said: "Thousands of women have been fitted with the Essure device around the world, sadly many of them have suffered adverse effects from this product. She said her clients have suffered years of pain and complications from the device and said Bayer had already settled some claims in the US. Ms Lunt said the team feared many more women have suffered at the hands of this device and urged those affected to contact them. The UK legal action comes after a civil court granted around 200 women the right to pursue their case in a joint lawsuit estimated to be worth over 10 million in potential damages. Pogust Goodhead said the Essure coil, which was available on the NHS, was marketed as an easy, non-invasive, non-surgical procedure targeted at women who did not want children. They said manufacturers said the metal coil would cause scarring inside the tubes, to preventing pregnancy but claimed it would be less intrusive than sterilisation surgery. Recommended One third of women unable to access correct contraception amid Covid Alicia Alinia, the law firms global chief operating officer, said: The medical device Essure has simply failed and has caused irreparable damage physically and mentally. Helen Bordiak, a mother-of-two who had the Essure device fitted, told The Independent the coil was really uncomfortable when it was initially inserted but it was nothing too bad and everything was fine for between 12 to 18 months. Bu the 49-year-old, from Dunstable, said this soon changed and she was left in debilitating pain. She added: I was having pain in my uterus, I had brain fog and cramps. If I sat for too long and then got up I could feel internally that something was catching and pulling on me. I was in pain pretty much every day. And then I started having periods that lasted 28-30 days at a time. It would stop for a few days and then start again. I knew that wasnt normal and so I went to my GP. But a lot of the time if you are overweight then that is what it's put down to. I felt that I was brushed off. I had joint pain, and hip pain. It was horrendous. I started googling Essure and thats when I started seeing things about people having the same experiences as me. Recommended Women to get contraceptive pills and implants direct from pharmacists under new NHS plans Ms Bordiak said she later underwent a hysterectomy, recalling how her pain immediately subsided afterwards. It was the first day in a long time that I had woken up without pain, she added. I had absolutely no pain at all. It was like someone had turned back the clock four or five years. A spokesperson for Bayer told the BBC the coil had undergone tests in 10 clinical trials as well as more than 70 studies in which thousands of women participated. The representative added: Bayer's highest priority is the safety profile and effectiveness of our products and we have great sympathy for anyone who has experienced health problems while using any of our products, regardless of cause. The spokesperson said the firm stands by the safety profile and efficacy of Essure and will continue to defend itself from these claims vigorously. It added: While all birth control products and procedures have risks, the totality of scientific evidence on Essure demonstrates that the benefit-risk profile is positive. 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 }} Hundreds of council employees were authorised to work remotely from vacation destinations, including Spain, Dubai and the Philippines, reveals new research. Council leaders in the UK approved over 1,358 requests for remote work from abroad, and the number of approvals has grown tenfold each year, showed an analysis done by TaxPayers Alliance. The free-market advocacy group sent freedom of information requests to all 383 councils in the UK. Out of these, 320 responded and 69 councils confirmed they had granted one or more staff members permission to work from overseas. The number of approved requests increased from 73 in 2020-21 to 440 in the following year, and further increased to 708 in 2022-23. Barnet Council in North London topped the list by granting the highest number of requests to work from abroad, with a total of 286 approvals over three years. Following closely were Merton in South London and Islington, with 251 and 237 permissions granted respectively. Staff members were permitted to work from various locations, including Spain, Australia, Dubai, Brazil, India, Italy, France, Thailand, the Philippines, Jamaica, Croatia, South Africa, Turkey, Egypt, Gran Canaria and Indonesia. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt earlier expressed concerns that companies might miss out on water cooler moments if employees chose to continue working remotely or from home. He said going to offices should be the default option. But councils earlier this week said flexible working was crucial for recruiting and retaining the right staff. Hard-pressed households will be shocked by the number of public sector staff working from abroad, John OConnell, chief executive of the TaxPayers Alliance, was quoted as saying by The Times. Residents forking out record rates expect officials to be using the office space taxpayers are footing the bill for. Council staff should get off the sun loungers and get back to town halls. A spokesman for Islington council told the outlet that it recognises the importance of flexible working options to provide our staff with greater choice and flexibility. 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 body of an 8-year-old girl has been pulled from the sea in County Cork following an extensive search operation. The coast guard was alerted shortly before 4.30pm on Tuesday in Fountainstown after the young girl, who had been playing with three young boys in the bay, disappeared. It is understood that a large wave hit and swept the children into the water. The search was called off at approximately 8.10pm, with CorkBeo reporting that the 8-year-old was pronounced dead on the beach. Eyewitnesses reported that the boys shed been playing with managed to get out of the water, but the little girl was swept away so quickly that nothing could be done to save her. Earlier on Tuesday evening, a Garda spokesperson confirmed that Gardai and emergency services were engaged in a search operation along the coastline at Fountainstown Beach, near Crosshaven, Co. Cork. Units from Crosshaven and Carrigaline stations were involved in the four-hour operation alongside the Coast Guard, RNLI, Fire Services, Customs and Mallow River Rescue. The Shannon Coast Guard helicopter swooped over the bay for almost four hours, equipped with heat and cameras designed to pick up on infra-red heat. A boat that usually escorts shipping into Cork Harbour also assisted in the search, alongside the Ballycotton and Crosshaven Lifeboats and the Irish Naval Service. Divers and snorkelers also probed the water, with the search concentrated just off the small, rocky beach. Earlier on Tuesday, locals were urged to stay away from the main beach unless they could provide expert help with the search in the water. Huge crowds gathered, with traffic spanning the entirety of Fountainstown. 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 }} An amber heat health alert has now been issued for most of England, as soaring temperatures could pose a risk to vulnerable groups. Temperatures across the country continue to rise amid an unexpected September heatwave, with the Met Office predicting highs of 33C later this week. After initially issuing a yellow heat-health alert for most of the UK except the northeast, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on Tuesday upgraded it to an amber alert. A yellow alert is now in place in the northeast as well. The amber heat health alert, which signifies an increased risk to people above the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions, will be in force from midday on Tuesday 5 September until 9pm on Sunday 10 September. According to the Met Offices official guidance, an amber alert indicates a situation in which the expected impacts are likely to be felt across the healthcare system, including an observed increase in mortality among vulnerable groups. The weather service said theres a possibility the highest temperature of 2023 on 10 June when the mercury hit 32.2C could be exceeded this week, most likely in the southeast where one or two places could see 33C. It is expected to be 4C hotter in the UK than Ibiza this week, with maximum temperatures also higher than those forecast for Ayia Napa and Athens in Greece. Heat health warning upgraded across UK Increased risk to vulnerable groups, including people over the age of 65 Significant impacts across health and social care, including observed increase in mortality in elderly persons and those with pre-existing conditions Main health risks include dehydration, overheating, heat exhaustion, and heat strokes Met Office advises drinking plenty of water and avoiding excess alcohol Apply sunscreen and use cool spaces considerately, if going outdoors Avoid going out between 11am and 3pm, when UV rays are strongest The Met Office on Monday warned that it will remain uncomfortably warm overnight through this week. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the weather service said: In addition to high daytime temperatures through this week, it will remain uncomfortably warm overnight. There is a chance of some tropical nights, especially in the south, which is when overnight temperatures remain in excess of 20C. Heatwave criteria will likely be met in a number of places over the next couple of days, and for much of the UK it will feel very warm to hot, Rachel Ayers, senior meteorologist at the Met Office, said. 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 }} A woman was left fighting for her life after swimming in sewage-filled waters off the Pembrokeshire coast. Caitlin Edwards, 22, contracted E.coli after swimming near Amroth Beach last summer and was diagnosed with haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), a rare kidney condition that affects blood clotting. Her mother, Jayne Etherington, told Wales Online it was absolutely horrendous to watch her daughter battle the condition for five months. According to reports at the time, Storm sewage was discharged at four Welsh beaches. A Welsh Water spokesman said the spill was from a private source and was not related to Welsh Water, and signs were placed on the beach at the time to warn people not to swim. The warnings were put up because the council were acting on information received regarding a pollution incident from Natural Resources Wales. Both Pembrokeshire County Council and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said they were investigating the incident. Ms Etherington said she and her daughter were not aware of the spill and expressed anger that untreated sewage could have entered the sea at Wisemans Bridge just a few hundred metres from Amroth Beach, on August 24 last year. We were allowed to believe it was a CSO [combined sewer overflow] spill, said Ms Etherington. No one said: This is something more serious. The pair said they decided to swim in the sea at the beach after making a pact they would swim together every day before Ms Edwards headed back to university. After returning to London to stay with her boyfriend the 22-year-old began to experience severe stomach cramps and diarrhoea before checking herself into hospital five days later where she was diagnosed with E. coli and HUS. Ms Etherington said her daughter went from being healthy and vibrant to looking like she was going to die. We didnt know she wasnt. It was horrendous, she said. Nicola Mills, the environment team leader for NRW, said the investigation into the spill found the effluent discharge was due to a private discharge point failure. She added: The owners of the private discharge point acted immediately to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Our officers have visited the area since and there have been no further concerns witnessed or reported. Around the same time there was also an ongoing CSO discharge, therefore it was not possible to pinpoint sole responsibility for the failure of bathing water sampling at Wisemans Bridge. 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 }} A company has been forced to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds after a number of workers were burned in an explosion. Three men suffered injuries to their faces, heads and back in February 2020 and Weir Minerals, Halifax has now been ordered to pay a 200,000 fine. The explosion was likely caused by water entering the furnace the workers were adding scrap metal to, according to workplace regulator Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The agency found the company did not have sufficient measures in place to protect rain falling onto the equipment - despite being aware of the associated risks. HSE found the company was aware of the risk associated with wet metal but that protection from rain in place at the time of the incident was not adequately implemented and maintained. As well as the injuries, there was subsequent damage to the surrounding equipment. HSE inspector Jackie Ferguson said: This was a serious incident that could so easily have been avoided. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards. Weir Minerals Europe Limited of Halifax, North Yorkshire pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations. The company was fined and also ordered to pay 6,095 in costs at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court on 5 September. 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 }} Humza Yousaf set his sights on tackling the scourge of poverty as he revealed the Scottish Governments priorities for the coming year. In a wide ranging speech, the Scottish First Minister promised a consultation on banning the sale of single use vapes, as well as more help for those who suffer the loss and trauma of miscarriage. There was also a commitment of funding so staff working in both childcare and social care will receive a minimum of 12 an hour from April next year. Much of his speech, made the day that Holyrood returned after its summer recess, was focused on efforts to tackle poverty, as Mr Yousaf insisted his Government would maximise every lever at our disposal to tackle the scourge of poverty in our country. Tackling poverty is deeply personal to me. Growing up in the Islamic faith, I was always taught that you are not a true Muslim if you have a full stomach while your neighbour goes to bed hungry Humza Yousaf, First Minister Mr Yousaf told MSPs: Tackling poverty is deeply personal to me. Growing up in the Islamic faith, I was always taught that you are not a true Muslim if you have a full stomach while your neighbour goes to bed hungry. And while he accepted tackling the problem isnt straightforward, particularly in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis, he was clear it was absolutely essential. Mr Yousaf pledged more than 400 million would be invested in the Scottish Child Payment a benefit paid out to low income families north of the border. But there was no commitment to increasing the payment from its current level of 25 a week per child, as campaigners such as the Child Poverty Action Group have been calling for. Mr Yousaf did, however, call on the UK Government to establish an essentials guarantee, in a bid to ensure that those on Universal Credit always receive enough cash to cover basic needs, such as food, energy and transport. And while the Scottish First Minister said his Government would work with councils to roll out free school meals to all children in P6 and P7, the Programme for Government document revealed this will not happen till 2026. However, he did promise to remove the income threshold for the Best Start Foods programme, which provides some pregnant women and families with prepaid cards that they can use to buy healthy foods, such as fruit and milk. This change will benefit about 20,000 mothers-to-be and children, Mr Yousaf said. He also promised to accelerate the expansion of free childcare, saying that the Scottish Government would provide funding to six early adopter council areas, so they can provide childcare for youngsters from nine months of age through to the end of primary school. With about a quarter of all two-year-olds already benefiting from 1,140 free hours of childcare a year, Mr Yousaf vowed to speed up the rollout of this policy to all two-year-olds. To help with childcare provision, the Scottish Government wants to see 1,000 more childminders by the next Holyrood elections in 2026. Cash will also be given so that private, voluntary and independent nurseries providing funded childcare can pay their staff a minimum of 12 an hour from April 2024. Mr Yousaf described the provision of childcare as being a perfect example of a policy that is both anti-poverty and pro-growth, insisting he was proud that Scotland has the most generous childcare offer in the UK. He also promised the Scottish Government would provide funding to boost pay for social care staff working in direct caring roles, so that they can be paid at least 12 an hour with the First Minister saying this could see some workers receive a rise of up to 2,000 a year from April. He pledged a Housing Bill will be introduced at Holyrood to introduce long term rent controls and new tenants rights. The Scottish Government will also provide 25 million to help provide homes for key workers in rural areas, with 60 million to be spent on acquiring empty properties which will be used for affordable housing. Second home owners, meanwhile, face the prospect of higher council tax charges, with Mr Yousaf saying local authorities would be allowed to apply a premium on council tax rates for such properties. Speaking about the multiple miscarriages he and his wife Nadia have suffered, he said there was no doubt that more could be done in support, as he promised improved care, including saying that women would not have to wait until a third miscarriage to receive tailored support. And on vapes he said the Scottish Government would consult on curbing the sale of disposable vapes, including consulting on an outright ban. The consultation comes as Mr Yousaf pledged: In the next year, we will take action to reduce vaping and particularly amongst children. Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said he had previously urged the First Minister to be his own man, adding: Yet what weve heard today is very much the same as before. Far from the bold programme for Scotland we were promised, were getting the same tinkering around the edges on our public services consultations and trials rather than promises and delivery, extreme Green policies that will devastate our economy and rural communities, and of course, very predictably, the overwhelming focus on the SNPs obsession with independence. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the Government has lost its way, has no clear direction, no sense of purpose and no central mission. He added: It is just another tired and rehashed programme from a party that has clearly run out of ideas. Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: Many people across Scotland are still struggling to make ends meet it is baffling, then, that the SNP/Green administration seems determined to make things harder. Canciller Gervasi formalizo la solicitud del Peru para integrar @ASEAN como Development Partner (Asociado para el Desarrollo) ante el Secretario General de este bloque, @hourn_kao, lo que muestra el compromiso ???? de fortalecer sus lazos con el Sudeste Asiatico. pic.twitter.com/uzlIsmsino 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 }} Rishi Sunak was under fresh pressure over his role in the concrete crisis after a minister said the former chancellor approved funding for the rebuilding of 50 schools yearly, despite a bid for 200. Schools minister Nick Gibb suggested on Tuesday that the Prime Minister, when chancellor in 2021, had gone with other priorities over a request to increase funding to fix Englands schools. The Department for Education (DfE) conceded that just four schools have been rebuilt so far under the programme to overhaul 500 sites by 2030 that Mr Sunak has used in his defence in recent days. Mr Gibb insisted the Governments response to the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) that is causing more than 100 schools to partially or fully shut is world-leading. The Prime Minister told the first meeting of his Cabinet since the summer break that ministers were doing everything possible to minimise disruption in the small portion of schools which are affected, No 10 said. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan was among those around the Cabinet table after being caught on camera hitting out at others she argued had sat on their arse and done nothing as she tackled the crisis. The Prime Minister has been accused of refusing to fully fund a programme to rebuild Englands crumbling schools when he was chancellor by former DfE permanent secretary Jonathan Slater. The ex-civil servant said that up to 400 schools a year needed to be replaced but that funding was given for 100 after Mr Sunak took the decision to halve the size of the programme. However, Mr Sunak told reporters the attack on his record was completely and utterly wrong. Mr Gibb said he did not recognise the 400 figure but admitted that the DfE asked for funding to overhaul 200 schools a year in 2021 only for Mr Sunak to agree funding for just 50 a year. We put in a bid for 200, but what Rishi agreed to was to continue the rebuilding programme with 50 a year, consistent with what wed been doing since we came into office, the minister told Sky News. Of course we put in a bid for 200, but of course the Treasury then has to compare that with all the other priorities from right across Whitehall, from the health service, defence, and so on. The school rebuilding programme has completed four sites so far, the DfE said, but officials expected the pace to pick up by the end of the decade. Mr Sunak has pointed to that programme to rebuild 500 schools as one of the first things I did as chancellor as he sought to defend himself from Mr Slaters allegations. A DfE spokeswoman said: We have committed to rebuilding 500 schools under the schools rebuilding programme between 2020 and 2030 and are on track to deliver that commitment. Downing Street however insisted it was not the only scheme tasked with fixing schools, saying in total 72 were completed in 2021 and 47 the following year. Mr Gibb defended Ms Keegan after she apologised for accidentally expressing her frustration on camera that no one was acknowledging what a f****** good job she was doing. He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: What she was trying to get across is the huge amount of work that the DfE has done. We are world leading in terms of identifying where Raac is in our school estate. Were talking about a small number of schools out of 22,500 schools, but we have conducted surveys since March last year, so we know where Raac is, and were sending in surveyors to identify Raac. After apologising for her language, Ms Keegan went on to admit to being on holiday in Spain in the run up to ordering the 104 schools and colleges to make closures. She also said she was really sorry for the way the decision to close schools was announced just days before the start of term and that she would have done anything to avoid it. I had to make a decision right at the end of August, which was the worst time to make the decision, she said on BBC Radio 2. She was mocked on Tuesday for tweeting a graphic saying most schools unaffected by the Raac crisis, with Labour quick to post a spoof saying most beachgoers not eaten by big shark, in reference to the stance of the mayor in the movie Jaws. Labour was also highlighting that Mr Sunaks 2021 budget that did not fulfil the school rebuilding fund request included a tax cut on champagne, with the Opposition adding: This is what Rishi Sunak prioritises. Ministers have been accused of taking a sticking plaster approach to essential maintenance by the head of the Whitehall spending watchdog. Writing in the Times, National Audit Office chief Gareth Davies suggested that there had not been sufficient focus on unflashy but essential tasks such as maintaining public buildings that have faced underinvestment. Mr Gibb said he did not accept the charge, telling Sky News: Were spending 1.8 billion a year and we are taking more proactive action on that than any other government in the world. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was unforgivable that children were missing the start of term due to the crumbling concrete crisis. Opening a meeting of his reshuffled shadow cabinet, Sir Keir said: Children are not at school today because of the action the Government has failed to take in relation to schools. That is unforgivable. It is a metaphor, frankly, for their sticking plaster politics: never fixing the fundamentals always sticking plasters. 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 }} Ten-year-old Sara Sharifs death was an accident and three family members who left the UK for Pakistan will ultimately return to face police questioning, her grandfather has said. Muhammad Sharif told the BBC he saw his son Urfan Sharif, Saras father, soon after he arrived in the city of Jhelum, in the South Asian country, and said he had fled the UK out of fear. Saras body was found at a property in Hammond Road, Woking, after police were called from Pakistan by her father on August 10 and a post-mortem examination later found she had suffered multiple and extensive injuries over a sustained and extended period of time. Mr Sharif, 41, his partner, Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother, Faisal Malik, 28, are thought to have travelled to Islamabad on August 9 and are wanted for questioning. They travelled with five children aged between one and 13 years old, Surrey Police said. Speaking to the BBC, her grandfather joined other family members in Pakistan to appeal for the three to return to the UK. He said: It was an accident, he didnt tell me how it happened. Asked why they had fled, he said: Because of fear. His daughter died and when you go under so much trauma, obviously you cant think properly. He urged them to co-operate with the police inquiry, adding he had not seen them recently. He said: All I can say is that they should have faced the case. They should have stayed there and faced it instead. They will ultimately go back to the UK and face their case. Surrey Police are appealing for information to help them piece together a picture of Saras lifestyle prior to her death. Saras mother, Olga Sharif, is being supported by specialist officers. Surrey County Council previously told the PA news agency Sara was known to the local authority. Authorities in Pakistan are searching for the trio and lawyers in the UK have said the nations government is unlikely to block an extradition request in connection to Saras death. There is no formal extradition treaty between the UK and Pakistan but people have been returned from the Asian country before. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight 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 Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Port of Dover wants to reclaim some of the English Channel to build more space and avoid the lengthy queues which have marked border controls since Brexit. The Ports chief executive Doug Bannister said building out in the sea could help avoid unacceptable delays, with yet more post-Brexit controls planned for 2024. Mr Bannister has previously said it is absolutely true that are partly a consequence of the UKs exit from the EU and has warned a new system could lead to more disruption. The new Entry Exit Scheme (EES) was originally set to start in 2021, but have been pushed back and are now expected to come in during autumn next year. It will mean everyone entering the EU will have to provide their fingerprints and a photograph alongside their passport, a process expected to increase time spent on checks. Mr Bannister told the BBC that there were plans to reclaim land at Dovers western docks. He wants to extend development to it can be used by passengers once the new passport system starts. The port chief wants the government to help meet the additional 2m needed to speed up the work, saying commitments had to be made imminently so work can begin in spring. The Independent revealed earlier this year that the EUs electronic border scheme will not now go ahead this year because the database on which it depends will not be ready in time. Getlink, the owner of Eurotunnel, has already committed 100m to create a new area for the EES checks at 75 stands. Lorries queue along the A20 as they wait to enter the Port of Dover in July (PA) Recent years has seen continual disruption at Dover, with trucks and vehicles held up for more than 24 hours at different times, with queues of 20 miles during periods of traffic gridlock. Hauliers some of the worst problems at the start of 2022 when time-consuming checks were needed for the UK governments new Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) system and other export paperwork. This Easter saw another wave of issues, with holidaymakers waiting of up to 18 hours at the Kent port. Home secretary Suella Braverman insisted that Brexit was not to blame. Recommended Brexit checks on food imports pushed back until 2024 in fifth delay But Mr Bannister said it is absolutely true that queues at the port, first seen last summer, are a consequence of the UKs exit from the EU. Since Brexit, every passport must now be scanned and stamped. But this summer so no prolonged disruption, despite the busiest period since before the Covid pandemic. The average wait time at the port this summer was 41 minutes during busy periods. 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 }} Education secretary Gillian Keegan has defended holidaying with family in Spain as the crumbling concrete crisis hitting schools unfolded. The Cabinet minister said on Monday she has always worked remotely and continued to chair a response team while on the continent for her fathers birthday. Aides had conceded she was in Spain between 25 August and Thursday, when the closures at more than 100 schools were ordered. The education secretary said on Monday she has always worked remotely (via REUTERS) Her holiday emerged as Ms Keegan was under pressure after being caught on microphone suggesting everyone else has sat on their arse and done nothing as she tackled the crisis. Ministers have said they were acting after receiving concerning new evidence about reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) over the summer. Ms Keegan said the trip to Spain where she reportedly owns property in Madrid and Marbella was her first opportunity to go on holiday this summer after dealing with striking teachers, as well as GCSE and A-level results. She told Skys Politics Hub: I dont expect anyone to feel sorry for me, Im certainly not getting that vibe from you. But what I arranged was to go on holiday on that day for my dads birthday it was a family occasion and we went. The minister said she chaired a response team from Spain every day despite the vacation. She said she has always worked remotely throughout her career, in business before becoming an MP, and said she planned to come back if investigations raised concerns. I came back straight away well actually I had to wait a day because of the air traffic control issue, she added. The complete or partial closures at 104 schools and colleges in England over Raac was announced with a press release on Thursday afternoon. Ms Keegan, according to aides, was in her department overseeing the publication of the guidance that day before speaking to broadcasters in the evening. A Department for Education spokesman said: Throughout this summer the Education Secretary has been driving forward this governments priorities, bringing an end to strike action in schools, announcing 15 new free schools and seven new Send (special educational needs and disabilities) schools, as well as overseeing the return to pre-pandemic grading for GCSE, A-level and VTQ results. Remedial work being carried out at Mayflower Primary School in Leicester, affected by RAAC (PA) The Education secretary took the cautious and proactive decision to change guidance on Raac and this week has chaired daily operational calls with ministers and senior officials in the department and virtually. In a follow-up interview Ms Keegan apologised for her choice language and said it was an off-the-cuff remark. The ministers comments came at the conclusion of an interview with ITVs Daniel Hewitt in which she said he had been pressing me quite hard and claimed he was making out it was all my fault. In her apology, the Education Secretary refused to say who she believed was sat on their arse. Ms Keegan said: I wasnt really talking about anyone in particular. It was an off-the-cuff remark after the news interview had finished, or apparently after it had finished. A taped off section inside Parks Primary School in Leicester (Jacob King/PA) (PA Wire) I would like to apologise for my choice language, that was unnecessary. She indicated she was frustrated with those who have not responded to questionnaires asking about whether schools have the dangerous aerated concrete present. In her follow-up interview, Ms Keegan said: It is frustrating because were doing everything now to take a leading position to be on the front foot, to put all the support in place that responsible bodies and schools need. Its also frustrating that weve got some questionnaires that still are not there, weve been chasing and chasing them, weve written again today to say you need to get your questionnaires in by the end of the week. Pressed on whether she was frustrated with councils, her predecessor as education secretary or prime minister Rishi Sunak, Ms Keegan said: No its not, its nobody in particular. But taking aim at ITVs award-winning Mr Hewitt, she said: Actually it was the interviewer, because the interviewer was making out it was all my fault, and thats what I was saying, do you ever go into these interviews where anyone ever says anything but youve just done a terrible job. 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 education secretary has ordered school leaders to get off their backsides to complete surveys into whether their buildings contain dangerous crumbling concrete. Gillian Keegan said one in 20 schools is yet to complete a questionnaire sent out last year and called on leaders to respond quickly as the crisis deepens. The Department for Education (DfE) sent surveys to the bodies responsible for school buildings - including trusts and city councils - to discover whether their buildings contained reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), following the 2018 collapse of a school ceiling. RAAC is a potentially dangerous material used to construct schools, colleges, and other buildings between the Fifties and mid-Seventies in the UK. The lightweight form of concrete has been described as 80 per cent air and like an Aero Bar and its presence in schools prompted the closure of more than 100 days before the start of the new school year. Speaking to Jeremy Vine on Tuesday, Ms Keegan said: There is 5 per cent of schools that have not responded to the survey. Now, hopefully, all this publicity will make them get off their backsides. What I would like them to do is to respond because I want to be the secretary of state that knows exactly in every school where there is RAAC and takes action. The education secretarys comments came a day after she was forced to apologise for a sweary rant in which she accused colleagues of having sat on their a*** over collapsing schools. Gillian Keegan was filmed voicing her frustrations about the response to the Raac concrete scandal after it emerged that Mr Sunak had cut funding for school rebuilding when he was chancellor. In footage released by ITV News Ms Keegan still wearing her microphone criticised others and said she should be praised for doing a good job. She said: Does anyone ever say you know what, youve done a f****** good job because everyone else has sat on their a*** and done nothing? The education secretary added: No signs of that, no? After her latest outburst on Tuesday, unions roudned on the education secretary. National Education Union (NEU) boss Daniel Kebede said Ms Keegans comments were outrageous. The fact is that the DfE has dragged its heels over many years on this issue, Mr Kebede said. The NEU criticised the Tories for repealing a programme designed to address concerns such as RAAC, the Building Schools for the Future and the Primary Capital Programmes. Mr Kebede said: If those projects had not been cancelled, we would not be having this crisis today. Rishi Sunak has consistently underfunded school buildings repair. The Government has failed to show leadership on this issue for very many years. And Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders union NAHT, accused Ms Keegan of shifting the blame to deflect from the governments significant failings. Mr Whiteman said: The facts are clear: the current crumbling school estate is the direct result of ministerial decisions to slash capital budgets. He pointed out that ministers have known for many years about the risks of RAAC, but only recently sent out the surveys. And he said despite a series of warnings, the government was not willing to pay for the rebuilding projects that were needed. The responsibility for this situation sits squarely on the governments shoulders and no amount of deflection and distraction will change that, he said. 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 }} Watch as Jeremy Hunt and his junior ministers answer questions on a range of issues in parliament on Tuesday 5 September. Rishi Sunak and his government return to the House of Commons amid mounting pressure from the school concrete scandal. The chancellor promised on Sunday to spend what it takes to make classrooms safe after many were forced shut at the start of the new term over concerns about reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). Mr Hunt moved last weekend to reassure parents that an exhaustive process has been carried out to identify any unsafe buildings, amid accusations ministers failed to act quickly enough to mitigate risks raised in 2018. He refused to speculate on the potential cost of fixing the problem, but said: We will spend what it takes to make sure children can go to school safely, yes. Treasury sources later said the cost of repairs could be managed through the Department of Educations existing budget. 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 }} Watch from Downing Street as Rishi Sunak meets with his cabinet for the first time since summer recess on Tuesday morning (5 September), amid the school concrete crisis. Pressure is mounting on the government, and education secretary Gillian Keegan, after her sweary outburst was caught by a hot mic on ITV News on Monday. A frustrated Ms Keegan hit out at those who she argued had sat on their arse and done nothing. She also questioned why no one was saying youve done a f****** good job, before being forced to go before broadcasters to apologise for the language she used. Ms Keegan went on to admit to being on holiday in Spain in the run up to ordering more than 100 schools and colleges in England to make complete or partial closures. She will face her cabinet colleagues on Tuesday morning as Mr Sunak assembles his top team for their first meeting since returning from the Commons long summer break. 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 four schools have been refurbished under the governments main rebuilding programme, despite Rishi Sunaks promise it would cover 50 a year. The PM has been forced to deny claims by a former top civil servant that he had ignored warnings over a critical risk to life by cutting repairs funding when he was chancellor. The government is also reeling from extraordinary outburst by education secretary Gillian Keegan who said others had sat on their a*** over the crisis and she had done a f****** good job. It emerged on Tuesday that the Department for Education (DfE) school rebuilding programme for England launched in 2021 to rebuild 500 schools in a decade 50 a year has gotten off to a very slow start. Just four schools have been completed in the past two years, The Independent understands. But government sources said they remain confident the numbers can be ramped up over the years, and pointed out that other funding pots for repairs were available. Rishi Sunaks spokesman said it was wrong to say that only four schools have been rebuilt overall since 2020. He said that the four schools were the only ones completed under that specific programme and other work had been done under other schemes. He said: The number of schools built over years will vary depending on the type of scheme. So obviously some of these schemes overlap. Its wrong to say that no schools, to give the impression at least, that since 2020 just four schools have been completed. In actual fact in [2020]-2021 its 72 [and] 2021-22 for example its 47, said the No 10 official. Education secretary Gillina Keegan arrives for cabinet (Getty) It comes as the head of the National Audit Office (NAO) accused the government of a sticking plaster approach to buildings repairs in scathing remarks about years of underinvestment. Gareth Davies, head of the spending watchdog, said the government had neglected the unflashy job of maintaining public buildings. Writing in The Times, the NAO chief mourned the lack of a robust long-term programme of maintenance and replacement. A report by the NAO in June warned of failure to kickstart the school rebuilding programme. The watchdog said that by March of this year the DfE had awarded just 24 contracts for rebuilding work far behind a target of 83 by this year. The PM was drawn into the centre of the scandal after Jonathan Slater, the former top civil servant at the DfE, revealed that officials knew of the need to rebuild between 300 and 400 schools a year while Mr Sunak was in the Treasury up until 2022. Mr Slater told the BBC of his frustration, claiming it was cut from 100 a year to 50 by Mr Sunak as part of the 2021 review decision. The ex-permanent secretary said he was absolutely amazed. The ex-chancellor approved funding for the rebuilding of 50 schools a year (PA Wire) But Mr Sunak and No 10 denied that it amounted to a cut. The PM said funding repairs for 50 schools a year was completely in line with what we have always done. Bridget Phillipson, Labours shadow education secretary, said the figures showing only four schools had been completed under the main rebuilding programme showed the government was working at a snails pace. The defining image of 13 years of education under the Conservatives will be children cowering under steel props to stop the ceiling from falling on their heads, she said. The Labour frontbencher accused Mr Sunak and his government of running from its responsibility to keep children safe in school urging the PM to stop sitting on his hands and get a grip of this mess. Senior Tory MPs have told The Independent that it is inevitable that Mr Sunak and chancellor Jeremy Hunt would have to come up with a new funding package for repairs, as they urged the government to get a grip of the crisis. Former education secretary Baroness Nicky Morgan was frustrated at lack of funding for rebuilding ageing schools whilst education minister. The Treasury never, ever says, yes, you can have everything overall but theyre going to have to now, Baroness Morgan told Times Radio. What we cant now have is second guessing by the Treasury when the scale and the amount to be spent is fully quantified, the Treasury is going to have to find that money. Raac repair work continues at Hornsey School for Girls (Getty Images) Education minister Nick Gibb claimed on Tuesday that the Tory government is world leading in its management of the crisis surrounding crumbling schools. Asked about education secretary Gillian Keegans sweary outburst in which she claimed to have done a good f****** job he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: This was an off-the-cuff comment. Shes apologised for the language used. What she was trying to get across is the huge amount of work that the DfE has done, Mr Gibb said. We are world leading in terms of identifying where Raac is in our school estate. Mr Gibb promised a list of schools affected will be published before Friday as he put the delay down to the need for it to be accurate. The junior minister tried to defend Mr Sunak but admitted that the DfE asked for funding to overhaul 200 schools a year in 2021 only for Mr Sunak to grant funding for just 50 a year. We put in a bid for 200, but what Rishi agreed to was to continue the rebuilding programme with 50 a year, consistent with what wed been doing since we came into office, the minister told Sky. In criticism caught on camera after an interview on Monday, a frustrated Ms Keegan hit out at those who she argued had sat on their a*** and done nothing. She also questioned why no one was saying youve done a f****** good job. She later told Sky News she had been referring to her department rather than herself. Ms Keegan also went on to admit to being on holiday in Spain in the run up to ordering more than 100 schools and colleges in England to make complete or partial closures. She was mocked on Tuesday for tweeting a graphic saying most schools unaffected by the Raac crisis, with Labour quick to post a spoof saying most beachgoers not eaten by big shark, in reference to the stance of the mayor in the movie Jaws. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that it was unforgivable that children were missing the start of term due to the crumbling concrete crisis. It is a metaphor, frankly, for their sticking plaster politics: never fixing the fundamentals always sticking plasters. The DfE said 1.1 billion had gone this year into the School Condition Allocations (SCA) for councils to invest in maintaining and improving the condition of their schools, while a further 450m went to the Condition Improvement Fund for urgent repairs and maintenance of stand-alone academy trusts and sixth-form colleges. On the main rebuilding programme, a spokesperson for the department said: We have committed to rebuilding 500 schools under the schools rebuilding programme between 2020 and 2030 and are on track to deliver that commitment. Awarding contracts and establishing projects takes time but we have made rapid progress and are exceeding delivery timescales compared to the previous priority school building programme, while delivering schools that will be net zero in operation. The Infrastructure and Project Authority has also highlighted the strength of the SRPs progress. 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 Policing Board in Northern Ireland should be in no doubt that it will have to answer questions before MPs about controversies which have rocked the PSNI, the chairman of a Westminster committee has said. Simon Hoare also described the job of PSNI chief constable as the most difficult gig in policing following the resignation of Simon Byrne. Mr Byrnes resignation was announced on Monday following a string of controversies, including a data breach which revealed personal details of officers and staff, and a critical High Court judgment which said the disciplining of two officers following an arrest at a Troubles memorial event in Belfast in 2021 was unlawful. The committee is investigating the data breach, and representatives of the Policing Board, the oversight body for the PSNI, had been expected to appear before MPs on Tuesday. However, the board withdrew from the hearing following Mr Byrnes resignation of Mr Byrne. A public session of the board scheduled for Thursday has also been cancelled. SDLP MP Claire Hanna told the committee: Could I put on record my concerns that the Policing Board arent here. I appreciate it is a choppy time, there is a lot going on, but my understanding is there hasnt been a meeting in public since the data breach. The one that was scheduled for later this week isnt occurring. I think it would have been useful and appropriate to have the Policing Board here as part of this session and as part of our scrutiny and as a part of people feeling that these issues are being properly scrutinised. The board should be in no doubt at all that they will appear before this committee to take our questions and will do so in public Simon Hoare, Northern Ireland Affairs Committee chairman Mr Hoare responded: We will hear from them. Whether we have to use our right to summon witnesses, which we can, or whether they can find a time voluntarily to appear before us. But the board should be in no doubt at all that they will appear before this committee to take our questions and will do so in public. I was as disappointed as everybody that they felt unable to come today. I suppose the germane fact is the chief constable resigning yesterday obviously played a part, but we will hear from them. He added: I wanted to put on record that anybody who steps up to the plate to be chief constable of the PSNI, it is probably the most difficult gig in policing. Anybody who does it deserves the recognition and thanks of this committee and the people of Northern Ireland for being prepared to step up and to try to police and to shape a modern police service to fit the current circumstances. Mr Byrne had faced a number of challenges in recent weeks, including the fallout from the major PSNI data breach, in which the names and details of all officers and staff members were mistakenly released online. His troubles deepened last week when High Court judge Mr Justice Scoffield ruled that two junior officers were unlawfully disciplined for an arrest made at a Troubles commemoration event in 2021. The judge said they had been disciplined to allay a threat that Sinn Fein could withdraw its support for policing. Sinn Fein has insisted there was no such threat. 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 major Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) data breach could potentially cost the force 240 million in security and legal costs, MPs have been told. Assistant chief constable Chris Todd also told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee that almost 4,000 officers and staff have come forward with concerns after their personal information was released online. The committee is investigating the data breach in which details of around 9,500 PSNI officers and staff were mistakenly published last month in response to a freedom of information request. The PSNI has confirmed the list, which included the surname and first initial of every employee, their rank of grade, where they are based and the unit they work in, is in the hands of dissident republicans. Committee chair Simon Hoare asked Mr Todd if the PSNI had done an assessment of the cost of mitigating against the impact of the data leak. Mr Todd said recovery costs around security measures were estimated at 24 million to 37 million. He confirmed this did not include the cost of potential compensation claims. He said: In terms of individual litigation we naturally will plan for that eventuality. I would estimate that could be in the region of 150-180 million. Mr Hoare said: We are talking in ballpark terms of an unexpected expenditure of about 230-240 million. Existing budgets could not sustain that? It has gone through a number of eyes, the mistake has not been rectified or identified which suggest that we have systems errors we need to address Chris Todd Mr Todd said: No. We already have a funding gap of around 50 million. MP Robert Buckland asked how many people had viewed the information on the freedom of information request within the PSNI before it was released publicly. Mr Todd said: In a query of that nature four or five people. It has gone through a number of eyes, the mistake has not been rectified or identified which suggest that we have systems errors we need to address. Mr Hoare said: It does beggar belief that everybody made the same mistake. The odds of four people not spotting such a glaring error would be very considerable. Mr Todd responded: It was not glaring to the naked eye and that is part of the issue. The fact that the core dataset remained attached was not obvious to the naked eye. The committee chair said the breach smacked of incompetence. I am not writing the plotline of Line Of Duty but it just strikes me as stretching credulity a little too far Simon Hoare Mr Todd said: If an individual misses something you might immediately go to that conclusion, when two people miss it you may start to question that, in this case where four (people missed it), I think we need to look beyond incompetence on an individual human basis and look at the competence of the system and process which allowed that to happen. The senior officer said that by the weekend 3,954 members of the organisation had come forward to register concerns about their personal information being shared. He said the information was viewed approximately 300 times online before it was taken down. Mr Hoare said: You have sought to assure us you are absolutely confident this was effectively human error and you have no concerns at all that this wasnt a deliberate breach of data. I am finding it hard as a layman to understand why four people didnt spot it over a period of time but the recipient within two and a half hours does. I am not writing the plotline of Line Of Duty but it just strikes me as stretching credulity a little too far. Mr Todd said he had no concerns that the leak was done deliberately. He added: There is an ongoing investigation into how the leak happened. The initial assessment was very clear there was no mal-intent in any of the individuals involved in this breach. Former chief constable Simon Byrne had been expected to appear as a witness before the committee before he resigned from his position this week. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has held a meeting with a South Korean delegation of businessmen led by Chey Tae-won, the Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. PM Pashinyan welcomed the delegations visit to Armenia and underscored the governments eagerness to intensify trade-economic cooperation with the Republic of Korea, the Prime Ministers Office said in a readout. PM Pashinyan expressed conviction that the visit will contribute to the deepening of commercial ties. Chey Tae-won said that the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry is ready to boost the development and expansion of Armenian-Korean partnership in the economy and investments. Issues related to the ongoing steps for improving the business environment in Armenia, opportunities for investment projects in various directions and future cooperation in agriculture, tourism and green energy were discussed. 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 }} Sir Keir Starmer said his new-look shadow cabinet had been chosen for their hunger in the lead-up to the next general election. The Labour leader said they faced an important and crucial political period, with by-elections, party conferences, the Kings speech and an autumn statement in the coming months. He said Labour needed to use its conference in October to show that we are ready as a party and have the answers the country so desperately needs. Following the shake-up of his top team, which saw centrists promoted at the expense of some on the soft left, Sir Keir said: You are around this table because of four things: your talent, your commitment, your hunger really, really important and because I wanted a team that wakes up every morning determined to rise to the challenges that our country faces and determined to improve our country for the better. An extended shadow cabinet meeting was expected to discuss plans for the conference, the upcoming Rutherglen and Hamilton West and Mid Bedfordshire by-elections, polling and the general election campaign. The gathering, at Westminsters Church House, saw Hilary Benn, Ellie Reeves, Darren Jones and Liz Kendall take their places at the shadow cabinet table. Veteran Mr Benn returned to the top team as shadow Northern Ireland secretary, Ms Reeves became deputy national campaign co-ordinator, Mr Jones takes his first frontbench role as shadow chief secretary, while former leadership contender Ms Kendall has become shadow work and pensions secretary. Sir Keir said the party had made real progress but there was a long, long way to go. He told his top team there could be absolutely no complacency. Its a long, long road from where we landed in 2019 to being in the privileged position and it is a privileged position to form the next Labour government, and not a single vote has been cast. Whatever anyone says or any polls say, not a single vote has been cast in the next general election, and every single vote has to be earned. He warned that things get harder, always, towards the end of a race but we must keep our eyes on the prize. We have changed our party with purpose, which is to put us in a position to change our country for the better, he said. Were not doing it for the Labour Party, were doing it for the country. And today, when we say that, what we have in our minds eye is the children that arent at school today, the people on the waiting list today and the people struggling to pay their bills. Thats what were doing it for, thats the prize, and I look forward to working with all of you on that journey. The shadow cabinet meeting was also an opportunity for Sir Keir to introduce Sue Gray as his new chief of staff. The former top civil servant, who led the Whitehall inquiry into the partygate scandal, was cleared to join Labour after a six-month delay recommended by by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. 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 immigration minister has suggested it could be weeks before migrants are moved back on board the Bibby Stockholm barge. Robert Jenrick told MPs asylum seekers would be moved back onto the barge in Dorset as soon as possible, providing safety checks showed no cause for concern and he expects this to take place within weeks. His comments came as figures showed fresh cases of diphtheria among asylum seekers in England have been reported for the first time since January and Channel crossings continued for a fourth day in a row. The first asylum seekers arrived on the Bibby barge last month but were moved off again just days later after tests revealed Legionella the bacteria which can cause the potentially fatal Legionnaires disease was present. Since then, ministers and officials have been unable to say when migrants would be back on board. Home Secretary Suella Braverman insisted the giant vessel is safe amid threats of legal action from firefighters. Conservative MP Richard Drax, whose South Dorset constituency is home to the barge, asked in the Commons on Tuesday when and if migrants would return. Assuming that they (the migrants) show no signs of Legionella or indeed any other bacteria or cause of concern, then we will move people back onto the boat as soon as possible Immigration minister Robert Jenrick Mr Jenrick replied: It was very unfortunate that migrants had to be moved off the barge over the summer. We deeply regret that. We did take a very precautionary approach. Tests have subsequently been carried out and the definitive answers to those tests will be received very shortly. Assuming that they show no signs of Legionella or indeed any other bacteria or cause of concern, then we will move people back onto the boat as soon as possible. I think we can expect that within weeks. Labours shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said: The Bibby Stockholm was supposed to be a symbol of the Conservatives cutting asylum costs, but the minister hasnt even mentioned those costs today. Instead, it stands alongside the boats and the hotels as a floating symbol of Conservative failure and incompetence, which is costing the taxpayer half a million pounds a month. It comes as UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data showed three cases of diphtheria among asylum seekers were reported in England in August, taking the total number of cases for 2022 and 2023 to 77. The total previously stood at 74 after one case was reported in January. No further cases were recorded between February and July, the figures show. The Home Office refused to confirm if any of the latest cases were found among people on board the Bibby Stockholm or those staying at former RAF airbase Wethersfield Airfield in Essex, which opened to migrants for the first time in July, when asked by the PA news agency. Fifty-five of the cases have been recorded in the South East, seven in London, and there were fewer than five in each of the following areas: East of England, West Midlands, South West, North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber, the latest report said, but no breakdown by county is provided. A department spokeswoman said: The health and welfare of asylum seekers in our care is of the utmost importance. There has been a very small number of cases of diphtheria and all individuals have been treated. The Home Office liaises with the UKHSA regarding suspected diphtheria and infection cases. This can include safely moving individuals to more appropriate accommodation to support their safe isolation. Asylum seekers with symptoms of the highly contagious disease were put into isolation last year amid an increase in the number of infections among people arriving in the UK. The only reason the number (of people detected crossing the Channel) isnt breaking last years record is because of the poor weather in July and August. And a strategy that depends on the weather is probably not a very sustainable strategy at all Labours shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock But ministers and health officials insisted the risk of the public getting diphtheria is very low and infections are rare. At the time, Ms Braverman faced criticism about overcrowding and outbreaks of disease at Manston amid concerns a man held there may have died from a diphtheria infection. Since the start of September, 1,271 migrants have been detected crossing the Channel, according to Home Office figures. Pictures showed groups of men being brought ashore on Tuesday amid hot, dry and calm conditions at sea before boarding a coach to be driven away from a Border Force compound in Dover, Kent. On Monday, 286 people made the journey in five boats, taking the provisional total for the year so far to 21,372. In the Commons, the immigration minister insisted our plan is the most comprehensive of any strategy to tackle this problem in Europe, adding: And it is showing. As of today, arrivals are down by 20% compared with last year and for the month of August, the reduction was more than a third. But Mr Kinnock said: The only reason the number isnt breaking last years record is because of the poor weather in July and August. And a strategy that depends on the weather is probably not a very sustainable strategy at all. Mr Jenrick also insisted the Government is on track to clear the backlog of 92,601 so-called legacy which had been in the system as of the end of June last year after Rishi Sunak set a target of doing so by the end of 2023. Separate figures show there has been a sharp rise in the number of staff working on clearing the backlog. The number of full-time equivalent roles is up from 1,729 as of July 31 to 2,445 as of August 31 a jump of 41%. But Mr Kinnock branded the legacy backlog a figment of the Prime Ministers imagination, adding: The only backlog that matters is the 175,000 people (who are waiting for an initial decision on their application) and that is still going up and we know that the Government is cooking the books in this regard, making large numbers of asylum seekers as withdrawn because theyve missed a single appointment or failed to fill in a form correctly. 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 British tank given to Ukraine has been destroyed during fighting against invading Russian forces, the PA news agency has been told. A defence source said it was likely the first time a Challenger 2 had been disabled by enemy action. The last time one of the heavily-armoured battle vehicles had been destroyed is thought to have been during friendly fire in Iraq in 2003. Footage being widely shared on social media shows one of the 14 tanks that the UK gave to Kyiv in January at the side of a road with billowing thick grey smoke and fire emerging from it. It is unclear how the tank was destroyed but it is understood that the Ukrainian crew in the tank survived the attack. The footage appears to have been filmed from a car containing Ukrainian armed forces personnel who were looking to flee the fighting. A defence source told PA: This highlights the quality of the kit we are giving Ukraine. In the tanks Ukraine had at its disposal before Western support, the chances of the crew surviving unscathed were slim to zero. The Ministry of Defence said it would not be commenting. There has been no confirmation of the location but reports have suggested the footage was shot on the southern Zaporizhzhia front where Ukraines counter offensive has been focused. Since the grinding counteroffensive began about three months ago, Ukraine has advanced 4.3 miles in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukrainian officials claim. Troops surmounted dense Russian fortifications last week to retake the village of Robotyne. That was Ukraines first tactically significant victory in that part of the country. The Institute for the Study of War, a think tank, citing geolocated footage, said on Tuesday that Ukrainian light infantry has advanced beyond some of the anti-tank ditches and dense minefields that make up Russias layered defences in Zaporizhzhia. However, it said it was unable to say that the defence was fully breached because no Ukrainian heavy armour has been seen in the area. Ukraine has adapted its counteroffensive tactics in recent weeks, moving from attempts to bludgeon its way through Russian lines using western-supplied armour to better-planned tactical attacks that make incremental gains, according to the Royal United Services Institute, a think tank. But even after the change, progress remains slow, the think tank said, with between 700 to 1,200 metres gained every five days. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak signed-off on handing Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky 14 Challenger 2 tanks at the beginning of the year, ahead of the one-year anniversary of the conflict in February, as he looked to boost Kyivs efforts to push back Russian troops. The move opened the door to other Western nations handing Ukraine tanks, with Leopard 2 tanks given by Germany and other European countries, while the US donated Abrams. Defence sources said the war in Ukraine was the first time the Challenger 2 was being tested against modern military equipment. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A local sheriff in Nevada has been forced to bat away wild conspiracy theories that continue spread online about Burning Man. A wave of misinformation spread across Black Rock City and online on X, formerly known as Twitter, and TikTok, as the site turned into a washout over the weekend. One of the biggest false rumours was that there had been an Ebola outbreak at the festival, with some conspirators claiming there had been multiple deaths from the disease. Pershing County Sherriff Jerry Allen pushed back at this rumour in a statement about the event on Monday. In consultation with the Bureau of Land Management and the Burning Man Project, there is no validity to any reports regarding an Ebola outbreak, or any other disease, he said. All participants are free to leave at their own discretion and ability. The wild rumour seems to have originated from a post on X on Saturday, where a fake Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory claimed that there had been an Ebola outbreak. The post stated: EBOLA OUTBREAK BURNING MAN and claimed that a state of emergency was being announced. The account, which often posts false information on government control and indoctrination conspiracies, has around 30,000 followers. The post was then reshared thousands of times, before a second image was also shared by the account. Apparently theres a f***ing Ebola outbreak at Burning Man right now, the post, which had been viewed around 300,000 times, read. According to the CDC, only 11 cases of Ebola have ever been confirmed in the US, during an outbreak between 2014 and 2016. Ebola is a rare and often fatal disease that is primarily found in Sub-Saharan Africa. A fake CDC advisory of an ebola outbreak at Burning Man went viral on Elon Musks X (X) But, with the gates to the festival closed and revellers told to stay on site during the heavy rainfall, conspiracy theorists were quick to push the Ebola hoax. Posts claimed that Black Rock City was being quarantined in zones and that military aircraft had landed on site to enforce a blockade. Bogus images of people wearing hazmat suits at the festival also started to spread. Other conspiracy theory accounts joined in, sharing fake Forbes headlines claiming the outbreak was real. Fake text message screenshots on X and TikTok also fuelled the rumours. Over the weekend, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Land Management, which oversees the Black Rock Desert site, also dismissed the conspiracy in a statement to Indy100. I can confirm the event entrance was closed for the year because unusual rainfall caused muddy conditions where there was a full stop on vehicles, and not for an Ebola outbreak, the statement said. We have heard no information of any participants with Ebola. Burning Man organisers also commented on the Ebola conspiracy, as they pushed forward with their Burning of the Man finale on Monday night. In a statement on their website, they wrote: The online rumors of transmissible illnesses in Black Rock City are unfounded and untrue. After being told to conserve food and water, rumours of deaths also started to circulate, with one viral video showing a man at the festival claiming that a couple people didnt make it. However, there has only been one confirmed death at the festival this year. The man who died has been identified as 32-year-old Leon Reece, who passed away on Friday. Mr Reece was found unresponsive at around 6:24pm on Friday night while Burning Man. His cause of death is still under investigation but officials said it was not weather-related. While the Ebola rumours were false, other illnesses were cause for concern over the weekend. Thousands escape in a exodus from Burning Man now roads are dry enough (Reuters) Doctors caution people attending Burning Man to look after their health in the dry and arid conditions of the Nevada desert due to risk of dehydration, but this year, stagnant water and the cold weather created risks of hypothermia, Business Insider reported. The rampant online conspiracies did make some concerned campers even more uneasy, after around 70,000 were stranded in the midst of a thick muddy terrain, and told to conserve food and water supplies. Over the weekend, a heavy downpour of rain meant no vehicles were banned from driving through the impassable roads. Those that ignored the instructions, churned up the clay-like mud, making the situation even worse. Despite a disastrous series of events this year, Burning Man saw the festival through to the end, burning its 75-foot tall effigy named the man in a ceremonial torching on Monday night. However, not all wanted to see out the end and were quick to leave the mud-swamped Black Rock City as soon as they could. When festival organisers said that an exodus from the site was safe on Monday, thousands began to head out en masse. 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 }} Authorities on Monday revealed the identity of the man who died at the Burning Man festival as thousands of attendees began their exodus from the northern Nevada desert following heavy rains. The Pershing County sheriff's office identified the man as 32-year-old Leon Reece. Authorities received a call around 6.24pm (local time) on Friday about an unresponsive man on the ground at the ephemeral Black Rock City, sheriff Jerry Allen. The man was being administered CPR by medical personnel at the festival as flooding on the playa due to heavy rains delayed the arrival of deputies. By the time the deputies arrived, Reece was pronounced dead by the festival doctor, Sheriff Allen told the San Francisco Chronicle. The officials performed a preliminary investigation in the playa, around the area where the man was found unconscious, and interviewed witnesses. However, no immediate cause of death was determined, the sheriff said, adding that authorities were still investigating the cause of death. Reece's body was transported to Washoe County Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy and his toxicology results were pending. Following Reece's death, the organisers had asked the "burners" to conserve food, water, fuel and shelter in a "warm safe space". A rainbow over flooding on a desert plain (UGC/AFP via Getty Images) President Joe Biden told reporters in Delaware on Sunday that he was aware of the situation at Burning Man, including the death, and the White House was in touch with local authorities. The gates were shut after a large downpour turned the arid desert floor into thick mud, making it difficult for over 70,000 festivalgoers to even manoeuvre through. The Black Rock Desert in Nevada, where the festival was held, experienced around two to three months worth of rain, up to 0.8 inches in just 24 hours between Friday and Saturday morning. Vehicles are seen departing the Burning Man festival in Black Rock City, Nevada (REUTERS) Some attendees braved a several-miles-long walk to the nearest town or catch a ride there. The roads were opened Monday, allowing the traffic to flow out around 2pm (local time), even as the organisers continued urging attendees to delay their exit to help ease traffic. According to a social media account associated with the festival, the wait time to exit Burning Man was eight hours, with hundreds of vehicles standing in a queue on the main road. It said the last Burner Express to Reno would depart at 10am (local time) on Tuesday. The annual penultimate event of burning The Man" a giant wooden manlike figure took place on Monday night after the weather deterred organisers from setting it ablaze on Sunday as had been planned. "The Man" burned for more than an hour surrounded by a breathtaking display of fireworks. The final event of setting the temple on fire is scheduled to be held at 8pm on Tuesday. Close Buster Murdaugh gives first TV interview denying involvement in Smith homicide 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 court clerk who oversaw the murder trial of convicted killer Alex Murdaugh has hired high-profile lawyers after his attorneys accused her of pressuring jurors to return a guilty verdict against him. The disgraced legal scions attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin filed a motion for a new trial on Tuesday, alleging that Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Becky Hill tampered with the jury because she was driven by fame and a desire to secure a book deal. Ms Hill has now retained the counsel of State Rep Justin Bamberg and former assistant US attorney Will Lewis. The clerk has yet to formally respond to the allegations against her and she is not currently facing any criminal charges. Much of the 65-page motion centres around juror number 785 who was infamously dismissed from the panel just hours before deliberations began. Judge Clifton Newman removed her for allegedly discussing the case with people outside of the court. The woman then prompted some light-hearted relief when she asked to pick up her dozen eggs from the jury room before she left. 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 bound and gagged woman who was depicted in one of self-proclaimed BTK serial killer Dennis Raders chilling drawings has potentially been identified. Raders daughter, Kerri Rawson, appeared on CNN This Morning this week where she revealed Oklahoma authorities believe they had identified the young woman in the green shirt from one of her fathers recently released drawings. Ms Rawson, who has been assisting Oklahoma authorities with the investigation as a volunteer, could not disclose further details citing the open and active case. The detailed drawing depicts a young woman wearing green who is gagged, and bound at the hands and feet sitting in a barn. Her name has not been released, but Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden said investigators are sorting through very, very good tips that have provided more information. It comes after the sheriffs office released the detailed colored drawings with the hope that someone might recognise one of these barns or the unique features in them, or the closeness of the silo to the barn, or possibly might have even found items that they didnt know why were there that could be very important in this case, Sheriff Virden told CNN. A woman is seen bound and gagged in a drawing by BTK killer Dennis Rader (Osage County Sheriffs Office) The drawings of the female victims in barns were first recovered by the authorities after Raders arrest in 2005. Sheriff Virden said he believes the few rare color images may depict more crimes in at least three states, including Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. We have a lot of follow ups to do, of course, a lot of interviews to do, Sheriff Virden said. Barn-wise weve got a lot of things sent to us for us to check out. The 78-year-old is serving 10 consecutive life sentences after pleading guilty to 10 murders committed from the 1970s to the 1990s in Wichita, Kansas. He reportedly called himself BTK for the abbreviation blind, torture, kill. Dennis Rader (left) and his daughter Kerri Rawson (right) (AP/Harper Collins) Last month, Rader was named the prime suspect in the 1976 disappearance of 16-year-old Cynthia Dawn Kinney in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, and in the 1990 murder of 22-year-old Shawna Beth Garber in McDonald County, Missouri. Investigators believe Rader may have buried Kinney in a barn near the Kansas-Oklahoma border. Her body has never been found. Sheriff Virden told CNN about an anonymous call they received months after Kinney disappeared from a man claiming her body could be found in an old barn along the Oklahoma-Kansas border. And just recently, law enforcement intercepted communications from Rader in prison that revealed there may be some hidden items in old barns, according to the sheriff. 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 former boyfriend of an Alabama woman charged with a kidnapping hoax has spoken out about the moment he found out about her deceit. Twenty-five-year-old Carlee Russell is facing two counts of false reporting in connection with her 13 July staged kidnapping. According to authorities in Hoover County, Ms Russell admitted to making a 911 call reporting false sightings of a toddler on the side of the highway before voluntarily abandoning her vehicle on that stretch. She inexplicably reappeared at her parents home days later with a bizarre story about having been kidnapped by a man with orange hair. Investigators later learned that her internet history included searches for Amber Alerts and the movie Taken, and that evidence suggested Ms Russell plotted the abduction hoax. Ms Russells ex-boyfriend Thomar Latrell Simmons has now revealed that he only found out about the ordeal through news video of a press conference held by the Hoover County Police Department that his family sent him. I was mad, I was sad. I was in all types of emotions .... Thats my girl so I stuck for it. But [it] wasnt making sense, Mr Simmons said on the 205 Boyz. If you really wanted to tell me the truth, you could have told me. Before the police conference, you could have told me. Mr Simmons also talked about a small argument he had with Ms Russell when the two travelled to New York City just weeks before the kidnapping hoax unfolded. We were having fun, taking tours, Mr Simmons said. We had a little argument but nothing to kidnap yourself over. I am confused, like, What happened? What made you do that? Mr Simmons said he has had no contact with Ms Russell and hopes it remains that way. When authorities first raised questions about Ms Russells story, Mr Simmons defended her, writing in a social media post that her then-girlfriend had literally fought for her life. Thomar Latrell Simmons and his former girlfriend Carlee Russell (Facebook / Thomar Latrell Simmons) The circumstances in which the alleged kidnapping occurred initially prompted speculation that a new ruse involving children was being used by kidnappers to lure in victims, despite law enforcements reiterated efforts to communicate that there was no evidence of such a threat During an interview with police after she turned up at her parents home on 15 July, Ms Russell alleged that she got out of her vehicle when she saw a barefoot toddler walking in a field next to the highway. A man with orange hair and a bald spot then came out of the trees and abducted her, she claimed. Ms Russell told police that she heard a woman and a baby inside the trailer of an 18-wheeler semi truck, before making a brief escape. She said she was then recaptured and taken to a house, where her alleged captors forced her to take pictures while naked. Carlee Russell smiles in her mugshot (Hoover Police Department) She then claimed she escaped for a second time while being forced inside a car. Then, the Hoover Police Department released a statement by Ms Russells attorney: There was no kidnapping on Thursday, July 13. My client did not see a baby on the side of the road. My client apologizes for her actions to this community, the volunteers who were searching for her, to the Hoover Police Department and other agencies as well, as to her friends and family. Ms Russell was arrested on 28 July on charges of false reporting to law enforcement and false reporting to law enforcement. She was released on bond. 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 Dallas teenager was charged with murder just hours after an AMBER Alert was issued for the girl when she briefly went missing under suspicious circumstances. The Friday morning alert for 17-year-old Natalie Navarro was cancelled when she was found safe, but in a bizarre twist, she now faces a murder charge. Ms Navarro and the suspect in her reported disappearance, 21-year-old Yordy Jordy Martinez, are both wanted in the 29 August shooting death of Arturo Pena, also 21. Penas body was found in a vehicle along West Oates Road in Audubon Park in Garland, Texas last week. He had been reported missing to the Dallas Police Department on 27 August. Both Ms Navarro and Mr Martinez had warrants out for their arrest in connection to Penas death when the AMBER Alert was issued. Further details about Ms Navarros arrest were not released and Garland police say they are still trying to figure out exactly how the three individuals knew each other. Natalie Navarro (Navarro County Office of Emergency Management) Mr Martinez is feared to have fled across the US-Mexico border and remains at large. He has a criminal history that includes a felony indictment for allegedly shooting a gun into a house in Garland last November. Theres a lot of stuff going out, weve collected a lot of evidence, so were trying to process everything right now, Lt Richard Maldonado of the Garland Police Department said. Yordy Jordy Martinez (Navarro County Office of Emergency Management) The reason why this happened, weve yet to totally determine that, he added about a potential motive. We hope to get more when we talk to Natalie to see exactly what was going on if these persons knew each other, if they had a relationship, if there was a falling out. Anyone with information on Mr Martinezs location or Penas murder is asked to call the Garland Police at 972-485-4840 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 }} Pennsylvania police have shuttered local schools out of abundance of caution as the search for escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante enters its sixth day. In a memo sent to parents, the Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester County said that schools across the district would be closed on Tuesday as the search situation to find the convicted killer has now changed. We were informed early this morning by law enforcement that the search situation has evolved and out of an abundance of caution, schools and offices will be closed today, Superintendent Dr Dusty Blakey said in the letter. We understand that situations like these can be unsettling. The safety and security of our KCSD community remains our top priority. We are committed to taking all necessary precautions and measures to ensure the safety of our students and staff. The Spt urged the community to stay informed about the situation which continues to rapidly evolve. In a press conference on Tuesday morning, officials said that Cavalcante had been caught on a trail camera on Monday night managing to escape the two-mile radius which had been surrounded by law enforcement. The escaped murderer was captured on the trail camera at Longwood Gardens in East Marlborough Township, Chester County, at 8.21pm travelling one direction. He was then spotted coming past the camera again at 9.33pm local time. As a result, police have now shifted and expanded the police parimeter and shuttered nearby schools. The images show that Cavalcante has obtained a backpack and a hooded sweatshirt during his escape. Members of the public were urged to secure their homes, outbuildings and vehicles and to contact police if they spot the killer. Danelo Cavalcante captured in image (PA State Trooper and Chester County District Attorney) The latest sighting comes hours after authorities broadcast a message from the killers mother into the wooded area where was believed to be holed up. Cavalcante, 34, escaped from Chester County Prison on Thursday days after he was sentenced to life without parole for stabbing his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao to death. The killer attacked Brandao in Schuylkill Township, back in August 2021, in front of her two children, who were just seven and three years old. He is also wanted for a murder in 2017 in Brazil. Following his prison escape and huge manhunt to find him, the search has been reduced down to a two-mile radius of a heavily wooded area in Pocopsen Township, Chester County, where Cavalcante is believed to be currently hiding. On Monday, law enforcement resorted to a new tactic of blasting a message from his mother, speaking in Portuguese, into his hiding place from police helicopters and patrol cars. Robert Clark, supervisory deputy US Marshal for the Easter District of Pennsylvania spoke at a conference on Monday afternoon, explaining why these tactics were being deployed. As desperate as he is, maybe he has a change of thought and hears his mother telling him to surrender, and his family cares about him, Mr Clark said. Perhaps this is what puts him over the edge where we can get a peaceful surrender. While Mr Clark did not confirm the exact wording of the message to Cavalcante, he said that that the killers mother was urging him to turn himself into authorities. Danelo Cavalcante in mug shot (Chester County Prison) Shes just encouraging that his family loves him, and that she wants him to surrender. And thats what our hope is as well, he said. The new tactic comes as District Attorney Deb Ryan announced in a press briefing on Monday that the Pennsylvania State Police were taking over the investigation and search for Cavalcante. The goal right now is to find and capture this dangerous fugitive. We are doing everything in our power to get this guy, said DA Ryan. Since the manhunt started, there have been four credible sightings of the escaped inmate. Cavalcante has been seen at the intersection of Routes 926 and 52, north on Route 52 to Parkersville Road, southeast to Route 926 and west to the intersection of Routes 926 and 52 in Pocopson Township, police said. There have also been two reported burglaries in the area that police have investigated, but these are not currently confirmed to be linked to the escaped prisoner. However, Lt Colonel George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said on Monday that the incidents are of interest to us. Lt Col Bivens was the last person to spot Cavalcante on Sunday afternoon. From now on, he said authorities plan to use stress tactics, such as sharing his mothers message, to help find him. I intend to stress him. I want to push him hard. Hell make mistakes, he said. Hell show himself. Hes already shown himself, we believe, a few times. Chester County Prison, where Mr Cavalcante escaped from after being served a life sentence Cavalcante is described as a 5 foot Brazilian man with light complexion, shaggy, black curly hair and brown eyes. After his escape, he was seen wearing a light-coloured shirt, pants, and white sneakers. He was also carrying a backpack, but police said they are unsure when or where he obtained the bag. Law enforcement teams, including the US Marshals, SWAT, local, state, and other federal agencies, have joined the search to find him. Authorities are also offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to Cavalcantes arrest. The public is urged not to approach Cavalcante if they see him, as he is considered dangerous. His escape comes after another prisoner escaped from Chester County prison earlier this year. The prison is very aware of whatever vulnerabilities they had, and they have made efforts to correct those vulnerabilities, the district attorney said. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce walks away early. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles Qantas boss Alan Joyce has announced he will step down early from his role after a nightmare week for the national carrier. It comes as the airline has faced a wave of scrutiny in recent weeks over allegations it sold tickets for ghost flights and lobbied the federal government to reject Qatar Airways bid to increase flights to Australia. In a statement the airline said: Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce has advised the board he will bring forward his retirement by two months to help the company accelerate its renewal. Vanessa Hudson will move into the role as managing director and group chief executive from September 6. Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has stepped down two months ahead of schedule. Picture NCA NewsWire / Aaron Francis Mr Joyce said the events of the past weeks had made it clear the company needs to prioritise and move ahead with its renewal. The best thing I can do under these circumstances is to bring forward my retirement and hand over to Vanessa and the new management team now, knowing they will do an excellent job, he said. Nightmare week for Qantas In a statement released just 24 hours ago, Qantas acknowledged that their service standards had fallen well short of expectations in recent times. We openly acknowledge that our service standards fell well short and we sincerely apologise, a spokesman said. We have worked hard to fix them since and that work continues. The airline sent out a statement 24 hours ago promising to fix its reputation. NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard The statement was a direct response to multiple allegations made by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission including that the airline had advertised tickets for more than 8000 already-cancelled flights between May and July last year. The ACCCs allegations come at a time when Qantass reputation has already been hit hard on several fronts, the spokesman said. We want the community to know that we hear and understand their disappointment. We know it will take time to repair. And we are absolutely determined to do that. The consumer watchdog launched a lawsuit with the Federal Court last Thursday, with the airline facing a potential penalty of more than $250m. Story continues Vanessa Hudson will move into the role as managing director and group chief executive from Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles They allege the airline continued to advertise and sell 8000 tickets for an average of two weeks and up to 47 days after flights had been cancelled. It is further alleged customers with tickets on more than 10,000 flights scheduled to depart over a three-month period were not notified their flights had been cancelled for an average of 18 days, the watchdog alleges. Ms Hudson will step into the role two months earlier than expected. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles The ACCC alleges that for about 70 per cent of cancelled flights, Qantas either continued to sell tickets for the flight on its website for two days or more or delayed informing existing ticketholders that their flight was cancelled for two days or more or both, a spokesperson said last week. Earlier this year, law firm Echo Law confirmed a class action was under way on behalf of customers whose flights were cancelled due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. The firm alleges that Qantas customers were eligible for a full cash refund, but were instead given travel credits or vouchers. PM coy on meetings with Joyce Meanwhile, the government has been under pressure following revelations it knocked back Qatar Airways application to increase flights to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has accused Anthony Albanese of a sweetheart deal with Mr Joyce in order to shield Qantas from greater competition. The Prime Minister has repeatedly claimed he had no lobbying from the carrier on the issue. Mr Albanese is also under pressure for his relationship with Mr Joyce. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman When pressed further on Tuesday, Mr Albanese swatted away questions from the Coalition about whether he spoke with the outgoing chief. Did the Prime Minister have a conversation of any nature with Mr Alan Joyce prior to the government's decision? Nationals MP Pat Conaghan asked. Mr Albanese laughed and responded: I can confirm that Ive met Alan Joyce. Mr Albanese also confirmed he had conversations with Virgin Australia regarding the Qatar application. Pressure mounts at senate hearing A tense exchange at a senate committee hearing last week lead to the admission Qantas is holding $470m in travel credit owed to passengers who had flights cancelled because of Covid. Mr Joyce said the $370m in outstanding travel credits Qantas previously revealed are solely Qantas bookings, and do not include Jetstar or overseas-based bookings. Qantas said it would step up efforts to communicate with passengers and clear the travel credit by the end of the year. The ACCC has alleged Qantas continued to sell tickets on cancelled flights. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Aaron Francis During the same hearing, Mr Joyce faced a grilling over the airlines successful efforts to lobby the federal government out of increasing the capacity for Qatar Airways flights into capital cities. He was also forced to confront allegations of slot hoarding in an effort to hold onto coveted take off and landing time at major airports. He batted away the accusation at the time and claimed the airline had the lowest level of cancellations of any major carrier for 11 of the past 12 months. The week before, Mr Joyce fronted the press to announce the airlines eye-watering $2.46 billion profit result for the last financial year. It prompted renewed calls from the public for the airline to repay its $2.35 billion in government support it received during the pandemic to stay afloat. Industry reacts to news The Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) which represents Qantas Group pilots said they are confident Qantas can be great once more. The Spirit of Australia may be deflated, but it is not defeated and if we all work together, I'm confident Qantas can be great once more, AIPA President Captain Tony Lucas said. He said they trust Mr Joyces early departure is the circuit breaker needed to allow Qantas to move forward. The airline is hoping the fast tracked succession will help them move through a tumultuous time. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard There is much work to be done, however we trust that Ms Hudson recognises the power of respecting and valuing all Qantas staff and how that can play a significant role in the renewal of the airline. Meanwhile, Transport Workers Union National Secretary Michael Kaine has called into question a hefty multimillion-dollar package the departing chief executive is due to receive. Alan Joyce is slipping into retirement two months early with a $24 million pay packet, leaving one of the biggest messes in corporate Australias history in his wake, he said. After finally receiving the public scrutiny he deserves for trashing one of Australias' most cherished companies, Alan Joyce is exiting with a $10 million bonus, announced on Friday. This is a classic Joyce move: pretend to take responsibility while pocketing obscene amounts of money. The union has faced off with the airline on numerous occasions since 15,000 staff were laid off on placed on forced leave in mid-2021. Joyce hangs up boots early Mr Joyces early retirement marks an abrupt end to his 15 years in the top job and 22 years with the company. There is a lot I am proud of over my 22 years at Qantas, he said. There have been many ups and downs, and there is clearly much work still to be done, especially to make sure we always deliver for our customers. But I leave knowing that the company is fundamentally strong and has a bright future. Qantas Chairman Richard Goyder commended the outgoing chief executive on putting the best interests of Qantas front and centre. Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce wraps up 22 years with the company. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Aaron Francis We sincerely thank him for his leadership through some enormous challenges and for thinking well-ahead on opportunities like ultra long-haul travel, he said. Mr Goyder admitted it comes at challenging time for the airline as the company works to restore the public confidence. We have an important job to do in restoring the publics confidence in the kind of company we are, and thats what the Board is focused on, and what the management under Vanessas leadership will do, he said. The airline is responding to major allegations that they sold tickets on ghost flights. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard The fast-tracked succession plan also brings forward the appointment of Rob Marcolina to fill the vacant role of chief financial officer as Ms Hudson steps up into the top job. Shareholders will formally vote on the appointment of Vanessa Hudson as Managing Director at Qantas Annual General Meeting in November. Mr Joyce announced his retirement back in May and was due to see out his role until November. 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 }} Two days before a mob of Donald Trumps supporters stormed the US Capitol, the now-former leader of a neo-fascist gang was arrested in Washington DC shortly after stepping off a plane from Miami. Enrique Tarrio was wanted by police after he admitted to tearing down and burning a Black Lives Matter flag outside a historically Black church in the nations capital during December riots connected to a protest supporting then-President Donald Trumps false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. On 6 January, 2021, Tarrio watched the insurrection unfold from a hotel in Baltimore. Before his arrest two days earlier, Tarrio wrote to his lieutenant: Whatever happens make it a spectacle. Tarrio is now among four members of the self-described Western chauvinist gang facing decades in prison after they were found guilty in May of seditious conspiracy and other charges in connection with the mobs assault. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison, the longest sentence to date in connection with the attack. In a sentencing memo, prosecutors said the men organized and directed a force of nearly 200 to attack the heart of our democracy and intentionally positioned themselves at the vanguard of political violence in this country. The defendants understood the stakes, and they embraced their role in bringing about a revolution. They unleashed a force on the Capitol that was calculated to exert their political will on elected officials by force and to undo the results of a democratic election, prosecutors wrote. They failed. They are not heroes; they are criminals. During the trial, prosecutors presented hundreds of internal messages revealing the groups toxic rhetoric and culture of violence depicting a gang that came together to use force against its enemies in the weeks leading up to January 6, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors argued that the Proud Boys were not merely obedient followers of the former presidents commands but were preparing for all-out war to undermine millions of Americans votes and upend a democratic election to preserve his presidency. Tarrio, as the leader of the gang, along with his four co-defendants, directed, mobilized and led a crowd of 200 supporters towards the Capitol on January 6, leading to dismantling of metal barricades, destruction of property, breaching of the Capitol building, and assaults on law enforcement, then bragged about their actions on social media and in group chat messages that were later shared with jurors, according to prosecutors. Defence attorneys have placed the blame on the words and actions of then-President Trump, who directed his supporters to fight like hell the morning of the attack and in a message from a debate stage heard loud and clear by members of the Proud Boys and their allies stand by. It was Donald Trumps words. It was his motivation, Tarrios attorney Nayib Hassan told jurors in closing arguments. It was not Enrique Tarrio. They want to use Enrique Tarrio as a scapegoat for Donald J Trump and those in power. Enrique Tarrio (AP) Proud Boys emerged in cities across the US as a violent response to antifascists organizing in the wake of the 2016 election, exploiting white, right-wing male rage and relying on semi-ironic posturing and barroom culture to launder far-right, anti-immigrant and anti-LGBT+ views. Tarrio, who assumed the role of group chairman in 2018, previously was a prolific cooperator with local and federal law enforcement agencies, according to court records and testimony from a former attorney. His own lawyer and an FBI investigator said Tarrio helped authorities prosecute more than a dozen people in cases involving drugs, gambling and human smuggling between 2012 and 2014. Tarrio has denied his involvement. Enrique Henry Tarrio, 39, was born in Miami to Cuban immigrant parents. He was initially reluctant to join the Proud Boys until he was courted by members at a party for far-right activist Milo Yiannopoulos in 2017; Tarrio was there working security. Tarrio rose through the ranks of the burgeoning neo-fascist gang, attending events for Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka, rallying alongside members at 2017s so-called Unite the Right event in Charlottesville, Virginia that exploded into lethal violence, and broadening his Florida chapter into a national operation. Before me and they hate it when I say this they were the Gavin McInnes fan club, he told the Miami New Times. We werent really political. In 2013, he pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a healthcare fraud case involving diabetic test strips, then assisted federal prosecutors to identify a dozen other suspects, according to court records. He served one year and four months in prison. During a televised presidential debate on 29 September, 2020, debate moderator Chris Wallace repeatedly asked then-President Trump whether he would denounce white supremacism. Mr Trump asked for a name to reference. Joe Biden, standing on the opposite side of the stage, suggested the Proud Boys. Proud Boys, stand back and stand by, Mr Trump said. But Ill tell you what somebodys got to do something about antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem. This is a left-wing problem. Almost immediately, Proud Boys members and their allies celebrated what they heard as a call to action. Trump basically said to go f*** them up! Tarrios future co-defendant Joe Biggs wrote on Parler at the time. This makes me so happy. Accounts also circulated a meme illustrating the president wearing a Fred Perry shirt a part of the groups unofficial uniform and a peaked cap bearing the Proud Boys logo with the text standing by for your orders general, sir. Another image included an incorrect version of the presidents remarks that more acutely resembled a call to arms: Proud Boys can stand back and stand by, because someone has to take care of antifa and these people. Although I am excited about our mention on the debate stage I am not taking this as a direct endorsement from the President, Tarrio wrote on Telegram. Him telling the Proud Boys to stand back and standby is what we have ALWAYS done, he added. On Parler, Tarrio said: Standing by, sir. Following Mr Trumps defeat in the 2020 election, Tarrio and hundreds of members of the Proud Boys and other far-right groups marched through Washington DC, where they set fire to a Black Lives Matter banner seized from historic Black church Asbury United Methodist. The group also attacked Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, another historic Black church. During his arrest after his arrival in Washington on 4 January, 2021, police found Tarrio was carrying two high-capacity magazines compatible with high-powered rifles. Both were empty. He faced a misdemeanor charge of destruction of property for burning the churchs sign and two subsequent felony charges for possessing a high-capacity feeding device. Tarrio had previously admitted in comments on Parler and on a Proud Boys-affiliated podcast that he was responsible for burning a churchs sign. In the burning of the BLM sign, I was the one that lit it on fire, he said. I was the person that went ahead and put the lighter to it and engulfed it in flames, and I am damn proud that I did. Later that year, he announced he was stepping down from his leadership role with the Proud Boys, as other members start getting more involved in local politics, running our guys for office from local seats, whether its a simple GOP seat or a city council seat. But in the wake of January 6, as the group decentralized, members have harassed drag queen story-telling events at libraries and amplified groomer smears aimed at LGBT+ people. The group has been central to a wave of attacks and threats against drag performers and the people and venues that host them, according to a recent report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Proud Boys chapters targeted 60 such events, with more than half resulting in physical and verbal clashes, the report found. In July 2021, as part of a plea agreement dropping the felony charges against him, Tarrio pleaded guilty to destruction of property and to a misdemeanor count of attempted possession of a high-capacity magazine. He was released in January 2022 after serving four months in jail. Last month, members of the group were ordered to pay $1m over what a Washington DC Superior Court judge called a highly orchestrated and hateful and overtly racist assault against the church. Members of the Proud Boys gathered outside the Tennessee state capitol on 21 August (Getty Images) Five months later, a federal grand jury indicted Tarrio and four other men Joe Biggs, Ethan Nordean, Dominic Pezzola and Zachary Rehl for seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol attack. US District Judge Timothy Kelly barred prosecutors from discussing Tarrios prior arrest during the Proud Boys trial, but jurors were exposed to dozens of messages revealing members hateful rhetoric and calls for violence in private messages and across social media platforms and in public statements and in a video showing them burning the Black Lives Matter banner. In the weeks leading up to January 6, Tarrio had assembled a Ministry of Self-Defense with his co-defendants and Jeremy Bertino, a former Proud Boy who pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy and served as a key government witness at trial. Bertinos testimony implicated Tarrio and the other men in a conspiracy to what he said was anything that was necessary to save the country including breaking into the Capitol to block the certification of an American election. Days before the attack, Tarrio exchanged messages with another person who shared a plan called 1776 Returns that included plans to occupy crucial buildings with as many people as possible, including the House and Senate. That person wrote that revolution is [sic] important than anything, to which Tarrio replied: Thats what every waking moment consists of Im not playing games. On January 6, Tarrio told followers on social media that day to do what must be done and, in a group chat with other Proud Boys members, do it again. Make no mistake, he wrote in another message. We did this. This story was initially published on 29 August and has been updated with developments 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 father in Polk County, Florida allegedly killed his 16-year-old son with a power tool, according to police. Stephen Thomas Rodda, 37, is facing charges for the murder of his son, who was also named Stephen, according to WESH NBC2. He allegedly committed the killing with an angle grinder, a hand-held power tool that can be used to cut through hard materials, generally metal. It breaks our heart, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. There arent adequate words to explain how horrific this event is. The teen lived with his grandfather, Thomas Rodda, in Lake Wales. The grandfather came home to find Mr Rodda outside, who allegedly told him not to go inside because he "killed someone." When Thomas Rodda entered the house, he found his grandson dead in the dining room, according to the New York Post. Police eventually caught Mr Rodda fleeing on Highway 60, where he was taken into custody. The suspect has a long criminal history, as well as an outstanding warrant in South Carolina, according to Mr Judd. This guy has been nothing but a problem to society for a very long time, Mr Judd said. And now, hes turned a problemed person into an evil person when he murdered his son and created a horrible set of circumstances for a loving family. Stephen Rodda, 37, is accused of killing his 16-year-old son with an angle grinder in Polk County, Florida (Polk County Sheriffs Office) Mr Judd said the teen was just about to start a job at Burger King before he was murdered. "We lost a great young man today," Mr Judd said. "And weve got an evil, evil man in custody, and were going to do our best to see he spends the rest of his life in prison. The teen reportedly helped his grandparents at their home. His grandmother was recovering in rehab, and he picked up chores around the house. He was hoping to save up to buy a car, according to Mr Judd. This is the second time a parent has been accused of killing their child in Polk County in about a week. On 27 August, Brandy Hutchins, 43, killed her two children before dying as a result of suicide. She was embroiled in a custody dispute prior to the murders. I cant remember it happening twice in eight days, Mr Judd said. Theres no words to explain that." Police are still trying to determine a motive. 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 }} Lori Vallows defence attorneys have filed a notice of appeal a month after she was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of her two children and her husbands former wife. After a grueling weeks-long trial, the so-called Doomsday Mom was found guilty in May of killing 7-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan. Their bodies were found buried in the backyard of her husband Chad Daybell in Rexburg, Idaho. She was also found guilty of conspiring to kill her husbands former wife Tammy Daybell. Vallow married Daybell in November 2019 less than two weeks after his wife Tammy died of what was believed to be natural causes. Her body was later exhumed and it was determined she died of asphyxiation. Lori Vallow is seen in a mug shot taken after her sentencing in Idaho (Idaho Department of Corrections) This photo of Tylee Ryan and her brother Joshua JJ Vallow with their uncle Alex Cox was taken days before they were killed (Handout) The case drew nationwide attention when Vallows children went missing in September 2019. Nine months later, their bodies were found buried in Mr Daybells backyard in June 2020. They were both charged with murder and conspiracy in the death of her children and conspiracy to kill Tammy, and after three years of delays and weeks of harrowing testimony, Vallow stood trial in May. JJ, who had autism, had been smothered with a plastic bag taped over his face, his little body still dressed in a pair of red pyjamas. Tylees cause of death meanwhile has been impossible to establish as the teenagers dismembered, charred bones and body parts were found scattered in the ground on Mr Daybells pet cemetery. This bizarre spate of disappearances and deaths came just months after Vallows fourth husband Charles Vallow was shot dead by Vallows brother Alex Cox in Arizona in July 2019. Arizona Gov Katie Hobbs signed an extradition request for Vallow to be brought back to Maricopa County to face charges in connection to the death of Charles Vallow. She could also face charges in the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux, who was the husband of Vallow Daybells niece. Chad Daybell appears during a court hearing in St. Anthony, Idaho, in August 2020 (Post Register) Prosecutors in Idaho accused Vallow, Mr Daybell and Cox of conspiring to kill people who were obstacles to Mr Daybell and Vallows relationship. Two months later, she was sentenced to life in prison on Monday. Mr Daybell is expected to stand trial in April 2024. He is not facing any charges in Arizona. 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 former ringleader and three members of a neo-fascist gang that one member called the foot soldiers for the right were convicted on treason-related charges for plotting to unleash a violent assault in the halls of Congress. More than two years after the attack, former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and four other men connected to the far-right group known for their black-and-yellow outfits appeared in a federal courtroom in prison-orange jumpsuits to face what could be the longest sentences yet in connection with the violent siege. On 4 May, following a four-month trial and six days of jury deliberation, Tarrio and three of four other Proud Boys associates on trial alongside him were found guilty of seditious conspiracy, among other charges stemming from a violent attempt to throw 2020 presidential election results into chaos. Their combined prison sentences total more than 80 years in prison. In a sentencing memo, prosecutors said the men organized and directed a force of nearly 200 to attack the heart of our democracy and intentionally positioned themselves at the vanguard of political violence in this country. The defendants understood the stakes, and they embraced their role in bringing about a revolution. They unleashed a force on the Capitol that was calculated to exert their political will on elected officials by force and to undo the results of a democratic election, prosecutors wrote. They failed. They are not heroes; they are criminals. US District Judge Timothy Kelly sentenced Tarrio to 22 years in prison, by far the longest sentence to date among the hundreds of people charged in connection with the Capitol attack, reflecting his singular role organizing members of a mob that threatened American democracy on 6 January, 2021. Now-former Proud Boys leaders Ethan Nordean and Joe Biggs to 18 years and 17 years in prison, respectively, marking what are now the second- and third-longest sentences yet. Zachary Rehl was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and Dominic Pezzola the only member of that group who was not convicted of seditious conspiracy was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Fifteen people connected to the January 6 attack, including the leader of the far-right militia group the Oath Keepers, have either been convicted by a jury or pleaded guilty on charges of seditious conspiracy in the aftermath of the riots major victories from a sprawling investigation from the US Department of Justice into hundreds of Capitol riot cases. Tarrios verdict marked the first successful seditious conspiracy conviction against a January 6 defendant who was not physically at the Capitol that day. Tarrio and Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes who was sentenced to 18 years in prison, now tied with Nordean for the longest sentence connected to January 6 are among the highest-profile figures in the Justice Departments efforts, which have netted more than 1,000 arrests and more than 700 convictions to date. Prosecutors have argued that both men fuelled violence and radicalized followers with a constant drumbeat of conspiracy theories echoing Donald Trumps baseless narrative that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. During the Proud Boys trial, prosecutors presented hundreds of pieces of evidence from the days leading up to the January 6 attack, revealing the groups toxic rhetoric, culture of violence and damning messages depicting a gang that came together to use force against its enemies, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors argued that the Proud Boys were not merely obedient followers of the former presidents commands but were preparing for all-out war to undermine millions of Americans votes and upend a democratic election to preserve his presidency. These defendants saw themselves as Donald Trumps army, fighting to keep their preferred leader in power no matter what the law or the courts had to say about it, Conor Mulroe, a trial attorney for the Justice Department, told jurors in closing arguments. Tarrio, Biggs, Nordean and Rehl were found guilty of seditious conspiracy after conspiring to forcefully oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power, a jury found. All four men, as well as Pezzola, were also found guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding. Four of them all but Pezzola were also found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, civil disorder and destruction of government property. Pezzola also was found guilty of robbery and assaulting, resisting or impeding police. Defence attorneys argued that there was no conspiracy to join the attack, an event they characterised as a spontaneous act of rage fuelled by then-President Trumps demands. It was Donald Trumps words. It was his motivation, attorney Nayib Hassan told jurors in closing arguments. It was not Enrique Tarrio. They want to use Enrique Tarrio as a scapegoat for Donald J Trump and those in power. The foot soldiers of the right The group, founded in 2016 by Vice co-founder turned far-right commentator Gavin McInnes, has exploited white male aggression, weaponized semi-ironic posturing and relied on a veneer of drinking clubs to launder white nationalist, antisemitic and anti-LGBT+ tropes that lead to real-world violence. Across his platforms, Mr McInnes carved out an ideological space for frustrated young men to rally around by arguing for the superiority of white western culture and against white liberal guilt, feminism, Islam and LGBT+ people, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Over the last several years, the Proud Boys have emerged as a fascistic, right-wing political bloc relying on street-level violence in concert with right-wing media and Republican elected officials, according to SPLC senior research analyst Cassie Miller. In the wake of January 6, as the group decentralized, members have harassed drag queen story-telling events at libraries and amplified groomer smears aimed at LGBT+ people. Proud Boys have been central to a wave of attacks and threats against drag performers and the people and venues that host them, according to a recent report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Proud Boys chapters targeted 60 such events, with more than half resulting in physical and verbal clashes, the report found. Jeremy Bertino, a former North Carolina Proud Boy who served as a key witness for the government during the trial, said the group emerged as the foot soldiers of the right against antifascist demonstrators. Bertino is the only Proud Boy to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy. Canadian authorities have designated the Proud Boys as a terrorist organisation. Members also participated in Stop the Steal rallies across the US following Joe Bidens victory in the 2020 presidential election including a rally on 12 December, 2020 in Washington DC, where members of the gang were filmed tearing down and burning Black Lives Matter banners at historically Black churches. Rioters destroyed two Black Lives Matter banners at Metropolitan AME and Asbury United Methodist Church. Tarrio was wanted in connection with the destruction. He was arrested shortly after landing in Washington DC on 4 January, two days before the attack, which he watched unfold from a Baltimore hotel room after he was barred from re-entering the nations capital. Trumps call to arms and January 6 Then-President Trump invoked the groups name during the first 2020 presidential debate on 29 September after debate moderator Chris Wallace repeatedly asked the president to denounce white supremacism. Mr Trump asked for a name. Joe Biden, standing beside Mr Trump on the debate stage, suggested the Proud Boys. Proud Boys, stand back and stand by, but Ill tell you what, somebodys got to do something about antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem, Mr Trump replied. This is a left-wing problem. After his comments, Mr Biggs wrote on the social media platform Parler that President Trump told the Proud Boys to stand by because someone needs to deal with antifa ... well sir! were ready!! Standing by, sir, Tarrio wrote on Twitter. Mr Trumps remarks turned into a kind of catchphrase that quickly spread across far-right online spaces. Proud Boys-related T-shirts and other items with the phrase appeared in online shopping sites shortly after the debate. Bertino testified to the House select committee investigating January 6 that Mr Trumps comments were a call to arms that helped swell the groups ranks exponentially afterward. From left, Zachary Rehl, Ethan Nordean and Joe Biggs are pictured in Washington DC on 6 January, 2021. (AP) Proud Boys activity has been strongly correlated with the fortunes of former President Trump, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, noting that 97 of the 152 demonstrations involving Proud Boys in 2020 were explicitly in support of then-President Trump. That includes at least 79 demonstrations after Mr Trumps stand back and stand by remarks. If Biden steals this election, [Proud Boys] will be political prisoners, Tarrio wrote on social media 16 November, 2020, days after media outlets projected Mr Bidens victory. We wont go quietly. I promise, he wrote, according to prosecutors. Days later, he wrote: No Trump...No peace. No quarter. During a sentencing hearing on 29 August, US District Judge Tim Kelly ran through messages used as evidence during the Proud Boys trial depicting members of the group using violence as a recruitment tool and then weaponizing their recruits. Trump tells Proud Boys to stand by during a presidential debate in September 2020. Biggs took Mr Trumps comments as a signal to f*** up antifa. Nordean said it was time to f****** rage. Rehl called for firing squads for traitors who want to steal the election. Tarrio said media coverage warning of Proud Boys threats of civil war should be careful what the f*** you ask for. We dont want to start one, he wrote, but we sure as f*** finish one. Tarrio also possessed a document called 1776 Returns with plans to occupy crucial buildings in Washington, including House and Senate office buildings, on January 6. We need many people as possible inside these buildings, the document states. These are OUR buildings, they are just renting space. We must show our politicians We the People are in charge. Before he was arrested on 4 January, Tarrio wrote to Biggs: Whatever happens make it a spectacle. Biggs, Nordean and Rehl marched with a group to the Capitol and broke through barricades. Pezzola seized a riot shield from an officer and used it to break a window, through which the first members of the mob entered the Capitol, according to the indictment. Tarrio wrote he was proud of my boys and my country. Brother, You know we made this happen, Bertino wrote to Tarrio that day. We influenced people, the normies, enough to stand up for themselves to take back their country and take back their freedom, he later testified during the trial. We were always talking about being the tip of the spear, and that was just another example of us leading the way and leading by example. Follow us. This story was first published on 29 August and has been updated with developments 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 }} More than two dozen people were injured on Labor Day when a University of Wisconsin-Madison pier collapsed in Madison, Wisconsin. A witness captured the collapse on video. The collapse occurred around 3pm on Monday, according to the UW Madison Police Department. Authorities said between 20 and 25 people suffered minor injuries, and at least one person was taken to hospital. The witness a student began filming when they noticed how crowded the pier had become. They told ABC 27 that there was a "boom," which they initially believed to be gunshots or fireworks. Thats when the dock began to crumble. After the collapse, the University of Wisconsin Police Department dove around the wreck to ensure no one had been trapped under the debris. The University of Wisconsin-Madison, one of the biggest research institutions in the United States, is investigating the incident. A spokesperson said the dock was scheduled to be removed on Tuesday to mark the end of the summer. Elsewhere on Labor Day news, one person died and two others were hospitalised when a gunman open fired in Montgomery County, Maryland. Police in Aspen Hill, Maryland, received a shooting report around 7.40pm. When they arrived, they found a man lying in the street suffering from a gunshot wound, Fox 5 reports. He was transferred to hospital. Police searched nearby residences and found two women who were also suffering from gunshot wounds. One of the women was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other was taken to a nearby hospital. Officials said a male suspect has been taken into custody, but the investigation is still ongoing. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Marine veteran saved the life of a man who was being swept under by a rip tide current at Long Beach Island by using his surfboard as a life raft. Stephen Houser, 35, was filming a YouTube video in the waves when he saw swimmer Gabe McCabe being dragged under by the strong currents. Video footage showed Mr McCabe was able to cling onto Mr Housers board, and then brought him back to safety. The close-call experience happened over Labour Day weekend on Long Beach Island in New Jersey; while sunny weather brought people out to the beach, the remnants of Hurricane Idalia and other tropical storms made the sea very rough. Ive never experienced anything like this, it just zapped the energy right out of you, Mr McCabe told WABC. The ex-Marine spotted Mr McCabe struggling to keep afloat in the water and swam over desperately to save the man from drowning in the rip current. Mr McCabe is now calling his saviour a friend for life, after what he did for him. Steve was definitely the man of the moment yesterday for me. Im not sure if Id be here today [without him], but thankfully I am, says Mr McCabe. Mr Houser said that rip currents can often turn out really deadly, he said: Ive been in those rip currents before too, its scary. Your first instinct is to panic. While Mr McCabe was able to be pulled to safety, others unfortunately drowned in the rip currents along the Jersey Shore. It has been reported that three people have drowned due to the strong currents. Three people died in the rip currents over Labour Day weekend (Erika Volchik/ABC) A human chain made up of lifeguards and fellow swimmers, overseen by an emergency helicopter, was formed at Beach Haven Ocean County, trying to search for a submerged 22-year-old man. Despite efforts, the man identified as Edwin Antonio Made Sanches, was taken by the rough waves and drowned. Two other lives were also devastatingly claimed by the rip currents over Labour Day weekend. Police responded to a call about six swimmers in distress at Seaside Beach. The US Coast Guard were able to locate five people, but despite looking overnight they were unable to find the final 31-year-old male swimmer. High and moderate rip current warnings across the East Coast (FOX Weather) In Belmar, police also received a report of another group of six swimmers at 6th Avenue Beach. Five swimmers were rescued, but they found a 42-year-old male swimmer unresponsive; they took him to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Beaches all along the East Coast have all been issued a high or a moderate rip current alert due to the ongoing after-effects of the storms. 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 body of a swimmer who went missing after getting into trouble in treacherous conditions at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, has washed ashore, according to police. Richard A Boateng, 31, from Savage, Maryland, disappeared while swimming in the ocean near Rehoboth Ave at around 5.45pm on Sunday 3 September. After receiving multiple 911 calls, authorities mounted a vast multiagency search for Boateng. The operation included Rehoboth Beach Patrol lifeguards, and officials from the United States Coast Guard, the Delaware State Police Aviation Unit, and the states Division of Fish and Wildlife. Just before 6am on Monday, Boatengs body was spotted in the surf about a mile north at North Shores Beach, the Rehoboth Police Department said in an update. Paramedics responded and pronounced the swimmer dead at the scene. No foul play is suspected, the department said. Boateng got into trouble in the surf off Rehoboth Beach just 22 minutes after lifeguards had gone off duty on Sunday, according to WGMD. Officials had earlier warned of extremely treacherous conditions in the water along the mid-Atlantic from Tropical Storm Idalia. A witness who saw Boateng struggling in the water told WGMD they thought he was waving to somebody. Probably he was shouting help and we suddenly realised, yeah, he needs help. So then I started shouting Help! We need a lifeguard. We were shouting, shouting, shouting and finally when I turned to this side. I cant see him. He just lifted his hand and he drowned, the witness told WGMD. The body of Richard A. Boateng, 31, from Savage, Maryland, was found a day after he went missing while swimming (Rehoboth Beach Police Department) Off-duty lifeguards leaped into action to try to save the drowning man, creating a human chain as they dragged a rope through the water parallel to the beach, the news site reported. The search continued even after dark fell with Coast Guard vessels and helicopters firing parachute flares into the air. Boateng had reportedly been visiting Rehoboth Beach with his girlfriend and several friends. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden own a second home in Rehoboth Beach, along with their primary residence in Wilmington. Mr Biden attended church in the coastal town earlier on Sunday. 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 cross-party delegation of six Australian lawmakers will travel to the US this month to push for an end to the pursuit of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The US has called for the extradition of Julian Assange, an Australian citizen, after his website WikiLeaks published thousands of US government documents in 2010, which included a cache of military records and diplomatic files, some of which were classified. Detained in Britains Belmarsh prison for the last four years, Mr Assange is in the midst of appealing the UKs decision to agree to US extradition. The Australian delegation, including former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, is scheduled to travel to the US ahead of a visit by Anthony Albanese to the White House in October. The trip, funded by the Assange campaign, will also include Liberal senator Alex Antic, independent MP Monique Ryan, Labor MP Tony Zappia and Greens senators David Shoebridge and Peter Whish-Wilson, reported The Guardian. Revealing their intention to the press in Canberra today, the MPs said they timed their trip for maximum impact as the prime minister prepares for his own trip. The delegation is expected to meet members of the US Congress and Senate, along with officials at the State and Justice departments as well as think-tanks American Civil Liberties Union and Reporter Without Borders. While Washington has previously maintained that the release of secret documents by Mr Assange put the lives of those serving in Afghanistan and Iraq in danger, his supporters claim the Wikileaks founder is being victimised for exposing wrongdoings by the US. Mr Assanges brother and Chair of the Assange Campaign organisation, Gabriel Shipton, said the vast majority of Australians did not understand why the US continued to demand his extradition. Australians see the US as our closest ally... but right now, Julian is being held hostage by a vengeful US administration and its damaging US-Australian relations, he said in a statement. Greg Barns, a human rights lawyer and campaign adviser for Mr Assange, said the majority of Australians believe the pursuit of the WikiLeaks founder should come to an end. That can only happen if the US Department of Justice drops its extradition bid at once, he said. It is not an ordinary run-of-the-mill extradition case, Mr Barns told The Guardian and discussed the freedom of expression for journalists. Youve got China chasing journalists around the world, and youve got the Russians who have recently arrested journalists, Mr Barns said. Youve now got China using the Assange case as a sort of moral equivalence argument. So the message [of the Australian delegation] is going to be: this is very dangerous for journalists around the world and a race to the bottom thats going on. Mr Assanges brother Mr Shipton said Australians had had a gutful. The vast majority of Australians cant understand why the US continues to act in a way that keeps Julian locked up in one of the worst prisons in the UK, he said. Even Australians who didnt support Julians actions believe he has suffered enough and should be set free immediately. Mr Shipton also offered an update on Mr Assanges health. Hes doing OK, all things considered, he said. Earlier in May, Mr Albanese also expressed his frustration over a lack of diplomatic solution on Assanges detention. Support for him remains low among US policymakers, however, with only a few members of Congress demanding the charges be dropped against Mr Assange. If extradited, he faces a sentence of 175 years in prison. Additional reporting by agencies For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The three brothers who own Whakaari White Island in New Zealand have had charges against them dismissed by an Auckland court judge on Tuesday. Peter, Andrew and James Buttle were individually charged as directors of Whakaari Management Limited [WML] for health and safety failings ahead of the volcanic eruption in December 2019 that killed 22 people including 17 Australians and injured 25 others. Judge Evangelos Thomas of Auckland District Court said: There is no evidence in this case as to what happened behind the boardroom door at WML. Without that evidence, I cannot assess what a reasonable director would have done. Netflix also made a documentary last year on the tragic 2019 eruption of the White Island volcano which was titled The Volcano: Rescue From Whakaari. The three Buttle brothers inherited the island and owned it through a family trust. On 9 December 2019, the volcano erupted unexpectedly while tour groups were visiting the island. There were 47 people on the island at the time. The three brothers were charged by Worksafe New Zealands health and safety regulator with failing to adequately ensure the health and safety of workers and other people. Local media reported that even though charges against the three brothers have been individually dropped, the trial regarding their company, WMLs role, is still ongoing. Thirteen parties were implicated in this case, which included the three Buttle brothers, their company WML, the tour operator White Island Tours, various other tourism firms, as well as New Zealands volcano monitoring agency GNS Science and the National Emergency Management Agency. The Buttle brothers and WML entered pleas of not guilty, and two additional tourism companies, ID Tours NZ and Tauranga Tourism Services, also on trial, did the same. It was reported that the court is scheduled to consider applications from ID Tours NZ and Tauranga Tourism Services to have the charges against them dismissed on Wednesday. Five other parties, including tour operators, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. The National Emergency Management Agency initially pleaded not guilty but later successfully applied to have the charges against them dismissed. One of the brothers, Peter Buttle, told the court this week: What happened was a shock to everybody. Its 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. We believe we had put in place everything that we could possible have put in place to ensure the operators operated safely, and we were very confident in the operators we have that they were extremely safety conscious. The Buttle family has owned the volcano since 1936, but it wasnt until the early 1990s that they started offering tours to the island. 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 election of the new leader of Finlands largest opposition party has been overshadowed by the resurfacing of an old photograph showing him with two near-naked men who are giving a Nazi salute. Antti Lindtman, the new leader of the Finnish Social Democratic party (SDP), is pictured with four of his friends at a Christmas party in his secondary school over two decades ago. While Lindtman is posing with a fake handgun and wearing a balaclava, he is not giving a Nazi salute. The 41-year-old initially had to contend with the image when it began circulating a few weeks ago - and it has come back to haunt him after winning the SPD leadership, succeeding the countrys former prime minister Sanna Marin. Former Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin (left) with her successor as leader of the SDP Antti Lindtman (right) (Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images) Lindtman has attempted to distance himself from the image, which he has said is genuine. Even though the pictures are from my youth, Im not hugely proud of them, Lindtman told Ilta-Sanomat, a Finnish newspaper. He said the photograph had been taken by his school filmmaking club as part of a series, which he had requested be removed from its website 15 years ago. However, he said the image was leaked to social media by someone. When asked about the Hitler salutes, he said: It seems the guys went a bit too far with their poses I was not and am not a Nazi sympathiser. Not back then and not now. Quite the contrary: I dont think the neo-Nazis liked my [political] views even then. This comes after the SDP, which is now Finlands main opposition party after narrowly losing a parliamentary election in April, faced questions over its party secretary. Mikkel Nakkalajarvi, 33, beat his neighbours cat to death with a shovel during a summer holiday in 2006 yet did not disclose this to the party. The crime was only revealed 13 years later by a newspaper during the 2019 European election campaign. Nakkalajarvi attempted to make a virtue of his troubled record at the SDP party conference on Saturday, telling delegates: I want Finland to be a country where anyone can become anything a country where everyone can succeed, but also fail and try again. The Independent has approached Antti Lindtman for updated comment. Sept. 5, 1993 About 75 people gathered on the steps of City Hall yesterday afternoon to voice their opposition to the North American Free Trade Agreement. The hour-long rally was led by union leaders and activists who adamantly oppose the proposal, soon to be before Congress. Shop members and their families, some disappointed by the smaller-than-expected turnout, carried placards and passed out literature. One piece of literature, passed out by the United Paperworkers International Union, epitomized the demonstrators' position. If NAFTA passes, it said, "U.S. jobs will become America's number one export." Union leaders argued yesterday that NAFTA would "cost Americans their jobs" and "leave American living standards in worse decline than any time in our history." The North American Free Trade Agreement would create the world's largest and most powerful trading bloc by uniting 630 million consumers. NAFTA would lower tariffs and remove other trade restrictions among the United States, Canada and Mexico. 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 }} French state schools have sent dozens of Muslim girls home for wearing a traditional robe banned in educational settings last week. The French education minister reported that almost 300 pupils arrived at school on Monday wearing the abaya, a long, loose over-garment that spans from the shoulders to the feet. Similar to the djellaba worn in North Africa or the qamis which is popular in West Africa, it is largely worn by women. Official figures reflect that 298 girls, mostly aged 15 and over, wore the garment to school in spite of the ban, most of whom agreed to change their clothes after being reprimanded by teachers. The French education minister reported that almost 300 pupils arrived at school on Monday wearing the abaya (REUTERS) However, 67 girls refused to comply with the rules and were sent home. Now, they face further discussions between their schools and families; should they refuse to obey, they could face exclusion. Education minister Gabriel Attal announced the ban at the end of August in line with Frances secularist ban on religious signs in state schools and government buildings. For Mr Attal, the garments are an infringement on secularism and, in some cases, a bid to destabilise schools. Elsewhere, pupils and teachers alike have been banned from wearing a headscarf in state-run schools since 2004, and full-face veils have been banned in public since 2010. The rules also include the Jewish kippa. France has a long history of secularism, having enforced strict bans on religious imagery in schools since the 19th century to curb Catholic influence on public education. Critics of the new policy argue that abayas, worn by women, and khamis, the male garb, are no more than a fashion statement. They say the garments do not constitute an ostentatious sign of religion and should not be banned from classrooms under a 2004 law. Authorities fear that religious symbols are a gateway to Islamic radicalism, while some Muslims feel stigmatised by efforts to make them conform. Islam is the second largest religion in France. Our schools are continually tested. We know that, Mr Attal said at a news conference a week ahead of the start of the school year. He said that the wearing of abayas and khamis, a new phenomenon, has recently grown, and must be met with a firm response to tackle what sometimes amounts to infringements, attempts at destabilisation. As Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine has isolated him on the international stage and Western sanctions have hit his countrys economy the Russian president has been casting around for ways to alleviate the pressure and feed his war machine. First it was China, and its president, Xi Jinping. Mr Putin has consistently touted his good relationship with Mr Xi, and has used it to establish an economic lifeline from Beijing. In June, Chinese customs data showed that trade between the two nations amounted to $93.8bn (74.7bn) between January and May 2023, up 40.7 per cent when compared to the same period the previous year. The data also showed that Chinas exports to Russia were worth $43bn (34bn) in the same period, up 75.6 per cent on the figure for January to May 2022. Mr Putins desperation was clear when he and Mr Xi met in March. The Russian leader did not just roll out the red carpet, but was at pains to point out just how close the two leaders were. For China, Mr Xi has loftier goals. He is trying to make his nation more of a diplomatic force on the global stage. However, claims from Beijing that it is neutral on the war in Ukraine and is merely seeking peace between the two sides are severely undermined by the level of economic support given to Moscow. 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 }} As drone strikes continue to rain down on Russian soil, Vladimir Putins bloody war has reached his own doorstep. The strikes are now daily and on Tuesday the Russian defence ministry said its air defence systems destroyed two drones over the Kaluga and Tver regions, which border the Moscow region, as well as one closer to the capital, over the Istra district. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that the drones were trying to carry out an attack on Moscow and that a consumer services facility was damaged in the Istra district, which is located some 65 km (40 miles) northwest of the Kremlin. Attacks on Russia have increased sharply, with the largest such strikes hitting six regions on one night last week. That assault included two Russian military transport planes being destroyed and two more damaged at an airbase in the city of Pskov. Apparent Ukrainian drone strikes have hit at least six regions deep inside Russia (EPA) Ukraines military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said that the drones were launched from inside Russia. However, in speaking to the War Zone website, Mr Budanov did not say whether the attack about 400 miles (700km) from the Ukraine border was carried out by Ukrainian or Russian operatives. We are working from the territory of Russia, he said. Officials confirmed attacks on six targets in the Pskov, Bryansk, Kaluga, Orlov, Ryazan and Moscow regions. Meanwhile, Moscow has continued to carry out drone attacks on Ukrainian targets including port infrastructure. On Monday, 32 Russian kamikaze drones struck the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, damaging civilian and industrial buildings. View more The assault on the military airfield in Pskov that damaged aircraft has been deemed the most significant attack, situated more than 600km (400 miles) from Ukraine, it was where a number of elite paratroopers are stationed. The state-run Tass news agency reported at least four giant Il-76 transport planes were damaged in the four-hour wave of drones, two of which had burst into flames. Moscow retaliated on Wednesday by launching a massive combined attack on the Ukrainian capital using drones and missiles, that killed two people and injured another. Russian forces responded by attacking Kyiv the night of 30 August killing two people and injuring another (EPA) Kyiv officials normally neither claim nor deny responsibility for attacks on Russian soil, though they sometimes refer obliquely to them. The apparent Ukrainian drones reaching deep into Russia and cross-border sabotage missions are part of Kyivs efforts to heap domestic pressure on the Kremlin, militarily and politically. Meantime, a Ukrainian counteroffensive launched in June is chipping away at some parts of the front line, Kyiv officials claim. 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 }} Tourists were left horrified after a human leg was found washed up on a popular Spanish beach. A human leg and part of a hip were discovered by a passerby walking along the seashore in the east coast resort of Gandia. The woman spotted an object in the sand and dug it out with a stick before calling emergency services, Spanish newspaper informacion.es reported. A full investigation is now underway to identify the victim and their cause of death. Police believe the remains may have come from someone on board a ship that was transporting people from North Africa to Europe, according to Las Provincias. It is not known exactly where the ship was headed to, but police believe it may have been travelling to Spain or Italy. Las Provincias also reported an autopsy has been carried out, that confirmed the remains had been in the water for three weeks, citing a document from the Forensic Anatomical Institute of Valencia. Police believe the leg and hip, which were in an advanced state of decomposition, were detached from the body due to the impact of the sea. As everything indicates that the leg was detached from the body due to the strong waves, given that it is entire from hip to ankle, it is likely that there are other remains of the body in the sea, a source from the investigation said, Las Provincias reported. The area where the remains were found has now been sealed off. A search is also being carried out to find the rest of the corpse. 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 }} Ukraines counter-offensive breakthrough will come as a shock to Russian President Vladimir Putin, an expert has said. Mark Galeotti, professor of Slavonic studies at UCL, said Russians had become complacent and believed their defence to be more effective than Kyivs progress would suggest. It comes after Ukrainian generals claimed troops had breached Russias first line near Zaporizhzhia and were gathering momentum in an offensive many observers claimed had failed. It comes after Ukrainian generals claimed troops had breached Russias first line of defence near Zaporizhzhia (REUTERS) Professor Galeotti explained there were three aspects to Ukraines counteroffensive gains that would particularly concern the Russian leadership. One is on the battlefield, he told The Independent. It demonstrates their slow, methodical bite and hold strategy is in fact working and has the chance to hammer the second line of Russian defences. The second is political, he continued. It is also a response to critics in the West who suggested it is time for Ukraine to negotiate because it wasnt going to make any move. And thirdly, in terms of the Russians. I think they had started to get a little bit complacent as autumnal rains got closer. I think they thought they had pulled the defence off. It will come as a shock, but we have seen on the whole the Russians are quite effective in the defence. So I think theyll be doing what they can to shore up that second line. Brig Gen Oleksandr Tarnavisky, who leads Ukraines southern offensive, claimed Russian troops had devoted 60 per cent of their time to its first defence, and only 20 per cent each into its second and third. He claimed Russia would soon run out of its best soldiers, giving Ukraine an advantage to attack more and faster. However, Chatham House consulting fellow Keir Giles, who researches Russian security, said there was no sign of imminent collapse among Russian forces despite Kyivs latest breakthrough. Ukraines defence spokesman claimed some of the drones exploded on Romanian territory (Oleg Nikolenko ) He told The Independent: There are optimistic noises from Ukraine about whether the offensive might progress a little faster now because they have broken through the first and strongest Russian defensive line. But that of course does not mean that things are going to collapse imminently on the Russian side, as some have suggested. The resilience of Russia and its forces remains imponderable. There is no sign of imminent collapse of the Russian economy or society. Mr Giles added there were signs Russia feels it is in a position to drag the conflict out and wait for the Western coalition to collapse. Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said their forces had retaken about 1.16 square miles of land in the past week around the eastern city of Bakhmut, which was captured by Russian troops in May after months of heavy fighting. Moscow has continued to carry out drone attacks on Ukrainian targets including port infrastructure. Last night, 32 Russian kamikaze drones struck the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, damaging civilian and industrial buildings. Vladimir Putins war has raged for more than 18 months now (Copyright 2023 Sputnik) At least 23 of the Iranian-made Shahed drones were shot down by the Ukrainian military, the countrys Air Force said. Soon after, Ukraines defence spokesman claimed some of the drones exploded on Romanian territory. Romanias Ministry of Defence said it firmly denied the claim but reiterated its support for Ukraine and said Russian attacks on the country break all international humanitarian rules. General Tarnavisky told the Guardian: When we started the counter-offensive we spent more time than we expected on de-mining the territories. Unfortunately, the evacuation of the wounded was difficult for us. And this also complicated our advance. In my opinion, the Russians believed the Ukrainians would not get through this line of defence. They had been preparing for over one year. They did everything to make sure that this area was prepared well. Recommended On Sunday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had decided to dismiss Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov from his post and would ask parliament this week to replace him with Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraines main privatisation fund. The announcement, made in his nightly video address to the nation, sets the stage for the biggest shakeup of Ukraines defence establishment during the war launched by Russia in February 2022. 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 }} Russia has significantly bulked up its forces around the devastated city of Bakhmut in the east and has switched its troops from a defensive posture to taking active actions, a Ukrainian military commander said on Monday. Russia captured Bakhmut, the scene of some of the most intense fighting of the 20-month war, in May. Ukraine has been on the counteroffensive since June to try to retake occupied land in the south and east, including the town. In the Bakhmut area, the enemy has significantly strengthened its grouping and switched from defence to active actions, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the ground forces, wrote on Telegram messenger. It comes following reports that Ukrainian forces made advancements near Bakhmut. War monitoring think-tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that geolocated footage indicated that Ukrainian forces advanced over a railway line south of Andriivka - 10km southwest of Bakhmut. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces continued assault operations south of Bakhmut and offensive operations towards the key city of Melitopol. A prominent Russian milblogger also claimed that Ukrainian forces established control over unspecified positions in the Zaporizhia direction over the past week. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Airlines are slashing their transatlantic fares this winter, with one carrier offering return UK-US fares for under 240. Norse Atlantic Airways has released tickets from London Gatwick to seven American cities and two Caribbean destinations in a flash sale. The cheapest fares start from 239 return for Boston or Washington DC, with return tickets to New York, Miami and Orlando starting at 279, and San Francisco returns from 309. The sale, which ends at midnight on 12 September, also includes return fares to Los Angeles at 359, Barbados at 325 and Jamaica at 339. The promotional rates are available on certain travel dates between now and the end of March 2024. Norse Atlantic Airways isnt the only carrier cutting its lead-in prices for flights across the Pond. Aer Lingus has a sale until midnight on 18 September for flights operating from 1 October 2023 until 13 March 2024. The Irish flag carrier has fares from Manchester to New York, Orlando and Barbados from 339 return, while it is also cutting prices for flights to Ireland and Northern Ireland by 30 per cent. The Norse Atlantic global sale has some truly amazing offers to start off the month of September, said Bard Nordhagen, Norse Atlantic Airways commercial director. Whether customers are looking for a winter sun destination such as Jamaica, Barbados and Miami or simply wanting a city break in the US, such as New York, we have special sale fares available across a wide selection of our direct flights from London. Elsewhere, low-cost Icelandic airline Play is launching cheap fares from Liverpool to Keflavik from just 80 return, or connecting flights to the US or Canada via Iceland from 350 return. The discounted rates apply for flights booked before midnight on 13 September, for services operating between September 2023 and March 2024. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice A Delta flight was forced to turn around after one passenger on board suffered diarrhea all the way through the plane. The flight from Atlanta to Barcelona was two hours into its journey on Friday evening when the pilot asked if he could turn back. In a video clip from LiveATC.com, posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), one of the pilots is heard confirming the incident to air traffic control, saying: Its just a biohazard issue, we had a passenger who had diarrhea all the way through the airplane so they want us to come back to Atlanta. Flight 194 had to decisively make a U-turn back to its departure destination as it was considered a biohazard by the crew to continue to journey. The plane arrived back in Atlantas Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport at 10.40pm to clean up the diarrhea on the plane. Over five hours later at 3am, the aircraft set off again to Barcelona for an eight-hour flight. One X user commented under the posted clip and claimed both he and his wife were on that flight. He said: Both my wife and I were on the flight. It was a mess. The pilots made the right decision to turn around. The ground crew ripped out the carpet and put new in. Considering the circumstances, the ground crew did a great job, along [with] the attendants and the pilots. FAA flight strip that relayed crews details of the incident on board (Twitter) open image in gallery Another user also heard stories from his partner who was travelling to Barcelona that day, who described the scene as pretty bad. He relayed It was dribbled down the aisle, smelled horrible. The vanilla-scented disinfectant used on it only made it smell like vanilla s***. After the plane landed, it was thoroughly cleaned. They didnt leave until around 2.30am. It is not known if the passenger with the medical issue returned to the flight to Spain after the detour. Delta Air Lines, without going into specifics, responded to the situation and said: Our teams worked as quickly and safely as possible to thoroughly clean the airplane and get our customers to their final destination. We sincerely apologize to our customers for the delay and inconvenience to their travel plans, Delta wrote in a statement. Last week, 11 passengers and crew were also hospitalised after severe turbulence on a Delta flight from Milan to Atlanta, the airline said. A year 10 student told BBC North West he is absolutely buzzing that his school is closed due to RAAC concrete worries. The teenager drew a rather disapproving look from his mother as he shared his thoughts on the situation. I was absolutely buzzing because I dont have to go to school, Henry told the BBC. When his mother pointed out he was missing his friends, he responded: No, I was meeting up anyway, I just dont really want to go to school. Henry went on to clarify that he is looking forward to studying a business course as his shocked mother laughed towards the camera. Sadiq Khan has urged the government to be transparent over the school concrete crisis. The Mayor of London said the consequences of RAAC are not being shared with him, as he visted Newport Primary School in the capital. Mr Khan made the trip as free school meals are rolled out across the city to all state primary school children. I think the government has to come clean and be transparent, he said. This would be reassuring to staff, to parents, to children and to others. Europes automakers are showing off their latest battery-powered cars at the IAA Mobility car show this week as they try to challenge Tesla Inc. and fend off growing competition from China. The number of Chinese companies at this years IAA has more than doubled compared to just two years ago, as manufacturers like BYD Co. and Xpeng Inc. are pushing into Europe to escape a fierce price war and decelerating economy. Bloomberg News is speaking with executives from Volkswagen AG, Mercedes-Benz Group AG, BMW AG, Renault SA and several of their Chinese rivals, as well as suppliers Robert Bosch GmbH and Continental AG, about these topics and more. Also check these Cars Find more Cars UPCOMING BYD Seal 55 - 60 Lakhs* *Expected Price View Details BMW i4 69.90 Lakh* *Ex-showroom price Add to compare UPCOMING Hyundai IONIQ 6 65 Lakhs *Expected Price View Details Mercedes Benz AMG EQS 107.8 kWh | Electric | Automatic | 529 Km 2.45 Cr* *Ex-showroom price Add to compare Check latest offers BYD e6 29.15 Lakhs* *Ex-showroom price Add to compare Check latest offers Tata Nexon 8.10 - 13 Lakhs* *Ex-showroom price Add to compare Check latest offers BYD shows off electric sedan to challenge Teslas Model 3 Chinas best-selling carmaker BYD showed off its new electric offerings for the European market, including the Seal U compact sport utility vehicle and the Seal sedan. The latter will start from 44,900 ($48,470) in Germany, putting it in direct competition with Teslas Model 3 and several of Volkswagens cars. BYDs design chief Wolfgang Egger, a German native who previously worked for Alfa Romeo, Seat and Audi, said he took inspiration from the ocean for the Seals design, pointing out its flowing lines. BYD has expanded to 15 markets in Europe. Its Atto 3 crossover SUV was the best-selling EV in Sweden in July. Volkswagen sees EV price parity some years away The price of VWs electric cars wont reach parity with the companys combustion-engine siblings until the end of the decade, CEO Oliver Blume told reporters. Thats when Europes biggest carmaker will produce vehicles from its new EV underpinnings that will add cost-saving scale. We want to reach a better price position, but also a better profit position" on EVs, and our product offering is the decisive factor," Blume said. Chinese manufacturers are expected to offer models in Europe at around double the price theyre selling for in their home market, he said. Also Read : Mercedes CLA Concept unveiled with 750-km range, will rival Tesla Model 3 Continental taps Google Cloud AI tech for cars Continental is equipping auto dashboards with Googles generative artificial-intelligence technology, enabling drivers to chat with their cars. The German auto-parts maker will integrate the technology into its existing high-performance cockpit computer. Drivers can quiz the AI on a range of topics, from finding the correct tire pressure to more information on highlights along their route. The system answers in real time. Continental expects the solution to be ready for production in 18 months. By the end of next year, some 30 different cars will be equipped with the high-performance cockpit computers, the supplier said. Renaults de Meo wants to avoid price war Renault CEO Luca de Meo said its important to avoid a price battle in the short term" as European carmakers come under pressure from cuts by Tesla and Chinese manufacturers. Renault is still planning to list its EV and software arm Ampere next year, which will allow the company to create a pure EV player" that can help slash the cost of electric vehicles over time. EVs are not a mature technology yet," de Meo told Bloomberg Television in an interview. While the European auto market is pretty soft" right now, Renaults plans to unveil a new product each month next year should help the carmaker weather the difficult environment, de Meo said. Volkswagens Blume sees China comeback Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume sees Chinas economy rebounding from its current struggles and is positioning the carmaker to quickly bring new products to market when it does. In China, the market development is not as strong as we expected a year ago, but Im very optimistic that the Chinese market will have a comeback," Blume said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. Its important to prepare ourselves to be there." Blume expects VWs new partnership with Xpeng Inc. to reap results quickly in bringing new and more tailored products to Chinese customers, as VW seeks to turn around declining EV sales in China. VW continues to focus on its unified cell and battery production, a key plank in gaining a competitive edge through the companys huge scale. Blume said VW expects to use its unified cell in about 80% of its electric cars in the future. First Published Date: Further pressure has been piled on Rishi Sunak over the crumbling schools scandal after Ed Balls grilled the schools minister live on Good Morning Britain. The former shadow chancellor accused the government of not knowing how many schools are unsafe. Youve just admitted to us that you still dont know all of the schools that have got RAAC in, the host told him. Adding: You dont know the answer to my question, do you? There are schools that might be at risk and you dont know. A primary school headteacher reacted with shock as she was shown Gillian Keegans sweary outburst amid the concrete crisis. The education secretary was caught on a hot mic complaining about not being thanked for doing a f****** good job on Monday 4 September. I am horrified and disgusted by what I have just seen, Cas Evans, headteacher at Parks Primary School in Leicester, said. Please, Gillian, come and see my school, come and really understand what RAAC looks like, what RAAC is in a school. Just come and see what your serving headteachers are doing in order to maintain a good education. If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offer support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. South Korean teachers held a rally in Seoul on Monday (4 September) to demand better protection of their rights and put the spotlight on what they called widespread harassment by overbearing parents that has spurred some colleagues to take their lives. Around 50,000 educators gathered at the protest. In July, a teacher was found dead at an elementary school in South Koreas capital city after reportedly expressing anxiety over complaints by a parent regarding a dispute among students. Earlier in the day, mourners including parents and young students were seen laying flowers and leaving messages to the deceased teacher at a memorial altar. 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 }} Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh is once again claiming to be a victim in one of Americas most explosive murder cases. The 65-year-old disgraced legal dynasty heir - currently serving life in prison for the brutal June 2021 slayings of his wife Maggie and son Paul - filed a motion for a new murder trial this week on the grounds of alleged jury tampering in his original trial. Murdaughs attorneys held a press conference on Tuesday to unveil damning allegations against Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill, who they claim pressured jurors to convict him. The attorneys gave a glimpse of Murdaughs reaction to the evidence outlined in the motion, saying: He was astonished, he was shaking, he was in disbelief. This is hardly the first time weve seen Murdaugh take on a victim role. He put on his biggest performance on the witness stand during his trial, where he lamented over his last moments with his wife and son, and sobbed at the horror of finding their bodies as he pleaded for the real killer to be caught. Then there was the almost farcical incident embedded in the broader case, where Murdaugh hired a hitman to shoot him on the side of the road. At his trial, prosecutors made the convincing argument that Murdaugh was merely trying to make it look as though the person who killed his wife and child was now also after him. As for the slew of financial crimes he admitted to during testimony at the trial - but has pleaded not guilty to in a separate case - Murdaugh sought to convince the jury that he scammed his law firm clients out of millions because hes a victim of opioid addiction. Now, as Murdaugh alleges that hes the victim of a fame-hungry court clerk, theres a predictable air of the Boy Who Called Wolf. But the seriousness of the allegations cannot be overstated. The motion for a new trial claims that Ms Hill advised jurors not to believe Murdaughs testimony or evidence presented by the defence and pushed them to reach a guilty verdict quickly. She is also accused of fabricating claims about a Facebook post in a bid to remove a juror who she believed would not support a guilty verdict. The lawyers claim that Ms Hill betrayed her oath of office for money and fame, noting that she secured a book deal through her work on the trial and made multiple media appearances. Attorney Dick Harpootlian declined to comment on whether Ms Hill should face criminal charges, but called for a federal investigation into whether Murdaughs civil rights were violated. The Colleton County Court has not responded to the allegations, and Ms Hill did not immediately return a request for comment. While the next step in this saga unknown, the implications could be monumental. Should an investigation prove any of the claims, it could lead to not only a new trial of the century but to potential criminal charges against Ms Hill. It would also force a fresh conversation around the state of the American criminal justice system - wherein just one courtroom camera can turn a case into a primetime spectacle, making mini-celebrities out of the key players. When he was sentenced, America may have thought the tragedy of the Murdaughs would be laid to rest. These fresh claims, however, show this is far from reality. 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 }} Whenever anyone is accused of antisemitism, they will almost inevitably say something like, I am not antisemitic, I love Jewish people. By doing so, they make the conversation about their personal feelings and intentions, which are knowable only to them. By this metric, no one can ever be accused of antisemitism, since you cant read anyones mind. This is not a useful way to think about antisemitism. Antisemitism is not primarily about the internal feelings of people targeting Jewish people. Instead, antisemitism like all bigotry is about stereotypes, structures, and ideologies which make those targeted less safe and more subject to discrimination, harassment, and violence. It doesnt really matter what someone expressing antisemitism feels or intends in their heart. It matters how their actions harm and potentially even endanger Jewish people. Its important to keep this distinction in mind when evaluating Elon Musks latest campaign targeting his supposed and imagined enemies. Musk, the billionaire CEO of Twitter/X, spent the weekend blaming the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for his business woes. The ADL is an organization dedicated to fighting antisemitism. It has voiced concerns since Musk took over the company in late 2022 with his unwillingness to remove or moderate antisemitic content. The ADL is hardly alone here; other outlets have reported that Musk has allowed far right accounts to spread antisemitism, popularizing anti-Jewish memes and hatred; Twitter is facing legal action in Germany for failing to take action to remove antisemitic tweets including Holocaust denial. And many people have condemned Musk for welcoming figures like Andrew Anglin, an avowed white supremacist and founder of the Daily Stormer, back to Twitter. Some outlets have reported that Twitters failure to moderate hate speech is one reason for a drop in advertising. Analysts have also noted that Twitter fired key sales executives and gutted its verification features, making it easier for users to impersonate brands. A combination of these disasters, and Musks chaotic management, led advertisers to flee. Musks year-over-year ad revenue was down 59 percent as of June. Musk is, characteristically, loathe to blame himself for his poor performance. So, hes decided to blame the ADL. It seems he was inspired to pick the organization as a target this weekend by the same far right antisemites he has brought back to the platform and allowed to flourish. Keith Woods, an Irish white nationalist who describes himself as a raging antisemite started the hashtag #BanTheADL. Woods accused the ADL of trying to force Elon Musk to remove speech (i.e, antisemitic speech) on the platform. Musk liked the tweet, and other far right users picked up the hashtag, including Christian nationalist Andrew Torba, the founder of Gab who has refused in the past to speak to Jewish journalists. Inspired by the hashtag, Musk blamed the ADL for pressuring advertisers to drop their support. In his words, the ADL is trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic. Musk insisted that he is not antisemitic. Im pro free speech, he tweeted, but against anti-Semitism of any kind. Theres no way to know whats in Musks heart; he alone is privy to his intentions and his feelings. But theres little doubt that his actions, in the past, and especially this weekend, have increased the power of antisemites and have increased threats to Jewish people on Twitter and off. Musk has unbanned far right and even self-declared antisemites. His efforts to police hate speech have been, at best, ineffective. Hes actually boosted the hashtag of a self-declared antisemite targeting a Jewish organization. And his own attacks on that organization have echoed and amplified longstanding antisemitic conspiracy theories claiming that Jewish people control the media. By claiming that the ADLs actions alone, rather than twitter policies, are responsible for advertiser flight, Musk is suggesting a sinister Jewish-led plot to harm him and his platform. That provides a justification for backlash and anger against the ADL, and against any other Jewish person who dares to suggest that they are being targeted by antisemitism. Musk, by boosting the far right, helps the far right build networks and power, which they can use to target the ADL, or any other Jewish person who catches their eye. Criticisms of the ADL are not the central issue here, even when they are valid. Similarly, and again, Musks personal feelings towards Jewish people, and whether he condemns antisemitism in his heart, isnt really relevant. The issue is that Musk has joined with the far right to boost an antisemitic hashtag and target Jewish people in order to shift and deflect blame from Musk himself. Thats antisemitic, even if Musk has no hatred in his heart. And if we reach a point where we cant say its antisemitic, where Jewish people are actually silenced Musk will have won, and we will really be in trouble. Female students expect to earn 11pc less than their male counterparts after they graduate from university, according to new research from Universum, which is part of IrishJobs. A survey of 8,000 students across Ireland revealed that male students, on average, expect to earn 40,441 in their first full-time job after university. However, female students reported that they expect to earn around 35,891 at work. This is the first time the gender pay gap recorded in the research has risen since 2020. The survey featured Irish students across disciplines such as business and economics, IT, engineering, natural sciences, humanities, law and medicine. For those studying engineering, Universum noted no major difference between the salaries expected by both male and female students. While men expect to earn 41,719, their female classmates are also anticipating an annual salary of around 41,698. In the tech industry, female graduates typically expect to earn 9pc less than male graduates. Male respondents said they would be seeking a salary of almost 42,000 in their first role after graduation, while female respondents in this sector said they would be looking for a salary of 38,240 from tech employers. A 7pc gender pay gap was also reported in the world of business and economics, with women expecting a starting salary of 36,403 in their first year out of university. Male and female respondents to the survey outlined a number of workplace priorities, with these differing between genders. High future earnings and job security were chosen as the two most important factors to consider when choosing a job after college. For female graduates, job security was the most important factor in their job searches, followed by a friendly work environment. Male graduates said their focus was on high future earnings and a competitive base salary. Overall, three quarters of all students surveyed said they would be interested in remote working opportunities. This was up 4pc from last year. The next generation of graduates is joining a strong jobs market, with the unemployment rate close to a historic low. In this context, it is unsurprising to see high earnings as the top preference for graduates once again, Universum UK and Ireland business director Steve Ward said. Despite the rising cost of living, female graduates expect to earn 11pc less than male students. Clearly, more work needs to be undertaken by employers to address this issue and achieve greater pay parity. A case of mistaken identity sends Naomi Klein on a wide-ranging journey into the online mirror world and the culture wars it fosters While using a public toilet off Wall Street during the Occupy protests in 2011, writer and journalist Naomi Klein heard people talking critically about her outside the stall door. Only it wasnt her they were talking about they had got her confused with writer Naomi Wolf, author of The Beauty Myth. It was a weird moment for Klein, and over the following years she watched as the two Naomis identities got more and more fused, most often on social media. By Covid, things had become even stranger. Wolf had gone from being a feminist writer who, like Klein, wrote books about big ideas, to a purveyor of Covid misinformation, nurturing a significant online community around her. In the summer of 2021, Wolf was even suspended from Twitter over her tweets about the Covid vaccine. As the pandemic shut the world down, and Klein moved to rural Canada with her partner and child, Wolfs existence as her doppelganger increasingly perturbed the writer. In short, she became a little obsessed. In this new book Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World, Klein explores what it means to be confused with Wolf in an era where her the latters opinions are reflective of what she calls the mirror world, the internet-inflected present that is rife with culture wars. Wolfs doppelganger status and the idea of this mirror world are two threads that travel throughout the book. In and out they weave, catching related topics such as Covid misinformation and conspiracies, moderation of the internet, QAnon, anti-vaxxers, climate change, wellness gurus, surveillance capitalism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The scope is so wide-ranging that at times the reader can wonder how everything is linked, but Klein always keeps a grip of the common threads even as she sways off the path a little. Readers familiar with Kleins work will know that her books are weighty tomes; she prefers to tease out a topic from as many angles as possible rather than dwell in a narrow area. Incredibly well-read and erudite, the author of No Logo comes from a family of artists and activists, and this book is her most personal yet. Scattered throughout the chapters are cultural touchstones related to doppelgangers (like Charlie Chaplins film The Great Dictator, and Philip Roths novel Operation Shylock), and the musings of writers, philosophers and psychoanalysts about what twinning and doppelgangers mean. The result is like your smartest friend guiding you through a rather knotty personal conundrum that just happens to involve the most pressing issues of our age. Yet while the topics are serious, Klein can be enjoyably self-deprecating, as when she apologises numerous times for her obsession with Steve Bannons podcast War Room. (She even listened to it while doing yoga surely the opposite of meditative.) The Bannon obsession developed because Wolf became a regular guest on his podcast. Klein wonders: how did Wolf even get to that place? While interrogating how Wolf lurched from the left to the right, Klein suggests that the other Naomi was never that far left to begin with, as she had a capitalistic view of womens progression in society. She also points out that while liberals thought Wolf had disappeared after she changed her views, she had in fact moved to a platform with a ready and willing conservative audience. Alternative social sites like Gettr, her own website and her podcasts with Bannon still gave Wolf cachet, just with a radically new audience. But if you thought this book was all about Klein looking down her nose at Wolf and her ilk, you would be wrong. Rather than condemn people in the mirror world, she is able to outline why some might be drawn to the other side. She notes that there is always truth behind the lies. She explains how existing issues (many of which she has examined herself, such as corrupt practices by governments, pharmaceutical hoarding and lack of political will on environmental issues) can be used to draw people in and then plunge them into the culture wars. Klein points out the dangerous and toxic fallacies in Bannon, Wolf and their peers comments. As she says, conspiracy theorists often get the facts wrong but the feelings right. She can see why their words appeal, and this is what makes her analysis feel so fresh. She is less interested in being right than trying to understand where the ideas and beliefs come from. For example, she writes that conspiracy theorists are afraid of what happened to others happening to them. She also notes that the media can shy away from covering topics with complex truths behind them. In an effort to prevent conspiracies from spreading, conversations can become binary. There are more personal moments when she shares her experience of having a son on the autism spectrum, and what happened when she tried to meet more parents in her situation. What she found surprised and upset her: some parents fell for quack cures touted online and others blamed vaccines for their childrens neurodiversity. Wherever she went, Klein was being faced with elements of the mirror world. But back to Wolf: Klein suggests two major reasons for her doppelgangers about-turn from feminist hero to conspiracy queen. One could be the car-crash 2019 BBC interview where the reporter informed her live on air that she had made some major misunderstandings when researching her book Outrages. Even before that was the serious backlash she faced in 2014 after criticising an attack by Israel on the Gaza Strip. Its on this latter point that Klein finds some common ground with Wolf, in a fascinating, multi-layered chapter that takes in the Holocaust and its impact on Jewish people, Kleins complicated feelings on Zionism, Israels doppelganger politics, and inter-generational trauma. While its not an easy read in terms of the topics it explores, and can at times feel a little too wide-ranging, Doppelganger is an often frightening capturing of the strange times we live in. Klein says that she is a writer who is good at pattern recognition, and this is much of what she does in Doppelganger finds the links between topics that might seem wildly disconnected. She presents us with the absurd, the contradictory and the conspiratorial in our contemporary internet-obsessed society, and tries to give us a map through all the confusion. Even if the facts might be overwhelming at times, her ultimate suggestion for creating change is simple: we need to work together for a better future. If only we could all listen to that advice. Doppelganger by Naomi Klein Non-fiction: Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein Allen Lane, 416 pages, hardcover 25.99; e-book 10.99 Rory Deegan's family meet singer Tom Odell ahead of his performance on the Main Stage at Electric Picnic on Saturday. A heartwarming moment at Electric Picnic saw British singer Tom Odell pay tribute to the late Rory Deegan from Culohill, Co Laois, during his performance last Saturday. Rory (22) tragically died on June 25 in Zakynthos, Greece, where he had been working for the summer. Performing on the Main Stage at the Laois festival on Saturday evening, with a large group from Rorys family in attendance in Stradbally, Odell dedicated his performance of the hit song Another Love to him. Another Love was a favourite song of Rorys and was sung at his funeral mass in July. His father Joe said Rory had spoken about wanting the song to be played at his funeral. He loved that song and he had said one time, as young lads do, if I ever died Id want that played at my funeral. Unfortunately that came to pass, Mr Deegan said. Mr Deegan said the meetup was arranged after one of Rorys friends had reached out to Odell ahead of his Picnic performance. His son Conors girlfriend then spoke to Odell, who was more than happy to dedicate the song to Rory and offered the family a few minutes of his time backstage. Rorys family got the opportunity to meet with Odell just before he took to the Main Stage at 7.30pm. They spoke about Rory with Odell for a few minutes, got a photo taken with him and were told hed be dedicating Another Love in his memory. Im sure these guys probably get emails and messages by the hundreds, he just happened to notice this one. He didnt have to do anything but I just thought it was very considerate and polite of him to do so, Mr Deegan said. Before performing Another Love on Saturday, Odell encouraged everyone in attendance to sing along and said: I want to dedicate this next song to a young man named Rory Deegan. He was meant to be here today standing amongst you all but he tragically passed away in June. I want to dedicate this to him and his family who are here today. If you all sing it loud enough, maybe he will hear us, he said. The song drew a huge reaction from the crowd, providing one of the highlights of this years festival in Stradbally and making Odells set one to remember. Known for writing heartfelt lyrics, Odells set was full of emotion from start to finish earlier in the evening during a moving rendition of Hold Me, he encouraged everyone in the crowd to give someone you love a hug now and tell them you love them. Despite a good gawp at Donegal homes under the guidance of Emer Mhic an Fhaili, there was no emotional pay-off to the first episode of this RTE series Another autumn season, another property show, only this ones in Irish and on RTE1. Presumably this is so that people who speak Irish can say Where would you be going? and How much? as Gaeilge. Only they wouldnt be saying that so much during the first episode, because it was set in Donegal, where house prices are relatively low. The average house price there is 155,000 as opposed to 470,000 Dublin. That is according to Bog Amachs presenter, Emer Mhic an Fhaili, who is enthusiastic about people buying houses. She is dressed in primary colours, presumably because it makes it easier to pick her out during the drone shots. Notwithstanding the fact that few of us know what Bog Amach actually means (Move Out, Google Translate says) and that the only time we will have seen an Ar Diol sign outside a house is during the credits, the Irish language element of this programme does not alter our enjoyment. The language of property programmes is so familiar to us now that we will always know whats going on. And at least the young couple involved in this first programme speak Irish naturally this is not always the case on Irish language programmes. Although it turns out there is no Irish word for mica. Una, a doctor, and Criostoir, an English teacher, had recently returned from New Zealand to buy a house in their home county. And houses in Donegal are big. One sort of model house which was not for sale had been built with the requirement that it have no fewer than three guest bedrooms. One house the couple looked at had five bedrooms. The space inside all the houses was remarkable. In one, Una noted, the utility room was bigger than their kitchen in New Zealand. Una and Criostoir looked at three houses. Non-mica cracks were beginning to show. I dont like purple, said Criostoir in Irish. I like purple, said Una, quietly, in Irish. She seemed remarkably good humoured. Criostoir didnt want a bungalow. At the moment, they are living with Unas parents, and they both want to buy a house in a Gaeltacht. So they saw houses in An Ardaigh Bheag, Fal Carrach and Carraig Airt. In the end, they didnt take any of them, or even express a preference. They said that they had a lot to think about, which is a no in anyones language. But property shows are about the big decision to buy, and if we dont get that decision, the air goes out of the whole enterprise. Were just gatecrashing into houses and gawping and who doesnt love a good gawp? with no emotional satisfaction at the end. For someone who says that to buy is her favourite verb (in Irish), Emer Mhic an Fhaili took this with remarkable equanimity. And not one person had mentioned the word mortgage. Bog Amach needs a lot more work, and possible a refit. Planning a night on the couch? Here are the top picks for todays TV and streaming options. Ultimate Wedding Planner BBC2, 9pm The planners compete furiously to transform a 1950s Los Angeles beach club into a suitable location for a Hollywood-themed wedding for Tash and Jay, but judges Sara Davies, Fred Sirieix and Raj Somaia may not be impressed. Ultimate Wedding Planner Bake Off: The Professionals Channel 4, 8pm In the grand final of the competition, the remaining teams are given just seven hours to create a banquet display inspired by the opulence of the 1920s and containing enough desserts to feed 80 people. With Benoit Blin, Cherish Finden. Blue Box: Storyville BBC4, 10pm Documentary-maker Michal Weits great-grandfather played a key role in the Jewish National Fund and the creation of the Israeli state, and is celebrated as a national hero. But when she reads his diaries, she makes some painful discoveries. Tar Tar Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm Cate Blanchett delivers a performance of astonishing power in Todd Fields drama about conducting maestro Lydia Tar, whose career with the Berlin Philharmonic is flying high when scandals threaten to engulf her. Tyrannosaur Tyrannosaur Film Four, 11.25pm When an alcoholic called Joseph whos unable to control his violent temper forms a tentative bond with a kindly charity-shop worker called Hannah, he soon discovers her life is even grimmer than his own. Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman and Eddie Marsan star. Invasion Invasion AppleTV+, streaming now Nobody does a big-budget sci-fi series quite like Apple. All they need to do is adequately marry the visual with anything resembling decent dialogue/acting ahem Foundation and, to be honest, this one isnt entirely cringe. Season two continues to depict the effects of an alien invasion from different global perspectives and, just like the spikey invaders, humans are finding a way to adapt. The Wheel of Time The Wheel of Time Prime Video, streaming now And, in the blink of an eye, Rosamund Pike went from being a particularly vanilla Jane Bennet to a proper supernatural force to be reckoned with. Alongside Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio) from Bridgerton and someone who looks really like yer man from Prison Break (Josha Stradowski), Pikes sorceress Moiraine comes to realise just who the most powerful are from Robert Jordans bestselling book series. A Day and a Half A Day and a Half Netflix, streaming now To reunite with his daughter, Artan (Alexej Manvelov) opts to take his ex-wife (Alma Poysti) hostage, dragging her and a police officer (Fares Fares) along for an emotionally charged trip across rural Sweden. Happy Ending Happy Ending Netflix, streaming now Luna (Gaite Jansen) and Mink (Martijn Lakemeier) are a seemingly happy couple celebrating one year together. What Mink doesnt know is that Lunas been faking her, eh, enthusiasm for 12 months. With her friends urging her to try new things, Luna proposes a threesome. You know the rest. Beijing (Gasgoo)- Dongfeng Motors wholly-owned auto brand, Dongfeng Forthing, made a strong presence at the IAA MOBILITY 2023 with the display of its four new flagship models for overseas market. Photo credit: Dongfeng Forthing The lineup includes the Leiting, the Youting (literally meaning "Yacht"), and the T5 models, as well as a new hybrid flagship MPV, featuring both hybrid and pure electric powertrain options. Additionally, a teaser for the brand's first all-electric sedan was revealed at the event. The aforementioned luxury flagship MPV, the U-TOUR V9 MPV, was also officially launched at the event. Photo credit: Dongfeng Forthing The U-TOUR V9 is equipped with Dongfeng Motors latest plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) technology, utilizing a 1.5-liter turbocharged PHEV powertrain. It boasts an impressive thermal efficiency of 45.18%, resulting in class-leading fuel efficiency and extended electric range. The vehicle measures 5,251mm in length, 1,920mm in width, 1,810mm in height, and features a 3,018mm wheelbase. In terms of high-tech luxury features, the vehicle comes with aviation-grade seats, an intelligent multi-screen setup, and high-speed NOA (Navigate on Autopilot) functionality, demonstrating Dongfeng Forthing's commitment to technological innovation. Under its new energy strategy, Dongfeng Forthing will continue to expand its NEV product portfolio, covering sedans, SUVs, and MPVs. Next year, the company plans to introduce its first all-electric sedan, targeting the compact car market. At the IAA MOBILITY 2023, Dongfeng Forthing provided a sneak peek into this upcoming model. With a focus on aesthetics and personality, the new model will introduce a fresh all-electric design language, featuring Dongfeng Forthing's brand-new electric platform and upgraded Kaijia 2.0 (translates to Armor" in English) battery technology, promising exceptional safety and individuality for consumers. Childcare provider on staff shortages I turned away 64 parents in a matter of four days Owner has been advertising for a full-time member to join her team for the last six months The owner has said she will shut her baby room once she has worked her way through her waiting list. Photo: Daragh McSweeney/Provision Anne-Marie Walsh Tue 5 Sep 2023 at 03:30 Fees at a west Cork creche may be set to rise after a provider threatened to pull out of a major government investment scheme. A senior gangland figure has been arrested in relation to the murder of a father of two who was shot dead near his Dublin home two-and-a-half years ago. The suspect (40), who was previously a central figure in the mob led by slain gangland criminal Eamon The Don Dunne, was arrested yesterday morning in connection with the fatal shooting of Patrick Pappy Lyons on February 11, 2021. Mr Lyons (44) was shot five times as he was walking along Belclare Terrace in Ballymun and died at the scene. Ask Allison: My daughter has put on weight and let her hair go grey. I worry if her husband leaves, shell have nothing Lab studies from China indicate a twofold drop in the ability of peoples immunity to neutralise this form of virus. Photo: Getty Covid-related deaths have dropped dramatically this year amid early tentative indications the feared Pirola variant is not as efficient at getting around immunity as first feared. Reported deaths notified from January to August last year came to 1,840 by the end of August. Deaths reported this year have fallen to 603, although the figures for August are incomplete. It comes amid evidence of protection due to high levels of immunity from previous infection, as well as booster vaccines for older age groups. While there remains concern that the BA.2.86, or Pirola, variant will reduce peoples defences built up through infection and vaccination, two early experiments now suggest it may not be as bad as initially believed. Preliminary lab studies from China indicate that there is a twofold drop in the ability of peoples immunity from vaccination and recent infection to neutralise this form of the virus, compared with viruses from the XBB.1.5 set. Scientists said while this twofold drop is noted, it is not as large as earlier believed. The good news is that it is not as infectious as the forms of Covid-19 circulating in recent months. So it is less easy to catch. This may explain why the variant has been found in just 11 countries so far and does not appear to be causing any explosion of cases. Should we worry about Covid again now another variant has sparked concern? Scientists said that if these results are replicated in the real world, the variant will slowly circulate in the population but find it difficult to outpace other, more infectious, variants. The early experiments have limitations and scientists also cautioned against complacency. Meanwhile, so far in the pandemic around one-third of deaths in Ireland have been linked to outbreaks in nursing homes, with 12.9pc in hospital and the rest in HSE long-stay units, residential institutions or other locations, according to figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). The county with the highest mortality rate is Mayo, at 298.8 per 100,000. This was followed by Louth, with a rate of 263.8 per 100,000 and Cavan at 238.9 per 100,000. The lowest rate so far is in Galway, at 132,1 per 100,000, followed by Kerry at 140.8 per 100,000. Some 40.8pc of deaths so far in the pandemic have been among people aged over 85, followed by 75- to 84-year-olds, who account for one-third of the fatalities. There were 17 deaths in people aged 25 years old or younger and 31 among 25- to 34-year-olds. An aerial view of the Electric Picnic festival site at Stradbally in Co Laois during its preview day (Niall Carson/PA) The Electric Picnic site in Stradbally, Co Laois will be used to accommodate 750 Ukrainian refugees in tents for six-weeks amid a significant shortfall in accommodation options. Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said the use of Electric Picnic tents shows that there aren't easy solutions when it comes to providing immediate accommodation to new arrivals. He said Ireland has got to be extraordinarily honest that there isn't a straightforward answer to the question of how those fleeing war who come to this country might be housed or for how long they might be in tented accommodation or other imperfect alternatives, What we know is that tented accommodation is only intended to be used in the short term, for example, in the case of the Electric Picnic situation, Mr Harris said. Work began on Monday to transform the site as the festival drew to a close over the weekend with over 70,000 festival goers departing the site. The Department of Integration has signed a six-week contract for use of the site from September 5 to be used on a phased, contingency basis. The short-term emergency accommodation will comprise of a series of bell tents for three-person and six-person families. A spokesman for the Department of Integration said: The accommodation at the site is for very short term use and efforts will be made to secure short term accommodation (from the existing departmental portfolio) for those who will be placed there. The Department expects the site to be at full occupancy by Thursday, September 7. Since May 1 more than 10,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Ireland, an average of around 650 people per week. It is estimated that up to 500 people could continue to arrive over the next weeks from Ukraine. We have seen an uptick in those numbers again, so we do need to be conscious of that, Mr Harris said, offering no opinion on why the inflows were continuing although family re-integration will be a factor. We provided student accommodation for refugees during the summer period. Obviously, that's now required by Third Level, while the Tourism sector is still at perhaps at its peak period, he said. I think Ireland has done a pretty good job overall, and I think Irish communities, Irish people, the Government everyone has stepped up. But we do have to be honest with people, that there aren't easy solutions when it comes to providing immediate accommodation to people who arrive here. Meanwhile, Minister of State Ossian Smyth said the government is facing a "short term difficulty" housing refugees in the coming weeks. We're faced with real short term difficulty for the next few weeks, and the Government has been contracted to take over the tents that were at the Electric picnic weekend, he told Morning Ireland. We've been using tents in Tullamore in a military facility up to now as a kind of as a last resort. And in the last four months, we've had 10,000 Ukrainians arrive in the country. They're accommodating more than the population of Galway city at this stage. So within one year, they have come up with temporary accommodation at that speed and I fully expect that they will be capable of housing those Ukrainians refugees at the end of the six weeks, Mr Smyth said. The spokesperson added that sourcing accommodation for those already in Ireland in student accommodation is a challenge. "Some may have to be moved to other very short-term accommodation until more stable accommodation is available. Due to this significant shortfall, it is expected that, from this week, tented accommodation will be the primary source of accommodation for new arrivals from Ukraine. "A small number of new arrivals have already been placed in tents, and this will increase as new locations for tented facilities come on stream. Vulnerable arrivals will be prioritised for any non-tented accommodation available. Those living in tents will be provided a hot catered meal service, access to an advanced paramedic and first aid service, shower and toilet facilities, laundry facilities, sanitation and refuse services. The site is surrounded by secure fencing, and will have one entrance and exit point, managed at all times by security. Conor Browne (28) has been remembered as hard working, civil, funny and thoughtful Conor Browne (28) from Castlederg was taken to hospital following an incident in the early hours of Saturday morning Police have launched a murder investigation after a 28-year-old man died in hospital following a stabbing outside a Co Tyrone pub. Conor Browne spent two days fighting for his life following the incident which happened in the Main Street area of Castlederg in the early hours of Saturday morning. On Monday night, after confirming a murder inquiry was underway, the PSNI said two more people had been arrested. Four people are currently in custody. Mr Browne from Castlederg was enjoying a night out with friends when he sustained serious injuries in a reported stabbing in the early hours of Saturday morning. The 28-year-old was taken to hospital where he remained critically ill following the incident in the Main Street area of the town. On This Day in History - September 5th However, local councillor Ruairi McHugh said the father-of-ones condition deteriorated and he passed away on Monday afternoon. I have spoken to a member of the family and they are all numb with grief, he said. They are just in total shock and disbelief. The elected representative said he is personally devastated over the loss of a young, hard working and popular young man. And so is the entire community, he added. We had been hoping and praying he would recover our shock at the stabbing turned to concern, and now our concern as turned to grief. Our hearts go out to Conors family and I have no doubt that the community will rally around them in the traumatic days that now lie ahead. Its understood the deceased has a son who only recently celebrated his second birthday. Local GAA club Caislean na Deirge Naomh Eoghan CLG posted an emotional tribute online. Its with a heavy heart that we have to write a post like this, read a statement on Facebook. Conor Browne was a hard working, civil, funny and thoughtful young man. "Conor was out for a nights craic with his friends in his local well respected and well run bar. "What happened when Conor left the bar is the unthinkable." The club said the entire community is struggling to comprehend the circumstances in which the young man lost his life. Conor always wore the biggest smile and would have done anything for anyone," the post continued. One of the real good guys! "This has affected everyone in the parish. The club has encouraged anyone in need of help or someone to talk to to contact them via the Facebook page and has extended heartfelt condolences and prayers to Matt, Geraldine and family, to the entire family circle and to his many many friends. May God give them all the strength to get through this difficult time. Please keep the family and friends in your prayers, the post concluded. Rip Conor! Forever young. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam (may his holy soul be on the right side of God). The PSNI previously launched an attempted murder probe. Three suspects have been arrested. Two men aged 28 are currently in police custody and a 27-year-old man, who was arrested on Saturday, has been released on police bail. Detectives previously said the incident followed an altercation outside a licensed premises in the early hours of Saturday morning before a number of suspects fled the scene in a white-coloured Vauxhall van. The Mater Hospital asked for a meeting with gardai in mid-June amid rising concerns over safety. Photo: Tony Gavin A busy hospital asked gardai to provide more patrols because of open drug dealing in its emergency department, rising anti-social behaviour and a failure to provide a proper handover for patients who were being dropped off by police. The Mater Hospital in Dublin also raised serious concerns over its centre for nurses education, which it said had become a magnet for drug and alcohol abuse, and was being burgled at least twice every year. In an email to An Garda Siochana in July, the Mater Hospital said it was extremely worried about the nurses education centre close to the main hospital saying it was regularly having to move on drug users from the exterior basement. The hospital said its maintenance team had been forced to gate up external storage areas, and that cleaners were regularly removing abandoned bedding and alcohol cans. The email said: This area is being accessed via the fire access stairs at the front of the building. Unfortunately, we are unable to chain this access point due to fire safety regulations. In correspondence, the Mater provided the dates of five incidents in the space of three weeks where security staff were forced to intervene for safety reasons. It said the education centre was intended to be a safe learning environment for young students, and that it also housed locker rooms for female students on its basement floor. The email from its head of security said: Over the past three years, weve experienced a disturbing trend of at least two burglaries annually. Weve made every possible effort from our end to mitigate the issue, but the physical constraints of the building limit our options. The head of security asked if gardai could carry out regular patrols in the area to help provide a much-needed sense of safety and reassurance to their young students. Separately, the Mater also asked for a meeting with gardai in mid-June amid rising concerns over safety, particularly in their accident and emergency department. A copy of an email, released under Freedom of Information, flagged a number of concerns including patients being brought to A&E but no handover is being provided to hospital staff as well as increasing levels of drug dealing and anti-social behaviour at the Mater ED [emergency department]. Details of a third issue raised with gardai were withheld on security grounds. A hospital spokesperson said: The [Maters] number one priority is the safety of our patients and our staff. Prior to the onset of Covid-19, An Garda Siochana had a visible presence on our campus as part of our endeavours to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for everyone at the hospital. Since the lifting of the last of the Covid restrictions on visiting at the hospital, this has now been reinstated. The Mater welcomes this important partnership with the gardai and their support in ensuring a safe environment for all who work, visit or are inpatients at the hospital. Tanaiste Micheal Martin has dismissed as shallow criticism of former President Eamon de Valera in the Israeli press for sending his condolences to Germany in the aftermath of Adolf Hitlers death during World War II. Mr Martin also said there was no suggestion at that all during his meeting with Foreign Minister Eli Cohen that Ireland was antisemitic, despite commentary in local press. Micheal Martin meets Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel Speaking on the first day of his state visit to the Middle East, the Tanaiste said Mr de Valera was very respected among the Jewish community for his inclusion of the religion in Irelands constitution. He said it was unfair to link the decision to send condolence to Hitler with the debate around antisemitism. I think it is a very false connection and a very shallow on in terms of substance, Mr Martin said. There is a lot of history about World War II and we are not going to find answers in a soundbite here today, he added. Eamon de Valera. Photo: General Photographic Agency Mr Martin said he would not send condolences to Russia if President Vladimir Putin died. Ireland is regularly criticised in the Israeli press for its stance on tensions in the Middle East. A former Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Mark Regev, wrote a piece for the Jerusalem Post last year entitled Why does Ireland hate Israel? in which he noted Mr de Valeras decision to send condolences to Hitler. Mr Martin said in his meeting with Minister Cohen that he tried to make it clear to the Israeli government that Ireland is not anti-Israel. He said Ireland believes in a two-state solution to the long-running dispute between Israel and Palestine and that is why it criticises policies which it believes undermines the chances of finding a resolution. The Tanaiste said he had a very frank and open exchange of views with Minister Cohen about Israels occupation of areas of the West Bank and the impact it is having on the possibility of a peace process in the Middle East. We shared our perspective and the way we work through the United Nations in particular and international law, in terms of our criticisms or legal settlements and expansions, and the degree to which we feel that continued encroachment into the West Bank and continued expansion and illegal settlements really make the viability of a two-state solution much more difficult, Mr Martin said. He explained to me the very strong security concerns that Israel have, particularly with the malign influence of Iran in the region, and that clearly is a very pressing concern for them, he added. Mr Martin said he shared his experience of bringing peace to Northern Ireland and the steps that were taken to build confidence in communities. Earlier in the day, Mr Martin said he was deeply moved by the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Jerusalem. Speaking after he was given a guided tour of the centre called Yad Vashem, Mr Martin said it is important the world never forgets the Holocaust and learns lessons from the mass execution of the Jewish people across Europe by the Nazis during World War II. We to remember because it is the most effective way of showing our determination to honour the six million men, women and children who perished, he said. FORMER Cabinet minister Richard Bruton is to stand down as a Fine Gael TD at the next general election, the Irish Independent can reveal. Mr Bruton, at the Fine Gael Dublin Bay North meeting this evening, said: I have decided that I will not contest the next General Election. I would like to thank local voters for the trust you have shown in me to serve as your local TD for the past 41 years. It has been a privilege to get the chance to represent you on the Council, in the Dail, and in cabinet. I will continue to work hard for you up to the end of this Dail term. I would like to thank all those who have helped me in my work throughout my career, particularly my family, my friends, and Fine Gael members. That loyalty means so much to me. However, this is the right time, as new constituencies are forming, to give others the chance to take on the role. I have been so lucky to be given the chance to hold office under four different Taoisigh, and to be part of some major changes in Irish society. Ireland has made huge strides in that time. As I announce my departure from politics, I would encourage anyone with an interest in public life to consider putting their name forward for election. There are many important reforms which only politics can deliver, Mr Bruton said. In April, Mr Bruton refused to confirm if he would be standing again, telling the Irish Independent that it remains to be seen. On This Day in History - September 5th He is the latest in a string of Fine Gael TDs to announce they will not be standing at the next election leaving the party with a major challenge to find replacement candidates. A party grandee who served four different cabinets between 1994 and 2020, Mr Bruton (70) has been a TD in Dublin Bay North and its predecessor, Dublin North Central, since 1982. He stood for the party leadership and lost against Enda Kenny in 2002 before unsuccessfully challenging the future Taoiseach in 2010. Despite being sacked by Mr Kenny as finance spokesperson that year, Mr Bruton was appointed by the new Taoiseach as enterprise minister, where he had previously served in the mid-90s, in 2011. He went on to serve as education and communications minister under Mr Kenny and later Mr Varadkar who did not reappoint him to cabinet when the current government was formed in 2020. Mr Bruton was subsequently elected as parliamentary party chairman in July of that year. Former Dublin Lord Mayor and long-serving councillor Naoise O Muiri and Howth-Malahide councillor Aoibhinn Tormey are among those likely to be in contention to succeed Mr Bruton as the Fine Gael candidate or candidates for Dublin Bay North. Mr Brutons announcement follows that of fellow former Fine Gael ministers David Stanton (Cork East), Michael Creed (Cork North-West), John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny), Brendan Griffin (Kerry), and Joe McHugh (Donegal) who have all confirmed they are not standing at the next election. Former housing minister Eoghan Murphy also resigned as a TD for Dublin Bay South in 2021 with Fine Gael failing to hold the seat in the subsequent by-election. The futures of several other Fine Gael TDs are expected to be clarified in the coming weeks and months in the wake of the Electoral Commissions redrawing of constituency boundaries which has added 14 new TDs to the next Dail. The Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll at the weekend showed Fine Gael polling at 21pc and projected to win 40 seats at the next election, five more than it won in 2020. Beijing (Gasgoo)- Horizon Robotics, the Chinese provider of high-performance intelligent driving computing solutions, announced that its Journey series chips have reached a production volume of nearly 4 million units at the IAA MOBILITY 2023 in Munich. Photo credit: Horizon Robotics The high-level, high-computing intelligent driving chip, Journey 5, has achieved remarkable success since its global debut in September last year. With over 200,000 units shipped and an average monthly shipment of over 20,000 units, it was deployed onto numerous mid-to-high-end new energy vehicle models. The company's collaboration network has expanded from over 20 automakers to more than 25, establishing itself as the preferred choice for both Chinese and international automotive manufacturers. At the IAA MOBILITY 2023, Horizon Robotics showcased its brand development philosophy, the Journey series intelligent driving computing solutions, advanced ADAS systems, hardware and software solutions for advanced intelligent driving scenarios, and its latest achievements in commercial ecosystem collaborations. Photo credit: Horizon Robotics Horizon Robotics also showcased collaborative products jointly developed with industry partners, such as the Journey 2 chip-based ADAS front-facing integrated machine developed in partnership with Aptiv, the nDrive series products developed in collaboration with JOYNEXT, the KePilot and KePilot Pro domain controllers based on the Journey 3 and Journey 5 chips developed with Keboda. The company also announced a strategic partnership with STRADVISION, a leading deep learning visual perception technology company, aimed at driving the mass production of assisted driving solutions. Sinn Fein are the most anti-Israeli party in Western Europe a meeting in Jerusalem attended by Tanaiste Micheal Martin has heard. A member of the Israel Council on Foreign Relations asked Mr Martin how concerned they should be about the prospect of Sinn Fein taking power after the next general election. The Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies research fellow Dr Jonathan Spyer highlighted comments by former Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson describing Israeli lobbyists being like a rash in the European Parliament and Aengus O Snodaigh comparing former Justice Minister Alan Shatter to Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels. Dr Spyer also asked if Mr Martin would go into Government with Sinn Fein after the next election which he did not answer. Mr Martin responded by saying they are a populist party in almost every aspect and said he believes they will raise taxes to address any financial crisis and were anti-enterprise. Micheal Martin meets Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel He also said it was not a foregone conclusion that Sinn Fein will be power after the next election due to the Irish voting system. At the meeting, Mr Martin said it is simply incorrect to suggest Ireland is hostile towards Israel. He said he was aware that Irelands longstanding principled position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be an ongoing source of friction in the political relationship between the two countries. I do, though, want to emphasise at the outset that the assumption that is sometimes made in the Israeli media and public discourse that our position on the conflict is evidence of hostility on the part of Ireland, or the Irish people, towards Israel is simply incorrect, he said. Mr Martin said he is acutely aware of the sense of threat felt in Ireland due to Irans nuclear weapons programme and the countrys consistently destabilising behaviour in the Middle East and beyond. We have no illusions as to the risk this poses to the entire Middle East region and beyond but we remain convinced that a diplomatic and political path is the only realistic option to addressing this risk, Mr Martin said. This may sound naive to this audience, but dialogue can, and is, continuing, with Ireland continuing to engage in, and support this. I also believe that the restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia has potential to bring greater stability to the region, he added. Mr Martin said Irish people have strong views on the Israel and Palestine conflict because we are a small and militarily neutral country that relies on all nations complying with international law and rules-based order. The Fianna Fail leader said he unreservedly condemned terror attacks on Israeli citizens and does not discount the fear and tension felt by citizens hoping to go about their daily lives. I fully recognise the destabilising role that certain actors in the region are playing, through stoking tensions and supporting extremism. I understand how these factors can influence Israeli perspectives and reactions and I have listened carefully to my political counterparts, he said. Mr Martin said there is also a need to recognise that there are five million Palestinian people, across the West Bank and Gaza, who have a right to self-determination. Just this February, the UN Security Council reiterated its strong opposition to Israeli construction and expansion of settlements, the confiscation of Palestinians land, the demolition of Palestinians homes and displacement of Palestinian civilians. These policies and actions, in addition to contravening international law, have no clear justification in terms of protecting the security of Israel, he said. He welcomed that Israel has normalised its relations with a number of Arab countries in recent years and said he hoped this will open new avenues to find peace in the region. That may seem unimaginable in the current political context. However, how many of the challenges we have faced since 2008 could we have imagined and how many of the solutions to some of those challenges could we have foreseen? I sincerely believe that with political will, we can restore a pathway towards a just and lasting peace between the Israeli and Palestinian people, he said. Micheal Martin also had a what he described as a very open exchange with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the ongoing incursion by Israel in the West Bank. Mr Martin said he told Mr Netanyahu that the illegal occupations within the West Bank run contrary to the realisation of two-state solution for the region. I think it was useful in terms of explaining our position on adherence to international law and the UN Framework, he said. Police have closed Church Road in Castlereagh on the outskirts of Belfast after the discovery of a suspicious object at playing fields used by East Belfast GAA. Diversions are in place and road users have been advised to seek alternative routes for their journey. The security alert has impacted on local residents and at least one nearby primary school in the area has been forced to close. On This Day in History - September 5th Michael Long the local Alliance Party councillor for the area condemned the sectarian thugs behind the incident. "Another suspected device at Henry Jones and Loughview PS is again forced to close, he posted online. "The sectarian thugs behind this campaign need to stop. BCC pitches are for everyone. Solidarity with @EastBelfastGAA. Have asked for more security repeatedly. Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie hit out at what he called a concerted effort to intimidate the club. "It targets men, women and children and is completely unacceptable, disgraceful and counter productive, he posted. Sinn Fein MLA Deirdre Hargey highlighted that a few days ago, goalposts at the field were attacked. She said: This comes only days after goalposts at this field were attacked in what appears to be a concerted attempt by sinister elements to intimidate both adults and children away from playing sport in a public park. Disgraceful incidents like this do not represent the vast majority of people who are focused on moving forward and on the future. More details to follow. The family of a 97-year-old woman who died a few days after suffering two broken legs in a fall in a nursing home has expressed disbelief that she was not sent for an X-ray until almost 48 hours after the incident despite being in pain. A sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court heard Breede Twohig experienced an assisted fall while being attended to by a healthcare assistant in the Altadore nursing home in Glenageary, Co Dublin on February 13, 2021. Ms Twohig, a widow and mother of five from Dalkey, Co Dublin, died five days later at St Vincents University Hospital where she had been admitted after X-rays confirmed she had suffered two broken femurs (thigh bones). Her daughter, Dorothy Twohig, told the inquest that she had been informed by the nursing home on the evening of February 13, 2021 about the fall. Ms Twohig said her mother had told her that she was feeling sore and in a lot of pain after the incident. She said she contacted the nursing home the next day to get a doctor to check on her mother as she was in a distressed state during a video chat. The witness said Altadore staff had stressed to her that her mother had not suffered a fall but an assisted fall. The inquest heard that Dr Aiden Jennings, an on-call GP, was unable to identify where Ms Twohigs pain was. Dr Jennings did not recommend that she needed an X-ray at the time and prescribed paracetamol for the pain, but advised that her condition should be reviewed the following day. However, Dorothy Twohig, who was unable to visit the nursing home due to Covid-19 restrictions, said her mother continued to complain about her legs feeling very sore. Ms Twohig said she felt relieved the following day when Altadore informed her that her mother was being sent for an X-ray and there was no sense of urgency from the nursing home staff about the issue. She said she was confused when she subsequently received a voicemail at around 7pm advising her to contact Altadore as her mother was being brought to the emergency department in St Vincents. She said she was beyond shock when the hospital confirmed that her mother had suffered fractures to both her legs. Ms Twohig said it had never entered her head that her mother might have broken her legs in the fall as she had been assured that her mothers pain was the result of bruising. The inquest heard doctors at St Vincents decided that it was unsafe to perform surgery on Ms Twohig because of her condition and advanced age. While she recognised that anyone could suffer a fall, Ms Twohigs daughter said she could not accept that it took 48 hours before her mother was sent for an X-ray. It should have happened and it could have saved her life, she said. Ms Twohig said she believed there would have been a very different outcome if the restrictions on visiting nursing homes had not been in place at the time. I would have seen my mother and the extent of her injuries rather than relying on a doctor and text messages, said Ms Twohig. I was assured she was being looked at appropriately by professionals. She understood what an assisted fall was, but it did not make sense that someone could suffer fractures as the result of such a fall. In reply to questions from her own solicitor, Billy Brick, Ms Twohig gave evidence that she had not received much information from the nursing home about her mothers condition. Ms Twohig said her mother was a very robust, fit and healthy woman who had been driving and living independently until she was 92 when she required an operation for cervical stenosis. However, she said her mother never fully recovered from the operation and had moved to live in the Altadore nursing home. She had also had surgery 10 years earlier for arthritis which affected both her knees. A staff nurse at Altadore, Ana Turcu, said she was informed by a healthcare assistant about the assisted fall involving Ms Twohig about 10 minutes after it happened. In reply to questions from the coroner, Clare Keane, Ms Turcu said she could not remember if she had gone to check on Ms Twohig, but she did not think any major injury could have occurred as the assistant had helped the resident to go gently onto the floor. Altadores director of nursing, Rachel Gallogly, told the inquest that all the nursing homes staff were made aware of its policy on preventing falls as well as receiving training in manual handling and falls prevention. Questioned by Mr Brick, Ms Gallogly said the nurse in charge of a resident would be responsible for decisions in relation to X-rays. The inquest heard medical notes from the nursing home recorded that Ms Twohig most likely suffered soft tissue injuries in the fall, but that she should be kept under observation for the following 48 hours. Other medical records show that just before she was brought to hospital it was noted that Ms Twohig was very pale, sweating and in a lot of pain. It was also recorded that the toes on one foot were a purplish colour and her legs could not be touched, while she was screaming in pain. In a written statement, consultant surgeon at SVUH, Paul Curtin, said Ms Twohigs lower legs were mottled on arrival, while she also had an elevated white blood cell count and kidney problems. On the cause of death, Dr Keane said there was no doubt that the fracture to the legs was a factor. However, the coroner said Ms Twohig also had sepsis and she could not rule out that she had a urinary tract infection prior to the fall which would have also contributed to her death. She said it was also unclear if Covid-19, with which Ms Twohig had been infected in December 2020, had played any role. Returning a narrative verdict, Dr Keane expressed condolences to Ms Twohigs relatives on the death of an incredible lady. Programme has now rolled-out to males up to the age 22 who have not yet been vaccinated. The HSE has said more than 550,000 students across the country have received the HPV vaccine. THE HSE has announced the expansion of the Laura Brennan HPV catch-vaccination programme across the Cork area. Under the initiative the HSE is offering another change for eligible males to receive the free vaccine, if they have not previously done so. The vaccine protects against the types of HPV that cause approximately 90pc of cervical cancers, 90-95pc of HPV-related anal cancer, and 90pc of genital warts. Recent research has highlighted that almost one in three men over the age of 15 is infected with at least one genital HPV and one in five is infected with one or more high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) types. Some types of HPV can lead to cancer in men, including penile, anal, oral, and throat cancers, while others lead to anogenital warts. The HPV vaccine has been offered to girls since 2010 as part of the school immunisation programme and was extended in 2019 to include boys in first year of second-level schools. It is also open to young women up to the age of 25 who have left secondary school and did not previously receive the vaccine. To-date the catch-up programme, named in memory of Laura Brennan who campaigned for a higher uptake of the HPV vaccine prior to the death in 2019 at the age of 26, has provided free vaccines to over 3,500 young people who were previously eligible to receive it in schools and had not yet received it. To date, over 550,000 students have received HPV vaccine through the HSE vaccination programme. Under an initiative recently announced by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, the programme has now been rolled-out to males up to the age of 22 who have not yet received the vaccine. Dallas Brennan, Cork-based HSE general nurse for school vaccinations urged people to avail of the vaccine at one of the catch-up clinics being held at locations across cork over the coming days. I have been involved in the HPV vaccine campaign since it began in 2010 and wouldnt hesitate to recommend it for all eligible young people, as we strive to eradicate certain cancers, said Ms Brennan. If you missed out at school, please make an appointment now. Its a single dose and a very safe vaccine. We are more than happy to answer any questions you might have on the day. Dr Lucy Jessop, of the HSE National Immunisation Office said the HPV had been offered girls in their first year of secondary school since 2010 as cervical cancer is the most common cancer cause by the HPV virus. However, the virus can cause other cancers that can affect boys and men. The recent expansion of the catch-up programme will give an additional opportunity for people to get the vaccine.. The more young people vaccinated, the better he spread of the HPV virus can be controlled, said Dr Jessop. I would encourage people to avail of this opportunity as the vaccine will be available for free until the end of 2023, she added. Upcoming HPV vaccination catch-up clinics in Cork:- Friday, September 8 - (9am-1pm). Dental Building, Hospital Grounds, Coolnagarrane, Skibbereen, P81 HC43. Tuesday, September 12 - (9am-4pm). Clinic A, St Finbarrs Hospital Campus, Douglas Road, Cork, T12 XH60 Monday, September 18 - (2pm-4pm). Mallow Primary Healthcare Centre, Gouldshill, Mallow, Co. Cork P51 Y8EC. Wednesday, September 20 - (9.30am-4pm). St Marys Primary Care Centre, St Marys Health Campus, Bakers Rd, Gurranabraher, Cork, T23 V09X Appointments for the above clinics must be made through the online booking portal at www.hpv.ie. Noreen OConnor, whose Knocknagree farm became the 50,000th premises to be connected to the national broadband network, with National Broadband Ireland CEO Peter Hendrick. Photo: Adrian OHerlihy. A FARM in rural north Cork has become the 50,000th premises to be connected to the national broadband network, with the company charged with rolling out the project saying more than 180,000 homes, farms and business are now within connection range. National Broadband Ireland (NBI) marked the latest milestone in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) at the Knocknagree farm of Noreen OConnor, who said having access to high-speed broadband has made a huge difference to her familys working and leisure lives. There are several things on a farm that require a strong broadband connection, from the calving cameras, to registering and tagging animals, to applying for online grants, said Noreen. Since the pandemic, most marts have moved to a hybrid approach and out local Gortatlea mart only takes place online now at night. Without a reliable (broadband) connection, we wouldnt have access at all, she added. Noreen said that having three teenagers at home without a high-speed broadband connection was a disaster, especially during the pandemic. We have so many devices in our home a smart TV, laptops and the Playstation that all used to buffer and crash. Since signing up to the NBI network, we can finally sit down as a family and watch TV, trusting our broadband connection, said Noreen. I really enjoy watching GAA matches with friends and family at our home, something I could never do before. Now, we can watch local games together. Really and truly, its made our lives better, she added. NBI chief executive officer Peter Hendrick said that with the 50,000th connection coming on stream, the number of premises connected to the NBI network has doubled overt he past nine-months. In County Cork, one quarter of the roll-out is now complete, with almost 22,000 premises ready to connect, said Mr Hendrick. I encourage Cork residents to visit nbi.ie and check their Eircode to find out if they are one and sign up for updates, he added. While The NBI plan, which is being rolled out to 560,000 premises across the country in rural and unconnected areas is now slightly ahead of its revised, lower roll-out targets, it remains behind its original network goals. According to NBI the process, which has been underway by the state for over 10 years, will not now be completed until at least the end of 2026. The substantial cost of rolling the network out and connecting the fibre to individual rural homes, no matter how remotely, is subsidised by the State as part of a national policy to get all premises hooked up to high-end broadband. Meanwhile, in advance of the fibre-to-the-home roll-out dedicated Broadband Connection Points (BCPs), including ones at the Aubane Community Centre, the Laharn Heritage Centre and the Old Mill in Castletownroche, are providing free public access to high-speed internet in the roll-out areas. BCPs pave the way for rural communities to receive the benefits of broadband - from mobile working, e-learning and mobile banking, to digital tourism, said Mr Hendrick. Primary schools in the Intervention Area are also being connected for educational access as part of the NBP, he added. A before and after of how South William Street could look under the plan. Pic: Dublin Commuter Coalition A Dublin commuter group is calling for Westmoreland Street, South William Street and Wicklow Street to be pedestrianised as part of a new traffic management plan. Destination Dublin, a plan published by the Dublin Commuter Coalition, prioritises sustainable transport modes and quality of life for residents, commuters and visitors. The group wants to create a city where people can roam, to sit, to play, to meet friends and enjoy their surroundings free from congestion, noise and pollution. This plan capitalises on the natural resource of the River Liffey and Dublins historic architecture to create spaces people want to go to, rather than through. Chairperson of Dublin Commuter Coalition, Feljin Jose, said: Our plan is inspired by traffic systems like those in Ghent and Oslo, cities which have large pedestrian-friendly zones with vehicles directed around the city. The traffic management plan would block private traffic from using the quays. Pic: Dublin Commuter Coalition This makes the city centre quieter, cleaner, easier to navigate and a more pleasant place to be. The coalition is aware that the planet is suffering due to climate change, and believe these challenges have to be tackled at a local level first. The new traffic management plan would involve stopping private vehicle access crossing the quays. Worked on over the next decade, they say the plan could make the city centre more attractive as itll give space for public plazas and open air markets. Some of the main changes the plan envisages include: A pedestrianised College Green The quays dedicated for public transport and active travel Private vehicle restriction and footpath widening on DOlier Street Removal of private vehicles from OConnell Street Public seating rolled out across the core city centre Parklets & tree planting within the city centre Dublin Commuter Coalition committee member, Jason Cullen, said: Our approach to Dublins central core needs to change from a place we send traffic through, to a place people travel to. The plan would see popular areas in the city centre, like Wicklow Street, pedestrianised. Pic: Dublin Commuter Coalition By stopping private vehicle access crossing the Quays, we could create a much more attractive city centre full of pedestrian streets, public plazas and open-air markets. It would create a significant improvement to our air quality and noise levels making Dublins core streets a much nicer place to visit, work, shop, live and spend time in. We need an ambitious plan for Dublin and a commitment from our public representatives to see it completed if we are to stand any chance of reaching our climate targets. The body of an American citizen, who had been wanted by the FBI before seeking asylum in Ireland, was identified by DNA from his toothbrush, an inquest into his death heard last week. Thomas Stofiel had been living in Atlas House in Tralee and was last seen on September 25, 2020. His body was found by farmer Joe Fitzgerald on November 14, 2020, in the mountainous Tonevane area while Mr Fitzgerald was out looking for sheep. He told the inquest that he saw the body and phoned the emergency services. The inquest heard that the body was across a ravine and on difficult terrain. It was inaccessible at that time, and assistance was sought from Kerry Mountain Rescue. Cash of 1,220 was found on the body, and a social-welfare receipt. On This Day in History - September 5th The American Embassy confirmed his identity from an ID card found on the body, which matched a passport issued to him, but ultimately DNA confirmed that the man was Mr Stofiel, who was from Oregon in the US. A DNA swab taken from his toothbrush and razor was used to confirm it was Mr Stofiel and that, ultimately, this DNA led matched him to his biological daughter, the inquest was told. Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster gave evidence that she carried out a post-mortem on November 15, 2020, on the man that was presumed to be Mr Stofiel. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition. Gardai said there was no suspicion of anyone else being involved in the death and a verdict of suicide was returned. Coroner Helen Lucey said that the course of his life changed, and that led him to this remote spot. She expressed sympathy to his daughter, and she praised the honesty of all those involved in the recovery of the body given the substantial sum of money found. She also praised the media for their role in identifying the remains. Mr Stiofel, according to reports, had been the subject of an FBI and police manhunt in Oregon after he went missing in 2017. He was subsequently found with his daughter in the mountains. He later came to Ireland. Mr Stiofel had extreme religious beliefs and was a person who believed that a catastrophic event is coming. Such a person is known as a prepper. When in Tralee, he worked in a local restaurant and was buried in Rath. If you've been affected by the content in this article, you can contact a number of groups, such as AWARE (1800 80 48 48), Pieta House (066 716 3660), and Samaritans (116 123). A member of the public raised the alarm on Monday evening after a dog attack on a girl in her late teens on Inch beach. Valentia Coast Guard co-ordinated the response to the incident after it was reported some time between 4pm and 5pm on Monday (September 4). As many as four dogs were at the scene of the incident when it occurred, although its understood that only one of these bit the 17-year-old, on the upper arm. Her injuries are not thought to be serious but did require attention, and the young woman was shaken following the incident. Valentia tasked Gardai to the scene, and ambulance control got back to Valentia to call for further assistance, after which Dingle Coast Guard was called for. The incident occurred some distance from the main road, and it is common for Coast Guard members to help ambulance personnel in such situations. Dingle Coast Guard provided first aid, after which the patient was handed over to the HSE. The Kerryman understands that the woman attacked was from outside the country and had only arrived in Kerry a short time earlier. Dingle Gardai said investigations into the incident are ongoing. What started as an event to coincide with The Gathering in 2023 is now firmly established on the northern side of the West Kerry peninsula as celebration of all things heritage in Maharees. And this time, its the turn of the rich local fishing tradition. The annual Maharees Heritage Weekend returns from Friday evening, September 8, when the suitably named High Tide bring the music to Spillanes Bar in a gathering event from 9.30pm. And a gathering it could well prove to be as the weekend is today described as a community-led reunion, a social fixture in the area. Its 10 years since our first gathering event; since then, these heritage events every September have brought a lot of pleasure and enjoyment to many people at home and abroad, said Maharees Heritage committee chairperson Sean Spillane, who explained that the event has been nothing if not diverse in celebrating many aspects of the Maharees heritage. Weve covered different themes, all relating to remembering our heritage, including the days of the Old School in Maharees, songs our parents and grandparents loved, remembering the migrants who left in the 1940s and 1950s, those involved in the struggle for Irish independence. Martin Lynch has produced outstanding works about Maharees over this time, which have formed a cornerstone to much of what weve done. This years event will remember all who went to sea from Maharees. Wed like to thank all our dedicated committee members, our local and visiting community and our local businesses for supporting us every year. Celebrating the Fishing Tradition in Maharees, 1840-1960 takes place in Harbour House from 2.30pm on Saturday, and a rambling house will follow before Pat and Josephine provide music from 9pm at the Green Room Bar. On the following day, Sally Griffin leads a rock-pool exploration for families from 10.30am in Kilshannig, and 12.30pm Mass at Scraggane Pier precedes the unveiling of a plaque honouring all whove gone to see from the pier. Further information is available through contacting mahareesconservation@gmail.com or the Maharees Heritage and Conservation Facebook page. At the special Mass at St John the Baptist Church marking the end of the Bon Secours Order's 144-year history in the town. Its the end of an era for the Bon Secours Order in Tralee after 144-years of service and care in the town. A special Mass was celebrated at St John the Baptists Church on Tuesday morning in honour of Sr Siobhan Horgan, Sr Aidan O'Brien, and Sr Teresita Hoare - the last Sisters of the Order in Tralee. Parish Priest Fr. Tadhg Fitzgerald described it as a sad day as it marked the end of the Orders time in Tralee. However, he said it should also be a happy occasion considering the legacy of work and care they leave behind. The Bon Secours Sisters first established a convent in Tralee in 1879 when beginning their ministry in the town and helping the sick. In 1921, the Bon Secours Hospital opened in Strand Street, which today is a modern state-of-the-art healthcare facility. We can only imagine the comfort and solace the presence those first Sisters Marine, Hilary, Ferdinand, and Catherine had on the people of late 19th Century Tralee. The hospital in Strand Road today is their legacy, but not their entire legacywe give thanks for your great work, Fr Fitzgerald said. He spoke of the Sisters of good help and their care for the sick, especially the sick poor in their spiritual and corporeal needs. The Sisters guiding principle was to be always ready to go where they were needed. The name Bon Secours expresses perfectly what its founding members hoped would always remain: Sisters of good help, Fr Fitzgerald said. Founded in France, the first overseas Bon Secours Foundation was in Dublin in 1861. Foundations followed in Cork (1867), Belfast (1872), and in Tralee in 1878. The Tralee Foundation was established when Bons Sisters in Cork came to Tralee to nurse Sir Nicholas Donovan a Tralee merchant. Following his death, his wife, Lady Donovan, was so impressed by the care the Sisters had given her husband that she was determined that a Bon Secours convent would be established in Tralee. The Sisters first lived in Denny Street and later moved to Strand Street. The convent was officially opened on September 8, 1879. On their arrival in Tralee, the Sisters immediately began comforting the sick of the town. In 1902, the Bons Sisters took on the running of the Old Infirmary in Strand Street until its closure in 1938. They nursed in Edenburn Hospital on the outskirts of Tralee, helping the sick through the tuberculosis pandemic of the 1940s and 1950s. Edenburn later became a nursing home where the Bons Sisters worked until the late 1980s. We must also acknowledge the often silent and unseen ministry you provided down through the years until relatively recent times. And that is your work with the Tralee community services, your ministry to the housebound, elderly, and palliative care patients, said Fr Fitzgerald. "And while much of this ministry was unknown to the larger public. I have no doubt it was greatly valued and appreciated by all who received your care, he said. Today, as we celebrate the care of the gift of Bon Secours ministry in Tralee. And in a sense as we say goodbye to your physical presence among us, we are reminded of the missionary mandate of Christ to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth, Fr Fitzgerald said. Your presence in Tralee for the past 144-years can be summed up by a wonderful ministry of healing and an invaluable ministry of prayerful presence. We give thanks for the gift of your vocation. We hold in prayer the departed Bon Secours Sisters who have served in Kerry, Fr Fitzgerald concluded. To the untrained eye, bipolar plates arent much to look at, being only about the size of a DIN A4 envelope and weighing just 60 grams. But they are core components of fuel cells, where they perform a number of vital functions, including providing channels both for the separation and distribution of the process gasses and coolant and for the removal of the water resulting from the chemical reaction. Schaeffler has developed an innovative design that makes optimal use of the plates surface area, explained Dr. Jochen Schroder, Schaefflers head of E-Mobility. The finer and more precise the structures on the bipolar plate, the more efficient the plate is. Schaefflers new plates enable a fuel cell stack power density of 4.6 kW per liter of fuel cell volume (including end plates and compression hardware). Last year, 2,200 people and more than 460 companies participated in upskilling with a Skillnet Ireland Business Network in Sligo. Figures from Skillnet Ireland reveal the national agency for workforce development delivered over 12,500 training days across Sligo last year. 59% of those who undertook training were men and 41% were women, while those aged 30 to 39 years were the largest group of people availing of these upskilling supports. The stats from County Sligo The vast majority (96%) of the 460 Sligo companies that upskilled their workforce with Skillnet Ireland in 2022 were small and medium enterprises. The greatest uptake came from the Pharmaceutical sector followed by the Services, Agriculture, Health, Engineering, Retail and Food & Drink sectors. Companies based in Sligo undertook upskilling programmes with 56 Skillnet Business Networks, including Sligo Chamber Skillnet. The Skillnet Ireland Annual Report, for 2022 shows that nationwide, upskilling and training programmes to the value of 70.2 million, were provided to almost 25,000 businesses and over 92,000 workers across the Irish economy and the regions. Companies contributed 26.5 million or 37% of the total investment towards upskilling their staff, a 4 million increase on 2021, signalling a high level of buy-in from industry sectors to develop their teams in partnership with Skillnet Ireland. Skillnet Ireland provides programmes to business of all sizes across all regions in key areas such as digital skills and skills for a green transition. Every business large or small is facing challenges from the need for digital advancement to talent shortages and skills gaps. In this, the EU Year of Skills, which runs until May 2024, the agency is making substantial progress in futureproofing businesses in Sligo and across the country through talent development and to enhance the specialist skills of the Irish workforce. Skillnet Ireland Chief Executive, Paul Healy said As a knowledge-based economy nurturing our highly skilled workforce is central to our national competitiveness. Skillnet Irelands approach is based on flexibility, working with companies to respond to new industry trends in a fast and targeted way. We look forward to growing our partnerships with industry, higher education and State agencies in 2023. Skillnet Irelands Director of Business Networks, Dave Flynn says In this the European Year of Skills we are making substantial progress in futureproofing Irish business through skills development so employers fully capitalise on the opportunities presented by technological innovation, digitalisation and the green transition. As the talent development agency, Skillnet Ireland will expand our engagement with companies to ensure they have the talent to meet these challenges and more. Two Sligo female entrepreneurs are encouraging others from the county to join the latest cycle of ACORNS - a successful free development initiative to support early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland. The call for applications for the 9th cycle of ACORNS was recently launched by Charlie McConalogue T.D., Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine. ACORNS is funded through the Departments Rural Innovation and Development Fund. The programme comes highly recommended by previous participants, with 100% of those surveyed at the end of the 8th cycle saying they would recommend the programme to others. The 46 entrepreneurs in ACORNS 8 made significant progress over the six months of their involvement, reporting significant growth in their new businesses. Their combined turnover almost doubled in the six months to April 2023 - from 1.9m to 3.6m. Participants in ACORNS 8 employed 96 (55 full-time, 41 part-time) staff at the end of the cycle, an increase of 16. There were also five new exporters over the cycle. There are 50 places available for ACORNS 9 which will run from October 2023 to April 2024. Those wishing to receive an application form for ACORNS 9 should register on the website (www.acorns.ie). The deadline for applications is midnight, September 22. Past participants from Sligo include Aisling Kelly Hunter of WBs Coffee House and Sligo Oyster Experience (www.wbscoffeehouse.ie) and Kaz Kearney of Soak Bath Salts (www.soakbathsalts.com). WBs Coffee House in Sligo is a cafe, gift shop and home of the Sligo Oyster Experience, a walking tour from town to Sligo Bay where visitors take part in live oyster shucking demonstrations and tastings. Owner Aisling Kelly Hunter was part of the ACORNS 2 programme and has also completed ACORNS Plus, a further development cycle. Aisling says: ACORNS did exactly what it says accelerates you and your business. My Lead Entrepreneur and the women in our group were fantastic support and I am so thrilled I got a chance to take part. A native of Dublin, Kaz Kearney moved to Dromore West in Co Sligo in 2021. Kaz started her business as a side project, before deciding to give it her full-time attention in June 2022. Soak is a multi-award-winning Atlantic sea salt and herbal wellness range that helps with sleep, anxiety, mood and skin health. Kaz was a participant on ACORNS 8 and says: I would highly recommend ACORNS programme. It has helped me understand my finances within the business, thanks to the support of my Lead Entrepreneur. Being supported by amazing, resilient women every month gave me the encouragement when I needed it, insight into difficult entrepreneurial problems and solutions, and the connections to support each others growth into the future. Women supporting women, and our world will change. ACORNS is based on the belief that early-stage entrepreneurs learn best from their peers. Participants interact with each other in the monthly round table sessions, which are facilitated by a Lead Entrepreneur, who has first-hand experience of starting and successfully growing a business in rural Ireland. Each of the Lead Entrepreneurs give their time to the programme on a voluntary basis, as they believe in the philosophy of entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs. Only early-stage female entrepreneurs operating in rural Ireland, and who have had no sales before the end of June 2020, are eligible to apply. There will be no charge for those selected to participate in ACORNS 9, thanks to the continuing support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the voluntary contribution of time by the Lead Entrepreneurs. While 46 participants completed ACORNS 8, the initiative also provided continued support to more than 200 past participants through the ACORNS Community, which provided past participants with the opportunity to take part in workshops, roundtables, and other networking events. This years voluntary Lead Entrepreneurs are Anne Reilly, formerly Paycheck Plus; Caroline Reidy, The HR Suite; Deirdre McGlone, Hospitality & Tourism Advisor; Eimer Hannon, Hannon Travel; Larissa Feeney, Accountant Online; Mary B Walsh, Ire Wel Pallets; and Triona MacGiolla Ri, Aro Digital Strategies. Speaking at the launch, Minister McConalogue said: While there are many rewards to being an entrepreneur, it can be a lonely journey with many challenges. To provide support in dealing with these challenges, I am pleased to be able to provide further funding to female entrepreneurs in rural Ireland through the 9th ACORNS Programme. This programme will not only help develop businesses, but will provide networking opportunities to participants that may not be as available in rural parts of the country. To date through the ACORNS programme, I have been able to support over 400 female entrepreneurs to realise their business ambitions, while contributing to society in a meaningful way. The impact of this support has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants reporting both increased sales and the creation of additional jobs. Considering the wide-ranging benefits accrued, I am delighted that we are in a position to continue to support a further 50 participants for this years initiative which is funded under the Rural Innovation and Development Fund". While the current Irish rugby team is carrying the hopes and dreams of the nation to France this coming weekend, its the past teams and, in particular, their former home which is the focus of a fundraiser for Caim Community Park. In 2007, Caim resident Desmond McCarthy was commissioned by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) to draw and record the historic Lansdowne Road stadium before its demolition and rebuilding. A Dublin native and a graduate of the National College of Art & Design (NCAD), Desmonds original works are on permanent display at The Department of Foreign Affairs Dublin, The Department of Agriculture Dublin, The Irish Embassies in both London and Riyadh. And now, thanks to the generosity of his partner Aiseling, the Caim Community Development Group (CCDG) has received a number of Desmonds Lansdowne Road proofs to assist with its fundraising efforts for Caim Community Park. We are delighted to announce that, in conjunction with Pallas Marketing and with support from the IRFU, we will be giving supporters of Caim Community Park the opportunity to win these artists proofs, signed, titled and stamped with the artists seal, said Eileen OLoughlin of CCDG. Each picture is window mounted and the framing is moulded Italian wood with burnished silver finish. An event to remember Desmond will take place on Friday, November 3 at 7.30 p.m. in the Presentation Arts Centre in Enniscorthy. Some of the late artists work will be on display with a select number of pieces on sale, and there will be a draw to win five of these pieces along with a signed and certified Irish rugby jersey and a 250 cash prize. To enter please follow this link https://pallaslotteries.ie/product/cdg-lansdowne/ or speak to a member of the Caim Community Development Group for tickets. Tickets are 10. Wexford Arts Centre will use funding received from the AIB Community Fund to continue to connect with local communities via a series of creative engagement programmes. The centre has received 28,000 from the fund which asks AIB customers, the wider public, and colleagues to nominate charities which connect with causes that matter most to them and their communities. This funding will support delivery of creative activities for parents and toddlers in Little Artists, teenagers in the Creative Labs, adults with intellectual disabilities in the Arts Centres Vibes programmes, and young creators at art workshops. Speaking about receipt of the award, Elizabeth Whyte, Executive Director said: We are so happy to receive this donation, from the AIB Community 1 Million Fund, which will be vital for us to continue the services that we provide to our community especially for our Creative Community Engagement programme of workshops and events. During these challenging times, we need support now more than ever, and we have seen first-hand the difference this funding has had on local organisations who received support last year. The fact that the public nominated us makes it particularly special because it means that the work we are doing in the community is being recognised, and we are making a difference. I want to thank everyone who is involved in Wexford Arts Centre and a particular thank you to AIB for establishing this hugely beneficial fund. Speaking about the Fund, AIB Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Mary Whitelaw said: Along with our core community partners and programmes the AIB Community 1 Million Fund enables us to further deepen our contribution to society. The nominations were made by our colleagues, customers and the public based on the causes and charities they connect with and that matter most to them. Our hope is that this funding will help make a real difference to the most vulnerable in our communities, and to those who are working tirelessly for their benefit. Following the inaugural launch in 2022, the AIB Community 1 Million Fund has already donated to over 70 national and local charities including Dogs for the Disabled, Irish Cancer Society, Aoibheanns Pink Tie and Dyslexia Association of Ireland. Minister Simon Harris visited St Patrick's National School, in Greystones, to view two new special educational classrooms and other additional classes, which he had worked with the school on to secure for the community. Speaking during his visit, on Friday, August 25, Wicklows Minister for Higher and Further Education said: "As the new school year is about to commence, I am so delighted to see these new facilities in place in St Patrick's. "I have been delighted to work with the school to ensure Government funding was provided for these much needed classrooms, said Minister Harris. "As people in the community know, I am passionate about special needs education and inclusion in education and these new special educational classrooms will be a great addition to our town. The other extra classrooms will also ensure the school can be supported in meeting the needs of its growing school population. "I really want to congratulate the school principal, Rachel Harper, the staff and Board of Management of the school and all involved in this project. It is an exciting time for St Patrick's as it prepares for the start of the new school year," concluded Minister Harris. Two people have been arrested for using an excavator to dig a hole in the Great Wall of China causing irreversible damage to one of Unescos world heritage sites, the state broadcaster CCTV reported. Floodwater covers a car and the yards of houses in Milina village, Pilion region, central Greece, on Tuesday (Thanasis Kalliaras/Eurokinissi/AP) Fierce rainstorms have battered neighbouring Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, triggering flooding that caused at least five deaths, including those of two holidaymakers swept away by a torrent which raged through a campsite. Greek police have ordered vehicles off the streets of the central town of Volos and the nearby mountain region of Pilion as a severe storm hit the area, turning streets into flooded torrents. Romania denies Ukraines claims it was hit by Russian drone attack Nato member says strike on Danube river port did not reach its territory Young cadets and schoolgirls sing the national anthem on the first day of school at a cadet lyceum in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo: AP Pavel Polityuk Tue 5 Sep 2023 at 03:30 Ukraine said yesterday Russian drones had detonated on the territory of Nato member Romania during an overnight air strike on a Ukrainian port across the Danube River, but Bucharest denied its territory had been hit. LOS ANGELESAdult performer and comic book creator Bryan Knight has passed away, Luxxxe Studios owner JD Daniels confirmed to AVN. He was 39. Knight, a native of New York, had about 50 performing credits in gay adult films starting in 2012, according to IAFD. Luxxxe Studios Insider Robby Lewis shared the sad news early Tuesday morning in a video report. Adult film actor and generally good human being Bryan Knight went to bed on Sunday, September 3rd and did not wake up, Lewis said in a video released on X. Everyone at Luxxxe Studios is saddened by this loss, especially JD Daniels, who was a close personal friend of Bryans. JD Daniels remarked, Bryan Knight, one of my beloved best friends, passed away in his sleep. I am at a loss for words. He was a lovable giant that pulled me into big bear hugs. He was a talented comic book artist and great friend. He will always be in my heart. I, and everyone at Luxxxe Studios, extend our condolences to Bryans partner, Snake, his parents and siblings. May he rest in peace. Robby Lewis said Knight was known as a gentle giant. While he has done numerous films, hell be best known for his warm smile, fun-loving personality and bear hugs, Robby continued in the video tribute. He was a sex-positive educator and staunch advocate for the decriminalization of sex work. It was that advocacy that inspired his comic, The Velvet Collar. In The Velvet Collar Bryan drew on real-life experiences and the scandalous raid of the Rent Boy headquarters. He wanted to create something that celebrated him and the people he loved in the adult film world. Many of the characters in his comics are based on real people in the adult film world such as Abel Ray, Will Foster, Scott Reynolds, JD Daniels and musician and friend, Ricochet. Bryan is survived by his partner of almost 20 years, Snake, his parents and siblings. Snake appreciates and thanks all of those who have reached out. A memorial service is current being planned. Lewis said that for now Knights social media accounts are still active (@BryanKnight66 on X & Instagram; @bryan.knights.nyc on Facebook) for updates from his husband. Proud Boys leader brags from jail that Trump will pardon him Joe Biggs locked up for 17 years for role in attack on Capitol building Mr Trump hasnt said whether or not hell consider pardons for the Proud Boys specifically, but did mention during his CNN Townhall that he would consider pardoning a large portion of the Capitol riot defendants. Photo: Getty Graig Graziosi UK Independent Tue 5 Sep 2023 at 03:30 A convicted, prominent member of the neo-fascist Proud Boys gang believes that Donald Trump will pardon him if he becomes president in 2024. Palestinian man killed during Israeli army raid in refugee camp The Palestinian health ministry said that a 21-year-old man died from a bullet wound to the head. The raid took place in Nour Shams refugee camp (Majdi Mohammed/AP) AP Reporter Tue 5 Sep 2023 at 09:37 Israeli troops killed a Palestinian man during an army raid in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Palestinian health officials said. Meet the firm behind our content. Visit their website to see how their services can help your business succeed. Image Source: Screengrab Mumbai: Vedanta Resources Limited has got back the ownership and operational control of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) from the Zambian government. According to Vedanta, the mine in Zambia has resources and reserves of 16 million tonnes of contained copper, and its copper grade is 2.3 percent, which is considerably higher than the 0.4 percent average for the world. The company also emphasised KCM's important role in aiding the energy transition requirements of a world that desperately needs to decarbonise at a fast pace. Regarding the reinstatement of Vedanta to oversee KCM, Paul Kabuswe, Minister of Mines and Minerals Development, said Vedanta will return to run and resuscitate the operations of KCM as the majority shareholders. According to Vedanta's press release, this development comes at a time when Indias demand for copper, a critical mineral for energy transition technologies, recorded a yearly growth rate of nearly 25 percent. Vedanta underscored that its reinstatement as the largest shareholder, with a 79.4 percent stake in KCM, is a significant development. Photo courtesy: Wallpaper cave (L) and Unsplash (R) China s top legislative body is extremely concerned about the rise in domestic violence cases in the country even as the Xi government is making all efforts to promote marriages, three child policy and increase population. Even as data shows that the number of personal injury criminal cases related to domestic violence has continuously decreased in the seven years since the implementation of the Anti-domestic Violence Law, the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress expressed its deep concern over the cases of domestic violence in the worlds second largest economy. The Standing Committee, which looked into all aspects of domestic violence cases involving victims and perpetrators, laid emphasis on strengthening education and rehabilitation aspects for perpetrators of domestic violence, insisting on improving the quality of protective services for victims. The latest survey data painted a rosy picture of status of women in China as it showed that the proportion of women who have experienced physical and psychological violence from their spouses in marital relationships stood at 8.6 percent in 2021, a decrease of 5.2 percentage points compared to 2010. Also, Judicial authorities are ordered to strictly use civil or criminal liabilities for those who harm family members, said the report. The finding of the report has confirmed that domestic violence continues to harm Xi governments reputation within the society and outside. However, Huang Xiaowei, deputy head of the National Working Committee on Children and Women of the State Council insisted on increasing the use of shelters for victims of domestic violence, improvement in quality of services and personal protection to victims. A 2010 survey by the All-China Women's Federation and National Bureau of Statistics found that 24.7% of Chinese women had experienced domestic violence in their lifetime, and among them 5.5 percent suffered serious injuries. She further suggested that community and village committees should set up information platforms for prevention and resolution of cases of domestic violence. She insisted on imparting legal education to children in kindergartens and schools and people living in rural areas. A decade later, the latest survey found that 8.6% of women have experienced physical and mental violence from their spouses. The Anti-Domestic Violence Law came into effect in March 2016. The Supreme People's Court released the Provisions on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Handling Cases of Personal Safety Protection Orders in July 2022, making it clear that personal safety protection order cases are not dependent on civil litigation procedures such as divorce. And the provisions lowered the threshold of proof collection and further specified types of behaviour that can be identified as evidence of domestic violence.victims will also be taken to temporary shelters established by civil affairs departments after their applications and receive legal aid provided by justice bureaus, thanks to efforts by authorities over the past few years. So far, more than 4,700 stations offering legal assistance have been built nationwide, with handling of over 8,900 cases involving abandonment, abuse and domestic cases last year. Despite the best of efforts, cases of domestic violence have been reported which showed the harsh reality of China. Like other countries, domestic violence in China was still regarded by many as a taboo. Like women in other countries, some victims would initially see violence against women as a part of family life. But in China, activists had said that the dismantling of civil society in recent years has made awareness-raising campaigns a lot harder. "Yes, people are angry about what happened in Tangshan and feel sympathetic with the victims of domestic violence, but to fundamentally change the situation, we ought to address the systemic problem in China today, says Lu Pin, a New York-based feminist activist who left China in 2015 after the arrests of the feminist five." In fact, Nine men had been arrested over a vicious attack on a group of women at a restaurant in northern China in June 2022, in a case that prompted outrage over predatory sexual behaviour and violence against women. CCTV footage of the incident widely circulated online showed a man placing his hand on a womans back as she shares a meal with two companions at a barbecue restaurant in the city of Tangshan in Hebei province. The incident sent shockwaves among the netizens in China and elsewhere in the world. In early 2022, a video clip that showed a woman with a chain and heavy lock around her neck prompted Chinas premier, Li Keqiang, to vow to crack down hard on the trafficking of women and children. In 2021, a Chinese man was sentenced to death for murdering his ex-wife as she live streamed on social media in a case that shocked the nation. So the question was why was it happening? The reason was that so many men in the past have gone unpunished by the authorities for harassing women. There is a need to crack down on gender based violence in China which is no different from other countries as far as domestic violence against women is concerned. Nussrat Jahan during her press conference at Press Club Kolkata | Photo courtesy: IBNS File Kolkata/IBNS: Actress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Nussrat Jahan has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a financial fraud case, media reports said. Nussrat has been asked to appear before ED at CGO Complex at Salt Lake, Kolkata on September 12. What is the accusation? The complaint filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shankudeb Panda with the ED claimed a financial entity named Seven Sense Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., where Nussrat reportedly served as the director for a few years, received around Rs 6,00,000 from each of the duped investors and promised them residential flats at reasonable rates within the span of four years. It has been alleged that Nussrat also took a loan from the company and bought her house. Nussrat's immediate reaction After the allegations were levelled against her, Nussrat, who is an MP from West Bengal's Basirhat constituency, held a press conference at Kolkata Press Club for a "clarification". "The company, which I had quit in 2017, had given me a loan but I have returned it back with interest. I have all my bank statements,"Nussrat had said. "I have the details of my bank transactions. If someone needs to check, they can approach the court for a copy," said the TMC MP flashing the documents. "I am three hundred percent away from corruption," she had added. 'ED won't summon,' says Nussrat Speaking on the sidelines of an event last month, Nussrat had confidently said she would not be summoned by ED. When asked whether she would appear before the ED if summoned, she said with a laugh, "ED is not going to summon me." Read: 'Let's wait for court to answer,' says Yash Daasguptaa backing Nussrat Jahan in financial fraud case TMC distances itself Reacting to the allegations, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo, Mamata Banerjee, slammed the media for its "trial" but said only Nussrat would speak for her case. Mamata had said, "I won't discuss it because I don't know the details. Anyone can lodge a complaint against someone but how come media trials start on the basis of that? Media is passing the judgement even before a person is found guilty. If the complaints are authentic, law will take its own course. "Why are the opposition leaders, who are accused in chit fund cases, not summoned? Why a two-way approach for the incumbent and the opposition? Nussrat will speak for her case. Her lawyer can say. Let the good law prevail. It's not my matter. There are plenty of directors like Nussrat at various levels." Read: 'Nussrat Jahan will speak for her case... not my matter': Mamata Banerjee on corruption allegation against TMC MP "I won't speak for individual cases. They have every right to protect themselves," the TMC supremo had added. Photo courtesy: UNI Agartala/UNI: Despite allegations of large-scale threats and intimidation against opposition party supporters, polling in two assembly by-elections in Dhanpur and Boxanagar of Tripuras Sepahijala district began on Tuesday morning amid high security. According to the report, only 15 percent of voting was recorded in the first two hours of the election, which election officials claimed was due to some last-minute technical problems. The voters have been in line since this morning. However, no report of violence around the polling booths has yet been reported. A total of 95,075 voters, including 45,124 females and 463 differently-abled voters, would exercise their franchise in 110 polling stations in both assembly constituencies. As many as nine candidates, comprising two each from the BJP and CPI-M and five independent candidates, are contesting the by-elections. Besides state police, the Election Commission of India has deployed a large number of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to hold the election peacefully. The BSF has intensified patrolling in the bordering areas to thwart infiltrations and unauthorised movements. The opposition CPI-M alleged that the ruling BJP has brought a large number of outsiders into both poll-bound constituencies to disturb the polling process and alleged, "The BJP cadres have resorted to threats and intimidation to convince the opposition supporters not to go for voting. A senior CPM leader, Abu Jafar, was assaulted by a BJP candidate from Boxanagar, Tafajjal Hossain, and his followers on Monday night." The party leaders urged the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to take concrete measures to conduct the by-elections in a free, fair, and peaceful manner and to instruct the police to act without any leniency towards the evil attempts, and party state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury alleged that the unfair and violent means adopted by the BJP to reduce the election to a complete mockery. He alleged BJP workers riding in two Bolero cars and defacing the numbers of vehicles with cloth or paint had terrorised the voters with firearms going house to house in Rangamura, Barkhola, Barmura, Bashpukur, and Nirbhoypur areas under the Dhanpur constituency for the last two days. Meanwhile, BJP Tripura state president Rajib Bhattacharjee denied the allegation of the CPI-M and said, "The party built the imaginary stories just to find out a way to defend their humiliating defeat in both seats. "People were fed up with leftists for 25 years, and they dont want to see them again." He asserted that BJP candidates would win both seats by a record margin. New Delhi/Dhaka/UNI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on September 8. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dhaka has confirmed that the official meeting between the two Prime Ministers is going to be held on the first day of Hasina's visit to New Delhi September 8. Several responsible officials said that Bangladesh had proposed a meeting between the two Prime Ministers (Hasina-Modi) on September 8 in the context of the proposed visit of French President Emmanuel Macron a day ahead. The Government of India and Prime Minister Modi's office have agreed to it. Accordingly, the 8th meeting is final. However, the timing of the meeting has not been announced yet. It should be noted that the head of the government of Bangladesh is attending the G-20 summit as a guest at the special invitation of India, the host country. In addition to the top leadership of the G20 alliance of the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, China, Russia, more than 150 high-profile guests are participating in the conference. French President Emmanuel Macron is coming to Bangladesh on September 10 on his way back after attending one of the most exciting events in the history of India. And on the way to join it, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is making a 20-hour stopover in Dhaka on September 7. This will be the first visit to Bangladesh by a Russian foreign minister associated with the history of the birth of Bangladesh. For good reason, the head of the government of Bangladesh has to leave for Delhi after seeing the foreign minister of war ally Russia (September 8). And instead of waiting till the end of the full formalities of the G-20 summit (September 10th), Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has to return to Dhaka quickly (before the guests arrive) to welcome an important guest like the French President. LOS ANGELESSliquid has partnered with Calvista Australia to exclusively distribute its lubricants and intimate products in Australia and New Zealand. Calvista will commence distribution of Sliquid products later this month. Sliquid is an award-winning company specializing in intimate lubricants and personal care products, with a focus on body-safe, vegan-friendly and paraben-free formulations. "We're thrilled to join forces with Calvista," said Dean Elliott, Sliquid founder and CEO. "Their dedication to excellent service and their deep understanding of the Australian pleasure products market make them the perfect partner for our brand. Together, we will continue to scale our international business and brand awareness, and bring Sliquid premium intimate products to even more customers across the continent. "We are excited to partner with Sliquid," said Roger Sheldon-Collins, managing director of Calvista Australia and New Zealand. "The brand aligns perfectly with our commitment to offering the best adult products to our customers. Sliquid's reputation for creating high-quality, body-safe lubricants and personal care items perfectly complements our existing portfolio, enabling us to better serve the diverse needs of our clients across Australia and New Zealand." Retailers interested in stocking Sliquid may contact Calvista at [email protected] or +03 9658 5858. PM Modi at Red Fort on Independence Day this year New Delhi/IBNS: "President of Bharat" instead of the traditional use of "President of India" in an invitation to foreign leaders for a G20 dinner has triggered speculation over whether the Modi government is mulling a change in the country's name officially. A letter from President Droupadi Murmu starts with "The President of Bharat requests..." This is the first time the word "Bharat" is used instead of "India" in an official invitation. "Bharat" has also reportedly been used in a G20 booklet which has been handed over to foreign delegates. The title of the booklet has been kept "Bharat, The Mother of Democracy". Amid the new change in India's projection at the international level, officials argued "Bharat" is also in the Constitution whose Article 1 reads, "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States". The move comes weeks after over 20 opposition parties, who are opposed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), formed a bloc named INDIA or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance eyeing the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The bloc, which is hellbent to oust Modi from power after his two terms, is assumed to keep INDIA as its name to counter the nationalist agenda put forward by BJP at all levels of elections in the country. BJP lauds 'President of Bharat' move in G20 dinner invitation Assam Chief Minister and a BJP leader, Himanta Biswa Sarma, tweeted, "REPUBLIC OF BHARAT - happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL." REPUBLIC OF BHARAT - happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 5, 2023 Slamming Congress for objecting to "Bharat", BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda tweeted, "Why does the Congress have so much objection to every subject related to the honor and pride of the country? Why do political yatras in the name of Bharat Jodo hate the proclamation of Bharat Mata Ki Jai? "It is clear that the Congress has neither respect for the country, nor for the constitution of the country, nor for the constitutional institutions. He just means to praise a particular family. The whole country knows very well the anti-national and anti-constitutional intentions of the Congress." ? ? , Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) September 5, 2023 Opposition reacts to 'President of Bharat' usage at G20 dinner invitation Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted, "So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'. "Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: 'Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States.' But now even this 'Union of States' is under assault." So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 5, 2023 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin tweeted, "After Non-BJP forces united to dethrone the fascist BJP regime and aptly named their alliance #INDIA, now the BJP wants to change 'India' for 'Bharat.' "BJP promised to TRANSFORM India, but all we got is a name change after 9 years! Seems like the BJP is rattled by a single term called India because they recognise the strength of unity within the opposition. During the elections, 'India' will chase BJP out of power!" File photo of PM Modi on his foreign visit/ courtesy: PIB New Delhi/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Indonesia from Wednesday to attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and 18th East Asia Summit. The summit is being hosted by Indonesia as the current chair of ASEAN. It will review the progress of India-ASEAN relations and chart the future direction of cooperation. The theme of this year's summit is ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth. Briefing media in New Delhi on Tuesday, Secretary (East) in Ministry of External Affairs Saurabh Kumar said the 20th ASEAN-India Summit is special since it is the first one after the elevation of India-ASEAN relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership last year. "The Prime Minister will review the progress in ASEAN-India relations and provide them with further direction," he said. Kumar said India's relations with ASEAN are a Central Pillar of Act-East Policy as well as India's vision of the wider Indo-Pacific. He informed that given that the G20 Summit follows shortly it will be a short visit of the Prime Minister. Kumar said, "During the Summit, the Prime Minister and other leaders will discuss ways to further strengthen the East Asia Summit mechanism as well as exchange views on matters of regional and international interests." As per the Ministry of External Affairs, the East Asia Summit would provide an opportunity for Leaders of ASEAN countries and its eight dialogue partners, including India, to exchange views on issues of regional and global significance." Photo Courtesy:Adv.Vineet Jindal X page The Canadian authorities recently withdrew permission for the organizers of the Khalistan Referendum to hold voting at a public school after concerns were raised over promotional materials featuring an AK-47 machine gun. The event was scheduled to be held at the Tamanawis Secondary School in Surrey, British Columbia, on September 10. The Surrey District School Board cancelled the rental agreement due to a violation of their policies, reports Hindustan Times. The referendum sought to establish an independent Sikh state Punjab. India has expressed its displeasure over the use of Canadian territory for the separatist referendum, reported the Indian newspaper. Issuing a release, a spokesperson for the Surrey District School Board said they had cancelled a community rental of one of their schools due to a violation of their rental agreement. Meanwhile, a poster of the event had gone viral where both an AK-47 machine gun as well as a kirpan, alongside the image of the school, could be seen. Despite repeated attempts to address the issue, the event organizers failed to remove these concerning images, and materials continued to be posted throughout Surrey and on social media, the release was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. File photo of Sonia Gandhi with son Rahul/ courtesy: UNI New Delhi/IBNS: Amid the buzz over the change of the country's name from 'India' to 'Bharat', Congress parliamentary leaders have gathered at Sonia Gandhi's house for a meeting, which will be followed by another of the opposition alliance 'INDIA' bloc. The second meeting of the opposition bloc will be held at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's house. The buzz exploded this morning with the news that President Droupadi Murmu's invitation to G20 leaders introduces her as the "President of Bharat" instead of the traditional "President of India". A letter from President Droupadi Murmu starts with "The President of Bharat requests..." This is the first time the word "Bharat" is used instead of "India" in an official invitation. "Bharat" has also reportedly been used in a G20 booklet which has been handed over to foreign delegates. The title of the booklet has been kept "Bharat, The Mother of Democracy". As the same comes ahead of parliament's five-day special session starting September 18 and with no agenda provided for the same by the government, speculations are rife over the rekindled debate on 'India versus Bharat'. Many BJP leaders and celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan, Virender Sehwag and others, have hailed "Bharat" on social media. Opposition reactions: The use of the word 'Bharat' on the president's formal invitation to G20 leaders has triggered protests from the Opposition camp, which called it the government's knee-jerk reaction to the formation of the INDIA bloc ahead of next year's general election. Many leaders declared that the BJP has not received any mandate to change the name of the country. "Will BJP replace 'Bharat' with something else, if INDIA alliance changes its name to Bharat?" Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal questioned. "What happened suddenly that you will change the name of the country?" questioned Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, pointing out that while in Hindi, the term "Bharat ka Samvidhan (Constitution of India)" is used, "the world knows us by the name of India". In image recent meeting of INDIA bloc in Mumbai/courtesy: Facebook Rahul Gandhi New Delhi/IBNS: The Opposition INDIA bloc Tuesday demanded that the Centre should spell out the agenda of the special session of the Parliament and accused it of keeping the country in the dark after two back-to-back meetings following the buzz about the change of the country's name from "India" to "Bharat". "Modi Govt is convening a special session of the Parliament for the first time without spelling out the agenda. No one from any opposition party has been consulted or informed. This is not the way to run a Democracy," Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge posted on X, formerly Twitter. His post came after a Congress internal meeting first at Sonia Gandhi's residence followed by another of INDIA bloc leaders at Kharge's home "Everyday, Modi Govt plants a story in the media of a prospective 'agenda', thereby creating a smokescreen of diversion from real issues burdening the people... The BJP wants to keep key issues like Price Rise, Unemployment, Manipur, China's transgressions, CAG Reports, Scams and Weakening of Institutions etc. aside and cheat our people," Kharge said. Modi Govt is convening a special session of the Parliament for the first time without spelling out the agenda. No one from any opposition party has been consulted or informed. This is not the way to run a Democracy. Everyday, Modi Govt plants a story in the media of a pic.twitter.com/hL8U0UpcCW Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) September 5, 2023 Earlier addressing a press conference, Congress's Gaurav Gogoi said, "BJP itself is not able to tell what is the agenda of the session. The BJP has kept the country in the dark on this. This government is not transparent and responsible towards the country." The buzz exploded this morning with the news that President Droupadi Murmu's invitation to G20 leaders introduces her as the "President of Bharat" instead of the traditional "President of India". A letter from President Droupadi Murmu starts with "The President of Bharat requests..." This is the first time the word "Bharat" is used instead of "India" in an official invitation. "Bharat" has also reportedly been used in a G20 booklet which has been handed over to foreign delegates. The title of the booklet has been kept "Bharat, The Mother of Democracy". As the same comes ahead of parliament's five-day special session starting September 18 and with no agenda provided for the same by the government, speculations are rife over the rekindled debate on 'India versus Bharat'. Many BJP leaders and celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan, Virender Sehwag and others, have hailed "Bharat" on social media. File image of Mamata Banerjee/ courtesy: IBNS Kolkata/IBNS: Amid their ongoing tussle, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday threatened to block funds to state-run universities if they dared follow the orders of Governor CV Ananda Bose. She also warned of a sit-in protest outside Raj Bhavan if he continued to disregard the state government. Addressing a Teacher's Day programme in Kolkata, Banerjee said: Now we have an honourable governor sitting here. The one who says he alone will see college, will see universitysee everything. Have you ever heard of a vice-chancellor being changed in the middle of the night? Ex-IPS, ex-judge has been brought in overnight. He is doing whatever he thinks is his zamindari. I say you are most welcome but remember the state government pays for the funds to run the universities." In a direct warning to state-run universities that dare to follow the rules set by the Governor, Banerjee said: "If any college or university obeys what you are doing, I will stop all funding. He can appoint VC but not pay their salaries. Let us see how the vice-chancellors are paid salaries. I will see how professors, teachers and employees are given salaries. Heres tit for tat. No compromise, Banerjee said during a speech. He is doing nothing. We are passing a bill in the Assembly, he is not giving assent. According to the Constitution, he cannot do thatthese problems should be taken care of. Otherwise, I will sit in dharna in front of Raj Bhavan, she said. The West Bengal government and Governor Bose have been at loggerheads over the latters recent decision to appoint interim vice-chancellors (VCs) in seven universities. Bose, who is also the chancellor of state-run universities, is in the process of appointing interim VCs in nine other universities, media reports said. The move has triggered strong protest from the West Bengal government with Education Minister Bratya Basu slamming the governor for acting in a dictatorial manner", calling the appointments unconstitutional and illegal. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to visit Russia to meet Vladimir Putin. Photo Courtesy: Pixabay North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is planning to visit Russia and meet the country's President Vladimir Putin, media reports said. A U.S. official told CBS News that the North Korean leader will discuss the possibility of his nation supplying weapons to Moscow to support its war against Ukraine. However, the venue of the meeting is still not clear. The possible meeting between the Russian and North Korean leaders comes after the White House said it had new information that arms negotiations between the two countries were 'actively advancing', CBS News reported. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday as quoted by CBS News that Russia's Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, recently travelled to North Korea to "try to convince Pyongyang to send artillery ammunition" to Russia, and after the visit, Putin and Kim exchanged letters "pledging to increase their bilateral cooperation." Meanwhile, the Russian government has declined to comment on Kim Jong Un's possible visit to the country. We have nothing to say on the subject, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday as quoted by CNN. Photo Courtesy: Pixabay At least four people, including two Chinese nationals, were killed when their convoy was attacked in northeast Congo recently, media reports said. The attack reportedly occurred when the convoy was transporting gold. Sammy Badibanga Kalonji, administrator of the Fizi territory where the attack took place, was quoted as saying by Assciated Press that a Congolese soldier, a driver and two Chinese nationals were killed in the armed robbery near the Kimbo river. Kalonji said three people were also hurt in the incident. The wounded were rushed to local hospital for treatment. China is a major investor in the country. Photo Courtesy: Central Tibetan Administration X page A Swedish Partmaient delegation, which is led by MP Margareta Elisabeth Cederfelt, on Monday visited the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and discussed issues related to Tibet with the members in Dharamshala. Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel along with members of the Standing Committee and members of the Rules and Regulation Review Committee had a very productive meeting discussing the issue of Tibet with the Swedish delegation, reported the Central Tibetan Administration website. The delegates were taken on a tour of the Parliament Hall and were briefed on the functioning, composition, and structure of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile by the Speaker. Addressing the meeting, the Speaker introduced each member of the Standing Committee and the Rules and Regulation Committee and their roles in their respective committees, reports the CTA website. Introducing the World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet (WPCT), the Speaker explained the role and objective of the International Network of Parliamentarians on Tibet (INPaT) a platform for international lawmakers to make their contribution toward the resolution of the Sino-Tibetan conflict and thereby urged the MPs to join the platform. MP Margareta Elisabeth Cederfelt on behalf of the delegation thanked the Tibetan parliament for receiving them and gave a brief account of the delegations visit to Dharamshala including their audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, meeting with the Sikyong, and others. The delegation visited Dharmashala to attend the 63rd anniversary of the Tibetan Democracy Day. The delegation also expressed its support for the people of Tibet. Photo Courtesy: Pixabay/Unsplash A Christian priest was shot and injured by an unidentified suspect in Pakistan's Faisalabad region on Sunday. Sources told Dawn News Reverend Father Eleazar Sidhu, who serves at Myong-Sang Naserth church in Jaranwala tehsil, was discharged from the hospital on Monday afternoon with a dressing on his hand. In an FIR lodged under Sections 324 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code, Father Sidhu stated he was leading prayers in the church on Aug 28 when someone wrote objectionable religious slogans against him on the outer wall of the church, which were whitewashed by police on his complaint, reports the newspaper. A few days ago, when he went to drop his son off at school, a few bearded people threatened him, saying, As our written slogans have been deleted from the wall of the church, soon you will also be deleted. The priest said he was shot and injured by a man when he was returning home from the church on Sunday. An investigation into the incident is currently underway. LUCERNE, SwitzerlandPayment processor Vendo Services will host its next Merchant Conference on Thursday, Sept. 7. Vendo Merchant Conferences bring online vendors up to date on the latest regulations and market trends in payment processing, while offering a forum for networking. Held quarterly in a 90-minute format, the conferences feature the insights of both company leaders and invited industry experts. Director of payments and risk Fernando Latorre will kick off the event with an overview of open banking and its potential to reshape the realm of electronic money transfers, using PIX as a case study. Created and managed by Brazils Central Bank, PIX is an instant payment ecosystem linked to over 700 Brazilian financial institutions. Next, Lust Films & Publications CEO Pablo Dobner will share the companys strategy for building an authentic brand, engaging audiences, and standing out in a crowded marketplace. Established in 2004 by Dobner and his wife, Erika Lust, the firm has received numerous awards for its approach to adult moviemaking. Xisca Pericas, director of data science, will then explore how data bites can help vendors forecast revenues, optimize resources, and craft better sales strategies by taking seasonality into account. The conference will wrap up with a session led by Latorre on the Visa Integrity Risk Program (VIRP), MC AI regulation, and other regulatory shifts. Our Merchant Conferences aim to help e-commerce merchants and streaming content providers achieve better business outcomes, while at the same time find community with other vendors, said CEO and president Mitch Platt. Its great to see familiar faces quarter after quarter! For more information, visit vendoservices.com. Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Krishna Janmashtami celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. Notably, Janmashtami is an important Hindu festival, which is celebrated all over India with major celebrations taking place in Mathura and Vrindavan, the two places intricately associated with the birth and youth of Lord Krishna. The festival is also known as Gokulashtami, Shrikrishna Jayanti, and Janmashtami. This year, like Raksha Bandhan, people are confused about whether Krishna Janmashtami is on September 6 or 7. According to Drik Panchang, Krishna Janmashtami falls on two consecutive days. And as the Ashtami Tithi will begin at 15:37 on September 06, 2023, and end at 16:14 on September 07, it will be celebrated on both days. Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones | Freepik Counted amongst one of the important festivals of the Hindus, Janmashtami celebrates the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna. People all over the world celebrate the beautiful festival of Janmashtami is celebrated with great zeal. Fasts are kept, temples are decorated, and offerings of prasad are distributed to honour Lord Krishna on this day. People wish each other on the occasion and wish for their long-term health. As Shri Krishna Janmashtami is just around the corner, you can share Janmashtami wishes with your near and dear ones on Janmashtami 2023. Not only this, you can even wish everyone by sending your family, friends, and colleagues Janmashtami messages and images to seek Lord Krishna's blessings. Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones | Freepik Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Krishna Janmashtami Quotes To Share With Loved Ones Janmashtami festival is celebrated with great devotion and happiness with friends and family, with all its social, religious, and mythological value. Social media has already been flooded with the best Krishna Janmashtami wishes, messages, quotes, images and Janmashtami WhatsApp Status to share with your loved ones. Therefore, here are some Krishna Janmashtami greetings that you can send on WhatsApp on the occasion of Lord Krishna's birthday. ALSO READ: Happy Janmashtami 2023 Wishes: Top 100+ Motivational Quotes, Messages, Images And Janmashtami Whatsapp Status ALSO READ: Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones ALSO READ: Krishna Janmashtami 2023 Special: Best Bhajan And Song To Celebrate Gokulashtami 2023 Best Krishna Janmashtami Wishes in English 1. Wishing you a Janmashtami filled with love, devotion, and the blessings of Lord Krishna. 2. Let the spirit of Janmashtami fill your home with love and laughter. Jai Shri Krishna! 3. May Lord Krishna always shower his blessings on you, and may every year Janmashtami bring lots of happiness for you and your family. Happy Janmashtami. 4. Celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna who enchants with his playful mischiefs. Happy Krishna Janmashtami. 5. Celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna who enchants everyone with his playful mischiefs. Have a happy and blessed Krishna Janmashtami! 6. On this holy occasion of Shri Krishna Janmashtami, I hope and pray that the blessings of Shri Krishna may always be with you. May your heart and home be filled with happiness, peace and prosperity. Happy Janmashtami. 7. May the natkhat nand lal always give you happiness, health and prosperity and may you find peace in Krishna consciousness. Radhe Krishna! Happy Janmashtami. 8. Let there be love, happiness and laughter in your life with Lord Krishna's blessings. Wishing you and your family a very Happy Janmashtami! 9. Celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna, who enchants everyone with his playful mischiefs. Have a happy and blessed Krishna Janmashtami! 10. May Lord Krishna steal all your tensions and worries on this Janmashtami and give you all the love, peace and happiness. Happy Janmashtami to all. 11. May Lord Krishna steal all your tensions and worries on this Janmashtami and give you all the love, peace and happiness. Happy Janmashtami to all. 12. May Murli Manohar continue to shower health and happiness on your family, and may you always remain in his list of favourites. Happy Janmashtami! 13. May this auspicious occasion of Shri Krishna Janmashtami bring a lot of positivity, peace and harmony in your life. Happy Janmashtami to you. 14. May Lord Krishna give you strength and inspire you to face all problems in life with great courage. Happy Krishna Janmashtami! 15. This Shri Krishna Janmashtami, eliminate the Kansa within you, to restore Dharma. May only goodness prevail. Here's wishing a very Happy Shri Krishna Janmashtami to you and your family. Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones | Freepik Happy Krishna Janmashtami Wishes to Loved Ones 1. May you and your family be showered with love, peace and prosperity this Janmashtami. Wishing everyone Happy Janmashtami! 2. May you celebrate this Janmashtami with lots of joy, happiness and enthusiasm. Happy Janmashtami to you and your family! 3. May Lord Krishna always shower happiness, love, prosperity and peace on you and your family. Happy Janmashtami! 4. May Lord Krishna gives you best of health, fulfill all your wishes and bless you with love, happiness and laughter. Wishing you and your family a very happy Janmashtami! 5. On this Janmashtami, may Lord Krishna fill your home with lots of happiness and joy. Happy Janmashtami to you and your loved ones! 6. On this Janmashtami, may Lord Krishna come to your house crawling on his little toes and take away all your worries and sorrows and bless you and your family. Happy Krishna Janmashtami! Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones | Freepik 7. May the flute of Lord Krishna guide your path towards and accomplished and fulfilled life and invite the melody of love into your life. Wishing everyone Happy Janmashtami. 8. May the love and blessings of Krishna are always showered on you. Happy Janmashtami. Radhe Radhe! 9. Happy Krishna Janmashtami to everyone. Let us celebrate this day with high spirits and welcome Kanha into our homes and hearts. 10. Let us make it a memorable Krishna Janmashtami for everyone by celebrating the birthday of Lord Krishna with positivity and goodness. 11. Wishing a very Happy Krishna Janmashtami to you. May Lord Krishna is always there to guide us on the path of Karma. Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones | Freepik Happy Janmashtami Wishes to my love 1. Happy Janmashtami to my love! May Lord Krishna bless our love with eternal happiness and joy. 2. You are my soulmate, my best friend, and the love of my life. I am so lucky to have you. Happy Janmashtami 2023! 3. On this auspicious day, I pray to Lord Krishna to shower you with his love and blessings. May your life be filled with happiness and prosperity. 4. Happy Janmashtami, my love! I love you more than words can say. 5. May Lord Krishna come to your house this Janmashtami and light the lamp of happiness! Happy Janmashtami my love! 6. May the divine love of Lord Krishna fill your heart and bring you closer to me. I love you more than words can say. 7. I can't imagine my life without you. You are my everything. May Lord Krishna bless us with a lifetime of love and happiness. Happy Janmashtami my love! 8. I am so grateful to have you in my life. You are my everything. May Lord Krishna bless us with a long and happy life together. Happy Janmashtami my love! 9. May Lord Krishna bless our love with everlasting happiness. I love you more than anything in the world. 10. Happy Janmashtami, my love! May this day bring you all the joy and happiness that you deserve. Happy Janmashtami 2023 - Bhagavad Gita Quotes On Life And Success #1 Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones #2 Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones #3 Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones #4 Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones #5 Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones #6 Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones Happy Krishna Janmashtami Quotes: Krishna Quotes To Change Your Lifes Perspective 1. "The mind acts like an enemy for those who do not control it." - Lord Krishna 2. "Creation is only the projection into form of that which already exists." - Lord Krishna 3. "There are three gates to self-destruction and hell: Lust, Anger & Greed." - Lord Krishna 4. "Happiness Is A State Of Mind, That Has Nothing To Do With The External World." Lord Krishna 5. "A Man Is Made By His Beliefs. As He Believes. So He Becomes." Lord Krishna Wishing you a Happy Krishna Janmashtami 2023! For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events. Krishna Janmashtami wishes and quotes 2023: Krishna Janmashtami celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. Notably, Janmashtami is an important Hindu festival, which is celebrated all over India with major celebrations taking place in Mathura and Vrindavan, the two places intricately associated with the birth and youth of Lord Krishna. The festival is also known as Gokulashtami, Shrikrishna Jayanti, and Janmashtami. May Lord Krishna Best You Wishes, Quotes For Krishna Janmashtami 2023 In English To Share With Loved Ones | Freepik This year, like Raksha Bandhan, people are confused about whether Krishna Janmashtami is on September 6 or 7. According to Drik Panchang, Krishna Janmashtami falls on two consecutive days. And as the Ashtami Tithi will begin at 15:37 on September 06, 2023, and end at 16:14 on September 07, it will be celebrated on both days. Counted amongst one of the important festivals of the Hindus, Janmashtami celebrates the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna. People all over the world celebrate the beautiful festival of Janmashtami is celebrated with great zeal. Fasts are kept, temples are decorated, and offerings of prasad are distributed to honour Lord Krishna on this day. People wish each other on the occasion and wish for their long-term health. May Lord Krishna Best You Wishes, Quotes For Krishna Janmashtami 2023 In English To Share With Loved Ones | Freepik As Shri Krishna Janmashtami is just around the corner, you can share Janmashtami wishes with your near and dear ones on Janmashtami 2023. Not only this, you can even wish everyone by sending your family, friends, and colleagues Janmashtami messages and images to seek Lord Krishna's blessings. ALSO READ: Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Is Janmashtami on September 6 or 7? Know The Exact Date And Auspicious Time ALSO READ: Happy Janmashtami 2023 Wishes: Top 100+ Motivational Quotes, Messages, Images And Janmashtami Whatsapp Status ALSO READ: Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones ALSO READ: Krishna Janmashtami 2023 Special: Best Bhajan And Song To Celebrate Gokulashtami 2023 May Lord Krishna Bless You Wishes, Quotes For Krishna Janmashtami 2023 In English Janmashtami festival is celebrated with great devotion and happiness with friends and family, with all its social, religious, and mythological value. Social media has already been flooded with the may lord Krishna bless you Janmashtami wishes, messages, quotes, images and Janmashtami WhatsApp Status to share with your loved ones. Therefore, here are some Krishna Janmashtami greetings that you can send on WhatsApp on the occasion of Lord Krishna's birthday. May Lord Krishna Bless you Wishes for Krishna Janmashtami 2023 1. Happy Janmashtami! May Lord Krishna bless you with all the happiness, love, and success in life. Happy Janmashtami! 2. On this auspicious day of Janmashtami, may the divine love of Lord Krishna fill your heart and bring you peace and joy. Happy Janmashtami! 3. May Lord Krishna remove all your sorrows and give you a life full of happiness and prosperity. Happy Janmashtami! 4. May you celebrate this Janmashtami with joy and devotion, and may Lord Krishna shower you with his blessings. Happy Janmashtami 2023! 5. May Lord Krishna give you the strength and wisdom to guide me through life. Jai Shri Krishna! 6. May Lord Krishna bless our marriage with love, happiness, and understanding. Happy Janmashtami! 7. May Lord Krishna fill your life with joy, laughter, and good times. Happy Janmashtami! 8. May you celebrate this Janmashtami with joy and devotion, and may Lord Krishna shower you with his blessings. 9. May lord Krishna always bless you with happiness, love, and peace. Happy Janmashtami to you and your family! 10. May Shri Krishna's blessings bring you good fortune, health and happiness! Jai Shri Krishna! 11. May Lord Krishna steal all your tensions and worries on this Janmashtmi! And give you all the love, peace and happiness! Happy Krishna Janmashtami. 12. May the flute of Lord Krishna welcome the tune of adoration in your life. Wishing you and your family an exceptionally Happy Janmashtami. 13. May this auspicious occasion of Shri Krishna Janmashtami bring a lot of positivity, peace and harmony to your life. Happy Janmashtami to you 14. May Murli Manohar continue to bestow health and prosperity on your family, and may you always find peace. Happy Janmashtami! 15. May Lord Krishna's blessings bring you peace, joy, and prosperity on this auspicious occasion. Wishing you a blessed and happy Janmashtami! May Lord Krishna Best You Wishes, Quotes For Krishna Janmashtami 2023 In English To Share With Loved Ones | Freepik May Lord Krishna Bless you Quotes for Janmashtami 2023 1. May Lord Krishna's divine love and guidance light up your life. Happy Janmashtami! 2. On this Janmashtami, may the melody of Krishna's flute fill your heart with joy and harmony. 3. May Lord Krishna's blessings be with you today and always. Happy Janmashtami! 4. As we celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna, may your life be filled with happiness, peace, and prosperity. Happy Janmashtami 2023! 5. May the blessings of Lord Krishna guide you on the path of righteousness and success. Happy Janmashtami! Radhe Radhe. 6. On this special day, may Lord Krishna's grace shine upon you and your loved ones. Happy Janmashtami! 7. May the divine flute of Krishna play the sweetest tunes in your life. Happy Janmashtami! 8. May Lord Krishna's blessings shower upon you, granting you wisdom and strength. Happy Janmashtami! 9. May the mischievous Lord Krishna steal away all your worries and replace them with joy. 10. May the enchanting smile of Lord Krishna fill your life with happiness and contentment. Happy Janmashtami! 11. Wishing you a Janmashtami filled with devotion, love, and spiritual awakening. Happy Janmashtami 2023! 12. May the blessings of Lord Krishna bring harmony and peace to your home and heart. Happy Janmashtami! 13. On this auspicious day, may you experience the divine presence of Lord Krishna in your life. 14. May the teachings of Lord Krishna inspire you to lead a life of compassion and kindness. Happy Janmashtami! 15. May the blessings of Lord Krishna protect you from all adversities and lead you to success. 16. As we celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna, may your life be filled with love and devotion for Him. 17. May the grace of Lord Krishna fill your life with happiness, love, and prosperity. Happy Janmashtami! 18. On this Janmashtami, may you find inner peace and enlightenment through Lord Krishna's divine blessings. 19. May Lord Krishna steal all your tensions and worries on this Janmashtami and give you all the love, peace and happiness. Happy Janmashtami to all. 20. May Murli Manohar continue to shower health and happiness on your family, and may you always remain on his list of favourites. Happy Janmashtami! Happy Krishna Janmashtami Quotes: Krishna Quotes To Change Your Lifes Perspective 1. "The mind acts like an enemy for those who do not control it." - Lord Krishna 2. "Creation is only the projection into form of that which already exists." - Lord Krishna 3. "There are three gates to self-destruction and hell: Lust, Anger & Greed." - Lord Krishna 4. "Happiness Is A State Of Mind, That Has Nothing To Do With The External World." Lord Krishna 5. "A Man Is Made By His Beliefs. As He Believes. So He Becomes." Lord Krishna Happy Janmashtami 2023 - Bhagavad Gita Quotes On Life And Success #1 Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones #2 Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones #3 Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones #4 Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones #5 Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones #6 Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Best Janmashtami Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Share With Loved Ones Krishna Janmashtami 2023 images #1. Cute Krishna Janmashtami Images | Photo: Canva #2. Cute Krishna Janmashtami Images | Photo: Canva #3. Cute Krishna Janmashtami Images | Photo: Canva #4. Cute Krishna Janmashtami Images | Photo: Canva #5. Cute Krishna Janmashtami Images | Photo: Canva #6. Cute Krishna Janmashtami Images | Photo: Canva #7. Cute Krishna Janmashtami Images | Photo: Canva #8. Cute Krishna Janmashtami Images | Photo: Canva #9. Cute Krishna Janmashtami Images | Photo: Canva #10. Cute Krishna Janmashtami Images | Photo: Canva Wishing you a Happy Krishna Janmashtami 2023! For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Abuja Command, has confirmed that at least 12 persons died in Sundays fatal accident that occurred on the Obajana-Lokoja Expressway, Kogi State. The Corps Public Education Officer, ACM Bisi Kazeem, confirmed the number of casualties in a statement issued in Abuja and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday. Kazeem also stated that six persons sustained various degrees of injuries in the crash that occurred at about 10.30pm. READ ALSO: Sokoto APC Chairmans Son, Friend Die In Ghastly Motor Accident He added that the incident involved a Toyota Hiace Bus with Reg. No. MKA515ZD and a Sono Truck. He said that all 18 passengers in the bus were male adults. He blamed the cause of the crash on speed violation, leading to the loss of control by the drivers of the vehicles. Kazeem quoted the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu, as calling on motorists and other road users to avoid driving against the stipulated speed limit on all roads. Biu said that observing the speed limit would help drastically reduce road crashes. Vice President Kashim Shettima, has cautioned political aides to exercise discretion in their public and private lives, and avoid actions that could tarnish the governments reputation. Shettima disclosed this on Monday at the opening ceremony of the retreat and sensitization programme for political aides on administrative procedure and governance in the public sector, organised by the State House. His words: From today, your words and actions will undergo more intense scrutiny, occasionally even rigorous criticism. Speaking to participants including political aides and senior civil servants on the topic Forging a Path to Responsible Governance: A Call to Political Aides. The responsibility you carry isnt merely about fulfilling your role; it encompasses the aspirations of our entire nation. READ ALSO: Tinubu Not Worried About Tribunal Outcome, Nigerians Gave Him The Mandate Ngelale From this very moment, youre bound by the laws of our land in all matters of official correspondence. These laws outline the consequences for both intentional and unintended mishandling of the information entrusted to your care. Should you falter in this duty, the consequences would ripple far beyond the intricate fabric of governance. They could erode public trust, jeopardize national security and undermine the very integrity of our administration. Understand that your credibility, that of your team, your superiors, and indeed, the entire government, rests in the balance, and history reminds us that very few have emerged unscathed from the aftermath of such ethical lapses. Some patients were reportedly left stranded at the Central Hospital, Warri in Delta state, following the ongoing two-day warning strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Accordig to The Nation, the hospital which used to be a beehive of activities was deserted, as only few persons lagged around on Tuesday morning, September 5. READ ALSO: NLC Shuns FGs Meeting To Avert Warning Strike At the childrens ward of the hospital, parents who brought their kids for treatment looked despaired when they were informed that doctors were not on ground to attend to them. The patients who were on admission had to be discharged and referred to the emergency unit of the hospital or to the Delta State Teaching Hospital, Oghara, where the cases were critical. A mother of four who spoke with The Nation said she was going to visit a private hospital. When approached for inquiries, hospital workers who were on ground said they were complying with the nationwide strike. At about 12 noon, the childrens ward was put under lock and key. The NLC chairman, Comrade Goodluck Ofobruku, via a text message to The Nation in Warri, confirmed that the strike is in full effect across the state. He said: Theres compliance for all sectors in Delta State. Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, says petitioners need not blackmail the judiciary over the verdict of the Presidential Election Tribunal, since there is still opportunity for an appeal at the Supreme Court. Recall on Monday, the tribunal fixed September 6 to deliver judgment on the petitions challenging the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the February 25 election. Falana, who was a guest on Channels Televisions Politics Today, on Monday, asserted there is no election petition that has attracted such attention in the country since colonial rule. We have been having election petitions since the colonial era, but none has attracted such level of blackmail and intimidation of the judiciary. I am worried that people give the impression that everything ends with the judgement of the Court of Appeal, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal. Any party that loses on Wednesday still has the opportunity to appeal to the Supreme Court. So, what is the basis for the cheap blackmail that is going on? the Senior Advocate of Nigeria queried. READ ALSO: FG Considering Concrete Pavements To Last 50 Years For Major Roads Umahi He however blamed the blackmail and intimidation on new voters whom he said have the belief that their candidate must be declared as the winner, saying that it is not what election tribunals are all about. According to him, it is for the justices to look at the evidence adduced by the parties, apply the law and give a decision. As they say, even if the heavens will fall and the heavens wont fall anyway, the judges must not be intimidated, they must give their decision regardless of blackmail or intimidations convinced that they can justify their judgment. That is what is required of them, to examine the evidence, apply the law and deliver a decision. One way or the other, some will lose, some will win; but those who lose in the case and are aggrieved will have another opportunity to approach the Supreme Court and demonstrate how the Court of Appeal has erred, Falana posited. The Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), as well as their presidential candidates, had petitioned the tribunal seeking to nullify the election Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 polls. The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday, upheld the victory of the Labour Party candidate, Jesse Okey-Joe Onuakalusi victory in the February 25 election at the Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency ll in the state. It was gathered that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the LP candidate as the winner of the election after he polled 29,386 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Ganiyu Johnson, who polled 16,650 votes in the exercise. However, Johnson, who represented the constituency from 2019 -2023, challenged the election outcome over alleged fraud. In a unanimous decision, the tribunal dismissed the petition filed by the APC. The three-man panel led by Justice Abass Abdullahi held that the petitioner lacked the legal right to meddle or interfere into the conduct of the primaries of a political party of when he is not a member of an aspirant in the said primaries. The other members of the panel are Justice Okon Okon and Justice Esther Alukwu. Dissatisfied with the results, Johnson instituted the petition against the INEC, who was listed as the first respondent and Onuakalusi and LP who were listed as the 2nd and 3rd respondents in the petition. INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that Johnson had brought his petition on the following grounds: (1) That following the conduct of the primaries of LP on May 28th 2022, one Augustine Chiagozie Matthew emerged as the winner of the primaries. (2) That LP refused/failed to forward the name of the said Augustine Chiagozie Matthew to INEC as its candidate. (3) That the name of said Augustine was not substituted or withdrawn. READ MORE: Lagos Election Tribunal: LPs Rhodes-Vivour Closes Case Against Sanwo-Olu (4) That Jesse Okey-Joe Onuakalusis name is not on the register of members of the LP submitted to INEC as he was not duly sponsored as a candidate by the party. (5) That Onuakalusis personal particulars in Form EC9 was not submitted prior to the conduct of the elections of Feb. 25, 2023. To support his petition, the petitioner called three witnesses and tendered several documents. In its 100-paged-judgment on the petition, the tribunal agreed with the 2nd respondent that the challenge to the primaries that produced the said Augustine Chiagozie Matthew has been put to rest by the decision of the Federal High Court and the Supreme Court and same cannot be revived before the tribunal. On the issue of membership of the second respondent, the Tribunal held that this is both a pre and post election issue. It also held that the Secretary of the Okota ward 3 is in a better position to testify as the issue of membership has long been held to be an internal affair of a party. In his reaction after the judgment, counsel for the petitioner, Habeeb Lawal said his client has a right of appeal within 21 days and may choose to exercise that option. Counsel for Onuakalusi, Okwy Ejezie, said with this judgment, the LP victory in Lagos has been confirmed and the party expects more to come. Nigeria President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday morning, departed Abuja for New Delhi, to attend G-20 leaders summit. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that President Tinubu is expected to share the countrys perspective on the theme, One Earth-One Family-One Future, which speaks to the global unity required to address the challenges facing humanity and the planet. However, with its collective contribution of up to 80% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and housing 60% of the worlds population, the G-20 constitutes a significant economic power bloc of socio-economic opportunity and geo-political stability. While Nigerias membership of the G-20 is desirable, the government has embarked on wide-ranging consultations with a view to ascertaining the benefits and risks of membership. Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, has disclosed that his principal is not worried about possible outcomes of the judgment of the presidential election tribunal. Speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Monday, Ngelale said Tinubu sees no need to threaten judicial officers regarding the election petition. Recall that on Monday, the tribunal fixed September 6 to deliver judgment on the petitions challenging the victory of Tinubu in the February 25 election. The presidential spokesperson said Tinubu is optimistic that the panel would deliver judgment based on the evidence presented. According to him, the President has confidence and faith in the judiciary, adding that Tinubu is sure that his mandate would be affirmed. Unlike some political gladiators in the country, the President sees no need to threaten judicial officers. READ ALSO: Visa Alone No Longer Guarantees Entry Into Our Country UK Govt. Announces New Travel Requirement He sees no need to raise speculations against the integrity of judicial officers. He believes in the sanctity and integrity of the Nigerian judicial system. He believes the great men and women on the panel will make their decisions based only on the facts before them and not based on anything else. As a result of his confidence and faith in the judiciary, he believes that the mandate which Nigerians freely gave to him during the elections would stand. That is the position of the president. He will continue to ensure that no matter what the outcome of the judgment is, he does his part and ensures that our institutions continue to be respected, not just by him, but by all actors. He is not worried because he knows he won the election. We believe that we have presented the best case and the evidence is on our side, he said. The Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have approached the tribunal to challenge Tinubus victory. PATTAYA, ThailandBruce, CEO of Adult Site Broker and host of the popular podcast "Adult Site Broker Talk," will be attending the upcoming adult industry shows Webmaster Access in Cyprusmarking the event's 20th anniversaryand the TES Affiliate Conference in Prague. Bruce will also be conducting live interviews via YouTube for his podcast at the Adult Site Broker booth in Prague, number G36, and in Cyprus, number C13. Stop by and get the chance to talk about your company. Adult Site Broker is currently offering exclusive discounts on both shows. To register for TES, sign up here and use the code 'adultsitebroker20percent' to receive a 20 percent discount. To register for Webmaster Access, click here and use the code ASB_WMA25 to receive a 25 percent discount on your badge. Bruce said, "It's going to be great to go back to Cyprus and Prague after two amazing shows in 2022. I'm excited to reconnect with our colleagues in the adult industry and discuss business. Adult Site Broker helps sellers and buyers in the adult space get together to work out equitable deals. It has an affiliate program, ASB Cash, that pays 20 percent of its broker commission on all referred deals closed. "Adult Site Broker Talk" has a new episode every Wednesday. It features the movers and shakers of the adult industry and has been running for over two years. To make an appointment with Bruce to either buy or sell adult websites, contact him on the Adult Site Broker website. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has expressed his readiness to incorporate technology into the public service administration. According to a statement on Monday by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Tinubu spoke while receiving Andres Arroyo, vice-president of Oracle, a computer technology company, at the State House. The President noted that technology helps to ensure that data from public institutions are accurate and transparent as well as aid accountability. The statement said Tinubus enthusiasm was spurred by a collaboration between the government of Nigeria and Oracle, seeking to reform the countrys civil service and data management sector. Oracles proven success in the automation of the Lagos State payroll system during his tenure as the Governor, he said, would help ensure enhanced ease of doing business and digital innovation. He added that it would also lead to effective identity management, efficient payroll administration, and qualitative citizen-centred service delivery I have tested Oracle and it has worked for our success. In Lagos State, what we did in effective collaboration with you, has been copied across the states of the Federation We can only build our institutions with accurate data and cutting-edge data management capabilities that are reliable and effective. We can only rely upon our human resources for excellent service delivery to Nigerians if they are well-trained and ready to learn. READ ALSO: I Rescued Nigeria From Corruption, Economy Wouldve Collapsed Buhari The transfer of knowledge is essential for our nation and the continent. In this government, we believe that the only way to build our country is a bottom-up approach and from one single sheet of paper, we can create an end-to-end solution for public administration that will rid our service of its worst tendencies in favour of effectiveness and reliability, the statement quoted Tinubu as saying. He further expressed concern about the countrys bloated civil service payroll at the national and sub-national levels, noting that the wage bill consumes a large proportion of the countrys revenue. Each time they give me the payroll number, I get so frightened. Where am I going to get the capital to develop the infrastructure we desperately require if the payroll of 1% 2% of the population is consuming all the revenue? I think we need a tight technological control that can check and balance all necessary control points of our transaction processes. Im looking forward to working with Oracle because I have the belief and confidence that you can do it as you have in the past, he added On his part, Arroyo, Oracles vice president, applauded Tinubu for putting the interest of Nigerians at the forefront of the collaboration. He assured that the partnership would ensure a smoother operation of the countrys affairs while achieving macroeconomic visibility. The United Kingdom (UK) has announced that Visa is not enough for people wishing to enter the country. The UK government on Monday, September 4 announced that Nigerians and other citizens, except British and Irish nationals, wishing to enter the country must apply for Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). The new rule becomes effective from November 15, 2023, and applies to everyone, including children. The new travel rule means that all visa applicants wishing to travel to the UK need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) card before they enter or transit through the country. READ ALSO: Nigerians To Pay More For Visa As UK Announces Hike In Fees, Health Surcharge The UK home office said persons who need the travel permit are those who were previously eligible to visit the UK without a visa and not already legally resident in the UK. Also listed for ETA are those on visits shorter than six months, business people, tourism, and those visiting family and friends. Applicants are required to apply online before booking any travel to the UK. Once granted, it will be valid for multiple journeys over two years or until the passport one is applying with expires. According to the UK Home Office, travellers with valid visas may not be allowed to board without a valid ETA, as the ETA is digitally linked to travellers passports. A statement from the UK office reads: The UK travel requirements are changing. Except for British and Irish citizens, everyone, including children who enter or transit through the UK, will soon require permission before they travel. This means that if you were previously eligible to visit the UK without a visa and not already legally resident in the UK, you will need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), your stay must be shorter than six months and could include tourism or visiting family and friends, transit, business, and short term study. You do not need to show a paper copy, but it may be helpful to prove the confirmation email for your own records while an ETA grants you permission to travel to the UK, it does not grant you entry. So, you would still need to go through passport control at the border to enter the UK. Make sure you show the same passport you used to apply for your ETA and that your passport is valid for the whole of your stay. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), opened up on why it engaged the services of a social media influencer, Adedamola Adewale better known as Adeherself. The EFCC had invited her to sensitize serving corps members on the dangers of cybercrime. Recall that shes standing trial for a N7.9 million fraud case. Adeherself was accused of being a picker in a cyber fraud after she was first arrested by the EFCC in June 2020 during a raid. The antigraft agency subsequently arraigned the social media influencer on a one-count charge of possession of fraudulent documents with intent to defraud. READ ALSO: Alleged N7.9m Fraud: EFCC Re-Arraigns Social Media Influencer, Adeherself In February 2023, the agency amended the charges and re-arraigned her on a three-count charge of conspiracy to obtain money by false pretences, attempt to obtain money by false pretences and retention of proceeds of criminal conduct. However, in recent event, the anti-graft agency said the defendant was now a stakeholder in the anti-graft war and further engaged her to admonish corps members to shun cybercrime. Following the public backlash, the EFCC in a statement on Monday, stated that the fraud charges brought against the Influencer by the Commission had been determined. The anti-graft agency said her presence in the Commission is pursuant to the judgement that ordered the EFCC to tap her talent as an actress in a programme of reformation to dissuade other youths from getting entangled in cybercrimes. The statement read, The EFCC takes notice of the public reaction to the speaking engagement of Adedamola Adewale. (aka Ade Herself) at the NYSC Orientation lecture of August 31, 2023, in Lagos; with many questioning the Commissions wisdom in recruiting a purported fraud suspect to educate the youths against cybercrime. The publics concern is duly acknowledged. Unfortunately, most of the comments bordered on lack of information on the status of the case involving Miss Adewale. It is important to state that the fraud charges brought against the Influencer by the Commission had been determined. Indeed, her presence in the Commission is pursuant to the judgement of the court that ordered the Commission to tap her talent as an actress, skit maker and social media influencer in a programme of reformation to dissuade other youths from getting entangled in cybercrimes. Her engagement with the Commission is part of her non-custodial sentence. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw shown here on the 2400 block of North 18th Street, in a "pinpoint zone." Outlaw announced her resignation Tuesday after three and a half years with the department. Read more Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw will resign later this month to become a deputy security chief at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, ending her three-and-a-half-year run as the first Black woman to lead the citys police force. Her often-tumultuous tenure was marked by a series of unprecedented challenges, including pandemic shutdowns, record levels of gun violence and homicides, mass protests that her department responded to with heavy-handed tactics, and significant staffing shortages amid waves of retirements and resignations. Outlaws last day will be Sept. 22, after which her top deputy, John Stanford, will serve as interim commissioner, Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement. Stanfords two decades in the department included stints overseeing Internal Affairs, leading a West Philadelphia police district, and serving as department spokesperson. Outlaw said her departure was voluntary, but it comes just four months before Kenney is set to leave office and a new mayor is to be sworn in. Such transitions have traditionally been a time of turnover for city police chiefs, and Outlaw acknowledged in an interview that stepping aside now gives whomever the new mayor is the opportunity to select their commissioner. Advertisement She also said she believed the timing was right because gun violence has begun to fall from its record-setting heights. The citys year-to-date homicide tally is 20% lower than last year, police statistics show, although the rate is still higher than almost every other year over the last two decades. Still, Outlaw said she believed the reduction is the result of the departments dedication to driving down crime. Were really beginning to see the fruits of our labor, Outlaw said. We not just me, all of us have really endured some challenging times. During remarks outside an unrelated event Tuesday, Kenney said Outlaw notified him of her decision last week. He said its common for top officials to begin to move on in the waning days of any administration, and he praised her accomplishments, including record numbers of firearm seizures and improvement in the gun violence clearance rate the percentage of investigations considered solved. She did a terrific job [during] unprecedented difficult times of pandemic, of civil unrest, of Donald Trump for four years, he said. Shes done a lot of reform measures that have changed the department, and we wish her well. Still, the Police Department has continued to face challenges and criticism, most recently after an officer fatally shot 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry in his car in Kensington. Police initially provided an inaccurate account of what happened, forcing Outlaw to walk back the details that a department spokesperson had provided the public. She later moved to dismiss Mark Dial, the officer who shot and killed Irizarry, for insubordination for failing to cooperate with the police investigation into the incident. Kenney said the handling of the shooting had nothing to do with the timing of her resignation. READ MORE: Cherelle Parker praises Danielle Outlaw despite Monday morning quarterbacks The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey which controls that regions bridges, tunnels, ports, and airports announced Outlaws hiring on Tuesday, saying she will oversee major security functions including emergency management, cybersecurity, and public safety. The authority declined to release her salary, saying it would not become public until she begins work later this month. In addition to working with state and federal law enforcement, the office is responsible for overseeing the Port Authoritys 1,800-member police force significantly smaller than the Philadelphia Police Departments 6,000-member force. The authority has a nearly $1 billion safety and security budget, larger than the $800 million Philadelphia police budget. Outlaw, who is paid $299,000 a year as police commissioner, acknowledged that at age 46, she has a lot of years left in the workforce, and she said she has interests beyond leading another municipal police force. Theres so many things that I know Im capable of doing, not just in [traditional] law enforcement, Outlaw said. Whats next for the department Outlaws future had become a topic of discussion within law enforcement and political circles in recent months, with speculation about who might replace her. Democratic mayoral nominee Cherelle Parker is heavily favored to be the citys next chief executive, and she had demurred on the campaign trail when asked if shed keep Outlaw. In a statement, Parker praised Outlaw, saying no previous police commissioner has ever dealt with the tornado of black swan events that Commissioner Outlaw was forced to reckon with. Campaign spokesperson Aren Platt said Tuesday that if Parker is elected, this position along with many others will be part of a search looking in Philadelphia and across the country to ensure that we have the best and the brightest helping to lead our city. The police union wants to see an internal hire. John McNesby, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, said Tuesday that while he doesnt expect the union to play a role in selecting the next commissioner, he had a good, friendly meeting with Parker about his vision for the department earlier this year. McNesby who has at times been publicly at odds with Outlaw said morale among the rank-and-file is low amid staffing shortages, but that Stanfords status as a veteran of the department provides a shot in the arm to the street cops. Outside picks dont gel well in this town, McNesby said. With the political atmosphere and the learning curve, it just doesnt work. The future of the departments leadership is sure to become an even hotter topic before the next mayor takes office in January. The citys top cop is one of the most visible officials in the region, and can set priorities for one of the nations largest police forces in a city that has chronically struggled with crime. Charles H. Ramsey, who served as police commissioner from 2008 to 2016, said Tuesday that the citys violent crime rate does not fall solely on the shoulders of the police commissioner. Theres an old saying in policing, he said. The best police chiefs are the last one, and the next one never the person sitting there at the moment. Its just the reality of the situation. A shifting mandate Outlaws career had taken off over the past decade. After rising through the ranks in her hometown of Oakland, Calif., she became chief of police in Portland, Ore., in 2017, and came to Philadelphia less than three years later. She was recruited after a series of scandals within the department, including a lawsuit that effectively led to the resignation of Outlaws predecessor, Richard Ross. He had been accused of retaliating against a former love interest, who also worked in the department. Outlaw and Kenney spoke openly about the need for culture change. When he introduced Outlaw in 2019, Kenney said she had the conviction, courage, and compassion needed to bring long-overdue reform to the department. Weeks after Outlaw was sworn in, in February 2020, her mandate shifted amid mounting crises. First, Cpl. James OConnor IV was fatally shot while serving a warrant in Frankford. Days later, the city shut down due to the pandemic, forcing Outlaw to make unprecedented choices about how officers should engage with residents or confront suspects. Months later, demonstrators spent several days protesting the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Officers tear-gassed residents and protesters, detained journalists, and seemed unsure about how to respond to large and, at times, unruly crowds. Two officers were later criminally charged with assault, and a review commissioned by the Kenney administration said the Police Department was simply not prepared for the situation. The city spent nearly $10 million to settle a host of lawsuits over the departments response to the protests. Paul Hetznecker, a civil rights attorney who represented hundreds of protesters, said Outlaw lost the trust of the public early in her tenure because of the departments response to the unrest. At that time, he said, there were red flags regarding her judgment and credibility. But Hetznecker said a lack of accountability does not fall only on Outlaw. The resignation of the most recent commissioner will not correct the systemic problems that have festered inside the Philadelphia Police Department for decades, he said. Since 2020, police staffing levels have plummeted, leaving the department hundreds of officers short of its target staffing at the same time that gun violence was surging to unprecedented levels. By the end of 2022, nearly 1,600 people had been killed in homicides over the previous three years, and another 5,400 people had been wounded in shootings. The annual pace of gunfire was the highest in at least six decades, and Kenneys administration including the Police Department was frequently criticized as lacking urgency. Amid the spike, Outlaw and District Attorney Larry Krasner publicly disagreed on which crimes they should prioritize, with Outlaw saying in 2021 that there were very key disconnects between police brass and the citys progressive prosecutor. In a statement Tuesday, Krasner wished Outlaw well, but did not offer praise for her work. He said that incidents of gun violence and other violent crime continue to decrease since the pandemic peak and called on the city to invest more in prevention and crime-fighting technology. Looking to the future As for her tenure here, Outlaw said she hasnt had time to reflect on her legacy. She said she was often facing several once-in-a-career episodes at the same time, and that the history books have not yet been written about what we all went through. She acknowledged that it took her longer than anticipated to get her footing in the department because COVID made meetings mostly virtual something she said made it challenging to establish relationships within a large and new organization. Still, she said she believes the framework and foundation for success is here, and that Stanford is more than capable and competent to carry out anything we have in progress. One memory she said will endure is of those who thanked her for stepping into a role that a Black woman had never held. She said she used those sentiments to keep me going. Of her time in Philadelphia, she said: I dont have any regrets whatsoever. Its pushed me, Ive grown in so many ways, and Im excited for the future. Staff writers Sean Collins Walsh and David Gambacorta contributed to this article. Teacher Blair Allen works with students in her Introduction to Theatre class at Camden Prep High School. The school of 350 students (grades 9-12) are in their first full week of classes in the newest built-from-the-ground-up school building in the Uncommon Schools network. Read more With a new school year beginning this week for thousands of New Jersey public school students, some districts have found success recruiting former teachers to return to the classroom others, not so much. In a move to address the teacher shortage, being seen nationally, Gov. Phil Murphy approved a measure earlier this year to allow retirees to come back for as long as two years without jeopardizing their pensions. He signed a similar law for the 2022-23 school year. According to the state, about 121 retired teachers were hired as of August to work in 63 districts in traditional public and charter schools. It was unknown how many vacancies are left, but New Jersey has more than 600 districts. READ MORE: Here's why these Philadelphia teachers decided to quit Thanks, but no thanks Woodbury school superintendent Andrew Bell informally approached a few retired teachers when he ran into them at the grocery store or around town to see whether they were interested in returning. He got the same polite response: Thanks, Im good. Ill stay retired. Those teachers retired for a reason, Bell said. They really loved teaching, but it doesnt mean they want to come back and jump into the fray. Advertisement Bell said his Gloucester County school system hired 25 teachers and filled all but two vacancies for the upcoming school year. The district will use existing staff or substitute teachers to cover classrooms until the vacancies are filled. Making it easier for retirees to return is helpful, but he also wants the state to do more to make the certification process easier for aspiring teachers. A lot of people want to get into teaching, Bell said. The pros and cons After retiring in 2021 from the John F. Kennedy School in West Berlin Township, former third-grade teacher Debbie Wash plans to return as a special education teacher. Wash, who spent 34 years in the classroom, said the challenges of remote learning and her own bout with COVID-19 are what pushed her to leave, but her time away has been nice. She started a tutoring business, taught preschool at a day-care center, and worked as a substitute teacher during her retirement. She wants to return to teaching mainly because of financial considerations. I dont regret retiring, said Wash, 57. Im doing well now. Ive dealt with a lot of long-COVID issues and retiring has really helped to keep them in check. Valerie Clay, a longtime Willingboro kindergarten teacher, said she has no interest in returning full time. After conflicts with previous administrators, she retired last September after 23 years, just shy of qualifying for lifetime medical benefits. When youre serving children that young, being a teacher is almost like a ministry. Its a calling, said Clay, 67. I kept coming in spite of it. Its a thankless job. Clay, twice named Teacher of the Year in her schools, said she would consider working as a volunteer or as a resource for new teachers to help with the shortage. Folks who have taken to retirement are seemingly content with decisions, said Cinnaminson superintendent Stephen Cappello. His district is fully staffed for the new school year. The Camden School District, the first school system in the region to offer a $10,000 signing bonus this year to recruit new teachers, still has 56 teacher openings, mainly in science, math, and special education, said spokesperson Sheena M. Yera. The district had 35 vacancies at this time last year, she said. We are continuing to recruit, Yera said. About 19 new hires are on track to receive the signing bonus, which will be paid out over a three-year period. The district has not hired any retired teachers for this school year, Yera said. But the district recently launched an advertising campaign targeting retirees, she said. READ MORE: Camden schools are offering $10K signing bonus to attract new teachers. This is where we are, says the superintendent. Elsewhere in South Jersey, Deptford schools hired 16 new teachers, all but four replacing retirees, said spokesman Salvatore Randazzo. Every vacancy has been filled, including four new teachers for the districts expanded pre-K program, he said. Deptford is in great shape, Randazzo said. The Burlington Township School District is still seeking to fill 13 positions, said spokesperson Liz Scott. It plans to have teachers cover additional classes or combine sections, she said, Some positions may not be filled until the second semester, which begins at the end of January. Our goal is to try to keep class sizes down, Scott said. Scott said the district hopes to recruit December college graduates for the positions. The district has landed a few certified retirees, she said. Also needed are substitute teachers, nurses, and bus drivers. READ MORE: Amid national teacher shortage, Philly wants to be first in line to hire hundreds of educators for 2023-24 Like other districts, Washington Township schools in Gloucester County would welcome our retirees back with open arms, said Katherine T. Carey, director of assessment, data technology, registration, and school community outreach. Carey said the district has about 10 vacancies for certified teachers and a host of noncertified positions. Retirees are typically more interested in returning as substitutes because they can control their schedules, Carey said. We are definitely struggling to find qualified candidates, particularly in more specialized, certificated positions, Carey said. Pennsylvania State Rep. Morgan Cephas, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes and Superintendent Tony Watlington of Philadelphia School District greet students on the first day of school at Bluford Elementary School in West Philadelphia. Read more Over the schoolyard din, the initial bell rang just before 8:30 Tuesday at Bluford Elementary School, and a group of first graders surged into the West Philadelphia building some with broad smiles, some looking nervous. Across the city, it was the first day of classes, but the new-year jitters were especially heightened at Bluford, which had been run as a charter school for more than a decade but reverted back to Philadelphia School District control this week after the charter encountered operational, financial, and academic challenges. Bluford is projecting an enrollment of 505 students, but when veteran Principal Tangela McClam arrived this summer, only 94 had registered. She and her staff spent Monday at the school preparing for a lot of unknowns. But McClam was ready, with plans to encourage strong attendance and accelerate academic growth, she said. We have to be the team that show that neighborhood public education can work, said McClam. Advertisement Among the phalanx of officials who descended on Bluford on Tuesday was Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr., who started his morning before the sun rose at the districts Passyunk Bus Garage, then shook hands as students filed into Bartram High School for a 7:30 a.m. start. Its such a great day, Watlington said at Bluford. Every year, everyone gets a chance to have a fresh start. Watlington said he was particularly excited about the districts new math curriculum, part of a $70 million outlay on new learning materials. Students in grades K through 12 will be using Illustrative Math, which Watlington said is the best math curriculum anywhere in the United States of America. Though Bluford is air-conditioned and students will learn for a full day, 74 district schools are unair-conditioned or not adequately air-conditioned and will dismiss early because of excessive heat. Those schools will also close early Wednesday; Watlington said he will make the call about any possible schedule changes Thursday and Friday by the night before. That a significant number of schools must close early because they lack air-conditioning rankles Watlington, who came to Philadelphia after decades as a teacher, principal, and administrator in North Carolina schools. In those Southern districts, Watlington said, schools havent had to cope with heat-related closures for two decades. And those werent Rockefeller-rich school districts, said Watlington. I think this is one of the vestiges of historical underfunding. Tuesday was Jim Kenneys last first day of school as mayor; he high-fived students streaming into Bluford and said he was particularly proud of being the chief executive who steered Philadelphias schools back to local control. Our kids are doing better, Kenney said. We have to keep them safer, obviously. As she waited for her kindergartners teacher to collect the students, new Bluford parent Kim Peterson watched her children Marcus, Noah, and Melody eye up the playground equipment. Peterson said she was excited for her children to become immersed in learning, but wasnt quite sure how the logistics would work. She had hoped Marcus, a first grader, and Noah, whos in kindergarten, would be able to attend the same school, but officials told her Marcus had to go to Overbrook Elementary, and Noah to Bluford. (Melody, whos 3, goes to preschool.) The schools start at nearly the same time. Still, Peterson is hopeful that the schedule will work out and is thrilled that Bluford is back to being a district school. It looks really nice, said Peterson. Maybe the education system is better, with more structure. As for the kids? Marcus zipped open his black-and-white backpack and proudly showed off his school supplies a copybook, a ruler, and a package of markers. Im a big kid, Marcus said. I can use these. Also excited for their first day were Lela Hogan, 16, and Oliver Tolbert, 15, the first two students to arrive at Bartram on Tuesday morning, before officials unlocked the front doors and lined the stone steps with balloons to mark the first day of school. Hogan, a junior, and Tolbert, a sophomore, are best friends and involved students they belong to the schools student government, spent their break at school as part of a summer program, and helped out at freshman orientation. Im feeling excited, said Hogan. I want to see my friends, and Im excited for Keystones, Tolbert said, referring to state high school exams all Pennsylvania students must take. I want to get them out of the way. But even as they looked forward to another year, the realities of attending a district school hung over them. Bartram has multiple teacher vacancies. Weve had a chemistry substitute for years, said Tolbert. At the end of last week, 95.3% of teacher jobs were filled, said Watlington, meaning the vacancy list numbers in the hundreds. The district is working to recruit more teachers amid a national educator shortage, the superintendent said. Were shifting around some of our people who have teaching licenses, said Watlington. But we are ready for students. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that freezes an organization's software. Perpetrators demand a payment to release the system. They also threaten to sell stolen data if ransom is not paid. Crozer Health was the victim of such an attack last month. Read more Data breaches like the one that recently led to some canceled appointments and forced doctors and nurses to use paper medical records at Crozer Health in Delaware County get a great deal of attention as they unfold. But the long-term impact of such breaches is hard to pin down. Its virtually impossible to draw a direct line between a specific data breach like the recent one affecting Crozers owner, Prospect Medical Holdings Inc., and a particular case of fraud, according cybersecurity experts. There are other harms directly related to ransomware attacks against health care facilities including patient care being put at risk and even patient deaths but no identity crimes that we are aware of have been tied directly to a ransomware attack against a medical facility or provider, said James E. Lee, chief operating officer of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a San Diego-based nonprofit that tracks security breaches. That doesnt mean anyone whose information was compromised should rest easy, Lee and other experts said. They advised victims to put freezes on their credit files with the three major credit bureaus Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion and to change passwords on their Prospect Medical accounts. Advertisement READ MORE: Crozer Healths computer systems back online after ransomware attack Health-care cyberattacks are increasing So far this year, 438 data breaches involving 74 million records were reported by health-care providers and related businesses as of Aug. 22, according the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. All of last year saw 420 reported incidents involving 38 million records. This years numbers do not yet include the Prospect breach. Federal law allows health systems, including insurers, up to 60 days to notify regulators. Federal law also requires organizations to notify individuals of data breaches within the same timeframe. Those notices must include a description of the breach, an explanation of the types of information involved, and advice on what individuals should do to protect themselves. Prospect, a for-profit health system based in Los Angeles, said in a statement that it is taking appropriate measures: Prospect Medical will provide notifications to individuals whose protected health or personal information is involved, in accordance with applicable laws. Because our investigation is ongoing, we do not have additional information to share at this time. The Aug. 3 ransomware attack on Prospect Medical knocked Crozers computer systems offline, forcing caregivers to use paper records and delaying the issuance of referrals for specialty care. Some critical-care programs had to divert patients to other hospitals for short periods of time. Three weeks after the attack, after Prospect had brought its systems back online, a group called Rhysida posted for sale what it claimed were 500,000 medical and other records from Prospect Medical, according to Brett Callow, a threat analyst at Emsisoft, a cybersecurity software company based in New Zealand. We are aware that Prospect Medical data was taken by unauthorized actors, the nature of which is being actively examined, Prospect said in its statement. The value of medical records to cybercriminals Medical records are particularly valuable to criminals because they contain individuals ages, addresses, and social security numbers, information security expert Alex Hamerstone said. That information can be used to open fraudulent bank accounts, he said. Hamerstone, advisory solutions director for TrustedSec, a cybersecurity consulting firm in Fairlawn, Ohio, said people often ask him what they can do to protect their medical records. Well, you cant, he tells them. Theyre not under your mattress. You cant put them in a safe. Theyre at a hospital somewhere in some kind of electronic records management system. Youre not going to be in an ambulance and ask to be diverted to a place with better data security. Robert DOvidio, a Drexel University cybersecurity expert, pointed to risks that are specific to health-care providers. Flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, and health reimbursement accounts could be integrated with other health records, increasing the risk for theft, said DOvidio, an associate professor in the Department of Criminology and Justice Studies. Those account numbers and passwords should be changed after a breach, he said. Once compromised payment accounts have been shut down, people want to monitor statements for the next month or two to make sure they have not been used in the period between the breach and when you actually shut the account down, he said. The University of Pennsylvania appointed its first systemwide medical director for LGBTQ health. Read more Penn Medicine appointed its first medical director of LGBTQ health. Kevin Kline, a family medicine physician, moved into the new role this summer. Kline has been at Penn since 2015. In addition to treating his own patients, he has served as the director of LGBTQ health in the department of family medicine and community health. Kline said the need for a systemwide LGBTQ health leader became evident last summer as mpox, the virus formerly known as monkeypox, infected a growing number of men who have sex with men. Penn launched a vaccination campaign, but it wasnt clear who should be responsible for the effort. (The effort was still effective, Klein said.) In his new role, Kline is prepared to take the lead if another crisis like mpox arises. He also wants Penn to provide a consistently high level of care to all LGBTQ patients. Advertisement We can actually have more of a clinical vision for Penn Medicine of what this care can and should look like, he said. The Inquirer spoke to Kline about why a health system needs a director of LGBTQ health, what he hopes to achieve in his new role, and his concerns about politicization of care. Affirming across the board in care Historically, most hospitals have approached LGBTQ health by opening a dedicated center or clinic for this population of patients, Kline said. Penn is joining a growing number of hospitals moving away from this model. The shift recognizes LGBTQ health as part of overall health care, and not a siloed field or location. The goal would be that [patients] go anywhere in the health system and get the same quality of care, he said. Part of Klines job is ensuring that physicians and other medical staffers are aware of all the resources available for LGBTQ patients, including within the Penn system. That ranges from medications to reduce the risk of HIV infection, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP, to hormone management. READ MORE: Philly hospitals lack formalized training for providers who designate as LGBTQ-affirming Kline also wants to create a clear understanding of what it means when medical providers call themselves LGBTQ-affirming. Many physicians and clinics advertise themselves as affirming, but an Inquirer survey of area hospitals found little in terms of formal training or qualification to back the designation. One of our short-term goals is to have actual standards for our providers to say that theyre LGBTQ+ affirming, Kline said. Through a pilot launching this month, Penn will review whether selected providers meet the health systems new qualifications for being deemed an LGBTQ-affirming provider. These criteria include determining whether they have formal education in LGBTQ health, have attended conferences or continuing education related to the field, or have historically cared for this population. The goal is to have a vetted list of LGBTQ-affirming providers at Penn, which Kline hopes will grow over time. Not backing down LGBTQ health has been thrust into politics in recent years, and many Republican-controlled states restricted health care for transgender youths. Kline sees it as a push to undo progress made over the years in LGBTQ-affirming health care. He noted that he did have some worries about becoming the face of LGBTQ health in a large health system at a time when youth gender clinics, including in Philadelphia, have been the target of violent threats. Before taking the position, Kline thought about how it might impact his life and his family. He expects some homophobic and hateful comments. But he also sees a large health system like Penn supporting his efforts and patients. This is work to treat patients that historically have not been able to access care, Kline said. It has to be done. The annual Delaware River Festival is being held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday Sept. 9 at Penns Landing in Philadelphia and Wiggins Park in Camden. The event is free. Read more The annual Delaware River Festival takes place Saturday at Penns Landing in Philadelphia and Wiggins Park in Camden with ferry rides, museum visits, pedal boats, a scavenger hunt, and more. The free event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. is designed to promote awareness of the river. It is rain or shine. In addition, participants can sign up in advance for the Loop the Delaware bicycle ride organized by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. The ride will highlight the Delaware River Trails K&T Trail, the Port Richmond Connector Trail, and Penn Treaty Park in Philadelphia, as well as the Cramer Hill Waterfront Park and Coopers Poynt Waterfront Park in Camden County. It begins 9 a.m. and arrives at Penns Landing around 2 p.m. Advertisement The festival began in 2018 when separate festivals on either side of the river merged into one. Crowds grew to 4,000, according to Chesa Blom, the events coordinator. But the pandemic struck in 2020 and virtual festivals were held. Last year marked the return of the live event with about 3,000 in attendance. Organizers are hoping to grow the event. The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Independence Seaport Museum, and Philadelphia Water Department host the Philadelphia side, while the Center for Aquatic Sciences hosts the Camden side. We all work together to make sure that we have similar events, Blom said. Trips between the two waterfronts will be free via the RiverLink Ferry. Entrance to the Independence Seaport Museum building will also be free, but there are fees to view special exhibits. About 40 local environmental groups are taking part with activities, such as face painting and henna tattoos. Blom said the goal is to educate people about recreation and conservation of the river and other waterways in the Delaware River Watershed. The Delaware River Festival is about better connecting people with the riverfront, Blom said. People will really be able to see the value the importance of our waterways. Swimmers Mason Beck, of Cleveland, Ohio, (left) and Stephen Rouch, of Kingston, Pa., lead the start of the 15k event in the Schuylkill during French Creek Racing's Charles Bender Memorial Swim. Read more On a recent morning, the Schuylkill looked like some mythical forest pond: Mist rose above a patch of water near Norristown as a group of swimmers bobbed in colorful caps, preparing to race. Despite what their neighbors and friends and colleagues say about the river, these swimmers immerse themselves anyway often, and for long amounts of time. They use words like delightful, lovely, really clean, and quite nice to describe the water. Sure, they know about the Schuylkills stubbornly persistent PR problem but they also know about the otters that play on the banks, and how you can see clamshells on the river bottom if you open your eyes underwater. Most people have this mentality that the Schuylkill is dirty and its disgusting and I dont ever want to go there. Believe it or not, that is left over from our grandparents generation, said John Kenny, the founder of French Creek Racing, an open-water training company that hosted the recent Charles Bender Memorial Swim near Norristown. Participants in the most challenging category gathered at dawn for a 15k, three-hour-plus loop through the river. A phalanx of red and purple kayaks, stocked with electrolyte water and high-calorie goo, trailed them. Advertisement All of the races attendees were enthusiastic Schuylkill ambassadors. This is the cleanest body of water that Ive swam in the area, said Rayna Kratchman, a 32-year-old from Roxborough, as she readied her kayak for the eight-mile relay swim. She described the Atlantic City bay as horrendous. The Atlantic City bay tastes like fuel and sewage and vomit, agreed John Shoen, 46, preparing to swim a 10k. About a century ago, the Schuylkill was dirty and disgusting the result of Pennsylvania coal companies dumping millions of tons of coal waste into the water. The river was a running sewer, prone to overflowing with thick black water, said James Watters, a local environmental advocate assisting with the French Creek race. The river was described in 1930 by a deep-sea diver as the dirtiest in the country, according to the Delaware Riverkeeper Network. The federal Clean Water Act of the 1970s required government and industry to clean up the water, and the Schuylkill has since become much cleaner. Philadelphians, though, havent caught up: A 2022 study found that while the river is safe for recreation, including swimming during organized events, a majority of people surveyed still believe it is too dirty to go in or near. Outside of organized events, swimming in the Schuylkill in the Philly city limits is not allowed, because of strong currents, underwater debris, and the possibility of harmful bacteria, a Philadelphia Parks & Recreation spokesperson said. Some do it anyway, believing the joy outweighs the risks. I swim in the dark at 11 its magical, said JJ Tiziou, a West Philadelphia massage therapist. Tiziou started swimming in the Schuylkill in 2017 in Conshohocken and has since found a closer spot to jump in. He acknowledged that while he may have a slightly different risk tolerance than others, the spaciousness, the peacefulness, and the absolute beauty of swimming in the city cant be beat. (He is also a strong swimmer, able to handle the currents.) In general I want to be a person who complies with the law, Tiziou said. But I also know that the river has been there for thousands of years and people have used it in all sorts of ways. He pointed to city-managed open-water swimming in places like Paris and Austin, Texas, as models of what Philadelphia could do. While declining to reveal his exact entrance, he said he swims between the Flat Rock dam in Manayunk and the Fairmount dam on Boathouse Row, an area covered by Philly RiverCast, a public water quality monitor maintained by the Philadelphia Water Department. Tiziou avoids the river after heavy rains, when untreated wastewater and stormwater can pollute it. Kenny of French Creek said he would love to host a race in the Philly city limits, but bureaucratic red tape and expensive permits have driven him to the suburban parts of the Schuylkill. His swimmers are happy there. After the race, some floated and stretched in the water, pushing up their goggles and checking their Apple watches. Judy Caves, 63, recently swam 18 miles in a Pittsburgh race, a feat that took her 11 hours. Caves had traveled to Philadelphia for the French Creek race. The Schuylkill, she said, was far cleaner than Pittsburghs muddy waters. It feels like I could drink this water, Caves said. At the beginning of the month, 25-year-old Ian Mata allegedly broke into the home of Ryan Stevens, less than 24 hours after he had been arrested for breaking into another house on the same street. The event set the local attorney on a path to improving communication between police, judges, and victims in the immediate aftermath of a crime. Stevens learned his neighbor had been the victim of a home invasion on the night of Aug. 1 just before the same individual was arrested for breaking into his home. After 11 p.m. that night, Stevens neighbor says she saw a man pointing a flashlight into her home, appearing to track her movements, before coming inside. She was home alone at the time. Barricading herself in a bathroom, she called 911 to report the break-in and responding officers took the suspect into custody. They assured me, no problem, hes been arrested, youre safe, were going to monitor the neighborhood, she told the Arizona Daily Sun. The suspect was booked in the Coconino County jail that night, but Mata was released the next morning -- much to the alleged victims surprise. It was a gut punch. He literally was in my house last night; had he been a violent criminal, thinking that he could have come back to my house and harassed me, it was not a great feeling at all, she said. It was very disheartening to feel like the system failed me in that regard. By law, once a suspect is taken into custody, they have the right to appear before a judge within 24 hours of their arrest. During that first hearing, called an initial appearance, the judge assesses how much of a threat the person might be to their own safety or the safety of the community. The court can also issue a no-contact order or officially prohibit the suspect from revisiting the scene of an alleged crime or contacting an alleged victim. During an initial appearance, the judge can hear from victims and use preliminary information provided by police. In order for a victim to speak to the judge during a first appearance, they have to know about the proceeding. Stevens neighbor said she didnt. She wasnt in court to tell her story, and Stevens has a hunch that shes not the first victim to miss their chance to speak at an initial appearance. When police respond to a crime and make an arrest, they offer potential victims the opportunity to invoke their rights. Officers give out a form that lists the contact information for local law enforcement, courts and advocates with Victim Witness Services. There is a box on the form where officers can indicate the name of any suspects, and what date, time and court they are set to appear in. Often, that box isnt completely filled out. Because everyone who was arrested in a 24-hour period has to appear before a judge in as many hours, there are typically periods of time blocked out on court dockets for initial appearances. Depending on the nature of the crime, the initial appearance will take place at a different time or place. This gets complicated because thats for felonies, and that would go through the justice court. If its a misdemeanor within the city limits, it goes to the Flagstaff Municipal Court. So already you have a victim unfamiliar with the justice system and there are two separate courthouses and she doesnt even know which one this person will be seen at, let alone what time, Stevens said. This is information Flag PD can hand to victims. Nicole would have been empowered to contact Victim Witness and show up at the court and be heard. Stevens emphasized there was no wrongdoing or negligence on the part of police; however, updated training could help officers to understand why offering clear and specific information about court appearances might be helpful to victims. From [my neighbors] perspective, that one opportunity to educate her about what could happen in 12 hours, meaning the person who broke into her house could be considered for release, the only real opportunity that she would have had realistically would have been for the police officers to give her that information, Stevens said. They gave her her victims rights sheet, which is good. We want them doing that, thats a positive. Police also offer victims contact information for Victim Witness Services, where an advocate can walk them through the pending legal process and provide them with support and mental health resources. When a victim calls Victim Witness, they can choose to connect with a crisis advocate at any hour of the day, or they can leave a voicemail to receive a reply during regular business hours. In theory, a Victim Witness advocate could help someone to understand how, when and where an initial appearance is set to proceed in their case. Theyre the ones who can help a layperson, without legal expertise, access the help they need to make sure their voice is heard. I think it's important for people to know that Victim Witness Services is always operating. Also this office, the prosecutor side of this office, we operate 24/7 as well. If we get a call from a police officer saying, 'hey, this person was arrested who may be a danger to the community. Will you go to that hearing and make sure that the judge understands the context of the case?' We will always send someone over to that hearing, Chief Deputy County Attorney Ammon Barker said. A prosecutor will be at that hearing, but we dont often know about some of these cases until someone calls us. Stevens pointed out that it might not occur to a victim to call Victim Witness Services in the immediate aftermath of a crime or trauma. A victim might not be ready to make a phone call, but be willing to sit with information about a first appearance and have the option of attending if theyre ready. He also said there are a limited number of advocates available to support victims in the region. We cant expect Victim Advocates to respond to every single arrest with a victim involved. Its just not realistic, Stevens said. The county has a number of resources designed to bolster victims. Stevens said hed like to see those resources more clearly communicated. I think Ryans point is a good one. Oftentimes, they dont know what those next steps look like until they talk to a prosecutor or talk to a victim advocate. Im very interested in making sure that process runs more smoothly, Barker said. In the past two weeks, Stevens connected with Barker to figure out how to bridge gaps between victims, police, and the court system to improve community education and safety focusing on initial appearances. I wish I had known about the initial hearing. I certainly would have been there, but there cant be an expectation on a victim less than 12 hours later thats been traumatized to navigate the system, Stevens' neighbor said. After his home was broken into, Stevens helped his neighbor understand that she could speak to the judge, and tell her story. She did. It was very empowering. I felt like there was information missing behind the scenes. I felt grateful that I had the opportunity to fill in any gaps. I dont know the legal system well. I would imagine that had the judge had proper information about what actually took place that night, it would have made a difference. He apologized to me, he regretted his decision, which also made me feel heard and appreciated through the experience." she said. Stevens said there are more gaps in the system, gaps in information the judge has to improve public safety. On the other side of things, the judicial officer is receiving information from the police, but in this case they didnt even have the victims name. What I heard is in the probable cause statements that police are encouraged to do very brief summaries so that the judge has a small flavor of what happened, but theyre not limited to doing that, so they can provide much more detail. Had they provided her full version of what happened, I think that would have influenced the judicial officer in this case, he said. A judge can impose a no-contact order, which legally prohibits the suspect from contacting or approaching the victim after they are released. Because of a lack of information, when Mata was released the first time in August, a no-contact order was not filed. You have a trauma, and then a person who was released who is not even legally precluded from going back to her house. He cant go inside, thats a crime, but there was no no-contact order with the victim and there was nothing saying do not go back to that street or neighborhood, Stevens said. He was legally allowed to walk by her house hours after being released from jail. Of course, he did, and then he broke into my house. All that being said, she went through the trauma, not me. She did not need to look out the window and see the man who traumatized her back. Stevens said improving the breadth of information a judge has access to prior to initial appearances is one of his goals. Imagine if a judge knew about the suspects history. The judicial officer would be able to make the decision that the statute requires. Without that information, its not the judges fault. The judge cant make findings or statutory findings when no information is provided to help them, he said. By no means, Stevens said, does he think release conditions alone should be more stringent. Instead, he wants judicial officers to have more tools to make release decisions. The rules of criminal procedure very much urge, if not require, people to be released from custody. This is not an effort to say that everybody who gets arrested should be held on a bond. One, I dont believe that, and two, the rules dont say that. In fact, the rules say they shall be released unless the judicial officer makes certain findings indicating theres a risk to the victim or public that would warrant a bond. In a case like this, the judicial officer didnt have the information to make that call. As long as the information is there, the rules can be followed and thats what were looking to do, he said. In pursuit of filling in informational gaps, Stevens wrote a proposal and reached out to Barker, who was glad to come to the table and discuss ways to improve the system This is an opportunity for police to educate victims. The victim can correspond and communicate with the judge. Its also on the back end, an opportunity for police to communicate with and educate the judge with a better probable cause statement with more detail, definitely the victims name, and that there are no-contact orders being requested, if known[that a] person has prior felonies, has committed this same offense before, has went to prison, and was revoked from probation. All of that information would have influenced the judge a great deal in this case, Stevens said. Those gaps can be bridged through collaboration. Barker told the Arizona Daily Sun that hes willing to collaborate. Our office is interested in anything that we can do to improve the process for victims of crimes. We work with Victim Witness Services routinely on cases to make sure victims are heard and that they understand their rights in Arizona. Victims have constitutional rights. One of those is conferring with a prosecutor, being at court appearances, and being heard at court appearances. Anything that has to do with improving the process for victims this office is interested in, Barker said. Stevens said hed like input from law enforcement agencies and the court system to improve initial appearances. The court system is going to be instrumentalI would like to know from them, what do they want in probable cause statements? Are they too short? Are they enough information? Can there be a criminal history print out thats done faster, so that they have a sense of who the person is and what their recent criminal history looks like?" he said. Stevens said when he heard his neighbors story, he was inspired to take action, not because anyone failed to do their job or due diligence, but because the system in his view has blind spots. I think there is room to make things better. This isnt about criticizing these officers or the judge in this case as much as using this case to inspire some positive change, Stevens said. The memorial to the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS is located in a Ukrainian Catholic cemetery next to an elementary school in Elkins Park. Read more A national Jewish advocacy organization is calling for the removal of a monument to Nazi collaborators in Montgomery County, just outside of Philadelphia, that until recently went largely unnoticed for decades. The large stone cross, which was the subject of an Inquirer article published Sunday, was erected about 30 years ago at St. Marys Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery in Elkins Park in honor of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the Schutzstaffel the Nazi military branch often referred to simply as the SS. The unit, known also as the 1st Galician or SS Galizien, was formed in 1943. It was composed of volunteers and conscripts from Nazi-occupied Ukraine who fought for Germany during World War II. Some in the Ukrainian diaspora view those soldiers not as Nazi collaborators but freedom fighters who wanted to establish Ukrainian independence by battling the Soviet Union. Jewish groups and many historians dont see it that way. Advertisement READ MORE: For 30 years, a memorial to Nazi collaborators sat largely unnoticed just outside Philadelphia. Now its drawing outrage. In a statement Tuesday, the American Jewish Committee called for the monument to be removed. We trust our Ukrainian friends and colleagues recognize that this cannot remain, the statement said. We urge them to act in the same spirit that motivated Ukrainian President Zelensky to correct these historical myths at home and remove this memorial stone from our community. Zelensky, who is Jewish, has condemned marchers who similarly celebrated the unit during a 2021 parade in Kyiv. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League both said last week that they had only recently learned of the monument, which is located next to an elementary school and in a community that is also home to several synagogues. It had received little publicity until this year. In May, a Ukrainian politician visited the cemetery to pose in front of the cross, which features the lion and crowns insignia of SS Galizien. It gained some traction on Twitter. Last week, the Forward, a Jewish newspaper that has been tracking monuments to Nazi collaborators around the world, wrote an article about it. Records from a Ukrainian veterans association, apparently now defunct, show that a group of Ukrainian veterans initially sought to create the burial grove, which contains about 50 gravestones for SS Galizien veterans and their spouses. The cemetery is owned by the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, near Northern Liberties, which functions as the primary church for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. The same veterans association records state the church approved the memorial, donated land for its creation and dispatched clergy to consecrate the monument in the early 1990s. Church officials disputed that. A spokesperson for the archeparchy, Mariana Karapinka, declined to comment on the monument last week. She said cemetery monuments are not subject to the approval of the archeparchy, but did not have any information on what group paid for it. She instead sent a document for historical context which said the actions and legacy of SS Galizien continue to be debated by historians. [T]he morality of fighting in a unit organized by the criminal Nazi state even if intended by those who joined to fend off the criminal Stalinist state continues to be a topic for reflection, the document states. Those who erected the monument saw those who joined the unit as fighting in the interest of Ukraine. That explanation is not uncommon among some Ukrainians living in North America. Thousands of SS Galizien veterans are buried across the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, some near similar memorials. Just a few blocks away from St. Marys cemetery, the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center has a memorial wall bearing the units insignia, and framed photos of prominent members. The UECC last week referred questions back to the church. They were greatly opposed to Russians and Communists they thought they could get their independence restored by being on the German side, Edward Zetick, the local post commander of the Ukrainian American Veterans, said last week. But historians consulted by The Inquirer warned against whitewashing the atrocities of the Nazi regime and its collaborators. The claim that Waffen-SS soldiers fought for freedom of Ukraine is a revisionist claim, as these people stood under the command of Heinrich Himmler and took a personal oath to Adolf Hitler, said Per Anders Rudling, a professor at Lund University in Sweden. I think that perhaps it should be up to the units admirers to clarify their concept of freedom, he added. Marcia Bronstein, regional director of AJC Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey, said her group would reach out to local Ukrainian groups in response to news of the monument. You cant erase atrocities against Jews and other minorities, Bronstein said Tuesday. We have to have a reckoning about history so people understand what happened. Its not appropriate to try to cover it up. Hugh Douglas (left), the son of former Eagles star Hugh Douglas, and Christion Files Jr. were killed in a car crash Monday evening. Read more Hugh Douglas, the son of 94.1 WIP host and former Eagles defender Hugh Douglas, was one of two Morehouse College students killed in a car crash Monday evening, the school announced. According to a preliminary report from the Georgia State Patrol, the crash happened shortly after 5 p.m. in East Point in suburban Atlanta. Douglas and Christion Files Jr., a fellow Morehouse College student, were traveling fast in a car while passing another vehicle, police said. Their car left the roadway, struck two utility poles, and overturned. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Douglas and Files Jr. were friends and roommates. Both were 20 and set to graduate in 2025. READ MORE: Myself and Mississippi: Before the Eagles A.J. Brown went ba-boom in the NFL, his light flickered in Starkville Advertisement Douglas was described by the school as an exceptional student who displayed immense dedication and promise as he pursued a business degree with a concentration in finance. Douglas was a member of the Morehouse Business Association, an AltFinance Fellow, and a Goldman Sachs Fellow. He interned at Ares Management Corporation in Los Angeles over the summer, the school said. Files, also a business major, was co-captain of the Morehouse track and field team and media chair for the Junior Class Council, according to the school. He was also known for his photography and videography skills. READ MORE: Cam Jurgens cattle farm and athletic beginnings in Nebraska prepared him for a new role with the Eagles Hugh and Christion were not just friends but also roommates during their sophomore year, and their loss is deeply felt by all of us in the Morehouse family, Kevin Booker, vice president for student services and dean of the college, said in a statement. During these difficult times, we must come together as a community to remember and celebrate the lives of Hugh and Christion. They leave a legacy of excellence, passion, and dedication that will continue to inspire us all. Douglas mourned his son on social media Monday evening, writing in one post, You were already a better man than me. Joe Giglio opened Tuesdays midday show on WIP by expressing sympathy and heartbreak for his cohost. Every time I spoke to Hugh about his kids, he spoke so glowingly about Hugh, Giglio said. When I heard it, it hit me in so many ways. Im sad for Hugh, As a parent, its the worst thing you can hear. We deal with words, and there are no words, said Al Morganti, who filled in for Douglas on Tuesday. When you deal with the public like we do here, its like an enormous family thats grieving with him. Its little comfort at this point, but he has to know that theres just so many people feeling the pain that he feels. WIP expressed its condolences to Douglas and his family, writing on social media, Our hearts are heavy for Hugh and his family. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni opened his press conference Tuesday by offering prayers for Douglas and his family. Were really thinking about them a lot Hugh and his ex-wife, Simona. We just want to give our sympathies, Sirianni told reporters. Its tragic, very tragic. And Im told the young man was an unbelievable kid. Douglas, who joined the Eagles Hall of Fame last year, spent six of his 10 NFL seasons with the Birds. After retiring, Douglas transitioned to a media career that took him to ESPN, and an early exit in 2013 led him to Atlanta radio as a sports talker on 92.9 The Game, where he eventually cohosted the stations morning show. He joined WIP as the cohost of its midday show in February following the Super Bowl. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk to board Air Force One for departure at Gainesville Regional Airport after surveying damage caused by Hurricane Idalia, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Gainesville, Fla. Read more First lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 Monday but is experiencing only mild symptoms, her spokeswoman said. President Joe Biden was tested for the virus following his wife's positive test, but his results were negative. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president would continue testing regularly and would be monitored for symptoms. The first lady had traveled with her husband to Florida on Saturday to inspect the damage from Hurricane Idalia. President Biden then spent part of the Labor Day weekend at the Delaware beach house before traveling Monday to a union event in Philadelphia and then back to the White House. Jill Biden will remain at the couple's home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, for the time being, communications director Elizabeth Alexander said. The first lady had planned to start the new school year Tuesday at Northern Virginia Community College, where she teaches English and writing. Due to her condition, she was working with school officials to arrange substitute teachers for her classes, Alexander said. The Bidens both contracted COVID previously, last summer. Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, front center, and Deputy Commissioner John Stanford, front right, along with other top department officials, before the viewing and funeral service for Philadelphia Police Officer Lynneice Hill at the Mount Airy Church of God in Christ on July 26. Read more On Tuesday, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw announced she will resign later this month to become a deputy security chief at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, ending her more than three-year run as the citys top cop. Her last day will be Sept. 22, after which her top deputy, John Stanford, will serve as interim commissioner, Mayor Jim Kenney said. Stanford did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Who is John Stanford? Stanford is the first deputy police commissioner, the Philadelphia Police Departments second-in-command. He is a two-decade veteran of the department and has overseen Internal Affairs, led a West Philadelphia district, and served as a department spokesperson. What is John Stanfords background? Stanford started his 22-year career in law enforcement with a stint as a county probation/parole officer in the First Judicial district. He joined the Philadelphia Police Department in 2002, where he worked his way up the ranks. He previously served as inspector and was the commanding officer of the departments Internal Affairs Division. Advertisement Before he was promoted to inspector in December 2019, Stanford was the commanding officer of the 19th Police District. He was previously the commander of the departments public affairs unit, serving as a department spokesperson. He also worked in the 12th, 18th, and 22nd Districts, and South Detective Division. He has a bachelors degree in criminal justice and a minor in business from Pennsylvania State University. He is also a graduate of Northwestern University Center for Public Safety, School of Police Staff and Command and has a masters degree in organizational development and leadership from Saint Josephs University. Outlaw appointed Stanford as first deputy police commissioner last fall. The position had been vacant since former Deputy Commissioner Melvin Singleton retired amid health problems in January 2021. How long will John Stanford serve as interim Philadelphia police commissioner? It is unclear how long Stanford will hold the interim post. It will be up to the next mayor to decide whether to keep him as interim commissioner, offer him the top job, or to search for a candidate for the permanent role. What happens next? The appointment of a permanent police commissioner is one of the most important personnel choices Philadelphias next mayor will have to make. Democratic mayoral nominee Cherelle Parker, who is heavily favored to win the race in a city where Democrats outnumber Republican voters more than 7-1, praised Outlaw and her tenure Tuesday. But Parker has been reticent on the campaign trail when asked if shed keep Outlaw. John McNesby, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, said Tuesday he looked forward to working with Stanford, continuing the open dialogue we have with him. The police union wants to see an internal hire for the commissioner, said McNesby. Hes a good guy, McNesby said of Stanford. Im sure hes going to be stepping into that role and flourishing. Mrs. Johnson "was a very classy and elegant young lady who loved to shop," her family said. Read more Beatrice Bethel Johnson, 96, formerly of Philadelphia, the first Black librarian in the School District of Philadelphia, retired teacher, longtime business owner, one-time Sunday School director, mentor, and community advocate, died Monday, Aug. 21, of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at her home in Chesapeake, Va. Mrs. Johnson was hired as a teacher at Martha Washington Elementary School in West Philadelphia in the early 1950s. She earned a masters degree in library science at Drexel University in 1972 and became the first Black librarian in the School District of Philadelphia. She oversaw the school library at Martha Washington for more than two decades and made encyclopedias and other educational material readily available to interested students and parents until her retirement in 1993. She made it a point to teach Black history in addition to the traditional elementary school subjects, contributed local historical research to the U.S. Library of Congress, and discussed important civil rights issues of the day with her pupils. Her love for reading and books was her lifes calling, her daughter, Adriana Bethel-Hibbler, and longtime friend, Karyn Brockington Conway, said in a tribute. Every child that came into her presence left with a higher sense of themselves, their culture, and infinite possibilities of the life that was ahead of them. In her West Philadelphia community, Mrs. Johnson and her first husband owned two barbershops and rental property. She was chair of African American family festivals at Cobbs Creek Park and a board member of the parks Laura Sims Skate House. She served on the board of an Ellsworth Street civic association and was active with the Add B. Anderson School and Home Association, and a local Girl Scouts of America troop. Advertisement She was one-time head of the Sunday School department at St. Augustines Church of the Covenant, which merged with Calvary Episcopal Church in 2009. Later, she attended the Church of the Holy Trinity in Nashville, and Trinity Episcopal Church in Portsmouth, Va. With a gracious easygoing personality and warm sense of humor, Beatrices acts of service endeared her to all who knew her, Bethel-Hibbler and Brockington Conway said. Mrs. Johnson was a 1949 graduate of Hampton Institute, now Hampton University, in Virginia. She was president of the Philadelphia chapter of the National Hampton Alumni Association for more than 20 years and organized funding to help local students travel between Philadelphia and Hampton. In 2014, she celebrated 65 years as a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She served earlier as chair of the Philadelphia Omega Omega Chapters African American History Committee. She was a role model for countless neighbors and mentored hundreds of students and other young people beginning in the late 1950s. She helped escort these children through the civil rights era, Bethel-Hibbler and Brockington Conway said. Her love, devotion, and commitment to the preservation of African American history was unparalleled. Beatrice Elnora Mosby was born in Philadelphia on July 12, 1927, and raised by her godparents after her mother died when she was 10. She graduated from now-defunct St. Pauls Polytechnic Institute, a boarding school in Lawrenceville, Va., in 1947, and earned a bachelors degree in early childhood education at Hampton. Her mother, Della, and daughter also graduated from Hampton. Mrs. Johnson taught at first in Seaford, Del., before returning to Philadelphia in the early 1950s. She married Rudolph A. McKenzie in 1956, had daughter Adriana, and lived in Cobbs Creek. Her husband died in 1959. She married Henry W. Bethel in 1970. He died in 1971. She married fellow teacher Frederick Johnson in 1978, welcomed his six children into their blended family, and they traveled to the Caribbean, Alaska, Thailand, China, and elsewhere. He died in 1999. Mrs. Johnson moved to Nashville in 2001 to be near her daughter and grandchildren. The family relocated to Virginia in 2015, and she returned to Philadelphia as often as possible to visit old friends. Mrs. Johnson was classy and elegant, her family said, and people were drawn to her spirit and infectious smile. She loved to shop. She was an engaging people person, and those who visited described her home as a welcoming lighthouse for family and friends. Granny was always known for telling long drawn-out stories multiple times, said her grandson Bennett Hibbler Jr. When you remind her that you have heard it before, she simply states: Well, you get to hear it again. She left this world a better place, Bethel-Hibbler and Brockington Conway said. Her legacy of love, service, and sisterhood will continue on through her family and friends. In addition to her daughter, grandson, and friend, Mrs. Johnson is survived by three other grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and other relatives. A brother died earlier. Visitation with the family is to be from 9 to 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, at Calvary-St. Augustine Episcopal Church, 814 N. 41st St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19104. A celebration of her life is to follow at 10:30. Donations in her name may be made to Hampton University, Office of Development, 200 William R. Harvey Way, Hampton, Va. 23668. Cabrini University will close in June after almost seven decades of serving students. Chris Everett Domes writes that small colleges play a "critical role in society." Read more The start of this collegiate school year is bittersweet for those of us who care about higher education at local universities. Without a doubt, getting to know our students personally and individually each September is one of the most joyful aspects of my job as the president of Neumann University, a Franciscan school in Aston with just over 2,100 enrolled scholars. But this year, those of us in the local higher education community also feel more than a little bit of sadness and empathy because of the demise of one of our own: In June, our colleagues at Cabrini University will permanently close their doors after almost seven decades of serving students. Our friends at Cabrini join an ever-growing list of small colleges those that serve 5,000 students or fewer that find themselves under threat. According to one analysis, 91 private colleges across the nation have closed, merged, or announced plans to close since 2016. Advertisement The crisis facing small colleges, which was exacerbated by the pandemic, may grow more severe still with the approaching enrollment cliff in 2025, when we expect a record-low number of first-year undergraduate enrollees. As we look ahead to the future of higher education, its essential that small institutions remain vibrant and continue to provide opportunities for high school graduates in search of an alternative to no college or the nations large universities. The small institution plays an equally critical role in society as the large institution. In the past five years, just over half of the diplomas Ive handed out have been to first-generation students. Its a remarkable accomplishment for these young men and women, and an equally incredible honor for me, as a first-generation student myself. In America, we talk often about the promises our freedom provides. From my perspective, one of the greatest freedoms we can offer our students is a values-based education that meets them right where they are, and in turn, helps them realize the potential of who they can become. The path to achieving the American dream can follow different roads and the small university route is not one to be taken for granted. What makes America a bit different than other nations is the fact that we offer higher education at multiple-sized institutions. Within that structure, the small school has the ability to take risks by admitting students with potential and challenging them to attain it. No two people learn exactly alike. For some students, a more intimate learning environment is much more effective. No two people learn exactly alike. After all, college can help develop a career not merely be the catalyst to landing a first job. More broadly, college teaches one how to think and learn, so graduates can adjust to changes in the future. Being a big fish in a small pond suits many just as well. It is the very essence of the American spirit to recognize individuality. That is why, in a crowded higher education environment, smaller universities can serve our mission by knowing who we are, and by reaching the students best positioned to benefit from an experience on our campuses. In our universitys Class of 2023, we handed degrees to some students who enrolled without great high school grades and who faced financial barriers. Those of us who work at independent nonprofit institutions understand that we have to do our part by providing the highest educational value we can. We must make the collegiate experience a cost-effective one for students who say that they are being priced out of pursuing an undergraduate degree. We must help prospective applicants understand that college isnt just for the financially well-off or the intellectually elite. University administrations need to find room for students from marginalized and underrepresented communities because their needs are distinct. What makes America stand apart from anywhere else in the world is its ability to see that distinctiveness and provide a path forward. Chris Everett Domes is the sixth president of Neumann University in Aston. As the new school year dawns on Philadelphia, it brings with it both challenges and opportunities for schools and their leadership. This summer, new research found that teachers are leaving Pennsylvania schools at increasingly high rates, and Philadelphias public schools are the hardest hit. In the city, more than 15% of teachers quit each year. That level of staff turnover is difficult to manage in even ideal circumstances. In our most challenged schools, where attrition rates can be even higher, it can be paralyzing. When a school has high staff turnover, that is an indictment of its leadership. As they say, staff dont quit their schools, they quit their principals. Advertisement Now the first week of school has arrived, regardless of the headwinds our leaders face. Recruiting staff to plug vacancies is necessary, but not sufficient to deliver the kinds of educational experiences our students need, the kinds of learning environments that will close achievement gaps in our city. School leaders must approach the new school year with retention in mind meaning, not just finding someone to fill a vacancy, but finding the right person, and creating an environment that makes them want to stay in the job. Keeping teachers happy has many benefits, beyond improving retention. Students can tell the difference between teachers who are invested in a school and those who are looking for a way out. If teachers are in it to win it, students are more likely to be as well. Keeping teachers happy has many benefits. To create an environment that fosters teacher retention, schools must be intentional about their learning ecosystems. Heres how. This school year, principals and other administrative staff should focus on proactively building relationships with their students, other staff, and school communities. You cant lead from behind a computer or a closed office door. Being among students and staff in classrooms, hallways, and break rooms gives leaders a different vantage point that can inform all that they do. But its more than that. Leaders should get out and engage, not just in the school, but in the community that their students call home. That means shopping at neighborhood businesses, knowing the folks in the community in personal and meaningful ways, and seeing the school as part of a broader whole. When I was a principal at Shaw Middle School (now Hardy Williams Mastery Charter School), a neighbor connected us to a community group that helped our dance teacher secure new uniforms for our students and raise funds to transform a dilapidated classroom into a dance studio. At Mastery Charter School Shoemaker Campus, local faith-based leaders would check in on students during the year and sometimes attend back-to-school nights. A local barber gave free haircuts to students who reached their reading goals. Second, leaders who lead with vulnerability are more effective. People dont want a leader who comes off as indestructible or unflappable; they want to follow leaders they actually know, who have empathy, and who themselves can relate to the real challenges of being a teacher, student, and, well, person. This took me a while to realize. When I was working as a principal, I asked a colleague and friend for feedback, and they let me know that even though our colleagues knew my dedication to students and the work, they felt they didnt know me as a man and leader. I started being a little more open about who I was as a human being talked more about my family, my community, my upbringing, my daily struggles not just my educational philosophy and orientation. Once I started doing that, I noticed that it was easier to work with school staff when challenges arose, likely because they had more trust in me. It made our team stronger. READ MORE: Pa. principals are quitting in record numbers, and I know why | Opinion Third, while school leaders put out the fires that invariably fill their days, they also have to think long term and include students and staff in that vision, so that everyone owns it and will feel accountable to see it through. While a principal at Shaw, I made sure the staff were an integral part of creating and realizing a positive, anti-racist culture. Leadership duties were spread around the staff, even while I held myself accountable for student outcomes. During my time there, the percentage of kids performing at grade level increased, and our school library (a rarity to have even in those days) was stocked with affirming and informative books and materials. As a former principal, I often encourage school leaders to be courageous. Dont be afraid to fail or be fired on behalf of your kids, your staff. Do the right thing by the community you serve, both within the school walls and adjacent to them. Focus on how you can do what needs to be done so that you can be of service to them. Because ultimately thats why you got the job in the first place. Sharif El-Mekki leads the Center for Black Educator Development. He was a teacher and principal in the School District of Philadelphia and is the former principal of Mastery Charter School Shoemaker Campus. He founded the Fellowship Black Male Educators for Social Justice, is a member of the 8 Black Hands podcast, and blogs at Phillys 7th Ward. Students arrive for the first day of classes at Bluford Elementary School. Today is the first day of school for Philadelphia public school students, but 74 Philadelphia School District schools will dismiss early today due to extreme heat. Read more The early September heat wave is slated to continue into Wednesday, with the National Weather Service forecasting another day of temperatures in the mid 90s with high humidity, resulting in heat index values exceeding 100. The high temperature for Philadelphia on Tuesday was 94, just one degree shy of the record set in 2018. The temperature at the Atlantic City International Airport also reached 94, and that was a record, the National Weather Service in Mount Holly reported. Advertisement Record highs were tied on Tuesday in Reading and Mount Pocono, in Pennsylvania, and Georgetown in Delaware. Heat waves which are marked by three consecutive days of 90-plus temperatures happen about every five years in September in Philadelphia, though this one is on track to fall just short of the citys longest hot spell, which lasted for six days in 1931, according to an Inquirer analysis. READ MORE: This week's hot spell may be Phillys longest September heat wave since 1931 Matt Brudy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, said Thursday should be the weeks last dangerously hot day, though temperatures will likely remain high on Friday before dipping into the 80s over the weekend. The persistent heat, which kicked off Sunday with temperatures in the low 90s and a record-setting Labor Day high of 95 degrees, comes from a wave of high pressure thats rolling in from the Southwest, generating dry winds and repelling rains that could cool things down. In keeping with the heat advisory that runs until Wednesday night, 74 schools in the Philadelphia School District that lack adequate air-conditioning will dismiss two hours early again on Wednesday, shortening days on the first week back in school. Decisions on future heat-related dismissals will be announced by noon the day before. READ MORE: Heat wave will lead some Philly school to dismiss early on Tuesday and Wednesday Despite the persistent thunderstorms, days filled with a soft orange smog from Canadian wildfires, and a last-ditch heat wave, this years meteorological summer was actually considered pretty normal at least temperature wise. From June 1 to Aug. 31, the average temperature at Philadelphia International Airport was 75.9 degrees. Thats the coolest since 2014 and just a hair below the 30-year normal determined by weather agencies with guidance from the World Meteorological Organization. It looks like normal can usher in a whole lot of unusual. READ MORE: Phillys summer was so normal it was unusual, weather service says The FAR will apply to the insurance and superannuation industries 18 months after Royal Assent and to the banking industry six months after Royal Assent. This follows the passing of the legislation to establish a Compensation Scheme of Last Resort, which will deliver compensation of up to $150,000 to victims of financial misconduct that have unpaid determination from the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). The Arizona Daily Sun was recognized for its work in the community with three first-place awards from the Arizona Newspapers Association on Friday. Associate editor Mike Hartman won for his work covering NAZ Elite, reporter Sierra Ferguson for her video coverage of a school bus being trapped on Slayton Ranch Road, and photographer Jake Bacon for his photos of a vehicle stranded in monsoon flooding. Reporter Adrian Skabelund also earned a third-place spot for his story on rafters in the Rio de Flag. The Daily Courier (Blake DeWitt, publisher) scored the highest cumulative points to garner the coveted award for the 2023 Arizona Newspaper of the Year. Newspaper of the Year Awards are calculated from eligible honors won in the Better Newspapers Contest added together with eligible winning entries from the Excellence in Advertising Contest. Stacey Barchenger of The Arizona Daily Star was named the ANA 2023 Journalists of the Year. Kelly Presnell of the Arizona Daily Star was named the ANA 2023 Photographer of the Year. This is Presnells sixth consecutive year. I thought that technology would have moved along a bit quicker but that still seems to be getting a fair bit of resistance, said Elliott. A lot of brokers have figured out how to play but its a very chaotic and messy landscape where everyones just running their own race and doing their own thing and its very hard for a lot of systems to talk to each other. In collaboration with the LDI Office of Consumer Advocacy and Diversity and the Spencer Educational Foundation, the Alliant Insurance Foundation has allocated an initial investment of $1.4 million over a three-year period to support the establishment of an accredited School of Insurance degree program within the Southern University System. With his strong leadership skills, extensive knowledge of the programs business and 25-plus years of underwriting expertise, Eric is uniquely positioned to drive continued success for the programs business, Wells said. Eric and I embrace this transition as an opportunity to build upon the strong foundation laid by our retiring colleague Denise Olson and drive forward fresh and flexible products and services for niche markets. The fact that so many businesses and jobs were lost along with so many homes, while many people were missing or lost in the fire, makes it an emotionally charged time, and it has been for last few weeks that our team has been on the island, said Steve Severaid (pictured below), president of Adjusters International Pacific Northwest (AIPNW), the largest and oldest public adjusting firm in the US West. While Hurricane Idalia is anticipated to be manageable for insurers in terms of earnings impact, it comes on the heels of above-average catastrophe losses in the first half of 2023, primarily attributed to severe convective storms and secondary perils. Consequently, property insurers are likely to face pressure on their underwriting results for the entirety of 2023. Seven weeks after catastrophic flooding in Vermont destroyed their mobile home, Sara Morris and her family don`t yet know what they will do for housing long-term. She and her husband, their three kids and his mother have been staying with Morris` mother since the flooding mangled their home, boring a hole through the side and leaving it tilted in layers of mud. With winter fast approaching, some Vermonters hit by the July flooding are still deep in the throes of flood recovery, whether finding a place to live or repairing their homes or businesses. So far, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has determined more than 2,900 homes in the state had some type of damage, based on applications and housing inspections, including 530 designated as having major damage and 14 destroyed. About 1,280 households have received rental assistance from FEMA, which may be an indication of how many people cannot currently live in their homes, according to the governors press secretary. The flooding has exacerbated Vermonts existing housing crisis, which is the biggest challenge the state faces in the flood recovery right now, Republican Gov. Phil Scott said. Its a big puzzle but we are actively pursuing this every single day, said Scott, adding, Its what keeps me up at night. FEMA is bringing in manufactured homes and searching for apartment buildings it can lease and repair to house flood victims. The agency says about 225 people are eligible for the temporary housing but half of them have found other housing solutions. After Tosh Gilmore`s home flooded in Johnson, she hung a sheet on her house spray-painted with the message WE NEED FEMA and her phone number. She received money for rental assistance and her belongings and spent about two months in motels while she searched for housing. Gilmore didn`t know what she would do next until a nurse at her doctor`s office told her about a mobile home for rent on a hill. Gilmore may have to stay in her camper at a campsite until the place becomes available but said she is excited to have a roof over her head. At the Berlin Mobile Home Park down the road from River Run Manor Mobile Home Park where Morris and her family lived, Corinne Cooper also lost her home and has not yet found a new one. Its really hard. The options are limited, theyre expensive, theyre snatched up really quickly, said Cooper, who for now is staying with friends. Between the two parks in Berlin, about 40 households were affected, she said. Not only have they lost their homes and possessions, and in some cases vehicles, they must grapple with complicated paperwork applying to FEMA and other programs. Vermonters also lost furnaces in the flooding, months before winter. Temperatures have already dipped into the 40s Fahrenheit (single digits Celsius) in some places at night and snow can fly as soon as Halloween. The biggest challenge is a shortage of workers for installation and other electrical repair jobs, while ongoing supply issues are also a problem, Scott said. Ive spoken to many people in the industry who install furnaces and so forth. They are just working seven days a week and cant catch up, he said, adding that Vermont is trying to alleviate the problem by reaching out to other states and retirees who might want to return to the field. There is also a concern Vermont will not get enough disaster funding from Congress because of other natural disasters nationwide. The Biden administration will seek an additional $4 billion, bringing the total to $16 billion, in funding for FEMA`s disaster relief fund to address natural disasters as part of its supplemental funding request. We know theres no guarantee here, but weve always been very hopeful that our congressional delegation will be able to make the case that we have a lot of affected Vermonters, that the cold weather season is fast approaching and we need some help, Scott said. During the flooding, Morris, her husband and his mother had just enough time to pack their three kids, her mother-in-law and two cats into the familys van and truck. They eventually drove out after the van got stuck in rising water and spent the night in their vehicles in a nearby church parking lot on a hill. Morris` mother-in-law, who owns the mobile home and has lived there for 23 years, grabbed her sisters ashes and her fathers jewelry before fleeing. Up the road at the other mobile home park, Cooper wasnt so lucky. Her mothers journals, which Cooper kept in a plastic storage container, were ruined by the flood water. There are just so many people that lost stuff. You cant even stand there and talk with people about what they lost. Everybody just starts choking up, she said. Morris, her husband and his mother were denied FEMA funding for the home damage and Morris said they couldnt get insurance because of the home`s age or site on the flood plain. The home also was damaged during flooding in May 2011 and they received FEMA money for repairs, Morris said. Morris, 33, doesnt want to live anywhere near a river, and certainly not in a mobile home park in a flood plain. Her kids now become anxious when it rains hard. She and her husband are working with an affordable housing organization and checking with a mortgage company to see if they can buy a home. Something better has to come out of losing everything, she said. Photo: A man views flood damage in Bridgewater, Vt., that submerged vehicles and threatened homes Monday, July 10, 2023. Heavy rain drenched part of the Northeast, washing out roads, forcing evacuations and halting some airline travel. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Flood Vermont Chinese technology giant Huawei has filed a lawsuit with a Lisbon court against a resolution by Portugals cybersecurity council CSSC that effectively bars operators from using its equipment in high-speed 5G mobile networks, the company said. The CSSC is the prime ministers consultative body and its resolution, although not naming Huawei directly, was seen as a blow to efforts by Huawei to enter standalone networks in the 5G market in Portugal, and extend existing contracts on 4G platforms on which the new technology is based. Europe and the U.S. have concerns that Chinese involvement in critical infrastructure could compromise security. Beijing and Huawei reject such suggestions. Huawei Portugal seeks protection of its legitimate interests and legal rights under the law as a company duly established in Portugal, Huawei replied to Reuters when asked about the lawsuit. The justice ministrys portal Citius shows that the lawsuit was filed at the Lisbon Administrative Court on Aug. 31. Huawei told Reuters it hopes the court will remedy the multiple violations of its rights, and the significant detrimental impact on the company and its partners from the resolution. The secretary of state for digitalization, Mario Campolargo, who chairs the CSSC, told Reuters earlier that the deliberation in May was based on an independent, strict security assessment following European Union guidelines, and did not specifically target Chinese suppliers. The assessment had warned of a high risk to security of networks involving 5G technology from suppliers or providers that are headquartered in a country where the government exercises control, interference or pressure on its activities in third countries. It also cited risks when the country is not an EU, NATO or OECD member. Portugals main operators, Altice, NOS and Vodafone have already said they would not use Huaweis equipment in 5G core networks. The CSSC said it had not been notified of any legal action, and that the operators were already developing their respective implementation plans, mitigating threats and risks in line with the resolution, to be presented to the telecoms regulator ANACOM. (5G networks) should be scrutiniseable, transparent and reliable for the state, citizens and companies, it said. (Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; editing by Andrei Khalip and Jan Harvey) Topics Lawsuits China Wildfires have cost Europe an estimated 4.1 billion ($4.43 billion) in damages so far this year, as extreme heat seared the Mediterranean from Greece to Spain this summer. Nearly 400,000 hectares (988,420 acres) of land across the continent has so far been destroyed by forest blazes, according to the report from Distrelec, a major distributor of power sector components, including sensors that give early warnings of potential wildfire activity. The research was based on data from the European Forest Fire Information System. Greece has suffered the most damage, with an estimated cost of 1.66 billion ($1.8 billion) and more than 161,000 hectares of land destroyed until Aug. 30. The country has witnessed the most destructive forest fires in 16 years. Its been on high alert for more devastation since the latest blazes that erupted on August 19th left at least 19 people dead. Spain was the second-most affected country, with around 84,315 hectares of land burned at an estimated cost of 871 million ($941 million), followed by Italy and Portugal. The estimates for economic impact include costs of firefighting, reforestation, damages and clean-up, according to the report. Climate change induced blazes have impacted other parts of the world too impacting everything from agricultural output to tourism. The extreme weather an increasingly frequent occurrence in our warming climate is having a major impact on human health, ecosystems, economies, agriculture, energy and water supplies, according to Petteri Taalas, the secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization. This underlines the increasing urgency of cutting greenhouse gas emissions as quickly and as deeply as possible. Greece has been forced to evacuate hundreds as firefighters have used planes and helicopters to douse the fires. July was officially Earths hottest month on record, causing the Antarctic to shrink at a record pace and the European Unions earth observation agency has warned of dire consequences as extreme weather events grow more frequent and intense. Photograph: Burned road signs in a forest following a wildfire in Alexandroupolis, Greece, in August 2023. Photo credit: Konstantinos Tsakalidis/Bloomberg Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Europe Wildfire Lifesure provides personal lines insurance broking services in the vacation/holiday and leisure industry, with products including park home, motorhome, caravan and leisure home insurance. As part of the transaction Gallagher will also acquire Lifesures affiliated company Barnes Commercial, an insurance broker serving small-to-medium businesses. Paul Reid and his team will become part of Gallaghers UK & Ireland Retail division. Lifesure has an excellent reputation for client relationships and will enhance our UK retail capabilities in the niche personal lines space, said J. Patrick Gallagher Jr., chairman, president and CEO. I am delighted to welcome Paul and his colleagues to Gallagher. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Ill. Gallagher provides these services in approximately 130 countries around the world through its owned operations and a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. Source: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions A.J. Gallagher This edition of International People Moves details appointments at the Howden MGA DUAL and at the broker Howden Germany. A summary of these new hires follows here. DUAL Appoints McGinn From Allianz as UK CEO DUAL, the specialist underwriting arm of Howden Group Holdings, announced the appointment of Simon McGinn as CEO of its UK business, subject to regulatory approval. McGinn joins DUAL from global insurer Allianz having held several roles there over 19 years, most recently as CEO Allianz Commercial, Allianz UK. McGinn will join DUAL on Jan. 1, 2024 and will report to Richard Clapham, CEO, DUAL Group. We are delighted to welcome Simon to DUAL. Attracting someone of Simons calibre to head our UK leadership team is a strong endorsement of the potential we have to grow our already significant UK business, commented Clapham. Simons leadership skills and proven expertise makes him the perfect person to lead our UK business going forward. He brings an exceptional knowledge of the UK insurance landscape, its evolving trends and the emerging opportunities they present. Simons vision will see us invest further in the people, technology and data needed to provide our brokers and their clients with expertly tailored products combined with an exceptional digitally enabled service, he added. Established in 1998, DUAL today has over 1,400 people in 21 countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific, and is one of Lloyds largest international coverholders. *** Howden Germany Taps Aons Breeck to Lead New Large Corporate Clients Unit Howden Germany announced it has appointed Reiner Breeck as managing director, Large Corporate Clients, as it continues to drive growth in the large corporate sector and launches a new division to support this strategy. With more than three decades of experience in all major areas of the insurance industry, Breeck comes to Howden after 10 years at Aon. He joined Aon Germany in 2013 and held the role of deputy chief broking officer and chief innovation officer. Prior to this, he held management positions with international insurers. He started his career in 1991 in the reinsurance division of the Gothaer Group, where he was most recently head of Liability Industry (Operations/Claims). Breeck, joins Howden from Aon and has more than three decades of experience in all major areas of the insurance industry. In his role Breeck will work with Howdens existing resources to expand the service and support provided to large corporations. The focus will be on both insurance solutions and optimizing the processes required to deliver them. In addition, Breeck will work with a specialized team to make Howdens growing worldwide network even more accessible to German multinational companies. In addition to his new role as managing director of Large Corporate Clients, Breeck will assume operational responsibility for Howden Markets at Howden Germany. Howden Markets will specifically look after the brokers insurer relationships. I am very pleased to welcome Rainer Breeck, one of the most distinguished and competent managers in the insurance industry in this country, to our team. He has extensive experience and knows the needs of large companies along the insurance value chain better than anyone else, commented Karl-Heinz Holz, designated CEO of Howden Deutschland AG. Rainer will bundle our strengths in this core segment, further develop the business with large corporates and drive our growth. Our ability to attract and retain the industrys top talent enables us to further enhance our capabilities and provide value-added services to our clients, Holz added. Founded in 1994, Howden Group operates in 50 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, the USA, Australia and New Zealand, employing 15,000 people and handling $30bn of premium on behalf of clients. Topics Germany Aon Allianz (CNN) A 100-year-old African tortoise named Biscuit has been reunited with his family after being rescued from a canal, according to the Parish of Ascension in Louisiana. A local animal control team rescued the tortoise on Wednesday after the sheriffs office found it in distress in New River Canal, located between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, a Facebook post from the parish stated. Animal control officers Curt Trepagnier and Isreal Millet humanely contained, loaded into the truck, and safely transported Biscuit to Caras House-Ascension Parish Animal Shelter, the post detailed. The tortoise was placed on a three-day stray hold at Caras House. If an owner didnt claim it in three days, it would have been put up for adoption, but Biscuits reunion with its family didnt take long. The shelter shared Facebook photos and video of the reunion with its owner, Lamoine Howard, Wednesday. We are happy to report that Biscuit has been reunited with his family! This boy is 100 years old, the post read. Under the post, Howard thanked the animal shelter for helping to return our Biscuit home. The tortoise had escaped after the wind and rain blew my back gate open and broke the latch, according to Howard. A video on the shelters Facebook page showed the centenarian tortoise slowly walking in front of his owner toward Howards pickup truck. I told my wife this morning (Wednesday) that I would fix it Sunday, and it would be fine till then, Howard wrote under the post, adding, Biscuit had other plans. CNN has reached out to Howard for comment. The-CNN-Wire & 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. McGriff announced that it has acquired Alternative Risk Resources (ARR), a Wisconsin-based commercial brokerage firm that specializes in captive insurance. The transaction expands McGriffs presence in the captive insurance market with a firm that has been active in the industry for more than 25 years. The acquisition also broadens McGriffs operations in the Midwest, representing the business first move into Wisconsin. ARR will transition to the McGriff brand over the next six months. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Wisconsin In the emerging post-pandemic era, most aspects of life have returned to normal. Moviegoers are flocking to cinemas, vacationers jammed airports for summer travel and kids are returning to classrooms. The one thing that has remained stubbornly fraught: the world of work. Three and a half years after millions of office-goers were sent home en masse, companies, employees and governments are still figuring out how to adapt to lasting changes to corporate life. But stark differences have emerged across continents and cultures, with Asian and European workers largely returning to offices at a faster pace than their counterparts in the Americas. Asian nations did a better job keeping COVID-19 under wraps in the pandemics first year, so people there didnt get as accustomed to working from home, making it easier to transition back to office life, researchers found. Europes habits vary widely the UK has one of the highest rates of remote work, and France one of the lowest but several of its countries also are leading the way with laws enshrining flexible schedules. Then there are places such as the US, where policymakers have stayed largely silent, leaving bosses and employees to navigate the changes on their own. As the post-Labor Day period marks a time of resuming normal schedules after summer vacations, companies including Amazon.com Inc. and even Zoom Video Communications Inc. are cracking down on getting workers back to offices for at least part of the week. But even then, workers are facing vastly different policies depending on their companies, managers or location. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. wants staff in five days a week. At Walt Disney Co., its four days; for Amazon, Google and many others, its three. Hybrid schedules are now the norm for office goers in the worlds largest economy. The chaotic nature of RTO was understandable two years ago, when COVID was still circulating at crisis levels and the Great Resignation and lying flat were the catchphrases of the day for workers pushing back on norms. Now, cooling economies mean hiring has slowed in many sectors from the frenetic pace of two years ago, giving bosses more leverage to call the shots, while layoffs and cost-cutting measures have many workers on edge. Yet the debate is far from settled, leaving questions about the role of offices, the integration of work and life, and the measurement of productivity and pay. How it plays out carries significant economic consequences: McKinsey Global Institute estimates that pandemic shifts could erase as much as $1.3 trillion of real estate value in big cities around the world by 2030. Everyone is asking, Is this going to come back?' said Phil Kirschner, who advises executives on real estate and workplace strategies at McKinsey & Co. in the US. What weve done is Band-Aided some tools together to prevent the ship from sinking, he said. But we havent done the difficult work to say, The way we were working before was not universally great for everybody. And this is the new reality.' Cultures, Commutes Its hard to cast entire continents as monolithic. The US may have embraced remote work more than other regions, but more than half of American workers toil on the frontlines, without much of an option to work from home. In Japan, the nations largest lenders are eschewing a minimum number of office days per week, in contrast to their Wall Street counterparts. Unilever Plc, the European maker of Dove soap, allows desk-based workers a good deal of flexibility in both where and when they work, and has piloted four-day workweeks in several countries. But both cultural and structural factors have contributed to regional variations, according to Phil Ryan, London-based director of JLL City Futures, part of the global research and analysis arm of the real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. Some of it is absolutely cultural some places have more expectations of people coming in, said Ryan. In some places its about reliable public transportation. Another big difference is home sizes; in the US, they have larger home offices so they dont feel that the office is a better place to work. In Hong Kong, tiny apartments and an efficient public transport system have given residents fewer reasons to work from home. There, subway ridership surpassed 2019 levels in March and empty office space is more tied to decreased Chinese investment than remote work. In New York, subways are still only 70% full on weekdays and only about half of workers are back at buildings on a given day compared with pre-COVID levels. Working remotely has been generally more accepted and widespread in the US, according to Mark Mortensen and Henrik Bresman, professors at the INSEAD business school. Thats due in part to the preponderance of technology, finance and business-services roles so-called knowledge workers that are computer-intensive and thus more conducive to remote work. Americans in tech, finance and professional services work from home nearly a full day more per week than those in government and health-care roles, according to research from a team of economists including Stanford University economics professor Nicholas Bloom. And this isnt likely to change much: The research from Mortensen and Bresman found that the proportion of people in America who said their productivity while working remotely was at optimal levels was almost double that in the rest of the world. In contrast, a working paper on data-entry workers in India found those working from home to be 18% less productive. Workers in Europe and Asia are more concerned about missing out on social connections with co-workers than Americans, Mortensens research found. Take Andrea Lovato, managing partner at F&P Equity Partners in Milan. Hes not against remote work, but says in-person work has many more benefits: When you are sharing the same space in the office there is closer interaction with colleagues, a more spontaneous development of ideas and innovation, and higher engagement from people. Cities matter as much as culture, says Despina Katsikakis, the global head of real estate giant Cushman & Wakefield Plcs workplace research and insights division. Cities in Europe are more walkable and bring together work, life and play, said Katsikakis, based in London. So, European offices are more connected to blended, vibrant communities versus the US, where offices are more dictated by zoning laws and in more isolated areas. Space for Rent The disparities have upended the commercial real estate market, where empty offices and the fastest pace of interest-rate hikes in a generation are leading to a debt crisis among some landlords. A McKinsey report in July explored the differences among cities, showing that office-heavy areas of New York and San Francisco have suffered steeper declines in real estate demand, alongside lower rates of office attendance, compared with cities like Paris and Munich. The consultancy estimated that about $800 billion may be wiped out from the value of office buildings in nine major cities in a moderate scenario, and as much as $1.3 trillion as a worst-case. Places like Paris, along with many Asian cities, have cultures that value being present in the office. In Germany, 43% of the workforce spends four days or more in the office, according to a survey by workplace design firm Unispace. Chinas high rates of office attendance are due in part to its so-called 996 culture, which involves working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. Loyalty to employers is also more steadfast in places like Japan and South Korea, say, than in the US. The often-implicit assumption that the landscape looks similar across cultures and contexts does not hold up to scrutiny, Mortensen said. There are some global commonalities, though. Women place a higher average value on working from home than men in all but a few countries, according to Stanfords Bloom, as do those with more education. And industry can sometimes trump geography, said Ben Waber, co-founder and president of Humanyze, which analyzes workplace collaboration data for dozens of large organizations worldwide. A software company in Japan will look more like a software company in the US versus a manufacturer in Japan, he said. Still, American firms tend to be more advanced in performance measurement and evaluation systems that are critical for remote work when managers cant observe employees directly, according to research from a team including Italian economist Andrea Lamorgese. Legislative Efforts In Europe, policymakers have stepped in to help shape the future of work by promoting more flexible arrangements. At least half a dozen nations have passed or proposed legislation to govern remote work, fueled by the European Unions 2021 right to disconnect proposal, a call to grant EU employees legal rights to switch off from work-related tasks and electronic communication outside of normal business hours. Already enforced in France, Spain and Belgium, the policy is backed by a majority of the European Parliament and could become EU law by the end of the year, according to Ben Marks, co-founder of the Future Workforce Alliance, a forum of politicians, business leaders and academics focused on policy changes. Support for the right to disconnect goes well beyond Europe: Governments from Colombia to Canada have passed similar measures, and Kenya is considering it. Beyond that, the Dutch House last year passed a law to establish the legal right to work from home, and its Senate is expected to vote on it this year. The bill requires employers to consider employee requests to work remotely as long as their professions allow it, while insisting that the workers request be reasonable and fair. The Netherlands ranks fifth globally in the number of remote jobs available, according to recent data from Lightcast and Revelio Labs, and some Dutch employers came to embrace flexible work during the pandemic. Matthijs Welle, the Amsterdam-based CEO of Mews, which provides software for hotels, said he previously never believed in work from home, but now allows his 800 employees across 20 countries to work from anywhere after closing offices in half-a-dozen cities. I think its needed to drive this conversation with more traditional managers, who have shut the door on it, he said, referring to the legislation. Irelands coalition government in April passed a similar remote-work law, which had been held up for months by claims that the bill was tilted in favor of employers. Millions of British workers, meanwhile, will soon have the right to request flexible working arrangements upon starting a job. Previously, they had to wait half a year before making such a request. In Belgium, employees in February 2022 won the right to a four-day workweek at the same pay, and the coalition government there also introduced new rules for gig workers, setting out criteria for designating them as employees regardless of what they are called in their contract. Off Hours Critics of right-to-disconnect laws say such measures could be largely symbolic in todays asynchronous workplace. Data from Microsoft Corp., maker of Teams collaboration and conferencing software, found a so-called third peak of productivity after 9 p.m. during the pandemic, with the average Teams user sending 42% more chats after hours compared with early 2020. Then there are people who have moved to work remotely from entirely new locations, often logging on at unconventional times. During the pandemic, Lisbon and other Portuguese cities became a haven for digital nomads from the US and elsewhere, who took advantage of favorable tax rates, cheap real estate and a generous visa, introduced in October, that allowed remote workers to live in the sun-speckled country for up to five years. In six months, 930 such visas were granted, according to Portugals immigration department, with Americans receiving the most. Lisbon was the most-visited remote work hub in 2022, according to Nomad, a remote-worker network, but visits are down 32% so far in 2023. Rents and property prices in the capital city have ballooned, and in February the government announced it would end its golden visa path-to-citizenship program for foreigners who invest in real estate in the country. Ireland has done the same, and other European locales are becoming less welcoming. In response, digital nomads are now looking outside the US and Europe eight of the ten fastest-growing remote-work hubs in 2023 so far are in Asia, including Tokyo, Seoul and Ho Chi Minh City. The Road Ahead In the US, Labor Day has emerged as a marker of a renewed push toward stricter office-attendance policies, and this year is no different. At the World Bank in Washington, President Ajay Banga wants workers back four days starting this week. Even a company like Workhuman, which provides worker-recognition programs and prides itself on listening closely to employee concerns, has asked most of its staff to come back to offices twice a week beginning this month. The summer is wide open, then things normalize in September, said KeyAnna Schmiedl, Workhumans chief human experience officer. But any leader who keeps hoping things will get back to normal will be disappointed, because the workplace is fundamentally different now. Office occupancy rates have plateaued in the US at half of pre-COVID levels. Lobbies are ghost towns on Fridays. Business leaders grumble about the effects of working from home, but they also know its now ingrained, according to a new survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Work is no longer a place people go, its a thing they do and when, where and how it happens is no longer written in stone. COVID was a portal we walked through, said McKinseys Kirschner. And were not going back. With assistance from Sarah Holder, Chiara Remondini, Irina Anghel, Cagan Koc, Morwenna Coniam, Joao Lima and Taiga Uranaka. Top photograph: The UK has one of the highest rates of remote work. Photo credit: Jason Alden/Bloomberg Copyright 2023 Bloomberg. Topics New York Starr Insurance announced that Christopher Magee has joined Starr as vice president, international head of Financial Lines and Professional Liability, a new position focused on growing the business outside the U.S. and helping clients manage their risks around the world. Magee has more than 25 years of financial lines management experience at large U.S. multinational insurance companies in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Switzerland. Throughout his career, he has specialized in financial and professional liability risks. A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Magee recently relocated from London and will be based in New York City. *** Hub Intl Names Hartman EVP, Strategic Client Service Operations Hub International Ltd., the Chicago-based global insurance brokerage and financial services firm, announced Robert Hartman has joined a newly created position as executive vice president of Strategic Client Service Operations and the firms Executive Management Team to focus on elevating HUBs client experience. As a member of HUBs Executive Management Team, Hartman will report to Marc Cohen, president and CEO of HUB. With more than 20 years of experience in operational leadership, management consulting and business development, Hartman comes to HUB from AXIS Capital, the global specialty insurance and reinsurance firm, where he was most recently the chief operating officer and held various roles including senior vice president of business development. Prior to that, Hartman was a partner at global management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. He began his career as a Naval Flight Officer in the U.S. Navy. Hartman received a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy. The property insurance industry breathed a sigh of relief after Hurricane Idalia landed in a less-populated part of the coast, but regulators have signaled a need to make sure that claims from the area, now topping 10,000, are taken care of. Insurance agents in Floridas Big Bend area, the hardest-hit region, are applauding those efforts, urging carriers to remember the small-town homeowners and businesses that were damaged by the storm. It couldnt have hit in a better spot as far as industry losses are concerned. But theres still a lot of significant damage here in Taylor and Madison counties, said Jeffrey Rush, a commercial lines agent in Live Oak, Florida, with the George Odiorne Insurance Agency. The storm spared his own house but knocked down a pine tree that Rush planted in 1988. The coast got beat up pretty bad, Horseshoe Beach and Suwannee, especially, said Todd Bryant, senior vice president at Nature Coast Insurance, an agency with three offices in the area. He compared the surge to the famous Storm of the Century, a non-hurricane event that inundated parts of the South in March 1993. Idalia may not be a storm for the ages, but state officials said they were taking it seriously. Florida Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky on Friday issued an emergency order, giving insureds two months grace period on policy cancellations and nonrenewals. All cancellation notices mailed in the 10 days preceding Sept. 1 must be withdrawn and reissued after Oct. 31, the order states. In the coming weeks, OIR will work in overdrive to both support policyholders in impacted areas and continue our efforts to promote a robust insurance market for consumers, Yaworsky said in a statement Friday. Floridas Department of Financial Services, which encompasses the OIR, also rushed to set up insurance villages Saturday morning in Perry and on Sunday in Fanning Springs, to assist insureds with claims. Please be advised that these locations are outdoors and will not have power available, reads an email from DFS Greg Thomas to insurers. Please bring appropriate equipment to conduct operations in a parking lot. Insurance villages have become the norm after hurricanes, with tents and tables set up to handle claims processing. But Fridays announcement came in the afternoon, giving insurers just a few hours notice and catching some off guard. One executive suggested that Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis may have decided to move up the timetable because U.S. President Joe Biden was due to tour the water-slogged area Saturday morning, with national media in tow. Florida insurers are facing new scrutiny and new reporting requirements, after the state Legislature this year approved the Insurer Accountability Act. The law was passed after three independent adjusters charged that several carriers and their claims firms had inappropriately altered damage estimates from Hurricane Ian and other storms. Insurers are now required to abide by industry best practices and follow their own claims handling manuals. As of Tuesday, Sept. 6, almost a week after the storm hit, OIR reported that more than 14,244 Idalia claims had been filed. About 69% of those were for residential property. Some 850 had already been closed with payment, while 896 were closed without payment. By comparison, OIR has recorded 739,771 claims from last years powerful Hurricane Ian, with more than half of those closed with payments by the end of June this year. Idalia Losses Could Be Under $5 Billion, Verisk, RMS Say Many of the claims from Idalia are expected to be flood-related, although only a fraction of homes and businesses in the Big Bend region had obtained flood coverage before the storm hit, experts said. RMS, part of Moodys Investment Service, has estimated losses to the National Flood Insurance Program to be about $500 million. Theres a lot of flooding in that area from the storm surge, said John Gragson, senior vice president of claims operations for Sedgwick, the national claims management firm. The firm had adjusters on the ground, working for property insurers, in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. But by and large, the wind field was not as extensive as was expected, Gragson said. Others in the region agreed that the industry had largely dodged a bullet, thanks to the path of the storm and reduced windspeeds as it moved across the three coastal states. A testament to that came from the South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association, which writes residential property in coastal counties. Weve had just two claims, so far, Randy Mason, claims director for the association, said Friday. It was a lot quieter than we expected. Insurers in the Carolinas were all breathing a sigh of relief, and counting their blessings, said Russ Dubisky, an official with the South Carolina Insurance Association and the Insurance Federation of North Carolina. Coastal Georgia was in similar shape after Idalia blew through, with relatively minor claims. Every claim weve seen so far is from trees falling on roofs or on vehicles, said Renata Lee, an agent in Waycross, Georgia. The wind insurer that may see the most losses in Florida is the state-created insurer of last resort, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. The carrier had not released an estimate on losses by Sunday evening, but is expected to early this week. The big question many are asking is will Idalias claims cause Citizens to burn through its $420 million in surplus in its Personal Lines Account, forcing it to levy an assessment on policyholders. It depends on where the Citizens losses fall, but I would think they could see close to that, said Charles Nyce, associate professor of risk management and insurance at Florida State University. With or without a Citizens surcharge, Idalias damage could have at least some impact on Florida premiums for a number of insurers with losses in the next 12 months, perhaps prompting more property owners to go without coverage altogether. Moodys predicted that many homeowners could opt for larger deductibles, as high as $25,000 in some situations, according to USA Today and The Messenger business news site. Top photo: Jewell Baggett in the wreckage of her mothers home in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, after Hurricane Idalia. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Topics Florida Carriers Claims Georgia South Carolina HORSESHOE BEACH, Fla. (AP) Two people were charged with looting a home damaged by Hurricane Idalia in Florida`s Big Bend region, as residents` concerns grew that burglars could be tempted to hit other hurricane-ravaged homes since law enforcement is stretched thin in the remote, wooded area along the Gulf Coast. Some residents of Horseshoe Beach, Florida, one of the communities hardest hit after Idalia made landfall Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, urged law enforcement to set up checkpoints where people would have to show identification in order to get into the town. Marina worker Kerry Ford had high praise for local law enforcement`s response to the hurricane but wished more would be done to keep out people who don`t belong in Horseshoe Beach. The authorities did really good, Ford said. Now, the only thing Ive seen where theyve dropped the ball is you can come right into Horseshoe without showing youre a resident or anything like that. Thats a problem, especially with no power. Youve got to have somebody here keeping out everybody other than the residents. A man and a woman from Palmetto, Florida, almost 200 miles (322 kilometers) south of where Idalia made landfall, were arrested Wednesday after an officer from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission heard noises coming from outside a home in Horseshoe Beach. The officer found the man and woman loading up items from the waterfront home into a rented pickup truck. One of the suspects told deputies that the homeowner had given him permission to remove items from the house on stilts. But the homeowners told deputies when contacted that they had done no such thing, according to a statement from the Dixie County Sheriff`s Office. Each suspect was charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling during an emergency, grand theft and trespassing, with bails set for each at $1 million. We are taking strong action against this criminal activity, the sheriff`s office said in the statement. On Saturday, there were more than 61,000 Florida residents and 8,700 Georgia residents without power due to Idalia. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden headed to Florida Saturday for a tour of the hurricane-damaged area. Idalia made landfall Wednesday morning near Keaton Beach with winds of 125 mph (200 kph) and a 6-foot (1.8-meter) storm surge. The fast-moving storm then tore through largely rural stretches of inland Florida and southern Georgia before exiting for the ocean in the Carolinas. The storm wreaked havoc on a slice of old Florida that has escaped massive coastal development. Tammy Bryan, who works at the First Freewill Baptist Church in Horseshoe Beach, said the looters could help in another way. All the looters that are coming in, OK, if youre going to loot, stop and help somebody. Help load up some trash and take the rest with you, if thats the way it has to be, Bryan said. But we need reinforcement here. Photo: Tina Brotherton, 88, looks over the remains of her business, Tinas Dockside Inn, which was completely destroyed in Hurricane Idalia, as was Brothertons nearby home, in Horseshoe Beach. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Florida Windstorm CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) As sirens blared across the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and cell phones lit up with alerts of an active shooter, Micah Baldonado cried quietly at his desk while his teacher proceeded with the lecture. I know there`s no right way to react, but I just lost it, he said. I couldn`t hold back tears. My teacher actually kept teaching for maybe 30 minutes even after receiving alerts of an active shooter. The senior from Charlotte said rumors spread quickly across campus during a three-hour lockdown and police manhunt on Aug. 28 resulting in the arrest of a UNC graduate student. Tailei Qi, 34, is being held without bond on charges of first-degree murder and having a gun on educational property in connection with the shooting death of associate professor Zijie Yan inside a science building. Baldonado spent hours listening to the police scanner and reading news reports from inside his locked classroom during what he referred to as an information vacuum. He is one of many students criticizing the school`s communication, preparedness and staff response. The biomedical engineering student has carried a poster board around campus, gathering hundreds of signatures on his petition demanding substantial and immediate improvements to the active shooter response protocol that university leaders maintain was a success. Thanks to the protocol, UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said, this situation played out as best as we could have asked for. Most classrooms and auditoriums display a QR code for easy access to emergency instructions and all staff and resident advisers run drills regularly, the chancellor explained at a news conference. Despite the universitys confidence in its response, students say their teachers appeared unprepared and many grew more panicked in the absence of detailed information. UNC Police Chief Brian James said a mass electronic alert and siren notified the campus of the emergency two minutes after a 911 call about shots being fired inside Caudill Labs at 1:02 p.m. Qi was in custody at 2:31 p.m., James said. The campus alert system, however, sent an update at 3:43 p.m. saying the suspect was still at large. At the time of that alert, police were still working to confirm they had the right suspect in custody and there was not an accomplice, James explained. An Associated Press reporter who was on campus during the lockdown observed hundreds of confused students evacuated from buildings without receiving clear directions before a 4:14 p.m. all clear message was sent. Many were left crying and calling their parents from sidewalks, not knowing where to go. As law enforcement swept his building, Baldonado said he and his classmates asked an officer to slide a badge under the door because we weren`t sure if there was a real police officer on the other end. He was evacuated before the all-clear message and told by a university administrator to walk toward Franklin Street, a dining and shopping hub, without knowing whether the shooter had been detained, he said. We were all pretty much out in the open to be shot, Baldonado said. Thats how it felt because we didnt have any security or information. The eventual all-clear message read: Resume normal activities. UNC did not publicly confirm police had a suspect in custody until a 5:20 p.m. press release. Liana Evelyn, a contemporary European studies major, found it callous to be told to carry on with their day after a deadly shooting. The freshman was sitting on the steps of the journalism school when the first alarm rang. It sounded like The Purge,' she recalled. Someone pulled her inside the building, which was so crowded with sheltering students that she spent the first hour of lockdown in an open hallway lined with windows before retreating deeper into the building. Several doors did not lock, she said. Evelyn frantically scrolled Yik Yak, a social networking app known for spreading gossip that provides anonymous messaging within a 5-mile (8-kilometer) radius. The faculty could not offer any information, she said. A dean`s assistant instructed them to leave the building before the all-clear message and the assistant could not tell them where to go, Evelyn said. Rick Amweg, of Ohio-based Security Risk Management Consultants, which works with K-12 and college campuses on security and safety, praised the way UNC police communicated with students and staff, including the information provided and timing. They got their initial notification out so quickly, Amweg said. Thats key to maintaining a safe campus. Although campus police didn`t announce the all-clear until more than 90 minutes after Qis arrest, releasing incomplete information about the suspects apprehension when authorities still weren`t assured they had everything under control could have been more dangerous, he said. Baldonado`s petition demands locks on all classrooms, better faculty training and enhancements to the alert system, arguing the alerts were prompt but so vague that misinformation proliferated. It says specific, accurate details about active threats, especially shooters including their number, location, and movement directions are crucial. Amweg said campus police appear to have appropriately withheld information about the rapidly developing situation until they were sure it was contained and details were verified. Keep in mind, this is an ongoing active event, so things are happening very quickly, he said. Photo: UNC students, faculty and family held a candlelight vigil last week. (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics North Carolina Education Universities California regulators last week approved a controversial proposal to greatly increase storage capacity at the site of the nations largest known methane leak, which sickened thousands of families and forced them from their Los Angeles homes in 2015. Despite opposition from lawmakers and nearby residents, the California Public Utilities Commission voted 5-0 to permit underground storage of up to 68.6 billion cubic feet of gas at the vast Aliso Canyon field on the northern edge of Los Angeles County as a way to guard against fuel price spikes. That`s more than a 50% increase over the current cap at the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Facility, which is slated to be closed in 2027. It`s also near the maximum capacity of 86 billion cubic feet but within safety standards set by another state agency. This vote is a slap in the face to the community members who have been living with the ongoing consequences of the worst gas blowout in American history, Andrea Vega of the group Food & Water Watch said in a statement. Aliso Canyon poses a significant danger to the health and safety of our communities and is entirely unnecessary to maintain Californias energy reliability. She accused the commission of siding with irresponsible and greedy fossil fuel interests. The expanded storage was requested by Southern California Gas Co., which operates the facility, and was backed by the commission`s staff. SoCalGas and San Diego Gas & Electric Co. said it would be better to buy natural gas during the summer and fall months when it`s generally cheaper and store it for winter use. The move is a prudent step to advance our shared goal of maintaining energy reliability at just and reasonable rates, SoCalGas spokesperson Chris Gilbride said in a statement. The commissions president, Alice Busching Reynolds, said the expansion was needed to keep gas bills affordable given the unpredictability of extreme weather events due in part to climate change, as well as the volatile wholesale natural gas market. She noted that California imports 90% of its natural gas from out of state. She vowed that the commission will work toward weaning the region off the facility while the state transitions to cleaner energy. We will reduce our dependency on Aliso Canyon, but we also need to allow people, especially low income and vulnerable communities, to access affordable energy as we move to a new electrified economy, she said before announcing her approval of the expansion. The commission, which regulates and oversees gas, electric and other utilities, said the increase could save customers anywhere from $200 million to $450 million this winter. The 2015 Aliso Canyon gas leak, which took four months to control, released more than 120,000 metric tons of methane and other gases into the atmosphere over communities in the San Fernando Valley. Thousands of residents were forced to move out of their homes to escape a sulfurous stench and maladies including headaches, nausea and nose bleeds. SoCalGas and its parent company, Sempra Energy, agreed to pay up to $1.8 billion in settlements to more than 35,000 victims in 2021. Earlier this month, the company reached another settlement with the utilities commission, agreeing to pay more than $70 million to the Aliso Canyon Recovery Account to address the impacts from the leak on air quality and public health. Speakers at Thursday`s commission meeting were uniformly opposed to permitting more storage. My mind is just blown that were actually talking about this again, said Jane Fowler of the Granada Hills neighborhood and co-founder of the Aliso Moms Alliance. Were trying to get off fossil fuels for our future, for everyones future. Why would we be going backward? The commissioners were all appointed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has endorsed a plan to shut down the facility by 2027. Democratic lawmakers were among opponents who argued that the field is a present danger and the state needs to move ahead more quickly to close it. Given the history of disaster and risks from continued operations at Aliso Canyon, I continue to support closing the facility on an expedited timeline, U. S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein wrote in a letter to the commissions president this month. This proposed decision to increase capacity, however, appears to go in the opposition direction. The field, which stores gas in old wells, was at 50% capacity for years following the leak. But the commission started increasing its storage in 2020, saying it needed to ensure supplies of natural gas for the winter months. The volume is currently at 41.16 billion cubic feet. Administrative Law Judge Zhen Zhang for the commission proposed allowing the increased storage capacity, noting that California and the West saw sharp spikes in the price of wholesale natural gas last winter that affected customers energy bills. On balance, as a matter of policy, it is prudent to take the conservative approach by protecting natural gas and electricity customers from reliability and economic impacts during the upcoming 2023-2024 winter, the judge wrote. In a letter signed by dozens of environmental organizations opposing the increase, activists said no shortages were reported in the two years after the blowout when Aliso Canyon was offline. This is an unnecessary danger to people, said Issam Najm, an environmental engineer and resident of Los Angeles Porter Ranch suburb, where thousands of residents were sickened by the leak. Each day the facility remains open, it is emitting cancer-causing chemicals including benzene, said Najm, citing reports by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the regulatory agency monitoring air pollution in the area. ___ Watson reported from San Diego. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics California Training Development Oklahoma Source: Streetwise Reports September 5, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Condor Energy released its Q2 results as it seeks to develop assets in Kazakhstan. Read on to see why one expert is keeping an eye on this stock. Condor Energies Inc. (CDR:TSX.V) has released its results from the second quarter of this year (Q223), including financial statements and management discussion and analysis. These documents are available on the company's website. The report has included the highlights of Q2. In July of 2023, Kazakhstan gave Condor a 100% working interest for six years in a 37,300-hectare lithium brine mining license. The company is awaiting final approval from the government of Kazakhstan for its 95% working interest in a separate lithium brine mining license in Kazakhstan. In June, Condor created a US$5.9 million three-year term loan facility, with interest at 9.0% per annum, that is intended for working capital needs and corporate purposes. Condor is undertaking final negotiations in order to run the day-to-day operations of eight gas-condensate fields in Uzbekistan. In Kazakhstan, Condor is still attempting to lock in a long-term LNG feed gas supply contract. Prior to the government of Kazakhstan granting Condor a lithium mining license, in July of 2023, a well drilled on a previously acquired license found brine deposits that contained concentrations of 67 milligrams per liter of lithium in carboniferous aged intervals. A 670m column of lithium brine has been identified using historical records and data from core drilling. This well touched the top of Denovian-aged sediments. Reservoir sands that were found were not tested. Condor's lithium licenses are ideally positioned between Europe and Asia. This location provides access to robust lithium markets. Condor's goal is to produce lithium through closed-looped direct lithium extraction technologies, which is more cost-effective than other lithium extraction technologies. A Hot Market for Lithium Jessica Cummins of Stockhead reports that the market is hot for lithium and other EV battery metals. Luke Larative of Seneca Financial Solutions noted, "Over the last few years, most brokers and analysts forecast underestimated lithium prices. This was epitomized in January of this year when lithium 'perma-bear' UBS upgraded its lithium price forecasts by up to 50%, admitting that they had previously underestimated demand from North Asian battery makers and electric vehicle buyers." Cameron Drummond of Stockhead predicts that EV manufacturing in China will dramatically drive up demand for battery-grade lithium. According to Benchmark Metals Intelligence (BMI), "the Asia region maintained its position as the regional leader in terms of EV battery plant investments, attracting 38 projects into either gigafactory or EV battery component plant investments." A Company Worth Looking Into Analyst Malcolm Shaw of Hydra Capital identified Condor Energies as a company worth looking into. According to Shaw, "It took flight after the company announced that it is in advanced discussions with respect to taking over eight gas fields in Uzbekistan, along with an exploration block or two." Condor is unique because its goal is "to revitalize Soviet-era fields with standard Western development practices." He specifically compared it to the early success of PetroKazakhstan, which sold for CA$4 billion. In an August 15 report, Research Capital analyst Bill Newman maintained a CA$0.50 target price for the company. Newman said, while under review, "We look forward to additional details on the many growth opportunities which could be released in the coming months." Ownership and Share Structure Management and insiders own 2.83% of the company. Andrew G. Judson owns 1.93% with 1.08 million shares, and Donald Streu owns 0.90% of the company with 0.50 million shares. Institutions own 24.0% of the company. EurAsia Resource Value SE owns 23.63% with 13.27 million shares, and Palos Management Inc. owns 0.37% with 0.21 million shares. There are 56.16 million shares outstanding and 41.31 million free-float traded shares. It has a market cap of CA$39.42 million. It trades in the 52-week period between CA$0.25 and CA$1.85. More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Get Great Trading Ideas and News Alerts Guest posts and sponsored content - Got $100? That's all it takes to get an article published on Investor Ideas - Learn More Source: Streetwise Reports September 5, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Outcrop Silver & Gold Corp. and mineral exploration company Zacapa Resources Ltd. have signed an amalgamation agreement. Find out what each company brings to the table. Outcrop Silver & Gold Corp. (OCG:TSX.V; OCGSF:OTCQX; MRG1:DB) and mineral exploration company Zacapa Resources Ltd. (ZACA:TSX.V) have signed an amalgamation agreement, both companies announced Thursday. A wholly owned subsidiary of Outcrop will amalgamate with Zacapa, and all issued and outstanding common shares of Zacapa will be exchanged for common shares of Outcrop on a 4-to-1 basis. When completed, Zacapa shareholders will hold about 12% of Outcrop's issued and outstanding common shares. "Due to the non-arms length nature of the Transaction, a special committee ... has recommended that the Board of Directors of Zacapa ... approve the Transaction," the companies said in a news release. "The Zacapa Board (excluding conflicted directors), having received the recommendation of the Special Committee, unanimously determined that the Transaction is in the best interests of Zacapa, is fair to the Zacapa Shareholders, and recommends the approval of the Transaction by Zacapa Shareholders." A special meeting of Zacapa shareholders will be held in October to approve the transaction, which is expected to close shortly thereafter. The Catalyst: Portfolios Span North, South America Outcrop is coming off filing a National Instrument 43-101 technical report for the maiden resource estimate (MRE) of its flagship Santa Ana project in Colombia, which showed an initial indicated resource estimated at 1.2 million tonnes grading 614 grams per tonne silver equivalent (g/t Ag eq), containing 24.1 million ounces (Moz) Ag eq. Initial inferred resources were estimated at 966,000 tonnes grading 435 g/t Ag eq, containing 13.5 Moz Ag eq. Analyst Stuart McDougall of Research Capital Corp. pointed out that the Santa Ana resource's overall grade of 530 grams per tonne silver equivalent (g/t Ag eq) compared favorably to peers, such as Blackrock Silver Corp. (BRC:TSX.V; BKRRF:OTCQX) with 389 g/t Ag eq, Dolly Varden Silver Corp. (DV:TSX.V; DOLLF:OTCQX) with 294 g/t Ag eq, and Vizsla Silver Corp. (VZLA:NYSE American) with 427 g/t Ag eq. "On a comparable basis, we think the maiden estimates stack up well against similar projects," McDougall wrote, rating the stock a Speculative Buy with a CA$0.75 target price per share. Zacapa holds a portfolio of porphyry copper and epithermal gold projects in the U.S. states of Nevada, Arizona, California, and Idaho, including the Pearl project in Arizona and its South Bullfrog project in the Walker Lane trend of western Nevada. On May 1, Zacapa announced its acquisition of the highly-regarded Kramer Hills project. Technical analyst Clive Maund wrote that after that acquisition, "the stock should be free to advance anew, especially as the company is now chaired by its founder, the legendary Ian Slater." "This is clearly a good point for it to turn higher again now that the news about the acquisition (of Kramer Hills) is out," Maund wrote. "We, therefore, stay long - our losses could quite quickly be made good - and Zacapa is rated an immediate strong speculative Buy here." Benefits, Details of Transaction According to the companies, Outcrop will benefit from a stronger exploration and development pipeline, reduced operating and overhead costs, and "increased shareholder liquidity, trading, and capital markets exposure." Zacapa shareholders will own shares of a larger, more diversified company, the release said. There will be limited conditions and no break fees or expense reimbursement. The companies said a third party, Evans & Evans Inc., has provided an oral fairness opinion that the transaction is fair. The transaction is expected to be completed when 1433180 B.C. Ltd., a subsidiary of Outcrop, amalgamates with Zacapa. All the issued and outstanding common shares of Zacapa will be immediately exchanged for common shares of Outcrop on a 4-to-1 basis. Warrants, options, and deferred share units of Zacapa will be exchanged into warrants, options, and deferred share units of Outcrop. Closing is subject to Zacapa shareholder approval and the receipt of regulatory approvals, including the TSX Venture Exchange. 'A Great Team' Outcrop's Santa Ana project covers 27,000 hectares, a significant part of the Mariquita District, where mining records date to at least 1585. The district was once the highest-grade primary silver district in Colombia. Spanish Royal Archives reports said the area historically had 14 mines producing an average of 4,000 g/t silver (Ag) over an average of 1.4 meters, with some mines finding as much as 17,000 g/t Ag. Recently, the company announced that metallurgical testing confirmed a gold recovery of 97% and a silver recovery of 93% at Santa Ana, including lower amounts of deleterious elements favorable for commercial sale. "Achieving such high recoveries through flotation alone, combined with the production of a marketable clean high-grade concentrate, underscores the project's immense potential," Outcrop Chief Executive Officer Ian Harris said. "Furthermore, the environmentally conscious test work indicates clean tailings, which aligns perfectly with our commitment to responsible mining." Ownership and Share Structures Mining financier Eric Sprott owns about 14% of Outcrop. Management and directors own about 12%, and the rest is held by high-net-worth investors and retail, the company said. Major inside shareholders include Zacapa's Slater, with about 10% or 20 million shares, and former CEO Joseph Hebert, with 0.94% or 1.88 million shares, according to Reuters. Outcrop has a market cap of CA$35.99 million with about 200 million shares outstanding and about 147 million free-floating. It trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.43 and CA$0.15. Reuters reports that 16.78% of Zacapa is held by management and insiders. Slater said he remains the company's largest shareholder, with very few warrants out. He holds 15%, with 10 million shares. Former Glencore executive, Director Marc Boissonneault, has 1.09%, with 730,000. Per Reuters, 0.03% is with institutional investors. This is held by Crescat Capital LLC., with 200,000 million shares. The rest is in retail. The company has a CA$4.2 million market cap with about 101 million outstanding shares and about 82 million free-floating. More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Get Great Trading Ideas and News Alerts Guest posts and sponsored content - Got $100? That's all it takes to get an article published on Investor Ideas - Learn More With Qantas Group engulfed in a ticketing scandal, its long-term chief executive, Irishman Alan Joyce, has opted to step down immediately two months ahead of his expected retirement date. This brings to an end Mr Joyces career with the company, which has seen him guide the airline through extremely turbulent times, including the financial crisis, the pandemic, fluctuating fuel prices, and a bruising market share battle with Virgin Australia domestically, and international rivals such as Emirates and Etihad Airways. His tenure in the position made him one of the longest-serving chief executives of a major Australian company, and a high-profile figure in the global aviation industry. Originally from Dublin, Mr Joyce studied at Dublin Institute of Technology and Trinity College Dublin before joining Aer Lingus in 1988. He held numerous positions during his time at the Irish airline including in sales, marketing, IT, network planning, operations research, revenue management, and fleet planning. In 1996, he left Aer Lingus to join Ansett Australia, where he would stay until 2000. Ansett Australia struggled and would eventually go out of business in 2002. However, in 2003, Mr Joyce would become chief executive of Qantas Groups budget airline Jetstar. It was here he would cut his teeth as the head of a major Australian airline before being catapulted into the role of chief executive of the entire group in November 2008. During his time at the head of the company, he has held numerous positions across the industry as well as in business circles in Australia. Between June 2009 and October 2021, he was a member of the International Air Transport Associations board of governors, having served as chairman from 2012 to 2013. He was also a director of the Business Council of Australia between November 2013 and November 2022. He is also chairman of the Sydney Theatre Company and a board member of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. Mr Joyce, who is gay, has been a vocal supporter of campaigns for marriage equality. He was a prominent voice during Australias moves to legalise same-sex marriage in 2017. In 2019, he married his long-term partner Shane Lloyd. Mr Joyce has also called for the recognition of Aboriginal people in the nations constitution and for womens progress in the corporate world. His tenure at the top of the company was not without controversy. In 2011, in the heat of a bitter industrial dispute with unions, Mr Joyce announced the company would ground all its flights until unions agreed to a new deal. Death threats Following this decision, Mr Joyce hired bodyguards after receiving death threats. In May, it was announced that Mr Joyce would be stepping down as chief executive in November, with the company saying he would be succeeded in the role by Vanessa Hudson. She currently serves as the companys chief financial officer. He was set to leave the company in a healthy-enough position, with the most recent financial report showing a record profit of $2.47bn for the 2022/2023 financial year. However, Mr Joyce would ultimately bring forward his departure date following a ticketing scandal that is currently being investigated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). At the end of last month, the ACCC announced that it was taking legal action against the company over allegations it sold more than 8,000 tickets on flights it had already cancelled in its system. The company acknowledged its image had been hit hard due to customer dissatisfaction as it had been the most complained about company to the ACCC over the past two years. Ms Hudson is now expected to take over the reins of the airline on Wednesday before she is formally confirmed as chief executive by the board in November. WHEN she was five-years-old, Amanda McGuinness would balance herself on an armchair and reach up to pull down the Encyclopedia Britannica from a high shelf. The eldest girl in a family of 11, her siblings played around her while she devoured all kinds of information. I felt most myself when I was doing that. There are loads of photos of me with pen and paper. I was taking in data all the time. I was just always into research and studying. I had a great interest in language in learning lots of different ways of saying things so I used to buy thesauruses. I was interested in biology, engineering, anything to do with information. In her large, very busy Co Mayo home, her dad, Sean, was quiet and reserved. Were extremely similar. He was a builder and had an office in the house. He gave me a key to his office and said to go in there anytime I needed. He had a huge desk and Id sit there researching whatever I was interested in at the time. I was always encouraged to be myself. Nobody taught Amanda to read. I went to school able to read. My mum always said I was very capable she never had to teach me. Now a 42-year-old mother of four children Hailey, 15, Conor, 13, Jack, nine and Max, six Amanda was identified as autistic when she was 39. Amanda McGuinness with her dad, Sean, who always encouraged her to be herself. The question as to whether she might be autistic whether this might answer why she always had a feeling of being misplaced began to occur to her after her son Conor became the youngest baby in Co Mayo identified as autistic, before he was one-year-old. Amanda a trainee solicitor before Conor was born is now doing a Master's in speech and language at University of Galway and works for the autism charity AsIAm. She knew early on that her son was different. He found sleep and communication very difficult. He had sensory overload and was very sensitive to sound. People would comment on him being a strong, healthy gorgeous baba but Id think no, hes struggling, she said. Once Conor was identified as autistic, Amanda did what she always does she started researching. The information available then about autism, almost 14 years ago, was very negative. Id think, this doesnt describe my son, though elements were true. I kept saying, this isnt my son my sons a beautiful authentic person who gets up every day to live in a world not suited to him. But while doing this research so she could be the mom her boy needed her to be Amanda found herself. There was a lot about special interests, stimming and sensory overload. I remembered how I used to cry a lot as a child because of the noise in the house I had this need to get away from the busyness. And now I understood this was sensory overload. Like Conor, Im very sensitive to sound and light. She also connected with another aspect feeling out-of-step in social interactions. Where I found life difficult growing up was in socialising Id take language so literally and people would think I was rude if I took them up wrong. The world at home was a lovely safe place to be, my brothers and sisters were so lovely to me and Im very close to my sister, Claudia. But even recently Claudia got a new pair of shoes and she said theyre so comfortable, I can never take my feet out of them and I said Oh, youve got to! You might get a fungal infection. I still take things literally. Describing how she found friendship confusing, Amanda recalls: I didnt have a lot of close friends, though there were many I was friendly with. Everybody else managed the social side very well. I was always trying to figure out things like what to do at lunchtime at school. I wish Id understood friendship better. Now Ive an incredible friend and I see the value of a real friend who accepts me as I am. I didnt realise what I was missing until I had it. All three of Amandas sons are autistic. Recalling how she sensed her second boy, Jack, was autistic before this was formally identified, she says: My mother would say do you know youre doing the same things [to mind] Jack as you do for Conor? And so the thought began to strike Amanda that gosh, maybe Im autistic too. But when she mentioned this to people she had met through her childrens activities she got such a negative reaction that on three separate occasions, she put off going for assessment. Eventually after hearing AsIAm founder Adam Harris speak and after shed heard AsIAm deputy CEO Fiona Ferris give a webinar, Amanda asked herself: Why am I so proud my own children are autistic, but cant say I am? She went for an assessment and found it one of the loveliest experiences of her life. Amanda asked herself: Why am I so proud my own children are autistic, but cant say I am? Someone I didnt know was able to talk about me as if he just knew me. He helped me reframe my understanding of myself. "I think very quickly and I speak so fast theres so much information in my head because Ive spent a lifetime researching and cataloguing information. He said my mind was cinematic and like a circuit board and that Im cerebral I live in my mind. And this is great, but he told me I have to remember that the body holds up the mind and that I need to look after my body, my health. But Amandas big focus is her children and educating them on autism (she has a family blog for parent/family support: littlepuddins.ie) as well as making change happen for the autistic community. My biggest achievement is working for a charity thats effecting real change. Recalling when Conor was still very young, she says: I wouldnt have attempted going in a supermarket because of the hostility towards a child who did stuff that people couldnt understand. Id leave a restaurant, embarrassed that, as a mother, I couldnt express to others that my child just needed a little time to acclimatise. Now, people have so much more awareness and acceptance of difference. She feels very lucky to live in Balla, Co Mayo. Jack is so into research and learning, so like myself, his mother says. Its the most wonderful town to live in if youre autistic or your children are. The community is in the middle of building a sensory park. AsIAm has hang-out groups all over the country for autistic teens and pre-teens. Balla immediately gave us a room when we asked. I invite her to describe her children and all cerebral elements aside she becomes emotional, just thinking about them. I always do, she says, before telling me that when she thinks of Hailey, she thinks of courage. When the children were small and things were more difficult going out and about, Hailey was there, but she was small too. Hailey watched people be unkind to Conor, teens making fun of him, and shed ask why did they do that Mom? Now her teachers say shes the first to notice a student among the crowd who needs help she has a strong sense of social justice. Conor, who is non-speaking, is the happiest child youll ever see he loves music, Westlife, country music. Jack is so into research and learning, so like myself, and Max, she describes as a firecracker. Hes just pure energy, activity and joy. Max, Amanda describes as a firecracker. Hes just pure energy, activity and joy. If she hadnt heard Adam and Fiona speak, Amanda wonders if she would ever have got herself assessed. Its why I think representation matters so much, that we can see ourselves in the different arenas of life where everyone belongs. For younger autistic people, its important to see autistic people on TV, in the media, in books Her work with AsIAm is not just a job, she says. I call AsIAm a movement. When I ask myself what I can do now for my children, for after Im gone, I think: Im going to change the world for them. Thats why I do what I do. Check out AsIAms new teen resource and AsIAm support for families The AsIAm Inspire Challenge Hike takes place this Saturday, September 9 click here for all the info The head of the organisation representing Catholic PSNI officers says he has advised some of them to bring personal protection weapons to Mass in the aftermath of the police data breach. Representatives from various policing organisations gave evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs committee on the security impact of the PSNI data breach that occurred last month. Personal details relating to over 10,000 PSNI officers and staff were mistakenly released in response to an innocuous freedom of information request. Simon Byrne has resigned as PSNI chief constable (Liam McBurney/PA) The leaked data included initials, departments and locations for all currently-serving officers in the organisation, with the then-chief constable Simon Byrne revealing that this information was in the hands of dissident republicans. Superintendent Gerry Murray is the chairperson of the Catholic Police Guild of Northern Ireland, a group that represents catholic officers in the PSNI. Mr Murray said Catholic officers were more likely to keep their professions a secret from their families and communities, and the potential for identification caused some members to ask if they should carry protection weapons when attending mass. We have had officers, resigning, going from the organisation. Our members are frightened, scared, have no idea what tomorrow will bring for them, he told the committee. We're currently hearing from Tracy Godfrey @nipsa, Liam Kelly @PoliceFedforNI, Detective Chief Superintendent Anthony McNally from the Superintendents' Association of NI, and Superintendent Gerry Murray @CatholicGuildNi. Watch here now: https://t.co/DFqgEGOUBF Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (@CommonsNIAC) September 5, 2023 And I have incidents where young Catholic officers are asking me: do they carry their personal protection weapon when they go to Mass? He added: That has happened, and the advice Ive given: yes, you do. Because the idea is that they should feel safe while entering the Catholic Church and also leaving the Catholic Church, and theres no better way, the issue of the personal protection weapon is for that, for personal protection. Mr Murray said that the security pressure stemming from the data breach, combined with budgetary constraints, would limit the PSNIs ability to recruit Catholic officers. He said: I would fear, given the length of service I have been in this organisation, that we will have a major difficulty. Probably we will survive with regards to retention, but with regards to recruitment, if you look at the last census in 2021, there its something like 45 or 47% Catholic. Well, that should be the bar which the police service of Northern Ireland should be adhering to. He added: You can see actually one of our recruiting posters where they have put on it do not join the PSNI. Already there is this propaganda starting and were starting from zero now, there is no recruitment. Theres no budget for recruitment. DCS Anthony McNally, President of the Police Superintendents' Association of Northern Ireland (SANI). Picture: PA Liam Kelly, chairman of the Police Federation of Northern Ireland (PFNI) that represents more than 6,000 rank and file PSNI officers, said their members felt betrayed by their information being leaked from the inside. Despite 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, we still find that were having to police in Northern Ireland against the backdrop of a severe terrorist threat, both on- and off-duty, he said. So you ask what the impact has been of the data breach from my members and from my own perspective, were appalled and were shocked, were dismayed, and were scared about the implications about what has happened. Because the reality around this, our officers, from whatever persuasion, take their personal security very seriously. And they feel betrayed, because it was their employer who has put this information into the public domain. Mr Kelly said some officers were already in the public domain, but those who had kept their identity hidden now felt vulnerable at the risk of identification. We also have a number of officers, whether that be because of their community background or because of the role theyre performing in PSNI, whether that be intelligence, surveillance, are feeling very vulnerable around this, he said. Again, were in a uniquely hazardous position as police officers in Northern Ireland, and it takes a lot of courage to be a police officer in Northern Ireland. This data breach has not helped. And really, its about what happens next to try and build, not only public confidence, but officer confidence, that the organisation has their back. Liam Kelly, chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PA) Following the budget for Northern Ireland that was set by Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris in the absence of a Stormont executive, the PSNI was said to be facing a funding gap of 165 million. DCS Anthony McNally, president of the Police Superintendents Association of Northern Ireland (SANI), said continuing fallout from the data breach would put further financial strain on the force. The reason why were not recruiting is because we dont have a budget to recruit. We are now going to spend millions, tens of millions of pounds, to fix the challenges of this data breach, he said. He added: There is a strong request from officers and staff for personal security measures, of which the details are yet to be worked out, but that will run to tens of millions of pounds. And then theres litigation, there are people who quite rightly feel that their information has been put into the public domain against the law, frankly, and they will seek the remuneration for that. So that creates a huge challenge for us in terms of how can we recruit, but not only then how can we recruit, but how can we continue to sustain the current delivery model. Former PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne was due to give evidence to the committee, but did not, following his resignation on Monday in response to a string of controversies, including the data breach and consternation around the discipline of two junior officers. Read More PSNI chief constable Simon Byrne resigns following string of controversies A primary school principal has called for parents to be more vigilant with their childrens use of smartphones, saying the device is being used by forces it was never designed for. Carmel Hume from Presentation Primary School, Terenure, was speaking in the wake of a report on cyberbullying. The survey by CyberSafeKids showed 25% of primary school children and 40% of secondary students face cyberbullying. Higher Education Minister Simon Harris described the document as alarming. Principal of Presentation Primary School Carmel Hume: 'Apps like TikTok are new and we are all trying to catch up. But I am not at all surprised by these findings in this weeks report.' Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos Read More A Guide to Parenting in a Digital Age Ms Humes school in south Dublin, which has 480 girls, carried out its own research as part of its anti-bullying policy last year, and one of the main findings was that children felt unsafe online. It shocked a lot of the parents, and it shocked me, she told the Irish Examiner. Children were being added to these large chat groups and then they felt they couldnt leave even if they wanted to. They were afraid to say anything in case the group turned on them and it became toxic. The main message of our own findings was children wanted the adults in the room to be more vigilant and to put in more rules for them. So, if someone said I messaged you at 1am and you didnt answer that the child could say their parents take their phone at night. It gives them a way out. We had advised parents if children came to them to say they had access to something online that frightened them, then to listen and help. Apps like TikTok are new and we are all trying to catch up. But I am not at all surprised by these findings in this weeks report." The annual trends and usage report by CyberSafeKids, which was published on Tuesday, involved a survey of more than 5,000 eight to 16-year-olds between September 2022 to June 2023. Almost two-thirds of teachers dealt with online safety incidents and 31% of eight to 12-year-olds said they were allowed online whenever they wanted. Posting unwanted images online without consent, fake profiles, and being left out of group chats were also reported forms of cyberbullying. From left: Ella Branagan, Ava Allen and Tegan Duffy. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Another key finding showed girls were more likely to be bullied online than boys. Ava Allen, 11, from sixth class in Presentation Primary School told the Irish Examiner that: Everyone thinks boys are supposed to be stronger and they get into fights more. I think personally it is girls who are nastier. Fake profiles on Minecraft and other games can happen too. A fair few people that I know were asked by fake friends to talk to them. People can get your details and con you. I just say to my friends, tell someone if that happens to you. For me, I just block them. Her classmate Ella Branagan, 11, said she was picked on last year for her height. I had to block them from everything and have no contact anymore. My mam said she knew something was up because two girls started picking on me for my height, so I just blocked them. Teegan Duffy, 11, added rumours are a huge part of bullying. You could say the sky is green online and it will just go everywhere. You cant trust anything on the internet, either, check everything. For people who are afraid, confidence is key, speak up always." Powers would have to be taken by the Westminster government to approve any new chief constable in Northern Ireland in the continued absence of an executive at Stormont, British Parliament has been told. Northern Ireland Office minister Jonathan Caine said in the unfortunate circumstance the devolved institutions were still not up and running when any appointment was made, then it would fall to the UK administration to ratify the chosen candidate. The Tory frontbencher pointed out this had happened back in 2019 for the appointment of the chief constable Simon Byrne, who quit amid controversy this week. Mr Byrnes resignation was announced on Monday following a series of rows, including a data breach which revealed personal details of officers and staff, and a critical High Court judgment which said the disciplining of two officers following an arrest at a Troubles memorial event in Belfast in 2021 was unlawful. The turmoil has led to renewed calls at Westminster for the reestablishment of the executive and assembly, as it was warned people in the region continued to be let down by the failure of their elected politicians. There have been no functioning devolved institutions since last year when the DUP withdrew from the powersharing arrangements in protest over the post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland. Despite efforts to resolve difficulties caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol, the DUP has said its concerns must be met before it returns to government. Responding to questions in the House of Lords on the major Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) data breach, Mr Caine said the appointment of a new top officer was a matter for the regions policing board. He said: I am sure that they will wish to seek a resolution to this issue very quickly. What is important is that the PSNI has strong leadership restored as quickly as possible. It is within their power to appoint an interim chief constable while the formal recruitment process is ongoing. Mr Caine added: In the unfortunate circumstance that the appointment be made before the executive is reestablished we would have to take powers for the (UK) government to ratify any appointment that would normally be ratified by the justice minister, which is something that happened back in 2019 when the outgoing chief constable was appointed and there was no executive and assembly functioning. Tory grandee Patrick Cormack, who as an MP chaired the Northern Ireland Affairs select committee, said: It really is essential that the executive is reestablished. It really is absolutely essential that the people of Northern Ireland are not continued to be let down by the failure of their elected politicians. Mr Caine said: I completely agree that the imperative is to restore the executive, to get the institutions fully functioning, up and running at the earliest opportunity. The Secretary of State and the entire ministerial team are focused on that outcome. Liberal Democrat Malcolm Bruce of Bennachie said: We cannot go on kicking things backwards and forwards between Westminster and a non-existent assembly or executive. Those people who are blockading the reestablishment of the assembly are actually preventing the very issues they are raising concerns about from being resolved in a proper fashion using the devolved administration that was created for the purpose. Mr Caine said: We need an executive back in Northern Ireland as quickly as possible. We are doing everything we can to bring about that. That would obviously include the appointment of a justice minister within the department who could give political direction. The case against a young man for spray-painting graffiti over pre-existing graffiti at The Shakey Bridge in Cork was dismissed after it emerged that Cork City Council could not come up with a cost for the damage. The case before Cork District Court had been adjourned a number of times as the question of how much damage was caused by a piece of graffiti was teased out. Defence solicitor, Frank Buttimer, described it as graffiti upon graffiti at a location he called spray-painting central. Barry OBrien of 7 Innishannon Road, Fairhill, Cork, pleaded guilty to a charge that without lawful excuse he caused damage to property, namely the walkway, arches, and walls of The Shakey Bridge the popular name for Dalys Bridge on the Mardyke belonging to Cork City Council, intending such damage or being reckless as to whether the property would be damaged. The date of the offence was March 6, 2022, and when the case was first in court an official valuation of the damage was given at 1,500. Mr Buttimer said that while the offence was not in dispute the valuation for the criminal damage was very much. On Monday, Sergeant Gearoid Davis said: Cork City Council cannot come up with a cost. Although the defendant was seen spraying the graffiti and admitted the offence, Judge Olann Kelleher said he would dismiss the criminal damage charge in the absence of evidence of how much damage was caused. The same defendant admitted having cannabis for his own use when he was caught at the scene. He had four similar convictions. Judge Kelleher gave him a four-month suspended sentence for cannabis possession. Drive-offs are becoming a huge problem for garages in Cork City, a district court judge said as he jailed one man for driving off from a service station without paying after his passenger pumped over 87 worth of diesel into the car. Judge Olann Kelleher imposed a six-month sentence on Aaron Sheehan, of no fixed address, for stealing the fuel at the Marina filling station on Monahan Road, Cork, at lunchtime on June 19 last. The LauraLynn childrens hospice has helped 63 families in the first year of an at-home palliative care service across Cork, Kerry, and Limerick, the community lead said. The charity expanded last year for the first time outside of its Dublin base to meet growing demand from parents whose children are unable to travel to the capital. Marie Lynch is team-lead for the community service based in Mallow Primary Care Centre. Initially we were covering Cork and Kerry, and in May of this year we extended cover to Co Limerick as well, she said. Between Cork, Kerry, and Limerick we have cared for 63 families in that time. "All of the children have life-limiting conditions, so they have quite complex care needs and would have a palliative need as well. The LauraLynn hospice has always accepted families from around Ireland, but she said interest locally has grown since this service was launched. In our first year we had an increase of 100% in referrals from this area, so I think there definitely is a need for the support, she said. We are present and on the ground now, and people are more aware of the service. Previously families may not have wanted to travel to Dublin. The service includes a music therapist and seven nurses and they work closely with regional HSE services. We are based in Mallow which is a central base to get to everywhere, she said. The care is not just about going into the familys home, it might be a goal that the family have to get to the beach for a day or get to the park for a day. These can be huge challenges for families sometimes to just be able to pack up and get out. Siblings and parents can also benefit from a coffee morning held recently at Blarney Woolen Mills offering emotional support. Families in these counties can also access the Dublin hospice which offers respite as well as supports. Even though we are regionally based in Cork, once a family is accepted into LauraLynn they have accessibility to every service, she said. LauraLynn CEO Kerry McLaverty said the Mallow team delivered 1,000 visits by the end of August. She plans that this service will act as a template for other community services to be developed elsewhere. Our ambition has always been to see how can we take the hospice care we have in Dublin and bring it closer to home for families, she said. For now, they are focused on expanding regional at-home care but she said their next five-year strategy will consider whether another hospice is also needed outside of Dublin. If there is enough need out there, and if that is what we are hearing back from our families and the clinicians and other stakeholders, it is definitely something that we would consider, she said. Firefighters in Cork City have voted to accept a proposal from the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) which brings to an end their four-month long industrial dispute over staffing levels. The proposal, which was accepted by 72% of those balloted on Monday, will see the introduction of a fourth pump to the brigade which will be operated and crewed out of the fire brigades Anglesea St headquarters. The proposal does not provide for the reopening of Ballincollig fire station which had become a key public focus of the dispute in recent months. Firefighter and Siptu shop steward Billy Crowley said firefighters are satisfied that the latest WRC proposals are a step in the right direction towards a better and safer fire service for the entire city. He said the proposal provides for the involvement of firefighters in the city-wide strategic review of the fire service. He said the future shape of the city's fire service, and any potential station openings, will be a data-driven exercise. He thanked the people of Ballincollig who had supported the firefighters in their campaign and who had staged protests calling for the reopening of the towns fire station. But he said following the rejection by firefighters of interim WRC proposals in June, which included the 9am to 6pm reopening of the station, more meaningful proposals had emerged following the second round of WRC facilitated talks. We understand the feeling amongst people of Ballincollig that the station should be reopened. And that may be the case, but there has to be a data driven case for it. And that will require patience, he said. It is understood that there will be a series of talks over the coming 12 days to hammer out the details around the implementation of the latest WRC proposals which are due to come into effect from 9am on September 17. Siptu has always insisted that the root cause of the dispute lay with the failure of fire service management to reinstate the Ballincollig retained fire and rescue service or provide additional resources to the Cork City Fire Brigade to provide cover in Ballincollig following the 2019 city boundary extension. The town had a retained fire service when it was within the administrative area of Cork County Council. The proposal does not provide for the reopening of Ballincollig fire station which had become a key public focus of the dispute in recent months. It also had a full-time fire service for several months after it came within the administrative area of the city after the boundary extension. But despite the launch of a high-profile retained firefighter recruitment campaign over two years ago, the city council has yet to hire a single retained firefighter to crew the Ballincollig station. Siptu said the boundary extension has seen an expansion of the area covered by the Cork City Fire Brigade without the provision of enough additional staff. City councillors were told in July that the Ballincollig station ground has been classed as a medium low-risk station ground with 230 incidents per year, compared to Anglesea St station, with 1,541 incidents per year, and Ballyvolane station with almost 1,120 incidents per year both are categorised as being very high risk. A full-time service is not required for this [Ballincollig] station ground as confirmed by national guidance. It has always been a station ground served by a retained fire crew, council chief executive Ann Doherty said. Callouts in the city brigade have reduced by 20% over the last 20 years, while approved brigade staffing levels over that time have not changed, she said. Tanaiste Micheal Martin has said that he was anxious that Ireland open its doors to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war, and that we should remind ourselves of that as he visited a memorial to the Holocaust in Israel today. The Tanaiste said he was deeply moved by the tour of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre, in Jerusalem, which began his three-day visit to the Middle East. He laid a wreath at the centre and said it was important to never forget these events and to ensure it never happens again. It also causes us to reflect on the centrality of freedom of speech, free media and toleration in our society, he said. Mr Martin also visited the Garden of the Righteous Among the Nations, which honours those who sought to save Jews from the Nazis during the Holocaust. Among the list was Cork woman Mary Elizabeth Elmes, who was credited with helping to save Jewish children escape the Nazis in Vichy France. The visit comes amidst heightened tensions in the region this year and amid fears of a worrying escalation in violence over recent months. The Tanaiste was given a guided tour of the centre by Jonathan Matthews, who had done his PhD on the dissemination of Irish nationalist literature in the British empire. During his meetings, he said he wanted to articulate Irelands concern about the current situation of the Middle Eastern peace process. He said escalating violence in the region was a concern both for Ireland and the EU. We want to engage on the situation and put our perspectives on the situation in terms of how moderation could come to the fore, he said. And to discuss a two-State solution which we are committed to. Micheal Martin at Yad Vashem in Israel Picture: Phil Behan/DFA Mr Martin said his experience at the museum was a solemn reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust. Mr Martin pointed to a document displayed in the museum created by Nazi government officials during the war which listed an approximate number of Jews in each country of Europe, including Ireland. When they were looking at the final solution, it wasnt just occupied Europe, he said. When asked if he wished Ireland had taken in Jews fleeing the Nazis, the Tanaiste pointed to the current situation with Ukrainian refugees. He said: One of the reasons I was very anxious we would open the doors to Ukrainian refugees, fleeing the worst war in Europe since World War II. We should remind ourselves of that. It was interesting again in the museum to see how Ukrainian Jews were massacred in a savage way. And how countries on the eastern side of Europe have repeatedly throughout history suffered such calamitous atrocities against them. He later visited the city of Lod, a mixed community of Arabs and Jews, and was given a tour of the centre by the heads of the Abraham Initiatives Project which aims to foster collaboration between the two communities. Ireland has provided support to the project and said the countrys own experience of the peace process had been used to inform their initiatives. In the afternoon, he was due to meet with Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and later with the Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer and with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This evening, Mr Martin attended the Israel Council on Foreign Relations, where he faced questions on how a Sinn Fein Government would affect Israel. In response, he claimed that Sinn Fein had been populist on almost all issues, and that they would tax their way out of a crisis. He said that the formation of the next Government remained unclear at this point. His visit continues with meetings with Palestinian officials tomorrow before travelling to Jordan on Thursday. Gage County Crime Stoppers has been working with law enforcement in the county for several years, but has recently began more active efforts to fight crime and make the community safer. The organization is a non-profit founded in 1988 and operated by a volunteer citizen board. The board and law enforcement partners meet monthly. The program was modeled after the National Crime Stoppers Organization that rewarded citizens with money in exchange for anonymous information leading to an arrest and/or conviction of a suspect in a crime. Crime Stoppers was developed in Albuquerque, N.M. after a college student, Michael Carmen, was shot to death during a robbery at a gas station in July 1976. When no witnesses came forward a group created an anonymous method of reporting with a reward given to the reporter. After the recreation of the crime was aired, several individuals came forward with information in a short time and the persons responsible were arrested and later convicted. Since the Crime Stoppers program started in 1976, there are now more than 950 Crime Stoppers programs worldwide. Sgt. Tim Hanson with the Gage County Sheriffs Office said it is a partnership. Justice works best when the public and law enforcement work together, he said. Crime Stoppers is the organization that coordinates this effort and it works with great efficiency and brings to light information that law enforcement might not otherwise be able to obtain. Several criminal cases have been solved in Gage County in recent years through Crime Stoppers tips and the partnership between the public and law enforcement. Gage County Sheriffs Office Chief Deputy Doug Klaus said it is an underutilized resource in the community. Gage County Crime Stoppers is an underutilized free resource that allows citizens to inter interact anonymously with local law enforcement and provide potentially valuable information or tips on unsolved crimes, he said. And, at the same time those community members that make the call, may be eligible for a cash reward. President Jacque Borzekofski said the organization is funded by donations. All the money utilized by Crime Stoppers for rewards is donated by service clubs and private donors, she said. We have also been fundraising. Gage County Crime Stoppers is one of this years Big Give Gage organizations with a goal of $5,000. More information on the organization can be found on the Gage County Crime Stoppers Facebook page. Anyone with information on a crime can call 402-228-4343 to make a report anonymously and possibly be eligible for a cash reward. Fine Gael TD and former Cabinet Minister Richard Bruton has confirmed that he will not contest the next general election. Mr Bruton confirmed his intention to stand down at a Fine Gael Dublin Bay North constituency meeting on Tuesday. It has been a privilege to get the chance to represent you on the council, in the Dail, and in cabinet. I will continue to work hard for you up to the end of this Dail term, Mr Bruton said. I would like to thank all those who have helped me in my work throughout my career, particularly my family, my friends, and Fine Gael members. "That loyalty means so much to me. "However, this is the right time, as new constituencies are forming, to give others the chance to take on the role. Paying tribute to Mr Bruton, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that he had an immense impact on Irish politics over his career. Richard's intelligence, his incredible work ethic, and his ability to get things done, have made him an extremely effective representative in his many roles over the course of his career. "He has achieved a huge amount and I wish him and his family all the very best for the future, Mr Varadkar said. Mr Bruton is among a series of Fine Gael TDs that have announced that they would not be contesting the next general election, including former agriculture minister Michael Creed, Brendan Griffin, John Paul Phelan, Joe McHugh, and David Stanton. Mr Bruton, who recently turned 70, was first elected to the Dail in the 1982 general election. Mr Bruton first entered Cabinet in 1994 as the minister for enterprise and employment in the rainbow coalition of Fine Gael, Labour, and Democratic Left. After Fine Gael returned to opposition in 1997, he continued on as a frontbench spokesperson. Under Enda Kennys leadership of Fine Gael, Mr Bruton became the partys deputy leader. However, in 2010 he undertook a failed leadership challenge against Mr Kenny, having been backed by TDs like Mr Varadkar and Simon Coveney. Leo Varadkar, Richard Bruton, and Enda Kenny in 2011. Despite being removed as the partys finance spokesperson, Mr Bruton returned to Cabinet in 2011 as enterprise minister, before serving as education minister and then environment minister. He was not returned to the Cabinet after the 2020 election, but was elected as chairman of the Fine Gael parliamentary party. Mr Varadkar said that Fine Gael was confident it could retain its seat in Dublin Bay North, saying that the process of candidate selection to replace Mr Bruton would begin. We will proceed to select a candidate or candidates in the coming months to give them maximum time and the best chance of success. Worried about cyberbullying, grooming, and exposure to harmful content, many parents support a ban on smartphones in schools, in theory. As it emerged this week that Education Minister Norma Foley is to support schools trying to ban smartphones, the eighth annual report from CyberSafeKids makes for scary reading when it comes to childrens safety online. More than a quarter of all children surveyed had seen or experienced something online in the last year that bothered, scared or upset them, or made them wish they had not seen such sexual or violent content. Alongside a burgeoning body of scientific research in the area, recent calls from Unesco to remove smartphones from classrooms put the spotlight firmly on the harmful effects of their unrestricted use on children. However, it goes without saying that most Irish schools already restrict childrens access to personal devices throughout the school day. Many have done so since Nokia 3310s started becoming popular post-Confirmation purchases for freshly minted students back in the early 2000s. And while parental support for smartphone bans remains high on all accounts, so too remains the rate of smartphone ownership among children. CyberSafeKids points to almost three in four 12-year-olds owning a smartphone before making the transition to secondary school. It could be read that the high rates of ownership among children coupled with the widespread support for a ban of such devices among parents are more to do with parents being uncomfortable with their own childs smartphone usage. However, no one wants to be the odd one out on the playground, be it the child without the tech all their friends have access to or the big meanie parent to first initiate their own household ban. Read More A Guide to Parenting in a Digital Age Dealing with fallout In the meantime, schools are finding themselves increasingly forced to deal with the fallout when students online activities go awry. Things like being excluded from a chat group, seeing nasty comments posted about yourself, or receiving hurtful messages most often happen away from school premises and late at night, with their ramifications then following students back onto the playground the next day. Almost three-quarters of the teachers surveyed told CyberSafeKids online safety was a significant issue in their school, and a further 62% reported dealing with online safety incidents, including cyberbullying, more than once over the past year. Principal of Presentation Primary School in Terenure, Dublin, Carmel Hume said the latest CyberSafeKids report confirmed the findings of the schools own teachers. We were shocked by the number of children who had access to their smartphones in their bedrooms late at night. Many slept with phones under their pillows. Negative commentary online has become normalised and the nuances of face-to-face communication and engagements are being lost, she believes. As principal of an all-girls school, I worry about the influence of social media on image and body positivity, and I urge parents and guardians to exercise stronger control. Peer pressure Few of us can stand strong in the face of sustained peer pressure, be it young people or their parents, and this is where such voluntary initiatives banning smartphones are seeing success. Started by parents' associations at eight schools in Greystones, Co Wicklow, earlier this year, the no-smartphone code allows parents to present a united front, making it easier to say no to providing such devices. A similar approach was rolled out across all primary schools in Waterford at the start of the new term, with each school asking parents not to give their children smartphones until they reach secondary school or to allow them access to social media and age-restricted games. Influenced by the success of Greystones, schools across the county joined together earlier this year to work on the campaign in conjunction with Barnardos. At the time, Portlaw National School principal Brian Barron, who is a parent himself, said it could be difficult for parents to say no to smartphones on their own. "Our hope is that this charter will encourage parents to start a conversation amongst themselves and to empower them to draw a line for their children." Buy-in from parents These initiatives are seeing success because they have significant buy-in from parents. Putting it simply down to a school-only initiative will not cut it, especially for a national policy. The haste to discuss and debate a potential schoolwide ban also moves the spotlight away from social media companies and their responsibilities to online safety. CyberSafeKids highlighted a case of a family where an imposter account featuring photos and inappropriate posts had been set up in their childs name on a popular video-sharing platform. The person behind the fake account was calling the child names such as paedo, which of course was deeply distressing for the family, who reported it to the platform immediately. However, despite reporting it multiple times via different channels, the family received no response at all for three weeks. It was later sorted within four minutes of the case being reported by the charity. At the end of the day, children's safety online is a shared responsibility requiring a more urgent response from all shareholders, including social media platforms. Online safety of children is a critical issue that is not being addressed in Irelands education system or by the social media companies, according to CyberSafeKids chief executive, Alex Cooney. "Our data shows children are extremely active on social media, often unsupervised, leaving them highly vulnerable to bullying, grooming and exposure to violent or sexual content," said Ms Cooney. "We urge the government to invest heavily in more resources and campaigns to support both parents and educators. While organisations like CyberSafeKids barely have the funding to survive, many online service providers report annual profits in the billion." These comments were based on the publication of the CybersafeKids Trends and Usage Report, now in its eighth year. The survey reported that more than a quarter (26%) of young children surveyed experienced something online in the last year that upset or scared them. Of those, almost a third did not tell an adult, sibling or friend what they saw. Almost all (93%) of 8- to 12-year-olds owned a smart device and almost half (47%) owned a smart phone. Almost a third of 8- to 12-year-olds and three quarters of 12- to 16-year-olds are allowed online whenever they want and girls are more likely to be victimised than boys with almost half (43%) saying they were targets of cyber bullying. The report is based on a survey of more than 5,000 8- to 16-year-olds conducted between September 2022 and June 2023. Ms Cooney urged the Government to invest heavily in more resources and campaigns to support parents and educators. The Government announced this week that it was looking for ways to help schools that are trying to ban smartphones. Education Minister Norma Foley announced that she is working closely with principals and parents organisations with a view to rolling out initiatives to support schools looking to roll out bans. While campaigns to keep smartphones out of schools is overdue, as important and barely mentioned is urgent guidance and campaigns to support parents to keep smart phones and other smart devices out of bedrooms at night. Research from the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (2019) suggested that parents could keep phones out of childrens bedrooms, adding that teenagers need up to 10 hours sleep at night. Former Chief Medical Officer for England, Dame Sally Davies, recommended in 2019 that parents should not allow children to take phones and other electronic devices into their bedrooms or use them during mealtimes. The UK organisation Ofcom reported earlier this year that, unbelievably, a fifth of 3- to 5-year-olds have their own mobile phone. Research from the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (2019) reported that while frequent use of social media does appear to be linked to poorer mental health, the effects are not direct. Instead, it suggests such links might be down to social media use displacing other activities such as sleep or that it opens doors to cyberbullying. Co-author of the study, Professor Russel Viner, said: "While we obsess about social media, how much do we obsess about how much our young people sleep? Not very much, but it is a more important factor, actually, in determining their mental health." The team suggested that one approach is for parents to keep phones out of childrens bedrooms, adding that teenagers need up to 10 hours sleep at night. Dr Dasha Nicholls from Imperial College London, one of the co-authors, said adults should ask children whether they were being bullied online. "Parents and others need to know what their young peoples social environment is online as much as they do in the real world. When you account for cyberbullying, physical activity and sleep, the effect of social media in girls washes out completely," Prof. Viner stated. The study found the same trio of factors explained much less of the link in boys. Prof. Viner said it was likely other indirect effects were at play as it was unlikely a direct effect would only be seen in one gender. It could be that cyber bullying was less common, or less stressful, for boys than girls. Read More A Guide to Parenting in a Digital Age Creativity Tom Madders, campaign director of the charity Young Minds said the study highlighted the importance of educating children about how to use social media in a positive way. "Social media can help young people express themselves, connect with friends and find support, but it can also intensify some of the hardest parts of growing up. "We often hear from young people about the devastating effects of online bullying, and about how easy it is to find distressing content. As this report suggests, frequent use can also affect sleep, which can have a knock-on effect on mental health." Perhaps the real question is, if children as young as three and four years have their own phones to watch funny videos whenever they want, what is that doing to their creativity? American record producer Rick Rubin in his brand new book The Creative Act: A Way of Being describes how from the moment we enter the world we perceive, filter and collect data. Much of that data is gathered through our senses as well as "higher frequencies that cannot physically be grasped". "The ability to look deeply is the root of creativity. To see past the ordinary and the mundane and get to what might otherwise be invisible. Each of us has a container within. It is constantly being filled with data. It holds the sum of all our thoughts, feelings, dreams and experiences in the world. "Those experiences, feelings and dreams are filtered by the energy and awareness we give to what is going on outside around us and inside in our minds." What happens when awe and inspiration and creativity is muted by the constant stream of mundane data being spoon-fed continually on screens? Rubin suggest that what is lost is the ability to listen. "If were not listening we miss those cues and are left with a life that is sterile, boring, mundane." American record producer Rick Rubin in his brand new book said: "The ability to look deeply is the root of creativity." Does that sound familiar to what young people are telling us today? Does that resonate with high levels of boredom and poor self-esteem where every ounce of creativity has been sapped by the distraction of inane chatter on mobile devices? "For the lungs to draw in air, they must first be emptied. For the mind to draw inspiration, it wants space to welcome the new. Most of what we see in the world holds the potential to inspire astonishment if looked at from a less jaded perspective. Train yourself to see the awe behind the obvious." The world of screen and smartphones is one of sleepless nights and humdrum days where the thrill of inspiration and awe has evaporated. Do we want to listen to our psyche or our smartphone? Both science and art are telling us that, if we want to put creativity at the centre of our kids and all our lives, we all need to extract screens from filtering into every aspect of our day and out of the bedroom at night. With mental health services for young people on the brink of collapse, there is an urgent need for Government to invest heavily in a public health campaign to get smartphones out of the hands of children and out of bedrooms at night. Read More We can't just rely on schools to lead the way on smartphone use Around this time seven years ago an innocent man was out walking with this wife and children while on holiday in Spain when a man shot him dead from behind. Trevor ONeill, a council worker from Drimnagh in Dublin, had nothing to do with the Hutch gang when his life was brutally ended on the streets of Costa de la Calma, near Magaluf, in August 2016. The gunman had got mixed up after Mr ONeill was spotted chatting to a Hutch family member near their holiday apartment and shot the wrong person. His death brought to eight the number of murders the Kinahan cartel had carried out since February of that year, after a Hutch hit-team attempted to kill cartel leader Daniel Kinahan and succeeded in killing his lieutenant David Byrne at the Regency Hotel. It was the height of the recklessness and arrogance of the Kinahan cartel as they pursued an extermination campaign against their rivals in the Hutch gang. The Hutch network and the wider Hutch family was in disarray, many under round-the-clock protection while others, most notably Gerry The Monk Hutch, hiding abroad. Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch . But how the table has turned. As revealed in the Irish Examiner, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has flown out to the United Arab Emirates to meet police chiefs and government officials in a bid to secure their agreement to start sending cartel leaders back to Ireland. He was joined by Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly of organised and serious crime. Christopher Kinahan and his sons, Daniel and Christopher junior, continue to live in Dubai along with other senior cartel lieutenants, including Sean McGovern. Two months ago, gardai submitted a file to the DPP recommending a charge of directing be brought against the cartels operational leader Daniel Kinahan. It is thought that the DPP's deliberations will take some time as there are an estimated 30 volumes in the investigation file. Last month, Garda bosses met Drug Enforcement Agency officials in Dublin. Various Garda sources agree the prominent partnership with the US is key in efforts to try and persuade the Dubai authorities to act. While possible legal avenues are not yet clear, the UAE authorities have deported major criminals before, including drug lord Ridouan Taghi to the Netherlands in December 2019 and mafia boss Raffaele Imperiale to Italy in March 2022. The men are both associates of Daniel Kinahan and are members of what the DEA has described as a super cartel involving Irish, British, Bosnian, Dutch, and Chilean traffickers. Trevor O'Neill from Dublin was shot dead in August 2016. The two crime bosses were flown out of the UAE in a coordinated operation with Dutch and Italian police, who were backed by the US. But it followed very intensive, and turbulent, engagement and negotiations between the European countries and the UAE. Lawyers for both men have claimed that they were effectively kidnapped out of UAE, with Imperiales lawyers claiming it beached the European Convention on Human Rights. The Irish Examiner understands that Sean McGovern, Daniel Kinahans right-hand man, could be the test case in Irelands efforts to get the cartel leaders deported. This is because McGovern, unlike the cartel leaders, faces charges in Ireland and has a European Arrest Warrant against him, issued in April 2022. That was the same month US authorities placed a 15m reward for information relating to apprehension of the three Kinahan leaders and which sanctioned four lieutenants, including McGovern. The focus first is on McGovern, its a bit of a test case," said one source. "If we get him over the line, then we can look for the Kinahans, but its going to be a long road for them. Sources also believe there is pressure on the DPP and gardai to get their charge or charges against Daniel Kinahan right before proceeding. Gardai say deportations are very rare from the UAE and know a lot of further negotiations and engagement may be necessary. Its all down to the UAE authorities, said one senior source. If they decide to act there could be movement relatively quickly on McGovern, but we simply dont know. But they may not want to be seen, especially by the Americans, as not acting." A multi-party delegation of six Australian politicians will travel to the United States to push for an end to the pursuit of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The US has pushed to extradite Julian Assange, who is an Australian citizen, after his website WikiLeaks published thousands of US documents in 2010, which included a cache of military and diplomatic files, some of which were classified. Mr Assange has been detained in in Britains Belmarsh Prison for the last four years and is in the midst of appealing the United Kingdoms decision to agree to US extradition. The cross-party group, including former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, revealed their intention to the press in Canberra on Tuesday, September 5. Even Australians who didn't support Julian's actions believe he has suffered enough and should be set free immediately The group of MPs told reporters gathered at Parliament House in the nations capital that they have timed their trip for maximum impact as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prepares to visit the White House in October. Member for Kooyong Monique Ryan told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that the cross-party delegation represents a large group of MPs who feel really, really strongly about the importance of securing Mr Assanges freedom. Dr Ryan said: What we will be asking the US to do is to demonstrate their commitment to the First Amendment. Greg Barns, human rights lawyer and campaign adviser for Mr Assange, Greg Barns said the majority of Australians believe the US pursuit of the WikiLeaks founder should come to an end. That can only happen if the US Department of Justice drops its extradition bid at once, he said. Mr Assanges brother Gabriel Shipton added that Australians had had a gutful. Mr Shipton said: The vast majority of Australians cant understand why the US continues to act in a way that keeps Julian locked up in one of the worst prisons in the UK. Even Australians who didnt support Julians actions believe he has suffered enough and should be set free immediately. The delegation will include former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, Liberal senator Alex Antic, independent MP Monique Ryan, Labor MP Tony Zappia and Greens senators David Shoebridge and Peter Whish-Wilson. Police stepped in to detain a 12ft-long python after a member of the public reported the snake slithering along a street in West Bromwich UK, in the early hours. A picture released by West Midlands Police showed three officers getting to grips with the reptile after being called to Harwood Street at about 1.30am on Tuesday. Fierce rainstorms have battered neighbouring Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, triggering flooding that caused at least five deaths, including those of two holidaymakers swept away by a torrent which raged through a campsite. Turkish interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said four other people were missing after the flash flood swept over the campsite in the Kirklareli province, near the border with Bulgaria. He said about 12 tourists were at the site when the waters hit. Search teams had found two bodies, he said on Twitter, now known as X. The search and rescue efforts for the missing (four) continue uninterrupted, he added. A man cleans debris from floodwater in the town of Volos, central Greece (Anastasia Karekla/Eurokinissi/AP) Television footage showed rescuers carrying a young girl and an adult to safety from waters reaching waist-high in some areas. The rains also damaged and forced the closure of a main road, HaberTurk television reported. In Greece, police banned traffic in the central town of Volos, the nearby mountain region of Pilion and the resort island of Skiathos as record rainfall caused at least one death, channeled thigh-high torrents through streets and swept cars away. The fire service said a man was killed near Volos when a wall buckled and fell on him. Five people were reported missing, possibly swept away by floodwater. Authorities sent mobile phone alerts in several other areas of central Greece, the Sporades island chain and the island of Evia warning people to limit their movements outdoors. Floodwater in the town of Volos, central Greece (George Kidonas/InTime News/AP) Streams overflowed their banks and swept cars into the sea in the Pilion area, while rockfalls blocked roads, a small bridge was carried away and many areas suffered power cuts. Greeces minister for civil protection, Vassilis Kikilias, said the storms were forecast to ease after noon on Wednesday and urged people in afflicted areas to stay indoors. According to meteorologists, its the most extreme event as far as maximum rainfall in a day is concerned since record-keeping started, he said, adding that in one part of Pilion 6.45cm (2.5in) of rain had fallen by early afternoon. Mr Kikilias said rainfall was forecast to intensify later on Tuesday and again on Wednesday morning after a brief respite overnight. Greeces weather service said the Pilion region could get about 6.5-7cm (2.5-2.8in) of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, while 5-6cm were forecast for the central town of Karditsa. It noted that the average annual rainfall in the Athens region is around 40cm. The storm comes on the heels of major summer wildfires that hit Greece over the past few weeks, with some burning for more than a fortnight and destroying vast tracts of forest and farmland. More than 20 people were killed in the fires. Residents remove debris in Volos, central Greece (George Kidonas/InTime News/AP) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis blamed both the wildfires and storms on climate change, while conceding that his centre-right government clearly didnt manage things as well as we would have liked on the wildfire front. I am afraid that the careless summers, as we knew them will cease to exist and from now on the coming summers are likely to be ever more difficult, he said on Tuesday. Farther north in Bulgaria, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said two people died and three others were missing after a storm caused floods on the countrys southern Black Sea coast. Overflowing rivers caused severe damage to roads and bridges. The area also suffered power cuts and authorities warned residents not to drink tap water due to contamination from floodwater. High winds sent twp-metre (six-foot) waves crashing on to beaches at tourist resorts amid torrential rain that flooded streets and houses. TV footage showed cars and camper vans being swept out to sea in the hardest-hit southern resort town of Tsarevo. Authorities declared a state of emergency in Tsarevo and urged people to move upstairs as the ground floors of some hotels were inundated. Fresh attacks by junta troops on villages around the railway line in Sagaing Region have forced over 25,000 civilians to abandon their homes, local sources said. Soldiers in seven separate columns unleashed heavy weapons and arson attacks on villages in three townships, forcing thousands of families to flee. On Saturday, nearly 800 regime troops from Mandalay and Shwebo were attacking in a corridor running north from Sagaing through Wetlet and Shwebo townships, torching villages and firing heavy weapons, according to the head of Shwebo District Battalion 18 resistance group. The troops split into columns and raided villages along the Mandalay-Shwebo-Myitkyina railway. The attacks forced thousands of residents from 31 villages in the three townships to flee their homes amid heavy monsoon rain. It is not clear whether they [junta troops] are preparing the railway or only conducting clearance operations. Residents are fleeing anyway because troops are killing anyone who confronts them, said the resistance chief, who identified himself as Captain Eagle. The villagers are sheltering in the forest amid heavy rain and lack food or medicine, he added. In the longer term, it will be more difficult for the residents because they wont be able to return to their farms to make their living. Regime troops are shooting and killing villagers on farmland, Captain Eagle told The Irrawaddy. A Wetlet resident said four military columns are now raiding villages from their bases east and north of the township. The troops torched houses in Sa Khan Thar village on Tuesday. All the villagers in eastern Wetlet along the Irrawaddy River are fleeing amid the raid. We are also fleeing now, he told The Irrawaddy. Junta soldiers raiding settlements along the Mandalay-Shwebo-Myitkyina railway since August 15 have killed 20 residents of Sagaing and Wetlet townships over 20 days, according to resistance fighters. Myanmars military regime has again imposed restrictions on delivery of food and other necessities to political detainees in some jails including Insein Prison in Yangon and Obo Prison in Mandalay, according to family members and volunteers. The regime often responds to protests staged by political prisoners by banning their access to food and other necessities sent from outside jail. Volunteers aiding political prisoners say the regime has imposed restrictions since late August at Insein Prison, Obo Prison, Pathein Prison in Ayeyarwady Region, Myingyan Prison in Mandalay Region, Tharyarwaddy Prison in Bago Region, and Dawei and Myeik prisons in Tanintharyi Region. A volunteer said: Tharyarwaddy Prison has imposed restrictions on delivery of food and necessities to political prisoners since August. Under the new restrictions, political prisoners are permitted to receive just one parcel per fortnight, down from two per week previously. Non-family members are also banned from sending parcels to political prisoners. Family members also face financial constraints in sending parcels to remote prisons. A family member of a political detainee held in Tharyarwaddy Prison said: We are from Yangon, and it costs at least 150,000 kyats [around US$ 40 at the market exchange rate of around 3,800 kyats per dollar] to travel and stay at a guesthouse [in Pyay] to send parcels. This is a problem for us considering the current economic woes. The regime has also prohibited deliveries of medicine to political prisoners unless it comes with a doctors prescription. And any medicine sent can only be used with the approval of prison medics. The new restrictions are designed to inflict physical and psychological torment on political prisoners and their families, said former political detainees. There are prisoners who survive on food delivered by their families as food provided by the prison is not enough for them, said U Thaik Tun Oo, a member of the Myanmar Political Prisoners Network. By restricting delivery of food, the regime wants to cause psychological distress to political prisoners and their family members. The new restrictions come amid a spike in reports of torture against political detainees, said former political prisoners. The regime is deliberately oppressing political prisoners, U Thaik Tun Oo said. I urge international human rights watchdogs, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to think of ways to prevent this happening in prisons. Issuing statements alone will not lead to compliance by the corrections department. The Myanmar Political Prisoners Network recently called on the regime to lift the ban on family visits imposed during the COVID-19 outbreak and allow family members to visit prisoners at least once a month. As of Sept. 1, the regime had arrested 24,632 people for opposing military rule since the February 2021 coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Of them, 19,846 people remain in detention and 7,254 have been handed prison sentences. While the ASEAN summit in Jakarta lacks a junta representative, China, India and Thailand met generals and ministers from Myanmars regime to discuss bilateral cooperation. On Monday, Chinas Vice Admiral Liu Zizhu visited Myanmars chief of the general staff, General Maung Maung Aye, in Naypyitaw. They reportedly discussed military cooperation, border stability and the rule of law. Major General Yang Yang of Chinas intelligence bureau, met the juntas deputy leader, Soe Win, on May 30. China has remained a major ally and arms supplier to the junta since the 2021 coup. At least nine junta ministers flew to China over the past month for meetings. The deputy prime minister and planning and finance minister Win Shein last week attended the Quality Conference hosted by China in Chengdu, where he invited investment in Myanmars electricity and energy sectors. Indian ambassador to Myanmar Vinay Kumar met Win Shein and foreign minister Than Swe, transport and communications minister, General Mya Tun Oo, and the electricity minister, former major general Nyan Tun, on Monday. Kumar discussed the promotion of friendship, how to increase border trade and the implementation of other bilateral projects, closer cooperation in ASEAN, the United Nations and other international arenas, cooperation in electricity, including cross-border power lines and capacity-building training for junta ministry staff. The Thai ambassador to Myanmar, Mongkol Visitstump, also met Nyan Tun to discuss electricity cooperation and cross-border power lines. The ambassador also held talks on Monday on technology transfers and cooperation in the exploration and distribution of oil and gas. Myanmar has suffered from serious power outages since the 2021 coup. Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has admitted that the troubled power supply is a challenge for his regime. The current production meets around 50 percent of national demand. Despite international condemnation of the regime, India, China and Thailand have stepped up their cooperation with Myanmars generals since earlier this year. Nebraska lawmakers changed the law that year, shifting the burden of proof from the prosecution to the defense and giving judges not mental health boards authority to decide when to release patients found not responsible by reason of insanity. The law stands today. Every year since 1979, Simants appeared before a Lincoln County judge, who reviewed psychiatric reports to determine whether Simants was still mentally ill and a danger to the public. In 2013, Simants' attorney said doctors agreed he was no longer mentally ill. By then, he was no longer taking psychiatric medication. But Lincoln County District Judge Donald Rowlands found that Simants, then 68, remained mentally ill and dangerous, ordering he stay in a locked building at the Regional Center a ruling that garnered praise from then-Gov. Dave Heineman. Judges have come to the same conclusion each year since then and have also ruled against moving Simants to an inpatient or nursing home environment to deal with the health problems he battled as he aged. His last competency evaluation was in December, when Judge Michael Piccolo ruled Simants was still considered mentally ill and dangerous and could only leave the regional center grounds for medical appointments and outings with staff or family members and friends. Audrey Brown, the only surviving Kellie sibling who had moved to Colorado just weeks before Simants' 1975 attack, died in 2018. She had driven to Lincoln for Simants' annual review hearings each year for more than three decades. "I think the courts need to recognize, and the public needs to recognize, there was a real family involved in this and somebody still loves them and cares about them, she said in 2013. Malaysia has called on ASEAN to take strong measures against Myanmars junta at the blocs annual summit in Jakarta. Reuters reported that the unusually blunt message from Malaysia came after Southeast Asian representatives met to review the blocs failed peace plan on Myanmar, known as the five-point consensus. ASEAN leaders agreed the peace plan during an emergency summit in April 2021, two months after Myanmars coup but the junta has ignored the proposals. Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir on Monday said the junta has created obstacles that blocked the implementation of the peace plan. Malaysia and other member countries gave their views that we cannot allow this to continue without strong and effective measures imposed on the junta, he said, according to media reports. He did not name the other members who shared Malaysias view. Leaders are meeting in Jakarta this week to discuss the crisis in Myanmar and Chinas growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. Ahead of the summit, ASEAN civil society representatives called on regional leaders to cut ties with the junta and establish official relations with the National Unity Government, National Unity Consultative Council and ethnic revolutionary organizations and civil society groups at the ASEAN Peoples Forum on Sunday. Myanmars junta has ignored the five-point peace plan and its demand to halt violence and hold dialogue among all parties, despite junta chief Min Aung Hlaing agreeing to it in April 2021. The junta continues to ramp up its nationwide crackdown to suppress opposition to military rule. As punishment, the bloc has banned the regimes leadership from joining ASEAN summits but continues to allow senior military officers and junta ministers to join lower-level meetings. Federal Wings, a resistance drone group in Karen State, on Monday warned all junta civil servants in Myawaddy Township to quit their jobs and leave government housing or risk being killed in drone attacks. The group on Sunday attacked the Myawaddy District Administration Department office, killing five regime officials. In our revolution, we want to harm only the regime troops, said Federal Wings. It told all other government staff and their families to leave junta offices and housing. Myawaddys residents were also told to move a safe distance from government offices and military bases. Federal Wings, which is allied with the Karen National Liberation Army, on Sunday evening targeted junta troops and police with two drones. It repeated the attacks 90 minutes later when regime officials were inspecting the damage. The drone strikes killed Soe Tint, a junta-appointed district administrator, Lieutenant Colonel Aung Kyaw Min, commander of Light Infantry Brigade 275, two district administrative staff and a traffic policeman, according to a leaked official document. Another 11 police officers, including a superintendent, were reportedly injured by the drones. In response junta fighter jets on Monday bombed the regimes former hilltop base on Mount Lat Khat Taung outside Myawaddy town, which was seized by resistance groups in July, according to media reports. Tuesday, Sep 5th, 2023 (2:25 pm) - Score 2,040 Space broadband provider OneWeb, which is part-owned by the UK government and typically offers its services to organisations rather than individuals (e.g. ISPs, businesses, governments, shipping etc.), has begun testing a new foldable, person portable User Terminal (UT) in London today. Just to recap. OneWeb has already launched 634 of their small (c.150kg) first generation (GEN1) broadband satellites into space orbiting at an altitude of 1,200km above the Earth (588 of them for coverage and the rest are for redundancy). The network, which was technically completed in March 2023 (here), promises ultrafast speeds and fast latency times. But some work (e.g. ground stations) still needs to be completed before full global coverage goes live around the end of 2023. NOTE: UK ISP UK ISP BT are currently working with OneWeb on a rural broadband trial ( here and here ). However, unlike SpaceXs rival Starlink platform, the new network does not currently sell broadband services directly to end-users and so the terminal hardware it typically adopts is normally much larger and likely more expensive too. But in an interesting development, OneWeb has just begun showing a new foldable, person portable User Terminal (UT) from Inster in London today (pictured top). Today in London, we are showcasing our brand-new UT, with OneWebbers connecting to the OneWeb network from their own devices, said the company in a brief statement. The details are currently very limited, and so we dont know if this could mark the first step toward a direct consumer package. But we suspect it will probably act more as a specialist connectivity option for military or other users when out in the field. The kit certainly looks quite rugged and reminds yours truly of his Meccano set from decades past. Hopefully more details will be revealed in the near future. UPDATE 11th Sept 2023 OneWeb has confirmed that their new fully person-portable lightweight user terminal (UT), which is intended to fit easily into a backpack, has been designed to enable new connectivity capabilities for military operations and emergency response teams working in areas beyond the bounds of traditional terrestrial networks and direct to the tactical edge. The FoldSat LEo Ku OW Mil terminal is OneWebs first fully ruggedized user terminal. The small terminal is self-aligning and easy to deploy and optimised for operation over the OneWeb Ku-Band LEO satellite constellation for communications on the pause. Manufactured by Inster (Oesia Group), it weighs just 11.8kg and has a low profile and foldable antenna design. The Wi-Fi 6 access point can provide connectivity up to 100 metres. Air Vice-Marshal (Retired) Chris Moore, VP Defence and Security at OneWeb, said: Maritime, air or land forces operating at the tactical edge require high quality connectivity in all environmental conditions. In highly dynamic situations, the ability to access information wherever and whenever its needed provides competitive advantage coupled with person-portability when wheels, tracks and rotor blades are not an option, making this terminal a real game changer. The pizza box sized FoldSat LEo user terminal, is lightweight, quick and efficient to deploy, yet still provides high speed, resilient connectivity, an ideal portable solution for those in the most testing of locations. The new terminal can also operate via a multi-option external power source; mains, battery, solar or vehicle battery, while still delivering high-speeds. With a throughput of up to 195Mbps download and 32Mbps upload speeds, it features external GNSS input for GPS denied environments. The FoldSat Leo is available in two models military grade in Tactical Green colour and commercial grade in White the new terminal measures 452L x 374W x 114H mm in folded portable form, and 855L x 374W x 57H mm unfolded when operational. The terminal also comes with a military grade AC/DC unit, tripod and a set of optional extras (transit case, batteries, bespoke backpack). It is designed in compliance with MIL-STD 810H and MIL-STD 461G standards. 1371138342::cfb49c8e-2422-11e5-99a3-d7f5c6e8b241 A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Months after Nebraska's Legislature passed a bill allowing most residents older than 21 to carry concealed weapons without a permit, the new law took effect across the state Saturday with numerous exceptions, particularly in Lincoln. Sponsored and championed by Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, the bill, which becomes law Saturday, invalidates any local ordinances limiting Nebraskans' ability to own, possess, store, transport, sell or transfer firearms. Nebraskans previously had to pass a criminal background check, pay a $100 fee and take an eight- to 16-hour gun safety class to acquire a concealed carry permit. While the law nullifies many of the city's gun-related ordinances including the short-lived city code that, for the past four years, has required residents who keep firearms in their vehicles to store them out of sight with the doors locked it does allow property owners to prohibit concealed carrying on the grounds they control. That provision paved the way for Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird to sign an executive order Friday mitigating the bill's impact on city property. Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert issued a similar order earlier this week. Combined, the two orders prohibit weapons from being carried onto city property in Nebraska's two largest cities. In a new release Friday, city officials in Lincoln said Gaylor Baird's executive order ensures weapons remain prohibited in city buildings, at public libraries and in parks. Gaylor Baird's executive order mirrors a resolution passed this month by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Public Building Commission banning a host of weapons not just firearms from property under control of the commission. Weapons barred from public buildings include guns, Tasers, knives with blades longer than 3.5 inches, any devices that fire propelled objects by a spring mechanisms or compressed gasses, among other prohibited items "intended or likely to cause death or serious bodily injury." The West Haymarket Joint Public Agency, the government body made up of city and University of Nebraska officials that oversees Pinnacle Bank Arena, also passed a resolution this month prohibiting patrons from possessing weapons on the agency's property. And state law still bars gun owners from carrying firearms into law enforcement offices, jails and prisons, courthouses, polling places on election days and meeting places for any public governing bodies including the Legislature. State law also bars firearms inside banks, at pro or semi-pro sporting events, public and private schools and school sporting events, public and private college and university campuses, churches, hospitals and political rallies or fundraisers. Nebraskans also can't carry guns into bars, liquor stores or any other business that generates more than half of its income from the sale of alcohol. Brewer's bill which passed this year after roughly six years of work by the senator who repeatedly tried and failed to push through similar legislation after taking office in 2017 also bars residents from carrying concealed guns while or immediately after consuming drugs or alcohol. Carrying a concealed weapon onto a premises where such weapons are banned or while consuming drugs or alcohol would a Class III misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class I misdemeanor for any or subsequent violation. The bill's many caveats don't apply to law enforcement officials and, in some instances, private security workers who might carry a concealed weapon while working at a bank or venue, for instance. Though the new law eliminates the previous requirement that concealed handgun carriers participate in training, it does add new responsibilities for gun toters. Anyone carrying a concealed weapon in the state must also carry with them personal identification such as a driver's license, a state or military ID card or a passport and must provide such identification when asked by police or emergency service providers. Those carrying a handgun must also immediately notify law enforcement officers or other first responders that they're in possession of a concealed firearm upon contact with authorities, such as during a traffic stop. In those instances, first responders are allowed to secure the gun or ask the carrier to safely store the gun for the duration of their contract with police or emergency personnel. Failing to carry an ID while carrying a concealed handgun would be a misdemeanor under the new law, regardless of how many times a defendant committed the violation. But failing to notify a first responder of the existence of a concealed weapon would be a class III misdemeanor for a first offense, a class I misdemeanor for a second offense, and a class IV felony for additional violations. Failing to comply with a law enforcement directive to temporarily turn over or secure a concealed weapon during a traffic stop or other contact would be a class 1 misdemeanor regardless of the frequency of offenses. The law also amended Nebraska's criminal statute that once barred non-permit-holders from carrying any "deadly weapon," which includes but isn't limited to guns, knives and brass knuckles. The statute now applies to minors or "prohibited" people, who are most often barred from carrying weapons due to prior felony convictions. Brewer's bill also created a new criminal offense: carrying a firearm or destructive device during the commission of a "dangerous misdemeanor." Among dangerous misdemeanors as defined by the law include stalking, domestic assault, theft by shoplifting and resisting arrest. Violating that newly defined statute will be a class I misdemeanor for a first or second offense and class IV felony for any third or subsequent offense. Possession of a firearm concealed or not during the commission of a felony is a class II felony. The law's preemption of local gun ordinances drew opposition from city and police leaders in Lincoln and Omaha, who said removing local control over regulating firearms could jeopardize public safety and put law enforcement officers in danger. "The most important factor in making these decisions should be public safety and the men and women who serve our community," Lincoln's then-Police Chief Teresa Ewins said the day the bill passed in a statement, in which she expressed disappointment in the Legislature's decision. By Friday, police officials had turned their focus to helping residents navigate the changing landscape of the city's gun laws. Lincoln Police Department Capt. Todd Kocian urged current and future gun owners who intend to carry concealed weapons to take some sort of firearm training course before doing so a step that state law used to require. "There's a lot of different types of handguns and various firearms out there on the market that are available, and although they might appear to all be similar or the same, there are some subtle differences in their operation," said Kocian, who serves as a spokesman for the Police Department. He also urged gun owners to review all of the state's gun laws impacted by Saturday's change to ensure compliance. City Attorney Yohance Christie, who in April said the city would "have to think carefully about" how to legislate the movement of guns locally, declined an interview request this week. One person is dead and two others are hospitalized after a car crash on Dodge Street Friday night that closed the road in both directions for more than seven hours, Omaha police said in a press release. The crash occurred about 10:30 p.m. at 62nd and Dodge Streets, near the University of Nebraska at Omaha and St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church. The road was closed from Happy Hollow Boulevard to about 67th Street until 5:45 a.m. Police said two cars a black 2019 Mercedes driven by Mark Carlson, 61, and a black 2014 Buick Encore, driven by Cameron Robinson, 26 were allegedly speeding west on Dodge Street before the crash. Carlson lost control and veered into the eastbound lanes, striking a red 2015 Chevrolet Cruze, according to the press release. Photographs from the scene on the Omaha Scanner Facebook page shows the Cruze flipped over beside the road, and the Mercedes with severe front-end damage. The driver of the Cruze, Anna Bosma, 22, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was pronounced dead at the scene by Omaha Fire Department paramedics. A passenger, William Story, 23, of Sioux Falls, was transported to Nebraska Medical Center. Carlson also was reportedly hospitalized. Police said an investigation into the crash is continuing, and charges are pending. Montanans with student loan debt are gravitating to a new income-based repayment plan as a four-year holiday on loan collection ends. The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday identified at least 13,800 early Montana enrollees in the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE Plan, which adjusts monthly amounts owed based on borrowers income and keeps unpaid interest from adding to the balance owed. Roughly 84% of first-time, full-time students in the Montana University System, students with state residency, receive financial aid, $5,604 on average in the 2021-2022 school year, according to MUS. Loan amounts for bachelors degree recipients averaged $14,806 for 2022 graduates, with about 58% graduating with debt. SAVE is President Joe Bidens response to a June ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which struck down the presidents plant to forgive up to $20,000 in individual student loan debt. Interest, which hadnt been accruing on loans for the past 42 months begins adding up this month. Loan payments resume in October. President Donald Trump suspended interest accrual and monthly payments in March 2020, a practice Biden extended. Since it became clear that we were returning to repayment on student debt, the department has been in touch with 43 million borrowers who are no longer benefitting from the pause on interest, and more than 28 million borrowers who are returning to repayment, James Kvaal, Department of Education undersecretary, said in a Tuesday press call. Since July, we sent more than 130 million emails and 8 million text messages to borrowers about the resources and tools available to support them. Low-income borrowers benefit most from the SAVE Plan. A single person earning less than $15 an hour, or $32,800 a year, makes no payments under the SAVE plan. That income threshold rises with family size. A borrower supporting a family of four can earn $67,500 a year with no student loan repayment requirement. The same income adjustment should save borrowers above the income thresholds at least $1,000 a year. A single person earning $50,000 a year would pay a minimum of $143 a month, while a single parent of one child earning the same amount would pay $47. The information is provided by the Department of Education. The minimum monthly payments are sharply reduced from those of a previous program known as REPAYE. A borrower enrolled in REPAYE earning $38,000 a year would owe a minimum monthly payment of $134. Under the SAVE, that minimum monthly amount is $43 for the same borrower. REPAYE was the program in place when interest accrual and monthly payments were suspended in March 2020. The earliest SAVE enrollees are borrowers who were converted from REPAYE to SAVE before mid-August. There are also new forgiveness periods. Loans with an original principal balance of $14,000 are forgiven after 12 years of payment. Interest left unpaid at the end of the term is forgiven. The SAVE plan also ensures that if youre making payments you will not go deeper into debt, Kvaal said. And that is one problem we hear from a lot of borrowers today, that due to unpaid interest they owe more than they originally borrowed. At the end of the repayment term, any remaining balance is forgiven if your income was not sufficient to fully pay off them off. Reddit Email 66 Shares ( Middle East Monitor) As protests erupted throughout the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and other cities in the country in response to the Foreign Ministers secret meeting with her Israeli counterpart last week, it served as a stark reminder of the rampant disconnect between the countrys political leaderships and the general population, along with those of the wider Arab world. On Sunday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry boastingly revealed the meeting that took place in the Italian capital, Rome, between Libyan Foreign Minister, Najla Al-Mangoush, and her Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, with the latter stating that they spoke about the great potential for the two countries from their relations and asserting that Libyas size and strategic location offer a huge opportunity for the State of Israel. That set into motion a rapid series of events that represented societal backlash in the form of street protests throughout Libya and diplomatic backlash in the form of Libyas internationally-recognised Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, suspending Mangoush, putting her under investigation and leading her to flee to Turkiye. Amid those events, it was not clear whether Dbeibeh and his government had planned and lent support for the secret meeting hosted by Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani or whether Mangoush and Cohen had initiated it themselves. Initially, officials claimed the meeting was a coincidental and unplanned affair, but Mangoush later insisted that she would not have engaged in the talks without the approval of Prime Minister Dbeibeh. That seemed to be confirmed by a Libyan political source with intimate knowledge of situation, who told Middle East Monitor that Dbeibeh asked the Italians to arrange this meeting and that my associates have played a pivotal role in this encounter. Despite that, Dbeibeh has outright condemned the meeting, causing media outlets to automatically report that he vehemently opposes normalisation efforts with Israel. By suspending and investigating Mangoush, he seemingly placed the blame on her as a supposed rogue player, therefore successfully distancing himself from the debacle and saving himself politically for now, at least. Calling the Prime Minister a compulsive liar, the source told MEMO that Dbeibehs alleged efforts to advance relations with Israel were to serve the purpose of cancelling the Libyan elections due on 23 December and to extend the life of this temporary government so they can steal more money Without political legitimacy. Article continues after bonus IC video Africanews: Libya: Amid protests, PM Hamid Dbeibah affirms rejection of normalisation with Israel This would not be the first reported meeting between Libyan and Israeli officials, in fact, and involves not only the internationally-recognised government in Tripoli but also spans across the country to the rival administration in the east. In early 2022, Dbeibeh was reported by Saudi and Israeli media outlets to have met with the director of Israels Mossad intelligence service, David Barnea, in the Jordanian capital, Amman, in order to discuss the potential for normalisation between the two states. The Libyan Prime Ministers office, of course, denied that it ever took place. That followed on from a report in November 2021 by the Israeli outlet, Haaretz, which revealed that Saddam Haftar, son of the eastern Libyan warlord, Khalifa Haftar, had flown to Tel Avivs Ben-Gurion Airport for meetings with unspecified Israeli officials in relation to potential normalisation. One might wonder about the reason why the reported secret talks between Libyan political figures and Israeli officials throughout the past decade have hardly borne any tangible results. The answer is likely the same as it is throughout the wider Arab world and region, in which states that have not yet struck normalisation agreements with Israel often notoriously have unofficial and secret security cooperation with the country. Whether it be the purchase of spyware, the transfer of arms or expertise or coordination in the intelligence field, there has likely been a general compatibility in security between the Libyans from both rival administrations and the Israelis over the years. That usually precedes the eventual diplomatic agreement and compatibility which follows soon after, whenever the time is right. While stable Arab states advance ties with Israel for the obvious purposes of improving technological, trade, security and intelligence capabilities, Libyan political figures particularly favour ties with Israel for political purposes. It seems to be a good political strategy amongst presidential hopefuls in Libya and other divided states or competing movements in the region to meet with Israeli officials and lean toward normalisation in order to gain attention and approval from Tel Aviv and the US. Ties with the occupation state are always a favourable move to get into Washingtons good books, even if those ties are secret and undisclosed, at first, plus they come with the added bonus of Israeli innovation which can always benefit a current or potential political figure. If, or when, those ties become openly established and acknowledged, it even offers the chance for greater security guarantees and diplomatic support from the US and other Western nations. It is that reality which likely encourages pragmatic figures such as Dbeibeh and Haftar to pursue relations with Tel Aviv. There is only one obstacle to those ambitions, however, and that is the view of the people they preside over. Whether leadership figures and governments like it or not, the populations in the Arab world and wider region are still vehemently opposed to normalisation with Israel and negatively view the ongoing occupation of Palestinian Territories. As the 2022 Arab Opinion Index showed this year, the overwhelming majority of the population across the Arab world 84 per cent expressed their disapproval of their countries recognition of Israel. One of the highest disapproval rates came, coincidentally, from Libya, of which 96 per cent reportedly hold such a view. The protests are no surprise, then, and the Libyan government and rival administration are fully aware of that reality. There is little likelihood of any open ties or even more talks between the Libyans and Israelis any time soon, at least until there emerges further stability in the country, which is itself precarious amid the continued stalling of elections and the existence of armed groups on both sides of the national divide. Dbeibeh, his administration and all political actors in Libya have been handed a severe reminder that to establish open ties with a state whose occupation is disagreeable to the Libyan people will not be so easy. Libyan and Israeli cooperation will, for now, have to remain in the shadows. Reddit Email 244 Shares Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) About a year and a half ago, I wrote a piece on how New Mexico is set to become the Saudi Arabia of wind, which went viral. It described how four wind farms will have a capacity to generate 3.5 gigawatts of power, as much as four nuclear power plants. Now the other shoe has dropped, with Department of the Interior having given permission to Pattern Energy to build a 550-mile long high-density transmission line stretching west through New Mexico to Phoenix, Arizona. Pattern says that the construction of the line will begin in 2023 and that it could be operational as early as 2025, and will be up by 2026 at the latest. Ultimately it will reach California, and it will carry 3 gigawatts of power to consumers. Some 12% of Arizonas electricity is generated by coal, which is horrible since it is the most carbon-polluting of the fossil fuels. Another 42% comes from fossil gas. To the extent that this clean wind power can replace these planet-boiling hydrocarbons, Pattern is helping save the planet. Pattern proclaims, Together, SunZia Wind and Transmission comprise the largest renewable energy infrastructure project in U.S. history. Making the announcement of government permitting in Albuquerque in August, President Biden said, My administration recently completed a review of the proposed SunZia line to transport energy from a planned wind farm in New Mexico to California These projects are expected to create 2000 new construction jobs and up to 150 permanent jobs, providing clean energy to up to 3 million Americans. Susan Montoya Bryan in her article for AP notes that the line will carry more power than the Hoover Dam generates. The Dam has a nameplate capacity of 2 gigawatts, whereas the line will carry 3 gigs. She also points out that Deb Haaland, the Secretary of the Interior, is from New Mexico. She broke ground at the site where the transmission line begins on September 1. She also replied to environmentalists with concerns about the lines impact by saying that the Bureau of Land Management worked with local groups to find the best route. Pattern estimates that if you add up direct and indirect economic benefits of the wind farms and transmission wires, they will amount to over $20 billion. As I mentioned in my piece from 2022, some of the companys payments to locals will go to schools in areas where people can really use the help. Patterns SunZia wind farms are in thinly populated in San Miguel, Lincoln and Torrance Counties, which are in turn situated in a wind corridor that allows the turbines to operate 80% to 90% of the time. The need for the electricity thus generated, however, is in big cities such as Phoenix and Los Angeles to the west. The special transmission line has to be built because the old electricity wires cant carry the needed amount of power. In fact, the entire US grid will need to be redone in the same way. This news is great for the workers who will need to be hired to do this essential work. In fact, maybe the twenty-first century needs an upbeat, celebratory, green version of Glen Campbells existentially gloomy Wichita Lineman. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Amarc Resources Ltd. ("Amarc" or the "Company") (TSXV:AHR) (OTCQB:AXREF) announces that it and well-known British Columbia minerals prospector Richard J (Dick) Billingsley ("Optioner"), have agreed to establish an indigenous scholarship as part of the terms of an option agreement ("the "Agreement"). Under the terms of the Agreement, Amarc may acquire from Mr. Billingsley a 100% interest in a group of mineral claims, covering some 2.34 km2, that are located internal to and near to the northern extent of the 678 km2 DUKE property. Amarc CEO, Dr Diane Nicolson said, "We are very pleased with the outcome of our negotiations with Dick who has generously agreed that Amarc's funding of the scholarship would satisfy an important part of the consideration to him for the transfer of these mineral claims to the Company. It is planned that Amarc, Mr. Billingsley and representatives from the Lake Babine Nation would participate in a scholarship awards committee. Education and training are a priority for Amarc. We hope that local young people will benefit from this scholarship, acquiring additional knowledge and skills that will lead them to a career in mineral exploration or another rewarding field." Lake Babine Nation, Chief Murphy Abraham commented, "Lake Babine Nation invites and supports this scholarship program, and it's one of many initiatives Diane and her team at Amarc have been working towards when it pertains to reconciliation. This will be a great opportunity for the next generation to further educate themselves in the field of mining exploration and/or other related fields. Much appreciation to Mr. Billingsley and Amarc for providing this opportunity which will help build the capacity Lake Babine needs to be able to sustain itself in the future of this industry." Under the terms of the Agreement, Amarc can acquire 100% of these claims, subject to a 2% Net Smelter Returns royalty retained by the Optionor that is capped at $10 million, by issuing 200,000 Amarc shares (subject to a four month hold under Canadian securities rules) and making annual cash payments of $5,000 to the Optionor plus funding an annual scholarship for Indigenous students for a period of 10 years in the amount of $20,000 per year (total of 200,000 shares and $250,000 cash). The Agreement is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval and an earn-in right of Boliden Mineral Canada Ltd. ("Boliden") on the DUKE District (see further details under About the DUKE District). Amarc is the project operator. Comprehensive 2022-2023 DUKE District Program Extensive and widely spaced drilling in 2022-2023 by Amarc expanded the DUKE Deposit to a footprint of 650 m north-south by 800 m east-west. The drilling also highlighted the potential for further expansion of the Deposit, delineation of zones of higher grade within it, and for discovery of additional mineralization within the surrounding mineralized system (see Amarc news release June 15, 2023). Highlights from this drilling as fully reported in Amarc's news release June 15, 2023 include: 183 m of 0.43% CuEQ[1] (0.31% Cu, 0.019% Mo, 0.07 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Ag) in hole DK22009, 217 m of 0.45% CuEQ (0.33% Cu, 0.018% Mo, 0.08 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Ag) in hole DK22010, 82 m of 0.41% CuEQ (0.30% Cu, 0.017% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 1.1 g/t Ag) in hole DK23022 and 36 m of 0.47% CuEQ (0.34% Cu, 0.024% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Ag) in hole DK23024. In addition, the Amarc crews remobilized in May and are well progressed with a program of extensive airborne and ground exploration surveys designed to assess 16 prioritized porphyry Cu-Au targets across the DUKE District to define targets for early 2024 drill testing (see Amarc news release May 17, 2023). About the DUKE District Amarc's DUKE District is located 80 km northeast of Smithers within the Babine Region, one of the most mineralized porphyry belts in BC. It hosts the former Bell and Granisle Cu-Au mines that were operated by Noranda Mines, and the advanced stage Morrison Cu-Au deposit. Significant potential exists for discovery of new large porphyry Cu deposits. Infrastructure servicing the former mines and the very active forestry and exploration industries is nearby. There is an extensive network of forest roads and much of the Duke District is road accessible. Central to Amarc's extensive DUKE District mineral tenure is the DUKE Cu-Mo-Au-Ag Deposit discovery, located 30 km north of the former Bell Mine. Although explored historically, the extensive porphyry Cu system at the DUKE discovery was not fully delineated. Many of the 21 historical shallow and closely-spaced core holes intersected and ended in significant Cu-Mo-Au-Ag mineralization within a small portion of a robust, 4.7 km2 IP chargeability anomaly. In 2017 and 2018, Amarc completed seven core holes over an area measuring approximately 400 m north-south by 600 m east-west (see Amarc releases December 19, 2017 and June 12, 2018) at the DUKE Deposit, successfully intersecting porphyry copper-style mineralization to a vertical depth of 360 m. The eighth hole, drilled one kilometre to the north within the 4.7 km2 sulphide mineral system, intersected similar porphyry Cu-Mo-Ag-Au mineralization. In addition, Amarc has completed a comprehensive compilation of government and historical data over the entire 678 km2 DUKE District claim holdings. This detailed scientific work has provided a new interpretation of the geological, geochemical and geophysical characteristics of the Babine belt, and identified 16 previously unrecognized porphyry Cu deposit-scale targets with exciting potential (see May 6, 2020 news release). The databases compiled and leveraged for this work were extensive: they include data from the BC Geological Survey, Geoscience BC, numerous historical industry workers and Amarc. The targeting study covered an area 140 km by 110 km (15,400 km2). Datasets include >2,300 regional geochemical samples, 116,344 line-km of airborne magnetic and radiometrics, and 25,500 line-km of aerogravity. Further information on the historical and Amarc's modern exploration activities in the DUKE District are described in the Company's DUKE Project 2020 Technical Report available on the website at https://amarcresources.com/projects/duke-project/technical-report/. In November 2022, Amarc entered into a Mineral Property Earn-In Agreement (the "EIA") with Boliden Mineral Canada Ltd. ("Boliden"), an entity within the Boliden Group of companies (see Amarc release November 22, 2022). Under the terms of the Agreement, Boliden has a two-staged option to earn up to a 70% interest in the DUKE District by funding $90 million exploration and development expenditures. About Amarc Resources Ltd. Amarc is a mineral exploration and development company with an experienced and successful management team focused on developing a new generation of long-life, high-value porphyry Cu-Au mines in BC. By combining high-demand projects with dynamic management, Amarc has created a solid platform to create value from its exploration and development-stage assets. Amarc is advancing its 100%-owned IKE, DUKE and JOY porphyry CuAu districts located in different prolific porphyry regions of southern, central and northern BC, respectively. Each district represents significant potential for the development of multiple and important-scale, porphyry CuAu deposits. Importantly, each of the three districts is located in proximity to industrial infrastructure - including power, highways and rail. Amarc is associated with HDI, a diversified, global mining company with a 35-year history of porphyry Cu deposit discovery and development success. Previous and current HDI projects include some of BC's and the world's most important porphyry deposits - such as Pebble, Mount Milligan, Southern Star, Kemess South, Kemess North, Gibraltar, Prosperity, Xietongmen, Newtongmen, Florence, Casino, Sisson, Maggie, IKE, PINE and DUKE. From its head office in Vancouver, Canada, HDI applies its unique strengths and capabilities to acquire, develop, operate and monetize mineral projects. Amarc works closely with local governments, Indigenous groups and stakeholders in order to advance its mineral projects responsibly, and in a manner that contributes to sustainable community and economic development. We pursue early and meaningful engagement to ensure our mineral exploration and development activities are well coordinated and broadly supported, address local priorities and concerns, and optimize opportunities for collaboration. In particular, we seek to establish mutually beneficial partnerships with Indigenous groups within whose traditional territories our projects are located, through the provision of jobs, training programs, contract opportunities, capacity funding agreements and sponsorship of community events. All Amarc work programs are carefully planned to achieve high levels of environmental and social performance. Qualified Person Dr. Roy Greig, P.Geo, a Qualified Person ("QP") as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has read and approved all technical and scientific information related to the Duke Project contained in this news release. Dr. Greig is Amarc's Vice President, Exploration. For further details on Amarc Resources Ltd., please visit the Company's website at www.amarcresources.com or contact Dr. Diane Nicolson, President and CEO, at (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114, or Kin Communications, at (604) 684-6730, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AMARC RESOURCES LTD. Dr. Diane Nicolson President and CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor any other regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking and other Cautionary Information This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All such statements, other than statements of historical facts that address exploration plans and plans for enhanced relationships are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Assumptions used by the Company to develop forward-looking statements include the following: Amarc's projects will obtain all required environmental and other permits and all land use and other licenses, studies and exploration of Amarc's projects will continue to be positive, and no geological or technical problems will occur. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, potential environmental issues or liabilities associated with exploration, development and mining activities, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and tenure and delays due to third party opposition, changes in and the effect of government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, exploration and development of properties located within Aboriginal groups asserted territories may affect or be perceived to affect asserted aboriginal rights and title, which may cause permitting delays or opposition by Aboriginal groups, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Amarc Resources Ltd., investors should review Amarc's annual Form 20-F filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov and its home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedar.com. PARADISE Even the old-timers were shocked at how fast the River Road East fire bore down on this small Montana town last month. Aug. 18, a Friday, had been an otherwise unremarkable day in the unincorporated town of fewer than 200 people, nestled in a verdant mountain valley just downstream of where the Flathead River flows into the Clark Fork. Freight trains rolled through the former railroad town along the Clark Fork as they had since the 1880s. Locals assembled at the American Legion Post 129 bar on Highway 200. The highway is the town's de facto main street, the Legion its lone watering hole. It was quite windy, residents recalled, with air coursing powerfully around the steep mountains that envelop the town 52 miles northwest of Missoula. Nearby weather stations reported temperatures approaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit and sustained winds stronger than 20 mph with gusts faster than 30 mph and that was down in the valley. Around 1 p.m. or so, yet another freight train rumbled through town, hardly worth a glance outside. But soon after, locals said, people began noticing a small column of smoke rising from near Montana Rail Link's main line just south of town. Crews were dispatched to the fire at 1:18 p.m. And, the bartender said, it seemed like everyone came down to the Legion to watch. The nascent blaze was dubbed "River Road East" for its ignition location near where the road of that name crosses the tracks, a site at about 2,500 feet elevation. Soon, flames were racing through timber up the east face of the 6,775-foot Patrick's Knob just west of town, across the highway and the river from town. Within hours, strong winds propelled the fire over the Clark Fork, the highway and Paradise itself, sending flames racing up the McLaughlin Creek drainage east of town. By evening, the town was evacuated and flames encircled the mostly empty community. In the end, more than 50 structures burned, including at least 16 primary residences. Officials said at a fire information meeting that the blaze scorched 12,000 acres in less than 12 hours. Multiple weather systems delivered wetting rains and cool temps in the weeks after the fire's frenzied first days, considerably reducing fire behavior and growth. As of Friday, the fire had burned 17,230 acres and was 35% contained. The cause was listed by fire managers as "undetermined." It was unclear Friday exactly how many structures had burned and where. Such information is under the purview of the Sanders County sheriff, according to fire managers. As of Friday afternoon, Sanders County Sheriff Shawn Fielders had not responded to multiple phone calls, multiple emails and a Facebook message over the past seven days. When a Missoulian reporter visited the sheriff's office in Thompson Falls on Thursday, an employee said the sheriff and Undersheriff Jerry Johnson were in meetings all day and were unavailable. Sheriff Fielders did not respond to a note left at the office seeking a phone call. Plains-Paradise Rural Fire Chief James Russell did not respond to a voicemail seeking information. Residents say it was like 'driving into hell' Johnny Thompson, 75, lives in St. Regis, about a 26-minute drive upstream along the Clark Fork. He keeps two rescue horses, Geronimo and Pawnee Joe, on a small property between the railyard and highway on Paradise's northwest end. On Thursday, he was in the paddock tending to his horses and sporting a rawhide shirt and a revolver, American flag bandanna around his neck. He recounted the frantic exercise of saving his horses from fire nearly two weeks before. "I came down because they said it was on fire and my horses were down here," he said, "and I had to get them out." The direct route into Paradise from St. Regis was closed because of the fire, he said, so he and his wife drove around to the Camas Prairie, then up and over to Plains and into Paradise from the north, eventually arriving around 9:30 p.m. to move the horses to St. Regis for two days. "I looked out of the window and I couldn't believe it," he recounted, describing fire spread across the mountains on both sides of town. "It looked like hell. It looked like we were driving into hell." A week before, he said, he'd decided to mow all the tall grass around his property in Paradise. He wasn't sure why just had a feeling he should, he recalled. On Aug. 18, the fire burned right to the property and stopped. He believes his mowing probably saved it. Others weren't so lucky. A white picket fence surrounds the burned ruins of a trailer home on Round House Road, just off the highway at the town's northwest end. Charred metal roofing, a steel frame and ash are all that remains of the home. The nylon left-side hoist of a flag was all that flew atop a white flagpole in the yard; the rest of the flag had incinerated. A white archway stands lopsided in the middle of the fence, the bottoms of its frame burned away. About 4 miles up McLaughlin Creek, where multiple structures burned, smoke still rose from a smoldering tree near the remnants of a log cabin. All that remains of the home is its cinderblock foundation, warped and burned metal roof, melted glass and charred timber. A few scorched appliances poke out from piles of ash. Down at the Legion bar, a former logger in his 70s who declined to give his name said, "It was bad everybody was running for their lives." The sky was orange and flames bookended the town. In all his years in the mountains, he'd seen a lot of wildfires, but never anything like this. The man, whose mobility is impaired, described neighbors shouting at him to run as they fled town. "I can't run!" he remembered shouting back. He tried to drive out of town when officials issued an evacuation order, but his truck stalled three blocks from home. So he waited out the sleepless night at home in Paradise with his dog as fire raged all around. "It was wild," he said. "I've been through this a bunch of times but up in the woods, not in town." The man said he'd seen the McLaughlin Creek area burn many times in recent decades. He solemnly lamented the loss of homes, but he also observed: "Hell of a year, drier than f---, and all these people building out in the woods, what do you expect?" The fire moved quickly The same day as the River Road East fire barreled over Paradise, another new fire start was devouring homes 135 miles west. The Gray fire at Medical Lake, about 14 miles southwest of Spokane, also started Aug. 18 and quickly blew up to thousands of acres. It killed two people and burned 240 homes, according to reports Friday. According to a report from the Spokane Spokesman-Review, residents there described a scene similar to Paradise: fast-moving flames from a brand-new fire driven by strong winds, and suddenly engulfing homes. "It almost sounded like a war zone," one man told the newspaper. "All of a sudden it went, 'Whoosh!' and I had to get out of there." Just 10 days prior, a brush fire sparked by downed powerlines was driven into Lahaina, Hawaii, on the island of Maui, by winds from a hurricane passing offshore. The resulting firestorm burned almost the entire historic oceanside town in a day, killing at least 115 people and leaving hundreds still missing as of Friday. It was the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. And earlier the same week as the Gray and River Road East fires, a wildfire in Canada forced the full evacuation of Yellowknife, the 20,000-person territorial capital of the Northwest Territories. In both Maui and Washington, fast-moving flames driven by strong winds outpaced firefighters' efforts to keep the fires from developed areas. The Gray fire at Medical Lake, local officials said, harked back to the Inland Northwest firestorm of October 16, 1991, when 50-mph winds blew down power lines across eastern Washington and northern Idaho, igniting more than 80 fires across the region that ultimately killed two people and burned 112 homes. Spokesman-Review reporter Jess Water wrote at the time, "The fires overwhelmed rural fire-protection systems already stretched thin by the growing number of people moving to the countryside." According to a Missoulian analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau and insurance data compiled by Bankrate, Montana has a greater percentage of its homes at risk of wildfire than other Western states. About 27% of Montana's homes are at risk, compared with 14% of California's homes and 5% of Washington's homes. Land managers, conservation groups, politicians and fire officials frequently describe increasing fire risk to homes as more people build in the forested landscape of the West areas sometimes described as the wildland-urban interface or WUI (pronounced "woo-ee"). Federal and state land managers have in recent years committed to a campaign of thinning forests across the West with logging and prescribed burning. Swaths of landscape are unnaturally overgrown, they say, after a century of logging and full-suppression firefighting. Forests that are selectively thinned to favor fire-tolerant species like Ponderosa pine and western larch can mirror historic conditions that featured regular low-intensity fire. Opponents of that theory argue that extreme weather exacerbated by climate change especially drought, heat and wind rather than forest composition is the primary driver of larger and faster-growing wildfires that have become more common across the West. In just a few hours, the River Road East fire raced through dense timber on Patrick's Knob and relatively sparser Ponderosa and other vegetation up McLaughlin Creek as it consumed the cabins dotting the hills around Paradise on Aug. 18. But, Thompson said, firefighters had saved the town of Paradise itself. On Thursday he hung a "Thank you firefighters" sign on the barbed-wire fence ringing his property. "They saved our town," he said. "They wet this area down and put a fire line around it, and they saved our town." Wildfires explained: 10 questions answered Why do fire managers let some wildfires burn? Sometimes fires fit a beneficial land management goal, like when they burn in a wilderness area or national park. Fires are part of the natural forest cycle, and "at times that's the right approach," said Lane, who is in his 35th season as a firefighter, much of that spent in western Oregon. He joined Washington's natural resources agency in 2019. Also, wildfires sometimes burn in areas where it is unsafe to put firefighters. When do fire managers deploy aircraft? Planes or helicopters are used if a wildfire is burning too intensely to send in ground forces, or if aircraft are the best way to deliver water or retardant, Lane said. "You want to hit a fire quick so it stays small," Lane said. The goal is to keep them from erupting into megafires. Cal Fire, California's firefighting agency, keeps an average of 95% of blazes to 10 acres (4 hectares) or less. But Lane said aircraft alone are usually not enough to extinguish a fire. "It takes boots on the ground." Aircraft also can face numerous visibility limitations when trying to make water drops on a wildfire. How has technology helped? When it comes to early detection, one innovation is replacing fire lookout towers staffed by humans with cameras in remote areas, many of them in high-definition and armed with artificial intelligence to discern a smoke plume from morning fog. There are 800 such cameras scattered across California, Nevada and Oregon. Fire managers also routinely summon military drones to fly over fires at night, using heat imaging to map their boundaries and hot spots. They can use satellite imagery to plot the course of smoke and ash. When is the best time to fight fires? Generally the heat of a summer day is not the best time to fight wildfires. "We are pretty successful in the morning, late evening or overnight," Lane said. Are wildfires harder to battle in timber or grasslands? Dry lightning puts dozens of fires on the landscape, Lane said, and weather is a major factor in their spread. Wildfires in grassland tend to grow more quickly, and are more susceptible to expanding when there are high winds, Lane said. Fires in timberlands don't grow as fast, but they are more difficult to extinguish. "With grass, a little rain and it goes out," Lane said. How best to save houses when fires are close? Lane said the building material used on a house, and the nearby vegetation, are big factors in determining if a house can be saved when fire approaches. Houses with wooden roofs and lots of flammable vegetation around them are hardest to save. Usually a fire crew will spray water around a house to protect it. Sometimes they will burn out the vegetation around a house to starve an approaching wildfire. If the homeowner keeps brush well away from a home prior to a fire that is a big help, Lane said. Where do fire names come from? Usually a fire is named by the first unit of firefighters on the scene. Most of the time the name reflects a nearby geographic feature, such as a creek or valley. California's massive Dixie Fire, for instance, was named after the road where it started on July 14. Why do firefighters spend so much time digging lines? "Every fire has to have a dirt trail around it," Lane said. "That's to separate the fuel from the fire." Firefighters also get help when the flames burn toward a river, a rocky area or a road. "Separating fuel from fire is what stops them," he said. Who leads the firefighting effort? Wildfires get one of five ratings, with Type 5 the least dangerous and Type 1 the most dangerous. More than 95% of all fires are smaller Type 4 or 5 wildfires and are quickly put out by local firefighters. Larger fires, like the ones the Washington state Department of Natural Resources responds to, are assigned an incident commander, said Janet Pearce, agency spokeswoman. The commander creates a set of objectives, which guides the command and general staff. An operations section chief then devises the strategy for the operational firefighting effort. When are residents told to evacuate? Emergency managers consider fire behavior, predicted weather and the amount of time it will take to evacuate, when making the decision to order people to leave, Lane said. They also consider the availability of shelters and the potential for harm or loss of human life. Occasionally, an order is given to "shelter in place." This is typically done when there is either no time to escape an oncoming fire, or it would be more hazardous to evacuate than remain in place, he said. VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - Sitka Gold Corp. ("Sitka" or the "Company") (CSE: SIG) (FSE: 1RF) (OTCQB: SITKF) is pleased to announce assay results from the first three diamond drill holes (DDRCCC-23-043, 044 and 045) of the Company's 2023 summer drill program on the Company's 376 square kilometre, road accessible RC Gold Project ("RC Gold" or the "Project") located in Yukon's Tombstone Gold Belt ("TGB"), approximately 100 kilometres east of Dawson City. A diamond drilling program of up to 10,000 metres is currently underway at RC Gold where an Initial Mineral Resource Estimate of 1,340,000 ounces of gold beginning at surface and grading 0.68 g/t was announced earlier this year (see news release dated January 19, 2023). Assay highlights include: Drill Hole 043 449.0 metres (m) of 0.74 g/t Au from 4.0 m (surface) including: 28.0 m of 0.91 g/t Au from 4.0 m , 40.0 m of 1.02 g/t Au from 81.0 m , 138.0 m of 1.14 g/t Au from 315.0 m , 14.0 m of 3.28 g/t Au from 345.0 m . Drill Hole 044 161.8 m of 0.71 g/t Au from 107.2 m including: 24.0 m of 1.10 g/t Au from 143.0 m 34.0 m of 1.66 g/t Au from 235.0 m , 16.0 m of 2.36 g/t Au from 253.0 m . Drill Hole 045 52.5 m of 0.51 g/t Au from 57.0 m including: 14.0 m of 0.80 g/t Au from 57.0 m and, 2.0 m of 1.87 g/t Au from 161.0 m , 1.4 m of 2.08 g/t Au from 221.6 m , 13.7 m of 0.90 g/t Au from 327.3 m , 6.0 m of 1.02 g/t Au from 377.0 m . "The results from the first three drill holes completed during our summer drill program at RC Gold continue to illustrate just how consistent and well-endowed the gold mineralization is at our expanding Blackjack deposit", commented Cor Coe, Director and CEO of Sitka Gold. "Extending Hole 43 added another 30 metres of 0.78 grams per tonne gold to the end of that drill hole (see news release dated June 21, 2023) resulting in an impressive 449.0 metre interval grading 0.74 grams per tonne gold beginning at surface. Drill holes 044 and 045 continue to expand this gold deposit to the south with several additional intervals of greater than one gram per tonne gold encountered (see Table 1). Step out drilling and fieldwork to expand both the Blackjack and Eiger gold deposits, both of which remain wide open, have been the primary focus of our 2023 summer field season at RC Gold along with additional exploration work in preparation to drill test other high priority gold targets within the Clear Creek Intrusive Complex (see Figure 4). DDRCCC-23-043 was collared at the same location as DDRCCC-21-021 (see news release dated December 13, 2021) and drilled at an azimuth of 005 degrees and a dip of -85 degrees (see Figures 1 and 2). The purpose of the hole was to fill in a gap of data in the current resource model and to extend the higher-grade mineralization in the current resource to depth. The hole was started in the winter drilling program, and encountered significant mineralization, but was terminated in mineralized megacrystic quartz monzonite (MQZMN) at 426.7 m due to the onset of spring thaw conditions (see news release dated June 21, 2023). The hole was re-entered at the start of the summer drill program and extended to 526.4 m. DDRCCC-23-043 continued in similar appearing megacrystic quartz monzonite (MQZMN) hosting quartz sulphide veins until 476 m where a 6 m lamprophyre dyke, a known and expected marker unit in the Blackjack Deposit, was intersected. From the 482 m to the end of the hole at 526.4 m the hole intersected moderately altered metasediments intruded by metre scale MQZMN dykes, with both units cross-cut by quartz sulphide veins. DDRCCC-23-043 was variably mineralized throughout most of its length, including several instances of visible gold (see Figure 5), with the interval from 4.0 m to 494.7 m returning 493.8 m of 0.70 g/t gold. Significant intervals of higher-grade mineralization include 40.0 m of 1.02 g/t gold from 81.0 m; 138.0 m of 1.14 g/t gold from 315.0; 28.0 m of 1.99 g/t gold and 14.0 m of 3.28 g/t gold from 345 m. Narrower intervals of multi-gram gold mineralization include 1.0 m of 6.95 g/t gold from 27.0 m; 1.0 m of 7.09 g/t gold from 53.5 m and 2.0 m of 5.00 g/t gold from 241.0 m. Holes DDRCCC-23-044 and DDRCCC-23-045 with azimuths of 040 degrees and dips of 55 and -65 respectively, were drilled from the same location to extend the current resource to the south and at depth (see Figure 1 and 3). Both holes intersected moderately to strongly altered metasediments intersected by metre scale MQZMN dykes throughout their length. Quartz vein density with locally massive development of arsenopyrite generally increased downhole in both holes and both holes also encountered visible gold (see Figure 6). Hole DDRCCC-23-044 returned 161.8 m of 0.71 g/t gold from 107.2 m, including 24.0 m of 1.10 g/t gold from 143.0 m, 34.0 m of 1.66 g/t gold from 235.0 m and 16.0 m of 2.36 g/t gold from 253.0 m. DDRCCC-23-045 returned several mineralized intervals including 52.5 m of 0.51 g/t gold from 57.0 m with 14.0 m of 0.80 g/t gold from 57.0 m. The Company has completed 14 drill holes totalling approximately 6,000 metres as part of its ongoing 2023 diamond drill program at RC Gold where up to 10,000 metres of drilling is planned. Analytical results for remaining drill holes completed to date will be released once they have been received and compiled. Table 1 Assay Highlights for DDRCCC-23-043 to -045 HoleID Azimuth () Dip () From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) DDRCCC-23-043 005 -85 4.0 497.8 493.8 0.70 including 4.0 453.0 449.0 0.74 including 4.0 32.0 28.0 0.91 including 27.0 28.0 1.0 6.95 including 53.5 54.5 1 7.09 including 81.0 121.0 40.0 1.02 including 173.0 203.0 30.0 1.38 including 241.0 273.0 32.0 0.67 including 241.0 243.0 2.0 5.00 including 315.0 453.0 138.0 1.14 including 320.0 331.0 11.0 2.39 including 345.0 373.0 28.0 1.99 including 345.0 359.0 14.0 3.28 including 391.0 453.0 62.0 1.07 including 423.0 453.0 30.0 0.78 DDRCCC-23-044 040 -55 107.2 269.0 161.8 0.71 including 107.2 129.0 21.8 0.91 including 143.0 167.0 24.0 1.10 including 192.2 200.8 8.7 0.66 including 235.0 269.0 34.0 1.66 including 255.0 260.7 5.7 5.65 including 253.0 269.0 16.0 2.36 and 279.3 281.7 2.4 0.72 and 290.8 295.0 4.3 0.60 and 304.4 317.1 12.6 0.72 DDRCCC-23-045 040 -65 57.0 109.5 52.5 0.51 including 57.0 71.0 14.0 0.80 including 77.0 85.0 8.0 0.49 including 79.0 85.0 6.0 0.58 and 95.0 116.8 21.8 0.54 including 100.7 113.4 12.7 0.80 and 122.6 131.0 8.7 0.81 and 161.0 163.0 2.0 1.87 and 193.0 194.9 1.9 0.80 and 221.6 223.0 1.4 2.08 and 255.0 260.5 5.5 0.92 and 272.5 276.5 4.0 0.51 and 293.0 293.9 0.9 1.88 and 317.4 321.8 4.3 0.77 and 327.3 341.0 13.7 0.90 and 350.6 357.0 6.4 0.75 and 377.0 383.0 6.0 1.02 and 399.0 401.0 2.0 0.69 and 420.9 423.0 2.1 0.73 and 425.0 440.0 15.0 0.76 *Intervals are drilled core length, as insufficient drilling has been completed at this time to determine true widths Quality Assurance/Quality Control On receipt from the drill site, the NQ-sized drill core was systematically logged for geological attributes, photographed and sampled at Sitka's 2022 field camp. Sample lengths as small as 0.3 m were used to isolate features of interest, otherwise a default 2 m downhole sample length was used. Core was cut in half lengthwise along a predetermined line, with one-half (same half, consistently) collected for analysis and one-half stored as a record. Standard reference materials, blanks and duplicate samples were inserted by Sitka personnel at regular intervals into the sample stream. Bagged samples were placed in secure bins to ensure integrity during transport. They were delivered by Sitka personnel or a contract expeditor to ALS Laboratories' preparatory facility in Whitehorse, Yukon, with analyses completed in North Vancouver. ALS is accredited to ISO 17025:2005 UKAS ref. 4028 for its laboratory analysis. Samples were crushed by ALS to over 70 per cent passing below two millimetres and split using a riffle splitter. One-thousand-gram splits were pulverized to over 85 per cent passing below 75 microns. Gold determinations are by fire assay with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) finish on 50 g subsamples of the prepared pulp (ALS code: Au-ICP-22). Any sample returning over 10 g/t Au was re-analyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish on a 50 g subsample (ALS code: Au-GRA21). In addition, a 51-element analysis was performed on a 0.5 g subsample of the prepared pulps by an aqua regia digestion followed by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) finish (ALS code: ME-MS41). About the RC Gold Project The RC Gold Project (RC Gold) consists of a 376 square kilometre contiguous district-scale land package located in the newly road accessible Clear Creek, Big Creek, and Sprague Creek districts in the heart of Yukon's Tombstone Gold Belt. The project is located approximately 100 kilometres east of Dawson City and is accessed via a secondary gravel road from the Klondike Highway an approximate 2 hour drive from Dawson. It is the largest consolidated land package strategically positioned mid-way between Victoria Gold's Eagle Gold Mine - Yukon's newest gold mine which reached commercial production in the summer of 2020 - and Sabre Gold Mine's Brewery Creek Gold Mine. The RC Gold Project land package comprises five underlying properties, namely, the RC, Bee Bop, Mahtin, Clear Creek, and Barney Ridge properties*. The planned 10,000 metre drill program for 2023 is currently underway and is focused on expanding the Blackjack and Eiger gold deposits, both of which remain open in all directions. On January 19, 2023 Sitka Gold announced an Initial Mineral Resource Estimate prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") guidelines for the RC Gold Property of 1,340,000 ounces of gold(1). The road accessible, pit constrained Mineral Resource is classified as inferred and is contained in two near/on-surface zones: The Blackjack and Eiger deposits. The Mineral Resource estimate is presented in the following table at a base case cut-off grade of 0.25 g/t Au: Table 2: RC Gold Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate COG g/t Au Blackjack Zone Eiger Zone Combined Tonnes 000's Au g/t 0z Au 000's Tonnes 000's Au g/t 0z Au 000's Tonnes 000's Au g/t 0z Au 000's 0.20 35,798 0.80 921 32,523 0.45 471 68,321 0.63 1,391 0.25 33,743 0.83 900 27,362 0.50 440 61,105 0.68 1,340 0.30 31,282 0.88 885 22,253 0.55 393 53,535 0.74 1,279 0.35 29,065 0.92 860 17,817 0.60 344 46,882 0.80 1,203 0.40 26,975 0.96 833 14,506 0.66 308 41,481 0.86 1,140 Notes 1. Mineral resource estimate prepared by Ronald G. Simpson of GeoSim Services Inc. with an effective date of January 19, 2023. Mineral Resources are classified using the 2014 CIM Definition Standards. 2. The cut-off grade of 0.25 g/t Au is believed to provide a reasonable margin over operating and sustaining costs for open-pit mining and processing 3. Mineral resources are constrained by an optimised pit shell using the following assumptions: US$1800/oz Au price; a 45 pit slope; assumed metallurgical recovery of 85%; mining costs of US$2.00 per tonne; processing costs of US$8.00 per tonne; G&A of US$1.50/t. 4. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. 5. Totals may not sum due to rounding. The Initial Mineral Resource Estimate of 1,340,000 ounces of gold at the RC Gold Project is comprised of two deposits: the Blackjack deposit containing 900,000 ounces of gold at a grade of 0.83 g/t gold and the Eiger deposit containing 440,000 ounces of gold at a grade of 0.50 g/t gold (see news release dated January 19, 2023). Both of these deposits are at/near surface, are potentially open pit minable and amenable to heap leaching, with initial bottle roll tests indicating that the gold is not refractory and has high gold recoveries of up to 94% with minimal NaCN consumption (see News Release July 13, 2022). The Blackjack and Eiger deposits are in close proximity to highway and power infrastructure, are road accessible year-round, remain open in all directions and are respectively located at the western and eastern end of a large, 500 metre by 2 kilometre intrusion related gold system that was recently discovered on the Property. To date, 52 diamond drill holes have been drilled into this system for a total of approximately 18,275 metres with results of up to 201.0 m of 1.26 g/t gold from surface, including 82.0 m of 2.04 g/t gold and 19.5 m of 4.87 g/t gold at Blackjack (drill hole DDRCCC-22-040; see news release dated January 11, 2023) and 354 m of 0.41 g/t gold including 72 m of 0.72 g/t gold at Eiger (drill hole DDRCCC-21-09; see news release date August 19, 2021). Several high priority intrusion related gold targets exist at RC Gold with nine outcropped intrusions identified to date over the 376 sq km property, however Sitka's main focus at the RC Gold Project has been on the underlying Clear Creek Property where a large 500 metre by 2000 metre intrusion related gold system covering the area over the Blackjack, Saddle and Eiger zones was identified. Prior to the onset of the 2023 winter drilling program, the Company had drilled 38 diamond drill holes into this system for a total of approximately 13,000 metres. This drilling culminated in the discovery of the Blackjack and Eiger deposits with an initial inferred mineral resource estimate of 1,340,000 gold ounces(1). Sitka Gold inherited a wealth of historical and current data from these properties from work spanning the last 40 years. Recent exploration work and the compilation of historical data have defined several mineralized zones with both bulk tonnage, intrusion-related gold deposit targets and high-grade, vein- and breccia-hosted gold targets. The RC Gold Project also has a common border with Victoria Gold's Clear Creek property at its western boundary and Florin Resources' Florin Gold property at its northern boundary. (1) Simpson, R. January 19, 2023. Clear Creek Property, RC Gold Project, NI 43-101 Technical Report, Dawson Mining District, Yukon Territory. *For more detailed information on the underlying properties please visit our website at www.sitkagoldcorp.com. Deposit Model Exploration on the Property has mainly focused on identifying an intrusion-related gold system ("IRGS"). The property is part of the Tombstone Gold Belt which is the prominent host to IRGS deposits within the Tintina Gold Province in Yukon and Alaska. Notable deposits from the belt include: Fort Knox Mine in Alaska with current Proven and Probable Reserves of 230 million tonnes at 0.3 g/t Au (2.471 million ounces; Sims 2018)(1); Eagle Gold Mine with current Measured and Indicated Resources of 233 million tonnes at a grade of 0.57 g/t Au at the Eagle Main Zone (4.303 million ounces; Harvey et al, 2022)(2); the Brewery Creek deposit with current Indicated Mineral Resource of 22.2 million tonnes at a gold grade of 1.11 g/t (0.789 million ounces; Hulse et al. 2020)(3); the Florin Gold deposit, located adjacent to Sitka's RC Gold project, with a current Inferred Mineral Resource of 170.99 million tonnes grading 0.45 g/t (2.47 million ounces; Simpson 2021)(4) and the AurMac Project with an Inferred Mineral Resource of 312.90 million tonnes grading 0.61 gram per tonne gold (6.18 million ounces; Jutras 2023)(5). (1) Sims J. Fort Knox Mine Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, USA National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report. June 11, 2018. https://s2.q4cdn.com/496390694/files/doc_downloads/2018/Fort-Knox-June-2018-Technical-Report.pdf (2) Harvey N., Gray P., Winterton J., Jutras M., Levy M.,Technical Report for the Eagle Gold Mine, Yukon Territory, Canada. Victoria Gold Corp. December 31, 2022. https://vgcx.com/site/assets/files/6534/vgcx_-_2023_eagle_mine_technical_report_final.pdf (3) Hulse D, Emanuel C, Cook C. NI43-101 Technical Report on Mineral Resources. Gustavson Associates. May 31, 2020. https://www.goldenpredator.com/_resources/Brewery-Creek_NI-43-101-05OCT2020-File.pdf (4) Simpson R. Florin Gold Project NI43-101 Technical Report. Geosim Services Inc. April 21, 2021. https://sedar.com/GetFile.do?lang=EN&docClass=24&issuerNo=00005795&issuerType=03&projectNo=03236138&docI d=4984158 (5) Banyan Gold News Release Dated May 24,, 2023 (Technical Report to be filed within 45 days of news release) https://banyangold.com/news-releases/2023/banyan-announces-6.2-million-ounce-gold-resource-estimate-for-the-aurmac-property-yukon-canada/ About Sitka Gold Corp. Sitka Gold Corp. is a mineral exploration company headquartered in Canada. The Company is managed by a team of experienced industry professionals and is focused on exploring for economically viable mineral deposits with its primary emphasis on gold, silver and copper mineral properties of merit. Sitka currently has an option to acquire a 100% interest in the RC, Barney Ridge, Clear Creek and OGI properties in the Yukon and the Burro Creek Gold property in Arizona. Sitka owns a 100% interest in its Alpha Gold property in Nevada, its Mahtin Gold property in the Yukon and its Coppermine River project in Nunavut. The Company recently announced an NI 43-101 compliant Initial Mineral Resource Estimate of 1,340,000 ounces of gold(1) beginning at surface and grading 0.68 g/t at its RC Gold Project in Yukon (see news release dated January 19, 2023). A diamond drilling program of up to 10,000 metres is currently underway at RC Gold. The Company is also planning additional drilling at its Alpha Gold Property in Nevada where a new Carlin-type gold system was recently discovered. The Company is focused on vectoring towards the high-grade core of this system, which is located on the Cortez Trend just 40 km southeast of the Cortez Mine Complex of Barrick/Newmont. (1) Simpson, R. January 19, 2023. Clear Creek Property, RC Gold Project, NI 43-101 Technical Report, Dawson Mining District, Yukon Territory. Upcoming Events Sitka Gold will be attending and/or presenting at the following events: Precious Metals Summit, Beaver Creek, Colorado : September 12 - 15, 2023 : Yukon Geoscience Forum, Whitehorse , Yukon : November 19 - 22, 2023 All events are subject to change. The scientific and technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Cor Coe, P.Geo., Director and CEO of the Company, and a Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF SITKA GOLD CORP. "Donald Penner" President and Director Cautionary and Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements and information are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "appear", "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "approximate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe", "would" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, the expected timing and terms of the private placement, use of proceeds, anticipated work program, required approvals in connection with the work program and the ability to obtain such approvals. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, timelines and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws or the CSE. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. VANCOUVER, BC and HONG KONG, CHINA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Reyna Silver Corp. (TSXV:RSLV) (OTCQX:RSNVF) (FRA:4ZC) ("Reyna Silver") and Reyna Gold Corp. (TSXV:REYG) (OTCQB:REYFG) ("Reyna Gold") are pleased to announce that they have entered into a Property Option Agreement (the "Agreement") with Golden Gryphon USA Inc. ("Gryphon") on the Gryphon Summit Project (the "Project") located in Eureka and Elko Counties, Nevada. The Project comprises 1286 unpatented and 8 patented lode mining claims located in the Diablo Range, which lies in an area of excellent infrastructure between the Carlin and Eureka-Battle Trends of north-central Nevada. The 10,300-hectare Gryphon project covers 8 by 16 kilometres of ground laced by well-developed, variably mineralized structures. The structures show strong evidence of having sequentially controlled multiple mineralizing events, including Carlin-style Gold; Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Gold Carbonate Replacement veins (CRDs); and stratabound Nickel-Zinc mineralization (See Figure 2). This style of overlapping mineralizing events is a key element of significant deposits like Ruby Hill, which lies just 70 km along trend southeast of the Gryphon project in the famous Eureka District, now known for its overlapping Carlin-style gold and historic CRD Pb-Zn-Ag deposits (See Figure 1). In addition, the Gryphon project contains an interpreted stratabound Nickel-Zinc sequence, providing a critical mineral opportunity in one of the best jurisdictions in the world (See Figure 3). Historic exploration at Gryphon Summit was by Majors who focused on the gold and undertook extensive geological, geochemical, and geophysical programs. These resulted in localized shallow drilling programs, several of which showed strong results that were never followed up. Golden Gryphon Exploration subsequently recognized multiple superimposed silver-lead-zinc-copper and nickel mineralization events combined with a possible porphyry driver. Reyna Silver and Reyna Gold plan to deploy the first-ever integrated ore-systems approach here to unravel the individual components of this large, composite district-scale project. "Reyna Silver's strength is the ability to take on large, district-scale projects. The multiple overprinted silver, gold and nickel events seen here and increasingly by others in the immediate neighborhood suggests Gryphon fits perfectly into our wheelhouse," said Jorge Ramiro Monroy, CEO of Reyna Silver. "We're delighted to team with our sister company Reyna Gold on this precious metals-rich multistage property smack dab in the middle of one of the world's best-understood gold mega-districts." "We are excited by the opportunity to expand into this new jurisdiction with shared talents and capital. Our geological team has considerable expertise in Carlin Gold deposits we can bring to bear," said Michael Wood, CEO of Reyna Gold. "The investment structure of the deal allows us to build systematically on existing work, and the joint venture provides our shareholders jurisdictional diversity through exposure to a district-scale property in the U.S., complementing our La Gloria project in Mexico." "It's remarkable when the opportunity arises to acquire an exploration project on Main Street for both the Carlin Gold and Eureka-Ruby Hill CRD trends, especially one with a huge inventory of high quality but underutilized exploration data," noted Dr. Peter Megaw, Chief Exploration Advisor to Reyna Silver. "Gryphon is just across the valley from i80 Gold's Ruby Hill, where the two major regional mineralization styles are co-mingled, creating some pretty special mining economics." The Agreement The Agreement gives Reyna Silver and Reyna Gold, jointly, the ability to earn up to a 70% equity interest in the Project (the "Option"). Reyna Silver and Reyna Gold have formed an unincorporated joint venture for the purpose of holding the Option (the "Reyna JV"). The Option is subject to the Reyna JV performing the following by April 30, 2027: (i) expending a total of US$9,500,000 on the Project; (ii) making cash payments to Gryphon in the aggregate amount of US$1,100,000; and (iii) issuing a total of 1,200,000 common shares in the capital of Reyna Silver and 1,200,000 common shares in the capital of Reyna Gold to Gryphon. Upon completion of the Option, Gryphon and Reyna JV will enter a joint venture to continue exploration and development of the Project. See below for the detailed terms. Reyna Silver and Reyna Gold already share a number of technical team members and advisors; for efficiency, Reyna Silver will assume the technical lead of the Gryphon Summit project. Reyna Gold will contribute both capital and their gold expertise, including advisor Tony Longo, whose experience in Carlin-style Deposits will significantly benefit the project. The structure of the agreement is designed with the intent to focus funds for the first two years into the ground for exploration. The Project The project lies in the Basin and Range province of Nevada between the Battle Mountain-Eureka and Carlin trends, along the eastern boundary of the Roberts Mountain Thrust. This area's NS to NNW high-angle horst-graben structures provided excellent pathways for mineralizing fluids generated by a series of metallogenic events. Calcareous lithologies dominate the geologic sequence, including limestone, dolostone and calcareous shale, as well as clastics and quartzite. Particular rock units of interest include the Pogonip Group (the host rock for the Carlin-style mineralization in Eureka), Devil's Gate Limestone (a major host for Eureka CRD mineralization), and the Vinini Formation (a major host for gold mineralization in the Horse Canyon Carlin Gold mine). Figure 1. Gryphon Summit is located in Northeastern Nevada, 70 km NW of the Eureka district and 54 km from Carlin. The project is 73 km west of Reyna Silver's Medicine Springs CRD Project. Gryphon Summit exhibits both the key features indicative of a Carlin-style system and at least 8 out of the 13 key features associated with major CRDs (See Figure 5). Extensive systematic sampling revealed gold grades up to 15-24 g/t Au, silver grades up to 300-2060 g/t Ag, nickel grades up to 0.2-0.4% Ni, and zinc grades up to 3-35% Zn (See Figures 2 and 3). The exceptional zinc grades concentrate along structures and associate with stratiform Ni-Zn mineralization (See Figure 3). Exploration will build on extensive earlier work conducted by Golden Gryphon Exploration (GGE) or their prior optionees, including 133 RC holes (11,620 m with most under 100 m depth. We have complete data for 73 of these holes), 11 core holes (4862 m), and most recently, Agnico Eagle's 12 diamond drill holes (2987 m; 250 m average depth) (See Figure 4). In addition, the Reynas inherit over USD$2,000,000 of geochemical and geophysical data, including over 3,000 analyzed rock samples with a curated reference sample library, magnetic, gravimetric, 39 km of IP, CSAMT, and 17 km of NSAMT geophysics. The project is crossed by 35 km of well-maintained roads connecting all the key areas and existing permitted drill targets. These combined elements make Gryphon primed for the Reyna's disciplined, systematic, ore-systems approach to exploration. Figure 3. Nickel and Zn mineralization. Nickel is in purple, with grades up to 0.2-0.48%. Zinc is in green with grades up to 3-35%. (Data generated/compiled by Golden Gryphon USA). Figure 4. Historic Drilling at Gryphon. The previous drilling consisted of 133 RC holes displayed in grey and 23 Core holes displayed in dark grey. (Data generated/compiled by Golden Gryphon USA) Figure 5. The CRD Initial Checklist, with the 13 key features common to all large known CRD deposits. Gryphon exhibits 8 out of 13 to date. Key Terms of the Property Option Agreement To complete its full 70% earn-in under the Agreement, Reyna JV must complete the following: Make expenditures in relation to the Project up to the total amount of US$9,500,000, on the following schedule: US$500,000 on or prior to April 30, 2024; US$2,000,000 on or prior to April 30, 2025; US$3,000,000 on or prior to April 30, 2026; and US$4,000,000 on or prior to April 30, 2027; Make cash payments to Gryphon in the total amount of US$1,100,000, on the following schedule: US$100,000 on entering into the Agreement; US$100,000 on or prior to April 30, 2024; US$100,000 on or prior to October 31, 2024; US$150,000 on or prior to April 30, 2025; US$150,000 on or prior to October 31, 2025; US$250,000 on or prior to April 30, 2026; and US$250,000 on or prior to October 31, 2026.; Issue an aggregate of 1,200,000 Reyna Silver common shares to Gryphon, on the following schedule: 125,000 within five business days of acceptance of the Agreement by the TSX Venture Exchange; 125,000 on or prior to April 30, 2025; 200,000 on or prior to April 30, 2026; and 750,000 on or prior to April 30, 2027; Issue an aggregate of 1,200,000 Reyna Gold common shares to Gryphon, on the following schedule: 125,000 within five business days of acceptance of the Agreement by the TSX Venture Exchange; 125,000 on or prior to April 30, 2025; 200,000 on or prior to April 30, 2026; and 750,000 on or prior to April 30, 2027. The initial US$2,500,000 in required expenditures, the initial US$300,000 in cash payments and the initial issuances of 250,000 Reyna Silver common shares and 250,000 Reyna Gold common shares are firm obligations and must be paid regardless of whether the Option is subsequently dropped by the Reyna JV. Reyna Silver and Reyna Gold will each be severally responsible for 50% of the required expenditures and required cash payments under the Agreement. Upon exercising the Option in full, a new joint venture will be formed between Gryphon and Reyna JV, the terms of which will be negotiated on or before April 30, 2025. Gryphon will be granted a 2% net smelter returns royalty on the Project (subject to a 50% buy down right to a 1% royalty), except that the part of the Project comprising the eight patented mining claims will be subject only to a 1% net smelter returns royalty (not subject to further buy-down) (the "NSR Agreement"). The terms of the NSR Agreement will be negotiated on or before April 30, 2025. The Agreement is subject to (i) a 30-day due diligence period in favour of Reyna JV and (ii) acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. The technical data contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Dr. Peter Megaw C.P.G., who is responsible for ensuring that the geologic information provided in this news release is accurate and who acts as a "qualified person" under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Dr. Megaw is not independent as he and/or the companies with which he is affiliated hold Net Smelter Royalties on the Guigui and Batopilas Projects that predate Reyna Silver acquiring them and is Chief Technical Advisor for, and a shareholder of, Reyna Silver. Jorge Ramiro Monroy Chief Executive Officer of Reyna Silver Corp. For Further Information, Please Contact: Reyna Silver Corp. Jorge Ramiro Monroy, Chief Executive Officer This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.reynasilver.com Michael Wood Chief Executive Officer of Reyna Gold Corp. For Further Information, Please Contact: Reyna Gold Corp. Michael Wood, Chief Executive Officer This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.reynagold.com About Reyna Silver Corp. Reyna Silver Corp. (TSXV:RSLV) is a growth-oriented junior exploration and development company focused on exploring for high-grade, district-scale silver deposits in Mexico and USA. Reyna's principal properties are the Guigui and Batopilas Properties in Chihuahua, Mexico, plus Medicine Springs and Gryphon Summit in Nevada, USA. Guigui covers the interpreted source area for the Santa Eulalia District, and Batopilas covers most of Mexico's historically highest-grade silver system. The Company also has an option to acquire 100% of the Medicine Springs CRD project in Elko Co., Nevada, USA, and the 10,300-hectare combined Carlin-style and CRD Griffin Summit Project in Eureka Co., Nevada, USA, as well as several early-stage properties in Mexico. About Reyna Gold Corp. Reyna Gold Corp. is a gold exploration company focused on district-scale exploration. The Company has a portfolio of assets on the Mojave-Sonora Megashear and the Sierra Madre Gold in Mexico, and an option to acquire the 10,300-hectare combined Carlin-style and CRD Gryphon Summit Project in Eureka Co., Nevada, USA. The Company has an experienced management team with a proven track record of wealth creation through project discovery, advancement, and monetization. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the terms and conditions of the option agreement; the ability of the Reyna JV to fully-earn in the Option, use of funds; the business and operations of the Reyna JV and the exploration of the Property. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals; and the uncertainties surrounding the mineral exploration industry. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - Southern Empire Resources Corp. (Southern Empire) (TSX-V: SMP) (Frankfurt: 5RE) (OTC: SMPEF) is very pleased to announce that in an August 31, 2023 Press Release, the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) stated that Southern Empire's subsidiary, SMP Gold Corp., was approved to "move forward with mineral exploration on public lands" at its wholly owned Oro Cruz Project located in Imperial County, California. David Tupper, Southern Empire's VP of Exploration stated, "Receiving the BLM's approval for our planned Oro Cruz exploration is a major step forward for us, one that brings us much closer to both drilling the high-grade, oxide gold zone of the Cross Mine, which last produced gold in 1996, and to establish surface infrastructure that will enable us to access its underground workings, which remain in excellent condition." On September 1, 2023, the BLM issued a Decision Record (DR), based on information provided by an Environmental Assessment prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and a signed Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), approving proposed exploration activities (the Proposed Action) as described in both Southern Empire's Plan of Operations (the Plan) for the Oro Cruz Project and in the Environmental Assessment/Mitigated Negative Declaration (EA/MND) jointly prepared in coordination with the Imperial County Planning Department (ICPD), which is the lead agency for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) permitting for the Oro Cruz Project. BLM approval of the Proposed Action set out in the Oro Cruz Project Plan of Operations allows for: Establishment of up to 65 drill pads in seven drill target areas Reverse Circulation (RC) and/or core drilling of up to 65 drill holes Improvement and construction of access roads Creation of a staging area at the Cross Mine underground portal for infrastructure required to support future underground drill programs. The Plan proposes that Southern Empire conduct the Proposed Action on lands administered and managed by the BLM that specifically occur within a 257-hectare (ha; 635 acre) area of the ~184,000-acre Picacho Area of Critical Environmental Concern, which covers important cultural and biological resources and the historic Cargo Muchacho - Tumco Mining district. The actual surface disturbance from the Proposed Action is limited to approximately 8.3 ha (20.5 acres) and most of the proposed drill sites are within areas previously disturbed by the historical American Girl Mining Joint Venture operations, which concluded in 1996. The EA/MND analyzed the affected environment and environmental impacts and established environmental protection measures to avoid or mitigate conflicts with, and undue degradation of, natural, cultural, and historic resources associated with the Proposed Action. The BLM's approval of the Proposed Action, as described in the Plan and the EA/MND complies with federal and state laws related to environmental protection and the protection of cultural resources and is in conformance with applicable land use plans, laws, and regulations and that it will not cause unnecessary or undue degradation. In addition, the BLM has determined that the Oro Cruz Project is "reasonably incident" to mining and would attain the stated level of protection and reclamation required by specific laws in the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA). Public and Regulatory Involvement in Oro Cruz Project Permitting The Plan was initially submitted to the BLM's El Centro Field Office on September 28, 2020. The BLM, following its procedural review, determined on November 16, 2021 that the Plan was administratively and technically complete and consistent with U.S. federal surface management regulations. Environmental, biological, cultural, hydrological and other baseline studies were completed in preparation for analysis in the permitting processes. The BLM published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register and on March 4, 2022, issued a press release announcing that the BLM was initiating an environmental review, seeking public input regarding the Plan and implementing a NEPA-required 30-day public scoping period regarding the Oro Cruz Project. The public scoping period ended on April 4, 2022, with six public scoping comment letters received, one from a federal agency and five from public interest organizations. A 582-page Reclamation Plan for compliance with the State of California's Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) was prepared and submitted to the California Department of Conservation's Division of Mine Reclamation (DMR) for their review on June 24, 2022. The Reclamation Plan was considered to be complete subsequent to DMR's review and comments received on October 28, 2022. This document is available at: SMP Oro Cruz Project, Imperial County, California Reclamation Plan 20220928. Pursuant to NEPA and CEQA, the BLM and the ICPD (on behalf of the State of California) jointly prepared a draft EA/MND, the purpose of which was to provide a project description, identify issues and describe affected environments, analyze and disclose any potential environmental, cultural, and recreational resource impacts associated with the Plan, identify and disclose any required mitigation measures, or project alternatives as appropriate. The BLM also prepared and published an unsigned FONSI, based on the information contained in the draft EA/MND, that stated that Proposed Action identified in the draft EA/MND would not significantly affect the quality of the human environment and that an Environmental Impact Statement is not required to be prepared for the Plan. Only after public review and commentary regarding the draft EA/MND and the unsigned FONSI could the BLM make a final decision regarding authorization of the Proposed Action. The draft EA/MND and the unsigned FONSI were published for a 30-day public review period from November 16, 2022 through December 16, 2022. During that time a Virtual Public Meeting was held on November 30, 2022 and, by the end of the open public comment period, 373 public comments had been submitted to the BLM. The ICPD held an Environmental Evaluation Committee public hearing on November 17, 2022 for review of the adequacy of the CEQA analysis within the EA/MND. Following the NEPA and CEQA public review periods, the BLM and ICPD coordinated with the third-party NEPA and CEQA contractors to revise the draft EA/MND as deemed necessary and to respond to any public comments received in order for the agencies to reach a decision on the Oro Cruz Project. Public comments received did not result in substantive revisions to the EA/MND and this document was finalized. Based on information in the EA/MND, the signed FONSI, and other related documents, the BLM has now determined to approve the Proposed Action as described in the EA/MND for the Oro Cruz Project, and finds this action conforms to BLM NEPA requirements. The BLM further finds this action in conformance with applicable land use plans, laws, and regulations and that it will not cause unnecessary or undue degradation. The BLM's Decision Record and signed FONSI, the Environmental Assessment/Mitigated Negative Declaration and other associated documents were posted for public review on September 1, 2023, online at the BLM NEPA Register. These documents are also available for public review at the BLM El Centro Field Office located at 1661 South 4th Street in El Centro, California. The BLM's September 1, 2023 decision is subject to a 30-day public appeal period. The Imperial County Planning Commission has set a hearing at 9:00 a.m. on September 13, 2023, in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 940 Main Street, El Centro, California, to make determinations regarding the Oro Cruz Project, including, but not limited to, the adoption of the EA/MND, resolutions adopting the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Reclamation Plan, and resolutions adopting the Reclamation Plan. Materials for this meeting are available at: https://www.icpds.com/assets/hearings/3.-RP21-0001-SMP-Gold-Corp-(Oro-Cruz)-PC-PKG-09-13-23.pdf. Southern Empire continues to seek other ancillary permits at the state and county level. Southern Empire's ongoing environmental and permitting efforts are coordinated by Del Fortner Consulting of Tucson, Arizona. Our broader environmental assessment and permitting team includes: Sespe Consulting, Inc., specialists on SMARA and CEQA baseline environmental analysis, permitting and reclamation plan requirements, that assist in document preparation for the CEQA analysis. Stantec Consulting Services Inc., an international firm that liaises directly with both the BLM and the ICPD to prepare NEPA documentation for the BLM and coordinate the CEQA environmental review process with the ICPD. WestLand Resources, Inc., specialists in environmental engineering, permitting and planning, have completed the Oro Cruz Project baseline environmental and cultural studies and have provided documentation and services necessary to comply with both the NEPA and CEQA permitting requirements. About Southern Empire Resources Corp. Southern Empire is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of metals and minerals deposits in the American southwest and northern Mexico and is particularly focused on those that are naturally oxidized and amenable to lower-cost metal extraction methodologies such as heap leaching. To achieve its goals, Southern Empire has assembled a board of directors, all veterans in mine and corporate finance, exploration, permitting, development, and operations that will guide the future growth of the company. In the Cargo Muchacho mountains of Imperial County, California, Southern Empire's wholly owned Oro Cruz Project has the potential to re-establish gold production from an oxide gold deposit located approximately 22.5 kilometres (14 miles) southeast of the operating Mesquite gold mine of Equinox Gold Corp., which has now produced more than five million ounces. At Oro Cruz, extensive historical drilling and large-scale open-pit and underground mining of the American Girl, Padre y Madre, Queen and Cross oxide gold deposits by the American Girl Mining Joint Venture (AGMJV; being MK Gold Company and Hecla Mining Company) occurred between 1987 and 1996. During that time, gold was recovered by heap leaching of lower-grade ores and milling of higher-grade ores. Following significant definition drilling and underground development, the Cross open-pit and underground mines operated successfully for only one year, producing about 61,000 ounces of gold, until AGMJV operations ceased in late 1996 as collapsing gold prices caused their entire operations to be shuttered and decommissioned. This left the Oro Cruz property with many gold exploration targets in addition to the Cross oxide gold deposit having a historical inferred resource estimate, as reported in 2011 by Lincoln Mining Corp., totalling 341,800 ounces gold based on 4,386,000 tonnes averaging 2.2 grams gold per tonne at a cut-off grade of 0.68 g/t Au (4,835,000 tons at 0.07 ounce gold per ton; please refer to the Cautionary Notice Regarding the Oro Cruz Property Historical Resource Estimate below). Although no surface facilities remain, the underground infrastructure at Oro Cruz (including a 2.4 kilometre haulage ramp, sublevels and draw points) remains in excellent condition and the open pit was abandoned just after stripping was completed prior to the start of its Stage II expansion. Southern Empire continues to finalize ancillary state and county permitting for the Oro Cruz Project. The planned work program of up to 65 exploration, confirmation and metallurgical drill holes will support a new mineral resource estimate and test the potential of waste rock dumps to yield residual gold production. In northern Mexico (Sonora, Chihuahua, and Durango), Southern Empire has a leachable copper prospect and three gold projects having bulk-tonnage potential. Our Mexican projects are the: Suaqui Verde Copper Project, Suaqui Grande, Sonora ; ; Centauro Gold Project, Escalon, Chihuahua; Pedro Gold Project, Mapimi, Durango; La Loma Gold Project, Nazas, Durango ; and, Southern Empire has recently entered into an agreement allowing for the acquisition of up to a 100% beneficial interest in the Suaqui Verde Copper Project, situated in the mining-friendly State of Sonora in northwestern Mexico. The Suaqui Verde copper deposit is characterized by oxide and enriched copper sulphide mineralization and has been explored through historical drill holes. It lies within the Sonora-Arizona porphyry copper province, known for its copper-molybdenum deposits. The project covers approximately 1,952 hectares and has been the subject of various historical open-pit mineral resource estimates. The agreement includes access to water usage rights and surface land rights. The location offers good access to infrastructure and workforce, and the deposit's potential development scenarios encompass open pit mining and heap leaching, or innovative in-situ leaching, both aimed at cathode copper production through SX/EW processing methods. Southern Empire aims to capitalize on previous investments and explore the deposit's expansion potential. The three gold projects are located along what Southern Empire is calling the Mapimi Gold Corridor, a 150-kilometre, southeast-trending Oligocene tectonostratigraphic belt, the regional geological setting of which, together with numerous coincident geological, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics as observed at Centauro, Pedro and La Loma, strongly supports the proposition that the Mapimi Gold Corridor has significant potential to host bulk-mineable, low sulfidation epithermal and/or Carlin-style gold deposits. For more information on Southern Empire, its people and its projects, please visit our website: www.smp.gold. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Southern Empire Resources Corp., Dale Wallster, CEO and Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Notice on Forward-Looking Information and Forward-Looking Statements Information provided in this news release may contain forward-looking information or forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. Such information or statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations and are not guarantees of future performance. Southern Empire cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond its respective control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Southern Empire's limited operating history, the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations, results of exploration programs on its projects and those risks and uncertainties identified in its annual and interim financial statements and management discussion and analysis. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Southern Empire undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. Cautionary Notice Regarding the Oro Cruz Project Historical Mineral Resource Estimate The historical mineral resource estimate outlined above is disclosed in a technical report dated April 29, 2011, prepared for Lincoln Mining Corp. by Tetra Tech, Inc. and filed on the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR+). It is termed an inferred mineral resource, which is a category set out in NI 43-101 and was based on historical reverse circulation and core drill hole sample, underground channel sample, and blasthole sample assay results and calculated using ordinary kriging to estimate gold grades in 10-foot-by-10-foot-by-five-foot blocks. Accordingly, Southern Empire considers this historical estimate reliable as well as relevant as it presents key targets for future exploration work. However, a QP has not done sufficient work to verify or classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource and Southern Empire is not treating this historical mineral resource estimate as current mineral resources. VANCOUVER, British Columbia / Sep 05, 2023 / Business Wire / New Found Gold Corp. (New Found or the Company) (TSX-V: NFG, NYSE-A: NFGC) is pleased to announce the results from 30 diamond drill holes that were completed as part of a follow-up drill program designed to test the new Jackpot discovery located 2.5 km north of Keats along the highly prospective Appleton Fault Zone (AFZ) in addition to results from systematic grid drilling in the Everest region. New Founds district-scale Queensway Project comprises a 1,662km2 area, accessible via the Trans-Canada Highway, 15km west of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador. Jackpot Highlights: Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Zone NFGC-22-9184 161.95 164.70 2.75 18.60 Everest Including 161.95 162.95 1.00 44.23 NFGC-23-14231 20.40 23.10 2.70 146.67 Jackpot Including 20.40 22.50 2.10 188.10 Including 21.40 21.80 0.40 699.00 And Including 22.10 22.50 0.40 241.00 NFGC-23-14252 36.90 41.00 4.10 118.73 Jackpot Including 36.90 39.00 2.10 229.71 Table 1: Jackpot Drilling Highlights Note that the host structures are interpreted to be steeply dipping and true widths are generally estimated to be 170% to 95% and 240% to 70% of reported intervals. 4True widths are unknown at this time. Infill veining in secondary structures with multiple orientations crosscutting the primary host structures are commonly observed in drill core which could result in additional uncertainty in true width. Composite intervals reported carry a minimum weighted average of 1 g/t Au diluted over a minimum core length of 2m with a maximum of 4m consecutive dilution when above 200m vertical depth and 2m consecutive dilution when below 200m vertical depth. Included high-grade intercepts are reported as any consecutive interval with grades greater than 10 g/t Au. Grades have not been capped in the averaging and intervals are reported as drill thickness. Jackpot is a new discovery that was announced on June 22, 2023 with the discovery hole interval of 95.7 g/t Au over 3.25m in NFGC-23-1292 intercepted at a vertical depth of just 20m and situated 280m east of the AFZ. Follow-up drilling, which includes todays holes, was designed to efficiently determine the orientation of the vein for continued expansion drilling. 119 g/t Au over 4.10m in NFGC-23-1425 and 147 g/t Au over 2.70m in NFGC-23-1423 are located 20m down-dip and 15m along strike, respectively, of previously reported NFGC-23-1292. All three intervals occur at a vertical depth ranging from just 20m-40m (Figures 1-4). Initial drilling indicates that Jackpot is an approximately east-west striking, steeply north-dipping high-grade gold-bearing fault that is laced with coarse-grained visible gold. An aggressive follow-up program continues to expand on this new discovery, which remains open in all directions. Greg Matheson, COO of New Found, stated: Jackpot is another exciting discovery for our team, delivering exceptional high-grade and near-surface gold mineralization a full 2.5km north of our flagship Keats zone. The caliber of todays intercepts speaks to the growing mineralized canvas at Appleton North and demonstrates that these newly identified structures are host to high-grade mineralization akin to many of our better-defined zones to the south. Similar to Lotto, Jackpot is characterized by the presence of an abundance of coarse gold that is associated with a substantial brittle fault and quartz veining. One drill is incrementally stepping out on this new discovery to follow it along strike and to depth with additional results expected in the near term. Drillhole Details Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Zone NFGC-22-9054 118.95 125.25 6.30 1.13 Everest And2 181.00 183.35 2.35 1.41 NFGC-22-9184 161.95 164.70 2.75 18.60 Everest Including 161.95 162.95 1.00 44.23 NFGC-22-9564 93.55 96.50 2.95 1.53 Everest And4 221.40 224.00 2.60 1.39 NFGC-22-976 No Significant Values Everest NFGC-22-1000 No Significant Values Everest NFGC-22-10064 25.35 28.55 3.20 1.65 Everest And4 73.00 75.25 2.25 1.74 NFGC-22-1030 No Significant Values Everest NFGC-23-1111 No Significant Values Everest NFGC-23-1175 No Significant Values Everest NFGC-23-11831 174.50 176.50 2.00 1.60 Everest NFGC-23-1192 No Significant Values Everest NFGC-23-1198 No Significant Values Everest NFGC-23-1214 No Significant Values Everest NFGC-23-1233 No Significant Values Everest NFGC-23-12424 73.25 76.40 3.15 1.92 Everest And4 82.35 84.80 2.45 4.86 NFGC-23-1260 No Significant Values Everest NFGC-23-12812 45.70 48.80 3.10 6.66 Everest Including 47.65 48.30 0.65 14.97 NFGC-23-12991 78.10 80.30 2.20 3.59 Jackpot Including 78.10 78.65 0.55 11.39 NFGC-23-1326 No Significant Values Everest NFGC-23-1333 No Significant Values Jackpot NFGC-23-1339 No Significant Values Jackpot NFGC-23-13502 245.25 247.55 2.30 1.09 Jackpot NFGC-23-13612 39.75 42.00 2.25 1.17 Everest And1 53.55 56.10 2.55 4.41 Including 53.55 54.15 0.60 18.68 And1 312.95 318.55 5.60 3.23 K2 Including 312.95 313.35 0.40 31.83 And1 320.75 323.20 2.45 1.13 NFGC-23-1374 No Significant Values Jackpot NFGC-23-13962 35.55 41.20 5.65 1.05 Jackpot NFGC-23-14231 20.40 23.10 2.70 146.67 Jackpot Including 20.40 22.50 2.10 188.10 Including 21.40 21.80 0.40 699.00 And Including 22.10 22.50 0.40 241.00 NFGC-23-14252 36.90 41.00 4.10 118.73 Jackpot Including 36.90 39.00 2.10 229.71 NFGC-23-1468 No Significant Values Everest NFGC-23-14801 96.00 98.45 2.45 1.40 Jackpot NFGC-23-1568 No Significant Values Jackpot Table 2: Summary of composite results reported in this press release for Jackpot Note that the host structures are interpreted to be steeply dipping and true widths are generally estimated to be 170% to 95%, 240% to 70%, and 310% to 40% of reported intervals. 4True widths are unknown at this time. Infill veining in secondary structures with multiple orientations crosscutting the primary host structures are commonly observed in drill core which could result in additional uncertainty in true width. Composite intervals reported carry a minimum weighted average of 1 g/t Au diluted over a minimum core length of 2m with a maximum of 4m consecutive dilution when above 200m vertical depth and 2m consecutive dilution when below 200m vertical depth. Included high-grade intercepts are reported as any consecutive interval with grades greater than 10 g/t Au. Grades have not been capped in the averaging and intervals are reported as drill thickness. Hole No. Azimuth () Dip () Length (m) UTM E UTM N Prospect NFGC-22-905 300 -45 254 659500 5430476 Everest NFGC-22-918 300 -45 365 659552 5430561 Everest NFGC-22-956 300 -45 434 659451 5430389 Everest NFGC-22-976 300 -45 363 659493 5430364 Everest NFGC-22-1000 300 -45 312 659339 5429992 Everest NFGC-22-1006 300 -45 203 659511 5430643 Everest NFGC-22-1030 300 -45 275 659401 5430301 Everest NFGC-23-1111 245 -45 138 659195 5429843 Everest NFGC-23-1175 120 -45 266 659364 5430583 Everest NFGC-23-1183 120 -45 251 659320 5430608 Everest NFGC-23-1192 120 -45 251 659325 5430663 Everest NFGC-23-1198 345 -60 155 659178 5430601 Everest NFGC-23-1214 75 -45 407 659140 5430510 Everest NFGC-23-1233 75 -45 296 659270 5430436 Everest NFGC-23-1242 345 -60 224 659269 5430437 Everest NFGC-23-1260 75 -45 293 659171 5430263 Everest NFGC-23-1281 300 -45 330 659433 5430058 Everest NFGC-23-1299 299 -45.5 276 659371 5429800 Jackpot NFGC-23-1326 98 -42 99 659291 5429905 Everest NFGC-23-1333 150 -45 153 659286 5429849 Jackpot NFGC-23-1339 300 -45 387 659322 5429714 Jackpot NFGC-23-1350 300 -45 276 659313 5429602 Jackpot NFGC-23-1361 300 -45 348 659178 5429565 Everest NFGC-23-1374 300 -46 261 659375 5429855 Jackpot NFGC-23-1396 299 -45.5 348 659511 5429891 Jackpot NFGC-23-1423 0 -71 72 659418 5429888 Jackpot NFGC-23-1425 270 -72 74 659417 5429884 Jackpot NFGC-23-1468 300 -45 245 659416 5429427 Everest NFGC-23-1480 337 -61 216 659394 5429806 Jackpot NFGC-23-1568 0 -45 78 659547 5429891 Jackpot Table 3: Details of drill holes reported in this press release Queensway 500,000m Drill Program Update The Company is currently undertaking a 500,000m drill program at Queensway and approximately 36,400m of core is currently pending assay results. Sampling, Sub-sampling, and Laboratory Assays are uncut, and composite intervals are calculated using a minimum weighted average of 1 g/t Au diluted over a minimum core length of 2m with a maximum of 4m consecutive dilution. Included high-grade intercepts are reported as any consecutive interval with grades greater than 10 g/t Au. All drilling recovers HQ core. Drill core is split in half using a diamond saw or a hydraulic splitter for rare intersections with incompetent core. A geologist examines the drill core and marks out the intervals to be sampled and the cutting line. Sample lengths are mostly 1.0 metre and adjusted to respect lithological and/or mineralogical contacts and isolate narrow (<1.0m) veins or other structures that may yield higher grades. Technicians saw the core along the defined cutting line. One-half of the core is kept as a witness sample and the other half is submitted for analysis. Individual sample bags are sealed and placed into totes, which are then sealed and marked with the contents. New Found has submitted samples for gold determination by fire assay to ALS Canada Ltd. (ALS) and by photon assay to MSALABS (MSA) since June 2022. ALS and MSA operate under a commercial contract with New Found. Drill core samples are shipped to ALS for sample preparation in Sudbury, Ontario, Thunder Bay, Ontario, or Moncton, New Brunswick. ALS is an ISO-17025 accredited laboratory for the fire assay method. Drill core samples are also submitted to MSA in Val-dOr, Quebec. MSA operates numerous laboratories worldwide and maintains ISO-17025 accreditation for many metal determination methods. Accreditation of the photon assay method at the MSA Val DOr laboratory is in progress. At ALS, the entire sample is crushed to approximately 70% passing 2mm. A 3,000-g split is pulverized. Routine samples do not have visible gold (VG) identified and are not within a mineralized zone. Routine samples are assayed for gold by 30-g fire assay with an inductively-couple plasma spectrometry (ICP) finish. If the initial 30-g fire assay gold result is over 1 g/t, the remainder of the 3,000-g split is screened at 106 microns for screened metallics assay. For the screened metallics assay, the entire coarse fraction (sized greater than 106 microns) is fire assayed and two splits of the fine fraction (sized less than 106 microns) are fire assayed. The three assays are combined on a weight-averaged basis. Samples that have VG identified or fall within a mineralized interval are automatically submitted for screened metallic assay for gold. At MSA, the entire sample is crushed to approximately 70% passing 2mm. For routine samples that do not have VG identified and are not within a mineralized zone, the samples are riffle split to fill two 450g jars for photon assay. The assays reported from both jars are combined on a weight-averaged basis. If one of the jars assays greater than 1 g/t, the remaining crushed material is weighed into multiple jars and are submitted for photon assay. For samples that have VG identified or are within a mineralized zone, the entire crushed sample is weighed into multiple jars and are submitted for photon assay. The assays from all jars are combined on a weight-averaged basis. All samples prepared at ALS or MSA are also analyzed for a multi-element ICP package (ALS method code ME-ICP61) at ALS Vancouver. Samples that reached the upper limit of antimony for this method, were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry (ALS method code Sb-AA08). Drill program design, Quality Assurance/Quality Control and interpretation of results are performed by qualified persons employing a rigorous Quality Assurance/Quality Control program consistent with industry best practices. Standards and blanks account for a minimum of 10% of the samples in addition to the laboratorys internal quality assurance programs. Quality Control data are evaluated on receipt from the laboratories for failures. Appropriate action is taken if assay results for standards and blanks fall outside allowed tolerances. All results stated have passed New Founds quality control protocols. New Founds quality control program also includes submission of the second half of the core for approximately 5% of the drilled intervals. In addition, approximately 1% of sample pulps for mineralized samples are submitted for re-analysis to a second ISO-accredited laboratory for check assays. The Company does not recognize any factors of drilling, sampling or recovery that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the assay data disclosed. The assay data disclosed in this news release have been verified by the Companys Qualified Person against the original assay certificates. The Company notes that it has not completed any economic evaluations of its Queensway Project and that the Queensway Project does not have any resources or reserves. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information disclosed in this press release was reviewed and approved by Greg Matheson, P. Geo., Chief Operating Officer, and a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Matheson consents to the publication of this press release dated September 5, 2023, by New Found. Mr. Matheson certifies that this press release fairly and accurately represents the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this press release. About New Found Gold Corp. New Found holds a 100% interest in the Queensway Project, located 15km west of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, and just 18km from Gander International Airport. The project is intersected by the Trans-Canada Highway and has logging roads crosscutting the project, high voltage electric power lines running through the project area, and easy access to a highly skilled workforce. The Company is currently undertaking a 500,000m drill program at Queensway and is well funded for this program with cash and marketable securities of approximately $39.5 million as of September 2023. Please see the Companys website at www.newfoundgold.ca and the Companys SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Acknowledgements New Found acknowledges the financial support of the Junior Exploration Assistance Program, Department of Natural Resources, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Contact To contact the Company, please visit the Companys website, www.newfoundgold.ca and make your request through our investor inquiry form. Our management has a pledge to be in touch with any investor inquiries within 24 hours. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statement Cautions This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to exploration, drilling and mineralization on the Companys Queensway gold project in Newfoundland and Labrador; assay results; the interpretation of drilling and assay results, the results of the drilling program, mineralization and the discovery of zones of high-grade gold mineralization; plans for future exploration and drilling and the timing of same; the merits of the Queensway project; future press releases by the Company; and funding of the drilling program. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words expects, plans, anticipates, believes, interpreted, intends, estimates, projects, aims, suggests, indicate, often, target, future, likely, pending, potential, goal, objective, prospective, possibly, preliminary, and similar expressions, or that events or conditions will, would, may, can, could or should occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made, and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include risks associated with possible accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, risks associated with the interpretation of assay results and the drilling program, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's Annual Information Form and Managements discussion and Analysis, publicly available at SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca), the Canadian Securities Administrators' national system that all market participants use for filings and disclosure, for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - Denarius Metals Corp. (TSXV: DSLV) (OTCQX: DNRSF) ("Denarius Metals" or the "Company") announced today that it has completed an updated Mineral Resource estimate ("MRE") for its 100%-owned Zancudo Project in Colombia prepared by SRK Consulting (U.S.), Inc. ("SRK") in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") Definition Standards incorporated by reference in National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") with an effective date of July 31, 2023. Serafino Iacono, Executive Chairman and CEO of Denarius, commented, "We are nearing completion on the preparation of a preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") for our Zancudo Project. We are pleased to announce that a detailed review of the geological model as part of the PEA process has resulted in a significant increase in the tonnage in our updated MRE, which now contains over one million gold equivalent ounces. Our stage 1 construction activities at Zancudo are progressing well and we remain on track to commence operations in 2024 as planned." Highlights of the updated MRE include: A 48% increase in tonnage resulted in total Inferred Resources of 4.1 million tonnes grading 6.5 g/t gold and 107 g/t silver totaling 860,000 ounces of gold and 14.1 million ounces of silver. At a gold equivalent grade of 8.1 g/t, the Inferred Resources increased by 48% to 1,060,000 gold equivalent ounces compared with the maiden MRE as of December 31, 2022. Both MREs were based on a 4.0 g/t cut-off grade over a 1.0 m minimum mining width. The increase in the updated Inferred Resources is attributable to a review of the geological model in conjunction with the Company's preparation of a PEA for the Zancudo Project. Specifically, revisions to coded intersections in conjunction with a review of the core and historical logging has led to an increase in the tonnage and metal above cut-off in the revised geological model. Mineralization at the Zancudo Project occurs in stacked mantos and steeply dipping veins that have been exploited over a strike length of 3,500 m. The average vein width is 0.35 m with a maximum width of 3.0 m. The known vertical extent of mineralization is 400 m. No new drilling has been completed in 2023. The database for the MRE includes a total of 40,100 m of diamond drilling in 149 holes, including 33 underground holes drilled in the Independencia Mine, that was carried out at the Zancudo Project by Gran Colombia Gold and IAMGOLD from 2011 through 2021. The Zancudo deposit remains open for further expansion in all directions. The following table summarizes the updated Inferred MRE for the Zancudo Project effective as at July 31, 2023 and changes in tonnes, grade and ounces compared to the previous estimate as at December 31, 2022: Effective Date Tonnes (kt) Grade Material Content Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AuEq (g/t) Au (koz) Ag (koz) AuEq (4) (koz) July 31, 2023 (2) 4,100 6.53 107 8.1 860 14,090 1,060 December 31, 2022 (3) 2,776 6.45 112 8.0 576 9,974 718 Change 48% 1% -4% 1% 49% 41% 48% Notes: Mineral resources are not ore reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. All gures rounded to reect the relative accuracy of the estimates. Gold, silver, lead and zinc assays were capped where appropriate. Given historical production, it is the Company's opinion that all the elements included in the metal equivalents calculation have a reasonable potential to be recovered and sold. The Mineral Resources as at July 31, 2023 are reported at an in-situ cut-off grade of 4.0 g/t AuEq over a 1.0 m mining width, which has been derived using a gold price of US$1,850/oz and silver price of US$23.0/oz, and suitable benchmarked technical and economic parameters for underground mining (mining = US$105.0, processing = US$42.0, G&A and selling costs = US$21.0, Royalties = 3.2%). The Mineral Resources as at December 31, 2022 were reported at an in-situ cut-off grade of 4.0 g/t AuEq over a 1.0 m mining width, which was derived using a gold price of US$1,800/oz and silver price of US$24.0/oz, and suitable benchmarked technical and economic parameters for underground mining (mining = US$105.0, processing = US$42.0, G&A and selling costs = US$21.0, Royalties = 3.2%). Metal Equivalent is calculated with the formula AuEq = (Au *Au Recovery (75%) * AuPrice + Ag *Ag Recovery (80%) * AgPrice)) / (Au Recovery (75%) *Au Price). It is assumed that the Project will produce a concentrate product based on assumed conventional gold and silver processing recoveries of 75% Au and 80% Ag from initial preliminary metallurgical sampling and benchmarked projects within the region. Following completion of the initial geological model and mineral resource estimate effective as at December 31, 2022, SRK undertook some preliminary internal conceptual studies using a combined inferred mineral resource and mineralization targets defined as exploration potential, for the purpose of guiding future exploration by the Company. During these studies, SRK noted the potential for inclusion of "near" structure mineralization was material enough that a more detailed review of the geological model contacts was warranted to identify possible misallocations of structures or potential additional materials which could be incorporated into the current interpretation. SRK created the first pass on a revised mineralization model in July 2023 and collaborated with the Company's geological team to further validate the geological model based on the revised coded intersections in conjunction with a review of the drill core and historical logging. Based on this review carried out by SRK and the Company's geological team, there has been a significant increase in the tonnage and metal above cut-off, mainly within Manto Antigua, the largest domain. SRK attributes these changes to a more detailed review of the geological logging and coding used to integrate the narrow structures into the updated estimate. Additionally in the December 2022 model, a number of low-grade intersections were incorporated which resulted in the dilution of grades due to the relatively low data populations supporting the estimate. The detailed review of the contacts and high-grade intersections in close proximity to the immediate hanging wall and footwall, plus reinterpretation to logged intervals by the Company's geologists, resulted in an increase in the average grades on a structure-by-structure basis. Using the revised interpretation, SRK updated the mineral resource estimates. The resource estimation methodology involved the following procedures: Database compilation and verification; Construction of wireframe models for the fault networks and centerlines of mining development per vein; Definition of resource domains; Data conditioning (compositing and capping) for statistical analysis, geostatistical analysis; Variography; Block modeling and grade interpolation; Resource classification and validation; Assessment of "reasonable prospects for economic extraction" and selection of appropriate reporting cut-off grades; and Preparation of the updated Mineral Resource estimate. SRK has completed the geological modelling and Mineral Resource estimate using Seequent Leapfrog. The procedure involved revision of wireframe models for the fault networks, key geological/mineralization domains, data conditioning (compositing and capping) for statistical analysis, geostatistical analysis, variography analysis, block modeling and grade interpolation followed by validation. Grade was estimated using inverse distance weighted (power 2) estimates for gold and silver. Grade estimation has been based on parent block dimensions of 20 m x 20 m x 20 m, a used in the previous 2022 model. The block size reflects potential size variations for any underground smallest mining units, but the blocks have been subcelled to reflect the relatively narrow nature of the mineralization with a minimum block size of 0.3215 m. Classification has been limited to estimates within 125 m of the closest single hole, located in either vein or manto domains, and by more than two drillholes. The resource evaluation work was completed by Mr. Benjamin Parsons, MAusIMM (CP#222568), according to CIM Definition Standards, who undertook a site inspection in January 2023. The updated MRE will be supported by a NI 43-101 independent report which will be published and filed on the Company's website and SEDAR profile within 45 days. Mr. Parsons is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. The NI 43-101 report will include detailed information on the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate the mineral resources. About Denarius Metals Denarius Metals is a Canadian junior company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and eventual operation of polymetallic mining projects in high-grade districts, with its principal focus on the Lomero Project in Spain. The Company signed a definitive option agreement with Europa Metals Ltd. in November 2022 pursuant to which Europa has granted Denarius Metals two options to acquire up to an 80% ownership interest in the Toral Zn-Pb-Ag Project, Leon Province, Northern Spain. The Company's 100%-owned Zancudo Project in Colombia provides an opportunity to develop near-term production and cash flow through local contract miners and long-term growth through exploration. Additional information on Denarius can be found on its website at www.denariusmetals.com and by reviewing its profile on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information 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", which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the MRE, the timing to commence mining operations at the Zancudo project, the preparation of a PEA and other business plans or strategies. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Denarius Metals to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements are described under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form dated April 21, 2023 which is available for view on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this press release and Denarius Metals disclaims, other than as required by law, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, results, future events, circumstances, or if management's estimates or opinions should change, or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Cautionary Statement on Mineral Resources Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues. In particular, the quantity and grade of reported inferred mineral resources are uncertain in nature and there is insufficient exploration to define these inferred mineral resources as an indicated or measured mineral resource in all cases. It is uncertain in all cases whether further exploration will result in upgrading the inferred mineral resources to an indicated or measured mineral resource category. For Further Information, Contact: Michael Davies Chief Financial Officer (416) 360-4653 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. DALLAS, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - enCore Energy Corp. (NYSE American: EU) (TSXV: EU) (the "Company" or "enCore") today provides an update from the South Texas Alta Mesa In-Situ Recovery (ISR) Uranium Central Processing Plant and Wellfield. Upgrades and refurbishments continue to advance as planned and on schedule for the 2024 resumption of uranium production1. The Company also announces further positive results from the wellfield delineation drill program and a continuing advancement of the newly discovered mineralized zone at the Alta Mesa wellfield. Site and production resumption work at the Rosita ISR Uranium Central Processing Plant and Wellfield (Rosita CPP) also remains on schedule for 2023 production. The Alta Mesa ISR Uranium Central Processing Plant (Alta Mesa CPP) is advancing towards a restart of production and presently completing minor scheduled renovations with equipment upgrades and refurbishments underway. A thorough equipment evaluation determined 90% of the piping and valves are operational with limited maintenance requirements. enCore is managing all refurbishments on site where feasible to proactively manage supply chain risks and costs. Longer lead time for non-critical supplies are ordered as part of supply chain management to ensure plant production start-up timelines are well managed. Staffing of key management positions at Alta Mesa started in earnest in Q1/2023 followed by the recruitment of an operations team experienced in South Texas ISR operations. Paul Goranson, enCore's Chief Executive Officer added "The enCore operations team has made steady progress in restoring the Alta Mesa CPP towards a 2024 restart of production while also installing the Production Authorization Area (PAA-7) wellfield. enCore's management team has dealt with similar start-up challenges in the past, and we have been very realistic about anticipated cost increases and challenging workforce recruitment. We have been strategic in our efforts to recruit skilled management and operators with previous experience at the Alta Mesa CPP and Wellfield. Our strategy also included building a skilled team to successfully expand our activities across our portfolio of ISR uranium projects." There are currently eight (8) drill rigs in full operation at the Alta Mesa Wellfield, increased from six (6) rigs as wellfield delineation and completion has progressed. The wellfield drilling operations, delineating the roll front mineralization within Production Authorization Area 7 (PAA-7), which commenced in March 2023, are advancing rapidly with 192 holes drilled since our previous update. In total, 272 drill holes have been completed through August 21, 2023. A previously producing mineralized Middle C sand, extracted through PAA-3, was discovered within PAA-7. Continued drilling within PAA-7 has returned positive results of Middle C sand mineralization in seventeen (17) holes, within PAA-7, with Grade Thickness (GT) values ranging from 0.2 to 0.792 in seven (7) of the holes announced in this release. Continued drilling along trend is expected to expand and delineate this new mineralized sand and is anticipated to increase the overall mineralization within PAA-7. Further refined delineation drilling within the PAA-7 continues to establish the exact pattern of injection and recovery wells from which to maximize production efficiency. To date, thirty-three (33) holes have been cased with five (5) holes completed. Two (2) drill rigs are currently casing with one (1) drill rig focused on completion activities. An additional drill rig will be moving to completion activities in the coming weeks. To view the Alta Mesa project maps and enCore Energy's South Texas projects please visit: bit.ly/3fV9fTg. Significant Alta Mesa wellfield drilling program highlights include: Drill Hole Goliad Sandstone Horizon Depth (ft) Grade % U 3 O 8 Thickness (feet) Grade Thickness (GT) Total Hole GT 164-12 Lower C-upper 2 491.5 0.163 2.0 0.326 Lower C-lower 1 500.0 0.231 7.0 1.619 1.945 170-10 Lower C-lower 1 502.5 0.250 4.5 1.124 1.124 164-11 Lower C-lower 1 503.5 0.239 5.0 1.193 1.193 167-11 Lower C-upper 2 490.5 0.158 11.0 1.738 1.738 169-10 Lower C-lower 1 503.5 0.092 11.5 1.062 1.062 166-11 Lower C-upper 2 495.5 0.259 4.5 1.167 Lower C-lower 1 501.0 0.140 7.0 0.983 2.150 169-104 Lower C-upper 2 498.0 0.196 8.0 1.569 1.569 165-11 Lower C-lower 1 507.0 0.158 6.5 1.026 1.026 166-11 Lower C-upper 2 494.5 0.128 9.5 1.213 Lower C-lower 1 504.0 0.150 4.0 0.601 1.814 170-10 Lower C-upper 2 198.5 0.161 8.5 1.365 1.365 170-10 Lower C-upper 2 491.5 0.112 4.0 0.450 Lower C-lower 1 506.0 0.261 4.0 1.044 Lower C-lower 2 513.0 0.229 6.0 1.373 2.867 166-11 Lower C-upper 2 490.0 0.225 8.5 1.913 1.913 181-95 Lower C -upper1 512.0 0.346 5.5 1.903 1.903 172-95 Lower C-upper 2 508.0 0.110 3.0 0.331 Lower C-lower 1 515.5 0.313 3.0 0.938 1.269 172-97 Middle C-lower 479.5 0.073 4.0 0.290 Lower C-upper 1 491.5 0.177 9.5 1.683 Lower C-upper 2 505.5 0.075 2.5 0.187 2.160 172-96 Middle C-upper 423.5 0.058 3.0 0.172 Lower C-upper 2 503.5 0.280 3.0 0.841 Lower C-lower 1 509.0 0.108 3.5 0.379 1.392 168-11 Lower C-upper 2 495.0 0.228 13.0 2.969 Middle C- upper 417.0 0.111 2.0 0.222 Middle C- middle 422.5 0.179 1.5 0.269 3.460 156-12 Middle C- upper 455.0 0.272 5.5 1.496 Lower C-lower 1 515.0 0.131 3.0 0.392 1.888 -All intercepts are located in the PAA-7 which hosts mineralization within the Goliad Formation. The Company has identified five saturated (required for ISR), mineralized sandstone horizons within the Goliad Formation lying approximately 400 to 520 feet below the surface. The water level is located approximately 120 feet below the surface. Grade Thickness is Grade % U 3 O 8 multiplied by the thickness of the mineralization. Alta Mesa In-Situ Recovery (ISR) Uranium Central Processing Plant ("Alta Mesa CPP") & Wellfield The Alta Mesa CPP and Wellfield hosts a fully licensed and constructed ISR uranium plant, located on 200,000+ acres of private land in the state of Texas. Alta Mesa will be enCore's second producing location following resumption of uranium production at the South Texas Rosita ISR Uranium Central Processing Plant ("Rosita CPP") scheduled for 2023. Total operating capacity is 1.5 million lbs. U 3 O 8 (uranium) per year. The Alta Mesa CPP historically produced nearly 5 million lbs. U 3 O 8 between 2005 and 2013, when full production was curtailed as a result of low uranium prices. Alta Mesa CPP and Wellfield highlights include: The Alta Mesa CPP is enCore's third fully licensed production facility, along with Rosita and Kingsville Dome CPP's, all located in the business-friendly state of Texas . There are only eleven (11) licensed and constructed uranium production facilities in all of the United States (US); . There are only eleven (11) licensed and constructed uranium production facilities in all of (US); Advancing the Alta Mesa CPP, in conjunction with planned production in 2023 at the Rosita CPP, will cement enCore Energy's position as the early leader in In-Situ Recovery (ISR) uranium production in the United States ; ; Alta Mesa CPP's operations are located on private land, with 100% of minerals privately owned, and in a supportive jurisdiction with primary regulatory authority residing with the state of Texas ; ; The Alta Mesa CPP utilizes well-known ISR technology to extract uranium in a non-invasive process using natural groundwater and oxygen, coupled with a proven ion exchange process, to recover the uranium. Alta Mesa & Mestena Grande Mineral Resource Summary (0.30 GT cut-off)1,2 Tons Avg. Grade (% U 3 O 8 ) Pounds Total Measured Mineral Resource1 54,000 0.152 164,000 Alta Mesa Indicated Mineral Resource 1,397,000 0.106 2,959,000 Mestena Grande Indicated Mineral Resource 119,000 0.120 287,000 Total Measured & Indicated Resources 1,570,000 0.109 3,410,000 Alta Mesa Inferred Mineral Resource 1,263,000 0.126 3,192,000 Mestena Grande Inferred Mineral Resource 5,733,000 0.119 13,601,000 Total Inferred Resources 6,996,000 0.120 16,793,000 1,2 Represents that portion of the in-place mineral resource that are estimated to be recoverable within existing wellfields. Wellfield recovery factors have not been applied to indicated and inferred mineral resources. As reported in the NI-43-101 Technical Report Summary for the Alta Mesa Uranium Project, Brooks and Jim Hogg Counties, Texas, USA completed by Doug Beahm, PE, PG, of BRS Engineering. (Effective January 19, 2023). The Company advises that it is not basing its production decisions at Alta Mesa or Rosita on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability. The production decision is based on known past In-Situ Recovery (ISR) and processing operations at these two production facilities and surrounding lands. However, the Company understands that there is increased uncertainty, and consequently a higher risk of failure, when production is undertaken in advance of a feasibility study. In addition, the mineral resource at Alta Mesa includes inferred resources which are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. The Company has determined to proceed with a production decision based on past operations at Alta Mesa and Rosita, including past ISR operations in the known mineral resource areas. John M. Seeley, Ph.D., P.G., C.P.G., enCore's Manager of Geology and Exploration, and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure in this news release on behalf of the Company. About enCore Energy Corp. enCore Energy Corp., America's Clean Energy Company, is committed to providing clean, reliable, and affordable domestic nuclear energy by becoming the next United States uranium producer in 2023. enCore solely utilizes In-Situ Recovery (ISR) for uranium extraction, a well-known and proven technology co-developed by the leaders at enCore Energy. In-Situ Recovery extracts uranium in a non-invasive process using natural groundwater and oxygen, coupled with a proven ion exchange process, to recover the uranium. Uranium production is planned at enCore's licensed and past-producing South Texas Rosita Processing Plant in 2023, and at its licensed and past-producing South Texas Alta Mesa Processing Plant in 2024. Future projects in enCore's production pipeline include the Dewey-Burdock project in South Dakota and the Gas Hills project in Wyoming, along with significant uranium resource endowments in New Mexico providing long term opportunities. The enCore team is led by industry experts with extensive knowledge and experience in all aspects of ISR uranium operations and the nuclear fuel cycle. enCore diligently works to realize value from other owned assets, including our proprietary uranium database that includes technical information from many past producing companies, from our various non-core assets, and by leveraging our ISR expertise in researching opportunities that support the use of this technology as applied to other metals. enCore is also committed to working with local communities and indigenous governments to create positive impact from corporate developments. www.encoreuranium.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements: Certain information contained in this news release, including: any information relating to the Company being a leading uranium company, and any other statements regarding future expectations, beliefs, goals or prospects; may constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities laws and regulations (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). All statements in this news release that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words "expects", "is expected", "does not expect", "plans", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "scheduled", "forecast", "budget" and similar expressions or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken) should be considered forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements are subject to important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control or predict. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; future legislative and regulatory developments; the ability of enCore to implement its business strategies; and other risks. A number of important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated or implied by such forward-looking statements, including without limitation exploration and development risks, changes in commodity prices, access to skilled mining personnel, the results of exploration and development activities; production risks; uninsured risks; regulatory risks; defects in title; the availability of materials and equipment, timeliness of government approvals and unanticipated environmental impacts on operations; risks posed by the economic and political environments in which the Company operates and intends to operate; increased competition; assumptions regarding market trends and the expected demand and desires for the Company's products and proposed products; reliance on industry equipment manufacturers, suppliers and others; the failure to adequately protect intellectual property; the failure to adequately manage future growth; adverse market conditions, the failure to satisfy ongoing regulatory requirements and factors relating to forward looking statements listed above which include risks as disclosed in the Company's annual information form filings. Should one or more of these risks materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. The Company assumes no obligation to update the information in this communication, except as required by law. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in filings by the Company with the various securities commissions which are available online at www.sec.gov and www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations, beliefs and plans of management. Such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes and readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, that speak only as of the date hereof, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Vancouver, British Columbia, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terra Balcanica Resources Corp. (Terra or the Company) (CSE:TERA; FRA:UB1) is pleased to announce the discovery of a new mineralized structure over 600 m northwest from the 2022 discovery made at the Cumavici Ridge epithermal vein target within its principal Viogor-Zanik project in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Highlights Shallow, polymetallic mineralization has been intersected over 600 m northwest of the 2022 high grade, silver discovery at Cumavici Ridge through drill testing of a new parallel structure (Figure 1); of the 2022 high grade, silver discovery at Cumavici Ridge through drill testing of a new parallel structure (Figure 1); All 5 drill holes hit the target structure, with drill holes CMV23007, CMV23009 and CMV23010 macroscopically displaying polymetallic mineralization (Figure 2); with drill holes CMV23007, CMV23009 and CMV23010 macroscopically displaying polymetallic mineralization (Figure 2); Step out structure is continuous for 193 m northwest-southeast and open along strike and down-dip ; ; Geochemical assay results from the Phase II drilling at the Cumavici polymetallic prospect are pending laboratory release and will be imminently reported. Terra Balcanica CEO, Dr. Aleksandar Miskovic, comments: The 2023 drill campaign started off on the right foot with a significant step out from the centre of the mineralized zone discovered at Cumavici Ridge in 2022. The footprint of silver-dominated, polymetallic mineralization now extends over 700 m along the NW-SE corridor at this locality, only one of five separate targets along the 7.2 km long Cumavici corridor. The laboratory assays from these step-out drill holes and the central part of Cumavici Ridge are expected to come back shortly. We will continue to carry on further drilling at the Cumavici Ridge target in our Phase II drilling. The Company commenced its Phase II drilling program at Cumavici Ridge, which was the location of the 2022 high-grade polymetallic discovery which returned up to 505 g/t Ag Eq. over 11 m (see Company news release dated 18th April 2023). Over 600 m to the northwest Drillholes CMV23006-010 successfully discovered another mineralized structure, attesting to the prospectivity of the Cumavici Ridge target. Much of the > 7 km strike length structural corridor remains untested, with several mineralized structures outcropping at surface, offering Terra significant exploration opportunity to discover more polymetallic epithermal veins. Drill Core Observations Drill hole CMV23007 is situated 520 m northwest of CMV23001 and targets another shallow structure prospective for polymetallic mineralization. Between 39.1 and 41.8 m a series of fault hosted veins, dominated by radiating aggregates of stibnite are observed within a silicified lapilli tuff. Figure 1. Geological map illustrating the newly discovered structure > 600 m northwest of the Cumavici Ridge discovery. 2022 discovery holes are also illustrated alongside the 4 previously released 2023 drillholes to the southeast, which all intercepted massive sulphide mineralization. See company news release 18th April 2023 (click here to view image). Figure 2. HQ3 diameter drill core from drillhole CMV23007 illustrating silicified lapilli tuffs with sulphide veinlets and interval of semi-massive sulphide comprising stibnite, sphalerite, and quartz within white, dashed squares (click here to view image). Drill hole CMV23009 collared 74.0 m northwest of CMV23007 intercepted a zone of sulphide mineralization within a tuffaceous breccia between 39.4 and 45.7 m downhole. Within the mineralized structure there are intervals of complete replacement of the breccia matrix by sulphide and a 10 cm sulphide vein comprising stibnite-sphalerite-galena. Drill hole CMV23010 stepped 59.0 m west-northwest and intersected a mineralized zone between 83.8 and 90.3 m downhole with aggregates of sphalerite within the structure. A sulphide vein is present at 86.85 m depth consisting of stibnite, banded sphalerite, and galena. Confirmation of sulphide mineralization in CMV23010 extends the Cumavici Ridge system 642 m to the northwest and the system remains open. Ongoing Exploration Program Further drilling at the Cumavici Ridge target will be focused on extending strike length towards the northwest from the 2022 drillholes (CMVDD001-004). It is interpreted that where the northwest-southeast structure is intersected by a 2nd order northeast-southwest structure a dilation zone is present, resulting in thicker intervals of mineralization. The down-dip section of the high-grade, polymetallic intercepts released in 2022 will also be tested with further drilling to target the mineralization potential at depth. Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation (m) Dip Azimuth Depth (m) Recovery (%) CMV23006 359918 4888823 621.3 -64 047 82.2 99.15 CMV23007 359868 4888877 637.3 -63 046 59.7 99.35 CMV23008 359866 4888914 640.6 -66 053 65.8 98.71 CMV23009 359828 4888939 640.1 -58 041 73.8 100.00 CMV23010 359770 4888949 650.2 -50 045 91.5 97.49 Table 1. Collar locations for reported Phase II drillholes. Coordinates and elevation were taken by local consultant surveyors using a differential GPS unit. (WGS84/UTM Zone 34N). Qualified Person Dr. Aleksandar Miskovic, P.Geo, is the Companys designated Qualified Person for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure of Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) and has reviewed and validated that the information contained in this news release as accurate. About the Company Terra Balcanica is a polymetallic exploration company targeting large-scale mineral systems in the Balkans of southeastern Europe. The Company has 90% interest in the Viogor-Zanik Project in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, 100% of the Kaludra and Ceovishte mineral exploration licences in southern Serbia. The Company emphasizes responsible engagement with local communities and stakeholders. It is committed to proactively implementing Good International Industry Practice (GIIP) and sustainable health, safety, and environmental management. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Terra Balcanica Resources Corp. Aleksandar Miskovic Aleksandar Miskovic President and CEO For further information, please contact Alex Miskovic at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or visit our website at www.terrabresources.com. Cautionary Statement This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively forward-looking statements). The use of any of the words will, intends and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Critical Elements Lithium Corporation (TSX-V:CRE) (US OTCQX:CRECF) (FSE:F12) ( "Critical Elements" or the "Corporation" ) is pleased to report the results of exploration of multiple lithium-tantalum pegmatite (" LCT pegmatite" ) trends with positive prospecting sampling results on the Duval ( Table 1 ) and Lemare ( Table 2 ) sites. Progression of the wholly owned Rose lithium-tantalum deposit toward a final investment decision is Critical Elements' primary goal. Rose is one of the most advanced hardrock lithium development projects in North America (see updated feasibility study results in the news release dated August 29, 2023), with key environmental permits and crucial Impact and Benefits Agreement in place. However, the Corporation also owns over 1,050 square kilometres of concessions that are highly prospective in the Eeyou Istchee region of Quebec and management intends to catalyze the value inherent in this asset. To this end, Critical Elements launched a surface exploration program as announced in the news release dated May 31, 2023. During June 2023, Critical Elements conducted a prospecting program over several areas of the Corporation's Nemaska belt property portfolio using ground-based and helicopter-borne teams of geologists. The program was interrupted for several weeks due to the unprecedented wildfire situation in the region. The Corporation is deeply concerned by the damage caused to the environment, as well as the negative impact on the people of Eeyou Istchee. Our teams have now returned to the field to continue with the planned program. The program's objective is to identify new pegmatite bodies using systematic rock geochemical sampling of ranked LCT-pegmatite targets as defined by ALS Goldspot "SmartTarget" methodology, which combines both expert-driven and machine-learning data-driven targeting approaches to refine the geological interpretation of the properties for further exploration work. A total of 108 rock samples were collected during the short exploration campaign of June 2023. Prospecting confirms the discovery of the new two-kilometre-long trend of white pegmatite on the Corporation's 100% owned Duval property that hosts several lithium, cesium, and tantalum anomalies. Individual results include 2.22% Li 2 O, 1.54% Li 2 O and 0.54% Li 2 O in an angular pegmatite boulder field that may have been transported one kilometre from the main discovery outcrops during glaciation ( Table 1 and Figure 1 ). These mineralized pegmatites are spatially associated with mafic volcanics along an interpreted regional-scale shear zone that borders the Nemiscau Belt, in a similar geological setting that extends to the Whabouchi lithium deposit, three kilometres off the claims to the northeast ( Figure 3 ). These results begin to show the potential of the Corporation's Nemaska trend properties. In addition, the Corporation has received sample results confirming the summer 2022 discovery of the extension of the LCT pegmatite trend on the Lemare property marked by a sample grading 0.38% Li 2 O. Recent high-grade results include up to 2.44% Li 2 O and 1.60% Li 2 O ( Table 2 and Figure 2 ) in in situ pegmatite outcrop. This highlights the potential for future drilling to extend the LCT pegmatite trend to over 5 kilometres on the Lemare property. The reader is cautioned that grab samples are selective by nature and may not represent average grades of the mineralization in the pegmatites. Table 1: Selected Duval Sample results Property Sample number UTM NAD 83 ZN18 Li 2 O (%) T a 2 O 5 (ppm) Cs (ppm) Easting Northing Duval H874004 437589 5722597 2.22 70 42 Duval H874005 437605 5722603 1.54 67 12 Duval H874006 437645 5722627 0.54 43 14 Figure 1: Duval Project Sample Location Map Property Sample UTM NAD 83 ZN18 Li 2 O T a 2 O 5 Cs number Easting Northing (%) (g/t) (ppm) Lemare H873901 466653 5731271 2.44 57 117 Lemare H873902 466654 5731272 1.60 32 72 (Grab samples are selective by nature and are unlikely to represent average grades of the deposits). Figure 2: Lemare Project Sample Location Map Figure 3: Nemaska Belt Portfolio Sample Location Map with Sample Highlights *2.08% Li2O, 2.22% Li2O 1.54% Li2O, 0.54% Li2O (Table 1) in an angular pegmatite boulder field. The surface exploration program with five crews continues to ground-truth several LCT-pegmatite targets. Results will be released in context as the program progresses. Management is currently engaged in designing a significant fall and winter drill program with multiple rigs to drill-test new targets including the Duval discovery, advance the Lemare deposit, and expand the Rose project resource inventory including protential proximal satellite mineralization. Details of this extensive program will be forthcoming near-term. Quality assurance/quality control Quality assurance and quality control procedures have been implemented to ensure best practices in sampling and analysis of the core samples. The drill core was logged and then split, with one-half sent for assay and the other retained in the core box as a witness sample. Duplicates, standards and blanks were regularly inserted into the sample stream. The core samples were delivered, in secure tagged bags, directly to the ALS Minerals laboratory facility in Val-d'Or, Quebec. The samples are weighed and identified prior to sample preparation. The samples are crushed to 70% minus 2 mm, then separated and pulverized to 85% passing 75 m. All samples are analyzed using sodium peroxide fusion ME-MS-89L, with full analysis for 52 elements. Value over 25,000 ppm Li were re-assays using Li-ICP-82b and value over 2,500 ppm Ta 2 O 5 were re-assays using Ta-XRF10. The Corporation has resumed its mineral exploration and development programs as of early August 2023, as the wildfires in the region gradually abate. This includes surface exploration program over the Rose, Rose North and South and Nemaska Belt properties with five crew support by helicopter. Additionally, the corporation is conducting environmental baseline fieldwork, lidar survey and geotechnical work on Rose site to support the advancement of the details engineering work. Qualified persons Paul Bonneville, Eng, is the qualified persons that have reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release on behalf of the Corporation. About Critical Elements Lithium Corporation Critical Elements aspires to become a large, responsible supplier of lithium to the flourishing electric vehicle and energy storage system industries. To this end, Critical Elements is advancing the wholly-owned, high-purity Rose lithium project in Quebec, the Corporation's first lithium project to be advanced within a land portfolio of over 1,050 km2. On August 29, 2023, the Corporation announced results of a new Feasibility Study on Rose for the production of spodumene concentrate. The after-tax internal rate of return for the Project is estimated at 65.7%, with an estimated after-tax net present value of US$2.2B at an 8% discount rate. In the Corporation's view, Quebec is strategically well-positioned for US and EU markets and boasts good infrastructure including a low-cost, low-carbon power grid featuring 94% hydroelectricity. The project has received approval from the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change on the recommendation of the Joint Assessment Committee, comprised of representatives from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and the Cree Nation Government and also received the Certificate of Authorization pursuant to section 164 of Quebec's Environment Quality Act from the Quebec Minister of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks. For further information, please contact: Patrick Laperriere Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Development 514-817-1119 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.cecorp.ca Jean-Sebastien Lavallee, P. Geo. Chief Executive Officer 819-354-5146 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.cecorp.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is described in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary statement concerning forward-looking statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian Securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "scheduled", "anticipates", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "scheduled", "targeted", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information contained herein include, without limitation, statements relating to the results and completion of the 2023 exploration program (including the potential of the Corporation's Nemaska trend properties) and its related objectives. Forward-looking information is based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Although Critical Elements has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from expected results described in forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: final and complete results of the Corporation's 2023 exploration program and effects on the Corporation's stated objectives, as well as those risk factors set out in the Corporation's Management Discussion and Analysis for its most recent quarter ended May 31, 2023 and other VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Skeena Resources Limited (TSX:SKE, NYSE:SKE) ("Skeena" or the "Company") is pleased to announce an updated Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") for the 100% owned Snip Gold Project ("Snip" or the "Project") located in the Golden Triangle of British Columbia. Effective September 5, 2023, the updated MRE incorporates an additional 307 drill holes totaling 46,268 metres, enhancements to the geological interpretation, resource estimation methods, long hole mining method parameters, and updated metallurgical process recoveries. 2023 Snip MRE Highlights: Updated MRE of 823,000 ounces grading 9.35 g/t Au in the Indicated category and 114,000 ounces grading 7.10 g/t Au in the Inferred category An increase of 579,000 Au ounces in the Indicated Resource, representing a growth of 237% since the 2020 MRE 2021 and 2022 drilling programs heightened confidence of historical drilling data and improved certainty in continuity of the ore body Metallurgical recovery increased to 96% from 90% Randy Reichert, Skeena's President & CEO commented "With the successful conversion of over 570,000 gold ounces to the Indicated category, we are very pleased with the updated Mineral Resource Estimate for Snip. This Resource will form the basis of a detailed engineering study with project economics, which we anticipate being released in H1 2024. The study will demonstrate the potential benefits of adding Snip mineralization to the Eskay Creek Project as a satellite operation, likely including an increased mine life and improved concentrate payabilities at Eskay Creek. We look forward to continuing to unlock value for all stakeholders as we advance the Project." Table 1: 2023 Indicated and Inferred Underground Resource Reported in Veins Contained Within Long Hole Stope Optimized Shapes Created at a 2.5 g/t Au Cut-off Grade Category Domain Tonnes (000) Contained Grade Au (g/t) Contained Ounces Au (000) Indicated Main - V 850 9.59 262 Main - S 1,718 9.28 513 Twin West 171 8.69 48 Total Indicated 2,739 9.35 823 Inferred Main - V 115 7.38 27 Main - S 323 6.22 65 Twin West 61 11.02 22 Total Inferred 499 7.10 114 Table 2: 2020 vs 2023 Resource Comparison 2023 Snip Resource Category Tonnes (000) Contained Grade Au (g/t) Contained Ounces Au (000) Total Indicated 2,739 9.35 823 Total Inferred 499 7.10 114 2020 Snip Resource Category Tonnes (000) Contained Grade Au (g/t) Contained Ounces Au (000) Total Indicated 539 14 244 Total Inferred 942 13.3 402 2020 vs 2023 Resource Comparison Category Tonnes (000) Contained Grade Au (g/t) Contained Ounces Au (000) Total Indicated 408% -33% 237% Total Inferred -47% -47% -72% Resource Discussion Infill drilling programs were undertaken during 2021 and 2022 by Skeena and the Company's former partner Hochschild Mining, respectively. A total of 238 drill holes totaling 35,891 metres were completed by Skeena and 69 drill holes totaling 10,377 metres were completed by Hochschild. The 307 holes and 46,268 metres of infill drilling defined new zones of mineralization, expanded existing veins laterally, confirmed vein continuity interpretation, and upgraded variogram range confidence. The drilling programs also drilled in areas previously untested by Skeena to validate historical assays and potentially upgrade classification in those areas. Table 3: Underground Scenario Assumptions for Determining Cut-off Grades With Reasonable Prospects of Eventual Economic Extraction Assuming Long Hole Mining Method Input Parameters Value Unit Gold Price 1,700 US Dollars per Ounce Exchange Rate 1.3 CAD:USD Metallurgical Recovery 96 Percent Royalty 1 Percent Selling Cost 18.50 CAD Dollars per Ounce Mining Cost 115 CAD Dollars per Tonne Process Cost 29 CAD Dollars per Tonne G&A Cost 17 CAD Dollars per Tonne All-in Cost 161 CAD Dollars per Tonne Mining Method N/A Longhole: 10 m H x 5 m L x 2 m W Dip: 55 - 90 degrees 1 m offset to UG workings Cut-off Grade 2.5 Grams per tonne (g/t) Removal of 40 metre QAQC buffer In the 2020 MRE, a 40 metre omnidirectional 3-D buffer was created around the Skeena holes drilled during 2016 to 2019 as these recent holes contained QAQC data, whereas the historical assays had no other preserved data to substantiate the results. The 2020 classification strategy forced all Indicated Resources that were qualified by adequate drill spacing outside of this 40 metre buffer to be downgraded to Inferred Resources. During the 2021 and 2022 infill drilling programs, 28 twin drill holes totaling 3,318 metres were drilled to validate the historical drill intercepts. Comparative vein intervals and gold grades were captured in both the original and twin holes. Corresponding vein interval statistics demonstrated proper correlations between the historical fire assays and the twin hole fire assays. This has enabled the historical drill hole data to be used during the grade estimation process without additional constraints. Specific Gravity In the 2020 MRE, two density values were applied to the model; a value of 2.78 g/cm3 for vein mineralization, and 2.86 g/cm3 for the Biotite Spotted Unit ("BSU"). An additional 1,770 specific gravity measurements were incorporated into the 2023 model, which were reassessed within their appropriate lithology and vein units. The 2023 MRE utilized a value of 2.91 g/cm3 for vein mineralization, and 2.84 g/cm3 for the BSU. Application of Dynamic Anisotropy Veins were estimated in Skeena's 2020 MRE using the single-search ellipsoid of the variogram. In the 2023 update, dynamic anisotropy ("DA") was used for the larger veins showing good continuity, whereby the search ellipse was adjusted on a block-by-block basis using a surface that defines the overall folded orientation of the veins. DA allows the estimator to select composite intervals that are in the most suitable orientation, thereby resulting in an estimate that is locally more accurate and more in line with the original vein model interpretation. Expected Economic Study The Company expects to release a detailed engineering study with project economics on Snip in H1 2024. The study will highlight Snip as a potential satellite operation, providing feed to a centralized mill at Eskay Creek. Skeena expects the additional clean, high-grade mineralization from Snip to further bolster the mine life at Eskay Creek and likely reduce smelter penalties. Table 4: Reminder of Near-Term Value-Generating Catalysts for Skeena Catalyst Expected Completion Date Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for Eskay Creek Completed Q2 2023 Increased Land Package Surrounding Eskay Creek Completed Q3 2023 Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for Snip Completed Q3 2023 Metallurgical Optimization & Simplified Flowsheet at Eskay Creek Expected Q3 2023 Exploration Results from Eskay Creek Expected Q3/Q4 2023 Definitive Feasibility Study for Eskay Creek Expected Q4 2023 Maiden Engineering Study for Snip Expected H1 2024 About Skeena Skeena Resources Limited is a Canadian mining exploration and development company focused on revitalizing the Eskay Creek and Snip Projects, two past-producing mines located in Tahltan Territory in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company released a Feasibility Study for Eskay Creek in September 2022 which highlights an after-tax NPV 5% of C$1.4B, 50% IRR, and a 1-year payback at US$1,700/oz Au and US$19/oz Ag. Skeena is currently continuing exploration drilling and plans on releasing a Definitive Feasibility Study for Eskay Creek in Q4 2023. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited, Walter Coles Randy Reichert Executive Chairman President & CEO Contact Information Investor Inquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Office Phone: +1 604 684 8725 Company Website: www.skeenaresources.com Qualified Persons The Independent and Qualified Person for the Snip MRE is Ms. Sheila Ulansky P.Geo., of SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. (Vancouver), who has reviewed, validated, and approved the Snip MRE as well as the technical disclosure in this release. In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Paul Geddes, P.Geo., Senior Vice President, Exploration & Resource Development, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has prepared, validated, and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting the exploration activities on its projects. Snip 2023 MRE Notes The Mineral Resources disclosed in this press release were estimated using the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves definitions, and guidelines prepared by the CIM standing committee on reserve definition and adopted by the CIM council. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of these Mineral Resources estimated will be converted into mineral reserves. As defined by NI 43101, the Independent and Qualified Person for the Snip MRE is Ms. Sheila Ulansky P.Geo., of SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. who has reviewed and validated the Snip MRE. The effective date of the MRE is September 5, 2023. The close out date of the Snip database was June 29, 2023. In accordance with NI 43-101 recommendations, the number of metric tonnes was rounded to the nearest thousand. Any discrepancies in the totals are due to rounding effects. Estimates use metric units (metres, tonnes and g/t). Metal contents are presented in troy ounces (metric tonne x grade / 31.10348) Reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction were determined by means of applying stope optimization parameters summarized in Table 3. Resources are reported in-situ and undiluted within the veins contained within potentially economical and minable underground long hole stope shapes. The underground cut-off grade for the long hole mining method was calculated to be 2.5 g/t Au. Cut-off grades must be re-evaluated considering prevailing market conditions (including gold prices, exchange rates and costs). Cut-off grades are based on a metal price of US$1,700/oz Au and gold recovery of 96%. Mineral Resources have been depleted to account for past production and exclude mineralization within a 1 m buffer around historical underground developments. This 1 m exclusion zone is low and will need to be expanded in future resource estimates. An additional 307 drill holes for a total meterage of 46,268 m has been included into this estimate since the 2020 Maiden Mineral Resource. Two block models (Main Zone and Twin West Zone) were created using 4 x 4 x 4 m parent block sizes and 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 m subblocks. Block tonnage was estimated from volumes using a density of 2.91 g/cm 3 for all lithologies except the unmineralized BSU which used a density of 2.84 g/cm 3 . for all lithologies except the unmineralized BSU which used a density of 2.84 g/cm . Three mineralization domains were created to constrain the estimate: V, S and TW. The V and S domains are a collection of veins that occur in the Main Twin Zone, whereas TW domain is a series of veins in the Twin West Zone. A total of 94 veins were modelled: 13 V-Veins, 71 S-Veins and 10 TW-Veins. The vein model was created in Leapfrog Geo TM using composite intervals greater than or equal to 1.0 g/t Au if following interpreted structures and displaying mineralization continuity. Locally, lower grades were included in the veins if continuity was displayed. Local minor edits were done in Vulcan. using composite intervals greater than or equal to 1.0 g/t Au if following interpreted structures and displaying mineralization continuity. Locally, lower grades were included in the veins if continuity was displayed. Local minor edits were done in Vulcan. Assays were composited to 1.5 m honoring vein domain boundaries. To handle partial interval lengths, composites were distributed equally. Grade capping was performed on vein coded composites. Gold capping ranged from 40 - 350 g/t in the V-Veins, 100 - 215 g/t in the S-Veins and 45 - 110 g/t in the TW-Veins. Gold variograms were used to determine the spatial relationship of grade over distance. Maximum continuity in the V-Veins, S-Veins, and TW-Veins was 50 m, 55 m, and 45 m, respectively. Ordinary Kriging was used for the estimation of gold in all vein domains using the 1.5 m equally distributed composites and honouring hard vein boundaries. Composite lengths of less than 0.1 m were excluded from the estimate. In the V- and -S veins that were continuous and greater than 237,000 tonnes, and TW-veins greater than 100,000 tonnes, a DA surface was utilized during estimation to honour locally varying vein orientations. Mineral Resources were estimated using three passes having increased variogram range-based search radii. Pass 1, 2, and 3 used variogram ranges of 2/3 range, range, and 2 times the range respectively. A 4 th Pass was used for global statistical reporting and was not used in Classification. Pass was used for global statistical reporting and was not used in Classification. Indicated and Inferred Resources were classified according to the following scheme: The Indicated category is defined by blocks interpolated during Pass 1 and 2 only, using a minimum of 3 drill holes, and an average distance of less than 35 metres (approximately 70% of the average variogram range). The Inferred category is defined by blocks interpolated during Pass 1, 2 and 3, using a minimum of 2 drill holes and an average distance less than 75 metres (approximately 50% more than the average variogram range) Blocks were locally reclassified to reduce "spotted" Indicated resources within Inferred resources and vice versa. Neither the company, nor GRE, is aware of any known environmental, permitting, legal, title-related, taxation, socio-political, marketing or other relevant issue that could materially affect this mineral resource. The quantity and grade of reported Inferred mineral resources in this estimation are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to redefine the Inferred mineral resources as Indicated mineral resources. It is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to the indicated mineral resources category. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements Certain statements and information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These statements relate to future events or our future performance. The use of words such as "anticipates", "believes", "proposes", "contemplates", "generates", "progressing towards", "in search of", "targets", "is projected", "plans to", "is planned", "considers", "estimates", "expects", "is expected", "often", "likely", "potential" and similar expressions, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "might", "will", "could", or "would" be taken, achieved, or occur, may identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Specific forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the results of the Feasibility Study, processing capacity of the mine, anticipated mine life, probable reserves, the potential impact of the Definitive Feasibility Study for Eskay Creek, and the Maiden Engineering Study for Snip on the anticipated mine life and/or the conversion of resource ounces from the Inferred to Indicated categories or from Measured or Indicated categories to the Reserve category, estimated project capital and operating costs, potential reductions in process plant capital and operating costs, sustaining costs, results of test work and studies, planned environmental assessments, the future price of metals, metal concentrate, and future exploration and development generally and specifically in relation to the potential for additional mineralization in the recently increased land package. Such forward-looking statements are based on material factors and/or assumptions which include, but are not limited to, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and the assumptions set forth herein and in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2022, its most recently filed interim MD&A, and the Company's Annual Information Form ("AIF") dated March 22, 2023. Such forward-looking statements represent the Company's management expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events or circumstances on the date the statements are made, and are necessarily based on several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date hereof, are not guarantees of future performance. Actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein, and are subject to significant operational, business, economic, and regulatory risks and uncertainties. The risks and uncertainties that may affect the forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others: the inherent risks involved in exploration and development of mineral properties, including permitting and other government approvals; changes in economic conditions, including changes in the price of gold and other key variables; changes in mine plans and other factors, including accidents, equipment breakdown, bad weather and other project execution delays, many of which are beyond the control of the Company; environmental risks and unanticipated reclamation expenses; and other risk factors identified in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2022, its most recently filed interim MD&A, the AIF dated March 22, 2023, the Company's short form base shelf prospectus dated January 31, 2023, and in the Company's other periodic filings with securities and regulatory authorities in Canada and the United States that are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca or on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and the Company does not undertake any obligations to update and/or revise any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws. Cautionary note to U.S. Investors concerning estimates of mineral Reserves and mineral Resources Skeena's mineral Reserves and mineral Resources included or incorporated by reference herein have been estimated in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") as required by Canadian securities regulatory authorities, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. The terms "mineral reserve", "proven mineral reserve", "probable mineral reserve", "mineral resource", "measured mineral resource", "indicated mineral resource" and "inferred mineral resource" are Canadian mining terms as defined in accordance with NI 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") "CIM Definition Standards - For Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves" adopted by the CIM Council (as amended, the "CIM Definition Standards"). These standards differ significantly from the mineral property disclosure requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Regulation S-K Subpart 1300 (the "SEC Modernization Rules"). Skeena is not currently subject to the SEC Modernization Rules. Accordingly, Skeena's disclosure of mineralization and other technical information may differ significantly from the information that would be disclosed had Skeena prepared the information under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules. In addition, investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of Skeena's mineral Resources constitute or will be converted into Reserves. These terms have a great amount of uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to assume that any "measured", "indicated", or "inferred" mineral Resources that Skeena reports are or will be economically or legally mineable. Further, "inferred mineral Resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian securities laws, estimates of "inferred mineral Resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or prefeasibility studies, except in rare cases where permitted under NI 43-101. For these reasons, the mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates and related information presented herein may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements under the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - Silvercorp Metals Inc. ("Silvercorp" or the "Company") (TSX: SVM) (NYSE American: SVM) is pleased to report changes to its management team effective immediately to prepare the Company for its future growth initiatives. Lon Shaver, Silvercorp's current Vice President, will be promoted to the position of President of the Company. Lon joined Silvercorp in August 2018, with responsibility for investor relations and corporate development. Luke Sun, based in Vancovuer, currently Accounting Manager, will be promoted to the position of Controller. Luke first joined Silvercorp in September 2014, and had held a number of positions in the accounting department, managing financial reporting, regulatory compliance, internal controls and operational analysis. About Silvercorp Silvercorp is a profitable Canadian mining company producing silver, lead and zinc metals in concentrates from mines in China. The Company's goal is to continuously create healthy returns to shareholders through efficient management, organic growth and the acquisition of profitable projects. Silvercorp balances profitability, social and environmental relationships, employees' wellbeing, and sustainable development. For more information, please visit our website at www.silvercorp.ca. For further information Lon Shaver Vice President Silvercorp Metals Inc. Phone: (604) 669-9397 Toll Free: 1 (888) 224-1881 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: www.silvercorpmetals.com CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER - FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain of the statements and information in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial securities laws. Any statements or information that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "is expected", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategies", "targets", "goals", "forecasts", "objectives", "budgets", "schedules", "potential" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the price of silver and other metals; the accuracy of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates at the Company's material properties; the sufficiency of the Company's capital to finance the Company's operations; estimates of the Company's revenues and capital expenditures; estimated production from the Company's mines in the Ying Mining District; timing of receipt of permits and regulatory approvals; availability of funds from production to finance the Company's operations; and access to and availability of funding for future construction, use of proceeds from any financing and development of the Company's properties. Forward-looking statements or information are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information, including, without limitation, social and economic impacts of COVID-19; risks relating to: fluctuating commodity prices; calculation of resources, reserves and mineralization and precious and base metal recovery; interpretations and assumptions of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; exploration and development programs; feasibility and engineering reports; permits and licenses; title to properties; property interests; joint venture partners; acquisition of commercially mineable mineral rights; financing; recent market events and conditions; economic factors affecting the Company; timing, estimated amount, capital and operating expenditures and economic returns of future production; integration of future acquisitions into the Company's existing operations; competition; operations and political conditions; regulatory environment in China and Canada; environmental risks; legislative and regulatory initiatives addressing global climate change or other environmental concerns; foreign exchange rate fluctuations; insurance; risks and hazards of mining operations; key personnel; conflicts of interest; dependence on management; internal control over financial reporting as per the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; and bringing actions and enforcing judgments under U.S. securities laws. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information are statements about the future and are inherently uncertain, and actual achievements of the Company or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, without limitation, those referred to in the Company's Annual Information Form under the heading "Risk Factors" and in the Company's Annual Report on Form 40-F, and in the Company's other filings with Canadian and U.S securities regulators. 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company's forward-looking statements and information are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this press release, and other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements and information if circumstances or management's assumptions, beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, or changes in any other events affecting such statements or information. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. Additional information related to the Company, including Silvercorp's Annual Information Form, can be obtained under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, on EDGAR at www.sec.gov, and on the Company's website at www.silvercorpmetals.com. CAUTIONARY NOTE TO US INVESTORS The disclosure in this news release and referred to herein was prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 which differs significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The terms "proven mineral reserve," "probable mineral reserve" and "mineral reserves" used in this news release are in reference to the mining terms defined in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Standards (the "CIM Definition Standards"), which definitions have been adopted by NI 43-101. Accordingly, information contained in this news release providing descriptions of our mineral deposits in accordance with NI 43-101 may not be comparable to similar information made public by other U.S. companies subject to the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral resources will ever be converted into reserves. Pursuant to CIM Definition Standards, "Inferred mineral resources" are that part of a mineral resource for which quantity and grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geological evidence and sampling. Such geological evidence is sufficient to imply but not verify geological and grade or quality continuity. An inferred mineral resource has a lower level of confidence than that applying to an indicated mineral resource and must not be converted to a mineral reserve. However, it is reasonably expected that the majority of inferred mineral resources could be upgraded to indicated mineral resources with continued exploration. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. Canadian standards, including the CIM Definition Standards and NI 43-101, differ significantly from standards in the SEC Industry Guide 7. Effective February 25, 2019, the SEC adopted new mining disclosure rules under subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "SEC Modernization Rules"), with compliance required for the first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021. The SEC Modernization Rules replace the historical property disclosure requirements included in SEC Industry Guide 7. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now recognizes estimates of "Measured Mineral Resources," "Indicated Mineral Resources" and "Inferred Mineral Resources." In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of "Proven Mineral Reserves" and "Probable Mineral Reserves" to be substantially similar to corresponding definitions under the CIM Definition Standards. During the period leading up to the compliance date of the SEC Modernization Rules, information regarding mineral resources or reserves contained or referenced in this news release may not be comparable to similar information made public by companies that report according to U.S. standards. While the SEC Modernization Rules are purported to be "substantially similar" to the CIM Definition Standards, readers are cautioned that there are differences between the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Definitions Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral reserves or mineral resources that the Company may report as "proven mineral reserves", "probable mineral reserves", "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the reserve or resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules. Four soldiers and two members of the Shining Path guerilla group died Monday in a clash in Peru's largest coca-growing area, the army said in a statement. The fighting broke out at dawn as soldiers were attacked while on patrol in the south-central Andes -- a region where armed forces for two decades have been fighting drug trafficking gangs and the remnants of the Shining Path group. The soldiers had been carrying out "territorial control" operations, said the statement, adding three other officers were wounded and taken to hospital. Peru is the world's second largest producer of cocaine after Colombia. In 2022, some 95,000 hectares (23,500 acres) of coca leaf, the raw material for the drug, were planted, according to monitoring data from Peruvian authorities. The Shining Path is a Maoist rebel group which emerged in the 1980s seeking to overthrow Peru's government. Almost all of its leaders are now dead or imprisoned, with only a few hundred members operating in remote areas. Two decades of fighting between the army and guerrillas left some 70,000 dead, according to the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. JUSTICE INFO: What makes the Lundin trial so unique? GERALD PACHOUD: What makes the Lundin case so incredibly interesting is the fact that a company and its directors are directly accused of an international crime. People who work on this interface between business and conflict have long highlighted it, but there have been very few cases. With Lundin, we have this case and it's quite a fundamental change. We're moving from a theoretical reality to a very practical one. I believe that, whatever the result, the important thing is the existence of the case. Even in the unlikely event that the two executives are completely acquitted, the mere fact that they were on trial is an incredibly strong signal for the business world. The basis of this whole discussion is that most people in business assume it's impossible for them to be tried for international crimes. In terms of a signal to companies, this is crucial. It makes the case fascinating. Companies have to be careful. For the victims, too much time has certainly passed. But symbols are important. It shows that, despite everything, justice can be done. We mustn't forget that Lundin was a forerunner. I think that future cases will probably move faster. There's a parallel with the Lafarge Syria case [the French cement giant is being prosecuted for complicity in crimes against humanity committed in Syria]. One tree doesnt make a forest, two cases don't make a generality, but we see that it can happen. The symbol is very concrete. I'd much rather have this scenario, where the directors are sued personally and not the company, than the other way round. A company can be hurt, but not that much. But here, the signal is very strong." In the Lundin case, unlike the Lafarge case in France, only the directors are being prosecuted, not the company itself. Is this a limitation of the Lundin trial? Yes and no. Yes in theoretical terms in the search for justice: the company, as a legal entity, seems to be liable too. But I'd much rather have this scenario, where the directors are sued personally and not the company, than the other way round. A company can be hurt, but not that much. But here, the signal is very strong. As a company director, you're operating in a very sensitive area, you know that questions are being asked, and in the best-case scenario you do nothing... and you pay. If only the company had been prosecuted - and it no longer exists [in December 2021, Lundin Energy was bought by Norwegian company Aker BP] - there's a fine. It's a different reality. Some, like Canadian professor Mark Drumbl, believe that there is a kind of hypocrisy and systemic limit to nabbing a few responsible parties instead of dealing with the fundamental issue: the responsibility of multinationals as such. And that if we don't tackle this, nothing will change. There are two ways of looking at this. I agree on the need to make companies criminally liable. But what I see above all is that companies don't "exist", they operate on the will of their managers. And it was to enable creativity and risk-taking that we invented the company and the legal screen. In my opinion, the question should be reversed: if we had judged only the company and not the managers, what kind of discussion would we be having today? We'd be saying: the company, which is an immaterial notion, no longer exists, so sorry. Ideally, we'd target the company and its managers. In a non-ideal world, I'd much rather it was just the managers than just the company. From a practical point of view, the fact that it's the executives who are in the dock on Tuesday morning [September 5, 2023] completely changes the exemplarity of the case. So you think it's by targeting individuals at a very high level that we can change the system, by making the heads of all multinationals in comparable situations tremble? The reality is that no company has an autonomous will. It's the managers who make the decision to invest in a particular country or to continue operating in a particular situation, on behalf of the company. It's very important to take responsibility for the company, but in a sub-optimal situation, I prefer that we have individual responsibility. If we had corporate responsibility, imagine the scene on Tuesday morning: a law firm would be there, but who would be in the corporate chair? Whereas here, we have a real, materialized responsibility. If we look at international standards, responsibility is clearly engaged, even if it is not legally binding. If Lundin had followed these non-binding principles, they would have identified the risks." We've been talking about corporate social responsibility for a very long time, but is this really the case, given that the Lundin affair is a criminal matter? Qualifying an act does not change the act itself. An act can be qualified in different ways, depending on one's perspective. If we look at international standards - the United Nations' guiding principles or the OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] guidelines - responsibility is clearly engaged, even if it is not legally binding. The argument that many will put forward, including me, is that if Lundin had followed these non-binding principles, they would have identified the risks and perhaps not engaged in the operations they did. There's a problem of temporality: in this case, the guiding principles did not yet exist. But that's where we see the major evolution in ten or 15 years. At the time the offences were committed, there was a great deal of vagueness surrounding the notion of corporate social responsibility. According to the guiding principles, to sum up very briefly, this responsibility is to avoid having a negative impact on people. This behaviour is sometimes penalized. We always come back to the same question: how could they not have known? And doesn't this problem of temporality work in favour of the accuseds defence? In this case, no, because we're in a different legal space. The notion of complicity in war crimes or crimes against humanity already existed at the time of the events. So the defence can't rely on that. In the guiding principles, we have deliberately moved away from the notion of legal complicity, because it comes with a series of tests that are restrictive, in particular the idea of mens rea, or shared intent. Proving shared genocidal intent, for example, is extremely difficult. There can be indifference to the commission of the crime and a benefit derived from it, without there necessarily being the will to share intent. This is why, in the guiding principles, there is this notion of link. From the moment there is a link, the company's responsibility is to do something, albeit much less intensely than if there is commission or co-commission of an offence. In terms of what exists today, a company that follows the non-binding principles of the OECD or the UN would or could not say that it had not identified the very many highly problematic aspects of Lundin's behaviour in Sudan. We always come back to the same question: how could they not have known? We have a Swedish company being prosecuted for crimes committed in Sudan, with two defendants living in Switzerland - one of whom is a Swiss citizen. Is this a complication, or does it make the case exemplary and give it greater international impact? The company is Swedish for historical reasons, and came to Switzerland because it's such a beautiful country. It's a fairly classic structure. In that sense, I agree that with this classic structure, the managers of multinationals have to be all the more careful, especially if staying within a European framework. Lundin could have been domiciled in Singapore, and then there would have been a real problem. So will all the Lundins move to Singapore after the trial? This brings us back to the first question: is it better to prosecute companies or executives? Companies can easily be dematerialized, they can exist anywhere, whereas executives remain citizens of a particular country and, in a very practical way once again, you may want to live elsewhere but, especially at the age these executives are, it's always easier to be close to home... That's why its better to launch procedures against the management than the company. This trial carries a risk. We could find ourselves in a situation where, on a technical point, the accused are not convicted (independently of the facts). For example, to return to the question of intent, the trial may show gross negligence, but not enough to constitute complicity. Yet all observers acting in good faith would have to conclude that there is liability. People are people and so having been accused of complicity in a war crime when you go to your country club is still not very nice. That's what makes this trial so exemplary." Yet aren't you saying that, whatever the outcome of the trial, it will retain its importance? That's what I want to believe. On balance, even if someone is pretty sure they won't be convicted, people are people and so having been accused of complicity in a war crime when you go to your country club is still not very nice. That's what makes this trial so exemplary. But in the unfortunate event of the two defendants being cleared, I'm already anticipating the big companies' legal advisers saying: "You see?" It's a risk we have to take into account. That's the risk of justice in general, isn't it? Yes, but it's not always as innovative as in this case. Recommended reading Oil and war crimes in Sudan: Lundin trial opens in Sweden North Dakotas Office of Legal Immigration is looking outside Americas borders to fill workforce gaps across the state. It's the first time in 90 years North Dakota has had a state-level office focused on recruiting, supporting and retaining immigrant workers. The Office of Legal Immigration has hired its first employee of a planned two-person team and is gearing up for a statewide study to assess the needs of businesses, municipalities and immigrants throughout the acclimation process, according to Janna Pastir, deputy director of the state Commerce Department's Work Force Division. The office is intended to help businesses recruit foreign labor, while also creating networks of support for new workers as they integrate into the state. The labor market is under notable strain across the country. There are 9.8 million job openings in the U.S. but only 5.9 million unemployed workers, and 1.9 million fewer Americans are working now compared to February 2020, the month before the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to August data from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The situation in North Dakota is especially pressing: the Chamber categorizes the state as one of the 11 most severe landscapes, with 37 available workers for every 100 open jobs. Pastir said the office is looking to wrap up its informational study next spring, in hopes of presenting clear objectives ahead of the state Legislatures next session, which begins in January 2025. She said the state is also considering issues such as international student retention and workforce credential transfers, while also acknowledging the obstacles that can come from federal immigration policy. One asset is a network of similar state-level offices that exist across the country. Pastir said the members of this network, often dubbed Offices of New Americans in other states, are able to collaborate to tackle issues ranging from federal policies to funding streams. This network of states is able to work together and share things that have worked really well, Pastir said. So now that we have an office, we're able to participate in that network and really learn from our peers. The office was created through the bipartisan Senate Bill 2142 sponsored by state Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, in the last legislative session, though the bills final iteration was a pared-back version of the approach Mathern first introduced. Initially, Mathern also proposed a bill that would have provided financial incentives for immigrants relocating to North Dakota, to the tune of up to $160,000 in forgivable loans through a partner office in the state-owned Bank of North Dakota. Senate Bill 2151 died in the state Senate. Still, Mathern said he is hopeful about the offices implications for the future of the state. The last time North Dakota had a state office focused on immigration was 1933, and the state saw a gradual decline in population from its elimination to the start of the Bakken oil boom in the early 2000s. Reestablishing such an office, he said, is a chance to set up future generations of North Dakota residents for success. We need to think about this process as being our future population, Mathern said. So its not just a matter of getting workers. It is getting families to populate our state, and for families then to operate our schools, our hospitals to be a part of our communities. Navigating federal immigration policies is a challenging and at times unpredictable experience, according to Bismarck-based immigration lawyer Megan Carranza. And North Dakotas relative lack of immigration lawyers could impact efforts to recruit new Americans to the state, she said. The immigration process can take months or even years, which means the states workforce is unlikely to see immediate relief after the creation of the office, which will not have immigration attorneys. But long-term, Carranza said, such an office can only serve to bolster the strength and diversity of North Dakota communities. After the legal process of immigration is over, new residents will still need to acclimate to the state. Its in the months and years after a move, when immigrants are looking to get connected to their municipalities, that could define retention in many cases, Carranza said. The best-supported new community members will have support from a variety of networks throughout a community -- for example, existing family, but also a variety of businesses and schools and perhaps faith networks and employers who are welcoming, Carranza said. I think that's where we'll see people who want to put down roots in North Dakota. The long wait is over as the Counters finally take down the evil spirits who have wandered for far too long. In the final episode of "The Uncanny Counter 2," the final battle between Jo Byung Gyu and Kang Ki Young takes place. 'The Uncanny Counter 2' Episode 12: Ma Joo Seok Reclaims His Body The final episode of "The Uncanny Counter 2" begins with the Counters' ultimate plan which is to summon Ma Joo Seok's (Jin Seon Kyu) spirit and put everything to an end. Do Ha Na (Kim Sejeong) urges So Mun (Jo Byung Gyu) to subdue Ma Joo Seok by entering his subconscious but unfortunately, he can't do that as it will make the other stronger. Later, he faces off against Hwang Pil Gwang (Kang Ki Young). So Mun, who believes that Ma Joo Seok is still alive, pleads with him to help the Counters out. Hwang Pil Gwang's spirit then fades as Ma Joo Seok takes control of his body, sacrificing himself by impaling himself through the chest as if exorcizing himself. Ma Joo Seok Starts Anew The evil spirit is summoned and destroyed once and for all. The Counters' hideout also self-destructs. Unfortunately, So Mun hasn't awoken yet as he's still inside the subconscious. Ma Joo Seok and So Mun reminisce about their past inside the apartment building. The former urges the Counter to leave as he's about to die with the long battle over. However, So Mun refuses to give up on him as his friend. With this, Ma Joo Seok is convinced to come back to the real world. Chu Mae Ok (Yeom Hye Ran) then wipes off Ma Joo Seok's memories, making sure that he doesn't remember anything before the evil possession. Hwang Pil Gwang Gets Taken Down After everything was over, Hwang Pil Gwang vows to return to the place from whence he came where numerous hungry souls wait to feast on him. Elsewhere, the Counters give each other a big hug. Wi Gen (Moon Sook) then decides that So Mun's skills can be used abroad to teach newbies, which the latter agrees with. Ma Joo Seok is put behind bars because of what happened but So Mun promises to always be there for him so that he won't be lonely. To cheer him up, he summons the territory and lets his friend experience the dream of seeing his wife. more time. In his dream, his wife vows to protect him from harm from now on. The Counters Enjoy New Lives Six months later, Do Ha Na meets Park Do Hwi (Seo Byuk Jun) once again. He encourages her to learn piano as they rekindle their old romance. Ga Mo Tak (Yoo Jun Sang) and Na Jeok Beong (Yoo In Soo) continue to suss out wandering evil spirits while Chu Mae Ok becomes Lim Jae Yul's (Jung Taek Hyun) guardian. So Mun spends his life in Germany where he meets Wi Gen's daughter. After a while, he returns to South Korea with a completely new look. KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. 401 Shares Share Chances are, you or someone you know has fallen victim to medical gaslighting at some point, especially as we see an increase in this unfortunate practice in todays modern health care system. Maybe you have experienced medical gaslighting without even realizing it. What exactly is medical gaslighting? Its a term given to a practice stemming from our medical community where doctors and specialists alike make patients feel a multitude of unwanted feelings. They may feel like their ailments or symptoms of complaint arent valid, making them feel ignored, dismissed, or leaving the patient feeling defeated as they are left with even more heightened concern, frustration, and distrust than prior to meeting with the doctor. Patients may then question their own thoughts or feelings as they sift through ways to overcome this new sense of burden and displacement they have. Sometimes patients simply feel dismissed, as I did when I was diagnosed and eventually cured from a rare, yet emerging disease known as Granulomatous Mastitis. When our health care system lacks interest, ability, and fails to listen to its patients or be proactive, this can lead to a failure to both effectively diagnose and treat the patient. Not only have I been a victim of this, but so have my own father, mother, and uncle, who lost his life due to medical negligence or medical gaslighting, if you will. So how do you know if you are experiencing medical gaslighting? Besides your gut or intuition implying something isnt right about a situation or a provider, keywords you may commonly notice, which may be red flags, are words of blame or excuses. Some specific examples you may encounter are: you might have anxiety, youre too young, its just in your head, this shall pass, or youre just paranoid, to name a few. Anyone can fall victim to medical gaslighting, especially women in particular. Over 70 percent of women have said they felt theyve experienced medical gaslighting. I personally think well see an increase with our elders too, as Ive seen examples of ageism which can essentially fall into the same category. Years ago, when I was diagnosed with granulomatous mastitis, I fell into that very 70th percentile. I was dismissed by an infectious disease specialist. She completely disregarded an important finding in an original pathology report, dismissing a bacteria detected as just likely part of my natural skin flora or a contaminated sample. Nothing was done, and I left feeling at a loss and more knowledgeable about the condition than her. I didnt have a good feeling about her and never went to see her again. My feeling would later prove to be valid as after being forced to become my own diagnosis detective, that bacteria was actually pathogenic and environmentally associated. I needed proper treatment. Though, I had to partner with a specialist who was open and willing to listen and order the test I requested, which ultimately gave us the answers I longed for. This journey led me to feel empowered, confident in both my developed medical knowledge and ability, while never again fearing to not only stand up for myself, but advocate for what I need, deserve, and want moving forward with our health care system. I wrote a successful book about my own journey which is now helping both other women and even doctors across the world. Many women with the same condition continue to feel dismissed and experience medical gaslighting with the disease, so Im hoping my book will continue to be a game changer. I became the best advocate for my own family, including my father and mother, and I wish I would have intervened for my uncle as unfortunately, his life is now lost. I recognized my dad was either having a stroke or had encephalitis. I called 911, and luckily time was on his side as he was able to have a drug known as TPA administered. After a week-long hospital stay, no doctor or specialist ever sat down with my mother and me to explain all of the circumstances, testing, and plans moving forward. All we knew was they recommended a rehabilitation center. I had to call the hospital and demand a phone call before they released him. No cause was determined for his stroke during that stay, though I knew it was his heart based on symptoms, history, and circumstances leading up to his stroke. Again, I would be right with my suspicions. I found a cardiologist willing to listen and advocated for my dad. The hospital never ordered a test known as a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE). He would later order that test and finally we had an answer: a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) was to blame. My mom had chronic debilitating headaches. She went to multiple doctors who only offered relief-type suggestions, like taking OTC medications or taking more of a prescription drug that could help, with no avail. After a third primary appointment for these headaches, she was referred to a neurologist. I attended this appointment with her where this specialist tried to diagnose her with headache syndrome, without sufficient testing to support his theory. I knew better. He got to experience the diagnosis detective that day, to say the least. He then said to us he would go ahead and order a CT scan just to give us peace of mind. To this day, I wonder what his first thoughts were when he reviewed the CT scan results: a brain tumor with idiopathic intracranial hypertension. He didnt even call us to share the results. He never admitted he was wrong or apologized. We actually saw the results in her MyChart and many days later phoned his office asking when he planned to call and admit his original diagnosis was wrong. She never went back to him, as one could imagine why. My uncle developed a rash and swelling on his legs. Walking was becoming almost unbearable. He went to the ER multiple times. Multiple theories were given, including cellulitis or just a dermatological rash, along with many therapies tried with not much resolution or relief. I messaged my uncle when he was in the hospital and mentioned the test we ordered that resulted in the bacteria I had. He asked a doctor to order it, and the response was, We dont do that here. What hospital cant order a test or find out how to? Why did they never perform a biopsy of the rash? Honestly, throughout messages and conversations we had, I felt he was being a victim of medical gaslighting, specifically ageism at 75 years old. He did get diagnosed with Lymphedema, and when asked what he could do about it, the doctor didnt offer much, indicating it was something he would just have to live with. He accepted his fate, unfortunately. He trusted doctors, but deep down he felt hopeless. He said to me he felt like an outsider, scared to leave his home because of what people might visually think of his legs. My uncle was finally under wound care after his primary care physician advised it. Later, wound care believed something far more serious was going on than other doctors failed to recognize or believe. They referred him to a cardiologist. He never made it to that appointment as a short time prior to it, he was found deceased in his apartment from sudden cardiac arrest. It is now suspected that the rash could have been something like stasis dermatitis, a condition linked to vascular and heart-related issues. The health care system failed him. Im not the only one who believes this either. His best friends witnessed his hospital stays and were there for him in his time of need during his 6-month ordeal prior to his passing. Who really is to blame though when it comes to medical gaslighting? Is it the networks? Is it the providers? Is it the patients? Is it insurance companies? Is it a combination of all four? At the end of the day, our health care networks are a business with a goal to make money and be profitable. Perhaps they put too much pressure on our providers to see as many patients as they can in as short an amount of time as possible. I have even felt like I was at a factory and not a doctors office before in the way the practice handled each patient. My own specialist, who was a personal contributor to my book, referenced that her patient load was too high to research and devote the time I did to getting answers. Certainly, I appreciate her transparency and willingness to be open to what I shared with her, though as patients, it should never be our job to do their job. Though again, who is to blame? Here, she didnt have the time because her patient load was too high; that sounds like a network issue to me. While the providers may want to then blame their own networks, they still took an oath to do no harm and should be able to practice just that, owing every patient the time and resources needed to help them in the best way possible. The oath should supersede medical gaslighting practices any day. As patients, were expected to be our authentic selves, being open, expressive, and taking the time to prepare for appointments, completing a laundry list of medical paperwork that doctors probably dont even have the time to read. Doctors should offer the same common courtesy in return and be able to do so freely. As patients, if we want to help prevent medical gaslighting from happening to us, we must always be our best advocates and share honest, ample information to best help our circumstances. Perhaps follow my own A+ List to Advocacy, which is Act, Assemble, Ask, Acquire, and Apply. Take a journal, take someone with you, and request that the doctor include anything they dismiss of your requests in the Mychart appointment notes and why. What can happen if the providers, doctors, and patients cant work effectively and cohesively? Well, medical malpractice exists for a reason. Obviously, that would be a last-resort effort, hopefully. Bad reviews can flourish on social media, both hurting the networks and health care professionals too, so why not offer the best care it takes? Maybe doctors need to stand up against the pressure of these networks and let them do their jobs. Though, maybe insurance companies are standing in the way of that. Tests are expensive, but so is medical malpractice. We need to let doctors practice medicine. Period. Medical gaslighting will likely always exist, though we can strive to help prevent it. You must always be your best advocate. You know your body better than anyone. Always have, and always will. Tami Burdick is a patient advocate and author of Diagnosis Detective: Curing Granulomatous Mastitis. North Dakota is asking a judge to dismiss a recent League of Women Voters of North Dakota motion to intervene in a lawsuit that could curb mail-in voting across the state. In Aug. 23 filings, the Campaign Legal Center on behalf of the League moved to intervene in a lawsuit brought by a local election official and a conservative legal organization. The League argued its interests as a voter advocacy organization with multiple members that vote by mail should give it standing to intervene in the case. But state Election Director Erika White and the Secretary of States office argue that Whites defense applies to all North Dakota residents as it is focused on protecting state law, which isnt limited to certain individuals. Burleigh County Auditor Mark Splonskowski and the Public Interest Legal Foundation filed the initial suit in early July against White. The foundation bills itself as a nonprofit dedicated to election integrity. The plaintiffs argue that federal and state law are conflicted in regard to the acceptance of mail-in ballots after Election Day. The state has moved to dismiss the suit, arguing that such a conflict doesnt exist. Instead, the state claims the "true aim in this lawsuit is not adjudication of a true conflict, but the improper overthrow of North Dakota law." The lawsuit argues that the state allows for ballots to be counted up to 13 days after Election Day, while federal law assigns one day as Election Day, which forces Splonskowski to decide which law to follow. Splonskowski is opened up to criminal penalties as a result, since late mail-in ballots extend an elections voting period, the suit argues. North Dakota law requires all counted mail-in ballots to be postmarked before Election Day. The Leagues filing echoes the key argument made by the state: that the conflict described in Splonskowskis suit doesnt exist. The group claims the legality of mail-in voting has been defined extensively in other courts, with other suits failing to find conflicts between federal and state election laws. The League also argues that it should be allowed to intervene in the suit because of Whites focus on post-voting activities such as ballot counting -- which differs from the organizations focus on pre-voting activities such as voter registration and education. But the state argues that White doesnt have to weigh the two in her defense of the case. The state recognizes the impact of a dismissal will impact White and the League in different ways, but it argues that the defense, which is focused on protecting a validly enacted state law, adequately represents the Leagues interests. The filing comes just days after Splonskowski and the Public Interest Legal Foundation filed a motion to extend the deadline for its response to the state. That motion argued that the Leagues motion to intervene complicates the response process and impacts the plaintiffs ability to meet existing deadlines. The extension was approved, and Splonskowski and the Foundation now have until Sept. 15 to file a response. Youth from the Central region have been urged to identify strategic value addition opportunities that will help them improve the area. Speaking at an agribusiness agripreneurs training organized by Gudie Leisure Farm in Najjera, Kampala, Prof Gudula Naiga Basaza, the Farms Executive Director urged the youth to engage in various agribusiness development activities that will improve their lives. Basaza stated that the initiative is deliberate in promoting value addition opportunities through providing various agribusiness development services to micro, small and medium enterprise (MSMEs) in the agricultural sector in particular, those operating in the white meat value chain. She added that, the youth are embracing their role in transforming the region by being proactive, productive, planned and profitable enterpreneurs. We want to create a new group of youth that understand the businesses and sound of money in their businesses. You can not do any business without knowing how it works, said Prof Basaza. Speaking at the same event, the Parish Development Model (PDM) national coordinator at the Ministry of Local Government, Mr. Patrick Mutoni encouraged Ugandans to apply for the cash. Its free of charge to apply for the money, he said explaining that government is determined to use PDM to transform poor households. The Democratic Party (DP) has asked security agencies to use its intelligence to identify terrorists before carrying out an attack on the country. DPs call comes in the wake of terror threats following Sundays incident where Police safely detonated a bomb at Pastor Kayanjas church in Rubaga. Security agencies also detonated two more bombs in Bunamwaya and Nateete on Monday, September 4. Speaking to journalists at the party head offices in Kampala, the president of DPs youth wing, Uganda Young Democrats, Mr. Ismael Kirya lauded police for their quick response. However, he wondered why security agencies couldnt detect the threats earlier. He highlighted the need to use the classified budget to invest in security apparatuses that can detect terrorists early. Kirya showed disappointment in Ugandas security agencies, accusing them of focusing on opposition leaders, rather than terrorists. It is just unfortunate that our security understands to foil plans of opposition leaders than terrorists. Should we say that the security is sleeping on the job? Because if the bomb can be blasted, how many people would have died? Kirya wondered. By AFP Deep within Kasigau, a sweeping wilderness of craggy hills and savannah roamed by elephants, a team armed with clipboards and measuring tapes is busy studying an unremarkable tree. Gnarled and leafless, it nonetheless has great value: it stores carbon, and the team wants to know exactly how much is locked away across this semi-arid, half-a-million-acre (200,000-hectare) woodland in southern Kenya. We want to make absolutely sure we account for every single tree, said Geoffrey Mwangi, lead scientist at US-based company Wildlife Works, as the carbon samplers took the dimensions of another thorny specimen. The data translates into carbon credits, and millions of dollars have been made selling these to corporate giants such as Netflix and Shell looking to offset their greenhouse gas emissions and burnish their green credentials. As climate change accelerates and pressure mounts on companies and countries to lift their game, demand for carbon credits has exploded even as their reputation has taken a battering. Cash-strapped African nations want a much bigger share of a $2-billion market that is forecast to grow five-fold by 2030. Africa only produces 11 percent of the worlds offsets yet boasts the planets second-largest rainforest and tracts of carbon-absorbing ecosystems like mangroves and peatlands. Kenyan President William Ruto, who is hosting a climate summit in Nairobi this week, said Africas carbon sinks were an unparalleled economic goldmine. They have the potential to absorb millions of tons of CO2 annually, which should translate into billions of dollars, he said on Monday. Massive interest A single credit represents one tonne of carbon dioxide removed or reduced from the atmosphere. Companies buy credits generated through activities like renewable energy, planting trees or protecting forests. Carbon markets are largely unregulated and accusations that some offsets particularly forest-based ones do little for the environment or exploit communities have sent prices crashing this year. Kenya already generates the most offsets in Africa and despite market uncertainty, sees the potential for a much bigger domestic industry capable of creating much-needed jobs and economic growth. There is massive interest. We have 25 percent of the African market (for carbon credits) in Kenya, and its our ambition to expand this, Ali Mohamed, the presidents special envoy for climate change, told AFP. In Kasigau, about 330 kilometres (205 miles) southeast of Nairobi, landowners and communities are paid to keep the forest intact under a flagship carbon credit project run by Wildlife Works, a for-profit business and largest offset developer in Africa. Joseph Mwakima from Wildlife Works said project revenue had employed around 400 people and funded water, education and health infrastructure in a long-underserved part of Kenya. These are things that were never really there, he told AFP. Wildlife Works founder Mike Korchinsky said at least half of revenue went to communities. The forests protected under the scheme were once cleared for firewood and charcoal, degrading a carbon sink and critical wildlife habitat. Avoiding deforestation serves climate goals by keeping carbon in the soil and trees instead of allowing them to be released into the atmosphere. The Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project was the worlds first to generate certified credits this way. Wildlife Works says the project has been independently verified nine times since 2011, and has avoided roughly 22 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. Kenya emits about 70 million tonnes of CO2 per year, according to Climate Watch, a platform managed by the World Resources Institute that tracks national greenhouse gas emissions. False solutions The UN-endorsed African Carbon Market Initiative, launched at COP27 in November, believes 300 million credits could be generated annually on the continent by 2030 - a 19-fold increase on current volumes. For Kenya, this would mean more than 600,000 jobs and $600 million in annual revenue. But these projections assume a carbon price far above current trades, and a massive increase in finance at a time of great volatility in a market struggling to build trust and integrity. Ahead of the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, more than 500 civil society organisations wrote to Ruto urging him to steer the conference away from carbon markets and other false solutions led by Western interests. In truth, though, these approaches will embolden wealthy nations and large corporations to continue polluting the world, much to Africas detriment, it read. Rutos appointee to lead the summit, Joseph Nganga, said carbon markets acted not as an excuse for emissions but as a means to ensure accountability as rich polluting nations bore the cost. Countries are moving to regulate the sector. Earlier this year, Zimbabwe announced it would appropriate half of all the revenue generated from carbon credits on its land, sending jitters through markets. Kenya is finalising its own legislation. Mohamed said the government did not want to chase away investors but ensure transparency and a fair share for communities. Korchinsky expressed confidence the Kasigau project will hold up to whatever scrutiny is applied. Police at Jinja road station have arrested one of their own officers for allegedly shooting his wife dead on Tuesday evening. The incident happened at the police barracks in Kampala when the suspect allegedly shot his wife identified as Atino Jennifer, a police officer attached to Very Important Person Protection Unit of Police (VIPPU). The cause of shooting is not yet established. The suspect is currently detained at Jinja Road Police Division awaiting interrogation, Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Mr Patrick Onyango said in a Tuesday, September 5 statement. More updates to follow! Security has beefed up in and around Kampala, as the business community expresses great concern over the latest wave of terror threats to Uganda. This comes after security forces yesterday recovered and denoted more Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Kampala. Police spokesperson Mr. Fred Enanga said yesterday that the explosives were recovered from a Guest House in Bunamwaya and Mabiito Business hub in Nateete. In the first incident on Sunday, an IED was detected and detonated at Rubaga Miracle Center Church in Kampala. According to military and police sources, the recovery of the deadly weapons has disrupted a plot by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) to hit Kampala. Consequently security checks at various building entrances have been beefed up, to prevent any attacks. Many traders have told KFM that such incidents are bound to affect business, with bars and night club owners saying they are already feeling the pinch as many revellers now choose to stay at home. Francis Kisirinya, the Chief Membership Officer at the Private Sector Foundation Uganda has asked traders to remain vigilant. Members of the Uganda Bus Owners and Operators Association (UBOA) have lauded the Uganda National Roads Authority for re-opening Katonga bridge along Kampala- Masaka Highway to buses. According to the UNRA media relations officer, Mr Allan Ssempebwa, only buses within the allowable limits of under 30 ton loads are authorized to use the bridge He adds that this should be done while following precautionary measures including continuous monitoring of the bridge to ensure it is always structurally safe. Meanwhile, Robert Mutebi, the UBOA spokesperson says the move will greatly reduce their operating costs and also ease the burden on their clients. The bridge had been closed due to a damage after river Katonga burst its banks, leading to the collapse of the bridge and part of the road. This is Up and Down, where we give a brief thumbs up or thumbs down on the issues from the past week. Up Whether North Dakota's Game and Fish Department should be allowed to ban deer baiting was a big issue in the Legislature earlier this year. Proponents argued that bait bans reduce hunting opportunities and success. Game and Fish ultimately prevailed and kept the right to use the management tool, which it says is necessary to help stem the spread of chronic wasting disease in the state's deer population. Now the department appears to have forged a compromise of sorts. Game and Fish says it will allow deer baiting restrictions to be lifted in hunting units where CWD has been found if the number of adult deer equivalent to at least 10% of allocated gun licenses are tested for the disease within a year and all results are negative. Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Charlie Bahnson calls the move "a win for everybody. Down Most people accept mosquitoes as an unavoidable nuisance in North Dakota during the summer. They swat them away and move on with whatever outdoors activity they're partaking in at the time. But the West Nile virus spread by mosquitoes can be quite serious, and even deadly. And late-August to mid-September is the peak time for virus activity. State Health and Human Services urges people to take precautions against mosquito bites when they're outdoors, to lessen their risk of getting sick. It's wise advice -- there have already been a dozen West Nile cases around the state this year, including a handful in Burleigh-Morton counties. Up Bismarck Public Schools set a fall enrollment record with 13,732 students in grades K-12 on the first day of classes. The previous record for the first day of school was 13,678 students in 2022. Another 369 students were enrolled in Bismarck pre-K classrooms. Superintendent Jeff Fastnacht said the enrollment increase reflects a strong and growing community. Meanwhile Mandan Public Schools reported pre-K-12 enrollment of 4,419 students on the first day, up 41 students from 2022. Down Smoky haze returned to the state last week due to smoke from Canadian wildfires. Air quality in Bismarck-Mandan was rated unhealthy, according to AirNow, a partnership of federal and state agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The state Department of Environmental Quality advised residents to consider limiting outdoor activities. Canadas wildfire season has been the worst on record. Last week, more than 1,000 fires were burning north of the border, with nearly 700 considered to be out of control. Sinn Fein TD for Carlow-Kilkenny, Kathleen Funchion, has informed Kilkenny Live that Sinn Fein still plans to run both a Kilkenny and Carlow candidate in the next General Election. The announcement follows the Electoral Commission constituency review that recommends that almost 6,500 people in North-West Kilkenny form part of a new North Tipperary constituency. "I was surprised that Carlow and Kilkenny werent split into two independent stand-alone constituencies, given the emphasis on respecting county boundaries," she said. "I am conscious that these changes arent a whole lot different, however I dont like seeing people, who are proud Kilkenny people, now in a position where they cant vote for a Kilkenny representative in a General Election. I think it can leave people disenfranchised and we do I think need to seriously consider that. "Locally, we as a party have been growing in strength and numbers and the plan was always to run a Kilkenny-based candidate and a Carlow-based candidate. This wont change. "I would like to reassure the people in the 13 affected areas that Sinn Fein will continue to work tirelessly and be a strong voice for them as they now move to the new North Tipperary constituency." Retained firefighters have accepted a pay deal that will see them be guaranteed a minimum yearly income for the first time. Members represented by trade union Siptu voted on Tuesday to accept proposals brokered by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) last month. Pickets were lifted at fire stations across Ireland in August after an offer emerged at the WRC following long and difficult negotiations. The talks yielded a new offer for some 1,700 Siptu members who work as retained firefighters at more than 200 fire stations around the country. Retained firefighters, who provide fire and first-responder emergency services, are not full-time employees. They are paid a retainer to be on call for fire stations and receive a per-callout fee. The new offer will see new retained firefighter recruits receive a guaranteed minimum income per year of over 18,000 euro by working every second week. The fees reach the top of the scale after eight years. Siptu suspended its strike action while the terms of the offer were considered. Karan O Loughlin, Siptus divisional organiser, said it has been a protracted battle to raise awareness of the terms and conditions for retained firefighters, and said further negotiations would take place. Its been a really rough road for the retained firefighters, and it was not an overwhelming acceptance, Ms O Loughlin told PA, saying that 63% voted in favour. She adding that management should be aware that it indicates if elements of the deal are not delivered on, it will have negative consequences. While todays vote ends the current strike, it does not end that battle, she said. The WRC document is the beginning of the next stage for the retained firefighters. Siptu representatives will be writing immediately to the employers and to the minister. We will advise of the acceptance of the document and seek to engage in discussions in respect of the retainer and the rollout of the WRC terms, especially those clauses that relate to recruitment, pay and time off. We will be making it clear that we expect the terms of the WRC document to be delivered in full and in a timely manner. We also expect that the political commitments in respect of the next movement on the retainer will be delivered in full. She added that the retainer element needs another bit of special attention, and that although the first increase is not sufficient, it was a stepping stone that brings the strike period to an end. Siptu sector organiser for the Local Authority Sector Brendan OBrien added that retained firefighters are battle scarred after years of fighting for these issues. While the WRC document does not deliver a cure for all that ails the retained fire service, it has created a path forward to commence the transformation that the service needs, he said. Firefighters are to be commended for their steadfast solidarity to each other and to their communities during this very difficult dispute. Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh OBrien welcomed the vote to accept the terms. I welcome the decision of the retained firefighters to accept the recommendations of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), he said. I want to thank them and their representatives for their constructive engagement with the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA). I also want to thank the WRC for their efforts in bringing about a resolution to this dispute. He added: I have always acknowledged the challenges associated with both the recruitment and retention of retained fire personnel and I have consistently advocated for a better approach and I will continue to do so. Our firefighters are an invaluable frontline service staffed by very dedicated and selfless people, serving their communities around the clock. I will continue to support them in the work which they do. Intel's New Unit of Computing charged the market for powerful, customizable mini PCs, but the minimalistic boxes were popular enough to compete with its own manufacturing partners. Intel announced it would cancel the NUC program a few weeks ago, but success is success: PC giant Asus decided to buy it outright. "Starting Sep.1, #NUC becomes a proud member of the #ASUS lineup, setting off on an exhilarating journey ahead," the company posted to social media. "Delve into NUC product specifics on the official ASUS website and immerse yourself in a realm of innovations & solutions." Muhammad Zuhair writes that 13th-gen units are on the way. The products showcased by ASUS on their "NUC Overview" webpage feature the same NUC 13 units, also in Intel's NUC arsenal. For users interested in buying the NUC 13 Extreme, for example, they would now have to buy it from ASUS since Intel has officially discontinued the products. Asus has already issued its first major ex cathedra pronouncement: NUC rhymes with "luck," not "nuke." Be the first to know when a new trade signal is out! Click here to sign up for e-mail notifications. CPM Group's Jeffrey Christian discusses the reasons behind the recent decline in Gold, Silver, Platinum, and Palladium. He has discusses whether prices are expected to decline further, and CPM Group's expectations for the remainder of the year. CPM Group is an independent commodities research, consulting, commodities and asset management, and investment banking firm that provides comprehensive research, analysis, and advisory services. Our advisory services are driven by the results of our research and analysis. CPM Group is the trusted advisor to producers, consumers, institutional investors, governments, regulatory authorities, and high net worth individuals regarding commodities markets and the financial management of exposure to commodities-oriented investments. Founded in 1986, CPM Group was created via a management acquisition of the Commodities Research Group at Goldman Sachs. CPM Group is known for its research, analysis, and commentary on metals markets and other commodities, its overall economic analysis of commodities markets, and its expertise in financial engineering using derivatives to structure optimized positions for commercial, investor, and financial market participants. Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - China and Russia may be setting aside some of their massive gold production to support a new currency to rival the U.S. dollar, according to Daniel McCarthy, Strategist at DailyFX.com. The gold price continues to oscillate around US$ 1,940 going into Tuesdays trading session as market headwinds might be offset by geopolitical factors that have seen volatility in the precious metal slide lower, McCarthy said. He noted that real yields on U.S. 10-year Treasurys recently hit a 14-year peak above 1.90%. The last time that real yields were this high was 2009, when spot gold was below US$ 1,000, McCarthy said. More recently in 2018, when the real yield was near 1.0%, spot gold was under US$ 1,300 an ounce. Of course, there has been a lot of water under the bridge since then and the currents of demand have been tilted as the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) nations seek an alternative to the US Dollar as a reserve currency, he said. Much has recently been made of the potential for a gold-backed currency to allow these countries to bypass the US Dollar in international trade. McCarthy said that even though other challenges to U.S. dollar dominance have failed, Chinas role in the international gold market, and the recent behavior of other BRICS members, could mean a different outcome this time around. On a recent trip to Western Australia, one the largest physical gold-producing regions globally, a number of contacts highlighted that almost every ounce of the yellow metal currently being dug out of the ground was being put on a ship to China, he said. Such anecdotes of other BRIC members taking similar actions have been reported elsewhere. Keeping in mind that Australia, China and Russia are also the top producers of gold, it might be the case that gold hoarding has been a feature of the price action of late. Russia will be assuming the BRICS chairmanship on Jan. 1, and the bloc finance ministers new mandate would seem to set Russian President Vladimir Putin up for a major currency announcement when his country hosts the next BRICS summit in October of 2024. Any developments on this front, whether it takes the form of a payment platform to intermediate between local currencies, or the new trade currency itself, would be even more significant next year after the BRICS has more than doubled its membership and has added major oil exporters Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Iran. Russia wasted no time in placing its imprimatur on the bloc following the conclusion of this years summit. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, who is also the countrys BRICS sherpa, told a press briefing in Moscow on Aug. 25 that Russias goal will be to strengthen the blocs role and authority as it assumes leadership of the BRICS. Ryabkov also made clear that Russia was very focused on pushing forward with the blocs de-dollarization initiatives. Consultations are continuing on the creation of effective payment instruments within the BRICS framework, independent of the West, as well as a secure platform for multilateral cross-border settlements, he said. Spot gold is down on Tuesday after the long Labor Day weekend, last trading at $1,927.00 at the time of writing, down 0.59% on the day. Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - Canada-focused lithium company Green Technology Metals (ASX: GT1) announced Monday that it executed a full form offtake agreement with LG Energy Solution (LGES) for the supply of 25% of all spodumene concentrate produced from the Seymour lithium project in Ontario. In a statement, the company said that this is the first definitive lithium offtake agreement in Ontario, creating a strategic alignment within Ontarios critical minerals supply chain. Green Technology added that the full form offtake agreement follows the offtake term sheet and equity subscription agreement executed on 18 May 2023, which resulted in LGES investing A$20 million and becoming GT1s second largest shareholder. Pursuant to the offtake agreement, GT1 will sell to LGES 25% of its spodumene concentrate production from the Seymour project for a period of 5 years from the commencement of commercial production. In the event that GT1 develops a lithium hydroxide conversion facility during this period, GT1 said it may deliver the equivalent lithia content to LGES in the form of lithium hydroxide. CEO Luke Cox commented on the agreement, We are pleased to have concluded negotiations with LGES allowing us to execute our first full form offtake agreement. LGES is a global leader and innovator in EV battery manufacturing and having formalised arrangements for it to become a significant customer is a tremendous achievement. The agreement delivers strategic alignment within Ontarios critical minerals supply chain and marks the first definitive lithium offtake agreement for Ontario. Importantly, it builds additional capabilities for GT1 as we advance our flagship Seymour project and lithium chemical plant, in line with the companys strategy to become the first lithium producer in Ontario with vertical integration. GT1 is a North American-focused lithium exploration and development business with a current global mineral resource estimate of 22.5Mt at 1.14% Li2O. The companys main 100% owned Ontario lithium projects comprise hard rock spodumene assets (Seymour, Root and Wisa) and lithium exploration claims (Allison, Falcon, Gathering, Junior, Pennock and Superb) located on a prospective Archean Greenstone tenure in north-west Ontario, Canada. The Seymour project has an existing mineral resource estimate of 9.9Mt @ 1.04% Li2O (comprised of 5.2Mt at 1.29% Li2O indicated mineral resource and 4.7 Mt at 0.76% Li2O inferred mineral resource), and the Root project has an inferred mineral resource estimate of 12.6Mt @ 1.21% Li20. Set your alarm for September 16 the "Big Bears, Big Veggies" event will be live streaming the annual bear feast, courtesy of the Alaska State Fair. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center posted the announcement yesterday, along with a terrific photo by Doug Lindstrand of an adorable bear gazing lovingly at a giant gourd. The Alaska State Fair has become famous for its giant vegetables. The Fair explains that after the judging, many of the vegetables become the fair's property, and states that "all produce is donated to various Community Services and Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center." Anchorage Daily News provides more details about the arrangement in an article from the 2021 fair: Every year, show-stopping vegetables draw large crowds at the Alaska State Fair. From giant cauliflowers and pumpkins to the pristine gourds, they are some of the state's most famous veggies. So what happens to them after the fair ends? This year, some of the bounty close to 400 pounds was donated to Mat-Su Senior Services in Palmer, helping feed nearly 1,200 seniors in the Mat-Su through daily home deliveries and congregate lunches at the Palmer Senior Center. "That's a budget-saver right there," said Sarah Weideman, Mat-Su Senior Services' development and communications coordinator. On Wednesday, boxes of potatoes, kale, peas and cauliflower lined shelves in the walk-in freezer at the Palmer Senior Center kitchen. Vegetables were made into both a vegetarian stew and a chicken and vegetable stew, as well as side salads, as employees and volunteers worked quickly to prepare the meals for the day's lunch service. That same year, somewhere between 800 and a thousand pounds of produce from the fair was also donated to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. This year will be no exception, and I can't wait to see the bears chowing down. In the meantime, check out the fabulous feast from 2021. Third Missourian pleads not guilty to fraud in obtaining $185K in pandemic funds Korean beef loin cuts can be seen in this promotional image with the phrase "100 flavors from a single hanwoo" / Courtesy of Rural Development Administration By Ko Dong-hwan Korean beef, known as "hanwoo," is one of the most popular meat products among Koreans, has started gaining popularity outside the country as well. After Hong Kong started importing it years ago, the governments of Malaysia and Cambodia have become the latest importers to enjoy Korean beef's unique flavor. With its popularity overseas increasing, hanwoo is anticipated to compete well against Japan's "wagyu" and Europe's Angus beef. The taste of hanwoo has already been lauded by the local Korean public, especially considering its more-than-affordable price. The country's Rural Development Administration (RDA) says there are scientific reasons behind such a nationwide craving for it. One of them is due to its high fat content, referred to as marbling, which tastes superb. "Highest quality hanwoo with a 1++ grade has marbling of up 22 to 24 percent, making it juicy and more savory," an RDA official told The Korea Times. Another selling point of hanwoo is its high concentration of oleic acid, a type of monounsaturated fat that, along with polyunsaturated fat, is known as healthy fat. The higher the content of oleic acid is, the lower the melting point of the fat enriching the flavor better when cooked. The RDA said this is where hanwoo can distinguish itself from its rivals. "Oleic acid reduces low-density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol while increasing high-density lipoprotein or good cholesterol, which is good for cardiac health," said the official. "1++ grade hanwoo's oleic acid content is about 52-54 percent. Hanwoo also contains a high concentration of iron and arachidonic acid, which has been proven to be effective in preventing Alzheimer's disease." The Rural Development Administration has made specification guides for Korean hanwoo beef for the Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Hong Kong markets. Courtesy of Rural Development Administration U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg delivers his address at the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies in Seoul, Sept. 5. Yonhap The U.S. ambassador in Seoul on Tuesday said North Korea and Russia appear to have sought closer military ties because they were increasingly isolated from the international community and have difficulty in gaining access to supplies due to global sanctions. Ambassador Philip Goldberg made the remarks during a lecture in Seoul when asked for comments on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's reported plan to visit Russia to discuss providing weapons and to address concerns about a strengthened trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan following their landmark summit at the Camp David presidential retreat. "I think what we have been seeing with (Russian Defense Minister Sergei) Shoigu's visit and talk about military equipment, or military assets, going in both directions, is unique to the Russia and North Korea situation," he said. "They're both isolated states, without ability to really access anything in the world due to sanctions and their own activities." On Monday, Seoul's spy agency said Russia had proposed conducting three-way naval exercises with North Korea and China when Shoigu held a meeting with Kim in late July. The New York Times also reported Kim may travel to Vladivostok next week to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discuss a possible arms deal. "So I think that you have to see the Russia-North Korea connection in that light, as opposed to a trilateral forming with China," he added. "I think China has its own interests, regardless of what might have been described as an unlimited friendship with Russia at one point, and has been more restrained, especially with regard to Ukraine." Goldberg then stressed that the latest reports on North Korea-Russia relations has "more to do with" North Korea and Putin's increasing isolation, evident in his reluctance to attend international meetings abroad "for fear of being arrested." "So that is I think the origins of that particular issue at the moment," he said. He also called for the "serious" implementation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, especially on North Korea's cryptocurrency theft and illicit cyber activities. On recent summit documents signed by leaders of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan at Camp David, the ambassador stressed that the agreements are "far-reaching" and "durable," when asked whether political changes in the future could weaken the trilateral agreement. "They set up not just regular meetings between our presidents and prime minister, and the meetings of our foreign ministers and national security advisers, but also our commerce secretary and her minister counterparts. That is something that becomes what we would say is institutionalizing these relationships," he said. President Yoon Suk Yeol and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Joe Biden and Fumio Kishida, respectively, adopted a series of documents during their historic summit at Camp David in Maryland, pledging to immediately consult one another in the event of common threats, hold annual joint military exercises and cooperate closely for stronger missile defense against North Korea. (Yonhap) Guatemala will join a free trade agreement (FTA) between Korea and a group of Central American nations, Seoul's trade ministry said Tuesday. Korea and five Central American nations Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, Honduras and Nicaragua fully implemented their FTA in March 2021, and they reached a deal with Guatemala for its joining of the pact following two years of negotiations, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Seoul's Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun declared the conclusion during a video conference with his Guatemala's economic minister, Luz Perez Contreras, on Tuesday, and agreed to speed up follow-up procedures for its official signing. Guatemala was initially among dialogue partners for the FTA, but it had stepped out during negotiations amid differences on tariff and country of origin related rules. "Guatemala's envisioned participation is expected to further develop the Korea-Central America FTA as a key platform for our firms' advance into the market," Ahn said. Trade between Korea and Guatemala has risen recently from $237 million in 2018 to $323 million last year, according to government data. (Yonhap) Joko Widodo, left in the first row, president of Indonesia, signs Hyundai Motor's IONIQ 5 electric car, applauded by Chung Euisun, second from left in the first row, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, during the inauguration of Hyundai Motor's plant in Indonesia, March 2022. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group By Baek Byung-yeul Hyundai Motor has come in at the top of the electric vehicle (EV) market in Indonesia thanks to the growing popularity of its IONIQ 5, the carmaker said Tuesday. The company said it sold 3,913 EVs in Indonesia from January to July, taking a 56.5 percent market share. The figure is more than double the 28.1 percent share of Chinese EV maker Wuling, which sold 1,944 EVs during the same period. Wuling was the local market leader last year Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country with a population of 277 million, and is considered to have great market potential. The country is also expected to serve as a production base for the Southeast Asian market. Under Hyundai Motor's strategy, IONIQ 5 became the first EV model to be produced locally by an automaker in Indonesia. Hyundai Motor plans to further accelerate the transition to electrification in Indonesia, which has abundant resources such as nickel, a key material for EV batteries. "In particular, once the joint battery cell plant, which is being built by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Indonesia begins manufacturing next year, Hyundai Motor will be able to further target the local EV market based on a stable supply chain," a company spokesman said. Hyundai Motor's electric vehicle, IONIQ 5, is produced at the company's plant in Indonesia. Hyundai Motor said Tuesday that it sold 3,913 EVs in Indonesia through July this year to rank first in the country's EV market. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi attends a news conference during an IAEA board of governors meeting in Vienna, Austria, June 5. Reuters-Yonhap The U.N. nuclear watchdog on Monday reported no progress in talks with Iran on sensitive issues such as reinstalling surveillance cameras and explaining uranium traces at undeclared sites, according to two quarterly reports seen by Reuters. At the same time, Iran's stock of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent purity, close to the roughly 90 percent of weapons grade, continued to grow albeit at a slower pace, despite some of it having been diluted, one of the confidential International Atomic Energy Agency reports to member states showed. "The (IAEA) Director General (Rafael Grossi) regrets that there has been no progress in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues in this reporting period," one report said, referring to Iran's failure to credibly explain the origin of uranium particles found at two undeclared sites. The reports, sent to IAEA member states ahead of a quarterly meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation Board of Governors next week, also said that after limited progress on re-installing IAEA surveillance cameras in the previous quarter, there had since been none, further raising tensions with Western powers. Iran and the IAEA announced an agreement in March on re-installing surveillance cameras introduced under a deal with major powers in 2015 but removed at Iran's behest last year. Only a fraction of the cameras and other monitoring devices the IAEA wanted to set up have been installed. Adding to the issues likely to cause tension with the West, Iran's stock of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent grew by an estimated 7.5 kilogram to 121.6 kg, the report said, even though 6.4 kg of it was diluted with uranium enriched to a lower level. Iran's production of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent has slowed to around 3 kg a month from about 9 kg a month previously, a senior diplomat said. Other diplomats have said the slowdown could be part of so-called "de-escalation" efforts between Iran and the United States also involving Iranian funds frozen abroad and U.S. prisoners held in Iran, though U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has denied the issues are linked. "Of course, Iran claims (the slowdown in enrichment to up to 60 percent) as a positive, but more HEU (highly enriched uranium) is still more HEU," one Western diplomat said. Iran's stock of uranium enriched to 60 percent is now almost three times the roughly 42 kg that by the IAEA's definition is theoretically enough, if enriched further, to produce a nuclear bomb. Experts add, however, that some uranium would be lost in the process. Iran denies wanting to produce nuclear weapons. (Reuters) Yes, by at least $1 Yes, by $2 or more No Vote View Results If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. Submit In a recent survey conducted by Netorabo, a reputable IT news site under ITmedia, BTS member Jin emerged as the preferred voice among Japanese men, solidifying his significant popularity within the country. The survey, exclusively tailored for Japanese participants and employing a single voting mechanism, has earned a reputation for its credibility. Jin, recognized for his role in BTS as part of the vocal line, received widespread acclaim for his distinctive sense of humor, exceptional communication skills, and remarkable vocal range. His ability to connect with both female and male fans left a lasting impression. READ ALSO: BTS Jin Takes the Lead in Japanese Men's Hearts-Reputable Survey Uncover Truth About His Mesmerizing Voice Jin's Solo Success Soars: 'Epiphany' Dominates BTS, 'The Astronaut' Graces Rolling Stone's Top 100, and 'Moon' Shines as a Masterpiece Notably, in a prior Netorabo survey, Jin's solo track "Epiphany" secured the top spot among BTS's solo songs. Additionally, his other solo releases such as "Moon" and "Awake" garnered high rankings. Even his track "Abyss," exclusively released on SoundCloud and YouTube, secured the 11th position, further establishing Jin's unparalleled popularity and influence in Japan. Jin's inaugural solo single, "The Astronaut," earned international recognition and an impressive 68th place on Rolling Stone's "100 Best Songs of 2022" list. Furthermore, he garnered accolades across various K-pop song rankings, solidifying his status as a top-tier vocalist. One of Jin's self-composed songs, "Moon," received global acclaim, ranking 5th in Rolling Stone's list of the "75 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time." This achievement underscored his talents as an artist who not only performed but also composed and wrote his own music. Jin's Musical Genius Recognized: 'Moon' Soars to 7th in Top 20 Songs of 2021, While 'Epiphany' Secures All-Time Top 5 Spot Renowned music critic Rob Sheffield recognized the excellence of "Moon," ranking it 7th in his list of the top 20 songs in 2021. Sheffield praised Jin's songwriting prowess and exceptional vocals. Moreover, "Moon" emerged as a favorite among BTS songs according to several radio podcast hosts. Kim Do Heon, former editor-in-chief of the music review webzine IZM, included Jin's "Epiphany" in his list of the "All-Time Top 5 BTS Songs." It's worth noting that "Epiphany" is the sole solo track on this list. He commended Jin's stable voice and impressive high notes. WATCH THE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO HERE Kim Do Heon also highlighted Jin's exquisite falsetto, powerful original voice, and his ability to shine on live stages. He described Jin as the embodiment of BTS' essence, underscoring his role in bringing the group's lyrics to life. With his striking appearance, exceptional vocal talents, melodious tone, and impressive musical abilities, Jin is now attracting global attention as he prepares to re-enter the music scene following his military discharge next year. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: BTS V Goes All Out Praising THIS Feminist Movie Despite Being Boycotted in Korea: 'It had the strongest impact on me Follow and subscribe to KpopStarz for more news. KpopStarz own this article. Madison Cullen wrote this. Property tax relief is on the way for some seniors and people with disabilities. The Common Council on Tuesday approved a resolution that amends the Real Property Tax Law to increase the income eligibility thresholds for property tax exemptions. The resolution was submitted by South Council Member Christopher P. Scanlon to address rising costs of living that have burdened seniors and people with disabilities living on fixed incomes, Scanlon said. Buffalo seniors get some tax exemptions now and maybe more later About 350 elderly, longtime homeowners in the City of Buffalo will be getting property tax relief while city lawmakers begin discussions with the state to expand the exemptions citywide to other seniors who meet the criteria. With the 2020 citywide property tax revaluation, many are concerned the rise in property values may lead to steep increases when the Under the new amendment, the maximum income eligibility for seniors to obtain a real property tax exemption will increase from $29,000 to $50,000, as of July 1, 2022. This change will be applied to the taxable status date of Dec. 1, affecting the fiscal year 2024-2025. An estimated 4,100 additional properties could be eligible for property tax relief, officials said. Additionally, the amendment raises the maximum income ceiling for qualifying for the 50% level of disability exemption from less than $29,000 to less than $50,000. The measure also extends to the sliding scale option previously adopted by the city in which the maximum income allowed to qualify for both disability and senior citizen exemptions will increase from less than $37,400 to less than $58,400. The adoption of these changes is expected to affect roughly $228 million in exempted assessed value. That projection is based on a review of the previous years Senior Citizen and Disability exemption applications and reporting from the State Office of Real Property Tax Services. This amendment to the Real Property Tax Law is a crucial step towards providing much-needed relief to our senior citizens and individuals with disabilities who have been struggling with the rising cost of living, Scanlon said in a news release. It is our responsibility to ensure that our most vulnerable residents can continue to afford to live in their homes and maintain their quality of life. The program expands a similar one passed in 2019 that provided property tax relief to about 350 seniors. NEW ORLEANS - The major candidates for Louisiana governor will square off soon in their firs Preservation Buffalo Niagara is asking for the publics support in securing a landmark designation for the Allied Mills grain elevator complex in Buffalos Valley community. The designation may save it from demolition and allow a credit of up to 40% on eligible rehabilitation expenses for restoration of the site, while protecting its historic character and significance from any inappropriate changes or alterations, according to the preservation group. The organization nominated the site as a local landmark after the owners of the complex, Lumen Power Technology, made a request to the city for partial demolition of the site. Empire Building Diagnostics submitted the application to the Buffalo Preservation Board in July. That would end up removing a majority of the historic fabric, said Benjamin Rosiek, communications coordinator at Preservation Buffalo Niagara. And thats why we started to get involved because with the historic fabric still intact, its eligible for tax credits. It also meets requirements for local and national registry and historic landmark status. The complex is part of Buffalos collection of grain elevators and mills that make up the character of the citys waterfront, supporters say. Buffalo has some of the best unrivaled stock of grain elevators that not only show the amazing feats in manufacturing but also the height of Buffalos economy. With the loss of the Great Northern last year, we must champion the elevators that still stand and come up with creative and innovative ways of reuse and reinvigoration of the site, Preservation Buffalo Niagara executive director Bernice Radle said. The Great Northern was the last brick-box grain elevator with steel bins in North America. Its owner, Archer-Daniels-Midland, the Chicago-based multinational food processing and commodities trading corporation, began demolishing it in September 2022, despite attempts by a local preservation group to save it. The Buffalo Preservation Board will review the application for landmark status of Allied Mills at a meeting Thursday. If the board approves the nomination, the Common Council will then hold a public hearing and vote on the designation. As a show of support from community members, Preservation Buffalo Niagara leaders have prepared a letter of support template that people can use to express their endorsement of the landmark designation and urge the Common Council and the Preservation Board to vote in favor of it. The template explains why the complex is significant and how it can contribute to the revitalization and identity of Buffalos waterfront and industrial heritage. Court fight ends as Great Northern comes down, with fate of artifacts still up in the air Archer-Daniels-Midland, the Chicago-based multinational food processing and commodities trading corporation that owns the abandoned grain elevator, remains mum on what artifacts might be saved. Please support the local landmark designation of the Allied Mills Inc. Complex, the letter reads. By voting in favor of the local landmark status, you can help save this important part of Buffalos heritage and invest in our citys future. People also can add their own personal stories or experiences related to the complex. The letters which can be filled out and sent to the Council members and the Preservation Board and written comments must be submitted and received at least 24 hours before the meeting. We need your voice to make sure that the Allied Mills complex is protected and preserved for future generations, PBN announced in its recent newsletter. By designating the complex as a local landmark, we can preserve this site for future generations of Buffalonians and support our local economy. Sean Kirst: As Great Northern falls, voices from old waterfront: 'It kind of gets to you' As they watch the demolition of the Great Northern grain elevator, these longtime residents recall a structure that "symbolizes the greatness of Buffalo at the time." The Allied Mills complex, located north of Red Jacket Park at 1 Buffalo River Place, tells the story of Buffalos role in the regional and national grain trade. It consists of several interconnected buildings that reflect different phases of expansion and modernization, preservationists say. It is a rare example of early 20th century industrial architecture and a testament to Buffalos rich milling heritage. The State Historic Preservation Office in 2021 determined the Allied Mills Complex to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and, by extension, the historic tax credit program. The historic tax credit program would enable an up to 40% credit on eligible rehabilitation expenses for restoration. Any demolition on the site would imperil its National Register eligibility status and the historic tax credits that are likely required to make any reuse of the complex financially feasible, according to PBN. A longtime Buffalo Diocese priest and pastor who retired in 2022 sexually abused a child, the diocese said Tuesday in a news release. The Rev. Joseph E. Vatter, 71, who retired in 2022 as pastor of St. Paul Parish in Kenmore but continued to occasionally celebrate Mass at various churches, had been on leave since February after an abuse allegation was reported. The diocesan review board, a group of clergy and lay Catholics appointed by Bishop Michael Fisher, determined that a claim that Vatter had abused a minor female had been substantiated. Fisher accepted that recommendation, the news release said. Dioceses across the country have put in place review boards to help bishops handle child sex abuse allegations. Buffalo Diocese officials did not say when the alleged incident occurred, but it appears to be separate from an allegation involving a man that was reported by The Buffalo News in 2022. In September 2022, a Rochester area man, Robert Kapal, told The News that Vatter had abused him in 1980 when he was a 9-year-old altar boy at St. Christopher Church in the Town of Tonawanda. Diocesan records obtained by The News show the church in 2004 received an abuse complaint about Vatter, but the diocese determined in 2005 that there was no basis to the accusation. Another internal diocese document says that Vatter had been accused in 2004 of molesting Kapal in 1980. Despite Child Victims Act, justice remains elusive for some survivors of abuse Robert Kapal spent nearly 40 years trying not to remember a Buffalo Diocese priest he says abused him as a child. But when asked about him four years ago, Kapal burst into tears. A 2005 memo written by Auxiliary Bishop Edward M. Grosz said members of the dioceses review board of lay professionals conscientiously studied the case, as well as Terry Connors attempted to make contact with any other complaints against Fr. Vatter. Connors has been the dioceses legal counsel through the last four bishops, dating to the 1990s. Kapal said last year he was never contacted by anyone from the diocese as part of an investigation. Vatter did not respond last year to messages from The Buffalo News seeking comment on Kapals accusation. He also did not respond to a message Tuesday seeking comment. The diocese has faced intense scrutiny over its handling of abuse allegations since a retired priest, the Rev. Norbert Orsolits, admitted to The News in 2018 that he had molested probably dozens of boys earlier in his priesthood. Documents obtained by WKBW-TV from church whistleblower Siobhan O'Connor revealed the mishandling of clergy sex abuse claims by then-Bishop Richard J. Malone. State and federal investigators launched probes of the diocese and Malone resigned in December 2019. The diocese said Vatter will continue to be removed from ministry and be listed on Priests with Substantiated Claims of Abuse on the diocesan website. The site lists the names of 110 priests 87 diocesan priests and 23 religious order priests against whom abuse claims have been substantiated. The impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will finally begin on Tuesday, with Republicans aiming to get rid of one of their own. The embattled Texas attorney general is accused of repeatedly abusing his office to help a donor, though his office has been facing a mounting amount of scandals even before the articles of impeachment were presented by his fellow Republicans. This includes an alleged affair and being indicted on charges of security fraud. He is also under federal investigation for accepting bribes and abusing his office. What led to his impeachment, however, was his request for $3.3 million in state funds to settle the whistleblower case, where his own staffers accused him of accepting bribes and using his office to help out an important donor. The Texas state House, held by a Republican supermajority, voted 121-23 to impeach the Trump-aligned Paxton, However, CNN pointed out that the Texas state Senate is much different as he has several allies there, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. His wife, Angela Paxton, is also a senator but is not allowed to vote during the trial given her relationship with him. What Will Happen During the Impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton? The impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will indeed be historic as he will only be the third Texas state official to be impeached, and the accusations against him are serious. When the Senate tries him, he will be judged by a few allies, with one of the loudest being Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who also serves as the Senate President. Patrick infamously noted during an interview, "It's not a criminal trial. It's not a civil trial. It's a political trial," READ MORE: Texas House Votes to Impeach Republican State AG Ken Paxton in Historic Vote As Senate President, Patrick will be overseeing the trial as a judge, together with thirty-one other Texas senators, most of whom are also Republicans, who will be serving as the jury. Patrick will rule on other motions while the other senators vote on whether to dismiss the articles of impeachment. Rusty Hardin and Dick DeGuerin will be representing the House impeachment managers while Tony Buzbee is leading Paxton's defense. According to NBC News, Buzbee has previously tried to dismiss the articles of impeachment and get his client not to take the stand. Ken Paxton Impeachment May Take a Look at Texas Attorney General's Extra-Marital Affair Even though he claims to be a staunch "Christian Conservative," Ken Paxton actually cheated on his wife, State Sen. Angela Paxton. His various scandals forced him to confess his affair not just to his wife but also his own staff. House impeachment managers of the heavily-Republican Texas state House found that Paxton was so driven to hide that affair that he went to great lengths to conceal it from not just his wife but also his conservative and deeply religious base. House impeachment managers released nearly 4,000 pages of documents that alleged Paxton repeatedly abused his office to help real estate investor Nate Paul's faltering businesses. Paul was the big donor he was helping out, as well as the man who helped cover up Paxton's affair by hiring his mistress so she could meet with Paxton in Austin covertly. "The affair is important because it goes to Ken Paxton's political strength," said Rep. Ann Johnson of Houston, a Democrat. "He knows that with his folks, he is 'family values.' He is a Christian man. And the idea of the exposure of the affair will risk him with his base." READ NEXT: Ron DeSantis' 5 Controversial Policies As He Runs For President in 2024 This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Ken Paxton Impeachment Trial: What you need to know - FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth A judge ruled that Ron DeSantis' effort to restrict black voters in North Florida by redrawing the Congressional Map is unconstitutional and ordered that map to be redrawn. The Florida legislature must now redraw that map to be fairer to other communities. Florida Circuit Judge J. Lee Marsh of Tallahassee ruled that "By dismantling a congressional district that enabled Black voters to elect their candidates of choice under the previous plan, the enacted plan violates ... the Florida Constitution." It was an effort by Florida Republicans and championed by Ron DeSantis to restrict Black voting power in the Sunshine State, which Judge Lee Marsh pointed out, has "been a state home to discrimination in voting." The judge weighed a lawsuit brought in by groups such as Black Voters Matter and the League of Women Voters of Florida in his decision, according to USA Today, This led him to order a "remedial map" that would comply with the state's constitution to be drawn. DeSantis and his allies reportedly redrew the Congressional Map of Florida to replace the former Congressional District 5, whose seat was held by former US Rep. Al Lawson. This effort weakened black voting power in the state as the district was divided up and absorbed by bigger white-dominated districts. This meant that the African-American community in the area, which tends to vote Democratic, had no representation and thus had their voice subverted by DeSantis with the redistricting. The decision was largely lauded by voting rights advocates, including Olivia Mendoza, the director of litigation and policy for the National Redistricting Foundation. "It should not be lost on the public that Governor DeSantis pushed for the discriminatory map that targeted Black voters with precision," she said, blasting the Florida governor. DeSantis previously vetoed a version of the Congressional Map that still allowed the mostly-Black District 5 to exist. READ MORE: Ron DeSantis Continues Slide After Chris Christie Overtakes Him Republicans Have a History of Using Redistricting To Suppress African-American Voters This case of unconstitutional gerrymandering on the part of Ron DeSantis against black voters is nothing new, with the governor's allies vowing to appeal the decision. It was DeSantis who even interjected himself in the redistricting fight where the state was required to redraw political boundaries. Republicans also tried pulling this sort of race-based gerrymandering in other states as well, including the heavily-red state of Alabama. The US Supreme Court ruled that a Republican-drawn map in the state was unconstitutional as well, as it also tried to suppress black votes by redrawing boundary lines, according to NPR. Ron DeSantis Super PAC Official Caught Admitting He Is Spreading Dirt Against Vivek Ramaswamy Meanwhile, a top strategist for Ron DeSantis' super PAC, Never Back Down, has been caught up in a scandal where he was recorded bragging about the super PAC being behind an avalanche of opposition research targeting Vivek Ramaswamy, who had steadily been gaining up against DeSantis in the polls. "Everything you read about him is from us," said Never Back Down leader Jeff Roe to donors. "Every misstatement, every 360 he's conducting or 180 that he is going through in life, is from our scrutiny and pressure. And so, he's not going to go through that very well, and that will get worse for him." According to Politico, Roe said this just a few hours before the first Republican debate. where Ramaswamy became its focal point as he traded barbs with the other candidates. READ MORE: Florida: Ron DeSantis' Anti-Immigration Law Starts Hurting Businesses This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Florida Lawmaker Says Gerrymandered State Maps Are Part of Racist Strategy, "Not Just a Culture War" - Democracy Now! Jill Biden, the first lady of the United States, has tested positive for COVID-19, as confirmed by the White House on Monday, Reuters reports. This development comes just days before President Joe Biden, who has tested negative for the virus, is slated to journey to an upcoming Group of 20 Summit set to take place in India. Jill Biden, aged 72, exhibited mild symptoms of the virus. Notably, she previously battled COVID-19 in August of the preceding year. In contrast, President Biden, currently 80 years old, last tested positive for the virus in July 2022. A statement issued by Jill Biden's communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, disclosed the news: "This evening, the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19. She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware." Subsequently, President Biden returned alone from Delaware on the evening of Monday. In response to Jill Biden's positive test result, the White House promptly arranged for President Biden to undergo a COVID-19 test. The outcome of the test indicated that the president had tested negative for the virus. Notably, he is scheduled to undergo regular testing throughout the week while remaining vigilant for any potential symptoms. There is no immediate response from the White House regarding the potential impact of Jill Biden's diagnosis on the president's impending international travel plans. READ NEXT: First Lady Jill Biden Is COVID-19 Positive Jill Biden First Tested Positive for Covid-19 in 2022 The recent test marks the second time the first lady has received a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Her initial diagnosis occurred in August 2022, a short while after President Joe Biden had tested positive for the virus, per CNN. Back in July, during a White House briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre provided insights regarding the COVID-19 testing protocols for meetings with the president. This information was shared considering a situation involving members of Israeli President Isaac Herzog's delegation testing positive before a scheduled bilateral meeting. Jean-Pierre explained, "We have testing protocols when somebody meets with the president. So, I can tell you that anybody who meets with the president gets tested. I do. We all do." Jill Biden Set To Begin Teaching Courses Again Jill Biden, who also serves as a professor at Northern Virginia Community College, recently engaged with middle school students in Washington, DC, sharing her intention to resume teaching courses this week, according to CBS News. However, considering her COVID-19 diagnosis, plans are being adjusted. According to a statement from Elizabeth Alexander, Jill Biden's communications director, she is collaborating with Northern Virginia Community College to ensure that her classes are appropriately covered by a substitute educator. Jill Biden is the first presidential spouse to maintain a full-time job while residing in the White House. Jill Biden's diagnosis coincides with a renewed focus on the ongoing impact of COVID-19, particularly as the world enters its fourth cycle of virus activity since the pandemic's emergence. Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this summer indicated a slight uptick in key indicators such as hospital admissions, visits to emergency departments, and positive COVID-19 test results. Nonetheless, these figures remained significantly lower compared to previous summers. For instance, the week ending on August 19 saw around four new hospital admissions for every 100,000 individuals nationwide-a low level according to CDC benchmarks. While some counties registered high COVID-19 hospitalization rates, a larger percentage, approximately 3.6% of the country, fell into the medium threshold. Notably, a notable portion of these medium-threshold counties was located in Florida. In the backdrop of these observations, a new COVID-19 variant, BA.2.86, has captured the attention of scientists due to its substantial mutations. However, it has only been detected in a limited number of individuals globally. Dr. Eric Topol, a Scripps Research Translational Institute cardiologist, expressed concern over the virus's ongoing evolution. He remarked that the virus's relentless adaptation to find new hosts and exploit vulnerabilities poses a continued challenge. READ MORE: Jill Biden Net Worth This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Dr. Jill Biden tests positive for COVID - From FOX 11 Los Angeles As police continue investigating several other possible victims of the BTK Killer, Dennis Rader, authorities released never-before-seen drawings from the notorious serial killer himself. The Osage County Sheriff's Office released these images depicting three different women who are bound and gagged inside what seems to be barns. Investigators believe the women were tortured and killed in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. BTK stands for "Bind, Torture, and Kill," and this has become Rader's modus operandi as he went about his decades-long killing spree undetected by many in law enforcement. According to The Independent, these drawings were recovered by investigators back in 2005. Hundreds of Rader's drawings were recovered, along with some of his writings that shed light on the serial killer's twisted mind. Now, however, the man known to be one of America's most notorious serial killers is facing a new investigation looking into whether Rader had other victims, as Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden is looking into cold cases that may involve the BTK Killer. Currently, Dennis Rader, now 78, is serving 10 consecutive life sentences after pleading guilty to 10 murders in 2005. However, police now believe he may be responsible for more than that. As Latin Post previously reported, authorities believe he may be responsible for the 1976 disappearance of 16-year-old Cynthia Dawn Kinney in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, as well as the 1990 murder of 22-year-old Shawna Beth Garber in McDonald County, Missouri. Police Trying To Identify Barns Featured in BTK Killer Dennis Rader's Drawings Sheriff Virden recently interviewed Rader, who told him that he did not commit any other murder aside from the 10 killings he confessed to. However, law enforcement is now looking into the barns and silos that Rader drew regarding his twisted fantasies. READ NEXT: Rex Heuermann's Properties Raided; Nearly 300 Guns Found in 'Gilgo Beach Serial Killer's' Home "We're hoping that releasing these, someone might recognize one of these barns or the unique features in them, or the closeness of the silo to the barn or possibly might have even found items that they didn't know why were there that could be very important in this case," said the sheriff in an interview with CNN. "Even if the barn's not there anymore. We would still like that information." Rader has a fascination with barns, as reflected in his drawings. It included a "young female gagged and bound at her arms and legs" while sitting on top of a baler of hay. Another showed a different young woman being bound and gagged with some wooden slats in the background. BTK Killer Dennis Rader's Writings Inside His Journal Also Revealed Rader's daughter, Kerri Rawson, gave police the serial killer's journal, which contained not just his drawings but also some of his thoughts. In it, Rader wrote his twisted bathroom fetish and what happens when he watches his victims before trying to capture them, binding them, torturing them, and then killing them. "I would watch near the Laundry Mat for possible victim," Rader wrote in his journal. "Laundry Mat were a good place to watch victims and dream." The US Sun noted that he also shared some of his most depraved thoughts in that journal, writing, "Sometime[s] I have a pair of women's underwear on and after watching a girl or lady retrieve myself in the bathroom with masturbations thoughts." READ MORE: Richard Ramirez: A Look at Horrific Crimes of the 'Night Stalker' This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Daughter of the BTK Killer speaks as new evidence emerges about Oklahoma cold case - KMBC 9 A fatal clash unfolded on Monday in Peru's principal coca-growing region, leading to the tragic loss of four soldiers and two members affiliated with the Shining Path guerilla group, according to BARRON. The confrontation occurred during the early hours of the day, as soldiers engaged in a patrol mission encountered an attack. The location of the incident was in the south-central Andes. This area has been marked by a prolonged history of conflict involving the armed forces and both drug trafficking organizations and remnants of the Shining Path group. This enduring struggle has spanned two decades, with authorities striving to suppress the illicit drug trade and curtail the influence of the Shining Path. According to official reports, the soldiers participated in "territorial control" operations during the violent encounter. Regrettably, four soldiers lost their lives, while three additional officers sustained injuries and were subsequently transported to a medical facility for treatment. READ NEXT: Peru's New President Dina Boluarte Peru Clash Between Army and the Shining Path Rebels During the intense confrontation, security forces successfully neutralized two terrorist individuals. Tragically, this operation resulted in the loss of four valiant members of the armed forces, per Al Jazeera. Their remains are slated to be respectfully transferred to the city of Huamanga. Additionally, three soldiers who sustained injuries during the operation have been transported to a nearby medical facility for necessary treatment and care. Peru President Dina Boluarte promptly extended her condolences to the grieving families of the fallen soldiers through her social media channels. She expressed her heartfelt sympathy, honoring the courage displayed by the soldiers who lost their lives in the confrontation with narcoterrorists in Putis, Ayacucho. The incident unfolded in the Valley of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro rivers, commonly called the VRAEM region. This area, recognized for its high poverty levels, has gained notoriety as a hub for cocaine production. A substantial 69.3 percent of the country's total coca leaf output in the preceding year originated from this valley, according to a 2021 government report. The VRAEM region is also the last remaining stronghold for the Shining Path guerilla group. Authorities assert that the group frequently collaborates with local drug traffickers, offering them armed protection and support. This recent clash in Peru marks the second significant confrontation in the VRAEM region this year. In February, a tragic incident saw seven law enforcement officers lose their lives in the same vicinity. The Interior Ministry of Peru deemed this event the most devastating attack on police personnel in a decade. Peru's Shining Path Rebels The Shining Path, a Maoist rebel group, emerged during the 1980s with the ambitious aim of overthrowing the Peruvian government. As time passed, many of its leaders perished or were incarcerated, leaving behind a limited number of members who continue operating in remote and secluded areas, i24 reports. Over two decades, the country was gripped by a conflict that witnessed intense clashes between the military and guerrilla forces. The toll of this conflict was tragically high, with an estimated 70,000 lives lost, according to the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission findings. Peru's impoverished and rural regions, including Ayacucho, with its substantial Indigenous population, endured the gravest hardships. By the 1990s, the conflict largely subsided with the death or imprisonment of most of the Shining Path leadership. Despite this apparent conclusion, remnants of the Shining Path have managed to sustain their presence, notably with several hundred fighters thought to be active within the VRAEM region. Ayacucho became a focal point for protests against the Boluarte government after the 2022 impeachment of former President Pedro Castillo. Peru is globally recognized as the second-largest producer of cocaine, trailing only behind Colombia. Data monitored by Peruvian authorities indicated the cultivation of approximately 95,000 hectares (23,500 acres) of coca leaf, the fundamental ingredient in cocaine production, in 2022. READ MORE: Ecuador: 50 Prison Guards, 7 Police Officers Released This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Peru's Shining Path founder dies - From Reuters A Wisconsin college student is currently in critical condition following a brutal assault in downtown Madison, as reported by local authorities. Early Sunday morning, the Madison Police Department received a distressing call from an individual who had discovered a severely beaten woman on W. Wilson St. around 3 AM, according to WDAM7. The victim was swiftly transported to the hospital due to the severity of her injuries, with reports indicating that her condition was life-threatening. Currently, no arrests have been made in connection with this distressing incident. READ NEXT: Two Wisconsin Police Officers, Suspect Killed Madison Police Increases Presence Around the University of Wisconsin Following Incident A close friend of the victim provided further details, sharing that she had endured a distressing ordeal involving strangulation, physical assault, and sexual abuse. In response to this disturbing event, the Madison Police Department has heightened its presence in the vicinity where the attack occurred, per Fox News. The University of Wisconsin Madison, in acknowledgment of the incident's impact on the school community, disseminated an email informing students and staff about the situation. The message expressed deep concern for the well-being of the student victim and their family, pledging support during this challenging time. Brutal Attack on Wisconsin College Student Could Be a Stranger Assault Police Chief Shon Barnes has taken significant steps to mobilize a comprehensive array of law enforcement resources, including collaborative efforts with university partners, to meticulously investigate the incident. Initial assessments point toward the incident being a stranger assault, WKOW reports. Assistant Chief Paige Valenta has confirmed that the investigation is preliminary. This crucial stage encompasses multifaceted tasks, such as conducting witness interviews, gathering evidentiary material, capturing photographic evidence, meticulously documenting the scene, and collecting pertinent biological samples. Moreover, the Madison Police Department is urging residents living near the incident to come forward if they possess security cameras on their property. Individuals are encouraged to connect with the department or Crime Stoppers. The police are particularly interested in reviewing video footage captured between 2 AM and 4 AM, even if the content appears inconspicuous. Barnes stressed that seemingly mundane recordings could hold pivotal information contributing to the case's resolution. The community's active participation is paramount in aiding the investigation's progress. In an appeal to the public, Chief Barnes emphasized that what may seem insignificant to one person could hold the key to breaking the case. He invited anyone in the area to share their experiences, encouraging them to recount their daily routines or activities. During this ongoing investigative phase, Assistant Chief Valenta underscored the importance of personal safety. With the perpetrator still at large, she recommended vigilance and proactive measures. Her advice included walking with a companion, maintaining situational awareness, informing someone about your whereabouts, trusting your instincts, and swiftly removing oneself from potentially hazardous situations. As the investigation unfolds, the victim's well-being remains a primary concern. Officers have not yet had the opportunity to converse with her, as she is currently undergoing medical treatment for her injuries. Barnes emphasized that information from the victim will only be accessible once her condition stabilizes. READ MORE: Teen Arrested in Drive-By Shooting This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: UW student "brutal" attack - From WISN 12 News An asylum-seeker from Venezuela accused of raping a woman in front of a child in a Cheektowaga hotel faces more charges in the case as prosecutors allege he raped the woman twice. An Erie County grand jury has indicted Jesus D. Guzman-Bermudez on two counts of first-degree rape, two counts of third-degree rape and one count of child endangerment. Guzman-Bermudez, 26, was arraigned on the new slate of charges Tuesday morning before State Supreme Court Justice Amy C. Martoche. Martoche ordered him to continue to be held without bail. Defense attorney Michael C. Cimasi entered a plea of not guilty on his clients behalf and told the judge his client disputes the charges. Guzman-Bermudez is accused of forcing the woman to have sexual intercourse twice, both times in the presence of her 3-year-old daughter, Assistant Erie County District Attorney Rachel M. Vicario said in court. Vicario asked the judge to remand the defendant, describing him as a significant flight risk. Guzman-Bermudez, with the help of an interpreter, spoke briefly during the arraignment, saying he understood the requirements of temporary orders of protection issued by the judge barring contact between him and the woman and child. Guzman-Bermudez and the woman were living together as a couple at the time of the alleged attacks, Cimasi said. On Aug. 8, prosecutors announced charges filed in Cheektowaga Town Court for a rape alleged to have happened Aug. 2 in a hotel on the 4200 block of Genesee Street. Guzman-Bermudez was initially charged with one count of first-degree rape, second-degree unlawful imprisonment, child endangerment and harassment. Both alleged rapes happened in a hotel room on the evening of Aug. 2, according to the District Attorneys Office. In the first attack, Guzman-Bermudez is accused of holding the woman down by her arms. During the second, he is accused of holding her head down, prosecutors said in a news release. About 600 migrants have been sent by bus to the Buffalo area from New York City since mid-June, according to Jericho Road Community Health Center, one of the local organizations working with asylum-seekers who have arrived. The announcement of the initial charges against Guzman-Bermudez triggered criticism from local Republicans of Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarzs response to the migrant crisis. Guzman-Bermudez is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 21 to appear before Supreme Court Justice Deborah Haendiges. If convicted, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 25 years. Plans to address a long-standing flooding problem in the Bethlehem area got a $3 million boost last week. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Aug. 28 that a joint stormwater project between Bethlehem City and Bethlehem Township was one of 124 projects nationwide awarded funding through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities competitive grant program. The money is going toward the first of two phases to stanch recurring floods in the Nancy Run watershed, specifically near the intersection of Easton Avenue and Santee Road. Phase 1 of the project will increase stormwater detention storage and install improvements to lower the strain on the stormwater system, according to the description from FEMA: By retrofitting outdated detention facilities, improving soil conditions, and incorporating native plant species, the project will reduce flooding and improve water quality while enhancing aesthetics and providing habitat benefits. The work involves improvements to four detention basins to reduce flooding during smaller storms, Bethlehem Township Manager Doug Bruce said. It will improve stormwater quality as required by the state under the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) program. Township commissioners in December 2021 approved levying a new stormwater fee to support the MS4 improvements. These Phase 1 improvements are planned along East Boulevard in the city and Santee Road in the township, according to a map provided by Bruce. The townships stormwater engineer, HRG Engineering and Related Services, estimates the Phase 1 Easton Avenue improvements will cost about $5.5 million, HRGs Bruce Hulhshizer told lehighvalleylive.com. In addition to the FEMA grant, the Bethlehem Township Municipal Authority in March was awarded a $1 million toward the Phase 1 work from the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Financing Authority. Phase 1 is in the design and permitting phase, with the best-case scenario outlining a start to construction in 2024, though that is not definite, Bruce said. The Phase 2 Easton Avenue work has a concept-level price tag of about $20 million, and is designed to better convey water runoff from Clifton Avenue and Santee Road to the Nancy Run stream during larger storms. In a September 2022 infrastructure priorities assessment, township officials said regular flooding at Easton Avenue and Santee Road results in 99 inaccessible properties, five impassable roads and 20,000 average daily trips blocked. Gov. Josh Shapiros administration announced the Easton Avenue Phase 1 funding Thursday, as part of more than $101 million in federal funding awarded statewide to reduce the threat of natural hazards and prevent future flooding in several communities. Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield stated: Mitigation projects are a critical part of building resilience in communities, and these awards are some of the largest the Commonwealth has ever received. Taking action now to reduce the threat from severe weather also saves significant money in the response to and recovery from a future disaster. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. A man accused of robbing and tying up two men in Easton is now in custody according to Easton police. Iziah Knighton, 38, of Easton had been sought by police since the alleged robbery on Aug. 25. He hired an attorney and turned himself in Tuesday at the office of District Judge Richard Yetter, according to Easton Police Lt. Matt Gerould. Knighton was arraigned Tuesday on robbery and related charges, online court records say. His attorney, Tyree Blair, wasnt immediately available for comment. Knighton is accused of robbing two men around midday Aug. 25 in a garage in the 1000 block of Pine Street in Easton, court records say. He allegedly wielded a gun and a stun device and took a gold-and-diamond bracelet and wallet from one of the men and car keys from the other, police said. Hes accused of driving away in a BMW 430 belonging to one of the victims, police said. Police asked for the publics help last week to find Knighton. He was arraigned Tuesday by District Judge Richard Yetter, who set bail at 10% of $50,000. Knighton was unable to post bail and was sent to Northampton County Prison, records say. Knighton is charged with robbery, unlawful restraint, theft, receiving stolen property, criminal trespass, simple assault and making terroristic threats. His next court date is a preliminary hearing, scheduled for Sept. 15. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. A male resident and a firefighter were both injured Monday when a blaze broke out in the garage of a Hanover Township, Northampton County home. Hanover Township Volunteer Fire Co. Chief Scott Van Why told lehighvalleylive.com the fire broke out around 6:30 p.m. in the 4200 block of Kathi Drive. It quickly moved to a second alarm. Flames, however, remained contained to the garage area of the two-story home, the chief said. Residents, including adults and at least two children, escaped on their own, Van Why said. The chief said it took firefighters about 40 minutes to bring the flames under control. Both the man and a firefighter were taken to an area hospital with injuries, Van Why said. The firefighter suffered from heat exhaustion while the residents injuries were unknown. Both men have since been released from the hospital, Van Why said Tuesday morning. The home is currently uninhabitable due to utilities being turned off, the chief said. Theres also smoke damage throughout the structure, he said. The cause of Mondays fire remains under investigation by the Hanover Township Volunteer Fire Co. Flames ignited in a garage Monday, Sept. 4, 2023, at a home in the 4200 block of Kathi Drive in Hanover Township, a fire official said. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Tents are not the ideal way to accommodate refugees from the Ukraine war in Laois but there is no other choice due to the lack of alternative housing in the short term, according to Thomas Cosby the owner of the site in Stradbally. Mr Cosby spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live about the housing of people who have fled Russian aggression on his land in the Laois town which hosts the Electric Picnic. He described some of the responses to the move as "nonsense and paranoia" adding that there is a lot of confusion about who will be housed in tents in the Stradbally Estate. He said he had been approached by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to take on the contract of using the Electic Picnic facilities. He described the decision to enter this contract as a 'no brainer' given that all the equipment was on site on his land to meet requirements. As part of agreeing to provide the contract, Mr Cosby said he had visited other locations where tents are currently being used to house new arrivals in Ireland. Mr Cosby said tents were an ideal solution but he believed there were few other options available given the shortage of housing to accommodate people who have fled their homeland to escape the conflict. Nevertheless, he insisted that the contract would extend no longer than six weeks describing it as a 'stopgap' to meet the short-term need. He said that the announcement would have been a 'shock to the system' to the people of Stradbally but he questioned what alternative there is. "These are women and children who have fled war in Europe," he said asking Should we reject? Should we send people away? Is that the correct thing to do?" He declined to disclose how much he was being paid but there is a considerable cost in providing the accommodation. Mr Cosby was due to speak publicly in Stradbally at a public meeting at Market A man went to the home of his ex-partner and kicked down a door, it was claimed at Naas District Court. The man appeared in court following an application by gardai to revoke his bail. Garda Colm Shelly said the man was abusive and threatening to his ex-partners family and some of them locked themselves in a back bedroom. He added that her mother was present along with another daughter. The court was told that the man was told to stay out of a named area and not to contact his ex-partner, as well as to reside at an address in Dublin. It was further claimed that when he contacted his ex-partner he said that if he went to prison he would get her when he gets out. It was also claimed he said he would kill himself and take someone with him. The garda claimed that the man was not at the address he said he would be at on August 15 or August 16. The ex-partner said he threatened to kill himself if she did not drop the case and he said he would take someone with him, which she took to mean he would himself and her. The man denied saying he would kill himself and he said contact was initiated only after a friend said he should contact her. He said he was at the address he indicated he would be residing at. Its my residence, I have a room there, he said, adding it was possible he was not in his room when the check was made. Judge Miriam Walsh told the defendant he must abide by all bail conditions and not treat them like a menu from which he could choose certain items and overlook others. In a separate application the woman was granted a protection order. Fianna Fail is the likely beneficiary of the decision to give Kildare one more representative in Dail Eireann following the next general election, due in March 2025. An extra seat will be added to the Kildare North constituency, which now becomes a five seater. There are unlikely to be any changes to the line up currently representing the constituency in Dail, assuming the 78 year old Bernard Durkan runs again. Dep Durkan remains Fine Gaels strongest vote getter in the constituency, despite the loss of 700 votes between the 2016 election and last time out. James Lawless also saw some slippage, though less pronounced and his running mate Frank ORourke narrowly failed to on to FFs second seat. And while support for Sinn Fein has increased since the last poll it's less likely that Reada Cronin would bring in a second SF TD on the basis of her support. SF would have won second seats in a number of constituencies around the country had they fielded another runner but the figures from 2020 suggest that wouldnt have happened in Kildare North. Dep Cronin is likely to be returned with an increased vote - but SF is less likely to win a second sat than FF. The same applies to Catherine Murphy, the Social Democrats TD, who topped the poll in 2020. One of the big imponderables is how Senator Vincent P Martin will perform. He got a creditable 5,100 first preferences last time, but the transfers didnt arrive insufficient quantities. Moreover the most recent opinion poll for Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks has shown a large drop, from 5% to 2%, in support for the Green Party. In Kildare South the changes to the boundary, specifically the loss of his Portarlington base, would spell trouble for the independent. The loss of Portarlington could mean 2,000 votes lost for Dep Berry. He also got the majority of Fiona McLoughlin-Healys vote when the independent was eliminated and theres no guarantee she will run again Monasterevin-based Patrician Ryan (SF), who won a barnstorming 10,155 first preferences last time, will also lose out thanks to the boundary changes but to a much lesser degree. The constituency changes follow recommendations from the Electoral Commission, in the wake of an examination of constituencies, county and constituency boundaries and population growth. The four new areas added to the enlarged Kildare North constituency are all in the greater Naas area - specifically Donore, Caragh, Ladytown, Two Mile House and Killashee - something which could favour candidates based in the Naas area. The ECs report noted that Kildare North has had a population of 134,896, according to the most recent census. It is also the second fastest growing constituency nationally - rising by 15,248 or 12.8% since 2016. Meanwhile Kildare South will continue to elect 4 TDs. It will lose parts of Offaly and Laois as well as the aforementioned areas added to Kildare North. Kildare South has a current population of 125,979. This is a rise of 11,169 (0.7%) since 2016 and this increase allowed the transfers to Kildare North, Offaly and Laois while maintaining its status as a four seater. Read more Kildare news In line with maintaining county boundaries as far as possible, the Laois Offaly constituency is to become two separate constituencies representing either county. Laois Offaly was a five seater and the new Offaly constituency will have three TDs, to reflect the drop in population caused by the splitting of the two. This will be the first time since the foundation of the State that the Offaly constituency reflects the county boundary. Wicklow is to become a four seat constituency, which means a loss of one seat. It will lose swathes of the south of the county, including Rathdrum, Arklow, Tinahely and Canew to a new Wicklow Wexford constituency, which will return three TDs. Kildare man Mark McGuire has returned from an incredible challenge climbing Kilimanjaro in Africa in support his son Ciaran and the Epilepsy Ireland organisation. Mark said he was part of a group that successfully reached the summit of the worlds tallest free-standing mountain at nearly 20,000 feet. The dad recalled that there were bouts of altitude sickness on the way up but that reaching the summit it was a very fulfilling and emotional experience for everybody. Mark undertook the feat as a tribute to his son Ciaran who has epilepsy and to help Epilepsy Ireland to continue to build awareness and support structures for families affected by epilepsy, as well as for the wider community. Mark also said hes very grateful to the local guides and porters who helped the expedition team to reach the top. He added: Without them, none of us would have made it to the top. If the summit success rate is 65%, I can assure you that barely 1% would make it up without them. The Tanzanian people were amazing and sang to us the whole way up and motivated us every step of the way. They're without doubt the unsung heroes of the mountain." DONATE If you'd like to support Mark's incredible efforts for Epilepsy Ireland in Ciarans name, you can do so by visiting his iDonate page at https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/Kili4Ciaran Mark said he is footing the 4,700 bill for the climb so all donations will go to directly to the charity. Over 8,000 has already been raised by hundreds of generous donors across Kildare and elsewhere. The hot weather spell is bringing Saharan dust to the southwest of the country with many cars covered in a dusting overnight. Carlow Weather's Alan O'Reilly confirmed that he had received reports from the Southwest of the Saharan dust on cars and windows after showers overnight. "The dust will remain over us for the rest of the week but will only come down with showers," he said. "If you look to the south you can see the system steering up the warmer air and carried with it is Saharan dust. "Dust will move over Ireland over coming days but largely stay above us unless you catch a shower that brings it down to the surface," he forecast. More reports from Southwest of the Saharan dust on cars and windows after showers overnight. This video from Alan Daly in West Cork shows the dust left behind last night after a shower. The dust will remain over us for the rest of the week but will only come down with showers. pic.twitter.com/h0wpNRgYOM Carlow Weather (@CarlowWeather) September 5, 2023 Met Eireann has forecast that today will be warm and dry for most with long spells of hazy sunshine. However, there will be showers in the southwest and perhaps the west, with a low chance of thunder. Highest temperatures of 22 to 26 degrees are forecast, warmest away from east and south coasts, in moderate easterly breezes, fresh on the south coast. Buffalo woman fined $100 for leaving dog inside hot vehicle last summer A Buffalo woman who left her dog inside a hot vehicle last summer was ordered Tuesday by Cheektowaga Town Court Justice John Wanat to pay a $100 fine within the next two weeks, the Erie County District Attorneys Office announced. Shermika A. Walker, 38, had been found guilty during a two-hour non-jury trial last month of a single count of confinement of a companion animal inside a vehicle in extreme temperatures. However, Walker was acquitted of a more serious misdemeanor charge, of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals and failure to provide proper sustenance under the New York State Agriculture and Markets Law, which would have been punishable by up to a year in jail. Cheektowaga police and animal control officers were called June 15, 2022, to a plaza on Union Road for a dog in distress inside a vehicle. Officers said the 8-year-old male Boston Terrier mix was having a seizure and vomiting. Officers took the dog to an emergency veterinary clinic for treatment of severe heat stroke and the dog was subsequently held by the SPCA Serving Erie County, but was later returned to Walker, despite a request by the District Attorneys Office that the court impose a no-animal order at Walkers arraignment. That request was denied by the town justice previously assigned to the case. Walkers lawyer, Daniel J. DuBois, denied that the dog was ever in distress. He said Walker left all four windows of the vehicle partially open while she went shopping for about 15 to 20 minutes, and said she left water inside the vehicle for the dog. - Harold McNeil DuBois described the dog as a flat-faced breed that does not have to be in distress to be observed panting and drooling. Bundoran RNLI has rescued three teenagers and a man in two separate incidents after they got into difficulty in rip currents off Main Beach on Monday, September 4. The volunteer crew were requested by the Irish Coast Guard to launch their inshore lifeboat just before 4pm yesterday afternoon, after members of the public raised the alarm on seeing three people caught in a rip current. The Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 118 from Sligo, the Gardai and the National Ambulance Service were also tasked. Weather conditions at the time were warm and sunny with a large surf and 4-6ft waves. The lifeboat helmed by Rory OConnor and with crew members James Cassidy, Kealan McNulty and Finn Mullan onboard, made its way to the scene where on arrival, they observed three teenagers who had been dragged out towards Roguey Point, had managed to make their way onto nearby rocks. Shore crew then guided them back to the beach where they were then checked over by ambulance paramedics but found to be safe and well. Then, another call from the Malin head Coast Guard alerted the lifeboat to a second separate incident where a man had got caught in a rip current off Main Beach. The lifeboat crew immediately diverted to the scene where on arrival, they found the casualty struggling in the conditions. He was rescued from the water and casualty care was administered on the lifeboat and back on the pier until the arrival of an ambulance. The casualty was then transferred to hospital for further treatment. Speaking following the call out, Daimon Fergus, Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said: "This was a challenging service for our crew today responding to back-to-back calls that resulted in a life saved and the rescue of three others. We want to wish all four well and send our best wishes for a speedy recovery to the man in the second incident who was brought to hospital. "While we are enjoying some beautiful late summer sunshine, we are also experiencing some strong waves at sea. With the warm weather forecast for much of this week, we want to remind everyone to stay safe while visiting the coast and to be aware of the dangers. "Where possible, always go to a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags. If you cant go to a lifeguarded beach, choose a sea pool instead for your swim. "Main Beach is notorious for rip currents so we would urge people to be mindful of that. If you do find yourself in a rip current, do not swim against or it or you will get exhausted. "If you can, stand up and wade, or swim parallel to the shore until you are free of the rip, then head to shore. If you can, raise your hand and call for help and remember, to Float to Live if you cant make it back or become too tired. "To do this, tilt your head back with ears submerged and try to relax and control your breathing. Use your hands to help you stay afloat and call for help or swim to safety if you can." A NEW interview series on Virgin Media One with convicted criminal John Gilligan is set to be a ground-breaking series. 'Confessions of a Crime Boss' began yesterday evening on Virgin Media One and sees Ireland's most notorious criminal lift the lid on his life of crime and the role his gang played in the murder of Veronica Guerin. Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast producer of the series David Harvey said: "We made it because we were offered an opportunity to spend some time with John Gilligan. As an opportunity to put John Gilligan on the record for a company like ours, that specialises in making international crime television, it was too good an opportunity to miss." This is BLOCKBUSTER! Confessions of a Crime Boss - Starts Monday at 10pm on Virgin Media One & Virgin Media Player. This ground-breaking series sees Ireland's most notorious criminal lift the lid on his life of crime and the role his gang played in the murder of Veronica Guerin. pic.twitter.com/3krETpxY5i Virgin Media Television (@VirginMedia_TV) August 31, 2023 The first episode took viewers back to Johns childhood and how a life of crime became normal to him from a young age. In the first episode Gilligan said; I am sorry I went into crime but I am not sorry for what I have done, it doesn't stop me from sleeping at night. Asked why he was doing this documentary John told Virgin Media; The reason I am doing this is because of the Veronica Guerin story, it was the beginning of the end for me. I could sit here and play up for the cameras but at the end of the day I wasn't shocked when I heard she died. 'Confessions of a Crime Boss' streams every Monday at 10pm on Virgin Media One. Alex Schneiter and Ian Lundin at the Annual General Meeting of Lundin Petroleum (the company's current name), in Stockholm, Sweden, November 11, 2021. FREDRIK SANDBERG / EPA In Sweden, some people are comparing it to the Nuremberg trials. Since then, in 2007, a Dutch businessman who had supplied chemical substances to Saddam Hussein in the 1980s has been sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment for complicity in war crimes. But "this kind of trial is still very rare, and unique in Sweden," noted Mark Klamberg, Professor of International Law at Stockholm University. This makes the trial, scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 5, at Stockholm District Court, exceptional in more ways than one. Scheduled to last until February 2026, it will be the longest trial in Swedish legal history. The prosecution case is 80,000 pages long and 90 witnesses will be called to the stand. In the dock are Ian Lundin and Alex Schneiter, two former executives of the Swedish oil company Lundin Oil (which has changed its name several times since then), charged with "complicity in war crimes" in southern Sudan between 1999 and 2003. The Swedish justice system accuses them of involvement in the atrocities committed by the army and militias close to the regime in Unity State, which left 12,000 people dead and forced at least 160,000 to flee their homes. Contested jurisdiction Since the start of the investigation, the company has lodged a number of appeals. The last of these concerned the principle of universal jurisdiction of Swedish courts, contested by Alex Schneiter, a Swiss national living outside Sweden. On November 10, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled against him, paving the way for a trial that former prosecutor Magnus Elving questioned whether would ever happen. Now retired, he opened the preliminary investigation against Lundin Oil in 2010. A Swedish lawyer had sent him journalist Kerstin Lundell's book Affarer i blod och olja ("Business in blood and oil," 2010), which won the Guldspaden prize for investigative journalism. He had also read the report "Unpaid Debt", published at the same time by the European Coalition on Oil in Sudan, set up at the request of Sudanese NGOs. Both describe the atrocities committed in southern Sudan in the late 1990s and early 2000s, highlighting the accountability of Lundin Oil. In 1997, the company, founded by Swedish businessman Adolf Lundin, was awarded a concession to explore and exploit oil in "Block 5A," a particularly fertile area in the center of Unity State, in the south of the country. It remained there until 2003. A few years later, journalist Kerstin Lundell visited the area and met with witnesses: "They all said the same thing: Despite years of civil war in Sudan, the region had been relatively unscathed, and then the oil companies arrived, and the violence began." You have 55% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. At the opening of the African Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 4, 2023. KHALIL SENOSI / AP It was only supposed to be a briefing on the draft final declaration of the first African Climate Summit, in Nairobi, on Monday, September 4. However, the document prepared by Kenya and the Secretariat of the African Union (AU) was harshly criticized by environment ministers meeting behind closed doors during the evening, even though heads of State who will be required to adopt the declaration had arrived in the Kenyan capital a little earlier. The text is intended to define the shared position of the 54 countries of the African continent in climate negotiations, the next stage of which will take place in Dubai at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in December. While the summit was intended to demonstrate the continent's unity in the fight against climate change, Monday's meeting turned into a series of complaints, revealing substantial disagreements. Some ten countries took the floor, starting with the Comoros, which holds the rotating presidency of the African Union. "We had asked for the role of the oceans and the blue economy to be included in the text," said Houmed Msadie, minister of agriculture, fisheries, and the environment. Botswana complained that the issue of adaptation to climate change, which is "central" to the survival of millions of Africans, had not been spelled out more clearly. Egypt called for the goal of doubling international funding for adaptation to climate change to be included in the text. Barbara Creecy, South Africa's environment minister, said her country would not support "the call for a new global tax regime to finance large-scale climate action." On this point, Nigeria also expressed reservations. But it was Arlette Soudan-Nonault, the Republic of Congo's minister of the environment, who had the harshest words against a vaguely worded text that fails to define, in concrete terms, the continent's contribution and expectations of polluting countries. In particular, she pointed to the absence of any reference to the ecosystem services provided by the forests of the Congo Basin. "This is a text that commits the continent to COP28 and beyond. We cannot accept a declaration which, in certain passages, presents the situation in such a shocking way for Africans," she said. Zambia, which chairs the group of African negotiators, settled the matter in a manner familiar to COP aficionados: "There is no consensus." At the podium, Kenyan Environment Minister Soipan Tuya and African Union Agriculture Commissioner Josefa Sacko took the criticism and provided assurances that the text would be reviewed to reflect the expectations of governments. The lack of transparency with which the declaration was drawn up opened the door to speculation. A first draft had been submitted in mid-August to a meeting of environment ministers in Addis Ababa for amendment. You have 35% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. ANALOG Devices recently joined forces with St Vincents de Paul (SVP) to deliver 'Operation Backpack', a community outreach initiative aimed at providing crucial support to families facing financial challenges as they prepare their children for the new school year. As part of Operation Backpack, 115 primary schoolchildren from Limerick, Cork, and Dublin received brand-new backpacks filled with essential school supplies, including pencil cases, glue, coloured pencils, and exercise books. This initiative represents Analog Devices' commitment to supporting families in the community and ensuring that children have the necessary tools to thrive at school. The Community Activities Board (CAB), an employee resource group within Analog Devices, spearheaded the back-to-school drive by generously donating the backpacks. Employees across Analog Devices then supported the initiative by donating a variety of back-to-school supplies based on a list provided by SVP. The employees who volunteered on behalf of the CAB then assembled the supplies and packed each backpack. Volunteers across Analog Devices three sites in Ireland participated, contributing to a wider impact. In Limerick, 75 primary schoolchildren received the new backpacks, and in Dublin and Cork, backpacks were distributed to 40 schoolchildren. Hundreds of miscellaneous school supplies were also provided to SVP for distribution throughout the year. Louise McGrath was one of the main organisers at Analog Devices and said "We are thrilled to have partnered with St Vincents de Paul for Operation Backpack. We recognize the financial strain that many families experience during the back-to-school season, and through this initiative, we hope to alleviate some of that burden. By equipping these children with the basics they need to excel in school, we aim to make the transition of back-to-school easier for everyone." This is the second year that Analog Devices has partnered with St Vincent's de Paul for Operation Backpack. Caroline Manifold, St Vincents de Paul, said, We are very grateful to the team at Analog Devices for this invaluable support. Back-to-school costs are pushing many already-struggling families into spiralling debt. These backpacks help lift a heavy load off the shoulders of parents and make a tangible difference. TWENTY FIVE years ago today the eyes of the world were on Limerick as US President Bill Clinton visited the city for a highly anticipated visit. Saturday, September 5, 1998, saw Limerick pull out all the stops to ensure the 42nd President of the United States of America received a cead mile failte. Thousands of people assembled on O'Connell Street to watch the President speak in a speech that was broadcast to television sets across the world. At the time of his visit, President Clinton was facing removal from office due to his affair with Monica Lewinsky but he was held in high esteem in Ireland given his role in the Northern Ireland peace process. OTD - 25 years ago - The 42nd US President Bill Clinton spoke to approximately 40,000 people gathered in Limerick City. Take a trip down memory lane on the link below. Do you remember where you were? https://t.co/zsdnb88Msq Limerick Council - Comhairle Luimnigh (@LimerickCouncil) September 5, 2023 His visit came just weeks after the Omagh bombing and in his speech President Clinton heavily referenced the Troubles. To cheers, as a reference to the Good Friday agreement, he said: But because of what you have done in Ireland in 1998, you have made it possible for me to tell every warring, feuding hating group of people trapped in the prison of their past conflicts to look at Ireland and know there can be a better day. At the end of his speech, President Clinton was given the Freedom of the City from Mayor at the time, Joe Harrington. See our gallery for 25 pictures from President Clinton's visit, 25 years on. ONE DAY after opening Limerick's first "fully-inclusive" playground in People's Park, Limerick City and County Council have acknowledged a signage oversight. The issue came to light after Councillor Elisa O'Donovan tweeted about the presence of a British Sign Language (BSL) board instead of Irish Sign Language (ISL) in the new inclusive play area. The tweet stated appreciation for the playground, but added: "This is why you should always get a speech and language therapist to proof communication boards in play areas." Responding to the concern in a statement, Limerick City and County Council clarified that the signage board was provided by a contractor based in Northern Ireland, who won the contract through a fair, open, and transparent tendering process. The statement continued: "Representatives from Limerick City and County Council have this morning met with staff at the Midwest School for the Deaf in Limerick and discussed a number of suggestions to improve the Irish Sign Language offering in our parks." Furthermore, the statement added that the council have reached out to leading playground suppliers and contractors to explore the availability of ISL equivalent signage boards, but found that no such ISL signage boards are currently available. In light of this, the council have stated their intention to work with the deaf community in Limerick to design and commission an ISL signing board, and thanked the public for bringing the matter to their attention. ONE IN four primary school children in Ireland get cyberbullied, according to a new survey. Over 90% of children aged eight to 12 have their own smart device and new figures from CyberSafeKids Annual Trends and Usage Report show that one in four of this age group experiences cyberbullying in their final year of primary school. As well as this, 40% of secondary school students aged 12 to 16 also reported cyberbullying. CyberSafeKids, Ireland's online safety charity, conducted their annual survey by getting feedback from over 5,000 primary and secondary school students from September 2022 to June 2023. CEO of the charity Alex Cooney said that unsupervised usage of online apps leaves children highly vulnerable to bullying and online predators: Our data shows children are extremely active on social media, often unsupervised, leaving them highly vulnerable to bullying, grooming, and exposure to violent or sexual content. We've been reporting on these patterns for the past seven years, but not enough is being done, Ms Cooney said. The research found that only 52% of primary school children, and 39% of secondary school children told a parent or trusted adult they were being bullied. Posting pictures without permission, creation of fake profiles, and being excluded from chat groups were amongst the commonly reported forms of cyberbullying behaviour. Saying that she was shocked by the amount of children who had access to their smartphones late at night and slept with them under their pillows, Ms Carmel Hume, Principal of Presentation Primary School in Terenure, said: As principal of an all-girls school, I worry about the influence of social media on image and body positivity, and I urge parents and guardians to exercise stronger control. Children feel disempowered by social media, especially in large group chats. They are afraid to leave a group, and afraid to speak up if they see others being ridiculed. Over a quarter (26%) of all the children surveyed had seen or experienced something online in the last year that bothered them (defined as content that scared them, upset them or made them wish they hadnt seen it) such as sexual or violent content. Nearly half of the younger children (46%) didnt tell a parent or trusted adult about this experience, rising to 67% for secondary school children in this position. Founded in 2015, CyberSafeKids provides guidance to primary and secondary schools to help children, teachers and parents navigate the online world in a responsible way. To date, the charity has spoken directly to over 55,000 children and to almost 12,000 parents. Suspected car thieves who were being followed from a helicopter are accused of abandoning a stolen vehicle on Interstate-190 Sunday afternoon before police chased them down, police said. According to a preliminary report from Buffalo police, the Buffalo Police Departments stolen car detail was working with the Erie County Sheriffs Office helicopter, Air One, in tracking a vehicle reported stolen out of Amherst. At least two people bailed out of the vehicle on the I-190, near the Church Street exit, in downtown Buffalo, police said. Patrol officers on the ground chased two suspects and took them into custody, according to police. No further details were immediately available. - Maki Becker Fine Gael heavyweight Richard Bruton has said he will not run in the next general election. He expressed his gratitude to voters for his decades in elected politics on Tuesday evening as he announced his decision. Referencing proposed boundary changes, Mr Bruton said now is the right time for him, as new constituencies are forming, to give others the chance to take on the role. Mr Bruton, a younger brother of former taoiseach John Bruton, was first elected to the Dail in 1982 for the Dublin North Central constituency. He has served as minister for enterprise, minister for education and minister for communications and has been the chairman of the Fine Gael parliamentary party since July 2020. He made two bids to become the leader of Fine Gael in 2002 and 2010, with both efforts overpowered by Enda Kenny, who became taoiseach in 2011. In the 2020 general election, Mr Bruton took the second of five seats in the Dublin Bay North, winning 15.6% of first preference votes in the constituency. Mr Brutons announcement comes after several other TDs from Fine Gael, a party which has been in government since 2011, said they will not stand in the next general election. These include Donegal TD and former education minister Joe McHugh, former agriculture minister Michael Creed of Cork North West and Carlow-Kilkenny TD John Paul Phelan, who made the decision based on health reasons. The three-party coalition government will run until April 2025 but a general election is widely expected to take place after next years budget. A local election and European Parliament election will take place next June. Mr Bruton said it has been a privilege to be elected to council and the Dail and to serve in government. I have decided that I will not contest the next General Election. I would like to thank local voters for the trust you have shown in me to serve as your local TD for the past 41 years, he said in a statement. It has been a privilege to get the chance to represent you on the Council, in the Dail, and in cabinet. I will continue to work hard for you up to the end of this Dail term. I would like to thank all those who have helped me in my work throughout my career, particularly my family, my friends, and Fine Gael members. That loyalty means so much to me. However, this is the right time, as new constituencies are forming, to give others the chance to take on the role. I have been so lucky to be given the chance to hold office under four different taoisigh, and to be part of some major changes in Irish society. Ireland has made huge strides in that time. Mr Bruton encouraged those with an interest in public life to consider putting their name forward for election. There are many important reforms which only politics can deliver, he added. Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar paid tribute to Mr Bruton, saying the creation of 750,000 jobs since 2011 will be his legacy. He also hailed Mr Brutons part in getting the National Broadband Plan off the ground, transforming Ireland, publishing Irelands first Climate Action Plan as well as removing the so-called Baptism Barrier, making school admissions fairer for all children, regardless of their religion. Mr Varadkar said Mr Bruton will be a big loss to his community. Fine Gael is confident that we will retain our seat in this five-seat constituency (Dublin Bay North) in which we polled over the quota in 2020. We will proceed to select a candidate or candidates in the coming months to give them maximum time and the best chance of the success, he added. Ernie Bot has some controversial views on science. Chinas premier artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, which was released to the public on August 31st, reckons that covid-19 originated among American vape-users in July 2019; later that year the virus was spread to the Chinese city of Wuhan, via American lobsters. On matters of politics, by contrast, the chatbot is rather quiet. Ernie is confused by questions such as Who is Chinas president?" and will tell you the name of Xi Jinpings mother, but not those of his siblings. It draws a blank if asked about the drawbacks of socialism. It often attempts to redirect sensitive conversations by saying: Lets talk about something else." Ernies reticence will come as no shock to Chinese users familiar with a heavily censored internet. They may be more surprised by the AIs origins. For Ernie is the brainchild of Baidu, a Chinese tech giant that has for years been outshone by rivals. Now, thanks to AI, the firm is staging a comeback. The extent to which it succeeds will say much about the prospects for Chinese tech, which is squeezed both by Americas export controls and Mr Xis increasing authoritarianism. A decade ago Baidu, which operates Chinas largest search engine, was at the centre of the countrys internet. Together with Alibaba and Tencent, Chinas two most valuable internet businesses, it formed a triumvirate known as BAT". With foreign search engines banned or heavily censored in China, it faced little competition. Baidu never lost its dominance of that business; it still enjoys upwards of 90% of Chinas search traffic. Yet shifts in the tech landscape have left the company a shadow of its former self. Most Chinese internet users now access the web through super-apps such as Tencents WeChat. Advertising dollars have shifted to the likes of Douyin, the Chinese cousin of TikTok. Meituan, a delivery platform, and Pinduoduo, an e-commerce firm, have surged past Baidus valuation of $50bn. In an effort at emulation, it launched its own delivery and shopping solutions, along with other services such as payments and social media. These mostly flopped. The companys market capitalisation is now equivalent to one-eighth of Tencents, down from one-fifth five years ago. Baidus rollout of AI, however, is reigniting excitement about the company. Ernie was downloaded 1m times within 19 hours of its release (ChatGPT reached 1m downloads after five days, according to its maker, OpenAI). Baidus shares rallied by more than 4% on the day of release, as analysts, investors and common folk bombarded the bot with questions. Although four other firms, including SenseTime, a facial-recognition business, launched similar services on the same day, and six others have been granted approval by Chinas government, Ernie is generating the most excitement. Last month Robin Li, Baidus chief executive and co-founder, said that the rollout of AI had been a paradigm shift" for the company. Yet it did not happen overnight. Years of investment have turned Baidu into one of Chinas most sophisticated AI companies, with a system that encompasses chip design, a deep-learning framework and proprietary models and applications. The company started building Ernie in 2019, making it one of the earliest to experiment with such generative AI. So far Baidu has shied away from giving guidance on what the technology will mean for its bottom line, but analysts believe Ernie will drive more traffic to its search engine and other services, raising ad revenues. Baidu has also cemented itself as Chinas largest AI cloud provider, and has started offering bespoke solutions for companies that want AI models designed for them. Enthusiasm for Baidus other major foray into AI, an autonomous-taxi business, is more muted. The service has been launched in a few cities across China, allowing users to hail robotaxis via a mobile app. But trips must still be monitored remotely, and a wider rollout could be years away. Few analysts expect the unit to generate meaningful profits soon. Much of what comes next for Baidu will depend on policymaking in Beijing and Washington. The Biden administrations restrictions on the sale of advanced chips to China are causing the company a world of pain. Almost all of those chips, which most AI builders use to train their models, are produced outside China. Using a larger quantity of lower-powered chips is possible, but expensive. In Baidus case, its AI efforts rely on the Kunlunxin chip. Although it designed the chip itself, production is outsourced to companies like TSMC, a Taiwanese foundry. Americas restrictions put limits on the types of chips foreign foundries can sell to Chinese firms, and no domestic supplier can produce such advanced components. Since Americas restrictions were announced, Baidu has been downplaying the importance of the Kunlunxins, which may hint that it is having problems procuring them. Closer to home, Chinas government has taken a keen interest in the regulation of AI, moving faster than most other countries. That has yet to cause too much consternation among the countrys tech executives. Regulators recognise the commercial value of AI and want companies to make money from it, says one executive. They also grasp the importance of allowing Chinese firms to compete at the global level, the person says. The approval of the first batch of bots was quicker than some had feared. Long delays, such as those for video games, often hurt the share prices of their Chinese makers. Yet many AI enthusiasts still find some rules onerous, especially for a nascent industry. Companies offering generative-AI services are required to identify and report illegal content". They must also adhere to Chinas core socialist values", a sweeping and ambiguous command. After netizens spotted that a prompt for a patriotic cat" in Ernies drawing application produced a picture of a feline with an American flag, the words patriotism" and patriotic cat" were blocked in the tool. Users may be put off by what Chinese AI cannot say, or fearful of being reported for asking the wrong questions. The costs of censorship and compliance will start to add up for Baidu and other companies, warns Kai Wang of Morningstar, a research firm. Recent experience has made it clear to Chinas tech executives that they operate at the pleasure of the government, and that its favour can be quickly withdrawn. Internet firms were hit with several regulatory crackdowns between 2020 and 2022. Another on AI could do great damage to the companies that have invested in the technology, not least Baidu. The company is testing the waters in a difficult environment. For that reason it is important to watch what Ernie saysand all that it doesnt. 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com Artificial-intelligence pioneers are fighting over which of the technologys dangers is the scariest. One camp, which includes some of the top executives building advanced AI systems, argues that its creations could lead to catastrophe. In the other camp are scientists who say concern should focus primarily on how AI is being implemented right now and how it could cause harm in our daily lives. Dario Amodei, leader of AI developer Anthropic, is in the group warning about existential danger. He testified before Congress this summer that AI could pose such a risk to humankind. Sam Altman, head of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, toured the world this spring saying, among other things, that AI could one day cause serious harm or worse. And Elon Musk said at a Wall Street Journal event in May that AI has a nonzero chance of annihilating humanity"shortly before launching his own AI company. Altman, Musk and other top AI executives next week are expected to attend the first in a series of closed-door meetings about AI convened by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) to consider topics including doomsday scenarios." The other camp of AI scientists calls those warnings a science-fiction-fueled distractionor even a perverse marketing ploy. They say AI companies and regulators should focus their limited resources on the technologys existing and imminent threats, such as tools that help produce potent misinformation about elections or systems that amplify the impact of human biases. The dispute is intensifying as companies and governments worldwide are trying to decide where to focus resources and attention in ways that maximize the benefits and minimize the downsides of a technology widely seen as potentially world-changing. Its a very real and growing dichotomy," said Nicolas Miailhe, co-founder of the Future Society, a think tank that works on AI governance and is working to bridge the divide. Its the end of the month versus the end of the world." For all the attention it has been getting, serious public discussion of AIs existential riskor x-risk" as those most worried about it like to call ithad until recently remained confined to a fringe of philosophers and AI researchers. That changed after OpenAIs release of ChatGPT late last year and subsequent improvements that have delivered humanlike responses, igniting warnings that such systems could gain superhuman intelligence. Prominent researchers including Geoffrey Hinton, considered one of the godfathers of AI, have contended it contains a glimmer of humanlike reasoning. Hinton left his role at Alphabets Google this year to more freely discuss AIs risks. With existential risk warnings, theres been a taboo that youll be mocked and treated like a crazy person and it will affect your job prospects," said David Krueger, a machine learning professor at the University of Cambridge. Krueger helped organize a statement in May saying that extinction risk from AI was on par with the dangers of pandemics and nuclear war. It was signed by hundreds of AI experts, including top officials and researchers at Google, OpenAI and Anthropic. I wanted researchers to know that theyre in good company," Krueger said. Some in the field argue that there is a paradoxical upside for AI companies to emphasize the x-risk of the systems because it conveys a sense that their technology is extraordinarily sophisticated. Its obvious that these guys benefit from the hype still being fueled," said Daniel Schoenberger, a former Google lawyer who worked on its 2018 list of AI principles and now is at the Web3 Foundation. He said policy makers should focus more on near-term risks, such as AI making it cheaper to mount campaigns to disseminate false and misleading information, or concentrating more power in Silicon Valley. There is the risk of dominance, of Big Tech becoming Big AI," Schoenberger said. AI leaders worried about existential risks say their concerns are genuine, not a ploy. To say, Oh the governments are hopeless, so the call for regulation is some sort of 4D chess moveits just not how we think. This is an existential risk," OpenAIs Altman said in June. So-called doomers dont say that AI will necessarily rise like Skynet in the Terminator movies to destroy humans. Some worry that AI systems trained to seek rewards could end up with hidden power-seeking urges, inadvertently harm humans while carrying out our wishes or simply outcompete humans and take control of our destiny. Research in this community focuses largely on what is called alignmenthow to make sure tomorrows computer minds have goals intrinsically in sync with ours. Specialists in AI ethics and fairness, by contrast, are concerned about how the tools are, accidentally or intentionally, exploiting workers and deepening inequality for millions of people. They want tech companies and regulators to implement training standards and techniques to reduce that threat. Diversity is a flashpoint. AI ethicists have shown how AI systems trained on historical data can bake past discrimination into future high-stakes decisions such as housing, hiring or criminal sentencing. Research also has shown that generative AI systems can produce biased images. They also argue that a lack of diversity among AI researchers can blind them to the impact AI could have on people of color and women. The debate can get spirited. What is your plan to make sure it doesnt have an existential risk?" Max Tegmark, president of the Future of Life Institute, demanded of Melanie Mitchell, a prominent AI researcher and professor at the Santa Fe Institute, during a public forum on x-risk in June. Youre not answering my question." I dont think that there is an existential risk," Mitchell shot back, adding that people are working hard on mitigating the more immediate, real-world risks," while Tegmark widened his eyes. Mitchell said in an interview that the discussion over existential risk is all based on speculation, theres really no science." Tegmark, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology whose nonprofit aims to prevent technology from creating extreme, large-scale risks, said that he thinks companies have an interest in stoking a divide between people focused on fairness issues and existential risk to avoid regulation. People on both sides of this are doing themselves a disservice if they dont agree with the other side," he said in an interview. The conflict has caused sparks for years. In 2015, some academics and scientists gathered to discuss AIs risks on the sidelines of a conference hosted on Googles campus. One side confronted existential-risk proponents, arguing that the focus should be on present-day harms, including bias. The x-riskers retorted that with humanitys future in the balance, no one should worry about AIs causing a quarter-point difference on a mortgage, recalled Steven Weber, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley who was present. I almost thought it was going to be a fistfight at an academic meeting," Weber said. Those concerned about an apocalypse are far from unified, with some doomers arguing that even executives at big companies who say they are worried arent doing enough to avoid it. Were seeing a ridiculous death race to godlike AIs from all the major players," said Connor Leahy, chief executive of Conjecture, an AI company working on solutions to the alignment problem. He said that he takes larger tech companies professions of concern about existential risk with a grain of salt. Watch the hands, not the mouth," Leahy says. There are efforts to bridge the divide, too. Some ethics researchers say they dont entirely discount existential risk, but just think it should be tackled as part of more well-defined problems that exist today. Some doomers say that the path to catastrophe could well come from concerns highlighted by the ethics community, such as industrialized disinformation toppling governments or starting wars. Both sides are interested in being able to pierce the black-box of how AI thinks, called the interpretability problem. Some people are really trying to bridge these two spaces," said Atoosa Kasirzadeh, an assistant professor of AI ethics at University of Edinburgh who previously worked for Google DeepMind. Hopefully those communities can be convinced they are all concerned about the same sort of things deep down." Write to Sam Schechner at Sam.Schechner@wsj.com and Deepa Seetharaman at deepa.seetharaman@wsj.com Kolkata, India, September 5, 2023 : PPC marketing - the smart way to boost your website's visibility, helping it to rank higher and appear among the top search results. We bring you a comprehensive list of the top 10 PPC agencies in India. Before unveiling the list, lets delve deep into understanding what Pay-Per-Click or PPC marketing is and the advantages of PPC campaigns . What is PPC Marketing? What are the Benefits of PPC Marketing? PPC marketing is where advertisers pay when a visitor clicks on the ad. Many companies, irrespective of the industry type, use PPC marketing to get more sales in less time. Compared to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), well-designed PPC campaigns can bring better results in less time. PPC agencies, on the other hand, make ads, run campaigns, and make sure the advertisers get returns. They watch bids, content, and more, making changes for success. PPC gets businesses the right leads. Great PPC companies do competitor checks, find keywords, manage budgets, and target the right crowd. The benefits of hiring a top PPC agency in India are that - they can set up various PPC campaigns that increase sales, bring more traffic to your website, increase brand recognition with remarketing, etc. The PPC team analyzes ad performance and makes required changes to drive better results. How Does Pay-Per-Click Ad Work? Pay-per-click is a way of buying visits to your website rather than attempting to earn those visits organically like SEO (Search Engine Optimization). There are many things advertisers need to do to run an effective PPC campaign to get the maximum ROI. Advertisers create ad campaigns using various PPC advertising platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, LinkedIn ads, Twitter ads or others. They need keywords, demographics, and audience targeting options to define which individuals should see their ads. Selecting keywords is a very important task. Advertisers should look for those keywords related to their products or services. When a user searches for those keywords, their ads can appear in the search results. However, advertisers can not simply pay more to ensure their ads appear more compared to the competitor's ads. Rather, these ads are subject to what is known as an Ad auction. This is an automated process that Search engines use to determine the relevance and validity of the ads that appear on the SERPs. Advertisers should create ads including headlines, ad copy, and often images or videos. They should set a maximum bid for each click on their ad. The ad platform determines which ads to display and in what order based on a mix of bid amount, ad quality and other variables. When any user performs a search or visits a webpage with available ad space, an ad auction takes place. If your ad wins the auction, it will be displayed to the user. For search ads, the ad will appear at the top or bottom of the search results page. For other platforms, this ad may appear in the social media feeds of the user or on websites in the ad network. What is PPC Campaign Management? Companies have the great opportunities to show their ads in front of interested individuals by developing ads and utilizing smart PPC Campaign Management. PPC ads are charged based on your bids and the number of clicks you get. You can run a campaign that falls inside your marketing budget. You also have the option to limit your daily, weekly, and monthly ad spend. In a nutshell, you decide how much money you're likely to pay for each visitor who clicks on an ad and visits your website. You also select phrases or keywords that you want people to associate with your website when they search for the related service or yours. So, PPC campaign management is the practice of supervising and controlling a company's PPC ad budget. This includes various strategies and tactics of ad buys while minimizing the overall expenditure. Advertisers should use various reliable tracking tools and analytics to monitor the performance of their PPC campaigns. This helps them understand which keywords, ads, and audience segments are generating more clicks and conversions and which keywords are underperforming. Based on the data and insights gathered, advertisers can make necessary adjustments to their campaigns. This will include the addition or removal of keywords, updating ad copy, adjusting bids, or targeting specific demographics. Moreover, once the budget is exhausted, the ads will stop running until the budget is freshened up or adjusted. Successful PPC campaigns often require ongoing monitoring, constant testing, and optimization to achieve the best results. PPC campaign management can be done by the e-merchant or vendor themselves. Or, you can hand over this challenging responsibility to a dedicated PPC campaign management company in India or PPC specialist and focus on your core business Unveiling Top 10 PPC Companies in India 1. Zebra Techies Solution- Zebra Techies Solution comes at the top of the list. This is a full-service digital marketing company in India - delivering result-driven SEO, PPC, content marketing, SMO, web design, and web development services to global clients from countries like the USA, UK, Australia, UAE, Canada, and more. Another striking reason why businesses, all across the globe, choose Zebra Techies Solution is because this is one of the most affordable PPC companies in India, since their PPC pricing packages start only from $100 per month. No other company can beat this pricing, for sure. With over 12 years of experience in this domain,Managed 5 Million USD worth of Google Ads account, this company has a 100% job success rate and is operating with a team of 80+ employees, having extensive knowledge in digital marketing. This company never fails to prove its ability to produce extraordinary quality services even at competitive rates; the numerous accolades from Upwork, Clutch, GoodFirms and more solidify this fact. They have successfully served more than 7000 clients. Zebra Techies Solution has a team of 25+ PPC experts who are professionally trained and have already worked with many clients. The statistics of this company say that with PPC marketing, they have helped e-commerce businesses in the UAE drive between 27%-31% more sales in the last year. Their PPC experts do all these below-mentioned things- Research the clients website and competitors Keyword research and bidding Audience targeting Brilliant ad copywriting Ad design Landing page design Set up campaigns Analyze and optimize PPC campaigns Identifies CRO opportunities Collaborate with team members Partnering with Zebra Techies Solution will offer you 24/7 support, access to their talent, competitive rates, and better marketing opportunities. Their PPC services include- Google Ads Facebook Ads Instagram Ads management LinkedIn Ads Twitter Ads YouTube Ads Contact Information- Ph +91-9804210198 | Email- support@zebratechies.com 2. Web Ratna - Web Ratna is a reputed digital marketing company, based in Vadodara, Gujarat. They offer SEO, PPC, and social media marketing. They are committed to delivering well-executed PPC services to varied clients. They offer Google AD, Facebook AD, Bing AD, Instagram Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and Programmatic Ads. They have a 95% client retention rate and 12+ years of experience. They work with 70+ digital marketing, SEO, analytics, reporting, design, and productivity tools. Their USPs are- Bigger ROI Lowest CPC (cost per click) Remarketing/retargeting Marketing automation for advanced campaigns ICP research 3. Doodleblue Innovations This is a digital strategy consulting boutique, based in Chennai, India. They love to learn, collaborate and create all things digital. They cater to famous startups, leading consultancies, a mix of global brands, governments, etc. Their services include- digital transformation, UI/UX design thinking, mobile engineering, innovation technology and other digital-related services. They have a strength of 250+ employees. They have a team of experienced PPC professionals who provide proper and genuine updates on the status of the project. 4. Nettechnocrats- Nettechnocrats is a Leading SEO company and digital marketing agency, based in Noida, Delhi (NCR). They offer SEO, PPC, SMO, ORM, and more. They have 12+ years of experience and are opening with 100+ full-time employees. This company specializes in PPC services that drive organic traffic and connect businesses to the target audience instantly. Their team of PPC experts can do the following Write ads Do the keyword research Optimize every client campaign dail Constantly tweaking to get the best results 5. Smartsites- This is an award-winning Digital Marketing Agency that specializes in offering web design, Pay-per-click advertising, search engine Optimization, Email and SMS marketing, Social Media Marketing, etc. Their PPC specialists have extensive knowledge and experience with a track record for growing successful businesses. Their PPC services include- Google Ads Facebook Ads E-commerce Remarketing Landing Pages 6. Softtrix Tech Solutions Private Limited- Softtrix Tech Solutions Private Limited is a full-service digital marketing company based in Mohali, India. They offer SEO, PPC, web design and development, and more. They have 17 + years of Experience and more than 250 in-house employees. Their PPC services include- Google Ads Facebook ads E-commerce PPC Amazon PPC White label PPC 7. Developers.Dev- This is a premier software developer outsourcing company, with over 12+ years of experience. They offer- branding and digital marketing, Big data, E-commerce solutions, web applications, PPC marketing, and more. They are a leading PPC management company and have some of the most experienced and knowledgeable PPC experts on a full-time or part-time basis to deliver expert quality PPC management for the success of the campaigns. Their PPC service includes- Google Ads Bing ads 8. Willshall Consulting- Willshall Consulting is a leading digital marketing company, offering SEO, SMO, PPC, and more! Their USPs Google Certified professionals Top-rated company Qualified In-house experts Fast Turnaround and support Specializations Google Ad management Bing ad management Social media ads management youtube advertising 9. Cheenti Digital LLC- Cheenti Digital LLC is a full-service digital marketing company, offering SEO, PPC, web design and development, Email marketing, graphic designing services, and more. They have experienced PPC experts who have honed various strategies that ensure the success of the PPC campaigns. USPs- Fast results Cost-effective agency Better targeting Easily track results Brand exposure Increased revenue 10. ZTS Infotech Pvt Ltd- ZTS Infotech Pvt Ltd is a sister company of Zebra Techies Solution. This sister company has already delivered 2000+ successful projects with 100+ job success rates. They have served 5000+ clients. They have highly-trained PPC experts with extensive knowledge in this field. Their PPC services include- Google Ads Facebooks Ads LinkedIn Ads About Zebra Techies Solution Zebra Techies Solution is a leading digital marketing and web development firm providing its results-driven services to B2B & B2C companies globally for over a decade. Our firm specializes in digital marketing, website design and development on multiple CMS and eCommerce platforms. Zebra Techies Solution, a company headquartered in Kolkata, India, represents quality, expertise, transparency, and integrity while maintaining excellent relationships with its partners through its reseller program and on multiple job marketplaces. Zebra Techies Solution +91 98042 10198 Email us here Visit us on social media: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn 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. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! BENGALURU , NEW DELHI : Six of the eight Bermuda and Mauritius-based public funds alleged to have been used by people with ties to the Adani Group for buying shares of the conglomerates listed companies, have been shut, according to regulatory filings in these countries accessed by Mint , posing a challenge for the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) in determining the ultimate beneficiaries of these investment vehicles. The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a global network of investigative journalists, recently reported that people with ties to the Adani family secretly held significant stakes in group entities in possible violation of the countrys law on maximum ownership by promoters in listed entities, through some of these funds. View Full Image Adani data Coincidentally, the closure of some these fundstwo Mauritius-based funds were shuttered last year, and a third is in the process of winding upfollows the initiation of an investigation by the markets regulator into offshore entities holdings in Adani group companies in 2020. The developments suggest that an early move by Sebi to investigate the now-shuttered entities would have helped the regulator determine whether they played a role in manipulating Adani group stocks. With the closure of these funds, Sebi now faces increased difficulty in accessing information regarding the ultimate beneficiaries of these entities. At least two regulatory experts said that the closure of such publicly pooled funds in a relatively short time is surprising, given that typically they have longer lifespans. For instance, the Bermuda-registered Global Opportunities Fund, registered on 6 January 2005, was shut on 12 December 2006, according to regulatory filings in the island country. Mauritius-based Assent Trade and Investment Pvt. Ltd, set up in April 2010, turned defunct in June 2019. Lingo Trading & Investment Pvt Ltd, incorporated in December 2009, closed in March 2015. Mid East Ocean Trade & Investment Pvt. Ltd was set up in September 2011 and closed in August last year. EM Resurgent Fund was set up in May 2010 and shut down in February last year. Asia Vision Fund, set up in May 2010, appointed liquidators on 20 April 2020 and is in the process of winding up, according to filings reviewed by Mint. A seventh fund, Emerging India Focus Funds, which was set up on 19 May 2008, continues to be active. Details pertaining to Gulf Asia Trade and Investment, registered out of the United Arab Emirates, could not be ascertained. There shouldnt be a problem if the fund was wound up less than two years ago, but information regarding the ones that were liquidated before would be difficult to obtain (for Sebi)," said an executive at a Big Four consulting firm. This is because most overseas regulators maintain records of funds for only a limited period of time, the executive said. In its report submitted to the Supreme Court last month, an expert committee appointed by the apex court said the markets regulator faced difficulty in accessing information about the beneficial owners of overseas funds, adding that pursuing the identity of offshore shareholders was potentially a journey without destination." Funds registered out of countries like Mauritius are required to share scant financials with the regulator and use a so-called feeder fund structure. The problem is when a fund which is registered in countries like Mauritius is shut down, typically its feeder funds that could be registered in financial tax havens like Cayman Islands or Luxembourg are also deregistered," said the executive cited above. Very few public market funds are close-ended that come with specific fund tenure; if such tenure elapses, then the fund may wind up. While this is common in private market funds like venture capital, in public markets, such close-ended funds are fewer," said a Mumbai-based lawyer, who counts clients that include foreign investors. Experts say a fund is closed when it goes bankrupt, or when it gets acquired and the new owner transfers the funds assets, or when the investors decide to close it. A questionnaire sent to a Sebi spokesperson remained unanswered. Adani group did not respond to a request for comment. OCCRP reported that individuals with links to Adani Group had ties to these funds. Chang Chung-ling, a Taiwanese national, was on the board of Lingo Trading and Investment Pvt. Ltd, while Ahli Nasser Ali Shaban, a businessman from the UAE, owned Mid East Ocean Trade and Investment Pvt. Ltd. Vinod Adani, brother of group chairman Gautam Adani, was a director of Assent Trade and Investment Pvt. Ltd. Current and former executives of 360 One Asset Management (Mauritius) Ltd, formerly called IIFL Asset Management (Mauritius) Ltd served as a director at Emerging India Focus Funds, Asia Vision Fund and EM Resurgent Fund. 360 ONE Asset Management (Mauritius) Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of 360 ONE WAM Ltd, was the investment manager for Emerging India Focus Funds, EM Resurgent Fund (now closed) and Asia Vision Fund (till 2018)," said a spokesperson for the company. At no point was 360 ONE the beneficiary owner of any of these funds." A 2014 probe by the Department of Revenue Intelligence, a federal anti-smuggling agency, found that some Adani Group entities based in UAE over-invoiced the power equipment imported from China and used the proceeds to invest in funds. The Financial Times reported that one such entity, Electrogen Dubai, has put $100 million in Assent Trade and Investment, which used the Asia Vision Fund to invest in stocks. Three other entities, Lingo Trading & Investment Pvt. Ltd, Gulf Asia Trade and Investment and Mid East Ocean Trade and Investment, had bought Adani Group shares through two Mauritius-registered entities, EM Resurgent Fund and Emerging India Focus Funds. New Delhi: A day after SpiceJet Ltd announced allotment of 48.1 million shares on a preferential basis to nine lessors, the National Company Law Tribunal asked the crisis-hit airline to pursue its plan of issuing equity shares to settle its dues to aircraft lessors. On Tuesday, the NCLT also deferred the hearing of a plea filed by Celestial Aviation, one of the airlines lessors, for initiating insolvency proceedings against SpiceJet, to 15 September. Celestial is the fourth lessor to move the tribunal for recovering its dues from SpiceJet. Others, with pending cases against SpiceJet, include Willis Lease Finance, Aircastle and Wilmington. On Monday, Spicejet informed the BSE that it has decided to issue 48.1 million equity shares to nine of its aircraft lessors, as part of a move to clear all outstanding dues worth 231 crore. However, Aircastle, Willis Lease Finance and Wilmington are not part of the group of lessors who will receive SpiceJet shares. The airline will be issuing shares to SASOF III (A13) Aviation Ireland DAC, SASOF III (A6) Aviation Ireland DAC, SASOF III (C) Aviation Ireland DAC, SASOF III (E) Aviation Ireland DAC, SASOF III (A19) Aviation Ireland DAC, SASOF II (J) Aviation Ireland DAC, Citrine Aircraft Leasing, Fly Aircraft Holdings One and Fly Aircraft Holdings Seven. Aircastles plea has already been considered by the tribunal. In March, Wilmington and Aircastle deregistered aircraft from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) under the irrevocable de-registration and export request authorisations route. SpiceJet argued that Willis Lease Finance and Wilmington were not direct lessors and were therefore not in a position to initiate insolvency proceedings against the airline. Willis Lease Finance, however, said that they are service providers to lessors, and therefore should be treated as lessors. Wilmington, too, argued that they were trustees of Aircastle and should be allowed to initiate insolvency proceedings against the airline. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Alan Joyce, the long-standing CEO of Qantas Airways, has resigned abruptly, accelerating the succession of Vanessa Hudson, the company's Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Joyce's unexpected exit comes weeks before his formal farewell was planned at the airline's annual general meeting. The resignation also follows the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) launching a legal case against the airline for allegedly selling tickets for flights it had already cancelled. Vanessa Hudson will assume her role as the CEO effective from September 6, a statement from Qantas revealed. She inherits the daunting task of restoring the tarnished image of Australias largest airline. The focus on Qantas' dominance in Australia's aviation market has been heightened by regulatory bodies, putting additional pressure on Hudson. Qantas has been embroiled in a significant scandal that has battered its reputation in recent times. The ACCC sued the airline on August 31, accusing it of continuing to accept money for over 8,000 flights that had been cancelled between May and July 2022. The regulator has indicated that Qantas allowed these sales to persist for an average of more than two weeks, and in some instances, even beyond a month. The regulatory body is also alleging that the airline delayed informing ticket holders for more than 10,000 flights that their services had been discontinued. A hefty penalty of over A$250 million (approximately 1,340 crore) is being sought if the allegations hold up in court. Joyce, who served at the helm for 15 years, stated that the recent focus on the airline and past incidents convinced him that it was time for the company to prioritise its rejuvenation. In the last few weeks, the focus on Qantas and events of the past make it clear to me that the company needs to move ahead with its renewal as a priority," Bloomberg quoted Joyce as stating. Under his leadership, Qantas had seen record-breaking profits, a fact that has only intensified public ire over the current scandal. Rob Marcolina will be filling in the shoes of Vanessa Hudson as the new CFO of Qantas, as per the September 5 announcement. The airline's shares showed a marginal rise of 0.5% in early Sydney trading on the day the news broke. (With Bloomberg 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! On Tuesday, Qualcomm, the prominent U.S. semiconductor company, announced its agreement to provide chips for in-car infotainment systems to the prestigious automakers Mercedes and BMW. Qualcomm, which dominates the smartphone chip market, has seen a decline in that sector over the past year. As per Reuters, despite falling short of analyst estimates in the smartphone sector, Qualcomm has been actively collaborating with automakers to support a range of functions in vehicles. This includes powering not only infotainment systems but also advanced driver assistance systems. In its most recent quarter, the company experienced a 13 per cent growth in automotive revenue. In a statement, Qualcomm announced its intention to provide BMW with chips designed to enhance voice command functionality within their vehicles. Additionally, Qualcomm will supply chips for the upcoming iteration of Mercedes E class models, set to be released in the United States in 2024. During an interview at the Munich auto show, Chief Executive Cristiano Amon stated that the company anticipates achieving $4 billion in revenue from the automotive sector by 2026, with this figure projected to increase to $9 billion by the end of the decade. In late 2022, the U.S. chip designer had disclosed that its automotive business "pipeline" amounted to $30 billion. This impressive figure was attributed to the widespread adoption of its Snapdragon Digital Chassis product by car manufacturers and their suppliers, facilitating the integration of assisted and autonomous driving technology, as well as in-car infotainment and cloud connectivity. "One of the things we're very focused on in the company is to find new areas for growth automotive is one of those areas," Amon said. Meanwhile, Qualcomm has recently appointed Savi Soin as the President of Qualcomm India on August 3. He will be responsible for guiding the company's strategy in the Indian market. The statement said, Qualcomm Incorporated today announced the appointment of Savi Soin as senior vice president and president of Qualcomm India," reported PTI. (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! WASHINGTONThe Internal Revenue Service has slowed the payment of tax refunds to employers under a pandemic-era program, as the agency struggles to combat what it says are fraudulent and overstated claims for the employee-retention tax credit. We remain deeply concerned about small businesses being scammed and dubious Employee Retention Credit claims being submitted amid aggressive marketing to the business community," the IRS said Tuesday. The IRS has slowed our processing of these claims to guard against fraudulent or incorrect submissions as we work to enhance our procedures and controls to best protect small-business owners and taxpayer dollars." The announcement marks the governments biggest step to rein in the cottage industry of employee-retention tax-credit advisers that has emerged in the past few years. The IRS is likely facing years of disputes and litigation because it is expected to try to claw back some refunds it has issued. Congress created the employee-retention credit, or ERC, in 2020 as part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic. The aim was to reward employers for keeping workers in their jobs. Eligible employers that experienced revenue declines or had their operations suspended by government orders can get up to $26,000 per employee. The rules for the credit changed several times, and the tax break expired Sept. 30, 2021. But claims have boomed since then. Under the tax code, employers have up to three years to amend their payroll tax returns and claim the credit. That created an opening for a pop-up industry to bloom. Firms that encourage employers to seek the credit, including many that didnt exist a few years ago, advertise heavily and persistently contact employers. They often take a percentage of the tax refund as their fee. Many warn that they dont offer tax or legal advice. As of early March, the IRS had paid more than $150 billion in ERC refunds, according to the agency. It likely paid $220 billion through July before payments started slowing down in August, according to an analysis of Treasury Department data by the investment bank Piper Sandler. That is roughly triple the original congressional estimates. IRS officials have been warning for months about fraud and overstated claims for the credit. And many accountants have said that ERC firms are stretching the eligibility criteria. But the government has also been facing pressure in the opposite direction, from business owners and lawmakers concerned about refund backlogs that sometimes stretched for months. In its statement, the IRS said it worked through a backlog of 800,000 claims and then began intensifying its reviews and compliance work as more refund claims came in. The IRS discourages employers from using ERC firms that charge large upfront fees or that base fees on a percentage of the tax refund. This summer, it issued a legal memo that warned against an argument some firms were using to claim the ERC based on supply-chain disruptions. In the past, the IRS has dealt with widespread tax dodging by offering settlements for people who disclose their transactions. That can be particularly efficient for the government, compared with thousands of individual audits that depend on the facts in each situation. An IRS employee told a congressional office late last month that the agency is working on such a program for the ERC, according to a message viewed by The Wall Street Journal. In addition, IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said that the IRS might ask Congress to accelerate the deadline for amended tax returns claiming ERC refunds. Under current law, 2020 tax returns can be amended until April 2024, and 2021 returns can be amended until April 2025. Write to Richard Rubin at richard.rubin@wsj.com "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 early 2019, Wyoming enacted legislation authorizing the creation of state-chartered banks catering to firms doing business with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The banks would serve as custodians of digital assets and take dollar deposits, forming a bridge between cryptocurrency and dollars for firms to make payroll and payments, or help realize crypto investment gains or losses. Four years later, the Cowboy States experiment with state-chartered crypto banking has gone slower than expected. And it isnt just because of last years cryptocurrency market crash and the collapse of crypto lenders and platforms. The Federal Reserve hasnt approved any of Wyomings four new special-purpose depository institutions, or SPDIs, that have filed applications for so-called master accounts that would give them access to the Feds financial payment systems that handle $4 trillion a day, according to state and private banking officials. The Federal Reserve Systems board of governors sets guidelines for master accounts. The 12 regional Fed banks make the decisions on the applications. The Kansas City Fed has oversight of Wyoming banks. Officials at the Kansas City Fed declined to comment. About 9,300 banks and credit unions have Fed master accounts, which industry officials refer to as bank accounts for banks. They are considered a lifeblood for the SPDI, or speedy," startups. Wyoming officials say that state-chartered banks under law should have the same access to master accounts as federally chartered banks. They also insist that the SPDIs are safe because they cant lend, and state law restricts them in other ways. But the Fed says it has discretion in approving master accounts and warns about risks that cryptocurrencies present to the financial system. I dont think we are defeated by any stretch of the imagination," said Democratic state Sen. Chris Rothfuss, a sponsor of the SPDI legislation, regarding the lack of Fed approval. The fate of the master account at Custodia Bank in Cheyenne, Wyo., a SPDI which has raised $52 million, now is likely to be decided in a federal trial. In June 2022, Custodia sued the Feds board of governors and the Kansas City Fed for an initial delay in obtaining a master account. Custodia amended the suit after the Kansas City Fed told it in late January that its application for a master account had been denied. Custodia is authorized to take U.S. dollar deposits and provide custody services for bitcoin or ethereum owners, said Caitlin Long, the banks chief executive and a former managing director at Morgan Stanley. Custodia doesnt act as an exchange to convert the digital assets under its care into fiat moneyor dollars, she said. Custodia is looking to integrate its platform with exchanges that can provide exchange services, Long said. This is similar to how a custodian of stocks in a mutual fund doesnt own the stocks and isnt a stock exchange itself but links up with one like the New York Stock Exchange for trading services. I am not defending the industry as a whole," Long said of the cryptocurrency industry, which has been beset by investigations and criminal indictments. The nuance is that there is some real technology at the core of it that is not just a tool for criminals and grifters." In its motion to dismiss the case in the Wyoming federal court, the Fed argued that Custodia makes its claim of absolute entitlement even as the cryptocurrency industry on which it pins its entire business model suffers extreme volatility and loss, and the depository institutions with the closest ties to these activities have collapsed into liquidation or federal receivership." The cryptocurrency sector lost $2 trillion in market value by the fall of 2022 as Custodia was seeking its master account, the Fed said in the motion, claiming that Custodia lacked appropriate risk management structures" and had a novel and risky business model." This leaves Wyoming hanging for the moment, which frustrates Rothfuss. Wyoming lawmakers consulted with the Kansas City Fed as they drafted the SPDI legislation and made changes based on the regional Fed banks suggestions, the Wyoming lawmaker said. The idea that a state needs to be held back because we were being innovative in a way that nationally chartered banks or the federal government had not caught up with is really a slap in the face of state rights," Rothfuss said. U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl in Wyoming has scheduled an April trial for the case. Write to Bob Fernandez at bob.fernandez@wsj.com "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! What can New York State do to help Western New Yorkers age in healthier, more meaningful ways? Officials with two agencies the state Department of Health and Office for the Aging host a pair of gatherings in the region this week in which they invite public input as they create the first New York Master Plan for Aging. Both town hall-style sessions will provide information about the process of creating the plan, being designed to advance transformative and economically feasible strategies to address issues that almost all experience during their lifetimes. The effort aims to forge that through more philanthropic, academic, private and local partnerships. Lincoln Memorial United Methodist Church, at 641 Masten Ave., hosts the first session from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday; the Amherst Center for Senior Services, 370 John James Audubon Parkway, hosts the second from 10 a.m. to noon Friday. Both are free. Those interested in voicing their thoughts and listening in online or in person can register in the Community Engagement Sessions link at ny.gov/programs/new-york-states-master-plan-aging. Bihar education department has withdrawn its controversial decision to reduce school holidays for teachers during festivals such as Diwali, Durga Pooja, Raksha Bandhan, and others, according to a government order, reported ANI. In an interview with ANI, RJD leader Shivanand Tiwari said, "This is the government's decision. They must have thought to rethink their earlier decision." A circular issued by the Director of Secondary Education stated, "The holiday table issued for government/government-aided elementary and secondary/higher secondary schools under departmental order memorandum no. 2112 dated 29.08.2023 is cancelled with immediate effect." The initial announcement by the Bihar secondary education department to reduce teachers' holidays from 23 to 11 had sparked widespread outrage among teachers in the state, leading to threats of protests. Many teachers even wore black badges to classes in protest, and some openly challenged the Additional Chief Secretary of the education department, KK Pathak. However, many teachers pointed out that the attendance of students in those festive days would be negligible. Criticism of the decision came from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well, which accused the Nitish Kumar government of cutting holidays on significant festivals like Rakshabandhan, Dussehra, Diwali, and Chhath. The education department had defended its decision, stating that it aimed to conduct classes for 220 days in an academic year, which led to the reduction in holidays. Earlier, a school teacher in Bihar's Khagaria district was suspended for making derogatory remarks against KK Pathak, the Deputy Chief Secretary of the Department of Education in Bihar. The teacher expressed his anger over the cancellation of leave on the festival of Raksha Bandhan, and a video of his comments went viral on social media. As a result of his comments, the teacher has been suspended from his position. The Teacher's Association in Bihar condemned the suspension and threatened to agitate against the Education department. (With inputs from ANI) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! New Delhi: India is in talks with several South American and African nations for introducing Unified Payment Interface (UPI) and RuPay cards, in its efforts to establish the payment platforms internationally, a senior government official said. This initiative is being pursued by the National Payments Corp of India (NPCI), which developed the UPI platform as well as Rupay, and the RBI. The discussions are primarily on with high commissions embassies, and are at various stages of negotiations, as India looks to internationalise these platforms," the official said. In August, Mint reported that India was holding discussions with Namibia, Mozambique and Kenya to enter into commercial partnerships for launching UPI in the markets. We have specific objectives for popularising and internationalising Rupay and UPI," he added. Ritesh Shukla, the international chief executive of NPCI, recently said the number of countries using UPI will double in 12-18 months. The official said that RBI is also planning to launch wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the interbank borrowing market, especially call money market. Interbank borrowing facilitates banks to borrow money from other banks to maintain sufficient liquidity for immediate needs, and is typically a short-term arrangement. Interbank call money market is a short-term money market allowing financial institutions like banks, mutual funds, and corporations, to lend and borrow money at interbank rates. The purpose of wholesale CBDCs has been to try out different technologies. Going forward, we will try other technologies, like using CBDCs as tokens for call money settlements," he added. Experimenting with technology is relatively easier for wholesale CBDC pilots," he said. RBI had started piloting CBDCs last year for both retail and wholesale segments. It is aiming to scale the number of CBDC transactions to one million per day by 2023-end. We are confident of achieving the target within December 2023. We had seen over 25,000 CBDC transactions till July. The purposes of CBDC pilots are to understand the benefits, risks, and impact that we may have on bank deposits, monetary policy, among others," the official 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! G-20 Summit: Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) S.S. Yadav outlined a series of restrictions on online delivery services on September 4 at a press conference, in view of the upcoming G-20 Summit as reported by PTI. These restrictions will be in effect from September 8 to 10, with exceptions made for essential services, such as postal and medical deliveries. He stated that there are no changes in the traffic advisory that was issued by the police on August 25. During the summit, the delivery of essential medical items, including lab reports and sample collections, will be permitted throughout the city. Ambulance services will remain operational. Yadav stated that no commercial activities will be allowed in the New Delhi district during the G-20 Summit. However, the restrictions will not affect the regular operation of metro services in the city, except for the Supreme Court metro station, which will be temporarily closed from September 8 to 10. "There might be closure of gates for 10-15 minutes at stations due to VIP movement and security restrictions," said Yadav. A graded traffic management plan will be implemented starting from the night of September 7 to facilitate the movement of delegates and participants. Residents of the New Delhi district traveling to the airport or railway stations will be required to show valid identification and boarding passes as part of the security measures. On September 3, the Station House Officer of Daryaganj police station in the Central district initially issued an order for the shutdown of shops, offices, and bus depots, but this directive was later withdrawn, reported The Hindu. To ensure the safety and well-being of attendees, Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj stated that ambulances would accompany the summit's convoys and be strategically stationed throughout the city. Additionally, 80 teams of doctors and nursing staff will be deployed to provide medical support to guests staying at various hotels. Five government hospitals and three private medical facilities in the national capital have also been put on "high alert" to respond to any emergency situations that may arise during the summit. (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! Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M K Stalin remarked against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), adding to the debate that the BJP aims to alter the official name of the country from 'India' to 'Bharat.' This accusation comes on the heels of a recent controversy surrounding a G20 dinner invitation, where the President of India was addressed as the "President of Bharat." This development has triggered widespread speculation and raised questions about potential efforts to change the country's name. In response to this perceived shift, Stalin took to social media to express his concerns. He pointed out that the opposition bloc had aptly named their alliance #INDIA and accused the BJP of attempting to change this identity. He criticised the BJP's promise of transforming India, stating that after nine years in power, all they seemed to be doing was changing the country's name. In a post on a popular micro-blogging site, he remarked, Seems like the BJP is rattled by a single term called 'India' because they recognize the strength of unity within the opposition. During the elections, 'India' will chase BJP out of power! #IndiaStaysIndia." Also Read: Will BJP rename Bharat if INDIA bloc rechristens itself 'BHARAT': Kejriwal Stalin's sister, Kanimozhi, who is a Lok Sabha MP representing DMK, also weighed in on the matter. She shared an image of the controversial invite on her social media account and expressed her concerns about the unusual use of "President of Bharat" instead of India. "In a rather unprecedented move, an official invite from the President of India reads 'President of Bharat' instead of India. Makes us wonder what could be the possible politics or intention behind this action," she said. She questioned the possible political motivations or intentions behind this change. Kanimozhi went further by referencing reports that the alteration came after the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief made comments on the matter. She raised the question of whether this signifies that the RSS, an ideological parent organization of the BJP, is wielding significant influence in running the country, perhaps even more so than the BJP itself. Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the G20 Summit in India that is scheduled to take place on September 9 and 10 in the national capital, said China's foreign affairs ministry in an official statement on Monday. At the invitation of the government of the Republic of India, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India on September 9 and 10," the statement read. The announcement indicates that Chinese President Xi Jinping will not be present at the 18th G20 Summit because Beijing will not send its two most powerful leaders abroad at the same time. The confirmation came days after Reuters reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to skip the G20 Summit to be held in India. US President Joe Biden has commented on reports that claimed that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping is unlikely to attend the G-20 Summit this week. I am disappointed, but I am going to get to see him," said Biden. Several G20 ministerial meetings in India ahead of the summit have been contentious as Russia and China together opposed joint statements which included paragraphs condemning Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine last year, according to Reuters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Xi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit during which he highlighted India's concerns over the unresolved issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), in Ladakh. The two leaders agreed to direct their relevant officials "to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation". Along with Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin will also not attend the summit in India. Lavrov is expected to attend two plenary sessions on September 9 and 10. Lavrov is scheduled to hold several bilateral talks and contacts on the sidelines of the summit. The G20 Summit in Delhi will be held over two days, on September 9 and 10. The two-day summit will draw leaders and delegates from 40 countries, including the 20 member states. "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/Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India refused the governments proposal to extract 2-3 trillion from its balance sheet in 2018 for pre-election expenditure ahead of Lok Sabha polls in the following year, former RBI deputy governor Viral Acharya said in a new prelude to his book, Quest for Restoring Financial Stability in India published by Penguin Random House India. This revelation comes amid calls for increased government spending before the general and assembly elections due in 2024, despite marginal growth in the Centres tax collections in the first five months of FY24. View Full Image Graphic: Mint Acharya has for the first time publicly disclosed in his prelude the series of events that led to the differences between RBI and the government that he had first hinted while delivering his speech at the A.D. Shroff Memorial Lecture in late 2018. Creative minds in the bureaucracy and the government" devised a plan to transfer substantial sums accumulated by RBI during tenure of previous governments to the current governments account, he said in the prelude. This new prelude is in the updated edition of his book, first published in 2020. It has been exclusively shared with Mint. Every year, the central bank sets aside a part of its profit, instead of distributing it all to the government, and in three years leading up to demonetization, the central bank made record profit transfers to the government, Acharya said. During the demonetization year, the expense for currency printing reduced the transfers made to the Centre, resulting in intensifying " the governments demand ahead of the 2019 elections, said the former deputy governor. It was effectively an attempt to ensure back-door monetization of fiscal deficit by the central bank, he said. Why cut populist expenditures in an election year .... when the central bank balance sheet can be raided and surging fiscal deficits essentially monetized?" Another reason for exerting pressure on RBI, Acharya said, was the governments failure to raise divestment revenues. Divestment shortfall sought to be met via transfers from the RBI is an annual ritual now, he said. When RBI did not comply with the requests for the transfers sought, a proposal within the government suggested invoking Section 7 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, which allows the government to issue directions to the bank as it may, after consultation with RBI governor, (to consider it) necessary in the public interest, he said. Matters of public interest" like this should be openly debated rather than discussed behind closed doors, Acharya argued, explaining the RBIs decision regarding his lecture. He said that his lecture contributed to wise counsel prevailing, even if some in the government were displeased, as the government eventually sidelined most of the original proponents of the idea, and established a committee chaired by former RBI governor Bimal Jalan that laid a reasonable framework" for future transfers from RBIs balance sheet. One notable example of such a transfer was the one RBI made during the pandemic in 2020, a move that was well justified, Acharya said. In FY23, the central bank paid dividends of 87,416 crore to the government. It had paid 30,307 crore in FY22. Besides, Acharya explained how bank balance sheets improved in 2023, as the asset quality review instituted by the Reserve Bank in 2015 to identify bad loans and implement corrective measures was maintained persistently. Travel company MakeMyTrip faced criticism for sending an email to its customers stating that Delhi would be closed from 8-10 September due to the G20 Summit. The Delhi Police called the email false and clarified that movement would only be restricted in the New Delhi district. The Delhi Police on 4 September called MakeMyTrip's email to its customers as false which read that Delhi Bandh Hai from 8-10 September. The police in a tweet on X (formerly Twitter), shared a screenshot of the email which was sent to customers and wrote Delhi is not Bandh'. The Police also informed people that the movement will be restricted only in the New Delhi district. In a post on X , the Delhi Police wrote, The email sent out by MakeMyTrip falsely claims that Delhi is closed from September 08th to 10th, 2023. In wake of the G20 Summit, there will be restrictions in New Delhi District. We request MakeMyTrip to retract their email & issue a clarification." Travel company MakeMyTrip's email to its customers read, Delhi Bandh Hai. But Unique staycation properties near Delhi-NCR khule hai. We just sorted your plans for the upcoming long weekend from 8-10 September. Rejuvenate with a relaxing staycation anywhere near Delhi NCR." However in an another tweet, Delhi Police thanked MakeMyTrip and tweeted,"Thank you,@makemytrip, for putting up our traffic advisories on your microsite and helping us disseminate the right information to make travel smooth for all in Delhi. MakeMyTrip also replied the post and said that the email may have caused a misunderstanding and is open to misinterpretation. It wrote, We acknowledge the concern. What our email meant was that Delhi educational institutions, banks, financial institutions, and most offices will be closed and that movement will be restricted in the New Delhi district. The email may have caused a misunderstanding and is open to misinterpretation. We are immediately sending a clarification to the same email base." Also Read: G20 Summit: What's closed, what's open in Delhi; all you need to know One of the user also shared a retraction sent by MakeMyTrip which read, Our earlier mail was sent to inform you that Delhi educational institutions, banks and financial institutions and most offices will be closed from 8-10 September and hence it presents an opportunity for you to take a trip out of Delhi. We wish to clarify that essential services in New Delhi district will remain open, and although the movement would be restricted, bonafide residents of the area will be allowed." The 18th G20 Summit will be held in the national capital on September 9 and 10. This will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. A G20 Leaders declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the G20 Summit, stating Leaders commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings. During the summit on September 9 and 10, establishments in the New Delhi area, including Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, will remain closed. Dhaula Kuan, Khan Market, Janpath, and Bhikaji Cama Place are designated as "sensitive areas," but no markets will be shut; movement will be regulated instead. Moreover, Cloud kitchens and delivery services won't be allowed in the New Delhi area during the summit. However, essential services like grocery stores, ATMs, and medical stores will remain open in the regulated zone. Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) S.S. Yadav outlined a series of restrictions on online delivery services on September 4 at a press conference, in view of the upcoming G-20 Summit as reported by PTI. On 1 September, Delhi Traffic Police has prepared a list of replies to some frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the traffic regulations in the city during the event. One of the question which was answered in the FAQs is Will there be a lockdown-like situation in Delhi during the G-20 Summit?" to which it replied saying, There will not be any lockdown-like situation during the G-20 Summit in Delhi. Delhi traffic police have endeavoured to ensure unhindered Metro services and to ensure that all modes of public transport are available with certain regulations. All medical shops, grocery shops, milk booths, and vegetable/fruit shops will remain open throughout Delhi including New Delhi. General traffic, including all types of commercial vehicles and buses shall be allowed to ply on Ring Road & road network beyond Ring Road towards the borders of Delhi." Other questions answered were How will the G-20 Summit affect traffic movement in Delhi?, Will there be any restrictions on public transportation during the G-20 Summit in Delhi?, Will parking be available near Pragati Maidan during the G-20 Summit?', Are there any designated pick-up and drop-off points for private vehicles or taxis near Pragati Maidan during the G-20 Summit?, Will there be any special arrangements for public transportation near Pragati Maidan during the G-20 Summit? To ensure the safety and well-being of attendees, Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj stated that ambulances would accompany the summit's convoys and be strategically stationed throughout the city. Additionally, 80 teams of doctors and nursing staff will be deployed to provide medical support to guests staying at various hotels. Five government hospitals and three private medical facilities in the national capital have also been put on "high alert" to respond to any emergency situations that may arise during the summit. (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! NEW DELHI : The health ministry may introduce mandatory bar coding for 11 habit-forming drugs, including some cough syrups, painkillers and sleeping tablets, to stop their misuse and an illicit trade in them. The list also includes the formulations used to make these drugs. These 11 medicines are: codeine- based cough syrups, fentanyl and its analogues, buprenorphine injections, tramadol, alprazolam, nitrazepam, diazepam, lorazepam, clonazepam, zolpidem and ketamine -- that are commonly used as sleeping pills, for pain relief and to control anxiety. View Full Image Graphic: Mint The government is concerned over the dual use" of these prescription drugs and an illegal trade, citing instances of unauthorized supplies of raw materials to the chemical industry. QR codes will allow authorities to digitally trace and track the manufacture and purchases of these drugs, which are classed as narcotics. Last month, the health ministry mandated compulsory quick response (QR) code or bar code on the packaging of 300 lifesaving drugs falling under schedule Hdrugs that cannot be purchased without a doctors prescription. Some of these commonly used branded drugs are Allegra, Augmentin, Shelcal, Azythral, Calpol, Dolo, Fabiflu, Meftal Spas, Montair and Pan-D. The governments drugs consultative committee (DCC) was informed of the QR code recommendation, made by an inter-ministerial committee, in a meeting last month. The panels recommendations also covered active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and formulations, said the DCCs minutes of the meeting, reviewed by Mint. DCC is an expert panel of the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). An official who was part of the meeting said, These 11 medicines fall under the category of habit-forming drugs. Not only are they being misused, their semi-finished products or raw materials are being trafficked to the chemical industry. That is why it is important to keep surveillance on sale and purchase of these drugs." Bar coding such medicines is expected to furnish a plethora of information like unique product identification code, name of the API, brand name, name and address of the manufacturer, batch number, batch size, and date of manufacture and expiry. The (inter-ministerial) committee recommended for introducing bar code/QR code on all formulations containing listed 11 APIs which requires amendment to the Drugs Rules, 1945. It will be helpful in real-time tracking and tracing of the same to prohibit illicit manufacturing as well as sale and purchase at supply chain level of these 11 APIs containing formulations," stated minutes. According to a 2019 report by the ministry of social justice & empowerment and the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, AIIMS, around 2.5 million people are addicted to pharmaceutical habit-forming drugs in India. Drugs and narcotics had a share of about 36,800 crore in the Indian economy in fiscal year 2020, according to statista.com. Queries sent to the health ministry spokesperson for comments remained unanswered. Jharkhand bypoll: Over 27% of the 2.98 lakh eligible voters have cast their votes till 9 AM on Tuesday in the Dumri assembly seat in Jharkhand. According to an official, in the first four hours of voting, the turnout was 27.56%. The Jharkhand Multo Morcha (JMM) candidate Bebi Devi, who is contesting the Dumri by-election as the nominee of the INDIA bloc exercised her franchise at a booth in Alargo under Nawadih block in Bokaro district. She said, "I will fulfill the promise made by late Jagarnath Mahto (former minister) for the people of the constituency". Also read: Bypolls 2023 LIVE Updates: Uttarakhands Bageshwar assembly seat records 26.03% voting turnout till 11 AM State's chief minister Hemat Soren also extended wishes to voters and appealed to electors to exercise their franchise. "Today, there is an election in Dumri to empower those who protect Jharkhandi pride, today is the election to honour the one who dedicates himself to his people, today Dumri will choose its future who will always fight for the protection of Jharkhand and Jharkhandi, today in Dumri, democracy will once again defeat money system," Soren wrote on X, formerly Twitter. AJSU Party candidate Yashoda Devi, who is in the fray as an NDA nominee, cast her vote at a booth in Upgraded Middle School, Chainpur and exuded confidence in winning the seat. Also read: Jharkhand Bypolls: INDIA bloc and NDA to clash over Dumri assembly seat tomorrow The AIMIM has also fielded Md Abdul Mobin Rizvi. Voting is underway in 373 polling stations, of which around 200 have been identified as Maoist-affected booths, he said. Polling is scheduled to continue till 5 p.m. Over 2.98 lakh voters, including 1.44 lakh women, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the by-election and will decide the electoral fate of six candidates, including three independents. Heavy security arrangements have been made with the deployment of Jharkhand Armed Police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel along with home guards, the official said. The by-poll was necessitated by the death of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLA and former education minister Jagarnath Mahto. He had been representing the seat since 2004. "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 an unprecedented move, Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming movie Jawan is set to shake up the traditional cinematic timetable. For the first time in Bollywood history, shows will commence as early as 5 AM on the film's opening day. This has caught the attention of residents across various Indian cities who have been clamouring for similar early screenings. Kolkata will be the first city to host the 5 AM showtime for Jawan, sparking enthusiasm in residents from other cities. Citizens took to social media platforms with requests to adopt these early-bird slots. Their appeal centres on the belief that everyone should have the chance to experience the film at this unique hour. Also Read: Jawan Advance Booking: Pre-release frenzy reaches sky-high as Shah Rukh Khan's movie likely to beat Gadar 2 numbers Attention SRK Fans! Your love and excitement have spoken loud and clear, and we've listened!" wrote Miraj Cinemas, the third largest cinema chain in India, on X. Introducing a special 5 AM show of #Jawan exclusively at Miraj Cinemas, Kolkata! Because for King Khan, sleep can wait," it added. Don't miss this one-of-a-kind experience. Hurry, tickets are flying faster than you can say 'SRK'!" However, this is not the first time Shah Rukh Khan has breathed new life into India's film industry. His previous film Pathaan was the first to fill cinema halls in Kashmir to capacity in over three decades. The Valley's theatres, which reopened just in 2022 following a long closure due to militant activities, saw queues of eager moviegoers for Pathaan. As for Jawan, trade analysts have high expectations, predicting an opening of no less than 65 crore in the Indian market. The film has created enormous anticipation, especially in Southern states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where advanced bookings are sky-high. Cities like Hyderabad, Patna and Kolkata are also witnessing a surge in demand. The excitement isn't just confined to the big cities either. Smaller theatres across the nation, which experienced a revitalisation through SRK's Pathaan, are gearing up for Jawan as well. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! NEW YORK The end of Labor Day weekend would typically mark the start of a furious sprint to the Iowa caucuses as candidates battle for their party's presidential nomination. But as the 2024 campaign comes into greater focus, the usual frenzy is yielding to a sense of inevitability. Among Republicans, Donald Trump is dominating the primary field, outpacing rivals with resumes as governors, diplomats and entrepreneurs that would normally prove compelling. The former president's strength comes despite or perhaps because of multiple criminal indictments that threaten to overshadow any serious debate about the future of the country. And for now, the tens of millions of dollars that Republican rivals are pouring into the race are doing little to diminish Trump's stature, fueling concerns among his GOP critics who fear the primary is essentially over before it begins. As one troubled front-runner tightens his grip on the Republican nomination, President Joe Biden is on a glide path to victory on the Democratic side. The 80-year-old incumbent is facing only token opposition for the Democratic nomination despite concerns about his age and performance from many within his own party. Whether voters like it or not, a Trump-Biden rematch may be on the horizon, raising the prospect of a deeply uncertain election season that only intensifies the nation's political divide. Already, Trump is skipping his party's presidential debates and his court appearances are sometimes drawing more attention than his campaign stops. And Biden has barely begun to campaign as he grapples with questions about his age and his son's legal challenges. "I just can't imagine things markedly changing. So, it appears that past is prologue," California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said in an interview, praising Biden's record of achievement while warning his party against underestimating Trump's political strength. Newsom said concerns about Biden's age "are fair game and the White House knows it." "But if age equals results," he went on, "I'm looking forward to his 85th birthday." On the Republican side, dread is building among some donors and party leaders who hoped conservative voters would move past Trump given the the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol he inspired and his serious legal challenges. "A Trump-Biden rematch would be a disaster for the country. I'm very depressed about it," said Bobbie Kilberg, a prominent Republican donor who is supporting former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. She said it's "scary" that so many voters in her party continue to support the former president. "I refuse to believe that Trump is our inevitable nominee." There is time for the 2024 landscape to shift. Four months remain before the first votes are cast in the Iowa caucuses and the general election is more than a year away. And recent history has plenty of examples of overlooked and seemingly overmatched candidates who proved the conventional wisdom wrong. Both Trump and Biden are among them. There are also significant variables. Abortion continues to scramble elections even in GOP strongholds like Kansas, Kentucky and Ohio as voters reject Republican efforts to restrict access to the procedure. A greater backlash is possible as the courts review access to a commonly used abortion pill. And Trump is facing 91 felony charges in criminal proceedings unfolding in Washington, New York, Miami and Atlanta. They involve everything from his handling of classified information to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election to orchestrating hush money payments to a porn actor. The former president could be a convicted felon before the general election is decided next November. Still, party leaders including most of his Republican primary opponents have vowed to support him even if he's convicted. And nothing in the Constitution bars felons from assuming the presidency. At the same time, Democratic officials are deeply concerned about the prospect of a third-party bid under the banner of No Labels, a centrist group backed by a $70 million budget actively working to secure a place on the presidential ballot in at least 20 states this year. Group leaders insist they would nominate a candidate next spring only as "an insurance policy" should Trump and Biden win their respective primaries, which appears increasingly likely. And then, No Labels would move forward only if it's certain that its presidential nominee wouldn't unintentionally help Trump win reelection. Democratic leaders aren't convinced. Several current and former elected officials have been in close contact with the organization, including Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican who says he supports No Labels' mission, did not rule out running as a No Labels presidential contender himself when asked during a recent interview. "I don't want No Labels to run a candidate. I want the two parties to respond responsibly to the challenges before us," Cassidy said, indicating he wouldn't support Trump or Biden. He described a presidential bid of his own under the No Labels banner as a hypothetical he didn't want to comment on. In ruling out Trump, the Louisiana Republican cited the criminal charges against the Republican former president, questions about his viability in the general election, and the former president's refusal to "be honest with the American people" about looming budget shortfalls in Social Security and Medicare. Cassidy, a medical doctor, also raised concerns about Biden's physical and mental health. "He's just so obviously declining," he said. Indeed, both Trump and Biden have glaring liabilities, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Biden is "old" and "confused," and Trump is "corrupt" and "dishonest." Those were among the top terms Americans use when asked to describe each party's leading presidential candidates. But leaders in both parties are willing to overlook such problems. Young Democrats of America President Quentin Wathum-Ocama concedes that young voters aren't necessarily enthusiastic about a Trump-Biden rematch, but he hopes that Trump's polarizing candidacy will give Wathum-Ocama's party the energy Biden cannot. "Yes, people want a younger generation of politicians. We've always talked about Joe Biden as even he's said as a transitional figure in our political life," he said. "As much as we're seeing folks, for whatever reason, may not be excited or whatever, to me, it comes back to democracy is on the line." With virtually no exceptions, Democratic officials in Congress and in key states are publicly rallying behind Biden's reelection. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Biden's strongest challenger in the 2020 Democratic primary, endorsed Biden's reelection bid hours after it was announced this spring. Biden enlisted other would-be rivals for his national advisory board. The group includes Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Newsom. MORE 2024 COVERAGE Republicans have delighted in suggesting that Newsom plans to launch a primary challenge against Biden, something the California governor has repeatedly ruled out. That's even as Newsom teases the possibility of a high-profile debate against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is among Trump's top Republican challengers. Newsom said there would be a debate with the Florida governor, perhaps in November, although the camps are still working out the details. "I get to do the one thing I look forward to doing more than anything else, and that's make the case for Joe Biden and what he's accomplished and to do that one on one," he said of a DeSantis debate. "That's an opportunity, a platform I don't want to walk away from." Meanwhile, in a show of confidence, the Trump campaign has already begun to pivot toward a general election matchup against Biden. His team says he currently plans to skip all Republican presidential debates, sensing few consequences for skipping the first one last month. DeSantis, once thought to be a potent threat, has struggled to live up to expectations. Trump's relationships across the party and his expansive political machine have made it extremely difficult for others to break through. "The president benefits from having led the party for the last eight years," said Brian Jack, Trump's political director. Trump is leading the fight for endorsements, winning the public backing of more members of Congress and statewide elected officials than the rest of the field combined. The other candidates are also struggling to keep up with Trump's quiet campaign to control the delegate selection rules for individual state primaries. For example, Trump officials successfully pushed California Republicans to award all of the state's 169 delegates to the winner of their March 5 primary, instead of dolling out delegates to multiple candidates based on the proportion of their vote. The payoff for that work became clear late last week when a pro-DeSantis super PAC scaled back its operations in Nevada and other states that host Republican primary contests in March, including California, North Carolina and Texas. Given Trump's overwhelming advantages, some of Trump's powerful allies have begun to call for other Republican presidential candidates to give up. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez ended his short-lived White House bid last week after failing to qualify for the opening debate. But at least eight high-profile opponents remain. "It has been clear for months that President Trump will be the Republican nominee," said Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 3 House Republican. "This election is the most important election in our lifetime, and I will continue to call on Republicans to coalesce our entire party apparatus behind President Trump's campaign." While Trump remains the clear front-runner, he holds a wider margin nationally than he does in some of the early voting states. And influential Republicans there aren't ready to concede the nomination to Trump yet. Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, which hosts the second Republican primary contest after Iowa, is working to boost Trump's GOP rivals, warning that Trump is too flawed to win the general election. Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, who served as Trump's ambassador to China, also has doubts about the former president's chances in the general election given the legal challenges that will play out for much of next year. "The focus of the election ought to be on Biden and his record," Branstad said. "That's the thing that bothers me. It plays into the hands of the Democrats." He added, "I think this thing is going to tighten up." Even Trump isn't quite willing to say that he's already locked up the Republican presidential nomination. "I don't want to say anything's over cause I don't say that," Trump said Friday on WABC. "I'm not a believer until it's over, right? As Yogi would say, 'Ain't over 'til it's over." The 2024 presidential field, in the order they've announced Donald Trump, Republican Nikki Haley, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican Marianne Williamson, Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Independent Larry Elder, Republican President Joe Biden, Democrat Asa Hutchinson, Republican Tim Scott, Republican Ron DeSantis, Republican Mike Pence, Republican Chris Christie, Republican Doug Burgum, Republican Francis Suarez, Republican (dropped out) Will Hurd, Republican (dropped out) Teachers' Day 2023: Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal on Tuesday expressed gratitude to the company's young business team who always teach him the latest social media trends and innovative ideas for the organization's growth. He also recalled the time when his father used to take him to work during his childhood days and thanked him for teaching him how to value young minds' voices. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Anil Agarwal said, Over the years I have realized that life lessons are not in textbooks but in people around us. Every time I am surrounded by young minds jo mujhe inspire karte hain to do something hatke." During my childhood, my babu ji used to take me to work. He always gave me a chance to share my opinion, even when he did not agree with me. This taught me to value my voice and the voice of young girls and boys," the Vedanta Group Chairman said. Today on teachers day, I thank my team for helping me with fresh business ideas, teaching me latest Instagram trends and most importantly, keeping me young at heart even though i may look old," he added. Every year, India celebrates Teachers' Day on 5th September to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the countrys first Vice President and former President, scholar, philosopher, and Bharat Ratna awardee, who was born on this day in 1888. Students engage in various activities such as performances, dances, and elaborate shows to express their appreciation for their beloved teachers. Even for those who are no longer in school or college, Teachers Day is an excellent opportunity to express gratitude to their mentors and acknowledge the profound influence teachers have had on their lives. Teachers are the foundation of quality education and often take pride in their students' success. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Teachers' Day 2023: This is how Google Doodle has celebrated Shikshak Diwas over the years 8 Photos . Updated: 05 Sep 2023, 11:05 AM IST Share Via This is how Google Doodle has celebrated Teachers'... moreThis is how Google Doodle has celebrated Teachers' Day over the years. Teachers play a vital role in shaping the future by nurturing and educating the next generation. 1/8This Doodle depicting the English alphabet o as teacher that takes the centre stage in the word 'Google' and others as pupils was first released on January 16 in the year 2022 to honour teachers on Teachers' Day that is celebrated across the globe on various days of the year and was used thereafter. (Google ) 2/8This Doodle was dedicated to teachers on US Teacher Appreciation Day that was celebrated on on May 3, 2022. Doodler Erich Nagler created this Doodle artwork with inspiration from the 2022 State Teachers of the Year. (Google) 3/8This Doodle depicting queen bee as teacher that takes the place of the alphabet G in the word 'Google' and others honey bees as pupils was first released in the year 2021 on April 13 to honour teachers on Teachers' Day that is celebrated across the globe on various days of the year. (Google) 4/8This Doodle depicting an octopus in the role of a teacher with fishes as students was first released on January 15 in the year 2020 to celebrate Teachers' Day in Venezuela then used on various days on the occasion of Teachers' Day across the globe . (Google ) 5/8This Doodle was first released in the year 2020 on November 1 to honour teachers on Teachers' Day that is celebrated across the globe on various days of the year. 6/8This Doodle depicting globe was first released in the year 2018 on August 31 to honour teachers in Singapore on Teachers' Day. (Google) 7/8This Doodle depicting the alphabet g in the role of a teacher with other alphabets in the name including G, o, l, e, depicted as students was first released on March 28 in the year 2017. (Google ) Teachers' Day 2023: Every year, India celebrates Teachers' Day on 5th Septembe r to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the countrys first Vice President and former President, scholar, philosopher, and Bharat Ratna awardee, who was born on this day in 1888. Dr. Radhakrishnan completed his education, including a master's degree in Philosophy, through scholarships. In 1917, he also authored a book called The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore. From 1931 to 1936, he served as the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University and then the Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University in 1939. He was also awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954. In 1963, he was admitted as an honorary member of the British Royal Order of Merit. Why is Teachers' Day celebrated on September 5? When Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan assumed office as the second President of India in 1962, his students approached him to seek permission to celebrate September 5 as a special day. He instead, requested them to observe September 5 as Teachers Day to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of teachers to society. Dr. Radhakrishnan once stated that teachers should be the best minds in the country." September 5 has been celebrated as Teachers Day across schools, colleges, universities, and educational institutions. Students engage in various activities such as performances, dances, and elaborate shows to express their appreciation for their beloved teachers. Even for those who are no longer in school or college, Teachers Day is an excellent opportunity to express gratitude to their mentors and acknowledge the profound influence teachers have had on their lives. Teachers are the foundation of quality education and often take pride in their students' success. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the G20 Summit in India which is scheduled to take place on September 9 and 10 in the national capital, instead of President Xi Jinping. That would make him the second major leader after Russias President Vladimir Putin to skip the event. This will be the first time that a Chinese president has missed a leaders' summit since the first edition was held in 2008, though in 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Xi attended virtually. Wen-Ti Sung, political scientist at the Australian National University, pointed out that Xi had joined a meeting in South Africa last month of leaders of the BRICS group of major emerging economies, Reuters reported. "Xi's skipping the West-heavy club of G20 right after attending the BRICS summit may be a visual illustration of Xi's narrative of 'East is rising, and the West is falling', as well as showing solidarity with Russia's President Putin who is also not attending," Sung said. On the other hand, Alfred Wu, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore believes that Xi might be reluctant to travel abroad, given his focus on domestic issues. Xi Jinping is setting his own agenda where his top concern is national security and he has to stay in China and make foreign leaders visit him instead," Wu told Reuters. Some analysts also said that Xi's absence from the G20 gathering could also be seen as a snub of host India. They said it could be a signal that China is unwilling to confer influence on its southern neighbor that boasts one of the fastest-growing major economies while China's slows, as per Reuters reports. Ties between India and China have been also troubled for more than three years after soldiers from both sides clashed on their disputed Himalayan frontier in June 2020, resulting in 24 deaths. (With Reuters inputs) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! In an unprecedented move, Indonesia has granted its first golden visa to Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI , a pioneering firm in artificial intelligence. The Indonesian immigration authority issued a 10-year visa to Altman, acknowledging his global renown and potential contributions to the nation. Indonesia's Immigration Director General has said that Altman "has an international reputation and may bring benefits to Indonesia", Bloomberg reported. He believes the visa will serve as an incentive for high-profile foreign investors. Alongside the extended visa period, Altman is set to benefit from priority security screening at airports and streamlined entry and exit procedures. The golden visa programme was launched just a week ago as a strategic move to bolster economic growth in Indonesia. Under the scheme, foreign nationals willing to make significant financial commitments to the country are permitted to stay for a period ranging from five to 10 years. For instance, a five-year residency is guaranteed to anyone investing $350,000 in local public enterprises, savings accounts or government securities. Although Altman's investment plans in Indonesia are not yet public knowledge, his recent visit to Jakarta to deliver a speech on the future of artificial intelligence hints at his keen interest in the nation's technological landscape. The visa could potentially pave the way for collaborations that boost Indonesia's standing in the world of AI and technology. OpenAI, under Altman's leadership, has captured global attention by stimulating investments in AI infrastructure. The tools developed by the company include ChatGPT. These tools have revolutionised the approach to artificial intelligence by leveraging extensive data centres to emulate human-like intelligence. This has resulted in a flurry of investments directed towards the creation and expansion of AI-supporting infrastructures globally. (With Bloomberg 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! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sounak Mukhopadhyay Sounak Mukhopadhyay, who also goes by the name Sounak Mukherjee, has been producing digital news since 2012. He's worked for the International Business Times, The Inquisitr, and Moneycontrol in the past. He's also contributed to Free Press Journal and TheRichest with feature articles. He covers news for a wide range of subjects including business, finance, economy, politics and sports. Before working with digital news publications, he worked as a freelance content writer. Read more from this author Delhi is preparing to host the G20 Summit on September 9 and 10, with leaders from 20 countries anticipated to participate in this significant event in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that this G20 Summit in India will be historic, as it will witness the largest gathering of world leaders. According to a report by News 18, more than 40 world leaders are expected to take part in the summit in New Delhi. As preparations for the upcoming G20 Summit are in full swing, it's worth taking a closer look at the confirmed attendees and those who won't be participating. President Joe Biden of the United States is scheduled to visit India from September 7th to September 10th to participate in the summit. During his visit, Biden will engage in discussions on collaborative measures to address global challenges, encompassing the transition to clean energy and the fight against climate change. Also Read: US First Lady Jill Biden tests Covid-19 positive ahead of Joe Biden's India visit for G20 Summit The White House also noted that the discussions will focus on bolstering the capabilities of multilateral development banks and alleviating the economic and social repercussions of the Ukraine conflict. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning has announced that Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will represent China at the 18th G20 Summit. This confirmation indicates that China's President Xi Jinping will not be in attendance at this year's G20 meeting in Delhi. Also Read: From G20 Summit to democratisation of technology: Here's full transcript of PTI's interview with PM Modi The UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is set to participate in the summit. Reportedly, during his visit, Sunak may engage in discussions regarding the UK-India trade negotiations in a separate bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India. Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously informed Prime Minister Modi that he would not be present at the G20 Summit in Delhi. Instead, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent the country at the summit. The South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol, is scheduled to participate in the G20 Summit. South Korea's ambassador to India, Chang Jae Bok, announced earlier this month, "Our President will be attending the G20 Summit taking place on September 9-10." French President Emmanuel Macron is confirmed to participate in the G20 Summit. As per News 18, it is anticipated that Macron will be accommodated at the Claridges hotel in New Delhi during his visit. Also Read: G20 Summit in Delhi: India's progress result of action-oriented roadmap, says PM Modi Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also confirmed his visit to G20 Summit. I will be at the G20 in a week and we will continue to make sure that the world is standing with Ukraine," Trudeau said. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's trip to India is a component of his broader three-nation tour, which encompasses Indonesia and the Philippines. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also confirmed to participate in the summit. Following the summit, Erdogan is slated to travel to New York to take part in the 78th session of the UN General Assembly. Additionally, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be present at the summit and is reportedly planning to host French President Macron in New Delhi after the conclusion of the summit. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky will be absent from the New Delhi summit as he has not received an invitation to attend. Also Read: G20 Summit and India's Presidency: Date, Logo, Venue, Theme, how does it work and more | FAQs As per a report by News 18, several countries that have not yet confirmed their attendance at the summit include Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Mexico, Japan, Italy, Germany, Indonesia, Brazil, and Argentina. Additionally, the summit will see the participation of some "guest countries," which encompass the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, the UAE, Oman, Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, and Nigeria. The G20, consisting of 19 individual nations (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, United Kingdom, and the United States) along with the European Union, collectively forms a prominent international assembly. The G20 Logo is inspired from India's national flag and contains vibrant colour of the Tiranga, ie saffron, white, green, and blue. The seamless combination of lotus coloured in white green and blue with the Earth adds on to the beauty of the logo. At a time, when climate change is causing severe loss of life, property and resources, the Earth in the logo reminds of the urgency to opt for an environmentally conscious approach. Beneath G20 logo, Bharat is written in the Devanagari script. (With inputs from agenices) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Heightened and deeply entrenched disagreements concerning Russia's military intervention in Ukraine pose a significant threat to the advancement of critical global issues like food security, mounting debt concerns, and collaborative efforts to address climate change. As the world's most influential nations convene in New Delhi this weekend, these divisions loom large. As per a report by Reuters, the uncompromising positions on the conflict have resulted in a lack of consensus, to the extent that not even a single joint statement has been reached in the approximately 20 ministerial meetings held under India's G20 presidency this year. Consequently, it falls upon the leaders to navigate these challenges and attempt to find potential solutions. China will be sending Premier Li Qiang instead of President Xi Jinping, and Russia has already stated that President Vladimir Putin won't be present, indicating that neither of these countries is expected to be part of any consensus. Also Read: Russia's Putin holds phone call with PM Modi, conveys his inability to attend G20 Summit in Delhi As a result, the two-day summit, scheduled for September 9, will primarily be influenced by Western nations and their allies. Among the G20 leaders set to attend are US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Bin Salman, and Japan's Fumio Kishida. Reuters reported citing analysts that a failed summit would expose the limits of cooperation between Western and non-Western powers, and prompt countries to double down on the groups they are more comfortable with. To tackle global threats "breaking off into Western and non-Western blocs isn't what you want," said Michael Kugelman, the director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington to Reuters. The inability to secure a consensus could also damage the diplomatic reputation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has been utilizing India's presidency to strengthen New Delhi's status as an economic heavyweight and a prominent figure among the world's southern nations. "If the leaders' summit is a flop, New Delhi and especially Modi will have suffered a major diplomatic, and political, setback," Kugelman told Reuters. India, which has refrained from condemning Russia's incursion into Ukraine, faces the task of persuading the group to reach a consensus on a collective statement known as the Leaders Declaration. Alternatively, it may find itself presiding over the first G20 presidency since 2008 that concludes without such a communique. Also Read: China's largest banks extend billions to Russia as Western lenders exit "The positions have hardened since the Bali Summit," a senior Indian government official told Reuters, referring to the 2022 summit held in Indonesia. Russia and China have toughened their position since then, a consensus would be very hard." In Bali, Indonesian President Joko Widodo clinched a last-minute joint statement from the bloc. India is hoping that the leaders can again work something out at the last minute", another government official told Reuters. The Bali Leaders' Declaration said "most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy." It also said that "there were other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions." Another Indian official said that in Bali, "Russia and China were more flexible." But as the war completes 18 months, countries "are not agreeing even to the language used in the Bali Declaration". Also Read: G20 cant ignore Russias war Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who will come in place of Putin, have already drawn battle lines. During a conversation with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trudeau confirmed his attendance at the meeting in India but expressed his disappointment over the fact that the Ukrainian president had not been extended an invitation. "As you know, we will be speaking up strongly for you, and we will continue to make sure that the world is standing with Ukraine," Trudeau said in the call with Zelenskiy. Last week, Lavrov declared that Russia would obstruct the G20 Summit's concluding statement unless it incorporated Moscow's viewpoint on Kyiv and other global crises. Diplomats have indicated that it's highly unlikely for Moscow's position to be endorsed, and as a result, the summit will probably end up issuing a non-binding or incomplete statement. Is China pushing BRICS? In the previous month, the BRICS group, led by China as the dominant member, expanded its membership by including six additional countries. This move was part of a broader effort to reconfigure what it perceives as an outdated global order. "Xis absence may be Beijings attempt to put a nail in the G20s coffin, only weeks after expanding the BRICS organization which is more aligned with Chinas world view," said David Boling, director at consulting firm Eurasia Group. Also Read: PM Modi concerned bigger BRICS will turn bloc into China mouthpiece, sets rules for new entrants India is a BRICS member, collaborating with Russia, China, Brazil, and South Africa. Initially, it held reservations regarding the expansion of the bloc. However, during the recent summit in Johannesburg, India aligned itself with a consensus on the criteria for admitting new members. Throughout its G20 presidency, India has aimed to downplay the disagreements surrounding Ukraine and has emphasized efforts toward resolving issues such as climate change, alleviating debt burdens for vulnerable nations, establishing regulations for cryptocurrencies, and implementing reforms within multilateral banks. New Delhi has also attempted to break an impasse over a deal that allowed the safe export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, but Russia is unlikely to budge from its opposition to the plan", Indian officials said. Also Read: Traces of explosives found on foreign grain ship, says Russia Throughout the year, negotiations regarding debt restructuring and the implementation of a global minimum corporate tax have made limited headway. However, India has succeeded in garnering backing from the United States and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for comprehensive global regulations pertaining to cryptocurrencies. Also Read: G20 Summit: We should address the question of debt distress, says Nirmala Sitharaman Under the guidance of former Indian bureaucrat N.K. Singh and economist Larry Summers, a former US treasury secretary, a G20 committee has put forth a recommendation to augment lending by multilateral banks to developing nations. Nevertheless, this proposal has not yet received unanimous approval. During the group's meetings in July, disparities in climate change objectives had caused divisions between developed and developing nations. Officials have indicated that these stances are unlikely to undergo any significant shifts at the upcoming summit. (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! Three fundamental facts define our current political era: We are deeply divided along partisan lines and are closely divided at the national level, but at the state and congressional levels, jurisdictions increasingly give supermajorities to one party. This environment produces presidential elections with narrow national popular-vote margins decided by a small share of the electorate in a dwindling number of swing states. Based on the evidence thus far, 2024 isnt likely to break this pattern, which has increasingly defined U.S. politics since the late 1980s. RealClearPolitics widely cited average of polls shows President Biden, the likely Democratic nominee, leading Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee, by less than 1 percentage point. A recent Wall Street Journal poll has them in a dead heat, 46% to 46%. In such a close contest, defections to independent and third-party candidacies can be decisive, as they were in 2016. If Messrs. Biden and Trump end up as the standard bearers of their parties, the 2024 presidential election will be unlike any that we have seen in our lifetime. Not since 1892 have the president and the incumbent he defeated had a rematch. In nearly all elections featuring a president seeking re-election, the election is mostly a referendum on the incumbents performance. If voters think he has done a good enough job to deserve another term, he will almost certainly win, no matter the merits of his challenger. The 1956 election, in which President Dwight D. Eisenhower handily defeated former Illinois Gov. Adlai Stevenson, is a good example. If the people dont think the incumbent has done a good enough job, they ask themselves whether it would be safe to entrust the powers of the presidency to his challenger. Ronald Reagan didnt secure victory until he reassured voters that he wasnt a reckless extremist during his debate with Jimmy Carter in late October 1980. The 2024 election, by contrast, wont be a referendum on the incumbent but a choice between two men who have occupied the Oval Office and whose agendas and governing styles are known. In these circumstances, Mr. Biden has less of the advantage incumbents usually enjoy, but Mr. Trump has a presidential record to defend, not only an incumbents record to attack. On the personal level, Mr. Bidens age is seen as a problem by a swath of the electorate, but so is Mr. Trumps conduct after the 2020 election. Mr. Biden is seen as more honest and likable, Mr. Trump as a stronger leader with a better record of accomplishment in office. Each candidate is a hostage to fortune. Mr. Bidens chances for re-election will be affected by developments in the economy and on the battlefields of Ukraine, while Mr. Trumps effort to enter the Oval Office will be shaped by the multiple trials in which he is embroiled. No one knows whether swing voters would support a candidate who has been convicted of a felony. Each candidate will be challenged to address an issue that he and his party have mishandled, to the consternation of the electorate. For Mr. Trump, the problem is abortion. Although the Supreme Courts decision overturning Roe v. Wade was hailed by pro-life groups, it has thrown the Republican Party into disarray. Some favor leaving the issue to the states; others urge national restrictions on abortion but dont agree on what the limits should be. Intensified controversy over abortion helped Democrats limit their losses in the 2022 midterm elections, and the outcome of state referendums suggest that the issue hasnt lost its power to mobilize outraged supporters. While Mr. Trump has urged his party to be flexible, he cant evade responsibility for the current controversy. Fulfilling a promise he made during the 2016 campaign, he appointed three Supreme Court justices whose votes were decisive in overturning Roe, something the Biden campaign wont let voters forget. But Mr. Biden faces his own intractable issueimmigration. During his first two years in office, internal divisions deadlocked his administration. The policies he finally put in place in early summer produced a temporary reduction in the flow of illegal immigrants. But last month record numbers of migrant families streamed across the southern border, and as many moved on to cities far beyond the Southwest, division broke out within the presidents party. New York Mayor Eric Adams has clashed with Gov. Kathy Hochul and has repeatedly criticized Mr. Bidens handling of the issue. Several congressional Democrats have joined Mr. Adams. This growing controversy reflects a Democratic Party deeply divided between progressives who oppose most restrictions on asylum-seeking immigrants and centrists who oppose open borders. Voters give Mr. Biden even lower marks for his handling of immigration than for most other issues. And like abortion, it will not lose political potency between now and November 2024. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Chinas foreign ministry has announced that Premier Li Qiang, not President Xi Jinping, will represent China at the G20 Leaders Summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10. This comes just weeks after Xi attended the BRICS Summit in South Africa. Mint breaks down the significance of the announcement. What happened? The announcement by Chinas foreign ministry on Monday ended weeks of speculation about whether Xi Jinping would attend the summit. At the invitation of the government of the Republic of India, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India on September 9 and 10," read a release from foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. The Premier is widely considered to be the second most powerful person in politics after the President. Li is also considered a close confidant of Xi Jinping. What's the background to all this? Xis decision to skip the G20 Summit comes just weeks after he attended the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. He met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi there and the two leaders agreed to direct officials to speed up disengagement on the disputed Sino-Indian border, which has been in crisis since 2020. This makes Xi the second leader to pull out of the G20 Summit in New Delhi after Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russias foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will represent his country at the meeting. Has China tried to play spoilsport before? China and India have clashed repeatedly during the latters presidency of the G20 this year. Indias decision to hold G20 meetings in Kashmir met with Chinese resistance, as did the use of phrases such as Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam in G20 documents, according to some reports. Xis decision to not attend has been seen by some analysts as a snub aimed at India, especially since the Chinese President did attend the BRICS Summit. Several G20 ministerial meetings in India ahead of the summit have been contentious as Russia and China have opposed joint statements that included paragraphs condemning Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine last year. What does this mean for the bilateral relationship? India and China seemed to be making progress on their border dispute in recent weeks. The recent round of Corps Commanders talks saw positive movement on disengagement in two regions, Depsang and Demchok. At their meeting in South Africa, Xi and Modi agreed to intensify" disengagement efforts . However, Xis decision to skip the G20 Summit is being seen as a snub to India and may create more ill-will in an already complicated relationship. Bharat vs India: G20 dinner invite stirs debate with mention of President of Bharat 3 min read Join us BJP sparks controversy by using 'Bharat' instead of 'India' in G20 summit dinner invites, leading to opposition backlash. Premium Opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders pose for a group photograph ahead of their meeting in Mumbai. The BJP has been attacking the new opposition bloc INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) by repeatedly declaring that the name 'India' is a remnant of a colonial past. Now, a fresh row has sparked between the NDA and INDIA bloc as invites to a G20 summit dinner hosted at the Rashtrapati Bhawan had written President of Bharat on them, instead of President of India. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-led by Mohan Bhagwat wants to change the Constitution of the country by removing the word India with Bharat. Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar wrote in the constitution--"India That Is Bharat". But Modi and RSS who hate Babasaheb want to change the constitution. Why do Bhagwat and Modi hate Babasaheb so much?" Sanjay Singh said in his post on X. Reacting on the name change, RJD MP Manoj Jha said, ...It has just been a few weeks since we named our alliance as INDIA and BJP has started sending invitations with 'Republic of Bharat' instead of 'Republic of India'. Article 1 of the Constitution reads 'India that is Bharat'. Neither you will be able to take India from us nor Bharat..." Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, Mr. Modi can continue to distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States. But we will not be deterred. After all, what is the objective of INDIA parties? It is BHARATBring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation And Trust. Judega BHARAT! Jeetega INDIA!" Responding to Jairam Ramesh, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh said, Why is there an issue with saying or writing Bharat? Why are you feeling ashamed, Jairam Ramesh? Our nation has been called Bharat since ancient times and it is even mentioned in our Constitution. They are trying to create misunderstandings for no reason." While speaking to ANI, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari slammed the Modi government and asked as How can India be removed He said, "...PM Modi had given names like 'Make in India', 'Skill India', 'Khelo India'...They (BJP) are scared of the word 'India', Article 1 of the Constitution says 'India, that is Bharat'...How can this name (India) be removed...? Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that name of the country was 'Bharat' and will remain 'Bharat.' While speaking to ANI, he said, "They have a problem with everything and I do not want to say anything for the. I am a 'Bharatwaasi', the name of my country was 'Bharat' and will remain 'Bharat' always. If Congress has a problem with this, they should find a cure for it themselves." Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, While there is no constitutional objection to calling India Bharat", which is one of the countrys two official names, I hope the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with India", which has incalculable brand value built up over centuries. We should continue to use both words rather than relinquish our claim to a name redolent of history, a name that is recognised around the world." It is small wonder that two men convicted of crimes they always denied felt a rushing sense of relief when, after three decades, a judge vacated their convictions and ordered a new trial. The men havent been cleared not yet, anyway but the misconduct of prosecutors qualifies their imprisonment as a miscarriage of justice. For three decades, Brian Scott Lorenzo and James Pugh maintained they were innocent of killing Deborah Meindl, found by her young daughter. Meindl had been fatally stabbed, choked and bound in her City of Tonawanda home. Still, a jury found Lorenzo and Pugh guilty. Lorenzo remains in prison and Pugh is out on parole. Their lives may change, and justice finally served following the rulings of State Supreme Court Justice Paul B. Wojtaszek. Wojtaszeks 19-page decision cited two elements: new DNA evidence that excluded both defendants from the crime scene and a finding that the prosecution failed to disclose a key piece of information to the defense. The judges ruling was first reported by the New York Times. The attorneys hope the Erie County District Attorneys Office does not decide to retry their clients. DA John Flynn said in a statement that his office will appeal the decision. Even though the men have not been exonerated, there is good reason to believe they may be innocent. If so, prosecutors have committed a double offense: By withholding evidence, they would have encouraged a wrongful conviction and stolen 30 years of these mens lives. And, at least as bad, they would have allowed the actual murderer go free. Buffalo has seen that happen, perhaps most infamously in the wrongful conviction of Anthony J. Capozzi, who was jailed for 22 years for rapes that were actually committed by Altemio C. Sanchez. Freed from police attention, Sanchez progressed from sexual assault to homicide as the Bike Path Killer. It is not to say whether Lorenzo and Pugh are, indeed, guilty or innocent. But the failures of prosecutor have sown significant doubt. On the afternoon of Feb. 17, 1993, Deborah Meindls daughter came home to find her mother dead. She was handcuffed, stabbed 11 times and strangled with a necktie. Speculation initially pointed to her husband, who had once told someone he wanted to hire a hitman to kill her, but police ruled that out. Months later, Lorenzo and Pugh were indicted. Police alleged that the killing happened when Meindl walked in on them burglarizing her house. Lorenzo discovered an article written by Ilann Maazel in 2018, in the New York Law Journal titled How to get out of jail if youre innocent. The two connected and Maazel went to court to have new DNA tests conducted on the crime scene evidence. It included the necktie and a knife. The new DNA tests excluded both Lorenzo and Pugh. It was one of the two stakes grounding Wojtaszeks decision. Another focus of the judge was a silver dollar that had become a key piece of evidence. The coin was in a duffel bag found in a stolen vehicle that Lorenzo was arrested in three months after a slaying in Sioux City, Iowa. Prosecutors said the coin had been given to Meindl and her husband by her father-in-law for Christmas that winter. But the judge said that unbeknownst to the defendants was the fact that Cyril Meindl (the father-in-law), when shown the same coin prior to the trial, did not and could not identify it. The inescapable conclusion is that the people fell short in their Brady disclosure obligation, Wojtaszek said. The Brady rule requires prosecutors to disclose any material, exculpatory information it has to the defense. Wojtaszek did not agree with the defense attorneys assertion that notorious murderer Richard Matt, who escaped from prison in 2015 and was fatally shot during the manhunt, was the real murderer. The judge also rejected defense attorneys further explanation that Matt had carried out the killing at the behest of a now-retired City of Tonawanda police detective. But 30 years on, we dont know who killed Deborah Meindl. With so much time having passed, it may never be known. What we do know is that DNA evidence powerfully suggests these two mens innocence, making you wonder why prosecutors withheld crucial, similarly suggestive evidence. Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Congress leader Kamal Nath criticized Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday for his silence regarding the recent desecration of the Hanuman statue in Botad, Gujarat, which occurred earlier this week. "Home Minister Amit Shah is arriving for an election tour in Madhya Pradesh today (Tuesday), the worship day of Lord Bajrangbali. The idol of Lord Bajrangbali was vandalized in the Botad district of Gujarat. The Deity of God has been smeared with soot. This is the same Hanuman temple that you inaugurated in April. Four days have passed since the incident, but till now you have not uttered a word from your mouth," wrote Kamal Nath on X. As reported by ANI, the former MP Chief Minister further questioned Amit Shah and the BJP and said, "Being a Hanuman devotee I ask you, After all, what is the selfishness, for which you and your party are keeping silent on such a big insult to faith." "When the controversy was arising due to the wrong portrayal of Hanuman ji, why did the BJP government not act in time? Is the BJP government of the state not responsible for the insult of Hanuman ji? After failing to protect the statue of Bajrangbali, who blesses the whole world, with what mouth are you seeking election blessings from the people of Madhya Pradesh," he questioned further. "Due to this anti-religious behaviour, the people of Madhya Pradesh are not planning for public blessings but for public condemnation," said Kamal Nath further. Earlier on September 2, a contentious situation arose surrounding a 'mural' within the Kashtabhanjan Hanuman Temple located in Salangpur, Gujarat. This artwork depicted Lord Hanuman bowing before Sahajanand Swami of the Swami Narayan sect. Expressing firm disapproval of this portrayal, Mahant and Maha Madleshwar of the Bhimnath Mahadev Temple, Ashutosh Giri Bapu, demanded the immediate removal of the said 'mural' from the temple premises, ANI reported. Due to the controversy surrounding the mural, a gathering of 100 saints is scheduled to convene in Libdi in the near future, and an assembly of 3000 saints is also being organized at the Bhimnath temple. The Mahant said, "We expect the 'Swaminarayan sect' to use proper depictions, otherwise we know how to do it very well." He further said if needed 5000 saints and sages would gather in the temple, and indulge in activities, including fasting. The temple falls under the jurisdiction of the Vadtal Gadi within the Swaminarayan sect. (With inputs from ANI) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Amid rising international concerns, North Korea's Kim Jong Un is scheduled for an uncommon trip to Russia to engage in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. High on the agenda is the possible exchange of artillery and anti-tank missiles for Moscows advanced satellite and nuclear submarine technology, Reuters reported. The forthcoming meeting, set to take place in Vladivostok, a port city in proximity to North Korea, signals escalating military cooperation between the two nations. The discussions come at a moment when Russia has been open about its intent to conduct joint military drills with North Korea. The Defence Minister of Russia, Sergei Shoigu, expressed a need for neighbourly peace during a prior discussion. Essentially, the sentiment was that it is better to maintain cordial relations with neighbouring countries, as per the Interfax news agency. US, South Korea alarm bells The United States has aired its apprehensions regarding the progressing arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea. Recently, Washington imposed sanctions on organisations believed to be facilitating arms deals between the two countries. South Korean Intelligence reports earlier mentioned a visit by Sergei Shoigu to Pyongyang, where he had proposed a trilateral naval exercise involving China, as per South Korean news agency Yonhap. This visit took place during the 70th anniversary celebrations of the end of the Korean War, known as Victory Day" in North Korea, as per Yonhap. History and future Russia and North Korea share a legacy of alliance that dates back to the Cold War era. Last week, the Kremlin articulated plans to fortify its "mutually respectful relations" with North Korea, which has supported Russia's annexation of parts of Ukraine in 2022. Although Vladivostok is the likely venue for the upcoming talks, there is a possibility that the meeting could shift to Moscow, according to The New York Times. Kim Jong Un's late father, Kim Jong Il, who was known for his reclusiveness and unique travel preferences, last visited Russia a few months before his demise in 2011. While both countries have called for closer military ties, North Korea has publicly refuted allegations of any current "arms dealings" with Russia, Reuters reported. (With Reuters inputs) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! TULKAREM, West BankWhen Palestinian security forces last week tried to remove barricades preventing Israeli soldiers from entering a refugee camp, local residents were incensed. A resulting gunfight between militants and Palestinian security forces ended with a 25-year-old man shot dead and a growing sense of resentment among ordinary Palestinians who see their government as inept, corrupt and, some say, a collaborator with Israel in occupying the West Bank. After this, everything is broken," said Mohammed, who saw the fight break out from his falafel shop. We have no trust in them." Standoffs such as the one in Tulkarem are becoming more common as the Palestinian Authority tries to reassert its grip on power and prevent its rivals and a range of militant groups from gaining influence. It has been dangerously weakened over the past year in the midst of a flood of illegal weapons into the area and anger over near-daily incursions by the Israeli military that have made 2023 one of the deadliest years for Palestinians in nearly two decades. In recent weeks, the semiautonomous authority has been pursuing a sometimes violent crackdown on militants and arresting hundreds of political rivals, part of a do or die effort to maintain its hold over the West Bank. It is their last gasp," said Diana Buttu, a lawyer and former Palestinian negotiator with Israel. They are beginning to feel that the end is near." The authoritys role as the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people is especially important now, as the U.S. works to broker a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has given the Saudis a list of concessions from Israel that he wants to be part of any diplomatic deal. Saudi Arabia has been a longtime financial and political supporter of Palestinian efforts to create an independent nation alongside Israel, but it cut off funding for the Palestinian Authority in 2021 in the midst of persistent concern about incompetence and corruption. Until efforts this year at rapprochement, there was a sense that Abbas had lost the Saudis ear. Incidents such as the recent flare-up in Tulkarem are now raising tensions between the authority and residents, who see the authority as working with Israel to suppress resistance to the occupation. We support the PA taking up its role in maintaining law and order," said Faisal Salameh, an official at the Tulkarem refugee camp. But at the same time, the Israeli raids have increased, which is putting the PA in a position of looking treasonous." The militants in Tulkarem who fought with Palestinian Authority security forces last week call themselves the Tulkarem Brigade. They are made up of militants from a variety of factions, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah, which is the political party that controls the Palestinian Authority. They have tried to arrest us several times," said a 24-year-old member of the Tulkarem Brigade. What they want is to end this national movement of armed resistance without offering a way to protect our people." A Palestinian Authority police spokesman, Luay Irzeiqat, said security forces entered Tulkarem at the request of local residents who asked them to clear out the area around a United Nations school, where militants had set up metal barriers and roadside explosives. The spokesman said the police have launched an investigation into whose bullet struck Abdelqader Zaqdah, a 25-year-old man killed during the gunbattle, and who witnesses say wasnt involved in the fighting. The Palestinian Authority said results of the investigation are expected to be released later this week. If the bullets in his body are from Kalashnikovs, then he was killed by our men and well take responsibility, but if the bullets are fired from M16 rifles, then it isnt us," said Irzeiqat. The Palestinian Authority blames Israel for undermining its ability to control the territory by conducting regular raids to arrest militants that have left many people dead. So far this year, more than 180 Palestinians, most of whom were militants, have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli security forces. The Israeli forces and their raids are the problem," said Kamal Abu Al-Rub, the Palestinian Authority-appointed acting governor of Jenin. In July, Israel conducted a two-day operation in the Jenin refugee camp that was its largest military assault in the West Bank in decades. The Israeli army said it arrested militants responsible for more than 50 shooting attacks against Israelis and confiscated thousands of weapons including guns, ammunition and explosive devices. At least 12 Palestinians were killed, most of them militants, with 100 injured and thousands displaced after widespread damage to the camp. It is what is embarrassing the PA and putting them in a weak position," said Abu Al-Rub. Israel has said that the authority hasnt done enough to crack down on militants who launch attacks against Israelis, and is withholding millions of dollars of taxes collected on behalf of the authority as punishment. U.S. officials have warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the Palestinian Authority is on the verge of collapse, which could thrust the region into a war if Israel doesnt do more to bolster its standing. Suhail Salman, a former deputy mayor of Tulkarem, said the Palestinian Authoritys efforts to assert its power are adding more pain for residents already suffering under the occupation. The PA believes that if it stops the Israeli armys raids and killings, that is a success," he said. But the end result for the ordinary citizen is that it is now doing the same in addition to Israel." Ari Flanzraich contributed to this article. Write to Shayndi Raice at Shayndi.Raice@wsj.com "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! KYIV, UkraineA Russian military pilot who defected to Ukraine last month said he flew his Mi-8 helicopter low over fields with its transponder off to evade detection, capping an operation planned over months with Ukraines military intelligence agency. In his first public appearance at a news conference in Ukraine, Capt. Maksim Kuzminov said Tuesday that he reached out to the agency, best known by the acronym HUR, late last year after months lamenting the Russian invasion of Ukraine and his part in it. Kuzminov, a 28-year-old from Russias Far East, said he had worked as a transport pilot for the Russian military, moving troops and equipment across Russia and, once the war started, also to occupied territory in Ukraines south. He agreed on a plan with HUR to defect by flying the Mi-8 helicopter at his command through a safe corridor into Ukraine. Two other Russian service members were on board when he set off from Kursk in Russias south, and neither knew of his plans, he said. When he neared his destination near Vovchansk in northeastern Ukraine, he said the men began to panic. They jumped out of the helicopter when it landed and sprinted north toward the border. HURs director Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov told Ukrainian media that the two men were killed when they attempted to flee. The successful operation on Aug. 9 is a coup for HUR, marking the first time a Russian Air Force pilot has defected since Moscow launched its war 18 months ago. The agency has compared it to Operation Diamond, a three-year mission by Israels Mossad national intelligence agency that ended in August 1966 with the capture of a Soviet-built MiG-21 jet fighter flown by an Iraqi Air Force defector. HUR sought to capitalize on the audacity of the daytime operation and counter Russian denials by releasing on Sunday a video detailing the raid and elements of the agencys cooperation with Kuzminov, who said he was seeking a chance to escape. When everything started there were tears, suffering, fear and a question: Why does our country need this war?" Kuzminov said of the first days of the war, speaking beside two HUR officials. I understood that it was a crime and I simply will not take part in it." Moscow hasnt commented on Kuzminovs defection. Fighterbomber, a Russian military aviation Telegram channel that is well connected with the Russian Air Force, said after the release of the HUR film that the story shouldnt be trusted. News of Kuzminovs capture is also a boost to Ukraine just as a major counteroffensive in the south is starting to make progress after achieving limited gains in three months of fighting against deeply dug-in Russian forces. Kuzminov, a pilot in Russias 319th separate helicopter regiment of army aviation based in the Primorsk region of Russias Far East, said he was living a comfortable life with two apartments and a good salary when the war started. Toward the end of 2022, he wrote to representatives of HUR in an encrypted chat on Telegram, he said, and began discussing with them a plan to steal a Russian military helicopter and land it in Ukraine, which made him eligible for a $500,000 payout, according to Ukrainian wartime laws. By the summer, they had agreed on a flight route for Aug. 9, and that afternoon he left an air base in Kursk and flew toward Ukraines Kharkiv region, with the two other service members on board. He flew less than 32 feet above the ground to avoid detection, in radio silence mode, and said he was targeted by gunfire from an unknown direction as he crossed the border. HUR officials said troops fanned out around the helicopter and took control of it, finding documents relating to Russian military operations as well as instructions for airplane parts on board. Kuzminov said he is considering his options and plans to stay for the foreseeable future in Ukraine, where he said he has been given guarantees of safety and the $500,000 he was promised. His parents are with him in Ukraine, he said, without giving further details. HUR has said that any Russian service members who defect will receive similar treatment, as well as financial compensation for Russian equipment they pass on to the Ukrainians. In the video released by HUR on Sunday, Kuzminov urged others to follow his example. Theres so much you dont understand, and you havent seen how other people live," he said. When all this opens up before you, your views will fundamentally change." Write to Matthew Luxmoore at matthew.luxmoore@wsj.com "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 key tool of autocratic dictators throughout history, and currently displayed in the false propaganda machines of Russia, China, North Korea and similar regimes, is the relentless barrage of contrived reality that is presented as news. And in the counterfeit reality that Donald Trump and his ardent supporters subscribe to, the notion of factual truth is a sliding scale in which what actually happens from day to day is whatever they wish it to be. I offer a math formula to serve as an illustration of the collective mindset of MAGA election deniers: Candidate X leaves Chicago at 10 a.m., traveling west to Denver at a speed of 50 mph. Later the same day, Donald Trump leaves Chicago headed for Denver at 7 p.m. at a speed of 25 mph. Which candidate will reach Denver first? Answer: Trump, of course, with plenty of time to spare, in a "landslide!" While an American citizen's right to deliberately spread false information is protected by the U.S. Constitution, this doesn't mean that great harm can't result from misrepresentations of the truth and can even lead to violence and bloodshed. Trump began to sow deliberate misinformation well in advance of the 2020 presidential election, then flatly refused to accept the result of the election that he lost and continues to reject the will of our country's voters. Trump only called off the dogs in his failed coup attempt on Jan. 6, 2021, when it became obvious that it had no chance of succeeding. Did he care one iota about the police officers that died or were wounded on that horrible, infamous day? This narcissistic bully only cares about himself. It's so ironic that Trump's campaign slogan is "Save America." In order to save America, we must cast our votes to ensure that this gangster and wanna-be dictator never occupies the oval office again. Michael Scully Williamsville On Tuesday, Taylor was awarded the Medal of Honor at the White House. Now, Chattanooga is preparing to welcome him home. News / Local by Staff reporter THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec)'s false pronouncements before and after the elections have exposed the electoral body which now stands accused of misleading the nation.On August 18, for example, Zec claimed to have respectively printed 7 126 600, 7 098 750 and 6 854 250 presidential, parliamentary and local authority ballot papers.This information was released after the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) questioned in court Zec's transparency regarding the ballot paper printing process.However, on election day, Zec announced that it was still printing ballot papers and blamed court cases for the delay in printing.The head of the Southern African Development Community Observer Mission Nevers Mumba said Zec had assured them that there were enough voting materials.However, the subsequent revelation that Zec did not have adequate ballot papers raised doubts about the credibility of the electoral process.Mumba said: "Based on 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."During a briefing with election observers on August 16, Zec chairperson Priscilla Chigumba also claimed that the electoral body was not influenced by the government or any other organisation.She emphasised the independence of the commission as guaranteed by section 235 of the Constitution.However, Zec chief elections officer Utloile Silaigwana contradicted this statement in court when human rights activists challenged the failure by Zec to accredit them.Silaigwana acknowledged the significant role of the Executive in accrediting observers.In yet another blunder, Zec dismissed reports on August 28 that polling agents and observers were being recalled to sign new V11 forms. The commission clarified that the V11 forms were part of election residue and were sealed in ballot boxes after the counting of ballots.However, CCC claimed that several of its party agents received text messages from Zec, requesting them to return to polling stations to re-sign the V11 forms.CCC lawyer Thabani Mpofu then urged polling agents to ignore such requests from Zec or Zanu-PF. A man, in his late 70's, was hospitalised after he was assaulted during a burglary at his home in Westmeath in the early hours of last Saturday morning. The incident, which occurred at a property near Athlone, came less than 48 hours after an elderly man in Legan, Co Longford was burgled when a male impersonating a member of An Garda Siochana entered the residence and a sum of cash was stolen. Longford pensioner robbed by thief posing as 'bogus' garda Gardai have launched an investigation after a thief posing as a garda entered the home of a pensioner in south Longford yesterday evening and stole a sum of money. Gardai stated this evening that they are investigating an aggravated burglary that occurred in the early hours of Saturday, September 2, at a property in Athlone, Co. Westmeath. A male in his late 70s was assaulted by a number of individuals at a domestic residence, and a sum of cash was taken during the course of this incident. The man was taken to Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. A technical examination of the scene has been conducted by Gardai and investigations are currently ongoing. Gardai are appealing for anyone with any information regarding this incident to come forward. Gardai are appealing to anyone who was travelling in the Ballykeeran/Glasson Road (N55) area of Athlone between 1am and 5am on 2nd September 2023, and believes they may have seen something out of the ordinary. Any road users who may have video camera footage (including dash-cam) from this area at this time are asked to make it available to Gardai. Anyone with information is asked to contact Athlone Garda Station on 090 649 2600, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. See Change, a programme of Shine, is the national programme dedicated to ending stigma and discrimination associated with mental health, has launched the 11th national Green Ribbon Campaign. The first official event took place on Friday, September 1, at the Mansion House in Dublin, marking the beginning of a month-long initiative aimed at creating awareness and challenging the myths and misconceptions around mental health. Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Nicola Byrne, CEO, Shine said; The theme of this years campaign is judgement. People with mental illness can be unfairly judged or labelled based on their experiences which can lead to discrimination, isolation, and exclusion. This judgement can come from lack of understanding, fear, or societal misconceptions about mental illness. By prompting a national conversation about mental health and by encouraging people to educate themselves about mental illnesses, we hope to eradicate the stigma that many people living with a mental health difficulty experience today. Over the month of September, the Green Ribbon Campaign will feature engaging events, inspiring social media campaigns and support for workplaces, organisations and people across Ireland to start having open and honest conversations about mental health. The campaign uses the symbol of a green ribbon to represent hope and solidarity for those affected by mental health challenges. The campaign invites everyone to wear a Green Ribbon throughout September, signalling an open and embracing attitude towards discussing mental health. People can pick up a FREE Green Ribbon at participating Boots Pharmacies, AIB Bank branches, Iarnrod Eireann stations, and Eir stores or by contacting See Change. Speaking at the launch, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithi de Roiste said; I am delighted to announce my unwavering support for the See Change Green Ribbon Campaign. By reducing stigma and promoting open conversations about mental health, we can create a society that embraces compassion and understanding. The Mansion House will proudly light up green, serving as a symbol of our commitment and support for this vital cause. Together, let us break the barriers of judgement and build a more inclusive and empathetic society. Recent research conducted by Shine around the language used to discuss mental health and mental illness, ties in closely with the core aim of Shines See Change programme to end the stigma surrounding mental health. Their research revealed that "mental illness" is the preferred descriptor among individuals with lived experience, promoting equity with the term "physical illness". To find out more about this years Green Ribbon Campaign, visit https://seechange.ie/green-ribbon or follow Twitter: @SeeChangeIRL; Facebook: @SeeChangeIreland; Instagram: @SeeChangeIRL Local News By Chris Boyle Published: September 05 2023 Legislator Lafazans proposal would restore a policy that was implemented during the administration of former Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. Names of elected officials would be permanently removed from County signs and properties under a proposed resolution that was introduced on Monday, Aug. 21 by Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan (D Woodbury). Under Legislator Lafazans proposal, the County would be required to remove the names of current County officials from signs and property, including but not limited to portable showmobile stages, within 60 days of enactment. Thereafter, the names of current and future County officials will no longer be placed on County-owned signs or properties. The only exception to the rule would permit the posting of an officials name on County signs only if it is for honorary purposes, such as a ceremonial renaming of a park or street in the officials memory. The goal, Legislator Lafazan said, is to redirect taxpayer resources to more worthwhile endeavors by eliminating the need to produce and update hundreds of signs every two years or sooner based upon whom is elected to County office. There is simply no justification for wasting taxpayer dollars and the labor of Nassau Countys skilled workforce to perpetuate such a brazen form of taxpayer-funded self-promotion, Legislator Lafazan said. In a day and age in which all of the vital information about our elected officials is right at our fingertips, its long past time to remove any semblance of politicking from our County-owned public spaces by ending this practice once and for all. Legislator Lafazans proposal, which is co-sponsored by the unified Minority Caucus, would restore a policy that was implemented during the administration of former Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. However, shortly after taking office in 2022, the administration of current County Executive Bruce Blakeman reversed the policy, and the County Executives name was subsequently installed in gigantic print on County-owned show-mobiles, affixed to generic signage installed during between 2018 and 2021, and in numerous instances at the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre in Eisenhower Park. Objections to the Eisenhower Park signage led to the further postponement of the 20th annual Just Wild About Harry tribute concert, which was previously scheduled by the County for Aug. 28. Legislator Lafazans proposal, which was initially filed a week earlier, predates public awareness of this dispute between the County Executive and Just Wild About Harry organizers; thereafter, Legislator Lafazan amended the proposal to add a provision directing the Nassau County Department of Public Works and Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums to immediately accommodate requests from vendors to remove signage from county signs and properties prior to the 60-day deadline. Harry Chapins mission was all about feeding the hungry, Legislator Lafazan said. County Executive Blakeman, on the other hand, has proven time and again that he is all about feeding his own ego. Its time to get our priorities back in order here in Nassau County. As students return to school this week, Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that New York State is making COVID-19 rapid test kits and masks available to school districts and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services by request. This comes amid reports of the new BA.2.86 variant and following a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations this summer. Governor Hochul is also advising schools to follow CDC guidance to help protect students in the classroom. Thanks to the hard work of New York schools, teachers, and parents, we have come a long way to ensure students can safely return to the classroom, Governor Hochul said. Frequent testing for COVID-19 is an important part of keeping our kids safe and preventing an outbreak, and I will continue working to ensure our school districts have the resources they need to provide a safe, in-person learning environment for our students. This week, the State will conduct outreach to the State Education Department and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) to survey needs for test kits and masks. After the requests have been submitted, New York State will deliver the requested tests and N-95 and KN-95 masks to each BOCES for distribution to school districts. Additionally, Governor Hochul and the New York State Department of Health (DOH) recommend that schools review current CDC school guidance for COVID-19 prevention and work with their local health department to implement effective and feasible public health measures. New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, As we start the new school year, and once again see an uptick in COVID-19 across the State, I urge all students, teachers and parents to remember COVID tests are easy to use as well as highly accurate. Also know that COVID is a treatable disease. If you have symptoms, get tested. If you test positive, stay home and stay away from other people, especially those who are vulnerable to serious illness. And, to improve your chances of not having serious illness, speak with a health care provider about treatment. I thank Governor Hochul for working to provide school districts with critical resources to ensure that children have a successful and safe school year." New York State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said, It is with great excitement and anticipation that I welcome all students, teachers, and school leaders back to school for the 2023-24 school year. The health and safety of everyone in our school communities is paramount as we once again return for in-person instruction, and we must remain vigilant. The State Education Department and Board of Regents reminds everyone to review and follow CDC guidance. The Department, in conjunction with Governor Hochul and the State Department of Health, will continue to monitor the situation to ensure all students have a safe school environment where they can learn and grow. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: September 05 2023 NYPD Required to Change its Response to Protests in New York City, Stop Kettling and Other Excessive Use of Force Practices, and Improve Treatment of Members of the Press. New York Attorney General Letitia James, The Legal Aid Society (LAS), and the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) today announced a landmark agreement with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) that significantly reforms NYPDs policing of protests to protect the public and members of the press from excessive use of force. Todays agreement resolves lawsuits filed by Attorney General James, LAS, NYCLU, and other private plaintiffs over NYPDs wrongful arrests and excessive use of force against protesters during the summer of 2020. As a result of todays agreement, NYPD will be required to change how it deploys officers to public demonstrations to allow New Yorkers to exercise their First Amendment rights free from intimidation or violence. The centerpiece of the reforms is a new, four-tiered response system that will dictate how NYPD responds to protests, with the primary goal of protecting the rights of protesters. The tiered system will minimize police presence at protests and require NYPD to use de-escalation methods before increasing its response. The system allows for increased NYPD presence and response if protests block major traffic arteries, if protesters engage in unlawful conduct, or in other instances that could compromise public safety. Additionally, the agreement requires NYPD to create a new, senior role within the department to oversee response to all public demonstrations. The agreement will also require NYPD to stop its use of the crowd-control tactic known as kettling, amend its internal discipline matrix, and improve treatment of members of the press. To ensure accountability, a new collaborative oversight committee will review NYPDs response to public demonstrations over a multi-year period. The agreement requires New York City to provide $1.625 million in funding to the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) and $1.45 million to support plaintiffs work during the oversight committee process. The right to peacefully assemble and protest is sacrosanct and foundational to our democracy. Too often peaceful protesters have been met with force that has harmed innocent New Yorkers simply trying to exercise their rights, said Attorney General James. Todays agreement will meaningfully change how the NYPD engages with and responds to public demonstrations in New York City. As the Attorney General, it is my duty to protect New Yorkers rights and this agreement will ensure that peaceful protesters can make their voices heard without fear, intimidation, or harm. Today's settlement represents a novel approach to policing protests that, if implemented faithfully by the NYPD, will ensure that protesters are never again met with the sort of indiscriminate violence and retaliatory over-policing New York saw in the summer of 2020, said Corey Stoughton, attorney-in-charge of the Criminal Defense Practices Special Litigation Unit at The Legal Aid Society. We look forward to seeing these reforms unfold and will hold both the City and the NYPD accountable should the Department and individual officers fail to adhere to these new and needed practices. This landmark settlement holds the NYPD, the nations largest and most influential police force, to its oath to protect New Yorkers right to protest, said Molly Biklen, deputy legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. The NYPDs violent response to protestors during the 2020 demonstrations for Black lives made clear to the world what too many New Yorkers already knew, that the NYPD is unable or unwilling to police itself. Todays settlement ensures the NYPD can no longer indiscriminately deploy the notorious Strategic Response Group to protests and no longer escalate force on a whim. In 2020, Attorney General James held a three-day public hearing on NYPDs response to public protests and later released a preliminary report on the findings from the hearing. In 2021, Attorney General James filed a lawsuit against NYPD for its pattern of using excessive force and making false arrests against New Yorkers during peaceful protests. In October 2020, LAS and NYCLU also sued New York City and NYPD for its excessive use of force during protests in 2020 over the unjust killing of George Floyd. Two private lawsuits, Rolon v. City of New York and Gray v. City of New York, were also filed against NYPD for its excessive use of force against private citizens and members of the press respectively. Todays agreement resolves those lawsuits and requires NYPD to make a series of reforms to how it responds to and interacts with public demonstrations. Overview of Reforms Creation of a New Senior Executive Role to Oversee NYPD Response As part of todays agreement, NYPD must create a new senior-level role within the department to oversee all protest-related activities. The new First Amendment Activity (FAA) Senior Executive, who will have the rank of at least Deputy Chief, will be responsible for overseeing and developing all policies, procedures, and police officer trainings consistent with this agreement. In addition, the FAA Senior Executive will be responsible for leading the departments response to all New York City protests and must lead after-action reports, a new requirement that will document how NYPD responded to a public demonstration, who was the incident commander deployed to the demonstration, and why certain decisions were taken. Tiered Response Using a new tiered response system, New York City protests will have varied levels of police presence depending on the size, scale, and conditions at a protest. The NYPDs default response to a protest cannot be a large deployment of officers. At each tier, deployed officers have an obligation to attempt de-escalation techniques with the goal of facilitating the First Amendment rights of protesters. Tier One In Tier One, NYPD may deploy specially qualified protest liaisons from NYPDs Community Affairs Bureau whose primary role is to communicate with protesters and help facilitate the protest. The protest liaisons will receive training on effective communication with protestors, de-escalation, and crowd psychology. In this tier and in all the tiers, NYPD may deploy patrol officers to reroute vehicle or pedestrian traffic to help facilitate the protest. These patrol officers cannot be drawn from NYPD Strategic Response Group (SRG) and shall not carry equipment associated exclusively with those units. Tier Two The NYPD may move to Tier Two if the commander in charge of the protest, in consultation with the FAA Senior Executive, believes that certain criminal activity, such as burglary, larceny, or assault are imminent but have not yet occurred or there is a serious risk that the crowd size would obstruct critical infrastructure. In Tier Two, NYPD will dispatch protest liaisons to the protest and may station additional officers nearby but out of sight of the protest. If dynamics at the protest change, NYPD may move back to Tier One as determined by the commander in charge and the FAA Senior Executive. Tier Three The NYPD may move to Tier Three if there is individualized probable cause for arrest. For certain lower-level offenses, arrests can only be authorized by more senior officers holding at least the rank of Captain. In this tier, the NYPD may deploy an appropriate number of officers to address the specific individuals engaged in unlawful conduct. The Incident Commander must authorize the implementation of Tier Three and may authorize return to Tier One or Two if the conditions at the protest have changed. Tier Four The NYPD may move to Tier Four if protesters are seeking to gain unauthorized entry, or physically blocking others entry into a sensitive location, such as a hospital, or individuals are engaged in widespread criminal conduct that cannot be addressed by targeted arrests. In this tier, the Incident Commander may move to disperse the protest if approved and directed by the FAA Senior Executive. Dispersal orders must be audible to the entire crowd, clearly identify exit points, and whenever possible, direct protesters to where they may continue to lawfully protest. The NYPD must document the specific basis for the decision to disperse a protest. Use of Force Todays agreement requires NYPD to change its practices around encirclement of protesters to protect New Yorkers from unjustified arrests and excessive use of force. The NYPD can only encircle an individual or individuals within a crowd who are the target of a particular arrest. If any other individuals are inadvertently or mistakenly encircled, they must be allowed to exit the encirclement formation immediately, and officers must help facilitate those individuals' exit. The agreement makes clear that NYPD cannot engage in kettling, the practice of enclosing individuals with an intent to take police action against them without having individualized probable cause. In addition, NYPD, including its Aviation Unit, cannot deploy helicopters with the intent of intimidation or the intent of disrupting, interfering with, or dispersing a lawful protest. In the event that NYPD must establish a Mass Arrest Processing Center (MAPC), the new FAA Senior Executive or their designee must authorize its establishment. The agreement requires the NYPD to ensure MAPCs location and contact information are readily available to the public via the NYPDs social media accounts. In addition, the NYPD must provide all people held at the MAPC clean water, food (if held for more than two hours), personal protective equipment (PPE), prompt access to telephones, adequate medical care, and restrooms. Treatment of Members of the Press As a result of todays agreement, the NYPD must improve its treatment of members of the press and improve reporters access to a protest to be able to record and report. The NYPD must update its trainings and Administrative Guide to explicitly acknowledge that there is a clearly established right under the First Amendment to record police activity in public. The agreement states that NYPD officers cannot prohibit or restrict the presss right to observe and record a protest, including by putting up crime scene tape for the sole purpose of preventing members of the press from viewing the scene. The NYPD also cannot arrest a member of the press or public solely for observing or recording police activity in a public place. If there is an order by the NYPD to leave an area, press pass holders are not required to leave the area but can move to a safe location. To ensure that NYPD is effectively complying with these terms, NYPD agrees to participate in meetings at least twice per year to discuss any problems related to the press and newsgathering activities, and to allow representatives of the press to make any recommendations with respect to related policies and practices. Oversight An oversight committee comprised of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the Commissioner of DOI, New York City Office of Corporation Counsel, the new FAA Senior Executive, and two representatives from LAS, NYCLU, and the private cases will oversee and monitor NYPDs implementation and compliance with the new reforms over a multi-year period. In phase one, NYPD must begin changing its trainings and policies to comply with the terms of the agreement, including the four-tiered response system, arrest policies, use of force at public demonstrations, and treatment of members of the press. Starting in phase two of the oversight period, the committee will meet regularly to review and evaluate NYPDs response to protests. Every six months, DOI will conduct an in-depth review of two protests and make recommendations to NYPD. In addition, DOI must also publicly issue two progress reports summarizing their review of the NYPDs response to protests. As part of todays agreement, New York City will provide $1.625 million in funding to DOI to hire additional full-time DOI staff to fulfill its role on the oversight committee. New York City will also provide $1.45 million to plaintiffs attorneys on the oversight committee to conduct their work, including the hiring of a community outreach expert who will be responsible for engaging affected communities, including grassroots organizations, legal organizations, press organizations and legal observers, and ensuring that community input is incorporated. In phase three of the oversight period, the court will retain jurisdiction over the agreement for an additional 12 months, and if at any time during phase three the NYPD violates the terms of the agreement, OAG or the other plaintiffs may take action to bring the matter back to court. This matter was led by Assistant Attorney General Lillian Marquez and handled by Assistant Attorneys General Lois Saldana, Swati Prakash, Zoe Ridolfi-Starr, Nancy Trasande and former Assistant Attorneys General Conor Duffy and Brooke Tucker, all with the Civil Rights Bureau, as well as Assistant Attorney General Greg Morrill of the Public Integrity Bureau, former Special Counsel Morenike Fajana and Assistant Attorneys General Gina Bull and Colleen Faherty of the Executive Division, Assistant Attorney General Tracy Edwards of the Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office, and Assistant Attorney General John Marsella of the Rochester Regional Office, under the supervision of Civil Rights Deputy Bureau Chief Travis England. Additional assistance was provided by Assistant Solicitor General Philip Levitz of the Division of Appeals and Opinions and Senior Investigative Counsel Kristen Bitetto of the Office of Special Investigation, and Social Justice Coordinator Francisca Montana. The Civil Rights Bureau is part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: September 05 2023 $1.72 Million Child Care Expansion, Part of $10.8 Million Effort to Address Child Care Deserts. Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the availability of 200 more spots at 12 high-demand SUNY campus child care centers. The expansion of child care accessibility on SUNY campuses is made possible with $1.72 million in additional funding for improvements. The SUNY community colleges that were awarded funds include Broome, Dutchess, Genesee, Hudson Valley, Jamestown, Niagara County, Schenectady, Suffolk County for two locations, Tompkins, Cortland, Ulster, and Westchester. Quality child care is the cornerstone of a childs development and is a crucial investment in the success of our future generations, Governor Hochul said. Investing in child care centers on SUNY campuses empowers our students, staff and faculty to pursue a higher education with ease while supporting working families. The New York State investment was part of Governor Hochuls 2023 Budget and her wide-reaching initiative to ensure that students, faculty, and staff on all SUNY campuses have access to high-quality child care centers. Demand for child care spots have risen significantly, and on some campuses, as many as 80 percent of students with dependents report they have trouble meeting their child care needs. This announcement was made today by SUNY Chancellor King during a visit to Niagara County Community College, where he joined President William Murabito to tour the John R. Oishei Child Development Center and speak with student parents and the program director. During the 2022-2023 academic year, SUNY offered approximately 4,500 child care slots across the 46 SUNY campuses that have a child care center onsite. The centers served 795 student-parents up from 650 the year before as well as faculty, staff, and local community members. SUNY campuses invest about $6 million annually to provide child care services. Last year, $10.8 million was allocated to SUNY to address child care deserts as well as fund improvements and expand capacity. State University of New York Chancellor John B. King said, Having that college degree is more important than ever to compete for good jobs in New Yorks rapidly evolving workplaces, and for many of our students, services like child care are essential for them to earn their spot at graduation. My thanks to Governor Hochul for ongoing support and funding for these services, as well as the leadership on campuses for the care they provide our students and their families, and their ongoing work to build up resources for the communities we serve. State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said, I am delighted that SUNY will provide additional funding for 12 child daycare centers. Over the last several years the state budget has provided massive increases in aid without increasing tuition for instate students. By providing this support will are removing a significant barrier that many students face in achieving their educational goals. Our investment in on-campus childcare services is one of the many reasons our SUNY system remains among the greatest drivers of economic upward mobility in the entire country. In addition, this will hopefully continue to improve enrollment metrics." Assemblymember Patricia Fahy said, Access to affordable, reliable childcare is a game changer for SUNY students who often balance their academic portfolio while working and providing for their families. As Chair of the Higher Education Committee in the Assembly, Im committed to ensuring that the transformative funding we secured in last years budget, in part, is used to enhance the student experience on campus and provide more resources and support to accomplish that. Thank you to Senate Higher Education Committee Chair Toby Ann Stavisky, SUNY Chancellor John King, and Governor Kathy Hochul for sharing that vision and committing the resources necessary to support our diverse SUNY student body. Niagara County Community College President Dr. William J. Murabito said, Child care can be a barrier to seeking higher education or anyone balancing family and career. Having a child care center right here at Niagara County Community College is a tremendous asset not only for students who are parents, but also our own employees with children. We're excited about this new funding because it will allow us to dedicate more space to the center, serve more students, and provide a wider range of programming for children across all of their developmental stages." About The State University of New York The State University of New York, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNYs 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the countrys oldest school of maritime, the states only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2022, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu. A horrific scene played out on Friday afternoon on a New York City subway platform as a seemingly deranged man attacked an elderly woman by beating her repeatedly with her own cane while onlookers made no attempt to intervene, but instead filmed the encounter and later posted the video on X (formerly Twitter) The victim, a 60-year-old woman, was struck over 50 times during a span of two minutes at approximately 3:30 a.m. Friday by an unidentified man while she was walking at the West 116 Street and Lenox Avenue station, according to police. The disturbing video depicts the suspect initially lunging at the woman while wielding an umbrella as she attempts to defend herself with her cane; however, the male is able to wrest the cane from her, and from there he begins repeatedly striking her with it, causing her to fall to the ground while screaming for help. The woman is seen being struck over 50 times on her head, legs, arms, stomach, and back; she is hit with such force that eventually the cane breaks. At this point the woman snatches the remainder of her cane away from her assailant, who then resorts to punching her in the head while yelling at her. Before the video ends during which no one, including the individuals filming it, attempt to assist or intervene to end the assault the male can be seen kicking the elderly victim while she lies motionless on the ground. Members of the New York City Police Department responded to a 911 call regarding the incident at approximately 3:30 a.m. The victim was taken to a local area hospital, where she is currently in stable condition. Reports indicate that the woman did not know her assailant; it is also not known what events led up to the attack as of press time. SCPD To Offer Reflective Vests to Pedestrians/Bicyclists and Reflective Stickers for Childrens Bicycles Local News By Chris Boyle Published: September 05 2023 Donations aimed at improving roadway safety. Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison will distribute reflective vests to pedestrians and bicyclists as part of the departments ongoing roadway safety programs during a press conference in Patchogue on September 5 at 12:30 p.m. Home Depot donated reflective vests to the department that will be available, while supplies last, at Suffolk County Police Headquarters in Yaphank. Community Relations Bureau and COPE officers will also distribute the vests as well as reflective stickers for childrens bicycles. Roadway safety is an issue that impacts everyone in Suffolk County and the department has focused on enforcement efforts to discourage reckless behavior on our roads. These donations are aimed at improving visibility and provide a level of protection against potential injuries. WHERE: In front of 116 East Main St., Patchogue News / Local by Staff reporter ZIMBABWE yesterday opened a new chapter following the swearing in of Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa for his second term as the President of Zimbabwe.President Mnangagwa won the presidential election after polling 2 350 711 votes (52,6 percent) beating his nearest challenger, Citizens Coalition for Change leader Mr Nelson Chamisa who got 1 967 343 (44 percent).The swearing in of Mnangagwa is a confirmation that the elections are now behind us and we are back to business of building our country. This is the time for Zimbabweans to close ranks and resist the machinations of our detractors who have been on an overdrive to sow seeds of discord among us since the announcement of the election results.A lot of falsehoods are being peddled by locals and Zimbabweans in the diaspora who are not happy that the country is enjoying peace and tranquility.Government under the Second Republic has implemented a number of life- changing projects across the country and this has endeared the ruling party Zanu-PF to the people hence Mnangagwa has been given the mandate to continue with his development programmes, much to the chagrin of the country's enemies.Zimbabweans should refuse to be hoodwinked by these enemies of development who relish in their suffering. Instead of celebrating the many achievements of the Second Republic, these uncouth individuals are always peddling falsehoods meant to tarnish Government image.President Mnangagwa has said now is the time to put shoulder to the wheel as we build the Zimbabwe we all want.Following the commissioning of the US$1,4 billion Hwange Thermal Power Station Unit 7 and 8 expansion project, Zimbabwe is now meeting its daily electricty demand hence industry is guaranteed adequate power supply going forward.It is such milestones registered by the Second Republic that have unsettled the enemy who wanted to use the people's suffering to destablise the country.We have elements working to divide the people and these must be weeded out from our midst as we work to grow our economy to improve the citizens' livelihoods.The programme to turn around the economy is at an advanced stage and all that is needed is to build on the momentum.Zimbabwe is a member of the global village and what is encouraging is that many international organisations and individual countries have pledged to continue working with the new dispensation despite the falsehoods being peddled through social media by the country's detractors.President Mnangagwa has said corruption, incompetency, dereliction of duty, laziness, social and cultural decadency should not be tolerated as we work to exploit our resources for the benefit of all citizens.Each and every Zimbabwean should play his or her role in growing the economy and making Zimbabwe a better place to live.Zimbabwe is endowed with both natural resources and human skills that are sought after the world over and what is needed is just commitment and shared vision.It is Zimbabweans who should take the lead in investing in the different sectors of the economy. Foreign investment while very welcome, should just come in to complement local investment. (Alliance News) - Rainbow Rare Earths Ltd on Tuesday said that the front end of the Phalaborwa pilot plant in South Africa has successfully produced its first batch of mixed rare earth sulphate. According to the South Africa and east Africa-focused rare earth oxide producer, the batch totalled around three kilogrammes. Rainbow said this production achievement validates its successful development of a process flow sheet to recover rare earths from phosphogypsum stacks that occur as the by-product of phosphoric acid production. Front-end pilot plant reagent consumption and overall recoveries of around 65% were in line with the expectations of the preliminary economic assessment. Mixed rare earth sulphate will be used as feed for the back-end pilot plant built at K-Tech facilities in Florida for final processing into separated rare earth oxides. Meanwhile, the front-end pilot plant will run for an additional quarter to further optimise recoveries and cost-base. "This achievement not only de-risks Phalaborwa, it also opens up exciting opportunities for the Company to apply the proprietary technology to other similar phosphogypsum resources globally, including at the Mosaic Uberaba stack in Brazil," said Chief Executive Officer George Bennett. "We look forward to our final de-risking step, producing separated rare earth oxides in early Q4 2023 at the back-end pilot plant situated at K-Tech's facilities in the USA. This will enable Rainbow to capture the full uplift in value by taking our product all the way through to separated rare earth oxides, with the overall positive impact on the company's future revenue streams and profitability." Rainbow Rare Earths shares were trading 1.7% lower at 16.43 pence each in London on Tuesday afternoon. By Holly Beveridge, Alliance News reporter Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved. More homes become eligible for aid with more home improvement plans included in new rules The updated law provides support for sound-proofing measures for homeowners in the vicinity of the airport The updated law provides support for sound-proofing measures for homeowners in the vicinity of the airport Photo credit: Gerry Huberty The updated law provides support for sound-proofing measures for homeowners in the vicinity of the airport Photo credit: Gerry Huberty Luxembourg's government plans on spending nearly 2.5 million to help homeowners pay for insulation from airport noise under new rules and with thousands of complaints filed each year. Almost 3,000 noise complaints were lodged against the airport last year, a similar number to 2021. Most of these came from a single residents association, the countrys Air Navigation Administration (ANA) told the Luxembourg Times earlier this year. Updated rules mean that more home owners are eligible for aid to pay for noise insulation, the environment ministry said in a press release on Tuesday. More than 2,630 addresses are now included in the programme, compared to just 400 homes previously. Homeowners have until 2032 to benefit from the scheme, and more renovation projects are eligible for funding than before. The ministry plans on spending nearly 2,450,000 on the initiative. It follows other home improvement programmes aimed at creating work for the construction sector and meeting green transition targets at the same time. The residential buildings eligible for the taxpayer-funded aid were identified based on 2016 and 2021 strategic airport noise maps, which indicate areas experiencing noise levels exceeding 64 dB(A) during the day and 54 dB(A) at night. The A-weighted decibel scale - or db(A) - measures noise levels taking into account human sensitivity to different frequencies. Eligible households can apply for financial aid of up to 16,000 for a house (up from 12,500) and 8,000 for an apartment (increased from 6,250). Luxembourg imposes a night time curfew between 11pm and 6am, during which time airlines are expected to meet "exceptional criteria" to justify a night flight. But there are no penalties and planes can frequently be heard approaching the airport well within the limits of the curfew. Proposals to tackle the issue which have been suggested in recent years would see airlines face penalty charges for breaching the curfew and stricter criteria introduced for granting permission to night flights. Despite the high volume of complaints, no sanctions have been imposed on any airlines, as "there is no legal basis" for enforcement, mobility minister Francois Bausch said two years ago. Data from the national air traffic agency showed the number of flights that landed or took off during night time curfew at Luxembourg's Findel Airport increased by more than 10% in 2022. Download Image: Web Lycoming College welcomed first-year and transfer students during the New Student Convocation on Aug. 24. In keeping with a long-held tradition, students marched through the David B Sykes Gate to mark the beginning of their academic year. Student Senate officers and Chip Edmonds, Ed.D. 98, executive vice president, then led the group through campus to Lamade Gymnasium where faculty, staff, family, and friends joined in celebration and recognition. The Class of 2027 is comprised of 300 new students. They are a diverse group as 28 percent of the class are domestic students of color. Nearly half reside outside of Pennsylvania, including 16 different states and eight countries from around the world. Twenty-two percent follow in the footsteps of many alumni as first-generation college students, and 19 students are legacies whose parents are alumni of the institution. More than 20 percent of the Class ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school classes, and 139 are student-athletes who will represent the Warriors on varsity teams this year. Daniel Miller, Ed.D., vice president for student life and dean of students, provided a warm welcome to attendees, followed by Quincy Blair 24, president of Student Senate, who invited the incoming students to join him in reciting the Warrior Honor Pledge. Philip Sprunger, Ph.D., provost and dean of the faculty, officially presented the Class of 2027. In his charge to the Class of 2027, President Kent Trachte, Ph.D., said, It is an exciting time in your life a time filled with possibilities. It is a time to learn new ideas, engage in new experiences, and form new relationships. You are preparing for a lifetime of meaning and careers filled with success. In his charge to the Class of 2027, President Kent Trachte, Ph.D., said, It is an exciting time in your life a time filled with possibilities. It is a time to learn new ideas, engage in new experiences, and form new relationships. You are preparing for a lifetime of meaning and careers filled with success. He also offered advice for how the students should approach their academic careers at Lycoming. I have challenged you to adopt the Warrior spirit by thinking deeply and acting boldly, Trachte concluded. In return, I pledge to you that Lycoming College will invest in creating a learning environment that supports all of you in being successful. We are committed to mentoring and guiding you as you discover your passions. We believe in teaching and challenging you to realize your potential. We are confident that if you embrace the Warrior spirit, you will graduate with the critical thinking skills, sophisticated intercultural skills, and the interpersonal skills needed to succeed in todays complex and diverse society. A heartfelt address was delivered by faculty marshal Elizabeth Moorhouse, Ph.D., and associate professor of economics. I think if you are doing college right, it should feel hard. It should feel overwhelming and sometimes scary. This just means you are stretching yourself and trying new things, Moorhouse said. Be patient. Stick with it. Believe that you can do hard things, and if that belief starts to wane...know that there is a whole network of support here at the College you can lean on to get through those tough times. Susan Ross, Ph.D., dean of the College, followed with encouraging closing remarks. The Lycoming College Brass Ensemble, directed by William Ciabattari, Ph.D., associate professor of music and chair of the department, performed the prelude, processional, and recessional. Recently appointed assistant professor of music, Patrick Chiu, Ph.D., led members of the Lycoming College Choir in the National Anthem, a musical interlude, and the Colleges alma mater. A recording of the Class of 2027 New Student Convocation can be viewed at www.lycoming.edu/calendar/live.aspx. Celebrating the Class of 2024 In August 2020, students arrived on campus amidst a global pandemic, and they were unable to participate in the time-honored tradition of first-year students processing through the David B Sykes Gate. On Aug. 30, the Class of 2024, now seniors, gathered to reclaim their rite of passage as PageCarol Woods, Ed.D., assistant dean for student success, and Cullen Chandler, Ph.D., Chair of the Faculty and Frank and Helen Lowry Professor of History, opened the gate to welcome them. Participants joined together on the Intramural Field as President Trachte addressed the seniors, commending them for their perseverance during these unprecedented years and stating they are the first and only class to ever process through both the David B Sykes Gate and Oliver Sterling Metzler Gate in a single academic year. Their time at Lycoming will go down in the Colleges history. Rebekah Hromyak 24, senior class president, greeted her classmates and reflected on their journey at Lycoming. Attendees proceeded across campus to celebrate and enjoy refreshments on the Freet Plaza located outside the Krapf Gateway Center. Apple once had a strong presence in the education market (remember the eMac?). But with institutions and school districts working with tight budgets, cheap PCs and Chromebooks took over. Apple quietly lessened its efforts in education, but a report says the company may be looking to get back in. Citing industry sources, DigiTimes reports that Apple is working on a low-cost MacBook series to compete with Chromebook models in the education sector. DigiTimes (which has a less-than-stellar track record for rumors) says this new laptop would be separate from the current MacBook Air and Pro lineups. with a different material for the shell and lower-cost components to match low-end Chromebook pricing. DigiTimes also reports that suppliers Quanta Computer and Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) show no signs of related activity, which could mean that production wont start until next year. Or it could mean that the whole thing is false. It could be feasible Theres one good reason why this report could be feasible: cheap Chromebooks, such as the ones sold to education, break down. Every so often, a report is published about how institutions find that their Chromebook investment isnt worth it. For example, ABC News reported just this past weekend on the durability of Chromebooks, citing one shop in New York that repairs 5,000 Chromebooks monthly for the 150 schools it services. In May, The Verge reported about the US Public Interest Research Group Education Fund findings that Chromebooks break after three years. Decent Chromebooks, like the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip, generally start at around $600, much lower than any MacBook Apple sells. Foundry mit Material von Asus So the education market seems to be ripe for the picking. Schools need cheap devices that can last more than three years. And Apple is renowned for making quality products that last. On top of that, Macs have a reputation for being easy to administer and support by ITwhich, at many public schools, is not a full-time staffed position. An inexpensive MacBook that schools can afford and doesnt need persistent IT support? Thats a winner for the education market. Theres an obvious business benefit for Apple. Considering how Mac sales have stalled over the past couple of quarters, a renewed education effort would no doubt boost those sales numbers. But its not going to happen Apple already has a device for the education market: the iPad. The company has made pledges to education programs with the iPad with a starting price of $299 and lower, and it regularly promotes the iPad as a tool for primary education. The iPad offers much of what students are looking forgood software support, a touch screen, powerful apps, and a low $329 entry price. But its not a MacBook, you might say. True, and some extremely cheap Chromebooks can sell for even less than the entry-level iPad. Apple has never made a laptop that cheap and is likely unable to start now. Even if Apple could make a laptop that sold for $500, that price may not be low enough to entice buyers in the numbers that Apple would need for it to be successful. Apples most affordable laptop is currently the $999 M1 MacBook Air that is often found for $750 on Amazon and other third-party retailers. It will certainly last much longer than the three years a Chromebook does. Maybe Apple cuts the price of its older Airs as it does with the iPhone, but again, were talking about price points that Apple doesnt usually fulfill with its MacBooks, and is not compelled to. Apple does what it can to help ease the burden of cost, but educational buyers have the challenge of justifying the higher up-front cost for long-term investment. Its unlikely that Apple is ever going to play that game. After more than a year of teasing, Apple Music Classical finally launched this spring with an impressive catalog of classical music and a rather good interface. It looks like the catalog is going to get a boost soon, as Apple is acquiring Nordic classical music label BIS Records. The Swedish companys website has been updated to show a simple letter from BIS founder Robert von Bahr, thanking the team for all theyve done over the last 50 years and announcing the agreement to be acquired by Apple. We thought long and hard on how to maintain and build upon our prestigious history and looked for a partner who would further our mission, as well as an increased global platform to bring classical music to new audiences all over the world. Apple, with its own storied history of innovation and love of music, is the ideal home to usher in the next era of classical and has shown true commitment towards building a future in which classical music and technology work in harmony. It is my vision and my sincerest dream that we are all a part of this future. Robert von Bahr, BIS Records Founder BIS Records will become a part of Apple Music Classical while retaining the entire personnel of BIS. News / National by Tarisai Mudahondo The Zimbabwe Republic police arrested the suspected serial killer Thandolwenkosi Ndlovu (20) today in connection with five murder cases in the Harare Central business district between August 28 and 4th of September.The police confirmed the arrest through a press statement which reads, " The suspect who is believed to be living in the streets would target street kids who will be fast asleep and crush them and open the victims stomach to remove genitals and other body parts using empty broken bottles, the suspect would then boil or braai the human parts on an open fire place and consume them while in the Harare CBD.On the 4th of September police detectives tracked the suspect along Rotten Row road after he allegedly tried to attack a street kid who did not bother to make a police report".The statement further reads that "on being arrested the suspect was positively linked to five murder cases which occurred on 28 August at the corner of George Silundika avenue and Simon Mazorodze street on the 1st of September and at the corner of Innez Terrace road and Robert Mugabe road, 3rd of September at the corner of Nelson Mandela avenue and 6th street and on the 4th of September at corner of Cripps road and Rememberance road, Harare". By Arunima Kumar and David French (Reuters) -Enbridge will buy three utilities from Dominion Energy for $14 billion including debt, the Canadian pipeline operator said on Tuesday, creating North America's largest natural gas provider and doubling its gas distribution business. The deal is seen as a bet on the future of natural gas in a regulated market even as energy companies and consumers are transitioning to a greener future by phasing out fossil fuels. The deals for East Ohio Gas, Questar Gas, and Public Service Co of North Carolina will consist of $9.4 billion in cash and $4.6 billion of assumed debt. U.S.-listed shares of Enbridge fell 6.5% to $33.01 in extended trading after the company also announced a C$4 billion ($2.9 billion) bought-share sale to fund a portion of the deal. The divestments are the latest by Dominion following a strategic refresh announced last year aimed at focusing on its regulated operations. In July, Dominion agreed to sell its 50% stake in Cove Point LNG to the energy arm of Berkshire Hathaway for $3.3 billion. Enbridge President and CEO Greg Ebel described the assets the company is acquiring as "must-have" infrastructure for providing safe, reliable and affordable energy. The deal is expected to close in 2024, subject to approvals from the Federal Trade Commission and Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, among others. Upon closing, Enbridge would supply over 9 billion cubic feet per day (bcfpd) of gas to about 7 million customers in Ohio, North Carolina, Utah, Idaho and Wyoming, making it the largest gas utility business by volume in North America. It would give the Calgary-based company access to a bigger chunk of cash from U.S. consumers as they buy gas for cooking and heating from an Enbridge-owned utility. "Enbridge is currently the only major pipeline and midstream company that owns a regulated gas utility and we've further strengthened that position today by doubling the size of our GDS (gas distribution and storage) business," Enbridge's Chief Financial Officer Patrick Murray said in a statement. Story continues Ratings agency Moody's swiftly downgraded the outlook for Enbridge and four subsidiaries to negative from stable, saying the deal would add pressure to an "already weak financial profile that we expect to persist following the transaction close." The modest improvement in Enbridge's business risk profile is not enough to "offset ongoing pressure on the company's financial profile," said Gavin MacFarlane, vice president and senior credit officer at Moody's, in a statement. U.S. utilities have zeroed in on their regulated operations as they provide the steady returns preferred by investors, compared with unregulated assets whose returns are dictated by market dynamics. Morgan Stanley & Co LLC and RBC Capital Markets acted as financial advisors to Enbridge, while Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and McCarthy Tetrault LLP were legal advisors. ($1 = 1.3636 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Arunima Kumar in Bengaluru and David French in New York; Writing by Denny ThomasEditing by Shailesh Kuber, Sriraj Kalluvila and Richard Chang) 10 Ways To Invest For Growth In 2023 Investing for growth in 2023 presents a dynamic landscape that blends traditional investment vehicles with exciting emerging trends. One prominent avenue gaining attention is investment trusts for growth. These trusts offer a unique approach to achieving substantial returns over time. In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into each of the 10 effective ways to invest for growth this year, exploring the nuances and benefits of each strategy. Diversified Equity Funds: Spreading Risks for Potential Rewards Diversified equity funds stand as a cornerstone for investors seeking growth with moderate risk. These investment trusts for growth pool resources from various investors to invest in a diversified portfolio of stocks across different industries. This diversification spreads risk while aiming for consistent growth over time. When considering such funds, look for those with a proven track record and low expense ratios. This strategy helps investors participate in the broader market's growth without the volatility tied to individual stocks. Technology and Innovation Stocks: The Growth Powerhouse In the ever-evolving landscape of investment, few sectors hold as much promise as technology and innovation stocks. This segment has emerged as a true growth powerhouse, propelled by groundbreaking advancements in various fields. These stocks represent the vanguard of progress, from artificial intelligence's potential to revolutionize industries to renewable energy solutions combating climate change. Investing in technology and innovation offers exponential growth, but it comes with a caveat: higher volatility. Rapid developments and market shifts can lead to swift price fluctuations. Therefore, investors considering this avenue must possess an appetite for risk and a long-term perspective. Companies leading the technological charge often redefine how business is conducted, influencing their sector and global economic trends . As such, including technology and innovation stocks in a diversified portfolio can provide a crucial edge in capitalizing on the growth potential of this dynamic sector. Remember, while the allure of growth is enticing, cautious research and strategic investment are essential to navigate this vibrant yet unpredictable landscape. Green and Sustainable Investments: Profits with Purpose In the wake of mounting environmental concerns, green and sustainable investments have emerged as a remarkable intersection of profits and purpose. This investment avenue entails supporting companies that prioritize eco-friendly practices, renewable energy, and ethical business models. Investing in green and sustainable companies not only aligns with your ethical values but also presents the potential for impressive financial gains. As societies shift towards sustainable practices, these companies often benefit from increased demand for eco-conscious products and services. From renewable energy providers harnessing the power of wind and solar to innovative companies developing eco-friendly technologies, the green sector offers a diverse array of opportunities. However, investors should exercise caution and conduct thorough research to differentiate between genuine sustainability-focused companies and those merely riding the trend. By participating in green and sustainable investments, you not only contribute to a greener future but also potentially reap the rewards of a growing market segment. Remember, the dual benefit of profit and environmental impact underscores the significance of this investment avenue in the modern financial landscape. Real Estate Ventures: Tangible Growth and Asset Appreciation Real estate ventures maintain their status as a tangible asset class offering potential appreciation. Investing in properties, be it residential or commercial, allows investors to tap into various revenue streams, such as rental income and property value appreciation. Real estate investment trusts (REITs) provide an opportunity to invest in a diversified portfolio of real estate assets without the burden of property management. Cryptocurrencies and Digital Assets: Riding the Digital Wave While still relatively young and highly volatile, the world of cryptocurrencies and digital assets has significantly impacted the investment landscape. Assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum have captured mainstream attention, and blockchain technology is disrupting traditional industries. Including a small allocation of digital assets in a diversified portfolio could potentially yield substantial returns, albeit with increased risk. Healthcare and Biotech Opportunities: The Health Wealth Investing in the healthcare and biotech sector offers a unique blend of growth potential and societal impact. As medical breakthroughs continue to shape the way we approach health, companies focused on innovative treatments and solutions are positioned for substantial growth. However, it's essential to be mindful of regulatory hurdles and the inherent risks associated with drug development. Emerging Market Investments: Unearthing Opportunities Emerging markets present a treasure trove of growth opportunities for investors. These economies often boast favorable demographics, expanding middle-class consumption, and untapped markets. Investing in emerging markets requires thorough research to understand the cultural, economic, and political landscape. The potential for high growth is countered by increased volatility and risk, making this strategy suitable for risk-tolerant investors. Investment Trusts for Growth: The Professional Advantage At the heart of this article's focus, investment trusts for growth represent a compelling way to achieve substantial returns. These trusts pool funds from multiple investors to invest in a diversified portfolio of assets. Professionals manage investment trusts and offer a hands-off approach for investors seeking growth. The trust's expertise in portfolio management and asset allocation can result in consistent growth over time. Small Business Ventures: Nurturing Growth from the Ground Up Investing in small businesses can yield significant returns for those willing to take calculated risks. Identifying promising startups or local businesses with growth potential allows investors to participate in early-stage growth . This strategy can foster a sense of satisfaction as you witness the impact of your investments on local communities and economies. Education and Skill Development: Investing in Yourself Amidst the various external investment avenues, don't overlook the value of investing in yourself. Education and skill development can lead to higher earning potential and career growth. Improving your skills can open doors to better opportunities, promotions, and even entrepreneurial ventures. Final Thoughts Investing for growth in 2023 demands careful consideration, a dash of calculated risk-taking, and a commitment to due diligence. While each of the 10 strategies discussed here presents unique opportunities, remember that diversification is key to managing risk. As you explore these avenues, keep investment trusts for growth in mind. Their professional management and diversification can provide a solid foundation for a growth-focused portfolio. Remember, investing is not without risks. It's crucial to conduct thorough research, assess your risk tolerance, and, if needed, seek guidance from financial professionals. With a well-informed approach, you can confidently navigate the investment landscape, poised to achieve your growth-oriented financial goals. By Mark Adan MarkAdanSEO@gmail.com At Animuswebs.com, we specialise in content-led Online Marketing Strategies for our clients in the Marketing, Finance, Business industry and other sectors. With our professional writing team and our superb content creation programmes we achieve great marketing successes for our clients. Copyright 2023 Mark Adan - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. The Perfect way to onboard a new Recruit Attracting top talent to your business isnt always easy. When you are fortunate enough to bring in great people, youll want to ensure that their initial experience with you runs as smoothly as possible. Here, 1st Formations look at some top tips for onboarding new recruits to your small business. Lets get started. Prepare all the necessary equipment Before your new employee officially begins, ask them if they require any specialist equipment, such as a particular laptop, piece of software or anything else that will help them do their job. Then, if possible, get this ready for them before their start day. By having all the necessary tools prepared, your recruit can jump straight into work, rather than having to waste their first few days taking care of mundane tasks such as collecting all the kit they need, setting up logins and downloading applications. Make sure they meet everyone Compile a list made up of all your employees. On your new team members first day, introduce them to as many colleagues as possible, ticking off on your list who they have met - not forgetting your remote workers. As they work through their first few weeks, see who they still need to meet (due to hybrid working, annual leave and sickness) and take steps to implement a quick introduction. Working in a new environment can be intimidating, but by initiating these conversions you will enable less confident recruits to meet everyone early on. If your new hire will be working remotely, video calls with every individual on your team may not be feasible, so consider hosting a handful of quick introductory calls with groups of colleagues instead. Give them a buddy Allocate your recruit to a colleague whom they can shadow for a period of time. This person should be a confident team member, embedded into the company culture who can assist the employee with any task-specific queries as well as make them comfortable within their new working environment. As well as having a buddy, consider arranging some team-wide events to help initiate the newcomer, such as a paid-for lunch or social drinks one evening after work. Assign an interesting job Have a task ready and waiting for your new employee. This should provide them with an opportunity to showcase their skills and give them a fair representation of the type of work they will be doing. If the recruit is going to be working as part of a team, ensure said team is involved in the task too. Without micro-managing, monitor them throughout this task - ensuring that theyre comfortable. The purpose of this is to give them a taste of what they can expect from the role, not to stress them out. Talk to them daily Too many business owners feel that their job is done as soon as they get a new recruit through the door and choose to leave the employee to it. This approach is a mistake. Part of onboarding is to continue demonstrating to an employee that they have made the right choice in joining you. Hold daily catch-ups in their first few weeks, asking them how theyre getting on, providing feedback on what theyve done so far, making sure they have enough work, and keeping them in the loop on upcoming projects. These meetings dont have to take long, sometimes just 5 minutes will do. This process will help you stay connected to the recruit and illustrate that youre delighted to have them on your team. Thanks for reading So, there you have it, the perfect way to onboard a new recruit. Getting top talent to join you is a particularly challenging part of running a business - when you do manage to do this, its key that you demonstrate to an employee that they have made the correct decision. Onboarding plays a vital role in doing this. 1st Formations have helped form more than 1 million UK companies. If you have a business idea and have decided that a limited company is the right business model for you, they can help get you up and running in just a matter of hours. Its as simple as picking your company name, choosing a company formation package and then filling out a few basic details. Take a look at their different company formation packages now . By Sumeet Manhas 2023 Copyright Sumeet Manhas - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Surprises are in store for customers who visit L.L. Beans newest location in Hanover when it officially opens on Friday, Sept. 8. The popular outdoors chain is allowing guests to enter for a chance to win a $500 L.L. Bean gift card if they visit the 15,000-foot store in Hanover Crossing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday or Saturday. There will also be other in-store giveaways and guests can take photos with L.L. Beans legendary Bootmobile. The opening comes as the company celebrates its 111th year in business. Our Hanover store is not just a shopping destination its an invitation to explore, discover and connect with the world around us, said Corey Bouyea, L.L.Bean vice president of stores and retail operations. Whether youre gearing up for a weekend hike through Wompatuck State Park or grabbing last-minute goods for a day at Humarock Beach, L.L.Bean has something for every outdoor adventure. The store will employ roughly 60 team members. L.L. Bean will also make a $10,000 contribution to the Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield, which provides summer programming to Hanover youth. L.L. Bean also plans on opening another location in Peabody on Oct. 6. The company is hiring for both full-time and part-time positions at the new locations. Those interested in applying can do so online. Following the recent death of a Worcester teenager, who was said to have participated in the One Chip Challenge, what exactly is this latest social media craze? The trend stems from Paqui, a tortilla chip brand owned by the Hershey Company. Paquis chips typically come in spicy flavors, like Fiery Chile Limon, Zesty Salsa Verde, Jalapeno Tropicale and Haunted Ghost Pepper. In a world filled with flamin hot options packed with artificial ingredients, Paqui dares to be different. We believe that real heat comes from real peppers and shouldnt be grown in a lab, Paquis homepage reads. ...As creators of the One Chip Challenge made from real Carolina Reaper peppers heat is what we do best. Dont believe us? Try one for yourself. The challenge simply involves eating one of their Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper-flavored chips. One chip is sold in a coffin-shaped package, featuring a melting red skull with a green, fanged snake emerging from an eye socket. Then the challenger sees how long they can last without needing to drink water or milk to soothe the heat. These spicy chips, packaged one per carton, are believed to be connected to the death of a 14-year-old Worcester teenager on Sept. 1. Amazon screenshot. Both peppers are considered among the hottest peppers in the world, with Carolina Reapers scaling at 2.2 million Scoville heat units, according to the Los Angeles Times. Naga Viper peppers scale at around 1.4 million Scoville heat units, according to the online pepper shop website PepperHead. Paqui provides two ways of buying the spicy chip, either by finding a location near you that sells it, such as AM PM, 7-Eleven, Circle K, Capital Candy, United Dairy Farmers or Walgreens, among several others, or by ordering it on Amazon. Before adding shipping, the price of one chip on Amazon is $17.33. Not every review has been stellar. One, titled Friends dont let friends melt their insides, gave the chips one star and detailed four hours of pain, including stomachaches, tears, hacking coughs, vomiting and cold sweats. During this time, the reviewer and her boyfriend are drinking milk and sucking on ice cubes. Dont do this to yourself, the reviewer wrote. ... These chips should be used as a torturous interrogation tactic, because if I were threatened with another one, I would tell anyone anything that they wanted to know. If youre going to do this anyway, eat a big greasy meal first, have ice cream ready for after, and get ready to learn the true meaning of regret. One review complained that the chip was soggy with a paste coating a chip with good heat but, as the review title read, stale. Another reviewer showed a photo of an intravenous drip in their arm while another said they contacted emergency services who replied back to take antacids and wait it out. Despite these reviews, the chip holds a 4.4 out of five stars on Amazon. The warning label on the backside of a One Chip Challenge carton from Paqui. Amazon screenshot. Worcester teenager Harris Wolobah was said to have taken part in the challenge before he died unexpectedly at 14, a GoFundMe page read. He felt sick after eating the chip before heading to the nurses office, officials told Boston 25 News. His parents then picked him up from Doherty Memorial High School and drove him home. He died on Sept. 1. Pending an autopsy, a connection between his illness and subsequent death after participating in the One Chip Challenge has yet to be made. SINGAPORE, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ -- Fairdesk, a rising star in the digital-currency exchange arena, is excited to announce the launch of the highly anticipated Fairdesk Trading Competition 2023. As we embark on this thrilling journey, we invite traders from all corners of the globe to join us in an exciting Trading Competition 2023 like no other. What to Expect Traders will have the opportunity to compete for a staggering prize pool of up to $1.8m USDT. Beyond the cryptocurrency rewards, participants can also look forward to acquiring popularity. How to Participate Participating in the Fairdesk Trading Competition 2023 is a breeze. Simply follow these steps: Visit the event page on Fairdesk. Click the 'Participate' button. Once you've completed these simple steps, you'll be on your way to joining one of the most exciting trading competitions of the year. Mark Your Calendar The Fairdesk Trading Competition 2023 kicks off on September 11, 2023, and the excitement will continue until December 10, 2023. That's three thrilling months of trading, competing, and winning! Unbelievable Rewards Await You Get ready to be amazed by the incredible rewards up for grabs in the Fairdesk Trading Competition 2023. With total rewards worth up to $1,800,000, you have the chance to win some of the most coveted prizes in the world of trading, including: Tesla Model X : Drive in style with this cutting-edge electric car. Ducati Panigale V4 : Experience the thrill of the open road on this high-performance motorcycle. Rolex Submariner Green Dial : Elevate your style with this iconic luxury timepiece. iPhone 15 Pro : Get your hands on the latest in smartphone technology. Trips of a Lifetime : Explore the world with trips to exotic destinations like Antarctica, the breathtaking Alps, and vibrant Miami. Bonus : Boost your trading capital with bonus rewards. USDT : Add stability to your portfolio with USDT rewards. Coupon: Enjoy additional perks with coupon rewards. Story continues About Fairdesk The Fairdesk Trading Competition 2023 promises an incredible journey filled with opportunities to showcase your trading prowess and win attractive rewards. Don't miss out on this chance to be part of a global trading phenomenon. Click 'Participate' now and embark on your trading adventure with Fairdesk! A Glimpse into Fairdesk: Pioneering the Trading Frontier Beyond a trading platform, Fairdesk is a trailblazer in the crypto trading universe. Anchored in transparency, security, and innovation, Fairdesk offers cryptocurrency derivative exchange services that redefine trader expectations. Conclusion: A Future Defined by Possibilities As the cryptocurrency landscape evolves, Fairdesk remains at the forefront of innovation and excellence. With its CoinMarketCap recognition, the upcoming trading competition, and its unwavering commitment to delivering an unmatched trading experience, Fairdesk is poised to lead the industry into a new era of crypto trading. Disclaimer: Please note that all terms and conditions related to the event are subject to Fairdesk's interpretation, and the original English terms shall prevail in case of discrepancies. Fairdesk reserves the right to modify terms and conditions without prior notice, underscoring its dedication to providing the optimal user experience. Explore the Fairdesk Trading Competition: Join the Competition Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fairdesk-to-launch-trading-competition-2023-with-1-8m-usdt-prize-pool-301917612.html SOURCE Fairdesk Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2023/05/c6316.html SPRINGFIELD Balise Auto Group will move its headquarters functions like accounting, marketing, human resources from West Springfield to the third floor of downtowns TD Bank Building at 1441 Main St. The move is expected to bring 54 jobs at first, with more to come, said James E. Jeb Balise, president and owner of Balise Auto Group. A man who fled from police near Interstate 495 in Boxborough on Tuesday and was believed to be connected with an assault was found and brought into police custody early Tuesday evening, Massachusetts State Police said. Law enforcement had established a perimeter around a wooded area near the highway, roughly adjacent to Eldridge and Harvard roads, as of 4:17 p.m. on Sept. 5, the department said. Troopers and local officers, including several K9 teams and the State Police Air Wing, were used in the search. State Police said the man was found in the area of Hillcrest Drive and Stow Road in Harvard shortly after 5 p.m. He was turned over to Boxborough police. The suspect has not been publicly identified, other than the description State Police originally provided in case the public came in contact with him. Details about the assault with which the suspect is believed to be connected have also not been released by law enforcement officials. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether Connecticut state troopers submitted falsified reports about traffic stops after an audit uncovered evidence that hundreds of troopers may have turned in thousands of fake traffic infractions. An audit released in June found with a high degree of confidence that more than 300 of 1,300 troopers submitted false and inaccurate information of at least 26,000 stop infractions and potentially up to 58,000, according to analysts with the University of Connecticut. Auditors said the falsified reports occurred between 2014 and 2021 and the findings have drawn scrutiny over recent reports that gaps in stops of white and minority drivers in Connecticut were shrinking. The trust and the confidence in Connecticut State Police is clearly shaken by this, state Rep. Steve Stafstrom, a Connecticut Democrat and co-chair of the state Legislatures judiciary committee, told The New York Times. An investigation ordered by Gov. Ned Lamont is suspended as federal authorities look into the accusations. Former Connecticut U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly, who now works in private law, will also run its own independent inquiry into the matter. The audit stopped short of stating whether the falsified reports were intentionally falsified, resulted from carelessness, or were caused by human error, only that it found infraction records that were both false and inaccurate. Auditors also found issues with how state troopers reported racial profiling records and stated that falsely reported data by troopers were more likely to be reported as white and less likely to be reported as Black or Hispanic. Other records underreported by troopers were more likely to be Hispanic or some other race and less likely to be white. If substantiated by the Department of Justice, the findings of the audit would fly in the face of a 1999 law aimed at preventing racial profiling. The audit calls into question recent reports that found the gap in stops of white and minority drivers shrunk for consecutive years in Connecticut. The false infractions were entered into the state polices internal system but not submitted to the state court system, leading auditors to believe that the reported stops never actually happened and infractions were never issued. An investigation by Hearst Connecticut Media last year found that four state troopers in an eastern Connecticut barracks intentionally created hundreds of bogus traffic stop tickets to boost their productivity numbers. After internal affairs investigations, one trooper was suspended for 10 days, another was suspended for two days and the other two retired before the probe was completed. The scandal has gotten the attention of lawmakers who are looking into questioned data and Connecticut transportation officials are looking into whether the data was used to secure federal money. A former Stoneham police officer will plead guilty to federal wire fraud charges, according to court records of an agreement he reached with prosecutors. Once completed, the plea deal could make the former officer the second cop in the state to lose his law enforcement credentials under a relatively new process for decertifying police. Robert A. Kennedy, a member of the Stoneham Police Department from 2001 until his resignation in February, was accused of running a recurring scam on his landlords, taking advantage of the slow eviction process in order to live rent-free in various apartments. Federal prosecutors said Kennedy falsified his rental applications, including by providing the social security number and birth date of a relative who shared his first and last name, in order to obscure a history of delinquent payments, evictions and unpaid debts. The FBI, which arrested Kennedy in March, called him a serial debt fraudster who has a trail of bad debts, collections, and unpaid judgments. Kennedy will plead guilty to two counts of wire fraud at a hearing on Sept. 20, according to an agreement reached with the Department of Justice. The plea deal was first reported by NBC Boston, which in February broke the story of Kennedys history of unpaid debts. Following his arrest in March, the states police oversight board suspended Kennedys law enforcement certification, as it is required to do for any officer charged with a felony. The board, a relatively new state entity known as the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission, is also required by law to revoke the certification of any officer convicted of a felony. By email, a POST Commission spokesperson declined to comment on the case. Kennedys lawyer, Brad Bailey, also declined to comment ahead of his clients scheduled appearance in Boston federal court on Sept. 20. Kennedy is one of 39 police officers suspended by the commission due to a felony charge. To date, only one officer has been fully decertified by the commission, which was created by a 2020 policing reform law to give the state more supervision of police departments and their officers. In addition to requiring POST to decertify any officer convicted of a felony, the law also said police could lose their credentials for certain egregious misconduct. Earlier this year, the commission reached a voluntary decertification agreement with former Woburn Police Office John Donnelly after he was accused of marching at the white nationalist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. Donnelly resigned while under internal investigation by his department. The agreement with POST included no admission that the allegations were true. Read more: Boston cop accused of taking lewd photos of minor among 4 suspended by state A decertified officer is banned from any future work for a police department or sheriffs office in Massachusetts. The officers name is also submitted to a national registry of decertified police that could stop them from finding a law enforcement job in other states. Kennedys plea deal includes his admission to two counts of wire fraud, as well as a guarantee that he will not be prosecuted for a third wire charge nor for identity theft charges for using family members information on rental applications. Kennedy will be required to pay more than $14,000 in restitution. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. According to an FBI affidavit, Kennedy made between $141,000 to $187,000 a year with the Stoneham Police Department. Massachusetts schools are offering free breakfast and lunch to all students but some parents might still see some charges. On Aug. 8, Gov. Maura Healey signed a $56 billion budget, which included $172 million for the permanent universal lunch program for public school students in kindergarten through grade 12. The free meals program offers one breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students regardless of income, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said. Students must take a fruit and vegetable for the schools to get reimbursed for the meal. However, if a student skips taking the fruit or vegetable that day, the school cannot charge the student, DESE said. If parents see a charge, contact the school. At least some schools are keeping fruit and vegetables near the checkout to help remind students. If a student gets an extra lunch, including a slice of pizza after their first lunch, they will be charged for it. Other a-la-carte items, such as cookies or ice cream, cost money, too. So, if you see a charge, you might want to talk with your children about these options. The statewide program was made to help with the stigma attached to getting free meals, Laura Amedeo, the supervisor of school cafeterias in West Springfield, told The Republican. There are still many families who struggle with food insecurity. However, students can now enjoy nutritious meals without worrying about debt or feeling ashamed for receiving reduced or free meals, said Amedeo. Previously, if a student owed money, a cashier could throw away the childs hot meal and replace it with a cold, cheese sandwich. Massachusetts Law Reform Institute advocated that schools to do away with practices that shame children for their parents financial circumstances. Massachusetts is a national leader in education - now it is time for the Commonwealth to ensure that no child in our state will be denied a school meal or be shamed because of a familys school meal debt, the 2018 report stated. Some school districts in Massachusetts have had free lunches in place for years. But officials said the program shines a light on just how many families depend on school meals daily and will be a huge contributor to stamping out hunger in the state. Our goal is always to increase participation. We want more families to realize the benefits and participate, said Melanie Wilk, director of food service at Chicopee Public Schools. Editors note: This story has been updated to clarify students should not be charged for the first lunch even if they dont take a fruit or vegetable. A GoFundMe is raising money for the family of a man who was killed after his forklift at Logan International Airport in Boston got caught on something and overturned on top of him. Our family is facing the unimaginable and untimely passing of our beloved Raul. Words cannot explain how this loss has impacted our family, the GoFundMe reads. Raul was such a huge light in our family and we are all feeling the effects of him not being here. Raul Santiago, 51, was a subcontractor for JetBlue who tried to drive a Komastu forklift through a lower bag service entrance Tuesday that had a clearance of 8 feet, 6 inches, State Police said. The incident happened at around 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 29 in a loading area outside Terminal C, where there is no public access. When Santiago drove through, the forklifts backrest extension a part of the equipment that attaches to the front and is designed to protect the operator from loads falling toward him was lifted. The backrest was higher than the clearance height, and collided with the beam at the top of the entrance, State Police added. Several co-workers rushed over and used an aircraft tow bar to lift the forklift enough to pull the man out from underneath. State Troopers arrived shortly after and performed CPR. Santiago was taken to Boston Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. He died soon after. He is being remembered as his wifes soulmate, a honorable man and a huge light in our family. My mother has lost her soulmate, a man she thought she be spending the rest of her life with and now she has to say goodbye. Raul was a person who was there for absolutely anyone who needed help and he didnt hesitate, the GoFundMe reads. He served in the U.S. Army and fought in Desert Storm, it stated. The GoFundMe has raised $7,197 of its $10,000 goal as of Tuesday morning. A Boston family is looking to raise money to help cover the cost of a funeral for a 22-year-old man who was shot and killed near the Franklin Park Zoo over Labor Day weekend. Xavier Rivas was shot at the intersection of Old Road and Michigan Avenue around 11:41 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2, Boston police reported. Rivas was brought to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. We are deeply saddened by this loss, a GoFundMe campaign for Rivas reads. He was such a sweet, attentive, funny and caring soul. Those who knew him, had no choice but to love him. Several tributes to Rivas were also posted on social media. You were the sweetest, nicest, [most] honest person Ive ever met, Karri Flores wrote on Facebook. Everyone that loves you is here papi. Look down on us and protect us. This just doesnt feel real, Alisha Rodriguez wrote on Facebook. I was just telling you to be safe out there. Mikai Thomson, 21, was arrested in connection with the shooting on Sunday, according to Boston police. Thomson was wanted on an arrest warrant from August for several firearms charges and one count of assault and battery on a police officer, police said. Thomson was also charged in connection with Rivas death. Thompson is facing charges of murder, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm. Police said Thompson will be arraigned in Dorchester District Court Tuesday morning. He was such an important piece of our family. So please, help us lay Xavier to rest in his eternal home, the GoFundMe continued. We will miss you so much. We love you Xavier! The campaign is looking to raise $20,000. People interested in donating can click here. Two suspects, including a teenager, are facing charges in connection with a two-car rollover crash in Lynn that sent one person to the hospital Tuesday morning, Lt. Rick Connick with the Lynn Police Department told MassLive. The crash happened at the intersection of Chestnut and Essex streets around 7:13 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 5, Connick said. A video posted by 7News Steve Cooper on X, formerly known as Twitter, showed an overturned car and another vehicle with practically its entire front end missing. The second vehicle was in the parking lot of Tony Tipico, a Dominican restaurant located on Essex Street. Connick said officers saw a stolen car that was believed to be involved in a recent carjacking. At around 8 p.m. on Monday, a victim told Lynn police that his car was stolen at gunpoint by a man in a mask, Connick said. On Tuesday morning, officers saw the same vehicle and tried pulling it over. The car stopped, then drove away, and collided with another car at the intersection seconds later, according to police. One person was taken to the hospital with injuries while two people were taken into custody, Connick said. They were identified as a juvenile male from Haverhill and 22-year-old Leanna Rockwood of Boston. The juvenile was charged with the following: Receiving a stolen motor vehicle Failure to stop for police Reckless operation of a motor vehicle Speeding Marked lanes violation Failure to stop/yield Leaving the scene of personal injury Disorderly conduct Resisting arrest Unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle Meanwhile, Rockwood was charged with receiving a stolen motor vehicle, disorderly conduct and possession of a Class B Drug, Connick said. The investigation is ongoing. An 18-year-old man drowned while swimming with his friends at a popular yet dangerous quarry in Westford on Labor Day, Massachusetts State Police spokesperson Dave Procopio said. Firefighrers received a call about a possible drowning at Merrills Quarry off Vineyard Road around 4:16 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 4, the Westford Fire Department said on Facebook. The caller said that a man jumped off a ledge into the water and did not resurface. Read More: Worcester Police investigating Endicott Street shooting Firefighters from Lowell and Tyngsborough as well as Westford police and the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing came to help with the search. The Lowell Fire dive team found the man about 40 feet below the surface around 5:24 p.m., according to WBZ-TV. The mans name was not released. A Tyngsborough firefighter was taken to Lowell General Hospital for minor injuries as well, the Westford Fire Department added. Merrills Quarry became popular after the swimming spot was featured in the 2013 movie Grown Ups 2. The quarry is private property and has No Trespassing signs posted throughout the area, which are plainly visibly to anybody, Westford police said in a press release from June 2021. The quarry is littered with many hazards including broken glass, sharp edges from rocks, steep cliffs, unseen rock ledges just under the surface of the water and other hazards under water, the release said. Because of these numerous hazards, in past years many people have either been seriously injured or killed at the quarry. This included a 17-year-old Lawrence boy who also drowned in the quarry while swimming with friends in 2018. The investigation into the most recent drowning is ongoing, according to the Westford Fire Department. Authorities are investigating after a man was found shot in the head inside his car outside an East Longmeadow gas station over Labor Day weekend, police said. Officers found the man outside the Sunoco gas station on North Main Street just after 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2, East Longmeadow police said on Facebook. Read More: Chicopee police officer Mark Wilkes returns home after heart attack Police did not specify the mans condition, other than to say he was conscious and able to talk. The man was brought to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for treatment, police said. Investigators later determined the shooting happened in Springfield near the East Longmeadow line. No arrests have been made and the Springfield Police Department assumed jurisdiction over the incident. The facts and circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Springfield police. (Instagram @menthaeyu) Few footwear silhouettes have garnered the same mix of adoration and abhorrence as the Maison Margiela Tabi. Nowadays, theres no shortage of outlandish, taste-affronting shoes - from MSCHFs head-hurting Croc Big Yellow Boots to JW Andersons Wellipet Frog Clogs - but the split-toe Tabi was the original fugly-shoe provocateur. At the Tabis debut in 1988, Martin Margiela sent white lab coat-wearing models down the Cafe de la Gare runway with the boots dipped in red paint, which left behind strange yet alluring red hoofprints. The shoe swiftly became a cult fashion piece, and essential sempahore to insider status. The original shape has since been reimagined in cowboy boots, loafers and ballet flats and is beloved by ultra-stylish It girls Chloe Sevigny, Rihanna, Zendaya, Kylie Jenner and Dua Lipa. Theyre also the subject of countless fan accounts. Most famously the Instagram account @Margielatab1, which has 46.5k followers and was profiled in Dazed in 2017, while on TikTok, the hashtag #margielatabi has over 5.4 million views. Kylie Jenner steps out in the Tabi boot, January 22, 2023 (GC Images) Theyre so revered that one man went to great, unhinged lengths to steal a pair from a one night stand. The chaotic dating horror story, which is now being referred to as Tabi Swiper, went viral this weekend after Alexis Douge uploaded a video to TikTok on Friday. This man is out here on Tinder and Hinge, and he will steal from you, Douge started the video, which has now amassed over 855,000 views. She then went on to detail how a male Tinder date named Josh managed to steal her Margiela 700 Tabi Mary Janes, which were a birthday present from her father. The cursed story goes like this: a chance meeting of eyes on the streets of SoHo led him to realise theyd previously matched on Tinder. He messages her and they agree to have drinks. Fast forward, we hang out again, he comes over and we sleep together, Alexis (or @nextlevellexus on TikTok) says. He says oh I really want some Tabis and Im like oh yeah Ive got some. You can see where this is going. Story continues They slept together once more in the morning, before Josh hurriedly left her apartment. It wasnt long before she realised the Mary Jane Tabis he had been checking out at the bottom of her shelf were missing. I looked high and low, looked under my bed, looked [in] my suitcase, [looked in] my closet, cant find them anywhere," she explains. "Im like Okay, thats fine. Im not gonna be accusatory, Im just gonna see if he knows where I put them. Unfortunately, when she went to message him, she realised she had been unmatched on Tinder, and that he had deleted his number and any call logs between them while he had been pretending to find a playlist on her Spotify the night before. Its at this point she realised: This bitch stoke my fu**ing Tabis. After the story went viral on TikTok, a woman reached out to Alexis revealing a damning detail to the surreal saga. My friend has been dating him for months and he just gave her a pair of [T]abis!!!!!," they wrote. "Do you have receipts I can show her?? so freaking out for her rn." Yes, you read that correctly. The assailant not only stole his one night stands Tabis, he gifted them to the girlfriend that he was cheating on. Luckily Alexis managed to track down the thiefs number, where he pleaded innocent until being sent a screenshot of his girlfriend wearing the stolen goods. "Ight you got me, Ill get them back to you give me a time and place & Im just asking [you] to remove the [Tik] Tok is all," he finally replied. Her last TikTok post confirmed she was back in possession of the shoes after confronting the Tabi Swiper at Grand Central Station. However the story has now entered the realms of infamy, with thousands of fashion girlies sharing videos of their Tabi collection (and how theyre protecting it from the Tabi Swiper), and sharing their love for the much storied shoe. Although the Tabi is most closely associated with Margiela, its history predates 15th-century Japan - where the unusual silhouette began life as a sock that was largely worn by the idle elite. The thinking behind these split-toe socks was rooted in holistic reflexology, with the design believed to promote balance and clarity. By the 1900s rubber soles had been added, so that they could be worn while working outdoors, and these Jika-tabi (as they are called) are still the go-to shoe for workers in Japan today. Martin Margiela discovered these shoes during a trip to Japan after leaving his assistant position at Jean Paul Gaultier to set up his own label, Maison Martin Margiela. His goal was to find a radically different shoe, which he found in the Jika-tabi. In the 2019 documentary Martin Margiela: In His Own Words, the designer explained: "My memory went back to the day we went to Tokyo for the first time, when we saw street workers in their flat cotton Tabi shoes. I thought, OK, why shouldnt I do a soft Tabi shoe but on a high heel? And then the idea was born." However it almost proved too radical, with traditional cobblers unable to wrap their machinery around the split-toe shape. That was until Margiela was introduced to an Italian craftsman named Mr. Zagato by Geert Bruloot, who would go on to be the first retailer to stock Margielas pre-Gaultier shoes at his Antwerp boutique, Cocodrillo. Since then, other fashion brands including Nike and Vetements have produced their own takes, but none have elicited the same hysteria as Margielas one. The Tabi boot is the most important footprint of my career, the designer said during an exhibition at Antwerps MoMu in 2015. Its recognizable, it still goes on after 25 years, it has never been copied. Its probably why the Tabi Swiper story has garnered as much attention as it has. After all, its hard to imagine the same kind of fanfare over a stolen pair of Uggs. Now all thats left is for Netflix to make a limited three-part series about the whiplash-inducing tale. If youve seen the One Chip Challenge in the news lately, you may have already noticed something distinctive about the packaging: theres a warning label. These spicy single-packed chips carted off in a coffin-shaped box with a melting red skull and a green snake emerging from an eye socket, sold by Paqui, carry a warning label that takes up most of the backside of the carton. The challenge simply involves eating one of the Austin, Texas companys Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper-flavored chips. The challenger sees how long they can last without needing to drink water or milk to soothe the heat. The Carolina Reaper and the Naga Viper are considered among the hottest in the world. The label warns buyers to keep the chip away from children and it is intended for adult consumption. Do not eat if you are sensitive to spicy foods, allergic to peppers, nightshades or capsaicin, or are pregnant or have any medical conditions, the label reads. After touching the chip, wash your hands with soap and do not touch your eyes or other sensitive areas. Seek medical assistance if you experience difficulty breathing, fainting or extended nausea, reads the end of the label. Nightshade plants can produce tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes and peppers, according to WebMD. While the fruits and vegetables produced by nightshades can be considered healthy for you, some, such as tobacco, are not. Capsaicin is a chemical compound found in different concentrations within hot peppers like habaneros, jalapenos and Scorpion peppers, according to the spice company Proaji Ecuador and Pizcafoods Peru. It is a compound that produces a burning sensation in any tissue it comes into contact with, the companys website said. So, the more capsaicin in the pepper, the more the heat gets turned up. Whenever you hold something containing spices, even when you cut open a pepper, capsaicin gets on your hands and can result in a burning sensation. When touching the eyes, lips or any sensitive area, the burn can spread. His family believes Worcester teenager Harris Wolobah took part in the challenge before he died unexpectedly Friday at the age of 14, a GoFundMe page read. He felt sick after eating the chip before heading to the school nurses office, officials told Boston 25 News. His parents picked him up from Doherty Memorial High School and drove him home. He died on Sept. 1. Pending an autopsy, a connection between his illness and subsequent death after participating in the One Chip Challenge has yet to be made. Editors note: As of 5:11 p.m., state police reported the man was found and turned over to Boxborough Police. State and local police are searching near Interstate 495 in Boxborough Tuesday afternoon for a man who may be connected with an assault, according to Massachusetts State Police. The suspect is described to be a white man wearing black pants and no shirt, State Police said. Law enforcement had established a permitter around a wooded area near the highway, roughly adjacent to Eldridge and Harvard roads, as of 4:17 p.m. on Sept. 5, the department said. Troopers and local officers, including several K9 teams and the State Police Air Wing, were searching the area as of about 4:20 p.m. on Tuesday. Residents who see a suspicious man, or someone who appears to be out-of-place, should not approach the man but instead call 911, police said. The investigation is being conducted by both Boxborough and State Police. In the wake of the One Chip Challenge and its believed involvement in the death of a Worcester teen, exactly what kind of peppers are used in making the chip so spicy? The trend stems from Paqui, a tortilla chip brand owned by the Hershey Company. Paquis chips typically come in spicy flavors, like Fiery Chile Limon, Zesty Salsa Verde, Jalapeno Tropicale and Haunted Ghost Pepper. The challenge simply involves eating one of their Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper-flavored chips. One chip is sold in a coffin-shaped package, featuring a melting red skull with a green, fanged snake emerging from an eye socket. Then the challenger sees how long they can last without needing to drink water or milk to soothe the heat. The chips ingredients include blue corn, sunflower and/or safflower oil, Carolina Reaper pepper, Naga Viper Pepper and sea salt. Those two peppers are often considered among the spiciest peppers in the world, with Carolina Reapers scaling at 2.2 million Scoville heat units, according to the Los Angeles Times. Naga Viper peppers scale at around 1.4 million Scoville heat units, according to the online pepper shop website PepperHead. For context on both of these, the jalapeno pepper is only 2,500 Scoville heat units. Despite their heat level, Carolina Reapers are grown and consumed across the United States. It was grown as a crossbred pepper, between a ghost pepper and a red habanero, according to Food Republic. In 2013, it won the Guinness World Record for the hottest chili on Earth. Its heat scale, so named after pharmacist Wilbur Scoville in 1912, is based on human taste buds and how much water is necessary to dilute said heat, according to Smithsonian Magazine. In this Dec. 12, 2013 photo, Ed Currie holds three Carolina Reaper peppers, in Fort Mill, S.C. Last month, The Guinness Book of World Records decided Curries peppers were the hottest on Earth, ending a more than four-year drive to prove no one grows a more scorching chili. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)AP Thats insanity in edible form, the website PepperScale described the Carolina Reaper. Yet, behind this extreme super-heat is a surprising sweetness thats perfect for enhancing hot sauces and other spicy foods. Hotter than the already notorious ghost pepper, the Naga Viper pepper was named in 2011 as the Guinness World Record holder for the hottest chili pepper in the world. The peppers creator, Gerald Fowler, told the Daily Mail that the pepper was hot enough to strip paint. Fowler has customers sign a waiver that they are of sound mind and body before trying a Naga Viper-based curry, according to Yahoo! News. These two peppers are at the heart of whats believed to have taken the life of 14-year-old Harris Wolobah. He took part in the One Chip Challenge before he died unexpectedly at 14, a GoFundMe page read. He felt sick after eating the chip before heading to the nurses office, officials told Boston 25 News. His parents then picked him up from Doherty Memorial High School and drove him home. He died on Sept. 1. Pending an autopsy, a connection between his illness and subsequent death after participating in the One Chip Challenge has yet to be made. The Zulu spirit of Sawubona translates, in English, to I see you. Its a potent lesson in how the power of relationships and deeply caring for another can transform a community. Massachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler stood in front of teachers and staff in West Springfield last week and exhorted them to bring some Sawubona to the hallways and classrooms of the citys schools. We like Tutwilers advice to West Side educators. He, and the rest of us, would do well to employ a little Sawubona when considering teachers and school staff everywhere. The education secretary told teachers in his speech that truly seeing students goes beyond saying hello to a deep validation of ones existence. As a former principal in Boston and school superintendent in Lynn, Tutwiler knows that strong community matters. Caring, not simply measuring student learning data, lies at the foundation of what makes schools work. Students, no matter their neighborhood, age or background, need to be seen in order to excel. Whats true for students holds for teachers. Schools perform better when teachers, the staff that keep a school running and administrators all feel the respect of the community. Teachers left their jobs in droves during the Covid-19 pandemic, some retiring early and some quitting outright. The reason was clear: Teaching in normal times pushes educators to extremes; add more stress, plus disrespect and even vilification in some cases, and many teachers chose to leave. Teachers say repeatedly that the needs in their classrooms outpace the help they are provided, as they contend with an increase students with learning issues and an uptick in student anxiety. By November, many teachers are tired. By March, they are exhausted. By June, some of them decide never to return. The work of educating demands much from teachers, and many give wholeheartedly. In return, teachers want to be treated as important members of the community. They want to be seen. We are envisioning a future beyond what existed before the pandemic, Tutwiler told the West Side educators. To better ensure that future, Tutwiler would have done well to summon a little Sawubona for teachers. Police found multiple broken glass bottles, a bloody knife and a large amount of blood on the ground, after getting called to the Super 8 motel Saturday night, according to the Sturbridge Police Department. Officers were able to track the blood to a nearby motel room, where they found a man with a large gash on his face. He was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, read the police departments Facebook post. After speaking with witnesses Sept. 2, police said they were able to track down a suspect in a nearby room. He was found with blood on his skin and shoes, and had blood-stained pants that were soaking wet and appeared as if someone had attempted to wash them, police said. Police said there was also a small blood-stained folding knife in the pants. Police identified the man as Alix Ulloa-Hernandez, 34, from Vinton, Virginia, who was arrested, taken to the Sturbridge Public Safety Complex and held on a $7,500 cash bail. The post said Ulloa-Hernandez will be charged with assault and battery dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace. According to the post, witnesses told police the incident began at a small party at Super 8 by Wyndham Sturbridge on Main Street, attended by employees of the same roofing company out of Georgia. The witnesses said two groups of employees began an argument about which group performed better work, and during the argument, Ulloa-Hernandez allegedly cut the victims face open with a knife. Police were called at about 8 p.m. Police said, Robert Meza Hernandez, 21, from Norcross, Georgia and Danny Erazo Saravia, 28, from Norcross, Georgia were also identified by witnesses as being involved in the disturbance. Both Hernandez and Saravia will be summoned to court to answer charges of disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace. There are no more suspects. The Boston city preliminary election is coming up on Sept. 12, and thousands of residents will get a chance to vote on who theyd like to see on the ballot this fall. Here are five things you need to know about this municipal election. Who is running? In the upcoming preliminary election, Boston residents will cast their votes for candidates competing to represent Districts 3, 5, 6, and 7 on the City Council. In total, there are 16 candidates participating in the race. You can find the complete list of candidates here. How to vote? Boston residents whove already registered for early voting, you have until Sept. 8 to cast your ballot. Early voting polling locations can be found on the city of Bostons website. Residents can also vote by mail. However, applications to vote by mail must be received by the states mail-in ballot system by 5 p.m. on Tuesday. You can also apply by email or fax. On Sept. 12, polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for all registered voters to cast their ballot. What is at stake? The preliminary election comes in the wake of a council term filled with controversy. City Councilwoman Kendra Lara, of District 6, currently faces nine criminal charges after she allegedly crashed her car into a Jamaica Plain home in July. According to a police report, Lara was driving twice the speed limit with a suspended license in an unregistered and uninsured car. Lara has pleaded not guilty to all charges, the Boston Globe reported. Councilor Ricardo Arroyo of District 5 has been embroiled in a series of controversies. Last year while he was running for Suffolk County district attorney, the Boston Globe published an investigative piece on two decades-old sexual assault allegations against Arroyo. Although he was never charged in each case, the controversy led to his temporary suspension from office. Several months later when U.S. Attorney Rachel Rollins resigned, a federal report revealed text messages between Arroyo and Rollins, where he asked if the federal attorney was going to launch an investigation into his opponent, Kevin Hayden, the Globe reported. Most recently, Arroyo was fined a $3,000 civil penalty for breaching conflict of interest laws after he admitted to continuing to represent his brother in a civil lawsuit against the city and his brother even after being sworn into the council, MassLive reported. Councilwoman Tania Fernandes Anderson, who represents District 7, was also fined with an ethics violation after she admitted to violating a conflict of interest law by hiring her sister and son to paid positions on her staff, MassLive reported. Where do you find your polling place? Boston residents can find their polling place online on the Massachusetts polling website. How to register for the November general election? Boston residents can register online to vote in the general election on Nov. 7. The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Oct. 28 by 5 p.m. While the deadline to vote by mail is Oct. 31 by 5 p.m. Former President Donald Trump has already argued that he cant get a fair trial in Washington D.C. as federal prosecutors pursue charges that the Republican worked to overthrow the results of the 2020 election. No way I can get a fair trial, or even close to a fair trial, in Washington, D.C. There are many reasons for this, but just one is that I am calling for a federal takeover of this filthy and crime ridden embarrassment to our nation, Trump said in a Truth Social post, CNN reported last month. Read More: New lawsuit seeks to ban Donald Trump from running in 2024 election A new Emerson College poll out Tuesday might just provide some more fuel for Trumps fire, with nearly two-thirds of D.C. residents (64%) saying theyd find him guilty of election subversion. Just 8% of the polls 500 respondents said theyd find Trump innocent, while nearly 3 in 10 (28%) said they were unsure. The poll, conducted from Aug. 29 through Sept. 2, had a margin of error of 4.3%. Nearly 7 in 10 Democrats (69%) found Trump guilty, compared to 53% of independents. Republican respondents were split, 36%-35% over whether they thought Trump was guilty, with 30% of GOP respondents saying they were unsure. And whatever their opinion of Trumps guilt or innocence, a clear majority of respondents to the Emerson poll (57%) said they expected a jury to render a guilty verdict, while 10% expected a verdict of innocent. A third (33%) said they were unsure. District residents were split, 55%-45%, on whether theyd serve on a jury for the case. It appears that those who are more impartial about the trial are less likely to want to serve on the jury, Emerson pollster Spencer Kimball said in a statement. Those who want to serve find Trump guilty rather than innocent 68% to 9% with 23% unsure, while those who dont want to serve think Trump is guilty 60% to 6%, with 34% unsure. Read More: NY AG Letitia James seeks immediate verdict in fraud lawsuit against Donald Trump Three-quarters of women who responded to the poll theyd find Trump guilty, compared to 54% of men. Meanwhile, Trump, who now faces indictments in four, different criminal cases, has expanded his lead in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. A Wall Street Journal poll released over the weekend showed Trump taking 59% support among GOP voters, compared to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who trailed in second place at 13%. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley finished third in the WSJs canvass, taking 8% support, according to The Hill, a publication that covers Washington. Its now eight months into Gov. Maura Healeys administration and the wait continues for major proposals from the Corner Office to address perhaps the governors signature issue: housing affordability and production. Some people in the advocacy world feel thats going to change soon, and want the governor to go big to address the states housing crunch. We have been hearing that the housing bond bill could show up some time this month, Phil Jones of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization told the News Service on Tuesday. We are expecting the governor to make her proposal first. Jones said hes not heard whats in the bill, and said some legislators have said that theyre waiting for Healey to make the first move -- the executive branch oversees state capital spending, putting it in a good position to understand which programs may be running low on available funds. Housing activists have been pressing the idea of enabling cities and towns to assess fees on real estate transactions to raise money for affordable housing and Jones said administration officials spoke positively about that idea at a recent GBIO event, but the organization is unsure if Healey will actually propose it. Were not sure where that will show up, but were feeling confident about it passing with administrative support this session, said Jones, who lives and rents in Boston and is co-chair of GBIOs housing justice campaign. She could roll it into a bond bill. Many transfer fee supporters want to see the new levy slapped on higher-end housing transactions, and crafting a proposal that would enable all 351 cities and towns to take advantage of a new fee regime, not just those with higher property values, looms as a policy challenge. The real estate lobby has strongly opposed transfer fees, deriding them as new taxes, and has helped defeat fee proposals for years on Beacon Hill. GBIO and other housing groups have identified $8.5 billion in deferred maintenance that needs to be addressed at state-owned public housing units and is hoping for at least $1 billion to be included in the bond bill. The transfer fee, public housing investments, and housing access for people coming out of jails and prisons are among the topics GBIO plans to push during a fall campaign featuring meetings with state representatives and senators, Jones said. Our best move is to try to get these issues into the public eye as much as possible, he said. Citizens Housing & Planning Association hopes a bond bill will recapitalize programs that serve working families, the elderly, people with disabilities and those who are homeless. The group expected Healey to offer a housing bond bill in the spring, according to its website. In 2018, lawmakers and Gov. Charlie Baker agreed on a five-year, $1.8 billion housing bond bill, and advocates say money from that package is running out. During budget debate in May, Sens. Liz Miranda and Jamie Eldridge talked up the need for improvements at 43,000 public housing units in 242 Massachusetts communities. Something that is on the minds of many of us is the affordable housing bond bill and the need for us to pass that this session, Eldridge, former co-chair of the Legislatures Joint Committee on Housing, said. In Revere, a city where about half of residents are white, the City Council is made up of 10 white men and one white woman. However, with a preliminary city election coming up on Sept. 19, voters have an opportunity change that. The slate of 21 city council candidates contains several candidates of color running for both at-large and ward councilor seats. Ten years ago actually, I was the first candidate of color to run for a citywide office, said Juan Jaramillo, who is running for at-large councilor. Ten years ago if you had asked us organizers in the city when this day would come, especially after that election where the numbers just didnt add up, that day was not coming anytime soon. That might take 10, 15 or 20 years to come. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Revere is 50.5% white, 4% Black, 5.1% Asian and 36.7% Hispanic or Latino, with 12.9% of residents identifying as two or more races. Still, for a long time, the city government has been largely white. In May, Jacqueline Monterroso was sworn in as the first Latina to serve on the School Committee following a special election. She is currently the only person of color on Reveres two primary elected bodies City Council and School Committee. Alex Rhalimi, another at-large candidate, says he would be the first Moroccan to hold elected office in the United States if he is successful. Rhalimi, who was born in Morocco but grew up in Revere, compared the current governmental makeup to that of Boston, where half of city councilors are people of color, and said it was time for Revere to do the same. Sometimes (people) are afraid to come to City Hall just because they dont see themselves represented, Rhalimi said. Thats the reason why actually they dont vote sometimes. ... I think this election well get more diverse communities to come out and vote. Ned Almeida, a nurse who is also running for an at-large seat, told the Revere Journal in his campaign announcement that he also hoped to promote diversity in the city. I have always believed that diversity makes a community stronger, he told the newspaper. Pulling all the best ideas and parts of different cultures together to build something bigger and better for all. Revere is on the verge of a renaissance and I hope that I can help serve our wonderfully diverse community and help Revere to continue to learn, progress and grow. Rhalimi, who speaks six languages, said that if elected he would work to create more transparency and communication between City Hall and the communities that are not often represented there. Read more: New lawsuit seeks to ban Donald Trump from running in 2024 election Jaramillo said officials need to look at every policy with an equity lens, whether that means simply providing information in multiple languages or considering how ordinances affect different communities. He gave the example of Reveres strict guidelines for purging voters from the rolls who do not fill out the city census, which could disproportionately affect voters who dont speak English. However, he said he was happy to see the changes happening in the city. When I started first grade, there was one class in the entire district that was bilingual. And now every grade level necessitates bilingual education in the school district, said Jaramillo, whose family immigrated from Colombia. Having elected officials that can legislate and lead with that ... is hopefully going to produce some really good policy outcomes, not just for communities of color, but for working class communities. The Bay States two Democratic U.S. senators are calling on the Biden administration to green light the commonwealths application for $1.45 billion in federal funding to replace and repair a pair of bridges on Cape Cod. Last month, Gov. Maura Healeys administration said it was seeking the federal assistance to get a jump on the replacement of the Sagamore Bridge, and lay the groundwork for the rebuilding of the Bourne Bridge. The bridge regime will will deliver immense social, economic, public safety, and environmental benefits for a nationally significant and iconic region, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey wrote in an Aug. 18 letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The money also will ultimately resolve an outstanding federal responsibility for the maintenance and safety of the Cape Cod Bridges, the Democratic lawmakers wrote. The two bridges, which are nearly 90 years old, and are the sole access point to Cape for the 35 million vehicles that cross them annually, are functionally obsolete, Warren and Markey wrote. Read More: Gov. Healey tries to lean on feds for Cape Cod bridge replacement funding The bridges require increasingly costly maintenance, and rehabilitation work over the next decade is expected to cost more than $600 million, the two lawmakers wrote. The bridges structural deficiencies a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) responsibility present an enormous risk to the accessibility and economic stability of the Cape Cod region, and a long term financial liability for the federal government, Warren and Markey wrote. Healeys office announced last month that it was pivoting away from seeking funding for both bridge projects to just the Sagamore Bridge, State House News Service reported. The cost of the project has soared from $1.5 billion in 2019 to more than $4.5 billion today. In an interview with the Boston Globe, which first reported the change in approach, Healey said last years failed grant application under former Gov. Charlie Baker was dead on arrival, State House News Service reported. The states bridge regime is a a prototypical project that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was designed to fund, and is a key to modernizing Massachusetts physical infrastructure to meet the economic, social, and environmental challenges of the 21st Century, the two lawmakers wrote. By Kate Lamb and Stanley Widianto JAKARTA (Reuters) -Myanmar has ceded its turn to chair the Southeast Asian regional bloc, an official confirmed on Tuesday, after the group agreed that an existing but widely criticised peace plan will continue to guide its response to the bloody conflict there. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has faced criticism for its failure to get Myanmar's ruling military to make progress on a five-point peace consensus agreed to shortly after it seized power in a 2021 coup. Despite scepticism over its effectiveness, ASEAN agreed on Tuesday that the peace plan would continue to guide its approach to Myanmar's political crisis, according to an official document seen by Reuters. The document also showed that the bloc "urged the Myanmar Armed Forces in particular and all related parties concerned in Myanmar to de-escalate violence and stop targeted attacks on civilians." Myanmar, which has been gripped by violence and political and economic chaos since the coup, was slated to chair the 10-member regional grouping in 2026. But regional leaders agreed that the Philippines would assume the role in 2026 instead. "The Philippines will take over the ASEAN chairmanship for 2026," ASEAN secretary general Kao Kim Hourn told Reuters after the first day of the group's annual summit in Jakarta, adding that the switch was first proposed by Myanmar. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said leaders had also agreed to an informal "troika" approach to ASEAN's special envoy on Myanmar, which would see the chair supported by the former and future chairs for continuity. "A troika was formed to ensure the continuity in terms of handling the issue because everyone understands this situation cannot change in one year," Retno told reporters. Myanmar's military-appointed ministry of foreign affairs rejected the leaders' decision on the peace plan "as the reviews are not objective and decisions are biased and one-sided." Story continues The ministry said Myanmar was not represented at the summit, and though it was consulted on the decision, "the views and voices of Myanmar are not taken into account." While the bloc prioritises unity and non-interference in sovereign affairs, differences have emerged as Indonesia has sought to engage all stakeholders in the conflict while Thailand has tried to re-engage with the ostracised junta leaders. 'NO PROXY' Opening the summit on Tuesday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo warned against countries in the bloc getting dragged into big-power rivalry. "ASEAN has agreed to not be a proxy to any powers. Don't turn our ship into an arena for rivalry that is destructive," he said. The sharpening rivalry between China and the United States loomed over the meeting. Some ASEAN members have focused on developing close diplomatic, business and military ties with Beijing while others are more wary. The summit comes days after China released a "10-dash line" map, illustrating its claim to an extensive portion of the South China Sea that will likely add urgency to negotiations on a long-delayed code of conduct in the strategic waterway. ASEAN member states Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines, which have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, have rejected China's map. ASEAN leaders later this week will hold an East Asia summit, a wider forum that includes China, India, Japan, Russia and the United States. Adding to unease about ASEAN's relevance, U.S. President Joe Biden is not attending the talks. Vice President Kamala Harris will attend instead. Chinese Premier Li Qiang will also attend. (Additional reporting by Karen Lema in Manila, Rozanna Latiff in Kuala Lumpur and Wa Lone in Toronto; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor, Robert Birsel, Christina Fincher and Mark Porter) Billed as Africas premier climate summit, the Africa Climate Summit, scheduled for September 4-8, has already sparked intense debate and anticipation among climate activists across the continent. At the heart of this discussion is a critical question: Will this summit truly prioritize the needs and aspirations of Africa, or will it succumb to the pressures of external interests? Climate activists in Africa have not minced their words. They have called out the host of the event, H.E William Ruto, the President of Kenya, and the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), for allegedly prioritizing Western interests over the African agenda. At its core, what Africans seek from this summit is a resolute commitment to phasing out fossil fuels on the continent, making way for a massive harnessing of Africas renewable energy potential. The call for a fossil fuel phaseout is not just a matter of environmentalism; its a matter of justice. Rich nations bear historical responsibility for the climate crisis, having disproportionately contributed to the problem. They must fulfill their obligations by not only reducing their greenhouse gas emissions to zero but also providing substantial financial support to poorer, climate-vulnerable nations to address the devastating impacts of the climate crisis. In the pursuit of remedies to the energy and climate crises, Africa and other developing regions find themselves increasingly burdened by what can be called false solutions. These often come in the form of profit-driven schemes by corporations that exploit the climate crisis and contribute to it by prolonging the burning of fossil fuels. Unfortunately, these schemes tend to have devastating consequences for the most vulnerable communities on the frontlines of climate change. Kenya, for instance, is in the process of amending the Climate Change Act, 2016 to include provisions for Carbon Markets. This kind of false solution should be discouraged as it encourages polluters to keep on polluting as long as they can offset their emissions, typically in some climate-vulnerable developing nation, at the expense of local communities. Central to the hopes of Africans is the imperative for a swift and equitable transition away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy sources. The call for a fossil fuel phaseout and the tapping of Africas abundant renewable energy potential stems from a profound understanding of the regions unique needs. Rather than replicating the fossil fuel-driven development models of the past, Africa has the opportunity to leapfrog to cleaner, more sustainable alternatives. Solar and wind energy, for instance, can power Africas progress while simultaneously addressing its energy deficit and driving economic growth. Delaying this transition in favor of further pollution is a perilous choice. Climate change isnt waiting for us to make up our minds about when to have a just energy transition, and any hesitation will make us spectators while calamity wipes out lives and livelihoods. The dash for gas in Africa, which is characterized by European nations pursuing Africas gas to meet their energy needs following the Ukraine-Russia war, undermines the continents energy needs and development goals. Previous investments in fossil fuels across the continent have brought about environmental destruction, social disruption, and conflicts; for countries like Kenya, which have borne the brunt of these consequences, doubling down on fossil fuels would be a grave mistake. This is not the path forward for highly impacted countries or the continent as a whole. Continued investments in fossil fuels hinder, rather than advance, the potential for clean, affordable, and decentralized renewable energy. Consequently, theres no room for fossil gas or other fossil fuel projects in Africas energy future. What we need is substantial climate finance that doesnt exacerbate debt, enabling us to confront the climate crisis and protect our people. As the Summit convenes, its significance lies in the solutions it can bring to the forefront. This is an opportunity to drive real change for the communities that stand on the frontline of climate impacts. As the continents premier climate platform, the summit must not merely discuss problems but actively propose strategies that are tailored to Africas unique challenges. True climate leadership would entail devising solutions that resonate with the needs of frontline communitiesthe ones most vulnerable to climate impacts. As an African summit, it should offer solutions to African problems, ensuring that the summits outcomes genuinely contribute to a sustainable future. The intertwined nature of climate action and renewable energy access cannot be overstated. For Africa, sustainable development hinges on embracing climate-conscious strategies and prioritizing the expansion of renewable energy resources. These elements are not mutually exclusive; rather, they hold the key to fostering a resilient, inclusive, and equitable growth trajectory for the continent. By aligning development efforts with climate finance and renewable energy, Africa can simultaneously address environmental challenges and pave the way for sustainability. The summit thus has the potential to be a turning point for Africa to reclaim its agency in the fight against climate change. African leaders must seize this opportunity to prioritize justice and champion the aspirations of the people. By phasing out fossil fuels, harnessing renewable energy, and rallying around the call for climate finance, Africa can redefine the narrative surrounding Africas development, forging a path that not only safeguards the environment but also empowers its communities for generations to come. Its time to put Africas interests first and make the summit a beacon of hope for climate justice on the continent. by Charity Migwi Regional Campaigner at 350Africa.org The Africas Business Heroes (ABH) (www.AfricaBusinessHeroes.org) Prize Competition, a philanthropic program sponsored by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy, now in its fifth year, has announced this years top 10 finalists following an intense round of semi-finale business pitches and judging held on September 1 and 2 at Norrsken House in Kigali, Rwanda. These 10 entrepreneurs will compete for their share of the final prize of US$1.5 million in grant funding at the competitions Grand Finale scheduled for November 23 and 24. The top 10 finalists are (in alphabetical order, by country): Ms. Bola Bardet, CEO and Co-Founder, Susu (Benin) Mr. Ayman Bazaraa, CEO and Co-Founder, Sprints (Egypt) Mr. Andrew Takyi-appiah, Founder, Zeepay Ghana Limited (Ghana) Ms. Christina Gyisun, CEO and Co-Founder, Sommalife Limited (Ghana) Mr. Thomas Njeru, CEO and Co-Founder, Pula Advisors Limited (Kenya) Mr. Ismael Belkhayat, CEO and Founder, Chari (Morocco) Mr. Ikpeme Neto, CEO and Founder, Wellahealth Technologies (Nigeria) Mr. Albert Munyabugingo, CEO and Co-Founder, Vuba Vuba Africa LTD (Rwanda) Ms. Nthabiseng Mosia, CMO and Co-Founder, Easy Solar (South Africa) Mr. Theo Baloyi, CEO and Founder, Bathu (South Africa) The 2023 ABH top 10 entrepreneurs were selected through multiple stages of interviews and evaluation from 27,267 applications across all 54 African nations. They hail from eight African countries, including Benin, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa. Their start-ups have been drawn from a wide variety of industries, including agriculture, education & training, energy, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing and retail. The 10 finalists will present their businesses on stage to a panel of inspiring businesspeople at this years Grand Finale, which will take place in conjunction with a summit and will be the biggest in ABHs history in celebration of the fifth anniversary of the competition. Held offline in Kigali, Rwanda on 23 and 24 November and also partially livestreamed to reach audiences across Africa, the Summit and Grand Finale will be a gathering of a diverse group of African entrepreneurial ecosystem players. The action-packed event will comprise exciting sessions including speeches, workshops, an entrepreneurial showcase and a live pitch competition, among other activities. Register here to secure your seat: https://apo-opa.info/3sJzPoa ABH remains committed to uncovering, championing and supporting trailblazing African entrepreneurs who are bringing positive change to their communities. As we reach the fifth anniversary of our 10-year commitment to this initiative, were excited by the expanding and diverse array of talent among our contenders, said Jason Pau, Executive Director of International Programs at the Jack Ma Foundation. With November on the horizon, we wish every of the top 10 finalists the best of luck on their journey, and we encourage the public to join our Summit and Grand Finale, as it promises to be truly special. The ABH competition has shown that African entrepreneurship can emerge as a potent force propelling both social upliftment and economic progress. It is a dynamic stage, spotlighting ingenious start-ups that steer toward solutions, tackling challenges with a resonance thats impactful, competitive, sustainable and additive. I believe that entrepreneurs are carriers of HOPE as they can unlock possibilities that can change the world. I look forward to the Grand Finale, where the top 10 finalists will demonstrate their remarkable business acumen on stage, said Rene Parker, Cofounder and CEO of RLabs, ABH semi-finale judge (2019 2023). Originally launched in 2019, the ABH Prize Competition is Pan-African, inclusive, sector-agnostic and grassroots-oriented. It aims to identify, support and inspire the next generation of African entrepreneurs who are making a difference in their local communities by working to solve the most pressing problems and building a more sustainable and inclusive economy for the future. There was much excitement on board the Global Mercy recently as a young woman named Hawa climbed up the gangway. Hawa, an aspiring nurse from Sierra Leone, had never set foot on this brand-new hospital ship. But she has walked this swaying path over the water before. Hawa boarded the first Mercy Ship, the Anastasis, as a small child, when a tumor was slowly encroaching on her ability to eat and breathe. It was there that her life was saved, and a new dream was born. This year, Hawas journey to hope and healing came full circle as she reunited with Mercy Ships once more. Losing Faith When Hawa was a young girl, a tumor began to grow in her mouth. It was not cancerous. But it was far from harmless. At that time, I was scared, she remembered. After just two years, the fast-growing tumor was threatening Hawas life. She had to take small meals through a straw. It was coming to a point in time where I could not eat anymore, she said. Even drinking was difficult for me. Even to talk was difficult. Hawa would stay inside, crying, refusing to show her face outside. The people around her began to give up hope. Even me, she said. Because I think there is no life for me anymore, because the tumor was just swelling up, swelling up. Everybody was thinking, Shes just waiting for her time to go. Finding Hope on Board Hawas father tried to find someone who could help his daughter. He found that local doctors could not perform the necessary surgery. Then, a friend connected him to Mercy Ships. In 2005, he traveled with Hawa to the Anastasis, where doctors examined her and determined that she needed an operation right away. Everybody was coming around me, encouraging me, she said, recalling that first experience on the ship. Theyd say, Dont lose hope, dont worry. When Hawa came on board, she stopped being afraid. She believed that things were about to get better and they did. Dr. Gary Parker, longtime Mercy Ships volunteer maxillofacial surgeon, removed Hawas tumor. Hawa still remembers how her father responded when he saw her. He was so happy, just dancing, Oh, God, thank you, she said. We were just celebrating, rejoicing. When Hawa returned home, her friends did not even recognize her. They said, This is Hawa? she laughed as she remembered. I said, This is Hawa. Those that had lose hope on me, said She cant make it, who were seeing me at that point in time, said Wow. After her experience on the ship, Hawas path became clear. My dad looked at me and said, You have to become a nurse too, so that you can save others life as they did for you. Hawas father passed away shortly after witnessing his daughters miracle. She decided to make his dream her own and started on the long road to becoming a nurse. My family will be happy when I become a nurse because that has always been their prayer, she shared. Returning to the Ship In 2011, Hawa made another visit to the ship, this time boarding the new vessel, the Africa Mercy, when it sailed into Freetown. She reunited with Dr. Gary Parker and even met the president and vice president of Sierra Leone. Dr. Parker showed the gathered audience a photo of the tumor that had almost taken Hawas life. He didnt need to show an after photo, though. She was right there, evidence of a miracle. Hawa received a standing ovation. In 2023, she once again had the chance to reunite with crewmembers who had been part of her life-changing experience, like long-time volunteer Rachel Greenland. At the time Hawa was on board, I worked at the pediatric ward so I would see her and her father, remembered Rachel. Its a great privilege for me to see her here today. We talk a lot about the impact of the work but seeing her here shows you whats possible. This is why I keep coming back. During Hawas tour of the Global Mercy, she encountered another familiar face Clementine Tengue, who greeted her with a warm hug. Clementine, who works in the hospital chaplaincy department, remembers Hawa and her father well. I was there when Hawa and her dad were on board. I walked with them the entire process, she said. This is the definition of hope, her getting surgery and now wanting to help people too by becoming a nurse. For Hawa, the welcome on board felt deeply familiar. The way they showed me love reminded me of how it was when I was on the other ship when I was a child. They showed me love then they took care of me. Take a Look at Me Now Today, at 23 years old, Hawa sees her Mercy Ships surgery as a turning point. Once her tumor was removed, she was no longer isolated from her community. When I came back home, everybody was coming around me, everyone was rejoicing with me, she said. But Hawa knows it was not just her quality of life that was saved. It was her life itself. If I wasnt having the surgery, I dont think I would be alive, she said. Maybe I should have been dead and gone. Hawa is now studying hard in her journey to becoming a nurse. Some days she gets up at 2 a.m. to do her schoolwork, then heads for the bus at 5 a.m. She pushes herself so that she can pass along the healing she found nearly two decades ago. That gave me the inspiration to become a nurse, so that I can save life, too, she said. Theres another dream that Hawa harbors in her heart: to one day serve with Mercy Ships as a nurse, alongside Dr. Gary Parker and the others who helped give her life. I will one day tell people about my life, she said. From the sickness to now. Thats my dream. In the meantime, shes excited that the Global Mercy is in Sierra Leone, helping others just like her. If theres anyone whos losing hope, like she was, Hawa believes they will find it again. Let no one be ashamed of anything, she said. Let them come outside to show themselves, so that they can get help. After all, Hawa said, shes living proof that hope is never lost: Just take a look at me now. Africa, the second-largest continent and home to 1 billion people, has long captured the imagination of the world. Today, different thinkers, political and business leaders are preoccupied with a single question how to help Africas economy grow so it can trade with the world on better terms? The answer is simple: Africa needs to craft its own solutions to solve its problems. It starts with the promotion of a mindset of self-reliance. Theres no better way of expressing that self-sufficiency than creating innovative financing solutions to fund projects that could lead to sustainable economic growth in all the continents 54 African countries. However, these funding solutions need to consider the specific needs of different African countries. If this could be achieved, Africa would prosper and the standard of living on the continent would rise. The need for alternative funding solutions has never been greater given the uncertain economic prospects the continent faces. While Africas prosperity rose dramatically in the past few years due to greater integration into the world economy, this picture has since changed. Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa slowed to 3.6% in 2022, from 4.1% in 2021; and economic activity in the region is projected to further decline to 3.1% in 2023. Africa faces a grain shortage as a result of the Russian-Ukraine conflict. This calamity comes at a time when the continents economy was still recovering from the effects of the coronavirus a couple of years ago. The current picture Development finance has its limitations in amounts available, acceptable repayment risk and in some cases; financing cost vs project viability. In addition, such finance often comes with strictures on how African nations should run their economies. As such, solutions that are imported rather than developed at home, may inadvertently come at a hefty price. This is a legacy of the post-World War II era, when extraordinary efforts to provide provisional financial and technical assistance to European countries in the wake of the wars devastation helped to set them back on the path to national unity. Since then, this approachs foundations have become the cornerstone of development thought. But theres no denying that the traditional development finance model has not worked for Africa over the past six decades. Even though the world economy has grown in the past few decades, most African nations lag economically and grapple with abject poverty. Their commodities are highly susceptible to market fluctuations and natural disasters, and their societies are prone to instability, making it difficult to attract foreign investment. That is why most African nations turn to development aid to survive, which is not a viable model to achieve sustainable economic development. Since 1990, African countries have received over $1.3 trillion in development assistance; however, the continents financial, societal, and political fabric remains fragile. Time for a new thinking In fairness, Africa is hard at work pursuing Agenda 2063, a development blueprint and master plan for transforming the continent into the global powerhouse of the future. But the chances of this plan to succeed could be enhanced if Africa stops importing solutions from the outside and, instead, develops its own solutions for its own local challenges. This is the best way to positively change the trajectory of its economic development. In recent years, Africa has proved that it has the capability to champion local solutions. Take the phenomenal success of M-PESA, a mobile-based payment service targeting the unbanked that was launched in Kenya in 2007. The service has been so successful that it has expanded to Tanzania, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Ghana, Egypt, Afghanistan, and South Africa. We live on a continent that is well endowed with mineral resources. If these natural resources could be well managed, the sky is the limit for African countries. We are also on a continent with a predominantly youthful population that needs jobs. If this human resource could be harnessed and groomed, Africa would be unstoppable. In fact, if this labour force could be skilled and exported around the world it could lead to greater inflows of Diasporic finance that could boost African economies human resource is a commodity of the future! A case in point is Ethiopian Airways ongoing programme to train aviation personnel who can work anywhere in the world. Underpinning the programme is a realisation that aviation is essential for global business and generates economic growth, creates jobs, and facilitates international trade and tourism. Helping Africa grow Standard Bank strongly believes in Africas potential and wants to drive her growth forward. Our destiny is tied to our continent. If Africa thrives, we prosper. For this reason, we are committed to play our part in making sure that Africa grows and delivers on its potential. As a bank, we offer banking and other monetary expertise for free to African governments to use to reform their economies. To be sure, Africa is a continent, not a country. Each country faces different challenges. We are also keenly aware that we may not always get things right all the time, but wed rather offer solutions rather than complain and criticise on the side-lines. We are prepared to partner with others who are concerned about the fate of our continent. In fulfilling our commitments to all our stakeholders, it is important to be in an environment where the economy is growing, where entrepreneurship thrives, and businesses are doing well. An environment where theres regulation and civil society is stable. When all these factors are in place, the turnover of companies grows and so does the countrys GDP. That means more business for financial institutions. For this reason, Standard Bank is heavily invested in making sure that Africa works. As a highly respected African bank with international presence, we use our expertise to guide African governments and institutions to understand the value of the resources they have so that they can use these assets to raise finance at a much cheaper cost. We also help them to invest in the value chain of these resources. The idea is to encourage African governments to use and develop what they have rather than simply borrow. We also encourage many African countries to create an enabling environment for innovation through changing legislation so that it can reflect new realities. Sticking to the status quo does not foster change. Hard work lies ahead Hard work is required to turn the idea of African solutions for African problems into reality. It cannot be yet another slogan. Each African country will need to put in the hard work. While cognisant of the injustices of colonialism and the unequal manner in which African economies were incorporated into the world economy after independence, Standard Bank prefers to focus on solutions for the future, on what Africa can achieve if all nations could rally behind the idea of finding our own solutions to financing models. For Standard Bank, its about what we can do in the present moment. Even developed economies that we envy today made economic strides on their own, with little or no outside help. We should do the same. It will require bold thinking. It will also require the triumph of pragmatism over idealism. Back in 1978, Deng Xiaoping, leader of a then-small China, famously said: It doesnt matter whether a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice.. Today, China is the second-largest economy that continually seeks to be self-sufficient in key areas such as technology, finance, food and energy. Singapore is another economic marvel. In 1965, the country achieved independence with a GDP of $975 million. Its current GDP is close to $400 billion. Even more remarkable is the fact that this growth was accomplished with only three million people. This makes its GDP per capita the second-highest in the world. Another important aspect of doing things differently is for African countries to work a lot closer to find solutions to common problems. Even Kwame Nkrumah, the founding father of modern Ghana, realised this ideal many decades ago. It is clear that we must find an African solution to our problems, and that this can only be found in African unity. Divided we are weak; united, Africa could become one of the greatest forces for good in the world, Nkrumah said. Indeed, its time for Africans to heed this call. We are committed to help in the search for African solutions to African problems. A CASTLEBAR man charged with the murder of a 83-year-old man appeared in court today charged with arson arising from the same incident last March. Kevin McHale (63) of Annagh, Castlebar appeared before Castlebar District Court where he was charged with arson at Pheasant Hill, Cloonkeen, Castlebar on March 5, 2023. The charge arises following the fire at a farm house on the outskirts of Castlebar in which the body of 83-year-old John Brogan was found. Mr Brogan of Pheasant Hill, Cloonkeen, Castlebar was found by emergency services who responded to the fire at the address and it was subsequently discovered that he had been shot dead. Mr McHale was arrested shortly after the discovery of the body and subsequently charged with Mr Brogan's murder. At this morning's sitting of the district court, Detective Garda Declan Sweeney told Judge Vincent Deane that he arrested Mr McHale by arrangement at the Mall, Castlebar at 10.09am. He was charged with arson and made no reply following the caution before he was brought before the court. Inspector Elaine Horan told Judge Deane that the DPP had directed trial on indictment and there was consent to bail. Mr McHale was previously granted High Court bail following the murder charge. Judge Deane remanded Mr McHale on bail to appear before Castlebar District Court on September 20 where he will be served with a book of evidence. THE USE of speed detection cameras operating on Irish roads has been increased by 20%. This follows an agreement between Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to increase funding for GoSafe speed cameras. The increased funding will be a total of 1.2 million to be allocated towards GoSafe, which provides and operates safety cameras in Ireland. The funding will increase monitoring hours by the GoSafe cameras by 20%, or an extra 1,500 hours per month until the end of this year and bring the number of GoSafe hours up to 9,000 per month. Minister McEntee has also discussed the increase in GoSafe hours with Minister Jack Chambers, and the two Ministers will meet this week to discuss road safety issues following the worrying increase in road traffic fatalities this year. Minister McEntee said; We have all been shocked by the recent loss of life on our roads, and concerned by the worrying increase in road fatalities this year after many years of progress in making our roads safer. I have been discussing the issue with Commissioner Harris and Minister Chambers and this additional funding will be used to increase the number of speed cameras in operation on our roads. Minister McEntee continued; Enforcement and deterrence are key for increasing road safety, but they must also be accompanied by greater education and awareness raising, as well as looking at what more we can do across Government to bring down the number of deaths on our roads. We all have a role to play in reducing road deaths. Drivers must understand that every time they take to the road, they have a responsibility to themselves, their passengers and other road users, to drive safely. This means wearing a seat belt, keeping off the mobile phone, driving at a speed thats appropriate to the road conditions and within the speed limit, and not driving when under the influence of drink or drugs. Highlighting the role of the government in this, Minister McEntee said; For the Governments part, we can and will do more on enforcement, education, and awareness-raising, as well as looking at what more we can do across Government to bring down the number of deaths on our roads. Police officers look at collected fragments of the Russian rockets, including cluster rounds, that hit Kharkiv, Ukraine on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. A new report says the number of casualties from banned cluster weapons hit a new high last year. (Libkos/The Associated Press - image credit) The Canadian branch of an international humanitarian organization is calling on Ottawa to step up pressure on its allies to halt the distribution and use of cluster munitions. Humanity and Inclusion (HI), an independent aid group working in conflict zones around the globe, is responding to a new report by a monitoring agency which says that more people were killed or injured by the banned weapons in 2022 than in any other year since reporting began in 2010. The annual assessment by Cluster Munition Monitor, released Tuesday, said that 1,172 people were killed or wounded by cluster bombs in 2022, most of them in Ukraine. Seven other countries recorded the use of the weapons: Azerbaijan, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Myanmar, Syria and Yemen. "No situation justifies the use of such weapons," said Anne Delorme, executive director of Humanity and Inclusion Canada. "Canada has always been a world leader in banning or limiting the use of explosive weapons. The signing of the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel mines is a perfect example of Canadian leadership. We hope that our government will continue to use diplomacy to encourage the United States and other countries that have not yet ratified the convention to do so." The release of the report comes one week ahead of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (Oslo Convention), which will be held between Sept. 11 and Sept. 14 in Geneva, Switzerland. Humanity and Inclusion Canada said the Canadian government has a special responsibility to condemn the use of the weapons and "to hold the countries responsible for their use accountable." Cluster munitions were banned under a treaty ratified almost 13 years ago. A total of 123 states, including Canada, have joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The United States, Russia and Ukraine did not sign the treaty. A U.S. decision earlier this summer to supply Ukraine with cluster bombs became a point of debate at the recent NATO summit, where Canada a staunch backer of the treaty banning the munitions was put in the awkward position of trying to convince President Volodymyr Zelenskyy not to use the weapons. Story continues Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walked a fine line publicly, refusing to call out Ukraine but saying that Canada would "continue to stand very strongly that [cluster munitions] should not be used." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit Wednesday in Vilnius, Lithuania. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) According to several sources, Trudeau privately counselled Zelenskyy during the mid-July summit against the use of such weapons which are widely condemned for the way they indiscriminately kill and wound civilians. Ukraine has pledged that the munitions will be used only to dislodge significant concentrations of Russian troops from prepared defences as its forces press a counteroffensive in the eastern and southern regions of the country. U.S. officials were quoted saying in July that the ammunition was being used "effectively." Countries that have signed the treaty are obliged to discourage the use of cluster munitions, which spread small bomblets over large areas after being dropped from the air or fired from artillery. Nations under the Convention on Cluster Munitions are required to work against their use, up to and "including the imposition of penal sanctions to prevent and suppress any activity prohibited" under the treaty. That means Canada and its allies could be required to sanction Ukraine to discourage further use of cluster munitions. The Canadian government firmly condemned Russia's use of the munitions shortly after it commenced its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Doaa al-Hassan, 10 years old, who lost her hand to a cluster bomb in 2022, studies at a camp near the town of Ain Sheeb, northern Idlib province, Syria, on July 18, 2023. More than 300 people were killed by cluster munitions in Ukraine in 2022, according to an international watchdog, displacing Syria as the country with the highest number of deaths from the controversial weapons for the first time in a decade. Doaa al-Hassan, 10 years old, who lost her hand to a cluster bomb in 2022, studies at a camp near the town of Ain Sheeb, northern Idlib province, Syria, on July 18, 2023. (Omar Albam/The Associated Press) During the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said the U.S. decision to supply cluster bombs would not affect Canadian aid to Ukraine. The opposition New Democrats, meanwhile, insist Canada must abide by its responsibilities under the treaty. "We support Ukraine in every way we can but not with illegal, banned weapons," NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson said in July in a post on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. "Canada has an obligation under the Cluster Munition Convention to actively discourage use. This is the moment to do so." According to the latest report from Reports and Data, the global Catheter Market is projected to achieve a size of USD 43.63 Billion by 2032, with a consistent annual revenue growth rate of 8.7% throughout the forecast period. This growth is primarily attributed to the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions, such as cancer, Urinary Tract Infections (UTI), neurological disorders, and cardiovascular diseases worldwide. Catheters, which are medical devices utilized for treating various illnesses and conducting surgical procedures within the body, are designed for specialized applications, including ophthalmic, Gastrointestinal (GI), neurovascular, urological, and cardiovascular procedures. The escalating demand for catheters is being propelled by recent technological advancements that have led to more sophisticated equipment and procedures. For instance, on April 13, 2022, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Lincoln Laboratory unveiled an ultrasound tool guided by Artificial Intelligence (AI), which assists healthcare professionals in rapidly inserting a catheter at the site of injury. This groundbreaking innovation enhances life-saving techniques during critical situations like acute internal bleeding. Additionally, the growing preference for less painful minimally invasive treatment methods and the increasing incidence of cardiovascular diseases are additional significant factors contributing to the markets revenue growth. Access Free sample PDF Copy of the Report @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/download-free-sample/6458 As per the researchers, their AI-Guided Ultrasound Interventions Device (AI-GUIDE) represents a portable platform technology that has the potential to aid medical practitioners in efficiently inserting a catheter into a common femoral vessel, enabling immediate on-site treatment. Key players in the Catheter Market: Abbott Teleflex Incorporated Medtronic Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. Boston Scientific Corporation Edward Lifesciences Corporation Terumo Corporation Convatec Group PLC Stryker Hollister Incorporated Some Key Highlights in the Report: The global catheter market in 2022 saw a substantial revenue share attributed to the cardiovascular catheters segment, primarily because of the increasing utilization of electrophysiological procedures. Specialized Millar Mikro-Tip Catheters have found application in electrophysiological research and are compatible with appropriate stimulators and amplifiers. Depending on the stimulator/amplifier characteristics, pacing and recording methods can be employed for assessing the electrical attributes of the atrium and ventricle from within the heart (intracardiac) or via the esophagus (transesophageal). The recent consolidation of various technology corporations has led to the production and distribution of technologically advanced products, resulting in a more customer-centric product supply chain. These are among the key factors propelling revenue growth in this particular segment. In the global catheter market, the hospitals segment is anticipated to exhibit a consistently high growth rate in revenue during the forecast period. Numerous hospitals offer a range of catheters to meet the increasing demands of diverse patients. Urinary catheters are valuable for hospital patients requiring urine flow management and surgical preparation. Presently, hospitals and medical professionals are increasingly adopting advanced vascular catheters for intricate interventional procedures, which enhances patient safety, reduces postoperative bleeding complications, and improves post-surgical care. Consequently, patients are increasingly choosing hospitals, contributing to the greater utilization of catheter devices. Examples of such hospitals include Fortis Hospital and Colombia Asia Hospital, which provide catheterization procedures. North America dominated the global catheter market in terms of revenue in 2022. This can be attributed to the growing governmental approvals for new products in this region. As an illustration, on February 2, 2023, the FlexAbility Ablation Catheter, Sensor Enabled (SE), obtained approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a significant indication. This flexible tip catheter assists medical professionals in detecting abnormal signals and administering therapy for the treatment of Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) in patients with Non-Ischemic Cardiomyopathy (NICM). VT is associated with a rapid heartbeat that, if left untreated, can lead to cardiac arrest. These factors are driving the growth of market revenue in this geographical region. Get in detailed Research Study @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/catheter-market For the purpose of this report, Reports and Data has segmented the catheter market based on type, end-use, and region: Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 20192032) Cardiovascular Catheters Urological Catheters Intravenous Catheters Neurovascular Catheters Specialty Catheters End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 20192032) Hospitals Long- term Care Facilities Diagnostic Imaging Centers Others Download Summary @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/download-summary-form/6458 Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2022-2032) North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany U.K. France Italy Spain Sweden BENELUX Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China India Japan South Korea Rest of APAC Latin America Brazil Rest of LATAM Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia UAE South Africa Israel Rest of MEA Ask for Customize Research Report @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/request-customization-form/6458 Some points on how the report benefits stakeholders: The reports include historical (20202021) and forecast (20222032) data points, revenues, and CAGR in table, figure, and chart formats, with detailed and qualitative, supporting written information for each. Revenue break-up is provided for each segment in these formats for global, regional, and for each country in the respective region for each year between 2019 and 2030. The report contains insights regarding growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, trends, company profiles, strategic developments, expansion details, product launches, and various other aspects related to the market. The report contains data and information on customers, competitors, vendors/distributors, and other players and in the global marketplace. Market research analysis is vital for all crucial business strategies and can aid in numerous ways and to provide a clearer understanding about strategies being deployed by competitors, product launches, competitive analysis, technological advancements and various other factors that enhance sales of a firm or perhaps provide insights to focus on merger and acquisition as a strategy or enter into strategic agreements or joint ventures etc. The report contains company profiles of the top companies operating in the market along with their respective revenue and operating segments, geographical reach, market footprint, headquarters, growth rates, recent developments, product /services, expansion strategies, investments in expansion, and more. Explore Latest Trending Research Reports By Reports and Datas Intranasal Drug and Vaccine Delivery Market, By Product Type (Nasal Drops and Nasal Sprays), By Application (Vaccination, Pain Management, Respiratory Disorders, and Others), By End-user (Hospitals, Clinics, Home Care Settings, and Others), and By Region Forecast to 2032 Tissue Engineering and Regeneration Market, By Product Type (Cell Therapy, Gene Therapy, Tissue Scaffold, and Others), By Application (Orthopedics, Dermatology, Cardiology, and Others), and By Region Forecast to 2032 Healthcare Analytical Testing Services Market, By Service Type (Bioanalytical Testing, Physical Characterization, Method Development and Validation, Raw Material Testing, and Others), By End-use [Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Companies, Medical Device Companies, Contract Research Organizations (CROs), and Others), and By Region Forecast to 2032 Coagulation Analyzers Market By Product Type (Standalone Analyzers, Integrated Analyzers), By Test Type (Prothrombin Time, Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time, D-Dimer, Fibrinogen, Others), By End-use (Clinical Laboratories, Hospitals, Research Institutes, Others), By Region Forecast to 2032 About Reports and Data Reports and Data is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target, and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries, and help clients to make smarter business decisions. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across multiple industries, including Healthcare, Touch Points, Chemicals, Products, and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware of the latest trends existent in the market. Reports and Data has a strong base of experienced analysts from varied areas of expertise. Our industry experience and ability to develop a concrete solution to any research problems provides our clients with the ability to secure an edge over their respective competitors. Contact Us: John W (Head of Business Development) Reports and Data | Web: www.reportsanddata.com Direct Line: +1-212-710-1370 E-mail: sales@reportsanddata.com Blogs | Press Release | Industry News | Our competencies Browse More Upcoming Reports @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/upcoming-reports Browse More Latest Reports @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/report Read Latest Press Release @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/press-release/global-catheter-market Martin Scorsese has already set his next film after Killers of the Flower Moon Martin Scorsese has already set his next film post-Killers of the Flower Moon after buying the rights to a recent book. The director recently completed work on his drama, an adaption of David Granns non-fiction book documenting the string of murders that plagued the Osage Indian tribe in Oklahoma during the 1920s after oil was found on their land. The case was deemed the FBIs first homicide investigation. Granns work will provide the inspiration for Scorseses next project the author said in a new interview with French outlet Telerama that the filmmaker is planning to adapt The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder. Both Scorsese and his frequent collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio have obtained the rights to the novel, which was published earlier this year. The film tells the story of survivors of a shipwreck who, six months after returning home, are accused by three men of mutineering their ship. The synopsis for The Wager reads: Set in the 1740s, Wagers story is set in motion when a patched-together boat with 30 emaciated men landed on the coast of Brazil.The men were the surviving crew of British ship that was chasing a Spanish vessel and had crashed onto an island in South Americas Patagonia region. Their tales of surviving the seas and elements made them heroes. However, six months later another vessel, even more beat up than the first one, ended up on the coat of Chile, this one with three men. These new sailors charged that the other men were actually mutineers. The adaptation will mark the eighth time Scorsese and DiCaprio have worked together. Their latest collaboration, Killers of the Flower Moon, is set to be releaed theatrically on 20 October ahead of its premiere on Apple TV+ in November. It also stars Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons. The film premiered at Cannes Film Festival in May, where it received a nine-minute standing ovation. The Independents film critic Clarisse Loughrey, in her five-star review, said the film carries Scorseses tradition fixations: the rotted core of mans heart; how power breeds the impulse for destruction; the myths of cowboys and outlaws and the dirty truth to them. Leonardo DiCaprio looks poised to star in yet another Martin Scorsese film (2023 Invision) Killers of the Flower Moon will be the 80-year-old filmmakers first film since The Irishman, which was released in 2019. The global digital biomarkers market was valued at US$ 2.03 Bn in 2022 and is forecast to reach a value of US$ 22.28 Bn by 2030 at a CAGR of 34.1% between 2023 and 2030. Digital biomarkers are objective, quantifiable behavioral and physiological data collected and measured using digital devices such as portables, wearables, or implants. The information gathered is usually used to explain, influence, or predict health-related outcomes. Biomarkers can play several roles. Moreover, they can be used as a diagnostic tool to identify patients with abnormal conditions, as a tool for staging disease extent, as an indicator of disease prognosis, or for predicting and monitoring response to an intervention. Request Sample Copy of the Report: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/5884 Market Insights and Analysis: The Digital Biomarkers market report provides businesses with a wealth of valuable information, offering a comprehensive overview of current trends, market size, recent developments, and new opportunities. This report is an essential resource for any business looking to gain a better understanding of the industry, with growth analysis and historical and futuristic data on costs, revenue, demand and supply. By providing in-depth insights into the markets scope and application, this study enhances understanding and facilitates strategic decision-making. For businesses of all sizes, the Digital Biomarkers market report is a crucial tool, illuminating product development, marketing strategies, and overall business growth. With its valuable information and analysis, this report can help businesses stay ahead in a highly competitive industry. Global Digital Biomarkers Market Drivers: Rising adoption of digital healthcare solutions to drive market growth The increased usage of digital healthcare products, services, or technologies is one of the important factors anticipated to boost growth of the global market for digital biomarkers over the forecast period. Healthcare delivery systems can become better, safer, and more effective with the help of digital healthcare solutions, services, and technologies. Digital biomarkers are information that users directly gather about their own health or the treatment of diseases using digital health technology in order to explain, shape, or forecast results in the area of health. Therefore, as healthcare becomes more digitalized, there is a corresponding rise in demand for digital biomarkers, which is fueling the markets expansion. Global Digital Biomarkers Market Opportunities: Players in the worldwide digital biomarkers market should have significant growth prospects due to rising research and development spending as well as a greater emphasis on drug development. For instance, Koneksa introduced their clinical pipeline of biomarkers for respiratory, cancer, brain, and other therapeutic areas in October 2022. The business also intends to release several upcoming clinical research while developing 15 digital programmes. The digital biomarker platform from Koneksa converts traditionally analogue procedures into digital by using algorithms to analyse and integrate real-time patient data into clinical trials. Competitive Analysis Key players profiled in the report: AliveCor Inc., Altoida Inc., Amgen Inc., Human API, Fitbit, Inc., Biogen Inc, Bayer AG, Akili Interactive Labs, Evidation Health, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, and Eli Lilly and Company, among others. Buy This Complete Business Report: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/buy-now/5884 Segmentation Analysis of Digital Biomarkers: By Data Collection Tools: Wearable Devices, Implantable Components/Sensors, Mobile/Tablet Apps, Platforms, Desktop Based Software, and Data Integration (Systems that Integrate Data By Application: Sleep and Movement, Cardiovascular Disease, Mood and Behavior, Pain Management, Neurodegenerative Disorders, and Respiratory Conditions By End User: Biopharmaceutical Companies, Providers, and Payers Global Digital Biomarkers Market Trends: Rise in adoption of wearables is a recent trend Wearable device usage is rising quickly all across the world in tandem with the rising public awareness of health, fitness, and overall wellbeing, particularly in the wake of COVID-19. Wearable health monitoring technology aids in tracking the wearers health information. The demand for digital biomarkers has also expanded as a result of the market leaders introduction of user-friendly, cutting-edge wearables to monitor vital signs. Over the projection period, this tendency is anticipated to persist, fueling market expansion. The Report Covers The Following Data Points: : This section covers the worldwide Market overview, including the basic market introduction, market analysis by its applications, type, and regions. The major regions of the worldwide Market include North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle-East and Africa. Digital Biomarkers Market industry statistics and outlook are presented in this section. Market dynamics states the opportunities, key driving forces, market risk are studied. : This section covers Market manufacturers profile based on their business overview, product type, and application. Also, the sales volume, market product price, gross margin analysis, and share of each player is profiled in this report. : These sections present the market competition based on sales, profits, and market division of each manufacturer. It also covers the industry scenario based on regional conditions. : These sections provide forecast information related to Digital Biomarkers Market for each region. The sales channels include direct and indirect Marketing, traders, distributors, and development trends are presented in this report. : In these sections, Industry key research conclusions and outcome, analysis methodology, and data sources are covered. Frequently Asked Questions About This Report How big is the digital biomarkers market? What is the digital biomarkers market growth? Which segment accounted for the largest digital biomarkers market share? Who are the key players in the digital biomarkers market? What are the factors driving the digital biomarkers market? Customize Your Report Now: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/5884 Check Out More Report: Medical device connectivity market Weight loss and obesity management market X ray machine manufacturing market Healthcare additive manufacturing market Cardiac remote patient monitoring devices market Gcc medical gloves market Self care medical devices market Artificial vital organs and medical bionics market Neuromodulation devices market Neurology devices market India advanced wound care management market Europe cryochambers market Biopharmaceutical cmo and cro market Health all in one machine market Medical device contract manufacturing market In 2022, the global Smart Healthcare Market had a valuation of USD 55 billion, and the latest report from Reports and Data anticipates a 25% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in revenue over the forecast period. The surge in electronic health record adoption and advancements in healthcare technology are propelling the demand for smart healthcare solutions. These systems enable proactive care management and remote patient monitoring, resulting in reduced healthcare expenses and better patient results. The expansion of the smart healthcare market can be attributed to the increasing popularity of wearable technology, mobile health apps, and the Internet of Things (IoT) in the healthcare industry. The utilization of wearables like smartwatches and fitness trackers is on the rise among consumers, driving revenue growth. Furthermore, mobile health applications, known as mHealth apps, provide patients with access to health information and self-management tools, further contributing to market expansion. Additionally, the integration of IoT in healthcare services allows real-time monitoring and analysis of patient data, leading to enhanced patient outcomes. Access Free sample PDF Copy of the Report @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/download-free-sample/6416 Moreover, the rising aging population and the prevalence of chronic illnesses are boosting the demand for intelligent healthcare systems. As people age, they become more susceptible to chronic conditions that necessitate ongoing management and monitoring. Smart healthcare systems play a crucial role in providing continuous monitoring and management for these chronic diseases, resulting in decreased healthcare costs and improved patient outcomes. Key players in the Smart Healthcare Market: Philips Healthcare GE Healthcare Siemens Healthineers Abbott Laboratories Cerner Corporation Medtronic Honeywell International Inc. IBM Corporation Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Cisco Systems, Inc. Some Key Highlights in the Report: The projected period anticipates the mHealth segment to yield the highest revenue due to the convenience and widespread accessibility of mobile devices. The revenue growth in the mHealth market is primarily driven by the desire for real-time health parameter monitoring, the surging popularity of mobile health apps and wearable technologies, and the increased focus on preventive healthcare and remote patient monitoring. During the forecast period, the hospital segment is expected to dominate in terms of revenue share. This dominance is underpinned by the growing demand for intelligent healthcare solutions in hospitals, spurred by the quest for improved patient care, efficient resource utilization, and enhanced operational efficiency. Additionally, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases and the need for better disease management contribute to the heightened demand for intelligent healthcare solutions in hospital settings, exemplified by technologies like Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and telemedicine. These technologies have significantly elevated the standard of patient care by enabling swift patient diagnosis and treatment within hospitals. In the upcoming period, the North American market is foreseen to secure the largest portion of revenue. This is attributed to the rising incidence of chronic illnesses in the region and the increased demand for advanced healthcare facilities and services. Additionally, positive government initiatives and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies such as Electronic Health Records (EHRs), telemedicine, and connected medical devices are propelling market revenue growth in North America. Investments in research and development by key industry players, coupled with an increasing number of partnerships and collaborations between healthcare providers and technology companies, further bolster the expansion of the smart healthcare markets revenue in this region. The European market is poised to experience a swift growth rate in revenue throughout the forecast period. This expansion can be credited to the regions increasing adoption of advanced healthcare technologies, including electronic health records, telemedicine, and digital diagnostic tools. As the elderly population grows and the prevalence of chronic diseases increases, the demand for smart healthcare services in Europe is projected to surge. Supportive government policies and investments in healthcare infrastructure further facilitate the development of revenue growth in the smart healthcare market across Europe. Get in detailed Research Study @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/smart-healthcare-market For the purpose of this report, Reports and Data has segmented the global smart healthcare market on the basis of Product Type Outlook, End-Use Outlook, and Regional Outlook: Product Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2022 2032) mHealth EHR/EMR Telemedicine Smart Pills Others End-Use Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2022 2032) Hospitals Homecare Settings Others Download Summary @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/download-summary-form/6416 Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2022-2032) North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany U.K. France Italy Spain Sweden BENELUX Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China India Japan South Korea Rest of APAC Latin America Brazil Rest of LATAM Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia UAE South Africa Israel Rest of MEA Ask for Customize Research Report @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/request-customization-form/6416 Some points on how the report benefits stakeholders: The reports include historical (20202021) and forecast (20222032) data points, revenues, and CAGR in table, figure, and chart formats, with detailed and qualitative, supporting written information for each. Revenue break-up is provided for each segment in these formats for global, regional, and for each country in the respective region for each year between 2019 and 2030. The report contains insights regarding growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, trends, company profiles, strategic developments, expansion details, product launches, and various other aspects related to the market. The report contains data and information on customers, competitors, vendors/distributors, and other players and in the global marketplace. Market research analysis is vital for all crucial business strategies and can aid in numerous ways and to provide a clearer understanding about strategies being deployed by competitors, product launches, competitive analysis, technological advancements and various other factors that enhance sales of a firm or perhaps provide insights to focus on merger and acquisition as a strategy or enter into strategic agreements or joint ventures etc. The report contains company profiles of the top companies operating in the market along with their respective revenue and operating segments, geographical reach, market footprint, headquarters, growth rates, recent developments, product /services, expansion strategies, investments in expansion, and more. Explore Latest Trending Research Reports By Reports and Datas Varicose Vein Treatment Devices Market, By Product Type, By End-use, and By Region Forecast to 2032 Veterinary Diagnostics Market, By Product Type (Instruments, Consumables, and Others), By End-use, and By Region Forecast to 2032 Cannabidiol (CBD) Gummies Market By Type Outlook (Full-Spectrum CBD Gummies, Broad-Spectrum CBD Gummies), By Distribution Channel Outlook (Online, Offline), By Regional Forecast 2032 Covid-19 Antigen Tests Market, By Product & Service (Platforms, Reagents & Kits, Services), End-Use (Clinics & Hospitals, Home Care, Diagnostic Labs), and By Region Forecast to 2032 About Reports and Data Reports and Data is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target, and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries, and help clients to make smarter business decisions. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across multiple industries, including Healthcare, Touch Points, Chemicals, Products, and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware of the latest trends existent in the market. Reports and Data has a strong base of experienced analysts from varied areas of expertise. Our industry experience and ability to develop a concrete solution to any research problems provides our clients with the ability to secure an edge over their respective competitors. Contact Us: John W (Head of Business Development) Reports and Data | Web: www.reportsanddata.com Direct Line: +1-212-710-1370 E-mail: sales@reportsanddata.com Blogs | Press Release | Industry News | Our competencies Browse More Upcoming Reports @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/upcoming-reports Browse More Latest Reports @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/report Read Latest Press Release @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/press-release/global-smart-healthcare-market Global Medical Pendants Market Growing Demand and Growth Opportunity 2023-2030 : The global medical pendants market size is estimated to be valued at US$ 95.18 million in 2022, and is expected to witness a CAGR of 6.7% over the forecast period (2023 2030). The latest report published by Coherent Market Insights highlights the growth prospects of Medical Pendants Market from 2023 to 2030. In-Depth Research on Industry Size, Share, Business Analysis, Growth Factors, and Regional Forecast. The Medical Pendants Market report gives a purposeful depiction of the area by the practice for research, amalgamation, market size, overview, and review of data taken from various sources. The Medical Pendants Market study includes information on market factors such as the market dynamics, drivers, restraints, challenges, threats, potential growth opportunities, market trends, development patterns, financial information, latest technologies, innovations, leading competitors, and regional analysis of the market. Authenticated data presented in the report is based on findings of extensive primary and secondary research. On the basis of historic growth analysis and the current scenario of the Medical Pendants Market place, the report intends to offer actionable insights and an outlook on global/regional market growth projections. The report considers the revenue generated from the sales of this Report and technologies by various application segments and browses market data Tables. Various market parameters such as macroeconomic conditions, market environment, government policies, and competitive landscape are thoroughly studied and taken into account while analyzing the market. Grab Your Sample from Our Comprehensive Report @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/2041 The list of Key Players Profiled in the study includes:- Hipac Healthcare Pty Ltd, Surgiris, Ondal Medical Systems, STERIS plc. Elektra Hellas, Starkstrom Ltd., Narang Medical Ltd., Brandon Medical, TLV Healthcare, and Shanghai Amcaremed Technology Co., Ltd. The Medical Pendants Market is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period between 2023 and 2030. In 2023, the Medical Pendants Market will grow steadily, and with the increasing adoption of strategies by the major players; the research study is expected to rise above the forecast horizon. The competitive analysis focuses on key players and the innovations and business strategies undertaken by them. The report captures the best long-term growth opportunities for the industry and includes the latest process and product developments. Medical Pendants Market Dynamics : The medical pendants market demonstrates dynamic growth due to their crucial role in optimizing healthcare environments. These systems provide support for medical equipment, gas supply, and electrical connections, enhancing workflow efficiency in operating rooms and intensive care units. Advancements in pendant design, integration of medical gases, and cable management solutions improve their usability, driving market expansion. Furthermore, increasing demand for minimally invasive surgeries and telemedicine setups contributes to market dynamics. Challenges include installation costs and variations in healthcare infrastructure. The markets future depends on continued innovation, customization options, and the integration of medical pendants into evolving healthcare facility designs to improve patient care and enhance medical staff efficiency. Segmentation Analysis of the Market: By Product Type (Fixed, Rotary Pendants (Single-Arm and Double Multi-Arm) By Application (Surgery, Anesthesia, Endoscopy and ICU) Research Methodology: Most research studies use a combination of both primary and secondary research methods to ensure comprehensive and accurate data analysis. The specific methodology used in a Medical Pendants market research study will depend on various factors such as the research objectives, the target audience, and the available resources. In terms of geographical analysis, Medical Pendants Market report provides an in-depth view of The following section of the report offers valuable insights into different regions and the key players operating within each of them. To assess the growth of a specific region or country, economic, social, environmental, technological, and political factors have been carefully considered. The section also provides readers with revenue and sales data for each region and country, gathered through comprehensive research. This information is intended to assist readers in determining the potential value of an investment in a particular region. North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico) Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Rest of APAC) South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of SA) Middle East & Africa (Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE, Africa, Rest of MEA) Dont pay for what you dont need, Get your report customized @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/2041 Go-To-Market Framework Go-to-market Strategy. Development trends, competitive landscape analysis, supply side analysis, demand side analysis, year-on-year growth, competitive benchmarking, vendor identification, CMI quadrant, and other significant analysis, as well as development status. Customized regional/country reports as per request and country level analysis. Potential & niche segments and regions exhibiting promising growth covered. Analysis of Market Size (historical and forecast), Total Addressable Market (TAM), Serviceable Available Market (SAM),Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM), Market Growth, Technological Trends, Market Share, Market Dynamics, Competitive Landscape and Major Players (Innovators, Start-ups, Laggard, and Pioneer). Key Benefits The Medical Pendants market report provides the quantitative analysis of the current market and estimations through 2023-2030 that assists in identifying the prevailing market opportunities to capitalize on. The study comprises a deep dive analysis of the Medical Pendants market trend including the current and future trends for depicting the prevalent investment pockets in the market. The report provides detailed information related to key drivers, restraints and opportunities and their impact on the Medical Pendants market. The report incorporates competitive analysis of the market players along with their market share in the global Medical Pendants market. The SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces model is elaborated in the study of Medical Pendants market. Value chain analysis in the Medical Pendants market study provides a clear picture of the stakeholders roles. Smart Moves Begin with Purchase: Click to Buy & Get Up To 25 % Off @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/buy-now/2041 The Global Medical Pendants Market Industry Report Covers the Following Data Points: : This section provides an overview of the global market, including a general market introduction and market analysis by type, region, and application. North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa are the major geographical regions of the global market industry. This section provides industry statistics and forecasts for the Medical Pendants market from 2023 to 2030. Market dynamics explain the potential, the main forces and market risks in the workplace. : The market manufacturers profile in this field is classified by company overview, product type and application. Each company is detailed in this study in its sales volume, product prices in the market, gross margin analysis and market share. : Depending on the sales, profitability and market share of each manufacturer, these sections describe the competitiveness of the market. In addition, he will discuss industry scenarios according to local conditions. : These sections provide forecast data for the Medical Pendants Market (2023-2030) by region. The study presents development trends as well as sales channels including merchants, distributors and direct and indirect marketing. : These pieces deal with important research results and conclusions for industry, analysis methods and data sources. The report answers a number of crucial questions, including: Which companies dominate the global Medical Pendants market? What current trends will influence the market over the next few years? What are the markets opportunities, obstacles, and driving forces? What predictions for the future can help with strategic decision-making? What advantages does market research offer businesses? Which particular market segments should industry players focus on in order to take advantage of the most recent technical advancements? What is the anticipated growth rate for the Medical Pendants market economy globally? About Coherent Market Insights Coherent Market Insights is a global market intelligence and consulting organization that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. We are known for our actionable insights and authentic reports in various domains including aerospace and defense, agriculture, food and beverages, automotive, chemicals and materials, and virtually all domains and an exhaustive list of sub-domains under the sun. We create value for clients through our highly reliable and accurate reports. We are also committed in playing a leading role in offering insights in various sectors post-COVID-19 and continue to deliver measurable, sustainable results for our clients. Contact Us Mr. Shah Coherent Market Insights Pvt Ltd, 533 Airport Boulevard, Suite 400, Burlingame, CA 94010, United States Phone: US +12067016702 / UK +4402081334027 JAPAN:+81-50-5539-1737 INDIA:+91-848-285-0837 Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com The latest report by Reports and Data indicates that in 2022, the global Small Bone Joint Devices Market reached USD 7.77 Billion, and it is projected to achieve a 9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in revenue throughout the forecast period. The increasing prevalence of conditions like osteoporosis and arthritis is driving up the demand for small bone joint devices. These devices find application in the treatment of various ailments such as trigger fingers, Dupuytrens contracture, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Moreover, the growing preference for minimally invasive surgical procedures is contributing to the demand for small bone joint devices. These devices offer several benefits, including reduced post-operative discomfort, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery times. The rising awareness among both patients and healthcare professionals about the advantages of small bone joint replacement procedures is further bolstering market revenue. Access Free sample PDF Copy of the Report @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/download-free-sample/6415 Additionally, technological advancements in the small bone joint devices sector are a significant factor in the markets expansion. To meet the increasing demand for minor bone joint replacement surgeries, manufacturers are continually striving to develop innovative products. Notably, the progress in 3D printing technology has enabled the production of customized implants with enhanced functionality and a superior fit. Key players in the Small Bone Joint Devices Market: Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. Stryker Corporation Smith & Nephew plc Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. DJO Global Inc. Wright Medical Group N.V. Arthrex, Inc. Acumed LLC Ossur hf. Medartis Holding AG Some Key Highlights in the Report: The largest share of revenue during the projected period is expected to be held by the shoulder devices segment. This is primarily due to the rising demand for shoulder joint replacement surgeries, driven by an increasing incidence of shoulder-related injuries and conditions such as rotator cuff tears, arthritis, and fractures. Technological advancements like 3D printing and robotics have further contributed to the development of personalized shoulder implants, boosting revenue growth in this segment. Hospitals are predicted to dominate in terms of revenue share during the projected period. This is attributed to hospitals access to state-of-the-art medical equipment and facilities, resulting in a higher number of joint replacement surgeries. The rising prevalence of bone and joint diseases like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, along with a growing elderly population, is also fuelling the demand for joint replacement surgeries in hospitals. The North American market is positioned to capture the largest revenue share during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the regions high incidence of bone and joint conditions, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Furthermore, the market in this region is expected to experience revenue growth due to factors such as an expanding elderly population, increased adoption of advanced technologies, and the presence of major industry players. In Europe, the market is expected to demonstrate a moderate yet rapid growth rate in terms of revenue during the forecast period. This can be linked to rising healthcare costs and an increasing prevalence of bone and joint issues in the region. Additionally, the popularity of minimally invasive procedures and the availability of cutting-edge medical equipment are projected to drive revenue growth in the European market. Notably, the United Kingdom stands out as one of the largest markets in Europe for small bone joint devices, driven by heightened demand for orthopedic procedures and the growing elderly population. Get in detailed Research Study @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/small-bone-joint-devices-market For the purpose of this report, Reports and Data has segmented the global small bone joint devices market on the basis of Product Type Outlook, Application Outlook, and Regional Outlook: Product Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2022 2032) Wrist Devices Elbow Devices Shoulder Devices Other Small Joint Devices Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2022 2032) Orthopedic Clinics Hospitals Ambulatory Surgical Centers Download Summary @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/download-summary-form/6415 Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2022-2032) North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany U.K. France Italy Spain Sweden BENELUX Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China India Japan South Korea Rest of APAC Latin America Brazil Rest of LATAM Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia UAE South Africa Israel Rest of MEA Ask for Customize Research Report @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/request-customization-form/6415 Some points on how the report benefits stakeholders: The reports include historical (20202021) and forecast (20222032) data points, revenues, and CAGR in table, figure, and chart formats, with detailed and qualitative, supporting written information for each. Revenue break-up is provided for each segment in these formats for global, regional, and for each country in the respective region for each year between 2019 and 2030. The report contains insights regarding growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, trends, company profiles, strategic developments, expansion details, product launches, and various other aspects related to the market. The report contains data and information on customers, competitors, vendors/distributors, and other players and in the global marketplace. Market research analysis is vital for all crucial business strategies and can aid in numerous ways and to provide a clearer understanding about strategies being deployed by competitors, product launches, competitive analysis, technological advancements and various other factors that enhance sales of a firm or perhaps provide insights to focus on merger and acquisition as a strategy or enter into strategic agreements or joint ventures etc. The report contains company profiles of the top companies operating in the market along with their respective revenue and operating segments, geographical reach, market footprint, headquarters, growth rates, recent developments, product /services, expansion strategies, investments in expansion, and more. Explore Latest Trending Research Reports By Reports and Datas Dental Bone Void Filler Market, By Material Type (Synthetic, Biologic, and Xenografts), By Form (Injectable, Granules, and Putty), By End-Use (Hospitals, Dental Clinics, and Ambulatory Surgical Centers), and By Region Forecast to 2032 Myopia Presbyopia Treatment Market, By Type (Corrective, Prescription Lenses, Surgical, and Others), and By Region Forecast to 2032 Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Rehabilitation Market, By Service Type (Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, and Others), By Care Type (Inpatient and Outpatient), By End-use (Hospital-based and Stand-alone), and By Region Forecast to 2032 Syringes Market, By Product Type (Conventional Syringes, Safety Syringes, Pre-filled Syringes, and Others), By Application (Immunization Injections, Therapeutic Injections, and Blood Specimen Collection), and By Region Forecast to 2032 About Reports and Data Reports and Data is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target, and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries, and help clients to make smarter business decisions. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across multiple industries, including Healthcare, Touch Points, Chemicals, Products, and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware of the latest trends existent in the market. Reports and Data has a strong base of experienced analysts from varied areas of expertise. Our industry experience and ability to develop a concrete solution to any research problems provides our clients with the ability to secure an edge over their respective competitors. Contact Us: John W (Head of Business Development) Reports and Data | Web: www.reportsanddata.com Direct Line: +1-212-710-1370 E-mail: sales@reportsanddata.com Blogs | Press Release | Industry News | Our competencies Browse More Upcoming Reports @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/upcoming-reports Browse More Latest Reports @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/report Read Latest Press Release @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/press-release/global-small-bone-joint-devices-market The latest report by Reports and Data reveals that in 2022, the global Upstream Bioprocessing Market had a size of USD 9.79 Billion, and it is projected to achieve a revenue compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7% throughout the forecast period. One of the primary drivers propelling the substantial revenue growth in the global upstream bioprocessing market is the increasing demand for biopharmaceuticals. These drugs, derived from living cells or organisms, play a crucial role in treating a wide spectrum of ailments, including cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases. As the global population continues to age, there is an expected significant increase in the demand for these medications, which, in turn, will fuel the revenue growth of the upstream bioprocessing market. Another factor contributing to the expansion of market revenue growth is the rising prevalence of chronic diseases. According to data from the World Health Organization, chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease are the leading causes of death worldwide, accounting for approximately 60% of all fatalities. The increased incidence of these ailments is generating a substantial need for biopharmaceuticals, thereby driving revenue growth in the upstream bioprocessing sector. Access Free sample PDF Copy of the Report @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/download-free-sample/6421 The growth of market revenue is also directly influenced by advancements in upstream bioprocessing technologies. The introduction of innovative technologies such as single-use bioreactors, high-throughput screening, and automated cell culture systems has significantly improved the efficiency and productivity of upstream bioprocessing. These technological innovations have gained widespread acceptance among biopharmaceutical manufacturers. Consequently, with increased investment in the biopharmaceutical sector, the upstream bioprocessing market is poised for substantial growth during the forecast period. Key players in the Upstream Bioprocessing Market: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Merck KGaA Danaher Corporation Sartorius AG General Electric Company Lonza Group AG Eppendorf AG Fujifilm Holdings Corporation Becton, Dickinson and Company Corning Incorporated Some Key Highlights in the Report: The largest share of revenue during the forecast period is expected to be captured by the cell culture media segment, primarily due to its critical role in cell development and expansion within the bioprocessing industry. Cell culture media plays a vital function by supplying essential nutrients and growth factors necessary for cell proliferation and optimal growth, enabling the synthesis of various biologics such as antibodies, vaccines, and enzymes. The increasing demand for biologics, driven by the rising prevalence of chronic diseases like cancer, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases, is a key factor propelling the revenue growth of the cell culture media segment. Anticipated to hold the largest share of revenue during the forecast period is the vaccines segment. This substantial revenue growth can be attributed to several factors, including the increasing incidence of infectious diseases and the growing demand for secure and effective vaccinations to prevent them. Furthermore, advancements in bioprocessing technology and the development of innovative vaccines are expected to drive the demand for upstream bioprocessing products in the projected period. North America is predicted to dominate in terms of revenue share over the projection period. The growth in revenue in this region is due to increased investments in R&D projects by various biopharmaceutical companies. The production of biologics is on the rise in the upstream bioprocessing industry of this region, driven by the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and the growing demand for effective treatments. Additionally, the region is experiencing a surge in government initiatives aimed at promoting biopharmaceutical development, which is expected to further boost regional market revenue growth. In 2021, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. introduced the Gibco BioProduction Services Program, with the aim of offering a comprehensive range of services to biopharmaceutical manufacturers. These services encompass various aspects, including upstream and downstream process development, scale-up, and manufacturing services, catering to the diverse needs of the industry. Get in detailed Research Study @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/upstream-bioprocessing-market For the purpose of this report, Reports and Data has segmented the global upstream bioprocessing market on the basis of Product Type Outlook, Application Outlook, End-Use Outlook, and Regional Outlook: Product Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2022 2032) Cell Culture Media Bioreactors Filtration Systems Others Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2022 2032) Vaccines Monoclonal Antibodies Recombinant Proteins Others End-Use Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2022 2032) Biopharmaceutical Companies Contract Development & Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs) Academic and Research Institutes Others Download Summary @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/download-summary-form/6421 Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2022-2032) North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany U.K. France Italy Spain Sweden BENELUX Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China India Japan South Korea Rest of APAC Latin America Brazil Rest of LATAM Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia UAE South Africa Israel Rest of MEA Ask for Customize Research Report @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/request-customization-form/6421 Some points on how the report benefits stakeholders: The reports include historical (20202021) and forecast (20222032) data points, revenues, and CAGR in table, figure, and chart formats, with detailed and qualitative, supporting written information for each. Revenue break-up is provided for each segment in these formats for global, regional, and for each country in the respective region for each year between 2019 and 2030. The report contains insights regarding growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, trends, company profiles, strategic developments, expansion details, product launches, and various other aspects related to the market. The report contains data and information on customers, competitors, vendors/distributors, and other players and in the global marketplace. Market research analysis is vital for all crucial business strategies and can aid in numerous ways and to provide a clearer understanding about strategies being deployed by competitors, product launches, competitive analysis, technological advancements and various other factors that enhance sales of a firm or perhaps provide insights to focus on merger and acquisition as a strategy or enter into strategic agreements or joint ventures etc. The report contains company profiles of the top companies operating in the market along with their respective revenue and operating segments, geographical reach, market footprint, headquarters, growth rates, recent developments, product /services, expansion strategies, investments in expansion, and more. Explore Latest Trending Research Reports By Reports and Datas Endoscopic Robotics Market, By Approach (Surgical & Diagnostic), By Application (Laparoscopy, Colonoscopy, Bronchoscopy, and Others), By End-use, and By Region Forecast to 2030 Aquaculture Vaccines Market, By Product (Attenuated Live Vaccines, Inactivated Vaccines, Subunit Vaccines, DNA Vaccines, and Recombinant Vaccines), By Route of Administration(Oral, Injected, and Immersion & Spray), By Application, and By Regional Forecast to 2032 Regulatory Affairs Market, By Product Type, By End-use, and By Region Forecast to 2032 Sternal Closure Systems Market, By Product Type(Wire Closures, Plate and Screw Systems, and Cable Systems), By Material (Titanium, Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK), Stainless Steel, and Others), and By Region forecast to 2032 About Reports and Data Reports and Data is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target, and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries, and help clients to make smarter business decisions. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across multiple industries, including Healthcare, Touch Points, Chemicals, Products, and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware of the latest trends existent in the market. Reports and Data has a strong base of experienced analysts from varied areas of expertise. Our industry experience and ability to develop a concrete solution to any research problems provides our clients with the ability to secure an edge over their respective competitors. Contact Us: John W (Head of Business Development) Reports and Data | Web: www.reportsanddata.com Direct Line: +1-212-710-1370 E-mail: sales@reportsanddata.com Blogs | Press Release | Industry News | Our competencies Browse More Upcoming Reports @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/upcoming-reports Browse More Latest Reports @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/report Read Latest Press Release @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/press-release/global-upstream-bioprocessing-market by Karlene Lukovitz @KLmarketdaily, September 5, 2023 Ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) and free, ad-supported streaming (FAST) services generated combined revenue of 15 million in 2022, triple 2021s revenue, according to a joint study by audience-measurement firm Mediametrie and media business consultant NPA Conseil. The study estimates that first-half 2023 revenue reached 8 to 8.5 million. Overall AVOD/FAST viewership gained 13 points in the 15+ demo last year, peaking at 69% among the 35-49 demo. The domestic French market includes 292 FAST TV channels in French owned by 77 operators. Eighteen of these represent 80% of the revenue. Top operator Mediawan, which has 15 channels, has partners including Pluto TV and Samsung TV. More than half (54%) of French households owned a smart TV as of Q1 2023. A separate new report, from Digital TV Research, estimates that Germany will have more SVOD subscriptions than the UK by the end of this year, and will increase its edge going forward (chart above). advertisement advertisement The analysis forecasts 273 million SVOD subscriptions in Western Europe by 2029, up from 210 million by year-end 2023. The UK will contribute 6 million of the total estimated 63 million new subscriptions, Germany 12 million, France 11 million, Italy 10 million and Spain 9 million. The UK is the most mature SVOD market in Western Europe. Germany, France, Italy and Spain will each add more subscriptions than the UK over coming years, said Simon Murray, princiap analyst at Digital TV Research. by Colin Kirkland , September 5, 2023 Meta may be partnering with LG Electronics to build and deliver future virtual-reality headsets, including a successor to the Quest Pro, in hopes of outperforming Apple's highly anticipated Vision Pro headset slated for 2024, according to a Korean news outlet. In November, SBS Biz reported that dozens of Meta executives had been holding private meetings in South Korea with Samsung and LG's display divisions. Now, it has been said that LG will supply Meta with LG Display technology, LG Energy batteries, and other components from LG Innotek, the company's South Korean affiliate. The first product coming out of the supposed partnership is believed to be a next-generation Quest Pro headset, planned to launch 2025 at a price of about $2,000. Apple's upcoming VR headset, the Vision Pro, is priced at $3,500. It has gained traction in the media due to its high price and potential groundbreaking technology, including high-resolution Sony OLED microdisplays and realistic Persona avatars. The price of Meta's future Quest Pro headset with LG may help it compete with Apple's upcoming device, especially since the Vision Pro output may be limited due to ongoing reports of production challenges. However, with Samsung and Google planning to release their high-end VR headset for around $2,000 as well, competition will still be high. by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, September 5, 2023 Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has announced a leadership change at one of its core media agencies PHD Worldwide, where Guy Marks is replacing Philippa Brown as CEO effective Oct. 1. Marks has been serving as CEO of OMGs Europe, Middle East & Africa region. Guy is one of our industrys most entrepreneurial leaders, with an approach that transformed first OMDs and subsequently Omnicom Media Groups offering in EMEA over the past six years, stated OMG global CEO Florian Adamski. By enabling our agencies to quickly identify, adapt and respond in real time to the challenges of a dramatically changing consumer marketplace, hes unlocked growth for our clients and made OMG the #1 media agency group for net new business in the EMEA region for the year-to-date, according to the most recent COMvergence reporting." advertisement advertisement Adamski added, The fact that at the same time he was also one of the networks key people coordinating Omnicoms boots-on-the-ground Ukrainian relief and rescue efforts tells you everything you need to know about both his character and his leadership skills. Brown, who has served as PHDs global CEO since 2019, is stepping down following almost four decades in the media industry including 16 years in leadership positions with OMG to focus on non-executive advisory roles at both the corporate and advocacy levels. Commenting on Browns contributions, Adamski said, After leading the agency through the Covid crisis, she brought PHD back stronger than ever, earning Media Network of the Year honors at the 2021 Cannes Festival; winning Diageo, Chanel, Unilever, and most recently, the $300 million Grupo Bimbo account. He also credited her effort to launch OMGs Talent Management Community, an initiative offering professional career development at the company. In 2022, PHD was ranked #2 globally for net new business gains second only to sister OMG agency OMD adding $902 billion in incremental billings in 2022, per COMvergence. Marks joined OMG in 2014 following Omnicoms acquisition of Mobile5, the global UX, design and tech consultancy service that he co-founded. As CEO of OMG EMEA, he helped establish Omnicoms Transact connected commerce and retail media consultancy in the region, and co-architected the expansion of OMGs TRKKN analytics and cloud consultancy from five European countries to 20 markets across APAC, EMEA and North America. The thread that can be pulled through all my professional experience is driving growth through transformation, said Marks. As the CEO of PHD an agency that was born from a transformative concept of media as a strategic tool my priority will be assuring that every PHD account team around the world have the talent, tools, technology and collective commitment to excellence they need to deliver the transformative ideas, solutions and service that drive growth for our clients, our agency, and our people. by Karlene Lukovitz @KLmarketdaily, September 5, 2023 Advertisers should soon have a new out-of-home option. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted its first commercial approval for a drone banner-towing operator to Miami-based aerial advertising company Sustainable Skylines. The company is now awaiting secondary approval for flying full-size ads above the beach, and hopes to begin doing so above Miami Beach in October or November. The drone service is being touted as a revolution in sustainability, as well as performance and accountability for advertisers. The hybrid electric UAV drones use about one-tenth the fuel of the small, piloted aircraft normally used for banner advertising, resulting in a 90% smaller carbon footprint, according to the company. They are also quieter, and eliminate the possibility of pilot injuries. advertisement advertisement Flexibility is one key benefit for advertisers. Because the drones dont require airports, and can be deployed much closer to their destinations, campaigns made up of successive banners within relatively short windows are possible. Further, the ability to run more ads within any given period should enable lower costs. Drone advertising at a large scale has never been done before, Jacob Stonecipher, the companys founder and CEO, noted to Marketing Brew. While the company has not yet revealed specific pricing, it has said that it will sell ads in two-hour blocks, similar to traditional aerial advertising. Sustainable Skylines is also promoting a first movers partnership program, offering reduced prices to early customers. The company whose CMO, Tim Carlisle, most recently headed up advertising for the Proctor and Gamble account at Publicis Worldwide is also promising major leaps in measurement and accountability via on-board sensors, camera footage and third-party mobile data to enable accurate estimates of the crowds on the ground. The next step envisioned is using predictive analytics to offer dynamic pricing charging based on how many people are likely to see the advertising during a specific timeframe in a specific location. Sustainable Skylines, founded in 2019, has raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding and is planning to pursue more funding and eventually expand the service to locations around the country. Human Impact of Avian H3N8 Virus "Human populations, even when vaccinated against human H3N2 virus, appear immunologically naive to emerging mammalian-adapted H3N8 AIVs and could be vulnerable to infection at epidemic or pandemic proportions," Chang said. "Acid resistance of influenza virus is also an important barrier for avian influenza virus to overcome to acquire the adaptability and transmissibility in new mammals or humans. The current novel H3N8 virus has not acquired the acid resistance yet. So, we should pay attention to the change in acid resistance of the novel H3N8 virus," added Professor Jinhua Liu at the China Agricultural University in Beijing. Global Prevalence of H3N8 Viruses in Animals H3N8 viruses are commonly detected globally in animals. The viruses are some of the most commonly found subtypes in birds, causing little to no sign of disease in either domestic poultry or wild birds. Advertisement The global health body states that zoonotic influenza type A infections may cause diseases ranging from mild upper respiratory infection ( Reference : Airborne transmission of human-isolated avian H3N8 influenza virus between ferrets - (https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00891-7) Source: IANS "Human populations, even when vaccinated against human H3N2 virus, appear immunologically naive to emerging mammalian-adapted H3N8 AIVs and could be vulnerable to infection at epidemic or pandemic proportions," Chang said. "Acid resistance of influenza virus is also an important barrier for avian influenza virus to overcome to acquire the adaptability and transmissibility in new mammals or humans. The current novel H3N8 virus has not acquired the acid resistance yet. So, we should pay attention to the change in acid resistance of the novel H3N8 virus," added Professor Jinhua Liu at the China Agricultural University in Beijing.H3N8 viruses are commonly detected globally in animals. The viruses are some of the most commonly found subtypes in birds, causing little to no sign of disease in either domestic poultry or wild birds.The global health body states that zoonotic influenza type A infections may cause diseases ranging from mild upper respiratory infection ( fever and cough) to rapid progression to severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, shock, and even death. Due to the constantly evolving nature of influenza viruses , the WHO has stressed the importance of global surveillance to detect virological, epidemiological and clinical changes associated with circulating influenza viruses which may affect human (or animal) health.Source: IANS Researchers in China and Nottingham, the UK, also said that the findings raise concerns of a potential epidemic or pandemic in the making and that concerted research is necessary to closely monitor such viruses in poultry and humans. The results report on the characterization of a human isolate -- from a human patient -- of the H3N8 avian influenza virus (AIV).In humans, the avian H3N8 virus infection has been found to cause acute respiratory distress syndrome and can even be fatal. The virus is widespread in chicken flocks; however previously, the features of how it might be transmitted from animals to humans is poorly understood. "We demonstrate that an avian H3N8 virus isolated from a patient with severe pneumonia replicated efficiently in human bronchial and lung epithelial cells, was extremely harmful in its effects in laboratory mammalian hosts and could be passed on through respiratory droplets," said Professor Kin-Chow Chang from at the University of Nottingham. Chang said that his team discovered that the virus had acquired human receptor binding preference and amino acid substitution PB2-E627K, which are necessary for airborne transmission. FILE PHOTO: Members of Philippine Marines is pictured at the BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated Philippine Navy ship that has been aground since 1999 and became a Philippine military detachment on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal FILE PHOTO: Members of Philippine Marines is pictured at the BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated Philippine Navy ship that has been aground since 1999 and became a Philippine military detachment on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippine armed forces said on Saturday it would again seek to resupply troops stationed in a rusty World War 2-era ship on a reef in the South China Sea, after China blocked a previous attempt with water cannons. "This exercise of our sovereign rights and jurisdiction is a testament to our firm belief in the rules-based international order that underpins regional peace and stability," armed forces spokesperson Medel Aguilar said in a statement. Manila filed a diplomatic protest against Beijing this month after China's coast guard used water cannon and "dangerous" moves to prevent the Philippines from sending supplies to a handful of troops in the Second Thomas Shoal. China claims almost all the South China Sea, an assertion rejected internationally, while Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines have various claims to certain areas. Manila calls on all relevant parties to respect its sovereignty and jurisdiction over its maritime zones, Aguilar said, adding that Manila supports the peaceful settlement of disputes. China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Chinese coast guard said on Aug. 7 it had told the Philippines not to send ships to the shoal and not to send "construction materials used for large-scale repair and reinforcement" to the warship. The Philippines intentionally grounded the warship in 1999 as part of its sovereignty claim to the shoal, which lies within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone. The planned resupply mission "is a clear demonstration of our resolve to stand up against threats and coercion, and our commitment in upholding the rule of law", the armed forces said. In 2016, an international arbitration award invalidated China's sweeping claim to almost the entire South China Sea. China, which does not recognise the ruling, has built man-made islands with airstrips and surface-to-air missiles in the South China Sea. (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by William Mallard) Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a visit to the Iowa State Fair on 12 August 2023 (AP) Donald Trump is still insisting he will not participate in the upcoming Republican primary debates, citing his lead over his opponents and the precedent set by former President Ronald Reagan. Mr Trump made his proclamation in a typical rambling post on his Truth Social platform. "Many people are asking whether or not I will be doing the DEBATES? ALL AMERICANS have been clamoring for a President of extremely High Intelligence. As everyone is aware, my Poll numbers, over a 'wonderful' field of Republican candidates, are extraordinary," Mr Trump wrote. "In fact, I am leading the runner up, whoever that may now be, by more than 50 Points. Reagan didnt do it, and neither did others. People know my Record, one of the BEST EVER, so why would I Debate? IM YOUR MAN. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Rather than attending the first primary debate on 23 August, Mr Trump will instead be sitting down for a chat with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Carlson now hosts a web show on X, former known as Twitter. Mr Trump is correct that Reagan skipped a primary debate in Iowa in 1980, and like Mr Trump did so because he was the frontrunner and assumed debating would only benefit his opponents. Though Reagan would eventually go on to win the nomination and election, the tactic didn't immediately pay off, and he later reversed his thinking on debates. The night of the Iowa debate his opponent, George HW Bush, performed exceptionally well, and went on to win Iowa despite Reagan's strong polling nationwide. Even Reagan's Midwest political director, Charlie Black, admitted to NPR that it was a blunder for the campaign. "We blew Iowa, and I take responsibility for that, because I should have insisted on having him in there more," he said in a 2016 interview. Not only did Reagan appear at a later debate in New Hampshire, he insisted on having more candidates so he wouldn't have to go head to head with Bush and eventually agreed to fund the event himself. He went on to win the state, and then the nomination and the presidency. Story continues Mr Trump skipped the Iowa debate in 2016, and held a competing event elsewhere in Des Moines, which raised money for veterans. He set the terms of the debate after a spat with then-Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly. He demanded she be removed as the moderator, but Fox refused. So he walked. The former president is likely correct in his assessment that a debate would provide his opponents with ample opportunities to attack him, and as he is the far and away front runner doing so would be tactically sound for all involved. His closest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, previously called on the former president to "step up" and face his challengers, but recent reporting on a strategy memo from the DeSantis camp suggests he may end up defending Mr Trump, according to the New York Times. The memo reportedly advised Mr DeSantis to defend Mr Trump, especially from attacks that will likely come from former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who has made trashing the former president a centrepiece of his campaign. Mr DeSantis was also advised to hammer "anti-woke" businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who has been gaining traction as the Florida governor flounders in national polling. Enjoy sunny skies year-round on Cuba's Sunshine Coast. (Photo via Sunwing) Fact: Cayo Largo may just be the Caribbeans best-kept secret. Seriously. Thanks to the islands 25 km of pristine white-sand beaches, this anything-but-ordinary travel destination is affectionately called Cubas Sunshine Coast by those in the know. From world-class diving and snorkelling to laid-back island vibes and unbeatable excursions plus plenty of vibrant Cuban culture to boot theres truly something for every type of traveller in Cayo Largo, families included. And now, thanks to Sunwing offering Canadians exclusive travel to the island, this tropical paradise deserves to be at the top of your list when it comes time to plan your next Caribbean getaway. Here are five ways Cayo Largo sets itself apart from more ordinary vacation destinations. 1. Everyone is welcome From intimate villas to family-friendly resorts, Cayo Largo's variety of accommodations offer something for everyone. (Photo via Sunwing) Looking for splash pads and poolside bars? Or is a secluded beachfront more your speed? From family-friendly all-inclusive resorts to adults-only villas, Cayo Largo offers a full range of properties and accommodations to suit a serene and dreamy getaway. Whichever you choose, youll undoubtedly enjoy the boutique atmosphere that washes over the island, in large part thanks to the Sunwing exclusivity. It all combines to make Cayo Largo the perfect setting for some much-needed rest and relaxation and fun in the sun, of course. 2. There are plentiful underwater wonders to explore Experience some of the Caribbean's best diving conditions. (Photo via Getty Images) With more than 30 exquisite dive sites to discover, seasoned divers and novice explorers alike will find plenty of underwater treasures to enjoy off Cubas Sunshine Coast, including a protected marine reserve, sea-like reefs and over 200 ancient shipwrecks. If youre more comfortable with your feet on dry land, but still want to experience the islands majestic marine life, plan a visit to Cayo Largos local turtle sanctuary and rescue centre. There, youll learn more about how the island is helping protect the local sea turtle population, and score some beautiful pics and treasured memories along the way. Story continues 3. The island is made for meditation The idyllic island setting offers plenty of opportunity for mindful meditation and restorative yoga. (Photo via Sunwing) Prized by locals for its laid-back lifestyle, Cayo Largo offers a number of opportunities for travellers to unwind. For a rejuvenating daily dose of mind/body practice, get your zen on at the beach through yoga or mindful meditation. Youll find the soothing crashing waves and unspoiled white sand make for the perfect audiovisual backdrop to help you re-centre. Or, if your version of unwinding means a schedule-free calendar, lean into island time and go on a meandering stroll. With 25 kms of pristine white-sand beaches and year-round sunny skies, they dont call Cayo Largo the Sunshine Coast for nothing. Find yourself a secluded spot, crack a book and soak in the idyllic natural setting. 4. You can enjoy local cuisines and familiar comfort foods Enjoy locally-sourced cuisine befitting Cayo Largo's coastal location. (Photo via Sunwing) Serving up an array of locally-sourced eats along with familiar favourites from home, Cayo Largos resorts offer guests something for every eater. Feast on fresh seafood think crab and crispy calamari or dig into a poolside- (and kid-) approved plate of savoury snacks, like sliders and fries. And dont forget the mojitos and margaritas! With a variety of spots to check out across the islands many gorgeous accommodations, you can mix up the menu during your stay. 5. Adventure awaits all around you Whether you're looking to connect with nature or get out and enjoy the local culture, there's no shortage of sights to explore. (Photo via Sunwing) Thrillseekers and nature enthusiasts will delight in the many exciting excursions on and around Cayo Largo. For fun water-centric days, line up a sailing trip, a deep-sea fishing adventure or a breathtaking sunset cruise. You'll find plenty to explore in sunny Cayo Largo, no matter what sort of adventure you're looking for. Just dont forget to bring a camera! Everyone deserves a vacation. Visit Sunwing.ca to book your own relaxing getaway to Cayo Largo, and discover an authentic beach escape thats far from ordinary. Service secretaries for the Army, Air Force and Navy took aim at Sen. Tommy Tuberville's continued hold on military promotions, claiming the Alabama Republican is harming national security, overworking officers and causing undue stress on service members' families. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro all signed a joint opinion piece Monday evening in The Washington Post that argued Tuberville's decision to hold up military promotions for six months in the Senate is having real consequences in the ranks. "Across the services, many generals and admirals are being forced to perform two roles simultaneously. The strain of this double duty places a real and unfair burden on these officers, the organizations they lead and their families," they wrote in the opinion piece. Read Next: Parris Island Marine Officer Arrested in Florida, Marking Latest Leadership Troubles for Training Command Tuberville's move has stopped the Pentagon from putting nearly 300 officers into new positions and duty stations, and has also delayed confirmation of service chiefs for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. Since late February, Tuberville has used a procedural tactic known as a hold to block confirmations of all general and flag officers over his opposition to the Pentagon's policy of covering leave and travel expenses for service members who need abortions in the wake of the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade. While a hold cannot prevent the Senate from confirming nominees, it requires the chamber to take individual roll call votes on each nominee rather than confirming them in batches with voice votes as it usually does for noncontroversial military promotions. Pentagon officials expect about 650 nominees to be entangled in the hold by the end of the year. Tuberville's hold has also been affecting military families, who are left in limbo regarding their service member's assignment location and have in some cases taken on extra financial strain because of the uncertainty. "We know officers who have incurred significant unforeseen expenses and are facing genuine financial stress because they have had to relocate their families or unexpectedly maintain two residences," the secretaries wrote. "Military spouses who have worked to build careers of their own are unable to look for jobs because they don't know when or if they will move. Children haven't known where they will go to school ... All because of the actions of a single senator." In July, the Secure Families Initiative delivered a petition signed by more than 550 military family members to Senate leaders and Tuberville calling for an end to the blockade. Tuberville has said he will drop the hold only if the Pentagon reverses its abortion policy or if Congress enshrines the leave and travel policy into law, two seemingly unlikely situations. He has also argued that the hold is supported by former service members. Tuberville based the claim on a letter signed by 5,000 people, including veterans, GOP House members and leaders of conservative advocacy groups, who commended him for pushing back on a "left-wing social agenda." Katherine Kuzminski, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security think tank who researches military culture and family issues, told Military.com in an interview Tuesday that Tuberville's letter of support from veterans still doesn't absolve him of using the military for a political end. "Even with these letters of support for Tuberville from veteran organizations, it's completely misguided with respect to how civil-military operations function," Kuzminski said. "It's not fair to use uniformed service members as a hostage negotiation tactic." Tuberville's hold is also hindering the ability of high-ranking officers, especially the service chiefs, to enact policy for the rank and file. Positions have been filled with other officers who are taking on the roles in an acting capacity. The secretaries said "these jobs -- and dozens of others across the force -- are being performed by acting officials without the full range of legal authorities necessary to make the decisions that will sustain the United States' military edge." The joint opinion piece from the service secretaries is notable, according to Kuzminski. The last time the Army, Air Force and Navy civilian leaders shared an opinion piece together was in October, when they called on young Americans to join the military in the pages of The Wall Street Journal as all three services faced historically low recruiting numbers. Kuzminski said the holdup also sends a message to lower-ranking officers and enlisted service members that their jobs and futures could be used as bargaining chips. "If you hold this up long enough, it's every single nomination all the way down the line, which is your entire officer corps," Kuzminski added. "And because it's a closed system, your entire officer corps for the next 40 years is affected by the decisions that are happening today." The service secretaries acknowledged that Tuberville has every right to oppose the policy and even mentioned that lawmakers "are free to introduce legislation, gather support for that legislation and pass it" in opposition to the Pentagon's travel guidelines. But all of them doubled down and said the hold sends a brutal message to service members. "The generals and admirals who will be leading our forces a decade from now are colonels and captains today," the secretaries wrote. "They are watching this spectacle and might conclude that their service at the highest ranks of our military is no longer valued by members of Congress or, by extension, the American public." -- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly. Related: Military Spouses Deliver Petition Calling for End to Tuberville Blockade on Senior Officer Promotions President Joe Biden awarded the Medal of Honor on Tuesday to Capt. Larry Taylor, a Vietnam War pilot who flew his attack helicopter into heavy enemy gunfire until he ran out of ammunition, then led a daring rescue of a small team of soldiers who had been left for dead. It was June 18, 1968. A four-man, long-range reconnaissance patrol team was surrounded and about to be overrun by more than 100 Vietnamese enemy fighters. Taylor, flying one of two AH-1G Cobra helicopters, reached the battlefield just northeast of Saigon. He slammed the advancing enemy with rockets and minigun fire for nearly an hour, trying to buy time for a rescue helicopter to arrive. But that rescue mission was called off when leaders determined the four-man team on the ground were certain to die and that rescue craft would be shot down. Read Next: Parris Island Marine Officer Arrested in Florida, Marking Latest Leadership Troubles for Training Command Taylor's aircraft was so heavily damaged that it was at a huge risk of losing function, and he was ordered to retreat back to base. But he refused the order. Taylor, piloting his two-man attack helicopter, initiated his own unconventional and dangerous rescue attempt. "It's incredible. How he refused to give up, refused to leave a fellow American behind. When duty called, Larry did everything to answer," Biden said at the White House award ceremony. Taylor was at the White House ceremony on Tuesday, where Biden draped the highest military award for valor around his neck. He flew over 2,000 combat missions in Cobra and UH-1 helicopters, and was forced down by enemy fire five times. After his Army service, he worked for a sheet metal and roofing company in Tennessee where he and his wife live today. During the fighting in 1968, Taylor served with D-Troop, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division. The soldiers on the ground fired a flare, showing then-1st Lt. Taylor exactly where they were to avoid friendly fire. But doing so also showed the Vietnamese forces their location, inviting more intense, and precise, attacks. The enemy was so close, the helicopters were firing directly in front of the recon team. The soldiers were directed to open ground, where the Cobra could land. In a typical situation, as the troops on the ground broke away from the enemy, they would be covered by another friendly force -- in this case, attack helicopters -- to rain down fire to keep the enemy pinned down and distracted. But after some final minigun bursts, the Cobras were out of ammunition. Taylor then flew dangerously close to the enemy and did all the maneuvers of an attack run to draw their fire. Not knowing the helicopter was out of ammo and no longer a threat, the Vietnamese fighters targeted Taylor, giving the recon team time to escape. "He drew the enemy fire himself, tricking the enemy into thinking he still had ammo," Biden said. Taylor, with his helicopter painted with bullet holes, landed to retrieve the recon team. But a Cobra has no cargo room for passengers; it has space only for the pilots. So the reconnaissance team held onto the skids and rocket pods outside of the helicopter. Soaked in mud, those would likely have frozen on a flight all the way back to base, so Taylor landed in a safe location, from which they made their way back on foot. "He rewrote the fate of four families for generations to come," Biden said. "That's valor; that's our nation at its very best." -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: Paris Davis, Black Green Beret in Vietnam, Finally Awarded Medal of Honor at White House A U.S. Marine veteran determined to receive a Purple Heart medal lied about suffering severe injuries during a roadside explosion in northern Iraq, according to federal prosecutors. The Purple Heart, one of the oldest U.S. military awards, is awarded to those who were injured or killed as a result of enemy action during their military service. Its a solemn distinction and means a service member has greatly sacrificed themselves, or paid the ultimate price, while in the line of duty, per USO.org. Paul John Herbert, 52, of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, lied on a Purple Heart application submitted to the U.S. Marine Corps through his congressman in October 2018 by claiming he suffered a traumatic brain injury and other injuries during his deployment to northern Iraq, prosecutors said. He also stole more than $344,000 in veterans disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs from January 2010 to March 2023, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts. Herbert was arrested on Sept. 1 and indicted on charges of theft of government money and making false statements, the attorneys office announced in a Sept. 1 news release. McClatchy News contacted an attorney representing Herbert for comment on Sept. 4 and didnt receive an immediate response. Mr. Herberts alleged conduct is an affront to every veteran who has sacrificed to earn the honor of a Purple Heart and who is deserving of disability benefits, U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in a statement. Stealing from our countrys veterans or claiming valor where there is none is an insult to the honorable service members who sacrifice for our safety, Levy added. I just needed to feel important The Upper Pioneer Valley Veterans Services District, a local veterans advocacy organization, first investigated Herbert after he spoke about his military service during a local veterans event in Massachusetts a few years ago, according to the Greenfield Recorder. At the event, Herbert said he was the sole survivor of an improvised explosive device attack when British Royal Marines were purportedly killed during his deployment to northern Iraq in the 1990s, the newspaper reported. However, the Upper Pioneer Valley Veterans Services District learned this was never mentioned in a military document Herberts Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty the group obtained following a Freedom of Information Act request, according to the newspaper. (Herbert) well knewhe had not suffered traumatic brain injury from a roadside explosion while deployed in Northern Iraq, the indictment says. McClatchy News contacted the U.S. Navy for comment and for more information regarding Herberts service in the Marine Corps on Sept. 4 and is awaiting a response. In an August 2022 article published by the Greenfield Recorder, Herbert admitted to lying about his experiences in the military and receiving undeserved awards and money. I just needed to feel important, Herbert told the newspaper at the time. I started feeling important and feeling good about myself and I didnt know a way to get out. I know I hurt a lot of people that trusted me and cared about me and everything else. After Herberts initial appearance in federal court on Sept. 1, he was released on conditions not specified in the news release. If Herbert is convicted on the count of theft of government money, he will have to forfeit the $344,040 hes accused of stealing from the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to the indictment. The charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, prosecutors said. The charge of making a false statement in connection with Herberts Purple Heart application carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, according to the release. More than 1.8 million U.S. service members have been awarded a Purple Heart, including President John F. Kennedy, the only U.S. president whos received the award, according to the United Service Organizations. Shelburne Falls is about 115 miles northwest of Boston. 2023 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. WASHINGTON A U.S. official said Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may travel to Russia soon to meet with President Vladimir Putin as the Kremlin tries to acquire military equipment for use in its war in Ukraine. The official, who was not authorized to address the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. expects Kim will make the trip within the month. The official said the U.S. isnt sure exactly where or when the meeting would take place, but the Pacific port city of Vladivostok would be a likely possibility given its relative proximity to North Korea. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson noted Monday that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to Pyongyang recently and tried to persuade North Korea to sell artillery ammunition to Russia. Watson said, We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia. She added that the U.S. is urging North Korea "to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia. Shoigu said Monday that the two countries may hold joint war games. The New York Times first reported that Kim planned to meet with Putin in Russia this month. The White House said last week that it had intelligence indicating that Putin and Kim swapped letters following Shoigus visit. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the letters were more at the surface level but that Russian and North Korean talks on a weapons sale were advancing. ___ AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this story. A Marine Corps leader at Parris Island was arrested for alleged felony cruelty toward a child and battery over the weekend, and was reassigned from his position as executive officer at the South Carolina installation's recruit training regiment. Lt. Col. Michael Masters was booked into a Florida county jail on Saturday morning and charged with felony-level "abuse of a child without great bodily harm" and domestic battery by strangulation, according to county police records obtained by Military.com. He was reassigned after his arrest, according to the Marine Corps. With Masters' reassignment, the regiment's top three positions have turned over in almost exactly two months. Altogether, five top Marine leaders have been dismissed or reassigned within the Corps' Training and Education Command since June, a three-month stretch that has brought increased attention to the entity responsible for molding new troops but provided few answers as to why some leaders were relieved. Read Next: Vietnam Veteran to Be Awarded Medal of Honor for Heroic Helicopter Rescue After 55 Years "The investigation is ongoing and additional details are unavailable at this time," Maj. Philip Kulczewski, a spokesperson for Parris Island, told Military.com on Tuesday. "Lt. Col. Masters has been reassigned pending charges. Any questions related to the investigation may be directed to the Santa Rosa County authorities." On Sept. 2, an officer with the Gulf Breeze Police Department in Florida arrived at a residence on the western part of the small city where a female victim was "choked to the point she could not breathe," according to the police report. It appears Masters was visiting the residence on leave from Parris Island for the long Labor Day weekend. While the report was partially redacted to exclude the identity of the alleged victims, one told police that Masters had strangled her previously. Masters denied the accusations to the responding officer, according to the records and "started yelling, 'She's a liar!'" The officer observed "slight red marks" on the alleged victim's neck and reported that she said, "[Redacted] squeezed my neck and choked me and I could not breathe." Masters was then arrested, and the Department of Children and Families was notified. Military.com attempted to reach Masters via social media, but did not hear back by publication. The arrest marks the latest in a string of known Training and Education Command dismissals or reassignments, which started on June 2 when Sgt. Maj. Beth Ellen Abbott, a senior enlisted leader at Quantico's Basic School, struck two teenage pedestrians in an alleged drunk driving incident several miles outside of the base. The next month, Col. Bradley Ward and Sgt. Maj. Fabian Casillas were relieved from their positions as top leaders of the Recruit Training Regiment -- the same unit that Masters was a part of. Ward and Casillas were relieved for "loss of trust and confidence," and it appears that Ward is now the camp commander of Camp Mujuk in South Korea, according to his official biography. In July, Sgt. Maj. Steven Burkett, known as "Sergeant Major Kettlebell," was also fired for "loss of trust and confidence." He was the senior enlisted leader for the service's School of Infantry-West out of Camp Pendleton, California, one of two entry-level infantry schools in the Marine Corps. All leaders, including Masters, fell under the Marine Corps Training and Education Command, an entity in the service tasked with teaching and molding Marines from boot camp through specialized skills courses. With the exception of Masters' arrest, firings that were coupled with a criminal charge or when local authorities released details publicly, the reason given by the Marine Corps for senior leader dismissals this summer was "loss of trust and confidence" -- without any further elaboration. That has not stopped alleged details about the firings from surfacing online. Some of those claims could not be independently confirmed by Military.com, despite attempts to contact some of the accused and affected. For the cases that do not appear to involve criminal charges, the Marine Corps has been reluctant to publicly release details about senior leader firings. With Masters' arrest, however, no further details were released by the Marine Corps on Tuesday. In Burkett's firing, Military Times reported that the service's public records office said that it would not "begin a search for the inquiry or confirm its existence because it would not be a publicly releasable document." The murkiness surrounding senior leader misconduct is not limited to the last three months. Last year, the War Horse, a nonprofit news organization, sued the Marine Corps and Navy for what it referred to as the service's "black book" -- an officer disciplinary notebook that contains alleged investigations and crimes committed by senior leaders. Military.com asked the Training and Education Command to explain or contextualize the string of alleged misconduct that has occurred over the past three months. It did not directly answer the question, but Maj. Joshua Pena, a spokesperson for the command, said "TECOM is in full support of [Marine Corps Recruit Depot] Parris Island as they continue to work with civil authorities on the matter, and adjust, as required, to ensure the vital mission of making Marines continues." As of Tuesday morning, Masters was still in the Santa Rosa County Jail, according to Adam Riddle, the records supervisor for Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office. However, an inmate search that afternoon said that he had been released. "The jail is still scanning and processing the arrests from the holiday weekend," he told Military.com over email. Santa Rosa County Jail set Masters' bond at $10,000 for each of his two charges, according to online inmate records. According to his official Marine Corps biography, Masters has been in the service since 2005. Prior to arriving at Parris Island, he was the executive officer at the Marine Corps Tactics and Operations Group at Twentynine Palms, California. Editor's note: The headline of this story was updated with a more specific reference to Training and Education Command. -- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence. Related: Marine Infantry School Fires Top Enlisted Leader Known as 'Sergeant Major Kettlebell' About 360,000 gallons of fuel have been added to pipelines at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility as part of an ongoing "repacking " process that will ultimately lead to the defueling of the facility's jet fuel tanks. Joint Task Force-Red Hill on Friday said it identified a needed repair during the repacking operation at an "Underground Pump House low point drain." The pump, unlike the massive Red Hill storage tanks, is reportedly not located above an aquifer, and the task force said that the break "does not pose a threat to the environment, the aquifer or the community." Teams are conducting the repair, the task force said Friday. While the repair was "un-forecasted, " the task force said it anticipated the need for such repairs because of how long the pipelines have been dry. The Joint Task Force-Red Hill, made up of 270 military and civilian personnel, on Friday provided an update on the repacking operation in which empty pipelines are filled with fuel to remove air, allowing for the gravity-based defueling of Red Hill's underground storage tanks. The task force is charged with removing 104 million gallons of aviation and marine fuels from the Navy's controversial, underground World War II-era facility in Halawa. The repacking paves the way for defueling of the site's main underground storage tanks to begin by Oct. 16. The task force has said defueling is scheduled for completion by Jan. 19. The storage tanks are being emptied after roughly 14, 000 gallons of petroleum leaked out of the fuel storage facility and into drinking water that supplies Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and other military sites on West Oahu, detrimentally affecting hundreds of families. The leak at the underground fuel facility in November 2021 affected thousands of residents, who reported fuel odors emanating from their tap water and symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, skin rashes, burns and headaches. The task force said in June it had successfully completed all repairs and modifications to the facility that the state Department of Health said had to be performed to safely begin draining the tanks, which sit just 100 feet above a critical aquifer most of Hono lulu relies on for drinking water. Repacking is a key part of moving fuel from the Red Hill storage facility to fuel points at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. It allows pressure to equalize in the pipelines and allows smooth flow of fuel when defueling takes place. It also provides additional verification of the pipeline's integrity. The multiday operation of the Red Hill fuel pipelines began Monday. Two pipelines at the storage facility are being used for defueling and are being filled in small increments using fuel from the storage facility's upper tanks. A third pipeline was determined to be unnecessary for defueling and will remain empty. Repacking operations are expected to finish this week. Afterward, some 100, 000 to 400, 000 gallons of residual fuel will remain in the tanks, but there are plans to ensure that all of the fuel at Red Hill is removed. ___ (c)2023 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Visit The Honolulu Star-Advertiser at www.staradvertiser.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Jennifer Barnhill is a columnist for Military.com writing about military families. Like other underrepresented populations, military spouse history is largely an oral history, in which stories, if not hyperbole, are passed from one spouse to another. In 100 years, those interested in learning more about our collective experiences will have only a few sources: academic research, military wife (spouse) handbooks written in the mid-1900s, or individual memoirs that capture only slivers of experiences. There is a small museum dedicated to us in New Mexico, as well as the book "Campfollowing," a 1991 history summarizing the experiences of military spouses from the Revolutionary War through Vietnam in less than 200 pages. But that's about it. While we should certainly keep passing down our stories, telling the stories of the home front could be an untapped recruiting tool to make the military lifestyle more relatable to the average American. Here are a couple of stories that far more people should know. The Impact of One Woman In an era that did not let women or African Americans lead, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Elmo "Bud" Russell Zumwalt Jr. and his wife, Mouza Coutelais-du-Roche Zumwalt, charted a new course for the United States Navy. Segregation was still common in Virginia in the early 1970s. "Even in the places of worship black members were sent to the back rows of the church or up to the balcony," retired Rear Adm. David Oliver, who served as an aide to CNO Zumwalt, wrote in his memoir. "Mouza had heard of this, and was determined to do her own personal sit-ins." And so Mouza boldly took action, with Oliver's wife Linda in tow. "Every Wednesday, Mouza would collect Linda, and the two of them would attend services in a different Virginia church," Oliver wrote. "Once inside, they would sit with black parishioners." Oliver dreaded these sit-ins because a fired-up Mouza would share her experiences with her husband and demand that he press forward with his work to improve race relations within the Navy, leading to a long list of tasks for Oliver. Mouza's husband was working to improve the Navy in many ways, and he did much of this work by writing more than 120 Navy Instructions called "Z-Grams" to remove what he called "Mickey Mouse" regulations that made the service seem out of touch with younger generations. However, it was Mouza's experiences with systemic bias that fueled her passion for equality and his passion for progress within the Navy. Mouza Zumwalt was born to a French father and a Russian mother and was raised in Manchuria, having fled what would become the Soviet Union after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. She met then-Lt. Zumwalt in Shanghai after the Japanese had surrendered, bringing World War II to a close. "When I first saw Mouza at that dinner party in Shanghai, my heart literally stopped," wrote CNO Zumwalt. He proposed to Mouza, and they were married within five weeks of their first encounter. However, what drew Zumwalt to his new wife may have had the opposite effect on American women -- especially her peers, the other naval officer spouses. Her accent confused them. Their adherence to Navy customs and traditional courtesies confused her. According to her daughter, Ann, Mouza found belonging in unlikely, if not taboo, friendships with enlisted wives and those who worked for her husband, bucking long-established military traditions and societal norms. As she pressed her husband to reform the Navy, she found a partner who was open to making hard choices. "He regarded his most current job as though it was going to be the last job he ever had," recalled Ann Zumwalt, the third of the four Zumwalt children. "By doing so, he could then make controversial decisions and not worry about it." Despite her significant impact on the Navy, Mouza Zumwalt's name is not well known, even within the naval community. Mouza's story, like the previously buried stories of Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan of NASA and "Hidden Figures" fame, has gone untold, just waiting for someone to share it with a broader audience. There is one organization that is tracking Mouza Zumwalt and other historic spouses, the Naval Services FamilyLine (NSFL), a nonprofit founded by Navy spouses in 1965 to provide information and resources to Navy and Marine Corps families. "Through her own frustrations, [Mouza Zumwalt] advocated for other wives and their families and from her own experiences came the creation of the ombudsman program which the Navy still relies upon today," said Meg Graves, the historian for NSFL. "NSFL has amassed a collection of 12 boxes of letters, trainings, how-to guides and official communications, documenting the powerful and longstanding role of military spouses." Without proper digitization, these historical documents could be lost, and a fuller picture of Zumwalt's life may never be shared with Americans who should know about Mouza's contributions and her husband's. How Culture Impacts Our Military Stories Anita Pearson's military spouse story is at the crossroads of many broader shifts in America. As a Black woman who came of age in South Carolina in the 1960s, she was immersed in the Civil Rights movement, while she was also pulled into the war in Vietnam because of her marriage to a young Army officer. In the '60s, the entire nation felt the consequences of the war due to the draft. As a result, Pearson's experiences were instantly familiar to those already closest to her, her childhood friends. "There were a number of us 'home' girls who decided to return home that year since our husbands were in Vietnam," said Pearson. "We got this big map of Vietnam, and we learned where each of our husbands were going to be stationed. And we got pushpins in different colors to represent their locations. And each of us kind of kept track of what was happening in terms of the war and each of those areas." Thankfully, the husbands of all her 'home' girls returned. But many of the battles that originated in Vietnam continued on the home front. "We had a number of persons from home who we lost and then some became ill to addiction," she said. She, like all Americans, knows that not all battles end on the battlefield. What many are less familiar with is the impact family service has on military spouses, like Pearson. Pearson's military spouse journey is very similar to the experiences of younger generations, even if the nation no longer has the same connection to the military. "He got orders for Germany, and it was a challenge for me because I had just gotten a master's in speech pathology and I needed to work under the auspices of someone with that [degree] and that was just an impossibility," said Pearson. "But it was OK. I loved the experience." Despite an initial professional setback, she persisted, as military spouses do, and made the best of her situation, soaking in cultural experiences, learning the language and ultimately carving out a professional role at the installation to find personal and professional fulfillment. Although her desire to work mirrors a modern military spouse's experience, it was not the norm for others within her community at that time. "Most of the Black wives worked, and I guess it was just, you know, our expectation," recalled Pearson. "And that wasn't necessarily true, you know, as a cultural thing [for the white wives]." Her working status and race stood out within a predominantly white community. "I will never forget that I had gone to a tea, and the general's wife introduced me as 'our one who works.'" But like Mouza Zumwalt, these negative experiences did not impact her view of being a military spouse or military service. Pearson's daughter followed in her father's footsteps and serves as a major in the Army. When Renny Picchini came home from a 1980s naval deployment his one-year-old daughter did not recognize him. This ultimately led to his decision to get out of the Navy. (Photo courtesy of family) The Impact of One Story I grew up in the '80s in New Jersey next to a base that was dying before my eyes as a result of a string of military downsizing decisions. Despite being right next to a floundering installation that should have fed into my community, I knew only one military family before I met and later married my husband. My childhood best friend had been a Navy brat before our families met. And her mom, "Mrs. (Melissa) Picchini," had feelings about her time as a military spouse. So shortly after I started dating a man who took me to the Naval Academy Chapel on our first date, I sat down with Mrs. Picchini to decide whether the military lifestyle was something I wanted to factor into my future. She said something to the effect of, "If he's in the Navy, you can't assume he's going to get out in four years and you'll get your life back. If you say yes, you marry the Navy too." Her words stuck with me and helped me cope with my decision to marry the military over the years. "When Alyssa [my bestie] was due, Renny's ship was doing workups to go do a big cruise," recalled Picchini. "I said, see if you can take leave for a week because I'm going to go into labor. And the end CO was absolutely, absolutely there was no way he was going to give him any time off. And I was like, 'OK, I'm gonna have this baby by myself.'' And she did. Her husband was at sea for eight months, during which she heard his voice only twice. "When I married him, I accepted that this might be my lifestyle. So it was not assumed that he would get out because I thought he should get out," said Picchini. "I did feel it was an honor to be a wife of someone like him who was [a leader on] a ship, you know, who was good at what he did, who people looked up to and who had a mission that I believed in. That was important to me. So I said to him, 'If you [don't] want to get out, we're done having kids because I'll be a single mom.'" Ultimately, Renny Picchini got out of the Navy after nine years because of the impact the lifestyle had on his family. Of course, the family had amazing experiences too -- namely, military friendships that are still flourishing to this day. But it was the story of my friend not recognizing her dad when he came home from a deployment that I remembered. And it was this singular oral history that made me hesitate to say yes to a man I loved because he wore a uniform. Today, I write stories about military families because I did not see myself reflected in the stories previously told. My sincerest hope is that by telling our diverse stories, someone will see themselves long enough to want to stay. -- In addition to her reporting, Jennifer Barnhill is also a 2023 Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program Scholar, lead researcher for Partners in PROMISE, editor-in-chief of the National Military Spouse Network Day of Advocacy Steering Committee, and the military spouse liaison on The League of Wives Memorial Project. KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov submitted a letter of resignation on Monday after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would be replaced and named his successor. Oleksii Reznikovs removal follows a scandal around the defense ministry's procurement of military jackets. It was not the first similar case during the ongoing war. Zelenskyy made the announcement on his official Telegram account, writing that new leadership was needed after Reznikov went through more than 550 days of full-scale war. He named Rustem Umerov, a Crimean Tatar lawmaker, as the new defense minister. Reznikov was a good and prominent international negotiator, but it appears that there is chaos and disorder within the Ministry of Defense, which many deputies have taken advantage of, resulting in corruption scandals during the war, said analyst Volodymyr Fesenko from the Kyiv-based Penta Center. All actions of the Ukrainian authorities are geared toward the interests of the war, and scandals and statements about Ukraines slow counteroffensive in the face of very limited military resources compel Zelenskyy to be flexible and seek new personnel solutions. Reznikov was appointed in November 2021, several months before Russias invasion of Ukraine. In his resignation letter, Reznikov pointed out that it had been "not an easy journey from his appointment until today, but that he had been part of the process of persuading international donors to give Ukraine sophisticated weaponry, from the categorical refusal to provide Ukraine with Stingers in November 2021 to the creation of an aviation coalition.'" Umerov, 41, a politician with the opposition Holos party, has served as head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine since September 2022. He resigned from that position on Monday, according to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament. An economist by training, he has worked in the telecommunications and investment sectors, was involved in human rights advocacy and has founded numerous funds to support the rights of Crimean Tatars. Fesenko said that Western partners value Umerov for this role as head of the State Property Fund, and he is one of the few politicians in Ukraine with direct contact with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Since the full-scale war broke out, Umerov has been involved in prisoner exchanges and was part of the Ukrainian delegation in negotiations with Russia over the U.N.-backed grain deal. Military analysts say that the replacement of the minister will not affect the situation on the front lines because the minister is not responsible for operational decisions. Military analyst Roman Svitan said the advance of the Ukrainian army southward towards the occupied Melitopol and Berdiansk will continue without a pause during the autumn-winter period. Therefore, the new minister will need to intensify negotiations with Western partners of Kyiv and ensure a continuous cycle of supplying the necessary weaponry to the front lines. ___ Karmanau reported from Tallinn, Estonia. As an Amazon Associate, Military.com earns from qualifying purchases. A hard-boiled detective with special operations skills. An evil aristocrat. An international army of thugs just waiting to be punched in the face. All of this is wrapped up in a race against time with a potential nuclear explosion on the line -- and it was all written by actor Michael Caine. At age 90, Caine, star of "Zulu," "A Bridge Too Far" and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," is about to live the life of a character from one of his films. No, not "Harry Brown": His newest role is that of a fiction author, just like his character in "Best Sellers." Caine's upcoming novel, "Deadly Game," is about a Special Air Service veteran turned detective working in London's Metropolitan Police force. Detective Chief Inspector Harry Taylor is called upon to find out how a bundle of uranium ended up discarded in an East London trash dump. Before the police can secure the radioactive element, the dump is violently attacked and the uranium is stolen. Intelligence agencies around the world are put on alert, and DCI Taylor has to find it (and whomever took it) before they can escape or use it for some nefarious purpose.. Caine is a veteran himself, though not of the SAS. He was in the British Army and fought in the Korean War. The actor has told many of his war stories to the public and even wrote about them in his previous books, which are nonfiction and mostly memoirs. READ: Listen to Actor Michael Caine Talk About Fighting in Korea Caine told the Guardian that he wrote "Deadly Game" during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and edited it in the years that followed. It was originally called "If You Don't Want to Die," but it was always going to be a thriller, written by a fan of thrillers. "I only read thrillers," he told the Guardians Xan Brooks. "I'm an adventure man, I'm not a literature person, so I'm not trying to replace Shakespeare here. But it's based on something I once read about two dustmen, two rubbish collectors in the East End. And they find uranium in the rubbish." The actor-turned-author based the plot on a news story that actually happened. The real-world incident occurred at Heathrow Airport, one of the world's busiest airports and the crossroads of 180 destinations in 90 countries. The uranium wasn't lost, however, and the person moving the package was apprehended, although his motives remain a mystery to this day. Caine's protagonist, Harry Taylor, brings his particular set of skills to the search for the radioactive package. His leads include a wealthy yet shady art dealer, Russian oligarchs, Colombian narcos and neo-Nazis. No one, including Harry, knows how much time he has to track it down, or why the uranium was in the dump in the first place. "Deadly Game" is available for preorder now on the Amazon Kindle e-reader, Audible audiobook and hardcover. The Kindle and Audible versions will be released Nov. 23, 2023, while the hardcovers ship on Dec. 5. -- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, or on LinkedIn. Keep Up With the Best in Military Entertainment Whether you're looking for news and entertainment, thinking of joining the military or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to the Military.com newsletter to have military news, updates and resources delivered straight to your inbox. One person is dead and two others are hospitalized after a car crash on Dodge Street Friday night that closed the road in both directions for more than seven hours, Omaha police said in a press release. The crash occurred about 10:30 p.m. at 62nd and Dodge Streets, near the University of Nebraska at Omaha and St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church. The road was closed from Happy Hollow Boulevard to about 67th Street until 5:45 a.m. Police said two cars a black 2019 Mercedes driven by Mark Carlson, 61, and a black 2014 Buick Encore, driven by Cameron Robinson, 26 were allegedly speeding west on Dodge Street before the crash. Carlson lost control and veered into the eastbound lanes, striking a red 2015 Chevrolet Cruze, according to the press release. Photographs from the scene on the Omaha Scanner Facebook page shows the Cruze flipped over beside the road, and the Mercedes with severe front-end damage. The driver of the Cruze, Anna Bosma, 22, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was pronounced dead at the scene by Omaha Fire Department paramedics. A passenger, William Story, 23, of Sioux Falls, was transported to Nebraska Medical Center. Carlson also was reportedly hospitalized. Police said an investigation into the crash is continuing, and charges are pending. Top Journal Star photos for August 2023 Luis Robert Jr. has seemed like a staple of the White Sox for a long time now, having debuted back in 2020. However, he wasnt able to have a full, healthy season in any of his first three campaigns. He avoided the injured list in 2020, but played only 56 games that year due to the schedule being shortened by the pandemic to just 60 contests. He would then miss significant time due to a right hip flexor strain in 2021, getting into just 68 games that year. That was followed by a 98-game season last year, with IL trips due to COVID-19, blurred vision and a wrist sprain. By the end of 2022, he had certainly been able to showcase his talent. He came into this year with 36 home runs in 222 games and a batting line of .289/.334/.474, which translated to a wRC+ of 122, indicating he was 22% better than league average in that time. He had also stolen 26 bases and been given strong grades for his center field defense. FanGraphs calculated him as being worth 6.7 wins above replacement in that time, a strong tally on a per-game basis but a limited output in terms of volume. The 2023 campaign has finally allowed us to see what Robert can do over a full, healthy season. He dealt with some quad cramping over the weekend and is still out of the lineup today, but hasnt been placed on the injured list at any point this year. Hes appeared in 128 games with almost a month still remaining on the schedule. His 5.3% walk rate and 28.4% strikeout rate are both worse than league average, but hes doing significant damage when he connects, with 35 home runs and 33 doubles. His .272/.324/.560 batting line amounts to a 135 wRC+. Defensively, Robert has continued to shine as well. He as 7 Defensive Runs Saved this year, a figure bested by just five center fielders around the league. Outs Above Average is even more enthused, with Roberts tally of 12 in that category tops at his position, tied with Brenton Doyle of the Rockies. Robert also has 17 steals in 21 tries, helping him put up 5.2 fWAR on the year already. If it werent for the amazing two-way exploits of Shohei Ohtani, Robert would be in the American League Most Valuable Player conversation alongside players like Corey Seager, Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt. Its been a dismal season for the White Sox overall, with the club sporting a record of 53-84. Those poor results promoted a deadline selloff, with players like Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn and others getting sent out of town for prospects. That was followed by a front office shakeup that saw both president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn relieved of their duties last month. But the shining star of Robert has been a bright spot in the otherwise-gloomy season and perhaps a key reason why the club is hopeful of a quick return to contention. Assistant general manager Chris Getz was recently promoted to general manager, with owner Jerry Reinsdorf saying that part of the reason for staying in-house was that Getz is already familiar with the organization and will perhaps be able to deliver a quick turnaround, as opposed to an outsider who might take time before making bold moves. Though the Sox sold some players at the deadline, they were mostly limited to those nearing free agency, holding onto more controllable pieces like Robert, Dylan Cease, Eloy Jimenez and Andrew Vaughn. There are still plenty of holes to fill on the roster and it will be a challenge to patch them all in one winter, but the club has a couple of things in its favor. One of them is the incredibly weak division, where the 66-71 Guardians are still in the playoff hunt in September this year, meaning the path back to contention isnt quite as steep as it would be elsewhere. The second thing is that core of solid players, headlined by Robert. Robert has two more guaranteed years on his contract, followed by a pair of $20MM club options that each come with $2MM buyouts. Those look bargains right now and will certainly be triggered, even if Robert were to drop back slightly from his MVP-caliber performance. That puts something of a long-term target in front of the Sox, who should be able to bank on Robert being on the team through 2027 at least. Jimenez and Vaughn can be controlled through 2026 and Cease through 2025. That gives them at least two more years with that core four, three years with the Robert-Jimenez-Vaughn triumvirate and another year of Robert after that. Time will tell whether or not they can build on that in the years to come, but Robert has shown that they have a strong foundation to work with. Image courtesy of USA Today Sports. The Reds have sent reliever Alan Busenitz outright to Triple-A Louisville, according to the transaction tracker at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment on Friday when Cincinnati activated Tejay Antone from the injured list. Busenitz has gotten into five games for the Reds this year. He has tossed five innings of two-run ball with three strikeouts and one unintentional walk. That brief look marked Busneitzs first MLB action in five years. The right-hander worked to a 4.58 ERA through 57 innings for the 2017-18 Twins. Beginning in 2019, he pitched in Japan with the Rakuten Golden Eagles, posting a 2.83 ERA through 155 2/3 NPB innings. The Reds brought Busenitz back to the affiliated ranks this season on a minor league pact. He has spent the bulk of the year in Louisville, throwing 43 2/3 innings over 40 outings. He owns a 4.53 ERA with a below-average 20.9% strikeout percentage and elevated 10.7% walk rate for the Bats. Busenitz will try to pitch his way back into consideration for Cincinnati down the stretch. Hell be a minor league free agent this offseason if the Reds dont add him back onto the 40-man roster. HILLSDALE COUNTY, MI A Hillsdale County woman has filed a lawsuit against a sheriffs deputy who was accused of abusing his power to start a sexual relationship with her when she was at her most vulnerable. Attorneys from the Bone Bourbeau Law firm representing the woman filed a lawsuit on Aug. 1 in U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan against former Hillsdale County Sheriffs Deputy Todd Barkley, the Hillsdale County Sheriffs Office and Hillsdale County Sheriff Scott Hodshire, claiming they violated her civil rights. DEARBORN HEIGHTS, MI A judge has dismissed charges against a former Michigan police officer who is accused of assaulting another officer with a knife, authorities announced. The Wayne County Prosecutors Office plans to appeal the decision. The incident happened around 1:25 p.m. on Dec. 10, 2021, at the Dearborn Heights Police Department. It is alleged that then-officer Paul Graf, 33, assaulted a 23-year-old officer twice by threatening to cut off his beard with a knife, according to the prosecutors office. Graf was fired from the department four months later during April 2022. In July 19 months after the alleged incident the prosecutors office charged Graf with two counts of felonious assault. On Wednesday, 20th District Court Judge Mark Plawecki heard testimony and viewed video evidence during the preliminary examination. He dismissed the case. Plawecki ruled that while the complainant may have feared a battery, he did not believe a reasonable person would have, the prosecutors office said. Waves up to 5 feet high are expected on Lake Michigan beaches beginning this afternoon, making swimming dangerous, officials said. The hazardous conditions are expected to continue through Wednesday evening on Lake Michigan beaches from Holland north to Manistee, according to meteorologists with the National Weather Service Grand Rapids Office. South winds at 15 to 25 mph will cause waves to build to 3 to 5 feet high, officials said. There will also be dangerous currents. Stay dry when waves are high, NWS said. ANN ARBOR, MI -- A 58-year-old man has been charged in two home invasions after a recent string of break-ins were reported in Ann Arbor. Charles Lawrence House was arraigned before Magistrate Elisha Fink in the Washtenaw County 14A District Court Friday, Sept 1, on charges of first-degree home invasion, second-degree home invasion, assault with intent to do great bodily harm, unarmed robbery and domestic violence. House is charged in two of seven home invasions and attempted break-ins in Ann Arbor reported from Tuesday, Aug. 29, to Wednesday, Aug. 30, Ann Arbor police said. In most of the incidents, an intruder entered through an unlocked first-floor window using a knife to cut the screen. Read more: Police investigating 7th incident in string of Ann Arbor break-ins A woman confronted a male intruder who broke into her home on the 100 block of North State Street around 9:15 p.m. on Aug. 29, police said. The man then fled through the front door with a phone, speaker and cash. The woman was not injured, police said. House was charged with first-degree home invasion in this incident. House has also been charged in a break-in that occurred around 11 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, in the 900 block of Sybil Street. Preliminary investigation for both the Sibyl Street and North State Street incidents revealed the intruder entered through an unlocked first-floor window, cutting the window screen. Other break-ins occurred at the 500, 600 and 800 blocks of Catherine Street, 1000 block of Prospect Street and 700 block of Dewey Avenue. The incidents on Catherine Street occurred between midnight and 7 a.m. Aug 29. The other incidents happened early Aug. 30. It is unclear if the other cases are connected. House was arrested after Ann Arbor police were called to reports of a domestic assault at Wheeler Park, 200 Depot St., around 12:40 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31. As police were investigating the incident, they realized he was a person of interest in the North State Street incident. The victim in the domestic assault suffered minor injuries and denied medical treatment, police said. House was previously incarcerated for two home invasions a second-degree home invasion from June 2019 and a third-degree home invasion from September 2018, according to records from the Michigan Department of Corrections. He was released in August 2019. House is currently being held in the Washtenaw County Jail on a $300,000 bond. He is next set to appear in court on Thursday, Sept. 14. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page, the Ypsilanti-area news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. Read more from The Ann Arbor News: Saline police officer wont face charges in police pursuit that left man dead https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/09/saline-police-officer-wont-face-charges-in-police-pursuit-that-left-man-dead.html Crypto Scams on Rise in Portugal as Two Investors Lose Over $312k Source: Zerbor/Adobe Two Portuguese citizens have lost over $312,000 to crypto scammers, with police claiming that more people are falling victim to crypto fraudsters. Per CM-TV, the two individuals hail from Cantanhede, in Portugals Coimbra District. The duo appear to have been promised they could expect quick profits by staking coins on a platform. One of the duo sent $213,000 worth of Bitcoin (BTC) to a wallet they thought belonged to a bona fide crypto firm. This individual was reportedly told they could expect to make over $800,000 by storing their BTC on the platform. The other sent a combined total of around $94,000 to the same firm over the course of a month. But the firm appears to have been a front for an elaborate scam, with both investors eventually left out of pocket. The duo began to realize something was amiss when they were told they would need to pay an additional 3% of their stakes in fees if they wanted to withdraw their tokens. Later, they were informed that their coins had been frozen, and told the coins could only be recovered if the investors paid thousands of USD in unlocking fees. The duo eventually understood they had fallen victim to a scam and filed a complaint with the police. A central square in Cantanhede, in Portugals Coimbra District. (Source: Vitor Oliveira [CC BY-SA 2.0]) Crypto Scammers Targeting Portuguese Investors? Police said there has been a rise in crypto-related scams in recent months, in a nation once known as a crypto investors haven due to the fact that (until recently) it did not tax crypto trading profits. The nations Cybercrime Office said that cryptocurrency scams have more than doubled over the past two years. The office said it had received 94 reports of crypto-related scams this year, compared with just 38 in 2021. Police said victims complained that they had lost large amounts of money on multiple platforms. The Attorney Generals Office noted that by the time most victims had filed a complaint, most platforms had been taken offline, without leaving any details or contact details that would allow [investigators] to determine which internet server they were using. Earlier this year, prosecutors in the country claimed that incidents of cybercrime, including an undisclosed number of crypto scams, were rising fast in Portugal. The government unveiled plans to tax crypto-related capital gains at 28% in 2022. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI An activist on Tuesday was removed from an Ottawa County Board of Commissioners meeting after an outburst that ended with him playing the harmonica. Holland Township Joe Spaulding wasnt forcibly removed from the Tuesday, Sept. 5, meeting but instead walked out with a sheriffs deputy after commissioners recessed the meeting due to his harmonica playing. The deputy had asked Spaulding to leave the meeting at the request of Ottawa County Commissioner Gretchen Cosby. Spaulding unsuccessfully ran as a Democrat in November 2022 for a seat on the county board and is a vocal opponent of Ottawa Impact, the far-right group which holds a majority on the county board. He is helping an ongoing recall effort against one of the Ottawa Impact county commissioners. The outburst happened about three hours into the county boards Finance and Administration Committee meeting Tuesday morning as County Administrator John Gibbs was detailing his administrations proposed budget for the county health department for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1. Gibbs rejected the proposed budget drafted by Administrative Health Officer Adeline Hambley, who Ottawa Impact commissioners have been trying to remove since taking office in January. The new, proposed budget -- one Gibbs says will bring the department back to pre-COVID levels of spending -- was drafted without Hambleys input. Gibbs budget for the department proposes significant cuts, which Hambley told commissioners Tuesday would impact a number of programs some state-mandated including immunizations, communicable disease prevention and investigation, substance use prevention programs and more. Related: Fear-mongering tactics: John Gibbs, Joe Moss blast criticism of health department budget cuts Two non-Ottawa Impact county commissioners, Republican Roger Bergman and Democrat Doug Zylstra, asked Gibbs whether there was a handout of the new, proposed budget or some way to follow along with his verbal presentation of it. No, Im just going from the notes right now, Gibbs said. Soon after, Spaulding shouted, Talk to Gretchen about that, referring to Cosby, an Ottawa Impact member who chairs the boards Finance and Administration Committee. I can have you removed, Cosby replied. Try it, Spaulding said. Can I have him removed please, officer? Cosby asked. Spaulding then produced a harmonica and began to play it. An Ottawa County sheriffs deputy walked over to Spaulding and asked him to leave, but Spaulding kept playing. Cosby soon after called for a 10-minute recess without a vote, and many of the commissioners left the room. As commissioners left, Spaulding stopped playing and walked out with the deputy. He wasnt arrested. Earlier in the meeting, Spaulding had yelled Nurse Ratched at Cosby, referring to the tyrannical nurse from the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. Read more on MLive: Mom left baby in bathtub: I beat myself up every day How long will record heat last in Michigan? 5 significant cases were tracking in Grand Rapids-area courts this week OTTAWA COUNTY, MI Prior to his removal from a committee leadership position Tuesday, an ex-Ottawa Impact county commissioner gave a sharp rebuke of the elected bodys far-right leader. Mr. Moss, you ruin your reputation as a serious person with your name-calling, bullying, incompetent hiring and creation and promotion of a divisive online blog that you personally own and control, Ottawa County Commissioner Jacob Bonnema said Tuesday, Sept. 5, to County Board Chair Joe Moss. Bonnema was removed Tuesday from his role as vice chair of the boards Finance and Administration Committee and was replaced by County Commissioner Roger Belknap, an Ottawa Impact member. The 5-3 vote fell along Ottawa Impact member lines. Ottawa Impact is the far-right group that took power in January and holds a majority of seats on the county board. The group is led by Moss and has enacted a host of controversial changes. Bonnema broke from the group in March after its members voted to revise a resolution by the previous board that appointed the current health officer, who Ottawa Impact has been trying to get rid of. Related: Far-right groups supermajority on Ottawa County governing board disappears Bonnema called the committee leadership removal further retaliation for his harassment complaint in March against Ottawa County Administrator John Gibbs, who Ottawa Impact commissioners hired in January. Ottawa Impact commissioners previously censured Bonnema in June for the complaint after county human resources officials determined the complaint was unfounded. They said evidence gathered during the investigation did not substantiate Bonnemas claim of harassment. Once again, commissioner Moss and administrator Gibbs are taking action against me with the intention of removing a voice of reason from the Ottawa County Finance Committee, Bonnema said. This is cowardly, vindictive and very unlawful. Related: Commissioner who filed HR complaint against John Gibbs faces censure by Ottawa County In the harassment complaint, Bonnema told the human resources director that Gibbs had exhibited threatening behavior at the boards March 14 meeting when Gibbs allegedly told Bonnema to Get out of my face, dude! In a WZZM 13 report, a journalist said he didnt see how the incident began but characterized it as a conversation that ended with Gibbs saying Get out of my face. Gibbs allegedly made the statement after Bonnema asked Gibbs to respond to his text and emails, which Bonnema said the county administrator repeatedly hadnt done. 44 1 / 44 Ottawa County board committee meeting, Sept. 5, 2023 Ottawa County Commissioner Gretchen Cosby, who chairs the Finance and Administration Committee and is also a member of Ottawa Impact, said Bonnemas removal as committee vice chair is a result of the censure. But Moss followed up, saying: For me this is not related to the censure. That was a couple months ago. I have my different reason for it. Moss later said the committee leadership removal had nothing to do with retaliation but instead a pattern of behavior, which he didnt explain further. He said members on the committee want a vice chair they can trust. Apart from saying that the removal wasnt about retaliation, Moss didnt respond publicly Tuesday to the criticisms levied against him and his leadership style as Bonnema went on a six-minute tirade. Throughout Bonnemas speech, Moss smirked and at times laughed. The people that support you deserve better than vague, inactionable resolutions that change nothing, Bonnema said to Moss. Acting vindictive and cruel are not conservative values, yet you celebrate these actions as brave. Lets do real work that actually addresses real county issues. Shocking the public with irrational budget demands is both reckless and irresponsible. Bonnema was referring to Moss suggestion late last month to cut the countys general fund contributions to the health departments budget for the 2024 fiscal year from a proposed $6.4 million down to $2.5 million. That suggestion later became a demand of the health department by Gibbs, although Gibbs on Tuesday proposed a budget with cuts that werent as severe. Related: Ottawa County leaders backtrack on massive cuts to health department budget As for inactionable resolutions, Bonnema didnt specify what he was referring to. The board this year did pass resolutions declaring Ottawa County a constitutional county and another about a resolution to protect childhood innocence. Public attacks on you are not because of your conservative values, Bonnema said to Moss. Its because you operate in darkness and choose chaos over sound judgment. Actions like these spotlight your incompetence. Bonnema has previously said his values, including conservatism and parental rights, arent the cause of the rift between him and Ottawa Impact. Instead, he previously said, its about a failing by Ottawa Impact and Moss to be transparent in their governance. Moss previously claimed that Bonnemas harassment complaint email against Gibbs was leaked to the press and that, afterward, subsequent articles were published which served to erode public trust in administrator Gibbs and Ottawa County. Cosby on Tuesday said, It cost us three months of business here with the public display, and told Bonnema he shouldve brought his complaint to Moss. But Bonnema alleged Moss and Gibbs, in coordination with the countys corporate counsel, conspired to release the complaint to the media. Bonnema further clarified his comments Wednesday, saying that corporate counsel released the complaint after a Freedom of Information Act request even though, he said, human resources complaints are supposed to be confidential. Bonnemas human resources complaint against Gibbs was first obtained by the Holland Sentinel through a Freedom of Information Act request. Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter. Read more on MLive: Activist plays harmonica during meeting after Ottawa County commissioner orders his removal Mom left baby in bathtub: I beat myself up every day How long will record heat last in Michigan? GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Organizers of the Walk to Defeat ALS in Grand Rapids on Sunday say fundraising through the walk drives bold and urgent innovation that directly impacts local people living with the disease and their families. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrigs Disease, is a rare neurological disease for which there is no cure. The disease affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movements, and eventually it affects control of the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe. The ALS Association of Michigan is hosting the 1.5-mile Grand Rapids walk scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10, at 6th Street Bridge Park, 627 Monroe Ave. NW. There is no fee to participate but fundraising is encouraged. People can form teams or walk alone. Register for the event here. Donate here. Related: Making music with his eyes helps Michigan ALS patient find creative joy again It costs people living with ALS more than $250,000 a year just to get the equipment and care they need, not including medications, said Liz Krisanda, territory executive for the ALS Association. The ALS Association is committed to making ALS a livable disease for everyone, everywhere, until we find a cure. The fundraising goal for the event is $175,000. Money raised at the event will directly impact the quality of life of Michiganders living with ALS and their families through local care services and programs provided to the community for free by the ALS Foundation. Approximately 5,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States, the release said. Most patients typically have two to five years to live after diagnosis and there is no known cause or cure. Those currently living with the disease have an urgent need for support right now. The rate at which ALS progresses can be quite variable, as well. Although the mean survival time with ALS is two to five years, some people live five years, 10 years or even longer, according to the ALS Association. For more information about getting involved with The ALS Associations mission to serve the community, visit als.org. Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter. Read more: New restaurant, Firebird Bar GR, planned for downtown Grand Rapids New bubble tea shop offering decadent desserts opens in Grand Rapids Free breast cancer screenings at Potawatomi clinic to improve Indigenous communities access GRAND RAPIDS, MI Police have released the name of a 19-year-old woman who was shot and killed on the southwest side of Grand Rapids this weekend. Alana Vasquez was killed in a shooting that happened during a car meetup in the early hours of Sunday, Sept. 3, according to a release from the Grand Rapids Police Department. Police are now seeking any information about the shooting, including videos or photos that were taken before, during or immediately after the incident. Our priority is solving Alanas murder, Chief Eric Winstrom said in a statement. We understand that photos and videos may contain evidence of reckless driving, alcohol consumption, and similar offenses. We are focused on information that will lead to justice for Alana and her loved ones, not retroactively investigating these minor crimes, and we need the communitys help to do that. Grand Rapids police responded to reports of a shooting at 1:15 a.m. Sunday, near the intersection of Freeman Avenue SW and Hall Street SW. The 19-year-old shooting victim was taken from the scene to be treated at an area hospital, where she later died. RELATED: Woman killed in shooting in Grand Rapids Any evidence or information about the shooting that is disclosed through Silent Observer will be anonymous, the police department reiterated. Silent Observer does not disclose sources of information to the police, Winstrom said. We are asking for any informationwitness statements, photos, videosto help us solve the egregious murder of a teenager. That is our focus. More on MLive: Police organizations back former Grand Rapids police officer in Patrick Lyoyas killing 5 significant cases were tracking in Grand Rapids-area courts this week Officers who fatally shot armed woman in mental health crisis wont be charged GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Live music filled the downtown of Grand Rapids on Labor Day. West Michigans Labor Fest started in 2009 after the Labor Day parade ended. Members of area labor organizations came together to create the annual festival for families and people to enjoy in the hub of the city. The event lasted from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with performances from bands Krystal Klear and the Shirey Brothers. Free games, food vendors and local business were also there for community members to enjoy. Michael Johnston, historian and teacher, helped organize the festival after seeing the Labor Fest in Milwaukee, Wis. With this festival, its cool to see how many people are out here volunteering, Johnston said. Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter. More from MLive: Meet Penelope, the pygmy hippo who may become Jaharis girlfriend $1.2M project will enhance largely undeveloped Grand River park Meijer Gardens celebrating fall with 25th anniversary of lush mums, pumpkin display KENT COUNTY, MI Lowell High School was placed under a two-hour lockdown on Tuesday, Sept. 5, due to a bomb threat that was posted on social media. The high school, at 11700 Vergennes St. in Lowell, was given the all clear by law enforcement at 1:12 p.m. Tuesday after police completed a sweep of the building and grounds and determined there was no valid threat, Superintendent Nate Fowler said in a post to the districts Facebook page. The threat was reportedly posted on social media on Sunday night and indicated something would happen at the high school at 11:41 a.m. on Tuesday, Fowler said. Lowell school administrators became aware of the threat at 10:46 a.m. Tuesday and immediately contacted law enforcement. At 11:22 a.m., school administrators placed the high school under a soft lockdown, which is when students and staff stay inside their classrooms and assigned areas. Fowler said the brick walls of the classrooms made the classes the safest place for students in the building. While there was no evidence to support the validity of the threat, law enforcement conducted a sweep of the building and grounds to ensure the building was safe, Fowler said. The lockdown was lifted at 1:12 p.m. after the school was given the all clear. The district, about 20 minutes east of Grand Rapids, had 1,099 students enrolled at the high school for the 2022-23 school year. Fowler told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press that school officials dont know whether the social media threat was made by a Lowell student, but that the school district is working with law enforcement officials to investigate the incident. All threatening behavior is taken seriously and will be dealt with by school officials working in conjunction with law enforcement, the juvenile justice system, and the mental health support system, the superintendent wrote in Tuesdays social media post. Fowler is urging parents to remind their students that if they see something concerning, they should say something to a trusted adult. We are grateful to those who reported the social media post to staff members, he said. We encourage all parents and guardians to be active and involved in the social media lives of their children. While social media can be a positive tool for communication, it is often at the root of difficult situations among todays students. More on MLive: Grand Rapids police identify 19-year-old woman killed in weekend shooting Over $5M in damages caused by arson fire at newly renovated Boys & Girls Club in Muskegon How an art teacher who became principal is using bad mom jokes to build community at school OTTAWA COUNTY, MI The mother of an 11-month-old girl who drowned in a bathtub told a judge on Tuesday, Sept. 5, that she blamed herself, and vowed to be a better parent to a 3-year-old daughter. In a tearful statement, Elizabeth May Robinson, 24, said: Not a day goes by I dont miss her, think about her. I beat myself up every single day. Robinson earlier pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter in the death of her daughter, Roslyn. Related: Childs bathtub drowning allegedly happened as mother was on phone with boyfriend: records Ottawa County Circuit Judge Jon Hulsing sentenced her to 18 months in prison. Robinson was giving her daughter a bath when she left to talk to her boyfriend, the girls father, in call from the Ottawa County Jail. The conversation lasted two minutes, 54 seconds. She also told police that she took several minutes putting her other daughter in a diaper. The incident happened Aug. 9, 2022. Holland police responded to Robinsons room at Gateway Missing Women & Childrens Center on a report of a near-drowning. Rescuers took life-saving steps but the girl died Aug. 21, 2022, at Helen DeVos Childrens Hospital. At one point, she could no longer (hear the baby) in the bathroom, in the bathtub, and she went into the bathroom and saw (the baby) under the water, Holland police said in a probable-cause affidavit. The girl was found in 7 inches of water. Ottawa County Circuit Judge Jon Hulsing sentences Elizabeth Robinson in the death of her 11-month-old daughter who drowned in a bathtub while unattended. (John Agar|MLive) Defense attorney Bradley Johnson said many have described Robinson as a very good mother. He asked that his client, who has spent 48 days in jail, be released on tether or home confinement. She punishes herself with guilt, he said. The loss was devastating to her. Shes remorseful, very sorry for her actions. Meghan Hurley, an assistant Ottawa County prosecutor, said sentencing guidelines called for one to two years in prison. She said that Robinson needed a significant period of incarceration. In letters to the court, Robinsons parents and a close friend raised concerns about her parenting, including neglecting children. Hurley urged the judge to consider the letters. Hulsing, the judge, said that leaving a child alone in a bathtub was beyond a mistake. Not every error or mistake by a parent or caregiver for which a child is injured warrants criminal charges, he said. However, when a caregiver places a child in a situation for which injury or death is likely to occur and then abandons that child to that situation, and a child dies, that is gross negligence for which charges are warranted. He said that the neglect of the victim was not an anomaly. Read more: Police organizations back former Grand Rapids police officer in Patrick Lyoyas killing Michigans smallest bar is 140-square feet, owner says theres always room Costco drops Muskegon County store plans, but they remain near the top of the list OTTAWA COUNTY, MI Ottawa Countys administrator has walked back a previously stated requirement for the countys health department budget to be cut by nearly $4 million. During a finance committee meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 5, Administrator John Gibbs provided new budget figures. The county is currently finalizing its budget for fiscal year 2024, which begins in October. Originally, Health Officer Adeline Hambley submitted a budget for her department that included a $6.4 million contribution from the countys general fund. Two weeks ago, Hambley was directed by Gibbs and Ottawa County Board Chair Joe Moss to put together a new budget with a general fund contribution of $2.5 million instead. RELATED: Ottawa County health officer warns proposed budget cuts could impair, eliminate services Hambley claimed such a budget reduction would cause the health department to close its doors within two months at best, which Moss and Gibbs called fear-mongering tactics. Gibbs and Moss have stated the health departments budget must return to funding levels seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and decline all grant funding related to the pandemic. Now, Gibbs told county commissioners during the Tuesday meeting that the current budget draft includes a $4,356,000 general fund allocation for the health department. Though Hambley said she was glad the general fund allocation has increased from the proposed $2.5 million, she said the health department will still see reductions in individual programs. In order to lower the general fund contribution from Hambleys requested $6.4 million, the health officer said 13 of the health departments 16 programs will have decreased budgets. Hambley said those budget cuts continue to put all public health services at risk. RELATED: Fear-mongering tactics: John Gibbs, Joe Moss blast criticism of health department budget cuts These departmental programs include sexually transmitted disease prevention and treatment, communicable disease control, a dental service for uninsured children called Miles of Smiles, Medicaid outreach and family planning services. Other programs with budget reductions include environmental health services, which include real estate transfer evaluations and pool, campground and septic truck inspections. In a statement to media, Hambley said these cuts reduce services to the most vulnerable residents in Ottawa County. She also stated the county leaderships unwillingness to accept any grant funding related to COVID-19 will cost the county more than $400,000 worth of services. Gibbs said during the Tuesday meeting that Hambleys claims of having to eliminate services to county residents are false. RELATED: Rally scheduled to support embattled Ottawa County health department The narrative of wholesale cutting of programs are not backed up by facts, Gibbs said. This is going to have an impact on the county budget of reducing overall spending. Just like all American families and businesses looking at their budget and adjusting things, its important we do the same. Gibbs said the health departments budget as it currently stands will be more than enough for the essential programs being done by public health. Hambley spoke twice during the meeting, once during open public comment and again during discussion of her departments budget. On the second occasion, Hambley was required to testify under oath that she was telling the truth, something no other county employee has been asked to do this year. Hambleys attorney, Sarah Howard, said she was unaware Hambley would be required to testify under oath during the public meeting. RELATED: Activist plays harmonica during meeting after Ottawa County commissioner orders his removal Prior to the Tuesday meeting, Howard filed a request with the Michigan Court of Appeals for immediate aid to prevent the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners from wrongfully firing her prior to a scheduled Oct. 11 court hearing. The hearing is related to an ongoing lawsuit Hambley filed against far-right conservative members of the Ottawa County board for attempting to wrongfully terminate her employment earlier this year. Though the court denied Hambleys emergency motion on Tuesday, it did release a statement that all the parties are cautioned, however, that they proceed at their own peril if they take substantial actions before this court hears oral arguments on Oct. 11. RELATED: Ottawa County health officer fears imminent firing, asks court for aid During her public comment to the board, Hambley said she has not been invited to any discussions regarding her departments budget in the last two weeks. Im glad to see this latest version of this budget meets maintenance of effort for some programs, she said. I was provided the budget youre discussing today on Friday afternoon... but it seems at some point you realized I was telling the truth the health department could not function with a general fund contribution of $2.5 million. In todays version of the budget, there are cuts to STD testing, communicable disease programs, substance use prevention programs and the Miles of Smiles dental program. This is not a return to pre-COVID budget levels as it results in cuts to programs that existed before COVID. Moss told Hambley later in the meeting that the countys 2024 budget has not yet been finalized. A public hearing on the budget is set for next Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 9 a.m. in the countys Fillmore Complex board room. Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter. More from MLive: How long will record heat last in Michigan? Mom left baby in bathtub: I beat myself up every day Michigans smallest bar is 140-square feet, owner says theres always room GRAND RAPIDS, MI Organizations that represent thousands of police officers in Michigan called for a former Grand Rapids police officer to be cleared in the fatal shooting of Black motorist Patrick Lyoya. Former Officer Christopher Schurr awaits trial in Kent County Circuit Court accused of second-degree murder. The case is on hold after the defense asked the state Court of Appeals to review lower court rulings. HILLSDALE COUNTY, MI A Hillsdale County man was arrested during the Labor Day weekend after repeatedly stabbing someone, leaving to get a shotgun and then breaking into another home, police said. Police and rescue crews were called at 8:15 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3, to a home in the 9000 block of Crampton Road in Hillsdale Countys Ransom Township for a reported stabbing that had just occurred, according to Michigan State Police. Singapores New President Has a History of Disapproving Crypto Source: Facebook / Samuel He Singapores newly elected president, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, had once called crypto inherently purely speculative and slightly crazy. With 70.4% of the vote, Shanmugaratnam has become Singapores 9th president, succeeding Halimah Yacob, the countrys first female head of state. However, to the relief of the crypto community, the Presidents role in Singapore is mostly ceremonial. Singapores President Served as Chairman of MAS for Over a Decade Shanmugaratnams journey in the world of finance and economics began long before his presidential tenure. He boasts an impressive academic background, having earned degrees from prestigious institutions such as the London School of Economics, the University of Cambridge, and Harvard Universitys Kennedy School of Government. His pivotal role as the Chairman of MAS from 2011 to 2023 coincided with his tenure as the Finance Minister of Singapore between 2007 and 2015. During his tenure, Singapore adopted a laissez-faire approach towards crypto, asserting that cryptocurrencies and related trading activities posed no immediate threat to the countrys financial system, thus requiring no prohibition. However, Shanmugaratnams perspective took a turn in 2023 when he characterized cryptocurrencies as inherently purely speculative and slightly crazy, at the World Economic Forum. He maintained that they should remain unregulated, but authorities should offer ultra clarity on associated risks. He cautioned against wading into a never-ending game of regulating such products. Crypto Regulations in Singapore In November 2022, Shanmugaratnam disclosed that Singaporean banks were mandated to maintain $125 in capital against every $100 exposure to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Despite these stringent requirements, the exposure of banks to cryptocurrencies accounted for less than 0.05% of total risk-weighted assets. In a nod to the potential future role of cryptocurrencies, Shanmugaratnam acknowledged in 2021 that they might extend beyond speculation and illicit finance. He envisioned a future where regulated stablecoins would play a useful role in traditional payment systems. By August 2022, Shanmugaratnam revealed that MAS was actively reconsidering its approach to regulating stablecoins, particularly in response to the collapse of terraUSD (UST), a stablecoin that lost its U.S. dollar peg earlier that year. In August this year, MAS released a regulatory framework for stablecoins, reflecting the evolving landscape of cryptocurrency regulation in Singapore. While Shanmugaratnams presidency is largely ceremonial, his history of skepticism toward cryptocurrencies and commitment to maintaining a balanced regulatory approach will undoubtedly influence the countrys policies in the realm of finance, including cryptocurrencies and central bank digital currencies. KALAMAZOO, MI A woman convicted last month of killing her boyfriend at a Portage apartment in January 2022 was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison. Iyanna Colon, 23, was sentenced by Kalamazoo County Circuit Judge Paul Bridenstine on Tuesday, Sept. 5. Colon, despite a self-defense argument, was convicted of first-degree murder on Aug. 3 following a three-day jury trial. Colon was charged in the January 2022 homicide of her boyfriend, Maan Saleh Alblowi. Related: Woman convicted of murder in death of Portage boyfriend Colon reported Alblowis death to Portage police on the afternoon of Jan. 18, 2022, the day after his death. Alblowi, 25, was fatally choked in a Portage apartment. Defense attorney Benjamin Norg argued during the trial that Alblowis death was self-defense by Colon, after he had choked her to the point of blacking out. Ms. Colon maintains her innocence and I continue to advocate for Ms. Colons innocence, Norg said at the sentencing. I believe Ms. Colon acted in lawful self-defense and acquittal should have been granted on that ground. Norg further stated he did not believe sufficient evidence had been shown for the jury to find that Colon had premeditated the act. I believe if Ms. Colon didnt do what she did that day, she would not be here today, Norg told Bridenstine just prior to the sentencing being handed down. Related: Premeditated or self-defense? Jury deliberates during murder trial for Portage woman When asked if she wished to address the court prior to sentencing, Colon declined. The jury disregarded your defense and found you responsible for the killing of Mr. Alblowi, Bridenstine said. And as a result, given what it is that they found you guilty of and you being treated as a third habitual offender, it is the sentence of this court that you be sentenced to the Michigan Department of Corrections for the rest of your natural life. Want more Kalamazoo news? Our 3@3 newsletter rounds up Kalamazoos top stories every weekday at 3 p.m. Enter your email to get our free newsletter: Colon did not act in self-defense, Kalamazoo County Assistant Prosecutor Amy Sheppard said during closing arguments on Aug. 2. She killed him, Sheppard said. She did it intentionally. She did it because she thought about it. On Sept. 5, she reminded the court of the jurys decision. They had the opportunity to listen to all of the evidence and they returned the verdict that they saw appropriate based on the evidence, Sheppard said. Colon was on probation when the incident occurred, Bridenstine said. A third-time habitual offender, she had a history of violence prior to the strangling of Alblowi and had twice pleaded guilty to charges. She had previously pleaded guilty in March 2021 to a felony charge of assault with a dangerous weapon. She also pleaded guilty in October 2021 to felony resisting, assaulting and obstructing a police officer. A charge of domestic violence and a second charge of resisting, assaulting and obstructing a police officer were dismissed. During a preliminary hearing in June 2022, Portage Police officer Brent Reynhout testified about Colons initial report to police. Reynhout said that when Colon first reported Alblowis death, she told him Alblowi dragged her by her hair, hit her head and choked her until she couldnt breathe and blacked out. She then started to choke him back and he stopped breathing, Reynhout said she told him. Police then went to the apartment, where Reynhout said he found Alblowis body in a closet. Colon told police she cried and prayed next to his body for about an hour-and-a-half before realizing he was dead, according to a probable cause affidavit. She then said she dragged his body to the closet. Eventually she went to sleep on a mattress in the living room. The next morning, she told family what happened and then went to the police station to report it, the affidavit said. Colon told Portage detective Derek Hess essentially the same thing she told Reynhout, according to testimony. He said he interviewed her after reading her Miranda Rights. Colon has 42 days to appeal her case. Her attorney couldnt be reached prior to publication to see if she plans to appeal. Also on MLive: 3 Kalamazoo women honored for their courage and achievements New event showcases 12 Kalamazoo businesses run by youth, teens 35,000 flock to Mackinac Bridge for annual Labor Day walk Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter. BERRIEN COUNTY, MI A Niles man is facing firearms charges, including possession of a machine gun. U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said Tuesday, Sept. 5, that a Glock handgun had been converted into a fully automatic firearm which met the federal definition for machine gun. Gun violence is an epidemic across America and here in Michigan that inflicts immense trauma on communities, Totten said. The prevalence of machinegun conversion devices in the Western District is a particularly troubling trend that my office takes seriously. Criminals who traffic or possess these devices face the prospect of federal prosecution. A 19-year-old Niles man was recently indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of felon in possession of a firearm, a 15-year felony, and possession of a machine gun, a 10-year felony. Totten announced the charges during a press conference in Niles. He was joined by representatives of the FBI, Niles Department of Public Safety, Berrien County Sheriffs Department and Michigan State Police. Read more: 3 Kalamazoo women honored for their courage and achievements Mom left baby in bathtub: I beat myself up every day Police organizations back former Grand Rapids police officer in Patrick Lyoyas killing Republican state board of education members Tom McMillin and Nikki Snyder are asking Attorney General Dana Nessels office for legal representation in order to sue Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for creating the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential. Whitmer and the board have been at odds over the planned department, known as MiLEAP, given its close proximity to the State Board of Educations constitutionally-granted role supervising public education in Michigan. McMillin and Snyder asked Nessel to supply them with legal representation and establish a conflict wall as they plan to file suit. With her recent executive order, Governor Whitmer has certainly violated the clear meaning of this section of the state constitution, McMillin said in an email. She needs to be stopped from implementing her illegal desires to remove constitutional authority from the State Board of Education and consolidate educational authority under herself. The full board, where Democrats hold a majority, had unanimously requested a formal opinion from Nessel to determine whether the new department is constitutional. Whitmer has maintained the department was planned in consultation with Nessels office. Nessel had replied to the request saying it was too soon to request an opinion but the department appeared constitutional at first blush, given the order specified nothing in this executive order should be construed to diminish the constitutional authority of the State Board of Education. McMillin and Snyder disagreed with Nessel in their letter to her. More: Whitmers new education department cant be scrutinized yet, Nessel says Time is of the essence as the disruption that the above unconstitutional changes will cause will be significant, they wrote in the new letter. There should not be any waiting to observe this unlawful disruption, in order to proceed with a vigorous effort to stop the Governor before she commences. State Board of Education president Pamela Pugh, a Democrat, had said MiLEAP threatens the very essence of our education system. No Democrats joined Snyder and McMillin, however, in the letter. Whitmer announced the reorganization that will establish MiLEAP in July, consolidating areas like early childhood and higher education alongside workforce development in the new department. Our kids deserve better, educators deserve better and thats precisely why we decided it made sense to take pieces that were in different departments and put them in one that had a strategic vision and focus on lifelong learning, Whitmer previously told MLive. In a statement, Whitmer press secretary Stacey LaRouche said to provide Michigan students the world-class public education they deserve, leaders must be willing to think outside the box and try new things. For too long, we have thought of education as just K-12, but we know students also need support in pre-K and higher education. Michigan parents, educators, and elected officials on both sides of the aisle have been making the case for years for a new department, like MiLEAP, that will complement the work of MDE and help students at every step of their education, LaRouche said. Governor Whitmer listened and is the first governor to get it done. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has appointed Scott Bowen, a former Michigan lottery commissioner, as director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, her office announced Tuesday. Im excited to join the DNR team. It will be an honor to contribute a chapter to the agencys long history of managing and protecting the natural and cultural resources that help define what it means to be from Michigan, Bowen said in a statement. I know how essential this work is to maintaining the states quality of life and economic vitality. My background in overseeing other state agencies and building relationships has provided valuable experience that I can draw on, and Im eager to get to work. Bowen does not come from a background in natural resources, but spent much of his career in government service, most prominently as commissioner of the Michigan Lottery from 2008 through early 2017. Beginning his career as an attorney, Bowen was appointed in 2003 by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to serve as judge for 62-A District Court in Wyoming. After a failed attempt to win the Democratic nomination for Michigan attorney general in 2006, Granholm appointed him in 2007 to run the Office of the State Employer, and a year later was appointed to run the states lottery. Bowens LinkedIn profile listed his most recent job as a government affairs specialist for NeoPollard Interactive, an electronic lottery company. We are blessed to have some of the most beautiful beaches, forests, and lakes in the country right in our backyard, Whitmer said in a statement. But that also means we have a tremendous responsibility to take care of these natural wonders. Scott is the right person to lead the Department of Natural Resources as they undertake historic renovations and upgrades at state parks across Michigan. Together, we will leave our public lands in better shape. From April 2019 until mid-August, Bowen had been a registered lobbyist with The WinMatt Group, a political consultancy Bowen had co-founded with former Michigan Democratic Party chair Brandon Dillon in 2019, according to state disclosures. Bowen has also been a longtime donor to Whitmer, and when a sputtering 2021 recall attempt briefly allowed Whitmers reelection campaign to remove all contribution limits, he gave her committee $50,000, state campaign finance records show. Bowen will succeed Shannon Lott, who has been as acting director since Dan Eichinger, the prior director, resigned Jan. 1 to lobby for Ferris State University. The Bureau of State Lottery and Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs also lack permanent heads after recent departures. It took two years for a Dollar General store in Muskegon, 381 E. Laketon Ave., to be rebuilt after a fire in 2021. The building had been a retailer for 75 years opening as a Plumb's grocery store in 1948 and a Dollar General chain in 2007. After reopening in the spring, it's now one of eight Dollar General stores in Muskegon. (Photo by Rose White | MLive) Looking to have an outing where you can avoid long lines at the bar or having to flag down a waiter to take your drink order? Self-serve taprooms may be for you. Since Michigan bars and restaurants were allowed to start offering self-serve taps with the passage of a new law July 2022, business owners say it has become a favorite among craft beer connoisseurs. Jonathon and Katheryn Stoia recently opened North End Taproom in Royal Oak on Aug. 16. The couple, originally from Michigan, began working with state lawmakers last term to get the self-serve dispensing legislation approved. They had just returned from living for several years in California, where self-serve bars and wineries have grown in popularity. When we were out there and we came back, we were looking for a spot and didnt see anything and then kind of started going down this rabbit hole and actually realized it was illegal, Stoia said. The self-pour process as defined by law is simple: once verified patrons are of drinking age, customers are provided a prepaid, electronic bracelet they can use to activate wall-mounted taps, which can dispense 96 ounces in a single order. Customers are able to purchase another order if an employee finds theyre not too intoxicated. Each serving cant exceed more than 16 ounces of beer, 12 ounces of wine or 12 ounces of a mixed drink at a time. The self-serve machines also cannot dispense straight spirits, such as tequila, rum or whiskey. It is unclear how many such businesses are in Michigan. They do not require a special liquor license and the state does not keep track. MLive identified four two in Southeast Michigan, one in Lansing and one in Grand Rapids. Since the law is new and adding self-serve taps requires construction or downtime, it will probably take some time before Michigan sees more of these types of establishments, said Scott Ellis, executive director of the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association. Entering the hospitality industry has been an adjustment for the Stoias hes an engineer and shes a teacher but Stoia said he enjoys providing an experience that allows people to try new things. North End Taproom offers 40 selections of craft beer, hard seltzer, cider, wine and sours for patrons to explore. You dont need to pour a whole pint of anything, so weve been finding that we put a lot of more interesting craft beverages in the wall that people probably wouldnt order otherwise and bars might not stock, Stoia said. You really get to try these different things and kind of find stuff you like that you would never know. And its just a fun process. Although the pair pushed to bring self-serve beer to Michigan, they werent the first self-serve taproom to open here. Lincoln Tap, owned by Eastern Market Brewing Co. and the Ferndale Project, soft-launched in mid-September 2022. Pauline Knighton-Prueter, vice president of sales and marketing for Eastern Market Brewing Co., said they envisioned transforming the front of their newly acquired production facility in Royal Oak once all signs began pointing to the state approving the taprooms. Just due to being in a state right now of, staffing is difficult... everything kind of came together of like, OK, we could actually get a taproom up and running really quickly and youll not need high levels of staffing to make it happen, Knighton-Prueter said. Lincoln Tap has a variety of 30 beer, wine and hard seltzer flavors, and the public has received the self-serve option well, Knighton-Prueter said. You do need to just make sure that you have a tap system that is working very, very well because its actually easy to pour a beer poorly, Knighton-Prueter said. But at the same time, she added, it gives employees an opportunity to talk to customers when teaching them how to pour their drink for that perfect beer-to-foam ratio. Families wanting a place to hang out are welcome, too. Both venues have non-alcoholic drink choices and games for kids to enjoy. North End Taprooms menu features over a dozen food items, while Lincoln Tap is currently working to get its kitchen approved with plans to launch a Detroit-style pizza brand in the coming months. Stoia said self-serve taprooms may not necessarily pop up everywhere. People might still want a traditional experience with waitstaff to deliver their orders. But with the law in place, the door is open for more businesses in the future. So really, I see this more as a tool to create a different kind of social, hang-out areas, Stoia said. Ghanaian video director, Babs Direction has weighed in on the seeming lack of music promotion on the part of Ghanaian artists. Many industry players and some artists have been advocating for a creative arts law that will allow about 80% play of Ghanaian music and 20% or less of foreign ones. The rationale is that the move will better help push the homegrown talents and their crafts to a wider audience both internally and to the outside world. However, the renowned video director sees a different approach if musicians truly want their craft to garner massive attention. In a tweet on Monday, September 4, Babs Direction intimated that only playing 80% local music with no massive promotion will be meaningless. He noted that most of the artistes prefer spending on drinks and women, an attitude that cannot help them get the attention they aspire to. "Playing 80% Ghanaian songs won't change the fact that some of our artists hate investing and promotion and act very cheaply. They love to spend on women and drinks. The same women don't even subscribe to their music," he wrote. The immediate past National Vice Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress and former Ghana's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt under the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, H.E Alhaji Said Sinare has posited that the NPP has not progressed beyond the rationale of its ideological origins. He noted that the NPP but rather turned out to be a mere ballot paper alternative to the NDC as far as the development of the country is concerned. In a Facebook post, Alhaji Said Sinare stated that, After nearly seven years in power, the NPP has no ideological identity, no policy coherence, and no track record of responsible governance that would address the plights of Ghanaians. He noted that the party has remained an embarrassing ideological proposition and oddity to the people of this country. His comments follow his position on the just-ended presidential primaries of the NPP held on August 26,2023 where H.E Alhaji Bawumia emerged as the winner. According to him, the emergence of Dr. Bawumia in the recent primaries has confirmed his position the NPP party is a ballot paper alternative. He said it is gross political error to elect Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia at the super delegates conference of the NPP after he had plunged this country into an economic quagmire as the head of the economic management team of the country. "The central bank for the first time in Ghana's history built an office complex worth over USSD250million after recording a historic loss of over GHS60bn, while ordinary Ghanaians don't have the purchasing power to afford just a square meal a day," he stated. The founder of Zongo for NDC, H.E Alhaji Said Sinare has said NDC's 2024 presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama will defeat anyone presented by the New Patriotic Party. Appealing to Ghanaians to return his National Democratic Congress to power, Alhaji Said Sinare mentioned that it was important for Ghanaians to pitch their tent with John Dramani Mahama who has the ability to rescue the country from her current travails. Minority in Parliament has decided to postpone its planned protest against the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison. This decision comes in response to a court hearing where the police applied for an injunction on the protest due to security concerns. The court has adjourned the ruling on a preliminary objection raised by the MPs' lawyers until Friday, September 8. This, thus, means the 'OccupyBoG' march scheduled for 5 September 2023, cannot come off. The MPs, under the leadership of NDCs Director of Legal Affairs, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, have objected to the police's capacity to initiate such action independently. They argue that according to Article 88(5) of the 1992 Constitution and the State Proceedings Act, only the Attorney General has the authority to institute such actions. In the meantime, Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has reassured their supporters that the protest will proceed once the court delivers its ruling. The Minority in Parliament has accused the BoG Governor and his deputies of mismanaging the central bank which resulted in a loss of GHS60.8 billion and a negative equity of GHS55.1 billion. They also accuse the Governor of illegally writing off GHS48.40 billion of loans advanced to the government. In defence, the Governor has attributed the loss to the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme. -Classfmonline - Source: 04.09.2023 LISTEN The Central African Republic (CAR) is one of the poorest countries in the world. Its GDP per capita in 2022 was estimated at US$491 per year. The nation of roughly 5 million people has been in political turmoil since a violent takeover of power in 2013. A total breakdown of law and order has persisted for nearly 20 years. Roughly half of the countryside has been outside the government's control . In an attempt to gain back control, the government unleashed a campaign led by the Russian mercenaries, the Wagner Group, in 2020. A report documenting widespread human rights abuses in the CAR by the Wagner Group describes well-planned campaigns of mass killing, torture, and rape. This is consistent with the broader content of press releases and speeches coming from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The result is that CAR is now experiencing an acute humanitarian crisis. One of the symptoms of the collapse is the country's high mortality rate. Two surveys published over the last two years have suggested that large areas of the country were experiencing mortality above the emergency threshold. One was a survey done by Medecins sans Frontieres in 2020 in Ouaka Prefecture . The other covered most of Ouham-Pende Prefecture and was done with the International Rescue Committee in 2018. The studies found that 4.9% and 5.0% of the studied populations were dying per year. These estimates are four times higher than the 2020 UN mortality estimate of 1.1% per year for the CAR. Most agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , consider the doubling of the baseline mortality as a crisis, and four times the baseline is one of the three criteria used to define a famine. Because of the discordance of recent mortality measures and the official mortality rate, as scholars of public health with research experience in conflict settings, we conducted a survey to measure the nation's crude mortality rate the fraction of the population dying per unit of time without considering whether it is a young or old population. Our study found that 5.6% of the population died in 2022. This is an astonishing mortality rate, in terms of how people are suffering and how wrong the official statistics are. Most of these deaths were from malaria and diarrhoea. We also found that mortality was markedly higher in the areas outside government control. The dire conditions under which people are living in the CAR have elicited very little interest or humanitarian response from the rest of the world. Yet, as the mortality figures show, there is a desperate need for food aid, along with work programmes and seed and tool distribution. This is of particular importance in rural areas outside government control. While some humanitarian actors are doing their best to respond, the crisis-level mortality rate suggests that the needs in the CAR are largely unmet. Mortality We carried out a survey in two areas. One was in the part of the country within the government's control (roughly half of the country), and one in the areas mostly outside its control. We randomly selected 40 clusters of 10 households in each. We found that the birth rate was lower and the death rate markedly higher in areas outside government control. Families described malaria or fever and diarrhoea as the primary reported causes of death. Violence accounted for 6% of all deaths. People cited access to food and access to medical care as their biggest challenges. Households reported eating roughly half as many meals in 2022 as they had in 2020. Only 15% had received food aid distributions in 2022 despite high levels of malnutrition recorded in the country. These two challenges interact with each other. Children and other vulnerable people like the elderly who would normally survive an episode of malaria or diarrhoea need competent medical attention to survive when malnourished. Yet, because of economic strife and violence, attendance in rural clinics is generally down compared to previous years. The cost of healthcare is another factor. Some NGOs provide free healthcare, but most visited by our research team charge a modest user fee. While not standardised, they typically charge an amount equivalent to between half and one US dollar, and sometimes charge separately for drugs. The non-clinic costs such as transport can be even greater. Another cost is that people are forced to make informal and illegitimate payments when trying to get to healthcare facilities. Many mentioned that police or rebel soldiers demanded money to pass at checkpoints. In Ouaka Prefecture, where the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, provides medical services with no user fees, an interviewee told us that his daughter had recently given birth at home rather than going to the hospital, because the police at the checkpoints knew a pregnant woman would be desperate to get by and they would charge more than the usual 500 franc (about US$0.8) fee for her to pass. What next Higher nationwide death rates have occurred in Africa in the past. Estimates suggest that at least 500,000 of 7 million Rwandans died violently in 1994 . During Nigeria's secessionist war in Biafra from 1967 to 1970 between 1 million and 3 million are estimated to have died. These events triggered dramatic escalations in humanitarian response, aid money and political attention. Our study couldn't distinguish the relative importance of decades of ongoing conflict, extreme poverty, the economic disruptions since 2020, or the widespread disruption efforts of the Wagner Group in causing the extreme mortality observed in the CAR. Nevertheless, it's clear that they are all contributing to the mortality rate. We can find no examples since 1994 of an entire nation dying at such a high rate as we measured in the CAR in 2022. Humanitarian actors have been raising the alarm for over a decade . The UN has been warning of extreme food insecurity for two years. To the credit of certain agencies, households report food distributions in some of the most critical areas. Our findings show that despite these efforts, aid is woefully insufficient. Given that the US government alone gave over US$330 million in assistance to the CAR in 2021 and 2022, one has to ponder whether the humanitarian community can do better. In particular, are we in the humanitarian community ignoring one of the world's worst humanitarian crises? The authors 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. By Leslie Roberts, Professor Emeritus of Population and Family Health at CUMC, Columbia University And Jennifer O'Keeffe, Doctoral Candidate, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University And Karume Baderha Augustin Gang, Doctoral Candidate, Universite Evangelique en Afrique South Koreas Hana Bank Partners with BitGo to Provide Digital Asset Custody Services Source: Shutterstock South Korean financial giant KEB Hana Bank has entered into a strategic business agreement with California-based crypto custody and security platform BitGo to offer digital asset custody (DAC) services to its clients starting next year. The collaboration was announced during the Korea Blockchain Week conference held in Seoul. Hana Bank, which recently announced its work on CBDC pilot and stablecoin alternatives with the Central Bank of Korea (BOK), will reportedly leverage BitGos blockchain security technology for its digital assets custody operations. The services are expected to roll out in the second half of 2024. We expect to contribute to raising trust and consumer protection on the domestic digital asset market by promoting the DAC sector with our global partners, Hana Bank sources noted. Both parties will jointly enter the DAC sector, following BitGos decision to open a corporation in South Korea. BitGo, one of the leading crypto custodians, currently serves over 50 countries. The company is expected to launch an office in South Korea, after preparing the necessary licenses required under local regulations. Mike Belshe, CEO and co-founder of BitGo, said during the event that the partnership would help BitGo use its full capacity to improve the transparency and safety of the South Korean digital asset industry. Last month, BitGo secured $100 million in a Series C funding round to reach a valuation of $1.75 billion. The firm did not mention any of the investors. South Koreas Favorable Regulatory Environment In July, South Korean financial authorities announced that they would legally regulate blockchain-powered security tokens and provide investor protection measures through an amendment to the Token Securities Offering (STO) bill. The standalone digital asset bill to boost investor protection comes a year after the implosion of tokens created by countryman Do Kwon exacerbating a $2 trillion crypto-market rout. On June 30, the South Korean National Assembly passed the Virtual Asset User Protection Act, giving the Financial Services Commission the power to oversee crypto operators as well as asset custodians. The Bank of Korea would also be able to probe such platforms. The law additionally noted that crypto companies in South Korea will need to have insurance covering their reserves to protect customers against loss of virtual assets from theft or technological failure. The rush to regulate crypto assets and services has opened avenues for numerous crypto companies and exchanges like BitGo to establish a base in South Korea. Angry traders at the Kejetia market have expressed their displeasure with the management of the facility over what they describe as their lackadaisical attitude in resolving individual metering issues at the market. The traders have for years been calling for the provision of separate meters, but they say the management has been indecisive and slow to act. They argue that this is killing their businesses, as they are forced to pay high electricity bills. In order to compel the management to take action, the traders have announced that they will be wearing red bands starting on Tuesday, September 5, 2023. They have also threatened to stage a massive demonstration if their demands are not met by Monday, September 11, 2023. Speaking to Citi News, Nana Akwasi Prempeh, the President of the Federation of Kumasi Traders, said, During the last PURC review, before the September review, the May one, we were paying light bills around GH640,000, a month when the July review came, it shot up to GH776,000 a month. So you realised that theres a huge increment in the light bills. It affected the traders directly. When ECG tells us they have meters, what is the management doing, or what is preventing the management from doing the separation works for everyone to have his/her meter separate meter. It makes us assume that somebody is benefiting in some way. He added, We cannot sit down unconcerned. When we are not able to pay the bills, management locks up about 200 to 300 shops every blessed day because of the light bills. Management will not lock up anybodys shop again if we have our own separate meters. Beginning tomorrow, September 5, we are hoisting red bands around the market and our shops, to signify our intent to management. After that, if need be, we will tell management to close the market, because we cannot continue to incur losses. We will use all the necessary forces to pursue that agenda. If need be we will do a demonstration. The traders have also expressed disappointment at the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the board of the facility, and the management for their inability to disclose the content of the committees report almost six months after a part of the market was destroyed by fire. They have also blamed the authorities for the delay in acting on the recommendations of the committee. Speaking to Citi News, Nathaniel Boamponsem, a spokesperson for the affected traders, expressed his frustration and urged the authorities to take action. Its been almost six months and we have not heard anything from anybody. We met with the committee and we heard that the report is out, but we are not privy to the report. They even said they were going to get us a place in the meantime, but nothing has been done. We are still at home and not working. The little capital we have, we are depending on it, and there is a big problem. We are totally disappointed at every process at every level. As of now, all hope is lost. We are just looking forward to God for his help. We are pleading that they make the recommendations or report public. -citinewsroom Former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei has debunked a claim by an NPP communicator General Buhari that she was once a parliamentary candidate aspirant for the opposition NDC in Ayawaso West Wougon. The NPP communicator while reacting to an alleged confession by Mr. Afare Gyan, a former EC chairperson, whose term in office ended after the 2012 election, of being a member of the NDC, said Madam Charlotte Osei is also a member of the NDC. Interestingly, Mr. Afari Gyan at the NDC Lawyer Retreats event this weekend stated categorically that he has always been an NDC member. Its unfortunate NDC as a political party continues to be a collection of hypocrites, Charlotte Osei who was also once an NDC Parliament aspirant was appointed as EC Chair by the NDC, he alleged. However, Ms Charlotte Osei firmly refuted these assertions in a tweet on Monday, September 4, describing it as completely false. The former EC chairperson, who led the commission from 2015 to 2018, emphasized that General Buhari's claims are a figment of his imagination. I have NEVER been a parliamentary candidate or aspirant. For the record, I have also NEVER been a member of ANY political party. Please get your facts right, she said. Thousands of Gabonese, many of them voicing joy and relief as a new era dawned, on Monday watched the inauguration of the military chief who last week toppled the Bongo dynasty, the rulers of their oil-rich state for more than half a century. General Brice Oligui Nguema took the oath of office as president, five days after he toppled President Ali Bongo -- the son of Omar Bongo, who ruled with an iron fist for more than four decades. Oligui defended the coup as a courageous move by the army to save Gabon from bloodshed after elections that awarded victory to Bongo. Gabon's new strongman General Brice Oligui Nguema is inaugurated as Gabon's interim President. By - (AFP) And he promised to steer the country to "free, transparent and credible elections" -- but gave no details on the timeframe. A crowd gathered at the plaza in front of the Hassan II Mosque in Libreville to watch the ceremony on a giant screen, many of them waving little tricolor flags with the national colours of green, yellow and blue. Many of those who spoke to AFP said they felt ecstatic that Bongo, who had been in power for 14 years, was gone. Lucrece Mengue, a 28-year-old specialist in logistics and human resources, said that for young Gabonese, the country had been "under a cloud" for years. "We feel freedom, joy, happiness!" exclaimed Mengue, who said she had gone to the venue early in order to get a front-row seat. Ghislain Bouemba, a 50-year-old police captain, said he was savouring a "historic moment" -- Gabon, he said, "was being asphyxiated" under Bongo. Poverty and jobs Rich with oil from offshore fields first discovered in the 1970s, Gabon has one of the highest per-capita GDPs in Africa. But a third of the population still lives below the poverty line of $5.50 per day, according to the World Bank. Map of Gabon locating the capital Libreville. By Jean-Michel CORNU (AFP) "We study but we don't find work. I've been unemployed for five years," said Anouchka Minang, 31, who trained as a midwife but works doing occasional jobs to survive. She and others spoke positively about plans unveiled by Oligui last week to reform Gabon's dysfunctional pension system, whose bureaucracy and delays have left many people impoverished. Remi Gaspard Ngoua, a retired civil servant aged 66, said he felt "relief" at the promise. He said he should be receiving a monthly pension of 300,000 CFA francs (nearly $500), but only received half of it because of problems with disbursement. Oligui, in a meeting with business leaders last week, also sternly warned that corruption that had flourished in the Bongo era would no longer be tolerated. Jeers Live coverage of the swearing-in was punctuated by deafening jeers from the crowd every time cameras showed leading figures from Bongo's Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), who attended the ceremony. Discontent seemed specially reserved for his former prime minister Alain Claude Bilie By Nze, and his vice president, Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, an architect of Bongo's disputed election victory. Cries rang out of "throw Oussouka in prison," -- a protest that would have been unthinkable a week ago. Gabonese troops take part in a military parade at the inauguration on Monday. By - (AFP) "These are fraudsters -- justice has to be done and this lot cleared out," said Joseph Akoughe, a 51-year-old salesman. "It was a dictatorship and they divided up the cake between themselves. Now it's time to stop," said Ngoua. "We want to have nothing more to do with them. We have courageous people, there are people who are still clean and can haul the country out of the rut." Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that the grain deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain safely through the Black Sea won't be restored until the West meets its obligations to facilitate Russian agricultural exports. Putin made the statement after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who along with the UN brokered the deal seen as vital for global food supplies, especially in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Ukraine and Russia are major suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other goods that developing nations rely on. But Russia refused to extend the deal in July, complaining that an agreement promising to remove obstacles to Russian exports of food and fertilizer hadn't been honored. It said restrictions on shipping and insurance hampered its agricultural trade even though it has shipped record amounts of wheat since last year. Putin said that if those commitments were honored, Russia could return to the deal within the nearest days. He also said that Russia is close to finalizing an agreement to provide free grain to six African countries. The Russian leader added that Russia will ship 1 million metric tons of cheap grain to Turkey for processing and delivery to poor countries. Since Putin withdrew from the grain initiative, Erdogan has repeatedly pledged to renew arrangements that helped avoid a food crisis in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. A lot is riding on the talks for the world food supply, and beforehand analysts predicted Putin would drive a hard bargain. My gut feeling is that Putin recognizes the leverage he has by using food as an economic weapon, and thus will fight for all he can get in terms of concessions on his wish-list, said Tim Benton, a food security expert at the Chatham House think tank. Those may include Russia's grains, or fertilizer exports, or wider issues, he said. Top destination Data from the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, which organized the Ukraine shipments, shows that 57% of the grain from Ukraine went to developing nations, with the top destination being China, which received nearly a quarter of the food. The meeting took place against a backdrop of Ukraine's recent counteroffensive against the Kremlin's invasion forces. In the latest development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov would be replaced this week. The job requires new approaches, Zelenskyy said, without elaborating. Reznikov on Monday published a photo of his resignation letter. In addition to pulling out of the grain deal, Russia has repeatedly attacked the Odesa region, where Ukraine's main Black Sea port is. On Monday, the Ukrainian air force said it intercepted 23 of 32 drones that targeted the Odea and Dnipropetrovsk regions but did not specify damage caused by the drones that got through. The Turkish president has maintained close ties with Putin during the 18-month war in Ukraine. Turkey hasn't joined Western sanctions against Russia following its invasion, emerging as a main trading partner and logistical hub for Russia's overseas trade. Opening the talks, Putin mentioned various areas of bilateral cooperation, such as a proposed Russian gas hub in Turkey and the construction of the first nuclear power plant there, in which Moscow is actively involved. NATO member Turkey, however, has also supported Ukraine, sending arms, meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and backing Kyiv's bid to join NATO. Erdogan angered Moscow in July when he allowed five Ukrainian commanders to return home. The soldiers had been captured by Russia and handed over to Turkey on condition they remained there for the duration of the war. Putin and Erdogan authoritarian leaders who have both been in power for more than two decades are said to have a close rapport, fostered in the wake of a failed coup against Erdogan in 2016 when Putin was the first major leader to offer his support. The Sochi summit follows talks between the Russian and Turkish foreign ministers on Thursday, during which Russia handed over a list of actions that the West would have to take in order for Ukraine's Black Sea exports to resume. (With newswires) Poultry farmers in the Western Region have expressed worry over the delay by the government to pay compensations due them after their birds and other farm produce were destroyed because of the outbreak of bird flu last year. Ambassador Kofi Dossah, Chairman of the Effia-Kwesimintsim Poultry Farmers Association, speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, said the government promised to compensate farmers whose birds, eggs and feeds were destroyed in response to the outbreak of bird flu last year with an amount of about GHC789,565 but was yet to do so. He said following the outbreak of the flu last year, poultry farmers voluntarily asked for their birds, eggs, and feed to be examined by the Regional veterinary office to mitigate the spread of the disease. He noted that those that turned out positive after the examination were destroyed by an Emergency Response Team of officials from the Regional Disaster Management Organisation, Regional Department of Agriculture, Regional Veterinary Officer, Fire Service and led by the Western Regional Minister. According to Ambassador Dossah, more than 25,776 birds, 1,286 crates of eggs and 161 bags of feed were destroyed during the exercise. He said the Response Team took stock of the number of poultry farm produce that were destroyed for the affected farmers to be compensated accordingly. He explained that At the time of the destruction, a bag of feed was selling at GHS157 but the government offered to pay GHS80 and a crate of egg at the time was being sold for GHC20, but the government offered to pay GHC10, while a bird was going for GHC40 during that time but again government offered to pay GHC30. In all, the government promised to compensate us with about GHC789,565. He said all efforts by the farmers to get their compensation from the government had proven futile. Ambassador Dossah added that government's inability to honour its promise could result in public health problems, saying; If government does not pay what they are supposed to give us, we may not voluntarily ask for our birds, eggs and feeds to be destroyed in the event of another outbreak of bird flu. He said no farmer would willingly agree to be involved in such an exercise if the arrears are not paid saying, they would not want to lose the monies they had invested in their businesses. He therefore appealed to the government through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to initiate steps to honour its promise and pay compensations to them to help sustain their livelihoods. He said some of the farmers whose farms were destroyed were struggling to keep their businesses afloat and stressed the need for authorities to support them. GNA Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Moscow is just weeks away from supplying free grain to six African countries after scrapping a deal allowing Ukrainian food exports through the Black Sea. His comments during a press conference with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi came hours after Russian forces pounded one of Ukraine's key grain-exporting hubs overnight with a swarm of attack drones. Massive drone attacks in the Odesa region. By Sylvie HUSSON (AFP) Erdogan told Putin that Turkey and the United Nations had prepared new proposals aimed at addressing Russia's problems with the deal, adding he hoped to reach a workable solution "soon". But Putin reiterated that Russia would only return to the landmark accord when its demands were met and instead gave details of the plan for shipments to Africa. "We are close to completing agreements with six African states, where we intend to supply foodstuffs for free and even carry out delivery and logistics for free," Putin said. "Deliveries will begin in the next couple of weeks." The UN and Turkey-brokered grain deal, which aimed to ensure safe navigation for civilian ships through the Black Sea, collapsed after Russia pulled out in July. Tensions have built in the region since, with Russia mounting attacks on Ukrainian export hubs and Kyiv's forces targeting Moscow's naval ports and warships. 'Sham' Senior Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak dismissed the gambit. Turkish leader Erdogan is hoping he will be able to revive a deal on allowing Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea. By STRINGER (AFP) "Today we have received yet another confirmation that any 'negotiations' with Putin are sham and pointless," Podolyak said on X, formerly Twitter. "He clearly lives in his own reality, where 'everyone is to blame but him'". In Sochi, Erdogan said there is no alternative to the original grain deal, and that Ankara was working with the United Nations on addressing complaints levied by Russia, which claims its fertiliser exports are being hampered by Western sanctions. "We have prepared a new proposal package in consultation with the UN. I believe that it is possible to get results," Erdogan said. Since the deal collapsed, Moscow has repeatedly attacked Ukrainian ports in what Kyiv says is a cynical attempt to damage its exports and undermine global food security. The Russian drone attack on Monday hit a grain export hub on the Danube river, Ukrainian officials said, damaging warehouses and agricultural equipment. Ukraine's military said Russia had used Iranian-made Shahed drones in the "massive" overnight attack. Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov handed in his resignation. By SERGEI CHUZAVKOV (AFP/File) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meanwhile said he had visited his war-torn country's frontline eastern Donetsk region, posting on Telegram a video of himself meeting soldiers. Earlier, Russia said it had destroyed four US-made Ukrainian military boats carrying troops in the Black Sea en route to the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014. And the governor of Russia's western Bryansk region said border guards and security forces had "thwarted" an attempt by a Ukrainian sabotage group that tried to cross into Russia. Russia has this year repeatedly reported Ukrainian sabotage attempts on its borders. Ukraine's attack 'a failure' On Sunday Ukraine fought off a barrage of Russian drones in the same region, with Moscow's army claiming the assaults targeted fuel storage facilities in the nearby port of Reni. People exercise next to a monument to Italian poet Dante Alighieri, wrapped in sandbags to prevent it from damage from Russian air attacks, in Kyiv. By Roman Pilipey (AFP) Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov meanwhile announced he had handed in his resignation to parliament after President Zelensky called for "new approaches" to face Russia's offensive. Zelensky's decision to remove Reznikov comes after several corruption scandals rocked the defence ministry, and during a highly-scrutinised Ukrainian counteroffensive in the south and east of the country. Ukrainian officials spoke of limited progress, but Putin in Sochi claimed that the attempt to retake land lost to Moscow had been unsuccessful. "It is not that it is stalling. It is a failure," Putin said. Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Ganna Malyar earlier Monday had said Russian forces were "on the defensive in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson sectors," referring to two southern regions that Moscow claimed to have annexed last year. First grade pupils attend a class set up in a subway station in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine. By SERGEY BOBOK (AFP) She added that Ukrainian forces had also captured three square kilometres (around one square mile) near the eastern town of Bakhmut, captured by Russia in May. In a separate development Monday, Kyiv officials said they had checked all of the city's secondary schools enabling them to describe as "false" earlier reported bomb threats. Police also said Monday they had received "information" about explosive devices placed in "all the shopping and leisure centres" in the city, without giving any further details. burs-jbr/oc/cw/rox On Tuesday, 5 September, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen will visit Eswatini, Taipei's only remaining diplomatic ally in Africa. Meanwhile, Beijing's political influence on the continent continues to grow. Tsai will head to Eswatini on 5 September, and attend celebrations marking the African nation's independence day and King Mswati III's birthday during the visit, her spokeswoman Olivia Lin said. She will hold a meeting with the king, visit a local hospital and Taiwan-sponsored projects before returning to Taipei on 8 September. Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is among only 13 countries world-wide that diplomatically recognise Taiwan (officially "Republic of China") over the communist- ruled People's Republic of China, which claims the self-ruled island as one of its provinces. In Africa, besides the embassy in Eswatini, Taiwan has only three "representative offices," in South Africa, Somaliland, and Nigeria. "This is about optics and symbolism and maintaining the last remaining relationships that Taiwan has," Eric Olander, Editor of the China Global South Project, told RFI. Beijing's largest diplomatic coup in the decades-old diplomacy war with Taiwan in Africa was when South Africa's ANC government switched relations to Beijing in 1998. In the beginning of this century, Taiwan was left with diplomatic relations with only six African countries. But over the years, Beijing managed to snatch Liberia (2003,) Senegal (2005,) Chad (2006, ) Malawi (2008,) Gambia (2013) and Burkina Faso (2018) away from Taiwan. Eswatini is now Taipei's last remaining diplomatic foothold in Africa. "The king has made it very clear that this relationship with Taiwan dates back decades, and he's not going to budge from it," according to Olander. "He's very loyal to Taiwan, and there's no indication that any incentives from the Chinese would change that". Beijing is not in a hurry to diplomatically convert Eswatini. In 2020, then Chinese Ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian still threatened Eswatini that if there were "no diplomatic relations" with Beijing, there would be "no business benefits," but since then, China seems to have toned down the pressure. "Their thought is that Eswatini will eventually switch [to Beijing,] according to Olander. But in the end, getting Eswatini in its diplomatic basket would be "very prized for China," he says, "because if China can say that it has the entire African continent that recognizes it, there is some symbolism to that." Beijing exports its political model And China uses other ways to close in. Landlocked Eswatini borders Beijing allies Mozambique and South Africa. While the countless "Belt and Road" projects in the region seem to be scaled down, China has started a new way to exert its influence: exporting its political model, which is based on one-party, authoritarian rule. Enter the Mwalimu Juliu Nyerere Leadership School (MJNLS) in Tanzania, created and funded by China's Communist Party in 2022, the last in a series of Beijing's efforts to influence Africa's leading class. According to its official website, the MJNLS was jointly established by the former rebel groups that were nurtured by Beijing during colonial times, but which have now become ruling parties. They come together in the Former Liberation Movements of Southern Africa (FLMSA) and include Tanzania's Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), South Africa's African National Congress (ANC), the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO), Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), Namibia's South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), and the Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF). According to Olander, the school is "indicative that China's governance model is of great interest in many African countries" with its idea of a party-led system "where the state is subservient to the ruling party." "The ANC would love to see a future where the ANC is the equivalent of the Chinese Communist Party in the sense that it is the paramount power, and the state is subservient to that power," he says. Overall, Beijing's attitude towards Africa seems to be shifting. Investment in the trillion-dollar infrastructural Belt and Road peaked in 2016 and has been steadily slowing down since. "Africa has become less important economically to the Chinese," says Olander; "its importance to China is political." Africa "tends to vote in large blocks" when it comes to voting in large international organisations such as the UN or the WHO, which is crucial for Beijing to obstruct decisions by Washington it doesn't like, and, more importantly, to prevent Taiwan from ever re-entering the international stage in an official capacity. The UN nuclear watchdog said Monday it regretted that "no progress" had been made by Iran on outstanding issues, including installing more cameras to monitor Tehran's nuclear programme. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Grossi "requests Iran to work with the agency in earnest and in a sustained way towards the fulfilment of the commitments," the agency said in a confidential report seen by French news AFP. Tehran in March vowed to reactivate surveillance devices which were disconnected in June 2022 amid deteriorating relations with the West. In a separate report, also seen by AFP, the IAEA said Iran's total stockpile of enrichedws uranium was lower than in May but still more than 18 times the limit set in a 2015 accord between Tehran and world powers, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) Iran's total enriched uranium stockpile was estimated at 3,795.5 kilogrammes as of 19 August, down by 949 kilogrammes from May, the agency said. The limit in the 2015 deal was set at 202.8 kilogrammes. The stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60 percent is now at 121.6 kilos, up from 114.1 kilos in May. Iran also has 535.8 kilos of uranium enriched up to 20 percent, up from 470.9 kilos in the last May report. The CPPoA, aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief, started to fall apart in 2018 when the US, under then President Donald Trump, unilaterally withdrew from it and reimposed sanctions. Attempts to bring Washington back into the deal and scale back Tehran's programme again have been fruitless so far with European-led talks on hold since 2022. Tensions between Tehran and Washington eased last month with the announcement of an agreement for Iran to release five American prisoners in exchange for the return of $6 billion in Iranian funds frozen in South Korea. But the delicate agreement does not include the possibility of a return to the nuclear deal in the run-up to the 2024 US presidential election. (With newsagencies) In the wake of his resounding victory in the New Patriotic Party's super delegates election, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of Ghana has received wise counsel from Atik Mohammed, the former General Secretary of the People's National Convention (PNC). Atik Mohammed has urged Bawumia to foster unity and collaboration with his fellow presidential aspirants as he inches closer to the party's main presidential primary on November 4. Dr. Bawumia emerged as the frontrunner in the super delegates election, amassing a commanding lead of 629 votes, firmly securing his place at the top of the list of the five candidates vying for the party's presidential slot. Atik Mohammed commented on Dr. Bawumia's prospects during a panel discussion on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show. He expressed his belief that Bawumia was currently in a comfortable position to clinch the party's position. "He is in a good position right now," Atik Mohammed acknowledged, highlighting Bawumia's determination to reach the finish line. He continued, "This is a good time to engage. My advice is that he should reach out to some people." According to Atik Mohammed, his advice to Dr. Bawumia underscores the importance of fostering collaboration and inclusivity within the party. "He is one smart man that I believe, if he decides that he wants to engage, he knows how to go about it," Mr Atik Mohammed remarked. Pamitouch Foundation on the 29th to 31st August 2023, organized a 3-day training program dubbed "TTAG goes digital," at the Accra College of Education. The program aimed to leverage technology for effective teaching and learning, and address challenges and prospects in the sector. On the first day of the inaugural ceremony, the program was well attended by notable individuals, including Miss Pamela Aboagyewaa Mantey, the founder of Pamitouch Foundation, the Director of Corporate Affairs and Media Relations of Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, the National President of Teacher Trainees' Association of Ghana, Nana Kwame Jeph, the Principal of Accra College of Education, and the Open Foundation West Africa. The focus of the training was to provide intensive instruction in various ICT courses, including Wikipedia, Kiwix, Creative Commons, and Microsoft Suite, Online Safety and Cybersecurity. The first phase of the program included an overview from Miss Pamela Aboagyewaa about the inception of the TTAG goes digital training program. She emphasized the importance of teachers acquiring digital skills in the 21st century and shared her certainty that technology and innovation can drive the transformation of Ghana and Africa. The President of TTAG also expressed gratitude for the opportunity and discussed the importance of the training for teacher trainees across the 46 Colleges of Education. The second phase of the program involved skills training, beginning with Wikipedia and its related tools. The Open Foundation West Africa provided an introduction to Wikipedia and its sister tools. Teacher trainees were guided on topics such as Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, Wikibooks, Wikiquote, and Wikiversity. Day two of the training focused on the practical application of Wikipedia and its sister tools. Teacher trainees learned how to create, edit, upload, and manipulate content on Wikipedia. Day three of the training focused on Microsoft Suite, Online Safety and cyber security. Lecturers from Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT provided lessons on Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint. The trainees were taught how to use the basic features of Microsoft Word and Excel. Additionally, teacher trainees received training on important aspects of cyber security, emphasizing safeguarding on the internet. In all, the program aimed to equip teacher trainees with digital skills and empower them to leverage technology for effective teaching and learning. The training covered various ICT topics, including Wikipedia, Microsoft Suite, and cyber security, providing teacher trainees with valuable knowledge and practical skills in the digital age. The phase awards and closing ceremony marked the culmination of the intensive 3-day training program in Wikipedia, Microsoft Suite, and Creative Commons for teacher trainees. During the ceremony, awards were presented to recognize the trainees' exceptional performance and contributions. Ms. Pamela Aboagyewaa Mantey commended the efforts of the trainees. Their seriousness and commitment to acquiring digital skills. Special awards were given to students who demonstrated commitment and excellence in various aspects of the Wikipedia training. Categories included the most editor on Wikipedia, most articles created, innovative student, interactive student, and many others throughout the training. The closing ceremony included speeches from various stakeholders who expressed their gratitude for the success of the program. Pamitouch Foundation, in particular, delivered a closing speech, expressing their appreciation to all the stakeholders involved in making the program a success. In the final remarks, Ms. Pamela Aboagyewaa Mantey encouraged the participants to aim beyond the sky, emphasizing that the sky should not be their limit but instead should serve as a starting point for further exploration and continuous learning. The speech likely intended to inspire and motivate the trainees to continue building on their newfound knowledge and skills in the digital sphere. The awards and closing remarks brought a sense of accomplishment and recognition for the teacher trainees, while also providing inspiration for their future endeavors. The ceremony served as a fitting conclusion to the training program, celebrating the trainees' achievements and highlighting the importance of continued growth and exploration in the digital world. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expects to make a rare trip abroad to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Russia to discuss providing arms to Moscow for its war in Ukraine, the United States said Monday. Ukraine is pushing a highly-scrutinised counteroffensive in both the south and east that Putin on Monday dismissed as a failure, though Moscow appears eager to urgently secure more military supplies to bolster its forces. The White House's National Security Council (NSC) spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said that "arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing," using an acronym for North Korea. "We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia," she added. The United States last week warned that Russia was already in secret, active talks with the North to acquire a range of munitions and supplies for Moscow's war effort. Kim is likely to head by armored train later this month to Vladivostok, on Russia's Pacific coast not far from North Korea, to meet with Putin, according to The New York Times. The paper said Putin wanted artillery shells and antitank missiles from North Korea, and Kim could even travel to Moscow, but that was uncertain. Kim is reported to be seeking advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, as well as food aid for his impoverished nation. Russia's President Vladimir Putin is seen during a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of a major World War II Eastern Front battle. By Gavriil GRIGOROV (POOL/AFP/File) Washington said last week that despite its denials, North Korea supplied infantry rockets and missiles to Russia in 2022 for use by the privately controlled Wagner military group. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled last month to North Korea seeking to acquire additional munitions for the war, Watson said Monday. Counteroffensive progress? Last week at the United Nations, the United States, Britain, South Korea and Japan said that any deal to increase cooperation between Russia and North Korea would violate Security Council resolutions forbidding arms deals with Pyongyang -- resolutions that Moscow itself had endorsed. They said that following Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang, another group of Russian officials traveled to North Korea for follow-up talks. The United States last month sanctioned three entities accused of seeking to facilitate arms deals between North Korea and Russia as Washington tightened restrictions on support for Moscow's war in Ukraine. The US Treasury Department said that Russia was continuing to use up munitions and lose heavy equipment in Ukraine, forcing it to turn to its small pool of allies, including North Korea, for support. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky visits soldiers in Donetsk region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. By Handout (Ukrainian presidential press-service/AFP) Ukrainian officials have claimed some progress in the key counteroffensive after Russia's invasion in February 2022, but Putin on Monday again claimed that the attempt to retake land lost to Moscow had been unsuccessful. "It is not that it is stalling. It is a failure," Putin said during a press conference with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi. "At least today this is what it looks like. Let's see what happens next." News of the likely meeting between Kim and Putin came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had visited his war-torn country's frontline eastern Donetsk region, posting a video of himself meeting soldiers. In Kyiv, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced he had handed in his resignation to parliament after Zelensky called for "new approaches" to beat back Russia. Zelensky's decision to remove Reznikov comes after several corruption scandals rocked the defence ministry, and as pressure builds over making concrete advances in the counteroffensive. burs-jbr/bgs/md Mr. Gameli Atakuma, Chairman, NDC Canada chapter 05.09.2023 LISTEN The Canada chapter of the National Democratic Congress(NDC) has congratulated the newly appointed national executives that were recently announced by the party. In a ststement signed by it chairman, Mr. Gameli Atakuma, the charpter said ''The NDC Canada Chapter has been closely observing the exceptional men and women who have been entrusted with these vital roles, and we are resolutely convinced that the party leadership has made astute and fitting choices. We wish to extend a special congratulation to Honorable Segbefia, our Director of International Relations and Diplomacy (IRD), on his well-deserved reappointment. Alongside him, we extend our warm congratulations to Dr. Karl Arhin and Maame Efua Sekyi Aidoo, who have taken up their roles as Deputy Directors with unwavering commitment''. The statement continued ''We also express our hearty congratulations to other distinguished members who have taken up the mantle of leadership, including Prof. Joshua Alabi, Dr. Samuel Sarpong, and Abdul Rauf Khalid, who now serve as Vice Chairmen. Your dedication and expertise inspire us all, and we have utmost faith in your ability to drive our party's aspirations to new heights''. The chapter also commended the mother party for the introduction of new directorates. "The NDC Canada Chapter wishes to commend the National Executive Committee (NEC) for its forward-thinking approach in introducing new Directorates: The Directorate for Conflict Resolution, Directorate for Logistics/Protocol, Directorate for Inter-party/CSO Relations, and Directorate for Welfare. These strategic additions reflect the party's readiness to face the challenges ahead with unwavering determination and a sense of inclusiveness," the statement added. The NDC Canada chapter admonishes the appointed executives to discharge their duties with the principles of fairness and inclusiveness. "We encourage each of you to approach your duties with the principles of fairness and inclusiveness, hallmarks of the NDC spirit," it said. Below is the full statement: "NDC Canada Chapter Celebrates and Congratulates Newly Appointed Party Executives and, Pledges Continued Support" With immense pride and enthusiasm, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to the recently appointed individuals who have assumed key positions within our beloved party. These appointments come at a crucial juncture as we diligently prepare the foundation for achieving our vision of building Ghana, we all aspire to see. The NDC Canada Chapter has been closely observing the exceptional men and women who have been entrusted with these vital roles, and we are resolutely convinced that the party leadership has made astute and fitting choices. We wish to extend a special congratulation to Honorable Segbefia, our Director of International Relations and Diplomacy (IRD), on his well-deserved reappointment. Alongside him, we extend our warm congratulations to Dr. Karl Arhin and Maame Efua Sekyi Aidoo, who have taken up their roles as Deputy Directors with unwavering commitment. We also express our hearty congratulations to other distinguished members who have taken up the mantle of leadership, including Prof. Joshua Alabi, Dr. Samuel Sarpong, and Abdul Rauf Khalid, who now serve as Vice Chairmen. Your dedication and expertise inspire us all, and we have utmost faith in your ability to drive our party's aspirations to new heights. Furthermore, the NDC Canada Chapter wishes to commend the National Executive Committee (NEC) for its forward-thinking approach in introducing new Directorates: The Directorate for Conflict Resolution, Directorate for Logistics/Protocol, Directorate for Inter-party/CSO Relations, and Directorate for Welfare. These strategic additions reflect the party's readiness to face the challenges ahead with unwavering determination and a sense of inclusiveness. As our esteemed appointees take on their responsibilities, we encourage each of you to approach your duties with the principles of fairness and inclusiveness, hallmarks of the NDC spirit. Let us stand together in solidarity, demonstrating the camaraderie that defines our great party. Your efforts will undoubtedly contribute to the realization of the Ghana we envision, and we are proud to have you represent our ideals. Once again, congratulations to all those appointed to key positions. Your commitment fuels our optimism for a brighter future, and we stand united with you in achieving our collective goals. In unity and determination, eye zu eya za Gameli Atakuma chairman NDC Canada Chapter [email protected] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expects to make a rare trip abroad to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Russia to discuss providing arms to Moscow for its war in Ukraine, the United States said Monday. Ukraine is pushing a highly-scrutinised counteroffensive in both the south and east that Putin on Monday dismissed as a failure, though Moscow appears eager to urgently secure more military supplies to bolster its forces. The White House's National Security Council (NSC) spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said that "arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing," using an acronym for North Korea. "We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia," she added. The United States last week warned that Russia was already in secret talks with the North to acquire a range of munitions and supplies for Moscow's war effort. Kim is likely to head by armored train later this month to Vladivostok, on Russia's Pacific coast not far from North Korea, to meet with Putin, according to The New York Times. The paper said Putin wanted artillery shells and antitank missiles from North Korea, and Kim could even travel to Moscow, but that was uncertain. Kim is reported to be seeking advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines as well as food aid for his impoverished nation. An official at Seoul's unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean relations, said various developments "indicated" the growing possibility of an arms deal between Pyongyang and Moscow. "Any form of cooperation between North Korea and neighboring countries must be conducted in a way that does not undermine international norms and peace," he told reporters. Russia's President Vladimir Putin is seen during a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of a major World War II Eastern Front battle. By Gavriil GRIGOROV (POOL/AFP/File) Washington said last week that despite its denials, North Korea supplied infantry rockets and missiles to Russia in 2022 for use by the privately controlled Wagner military group. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to North Korea in July seeking to acquire additional munitions for the war, Watson said Monday. Diplomatic isolation Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewhat University in Seoul, said both Pyongyang and Moscow needed to "break away from diplomatic isolation", and a summit would send a message to Washington, which is ramping up defence cooperation with South Korea and Japan. "As South Korea, the United States, and Japan have recently been strengthening cooperation, including the Camp David summit, North Korea and Russia also need to showcase their cooperation in a symbolic diplomatic sense," he told AFP. Last week at the United Nations, the United States, Britain, South Korea and Japan said that any deal to increase cooperation between Russia and North Korea would violate Security Council resolutions forbidding arms deals with Pyongyang -- resolutions Moscow itself had endorsed. They said that following Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang, another group of Russian officials traveled to North Korea for follow-up talks. Cho Han-bum, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said that sanctions will do little to stop Russia and North Korea from trading weapons. "The war in Ukraine and the strategic competition between the United States and China have virtually neutralised the current UN Security Council system," Cho told AFP. Moscow and Pyongyang had "no worries" about sanctions as both countries were already operating under an array of Western punitive measures, he said, adding that military cooperation between the two was likely "unstoppable". The United States last month sanctioned three entities accused of seeking to facilitate arms deals between North Korea and Russia as Washington tightened restrictions on support for Moscow's war in Ukraine. The US Treasury Department said that Russia was continuing to use up munitions and lose heavy equipment in Ukraine, forcing it to turn to its small pool of allies, including North Korea, for support. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky visits soldiers in Donetsk region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. By Handout (Ukrainian presidential press-service/AFP) Ukrainian officials have claimed some progress in their ongoing counteroffensive, but Putin on Monday again said the attempt to retake land lost since Russia's February 2022 invasion had been unsuccessful. "It is not that it is stalling. It is a failure," Putin said during a press conference with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi. "At least today this is what it looks like. Let's see what happens next." News of the likely meeting between Kim and Putin came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had visited his war-torn country's frontline eastern Donetsk region, posting a video of himself meeting soldiers. burs-jbr-sh/cwl 05.09.2023 LISTEN Richard Ahiagbah, the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) Director of Communications, has urged former President John Dramani Mahama to retract his remarks about appointing National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawyers to the judiciary. According to Mr. Ahiagbah, such statements are unacceptable and must be condemned. He said in a tweet that Ghanaians deserve an apology from the 2024 flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress(NDC). The charge to NDC lawyers to accept appointment to the bench is indicative of a plot to effectively politicize and corrupt the judiciary. What protection will be left for us, ordinary Ghanaians if the executive snuffs the life out of the judiciary? We must roundly condemn the former President's comment, and demand his immediate retraction and apology, Richard Ahiagbah stated. Former President John Dramani Mahama has accused President Akufo-Addo of deliberately appointing judges with affiliation to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) into the judiciary. According to Mahama, this is a deliberate attempt by the Akufo-Addo administration to evade accountability when the party goes into opposition. Addressing the ceremony of the 3rd Annual Lawyers Conference of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Mahama claimed that there are currently around 80 such judges in the system, with the number expected to increase beyond 100 soon. Mr Mahama encouraged members of the NDC to consider pursuing careers in the legal profession, specifically on the bench suggesting that it was the only way to correct the perceived imbalance in the judiciary. The Chief Executive Officer of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Franklin Cudjoe has fired Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame over the handling of the Menzgold issue. This follows an assurance from AG that government will ensure affected Menzgold customers who have lost their money get justice. Speaking at the Fortieth Cambridge International Symposium On Economic Crime as the keynote speaker, Godfred Yeboah Dame said, The misery and distress caused to many homes nearly unleashed a social crisis as riots and demonstrations broke out on the streets of Accra and other parts of the country. In reality, people lost their homes, and some marriages even broke up as a result of the Menzgold saga. I am happy to state that after painstaking investigations, criminal prosecution has commenced against the perpetrators. At last, by the Grace of God, justice will be served to victims of those dastardly acts. Reacting to these in a post on Facebook, Franklin Cudjoe has lambasted Godfred Yeboah Dame for wasting time on getting justice for the aggrieved Menzgold customers. According to him, the aggrieved customers would have gotten justice already if the AG had not been involved in a political squabble to intimidate and harass political opponents. They would have if you had not wasted time, energy & tax money on petty political squabble, intimidating and harassing your opponents in the last 3 years, Godfred Yeboah Dame said in his post. The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has criticized comments made by former President John Dramani Mahama regarding the Judiciary. According to the Public Relations Officer for the Ghana Bar Association, Saviour Kudze, the comments by the 2024 flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are unfortunate. He said in an interview on Joy News that a persons political affiliation does not stop him from becoming a judge. I will say first and foremost, the unfortunate and improper comment. I dont know how he came to that conclusion. Theres nothing wrong with former president Mahama advising a group of lawyers who have identified themselves as NDC lawyers to take up an appointment on the bench. But to make the allegation that the bench has now been packed with NPP-aligned judges that is unfortunate. Mr. Mahama is a man of influence and whatever he says carries a lot of weight, but he must say it with evidence and with a lot of conviction and the evidence is even more important than the conviction. If you want to be appointed to the bench, there are two critical things they must look out for in you; your moral uprightness and your knowledge of the law, Saviour Kudze stated. He continued that there is no requirement by the Judiciary that request one's political affiliations before becoming a member. I am yet to know of a requirement that will ask you of your political affiliation, political orientation, ideology and membership of a political party. I dont know of it. The fact that a lawyer is a politician does not mean he cannot be appointed as a judge. As we speak now, there are many judges or some judges who were political party executives not necessarily NPPs, even though theres a sitting high court judge who is a former Member of Parliament on the ticket of the NDC. Did they refuse to appoint that person because he was in politics? No, because they were not looking at his political affiliation, not at all. That comment must be condemned, he explained. The Ghana Bar Association says such comments must cease as they poison the minds of citizens against the courts and erode trust in the judiciary. People with high influence of the stature of Mr. Mahama shouldnt be saying this. Dont forget hes a candidate now vying to rule this country. Should he win this election, hes coming to superintend on all these institutions. If you begin to say things like this about the institutions that you are yearning to come and superintend over does it augur well for our development as a state? That is why I am saying that you have made certain allegations assuming and not admitting theyre correct, why are you coming to perpetuate them? he stressed. Speaking over the weekend at the NDCs Lawyers Conference, the former President accused President Akufo-Addo of appointing members of his party to the bench to influence decisions in their favor and to escape accountability when NPP goes into opposition. According to the former President, some of the NDC lawyers should ready themselves to take up positions on the bench to balance the difference. The Economic Community of West African States adopts a regional strategy to accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement in the ECOWAS region and leverage on opportunities for growth and prosperity in the region. The 90th Session of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Council of Ministers endorsed the ECOWAS Implementation Strategy for the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement on the 6 and 7 July 2023, in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. This step follows the Strategys adoption by ECOWAS Ministers of Trade and Industry (ECOMOTI) at the 3rd Ministerial meeting which was held on the 27th and 28th April, in Abidjan Cote dIvoire. The ECOWAS Commission developed the ECOWAS Implementation Strategy for the AfCFTA to effectively integrate West African economies into the continental market, by building on the progress and success of regional integration in West Africa in order to better take advantage of the economic gains of a common African Market. The ECOWAS Implementation Strategy for the AfCFTA is timely, as it responds to the African Unions 2023 ambition geared towards the Acceleration of AfCFTAs Implementation which came into operation on 1 January 2021, marking the commencement of trade in a single African market of 54 countries, including 13 ECOWAS Member States. The ECOWAS Implementation Strategy for the AfCFTA is geared towards improving the effectiveness of the regions trade integration framework, increasing coordination between Member States on their national AfCFTA implementation strategies, strengthening the productive capacity of Member States, building the capacity of Member States to engage in strategic African trade policy and ensuring the AfCFTA is a positive tool for womens and youth economic empowerment. Although participation in the AfCFTA is Member States-driven, ECOWAS supports Member States to ensure the Agreement contributes to the ECOWAS vision for a fully integrated regional market, and Member States can consolidate the existing economic gains of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme, the ECOWAS Customs Union and the Protocol on the Free Movement of People, among others. The ECOWAS AfCFTA Strategy for the Implementation of the AfCFTA is an important milestone in the regions efforts to fast-track the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement said Massandje TOURE-LITSE, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture at the ECOWAS CommissionThe Commission is committed to working with Member States to ensure that the Community and its people and business can fully benefit from the African Market. The AfCFTA is one of the flagship projects of the African Unions Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. It is an ambitious trade agreement that includes critical areas of Africas economy, such as digital trade and investment protection, amongst other areas. By eliminating barriers that prevent African businesses from trading in goods and services and making investments Africa, the full implementation of the AfCFTA is expected to significantly boost intra-Africa trade, particularly trade in value-added production, open new economic sectors, create jobs for a thriving youthful continental population, potentially lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty and give a $450 billion boost in Africas income by 2035. According to the AfCFTA Secretariat, as of February 2023, 24 countries and 1 regional economic community (REC) had validated their implementation strategies; 9 national strategies were already being implemented and 10 national and 2 other RECs were drafting strategies. 05.09.2023 LISTEN African countries converge in Nairobi, Kenya, on 4th 8th September for the African Climate Summit and African Climate Week. The inaugural Africa Climate Summit and the Climate Week are part of a series of events to build momentum ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The crucial forum comes at a crucial moment in history when the impact of climate change is being felt world over. For example, East African countries experienced the worst drought in 40 years, while extreme heatwaves were recorded in North America. According to the World Meteorological Organization, Europe recorded the highest temperatures ever for at least 120,000 years. In 2023, Africa witnessed extreme drought in some countries across the continent, as well as one of the most intense cyclone Freddy, which devastated Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. According to climate experts, these extreme weather conditions are bound to increase in future. The latest report by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that the world is off track in meeting the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C. On the other hand, Africa as many other developing regions is on the frontline of the climate crisis, bearing the brunt of climate change though contributing least to it. Though Africa generates less than 3% of emissions, the rapidly increasing climate shocks are bound to hit the continent and its people the hardest. Statistics indicate that Africa loses up to 15% of its potential GDP to climate-related risks. It is estimated that by 2100, this could rise to as much as 64%. Thus, the Africa Climate Summit provides an African moment to showcase some of the sustainable practices that can help mitigate the effects of climate change. One of the most effective approaches is the use of Nature based solutions (NbS) actions to restore, conserve and protect natural ecosystems to build resilience, improve human well-being and sustain biodiversity. Underpinning Nature based Solutions is the restoration and conservation of ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands as part of the solution for climate change mitigation and adaptation. According to the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services ( IPBES ), NbS can provide up to 37% of climate mitigation and adaptation needed until 2030, which would help achieve the Paris Agreement targets. BirdLife International, has been at the fore front of implementing NbS. In the Great Lakes Region in Rwanda and Burundi, BirdLife, working with local communities has implemented a climate resilience programme on landscape restoration by planting more than 1.2 million trees, in addition to improving the livelihoods of more than 4000 households. This programme is now being scaled up with support from TerraFund for AFR100, the Africa Restoration initiative seeking to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land across Africa. Further in the Sahel, BirdLife is involved in the Great Green Wall Initiative under the aegis of the African Union. The Great Green Wall aims at restoring 8000 km of land in more than 20 countries from Senegals Atlantic coast to the east cost of Djibouti. Another key cog in the climate change sector is the shift to abundant renewable resources that could transform the energy sector. Africa is home to abundant renewable energy including solar and wind energy, with the right technologies, the continent can shift away from fossil fuels to clean energy, thereby aiding in the fighting against climate change. Further, it is important to ensure that these energy developments do not harm nature, particularly wildlife and birds. BirdLife International has developed the Avian Sensitivity Tool for Energy Planning ( AVISTEP ) which is being rolled out in Africa and elsewhere. AVISTEP helps investors and decision makers identify where renewable energy infrastructure could be rolled out without killing birds, thus making sustainable choices for energy and nature. Financing is another key issue that will feature prominently at the Africa Climate Summit. Scaling up support for developing countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change is critical. It will be recalled that developed countries have not met the $100 billion financing pledge by 2020. Countries also need to agree on a roadmap for doubling adaptation finance, an issue that has eluded previous climate discussions. The Africa Climate Summit can help move the needle on this matter ahead of COP28. Notably, countries agreed on the creation of a Loss and Damage Fund at COP27 to help most vulnerable countries deal with the impacts of climate change, such as sea level rise, extreme weather events, and desertification. It is urgent that African leaders push for the operationalization of this fund while in Nairobi. As the clock ticks towards COP28 and as African leaders, grassroots and civil society organisations meet in Nairobi, they must push for a transformative shift - a move from words to action as the only viable route to resolving the climate crisis. The writer is the Policy, Climate and Communications Coordinator for Africa at BirdLife International and can be reached via [email protected] 05.09.2023 LISTEN Former President, John Dramani Mahama has described as tragic the death of the chief priest of Opoku Ware II Hall, Prosper Owusu. The Chief Priest of Opoku Ware Hall at the Akenten Appiah-Minkah University of Skills Training (AAMUSTED) was confirmed dead at the Komfo Anokye Teaching (KATH) in Kumasi over the weekend. The level 300 student who is a member of the Dons spiritual group on the campus was hospitalized after sustaining severe burns while performing rituals on campus. Reacting to the death of the 23-year-old, Mr Mahama extended his condolences to the family of the deceased and the university community. I've heard news of the tragic death of a young third-year mathematics student of the former UEW Kumasi Campus. As chief priest of Opoku Ware II Hall, Prosper Owusu died of burns he sustained from fire during activities in the hall. It is always a tragedy to lose a young, promising life. We mourn his unfortunate death. My condolences to the family and the university community, John Dramani Mahama said in a post. The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has commended the university authorities for taking swift action and cautioning young students to avoid engaging in risky activities that can lead to fatalities. 05.09.2023 LISTEN The comments and concerns made by the immediate former President of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, have the potential to polarize Ghanas judiciary. The criticisms of the former president suggest the judiciary in Ghana is polarized through appointments made by the current president of Ghana. He accused President Akufo-Addo of packing the judiciary with loyalists of the New Patriotic Party to avoid accountability if the NPP leaves power. The judiciary plays a crucial role in any democratic society, ensuring the fair and impartial application of the laws of a country. In Ghana, as in many other countries, the independence and neutrality of the judicial system are paramount in upholding the rule of law and protecting the rights of citizens. Yet, recent comments and concerns of the former President and his party about the conduct and practice of the Judiciary appear to damage the integrity of that arm of government and polarize it, thereby eroding public trust in the judicial system. The legislative and the executive arms of government are already polarized due to the system adopted and used in the political system of Ghana. Thus, the level and nature of political and ideological polarization in Ghana must not be extended to the judicial arm of government. It is a dangerous endeavor that must not be allowed to offer a fertile ground to thrive. A polarized judiciary cannot guarantee and safeguard the rule of law expected from the judicial system. A polarized judiciary risks undermining the rule of law, which is the foundation of any democratic society. If the judicial system and judges are influenced by political or ideological biases, public trust and confidence in the judiciary will be eroded. The citizens of Ghana must have confidence and trust that they can seek justice without fear of bias or favoritism based on their political affiliations. Judges and other personnel within the judicial system are usually appointed based on experience and seniority in service. The criticisms of the former president suggest the appointing authority outmaneuvers the appropriate procedure and law in deciding who works in the judicial arm of government. Can the appointor outwit the known procedures to nominate judges and other people to ply their trade in the judiciary without the associations in the service raising concerns about the unfair nature of the appointments? It appears the former president is complaining about the same system and procedures he once operated. The laws of Ghana established the procedures and processes for the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court of Ghana and other lower courts. The Constitution of Ghana, in Article 128 (4), outlines the qualifications and requirements for appointment as a Supreme Court justice. Article 136 (3) indicates that "a person shall not be qualified for appointment as a Justice of the Court of Appeal unless he is of high moral character and proven integrity and is of not less than twelve years standing as a lawyer." Article 144 clauses 1, 2, and 3 outline the appointment procedure for the Chief Justice, the other Supreme Court Justices, Justices of the Court of Appeal, and Justices of the High Court, as well as the Chairmen of Regional Tribunals, in which the appointments are done by the President acting in consultation with the Council of State and with the approval of Parliament, or the President acts on the advice of the Judicial Council. The Chairmen of the Regional Tribunals are to be appointed by the President acting on the advice of the Judicial Council. The legal basis for the appointment of the personnel who operate within the judicial system is provided for in the Constitution of Ghana. The criticisms leveled against President Nana Akufo-Addo with regard to his appointment to the Judiciary currently suggest the Council of State, the Judicial Council, and the Parliament of Ghana have partisan leanings and have lost their impartial sense of judgment or independence in taking decisions on crucial national issues. The current appointment regime highlights the perception of a partisan appointment procedure and process. If the Chief Justice and the Judicial Council are empowered by the laws of Ghana to appoint persons to the Judicial Service of Ghana, the perception of packing political loyalists may be suppressed or may not be considered real. However, the President is involved in the appointment of the Chief Justice, whose partiality is questioned too. The Republic of Ghana cannot afford to operate a political system whose arms are all deeply polarized. The former President and his party need to search for solutions to mitigate the public's perception of a seemingly packed judiciary with party loyalists. The NDC leader has a better solution to resolving this difficult situation than to deepen it by appointing party loyalists as promised by the former President. Emmanuel Kwabena Wucharey Economics Tutor, Advocate and Religion Enthusiast. A group focused on shedding more light on the legacy of boarding schools where Indigenous children were stripped of their culture and language as part of assimilation efforts released a new interactive map that includes dozens of additional schools in the U.S. and Canada. The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition already had what was considered the most extensive list of boarding schools. The total now stands at 523 schools, with each dot on the map providing some brief details about the school. The Minnesota-based group has spent years building its inventory of data, with efforts being bolstered in recent years by the U.S. Interior Department. The federal agency released its own list of more than 400 schools last year as part of an ongoing investigation meant to recognize the multigenerational trauma that resulted from boarding school policies. The coalitions latest research identified an additional 115 schools, with the majority being operated without federal support by church institutions that had authority to establish schools to carry out U.S. policies meant to assimilate Native children. Samuel Torres, the coalitions deputy chief executive, sees the map as a tool that can help relatives who are seeking answers and those who are healing. Every Indigenous person in this country has been impacted by the deliberate attempt to destroy Native families and cultures through boarding schools, Torres said. For us to visually see the scope of what was done to our communities and Nations at this scale is overwhelming, but this work is necessary to uncover the truth about this dark chapter in American history. The coalition already is using the latest findings to inform future research and archival digitization efforts. In November, it plans to update the map to include links to archival records. The map was created in partnership with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, which is dedicated to educating people about injustices inflicted on First Nations, Inuit and the Metis Nation by the forced removal of children from their families in that country. Through this digital map, we are not just capturing history, said Jessie Boiteau, a member of the Metis Nation and a senior archivist for the center. We have created a tool that can be used today to impact what happens in the future. The anticipation is building as HR professionals, students, graduates, business owners, and industry stakeholders prepare to converge in the vibrant city of Kumasi for the highly anticipated SEDAT HR Conference on the 19th of October 2023. Organized by SEDAT Consult Ltd, this transformative event promises to redefine the HR landscape, exploring the dynamic intersections of innovation, technology, and future trends in human resources. In an interview with Mrs. Patricia Abena Kissi, the CEO of SEDAT Consult Ltd, she reiterated the following reasons underlying the organisation of the conference: Firstly, embracing change in HR: In today's ever-evolving world, the role of HR professionals have evolved beyond traditional practices. With rapid advancements in technology and shifting workplace dynamics, HR experts must embrace change, harness innovation, and envision the future of the profession. The SEDAT HR Conference seeks to empower attendees with the knowledge, tools, and insights to navigate this transformative landscape successfully. Secondly, the power of innovation: Innovation lies at the heart of progress. During the conference, participants will delve into groundbreaking ideas that redefine HR practices. With interactive workshops, thought-provoking panel discussions, and engaging keynote addresses, the SEDAT HR Conference will inspire attendees to reimagine HR strategies, making them more efficient and effective in today's dynamic work environment. Thirdly, embracing technology in HR: In the age of digital transformation, technology plays a pivotal role in shaping HR practices. From AI-driven talent acquisition to data analytics for employee performance, the conference will explore how HR professionals can harness the power of technology to streamline processes, improve decision-making, and enhance employee experiences. Fourthly, unveiling future trends: With each passing year, HR trends evolve, influencing talent acquisition, learning and development, employee engagement, and performance management. The SEDAT HR Conference will provide attendees with a glimpse into the future, revealing emerging trends that will define the HR landscape in the years to come. From remote work policies to the rise of the gig economy, participants will gain valuable insights to stay ahead of the curve. At the heart of the SEDAT HR Conference are distinguished keynote speakers, renowned thought leaders, and industry experts who will inspire and challenge attendees to push the boundaries of HR practices. Their extensive knowledge and experience will offer a fresh perspective on HR's role in driving organizational success. Fifthly, networking opportunities: The conference offers more than just insights and knowledge sharing; it provides a fertile ground for networking and collaboration. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, industry leaders, and potential clients, fostering meaningful relationships that extend beyond the event. Sixthly, health screening: The conference will offer an opportunity for health screening. This reflects the Conferences commitment to the total well-being of attendees. Indeed, a healthy workforce is the foundation of a thriving HR community, and this screening reaffirms the need for HR practitioners to take care of their health needs as well. Patricia Abena Kissi further stated that the SEDAT HR Conference is not just an event but a movement to revolutionize the HR profession in Kumasi and beyond. "Our collective commitment to innovation, technology, and future trends will redefine HR practices, ensuring that organizations in Kumasi and beyond thrive in this new era of work," she stated. She added, "Indeed, the SEDAT HR Conference promises to be an enlightening and transformative journey into the future of HR. By embracing innovation, harnessing technology, and anticipating future trends, HR professionals can become strategic partners in their organizations' success. As Kumasi prepares to host this milestone event, attendees can expect to leave with fresh perspectives, practical solutions, and lasting connections that will drive the HR profession forward." Registration Information: For registration and further information, click here >>> https://bit.ly/sedathrconference2023 The Director of Elections and IT for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Edward Omane Boamah, has asked the National Peace Council, traditional rulers and all other peace-loving persons to speak against the violence that characterised the recently-held super delegates conference of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). During the polls on Saturday, August 26, Ali Zakaria, an agent of one of the aspirants Mr Alan Kyerematen, was hit in the eye and had to be taken to the Baptist Medical Center (BMC) for immediate treatment. Dr Omane Boamah said that the violence occurred particularly at a time when democracy is threatened in a contested sub-region. In a statement, he said The NPP orchestrated violence in Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election went unpunished. Then, the dastardly killing of eight (8) innocent Ghanaians followed during the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections In addition, the authorised military invasion of the Chamber of Parliament at dawn on January 07, 2021, went unpunished. Truth is, the Akufo-Addo Bawumia led NPPs quest for power knows no limits, and so they descended heavily on their own, leaving blood oozing facial injuries during the just ended blood-tainted Super Delegates elections showdown. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia certainly has questions to answer, but he has ignored them just as he has refused to answer critical questions on the economy. Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen may not survive this violence from the Bawumia camp, but NPP must understand this is the last time violence will deliver victory to them. Peace-loving Ghanaians, including the religious and traditional leaders, must speak out against violence, particularly at a time that democracy is threatened in our contested sub-region. Trust that the NDC shall defeat this violent NPP mob in 2024. I urge all non-registered voters to register from 12th September 2023. Kow Essuman, President Akufo-Addo's legal aide[left] and Former President John Dramani Mahama 05.09.2023 LISTEN Kow Essuman, the legal aide to President Nana Akufo-Addo, says the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is struggling to rebrand its 2024 presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama. He noted that their efforts have been in vain because the more they try, the more the former President reveals his true ugly character. Kow Essuman cited a recent comment made by Mahama at the NDC Lawyers Conference on Saturday. Mr. Mahama alleged that "Currently, the judiciary is packed with NPP-inclined judges because this government has carried out a deliberate policy of putting their people onto the bench." The former president called on NDC lawyers to "work hard and balance out the bench." Mahama's accusations have been criticized by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) as an attempt to politicize the judiciary. Mr Essuman said in his tweet on Tuesday, September 5, that the statements undermined the NDC's efforts to rebrand Mr Mahama's image ahead of the 2024 elections. He implied that Mr Mahama had reminded voters of why he was a "terrible product" when he was President from 2012 to 2016. "Former President Mahamas Brand strategist abre[has suffered]! Trying so hard to brand a terrible product for the political market only for the terrible product to make a statement which reminds discerning Ghanaians of who he truly is, said Mr Kow Essuman. The lawyer also mocks the NDC for trying to copy the hashtag of the government in its social media communications. When they finish too aa, they want to copy governments hashtag. Ah! he wrote. President Nana Akufo-Addo has noted that the ban on illegal mining, also known as galamsey, is yielding positive results towards the aim of reducing carbon emissions. Speaking at the 2023 Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, the President noted that the ban on galamsey, which has been destroying water bodies and forest reserves, has helped to reduce the countrys carbon emissions. President Akufo-Addo added that several flagship policy initiatives such as planting for food and jobs, one village, one dam and the ban on illegal mining have all contributed to reducing carbon emissions and building the countrys resilience to the impact of climate change. We placed a ban on illegal mining the phenomenon we call galamsey which was destroying our water bodies, vegetation and our forest. Some 20, 000 young people have been engaged to plant more than 30 million trees in two years to create jobs and restore degraded lands. These policy initiatives are already yielding positive results in the attainment of SDG Goals, particularly the goal of reducing our carbon emissions, President Akufo-Addo said. He called on other African countries to take similar steps to reduce their carbon emissions and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. In a related development the Chiefs and people of Akyem Hemang, a farming community in the Fanteakwa South District of the Eastern Region, have issued a 10-day ultimatum to the Ghana Police Service, Eastern Regional Coordinating Council, and the local assembly to either drive away or arrest illegal miners who are polluting water bodies and destroying farmlands in the area. The Chiefs say that if the agencies fail to halt the operations of the miners within 10 days, the community will take the law into their own hands to protect and preserve their water bodies and farmlands. Speaking to the press, the Chief of Akyem Hemang, Osabarima Mmirrikkissi Okasum Apori Atta, said that he could no longer hold back the rage of his people. We know you have done your best, but it is not good enough, if you can't do it, give us about 10 policemen to accompany us. Who has authorised them to come and mine our waterbodies in the first place? We cannot build Ghana in this wayI cannot hold back the anger of my people again. Within 10 days, if we don't hear anything we will apply officially, to follow due process to go on demonstration and we will need police guard to drive them away. If there are no laws in this land, let us know so we take the laws into our own hands. -Citi Newsroom A former Deputy Minister has suggested that the John and Jane ticket, introduced by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2020 polls, will wield significant influence in securing victory in the forthcoming 2024 elections. The former Upper West Regional Deputy Minister, Mr. Abu K. Kangsangabata, was sharing his views on the potential alliance between former president John Dramani Mahama and Professor Jane Naa Opoku-Agyemang. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Kangsangabata expressed his belief that this alliance had the potential to profoundly impact next year's crucial elections and emphasised the importance of prioritising this alliance above all other considerations. The John/Jane ticket, with all intents and purposes, was a master stroke in 2020 and would even be more potent and convincing in 2024, he said. In tandem with Ghanas constitution, each presidential candidate is charged with the responsibility of choosing a suitable running mate during presidential elections. But, the decision to choose a running mate, as Mr. Kangsangabata pointed out, rested solely on the shoulders of the presidential candidate in question. However, its also crucial to keep in mind that Mr. Mahama had obligations under political conventions and standards because he is a party member rather than an independent candidate, which necessitated consulting the partys leadership. Mr. Kangsangabata, therefore, urged the NDC leadership to exercise prudence in choosing a running mate who will prioritise the partys interests over the preferences of specific factions or individuals within the party. He stated that the ultimate objective of the person chosen should be to secure power in the 2024 elections. He also said it would be misguided for the NDC to consider changing the ticket that is widely believed to have emerged victorious in the 2020 elections, a matter that was fiercely disputed in court. Kangsangabata expressed his belief that the most optimal choice for the party is to maintain Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang as Mr. Mahamas running mate. This choice is primarily based on her demonstrated commitment and diligence while working together as the running mate of the presidential candidate. Amidst the disappointment and despair, she availed herself to complement the efforts of former President Mahama in reorganising and rallying the rank and file of the party for the fierce election campaign in 2024, he said. According to him, the idea of replacing her as the ideal candidate for the role of running mate to Mr. Mahama in 2024, despite her commitment and preparedness to serve the party and the nation, is uncalled for, He urged the party to be preoccupied with the imperative strategies necessary to secure victory in the 2024 election and stressed that NDC cannot tolerate any mistakes, saying, No one changes a winning team. We cannot afford any slips, he added. The party should be concerned about what other strategies to adopt in winning the elections rather than being concerned about the choice of a running mate, as that is already clear and manifest. Mr. Kangsangabata clarified that his proposals followed ongoing discussions about the choice of a potential running mate for Mr. Mahama and emphasised the keen interest of NDC supporters and sympathisers in rectifying any shortcomings to secure victory in the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections. The growing media publications of all manner of stories on this matter [choice of running mate] would not serve our party's interest, he said, adding that it could sow seeds of division among members. GNA The Ministry of Communications through the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), will hold its annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) from October 1 to 31, 2023. The month-long event will be dedicated to awareness creation activities by educating organizations and the general public on all the opportunities and threats of cyberspace. It will also encourage a more secure usage of online resources for a safer digital Ghana. Speaking at the media launch of the National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) 2023 in Accra on Sunday, the Acting Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako noted that Ghana is one of 22 countries globally to celebrate National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) annually. He pointed out that Ghanas effort at ensuring a culture of digital safety was borne out of the countrys cyber culture and societal dimension derived from the cybersecurity Capacity Maturity Model (CMM) that was commissioned by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation in January 2018. This assessment was conducted by the Global Cyber Security Capacity Centre (GCSCC) of the University of Oxford in collaboration with the World Bank. Key among the critical issues captured by the assessment included the lack of cybersecurity consciousness and awareness among the Ghanaian public. Also, captured were inadequate security measures for government e-services with knowledge gaps in fundamental cybersecurity concepts, he stressed. Following these shortfalls, he noted, the CSA is seeking to leverage the NCSAM 2023 to address the concerns raised in the assessment hence the theme, Promoting a Culture of Digital Safety. Our theme this year highlights the importance of cultivating a collective mindset and behaviour that values and promotes responsible online practices, cybersecurity awareness and the protection of personal information, he added He stated that the CSA, as a regulatory institution, and as part of measures to introduce sanity into the cybersecurity sector, commenced the process of licensing Cybersecurity Service Providers (CSPs) and accrediting Cybersecurity Establishments (CEs) and Cybersecurity Professionals (CPs). The exercise commenced in March 2023, with a September 30, 2023, deadline. This is to ensure that only licensed and accredited entities are lawfully empowered to engage in business, he noted. Dr Antwi-Boasiako further disclosed that the Public Procurement Authority was collaborating with CSA to enforce the guidelines on the ongoing regulation. This collaboration will harmonise the processes of public procurement in the public service to secure a judicious, economic and efficient use of state resources and provide a streamlined mechanism for guaranteeing that cybersecurity service providers, establishments and professionals in the country execute their duties in accordance with approved international standards, he emphasized. He called on all stakeholders to use the period to educate their members on cybersecurity. The CSA team is available to work with all stakeholders who will need assistance and guidance with respect to creating awareness on cybersecurity this October and subsequently. UN chief Antonio Guterres joined African leaders on Tuesday in demanding urgent reforms to the "outdated and unfair" global financial system, speaking at a landmark climate summit in Kenya aimed at showcasing the continent's green potential. The Nairobi summit hopes to boost investment in renewables, with the UAE on Tuesday pledging $4.5 billion to accelerate Africa's clean energy transition as the continent's leaders look to reshape its economic narrative. The three-day conference, which began Monday, has attracted heads of state, government and industry leaders from across Africa, as well as EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and US climate envoy John Kerry. It is billed as an effort to define a shared African vision for green development on the diverse continent of 1.4 billion people ahead of the COP28 meeting in Dubai later this year. Speakers at the Africa Climate Summit have doubled down on calls to reform global financial structures to align with climate goals, with leaders also urging more investment to support a push towards clean energy. UN Secretary-General Guterres drew attention to Africa's unequal access to economic opportunities even as the continent bears the brunt of climate-related disasters despite contributing the least to global warming. "Global governance structures reflect the world as it was, not as it is," Guterres said, calling the international financial system "outdated, unfair and dysfunctional". Graphic showing share of electricity generated by wind and solar by region. By Sophie STUBER, Paz PIZARRO (AFP) "Renewable energy could be the African miracle but we must make it happen," he said. Kenyan President William Ruto said the continent could not hope to access its potential to be a green powerhouse unless a "just regime" was established. He said African nations paid five times the borrowing rates of advanced economies, burdening them with mounting debt. "We want a fair financial system that treats everybody equally. That is not too much to ask," he said. The V20, a group of more than 50 climate vulnerable countries, called for reforms that would channel capital towards cash-strapped nations struggling to attract investment. "Our focus is prosperity, not mere survival. Expect the V20 to continue to shake the tree of complacency and demand immediate action," said V20 chair Ken Ofori-Atta, who is also Ghana's finance minister. 'Assume your responsibilities' Despite an abundance of natural resources, just three percent of energy investments worldwide are made in Africa. The summit has highlighted Africa's renewable generation potential and the steep challenges faced by the 54-nation continent. By Luis Tato (AFP) On Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates promised $4.5 billion in clean energy investments in Africa -- the most significant pledge so far, with COP28 president and UAE oil executive Sultan Al Jaber saying the funding would "jumpstart a pipeline of bankable clean energy projects in this very important continent". Jaber, who heads the UAE's national oil company ADNOC and government-owned renewable energy company Masdar, said a consortium including Masdar would help develop 15 gigawatts of clean power by 2030. Africa's renewable generation capacity was 56 GW in 2022, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. Jaber also called for "a complete upgrade" of the global financial system. With the world falling far short of global goals to limit warming, Guterres spoke directly to G20 nations, whose leaders are meeting in India at the weekend, and told them to "assume your responsibilities" in the battle to reduce planet-warming emissions. 'Universal threat' Geopolitical tensions have cast a shadow on hopes of finding common ground in the fight against global warming. Africa bears the brunt of climate-related disasters such as droughts and flooding despite contributing the least to global warming. By Tony KARUMBA (AFP/File) But US envoy Kerry struck a cautiously optimistic note on Tuesday, saying he hoped Washington and Beijing "could come together" to tackle "a universal threat". "I do hope that China and the United States, the two largest economies in the world, the two largest emitters in the world, I hope we could come together" on the issue of climate change, Kerry told reporters. A clean energy transition across the world's developing nations will be crucial in order to keep alive the Paris Agreement goal of capping global warming "well below" two degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times, and 1.5C if possible. To make that happen, the International Energy Agency says investment will need to surge to $2 trillion a year within a decade -- an eight-fold increase. The summit's focus on several climate finance proposals has drawn opposition from some environmental quarters, with hundreds of demonstrators protesting near the conference venue in Nairobi on its opening day. A coalition of civil society groups has been urging Ruto to steer global climate priorities away from what it perceives as a Western-led agenda that champions carbon markets and other financial tools to redress the climate crisis. 05.09.2023 LISTEN Gbi Traditional Council has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to institute an independent investigation into the recent disturbances in Gordenu, near Hohoe in the Volta Region. The violence erupted after a misunderstanding between the police and some residents of Gordenu, which led to the torching of a police patrol vehicle. Speaking at a press conference in Hohoe, the Paramount Chief of the Gbi Traditional Area, Togbega Gabusu VII, said that an independent investigation is needed. Having carefully considered the trend of events in the Gbi Traditional Area over the past years, on behalf of the district, we are calling on the President of the Republic of Ghana to immediately and as a matter of urgency set up an independent committee of inquiry to investigate all past and current events of police brutality and killings of innocent citizens in the district, he said. Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hohoe, John Peter Amewu, has appealed to the police not to re-enter Gordenu, as this could reignite the disturbances and lead to further violence. Speaking to Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News on Citi FM in Accra last Wednesday, Mr Amewu said: I tried to bring the IGP together with the chief of the area to calm the situation, but the youth of the community are still very angry. One of them called me to say that the police are remobilising to go back to the community. I am just using this medium to appeal, if the police commander there is listening or whoever is listening, to ask them to stop immediately, because that will create more tension and chaos if they dare to re-enter the community. The chief is still in charge, and the kind of training that the IGP has given to the police, I expect that to materialise in their efforts and activities. So I am just pleading that they shouldnt dare to enter the community. -Citi Newsroom Niger's military-appointed prime minister has said he sees hopes of a deal with the Economic Communuity of West African States (Ecowas) that threatened to use force to restore civilian rule after a coup in July with "exchanges" reportedly also underway between French forces in Niamey and the Nigerien military. Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine told a press conference in Niamey on Monday that he had hope that a deal would be reached "in the coming days" with Ecowas, adding that "contacts" were underway over a "very swift" pull-out of French forces from Niger after relations with Paris collapsed following the military takeover. Earlier this Tuesday, sources close to French Defence Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, confirmed to French news agency AFP that exchanges are underway between the Niger and French armies to "facilitate the movement of French military resources" present in Niger. However no specifics on the nature of these "movements", their scale or their destination has been given, and there has been no mention of a withdrawal. This comes as Ecowas has imposed hefty sanctions against Niger after rebel soldiers overthrew Mohamed Bazoum, the country's democratically-elected president, on 26 July. It has also given several warnings of intervening militarily to reinstate Bazoum should diplomatic attempts to resolve the crisis fail. "We are bracing to be attacked at any time. Every preparation has been taken. It would be an unjust war. We are determined to defend ourselves if there is an attack," Zeine told reporters. Timeline issues One key question in the crisis is a timeline for the return to civilian rule. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu who is the current chairman of Ecowas has suggested a nine-month transition period such as his country underwent in the late 1990s. "The president sees no reason why such [a timeline] cannot be replicated in Niger, if Niger's military authorities are sincere," the Nigerian presidency said in a statement. Algeria, Niger's influential northern neighbour, has proposed a six-month period for the transition. So far, the military rulers in Niamey have not responded to the suggestions, having previously spoken of a three-year hand-back period. Ecowas has taken a hard line with regard to Niger following a cascade of coups in its region since 2020 military juntas have taken power in Mali and Burkina Faso, where like Niger, losses among the armed forces are surging in the face of a long-running jihadist insurgency. A putsch also took place in Guinea in 2021 after the country's octogenarian president, Alpha Conde, ran for a third term in office, a move that opponents said breached constitutional limits. Former colonial rulers In other comments, Zeine said, without elaborating, that "contacts" were indeed underway that should enable a swift withdrawal of French forces from Nigerien territory. He said, however, that Niger wished "to maintain cooperation with a country with which we have shared an enormous number of things." Tensions between Niger and its former colonial power and ally in the fight against jihadists ratcheted up after France stood by the ousted Bazoum. Despite recent signs of communication channels opening up between the two countries, Paris has refused to acknowledge the coup leaders as the legitimate government and ignored Niamey's announcement it was cancelling military agreements with France along with a threat to expel the French ambassador. France has around 1,500 troops in the Sahel state, many of them deployed at an air base near the capital Niamey. This comes as tens of thousands of protestors rallied outside the French base at the weekend to demand they leave, responding to a call by a pro-coup civilian coalition. Air space reopens Meanwhile, Niger reopened its air space on Monday after imposing a flight ban on 6 August in response to the Ecowas threat of military intervention. Some flights to Niamey were, however, permitted during this time, with special authorisations. Air France has said it would resume flights over Nigerien territory from Tuesday morning, although its air services to and from Niamey would remain suspended until further notice. Separately, the Chinese ambassador to Niger said that Beijing hoped to play a "mediating role" in the political crisis, in comments broadcast on Nigerien television. China is a major economic partner for Niger, particularly in the energy sector, including building the longest oil pipeline in Africa. Superintendent George L. Asare, a third witness in the ongoing inquiry into an alleged plot to remove Dr George Akuffo Dampare from office, has named Asante, another Police Officer as the one who helped Mr Daniel Bugri Naabu, a former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party to record their private conversation. He revealed this when he appeared before the Parliamentary bi-partisan seven-member Committee investigating the leaked tape. Superintendent Asare said: His intelligence gathering exposed that ASP Asante was the one who did the recording. In his narration to the Committee, he alleged that, coincidentally, when the tape was leaked and Mr Naabu called him on the telephone, he mentioned the name Asante and questioned why he leaked the tape, evidently knowing that he had rather called Asare. Further, he told the Committee that ASP Asante was assisted to go to the Police College by Commissioner of Police (COP) George Alex Mensah, another Police officer captured on the alleged leaked tape. He, however, told the Committee that he would disclose much of the information on the said officer to the committee in camera. Meanwhile, Mr Naabu, also the Paramount Chief of Namong in the North East Region in the Mamprugu Kingdom on Monday, August 28, during his public hearing confirmed the veracity of the leaked tape. He, also, told the Committee that he did the recording with the assistance of someone he engaged and paid. Mr Naabu, again cited three Police officers as engaging in the plot conversation. Commissioner of Police, George Alex Mensah, Superintendent George L. Asare and Superintendent Emmanuel Eric Gyebi according to Mr Naabu were the trio he engaged in the conversation with at his office in Osu. On Thursday, August 31, and Friday, September 01, 2023, COP George Alex Mensah when he appeared before the Committee also alleged that Dr Dampare, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) had a hand in the recording and the subsequent leaking of the tape. On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, a leaked audio recording, allegedly involving a Police Commissioner and a politician discussing a plot to remove IGP Dampare from office circulated. Consequently, the Minority Caucus in Parliament called for a probe into the leaked tape. Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, on July 25, 2023, constituted a seven-member bi-partisan Committee to probe into the secret recording of an alleged plot to remove Dr Dampare, IGP from office ahead of the 2024 general election. The Committee, which has up to September 10 2023 to report back to the House, is made up of three members each from the Majority and Minority sides of Parliament, and a technical person. The committee is chaired by Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa South with Mr James Agalga, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Builsa North as the Vice-Chairman. It has Mr Patrick Yaw Boamah, NPP MP for Okaikwei Central; Madam Ophelia Mensah, NPP MP for Mfantseman; Mr Eric Opoku, NDC MP for Asunafo South and Mr Peter Lanchene Tuobu, NDC MP for Wa West as members of the Committee. While Dr Isaac Lartey Annang, a lawyer and a human rights activist, is a technical person appointed by Mr Bagbin. GNA A new state budget bill is ready for General Assembly action Wednesday, with good news for public schools, behavioral health services, health insurance premiums and pay raises for teachers and state employees. House Bill 6001 and Senate Bill 6001 will come before the assembly in a special session on Wednesday, as legislators push to end a six-month political stalemate by adopting revisions to the two-year state budget they approved more than 14 months ago. Assembly budget committees released the 800-page bill on Saturday morning, encompassing the current budget, a stop-gap spending bill adopted in February and an agreement on taxes and spending that budget negotiators reached more than a week ago. Assembly leaders hope that Gov. Glenn Youngkin signs the bill within seven days of legislative action, allowing it to take effect immediately instead of requiring an additional month for proposed amendments. This would give the governor that option if he doesnt want amendments, House Appropriations Chairman Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, said late Friday. He can sign it and send it back to us. Spokesman Rob Damschen said Saturday: Governor Youngkin is reviewing the budget proposal released today. Virginians deserve a budget that provides tax relief for families to lower cost of living, invests in our law enforcement and supports education for all Virginians. Youngkin wanted $1 billion in corporate and individual income tax cuts, but the Democratic-controlled Senate balked, leading to a standoff that left Virginia without a fully revised budget for the second time in 50 years. Tax cuts Under the compromise House and Senate negotiators reached, the proposed budget would return more than $900 million to taxpayers through rebates of $200 for individuals and $400 for couples filing jointly. It also would cut taxes by about $100 million by raising the standard deduction for taxpayers who dont itemize their deductions, remove the age limit for an exemption of military retirement income and raise the deduction for business interest expenses. It also includes $44 million to cover the higher ongoing cost of $4 billion in tax cuts that the assembly approved last year in a compromise with Youngkin. It would revive the sales tax holiday for school supplies, hurricane preparedness, clothing and shoes, and energy-efficient products. The holiday, normally held before Labor Day, lapsed this year after the assembly inadvertently failed to introduce legislation to continue it. It will be held on the third weekend of October. The new budget relies on $2.5 billion in new revenues, after subtracting money for the tax rebate, about $1 billion in essential spending that the assembly adopted in the so-called skinny budget on Feb. 25 and about $1 billion that the state expects to return to taxpayers under new pass-through entity tax created last year to allow some taxpayers to avoid a federal cap on deductions for state and local taxes. Business owners paid the new tax last spring, boosting state revenues for the fiscal year that ended June 30, but the state will have to refund the money when those taxpayers file extended returns this fall. Public schools Public schools are the biggest winners in the proposed budget, with about $653 million in new spending on K-12 education. That includes $152 million to pay more of the states share for school support positions, which have been under a cap imposed in 2009 to save money during the Great Recession. It would increase the funding ratio from 21 support positions per 1,000 students to 24 per 1,000 positions, still short of fully removing the cap. It also includes $418 million for one-time payments to school divisions. Use of the money is flexible, but the budget wants it used to address learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic and implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act, with a minimum payment of $150,000 for the smallest divisions. Every single penny helps, particularly for small and rural school divisions, said Washington County Superintendent Keith Perrigan, founder and president of the Coalition of Small and Rural Schools of Virginia and president-elect of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents. Pay raises The budget also includes a 2% pay raise for teachers and state employees, including state-supported positions, adjunct faculty and teaching assistants at public colleges and universities. The raise comes on top of the 5% raise lawmakers approved in each year of the current two-year budget that ends June 30, 2024. Sheriffs offices would receive an additional $8.3 million to ease pay disparities and boost salaries in localities with small populations. The budget also includes extra compensation for commonwealths attorneys offices, circuit court clerks, district court clerks and deputies, and public defenders, while restoring positions that had been eliminated in commissioners of revenue and treasurers offices. Health insurance One small but important provision of the proposed budget would make clear that Virginia is seeking to reduce health insurance premiums by 15% by continuing a reinsurance program adopted last year to reduce the risk pool for all people buying insurance in the individual market by creating a separate fund for those with the most expensive health care treatment. The reinsurance program essentially is a backstop that covers the cost of health insurers biggest claims. That reinsurance had enabled the insurers to cut their premium rates to reflect the benefit of the backstop. A State Corporation Commission analysis had warned that premiums would increase by up to 28% without the reinsurance program, administered by the Bureau of Insurance at the SCC. The federal and state governments share the cost of the program, but the federal share rises significantly in proportion to the expected reduction in insurance premium subsidies paid for policies purchased on the federal and state marketplaces. Im really glad that we have sent the proper signal to the State Corporation Commission to continue this very important program, said Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax, who introduced legislation to create the program last year along with Senate Finance Co-Chair George Barker, D-Fairfax. Sickles estimates that the reinsurance program will prevent premiums from rising significantly for 350,000 to 370,000 Virginians who do not have access to health coverage by their employers. Its really good news for small businesses and gig economy workers, he said. Additional highlights Other features of the proposed budget include: $186.8 million in state and federal funds for behavioral health services, including more money for crisis receiving centers and stabilization units, permanent supportive housing to keep people out of institutions, mobile crisis teams and higher pay for employees of Virginias 39 community services boards and one behavioral health authority; $72.7 million in state and federal Medicaid funds to increase reimbursement rates for people providing personal care, behavioral health services and early intervention services; $7.6 million to add 500 slots for community services under the Medicaid developmental disability waiver, boosting the total new slots to 1,100 in the fiscal year that began July 1; $30 million to prevent community violence under the Operation Ceasefire, Safe Communities and the Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention funds; $189.8 million for higher education to increase access and affordability, and to support workforce initiatives and research; $200 million to boost the availability of business-ready sites for economic development, including $75 million for the new Business Ready Sites Acquisition Fund to allow the state to purchase potential sites for big business prospects; and deposits of $644 million in the state water quality improvement fund and $289.6 million to the revenue reserve fund. 05.09.2023 LISTEN The management of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has described as false claims that the suspected fake doctor who was arrested at the hospital on Monday attended to some patients at the facility. The suspect, who had a name Dr Williams Cyril Cohen written on the scrub dress he was wearing, was accosted on the walkway behind the Accident and Emergency Centre (A&E), after his responses to questions about his identity and purpose at the hospital proved unsatisfactory. A statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of KATH, Mr Kwame Frimpong, said the suspect was not found in any of the service points at the hospital. The suspect was not found in any of the service points at the hospital but accosted at an open space and could therefore, not be said to have attended to patients as being circulated, the statement explained. Providing further details on the incident, the statement said one of the Directors at the facility was on her usual rounds when she met the suspect with a backpack and a stethoscope on a walkway behind the hospital's A&E centre. The suspect also had the name 'Dr Williams Cyril Cohen' written on the scrub dress he was wearing. It said when the Director questioned him about his identity and where he worked, his responses was that he was only passing through the hospital to give something to somebody and quickly started to move away. The Director, according to the statement became suspicious, raised an alarm and the suspect who was by then sprinting away was chased, arrested and handed over to the police. The statement said the hospital had a team-based system that oversees both in-patient care and OPD services and that once one was not a member of these closely-knit teams, one could not assess or attend to patients at the various designated service points at the hospital. Again, the hospital has for some time now, computerized its clinical operations and all patient care services are done through its Electronic Medical Records System (EMRS), accessible to only accredited members of staff using their unique passwords, it stressed. The statement gave assurance that no assessment, diagnoses, reviews and prescriptions could be done for patients by a non-member of staff and therefore, the claim that the suspect had attended to, and administered medications to patients before he was arrested was false. It further cautioned members of the public against dealing with anybody outside the accredited service points at the hospital. If anybody approaches you at undesignated places like the corridor, car parks, walkways and other open spaces, with the intention of helping you to access healthcare, please ignore and report that person to the nearest security guard at the hospital, the statement added. GNA The Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Lariba Zuweira Abudu has provided an update on the government's school feeding programme, disclosing that it currently covers 10,832 schools and serves over 3 million students daily. During an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, the Gender Minister addressed concerns raised by caterers of the programme, who have been vocal about delays in receiving payments for their services. She assured them that her ministry is working tirelessly to expedite the payment process, acknowledging that some of the delays are due to the bureaucratic nature of the programme. Explaining the complexities of the payment procedure, she stated, "The school feeding payment has a procedure, and sometimes it is the procedure that delays payment. When you take the stakeholders, we have Regional, district, communities, schools; we have Headteachers involved, we have assemblies involved, and it has to go through all these processes." Providing further details, she revealed that the school feeding programme currently engages 34,350 caterers responsible for preparing meals for 10,832 schools across the country. She added that the programme ensures that 3,810,491 school children receive food daily as part of the government's efforts to support access to education and improve the nutrition of Ghana's school children. Minister Lariba Zuweira Abudu expressed her understanding of the challenges faced by the caterers, especially in terms of reimbursement, and urged them to exercise more patience. She assured them that her ministry is committed to addressing their concerns to receive their payments as soon as possible. Martin Kpebu, a private legal practitioner has called for a constitutional review to strip presidents of the power to appoint an Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Ghana. He argued that this change is necessary to prevent the police service from becoming partisan due to the promotions or appointments when a particular political party assumes power. Mr Kpebu made these remarks during a discussion that took place on last weekends edition of TV3s The keypoints programme monitored by ModernGhana News on the leaked audio recording that allegedly involved a Police Commissioner, Alex Mensah, Supt. Asare and Bugri Naabu plotting the removal of the current IGP, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare. He pointed out that the issue of a partisan police force has been a concern for a long time, referencing a speech by Kofi Boakye at the New Year school where he mentioned the existence of "NPP police" and "NDC police." Lawyer Kpebu emphasized that this problem has persisted throughout the Fourth Republic and even earlier, necessitating a review of the constitution to limit the president's appointment powers. "When you read back police history, you will see that these matters have always been there, so its about time we reviewed this constitution so that we take away a lot of the appointing powers of the president, he stressed. Lawyer Kpebu also mentioned that during discussions with the constitutional review commission, the police hierarchy had expressed their preference for a different approach to appointing IGPs, signaling their desire for a change in the current system. He added, You know when the police hierarchy went before the constitutional review commission, they made it very clear that look, they dont want presidents appointing IGPs. The leaked audio recording in question has generated significant public outrage. The long-awaited trial of two former Swedish oil executives accused of complicity in war crimes in present day South Sudan began on Tuesday in Stockholm. Prosecutors say the former CEO and the former chairman of Lundin Oil, a company that has changed its name several times, were complicit in atrocities carried out by the Sudanese army and allied militias between 1999 and 2003. In what is expected to be the biggest trial in Swedish history, Alex Schneiter, a Swiss national, and Ian Lundin, who is Swedish, face allegations of aiding and abetting a serious violation of international law. Prosecutors claim the men supported the Sudanese government of former dictator Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide and other war crimes. Al-Bashir was toppled in April 2019 in a popular uprising. Security offensive Lundin and Schneiter are accused of participating in a deal that involving a right to search for and extract oil in a larger area in southern Sudan "in exchange for the payment of fees and a share in future profits". Prosecutors allege they asked Sudan's military to take charge of security at one of Lundin Oil's exploration fields in what is now South Sudan, knowing this would mean seizing the area by force. When Lundin struck oil in the "Block 5A" field in 1999 Sudanese forces then led military operations to take control of the area and create "the necessary preconditions for Lundin Oil's oil exploration". The security operation resulted in aerial bombings, the killing of civilians and the burning of entire villages, prosecutors added. Lundin, 62, was chief executive of family firm Lundin Oil, now known as Orron Energy, and Schneiter, 61, was vice president at the time. The prosecution is also asking the court to confiscate 2.4 billion Swedish crowns (202 million) from Orron Energy. Denials Heading into the courtroom, Lundin told reporters that the accusations were "completely false. We look forward to defending ourselves in court, he said. The trial, which is expected to run until early 2026, comes on the back of a 10-year investigation launched after a Dutch NGO published a report on the company's presence in Sudan. For many years Sudan was torn apart by a civil war between the Muslim-dominated north and Christian south. South Sudan gained independence in 2011 to become the world's youngest nation. (with newswires) NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 5 2023: It is time As African leaders gather in Nairobi to discuss the escalating climate crises, urgent action is mandatory to mitigate its effect on the whole world. The One Campaign is urging all leaders to use this pivotal moment to unite around a shared pan-African agenda one that brings justice and prosperity. The Africa Climate Summit themed Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World'' will also provide African leaders the platform to challenge narratives and perceptions of Africa being the constant docile recipient and showcase the continents strength and aptitude to take a leading role in the fight against climate change and nature loss. This moment calls for active participants in the pursuit for solutions. African nations are among the most vulnerable to climate change effects and have significant natural assets that could provide global climate solutions. Despite this, the continent receives a disproportionately small amount of global climate finance compared to other regions. The estimated annual cost of Africas climate adaptation by 2050 is US$50 billion and the region has the world's highest potential for renewable energy. Yet the continent currently receives US$19.5 billion per year in total climate finance and only 3% of global investment in clean energy. ONE is therefore calling on all leaders to use the Summit as a tool to elevate the following policy changes to start the journey in building a more balanced trade and more resilient African economy: For World Bank shareholders and donor governments to commit to tripling grants and loans from the IBRD and IDA, which could deliver an additional $1.2 trillion in finance by 2030. For donor governments to deliver on their commitment to double adaptation finance and commit to a framework for the Global Goal on Adaptation that is needs-based and includes targets and/or indicators. Unblock the barriers so Special Drawing Rights can be recycled through multilateral development banks and the African Development Bank in particular. Serah Makka, Director for Africa at The ONE Campaign, said: The key to unlocking the untapped potential of this continent isnt handouts or second-hand solutions from rich nations. Its removing the barriers standing in our way. African countries possess the tools, talent and renewable resources to fuel their own growth and be at the vanguard of efforts to tackle climate change, poverty and inequality everywhere. But they are being blocked by a broken global financial system that denies them access to the affordable finance needed to unleash this potential. No country must choose between improving the lives of their people and protecting the planet. If the rest of the world truly gets behind Africa they can help unleash a green economic revolution that will drive growth and prosperity across the continent and help the whole world to rise to the biggest shared challenges we face. Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Africa Union Commissioner in charge of Agriculture, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, said : Africa accounts for the smallest share of global greenhouse gas emissions, at just 3.8 percent, in contrast to 23 percent in China, 19 percent in the US, and 13 percent in the European Union. Yet, the continent is the most vulnerable to climate change hazards. Ahead of COP28, Africa needs to negotiate not from a victim perspective, but from a solutions perspective. We need to work together as a continent. We have all the resources needed to mitigate climate change challenges. Development partners need to also honor their promise made in the Paris agreement of investing $100 billion in mitigating Africas climate challenges. We have not seen the investment yet. 05.09.2023 LISTEN The emergence of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the victor of the first leg of the New Patriotic Partys presidential primary is a monumental assault on the soul of democracy, which is accountability. Ghana prides itself as the quintessence of democracy in African; hence, one would have expected that at the NPP Super Delegates Congress, members would be overcome by the spirit of accountability and a vote of ostracism brought against the head of the Economic Management Team, who has overseen Ghanas current economic misery that has left many dejected. In Athenian democracy, a political leader or statesman did not attain his position through election, but by his ability to command the assembly (which was a congregation of all citizens) and set the policy agenda of the state using his oratory gift as the bully pulpit. However, if he became unpopular for spearheading a policy failure, a vote of ostracism was brought against him, and he would be formally exiled from Athens for 10 years. Accountability was key! Dr. Bawumia rose to the top of the political hierarchy, as would have happened in Ancient Athens, on his claim to economic wizardry, most especially, the ability to cast out the age-old demon, the exchange rate, that has haunted the country since independence (on the contrary, he has overseen its worst performance since independence). When Mahamudu showed up with a terminal degree in economics from Beautiful British Columbia with a touch of experience as Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana and, under no duress, wittingly put his head under the guillotine in the public square and swore endlessly to possessing the economic magic wand, there was no reason for Ghanaians to doubt him. Prefixed with the name of his place of birth, Walewale, Mahamudu became titled with the name of the venerable father of economics, Adam Smith. However, not by fate, six years after been handed the audience to perform his magic, there is no ambiguity that the 59-year olds talisman has failed him. The dejected state of Ghanas economy is well known, but for the sake of those who may be reading this in 2025 and beyond, lets name a few of its disorders: Currency ranked the worst in the world since October 2022; debt to GDP ratio over 100%; default on sovereign debt, both internal and external; and cup in hand at the IMF for a beggarly pittance of debt relief. This remarkable failure has caused the Vice President to attempt a pivot away from the economy and the exchange rate to other policy (non)issues. Brazenly again, he has taken to the public square to rhetorically package the global intensification of the shift to smart technology as a policy issue of his making, naming it digitalization. He has also audaciously attempted to reincarnate the primitive economic practice of barter, presenting it as a novel idea in the name gold-for-oil. Interestingly however, when the most provocative policy issue since independence, the electronic levy, was playing out in every space of our body politic, Mahamudu was not only conspicuously missing from the publics view, but also, did not utter a single word on the matter. Bawumia fits Socratess description of poetry (in Platos Republic) as imitations of reality, loaded with color and embroidery, but beneath the glamour are like faces which were never really beautiful, but only blooming; and now the bloom of youth has passed away from them. In essence, Bawumia looks like an old basket that has lost all shape, to borrow from Ngugi wa Thiong'os, I Will Marry When I Want. The same author profoundly states, a fools walking stick supports the clever Dr. Bawumia emptied his credibility for Nana Akuffo Addo to become president. The NPP delegates buried their heads in the proverbial sand and gave Dr. Bawumia the lead in the partys flagbearership race; but lest Ghanaians forget, Ghana is a paragon of democracy in Africa and Dr. Bawumias head is still stuck under the guillotine in the public square if the fundamentals are weak, the exchange rate will expose you. When election 2024 comes, let every Ghanaian be overcome by the spirit of accountability and do what the Athenians would have done; choose John Pericles Dramani Mahama. NDC USA Chapter Communications Bureau Communication Officer Hajia Rukaya Abubakari Chairman of communication and Research Committee and writer Dr. Mark Agana- writer All Communications and Research Committee Members NDC USA Chapter Gabon's new strongman on Tuesday met central Africa's mediator for the country following a coup last week that brought the curtain down on the 55-year Bongo dynasty. State TV said General Brice Oligui Nguema met the Central African Republic's president, Faustin Archange Touadera, following the August 30 putsch. The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) has appointed Touadera "facilitator of the political process" in Gabon. He has been tasked with meeting "all Gabonese actors and partners of the country" with the goal of providing "a rapid return to constitutional order." The oil-rich state joins Mali, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Niger among African countries that have undergone coups in the last three years -- a trend that has sounded alarm bells in the continent and beyond. The television gave no details of the talks, which came a day after ECCAS member Equatorial Guinea said Gabon had been suspended from the 11-nation group. ECCAS also ordered the immediate transfer of its headquarters from Gabon's Libreville to the Equatorial Guinea capital of Malabo, the country's vice president, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, said on X, previously known as Twitter. Elections promise Oligui, head of the elite Republican Guard, was sworn in on Monday as interim president. In a speech, he promised to hold "free, transparent and credible elections" to restore civilian rule but without giving a timeframe and vowed to amnesty political prisoners. Hours later, he met Albert Ondo Ossa, the main opposition candidate in elections that precipitated the coup, Ondo Ossa's spokesman said on Tuesday. The meeting marks a further step by Oligui to forge contacts with key figures after he forced out President Ali Bongo Ondimba. Election rivals: Ali Bongo Ondimba, left, and Albert Ondo Ossa. By LUDOVIC MARIN, Steeve JORDAN (AFP/File) Ondo Ossa, 69, was the chief rival to Bongo in fiercely disputed presidential elections on August 26. Amid opposition claims of fraud, Bongo was declared victor of the poll in the early hours of August 30 -- but moments later was detained by soldiers. Monday night's meeting took place at Ondo Ossa's home, said Guy-Pamphile Mba, in charge of the former candidate's communications. He gave no details about what was said but confirmed the authenticity of a photo on social media that showed Ondo Ossa and Oligui holding hands. On Sunday, Oligui gave a warm reception to leaders of Alternance 2023, the coalition that named Ondo Ossa as its champion less than a week before the poll. Interest groups On Thursday and Friday, Oligui met business chiefs, religious leaders, civil society and other interest groups, spelling out his desire to clamp down on corruption and reform Gabon's decrepit pension system, a bugbear for many people. Gabon. By Jean-Michel CORNU (AFP) Bongo took office in 2009, succeeding his father Omar, who ruled the country for some 41 years, gaining a reputation for iron-fisted rule and kleptocracy. He was re-elected in bitterly disputed circumstances in 2016 but two years later suffered a stroke that weakened his grip on power. According to the official disputed results, Bongo picked up 64.27 percent of the vote against 30.77 percent for Ondo Ossa. In the immediate aftermath of the coup, Ondo Ossa urged Oligui to step aside, arguing that he had won the elections but the outcome had now been "cancelled" by the military takeover. He also suggested that Oligui and Bongo were connected by family ties, and that the event was less a coup than a "palace revolution" that was now perpetuating what he called the "Bongo system." 05.09.2023 LISTEN In appreciation of his worthy deeds for Zongo communities in particular and Ablekuma Central Constituency in general, the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma Central Constituency, Hon. Abdul-Latif Dan has been honoured with an award. The honour was accorded him on Sunday by the Greater Accra Zongo Chief, Sarki Alhaji Yahya Hamisu Bako at a well-organized and massively attended Greater Accra Zongo Durbar of Chiefs. The occasion forms part of activities marking the International Hausa Day cerebration. He was honored for his outstanding contributions to his constituency and his unwavering support for Zongo communities. The distinguished award was presented by Chief Hamisu Baako, the esteemed leader of the Greater Accra Zongo Chiefs. The event, which drew dignitaries from far and near, was a celebration of Hon. Abdul Latif Dan's tireless dedication to his role as a Parliamentarian and his commitment to the people of Ablekuma Central, especially the Zongo communities. His consistent track record of service and his willingness to be accessible to his constituents when needed has set a remarkable example of leadership. Chief Hamisu Baako, in his address, commended Hon. Abdul Latif Dan for his exceptional efforts in organizing and supporting the Durba, a significant event in the cultural calendar of the Zongo communities. He emphasized the importance of such cultural gatherings in fostering unity and preserving traditions. The award was received on behalf of Hon. Abdul Latif Dan by Hon. Mustapha, former Deputy Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC, who expressed gratitude for the recognition of the MP's dedicated service. He was joined by Hon. Yakubu Issah Bangora, the Ablekuma Central Zongo Caucus Coordinator, Hon. Alhaji Ashkar, Hon. Razak Kariki, and other Constituency Executives. Dignitaries including Alhaji Saeed Sinari were present to convey the regards of the former President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. Their presence underscored the significance of Hon. Abdul Latif Dan's contributions not only to his constituency but also at the national level. The honour bestowed upon Hon. Abdul Latif Dan is a testament to his exemplary service and his dedication to fostering unity and progress within the Ablekuma Central Constituency and the Zongo communities. His commitment to his constituents and his leadership qualities have not only earned him this well-deserved recognition but have also set a standard for public service. As the ceremony came to a close, it was evident that Hon. Abdul Latif Dan's legacy of service will continue to inspire others in their pursuit of excellence in public service and community development. A Swedish oil firm operated in Sudan with support from the military allegedly knew violence would affect civilians to bring the areas under control, prosecutors said Tuesday as two former executives faced war crimes charges. Swede Ian Lundin and Swiss national Alex Schneiter are accused of asking Sudan's government to make its military responsible for security at the site of one of Lundin Oil's exploration fields, which later led to aerial bombings, killing of civilians and burning of entire villages, according to the prosecution. Mikael Ekman, Senior Legal Adviser at rights group Civil Rights Defenders, told AFP that the case was "extremely significant". "This is about grave international crimes and what responsibility company leaders themselves have when doing business in countries in conflict," Ekman, who had come to watch the trial in person, told AFP. "It's a tragedy that it hasn't happened before and that it doesn't happen more," Ekman continued, adding the outcome of the trial was of course still uncertain. Lundin, 62, was chief executive of family firm Lundin Oil, now known as Orron Energy, from 1998-2002, and Schneiter, 61, was vice president at the time. Heading into the courtroom, Lundin, dressed in a grey suit, told reporters he and Schneiter looked "forward to defending ourselves in a court of law". "The accusations against us are false, they are completely false. They are also very vague," he continued. Sons of defendant Ian Lundin, William Lundin (L), Harry Lundin (2nd L) and Jack Lundin (2nd R), attended the opening day of the trial in Stockholm's District Court. By Jonathan NACKSTRAND (AFP) The trial is set to be the biggest in Swedish history, following an over a decade-long probe, a more than 80,000-page investigation report and with closing arguments scheduled for February 2026. The two, who were formally named as suspects in 2016, face the charge of "complicity in grave war crimes" committed during the rule of Omar al-Bashir. In their opening arguments, the prosecution claimed that after Lundin Oil struck oil in 1999 in the "Block 5A" field in what is now South Sudan, the Sudanese military, together with an allied militia, led offensive military operations to take control of the area and create "the necessary preconditions for Lundin Oil's oil exploration". Public prosecutor Henrik Attorps said: "The perpetrators used tactics and weapons that neither distinguished between civilians and fighters nor civilian property and military targets." 'Military force' According to the charge sheet, this included aerial bombardments from transport planes, shooting civilians from helicopter gunships, abducting and plundering civilians and burning villages and crops. Prosecutors claim the accused were complicit because Lundin Oil had entered into agreements with Sudan's government to make the military responsible for security, knowing it meant the military and allied militias would need to take control of areas by "military force". Prosecutor Karolina Wieslander told the court that Lundin and Schneiter had demanded that Sudan create "conditions" for oil operations in areas not controlled by the military or regime allied militias, knowing the military would need to perform "offensive" operations to do this. If convicted, Lundin and Schneiter risk life sentences. The prosecution has already requested that the two be banned from any business undertakings for 10 years. It has also asked for the confiscation of 2.4 billion kronor ($218 million) from Orron Energy, equivalent to the profit the company made on the sale of its Sudan operations in 2003. The defence meanwhile argued that the prosecution's case does not hold up. "Our opinion is that these two years that will now be spent in the district court will be a huge waste of time and resources," Torgny Wetterberg, a lawyer for Ian Lundin, told AFP on the eve of the trial. 'Their own hands' Wetterberg told the court that the defence disagreed with the prosecution's descriptions of events, and that it had built its case on circumstantial claims with no concrete evidence. Laying out his case to the court, Wetterberg also noted that the prosecutor did not even argue that the defendants had been part of any specific crime or even having knowledge of the time and place of instances of abuse. The trial is set to be the biggest in Swedish history, following an over a decade-long probe, a more than 80,000-page investigation report and with closing arguments scheduled for February 2026. By Jonathan NACKSTRAND (AFP) He also said there many of the facts put forward by the prosecution, such as links between certain militias and the government were not backed up by substantial evidence. Lundin himself noted that Sudan had long suffered from internal conflict. "We never had anything to do with this conflict, to the contrary we were a force for good," Lundin told reporters Monday. Mark Klamberg, a professor of international law at Stockholm University, told AFP that cases involving business leaders facing charges relating to war crimes are rare, and the case is a first for Sweden. Charges are instead more commonly brought for crimes that the defendants were complicitly or indirectly involved, since those in leadership positions "rarely commit crimes with their own hands". "But it places demands on the prosecutor and evidence, making cases complicated and drawn out," Klamberg told AFP. Sweden can prosecute crimes committed abroad in its court system, though the government had to give its approval to indict a foreign national for crimes committed abroad. 05.09.2023 LISTEN To regain power, should Ghana's biggest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), step out of the shadow of conventional economic thinking, dear critical-reader? In that regard, what is the single most important step, in the period before the all-important and pivotal 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, which should be taken, by the NDC, in terms of the economic policies that it intends to implement, to put our national economy back on track, and enable the private sector to successfully power our country's transformation, from debilitating-bankruptcy, to shared-prosperity, which redounds to all societal demographics, equally? Those policy proposals, which the NDC, ought to have available, for evaluating, by voters and society generally, must be available well before the all-important and pivotal 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections. Those proposed policies must be able to convince Ghana's independent-minded, and passionately patriotic citizens, that the NDC will be a far better alternative, to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), at that particular juncture, of our nation's chequered history. As most unbiased political observers will opine, protecting the national interest, above seeking party advantage, matters a great deal to Ghana's demographic of independent-minded and passionately patriotic citizens. For such individuals, politics is ultimately about whatever policies (proposed for implementation by governments-of-the-day), are in the overall best interest of ordinary Ghanaian families, and its demographic of well-educated and apolitical citizens, equally, at any given point in time, at all material times. To begin with, the NDC's leading lights, need to demonstrate clearly, that they are aware that to be successful, the party's economic management team will have to step out of the shadow of conventional economic thinking. That is precisely what America's creative and innovative 1930s Great Depression leader, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, understood perfectly, and, was guided by, as he fashioned bleeding-edge state interventionist-policies, which ultimately ensured that America's private sector-led national economy, was put back on to a path-of-growth, which powered the unprecedented prosperity that transformed post-depression America, into the most prosperous nation, and the mightiest military power, ever, in the history of human civilisation. That said, with the greatest respect, those that the NDC has been relying on to convince Ghanaians that the NDC can lead Ghana to shared-prosperity for all its societal demographics, Hon. Charles Adongo and Hon. Atto Cassels Forson, simply don't cut it, alas. They are much of a muchness, who are a poor-version of the disastrous Mahammudu Bawumia/Ken Ofori-Atta/Yaw Osafo Marfo troika-of-national-impoverishment, which bankrupted our beloved country, while enriching themselves from piling up debt upon debt, upon debt, to recoup the vast sums they spent sponsoring the three attempts by President Akufo-Addo, to win the presidency. To regain power, the NDC must step out of the shadow of conventional economic thinking. Yooooooooo... A Sweet Home man was killed in a crash Saturday, Sept. 2 in Linn County Authorities responded to the crash at around 8:52 p.m. on Highway 228 near milepost 19, southwest of Sweet Home, according to an Oregon State Police news release. Stay up to date on mid-Willamette Valley news, wherever you go Easily access the latest Albany and Linn County news in an app that lets you select the topics that matter most to you. Preliminary investigation indicates 39-year-old Joshua C. Jefferson of Sweet Home was driving a Subaru WRX eastbound when he went off-road and hit several trees, the news release states. Jefferson was ejected from the Subaru and declared dead at the scene. In a remarkably short span of just four decades, China has not only emerged as a global economic powerhouse but has also achieved a remarkable feat of lifting a substantial portion of its population out of abject or extreme poverty. The World Banks report, published in 2022, cogently captures this transformative progress. According to the report, over the past 40 years, nearly 800 million people in China have risen above the threshold of living on less than US$1.90 per day, accounting for almost three-quarters of the total global poverty reduction since 1980. If measured against Chinas current poverty standards, approximately 770 million people have been lifted out of poverty in China. Without a doubt, the speed and scale of Chinas poverty reduction efforts stand as an unprecedented milestone in history. Chinas remarkable rise on the global stage has left scholars puzzled, but its exceptional success in combating extreme poverty presents even more intriguing questions. How did China achieve such significant poverty reduction within an unimaginably short period? Moreover, are there valuable lessons from Chinas success that could benefit the developing world, which has struggled for decades to escape from the poverty trap without any sign of progress? The China Story The founding father of the present China, Mao Zedong, was a Marxist who advocated for the advancement of Communism through a distinct Chinese model. However, with Maos central planning approach relying on revolutionary enthusiasm and mass organization, the Chinese economy faced significant challenges in the early period. After several attempts, Maos vision of achieving a great transformation under the guidance of socialism remained unrealized upon his death in 1976. Following Maos era and under the new leadership of Deng Xiaoping, China recognized the necessity of industrial capitalism as a stepping stone towards achieving modern industrial socialism. This acknowledgement marked a significant step in addressing the countrys profound challenges. Under the guidance of Deng, China initiated a market-oriented growth model known as Chinas Reform and Opening-Up period in the late 1970s. The implementation of gradual but successful reform programs enabled China to achieve rapid economic growth. This upward trajectory has been recognized as unprecedented and one of the worlds remarkable development wonders. Today, China is the worlds second-largest economy and an influential force in global affairs. As mentioned, it has made significant strides in alleviating poverty, lifting about 800 million Chinese citizens out of poverty, accounting for about 70% of global poverty reduction efforts. Today, under the ideology and concept of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, China, under its current president, Xi Jinping, has set ambitious goals for eradicating poverty and achieving a moderately prosperous society for all Chinese citizens. The Two-pronged Approach According to the World Bank and the Development Research Center of Chinas State Council, Chinas remarkable success in poverty alleviation can be attributed to a well-executed two-pronged approach, focusing on broad-based economic transformation and effective poverty alleviation strategies. The economic transformation agenda revolves around four key pillars that have contributed to the countrys development: Growing agricultural productivity: China recognized the significance of its agricultural sector and prioritized measures to enhance productivity and efficiency. By investing in modern agricultural techniques, infrastructure, and research, the country increased agricultural output, leading to improved rural livelihoods. Incremental industrialization: China strategically developed its industrial sector, gradually transitioning from a primarily agrarian economy to a more diverse and industrialized one. This shift provided employment opportunities in urban areas and supported economic growth, benefiting many people previously living in poverty. Managed urbanization and rural-urban migration: The Chinese government actively managed the process of urbanization, facilitating the movement of people from rural areas to cities in a controlled manner. This approach ensured that migration did not create urban slums or exacerbate poverty but instead contributed to urban development and poverty reduction. Infrastructure development: A focus on infrastructure development was crucial in facilitating economic growth and poverty reduction. The construction of roads, bridges, schools, and healthcare facilities improved accessibility and provided essential services to previously marginalized regions. In addition to the economic transformation agenda, Chinas success in poverty alleviation can be attributed to well-designed and targeted poverty alleviation strategies. These strategies encompass: Area-based poverty alleviation strategies: The Chinese government recognized that different regions faced unique challenges in tackling poverty. To address this, they adopted area-based approaches, tailoring interventions to suit each localitys specific needs and circumstances. Social protection policies: China implemented various social protection policies to safeguard vulnerable populations from falling into poverty or to support those already experiencing it. These policies included social welfare programs, healthcare coverage, and assistance for the elderly and disabled. Targeted poverty alleviation strategy: Perhaps the most significant aspect of Chinas poverty reduction efforts is the targeted strategy adopted to identify and support impoverished households. This involved meticulous identification and verification of poor households, enabling the government to provide tailored assistance, such as financial aid, skills training, and access to resources. Overall, the success of Chinas poverty alleviation initiatives can be attributed to a combination of effective governance, broad-based economic transformation, and well-designed poverty alleviation strategies. By employing these approaches, the Chinese government has significantly improved the living conditions and prospects of millions of its citizens, making remarkable strides in reducing poverty and setting an inspiring example for other nations striving for similar progress. Sharing the Experience with Africa Chinas commitment to sharing its experience in poverty alleviation with African countries has been evident through various initiatives and policy pronouncements. One notable event was the Global Conference on Poverty Reduction in Shanghai in 2004, jointly organized by the World Bank and the Chinese Government. This conference served as a platform for development stakeholders from around the world to come together and engage in discussions, learning, and exchanging development lessons and experiences. This move highlights Chinas dedication to learning from others and actively sharing its own experiences with the international community. In addition to these actions, China has explicitly expressed its commitment to sharing its expertise with African countries in its second Africa Policy White Paper, published in 2015. In this policy document, China made specific promises to strengthen engagement with African nations, with a particular focus on experience sharing in poverty reduction. The policy also outlined Chinas willingness to collaborate with Africa in expanding cooperation across various relevant areas, including human resources development, education, science and technology, industrialization, and industrial capacity cooperation. By actively engaging in initiatives like the Global Conference on Poverty Reduction and articulating its commitments in official policy papers, China demonstrates its intent to support Africas poverty alleviation efforts through knowledge sharing and strategic collaboration. Going forward, this commitment will play a crucial role in fostering a strong and beneficial partnership between China and African countries, enabling them to learn from each others successes and challenges and collectively address the issue of poverty more effectively. Final Thought Chinas commitment to sharing its experience in poverty alleviation is evident through various initiatives and policy pronouncements. The success story of China serves as an inspiring example for other nations striving to combat poverty. By learning from Chinas successes and challenges, African countries can meaningfully work towards effective poverty reduction. In doing so, they can shape a brighter future and make significant strides in improving the well-being of all Africans. Dr. Hagan Sibiri Senior Research Fellow Africa-China Centre for Policy & Advisory E: [email protected] 05.09.2023 LISTEN The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has refrozen the bank accounts and re-seized cash belonging to former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah by invoking its statutory powers to facilitate an ongoing investigation into suspected corruption. This comes after the OSP had complied with a High Court ruling to unfreeze Ms. Dapaah's accounts and return seized cash. However, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng said in a statement that the investigation has since "uncovered varying and sometimes conflicting accounts of the ownership and source(s) of the large amounts of money" involved. He said, "freezing the bank accounts and investments of Ms. Dapaah is necessary to facilitate the ongoing investigation." The Special Prosecutor has therefore directed the accounts be refrozen and cash re-seized effective September 5, invoking its statutory powers under Act 959 and L.I. 2374. This comes after it emerged on Friday, July 21 that two house helps of the Minister were facing charges for allegedly stealing an amount of $1 million, 300,000, and millions of Ghanaian cedis at the former ministers residence at Abelenkpe, Accra, in October 2022. The revelation garnered a lot of backlash that eventually led to the ministers resignation. Former Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen has pulled out of the race to become the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). In a press release issued on Tuesday, September 5, Alan Kyerematen said his analysis of the Super Delegates Congress held last month has led him to believe that the election was tactically skewed in favour of one, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. On this basis, the experienced politician says he will no longer contest the flagbearer race of the NPP. After having carefully analysed the results of the said elections, it is absolutely clear to me from events leading to, during and after the elections, that the Special Delegates Conference was strategically and tactically skewed in favour of one particular Aspirant. In light of the foregoing, I wish to confirm that I am honourably withdrawing from the process that will lead to the Presidential Primaries to be held on the 4th of November 2023, Alan Kyerematen said in his release. Meanwhile, the former Trade and Industry Minister says in the upcoming weeks, he will provide an indication of the role that he will play in politics in Ghana, after consultations with his family and other wellwishers, various stakeholders and interest groups. Below is a copy of the release from Alan: PRESS STATEMENT BY HON. ALAN KYEREMATEN On Sunday, the 27th of August 2023, I issued a public statement which made reference to the selection and shortlisting of Presidential Aspirants by the Special Electoral College convened by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on the 26th of August 2023. After having carefully analysed the results of the said elections, it is absolutely clear to me from events leading to, during and after the elections, that the Special Delegates Conference was strategically and tactically skewed in favour of one particular Aspirant. The pronouncements made by some leading Members of our Party both before and after the elections, also lend weight to my observations. The level of intimidation of varying intensity, directly and indirectly unleashed on a significant number of Delegates at various Voting Centers across the sixteen regions, is unprecedented in the history of our Party. In addition, the fact that my Polling Agent in the North East region has suffered severe damage to his eye sight, arising from his bold and courageous effort to ensure compliance with the very rules and regulations for the conduct of the elections as approved by the Presidential Elections Committee, will forever remain a dark spot in the history of internal elections within the Party. This incident and various acts of violence and collusion, reported in other Voting Centers, are appalling, unconscionable, and despicable. I am committed to, and value the safety of those who work with me and for me, and I will always fight for their interest. The question I keep asking myself is, "How did we get here as a Party in the first place, and how far are we prepared to tread on this dangerous path to self-destruction?" Regrettably, I am not convinced that the circumstances I have referred to earlier, will not persist or even be escalated in the next round of elections, for which balloting is scheduled for Wednesday, 6th of September 2023. In light of the foregoing, I wish to confirm that I am honourably withdrawing from the process that will lead to the Presidential Primaries to be held on the 4th of November 2023. In the next upcoming weeks, I will provide an indication of the role that I will play in politics in Ghana, after consultations with my family and other wellwishers, various stakeholders and interest groups. I wish all the other Aspirants well as they continue on their journey. I also wish to use this opportunity to express my profound gratitude once again to my family, the Alan 4 President (A4P) Campaign Team, and all my teeming supporters in Ghana and from around the world, who have supported me in diverse ways over the years. Please be assured that the battle is still the Lord's, and that those who wait upon the Lord shall have their strength renewed. God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong! .......... Signed ............. HON. ALAN KYEREMATEN The former Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen has issued a press release insisting that the Super Delegates Congress of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was tactically skewed to favour one particular person. Unhappy with what he describes as intimidation and violence that marred the Super Delegates Congress, the popular politician says he will no longer contest the flagbearer election of the NPP. Mr Alan indicated that the violence recorded during the August 26 election made him always question "How did we get here as a Party in the first place, and how far are we prepared to tread on this dangerous path to self-destruction?" He added, The level of intimidation of varying intensity, directly and indirectly unleashed on a significant number of Delegates at various Voting Centers across the sixteen regions, is unprecedented in the history of our Party. In addition, the fact that my Polling Agent in the North East region has suffered severe damage to his eyesight, arising from his bold and courageous effort to ensure compliance with the very rules and regulations for the conduct of the elections as approved by the Presidential Elections Committee, will forever remain a dark spot in the history of internal elections within the Party. This incident and various acts of violence and collusion, reported in other Voting Centers, are appalling, unconscionable, and despicable." In light of the foregoing, I wish to confirm that I am honourably withdrawing from the process that will lead to the Presidential Primaries to be held on the 4th of November 2023. In the next upcoming weeks, I will provide an indication of the role that I will play in politics in Ghana, after consultations with my family and other wellwishers, various stakeholders and interest groups, parts of the press release by Alan Kyerematen said on Tuesday, September 5. Meanwhile, the former Trade and Industry Minister says in the upcoming weeks, he will provide an indication of the role that he will play in politics in Ghana, after consultations with his family and other wellwishers, various stakeholders, and interest groups. Read the full press release from Alan Kyerematen below: PRESS STATEMENT BY HON. ALAN KYEREMATEN On Sunday, the 27th of August 2023, I issued a public statement which made reference to the selection and shortlisting of Presidential Aspirants by the Special Electoral College convened by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on the 26th of August 2023. After having carefully analysed the results of the said elections, it is absolutely clear to me from events leading to, during and after the elections, that the Special Delegates Conference was strategically and tactically skewed in favour of one particular Aspirant. The pronouncements made by some leading Members of our Party both before and after the elections, also lend weight to my observations. The level of intimidation of varying intensity, directly and indirectly unleashed on a significant number of Delegates at various Voting Centers across the sixteen regions, is unprecedented in the history of our Party. In addition, the fact that my Polling Agent in the North East region has suffered severe damage to his eye sight, arising from his bold and courageous effort to ensure compliance with the very rules and regulations for the conduct of the elections as approved by the Presidential Elections Committee, will forever remain a dark spot in the history of internal elections within the Party. This incident and various acts of violence and collusion, reported in other Voting Centers, are appalling, unconscionable, and despicable. I am committed to, and value the safety of those who work with me and for me, and I will always fight for their interest. The question I keep asking myself is, "How did we get here as a Party in the first place, and how far are we prepared to tread on this dangerous path to self-destruction?" Regrettably, I am not convinced that the circumstances I have referred to earlier, will not persist or even be escalated in the next round of elections, for which balloting is scheduled for Wednesday, 6th of September 2023. In light of the foregoing, I wish to confirm that I am honourably withdrawing from the process that will lead to the Presidential Primaries to be held on the 4th of November 2023. In the next upcoming weeks, I will provide an indication of the role that I will play in politics in Ghana, after consultations with my family and other wellwishers, various stakeholders and interest groups. I wish all the other Aspirants well as they continue on their journey. I also wish to use this opportunity to express my profound gratitude once again to my family, the Alan 4 President (A4P) Campaign Team, and all my teeming supporters in Ghana and from around the world, who have supported me in diverse ways over the years. Please be assured that the battle is still the Lord's, and that those who wait upon the Lord shall have their strength renewed. God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong! .......... Signed ............. HON. ALAN KYEREMATEN Sabon Zongo, a suburb of Accra, witnessed an extraordinary gathering on Sunday, September 3, 2023, as Greater Accra Zongo Chief, Sarki Alhaji Yahya Hamisu Bako, led the largest Durbar of Chiefs and International Hausa Day celebration. Thousands of people from diverse backgrounds attended, including the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Shaributu, Chiefs, opinion leaders from various Zongo communities nationwide, political party representatives, and traditional authorities from Osu and other Greater Accra Region traditional areas. This momentous event, organized by the Zongo Youth Association under the patronage of Sarki Alhaji Yahya Hamisu Bako, operated under the theme "Our Culture, Our Heritage, Our Identity." Several individuals were recognized and honoured for their significant contributions to Zongo's development. Notable awardees included Hon. Abdul Latif Dan, Member of Parliament for Ablekuma Central; Mr. Jefferson Sackey, Deputy Communications Director at the Presidency; Mr. Edwin Elikem Amenyeawu, Constituency Youth Organizer of the NDC and Hon. Ebenezer Nii Naa Nettey, the former MP for Ablekuma Central. The Durbar featured a captivating showcase of Hausa tradition and culture, complete with horse riding and other cultural displays. Its primary objective was to celebrate and promote the rich cultural heritage of both the Zongo and Hausa communities in Ghana. It also aimed to foster unity among Zongo tribal Chiefs and share the history and culture of various tribes within Zongo Communities. The Zongo community comprises diverse tribes, including Kotokoli, Moshie, Dagonba, Wala, Kusuntu Zabarma, Songai, Hadarawa, Gurushie, Mamprusi, Frafra, Fulani, and more, all united by the common language of Hausa. Notably, the Hausa language holds the distinction of being the first language broadcasted on Ghana Broadcasting Corporation Radio and is recognized as an international language. During the Durbar, critical challenges facing the Hausa communities and Zongo residents were addressed, with a focus on finding solutions for the future. Alhaji Alhassan Sule provided a brief historical overview of the Zongo community in Accra, emphasizing the importance of education and proper upbringing for children. Hajia Fati Alhaji Rashid, the Magajiya of Greater Accra Zongo Chief, called upon parents, particularly women, to prioritize their children's education and upbringing to ensure their usefulness to society. Sarkin Samiri Zongo Ankara, Alhaji Salim Abokin Ango, stressed the event's role in educating and uniting Zongo and Hausa youth regarding their culture, tradition, and history. Marafa of the Greater Accra Zongo Chief, Alhaji Imurana Adamu Bako, expressed concern about the treatment of Zongo residents when acquiring national documents such as passports and National Identification Cards. He appealed to the government to streamline these processes, citing awareness of the people's history and urging authorities to address this frustration. Hon. Ben Abdullah Banda, the coordinator for Zongo Development Fund, assured attendees that his office was diligently addressing these document-related challenges. He emphasized the need for educating Ghana Immigration on Zongo's history and urged Zongo youth to prioritize education for a brighter future. Ghanas shea industry generates employment and income for about a million rural women in northern Ghana. These women are mostly involved in gathering and processing shea fruits into butter. Many people across Ghana and beyond have developed strong taste for shea butter as a great cosmetic. The shea trees usually grow naturally in traditional farms. These are integrated with crops on smallholder farms, creating an agroforestry landscape resilient to climate change. However, the land in the savannah zone is facing a great threat with declining forest cover mostly due to conversion to agriculture, tree cutting for timber and wood fuels and bushfires. This poses a threat to the thriving shea business and endangers the livelihoods of many, especially women who heavily depend on it. Briwana Nape is one of the oldest female farmers in the community of Achubunyo in the Central Gonja District of the Savannah Region of Ghana. She and her colleagues are making efforts to contribute to restoring the degraded lands. Her community is one of the 20 communities that have set up tree nurseries to plant shea and other native species like rosewood, tamarind, mahogany, dawadawa, African grapes, kapok, and baobab to restore the degraded shea parklands in the Northern Savannah Zone. For Briwana, the benefits from engaging in the restoration efforts is self-fulfilling. This initiative has brought a positive change, enabling me to generate extra income to cater for my family, Briwana, who is also the womens leader in the Achubunyo simply stated. Encouraging Collective Actions for People and Planet The nursery initiative falls under the Ghana Shea Landscape Emissions Reduction project, being implemented by the Forestry Commission (FC) of Ghana, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Global Shea Alliance and multiple national and local institutions, civil society organizations and private sector actors. The project is being supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). As we join the Forestry Commission and UNDP on this project, our goal is to further promote public private partnerships between the upstream shea value chain producers and the downstream private sector companies to co-invest in measures needed to ensure the future supplies of raw materials and sustain livelihoods within the shea landscape, noted Mr. Aaron Adu, Managing Director, Global Shea Alliance. Through the project, women like Briwana and other farmers are working to address the alarming deforestation and forest degradation challenges in the zone. These women and the communities will also benefit from the investments being made by private sector partners in the shea value chain. The projects interventions are expected to reduce over 6 million tons of carbon emissions while improving the livelihoods of more than 500,000 people. I have joined my fellow women in this community to set up the tree nurseries. This initiative has not only brought in additional income but has also brought positive transformation in our lives, empowering us with newfound opportunities and possibilities, stated Yakuba Ketiba, a farmer and a beneficiary of the tree nursery in Walewale in the West Mamprusi District of the North-East Region of Ghana. Turning the Tide on Climate Change Trees are essential for a healthier planet as they absorb carbon, provide oxygen, and support biodiversity conservation. It is therefore important to forge partnerships with different stakeholders including communities in climate action to restore degraded landscapes. Nana Acheampong, popularly known as Zumanaa, is an old farmer and beneficiary of the forest restoration initiative in Kabampe in the Savannah Region of Ghana. He is working with both men and women in his community to restore degraded sections of the Kenikeni Forest Reserve, by integrating food crops with trees in his farm. I was given a 79-hectare land through the forest restoration initiative. I started planting food crops like yam, okro, pepper, and tomatoes, which do not only provide income but also feed my family at home. This opportunity has made a significant impact in our lives, ensuring a better future for my family, Zumanaa narrated. Zumanaa is practicing the Modified Taungya System (MTS) which is allowing him to integrate food crops with trees in the degraded forest and protecting the reserve with his family. The MTS has become a legally binding land lease arrangement in which farmers are considered co-owners of the plantations with the Forestry Commission. Apart from its environmental benefits, the MTS also serves as an additional income generation activity for the participating farmers. Our aim is to establish 25,500 hectares of forest plantations in severely degraded forest reserves and restore 200,000 hectares of off-reserve savanna forests. We are also working to restore 100,000 hectares of degraded shea parklands and remain committed to achieving these targets. We thank the communities for their great collaboration, noted the Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Mr. John M. Allotey. Fusing Innovation to Revitalize the Shea Tree The value from the shea tree is indeed enormous. But the women have a worrying issue, and this has to do with the number of years the shea tree starts fruiting. The shea tree usually starts producing fruits after 15 to 20 years. To address this issue, the project is adopting grafting as a new innovative scientific approach to reduce the maturation period of the shea tree from 15-20 years in the wild to 5-7 years. In this regard, the farmers are being trained to adopt the grafting method. Amishaw Alidu, one of the grafting training beneficiaries in the Lipga Community in the Northern Region of Ghana expressed excitement and is hopeful about the future. I have learnt how to graft a mature shea tree with a growing one and learnt that this would accelerate the fruition stage. I'm truly excited as this promises more early fruits and more income, Alidu added. The grafting innovation holds the potential to transform the shea industry and improve the livelihoods of those who depend on it. The project is aiming at grafting about 1.4 million shea seedlings, representing about 40% of the total shea seedlings, with an expected survival rate of about 70%. The voices from the field testify to the positive impact that can be made for people and planet through collective actions. We are dedicated to achieving the objectives of this project. By restoring degraded forests and shea parklands, this project leads to reduced carbon emissions while expanding income generation opportunities along shea and agricultural value chains for women and men in the community. These inspiring stories from beneficiaries reveal the transformative potential of innovation matched with collective action, noted Angela Lusigi, UNDP Resident Representative in Ghana. It is evident that we can make much more positive impacts if partners and communities unite and co-create solutions to protect the planet and livelihoods. This intervention is a demonstration of the power of community involvement and public-private partnerships in the fight against climate change. More of these collaborations will definitely advance climate action and sustainable development. 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. Invesco Municipal Trust is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Invesco Ltd. The fund is co-managed by Invesco Advisers, Inc., INVESCO Asset Management (Japan) Limited, INVESCO Asset Management Deutschland GmbH, INVESCO Asset Management Limited, Invesco Hong Kong Limited, INVESCO Senior Secured Management, Inc., and Invesco Canada Ltd. It primarily invests in investment grade municipal securities which include municipal bonds, municipal notes, municipal commercial paper, and lease obligations. The fund employs fundamental analysis with bottom-up security selection approach to create its portfolio. It was formerly known as Invesco Van Kampen Municipal Trust. Invesco Municipal Trust was formed on September 27, 1991 and is domiciled in the United States. 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. It provides its services to approximately 10.8 million subscribers. The Cable segment provides high-speed Internet, television, voice communication, and smart home monitoring services to consumers, businesses, governments, and wholesale resellers; and operates a transcontinental fiber-optic network that extends approximately 70,000 route kilometers, which provides voice and data communications and advanced services, including data centers and cloud computing to the enterprise, public sector, and carrier wholesale markets. Its service territory covers approximately 4.4 million homes. The Media segment owns the Toronto Blue Jays league baseball team and the Rogers Centre event venue; and offers television and radio broadcasting, multi-platform shopping experience, digital media, and publishing services. Rogers Communications Inc. was founded in 1920 and is based in Toronto, Canada. you are here: Shubham Raj has six years of experience covering capital markets. He primarily writes on stocks with special focus on F&O and PMS-AIF industry. Santosh Nair is Executive Editor, Special Projects, Moneycontrol. He has been writing on the financial markets for over two decades, having previously worked with Business Standard, myiris.com, Crisil Market Wire and The Economic Times. He is also the author of the popular book on Indian markets, Bulls, Bears and Other Beasts. Bulls seem to have turned strong after recent consolidation and pushed the Nifty50 above 19,500 mark. As long as the index holds the same level, 19,600 can be possible in the immediate term and then 19,800 can't be ruled out, whereas on the flip side, 19,400-19,300 range is likely to provide good support to the index, experts said. The market settled higher for the third consecutive session with the BSE Sensex rising 152 points to 65,780, while the Nifty50 climbed 46 points to 19,575 and formed a small bullish candlestick pattern on the daily charts with continuing higher highs and higher lows formation and holding above the downward sloping resistance trendline. "The Nifty has sustained a breakout from a descending channel on the daily chart. The trend will remain favourable as long as the bulls can maintain the Nifty above 19,440," Rupak De, senior technical analyst at LKP Securities said. A "buy on dips" strategy should be the preferred approach until Nifty falls below 19,440, he advised. He believes that the resistance on the upper end is positioned at 19,600, and if breached, the index could potentially move higher. The Nifty Midcap 100 and Smallcap 100 indices continued the upward journey, rising 1 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively to end at fresh record closing highs, while the India VIX remained favourable for bulls, falling 1.34 percent to close at one-month low of 10.82 levels. We have collated 15 data points to help you spot profitable trades: Note: The open interest (OI) and volume data of stocks are the aggregates of three-month data and not just the current month. Key support and resistance levels on Nifty The pivot point calculator indicates that the Nifty may be taking support at 19,539 followed by 19,525 and 19,501. On the flip side, 19,501 can act as the key resistance followed by 19,600 and 19,624. Nifty Bank On September 5, the Bank Nifty has seen consolidation within a narrow range of 250 points, and settled at 44,532, down 46 points. The index has formed a small-bodied bearish candlestick pattern with long lower shadow on the daily charts. "We believe that this consolidation has come after a sharp run up which is likely to break out on the upside over the next few trading sessions. Momentum indicator has a positive crossover which is a buy signal," Jatin Gedia, technical research analyst at Sharekhan by BNP Paribas said. Hence, one can expect trending moves on the upside. On the upside, he expects targets of 44,90045,000 from short-term perspective. As per the pivot point calculator, the Bank Nifty is expected to take support at 44,432 followed by 44,369 and 44,267. On the upside, the initial resistance is at 44,636 then 44,699 and 44,801. Call options data As per the options data, the maximum weekly Call open interest (OI) was seen at 19,600 strike, with 87.24 lakh contracts, which can act as a key resistance for the Nifty. It was followed by 20,000 strike, which had 78.84 lakh contracts, while 19,700 strike had 78.01 lakh contracts. The maximum Call writing was seen at 20,000 strike, which added 28.5 lakh contracts, followed by 19,600 and 19,900 strikes, which added 13.39 lakh and 9.66 lakh contracts. The maximum Call unwinding was at 19,500 strike, which shed 11.44 lakh contracts, followed by 19,400 strike and 19,300 strike, which shed 8.46 lakh contracts, and 4.47 lakh contracts. Put option data On the Put side, the maximum open interest was at 19,500 strike, with 1.34 crore contracts. This can be an important support for Nifty in the coming sessions. It was followed by 19,400 strike, comprising 1.03 crore contracts, and 19,300 strike with 85.49 lakh contracts. The maximum Put writing was at 19,500 strike, which added 54.34 lakh contracts, followed by 19,600 strike and 19,400 strike, which added 29.16 lakh and 12.04 lakh contracts. Meaningful Put unwinding was at 19,000 strike, which shed 24.48 lakh contracts followed by 18,800 and 19,300 strikes, which shed 2.48 lakh and 2.43 lakh contracts. Stocks with high delivery percentage A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in the stock. United Breweries, Infosys, Max Financial Services, Marico, and Alkem Laboratories were among the stocks with the highest delivery. 74 stocks see a long build-up The long build-up was seen in 74 stocks including Glenmark Pharma, Can Fin Homes, Coforge, Indian Energy Exchange, and Aarti Industries. An increase in open interest (OI) and price indicates a build-up of long positions. 20 stocks see long unwinding Based on the OI percentage, 20 stocks, including BHEL, Balrampur Chini Mills, NTPC, Hindustan Copper, and MCX India saw long unwinding. A decline in OI and price indicates long unwinding. 45 stocks see a short build-up A short build-up was seen in 45 stocks, including Delta Corp, SBI Life Insurance Company, M&M Financial Services, SBI Card, and Tata Communications. An increase in OI along with a fall in price points to a build-up of short positions. 46 stocks see short-covering Based on the OI percentage, 46 stocks were on the short-covering list. These included Torrent Pharma, Dalmia Bharat, Deepak Nitrite, Jubilant Foodworks, and Petronet LNG. A decrease in OI along with a price increase is an indication of short-covering. Bulk deals (For more bulk deals, click here) Investors meeting on September 6 Stocks in the news Jio Financial Services: JFS will be removed from the NSE indices including the Nifty50 from September 7, as the stock has not hit price band on two consecutive trading days on September 4 and September 5 at NSE. If Jio Financial Services hits the price band on September 6, the exclusion shall not be deferred further, the exchange said. Along with Nifty50, the stock will be excluded from Nifty 100, Nifty 200, Nifty 500, Nifty Energy, Nifty India Manufacturing and 13 other indices. NBCC (India): The state-owned construction company has signed an MoU with Kerala State Housing Board, for development of 17.9 acres land parcel of the board in Kochi. The project value is Rs 2,000 crore. Union Bank of India & Bank of Baroda: Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Union Bank of India and Bank of Baroda, to co-finance renewable energy projects, including both established and emerging RE technologies. Power Grid Corporation of India: The state-run electric services company has won the inter-state transmission system project on build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis in Rajasthan. It will build the transmission system for evacuation of power from REZ in Rajasthan (20 GW) under Phase-III Part H. HDFC Asset Management Company: Amaresh Jena has resigned as Head Marketing of the asset management firm, with effect from September 8. Amaresh resigned on account of unavoidable personal reasons and exigencies. Nila Infrastructures: The company has received work for construction of 1,694 residential flats in Wadaj, Ahmedabad, from Shree Infracon. The construction work is expected to be executed within 18 months. Vedanta: The Zambian government has agreed to return ownership of Konkola Copper Mines to billionaire Anil Agarwal-owned Vedanta Resources. Konkola Copper Mines assets have reserves of 16 million tonnes of copper. Fund Flow (Rs Crore) FII and DII data Foreign institutional investors (FII) sold shares worth Rs 1,725.11 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DII) bought Rs 1,077.86 crore worth of stocks on September 5, provisional data from the National Stock Exchange (NSE) showed. Stocks under F&O ban on NSE The NSE has added Delta Corp to its F&O ban list for September 6, while retaining Balrampur Chini Mills, BHEL, Hindustan Copper, Indiabulls Housing Finance, and India Cements on the list. Securities banned under the F&O segment include companies where derivative contracts have crossed 95 percent of the market-wide position limit. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Disclaimer: MoneyControl is a part of the Network18 group. Network18 is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary. 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 Roughly three years ago, June and Clyde Spero got a call from a company called Harvest Hosts. The Denver-based winemakers and operators of Spero Winery have spent their lives carrying on the traditions passed down to them by Clydes father, Gaetano. Gaetano immigrated to the U.S. at age 13 from Potenza, Italy and kept up the winemaking traditions of his hometown after settling in Colorado. Clyde continued carrying the torch when he planted an urban vineyard and opened the winery in 1999. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Harvest Hosts wanted to know if the winery was interested in a new business opportunity hosting RVers and van lifers for one-night stays. Now June and Clyde get to meet people from all over the country, June said. Their busiest hosting night saw 11 RVs on the same night, but typically there is only one guest at a time. Almost everyone buys at least one bottle of wine, if not a case, which provides a small bump in the winerys annual profits, June said. We had one man from California buy five cases, she said. He said our wine was so good and our prices were so good he was taking Colorado wine back to California. The sales are nice perk but not the motivation for being a host, June said. We are here to accommodate travelers if they just need a spot to stay overnight, she said. We are here for them. The Vail-based companys pitch to the RV community is to become a member, and in exchange get access to unique places that free parking lots or $30 campgrounds dont offer, all while supporting local business. On the heels of rapid growth, Harvest Hosts also took another step in its international expansion plans this year. CEO Joel Hollands road to helming Harvest Hosts began about seven years ago when he and his wife were living in D.C. Preparing to sell the tech startup they had at the time, and not sure what was next, the couple stopped at an RV dealership on a whim. We bought an RV and took off, and ended up spending two years traveling, Holland said. A study by the RV Industry Association in 2021 found a 62% increase in RV ownership in the past two decades, with about 11.2 million household owning an RV. The rigs were increasing in popularity among millennials and Gen Z, and about 22% of owners were between 18 and 34 years old. They drove through all 48 states, a journey that eventually put Harvest Hosts on their radar. The couple that founded Harvest Hosts had brought a concept from France to the U.S., partnering up with farms and wineries as sites to provide space for RV to stay overnight. Holland, with his newfound passion for RVs, made them a pitch. If they were interested in selling, he promised to take their company and make it better. In 2018, Holland took over. The company survived the pandemics tailwinds and tried to respond to the moment, knowing for many people, finding ways to travel during COVID meant returning to small towns and hitting the road. We kind of held on for dear life and were able to grow the network and membership substantially, he said. In 2018, Harvest Hosts had 600 locations and about 6,000 members, mainly in North America. Today, the company has amassed 9,000 host locations, including 5,000 businesses and churches. The remainder of sites are private properties. Membership is approaching a quarter million, Holland said. In Colorado, there are 232 Harvest Host sites, and about 41 within 50 miles of Denver. Hosts span from alpaca farms to ranches, cideries, breweries, and churches. Most members mix a Harvest Host site into their list of stays at campgrounds, Holland said. People who sign on pay an annual membership fee that gives them unlimited access to book stays across the country. They can search by location, or by route, and pick a spot for no overnight fee. Because most sites are businesses, the Harvest Host code of conduct asks members to spend at least $30 before they leave. On average, members spend $50, Holland said. This year, members are expected to spend more than $50 million at Harvest Host sites collectively. Host businesses bring in an extra $13,000 to $15,000 in revenue annually, Holland said, and Harvest Host doesnt take a cut. If you are in the middle of Kansas, you are lower. If you are in Denver, you are probably four to five times that, he said. Guests can only stay for one night and there are no hookups. They are using your RV as it was intended, Holland said. There might be sites, such as Walmart parking lots, where RVs could park for free, Holland said, but what Harvest Hosts tries to provide is a unique experience, a way to support local businesses, and a peace of mind that parking lot camping might not guarantee. Business hosts must have licenses and insurance. The Harvest Host team vets host applicants social media profiles for any glaring signs that they will not be a suitable site, and also relies on community feedback to monitor hosts and members conduct. Much like Airbnb, both hosts and guests rate and review a stay. If anything comes back and its subpar, our customer service team is all over it, he said. Holland wants more businesses like the Speros to sign up. The company has its sights on international expansion, acquiring Boondockers Welcome in 2021, a Canadian company that allowed it to incorporate private properties as hosts in addition to businesses. Harvest Hosts announced this year that it acquired a company in the U.K. called Brit Stops that has nearly a dozen pubs and farms in the U.K. as hosts. I think we will continue trying to push this model international, he said. Karishma Vaswani is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. 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 Howard Chua-Eoan is a Chinese American journalist and author. He is currently international editor of Bloomberg Opinion, the opinion and editorials side of Bloomberg News. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. Vodafone partnered with Amazons satellite connectivity company Project Kuiper, a move to use the latters low earth orbit satellites (LEO) to extend 4G/5G coverage for Vodafone and Vodacom subscribers in Europe and Africa. In a statement, Vodafone Group explained the LEO satellites can deliver 4G/5G connectivity to remote locations with little traditional infrastructure such as fibre or microwave solutions. Project Kuiper will connect geographically dispersed antennas back into Vodafones core telecom networks. This, the operator explained, enables Vodafone and Vodacom to offer 4G and 5G services in more locations with less time and expense compared to building fibre-based or fixed wireless links back to its core. As part of the partnership, the companies will also roll out Project Kuipers high-speed broadband services to tens of millions of people from underserved communities. Also, being explored are additional enterprisespecific offerings to provide businesses with comprehensive global connectivity solutions, such as backup service for unexpected events and extending connectivity to remote infrastructure. Vodafone Group CEO Margherita Della Valle said: Vodafones work with Project Kuiper will provide mobile connectivity to many of the estimated 40% of the global population without internet access, supporting remote communities, their schools and businesses, the emergency services, and disaster relief. These connections will be complemented further through our own work on direct-to-smartphone satellite services. Shameel Joosub, Vodacom Group CEO said: Collaborating with Project Kuiper gives us an exciting new path to scale our efforts, using Amazons satellite constellation to quickly reach more customers across the African continent. A more than US$40 billion boost for Chinas semiconductor sector could be on the way, as reports officially unconfirmed but widely reported suggest a new state-backed investment fund for the sector is to be launched by the country. This isnt Chinas only semiconductor funding initiative. However, if the US$41 billion target is reached (with China's finance ministry apparently contributing some US$8 billion), it will be the biggest by some margin of three funds launched by the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund. This fund aims to help China reach its national goal of achieving self-sufficiency in the semiconductor industry (as part of the Made in China 2025 plan) by investing in domestic semiconductor companies. Reuters cites sources that indicate that a main area of investment for the new fund will be equipment for chip manufacturing. As the news service points out, domestic investment in this area is becoming more urgent, not least because of US export control measures that have, among other things, limited China's access to advanced chipmaking equipment. That said, the fundraising process could take months and its not clear when the third fund will be launched or what form it will take. The China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, aka the Big Fund, has already provided financing to China's two biggest chip foundries, as well as to Yangtze Memory Technologies, a maker of flash memory, and a number of smaller companies and funds. However, Reuters says, despite those investments, China's chip industry has struggled to play a leading role in the global supply chain, especially for advanced chips. India's largest operator, Reliance Jio Infocomm, is said to be raising up to $2 billion in offshore loans with major international banking establishment BNP Paribas as lead arranger of an initiative that will help fund the purchase of 5G network gear from Ericsson. As Indias Economic Times reports, BNP Paribas will provide US$1.9-2 billion over a nine-month period. Swedish export credit agency EKN recently provided US$2.2-billion cover to Reliance Jio. This will insure Ericsson, and big lenders like BNP Paribas, from risk. This is clearly a very big loan and monetisation of 5G services is at least a year away, with widescale availability of a variety of devices not to mention revenue-earning use cases by no means guaranteed. Theres also the potential snag of rupee depreciation versus the US dollar. Jio apparently plans an overall 5G investment of about US$25 billion. Spectrum has already cost it about US$11 billion, which includes the 700MHz band of which Jio is the only holder. Local reports suggest that Jio is likely to achieve pan-India 5G coverage by December this year. It already claims some 50 million 5G users of services rolled out to around 6,260 cities and towns. Unlike its competitors, it is going for a standalone 5G network rollout across the country. In fact Jio boasts that it will be the largest 5G SA-only network operator in the world in the second half of 2023. Bharti Airtel, which started deploying its 5G service in India from October 2022, is using non-standalone technology. Reporter Andrew Roberto was raised his whole life on Saipan. He graduated from Saipan Southern High School, holds a degree from Northern Marianas College, and a BA in English from the University of Guam. He once worked for KUAM, UNO Magazine, and the Guam Daily Post. Sonora DMV office View Photo Sacramento, CA The DMV has unveiled a new program allowing California drivers to receive a digital drivers license on a cell phone. It is considered a valid form of ID at TSA check-ins at about two dozen airports in the US, including three in California (SFO, LAX, and San Jose). It is a pilot program that is limited to the first 1.5 million Californians who sign up. The state stresses that law enforcement officers, state government agencies, and businesses are not accepting digital IDs yet, so you cant use them if you get pulled over, or to buy tobacco or alcohol products. This, however, could change in the coming years. The DMV adds that usage of the drivers license will not be tracked. More information from the DMV about the program can be found here. Sacramento, CA A high-profile bill at the state capitol was approved in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, and it will now move to the full legislative body for consideration. Senate Bill 14 is authored by Central Valley Republican Senator Shannon Grove and would increase penalties for child traffickers by adding it to the list of serious offenses in the state. The GOP-backed bill stalled earlier this session, but it received new momentum after Governor Gavin Newsom got behind it. Senator Grove says, This bill has strong bipartisan support with 64 coauthors from both parties and both houses. Protecting victims of child sex trafficking should not be a partisan issue. Today is a victory for every survivor. I am confident most members of the Assembly want to vote for this bill, and thanks to todays vote they will have a chance. However, the fight to make the human trafficking of a child a serious felony is not yet finished and I urge every Californian to stay engaged until the bill is signed into law. Senate Bill 14 will go to the full Assembly sometime before the legislature adjourns on September 14. Poe: Go above and beyond in implementing SIM Registration law Sen. Grace Poe said authorities should go the extra mile in implementing the SIM Registration law to curb the continuous proliferation of scams. Poe issued the statement during the inquiry of the Senate committee on public services on the spam messages which continue to hound mobile users. Recent raids in alleged cyberscam hubs also yielded pre-registered SIMs with e-wallets purportedly used in illegal transfers of money. "Gumawa tayo ng batas pero mukhang nagkukulang sa implementasyon," Poe said of the law which she authored and sponsored. The panel head asked government regulators - National Telecommunications Commission, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Police Anti-Cybercrime Group, National Bureau of Investigation - about their moves to stop the scams. "Kung malikhain ang mga manloloko, dapat mas maging malikhain tayo," Poe said. "While we do not discount the warnings and notices sent by the agencies and telecommunications companies (telcos) to the public, we must go above and beyond if we are to combat this plague in our telecom system," Poe added. Nearly 114 million SIM cards were registered after the seven-month registration that ended on July 25. After the period of listup, Poe said unregistered SIM should have been deactivated. Those registered and are being used to scam the public should be traceable and blocked. "Karamihan ng mga SIMs na ito ay hindi pa bukas pero pre-registered na. Hindi maipaliwanag ng mga telcos kung paano nangyari ito. Hindi kaya inside job? Paano at saan sila nakakuha ng ganitong karaming SIM? Mayroon bang black market ng pre-registered SIMs?" Poe said. Under Republic Act 11934, she said that telcos are obliged to make available user-friendly reporting mechanisms for fraudulent calls and texts. "Many others do not want to go through the hassle of reporting. Hingan ka ba naman ng dalawang valid ID bago makapag-report sa NTC at telcos. Maraming Pilipino ang wala pa ring ID, dalawa pa kaya? Bakit mas pahirapan ang pag-report habang mukhang mas madaling mag-register ng SIM?" Poe said. "With tracing comes prosecution," Poe said, adding that the law has strong provisions to mete out penalties for offenses ranging from breach of confidentiality to submission of fictitious information during registration. "Walang maloloko kung walang manloloko na nakakapag-rehistro. Tulungan dapat ang gobyerno at telcos na matugunan ang krisis na ito," Poe said. Grace Mugabe, widow of former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, was in attendance at the inauguration of President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday. Also present was Bona Chikore, Mugabes daughter. The inauguration was also attended by Joice Mujuru, Zimbabwes former vice president under Mugabe. Mujuru was dismissed from her role in 2014. The presence of Mugabes widow and daughter at the swearing-in ceremony signals a potential warming of relations between the family and Mnangagwa. Tensions have existed since Mnangagwa, formerly Mugabes vice president, assumed power in 2017 following a military-assisted transition that ousted Mugabe. A low point in relations came in 2019 when the Mugabe family opposed Mnangagwas plan to bury Mugabe at the National Heroes Acre, the national monument built in honour of the former president. Mugabe died in September 2019 after a long illness. Grace Mugabe has kept a low public profile since her husband left office. Breaking News via Email THE fate of former police officer, Jaison Muvevi, who is accused of shooting and killing four people is set to be known this Tuesday, with the presiding magistrate expected to reveal the results of the accuseds mental examination. Multiple murder suspect Jaison Muvevi through his lawyer claimed to be mentally unstable which saw Harare Magistrate, Mr Dennis Mangosi ordering him to go for mental examination. The matter was deferred to Tuesday, to enable Mr Mangosi to go through psychiatric reports prepared by two different doctors. The development means Muvevis matter will proceed by way of determination after the outcome of the doctors assessments. Muvevi is facing four counts of murder after allegedly killing a Wedza quartet which includes a police officer. He is also facing two counts of attempted murder after he allegedly shot and injured a police officer in Wedza before shooting at another man in Mutare, whom he narrowly missed. After committing the alleged offences, Muvevi skipped the border to Mozambique where he was arrested and extradited. Breaking News via Email This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 48 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in the financial realm. Please join us and participate via our donation page, which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Read about why were doing this fundraiser, what weve accomplished in the last year,, and our current goal, strengthening our IT infrastructure. Yves here. It is hard to anticipate what the so-called Collective West will do when an undeniable proof of Russian success against Ukraine comes, such as Russia moving across largely open fields to the west bank of the Dnieper after crossing the final line of Ukraine defenses in the Donbass. The need to forestall that event may be why, as Alexander Mercouris has described, that Ukraine has apparently committed more resources to trying to retake Bakhmut (on the second to last fortified line in the Donbass, but by all accounts more defensible that the final one) than to its much-publicized and almost completely unsuccessful counter-offensive in Zaporzhizhia, which has now entered its fourth month. The US/NATO disinformation has become shameless, with Ukraine still not have succeeded in taking the tiny town of Robotyne as tantamount to piercing the Russian first line of defense. Until the need to portray Ukraine as making progress became desperate, that first line of defense had always been described at the very heavily fortified, so-called Surovikin line, no a place in the crumple zone where Russia dug some trenches and laid a lot of mines. I hope you will read John Helmers ruthless takedown of a new book about the Ukraine war Overreach by Owen Matthews, in full. It includes a delicious section suggesting the author is plenty spooky, since his pricey lifestyle is wildly out of line with what he could conceivably have earned from his claim to be a mere journalist, as well as dissecting Matthews sourcing. But given this book as yet another example of wild distortions to serve Project Ukraine, what happens when the propaganda edifice finally falls down? The west might resort to tactical nukes, which as Scott Ritter has repeatedly warned, out, equals the end of the world as we know it. But before, and hopefully instead, we are also likely to see even more extreme denialism than US officials and the press flagrantly moving goalposts to depict a failed Ukraine offensive as finally making progress (it was none other than the outgoing chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, who set off this disinformation campaign). Lambert and I discussed how its disconcerting to be left with no explanations for persistent dysfuntional behavior other than psychologize or worse pathologize behavior among the elites. Nevertheless, weve seen troubling case examples in the comments section of Naked Capitalism, with formerly sound readers going completely off the rails on a topic where evidence has piled up contradicting their belief, and they simply cant accept that, and lash out instead. I hope there are some sane people in the room when this starts happening on the geopolitical level. By John Helmer, the longest continuously serving foreign correspondent in Russia, and the only western journalist to direct his own bureau independent of single national or commercial ties. Helmer has also been a professor of political science, and an advisor to government heads in Greece, the United States, and Asia. He is the first and only member of a US presidential administration (Jimmy Carter) to establish himself in Russia. Originally published at Dances with Bears Doctors in hospitals for the criminally insane have reported that the sharpest pain patients with superiority complexes suffer is the belief there are others who are more superior than they are. Unless they are stopped, they kill to cure. US exceptionalism is a disease of this type. The American exceptionalists believe that if the US isnt conquering and victorious great again as in MAGA it is defeating itself because, they think, the US can never be beaten by a foreign adversary on the field not on the battlefield, nor in the marketplace, nor in the mind and on the page. So this is where the whitecoats arrive today: the Russian General Staff and the Stavka are defeating the Americans on every front, weapon system, intelligence summary, and mind. This has never happened before. Failing to see and understand this is delusional; those who kill to cure this arent all hospitalised. A book repeating the US, NATO and Ukrainian version of how and why Russias Ukrainian battlefield campaign began on February 23, 2022, is symptomatic, nothing new. We have no idea of exactly how the conflict will end, concludes Owen Matthews (aka Bibikov) in a fresh publication from the state-subsidised printing press of Rupert Murdoch. But we already know how it will not end. There will be no complete victory for either Russia or Ukraine. NATO is too invested to allow Kyiv to fall to the Russian army this war will eventually end with a negotiated peace.* Incomprehensible to Matthews is that the terms of the negotiated peace will be those of the Russian non-aggression treaties for the US and for NATO of December 17, 2021, and they will be dictated at the end of the war by the force which prevails. They will be as definitive as the German terms signed by the French in the Compiegne Wagon on June 22, 1940; and the American terms signed by the Japanese on the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. Instead, Matthews dismisses the treaties in two paragraphs, based on what Matthews says an anonymous British Foreign Office official told him in March 2022 was fantastical[they] simply did make any sensethere was nothing in it that NATO could possibly agree to. What preceded, and also what followed those treaties, was the doing, in Matthewss psychopathological terminology, of fantasies about anti-Russian fascists coming to power in Kyiv; paranoia over Western attempts to subvert and undermine Russia; and other lies and eschatological fantasies. At the centre of this madness, according to Matthews, is the single figure of Vladimir Putin, advised by Soviet-era fantasists and paranoiacs; on the point of paranoia about the [corona] virus; secluded and inaccessible in his Covid bunker; obsessed by pseudo-historical revenge and a kind of death cult; surrounded by the most deluded and most ideologically driven members of Putins entourage; and speechifying a set of unbelievably illiterate conspiracy clichesespecially when the former Marxists in the Kremlin sincerely believed that inexorable historical forces were on their side. There is no question in Matthewss diagnosis of who is in the madhouse, and who is superior. By the time I met [Vladimir] Zelensky in Kyiv in July [2022] he cut a profoundly impressive figure hard-eyed, emphatic in his speech. With unintended irony the reader wont take long to detect it the book is titled Overreach. Left to right: the book; the author; his wife, Zhenia Kravchenko, self-portrait; grandfather Alexei Kravchenko, an early 20th century Moscow painter whose Russian homes Matthews lives in when he is Russia. For an earlier version of Matthewss misrepresentation of Russias World War II history, read this. This time round Matthews wants readers to know how important he is himself. So important in fact that the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, once invited him to lunch, and the then-US Ambassador, now CIA director William Burns was a frequent guest at his wifes summer dacha where he told Matthews that Putins chief character traits were a mixture of insecurity and grievance. Matthewss wife, Zhenia Kravchenko, is a little-known painter compared to her grandfather, Alexei Kravchenko, It is his apartment on Povarsky Street in the Khamovniki quarter of the old city of Moscow, and his dacha which are Matthewss admission tickets to the upper-class Moscow world he displays in the book for the tusovka (in-crowd). This is upper class in the pre-Revolutionary fashion in which the members of the intelligentsia used to think of themselves and Mr and Mrs Matthews still do. In his pitch for promotion in the New York book market**, Matthews also trots out his Jewish credentials which, combined with tsarist military officers and Jewish money, ran down the babushka line. There were to be 11 generals in the immediate [Bibikov] family between 1760 and 1942It is with my grandfather, Boris Lvovich Bibikov, that my familys involvement with Ukraine comes into sharp, personal focus. His father Lev had scandalised his anti-Semitic family by marrying Sofia Naumovna, a wealthy heiress to a Crimean flour-milling fortune whose parents had, like many Ukrainian Jews, converted to Orthodoxy to further their social ambitions. Matthews omits to say if he has taken advantage of the Russian and Israeli passports for which these antecedents qualify him. Propaganda doesnt grow on trees. It is cultivated and is paid for. Who has paid Matthews? Hes not on the list of British government agents in the Integrity Initiative scheme although some of them endorse his books. He lists himself as a working journalist: Since 2006 he has combined the jobs of Newsweeks Moscow bureau chief and Istanbul correspondent He currently contributes regularly to Foreign Policy, Spectator, Daily Mail, Telegraph and The Critic. Where Newsweeks money comes from, and how much of it shares with Matthews, are unclear. Newsweek doesnt list Matthews as its correspondent in Istanbul. The Istanbul files for Newsweek do not reveal a single article by Mathews since 2006. The Newsweek Moscow archives has no article of Matthews since the start of the special military operation, or before it. Instead, the bylines are those of individuals based either in New York or Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to Newsweek, Matthews appeared intermittently between 1997 and 2018 and was never bylined from either Moscow or Istanbul. There has been no appearance in Newsweek by Matthews since September 2018. The other publications Matthews claims to have been writing for as a freelancer were not paying enough to support at least three homes, international travel, childrens school bills, expenses, and the lifestyle of Matthews membership of the Khamovniki upper class. The Newsweek publication file for Matthews stopped on September 17, 2018. Matthews claims he is represented by Northbank, a London PR agency, but Northbank doesnt acknowledge Matthews as a client. Following the money trail is one guide to the source of Matthewss propaganda. Another is his use of the credibility by association technique. For example, in the back-of-book acknowledgements Matthews wants it to be known that he has been having dinner, other hospitality, and fifteen minutes of celebrity with Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman; the late Boris Nemtsov and his daughter Anna Nemtsova; dacha neighbour and filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov; the ex-Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski, and the Alfa groups London exiles Peter Aven and Mikhail Fridman. Matthews has also extended the blind attribution method for sourcing pioneered by Bloomberg and the Financial Times in stockmarket promotions. What Matthews has done is to identify 143 anonymous sources one for every three pages whom he footnotes and lists in the reference section of the book as interview with the author, with place, month and year. The places range from Przemysl, Poland, to Istanbul, Kiev, Donetsk, London, Rome, and Moscow; not one of the 143 is identified as a US official or an American. Matthews and the Murdoch printing house have omitted an index from the print edition, which makes unravelling what Matthews has done, and with whom, difficult. From this known background and the unknown money supply, Matthews has distilled many more than the 107 standard lies in the Anglo-Ukro-American inventory itemised last month by Moon of Alabama commentator Arch Bungle Matthews has repeatedevery one of them. There are some novelties. He cites the Ukrainian Secret Service (SBU) as his source for several major findings without revealing how Matthews himself came by them; for example, he sources an SBU report for the claim that there were Russian military special forces shooting at protesters on the Maidan in January and February of 2014. The Odessa House of Unions fire of May 2, 2014, which killed at least 46, was provoked by a radical group of anti-Maidan protesters who had been taking directions from Sergei Glazyev, then a Kremlin adviser. The downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over the Donbass on July 17, 2014, occurred one day the Buk [anti-aircraft missile] had successfully downed a Ukrainian transport plane a combination of missile firings explicitly ruled out by Dutch military intelligence reports and unsubstantiated by US military satellites; Matthews doesnt identify his Buk firing source and ignores the Dutch and US evidence. Unreferenced Ukrainian military intelligence is also Matthewss standby source for such fabricated factoids as Russian Kalibr and Kinzhal missiles in their final descent on to Ukrainian targets light up the sky with their tail-flames; and that following US sanctions in March 2022 Russian factory production of T-72 tanks had to be suspended due to lack of processors. There is another novelty in Matthewss method; he calls it the shat cat. After all 414 pages of Matthewss Westminster School and Oxford University- educated English, it is odd that he doesnt appear to know the verb in English for defecation, or its past tense. Instead, when describing in unusual SBU-sourced detail the state of the Kiev residence of the deposed president, Victor Yanukovich, Matthews reports that a pedigree pet cat had been left behind when Yanukovich left which had shat on the carpets and upholstery after it was locked in the room. The book unlocks the Ukrainian room into which Matthews has firmly locked himself, revealing many such sphincter-type mistakes. The droppings include the report that Sergei Glazyev had been influential with Putin rising esteem and ideological closeness and that he had been promoted out of the Kremlin and into a post at the Eurasian Economic Union; in fact, Glazyev had been sacked by Peskov and other Kremlin staff; his new post was a demotion and banishment to political oblivion. The Nord Stream pipelines had been blown up on September 26, 2022, almost certainly by Russia itself, according to Matthews on page 129. But five pages later he wasnt so sure, claiming they had been mysteriously blown up. Then after another 150 pages, Matthews claims the mystery had been solved according to Swedish, Danish and UN investigators. It had been Russian saboteurs, he wrote, who carried out the operation in one of the most extraordinary acts of self-harm in the history of warfare. Matthews forgot to identify the Swedish, Danish and UN sources for this. Thats what creatures with pedigrees do when locked into rooms. Matthewss account of how and why Petro Poroshenko lost the Ukrainian presidential election of 2019 is more of the shat cat effect. Perhaps Poroshenko told the wrong lies, or failed to sell them convincingly enough. Or more likely Ukrainians were tired of years of war and confrontation with Moscow and preferred Zelenskys promises to bring peace to Donbas and reverse discrimination against Ukraines Russian speakers. At this point Matthews happened on the truth but he then forgot what had been Zelenskys election mandate when in secret he was arming for a Ukrainian offensive against Russia and the Donbass territories as ex-German Chancellor Angela Merkel and ex-French president Francois Hollande have admitted publicly to have been their NATO strategy. Matthewss explanation instead for Zelenskys reversal of the Ukrainian vote is Putins bullying (page 147), hectoring (page 149), and most fatefully, Zelensky also began strengthening Ukraines ties to NATO and accelerating its path to membership. To the Kremlin, it was further proof that Zelensky was Washingtons puppet (page 150). In Matthewss locked room, these were Russian fantasies, paranoia, plus shat cat a confluence of Western weakness in the aftermath of the humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan, the retirement of Angela Merkel as Europes senior statesperson, the electoral weakness of Zelensky and a revamped Russian army seemed to present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity[to] an elderly Russia over a young one, of paranoid Soviet-minded conspiracy theorists over a generation of post-Soviet, postmodern practical capitalists (page 158). After the special military operation commenced, Matthews was embedded on the Ukrainian side during the first days and weeks; his sources for what happened were either his interviews with anonymous Ukrainians, or the BBC, or the New Yorker. Source: https://www.latimes.com/ Central to the books argument is that the one-day Battle of Antonov Airport at Hostomel, near Kiev, between Russian special forces and paratroopers and Ukrainian defenders on February 24-25, 2022, was more than a costly tactical defeat for the Russians. The Russian failure to establish air superiority was fatal to their assault on Hostomel and would become a serious strategic weakness as the war progressed. Matthews claims to have Chinese and British military sources for his idea that there has been a strategic defeat of the Russian war aims, and this triggered a warning by Chinese generals to their counterparts on the Russian General Staff not to use nuclear weapons. This, plus a glimpse inside a secret Sino-Russian security treaty, Matthews claims have heard tell by a source who has regular personal contact with the leaders of the Peoples Liberation Army. Matthews footnotes this source in an interview he says he held in London less than a month after the special military operation had begun. The internal evidence is that this source is British, not Chinese. He may be the Downing Street official with direct knowledge whom Matthews identified two paragraphs earlier in his text, and also footnoted as having been interviewed in London at the same time. Alternatively, the source might be the chop suey delivery man to the Chinese military attache office on Portland Place in London. In Matthewss locked room there is no telling which, and no reason in evidence for believing either. He also reports a British Army source as telling him that Russian forces werent nearly so numerous on the Ukrainian border before their February 24 move as the US had been claiming its intelligence revealed, and the Anglo-American media had been broadcasting for weeks. Instead, according to Matthews and the British Army, Russian forces were operating at 60% of their official manpower levels, and had too few men to operate their machines. This is another of the reasons, according to Matthews, that the Ukrainians have been winning the war. The numbers of casualties on the Russian side Matthews exaggerates; he minimizes or ignores the losses on the Ukrainian side. Then he reports the US conversion of Russian battlefield defeat and positional stalemate into its opposite Ukrainian victory. The stalemate on the ground, Matthews claimed for May-June 2022, was about to be broken by an intervention by the United States not of men, but of game-changing military materiel. Matthews was talking about American M777 howitzers and HIMARS rockets which began to be shipped to Kiev. He also claims a UK source for his report that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu by telephone to reassure Shoigu that the US was not about to enter the war and that aid should not be construed as a military attack on Russia. Russian military drone video showing identification of Ukrainian M777 howitzer and its destruction. The footnote says interview with the author, London, June 2022. Matthews appears not only to believe that Austins reassurance was the truth, but also that Shoigu should have believed the American to be telling the truth. Matthews omits to say why the reader should judge Shoigu to be as gullible towards Americans as Matthews himself unless Matthews also believes that a man like himself who has had eleven Tsarist generals in his family since they lost the Crimean War to the British and French in 1856 is made of genetically superior material. This difference between fact and fabrication, truth and falsehood Matthews explains himself as the difference between the Russian and the Ukrainian sides, and between Matthews and everybody else. The truth doesnt make you free if you dont want to hear it (page 253) he says about the large majority of Russians who support the war and its aims. Any evidence to the contrary, Matthews excuses, comes from polling in a totalitarian state; also from Russian fantasies and paranoia. Matthews has confused a genuine point of difference between the two sides. Since the Battle of Antonov Airport, the Russians have learned from their tactical mistakes and errors, and adjusted their operational strategy accordingly. The Ukrainians and their US and NATO advisers have not. This is such a crucial issue for analysing how the war has been lost by the Americans first of all, it deserves a book. But Matthews cannot write it; Murdoch cannot print it; there is no bookstore in London or New York which will sell it. Overreach might even be its title, though without the irony. Matthews also misses who on the Russian intelligence and political side in Moscow made the miscalculations leading to the Hostomel failure; and what role the Russian General Staff has played since then to change the dynamics of the decision-making in the Stavka, subordinating President Putin, as he himself has conceded publicly. But to comprehend that this is what has happened, and that the Russian military success has followed, not from Putins personal direction but from his subordination to the collective decision-making of the General Staff and Stavka this is a truth flying in the face of everything Matthews and his paymaster wish to believe, publish, pay for. In his final pages Matthews quotes an anonymous senior UK military official based in Kiev, as declaring in July 2022 that the war has achieved the exact opposite of Putins war aims: the countrys [Ukraine] real military capabilities were bigger by a factor of ten than they were at the beginning of the war. Ukraine had a million men and women under arms, with thousands being trained in Poland, the UK and US in the use of NATOs most sophisticated weaponry. The British military advisor added: Thats not propaganda, by the way. When one side fails to learn, and characterises the thinking of the other side as mad, there cannot be argumentation in good faith. There can be no evidence-based research. This is the political point of book, although its not a reason to give Matthews or Murdochs publishing company money for it. The point, simply, is that in this war between the US and NATO against Russia, there is no longer any method for proving facts, the truth, either beyond reasonable doubt the criminal homicide standard in an Anglo-American court of law or on the balance of probabilities the civil fraud standard. In this war we are beyond the truth. Are we, though, beyond the point of peace? That is going to be the outcome of this war. If that peace is inconceivable to the likes of Matthews and the exceptionalists, it will be achieved without them. [*] In June 2023, seven months after Matthews had finalised his book manuscript, he told Pushkin House, which had just awarded him a $10,000 prize for Best Book of the Year: The most likely outcome [of the war] is a Korean scenario with a line of control and a barbed wire fence. Where the line and the fence would be drawn Matthews omitted to say. He also omitted to acknowledge that the US and NATO are now fighting to prevent the line and the barbed wire being drawn along the Dnieper River, between Kiev and the Polish border. On the west side of the line is where the American exceptionalists and those with uncured NATO superiority complex will live. This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 49 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in the financial realm. Please join us and participate via our donation page, which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Read about why were doing this fundraiser, what weve accomplished in the last year,, and our current goal, strengthening our IT infrastructure. Yves here. Readers were worrying over the last few days about the visible decline of birds in some of the areas in which they live. This article warns of one threat to the biosphere, that of invasive species. And thats hardly the only threat to diversity of birds and beasts. By Julia Conley, staff writer at Common Dreams. Originally published at Common Dreams As wildfires burned through 3,200 acres of land on the Hawaiian island of Maui earlier this month, ultimately killing at least 115 people and destroying the city of Lahaina, some observers noted that the dry grasses that colonial occupiers introduced in the place of Hawaiis natural forests made the fires spread faster than they would have if the land had been left intact. On Monday, a study resulting from nearly five years of research by experts from 49 countries revealed how the grasses are among thousands of harmful invasive alien species that have been introduced by human activities and placed communities across the globe at risk, with the human-driven climate emergency often exacerbating the negative impact of invasive plant and animal species. The report by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), titled the Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and Their Control, catalogues more than 3,500 harmful invasive species that are already seriously threatening nature, natures contributions to people, and good quality of life, with Indigenous communities facing the greatest threats. The harmful invasive species are among 37,000 alien species that have been introduced by human activities such as colonization and trade, and that number is now rising at an unprecedented rate, according to IPBES, making it likely that the species harms will grow. #DYK: Invasive alien species are one of the main direct drivers of change in nature? Check out this infographic from the @IPBES #InvasiveAlienSpecies Report, illustrating key concepts within the biological invasion process. https://t.co/Id0Y851aQI pic.twitter.com/bn3e7FsErg ipbes (@IPBES) September 4, 2023 The future threat from invasive alien species is a major concern, said Prof. Helen Roy, co-chair of the assessment and a researcher at the U.K. Center for Ecology & Hydrology. Thirty-seven percent of the 37,000 alien species known today have been reported since 1970largely caused by rising levels of global trade and human travel. Under business-as-usual conditions, we project that total numbers of alien species will continue to increase in this way. But business-as-usual is actually unlikely, continues Roy. With so many major drivers of change predicted to worsen, it is expected that the increase of invasive alien species and their negative impacts, are likely to be significantly greater. The accelerating global economy, intensified and expanded land- and sea-use change, as well as demographic changes are likely to lead to increases in invasive alien species worldwide Climate change will make the situation even worse. The report, which includes very significant contributions from Indigenous peoples and local communities, making it the most comprehensive assessment ever carried out of invasive alien species around the world, found that nearly 80% of the documented impacts of invasive alien species on natures contributions to people are negative, particularly as food supplies are damaged. The Caribbean false mussel, which researchers believe traveled from its native South and Central America to India via ships, has damaged local fisheries while the European shore crab has been blamed for the collapse of shellfish industries in New England. In addition to damaging peoples livelihoods, invasive species such as the Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegyptiitypes of mosquitoescan spread diseases such as malaria, Zika, and West Nile virus. The global economic cost of invasive alien species has quadrupled every decade since 1970, exceeding $423 billion in 2019. Invasive species are also a major driver of the majority of global plant and animal extinctions, and the only driver in 16% of extinctions recorded by IPBES. At least 218 invasive alien species have been responsible for more than 1,200 local extinctions, said Prof. Anibal Pauchard, co-chair of the study and an investigator at the University of Concepcions Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity. In fact, 85% of the impacts of biological invasions on native species are negative. Invasive Species have HUGE impacts #ipbes10 60% of recorded extinctions are due at least in part to invasive species Known costs are annually in the U$D billions, but likely in the trillions Costs are increasing 4X per decade Invasions have deep impact on quality of life pic.twitter.com/8gDlY82eHc Martin A. Nunez (@Martin_A_Nunez) September 4, 2023 For example, Pacific oystersintentionally introduced in the North Sea in the 1960s to compensate for the loss of Indigenous oysters and support commercial fisherieshave overtaken mussel beds in the region, affecting the seabirds that feed on mussels and microorganisms living between them. The researchers emphasized that having introduced invasive alien species to ecosystems around the world, humans have the power to mitigate the damage done by the species. The report suggests prevention measures such as border biosecurity and import controls, which have been effective in reducing the spread of the brown marmorated stink bug in Australasia, and public awareness campaigns such as Check, Clean, and Dry in the U.K., which encourages people to check their boating equipment for aquatic animals or plants before leaving the water, clean equipment thoroughly, and dry it before using it again. Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), said the report fills knowledge gaps that remain around invasive species, as the effects of over-exploitation, climate change, and pollution on biodiversity are relatively well-understood. By providing critical information on trends in invasive species and policy tools to address them, this report can provide a springboard to concrete action on invasive species, said Andersen. I ask all decision-makers to use this reports recommendations as a basis to act on this growing threat to biodiversity and human well-being. This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 155 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in the financial realm. Please join us and participate via our donation page, which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Read about why were doing this fundraiser, what weve accomplished in the last year,, and our current goal, strengthening our IT infrastructure. I am very sorry. These Links launched prematurely with just a few offerings and I had to relaunch them at the regular time. I dont know how this happened. * * * Can We Talk to Whales? New Yorker (furzy). We probably dont want to hear what they have to say. If I were a whale, I am sure I would give humans an earful. Conservationist group African Parks to free 2,000 rhinos from South Africa farm BBC The story of 'Doodlebug', an orphaned baby kangaroo who was found on the side of the road, a little baby about two months old. Tim Beshara and his mum Gillian Abbott who is a wildlife caretaker took care of him, and gave him a teddy bear for comfort, and he wouldn't stop hugging pic.twitter.com/dfE1JczKNb Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) September 5, 2023 Rise of the Goths Quillette (Anthony L) For Some Gen Xers, Skateboarding Is for Life Wall Street Journal (David L) Back to New Jersey, Where the Universe Began New York Times (Kevin W) Our Earth, shaped by life aeon (Anthony L) My late father hated Carl Jung. Should I shun him for ever too? Guardian (furzy). This person appears to have missed the bit in Jung where he argues that people dont truly individuate until both parents have died. The Aftermath of a Miracle Cure for a Rare Cancer Wired (Dr. Kevin) Medical-evidence giant Cochrane battles funding cuts and closures Nature (Dr. Kevin) Longevity: Weight loss may lower odds of reaching 90 by 51% MedicalNewsToday (furzy). Bad headline and probable false causality. Its UNINTENDED weight loss that is bad. And that often is the result of cancer or a hospital stay. Why all the Burning Man schadenfreude? Where do I start Guardian (furzy) Biden Approves $40 Billion Worth Of Drugs To Be Airdropped To Burning Man Babylon Bee Thomas Nagel Leader of the Martians: J.L. Austins War London Review of Books (Anthony L) Climate/Environment China? Stage set for a disagreeable ASEAN summit in Jakarta Asia Times (Kevin W) India India to Bharat: Changing the name of a country comes at a cost Economic Times A bit of a change from our regular programming (Chuck L): Africa Old Bligthy New Not-So-Cold War Imperial Collapse Watch G20 summit: US urges China not to play spoiler at leaders meet BBC. The US demands, erm, wants China to play nicely with us after the Biden Administration has been astonishingly hostile, including unheard-of rudeness at the 2021 Alaska summit, escalation, and Biden calling Xi a dictator? Biden 2024 GOP Clown Car Supremes Senator Files Ethics Complaint Accusing Alito of Scheme to Thwart Congressional Action Common Dreams (furzy) Our No Longer Free Press Woke Watch Jordan Peterson being professionally canceled for trans stance New York Post (furzy). Notice URL for original headline. The Bezzle Class Warfare Beware the new leviathans Unherd (Anthony L) Antidote du jour (Chet G): And a bonus (Chuck L): Lions enjoying the seapic.twitter.com/b1qGCcZQyM Enezator (@Enezator) September 5, 2023 See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Metropolitik is a recurring column featuring the Scenes analysis of Metro dealings. As of this writing, more than 30,000 people have voted in the citys runoff elections, almost doubling totals from the same early-voting period in the Aug. 3 general election. Tapping the coffee stirrer on the voting screen has become an errand this time around, especially at the top of the ballot, where Freddie OConnell and Alice Rolli have staked out neighboring territory in a mayors race that will finally end on Sept. 14. Rollis last big campaign was helping Lamar Alexander avoid an upset from Joe Carr (then a state rep, now Rutherford County mayor) in the 2014 GOP primary for U.S. Senate, a contest that ended closer than expected and notched a win for the kind of institutional conservatism that has marked her bid for mayor. Rolli proved in the general election that railing against crime and taxes can still get you pretty far in Nashville. In the extra innings, though, when a 12-person field narrowed to just her and OConnell, Rolli lost the soft, gooey middle where most of Nashville votes. Her talking points police and good government stayed static. A few blunders shifted her campaign further to the right when she needed to go in the opposite direction, and a pledge not to raise taxes has betrayed Rollis reductive understanding of city finances. A savvier campaign might have spun OConnell as a big-government advocate or a miracle for the far left or both at the same time. In order to beat the long odds, Rolli would need to run a more-or-less mistake-free campaign, wrote Stephen Elliott for the Scene last week. She has not. Instead, its OConnell who expanded, taking up the vote-rich territory left behind by third-, fourth- and fifth-place finishers Matt Wiltshire, Jeff Yarbro and Heidi Campbell, well-liked and well-heeled politicians whose mutually assured destruction split a combined 38,000 votes on Aug. 3. All three former candidates along with seventh-place finisher Vivian Wilhoite have endorsed OConnell in the runoff. In recent debates, the outgoing district councilmember made sure to highlight his support for the Metro Nashville Police Department, which his council has consistently furnished with new equipment, additional positions and facilities upgrades. A new mailer boasts his endorsement from Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall, now on his sixth term as Nashvilles local jailer, a direct counter to Rollis endorsement from the Fraternal Order of Police. OConnells four-bullet priority list includes his support for a renewed focus on safety in schools, a fuzzy line that gestures at Augusts blown state legislative session on gun reform. During the runoffs various debates and forums, OConnell has flexed his thorough understanding of how the city is run and lent credibility to the high-level fixes hes promised on the campaign trail. When he gets the chance, OConnell pushes Rolli further right, emphasizing the school board takeover she floated in June and her ideological alignment with the conservative state lawmakers who have repeatedly pissed off Nashville voters. OConnells subtle shifts in runoff messaging left Rolli little room to maneuver. When she does try to draw contrast like an impassioned speech at the Tennessean debate advocating for school resource officers, uniformed cops in Metro Nashville Public Schools who supposedly affect the likelihood of a mass shooting its not immediately clear that OConnell even disagrees with her. (When it comes to cops in schools, he does.) Hes also the one with kids actually in MNPS, a card the councilmember played at a debate a few weeks ago when he called out Rolli for sending her kids to private school. On license plate readers, Rollis chance to hammer OConnell for a recent no vote on expanded use of the technology, she allowed him to frame his vote as a responsible display of caution amid otherwise staunch support of MNPD Chief John Drake and Nashvilles police force. At times, OConnell even seems to pitch himself as a successor to John Cooper, eager to pick up projects like the East Bank and The Village, Coopers community safety roundtable. Such little-contested middle ground has also robbed the city of critical public debates about the most important local issues of the next decade, like corporate subsidy packages, the future of tourism, the role of charter schools in the public system, large-scale transportation projects, and housing density. Every week, the race feels less competitive in favor of OConnell. At the invitation of General Eirik Kristoffersen, Chief of the Norwegian Armed Forces, the NATO Chiefs of Defence will gather in Oslo from 15 to 17 September 2023 for their annual Military Committee Conference. The agenda will focus on strengthening the Alliances deterrence and defence posture. The NATO and Invitee Chiefs of Defence will take forward the decisions taken by the Allied Heads of State and Government at the Vilnius Summit in July 2023. In Vilnius, NATO leaders took major steps to strengthen NATOs defence and deterrence for the long term, across all domains and against all threats and challenges. Key to this are the Regional Plans geographically specific plans that are designed to deter and defend against the two threats described in the Strategic Concept and the NATO Military Strategy: Russia and terrorist groups. This is part of NATOs evolution from an Alliance optimised for out-of-area contingency operations to an Alliance fit for the purpose of large-scale operations to defend every inch of allied territory. In Oslo, the Chiefs of Defence will address how to make these plans fully executable, including with: More troops on higher readiness; Capability building and development; Adaptation of NATOs command and control structures; More enablement (logistics, host nation support, maintenance, replenishment and prepositioning of stocks, military mobility); More collective defence training and exercising. The Military Committee meets in Chiefs of Defence Session twice a year at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, and once a year a Conference is held by an Allied member state. The Military Committee convenes to discuss NATO operations, missions and activities and to provide the North Atlantic Council with unfettered, consensus-based military advice on how the Alliance can best address global security challenges. On a day-to-day basis, its work is carried out by the permanent Military Representatives at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels. Media Opportunities Saturday 16 Sep 2023 08:00 (CEST) Opening Remarks (Livestreamed) 17:15 (CEST) Joint Press Conference (Media present - livestreamed) with the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer and the Norwegian Chief of Defence, General Eirik Kristoffersen Note: Media interested in physically attending the press conference are advised to submit registration forms before Monday 11 September 2023. (download form docx) Imagery Following each event, photos, video and audio files will be made available on the NATO IMS webpage www.nato.int/ims, as well as on the MC Conference event page https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/events_218100.htm Social Media We will post the latest information and photos from the Conference on our official X account: @NATO_PASCAD. The Chair of the NATO Military Committee will be using his own account @CMC_NATO. The Norwegian Armed Forces will also post updates from the conference on their official X account: @forsvaret_no. Please use the hashtags #NATOMC and #NATOCHoDs when tweeting about the NATO Military Committee Conference. Media Enquiries Staffsergeant Aleksander Engborg Hage, Spokesperson Norwegian Armed Forces Tel: +47 93 63 01 11 E-mail: Aleksander-Engborg.Hage@fd.dep.no Lieutenant colonel Stine Barclay Gaasland, Spokesperson Norwegian Armed Forces Tel: +47 957 41 532 E-mail: stine-barclay.gaasland@fd.dep.no Ms Eleonora Russell, Public Affairs and Strategic Communications Advisor to the NATO Military Committee and International Military Staff Tel: + 32 471 61 09 55 E-Mail: russell.eleonora@hq.nato.int Commander Grzegorz Lyko, Deputy Public Affairs and Strategic Communications Advisor to the NATO Military Committee and International Military Staff Tel: + 32 477 570 746 E-Mail: lyko.grzegorz@hq.nato.int For more background information about the NATO Military Committee visit https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49633.htm Hypocrite climate change body wants ordinary Britons to turn off house heaters; ignore elites fuel-dependent private jets and yachts An independent non-departmental public body, formed under the Climate Change Act has been recommending that millions of British people do not turn on their heaters and radiators at night to help their government drive to deliver "emissions savings" and eventually achieve the Net Zero target. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) thinks that is better for Britons to "pre-heat" their houses in the afternoon when electricity usage is lower. This was a recommendation included in the sixth "carbon budget" paper, which sets out how the U.K. should reduce its emissions between 2033-37. "There is significant potential to deliver emissions savings, just by changing the way we use our homes," the dossier also states. "Where homes are sufficiently well insulated, it is possible to pre-heat ahead of peak times, enabling access to cheaper tariffs which reflect the reduced costs associated with running networks and producing power during off-peak times." The green quango also reported that by 2033 all newly built homes and up to half of those constructed after 1952 should be suitable for such pre-heating. Critics see how pointless this proposal is, especially since the "climate alarmists" have refused to open their eyes to elites using their most hated fossil fuel in their private jets and yachts. ZeroHedge's Tyler Durden even pointed out that CCC's Head Executive Chris Stark wants all ordinary citizens to turn off their electric heaters or heat pumps, which would mean a shift away from gas boilers, which Stark, a hypocrite, still has. "I have a gas boiler. I wish I didn't, but I live in a flat, and heat pumps are a very difficult thing to put in there," Stark told the Commons environmental audit committee. "The gas boiler guy who comes round and fixes my gas boiler it breaks very often tells me they will never work." What "walk the talk?" Stark seemed to imply. Meanwhile, the constant push of these globalists also ignores the fact that the power grid would not be able to take in the demand once the nation completely ditches the use of gas/fuel. Andrew Montford, the director of Net Zero Watch, told the Telegraph: "The grid is already creaking, and daft ideas like this show just how much worse it will become. It's clear that renewables are a disaster in the making. We now need political leaders with the courage to admit it." Moreover, Tory MP Craig Mackinlay, head of his party's Net Zero Scrutiny group, said: "It is becoming clear that adherence to judicable Carbon Budgets and edicts coming from the CCC are developing into farce. The Climate Change Act 2008 will require an amendment to free us from madcap and impractical targets foisted upon the population by long-departed politicians." Mackinlay further criticized that the latest push to "freeze people on cold evenings" only shows the truth that the dream of plentiful and cheap renewable energy is a sham. "I came into politics to improve all aspects of my constituents' lives, not make them colder and poorer," he told the news outlet. (Related: New York becomes first U.S. state to ban gas stoves, heaters in all new buildings energy grid to suffer as a result.) CCC's zero usage of heaters, radiators, and gas boilers to lower power bills? The CCC stood by its advice not to turn off heat pumps at night because "homes will still be warm, but bills can be lowered." It claimed that the move would be a demonstration of homeowners benefiting from periods of the day when electricity is cheaper. "Using electricity to heat a home opens the prospect of choosing a time when prices are lower, something that's not possible with a gas boiler," the CCC spokesman said, adding "Smart heating of homes like this also makes the best possible use of the grid and supports greater use of cheap renewable generation." The drive is in line with the United Kingdom government's plan to ban the installation of new oil-powered boilers from 2026, forcing all homes to adopt heat pumps. Downing Street has hinted it is now set to U-turn amid warnings the move would increase rural fuel poverty and put more strain on the struggling electricity grid. However, CCC still slammed No 10 over its "worryingly slow" action on climate in the latest report. The report included that the U.K. government's support for new oil and coal exploration and the expansion of airports meant Britain was no longer a global green leader, the Telegraph reported. Read more stories about the globalists' push to shift to renewable energy on GreenDeal.news. Sources for this article include: Telegraph.co.uk ZeroHedge.com Chinese military may have been in possession of COVID-19 bioweapons much earlier than thought, scientist says A leading vaccine scientist has uncovered evidence suggesting that the Chinese military may have actually had the COVID-19 virus months earlier than previously believed. Writing in The Epoch Times, Dr. Joe Wang noted that in a report titled "Potential Links Between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the Origin of the COVID-19 Pandemic," released by Office of the Director of National Intelligence on June 23, there was little new information for someone like him who has been closely monitoring this matter. However, on page 5, a noteworthy revelation emerged from the report: the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) had apparently developed a technique that effectively eliminated any discernible genetic modifications in SARS-like coronaviruses, leaving behind no detectable traces. Some of the WIVs genetic engineering projects on coronaviruses involved techniques that could make it difficult to detect intentional changes, the report said. The motivation behind the Wuhan Institute of Virology's (WIV) pursuit of such a technique remains a subject of speculation. It is worth noting that scientists at the institute had indeed been openly publishing their virus-related research, including studies on the "genetic modification of SARS-like coronaviruses," in reputable scientific journals. This suggests that they did not appear to have a desire to conceal their published work. However, it is possible that the published research represented only a fraction of their overall scientific endeavors, leaving room for undisclosed or unpublished research. The nature and content of such unpublished research remain unknown, leaving room for speculation and further investigation, Wang continued. Prior to the ODNI report, investigative journalists in the United States brought to light an intriguing claim in early June. According to their findings, three researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) named Ben Hu, Ping Yu, and Yan Zhu allegedly contracted COVID-19 in the autumn of 2019, making them potentially the initial patients of the disease. These researchers were purportedly involved in the study of SARS-like viruses and were conducting experiments related to "gain-of-function." Gain-of-function experiments aim to modify a pathogen's characteristics to examine its potential impact on human health. Such modifications can enhance the infectiousness or lethality of viruses, Wang noted further. The WIV denied such allegations. The recent news about so-called patient zero in WIV are absolutely rumors and ridiculous, Ben Hu told the journal Science in June. "I was hoping that the ODNI report would shed more light on the origin of SARS-CoV-2. It didnt, but a patent application I found through a web search strongly suggests that the Liberation Army (PLA) had the genetic sequence of the virus in its possession as early as September 2019," Wang continued. "This would fit well with the allegation that the three WIV scientists were infected by the virus in the fall of 2019." Wang added that it is "worth noting that the same allegation was made by the Department of Justice in a fact sheet published Jan. 15, 2021, which said the U.S. government had 'reason to believe that several researchers inside the WIV became sick in autumn 2019, before the first identified case of the outbreak.'" The initial instances of the unusual pneumonia, which later became recognized as COVID-19, were documented in Wuhan in December 2019. However, the Chinese Communist Party reportedly suppressed the news around that time, as it coincided with preparations for the Lunar New Year a period when the dissemination of negative information is typically discouraged, Wang noted. Whistleblowers like Dr. Wenliang Li faced repercussions for their attempts to raise awareness. According to official accounts, Chinese virologists did not have an opportunity to study the novel virus until early January 2020. Then he added: "I am a vaccine scientist who worked for one of the worlds largest vaccine companies for more than 10 years, and I spearheaded SARS-CoV-1 vaccine development in 2003. I was stunned by the speed these PLA inventors were able to not only study the new virus and develop and test a vaccine so quickly, but also put together a patent application in merely 44 days." China's military unleashed this virus on the world. That much seems crystal clear now. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com Science.org U.S. government illegally SURVEILLING targeted citizens to SILENCE their free speech The United States today bears almost no resemblance to what it was back when the founders first established it. The Constitution has essentially been nullified as the government illegally targets and surveils citizens as part of a society-wide assault on free speech and the First Amendment. For at least the past 60 years since the time when Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on Aug. 28, 1963, America's shadow government has been hard at work creating a prison-like society in which nothing ever really changes for the better, and everyone lives in constant and growing fear about what comes next. As of late, the premier divide-and-conquer tactic seems to be stoking a race war between whites and non-whites, as well as a political war between the right and the left. The military industrial complex profits by playing both sides of the war while the uni-party calls all the shots from their cozy enclaves in Washington, D.C. "[T]he oligarchy is still calling the shots in the seats of government power," wrote John W. Whitehead in a guest post for The Burning Platform. "[A]nd the government is still weaponizing surveillance in order to muzzle anti-government sentiment, harass activists, and terrorize Americans into compliance." (Related: Did you know that the globalists were scheming up the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "pandemic" at least as far back as the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001?) Since the 1950s, the U.S. government has been using COINTELPRO to domestically surveil and neutralize citizen targets across America MLK Jr. is one of many prominent figures who has been targeted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) under its COINTELPRO domestic intelligence program, which has been in operation since the 1950s. In order to neutralize domestic political dissidents, the FBI targeted and intimidated not just MLK Jr. but also Malcolm X, the Black Panther Party, John Lennon, Billie Holiday, Emma Goldman, Aretha Franklin, Charlie Chaplin, Ernest Hemingway, Felix Frankfurter, and hundreds of others over the years. It used to be that mostly famous people like these were COINTELPRO targets, but now anyone can find himself on the hitlist if the FBI decides that he is saying or thinking too much truth for the deepstate's liking. The world has come a long way technologically since the 1950s, too. Now, the FBI and other three-letter government agencies can spy on and surveil people through social media platforms like Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter), which are two of the biggest honeypot platforms in operation. Then there are all the surveillance cameras the government has slapped up on utility poles, traffic lights, buildings, and even people's homes. Whitehead lists the following as other surveillance apparatuses utilized by the government deepstate to keep an all-seeing eye on the public: "License plate readers. Ring doorbells. GPS devices. Dash cameras. Drones. Store security cameras. Geofencing and geotracking. FitBits. Alexa. Internet-connected devices. Geofencing dragnets. Fusion centers. Smart devices. Behavioral threat assessments. Terror watch lists. Facial recognition. Snitch tip lines. Biometric scanners. Pre-crime. DNA databases. Data mining. Precognitive technology. Contact tracing apps." On any given day, the average person in America is being spied on by not just one, two, or three different mechanisms, but more than 20. In nearly every possible way, Big Brother is watching people go about their lives and using the data collected to determine who is a threat. "Weaponized surveillance is re-engineering a society structured around the aesthetic of fear," Whitehead warns. The latest news about the government's assault on the First, Fourth, and other constitutional amendments can be found at Tyranny.news. Sources for this article include: TheBurningPlatform.com NaturalNews.com Pro-lifers call for shutdown of U.S. Attorneys office in D.C., along with FBI field office and federal court, after protesters were thrown in a GULAG For the "crime" of blocking an entrance to an abortion clinic, five pro-life activists now face up to 11 years in prison. And the government agencies behind their persecution are in the crosshairs of freedom advocates everywhere who want them all shut down immediately. Those who support freedom of speech and freedom of assembly want the Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney's office, a field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and a federal court to all be shut down for wrongfully convicting the five, who include: Lauren Handy, 28, of Alexandria, Va. John Hinshaw, 67, of Levittown, N.Y. Heather Idoni, 61, of Linden, Mich. William Goodman, 52, of the Bronx, N.Y. Herb Geraghty, 25, of Pittsburgh, Penn. A federal grand jury convicted all five defendants of both alleged offenses in a two-count indictment charging them with numerous federal civil rights offenses. For blocking the entrance of a "reproductive health care" clinic in D.C. on Oct. 22, 2020, the defendants were each convicted of a felony conspiracy against rights, as well as a FACE Act offense. "The defendants each face up to a maximum of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $350,000," reports explain. "U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who presided over the trial, ordered the defendants immediately detained as required by statute. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date." (Related: The regime of fake president Joe Biden is trying to force Christian doctors across America to become murderers of unborn human life, or else forcefully lose their medical licenses.) Trying to protect an unborn child from being murdered is a crime, but murdering an unborn child is not Evidence presented at trial showed that the defendants conspired to create a blockade at the abortion clinic. They all traveled there from various states to join together in blockading the facility, an act that they coordinated in a Facebook group. "According to the evidence, Handy, Hinshaw, Idoni, and Goodman forcefully entered the clinic and set about blockading two clinic doors using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes," reports explain. "Once the blockade was established, their activities were live-streamed. The evidence also showed that the defendants violated the FACE Act by using a physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with the clinic's employees and a patient, because they were providing or obtaining reproductive health services." Keep in mind that at the very same time these pro-life activists were trying to protect unborn human life, Black Lives Matter (BLM) terrorists were roving the streets of D.C. burning down buildings and hurting people and none of them were ever tried or convicted. These same BLM terrorists blocked traffic, which is similar to blocking the entrance of an abortion clinic, and even disrupted the movement of emergency vehicles that were trying to save people's lives by getting them to a hospital. "Add to that Antifa protesters who disrupt traffic and resort to violence while advocating for abortion, all while seemingly facing no real legal consequences whatsoever," reported Revolver. Photojournalist @fromkalen recorded footage of a group of #Antifa militants at the Los Angeles pro-abortion protest yesterday that devolved into extreme violence against police. Antifa came prepared with weapons to attack @LAPDHQ officers.pic.twitter.com/IdFKxIq79s Andy Ngo ???? (@MrAndyNgo) June 25, 2022 This was when the pro-abortion protest in Los Angeles on Friday night devolved into a riot. The violent extremists, aided by #Antifa in black bloc, shut down the freeway & streets. Here, they threaten & attack @LAPDHQ officers. Video by @fromkalen. pic.twitter.com/DkPde9y4Ud Andy Ngo ???? (@MrAndyNgo) June 26, 2022 The U.S. government has become Enemy No. 1 of We the People. Learn more at Tyranny.news. Sources for this article include: Revolver.news NaturalNews.com Rare summer rainstorm causes flash flood in Las Vegas Strip A rare summer rainstorm has caused a flash flood in Las Vegas . It flooded the Strip and damaged casinos. The flash flood also prompted reports of several people being swept away, with some reported as missing. The storm started on the night of Aug. 23. By 10:30 p.m. that day, videos posted on social media showed that the Strip was so badly flooded that it looked like a rushing river. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) reported that it had responded to several reports of people in distress due to the heavy rainfall. The LVMPD received several reports of people caught in drainage channels during heavy rain. The LVMPD responded to these reports to assist the Clark County Fire Department. (Related: Hurricane Ian DEVASTATES Florida; full recovery expected to take years.) According to the Clark County Fire Department, a rescue unit assisted one man out of rapidly moving water. The man told rescuers that two other people, one man and one woman, had been swept downstream. A later report from other witnesses revealed that a third person had been seen in the water. Fire department personnel were unable to locate any of them. The storm also damaged casinos and hotels. More videos showed a rain-soaked casino floor, which was later identified as Harrah's Las Vegas after the storm broke through parts of the building's ceiling. Harrah's representatives reported that while some ceiling tiles at Harrah's Las Vegas were damaged, the roof did not collapse. The damage only needed minor repairs. Meteorologist: Even small amount of rain can have drastic impacts on Las Vegas' urban desert environment However, all the damage and flooding were caused by a surprisingly small amount of rain. Clay Morgan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's (NWS) Las Vegas office, said only about half an inch of rain was measured, but even that can have "drastic impacts on Las Vegas' urban desert environment." The rain fell in "the most hydrophobic place imaginable," said Morgan. This is bad because when the entirety of Las Vegas is concreted over, there's no way for any of the water to soak into the ground. Meaning, all the water becomes runoff. This isn't the first time that a rainstorm has damaged Las Vegas casinos. Rain was reported inside several casinos following a major thunderstorm in August 2022. Two people had been found dead in a flood channel in Las Vegas after monsoon-triggered thunderstorms led to flash flood at the time. The first victim was found by emergency crews in a flood channel in the area of Giles and Mandalay Bay Road. A second victim was also found in a flood channel. At least two people have also gone missing this year after the storm that caused flooding along the Las Vegas Strip. According to storm reports from the NWS, the Clark County Fire Department responded to a call near Koval Lane and East Flamingo after a man and woman were washed away in the flood canal. First responders were able to rescue the man, but the woman was still missing. Another report revealed that police tried to rescue another individual from floodwaters on the east side of the city near Nellis Boulevard and Sahara Avenue but were unsuccessful. The person was last reported as missing. Go to Disaster.news for more updates on natural disasters in America and the rest of the world. Watch the video below for footage of a recent devastating flood in Beijing. This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Prepping 101: How to clean up your home after a flood. Survival 101: How to prepare for and survive a tornado. California farmers lose BILLIONS as atmospheric river rain storms continue weve lost EVERYTHING. Sources include: SFGate.com FoxWeather.com Brighteon.com More Titanic expeditions are planned despite Titan submersible disaster, but U.S. government wants them to STOP what are they hiding? There is a fight taking place between RMS Titanic Inc., a Georgia-based company that owns the salvage rights to the sunken shipwreck, and the United States government, which does not want any moreexpeditions to take place. Citing both a federal law and an international agreement that treats the shipwreck as a hallowed gravesite, Washington, D.C., wants RMS Titanic Inc. to back off and stay away from the site ever since the OceanGate Expeditions Titan submersible imploded. (Related: One of the reasons why the Titan sub imploded is because the carbon fiber used to build the vessel was well "past shelf life.") For many years, RMS Titanic Inc. has been showcasing artifacts collected from the Titanic wreck site at the bottom of the North Atlantic. Everything from pieces of silverware to pieces of the Titanic's hull is included in the company's exhibits but no longer. What do you think: should the Titanic remain undisturbed from here on out? According to reports, the U.S. government's order against RMS Titanic Inc. has nothing to do with the Titan tragedy, which occurred in June, killing five people but is this really the truth? It would seem as though something has changed ever since the Titan imploded, and suddenly the feds do not want anyone going back down there, including a company that holds the rights to not only go back down there but also to collect artifacts for exhibition. The battle has reached the U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Va., which oversees salvage matters relating to the Titanic. The U.S. government claims that federal law and a pact that was made with Great Britain to treat the sunken Titanic as a memorial overrule RMS Titanic Inc.'s planned endeavors. "The U.S. argues that entering the Titanic's severed hull or physically altering or disturbing the wreck is regulated by federal law and its agreement with Britain," reported WCVB. "Among the government's concerns is the possible disturbance of artifacts and any human remains that may still exist." In recently filed court documents, U.S. lawyers argued that RMS Titanic Inc. is "not free to disregard this validly enacted federal law, yet that is its stated intent," adding that to let the company proceed with its expeditions would render the Titanic "deprived of the protections Congress granted it." The company's next-planned expedition is slated for May of 2024, during which it plans to take pictures of the entire wreck, including "inside the wreck where deterioration has opened chasms sufficient to permit a remotely operated vehicle to penetrate the hull without interfering with the current structure." As long as an artifact is not still physically attached to the wreckage, RMS Titanic Inc. says it will carefully collect it. "At this time, the company does not intend to cut into the wreck or detach any part of the wreck," the company indicated in a statement. Despite promising to also "work collaboratively" with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to ensure the expedition goes smoothly and aligns with federal law and the international pact, RMS Titanic Inc. has reached a dead end with the U.S. government. Why, do you think, is the U.S. government suddenly concerned to this extreme extent about any more private vessels trekking down to the Titanic? Is there disturbing evidence down there pertaining to the Titan that Big Brother does not want us to know about or see? "The company will continue its work, respectfully preserving the memory and legacy of Titanic, her passengers and crew for the future generations," RMS Titanic Inc. said in a statement about its plans to continue with the mission regardless. The U.S. government is notorious for lying to the public and trying to cover up truth. Learn more at Fascism.news. Sources for this article include: WCVB.com NaturalNews.com Top 8 realms of DISINFORMATION coming from Liberals, Leftists, and the Lobotomized President Disinformation is purposeful misinformation and there is no doubt that the majority of it comes from the political Left in this country, which also controls the majority of all printed, online, and broadcasted information. There are many motives for disseminating disinformation, including political, economical, social, financial, etc. It is worth noting that most of the disinformation specialists accuse those in truth media and independent media of being the ones who are spreading misinformation and disinformation, but that is mainly because truth media properly called out fake news for it for years, and this is their cover story. In the disinformation world, it is believed that humans can barely remember anything, and that's why it is very easy to discredit most of the fake news disinformation rather easily. Take the climate change Ponzi scheme, for example. Remember just a few years ago it was called "global warming" by everyone who ran the scam and all those who took the bait, hook-line-and-sinker. After it was revealed by truth media, the disinformation kings had to re-brand it to "climate change" because the numbers, statistics, and "science" just did not add up... plus NASA got caught warping, fudging and faking statistics. Top 8 realms of disinformation coming from the extremists, also known as liberals, leftists, and the lobotomized fake "president" Disinformation Realm #1. Climate change is real, caused by humans, and thus can be fixed by humans, quickly. Disinformation Realm #2. Males and females can switch genders via surgery and hormone pills. Disinformation Realm #3. Social media is real and is very important for social life, politics, and news. Disinformation Realm #4. Mainstream media reports the truth about war, safety, and health matters. Disinformation Realm #5. All straight white people are racists, bigots, gay-bashers, and hate all immigrants. Disinformation Realm #6. BLM and Antifa fight for peace, equality, and human rights. Disinformation Realm #7. Everything transgender and queer is good for humanity, teens, children, and babies. Disinformation Realm #8. Biden won the election fair and square in 2020, but Trump cheated in 2016. Like never before, we saw some of the worst, most violent and destructive protests on planet earth happen once Trump took office. Antifa (pro-fascist group) and BLM (Black Lives Matter so destroy everything to prove it group) took to the streets of metropolitan cities and raped, pillaged, burned, robbed, looted, beat down innocent people, killed, and attacked police everywhere. Mass media called it "peaceful protests" and edited out as much as possible from their coverage, while sometimes we still saw burning cop cars in the background, and looted stores that ended up filing bankruptcy. For four solid years, it was the most blatant display of disinformation across all media, including social media, YouTube, and every mainstream newspaper. Then came the scamdemic. The ultimate plandemic. The "gain of function" Fauci flu from the Wuhan lab "escaped" and fake news MSM said it all started because some folks at a wet market in China ate some infected bat meat, then got on cruise boats to Italy, San Francisco and New York. Oops. That was literally the mainstream narrative, as long as they could hold onto it. Talk about disinformation. Then came the masks, the lockdowns, the social distancing, and the deadly, dirty clot shots. The disinformation campaign is a war on information, and it's turning Americans into brainwashed zombies, just like the fake and lobotomized Resident Biden. Take heed. Do your own research and dont use Google. Try the search engine Brave BETA and get more truth news and real information. Bookmark Censored.news to your favorite websites for truth news that's being censored from the rest of media as you read this. Sources for this article include: NaturalNews.com Censored.news ZeroHedge.com Trump has garnered sympathy and support from African American community after the release of his mug shot Former President Donald Trump, who is facing over a dozen felony charges over alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, stunned Democrats when his recent indictment and subsequent booking gained sympathy and support from the African American community For years, Democrats envisioned a scenario where the legal troubles of Trump would spell the end of his political career, and his mug shot would be the symbol of his downfall. However, the reality has turned out quite differently. The indictment, which seemed designed for maximum political damage, has inadvertently rallied not only the traditional supporters of Trump but has also galvanized black people who see parallels between his arrest and the mistreatment of their race within the criminal justice system. (Related: Never let a good crisis go to waste: Trump turns mug shot into a potent fundraising tool.) The unexpected support began with people identifying themselves as "Blacks for Trump" and "Niggas for Trump" gathering near the Fulton County Jail. This was followed by scenes of black people lining the streets to cheer on the motorcade of Trump while chanting, "Free Trump!" The groundswell of support was not limited to physical demonstrations but also extended to social media platforms, where hashtags like #Trump2024 gained traction within the African American community. Based on the statements and social media posts of the black supporters of Trump, they believe in the idea that the experience of the former president with the justice system resonates with their own perceptions of racial bias and unfair treatment. Some blacks even believe that the booking made Trump more relatable. "Trump is a brother now. I'm sorry, you go to jail in Zone 6 Atlanta, you a brotha." This sentiment has led to a sense of connection, with some believing that "every real nigga got to go to jail at least one time." Recent polls prove the increasing support of African American community for Trump The support of the black community does not end on social media and in the streets. This hype is clearly backed by evidence from the comparison of recent polls and those from 2020 conducted by different organizations. Back in the 2020 elections, Trump only secured 12 percent of the black vote compared to the overwhelming 87 percent vote of President Joe Biden. However, a series of national polls conducted this month revealed a drastic change, with Trump's support increasing among black voters and Biden's shrinking. For instance, in the Fox News poll conducted from August 11-14, only 61 percent of black voters supported Biden, while 20 percent backed Trump. Similarly, a Quinnipiac University national poll released on August 16 showed a diminished 73 percent of black voter support for Biden while Trump enjoyed a 20 percent backing. These figures have been mirrored in other polls, signaling a remarkable shift in public sentiment. Now, the sudden surge of Trump's popularity among black voters has led to mixed reactions across the political spectrum. Many liberals, who initially greeted the release of the mug shot with excitement, are now grappling with what some are calling an "enormity of their error." Even political experts and prominent media personalities stated that even a modest increase in support from the black community could potentially sway the outcome of the election. Megan Garber, a staff writer for the Atlantic, wrote in her article, "The Mugshot is a Warning," that the photo was "supposed to be an exercise in humility." She wrote: "In the portrait it is a portrait, in the end Trump glares directly into the camera. He seethes. He glowers. He turns in a studied performance. Photos like this are typically exercises in enforced humility. Trump's is a display of ongoing power. He treats his mug shot as our menace." Similarly, Stephen Collinson, a reporter for CNN Politics, wrote in his analysis that the ability of Trump to leverage every aspect of his legal struggles fuels his political appeal. Collinson claimed that Trump could turn his legal woes into power and proved it when the former president immediately shared his booking photo on his Truth Social network to re-engage his social media followers. "For any other politician, a mugshot would be the end. For Trump, it's a springboard," Collinson stated. Learn more about the political persecution of Trump at Trump.news. Watch this episode of "Brighteon Broadcast News" as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, discusses Trump's indictment and his defiance against tyranny. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Georgia indictment joins totalitarian tradition of mass trials of political opposition. Former House Speaker Gingrich says Trumps Georgia INDICTMENT was a HIT ordered by D.C. Washingtons whoo-hoo moment: Trump indictment coverage borders on the indecent. Bidens Justice Department might file a THIRD INDICTMENT against Donald Trump. Former Arizona AG: Trump indictment an example of weaponized government bureaucracy. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com Messenger.com TheAtlantic.com CNN.com UN launching cyber ARMY to aggressively push Agenda 2030 while suppressing everything they label disinformation The United Nations Peacekeeping division has launched a program to recruit a "digital army" of young people whose job it will be to detect "false information" online and replace it with "real facts." Known as Kinshasa, the program was designed to appeal to people like Blessing Kasasi, a 15-year-old "women's and children's rights activist" who was trained in Kinshasa alongside 30 other young people from a relay club who gathered back in June to learn about how to censor content. "The objective was to build their capacities in the fight against disinformation, which is taking on worrying proportions on social networks," the UN says about the program. At the training, young people like Himlish Nketani Nsiala, a law student at the Catholic University of Congo (Universite Catholique du Congo), were brainwashed into the art of presenting the "news" the way the UN wants it to be presented. "There is no point in taking an image broadcast for just purposes, diverting it from its context and manipulating it in order to harm," Nsiala is quoted as saying about the "fact checking" operation and what it aims to do. (Related: While the world is distracted with endless bickering about "lab leaks," the World Health Organization [WHO] is gearing up to become a global health dictatorship.) UN "fact checkers" being taught how to better brand and market "attractive video content to fight disinformation on the Web" Another module developed specifically by Giscard Mido, one of the two trainers in the Digital Marketing segment of the UN program, aims to teach children how to create propaganda videos promoting their "fact checking" efforts. "How to create attractive video content to fight disinformation on the Web?" is the theme of Mido's module, which further discusses how the telephone can be used to help reverse the trend of "fake news," which the UN says "abounds on the web." "To this end, the participants were provided with the mechanisms for collecting, processing and disseminating verified news, in particular on the importance of cross-checking information and verifying them at the source," the UN announced. MONUSCO, which is the name of the "fact checking" work being done by the UN Mission in the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), will provide child attendees with the "essential tools" they need to create video and other content, including by equipping their smartphones with editing software. The Congolese population is the main target of MONUSCO's efforts to fight the spread of "disinformation," which the UN says "has already caused several damages, with their harmful consequences within the communities." By equipping young people with not just video editing but also video shooting and photojournalism skills, the UN through MONUSCO believes it will make great strides towards sanitizing the internet of all information that the UN and its backers deem to be "false." "These practices are used as a weapon of war to undermine MONUSCO's peace efforts in the DRC," said Prof. Guillaume Kingh-Farel, the other trainer involved with the program, who is focusing on how to take on social media networks. Using special "fake news" detection techniques, the trainees involved with the program will be able to not only provide defense against fake news, but also offense against its viral spread online. There are also efforts in play to push "truthful" information on social media networks by "simultaneously spreading objective and credible information" at the very same time that "fake news" starts to go viral. "The relay club is a structure made up of young volunteer students who have understood the need to counter the virality of false information by disseminating good and true information to a wider audience," the UN says. Will the world even be recognizable in the year 2030? Learn more at Collapse.news. Sources for this article include: Peacekeeping.UN.org NaturalNews.com In private, Mark Zuckerberg admitted that mRNA covid jabs basically modify peoples DNA and RNA but on Facebook, he censored doctors and scientists for sharing this truth Damning new information has come to light showing a major disparity between what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was saying inabout Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) "vaccines" during the "pandemic" and what he and his company were doingto censor users who attempted to tell the deadly truth about them. Early on before Operation Warp Speed had even been launched and the jabs were still just being talked about by then-President Donald Trump as a soon-to-come "cure" for the Fauci Flu, Zuckerberg told Facebook executives in a private meeting that they needed to be cautious about mRNA injections because "we just don't know the long-term side effects of basically modifying people's DNA and RNA." You can watch a video clip, as retrieved by Project Veritas, of Zuckerberg uttering these words below: #1 Mark Zuckerberg privately told Facebook execs to be cautious about mRNA vaccines because "we just don't know the long-term side effects of basically modifying people's DNA and RNA." He then censored scientists, doctors, and mRNA vaccine-injured individuals. pic.twitter.com/IEN8nyNSFX KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) July 6, 2023 As Zuckerberg was expressing these concerns internally, his Facebook social media platform was actively censoring and blocking doctors, scientists, and even mRNA jab-injured individuals from saying many of the same things that Zuckerberg was saying internally. (Related: Back in May, we reported that Facebook censored a censorship report that names the company 31 times as an offender against free speech and the First Amendment.) Zuckerberg approached Fauci to share "ideas of ways we could help you get your message out" Not only is Zuckerberg a hypocrite on this matter, but he also played an active role in supporting the spread of Tony Fauci's disinformation and lies about the jabs across his social media platform. "I wanted to send a note of thanks for your leadership and everything you're doing to make our country's response to this outbreak as effective as possible," Zuckerberg wrote in an email to Fauci dated March 15, 2020. "I also wanted to share a few ideas of ways we could help you get your message out, but I understand you're incredibly busy, so don't feel a need to reply unless these seem interesting." "This isn't public yet, but we're building a Coronavirus Information Hub that we're going to put at the top of Facebook for everyone (200+ million Americans, 2.5 billion people worldwide." That Coronavirus Information Hub, we now know, played a big part in keeping a lid on the truth, which was not allowed to spread on Facebook due to Zuckerberg's influence. After it became obvious that many people were becoming seriously injured or dying from the Operation Warp Speed drug injections, Zuckerberg banned numerous vaccine injury support groups that had hundreds of thousands of members, claiming that their jab injuries constituted "malinformation." Zuckerberg also banned George Hu's vaccine injury support group specifically after Hu, a software engineer who created Washington's Covid Vaccine website, developed tinnitus after getting jabbed. "Some people think this is misinformation, but this is the truth," Hu said at the time. "It is actually happening." Zuckerberg further bragged to Joe Rogan that Facebook censored the Hunter Biden laptop story in the lead-up to the stolen 2020 election based on a request from the FBI. "This is tantamount to rigging a U.S. presidential election that was determined by only 44,000 votes in three swing states," noted KanekoaTheGreat in a tweet. Zuckerberg also funneled $440 million into a phony non-profit group called CTCL that then handed the money over to government election officials to engage in election and voter fraud. Many of the figureheads who publicly supported and pushed covid injections were worried about or opposed to them in private. Learn more at Deception.news. Sources for this article include: TheReaderApp.com Newstarget.com A CLOSER LOOK at the Censorship Industrial Complex and how it aims to control ALL SPEECH across the entire world Through a public records request, the Functional Government Initiative (FGI) has obtained critical documents providing a much clearer picture of how the so-called Censorship Industrial Complex operates and it ain't pretty. Before the Censorship Industrial Complex even existed, it was the military industrial complex that was waging war on its opposition, using bombers rather than the algorithms that the newfangled Censorship Industrial Complex uses. "The players aren't Raytheon and Boeing, but social media companies, tech startups, and universities and their institutes," writes Real Clear Wire's Pete McGinnis about what the Censorship Industrial Complex is and entails. "The foes to be dominated are American citizens whose opinions diverge from government narratives on issues ranging from COVID-19 responses to electoral fraud to transgenderism." A few months back when the Censorship Industrial Complex was first outed as a thing, its key players tried to claim that they were just private entities acting in accordance with their First Amendment rights, and all to protect "democracy." It turns out, however, that they were really just "quasi-federal actors," to quote McGinnis, in disguise. The requested documents came from the Cybersecurity Advisory Committee of the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Agency (CISA), the members of which met so often and worked so closely with their government handlers "that the federal liaison to the committee regularly offered members his personal cell phone and even reminded them to use the committees Slack channel," McGinnis notes. "Your average concerned citizen doesn't have a Homeland Security bureaucrat on speed dial." What, exactly, were these people working on, you might be asking? They were constructing a subcommittee on "social listening" and "monitoring" that would be used to address the perceived threat of mis-, dis-, and mal-information online. At its start, as we previously reported, CISA was supposed to be about responding to misinformation campaigns from foreign actors. Over time, it evolved into dealing with domestic "threats." (Related: Check out the top seven organizations behind the Censorship Industrial Complex.) "Democracy," in CISA's context, means whatever the government claims is true (and false) It sounds nice to state that the purpose of CISA is to protect "democracy" from bad actors both foreign and domestic, but in reality, what they mean is that they want to protect themselves and their agenda they meaning those occupying high-level government positions. Time and time again, it was discussed at CISA that American citizens need to be spied on and surveilled just as much as foreign actors when it comes to protecting the "homeland" against misinformation. This eventually spilled over into social media platforms, search engines, and of course "news" websites. When the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) came along, it was suddenly a top priority to address "dangerously inaccurate health advice," including from licensed doctors who happen to disagree with the government's assessment of things. Aside from a few hiccups, including the creation and deconstruction of fake president Joe Biden's Disinformation Governance Board (DGB), which did not go over so well among the public, the Censorship Industrial Complex is still going strong, drawing in support from the private sector, academia, and of course governments. Other allies include organizations with a "progressive civil rights" bent, which are being tasked with leading the charge against "misinformation" so as to veil the government itself as the true culprit behind this massive censorship operation. "A government committee that seeks partisan allies, obfuscates its purpose, and can't even be honest about the nature of its members' participation is going to sort out online truth for Americans? Welcome to the Censorship Industrial Complex," McGinnis concludes in an article about the subject. Censorship is counterintuitive to the First Amendment. Learn more at Censorship.news. Sources for this article include: RealClearWire.com NaturalNews.com Right on cue, CNBC starts pushing nationwide MASKING for COVID despite the fact that MASKS DONT WORK Like some kind of early 2020 deja vu,, the fake news giant of finance, is spreading lies and misinformation about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) to try to force all of America back into face masks. Writer Annika Kim Constantino claims that COVID "cases and hospitalizations" across the United States are rising, as are the number of new "variants." Because of this, CNBC believes that Americans should once again slap on a mask, even if they already got "vaccinated." "People infected with Covid should wear masks [sic] around others to prevent the spread of the virus," Constantino commanded. "For those not infected, the decision to mask depends on a few things. That includes your personal risk level, Covid rates in your region and who you might make contact with," she added, citing unnamed "experts." (Related: Did you know that the earliest deaths from "COVID" in Australia occurred exclusively in the "fully vaccinated?") The COVID charade is so worn out will they EVER stop with this nonsense? Constantino's piece goes on to rehash the same flawed advice from more than three years ago when government officials tried to scare the elderly, the immunocompromised, and others into fearing fresh air. In her view, people who consider themselves to be at "high risk of serious illness" should consider covering their breathing holes with cloth or plastic to prevent oxygen from getting inside. "That applies to elderly adults and people with diabetes, cancer, HIV, a history of heart disease or stroke or other immunocompromising conditions," Constantino wrote, citing official guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CNBC also brought in a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health professor by the name of Andrew Pekosz who reiterated the official government claims from more than three years ago claims that have since been thoroughly debunked as pseudoscience, by the way. "Anytime we're seeing an uptick in cases, we should start with telling highly vulnerable populations that they should prepare for this and be a little bit more cognizant of the things they can do to protect themselves," Pekosz said. "And I think masking is one of them." For the sixth straight week, according to the CDC, COVID hospitalizations have jumped by nearly 19 percent. The official story is that these people are afflicted with the latest strains like EG.5 or "Eris," as well as a handful of so-called XBB strains. No mention is made in the CNBC piece about the fact that most, if not all, of these hospitalizations are occurring in people who got "fully vaccinated" for COVID like they were commanded to do by government overlords. In fact, CNBC is pushing its readers and viewers to line up for the latest "booster" COVID shots from Pfizer, Moderna, and this time Novavax, all of which are slated to unleash new COVID jabs around mid-September. Until these injections are officially released, CNBC wants all members of the public to wear a mask, feel scared at all times, and act like anti-social weirdos whenever out in public. CNBC also wants "institution-level mask mandates in certain health-care settings and businesses," which Pavitra Roychoudhury, a professor of laboratory medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, says will "really reduce the risk of running into large outbreaks." CNBC does admit, however, that getting people of any political persuasion to mask again will be tough because "[m]any people don't appear to be worried enough about the recent rise in cases to change their behavior." A recent poll from Axios and Ipsos found that COVID was at the very bottom of respondents' list of concerns, meaning pretty much everyone except the media and the government are done with all things COVID. The latest news about the coming COVID 2.0 event (the Great Tribulation?) can be found at Prophecy.news. Sources for this article include: CNBC.com NaturalNews.com Farmers Insurance lays off 2,400 employees in the name of long-term profitability American insurer Farmers Insurance Group revealed in an August 28-dated press statement that it is set to lay off 11 percent , or roughly 2,400, of its workers across all lines of business from a workforce made up of nearly 21,000 people. The release cited the excuse of creating a more efficient organization via austerity initiatives. "Given the existing conditions of the insurance industry and the impact they are having on our business, we need to take decisive actions today to better position Farmers for future success," said President and Chief Executive Officer of Farmers Group, Inc. Raul Vargas. "Decisions like these are never easy, and we are committed to doing our best to support those impacted by these changes in the days and weeks to come." Vargas further said that as the industry continues to face macroeconomic challenges, they are to carefully manage risk and prudently align their costs with their strategic plans for sustainable profitability. "Our leaner structure will make us more nimble and better able to pursue opportunities for growth and ultimately make Farmers more responsive to the needs of our insured customers and agents. There is a bright future for Farmers and for our industry and it necessarily will look different than the past," Vargas claimed. Moreover, earlier in the summer, the insurance provider decided to no longer do Farmers-branded auto, home, and umbrella policies in Florida. It also curbed some of its coverage in California. Meanwhile, for Florida, the company described the move at the time as one "necessary to effectively manage risk exposure." The California-based insurance company, which was founded in 1928, provides over 19 million individual policies nationwide, according to its website. Those belong to some 10 million households. Farmers' ex-employee: "It was ruthless, we were just thrown away" One of the workers affected by the mass firing said she had been notified following a brief video message from Vargas, wherein the head announced the reorganization and resulting terminations. The former employee told 13 On Your Side via Zoom on Tuesday that the email she received included information regarding a severance package. She claimed she and her co-workers had not been allowed to finish their shifts. For her what the company did was "ruthless," and couldn't have been less personal or come at a worse time. "I thought it was insane, that they're just dropping all of us," they related. "We have kids school just started. It seemed like a really inhumane thing to do to just say, hey, you're terminated and it just is so random. We were just easily thrown away and it was not personal at all." Another one, who requested anonymity, also told the news outlet that she had also been terminated Monday, suggesting the insurance group "couldn't have handled it worse." "We were all waiting in a panic. Then the first wave of emails came out. These were the 'safe' emails. My husband got one, and I hadn't received my email yet. A few moments later I got the email." Below is a transcription of the email she said they received from corporate leadership: "As shared earlier today in our town hall, current industry and economic trends have negatively impacted our performance, and unfortunately, we have to take difficult but necessary steps to reduce our costs and better position the organization for future success. This was not an easy decision, but it is crucial to a future of long-term profitability and growth. I regret to inform you that your employment has been impacted. I know you likely have many questions, and we'd like to provide support and information to you in a variety of ways." A third employee claimed that their access to the Farmers system had been revoked so rapidly they had been unable to utilize the resources to which the email had alluded. (Related: Tech companies laid off nearly 221,000 workers in 2023 already way ahead of last year's total.) Meanwhile, a Farmers' spokesperson refused to answer questions concerning how many employees had been terminated from Grand Rapids-area locations. But he/she responded with a part of the press release they sent out citing austerity measures and long-term profitability by streamlining their workforce as the reason for the mass termination. It also indicated the promise to support those impacted by the changes. "'Farmers Insurance' and 'Farmers' are tradenames for a group of insurers providing insurance for automobiles, homes, and small businesses, and a wide range of other insurance and financial services products. Farmers Insurance Exchange, the largest of the three primary insurers that make up Farmers Insurance, is recognized as one of the largest U.S. companies on the 2023 Fortune 500 list," the official website included. Read more about the collapsing American economy at EconomicRiot.com. Sources for this article include: Newsroom.Farmers.com Fox9.com FoxBusiness.com Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders: NO COVID-19 LOCKDOWNS for Arkansas Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has reiterated that the Natural State will not impose lockdowns and other mandates related to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). The Republican governor took to X (formerly Twitter) to stress that she is on the side of health freedom against medical martial law. "COVID-19 lockdowns killed businesses, tore apart communities and stunted our kids' education. And now, they're talking about doing it again," she said in a video. "So let me be clear. As long as I am governor, Arkansas will never lock down. We will not close our schools, our churches or our businesses. We will never make you or your children wear a mask. And we will never, ever have a COVID-19 vaccine mandate." Sanders, daughter of former Gov. Mike Huckabee, reiterated that "government should never loom larger than individual liberty in our lives. That's the principle our nation was founded on." She ultimately warned that "if the federal government ever comes to tell us to shut down again, [her] administration will fight to keep Arkansas free." The former White House press secretary had earlier repealed several COVID-19 edicts imposed by her predecessor, former Gov. Asa Hutchinson, in January. A press release from her office confirmed the termination of five "obsolete" executive orders. Sanders also ordered the state government "to prioritize and promote other pressing public health challenges." "Unfortunately, (the) government has prioritized COVID-19 disproportionately and allowed other health concerns like addiction, cancer screenings, diabetes and mental health to worsen. As governor, I will always put the health, safety and well-being of Arkansans first," she said. "I promised that when I was elected governor, Arkansas would not have mask mandates or vaccine mandates and we would not shut down churches and schools because we believe in personal freedom and responsibility. The first case of COVID-19 was identified more than three years ago, and it is time for Arkansas and America to get back to normal." Sanders' pro-health freedom stance echoes that of her former boss Sanders served as press secretary under former President Donald Trump. Her former boss posted a video on Truth Social, saying in the clip that lockdowns and other draconian mandates were part of a scheme to steal the 2024 presidential elections. "The left-wing lunatics are trying very hard to bring back COVID lockdowns and mandates with all of their sudden fearmongering about the new variants that are coming. They want to restart the COVID hysteria so they can justify more lockdowns, more censorship, more illegal drop boxes, more mail-in ballots and trillions of dollars in payoffs to their political allies heading into the 2024 election," said Trump. "They rigged the 2020 election and now they're trying to do the same thing all over again by rigging the most important election in the history of our country, the 2024 election, even if it means trying to bring back COVID." The former president issued a stern warning against every COVID tyrant who wants to take away people's] freedom. "Don't even think about it," he said. (Related: Never forget: Leftists showed their true authoritarian colors during COVID.) "Hear these words: We will not comply. We will not shut down our schools, we will not accept your lockdowns, we will not abide by your mask mandates and we will not tolerate your vaccine mandates." Head over to HealthFreedom.news for more stories about Arkansas and other states opposing medical martial law. Watch Martin Brodel talking about Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' January 2023 repeal of COVID-19 mandates in Arkansas below. This video is from the Martin Brodel channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Oregon governor urges people to report coronavirus lockdown violators to law enforcement. Trained like DOGS: Britons will readily comply with future lockdowns and mask mandates, "Nudge Unit" chief says. IT'S COMING: Fake president Biden already buying more covid equipment, hiring pandemic "safety protocol" enforcers for next round of LOCKDOWNS. Democratic governor of Colorado finally decides it's time to go with the REAL science and end foolish, ineffective COVID lockdowns and mask mandates. The coming Delta lockdown is DESIGNED to invoke nationwide protests so they can be exploited as a backdrop for false flag event to blame "anti-vaxxers." Sources include: Twitter.com Governor.Arkansas.gov TheEpochTimes.com Brighteon.com WALKING BIOWEAPONS FACTORIES: HALF the people vaccinated for COVID will keep making deadly spike proteins FOREVER, study finds Another widespread claim about the "safety" and "effectiveness" of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "vaccines" has been proven false Researchers out of Italy and United Kingdom found that, contrary to government claims, the spike proteins from Fauci Flu shots persist in recipients' arms for at least six months post-injection. Up until now, the official story is that the spike proteins in covid jabs are "harmless" and stay in the arm for no longer than just a couple of days. We are told that, at most, the body will only continue to manufacture spike proteins for a very short time, assuming a person got the mRNA variety. We now know that the body of a fully jabbed person continues to produce spike proteins indefinitely. Researchers confirmed this, even excluding the possibility of cross-contamination or infection with some wild-circulating strain of COVID. To conduct their research, scientists used a sensitive test based on mass-spectrometry that was tuned to look specifically for an amino acid sequence that only exists in the jab-induced spike protein. On his website, Igor Chudov explains how the mRNA jab types are genetically programmed to produce spike proteins, the part of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that allows COVID to enter human cells. "During the penetration process, called 'fusion,' the viral spike protein changes shape, becoming a spear of sorts, penetrating the cell surface," he writes. Early on, we were promised that jab manufacturers Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna had programmed their respective shots to stop producing spike proteins after a certain point. It turns out this was false information based on false claims. "The only modification that both Pfizer and Moderna did was to 'prefusion stabilize' the vaccine-encoded spike protein to prevent it from changing its shape and be more stable in the human body," Chudov explains. Just to be sure that their findings were correct, the research team also performed the same tests on a control group of people who never got jabbed for COVID. This only further proved that those who got the jab are now walking spike protein factories. "It turns out that only the people in the vaccinated subgroup were found to carry vaccine-derived spike protein," Chudov says, noting that the identifying spike fragment was found in 50 percent of the fully vaccinated biological samples analyzed. "What is worse, vaccine spike protein was found as late as six months after the last dose!" (Related: Peer-reviewed research shows that once COVID jab spike proteins enter the brain, they stay there indefinitely, leading to brain damage.) Does mRNA from COVID jabs get integrated or re-transcribed in human cells? It is important to note that the study was designed to only look as far out as six months for spike fragments. Had it been designed to look even further, chances are the study would have found that spike proteins continue to form inside the bodies of the fully vaccinated for years, if not forever. Because the shots were rushed out at warp speed though many now believe that these shots were developed possibly decades ago, and were only made to look like they were rushed to market once COVID arrived there was not enough safety testing. As to why spike proteins continue to be produced indefinitely in the fully vaccinated, the researchers presented three speculative theories: 1) That mRNA from the shots may get integrated or re-transcribed in some cells 2) That pseudo-uridines at a particular sequence position induce the formation of a spike protein that is always constitutively active 3) That the mRNA-containing nanoparticle is picked up by bacteria normally present at the basal level in blood The researchers believe that Option 2 is highly unlikely, and this writer's opinion based on everything that has come out since the onset of COVID is that Option 1 is highly likely to play a major, if not the dominant, role in endless spike protein production. Option 1, by the way, is also known as reverse transcription. It means that vaccine mRNA makes itself a part of the human DNA genome, effectively turning a person into a genetically modified organism (GMO). The HIV virus, by the way, which is believed to cause AIDS, also reverse transcribes and integrates itself into human DNA. Once this occurs, a person's body endlessly produces copies of HIV, hence why there is no cure for HIV, only suppression with drugs. "Similarly, human cells with COVID vaccine genetic code reverse-transcribed into them may also endlessly produce the spike protein for the affected individuals' lives," Chudov says. All of this may also explain IgG4 immune tolerance, which lowers a person's immune response to everything, making him more susceptible to every disease that comes along, just like what happens to a person with HIV or AIDS. "The Brogna et al. study that we are discussing shows us the mechanism of why immune tolerance to spike protein develops," Chudov concludes. "The reason is that spike protein, produced without end, looks like an 'environmental irritant' to the vaccinated organism instead of being seen as a dangerous intruder." The COVID "vaccine" fallout has only just begun. Learn more at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: Igor-Chudov.com NaturalNews.com North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warns of nuclear war, orders military to get ready for possible U.S.-led invasion North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has raised the specter of nuclear war as he ordered his military to get ready to defend their country from a possible invasion, according to recent state media reports. In a speech marking the country's Navy Day, Kim slammed the trilateral naval exercise conducted by the United States, South Korea and Japan, adding that the waters off the Korean Peninsula have been made unstable "with the danger of a nuclear war," the Korean Central News Agency reported. "The prevailing situation requires our Navy to put all its efforts into rounding off the war readiness to maintain the constant combat alertness and get prepared to break the enemy's will for war in contingency," Kim said. (Related: North Korea scrambles fighter jets after U.S. spy plane enters its economic zone.) The U.S. and South Korean militaries have also been conducting separate bilateral exercises in recent weeks to address North Korea's evolving nuclear threats. North Korea views such joint exercises as rehearsals for invasion, while the U.S. and its partners maintain that their drills are mainly for defensive purposes only. Kim referred to President Joe Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as "the gang bosses" of the three countries. Kim criticized the U.S. for conducting naval drills with its allies and deploying strategic assets in the region. He also cited a recent summit between the U.S., South Korea, and Japan, during which they agreed to enhance defense cooperation against North Korea's nuclear program. Tensions rise as military posturings continue In response to the situation, Kim called for the North Korean Navy to be on constant combat alert and prepared to deter any enemy aggression. In Washington, South Korea's ambassador to the U.S., Cho Hyundong, said that Kim's rhetoric would not deter efforts to improve relations between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan. He emphasized that continued provocations by North Korea would only strengthen trilateral security cooperation. The trilateral naval exercises involving South Korea, the U.S. and Japan are designed to enhance coordination in detecting, tracking and sharing information about potential North Korean missile threats. The U.S. and South Korea had initiated bilateral drills earlier in August, which included field exercises. On Aug. 29, the drills in international waters off South Korea's southern Jeju island involved naval destroyers from the three countries. The training was aimed at mastering procedures for detecting, tracking and sharing information about incoming North Korean missiles, according to South Korea's Navy. North Korea often responds to U.S.-South Korean military drills with missile tests. Since the start of 2022, North Korea has conducted numerous weapons tests, including nuclear-capable missiles designed to target the U.S., South Korea and Japan. The ongoing tensions have led to an expansion of military exercises, trilateral training and increased visibility of U.S. strategic assets in the Korean Peninsula. Kim has been actively pursuing the expansion of North Korea's nuclear arsenal and advanced weapons systems. During his Navy Day speech, he indicated plans to equip military units with new weaponry, suggesting the deployment of new nuclear-capable missiles in the Navy and other branches of the military. The event also featured Kim's daughter, who made her first public appearance in several months. South Korean officials have not confirmed her as Kim's heir but believe he may be using her appearances to signal the possibility of a future hereditary power transfer in North Korea. Visit WWIII.news for more news about global conflicts. Watch this video that talks about North Korea warning the world that nuclear war is imminent. This video is from the Grafted In The Vine channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: North Korea threatens to shoot down U.S. aircraft entering its airspace. North Korea just tested their version of the Poseidon doomsday weapon that can create a "radioactive tsunami" that could kill millions. North Korea's launch of multiple ballistic missiles threatens South Korea. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk APNews.com Brighteon.com Mike Lindell shares plan to put elections back into the hands of American voters Well-known businessman Mike Lindell wants to put elections back in the hands of the American people. Lindell recently announced his plan to legally and lawfully monitor the election during the recent Election Summit because cheaters are breaking into voting machine systems wirelessly. He elaborated on this plan during the August 31 episode of "The Alex Jones Show" on InfoWars. Lindell, the founder and CEO of My Pillow, told host Alex Jones that a big part of the plan is the use of new wireless monitoring device. (Related: Lindell's $1.6 billion lawsuit against Dominion shows the importance of the counterattack.) The conservative political activist pointed out that the American people had been lied to when county clerks and election officials told them that voting machines were not connected to the internet. "Yes, they are on the internet. But you know what? We've been trying for two years to tell them that and they're not listening. So now, it took a year to develop this device," said Lindell, who explained that the device detects another device that goes online. Jones commented that every American should have this device with all the smart machines already invading their home. Lindell agreed, adding that it will eventually be a commercialized device. But for now, the purpose of this device is to make sure that elections are clean. And he wants every county commissioner, every county clerk and every parish to have one. The device would sound an alarm when routers, polling books, printers and voting machines go online. Lindell said they are hoping to make enough of the real-time monitoring device, which they plan to use in the fall elections in Louisiana, Mississippi and Kentucky. Lindell getting help from over 300,000 people Lindell is getting support from over 300,000 people on the ground who have been working hard to combat election fraud. Their collective goals include getting back to paper ballots being hand counted and having same-day voting on the precinct level. Feedback from these people will go into what Lindell calls the Election Crime Bureau. Every American can get involved by going to FrankSocial.com or downloading Frank Social via the app store. People can watch real-time streaming of election frauds and crimes in all 50 states there," he said. Jones commented that Lindell has created an open-source human intelligence system. "This is going to scare the hell out of the people who are involved in election fraud," Jones said. The wireless monitoring devices are going to be in places where elections are going to be held, and they will report if the election machines are going online. Americans are going to get reports, pictures and other things coming from the hundreds of thousands of people supporting this cause. "We are putting this input into Frank Social because we want every American to know what is going on and to create awareness," Lindell said. "We need to make the elections secure now after what happened in 2020." Follow VoteFraud.news for more news about election frauds in America. Watch the video below to learn more about Mike Lindell's interview with Alex Jones. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Mike Lindell to file a case before the Supreme Court to save the 2020 election Brighteon.TV. Ivan Raiklin: Expect another COVER-UP to happen when 2024 election is stolen Brighteon.TV. More proof that ELECTION FRAUD is REAL: Election software CEO arrested. Election fraud BOMBSHELL: "Significant discrepancies" discovered during audit of Arizona ballots, including DELETED election data. Sources include: Brighteon.com FrankSpeech.com Another mass media HOAX: Two years of digging in Canada reveals NO HUMAN REMAINS in so-called mass graves that inspired citizens to BURN DOWN dozens of churches The results are in and there is no evidence of any mass graves full of Indigenous children in Canada. Despite claims to the contrary alleging that some areas of Canada exist atop huge native burial grounds, scientists have been unable to identify even a single set of bones underneath the soil. "Minegoziibe Anishinabe," an Indigenous group of people also known as the Pine Creek First Nation, excavated a total of 14 different sites in the basement of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Catholic Church, located near the Seven Sorrows Catholic Church near the Pine Creek Residential School in Manitoba. The excavation operation took four weeks and hinged upon certain "anomalies" detected using ground-penetrating radar. When those sites were dug up, however, there was nothing to be found, confirmed Chief Derek Nepinak of the remote Pine Creek Indian Reserve. Nepinak did say this was just an "initial excavation," the suggestion being that there will be more digs in the future. "I don't like to use the word hoax because it's too strong, but there are also too many falsehoods circulating about this issue with no evidence," commented Jacques Rouillard, a professor emeritus in the Department of History at the Universite de Montreal, about the findings or rather, the non-findings. Even so, Rouillard says he welcomes more excavations because it will help to quell the enormous public outcry and "stain" that has been left on Canada due to earlier reports claiming that lots of Indigenous bodies are buried across the country. "This has all been very dark for Canada. We need more excavations so we can know the truth. Too much was said and decided upon before there was any proof." (Related: Check out our earlier coverage about the Canadian mass graves hoax.) If there's no proof, did it really happen? Back in May of 2021 when everyone was stuck at home due to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), leaders at the British Columbia First Nation Band Tk'emlups te Secwepemc announced that they had discovered a mass grave filled with more than 200 Indigenous children. That site is the one mentioned above where it turns out that there are no human remains after all. "We had a knowing in our community that we were able to verify," commented Rosanne Casimir, chief of the Tkemlups te Secwepemc, in a statement at the time. "To our knowledge, these missing children are undocumented deaths." The band initially called the discovery "Le Estcwicwey?," or "the missing." The residential schools where all these bodies are said to have been buried, though evidence has not turned up a single one, known as Pine Creek and Kamloops, were run by the Canadian government and various churches from the 1880s through the end of the 20th century. Experts say that around 150,000 children attended these schools before they were ultimately shuttered. As of now, there have not yet been any excavations at Kamloops, nor has any date been set for such work to occur. Even so, globalist factions in Canada continue to demonize the residential schools in question, as well as those who staffed them, as child murderers. "The system forcibly separated children from their families for extended periods of time and forbade them to acknowledge their Indigenous heritage and culture or to speak their own languages," still reads the website of the First Nations and Indigenous Studies of The University of British Columbia. Back in August of 2021, Assembly of First Nations Grand Chief RoseAnn Archibald told the BBC that the policy at these residential schools was "designed to kill, and we're seeing proof of that" except there was no actual proof, we now know. More related news stories can be found at Hoax.news. Sources for this article include: NYPost.com NaturalNews.com Thou shalt not desecrate the symbols of LGBT dominion over Earth: New York man charged with hate crime for putting Pride flags on the ground A 25-year-old man by the name of Patrick Murphy is under attack by the LGBT-infested police state here in America, which is accusing him of a "hate crime" simply for removing some ugly Pride flags on sticks from a fence in New York City's West Village neighborhood. According to reports, Murphy and two other men are being accused of engaging in a concerning "criminal mischief pattern" after they were identified as having taken down a handful of Pride flags from the Stonewall National Monument and, gasp!, throwing them on the ground. For the past several months while smash-and-grabs, murders, and other actual crimes were occurring unpunished all throughout the Big Apple, police officers were spending their time and taxpayer resources on identifying Murphy and the other flag-ripping-down "culprits," who initially were a mystery. On X (formerly known as Twitter), New York City Councilor Erik Bottcher shared a few photos of the small mess on the ground, as well as some over-the-top commentary theatrics about the "crime." "If anyone thinks this is going to intimidate us or weaken our resolve, they're mistaken," Bottcher wrote. Someone vandalized the rainbow flag display on the Stonewall National Monument on Christopher Street, snapping the flag sticks and throwing them on the ground. If anyone thinks this is going to intimidate us or weaken our resolve, theyre mistaken. ? ? pic.twitter.com/sFdue8NrPG Erik Bottcher (@ebottcher) June 10, 2023 (Related: If you say "white lives matter" or "it's okay to be white," then the left considers you guilty of a "hate crime.") Murphy denies guilt, attorney calls it "preposterous" that his client is being accused of a "hate crime" Murphy says he is innocent of any kind of "hate crime," seeing as how no actual person was hurt and no actual crime was committed. Hurting feelings of LGBTs is not a crime, after all. "It is preposterous to conclude that Patrick was involved in any hate crime," commented Robert Gottlieb, Murphy's attorney. "The evidence will clearly show that whatever happened that night involving Patrick was not intended to attack gays or their symbol, the gay pride flag." Seeing as how innocent children walk the public streets of New York City, Murphy was actually doing society a favor by ripping down these symbols of sexual deviancy, perversion, and pedophilia, which is what the LGBT "rainbow" flag truly symbolizes. Not only that, but the gays religiously appropriated the real rainbow, which has seven colors instead of six and represents God's promise to never again flood the entire world with water because next time He is going to do it with fire. "God created the rainbow as a sign of HIS covenant between Him and man that He wouldn't destroy the Earth with water again," one person wrote. "Guess what's coming instead?" "Hate crimes are thought crimes," wrote another about the erroneous concept of a hate crime. "They're meant to stifle constitutionally protected speech. Hate crimes are used by totalitarian dictators to police speech." "Unless it's a crime to put those flags on the ground, you have nothing here." Another commented on the flagrantly misplaced priorities of New York City's leaders, which are more concerned about some cheap, tacky, made-in-China flags on sticks than they are with, oh, you know, making sure their constituents can afford to live and eat. "Given the state of your city right now, this level of commitment to protecting sexual proclivities seems inappropriate. Don't the other 80% of your constituents have more pressing concerns?" The very concept of a "hate crime" is a Trojan horse to eliminate your free speech rights. Learn more at FirstAmendment.news. Sources for this article include: TheNationalPulse.com NaturalNews.com BOMBSHELL: Recorded conversation proving Joe Bidens glaring corruption to be released in coming weeks President Joe Biden's political future hangs in the balance following a revelation by a respected American journalist of a recorded conversation with undeniable proof of his involvement in corruption Greg Kelly dropped the bombshell revelation on his popular Newsmax show in which he noted that the evidence is so strong Biden might have to quit the 2024 race. According to Kelly, a military veteran, the tape was leaked by insiders, but not necessarily from the government. Kelly, who did not share many details, said it would be released between Labor Day and Halloween. "The tape will become public eventually," he added. He did not say who will release it, but Kelly said once it goes public Biden will have no choice but to quit the 2024 presidential race. The only slim chance he might have, although doubtful, is to continue as president. The tape holds highly incriminating content and the White House is reportedly aware of it and acknowledges its existence, according to Kelly. "There might even be multiple tapes. It all adds up logically," he said. This development comes amid the House Oversight Committee investigating accusations that Biden benefitted from the myriad foreign business dealings of his son Hunter. On August 10, the panel chaired by Rep. James Comer said in a report that it plans to continue investigating the president. "During Joe Bidens vice-presidency, Hunter Biden sold him as 'the brand' to reap millions from oligarchs in Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine," Comer said in a statement accompanying the release of the committee report. "It appears no real services were provided other than access to the Biden network, including Joe Biden himself. And Hunter Biden seems to have delivered." Last July, Sen. Chuck Grassley released an internal Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) documents containing allegations that Biden was involved in an illegal foreign bribery scheme. Grassley said he was able to release the documents himself because of "legally protected disclosures by Justice Department whistleblowers." The documents show that an informant provided the information to federal investigators in June 2020, describing meetings and conversations dating back to 2015. Biden crime family received $10M bribe from Burisma CEO During a 2016 meeting with the FBI informant, Mykola Ziochevsjky, the CEO of Ukrainian energy company Burisma, said he had made two $5 million payments to "the Bidens." He, however, did not specify who received the alleged bribes. "It costs five [million] to pay one Biden, and five [million] to another Biden," Ziochevsjky told the informant, according to the document. At the time of the meeting, Hunter Biden was on Burisma's board, earning $50,000 a month. Hunter Biden has drawn media scrutiny over the years for connection to a scandal-plagued, now-bankrupt Chinese energy giant, CEFC China Energy. According to reports, the Chinese firm and its executives paid $4.8 million to entities controlled by Hunter Biden and James Biden (the president's brother) in the years between Joe Biden's time as vice president and president. Hunter Biden joined the board of Burisma in 2014, about the same time his father was helping lead the Obama administration's Ukraine policy. (Related: Biden crime family raked in over $10M from foreign entities during the Obama administration.) While Hunter was on Burisma's board, his father along with a host of European allies pushed the Ukrainian government to oust prosecutor Viktor Shokin. Shokin's office had been investigating Burisma and Joe Biden told Ukraine that it wouldn't receive a financial aid package until Shokin was removed. Visit BidenCrimeFamily.news for more news about corruption involving the Biden family. Watch this video to learn more about the Biden crime family. This video is from the Freedom on Deck channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: High-level government officials covering up evidence of Biden family corruption. Journalist called 'secret cell phone' paid for by Hunter Biden and says Joe Biden answered. Corruption at the highest level: Joe Biden involved in 'bribery scheme with a foreign national,' whistleblower alleges; questions first raised in 2018. Sources include: GreatGameIndia.com Politico.com Brighteon.com NASCAR goes woke, EXCLUDES WHITES from internship program The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has capitulated to wokeism, with its NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP) accepting all ethnicities except White Spencer Lindquist of the Daily Wire first broke the news during an appearance on "The Todd Starnes Radio Show." He told program host Todd Starnes that the NDIP, a summer internship offered by the motorsport organization, explicitly excludes White applicants. "If you look at the program requirements, the very first one stipulates that you have to be one of several approved races. So they've got African-American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian effectively lists all these different racial groups other than White people," said Lindquist. "So if you are White and you want to apply for this NASCAR internship, you're ineligible. A May 31 press release from the racing league expounded on the racial requirements. The NDIP is reportedly open to the following ethnicities Black, Native American (including Native Alaskan), Asian, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders. The Daily Wire reporter consulted with legal scholar and constitutional lawyer David Bernstein, who said the NDIP is "blatantly illegal" and violates civil rights law. He continued: "If somebody wanted to apply for this, but couldn't [because] they were rejected on the basis of their race, they would actually have legal standing to sue NASCAR over this racial discrimination." According to Lindquist, the NDIP formed part of a broader push for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at NASCAR. He also cited the organization's Drive for Diversity and other race-based mentorship programs under it, including the Pit Crew Development Program for pit crew members and Driver Development Program for those who are not race car drivers but want to get behind the wheel. "These similarly are all open to people who come from non-White racial backgrounds, or who are women. So [those programs] specifically discriminate against White men." (Related: London mayor's office in charge of public transport system BANS WHITES from applying for internships.) NASCAR joins list of entities yielding to woke DEI Lindquist told Starnes that NASCAR did not respond to his request for comment on the matter. For his part, the program host expressed shock over the news. "We're talking about NASCAR here. It doesn't get more red, white and blue, more patriotic than NASCAR and I think that's what's so shocking about this." The Daily Wire reporter seconded Starnes' comments about people shocked by NASCAR's wokeism. "We're seeing more and more of these types of cases," he added. "[While] this is not the first DEI-related job posting story that I've written this one, I think, has been rather shocking to people. Maybe just because this isn't an arena where people seem to expect there being this type of DEI enforcement at a place like NASCAR." According to Lindquist, the racing league is not the only company with such a DEI program in place. He recounted tech company Oracle implementing a similar internship and scholarship program that not only barred Whites from applying, but also Asians as well. "This is something that we're seeing at NASCAR and beyond," he told Starnes. Head over to AntiWhite.news for more stories about companies discriminating against White applicants. Watch Owen Shroyer of InfoWars elaborating on NASCAR driver Hailie Deagan being punished by the racing league for her support of former President Donald Trump. This video is from the War Room channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Cambridge University blocked White students from applying for post-graduate programme. Parent slams California elementary school for organizing "NO WHITES ALLOWED" event for kids. WHITES NOT WELCOME: Democrat supporters re-implement segregation at universities to exclude Whites. NO WHITES ALLOWED at Georgetown University "dialogue event" on racism because the organizers are racists. PHARMA RACE WARS: While Pfizer places all races at risk with their COVID vaccines, WHITES and ASIANS are NOT allowed to apply for Pfizer's fellowship grant program. Sources include: ToddStarnes.com NASCAR.com Brighteon.com A rare sea turtle was swept 4,000 miles away toward the U.K. Atlantic coast in November 2021. Now, Tally, a Kemp's ridley sea turtle, is returning to Texas waters. The sea turtle was found stranded and almost dead in Northern Wales when it was discovered in Talacre Beach almost two years ago, as announced by U.S. wildlife authorities. Tally the Turtle The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), during a press release last week, announced that "Tally" the Kemp's ridley sea turtle is set to come back to Texas waters from Wales through air transport while acknowledging the efforts of international partners and volunteers. Upon returning to the country, the FWS will release Tally from Galveston into the Gulf of Mexico in September. The planned release of Tally is to ensure it will have another chance in life in a marine ecosystem where it is native. According to FWS Texas Sea Turtle Coordinator, Mary Kay Skoruppa, Tally is ready to come home thanks to the immediate response of a group of international partners and volunteers, as mentioned before. After washing in the north coast of Wales, a dog walker spotted Tally and was reported as "presumed dead" to the British Diver's Marine Life Rescue, according to the FWS. Until now, it is still unclear if whether the transatlantic journey of Tally was intentional or strong waves drove it towards the U.K. Atlantic coast. A similar incident occurred earlier this year. In January, a seal pup got lost far away from the sea in Walton-le-Dale, a village in Lancanshire, England. In 2021, a grey whale named "Wally" was lost in the Mediterranean Sea, approximately 5,600 miles away from the coast of Alaska, its native habitat in North America. Also Read: Invasive Chinese Softshell Turtles Found in the Philippines, Biodiversity Experts Starting to Worry Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Just like Tally the turtle, other members of the species Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) were once abundant in the Gulf of Mexico filled with tens of thousands of female turtles on the coast of Rancho Nuevo, Mexico, according to the NOAA Fisheries. However, their population crashed by the middle of the 20th century. In modern times, the largest threat to L. kempii, also called the Atlantic ridley sea turtle, are bycatch using commercial and recreational fishing gear. Other studies have also shown that marine plastic pollution also endangers not only turtles but also other marine life. The NOAA Fisheries, along with its partners, are engaged in the protection and conservation of the Kemp's ridley sea turtle. Kemp's ridley sea turtle is named after a fisherman named Richard M. Kemp from Key West, Florida. Kemp was the first one to submit about the species for identification in 1906. Aside from the Gulf of Mexico, the rare sea turtle can also be found in the Atlantic Ocean, stretching as far as Nova Scotia in the north and even in the eastern part of the North Atlantic, the U.S. government agency says. Related Article: Fertile Female Turtle Hatchlings Has Higher Numbers in Warm Weather, Study Says Hopes that roads could open are up although Labor Day sees 72,000 people stranded in Burning Man Festival Site because of torrential rain that is flooding the muddy site. Labor Day, the Weather, and 72,000 Burners The Burning Man festival faced a major disruption due to relentless rainfall, rendering roads and grounds muddy, stranding thousands of attendees, who are traditionally called Burners. The festival's iconic burning of a manlike figure, originally scheduled for Sunday night, had to be postponed. Organizers cited the impracticality of moving heavy fire safety equipment in such conditions. This marked the second delay, as the burn was initially set for Saturday night. Participants, known for their resilience and self-sufficiency, were urged to conserve supplies. Despite the unexpected turn of events, some, like tech entrepreneur Star Heartsong from Austin, Texas, embraced the festival's all-weather spirit, emphasizing that Burners weren't victims, but rather adaptable enthusiasts. Event organizers for the Burning Man Festival have scheduled the Man Burn event for Monday, Labor Day. Due to rain & muddy conditions Sunday & an inability to move heavy equipment & fire safety onsite, the Man Burn will not happen tonight, Sunday. It is now scheduled for Monday 9/4, at 9pm. Chapel of Babel is scheduled to burn at midnight, Tuesday 9/5 (i.e. Monday night 9/4). Burning Man Traffic (@bmantraffic) September 4, 2023 Approximately 72,000 Burners have been stranded in Nevada's Black Rock Desert due to heavy rains, closing roads and necessitating shelter-in-place orders. The region received up to 0.8 inches of rain in just 24 hours, transforming the dry desert into ankle-deep, clay-like mud, forcing some attendees to wrap bags around their feet for mobility. The Burning Man Festival Schedules and Announcements The event organizers have also posted on their website a wet playa survival guide for 2023 where Burners can check any announcements, reminders, or updates regarding the events and venue. Organizers are recommending Burners to consider delaying their departure from Black Rock City until Tuesday, September 5. This will alleviate large amounts of congestion throughout Labor Day. The Burning Man Festival 2023 started on August 27. There are a few more activities left. The Man Burn is rescheduled to take place Monday night, September 4, at 9 PM, while the Chapel of Babel is scheduled to burn a few hours later at midnight. This will close the Burning Man Festival in Black Rock City. An urban version of the festival is scheduled for October 21 called San Francisco Decompression 2023: Black Top City. Also Read: Deadly Thunderstorms From Summer-Autumn Transition Kills 5 as Cars Flip Over to Strong Winds in Michigan Labor Day Activities The delayed festival's extended schedule now overlaps with the annual observance of Labor Day, celebrated on the first Monday of September. Originating in the late 19th century, this holiday emerged from the efforts of labor leaders advocating for a federal holiday to recognize workers' substantial contributions to the nation's strength, prosperity, and overall well-being. The first official Labor Day, as proposed by the Central Labor Union, was held on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City. It featured a street parade to showcase the pride and power of trade and labor organizations, followed by a festival for workers and their families. Presently, Americans commemorate Labor Day with parades, parties, and barbecues, signifying the end of summer. On this holiday, various services, such as groceries, banks, government offices, including the post office and federal courts, are either closed or operate with reduced hours. Related Article: Burning Man Festival Closes Gates as Tropical Storm Hilary Leaves Black Rock Desert in Flood The largest replica of Vietnam Wall will be in the Wiregrass from Thursday through Monday and the public is invited to the free, family friendly Week of the Wall at the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds in Dothan. The traveling tribute event is billed as the kickoff for the Wiregrass Honor Flight Program, which will fly veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the original Vietnam Memorial Wall there, said event organizer Travis Parker. The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall is three-fifth the size of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. It is six feet tall at the center and spans almost 300 feet from end to end. The wall will be open to the public beginning Thursday from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. through Monday. Thursday, the official opening ceremony begins at 5 p.m. at the NPF Fairgrounds Amphitheater with retired Rear Admiral Kent Davis, Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner, as keynote speaker. Three Huey helicopters will fly over the event grounds in circle in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and will include the Missing Man formation, in honor of those who lost their lives in military service. The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 607 from Montgomery will participate in the opening ceremony as part of the color guard along with the Dothan High School ROTC Color Guard. A Missing Man table ceremony will be conducted as well as a 13-Fold flag ceremony conducted by Vietnam veterans. At 6:30 p.m. Thursday a USO-style show begins featuring local and traveling talent from the music and comedic world. Among the entertainers are Jerome (Elvis) and Pam Jackson, the Dothan Moonlighters, the Wallace Sound, and comedians Corey Bigbie, Justin Woodward and Alan Moorebetter known as Johnnie Sprinkle. Low-noise fireworks will follow the show at approximately 8:30 p.m., Parker said. On Saturday, a 5K Ruck for the Wall, starting and ending at the memorial wall, is included in the weeks events. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with 8 a.m. shotgun start. This is a unique endurance event, Parker said. Participants will carry 25 pounds on their backs in the form of a ruck and make their way along the 5k course. Participants are encouraged to wear red, white, and blue and walk or run. All proceeds will benefit the Wiregrass Honor Flight. Also Saturday is a Ride for the Wall convoy bringing supplies to the Bill Nichols V.A. Home which begins at 10 a.m. at the Dothan Harley Shop and makes pickups in Ozark, Troy, and Montgomery. The Ozark-based Friends of Army Aviation will be providing rides in a Huey helicopter from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance at friendsofarmyaviation.org. The Vietnam Wall exhibit is also open to the public Sunday and Monday from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. Also Monday, Parker said, the city of Daleville is hosting a 9/11 Patriot Day Ceremony at Culpepper Park at 9 a.m. and the public is invited. For more information on the Week of the Wall, contact parker at (334) 494-7846 or travis@travisparker.com. A sick scientist stranded in Antarctica was rescued by an icebreaker that traveled thousands of miles toward the icy continent, according to reports on Monday, September 4. An aircraft rescue was not possible due to Antarctica's harsh winter conditions. This is also the reason why the Australian scientist, who was suffering from an undisclosed medical condition, was not able to seek an immediate air evacuation. The icebreaker vessel called RSV Nuyina traveled approximately 2,000 miles from the state of Tasmania, Australia. The ship passed through chunks of sea ice before it arrived at the Petersen Bank, located 90 miles from the Casey Research Station in Antarctica. The scientist was onboarded Nuyina on Sunday, September 3. There are no indications reported that would link the Antarctic winter weather. Although there have been no native or permanent human populations in Antarctica, only scientists and research personnel are based in the continent but on a rotation basis. One of the evidence reasons for the absence of human settlements in Antarctica is due to its average freezing or sub-freezing temperatures; this is especially the case during the frozen landscape's winter season which spans from March to October. Australia Rescues Sick Scientist The Australian researcher works at the Casey Research Station, a remote outpost in Antarctica. It is also one of the three research stations in the continent operated by the Australian Antarctic Division. The urgent rescue operation started last week before reaching the sick scientist, which was attended by a medical retrieval team, with the help of two helicopters, before being sent to the massive icebreaker ship. The emergency transport was required since medical facilities and equipment are limited at the Casey station. Also Read: Study Reveals Each Tourist Visiting Antarctica Melts Up to 83 Metric Tons of Snow What is Antarctica Like in Winter? If the Northern Hemisphere's winter season spans from December to February or early March, it is opposite for the Southern Hemisphere, which includes Antarctica. Despite being a cold wasteland throughout the year, Antarctic weather still gets colder during the winter, with the other season being summer that spans from October to March. According to the website AntarcticGlaciers.org, the average temperature across Antarctica in winter is -34.4 degrees Celsius, with temperatures rare go above the freezing point of 0 degree Celsius. Antarctic seasons also affect the activities of the mentioned humans, as well as wildlife, living in the continent. During the winter, few people remain due to the extremely cold weather, making transport to and from research stations difficult. Are There Researchers in Antarctica? Working in Antarctica is not one's typical site since cold temperatures, as well as prolonged daylight and nighttime hours, also affect its temporary human inhabitants. Aside from scientists, researchers in Antarctica also require other workers like cooks, medics, and other support staff, according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Employees or contractors at research stations in the icy continent hail from various countries worldwide. For instance, the United States sends approximately 3,200 people to Antarctica every year, mainly to engage in scientific research and work at several research stations, the U.S. university reported. Art-related jobs are also available in Antarctica since it has its own paper called, the Antarctic Sun. Related Article: Antarctica: Dormant Underwater Volcano Awakens, Causes 85,000 Earthquake Swarms Tourists at Death Valley National Park might need to wait a little longer to visit the park, as officials are unsure when it will be reopened after the damage sustained by the torrential rains of Tropical Storm Hilary. The storm delivered 2.2 inches (six cm) of rain on August 20, about the amount of rain the park receives in a year. The rainfall this year surpassed the previous record of 1.7 inches (four cm) in one day set in August of last year. "Two inches of rain does not sound like a lot, but here, it really does stay on the surface," Matthew Lamar, a park ranger, said in an interview. Lamar pointed out that two inches of rain could have a dramatic impact. Read Also: Flash Floods at Death Valley Bury Cars and Leaves 1000 People Stranded Major road repairs As Hilary advanced, torrents of water surged across Death Valley, carving new gullies, displacing massive rocks, and undermining roads, including State Route 190, one of the park's main thoroughfares. A 1,500-foot piece of pavement at Towne Pass was also "washed away," according to Christopher Andriessen, a spokesman for the California Department of Transportation, District 9. A 40-foot-wide Arizona Crossing--a type of culvert--is gone east of Towne Pass, as are multiple stretches of pavement between Death Valley Junction and Olancha, including some as long as 300 feet. As a result, hotels and campers are closed in the area. The anticipated cost of repairs is around $6 million, but that just includes State Route 190 and a tiny portion of State Route 136. "We don't have a timeline yet," park spokesperson Abby Wines said in an interview. "Caltrans has said they expect to fully open 190 within three months, but they often are able to open parts of it earlier." National Parks will open in stages According to park officials, the park will most likely reopen in stages. Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells may not open for several weeks. Acting superintendent Ben Roberts mentioned that mltiple national parks across the country have already sent their staff to assist the Death Valley National Park in its reopening stages. He said that each day brings more progress in the efforts to reopen the park and repair roads and facilities, however, Roberts admitted that this would really take some time. He further said that the Death Valley National Park is larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware, with over 1,400 miles of roads, which means there is a lot of work to do for its reopening. Death Valley Park, which borders eastern California and Nevada, has the record for the world's warmest temperature, 134 degrees Fahrenheit (57 degrees Celsius), which was recorded in 1913. Rain isn't uncommon in the generally desert area, but such enormous amounts pouring in consecutive years suggest a trend toward extreme weather linked to human-induced climate change, according to officials. Lamar noted that climate models have indicated that the public would see more intense storms along with the higher temperatures that residents have been experiencing. Lamar also said no one storm could prove climate change, but when it keeps on happening, it is most likely to develop a trend. Related Article: Rare 'Salt Flower' Blooms in Hills in Death Valley Park Thanks to Desert Rainfall Related Video: The latest weather forecast said that September could be active with potential hurricanes. In the US, possible storms could bring rainy conditions to the Eastern Coast, Florida, and Eastern Canada. Everyone should bring an umbrella or raincoat at all times as storms may develop in the coming days. Meanwhile, other parts of the US could experience a hotter weather outlook, especially in the Central and Northeastern portions. Recently, Hurricane Idalia unleashed flooding rainfall in parts of Eastern Carolinas and Florida just when August was about to end. Historically, September tends to be the most active month of hurricane season and NHC is monitoring more developing systems. Take some time to make sure you are prepared and have a plan in the event of a tropical system! https://t.co/nFWtNAmoBz #MEwx #NHwx pic.twitter.com/iKdhMuH1Zs NWS Gray (@NWSGray) September 4, 2023 Possible storms in parts of the US According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the agency is monitoring the development of storms. September could become a challenging month as hurricanes could develop. The Labor Day in the New York City (NYC) is forecasted to become sunny and warm. Over the Upper Mississippi Valley, the forecast showed that hail and wind conditions could unfold midweek. The next possible storm will be named Lee, according to the latest forecast. The wind shear of a storm may be factor in the development of a storm, especially in the Tropical Atlantic. The possible storm will likely track in the following areas: British Virgin Islands US East Coast North Puerto Rico Atlantic Canada Eastern Canada Storms can bring rainy conditions and possible rip currents or rough seas, so citizens near shores and fishermen ahould practice caution when going into the waters. Keeping safe from developing storms Developing storms can impact US, which is no stranger to extreme weather events this September, so everyone is expected to practice more caution. Here are essential safety reminders to stay safe from developing storms. As hurricane season sets to become intense, people must prepare for the possible impacts of the severe weather. People living in low-lying or flood-prone areas could be vulnerable to flooding. Monitor the latest weather reports in US Homeowners should always check the weather forecasts, especially for people with travel plans. Knowing the weather conditions can be helpful to anticipate the impacts of the weather. There are times that power outages could occur during severe weather events. Communication could become more challenging. Having a battery-powered radio could help stay updated with the weather, especially for possible evacuations. Check your homes for repairs or improvements Homes can become vulnerable to hurricanes, with strong winds and heavy rain. Homeowners should regularly check their homes for possible improvements after the aftermath of a storm. Also Read: US Exceptional Heat Forecast: Northeast, Central US Could Expect High Temperatures This Week Store emergency supplies or kits at home Keeping home emergency kits can become a life-saver when severe weather events unfold. It is also useful in other natural disasters. Here are the recommended emergency kits that you should keep at home: Battery-powered radio Battery-powered flashlight Medicine kits Non-perishable food or goods Bottled water Extra phone Related Article: US Weather Updates: Storm Surge Warning in Effect in Parts of Florida; Hurricane Franklin to Impact US East Coast With Heavy Rain For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News. According to the latest report, experts found a 4.6 billion-year-old meteorite in Algeria that could assist them in deciphering the solar system and the age of other meteors. Scientists have been on a quest to unearth the wonders of galaxies, solar systems, and planetary materials. This understanding can give insights into the possible life on planets. It can also help researchers to understand Earth better. With advanced technology and analysis, researchers could finally observe meteorites that likely existed thousands or millions of years ago. It can help indicate a potential life or behavior in the galaxies. Billion years old meteorite According to research published in Nature Communications, a 4.6 billion-year-old meteorite was unearthed in the Sahara Desert in Algeria. The meteorite was uncovered in 2020, also called Erg Chech 002. Reports showed that it was an andesitic achondrite and stony meteorite, making it one of the oldest known to science. The meteorite age was uncovered based on the lead-isotopic age. Monitoring meteorite activity could be difficult, but scientists have been eager to look for more ancient meteorites that can contribute to the studies of the solar system. NASA explained that at least 48.5 tons of possible meteorite materials could fall on Earth daily. Meteorite can occur when it manages to fall to the ground and survive. The Perseid Meteor Showers on Earth can emerge in August, showing at least 50 to 75 meteors per hour. It could be likely that the said meteor event is still visible this September. Perseids showers are also known as the best meteor shower yearly. According to the researchers, the discovered meteorite revealed to spread evenly. They also found the Aluminum-26 (26Al), a solar system's heat source. With the latest discovery, the meteorite is helpful to unravel the ages of other ancient meteorites. Also Read: Possible Meteorite Causes Loud Bang Hitting House's Roof in New Jersey Facts about meteors One of the most-awaited astronomical events is the meteor showers. Around the world, astronomy lovers prepare their cameras and calendars for amazing moments to witness the rare meteor showers. Reports revealed that at least 30 meteor showers could be observable globally, if the weather cooperates. People could also notice different colors of meteors, from green, yellow or red. It can also emerge anywhere. There is also science to determine a possible meteorite that falls from the sky. Experts conduct mineralogical and chemical analyses to figure out the meteorites. Experts can also explain or distinguish similarities and differences between meteorites. Related Article: Astronomy Events: Stunning Perseid Meteor Shower to Unfold on Night Skies From August 12 to 13 For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature News. Greece has revealed its intention to partner with Israel in developing artificial intelligence technologies for early wildfire detection, in a key move to influence wildfire management. Following talks in Nicosia with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that Israel could be brought into the European Union fold in terms of civil protection initiatives to better coordinate firefighting efforts. Several nations, including Israel and Cyprus, have sent firefighting aircraft and personnel to help combat wildfires in Greece that have devoured extensive swaths of forest over the last two months, including the EU's deadliest such inferno on record, which killed 20 people. Read Also: AI Predicts Wildfires by Mapping Dryness of Forests AI based solution Mitsotakis said Greece could serve as a testing ground for Israeli AI technology in the early identification of wildfires. On his part, according to Netanyahu, the three leaders discussed "going well beyond" dispatching firefighting aircraft and workers by deploying AI systems for the fire. "This is really one of those areas where when we say we'll do it better together, there's no question that that's the case," Netanyahu said. The European Union is also attempting to curb the growing threat of wildfires by employing satellites, artificial intelligence, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The regional bloc has launched a project called SAFERS, whose primary focus is on the use of satellites and artificial intelligence (AI) to offer information that could help save lives and limit environmental damage. "The orchestrated utilization of AI-powered solutions can increase resilience to forest fires," said Claudio Rossi, who coordinates the project and is a senior researcher at an Italian research and innovation center called the Links Foundation in the city of Turin. The initiative, which will run for three and a half years through March 2024, includes weather and danger maps, fire detection techniques, public input, and other tools to assist local authorities in preparing for wildfire situations. The ultimate goal is to expand on the demonstrations in France, Greece, Italy, and Spain to create a comprehensive wildfire-control system that can be used throughout Europe. Natural gas discoveries The three leaders also discussed other matters, such as the recent natural gas in Israeli and Cypriot Mediterranean Sea waters. Netanyahu said they agreed that Israel and Cyprus will make the decision on how they will sell natural gas to global markets within the next three to six months. The two nations are discussing the possibility of constructing a pipeline that would transport offshore natural gas from both nations to the eastern Mediterranean island nation, where it would be liquefied and exported by ship. Another project that the three leaders were enthusiastic about was a 2,000-kilometer (1,250-mile) undersea electrical line that would connect the power networks of Israel, Cyprus, and mainland Greece. "That's something that we're eagerly interested in pursuing, and we discussed ... [including] the mechanism of how to advance this," said Netanyahu. Since 2016, energy has been the focal point of a series of continuous meetings between the three presidents to strengthen their nations' ties, which Mitsotakis says reflects their importance on political, economic, and other levels. Related Article: Landslide Prediction: Geologists Develop New AI to Forecast Where Mudslides May Happen Related Video: A recent study said that the notable economic development in developed countries is considered as a recipe for climate breakdown and injustice. Experts have explained that pursuing "green growth" in high-income countries will not be enough to meet the emission reductions that are required under the Paris Agreement. Nothing green According to Jefim Vogel, lead author of the study, there is nothing green when it comes to economic growth in high-income countries. Vogel said this was a recipe for climate breakdown as well as climate injustice. The expert said that calling such highly insufficient emission reductions "green growth" would be misleading, noting that it is essentially greenwashing. The study explained that the growth, in order to be legitimately considered as green, should be consistent with the climate targets and fairness principles of the Paris Agreement. However, it found out that high-income countries have not achieved anything close to this, and are highly unlikely to achieve it in the future. According to the United Nations Climate Change, the Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty about climate change. The said agreement was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on December 12, 2015 and it was entered into force on November 4, 2016. Officials said that its overarching goal is to hold "the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels" and pursue efforts "to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels." Moreover, in recent years, world leaders have emphasized need to limit global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius by the end of this century. This is because the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had indicated that crossing the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold risks unleashing far more severe climate change impacts, including more frequent and severe droughts as well as heatwaves and rainfall. Scientists pointed out that the continued economic growth in high-income countries has been at odds with the main goal of averting catastrophic climate breakdown and upholding fairness principles that aims to protect development prospects in lower-income countries. In other words, the study underscored that further economic growth in high-income countries could be considered as harmful, dangerous, and unjust. Moreover, the study had identified 11 high-income countries that achieved "absolute decoupling, which is defined as decreasing CO2 emissions alongside increasing gross domestic product (GDP) between 2013 and 2019. These countries were Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Read Also: Developing Nations Demand Rich Nations Provide Compensation for Climate-Caused 'Loss and Damage' Reduce emissions Researchers said that CO2 emissions were tightly coupled to economic activity as shown by the GDP. When the GDP increases, emissions will also rise. Recently, several high-income countries have managed to "decouple" the two to some extent as they tend to reduce their emissions while increasing their GDP. This process is termed as "absolute decoupling." Other countries still need even greater accelerations of their efforts regarding emission reductions. Experts said that Belgium, Australia, Austria, Canada, and Germany need to reduce their emissions more than 30 times faster than they did between 2013 and 2019 under absolute decoupling. Related Article: Carbon Rebound: Emissions from World's Richest Countries Rose Exponentially in 2021 Related Video: The European Union warned that the return of wolves in Europe poses a "real danger" to livestock and human life as they announced plans to review the animals' protective status. Following rising appeals from European farmers, the executive will now start a "new phase" in its process of evaluating whether to reduce wolves' protection status by gathering relevant evidence from local communities and scientists. A consultation procedure is being developed to balance rewilding interests with commercial agriculture and public health concerns. The commission is requesting all interested parties to submit data on member-state experiences in order to update data on the wolf population and how the conservation status functions in practice. Read Also: "Conflict Between Wolves and Humans" Becomes the Reason Behind Swedish Government's Decision to Cull Wolf Population by Half Habitats Directive Wolves are currently under tight protection under the 1992 Habitats Directive, which prohibits the purposeful capture or slaughter of wolves in the wild. But the return of the wolves to the EU regions where they had been gone for decades, attacking livestock and fueling tensions in agricultural and hunting communities, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, was personally of their return. In September, her 30-year-old pony, Dolly, was killed by a male wolf in northern Germany. "I urge local and national authorities to take action where necessary. Indeed, current EU legislation already enables them to do so," said von der Leyen. Farmers appeal Farming communities across Europe have campaigned for wolves' protection status to be lowered. Derogations to the Habitats Directive allow farmers to adopt targeted steps to protect their crops and livelihoods, such as trapping wolves with "soft-catch" traps. In November of last year, the European Parliament passed a resolution urging the Commission to help the agriculture industry by providing more flexibility in safeguarding livestock from attacks. The European People's Party, the Parliament's largest faction, has led such appeals, portraying itself as a champion of farmers' rights in important EU environmental changes. Austria, Belgium, Czechia, France, Germany, and Italy are among the EU member states where livestock slaughter has increased dramatically. In Austria, where the number of livestock slaughtered by wolf packs is said to have climbed by 230% to 680 in 2021, various districts have controversially permitted wolf killing to offset the detrimental impact on farmers. Earlier this year, 12 EU environment ministers wrote to Virginijus Sinkeviius, the European Commissioner for the Environment, urging him not to "weaken the legal protection of the wolf." The letter, which was initiated by Slovakia, was signed by ministers from Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Spain, Ireland, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Austria, Portugal, Romania, and Slovenia. Several animal rights groups argued that the increasing population of wolves should be celebrated. "This success remains fragile as the majority of transboundary wolf populations in the EU did not yet reach a favorable conservation status. After investing all these efforts and funds, downgrading the protection status of wolves would not only affect their welfare but also jeopardize their survival and condemn them before they could even be saved," said Reineke Hameleers, CEO at Eurogroup for Animals. The wolf is a species of "least concern," according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with its population in Europe "increasing in number and expanding its distribution range" since the 1970s. Related Article: Wolves Officially Extinct in Andalucia, Spain Following Zero Sightings Reported Since 2020 Related Video: Two dogs killed 22 pregnant sheep and injured 48 others after escaping from their home in Wales, according to reports on Monday, September 4. The farmer, who owns the sheep, killed the vicious canines as retaliation for the incident that occurred in March 2023. In addition, the dogs were also aggressive towards the livestock owner. Local authorities placed the dogs' owner, David Hughes, on trial and was slapped with a hefty fine for not being able to control his two American XL bulldogs, which were shot by the farmer when the situation got out of hand. Hughes appeared in court on August 22, and there was no mention of any prison time that he must serve surrounding the dog attack case. In recent years, there have been records of multiple dog attacks not only on humans but also against livestock. While the aspect of 'dog breed' is blamed for a canine's aggressive behavior, experts argue that there are other factors, including upbringing, health, and environment, that drive some dogs to be aggressive. After all, the adorable pet dogs that we see today are all descended from a wild animal: wolves. American XL Bulldogs Two American XL bulldogs were responsible for the sheep attack in North Wales, as mentioned earlier. Prior to the shooting of the dogs, the farmer made several attempts to control the aggressive dogs at a farm in Rhosllanerchrugog, a village and community in the Wrexham County Borough of Wales, according to a statement of the North Wales Police. Due to the incident, judicial authorities ordered Hughes to pay a total of 900 ($1,137) in fines, and banned him from owning or keeping dogs for five years. However, the cost of the dog attacks on the farmer's livestock reached an amount of 14,000 ($17,688). Also Read: Ancient Scottish Practice of Using Dogs as Eagle Deterrents To Safeguard Their Sheep Related Dog Attacks Since dogs by nature are also wild, it is no wonder that they are also capable of attacking not only people and other pets, including cats, but also livestock. According to the High Desert Wildlife Control LLC, most dogs that roam attack livestock as a form of "play." However, other dogs feed from other's energy, resulting in serious damage in a short time. In addition, even household dogs can be influenced by stray or feral dogs. While there are various reasons for aggression, fear is its most common cause, according to The American Kennel Club, which added that insufficient training by human owners are some of the reasons why some pet dogs tend to be aggressive. During the COVID-19 lockdown, the United Kingdom saw an increase of dog attacks against livestock, with victims including pregnant ewes, sheep, and a cow, in Monmouthshire, Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire. Livestock attacks by dogs are just some cases in addition to the vicious aggression by some canines towards their owner or even to strangers. Related Article: Sheep Move Towards Center of Group When They Face Threat In the dynamic landscape of business, customer complaints are an inevitable aspect of the journey. They can serve as a pivotal turning point for a company, leading to either customer disillusionment or, when managed adeptly, an opportunity for growth and improvement. In this exploration, we delve into the art of handling customer complaints discovering strategies that transform grievances into valuable assets for businesses. Join us on this journey to uncover the methods and insights that can empower your organization to navigate the realm of customer feedback with finesse and turn complaints into opportunities for success in this weeks edition of Lets Talk. Lets Talk. Discover more Lets Talk Business episodes Contribute to Dynamic Business David Price, CEO Employsure Australia, and New Zealand Most businesses will face their fair share of customer complaints. How they respond to those complaints can make or break a brand. While a happy customer might tell a friend, an unhappy customer will tell the world. When customers voice concerns, businesses should actively listen, empathise and take appropriate action. The goal is always to resolve problems promptly, offering fair solutions that align with company policies. Simple gestures such as refunds, replacements, or vouchers can quickly turn negative experiences into positive ones. Training employees with adequate conflict resolution skills can further enhance the service experience for dissatisfied customers. Crucially, feedback from customers should always be welcomed and shared throughout the business. Even bad feedback represents an opportunity to improve. In the digital age, online platforms enable customers to spread negative feedback far and wide, underscoring the need for rapid responses. Constantly monitoring online review sites for unhappy customers is the first line of defence when it comes to protecting a companys reputation. Going the extra mile to fix complaints demonstrates a customer first ethos. This helps with retaining existing customers and attracting new ones. Ultimately, businesses that prioritise resolving customer complaints promptly are setting themselves up for long-term success. Elise Balsillie, Head of Thryv Australia In any business sector or service, customer complaints will always happen. Whether the complaint lies with you or with circumstances beyond your control, addressing it quickly and making things right is imperative. Handle the complaint well, and you can turn a disgruntled customer into a fan. Handle it poorly, and the ripple effect of a bad experience can have a lasting impact on your business and reputation. An important part of handling customer complaints is first understanding where things went wrong. Maintaining clear, digital records of each interaction you have with your customer enables you to easily search and identify any potential issues. Not only will this allow you to resolve a complaint more effectively, but youll be able to see where possible loopholes or gaps occur in your processes so that you can correct and avoid them in the future. Siva Subramaniam, Management Consultant & Director Business Development at Nearsol Philippines Siva Subramaniam, Management Consultant & Director Business Development at Nearsol Philippines Handling Customer Complaints requires a two prong approach. One, we need to quickly respond to customer complaint and resolve it to the customers satisfaction. Any failure to resolve quickly means, they compliant can become bigger and make the social media rounds. Does not mean we need to resolve all complaints. Where we cannot resolve, we need to provide the end customer more than sufficient evidence and T&Cs, signed by the client to ensure there is proper closure to the compliant. These days, there are outsourced or call centers providing this service for major companies. Second, the company needs to do root cause analysis as to why the complaint happened and address the areas. The common scenario to avoid complaints is for companies to do what we call a Service Journey Strategy where the company maps all types of inquires and ensure ALL departments that touches the client query is aligned and the hand-off is smooth. We generally recommend that the complaint handling is outsourced so that resolution process is impartial. Caitlin Zotti, Co-CEO at Pin Payments A key to providing good customer service is understanding the client profile that you are serving. Our clients are small and medium businesses, with many of them being owner operated, so we understand that any problems which arise need to be resolved quickly and efficiently in order to not impact our clients business operations and their respective customers. This is why we feel strongly about having a local team providing both phone and email support so that our business clients can speak with a real person as soon as they encounter a problem, and we can work to rectify it together. At Pin Payments our customer service team is locally based in Melbourne, Australia. We are a close-knit team and our customer service team are empowered to promptly address customer concerns and provide product feedback improvements to our technical teams. These interactions with your clients can often be used as learning opportunities and help to strengthen your business and service offering, along with building relationships with your clients (which in turn can improve retention rates!). David Dahdah, Branding & Content Creator at Big Smoke Media Group I believe that if youre unable to handle a complaint, its because youve become complacent. It says nothing about your competency, just your ability to take a step back. Part of complacency is forgetting that youre dealing with another person. Your customers/clients/audience are people on their own journeys, dealing with their own problems, pushing through their own solutions. I am of the opinion that regardless of your product, you want to be seen as a partner, not a service provider. Your best tool in negotiation is your capacity to actively listen, understand, and empathise with the person on the other side. There have been many instances in my career where addressing a clients specific concerns, rather than offering a generic solution, quickly de-escalated the call to a friendly conversation so that I could get the work done. Not everyone wants a refund, really. Even if they say they do initially. Hear the person on the other side, and think about what would satisfy you if you were in their shoes. Mike Halligan, CEO and Co-Founder of Scratch Dog Food Customer service comes down to reactionary and preventative measures. At Scratch, we reach out soon after someone signs up to check how their dog is finding our product, and what their experience has been so far. Our proactivity and checking in helps to spot and prevent future larger issues that might result in churn or an unhappy customer. Of course that can only do so much. Things change. Stuff comes up. Customers needs and perspectives change. So when you do get customer service complaints in, make sure you have a CS culture of respecting the customer and wanting to get them a good, fair outcome. That often comes down to incentives, be it through KPIs, culture or remuneration. Theres a big difference in how your CS will perform if you have a ticket mindset and focus on the number of people responded to, compared to focusing on quality and customer experience. Dhanush Ganglani, Managing Director, Eden Exchange Handling customer complaints and ensuring prompt service is an essential aspect of maintaining a successful business. Doing this takes having the right people, processes and systems in place. Consider implementing the following: Prioritise Effective Communication : Establish clear channels for customers to voice their concerns, and train your staff to listen actively, empathise with customers and respond courteously. And keep the customer informed throughout the resolution process by clearly explaining the steps you're taking to address the issue, the timeline involved and any potential outcomes. : Establish clear channels for customers to voice their concerns, and train your staff to listen actively, empathise with customers and respond courteously. And keep the customer informed throughout the resolution process by clearly explaining the steps you're taking to address the issue, the timeline involved and any potential outcomes. Swift Response Time : Promptly acknowledge customer complaints to demonstrate your commitment to resolving issues, and express your concern and dedication to finding a solution. : Promptly acknowledge customer complaints to demonstrate your commitment to resolving issues, and express your concern and dedication to finding a solution. Empower Your Team : Ensure your staff is empowered to make decisions within their authority to resolve complaints to avoid unnecessary delays. : Ensure your staff is empowered to make decisions within their authority to resolve complaints to avoid unnecessary delays. Follow-Up: After implementing a solution, follow up with the customers to ensure their satisfaction. This not only demonstrates your dedication to their well-being, but it also gives you an opportunity to gather feedback for further improvement. Remember, customer service training should be an ongoing process. Regularly review and analyse customer complaints to identify patterns or recurring issues, so you can make necessary changes to prevent similar problems in the future. While complete avoidance of customer complaints is unlikely, proactively addressing them with timeliness and empathy can safeguard your brand reputation and pave the way for significant success. Eric Parker, Head of Cloud Solutions at ipSCAPE Eric Parker, Head of Cloud Solutions at ipSCAPE Handling customer complaints promptly presents an opportunity for businesses to enact their service recovery strategy. Using ipSCAPEs Advanced Speech Analytics solution, businesses can detect customer complaints even if they are not formally expressed as such, and even predict complaints before they occur. Specifically designed for financial services organisations, the solution monitors for expressions of dissatisfaction, which ASIC Regulatory Guide 271 now defines formally as a complaint. Organisations are obliged to manage these expressions of dissatisfaction as complaints and meet all of the resulting SLAs. The solution operates by applying a specialised AI model to produces a Complaince Risk Score (CRS). This score indicates to managers whether the customer has expressed dissatisfaction, or is at risk of making a complaint. Going beyond just what was said, the AI takes into several natural language models, as well as accounting for eight separate emotionality factors across the duration of the interaction. Available as an add-on to ipSCAPEs cloud contact centre solution, Advanced Speech Analytics enabled an Insurance company to take pro-active action and reduce the incidence of complaints by 60%, with follow on benefits of reduced customer churn, and improved customer experience. Taylor McPhail, Co-Owner of McPhails Furniture Taylor McPhail, Co-Owner of McPhails Furniture We have taken over our own deliveries and have our own trucks and drivers now. This means that we have a lot more control over the handling of our furniture and the delivery which has brought complaints down a lot. Additionally, if for any reason anything does arrive broken, which is rare, we can easily replace it within 2 weeks when we next have a truck run to that location. Kristen Pimpini, Regional Vice President, FLEX APJ, Twilio Kristen Pimpini, Regional Vice President, FLEX APJ, Twilio AI is drastically improving the way that businesses are engaging with their customers, and is an incredibly valuable tool in the current market. As macroeconomic forces are creating uncertainty, many businesses are needing to achieve more with reduced marketing budgets. Consumers also still expect highly personalised, human engagement with brands. AI is now allowing companies to rise to both challenges concurrently. Conversational AI is paving the way for better human interaction with streamlined operational costs. Different from chatbots that would operate on straightforward rules and rely on predefined content, Conversational AI systems use natural language processing (NLP) to generate complex sentences independently, understand the users intent, and respond to customers as humans would. The use of Conversational AI in this way can reduce human involvement in unnecessarily lengthy manual processes resulting in better use of resources and allowing agents to focus on providing that sought after human touch. Real-time data access from Conversational AI solutions can also help live agents to intervene promptly when the customer is not satisfied with the automated responses. When used in the right way, AI can foster more meaningful human interaction, and help create loyal customers who will drive greater lifetime value for your business. Discover Lets Talk Business Topics Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Sorry, something doesn't look right. Something seems unusual about your device or browser. Please contact support. Fishermen transport tuna in Khanh Hoa Province in central Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Xuan Ngoc Tuna exports to South Korea rose by 2.5 times year-on-year to over US$7 million in the first seven months, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers. Tuna Vietnam, Nha Trang Bay and Phat Trien Seafood were the three biggest exporters, accounting for 64% of total shipments. Exports of canned tuna jumped by 468%. VASEP said declining fishing catches in South Korea and rising demand for canned products amid tightened spending drove up demand for Vietnamese products. Vietnam was the eight biggest exporter of tuna to that country in the first half this year, but the largest seller of canned tuna, accounting for nearly 77% of all imports. Rakesh Kumar By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The import of laptops and servers should be only from trusted sources, Minister of State Electronic and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Monday. The minister reiterated that the government is not trying to restrict imports of laptops or tabs but is putting in place an effective import management system. There are no import restrictions. What we are saying is that we will have an import management system, where we are doubly assured that equipment, servers and laptops that are coming into the digital India ecosystem are from trusted sources, he said. He further said, unfortunately, the communication was misconstrued as a licensing attempt. Putting the trusted sources clause for the import of laptops and servers can make Indian markets inaccessible to Chinese laptops. It is not the first time the government has come up with such a directive. In the case of telecom equipment, the government directs telecom service providers to source their equipment from trusted sources for their network expansion. Under this rule, telcos are mandated to buy equipment only from entities labelled by the National Cyber Security Coordinator as a trusted source and products designated as a trusted one. This decision led to the exclusion of two major telecom gear makers -- Huawei and ZTE -- from India. However, the government has yet to define a trusted source in the case of IT hardware. Most laptop makers are from the US, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, which are trusted trade partners of India but their manufacturing base is in China. Lenovo is the only Chinese laptop sold in India. The industry is concerned about the governments definition of trusted hardware. After getting a good response for the PLI scheme for mobile manufacturing, the government came up with a revised `17,000 crore scheme for IT hardware in May 2023. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The import of laptops and servers should be only from trusted sources, Minister of State Electronic and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Monday. The minister reiterated that the government is not trying to restrict imports of laptops or tabs but is putting in place an effective import management system. There are no import restrictions. What we are saying is that we will have an import management system, where we are doubly assured that equipment, servers and laptops that are coming into the digital India ecosystem are from trusted sources, he said. He further said, unfortunately, the communication was misconstrued as a licensing attempt. Putting the trusted sources clause for the import of laptops and servers can make Indian markets inaccessible to Chinese laptops. It is not the first time the government has come up with such a directive. In the case of telecom equipment, the government directs telecom service providers to source their equipment from trusted sources for their network expansion. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Under this rule, telcos are mandated to buy equipment only from entities labelled by the National Cyber Security Coordinator as a trusted source and products designated as a trusted one. This decision led to the exclusion of two major telecom gear makers -- Huawei and ZTE -- from India. However, the government has yet to define a trusted source in the case of IT hardware. Most laptop makers are from the US, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, which are trusted trade partners of India but their manufacturing base is in China. Lenovo is the only Chinese laptop sold in India. The industry is concerned about the governments definition of trusted hardware. After getting a good response for the PLI scheme for mobile manufacturing, the government came up with a revised `17,000 crore scheme for IT hardware in May 2023. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Express News Service LUCKNOW: In a significant decision, a special Gangster Act court of Kanpur, on Tuesday, awarded a 10-year jail sentence to 23 of the 30 persons named as accused of the infamous Bikhru massacre orchestrated by dreaded gangster Vikash Dubey killing eight members of a police party on the intervening night of July 3, 2020. The Gangster Act was invoked against 30 persons, including Vikas Dubey and his henchmen, following the massacre of eight cops, including DSP Devendra Mishra, three Sub-Inspectors and four constables, who were ambushed in Bikhru village under Chaubeypur police station area in Kanpur Dehat, when they were on their way to arrest gangster Vikas Dubey shortly after midnight. The 30-member police team had gone to raid the hideout of the gangster Vikas Dubey in connection with a case of attempt to murder registered against him in Chaubeypur police station. According to Special DG (law and order) Prashant Kumar, all 23 accused have also been slapped with a financial penalty of Rs 50,000 each. However, seven of the accused were acquitted by Additional District Judge-5 Durgesh in Kanpur Dehat for want of evidence. According to the statement issued by the Special DG, "After hearing all the 30 accused in the Bikhru massacre case, the court in Mati, the district headquarters of Kanpur Dehat, on Tuesday, delivered its final judgement on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, sentencing 23 of the 30 accused persons 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 each." It may be recalled that Dubey was killed by STF sleuths escorting him to Kanpur from Ujjain when the vehicle, in which he was being ferried, met with an accident. Taking advantage of the situation, he tried to escape by firing on the accompanying cops and was killed in retaliatory firing by the STF team on July 10. Vikas Dubey, with a total of 61 criminal cases, including eight of murder involving the killing of at least 15 persons, registered against him, was arrested by the Madhya Pradesh police from outside the Mahakal temple in Ujjain on July 9 and was being taken back to Kanpur through Jhansi. The vehicle turned turtle in Sachendi near Kanpur due to heavy rains. Four members of the STF team accompanying him were also injured in the mishap. Following a manhunt for Dubey's henchmen after the July 2/3 incident, police killed at least five of his accomplices, who were involved in the attack, demolished his sprawling bungalow, and arrested at least a dozen people, including his wife and son along with the cops who had aided his escape and shelter. The bounty on Vikas Dubeys head was raised from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh while he was on the run. Preetha Nair By Express News Service Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) SY Quraishi spoke to Preetha Nair about the challenges before the high-level committee to make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies, besides the feasibility of the proposal. The One Nation One Election idea will have to pass through wider consultations, he said. The high-level panel will make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections. However, three panels have already looked into the matter before. How feasible is the idea? Earlier, the proposal for holding simultaneous polls was extensively examined by three committees the Law Commission, NITI Aayog, and a Parliamentary Standing Committee. However, these committees failed to offer any concrete solution. Hopefully, the high-powered committee will come up with a convincing remedy. Let us give it a fair chance. Any new solution would need to be discussed across the political spectrum and I hope the committee will be able to achieve consensus. It should also have wider consultation with legal and constitutional experts among other stakeholders. I have neither supported nor opposed the idea of simultaneous polls. The past committees have made suggestions such as extending or curtailing assembly terms or clubbing elections to achieve the goal of One nation, one election gradually. The EC has also scanned these reports. What are the major challenges for such an idea? Suppose, we have achieved simultaneous elections in all states and Lok Sabha. Now, how will we prevent a state government from falling prematurely, keep it under Presidents rule for the next four-and-a-half years? That scenario demands a foolproof solution, which should be acceptable to all stakeholders. Besides this, there are several crucial issues such as a hung House, adoption of a no-confidence motion, defection, or any other event that needs a thorough debate. However, we are going in circles and the debate is going nowhere. We have been discussing the challenges of the proposal for the last 10 years. When PM Modi mooted the idea of simultaneous elections in 2014, he said that there should be a national debate. We shouldnt forget that the government enjoys a huge majority. It has taken a decision but allowed the debate to continue. The composition of the new committee has also come under criticism that there was no representative of the ECI I dont think it is a big issue and it doesnt make a difference to the committee. The committee has eminent members. I dont wish to go into the composition of it. The larger the committee, the more difficult the decision-making would be. However, the question in everyones mind is what the new remedy it has to offer other than the ones proposed by the past committees. Many experts have pointed out that the biggest challenge lies in bringing amendments in not less than five Articles 83, 85, 172, 174, and 356 of the Constitution and certain legislative changes to facilitate simultaneous polls. Your take. At least five amendments will be required in the Constitution to facilitate simultaneous polls and it is a huge challenge. Though the idea of synchronized polls has been examined before, the constitutional amendments were the biggest stumbling block so far. This was the main issue pointed out in the draft report submitted by the Law Commission in 2018. That is why it was always a non-starter. One of the terms of reference of the high-level committee is to examine if constitutional amendments would have to be ratified by the state assemblies. The Law Commission report also suggested that at least 50% of the states should ratify the amendments. The states have to pass the amendments in their assemblies. Only then, a constitutional amendment can be made. Therefore, consulting all stakeholders is an important issue, which the committee will surely do. Even if 50% of states are required to ratify amendments, the question is whether they are willing to do that. It is anticipated that the government will try to pass the legislation soon. The question in everyones mind is if the committee will be able to submit a report by September 18, when the Parliament convenes for a special session to initiate the process.... It is highly unlikely that the committee will prepare a report in such a short period as it involves mammoth work. The notification for the committee was issued only on September 2. The committee will take some time to meet and begin its work. It is unrealistic to link it with the upcoming Parliament session. The Parliament session and the committee may have different agendas. Though India did hold synchronized elections in the past, they were disrupted We had simultaneous polls in 1952 and 1957 across the country. However, Kerala broke the cycle after the EMS government was dismissed by the Nehru government in 1959. Then separate Assembly elections were held in 1960. In 1962 and 1967, simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and assemblies were again held. So the cycle was disrupted as early as 1959. We need concrete constitutional and legal solutions to avoid disruptions. The committee will also examine the modalities of using a single electoral roll and electoral identity card for voters in elections in three tiers. It will also examine the logistics and manpower required, including EVMs, VVPATs, etc. How significant is this? A solution for the demand for a common electoral roll has been pending for long. Perhaps it will require a Constitutional amendment. I hope this committee will resolve the issue. This will address the issue of missing voter names in the list. Cutting huge costs of elections is cited as one of the major reasons behind the idea. Some of the reasons behind the idea are to save huge expenditures, avoid disruptions in governance due to frequent elections, and prolonged imposition of the model code. Id say we can reduce the expenditure in some other areas. While there is a ceiling on the expenditure of candidates in the fray, the idea is defeated by not having a limit on expenditure by political parties. By putting a cap on expenses by political parties, the costs can be reduced to a large extent. There are also logistical challenges and financial requirements in conducting simultaneous polls. We would require three times more electronic voting machines (EVMs) if three-tier elections are happening at the same time. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) SY Quraishi spoke to Preetha Nair about the challenges before the high-level committee to make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies, besides the feasibility of the proposal. The One Nation One Election idea will have to pass through wider consultations, he said. The high-level panel will make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections. However, three panels have already looked into the matter before. How feasible is the idea? Earlier, the proposal for holding simultaneous polls was extensively examined by three committees the Law Commission, NITI Aayog, and a Parliamentary Standing Committee. However, these committees failed to offer any concrete solution. Hopefully, the high-powered committee will come up with a convincing remedy. Let us give it a fair chance. Any new solution would need to be discussed across the political spectrum and I hope the committee will be able to achieve consensus. It should also have wider consultation with legal and constitutional experts among other stakeholders. I have neither supported nor opposed the idea of simultaneous polls. The past committees have made suggestions such as extending or curtailing assembly terms or clubbing elections to achieve the goal of One nation, one election gradually. The EC has also scanned these reports. What are the major challenges for such an idea? Suppose, we have achieved simultaneous elections in all states and Lok Sabha. Now, how will we prevent a state government from falling prematurely, keep it under Presidents rule for the next four-and-a-half years? That scenario demands a foolproof solution, which should be acceptable to all stakeholders. Besides this, there are several crucial issues such as a hung House, adoption of a no-confidence motion, defection, or any other event that needs a thorough debate. However, we are going in circles and the debate is going nowhere. We have been discussing the challenges of the proposal for the last 10 years. When PM Modi mooted the idea of simultaneous elections in 2014, he said that there should be a national debate. We shouldnt forget that the government enjoys a huge majority. It has taken a decision but allowed the debate to continue.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The composition of the new committee has also come under criticism that there was no representative of the ECI I dont think it is a big issue and it doesnt make a difference to the committee. The committee has eminent members. I dont wish to go into the composition of it. The larger the committee, the more difficult the decision-making would be. However, the question in everyones mind is what the new remedy it has to offer other than the ones proposed by the past committees. Many experts have pointed out that the biggest challenge lies in bringing amendments in not less than five Articles 83, 85, 172, 174, and 356 of the Constitution and certain legislative changes to facilitate simultaneous polls. Your take. At least five amendments will be required in the Constitution to facilitate simultaneous polls and it is a huge challenge. Though the idea of synchronized polls has been examined before, the constitutional amendments were the biggest stumbling block so far. This was the main issue pointed out in the draft report submitted by the Law Commission in 2018. That is why it was always a non-starter. One of the terms of reference of the high-level committee is to examine if constitutional amendments would have to be ratified by the state assemblies. The Law Commission report also suggested that at least 50% of the states should ratify the amendments. The states have to pass the amendments in their assemblies. Only then, a constitutional amendment can be made. Therefore, consulting all stakeholders is an important issue, which the committee will surely do. Even if 50% of states are required to ratify amendments, the question is whether they are willing to do that. It is anticipated that the government will try to pass the legislation soon. The question in everyones mind is if the committee will be able to submit a report by September 18, when the Parliament convenes for a special session to initiate the process.... It is highly unlikely that the committee will prepare a report in such a short period as it involves mammoth work. The notification for the committee was issued only on September 2. The committee will take some time to meet and begin its work. It is unrealistic to link it with the upcoming Parliament session. The Parliament session and the committee may have different agendas. Though India did hold synchronized elections in the past, they were disrupted We had simultaneous polls in 1952 and 1957 across the country. However, Kerala broke the cycle after the EMS government was dismissed by the Nehru government in 1959. Then separate Assembly elections were held in 1960. In 1962 and 1967, simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and assemblies were again held. So the cycle was disrupted as early as 1959. We need concrete constitutional and legal solutions to avoid disruptions. The committee will also examine the modalities of using a single electoral roll and electoral identity card for voters in elections in three tiers. It will also examine the logistics and manpower required, including EVMs, VVPATs, etc. How significant is this? A solution for the demand for a common electoral roll has been pending for long. Perhaps it will require a Constitutional amendment. I hope this committee will resolve the issue. This will address the issue of missing voter names in the list. Cutting huge costs of elections is cited as one of the major reasons behind the idea. Some of the reasons behind the idea are to save huge expenditures, avoid disruptions in governance due to frequent elections, and prolonged imposition of the model code. Id say we can reduce the expenditure in some other areas. While there is a ceiling on the expenditure of candidates in the fray, the idea is defeated by not having a limit on expenditure by political parties. By putting a cap on expenses by political parties, the costs can be reduced to a large extent. There are also logistical challenges and financial requirements in conducting simultaneous polls. We would require three times more electronic voting machines (EVMs) if three-tier elections are happening at the same time. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Yeshi Seli By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Speculation is rife on whether US President Joe Biden will be able to make it for the G20 Summit after his wife Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. President Biden has tested negative and is being closely monitored for any symptoms. "As of now there is no indication that President Biden wont come to India as per his original schedule," said an official from the US Embassy in Delhi. President Biden is expected to land in Delhi on September 7 and has scheduled a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8. US First Lady Jill Biden has mild symptoms of COVID-19 and is currently isolating herself at the familys Delaware beach house. Another question that has been doing the rounds is whether President Biden will have to undergo a COVID test if he travels to India. "Cant say yet whether we will have a COVID test done on him. His medical team is taking utmost care and is monitoring him regularly so we wont see any outward risk on his entering India and attending the summit if his reports say he is negative," said an official source. Another leader who had confirmed his attendance for the G20 Summit and is indisposed is German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who suffered an eye injury whilst he was jogging. He is wearing a patch over his eye. However, this will have no impact on his schedule for the G20 Summit as he is fit to travel. With Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador skipping it, Indian officials are hopeful of seeing President Biden disembark from Air Force One and kickstart the first bilateral meeting, a day before the G20 Summit. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Speculation is rife on whether US President Joe Biden will be able to make it for the G20 Summit after his wife Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. President Biden has tested negative and is being closely monitored for any symptoms. "As of now there is no indication that President Biden wont come to India as per his original schedule," said an official from the US Embassy in Delhi. President Biden is expected to land in Delhi on September 7 and has scheduled a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8. US First Lady Jill Biden has mild symptoms of COVID-19 and is currently isolating herself at the familys Delaware beach house.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Another question that has been doing the rounds is whether President Biden will have to undergo a COVID test if he travels to India. "Cant say yet whether we will have a COVID test done on him. His medical team is taking utmost care and is monitoring him regularly so we wont see any outward risk on his entering India and attending the summit if his reports say he is negative," said an official source. Another leader who had confirmed his attendance for the G20 Summit and is indisposed is German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who suffered an eye injury whilst he was jogging. He is wearing a patch over his eye. However, this will have no impact on his schedule for the G20 Summit as he is fit to travel. With Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador skipping it, Indian officials are hopeful of seeing President Biden disembark from Air Force One and kickstart the first bilateral meeting, a day before the G20 Summit. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Rajesh Kumar Thakur By Express News Service NEW DELHI: A three-day RSS meeting will begin from September 14 in Pune to deliberate on national security and economy, among others, Sangh sources said. According to a statement by RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar, Sangh chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat, Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale along with five Sarkaryavah and key officials of the Sangh will attend the meeting. The Akhil Bharatiya Samanvay Baithak (All India Coordination Meeting) will come up four days after the G20 Summit in Delhi and months ahead of Assembly polls in some crucial Hindi-belt states. It is believed that senior RSS functionaries along with RSS-inspired officials drawn from various organisations will have wider discussions on poll strategies. Discussions on the high-pitched elections involving INDIA bloc partners and the ruling NDA will likely focus on BJPs strengths and weaknesses. BJP chief JP Nadda may attend the meeting along with BJP (Organisational) national general secretary BL Santosh and Sunil Bansal. The RSS is called as the BJPs ideological mentor. Sunil Ambekar said key officials of about 36 RSS-inspired organisations will also attend the meeting. These outfits include the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Akhil Bharatiya Vidayarthi Parishad, Bharatiya Kissan Sangh, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Seva Bharati, Sanskar-Bharti, and the Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad, Ambekar said. In 2022, the RSSs All India Coordination Meeting was held in Raipur in Chhattisgarh. Ambekar said that the participants would discuss their experience and activities in various aspects of social life. Apart from the current national scenario, there will be extensive discussions on important issues related to social harmony, environment, family values, service works, economy and national security, Ambekar said. Discussions will focus on activities that will aid social transformation. The RSS holds its coordination meeting once a year. This years meeting also assumes significance in the wake of a debate on One nation, one election. The saffron organisations ideas will also partly reflect the thinking of the BJP-led NDA government. On September 2 RSS chief Bhagwat said, Hindustan (India) is a Hindu Rashtra and this is a fact. Ideologically, all Bharatiyas (Indians) are Hindus and Hindus mean all Bharatiyas. All those who are in India are related to Hindu culture, Hindu ancestors and Hindu land, nothing other than these, the Sangh chief said at the inauguration of Madhukar Bhavan, the new building of a Marathi daily. Bhagwats claim is one he has made before. In December 2022, he said all people of India are Hindus and that whoever considers India home is a Hindu, irrespective of religion. He also urged the media to participate in nation-building. Media should aim to build the society to make the country a world power, he said. Members to hold talks on election strategies The Akhil Bharatiya Samanvay Baithak (All India Coordination Meeting) will come up four days after the G20 Summit in Delhi and months ahead of Assembly polls in some crucial Hindi-belt states. It is believed that senior RSS functionaries along with RSS-inspired officials drawn from various organisations will have wider discussions on poll strategies. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: A three-day RSS meeting will begin from September 14 in Pune to deliberate on national security and economy, among others, Sangh sources said. According to a statement by RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar, Sangh chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat, Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale along with five Sarkaryavah and key officials of the Sangh will attend the meeting. The Akhil Bharatiya Samanvay Baithak (All India Coordination Meeting) will come up four days after the G20 Summit in Delhi and months ahead of Assembly polls in some crucial Hindi-belt states. It is believed that senior RSS functionaries along with RSS-inspired officials drawn from various organisations will have wider discussions on poll strategies. Discussions on the high-pitched elections involving INDIA bloc partners and the ruling NDA will likely focus on BJPs strengths and weaknesses. BJP chief JP Nadda may attend the meeting along with BJP (Organisational) national general secretary BL Santosh and Sunil Bansal. The RSS is called as the BJPs ideological mentor.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Sunil Ambekar said key officials of about 36 RSS-inspired organisations will also attend the meeting. These outfits include the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Akhil Bharatiya Vidayarthi Parishad, Bharatiya Kissan Sangh, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Seva Bharati, Sanskar-Bharti, and the Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad, Ambekar said. In 2022, the RSSs All India Coordination Meeting was held in Raipur in Chhattisgarh. Ambekar said that the participants would discuss their experience and activities in various aspects of social life. Apart from the current national scenario, there will be extensive discussions on important issues related to social harmony, environment, family values, service works, economy and national security, Ambekar said. Discussions will focus on activities that will aid social transformation. The RSS holds its coordination meeting once a year. This years meeting also assumes significance in the wake of a debate on One nation, one election. The saffron organisations ideas will also partly reflect the thinking of the BJP-led NDA government. On September 2 RSS chief Bhagwat said, Hindustan (India) is a Hindu Rashtra and this is a fact. Ideologically, all Bharatiyas (Indians) are Hindus and Hindus mean all Bharatiyas. All those who are in India are related to Hindu culture, Hindu ancestors and Hindu land, nothing other than these, the Sangh chief said at the inauguration of Madhukar Bhavan, the new building of a Marathi daily. Bhagwats claim is one he has made before. In December 2022, he said all people of India are Hindus and that whoever considers India home is a Hindu, irrespective of religion. He also urged the media to participate in nation-building. Media should aim to build the society to make the country a world power, he said. Members to hold talks on election strategies The Akhil Bharatiya Samanvay Baithak (All India Coordination Meeting) will come up four days after the G20 Summit in Delhi and months ahead of Assembly polls in some crucial Hindi-belt states. It is believed that senior RSS functionaries along with RSS-inspired officials drawn from various organisations will have wider discussions on poll strategies. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Ramashankar By Express News Service PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar tripped and fell down on the stage during a function held at Patna University campus on the occasion of Teachers' Day on Tuesday. Alert security personnel intervened and saved him from getting hurt. The incident happened when Kumar lost his balance while proceeding towards a plaque on the stage. The plaque was unveiled by Governor Rajendra Arlekar earlier. People present on the occasion revealed that Nitish fell down on the stage but was saved by security personnel who quickly helped him to get on his feet. The CM did not appear to suffer a serious injury as he walked without a limp to take the dais and also garlanded a portrait of former President Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, whose birth anniversary is celebrated across the country as Teachers' Day. He later inaugurated the newly built Senate Hall of the university with Governor Arlekar and went on to address the gathering. In the meantime, supporters of Bihar CM chanted slogans like 'Desh ka PM kaisa ho, Nitish Kumar jaisa ho'. Nitish greeted the supporters by waving his hands and moved towards the stage to attend the function. Nitish and Arlekar were seen together at a time when tension between the state government and Raj Bhavan is brewing. Though Nitish paid a visit to Raj Bhavan to meet Governor Arlekar, tension has refused to die down. Raj Bhavan issued a notification asking the state's education department not to cross the limit and intervene in its affairs. The notification issued by Raj Bhavan said that all university officials must adhere only to its guidelines. On Tuesday, the Governor said that there should be coordination between Raj Bhavan and the state government. There is no question of confrontation between the two but both sides should respect each other and work in tandem, he added. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar tripped and fell down on the stage during a function held at Patna University campus on the occasion of Teachers' Day on Tuesday. Alert security personnel intervened and saved him from getting hurt. The incident happened when Kumar lost his balance while proceeding towards a plaque on the stage. The plaque was unveiled by Governor Rajendra Arlekar earlier. People present on the occasion revealed that Nitish fell down on the stage but was saved by security personnel who quickly helped him to get on his feet. The CM did not appear to suffer a serious injury as he walked without a limp to take the dais and also garlanded a portrait of former President Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, whose birth anniversary is celebrated across the country as Teachers' Day.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He later inaugurated the newly built Senate Hall of the university with Governor Arlekar and went on to address the gathering. In the meantime, supporters of Bihar CM chanted slogans like 'Desh ka PM kaisa ho, Nitish Kumar jaisa ho'. Nitish greeted the supporters by waving his hands and moved towards the stage to attend the function. Nitish and Arlekar were seen together at a time when tension between the state government and Raj Bhavan is brewing. Though Nitish paid a visit to Raj Bhavan to meet Governor Arlekar, tension has refused to die down. Raj Bhavan issued a notification asking the state's education department not to cross the limit and intervene in its affairs. The notification issued by Raj Bhavan said that all university officials must adhere only to its guidelines. On Tuesday, the Governor said that there should be coordination between Raj Bhavan and the state government. There is no question of confrontation between the two but both sides should respect each other and work in tandem, he added. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI PATNA: Teachers of state-run schools in Bihar wore black bands and badges to work on Teachers' Day in protest over a host of issues, including action against some of their colleagues who raised their voice against the government. Fifteen teachers' associations unanimously decided to protest against the government, and teachers of all 75,309 state-run schools wore black bands and badges to work, convener of TET Primary Teachers' Association Raju Singh told PTI. The protesting teachers participated in all academic activities at their schools wearing the bands and badges, he said. "We want immediate withdrawal of all departmental action, including suspension, initiated against the teachers who raised their voices against recent decisions of the government, including the reduction in the number of holidays during the festive season," he said. "We want that all contractual teachers to be regularised," he added. Singh also said that they demand the department should immediately stop engaging school teachers in other governmental activities, including election-related works. "Teachers have already started resigning in areas where they are being engaged in non-teaching activities. The department's decision to withdraw the controversial order on holidays due to our pressure is a partial win. Our agitation will continue till all our demands are not accepted," he said. The teachers will burn effigies of CM Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav outside block offices across the state on September 9, Singh said. The Education Department on Monday withdrew the controversial order to reduce the number of holidays during the upcoming festive season from 23 to 11. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp PATNA: Teachers of state-run schools in Bihar wore black bands and badges to work on Teachers' Day in protest over a host of issues, including action against some of their colleagues who raised their voice against the government. Fifteen teachers' associations unanimously decided to protest against the government, and teachers of all 75,309 state-run schools wore black bands and badges to work, convener of TET Primary Teachers' Association Raju Singh told PTI. The protesting teachers participated in all academic activities at their schools wearing the bands and badges, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "We want immediate withdrawal of all departmental action, including suspension, initiated against the teachers who raised their voices against recent decisions of the government, including the reduction in the number of holidays during the festive season," he said. "We want that all contractual teachers to be regularised," he added. Singh also said that they demand the department should immediately stop engaging school teachers in other governmental activities, including election-related works. "Teachers have already started resigning in areas where they are being engaged in non-teaching activities. The department's decision to withdraw the controversial order on holidays due to our pressure is a partial win. Our agitation will continue till all our demands are not accepted," he said. The teachers will burn effigies of CM Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav outside block offices across the state on September 9, Singh said. The Education Department on Monday withdrew the controversial order to reduce the number of holidays during the upcoming festive season from 23 to 11. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI HYDERABAD: BRS leader K Kavitha on Tuesday made an appeal to 47 political party presidents, including the chiefs of BJP and Congress, J P Nadda and Mallikarjun Kharge respectively, urging them to unite and pass the long-awaited Women's Reservation Bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament. The leaders include Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh (Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy), Delhi (Arvind Kejriwal), Bihar (Nitish Kumar), Tamil Nadu (M K Stalin), West Bengal ( Mamata Banerjee) and Odisha (Naveen Patnaik). In a letter addressed to the leaders separately, she called upon them to set aside political differences and prioritise the passage of the Bill saying increased women's representation is not a matter of exclusivity but a means to build a more equitable and balanced political landscape. "It is my sincere hope that all political parties will rise above partisan interests and unite in support of the Women's Reservation Bill, which has languished in legislative limbo for far too long," she urged the leaders. Let's unite for a stronger, more inclusive Democracy! I humbly appeal to all political parties, urging them to come together in support of the Women's Reservation Bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament. It's time for us to empower women and ensure their rightful pic.twitter.com/DLGN6rbZGM Kavitha Kalvakuntla (@RaoKavitha) September 5, 2023 Kavitha, who is an MLC in Telangana and daughter of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, underscored the pivotal role women play in "Indian discourse" and the pressing need for their representation in legislative bodies. Stating that women constitute 50 per cent of the country's population and play a pivotal role in every aspect of society, Kavitha said when it comes to legislative representation, in state assemblies and Parliament, their presence remains "woefully inadequate." "This glaring disparity hampers our nation's progress and undermines the principles of democracy upon which our great country is built. The representation of women in legislative discourse is of utmost importance for several reasons...," she said in the letter. She highlighted the proof of concept provided by the 14 lakh women already active in public life, demonstrating their ability to lead and govern effectively. Kavitha has been a prominent voice in raising the demand for the Women's Reservation Bill that seeks to provide a 33 per cent quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies. She sat on a hunger strike earlier in March demanding the tabling and passing of the Bill and has been engaging with political parties and civil society organisations across India to escalate the demand for legislation on it. The special Parliament session will be convened from September 18 to 22. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp HYDERABAD: BRS leader K Kavitha on Tuesday made an appeal to 47 political party presidents, including the chiefs of BJP and Congress, J P Nadda and Mallikarjun Kharge respectively, urging them to unite and pass the long-awaited Women's Reservation Bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament. The leaders include Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh (Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy), Delhi (Arvind Kejriwal), Bihar (Nitish Kumar), Tamil Nadu (M K Stalin), West Bengal ( Mamata Banerjee) and Odisha (Naveen Patnaik). In a letter addressed to the leaders separately, she called upon them to set aside political differences and prioritise the passage of the Bill saying increased women's representation is not a matter of exclusivity but a means to build a more equitable and balanced political landscape.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "It is my sincere hope that all political parties will rise above partisan interests and unite in support of the Women's Reservation Bill, which has languished in legislative limbo for far too long," she urged the leaders. Let's unite for a stronger, more inclusive Democracy! I humbly appeal to all political parties, urging them to come together in support of the Women's Reservation Bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament. It's time for us to empower women and ensure their rightful pic.twitter.com/DLGN6rbZGM Kavitha Kalvakuntla (@RaoKavitha) September 5, 2023 Kavitha, who is an MLC in Telangana and daughter of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, underscored the pivotal role women play in "Indian discourse" and the pressing need for their representation in legislative bodies. Stating that women constitute 50 per cent of the country's population and play a pivotal role in every aspect of society, Kavitha said when it comes to legislative representation, in state assemblies and Parliament, their presence remains "woefully inadequate." "This glaring disparity hampers our nation's progress and undermines the principles of democracy upon which our great country is built. The representation of women in legislative discourse is of utmost importance for several reasons...," she said in the letter. She highlighted the proof of concept provided by the 14 lakh women already active in public life, demonstrating their ability to lead and govern effectively. Kavitha has been a prominent voice in raising the demand for the Women's Reservation Bill that seeks to provide a 33 per cent quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies. She sat on a hunger strike earlier in March demanding the tabling and passing of the Bill and has been engaging with political parties and civil society organisations across India to escalate the demand for legislation on it. The special Parliament session will be convened from September 18 to 22. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday hailed the contribution of former president Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary, saying that he left an indelible mark on education and philosophical thought and his 'legacy continues to guide our values'. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge paid homage to the former president, describing him as a philosopher and statesman whose contribution, dedication and wisdom continue to inspire people generation after generation. The birth anniversary of Radhakrishnan is celebrated as Teachers' Day. Teachers are true nation builders. They are not only our guiding lights, but the flag bearers of good values and the conscience keepers of our moral compass. On #TeachersDay, we salute all teachers across the country, for they are the ones who will chart our future destiny. pic.twitter.com/EwtS8XdtfS September 5, 2023 Kharge said that teachers are true nation-builders. "They are not only our guiding lights but the flag bearers of good values and the conscience keepers of our moral compass. On Teachers Day, we salute all teachers across the country, for they are the ones who will chart our future destiny," he said. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Today, we celebrate Teachers' Day and recall Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the great philosopher, educationist and author." Many of his books like 'The Hindu View of Life', 'Indian Philosophy', 'Eastern Religions and Western Thought', 'The Bhagavad Gita', 'The Dhammapada', and 'The Principal Upanishads' are evergreen classics, he noted. "Not a political personality by any means, Radhakrishnan had been persuaded by (Jawaharlal) Nehru to be India's Ambassador to the USSR during 1949-52 when the communist conglomerate still looked upon India suspiciously. Thereafter, he was the first Vice-President of India 1952-62 and President till 1967," Ramesh said. https://t.co/boCrJkYUvW Today, we celebrate Teachers Day and recall Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the great philosopher, educationist and author. Many of his books like 'The Hindu View of Life', 'Indian Philosophy', 'Eastern Religions and Western Thought', 'The Bhagavad Gita', 'The Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 5, 2023 His son, the eminent historian Sarvepalli Gopal produced one of the best biographies ever written anywhere of any public figure, the Congress leader said. "The final line in that dispassionate book has become unforgettable: 'In retirement, he was determined, the freedom of silence being now his prerogative, to make no public appearances. Rather than becoming tiresome by airing his views irresponsibly on all subjects, he would cultivate the private graces and spend his time reading and writing on philosophical subjects. Finally, in the early hours of 17 April 1975, Radhakrishnan drifted out of the harbour on a silent tide'," Ramesh said. Incidentally, his granddaughter Girija along with her former IAS spouse Viraraghavan are the most celebrated rose cultivators in India based in Kodaikanal, he said. They have dedicated half their lives to the hybridisation of roses in the subcontinent, Ramesh added. The Congress general secretary also shared a documentary on Radhakrishnan made years ago by the Films Division. The Congress, in a post on X, said, "On his birth anniversary, we pay tributes to Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a revered educator, philosopher and statesman who served as the second President of India." "Leaving an indelible mark on education and philosophical thought, his legacy continues to guide our values," the party said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday hailed the contribution of former president Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary, saying that he left an indelible mark on education and philosophical thought and his 'legacy continues to guide our values'. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge paid homage to the former president, describing him as a philosopher and statesman whose contribution, dedication and wisdom continue to inspire people generation after generation. The birth anniversary of Radhakrishnan is celebrated as Teachers' Day. Teachers are true nation builders. They are not only our guiding lights, but the flag bearers of good values and the conscience keepers of our moral compass. On #TeachersDay, we salute all teachers across the country, for they are the ones who will chart our future destiny. pic.twitter.com/EwtS8XdtfSgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) September 5, 2023 Kharge said that teachers are true nation-builders. "They are not only our guiding lights but the flag bearers of good values and the conscience keepers of our moral compass. On Teachers Day, we salute all teachers across the country, for they are the ones who will chart our future destiny," he said. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Today, we celebrate Teachers' Day and recall Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the great philosopher, educationist and author." Many of his books like 'The Hindu View of Life', 'Indian Philosophy', 'Eastern Religions and Western Thought', 'The Bhagavad Gita', 'The Dhammapada', and 'The Principal Upanishads' are evergreen classics, he noted. "Not a political personality by any means, Radhakrishnan had been persuaded by (Jawaharlal) Nehru to be India's Ambassador to the USSR during 1949-52 when the communist conglomerate still looked upon India suspiciously. Thereafter, he was the first Vice-President of India 1952-62 and President till 1967," Ramesh said. https://t.co/boCrJkYUvW Today, we celebrate Teachers Day and recall Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the great philosopher, educationist and author. Many of his books like 'The Hindu View of Life', 'Indian Philosophy', 'Eastern Religions and Western Thought', 'The Bhagavad Gita', 'The Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 5, 2023 His son, the eminent historian Sarvepalli Gopal produced one of the best biographies ever written anywhere of any public figure, the Congress leader said. "The final line in that dispassionate book has become unforgettable: 'In retirement, he was determined, the freedom of silence being now his prerogative, to make no public appearances. Rather than becoming tiresome by airing his views irresponsibly on all subjects, he would cultivate the private graces and spend his time reading and writing on philosophical subjects. Finally, in the early hours of 17 April 1975, Radhakrishnan drifted out of the harbour on a silent tide'," Ramesh said. Incidentally, his granddaughter Girija along with her former IAS spouse Viraraghavan are the most celebrated rose cultivators in India based in Kodaikanal, he said. They have dedicated half their lives to the hybridisation of roses in the subcontinent, Ramesh added. The Congress general secretary also shared a documentary on Radhakrishnan made years ago by the Films Division. The Congress, in a post on X, said, "On his birth anniversary, we pay tributes to Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a revered educator, philosopher and statesman who served as the second President of India." "Leaving an indelible mark on education and philosophical thought, his legacy continues to guide our values," the party said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By ANI GUWAHATI: Reacting to the DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin's controversial comments on Sanatana Dharma, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday attacked Congress saying that instead of 'taking action' against its alliance partner, the party is seeking refuge behind the veil of 'Freedom of Speech'. "Rather than taking action against their alliance partners for anti-Hindu statements, Congress is seeking refuge behind the veil of 'Freedom of Speech', Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X (formerly known as Twitter). Rather than taking action against their alliance partners for anti Hindu statements, Congress is seeking refuge behind the veil of Freedom of Speech. Had the said leader made a comment on eradicating Islam or Christianity or any other religion, would Congress have brushed September 4, 2023 The Assam CM accused the Congress of being a key conspirator in the 'Annihilation of Sanatan Dharma' gang. "Had the said leader made a comment on eradicating Islam or Christianity or any other religion, would Congress have brushed aside the issue as freedom of speech? In fact, it is now clear that Congress is a key conspirator in the Annihilation of Sanatan Dharma gang," Himanta Biswa added in the post. At a conference in Chennai on Saturday, Udhayanidhi said, "Few things cannot be opposed, they should only be abolished. We can't oppose Dengue, mosquitoes, Malaria, or coronavirus, we have to eradicate them. In the same way, we have to eradicate Sanatana (Sanatan Dharma). Rather than merely opposing Sanatana, it should be eradicated." Meanwhile, Congress leader Karan Singh on Monday strongly objected to the Udhayanidhi Stalin's comments saying that it is 'most unfortunate and totally unacceptable'. "Udhayanidhi's preposterous statement that Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated is most unfortunate. Crores of people in this country follow, to a lesser or greater extent the tenets of Sanatan Dharma. Besides, the greatest Sanatan Dharma temples in the world are in Tamil Nadu in Thanjavur, in Srirangam, in Thiruvannamalai, in Chidambaram, Madurai, Suchindram, in Rameshwaram and many more," Karan Singh said in a statement. Reacting sharply to Udhayanidhi's comments, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that Congress and Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders should apologise over the remarks made by DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sanatan Dharma. Flagging off the BJP's 'Parivartan Sankalp Yatra' from Ramdevara in Jaisalmer, Rajanth Singh said, " Congress ally DMK is insulting Sanatan Dharma. They say that Sanatan Dharma should be abolished. Allies of the INDIA coalition have kept silent on this. Why Gehlot ji is silent, and Sonia Ji silent? Congress and INDIA should apologize." Many BJP leaders including Amit Shah have reacted sharply to the Udhayanidhi's statements. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp GUWAHATI: Reacting to the DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin's controversial comments on Sanatana Dharma, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday attacked Congress saying that instead of 'taking action' against its alliance partner, the party is seeking refuge behind the veil of 'Freedom of Speech'. "Rather than taking action against their alliance partners for anti-Hindu statements, Congress is seeking refuge behind the veil of 'Freedom of Speech', Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X (formerly known as Twitter). Rather than taking action against their alliance partners for anti Hindu statements, Congress is seeking refuge behind the veil of Freedom of Speech. Had the said leader made a comment on eradicating Islam or Christianity or any other religion, would Congress have brushedgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 4, 2023 The Assam CM accused the Congress of being a key conspirator in the 'Annihilation of Sanatan Dharma' gang. "Had the said leader made a comment on eradicating Islam or Christianity or any other religion, would Congress have brushed aside the issue as freedom of speech? In fact, it is now clear that Congress is a key conspirator in the Annihilation of Sanatan Dharma gang," Himanta Biswa added in the post. At a conference in Chennai on Saturday, Udhayanidhi said, "Few things cannot be opposed, they should only be abolished. We can't oppose Dengue, mosquitoes, Malaria, or coronavirus, we have to eradicate them. In the same way, we have to eradicate Sanatana (Sanatan Dharma). Rather than merely opposing Sanatana, it should be eradicated." Meanwhile, Congress leader Karan Singh on Monday strongly objected to the Udhayanidhi Stalin's comments saying that it is 'most unfortunate and totally unacceptable'. "Udhayanidhi's preposterous statement that Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated is most unfortunate. Crores of people in this country follow, to a lesser or greater extent the tenets of Sanatan Dharma. Besides, the greatest Sanatan Dharma temples in the world are in Tamil Nadu in Thanjavur, in Srirangam, in Thiruvannamalai, in Chidambaram, Madurai, Suchindram, in Rameshwaram and many more," Karan Singh said in a statement. Reacting sharply to Udhayanidhi's comments, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that Congress and Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders should apologise over the remarks made by DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sanatan Dharma. Flagging off the BJP's 'Parivartan Sankalp Yatra' from Ramdevara in Jaisalmer, Rajanth Singh said, " Congress ally DMK is insulting Sanatan Dharma. They say that Sanatan Dharma should be abolished. Allies of the INDIA coalition have kept silent on this. Why Gehlot ji is silent, and Sonia Ji silent? Congress and INDIA should apologize." Many BJP leaders including Amit Shah have reacted sharply to the Udhayanidhi's statements. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp As Russia continues to pursue its illegal war against Ukraine, it is running low on war materiel. To shore up its dwindling supplies, it is turning to states that are under UN Security Council sanction prohibiting all countries from obtaining any arms from them. In late August, Japan, the Republic of Korea, or South Korea; the United Kingdom, and the United States issued a joint statement condemning Russia for its attempts to purchase arms from the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, or North Korea. Arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing, said United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Russia is negotiating potential deals for significant quantities and multiple types of munitions from the DPRK to be used against Ukraine. These potential deals could also include the provision of raw materials that would assist Russias defense industrial base, she said. In its pursuit of these weapons, Russia will violate Security Council resolutions, including resolutions Russia itself voted for. Any such arms deal would be a serious violation of resolutions the Security Council adopted, unanimously, after the DPRKs past nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches. The fact is that This is not the first time Russia has moved to violate Security Council resolutions to pursue its illegal war against Ukraine, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. There is now incontrovertible evidence that Russia has procured drones from Iran in violation of another resolution it voted for. Russia has since used those drones in punishing attacks against critical infrastructure in Ukraine, she said. Russias pattern of behavior flouting its responsibilities as a member of the Security Council, propping up proliferating regimes is unacceptable, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. The United States is therefore taking direct action by exposing and sanctioning individuals and entities working to facilitate arms deals between Russia and the DPRK. We cannot and we will not stay silent as we receive more information that Russia continues to turn to rogue regimes to try to obtain weapons and equipment in order to support its brutal war of aggression, she said. We will continue to work with allies and partners to identify, expose, and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment from the DPRK or any state that is prepared to support Russias war in Ukraine, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. This is a pressing matter of international peace and security. By Express News Service KOLKATA: The face-off between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor CV Ananda Bose hit a new low on Tuesday with the former accusing the constitutional head of the state of interfering in the affairs of the state-run universities and threatening to block funds for universities in Bengal. Upping the ante against Bose over his recent move appointing interim vice-chancellors in seven universities and initiating the process in nine other institutions, Mamata also threatened to stage a sit-in demonstration in front of Raj Bhavan if he continues to act against the countrys federal structure and disregard the state government. Now we have a honourable governor sitting here who says he alone will see colleges, universities, everything. Have you ever heard of a vice-chancellor being changed in the middle of the night? Ex-IPS, ex-judge have been brought in overnight. He is running Raj Bhavan like it is his zamindari. If any college or university obeys what you are doing, I will create a financial blockade. Let us see how the vice-chancellors are given salary. Here is tit for tat, no compromise, said Mamata while addressing a gathering on the occasion of Teachers Day in Kolkata. ALSO READ | Dhupguri Assembly bypoll in West Bengal a litmus test for BJP ahead of Lok Sabha elections Mamata also accused Bose of not clearing the Bills sent by the state government. He is doing nothing. We are passing a Bill in the Assembly and he is not giving assent. According to the Constitution and federal structure of the country, he cannot do that. These issues should be taken care of. Otherwise, I will sit on a dharna in front of Raj Bhavan, she said. The Bengal government and Bose have been at loggerheads over the Raj Bhavans decision to appoint seven interim vice-chancellors. Bose, in his capacity as the chancellor of the state-run universities, also initiated a process of appointing nine other interim VCs. Accusing the governor of acting in a dictatorial manner, West Bengal education minister Bratya Basu alleged it was an attempt to interfere in the functioning of the state government. Both the Congress and the CPM slammed the TMC for its political slugfest with the governor. A governors boundary in confronting the state government is debatable. But the way the chief minister and her party are attacking the governor is not desirable, said Congress leader Soumya Aich Roy. The CPMs Sujan Chakrabarty said, The TMC has failed in every field of governance. Now they are confronting the governor to hide their own failure. ALSO READ | West Bengal Governor seeks ISRO chief's help to stop ragging in Jadavpur varsity Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp KOLKATA: The face-off between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor CV Ananda Bose hit a new low on Tuesday with the former accusing the constitutional head of the state of interfering in the affairs of the state-run universities and threatening to block funds for universities in Bengal. Upping the ante against Bose over his recent move appointing interim vice-chancellors in seven universities and initiating the process in nine other institutions, Mamata also threatened to stage a sit-in demonstration in front of Raj Bhavan if he continues to act against the countrys federal structure and disregard the state government. Now we have a honourable governor sitting here who says he alone will see colleges, universities, everything. Have you ever heard of a vice-chancellor being changed in the middle of the night? Ex-IPS, ex-judge have been brought in overnight. He is running Raj Bhavan like it is his zamindari. If any college or university obeys what you are doing, I will create a financial blockade. Let us see how the vice-chancellors are given salary. Here is tit for tat, no compromise, said Mamata while addressing a gathering on the occasion of Teachers Day in Kolkata.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); ALSO READ | Dhupguri Assembly bypoll in West Bengal a litmus test for BJP ahead of Lok Sabha elections Mamata also accused Bose of not clearing the Bills sent by the state government. He is doing nothing. We are passing a Bill in the Assembly and he is not giving assent. According to the Constitution and federal structure of the country, he cannot do that. These issues should be taken care of. Otherwise, I will sit on a dharna in front of Raj Bhavan, she said. The Bengal government and Bose have been at loggerheads over the Raj Bhavans decision to appoint seven interim vice-chancellors. Bose, in his capacity as the chancellor of the state-run universities, also initiated a process of appointing nine other interim VCs. Accusing the governor of acting in a dictatorial manner, West Bengal education minister Bratya Basu alleged it was an attempt to interfere in the functioning of the state government. Both the Congress and the CPM slammed the TMC for its political slugfest with the governor. A governors boundary in confronting the state government is debatable. But the way the chief minister and her party are attacking the governor is not desirable, said Congress leader Soumya Aich Roy. The CPMs Sujan Chakrabarty said, The TMC has failed in every field of governance. Now they are confronting the governor to hide their own failure. ALSO READ | West Bengal Governor seeks ISRO chief's help to stop ragging in Jadavpur varsity Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Sudhir Suryawanshi By Express News Service MUMBAI: On June 2, four days after the inauguration of the new Parliament building, former President Ram Nath Kovind had two visitors, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Dr P K Mishra, principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. That meeting apparently set the ball rolling for the much-debated one nation, one election scheme under the stewardship of Kovind, sources privy to the development said. It all began after the BJPs defeat in the Karnataka polls. It really hurt the party and made it increasingly worried about the numbers in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, hence the simultaneous polls gambit. But why Kovind? Sources said the former President keeps a low profile but is capable of handling intricate legal matters. Besides, he is trusted by Modi. Modi quietly asked his trusted party functionaries to prepare the ground for simultaneous polls so as to loosen the Opposition consolidation ahead of the 2024 polls, said a source. On Friday, Kovind was formally named the head of the one nation, one poll panel. The names of its members were announced the following day. On Sunday, Union law ministry officials met Kovind ostensibly for the panels preparatory work. But preparatory work is what the former President appeared to be doing ever since he was sounded out on June 2. ALSO READ | A cursory look at his social media timeline indicates how he went about preparing the ground, meeting at least 10 governors within the last three months. Retired Presidents dont have a busy itinerary. They generally enjoy their sunset years, perhaps writing a memoir or two. In contrast, Kovind started travelling around to Raj Bhavans and hosting governors and party leaders. Between June 9 and August 29, he met at least 10 governors/administrators, some of them more than once, besides senior party leaders and the head of the RSS (see timeline). With the government formalising the panels appointment, it has already begun work on firming its proposals for simultaneous elections. Its report could also be tabled during the five-day special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22. The thinking behind the draft is that Assemblies whose tenures expire around 2025 (like Maharashtra, West Bengal and ) would be dissolved, while the tenures of states that recently went to polls, such as Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, will get a years extension so that elections there can be held simultaneously in the next cycle, that is in 2029. A senior leader said holding the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together could put the Opposition bloc, INDIA, in disarray. In West Bengal, it will be difficult for Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Congress and Left parties to sew up an alliance for both the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, as each party would want to first protect its local interest. Similar problems would arise between the AAP and the Congress in Delhi, Punjab and elsewhere. The BJP hopes the regional parties that are with the Congress will squabble, giving the saffron party more elbow room, said sources. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp MUMBAI: On June 2, four days after the inauguration of the new Parliament building, former President Ram Nath Kovind had two visitors, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Dr P K Mishra, principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. That meeting apparently set the ball rolling for the much-debated one nation, one election scheme under the stewardship of Kovind, sources privy to the development said. It all began after the BJPs defeat in the Karnataka polls. It really hurt the party and made it increasingly worried about the numbers in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, hence the simultaneous polls gambit. But why Kovind?googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Sources said the former President keeps a low profile but is capable of handling intricate legal matters. Besides, he is trusted by Modi. Modi quietly asked his trusted party functionaries to prepare the ground for simultaneous polls so as to loosen the Opposition consolidation ahead of the 2024 polls, said a source. On Friday, Kovind was formally named the head of the one nation, one poll panel. The names of its members were announced the following day. On Sunday, Union law ministry officials met Kovind ostensibly for the panels preparatory work. But preparatory work is what the former President appeared to be doing ever since he was sounded out on June 2. ALSO READ | Experts condemn One Nation, One Election Kejriwal asks what will common man get from 'one nation, one election' 'One nation, one election' will save time and money, says poll strategist Prashant Kishor A cursory look at his social media timeline indicates how he went about preparing the ground, meeting at least 10 governors within the last three months. Retired Presidents dont have a busy itinerary. They generally enjoy their sunset years, perhaps writing a memoir or two. In contrast, Kovind started travelling around to Raj Bhavans and hosting governors and party leaders. Between June 9 and August 29, he met at least 10 governors/administrators, some of them more than once, besides senior party leaders and the head of the RSS (see timeline). With the government formalising the panels appointment, it has already begun work on firming its proposals for simultaneous elections. Its report could also be tabled during the five-day special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22. The thinking behind the draft is that Assemblies whose tenures expire around 2025 (like Maharashtra, West Bengal and ) would be dissolved, while the tenures of states that recently went to polls, such as Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, will get a years extension so that elections there can be held simultaneously in the next cycle, that is in 2029. A senior leader said holding the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together could put the Opposition bloc, INDIA, in disarray. In West Bengal, it will be difficult for Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Congress and Left parties to sew up an alliance for both the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, as each party would want to first protect its local interest. Similar problems would arise between the AAP and the Congress in Delhi, Punjab and elsewhere. The BJP hopes the regional parties that are with the Congress will squabble, giving the saffron party more elbow room, said sources. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Fayisa CA By Online Desk Fruit production in India has seen a significant slowdown in growth over the past eight years, including in apples, bananas, mangoes, papaya, pineapple and sapota. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, total production of fruits in the country grew by just 17% in the eight years leading up to 2021-11, the latest for which data is available. This represented a sharp decline compared to the 72% jump seen in production in the previous 9 years. Worryingly, three categories of fruits actually witnessed a decline in production between 2013-14 and 2021-22, including applies, sapota and others. On the other hand, modest growth was visible in two categories citrus fruits, such as oranges and musambi, and grapes. Much of the reason for the lacklustre production figures can be attributed to a decline in the area under fruit cultivation. Total area under fruit cultivation fell 2.1% between 2013-14 and 2021-22 to 69.7 lakh hectares from 71.2 lakh hectares. The Lok Sabha Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing asked the ministry for the reason for the decline, particularly the fall in area under cultivation. The main reason for the decline in area of production in 2021-22 is because of diversion of cultivation to some other profitable horticulture crops, the ministry told the committee, adding that farmers are switching away from some crops because of pests and diseases and low yield due to uncongenial climatic factors. The changing climate has led to less productivity in some cases, the ministry said, citing the example of grape cultivation in Maharashtra. The state used to account for 80% of the total grape cultivation in India in 2004-05 with a yield of 28.2 metric tonnes per hectare. However, the yield fell to 21.5 tonnes/ha by 2021-22. The reduction in productivity of grapes in Maharashtra..is the main reason for the decline in productivity of grapes in the country, the ministry told the committee. Another fruit that has seen a decline in productivity was papaya, which saw output decline to 39 tonne/ha in 2021-22 from 42 eight years earlier. Overall fruit production increased to 10.29 crore tonne in 2021-22 from 8.78 tonne in 2013-14. The biggest contributor to the increase was citrus fruits, which witnessed an increase of 27% in the last eight years. Citrus fruits have increased their share of total fruit production in the country to 13.7% from 11.6% in 2004-05 Banana continues to be the largest contributor in the total fruit production in the country. It accounts for 31.5 % of the total production in 2021-22 which is slightly less than the 32.84 % in 2004-05. Mango is the next big contributor with a share of 19.8%. Apple, meanwhile, remains a small contributor with 2.3% share in the total production in 2021-22. This represents a decline from the 3.4% share it used to have in 2004-05. The total productivity of fruits has increased from 12 tonne/hectare in 2013-14 to 15 tonne/hectare in 2021-22, while for some fruits like Apples, bananas, Litchi etc. it has remained stagnant over the years. Papaya and banana tops the list with a productivity of 39 and 37 respectively. Litchi has continued to be the least productive fruit in 2021-22 with a productivity of 7. Mango is the most widely cultivated fruit in India with an area of 23.4 lakh hectares, followed by citrus fruits which has an area of cultivation of 10.9 lakh hectares. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Fruit production in India has seen a significant slowdown in growth over the past eight years, including in apples, bananas, mangoes, papaya, pineapple and sapota. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, total production of fruits in the country grew by just 17% in the eight years leading up to 2021-11, the latest for which data is available. This represented a sharp decline compared to the 72% jump seen in production in the previous 9 years.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Worryingly, three categories of fruits actually witnessed a decline in production between 2013-14 and 2021-22, including applies, sapota and others. On the other hand, modest growth was visible in two categories citrus fruits, such as oranges and musambi, and grapes. Much of the reason for the lacklustre production figures can be attributed to a decline in the area under fruit cultivation. Total area under fruit cultivation fell 2.1% between 2013-14 and 2021-22 to 69.7 lakh hectares from 71.2 lakh hectares. The Lok Sabha Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing asked the ministry for the reason for the decline, particularly the fall in area under cultivation. The main reason for the decline in area of production in 2021-22 is because of diversion of cultivation to some other profitable horticulture crops, the ministry told the committee, adding that farmers are switching away from some crops because of pests and diseases and low yield due to uncongenial climatic factors. The changing climate has led to less productivity in some cases, the ministry said, citing the example of grape cultivation in Maharashtra. The state used to account for 80% of the total grape cultivation in India in 2004-05 with a yield of 28.2 metric tonnes per hectare. However, the yield fell to 21.5 tonnes/ha by 2021-22. The reduction in productivity of grapes in Maharashtra..is the main reason for the decline in productivity of grapes in the country, the ministry told the committee. Another fruit that has seen a decline in productivity was papaya, which saw output decline to 39 tonne/ha in 2021-22 from 42 eight years earlier. Overall fruit production increased to 10.29 crore tonne in 2021-22 from 8.78 tonne in 2013-14. The biggest contributor to the increase was citrus fruits, which witnessed an increase of 27% in the last eight years. Citrus fruits have increased their share of total fruit production in the country to 13.7% from 11.6% in 2004-05 Banana continues to be the largest contributor in the total fruit production in the country. It accounts for 31.5 % of the total production in 2021-22 which is slightly less than the 32.84 % in 2004-05. Mango is the next big contributor with a share of 19.8%. Apple, meanwhile, remains a small contributor with 2.3% share in the total production in 2021-22. This represents a decline from the 3.4% share it used to have in 2004-05. The total productivity of fruits has increased from 12 tonne/hectare in 2013-14 to 15 tonne/hectare in 2021-22, while for some fruits like Apples, bananas, Litchi etc. it has remained stagnant over the years. Papaya and banana tops the list with a productivity of 39 and 37 respectively. Litchi has continued to be the least productive fruit in 2021-22 with a productivity of 7. Mango is the most widely cultivated fruit in India with an area of 23.4 lakh hectares, followed by citrus fruits which has an area of cultivation of 10.9 lakh hectares. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Online Desk NEW DELHI: The dinner invite from the President's office sent to G20 delegates described Droupadi Murmu as the 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India', the congress claimed. Taking to Twitter, AICC General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh wrote, "Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. But now even this Union of States is under assault. So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 5, 2023 Photos of the invite show that the president will host a dinner event for the delegates on September 9. The matter came to light three days after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat made an appeal to quit saying India and use Bharat instead when referring to the country. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that he is happy and proud that the country's civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards Amrit Kaal. Taking to the social media platform, X, Assam Chief Minister said, "Republic of Bharat- happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards Amrit Kaal." BJP Rajya Sabha MP Harnath Singh Yadav also said the entire country is demanding that the word 'Bharat' should be used instead of 'India'. The word 'India' is an abuse given to us by the British whereas the word 'Bharat' is a symbol of our culture. I want there should be a change in our Constitution and the word 'Bharat' should be added to it," he said. (With inputs from ANI) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The dinner invite from the President's office sent to G20 delegates described Droupadi Murmu as the 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India', the congress claimed. Taking to Twitter, AICC General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh wrote, "Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. But now even this Union of States is under assault.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 5, 2023 Photos of the invite show that the president will host a dinner event for the delegates on September 9. The matter came to light three days after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat made an appeal to quit saying India and use Bharat instead when referring to the country. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that he is happy and proud that the country's civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards Amrit Kaal. Taking to the social media platform, X, Assam Chief Minister said, "Republic of Bharat- happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards Amrit Kaal." BJP Rajya Sabha MP Harnath Singh Yadav also said the entire country is demanding that the word 'Bharat' should be used instead of 'India'. The word 'India' is an abuse given to us by the British whereas the word 'Bharat' is a symbol of our culture. I want there should be a change in our Constitution and the word 'Bharat' should be added to it," he said. (With inputs from ANI) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Ujwal Jalali By Express News Service NEW DELHI: With the G20 Summit set to be hosted in the national capital in a few days, Delhi police have intensified their presence on the city roads round the clock. Senior officials told The New Indian Express that vehicles entering or passing through the area of Controlled Zone - 1 were randomly stopped and frisked on the intervening night of September 4-5. The police had placed barricades near India Gate to regulate the traffic movement and check any vehicle. Paramilitary force personnel could also be seen assisting the city cops in thoroughly checking the vehicles. "These measures are all part of our multi-pronged strategy to keep the city safe during the summit days from any kind of anti-social elements," a senior officer said. The police have also started patrolling in the sensitive areas to keep a check on any kind of threat. "Carry ticket if going to airport by road" During the three summit days, i.e. September 8-10, people travelling outside Delhi via flight may have to face a little inconvenience especially on September 8, when the international dignitaries would be arriving and on September 10, when they would be leaving. The traffic police have advised the public to make more use of the Delhi Metro if they have to catch a flight from Delhi Airport on the summit days. ALSO READ | Ready to work with all parties for success of G20 Summit hosted by India: China But, still, if one wishes to go by a private vehicle, they may need to first of all leave early for the airport. "Traffic could be briefly restricted at some stretches due to the VVIP movement. Therefore, people are advised to plan their journey accordingly and leave before time to reach the airport," the official said. Moreover, people will also have to show their air tickets as and when demanded by the traffic cops during security checks. Even if not going to the airport, the traffic police have advised people to make maximum use of Delhi Metro and avoid traveling on roads. BSF, NSG & CRPF handling anti-drone systems Multiple agencies have been given the task of tackling any kind of air-borne threat. Senior officials said that the NSG, BSF and CRPG are handling the anti-drone systems that have been installed atop different hotels in Delhi and Gurugram where the foreign dignitaries would be staying. An official informed that apart from hotel rooftops, the anti-drone system will be stationed at several strategic locations to prevent any kind of air strike. "With snipers atop all the buildings, the area will be completely secured. We are also using anti-aircraft guns on the routes from where the foreign dignitaries will pass during the summit," the official said. The BSF is having one of the most state-of-the-art technologically sound anti-drone guns which they even use at the borders. It has a range of at least 2 km. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: With the G20 Summit set to be hosted in the national capital in a few days, Delhi police have intensified their presence on the city roads round the clock. Senior officials told The New Indian Express that vehicles entering or passing through the area of Controlled Zone - 1 were randomly stopped and frisked on the intervening night of September 4-5. The police had placed barricades near India Gate to regulate the traffic movement and check any vehicle. Paramilitary force personnel could also be seen assisting the city cops in thoroughly checking the vehicles.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "These measures are all part of our multi-pronged strategy to keep the city safe during the summit days from any kind of anti-social elements," a senior officer said. The police have also started patrolling in the sensitive areas to keep a check on any kind of threat. "Carry ticket if going to airport by road" During the three summit days, i.e. September 8-10, people travelling outside Delhi via flight may have to face a little inconvenience especially on September 8, when the international dignitaries would be arriving and on September 10, when they would be leaving. The traffic police have advised the public to make more use of the Delhi Metro if they have to catch a flight from Delhi Airport on the summit days. ALSO READ | Ready to work with all parties for success of G20 Summit hosted by India: China But, still, if one wishes to go by a private vehicle, they may need to first of all leave early for the airport. "Traffic could be briefly restricted at some stretches due to the VVIP movement. Therefore, people are advised to plan their journey accordingly and leave before time to reach the airport," the official said. Moreover, people will also have to show their air tickets as and when demanded by the traffic cops during security checks. Even if not going to the airport, the traffic police have advised people to make maximum use of Delhi Metro and avoid traveling on roads. BSF, NSG & CRPF handling anti-drone systems Multiple agencies have been given the task of tackling any kind of air-borne threat. Senior officials said that the NSG, BSF and CRPG are handling the anti-drone systems that have been installed atop different hotels in Delhi and Gurugram where the foreign dignitaries would be staying. An official informed that apart from hotel rooftops, the anti-drone system will be stationed at several strategic locations to prevent any kind of air strike. "With snipers atop all the buildings, the area will be completely secured. We are also using anti-aircraft guns on the routes from where the foreign dignitaries will pass during the summit," the official said. The BSF is having one of the most state-of-the-art technologically sound anti-drone guns which they even use at the borders. It has a range of at least 2 km. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI LUCKNOW: Lawyers across Uttar Pradesh abstained from judicial work on Tuesday in protest against the police lathi-charge on advocates in Hapur district last week. Despite a request by the chief justice of the Allahabad High Court, members of the court's bar association also decided to abstain from work. "We are continuing our protest. On Tuesday, lawyers across the state will burn the effigies of the director general of police (DGP) and principal secretary (Home) on the district court campuses," General Secretary of Lucknow Bar Association Kuldeep Narain Mishra told PTI. Police had allegedly lathi-charged lawyers on August 29 when they were protesting against the registration of a case against a woman advocate and her father. The case was registered following a confrontation between the woman's lawyer and police when she was going to Ghaziabad in her car. According to a release issued by the High Court Bar Association, an emergency meeting of the lawyers' body was called on Monday night where the members expressed their anger as no action has been taken against the guilty in the Hapur incident. It was decided that they would abstain from judicial work on Tuesday as well, it said. On Monday, a bench of Chief Justice Pratinkar Dewakar and Justice M C Tripathi told the lawyers that courts would start functioning from Tuesday and requested them to resume work. The additional advocate general informed the court that in view of the lawyers' demand, retired district judge Hari Nath Pandey has been appointed as the chairman of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) looking into the Hapur incident. The court also asked the authorities concerned not to take any coercive action against any lawyer, whether named or not in the incident. On the lawyers' demand of transferring officials concerned, the court said it cannot pass an order at this stage as the SIT report is awaited. The State Bar Council, at an emergency meeting on Sunday, called upon lawyers across Uttar Pradesh to continue the strike till September 6. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp LUCKNOW: Lawyers across Uttar Pradesh abstained from judicial work on Tuesday in protest against the police lathi-charge on advocates in Hapur district last week. Despite a request by the chief justice of the Allahabad High Court, members of the court's bar association also decided to abstain from work. "We are continuing our protest. On Tuesday, lawyers across the state will burn the effigies of the director general of police (DGP) and principal secretary (Home) on the district court campuses," General Secretary of Lucknow Bar Association Kuldeep Narain Mishra told PTI.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Police had allegedly lathi-charged lawyers on August 29 when they were protesting against the registration of a case against a woman advocate and her father. The case was registered following a confrontation between the woman's lawyer and police when she was going to Ghaziabad in her car. According to a release issued by the High Court Bar Association, an emergency meeting of the lawyers' body was called on Monday night where the members expressed their anger as no action has been taken against the guilty in the Hapur incident. It was decided that they would abstain from judicial work on Tuesday as well, it said. On Monday, a bench of Chief Justice Pratinkar Dewakar and Justice M C Tripathi told the lawyers that courts would start functioning from Tuesday and requested them to resume work. The additional advocate general informed the court that in view of the lawyers' demand, retired district judge Hari Nath Pandey has been appointed as the chairman of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) looking into the Hapur incident. The court also asked the authorities concerned not to take any coercive action against any lawyer, whether named or not in the incident. On the lawyers' demand of transferring officials concerned, the court said it cannot pass an order at this stage as the SIT report is awaited. The State Bar Council, at an emergency meeting on Sunday, called upon lawyers across Uttar Pradesh to continue the strike till September 6. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Tuesday sought the Centre's response on an appeal filed by US online payment gateway PayPal challenging an order which said it was a payment system operator under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and has to comply with reporting obligations under it. A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula issued notice to the Ministry of Finance and asked it to file a detailed reply in the matter within four weeks. The bench said it was an important issue under consideration and impleaded the Ministry of Finance as a party to the appeal while listing the matter for further hearing on October 18. The division bench had on August 23 issued notice and sought the response of Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) - India on PayPal's appeal. In the appeal, PayPal has challenged the single judge's July 24 judgment, asserting that the verdict employed an arbitrary and impractical interpretation of 'Payment System' under the PMLA to arrive at its conclusion. The single judge had partly allowed PayPal's petition to the extent of quashing the fine imposed on it. However, the finding that PayPal is a reporting entity under the PMLA was upheld by the single judge. On July 24, the single judge had set aside a penalty of Rs 96 lakh imposed on PayPal by FIU-India for alleged non-compliance with the "reporting obligations" under the law against money laundering. It had also ruled that PayPal was liable to be viewed as a "payment system operator" under the PMLA and has to thus comply with reporting obligations under it. On Tuesday, senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing PayPal, argued that the company neither makes any payment nor receives it and that it was only a payment gateway. Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing FIU-India, said PayPal's own officials have conceded that the platform can be used for terror financing. "Suppose, someone from Lashkar-e-Taiba sitting in Pakistan sends money to a person in Delhi to get explosives, you will not have any way of knowing it," he argued. Responding to his contention, the bench said, this is the worry of the nation and that is why the court is being cautious. The single judge's order had come on a petition by PayPal challenging the penalty imposed on it by FIU. The FIU had on December 17, 2020 directed the company to pay the fine within 45 days and also register itself as a reporting entity with the FIU on account of being a payment system operator, and appoint a principal officer and director for communication within a fortnight of the receipt of the order. Under the law, a reporting entity has to report to authorities any foreign exchange financial transaction which occurs on its system. FIU-India is an organisation under the Department of Revenue, Government of India, which collects financial intelligence about offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The single judge had said PMLA was not merely a penal statute but also aimed towards discovery and prevention of fraudulent and suspicious transactions, and its salutary objectives must be borne in mind while seeking to unravel the intent and scope of its various provisions. The FIU-India had in its December 2020 order accused PayPal of contravening the PMLA and "concealing" suspect financial transactions and abetting "disintegration" of India's financial system. According to the order, the legal tussle had begun in March 2018 when the FIU asked PayPal to register as a reporting entity for keeping a record of all transactions, reporting suspicious transactions and cross-border wire transfers, and for identifying beneficiaries of these funds. According to the order issued under section 13 of the PMLA, PayPal had refused the FIU's directive following which a show-cause notice was issued to it in September 2019. PayPal had defended its action and cited the Reserve Bank of India guidelines to state it only operates as an Online Payment Gateway Service Provider (OPGSP) or a payment intermediary in India and is "not covered within the definition of a payment system operator or financial institution and in turn not covered under the definition of a reporting entity under the PMLA". "Therefore, at this time, payment intermediaries, such as PayPal, are not required to register as such with the FIU-India," it had said in its reply to the agency. The FIU had, however, rejected its claims and said PayPal was very much involved in handling funds in India, was a "financial institution" and hence qualifies to be a reporting entity under PMLA. The FIU order had also said while the company "defies" the process in India, its parent company in the US - PayPal Inc - reports suspicious transactions to the American FIU and also to similar agencies in Australia and the UK. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Tuesday sought the Centre's response on an appeal filed by US online payment gateway PayPal challenging an order which said it was a payment system operator under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and has to comply with reporting obligations under it. A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula issued notice to the Ministry of Finance and asked it to file a detailed reply in the matter within four weeks. The bench said it was an important issue under consideration and impleaded the Ministry of Finance as a party to the appeal while listing the matter for further hearing on October 18.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The division bench had on August 23 issued notice and sought the response of Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) - India on PayPal's appeal. In the appeal, PayPal has challenged the single judge's July 24 judgment, asserting that the verdict employed an arbitrary and impractical interpretation of 'Payment System' under the PMLA to arrive at its conclusion. The single judge had partly allowed PayPal's petition to the extent of quashing the fine imposed on it. However, the finding that PayPal is a reporting entity under the PMLA was upheld by the single judge. On July 24, the single judge had set aside a penalty of Rs 96 lakh imposed on PayPal by FIU-India for alleged non-compliance with the "reporting obligations" under the law against money laundering. It had also ruled that PayPal was liable to be viewed as a "payment system operator" under the PMLA and has to thus comply with reporting obligations under it. On Tuesday, senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing PayPal, argued that the company neither makes any payment nor receives it and that it was only a payment gateway. Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing FIU-India, said PayPal's own officials have conceded that the platform can be used for terror financing. "Suppose, someone from Lashkar-e-Taiba sitting in Pakistan sends money to a person in Delhi to get explosives, you will not have any way of knowing it," he argued. Responding to his contention, the bench said, this is the worry of the nation and that is why the court is being cautious. The single judge's order had come on a petition by PayPal challenging the penalty imposed on it by FIU. The FIU had on December 17, 2020 directed the company to pay the fine within 45 days and also register itself as a reporting entity with the FIU on account of being a payment system operator, and appoint a principal officer and director for communication within a fortnight of the receipt of the order. Under the law, a reporting entity has to report to authorities any foreign exchange financial transaction which occurs on its system. FIU-India is an organisation under the Department of Revenue, Government of India, which collects financial intelligence about offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The single judge had said PMLA was not merely a penal statute but also aimed towards discovery and prevention of fraudulent and suspicious transactions, and its salutary objectives must be borne in mind while seeking to unravel the intent and scope of its various provisions. The FIU-India had in its December 2020 order accused PayPal of contravening the PMLA and "concealing" suspect financial transactions and abetting "disintegration" of India's financial system. According to the order, the legal tussle had begun in March 2018 when the FIU asked PayPal to register as a reporting entity for keeping a record of all transactions, reporting suspicious transactions and cross-border wire transfers, and for identifying beneficiaries of these funds. According to the order issued under section 13 of the PMLA, PayPal had refused the FIU's directive following which a show-cause notice was issued to it in September 2019. PayPal had defended its action and cited the Reserve Bank of India guidelines to state it only operates as an Online Payment Gateway Service Provider (OPGSP) or a payment intermediary in India and is "not covered within the definition of a payment system operator or financial institution and in turn not covered under the definition of a reporting entity under the PMLA". "Therefore, at this time, payment intermediaries, such as PayPal, are not required to register as such with the FIU-India," it had said in its reply to the agency. The FIU had, however, rejected its claims and said PayPal was very much involved in handling funds in India, was a "financial institution" and hence qualifies to be a reporting entity under PMLA. The FIU order had also said while the company "defies" the process in India, its parent company in the US - PayPal Inc - reports suspicious transactions to the American FIU and also to similar agencies in Australia and the UK. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Preetha Nair By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Days after the Mumbai meeting of the INDIA bloc, the Congress on Monday got into a poll overdrive announcing three crucial decisions. While Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge called for the first meeting of the newly constituted Congress Working Committee on September 16 in Hyderabad, the party president also constituted a 16-member Central Election Committee, which will decide the candidates for Lok Sabha elections. Meanwhile, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has convened a meeting of the partys Parliamentary Strategy group on Tuesday ahead of the upcoming special session of Parliament. It was learnt that the meeting will discuss issues to be raised during the special session. The Congress president also called a meeting of MPs of the INDIA alliance to discuss the strategy for the special parliamentary session. Sources said that the leaders may deliberate on the eight-member panel notified by the Centre on Saturday to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections in the country. The Congress President also constituted the Central Election Committee (CEC) in accordance with the amendments made to the party constitution in its plenary session in Raipur in February this year. The development comes ahead of key assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The panel finalises the list of candidates for any parliamentary or state elections, including by-polls. An elected CEC was one of the main demands raised by the leaders of the now-defunct G-23 grouping. However, the amended constitution of the party has bestowed the power on CWC to appoint the members of the Election Committee. The members of the committee include Kharge, former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, and veteran party leaders Ambika Soni and Madhusudan Mistry. Other members include former Union minister Salman Khurshid, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister T S Singh Deo, Lok Sabha MP from Telangana Uttam Kumar Reddy, Karnataka minister K J George, and P L Punia. According to the amended constitution of the party, the CWC will set up a Central Election Committee (CEC) comprising 12 members to be appointed by the CWC, including chairperson of the Congress in Parliament and leaders of Congress Party in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Though it says 12 members, the Congress chief has appointed 16 members in the committee, some of them are members of the CWC as well. First meet of new CWC in poll-bound Telangana The first meeting of the CWC is taking place in poll-bound Telangana after the Congress President reconstituted the top body on August 20. Briefing the media, AICC leaders K C Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh said that the CWC meeting will be followed by an extended CWC meeting on September 17 which will also be attended by the PCC presidents, office bearers of the Congress Parliamentary Party and the Congress Legislative Party leaders. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Days after the Mumbai meeting of the INDIA bloc, the Congress on Monday got into a poll overdrive announcing three crucial decisions. While Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge called for the first meeting of the newly constituted Congress Working Committee on September 16 in Hyderabad, the party president also constituted a 16-member Central Election Committee, which will decide the candidates for Lok Sabha elections. Meanwhile, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has convened a meeting of the partys Parliamentary Strategy group on Tuesday ahead of the upcoming special session of Parliament. It was learnt that the meeting will discuss issues to be raised during the special session. The Congress president also called a meeting of MPs of the INDIA alliance to discuss the strategy for the special parliamentary session. Sources said that the leaders may deliberate on the eight-member panel notified by the Centre on Saturday to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections in the country. The Congress President also constituted the Central Election Committee (CEC) in accordance with the amendments made to the party constitution in its plenary session in Raipur in February this year. The development comes ahead of key assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The panel finalises the list of candidates for any parliamentary or state elections, including by-polls. An elected CEC was one of the main demands raised by the leaders of the now-defunct G-23 grouping. However, the amended constitution of the party has bestowed the power on CWC to appoint the members of the Election Committee. The members of the committee include Kharge, former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, and veteran party leaders Ambika Soni and Madhusudan Mistry. Other members include former Union minister Salman Khurshid, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister T S Singh Deo, Lok Sabha MP from Telangana Uttam Kumar Reddy, Karnataka minister K J George, and P L Punia. According to the amended constitution of the party, the CWC will set up a Central Election Committee (CEC) comprising 12 members to be appointed by the CWC, including chairperson of the Congress in Parliament and leaders of Congress Party in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Though it says 12 members, the Congress chief has appointed 16 members in the committee, some of them are members of the CWC as well. First meet of new CWC in poll-bound Telangana The first meeting of the CWC is taking place in poll-bound Telangana after the Congress President reconstituted the top body on August 20. Briefing the media, AICC leaders K C Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh said that the CWC meeting will be followed by an extended CWC meeting on September 17 which will also be attended by the PCC presidents, office bearers of the Congress Parliamentary Party and the Congress Legislative Party leaders. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that attempts to change the name of the country from 'India' to 'Bharat' is not required as the word 'India' is an accepted name for the country, and pointed out that 'India' is incorporated in the 'Constitution of India'. The chief minister was reacting to controversy that has erupted after a G20 dinner invite in the name of 'President of Bharat' went viral. "In our Constitution, it ('India') is incorporated and it is called the 'Constitution of India'. 'India' is an accepted word for our country. Making it Bharat, I don't think it is required," Siddaramaiah told reporters here. The G20 dinner invite, issued in the name of 'The President of Bharat', is being widely shared on social media, amid opposition parties alleging that the government is trying to change the name of the country from 'India' to 'Bharat'. The invitation is for Saturday at 8 pm at Bharat Mandapam, the venue for the G20 summit. Deputy Chief Minister Chief Minister and state Congress President D K Shivakumar, opposing any such move said, "It is not right, don't do such politics. You (BJP) are not going to remain in power for long." Speaking to reporters in Kanakapura, he said, "This is the Republic of India, our currency notes too say Reserve Bank of India...just because we (various non-NDA parties in the country) have called our alliance INDIA, they (BJP-led government at the Centre) is unable to digest it and are planning to do this. It shows the amount of fear they have about us, how much they are affected, and that they are able to see their defeat." Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that attempts to change the name of the country from 'India' to 'Bharat' is not required as the word 'India' is an accepted name for the country, and pointed out that 'India' is incorporated in the 'Constitution of India'. The chief minister was reacting to controversy that has erupted after a G20 dinner invite in the name of 'President of Bharat' went viral. "In our Constitution, it ('India') is incorporated and it is called the 'Constitution of India'. 'India' is an accepted word for our country. Making it Bharat, I don't think it is required," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The G20 dinner invite, issued in the name of 'The President of Bharat', is being widely shared on social media, amid opposition parties alleging that the government is trying to change the name of the country from 'India' to 'Bharat'. The invitation is for Saturday at 8 pm at Bharat Mandapam, the venue for the G20 summit. Deputy Chief Minister Chief Minister and state Congress President D K Shivakumar, opposing any such move said, "It is not right, don't do such politics. You (BJP) are not going to remain in power for long." Speaking to reporters in Kanakapura, he said, "This is the Republic of India, our currency notes too say Reserve Bank of India...just because we (various non-NDA parties in the country) have called our alliance INDIA, they (BJP-led government at the Centre) is unable to digest it and are planning to do this. It shows the amount of fear they have about us, how much they are affected, and that they are able to see their defeat." Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Online Desk The Congress party has planned country-wide foot marches on September 7 to mark the first anniversary of Rahul Gandhi's "Bharat Jodo Yatra." But in an unrelated incident on Tuesday, a fresh controversy broke out over apparent moves by the Centre to change the name of the country to 'Bharat.' The leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc launched fresh salvos at the Modi government for its move to rename India to Bharat while BJP supporters hit back saying that the Congress party which organised "Bharat Jodo Yatra" is opposing the name "Bharat." Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that invites to a G20 summit dinner hosted at the Rashtrapati Bhawan had written President of Bharat on them, instead of President of India. So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 5, 2023 Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual President of India," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Ramesh further said, Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. But now even this Union of States" is under assault." Senior journalist Suhasini Haidar responded to Jairam Ramesh by saying, "Hon'ble MP should be aware that India, that is Bharat is already in the Constitution." MK Stalin's Take Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader M K Stalin ridiculed the saffron party in power saying, "BJP promised to TRANSFORM India, but all we got is a name change after 9 years." He said that after non-BJP forces united against the fascist BJP regime by aptly naming their alliance INDIA, the BJP has chosen to change the name of the country to Bharat. "Seems like the BJP is rattled by a single term called India because they recognise the strength of unity within the opposition. During the elections, 'India' will chase BJP out!" he affirmed. Earlier on Tuesday, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-led by Mohan Bhagwat wants to change the Constitution of the country by removing the word India with Bharat, a report said. Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar wrote in the constitution--"India That Is Bharat". But Modi and RSS who hate Babasaheb want to change the constitution. Why do Bhagwat and Modi hate Babasaheb so much?" Sanjay Singh said in his post on X. This came after Mohan Bhagwat had earlier this month had said that people should use the name "Bharat" instead of India, and urged people to inculcate the habit, the report added. Mixed Reaction on Social Media The reaction of social media users to the new controversy has been mixed. A Supreme Court lawyer and BJP supporter Shashank Shekhar Jha slammed the Congress party on platform 'X' saying, "Party which organised Bharat Jodo Yatra is now opposing the name 'Bharat.'" One Pawan Yadav questioned, "How can the government stoop so low that to win elections and oppose the opposition alliance they are even ashamed of using the word of our nation that is India?" Yet... However, Shoaib Daniyal, political editor of Scroll.in had this to say: "All the ha ha hee hees at Modi over this name change is fine. But this has a dark side: BJP's narrow politics over past decade is weakening the idea of the Union. Even something core as Union's name can now be changed on a whim to onstensibly weaken Opposition pre-election." Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp The Congress party has planned country-wide foot marches on September 7 to mark the first anniversary of Rahul Gandhi's "Bharat Jodo Yatra." But in an unrelated incident on Tuesday, a fresh controversy broke out over apparent moves by the Centre to change the name of the country to 'Bharat.' The leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc launched fresh salvos at the Modi government for its move to rename India to Bharat while BJP supporters hit back saying that the Congress party which organised "Bharat Jodo Yatra" is opposing the name "Bharat." Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that invites to a G20 summit dinner hosted at the Rashtrapati Bhawan had written President of Bharat on them, instead of President of India.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 5, 2023 Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual President of India," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Ramesh further said, Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. But now even this Union of States" is under assault." Senior journalist Suhasini Haidar responded to Jairam Ramesh by saying, "Hon'ble MP should be aware that India, that is Bharat is already in the Constitution." MK Stalin's Take Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader M K Stalin ridiculed the saffron party in power saying, "BJP promised to TRANSFORM India, but all we got is a name change after 9 years." He said that after non-BJP forces united against the fascist BJP regime by aptly naming their alliance INDIA, the BJP has chosen to change the name of the country to Bharat. "Seems like the BJP is rattled by a single term called India because they recognise the strength of unity within the opposition. During the elections, 'India' will chase BJP out!" he affirmed. Earlier on Tuesday, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-led by Mohan Bhagwat wants to change the Constitution of the country by removing the word India with Bharat, a report said. Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar wrote in the constitution--"India That Is Bharat". But Modi and RSS who hate Babasaheb want to change the constitution. Why do Bhagwat and Modi hate Babasaheb so much?" Sanjay Singh said in his post on X. This came after Mohan Bhagwat had earlier this month had said that people should use the name "Bharat" instead of India, and urged people to inculcate the habit, the report added. Mixed Reaction on Social Media The reaction of social media users to the new controversy has been mixed. A Supreme Court lawyer and BJP supporter Shashank Shekhar Jha slammed the Congress party on platform 'X' saying, "Party which organised Bharat Jodo Yatra is now opposing the name 'Bharat.'" One Pawan Yadav questioned, "How can the government stoop so low that to win elections and oppose the opposition alliance they are even ashamed of using the word of our nation that is India?" Yet... However, Shoaib Daniyal, political editor of Scroll.in had this to say: "All the ha ha hee hees at Modi over this name change is fine. But this has a dark side: BJP's narrow politics over past decade is weakening the idea of the Union. Even something core as Union's name can now be changed on a whim to onstensibly weaken Opposition pre-election." Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to helping Alaskans tackle these challenges. DOE is offering targeted support to communities seeking to improve their energy resilience by transitioning from fossil fuels to 100% clean electricity, as well as making energy-efficiency upgrades. For a state that is home to critical fisheries, mineral resources, and extensive fossil-fuel infrastructure, this endeavor is as complex as it is urgent. DOE's Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP) works with remote and island communities to transform their energy systems. These communities, which have physical features that impose strict limitations on their energy options, epitomize the importance of flexibility in planning the clean energy transition versus a one-size-fits-all approach. In 2021, ETIPP selected five projects in Alaska for multiyear, cross-sector technical assistance, as well as in-kind support from a broad coalition of local and regional stakeholders, the U.S. national laboratories, and other DOE offices. ETIPP selected four additional Alaskan communities McGrath, Igiugig, Nikolski, and St. George for its 2022 funding cycle. Here are examples of ETIPP's community support work: Sitka, Alaska, is a southeast island town of about 8,500 residents. ETIPP is modeling pathways for Sitka to add solar and wind power to its energy generation portfolio, which currently relies on seasonal lake hydropower and diesel fuel. ETIPP also helped Sitka evaluate options for renewable fuels manufacturing using its seasonal surplus power. Diversifying Sitka's energy portfolio will provide sustainable and affordable energy options for residents, while ensuring reliable continuity of power that will make Sitka less vulnerable to climate change impacts like drought. By IANS SINGAPORE: Parents have been asking for a review of guidelines on overseas excursions from a top school in Singapore after a 17-year-old Indian student died in June during one such trip to Cambodia. Kaira Karmakar, a student of United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA) on Dover Road, died in a road accident on June 1 while she was on an unchaperoned school trip to Cambodias capital Phnom Penh, The Straits Times reported. She was with a group of classmates, and there were no teachers or adult representatives accompanying them. The school declined to say how many students were part of the group, the news report said. In an email sent to Kaira's parents on June 1, UWCSEA informed that their daughter had died while in Cambodia for the schools project week. As per the school guidelines, students have the option of going on an overseas field trip for project week as part of the Grade 11 curriculum, and that it is designed to support readiness for independent life after graduation. The process is supervised by a teacher who does not go on the trip. UWCSEA head of college Nick Alchin said in an email on June 7 that the school is planning to have an external investigation done into the accident in addition to reviewing the project week guidelines. Alchin said the final report will be submitted to the audit and risk committee of the schools board of governors, which is responsible for reviewing school processes. However, one parent told The Times that it has been nearly three months and there has been no update on the incident since the June 7 e-mail from Alchin. The school has not informed the parents of the outcome of the investigation and obviously expects that this has been forgotten throughout the summer holidays. As a parent, I feel voiceless and cornered." The parent, who didn't wish to be named, also asked why the school would allow students to go on an overseas trip without being accompanied by an adult. While UWCSEA declined to answer queries on the accident or the review of project week guidelines, it praised Kaira as an "exceptional and an outstanding student" in a statement. Kaira was exceptional, an outstanding student who had already achieved so much in her life and who shared her blessings freely. UWCSEA has named a scholarship in Kairas honour, so that a young student of great promise and potential can experience an education at the school she loved, the statement read. According to the UWC website, an endowment has also been set up in Kairas name, which will help support UWCSEA scholarships, among other things. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp SINGAPORE: Parents have been asking for a review of guidelines on overseas excursions from a top school in Singapore after a 17-year-old Indian student died in June during one such trip to Cambodia. Kaira Karmakar, a student of United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA) on Dover Road, died in a road accident on June 1 while she was on an unchaperoned school trip to Cambodias capital Phnom Penh, The Straits Times reported. She was with a group of classmates, and there were no teachers or adult representatives accompanying them. The school declined to say how many students were part of the group, the news report said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In an email sent to Kaira's parents on June 1, UWCSEA informed that their daughter had died while in Cambodia for the schools project week. As per the school guidelines, students have the option of going on an overseas field trip for project week as part of the Grade 11 curriculum, and that it is designed to support readiness for independent life after graduation. The process is supervised by a teacher who does not go on the trip. UWCSEA head of college Nick Alchin said in an email on June 7 that the school is planning to have an external investigation done into the accident in addition to reviewing the project week guidelines. Alchin said the final report will be submitted to the audit and risk committee of the schools board of governors, which is responsible for reviewing school processes. However, one parent told The Times that it has been nearly three months and there has been no update on the incident since the June 7 e-mail from Alchin. The school has not informed the parents of the outcome of the investigation and obviously expects that this has been forgotten throughout the summer holidays. As a parent, I feel voiceless and cornered." The parent, who didn't wish to be named, also asked why the school would allow students to go on an overseas trip without being accompanied by an adult. While UWCSEA declined to answer queries on the accident or the review of project week guidelines, it praised Kaira as an "exceptional and an outstanding student" in a statement. Kaira was exceptional, an outstanding student who had already achieved so much in her life and who shared her blessings freely. UWCSEA has named a scholarship in Kairas honour, so that a young student of great promise and potential can experience an education at the school she loved, the statement read. According to the UWC website, an endowment has also been set up in Kairas name, which will help support UWCSEA scholarships, among other things. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Jitendra Choubey By Express News Service NEW DELHI: A new report shows that a number of invasive alien plants and animal species have been invading at unprecedented rates causing serious biodiversity and economic threats. Moreover, it is impacting the well-being of indigenous communities, who depend on nature and play a key role in the extinction of many native plants, animals and microbes. Due to an increase in global trade and human travel, the annual costs of invasive alien species have at least quadrupled every decade since 1970. It has been estimated that the annual cost exceeds USD 423 billion. The alien species which include plants, shrubs, microbes and others have been introduced to new regions through human activities. These alien species affect the growth of native species affecting ecosystem function, goods and services. For instance, In Kerala, the Caribbean false mussel (Mytilopsissallei) has wiped out native clams and oysters which are important for local fisheries. Mytilopsissallei was originally from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South and Central America. Researchers believe that it may have travelled to India via ships, later spreading to estuaries through smaller fishing vessels that travel frequently between coastal oceanic waters and the fishing harbours of Kerala. It may have triggered the spread of the VarathanKakka (alien bivalve mollusc in Malayalam) across the State by carrying it into new waters. The report Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control says not all alien species become invasive but a significant proportion do become invasive alien species. The report was prepared by representatives of the 143 member States of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). According to a report, about 6% of alien plants; 22% of alien invertebrates; 14% of alien vertebrates; and 11% of alien microbes are known to be invasive, posing major risks to nature and to people. Many invasive alien species have been intentionally introduced for their perceived benefits, without consideration or knowledge of their negative impacts in forestry, agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, or as pets. There are some species unintentionally introduced through trade routes and contaminants. The report recorded that there are 37,000 alien species, including more than 3,500 invasive alien species, have been recorded around the world. These invasive alien species have played a key role in 60% of global plant and animal extinctions recorded. The report pointed out that Water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes) is the worlds most widespread invasive alien species on land. Lantana (Lantana camara), a flowering shrub, and the black rat (Rattus rattus) are the second and third most widespread globally. More than 2,300 invasive alien species are found on lands managed, used and owned by Indigenous Peoples across all regions of Earth. The report says invasive alien species threaten indigenous peoples quality of life. The native species connect to their emotions and fulfil their daily needs. The invasive species often leads to general feelings of despair, sadness and stress. Moreover, biological invasions negatively affect the autonomy, rights and cultural identities of Indigenous Peoples and local communities through the loss of traditional livelihoods and knowledge, reduced mobility and access to land, and increased labour to manage the invasive alien species. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: A new report shows that a number of invasive alien plants and animal species have been invading at unprecedented rates causing serious biodiversity and economic threats. Moreover, it is impacting the well-being of indigenous communities, who depend on nature and play a key role in the extinction of many native plants, animals and microbes. Due to an increase in global trade and human travel, the annual costs of invasive alien species have at least quadrupled every decade since 1970. It has been estimated that the annual cost exceeds USD 423 billion. The alien species which include plants, shrubs, microbes and others have been introduced to new regions through human activities. These alien species affect the growth of native species affecting ecosystem function, goods and services. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); For instance, In Kerala, the Caribbean false mussel (Mytilopsissallei) has wiped out native clams and oysters which are important for local fisheries. Mytilopsissallei was originally from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South and Central America. Researchers believe that it may have travelled to India via ships, later spreading to estuaries through smaller fishing vessels that travel frequently between coastal oceanic waters and the fishing harbours of Kerala. It may have triggered the spread of the VarathanKakka (alien bivalve mollusc in Malayalam) across the State by carrying it into new waters. The report Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control says not all alien species become invasive but a significant proportion do become invasive alien species. The report was prepared by representatives of the 143 member States of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). According to a report, about 6% of alien plants; 22% of alien invertebrates; 14% of alien vertebrates; and 11% of alien microbes are known to be invasive, posing major risks to nature and to people. Many invasive alien species have been intentionally introduced for their perceived benefits, without consideration or knowledge of their negative impacts in forestry, agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, or as pets. There are some species unintentionally introduced through trade routes and contaminants. The report recorded that there are 37,000 alien species, including more than 3,500 invasive alien species, have been recorded around the world. These invasive alien species have played a key role in 60% of global plant and animal extinctions recorded. The report pointed out that Water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes) is the worlds most widespread invasive alien species on land. Lantana (Lantana camara), a flowering shrub, and the black rat (Rattus rattus) are the second and third most widespread globally. More than 2,300 invasive alien species are found on lands managed, used and owned by Indigenous Peoples across all regions of Earth. The report says invasive alien species threaten indigenous peoples quality of life. The native species connect to their emotions and fulfil their daily needs. The invasive species often leads to general feelings of despair, sadness and stress. Moreover, biological invasions negatively affect the autonomy, rights and cultural identities of Indigenous Peoples and local communities through the loss of traditional livelihoods and knowledge, reduced mobility and access to land, and increased labour to manage the invasive alien species. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Sudhir Suryawanshi By Express News Service MUMBAI: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the state home minister, on Monday, apologized for the September 1 police lathi charge on the Maratha quota protestors in Jalna, saying the government regrets the use of force. However, the Opposition demanded Fadnavis resignation over failing to maintain peace, terming the government action as an assault on Maratha protestors rights. The police lathicharged and lobbed teargas shells to disperse a violent mob in Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district Friday after protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift a man on hunger strike for Maratha quota to hospital. Several people, including 40 police personnel, were injured and more than 15 state transport buses were set ablaze in violence. Fadnavis said the lathicharge order was not given by any top official to the Jalna police. Such decisions (use of police force etc.) are taken at the local level, said Fadnavis. I beg their pardon over their physical injuries caused by the police action, said Fadnavis. Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar said Fadnavis should take responsibility and step down Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, too, demanded the home ministers scalp as he failed to protect the Maratha protestors. Fadnavis refused to resign, clarifying that the police used the force when the protestors tried to throw stones at them. He said when Sharad Pawar was the chief minister, the police used lathicharge on the Govaris. As many as 103 lost their lives in the Nagpur protest, but Sharad Pawar did not step down as chief minister, recalled Fadnavis. Sharad Pawar said during his government, Madhukar Pichad was the social justice minister. Owning moral responsibility, Pichad had resigned from the cabinet after the 1994 episode. Pawar said the dictatorship was going on in Maharashtra. Fadnavis is responsible for the attack on the Maratha community. We condemn the incident, said Pawar. Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray said the Maharashtra government is run by one full (CM Eknath Shinde ) and two half (two deputy CMs Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis) people. When the attacks took place on the Maratha community, it is to be investigated as to what these one-full-and-two-halves were doing, he quipped. The state government has decided to initiate an inquiry into the alleged police firing and and the lathicharge. In November 2014, when the coalition government was in power under the leadership of then CM Devendra Fadnavis, the government announced the Maratha reservation. The High Court upheld the Maratha quota decision taken by the government. But the Supreme Court took a different decision, Shinde said. Everyone knows that this is due to someones negligence...The issue of the Maratha reservation is currently in the court. The state is fully prepared to fight this case in court...There are some difficulties, and the state is trying to resolve them, Shinde said. In 1997, Maratha Sangh and Maratha Seva Sangh organised the first major Maratha agitation for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp MUMBAI: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the state home minister, on Monday, apologized for the September 1 police lathi charge on the Maratha quota protestors in Jalna, saying the government regrets the use of force. However, the Opposition demanded Fadnavis resignation over failing to maintain peace, terming the government action as an assault on Maratha protestors rights. The police lathicharged and lobbed teargas shells to disperse a violent mob in Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district Friday after protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift a man on hunger strike for Maratha quota to hospital. Several people, including 40 police personnel, were injured and more than 15 state transport buses were set ablaze in violence. Fadnavis said the lathicharge order was not given by any top official to the Jalna police. Such decisions (use of police force etc.) are taken at the local level, said Fadnavis. I beg their pardon over their physical injuries caused by the police action, said Fadnavis. Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar said Fadnavis should take responsibility and step down Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, too, demanded the home ministers scalp as he failed to protect the Maratha protestors. Fadnavis refused to resign, clarifying that the police used the force when the protestors tried to throw stones at them.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He said when Sharad Pawar was the chief minister, the police used lathicharge on the Govaris. As many as 103 lost their lives in the Nagpur protest, but Sharad Pawar did not step down as chief minister, recalled Fadnavis. Sharad Pawar said during his government, Madhukar Pichad was the social justice minister. Owning moral responsibility, Pichad had resigned from the cabinet after the 1994 episode. Pawar said the dictatorship was going on in Maharashtra. Fadnavis is responsible for the attack on the Maratha community. We condemn the incident, said Pawar. Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray said the Maharashtra government is run by one full (CM Eknath Shinde ) and two half (two deputy CMs Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis) people. When the attacks took place on the Maratha community, it is to be investigated as to what these one-full-and-two-halves were doing, he quipped. The state government has decided to initiate an inquiry into the alleged police firing and and the lathicharge. In November 2014, when the coalition government was in power under the leadership of then CM Devendra Fadnavis, the government announced the Maratha reservation. The High Court upheld the Maratha quota decision taken by the government. But the Supreme Court took a different decision, Shinde said. Everyone knows that this is due to someones negligence...The issue of the Maratha reservation is currently in the court. The state is fully prepared to fight this case in court...There are some difficulties, and the state is trying to resolve them, Shinde said. In 1997, Maratha Sangh and Maratha Seva Sangh organised the first major Maratha agitation for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By ANI NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted searches at eight locations in five districts of Uttar Pradesh in connection with its ongoing probe into a Naxal case. The raids are going on in Prayagraj, Varanasi, Chandauli, Azamgarh and Deoria districts of Uttar Pradesh. As per official sources in the anti-terror agency, the raids were conducted early on Tuesday 'in connection with CPI (Maoist) case'. National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting searches at eight locations in Prayagraj, Varanasi, Chandauli, Azamgarh and Deoria districts of Uttar Pradesh in connection with a CPI (Maoist) case. ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023 Multiple NIA teams carried out searches simultaneously at all these eight locations which are the residential and office premises of the suspects. Coinciding with the coordinated operations launched against the Maoists in all the Left Wing Extremist affected States in the country, this NIA's operation in close coordination with the Uttar Pradesh Police is yet another blow to the rebels. NIA investigations so far have revealed that the proscribed terrorist organisation, CPI (Maoist), was trying to raise funds for the procurement of arms and ammunition and recruitment of new cadres to further its criminal and violent designs for reviving itself in the Magadh zone area. They were liaising with Naxals and OWGs incarcerated in various jails in order to revive and strengthen Naxal activities in this region. The NIA had suo-moto registered the case on December 30, 2021, and continues to investigate the matter Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted searches at eight locations in five districts of Uttar Pradesh in connection with its ongoing probe into a Naxal case. The raids are going on in Prayagraj, Varanasi, Chandauli, Azamgarh and Deoria districts of Uttar Pradesh. As per official sources in the anti-terror agency, the raids were conducted early on Tuesday 'in connection with CPI (Maoist) case'.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting searches at eight locations in Prayagraj, Varanasi, Chandauli, Azamgarh and Deoria districts of Uttar Pradesh in connection with a CPI (Maoist) case. ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023 Multiple NIA teams carried out searches simultaneously at all these eight locations which are the residential and office premises of the suspects. Coinciding with the coordinated operations launched against the Maoists in all the Left Wing Extremist affected States in the country, this NIA's operation in close coordination with the Uttar Pradesh Police is yet another blow to the rebels. NIA investigations so far have revealed that the proscribed terrorist organisation, CPI (Maoist), was trying to raise funds for the procurement of arms and ammunition and recruitment of new cadres to further its criminal and violent designs for reviving itself in the Magadh zone area. They were liaising with Naxals and OWGs incarcerated in various jails in order to revive and strengthen Naxal activities in this region. The NIA had suo-moto registered the case on December 30, 2021, and continues to investigate the matter Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI JALGAON: NCP president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday demanded that the Centre remove the 50 per cent cap on quota and raise it by 15-16 per cent to accommodate more communities, amid the renewed focus on Maratha reservation in Maharashtra. Addressing a news conference, The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief said if the Centre brings a bill on women's reservation, his party will support it. The government has called for a special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22. The state is currently witnessing protests by the Maratha community, demanding reservations in government jobs and educational institutions. "Some people say that making more people (communities) beneficiaries of the OBC (other backward class) quota is injustice to the poor people of the (existing) OBC quota. This cannot be ignored." "The option is to make amendments by the Centre in Parliament to the existing 50 per cent cap and add 15-16 per cent to it," Pawar said in response to a question on demands being made by some leaders to accommodate Marathas in the existing OBC quota. ALSO READ | Panel to submit report on providing Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas from Marathwada: CM Shinde He said there should be no differences between OBC and other communities. Maratha reservation returned to the centre stage last week after the police baton-charged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a violent mob in Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district. The police said protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift a man on hunger strike for Maratha quota to the hospital. Pawar demanded that the government clarify on who issued the orders to baton-charge the protesters. Several persons, including 40 police personnel, were injured and more than 15 state transport buses were set ablaze in the Jalna violence. Pawar said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has called for a meeting on Wednesday of all party heads of the INDIA alliance, an opposition bloc of 28 parties aiming to take on the BJP-led Centre in next year's general elections. On the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, Pawar said the Centre has formed a panel headed by a former president to study the issue, but it has not included the Leader of Opposition in it. "I have not seen in years the government forming a committee headed by a former president. If the government is serious about this, then the Leader of Opposition has to be included in the panel," Pawar said. ALSO READ | Maratha outfits stage protest against Jalna lathi-charge, ask Ajit Pawar to quit Shiv Sena-BJP govt The BJP-led Centre last week announced an eight-member committee to examine and make recommendations at the earliest on the issue of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats. The committee, which will be headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind, will have Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, former leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and former Finance Commission chairman N K Singh as members, according to an official notification. Chowdhury has declined to be a part of the committee. "Today, Mallikarjun Kharge is the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, but he was not included in the panel. In Lok Sabha, there is a leader of the party (Chowdhury), but he was included in the panel. This is an attempt to divert attention from issues plaguing the country," Pawar said. On the drought-like situation in many parts of Maharashtra, Pawar said fodder for cattle, drinking water, steps to salvage crops wherever possible, economic assistance to farmers and suspension of all types of state levies are some of the measures that need to be taken by the government. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp JALGAON: NCP president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday demanded that the Centre remove the 50 per cent cap on quota and raise it by 15-16 per cent to accommodate more communities, amid the renewed focus on Maratha reservation in Maharashtra. Addressing a news conference, The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief said if the Centre brings a bill on women's reservation, his party will support it. The government has called for a special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The state is currently witnessing protests by the Maratha community, demanding reservations in government jobs and educational institutions. "Some people say that making more people (communities) beneficiaries of the OBC (other backward class) quota is injustice to the poor people of the (existing) OBC quota. This cannot be ignored." "The option is to make amendments by the Centre in Parliament to the existing 50 per cent cap and add 15-16 per cent to it," Pawar said in response to a question on demands being made by some leaders to accommodate Marathas in the existing OBC quota. ALSO READ | Panel to submit report on providing Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas from Marathwada: CM Shinde He said there should be no differences between OBC and other communities. Maratha reservation returned to the centre stage last week after the police baton-charged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a violent mob in Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district. The police said protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift a man on hunger strike for Maratha quota to the hospital. Pawar demanded that the government clarify on who issued the orders to baton-charge the protesters. Several persons, including 40 police personnel, were injured and more than 15 state transport buses were set ablaze in the Jalna violence. Pawar said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has called for a meeting on Wednesday of all party heads of the INDIA alliance, an opposition bloc of 28 parties aiming to take on the BJP-led Centre in next year's general elections. On the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, Pawar said the Centre has formed a panel headed by a former president to study the issue, but it has not included the Leader of Opposition in it. "I have not seen in years the government forming a committee headed by a former president. If the government is serious about this, then the Leader of Opposition has to be included in the panel," Pawar said. ALSO READ | Maratha outfits stage protest against Jalna lathi-charge, ask Ajit Pawar to quit Shiv Sena-BJP govt The BJP-led Centre last week announced an eight-member committee to examine and make recommendations at the earliest on the issue of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats. The committee, which will be headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind, will have Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, former leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and former Finance Commission chairman N K Singh as members, according to an official notification. Chowdhury has declined to be a part of the committee. "Today, Mallikarjun Kharge is the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, but he was not included in the panel. In Lok Sabha, there is a leader of the party (Chowdhury), but he was included in the panel. This is an attempt to divert attention from issues plaguing the country," Pawar said. On the drought-like situation in many parts of Maharashtra, Pawar said fodder for cattle, drinking water, steps to salvage crops wherever possible, economic assistance to farmers and suspension of all types of state levies are some of the measures that need to be taken by the government. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Express News Service PUDUCHERRY: In a significant development aimed at promoting the health and well-being of government school students, Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy on Tuesday announced on Tuesday that a diverse range of biscuits, bread, fruits, and milk will be provided under a revamped Breakfast scheme by the Department of School Education. This initiative is to ensure they receive a nutritious start to their day. Addressing teachers at a Teachers' Day award function organized by the Department of School Education at Kamaraj Manimandarpam, Rangasamy pledged the government's commitment to improving educational facilities in government schools. He stated that efforts were underway to introduce smart classrooms in all schools. Additionally, measures were being taken to outsource services for maintaining cleanliness and ensuring the provision of quality drinking water. Furthermore, the government is actively working to bring cooperative schools and colleges under the education department's purview. Vacant positions will be filled based on the marks of the applicants, and steps are being taken to enhance the salaries and regularize teachers employed on a contractual basis. The government also plans to establish new colleges to ensure that all school graduates have opportunities for higher education. The Lieutenant Governor, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, exhorted teachers to educate students about the contributions of unsung heroes in the freedom movement, impart moral values, and provide self-defence skills alongside the standard curriculum. She also highlighted the swift implementation of a 10% reservation policy for government school students, thanks to the support of the central government. Dr Soundararajan emphasized the vital role of teachers as second parents and urged them to take good care of their students, assuring them that the government is dedicated to resolving their concerns through dialogue. She called upon government officials to give handloom products while honouring dignitaries in government functions. She also directed officials of the electricity department to ensure uninterrupted power supply during official functions, when the power went off for a few minutes thus engulfing the venue in darkness. Minister for Education A Namassivayam announced plans to provide free laptops to government school students, with a tender for their supply expected to be finalized within 45 days. To enhance their nutritional needs, students are being provided three eggs per week from two eggs earlier. He mentioned a higher allocation of Rs 200 crores in the budget for education, affirming the government's commitment to enhancing educational facilities. The event, attended by prominent dignitaries including the Speaker of the Territorial Assembly R Selvam, MLA A John Kumar, Director of School Education P Priyatarshny, and Joint Director Sivagami, saw 21 teachers receive the Best Teachers award in various categories. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp PUDUCHERRY: In a significant development aimed at promoting the health and well-being of government school students, Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy on Tuesday announced on Tuesday that a diverse range of biscuits, bread, fruits, and milk will be provided under a revamped Breakfast scheme by the Department of School Education. This initiative is to ensure they receive a nutritious start to their day. Addressing teachers at a Teachers' Day award function organized by the Department of School Education at Kamaraj Manimandarpam, Rangasamy pledged the government's commitment to improving educational facilities in government schools. He stated that efforts were underway to introduce smart classrooms in all schools. Additionally, measures were being taken to outsource services for maintaining cleanliness and ensuring the provision of quality drinking water. Furthermore, the government is actively working to bring cooperative schools and colleges under the education department's purview. Vacant positions will be filled based on the marks of the applicants, and steps are being taken to enhance the salaries and regularize teachers employed on a contractual basis. The government also plans to establish new colleges to ensure that all school graduates have opportunities for higher education.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Lieutenant Governor, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, exhorted teachers to educate students about the contributions of unsung heroes in the freedom movement, impart moral values, and provide self-defence skills alongside the standard curriculum. She also highlighted the swift implementation of a 10% reservation policy for government school students, thanks to the support of the central government. Dr Soundararajan emphasized the vital role of teachers as second parents and urged them to take good care of their students, assuring them that the government is dedicated to resolving their concerns through dialogue. She called upon government officials to give handloom products while honouring dignitaries in government functions. She also directed officials of the electricity department to ensure uninterrupted power supply during official functions, when the power went off for a few minutes thus engulfing the venue in darkness. Minister for Education A Namassivayam announced plans to provide free laptops to government school students, with a tender for their supply expected to be finalized within 45 days. To enhance their nutritional needs, students are being provided three eggs per week from two eggs earlier. He mentioned a higher allocation of Rs 200 crores in the budget for education, affirming the government's commitment to enhancing educational facilities. The event, attended by prominent dignitaries including the Speaker of the Territorial Assembly R Selvam, MLA A John Kumar, Director of School Education P Priyatarshny, and Joint Director Sivagami, saw 21 teachers receive the Best Teachers award in various categories. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By ANI NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing controversy over Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayandhi Stalin's "eradicate Santan Dharma" remark, Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi national president Prakash Ambedkar on Monday referred to Sanatan Dharma as equal to 'untouchability'. Taking to his X handle (formerly known as Twitter), BR Amdekar's grandson shared an image with a text that read, "Sanatan Dharam = untouchability." On Monday, in another post shared by Prakash Ambedkar on X, he raised questions on Sanatan Dharma. "Sanatan Dharma believes in untouchability. How can we accept Sanatan Dharma!?," he wrote. This development has come at a time when outrage against Udhayanidhi's controversial statement about Sanatan Dharma is already running high. While addressing a gathering of people at the 'Anti-Santana Conference', Stalin compared Sanatan Dharma to diseases like Dengue, Malaria, and Coronavirus and said it could not be opposed but rather should be eradicated. "Rather than opposing Sanata, it should be eradicated," he said, adding that "the name Sanatan is from Sanskrit. It is against social justice and equality." The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), on Monday, demanded an apology from Congress and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) over Udhayanidhi's remark and accused 'INDIA' parties of deciding such agendas during the recent meeting. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said at the 'Parivartan Sankalp Yatra' from Ramdevara in Jaisalmer, "Congress ally DMK is insulting Sanatan Dharma. They say that Sanatan Dharma should be abolished. Allies of the 'INDIA' coalition have kept silent on this. Why is Gehlot ji silent and Sonia ji silent? Congress and India should apologise." Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also launched a sharp attack on the DMK and Congress party, saying that instead of "taking action against its alliance partner, the party is seeking refuge behind the veil of freedom of speech." Other senior leaders of the BJP, including BJP President JP Nadda, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have strongly criticised Udhayandhi's remark and called for strict actions. Meanwhile, on Monday, while addressing the media, Udhayanidi said that he is unaffected by the attacks from different political leaders and is ready to repeat the same thing again and again as he has included all religions and his attack was not targeted at only Hindus. "The day before yesterday, I spoke at a function about it (Sanatan Dharma). Whatever I said, I'll repeat the same thing again and again. I include all the religions, not just Hindus. I condemned the case difference, that's all," Udhayanidhi said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing controversy over Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayandhi Stalin's "eradicate Santan Dharma" remark, Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi national president Prakash Ambedkar on Monday referred to Sanatan Dharma as equal to 'untouchability'. Taking to his X handle (formerly known as Twitter), BR Amdekar's grandson shared an image with a text that read, "Sanatan Dharam = untouchability." On Monday, in another post shared by Prakash Ambedkar on X, he raised questions on Sanatan Dharma. "Sanatan Dharma believes in untouchability. How can we accept Sanatan Dharma!?," he wrote.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); = pic.twitter.com/6zcYZqtNQD Prakash Ambedkar (@Prksh_Ambedkar) September 4, 2023 This development has come at a time when outrage against Udhayanidhi's controversial statement about Sanatan Dharma is already running high. While addressing a gathering of people at the 'Anti-Santana Conference', Stalin compared Sanatan Dharma to diseases like Dengue, Malaria, and Coronavirus and said it could not be opposed but rather should be eradicated. "Rather than opposing Sanata, it should be eradicated," he said, adding that "the name Sanatan is from Sanskrit. It is against social justice and equality." The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), on Monday, demanded an apology from Congress and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) over Udhayanidhi's remark and accused 'INDIA' parties of deciding such agendas during the recent meeting. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said at the 'Parivartan Sankalp Yatra' from Ramdevara in Jaisalmer, "Congress ally DMK is insulting Sanatan Dharma. They say that Sanatan Dharma should be abolished. Allies of the 'INDIA' coalition have kept silent on this. Why is Gehlot ji silent and Sonia ji silent? Congress and India should apologise." Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also launched a sharp attack on the DMK and Congress party, saying that instead of "taking action against its alliance partner, the party is seeking refuge behind the veil of freedom of speech." Other senior leaders of the BJP, including BJP President JP Nadda, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have strongly criticised Udhayandhi's remark and called for strict actions. Meanwhile, on Monday, while addressing the media, Udhayanidi said that he is unaffected by the attacks from different political leaders and is ready to repeat the same thing again and again as he has included all religions and his attack was not targeted at only Hindus. "The day before yesterday, I spoke at a function about it (Sanatan Dharma). Whatever I said, I'll repeat the same thing again and again. I include all the religions, not just Hindus. I condemned the case difference, that's all," Udhayanidhi said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Shruti Kakkar By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday directed National Conference leader and Lok Sabha MP Mohammad Akbar Lone, the lead petitioner challenging the abrogation of Article 370, to file an affidavit swearing allegiance to the Constitution of India and recognizing Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India. A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud directed senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared for Lone, to have the affidavit filed by Tuesday. The ruling came after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that the Centre wanted Lone to apologise for raising Pakistan Zindabad slogan in the Jammu & Kashmir assembly in 2018. Mr Sibal, do we take it that Mr Lone unconditionally accepts the sovereignty of India and that J&K is an integral part of India? when he invokes the jurisdiction of our court under Article 32, he necessarily abides by the Constitution but we want to have it from him that he unconditionally accepts that J&K is an integral part of India and that he abides by and owes allegiance to the Constitution, Chandrachud said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday directed National Conference leader and Lok Sabha MP Mohammad Akbar Lone, the lead petitioner challenging the abrogation of Article 370, to file an affidavit swearing allegiance to the Constitution of India and recognizing Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India. A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud directed senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared for Lone, to have the affidavit filed by Tuesday. The ruling came after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that the Centre wanted Lone to apologise for raising Pakistan Zindabad slogan in the Jammu & Kashmir assembly in 2018. Mr Sibal, do we take it that Mr Lone unconditionally accepts the sovereignty of India and that J&K is an integral part of India? when he invokes the jurisdiction of our court under Article 32, he necessarily abides by the Constitution but we want to have it from him that he unconditionally accepts that J&K is an integral part of India and that he abides by and owes allegiance to the Constitution, Chandrachud said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsAppgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); By Express News Service KOLKATA/NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: With the BJP seeking to push the Opposition bloc, INDIA, on the backfoot over DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalins comments against Sanatana Dharma, the grouping made its first attempt on Monday to wriggle out of the situation. The Trinamool Congress distanced INDIA from the statement, with its spokesperson Kunal Ghosh saying upfront, We condemn such a remark... The INDIA bloc has no connection with such comments. Harmony is our culture. We have to respect other religions. His party boss and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was more guarded. Every religion has separate sentiments. India is about Unity in Diversity. We should not be involved in any matter which might hurt a section of people, she said. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said his partys stand is equal respect to all religions but each party in the INDIA bloc is free to articulate its views. In Tamil Nadu, the Congress took a different line. TNCC president K S Alagiri said, Criticising Sanatana Dharma and denial of god are two different things. Udhayanidhis remark against Sanathana Dharma is rational. In Uttar Pradesh, Mahant Paramahans Das of Ayodhya walked into legal hot waters of hate speech by announcing a `10 crore bounty for beheading Udhayanidhi. As for the BJP, its TN president Annamalai went after HR&CE Minister P K Sekarbabu, alleging he remained silent when Udhayanidhi spoke against Sanatana Dharma. Not worried about cases, says udhaya Sports minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Monday said he had spoken against discrimination and inequality in all religions and did not single out Hinduism Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp KOLKATA/NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: With the BJP seeking to push the Opposition bloc, INDIA, on the backfoot over DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalins comments against Sanatana Dharma, the grouping made its first attempt on Monday to wriggle out of the situation. The Trinamool Congress distanced INDIA from the statement, with its spokesperson Kunal Ghosh saying upfront, We condemn such a remark... The INDIA bloc has no connection with such comments. Harmony is our culture. We have to respect other religions. His party boss and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was more guarded. Every religion has separate sentiments. India is about Unity in Diversity. We should not be involved in any matter which might hurt a section of people, she said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said his partys stand is equal respect to all religions but each party in the INDIA bloc is free to articulate its views. In Tamil Nadu, the Congress took a different line. TNCC president K S Alagiri said, Criticising Sanatana Dharma and denial of god are two different things. Udhayanidhis remark against Sanathana Dharma is rational. In Uttar Pradesh, Mahant Paramahans Das of Ayodhya walked into legal hot waters of hate speech by announcing a `10 crore bounty for beheading Udhayanidhi. As for the BJP, its TN president Annamalai went after HR&CE Minister P K Sekarbabu, alleging he remained silent when Udhayanidhi spoke against Sanatana Dharma. Not worried about cases, says udhaya Sports minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Monday said he had spoken against discrimination and inequality in all religions and did not single out Hinduism Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Taking cognisance of brutal assault on a lady police constable who was on duty on Saryu Express in the intervening night of August 30/31, 2023 by some unknown assailants, the Allahabad High Court, on Monday, directed Government Railway Police (GRP), Lucknow, to produce progress report of the investigation and the medical condition of the victim before Court on September 13, 2023, the next date for hearing. Earlier, at a Sunday night sitting, the court had taken a suo moto cognizance of this gruesome incident and had asked the officials concerned to appear before the court. The court decided to treat matter as Public Interest Litigation (PIL). While hearing the PIL, the above directive was passed by a division bench, comprising Chief Justice Pritinker Diwakar and Justice Ashutosh Srivastava on Monday. During the hearing on Monday, Puja Yadav, superintendent of police (SP), GRP, Lucknow, along with deputy superintendent of police (DySP) Railway, was present in the court. Yadav told the court that statement of victim under Section 164 criminal procedure code (CrPC) could not be recorded because she was not in a condition to get her statement recorded. The GRP SP also told the court that so far no evidence of sexual assault of the victim was there. The injuries were found only on the head and on face of the victim who was found lying under the berth of Saryu Express in a pool of blood with deep wounds on her face and head. However, when the court questioned the GRP SP about the time and modus operandi of the incident, she could not respond convincingly. Yadav told the court that the incident might have taken place between Ayodhya station to Mankapur station. Even the weapon used to commit the crime could not have been recovered, she told the court. Earlier, in a Sunday night sitting, the court served notice to Union of India, ministry of railways/railway board. In a bad condition Puja Yadav, superintendent of police, GRP, Lucknow said could not be recorded because she was not in a condition to do so. She said that so far no evidence of sexual assault of the victim was there. The injuries were found on the head and on face of the victim who was found lying under the berth of Saryu Express in a pool of blood with wounds on face and head. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp LUCKNOW: Taking cognisance of brutal assault on a lady police constable who was on duty on Saryu Express in the intervening night of August 30/31, 2023 by some unknown assailants, the Allahabad High Court, on Monday, directed Government Railway Police (GRP), Lucknow, to produce progress report of the investigation and the medical condition of the victim before Court on September 13, 2023, the next date for hearing. Earlier, at a Sunday night sitting, the court had taken a suo moto cognizance of this gruesome incident and had asked the officials concerned to appear before the court. The court decided to treat matter as Public Interest Litigation (PIL). While hearing the PIL, the above directive was passed by a division bench, comprising Chief Justice Pritinker Diwakar and Justice Ashutosh Srivastava on Monday. During the hearing on Monday, Puja Yadav, superintendent of police (SP), GRP, Lucknow, along with deputy superintendent of police (DySP) Railway, was present in the court. Yadav told the court that statement of victim under Section 164 criminal procedure code (CrPC) could not be recorded because she was not in a condition to get her statement recorded.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The GRP SP also told the court that so far no evidence of sexual assault of the victim was there. The injuries were found only on the head and on face of the victim who was found lying under the berth of Saryu Express in a pool of blood with deep wounds on her face and head. However, when the court questioned the GRP SP about the time and modus operandi of the incident, she could not respond convincingly. Yadav told the court that the incident might have taken place between Ayodhya station to Mankapur station. Even the weapon used to commit the crime could not have been recovered, she told the court. Earlier, in a Sunday night sitting, the court served notice to Union of India, ministry of railways/railway board. In a bad condition Puja Yadav, superintendent of police, GRP, Lucknow said could not be recorded because she was not in a condition to do so. She said that so far no evidence of sexual assault of the victim was there. The injuries were found on the head and on face of the victim who was found lying under the berth of Saryu Express in a pool of blood with wounds on face and head. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) and Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) today (Aug 31) broke ground for KenGen's Green Energy Park in Olkaria, Naivasha in a move that is set to spur industrialization in the region. This visionary project is set to redefine industrialization while providing a sustainable and clean source of geothermal energy. The Green Energy Park project exemplifies KenGen's commitment to shaping a more sustainable future. The Energy Park aims to harness the abundant geothermal resources in Olkaria, providing a stable and renewable energy source for industries within the park. Notably, the park presents an alluring opportunity for investors seeking collaboration with KenGen to establish industries within a green energy-focused environment. In his remarks, KenGen's Board Chairman, Julius Migos Ogamba, said: "The partnership with KoTDA and the initiation of the Green Energy Park highlights the power of collaboration and the potential for positive change. This venture represents the first step towards a new era of industrialization, one that places environmental sustainability at its core." For his part, KenGen's Managing Director and CEO, Eng. Peter Njenga, expressed his enthusiasm, stating: "Today marks a turning point in our journey towards sustainable development. The Green Energy Park is a testament to our dedication to innovation, collaboration, and responsible growth. This is an open invitation for investors to join us in creating a greener, more prosperous future." KoTDA, the pioneering investor of the Green Energy Park, has set in motion plans to establish the Eco Cloud Data Center within the park, marking the commencement of this visionary journey. Spanning an impressive 342 hectares, the Green Energy Park will accommodate a harmonious blend of industrial and non-industrial activities. The master-planned development encompasses offices, data centers, research and development centers, hospitality spaces, a visitor experience center, and administrative and commercial facilities. The park's four-phase development plan for the period 2025 to 2045, will create a dynamic environment that fosters economic growth and innovation. With its geothermal power plants located in Olkaria, The Home of Geothermal in Africa, KenGen is well-positioned to be a leader in sustainable energy generation. Generating about 800MW of geothermal power from this field, Kenya boasts an impressive installed geothermal capacity of 950MW, ranking seventh in the world in geothermal power generation. About KenGen Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC - KenGen is the leading electricity generation company in the Eastern Africa region with an installed generation capacity market share of more than 60%. The Green Energy Park, an ambitious endeavour by KenGen, signifies a leap towards a sustainable industrial future. The company's vision is to empower businesses through affordable electricity tariffs, fostering industrialization. Presently, KenGen PLC boasts an installed generation capacity of 1,904MW, with over 86% sourced from green outlets, including Hydro (826MW), Geothermal (799MW), Thermal (253MW), and Wind (25.5MW). For media queries please contact: Frank D. Ochieng, Tel:0721816896 fochieng@kengen.co.ke or media@kengen.co.ke Yeshi Seli By Express News Service NEW DELHI: When the formal announcement of Chinese President Xi Jingping skipping the G20 Summit came on Monday, it didnt come as a surprise as indications to this effect had been doing the rounds for the last few days. Russia President Vladimir Putin and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also wont attend the summit. However, other leaders are going to be in New Delhi for the summit. US President Biden will be among the first leaders to reach Delhi on September 7 and will have a bilateral meeting with PM Narendra Modi on September 8. President Xis decision to skip the summit sends out a message that relations between India and China are still on the downward slide. This is the first G20 Summit that he has skipped, Ashok K Kantha, former Ambassador to China, told this newspaper. India and Chinas relations have seen a downward trend since the Galwan incident in 2020. China also keeps nudging India on many fronts the most recent being including Indian territories that include Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh in its own map. Earlier, they had renamed 11 villages in Arunachal. Premier Li Qiang will lead a delegation to the G20 Summit in India. The G20 is an important forum for international economic cooperation. This year, Premier Li Qiang will share Chinas views and propositions on G20 cooperation, and promote greater solidarity and cooperation among G20 countries and joint response to global economic and development challenges, said Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Mao Ning on Monday. Ning added, We are ready to work with all parties to make the G20 Summit a success and contribute to the steady recovery of the global economy and sustainable development. Meanwhile, President Biden, British PM Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Japanese PM Fumion Kishida, Australian PM Anthony Albanese, among others will attend the summit. Chill in relations The decline in India-China relations can be traced back to the Galwan incident in 2020. Furthermore, China has consistently provoked India on various fronts, including its recent inclusion of Indian territories, such as Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh, on its own map. Earlier, they also renamed 11 villages in Arunachal. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: When the formal announcement of Chinese President Xi Jingping skipping the G20 Summit came on Monday, it didnt come as a surprise as indications to this effect had been doing the rounds for the last few days. Russia President Vladimir Putin and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also wont attend the summit. However, other leaders are going to be in New Delhi for the summit. US President Biden will be among the first leaders to reach Delhi on September 7 and will have a bilateral meeting with PM Narendra Modi on September 8. President Xis decision to skip the summit sends out a message that relations between India and China are still on the downward slide. This is the first G20 Summit that he has skipped, Ashok K Kantha, former Ambassador to China, told this newspaper. India and Chinas relations have seen a downward trend since the Galwan incident in 2020. China also keeps nudging India on many fronts the most recent being including Indian territories that include Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh in its own map. Earlier, they had renamed 11 villages in Arunachal. Premier Li Qiang will lead a delegation to the G20 Summit in India. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The G20 is an important forum for international economic cooperation. This year, Premier Li Qiang will share Chinas views and propositions on G20 cooperation, and promote greater solidarity and cooperation among G20 countries and joint response to global economic and development challenges, said Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Mao Ning on Monday. Ning added, We are ready to work with all parties to make the G20 Summit a success and contribute to the steady recovery of the global economy and sustainable development. Meanwhile, President Biden, British PM Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Japanese PM Fumion Kishida, Australian PM Anthony Albanese, among others will attend the summit. Chill in relations The decline in India-China relations can be traced back to the Galwan incident in 2020. Furthermore, China has consistently provoked India on various fronts, including its recent inclusion of Indian territories, such as Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh, on its own map. Earlier, they also renamed 11 villages in Arunachal. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Sugata Srinivasaraju By Going by the deep flux in the nations political landscape, one is tempted to ask if it is not better for the Congress to go it alone in 2024 instead of lugging along the burdens of the rest. A similar question was asked by regional parties in the recent past: should they quietly manage their turfs and terrains instead of sinking with the Congress? Even when the Bharat Jodo Yatra was happening, not many regional leaders were ready to walk alongside Rahul Gandhi. But things somewhat changed: with great circumspection and palpable contradictions, an alliance was formed (or is still forming) a few months ago. The secular-regional entities and the secular national party buried their differences to fight the Narendra Modi-led BJP. They gave themselves the most contrived acronym to sound like a single force: I.N.D.I.A. However, even as we began to think that the alliance had started off rather well after three meetings in Patna, Bengaluru and Mumbai, there are already signs of implosion written all over. Even before the overcrowded coordination committee constituted after the Mumbai edition could meet in mid-September, there was virtually a tornado uprooting the trees. Look at the controversy that has just erupted over Udhayanidhi Stalins statements vis-a-vis the eradication of Sanatana Dharma. His statement was cleverly interpreted as containing genocidal intent by many on the extreme right because he used the language of pestilence and pandemics. Even without this extreme interpretation, the statement has quietly served the majoritarian impulse of the BJP and the defenders of the faith. If Udhayanidhi had used the language of social justice and spoken pointedly on treacherous caste hierarchies within the Hindu faith, perhaps there would have been no controversy. But the Dravidian hyperbole, cultivated with great diligence, does not allow anything to be expressed with reasonable calm. The rationalism of the Periyarist variety is sometimes not just a drumbeat but a death beat. There is inherent violence in the rhetoric they generate sometimes. The demagoguery of Tamil Dravidian nationalism is so incredibly sharp that it even excludes other linguistic cultures in the south of India. That is a cultural aspect which most of India above Vindhyas does not easily grapple. If Udhayanidhi and his party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), persist with the statement and offer no regrets, then within the existing Tamil cultural space, the simple calculation is they stand to gain electorally. This is perhaps why Stalins son has said hell repeat what he has said many times over. But the question is, where does it leave the Congress party across India? The BJP knows it cannot easily sink the DMK in Tamil Nadu but will use Udhayanidhis statement to sink the Congress elsewhere by projecting them as partners without faith. Just observe the range of reactions, or rather the utter confusion, to Udhayanidhis statement within the Congress. There is the platitudinous line that Congress respects all religions (K C Venugopal), but there is also a complete rejection of Udhayanidhis statement (Kamal Nath). There is resolute criticism (Karan Singh) and there is a willing embrace too (Priyank Kharge). If an ally ends up dividing the Congress more than it is already divided, then should the Congress make its own plans for 2024? For Priyank Kharge, a Dalit leader and son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, there is greater identification with the partys Tamil Nadu ally than his own partys caste elites. If this controversy is not about ripping the Congress apart at a deeper level of identity and self-respect, what else is it? Can Rahul Gandhi publicly condemn the Kharges on this? The Congress may soon learn that secularism and anti-BJPism is too universal a prop to unite parties; the local details, the ideological nuances and the languages in every corner of India will destroy the carefully and artificially constructed harmonies inside the I.N.D.I.A alliance. What if every ally of the Congress does what the DMK did? The BJP will only hold Congress responsible because that is electorally the best thing for it to do. ALSO READ | Rahul Gandhis yatra and a sea of happy images After all, the regional players will look after their own interests first because they have fought the BJP when the Congress abdicated the space. From their point of view, they are only doing what they always did. To all the arguments that the BJP may build, it will also add the recent ideological stridency of Rahul Gandhi against the progenitor of HindutvaVinayak Savarkar. Speaking against Savarkar has created unease among the Congress Maharashtra allies. There again, the allies have had to defend their sub-nationalist existence. Where does this leave the Congress when it cannot speak with conviction about anything? When the emotions and arithmetic of its regional allies pushes the party to wear a cloak of unfeeling, where must it go? If ideology is one tricky area for the Congress in a polarised polity, even in terms of pragmatic seat-sharing, the regional players will push the Congress to concede more seats than it conceded in 2019, which was around 423. In 2014, Congress had contested 464 seats. More than one regional player has indicated in the past that the Congress should contest no more than 200 seats. If this is the case, what happens to the national imprint and vote share of the grand old party? Besides electoral adjustments there will be questions around the leadership of the secular alliance. Rahul Gandhi is naturally doing well in opinion polls compared to other secret competitors within the alliance like Nitish Kumar or Mamata Banerjee. We have already seen leaders of the Janata Dal (United) ridiculing their Bihar ally Lalu Yadavs Rashtriya Janata Dal for pushing Gandhis candidature for the top job. Also, Rahuls mutton dish-making bonhomie with Lalu Yadav will create (or already has) suspicion in their own Bihar secular grouping. Rahul Gandhis stridency on crony capitalism also makes a lot of Congress allies squirm when they actually need money and helicopters to fight elections. Congress targeting Modi in absolute terms on practically everything he proposes (one election, new Parliament, GST, etc) also does not make his allies happy. The lack of moderation and tactical concession, they feel, does not work well in a democratic set-up. It hardens the space. How can this dissonance go away? Sugata Srinivasaraju Senior Journalist and author of Strange Burdens: The Politics and Predicaments of Rahul Gandhi (sugata@sugataraju.in) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Going by the deep flux in the nations political landscape, one is tempted to ask if it is not better for the Congress to go it alone in 2024 instead of lugging along the burdens of the rest. A similar question was asked by regional parties in the recent past: should they quietly manage their turfs and terrains instead of sinking with the Congress? Even when the Bharat Jodo Yatra was happening, not many regional leaders were ready to walk alongside Rahul Gandhi. But things somewhat changed: with great circumspection and palpable contradictions, an alliance was formed (or is still forming) a few months ago. The secular-regional entities and the secular national party buried their differences to fight the Narendra Modi-led BJP. They gave themselves the most contrived acronym to sound like a single force: I.N.D.I.A. However, even as we began to think that the alliance had started off rather well after three meetings in Patna, Bengaluru and Mumbai, there are already signs of implosion written all over. Even before the overcrowded coordination committee constituted after the Mumbai edition could meet in mid-September, there was virtually a tornado uprooting the trees.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Look at the controversy that has just erupted over Udhayanidhi Stalins statements vis-a-vis the eradication of Sanatana Dharma. His statement was cleverly interpreted as containing genocidal intent by many on the extreme right because he used the language of pestilence and pandemics. Even without this extreme interpretation, the statement has quietly served the majoritarian impulse of the BJP and the defenders of the faith. If Udhayanidhi had used the language of social justice and spoken pointedly on treacherous caste hierarchies within the Hindu faith, perhaps there would have been no controversy. But the Dravidian hyperbole, cultivated with great diligence, does not allow anything to be expressed with reasonable calm. The rationalism of the Periyarist variety is sometimes not just a drumbeat but a death beat. There is inherent violence in the rhetoric they generate sometimes. The demagoguery of Tamil Dravidian nationalism is so incredibly sharp that it even excludes other linguistic cultures in the south of India. That is a cultural aspect which most of India above Vindhyas does not easily grapple. If Udhayanidhi and his party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), persist with the statement and offer no regrets, then within the existing Tamil cultural space, the simple calculation is they stand to gain electorally. This is perhaps why Stalins son has said hell repeat what he has said many times over. But the question is, where does it leave the Congress party across India? The BJP knows it cannot easily sink the DMK in Tamil Nadu but will use Udhayanidhis statement to sink the Congress elsewhere by projecting them as partners without faith. Just observe the range of reactions, or rather the utter confusion, to Udhayanidhis statement within the Congress. There is the platitudinous line that Congress respects all religions (K C Venugopal), but there is also a complete rejection of Udhayanidhis statement (Kamal Nath). There is resolute criticism (Karan Singh) and there is a willing embrace too (Priyank Kharge). If an ally ends up dividing the Congress more than it is already divided, then should the Congress make its own plans for 2024? For Priyank Kharge, a Dalit leader and son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, there is greater identification with the partys Tamil Nadu ally than his own partys caste elites. If this controversy is not about ripping the Congress apart at a deeper level of identity and self-respect, what else is it? Can Rahul Gandhi publicly condemn the Kharges on this? The Congress may soon learn that secularism and anti-BJPism is too universal a prop to unite parties; the local details, the ideological nuances and the languages in every corner of India will destroy the carefully and artificially constructed harmonies inside the I.N.D.I.A alliance. What if every ally of the Congress does what the DMK did? The BJP will only hold Congress responsible because that is electorally the best thing for it to do. ALSO READ | Rahul Gandhis yatra and a sea of happy images After all, the regional players will look after their own interests first because they have fought the BJP when the Congress abdicated the space. From their point of view, they are only doing what they always did. To all the arguments that the BJP may build, it will also add the recent ideological stridency of Rahul Gandhi against the progenitor of HindutvaVinayak Savarkar. Speaking against Savarkar has created unease among the Congress Maharashtra allies. There again, the allies have had to defend their sub-nationalist existence. Where does this leave the Congress when it cannot speak with conviction about anything? When the emotions and arithmetic of its regional allies pushes the party to wear a cloak of unfeeling, where must it go? If ideology is one tricky area for the Congress in a polarised polity, even in terms of pragmatic seat-sharing, the regional players will push the Congress to concede more seats than it conceded in 2019, which was around 423. In 2014, Congress had contested 464 seats. More than one regional player has indicated in the past that the Congress should contest no more than 200 seats. If this is the case, what happens to the national imprint and vote share of the grand old party? Besides electoral adjustments there will be questions around the leadership of the secular alliance. Rahul Gandhi is naturally doing well in opinion polls compared to other secret competitors within the alliance like Nitish Kumar or Mamata Banerjee. We have already seen leaders of the Janata Dal (United) ridiculing their Bihar ally Lalu Yadavs Rashtriya Janata Dal for pushing Gandhis candidature for the top job. Also, Rahuls mutton dish-making bonhomie with Lalu Yadav will create (or already has) suspicion in their own Bihar secular grouping. Rahul Gandhis stridency on crony capitalism also makes a lot of Congress allies squirm when they actually need money and helicopters to fight elections. Congress targeting Modi in absolute terms on practically everything he proposes (one election, new Parliament, GST, etc) also does not make his allies happy. The lack of moderation and tactical concession, they feel, does not work well in a democratic set-up. It hardens the space. How can this dissonance go away? Sugata Srinivasaraju Senior Journalist and author of Strange Burdens: The Politics and Predicaments of Rahul Gandhi (sugata@sugataraju.in) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Express News Service NEW DELHI: For Archana Nooguri, it was not easy to motivate tribal children in Telangana to come and study. Not only was she able to convince them, but she also arranged furniture, water, LED projectors, additional classes, and even computers collected through donations for her school. As the school was some distance away for the poor students in the age group of 5 years to 10 years, she arranged with her own money an auto-rickshaw to pick and drop them. The children not only learned to read and write, but she motivated them to even write in their language the stories of their forefathers. The childrens stories would soon come out in a book form, Nooguri, a head teacher in the primary school, told The New Indian Express. Nooguri is among the 75 teachers awarded the prestigious National Teachers Award by President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday during Teachers Day. Feeling proud of receiving the national award for the year 2023, Nooguri said that the honour would motivate her further to make young children from poor backgrounds learn how to read and write. The 75 teachers include 50 school teachers, 13 teachers from higher education and 12 teachers from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Of the total awards, 18 went to teachers from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. It was the first time that higher education and skill category teachers were also awarded along with school teachers. The award carries a certificate of merit, a cash award of Rs. 50,000 and a silver medal. Among the awardees are Dr S.R. Mahadeva Prasanna, a professor from IIT Dharwad, Karnataka; Murahara Rao Uma Gandhi, a yoga instructor who teaches free to underprivileged people from Andhra; Shiyad S, a senior instructor who teaches welding in ITI, Palakkad, Kerala and is known for his innovation of coconut dehusking equipment; and Dr T Godwin Vedanayagam Rajkumar, a physical education teacher from Tamil Nadu. Wheel-chair bound, Mekala Bhaskar Rao, who teaches in a Andhra Pradesh-based school, received the National Teachers Award from the President. Wheel-chair bound, Mekala Bhaskar Rao, told The New Indian Express that he never let his physical limitations stop him from working for his students and school. Andhra Pradesh-based Rao was solely responsible for providing school infrastructure worth Rs. 20 lakhs. The money helped build toilets, additional classrooms, a compound wall, a drinking water facility, etc. As he was on wheel-chair, the president, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other dignitaries came down from the dais to honour him. Describing teachers who "build the future of the nation," Murmu said that quality education is considered the fundamental right of every child and the role of teachers is the most important in achieving these goals. She added that the importance of teachers as nation-builders has also been clearly stated in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Rao said he is feeling lucky to have received the top national award from the president. I feel lucky today. In my journey, I have received the support of authorities, students, teachers and the community which enabled me to work to tackle various problems, including the problem of dropouts. Using theatre to motivate high school students, Narayan Parameshwar Bhagwat, 55, from Karnataka, said he feels "very happy" that he was chosen for the top national awards for teachers. I used theatre to teach children from science to literature to social science. Not only does this create an interest in them towards learning, but it also helps them to concentrate and motivate them further. I feel proud that all my students did well in their board exams, said Bhagwat, who teaches students from class 8 to 10, specialising in childrens theatre. A Kannada teacher at Shri Marikamba Government PUC High School, Sirsi, proudly said he teaches in a school that houses 1529 students - the highest number of students in Karnataka. Believing that teaching should be fun, he has taught students in the evening and has also, to his credit, several dramas that he has directed. A primary school teacher, Murahara Rao Uma Gandhi from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, is also a yoga practitioner. She teaches yoga and meditation free of cost with a focus on underprivileged people. I am feeling proud of receiving the award. She has curated teaching modules and written several poems for students. "I have translated four books from English to Telugu, with the help of an online website FROOTS," said Gandhi. She has also organised online sessions during the summer vacation to narrate stories and rhymes and to conduct various other activities. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: For Archana Nooguri, it was not easy to motivate tribal children in Telangana to come and study. Not only was she able to convince them, but she also arranged furniture, water, LED projectors, additional classes, and even computers collected through donations for her school. As the school was some distance away for the poor students in the age group of 5 years to 10 years, she arranged with her own money an auto-rickshaw to pick and drop them. The children not only learned to read and write, but she motivated them to even write in their language the stories of their forefathers. The childrens stories would soon come out in a book form, Nooguri, a head teacher in the primary school, told The New Indian Express. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Nooguri is among the 75 teachers awarded the prestigious National Teachers Award by President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday during Teachers Day. Feeling proud of receiving the national award for the year 2023, Nooguri said that the honour would motivate her further to make young children from poor backgrounds learn how to read and write. The 75 teachers include 50 school teachers, 13 teachers from higher education and 12 teachers from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Of the total awards, 18 went to teachers from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. It was the first time that higher education and skill category teachers were also awarded along with school teachers. The award carries a certificate of merit, a cash award of Rs. 50,000 and a silver medal. Among the awardees are Dr S.R. Mahadeva Prasanna, a professor from IIT Dharwad, Karnataka; Murahara Rao Uma Gandhi, a yoga instructor who teaches free to underprivileged people from Andhra; Shiyad S, a senior instructor who teaches welding in ITI, Palakkad, Kerala and is known for his innovation of coconut dehusking equipment; and Dr T Godwin Vedanayagam Rajkumar, a physical education teacher from Tamil Nadu. Wheel-chair bound, Mekala Bhaskar Rao, who teaches in a Andhra Pradesh-based school, received the National Teachers Award from the President. Wheel-chair bound, Mekala Bhaskar Rao, told The New Indian Express that he never let his physical limitations stop him from working for his students and school. Andhra Pradesh-based Rao was solely responsible for providing school infrastructure worth Rs. 20 lakhs. The money helped build toilets, additional classrooms, a compound wall, a drinking water facility, etc. As he was on wheel-chair, the president, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other dignitaries came down from the dais to honour him. Describing teachers who "build the future of the nation," Murmu said that quality education is considered the fundamental right of every child and the role of teachers is the most important in achieving these goals. She added that the importance of teachers as nation-builders has also been clearly stated in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Rao said he is feeling lucky to have received the top national award from the president. I feel lucky today. In my journey, I have received the support of authorities, students, teachers and the community which enabled me to work to tackle various problems, including the problem of dropouts. Using theatre to motivate high school students, Narayan Parameshwar Bhagwat, 55, from Karnataka, said he feels "very happy" that he was chosen for the top national awards for teachers. I used theatre to teach children from science to literature to social science. Not only does this create an interest in them towards learning, but it also helps them to concentrate and motivate them further. I feel proud that all my students did well in their board exams, said Bhagwat, who teaches students from class 8 to 10, specialising in childrens theatre. A Kannada teacher at Shri Marikamba Government PUC High School, Sirsi, proudly said he teaches in a school that houses 1529 students - the highest number of students in Karnataka. Believing that teaching should be fun, he has taught students in the evening and has also, to his credit, several dramas that he has directed. A primary school teacher, Murahara Rao Uma Gandhi from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, is also a yoga practitioner. She teaches yoga and meditation free of cost with a focus on underprivileged people. I am feeling proud of receiving the award. She has curated teaching modules and written several poems for students. "I have translated four books from English to Telugu, with the help of an online website FROOTS," said Gandhi. She has also organised online sessions during the summer vacation to narrate stories and rhymes and to conduct various other activities. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp P R Kumaraswamy By The premature leak of a meeting between Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and his counterpart in the Libyan National Unity Government, Najla Mangoush, cost the latter her job and forced her to flee to Turkiye. It is widely recognised in Israel that Mangoush was fired not for her secret meeting per se but due to Cohens premature leaking of their face-to-face conversation in Rome a few days ago, mediated by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Though Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah was aware of and even approved the meeting, the leak was politically devastating for the fragile government. Indeed, partly to appease domestic critics, he even visited the Palestinian embassy in Tripoli following the controversy. Politicians the world over love ribbon-cutting even before the foundations are ready. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen is not an exception. Unable to control the excitement of a historic breakthrough, Cohen disclosed the impending normalisation with another Muslim country. This unleashed another diplomatic row and temporarily ended any possible expansion of Israels circle of friends. As a damage control measure, the Israeli foreign ministry disclosed that in the first-ever meeting between the two countries officials, they discussed preserving Jewish heritage sites in Libya, cooperation in agriculture, and providing humanitarian aid to the war-torn country. Incensed by the intemperate behaviour, the US is furious that its efforts were temporarily scuttled and urged Israeli officials to find ways to calm things down. Even politically stable Arab countries are extremely cautious about normalisation of relations with Israel. Libya is far from stable, and for over a decade since the removal and murder of Muammar Qaddafi, the country is in the midst of a civil war, with rival factions competing for territorial control and international legitimacy. In May last year, clandestine Israeli moves resulted in the Iraqi Parliament passing a resolution that criminalised attempts towards normalising relations with the Jewish State. Similar disclosure by the then Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres thwarted normalisation with India in the late 1980s. Moreover, President Biden could not expand the circle of Israels friends in the region since assuming office. The I2U2India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Statesis a poor attempt at consolidation and expansion of the gains of the Trump Administration. Indeed, the much-hyped Abraham Accords did not expand to include other Arab countries in the normalisation process once Trump left office in January 2021. While Israels relations with Bahrain, Morocco and the UAE have grown, ties with Sudan have not progressed much. Despite periodic reports of contacts with and visits of senior officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, Saudi Arabia is still not ready to come out of the closet. However, the absence of relations did not inhibit the Al-Sauds from opening their airspace for travel to Israel. In March 2018, Air India started flying to Israel using Saudi airspace. Following the Abraham Accords, this privilege was extended to Israels official carrier, El Al, for flights to India and Southeast Asia. Last July, there were speculations that Israeli Muslims could directly fly to Jeddah for their hajj pilgrimage. The Saudi ambassador to Jordan is concurrently accredited to Palestine. This was seen as a prelude to an impending Israeli-Saudi normalisation. These behind-the-scenes movements need greater finesse and must be choreographed with Saudi interests in mind. President Bidens lack of political capital vis-a-vis Saudi Arabia is partly responsible for the non-realisation of Israeli-Saudi normalisation. The Democrats noise about human rights considerably weakened Bidens influence over Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The current controversy over the premature leak also underscores the traditional Israeli foreign policy outreach since 1948. In a hostile environment, Israel conceived, developed and mastered clandestine diplomacy with its supposed Arab and Islamic adversaries. The Israeli-Jordanian ties were pursued at the highest levels even before the establishment of Israel. King Hussein met every Israeli prime minister except David Ben-Gurion and Menachem Begin. His erstwhile rhetoric of Jordan is Palestine was adopted by maverick Ariel Sharon enjoying a greater personal rapport with King Hussein than the sweet-talking Netanyahu. The absence of formal relations did not inhibit Moroccoincidentally head of the Al-Quds Committee of the Arab Leaguefrom hosting Israeli officials and even nudging Anwar Sadats normalisation efforts. Likewise, Oman and Qatar have hosted Israeli officials without formal recognition. Due to the sensitivities of the Arab and Islamic interlocutors with whom relations do not exist, Israel relied more heavily on its intelligence agencies than foreign policy entablement. The security officials, for example, drafted the Israel-Jordan peace treaty, which the diplomats merely signed. Israels external intelligence agency, Mossad, has a bigger role in sensitive foreign policy decisions than career diplomats. Above all, the Libyan controversy reminds us of the more significant problem facing Israel. While the scale and intensity have reduced considerably, Israels conflict with the Arab world is far from over. Normalisation was and continues to be a pawn in inter-Arab politics. Countries and groupssecular and Islamistdo not hesitate to whip up public passion against Israel. Some of these happen even without any active involvement of the Palestinians. The Arab-Islamic normalisation with Israel increased the focus on the Palestinian dimension of the conflict, but the need for secrecy is just a reminder that Israels conflict with the Arab world is far from over. Whenever necessary, even non-Arab playersIran and Turkiyedo not hesitate to capitalise on the Arab sentiments against Israel. And Libya is the latest reminder. P R Kumaraswamy Professor at JNU. Teaches contemporary Middle East (kumaraswamy.pr@gmail.com) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp The premature leak of a meeting between Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and his counterpart in the Libyan National Unity Government, Najla Mangoush, cost the latter her job and forced her to flee to Turkiye. It is widely recognised in Israel that Mangoush was fired not for her secret meeting per se but due to Cohens premature leaking of their face-to-face conversation in Rome a few days ago, mediated by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Though Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah was aware of and even approved the meeting, the leak was politically devastating for the fragile government. Indeed, partly to appease domestic critics, he even visited the Palestinian embassy in Tripoli following the controversy. Politicians the world over love ribbon-cutting even before the foundations are ready. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen is not an exception. Unable to control the excitement of a historic breakthrough, Cohen disclosed the impending normalisation with another Muslim country. This unleashed another diplomatic row and temporarily ended any possible expansion of Israels circle of friends. As a damage control measure, the Israeli foreign ministry disclosed that in the first-ever meeting between the two countries officials, they discussed preserving Jewish heritage sites in Libya, cooperation in agriculture, and providing humanitarian aid to the war-torn country. Incensed by the intemperate behaviour, the US is furious that its efforts were temporarily scuttled and urged Israeli officials to find ways to calm things down. Even politically stable Arab countries are extremely cautious about normalisation of relations with Israel. Libya is far from stable, and for over a decade since the removal and murder of Muammar Qaddafi, the country is in the midst of a civil war, with rival factions competing for territorial control and international legitimacy. In May last year, clandestine Israeli moves resulted in the Iraqi Parliament passing a resolution that criminalised attempts towards normalising relations with the Jewish State. Similar disclosure by the then Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres thwarted normalisation with India in the late 1980s.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Moreover, President Biden could not expand the circle of Israels friends in the region since assuming office. The I2U2India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Statesis a poor attempt at consolidation and expansion of the gains of the Trump Administration. Indeed, the much-hyped Abraham Accords did not expand to include other Arab countries in the normalisation process once Trump left office in January 2021. While Israels relations with Bahrain, Morocco and the UAE have grown, ties with Sudan have not progressed much. Despite periodic reports of contacts with and visits of senior officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, Saudi Arabia is still not ready to come out of the closet. However, the absence of relations did not inhibit the Al-Sauds from opening their airspace for travel to Israel. In March 2018, Air India started flying to Israel using Saudi airspace. Following the Abraham Accords, this privilege was extended to Israels official carrier, El Al, for flights to India and Southeast Asia. Last July, there were speculations that Israeli Muslims could directly fly to Jeddah for their hajj pilgrimage. The Saudi ambassador to Jordan is concurrently accredited to Palestine. This was seen as a prelude to an impending Israeli-Saudi normalisation. These behind-the-scenes movements need greater finesse and must be choreographed with Saudi interests in mind. President Bidens lack of political capital vis-a-vis Saudi Arabia is partly responsible for the non-realisation of Israeli-Saudi normalisation. The Democrats noise about human rights considerably weakened Bidens influence over Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The current controversy over the premature leak also underscores the traditional Israeli foreign policy outreach since 1948. In a hostile environment, Israel conceived, developed and mastered clandestine diplomacy with its supposed Arab and Islamic adversaries. The Israeli-Jordanian ties were pursued at the highest levels even before the establishment of Israel. King Hussein met every Israeli prime minister except David Ben-Gurion and Menachem Begin. His erstwhile rhetoric of Jordan is Palestine was adopted by maverick Ariel Sharon enjoying a greater personal rapport with King Hussein than the sweet-talking Netanyahu. The absence of formal relations did not inhibit Moroccoincidentally head of the Al-Quds Committee of the Arab Leaguefrom hosting Israeli officials and even nudging Anwar Sadats normalisation efforts. Likewise, Oman and Qatar have hosted Israeli officials without formal recognition. Due to the sensitivities of the Arab and Islamic interlocutors with whom relations do not exist, Israel relied more heavily on its intelligence agencies than foreign policy entablement. The security officials, for example, drafted the Israel-Jordan peace treaty, which the diplomats merely signed. Israels external intelligence agency, Mossad, has a bigger role in sensitive foreign policy decisions than career diplomats. Above all, the Libyan controversy reminds us of the more significant problem facing Israel. While the scale and intensity have reduced considerably, Israels conflict with the Arab world is far from over. Normalisation was and continues to be a pawn in inter-Arab politics. Countries and groupssecular and Islamistdo not hesitate to whip up public passion against Israel. Some of these happen even without any active involvement of the Palestinians. The Arab-Islamic normalisation with Israel increased the focus on the Palestinian dimension of the conflict, but the need for secrecy is just a reminder that Israels conflict with the Arab world is far from over. Whenever necessary, even non-Arab playersIran and Turkiyedo not hesitate to capitalise on the Arab sentiments against Israel. And Libya is the latest reminder. P R Kumaraswamy Professor at JNU. Teaches contemporary Middle East (kumaraswamy.pr@gmail.com) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By ANI VELLORE: Supporters of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Tuesday burned an effigy of Ayodhya seer Paramhans Acharya for issuing a death threat against Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. Visuals from the scene show hundreds of people on the streets chanting slogans against Paramhans Acharya while burning the effigy and his photo. This development comes as Paramhans Acharya reiterated his death warning against Udhayanidhi over his "eradicate Sanatan Dharma" remark. On Monday, Acharya announced a bounty of Rs 10 crore for beheading Udhayanidhi. Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Paramhans Acharya said, "Udhayanidhi should apologise for his statement against Sanatan Dharma. If he doesn't apologise, no matter if he is the son of a chief minister, we will receive punishment. If Rs 10 crores is not enough for beheading him, I will increase the reward. If at all required, I myself will behead him, but the insult of 'Sanatan Dharma' will not be tolerated. Whatever development has taken place in the country is because of 'Sanatana Dharma'. He should apologise for his statement. He has hurt the sentiments of 100 crore people in the country," he said. #WATCH | Tamil Nadu | DMK supporters in Vellore burn the effigy of Ayodhya Seer Paramhans Acharya's for his death threat to Tamil Nadu Minister Undayanishi Stalin on his 'Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated' remark. pic.twitter.com/tPopAeiKJy ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023 Reacting to Paramhans Acharya's warning, Udhayanidhi said that he is ready to repeat whatever he said at the Abolish Sanatan Dharma conference, and he is not afraid of such threats. He said he was very well aware of the consequences and reactions that would follow his statement. "From Amit Shah to JP Nadda, all are speaking about Udhayanidhi. Also, a complaint has been registered to arrest me all over India. Today a saint has set a prize for my head. Whoever chops off my head, they say, will be rewarded with 10 crore rupees. Whoever says he is a saint, I am asking what is the affection from my head." He also questioned Paramhans Acharya, saying, "If you are a servant, how can you have 1 crore rupees? Are you a real saint or a duplicate? I want to ask," he said. Notably, Udhayanidhi's remark on Sanatan Dharma has sparked massive controversy across the nation. Several BJP leaders and Hindu priests have strongly criticised his statement. Leaders from the saffron party have also blamed the INDIA bloc for Udhayanidhi's remark, claiming such an agenda was discussed during the recent meeting that was held in Mumbai. READ MORE | Udhayanidhi remarks row: Congress says it respects all religions, others free to express their views Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp VELLORE: Supporters of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Tuesday burned an effigy of Ayodhya seer Paramhans Acharya for issuing a death threat against Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. Visuals from the scene show hundreds of people on the streets chanting slogans against Paramhans Acharya while burning the effigy and his photo. This development comes as Paramhans Acharya reiterated his death warning against Udhayanidhi over his "eradicate Sanatan Dharma" remark. On Monday, Acharya announced a bounty of Rs 10 crore for beheading Udhayanidhi. Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Paramhans Acharya said, "Udhayanidhi should apologise for his statement against Sanatan Dharma. If he doesn't apologise, no matter if he is the son of a chief minister, we will receive punishment. If Rs 10 crores is not enough for beheading him, I will increase the reward. If at all required, I myself will behead him, but the insult of 'Sanatan Dharma' will not be tolerated. Whatever development has taken place in the country is because of 'Sanatana Dharma'. He should apologise for his statement. He has hurt the sentiments of 100 crore people in the country," he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); #WATCH | Tamil Nadu | DMK supporters in Vellore burn the effigy of Ayodhya Seer Paramhans Acharya's for his death threat to Tamil Nadu Minister Undayanishi Stalin on his 'Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated' remark. pic.twitter.com/tPopAeiKJy ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023 Reacting to Paramhans Acharya's warning, Udhayanidhi said that he is ready to repeat whatever he said at the Abolish Sanatan Dharma conference, and he is not afraid of such threats. He said he was very well aware of the consequences and reactions that would follow his statement. "From Amit Shah to JP Nadda, all are speaking about Udhayanidhi. Also, a complaint has been registered to arrest me all over India. Today a saint has set a prize for my head. Whoever chops off my head, they say, will be rewarded with 10 crore rupees. Whoever says he is a saint, I am asking what is the affection from my head." He also questioned Paramhans Acharya, saying, "If you are a servant, how can you have 1 crore rupees? Are you a real saint or a duplicate? I want to ask," he said. Notably, Udhayanidhi's remark on Sanatan Dharma has sparked massive controversy across the nation. Several BJP leaders and Hindu priests have strongly criticised his statement. Leaders from the saffron party have also blamed the INDIA bloc for Udhayanidhi's remark, claiming such an agenda was discussed during the recent meeting that was held in Mumbai. READ MORE | Udhayanidhi remarks row: Congress says it respects all religions, others free to express their views Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Yeshi Seli By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song has spoken out against India, projecting it as a country that isnt friendly towards its neighbours, especially Nepal. Speaking at a programme in Kathmandu, in which the audience included Devraj Ghimire, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Song advised Nepal to tread cautiously with India. He pitched for better ties between China and Nepal and spoke derogatorily about what he called 'Indias influence in Nepal'. "Unfortunately, you have a neighbor like India, because India is a huge market, huge potential you can tap into. But at the same time, Indias policy towards Nepal and other neighbors are not so friendly and not so beneficial to Nepal," he said. The Ambassador tried to underplay Indias role and relations with Nepal which have been bound by history, culture and tradition besides trade and development. "Last fiscal year, you exported 10 billion rupees of electricity to India. How much you imported from India? My Nepalese friends, you imported 19 billion Nepalese rupees of electricity from India. You had a deficit in electricity trade, one of the products you are proud of, and you think that will bring you economic independence," he said. India and China both have a significant presence in Nepal across most sectors of the economy. This speech by the Ambassador was done with the obvious intent of downplaying India for China's benefit. "I will have more field trips to learn about the reality of Nepal and find more potential cooperation between China and Nepal. Best of all, I think Nepalese people also have the right to enjoy a more rich life, a more modern life, a more prosperous life," he said with an intent to showcase a friendlier China. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song has spoken out against India, projecting it as a country that isnt friendly towards its neighbours, especially Nepal. Speaking at a programme in Kathmandu, in which the audience included Devraj Ghimire, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Song advised Nepal to tread cautiously with India. He pitched for better ties between China and Nepal and spoke derogatorily about what he called 'Indias influence in Nepal'.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Unfortunately, you have a neighbor like India, because India is a huge market, huge potential you can tap into. But at the same time, Indias policy towards Nepal and other neighbors are not so friendly and not so beneficial to Nepal," he said. The Ambassador tried to underplay Indias role and relations with Nepal which have been bound by history, culture and tradition besides trade and development. "Last fiscal year, you exported 10 billion rupees of electricity to India. How much you imported from India? My Nepalese friends, you imported 19 billion Nepalese rupees of electricity from India. You had a deficit in electricity trade, one of the products you are proud of, and you think that will bring you economic independence," he said. India and China both have a significant presence in Nepal across most sectors of the economy. This speech by the Ambassador was done with the obvious intent of downplaying India for China's benefit. "I will have more field trips to learn about the reality of Nepal and find more potential cooperation between China and Nepal. Best of all, I think Nepalese people also have the right to enjoy a more rich life, a more modern life, a more prosperous life," he said with an intent to showcase a friendlier China. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Associated Press AIN SHEEB: More than 300 people were killed and over 600 wounded by cluster munitions in Ukraine in 2022, according to an international watchdog, surpassing Syria as the country with the highest number of casualties from the controversial weapons for the first time in a decade. Russias widespread use of the bombs, which open in the air and release scores of smaller bomblets or submunitions as they are called, in its invasion of Ukraine and, to a lesser extent, their use by Ukrainian forces helped make 2022 the deadliest year on record globally, according to the annual report released Tuesday by the Cluster Munition Coalition, a network of non-governmental organizations advocating for a ban of the weapons. The deadliest attack in Ukraine, according to the country's prosecutor generals office, was a bombing on a railway station in the town of Kramatorsk that killed 53 people and wounded 135. Meanwhile, in Syria and other war-battered countries in the Middle East, although active fighting has cooled down, the explosive remnants continue to kill and maim dozens of people every year. The long-term danger posed to civilians by explosive ordinance peppered across the landscape for years or even decades after fighting has ceased has come under a renewed spotlight since the United States announced in July that it would provide them to Ukraine to use against Russia. In Syria, 15 people were killed and 75 wounded by cluster munition attacks or their remnants in 2022, according to the coalition's data. Iraq, where there were no new cluster bomb attacks reported last year, saw 15 people killed and 25 wounded. In Yemen, which also had no new reported attacks, five people were killed and 90 were wounded by the leftover explosives. The majority of victims globally are children. Because some types of these bomblets resemble metal balls, children often pick them up and play with them without knowing what they are. ALSO READ | Realities of war in Ukraine are sinking in Among the casualties are 12-year-old Rawaa al-Hassan and her 10-year-old sister, Doaa, whose family has lived at a camp near the village of Ain Sheeb in northern Syrias opposition-held Idlib province since being displaced from their hometown in Hama province six years earlier. The area where they live in Idlib had frequently come under airstrikes, but the family had escaped from those unharmed. During the holy Islamic month of Ramadan last year, as the girls were coming home from school, their mother Wafaa said, they picked up an unexploded bomblet, thinking it was a piece of scrap metal they could sell. Rawaa lost an eye, Doaa, a hand. In a cruel irony, the girls father had died eight months earlier after he stepped on a cluster munition remnant while gathering firewood. The girls are in a bad state, psychologically since the two tragic accidents, said their uncle Hatem al-Hassan, who now looks after them and their mother. They have difficulty concentrating, and Rawaa often flies off the handle, hitting other children at school. Of course, were afraid, and now we dont let them play outside at all anymore, he said. Near the village of Ram Hamdan, also in Idlib, Ali al-Mansour, 43, was tending his sheep one day in 2019 with his 5-year-old son in tow when the child handed him a metal object that looked like a toy and asked him to take it apart. I tried to take it apart and it wasn't working, so I hit it with a rock, and it exploded on me, al-Mansour said. He lost his eyes and his hands. Without a breadwinner, his family now lives on handouts from relatives. Scattered submunitions often strike shepherds and scrap metal collectors, a common post-conflict source of livelihood, said Loren Persi, one of the editors of the Cluster Munition Coalitions annual report. They also lurk in the fields where truffle hunters forage for the lucrative delicacy, he said. Efforts to clear the explosives have been hampered by lack of funding and by the logistics of dealing with the patchwork of actors controlling different parts of Syria, Persi said. Some 124 countries have joined a United Nations convention banning cluster munitions. The U.S., Russia, Ukraine and Syria are among the hold-outs. Deaths and injuries from cluster munition remnants have continued for decades after wars ended in some cases including in Laos, where people still die yearly from Vietnam war-era U.S. bombing that left millions of unexploded cluster bomblets. Alex Hiniker, an independent expert with the Forum on the Arms Trade, said casualties had been dropping worldwide before the 2011 uprising turned civil war in Syria. Contamination was being cleared, stockpiles were being destroyed," she said, but the progress "started reversing drastically in 2012, when the Syrian government and allied Russian forces began using cluster bombs against the opposition in Syria. The numbers had dropped off as the war in Syria turned into a stalemate, although at least one new cluster bomb attack was reported in Syria in November 2022. But they quickly spiked again with the conflict in Ukraine. U.S. officials have defended the decision to provide cluster bombs to Ukraine as necessary to level the playing field in the face of a stronger opponent and have insisted that they will take measures to mitigate harm to civilians. This would include sending a version of the munition with a reduced dud rate, meaning fewer unexploded rounds left behind after the conflict. State Department officials did not respond to a request for additional comment. Hiniker said she and others who track the impacts of cluster munitions are baffled by the fact that the U.S. is sending totally outdated weapons that the majority of the world has banned because they disproportionately kill civilians. The most difficult and costly part of dealing with the weapons, she said, is cleaning up the mess afterwards. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp AIN SHEEB: More than 300 people were killed and over 600 wounded by cluster munitions in Ukraine in 2022, according to an international watchdog, surpassing Syria as the country with the highest number of casualties from the controversial weapons for the first time in a decade. Russias widespread use of the bombs, which open in the air and release scores of smaller bomblets or submunitions as they are called, in its invasion of Ukraine and, to a lesser extent, their use by Ukrainian forces helped make 2022 the deadliest year on record globally, according to the annual report released Tuesday by the Cluster Munition Coalition, a network of non-governmental organizations advocating for a ban of the weapons. The deadliest attack in Ukraine, according to the country's prosecutor generals office, was a bombing on a railway station in the town of Kramatorsk that killed 53 people and wounded 135.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Meanwhile, in Syria and other war-battered countries in the Middle East, although active fighting has cooled down, the explosive remnants continue to kill and maim dozens of people every year. The long-term danger posed to civilians by explosive ordinance peppered across the landscape for years or even decades after fighting has ceased has come under a renewed spotlight since the United States announced in July that it would provide them to Ukraine to use against Russia. In Syria, 15 people were killed and 75 wounded by cluster munition attacks or their remnants in 2022, according to the coalition's data. Iraq, where there were no new cluster bomb attacks reported last year, saw 15 people killed and 25 wounded. In Yemen, which also had no new reported attacks, five people were killed and 90 were wounded by the leftover explosives. The majority of victims globally are children. Because some types of these bomblets resemble metal balls, children often pick them up and play with them without knowing what they are. ALSO READ | Realities of war in Ukraine are sinking in Among the casualties are 12-year-old Rawaa al-Hassan and her 10-year-old sister, Doaa, whose family has lived at a camp near the village of Ain Sheeb in northern Syrias opposition-held Idlib province since being displaced from their hometown in Hama province six years earlier. The area where they live in Idlib had frequently come under airstrikes, but the family had escaped from those unharmed. During the holy Islamic month of Ramadan last year, as the girls were coming home from school, their mother Wafaa said, they picked up an unexploded bomblet, thinking it was a piece of scrap metal they could sell. Rawaa lost an eye, Doaa, a hand. In a cruel irony, the girls father had died eight months earlier after he stepped on a cluster munition remnant while gathering firewood. The girls are in a bad state, psychologically since the two tragic accidents, said their uncle Hatem al-Hassan, who now looks after them and their mother. They have difficulty concentrating, and Rawaa often flies off the handle, hitting other children at school. Of course, were afraid, and now we dont let them play outside at all anymore, he said. Near the village of Ram Hamdan, also in Idlib, Ali al-Mansour, 43, was tending his sheep one day in 2019 with his 5-year-old son in tow when the child handed him a metal object that looked like a toy and asked him to take it apart. I tried to take it apart and it wasn't working, so I hit it with a rock, and it exploded on me, al-Mansour said. He lost his eyes and his hands. Without a breadwinner, his family now lives on handouts from relatives. Scattered submunitions often strike shepherds and scrap metal collectors, a common post-conflict source of livelihood, said Loren Persi, one of the editors of the Cluster Munition Coalitions annual report. They also lurk in the fields where truffle hunters forage for the lucrative delicacy, he said. Efforts to clear the explosives have been hampered by lack of funding and by the logistics of dealing with the patchwork of actors controlling different parts of Syria, Persi said. Some 124 countries have joined a United Nations convention banning cluster munitions. The U.S., Russia, Ukraine and Syria are among the hold-outs. Deaths and injuries from cluster munition remnants have continued for decades after wars ended in some cases including in Laos, where people still die yearly from Vietnam war-era U.S. bombing that left millions of unexploded cluster bomblets. Alex Hiniker, an independent expert with the Forum on the Arms Trade, said casualties had been dropping worldwide before the 2011 uprising turned civil war in Syria. Contamination was being cleared, stockpiles were being destroyed," she said, but the progress "started reversing drastically in 2012, when the Syrian government and allied Russian forces began using cluster bombs against the opposition in Syria. The numbers had dropped off as the war in Syria turned into a stalemate, although at least one new cluster bomb attack was reported in Syria in November 2022. But they quickly spiked again with the conflict in Ukraine. U.S. officials have defended the decision to provide cluster bombs to Ukraine as necessary to level the playing field in the face of a stronger opponent and have insisted that they will take measures to mitigate harm to civilians. This would include sending a version of the munition with a reduced dud rate, meaning fewer unexploded rounds left behind after the conflict. State Department officials did not respond to a request for additional comment. Hiniker said she and others who track the impacts of cluster munitions are baffled by the fact that the U.S. is sending totally outdated weapons that the majority of the world has banned because they disproportionately kill civilians. The most difficult and costly part of dealing with the weapons, she said, is cleaning up the mess afterwards. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By AFP WASHINGTON: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expects to make a rare trip abroad to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Russia to discuss providing arms to Moscow for its war in Ukraine, the United States said Monday. Ukraine is pushing a highly-scrutinised counteroffensive in both the south and east that Putin on Monday dismissed as a failure, though Moscow appears eager to urgently secure more military supplies to bolster its forces. The White House's National Security Council (NSC) spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said that "arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing," using an acronym for North Korea. "We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia," she added. The United States last week warned that Russia was already in secret talks with the North to acquire a range of munitions and supplies for Moscow's war effort. Kim is likely to head by armoured train later this month to Vladivostok, on Russia's Pacific coast not far from North Korea, to meet with Putin, according to The New York Times. The paper said Putin wanted artillery shells and antitank missiles from North Korea, and Kim could even travel to Moscow, but that was uncertain. Kim is reported to be seeking advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines as well as food aid for his impoverished nation. An official at Seoul's unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean relations, said various developments "indicated" the growing possibility of an arms deal between Pyongyang and Moscow. "Any form of cooperation between North Korea and neighbouring countries must be conducted in a way that does not undermine international norms and peace," he told reporters. Washington said last week that despite its denials, North Korea supplied infantry rockets and missiles to Russia in 2022 for use by the privately controlled Wagner military group. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu travelled to North Korea in July seeking to acquire additional munitions for the war, Watson said Monday. Diplomatic isolation Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewhat University in Seoul, said both Pyongyang and Moscow needed to "break away from diplomatic isolation", and a summit would send a message to Washington, which is ramping up defence cooperation with South Korea and Japan. "As South Korea, the United States, and Japan have recently been strengthening cooperation, including the Camp David summit, North Korea and Russia also need to showcase their cooperation in a symbolic diplomatic sense," he told AFP. Last week at the United Nations, the United States, Britain, South Korea and Japan said that any deal to increase cooperation between Russia and North Korea would violate Security Council resolutions forbidding arms deals with Pyongyang -- resolutions Moscow itself had endorsed. They said that following Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang, another group of Russian officials traveled to North Korea for follow-up talks. Cho Han-bum, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said that sanctions will do little to stop Russia and North Korea from trading weapons. "The war in Ukraine and the strategic competition between the United States and China have virtually neutralised the current UN Security Council system," Cho told AFP. Moscow and Pyongyang had "no worries" about sanctions as both countries were already operating under an array of Western punitive measures, he said, adding that military cooperation between the two was likely "unstoppable". The United States last month sanctioned three entities accused of seeking to facilitate arms deals between North Korea and Russia as Washington tightened restrictions on support for Moscow's war in Ukraine. The US Treasury Department said that Russia was continuing to use up munitions and lose heavy equipment in Ukraine, forcing it to turn to its small pool of allies, including North Korea, for support. Ukrainian officials have claimed some progress in their ongoing counteroffensive, but Putin on Monday again said the attempt to retake land lost since Russia's February 2022 invasion had been unsuccessful. "It is not that it is stalling. It is a failure," Putin said during a press conference with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi. "At least today this is what it looks like. Let's see what happens next." News of the likely meeting between Kim and Putin came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had visited his war-torn country's frontline eastern Donetsk region, posting a video of himself meeting soldiers. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp WASHINGTON: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expects to make a rare trip abroad to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Russia to discuss providing arms to Moscow for its war in Ukraine, the United States said Monday. Ukraine is pushing a highly-scrutinised counteroffensive in both the south and east that Putin on Monday dismissed as a failure, though Moscow appears eager to urgently secure more military supplies to bolster its forces. The White House's National Security Council (NSC) spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said that "arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing," using an acronym for North Korea.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia," she added. The United States last week warned that Russia was already in secret talks with the North to acquire a range of munitions and supplies for Moscow's war effort. Kim is likely to head by armoured train later this month to Vladivostok, on Russia's Pacific coast not far from North Korea, to meet with Putin, according to The New York Times. The paper said Putin wanted artillery shells and antitank missiles from North Korea, and Kim could even travel to Moscow, but that was uncertain. Kim is reported to be seeking advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines as well as food aid for his impoverished nation. An official at Seoul's unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean relations, said various developments "indicated" the growing possibility of an arms deal between Pyongyang and Moscow. "Any form of cooperation between North Korea and neighbouring countries must be conducted in a way that does not undermine international norms and peace," he told reporters. Washington said last week that despite its denials, North Korea supplied infantry rockets and missiles to Russia in 2022 for use by the privately controlled Wagner military group. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu travelled to North Korea in July seeking to acquire additional munitions for the war, Watson said Monday. Diplomatic isolation Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewhat University in Seoul, said both Pyongyang and Moscow needed to "break away from diplomatic isolation", and a summit would send a message to Washington, which is ramping up defence cooperation with South Korea and Japan. "As South Korea, the United States, and Japan have recently been strengthening cooperation, including the Camp David summit, North Korea and Russia also need to showcase their cooperation in a symbolic diplomatic sense," he told AFP. Last week at the United Nations, the United States, Britain, South Korea and Japan said that any deal to increase cooperation between Russia and North Korea would violate Security Council resolutions forbidding arms deals with Pyongyang -- resolutions Moscow itself had endorsed. They said that following Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang, another group of Russian officials traveled to North Korea for follow-up talks. Cho Han-bum, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said that sanctions will do little to stop Russia and North Korea from trading weapons. "The war in Ukraine and the strategic competition between the United States and China have virtually neutralised the current UN Security Council system," Cho told AFP. Moscow and Pyongyang had "no worries" about sanctions as both countries were already operating under an array of Western punitive measures, he said, adding that military cooperation between the two was likely "unstoppable". The United States last month sanctioned three entities accused of seeking to facilitate arms deals between North Korea and Russia as Washington tightened restrictions on support for Moscow's war in Ukraine. The US Treasury Department said that Russia was continuing to use up munitions and lose heavy equipment in Ukraine, forcing it to turn to its small pool of allies, including North Korea, for support. Ukrainian officials have claimed some progress in their ongoing counteroffensive, but Putin on Monday again said the attempt to retake land lost since Russia's February 2022 invasion had been unsuccessful. "It is not that it is stalling. It is a failure," Putin said during a press conference with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi. "At least today this is what it looks like. Let's see what happens next." News of the likely meeting between Kim and Putin came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had visited his war-torn country's frontline eastern Donetsk region, posting a video of himself meeting soldiers. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Associated Press ANKARA: Greeces foreign minister met with his Turkish counterpart on Tuesday for talks aimed at improving ties between the NATO allies that are at loggerheads over a string of decades-old disputes. Discussions between Greeces Giorgos Gerapetritis and Turkeys Hakan Fidan are taking place in a more friendly climate triggered by Greece sending assistance to Turkey following a devastating earthquake earlier this year, and Turkey offering condolences after a deadly train accident in Greece. The talks are expected to focus on a possible resumption of stalled high-level contacts aimed at reducing tensions between the two countries. The meeting comes as Ankara, in the throes of an economic downturn, is seeking a reset of its often-troubled relations with Western nations. It follows a rare meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Vilnius in July. The two neighbours disagree over territorial claims in the Aegean Sea, energy exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean and ethnically split Cyprus, among other issues. Tensions flared in 2020 over exploratory drilling rights in areas of the Mediterranean Sea where Greece and Cyprus claim exclusive economic zones leading to a naval standoff. In recent years, Turkey has accused Greece of deploying troops on Aegean islands close to the Turkish coast in violation of treaties. Greece says it needs to defend the islands against a potential attack from Turkey, noting Turkey has a sizeable military force on the western Turkish coast. Turkish officials said continued militarization of the islands could lead to Turkey questioning their ownership while Erdogan went as far as to threaten to send a missile to Athens. Last year, Erdogan had pledged never to talk to Mitsotakis, furious at the Greek leader who during a visit to the United States called on Washington not to sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp ANKARA: Greeces foreign minister met with his Turkish counterpart on Tuesday for talks aimed at improving ties between the NATO allies that are at loggerheads over a string of decades-old disputes. Discussions between Greeces Giorgos Gerapetritis and Turkeys Hakan Fidan are taking place in a more friendly climate triggered by Greece sending assistance to Turkey following a devastating earthquake earlier this year, and Turkey offering condolences after a deadly train accident in Greece. The talks are expected to focus on a possible resumption of stalled high-level contacts aimed at reducing tensions between the two countries. The meeting comes as Ankara, in the throes of an economic downturn, is seeking a reset of its often-troubled relations with Western nations.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); It follows a rare meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Vilnius in July. The two neighbours disagree over territorial claims in the Aegean Sea, energy exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean and ethnically split Cyprus, among other issues. Tensions flared in 2020 over exploratory drilling rights in areas of the Mediterranean Sea where Greece and Cyprus claim exclusive economic zones leading to a naval standoff. In recent years, Turkey has accused Greece of deploying troops on Aegean islands close to the Turkish coast in violation of treaties. Greece says it needs to defend the islands against a potential attack from Turkey, noting Turkey has a sizeable military force on the western Turkish coast. Turkish officials said continued militarization of the islands could lead to Turkey questioning their ownership while Erdogan went as far as to threaten to send a missile to Athens. Last year, Erdogan had pledged never to talk to Mitsotakis, furious at the Greek leader who during a visit to the United States called on Washington not to sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Highlights Largest clean energy infrastructure project in U.S. history receives Notice to Proceed, clearing way for SunZia to provide renewable power for 3 million Americans SunZia to create 2,000 jobs, generate over $20 billion in expected economic impact, and increase the reliability of the western grid Pattern Energy Group LP (Pattern Energy), a leader in renewable energy and transmission infrastructure, has started construction on its SunZia Transmission project. The Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior, has issued its Notice to Proceed, allowing construction to begin on SunZia and today Sept 1), U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland joined senior elected and government officials to initiate the project's groundbreaking at the SunZia East Converter Station in Corona, New Mexico. Groundbreaking of the SunZia Transmission Project SunZia Transmission is a 550-mile 525 kV high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line between central New Mexico and south-central Arizona with the capacity to transport 3,000 MW of clean, reliable, and affordable electricity across Western states. SunZia will deliver clean power from Pattern's SunZia Wind project, the largest wind project in the Western Hemisphere, which will be simultaneously constructed with SunZia Transmission. Together, SunZia Wind and SunZia Transmission are the largest clean energy infrastructure project in U.S. history. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland "The SunZia Transmission Project will accelerate our nation's transition to a clean energy economy by unlocking renewable resources, creating jobs, lowering costs, and boosting local economies," said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. "Through historic investments from President Biden's Investing in America agenda, the Interior Department is helping build modern, resilient climate infrastructure that protects our communities from the worsening impacts of climate change." "SunZia will have a massive economic impact in New Mexico, creating thousands of jobs in our rural communities, while also bringing us one huge step closer to meeting our climate goals and conserving wildlife habitat. That's why I fought hard for this project through a whole series of obstacles, and it's why I'm thrilled to welcome the start of construction," said Senator Martin Heinrich. "The proof is everywhere: the climate crisis is here, and it is the greatest threat we face. But solving the climate crisis by building out clean energy infrastructure like SunZia will also be the greatest economic opportunity of our lifetime." Senator Martin Heinrich "New Mexico is beyond proud to be the home of such monumental work by Pattern Energy that is truly powering the future -- all while creating hundreds of jobs and elevating our economy," said Gov. Lujan Grisham. "Projects like these are proof positive that climate action and economic development are not mutually exclusive." John Podesta, Senior Advisor to President Biden "SunZia is the successful result of a truly collaborative approach that accomplished something many thought was impossible," said Hunter Armistead, CEO of Pattern Energy. "We're proud that SunZia is implementing industry-leading measures for environmental mitigation, including emerging technology and long-term conservation research. More than 2,000 workers will now roll up their sleeves and get to work on America's largest clean energy infrastructure project, harnessing New Mexico's powerful winds to deliver clean power to 3 million Americans." Hunter Armistead, CEO of Pattern Energy SunZia Transmission is setting a precedent with the gold standard in environmental mitigation efforts developed hand-in-hand with key stakeholders. Throughout the development process the SunZia team worked closely with the public, BLM, landowners, ranchers, and numerous wildlife and environmental conservation groups, and others, to foster productive dialogue, listen to concerns and recommendations, and incorporate feedback. The resulting efforts range from restoring thousands of acres of wildlife habitat to investing in emerging technology and long-term conservation research. SunZia Wind has also established robust environmental best practices to reduce project impacts and study effective habitat restoration strategies in partnership with local and state experts. "More transmission is needed to reduce climate impacts and create a cleaner future where birds and people can thrive, and the SunZia project is a significant step forward in the expansion of our nation's clean energy infrastructure," said Jon Hayes, Vice President and Executive Director of Audubon Southwest. "Audubon's collaboration with Pattern Energy exemplifies how clean energy developers and conservation organizations can work together to ensure that transmission projects use the latest data and science to minimize impacts on birds and communities." "SunZia is a model for planning and developing critical transmission projects that will advance our transition to clean energy," said Fernando Martinez, Executive Director of the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority (RETA). "SunZia is our second project partnership with Pattern Energy, following Western Spirit, and together they will be unlocking vast amounts of renewable wind resources and empowering New Mexico to power the west." SunZia Transmission will deliver clean power generated by Pattern's 3,500 MW SunZia Wind facility, which is being constructed across Torrance, Lincoln, and San Miguel Counties in New Mexico. SunZia Transmission will enable SunZia Wind to supply clean power to Western states when demand is high. Pattern is proud to have partnered with federal and state land agencies on the SunZia Transmission route, as well as hundreds of private landowners. Federal land makes up over 30% of the total project route and includes lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. SunZia Transmission has also signed right of way agreements with the New Mexico State Land Office and the Arizona State Land Department; in each case payments to these state agencies go to support education and other public institutions. Construction begins at the SunZia Transmission project in Corona, New Mexico Pattern Energy recently announced that the SunZia Transmission and SunZia Wind projects are expected to generate $20.5 billion dollars in total economic benefit, which includes over $8 billion of direct capital investment, at no added cost to ratepayers, according to the results of an independent study conducted by the research firm Energy, Economic & Environment Consultants LLC. Together, the projects will generate an expected $1.3 billion in fiscal impacts that will go to governments, communities, and schools. These benefits are generated through sales and use taxes, property taxes, community benefit payments, and land payments to federal and state agencies. About Pattern Energy Pattern Energy is one of the world's largest privately-owned developers and operators of wind, solar, transmission, and energy storage projects. Its operational portfolio includes 30 renewable energy facilities that use proven, best-in-class technology with an operating capacity of nearly 6,000 MW across North America. Pattern Energy is guided by a long-term commitment to serve customers, protect the environment, and strengthen communities. For more information, visit www.patternenergy.com. Mumbai, Sep 4 A ctor Kay Kay Menon, who will be soon seen in the upcoming crime-drama streaming series 'Bambai Meri Jaan', has shared his trick of sketching memorable characters each time on screen. The actor, while talking to the media on Monday, shared that for him it's important that he portrays different people and not characters on screen. The trailer of the streaming series was unveiled on Monday in Mumbai's Bandra area, where Kay Kay Menon told the media "I always make it a point to portray people on screen and not the characters. Like in this one, I play a cop which can be similar to other cops that you have seen on screen, what separates him from others is his outlook, the world he comes from." The crime thriller series stars Kay Kay Menon as an honest police officer and a father to Avinash Tiwary's character of Dara Kadri, a petty criminal who rises up the ranks of organised crime. He further mentioned "No two people in this world can be the same. When you are invested in playing people and not just the characters, your work as an actor automatically cranks up a notch because in this process you're offering something new to the audience which they appreciate." The show also stars Kritika Kamra, and Nivedita Bhattacharya along with Amyra Dastur in pivotal roles. 'Bambai Meri Jaan' is all set to drop on Prime Video on September 14. Kay Kay Menon reveals the trick behind crafting memorable on screen Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! ChatGPT can help debunk myths on vaccine safety on social media: Study London, Sep 4 O pen AI's ChatGPT may help to increase vaccine uptake by debunking myths on social media around jab safety, according to a study. Researchers from Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria (IDIS)-Hospital Clinico Universitario of Santiago de Compostela in Spain asked the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot the top 50 most frequently asked Covid-19 vaccine questions. They included queries based on myths and fake stories such as the vaccine causing long Covid. Results published in the journal Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics show that ChatGPT scored 9 out of 10 on average for accuracy. The rest of the time it was correct but left some gaps in the information provided. Based on these findings, the researchers said that the AI tool is a "reliable source of non-technical information to the public," especially for people without specialist scientific knowledge. However, the findings do highlight some concerns about the technology such as ChatGPT changing its answers in certain situations. "Overall, ChatGPT constructs a narrative in line with the available scientific evidence, debunking myths circulating on social media," said lead author Antonio Salas, Professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Santiago de Compostela. "Thereby it potentially facilitates an increase in vaccine uptake. ChatGPT can detect counterfeit questions related to vaccines and vaccination. The language this AI uses is not too technical and therefore easily understandable to the public but without losing scientific rigour. "We acknowledge that the present-day version of ChatGPT cannot substitute an expert or scientific evidence. But the results suggest it could be a reliable source of information to the public," Salas said. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) listed vaccine hesitancy among the top 10 threats to global health. During the recent Covid-19 pandemic, misinformation spread via social media contributed to public mistrust of vaccination. The study set out to test ChatGPT's ability to get the facts right and share accurate information around Covid vaccine safety in line with current scientific evidence. ChatGPT provided correct answers to queries that arose from genuine vaccine myths, and to those considered in clinical recommendation guidelines to be false or true contraindications. However, the research team does highlight ChatGPT's downsides in providing vaccine information. Professor Salas, who specialises in human genetics, concludes "Chat GPT provides different answers if the question is repeated 'with a few seconds of delay'." "Another concern we have seen is that this AI tool, in its present version, could also be trained to provide answers not in line with scientific evidence. "One can 'torture' the system in such a way that it will provide the desired answer. This is also true for other contexts different to vaccines. For instance, it might be possible to make the chatbot align with absurd narratives like the flat-earth theory, deny climate change, or object to the theory of evolution, just to give a few examples. "However, it's important to note that these responses are not the default behaviour of ChatGPT. Thus, the results we have obtained regarding vaccine safety can be probably extrapolated to many other myths and pseudoscience." ChatGPT can help debunk myths on vaccine safety on social media: Study Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New Delhi, 4 Sep F or digital and skill education an important MoU was signed with the technology company Meta, on Monday in New Delhi. During this initiative the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that this will increase CBSE schools engagement with Meta, increase AI, and VR capacity and increase knowledge of technology. He said that the Meta will also work with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for capacity building. Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched 'Education to Entrepreneurship Empowering Students, Educators, and Entrepreneurs' in New Delhi in collaboration with Meta. The MoU were signed in the presence of Union Minister for Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrashekhar. Pradhan said that primary goal of these initiatives are to nurture the expedition and motivate young individuals to turn their educational groundwork into flourishing enterprises. Meta unveiled this endeavor in partnership with both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Skill Development. Pradhan called it a 'game-changer', saying "Education To Entrepreneurship' partnership will take digital skilling to the grassroots, build capacities of our talent pool, seamlessly connect students, youth, workforce and micro-entrepreneurs, with futuristic technologies and transform our Amrit Peedhi into new-age problem solvers and entrepreneurs." MoS Rajiv Chandrashekhar said that guided by the tenets of NEP, META's partnerships with NIESBUD, CBSE and AICTE will catalyse infinite possibilities for equipping our population with critical digital skills and empowering micro entrepreneurs and small businesses. He said that the government is working to prepare the youth for rapidly transforming India and to equip them with skills so that they can succeed and play an important role in the evolving landscape of technology. Meta's India Head, Sandhya Devanathan said that this partnership is a testimony to a long term commitment towards shaping the future of India. gcb/dan Education ministry, Meta to work together: Pradhan Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Flipkart to create over 1 lakh jobs in supply chain ahead of festive season New Delhi, Sep 4 E -commerce major Flipkart on Monday said that it will generate over 1,00,000 direct and indirect jobs across its supply chain, including fulfilment centres, sortation centres, and delivery hubs, ahead of the festive season. These seasonal jobs include local Kirana delivery partners, women, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and others, thus creating avenues for diverse supply chain talent. "This year, we are also creating over a lakh new job opportunities in our supply chain while also investing in skilling initiatives to deliver an elevated customer experience as we strengthen our footprint across the country. This year, we plan to deliver more than 40 per cent of shipments through our Kirana delivery programme," Hemant Badri, Senior Vice President and Head of Supply Chain, Customer Experience, and ReCommerce, Flipkart Group, said in a statement. Moreover, the company said that Flipkart has scaled its supply chain with last-mile distribution hubs and large-scale fulfilment centres this year, strengthening its reach in tier-III cities and beyond. It has added more than 19 lakh square feet of space across Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana and many more states. To provide a delightful end-customer experience, the e-commerce giant said that it undertakes specially curated skilling initiatives through its training programmes for the workforce that joins the supply chain, which also helps significantly boost local employment and the economy. All hired personnel undergo training in the supply chain process for their respective function and are trained to handle Hand-Held Devices, PoS Machines, scanners, various mobile applications, and more. As a result, these employees become future-ready to work in tech-driven supply chains, food tech, and other allied industries. Flipkart to create over 1 lakh jobs in supply chain ahead of festive season Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Mamuka Mdinaradze, the executive secretary of the Georgian Dream party, has stated that the required documents to initiate the impeachment procedure against President Salome Zourabichvili will be prepared by Wednesday, September 6."The preparation of the documents will be completed by Wednesday and will be submitted to the Committee on Procedural Issues, which, in turn, will check the authenticity of the signatures. After that, we will submit these documents to the Constitutional Court for a relevant conclusion," said Mdinaradze.According to Mdinaradze, he believes that Zourabichvili will not 'yield to blackmail' and pardon the third president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili."Despite everything, there is a limit, and I don't think Salome Zourabichvili will yield to blackmail and pardon Saakashvili solely because she is threatened with support for impeachment. This would constitute political self-destruction," Mdinaradze said.The 67th meeting of Georgia's EU Integration Commission was held under the chairmanship of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. According to the government's press office, the meeting covered EU integration-related issues."The 6-month report on EU integration and the implementation of the Association Agreement - prepared with engagement from various institutions - was presented at the meeting. It was noted that the country has achieved considerable progress in this direction, which will be presented to European colleagues in the near future.The meeting's participants discussed the process of implementation of the EU recommendations. Steps to be taken in the near future were considered.Within the scope of the commission, the systemic approach to the topic of de-oligarchization was discussed, which is being implemented in line with the EU recommendation. It was decided to develop an action plan designed to define steps compatible with the findings of the Venice Commission and the requirements of the European Union. It was noted that these steps will further bolster the implementation of the 12 recommendations and will comprehensively articulate the steps taken by Georgia prior to the development of the EU report," reads the press statement. The Renaico II wind power project, after passing all tests to ensure its correct operation in terms of both safety and performance, received authorization from the National Electric Coordinator to begin its commercial operations. With this authorization, Renaico II, located in the Araucania Region and which has a net installed capacity of 144 MW, will generate around 516 GWh per year of 100% clean energy to be injected in the National Electric System. Enel Chile, through its subsidiary for the development of renewable energies, Enel Green Power Chile, received official authorization from the National Electric Coordinator to begin the commercial operation of its Renaico II wind power park, a 100% renewable generation unit that, upon successfully passing all operations and safety testing, and with a net installed capacity of 144 MW, will begin to inject clean energy into the National Electric System. The construction of Renaico II included the installation of 32 wind power generators with 4.5 MW of power each. These latest-generation units for the development of wind power parks allow for greater uptake of the wind profile available in the area where the project is located. Thanks to its net installed capacity and the cutting-edge wind power technology used in its construction, Renaico II is expected to produce around 516 GWh of 100% clean energy for the National Electric System each year. This generation will help supply electricity to over 220,000 Chilean homes, while avoiding 407,000 tons of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. During the peak of its construction, the project had a workforce of over 524 people, mostly from the Araucania Region itself, thus promoting the incorporation of local labor, their training, and the creation of shared value in the region. This initiative, led by the on-site Enel Sustainability team, was carried out in coordination with the Municipal Office of Labor Information (OMIL) and the local neighborhood associations. At the same time, it forged ties with the Renaico Chamber of Commerce (CCR) to hire local services, strengthen the economy, and develop small businesses in the town. Enel Green Power Chile is a subsidiary of Enel Chile, leader in the country's renewable energy market, with a diversified portfolio that, as of March 31, 2023, includes wind power (715 MW), solar power (2,043 MW), hydropower (92 MW), and geothermal power (83 MW), for a total net installed capacity of 2,933 MW. Mumbai, Sep 4 Bollywood actor Sunny Deol's son Rajveer Deol and Poonam Dhillon's daughter Paloma Thakeria are making their debut with Sooraj Barjatya son Avnish Barjatya's directorial 'Dono'. Sunny Deol feels this film can be compared to his film 'Socha Na Tha' which he produced because that was also for the young generation and was loved by them. Two star kids are all set to make their debut with the film 'Dono'. The film directed by Avnish barjatya and featuring Rajveer Deol and Paloma Thakeria will be released on October 5. On Monday, at the trailer launch of the film in Mumbai, Sunny Deol, Poonam Dhillon and Sooraj Bajatya were present to give blessings to their kids. At the trailer launch, Sunny Deol spoke about the film and said, "Rajshri Productions is known to give us family films. They make films which are for the families. This film is also one of those films. It is about a wedding, how the two families gather to celebrate the wedding but it focuses on today's generation." He further said "I had made a film 'Socha Na Tha' of which I am very proud. That film was loved by the youngsters. This film can also be compared to that film as the director has done a fabulous job of presenting what the present generation thinks of relationships. I can say 'Dono' is a film very deep rooted specially for youngsters. I can vouch for that because I have seen the film." 'Dono' focuses on modern relationships and is set against the backdrop of a lavish destination wedding. The film marks the debut of Rajveer Deol and Paloma Thakeria and also marks the directorial debut for Avnish Barjatya. It will be released in cinemas on October 5, 2023. Sunny Deol compares son's debut film 'Dono' with his own production 'Socha Na Tha' Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New Delhi, Sep 4 M eta-owned WhatsApp banned a record of over 72 lakh bad accounts in India in the month of July, in compliance with the new IT Rules 2021. Between July 1-31, "72,28,000 WhatsApp accounts were banned. 31,08,000 of these accounts were proactively banned, before any reports from users", WhatsApp said in its monthly compliance report. The most popular messaging platform, which has over 500 million users in the country, received another record 11,067 complaint reports in July in the country, and the records "actioned" were 72. "Accounts Actioned" denotes reports where WhatsApp took remedial action based on the report and taking action denotes either banning an account or a previously banned account being restored as a result. "This user-safety report contains details of the user complaints received and the corresponding action taken by WhatsApp, as well as WhatsApp's own preventive actions to combat abuse on our platform," according to the company. Moreover, the company mentioned that the orders received from the Grievance Appellate Committee between July 1 and July 31 were five, and orders complied with were also five. In a bid to empower millions of Indian social media users, the Centre recently launched the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) that will look into their concerns regarding content and other issues. The newly-formed panel, a move to strengthen the country's digital laws to tame the Big Tech companies, will look into appeals by users against decisions of social media platforms. In a major push towards an open, safe, trusted and accountable Internet, the Ministry of Electronics and IT has notified some amendments aimed at protecting the rights of 'Digital Nagriks'. WhatsApp bans over 72L bad accounts in India in July Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Mumbai, Sep 4 S hubhangi Atre, who essays the character of Angoori Bhabi in the superhit television show 'Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai', walked down the memory lane as she recollected how she spent her dsys in her hometown earlier celebrating the festival of Janmashtami. Janmashtami is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. Krishna's birth is celebrated and observed on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha) in Shravana Masa or Bhadrapada Masa. This year, Janmashtami will be celebrated on September 6 and September 7. Talking about how she celebrated the festival in Madhya Pradesh, the actress said "I recall how all the temples in Madhya Pradesh would be splendidly decorated during this period, and the matki-tod ceremony was truly mesmerising to witness. "My father used to accompany me to the renowned Laxminarayan Temple, also known as the Birla Temple or Krishna Parnami Temple, where the festivities unfolded on a grand scale to seek blessings. Back at home, we would paint baby footprints on the floor, symbolising the strides of Baal Krishna." She further mentioned "We would stay awake until midnight for the aarti, savouring homemade delicacies such as Makhan mishri, lauki ki barfi, makhana kheer, and more, lovingly prepared by my mother and Dadi (grandmother), and then offered to Lord Krishna. "The entire preparation for the festival exuded an aura of pure delight, saturating the surroundings with positivity. I yearn to relive these experiences once more. May Lord Krishna bestow joy and serenity upon this Janmashtami upon everyone's lives." 'Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai' follows the story of two neighbouring couples, the Mishras and the Tiwaris, in which the husbands are attracted to each other's wives and attempt various ultimately unsuccessful and hilarious techniques to impress them. The show takes place in the fictional 'Modern Colony' located in Kanpur and revolves around two neighbouring couples. The husbands, Vibhutinarayan Mishra and Manmohan Tiwari, have been married for seven years and are bored with their marriages and are smitten by each other's wives, unbeknownst to each other. The show, produced by Binaifer Kohli under the banner of Edit II Productions, airs Monday to Friday on &TV. Shubhangi Atre reminisces about Janmashtami celebrations in her hometown Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Siddhant calls father Puneet Issar 'biggest cheerleader': His constant support have been invaluable in my journey New Delhi, Sep 4 A ctor Siddhant Issar, who is playing 'Tarkasur' in the show 'Shiv Shakti - Tap Tyag Tandav', thanked his father Puneet Issar for being his biggest cheerleader, and guru. Magnum opus 'Shiv Shakti-Tap Tyag Tandav' revolves around two of the revered deities Shiv and Shakti. It traces their journey of duty, sacrifice, and separation that leads to tap, tyag, and tandav. The show is a grand depiction of the universe's first love story between Lord Shiva and Goddess Sati. Siddhant is seen as 'Tarkasur', the son of Vajranga and Vajrangi. He dons a unique look curated to signify the demon king's enigmatic and evil energy. Siddhant is the son of Puneet Issar, who is known for his portrayal of Duryodhana in B R Chopra's television series 'Mahabharat'. Talking about his father, Siddhant shared "I would like to thank my father Puneet on 'Teacher's Day'. He's my biggest cheerleader, friend, and guru, whom I trust completely. His wisdom, his experience, and his constant support have been invaluable in my journey, particularly in the world of acting." "He has not only passed on his knowledge but also instilled discipline in me. I'm so blessed to have the chance to carry his legacy ahead. All my love to the best teacher I've ever had," he added. 'Shiv Shakti Tap Tyag Tandav' airs on Colors. Siddhant calls father Puneet Issar 'biggest cheerleader': His constant support have been invaluable in my journey Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New Delhi, Sep 4 U nion Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday unveiled the life-size Vighnaharta sculpture at the Road Tri Junction in front of the Dhaula Kuan Metro Station on NH-48. Gadkari was accompanied by Delhi L-G V.K Saxena. Travelers to and from the IGI Airport, Gurgaon, Janakpuri, Delhi Cantt, and Dwarka will have a full view of this sculpture. Gadkari appreciated the efforts to beautify this stretch that is frequented by lakhs of travelers every day and described the location of the sculpture to be appropriate for travelers to and from Delhi. He also congratulated the workers, officers, and all others involved in the upgrading of the stretch of road from Dhaula Kuan to IGI Airport. Undertaken as a part of the larger exercise of beautifying and aesthetically upgrading the city in the run-up to the G-20 Summit, this life-size sculpture of 117x54x32 inches in dimension has been sculpted by the noted sculptor from Odisha, Dhruba Charan Swain. This sculpture was procured after a visit of the L-G to Odisha in June this year, when he scouted for and picked sculptures that include the Vighnaharta installed at this location and the Yakshinis installed at the Ulan Batar Marg and the Yakshini Chowk and the Konark Wheel installed at Dilli Gate. Gadkari unveils Vighnaharta sculpture in Delhi Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Hansal Mehta predicts medium of OTT will have the same journey as television Mumbai, Sep 4 F ilmmaker Hansal Mehta, who is enjoying the response to the recently released second season of his 'Scam' series - 'Scam 2003: The Telgi Story', feels that the medium of OTT too will go down the path of redundancy just like its predecessor television. Hansal has returned with the 'Scam' series after almost 3 years. The first season of the show, which starred Pratik Gandhi in the titular role of stock market scamster Harshad Mehta, was released in 2020 and registered a breakout success. Hansal, who serves as the creative director on 'Scam 2003 The Telgi Story' this time, told IANS "It is the nature of capitalism and market forces that if something succeeds, that success has to be replicated in order to make more money out of it. "People repeat it and make it a formula until it fails then, they have to do something new. This is not only limited to films as a business, it's there everywhere and that's because of the market forces." The 'Aligarh' director then quoted an example as he said "If a personal computer at a certain price point is doing very well in the market then 20 other manufacturers of personal computers will try selling their machines at different price points." He further mentioned "The only thing that I find different in our Industries that it's very volatile, you can never gauge or predict what the audience will like or the consumer behaviour in this case will be. What they embrace today they might not embrace tomorrow but is the high probability that they would embrace it later." He then mentioned the monumental success of 'Gadar 2' as an example as he told IANS "And this is proved by the success of 'Gadar 2'. If 'Gadar 2' came out in the late 2000s or in the early 2010s, I feel it would not have registered the kind of success that it has seen now. But because the film cultivated a legacy of over 20 years, people wanted to watch that film in the theatres when it was released." 'Scam 2003 The Telgi Story' is streaming on Sony LIV. Hansal Mehta predicts medium of OTT will have the same journey as television Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Sydney, Sep 4 A lmost half of mobile phones tested at the height of the pandemic were contaminated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, bolstering a theory that the devices supercharged the spread of Covid-19, according to a study. Researchers from Bond University in Australia conducted a systematic review of 15 studies from 10 countries that examined mobile phones for SARS-CoV-2 contamination in hospital settings between 2019 and 2023. The findings are published in the Journal of Infection and Public Health. Of 511 phones, 231 (45 per cent) tested positive for the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes Covid-19. In one 2022 study in France, 19 out of 19 phones were contaminated with the virus. Lead researcher Dr. Lotti Tajouri, Associate Professor of Molecular Biology at the varsity, said he believed the systematic review provided a compelling explanation for the swift spread of Covid-19 around the world despite strict control measures including lockdowns, border closures, social distancing and masking. Previous research established that the SARS-Cov-2 virus remained viable on glass surfaces such as mobile phones for up to 28 days. Dr. Tajouri said that with more than seven billion mobile phones in use worldwide, the devices effectively served as a "third hand." "You can wash your hands as many times as you want but as soon as you touch your mobile phone, you cross-contaminate yourself all over again," Dr. Tajouri said. "Mobile phones are in the hands of billions of individuals, negating lifesaving hand-washing practices and might be responsible for carrying these viruses all around the world. "In an earlier study we did in a hospital paediatric intensive care unit and paediatric emergency ward, we found 11,163 microbes on 26 health care workers' mobile phones, with pathogenic viruses and antibiotic-resistant bacteria," Dr. Tajouri said. Researchers recommended enclosed ultraviolet-C light phone sanitisers be installed near hand-washing stations in high-risk environments such as hospitals, restaurants, cruise ships, airports, child and aged-care facilities. "Take the health care sector as an example. If nurses and doctors use mobile phones in these settings and they don't know those mobile phones are contaminated, they are going to bring microbes to their supposedly clean hands," Dr. Tajouri said. "When they touch vulnerable patients, they might transmit those viruses to these fragile and immunocompromised individuals." UV-C light kills germs by damaging microbial DNA, and commercial UV-C phone sanitisers can disinfect a phone in 5-10 seconds. 45% phones carried Covid-19 virus during pandemic: Study Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Faridabad, Sep 4 A bout 15-20 per cent spinal injuries in India occur due to road accidents, which can be effectively managed by minimally invasive surgeries, said an orthopaedic surgeon on Monday ahead of the World Spinal Cord Injury Day. World Spinal Cord Injury Day is observed on September 5 annually to raise awareness on spine injuries. According to Dr. Ashish Tomar, Senior Consultant -- Orthopaedics and Spine Surgery, Sarvodaya Hospital, Faridabad, the chance of sustaining a serious spine and associated multiple injuries in road traffic accidents is quite high in our society today. "We are receiving more and more patients of trauma and spinal cord injuries now due to the increasing number of road accidents. "This may be due to the low level of safety standards in vehicle manufacturing, absence or inadequacy of appropriate safety measures in vehicles, and poorly designed roads and problems in quality of driving to mention some reasons," Tomar told IANS. "There has been an increase of 15-20 per cent in spinal injuries due to road accidents in the last 10 years, as people tend to drive faster." Tomar said 90 per cent spinal cord injuries can effectively be managed with minimally invasive surgery. "Spine surgeries are very safe, with minimal risk. However, many patients tend to suffer spinal pain for years and keep avoiding surgery. They do not want their spine to be touched at all. Such patients come to us at a stage when the treatment becomes very challenging due to deterioration in the condition of the spine over time," he said. Minimally invasive surgeries of the spine have been in vogue for the last 15-20 years globally and have become mainstream in India too. "Now, 90 per cent of all our spinal surgeries are minimally invasive. Vast majority of all spinal injuries that we see relate to lower areas of the spine, including the lumbar and lower thoracic region. These are effectively managed with minimally invasive surgery. For upper-level injuries in the cervical (neck) and upper thoracic area, open spine surgery is still preferred. However, here too, doctors have begun to use smaller incisions," the doctor noted. He said that the benefit of minimally invasive spinal surgery is that the patient can be discharged from the hospital in a couple of days and can get back to their routine sooner. "This is in sharp contrast to traditional surgery that requires 3 to 4 months to get back to one's routine lifestyle." He also advised people to mandatorily wear protective seat belts to reduce chances of serious spine injury. In addition, bad posture also has serious effects on spine health, Dr. Tomar said. "Bad back posture, especially while sitting on a chair for long hours, puts strain on the spine due to compression. It can trigger certain diseases like myelopathy that make people more susceptible to spinal injuries. Compression on the spine for many years tends to weaken it, due to which it can get injured even with minor jerks." 15-20% spinal injuries in India due to road accidents, says doctor Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! " Had an excellent meeting with Jensen Huang, the CEO of @nvidia. We talked at length about the rich potential India offers in the world of AI. Jensen Huang was appreciative of the strides India has made in this sector and was equally upbeat about the talented youth of India," PM Modi posted on X, formerly Twitter, after the meeting. "Had an excellent meeting with Jensen Huang, the CEO of @nvidia. We talked at length about the rich potential India offers in the world of AI. Jensen Huang was appreciative of the strides India has made in this sector and was equally upbeat about the talented youth of India," PM Modi posted on X, formerly Twitter, after the meeting. Nvidia Corporation is an American multinational technology company, which designs graphics processing units and application programming interface for data science and high performance computing. PM Modi meets Nvidia chief Jensen Huang Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! India will be TB free through people's participation: Mandaviya New Delhi, Sep 4 U nion Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday said India will be TB free through people's participation. "India will become TB free through public participation. A new milestone under the ongoing TB Free India campaign under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, more than 1 lakh Ni-Kshay Mitras have registered themselves in just 12 months," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). He said these Ni-Kshay Mitras are helping lakhs of TB patients across the country. The Minister, along with the post, also shared a graphic which read, "Number of Ni-Kshay Mitras registered 1,00,013". India will be TB free through people's participation: Mandaviya Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! ELKO An Elko man wanted in connection with two felony cases was arrested Monday in the 1400 block of Mountain City Highway. Tyree T. Adams, 24, was placed on the Elko County Sheriffs Offices most wanted list after being named in connection with an Aug. 9 shooting in the same area where he was arrested. Police reported that at Mondays arrest, Adams was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and carrying a stolen pistol. The Elko Police Department would like to extend their gratitude to the citizens who have provided information concerning Mr. Adams whereabouts and who have helped to bring his capture to a safe resolution, stated the report. In the Aug. 9 incident, police responding to a report of gunfire found a man who had been shot once in the leg. They said the victim was very uncooperative with law enforcement at that time and was transported to the Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital for his wound. He was subsequently flown to Salt Lake City for advanced medical care. During a later interview, Adams was identified as a subject of interest in this case. He is also suspected of leading police on a high-speed chase on July 23 after being spotted driving more than 80 mph near Elko High School. Police ended the pursuit for public safety reasons, but Adams was found later that day and avoided capture again, this time by jumping into the Humboldt River. He was booked into Elko County Jail late Monday night on charges of possession of stolen property, possessing a gun by a prohibited person, carrying a concealed weapon, coercion with force or threat of force, domestic battery, driver disobeying peace officer endangering others, destroying the property of another, and disturbing the peace. His bail was listed at $609,420. According to Elko County Jail records, Adams was a resident of Spring Creek in October 2022 when he was arrested in Elko on drug charges and a parole violation. He was imprisoned in 2019 after being convicted in Washoe County of battery with a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm, according to the Nevada Department of Corrections. Patna, Sep 4 T he Bihar Health Department on Monday held a high-level meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on ways to deal with rising cases of dengue. Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, who holds charge of health, was also present. Sources have said that the meeting was called after Patna DM Dr Chandrashekher Singh fell sick and was admitted in Paras hospital in Patna. He has been suffering from dengue for the last four days. His platelet count also fell down below normal. He is now recuperating well after platelets given him by the doctors. Nitish Kumar learnt about the health of Patna DM at his Janata Darbar. After it, he went to Paras hospital and met the official and took updates about his health. He also directed officers of Municipal and Health Departments to take precautionary measures in localities and hospitals. He asked the Municipal Corporation to conduct fogging in various localities to prevent spread of dengue in Patna and other parts of the state. At present, there are 96 active cases of dengue in Patna district and 11 of them are admitted in Patna Medical college and hospital. Around 40 persons are admitted in private hospitals as well. High level meeting on dengue in Patna as cases reach 96 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New Delhi, Sep 4 T he National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed ICICI Bank to pay compensation of Rs 25 lakh for losing the original property title documents of a complainant. The complaint was filed by Manoj Madhusudhanan through his advocate Swetank Shantanu, and sought compensation for deficiency in services. These documents had been deposited with the bank as security for a housing loan. According to the complaint, ICICI Bank had sanctioned a housing loan of Rs 1.86 crore in Bangalore in April 2016. Following the execution of the sale deed, the bank retained various original property documents, including the registered sale deed and possession certificate. As the bank did not provide scanned or true copies of these documents, Madhusudhanan filed a complaint in June 2016. In response, the bank informed him that the documents had been lost in transit from Bengaluru to its central storage facility in Hyderabad, by a courier company. Madhusudhanan escalated the matter to the Banking Ombudsman, which, in September 2016, directed the bank to issue a duplicate copy of the lost documents, publish a public notice about the loss, and pay the complainant Rs 25,000 for the deficiency in service. Unsatisfied with the resolution, Madhusudhanan then approached the National Consumer Commission, alleging that the bank had been extremely negligent and that copies of documents cannot replace the sanctity of the original documents. He sought compensation of Rs 5 crore for mental distress and losses. The NCDRC recognised the legitimacy of the claim for compensation based on service deficiency and indemnification against future loss. It stated that the bank could not shift the liability to the courier company. The commission concluded that the evidence supported the claim of deficiency in service, and it ordered ICICI Bank to obtain, at its expense, all reconstructed and duly certified copies of the documents held as security during the sale deed registration for the housing loan. Additionally, the bank was directed to pay Rs 25 lakh as compensation for service deficiency, along with Rs 50,000 as litigation costs. NCDRC orders ICICI Bank to pay Rs 25 lakh compensation for losing property title documents Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Washington, September 5 T ech giant Google has announced the launch date for the Pixel 8 series. The launch of Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro is scheduled on October 4, according to invites sent out by the company. Google is also anticipated to unveil the Pixel Watch 2 at the same event, according to the Mashable website. Google Pixel 8 series: In terms of the fundamental specifications, the Tensor G3 SoC is anticipated to be included in the future Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. Furthermore, rumours suggest that these gadgets will use the Titan security chip. The Pixel 8 will probably have a 6.2-inch display, while the Pixel 8 Pro could have a more expansive 6.71-inch OLED screen with QHD+ resolution and a fluid 120Hz refresh rate. As per the Mashable website, leaked renders indicate that the Pixel 8 will feature a dual-camera setup, including a 50MP primary camera and a 12MP ultra-wide lens. The Pixel 8 Pro is anticipated to boast a triple-camera arrangement, a 50MP primary camera with optical image stabilization, a 64MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 48MP telephoto camera. On the front, the phone is rumoured to house an 11MP selfie camera featuring a Samsung JN1 sensor. Google Pixel Watch 2: Google may also unveil the Pixel Watch 2, the successor to the Pixel Watch, at its October event in addition to the smartphones. The Pixel Watch 2 is anticipated to maintain the original Pixel Watch's circular dial and two physical side buttons. Furthermore, the Watch 2 is slated to be powered by a Snapdragon W5 chipset and 2GB of RAM. Leaks have also unveiled a 383x384 pixel resolution display for the smartwatch, along with four new watch faces, namely Accessible, Arc, Analog Bold, and Bold Digital, reported Mashable website. Google announces launch date for Pixel 8 series: All details here Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! French President Emmanuel Macron to attend G20 Summit in Delhi, travel to B'desh next for bilateral visit Paris, September 5 F rench President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Delhi to participate in the G20 Summit taking place under India's presidency on September 9-10, and will then travel to Bangladesh for a bilateral visit, the President's office said in a statement. The G20 Summit will allow France's President to continue his continuing engagement with colleagues from other continents in order to address the threats of global fragmentation the statement said. "The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, will travel to Delhi to participate in the G20 Summit under India's Presidency on 9 and 10 September, and will then travel to Bangladesh on 10 September for a bilateral visit. The G20 Summit will enable France's Head of State to continue his ongoing dialogue with his counterparts from every continent, so as to combat the risks of fragmentation of the world. It will also be an opportunity to make progress in implementing joint responses to the major global challenges that can only be tackled effectively through multilateral action peace and stability, poverty alleviation, protection of climate and our planet, food security, and digital regulation," the President's Office said in an official press release. The Summit will also serve as a follow-up to the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, which was convened in Paris in June. "This had led to the establishment of the Paris Agenda for People and the Planet, providing a framework for collective action to ensure that no country has to choose between fighting poverty and protecting the planet," the release read. After welcoming Prime Minister Modi in Paris this summer and visiting Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Sri Lanka, the French President will continue to implement France's Indo-Pacific policy in Bangladesh. "In Bangladesh, the President of the French Republic will continue to implement France's strategy in the Indo-Pacific region, after having welcomed Prime Minister Modi in Paris this summer, and visited Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Sri Lanka. It will also be an opportunity to deepen our bilateral relationship with a country that is undergoing rapid economic development, with France's support, and is seeking to diversify its partnerships," the president's office said. In Bangladesh, President Macron will restate France's willingness to be by its side on the humanitarian front, especially given the country's frequent flooding and Bangladesh being particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate disruption. Notably, the G20 summit will be held over two days in New Delhi, on September 9 and 10. The two-day summit will draw leaders and delegates from 40 countries, including the 20 member states. The G20 Summit is set to be hosted at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre at Pragati Maidan. The New Delhi G20 summit will see the biggest participation in the history of the grouping, with arrangements in place for the mega event, including those for the stay of leaders of member countries and the invited guest countries. The 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. French President Emmanuel Macron to attend G20 Summit in Delhi, travel to B'desh next for bilateral visit Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New Delhi, Sep 5 R ahul Gandhi on Tuesday paid tributes to Dr S. Radhakrishnan on occasion of Teachers Day, and said that people of India are like Gurus, and he considers his opponents as teachers. In a Facebook post, Rahul Gandhi said, "My respectful obeisances to all the teachers on National Teachers Day. Humble tribute to former President of India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan ji on his birth anniversary. Guru has a very high place in life, who illuminates the path of your life and inspires you to move in the right direction. I consider great men like Mahatma Gandhi, Gautam Buddha, Shri Narayana Guru as my gurus, who gave us all the knowledge of equality of all people in the society, and compassion and love towards everyone." He also said that the people of India are also like gurus (teachers), who give an example of unity in the diversity of our country, inspire us to fight every problem with courage, who are the embodiment of humility and penance. "I also consider my opponents as my teachers, who, through their behavior, through their lies, through their words, teach me that the path I am on is absolutely right - and to continue on it at all costs. is less," the Congress leader added. Teachers Day is celebrated every year on this day to commemorate the birth anniversary of former President of India Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Consider opponents as my teachers: Rahul Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Los Angeles, Sep 5 O prah Winfrey had earlier donated a huge sum to the Maui Wildire Fundraiser started by her and Dwayne Johnson. However, since then the reality star has been accused of hiring a private security team to her Hawaii estate, while calling her Fundraiser a 'sham'. A widely shared TikTok video on X (formerly Twitter) claims that Winfrey hired the team before the fires even started with the person saying "Instead of taking some of that land and housing even a small portion of those displaced people, you hired a private security team to keep them off your land." The user also went on to add "You are so concerned about Maui, that you are asking the American public, most of whom can't pay their rent right now to donate the money to your fundraiser, instead of actively donating that money and helping." The netizen further went on to add that, Winfrey was doing it all to score 'social media points', when she and a couple of her billionaire friends were capable of sending out money which could mix the issue, in a matter of months. Since then, the whole news has gone viral on social media, with man netizens slamming the star and slamming her for her bigotry. One user on X slammed the reality star, saying "Oh, so on one hand you start a so-called 'Fund Raiser' and on the other just focus on your house!!" Another person wrote "You first start a f****** fundraiser, and then instead of giving the so called millions, you have actually done pretty much nothing. You entitled piece of !" Another netizen did a fact check and found out that so far, her fundraiser where she and Johnson had collectively donated $10 million, had in fact never reached the people and as of now only had gotten $4000, showing that "people are actually waking up to the ". The unexpected wildfires had devastated the area of Maui, in the American island state of Hawaii back in August, with several Hollywood stars such as Jason Mamoa actively warning people from going there until the crisis had been resolved. Oprah Winfrey's Fundraiser accused of being a sham Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New York, September 5 G erman player Alexander Zverev has stormed into the quarter-finals of the US Open after surviving against Jannik Sinner on a humid night in New York. Zverev held his nerve in the deciding set to win 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 and advance to his 10th major quarter-final on Tuesday. the 12th seeded Sinner battled with his physical struggle in the second and third sets but roared back into contention with a courageous fourth-set performance. Sinner began experiencing cramps in both legs during the second set, and by the third set, his situation had deteriorated to the point where Zverev approached him to check on his well-being. Sinner's condition improved in the fourth and fifth sets to guarantee a tense finish, but Zverev outhit his opponent 14 winners to seven in the final set to record a hard-earned four-hour, 41-minute fourth-round victory. 2020 US Open finalist Zverev won his second major match against a Top 10 player. He extended his Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Sinner to 4-1, and he defeated the Italian again in the same round at Flushing Meadows in 2021 when he advanced to the semi-finals. "I guess I can say I'm back, right? This is what I live for, this is what I absolutely love to do," said Zverev after the match as quoted by atptour.com. "I wish I could have played a little bit shorter, that's for sure, but to be honest this is one of the best moments of my career, I think. After my comeback, after everything, so I'm looking forward to what's next." On the other hand, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz advanced to Quaterfinals after defeating Italian Matteo Arnaldi on Monday to become the second man in the Open Era to reach three US Open quarter-finals before the age of 21. The 20-year-old Spaniard captivated the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd with his amazing shotmaking, clinching 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over the 22-year-old, who was competing in the fourth round of a major for the first time. US Open: Zverev storms into quarter-finals defeating Sinner in five-set Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Hyderabad, Sep 5 H eavy rain that lashed Hyderabad and suburbs early Tuesday left several colonies inundated, paralysed normal life and threw the vehicular traffic out of gear. Low-lying residential areas and those close to lakes and stormwater drains were inundated with roads turning into cesspools. Overflowing water bodies and drains led to submergence of colonies. Flood water entered the houses in some areas, damaging household articles and causing severe hardships to people. Authorities declared a holiday for all educational institutions following the heavy rain and in view of the forecast of more showers later in the day. Roads in several areas were submerged due to massive downpour, badly affecting the movement of vehicles in usually busy areas. People going to offices and workplaces were caught in traffic jams. Massive inundation at Shaikpet led to long traffic jams on the flyover and the road connecting Toli Chowki to IT hubs HITEC City and Gachibowli. Similar scenes were witnessed on Kukatpally-Moosapet and Erragadda-Moosapet roads. Cyberabad Police asked the IT employees to opt from work to home. It urged the citizens to take all precautions in view of the forecast of heavy rains. There was huge stagnation under Moosapet Metro Station while water from overflowing Kukatpally nala inundated the main road. The movement of vehicles was badly hit on Punjagutta-Kukatpally road, one of the busiest traffic routes in the city. Traffic between Ameerpet and Begumpet also came to a halt. Authorities deployed JCBs to rescue students stranded in hostels of various engineering colleges in Maisammaguda area. Hostel buildings of Mallareddy,St Peters and Narasimha Reddy colleges were submerged by the flood water. Colonies in areas like Chintal, Uppal, Begumpet, Toli Chowki, Kukatpally, Bowenpally and Gandlapochamapally were inundated. Water from Fox Sagar submerged the roads in Srinivas Nagar in Chintal. Residents complained that water entered their houses around 3 a. m. , damaging household items. They blamed the negligence by the municipal authorities and local public representatives. A woman said politicians have no right to seek their votes in the coming elections without addressing the persistent problem of waterlogging. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has sounded an alert. It appealed to people not to step out of their homes unless essential. Disaster Response Force (DRF) teams were clearing water stagnation and fallen trees in various parts of the city. GHMC commissioner said that the staff are on high alert due to incessant rainfall in the city. They were clearing stagnant areas and monitoring the nala flows. Greater Hyderabad Mayor Vijayalaxmi Gadwal inspected the water logging near Balkampet Bridge. She instructed Zonal Commissioner and DRF teams to clear the water stagnation immediately. She requested citizens to travel only in emergencies and to take utmost care while travelling. Picket nala was overflowing in Begumpet inundating roads and residential areas. The Allamtota Bai area was submerged. Begumpet-Balkampet underpass was completely inundated. The city received 10-14 centimeter rainfall since early morning. Miyapur received the highest rainfall of 14. The rainfall in Kukatpally was 12. 73 cm while it was 11. 98 in Rajendranagar, 11. 9 in Shaikpet and 11. 68 in Khairatabad. Meanwhile, state minister T. Srinivas Yadav directed GHMC officials to be on alert to minimize inconvenience to people. People may contact GHMC control room at 21111111, 23225397 for any emergency. The minister asked officials to closely monitor the water level in Hussain Sagar lake and Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs and also the flow in stormwater drains. Heavy rain brings Hyderabad to its knees Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Mumbai, September 5 A ctor Karisma Kapoor is having fun with actors Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in New York. She took to Instagram and posted a couple of pictures of the group along with a caption, "New York Night Out." https//www.instagram.com/p/CwzSjSnLXEQ/?img_index=1 Ranbir wore a black hoodie and a matching cap while Alia wore a green sweater. Karisma, on the other hand, wore a blue shirt and black jacket. Fans in the comments section urged the celebrities to upload some more pictures. Meanwhile, on the work front, Alia is currently enjoying the success of 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani'. She will be next seen in 'Jee Le Zaraa' with Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra.Recently, she won the Best Actor award at the 69th National Film Awards for her performance in the film 'Gangubai Kathiawadi'. Alia has shared the Best Actor award with actor Kriti Sanon who also bagged the title for her performance in the film 'Mimi'. Helmed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' revolves around a maiden sold by a suitor into prostitution and how she becomes a prominent and celebrated figure in the underworld and Kamathipua red-light district. Alia's stellar performance in the film helped her bag the Best Actress Award at IIFA 2023 and Filmfare Awards 2023. Ranbir, on the other hand, will be next seen in director Sandeep Reddy Vanga's action thriller film 'Animal' alongside Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol.The film is all set to hit the theatres on December 1. Meanwhile, on the work front, Karisma will be seen in an upcoming series 'Brown'. Helmed by Abhinay Deo of 'Delhi Belly' fame, 'Brown' is based on Rita Brown, a suicidal alcoholic, and Arjun Sinha, a widower with survivor's guilt. The protagonists need to deal with an unstoppable serial killer on the loose. She also has director Homi Adajania's next 'Murder Mubarak' alongside Sara Ali Khan. Karisma Kapoor enjoys 'New York night out' with Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Five spots to visit near Delhi during the G20 weekend New Delhi, Sep 5 I f you're looking for places to visit near Delhi for the G20 long weekend, there are several wonderful options to choose from. Thomas Cook and SOTC Travel share with IANSlife a curated list of five popular destinations that offer a mix of culture, history, natural beauty, and relaxation: Jaipur, Rajasthan Jaipur's well-known sites, Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, City Palace, and Jantar Mantar, provide a glimpse into the city's regal history. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Amber Fort combines Mughal and Rajasthani designs. Laal Maas, Ghewar, Lazi, and other traditional Rajasthani foods like Dal Baati Churma are also available to travelers. In addition, people can shop for jewellery, textiles, and souvenirs at Johari Bazaar, Bapu Bazaar, and Chandpol Bazaar, among other places. Jim Corbett, Uttarakhand The Uttarakhand-based Jim Corbett National Park provides visitors with a wide range of activities, including wildlife safaris, bird viewing, the Dhikala Zone, the Jim Corbett Museum, river rafting, nature walks, lodging, and environmental awareness. Over 600 different bird species can be seen in the park's diverse biodiversity, and tourists can get involved in conservation efforts. Sonipat, Haryana (Wellness getaway with Naad- 100kms from Delhi) Benefit from a relaxing health vacation with Naad Wellness Resort, it's a haven tucked away in the middle of nature, to begin a transforming journey. With yoga and meditation classes guided by qualified instructors, sink deeply into relaxation. Enjoy nourishing spa treatments while spoiling yourself with carefully cooked, healthful meals. Naad's serene environment and comprehensive wellness services give the ideal environment for revitalizing your mind, body, and spirit. Take a break from the daily grind and set out on a path to inner peace and well-being. Agra, Uttar Pradesh The magnificent Taj Mahal and the northern Indian city of Agra are both well-known for their historical significance. The Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site are all open to visitors. A forerunner of the Taj Mahal, the Baba Taj, is well known for its beautiful marble inlay work. Among the vivid and well-known street foods of Agra are Petha, Mughlai Cuisine, Bedai, and Jalebi. The local marketplaces also sell textiles, leather items, jewellery, and handicrafts. Amritsar, Punjab With a tour to Amritsar that combines national, pilgrimage, and farm experiences, you can explore the essence of India. Start by going to the renowned Golden Temple, a representation of spirituality and unity. Visit ancient locations like Wagah Border and Jallianwala Bagh. After that, take a calm farm stay and get a taste of country life. Take part in farming activities, enjoy traditional Punjabi food, and relax in the natural environment. This all-encompassing journey combines a peaceful country retreat with spiritual awakening and cultural discovery in a seamless way. (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) Five spots to visit near Delhi during the G20 weekend Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! ELKO An 18-year-old was arrested on assault charges near Elko High School after allegedly threatening three students with a gun during the open lunch hour. An Elko Police Department officer said he was called to the school Aug. 30 on a report of a male and a female arguing. The male had pulled out a firearm, but police were not able to find anyone matching his description around the school property. The officers report said three students heading back to school from the lunch hour saw the couple walking near 13th Street and College Avenue and the female looked at them and said stop laughing at me. The male, later identified as Clay D. Ryder, allegedly pulled a firearm from a bag and waved it at the three, stating he would blow their brains out. Another officer located Ryder at 13th and Cedar streets and arrested him at 2:20 p.m. Ryder was not a student, according to the Elko County School District. All our schools work very closely with local law enforcement. Should an arrest cause concern for our staff and students, law enforcement will notify administration who will then secure the campus, the ECSD stated. Ryder was booked into Elko County Jail on three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, and misdemeanor possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. His bail was listed at $350,640. 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. When the winner of the C-U Immigration Forum's Emergent Leader Award came to the United States, she had no plans of being a community organizer or a school board member. She just wanted to continue practicing dentistry like she did in Mexico. ELKO As thousands of race horse fans fill the Elko County Fairgrounds grandstands for six days of racing, there are hundreds behind the scenes who make it possible. Many of them have poured decades of time into keeping the races on track, training the horses that run during the Fair and enjoying the action from high above the grandstands. For Jim Meeks, this was his last year after 30 years as racing steward one of three who monitor the event and impose any fines if necessary. We control the racing, Meeks said. Anything that takes place on the race track once the racing starts is our purview. Everything they do from who gets on the horse, the trainers. We make sure the horse is correct, the trainers are correct, the jockeys are the correct for the race. We control everything that takes place after that. We run the races until the end of the day. Meeks said although he is officially retiring, Ill still be here. As a steward, he is prohibited from making bets. Thats really one of my fortes. Next year, Ill be able to wager on it. The Elko County Fair has been a part of Meeks life since he was an infant, he said. The only time he missed attending was when he was in the Army. Meeks, who is also part owner of Vogue Laundry, said he would still be around and pitch in if needed. I cant not do it. I love the fair and the fair board too much. Never a horseman, Meeks said he stayed on one side of the track as a steward and a fan. I admire what they do, and theyre very good at it. To get a horse prepped for a race is very hard. I have a lot of respect for those guys. For the jockeys who get on them and ride as hard as they can to win a race, Ive got lots of respect for them. People enjoy the races as they bet on horses to cross the finish line. Its very exciting to watch your horse take the lead and cross the wire. People enjoy that part of it. Its an opportunity for everybody to have some fun doing it and tease their friends. Meeks said the Nevada Blackjack Challenge renewed and maintained interest in racing among local fans. I think Dennis Gilligan, who first came up with the idea of the Blackjack Challenge, really put some extra excitement and interest in racing. Now you not only bet on the horse, but you can bet on it and get your picture taken at the end, Meeks said. Its held its value very well throughout the years. Stoney Burt Stoney Burt is another lifelong member of the racing family. He started racing in 1961 and arrived in Elko in 1967. He only missed one year when he had open heart surgery. Starting his career as a jockey, Burt became a trainer and fell in love with Elkos fair weekend of races. I love coming to Elko. The people are great. Its a great fair and they pay pretty good money, Burt said. Burt, who lives in West Valley City, Utah, brought two horses to this years fair, but used to bring as many as 13. After retiring about 18 months ago, Burt and his wife continued on the circuit, starting in Utah and traveling to Wyoming. Elko is Burts last stop. If we have good enough horses well send them to California, he said. But they have to be pretty good horses to go down there. He races quarter horses but has claimed thoroughbreds. Burt said tracks are starting to close. Theres one left in Utah. Its really hard to find a place to go anymore. I dont know why thats happening, but its bad that its happening. For 32 years, Burt has had the same barn and feels at home each year he visits. Everybody calls you by your first name. Its a nice place to come. He said everyone knows everyone and will help each other if theres a problem. You know everybody if youre in this business. He remembered when race horses were shown at the Fair until the rules changed to accept only Nevada entrants. One of Burts favorites is Papa Jetto, a 7-year-old horse he and his family raised from a colt. That means a lot. We had the mare and got the colt and we raised it. He turned out good. Papa Jetto has won more than $66,000 and has about 15 wins. Hes really a nice horse. Burt turned 80 years old last month and is also a retired diesel mechanic. He recalled traveling to races over the weekend and driving home to be at work on Monday morning. Youve got to love this sport, he said. Whatever you do, if you love it enough youre going to have to dedicate yourself to it. Farrell Christoffersen Farrell Christoffersen is another longtime trainer who has been coming to Elkos race track for about 20 years. Hes trained horses for 40 years and, like Burt, fell in love with Elko. We love the people and the way were treated. Its a good place to come, Christoffersen said. He travels less frequently now, but used to go to Boise and Denver and train full time. This year, he brought 10 race horses and two ponies. Three of them placed second three times. He also has Gold Note, who wa racing in the Blackjack Challenge for Unable Stables. For the last two years, Dewey took first place. Christoffersen, 78, said hes participated in the Blackjack since it started, and has been with Unable Stables the past several years. Growing up in Idaho, Christoffersen has been around horses his whole life. Traveling to racetracks and seeing other trainers is like being part of a large extended family who help each other in times of need. I always liked horses, he said. When I was 30 I got back into the race horse game. Like Burt, Christoffersen had a day job as a machinist. His shop, barn and home are all on the same property. He said he loves all aspects of racing horses. Its a good, good sport. Ive got my family involved, three boys and two grandsons are really involved. I think theyll carry it on. Christoffersen praised the Blackjack syndicate for keeping Elko going with racing. If it hadnt been for the syndicate, they would really struggle. Shemente Jones knew something wasn't right. Her back hurt. She felt pain during sex. She said she kept telling her doctor something was wrong. Her doctor told her, "Just wash your underwear in Dreft," Jones said, referring to a brand of detergent. Within months of that 2016 appointment, Jones, who lives in a suburb of Jackson, Mississippi, was diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer. She underwent a hysterectomy then weeks of radiation therapy. "I ended up fine," said Jones, now 43. "But what about all the other women?" The question is especially pertinent in Jones' home state, which had the nation's second-highest age-adjusted cervical cancer mortality rate, 3.4 deaths per 100,000 women and girls annually from 2016 through 2020, behind only Oklahoma, according to National Cancer Institute data. And, for non-Hispanic Black women such as Jones, the rates in the state are even higher 3.7 deaths per 100,000 people. This all translates to about 50 avoidable deaths of Mississippi women from cervical cancer each year in this largely rural state. Health care experts said such a high death rate from a cancer that is preventable, detectable, and successfully treatable when found early is a warning sign about the general state of health care in Mississippi. "They desperately need help there," said Otis Brawley, a professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and an expert on health disparities. "Political leadership is incredibly important in turning this around, and in Mississippi, the political leadership don't give a damn." Despite the beauty of Mississippi, from the rolling hills of the Natchez Trace to white-sand beaches on the Gulf of Mexico, and the cultural renown of its famous musicians and storytellers, the state's reputation is marred by its high rates of poverty. People who live there are accustomed to being the butt of jokes, but it hurts. "Often Mississippi gets represented poorly," said Mildred Ridgway, an OB-GYN at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. Recently the state has reeled from crisis after crisis. As recently as March, tornadoes and other severe weather killed more than two dozen people and caused extensive damage. Last year, the water in Jackson, the state capital, was undrinkable for months because of treatment plant failures. On just about any measure of health, Mississippi ranks near or at the bottom. Nationally, an estimated 10% of people under 65 lack health insurance, but in Mississippi it is about 14%. Deaths from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and many other illnesses are among the highest per capita in the country. The high rates of poverty contribute to the high cervical cancer mortality, health experts said. About 19% of Mississippians nearly 1 in 5 live in poverty, while nationally it is about 13%. "If I had to pinpoint what that's from, it's from lack of education," said Ridgway, referring to a lack of knowledge about regular cervical cancer screening, which the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends every three years for women 21 to 65. But it likely goes far beyond that, many health experts said. Doctors may be less likely to stress preventive care to less educated women and women of color, studies suggest. "There's a big difference in the quality of care," said Rajesh Balkrishnan, a professor of public health at the University of Virginia who has extensively studied oncology care in Appalachia and other underserved areas. In her case, Jones said, she could not get her doctor's office to return her calls in a timely manner. She was concerned about her symptoms. "I felt I wasn't listened to. I called her more than she called me," Jones said of her doctor. "I was going to my appointments, and I was ignored." And getting access to any care let alone quality, culturally competent care from providers who acknowledge a patient's heritage, beliefs, and values during treatment may be difficult. Most of the state's 82 counties are rural. The average travel distance to a grocery store is 30 miles, and half the population lives in a county that is considered medically underserved, said Letitia Thompson, a vice president in Mississippi for the American Cancer Society. Low-income rural residents often lack reliable transportation, she said, and even if they own a vehicle, they lack gas money. They often can't find or pay for someone to take care of their children so they can go to the doctor. Women with low-paying jobs often lack the time to drive to a clinic in a distant town, or the ability to take off from work without losing pay. "Women who work and take care of children often have a huge burden of responsibility," Ridgway said. "They don't have time or the money." Many also don't have insurance. While the Affordable Care Act has lowered the uninsured rate in Mississippi, an estimated additional 88,000 Mississippians could have coverage through Medicaid if the state expanded eligibility for the federal-state insurance program for low-income Americans. But the state is one of 10 that have not agreed to expand coverage to more adults. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican up for reelection this year, is opposed to expansion. His Democratic challenger, Brandon Presley, a second cousin of the music legend Elvis, favors it. Polls show Presley lagging Reeves. Without expansion of Medicaid, people who have low incomes are often left to decide between forgoing insurance and purchasing a policy through the Affordable Care Act marketplace if they cannot get insurance through employment. Even if they qualify for subsidized marketplace plans, they may face high deductibles or copayments for visits, health experts said. That often means going to the doctor only when sick. Preventive care becomes a luxury. "You save your health care dollars for when you are sick or your kids are sick," said Thompson, of the American Cancer Society. But regular medical care can make all the difference with cervical cancer. Pap tests have long helped detect abnormal cervical cells that could turn malignant. Brawley said the test is "one of the best" cancer screening tests because of its accuracy. In 2006, vaccines to prevent cervical cancer were first approved by the FDA. The vaccines guard against the common sexually transmitted infection called the human papillomavirus, which causes nearly all cervical cancers. The HPV vaccine is most effective when administered before a person has become sexually active; the federal recommendation is to get the shots by age 12. Only a handful of places in the U.S. including Hawaii, Rhode Island, Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia require the vaccines to attend school. California has pending legislation that initially would have required that middle schoolers get the shots, but the bill has since been watered down to recommend them instead. Mississippi does not require the vaccine, and the state has had the lowest share of fully vaccinated teens by a large margin for years. Fewer than 39% of teens there were up to date on HPV vaccination as of 2022, according to the CDC, compared with an estimated 63% nationally. Thompson said she thinks many parents are hesitant to have their children vaccinated because they believe it would encourage sexual activity. "This is an anti-cancer vaccine," Thompson said. Krista Guynes, director of the womens health program at the Mississippi State Department of Health, said the state has several efforts underway to better inform women about the need for screening. It also has clinics for uninsured women. In partnership with the National Cancer Institute and University of Mississippi Medical Center, she said, the health department is conducting a study to evaluate risk and look for new biomarkers in women undergoing screening for cervical cancer. As for Jones, she considers herself lucky to have survived stage 3 cancer. "I would just like to say to every woman, 'Get the vaccine.' The vaccine will make the difference, so they won't have to be told, 'I'm sorry, you have cancer.'" Around 5.2% of the global population carries abnormal hemoglobin genes. Each year, 300,000 to 500,000 children are born with severe hemoglobinopathies worldwide, with approximately 80% of these cases occurring in developing countries. Thalassemia is the most common hereditary hemoglobinopathy and occurs in 4.4 out of every 10,000 live births. It is prevalent in Mediterranean coastal areas, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and southern China. A previous study indicated that Ganzhou, the southernmost city in Jiangxi province, had a thalassemia prevalence as high as 9.49%. Still, it had limitations in terms of small sample size, non-representative population and limited mutation spectrum. A new study by Tong Yang, Xuemei Luo, Yanqiu Liu, Wenqian Zhang (BGI Genomics, Senior Manager Clinical Research) et al. published on August 18, 2023 in Human Genomics looks at the prevalence and mutation spectrum of thalassemia in Ganzhou-based on a large-scale thalassemia screening project involving 136,312 individuals. Method: In this study, the researchers retrospectively analyzed 136,312 individuals who participated in the "Implementation Plan for the Free Gene Detection of Thalassemia in Ganzhou City (20192022)". Key findings: 1. Found a total of 19,827 (14.545%) thalassemia carriers, including 14,298 (10.489%) -thalassemia carriers, 4,921 (3.610%) -thalassemia, and 608 (0.446%) combined - and -thalassemia carriers. 2. A total of 156 distinct thalassemia genotypes were identified, comprising 40 -thalassemia genotypes, 42 -thalassemia genotypes and 74 combined -/-thalassemia genotypes. 48 rare thalassemia mutations were identified, such as 5'UTR +43 to +40 (-AAAC), Chinese G+(A)0, --THAI, fusion, -50 G > A, and Hb Phnom Penh. 3. The prevalence of thalassemia was higher in the southeastern Jiangxi Province at the junction of Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangxi Provinces. In particular, Dingnan and Xunwu had a high prevalence of 18.3% and 17.7%, respectively. 4. Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques perform better than conventional thalassemia genetic screening methods, especially in identifying novel or rare thalassemia mutations. Limited by the low sensitivity of hematological analysis and the disadvantages of Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a large number of novel or rare thalassemia variations would be missed or misdiagnosed using traditional screening methods. NGS is also a cost-effective tool for prenatal screening. This study utilized large-scale thalassemia screening through NGS to uncover the prevalence and mutation spectrum of thalassemia in Ganzhou, demonstrating that thalassemia is a serious public health problem in this region. The findings will be very important for thalassemia prevention and control in Ganzhou and other high-prevalence areas. More importantly, the identification of rare and novel variations highlighted the necessity and significance of choosing NGS for thalassemia screening in large populations. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University. In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv preprint* server, researchers in Japan investigated the proliferative capacity, transmissibility, and pathogenicity of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) EG.5.1 variant, dubbed "Eris." EG.5.1, an isolate derived from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Omicron variant of concern's XBB subvariant, has rapidly increased in prevalence globally. Compared to XBB.1.5, the EG.5.1 variant has additional mutations within its spike (S) glycoprotein, i.e., F456L and Q52H. However, data on the transmissibility, pathogenicity, and immune evasiveness of the EG.5.1 variant are limited. Study: Characterization of an EG.5.1 clinical isolate in vitro and in vivo. Image Credit: Design_Cells / Shutterstock *Important notice: bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. About the study In the present study, researchers performed virological characterization of EG.5.1 in vitro as well as in vivo. The team evaluated the antigenicity, transmissibility, antigenicity, proliferative capacity, and pathogenicity of the EG.5.1 variant in a wild-type Syrian hamster model that is susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. In addition, they assessed the growth ability of the viruses in respiratory organs. EG.5.1, containing two additional amino acid changes (i.e., F456L and Q52H), compared to an XBB.1.5 isolate, was amplified. To evaluate EG.5.1 immune-evasiveness, the team tested the EG.5.1 neutralization potential of serum obtained from messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine recipients who experienced breakthrough infections with SARS-CoV-2 variants in circulation post-March 2023. To evaluate the effects of the EG.5.1 variant mutations, the XBB.1.5 and XBB.1.9.2 strains of SARS-CoV-2 were used for comparative assessment. African green monkey (Vero E6) cells expressing angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) enzymes were used for the cell culture experiments and confirmed to be mycoplasma-free by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The neutralization capacity of human serum was expressed as 50% focus reduction neutralization titers (FRNT 50 ). For pathological and virological assessments, wild-type Syrian hamsters were intranasally inoculated with 105 plaque-forming units (PFU) of SARS-CoV-2 Delta, EG.5.1, or XBB.1.5 variants. At three and six days of infection, five animals were sacrificed, and samples of their nasal turbinates and lungs were examined for histopathological changes. Plaque assays were used to determine viral titers, and viral RNA, extracted from the tissues, was subjected to whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis. Results The team found no significant differences in pathogenicity and growth ability between XBB.1.5 and EG.5.1, and both strains were attenuated in comparison to the Delta variant. In addition, EG.5.1 transmitted more efficiently among hamsters than XBB.1.5. Unlike XBB.1.5, EG.5.1 was detected in the lungs of four out of six infected hamsters, indicating that EG.5.1 virus tropism differed from that of XBB.1.5 following transmission through air. EG.5.1 neutralization was marginally, but significantly, lower than XBB.1.5 or XBB.1.9.2 neutralization, indicating that EG.5.1 effectively evaded antibody-mediated immunity and that the amino acid differences in EG.5.1 spike (S) glycoprotein compared with that of XBB.1.5 or XBB.1.9.2 (i.e., R158G, F456L, and Q52H) altered EG.5.1 antigenicity. The Delta infection caused considerable weight loss in the animals. In contrast, all XBB.1.5- and EG.5.1-infected animals gained body weight over 10 days, to a similar extent as the mock hamsters. After three and six days of infection, the XBB.1.5 variant and the EG.5.1 variant proliferated in the pulmonary tissues of the SARS-CoV-2-exposed hamsters with no statistically significant differences. Nevertheless, the viral titers within the nasal turbinate specimens obtained from the SARS-CoV-2 EG.5.1-exposed animals were significantly greater compared to those among XBB.1.5-exposed animals at six dpi. Additionally, the viral titers in Delta-infected hamsters were significantly higher than those among XBB.1.5- and EG.5.1-infected hamsters. The team observed marginally greater efficacy of transmission of the EG.5.1 variant (83%) compared to that of the XBB.1.5 variant (56%) and viral detection in the pulmonary tissues of 67% of EG.5.1-infected hamsters, contrasting no virus identified in those of their XBB.1.5-infected counterparts. Although all serological specimens showed neutralizing activity against the EG.5.1variant, the FRNT 50 titers against the EG.5.1 variant, the XBB.1.9.2 variant, and the XBB.1.5 variant were lower by 10-fold, 5.4-fold, and 5.5-fold compared to the titers against the SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan-Hu-1 strain, respectively. Conclusions Overall, the study findings showed that EG.5.1 had a similar proliferative ability to XBB.1.5 in naive wild-type hamsters; however, its transmissibility was somewhat greater. Furthermore, the viral tropism of the EG.5.1 variant differed from the viral tropism of the XBB.1.5 variant following transmission via air since the EG.5.1 variant was found in specimens obtained from the nasal and pulmonary tissues of infected hamsters. EG.5.1 immune evasiveness was modestly but considerably greater than the XBB.1.5 variant and the XBB.1.9.2 variant. Thus, the altered antigenicity and greater transmissibility of the EG.5.1 variant may drive its higher predominance compared to the XBB.1.5 variant among humans. *Important notice: bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS) has been awarded an unprecedented $23.57 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to join the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. The interdisciplinary grant, the largest award to date in the Coral Gables Campus' history, is funding an ambitious project spearheaded by Hudson Santos, RN, PhD, FABMR, FAAN, the lead Principal Investigator and Vice Dean for Research Affairs, with Professor Michael Paidas, MD, chair of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicines Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology Reproductive Sciences, who is Multiple Principal Investigator. Miami-ECHO researchers will investigate how stress experienced by parents-;fueled by social and economic inequities-;can biologically and psychologically affect their children. The seven-year grant consists of two phases. The first phase includes a $6,683,383 award. After phase one is completed in May 2025, an additional $16,890,609 will be awarded for the second phase of the study (UH3). The research team's goal is to enroll a racially and ethnically diverse group of 1,250 pregnant participants from Miami-Dade County and follow their offspring from birth to age 7 years. The research aims to cover significant clinical areas-;from understanding the interplay of the social environment, genetics, and prenatal health on child development, to identifying the factors that protect against social adversity effects on children's neurodevelopment and positive health outcomes. Early-life protective biological mechanisms will be considered in order to develop interventions and tools to optimize development in at-risk children. The NIH ECHO Program seeks to understand the impacts of early environmental factors on child health and development. As such, it requires a diverse cohort of children and parents representing the vast array of U.S. populations, particularly those racial and ethnic minority populations often subject to socioeconomic adversity stressors. Miami-ECHO will join several other cohorts across the nation to create a historical cohort of over 50,000 children and their parents. "It's a privilege to spearhead this groundbreaking research initiative with my SONHS and Miller School colleagues. With the NIH ECHO Program support, we can help lead the ongoing discourse around maternal-child health disparities by focusing our research on South Florida, especially around Miami-Dade County," said Dr. Santos, president-elect of the International Society of Nurses in Genetics. In addition to his role as Vice Dean for Research Affairs at SONHS, Dr. Santos is the School's Dolores J. Chambreau Endowed Chair and the interim Associate Dean for the University's Graduate School. "Miami-Dade County is a strikingly diverse region, with a majority-minority population, making it an ideal location for this initiative," he added. Dr. Paidas echoed Santos' enthusiasm: "This substantial grant will bolster our joint efforts to explore the intersection of social environment, genetics, and prenatal factors in child development. Ultimately, we aim to create actionable insights that can help address health disparities." The research team also includes renowned co-investigators from the Miller School: JoNell E. Potter, PhD, APRN, FAAN, Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences; Ruby Natale, PhD, PsyD, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics; Lunthita Duthely, EdD, MSCTI, Associate Research Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences; Karen Young, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Director of the Neonatology Fellowship Program at the Miller School/Holtz Children's Hospital; and a highly qualified staff team. This news comes as the University of Miami joins the Association of American Universities (AAU), a distinguished national organization of leading research universities. We believe this collaborative research initiative could fundamentally reshape our understanding of health disparities and maternal-child health. The potential for far-reaching, long-lasting impact on policy and health outcomes is profound." Cindy L. Munro, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, FAAAS, Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Studies UHealth and Jackson Health System are the clinical site partners for the project. Combined, they report a total of more than 6,300 births annually in Miami-Dade County, where the population is 69.4 percent Hispanics/Latinos, 17.7 percent African Americans, 12.9 percent Non-Hispanic Whites, 3 percent Asians, and 1.3 percent multiracial individuals. In addition, there are several community-based organizations that will be working alongside the team of investigators. "As we better understand health disparities, particularly in the context of maternal and child health, we gain essential insight into the multitude of social, economic, and cultural factors that affect well-being," said Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA, Dean and Chief Academic Officer of the Miller School of Medicine. "This vital initiative has the power to drive substantial and long-lasting change for generations to come." Sometimes the heat makes you vomit, said Carmen Garcia, a farmworker in the San Joaquin Valley of California. She and her husband spent July in the garlic fields, kneeling on the scorched earth as temperatures hovered above 105 degrees. Her husband had such severe fatigue and nausea that he stayed home from work for three days. He drank lime water instead of seeing a doctor because the couple doesn't have health insurance. "A lot of people have this happen," Garcia said. There are no federal standards to protect workers like the Garcias when days become excessively hot. And without bipartisan support from Congress, even with urgent attention from the Biden administration, relief may not come for years. President Joe Biden in 2021 tasked the Occupational Safety and Health Administration with developing rules to prevent heat injury and illness. But that 46-step process can take more than a decade and might stall if a Republican is elected president in 2024, because the GOP has generally opposed occupational health regulations over the past 20 years. These rules might require employers to provide ample drinking water, breaks, and a cool-down space in shade or air conditioning when temperatures rise above a certain threshold. On Sept. 7, OSHA will begin meetings with small-business owners to discuss its proposals, including actions that employers would take when temperatures rise to 90 degrees. As this summer has broken heat records, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and other members of Congress have pushed legislation that would speed OSHA's rule-making process. The bill is named after Asuncion Valdivia, a farmworker who fell unconscious while picking grapes in California on a 105-degree day in 2004. His son picked him up from the fields, and Valdivia died of heatstroke on the drive home. "Whether on a farm, driving a truck, or working in a warehouse, workers like Asuncion keep our country running while enduring some of the most difficult conditions," Chu said in a July statement urging Congress to pass the bill. Trade organizations representing business owners have fought the rules, calling the costs of regulations burdensome. They also say there's a lack of data to justify blanket rules, given variation among workers and workplaces, ranging from fast-food restaurants to farms. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, one of the most powerful lobby groups in Washington, argued that such standards are nonsensical "because each employee experiences heat differently." Further, the Chamber said, measures such as work-rest cycles "threaten to directly and substantially impair employees' productivity and therefore their employer's economic viability." "Many heat-related issues are not the result of agricultural work or employer mismanagement, but instead result from the modern employee lifestyle," the National Cotton Council wrote in its response to proposed regulations. For example, air conditioning makes it more difficult for people to adapt to a hot environment after being in a cold dwelling or vehicle, it said, noting "younger workers, who are more used to a more sedentary lifestyle, cannot last a day working outside." The Forest Resources Association, representing forest landowners, the timber industry, and mills, added that "heat-related illnesses and deaths are not among the most serious occupational hazards facing workers." They cited numbers from OSHA: The agency documented 789 heat-related hospitalizations and 54 heat-related deaths through investigations and violations from 2018 to 2021. OSHA concedes its data is problematic. It has said its numbers "on occupational heat-related illnesses, injuries, and fatalities are likely vast underestimates." Injuries and illnesses aren't always recorded, deaths triggered by high temperatures aren't always attributed to heat, and heat-related damage can be cumulative, causing heart attacks, kidney failure, and other ailments after a person has left their place of employment. The toll of temperature To set regulations, OSHA must get a grasp on the toll of heat on indoor and outdoor workers. Justification is a required part of the process because standards will raise costs for employers who need to install air conditioning and ventilation systems indoors, and those whose productivity may drop if outdoor workers are permitted breaks or shorter days when temperatures climb. Ideally, business owners would move to protect workers from heat regardless of the rules, said Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. "We need to do a better job of convincing employers that there is a trade-off between efficiency and sick workers," he said. Garcia and her husband suffered the symptoms of heat exhaustion: vomiting, nausea, and fatigue. But their cases are among thousands that go uncounted when people don't go to the hospital or file complaints for fear of losing their jobs or immigration status. Farmworkers are notoriously underrepresented in official statistics on occupational injuries and illness, said David Michaels, an epidemiologist at George Washington University and former OSHA administrator. Researchers who surveyed farmworkers in North Carolina and Georgia found that more than a third of them had heat illness symptoms during the summers of their studies far higher than what OSHA has registered. Notably, the Georgia study revealed that 34% of farmworkers had no access to regular breaks, and a quarter had no access to shade. Even cases in which workers are hospitalized might not be attributed to heat if doctors don't make note of the connection. Many studies link occupational accidents to heat stress, which can cause fatigue, dehydration, and vertigo. In a study in Washington state, farmworkers were found to fall off ladders more often in June and July, among the hottest and most humid months. And in a 2021 report, researchers estimated that hotter temperatures caused approximately 20,000 occupational injuries a year in California between 2001 and 2018, based on workers' compensation claims. Heat-related kidney injuries also come up in OSHA's database of workers severely injured on the job, like an employee at a meat processing plant hospitalized for dehydration and acute kidney injury on a hot June day in Arkansas. But research finds that kidney damage from heat can also be gradual. One study of construction workers laboring over a summer in Saudi Arabia found that 18% developed signs of kidney injury, putting them at risk of kidney failure later. In addition to quantifying the injuries and deaths caused by heat, OSHA attempts to attach a cost to them so it can calculate potential savings from prevention. "You've got to measure things, like what is a life worth?" Michaels said. To workers and their families, suffering has far-reaching consequences that are hard to enumerate. Medical costs are more straightforward. For example, OSHA estimates the direct cost of heat prostration overheating due to heatstroke or hyperthermia at nearly $80,000 in direct and indirect costs per case. If this seems high, consider a construction worker in New York who lost consciousness on a hot day and fell from a platform, suffering a kidney laceration, facial fractures, and several broken ribs. Putting a price tag on heatstroke Researchers have also tried to tease out the cost to employers in lost productivity. Work moves less efficiently as temperatures rise, and if workers are absent because of illness, and if they have to be replaced, production diminishes as new workers are trained to do the job. Cullen Page, a line cook in Austin, Texas, and a member of the union Restaurant Workers United, works for hours in front of a pizza oven, where, he said, temperatures hovered between 90 and 100 degrees as heat waves blanketed the city in August. "It's brutal. It affects your thinking. You're confused," he said. "I got a heat rash that wouldn't go away." Because it's so hot, he added, the restaurant has a high employee turnover rate. An adequate hood vent over the ovens and improved air conditioning would help, he said, but the owners have yet to make upgrades. Via 313, the pizza chain where Page works, did not respond to requests for comment. Page is not alone. An organization representing restaurant employees, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, surveyed thousands of workers, many of whom reported "unsafely hot" conditions: 24% of those in Houston, for example, and 37% in Philadelphia. "Workers have been exposed to working temperatures of up to 100 degrees after air conditioners and kitchen ventilators were broken, making it uncomfortable and hard for them to breathe," wrote another group that includes members in the fast-food industry, the Service Employees International Union, in a comment to OSHA. "There is no reason to further delay the creation of a standard when we know the scale of the problem and we know how to protect workers." Researchers at the Atlantic Council estimate the U.S. will lose an average of $100 billion annually from heat-induced declines in labor productivity as the climate warms. "It costs employers a lot of money to not protect their workers," said Juley Fulcher, the worker health and safety advocate at Public Citizen, an advocacy organization in Washington, D.C., that is lobbying for the Asuncion Valdivia bill to allow OSHA to enact regulations next year. For a template, Fulcher suggested looking to California, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, the only states with rules mandating that all outdoor workers have access to water, rest, and shade. Although the regulations aren't always enforced, they appear to have an impact. After California instituted its standard in 2005, fewer injuries were reported in workers' compensation claims when temperatures exceeded 85 degrees. Michaels said OSHA has shown it can act faster than usual when Congress permits it. In the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the agency rapidly passed rules to prevent doctors, nurses, and dentists from being accidentally infected by needles. A similar urgency exists now, he said. "Given the climate crisis and the lengthening of periods of extreme heat," he said, "it is imperative that Congress pass legislation that enables OSHA to quickly issue a lifesaving standard." The CBI has arrested an executive director of GAIL in connection with the alleged Rs 50 lakh bribery case in which money changed hands to favour some contractors in the gas pipeline projects, officials said Tuesday. Along with Executive Director (Projects) K B Singh of GAIL, four others have also been arrested, including Director of Vadodara-based Advance Infrastructures Surender Kumar, they said. It is alleged that the bribe was paid for favouring the company in two GAIL pipeline projects Srikakulam to Angul and Vijaypur to Auraiya. The CBI had received input about the bribe exchange following which, it launched an operation on Monday and made the arrests, they said. Searches are going on at several locations in Delhi, Noida, and Visakhapatnam in connection with the case, they said. One of the well-known investors, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, who is commonly referred to as Big Bull, started his career with just Rs 5,000 in 1985. He soon started getting interested in stock markets. In his initial years, he didnt get any support from his father and had to borrow money from his fathers client. Later, he became a billionaire investor and was called the Warren Buffett of India. He passed away last year but his principles are still followed by several investors. Let us read a few of the timeless pieces of advice from Rakesh Jhunjhunwala: Rakesh Jhunjhunwala strongly believed in the concept of buy right and sit tight. He always suggested that the investors should plan and do their own research rather than depend on someone else. He believed in a fighting spirit and understood the good and the bad in the market. It is important to stick to an investment plan. Another principle that he stuck by was go against the tide. It is not possible for an investor to invest in every high-rise stock. Rather, he suggested buying stocks when others are selling and selling stocks when others are buying. In simple terms, to buy the stock when it is discounted and sell it when the market is rising. Every investor should have patience and give their investment some time. It is not possible that the investor will receive good returns as soon as they invest. Huge returns can only be earned with patience, research and time. Rakesh Jhunjhunwala also believed that an investor should never become emotional about their investments. As a beginner, it is important to choose long-term investment plans, but if you want to get rich, you should not get emotional about the stocks but rather choose the right time to exit. The late investor also suggested not running after the companies that are in the limelight and not investing at unreasonable valuations. He believed in business growth and investing in big companies that might end up making the investors lose all their money. He advised studying the business and the growth of stocks rather than the brand of the company. Rakesh Jhunjhunwala believed in the power of compounding as it helps convert any small investments into a higher corpus. He always suggested understanding the market and making investment plans. Stocks To Watch on September 5: GIFT Nifty on the NSE IX traded 4 points, or 0.02 per cent, higher at 19,603, signaling that Dalal Street was headed for muted start on Tuesday. Heres a slew of stocks that will be in focus today for various reasons. Vishnu Prakash R Punglia: The stock will debut on the bourses today. The issue price is Rs 99 and the stock may list with up to 60 per cent premium, as per ipowatch.com. Hero MotoCorp: The company will invest Rs 550 crore more in Ather Energy via its rights issue. The Splendor-maker, which currently holds 33.1 per cent stake in Ather, will see its shareholding rise in the company. The transaction is expected to be completed before the end of September. Cipla: The drugmakers South African subsidiary entered into a binding term sheet to acquire Actor Holdings (Pty), a privately owned pharmaceutical company specialising in consumer health and generic medicine. The consideration has been fixed at ZAR 900 million (approx $48.6 million, or around Rs 400 crore) in cash for 920 equity shares, representing a 100 per cent equity stake. Besides, Torrent Pharmaceuticals has emerged as a frontrunner to acquire its rival Cipla with a non-binding offer thats more than 30 per cent higher than American private equity giant Blackstones bid. State Bank of India: Financial Services Institutions Bureau has recommended the name of Vinay M Tonse as managing director of SBI. Escorts Kubota: The company will raise tractor prices effective September 16. The increase in prices will vary across models and geographies. Indian Energy Exchange: The energy exchange has achieved total electricity volume of 8,469 million units in August, up 21 per cent from last year. The day ahead market volume in August increased by 7.3 per cent YoY to 3,810 million units, and the real time market volume grew by 21 per cent YoY to 2,738 million units, while the market clearing price jumped 33 per cent on-year to Rs 6.89 per unit. Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services: The company has recorded a 15 per cent year-on-year growth in disbursements at Rs 4,400 crore for August. The year-to-date (till August FY24) disbursements stood at Rs 20,950 crore, up 22 per cent over a year-ago period. The collection efficiency for August remained flat at 96 per cent YoY, while the stage-3 and stage-2 assets continued to remain rangebound compared to June 2023. Mahindra and Mahindra: M&M is in advanced discussions with Volkswagen as it intends to use the german automakers central MEB components such as e-drive and unified cells. Yes Bank: The private lender has clarified and denied any role in settlement or negotiation after the sale of the loan portfolio to JC Flowers ARC. The association of the bank with JC Flowers ARC remains limited to the extent of its current shareholding, at 9.9 per cent. Oil India: The state-run oil company approved a Rs 1,738 crore contribution for North East Gas Distribution Co, a joint venture in which it holds a 49 per cent stake. BHEL: The company bagged an order for Electro-Mechanical (E&M) works for the countrys largest capacity hydropower project, the 2,880 MW Dibang Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh. Rail Vikas Nigam: The RVNL-MPCC JV emerged as the lowest bidder for all civil engineering works in the Varodara Division of Western Railway. The project cost is Rs 174.27 crore, and the contract is to be executed in two years. The companys share in the JV stands at 74 per cent, while MPCCs share is 26 per cent. Tata Power: The companys unit, Tata Power Renewable Energy, signed a 26 MW solar power delivery agreement with Neosym Industry, to be set at Jamkhed, Maharashtra, and generate 59 MU of power per annum. Bombay Dyeing: The company settled a dispute with Axis Bank over disputed land for Rs 149 crore and handed over 11,541 square metres of land to the lender. The settlement will enable independent and exclusive access to the banks headquarters. Gland Pharma: Ankit Gupta has been appointed as Vice-President (strategy and investments) with effect from Sept. 4. Dabur: The FMCG majors unit, Dabur International, has decided to convert its existing branch, Dabur International Dubai, into a wholly owned subsidiary under the name of Dabur International FZE. LIC Housing Finance: The company infused Rs 21.61 crore of incremental capital in LIC Mutual Fund Asset Management Company in a rights issue. Dhanuka Agritech: The company launched an herbicide for sugarcane crops that has effective control of broad and narrow leaf weeds for the domestic market. Ramco Cements: The company commissioned the balance of the 3 MW capacity of the Waste Heat Recovery System out of the 12 MW capacity in its Kolimigundla plant. With this, total operating capacity has gone up to 43 MW. Delta Corp: Europe-based Societe Generale has bought 23.42 lakh equity shares or 0.88 per cent stake in the casino gaming company via open market transactions, at an average price of Rs 182 per share. Zerodha Broking sold 25.5 lakh shares or 0.95 per cent stake in the company at an average price of Rs 182.12 per share. Societe Generale held 1.43 per cent stake in Delta Corp as of June 2023. Chairman of the NAs Committee for Foreign Affairs Vu Hai Ha (right) welcomes President of the House of Councillors of Japan Otsuji Hidehisa at the Noi Bai International Airport on September 4. (Photo: quochoi.vn) The visit is being made at the invitation of National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. The Japanese delegation was welcomed at Noi Bai International Airport by Chairman of the NAs Committee for Foreign Affairs Vu Hai Ha and Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio. The visit takes place at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties (September 21, 1973-2023) with many significant activities being held. It is expected to contribute to further consolidating and deepening the extensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan./. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has commenced the application process for IIT JAM 2024 today, September 5. Candidates can visit the official website of IIT JAM at jam.iitm.ac.in to apply for the Joint Admission Test for masters. The last date to apply for the examination is October 13. The date on which the examination will be conducted is February 11 and the results will be announced on March 24. The admit card will be made available on the official website on January 8. Candidates who have finished an undergraduate degree or are currently enrolled in the final year of the undergraduate programme are eligible to apply for the IIT JAM 2024 session. IIT JAM 2024: Steps to apply Step 1- Go to the official website of IIT JAM at jam.iitm.ac.in. Step 2- On the homepage, locate the IIT JAM 2024 registration link. Step 3- Register yourself by entering the basic details about yourself like name, date of birth, etc. and click on submit Step 4- Log into the account using credentials. Step 5- Put in the details in the application. After filling out the application form, go through it carefully and see whether all the details entered are correct or not. Step 6- Upload the necessary documents. Step 7- Pay the application fees. There are multiple options to pay the application fee Debit Card, Credit Card, UPI, etc. Choose the suitable option and pay the required application fee. Step 8- Click on submit and download the page. After you press submit, the application form will be exhibited on the homepage. Step 9- Keep a printout with yourselves for future purposes. IIT JAM 2024: Application Fees To apply for one paper, the candidates have to submit the application fee of Rs 900 for female, SC, ST, and PwD category candidates. While the application fee for two papers is Rs 1250 for female, SC, ST, and PwD category candidates. For others, it is Rs 1800 for one paper and Rs 2500 for two papers. The fee for changing the examination centre cities test papers, category, and gender is Rs 300 apart from the applicable difference in the application fee. JAM 2024 will take place for seven subjects, also referred to as Test Papers. The test papers include Mathematics (MA), Biotechnology (BT), Economics (EN), Chemistry (CY), Geology (GG), Mathematical Statistics (MS), and Physics (PH). English is the language of the medium for all test papers. On February 11, the exams will be conducted in two shifts 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. President Droupadi Murmu will be presenting the National Award to as many as 75 teachers today, September 5. The event will take place at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, hosted by the Department of School Education & Literacy under the Ministry of Education on Teachers Day. Each of the recipients will receive a certificate of merit, a cash prize of Rs 50,000, and a silver medal. Out of the total of 75 teachers who will be presented the National Teachers Award 2023, as many as 50 are school teachers, 13 are from higher education, and 12 are from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The purpose of National Awards to teachers is to celebrate and honour their contribution for helping improve the quality of education, the ministry of education had said. Also read| Teachers Day 2023: Wishes, Messages, Images and Quotes to Share With Your Guru on Shikshak Divas! To recognize and celebrate our teachers invaluable contributions, #NAT2023 is going to be held on 5th September 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Honble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu will confer National Awards to Teachers 2023 to 75 selected awardees, posted the Education Ministry on the microblogging platform X. To recognize and celebrate our teachers invaluable contributions, #NAT2023 is going to be held on 5th September 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Honble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu will confer National Awards to Teachers 2023 to 75 selected awardees. Stay tuned pic.twitter.com/0d9FHooTsU Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) September 4, 2023 Teachers Day is an occasion when the nation honours the profession of teaching and recognises the services and efforts of teachers towards building the future of the students. A teacher is not merely someone who gives the knowledge of subjects for clearing examinations but a teacher is also a mentor and a guide who shows the right path to his student, President Murmu had said. Also read| Teachers Day 2023: From No Work-Life Balance to Salary Cuts, a Closer Look at Teachers Lives Prime Minister Narendra Modi had interacted with the winners of the award on September 4. The PM appreciated the efforts of teachers in nurturing the young minds of the country. He also highlighted the importance of good teachers and the role they can play in shaping the destiny of the country. Modi requested the teachers to celebrate the culture and diversity of different parts of the country in their schools. The online application process for Senior Scale Stenographer, Junior Scale Stenographer and Steno typist posts has been started by the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board (PSSSB). Eligible candidates willing to apply can visit the official website of PSSSB at sssb.punjab.gov.in and apply for the same. Candidates should note that the last date for the submission of the application form is September 25. However, the applicants can submit their application fee by September 27. Furthermore, it is to be noted that the PSSSB recruitment drive is being conducted to fill a total of 70 vacancies in the department. Among the offered seats, 2 vacancies are for Senior Scale Stenographer, 1 vacancy is for the post of Junior Scale Stenographer, and 67 vacancies are reserved for the Steno-typist. PSSSB Recruitment 2023: Eligibility Criteria Age limit: Candidates applying for the post must be between the age cap of 18 years and 37 years, as on January 1, 2023. However, for reserved category candidates, upper age limit relaxations are applicable. Educational Qualification: Applicants willing to apply must possess a Bachelors Degree in any discipline from a recognised University or Institution. He/she must also have passed a 120-hour course with hands-on experience in the use of Personal Computer or Information Technology in Office Productivity Applications or Desktop Publishing Applications from a Government-recognised institution or a reputed institution that is ISO 9001 certified to qualify for the posts. Otherwise, the candidate must have qualified for a Computer Information Technology course equivalent to an O level certificate of the Department of Electronic Accreditation of Computer Course (in short DOEACC) of the Government of India. An applicant must also have a qualified Matriculation exam or equivalent in the Punjabi language. PSSSB Recruitment 2023: Application Fee General and Unreserved category candidates are required to pay an application fee of Rs 1000. Candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste/Backward Class and Economically Weaker Section categories are eligible to pay Rs 250. Moreover, Ex-Servicemen and Dependents should pay a fee of Rs 200. PSSSB Recruitment 2023: Heres How To Apply Step 1: Candidates are advised to visit the official portal of PSSSB at sssb.punjab.gov.in. Step 2: Go to the Applications tab on the homepage Step 3: Once done, fill out the application form Step 4: Upload all the required documents as directed and pay the prescribed fee Step 5: Then, hit submit and download the form for future reference In case of any additional related details, candidates are advised to visit the official portal of PSSSB at sssb.punjab.gov.in. A holiday has been declared across schools and colleges in Hyderabad today due to heavy rains. The announcement came minutes before schools were to open today, September 5. All educational institutions in Hyderabad will remain shut today, the collector of Hyderabad announced. Further, several schools are slated to celebrate Teachers Day today. Important Announcement: In light of the heavy rainfall forecast in Hyderabad, the government has declared today a holiday for all educational institutions in Hyderabad. Stay indoors and stay safe, posted the collector of Hyderabad on microblogging platform X. Important Announcement: In light of the heavy rainfall forecast in Hyderabad, the government has declared today a holiday for all educational institutions in Hyderabad. Stay indoors and stay safe@TelanganaCMO @TelanganaCS @YadavTalasani Collector_HYD (@Collector_HYD) September 5, 2023 The decision to close schools and colleges today, however, came at the last moment with several users of X slamming the government for the same. Just minutes before school opening From an unverified account..Shame #ResignkTR, posted one user. Too late. GHMC is taking faster decisions than the Education department & CMO, posted another. (sic) Another user said the announcement should have been made earlier. This announcement must have come a bit earlier. Most of the kids would have already left for the school by the time your announcement came. Wish we were little proactive. (sic) Schools in Hyderabad were closed last week too. All educational institutes were closed on August 29 and 30 to conduct the TSPC Group 2 Service Recruitment examination. The District Educational Officers were requested by the Secretary of TSPC to declare a holiday as they identified several schools to conduct the exam. Furthermore, several schools in India are expected to be closed on September 6 or 7 for Janmashtami, September 19 for Ganesh Chaturthi, and September 28 for Milad un-Nabi or Id-e-Milad. Additionally, schools in Delhi will also remain closed from September 8 to 10 due to the G20 Summit. Schools in Delhi will be closed from September 8 to 10 in order to support the event and manage traffic congestion. This provides school students with the opportunity to observe the countrys involvement in global events. TEACHERS DAY 2023: Every year on September 5, India commemorates Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnans birth anniversary as National Teachers Day, or Shikshak Diwas, to honour his contributions and achievements. Dr. Radhakrishnan served as Indias second President as well as its first vice President. He was also a scholar, a philosopher, and a recipient of the Bharat Ratna. ALSO READ: Happy Teachers Day 2023: Shikshak Divas Wishes, Messages, Quotes and Images for Your Guru & Mom When Dr. Radhakrishnan was elected President of India in 1962, a few students asked him whether they might celebrate his birthday. Dr. Radhakrishnan, on the other hand, requested that they observe it as Teachers Day instead. Therefore, this day started being observed, and for decades, students across the nation have taken this opportunity to recognise the educators contribution to society. ALSO READ: Teachers Day 2023: History, Significance, Traditions, Messages, and More Teachers are the backbone of preparing young minds for a better future. Teachers Day is an excellent occasion to express your gratitude to your teachers, to remind them of how they motivated you to succeed in life and to imbibe the wise words of the late scholar and leader. ALSO READ: 25 Wishes, Messages, Images, Quotes and WhatsApp Greetings to Share on Teachers Day 2023 On Teachers Day 2023, here are a few quotes by Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan that will inspire: TEACHERS DAY 2023: Since 1962, India has observed Teachers Day on September 5 to commemorate Dr. Radhakrishnans birthday. This day honours the renowned personality by valuing his ideals and celebrating teachers and their rights. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a prominent philosopher, a powerful speaker, Indias first vice president, and the countrys second president. He made enormous contributions to education in order to bring about positive change in the country and improve peoples lives. Here are a few lesser-known facts about the influential leader. ALSO READ: Happy Teachers Day 2023: Shikshak Divas Wishes, Messages, Quotes and Images for Your Guru & Mom Lesser-known Facts About Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan TEACHERS DAY 2023: It is rightly said that schools are like our second homes, where teachers are our guardians. The contribution of a teacher to the lives of students is something unparalleled. They not only impart lessons about subjects but also prepare the students for real-life challenges. Teachers scold us when we make mistakes but also help us identify our weaknesses and recognise our strengths, morphing us into better human beings. Celebrating the hard work and dedication of teachers, every year, the world celebrates Teachers Day on September 5. ALSO READ: Happy Teachers Day 2023: Shikshak Divas Wishes, Messages, Quotes and Images for Your Guru & Mom In India, this special occasion also commemorated the birth anniversary of former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan a renowned academic, educator, and passionate supporter of education. On the occasion of Teachers Day, let us have a look at some of the greatest teachers of India, whose wisdom and contributions are still remembered fondly by us. ALSO READ: 25 Wishes, Messages, Images, Quotes and WhatsApp Greetings to Share on Teachers Day 2023 Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a strong advocate of educating the youth in the country for a better future ahead. After pursuing a Masters degree in philosophy from Madras Christian College, Radhakrishnan started teaching students at the Madras Presidency College. The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore, Indian Philosophy, and The Reign of Religion in Contemporary Philosophy are just a few of the publications he authored on philosophy. ALSO READ: Teachers Day 2023: History, Significance, Traditions, Messages, and More Radhakrishnan made India proud speaking on behalf of the University of Calcutta at the Congress of the Universities of the British Empire in June 1926. He took part in the International Congress of Philosophy at Harvard University in September of the same year. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Despite being the President of India in 2002, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam proclaimed himself to be a teacher first before anything else. He was an honorary guest lecturer at IIM Shillong, Ahmedabad. At the presentation of the National Award to Teachers in 2004, Dr Kalam highlighted the fact that education is a process that fosters creativity. He relied on teachers to teach youths to think for themselves and solve the issues that our nation faced for a strong and independent India. WATCH: 10 Greatest Teachers Of All Time Rabindranath Tagore Although we remember Rabindranath Tagore as a respected poet, his contribution to education is in no way less significant. Tagore started a school in Shantiniketan in 1901, which is now known as Vishwabharati School. The Nobel Prize winner was dedicated to bringing people closer to nature because he thought that the natural world has much more to teach than what can be learned in a classroom or in books. Classes at his school were frequently held under the shade of trees. Savitribai Phule Savitribai Phule, who assisted in founding the first girls school in India, paved the way for other marginalized groups of society as well as girls to have access to education. Together with her husband Jyotirao Phule, she established Indias first school for females and became the countrys first female teacher in 1848. She also worked actively for the upliftment of women, standing up against gender-based violence. Swami Vivekananda Education is the manifestation of perfection already in men were the words said by Swami Vivekananda. He was the driving force behind the Ramakrishna Mission, which encouraged monks and common men to engage in philanthropic activities. He emphasised the importance of being a good human first, empowering students to deal with difficult situations and transform them into responsible citizens. Teachers Day or Shikshak Divas observed on September 5 is dedicated to showing appreciation, respect, and recognition to our educators, including our mothers. This occasion serves as an opportunity to honour those who play a pivotal role in shaping our lives through education and guidance. Teachers Day is marked on the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Indias second president. His contributions to education and philosophy earned him the posthumous honour of the Bharat Ratna, Indias highest civilian award. ALSO READ: 25 Wishes, Messages, Images, Quotes and WhatsApp Greetings to Share on Teachers Day 2023 To commemorate Shikshak Divas, educational institutions across the country organize various cultural programs and events. These activities showcase the talents of students and teachers alike, fostering a sense of unity and appreciation within the educational community. This year, lets show our Guru and Mom how much we appreciate them. Lets send them a message of thanks and gratitude. Lets let them know how much they mean to us. Teachers Day 2023 Wishes For Your Mom 1. To my dearest mother, Happy Teachers Day! You are the best teacher I could ever ask for. You have taught me so much, not just about academics, but also about life. You have always been there for me, guiding me and supporting me. I am so grateful for your love and dedication. Thank you for everything, Mom! 2. Mom, you are my first teacher. You taught me how to read, write, and count. You also taught me how to be kind, compassionate, and responsible. I am so grateful for your love and support. Happy Teachers Day! 3. Mom, you are the most amazing teacher I know. You are patient, understanding, and always willing to help. You have made learning fun and exciting for me. I am so lucky to have you as my mom. Happy Teachers Day! 4. Mom, you are my role model. You are a strong, independent woman who has achieved so much in her life. You have taught me that anything is possible if I set my mind to it. Thank you for being my inspiration. Happy Teachers Day! Mom, you are my best friend. We can talk about anything and everything. You are always there for me, no matter what. I am so lucky to have you in my life. Happy Teachers Day! WhatsApp Messages To Share On Shikshak Diwas 2023: 1. Wishing you joy and happiness. You are an amazing teacher, and you only deserve the best. 2. Happy Teachers Day! It has been an honour to get to learn so many things from you; thank you for inspiring me! We need more instructors like you in our schools and universities. 3. Teacher, you have always challenged me to work hard and get good grades. I will always remember you. Happy Teachers Day! ALSO READ: Teachers Day 2023: History, Significance, Traditions, Messages, and More 4. You are the spark, the inspiration, the guide, the candle to my life. I am deeply thankful that you are my teacher. 5. Our parents gave us life and it was you who taught us how to live it. You introduced honesty, integrity, and passion to our character. Happy Teachers Day! 6. The best teachers dont give you the answer, but they spark within you the desire to find the answer yourself. Happy Teachers Day! 7. I feel so blessed to have a teacher like you who not only pushes me towards achieving my goal but also supports me in every step. Today I celebrate you for being selfless, devoted, hardworking, and the wisest person in the classroom. I am grateful to be your student. Happy Teachers Day! 8. Not everyone has a heart of gold and such dedication but you do! Youre a truly inspiring individual who has taught so much more than simply curriculum. That is why I just wanted to let you know that your hard work, efforts, and care are much appreciated. Best wishes for this Teachers Day! 9. On this day we honour teachers like you, who give of themselves in all that they do. So thank you, my teacher, for all that you gave. I am grateful to be your student. Thank you for challenging me to be my best and instilling in me a passion for learning. Happy Teachers Day! 10. From ABCs to red, white and blue; to history and mathematics too, all I want to say is a big THANK you! Happy Teacherss Day 2023 Wishes For Your Favourite Teachers: 1. Thank you for being my teacher and my friend. You have taught me so much, and I am grateful for your guidance and support. 2. You are an inspiration to me. Thank you for showing me the power of education and the importance of never giving up on my dreams. 3. I am so lucky to have you as my teacher. You make learning fun and exciting, and you always know how to challenge me to do my best. 4. Thank you for everything you do. You are an amazing teacher, and I appreciate you more than you know. ALSO READ: Teachers Day 2023: 5 Easy, Convenient Gift Ideas to Appreciate Your Favourite Educators 5. You have taught me so much more than just the subjects I need to know. You have taught me how to think critically, solve problems, and be a better person. 6. I am so grateful for your patience and understanding. You have always been there for me, even when I was struggling. 7. You are the best teacher I could have asked for. You are kind, compassionate, and dedicated. Thank you for making a difference in my life. 8. I will never forget the lessons you have taught me. They have helped me to become the person I am today. 9. Thank you for believing in me, even when I didnt believe in myself. You have helped me to reach my full potential. 10. You are a true inspiration. You have made a difference in the lives of so many students. Thank you for everything you do. Teachers Day 2023 Quotes: 1. The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but dont tell you what to see. Margaret Mead 2. The only thing that stands between a man and his achievement is the will to try and the belief that it is actually possible. Joel Brown 3. The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you havent found it yet, keep looking. Dont settle. Steve Jobs ALSO READ: Teachers Day 2023: 10 Books by Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan to Inspire and Enlighten You 4. The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited. Plutarch 5. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandela Teachers Day 2023: Best Greetings For Your Favourite Teachers 1. Happy Teachers Day to the best teacher in the world! I am so grateful for all that you have done for me. 2. Wishing you a very happy Teachers Day! You are an inspiration to us all. 3. May your Teachers Day be filled with joy, happiness, and love. Thank you for all that you do. 4. Wishing all the teachers a very happy Teachers Day! You are the backbone of our society. WATCH: 10 Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Quotes to Live By 5. Thank you for making learning fun and exciting. Happy Teachers Day! Facebook Updates for Teachers Day 2023 1. With warm wishes on Teachers Day. Thank you for being a guiding light in our lives. 2. Happy Teachers Day to the most amazing teachers in the world! You make learning fun and exciting. 3. A big thank you to all the teachers for their hard work and dedication. Happy Teachers Day! 4. May you continue to inspire and motivate us to achieve our dreams. Happy Teachers Day! 5. Wishing all the teachers a very happy Teachers Day! You are the pillars of our society. Teachers Day 2023: How to Celebrate Shikshak Divas 2023? Chhattisgarh Assembly election dates are yet to be announced but BJP leader and former chief minister Raman Singh, who suffered a massive jolt in the 2018 Assembly elections after three consecutive terms, has turned on the campaign mode. With corruption as his main poll plank, Raman Singh has laid a number of alleged scams, allegedly running into lakhs of crores, at Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghels door. In an exclusive interview to News18, Singh, popular as Doctor Sahab in party ranks, explained that the BJP has never declared a chief ministerial face in Chhattisgarh, but questioned why the Congress has not declared its incumbent CM as its election face. Raman Singh also claimed that, as per BJPs frequent internal assessments, the saffron partys projected seat count rises after every public interaction by Baghel. In the interview, Raman Singh also accused the Congress of enabling Naxalism in the state for electoral gains. Edited excerpts: You have been one of the longest-serving BJP Chief Ministers. Will you come to power in Chhattisgarh this time? Before the BJP government was formed, Chhattisgarh was struggling with starvation and migration. We ensured that 58 lakh poor families of the state receive rice at Rs 1 per kg. Our PDS system became a benchmark for the country. But unfortunately, today, the Bhupesh Baghel government has indulged in corruption to the tune of Rs 600 crore in the same PDS scheme. Let alone in the state, they have also indulged in corruption worth Rs 5,000 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana funds coming from the Centre. Chhattisgarh used to be the only state to fulfil 14% of the countrys target in skill upgradation during the BJP rule. But today, the CGPSC (Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission) scam is unfolding here, and government jobs are being sold. Even after demonstrations by the youth, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is unmoved. In the last Assembly elections, tricked by big promises of the Congress, the public voted for them with the belief that the pace of development would be faster. But after seeing the current plight of Chhattisgarh, the state will end this misrule of the Congress. The people of the state have prepared to elect a BJP government with full majority. What is the main election issue for your party in the state this time? The BJP has 15 years of achievements in the state and nine years of achievements during PM Narendra Modis tenure at the Centre, and we will go to the public with these. The Congress is nervous. After all, what are their achievements to take to the peoples court? Coal scam worth Rs 540 crore, rice scam worth Rs 600 crore, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana scam worth Rs 5,000 crore, Gauthan scam worth Rs 1,300 crore, cow dung scam worth Rs 229 crore, CGPSC scam worth lakhs of crores to name a few. Now the ED has presented evidence that suggests that people close to the Chief Ministers Office are involved in the safe operation of the Mahadev app. No wonder, this time, the Congress is preparing its manifesto behind closed doors. Were you surprised when the BJP Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting was called so early? What was the thought process behind such an early release of names? There is no surprise if the meeting is held so early given how the BJP functions. The seats where candidates have been declared are those where the BJP did not receive the required number of votes in the last election. This time, there are many new faces projected in such constituencies. In all these seats, the candidates get more time to prepare and they can connect with the common people as much as possible. These 21 names have been announced earlier with the aim of conveying to them the vision of the Prime Minister. They will be victorious with the publics support and blessings in the days to come. When can we expect the full list? There is not much time left for the elections, so definitely the complete list will be released soon. At present, the Congress is scared of this list of 21 names and I assure you that the upcoming list will also be such that it will be recorded in the history of Chhattisgarh. For now, let the Congress recover from the pain of the first list. If we release the second list immediately, then their pain will increase further. Right now, even Bhupesh Baghel is in panic mode after knowing about the candidature of Vijay Baghel from Patan Assembly constituency because this is the same Vijay Baghel who had previously defeated him. How many seats does the BJP internal assessment say the party will win in Chhattisgarh? The BJP keeps conducting surveys from time to time and ground reports also keep coming in. Let me tell you a shocking thing the BJPs seat count is increasing after every public event by Bhupesh Baghel. After each of his interactions, the public wrath is increasing as well. Given how every section of the society has been betrayed by various scams, you can very well estimate the Congresss total number of seats in this election. There was a lot of tussle between Bhupesh Baghel and TS Singh Deo, and it still lingers on. Do you think the BJP could capitalise on it? The Congress is a dynastic party and the order of the family is supreme. Their internal squabbles have left the state in shambles in the last five years. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel did not allow 16 lakh houses of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for the public, after which TS Singh Deo resigned from the post of Panchayat Minister. With the Congress not fulfilling 36 major promises from its manifesto, TS Singh Deo has decided not to join the manifesto committee. The allegation of misappropriation of Rs 7 crore in DMF funds has been made by their partys former state president Mohan Markam. Meanwhile, MLA Shailesh Pandey says that Chhattisgarh Police should put up a rate-list (for bribes) outside police stations. Even state Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu ji has been rendered powerless and side-lined. This is the condition of the Congress in Chhattisgarh. Bhupesh Baghel recently said that the BJP has no face in the state, only CBI and ED. How do you react? In Chhattisgarh, to date, we have never contested elections by declaring a chief ministerial face. After elections, the legislative party decides its leadership within an hour. Now, as far as the statement of Baghel is concerned, he should be worried about himself. His central leadership has also clearly stated that the 2023 Assembly elections will not be fought with Bhupesh Baghel as the CM face. Rather, it will be fought under the collective leadership of the Congress party. His statement calling the ED and the CBI the face of the BJP is ridiculous and also proof of Bhupeshs double standards. This is the same Bhupesh Baghel who used to write letters to the ED requesting investigations and now questions the credibility of the same agency. His bureaucrats have been in jail for seven months. Will he now call the judiciary the face of the BJP too? We have seen the MP government announce a lot of freebies and schemes like the Ladli Behna Yojna. In Chhattisgarh, the AAP has promised 300 units of free electricity every month. Are you considering making similar promises? The BJP doesnt believe in distributing revadi (freebies). Distributing revadi while looting through corruption is not the policy of the BJP. Having said that, the Ladli Behna Yojana of Madhya Pradesh that you are referring to is very commendable. It is being run with the vision of empowering the women of the state. There is a difference in distributing freebies and bringing sections to the mainstream of development by giving support. As far as Mr (Arvind) Kejriwals promise is concerned, he has also promised to make power cuts vanish. Let me remind him that Chhattisgarh became a zero power-cut state long ago during the BJPs tenure. Is Naxalism still an election issue in the state, particularly in areas like Bastar? Naxalism in Chhattisgarh is not only an election issue, but a major problem. Today, due to the unclear and ineffective policy of the Baghel government and negligence towards the security apparatus in Naxal-affected areas, the situation is even more grim. Countless lives have been lost. But for Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, there is nothing more important than his political gain in Bastar. In the last six months, six BJP leaders have been killed and targetted killings of BJP leaders continue because Naxals know that if the BJP government comes back, they will be weakened again. The Congress is enabling Naxalism in the state. How would you rate Bhupesh Baghels tenure in the last five years on a scale of 0 to 10? I would not like to give any score to the tenure of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. But in Chhattisgarh, the way exploitations, corruption, and illegal recoveries have taken place senior officials of the CM are embroiled in gambling. They stand exposed. The misdeeds of these 40 choron ke sardar have made the people of Chhattisgarh call them do numberi now. The Congress will win more than 70 of 119 seats in the upcoming Telangana Assembly elections, party MP from Nalgonda N Uttam Kumar Reddy told News18 in an exclusive interview. Reddy, who was inducted into the Congresss Central Election Committee on Monday, added that, like in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, the Congress will not declare a chief ministerial candidate in Telangana before polls. He also declared that Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Raos national ambitions are bound to fail as only Rahul Gandhi can defeat the BJP at the national level. As you saw in Karnataka or Himachal Pradesh, the Congress does not announce the CM (face) before the elections. After the elections, the MLAs and the national leadership will decide on the candidate, Reddy, who has been a five-term MLA and member of Telangana Congress for 30 years, told News18. Talking about the upcoming Backward Classes declaration in Shadnagar, Captain Uttam Kumar Reddy, as he is fondly called by his followers in reference to his days as an Air Force pilot, said: We have been doing a series of declarations which are election assurances from the party. The main highlight of the Backward Classes declaration, to be released by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, will be the caste census. This has been a long-standing demand from backward castes, but for some reason, the Narendra Modi government has been ignoring it. Commenting on the lack of representation of Backward Classes in the first list of BRS candidates, the former president of Telangana Congress said: In their candidate list, the BRS has missed out major communities like the Mudiraj community. He expressed confidence that the Congress will win more than 70 seats in the 119-member Telangana Assembly. Reddy, however, was not sure if the party will tie up with the Left ahead of elections. So, will the Congress announce free bus rides for women in Telangana as it did in Karnataka? The assurances to be given to women have not been finalised yet. We will keep this in mind as it has been already implemented in Karnataka and received good response, Reddy said. Replying to why the Congress is not in power despite granting statehood to Telangana, the former MLA said: The credit in the public eye went to KCR. He has benefited out of it. But I am sure now, that after 10 years of misrule by the BRS, things will change. There has been high-level corruption, abuse of office, misuse of police force etc under the BRS. Public opinion is changing now. Major sections feel that they have been cheated. Before 2014 elections, KCR said that he would make a Dalit the Chief Minister. The major SC community, the Madigas, constitute 12% of the population. There is not a single minister in his cabinet from that community. He promised to give three acre of agriculture land to every Dalit and tribal family. None of these promises has been fulfilled. He promised to give 2 BHK houses to every poor eligible family. They have just given some token numbers. Is the SC/ST declaration a copy of the BRSs Dalit Bandhu Scheme? Thats not true at all. Schedule Caste and Tribes should be given reservation in proportion to their population, which is not being given now. The Congress made the big announcement that it will do that. Dalit Bandhu has not been extended to even 1% of the Dalit population. We are going to increase the amount and we are going to implement it in saturation mode so that every family is covered, Reddy said. Stating that KCRs national ambitions are bound to fail, Reddy said the BRS will be reduced from nine MPs in the Lok Sabha to three or four in the 2024 General Elections. Only Rahul Gandhi can defeat the BJP at the national level, he said. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (left) and Indonesian President Joko Widodo. (Photo: VNA) Both leaders spoke highly of the positive development in the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Indonesian since their meeting in Labuan Bajo in May. They affirmed that the two countries will step up all-level delegation exchanges in the time ahead, setting milestones for the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership in 2023 and looking towards the 70th founding anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations and the 80th anniversary of Vietnams National Day and Indonesias Independence Day in 2025. The two sides agreed to effectively optimise bilateral cooperation mechanisms and coordinate to well implement signed agreements, including bringing the signed document on maritime cooperation into effect soon, creating momentum to elevate the strategic partnership to a new height, towards a comprehensive strategic partnership in the near future. PM Chinh suggested the two countries maintain their trade ties in a more balanced way, striving to raise the bilateral trade revenue to 15 billion USD by 2028, and suggested the two governments encourage businesses of the two countries to increase investment, especially in such new areas as digital economy, green economy, energy transition and e-vehicle ecosystem development. He also called on Indonesia ease the application of trade remedy measures against Vietnamese goods, thus facilitating the access of farm produce and Halal products originating from Vietnam to the Indonesian market. The two countries should cooperate in new, strategic supply chains and enhance cooperation in the areas in which both sides are interested, he said. The PM suggested Indonesia recognise Vietnams efforts in monitoring the operations of fishing boats, and minimising illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. President Widodo welcomed PM Chinh to Indonesia to attend the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related meetings. He thanked and highly appreciated Vietnam's support for and active assistance to Indonesia's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2023. President Widodo welcomed Vietnamese businesses, including VinFast, to invest in Indonesia and promote cooperation in the development of renewable energy and electric vehicle ecosystem. The President suggested the two countries strengthen marine cooperation, and sustainable fishery cooperation and soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding on fishery cooperation. Talking about regional and international issues, PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnam supports and works closely with Indonesia to ensure the success of the 43rd ASEAN Summit and the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2023, contributing to strengthening solidarity, unity, and centrality of ASEAN and maintaining peace, stability, cooperation, and common development in the region. Regarding the East Sea issue, the two leaders reaffirmed their support for maintaining ASEAN's solidarity and agreed principles in the East Sea issue, especially the early finalisation of an effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) between ASEAN and China in line with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). PM Chinh conveyed the invitations of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Vo Van Thuong to President Widodo to visit Vietnam soon. President Widodo accepted the invitations with pleasure./. Actor Vishal Aditya Singh is ready to make a return to daily soap operas, effectively ending his break from this genre. According to the reports, his next venture will see him play the role of the protagonist in Siddharth Kumar Tewarys upcoming production, Chand Jalne Laga. This passionate and compelling love story will serve as Vishals re-entry into the world of family dramas, a comeback after a five-year interval following his notable stint on Yashvardhan Shukla-directed show, Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala, which premiered in 2018. We needed someone who could exude the intensity and passion required for this love story. Vishal seemed perfect for the part. We are currently in the process of casting the female lead. The show is expected to go on floors soon, reports TOI, quoting a source closely associated with the upcoming show. However, more details regarding the news are still pending as the actor himself has not commented or shared any statement on the matter. According to TOI, in August 2021, during a candid conversation, Vishal expressed his desire to immerse himself more in a fictional genre. He expressed that he is eager to return to acting. Having already ventured into the arena of prominent reality shows on television, he now wanted to do some fiction shows. He added that he is eagerly waiting for good scripts and promising opportunities to come his way. I have never planned what kind of role I want to do because as actors, I feel we should accept whatever comes our way. I want a challenging role where I have to work hard on my character and something that makes me happy, he said. The 35-year-old actor from Bihar is well-recognised for his roles in several acclaimed productions such as Begusarai (2015), Parshuram (2022), and Time Machine (2015). Vishal embarked on his television acting journey in 2010 when he took on the pivotal role of Avdesh Thakur in Sagar Films Bhojpuri serial titled Jai Jai Shiv Shankar, which aired on Mahuaa TV. Subsequently, in 2011, he made his Hindi TV debut in the historical drama Chandragupta Maurya, portraying the character of Shashank. It paved the way for his subsequent forays into popular daily soaps, including the much-loved Sasural Simar Ka. In 2017, he played Veerendra Pratap Singh in the fantasy series, Chandrakanta Ek Mayavi Prem Gaatha. Vishal also delved into the non-fiction sphere and participated in shows like Nach Baliye 9, Bigg Boss 13, and Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 11. Jasmin Bhasin has recalled receiving rape threats during her stint on Bigg Boss 14. The actress, who is dating her former Bigg Boss 14 co-contestant Aly Goni, revealed that things got ugly after she was evicted from the house and got rape threats from fans of another participant of the same season. In her recent interview with Hauterrfly, Jasmin Bhasin spoke at length about how the whole episode took a toll on her mental health. It was from another contestants fans. While loving someone, I dont understand how they can start hating someone because you give what you have. You give love if you have love inside you. You give hatred if you have hatred inside you that is what makes a personality. When you meet someone you feel good on the other hand when you meet another person you feel irritated. So people give what they have. I dont understand the same person who has a love for somebody else how can they have so much hatred for me? Jasmin continued, So I never understood that concept and at that time I was very tense. It made me depressed for the first time in my life. But then I realised that these people dont have any identity for sending me rape threats and calling me words that I never heard in my entire life. Nameless people who do not even have b*lls or strong spine come and show their identity and say, Oh I have commented, I dont like you. If they have guts, they should openly say it. Meanwhile, Jasmins actor-boyfriend Aly recently shared a series of photos from his Thailand trip with her. Aly Goni and Jasmin Bhasin have a huge fan base. Admirers of the Telly couple lovingly address them as JasLy. The duo also runs a vlog on YouTube where they often share details about their personal lives. New Delhi is set to host the G20 Summit where leaders from across 20 largest economies are expected to attend key meetings this week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said G20 in India will be historic this year as over 40 world leaders are expected to be part of the summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10. US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are among the G20 leaders who have already confirmed their participation in the G20 Summit. Whats the G20 Summit about? The G20 or the Group of Twenty is an annual summit of the influential grouping of 20 countries, that represent around 85 percent of the global GDP, over 75 percent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. The G20 countries meet every year and the summit is the culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials and civil society groups. The leaders of G20 countries adopt a G20 Leaders Declaration at the conclusion of the summit stating their commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon the conclusions arrived at the meetings. Which are the G20 Countries? The grouping comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU). G-7 is an older group and comprises of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, US and Canada. While the group first met in 1975 to discuss oil crisis, Canada joined a year later in 1976. This year, in India, the summit will also be attended by some guest countries including Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, UAE, Oman, Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, and Nigeria. What will be the key agenda of G20? Earlier the G20 countries would meet to discuss economics and finance. However, the issues have broadened to include climate change, sustainable energy, international-debt forgiveness and taxing multinational corporations. Last year, the Ukraine War dominated the agenda in Bali, Indonesia. Under Indias presidency, the bloc has centred discussions around more loans to developing nations from multilateral institutions, reforming international debt architecture, regulations on cryptocurrency and the impact of geopolitical uncertainties on food and energy security. India also intends to focus on the following issues: Green Development, Climate Finance and LiFE (Low-carbon Technologies for Fighting Epidemics) Accelerated, Inclusive and Resilient Growth Accelerating Progress on Sustainable Development Goals Technological Transformation and Digital Public Infrastructure Multilateral Institutions for the 21st Century Women-led Development The summit also provides an opportunity for one-to-one discussions among world leaders apart from the group sessions. The White House has said that US President Joe Biden will talk to world leaders about tackling climate change, Ukraine war and getting global organisations such as the World Bank to do more to fight poverty. It also announced that Joe Biden will have a bilateral meeting with PM Narendra Modi on September 8 on the sidelines of the meeting. Challenges for India When the G20 leaders meet this weekend in New Delhi India will have to tackle several challenges including: divisions among countries over Russias war in Ukraine, discussion on food security, debt distress and global cooperation on climate change. The head of state of China and Russia will be missing this year and Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putins absence suggest that the two nations are likely to join any consensus. India will also try to break an impasse over a deal that allowed the safe export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. New Delhi has also proposed increasing lending by multilateral banks to developing countries. The biggest challenge would be to arrive at a consensus and issue a joint communique, amid rivalry between India and China; and division between the West and developing nations on the Ukraine war. Climate change goals had also divided developed and developing countries in July meetings of the group and officials said the positions are not likely to change at the summit. There has been a growing speculation that the Indian government will bring a resolution to change the countrys official name to Bharat during the special session of Parliament this month. The Congress and the opposition alliance has hit out at the government over the possible change of name while the BJP leaders have come in support of renaming the country as Bharat. Amid the development, lets take a look at the origins of the word Bharat, its historical significance and etymology: Etymology of Bharat The word Bharata is a Sanskrit word and is derived from the root bhru, which means to provide for, to be maintained or the one who protects. From this root Bhrata (Brother), the word Bharata has evolved and it means the same as Bhrata. The word Bharata (Bharada, Bharha) meant the land which cherishes and provides. ALSO READ | 9 Countries That Changed Their Names and Why: Explained Amid India Likely to be Renamed Bharat King Bharata was the protector of the earth and the cherisher of the people. Hence the country getting name after him was natural as the land also fulfills and supports the meaning that the word Bharat" has. According to some reports, the word Bharat is the Sanskrit word for the original name of the country was Bharad" or Bharah", which is from Prakrit language. The words Bharad" or Bharah" are mentioned in the Kharvela and Wai inscriptions and Jain records. Origin of Bharat The word Bharat has references in the Mahabharata and the Puranas, where the country was referred to as Bharatvarsh." The Puranas describe Bharat as a geographical area lying between the oceans in the south and the Himalayas in the North. However, the Puranas also mention that land was politically divided land into several smaller territories. This country is known as Bharatvarsha since the times the father entrusted the kingdom to the son Bharata and he himself went to the forest for ascetic practices," an excerpt of Vishnu Purana reads. The term Bharat has been in use since millenniums and the term also appears in Jain and Hindu mythologies as Bharat Varsh", region of Bharata. However, the most popular mythology behind the name Bharat goes back to the time of the Great Emperor Bharata who was the ruler of the whole subcontinent. All About King Bharat The great King Bharata was the son of Queen Shakuntala and King Dushyant. It is also said that he was the ancestor of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. He was said to be a great Emperor who conquered and reigned over the whole Indian sub-continent, which was called Bharatvarsha and spread from the Himalayas to the sea. King Bharat, a descendant of the Lunar Dynasty of the Kshatriya Varna, conquered all of the country and united it into a single rule which was named after him as Bharatavarsha." Bharat in Rigveda The Rigveda mentions a mighty tribe Bharat, which was ruled by King Sudasa. The scripture mentions a war known as Dasharajnya or the war of ten kings which was fought between the ten powerful tribes to overthrow King Sudasa of the Bharata tribe. The mighty battle took place on the banks of the river Ravi in Punjab. Though the Bharata tribe was outnumbered still King Sudasa won the battle due to his highly advanced military skill and established his power throughout the subcontinent. King Sudasa became very popular and people started identifying themselves as members of the Bharata. The name Bharata remained in history and the country began to be referred to as the land of Bharata. The word Bharat also has references in Jainism and according to the Jain theory, the country was named after Bharat Chakravarti, the eldest son of First Jain Tirthankar and it is said that it is solely gift of Jainism. Manchester Uniteds Brazilian winger Antony has released a statement defending himself against the accusations of domestic violence by former girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin. Cavallin has alleged that she was punched and headbutted by the winger in a Manchester hotel room, the day after United got the better of archrivals Manchester City 2-1 back in January, and also claimed that the alleged incident resulted in a cut to her head. Cavallin also alleged that she suffered a cut finger in an attempt to safeguard herself from a projectile glass cup aimed at her by the Brazilian. The influencer and DJ, also alleged that the 23-year-old threatened to attack her while she was with child, and also that she was the subject of attack on a number of occasions by the winger between June last year and May this year. The Brazilian stars former girlfriend registered a report, accusing Antony of domestic violence, threat and bodily injury, with Sao Paulo Civil Police in June, and another complaint with Greater Manchester Police. Chief Coordinator of Indias G20 Presidency, Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Tuesday said that the fact that the country can host this mega summit, shows how far it has come in terms of confidence in itself. Speaking at CNN-News18s G20 Town Hall, Shringla added that in the last 10 years, the respect with which India is received on any global platform has grown tremendously. India has come a long way, Shringla said, adding, that the fact that we are able to host this mega event shows a sense of confidence in the country. We are hosting the presidents and prime ministers of the most influential countries in the world, and this shows a sense of growing capabilities of the country, Shringla said. Speaking on how Indias perception has changed globally, Shringla said, that one discernable change that is seen in the recent years is the respect with which India is received. Indians today are far more respected in any part of the world then they were 10 years ago and it comes because we have achieved what we have, Shringla highlighted. Speaking about Indias economic journey, Shringla said, ten years ago, we were the 10th largest economy, today we are fifth, and in a few years we will be the third largest one in the world. He also said that India was also the fastest growing economy, with the largest working population and a younger demography. In many senses we are the cutting-edge of innovation and technology and all of this has earned us respect, Shringla added. Commenting on Indias current foreign policy, Shringla said we have engaged with the world and have consciously created a foreign policy that is based on human-centric globalization as opposed to GDP-centric one. Speaking on a happy memory associated with the G20 under Indias presidency, he said that all the initial events of the summit were held in northeastern states and that this was very remarkable. Whether Mizoram, or Manipur, G20 events were held in all of these capitals, and everyone came up to expectations and successfully conducted these, he said. There was huge participation and eagerness seen in the public, Shringla said, adding that the people of northeast took this as an opportunity and beautifully utilized it. As the much-anticipated G20 Summit is just around the corner, CNN-News18s G20 Town Hall,highlighed Indias growing influence in geopolitics and will bring leaders and policy makers to discuss the countrys role in the current global arena on Tuesday evening. G20 IN NEW DELHI The G20 Leaders Summit will be held on September 9-10 at the Bharat Mandapam convention centre, previously Pragati Maidan, and some other vital locations. India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1, 2022, and since then a large number of meetings under different tracks of the bloc have been hosted across the country, which will culminate in the September 9-10 Summit in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the Business 20 (B20) Summit India 2023, the official G20 dialogue forum with the global business community, in Delhi on Sunday. The group of G20 countries comprises 19 nations including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, United Kingdom, United States and the European Union. US President Joe Biden has tested negative for Covid-19 and will travel to India on Thursday to attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi, the White House said on Tuesday. The US president will also have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The announcement comes a day after First Lady Jill Biden tested positive for coronavirus on Monday. Biden will also be abiding by the CDC guidelines, and will only remove his mask when he is socially distanced from others. #WATCH | On Thursday, the President will travel to New Delhi in India to attend the G20 Leaders summit. On Friday, President Biden will participate in a bilateral with Indias Prime Minister Modi. Sunday, the President will participate in official sessions of G20 summit, pic.twitter.com/wuh04cVwIX ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023 The US President will travel to India on Thursday to attend the G20 Summit, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told a press conference at the White House. President Biden will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi. Biden will participate in the official sessions of the G20 Summit on Saturday and Sunday, he added. At the G20 Summit, Biden will call for a just and durable peace for Ukraine, the White House said. India, President of the G20, will host global leaders for the Summit scheduled to take place on September 9 and 10 in New Delhi. During the Summit, Biden will commend Modi for his leadership of the G20, the White House said. On Saturday (September 9) and Sunday (September 10), the President will participate in the G20 summit, where he and G20 partners will discuss a range of joint efforts to tackle global issues, including the clean energy transition and combatting climate change. They will also mitigate the economic and social impacts of Russian President Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine, and increase the capacity of multilateral development banks, including the World Bank, to better fight poverty, including by addressing global challenges, the White House said. While in New Delhi, the President will also commend Prime Minister Modis leadership of the G20 and reaffirm the US commitment to the G20 as the premier forum of economic cooperation, including by hosting it in 2026, it said. The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the worlds major developed and developing economies. The members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade and about two-thirds of the world population. Biden will travel to Hanoi, Vietnam on September 10. While in Hanoi, the President will meet with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other key leaders to discuss ways to further deepen cooperation between the United States and Vietnam, it said. With agency inputs Despite a request from the chief justice of the Allahabad High Court, the members of the courts bar association have decided to abstain from judicial work on Tuesday. According to a press release issued by the High Court Bar Association, an emergency meeting of the lawyers body was called on Monday night where the members expressed their anger as no action has been taken against the guilty in an incident of police lathi-charge on lawyers in Hapur. It was decided that they would abstain from judicial work on Tuesday as well. On Monday, A bench of Chief Justice Pratinkar Dewakar and Justice M C Tripathi told the lawyers that courts would start functioning from Tuesday and requested them to resume work. The additional advocate general informed the court that in view of the lawyers demand, retired district judge Hari Nath Pandey has been appointed as the chairman of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) looking into the Hapur incident. The court also asked the authorities concerned not to take any coercive action against any lawyer, whether named or not in the incident. On the lawyers demand for a transfer of the officials concerned, the court said it cannot pass an order in this regard at this stage as the SIT report is awaited. The State Bar Council, at an emergency meeting convened on Sunday, called upon lawyers across Uttar Pradesh to continue the strike till September 6. Manoj Jarange, a resident of Antravli-Sarati village in Ambad tehsil of Jalna district, is Maharashtras new face of the Maratha reservation fight. Amid the power struggle in Maharashtra for more than three years, the reservation issue was on the backburner. The issue reached the high court and apex court during the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aaghadi (MVA) government, where the matter is still pending. ALSO READ | Maratha Protesters Started Jalna Violence, Had to Resort to Lathicharge to Control Them: Police However, Jarange felt the state government must take steps to help the Maratha youth. He protested in August, which Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde took note of. However, with no firm assurance from the state government, he restarted his protest, a fast-unto-death, in Jalna on August 29. On September 1, as his health started to deteriorate and he refused to break his fast, the local administration tried to convince him to get admitted to hospital, but Jarange refused. The tussle between his supporters and local police took a violent turn, as the police claimed the crowd attacked them, after which they had to lathicharge to control the crowd. Students, women and elders, along with policemen, suffered serious injuries. The political drama surrounding the incident has put the ruling Mahayuti government in a huddle and reignited the reservation issue. WHO IS MANOJ JARANGE? Jarange has been working as an activist for the cause of Maratha reservation since 2011. He was part of various Maratha community movements. He hails from Beeds Matori village, but a few years ago, he settled in Ankushnagar in Ambad tehsil of Jalna district. He hailed from lower middle class family, but took up the issue due to his passion for social work. Jarange also sold his farm land to raise funds for the Maratha reservation movement. He has a wife and four children, three brothers and parents, who stay together in Jalna. An active member of the Congress earlier, he later parted ways and started his own outfit, Shivba, under which he worked aggressively in Marathwada for Maratha reservation and other social issues. There were allegations against Shivba that they attacked the accused of Kopardi rape and murder. HELD 35 MARCHES FOR MARATHA RESERVATION Jarange has held many silent protest marches and conducted many programmes for awareness on the reservation issue. ALSO READ | Sharad Pawar Rubbing Salt in the Wounds of Marathas: Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) on Jalna Lathicharge In 2014, he held a huge march to the office of the Aurangabad Divisional Commissionerate. In 2021, he led a three-month protest in Jalna district. So far, he has held more than 35 marches and agitations for Maratha reservation. Did you know that democratic ethos existed in Bharat over thousands of years since 6000 BCE? That Akbar was the understanding monarch"; Chhatrapati Shivaji left a legacy of loktantra"; and Emperor Ashoka had elections of ministers every five years? Or how a free India prides itself on peaceful transition of power through 17 national elections and over 400 state elections? Even Ramayana and Mahabharata have elements of democracy as Lord Ram was chosen as king by his father after approval of a council of ministers and consultations. ALSO READ | Classes With News18: India Takes Centre Stage With G20 Presidency, Insights into Selection Process Foreign delegates arriving in India for meetings under the G20 presidency may be told about it through two booklets Bharat, The Mother of Democracy and Elections in India A comparative View of 1951-52 and 2019 elections which have been reviewed by News18. Elections happened, and keep happening like clockworkthe democratic ethos has been a part of the people for millennia," the booklets uploaded on the G20 official website recently say. SHIVAJI, AKBAR AND ASHOKA The booklet cites how Chhatrapati Shivaji was a proponent of governance where representatives were aware of their duties and people enjoyed equal rights and how Shivajis legacy of loktantra" by people was taken forward by his successors. The booklet describes how Shivaji appointed eight ministers, who represented his governance through decentralisation, and states that even the king could not overrule their counsel. It also describes Akbar as the understanding monarch", whose democratic thinking was unusual and way ahead of his time", as he believed good administration should embrace everyones welfare, and that was the kind of democracy he practised. ALSO READ | Opinion | Indias G20 Presidency Stands Out as a Peoples Presidency Akbar introduced the doctrine of Sulh-i-Kul i.e. universal peace, as a tool against religious discrimination. He abolished jizyah, a tax levied on non-Muslims. To create a harmonious society, he propounded a new syncretic religion known as Din-i-ilahi or divine faitha group of nine wise people, known as navratna, served as his counsellors, while implementing his pro-people schemes," the booklet says. The booklet also cites how peoples welfare was the front and the centre" of Emperor Ashokas policies in 265-238 BCE and he, in fact, began systematic election of ministers every five years. Ashokas ideologies of peace, welfare and universal brotherhood are preserved in the form of his edicts across the Indian subcontinent even today and the national emblem of India is from Ashokas capital, serving as a constant reminder of democracy in India," the booklet says. Embedding culture at the heart of policy-making!On Day 2, #G20India delegates continued to engage in finalising the outcome document that aims to accelerate progress on the four priority areas of the WG. They also immersed themselves in Indias spiritual heritage by witnessing pic.twitter.com/1OyxWBJ0Tb G20 India (@g20org) August 25, 2023 LORD RAMA AND YUDHISHTHIRA The booklet cites democratic elements, even in the times of Ramayana and Mahabharata, saying governance for the welfare of people was the central feature of all thought in India since time immemorial. Nothing epitomises this better than the Ramayanawhen the ancient kingdom of Ayodhya needed a new king, the old King Dashratha sought the approval of his council of ministers and peoples representatives. They unanimously confirmed Rama as the peoples choice after detailed consultations with all sections of society," says the booklet, adding the king was chosen by his people. It also mentions that in Mahabharata, the dying patriarch, Bhishma, told his grand-nephew, Yudhishthira, the canons of good governance. The essence of a kings dharma is to secure his subjects prosperity and happiness," the booklet says. ELECTING RULERS It also cites how Krishnadeva Raya ruled Vijayanagar in south India in 14-16th CE on the principle of participative governance, while ancient Indian scriptures like the Rigveda spoke of equality, which is the soul of democracy. The booklet also cites inscriptions on the walls of a temple in Uthiramerur in south India made by ruler Parantaka Chola 1 thousands of years ago as testimony to the practice of democratic elections and local self-governance in 919 CE. ALSO READ | Travelling to Delhi Airport, Rly Station During G20 Summit? Check Routes to Take/Avoid, Metro Lines & More | FAQ The document also cites how in the ninth century, King Gopala was elected by the people to replace an unfit ruler and this is recorded in the Khalimpur copperplate inscriptions. There are numerous historical references of people choosing their Kings. Rudradaman 1, King Kharevala and even the pillar of Samudragupta of Indias golden Gupta-era at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh mention similar principles," the booklet says, emphasising the power to choose and change" that Indians enjoyed in history. People watch performance at a music festival in Arxan of Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 2, 2023. Arxan, located at the southwestern foot of the Dahinggan Mountains and at the intersection of four major grasslands, is an increasingly popular tourist destination. The tourism market in Inner Mongolia is booming in 2023. From January to July, the region received 124 million domestic tourists, achieving record tourism revenue of 176.22 billion yuan (24.48 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan) A cyclist takes pictures in front of the train station of Arxan in Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 1, 2023. Arxan, located at the southwestern foot of the Dahinggan Mountains and at the intersection of four major grasslands, is an increasingly popular tourist destination. The tourism market in Inner Mongolia is booming in 2023. From January to July, the region received 124 million domestic tourists, achieving record tourism revenue of 176.22 billion yuan (24.48 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan) This photo taken on Aug. 31, 2023 shows the scenery of a rainbow in Arxan of Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Arxan, located at the southwestern foot of the Dahinggan Mountains and at the intersection of four major grasslands, is an increasingly popular tourist destination. The tourism market in Inner Mongolia is booming in 2023. From January to July, the region received 124 million domestic tourists, achieving record tourism revenue of 176.22 billion yuan (24.48 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Lian Zhen) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 31, 2023 shows the scenery of Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) in Arxan of Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Arxan, located at the southwestern foot of the Dahinggan Mountains and at the intersection of four major grasslands, is an increasingly popular tourist destination. The tourism market in Inner Mongolia is booming in 2023. From January to July, the region received 124 million domestic tourists, achieving record tourism revenue of 176.22 billion yuan (24.48 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Lian Zhen) Villager Dong Yali displays willow wares at Xikou Village in Arxan of Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 2, 2023. Arxan, located at the southwestern foot of the Dahinggan Mountains and at the intersection of four major grasslands, is an increasingly popular tourist destination. The tourism market in Inner Mongolia is booming in 2023. From January to July, the region received 124 million domestic tourists, achieving record tourism revenue of 176.22 billion yuan (24.48 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) Villagers pack special local products for express deliveries at Xikou Village in Arxan of Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 2, 2023. Arxan, located at the southwestern foot of the Dahinggan Mountains and at the intersection of four major grasslands, is an increasingly popular tourist destination. The tourism market in Inner Mongolia is booming in 2023. From January to July, the region received 124 million domestic tourists, achieving record tourism revenue of 176.22 billion yuan (24.48 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) A man sings at a night market in downtown Arxan of Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Aug. 31, 2023. Arxan, located at the southwestern foot of the Dahinggan Mountains and at the intersection of four major grasslands, is an increasingly popular tourist destination. The tourism market in Inner Mongolia is booming in 2023. From January to July, the region received 124 million domestic tourists, achieving record tourism revenue of 176.22 billion yuan (24.48 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) This aerial photo taken on Aug. 31, 2023 shows scenery of the national forest park in Arxan of Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Arxan, located at the southwestern foot of the Dahinggan Mountains and at the intersection of four major grasslands, is an increasingly popular tourist destination. The tourism market in Inner Mongolia is booming in 2023. From January to July, the region received 124 million domestic tourists, achieving record tourism revenue of 176.22 billion yuan (24.48 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Lian Zhen) Tourists take pictures at a resort in Arxan of Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 1, 2023. Arxan, located at the southwestern foot of the Dahinggan Mountains and at the intersection of four major grasslands, is an increasingly popular tourist destination. The tourism market in Inner Mongolia is booming in 2023. From January to July, the region received 124 million domestic tourists, achieving record tourism revenue of 176.22 billion yuan (24.48 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan) Tourists watch a float parade at downtown Arxan in Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 1, 2023. Arxan, located at the southwestern foot of the Dahinggan Mountains and at the intersection of four major grasslands, is an increasingly popular tourist destination. The tourism market in Inner Mongolia is booming in 2023. From January to July, the region received 124 million domestic tourists, achieving record tourism revenue of 176.22 billion yuan (24.48 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) This photo taken on Aug. 31, 2023 shows a sika deer at a deer park in Arxan of Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Arxan, located at the southwestern foot of the Dahinggan Mountains and at the intersection of four major grasslands, is an increasingly popular tourist destination. The tourism market in Inner Mongolia is booming in 2023. From January to July, the region received 124 million domestic tourists, achieving record tourism revenue of 176.22 billion yuan (24.48 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan) This aerial photo taken on Sept. 2, 2023 shows the scenery of Xikou Village in Arxan of Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Arxan, located at the southwestern foot of the Dahinggan Mountains and at the intersection of four major grasslands, is an increasingly popular tourist destination. The tourism market in Inner Mongolia is booming in 2023. From January to July, the region received 124 million domestic tourists, achieving record tourism revenue of 176.22 billion yuan (24.48 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) Editor: GSY The societys housekeeping staffer, who was arrested for allegedly killing the 23-year-old air hostess by slitting her throat inside her flat in Mumbais Marol area, had reportedly changed his clothes after the murder, washed bloodstains off his uniform before leaving the building two hours after the crime. The deceased, identified as Rupal Ogrey, hailed from Chhattisgarh and came to Mumbai in April for training with Air India. Police arrested 40-year-old Vikram Athwal, Ogreys residential societys garbage collection staffer, less than 12 hours after the body was discovered on Sunday night in her flat at NG Complex on Krishanlal Marwah Marg in Marol. Though Ogreys dead body was discovered in a semi-naked state, police has not confirmed the sexual assault motive. However, forensic experts have preserved her visceral samples for further analysis, according to a report by Times of India. Fresh Wounds on Accuseds Body The police team investigating the murder of the flight attendant, reportedly, zeroed down on Athwal as accused based on the fresh injury marks on his neck and hands and the CCTV footage that showed him leaving the society two hours after the crime, not in his uniform, but another set of clothes. Athwal said he entered the flat to clean it. He left it around noon but did not step out of the building for two hours. After committing the crime, he washed the bloodstains off his uniform, changed his clothes, left the building around 1:30 p.m., and went directly to his Tunga village home in Powai. He reported to work on Monday when he was nabbed, the TOI report quoted a Powai police officer as saying. After the crime was reported, police scanned through the buildings CCTV footage and the guest log book and scanned through all the people who visited the society. The CCTV footage revealed that on Sunday, Athwal reported to work in his uniform but left the building in another set of clothes, according to the TOI report. His involvement was confirmed after we found fresh injury marks on his neck and hands. He confessed to leaving the building after changing his clothes, said a police officer. The accused does not have a criminal history and is a married man with two children. His wife also works in the same building as domestic help. Police is yet to zero down on the motive of the crime. The case After Ogrey did not pick up calls from her family, they contacted their local friends in Mumbai and asked them to check on her. When the familys friends went there, they found the flat was locked from inside and no one responded to the doorbell. Later, they contacted the police and with their help opened the flat using a duplicate key. Inside, the woman was found lying with her throat slit. She was immediately rushed to Rajawadi Hospital where she was declared dead before admission. Alex Ellis, the British High Commissioner to India on Tuesday vehemently opposed attacks by extremists on the Indian embassy and said the Khalistani extremism is not just an India problem but a United Kingdom problem as well. He added that while the UK government can allow protests, it would tolerate extremism and attacks on embassies in any form. Ellis was speaking at CNN-News18s G20 Town Hall where he addressed a question on a recent attack on the Indian Embassy in London by some pro-Khalistani extremists and said the rising extremism against any country is the UK governments concern foremost concern. #CNNNews18Townhall | Khalistani extremism is a UK problem, to have radicalised youth in UK attack other country's embassy is not okay. No place for extremism: Alex Ellis (@AlexWEllis), British High Commissioner to India#G20SummitDelhi #G20Summit2023 | @Zakka_Jacob pic.twitter.com/hau4FiBPXh News18 (@CNNnews18) September 5, 2023 Protests are legal but extremism in any form in the UK is a problem for us, including the Khalistani extremism. It is not an Indian problem but a UK problem. We dont believe it is okay to attack embassies, Ellis said In March, the High Commission of India in London was attacked by a group of about 50 persons, who committed criminal trespass, caused disrespect to the Indian National flag, damage to public property and injuries to officials of the Indian embassy. At the time, the UK government strongly condemned any direct attack on the High Commission of India in London, deeming such actions completely unacceptable. In another such incident, the tricolour flying atop the Indian High Commission in the UKs capital was grabbed at by the protesters chanting pro-Khalistan slogans. India then summoned the British Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi for an explanation over the complete absence of security. The Ministry of External Affairs in its statement had said that India finds unacceptable the indifference of the UK government to the security of Indian diplomatic premises and personnel. British High Commissioner on Economic Fugitives On being asked about the delay in extradition of economic fugitives like Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya, despite clearing all the necessary legal processes, Ellis said In case of economic fugitive, our former PM Boris Johnson said in many cases such as Mallyas, the government has cleared the extradition order but their our other proceedings that take time and our different for every case. He said the UK government is committed to cooperating in such matters and is dedicated to tackling the issue of economic fugitives diligently and in many cases, the government has to wait for court approvals. Nirav Modi, a diamond merchant, and Vijay Mallya, the former Kingfisher Airlines head, both fled to the UK after they were found to be involved in different major financial scams. Recently, British Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said that the government will not let the UK become a place where criminals can evade justice and hide. While Modi was arrested in London in March 2019 and has been fighting extradition to India ever since, Mallya, who fled to the UK in March 2016, is wanted in India over a default of Rs 9,000 crore. Tugendhat said that the UK government is committed to extraditing fugitives to face justice and that it is working closely with the Indian government on the cases of Modi and Mallya. A plea in Supreme Court on Tuesday, challenging Lok Sabha secretariat notification that reinstated former Congress president Rahul Gandhi as the Member of Parliament. The plea said that once a lawmaker loses his office by operation of law, he cant be reinstated as an MP until he is acquitted of the charges. One more question for kind consideration of this Honble Court is as to whether the notification regarding loss of membership of a convicted legislator will be notified by chairman/speaker of the House concerned or it is the domain of the Election Commission of India, the plea further stated. The Lok Sabha membership of Gandhi was restored in August, days after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction by a Gujarat court in a defamation case. Gandhi was accorded a warm welcome by Congress and other opposition MPs on his arrival in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi, whose father, grandmother and great-grandfather were prime ministers, was convicted in March in a case brought by a BJP lawmaker over 2019 comments deemed insulting to Modi and others with the same name, including the lawmaker. Upon his conviction, Gandhi, 53, lost his parliamentary seat and was jailed for two years but granted bail. The Supreme Court recently suspended the conviction, allowing the senior Congress to return to Parliament and contest next years elections. I have returned to Parliament after paying my respects to Bapu, Gandhi later posted on Facebook, referring to Mahatma Gandhi as father. Lawmakers from Congress and other opposition parties gathered outside Parliaments entrance to cheer Gandhi and their new alliance called INDIA, or the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. The alliance is making plans to run against the BJP in national elections due by May 2024. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the decision to reinstate Gandhi brings relief to the people of India, and especially to Wayanad, his constituency in the southern state of Kerala. (With inputs from Reuters) Janmashtami, also known as Gokulashtami, is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna. According to the Hindu calendar, Lord Krishna is believed to have been born at midnight on the eighth day, known as Ashtami, in the sacred month of Shravana. As per Panchang, Krishna Janmashtami is scheduled to occur on September 6 of this year. The Asthami tithi, which marks the eighth day, will commence at 3:37 PM on September 6 and conclude at 4:14 PM on September 7. Lord Krishna bhog typically consists of a variety of sweet and savory dishes, all of which are said to be among Krishnas favourites. ALSO READ: Happy Krishna Janmashtami 2023: 75 Wishes, Messages, Images, Quotes and WhatsApp Greetings in English and Hindi to Share on Gokulashtami! On the occasion of Janmashtami, we have created a list of things that people should offer according to their zodiac signs: ARIES: MARCH 21- APRIL 19 Aries individuals can offer sugar and pomegranate to Lord Krishna. Additionally, you can adorn the idol of Lord Krishna with a red cloth, as this can bring fulfilment of their wishes and also lead to the blessings of the Lord. TAURUS: APRIL 20- MAY 20 Taurus individuals can offer butter to Lord Krishna. You can also consider offering coconut ladoos and other white sweets. This gesture is believed to bring good health and blessings from the Lord. GEMINI: MAY 21- JUNE 21 For Geminis, its recommended to offer pure ghee and cows milk curd to Lord Krishna. You can also decorate Lord Krishna with leaves, peacock feathers, green clothes, and offer green fruits. This may bring happiness and improvements in both your professional and personal life. ALSO READ: Janmashtami 2023: 4 Zodiac Signs That Have a Natural Connection with Lord Krishna! CANCER: JUNE 22- JULY 22 Individuals of this zodiac sign are advised to offer milk, butter, and bananas to the Lord Krishna. Decorating the deity in white and silver colours is also recommended. These offerings are believed to bring the blessings of Lord Krishna and promote better health. For those seeking to have children, offering saffron-infused milk is suggested, as it is believed to increase the possibility of receiving Lord Krishnas blessings for parenthood. LEO: JULY 23- AUGUST 22 To honour Lord Krishna, you can present a bhog of ghee and enhance the offering by including red-coloured fruits, flowers, and cloth. If you wish to boost your professional reputation and secure a promotion, offering a bhog infused with mishri is recommended. WATCH: 10 Must Visit Lord Krishna Temples VIRGO: AUGUST 23-SEPTEMBER 22 For Virgos, its considered auspicious to offer mawa to Lord Krishna on this day. You can also offer Peda to Bal Gopal. This will bring optimism and positivity into your lives. LIBRA: SEPTEMBER 23- OCTOBER 23 For Libras, offering pure ghee to Lord Krishna on this special day is considered auspicious. It is believed if you are dealing with a chronic illness, this act will not only aid in recovery from the disease but also fill your life with happiness. ALSO READ: Janmashtami 2023: How to Worship Lord Krishna According to Your Zodiac Sign SCORPIO: OCTOBER 24 NOVEMBER 21 For Scorpios, offering milk to the Lord on this auspicious day is recommended. This will bring blessings of the Lord Krishna and will help you to get rid of all your problems. SAGITTARIUS: NOVEMBER 22 DECEMBER 21 People who fall under the zodiac sign Sagittarius can offer fruits and panchamrit as bhog. You can also present yellow sweets and Bhog to Lord Krishna. Decorating Lord Krishnas idols with sandalwood paste is another way to honour the Lord on this occasion. CAPRICORN: DECEMBER 22 JANUARY 19 You can offer a bhog of sweet betel leaves if you are looking to change your luck in your favour. This gesture is believed to bring about positive changes in your life. AQUARIUS: JANUARY 20- FEBRUARY 18 For Aquarius individuals, if you seek the blessings of Lord Krishna and wish to attract good fortune, you should offer him dry fruits and any kind of red sweets as a gesture of devotion. PISCES: FEBRUARY 19 MARCH 20 Pisces individuals can offer Lord Krishna ghee infused with mishri. This offering is believed to facilitate the removal of legal hurdles from their ventures and will bring prosperity to their lives. MOTHER TERESA 26th DEATH ANNIVERSARY: Mother Teresa, a name synonymous with compassion and selfless service, is being remembered and celebrated today on her death anniversary, September 5. Her life was a testament to the power of love and compassion. Her journey from a small town in the Balkans to the heart of Indias slums is a remarkable story of dedication and selflessness. She passed away on September 5, 1997, at the age of 87. She was canonized as a saint by Pope Francis in 2016. WATCH: 10 Inspiring Quotes By Mother Teresa We remember her as a beacon of hope, a symbol of kindness, and an inspiration to all who seek to make the world a better place through love and service. Her legacy continues to remind us that each of us has the capacity to bring light into the lives of those in need and to make the world a more compassionate and caring place. EARLY LIFE AND CALLING Born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire and is now North Macedonia, Mother Teresa was baptized as Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu. Her parents, Nikola and Dranafile Bojaxhiu, instilled in her strong values and a deep sense of empathy for the less fortunate. It was during her early years that she felt a calling to serve humanity and dedicated her life to this purpose. THE JOURNEY TO INDIA In 1928, at the age of 18, Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu left her home and family to join the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland. She learned English and eventually became a teacher in Darjeeling. It was in Calcutta (now Kolkata) that she received what she described as a call within a call from God to serve the poorest of the poor. In 1948, she left the convent and started her mission in the slums of Calcutta. FOUNDING THE MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950, a congregation dedicated to serving the destitute and dying. She began her work with a small school, teaching children in the slums, and soon expanded her efforts to include caring for the sick and destitute. Her simple blue and white sari became a symbol of her dedication to the poor. CHARITABLE WORKS IN INDIA The Missionaries of Charity rapidly expanded their work throughout India. They opened orphanages, leprosy clinics, hospices, and homes for those suffering from tuberculosis and other illnesses. Mother Teresa and her sisters became known for their unwavering commitment to the most marginalized and vulnerable members of society. INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION AND NOBEL PEACE PRIZE Mother Teresas work drew international attention and acclaim. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitutes a threat to peace. Despite the fame and recognition, she remained humble and focused on her mission. IMPACT AND LEGACY Throughout her life, Mother Teresas tireless efforts and unwavering love touched countless lives. She inspired people of all backgrounds to join her in serving the poor and downtrodden. Her legacy continues through the Missionaries of Charity, which operates in over 130 countries. DEATH AND BEATIFICATION On September 5, 1997, Mother Teresa passed away in Calcutta at the age of 87. Her death marked the end of an era, but her legacy of compassion and service lives on. In 2003, she was beatified by the Catholic Church, a significant step towards sainthood. SAINTHOOD On September 4, 2016, Pope Francis canonized Mother Teresa, officially declaring her a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. This recognition was a testament to her lifelong devotion to the poor and her unwavering faith. TOP 10 QUOTES BY MOTHER TERESA Amitabh Bachchan shared a cryptic post on Tuesday afternoon amid the Republic of Bharat debate. For the unversed, it is widely reported that India could be renamed as Bharat. This has come forward after the official dinner invite to the G20 Heads of State featured President Droupadi Murmu as the President of Bharat. This has sparked a political debate and many shared their thoughts on it on X, previously known as Twitter. Amid this debate, Big B shared a post in which he mentioned Bharat. Taking to X, Amitabh wrote in Hindi, T 4759 (T 4759 Bharat Mata Ki Jai ). Fans took to the thread and shared their reactions. T 4759 Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) September 5, 2023 The G20 summit will take place between September 9 and September 10 this year. The summit is taking place in New Delhi. The President dinner will take place on September 9, at 8 pm, at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. In past invites, the President has been referred to as President of India. Hence, the change to President of Bharat has sparked a debate. Several political leaders have expressed their thoughts on social media. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared on X, REPUBLIC OF BHARAT happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL. But senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh opposed the demand. Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan has been busy with his upcoming projects. The actor is currently hosting the new season of Kaun Banega Crorepati. On the big screen, Amitabh has a slew of projects in the pipeline. These include Ganpath, Kalki 2898 AD, Section 84, and The Intern remake, among others. The actor has also been making the headlines for promoting his son, actor Abhishek Bachchans movie Ghoomar. The actor gave multiple shoutouts to the actor and the film. After flying home from Blink-182s tour due to an urgent family matter, the paparazzi spotted Travis Barker and his pregnant wife, Kourtney Kardashian, leaving a hospital on Saturday. While details were initially scarce, a recent report from Page Six has shed light on the situation, revealing that Kourtney Kardashian indeed had a brief hospital stay. Fortunately, she has since been discharged and is now back home with her children. A source known to Page Six revealed, She is feeling better. She is happy to have Travis back home, too. However, it remains unclear why Kardashian sought medical attention. On Friday, the band confirmed the postponement news of their tour on Friday in a message on their Instagram account. Due to an urgent family matter, Travis has had to return home to the States, the rock band tweeted before adding, The Glasgow, Belfast, and Dublin shows are being postponed. More information in regards to his return to Europe and rescheduled dates will be provided as soon as available. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kardashian&Jenner (@kardashian.jenner.andco) As of now, neither Kourtney Kardashian nor Travis Barker has issued an official statement regarding the hospitalization. Shortly after the bands announcement, Travis Barkers ex-wife, Shanna Moakler, expressed her concern and offered her prayers for the rockstar and his wife. Shanna, who shares two teenagers, Landon, 19, and Alabama, 17, with Barker, spoke to photographers, stating, I dont know whats going on, I just know that our kids are safe and sound obviously thats important to me, as quoted by Page Six. While Travis Barker has not made an official comment, he did post a cryptic message on his social media accounts on Friday. He shared several photos from the prayer room at Glasgow Airport featuring a banner that read, Together we pray. Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker exchanged vows on May 15, marking their commitment with a post that included the caption, Till death do us part. Following this declaration, they celebrated their marriage with a lavish ceremony held in Italy, surrounded by their close friends and family. The extravagant event took place in Portofino and was attended by all the Kardashian-Jenner sisters, their mother Kris Jenner, as well as numerous prominent Hollywood figures, including Megan Fox, Machine Gun Kelly, and many others. In June, Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker joyfully announced that they were expecting their first child together, a baby boy. As her due date approaches, the Poosh founder has been proudly showcasing her baby bump through a series of maternity photos. Reportedly, Kourtney Kardashian initially tried in vitro fertilization (IVF) as a means of conceiving but later revealed that they had decided to discontinue the IVF process and instead try to conceive naturally. While this will be Kourtney and Travis first child together, Kourtney is already a mother to three children: daughter Penelope and sons Reign and Mason, whom she shares with her ex-partner, Scott Disick. The announcement of Don 3 with Ranveer Singh in the lead received a mixed reaction from fans. While some were happy about the franchises return, others thought Shah Rukh Khan should still play the stylish criminal being chased by police from 11 countries. This led to some criticism for Shah Rukh Khan and the creators of the movie, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. Farhan talked about it in a BBC interview, and Ritesh shared his thoughts in an exclusive chat with indianexpress.com. During a conversation about the importance of choosing the right actors for their films, on being asked about the criticism they sometimes receive before a project is even released, as seen in the case of Don 3. Ritesh brushed off the impact of such criticism and said, Its nothing. We will answer that when we come to Don 3. When you see the trailer, you tell me if that guy lives up to what the character [demands in the film]. Now, its our job to make sure it happens. Ritesh Sidhwani also talked about how casting differs between movies and online shows. When web series first started in India, the focus was on choosing the best actors for the roles. But in the last two years, with many famous Bollywood actors moving to online platforms, has the way they pick actors changed? Sidhwani said that from the beginning, they believed in choosing actors who fit the roles rather than going after big-name stars. He mentioned that writing a script with a specific actor in mind can be a problem because if the project doesnt happen, it can be discouraging for the writer. However, he highlighted that with OTT platforms, you have the freedom to cast the right person for a role without being tied to a particular star or image. Gauahar Khan has lashed out at those who are disregarding Islam with their publicity hungry stunts. Recently, the actress took to her Instagram stories and penned down a long note in which she demanded action against those who are allegedly exploiting sacred things for their drama. Interestingly, this comes after Rakhi Sawants recent visit to the holy pilgrimage in Mecca, Madina wherein she was doing Umrah. Gauahars post has left everyone wondering if she is taking an indirect dig at Rakhi. N then there are losers taking Islam for granted n making a joke out of this holy pilgrimage which is soooooosacred to believers of Islam. I wonder how did a drama hungry person get to visit n use n to create more drama?? One minute u have accepted Islam, the next minute oh I didnt do it willingly what bull**it. U dont deserve to understand the beauty of Islam if u can disregard it n accept it when it suits your publicity hungry stunts! Shameless creatures, Gauahar wrote. I wish a board of Islam in India or Saudi take strict action against such publicity stunts, so people cant exploit something sacred! N by the way wearing horrendous looking abayas doesnt make u Muslim, having akidah n understand the 5 pillars of Islam, the actress added. This comes days after Rakhi Sawant was spotted by the paparazzi dressed in a striking red abaya, along with a silver purse, silver crown and silver pumps as additional accessories. Interacting with paps, she was heard saying, Kisne kaha ki aurat abaya mein khoobsurat nahi lagti especially Bollywood mein (who said a woman doesnt look beautiful in an abaya). Follow me. Rakhi Sawant claims she accepted Islam after her wedding to Adil Khan Durrani last year. However, earlier this year, Adil was picked up from her residence and arrested. The two levelled several allegations against each other and then parted ways. Adil has now been granted bail. Percy Hynes White will no longer be a part of Netflixs acclaimed show Wednesday. Headlined by actress Jenna Ortega, White played the role of a student Xavier Thorpe in Wednesday, which was a spin-off of the popular horror comedy sitcom The Addams Family. According to a report by Daily Mail, the decision was taken 9 months after Whites alleged involvement in an assault case. Reports allege that the 22-year-old Emmy-nominated actor sexually harassed a woman at a party in Toronto. The news of Whites character, Xavier Thorpe being striked off from Wednesday was confirmed by a source close to the actors family. The woman who was reportedly harassed by Percy Hynes White narrated the night of the incident on X (formerly known as Twitter) back on January 18. In the now-deleted post, the anonymous woman made some allegations regarding White. She claimed that the Wednesday actor had sexually assaulted her at a party he hosted, as reported by Daily Mail. The accuser added that White deliberately organised parties to get women completely intoxicated so that he could engage in sexual activities with them. Insiders however begged to differ from the accusations made by the woman. While one unidentified source claimed that Percy Hynes White was a wonderful young man another called the actor to be respectful, gracious, talented, and professional. They said that White was quite polite in nature as seen during his interactions with the filming crew and fans. For Netflix to drop him from the show is a disgrace. It was just false rumors. Its just not right, added the insider. Percy Hynes Whites parents Sherry and Joel Thomas Hynes have firmly refuted the allegations made against their son. In an Instagram post in June, Whites mother, Sheey White vehemently opposed the claims terming them as a campaign of misinformation, reports The Daily Mail. If publicly offering support for my kind and gentle, massive talented son equates to me throwing myself to the wolves so be it, come what may, read an excerpt of what she wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sherry White (@streely) Apart from Wednesday, Percy Hynes White has made quite an impression on the audience with his impeccable acting chops in web shows and films, including The Gifted, Pretty Hard Cases, and I Like Movies among others. Although he might not return as the talented artist on Wednesday, White has been roped in for director Tiffany Paulsens upcoming Winter Spring Summer Or Fall, where he once again co-stars with Jenna Ortega. Three ships with Metinvest products manage to break through naval blockade of Ukraine for first time since start of war For the first time since the beginning of the full-scale war, three ships with products of Ukrainian metallurgists managed to break through the sea blockade of Ukraine, arranged by the aggressor country, according to a press release from the Metinvest mining and metallurgical group. The vessels Primus, Anna Tereza and Ocean Courtesy left the ports of Odesa and Pivdenny, which have been blocked in Ukrainian ports since February 24, 2022. These vessels became the second, third and fourth ships, respectively, that managed to leave the Ukrainian ports after the termination of the "grain agreement." "Breakthrough of the sea blockade by vessels with products of the Ukrainian mining and metallurgical complex is the first step to restore sea exports of all Ukrainian goods," the press release states. At the same time, it is specified that on board the unblocked ships are the products of Ukrainian metallurgists and miners, which were manufactured even before the start of the full-scale war. This is more than 76,000 tonnes of rolled metal produced by Azovstal, Zaporizhstal, Kamet Steel and ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih plants, as well as 172,000 tonnes of iron ore concentrate produced at the mining and processing plants of Metinvest Group. Currently, Ukrainian metal and iron ore concentrate are sent to foreign buyers who paid for the products even before the start of Russian aggression. Ukrainian business managed to free the ships from a year and a half of captivity thanks to the joint efforts of the President's Office, the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other involved law enforcement agencies of Ukraine. On Teachers Day, Bollywood actress Kajol opened up on being raised by her mom as well as her grandmother with a heartwarming Instagram post. The actress shared several snippets from her interviews where she mentioned about them in a video montage. She also penned a gratitude along with it. The note read, I really was raised by a village. A village filled with strong cool women. I learnt by example not by being preached to. And I can never thank all my teachers enough. The good and the bad and the in between. All of them taught me different things that had absolutely nothing to do with what u learn in school. On a closing note she added, The lessons had to do with life and came in handy just when I needed them the most. Like most kids I thought I wasnt listening but like most kids I was absorbing.. and hence the current me who is a beautiful amalgamation of everything I was taught and continue to be taught. #HappyTeachersDay . Kajols success in the film industry is undeniable, but like any other journey, it has been accompanied by its fair share of challenges. Despite her remarkable achievements, the actress has been often subjected to negative comments and trolling. Recently in an interview with Hindustan Times, the actress opened up about how she often talks to her children about handling online trolls. She advises Nysa (20) and Yug (12) to take the negativity with a pinch of salt. Kajol believes that its essential not to take everything said by trolls seriously or respond to each and every comment. Because roz kuch na kuch nikal raha hai, roz kuch na kuch bol rahe hain, she added. Kajol further emphasised how these trolls should not be given any importance. I read some headlines that say brutally trolled. And Im like, What does it exactly mean and who are these people brutally trolling me or my family? Also, saying that an actor got brutally trolled for wearing a pair of shoes and going to the airport is like too much. One has to take it with a pinch of salt and have that bit of sense of humour, she said. Kajol has been garnering praise with her back-to-back performances in OTT projects. She was last seen in Netflixs original film, Lust Stories 2 and Disney Plus Hotstars web series, The Trial Pyaar Kanoon Dhoka. The series also features Saurabh Shukla, Jisshu Sengupta and Gaurav Pandey in the lead roles. The actress also Do Patti with Kriti Sanon. Kriti Sanon recently won the Best Actress award at the 69th National Film Awards for her performance in the film Mimi. From an engineering student to a National Award-winning actress, Kriti has come a long way in Bollywood since her debut nine years ago. Recently, her teacher from school sent her a special message on the occasion of Teachers Day to congratulate the actress for winning the award and to express her pride in her former student. Professionally, Kriti dons many hats from an engineer to model and actor, and now an entrepreneur and a producer. However, her teacher revealed that the actress was multifaceted even as a student. Kriti shared her former teachers message on her Instagram story. Kritis ex-teacher said, Hey Kriti, we are so proud of you. What a wonderful achievement to get a National Award for your film Mimi. We, at DPS RK Puram have always known that you were going to create a niche for yourself in the film world. In school, I remember in class 6th, what a wonderful dancer you were and always occupying the center stage. She continued, When I became your class teacher in 11th, I realized that not only were you a wonderful dancer, but you were also academically oriented one of our toppers, a great speaker, and a great writer, and you were a part of the poetry club as well, and the student council. It was always so evident that you would create a niche in your future life, doing engineering, going to the world of films, and reaching here, at this point, getting the National Award. Congratulations to you, from all of us, and all the best. Kriti Sanon made her Bollywood debut in 2014 opposite Tiger Shroff in the film Heropanti. As an industry outsider, Kriti worked hard to become one of the countrys most sought-after actresses on her own merit. Kriti achieved this feat in under ten years since her debut. Mimi is touted as one of Kritis most memorable performances yet. Be it the dance number Param Sundari, Kritis bold and upfront personality as the titular character, or her well-portrayed character arc in the film, Kriti took the cake with this film and established herself as a top-notch performer. Meanwhile, on the work front, Kriti will next be seen in Ganapath Part 1 alongside Shahid Kapoor. The film will be a robotic love story. She will also be seen in The Crew with Kareena Kapoor Khan and in her maiden production venture, Do Patti with Kajol. Sunny Leones transition from the American adult film industry to Bollywood has been one of the most unconventional entries into the mainstream film industry, catapulting her to instant stardom. Despite not being among top league actresses, Sunny Leone has consistently dominated Google searches and in 2019 she had even beaten Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Bollywoods Khans to become the most googled Indian celebrity in India. Her appeal transcends the intricacies of cinema as her natural charm, beauty and philanthropic activities, especially for orphaned children, often make news. Sunny Leone is also able to carry off both Western and traditional attires with equal finesse and we recently got a glimpse of her desi side as she made a public appearance in a traditional Kerala saree. Malayali fans were ecstatic to see Sunny Leone when the Bollywood actor arrived in Kozhikode, Kerala, on Sunday. The celebrity visited the state to attend the Fashion Rays Win Your Passion fashion show at the Calicut Trade Centre. She was spotted wearing a Kerala Kasavu saree decorated with jasmine blossoms. Sunny Leone attended the event and expressed her Onam greetings in Malayalam. She also made a gorgeous ramp appearance alongside kids who have disabilities and afterwards took time to speak with them. Fans swarmed the area, causing some problems although she was escorted to the event under heavy protection. Stills of her in the traditional kasavu sarees have gone viral and fans have complimented her for carrying off the traditional attire so well. Leone and her husband Daniel Weber proceeded to Hotel Paragon after the event to enjoy Kozhikodes charms. The actress started with spinach delight and cauliflower tamarind before having veg mango curry, while Weber received a serving of Paragons signature chicken biryani. Sunny Leone also made news recently for gracing the red carpet at the Brand Vision Summit 2023 Awards. In a stylish and sophisticated chocolate brown co-ord outfit with both unique and sensuous aspects that left everyone in awe, the classy diva made a statement while being accompanied by her spouse. Popular music composer Thashi, who worked in both the Tamil and Malayalam film industries, passed away due to a road accident on Monday. His death has sent a wave of shock across both industries. V Thashi, whose real name was Sivakumar, had won multiple awards for his compositions. The 50-year-old lived in Saligramam, Chennai. According to reports, Thashi along with his friends Adhiyan (50), Nagaraj (44) and Moovendan (aged 54) was travelling back from Kerala on Monday. A car tyre suddenly burst, which sent the automobile careening into a road divider, not far from Avinashi in the Tiruppur district (Tamil Nadu). At the time of the collision, Adhiyan was driving the vehicle. After the car crashed into the divider and overturned, Adiyan and Thashi passed away right on the spot. Nagaraj and Moovendan suffered critical wounds, but are alive. They were both transported to a local hospital. Police in Avinashi town registered a case and have sent the bodies of Adiyan and Thashi for an autopsy. The condition of the survivors is said to be critical and doctors are running across the clock to save their lives. According to reports, Thashi visited Kerala in connection to an investment in real estate. Thashi composed music for Tamil films which include Oththa Veedu, Adavar and Sathanai Payanam. He received the Best Music Director Award from the Kerala state government for the Malayalam movie Dandhara. His compositions also include countless devotional albums. Many celebrities from the Tamil and Malayalam film industries have expressed their grief over the sudden tragic death of Thashi. Thashi was born in Tanjore districts Watagudi village, close to Pattukottai (Tamil Nadu). His father Bharathimohan was also a music composer. He wrote songs for films like Yaar Kumada and Aathan. As a child, Thashi used to tour the studios with his father. Thats how Thashi became interested in the movie business. He then started working as a music composer and gradually carved his niche in the industry. The Congress on Tuesday hailed the contribution of former president Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary, saying that he left an indelible mark on education and philosophical thought and his legacy continues to guide our values. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, Today, we celebrate Teachers Day and recall Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the great philosopher, educationist and author. Many of his books like The Hindu View of Life, Indian Philosophy, Eastern Religions and Western Thought, The Bhagavad Gita, The Dhammapada, and The Principal Upanishads are evergreen classics, he noted. Not a political personality by any means, Radhakrishnan had been persuaded by (Jawaharlal) Nehru to be Indias Ambassador to the USSR during 1949-52 when the communist conglomerate still looked upon India suspiciously. Thereafter, he was the first Vice-President of India 1952-62 and President till 1967, Ramesh said. His son, the eminent historian Sarvepalli Gopal produced one of the best biographies ever written anywhere of any public figure, the Congress leader said. The final line in that dispassionate book has become unforgettable: In retirement he was determined, the freedom of silence being now his prerogative, to make no public appearances. Rather than becoming tiresome by airing his views irresponsibly on all subjects, he would cultivate the private graces and spend his time reading and writing on philosophical subjects Finally, in the early hours of 17 April 1975, Radhakrishnan drifted out of the harbour on a silent tide, Ramesh said. Incidentally, his granddaughter Girija along with her former IAS spouse Viraraghavan are the most celebrated rose cultivators in India based in Kodaikanal, he said. They have dedicated half their lives to the hybridisation of roses in the subcontinent, Ramesh added. The Congress general secretary also shared a documentary on Radhakrishnan made years ago by the Films Division. The Congress, in a post on X, said, On his birth anniversary, we pay tributes to Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a revered educator, philosopher and statesman who served as the second President of India. Leaving an indelible mark on education and philosophical thought, his legacy continues to guide our values, the party said. The birth anniversary of Radhakrishnan is celebrated as Teachers Day. With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attempting to push the Oppositions newly formed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) onto the backfoot over Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Udhayanidhi Stalins remark against Sanatan Dharma, the bloc seems to be making attempts to diffuse the escalating tension and find a way out of the soup. In a move to wriggle out of the situation, the Trinamool Congress Chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday distanced herself from the controversy and said no one should not be involved in any matter that might hurt people. Every religion has separate sentiments and India is about unity in diversity, she told news agency PTI. I have high regards and respect for the people of Tamil Nadu and south India. But my humble request is respect all, as every religion has separate sentiments. India is a secular and democratic country. India is about unity in diversity, she said. About Stalins comment, Banerjee said He is a junior and may not know about it. From my side, I am not clear about why and on which grounds he has made his comments. I feel that each and every religion should be equally respected I respect Sanatan Dharma and we derive our leanings from the Vedas, she added. Banerjee said the West Bengal government gives pensions to Hindu priests. We have so many temples across the country. We visit temples, mosques and churches. We should not be involved in any matter which might hurt a section of people, she stressed. Prior to that, seeking to steer the Congress away from Udhayanidhis statement, the partys Maharashtra chief Nana Patole on Sunday said the partner in the DMK-led ruling coalition in Tamil Nadu doesnt believe in hurting any religious sentiments. Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Patole invoked Dalit icon BR Ambedkars Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava (all religions are the same) remark, saying, Our stand is clear. The Congress neither comments nor believes in hurting anyones religious sentiments. We cant take the onus for someone elses statement. But our position has been clearly articulated, the Congress leader added. The Controversy DMK youth wing secretary and Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin had alleged on Saturday that Sanatan Dharma is against equality and social justice and had likened it to coronavirus, malaria, fever caused by dengue virus and mosquitoes. His remarks evoked sharp reactions from the BJP across the country, with some of its leaders alleging that it was a call for genocide and others demanding that the DMK leader be booked for treason. Stalin has rubbished the genocidal claim and said his speech had pointed to social evils. A new initiative to boost India-ASEAN maritime security cooperation is likely to be unveiled after Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds summit talks with the leaders of the 10-nation influential bloc in Jakarta on Thursday, people familiar with the matter said. Modi will leave for the Indonesian capital city on Wednesday night to attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and 18th East Asia Summit. Indonesia is hosting the summits in its capacity as the current Chair of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). The ASEAN is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region, and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners. Shoring up Indias trade and security ties with the ASEAN is likely to be the focus of Modis engagement with leaders of the bloc. Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said at a media briefing that Modi will review the progress in ASEAN-India relations and provide them further direction at the summit. The prime minister will depart Delhi on the night of September 6 and return on the late evening of September 7. Given that the G20 summit follows shortly after the ASEAN summit, it will be a short visit, he said. Asked whether the issue of Chinas release of the so-called new standard map would figure in the summit talks, Kumar said, It is difficult to anticipate what would be discussed when the leaders meet, but issues which are of mutual concern regional and international would all come up. To another question on whether there is a possibility of consensus to reject the map on the issue at the ASEAN-India summit as a number of member countries of the grouping have already criticised Chinas cartographic aggression, the senior official said he cannot anticipate what would come out of the discussions. On August 28, Beijing released the 2023 edition of the standard map of China that includes Taiwan, the South China Sea, Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as Chinese territories. India has dismissed the map and lodged a strong protest with China over it. Anguished by Chinas territorial claim over the South China Sea, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines have already rejected the claim. Kumar said New Delhi appreciates Indonesia for making adjustments to the ASEAN meeting schedule so as to facilitate the prime ministers early return. This is a very short visit because the prime minister would be hosting the G20 summit and the effort is to participate in this important summit (ASEAN-India) and get back home as quickly as possible. So there would not be any bilateral (meeting) during the course of the visit, Kumar said. He said the ASEAN-India summit would be special since it is the first one after the elevation of the relationship between the two sides to a comprehensive strategic partnership last year. Indias relations with ASEAN are the central pillar of our Act East policy as well as Indias vision for wider Indo-Pacific. India and ASEAN have a comprehensive engagement covering a wide array of areas, Kumar said. Referring to the launch of flight connectivity from India and Vietnam and Indonesia, he said having similar connectivity to other member nations of the grouping is being looked into. On economic ties, Kumar said the India-ASEAN trade volume in 2022-23 was USD 131.5 billion. It accounted for over 11 per cent of Indias trade for the year and was the second highest after India-EU trade, he said. In August, during the ASEAN-India economic ministers meeting, the two sides started the review of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) and agreed for its completion by 2025, he added. The objective of the review is to make AITIGA more friendly as well as to diversify trade. The 10 member countries of ASEAN are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. The ties between India and ASEAN have been on a significant upswing in the last few years with focus being on boosting cooperation in the areas of trade and investment as well as security and defence. Amid the row over the use of the word Bharat on a G20 dinner invite, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on Tuesday shared official information regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Indonesia in which he has been referred to as the Prime Minister of Bharat. PM Modi will be leaving for Indonesia on Wednesday night to attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit. The Prime Minister Of Bharat pic.twitter.com/lHozUHSoC4 Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) September 5, 2023 Soon after Patras post on X (formally Twitter), Congress leader Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh took a pot shot at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said, Look at how confused the Modi government is! The Prime Minister of Bharat at the 20th ASEAN-India summit. All this drama just because the Opposition got together and called itself INDIA Look at how confused the Modi government is! The Prime Minister of Bharat at the 20th ASEAN-India summit. All this drama just because the Opposition got together and called itself INDIA pic.twitter.com/AbT1Ax8wrO Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 5, 2023 This came on the day when the Opposition criticised the Centre over the G20 dinner invitations that described President Droupadi Murmus position as President of Bharat instead of the customary President of India. The oppositions INDIA bloc alleged that the Modi government is planning to drop India and stay with just Bharat as the countrys name. Senior BJP leaders and ministers have cheered the move by the Rashtrapati Bhavan with Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar asking what is the problem with using President of Bharat as the country is also Bharat. The move also further fuelled the speculation that the issue of changing the name of the country could come up during the five-day special session of Parliament beginning September 18. Opposition leaders, including Ramesh, who first highlighted the development, accused the government of assaulting the idea of the country being a Union of States, as mentioned in the Constitution which describes the country as India, that is Bharat. (with inputs from PTI) Amid controversy over more than two dozen opposition parties forming an alliance called INDIA, the central government has reportedly begun mentioning the countrys name as Bharat in official documents. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of President of Bharat instead of the usual President of India. So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 5, 2023 Rameshs reaction came amid sources in the government claiming that the Centre is likely to bring a fresh resolution during the Special Session of Parliament to rename India as Bharat. Reacting to Congress objection, BJPs national president JP Nadda asked why does the grand old party object to every work done for the honour and glory of this country. Why do doing political tours in the name of Bharat Jodo hate the slogan of Bharat Mata Ki Jai? It is clear that Congress neither respects the country, nor the Constitution, nor the constitutional institutions. It only aims to praise one family (Gandhis). The entire country knows very well the anti-national and anti-constitutional intentions of Congress, Nadda said. A few minutes later, Jairam Ramesh further hit out at the prime minister and said that he can continue to distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States. But we will not be deterred. After all, what is the objective of INDIA parties? After all, what is the objective of INDIA parties? It is BHARATBring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation And Trust. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma too posted on X, REPUBLIC OF BHARAT happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL (sic). Tarun Chug, BJP national general secretary said, Why such a fuss over writing and speaking Bharat? Why are Congress leaders so assumed of calling themselves Bharatiya? Sometimes you create a ruckus over Vande Mataram, other times you have issues with Rashtravad. RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy told News18 that the name Bharat is almost 2,000 years old. It appears in the earlier literature of the country. Its (renaming India to Bharat) is the right thing to do, and I welcome the move. Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party, Aam Aadmi Partys Raghav Chaddha said our national identity is not the BJPs personal property that it can modify on whims and fancies. The BJP's recent move to change the reference from 'President of India' to 'President of Bharat' on official G20 summit invitations has raised eyebrows and ignited a public debate. How can the BJP strike down 'INDIA'? The country doesn't belong to a political party; it belongs to pic.twitter.com/riYNdQBkYa Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) September 5, 2023 Congress Karti Chidambaram asked if well need new passports from now? When News18 contacted TMC for their reaction, the Mamata Banerjee-led party refused to comment. Manoj Jha, RJDs Rajya Sabha MP, said, We didnt know that BJP is such a weak party. They got tensed so soon? Only a few weeks ago the Opposition had formed the INDIA alliance. And youve already started with your game? More than two dozen Indian opposition parties had formed an alliance called INDIA in July to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in parliamentary elections next year. The alliance said in a statement that the BJP was assaulting the character of the republic and they pledged to safeguard the idea of India as enshrined in the Constitution. Mallikarjun Kharge, president of Congress party, said INDIA stood for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. The main aim is to stand together to safeguard democracy and the constitution, Kharge told reporters at the end of a two-day meeting of 26 opposition parties in Bengaluru. Two days after his Sanatan Dharma comment, police has increased security to Tamil Nadu state minister Udhayanidhi Stalins residence. At present, ten police personnel have been deployed at his official residence and ten at his residence in ECR. Security was beefed up after Udhayanidhi Stalin received death threats over his remarks to eradicate the regressive principals in Sanatan Dharma caused several groups to start protests against him. #WATCH | Security tightened outside the residence of Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in Chennai after he was given a death threat regarding his Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated remark. pic.twitter.com/r3HSLCBmab ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023 Stalin juniors comments snowballed into a massive controversy. The row further deepened after Congress leader Karti Chidambaram, on Sunday, seemed to support Udhayanidhi. Udhayanidhi had said, There are some things which we have to eradicate and we cant merely oppose. Mosquitoes, dengue fever, malaria, corona, all these are things which we cannot oppose, we have to eradicate them. Sanatanam is also like this. Eradicating, not opposing, Sanatanam should be our first task. Communist Party of India general secretary D Raja also supported Udhayanidhi and said that Sanatan Dharma perpetuates casteism and patriarchy. I dont think Udhay said anything wrong. We must fight against Sanatan Dharma. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalins son remained undeterred from the criticism and posted on X saying, Bring it on. I am ready to face any legal challenge. We will not be cowed down by such usual saffron threats. We, the followers of Periyar, Anna, and Kalaignar, would fight forever to uphold social justice and establish an egalitarian society under the able guidance of our honourable CM. Speaking exclusively to News18, Udhayanidhi said, Its their (BJPs) habit of spreading fake news. I will always stick to whatever I said, and I will say it again and again. I never spoke about genocide. I only spoke about Sanatan, what practices they follow, and I definitely stand against it. I will never step back from whatever I said. ALSO READ | Sanatan Dharma Row Not the First Time Udhayanidhi Stalin Has Gone Off-Script. And It Wont be the Last BJP leaders in Delhi sought an apology from Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for his comments against Sanatan Dharma and submitted a protest letter to the states resident commissioner on Monday. A delegation from the BJPs Delhi unit, including its president Virendra Sachdeva, MPs Harsh Vardhan and Parvesh Verma, visited the Tamil Nadu House to submit the protest letter addressed to Chief Minister MK Stalin. Meanwhile, following his sons Sanatan Dharma remark, CM MK Stalin in his podcast Speaking for India on Monday took a swing at the Bharatiya Janata Party and said that they have taken religion as their weapon to hide all their flaws. ALSO READ | Weapon to Hide Shortcomings: After Son Sparks Major Row, MK Stalins Message on Religion They are inciting the fire of religious sentiments of people and basking in the warmth of its fiery flames, said Stalin. He began by accusing BJP of trying to hamper with Indias structure and destroy its sense of unity. BJP Leaders Reactions on Udhayanidhis Remarks: Hitting out at Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said that Udhayanidhi was calling for the genocide of 80 per cent of the population Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, and a minister in the DMK government, has linked Sanatana dharma to malaria and dengue. He is of the opinion that it must be eradicated and not merely opposed. In short, he is calling for the genocide of 80 per cent population of Bharat, who follow Sanatana dharma. DMK is a prominent member of the Opposition block and a long-standing ally of the Congress. Is this what was agreed in the Mumbai meet? Amit Malviya wrote on X. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla too said that it is a genocidal call, supported by Karti Chidambaram of the Congress party. Union Minister Jitendra Singh slammed Udhayanidhi for his comments and said that none of us, particularly those in public life have a right to say anything which hurts the belief of any section of society. Its shows the lack of understanding of that person on particular subject, he added. Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai lashed out at the DMK leader and said that the Stalin familys idealogue has bought-out idea from Christian missionaries. I challenge Udhayanidhi Stalin to stop his mother from going to a temple, Annamalai said as he took on TN CM MK Stalins son for his controversial remarks. Calling the statement childish and mischievous, Annamalai said Stalin Jr enjoys a position only due to his father and grandfather. Sanatan Dharma is timeless and eternal. Mughals, East India Company and even the Christian missionaries couldnt touch it. Who is he to eradicate it? the BJP state chief asked. Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar slammed Stalin familys dynastic politics and said that as a cover for their corruption and parasitic behavior, they create narratives like Protecting Dravidian Land. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, The reality of some people in Tamil Nadu has now come out. Just a few days ago, we organised Kashi Tamil Sangamam and Lord Vishwanath is commemorated in every village in Tamil Nadu. Sanatana is eternal, nothing is going to happen with these political remarks. Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday lashed out at opposition INDIA coalition parties over Udhayanidhis remarks accusing them of insulting Sanatan Dharma for vote bank and appeasement politics. These people have talked about Sanatan Dharma for vote bank appeasement. They have insulted (Sanatan Dharma), BJP leader Shah said at a public rally at Beneshwar Dham in Dungarpur district. ALSO READ | Aurangzeb Tried: Not Just Netas, Many Indians Fume Over Udhayanidhis Sanatana Dharma Remark INDIA Parties React to Stalin Juniors Comments Congress While Kartik P Chidambaram seemed to support Udhayanidhi saying that in Tamil Nadus common parlance Sanatana Dharma means Caste Hierarchical Society. Karti said, Why is that everyone who is batting for Sanatan Dharma comes from the privileged segment who are beneficiaries of the hierarchy. There was no call for genocide against anyone, this is a mischievous spin. On the other hand, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said, Congress stand is clear, we do not want to comment on any religion or to hurt anyones sentiments. Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla criticised Karti for defending Stalins son. I know you personally and you are a reasonable guy but what Udhayanidhi said is simply unacceptable, he added. Shiv Sena (UBT) The Thackeray faction leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said that anyone making derogatory comments against it is ignorant of what it stands for. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Party leader Sanjay Singh said, We dont need to learn what Hindu religion is from Amit Shah and Bharatiya Janata Party. Community party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) leader D Raja like Karti Chidambaram showed his support for Udhayanidhi saying, there was nothing wrong in his statement. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) RJD leader Mritunjay Tiwari said, The BJP does politics in the name of Sanatan and the person who gave such a a statement should apologise to all Sanatanis. Meanwhile, a petition was filed before a court in Bihar on Monday against TN Chief Minister MK Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin over the latters controversial Sanatana Dharma remarks. Muzaffarpur-based advocate Sudhir Kumar Ojha filed the petition before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Pankaj Kumar Lal alleging that the remarks have hurt Hindu sentiments. (With agency inputs) Olha Pischanska has submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine a letter of resignation from the post of chairman of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, Chairman of the Parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk said. "The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine received an application from the chairman of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine Olha Pischanska about dismissal from her post. The application will be considered at the next plenary meeting," Stefanchuk said on his Facebook page on Tuesday. Head of the Servant of the People faction David Arakhamia also said in his Telegram channel that the next day after voting for the dismissal of Pischanska, the parliament intends to appoint Pavlo Kyrylenko, current head of Donetsk Regional Military Administration, to the post of head of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine. In addition, he said the post of chairman of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) remains unappointed. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday welcomed the use of the word Bharat on a G20 dinner invite, terming it another big blow to the colonial mindset. He also said it was a moment of pride for every Indian. In a departure from tradition, the G20 dinner invite referred to the president as President of Bharat instead of President of India. Another big blow to the colonial mindset Dhami said in a tweet in Hindi. Writing of The President of Bharat on the G20 dinner invite is a moment of pride for every Indian, he added. However, how do you initiate the process? If you want to transform your hobby into a lucrative enterprise, creating an LLC is a widely used and successful approach to safeguarding your personal possessions and acquiring the advantages of an official business framework. This article will assist you on how to start an LLC by leading you through the steps, starting with selecting a name and concluding with submitting the necessary documentation, so you can concentrate on advancing your business with certainty. Lets begin! Create an LLC with ZenBusiness >> How to Start an LLC in 7 Simple Steps Many small business proprietors opt to open an LLC to benefit from the safeguard it offers against liabilities. An LLC is a separate entity from its members or owners that absolves them from bearing the responsibility of business debts. If you plan on starting an LLC, you must file the necessary documentation with the state where your company is based. Each state has its own regulations and processes; however, regardless of your location, there are several steps you must take to open an LLC. Try ZenBusiness to Create an LLC >> Step 1: Choose and Reserve a Name for Your LLC In most states, its not permitted for two separate business entities to have identical names. This means that even operating in different cities, Joes Donuts, LLC and Joes Donuts, Inc. cannot share the same name. Furthermore, some states have limitations on the use of specific words in company names, such as bank. To verify if a desired LLC name is available, conducting an online search of existing business names in several states is advisable. Its essential to check the names availability in the state before filing LLC documents, as its an essential step in starting an LLC. Apart from abiding by state laws, its advisable to investigate whether businesses similar to yours in the locality have adopted identical or similar names. Opting for a distinctive name can prevent misunderstandings and allegations of trademark violation. Its worth checking if a domain name corresponding to your business name is accessible. In case you have selected an available LLC name but arent immediately filing your LLC documents, it might be wise to reserve the name. Each state provides the option to reserve a name by submitting a form and paying a name reservation fee. However, the duration of the reservation period, fees for filing, and policies for renewal differ from state to state. Step 2: Choose a Registered Agent Most states mandate Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) to assign a registered agent, also known as a statutory agent, when it comes to how to start an LLC. The registered agent is responsible for accepting legal actions, subpoenas, and other official papers on behalf of the LLC and delivering them to the correct person at the organization. In most states, any individual who is over 18 and resides in the state can serve as a registered agent, including an officer or member of the LLC. Companies such as Northwest Registered Agent offer registered agent services for a charge. Step 3: File Organizational Paperwork with the State Starting an LLC in each state requires following a specific process and documentation. Typically, the process involves submitting articles of organization that include details such as The registered agents full name and mailing address The purpose or motivation to open an LLC Typically, the person forming the LLC must sign the paperwork The companys full name and mailing address Submit required documents to the secretary of state in the majority of states. However, certain states may have alternative divisions responsible for processing business filings. Although all states have a filing fee, the cost to open an LLC can vary by state. Step 4: Prepare an LLC Operating Agreement If you want to know how to start an LLC, a detailed plan known as an LLC operating agreement outlines the procedures and guidelines for running your LLC. This document covers crucial aspects such as the distribution of ownership interests and voting rights among members, the allocation of profits and losses, the conduct of meetings, and the management of the business. It outlines the rights of members in the event of death or departure from the company and the process for dissolving the company if necessary. In most states, the operating agreement isnt mandatory to file and may not be a legal requirement. Nevertheless, its crucial for business owners who open an LLC to establish their obligations and entitlements clearly, and to prevent any potential disputes in the future. Step 5: Determine the Licenses Needed Once the formation documents of an LLC are submitted and authorized, the state will provide a certificate or another form of documentation verifying the existence of the LLC. Upon receipt of the certificate, its possible to identify any licenses or permits, such as a zoning permit or liquor license, that may be necessary for the operation of the business. Step 6: Get an EIN Afterwards, its important to obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN), which is comparable to a Social Security Number for your company. The EIN is exclusive to your business and is essential for various business-related requirements such as banking, taxation, and personnel recruitment. Step 7: Register to Do Business in Other States (Optional) If youre wondering how to start an LLC that conducts business in multiple states, it may be necessary to register in those states. This requires the completion and submission of paperwork similar to what was filed during the LLCs formation. Its also necessary to have a registered agent in each state where the LLC operates. When a person opens an LLC, setting up and maintaining an LLC is generally straightforward in most states, but its essential to accurately complete paperwork and establish an operating agreement that outlines members duties and privileges. Try ZenBusiness to Create an LLC >> Important Steps to Follow After Forming an LLC File Annual Reports Typically, this particular stage is relevant once you have completed a tax year, but its essential to be aware of it at this point. A yearly summary, also recognized as a statement of information, offers important information about your enterprise to your state, including any modifications or data that have occurred since your previous reporting period. Its important to allow your state to notify you of any new legal obligations, including obtaining licenses necessary to maintain your business operations. Establish a record-keeping method that documents all of your companys transactions, which will save you from having to search for essential documents when a deadline is approaching. What Should You Include in Your Annual Report? It should be noted that each state has its own set of laws and regulations regarding LLCs, with differing requirements for annual reporting. When starting an LLC, the contents of an annual report typically consist of Filing instructions for the yearly report Details about your companys designated agent Numbers that are crucial to the identification of your company Your companys raison detre Where you primarily conduct business Who your members and supervisors are and where they live The names and addresses of all signatories To keep your LLC in good standing, its mandatory in most states to submit an annual report, which can be done electronically through your states official website. A fee must be paid to complete this process, with the amount varying depending on the state you are registered in. While Mississippi charges a modest fee of $50, Massachusetts charges a higher fee of $500. What Happens if You Dont File an Annual Report for Your LLC? Submitting your annual report within the deadline may appear to be a mere formality, but its crucial, and non-compliance can have serious repercussions. If you fail to submit it on time, some states may levy fines, charges, and taxes, while others may cancel your LLC. Not submitting reports on time could lead to the dissolution of your LLC in certain situations. Hence, its important to ensure that you adhere to all legal obligations, which include submitting reports on time. Visit ZenBusiness Plans to Create an LLC >> Open a Business Bank Account Although its not mandatory under state or federal law for LLC owners to maintain a separate business account, its highly recommended for various reasons. A business checking account for your limited liability company (LLC) shows that you take your company seriously. Establishing a business bank account helps to maintain financial privacy while running a company. If you dont, you might lose your protection from personal liability. Its more likely that security will be maintained if there is a separate entity. When it comes time to file your taxes at the end of the year, having a clear separation between business and personal expenses is invaluable. Keeping business and personal finances apart makes it much simpler to see the big picture. Tracking your companys spending is essential for maintaining a steady cash flow. Obtain the Required Business Licenses and Permits While its possible to open an LLC without obtaining a business license in many states, its still necessary to obtain the appropriate licenses. It permits you to ensure that your LLC is legally compliant and operational. If you want to know how to start an LLC, the specific requirements for licenses and permits can differ from state to state, but you can learn about the necessary permits and licenses for your LLCs state of registration by checking the SBA website. In many instances, by knowing how to start an LLC, you can apply for these licenses and permits digitally. Licenses Available: Registration of weights and measures Registration for sales tax A standard license for businesses Sign up for unemployment and workers comp Certifications required for specific jobs Let the alarm go off Validation from a health inspection How to Obtain Business Licenses and Permits? To begin starting an LLC, select your state of operation and determine the city and county you will be working in. Afterward, visit the Small Business Administrations website to acquire information about the regulations in your location. Its important to have your Employer Identification Number (EIN) readily available. You can apply for it on the Internal Revenue Services website if you dont have one. Your business code is also necessary, which can be obtained through various websites. Additionally, ensure that youre aware of any permits you may need besides your business license. Use a credit card to pay the filing fee, which can range from $50 to $500. Try ZenBusiness >> Learn More About Tax Requirements Invest in the services of an experienced accountant who can guide you on tax matters. Your chosen business structure will determine how youre taxed, with options including Sole Proprietorship (for single-member LLCs), Partnership (for multi-member LLCs), or S-Corp status. Its crucial to educate yourself on the various tax implications and consult with a knowledgeable professional to make informed decisions. The primary role of accountants is to guarantee that you comply with federal and state tax regulations and submit your tax returns correctly and promptly. However, they also assist you in saving a considerable amount of money over time by implementing lawful tax reduction tactics that an inexperienced accountant might not be aware of. Nonetheless, you can also decrease your expenses by educating yourself on maintaining accurate debit and credit records. LLC Tax Filing Tips Identify and utilize any applicable tax deductions or credits that apply to your LLC. Additionally, its crucial to plan and note all essential business tax deadlines on your schedule. In case of any difficulties, seeking assistance from a certified accountant or tax expert can help file your taxes. The third step is to conduct research and gain knowledge about your states tax regulations. Three factors determine the paperwork necessary for filing your LLC taxes. Choose a corporate tax status for your LLC if you dont want it to be treated as a pass-through entity. Whether theres only one member in your LLC or many. And if the LLC has workers, too. Get Business Insurance In case of unexpected events such as fire and water damage, damage to stock and premises, missed deadlines, or client data breaches, having business insurance can provide protection. It can also cover common risks like slip-and-fall injuries, employee car accidents, and work-related injuries. Some policies may even cover compensation for business interruption, supply breakdown, and legal expenses. If a customer gets injured while on your business property, you may require public liability insurance. Some states also mandate LLCs to have extra insurance, while others let you decide. Moreover, if you have employees, you must have workers compensation, unemployment, and disability insurance. To know the precise insurance requirements for your business model, visit your states website. Visit ZenBusiness Plans to Start an LLC >> Best LLC Formation Services Entrepreneurs often find the process of registering their businesses to be complicated, time-consuming, and intimidating. Meeting all the necessary legal and administrative obligations can be overwhelming, making it hard for them to go through the process independently. Luckily, many online business registration services provide comprehensive solutions to help entrepreneurs and small business owners start and operate their companies. This post will highlight some of the best business registration services and offer advice on selecting the most suitable one for your business requirements. The online LLC registration service, ZenBusiness, provides various services to assist entrepreneurs and small business owners in starting an LLC. Their reasonably priced LLC registration packages are all-inclusive to help open an LLC and include registered agent services, annual report filing, and other features. Additionally, ZenBusiness offers continual support and resources to ensure businesses remain compliant and prosper when planning to open an LLC. Try ZenBusiness to Open an LLC >> Swyft Filings is a company that focuses on how to start an LLC quickly and how to form them easily. They provide various LLC services, including incorporation, compliance, and registered agent services. Additionally, Swyft Filings offers customized assistance to guide businesses through how to get an LLC and ensure adherence to state and federal regulations. Use Swyft Filings to Open an LLC >> Tailor Brands is an internet-based service that specializes in branding and design, helping companies to open an LLC that can establish a consistent and expert brand identity. They provide various branding packages, including logo design, social media branding, and business card design. Additionally, Tailor Brands offers design tools and resources, enabling businesses to create and personalize their branded assets. Try Tailor Brands to Open an LLC >> Northwest Registered Agent provides customized assistance and various corporate solutions, such as registered agent services, compliance management, and document filing. The company is a specialist in starting an LLC. As a dependable associate, Northwest Registered Agent delivers LLC formation services to create an LLC. Use Northwest Registered Agent to Open an LLC >> Incfile is a company that offers LLC registration services that are quick and affordable. They provide various packages which help to open an LLC easily that encompass registered agent services, compliance management, and document filing. Their platform is designed to be user-friendly and efficient, simplifying the process of LLC registration. Furthermore, they provide continuous support and resources to help businesses remain compliant and thrive. Incfile prioritizes affordability and convenience, making it an excellent choice for LLC registration services. Try Incfile to Open an LLC >> Why Form an LLC? Entrepreneurs and groups who wish to start a promising new business venture often consider opting for starting an LLC as their preferred form of business formation. There are several reasons why people choose to open an LLC, including: Liability shielding: The primary benefit of operating an LLC is liability protection, which shields the assets of members and owners in the event of legal action against the business. This protection is achieved by properly designating the companys assets. Low startup cost: In several states, forming and maintaining a limited liability company (LLC) is cheaper than a corporation, with fees sometimes being below $100. LLCs are a suitable business model for individuals who wish to start a business without investing a significant amount of money. Tax-related benefits: LLCs have a special feature that allows them to be considered pass-through entities, which means they can be included in personal taxes while keeping business assets separate from personal finances. This is a popular choice among LLC owners as it helps prevent double taxation. However, LLCs may also be classified as a sole proprietorship, partnership, C-corporation, or S-corporation for tax purposes. Starting an LLC isnt a difficult task, as some firms can assist with the necessary paperwork and manage yearly responsibilities, including filing annual reports. Use ZenBusiness >> Types of LLCs to Consider When learning how to start an LLC, its important to be aware of the available types of LLCs. To open an LLC, this knowledge is crucial in selecting a business model that closely matches the nature of your company and its intended operations. The various LLC structures that one can choose from include: Multi-Member LLC: LLCs that have multiple members are typically categorized as either manager-managed or member-managed entities. L3C: Low-profit liability companies serve as a connection between nonprofit LLCs and for-profit LLCs, prioritizing the business cause over earnings. PLLC: This specific type of LLC is exclusively accessible to licensed professionals and tailored to their needs. Restricted LLC: LLCs that are restricted are exempted from taxes for the initial ten years after their formation. Moreover, theyre not allowed to distribute any profits to their members. Its mandatory to mention in the articles of organization that the LLC will be restricted. Single-Member LLC: The LLC is under the ownership and operation of one individual. Although it shares similarities with a sole proprietorship, this LLC offers more advantages in terms of taxes and protection from liability. Series LLC: A Series LLC is a type of business structure comprising multiple LLCs arranged in tiers, with the highest-level LLC owning a chain of lower-level LLCs. This arrangement allows for unlimited separation between the LLCs, and each LLC operates independently from the others. Additionally, the assets of each LLC are primarily kept separate from one another. When a state doesnt reveal the identity of the owner of a Limited Liability Company (LLC), its considered an anonymous entity. However, theres no official legal classification for this type of LLC. While business formation details are typically available to the public, some individuals may prefer to keep their information private. This is especially true for solo LLC owners who operate from their homes without disclosing their business location. However, anonymous LLC registration is only allowed in a few states: Delaware, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Visit ZenBusiness >> How to Start an LLC Frequently Asked Questions Should I Get an LLC for My Small Business? The limited liability company is the most widely used type of business structure due to its simplicity and flexibility. It also provides personal liability protection for the owners, meaning they wont be liable for any business debts. Furthermore, when considering how to start an LLC, the profits of the business are distributed to the LLC owners without being taxed first, known as pass-through taxation. The owners can then include the profits in their personal tax returns when they do open an LLC. Can I File for an LLC on My Own? By utilizing a comprehensive, step-by-step guide titled How to Start an LLC, its possible to open an LLC, a limited liability company independently. LLC Services like ZenBusiness and Swyft Filing can be hired to assist with company formation. How Much Does it Cost to Start an LLC? When it comes to how to start an LLC, the cost of setting up an LLC depends on the state filing fees and whether you opt for self-filing or professional services. The cost can range between $50 to $500, depending on your chosen services. If you opt for third-party formation services, theyll handle the business filings and may charge an additional fee ranging from $40 to $350. Is it Possible to Set Up an LLC for Free? If you want to know how to start an LLC, its important to note that the fee to register for an LLC differs from state to state, but paying a registration fee in every state is mandatory. Although some businesses may advertise a free LLC registration service, this simply means that they will complete the paperwork on your behalf for free. However, its important to note that you will still be accountable for paying the states filing fee if you want to open an LLC. Bottom Line on How to Start an LLC Its completely normal to feel anxious when you want to open an LLC business, especially if you have no prior legal knowledge. However, now that you know the steps involved in starting an LLC, theres no reason to hold back. Take it one step at a time. If you encounter any difficulties or require additional guidance, refer to this guide or seek assistance from other business owners in your locality that open an LLC effectively. You can also consider following the guide on how to start an LLC and utilizing an LLC registration service such as ZenBusiness to simplify the process. This is a Partnered Post. It is not uncommon for us to leave behind personal belongings in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. Whether it is our keys, a wallet, or, in this remarkable story, a cherished watch, losing something valuable can be a distressing experience. But this pilots recent encounter at Dubai International Airport left her not only pleasantly surprised but also deeply impressed with the efficiency and integrity of the airports staff. Hana Mohsin, a commercial pilot, recently took to Twitter to share her experience at the Dubai International Airport. In her post, she informs that she was operating a return flight from Dubai. During a routine security check, she removed her watch and accidentally left it there. It was only when she had left the airport that she realised her watch was missing. Despite feeling that she would not be able to find it, she contacted the ground staff in Dubai and enquired about her watch. She also penned three emails to the Dubai airports lost and found department. Much to her astonishment, the staff at Dubai Airport found her watch. Hana Mohsin further informed that she had to operate on another flight to Dubai the next day. On arrival, she made her way to the lost and found office at the airport. The process there was swift and hassle-free. In a mere five minutes, the pilot had her watch, which she earlier assumed was lost forever. Take a look: Last month while operating a Dubai back flight I had gone to the duty free. During the security check I had taken my watch off and forgot to pick it up.I had thought it was forever lost when I was flying back and discovered that I no longer had it.I contacted my ground staff in pic.twitter.com/GDP2vpBcsO Hana Mohsin Khan | (@girlpilot_) September 4, 2023 Overwhelmed with gratitude, the pilot expressed her appreciation for the outstanding service she received at Dubai International Airport. She tweeted, Super impressed with the lost & found department there. Im in awe that I got my watch back with such little hassle! Thats how life is there. It was a good reminder! Growing up in the Middle East it took us a long time to remember to lock our car doors and house doors. Law and order is just brilliant! Thank you Dubai! This heartwarming story not only resonated with her followers but also prompted a wave of similar tales from individuals who had experienced Dubais exceptional standards of honesty and efficiency. One user shared an incident from a hotel stay in Dubai, where valuables were inadvertently left on a desk. To their amazement, nothing ever went missing despite the daily housekeeping routine. When in Dubai, I had inadvertently left some valuables on a desk in a hotel room instead of keeping them in a safe. Another time I even forgot to lock the safe!The housekeeping staff would clean it up everyday yet nothing ever went missing. I was astonished! TheSoftwareGuy (@TheSoftGuy1) September 5, 2023 Another user praised Dubai Airport for taking pride in the job, and yet another recounted a story of their first visit which had happened recently. This is called taking pride in the job. Kudos Dubai Airport, said a user. This is called taking pride in the job. Kudos Dubai Airport AVM Amit Aneja AVSM VM VSM (@amit14668) September 4, 2023 I visited Dubai for the first time recently, and the most confusing experience for me was how simply you just walked in and out of shops in the malls. No separate entry/exits, no bag jail. Then it hit me, "oh, low crime rates." Deepti Empathy Madam Sharma (@cowbai) September 4, 2023 What are your thoughts on this story? The Philippines is ready to chair ASEAN in 2026 instead of Myanmar, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said Tuesday, as the bloc wrestles with how to engage with the countrys junta rulers. Myanmar has been ravaged by deadly violence since a 2021 military coup deposed Aung San Suu Kyis government and unleashed a bloody crackdown on dissent. It is my pleasure to announce that the Philippines is ready to take the helm and chair ASEAN in 2026, Marcos told Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. We will fortify the foundations of our community-building and navigate ASEAN as it embarks on a new chapter, he said, according to a statement from the presidential palace. Marcos did not say why Manila was taking over the chair from Myanmar. However, two Southeast Asian diplomats attending the summit said the move was agreed by leaders so the crisis would not hijack the blocs agenda and prevent external partners coming to Myanmar for their gatherings. Its been decided. It was announced at the leaders meeting and there was no objection, said one diplomat on the condition of anonymity. ASEAN wrote to the Philippines to ask if it was willing to accept the chair for that year and Manila accepted, the diplomat said. A second diplomat, who also declined to be identified, said the switch had been agreed after leaders assessment on the progress of a five-point plan agreed two years ago that the junta in Myanmar has largely ignored. Laos will host next years summit and Malaysia will chair the event in 2025. Southeast Asian leaders met in Indonesia on Tuesday to seek a united voice on the years-long Myanmar crisis as the Philippines said it was ready to replace the countrys junta rulers as chair of the bloc in 2026. Myanmar has been ravaged by deadly violence since a 2021 military coup deposed Aung San Suu Kyis government and unleashed a bloody crackdown on dissent. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) long decried by critics as a toothless talking shop has been left divided over how to deal with Myanmars rulers and other issues including Beijings growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. ASEAN has agreed to cooperate with anyone for peace and prosperity, said Indonesian President Joko Widodo, opening talks in the capital Jakarta. We have to be captains of our own ship to achieve peace. A draft joint communique seen by AFP left blank its Myanmar section, belying the lack of consensus in the 10-member bloc whose peace efforts have so far been fruitless. But Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said Manila was ready to step in to chair the bloc in 2026 instead of Myanmar, without disclosing the reason. It is my pleasure to announce that the Philippines is ready to take the helm and chair ASEAN in 2026, he told leaders, according to a statement from the presidential palace. We will navigate ASEAN as it embarks on a new chapter. Two Southeast Asian diplomats said the move was agreed by leaders so the crisis would not hijack the blocs agenda and prevent external partners attending their gatherings. Its been decided. It was announced at the leaders meeting and there was no objection, said one diplomat on the condition of anonymity. ASEAN wrote to the Philippines to ask if it was willing to accept the chair for that year and Manila accepted, the diplomat said. Chair Indonesia has pushed for the junta which is barred from the blocs high-level meetings to enforce a five-point plan agreed two years ago to end the violence and restart negotiations. A second diplomat, who also declined to be identified, said there was no objection to the switch after leaders assessment on the progress of the plan. The change will be reflected in some of the ASEAN outcome documents, they said. Not a competition Myanmar previously withdrew from the ASEAN chair in 2006 to spare the bloc from a damaging Western boycott. The chair went to the Philippines that year. Myanmar chaired the bloc in 2014 under Thein Sein, the countrys first civilian head of state in more than 50 years. Another regional diplomat said some ASEAN members were pushing for the junta to be re-invited to the meetings. Thailand has held unilateral meetings with the junta and deposed democracy leader Suu Kyi in recent months, further dividing the bloc. The juntas main ally Cambodia was represented by new Prime Minister Hun Manet on his first foreign visit. Some in the bloc fear Bangkoks different track has undermined Indonesias quiet diplomacy as ASEAN chair, with Jakarta holding meetings with a range of actors in the conflict over the past year. But experts said all efforts to speak with the junta over the crisis should be welcomed. I think Indonesia and Thailand need to just get along on this and Indonesia needs to give space to others who may have access. It should not be a competition, former Indonesian ambassador to the United States Dino Patti Djalal told reporters. Map controversy Beijings actions in the South China Sea which it claims almost in its entirety will also feature prominently, according to the draft communique. China released a new official map last week claiming sovereignty over the majority of the South China Sea, deepening the rift between Beijing and Southeast Asian countries over the waterway. The map sparked sharp rebukes from countries around the region, including Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Leaders will express concern about land reclamations, activities, serious incidents in the waterway, the draft communique said. Another Southeast Asian diplomatic source said leaders would aim for the aspirational goal of concluding talks with China over a code of conduct in the South China Sea by 2026. Later in the week, Indonesia will host the 18-nation East Asia Summit, which will include the United States, China, Japan, India and Russia. Representing Beijing and Moscow will be Premier Li Qiang and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. US Vice President Kamala Harris will attend in place of President Joe Biden, taking part in a roundtable with Moscows top diplomat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Indonesias capital Jakarta on September 6 and 7 to attend the ASEAN-India and East Asia summits. The Union ministry of external affairs last week said that the Prime Minister will go for a short visit before returning back to India for a G20 Summit in New Delhi. PM Modi will focus on trade and security ties with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during his visit to Jakarta, where he will meet with the leaders of the bloc. This is the first ASEAN-India Summit after New Delhi and the ASEAN elevated ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership last year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Jakarta, Indonesia on September 6 to 7 at the invitation of Joko Widodo, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, the MEA said in a statement last week. The statement said that PM Modi will attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and 18th East Asia Summit. Indonesia is hosting both summits and is the current chair of ASEAN. The forthcoming ASEAN-India Summit will be the first Summit since the elevation of India-ASEAN relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022. The Summit will review the progress of India-ASEAN relations and chart the future direction of cooperation, the MEAs statement said. The external affairs ministry said the meeting provides an opportunity to the leaders of the bloc and India and other seven dialogue partners, to exchange views on issues of regional and global significance. ASEAN is composed of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. India and ASEAN ties have grown significantly in the recent past. India and the bloc are focusing on boosting cooperation in the areas of trade and investment as well as security and defence. In August, finance ministers of the ASEAN nations and India agreed to review the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), signed in 2019. According to a report by The Print, India said the review will make the pact mutually beneficial while highlighting that there is a trade deficit between India and the bloc. Just leave it to the Almighty now, a judge at Pakistans Supreme Court remarked on Tuesday while disposing of a petition filed six years ago to place now-deceased military dictator Pervez Musharraf on the Exit Control List (ECL) to prevent him from leaving the country. Musharraf, who died in February in Dubai at the age of 79, was allowed by the apex court in March 2016 to travel abroad for treatment while he was facing trial in a treason case. A petition was filed by advocate Toufiq Asif to prevent Musharraf from leaving Pakistan. However, the Supreme Court took up the plea six months after the death of the wily former military ruler. According to a report in The Express Tribune newspaper, during the hearing of the petition on Tuesday, a three-member bench headed by Justice Mazahar Akbar Naqvi inquired, Isnt this plea redundant now? The petitioner, advocate Asif, quipped that if fixed for hearing earlier, it would not have been redundant and added that as predicted, Musharraf left the country and did not return. Just leave it to the Almighty now, remarked Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail. Well yeah, it is up to the Almighty now, replied the petitioner. The apex court disposed of the petition. In December 2019, a special court found Musharraf guilty of high treason and sentenced him to death. However, the punishment was never carried out. Musharraf, the architect of the Kargil War in 1999 who ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, died after a prolonged illness at the American Hospital in Dubai on February 5 this year. He was suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body, according to his family. Southeast Asian leaders will gather Tuesday in Indonesia for talks set to be dominated by the crisis in Myanmar and Chinas growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit will be followed by talks with Beijing, Washington and other powers where US Vice President Kamala Harris will seek to push back on Chinas assertiveness in the contested waterway in place of President Joe Biden. The 10-nation bloc has long been decried as a toothless talking shop and divided members are struggling to find a united voice on the Myanmar crisis since a 2021 coup overthrew the member countrys democratically elected government. A spate of bilateral meetings with world powers Wednesday will be followed by the 18-nation East Asia Summit on Thursday where heavyweights Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be absent. Representing Beijing and Moscow will be Chinese premier Li Qiang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Before that, ASEAN members will gather to hash out a declaration that accommodates all members positions on Myanmar, where the military coup unleashed a bloody crackdown on dissent. A draft of the final communique seen by AFP left blank a Myanmar section, belying the lack of consensus. Chair Indonesia has pushed for Myanmars junta which is barred from the blocs high-level meetings to enforce a five-point plan agreed two years ago to end the violence and restart negotiations. But those efforts have been fruitless, as the junta ignores international criticism and refuses to engage with its opponents. Thailand has instead held unilateral meetings with the junta and deposed democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, deepening ASEAN divisions. A Southeast Asian diplomat told AFP some countries are pushing for the junta to be re-invited to the meetings. There are also talks about Myanmar deferring the rotating ASEAN chair in 2026, said the diplomat. Short of a forceful, direct intervention, there is frankly scarcely anything much which ASEAN could do to help resolve the crisis, said Oh Ei Sun of the Malaysia-based Pacific Research Center. Chinas actions in the South China Sea which it claims almost in its entirety will also feature prominently after Beijing released a new map last week overlapping its own claims with those of several aggrieved ASEAN members. The map angered countries across the Asia-Pacific region, with protests piling up over the controversial Chinese claims within its so-called nine-dash line, including strong rejections from India, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Leaders will express concern about land reclamations, activities, serious incidents in the dispute-rife sea, according to the draft. This includes actions that have increased tensions and may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region, it said. At the East Asia Summit, which will include the United States, China, Japan, India and Russia, Harris is expected to clash with Moscows wily top diplomat after similar exchanges at recent meetings over the Ukraine war. In her meetings Harris will focus on the climate crisis, on maritime security and on efforts to uphold and strengthen international rules and norms in the region, said National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Xi is expected to skip the G20 summit on September 9-10 in New Delhi. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expects to make a rare trip abroad to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Russia to discuss providing arms to Moscow for its war in Ukraine, the United States said Monday. Ukraine is pushing a highly-scrutinised counteroffensive in both the south and east that Putin on Monday dismissed as a failure, though Moscow appears eager to urgently secure more military supplies to bolster its forces. The White Houses National Security Council (NSC) spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said that arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing, using an acronym for North Korea. We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia, she added. The United States last week warned that Russia was already in secret, active talks with the North to acquire a range of munitions and supplies for Moscows war effort. Kim is likely to head by armored train later this month to Vladivostok, on Russias Pacific coast not far from North Korea, to meet with Putin, according to The New York Times. The paper said Putin wanted artillery shells and antitank missiles from North Korea, and Kim could even travel to Moscow, but that was uncertain. Kim is reported to be seeking advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, as well as food aid for his impoverished nation. Washington said last week that despite its denials, North Korea supplied infantry rockets and missiles to Russia in 2022 for use by the privately controlled Wagner military group. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled last month to North Korea seeking to acquire additional munitions for the war, Watson said Monday. Counteroffensive progress? Last week at the United Nations, the United States, Britain, South Korea and Japan said that any deal to increase cooperation between Russia and North Korea would violate Security Council resolutions forbidding arms deals with Pyongyang resolutions that Moscow itself had endorsed. They said that following Shoigus visit to Pyongyang, another group of Russian officials traveled to North Korea for follow-up talks. The United States last month sanctioned three entities accused of seeking to facilitate arms deals between North Korea and Russia as Washington tightened restrictions on support for Moscows war in Ukraine. The US Treasury Department said that Russia was continuing to use up munitions and lose heavy equipment in Ukraine, forcing it to turn to its small pool of allies, including North Korea, for support. Ukrainian officials have claimed some progress in the key counteroffensive after Russias invasion in February 2022, but Putin on Monday again claimed that the attempt to retake land lost to Moscow had been unsuccessful. It is not that it is stalling. It is a failure, Putin said during a press conference with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi. At least today this is what it looks like. Lets see what happens next. News of the likely meeting between Kim and Putin came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had visited his war-torn countrys frontline eastern Donetsk region, posting a video of himself meeting soldiers. In Kyiv, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced he had handed in his resignation to parliament after Zelensky called for new approaches to beat back Russia. Zelenskys decision to remove Reznikov comes after several corruption scandals rocked the defence ministry, and as pressure builds over making concrete advances in the counteroffensive. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral meetings with Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday, according to the Hindustan Times. The meeting will be held before his meeting with US President Joe Biden who will travel to New Delhi on September 7. Prime Minister Modi will also meet French President Emmanuel Macron and Comoros President Azali Assoumani who is the current chairperson of the African Union during the weekend, the Hindustan Times said in its report. The Hindustan Times said that PM Modi insisted that the African Union be invited to the G20 summit because India is focusing on bolstering the economic growth and development of the Global South. Several African nations have fallen into the Chinese debt trap as they gave Chinese companies major infrastructure projects like ports, railroads and highways. The news report also pointed out that PM Modi took note of the effects of the pandemic on Africa and highlighted that it needed assistance from the G20 group of nations to recover from the effect it had on the economies of the African nations. He also noted that G20 needs to help African nations counter the political instability in several parts of the continent. The meeting will focus on the war in Ukraine and the effects of climate change on our planet along with the main issue which is economic growth and development. However, the newspaper said that these two issues will be taken up for negotiations with equal importance being given to the phasing out of fossil fuels. Development and prosperity of the Global South is an important issue for PM Modi as many nations from the South Pacific, Latin America and Africa feel New Delhi represents their aspiration at global and multilateral levels. PM Modi raised the issues impacting the Global South during the BRICS Summit last month as well. I am grateful to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for giving me the opportunity to share thoughts with the leaders of Africa, Asia and Latin America. We have focussed on the priorities and concerns of the countries of Global South, PM Modi said at that time. This is also the core principle of our G20 presidency. To bring the concerns of the Global South into the mainstream, we have invited three African nations and several developing nations as guest countries. India has also put forward the proposal of giving permanent G20 membership to the African Union. I believe that BRICS and all friendly nations present today, can contribute to strengthening the multipolar world, PM Modi further added. Polish Minister of Agriculture Robert Telus spoke about the difficulties in the negotiations of the coalition of five neighoring countries that insist on the introduction of a flexible list of agricultural products banned from importing into their countries from Ukraine after September 15. Five front-line European countries Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Romania want the EU list to ban imports of agricultural products from Ukraine to be "flexible," Telus told the Polish radio station RMF FM after a meeting of five ministerial leaders agriculture of countries neighboring Ukraine in the Spanish city of Cordoba. According to him, the idea is that a product can be removed from the list if its importation is desirable, or a new product can be added in case of excessive importation. According to Telus, THE "flexible list" sounds good, but it opens up the field for fairs and playing five by the EC. It means that five countries are no longer behind the list of four products currently subject to the EU ban, which includes: wheat, maize, sunflower seeds and rapeseed. "We have a little problem with Bulgaria," Telus admitted, adding that Bulgaria wants sunflower seeds removed from the list as Bulgarian processors need to import sunflower seeds from Ukraine. Instead, it would like to add "powdered milk" to the list. Telus said that Poland, in turn, wants to add raspberries or honey to the list. It is also unknown whether all other neighboring countries of Ukraine in the event of a negative decision by the EC will also introduce unilateral bans, as Poland plans to do. The minister said that only Hungary "declares very strongly that it will introduce such a ban together with Poland," while the Slovaks "think about it very seriously." The Polish minister said that negotiations on this issue are still ongoing. The minister also said that during the meeting of EU agrarian ministers, which took place on Tuesday in Cordoba (Spain), he did not hear sharply negative opinions from colleagues about the extension of the ban. He said France was talking "very prudently" about the need to build "an tool for the future, because Ukraine will stay with us for a long time." Telus announced a meeting via video links between the ministers of the five countries and the French minister. At the same time, the Polish minister admitted that he had heard that President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen allegedly promised Ukraine that she would not agree to an extension of the ban. China on Tuesday said it has supported India in hosting this years G20 Summit and its ready to work with all parties to push for the success of the high-profile global conference in New Delhi this week. On Monday, the Chinese foreign ministry announced that Premier Li Qiang will represent China at the G20 Summit instead of President Xi Jinping. Asked whether the decision to send the Premier instead of the President to India reflect tensions between the two countries, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a regular briefing Tuesday said that China-India relations have been stable on the whole and the two sides have maintained dialogue and communication at various levels. Without mentioning the boundary dispute, she said, the continued improvement and growth of China-India relations serves the common interests of the two countries and two peoples. We stand ready to work with India to further improve and advance bilateral relations. On the G20 summit, the spokesperson said China always attaches high importance to the grouping and actively participates in relevant activities. We support India in hosting this years summit and stand ready to work with all parties to make the G20 Summit a success, she said on the conference to be held in New Delhi on September 9-10. The G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation, she said. The ties between India and China have been under severe strain since the deadly clashes in eastern Ladakhs Galwan Valley in June 2020. The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in an over three-year confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks. India has been consistently maintaining that peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) were key for normalisation of overall ties. Premier Li will be representing China at the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia from September 5 to 8. He will travel to India after attending the East Asia summit in Jakarta. US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are among the G20 leaders who have already confirmed their participation in the G20 Summit. The G20 member countries represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. The grouping comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union. A portion of California highway now bears the name of Ronil Singh, a 33-year-old police officer of Indian-origin who lost his life when an illegal immigrant shot him in 2018. During a ceremony held last Saturday, a section of Highway 33 in Newman, California was named as Corporal Ronil Singh Memorial Highway. A signage was put up at the intersection of Highway 33 and Stuhr Road during the commemoration ceremony. Today the community came together to honor the memory of Cpl. Ronil Singh, who was tragically killed in the line of duty in December 2018. The memorial highway sign was unveiled today and will be displayed on Highway 33 and Stuhr Road. pic.twitter.com/b4cNgZekRg Assemblyman Juan Alanis (@JuanAlanisCA) September 2, 2023 Ronil Singh was from Fiji and became a police officer at the Newman Police Department in July 2011. His life was cut short when a suspected drunk driver shot him fatally on December 26, 2018. After a three-day manhunt, Paulo Virgen Mendoza, was arrested from Kern County. He pled guilty to Singhs murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in November 2020. Ahead of the unveiling of the memorial sign, members of the community organised a Tunnel to Towers 5K walk and run in Corporal Ronil Singhs memory. Singhs widow Anamika, their son, Arnav, who was only 5 months old when his father died were present at the event. Other family members and colleagues from the Newman Police Department were also present. Noted dignitaries like the County Supervisor Chance Condit, State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, US Representative John Duarte and Assemblyman Juan Alanis were also present. Behind the memorial signage there are messages of love and remembrance. A message from Ronils son Arnav read: Love you Papa! Today the community came together to honour the memory of Cpl. Ronil Singh, who was tragically killed in the line of duty in December 2018. The memorial highway sign was unveiled today and will be displayed on Highway 33 and Stuhr Road, Assemblyman Alanis posted on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. Today, #Caltrans joined the community members, friends and family of Cpl. Ronil Singh to dedicate a highway memorial in his name on State Route 33 through the @cityofNewman, the California Department of Transportation also posted on X. The Assembly Transportation Committee in September 2019 passed a resolution for the Corporal Ronil Singh Memorial Highway in western Stanislaus and Merced counties but the work on naming a stretch of Highway 33 near Newman in honour of Singh was stalled. Former US President Donald Trump also described Singh as a national hero and spoke to family members following his death. The death of a 17-year-old Indian student in a road accident during a school trip to Cambodia has sparked concern among parents about the safety of their children studying at a top international institution in Singapore, a media report said on Tuesday. Kaira Karmakar died in a road accident on June 1 while on a school trip to the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. Her death has sparked concern among several parents who want answers and a review of guidelines on overseas excursions, The Straits Times newspaper reported. She was with a group of classmates, and there were no teachers or adult representatives accompanying them. The United World College of South-east Asia (UWCSEA) was notified at 3.07am the same day. The school declined to say how many students were part of the group. UWCSEA Dover (Road) head Patrick Hurworth, in an e-mail to parents on June 1, informed them that she had died while in Cambodia for the schools project week. The e-mail said students have the option of going on an overseas field trip for project week as part of the grade 11 curriculum, and that it is designed to support readiness for independent life after graduation, according to the newspaper. UWCSEA, a top international school with campuses around the world, has two in Singapore in Dover Road and Tampines. Grade 11 is similar to the first year in junior college in Singapore. UWCSEA head of college Nick Alchin, in an e-mail on June 7, said students would break into small groups of four to six and spend up to six months planning their trips. The process is supervised by a teacher who does not go on the trip, he added. It is different to all other outdoor education trips because the structure is to use a period of detailed supervised planning to support student travel without an accompanying UWCSEA adult, Alchin said. One student in each group is given mandatory first-aid training, and students have access to a 24-hour emergency hotline provided by security service International SOS and a list of local contacts and the closest hospitals, he added. In his e-mail, Alchin said the school is planning to have an external investigation done on the accident as well as project week. The final report, he added, will be submitted to the audit and risk committee of the schools board of governors the body responsible for reviewing school processes. However, one parent said it has been nearly three months and there has been no update on the incident since the June 7 e-mail from Alchin. The school has not informed the parents of the outcome of the investigation and obviously expects that this has been forgotten throughout the summer holidays, said the parent, who asked not to be identified. As a parent, I feel voiceless and cornered. The parent also asked why the school would allow students to go on an overseas trip without an adult. The tragedy that unfolded as this young lady died in a road accident was entirely preventable. The school should have been aware that teenagers are prone to testing boundaries, said the parent. UWCSEA declined to answer queries on the accident or the review of project week guidelines. It did, however, celebrate Kairas life in a joint statement with the Karmakar family. Kaira was exceptional, an outstanding student who had already achieved so much in her life and who shared her blessings freely. UWCSEA has named a scholarship in Kairas honour, so that a young student of great promise and potential can experience an education at the school she loved, the statement said. According to the UWC website, the school has also set up an endowment in Kairas name in a tie-up with the Karmakar family, and the fund will help support UWCSEA scholarships, among other things. On social media platform TikTok, Kairas friends paid tribute to her. In 2023, more than 300 students from the Dover campus and nearly 240 students from the East campus opted to travel abroad for project week, while about 80 students across both campuses chose to remain in Singapore. The White House on Monday announced that US First Lady Jill Biden tested positive for Covid-19. US President Joe Biden has tested negative. This evening, the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19. She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms. She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, the first ladys spokesperson Elizabeth Alexander said, according to CNN. Following the First Ladys positive test for COVID-19, President Biden was administered a COVID test this evening. The President tested negative. The President will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms, the White House said in a separate press release announcing that Biden has tested negative. The White House on Monday said that there are no changes to White House Covid protocols or Joe Bidens schedule at this time. Joe Biden will travel to India on September 7 for the G20 Summit in New Delhi. He will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will also hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit. This week was a busy one for Joe Biden. He travelled to Philadelphia for Labour Day for celebrations. He will also present a Medal of Honor to an Army captain in a White House ceremony Tuesday before departing for New Delhi. Jill Biden tested positive for Covid-19 in 2022 while vacationing in South Carolina in August. Joe Biden tested positive in July 2022. The White House in 2022 said that anyone who meets with the US President continues to be tested for Covid-19 before their meeting. This measure was taken after members of Israeli President Isaac Herzogs delegation tested positive ahead of a bilateral meeting, news agency CNN said. We have testing protocols when anytime somebody meets with the president. So, I can tell you that anybody who meets with the president does indeed get tested. I do. We all do, Karine Jean-Pierre was quoted as saying by CNN. The First Ladys diagnosis comes as the worlds focus turns towards Covid-19 as the world witnesses its fourth virus season since the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist at the Scripps Research Translational Institute, said that it is concerning to see Covid finding new ways to challenge humans, to find new hosts and repeat hosts. US President Joe Biden will travel to India on September 7 for the G20 Summit. He will attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi which will be held over two days, on September 9 and 10. There are no changes to his schedule despite First Lady and his wife Jill Biden testing positive for Covid-19. The White House earlier said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will meet in New Delhi for a bilateral meeting on September 8. On Thursday (September 7), the President will travel to New Delhi, India to attend the G20 Leaders Summit. On Friday, the President will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the White House said in its schedule released last week. On Saturday (September 9) and Sunday (September 10), the President will participate in the G20 summit, where he and G20 partners will discuss a range of joint efforts to tackle global issues, including the clean energy transition and combating climate change, the statement further added. The White House also said that during the meeting Biden will commend Prime Minister Modis leadership of the G20 and reaffirm the US commitment to the G20 as the premier forum of economic cooperation. The US will host the G20 Summit in 2026. The Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the worlds major developed and developing economies. These member-states account for 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade and about two-thirds of the world population. There have been no changes in the US Presidents schedule despite First Lady and his wife Jill Biden testing positive for Covid-19. Jill Biden tested positive on Monday, the White House said. This evening, the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19. She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms. She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, the first ladys spokesperson Elizabeth Alexander said, according to CNN. Following the First Ladys positive test for COVID-19, President Biden was administered a COVID test this evening. The President tested negative. The President will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms, the White House said in a separate press release announcing that Biden has tested negative. (with inputs from CNN-News18) Wilyer Abreu (pictured, left) and Brandon Walter (pictured, bottom right) had months to remember both on and off the field, as the former made his major-league debut and the latter leveraged his performance on the mound into a September call-up. A pair of prospects on the 40-man roster took home the awards for August on account of what they did in Worcester.andhad months to remember both on and off the field, as the former made his major-league debut and the latter leveraged his performance on the mound into a September call-up. Abreu's selection should come as no surprise considering the fact he earned Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks (Aug. 7-13, 14-20). In 17 games for the WooSox last month, the left-handed hitting outfielder slashed a ridiculous .424/.528/.949 (252 wRC+) with four doubles, nine home runs, 25 RBIs, 18 runs scored, three stolen bases, 12 walks, and 10 strikeouts over 72 plate appearances. Three of those nine homers came in a 13-4 win over the Buffalo Bisons at Polar Park on Aug. 13. Nine days after accomplishing that feat, Abreu debuted against the Astros -- the organization that traded him away last summer -- at Minute Maid Park in Houston. The 24-year-old came on as a defensive replacement for Alex Verdugo (who was ejected for arguing balls and strikes) and has since gone 7 for 23 (.304) with three doubles, one home run, five RBIs, four runs scored, three walks, and seven strikeouts in his first eight games with the Red Sox. Abreu was away from the team during last week's series against Houston at Fenway Park by virtue of being on the paternity list. He and his wife, Kelly Valera, welcomed their first child together -- a baby boy named Andres -- on Aug. 28. As things stand now, the newly-minted father of one is ranked as the No. 23 prospect in the organization. Walter, meanwhile, made four starts and appeared in five total games for Worcester last month. The soon-to-be 27-year-old left-hander pitched to a 1.42 ERA and 3.80 FIP with 16 strikeouts to six walks over 23 1/3 innings of work in which he held opposing hitters to a .207 batting average against. In a recent conversation with MassLive.com's Katie Morrison-O'Day , Walter revealed that he had added a cutter to his pitch mix and was throwing more strikes as a result. Enmanuel Valdez when major-league rosters expanded from 26 to 28 players last Friday. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound southpaw has gotten into one game since then, but was unfortunately shelled for seven runs over four innings of relief in a 13-2 loss to the Royals in Kansas City. He now owns a 5.79 ERA (4.65 FIP) in seven career outings (18 2/3 innings) at the big-league level. On the heels of such a strong month, Walter was called up by Boston alongside second basemanwhen major-league rosters expanded from 26 to 28 players last Friday. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound southpaw has gotten into one game since then, but was unfortunately shelled for seven runs over four innings of relief in a 13-2 loss to the Royals in Kansas City. He now owns a 5.79 ERA (4.65 FIP) in seven career outings (18 2/3 innings) at the big-league level. Luis Perales and Wikelman Gonzalez and fellow lefty Shane Drohan. In similar fashion to Abreu, Walter also celebrated a personal milestone late last month by asking his girlfriend to marry him. She said yes . Now engaged, Walter is currently regarded as the No. 13 prospect in Boston's farm system, which ranks fourth among pitchers behind only rightiesandand fellow lefty Photo Credit: Wilyer Abreu and Brandon Walter by Kelly O'Connor The Cabinet of Ministers will approve the draft law "On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2024" by September 15, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has announced. "By September 15, the government will approve the draft state budget for 2024. Its development is already at the final stage. Priority number one, as in this one, will be the security and defense sector. Equipment, weapons, drones, missiles, shells all this is very important for us," Shmyhal said at a government meeting on Tuesday. According to him, the second focus of the budget will be the salaries of doctors, teachers and social benefits. "We are planning a two-stage increase in the minimum wage next year. We are laying the indexation of pensions, subsidies, IDP benefits and other payments will be financed," the prime minister said. The third priority, according to Shmyhal, is the restoration of the country. "It is important for us to continue and complete the restoration projects that have already started, as well as to start new ones. Russia will continue to attack civilian infrastructure, including energy. Therefore, an early recovery will remain relevant next year," he said. An Australian who fell ill at a remote Antarctic base is returning home on an icebreaker following a daunting mission to rescue him, authorities said Tuesday. The man was working at the Casey research station when he suffered from what authorities described as a developing medical condition that needed specialist assessment and care. The New York Times explains what made the evacuation so challenging: Winter only officially ended at the end of August, and "the Australian Antarctic program had never attempted a rescue mission so close to winter, when temperatures on the continent can fall to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit and blizzards can rage for days." And rescue via plane wasn't an option, as it would take weeks to try to prep Australia's runway on the continent, which isn't used in winter. The settled-on solution: an icebreaker that would have to make its way through miles of ice. The icebreaker RSV Nuyina left Australia last week and traveled south more than 1,800 miles, ultimately reaching a location 89 miles from the base, the Australian Antarctic Division said in a statement. From there, two helicopters were deployed from the deck Sunday and arrived at the base after nearly an hour to rescue the man. "The first phase of the evacuation was performed safely and successfully and the ship is now on the return voyage to Hobart," said Robb Clifton, the division's acting general manager of operations and logistics. "Getting this expeditioner back to Tasmania for the specialist medical care required is our priority." The man is expected to arrive in Australia next week, reports the AP. Until then, Clifton said, he would be cared for in the icebreaker's specially equipped medical facility by polar medicine doctors and staff from the Royal Hobart Hospital. Authorities said they weren't divulging the man's name or medical condition to protect his privacy. During the southern summer, more than 150 people work at the Casey research station. But over the winter, fewer than 20 remain to perform maintenance work. The BBC notes Australia requires that all researchers headed to Antarctica first submit to in-depth medical exams. (Read more Antarctica stories.) The question of importing grain from Ukraine was discussed by several delegations at an informal meeting of EU agriculture ministers and will be revisited at a European Commission (EC) meeting on September 6, EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski said. "My position is clear that we need to support Ukraine by, first of all, supporting transit of grain from Ukraine to the seaports, and the Ukrainian export to the third countries. This is the most important," Wojciechowski told a press conference after the European Council's informal meeting on agriculture in Cordoba, Spain, on Tuesday. "The question of the prolongation of the import ban [on Ukrainian grain supplies to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovenia] is discussed in the [European] Commission. My position is also clear that if the ban for the five frontline member states is not prolonged, we can expect the next huger crisis in the frontline member states, because all these frontline member-states are also big grain exporters in the European Union, and [we can see] the pressure on their markets," Wojciechowski said. The issue of a potential market shock in those countries was raised on the margins of the discussions in Cordoba, he said. At present, Ukrainian grain is transported mainly via Solidarity Lanes, he said. "We need take this aspect and distribute solidarity lanes to use more seaports than now. This is the challenge. There is a question of infrastructure, [but] the main question is about economic aspects. The transit is too expensive for Ukrainian companies to be competitive on the market. I proposed to support Ukraine financially for compensation of transit costs. There is discussion, and I present this kind of argumentation," Wojciechowski said. Asked if Ukraine might complain about the EC to the World Trade Organization over Brussels violating trade rules, Wojciechowski said that the five border countries, like other EU members, were in solidarity with Ukraine and involved in helping Kyiv, including financially, and that the EU has provided its market for Ukrainian agricultural products. In 2022, the total EU imports from Ukraine stood at EUR 28 billion, almost half of which (EUR 13 billion) accounted for agricultural products, the commissioner said. Across the 27 members, there was an import increase of EUR 7 billion, of which EUR 5 billion was by those five "frontline" states, he said. As for the banned import of certain products, "this is not the discrimination, this is a temporary ban," the commissioner said. "This is only a measure to avoid a negative situation for both sides, because... direct import to the frontline member states is not good for the farmers in these countries, but also for Ukraine, because it's a speculative trade," Wojciechowski said. Before the events in Ukraine, there were no problems with trade in Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed, sunflower seeds under the EU-Ukraine association agreement because these products were shipped almost entirely by sea to Asia and Africa, bypassing those border states, he said. Now, with the sea routes blocked, Ukrainian grain products sell much cheaper than the EU's. As a result, resellers profiteering on this situation are helping neither Ukraine, nor the EU countries, the official said. "I think that if there will be a complaint - I hope that not - but it will be taken into account. My proposal is for good for Ukraine, because it is to support transit... I think that we will find a good solution, which will be acceptable for all partners, including Ukraine," Wojciechowski said. As authorities continue to search for escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante in Pennsylvania, a message from his mom is being broadcast from helicopters and patrol cars. An officer with the US Marshals Office explains the message was recorded "in the hopes that perhaps, as desperate as he is, maybe he has a change of thought and hears his mother telling him to surrender and his family cares about him. He's desperate, he's hungry, he's been in the woods, he's dirty, perhaps this is what puts him over the edge so that we can get a peaceful surrender." Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison, about an hour outside Philadelphia, Thursday morning and has been spotted four times in the days since within a 2-mile radius of the prison, most recently on Sunday afternoon, CBS News reports. Myanmar's military rulers have denied a request to send an outside doctor to the imprisoned former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, 78, who is said to be in need of urgent care. "She was suffering swelling in her gums and could not eat well and is feeling light-headed along with vomiting," a source tells Reuters. Suu Kyi's son, Kim Aris, tells the Independent that his mother, who suffers from gum disease, "has been vomiting and has severe dizziness as a result of her ill health." He says urgent care was "recommended by prison authorities, but this has been denied by the military junta" in a "callous and cruel" decision. "Anyone who has such painful gum disease that they are unable to eat obviously has their entire health at risk if suitable treatment is denied," adds the British national. If you're Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George Washington, John F. Kennedy, and Sacagawea, the United States of America will put your faces on coins worth a grand total of $1.91 for your role in the country's history. The US' former British overlords do things somewhat differently: As CNN reports, Queen Elizabeth II now has her mug on a coin made of 8 pounds of gold and 6,426 diamonds, give or take. The coin, which was unveiled just ahead of the one-year anniversary of the longtime monarch's death, isn't exactly legal tender with which one would buy a pack of gum at the local convenience store, nor would it fit in one's pocket. Roughly the size of a basketball, the coin dubbed "the Crown" is one of a kind and has an estimated value of $23 million. (See it here .) That dwarfs the current world record for the most expensive coin ever to sell at auction, a US "Double Eagle" that went for $18.9 million two years ago, and per Fortune, it "puts all others to shame." The Crown was crafted by the East India Company, which CNN notes is a "luxury lifestyle brand" that controls the modern naming rights to the once-dynastic trading company that flourished during the British Empire's heyday before dissolving in 1874. The naming rights to the current iteration were purchased in 2005 by Indian businessman Sanjiv Mehta, who says the coin took over a year to produce and had been in the works before Elizabeth's death on Sept. 8, 2022. "The tribute that we're making to the Queen was not about cutting corners, but celebrating a life," Mehta says. (Read more Queen Elizabeth II stories.) Increased market share became Tyson Foods' goal, leading the company to ramp up production at its chicken plants and generally speed up the line. That strategy has changed. The company is cutting back, closing two plants earlier this year and announcing plans last month to shut four more. Demand for its product has leveled off, and wholesale prices have fallenwhich is not to say all contributing factors were beyond the company's control. Rivals and industry analysts say Tyson helped the trends along by producing so much more chicken, the Wall Street Journal reports. "The industry sometimes overshoots," a consultant said. Tyson miscalculated late last year when projecting chicken demand from grocery stores and the type of chicken that would be needed, CEO Donnie King said in February. Part of the reason for producing more chicken was because it was forced to buy so much from outside processors, even as prices were going up. Prices for boneless, skinless chicken breasts dropped to less than $1 by January, after being $3.60 a pound the previous June, according to USDA data. The wholesale price now is about $1.40. Tyson removed the president of its poultry operation in January. "You had a supercycle for chicken that played out in 2021 and 2022," an analyst said. "I get why they [Tyson] wanted to increase production after feeling like they missed out." Plants in North Little Rock, Arkansas; Corydon, Indiana; and Dexter and Noel, Missouri, are scheduled to shut down in the first half of fiscal 2024, per USA Today; they employ roughly 3,000 people. Closings in Glen Allen, Virginia, and Van Buren, Arkansas, were announced in March, per NPR. Tyson executives say the trends are headed their way now; the grocery store segment has become profitable, for example. Forecasts say demand for chicken will rise again as the price of beef increases. But King told analysts last month that "market conditions in chicken are still challenged." (Read more Tyson Foods stories.) There was chaos on the red carpet at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on Monday as protesters scuffled with police while shouting "Abusers!" and "No rape culture!" The Italian film festival is premiering new films by three directors accused of sexual misconduct: Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, and Luc Besson. It was at the premiere of Allen's 50th feature and first French-language film, Coup de Chance, that the scuffles broke out, per the BBC and CNN. More: The disturbance: About 20 people "marched past the cinema's entrance just as Allen was walking down the red carpet" and "shouted slogans including 'No rape culture!' and 'We are speaking for those without a voice against the director rapists,'" per the The Hollywood Reporter. Some removed their shirts, per Variety, while some scuffled with police, per the BBC. About 20 people "marched past the cinema's entrance just as Allen was walking down the red carpet" and "shouted slogans including 'No rape culture!' and 'We are speaking for those without a voice against the director rapists,'" per the The Hollywood Reporter. Some removed their shirts, per Variety, while some scuffled with police, per the BBC. The protesters: They were men and woman affiliated with various Italian organizations, including the feminist group Non Una Di Meno, per Screen Daily. They handed out pamphlets that decried the festival's embrace of Allen, Besson, and Polanski. "If violence is never considered serious enough or credible enough, and if those who perpetrate it continue never to be held responsible, things can never change," they read in part. They were men and woman affiliated with various Italian organizations, including the feminist group Non Una Di Meno, per Screen Daily. They handed out pamphlets that decried the festival's embrace of Allen, Besson, and Polanski. "If violence is never considered serious enough or credible enough, and if those who perpetrate it continue never to be held responsible, things can never change," they read in part. The accusations: Allen's adopted daughter Dylan Farrow claims he molested her in 1992 when she was 7, though a prosecutor declined to bring charges. Polanski pleaded guilty to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old in the US in 1977 but fled the country before his sentencing. Besson was cleared of rape by a French court in June. A New Zealand woman who gave birth by cesarean section in 2020 lived for 18 months with a surgical device "about the size of a dinner plate" concealed in her abdomen, according to a report released Monday. The unnamed woman in her 20s complained of chronic pain in the months after welcoming her child at Auckland City Hospital, but X-rays failed to show anything amiss, CNN reports. Finally, after a visit to the emergency room in 2021, health care workers ordered a CT scan, which showed an Alexis retractor , or AWR, apparently missed by the surgeon and 10 others involved in the woman's surgery, still inside her abdomen. An AWR consists of two plastic rings joined by a plastic sleeve and is "used to draw back the edges of a wound during surgery," according to the report by Health and Disability Commissioner Morag McDowell. They're typically about 6 inches wide, per CNN, though the Guardian reports this one was "extra large." The report faulting Te Whatu Ora-Auckland, formerly the Auckland District Health Board, found the AWR was excluded from the count of surgical instruments used. As a nurse told the commission, that may be because "the Alexis retractor doesn't go into the wound completely, as half of the retractor needs to remain outside the patient, and so it would not be at risk of being retained." It's unclear how the device was retained. "Usually, it would be removed after closing the uterine incision (and before the skin is sutured)," the report reads, per ABC News. "The care fell significantly below the appropriate standard in this case and resulted in a prolonged period of distress for the woman," McDowell wrote, per CNN, adding, "Systems should have been in place to prevent this from occurring." The report notes the case is "remarkably similar" to another instance in the same health authority, per the Guardian. It calls for the health board to pen an apology to the patient and to include AWRs in counts of surgical instruments. The case now heads to the commission's prosecutor, who will decide on further action. (Read more New Zealand stories.) In 1965, the mother of famed breaker of Nazi codes Alan Turing donated a box of his items to the Sherborne School he attended for five years in Dorset, England. Nineteen years later, the items went missingduring the visit of an American woman named Julie Schinghomes, say school officials. She said she was researching Turing, and in CBS News' telling, it's not clear if she took the items or was given them by someone who didn't have the power to do so. The school thought they were gone for good, and there was no sign of them for more than 30 years. In 2018, Schinghomes, who had changed her name to Julia Turing, offered to lend some of her Turing artifacts to the University of Colorado. The school's historians declined. "Evidently, they knew what they were looking at, or at least had a solid idea about the items' significance," per CBS. A search warrant was issued and the artifacts were found in her Conifer, Colorado, home. Turingwho 9News reports was not related to Alan Turing, as she has claimedultimately settled with investigators; she gave up her interest in the items and faced no criminal charges in the matter as a result. In late August, those investigators flew to England and returned them to Sherborne School. The items were described in a press release as including "Alan Turing's PhD diploma from Princeton University, the Order of the British Empire Medal, a personal note from the King George VI of England, a number of school reports, and various photos." A BBC article from 2020 quotes some of what Turing said during a court appearance at the time: That Turing "lived brightly in my heart throughout my entire life beginning at the age of between eight and nine years old. ... I wish only the very best for the legacy of Alan Turing, that his belongings, I have had the privilege to be gifted and kept in my presence all these years and deeply cherished throughout my life with the very best of care that I could provide, may now... be handed over to the rest of the world to see and also admire as I did. That is my wish." (Read more Alan Turing stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region 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. Officers of the State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) are conducting searches of a house of acting Mayor of Chernihiv Oleksandr Lomako. "I have searches at my house. Now. While I was preparing the children for school, a group of representatives of the SBU visited me. They will search the apartment," Lomako said on Facebook. According to him, the SBU conducts searches allegedly on the basis of the decision of Shevchenkivsky court in Kyiv. Lomako also said due to the searches, the meeting on the life of the city scheduled for 08:00 would be cancelled. The Belgian Ministry of Defense bought Sea Sparrow missiles from Germany, LEcho said with reference to the office of Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder. According to the publication, in total, Belgium bought 14 missiles, eight of which will be transferred to Ukraine. In addition, the Belgian Council of Ministers confirmed that a decision on a new supply of equipment for the Ukrainian forces worth over EUR 150,000 will be considered at a meeting on Friday. In addition to the Sea Sparrow missiles, this aid package is planned to include 3,200 FN FNC magazines and about 50 Bangalore tubes, explosive devices designed to penetrate barbed wire in ground defenses by infantry. TORONTO, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - The CST Foundation has proudly awarded $248,000 to 39 Canadian students through its 2023 Awards and Bursaries program. As a reflection of CST's commitment to enabling access to post-secondary education, this year's program supports students pursuing higher education for the first time. 14 Founders' Awards of $7,000 each were granted to those who have benefited from a Canadian Scholarship Trust RESP and are enrolling in post-secondary studies and 25 Bursary Awards of $6,000 are for those entering post-secondary education for the first time. Thirty-nine students across Canada received a total of $248,000 in funding this year from CST Foundation (CNW Group/Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation) CST Foundation aims to improve access to post-secondary education with financial support that can lessen the financial and emotional burden for students. This year's Award winners will be celebrated on September 18th at the Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel. 2023 Founders' Award winner, Joelle Nesdale-Tucker, is pursuing a master's degree in psychology at McGill University. For Joelle, the grant means she can pursue her goal of being a psychology research assistant next semester. "It's an unpaid position that I couldn't do before because I need the income from my part-time job," she says, "but receiving the CST Founders' Award makes this exciting opportunity now possible." 2023 Bursary Award winner, Weijie (Steve) He, is pursuing a Bachelor of Science at the University of British Columbia. "Education is the key to unlocking one's full potential and achieving a fulfilling life," says He. "Winning the CST Bursary award helps alleviate some of the financial pressure and allows me to focus on maintaining my academic success." "Our vision is a Canada where all students receive the support that they need to dream big and realize their full potential, says Sherry MacDonald, President and CEO, CST Foundation. "We believe that education is critical to success in an individual's life, career and family." Through its scholarship and bursary programs, CST has awarded over $2 million to students pursuing post-secondary education. To learn more about how the CST Foundation supports access to post-secondary education, or to learn more about its Awards program, visit cstfoundation.ca. About the Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation Founded in 1960, the Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation is dedicated to helping Canadian families access post-secondary education. Through philanthropy, discovery, advocacy and by sponsoring the Canadian Scholarship Trust Plans to help families save for post-secondary education, CST continues to deliver on its mission. The Foundation rewards hard working and community minded Canadian students through scholarships, bursaries and awards programs. CST has helped over 800,000 students achieve their post-secondary dreams. SOURCE Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation For further information: For further information, please contact: Alexa Ciufo, Communications Lead | [email protected] TORONTO, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - ILAC Education Group is proud to introduce its newest addition to the family: The Canada Employment Forum. The focus of the Canada Employment Forum is to develop and enhance partnerships with employers across Canada ensuring ILAC students have access to a wide array of employment opportunities, both during and after their studies. Students in the Hospitality and Tourism Operations Management post-graduate certificate program at Fanshawe Toronto @ILAC will network with industry partners in hotels, restaurants and tourism organizations, and learn from industry professionals. (CNW Group/ILAC Education Group) "As an industry leader we continuously work to create and develop innovative tools and initiatives to ensure that ILAC students are ready to succeed in the Canadian job market," says John DeFranco, CEO ILAC Education Group. "With thousands of job ready international students per year, many speaking multiple languages, Canada Employment Forum can provide employers with candidates that can fill gaps in today's job market." ILAC Education Group has identified four main pillars that are fundamental to international student success: Pre-arrival preparation: Canadian workforce expectations and acclimatization Strategic commercial partnerships: Work opportunities in ILAC program-related sectors Seamless transition into the local workforce: Part-time employment for students Post-graduate support: Employment opportunities in sectors and regions across Canada "We believe that advancing these four pillars, which support our students before, during and after their studies, will allow them to build relevant work experience and set them up for success in their chose field upon graduation," says Jason Rosso, the new head of Canada Employment Forum, who brings with him 20 years' experience in leading teams and entrepreneurship in the hospitality industry. In addition to co-hosting pre-arrival workshops to ensure that students are job ready before they begin their studies, Canada Employment Forum is establishing employment opportunities that can later become full-time jobs for students in their desired fields. On September 27, the Canada Employment Forum will host its first networking event in Toronto for 800 Georgian @ILAC students and 60 industry partners. Starting October 2023, students will be able to access employment opportunities through a dedicated portal on the Canada Employment Forum website, where employers from all sectors can sign-up and advertise vacancies. ILAC will continue to offer co-op and career services for ILAC students to ensure they are prepared for the job search process, including preparing resumes, cover letters and interviews, and supporting students with workplace expectations. "ILAC Education Group is invested in the short and long-term success of our students," says DeFranco. "We are confident that these forward-thinking steps will further enhance student experience while providing real value for employers across Canada." Jason Rosso, Head of Canada Employment Forum +1 (647) 988-0992 [email protected] www.canadaemploymentforum.com SOURCE ILAC Education Group Roberto Portela Miguez is the Senior Curator in Charge of Mammals at the Natural History Museum, and was involved in this new study published in the journal Mammalian Biology. This is one of the most tragic examples of extinction in my book, says Roberto. It is surreal that there are only five bluebuck specimens that have been officially confirmed, but at least weve now got more genetic data to assess and learn what might have driven this species to extinction. Hopefully we can use this data to help with the conservation of other antelopes, like the sable or the roan. The rapid extinction of bluebuck When the European colonisers arrived in South Africa the bluebuck was already likely a rare animal. Previous genetic studies on the few remaining specimens have shown that in the 1600s there were perhaps as few as 370 individuals surviving along the southern fringe of South Africa. The first mention of the animal by the colonisers was in around 1679, while the first description of any detail didnt appear until 1708. Even then, the first paintings of the antelope are thought to have been done not from life, but from memory, and perhaps using the few mounted skins in Europe as references. It would not be until 1766 that the antelope was scientifically described as a distinct species. As a result, hardly anything is known about how the bluebuck behaved or what it looked like in life. But fossil remains and rock paintings of the bluebuck suggest that the antelopes used to be found across a much bigger area of the southern coast, including the unique floral zone known as the fynbos. This is a belt of natural scrubland that is known for its exceptional degree of diversity, thought to be home to around 6,000 species of flowering plants found nowhere else on Earth. Over 20 searches underway in Ukraine in case of abuses in energy infrastructure restoration SBU More than 20 searches are being carried out simultaneously in different regions of Ukraine in the case of abuses in the restoration of energy infrastructure, the press service of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported on Tuesday. "SBU officers under the procedural leadership of the Prosecutor General's Office are conducting investigative measures within previously opened criminal proceedings on abuses in the restoration of energy infrastructure of Ukraine. Currently, more than 20 searches are being carried out in several regions," the message says. The SBU noted that all events "are taking place in compliance with the current legislation." As it became known to Interfax-Ukraine, the searches being carried out are connected with the searches at acting Mayor of Chernihiv Oleksandr Lomako. Earlier, Lomako reported searches at his home on Tuesday morning. According to him, the SBU conducts searches allegedly on the basis of the decision of the Shevchenkivsky District Court of Kyiv. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has for the first time spoken on the 100 day old government of President Bola Tinubu, challenging him on one of the promises made. The issue is about the Port Harcourt Refinery, which Tinubu said will be operational in December. The refinery is at present undergoing a major overhaul with a loan of $1.5 billion from AfricaExim Bank. But Obasanjo expressed scepticism that the refinery will work by December 2023. In an interview with The Cable Online Newspaper, Obasanjo emphasised his belief that the nations refineries would never function efficiently as long as they remained under government ownership. Drawing on past experiences, Obasanjo shared insights into the challenges facing Nigerias refinery sector. He recounted a crucial meeting he had with representatives from Shell during his presidency, where he proposed handing over the refineries to the oil giant for management. Someone told me Tinubu said refineries would work by December. I told the person the refineries would not work. This is based on the information I received from Shell when I was president. They will not work as long as the government is keeping hold of them. When I was president, I invited Shell to a meeting. I told them I wanted to hand over the refineries for them to help us run. They bluntly told me they would not. I was shocked. I repeated the request, and they stood their ground. When the meeting was over, I asked their big man (MD) to wait behind for a little chat. Then I asked him why they were so hesitant about not taking over the refineries. He said, Do I want to hear the truth? I said yes. He listed four reasons. One, he said, is that Shell makes its money upstream, and that is where its interest lies. Two, he said they only do downstream or retail as a matter of service. Three, he said our refineries would be bad business for them and that globally, companies are going for bigger refineries because of the economics of refineries. Four, he said there is too much corruption in refineries. I thanked him for his honesty. I knew we had a big problem on our hands. I had virtually given up hope for the refineries when God performed a miracle. Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola approached me and said they would be interested in buying two of the four refineries. They said they would buy a 51 percent stake in Port Harcourt and Kaduna. I was over the moon. I said, finally, that this burden would be taken off the shoulders of the government. They offered $761 million and paid in two installments. Unfortunately, Umaru (President YarAdua) cancelled the sale and returned the refineries to NNPC. Today, we are still where we were. Electricity workers have joined the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in its warning strike over the impact of the petrol subsidy removal on the masses. On September 1, the NLC announced plans to embark on a two-day nationwide strike from Tuesday (today), accusing the federal government of abandoning negotiations. The group also said the government has failed to implement some of the resolutions reached at previous meetings. In solidarity with the NLC, electricity distribution companies, earlier on Tuesday, announced that their workers have joined the strike. In a statement signed by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) management, the company said a general power outage was experienced across its franchise. The disruption, the company said, was caused by the enforcement of the two-day warning strike by the labour union. We apologise for any inconvenience you may be experiencing as a result of this, as we continue our engagement with key stakeholders towards minimising the impact of the strike on our customers, the statement reads. In the meantime, the company advised customers to take necessary precautions to manage the power outage effectively. Kindly unplug sensitive electronic devices and appliances from power sources pending the restoration of power, AEDC said. On its part, the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC) said it has shut down its feeders due to the strike. In a statement, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, head of corporate communication, said the outages in KEDCs franchise are due to the warning strike. We regret to announce that the outage being experienced currently in our franchise states is due to the warning strike embarked upon by the Nigerian Labour Congress and its affiliate unions, Abdullahi said. The action has necessitated the shutting down of all 33KV feeders by the striking workers. We hope the impasse between the federal government and the NLC shall be resolved soonest so that power supply can be restored. We regret all inconveniences. The two-day warning strike embarked on by the NLC has recorded partial compliance in some parts of the country on its first day, as banks ignore calls for participation. About 3,500 lawsuits filed by officers of the Court Security Service, who for almost a year did not receive additional payments of UAH 30,000 provided for by law due to lack of funding, are currently under consideration in Ukrainian courts, Acting Head of Ukraine's State Judicial Administration (SJA) Maksym Pampura said. In an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine, explaining the situation with the debt on payments of the so-called "combat" 30,000 employees of the Court Security Service of Ukraine, Pampura said that after the introduction of martial law, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a resolution that employees of a number of government agencies, including the Court Security Service, an additional remuneration of UAH 30,000 is introduced. "We did not know about the development of this resolution, just as the Ministry of Finance did not know and did not participate in its development. When we found out, we started thinking about where to get these resources: we turned to the Cabinet of Ministers, the budget committee, sent official appeals to the prime minister, but additional resources to pay these funds were never allocated," Pampura said. According to him, on January 20, 2023, the Court Security Service was excluded from the list of entities eligible to receive these payments. "That is, in the period from February 24, 2022 to January 20, 2023, employees of the Court Security Service should receive these payments, but they did not receive them," Pampura said, adding that this is the only public agency from the entire list that did not receive these payments. "Thus, as of today, we have about 3,500 lawsuits from employees of the Court Security Service (and there are 4,200 in total) against non-payment of this money. As far as I understand, these funds will not be allocated, and the only way out employees of the Court Security Service to receive funds through court decisions on recovery," the Judicial Administration's acting head said. Pampura said consideration of the lion's share of these claims is suspended until the decision of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court in the so-called exemplary case, in which all these claims will already be considered. "In our budget for the next year, we took into account these debts about UAH 2 billion. If court decisions are in the interests of the employees of the Court Security Service, then we will have the resource to pay them," the administration's acting head said. Speaking generally about the budget of the judiciary for next year, Pampura said the State Judicial Administration had filed a budget request for 36 billion, while the "limits" from the Ministry of Finance was 14.59 billion plus a special fund. Some government ministries, departments and agencies in Abuja are currently shut in solidarity with the two-day nationwide strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress. Our correspondent who visited the Federal Secretariat on Tuesday morning alongside other major areas such as the popular radio house which houses some agencies under the Ministry of Information and National Orientation observed that the areas were deserted as workers decided to stay back home. Banks located in the areas surveyed were also under lock and key. Our correspondent who visited one of the major commercial banks located at the Federal Secretariat was told there would be no banking operations due to the strike declared by the NLC. It was reported that Friday, the NLC in a communique released which was jointly signed by its national president, Joe Ajaero and Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja said it decided to take the decision following the failure of the Tinubu-led Federal Government to dialogue and engage stakeholders within the organized labour on efforts to cushion the effects of the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol on the poor masses. Already, the organized labour in August staged a one-day protest which grounded activities in major cities across the country. While listing some of the other reasons why it would mobilize its members for the nationwide shutdown, the centre accused the police of laying siege at the national headquarters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, alleged exploitation of the rights of workers in Imo state, interference in trade union matters by the Abia State government, proposed demolition by the new minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike among others. The Director of Strategic Communications for the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Momodu, has expressed his desire to expel the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, from the Peoples Democratic Party if given the authority. Despite his desire to sack Wike from the PDP, Momodu did not object to Wikes ministerial appointment by President Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress. Momodu said this while speaking on Channels Televisions Political Paradigm programme aired on Tuesday (today). I dont have the power, if I had the power, I would have fired him (Wike) long ago, Momodu said. It was reported that Wike had challenged his party, the PDP, daring them to take action against him through suspension or disciplinary measures. The former Rivers State governor asserted that he had yet to encounter a party leader who possessed the authority to suspend or expel him from the PDP. He also claimed to be working for President Bola Tinubu and not the All Progressives Congress. When questioned about his rationale for wanting to expel Wike from the party, Momodu responded, Such an unruly person who wants to destroy our party? One individual cannot hold everybody to ransom. If we fought the military, Tinubu was part of those who fought the military in this country, and then, you will now allow a civilian dictatorship? Prior to the 2023 elections, Wike and four other former governors, collectively known as the G-5 within the PDP, withdrew their support for the partys presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, due to disagreements over power-sharing within the PDP. Philip Shuaibu, deputy governor of Edo state, has withdrawn the suit he filed against Godwin Obaseki, governor of the state. In the suit filed at a federal high court in Abuja, the inspector-general of police, state security service, governor of Edo, speaker of Edo state house of assembly, and chief judge of Edo state, were listed as first to fifth defendants, respectively. Shaibu had asked the court to restrain the governor, the speaker of the state assembly, and the chief judge, from initiating impeachment proceedings or sanctioning any impeachment against him. However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, the deputy governor said due to intervention from well-meaning citizens of Edo, he has instructed his solicitors to withdraw the suit. Arising from the series of meetings held with me and also with Mr. Governor by well-meaning Edolites and indeed Nigerians including party leaders, traditional rulers, and my archbishop, His Grace Most Revd Dr. Augustine Akubeze, the Archbishop of Benin Archdiocese on the issues that led to my going to court on the above-named suit, the statement reads. And with due respect to these eminent personalities and leaders whose persuasions and persons I cannot ignore, I, Rt. Hon. comrade Philip Shaibu have authorized and instructed my solicitors to withdraw the suit forthwith. I wish to sincerely thank and appreciate these well-meaning Nigerians, party leaders, traditional rulers, and my archbishop, His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Akubeze for their kind words, advise and encouragement thus far in ensuring peace and unity in our dear state, Edo. I also wish to place on record my special thanks to Mr Governor, my boss and senior brother for this path of peace. There has been a cold war and widening chasm between the governor and his deputy for some time now. In August, Obaseki accused Shaibu of orchestrating a plot to kick him out of office. The governor also said Shaibu had become so desperate to succeed him. But Shaibu dismissed the claims which he said were whipped up by mischief makers to create the rift. He said he remains an unrepentant democrat, who believes in the democratic process and respects the mandate given to Obaseki and his humble self by the people of Edo State. Shaibu added that as deputy governor, he has continually supported and complemented Obasekis agenda, rather than worked against him. Former Niger State Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism and a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Jonathan Tsado Vatsa, has called on President Bola Tinubu to launch an investigation into the alleged mismanagement of the N500 billion Anchor Borrowers loan of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) given to the state. Vatsa stated this on a live radio programme on Tuesday, monitored by newsmen in Minna, the capital of Niger State. President Tinubu recently lamented over how billions of naira were disbursed under the scheme, out of which the Niger State government received N4 billion. Vatsa said on air: If Mr President goes ahead to probe the disbursement of the Anchor Borrowers fund in Niger State, we will be interested to know those farmers that benefited from this Anchor Borrowers fund in Niger State. Are they the same farmers that were chased away from their farms and their ancestral homes by bandits, or the farmers in Government House and supervising ministries? The former publicity secretary of APC in Niger continued: We saw how the sharing formula of the state N4 billion Anchor Borrowers fund led to a serious fight in the state among the air-conditioned farmers, while the real farmers who were the targeted beneficiaries used hoes, cutlasses, and in some cases, bare hands, to weed their farms in communities where there are no bandits activities. He insisted that the scheme was well intended but was hijacked by some state governments, including Niger State, where the fund was openly diverted by those that mattered in the government to the detriment of poor farmers in the country. Vatsa warned that it would be a disservice to the country should the President decide to politicise his probe of the scheme by limiting it to states controlled by opposition parties. The two-day warning strike embarked on by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) recorded partial compliance in some parts of the country on its first day. The NLC had last week declared a two-day warning strike over the impact of petrol subsidy removal on the masses. Labour had accused the federal government of abandoning negotiations with the union. The congress also said the government has failed to implement some of the resolutions reached at previous meetings. On Monday, the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) said its members would join the industrial action. Reacting to the development, Simon Lalong, minister of labour and employment, appealed to the NLC to suspend the strike. Lalong also pleaded with the NLC to give the government some time to settle and address the issues on the ground. On the first day of the strike, commercial activities in most cities across Nigeria continued apace, with a lull in the financial services sector. At the Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos, some banks were open to customers while some fillings stations were seen attending to motorists. Workers at the Ikeja distribution company in the Alausa area of the state were locked out of their offices while civil servants at the Lagos secretariat were seen going about their normal duties. In Kaduna, government offices, banks and other financial institutions were shut in compliance with the industrial action. In Edo, the NLC barred entry into the state high court premises while in Rivers, civil servants were seen at the state secretariat. Former chairman of the Committee on Prosecution of Bandits Related Offences In Zamfara State, Sani Shinkafi has advised the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, against sending corps members to some States in the northern part of the country. He cautioned the scheme against sending corps members to States bedevilled by bandit attacks. Shinkafi listed States such as Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto. He gave warning two weeks after armed bandits kidnapped about eight members of the National Youth Service Corps along a highway in Zamfara State. Shinkafi was on Channels Televisions breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, when he made the call. He said, Im calling on the leadership of NYSC to stop posting youth corps members to Sokoto, Kebbi, and even Zamfara. Speaking further, he lampooned the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, for allegedly refusing to engage in a peace dialogue with repentant bandits. According to him, the stance taken by the former Governor of the State, Bello Matawalle, to dialogue with terrorists was beneficial. If this type of situation happens, we use to reach out to these repented bandits and they would work with security agencies to either rescue them or collect them from their captors without paying any ransom. But this administration, I am telling you, many people were killed, many people were kidnapped. More than 2,000 people were killed and kidnapped. No place in the 14 local governments of Zamfara is safe, he said. Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, says some of the people blackmailing the judiciary on the presidential election petitions are first time voters. During an interview on Channels Television on Monday, Falana said he is worried about the widespread impression that the presidential election tribunal is the end of the process. On Monday, the tribunal fixed September 6 for judgment on the petitions challenging the victory of Tinubu in the February 25 election. The Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have approached the tribunal to challenge President Bola Tinubus victory. Over the past few months, conversations on the presidential election tribunal have been regarded as a threat to the judiciary in certain quarters. Asked to react on the issues bordering on the workings of the tribunal, Falana said this is the first time the judiciary will be witnessing such level of blackmail and intimidation on election petitions since the colonial era. The human rights lawyer queried the reasons behind the cheap blackmail of the judiciary since parties can still approach the supreme court after the tribunals verdict on Wednesday. We have been having election petitions since the colonial era, but none has attracted such level of blackmail and intimidation of the judiciary, he said. I am worried that people give the impression that everything ends with the judgment of the court of appeal. Any party that loses on Wednesday still has the opportunity to appeal to the supreme court. So, what is the basis for the cheap blackmail that is going on? Some of the people involved are voting for the first time and they believe rightly or wrongly that their candidate must be declared the winner and I think that is what is going on. Falana said the tribunal will deliver judgment based on the evidence before it, adding that the judges must not be intimidated. President Bola Tinubu has left Abuja, the countrys capital city, for the G20 summit in New Delhi, India. Tinubu departed in the early hours of Tuesday. The summit is expected to hold from September 9 to 10. On September 1, Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, said Tinubu seeks to attract foreign investments to the country during the summit. The presidential spokesperson said his principal will meet with world leaders and heads of state, in addition to industry titans, and chief executive officers of some of the most valuable corporations in the world. Ngelale said his principal would host a roundtable meeting during the summit with more than 20 chief executive officers from different economic sectors. While the president is away in India, the presidential election tribunal will on Wednesday, deliver judgment on petitions challenging his victory in the February election. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and immediate past Chairman of the Nigerian Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, on Friday, adduced reasons why President Bola Tinubu should probe all the past administrations. According to him, examination and audit of all books and records, as well as past expenditures, would provide an insight into why the economy is grounded; why the refineries have collapsed in spite of billions, if not trillions of Naira that have been allegedly expended at refurbishing them. Chief Olanipekun spoke at a colloquium that was held in Abuja to mark the 25th anniversary of Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama as a SAN. In a paper he presented at the event, entitled; The Nigeria Of Our Dreams: A Call To The Patriots, the senior lawyer equally called for the renaming of the country. He said: My position is that we should stop mocking ourselves by the retention of the name Nigeria, a hypocritical and demeaning appellation given to us by Lugards mistress. It is intriguing that, to date, we have not mustered sufficient courage to drop this denigrating appellation. Come to think of this, the French named their French colony Niger, which the British gave the ridiculous appellation Nigeria. What is the difference between Niger as pronounced in French and Nigeria as pronounced in English? A citizen of Niger is called a Nigerien, while a citizen of Nigeria is called a Nigerian. Have we bothered to ask ourselves what the difference is between these names? It is a difference without a distinction, and the recent development in the Republic of Niger has brought to the fore this stark reality. As a person, I keep asking myself why I am described and addressed as a Nigerian, a name imposed on us/me by the imperial masters. Thus, the first takeaway from this Colloquium is a challenge to all of us, to offload this appellation or nickname, and decide to give ourselves a name that is indigenous to us; that is arrived at through a consensus, and that evokes in us a strong sense of belonging and ownership because it will carry meaning that proclaims a destiny or actualization of a dream, worth being proud of. On his call for President Tinubu to probe past administrations, Olanipekun, SAN, said: Let us remind ourselves that we cannot make omelet without breaking eggs. What do I mean? The President has to ask questions, and sordid questions indeed, about how we have come to this sorry pass; why we are in a big mess; why the economy is grounded; what have happened to the previous budgets and the trillions of Naira allocated to road rehabilitation, healthcare delivery, security, infrastructural rehabilitation, institutional restoration, etc. Why have our airports, particularly the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, which is our gateway to the outside world, plunged into such a shambolic state, constituting an eyesore to any rational human being- despite the billions of Naira purportedly earmarked and expended towards rehabilitating them; why our youths and professionals of all cadres, at their prime, exiting the country in droves (JAPA) in search of golden fleece which does/do not even exist in several instances. For example, it is now common knowledge that many Nigerians are left destitute without jobs, after travelling to the United Kingdom. Lest I forget, the government must also interrogate a very profound question as to why the national currency, Naira has fallen so abysmally, almost from Grace to grass, and virtually becoming valueless with N900 exchanging for just one USD. The present administration must examine and audit, all books and records as well as past expenditures, whether real or otherwise, Olanipekun, SAN, added. On his part, the celebrant, Chief Gadzama, SAN, said the Colloquium was organized to bring Eggheads together to address some of the issues affecting the country. There is a consensus that is building up, that Nigeria is at the brink of collapse. What then can we do as compatriots, as patriots, nationalists, major stakeholders, community leaders and politicians. A lot has been said. What we want to do is to ensure that what have been said are put in the public domain, particularly at the feet of those in government to see what they can do to have a new order in the approach to national issues. Corruption has been identified, nepotism, electoral rigging, etc. We need good governance, we need transparency in this country, at all levels, Gadzama, SAN, stated. Among dignitaries at the event that was chaired by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Mrs. Mary Odili, included the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN. DEAR MISS MANNERS: I attempt to use proper etiquette in my daily life. Im far from perfect, and mistakes happen, but I do try my hardest to be polite in all things. A former friend of mine said, on numerous occasions, that he believes my use of etiquette is merely performative. I once asked him if we could stop at a store so I could purchase a cupcake as an apology for a director. (I had gotten sick and missed a scheduled rehearsal.) My then-friend refused to take me, as I was trying too hard to be liked. Things like my love of homemade gifts and handwritten letters were also criticized as attempts to be unique and likable, not genuine acts of etiquette. I will admit that I do enjoy being known as a polite and charitable person, but I dont know how to respond to an accusation of only using manners as a means to an end. Is that a thought I should even entertain? GENTLE READER: Just what the society needs: a denunciation of kindness and consideration for others. As this is a former friend, Miss Manners trusts that you no longer need to annoy him with your thoughtfulness. It is no great insight to notice that etiquette is performative. There are formulas for words and gestures to convey intention and emotion. If you inconvenience someone, even inadvertently -- or justifiably, in your case with the missed rehearsal, as it involved illness -- you apologize as an acknowledgment of that persons feelings. Accompanying this by a token present gives it extra charm. A handwritten letter shows appreciation for others efforts. But are these expressions of genuine emotion? Is the convict who expresses remorse really sorry, or just hoping for a lighter sentence? How can we know? Some villains are good actors. Nevertheless, we want to hear the criminal concede that crime is wrong. Your former friend argues that our behavior should reflect our true feelings, however offensive they may be. (A great many people are already doing this, and those on the receiving end of honest nastiness resent it.) He also does not believe that good feelings could be genuine. And he further argues that it is wrong to want other people to like you. Why, exactly, is that? *** MORE FROM MISS MANNERS: Miss Manners: Can we settle the argument on whether its okay to wear white after Labor Day? Miss Manners: The tone of a refusal might determine whether another invitation should be extended Miss Manners: The tone of a refusal might determine whether another invitation should be extended Miss Manners: I do not force my children to say please and thank you as long as their tone is kind Miss Manners: I have a common name that counsel to my company repeatedly misspells and its annoying *** (Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.) *** COPYRIGHT 2023 JUDITH MARTIN DISTRIBUTED BY ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106; 816-581-7500 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a working trip to Donetsk region on Monday, during which he heard reports from the commanders of eight combat brigades on the operational situation at the front, and also discussed the current needs of the military, the presidentialpress service said. "The President of Ukraine heard reports from the commanders of combat brigades on the operational situation at the front, interaction of units in the area of responsibility of Donetsk operational and tactical group, as well as on the status of combat missions and the level of logistics," the office said. As reported, the head of state, together with Commander of the Marines and the Donetsk operational and tactical group Yuriy Sodol and First Deputy Minister of Defense Oleksandr Pavliuk, visited the command posts of the 109th separate territorial defense brigade, 110th separate mechanized brigade named after Brigadier General Marko Bezruchko, 36th separate marine brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Bilynskyi, 53rd separate mechanized brigade named after Prince Volodymyr Monomakh, 59th separate motorized infantry brigade named after Yakiv Handziuk, 79th separate air assault brigade, 37th separate marine brigade, 38th separate marine brigade. Zelenskyy discussed with the commanders [of brigades] issues, among which the commanders most often mentioned the growing need for UAVs and anti-drone weapons, insufficient manning of units and a shortage of certain types of ammunition. The president and the military discussed the creation of an auxiliary system of support for brigades that will take over management functions and free up time for combat work for the commanders. They also discussed ways to increase the motivation of warriors. A New Jersey business owner used a drone to drop damaging dye into pools at homes and a motel in Atlantic County in recent weeks, authorities said. Patrick Spina IV, 45, of Absecon, was arrested at his business in Galloway on Friday after Absecon police and other law enforcement agencies tracked the drone back to Comfort Solutions Heating and Cooling, officials said. Absecon police began investigating Aug. 13 after homeowners called to say a drone hovering over their pool dropped a dye into it. The dye turned the pool water an alarming shade of green. Police then got reports from other homeowners also saying the dye discolored their pools. Absecon police charged Spina shortly after the drone stuck again on Friday, dropping the dye into the pool at the Quality Inn in Galloway. Police took Spina into custody after seeing the drone land at his business on White Horse Pike. An investigation revealed the colored material is sea dye, a lifesaving marker used during potential water rescues. It contains a fluorescent green dye that spreads over the surface of the water to assist a rescue pilot, according to Presto Dyechem, a Philadelphia company that manufactures the product. The dye typically is contained in small packet that can be placed in a life vest pocket, the company said. Spina was charged with multiple counts of criminal mischief. A voice mail left by NJ Advance Media at a number listed for the business wasnt immediately returned Tuesday. Anyone with information is asked to call Absecon police Detective Neal Galletta at 609-641-0667, ext. 216, or Galloway Detective Sgt. Jason Kiamos at 609-652-3705, ext. 331. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Two Mercer County police officers charged last summer with being involved in a fracas inside a hotel lobby in Bordentown Township each took plea bargains in municipal court last week for the charge of disorderly conduct, court records show. A third person who was charged, a 60-year-old Langhorne, Pennsylvania man, received the same deal, Bordentown Township court records show. The officers, Trenton Officer Tara Dzurkoc and Mercer County Sheriffs Officer Matthew Sickler, had been charged with simple assault, and the Langhorne man with simple assault and harassment for the August 2022 incident. Dzurkoc and Sickler were also later charged with obstruction for allegedly giving false names to responding Bordentown Township officers. The records show that each person pleaded guilty on Aug. 30, 2023 to the disorderly conduct charge and each is eligible for a conditional dismissal after one year. Each officer was assessed $433 in fines, and the Langhorne man $633, since he used a public defender, the records show. Dzurkocs lawyer, Peter Alfinito, emphasized Tuesday that the guilty plea was to a petty disorderly persons charge and his client, while taking responsibility for her actions, admitted to no assault, nor actions that they believe will affect her police employment. Dzurkoc wanted to put the incident behind her and move on, he said. As of Tuesday evening, she remained suspended without pay from Trenton Police Department, police said. Sicklers lawyer did not immediately return a message left at his office. The sheriffs officer has other pending criminal matters. In February 2023, he was charged with aggravated assault, making terroristic threats, eluding and resisting arrest, and unlawful firearm possession following an incident at a home in Plumsted Township. Sickler, who lives in the town, allegedly pointed a gun at the victims head and threatened to kill her. The sheriffs office suspended him after that arrest. And in May 2023, he was charged with forcing his way into another home in Plumsted and confronting a person while armed, with children present, records show. A Plumsted officer wrote in the criminal complaints that Sickler bulldozed into the home and started a physical altercation, then disarmed a victim of their handgun and pointed at the victim. He is charged with burglary, simple assault, multiple firearm possession charges, including aggravated assault with a firearm, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. School is back in session across New Jersey, but dont let those cute first day photos fool you. Nothing comes easy in public education. Culture wars. Staff shortages. Mandates for school security. The list that keeps school leaders up at night keeps growing. Here are five key issues for schools heading into the new academic year. What happens when the teacher shortage gets worse? Slim pickings. Thats how Beverly City school chief Elizabeth Giacobbe describes the current market for teachers. Many New Jersey districts have struggled for years to find specialized high school teachers. But now even some K-8 districts are feeling the pain. Its a widespread problem, said Rocco Tomazic, interim superintendent of the Freehold Borough School District. You probably could talk to any superintendent, and its somewhere up on the top of the list of concerns. Tomazics district filled all of its jobs to start the year something he wasnt able to do at his last stop in Linden but has only a shallow pool of substitutes, he said. Other school staff, like interventionists, are already pulled in to replace classroom teachers too often, according to Giacobbe. And that was before a new state law goes into effect this school year expanding the list of reasons teachers can use their sick time. Schools are bracing for teachers taking off more time. And more chaos trying to cover those classrooms. How much uglier will the culture wars get? Contentious school board meetings. Accusations of child endangerment. New Jersey parents on Fox News talking about a high-profile defamation lawsuit. It all played out in just one town in a matter of weeks last school year. If youre hoping the culture wars in schools will quiet down this year, youre going to be disappointed. This is an issue thats likely not going to go away, said Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling. New Jersey Republicans rode a red wave of outrage over COVID school closures to success in the 2021 election cycle. The looming 2023 election is a chance to gain more seats in the Legislature. Issues like sex education, library books and parental notification when students identity as transgender might not shift elections on their own in blue-leaning New Jersey. But theyve now been packaged under one powerful umbrella, according to Koning. This is clearly a message thats been working, because its being framed within the context of parental rights, she said. Teachers know they need strong relationships with parents and want to continue to work together, said Steve Baker, spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association, the states largest teachers union. But thats easier said than done in the current political climate. It is hard to shut out these outside forces that are trying to stir up dissent and stir up controversy, Baker said. Are students making up enough ground from COVID-era learning loss? New Jersey has yet to publicly release standardized test scores from the spring. But the results from 2022 showed major setbacks, and superintendents have warned that it will take years for most students to catch up on what they lost during the pandemic. Freeholds local data shows many students learned about as much during last school year as they did in pre-pandemic years, Tomazic said. However, the challenge of making up for everything they should have learned in 2020 and 2021 has yet to be solved. Students who need crucial intervention sometimes get shortchanged because those specialized instructors are instead filling in as substitutes, according to Baker. Its really kind of multiple problems coming together and amplifying each other, he said. Beverly City is nowhere close to declaring that students have recovered from the pandemic. Optimistically Im saying three more years, Giacobbe said. I truly believe its gonna take another five years to undo the damage thats been done. Are schools better prepared to tackle the mental health crisis? New Jersey schools were grappling with a rise in student depression and anxiety even before the pandemic. Now theyre facing what the U.S. surgeon general has called the mental health crisis of our times. Help should be on the way, though. This school year, New Jersey will debut its regional hub program with 15 mental health support centers offering assistance for bullying, suicide, teen pregnancy and substance abuse prevention services. The goal is to meet the growing demand for mental health services in schools, especially those without the resources to hire their own staff as wealthier districts like West Windsor-Plainsboro have done. I have never seen a mental health program that didnt do some good, Tomazic said. However, the mental health crisis has exacerbated problems for school leaders. More fights, more weapons and more bullying are all part of a larger pattern of mounting misbehavior linked to the lasting effects of the pandemic lockdown. Its bigger than just their math scores or language arts scores, Tomazic said. I think there will be historians studying this period for decades ahead, trying to get the full measure of what happened when we sent everybody home for a year. Will a new school safety initiative work? New Jersey schools have come a long way since Columbine, and each tragedy in the headlines has spurred a new wave of precautions to keep students safe. This fall brings the latest mandate. A new state law requires schools to create formal threat assessment teams. Their mission? Identify concerning students. Assess the risk for violence. Find appropriate interventions. A teacher, administrator, the school safety specialist, a school counselor or social worker and either a school resource officer or law enforcement liaison must become part of the official team. Schools have long been doing this kind of work in a less regulated manner, according to Giacobbe. There are always students who demonstrate red flags. The hard part is what happens next? Are families open to help? Can the school provide the right resources or connect the family to a provider? Are children being labeled as security threats way too soon? You just dont know, Giacobbe said. More cant miss education coverage: A predator coached at 8 N.J. schools after being fired for sexual misconduct. Why wasnt he stopped? See student-teacher ratios for your N.J. school in our searchable list N.J.s biggest high school has 3,350 students. See how your school compares. Ranking N.J. schools with the most experienced teachers. See how your school fares. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Adam Clark may be reached at aclark@njadvancemedia.com. Additional schools in New Jersey are planning to close early this week due to a heat wave complicating the return to classrooms in New Jersey. The Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District will have early dismissals Wednesday and Thursday, officials said. The Somerset County school district will decide Thursday morning whether to resume a full day schedule on Friday. At Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School, the change means students will be dismissed at 12:02 p.m., instead of 2:03 p.m. In Middlesex County, the Metuchen School District is continuing its early dismissal schedule Wednesday through Friday, Superintendent Vincent Caputo announced on the first day of classes on Tuesday. We know this creates issues for parents and we appreciate your understanding. Stay cool, Caputo wrote in a message to parents. Metuchen students were also dismissed early on Tuesday due to the heat because most of the districts classrooms are not air conditioned. New Jerseys heat wave is forecast to continue at least through Thursday evening. As temperatures rose in the 90s, the heat index on Tuesday made it feel like it was in the upper 90s to low 100s across most of New Jersey, the National Weather Service said. The announcements in Bridgewater-Raritan and Metuchen followed decisions by at least three other districts to opt for early dismissals for part or all of the first week of school. The Winslow Township School District in Camden County used a half day schedule Tuesday, the first day of classes, and is continuing through Friday. A message to parents on the K-12 districts website from Superintendent H. Major Poteat cited the forecast for extreme heat and humidity. The Camden City School District is opting for half days on Wednesday, its first day of classes, and Thursday. The district is also canceling all after-school and evening activities. The K-8 Gloucester Township School District in Camden County, which previously announced an early dismissal for Wednesday, its first day of classes, has extended the change to Thursday and Friday. The school districts in New Jerseys three largest cities Newark, Jersey City and Paterson had not announced any scheduling changes as of Tuesday afternoon. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism you rely on and trust. Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Hillshire Brands Company is recalling 15,876 pounds of smoked sausage due to concerns the product had been contaminated with foreign objects. The objects were more specifically bone fragments, and the products were distributed to retailers in seven states, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service. One person suffered an oral injury as a result of consuming the product, but no other injuries were reported at this time. According to the agency, the items were produced on June 14, 2023, with a sell-by date of Nov. 11, 2023, on the front of the package. The recalled products were shipped to stores in Pennsylvania, Virginia, California, Maryland, New Mexico, New York and North Carolina. The agency is urging customers to throw away the recalled products or return them to their place of purchase. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips. A cannabis company has filed a suit against Hopewell Borough, a municipality in Mercer County, over its cannabis licensing process, alleging a conflict of interest with its mayor, former municipal clerk and a cannabis business. The lawsuit brought by Sourland Provisions, which was denied a retail sales license, alleges the municipalitys mayor, Paul Anzano, served as another cannabis companys legal advisor and that company ultimately got approval. According to the lawsuit, Anzano had started helping the company, Evolve Sky, even before Hopewell opted in to allow adult-use cannabis sales. Mayor Anzano began aiding Evolve Skys efforts to establish operations in the borough, referring to himself as Evolves advisor with respect to its plans to obtain municipal approval for several types of adult-use cannabis businesses, the lawsuit said. In denying Sourlands application, the municipality said the companys application was rejected because it turned in a fee late, according to local news organization MercerMe. Sourland Provisions, an LLC based in Princeton, denies the claim. Anzano has denied the allegations in the lawsuit and said he had also supported Sourlands application and helped push the municipality toward being more open to cannabis businesses. I find it very unfortunate for them because if it wasnt for them, we wouldnt have made the progress that we made, Anzano said. I was hoping that they would be successful. The lawsuit claims the company that did get approval, Evolve Sky, is owned by the same people that own Turning Leaf Centers, another cannabis company the lawsuit alleges Anzano tried to get approved in 2018. Turning Leaf Centers was denied a medical license to operate in Hopewell on December 17, 2018, according to a Department of Health letter, which was the approving department for cannabis businesses before recreational use was legalized in 2020. The states newly formed Cannabis Regulatory Commission is now in charge. The lawsuit alleges that the same people that owned that company are now reapplying under the Evolve Sky name. According to public records, some of the people registered with an Evolve Sky LLC and Evolve Cannabis LLC are also names registered with Turning Leaf Centers in New Jersey. NJ Advance Media found some of the same names showing up with a company that also called itself Turning Leaf Centers in Massachusetts in documents that come from the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission website. On multiple occasions, the company describes its members as having ties to New Jersey. Many of the names mentioned interconnect with names that were on business documents in the New Jersey business entities. NJ Advance Media sent emails to addresses associated with those names and received no response by deadline. After cannabis applicants are approved on the local level, they still have to be approved by the CRC, which also conducts its own background checks, including whether applicants are establishing shell companies or running afoul of ownership limitations. We cant comment on pending applications, said a CRC spokesperson. Anything untoward in applications is investigated. The lawsuit is one of many across New Jersey as it relates to the cannabis industry. Some of the lawsuits, which allege corruption in the local approval process are becoming widespread throughout the state. The legislation that was passed by lawmakers gave municipalities the power to license cannabis as they saw fit, with fees, license caps and scoring processes that functioned independent of regulator oversight. State regulators can only approve as many businesses that make it through the local process. The rest of Hopewell Boroughs council through its lawyer, Lisa Maddox, declined to comment. Jelani Gibson is content lead for NJ Cannabis Insider. He may be reached at jgibson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jelanigibson1 and on LinkedIn. Dr. Max Gomez, the Emmy-award winning medical correspondent who candidly shared his own health issues with viewers and delivered medical news for more than 30 years, died on Saturday. He was 72. His death was announced by WCBS-New York, where he was a medical reporter and health editor from 1994 to 1997 before returning as the stations chief medical correspondent in June 2007. Gomez held the position until his death. His cause of death was not immediately released, but his colleagues said he died after a long illness. Gomez had a heart as big as the tri-state area, where he was a steady, trusted source of no-nonsense medical news and life-saving advice, WCBS-New Yorks Dave Carlin said in a tribute to his late colleague. Whether it was on the air here at CBS New York, or other stations and networks, or through a trio of books on health and science he co-authored, he made it his mission to never betray the great trust placed in him, Carlin said. Gomez was a familiar face on New York and network television for decades, reporting for programs including Dateline, The Today Show and 48 Hours. His contributions to public health were recognized internationally. In 2021, Gomez received the Pontifical Hero Award for Inspiration from the Vatican Conference, for educating the public, leading by example, and providing hope to millions. Gomez was born in Cuba in 1951 and later moved with his family to Miami, according to his obituary. Growing up, Gomez was inspired by his father, an accomplished OB-GYN in Miami. The elder doctor told his son, Whatever you decide to do Maximo, remember to care for the people you serve. When people choose to work with you or listen to you, they have chosen to put their trust in you. Dont ever betray it, according to Gomezs website. Gomez graduated with honors from Princeton University in 1973. Afterward, he pursued a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina and later became a U.S. National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow at Rockefeller University in New York. Dr. Max Gomez pictured during a newscast on Channel 3, KYW-TV. The accomplished medical correspondent died Saturday. (Trenton Times File Photo) Gomez brought this foundation in health and science to his news reports. Before coming to WCBS, Gomez served as health and science editor for WNBC-TV and KYW-TV in Philadelphia. His standout reporting on 9/11 earned him New Yorks Excellence in Time of Crisis award. Gomez was also known for openly sharing his own medical issues with viewers. He recounted a first-hand experience with the difficult-to-treat infection MRSA, detailed his struggle with joint issues, and even allowed cameras in the operating room during a neck surgery. In 2017, Gomez shared his experience contracting Lyme disease, taking viewers through his diagnosis and treatment. His contributions earned him nine Emmy Awards, three New York State Broadcasters Association awards, and recognition from United Press International. Outside of work, Gomez served on the national board of directors for the American Heart Association, the Princeton Alumni Weekly and the Partnership for After School Education. He was also passionate about mentoring undergraduate journalism and medical students interested in medical journalism. Gomez is survived by his children, Max Gomez IV and Katie. Dr. Max Gomez, far right, with administrators at Richmond University Medical Center on Staten Island in 2012. Gomez died Saturday at the age of 72. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com. Food & Water Watch, a social-justice group, said it opposes residential water shutoffs that have been taking place in Salem City. The city said water service has been shut off to 18 properties, including some that are rental units. Salem City says its water utility needs repairs that have been delayed partly because of delinquent accounts. Food & Water Watch say this issue creates health hazards and is insensitive. Distressing accounts have emerged from desperate city residents who are now grappling with the devastating consequences of water shutoffs, Salem City resident and activist Janice Roots said in a news release. The concept of using vulnerable tenants as ransom payments contradicts the principles of justice and fairness. The city said it would not offer any type of payment plans for overdue accounts, instead direction those who need assistance to apply for the New Jerseys Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program. As of Sept. 5, the state programs website notes that the portal is currently closed to new applications. Tough decisions were made, Ben Angeli, the citys business administrator, told NJ Advance Media. It was the right thing to do financially The city approved an agreement in July to sell its water and sewer system to New Jersey American Water. A referendum on the sale will be put to voters this fall. We are the (number two) distressed municipality in the state, Angeli previously said. There are circumstances here a lot of other cities dont face. Angeli said officials are trying trying to make necessary upgrades, but are under the supervision of the state and dont have the funds to repair some of the utilitys infrastructure, which date to the early 1900s. Salem City is one of New Jerseys poorest communities, with a median household income of $26,667, which is less than a third of the statewide median, according to Food & Water Watch. There were 263 households on the shutoff list, according to an Aug. 16 response from the city to an open records request filed by a resident, with 18 homes without water as of that date, Angeli said. Food & Water Watch said this was equal to about 14% of the citys 1,815 water customers. Officials put warnings on doors of properties facing an imminent water shutoff, Angeli said, adding when a property owner gets a verification number for an application for assistance, the city will restore water service. This is outrageous, Kate Delany, of Food & Water Watch, said in a statement. Salem officials need to be held accountable and ensure safe, affordable water for all. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism you rely on and trust. Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. A 831-acre wildfire that broke out over the weekend after a single-engine plane crashed near Miller Airpark in Lacey was 100% contained as of late Tuesday morning, officials said. The smell of smoke may remain an extended period while firefighters work to put out remains of the Ocean County wildfire, which was fully contained at about 10:30 a.m., the State Forest Fire Service said. Smoke conditions will likely remain until significant rain falls over the fire area. Rain is not expected until at least Thursday and the weather is expected to be hot and humid all week. Dover Road remains closed from Lacey Road to Pinewald Keswick Road while Mule Road is closed from Lacey Road to Pinewald Keswick Road. Both are expected to reopen Tuesday evening, though local traffic is allowed on Dover and Mule roads, officials said. Forest Fire staff will continue to monitor fire control lines until significant rain falls, the forest fire service added. Local firefighting crews discovered the blaze in the area of Robert J. Miller Airpark shortly before midnight Saturday night while investigating a smoke condition on Dover Road and West Lacey Road. They eventually found a downed single-engine airplane in the area of the fire. The name of the pilot killed in the crash had not been released as of early Tuesday afternoon. The Ocean County Airport is just northeast of the fire in Berkeley, officials said. Firefighter battle a wildfire near Miller AirPark in Lacey over Labor Day weekend.New Jersey Forest Fire Service Due to the smoke, fire and difficult terrain, first responders were unable to reach the scene of the crash. They did so on Sunday and found the craft, a single-engine Cirrus SR22, and the lone pilot dead, Lacey police said Local and federal authorities said they have not conclusively linked the crash to the fire. The airplane took off from Monmouth Executive Airport in Wall and crashed at about 10:18 p.m. Saturday, federal aviation authorities said. The fire was 90% contained at 831 acres Monday night as firefighters worked to contain the rest of the blaze. The fire area included property managed by Ocean County and the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area, officials said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. NJ Advance Media staff writer Kevin Shea and Nicholas Fernandes contributed to this report. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. A roundup of conversations we're having daily on the site. Subscribe to the Reckon Daily for stories centering marginalized communities and speaking to the under-covered issues of the moment. A three-judge panel in Alabama has ordered the state to redraw its Congressional map to include another Black district after state lawmakers failed to do so following a federal court order. The map not only goes against the courts ruling but also a U.S. Supreme Court decision and federal law. The Tuesday decision came after months of back-and-forth between the Alabama Legislature and The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Based on court records, the judges demanded lawmakers create another majority-Black district in response to a lawsuit filed in 2021. The Legislature had until late July to submit the new map. They found that the original map violated Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which forbids discriminatory voting practices on the basis of race, color or membership of certain language minority groups. We are not aware of any other case in which a state Legislature faced with a federal court order declaring that its electoral plan unlawfully dilutes minority voters and requiring a plan that provides an additional opportunity district responded with a plan that does not provide that district, wrote U.S. Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus, U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco and U.S. District Judge Terry F. Moorer. The law requires the creation of an additional district that affords Black Alabamians, like everyone else, a fair and reasonable opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. The Congressional map currently on the books only has one majority-Black district in the state. It has been in use since 2013. Redistricting typically occurs every ten years. This is the first time that Alabama and all states have had the opportunity to draw new Congressional maps since the 2013 Supreme Court care Shelby v. Holder, which did away with the preclearance requirement certain states and regions needed when redistricting. Under preclearance, officials like attorneys general or a three-judge panel would determine whether a submitted map violated portions of the Voting Rights Act governing gerrymandering and voter disenfranchisement. In response to a June Supreme Court ruling, the state asked for five weeks to draw a new map. On July 21, the new Congressional districts were approved by Republican Gov. Kay Ivey without the second majority-Black district. As a result, the judges decided against giving state lawmakers another opportunity to design the map. Similar kerfuffles have taken place in Texas and Louisiana within the last few years. In 2021, Texas created new redistricting lines that opponents said disenfranchised voters of color while leaving the states Republican party more control. In June, the Supreme Court sent a Louisiana redistricting case down to an appeals court. As in Alabama, Louisianas map only included one majority-Black district. Opponents of the current Congressional map in Louisiana are seeking another majority-Black district so Black residents might elect a candidate of their choice. Black residents make up about 33 percent of the states population. The appeals court has not yet reached a decision on the matter. In Tuesdays ruling, Alabama judges expressed frustrations over the prolonged process. We are three years into a ten-year redistricting cycle and the Legislature has had ample opportunity to draw a lawful map. the judges wrote. The court has instructed a special master and cartographer to redesign the Congressional map to include the added district to satisfy requirements in accordance with the 1965 Voting Rights Act, but its not clear when the process will be completed. We are deeply troubled that the State enacted a map that the State readily admits does not provide the remedy we said federal law requires, the opinion reads. In a joint statement released by the Legal Defense Fund, the plaintiffs decried the states actions in regards to their suit. History is repeating itself and the district courts decision confirms that Alabama is again on the losing side. We demand that Alabama again move out of the way and obey our laws we demand our voting rights. The High Anti-Corruption Court has reduced the amount of bail from UAH 75 million to UAH 55 million as an alternative to the detention of ex-Chairman of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Kniazev convicted of bribery. "The petition of the defender of the suspect ... to change the preventive measure is partially satisfied. To reduce the amount of bail determined for the suspect ... by the ruling of the investigating judge of the High Anti-Corruption Court of July 11, 2023 as an alternative measure from UAH 75 million to UAH 55 million. Deny the other part of the petition," says the operative part of the court ruling of August 31, 2023, published in the unified court rulings register. On July 20, 2023, the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court agreed with the arguments of the SAPO prosecutor and refused to satisfy the appeal of the defense against the decision of the court of July 11, 2023, which extended the term of the preventive measure for Kniazev in the form of detention with the possibility of making a bail in the amount of UAH 75 million. On May 16, the SAPO head notified of suspicion Chairman of the Supreme Court Kniazev and lawyer Oleh Horetsky, exposed for receiving $2.7 million in improper benefits. The actions of these persons are qualified under Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The High Anti-Corruption Court arrested until July 14, 2023 ex-head of the Supreme Court Kniazev, convicted of bribery, with an alternative bail of more than UAH 107 million. On May 31, the High Anti-Corruption Court's Chamber of Appeal upheld the preventive measure for Kniazev in the form of detention, but reduced the amount of alternative bail from UAH 107.3 million to UAH 75 million. On July 11, the court extended the preventive measure until September 8, 2023. 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. Locally reported news and sports Stay Current with What's Happening Get the most of NNY360, register today! By providing your email address, you consent to receive emails and special offers from NNY360.com Venture Global LNG in Cameron Parish is expected to have two liquefied natural gas export terminals at the site. Venture Global has signed an equipment deal with Baker Hughes that should boost the collective production of its export terminals to the largest annual LNG output by a single U.S. company. Just a few months after the conclusion of the relevant agreement, Germany handed over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine ammunition of a new production from Germany for the Gepard anti-aircraft tank, the German Ministry of Defense said. It is noted that the construction of a production line for the manufacture of ammunition previously managed to be carried out in an ambitious time frame, which made it possible to carry out the first delivery of a five-digit number of shells to Ukraine. "The war in Ukraine shows us almost daily that air defense and a sufficient amount of ammunition are the most important condition for protecting our own country. Resuming the production of Gepard ammunition, we are focusing on these two most important aspects," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, commenting on the delivery. He said the production was set up quickly and without bureaucratic delays. "This proves once again that Germany can be relied upon. We will continue to support Ukraine in areas that are our strengths: artillery, ammunition and ground air defense," the minister said. Faimon Roberts III covers rural communities in Louisiana. His work is supported by a reporting grant from the Microsoft Journalism Initiative and is administered by the Greater New Orleans Foundation. He can be reached at froberts@theadvocate.com. I haven't talked to all the Black people in New Orleans, but I'm here to tell you that people are disappointed, shocked and stunned that New O North Devon is to join the 140 councils in the UK that have established local lotteries to raise funds for good causes. Residents who buy tickets will be helping cash-strapped charities and organisations as 50 per cent of the 1 fee goes to them. Prize money accounts for 20 per cent, with ticket holders in with a chance of winning 25,000. Twenty per cent of the ticket price goes to external lottery managers Gatherwell, with 10 per cent held in a fund for council costs, with surplus given to charity at the end of the year. Exeter launched its lottery last month, and now one could be on the way in North Devon. The district councils strategy and resources committee supported a scheme after hearing between 23,000 and 46,000 could be given to charity in a year. But some councillors are concerned that it encourages gambling. Set-up costs to the council to employ a lottery manager would be 7,200, whereas establishing an in-house lottery would be in the region of 80,000 to 100,000. Any financial risk, if the lottery isnt successful, would be borne by council taxpayers. Good causes will have to sign up to be part of the lottery and provide services that benefit people in North Devon. They will have to be a registered charity, a constituted group or community interest company (CIC). Cllr David Clayton (Lib Dem, Barnstaple with Westacott) said: It is gambling and can cause addiction. I am not going to vote against it as I realise it will bring money in, but it may cause problems for some. Cllr Helen Walker (Lib Dem, Bickington) said: The application process when applying for funding is a minefield. You almost have to employ someone to do the bid. This is an opportunity for very small and very well used charities to raise money. The committee recommended the full council approves the lottery, which could be up and running early part next year. The Verkhovna Rada supported the resignation of Oleksiy Reznikov from the post of Minister of Defense of Ukraine. The adoption of relevant draft resolution No. 9679 was supported by 327 MPs at a plenary session on Tuesday, a member of the Holos faction Yaroslav Zhelezniak said. "The parliament supported the dismissal of Oleksiy Reznikov from the post of Minister of Defense of Ukraine. In favor some 327. The appointment of Umerov as the new Minister of Defense is tomorrow [September 6]," the parliamentarian said in his Telegram channel. Reznikov has headed the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine since November 4, 2021. Prior to that, he was Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine. (Informacion remitida por la empresa firmante) LUND, Sweden, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Swedish semiconductor trailblazer, AlixLabs, has successfully secured SEK 40 million in funding to accelerate their pioneering work. Specializing in semiconductor advancements, AlixLabs has developed a revolutionary Atomic Layer Etching (ALE) Pitch Splitting technology (APS), which has attracted substantial investment from notable backers including Navigare Ventures, Industrifonden, and FORWARD.one. This marks a significant step towards transforming semiconductor manufacturing by making it more energy-efficient and cost-effective. The semiconductor industry has long faced challenges related to escalating expenses, particularly due to the high costs of Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV) equipment and has an escalating need for energy-efficient alternatives and more sustainable practices. AlixLabs is disrupting the semiconductor landscape with their innovative approach to manufacturing. Through their ALE Pitch Splitting technology (APS), they enable the precise division of nanostructures while significantly reducing energy consumption and emissions. This breakthrough has now caught the attention of investors, as it addresses the rising costs associated with current manufacturing techniques. Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs, stated: "The investment plays a pivotal role in propelling our company towards scalable success. The infusion of capital not only validates our vision but also empowers us to bring our groundbreaking technology to the forefront of semiconductor manufacturing. This investment marks a significant milestone as we work towards our goal: to have our meticulously developed process adopted by circuit manufacturers in their most advanced production by 2025. With this support, we are forging a path to transform the semiconductor landscape and usher in a new era of efficiency and innovation." AlixLabs' innovation arrives at an opportune moment, with the European Union's ambitious semiconductor initiative, the EU Chips Act, allocating substantial resources for semiconductor companies. With over 43 billion euros earmarked for the next five years, this initiative complements AlixLabs' mission to drive technological progress and sustainable manufacturing. Alex Basu, Investment Manager at Navigare Ventures, said: "AlixLabs has taken considerable steps in establishing itself as an emerging equipment manufacturer, contributing to the fast growing European semiconductor industry. We look forward to a continued partnership as they bring their technology to production in the coming years." Tobias Elmquist, Senior Investment Director, commented: "At Industrifonden, we're committed to science-backed, scalable investments that have the power to drive meaningful change in society. AlixLabs is redefining semiconductor manufacturing and we're proud to support them on their journey towards a more efficient and sustainable industry." Arjan Gobel, partner at FORWARD.one:"The technology that AlixLabs has developed solves real problems for its semiconductor customers and adds a lot of value for them by reducing the complexity of making chips and making the process much cheaper while reducing the environmental impact of the process significantly. Doing this with a very skilled and ambitious team, makes it a great investment for FORWARD.one." Contact: Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs, phone +46 767 63 94 67, email jonas@alixlabs.com. The following files are available for download: View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/alixlabs-secures-sek-40-million-investment-to-advance-energy-efficient-semiconductor-innovation-301917446.html The Paper: At a recent press briefing, the Taiwan authorities listed four appeals on Taiwans UN participation and claimed that they would invite diplomatic allies to submit a joint letter to the UN Secretary-General urging him to rectify the UNs erroneous interpretation of UNGA Resolution 2758. Whats your comment? Mao Ning: Taiwan is part of China. Despite that fact and legal basis, the DPP authorities have been distorting UNGA Resolution 2758, openly challenging the internationally recognized one-China principle, and spinning lies to pursue Taiwan independence. These are extremely dangerous separatist provocations. On October 25, 1971, the 26th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 with an overwhelming majority, which decides to restore all its rights to the Peoples Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representatives of the Taiwan authorities from the place which they unlawfully occupy. Henceforth, the dual representation proposal put forth by the US and a few other countries to keep Taiwans seat in the UN became a piece of waste paper. Once and for all, UNGA Resolution 2758 resolved, politically, legally and procedurally, the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, at the UN. It also made it clear that there can only be one seat representing China at the UN. No issues exist about so-called two Chinas or one China, one Taiwan. Since the adoption of UNGA Resolution 2758, it has been observed by the UN and its specialized agencies and other international and regional organizations. On the basis of the one-China principle, 182 countries have established diplomatic relations with China. The one-China principle has long been a universally recognized norm in international relations and a prevailing consensus among the international community. Any issue regarding the Taiwan regions participation in the activities of international organizations must be addressed under the framework of the one-China principle. Taiwan has no basis, reason or right to join the UN or other international organizations that require statehood. Both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China. Taiwan is part of Chinas territory. Although the two sides have been politically against each other for a long time, Chinas state sovereignty and territorial integrity has never been split. This is the real status quo of the Taiwan question. The DPP authorities hype-up of Taiwans participation in the UN system is actually an attempt to create a false impression of two Chinas or one China, one Taiwan and challenge the UN-centered international order underpinned by international law. The DPP authorities have been promoting incremental independence and pushing for de-sinicization, while some external forces have been fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle and conniving at and supporting separatist acts for Taiwan independence. It is them, not anyone else, who are undermining the status quo and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. They are the ones responsible for disrupting the cross-Strait status quo. Let me stress that the Taiwan question is purely Chinas internal affair and its resolution is a matter for the 1.4 billion Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The DPP authorities will not succeed in seeking external support to embolden its separatist acts. UNGA Resolution 2758 must not be challenged and the one-China principle is unshakable. The wheels of history will keep rolling on. The complete reunification of our country can, without doubt, be realized. AFP: Question about Pope Francis comments yesterday. He said that relations with China are very respectful, very, while both sides needed to understand each other better, so the Chinese citizens dont think that the church depends on another foreign power. What is your comment? Mao Ning: As we have previously said, China is positive towards improving its relations with the Vatican and our two sides have engaged each other and maintained communication. China practices the policy of freedom of religious belief, which is consistent with our national realities and the actual conditions of various religions in China. Kyodo News: Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday that it had submitted a written document to the WTO, saying that the import control measures announced by the Chinese side following the release of treated water into the sea are totally unacceptable. Whats the Foreign Ministrys comment? Will China hold consultations with Japan? Mao Ning: Weve made clear Chinas position on Japans ocean discharge of nuclear-contaminated water several times. There is no precedent for such discharge since humanity began using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, nor is there widely recognized standards for this method of disposal. The international community is watching closely what risks Japans moves have brought to the marine environment and public safety, and have taken preventive measures accordingly. The measures weve adopted are fully legitimate, reasonable and necessary. As for the specific questions you raised, Id refer you to the relevant authorities. Phoenix TV: The premises of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London were vandalized with red paint and the regional emblem of the Hong Kong SAR was defaced a few days ago. What is your comment? Mao Ning: The government of the Hong Kong SAR has issued a statement on this matter. China strongly condemns this egregious act. We have asked the UK for a thorough investigation and serious action to bring the perpetrators to account and effectively protect the security of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London and the safety of its staff. Reuters: Will China accept any invitation from the US for official talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Jakarta? Will Premier Li Qiang hold talks with US Vice President Harris who is attending on President Bidens behalf? Mao Ning: I have nothing to share. NHK: I have two questions. The first one is what is the reason of President Xi Jinpings absence from the G20 summit in New Delhi? The second one is will he attend the Eastern Economic Forum to be held in Russia? Mao Ning: I gave my answer to your first question yesterday. On your second question, I have nothing to share. The New York Times: Countries in the West have expressed concerns about Chinas stringent limits on imports of personal care products. Is China unfairly restricting these imports? Mao Ning: Im not aware of what you said. Maybe you could ask the relevant authorities on that. Global Times: According to reports, in a recent written interview with The AP, ROK President Yoon Suk Yeol said that China seems to have considerable leverage over Pyongyang, and said What really matters is whether Beijing will use its leverage, and if so, how much and in what way. If North Korea continues to enhance its nuclear and missile capabilities and openly violate United Nations Security Council resolutions, China, which has a responsibility to maintain international peace and stability as one of the permanent members of the Security Council, should make constructive efforts to denuclearize North Korea, Yoon added. How do you comment on this? Mao Ning: On this question, I would like to make four points. First, as friendly neighbors, China and the DPRK enjoy long-standing friendly ties. The DPRK is a full UN member state and a sovereign and independent country. The close ties we have with the DPRK and the influence China has on the DPRK are two different things and cannot be lumped together. Second, the current situation on the Korean Peninsula does not serve anyones interest, nor is it something that China wants to see. The process that started in 2018 to address the Korean Peninsula issues came to a standstill fundamentally because the US has refused to respond to the denuclearization measures taken by the DPRK. Neither has the US taken the DPRKs legitimate concerns seriously or shown readiness to address these concerns. The US needs to draw lessons, correct course, step up to its responsibility, stop heightening the pressure and sanctions, stop military deterrence, and take effective steps to resume meaningful dialogue. Third, China has faithfully implemented relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Those resolutions are not just about sanctions. They also underscore the importance of dialogue. China believes in their full and balanced implementation and opposes selectively focusing on sanctions and ignoring the dialogue process. Fourth, China is committed to upholding peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and advancing the process of settling the Korean Peninsula issues through dialogue. China will continue to actively uphold stability, promote talks and push for the early realization of lasting peace and security on the Peninsula. This serves the common interests of all parties. The New York Times: Does the decision to send the Premier instead of the President to India reflect tensions between China and India? Mao Ning: The G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation. China always attaches high importance to and actively participates in relevant activities. We support India in hosting this years summit and stand ready to work with all parties to make the G20 summit a success. China-India relations have been stable on the whole and our two sides have maintained dialogue and communication at various levels. The continued improvement and growth of China-India relations serves the common interests of the two countries and two peoples. We stand ready to work with India to further improve and advance bilateral relations. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as part of a working trip to Donetsk region, visited combat brigades that are conducting offensive operations in Bakhmut direction, the presidential press service said. In particular, he visited the location of the 93rd separate mechanized brigade Kholodnyi Yar, the 28th separate mechanized brigade named after the Knights of the Winter Campaign and the 92nd separate mechanized brigade named after the ataman Ivan Sirko. The president also met with Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Commander of the operational-strategic group Khortytsia Oleksandr Syrsky and heard reports on the operational situation in the area of responsibility of Lyman and Soledar directions. In addition, Zelenskyy discussed in detail with the battalion commanders the problematic issues and needs of the units. In particular, they discussed the provision of artillery shells, missiles for front-line air defense systems, evacuation vehicles and electronic warfare equipment. For courage and dedication in defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the president awarded the soldiers who are part of the operational-strategic group Khortytsia with the orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky of the first-third classes, For Courage of the second-third classes and the orders of Princess Olha. "I have the honor to be here today and thank you from the bottom of my heart, on behalf of the entire Ukrainian people, for your strength, for defending our state, our borders. For your life, which you, along with your brothers, give for every piece of our native independent land. I want to wish you health and victory. Warm congratulations to your relatives and friends. A bow to your parents for raising real Ukrainians like you," Zelenskyy said during the award ceremony. EAST CHICAGO A 14-year-old boy is dead after being pulled out of Lake Michigan late Monday afternoon after officials had warned him and others against jumping off the breakwall near Jeorse Park, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources reported. The Lake County coroner's office identified the boy as K'Mari Mack of East Chicago. The manner of death was ruled an accident caused by asphyxia due to drowning. Emergency officials were called to the site around 4:20 p.m. concerning the missing boy. Woman saw no problem leaving dog in hot vehicle for hours, Porter County police say "I further observed the dog did not have any water and that the dog was panting very heavy due to the being so hot," police said. "Witnesses report that a group of juveniles were jumping off the breakwall after being advised not to by East Chicago Marina staff," the DNR said. "A 14-year-old male jumped off the wall and began to struggle in the water before disappearing below the surface." UPDATE: Homicide victim identified; one dead, another injured in 2 Region shootings "The victim told the officers that a subject wearing a ski mask forced their way into the home and shot him," police said. The boy was later pulled from the water and taken to St. Catherine Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said. Agencies involved include East Chicago police and fire, Lake County marine and aviation units, and the Lake County Coroners Office. Close Javier Carillo, of East Chicago, grills marinated pork on Sunday at the Pico de Mayo Fiesta in East Chicago. Alejandro Tavarez, of Blue Island, Illinois, performs with the group Diamante Negro Norteno on Sunday at the Pico de Mayo Fiesta in East Chicago. Julio Huerta, of Romeoville, Illinois, performs with the group Tamborzo Ranchi Bonito on Sunday at the Pico de Mayo Fiesta in East Chicago. Faces of the Region: Pico de Mayo Fiesta in East Chicago The City of East Chicago hosted its inaugural Pico de Mayo Fiesta on Sunday at Pastrick Marina. Javier Carillo, of East Chicago, grills marinated pork on Sunday at the Pico de Mayo Fiesta in East Chicago. Alejandro Tavarez, of Blue Island, Illinois, performs with the group Diamante Negro Norteno on Sunday at the Pico de Mayo Fiesta in East Chicago. Julio Huerta, of Romeoville, Illinois, performs with the group Tamborzo Ranchi Bonito on Sunday at the Pico de Mayo Fiesta in East Chicago. CROWN POINT A Chicago man ended his holiday weekend facing a murder charge after he allegedly shot and killed a man in the wee hours of Saturday morning, according to charging documents. Lahenry Smith was charged on Saturday with murder and resisting law enforcement, which carry maximum sentences of 60 years and 2 and a half years, respectively, according to court records. Smith also faces a firearm enhancement, which could add up to 20 years to his sentence if hes convicted. Charges allege that Smith shot and killed Dimitri Tank Berry, of Hammond, on Saturday. Charging documents detailed how Hammond police were called to the 900 block of Murray Street around 2:30 a.m. in reference to a person shot. When police arrived, they saw a man standing over Berrys body. The man told officers that he lent Berry, who he only knew as Tank, his bicycle and he went to retrieve it, according to the probable-cause affidavit. The witness said that when he approached Berrys residence, he saw Berry talking to a man in a maroon Chevrolet Suburban. The man continued and said he saw the male pull out a silver revolver and shoot Tank in the stomach, whereupon Tank collapsed in the grass, the probable-cause affidavit stated. Police wrote in charging documents that they did not recover any shell casings from the crime scene. They wrote that this was consistent with the witnesss account of the shooting because revolvers dont leave behind spent shell casings. He said the man who shot Berry then did a U-Turn and fled the scene in a maroon SUV with Illinois plates, according to the affidavit. The witness told officers that he recognized the man who shot Berry as Weeble, charges stated. When police showed him a picture of Smith, he positively identified Smith as Weeble. Hammond police were able to detain Smith after they saw a maroon suburban zooming down the intersection of Columbia Avenue and Lyons Street just minutes after the shooting. The suburban did not pull over when officers initiated emergency lights, but instead south onto Noble Avenue, charges stated. Smith eventually stopped the Suburban, but once he got out of the car he didnt comply with officers requests to drop to his knees and had to be placed on his stomach and handcuffed, according to the probable-cause affidavit. Court records indicate that Smith has not yet made his first formal court appearance. He was in custody at the Lake County Jail as of Tuesday. HAMMOND A Lake County judge has declined to reconsider his May 19 ruling authorizing Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. to carry a handgun in public, despite the sheriff being under indictment and awaiting a Feb. 12 trial for a felony crime. Lake Superior Judge John Sedia previously deemed unconstitutional a portion of Indiana's 2022 "permitless carry" law that bars all individuals under indictment, along with other so-called prohibited persons, from carrying a handgun in public. In response to a motion to correct error, Sedia said Aug. 24 his original ruling stands, even though the judge acknowledged it included a "regrettable ... pithy turn of phrase" he said had no bearing on the core rationale of his decision. Specifically, Sedia said in his original ruling that the law's handgun restriction hinging on a criminal indictment by a grand jury "makes little rational sense" because it seemingly would enable a person accused of more serious felony charges than Martinez is facing to continue carrying a handgun in public, so long as the person was directly charged by a prosecutor. In a footnote to his subsequent order, Sedia appears to acknowledge he misstated the relevant law that defines "indictment" as a formal accusation of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year no matter whether the charge is made by a grand jury's indictment or prosecutor's information. Regardless, Sedia insisted his "hyperbolic phrase" doesn't change the fact House Enrolled Act 1296, which denies individuals under indictment who haven't yet been convicted of a crime the opportunity to carry a handgun in public, runs afoul of the Indiana and U.S. Constitutions. Sedia said the statute enacted by the Republican-controlled General Assembly and Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb is inconsistent with the historical tradition of gun regulation in the nation and the state that focuses on prohibiting access to firearms to specific individuals in specific situations who pose potential danger to law-abiding citizens. In this case, the law too-broadly prohibits anyone under indictment from carrying a handgun without considering whether the individual is a danger to society, Sedia said. Implementation of Sedia's ruling is on hold and Martinez remains barred from carrying a handgun in public pending mandatory review by the Indiana Supreme Court, whose five justices assess all trial court rulings that deem an Indiana statute unconstitutional. Records show Martinez has pleaded not guilty to charges of resisting law enforcement, a level 6 felony, and misdemeanor reckless driving. According to court records, Martinez allegedly failed to stop Sept. 18, 2021, while driving an unmarked, county-owned Jeep TrackHawk at 96 mph in a 45-mph zone in what police described as a "completely reckless" manner on Main Street in Crown Point and Taft Street and U.S. 30 in Merrillville as two Crown Point police officers chased him with their lights and sirens activated. The officers terminated their pursuit when Martinez reportedly flashed the red-and-blue law enforcement light bar at the back of his vehicle to indicate that the vehicle was in use for law enforcement purposes, even though there were no emergency calls for the Lake County Sheriffs Department at that time, records show. If Martinez is convicted of a felony, he faces up to two and a half years behind bars and automatically would lose his elected post as sheriff. Gallery: Get to know these new Indiana laws that took effect July 1 AirTags Alcohol permits Animal facilities Annexation Book bans Bullying Charter schools Child molesting Childrens hospitals Domestic violence Drinking water Electric/hybrid vehicles Encroachment FAFSA Financial literacy Firefighting equipment Food and beverage tax Gender-affirming care Gary schools Gasoline tax Human trafficking Illiana Expressway Inmate gender Insurance fund Juror pay Juveniles Lake County convention center Lake County recorder Landlords Little Calumet River Lost farmland Machine guns Mail-in ballots Mental health Military bases Military pay Pension investments Public health School board elections Service animals Sex education SNAP assistance Speed cameras State comptroller Storage units Tax sales Taxpayer receipt Teachers unions Throwing stars Transit Development District 21st Century Scholars Valparaiso lawsuit Xylazine VALPARAISO An 18-year-old woman, who reportedly told police she saw no problem with leaving a dog in car for several hours on a 93-degree day, has found out the hard way she was wrong. Dkara Scott, of Benton Harbor, Michigan, was booked into the Porter County Jail Saturday on a criminal charge of cruelty to an animal, records show. The incident in question occurred July 27 when Porter County police said they responded around 11:25 a.m. to Northwest Health-Porter hospital for a report of a dog left in a vehicle. Police said they found a small white and black dog locked in a cage in the backseat of the vehicle, which was not running and had all the windows rolled up. Police said it was 93 degrees outside and the vehicle was extremely hot to the touch. UPDATE: Homicide victim identified; one dead, another injured in 2 Region shootings "The victim told the officers that a subject wearing a ski mask forced their way into the home and shot him," police said. I further observed the dog did not have any water and that the dog was panting very heavy due to the being so hot, police said. The owner of the vehicle, Scott, was contacted at the hospital and after unlocking the vehicle, told officers she brought the dog from Michigan and left the animal in the vehicle while her mother was having surgery. She said she had not checked on the dog for more than two and a half hours. SWAT called in, nabs man threatening to kill mother of 4, Region police say "After notifying a supervisor and observing a person pacing back and forth through a window, the officers decided to notify SWAT." It should be noted while speaking with Dkara at no point did she believe that leaving the dog in the car on a hot day was a wrong decision, police said. The dog was released to a family member and Scott was later arrested. The state is soliciting offers from potential owner-operators of proposed electric vehicle fast-charging stations as it continues planning a network intended to include at least 44 stations around the state. The Indiana Department of Transportation issued the notice of funding opportunity, or NOFO, last week. The state intends to partner with private entities on creating a network as part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. Indiana is slated to receive nearly $100 million through the program, created as part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Indiana has designated 86 candidate sites for EV charging stations along its federally designated Alternative Fuel Corridors. The AFCs include interstate highways and U.S. 31. The NOFO provides the opportunity for potential owner-operators to submit applications for NEVI funds to build EV charging stations at designated sites, which include nine sites in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties. Indiana plans to invest in at least 44 Level 3 DC-Fast Charge EV charging stations to fully build out the states identified AFCs, the state transportation agency said in announcing the funding opportunity. INDOT will use a qualifications-based selection process to ensure reliability, equity and sustainability in the projects. Additional NOFOs may be released in the future to ensure full build out and to add stations along pending AFCs. The 86 candidate sites along Indianas AFCs are located every 50 miles, less than one mile from an interchange. Sites were selected through a multi-step process that considered many factors, INDOT said, including existing infrastructure, geospatial constraints and public engagement. Funding from the NEVI program will cover 80% of the installation of EV charging stations and up to five years of operations and maintenance. The remaining 20% of costs would be funded by site owner-operators. INDOT anticipates selection of owner-operators by early 2024 with installation of initial charging stations to begin in 2025. The federal NEVI program has the goal of deploying a national network of at least 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations by 2030 to reduce motorists range anxiety and encourage wider adoption of electric vehicles. The program is authorized at nearly $5 billion nationally over next five years. The NOFO and more information about INDOTs EV infrastructure program are available on INDOTs website at in.gov/indot. GALLERY: The Times Photos of the Week The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has documented the criminal activities of Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman, a native of Lviv, involved in financing the war against Ukraine, according to the website of the security service on Tuesday. "Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia, he has 'poured' about RUB 2 billion into several military factories of the aggressor country. Among them are the Tula Cartridge Plant, which produces cartridges, as well as the Yalamov Ural Optical and Mechanical Plant, which produces high-tech equipment for combat aircraft and helicopters of Russia," the report says. To finance the predatory projects of the Russian Federation, Fridman uses the assets of the Russian financial and investment consortium Alfa Group controlled by him. He also used his own business resources for the mass distribution of dry rations, clothing and other products under the trade mark Army of Russia, supplied to the front lines by the invaders. Fridman also organized the collection of material and technical assistance for the needs of the Russian occupation groups fighting in Ukraine. In addition, according to the intelligence service, the defendant's insurance companies took over the insurance of military equipment, as well as the life and health of Russian invaders at the front. The Russian oligarch also ensured the cooperation of his own telecommunications company with the FSB, which allowed him to conduct mobile communications controlled by the Russian special service in the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine. On the basis of the collected evidence, the investigators of the Security Service informed Fridman of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 110-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (financing of actions committed with the aim of forcibly changing or overthrowing the constitutional order or seizing state power, changing the boundaries of the territory or state border of Ukraine, committed by a group of persons by prior agreement). Currently, the suspect is a fugitive abroad, and comprehensive measures are being taken to bring him to justice. The offender faces up to eight years in prison with confiscation of property Ford is offering its employees 15% raises and an end to the two-tier wage system. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker, which employs thousands of Calumet Region workers at the Chicago Assembly Plant on the far South Side and the Chicago Stamping Plant in Chicago Heights, said it is also offering its United Auto Workers-represented workers lump sums and improved benefits. It would increase pay from an average of $78,000 to $92,000 in the first year of the contract. Employees at the top wage rate could make $98,000 in wages, cost-of-living adjustment bonus, ratification bonus, profit sharing and overtime in the first year. Workers would get $17,500 worth of health care coverage and $20,500 in other benefits under the proposed deal. Ford said it would continue to offer union workers a plan that ranked in the top 1% for lowest employee cost sharing. This would be an important deal for our workers, and it would allow for the continuation of Fords unique position as the most American automaker and give us the flexibility we need within our manufacturing footprint to respond to customer demand as the industry transforms, Ford said in a statement. This offer would also allow Ford to compete, invest in new products, grow and share that future success with our employees through profit sharing. Ford said its workers would make far more than at Tesla or other automakers. Our offer fully eliminates wage tiers so all employees can achieve industry-leading wages, accelerates the grow-in period to reach the top wage rate by 25%, delivers a 20% raise for temporary employees and extends to temporary employees the same ratification bonus that permanent employees receive, Ford said in a statement. Only 2% to 3% of Fords hourly workforce are temporary employees, by far the lowest among the Big 3. But we will not make a deal that endangers our ability to invest, grow and share profits with our employees. That would mortgage our future and would be harmful to everyone with a stake in Ford, including our valued UAW workers. Bottom line, we believe there is a path to succeed together in what is the most competitive and fast-changing era in the history of the American auto industry. The United Auto Workers union is currently negotiating with Detroits Big Three automakers. President Shawn Fain said workers want to share in the record profits automakers have reaped in recent years. Under new leadership, the union has taken a more militant stance toward securing better pay, benefits and working conditions. An estimated 97% of UAW members voted to authorize a strike if the union cannot reach a deal with automakers. Chief Anthony Titus Gary Police Chief Anthony Titus has his new badge pinned on by his wife, Sarita, and 11-year-old nephew, Noah Harris June 30 at the Gary Polic GARY When Chief Anthony Titus applied to be a Gary police officer in 1992, he stood before a panel of well-respected county officials during his final step in the interview process, fielding questions. The late Lake County Criminal Court Judge Diane Boswell asked him where he sees his career heading in the future. A 22-year-old Titus told her he saw himself as police chief. Thats a bold statement to make, she said. Titus said he told her he believes every officer should envision him or herself in the role, because it means they worked their career striving to the top to better their department and the community they serve. "If we each aspire to that seat, we'll keep pushing our career forward and doing things that will help us grow," Titus said. "And even if you don't end up as chief, you'll complete your career pretty fulfilled." Titus' first 60 days as police chief have already brought plenty of changes to the department. But, that's not without cause. As Indiana State Police withdrew from a partnership between the agencies Titus was appointed Chief on June 30, the Gary police are continuing the efforts started during the partnership, including maintaining a sufficient number of patrol officers on the streets, community outreach and implementing updated technology, Titus said. He wants to continue to move in the same manner the department has been moving. And that's forward, he said. "Nothing is going to magically be different," Titus said. "We have to continue to work how we've worked the past 15 months in our partnership with Indiana State Police." First steps forward During the 1 year partnership between the agencies, Maj. Jerry Williams worked with ISP and Gary police on reviewing all facets of the department including standard operating procedures, internal organizational structure, investigating procedures, training, evidentiary inventory and fiscal accountability. Out of the collaboration came a series of new procedures and initiatives--some that Titus was charged with overseeing during his first 60 days as Chief. Major Jerry Williams Indiana State Police Maj. Jerry Williams, left, served as interim chief between January and the end of June. One of his first duties when he assumed the role was to facilitate the rollout of an abundance of new technology and new weapons for all officers, all of which had been acquired during the partnership. The department had outfitted all patrol officers with body cameras by the end of July, an initiative that had been a long time coming since Mayor Jerome Prince's police reform commission made the recommendation to the department in December 2021. The cameras were purchased with a $500,000 federal grant to enhance the technology in the department, secured last last year by United States Rep. Frank J. Mrvan. The department was also awarded $88,000 from the Local Body Camera Grant in April 2022 through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. New handguns were purchased for all officers, as some of the weapons were dated, Titus said. The weapons were funded through their annual equipment funding. New weapon holsters were issued with a Trigger Guard, which is a mechanism that activates an officer's body camera if they draw their weapon. Titus said he worked with his command staff and shift supervisors to ensure officers received sufficient training on their new tech and weapons while maintaining adequate levels of manpower on the streets. All of these things take time and they can pull manpower away from where we need it, Titus said. "We had to make sure we balanced how we roll out all our new technology and weapons while making sure we have officers that can answer calls." However, part of having enough manpower is having enough officers, period. Gary police rebuilt their hiring procedures during the partnership, updating some of their policies and streamlining the process. The process includes an online application, which is more user-friendly and easier to complete than filling out a paper application, Williams said. The department holds all-day hiring sessions, which includes a physical agility test, a written examination, an interview and a background investigation. Once all components are processed, cadets are ready for the police academy. The most recent processes resulted in 11 new officers hired on to the department. The second hiring phase began last week. This was part of 16 ordinances passed by the Gary Common Council in November to increase efficiency in the department. The ordinances update the hiring, firing, promotion and disciplinary processes within the department and re-evaluated the responsibilities of the police commission and police chief. Williams said he is proud of the work between the mayor's administration, council and police department in establishing the new ordinances. Titus said he agrees. We are getting good quality candidates who really want to be police officers, Williams said. "We want to make sure these young people have an environment in which they can succeed in law enforcement." A city in community If the officers at the Gary Police Department can take one thing from Jerry Williams' time as Interim Chief, he hopes it is this: build relationships. "Thirty years ago, it was easy to go out and be received well by the community," Williams said. "Those days are few and far between. We have to be intentional about going out and rekindling these relationships with the community." Trust in police has dwindled since the high-profile killings of Michael Brown, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others at the hands of the law enforcement. According to a 2022 Gallup poll, 45% of Americans surveyed said they had "a great deal" of trust in the police, down from 51% in 2020. Titus echoed Williams' statement when he was sworn-in as police chief, and continues to advocate to a positive relationship between police and community: "We have to be intentional about building these relationships. And one of the easiest ways to interact with the community is to let them know you're a human being." Titus and Williams said that part of this is stopping to converse with people while out, or popping in to local schools, businesses and areas in the city. It also includes hosting events such as the National Night Out, which the department held in early August for the first time since 2019. The event, held by thousands of departments across the country, is known for promoting safety and healthy relationships between public safety professionals and their community. The department also partners with the Blind Social Center to drop off food deliveries every week in the area as part of community engagement initiatives. While police cannot measure the effects that engaging with the community has through data, Williams said he hopes it will show itself through crime reduction and improved relationships. "For the community, local businesses, schools and more to start feeling different about their relationships with law enforcement," Williams said, "I think that will be a turning point for the City of Gary." "You have to care more about the community you serve more than you care about yourself" The Gary police chief's job has had a high turnover since the early 2000s. Before Williams was appointed interim chief, Sgt. Brian Evans served in the role for more than two years after Richard Ligon abruptly resigned as police chief six months after taking on the job. When asked what was different this time around, Williams said they ensured the selection process for the chief's job was as meticulous as it was time-consuming. The city ordinances set new parameters for how to select the police chief. "We put out search criteria to first establish what that process would look like, with integrity and transparency in place," Williams said. In April 2022, Gary and ISP started a national search for police chief. Williams and a team of others, including attorneys, former chiefs and police academy instructors, were tasked with evaluating 74 applications from around the country. They narrowed it down to three. However, Prince decided not to select one of the finalists designated by the search committee and instead appointed Williams. As he worked to implement a solid foundation before selecting a permanent chief, he said there were multiple reasons he ultimately chose Titus. It is not surprising that Chief Titus, now, is sitting as Chief Titus," Williams said. His integrity is above reproach. He has compassion for his fellow man.he will always try to be doing the best thing for his fellow man when no one else is looking. Williams is now back in his role as assistant chief of logistics at ISP. But the Gary native said he returns to the area often, and that state police's resources will always be available to Gary police. While Titus declined to comment on what might have contributed to the high turnover, he reinforced his commitment to the role and desire to be a part of positive change in the department. "This is a passionate position," Titus said. "You have to care more about the community you serve more than you care about yourself." LOWELL The sun gleamed on hundreds of parade watchers Monday morning at the 104th annual Lowell Labor Day Parade. The parade, which had 125 entries, is Indiana's longest continuously running Labor Day Parade. Entries included some of Northwest Indiana's labor unions, local farms, car dealerships and more. "We're here to support the brotherhood of electrical workers," said Melanie Winchell, who represented IBEW Local 697 in the parade. "It's nice for all of the towns to come together into one big community." The parade began at 10 a.m. at Bel Aire Drive and traveled along Commercial Avenue until reaching the train tracks by the American Legion. Many children were eager to catch candy from parade participants as families kept cool under tents and umbrellas. Cameryn and Connor Lang were excited to bring their two young boys to the parade for the first time. Connor Lang, a member of Carpenters Local 1005, was happy to show support for the Region's labor union participants. Yvonne and John Connelly found shade under a tree to keep cool as the parade began. The couple, who have been married for 35 years, began attending the parade after moving to Lowell 5 years ago. "We just like coming out here and seeing everybody, and all the floats," Yvonne said alongside her husband. "It gives us something to do." Harvest Tyme Family Farm has participated in the parade for the past 7 years, property manager Jason Eaker said. Eaker, of Lowell, has been attending the parade for more than 40 years, and said it's great to be part of such a long-standing tradition. The South Lake County Antique Farm and Tractor Club had eight tractors and one wagon full of participants to toss candy to attendants. The tractor club hosts a vintage tractor and farm festival at the Lake County Fairgrounds each summer. Gary Wicik has represented the tractor club by driving his bright red, McCormick Farmall tractor in the parade for the past 5 years. Wicik, of Crete, Ill., was happy to enjoy the "beautiful sun" and show off tractors to children who may not see them on a regular basis. Nearly 20 members from Kataaro Martial Arts in Lowell displayed their martial arts skills for parade watchers. Senpai Tommy Moore led the group of people between ages 5 to 52. "The slogan of the dojo is 'effective living through martial arts'," Moore said. "We don't just teach people how to fight, we teach them how to be responsible and how to help the community." Moore, 30, is a black belt and senior student for martial arts. Participants from Kataaro have rehearsed their sequence for the parade since June. Moore was grateful to be part of a tradition that continues to expand every year. Sammi Schane, of Cedar Lake, has attended the parade with her family since she was 2 years old. Schane is now continuing her family's tradition by attending the parade with her daughter and boyfriend. "It's a good time every year, and it's gotten so much bigger," Schane said. "There's so many more people, and so many more floats you can't even keep track of it anymore." Close A T-rex from the Harvest Tyme Family Farm joins the festivities Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Members of the Crown Point Corvette Club join Monday's Lowell Labor Day Parade. The Lowell Lions Club mascot greets children Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Members of the Red Devils Pop Warner football team ride an old fire truck Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Santa greets Larry Deering and his two-year-old granddaughter Parker Kawczynski Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Eight-year-old Cosette Hawkins wave to parade units Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Twins Isabella and Randy Bauer walk hand-in-hand with the United Steelworkers Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Maggie Watson uses her earth mover to share candy Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Eight-year-old Sammy Zerillo looks to the sky for the Lake County Sheriff's helicopter Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Uncle Sam Terry Beckrich of Lowell walks the route Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. "Sheldon Hansen," an African Sulcata tortoise, enjoys some watermelon Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Children play with "Sheldon Hansen," an African Sulcata tortoise, Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Antique cars join Monday's Lowell Labor Day Parade. Lowell Labor Day Parade The 104th annual Lowell Labor Day Parade on Monday morning had more than 120 entries including a handful of the Region's local labor unions. A T-rex from the Harvest Tyme Family Farm joins the festivities Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Members of the Crown Point Corvette Club join Monday's Lowell Labor Day Parade. The Lowell Lions Club mascot greets children Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Members of the Red Devils Pop Warner football team ride an old fire truck Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Santa greets Larry Deering and his two-year-old granddaughter Parker Kawczynski Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Eight-year-old Cosette Hawkins wave to parade units Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Twins Isabella and Randy Bauer walk hand-in-hand with the United Steelworkers Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Maggie Watson uses her earth mover to share candy Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Eight-year-old Sammy Zerillo looks to the sky for the Lake County Sheriff's helicopter Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Uncle Sam Terry Beckrich of Lowell walks the route Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. "Sheldon Hansen," an African Sulcata tortoise, enjoys some watermelon Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Children play with "Sheldon Hansen," an African Sulcata tortoise, Monday at the Lowell Labor Day Parade. Antique cars join Monday's Lowell Labor Day Parade. A special mass will be followed by an educational seminar for the legal and financial communities in Northwest Indiana. A Red Mass, an annual tradition in Northwest Indiana, will take place at 8 a.m. on Oct. 5 at Our Lady of Consolation Church at 8303 Taft St. in Merrillville. It will be immediately followed by Fiduciary Responsibility A Legal and Practical Perspective," a free continuing education calls. Lake County Probate Commissioner Jewell Harris and Peoples Bank Vice President and Wealth Management Team Leader Tom Devine will present the one hour continuing education course for attorneys and accountants. It's free to the public. Harris found the Harris Law Firm in 2009, practicing civil litigation and municipal law. The graduate of Indiana University and the Valparaiso University School of Law served as legal counsel to the Lake County Board of Commissioners, the Lake County Sheriff, the Gary Sanitary District, the Gary Housing Authority, the School City of East Chicago and the Michigan City Common Council. Devine, a Cedar Lake resident who earned an MBA at Indiana University Northwest, has worked for the People's Bank's Wealth Management Group for more than 11 years. He earned a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor designation through the American Bankers Association, serves on the board of the Civitan International Merrillville Chapter and is the investment char of the Catholic Foundation for Northwest Indiana. The Catholic Foundation of Northwest Indiana, which was founded in 2008 and has grown to have assets of more than $14 million, is staging the event. The foundation serves the entire Diocese of Gary and aims to help people to express their faith by providing perpetual financial support for Diocesan ministries, parishes, and schools." Bishop Robert J. McClory will lead the mass, which is open to all faiths. The Red Mass, named after vestments worn for the Mass of the Holy Spirit, dates back to 1245 in Paris and 1301 in Westminster, aiming to offer spiritual guidance to judges and lawyers. It includes a recitation of the Indiana Attorney's Oath and blessings for both the legal and financial communities. To register, visit catholicfuture.org. For more information, contact Judy Holicky at jholicky@catholicfuture.org or 219-769-9292 x 268. Hoosiers have a chance to win $10,000 in college savings in the CollegeChoice 529 Education Sweepstakes. The contest is part of Gov. Eric Holcomb's proclamation establishing September as College Savings Month in Indiana, to coincide with National College Saving Month. To enter in the sweepstakes, individuals 18-year-old or older must complete an online entry form by 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 30, according to a press release from the state treasurer's office. The winner will be randomly selected from all elgible entries to receive the $10,000 CollegeChoice 529 account deposit. "College Savings Month in Indiana is a great time to talk all options college and career after high school," said Indiana Treasurer Daniel Elliott in the press release. "Since 529 plans can be used for technical and trade programs, registered apprenticeships, and four-year degrees, this sweepstakes will have a significant impact on a Hoosier family." For full contest rules and to enter, visit collegechoicedirect.com/september. GALLERY: The Times Photos of the Week An Indianapolis-based public affairs executive with extensive experience in state and national politics is the new leader of the Indiana Republican Party. Anne Hathaway, one of Indianas two delegates to the Republican National Committee, last week was elected state party chairwoman by a unanimous vote of the Indiana Republican State Committee. Hathaway is the first woman to hold the top Indiana GOP post. She succeeds Kyle Hupfer who last month resigned in the middle of his second four-year term as party chairman reportedly to lead the gubernatorial campaign of former Indiana Commerce Secretary Brad Chambers. I want to thank Kyle Hupfer for his outstanding leadership over the years and the members of the state committee for putting their trust in me to continue moving our party forward, Hathaway said. We have an incredible opportunity to do just that by helping elect even more Republicans in cities and towns across the state this November, and that will be our top priority over these next two months. At the same time, we will continue to engage our grassroots supporters and prepare to do our part in making Joe Biden a one-term president, sending Jim Banks to the U.S. Senate, and electing another Republican to the governors office. Hupfer, who helped the Indiana GOP win or maintain control of every statewide office and more than 9 in 10 elected county offices, praised Hathaways selection as party leader. Anne is a long-time friend, an incredible grassroots leader and one of the best political minds in the country. I know that under her leadership, the Indiana Republican Party will be in good hands, Hupfer said. Term-limited Gov. Eric Holcomb, who also is a former Indiana GOP chairman, likewise said hes excited to see Hathaway at the partys helm. Her knowledge, relationships, and ability to connect with and bring folks together to advance a common cause will prove invaluable as we work to elect even more Republicans across the state, Holcomb said. LeAnn Angerman, vice chairwoman of the Lake County Republican Party, said Hathaway long has been an example to Hoosier Republican women of how to embrace opportunities and empower others along the way. Over the last several years I have learned the importance of the team, and I am so excited for the leadership of Anne Hathaway as the chairwoman for the Indiana Republican Party! Thank you, Anne, for stepping up to be the first woman to serve in this capacity, Angerman said. Hathaway has served as an Indiana RNC delegate for the past five years and will continue doing so as party chairwoman. At the RNC, Hathaway is in charge of organizing the partys 2024 national convention in Milwaukee, and shes co-chair of the RNC Presidential Debates Committee. She also is executive director of the Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series thats trained more than 600 women across Indiana to engage in public service and politics. Hathaway previously served in the White House as assistant to the vice president and director of scheduling and public liaison for Vice President Dan Quayle. Meet the 2023 Northwest Indiana legislative delegation State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville State Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores In his book, Mr. Diaz-Griffith profiles lovers of Americana who have made their living spaces canvases for quirky dialogues with the past rather than pristinely accurate period rooms. He writes that the Brooklyn apartment belonging to Camille Okhio, a writer at Elle Decor magazine, is a Pennsylvania barn airlifted to Lagos. Her collections are as likely to draw upon refined Ngil masks, spare 17th-century ironwork, or elegant Shaker basketry as the International Style. Audrey Gelman has also taken stock of the moment. The co-founder of the Wing, the now-defunct womens co-working space famous for its millennial pink walls and velvet-upholstered furniture, she currently runs a vintage and contemporary home goods boutique called the Six Bells in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Ms. Gelman, 36, recalled that her grandfather often visited estate sales, bringing quantities of primitive cows and wrought iron pig figurines into her familys orbit when she was young. She said that for her clientele, including shoppers in their 20s with a taste for the simple life and teens intent on giving their college dorm rooms a pastoral spin, she wanted to create a Venn diagram of Americana, English maximalism and Alpine Tyrolean style. Ms. Gelman, who left the Wing as chief executive after some employees, including Black and brown members, complained of inequitable treatment an episode she declined to discuss thinks one reason for the renewed attraction to rustic Americana is technological. For a generation younger than me, who grew up with omnipresent internet, this aesthetic represents greener pastures, she said. Each member of that generation believes, I was born in the wrong era and I want to go home. She added, Weve reached a saturation point with retail simulacra: Everything is a copy of a copy, and even things that started in Copenhagen are now at Wayfair. Americana, by contrast, is rooted in a time, place and culture. I was born in Venezuela in 1988, and raised during what was then called a revolution. President Hugo Chavez, first elected in 1999, introduced a series of social welfare programs intended to reduce economic inequality. He funded the programs with Venezuelas vast oil reserves. There was social change but also increasing violence and upheaval in the countrys political order, which Mr. Chavez came to rule with absolute power. I left Venezuela in 2015 to study journalism in the United States. In the two years I was away at school, my country descended into a humanitarian crisis. The oil boom that had fueled government spending had ended. Desperation spread as basic services failed. Hospitals ran out of medicine, and food shortages became so severe that armed guards accompanied delivery trucks. The country seemed to reach a breaking point in 2017. I decided to return, thinking that my work could be meaningful. I wanted to help keep a record of what went wrong, so future generations could have a point of reference. This type of archive is especially important in a country where the government consistently tries to reshape the publics understanding of history. Many of my assignments have focused on the repercussions of economic and social collapse. In 2019, I documented members of the Wayuu, a group of Indigenous shepherds, who had crossed into a disputed area of Colombia to seek better fortunes. I photographed young women whom traffickers had tried to smuggle to Trinidad. The following year, I covered a small rebound in wealth among the business class. The widespread poverty is tied to the steep decline of the oil industry, after years of government corruption and economic sanctions imposed by the United States. Last year, The Times assembled a team of journalists to attempt to understand the state of the countrys oil industry and its influence inside Venezuela and beyond its borders. 8D. How to emphasize the already emphatic? Very, very can be OH-SO as in an oh-so-clever entry. 11D. End piece? is not about furniture, but a piece of music, the end of which is referred to as a CODA. 32D. Ooh, tell us everything! feels far more natural than the phrase DO SAY, which feels a little robotic for a dish session (if I DO SAY so myself). 50D. For a long time, I believed that The A in A.D. was the word after, and I am confessing as much here for those who may be under a similar impression. It is the Latin word ANNO. (Why B.C. is now an English abbreviation, while A.D. is a Latin one, remains a matter of speculation.) Constructor Notes I am so glad to be back after my Valentines Day debut last year! This theme was inspired by a safari where I saw firsthand the symbiotic relationship between oxpeckers and rhinos. Who knew that zebras and giraffes often are seen together, because the zebras poor eyesight is complemented by the giraffes ability to see predators for miles? Who knew that there were six types of symbioses commensalism, mutualism, parasitism, neutralism, competition and predation? Who knew that an island group could exist in two different calendar days at the same time and share its name with a Girl Scout cookie? My initial submission was rejected: The theme made us smile, they said, but the execution was poor. The final grid work was tricky, and required over 10 versions before I was satisfied enough to resubmit. Constructors will note that while the grid has rotational symmetry, themed entries are not placed symmetrically. Thus, black square placement was critical. This puzzle is dedicated to my friend Matt G., who, after listening to me share a bit of arcane trivia I have learned in a New York Times puzzle, often responds with a hearty Who knew? Dont Fear the Fridays: About the Easy Mode Newsletter Christina Iverson, a puzzle editor, will send a weekly Friday crossword with more accessible clues right to your inbox if you sign up for the Easy Mode newsletter. This extra bit of goodness is for those who would like to try the Friday puzzles but have heard all about how hard they are. Take a look at the difference between the regular and easy-mode clues below. The links are a small sample of the clues from the Friday puzzle. When you click on them, you will see the version that will run in the regular puzzle as well as the easier version. Jill Biden, the first lady, tested positive for Covid-19, the White House announced late Monday night, but she is experiencing only mild symptoms and will remain at the family home in Rehoboth Beach, Del., where she and President Biden spent part of the weekend. Mr. Biden tested negative for the virus after the first ladys diagnosis, a spokeswoman said. The president returned to the White House on Monday evening. Officials said Mr. Biden would continue to test on a regular cadence throughout the week and would monitor for possible signs of infection. The first ladys diagnosis is a reminder that Covid-19 remains a potent virus in the country. In recent weeks, public health authorities have noted an increase in the number of Covid infections around the country, though the total number remains low and experts do not believe the United States will experience a dangerous wave of illness like those during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a motion on the appointment of Rustem Umerov to the post of Minister of Defense of Ukraine. Corresponding draft resolution No. 10004 was registered in the Rada on Tuesday. As reported, on September 3, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he would submit to Parliament the candidacy of Rustem Umerov for the post of Defense Minister. On the morning of September 4, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov submitted to parliament a letter of resignation from his post, and Umerov, in turn, submitted a letter of resignation from the post of head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF). At the plenary session on September 5, the Verkhovna Rada supported Reznikov's resignation from the post of Minister of Defense of Ukraine and Umerov's dismissal from his position as head of the SPF, which he headed from September 7, 2022. Umerov is a Ukrainian politician, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist, a member of the Ukrainian delegation at negotiations with Russia, a delegate of the Kurultai of the Crimean Tatar people. In 2019, he was elected an MP of the IX convocation from the Holos party (No. 18 on the list as an independent MP) and became a member of the faction of the same name. In the Ukrainian Parliament, he held the position of Secretary of the Committee on Human Rights, de-occupation and reintegration of temporarily occupied territories, national minorities, and was also a deputy member of the Permanent Delegation to the Council of Europe and co-chairman of the parliamentary inter-factional association Crimea Platform. In September 2020, Umarov joined the group on the development of the state strategy for the de-occupation of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC). For weeks after the 2020 election had been called, Peter Navarro, a White House adviser to President Donald J. Trump, worked closely with other senior aides to keep Mr. Trump in power for a second term. After being subpoenaed last year by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, which sought to learn more about those efforts, Mr. Navarro refused to comply, insisting that Mr. Trump had directed him not to cooperate and dismissing the subpoena as illegal and unenforceable. Now, after more than a year of legal wrangling, Mr. Navarro, 74, will defend those claims in a trial that starts Tuesday, when jury selection is expected to begin in Federal District Court in Washington. The case centers on a relatively simple question: whether he showed contempt for Congress in defying the House committees request for documents and testimony. The trial itself may be relatively short, and if Mr. Navarro were to be convicted on the two counts of contempt of Congress he is charged with, he could face up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $100,000 for each count. Herman Fillmore, the culture and language resources director of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, said that cultural borrowing was common in Keysers time among Washoe, for example in their adapting modern materials such as canvas to build warmer homes. Its not right for the rest of us to tell our basket weavers how to weave their baskets, he said. For Horton, the professor, Keysers story is important to understanding her baskets, if not in the way the Cohns intended. Image Abe Cohn outside of his Emporium in Carson City, Nev., in 1923, holding two of Louisa Keysers baskets. Credit... via Donald Ellis Gallery Its complicated where we put our gratitude, she said, but thanks to the fraught relationship that unfolded around the Cohns Emporium and her own artistic brilliance and fortitude, we know her name and have an archive through which we can reread the details of her life, and the pretty inspiring story of a Native woman at the turn of the 20th century navigating a global art market under conditions of terrible colonization. The five baskets at the fair are from Keysers classic, middle period. They include one from 1916 titled Myriads of Stars Shine Over Our Dead Ancestors, which, Ellis said, Abe Cohn esteemed as her greatest work (as does Ellis). Another, titled Brotherhood of Men, was the one the Ellis Gallery sold in 2007 for $1.2 million. Most of the approximately 150 surviving works by Keyser are at institutions, Ellis said. Then as now, the degikup evident in four of the shows baskets is a source of much of the enthusiasm around them. Its a high-walled basket, said Horton, and in its most perfected form the actual designs integrated into the walls of the basket will flare and then get smaller to add emphasis to the sculptural shape. Dr. Farah has theorized that Hemingway suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which in later years would be linked to the suicides of former N.F.L. players who suffered the brain disease because of repeated concussions and other injuries. Hemingway killed himself in 1961. Hemingway memorabilia such as letters with his original signature or first editions of his books are auctioned off regularly and often fetch thousands of dollars, with some going for much higher. In Philadelphia in February, a first edition of Hemingways In Our Time from 1924 was auctioned for $277,000. Another signed letter was auctioned off last month at Nate Sanders Auctions, but went for much less: $6,875 after only one bid. In February, a more modern copy of The Old Man and the Sea went for more than $10,000 for a special reason: It had been the copy taken out of a high school library by a young Kobe Bryant. In the crash letter which was written on April 17, 1954, but was misdated as 1953 Hemingway recounted the crashes and their effect on him, and told his lawyer Alfred Rice that he needed money. He also expressed his dissatisfaction with Abercrombie & Fitch, the brand now known for its all-American apparel, which at the time was more known for selling outdoor gear like guns. They sent me two .22 rifles of a type I did not order, several hundred rounds of ammo of another type than I had ordered, Hemingway wrote, adding that he had to shoot my first lion with a borrowed .256 Mannlicher which was so old it would come apart in my hands and had to be held together with tape and Scotch tape. Their carelessness in shipping imperiled both my life and livelihood. Much of the letter, which was handwritten on stationery from the Gritti Palace-Hotel in Venice, also goes into the gritty details of his injuries. Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the far-right Proud Boys, was sentenced this afternoon to 22 years in prison for organizing a gang of his pro-Trump followers to attack the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power. It was the most severe penalty handed down so far to any of the more than 1,100 rioters charged in connection with the Capitol attack, and no other defendant faces accusations as serious. Two others another Proud Boys leader as well as Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers militia had received 18-year sentences. Tarrios sentence is notable not just for its length, but also because of what it suggests about the current state of the extremist group, which has long espoused a kind of violent patriarchal nationalism. The Justice Department has all but decapitated the groups national leadership and mostly put an end to its involvement in often-violent pro-Trump rallies. Still, the Proud Boys as a whole have persisted as foot soldiers for the right, in the words of one member who testified for the government at Tarrios trial, and have inserted themselves into conflicts at the local level. Federal auto safety regulators moved Tuesday toward a recall of about 52 million airbag inflaters used by a dozen major carmakers, calling the parts unsafe and susceptible to rupture. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration scheduled a public meeting on Oct. 5 on its recommendation to recall the airbags, manufactured by ARC Automotive and Delphi Automotive Systems. ARC rejected the agencys initial findings that its airbags were defective. The agency said that at least seven people had been injured and one killed in seven incidents in the United States as a result of the defective airbags. Of the 52 million airbags, 41 million were manufactured by ARC and 11 million were produced by Delphi using a design licensed by ARC. The airbags were variously made in China, Mexico and Knoxville, Tenn., and were used by a dozen major carmakers: BMW, Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Kia, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Stellantis, Tesla, Toyota and Volkswagen. NPRs chief executive, John Lansing, said on Tuesday that he would retire at the end of the year, ending a rocky four years atop the public broadcaster. In an email to the staff on Tuesday, Mr. Lansing said that he had informed the board of his decision in May, and that NPR was now in the early stages of a national search for his successor. He said that he had made the decision to retire after discussions with his wife, Jean. Having begun my career as a studio technician in 1975, and having since had the privilege of working with some of the most iconic organizations in American media, the timing feels right to me, and we are looking forward to it as a family, he wrote. A veteran media executive, Mr. Lansing joined NPR as its chief executive in 2019 after running the U.S. Agency for Global Media. During his tenure, NPR faced serious financial difficulties, some of them brought on by the pandemic. In early 2020, executives including Mr. Lansing took pay cuts to help with budget gaps. In February this year, NPR laid off 10 percent of its staff, more than 100 people, to make up for a $30 million budget shortfall that Mr. Lansing attributed to slowing advertising revenue and fewer corporate sponsorships. Other farmers say theyre simply not going to modify how they raise pigs. Were losing money in the pig industry, said Trish Cook, the president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association, who, along with her family, raises pigs near Winthrop in eastern Iowa. The idea of having a large capital expenditure with no clear payback on it doesnt make business sense to us. We dont know what sort of premium those pigs will get. For California, questions about whether consumers will have enough bacon and pork chops and how much they will cost also remain unclear. Ronald Fong, the chief executive of the California Grocers Association, which pushed for an extension of the deadline, said stores were able to make it through Labor Day with the product that they had already bought. However, Mr. Fong said that soon well be faced with some shortages and price hikes. Mr. Davis of Olivers Markets said he already bought pork from Niman Ranch, a producer that exceeds the California criteria, but had also always offered customers less-expensive pork options. Now, the cheaper pork that meets the new state criteria, from Open Prairie Natural Meats, a brand owned by Tyson, costs Olivers $1 to $1.50 a pound more, which Mr. Davis is passing along to customers, he said. Chicken and pork are still very affordable options, especially when compared to beef prices, Mr. Davis said. So weve seen very little pushback from consumers. Linda Evangelista, the supermodel made famous in the 1990s, revealed in an interview that she survived breast cancer twice in five years. The fashion model described her diagnoses and multiple health challenges in an interview with The Wall Street Journal Magazine that was published on Tuesday. Ms. Evangelista, 58, said she was first diagnosed in 2018 after an annual mammogram. The magazine noted that it was the first time she had spoken publicly about her cancer. Ms. Evangelista did not immediately respond for comment on Tuesday. In response to her diagnosis, she said, she chose to undergo a bilateral mastectomy, thinking I was good and set for life. Breast cancer was not going to kill me. Bazawules first hire was actually the choreographer Fatima Robinson, a veteran who has worked with everyone from Michael Jackson to Mary J. Blige, and who choreographed the 2006 movie musical Dreamgirls. Bazawule recalled watching her videos for Aaliyah, his friends stopping the tape over and over to copy the moves, when he was a teenager in Accra. Shes always had such a regal reverence and a curiosity about dance from all over the world, he said. Her hip-hop and R&B pedigree is evident in neck swivels and shoulder shimmies that connect TikTok dances to their 20th-century lineage. Some of the songs were sped up to match her moves, Sanders said. Bazawule also had her choreograph narrative scenes and help with the way the camera moves around the actors. Its always in a ballet with the narrative, he said. Bazawule is a multihyphenate who started as a painter, then became a hip-hop performer; he records as Blitz the Ambassador. (His given name is Samuel; his stage name, he said, had a lot to do with his production style: very fast and very glitzy.) But even he had trouble with the basic structure of a movie musical, incorporating songs into the action. The biggest challenge was to figure out, how do you take this very sprawling music and turn it cinematic? he said. He separated the score into its three root genres gospel, blues and jazz. And he brought in new arrangers for each: Ricky Dillard, Keb Mo and Christian McBride. (The original Broadway numbers are by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, pop and R&B songwriters.) He also wrote songs for the movie, including a beat-driven work anthem for Harpo, Misters son (Corey Hawkins). The goal was to make sure that the music was always talking to each other, he said, and to have it be in tune with a contemporary soundtrack. His ambitions were evident from his first pitch to the producers, when he showed them a full storyboard he had pencil-drawn himself. During Bazawules presentation via video during the height of covid I literally texted Oprah, Sanders recalled. I went, Oh, my God, this is the guy. And she wrote back, Yes, he is! The Verkhovna Rada has resumed electronic assets declaring for state and local government officials. The adoption of relevant bill No. 9534 at the second reading was supported by 329 deputies at the plenary session on Tuesday, said Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a member of the Holos faction. "On the amendments taken into account: Amendment No. 1 clarifies the list of officials of a legal entity of public law subject to anti-corruption legislation (246 votes); amendment No. 246: saying that if property was indicated in one chapter and wasnt indicated in another, it is not considered a crime (247 votes); amendment No. 277: if the property has been declared for several years and it has already been checked once, then it cannot be checked again (239 votes). The main amendment No. 371 on the opening of declarations did not gain votes (199 affirmative votes)," the parliamentarian wrote on his Telegram channel. Earlier, First Deputy Head of the Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy Yaroslav Yurchyshyn (Holos faction) also noted that the bill takes into account that military personnel, except representatives of the military medical commission and the territorial recruitment center, prisoners, citizens in temporarily occupied territories should not submit declarations until the end of martial law or de-occupation of the territory. Thus, according to the adopted law, the military participating in hostilities will file declarations 90 days after their termination or after demobilization, the end of occupation for the temporarily occupied territories in which they are located, return to the point of permanent deployment or to the place of permanent work (except rotation), as well as the termination or cancellation of martial law. The bill provides for the provision of declarations for the current year and previous years, that is, for 2021 and 2022. In addition, it is proposed to resume special checks for persons applying for public positions [such checks were suspended for the period of martial law]. The bill also obliges to conduct special checks and in relation to officials appointed to their posts without them. At the same time, co-chair of the European Solidarity faction, Iryna Geraschenko, said that the parliament did not support the amendment on mandatory assets declaring by advisers to the Presidents Office of Ukraine, members of the supervisory boards of state-owned enterprises: 185 parliamentarians voted in favor. As reported, the Verkhovna Rada canceled electronic assets declaring for officials in the spring of 2022 for the duration of martial law in connection with the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine. The adoption of the law on the resumption of assets declaring is necessary for Ukraine to start negotiations on joining the European Union. Representative George Santos has entered talks with federal prosecutors about possible paths forward in his fraud case, an indication that the parties may be considering a plea deal. In a letter filed on Tuesday, prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York notified the judge that they intended this week to file a batch of new evidence against Mr. Santos, a Republican representing parts of Long Island and Queens. In their request to delay a court conference set for Thursday, prosecutors wrote that they anticipated making another substantial production of evidence this week and wanted to give Mr. Santos time to review the material. They added that the parties have continued to discuss possible paths forward in this matter, and would need additional time to continue those discussions. They asked that the status conference be pushed to Oct. 27. Two laws, the Helms and Siljander Amendments, make it illegal to use taxpayer dollars to fund abortion in global aid programs or to lobby for or against abortion overseas, and PEPFAR programs are administered with significant oversight to ensure compliance with those laws. For years, the Office of the Inspector General has reviewed PEPFARs practices and has never discovered misappropriation of funds for abortion. Nor have outside researchers and experts. An evangelical anti-abortion leader in global health, Shepherd Smith, conducted his own assessment this year and reported that he found no factual evidence to support the rumor that PEPFAR has funded or in any other way promoted abortion. Over the last 20 years, this ambitious program has saved 25 million lives in 55 countries, most of which are in Africa. AIDS deaths have dropped by 64 percent since 2004 in those countries. With a focus on comprehensive care, involving a patients family and community, PEPFAR has provided critical treatment and support to orphans, vulnerable children and their caregivers. It has enabled 5.5 million babies to be born without H.I.V. by preventing mother-to-child transmission of the virus. PEPFAR also has fortified education systems, helping girls stay in primary school, and stimulated economic growth in recipient countries. Churches have championed PEPFAR since the early days of the program, and faith-based organizations, like the clinics and institutions where I served, play a major role in the development and administration of the program. In fact, faith-based institutions deliver 30 percent to 70 percent of health care services in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, according to one estimate. Faith leaders from the United States and around the world, including those who oppose abortion, have recently written letters calling for reauthorization. These leaders recognize that jeopardizing the future of PEPFAR disrespects the sanctity of human life. It is possible that Congress will fund PEPFAR in the short term without approving a full five-year reauthorization. But that would be an unfortunate outcome, too. The program would be left in a vulnerable position that would undermine work with partner governments and institutions and would signal to the rest of the world that our countrys global leadership and commitment to defeating AIDS are waning. And key provisions, such as those that provide services for orphans, would expire. Despite the impressive successes of PEPFAR, we still have a way to go in the fight against AIDS. Around the world, someone dies from an AIDS-related illness every minute, and only about half of H.I.V.-positive children who need treatment are receiving it. AIDS persists as a leading cause of death among young women in sub-Saharan Africa. Experts warn that we have fallen off track in the quest to end AIDS by 2030. Weakening PEPFAR would all but guarantee we fail to do so. The more I learn about the complex peace and security deal that the Biden team is trying to put together between the United States, Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Palestinians, the more Im convinced that if they pull it off, theyll win both the Nobel Peace Prize and the Nobel Prize in Physics. Because finding a way to balance the different interests of all four of these parties makes quantum mechanics look as easy as tic-tac-toe. But to make it simple for you, dear reader, given the many permutations this deal could take, let me just focus here on the only one that is in Americas interest and that I would support. Its a deal that would normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, forge a deeper security relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia, and concretely advance a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians but does it all on terms that would almost certainly cause the breakup of the current Israeli ruling coalition, which is led by far-right Jewish supremacists the likes of which have never held national security powers in Israel before. Alas, though, this is not the version that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is trying to sell us. So, I want to appeal directly to President Biden and the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman: Do not let Netanyahu make you his useful idiots. You cannot have normalization with an Israeli government that is not normal. It will never be a stable U.S. ally or Saudi partner. And right now, Israels government is not normal. It wasnt so long ago that presidents, education secretaries and governors were willing to do the tough work of reforming our schools. Especially during the era of results-based school accountability epitomized by the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act but lasting from the 1990s into the 2010s we saw significant progress among even our poorest and lowest-achieving students. That was no coincidence; these were the very groups that No Child Left Behind intended to help, by establishing test score requirements and expecting everyone to reach the same standards. And it worked, probably contributing to higher high school graduation and college attainment rates and possibly to better real-life outcomes, too. Its true that No Child Left Behind was imperfect. There were fierce debates over teaching to the test and drill and kill instruction, about closing low-performing schools versus trying to fix them and about the link between student achievement and family poverty. But once the laws shortcomings became apparent, policymakers responded by adopting common standards and improving standardized tests, so as to encourage higher-level teaching. They poured billions of dollars into school turnarounds, invested in stronger instructional materials and started grading schools on how much progress their kids made from year to year rather than focusing on one snapshot in time an approach that is markedly fairer to high-poverty campuses. Still, the bipartisan effort that was No Child Left Behind ultimately fell apart as our politics fractured. Then came the pandemic. Despite Congresss increased education investment, student learning continued to suffer. And now here we are, with decades of academic progress washed away and achievement trends still moving in the wrong direction. Some of the reasons for this are clear. We face a massive chronic absenteeism crisis, with even some affluent high schools having a hard time getting teenagers back to class. Meanwhile, in a misguided attempt to lower student stress, schools nationwide have lowered grading standards, instituting policies like the no-zeros rule, under which the lowest mark a student can receive on any assignment or test is 50 percent. Kids are smart: They figure out how they can do the least amount of work and go to school the minimal number of days and still get an A or B. Virtually all schools and districts have enjoyed a vacation from accountability. Almost nobody is worried about state officials shutting their campuses because of low performance or forcing district schools to replace their principals or teachers. When Texas recently moved to take over Houstons schools and replace the district school board and superintendent, it was noteworthy because that kind of action, a throwback to the No Child Left Behind days, is now unusual. This summer, as my children splashed in the freakishly warm ocean waves by the beautiful Victorian seaside town of Cape May, N.J., angry protesters gathered a few towns away. Over the past few months, hundreds of Jersey Shore residents have staged demonstrations opposing Ocean Wind 1, an offshore wind farm being developed by a subsidiary of Orsted, a Danish company. The 98-turbine installation, 13 nautical miles southeast of Atlantic City, would provide enough electricity to power almost 500,000 homes a major step toward weaning New Jersey off the fossil fuels that poison our air and endanger our shoreline. Some have painted these anti-wind crusaders as Jersey Shore versions of the Cape Cod residents fighting to preserve the view from their multimillion-dollar homes. But I think theres something else at play. The transition away from fossil fuels in America is happening quickly, transforming landscapes around us. New wind turbines, solar panels and other clean energy infrastructure are being built before our eyes, and in some cases in our hometowns. Its a lot of change and still only a fraction of whats needed. Such sweeping change, however beneficial, is inevitably going to feel a little disorienting. Oil and gas companies, which have a lot to lose, have exploited this feeling to great effect. Groups like Protect Our Coast NJ, which has filed lawsuits to thwart Ocean Wind 1, received support from the Caesar Rodney Institute, a think tank with ties to fossil fuel interests. Other groups fighting wind projects say they want to protect whales but are funded by oil interests. (There is no known evidence linking whale deaths to wind farms.) When Kirk Ferguson asked Sara Story to design the interiors of his new house in Austin, Texas, his request was unlike any she had heard before. He wanted something like an opium den, said Ms. Story, who spent much of her childhood in Texas but is now based in New York. He really wanted a place with a 70s vibe, and groovy. Mr. Ferguson and Ms. Story had been friends for years, and after talking more about what the house could become, they arrived at a design concept. It sounds a little silly, said Mr. Ferguson, 55. But it was Lenny Kravitz meets Italian 60s meets Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. If reports from the time are to be believed, 17th-century Poland was awash in revenants not vampires, exactly, but proto-zombies who harassed the living by drinking their blood or, less disagreeably, stirring up a ruckus in their homes. In one account, from 1674, a dead man rose from his tomb to assault his relatives; when his grave was opened, the corpse was unnaturally preserved and bore traces of fresh blood. Such reports were common enough that a wide range of remedies was employed to keep corpses from reanimating: cutting out their hearts, nailing them into their graves, hammering stakes through their legs, jamming their jaws open with bricks (to prevent them from gnawing their way out). In 1746, a Benedictine monk named Antoine Augustin Calmet published a popular treatise that sought, among other things, to distinguish real revenants from frauds. Four centuries later, archaeologists in Europe have discovered the first physical evidence of a suspected child revenant. While excavating an unmarked mass cemetery at the edge of the village of Pien, near the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, researchers from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun unearthed the remains of what has been widely described in news reports as a vampire child. The corpse, thought to have been about 6 at the time of death, was buried face down, with a triangular iron padlock under its left foot, in a likely effort to bind the child to the grave and keep it from haunting its family and neighbors. The padlock would have been locked to the big toe, Dariusz Polinski, the lead archaeologist on the study, said through a translator. Sometime after burial, the grave was desecrated and all the bones removed except those of the lower legs. VACCARELLOS DEBUT FOR Saint Laurent wasnt as rapturously received as Yves Saint Laurents for Dior. For his first show, held in September 2016 on the construction site of Saint Laurents future business headquarters, he sent out a short leather dress with abbreviated leg-of-mutton sleeves, a reimagining of a 1982 silhouette by the brands founder, and a strapless black leather dress that left one breast exposed, an iteration of a Slimane look from fall 2015 itself a nod to an archival Saint Laurent toga dress from spring 1990. For the following few anxious seasons, one sensed he was clinging to his own definition of beauty (the hemlines on his skirts and shorts seemed to rise higher and higher) while simultaneously trying to pay homage to Saint Laurents greatest hits: the fur coats, the tuxedos and the safari jackets. Flinn says he noticed the designer absorbing feedback as if he were compiling data. Anthony has been scrutinized and told his dresses were too vulgar or too sexy, he says. But something that I always found is that the women he created were never preyed upon. They were always powerful. Like Slimane, Vaccarello was buoyed by Berges approval. (A few months before his death in 2017, during the last lunch theyd have at their usual Japanese restaurant off Avenue Montaigne, he said to Vaccarello, Please do your own version of Saint Laurent; try to never copy him.) It helped that the clothes and accessories were selling, which offered him a rare opportunity among todays designers: time to evolve. Vaccarello, who often finds inspiration in the films of Luchino Visconti and Rainer Werner Fassbinder, cant develop a garment without creating a character first. Recently, he says, hes been attracted to the idea of rencontres at night and those kinds of dangerous things. Not surprisingly, his runway spectacles which have been staged in Moroccos Agafay Desert and by the ocean in Malibu, Calif. tend to feel more like films than fashion shows (during the height of the coronavirus restrictions in 2020 and 2021, they were actual films). At the beginning of his tenure at Saint Laurent, it sometimes seemed like Vaccarello was art directing someone elses movie. But for the past few seasons, hes been populating his own world. At his womens show last February, which took place, as it often does, inside a purpose-built black-box structure at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, models came out in variations of the classic Saint Laurent skirt suit with shoulders big enough to bear the weight of a fashion empire. Illuminated by the soft glow of chandeliers a reference to the ballroom at Pariss InterContinental hotel, the frequent site of Saint Laurents presentations the women summoned the femmes fatales of Helmut Newton photographs. Sophistication didnt replace sex outright (there was no shortage of plunging necklines), but the two realms no longer felt at odds. The same was true of the mens presentation, which was staged a month earlier in the rotunda at the repurposed stock exchange building where Francois-Henri Pinault, the chairman and chief executive officer of Kering, stores and exhibits his contemporary art collection. In a reversal of Le Smoking, Vaccarello styled wraithlike men in romantic reinterpretations of his own female silhouettes: cowl-neck silk shirts and ones adorned with giant bows, funnel-neck sweaters and hooded cloaks. The collections, which seemed simultaneously rigorous and relaxed, werent clever approximations of the past they were coherent expressions of what glamour and fetish can look like today. While I was designing, I never felt that it was right to speak about other designers and their work, says Tom Ford, who sold his company earlier this year for $2.8 billion. Now that Im a free man, I feel inclined to say that I think that what Anthony has done with Saint Laurent has been positively brilliant. So many designers today create collections that are built for photographs but hard to wear. Fashion shows are increasingly all about the spectacle but often devoid of actual things for people to buy. Hes one of the few who still make real clothes. Anyone lucky enough to become the steward of a storied business knows that learning youve been chosen to lead a legendary institution, fashion house, business or publication inspires two immediate reactions. The first is excitement. The second is fear. The fear is not because you think you cant do the job its because the weight of the past can feel so oppressive. How much of your creative life is expected to be, or can be, spent fulfilling the legacy of another? Is your desire to innovate and to perhaps ignore, subvert, discard allowed? At what point does the obligation to be respectful become stultifying? Cowboys only live in a sense as myth, says Nora Burnett Abrams, a director at the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art, which will open the expansive exhibition Cowboy this month. But you also have this lived experience of contemporary cowboy life and a culture far more diverse not just in terms of identity but also labor and function. A new installation and video by the artists Rafa Esparza, 41, and Fabian Guerrero, 35, will document the queer cowboy bars popular among Mexican and Central American immigrants throughout the Southwestern United States. Esparzas 2021 diptych Al Tempo, painted on adobe, distills one such scene: gay Latino couples in sombreros dancing under the soft lights of Club Tempo, an East Hollywood institution. Esparza, who grew up in nearby East Pasadena, visited the venue for the first time in the late 1990s. I remember thinking, My dad or my uncles could very well be here, and I wouldnt be able to set them apart from everyone else, he recalls. It felt like a beautiful, queer version of what my family members have striven to preserve of their life back in Mexico. The dreamy scenes in the Austin, Texas-based 34-year-old artist RF. Alvarezs paintings, which were on view at Alanna Miller Gallery in Manhattan through June, on the other hand, are mostly imagined. White and Latino men dine outdoors and lie naked in bed together. Cowboy hats abound: in a self-portrait of the artist wearing nothing but white briefs and in a still life hanging above a wardrobe beside a silhouetted portrait of a gay male couple. The paintings are a kind of reclamation of history, but also of space. There is no place for me in the West, Alvarez says. But multitudes can exist. People want counteroffensive to look like in The Avengers or Asterix and Obelix, but life a little more complicated Kuleba Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba noted that the Ukrainian counteroffensive is not a comic book or a film where the heroes with a couple of blows scatter a huge army of the enemy and establish justice. You know, I understand that people in the United States want the Ukrainian counteroffensive to look like the Avengers comic book. And people in France would like to see something like Asterix and Obelix. That is, heroes appear who, with one or two blows, scatter a huge army of the enemy and establish justice. But life is a little more complicated, Kuleba said in an interview with the C a vous program on the France 5 TV channel. Earlier, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said that criticizing the course of the counteroffensive of the Ukrainian army is like spitting in the face of a Ukrainian soldier who risks his life liberating Ukraine from Russian invaders. He also stressed that his foreign colleagues, who receive information from their military and intelligence, have no complaints about the Ukrainian offensive, but on the contrary are focused on helping Ukraine. When Alex Murdaugh, the once-influential South Carolina lawyer, was convicted in March of murdering his wife and younger son, the verdict was widely seen as a rebuke of corruption in a legal system that Mr. Murdaugh had bent to his benefit for years. Now, Mr. Murdaughs lawyers say that he is a victim of a corrupt judicial process, and are seeking a new trial and an F.B.I. investigation. In an explosive court filing on Tuesday, they claim that the clerk of court had a series of inappropriate conversations with jurors and committed other misconduct during his trial. Among the claims are that the clerk, Rebecca Hill, told jurors not to be fooled by Mr. Murdaughs tearful testimony; that she had private conversations with the jury forewoman, including one in a courthouse restroom; and that she fabricated a story about a Facebook post by another jurors ex-husband in an effort to have that juror removed. Ms. Hill did not respond to several requests for comment. The state attorney general, Alan Wilson, said he was reviewing Mr. Murdaughs motion and would respond through the legal process. Ken Paxton, the Republican attorney general of Texas, pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption and bribery Tuesday on the opening day of his impeachment trial before the State Senate, the first such proceeding for a statewide officer in more than a century. Mr. Paxton, a third-term incumbent championed by hard-core conservatives and former President Donald J. Trump, is facing trial on 16 articles of impeachment related to accusations, primarily by his former top deputies who became whistle-blowers, that he had abused his office for the benefit of himself and an Austin real estate investor who was said to have assisted Mr. Paxton with home renovations and an extramarital affair. Those allegations are flat-out false, his lead counsel, Tony Buzbee, said, speaking for Mr. Paxton. The attorney general pleads not guilty. The trial has presented a unique test for Republican leaders and lawmakers in the Texas Capitol, where the party exerts overwhelming control, and for the future direction of the party more broadly. Even before the proceedings began, some Republican lawmakers were facing a public pressure campaign backed by wealthy conservative donors, reflecting the influence Mr. Paxton wields as a result of leading conservative legal fights on issues such as immigration, abortion and transgender policies. A panel of federal judges rejected Alabamas latest congressional map on Tuesday, ruling that a new map needed to be drawn because Republican lawmakers had failed to comply with orders to create a second majority Black district or something close to it. In a sharp rebuke, the judges ordered that the new map be independently drawn, taking the responsibility away from the Republican-controlled Legislature while chastising state officials who ultimately did not even nurture the ambition to provide the required remedy. The Legislature had hastily pushed through a revised map in July after a surprise Supreme Court ruling found that Alabamas existing map violated a landmark civil rights law by undercutting the power of the states Black voters. The revised map, approved over the objections of Democrats, increased the percentage of Black voters in one of the states six majority white congressional districts to about 40 percent, from about 30 percent. In its new ruling, the three-judge panel in Alabama found that the Legislature had flouted its mandate under the courts ruling. Gloria Johnson, a Democratic state representative from Tennessee who narrowly avoided being expelled from the Legislature in April after taking part in a gun control protest on the statehouse floor, announced plans on Tuesday to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican. Ms. Johnson, 61, received a flood of national attention after she joined two other Democrats, Representatives Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson, to interrupt debate on the floor of the Republican-controlled Tennessee House of Representatives and rally for stricter gun control measures in late March, just days after a shooting at a Christian school in Nashville that killed six people. In retribution, Republicans moved to expel the three Democrats sometimes called the Tennessee Three from the Legislature. Mr. Jones and Mr. Pearson were both ousted. Ms. Johnson was stripped of her committee assignments but avoided expulsion by just one vote. (Both men were later voted back into their positions.) Last week, the State Legislature held an emotional and chaotic special session meant to be devoted to public safety that ended without agreement on any significant new restrictions on firearm access. Just over a year before the 2024 elections, three races for governor in Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi are offering a window into the parties political strategies and how they might approach statewide and congressional contests next year. Strikingly, even as former President Donald J. Trumps indictments and President Bidens polling struggles have consumed the national political conversation, the two men rarely show up in advertising for the three governors races. Since July, nearly 150 ads have been broadcast across the contests. Just one ad mentioned Mr. Trump. Three brought up Mr. Biden. Instead, the ads focus largely on issues like education, the economy, jobs and taxes, according to an analysis of ad spending data from AdImpact, a media-tracking firm. Attack ads about local scandals and controversies are frequent, and crime is the top advertising issue in the Kentucky governors race. President Biden announced on Tuesday that he would nominate former Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew as his next ambassador to Israel, tapping a low-key Washington veteran for a high-charged post at a time of friction with Americas strongest ally in the Middle East. If he is confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Lew will head to Jerusalem even as Mr. Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are at odds over the presidents efforts to negotiate a new nuclear agreement with Iran and the prime ministers plans to rein in the authority of the judiciary in Israel. Mr. Biden has sought to smooth over the rifts with Mr. Netanyahu by inviting him to visit the United States, an offer the president had declined to issue for months. But no schedule or venue for such a meeting has been disclosed, and tensions remain high, particularly as Mr. Netanyahu pushes ahead with his bid to dilute the power of the courts in defiance of Mr. Bidens advice and amid huge protests at home. At the same time, Mr. Biden has embarked on a high-stakes diplomatic gamble to broker normalized relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a move that if successful could transform the power dynamics of the region. Mr. Bidens envoys have been negotiating with the Saudis while keeping Mr. Netanyahus government informed about the progress. But the challenges for reaching such an accord remain daunting and would require concessions that may be unpalatable to Israel in its conflict with Palestinians. Mark A. Gonzalez, a progressive district attorney in Nueces County, Texas, took an unusual tack when he came under fire from conservatives who didnt like how he was doing his job. He resigned to run for the United States Senate. Mr. Gonzalez announced Tuesday that he would join a large field of candidates in the Democratic primary to challenge Senator Ted Cruz next year, the most prominent of whom is Representative Colin Allred. In an interview, Mr. Gonzalez said his decision was directly tied to efforts to remove him from his elected office. Prior to that, I hadnt really had any more taste or want for politics, he said. But with the petition and some of the stuff thats been going on at least statewide, it just kind of I dont know if the word is just angered me or incited me or something and so I just decided that I dont want to represent or try to represent just Nueces County. I want to represent Texans that want change. He said the other issues that animated him included preserving abortion rights and voting rights, and combating conservative efforts to limit the teaching of subjects like the United States racial history. Q: It looks like I have fungus beneath my toenail, but how can I be sure? Does toenail fungus go away on its own? Yellowing, brittle and unusual-looking toenails can be a sign that a fungal nail infection, called onychomycosis, has taken root. Experts say these infections dont go away on their own and can easily spread from person to person without treatment. Fungus tends to be greedy, said Dr. Boni Elewski, chair of the department of dermatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. If you pick it up from close contact with someone who is infected or by walking barefoot in a locker room, for instance, it can then crawl under your toenail and spread into the nail itself, she said. Wearing moist, sweaty shoes can encourage the fungus to grow. Toenail fungus affects an estimated one in 10 people worldwide, and becomes more common with age afflicting more than half of those ages 70 and up. People with diabetes or weakened immune systems are also susceptible, said Dr. Shari Lipner, a dermatologist at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. Every day, Velina Elysee Charlier drives past barricaded neighborhoods and frequently sees dead bodies lying on the street, she said, a result of score-settling between gangs and vigilantes in Haitis capital. After dusk, she never leaves home for fear of being killed or kidnapped. When her 8-year-old daughter got appendicitis one evening, Ms. Charlier said, the family waited until morning to get her medical care since driving to a hospital was out of the question. Port-au-Prince looks like something out of hell these days, said Ms. Charlier, 42, a prominent anticorruption activist in the city and mother of four who lives in a hillside area of the capital. As gangs were seizing control of one part of Haitis capital after another, the countrys fragile government issued a plea nearly 12 months ago for foreign troops to step in and assert order in the crisis-racked Caribbean nation. After that desperate appeal, a force led by Kenya finally seems close to materializing in what would be the first time an African country leads such a mission in one of the Americas most unstable places. Two workers have been detained in northern China after the local authorities said they plowed through a section of the countrys Great Wall with an excavator, leaving a gaping hole. The pair, a 38-year-old man and 55-year-old-woman, caused irreversible damage when they used the construction equipment to widen an existing gap and create a shortcut that was large enough to drive the excavator through it, the Youyu County Public Security Bureau said in a news release last week. The security bureau said it was first notified of the hole in a section of wall, near the township of Yangqianhe, about 215 miles west of Beijing, on the afternoon of Aug. 24. Law enforcement officers rushed to the scene to find that a piece of the wall, believed to have been constructed during the Ming dynasty between the 14th and 17th centuries, had been severely excavated and damaged by large-scale machinery, the bureau said. The man, named in the release as Zheng, and the woman, named as Wang, are from the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia in the countrys north and were taken in for investigation, the bureau added. They have been charged with destroying a cultural relic, according to China Daily, a state-owned media outlet. Under the coordination of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, within the framework of cooperation and assistance in restoring the power system, the Republic of Lithuania handed over to the Ukrainian side the second powerful power autotransformer capable of providing electricity to up to 200,000 households, the Ministry of Energy reported on Tuesday. "It will be installed at a high-voltage substation of the power transmission system and will transform the voltage from the main to the distribution level, providing power to up to 200,000 households," the ministry said. The Ministry of Energy expressed its gratitude to the donor the Lithuanian operator of the power transmission system Litgrid, the non-governmental organization Melina ir geltona (blue/yellow) and the Lithuanian Embassy in Ukraine for their assistance in transferring the autotransformer. The autotransformer to Ukraine was transported within the framework of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. "Support from Lithuanian partners in the form of powerful equipment helps Ukrainian power engineers not only restore damaged facilities, but also strengthen the resilience of the power system. We thank our Lithuanian friends for this support," Minister of Energy Herman Haluschenko said. In total, 67 cargoes of humanitarian aid with a total weight of more than 1,286 tonnes have already arrived in Ukraine from Lithuania. Among the received equipment: backup power plants, power transformers, current-voltage transformers, current transformers, voltage transformer and other equipment necessary for the restoration of the power system. For Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, a rare trip to Russia this month to discuss military aid for President Vladimir V. Putins Ukraine war effort could provide two things the North has wanted for a long time: technical help with its weapons programs, and to finally be needed by an important neighbor. North Korea has not been used to getting a lot of attention other than global condemnation for its nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests. But Russias urgency to make new gains in the war is offering Mr. Kim a bit of the geopolitical spotlight and a new way to both irk the United States and draw closer to Moscow and Beijing. Though Russia has long been a crucial ally for the isolated North, relations between the two countries have at times grown tense since the disintegration of the Soviet Union. And Russia accounts for very little of the economic trade that North Korea needs; China alone provides nearly all of that. Tens of thousands of teachers across South Korea have protested in the streets since July amid worsening complaints over student misbehavior and harassment by parents. On Saturday, a large protest was held near the National Assembly in Seoul, estimated by the local police at 100,000 people. On Monday, tens of thousands of teachers nationwide took a coordinated leave of absence and held rallies nationwide, according to organizers an unusual tactic used to sidestep the law that makes it illegal for them to strike in South Korea. On Monday, when teachers also mourned the suicide of a teacher who claimed to have suffered at the hands of abusive parents, some elementary schools canceled classes, according to the Education Ministry a rare occurrence. In a country known for its fiercely competitive schools and the weight that society places on education, students and parents are not the only parties under immense stress. Teachers say that they often face pressure from parents who make excessive or impossible demands of them, including favoritism for their children. The crime scene: Nearly an acre of protected bush land in a wealthy suburb of Sydney, bracketed by sprawling multimillion-dollar mansions on one side and the sparkling harbor on the other. The method: Attacked with a chain saw. Or poisoned. Sometimes, both. The victims: Banksias, wattles, gum trees, and more. Two hundred and sixty-five in total, dead or dying. Some, approaching 100 years old. All, beloved Australian natives. The crime: Arboricide, of the highest order. The motive is unclear. No perpetrators have been identified. But local residents and authorities all have the same theory: Someone wanted an unobstructed view of the water. In this city, where the shoreline extends inland from the Pacific Ocean for miles in a series of bays, inlets and coves, many a tree has been removed extrajudicially to create a waterfront view and increase the value of a home. But the scale of the culling in Castle Cove, which gained widespread attention last week, was extraordinary. Combined with the assumed affluence and perceived entitlement of the culprit, it has left Australians aghast and outraged. Concerns about managing that position were apparent in the text of the no-confidence motion that led to Mr. Kalsakaus ouster. The government must conduct its relations impartially, the motion read, and not allow our independent and sovereign nation to be sucked into a game it does not want and to be used inappropriately by competing nations to exert dominance in our region. Mr. Kilman, the new prime minister, has already indicated that the accord with Australia, which calls on the nations to establish efficient and effective security cooperation and which has not yet been ratified by Vanuatus Parliament, may be abandoned or substantially changed. At this point in time, I am not sure whether it is in the best interests of Vanuatu or not, he told reporters on Tuesday. If it is not all good, and there needs to be some changes, then we speak with Australia to see what we can do together to make it something workable. Mr. Kilman, who is now taking his fifth turn as the countrys prime minister, is widely described as being more open to Chinese cooperation than his predecessor. In 2012, he made headlines after he expelled all Australian police officers in retaliation for what he described as disrespectful treatment during a visit to Australia. Three years later, after his return to the prime ministerial role, he met with Xi Jinping, Chinas top leader, and pledged closer ties between the two countries. THE BATTLE: Ukraines counteroffensive, launched in early June, aims to reclaim land in the south and east of the country. Its goal in the south is to reach the Sea of Azov and drive a wedge through Russian-occupied territory, and its main effort so far has been in the direction of the city of Melitopol. Last week, Ukrainian forces said that they had retaken the village of Robotyne, breaching the first of several tiers of formidable defenses that Russia has built in the south, and that they were moving toward another defensive line. THE LATEST: Military analysts say that in recent days Ukrainian forces have been battling to break through the next Russian defensive line near the village of Verbove, nine miles east of Robotyne. Groups that study open-source information on the war say that Ukrainian forces have cleared some Russian entrenchments there, although it is unclear if they have retaken and secured territory in the area. The Black Bird Group, a volunteer organization that analyzes satellite imagery and social media content from the battlefield, said on Monday that Ukrainian forces had reached Russian infantry fighting positions in the outskirts of Verbove, meaning they had made it past some anti-tank ditches and obstacles. Oleksandr Shtupun, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Army in the south, told national television that the Russian trenches and dugouts that Kyivs forces were now encountering were not as strong as on the first line of defense. But he added that Russian minefields would complicate Ukraines push forward, and military analysts have suggested that Moscow has reinforced its defenses south of Robotyne with more troops. Cubas government has begun criminal proceedings against a human trafficking network that recruited Cuban citizens to fight in Russias war with Ukraine, according to the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry issued a statement on Monday saying that Cuban authorities had begun dismantling the recruiting group for Russia. The statement said the network had intended to incorporate Cuban citizens living there and even some living in Cuba into the military and take part in operations in Ukraine. The statement cited Cubas firm and clear historical position against mercenarism and said that it was not part of the war in Ukraine. The statement did not say who was behind the trafficking network, or how many people had been affected. The claims had not been independently verified, and the Russian authorities did not immediately comment. Destruction near the village of Robotyne, in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, late last month. Ukrainian forces, churning slowly forward after breaching Russias initial defensive lines in the occupied south, are turning their attention to breaking through in another heavily defended patch of territory. In recent days, military analysts say, the Ukrainian Army has been battling to break through Russian positions near a village called Verbove, about six miles east of the village of Robotyne, which its fighters retook last week. The Black Bird Group, a volunteer organization that analyzes satellite imagery and social media content from the battlefield, said Monday that Ukrainian soldiers had cleared obstacles to reach Russian infantry fighting positions on the outskirts of Verbove. But analysts said that does not necessarily mean they have secured the territory, in an offensive that has met fierce resistance and made progress in small steps and at a high cost in casualties and equipment. For their part, Ukrainian military officials refrained from making any sweeping claims. Oleksandr Shtupun, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Army in the south, told national television that the Russian trenches and dugouts that Kyivs forces were now encountering near Verbove were not as strong as at the first line of defense. But he said Russian minefields would complicate Ukraines push forward, and military analysts have suggested that Moscow may have reinforced its defenses outside Robotyne with more troops. Ukrainians forces enjoyed surprising successes earlier in the war by holding Kyiv, the capital, and repelling Russian forces at the end of March last year. Later, in September, they were able to drive Russian soldiers from vast swaths of land they had seized in the northeast of the country and then again in the south two months later. Image The remnants of a destroyed Russian armored column in the village of Dmytrivka, outside Kyiv, in April 2022. Credit... Daniel Berehulak for The New York Times But this counteroffensive, which began almost three months ago, has been another matter. With the attack long expected, Russian forces had plenty of time to dig in, building barriers and laying mines, and rendering vast parts of the landscape deadly with a single misstep. The Ukrainian military aims to reclaim land in the south and east of the country. In the south, its goal is to reach the Sea of Azov and drive a wedge through Russian-occupied territory, and its main effort so far has been in the direction of the city of Melitopol. The retaking of Robotyne last week marked a significant moment in Ukraines efforts to sever Moscows supply lines to occupied Crimea, but Kyivs forces still have a long way to go. Now, their push from Robotyne east to Verbove is aimed at widening the breach in Russias layers of defenses, two military analysts, Michael Kofman and Rob Lee, wrote in a paper published on Monday. Expanding that breach, they said, is critical because a narrow advance could leave its forces vulnerable to counterattacks on the flanks. A wider gap would also allow Ukrainian forces to bring in more equipment and personnel to support their advance south. A strategic target in this push appears to be the city of Tokmak, a road-and-rail hub about 15 miles south of Robotyne. To reach that city, Ukrainian forces would have to fully break through the defenses around Verbove and then breach additional layers. That suggests a slow and exhausting fight that could take several more months, with the likelihood of heavy casualties on both sides. On Tuesday, Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said he had once again visited the front lines the latest in a series of trips that appear aimed at bolstering the morale of troops waging a bloody and slow battle. Image President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukrainian ground forces, meeting with commanders in the Bakhmut area on Wednesday, in a photo released by the presidents office. Credit... Ukrainian Presidential Press Service Mr. Zelensky said he had visited combat brigades fighting near the ruined eastern city of Bakhmut, which Russian forces seized in the spring after a nearly yearlong battle. Ukrainian fighters have since managed to regain some land around it. His office said the Ukrainian leader had discussed the problematic issues and needs of the units, among them the provision of artillery shells and air-defense missiles. Late on Monday, in his nightly video address, Mr. Zelensky said, It is extremely important to support our warriors, to communicate with the brigade and battalion commanders, and reported that he had visited 11 brigades in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions that day. The subject of ammunition also came up during his visits with troops in Donetsk on Monday, according to Mr. Zelenskys office. It said that commanders had mentioned the growing need for drones and anti-drone weapons, insufficient manning of units and a shortage of certain types of ammunition. The explosions came one after another, a relentless series of bombings that echoed across Kyiv in the first weeks of the war. Residents at the center of Russias invasion of Ukraine were forced underground into makeshift shelters. While the fight for Ukraines capital is well known, researchers have developed a new tool to systematically document Russian attacks by using one of the most universal elements of the battlefield: the explosions that shook the earth. Seismic waves were generated when Russia fired artillery, airstrikes and missiles across northern Ukraine. For the first time, researchers in Norway and Ukraine studied data from dozens of earthquake sensors around Kyiv, estimating the position and strength of each explosion to see the full extent of the Russian barrage. There is no perfect way to chronicle a war, and the seismic record has gaps. Attacks farther from the sensors are most likely to be missed. A few of the explosions may have been set off by Ukraine. And the unique geology of the city of Kyiv, built on wetlands and floodplains, deadens signals from explosions, researchers say. Torrential rain unleashed major floods in Central Greece on Tuesday that submerged streets and wreaked widespread damage, just as firefighters were containing enormous wildfires in the country. One man died, and at least one person was missing. In neighboring Bulgaria and Turkey, at least six more died in the rain-caused flooding, including two swept away at a campsite in northwest Turkey, two in Istanbul and two on Bulgarias southern Black Sea coast, according to The Associated Press. Four more people of a dozen who had been vacationing at the Turkish campsite remained missing Tuesday night. As Greek television showed semi-submerged cars stuck on flooded streets and vehicles being swept into the sea or onto muddy beaches, the police banned traffic in three regions. The ban came a day after warnings by local authorities and Greeces fire service for people to avoid unnecessary travel during the onset of the wet front, Storm Daniel. Greeces fire service said a 51-year-old Albanian national died after a wall collapsed on him; state news media identified him as a cattle breeder who was trying to reach his animals. A 42-year-old Greek man was missing after getting out of his car to try to push his 16-year-old son to safety amid raging floodwaters, a fire service spokesman, Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis, said by telephone. The boy was found in the car, he said. Were still looking for the dad. The top police official in Northern Ireland resigned on Monday after a series of scandals, raising questions about police leadership in a region where law enforcement has long been a contentious issue, and prompting calls for further changes in the force. Pressure had been growing for the official, Simon Byrne, the chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, to step down after a major data breach last month. In response to a freedom of information request, the names, ranks and work locations of every serving officer and civilian employee were accidentally published online, causing fear and outrage in a force that remains a target for militant groups. Many officers had kept the details of their jobs private. Mr. Byrne resisted demands for his resignation after the data incident, but his position became increasingly fragile after Aug. 29, when a court ruled that a decision to discipline two junior officers in 2021 had been intended not to uphold the law, but to assuage criticism from Sinn Fein, the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly. The party, which was once the political arm of the Irish Republican Army, favors unification with the Republic of Ireland and for decades had a heated and deadly relationship with the regions policing authorities. The junior police officers had arrested a man in February 2021 over a suspected breach of coronavirus restrictions and disorderly behavior, after he attended a commemoration of a 1992 attack in which he had been shot and wounded, and five other people were murdered. Neither of the officers had any idea that the gathering was a commemorative anniversary, they told the court. The man was later released without charge. Some 49% of Ukrainian refugees in Europe, who arrived there after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, are employed, while among those who arrived in the EU before the invasion this number reaches 74%, according to the results of the All-European Study of Ukrainians in Europe, which was conducted by the Rating Sociological Group on July 4-11. Most of the employed Ukrainians are in Eastern Europe (67%), while the least is in Western Europe (35%). The least employed Ukrainians came from the south and east of the country, as well as from Kyiv. Among the employed, more than 80% have a job in the host country, 14% - in Ukraine or in several countries at once. The level of employment among men is almost 1.5 times higher than among women. Among the unemployed, a quarter are actively looking for a job, another 39% are thinking about it, while a third is not looking for a job. The polled Ukrainians in Western Europe are the least engaged in job search. At the same time, respondents who are in Eastern Europe more often talk about cases of refusal to hire Ukrainian refugees. This opinion is especially popular among Ukrainian youth, who have recently arrived in the EU countries. The most common employment problems for Ukrainians in Europe are the language barrier (73%), unskilled work (29%), low-paid work (19%), non-recognition of a Ukrainian education diploma (14%). Only 13% of surveyed Ukrainians in Europe speak the language of the host country at a high level, another 20% - at an average level, which allows them to keep up a conversation or read short texts. Some 29% have a basic level that allows them to communicate at the everyday level and requires knowledge of simple phrases. The rest are entry-level or do not speak at all. The best level of language proficiency among Ukrainians is in southern and eastern Europe, the worst is in northern Europe. The longer Ukrainians stay in Europe, the higher level of knowledge of the local language they demonstrate. Indeed, among Ukrainians who have been abroad for more than a few years, 58% have a high or average level, while among those who have been abroad for several months - only 7%. Senior people face the biggest problems with mastering these skills. Young people are showing much more progress. Around 40% of Ukrainians attend language courses of the host country, another 20% plan to do so. Most often, language courses are attended by Ukrainians who are in western (61%) and northern (55%) Europe, least in eastern (24%). Students and people who are looking for a job learn the language of their host country more often. Language courses are more often attended by people of middle and pre-retirement age. The majority of those who speak the local language well are employed. Also, Ukrainians who arrived relatively recently and are looking for opportunities to stay in the host country are looking for a job, actively learning the local language, having relatively low incomes. The poll was conducted using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing) method among 2,116 Ukrainians older than 18 who found temporary shelter in 31 European countries after February 24, 2022. The results were processed with the help of the latest data of the UNHC (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). The margin error of the survey with a probability of 0.95 does not exceed 3.2%. The poll was conducted using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing) method among 2,116 Ukrainians older than 18 who found temporary shelter in 31 European countries after February 24, 2022. The results were processed with the help of the latest data of the UNHC (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). The margin error of the survey with a probability of 0.95 does not exceed 3.2%. Ukrainian forces, churning slowly forward after breaching Russias initial defensive lines in the occupied south, are turning their attention to breaking through in another heavily defended patch of territory. In recent days, military analysts say, the Ukrainian Army has been battling to break through Russian positions near a village called Verbove, about six miles east of the village of Robotyne, which its fighters retook last week. The Black Bird Group, a volunteer organization that analyzes satellite imagery and social media content from the battlefield, said Monday that Ukrainian soldiers had cleared obstacles to reach Russian infantry fighting positions on the outskirts of Verbove. But analysts said that does not necessarily mean they have secured the territory, in an offensive that has met fierce resistance and made progress in small steps and at a high cost in casualties and equipment. Ms. Huk was born after World War II, but the wars legacy still lingered. The destruction wrought in the 1940s was the foundation for the village where she came of age it was in the stories passed down by her family and in the soil, chewed up and spit out by passing tractors. At that time, the Germans were staying on our side here, and the Soviets were there, she said. And even in that war, they fired shells at each other. Ms. Huks mother had hidden a Soviet soldier in her attic, she said, and her grandmother was wounded by shrapnel and treated by Nazi doctors. The comparisons between World War II and Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine are apt. They serve as a baseline for distant observers as they try to understand the scope and scale of the destruction that began on Feb. 24, 2022. But for Ms. Huk, and the hundred or so residents who have returned to Kamianka since Ukraine reclaimed it, the current war is a continuation of violence, separated by generations, with both eras marked by the artifacts invading armies left behind. When a group of three Arab states forged landmark diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020, the Palestinian leadership saw the process as a betrayal: The deals upended a decades-old Arab practice of ostracizing Israel until the creation of a Palestinian state. Three years on, amid efforts by the United States to broker a similar pact between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Palestinian leaders are taking a different tack: engagement. On Tuesday, three senior Palestinian envoys are set to arrive in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, for discussions about what demands Saudi Arabia could make on the Palestinians behalf in exchange for forming ties with Israel. That approach reverses the dynamic in 2020, when Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates forged relations with Israel without consulting the Palestinians let alone winning them lasting concessions. Back then, the Palestinians only condemned the process. In New York City, school admissions season, which starts not long after the first day of school, is a chaotic, monthslong frenzy for many families. New Yorks school system, the nations largest, is split into 32 districts that are home to more than 1,700 public schools, and families often have dozens of options starting as early as age 3. By kindergarten, students might be sorted into divergent tracks, and the intensity of the high school search process draws comparisons to college admissions. But there are ways to make the experience easier. More than half a dozen education and admissions experts and counselors offered tips for how to sort through the avalanche of information and what to look for to find the right school for your child. Heres what you need to know. Whats most important when choosing a school? First, take a step back and reflect on your childs interests and the type of school large or small; traditional with lots of structure, or progressive with more freedom that he or she might thrive in. For nearly as long as Medicare has existed, it has been a notorious budget buster, alarming a wide range of politicians and budget experts. For nearly as long as Medicare has existed, it has been a notorious budget buster, alarming a wide range of politicians and budget experts. In 1983, Ronald Reagan said: The need for action now is clear. Health care costs are climbing so fast they may soon threaten the quality of care and access to care which Americans enjoy. In 1983, Ronald Reagan said: The need for action now is clear. Health care costs are climbing so fast they may soon threaten the quality of care and access to care which Americans enjoy. In 1995, the Medicare trustees warned, Prompt, effective, and decisive action is necessary. In 1995, the Medicare trustees warned, Prompt, effective, and decisive action is necessary. In 2011, Barack Obama said, If you look at the numbers, then Medicare in particular will run out of money and we will not be able to sustain that program no matter how much taxes go up. In 2011, Barack Obama said, If you look at the numbers, then Medicare in particular will run out of money and we will not be able to sustain that program no matter how much taxes go up. If the rate of growth had kept up, the dotted line shows how much Medicare would have gone on to spend on each beneficiary. If the rate of growth had kept up, the dotted line shows how much Medicare would have gone on to spend on each beneficiary. But thats not what happened. But thats not what happened. The difference is enormous. The difference is enormous. And no one is quite sure why. And no one is quite sure why. A Huge Threat to the U.S. Budget Has Receded. And No One Is Sure Why. For decades, runaway Medicare spending was the story of the federal budget. Now, flat Medicare spending might be a bigger one. Something strange has been happening in this giant federal program. Instead of growing and growing, as it always had before, spending per Medicare beneficiary has nearly leveled off over more than a decade. The trend can be a little hard to see because, as baby boomers have aged, the number of people using Medicare has grown. But it has had enormous consequences for federal spending. Budget news often sounds apocalyptic, but the Medicare trend has been unexpectedly good for federal spending, saving taxpayers a huge amount relative to projections. Without a doubt, this is the most important thing that has happened to the federal budget in the last 20 years, said David Cutler, a professor of health policy and medicine at Harvard, who helped the Obama White House develop the Affordable Care Act. The reason for the per-person slowdown is a bit of a mystery. Scholars have been arguing about it for years, but no one seems sure enough to confidently predict whether it is likely to stick around for much longer. Some of the reductions are easy to explain. Congress changed Medicare policy. The biggest such shift came with the Affordable Care Act in 2010, which reduced Medicares payments to hospitals and to health insurers that offered private Medicare Advantage plans. Congress also cut Medicare payments as part of a budget deal in 2011. But most of the savings cant be attributed to any obvious policy shift. In a recent letter to the Senate Budget Committee, economists at the Congressional Budget Office described the huge reductions in its Medicare forecasts between 2010 and 2020. Most of those reductions came from a category the budget office calls technical adjustments, which it uses to describe changes to public health and the practice of medicine itself. Older Americans appear to be having fewer heart attacks and strokes, the likely result of effective cholesterol and blood pressure medicines that became cheap and widely used in recent years, according to research from Professor Cutler and colleagues. And drug makers and surgeons havent developed as many new blockbuster treatments recently there has been no new Prozac or angioplasty to drive up spending. (Medicare is currently barred by statute from covering the new class of expensive anti-obesity drugs.) Parts of the health system appear to have become more efficient, as medical providers have been more cautious about adopting new therapies without much evidence, and more care has shifted outside hospitals into cheaper settings. If the spending trajectory had continued 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 $5,000 $10,000 $15,000 $20,000 per beneficiary 2020 Actual spending $3.9 trillion gap trillion gap Recent trend Sources: New York Times analysis of data from the Congressional Budget Office, the White House Office of Management and Budget, and the Medicare board of trustees. Note: Mandatory Medicare outlays adjusted for inflation using the G.D.P. price index. What Ive been arguing for more than a decade now is something thats very difficult to quantify but is nonetheless real, said Melinda Buntin, who measured the trend as a deputy assistant director at the Congressional Budget Office, and now studies it as a professor at Johns Hopkins. Professor Buntin says the direction of recent federal policies and choices by private insurers have caused doctors, nurses and hospital administrators to become more cost-conscious. That budgetary good news isnt all good news for people with Medicare. Reductions in heart attacks and strokes have had big benefits for public health, but the paucity of major medical breakthroughs has been accompanied by slowing improvements in life expectancy for seniors. The cost containment strategies in hospitals may mean patients have been denied the treatments of their choice. Medicare may even wind up saving money because of Covid-19 because the older Americans who died from the disease tended to have other illnesses that would have been expensive to treat if they had survived, according to an analysis from the Medicare actuary. If Medicare spending had grown the way it had for much of its history, federal spending would have been $3.9 trillion higher since 2011, and deficits would have been more than a quarter larger, according to an Upshot analysis. The difference is more than could be saved by raising the eligibility age for Social Security or converting Medicaid into a block grant, controversial proposals raised by legislators concerned about the federal debt. Its so much money that almost no major legislation passed during this period comes close in scale. Even some major deficit reduction proposals, like the one known as Simpson-Bowles, arent much bigger. The Trump tax cuts cost an estimated $2 trillion over 10 years. The recent deficit reduction deal passed by Congress will save a relatively modest trillion dollars in comparison. A new Medicare policy that will allow it to negotiate on the prices of some prescription drugs is expected to save just under $100 billion over a decade. There is basically no recent history of the kind of actual budgetary savings similar to what we have seen with the Medicare spending slowdown, said Joshua Gordon, the director of health care policy at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a group that supports deficit reduction. $3.9 trillion is 85% All federal pandemic relief 1.8x Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (military spending) 2.4x All federal student loan debt 3.5x War in Iraq (military spending) 5x All military spending in one year 6x Walmart revenue FY23 14x Veterans spending in one year 18x Salaries of all public school teachers in one year 27x Food stamps (SNAP) in one year 46x Homeland security spending in one year 161x NASA spending in one year Sources: New York Times analysis of data from the Congressional Budget Office, the White House Office of Management and Budget, and the departments of defense and education. Those savings have affected Congresss appetite for other budgetary choices. Medicare itself might look very different if it had been consistently busting the budget. In 2011, near the beginning of the trend, congressional Republicans were talking seriously about changing the very structure of Medicare by converting it into a private voucher program to constrain its future cost. Mitt Romneys presidential platform in 2012 featured such a plan. Proposals of that sort have fallen out of favor in recent years. The fact that spending has remained so much lower than expected has allowed us to put these decisions off for a while, said Sherry Glied, the dean of the Wagner School of public service at N.Y.U., who has evaluated several proposed long-term options for managing Medicares finances. But Medicares spending is unlikely to disappear as a concern for the budget and policymakers. An aging population means the number of Americans relying on the program is growing rapidly. And analysts continue to worry that the trend is an aberration, and that some new development an effective Alzheimers drug, a cultural turn away from cost cutting, the health burden of long Covid or some other chronic condition will return Medicare spending to form. The Congressional Budget Office, which has lowered its forecasts repeatedly during the period in the face of lower spending, continues to expect growth to tick up again soon. How spending is projected to grow 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 $5,000 $10,000 $15,000 per beneficiary 2020 Actual spending Projections Sources: New York Times analysis of data from the Congressional Budget Office, the White House Office of Management and Budget, and the Medicare board of trustees. Note: Mandatory Medicare outlays adjusted for inflation using the G.D.P. price index. Medicare is growing more slowly than ever, but still more quickly than the rest of the federal budget. If the slowdown per beneficiary ends, it will strain the Medicare trust fund and drive up the federal debt and may dominate the Washington policy conversation again. That means the uncertainty about the future has high stakes. I used to call this the trillion dollar question, Professor Buntin said. But now its more than a trillion dollars. Three Republicans are competing in a special primary for the safely-red seat held by Representative Chris Stewart of Utah, a seven-term Republican who in May announced he would leave Congress in September because of his wifes health issues. There is no traditional primary on the Democratic side Kathleen Riebe, a state senator, advanced as the partys pick from a nominating convention. United Help Ukraine Seeks Pro Bono PR Tue., Oct. 24, 2023 United Help Ukraine, which was formed in DC in 2014, is seeking pro bono support to build a national PR plan to increase awareness and donations to support the people of Ukraine since the invasion by Russia. It is a privilege in this week's thought for the week to be able to write a few words about St. Mother Teresa and how she understood and lived the mercy of Our Lord in her life and work on this the 26th anniversary of her passing. Without question, St. Mother Teresa was one of the most respected individuals in the 20th century, both in the Church and throughout the world. St. Mother Teresa was easily recognized, listened to attentively, persuasive in her manner and would not take no for an answer. Mother once reflected that her vocation was grounded in belonging to Jesus, and in the firm conviction that nothing will separate us from the love of Christ. The work we do Mother asserted, is nothing more than a means of transforming our love for Christ into something concrete. We all know people who are inspired by the life and teaching of Jesus to do corporal and spiritual works of mercy in the world today and who reach out to relieve poverty, hunger, thirst and homelessness and who bring the joy of the Gospel into our world and invite others in turn to come to know Jesus in their lives. The corporal and spiritual works of mercy are set out in that challenging reading from St. Matthew's gospel which ends with words of Jesus that were at the heart of the mission of St. Mother Teresa: "As often as you did it to the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me." I am grateful to have met many good and saintly people who 'do amazing works of mercy'. No doubt you too can think of women and men who care for the sick and suffering in our community, our country and our world who feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger and often do so quietly behind the scenes, without seeking any recognition or reward. In the canonisation of St. Mother Teresa a few years ago which I was blessed to attend, we are being offered a modern day model of holiness or icon of mercy. Someone we can look to as an example and an encouragement for ourselves to do mercy and to be merciful, especially for those who are most rejected or forgotten in our world. Spiritual life I thought in my writings this week that I would concentrate on some of the features of Mother Teresa's spiritual life that I had come to know in my years of knowing her and working with her. I was blessed to have known Mother Teresa for fifteen years. I especially treasure the times I was asked to be her companion or chaperone while she was in various places like Calcutta, Romania, Ireland and America that I was present in when she was there, because it enabled me to ask her questions and observe closely. In the course of knowing Mother, I always saw her receive each person in the same loving and faith filled way. She saw the face of God in everyone, always approaching each person with love, compassion, kindness and the gift of her complete self. Time was never an issue. I once asked her, "How is it that you never seem to judge or criticize anyone who comes to you?" She said, "I never judge anyone, because it doesn't allow me the time to love them." Some of my most favorite moments with Mother were when I was in the main Missionary of Charities convent in Calcutta. These were times when Mother motioned over to me to kneel right beside her in the chapel at mass and share her prayer book and missal with me. I remember listening intently to her speaking voice and her very sweet singing voice. Some of the more personal moments, such as Mother giving me spiritual guidance or teaching me simple prayers to help me better navigate some of the obstacles of life. Perhaps the greatest lesson I learned from Mother was just how much God really loves each one of us, intimately, compassionately and tenderly. Each one of us is carved in the palm of Gods hands, each one of us is so precious to him. Special instructions I remember one late evening when I was in the main Mother house after spending the day in Khaligat working with the sick and dying, that Mother walked and linked me to her chapel after an exhausting day for evening devotions when she suddenly paused and genuflected and looked up at the large cross of Jesus crucified above and behind the altar with the large words: I Thirst printed next to it. As she looked up at the cross Mother said to me: Look at Jesus on his cross, he is so innocent, holy and pure. At this point I looked at Mothers face. She then said: But his head is bent to kiss you, and his arms are outstretched to hold you, and his heart is open fully to enclose your heart with his. So Ronan please be only all for Jesus always. This is the great love that Jesus has for each one of us. The important thing is to keep this love of Jesus alive inside your heart, and to share it with everyone you meet and be only all for Jesus and thirst for him always. Dont allow anything to interfere with your love for Jesus." Those words which I am sure Mother Teresa said to many others have become a mantra for me. I try my best everyday to apply them to my life's journey. I may not always succeed at applying them and have failed miserably at times, especially when people act in ways I find difficult or unconscionable. When I dont succeed, I am nonetheless highly aware of that failure, and usually intend to make greater and better efforts at doing so going forward. Role model I consider Mother Teresa one of my role models, a person whose life I try to mirror. To me she is one of the most important saints and friends in my life. Her ability to practically convey and reflect upon what mercy is, and can be, to contemporary society was amazing and a gift from God. Arguably, for me her message resonates more than any other contemporary Christian. Mother Teresa visioned mercy similar to the gaze and embrace from the father to his wayward son, first told by Jesus in the famous parable of the Prodigal Son we all know. This gaze and embrace of mercy propelled Mother Teresa to go beyond the security found in the comfort of her surroundings . Her calling led Mother Teresa to famously spend it in the slums of Calcutta, West Bengal, serving the poorest of our poor. Mother Teresa was not satisfied in her first calling, and that deep and personal encounter in her second calling propelled her forward in mercy. She wanted to expand that loving gaze and embrace of the father to his wayward prodigal son; that loving gaze and embrace of Christ found in the distressing disguise of the poor. God's compassion In all my life, I have never experienced the tenderness of God more closely than when I worked with Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta for a few years. What drew me to Calcutta for a number of years, was the overflowing compassion and joy that Mother Teresa had for everyone and especially the poor. Through her and her missionaries I learned that compassion asks us to go deeper to where it hurts. We must search within ourselves first, to our own sources of pain, hurt, loss and despair. We must look at and expose our own insecurities to recognize our common need for tenderness, mercy, forgiveness and love. I learned that I had to encounter Christ and to allow the warmth of His merciful gaze and embrace to transform every aspect of my life. I learnt that God's compassion for us challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those who are in tears. God's compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. God's compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human. I believe, through compassion and ultimately by imaging Christ in the poor, by suffering with them, we can reveal to the poor like Mother Teresa did, their beauty, importance and self worth. Yet amidst trying conditions working with and for our poorest, Mother Teresa and her sisters and volunteers found a sustainable joy that we in the more developed world lack. Here in Ireland we too suffer from this condition. Laudable have been the contributions of our civic leaders over the past 30 years towards entrenching our individual rights. To their credit, we have expanded our understanding of our individual rights and inalienable freedoms. We have corrected many historical injustices but with many more to do. However, despite our progress towards greater individual rights, the truth of the matter is that it has come at a cost. Progress in that regard has come at the cost of a lesser developed understanding of the truth of our interconnectedness to each other, that we in fact belong to one another. Togetherness My time spent with Mother Teresa and her sisters revealed to me the strength found in community and togetherness. Together, it is possible to welcome the stranger in a manner we could never do alone. Collectively, we can care for our elderly and infirm in a manner we could never do alone. We can clothe our naked and feed our hungry, in ways we could never imagine doing alone. But more importantly, together we can find healing in a manner we would never find by doing so alone! Calcutta stirred my heart towards a deeper way of living. It caused in me a deeper and more radical gratitude and love. Everything became deeper! Family memories became more meaningful, time with friends more fraternal, and even my interactions with the worlds lost, abandoned, homeless, dying and those most in need less rushed. Deep faith Mother Teresea began each day of her work in the slums of Calcutta by receiving Communion. Then she took that divine love out to the streets to share with the stranger, those who were, in her words, the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for. Mother Teresas deep faith and fervent spirituality were not born of any grandiose spiritual exercises, but were developed simply through her daily prayer life, being in tune with God through the prayer of the Mass, reception of Holy Communion, praying the Rosary and just spending time with the Lord present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. The driving force of Mother Teresa's boundless energy and compassion was prayer. No matter where she was, no matter how busy she was, no matter how many demands were placed on her, Mother Teresa prayed daily for lengthy periods of time. Explaining the source of her strength, Mother Teresa often said: I don't think that I could do this work for even one week if I didn't have four hours of prayer every day. To the world, Saint Teresa of Calcutta was certainly in tune with God and even in the midst of her own dark night of the soul, when she herself felt that her prayer was arid and God was distant from her, Mother did not stop praying, but remained in tune with God, patiently waiting for God to respond to her prayer, once commenting, I am perfectly happy to be Gods flower in the field. The secret of Mother Teresas life she said was very simple: "I pray. If we learn to pray, we will belong to Jesus. I realize that praying to Him is loving Him. Love to pray. Does your mind and your heart go to Jesus as soon as you get up in the morning? This is prayer. We need prayer. Feel the need to pray often during the day. Prayer, to be fruitful, must come from the heart. Prayer enlarges the heart. Let us remember: if we want to be able to love, we must be able to pray. If you want to pray better, you have to pray more. The more you pray, the better you will pray. Prayer is the very life of oneness, of being one with Christ. Thought for the week As your thought for the week, we must remember that the most fundamental vocation and purpose of our lives is to love. However, love without sacrifice and mercy is empty, and love without pain is vain. Mother Teresa once said that humanity has cured so many incurable diseases, but one disease that afflicts humanity today is that there are many people who feel unwanted, lonely and unloved. May each and every one of us become Gods light and hand in the world to touch a wounded soul and heal a broken heart through acts of kindness, love, charity, mercy and forgiveness that flows from a deep place of faith in God. May we remember the immortal words of St. Therese of Lisieux: My life is for a moment, I am only the breath of God. O, my God teach me that for loving you and loving my neighbor, I have only today for my life is only for a moment. Let me leave you with a daily prayer recited by Mother Teresa and attributed to St. John Henry Newman, it was said to be among her favorites. "Dear Jesus, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus. Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be a light to others. Amen." For me St. Mother Teresa saw the face of Christ in the poor, the sick, and the dying. Every day she spent helping the sick, the poor, and the dying, mending our broken world by helping her beloved Jesus, who unfortunately at this present time most of us are rejecting. Holiness should be the goal for each of us. As we honor the memory of St. Mother Teresa on the anniversary of her death this week, may she intercede for us and help us to place ourselves in the hands of God, receive the graces we need to have an open heart to be able to see God in the face of our poor, so that one day, with her, we will achieve holiness as we rejoice in Gods presence forever in heaven. The number of Ukrainians who are trying to illegally leave the state through the western border and who are detained by employees of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine is not decreasing and amounts to about 20-30 people per day, said spokesperson of the Border Guard Service of Ukraine Andriy Demchenko. "If we talk in general about attempts to violate the Ukrainian border, then, unfortunately, we do not record that there are fewer such cases. The indicators recorded daily by the State Border Guard Service at the border remain stable on average, about 20-30 people are detained by our border guards for attempting to illegally cross the state border. Here we are mainly talking about Ukrainian men from 18 to 60 years old," Demchenko said on the air of the national telethon on Tuesday. According to him, most often attempts to illegally cross the border are recorded on the "green" section of the border, that is, outside the checkpoints. "Most of all on the border with Romania and Moldova. In total, since February 24 last year, border guards have detained about 14,600 persons who tried to illegally leave the borders of Ukraine in this direction," the spokesperson of the State Border Guard Service said. At the same time, according to Demchenko, attempts to illegally cross the border in mountainous areas sometimes end fatally for violators. "Attempts to illegally cross the border at checkpoints are also recorded, when people on legal routes where it is possible to cross the border try to use fake documents. Since February 24 last year, about 6,200 persons have been exposed in total, who, using forgeries, tried to illegally leave the borders of our country," he said. The spokesperson of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine said that border guards catch some violators repeatedly, after bringing them to administrative responsibility. Mostly they are trying to leave the borders of Ukraine on a "green" site. He also reported on the liquidation of organized criminal groups that were engaged in the illegal transportation of people abroad. "The State Border Guard Service, in cooperation with law enforcement agencies, has already exposed about 220 organized criminal groups that were engaged in the illegal transfer of persons across the border during the period of martial law," Demchenko said. Karnataka To Change SSLC, II PUC Exam System From 2023-24 To Allow Best Of 3 Attempts Bengaluru oi-Madhuri Adnal Karnataka has announced significant changes to the SSLC (class 10) and II PUC (class 12) examination system starting from the academic year 2023-24. Under the revised system, students will have the opportunity to retain the highest marks from three attempts. The Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) revealed that the updated examination system will replace the term "supplementary examination" with "annual examination 1, 2, and 3," granting students three chances. This change takes into account the diverse learning paces among students. The KSEAB stated in a release, "By implementing the revised examination system, students can improve their scores by retaining the best marks obtained in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd examinations. This will enhance their prospects in the selection process for further studies or employment." Recognizing that students learn at varying paces and styles, and that conducting exams 1, 2, and 3 can help them adapt to their individual learning paces and alleviate the stress caused by time constraints, the board emphasized the importance of renaming the supplementary examination to annual examinations 1, 2, and 3. This change provides three opportunities to students, promoting overall performance and a positive attitude. 'This Is The Country Of Hindus, You Go To Pakistan': Karnataka School Teacher Scolds Muslim Students The board outlined a basic framework for conducting these three examinations and stated that it would issue clear guidelines to students regarding the revised system. It also assured that question papers for these examinations would maintain uniformity in content and difficulty level. Additionally, students will have the chance to choose the subject-wise best score among the marks obtained in these three attempts. Those who join their next academic course late will be provided with a 'bridge course' at I PUC (class 11) or degree colleges to compensate for missed classes in the initial month. The KSEAB pointed out that the current examination system, which includes one annual examination and one supplementary examination, is causing undue stress and anxiety among students. This, in turn, hampers their knowledge retention, meaningful learning, and academic progress. In the current system, if a student passes the II PUC examination but is dissatisfied with their marks in a specific subject, they have the option to reject the marks obtained in that subject in the annual examination and retake the exam. However, only the marks obtained in the supplementary examination are considered as the final marks, without accounting for the marks obtained in the previous examination. This limitation is not student-friendly, as it denies students the choice to retain their best score among marks obtained in two exams. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 5, 2023, 20:45 [IST] Smart work done by Tamil Nadu government by adhering to Prevention is always better than Cure Chennai oi-Oneindia English Desk Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Minister, Ma. Subramanian launched the 'Siruneeragam Kakkum Seermigu Maruthuva Thittam' (Medical scheme to protect kidneys) in Omandurar Government Medical College, a few days ago. CM Stalin has already introduced many medical schemes such as Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme, Nammai Kakkum 48 etc. Moreover, dialysis has been done free of cost at government hospitals for kidney failure patients. As an addition to this, 'Siruneeragam Kakkum Seermigu Maruthuva Thittam' has been introduced now. About the Siruneeragam Kakkum Seermigu Maruthuva Thittam: The scheme to protect kidneys was announced in the budget session for the fiscal year 2023-24. The main objective of the scheme is to address, treat and prevent the occurrence of kidney issues for people above 30 years of age because of their vulnerability to kidney problems. Through this objective, the scheme aims to prevent any future damage to the kidney and to ensure good health for the public. According to the scheme, a basic screening test will be performed for all persons above 30 years of age. The test will check for the albumin level, contagious particles in urine and also urine colour will be analysed. If the result is normal, the process ends with the test but if there is any abnormality or signs of kidney failure in the result, further tests will be conducted and the cause and effects of the problem will be found right away. Thorough analysis of the report will be done and if needed neurologist advice will also be sought. "The main objective of the scheme is to provide a medical mechanism to prevent someone from reaching the point of kidney failure in one's life", said Selvavinayagam, the Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. Implementation of the scheme: Already in every district government hospital in Tamil Nadu, dialysis is done free of charge for people with kidney problems caused by diabetes. Through the Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme also, the government is approaching the public for the treatment of kidney problems. In addition to this, free kidney transplant is being done for people with complete kidney failure. Even though the government provides a lot of schemes for the treatment of kidney problems, there are certain constraints for the patients other than the financial constraints. Patients undergoing Hemodialysis have to visit the hospital 3 or 4 times a week for the procedure and the patient should be accompanied by someone due to the condition. In order to avoid such scenarios, the scheme to protect kidneys was introduced as a precautionary and preventive measure. Early diagnosis in the case of kidney problems gives leverage to the patients, which is the main objective of the scheme. Going by this objective, patients with high blood pressure and patients in their 1st stage of diabetes who are the beneficiaries of Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme are monitored closely and kidney related tests are taken for them. In all Primary Health Centres or government hospitals or government medical colleges the basic kidney test will be conducted for persons above 30 years of age. If the result contains symptoms for kidney problems, a next level test will be taken and the person can continue the treatment. Previously, Minister Ma. Subramanian launched the scheme on 10.7.2023 in Salem district. In the first phase of implementation in Salem, the tests were conducted in Primary Health Centres and Sub-Health Centres. Till now basic kidney tests were conducted for 5 lakh persons and among them 3000 persons showed symptoms for kidney problems whose samples were recommended for further tests. The extension of the scheme is now launched in Omandurar government hospital by the Health Minister Ma. Subramanian. The benefit of the basic test is early diagnosis and prevention of kidney failure for a person above 30 years of age who has the high chances of developing kidney problems. Through the early diagnosis, the scheme ensures long and healthy life for the public. The key to address kidney problems is awareness! For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 5, 2023, 14:45 [IST] Telangana Elections: How BJP Is Trying To Trump BRS, Congress Through OBC Card? Can The BJP Replicate The UP Model In Telangana? Heres The Math Hyderabad Rains: Holiday Announced For Schools, But People Not Happy Hyderabad oi-Prakash KL The government has announced a holiday for schools and colleges in Hyderabad in view of heavy rains. However, the decision to announce a holiday at the last minute has not gone well with netizens. The Hyderabad collector has declared the closure of all educational institutions in the city for today. "Important Announcement: In light of the heavy rainfall forecast in Hyderabad, the government has declared today a holiday for all educational institutions in Hyderabad. Stay indoors and stay safe," posted the collector of Hyderabad on microblogging platform X. However, numerous schools have planned to observe Teachers' Day celebrations on this occasion. The last-minute announcement irked the people. Hyderabad Shocker: Man Strips Woman In Front Of His Mother "Just minutes before school opening From an unverified account..Shame #ResignkTR," posted one user. "Too late. GHMC is taking faster decisions than the Education department & CMO," a user on X slammed the state government. Expressing his displeasure over the last-minute announcement, second user said, "This announcement must have come a bit earlier. Most of the kids would have already left for the school by the time your announcement came. Wish we were little proactive." "Too late. GHMC is taking faster decisions than the Education department & CMO," third netizen said. "All students have reached their educational institution. What should they do now?" another user asked. Important Announcement: In light of the heavy rainfall forecast in Hyderabad, the government has declared today a holiday for all educational institutions in Hyderabad. Stay indoors and stay safe@TelanganaCMO @TelanganaCS @YadavTalasani Collector_HYD (@Collector_HYD) September 5, 2023 Last week, schools in Hyderabad were also closed. This closure took place on August 29 and 30 in order to facilitate the TSPC Group 2 Service Recruitment examination. The Secretary of TSPC requested the District Educational Officers to declare a holiday for these dates, as several schools were designated as examination centers. Hyderabad Woman Studying in US, Found Starving On Chicago Street After Belongings Stolen Meanwhile, intense rainfall in Hyderabad led to significant waterlogging and traffic jams throughout the city. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for the city today. Minister Thalasani Srinivasyadav has instructed officials to maintain a high level of vigilance, swiftly clear roads of any debris, and closely monitor water levels in crucial reservoirs. Residents have been advised to venture outdoors only in case of emergencies. BJP Leader Sambit Patra Shares Official Document Referring To PM Modi as 'Prime Minister of Bharat' India oi-Madhuri Adnal Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Sambit Patra posted an image on social media platform X that referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'The Prime Minister Of Bharat.' This image pertained to Modi's participation in the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and 18th EAS Summit in Indonesia on September 7. Patra's post came amid speculation about the government introducing legislation in the upcoming special parliamentary session to rename India as Bharat. Earlier in the day, the Congress and other opposition parties raised concerns about the G20 dinner invitation from Rashtrapati Bhawan, which had 'President of Bharat' instead of 'President of India' written on it. In response, the BJP welcomed the move and criticized the opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A for being resistant to the use of 'Bharat.' Union Minister Anurag Thakur remarked, "Who is opposing the name Bharat? Now, do you even feel discomfort at the mention of Bharat? These are the same people who prioritize party over the nation and are mired in political quagmires. They have also attempted to defame the country from foreign soil," as reported by PTI. Why Are You Feeling Ashamed, Jairam Ramesh? BJP Amid Buzz Over India To Be Renamed As Bharat Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused the opposition of attempting to erase the name 'Bharat' and the Hindu religion. He stated, "Bharat is as ancient as the sun and the moon. As long as the sun and the moon exist, Bharat will endure... Every state and its people desire that the country be known as Bharat," Sarma emphasized. Constitutional expert PDT Achary informed PTI that any change in the country's name from the Republic of India would necessitate multiple constitutional amendments. He mentioned, "They will have to amend the Constitution. Article 1 will have to be changed, and then there will be consequential changes in all the other articles." He also noted, "Wherever India is used, it will have to be replaced. There can be only one name for the country. Two interchangeable names will create a great deal of confusion, not only in India but also abroad." Bypoll Results Highlights: In INDIA's Big Test, Opp Makes Gains As Allies Battle Each Other Bypolls: 18.71% voter Turnout Recorded In First 2 Hours In Tripura, 17% In Bengal India oi-Prakash KL Voting for seven assembly seats including the one vacated following the death of Congress veteran Oommen Chandy began at 7 am on Tuesday. Over 17 per cent voting was recorded in the by-election to Dhupguri assembly seat in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district in the first two hours of polling, an official said. Polling began, amid tight security, at 7 a.m. across 260 booths in the constituency, and the poll percentage stood at 17.25 till 9 a.m., he said. "The polling has been peaceful so far. No untoward incident has been reported," the Election Commission official said. Tripura An average voter turnout of 18.71 per cent was recorded in the first two hours of polling on Tuesday in the by-elections to Dhanpur and Boxanagar assembly seats in Tripura's Sepahijala district, an EC official said. Polling began at 7 a.m. in 59 booths in Dhanpur assembly constituency and 51 in Boxanagar, and is scheduled to continue till 4 p.m. "Polling began in two assembly constituencies peacefully. I appeal to the voters to come out and exercise their democratic rights. I also urge the people to maintain peace during the polling and repeat the precedent of peaceful voting like of last assembly elections," Chief Minister Manik Saha said in a Facebook post. Uttarakhand In Uttarakhand, over 10 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first two hours of polling for the Bageshwar Assembly by-election. There are approximately 1.2 lakh voters in the constituency. People began queuing up outside the polling booths from 6 am and by 9 am 10.13 per cent polling was recorded, Bageshwar District Magistrate Anuradha Paul told PTI. The bypolls are held for two seats in Tripura, and one seat each in Kerala, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The by-election to the Dumri assembly seat in Jharkhand was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA Jagarnath Mahto. Boxanagar and Dhanpur seats in Tripura are going for bypoll due to the demise of sitting MLA Samsul Haque and the resignation of Pratima Bhoumik. #WATCH | Kerala: Voting for Puthupally Assembly by-polls underway (Visuals from Booth No. 10) pic.twitter.com/nQpNI0WlE3 ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023 Dhupguri assembly seat in West Bengal was vacated following the death of sitting assembly member Bishnu Pada Ray, while the Ghosi seat in Uttar Pradesh fell vacant after SP's Dara Singh Chauhan resigned to join the BJP. #WATCH | Jalpaiguri, West Bengal: Voting for Dhupguri Assembly by-polls to begin shortly pic.twitter.com/K3MeBk0NzF ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023 The Bageshwar seat in Uttarakhand fell vacant after the demise of sitting MLA Chandan Ram Das. Chandy was the MLA from the Puthuppally seat in Kerala. He represented the seat for over 50 years. The Bageshwar seat in Uttarakhand fell vacant after the demise of sitting MLA Chandan Ram Das. #WATCH | Jharkhand: Voting for Dumri Assembly by-polls underway (Visuals from booth no. 347) pic.twitter.com/0LWBHj8CoZ ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023 Chandy was the MLA from the Puthuppally seat in Kerala. He represented the seat for over 50 years. G20 Summit: Check Out The List Of Leaders Who Are Attending The Big Event In India India oi-Sushmita Halder The national capital is decked up with all the arrangements for the G20 Summit that is all set to commence from September. World leaders from 20 major economies are going to join the summit who would discuss on various global issues like digital transformation, climate financing, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and food security among others. Here's a list of world leaders who will be attending the event in New Delhi. The White House has confirmed that US President Joe Biden who will travel to India on September 7 will hold some bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the G20 Summit. President Biden is also proposed to discuss a range of issues, the economic and social impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war and increasing the capacity of multilateral development banks with the G20 partners. Chinese President Xi Jinping will be unable to make his presence in the G20 Summit, instead Chinese Premier Li Qiang will lead the country's delegation at the G20 Summit. This will be the first time that a Chinese president has missed a G20 leaders' summit since the first edition was held in 2008. India To Be Renamed As Bharat? Congress Slams Centre Over President's G20 Invite British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is all set to grace the G20 Summit. This will be the first time that Rishi Sunak would visit India after taking charge as the Britain's Prime Minister. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will also witness the G20 Summit on September 9 and 10 to discuss over "growth and prosperity, stability and respect for sovereignty and lasting peace." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will also be the key member of the G20 Summit who would grace the occasion on September 9 and 10. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has confirmed attendance at the upcoming G20 Summit in New Delhi. Ahead of his visit to India, Scholz, in an interview with German radio station Deutschlandfunk, emphasised that the G20 summit remains important despite the absence of the heads of the states of Russia and China. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to attend the G20 summit in New Delhi. He is likely to lead criticism of Russia over the Ukraine war. G20 Summit: What's Open, What's Closed In Delhi? Find Out Here South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeo who would witness the G20 summit in Delhi is likely to highlight North Korea's ever-escalating missile provocations and nuclear threats in front of the global leaders. French President Emmanuel Macron is set to attend the G20 summit slated for September 9 and 10. He is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussing a range of issues. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is likely to attend the G20 summit in New Delhi but an official confirmation is still awaited. South African P:resident Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed full support for India's G20 presidency. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to attend the G20 summit in New Delhi. Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit India for the G20 summit where he will discuss a series of issues including climate change. Argentina President Alberto Fernandez has confirmed his attendance at the G20 summit. On the other hand, Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu will also attend the G20 summit with the aim to promote foreign investment in the country and mobilise global capital for infrastructural development. While most of the leaders have confirmed their presence, some leaders have also stepped back from the event due to various reasons. Swiggy, Zomato, Amazon, Flipkart Services Suspended In Delhi During G20 Summit Russian President Vladimir Putin informed PM Modi about his unavailability of attending the G20 Summit due as the latter has been issued a arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged crimes in Ukraine. However, Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will represent the country at the summit in New Delhi Confirmation from President of the European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen and President of the European Council are awaited ahead of the G20 summit. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is likely to give the G20 summit a miss this year. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Indonesian President Joko Widodo too have not yet confirmed their presence at the G20 summit. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 5, 2023, 14:06 [IST] G20 Summit: What's Open, What's Closed In Delhi? Find Out Here India oi-Prakash KL Delhi is prepping up to host the G20 Summit this weekend which is expected to have some impact on the common man. This is because there will be lots of restrictions on the people's movement in and around the national capital. US President Joe Biden, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and many other global leaders are attending the event. However, China's President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are skipping the event. As the national capital gets ready to host the event, let's take a look at what is closed and what will be open during the event: Educational Institutions To Remain Shut The Delhi government has declared for all private and government schools in Delhi from September 8-10. Swiggy, Zomato, Amazon, Flipkart Services Suspended In Delhi During G20 Summit Government Offices The government offices, including banks and MCD offices, will also not function for three days during the G-20 event. Even the Supreme Court has announced a holiday on September 8. Dhaula Kuan, Khan Market, Janpath, and Bhikaji Cama Place have been identified as 'sensitive areas.' However, there will be no market closures; instead, movement in these areas will be regulated. Online Delivery Services, Except For medicines, Barred All online delivery services, except medicines, will be barred in the New Delhi district during the G20 Summit, the Delhi Police said on Monday about the restrictions in place during September 8-10. "Essential services such as postal and medical services, sample collections by path labs will be allowed throughout Delhi. In the New Delhi area, commercial activities will not be allowed. Online delivery services will not be allowed but medicine delivery will be allowed," he said. Valid permissions granted for essential services will be ''honoured'', he added. "Cloud kitchen and food delivery or any commercial delivery like Amazon deliveries will not be allowed as we have stopped commercial services in NDMC. App-based taxis will be allowed with passengers with valid ID card/tickets," said Yadav. G20 Summit: AI-Generated Avatar To Greet World Leaders At 'Mother of Democracy' Exhibition Will metro services be affected? Delhi Police had earlier issued order for the closure of 39 Metro stations. The proposal suggested a temporary shutdown of metro stations such as RK Puram, Sadar Bazar Cantt, IIT, Munirka, and Bhikaji Cama Place from September 8 to 10, coinciding with the summit. Furthermore, it recommended the closure of entry gates at several other stations, including Khan Market, Lajpat Nagar, Kailash Colony, Jangpura, Ashram, Barakhamba Road, Supreme Court, R K Puram, IIT, Hauz Khas, Malviya Nagar, Sadar Bazaar Cantt, Palam, Central Secretariat, Udyog Bhawan, Mandi House, ITO, and Delhi Gate. However, this order has been withdrawn. "There might be closure of gates for 10-15 minutes at stations due to VIP movement and security restrictions. But apart from at Pragati Maidan (Supreme Court), metro services will not be affected at other stations," Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Surender Singh Yadav said. Traffic Restrictions The movement of vehicles, including both cars and bicycles, will not be permitted within the controlled zone, so it is recommended to refrain from morning walks during the summit. The entire New Delhi district will be categorized as "Controlled Zone-I," while the region enclosed by the Ring Road (Mahatma Gandhi Marg) will be designated as a "Regulated Zone" starting from 5 am on Friday until midnight on Sunday. It's important to note that there are no restrictions on the Outer Ring Road, except for National Highway 48, which will be redirected to alternative routes, but services will remain operational. Restaurants The station house officer of Daryaganj police station has withdrawn an order asking offices, shops, vehicle parking, DTC depot etc in the area to remain shut during the G20 summit. According to the order, which was released on Sunday, all government/private offices, shops, commercial establishments offices, cinema hall, vehicle parking, banks and schools, DTC/Cluster bus depot located at Rajghat, Asaf Ali Road, JLN Marg, Netaji Subhas Marg, Nishad Raj Marg, Dayanand Road, Kedarnath Marg, Padamchand Marg and Ansari Road Daryaganj and within the jurisdiction of Daryaganj police station were to be kept closed on September 7 from 10 pm to September 10 up to 10 pm for G20 Summit. Later, the SHO issued another order on Monday cancelling the Sunday's order. G20 Summit: Delhi Police Writes To Delhi Metro To Close Station Gates Towards VVIP Routes An order regarding closing all govt/private offices, shops, commercial establishments offices, cinema halls, vehicle parking, banks and schools from 10 pm on September 7 to 10 pm on September 10 was circulated on Sunday. It has been withdrawn on administrative grounds and it may be treated as cancelled, the latest order read. Essential Services Open Grocery shops, milk booths, and vegetable and fruit shops will continue to operate without interruption across Delhi. As per the latest advisory, liquor stores within the New Delhi Police District will be temporarily closed from September 8 to 10. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 5, 2023, 11:28 [IST] The Russian president lives in his own world, an artificial bubble isolated from reality. This means that he is completely incapacitated and it is impossible to negotiate with him, Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the head of the Presidents Office of Ukraine, said on Twitter. Thus he commented on Vladimir Putin's statement that an ethnic Jew covering up the glorification of Nazism and those who once headed the Holocaust in Ukraine, and this is the destruction of one and a half million people. A person who does not use phones or computers calls for looking at what Jews write on the Internet about President Zelenskyy as a justification for Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Once again, a person who deliberately gives orders to attack another country with missiles, kill en masse, rape, kidnap children, and wipe out cities and villages offers a new justification for his internal inadequacy, Podoliak said. According to him, in addition to another cynical attempt to use the historical theme of the Holocaust as a showcase to justify modern Russian Nazi practices by their follower fascist Ilyin, I want to draw attention to another thing. This is yet another confirmation that the Russian president lives in his own world, an artificial bubble isolated from reality. Putin is not a rational actor worth investing in long-term partnerships: this should be clear to players in all parts of the world. And yes, the Middle East should also get rid of its illusions and finally realize that fascism has been resuscitated in a Russian wrapper ..., he also said. Congress May Nominate Kharge Or Rahul Gandhi As PM If INDIA Alliance Comes To Power: Tharoor Kharge Or Rahul Likely To Be PM Pick, Feels Shashi Tharoor INDIA Bloc MPs To Hold Strategy Session Ahead of Parliament's Special Session India oi-Madhuri Adnal A gathering of Floor leaders representing parties within the I.N.D.I.A bloc took place at the residence of Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress president and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha, located in Delhi. Kharge convened this meeting of I.N.D.I.A bloc MPs in preparation for Parliament's special session scheduled to occur from September 18 to 22. As per insider information, the leaders of the I.N.D.I.A bloc will formulate their strategy for the forthcoming special session. The specific agenda for this five-day special parliamentary session has not yet been disclosed. Previously, KC Venugopal, Congress General Secretary for Organisation, had mentioned that the party president had called for a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Strategy Group on Tuesday. #WATCH | A meeting of Floor leaders of the INDIA alliance's parties is underway at the residence of Congress president and LoP in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/EiLezQIgtZ ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023 'Sanatana Dharma' Row: K'taka Min Priyank Kharge Takes A Stand For Udhayanidhi Stalin "Kharge ji has also summoned a meeting of MPs from like-minded opposition parties," he informed reporters, indicating that discussions regarding the agenda for the upcoming session would take place during the meeting. The opposition alliance, I.N.D.I.A, is actively coordinating its efforts and intends to present a unified front against the BJP on various fronts, including the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This alliance has been working cohesively during the recent Monsoon session of Parliament as well. Meanwhile, a separate meeting is underway at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, focusing on organizational matters and the current political landscape. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary KC Venugopal are also in attendance at this meeting. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 5, 2023, 21:37 [IST] Is Adani Taking Over IRCTC? Here's What The Website Says Why Are You Feeling Ashamed, Jairam Ramesh? BJP Amid Buzz Over India To Be Renamed As Bharat India To Be Renamed As Bharat? Congress Slams Centre Over President's G20 Invite India oi-Prakash KL The Congress on Tuesday claimed that the Rashtrapati Bhavan had sent out an invite for a G20 dinner which had 'President of Bharat' inscribed on it. "So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Taking on the centre, the Congress leader said, "Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: 'Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States.' But now even this 'Union of States' is under assault." The G20 Summit is being held in the national capital from September 9 to 10 under India's presidency and several heads of state from across the world, including US President Joe Biden, are attending the event. He then accused the Prime Minister of trying to distort history. "Mr. Modi can continue to distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States. But we will not be deterred. INDIA Bloc Coordination Committee To Conduct Next Meeting On September 13 He added, "After all, what is the objective of INDIA parties?It is BHARAT-Bring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation And Trust. Judega BHARAT Jeetega INDIA!" Meanwhile, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma latest tweet has added fuel to the controversy. He wrote, "REPUBLIC OF BHARAT - happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL." As per the reports, the government might bring a proposal to rename India as Bharat in the forthcoming special session of the Parliament. It may be recalled that BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal had demanded that "India, that is Bharat" be removed from Article 1 of the Constitution and only the word 'Bharat' should be used. "The entire country is demanding that we should use the word 'Bharat' instead of 'India'...The word 'India' is an abuse given to us by the British whereas the word 'Bharat' is a symbol of our culture...I want there should be a change in our Constitution and the word 'Bharat' should be added to it," BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav told news agency ANI. Renaming India As Bharat: What Was The Supreme Court's Stance In 2016 And 2020? India oi-Madhuri Adnal In the midst of a social media frenzy surrounding an attempt to alter the nation's name, a petition to rename India as Bharat was dismissed by the Supreme Court in 2020, marking the second such rejection, with the first occurring in 2016. The controversy ignited when the Rashtrapati Bhawan, for the first time, extended official invitations to world leaders attending the G20 Summit under the banner of "President of Bharat" rather than the customary "President of India." This development triggered a political dispute between the Opposition I.N.D.I.A alliance and the ruling BJP, with the Congress accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of attempting to manipulate history and divide the nation. How Opposition Parties Are Reacting To India Vs Bharat Row? Responding to the Opposition's criticism, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar asserted, "Our country's name is Bharat, and there should be no doubt about it." He was quoted by PTI as saying, "If we do not use Bharat as the name of our country, then what should we use?" However, the call to change the name from 'India' to 'Bharat' was not new, as similar petitions had previously been presented to the Supreme Court on two occasions. What Was the Supreme Court's Stance on Renaming 'India'? In 2020, a businessman based in Delhi filed a petition seeking an amendment to Article 1 of the Constitution. Article 1(1) states, "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States." This is the sole provision in the Constitution that addresses how the country should be officially referred to. In the plea, the petitioner argued that the name "India" had Greek origins, stemming from the word "Indica." He claimed that the English term "India" did not adequately represent the country's culture and traditions. Renaming it to "Bharat," the petitioner contended, would enable citizens to shed the remnants of colonial influence. In the verdict, while dismissing the plea, then Chief Justice of India Sharad Bobde stated, "Bharat and India are both names specified in the Constitution... India is already referred to as 'Bharat' in the Constitution." Why Are You Feeling Ashamed, Jairam Ramesh? BJP Amid Buzz Over India To Be Renamed As Bharat A similar petition was also turned down by a Supreme Court panel led by Chief Justice of India TS Thakur in 2016. At that time, the then Chief Justice asserted that every Indian had the right to choose whether to call the country "Bharat" or "India." The bench emphasized that it was not within the purview of the Supreme Court to dictate what citizens should call their nation. How Did Article 1 of the Constitution Come Into Existence? Article 1 of the Constitution is a critical provision that specifies the name by which our nation will be known. The draft of Article 1 was adopted on September 18, 1949, by the Constituent Assembly. During the deliberations, various suggestions were put forth, including Bharat, Hindustan, Hind, Bharatbhumi, and Bharatvarsh. Some members of the drafting committee favored "Bharat," while others preferred the new name "India." Ultimately, the Constituent Assembly approved the statement: "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States." For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 5, 2023, 18:25 [IST] Teacher's Day Short 2-Minute Speeches For Students: Check Samples India oi-Prakash KL The birth date of the second President of India, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, 5 September 1888, has been celebrated as Teacher's Day since 1962. On this day, teachers and students report to school as usual but the usual activities and classes are replaced by activities of celebration, thanks and remembrance. In some schools, senior students take the responsibility of teaching in order to show their appreciation for the teachers. Teacher's Day has been celebrated on the 5th of September since 1962 to commemorate the birth of India's second President, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was born on this day in 1888. On Teacher's Day, both teachers and students attend school as usual, but the typical academic activities and classes are replaced with special celebrations, expressions of gratitude, and moments of reflection. Check Out The List Of Winners Of National Teachers Awards 2023 More importantly, students are often asked to give short speeches to express their feelings about teachers. To help the students, here we are giving a few samples of short speeches: Sample 1 Respected teachers and friends, Today is a special day for all of us, a day to thank our beloved teachers, who shape our lives, inspire our minds, and ignite the flames of knowledge within us. Teachers are the unsung heroes of our lives and architects of our future and the nation. They nurture our talents, correct our mistakes, dedicate their time, energy, and passion to make is responsible and informed individuals. We need to remember that they are not just gatekeepers of knowledge; they are our role models and friends. They do not just teach subjects from textbooks, but give us important life lessons, values and importance of characters. They teach us to be compassionate, to persevere, and to strive for excellence. Let us remember how they handled the challenging COVID-19 period by adapting to new teaching methods, technology, and circumstances, ensuring that our education continues without interruption. Their dedication and resilience deserve our utmost respect and admiration. So, today, as we celebrate Teacher's Day, let us take a moment to express our gratitude. Let us remember the teachers who have shaped our lives and continue to inspire us every day. Happy Teacher's Day To All. Sample 2 Hello everyone, I feel both honoured and humbled to stand before all the teachers to express our gratitude for making an indelible impact on our lives. They are not just educators but guiding lights who impart knowledge, values, and wisdom to the younger generation, equipping them with the tools necessary to navigate the complexities of life. Their influence is not just restricted to the classroom; it reaches deep into the core of our character, moulding us into responsible and informed citizens. They instil in us a love for learning, igniting a thirst for knowledge that lasts a lifetime. In the digital era, the role of a teacher has evolved as teachers not only impart knowledge but also teach us critical thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to adapt to change. In an era of rapid technological advancement, our teachers are guiding us through the complexities of the digital age. As students, it is our responsibility to recognize and appreciate the efforts of our teachers. As we commemorate Teacher's Day, let us take a moment to express our gratitude to all the teachers who have played a pivotal role in our lives Thank you, and Happy Teacher's Day to all. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 5, 2023, 10:05 [IST] Why Are You Feeling Ashamed, Jairam Ramesh? BJP Amid Buzz Over India To Be Renamed As Bharat India oi-Prakash KL BJP has slammed Jairam Ramesh after he claimed that the Rashtrapati Bhavan had sent out an invite for a G20 dinner which had 'President of Bharat' inscribed on it. "Why is there an issue with saying or writing Bharat? Why are you feeling ashamed, Jairam Ramesh? Our nation has been called Bharat since ancient times and it is even mentioned in our Constitution. They are trying to create misunderstandings for no reason," says BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh. Responding to the row, Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, "They have a problem with everything and I do not want to say anything for the. I am a 'Bharatwaasi', the name of my country was 'Bharat' and will remain 'Bharat' always. If Congress has a problem with this, they should find a cure for it themselves" India To Be Renamed As Bharat? Congress Slams Centre Over President's G20 Invite On X (formerly Twitter), Jairam Ramesh had posted, "So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X. Taking on the centre, the Congress leader said, "Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: 'Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States.' But now even this 'Union of States' is under assault." The G20 Summit is being held in the national capital from September 9 to 10 under India's presidency and several heads of state from across the world, including US President Joe Biden, are attending the event. Ramesh then accused the Prime Minister of trying to distort history. "Mr. Modi can continue to distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States. But we will not be deterred. How Dhupguri Bypoll Will Be A Litmus Test For INDIA Opposition Bloc's Unity He added, "After all, what is the objective of INDIA parties?It is BHARAT-Bring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation And Trust. Judega BHARAT Jeetega INDIA!" As per the reports, the government might bring a proposal to rename India as Bharat in the forthcoming special session of the Parliament. However, the Centre has not made any formal announcement in this regard, yet. Why Manipur Govt Filed Case Against Editors Guild And How Journalists Bodies Have Responded? India oi-PTI Journalist bodies on Monday condemned the registration of an FIR against the president and three members of the Editors Guild of India after it published a report of its fact-finding committee on the media coverage of the ethnic violence in Manipur. Terming it a case of "shooting the messenger", they said the action against the guild ill behoves the largest democracy in the world and the FIR should be withdrawn immediately. The Manipur Police has filed an FIR against the Editors Guild of India for allegedly promoting enmity between two communities, among other charges, over its report. Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the guild's members were "trying to create more clashes in the state of Manipur" and had "come to pour venom". In a statement issued here, the Press Club of India (PCI) demanded the withdrawal of the FIR. "It is a case of shooting the messenger rather than taking measures to restore peace in the state. We demand that the FIR against Editors Guild of India (EGI) president Seema Mustafa and the three members be withdrawn immediately," it said. India Rejects 'Unwarranted And Misleading' Remarks Of UN Experts On Manipur The Manipur Police registered the FIR invoking several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 66A of the Information and Technology Act, which has been struck down by the Supreme Court, it said. "This is a strong-arm tactic by the state government which amounts to intimidation of the apex media body of the country," it added. In its report on the media coverage of the ethnic violence in Manipur, the EGI said journalists in the northeastern state wrote one-sided reports, internet ban impacted their ability to communicate with each other and the state government played a partisan role in the ethnic conflict. The three-member fact-finding team, comprising EGI members Seema Guha, Bharat Bhushan and Sanjay Kapoor, reported that the media in Manipur seemed to have become "Meitei media" with editors consulting each other and agreeing on a common narrative to report an incident. The Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC) said the registration of an FIR against the EGI, which has consistently stood for the rights of the media, ill behoves the largest democracy in the world. "The IWPC demands and urges the Manipur government to quash the charges more so when the erroneous caption has been removed from the report," it said. One of the points mentioned in the FIR was an erroneous caption of a photograph of a house on fire. The EGI said it had rectified the error and updated the report. "We regret the error that crept in at the photo editing stage," it said. The Manipur Police booked the four for allegedly trying to create more clashes in the state rocked by ethnic strife for nearly four months. FIR Filed Against Editors Guild Members, Theyre Trying To 'Create More Clashes' In Manipur: CM Biren Singh The EGI report said with the internet suspended and communication and transport in disarray, the media had to rely almost entirely on the narrative of the state government. "This narrative under the N Biren Singh dispensation became a narrow ethnic one, playing up to the biases of the majority Meitei community," the report said. "The state government also tacitly supported this vilification by allowing the Manipur Police to file an FIR against the Assam Rifles, suggesting that one hand of the State did not know what the other was doing or this was a deliberate action," it said. "There are clear indications that the leadership of the state became partisan during the conflict. It should have avoided taking sides in the ethnic conflict but failed to do its duty as a democratic government which should have represented the entire state," the report said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 5, 2023, 11:58 [IST] Alexander Zverev is a German professional tennis player. He has been ranked by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) as high as world No. 2, and was continuously ranked in the top 10 from July 2017 to November 2022. Zverev's singles career highlights include a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and titles at the 2018 and the 2021 ATP Finals. He has won 21 ATP Tour titles in singles and two in doubles, and contested a major final at the 2020 US Open. A spectator at the US Open was ejected on Tuesday after a complaint from leading German player Alexander Zverev that the patron had uttered the the most famous Hitler phrase. Lounges have been in the news recently, with revelations the Australian Prime Ministers 22-year-old son had been granted access by Qantas to its ultra-exclusive Chairmans Lounge. The North Korean leader could travel to Russia as early as this month, according to US officials. The possible meeting comes as Moscow seeks to acquire military equipment for its war in Ukraine. Follow DW for more. Special Project: Mayor of Chervonohrad: The most effective way to communicate with IDPs is the desire to help people Exclusive interview with the head of the Chervonograd community, Andrii Zalivskyi, as part of the joint special project of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency and East Europe Foundation Community Experience. The objective is to show the best examples of adaptation and integration of forcibly displaced persons in order to increase the efficiency of the work of local self-government bodies. Read more about effective interaction with IDPs in the free online course Adaptation and integration of IDPs: experience and opportunities on the educational Zrozumilo! platform. How did you prepare your city for the great war? What short- and long-term action plans did you have and to what extent were they implemented? Initially, we worked on protection of civilians - we prepared shelters for the residents of the community. Besides that, we actively cooperated with the territorial defense - we tried to fulfill the tasks set before us by the management of the TRO. In particular, the commander of the 103rd Territorial Defense Brigade came to us and we inspected the location where the TRO troops were supposed to be stationed. They also worked on the creation of voluntary civilian formations. On February 21 [2022], heads of communities were invited to the Security Forum in Kyiv regarding the matter of territorial defense. After returning from the capital, I understood that something would start soon, so we began the work immediately. I set three goals for myself: assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reception of people arriving from territories where hostilities continue, and protection of the civilian population. Since you mentioned assistance to internally displaced persons, it would be relevant to clarify how many forcibly displaced people settled in Chervonohrad in over a year of the great war? Over the past year, approximately 14,000 people were registered in our community. About 5 to 7 thousand live there permanently. However, this number constantly fluctuates, so it is difficult to give exact numbers. Most of the displaced people live in the private sector. However, since the first days of the full-scale invasion, we have converted nine places of compact accommodation - kindergartens, schools, a dormitory, a hospital. At the same time there were close to 900 people living in these facilities. There were casesof bedridden patients in need of medical assistance arriving in Lviv on ambulances straight from evacuation trains. We made the decision to place these people in the Sosnivska city hospital, where there was no working inpatient facility. Currently, 29 people with disabilities live there. Especially for them, an elevator is being installed in the hospital, and a large amount of special equipment has been purchased, as they must have proper living conditions. I express my gratitude to our tireless helpers - the administrators of the communal institutions, in which the displaced people lived temporarily, because at that time, it was their shoulders on which a lot of responsibility fell. How do you manage to establish communication with them? First and foremost, one must have a wish to help people. Having that desire, you begin looking for opportunities. When you sense that people need your help, you will instinctively find a way to reach them. Yes, it doesn't always work ideally and sometimes we make mistakes, but we are constantly improving our ways of communication. From the first days, we created a humanitarian aid headquarters, in particular, we allocated a large building where all humanitarian aid from charitable organizations was collected and distributed. In fact, people still come there to receive aid. Our volunteers met evacuation trains in Lviv and took many people to Chervonograd. Why did we do it? After talking with the military, who asked to accept as many people as possible (because it is very difficult to conduct military operations when the civilian population remains on the territory), we made the decision to accept everyone in need of shelter. Chervonograd is a mining town, and the Donetsk region is a mining region, but we are related not only by industry, we also have close family ties, because many people from Donbas live in Chervonograd. We have partnering relations with the city of Myrnograd: we cooperate within the framework of the transformation of coal mining regions as pilot cities in the west and east of Ukraine. We have developed good relations with Pokrovsk. The mayor of the city, Ruslan Trebushkin, came to visit us and we observed the locations where people from Pokrovsk live. Accordingly, all these relations contributed to finding ways of communication. In addition, we established close contact with a large number of public humanitarian organizations, which provided humanitarian aid, we addressed them in accordance with the needs of the people who came to us. What practical recommendations could you give to other communities regarding communication with IDPs and relocated businesses? As I already said earlier, the most important thing is the desire to help. Second, you must not be afraid of failure. And thirdly, to look for multiple ways to solve problems. Diversify. If one solution does not fit, this means that another one will. At first, we received a lot of dissatisfied reviews about our city. As a result, we created a coordination council for IDPs, which included representatives of public organizations that moved to our community. Together we discussed critical points, and found ways to solve certain situations. How do you learn about the needs of IDPs? For us, the main sources of information about the needs of IDPs are, in particular, the managers of the institutions where internally displaced persons are staying. Secondly, social networks, in particular, we created a telegram channel where the IDPs communicated their needs, and thirdly, information from local mass media and the already mentioned coordination council, whose members are resettlers. Among the primary needs of people who move from other territories, especially forcibly, are usually housing and work. How well do you manage to cover these needs? Those who wanted to find a jobs, have found them. For those who want to live on social benefits, no job offers will satisfy them. Everyone finds what they are looking for. Regarding housing. We have developed rules according to which, if a person has a property status higher than a certain level, then they cannot live in the places of common residence. If an internally displaced person has a low income, or a multi-child family, or elderly people, they can reside in shelters at their request. I received criticism because other cities no longer accept people, and we, on the contrary, receive a lot of people, my response tio to them is that these are citizens of Ukraine. And if, God forbid, we ever find ourselves in such a situation, we would also like to be helped. Therefore, if we are Christians, if we are people of faith, then we should support people when they are in need. My creed in life is to always help people, so I didn't pay attention to criticism. We allocated funds from the budget, and I am grateful to the deputies that none of them once questioned why we do this. Do you have plans to build permanent housing for displaced people? We have submitted a request to the regional administration to receive two plots of land where housing could potentially be built. We also have a dormitory building - it is a nine-story building. Now we are searching for funds in order to accommodate a large number of people there. Experts estimate that $3 million USD would be needed to refurbish this dormitory. Two funds have shown interest in this project, but it is a requirement was that the building would be communally owned. Ownership has not yet been handed over to us. How many children have moved in to your community? There were several hundred at the beginning (of a full-scale invasion - IF-U). For the children who lived in communal housing, tablets were distributed for distance learning, provided by international humanitarian organizations. In addition, locations were set up in libraries, where older children could come to communicate, have free access to computers and be able to continue their studies at their institutions. Do you create centers of cultural leisure for migrants? How can they be a part of the life of the Chervonograd community? Concerts and master classes are regularly held in Chervonograd, we have close cooperation with local public organizations that organize various events. Migrants often attend various events, especially since tickets are free for them. Were there no conflicts between local residents and migrants? Of course, occasionally there were incidents when someone behaved inappropriately or provoked others, but usually everything was resolved. What was the subject of the discussions? Mobilization. Discussions arose about the fact that local men were being mobilized, and men who came to us from the east and the south were not subject to mobilization in one way or another. And it was probably the most difficult discussion, but somehow those situations were managed. Locals were also afraid that the new residents of Chervonohrad are ideologically not in favor of the Ukrainian state. But with efforts, in particular together with the Security Service, we responded to complaints - and the degree of tension decreased. How many migrants are you accepting now? Not many. Because mostly the housing stock is fully occupied, there are no vacant apartments. If someone moves out, this place is automatically filled. The next block of questions will concern the cooperation of Chervonograd with partner communities. Did you have them before the full scale war? How did you start building partnerships back then and how is it going now? Before the war, we had a partner city of Pyskovice (Poland). This is also a mining region. They were the first to extend a helping hand, delivering humanitarian aid immediately on February 25. Subsequently, we received humanitarian cargo from the Lithuanian city of Marijampole, and already in May of last year we developed a partnership agreement with this city. Thanks to a former resident of Chervonograd - Mr. Volodymyr Skvortsov - we managed to sign a memorandum of cooperation with the German city of Oldenburg. This is a new partnership, but we received a large amount of humanitarian aid from there. Mr. Volodymyr, whom I mentioned, lived in Chervonohrad 20 years ago, and now lives in Oldenbrug. When the great war began, he decided to help Ukraine - he was engaged in a humanitarian mission, regularly visited us.With him, came five moer germans, who were not afraid, and brought us aid. There were 5-7 trucks in total. Now Volodymyr, along with his sister Olga, and together with other volunteers, have created their own public organization, which helps Ukraine. It was with his support that you started cooperating with Oldenburg? Yes, thanks to him. With his active position, he encouraged the Oldenburg City Council to help Ukraine: they have given us an ambulance and other necessities, and they plan to support us in the future. How would you advise other communities to find partners and establish effective cooperation? Perhaps the most effective way is to have personal contacts with people who have left your city or community. The best way to find a partner abroad is when the people who were once of your community, who live there communicate with the local governing authorities. From that you can build up the best contact and closer cooperation. Which relocated enterprises were able to resume work in Chervonohrad? Only one relocated factory enterprise moved to us - from the city of Rubizhny, Luhansk region. This is "AGK UKRAINE", which manufactures plastic containers for pharmacy, in particular for the company "Darnytsa". Now they are resuming production, setting up lines, creating conditions for alternative energy, production of solar panels. They promised to fulfil the contract they have with "Darnytsa" in the near future. How does this affect, in particular, the increase in the number of jobs? There won't be a large number of jobs at this particular enterprise, but we hope that thanks to our successful cooperation, the managers of this enterprise will recommend our community to their colleagues. They felt our interest, because the company was registered in just one day. In addition, we provided them with a letter of support for obtaining a grant from European funds. Let's talk about security issues. How many shelters have been set up in Chervonograd today? We have 66 anti-radiation fallout shelters and 18 buildings equivalent to them in educational institutions. We do not have bomb shelters as such. Are they suitable for long-term sheltering of people? We provided the shelters with bathrooms, drinking water, accordingly, from time to time we replenish supplies and check. At one time we bought a large number of starlinks and generators because we anticipated a difficult winter. Now a large part of the Starlinks has been handed over to the Armed Forces. *** The interview of the head of the Chervonograd community, Andrii Zalivskyi, was prepared as part of a joint special project of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency and East Europe Foundation Community Experience (https://interfax.com.ua/news/general/919611.html), launched in support by the Stiykist Programme which is implemented by East Europe Foundation within a consortium of non-governmental organisations led by ERIM (Equal Rights and Independent Media, France) and funded by the European Union. Its purpose is to show the experience of Ukrainian communities in the adaptation and integration of forcibly displaced persons in order to increase the efficiency of the work of local self-government bodies. You can learn more about effective interaction with IDPs in the free online course "Adaptation and integration of IDPs: experience and opportunities" on the educational "Zrozumilo!" platform *** The opinions and statements expressed in the material do not necessarily coincide with the views of the consortium partner organizations and the European Union. After three years of big spending to cope with the COVID and Ukraine crises, Germany is imposing wide-ranging cuts in its new budget. Finance Minister Christian Lindner is determined to reduce debt, whatever the cost. Syrians were the biggest group seeking asylum in Europe in the first half of 2023, according to the bloc's asylum agency. The count didn't include Ukrainian refugees. 2008-2023 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. As several African countries undergo military coups, it appears that Francafrique, France's sphere of influence over former French colonies in sub-Saharan Africa, may be coming to an end. For years, France maintained the largest foreign military presence in Africa, maintaining a grip on the countries it was situated in and controlling the export market of local minerals. But the military takeovers in Burkina Faso, Mali, and most recently Niger, at least partly triggered by an Islamist insurgency raging across the Sahel region, are likely to end Africa's longstanding presence in Africa. In the past three years, eight former French colonies located in West and Central Africa experienced coups that have resulted in military leaderships taking control. Each of these political transitions has been accompanied by a strong surge of anti-France sentiment. Many believe this sentiment stems from perceived meddling and interference by France. Now, as these vast regions of Africa teeter on the brink of conflict, France once more finds itself at the epicenter of the turbulence. The escalating tension is most palpable in Niger, a former French colony. Here, a democratically elected administration under the leadership of President Mohamed Bazoum - who has robust support from both Paris and other Western powers - was ousted by a military junta in late July. Neighboring countries, members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), have voiced threats of launching an offensive against the Nigerian military coup leaders, notably General Abdourahamane Tchiani. Given the circumstance, there's potential for French backing should such a military intervention materialize. This is especially true considering the ongoing French military presence in Niger, evidenced by their 1,500-strong troop garrison and well-established airbase. However, France has so far remained cautious, maintaining a watchful stance and not rushing into any precipitate action. It is likely that it is this French hesitation and non-involvement that encouraged the coup leaders in Gabon to move forward with their plans without fear of retribution. Naturally, as Africa wrenches free from France, other major powers are seeking to move in and fill the power vacuum. The African continent has clearly emerged as a focal point for significant geopolitical attention in light of the ongoing global realignment. There are at least four primary reasons that underscore its importance on the world stage. To begin with, Africa holds a substantial position within the United Nations. It constitutes the most expansive regional bloc, commanding approximately 28% of all votes within the General Assembly. This provides the continent with significant influence in shaping global resolutions and directives. Secondly, Africa holds many of the world's most essential raw minerals, many of which are exclusive to the continent. The possession of these unique mineral resources amplifies its strategic importance in global commerce and industry. The third point of significance lies in the continent's strategic maritime routes, particularly those situated in East Africa. These routes play a pivotal role in facilitating global sea trade, making their significance undeniable in the larger spectrum of world economics. Lastly, Africa is witnessing an unparalleled demographic evolution. It is projected that by the year 2030, the continent will be home to approximately 42% of the world's youth population. Such a large and growing youth demographic can have profound implications for global labor markets, innovation, and geopolitical strategies in the years to come. For these reasons and more, China and Russia are increasingly gravitating towards Eritrea, a modestly-sized African nation strategically poised in the Horn of Africa, offering easy access to the Red Sea. Notably, Eritrea's location provides a pivotal advantage in the context of global geopolitics. This increased attention from superpowers Beijing and Moscow comes as Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki faces isolation from Western nations due to concerns over his autocratic style of governance and alleged abuse of human rights. Observers note that Afwerki's diplomatic maneuverings have succeeded in drawing his nation closer to these major powers, paving the way for financial backing for numerous developmental projects and investments. This relationship was further cemented in 2021 when Eritrea joined China's Belt and Road Initiative. This ambitious, multibillion-dollar program by Beijing has been a game-changer across the African continent, facilitating the construction of large-scale infrastructure projects. These have spanned ports, highways, energy-generating dams, railways, and roads, further integrating Africa into China's expanding global network. In addition, over the past decade, Chinese firms have been on a shopping spree in Eritrea, scooping up major stakes in all four of the country's advanced mining ventures, previously owned by Australian and Canadian businesses. Some of these mines contain world-class mineral deposits. Just in the past five years, Zijin Mining Group snapped up Nevsun Resources' copper and zinc mine from Canada, and Sichuan Road and Bridge Group sealed the deal on Danakali's potash project from Australia. Russia, as well, has made inroads in Africa. Since the onset of the Ukraine war, Russian officials have increased diplomatic visits to Africa and Latin America to enhance Russia's global standing. In 2023, they visited numerous African countries and Latin American nations, including Brazil, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba, with the aim of garnering support for Russia's war in Ukraine. Observers believe Russia is strategically bolstering its global influence, using economic ties, politics, and digital disinformation. This shift in strategy from mere economic "opportunism" in the 2010s has led to increased Russian influence in places like South Africa, which seems to be leaning more towards China and Russia than the West. 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 Friends, We are pleased to invite you to the upcoming March Equinox Celebration, a day for honoring the Earth and highlighting the economics for peace principles and policies originally envisioned in 1968 by John McConnell, the founder and creator of Earth Day. This event has been celebrated annually at the United Nations since 1971. People will join together at the UN and around the world to acknowledge the exact moment of the March Equinox (3/19/24, 11:06 pm EST) when the ceremonial ringing of the UN Peace Bell takes place honoring world peace and earth rights justice. The Equinox is the time of year when the planet is in equipoise of equal day and night representing worldwide balance and harmony. John McConnell was an idealist, a visionary and a peacemaker, who coined the term Earth Day. He proposed its celebration be on the March equinox to the City of San Francisco in October, 1969 and announced it in November at a UNESCO Conference. San Francisco hosted the first Earth Day on March 21, 1970. Since then the Earth Society Foundation, which McConnell co-founded with Margaret Mead, has hosted the annual event where the UN Peace Bell is rung followed by prayer, music and meditation. Margaret Mead, UN Secretary-General U Thant, President Ford, and thirty-three Nobel laureates supported Earth Day. In addition thirty-six worldwide dignitaries signed McConnell's Earth Day Proclamation, supporting Earth Day on the March Equinox as an annual planetary holiday linking people everywhere without regard to politics, culture, national borders or religion. The theme for the March 2024 Earth Day celebration is The Earth Belongs to Everyone: Building a Culture and Economics of Peace. This focus draws upon McConnell's thoughts, work and writings about EARTH RIGHTS. In 1968 McConnell wrote his "Planetary Inheritance Declaration" concerning the "rights and responsibilities of all people with respect to Earth's land, sea, minerals, oil and other natural resources". He urged the UN to establish a "Natural Resources Royalties Pool" that would collect money from any individual, corporation or country that might take an excess of their rightful portion, then distribute those funds to all of Earth's people which would help to eliminate many economic sources of discord that lead to war. The Henry George Institute welcomed McConnell's message at a May 1996 seminar stating that "Mr. McConnell has long shared Henry George's vision of the Earth as the common heritage of all people and he advocates the public collection of land rent as a way to actualize this all-important relationship." The seminar honored McConnell's co-authorship, with UN NGO Representative Alanna Hartzok of a paper titled Pennsylvania's Success with Local Tax Reform that described the success this "earth rights" tax reform has had in Hartzok's home state of Pennsylvania. If you are not able to be at the UN celebration; please consider setting up an event in your neighborhood that works for you. What follows this letter is the registration form that we hope you will fill out to let us know of your interest to endorse our project and/or plan an event to acknowledge the UN's 2024 Equinox Earth Day celebration. Once complete send it back to the address at the end of the form. Additional support materials follow the registration form. Kindest regards, Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould The above information is from Peace, Justice, Care of Earth: The Vision of John McConnell, Founder of Earth Day, a biography by Robert M. Weir and Earth Day: Vision for Peace Justice, and Earth Care: My Life and Thought at Age 96 by John McConnell, edited by John C. Munday. See also The Earth Belongs to Everyone by Alanna Hartzok. The UN Center for Human Settlements - HABITAT - is an advocate for EARTH RIGHTS tax policies as stated in Action Plans adopted by consensus of all UN Member States. The Vancouver Action Plan section D.1 (a)s is one example that says: "Excessive profits resulting from the increase in land value due to development and change in use are one of the principal causes of the concentration of wealth in private hands. Taxation should not be seen only as a source of revenue for the community but also a powerful tool to encourage development of desirable locations, to exercise a controlling effect on the land market and to redistribute to the public at large the benefits of the unearned increase in land values." 2024 EQUINOX EARTH DAY ENDORSEMENT & EVENT REGISTRATION FORM Date of this communication: _________________________________________________________________________ I/We are pleased to endorse the 2024 Equinox Earth Day and intend to ring a bell for peace at the exact moment of equinox at the same time that the Peace Bell will be rung at the United Nations (March 19th, 11:06 pm EST) marking the 54th year of this annual event. The date will be March 19 or 20st depending on where I live. Calculate time from where you live HERE. Countdown to the 2024 March Equinox is HERE. I/We are organizing an event that will celebrate and educate about the 2024 theme - The Earth Belongs to Everyone - Building a Culture and Economics of Peace. I understand that a registered event can be as modest gathering with family and friends or as ambitious as a public forum in my community that would include speakers, musicians, poets and perhaps a "pop-up" art exhibit. Please register the event I / we are organizing on the Equinox Earth Day 2024 website: ______________________________________________________________________________ (Name of event: If undecided please write undecided.) Name and organizational affiliation: ______________________________________________________________________________ Email: ______________________________________________________________________________ Phone: ______________________________________________________________________________ City and Country: ______________________________________________________________________________ Please send me information about how I/We can launch an Economics for Peace project in our community / town / city. Email the form to ay|AT|gmail.com Email address">EquinoxEarthD ay|AT|gmail.comEmail address or mail it to Mary Carlin, 238 E. 58th St. #24, NY, NY 10022. The form can be accessed online HERE. To learn about launching EARTH RIGHTS projects contact Alanna Hartzok at ay|AT|gmail.com Email address">EquinoxEarthD ay|AT|gmail.comEmail address or 717-357-7617 AN INTERNATIONAL DECLARATION ON INDIVIDUAL & COMMON RIGHTS TO EARTH (Originally composed and declared at a meeting of the International Union for Land Value Taxation held in 1949) We hereby declare that the earth is the common heritage of all and that all people have natural and equal rights to the land of the planet. By the term "land" is meant all natural resources. Subject always to these natural and equal rights in land and to this common ownership, individuals can and should enjoy certain subsidiary rights in land. These rights properly enjoyed by individuals are: 1. The right to secure exclusive occupation of land 2. The right to exclusive use of land occupied. 3. The right to the free transfer of land according to the laws of the country. 4. The right to transmit land by inheritance. These individual rights do not include: 1. The right to use land in a manner contrary to the common good of all, e.g., in such a manner as to destroy or impair the common heritage. 2. The right to appropriate what economists call the Economic Rent of land. The Economic Rent is the annual value attaching to the land alone apart from any improvements thereon created by labor. This value is created by the existence of and the functioning of the whole community wherein the individual lives and is in justice the property of the community. To allow this value to be appropriated by individuals enables land to be used not only for the production of wealth but as an instrument of oppression of human by human leading to severe social consequences which are everywhere evident. All humans have natural and equal rights in land. Those rights may be exercised in two ways: 1. By holding land as individuals and/or 2. Sharing in the common use of the Economic Rent of land. The Economic Rent of land can be collected for the use of the community by methods similar to those by which real estate taxes are now collected. That is what is meant by the policy of Land Value Taxation. Were this community created land value collected, the many taxes which impede the production of wealth and limit purchasing power could be abolished. The exercise of both common and individual rights in land is essential to a society based on justice. But the rights of individuals in natural resources are limited by the just rights of the community. Denying the existence of common rights in land creates a condition of society wherein the exercise of individual rights becomes impossible for the great mass of the people. We therefore declare that the earth is the birthright of all people. QUOTES FROM EQUINOX EARTH DAY FOUNDER JOHN MCCONNELL "We need to find ideas that can generate the greatest cooperation for the greatest good on our planet, that's what I tried to do with Earth Day, the Earth Trustee Agenda, Minute for Peace and the Earth Magna Charta." "Environmental efforts by themselves will leave us in ruins unless we stop war, unless we promote peace, and unless we have more economic justice." "Among the equal rights of men is the right to an equal share in nature's bounty a right of each man to his planetary inheritance - his share of land, water, minerals or an appropriate equivalent in food, housing, or other benefits". No one can, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity, or any other man's posterity, of the right to his portion of Earth." Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould are authors of Invisible History: Afghanistan's Untold Story, published by City Lights (2009), Crossing Zero The AfPak War at the Turning Point of American Empire, published by City Lights (2011). Their novel The Voice , was published in 2001. Their memoir, The Valediction Three Nights of Desmond was published by TrineDay (2021) and The Valediction Resurrection was published by TrineDay (2022). For more information visit invisiblehistory, grailwerk and valediction.net This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. In a June 2012 piece headlined "Praying at the Church of St. Drone," I wrote, "Be assured of one thing: whichever candidate you choose at the polls in November, you aren't just electing a president of the United States; you are also electing an assassin-in-chief." At that time, President Barack Obama was overseeing what came to be known as "terror Tuesday" weekly meetings in the White House Situation Room with more than 100 national security types, some by "secure video teleconference," gathering to discuss global assassination targets in America's never-ending war on terror. Unlike once upon a time, however, the "assassins" to be dispatched were no longer human, but "unmanned aerial aircraft," or drones. And they struck across significant parts of the planet, sometimes killing al-Qaeda figures, but all too often, civilians and even children. Drone operators were, in fact, allowed to kill based on nothing more than what was called "patterns of suspicious behavior" and their planes were "roughly thirty times more likely to result in a civilian fatality than an airstrike by a manned aircraft." As I wrote then: "In the [New York] Times telling, the organization of robotic killing had become the administration's ide'e fixe, a kind of cult of death within the Oval Office, with those involved in it being so many religious devotees. Of course, thought about another way, that 'terror Tuesday' scene might not be from a monastery or a church synod, but from a Mafia council directly out of a Mario Puzo novel, with the president as the Godfather, designating 'hits' in a rough-and-tumble world. "How far we've come in just two presidencies! Assassination as a way of life has been institutionalized in the Oval Office, thoroughly normalized, and is now being offered to the rest of us as a reasonable solution to American global problems and an issue on which to run a presidential campaign." Yes, foreign assassination attempts were hardly unknown in previous American history, but they were usually left to the CIA and there was nothing machine-like about them. In this century, it's been different indeed, whether the targets were unknown figures considered suspicious (from an automated distance) or, as in the case of Donald Trump, whose administration upped such strikes, all too well known, as with the drone assassination of Major General Qassem Suleimani, the leader of Iran's elite Quds Force, on his arrival at Baghdad International Airport on a visit to Iraq. As Maha Hilal, author of Innocent Until Proven Muslim: Islamophobia, the War on Terror, and the Muslim Experience Since 9/11, reports today, President Biden has, after a fashion, reined in the Trumpian version of drone assassination, but he, like the three presidents before him, still remains America's assassin-in-chief. With that in mind, consider what such a world looks like to those potentially on the other side of a drone's missiles. Tom 22 Years of Drone Warfare and No End in Sight Biden's Rules on Drone Warfare Mask Continued Violent Islamophobia By Maha Hilal "I no longer love blue skies. In fact, I now prefer gray skies. The drones do not fly when the skies are gray." That's what a young Pakistani boy named Zubair told members of Congress at a hearing on drones in October 2013. That hearing was during the Obama years at a time when the government had barely even acknowledged that an American drone warfare program existed. Two years earlier, however, a Muslim cleric, Anwar Al-Awlaki and his 16-year-old son Abdulrahman, both American citizens, were killed by U.S. drone strikes in Yemen just weeks apart. Asked to comment on Abdulrahman's killing, Obama campaign senior adviser Robert Gibbs said: "I would suggest that you should have a far more responsible father if they are truly concerned about the well-being of their children. I don't think becoming an al-Qaeda jihadist terrorist is the best way to go about doing your business." Those are two of all too many grim tales of the brutality with which the United States has carried out its drone warfare program. Post-9/11 reiterations by the government of the danger we now live in (because the U.S. was attacked), have made the collective responsibility of Muslims and the callous dismissal of their deaths a regular occurrence. In 2023, this country's drone warfare program has entered its third decade with no end in sight. Despite the fact that the 22nd anniversary of 9/11 is approaching, policymakers have demonstrated no evidence of reflecting on the failures of drone warfare and how to stop it. Instead, the focus continues to be on simply shifting drone policy in minor ways within an ongoing violent system. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). The other day I saw some figures from a poll pitting Biden against Trump in the 2024 presidential election. It was an even race. In spite of all of the positive accomplishments of Biden during his term and all of the negatives emanating from Trump during, and especially after, his term as president, not to mention the seemingly outrageous recent rulings of his packed Supreme Court, the poll had them running even head-to-head. Now, I know that much can happen in the intervening months, but this result is quite astonishing to me. I began to think of how so much of a supposedly democratic nation could have arrived here. This is my conclusion. First, I must go back to our human history of leaders developing stories (narratives) to support their leadership and convince people to believe in them and in their vision. If that narrative speaks to something within the populace and is accepted by the citizens, they take it into their hearts, and it becomes their internal story. It casts a spell. The people become mesmerized by the story and take it as their own guiding principle. They gladly give up their individuality for that leader and his/her narrative/spell. Within our society we have refined that kind of manipulation to a fine art. We are bombarded with advertising, with propaganda, with 24/7 information about how to think and interpret the world, piped into our ears and showing up on our many screens. Donald Trump was a creation of that system, a media persona from TV and who was involved in all kinds of controversy that kept him in the news. And like those who follow soap opera or love following sensational stories like the OJ Simpson trials and Princess Di, those characters become an intimate part of their lives. There is an excitement about what will happen next that is almost addictive. And he had a message! This is his message. "Watch me!!! I do not follow any of the norms, rules or even laws and I am wildly successful. Don't listen to what they tell you about how to live your life. Stand up and be proud of what you believe in. That is what made America great, and it can again if we simply stand up. Of course, other races are a problem, other religions are a problem, other lifestyles are a problem. They are un-American and the good people know and understand that. And if they stop us, we will rebel, violently if need be. And, if that does not work, we will stop them in other ways, we will be obstructionists to thwart their every attempt to rule. The system of those who have been in charge of this nation, was formed under the wrong mindset and they have corrupted the nation. We are all that is holding the true America together." That is his story and the spell it casts, especially over those who feel dispossessed. It is like that old black magic of the song, (revised to fit the situation). *********************** That Old Black Magic (1942, Johnny Mercer, lyrics; Harold Arlen, music) Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121 "Rob Kall's book, Bottom-Up: Tapping the Power of the Connection Revolution has really caused me to relook and reframe many of my thoughts on where our connectedness using social media tools like LinkedIn is headed, and not just for career trajectory but for life. If you are looking for a new perspective on our sometimes zany digital world we live in, this book will keep you reading and may ultimately revise but for sure challenge your current paradigm." Wayne Breitbarth, author of The Power Formula for Linkedin Success: Kick-Start Your Business, Brand, and Job Search A website well known among event organisers all over the world. The more and more event organisers have profiles on BusinessVibes website and they add to that profiles events organised by them. London, UK, November 15, 2011 -- BusinessVibes (http://www.businessvibes.com) is a new global B2B networking platform. Its main goal is to help associations and companies all over the world to form partnerships, while looking for new buyers, suppliers or joint Qabil Ashirov A new era is emerging in the economy of Azerbaijan, which is one of the leading segments of the Belt and Road initiative connecting East, Africa and West. Thus, the close economic relations established between China and Azerbaijan, considered the gateway to the Far East, indicate a more stable economic future. The visit of the Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov to China on September 1-4 played the role of a step taken to further strengthen the relations between the two countries. Within the framework of the visit, Mikayil Jabbarov held meetings with different Chinese officials. Besides, the Azerbaijani Economy Minister delivered a speech at the conference Year of Investment in China: Expanding Special Promotion of Service Industry was held within the framework of the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) and inaugurated the opening of the Azerbaijani Trade House in Beijing. Azerbaijan-China economic cooperation, which is currently in the interest of the world community, is also widely commented. A Pakistani expert also commented on the issue, adding that the visit envisages the deepening of Azerbaijani-Chinese economic relations. Speaking to AZERNEWS CEO, Belt and Road Consultans Pvt Limited Muhammad Asif Noor noted that the visit of Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov to China holds significant promise and expectations for the future of economic cooperation between the two countries. "The inauguration of the Azerbaijan Trade House in Beijing marks a critical milestone in this journey. This trade house is more than just a physical space; it symbolizes a commitment to strengthening economic ties between Azerbaijan and China. During the visit, Minister Jabbarov's meetings with Chinese governmental officials and CEOs of major companies serve as platforms for fostering meaningful dialogues and negotiations. These discussions are likely to cover a wide range of topics, including strategies for expanding trade, encouraging investment, and promoting cooperation in infrastructure projects," the expert noted. He pointed out that one noteworthy highlight is the recent agreement on investment cooperation signed between Azerbaijan and China, which is expected to be a central point of discussion. He said that the successful implementation of this agreement could open doors to increased investment flows between the two nations, further solidifying their economic partnership. He emphasized that the perspective of Azerbaijani-Chinese economic relations appears highly promising and poised for significant growth. Several factors contribute to this optimistic outlook. "Firstly, the opening of the Azerbaijan Trade House in Beijing is indicative of a long-term commitment to diversify and strengthen economic relations. This trading house will serve as a hub for promoting Azerbaijani products in the Chinese market, thereby expanding the export potential of Azerbaijani businesses. Moreover, the upcoming exhibition of Chinese companies in Baku, with a substantial number of participants seeking opportunities in Azerbaijan, underscores the mutual interest in fostering economic ties," he noted. He said that as these Chinese companies look for wholesale buyers, partners, and distributors in Azerbaijan, local businesses have the chance to explore collaborations and joint ventures. It's worth noting that the consistent growth in trade turnover between Azerbaijan and China, particularly the remarkable increase in Azerbaijani exports to China, signals a positive trajectory in economic relations that can be further capitalized on. "Furthermore, Azerbaijan's strategic location along the Middle Corridor positions it as a pivotal transit country, facilitating the flow of Chinese goods to Europe. This geographical advantage is poised to play a significant role in the expansion of mutual economic relations between the two countries," Asif Noor said. Touching on Azerbaijans benefits from Chinese economic development, Asif Noor said that Azerbaijan stands to derive substantial benefits from China's ongoing economic development through various avenues. "Firstly, the nation's strategic location along the Middle Corridor positions it as a critical transit route for Chinese goods bound for Europe. This transit role not only strengthens Azerbaijan's economy through transit fees but also encourages infrastructure development and logistics improvements that can further enhance trade efficiency. Secondly, as Chinese companies seek to establish a presence in Azerbaijan by looking for wholesale buyers, partners, and distributors, local businesses can harness this opportunity to form strategic collaborations. Joint ventures with Chinese firms can lead to technology transfer, job creation, and an overall boost to the Azerbaijani economy," he noted. Muhammad Asif Noor concluded that the surge in Azerbaijani exports to China, especially in sectors like crude petroleum and ethylene polymers, highlights the potential for diversifying and expanding the export of Azerbaijani products to the Chinese market. "Moreover, the growth in economic relations between the two countries is not a one-sided endeavor; it's a mutually beneficial partnership. The increase in trade turnover and investment flows strengthens both nations' economies, contributing to economic growth and prosperity on both ends," he added. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. We are in the process of finalizing the new phase of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) partnership program in Azerbaijan, Muhammad Nasar Hayat, FAO representative in Azerbaijan, told Trend in an exclusive interview. FAO and Azerbaijan have established a relationship that goes back in the early 90s, and, since 2015, we have an office in Azerbaijan. The cooperation between us has been going on very well since the establishment and signing of a partnership strategy. We work very closely with the ministry of agriculture, ecology and environment, and other stake holders in Azerbaijan. The first phase of agreement is now over. We are in the process of finalizing the next phase and the prospects for agriculture sector in this country are really bright, he said. According to Muhammad Nasar Hayat, there is a lot that needs to be done, and with some improvements, technology, practices in agriculture, a lot can be improved, not only for people in the rural areas, but for the country as a hole. FAO is also ready to support agriculture development in Azerbaijans Karabakh, the country representative said. We have a lot of experience from other countries in the world of doing agriculture developments and livelihood restorations in the post conflict zones. These areas have been going through very difficult times, and the restoration of agriculture in these areas is very important. In that context, we are already supporting the initiative of the Government of Azerbaijan on land reforms, land allocation, land use planning. Beyond that, we can support the farmers themselves in restoring agricultural production, he noted. As FAO representative pointed out, some of these areas have not been cleared of land mines and explosive, so this is another issue that needs to be resolves. And then, we need to figure out what is the best agricultural model for these areas. There is climate, water availability - multiple variables are to be looked at, before we decide which way is the best. We can provide technical expertise, experience in capacity building, any assistance needed to support the government in its envisioned strategy, he explained. Further speaking, Muhammad Nasar Hayat noted that food security and environmental protection are some of the key areas of FAOs work in Azerbaijan, and not only here, but worldwide. Globally, we see that there are more people than 800 million people that experience food insecurity. The level of food pricing is increasing. In this context, Azerbaijan has to be very careful and watchful of the situation. Azerbaijan is importing a lot of food, especially wheat, meat. If the prices are increasing, then the availability and consumption of these items may be affected. Azerbaijan is a resource rich country, it has enough to feed its population. But, still, the food balance, what we produce and what we consume, still needs improvement. We need to rely less on imports, he said. According to FAO representative, Azerbaijan has really good food products that can be exported to other countries around the world. Fruits in Azerbaijan are very high quality, and, at large, are organically produced. These things create a market for specific Azerbaijani products that we need to take out of the country to earn more for the farmers that engage in agriculture. We are supporting the government of Azerbaijan in terms of food safety, standards, improving productivity, packaging, labeling everything that is necessary to access the international market, he noted. Meanwhile, as Muhammad Nasar Hayat rightly noted, for agricultural production, the second most important thing after land is water. Agriculture has a very unique position within the water scarcity issues, because, on the one hand, agriculture sector uses the large bulk of water resources, but, on another hand, agriculture is responsible for some water pollution and water wastage. So, in this context, we need to look at what is the best fit for a specific agricultural production system. And here in Azerbaijan, my initial understanding is that we need to improve our water efficiency. And I also see that the Government of Azerbaijan has taken some really efficient steps. There are subsidies available for high efficiency irrigation systems, whether it is using sprinklers, or drip irrigation. There are subsidies available to adopt these modern technologies. We need to expand the coverage of these subsidies. Another area on which we are working in Azerbaijan is improving the soil health. The soils are degraded in a very serious manner. Restoring the soil life will contribute for it being more productive, which includes production systems, which fertilizers we use, which crops are we growing, he said. According to the official, sustainable forest management is another natural resource that needs to be preserved, as well as water conservation, water harvesting, in particular, how water can be harvested, used more effectively. The use of pesticides is another issue to be focused on, especially, in making sure that they are not damaging the environment. Definitely, food systems cover a lot, besides production, the FAOs approach is to cover entire food systems which include activities before the production, which is seeds and soil preparation and conservation, planting, harvesting, post-harvest grading, saving food wastage, labeling, transportation, marketing, food preparation these are all the areas we need to cover to have a healthy population. So, the future that I see from the existing agricultural model transformation to more sustainable and profitable agriculture sector that can then make contribution to the national economy, the countrys GDP, and also make healthy and nutritious food available for population at all times. That is the goal and the stated objective of the Azerbaijani government, and we are here to support the country in approach, Muhammad Nasar Hayat concluded. Celtic music is going metal. The flutes, bagpipes and other woodwind instruments used for more than 500 years to play the folk music of Ireland and Scotland have historically been made, as one might imagine, out of wood. Then Rob Gandaras bagpipes broke. The Corvallis engineer and musician decided to see the world in 2005 and take his bagpipes with him when he left Hewlett-Packards Benton County facility after 20 years. HERE IS OREGON: HereisOregon.com | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok As I was leaving China, my last stop, they wouldnt allow me on the plane with two items, Gandara said. I had my laptop with all of my photos on it, so I checked my bagpipes. When I arrived at my next destination, the chanter had snapped at the neck. Gandara, who tends to see music as science and vice versa, lit on the idea of making Celtic instruments out of carbon fiber. Working with Real Carbon now based in Washougal, he devised a way to make a chanter (the melody pipe) out of the metal material. Metal music it may be, but not heavy metal. Carbon fiber is stiff, strong and light consisting of thin, crystalline filaments of carbon that are essentially carbon atoms bonded together in long chains. I was fascinated by carbon fiber, Gandara said. I had just gotten a carbon fiber bike. I was fascinated by the material and its strength. I did some research on it and found you can lay it out to an array of densities. The first carbon fiber chanter he made didnt play very well, he said. But the second one played quite well, and I really enjoyed it, he added. Thats one of the things about manufacturing prototypes. You dont just make one. You make a couple. Hopefully, one of them will turn out. After perfecting his prototype for bagpipe chanters, he created prototypes for Irish flutes and other Celtic instruments. I never was much on the Irish flute, but I studied and made some historical replicas of some older flutes that were considered the creme de la creme in 1849, he said. Once Gandaras prototypes met with his approval, he began turning out more and more instruments until he had a thriving business, Carbony Celtic Winds. The business, originally known as Pipe Makers Union, was formally founded in 2006. Gandara splits the business between a shop in his garage and a shipping and receiving facility with finished instruments in downtown Corvallis. Gandaras instruments are mostly sold internationally, but they can be found in the Pacific Northwest at the Buy and Sell Center, 401 E. 11th Ave. in Eugene, and Dusty Strings, 3406 Fremont Ave. N. in Seattle. Other retailers include shops in New Jersey and Maryland as well as in Ireland, England, Germany, Scotland and Austria. There seems to be quite a big market out there, Gandara said. If I captured just 1% of the bagpipe market, Id have a million-dollar business. Instruments made of carbon fiber are unusual, but Gandara is not alone. Backun Musical Services in Canada offers carbon fiber clarinets. Carbon fiber has also been used to make string instruments by companies such as Germanys Mezzo-Forte and Irelands Emerald Guitars. Finn Buckley, the music director at St. David of Wales Episcopal Church in Portland who describes himself as a freelance piper, said Gandara is still fairly unique. There may be others, Gandara is the only person I know who makes bagpipes out of carbon fiber, said Buckley, who has been making bagpipes himself as a hobbyist for the past 28 years. Gandaras passion for music started when he was a child in Cumming, Georgia, a town of 7,000 people some 41 miles northeast of Atlanta. Playing the bass clarinet in high school, he made the Georgia All-State Band. I just loved music, he said. I loved practicing. Music for Gandara is often like a mathematical equation to be solved. I love taking a sheet of music that just looks like notes on a page and working through and sight-reading it, he said. You have no idea what the music is supposed to sound like. Then theres a moment where theres a click. Youre going through the notes almost robotically, he added. Then you get what the composer was intending, and it sounds like music. Youve played the notes competently enough that youre set free from the regimen of the notes, and youre actually playing the music. Gandara received a bachelors degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1985. He earned a masters degree in electrical engineering with a certificate in computer-integrated manufacturing systems from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1991. His future as an instrument maker had its roots in his college education. I actually studied psychoacoustics in college a little bit, so I went in with a background in physics and sound and how your ear perceives it, he said. After graduation, Gandara wanted to be part of a music group. I started a punk band in Boston called Doctor Incurable, he recalled. We were on the verge of making our debut concert, but we broke up after that as all good punk bands must eventually. He continued to perform publicly after he moved to Corvallis in 1995. A good way to meet people when youre new to a town is to play music, he said. The engineer across from me played fiddle and was learning Celtic music, he recalled. I figured I can play punk music. I can play symphonic music. This cant be that different from either one. I mean, its different, but I have the skills to do it. Gandara found he liked Celtic music. You can play it in a pub like punk rock, but you can age more gracefully, he said. You dont have to stay angry at the man to keep playing it. In sessions, other people join in all the time. It is a very social genre of music. He came to Corvallis with experience in testing microprocessors and bringing them to the market. He did similar work with ink-jet cartridges at Hewlett-Packard. That was something else that required product development and a good product manufacturability perspective, he said. He left Hewlett-Packard when company executives decided to move all their manufacturing operations to Asia. Gandara specializes in what are called the sticks the flutes, recorders and bagpipe chanters used in Celtic music. He makes the pipes, in other words, but not the bags. He imports the bags from Scotland and assembles the instruments locally. The most important aspect of a musical instrument is the bore, the shape of the inside where all the sound happens, he said. His instruments range from $300 to $3,000. His bestseller is a low-D Irish whistle. The low whistle, or concert whistle, is a variation of the traditional tin whistle/pennywhistle distinguished by its lower pitch and larger size. He created a special design for the instrument, so people dont have to spread their fingers quite so far apart. It accommodates people with smaller hands or people reluctant to use the pipers grip, Gandara said. Even people who use the pipers grip can play a little faster and a little stronger. Im the only one in the world doing that with the low-D whistle. Theres a pent-up demand for people to play this instrument who couldnt before. His production manager and business partner Alan Sevier handles much of the day-to-day manufacturing work these days for Carbony Celtic Winds, although Gandara still handles sales negotiations and does the final finishing, coating and testing work. I did it all on pure adrenaline for the first 10 years, Gandara said. I still have my thumb in the pie, but Im mainly doing the marketing and traveling. Gandara spends a great deal of time going to Celtic festivals in Europe and Australia. Its fascinating to watch Celtic music evolve, he said. Any type of music, if its going to stay alive, its important for it to grow, Gandara said. Gandara said he likes to feel he has contributed to the art form. There was a need inside me to take what I thought were quality instruments into Celtic music, he said. Its not rocket science, but it is science. DETAILS: More information on Carbony Celtic Winds is available online at carbony.com or by calling 541-829-3016. Tom Henderson, for The Oregonian/OregonLive Valley of the Rogue, one of Oregons busiest state parks, is about to get a lot quieter. The riverside park site, found alongside Interstate 5 near the state line in southern Oregon, will no longer be a freeway rest area, allowing rangers to focus their resources on the parks campground and walking trails. The rest area closure, originally announced Aug. 17 and first reported by KOBI, officially went into effect Tuesday, Sept. 5., following the busy Labor Day weekend, park officials said. The parks campground will remain open as usual, while the rest of the park will now be day-use only, open dawn to dusk. Restrooms will remain open during day-use hours, but the Oregon Department of Transportation will remove blue rest area signs from the freeway. Drivers are now encouraged to stop at the Manzanita Rest Area 18 miles to the north. Valley of the Rogue has tremendous potential to serve the community, and since there are other places nearby where travelers can get rest area service, we decided the time was right to explore a new, more recreational future for the park, parks spokesperson Stefanie Knowlton said Tuesday. Freeing up money to do the work is important; freeing up park people to do park work equally so. State park officials said the sheer volume of foot traffic at Valley of the Rogue put a strain on resources. In 2022, the park saw 2,149,928 visitors, according to department data, the third time in the last five years the park has eclipsed 2 million visitors. The small restroom is a big attraction at the rest area portion of Valley of the Rogue State Park, located along Interstate 5 near Grants Pass in southern Oregon. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian Valley of the Rogue State Park is located on the side of Interstate 5 in southern Oregon, and features a rest stop that can be accessed by both northbound and southbound traffic. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian The Rogue River runs through Valley of the Rogue State Park near Grants Pass in southern Oregon. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian Nathan Seable, state parks manager for the Rogue Valley district, which includes Valley of the Rogue, said last year that at least half of the parks visitors (though likely more) show up just for the restroom. Those facilities are much smaller than Oregons bigger rest stops, though they do come with vending machines, interpretive signs and access to the rest of the park. Packed into a relatively small 277 acres, the park features a 185-site campground, a four-mile paved greenway trail and a short dirt trail that leads to fishing spots, wading areas and viewpoints along the Rogue River. The scenic areas of the park have often been in conflict with its use as a rest stop. Seable said over the years rangers have dealt with a number of challenges at Valley of the Rogue, ranging from loose horses to illegal drug use. Big trucks sometimes get stuck in the campground after making a wrong turn, including one that plowed through a storage shed to get out. The 24-hour access to the rest area has also made the campground an attractive target for break-ins, leading the park to erect a big fence around the campsites and hire overnight security. Park rangers have long wanted to refocus their efforts at Valley of the Rogue, which their recent efforts reveal. A grassy lawn outside the busy restroom is currently being transformed into a native forest, with plantings of Douglas firs, oak trees and more than 20 other native plant species. Trails nearby have been cleared of invasive blackberry bushes that for years blocked access to the river. Old wagons have been placed by the parking lot to remind people of the historical significance of the place. Those who run the park have said they want more people to make Valley of the Rogue their destination, not just a break from the road. We look forward to exploring future projects and opportunities that will enrich the visitor experience, which could include upgraded facilities, increased access to the river, new landscaping and additional interpretive panels and trails, District Manager Dani Padilla said in a news release. We are excited to welcome visitors to this area as a destination to recreate and enjoy the park. Jamie Hale 503-294-4077; jhale@oregonian.com; @HaleJamesB Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe The Clackamas County Democratic party had been working to make its headquarters on Main Street in Oregon City more visible and open to the community before someone threw a brick through its front window last week, chairperson Cris Waller said. The assailant avoided the window with a new sign advertising that Democrats support their communities, Waller said but shattered a full wall-sized window right in front of cutouts of presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris. Waller thinks the attack was targeted. The brick wasnt from a nearby spot and must have been carried to the location, she said. She also thinks the thrower must have been standing directly in front of the window not chucking bricks randomly from the street. This kind of violence is the kind of thing that makes people afraid to participate in the political discourse, Waller said. It serves as a chilling action to what is one of the most vital activities we have as a community. Oregon City police dont know yet who threw a brick through the window sometime before 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 31, said Capt. Joseph Pagano, a public information officer with the department. As far as they know, it was an isolated incident, he said, adding that he wasnt aware of any other reports of anti-Democratic targeting behavior in recent weeks or months. With that being said, anytime I think youre gearing up for an election, theres the potential for things like this to happen, Pagano said. Marie Karns, the second vice-chair for the Clackamas County Dems, was back in the Main Street office answering phones on Tuesday. The window was boarded up, but she still felt a bit unsettled. Karns had heard news out of California last month that a store owner was shot and killed over a Pride flag displayed at her store. At a Labor Day union picnic, she heard from other county Democratic representatives that theyd faced harassment, too. William Whipple, office manager for the Clark County Democrats in Vancouver said that its headquarters has twice had its front windows smashed since the party moved into that location in January. Karns said people have shouted obscenities at the Clackamas party headquarters before, and one man yelled that staff members were baby killers. But this is the first time the building has been physically damaged, she said, and shes hoping that harassment doesnt escalate. The division is so palpable, Karns said. We cant for sure say who did what, but it makes it scary to be a volunteer. Oregon City Police are asking that anyone with information related to the broken window call the tip line at 503-905-3503. This story was brought to you through a partnership between The Oregonian/OregonLive and Report for America. Learn how to support this crucial work. Sami Edge covers higher education for The Oregonian. You can reach her at sedge@oregonian.com or (503) 260-3430. Mount Hood log cabins handmade during the Great Depression by the legendary Steiner family of carpenters and stonemasons rarely come on the market. On Sept. 1, one did at $595,000. Cash only states the listing for the restored 1930 cabin on the ZigZag River in Rhododendron. The 1,552-square-foot home on forested property at 72154 E. Faubion Loop Road would be a perfect second home to escape from city life, says listing broker Jarrett Altman of Neighborhood Works. Like other recreation residences on national forest land, the privately owned cabin has a 20-year lease with the U.S. Forest Service and cannot be used as a permanent residence or be rented out for more than 30 days a year after approval by the district ranger. The two-story cabin for sale with a pitched roof and covered porch has been fully restored by a master craftsman retaining all the charm of a cabin in the woods with a perfect blend of modern updates, says Altman. Windows on two sides of the sunroom frame the natural setting. The updated kitchen has a Viking range, wood cabinets and copper sink. Also on the main level is a pantry, laundry area with a washer and dryer, and a powder room. Upstairs are three bedrooms, an open loft space and a bathroom. Outside, there is another fireplace plus a detached garage. The late craftsman Henry Steiner and his large family were frugal and resourceful when constructing storybook-style cabins made of foraged wood and stone, and few store-bought items. The 100 known Steiner cabins, built mostly on wooded land between Brightwood and Government Camp from 1928 to 1952, are prized today for their durability, artistry and Oregon Rustic-style character. The majority of Steiner structures have endured, despite harsh weather, fires and neglect. Many owners participate in the annual Mt. Hood Steiner Cabin Tour, a fundraiser to benefit the Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum in Government Camp. Typically, the family, who had no access to electricity, used a crosscut saw to manually cut Douglas fir trees into logs for walls and beams that were hoisted into place with cranks and pulley systems. They shaved cedar into exterior shingles and collected branches in the forest that they would sculpt with hand tools into cupboards and furniture. Stones, found on the land or in rivers, were stacked around fireplaces. A potential buyer of the cabin for sale, says Altman, is: A historian, craftsperson or artist who appreciates the history, details and the care with which the Steiner family took in finding and using materials from the forest to build something that is of the land. An outdoor enthusiast such as a person who likes to fish, hike, mountain bike, trail run or cross-country ski as well as a downhill skier who wants to be within a 25-minute drive to Government Camp and Mount Hood ski lifts. A cozy cabin enthusiast who wants to read or have a glass of wine in front of a stone fireplace, enjoying the simplicity and serenity after a long day. Its also a great gathering place for friends and family, or used as a family share. Families who have gone in on a cabin together allow each member to use it for a number of weeks a year, says Altman. A nearby trail off Forest Service Road 9 leads through the woods along the ZigZag River to the Skyway Bar and Grill, Altman says, providing the best of both worlds: A woodsy cabin and fun local pub with live music. Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072 jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman More Steiner Cabin news See a cross-shaped church on the annual Steiner Log Cabin Tour in Mount Hood: People are in awe Mount Hoods famous Steiner cabins tour tickets will sell out fast: Each piece of each cabin is one of a kind Restoring one-of-a-kind Steiner log cabins on Mount Hood takes time, talent and hand tools Go inside a unique log home by fabled Steiner family craftsmen in SW Portland A 1947 Steiner log house on the Sandy River in Troutdale is on the market for the first time Open the twisted-tree doorknob and come inside Steiner cabins: Tour of Oregon Rustic style Mount Hood getaway, made by Steiner heir for boat millionaire John Steiner, master craftsman who worked on acclaimed Steiner cabins, dies at 99 More real estate news What is the outlook for home mortgage rates in September? Heres what the experts say Soothing spa-like bathrooms in Portland homes for sale inspire remodeling ideas Culinary dream kitchens in Portland homes for sale are pretty, organized Enviable outdoor living spaces in Portland homes for sale have adoptable ideas Over-the-top game rooms in Portland homes for sale score big with playful decor Luxury Portland penthouses for sale compete with the new Ritz-Carlton If SCOTUS recent ruling striking down President Bidens relief plan still has you reeling, then the Broke & Bothered newsletter is for you. Join Reckons Alexis Wray as she questions the legitimacy of student loans, gives you tools to take action and shares stories from real people most impacted: Enter your email to subscribe. Two questions have been trending all summer: Why is it so hot outside? And when is the student loan pause ending? Climate change experts and student loan abolitionists believe the Biden administration can address both questions with one solution: declaring a national emergency for climate change. A climate emergency called by the president would not only solidify the seriousness of the climate crisis and rising heat, but also make pausing student loans possible again. If the government doesnt take this seriously and make bold changes to fight the climate crisis, we will have more days where we cant go outside than days where we can, more homes flooded than homes that stay safe and dry, and more inequality and unsafe living conditions each year that nothing changes, Michele Weindling, electoral director of the Sunrise Movement told Reckon. The stats are alarming. Whether its a 60 percent decrease in wildlife populations in 40 years or 2023 poised to become the hottest year in history, the Earths climate is changing and people across the world are experiencing the harsh effects of the climate crisis with little to no relief. Under the National Emergencies Act, enacted in 1976, President Biden could issue a declaration to address and combat climate change. This same act was used in 2020 by former President Trump to declare a national emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic. Presidents who invoke the act have the authority to perform actions not normally permitted, like in 2009 when then-President Barack Obama declared a national emergency during an influenza pandemic permitting overcrowded hospitals to move sick patients to satellite facilities or other hospitals. When a national emergency is issued, many statutes become accessible to the presidents administration, like the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students (HEROES) Act of 2003 the act used to pause student loan debt payments for three years up until the recent cut off date of Sept. 1. National emergency orders arent permanent and can be rescinded at any time, either by the president that issued the declaration or a future president. The authority under the act comes from language stating that as the Secretary of Education deems necessary in connection with a war or other military operation or national emergency, the administration would have the discretion to pause student loan debt payments again. Biden could take immediate action on student debt relief by issuing a climate emergency, the Debt Collectives, the nations first debtors union, Thomas Gokey wrote in a perspectives piece for Reckon. Gokey went on to explain: This emergency declaration would allow state and local governments to take immediate action on climate change by limiting fossil fuel production and releasing government funds to be used on renewable energy. It also includes the ability to issue a new student loan payment pause, freeing up resources for millions of Americans grappling with the devastation of climate change. With wildfires, power outages, dust storms and the hottest summer in history, declaring heat an emergency could offer relief for millions of Americans suffering under rising temperatures, proponents of this plan argue. This response would involve the Federal Emergency Management Agency providing relief with power generators, medical care and the resources to repair heat-stressed power grids. As long as we are producing and exporting these fossil fuels, the planet will continue to cook, Jean Su, a senior attorney and energy justice director at the Center for Biological Diversity, told Grist. The Sunrise Movement list these powers as some Biden can take under a climate emergency: Halting crude oil exports Stopping Oil and Gas Drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf, Restrict International Trade and Private Investment in Fossil Fuels Growing Domestic Manufacturing for Clean Energy and Transportation to Speed the Nationwide Transition Off Fossil Fuels Building Resilient and Distributed Renewable Energy Systems in Climate-Vulnerable Communities Use the full power of the DPA (Defense Production Act) to expedite the transition to renewable energy Borrowers are worried about the future of affording and paying back their student loans. Are you one of them? Share your story and thoughts here with Reckon. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. The work of the Joint Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Switzerland will contribute to the further development of our relations, Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elnur Mammadov said, Trend reports. "Azerbaijan supports the initiative of Swiss companies to participate in the restoration of liberated lands. We also emphasize the successful work of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan in Switzerland, and we hope that our economic cooperation will continue to flourish," he said at the event dedicated to the celebration of the National Holiday of Switzerland. According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, one of the positive steps is the fact that the first meeting at the level of foreign ministers on the settlement between Azerbaijan and Armenia was held in Switzerland in October. Mammadov expressed hope for further successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and Switzerland. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - The Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) committed war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity in the Tigray region in Ethiopia, immediately before and after the signing of a Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) between Ethiopias federal government and the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) in November 2022, Amnesty International said in a new report released on Tuesday Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - Fifty-three fighters, comprising 17 soldiers and 36 six Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDP), were killed on Monday in an attack on the Burkinabe army in the north of the country, the army announced in a statement Bagatelle, Mauritius (PANA) Mauritius on Monday launched the Orientation and Dialogue with the new Leadership of the 4th Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has refuted the disinformation spread by the Armenian side, Trend reports. The information spread by the Armenian side about the firing of the positions of the Armenian armed forces units located in the direction of the Zarkand settlement by the units of the Azerbaijani Army on September 5 from 00:05 to 00:20 is completely false. We categorically deny this information spread by the Armenia Defense Ministry, the statement said. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The President of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohamed Al-Manfi, has stressed the importance of mobilizing efforts to tackle climate risks and transform the challenges facing the world into opportunities that transcend the dividing lines between Africa and the major industrialized countries, to chart a new phase based on the principle of partnership Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - There has been a dramatic increase in the number of civilians killed by cluster munitions, according to new data released on Tuesday by the UN-partnered Cluster Munition Monitor (CMC) civil society group The new Kemi bioproduct mill will annually produce some 1.5 million tonnes of softwood and hardwood pulp and many other bioproducts. The new Kemi bioproduct mill will annually produce some 1.5 million tonnes of softwood and hardwood pulp and many other bioproducts. Metsa Group's Kemi Mills in Finland Getting Ready for Start-Up Sept. 5, 2023 - Metsa Group's Kemi mills are getting ready for a maintenance and connection shutdown to prepare for the deployment of the largest ever investment of the forest industry in Finland the new bioproduct mill and paperboard mill expansion in Kemi. The shutdown will begin on Sunday, 10 September 2023, and the aim is to start up the mills on 20 September 2023. During shutdown, odours may occur, and there may be temporary traffic congestion around the mill area, especially at the beginning of the week starting on 11 September. Odours may also occur before the shutdown due to preparations for the start-up of the bioproduct mill. The work carried out prior to start-up will ensure the mills come online smoothly and safely. During the shutdown, the existing pulp mill will be safely shut down, the paperboard mill's new investments will be deployed, and the connections between the new bioproduct mill and the paperboard mill will be finalised. The new Kemi bioproduct mill will annually produce some 1.5 million tonnes of softwood and hardwood pulp and many other bioproducts, including 2 terawatt-hours of renewable electricity. The mill features world-class production, environmental and energy efficiency, and despite the considerable increase in production capacity, the mill's emissions are lower than the limits specified in the currently valid environmental permit for the existing Kemi pulp mill. At the Kemi paperboard mill, renewal and bottleneck investments have been carried out to increase the annual production capacity of white top kraftliner by approximately 40,000 tonnes. The investments will reduce the mill's water consumption by 40 per cent and energy use by 5 per cent per tonne of paperboard produced. The investments are a major step towards Metsa Group's 2030 sustainability targets and will support our customers' sustainable business. Metsa Group is leading the way in advancing the bioeconomy with a focus on the growth sectors of the forest industry: wood supply and forest services, wood products, pulp, fresh fibre paperboards, as well as tissue and greaseproof papers. SOURCE: Metsa Group Photo: (Photo : Samuele Errico Piccarini on Unsplash) In an incident that has stunned the local community and ignited a fervent debate on social media about parental responsibility, a 49-year-old Phoenix man was arrested on Saturday for allowing his 10-year-old son to drive a pickup truck on State Route 101 in Scottsdale. The young boy led Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers on a brief, but precarious, chase before being pulled over. A Brief but Dangerous Pursuit The situation came to light when a concerned motorist dialed 911 around 3:30 p.m., reporting that it appeared a child was behind the wheel on the busy freeway. DPS quickly dispatched a trooper to investigate. Upon locating the vehicle, the trooper noticed unsafe lane changes and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. Contrary to expectations, the truck did not immediately pull over. A brief chase ensued, before the 10-year-old finally stopped in an emergency lane. Authorities discovered the child in the driver's seat and his father, who was arrested at the scene, in the passenger seat. An open container of alcohol was also found in the vehicle, adding another layer of concern to the already alarming episode. The father now faces multiple charges, including endangerment, unlawfully permitting a minor to drive, and possessing an open container of alcohol in the vehicle. Meanwhile, the 10-year-old is not facing any criminal charges, DPS officials confirmed. "Permitting a minor to operate a motor vehicle is not just a violation of Arizona law; It's a critical lapse in judgment," said DPS spokesperson Karen Smith. "High-speed roads are complex and unpredictable, even for mature, experienced drivers.To entrust a 10-year-old with such a responsibility is inconceivably reckless." Public opinion has been swift and severe. Local parent organizations have spoken out against the father's actions. "Parenting isn't just about taking care of your child's immediate needs; It's about teaching them right from wrong and ensuring their safety. This incident is a clear failure in both those respects", said Sarah Johnson, a member of the Phoenix Parents Association. Read Also: Asian, African Underage Girls Forcibly Married Amid Pandemic Lockdown Legal Experts Weigh In Law enforcement experts also argue that the father's actions have implications beyond the immediate family. "He endangered not only his son, but also every motorist and passenger on that road," said Capt. Richard Harrison, a veteran DPS officer. "Traffic violations and reckless driving contribute to a significant number of road accidents. The adult's irresponsible behavior could have led to tragedy." As of Sunday evening, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has yet to provide an update on whether the father has been released on bond or if he will be appearing in court soon. Nevertheless, his arrest serves as a severe warning of the potential consequences when adults act irresponsibly, endangering the safety of children and the broader public. Arizona State Law is clear in prohibiting minors under the age of 16 from driving. Violations can result in substantial penalties, including imprisonment. This incident has not only led to the father's arrest, but has also catalyzed an urgent dialogue about what society can do to ensure that children are kept safe from such perilous situations in the future. The investigation into this troubling case is ongoing. DPS is appealing to the public for any additional information that could assist in their inquiry, emphasizing the importance of community vigilance in preventing such incidents from occurring again. Related Article: Pediatrician Reveals Risk of Underage Drinking Photo: (Photo : Sam Moghadam Khamseh on Unsplash) A new beauty phenomenon, dubbed 'Barbie Botox,' has exploded on TikTok, capturing the attention of millions. The hashtag now boasts over 7 million views, with numerous videos showing the procedure performed in aesthetic clinics. The trend caught fire after Isabelle Lux, a 32-year-old content creator, shared her personal experience of undergoing the treatment, garnering more than 250,000 views. Lux, who credits herself for coining the term, has helped transform what was initially a medical procedure into a popular cosmetic treatment. Medical Roots of 'Barbie Botox' While Botox is not new to the beauty industry, its application in the trapezius muscles was initially for medical reasons-to relieve severe muscle tension causing migraines and neck strain. However, in the ever-changing landscape of beauty trends, the procedure has found a new off-label purpose. "Injecting Botox into the muscle stops its connection to the nerve. Over time, this results in muscle paralysis and shrinkage," explains Dr. Parisha Acharya, a leading cosmetic doctor at the renowned Waterhouse Young clinic in London. However, the treatment comes with a hefty price tag, often costing upwards of $1,200. Beyond financial considerations, there are also medical risks to ponder. Dr. Acharya warns that incorrect administration can result in permanent muscle paralysis, and the toxin might even migrate from the injection site, causing additional complications. For Lux, the days following the treatment were filled with anxiety. She experienced significant tension and pain, causing her to question her decision. Lux's transformation has stirred a variety of opinions online, some criticizing her for reinforcing beauty standards that they consider harmful. She vehemently defends her choice: "There's nothing wrong with wanting to enhance your features. It's not anti-feminist or a waste of money if it boosts your self-confidence." However, medical professionals like Dr. Acharya express serious concerns about the trending topic, particularly its popularity among younger audiences. "The fact that an unregulated industry can perform such a risky procedure, potentially by people with no clinical experience, is a significant concern," she says. Read Also: Can Moms Get Botox While Breastfeeding? Surge in Minimally Invasive Procedures The phenomenon can be seen as part of a larger trend. According to a 2021 survey by The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, minimally invasive procedures like Botox have seen a 54.4% increase since 2017. Moreover, projections suggest the global facial injectable market could more than double by 2032, reaching an astonishing $36.8 billion. The debate over 'Barbie Botox' also raises questions about feminism and body autonomy. While Lux sees the procedure as a liberating choice, Dr. Acharya views it as a step backward, especially since the latest Barbie movie promotes feminist values. "The idea that we should strive for doll-like features detracts from the message that we should embrace our natural selves," she argues. As Isabelle Lux plans her next 'Barbie Botox' session, the world watches and debates. The trend offers a fascinating yet cautionary tale of how beauty standards evolve and how social media can both empower and endanger. As the procedure gains momentum, medical professionals urge extreme caution, pushing for more regulations and clinical oversight. Amidst the viral craze, the core question remains: how far are we willing to go for beauty, and at what risk? Related Article: Artificial Intelligence VS. Botox: Can AI Technology Make Humans More Beautiful? Photo: (Photo : ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images) Elon Musk, the tech billionaire known for his revolutionary ventures in electric cars and space travel, has recently been under the spotlight, not for his innovations, but for a deeply personal matter. A forthcoming biography on Musk by Walter Isaacson reveals intimate details about his relationship with his trans-daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, and how their estrangement is partly attributed to her progressive education. The Fallout: Musk Learns of Daughter's Transition Through Third Party Jenna, who underwent a significant life transition, both in terms of her gender identity and personal beliefs, decided to legally change her name in 2022. This personal revelation wasn't directly communicated to Musk, who instead learned about it through a third party. The impact of this revelation was profound. According to Isaacson, Musk, who has faced several personal and professional challenges, was deeply pained by this development, even likening the emotional impact to the tragic loss of his infant child, Nevada, years ago. This strained relationship, however, is not just a tale of a father and daughter growing apart. It's intricately tied to Musk's beliefs about society's progressive shift, or what he terms the 'woke mind virus'. Musk, known for his candidness, believes that this cultural shift is "anti-science, anti-merit, and anti-human in general." His apprehensions revolve around the idea that, if this trend continues unchecked, it will hinder human civilization's progress, especially his dream of establishing a multi-planetary society. The woke mind virus is either defeated or nothing else matters Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 12, 2022 But where does this sentiment come from? Musk attributes part of this ideological shift in his daughter to Crossroads, a progressive school she attended in Los Angeles. He believes that Institutions like Crossroads and platforms like Twitter (now X under his ownership) have been amplifying progressive ideologies over conservative ones. However, a 2022 study from the University of Pennsylvania suggests otherwise, showing that platforms like X might actually favor conservative voices. Musk's concerns aren't limited to just vocalizing his disagreement. Since taking over Twitter and rebranding it to X, he has taken active measures against what he perceives as the spread of the "woke mind virus", including suspending prominent journalists. Furthermore, Musk's posts on X display a stark stance against transgender rights, an ironic and controversial choice considering his daughter's own transition journey. In one of his polarizing posts, Musk championed the idea that minors can't consent to severe, irreversible changes", referring to gender-affirming treatments. This view contrasts sharply with the stance of major medical institutions, which affirm the benefits and safety of gender-affirming care for minors. Read Also: Elon Musk and Grimes are New Parents Once More: Secretly Welcome Baby Girl, Y, via Surrogate Gender-Affirming Care: A Controversial Public Standoff While many see Musk's statements as a reflection of his personal strife, they undeniably resonate with a significant portion of society, including figures like right-wing commentator Jordan Peterson. Their shared sentiments, while alarming to some, underscore a broader societal debate about gender, identity, education, and the influence of technology on these discussions. The revelations from Isaacson's biography provide a complex look into Musk's personal life, but more importantly, they spotlight the intricate web of personal beliefs, familial relationships, societal progress, and the challenges that come with navigating these interconnected realms. As society grapples with rapid cultural and technological changes, stories like Musk's serve as a reminder of the deeply personal ways in which these shifts impact individuals and families, prompting essential conversations about understanding, acceptance, and the future direction of societal values. Related Article: Elon Musk Unmasked as Empathic Dad in Emails to Father of Teen Who Died in Tesla Car Crash Photo: (Photo : David Ryder / Getty Images) A heartbreaking incident unfolded in Wallingford, Seattle, as a fatal house fire claimed the lives of four individuals, tragically including a child and an infant. The shocking turn of events began with an 11-year-old child's distress call, alerting authorities to the devastating blaze that had engulfed her home. The Seattle Police Department (SPD) and the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) swiftly responded to the scene, launching a joint effort to understand the grim circumstances surrounding this tragic incident. Distress Call Leads to Devastating Scene In the early hours of a Saturday morning, the tranquility of Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood was shattered by a distress call from a courageous 11-year-old child. At approximately 8:40 a.m. PDT, the child reached out to authorities, conveying the presence of a deceased individual within her own home. The somber discovery hinted at a horrific situation, as the child provided details of her escape through a window and her subsequent call for help from a neighbor's residence. As the SPD responded to what was initially reported as a shooting incident, they were met with a scene far more devastating. Instead of a crime scene, they found a fatal house fire that had consumed the residence. The intensity of the fire had rendered the front door inaccessible, impeding the officers' efforts to enter the building. Recognizing the dire situation, the SFD was summoned to combat the relentless blaze, escalating the response to a two-alarm fire. Community Unites in Grief and Hope The SFD's firefighters worked tirelessly to control the blaze, finally achieving success shortly before 9:40 a.m. The fire's containment provided an opportunity for responders to enter the scorched remains of the house, revealing the tragic aftermath. Two adult bodies were discovered-one near the front of the house and the other toward the back. The heartbreaking discovery didn't end there, as the remains of an infant, a child, and even a beloved pet dog were also found amidst the wreckage. The Seattle Police Chief, Adrian Diaz, faces the challenging task of confirming the identities and ages of the victims. As the SPD and SFD continue their efforts to uncover the truth behind the fatal house fire, they collaborate to piece together the sequence of events that led to this heartbreaking tragedy. A dedicated team of arson investigators and bomb unit experts has been deployed to determine the cause and origin of the fire, seeking to provide answers to a community grappling with the shock of the incident. Read Also: Texas's New Law Mandates Child Support Payments From Drunken Drivers Who Cause Parental Deaths Support for the Survivor Amidst the grief that has enveloped Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood, the bravery of the 11-year-old child who alerted authorities stands as a beacon of hope. The community has rallied behind her, offering resources and assistance to aid her in coping with the trauma she has experienced. Seattle Police Chief Diaz emphasized the importance of extending the necessary support to the young survivor, who demonstrated immense strength in the face of adversity. As Seattle mourns the lives lost in this unthinkable tragedy, the city remains united in its determination to find answers and closure. With the investigation ongoing, the community seeks justice for the victims, vowing to honor their memory as they strive to prevent further tragedies of this nature. In the midst of sorrow, Seattle's resilience shines through, reflecting a community that will stand strong and united in the face of adversity. Related Article: Texas Abolishes "Tampon Tax" Along with Taxes on Other Essential Family Products This article of mine inspired by the heartbreaking recent events in the former Maui town of Lahaina appeared yesterday in Meridian Magazine: Losing an Earthly Paradise. For us, flying out of Provo (and back into Provo) is about as good as it gets, flying-wise. Just a few minutes on surface streets (no freeway travel required, no traffic jams risked). The airport is small but clean and new. The lines range from manageable to non-existent. Security is quick and efficient. So is luggage retrieval. There are no interminably long walks to and from the gate. Its enough to make flying pleasant again. Or, at least, not something to dread. Although there are only limited flights and destinations available through Provo, I would heartily recommend it to anybody living in Utah Valley who can make it work. So far, by contrast, I very much dislike the new Salt Lake Airport which, in deep self-pity, Ive termed WAI-US, for Worst Airport in the United States. After a long and tiring series of flights from, say, Tel Aviv or Sydney, its disheartening to have to hike in from a far-distant arrival gate to a still-empty baggage carousel, accompanied along the route by an instrumental rendition of Pioneer children sang as they walked, and walked, and walked over the airports sound system. (Maybe I was only imagining that last part?) A while back, I saw a discussion (or, perhaps more accurately, an instance of what often passes there for a discussion) over at an overtly anti-Mormon (and very largely, though not entirely, atheistic) message board. It focused on the golden plates that were purportedly connected with the Book of Mormon. I found it amusing for a number of reasons, but one of the principal reasons for my amusement is that these are people who (Ive observed them for years) proudly insist on their uniquely powerful commitment to evidence and rationality. (I wont bother to note, below, where supporting evidence for the discussants claims is absent because non-existent. Its every single time.) Here are some of the highlights of the conversation, such as it was: We have only Joseph Smiths word for the existence of those plates. (See Witnesses of the Book of Mormon.) If God were really involved, he would have made the plates available to absolutely everybody. (See dubious assumption.) Agreeing [!] with the first assertion, above, another rejects the testimony of the Three Witnesses. Martin Harris was delusional. Martin Harris had experienced many delusions and cannot be trusted. (See Martin Harris: Skeptic or Gullible Dupe?) David Whitmer was delusional. David Whitmer was too proud to admit that he had been fooled. Oliver Cowdery was in on the conspiracy and was a conscious fraud. All of the Three Witnesses had strong, self-interested reasons for making their false claims. Martin Harris didnt claim to have seen the plates with his literal, physical eyes. Scholars cant examine the plates because there never were any plates. The fact that there were two groups of Witnesses (the Three and the Eight) indicates that there were no plates at all. (I know. I dont understand the reasoning either.) The overwhelming majority of Earths inhabitants have failed to accept the Book of Mormon, and this corroborates the nonexistence of the plates. The Book of Mormon was written in imitation Bible English. (On that purported Bible English, see the work of Stan Carmack and Royal Skousen.) What continually surprises me about such assertions is the sheer baseless confidence with which theyre laid down, not only as if there were conclusive evidence to prove them true which, to put it mildly, there is not but as if, and Im again being modest here, there werent considerable evidence calling them into serious question. Take, for example, the recurring claim to which I responded (yet again!) yesterday, that the plates of the Book of Mormon didnt exist because Joseph Smith couldnt have run while carrying them because they were too heavy. I noticed it on the Peterson Obsession Board three or four days ago, and now Im told that its trending on TikTok. To some significant degree, it was to make it more difficult (even, if you will, to make it more publicly embarrassing) for people to utter such dubious assertions as if they were self-evidently true, as if they required neither supporting evidence nor logical analysis, that we undertook the Witnesses film project. Im a realist, though. I know that anti-Mormon claims offer some of the best examples on this side of the veil for the possibility of eternal life: My much-lamented late friend Bill Hamblin and I long dreamed of doing a movie called Bill and Dans Excellent Adventure in Anti-Mormon Zombie Hell, because, even when you shoot them in the head, squarely between the eyes, such claims often just keep coming at you as if nothing had happened. One of the denizens of the Obsession Board has just challenged defenders of the faith to just try running with such an object as the plates. But we have. Its been done. And we have video of it, which appears during the first few minutes of the Witnesses theatrical film. That film is is now available not only on DVD and Blu-ray but via streaming at Living Scriptures, Deseret Video+, Apple, Google, and Amazon. There is literally no excuse for critics of the Restoration to continue peddling their discredited claim, which is not only demonstrably false but which has been demonstrated false. Much of this effort was inspired by the remarkable work of the late Richard Lloyd Anderson, the pioneering, preeminent scholar of the Book of Mormon Witnesses to whose memory the Witnesses dramatic film was dedicated. The project has also produced short video reels on directly related subjects as well as a two-part docudrama, Undaunted: Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, and the Witnesses of the Book of Mormon website. Brother Anderson, who earned a law degree from Harvard before receiving a doctorate in ancient history from the University of California at Berkeley, remains one of the finest and most consequential scholars ever produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And his classic book Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1981) remains one of the best and most important books ever published on the history of the Restoration. In this book, Professor Anderson subjects the Book of Mormon witnesses to meticulous examination. And they emerge from the process as sane, lucid, honest, reliable men a fact of perfectly enormous importance because of the way their testimony directly corroborates central claims of Joseph Smith and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Brother Anderson wrote many other indispensable articles on the Witnesses and on other significant topics both before and after Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses was published. These are available online (though perhaps no longer available at the redirected, post-2012 Maxwell Institute website), including but not limited to Attempts to Redefine the Experience of the Eight Witnesses, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14/1 (2005): 1831; Personal Writings of the Book of Mormon Witnesses, in Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins, ed. Noel B. Reynolds (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1997), 3960; and The Credibility of the Book of the Mormon Translators, in Book of Mormon Authorship: New Light on Ancient Origins, ed. Noel B. Reynolds and Charles D. Tate (Provo, UT: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1982), 21337. But Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses remains, I think, the best place to start on this vital subject. Posted from Scottsdale, Arizona BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. Competitions and trainings continue in the Azerbaijani Army in connection with the start of the new training period, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. "In accordance with the plan, the units, having left the points of permanent deployment, are moving to training centers and training grounds. The main purpose of the competitions is to improve the knowledge and skills of servicemen, as well as to maintain a high level of combat training," the ministry said. Earlier on August 24, the servicemen of the Azerbaijan Army participated in the multinational Agile Spirit 2023 military exercise held in Tbilisi, Georgia. The main emphasis in the international exercises was placed on ensuring combat coordination in the course of interoperability actions, the exchange of experience, the improvement of professionalism, and the combat skills of military personnel. The Ghana Minerals Income Investment Fund is defying the odds and the general economic downturn plaguing the world by its meteoric rise in just 18 months. From a circa US$125 million dollars in October 2021, the Assets Under Management (AUM) for the fund is set to reach the One-billion-dollar mark by January of 2024 making it one of the fastest-growing specialised funds in the world over the same period. The growth trajectory of the Fund is attributed to the hard work of the entire team at MIIF. They have powered this incredible rise in the last 18- months. The key issues for us, as a Fund is keeping fidelity to the founding law and the Presidents vision to create long-term sustainable value for Ghanaians. We have been able to build the AUM by innovatively expanding our royalties base, the performance of the gold sector, strategic investments, good asset allocation and our treasury management says Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng, the Chief Executive Officer. According to Mr. Koranteng, Ghana has been the heartbeat of West African mining for centuries and currently the number one gold producer on the continent. The industry is however seen as not having met its promise of bringing long term prosperity and opportunity to Ghana. It is on this premise that the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, envisioned the setup of the Minerals Income Investment Fund through an Act of Parliament (Act 978) in 2018 to manage all of Government of Ghanas equity interests in mining companies, manage and invest royalties and dividends received from all minerals into selective investments across the entire mining value chain and to develop and implement measures to reduce the budgetary exposure of the Republic to minerals income fluctuations. The Presidents Charge Hopeful this Fund, when properly managed and selectively invested, will over the period of time erase that image and give us a new architecture in the mining industry which includes significant Ghanaian players. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo In October 2021, President Akufo Addo appointed a new Board of Directors for MIIF chaired by Professor Douglas Boateng, a Professor Extraordinaire in Supply Chain Management and Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng, a lawyer and an investment banker with experience covering Ghana, United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa as Chief Executive Officer of the Fund. The President charged us to create long term value for Ghanaians. Create a conducive investment environment around the participation of Ghanaians in the mining sector and to make Ghanaians the primary beneficiaries of the natural resources God has bestowed on our dear motherland. These words underpin the objectives of the Fund and are fundamental in the way we approach business, says Edward Koranteng. Getting the fundamentals right Expanding the royalties base The main sources of income for the Fund are royalties and dividend payments. Royalties from the minerals are however the most constant with gold responsible for about 93% of all royalties. Ghana has about 15 royalties paying minerals including gold. The initial challenge for the Fund was on how to expand the royalties net which apart from large scale gold was unimpressive. The Fund in this vein developed two main initiatives. Inter Agency Framework and Committee The Fund in expanding the royalties base from non-gold minerals such as manganese, salt, sand winning, limestone and quarrying activities established an inter-agency framework and task force. This task force is made up of GRA, MDF, Ghana Standards Authority, Minerals Commission and EOCO. The framework is part of the strategic thrust of MIIF to enhance the collection of royalties, expand the royalties net and streamline communication on royalty payments from non-gold mining companies. Since the initiative started in December 2021, MIIF, for the first time in its history, receives royalties from sand winners, salt and silver. Royalties from quarries and limestone activities have surged over 105% and 125% respectively. Royalty tracking system The Fund has also developed an in-house geo mapping and monitoring system which allows a real time view of mining activities from selected mines in Ghana. This allows tracking of mining companies and payment of royalties on time with the support of the Inter Agency. Developing a sector Beyond Gold Gold is very important because it represents about 93% of our royalties admits Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng. The Fund has invested US$ 40 Million in Asante Gold Corporation which is listed in Canada, Germany and now on the Ghana Stock Exchange. Asante owns the prolific Bibiani gold mine and the Chirano gold mine which used to be owned by Kinross of Canada. The investment in Asante has contributed to the highest Ghanaian stake in any international mine with an over 40% Ghanaian ownership. MIIF is however developing initiatives and investment programs to support the development of the other 16 mineral types in Ghana. To achieve the objective of developing a value laden integrated mining sector which would bring long term sustainable value to Ghanaians, it is important that MIIF directs/ investment in these mineral sectors and across their individual value chains. The core really, is for us to diversify the mineral base where we get our royalties. We are not just looking at the mineral space, we are looking at the entire value chain. As such, MIIF has developed a strategy for every mineral type in a bid to extensively develop and invest in that minerals value delivery system. Ghana can only transform if we hold significant equity positions across the entire value chain for each single mineral -Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng. The Salt Opportunity Industrial salt is one such mineral if well-developed across its value chain could generate at least US$1 billion in direct revenue every year. At Ada, which is a coastal town in Ghana, the Songhor Salt pans sits on 41,000 acres and can become the biggest producing facility in Africa. The Walvis Bay in Namibia which is the largest in sub-Saharan Africa at 16,700 acres produces circa 950,000 tons per annum. Mr. Koranteng stated that, the value of salt is in value addition with over 14,000 uses covering oil and gas, mining, food processing, pharmaceuticals, caustic soda, preservatives, textiles, bicarbonate soda etc. Industrial salt is projected to become a US$49 Billion market in 2030. Mr. Koranteng emphasised that salt is a priority mineral and the development of the Ada enclave would be transformative for the Ada community and Ghana as a whole. He said, the Nigerian demand is circa 800,000 tons per annum but imports from Brazil because of the slow development of Ada Songhor in particular which is the only enclave in West Africa with potential purity of 99.9% industrial salt. A portion of the Ada Songhor salt pans is being developed by Electrochem Ghana with the company having invested over US$60 Million on its own and already constructed the largest salt loading bay in Africa with a long-term projected outlook of circa 2 Million tons of industrial salt per year. MIIF is investing up to GHC 300 million in equity with a condition for the company to be listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange. The Lithium Opportunity According to Mr. Koranteng, the global lithium market size is currently valued at about US$38 billion and projected to grow to US$ 90 Billion in 2030. The market value is estimated at US$ 8.2 Billion with estimated growth at US$22.6 Billion by 2030. Lithium is a transformative mineral of high security and strategic importance for Ghana especially in the light of global decarbonization towards green energy. Mr. Koranteng indicated that, MIIF is at an advanced stage in finalising a significant equity investment stake in the Australian and UK listed Atlantic Lithium which is developing the Ewoyaa lithium finds in Ghana. The Ewoyaa project which will be Ghanas first lithium mine operation. It will produce 3.6 million tonnes of spodumene concentrate over a 12-year life with first production targeted for end 2024. The Ewoyaa project has a post-tax net present value (at 8% discount) of $1.5 billion, with free cash flow of $2.4 billion from life of mine revenues of $6.6 billion and an internal rate of return of 105%. MIIF is investing circa $35 Million in the Ewoyaa lithium space with further plan to invest in value addition components such as chemical plants in line with Ghanas proposed Critical Minerals Policy. The Fund will eventually invest in the development of the ceramic sector through the mineral feldspar (by-product of lithium) aimed at supporting strictly Ghanaian offtake and a Ghana ceramics development plan. Formalising the Future of Ghanas Gold and the Creation of a mining financial eco-system The Small Scale Mining Incubation Program (SSMIP) The Small-Scale Mining Incubation Program (SSMIP) is an investment package designed to help support the small-scale gold mining sector. The licensed small-scale sector contributes up to 40% of the total gold output of Ghana and employs more than 10% of the working population. The MIIF Small-Scale Mining Incubation Program is an equity investment in the form of capital support, mining equipment, gold traceability mechanisms, imbuing beneficiary firms with proper corporate governance principles, exacting responsible mining methods to forestall environmental degradation as well as the provision of a ready offtake market through the MIIF Gold Trade Desk for the licensed miners. According to the Chief Technical Officer and Head of Operations at MIIF, Mr Kwabena Barning, This initiative will be the most revolutionary in artisanal mining in Africa. Mr Koranteng emphasized the belief that the SSMIP has the potential to triple the small-scale output which is currently around US$ 2 Billion a year. The objective of the SSMIP is to develop the creation of Ghanaian mid-tier gold mining companies, which would lead to the formalization of the sector with an attendant impact on eradicating illegal mining. In addition, this program plans to move beneficiary companies from their artisanal status to high performing junior mines which can be listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange. The pilot phase of this project has begun with an initial investment outlay of US$ 30 Million with a plan to cover over 100 companies in the next five years. Developing the capital market In March 2023, MIIF executed an MOU with the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE). The MoU was signed with the view to establish a practical framework to set forth the procedures to create an alternative asset class and promote the trade in minerals securities on any of the GSEs markets. In line with this MOU, MIIF shall endeavor to have all investments listed on the GSE. MIIF contributed immensely to having Asante Gold listed on the GSE and is currently working on investments in lithium, an advanced exploratory gold mine, salt and probably Kaolin with the intention to have these listed on the GSE. MIIF Gold backed ETF to be listed on the GSE The Fund is developing a gold backed ETF with the support of the GSE. This will be the second listed ETF after the ABSA South Africa New Gold ETF which has been trading on the GSE. The MIIF gold backed ETF would be a spin off from the incubation program and backed by actual gold. The plan is to list the MIIF ETF in the first quarter of 2024. Capacity Building and Human Resource Development MIIF has developed a corporate social investment policy covering primarily education, health and resource capacity building. In this vein, MIIF is sponsoring the construction of the Technical Building of the University of Mines and Technology in Tarkwa. The Technical Building shall also include a jewelry making training center as part of the Funds objective of developing the gold value chain and get Ghana tapping into the US$650 Million global jewelry market. In line with resource development, MIIF from 2024 January will be supporting a women in mining scholarship scheme for less privileged girls from the mining communities seeking to study at UMAT at both undergraduate or post graduate levels. The aim is to support up to 50 girls per cycle from the mining communities. Investing in Local Content The real value in mining according to Mr Koranteng, through which Ghana could transform is for there to be significant Ghanaian equity positions in not only the mining companies but the entire supply chain or value chain. The recent local content directive under LI 2173, 2012 has virtually created a potential $5 Billion dollar economy under which 58 items for mining companies must be sourced locally. These provisions provide opportunities for manufacturing of mining components in Ghana, the creation of an expansive value chain, a complete Ghanaian indigenised mining contracting sector which hitherto was controlled by foreigners. MIIF is developing investment product programs to inject equity in some of the major opportunities such as heavy mining. On the small scale and micro supplies level however, MIIF has injected GHS25 Million into the Injaro Private Equity Fund which provides a conduit to providing debt to the mining SME and Micro level or sector. This arrangement allows MIIF to cover the mining micro supply chain in line with the Presidents vision. MIIF as a lever for long term development The Chairman of MIIF, Prof Douglas Boateng sums it up, Our task is to be generational in our thinking. What we do is not for us. It is for the future of Ghana. In my view, MIIF is only beginning. With the opportunities in the mining sector, the ability of MIIF to continue to invest will create the difference in the future for generations yet unborn. To change the narrative is extremely important and MIIF has created the muscle to drive the narrative that Ghana surely needs. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video One of the witnesses appearing before the Parliamentary Committee probing the alleged plot to remove the Inspector General of Police from office has said the recording took place on June 19, 2023. Superintendent George L. Asare appearing before the committee on Monday morning [Sept 4] confirmed that the meeting took place at the office of Daniel Bugri Naabu at Osu in Accra. He said it was at the that office that the said meeting between himself [Asare], Bugri Naabu and Commissioner of Police (COP) George Alex Mensah took place during which the said recording was secretly done without they not being aware. He said it was Bugri Naabu who called him to his office for the meeting. Superintendent Asare said the first time he met Bugri Naabu was when his son Prophet Emmanuel took him to his [Naabu's] office at Osu to go and say hello. Bugri Naabu concocted stories against me Supt. Asare Superintendent Asare said Bugri Naabu concocted stories against him [Asare]. He stated that some of the comments attributed to him are the invention of Bugri Naabu and not directly from him. He claimed that he went to Bugri Naabus office on his invitation after the former NPP northern regional chairman informed him that the government was scouting for a new IGP and asked him for recommendations. He added that he made three recommendations to Bugri Naabu, including COP Alex Mensah and COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo Danquah. I went to Mr Naabus office on his invitationafter he told me that the government was looking for a new IGP and asked me for recommendationsI made three recommendations, including COP Alex Mensah, Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah and Christian Tetteh Yuhuno, Supt. Asare said. He also revealed to the Parliamentary Committee that the said meeting which was recorded by Bugri Naabu took place was on June 19, 2023. Supt. Asare is the third witness to appear before the committee. Already, the prime witness, former Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Chief Bugri Naabu has been interrogated by the committee. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Lariba Zuweira Abudu has assured the public that her Ministry will soon remove all beggars and children from the streets. The Minister, speaking in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show Monday morning, expressed worry over the rate at which children and beggars are pouring out in numbers to the streets. She was worried about the dangers involved with them being on the streets and promised her outfit is doing all it can to send these people, most of which are foreigners, back to their various abodes or places of origin. "It's not good," she commented on the influx of these people who accost drivers and pedestrains begging for food and money. She, however, acknowledged the difficulties involved ridding the streets of these people but hinted an inter-ministerial Committee meeting comprising her Ministry, Foreign Affairs and Interior Ministries together with other relevant stakeholders will be held to find a lasting solution to this matter. Nonetheless, she called on the law enforcers to do their job stressing "the law must bite". 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 Joan Quaye-Mensah, the CEO of SixJay Homes, a real estate professional, has been recognized for her outstanding contributions towards the growth of the housing industry. She was honored at the 7th edition of the Forty Under 40 Awards, which took place at the De Icon Events Centre in East Legon - Accra. The recognition is for her dedication and hard work in building and advocating for best business practices in the Real Estate industry. Joan Quaye-Mensah after receiving her award, expressed her deepest gratitude to her family, friends, and, most importantly, her valued clients all over the world. She emphasized that this recognition would inspire her brand to maintain its commitment to providing exceptional customer satisfaction and maintaining the highest quality standards. "Indeed, this is a dream come through. I thank God for how far he has brought me and my company. This demonstrates our unwavering focus on meeting and exceeding customer expectations while adhering to rigorous quality standards", she said. About Joan Quaye-Mensah Joan Quaye-Mensah is a renowned Real Estate Professional with over $800,000 worth of property sales within 4 years of professionalism. She is a member of the Accra Ridge Church visitation team which pays regular visits to hospitals and aged to fellowship and give them support. As a member of the Rotary Club of Accra Industrial, she gives generously to support projects for the deprived and vulnerable in the communities. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, and co-Chair of the Forests and Climate Leaders Partnership (FCLP), Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, MP, has pledged Ghanas commitment to providing leadership for nature-based climate action. He said the climate crisis requires collective action from all countries, and Ghana is ready to partner with other nations, both north and south, to promote nature-based climate action. The Minister said this at the launch of the FCLP working group on Strengthening Supply and Demand of High-Integrity Forest Carbon Credits, on the sidelines of the Africa Climate Summit, underway in Nairobi, Kenya. The Summit is one of four regional climate summits to be held ahead of the twenty-eighth Conference of Parties (COP28) of the United Nations Framework on Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Speaking at the launch, which had in attendance the United States Presidential Envoy on Climate and Co-Chair of the FCLP, Secretary John Kerry, Mr. Jinapor said the Africa Climate Summit is timely, and must be an urgent call for all stakeholders to work together to address the climate crisis. He said forests, which contribute a third of global climate solutions, are crucial to attaining the 1.5 degrees Celsius target. The role of preserving, restoring, and sustainably managing our forests has become paramount in our global mission to mitigate the far-reaching impacts of climate change, the Minister said. He said the FCLP is committed to halting and reversing forest loss and land degradation by 2030, in accordance with the Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forests and Land Use. The Minister announced that a working group, co-led jointly by Ghana, Gabon, Guyana, and the United Kingdom, has been constituted to address High-Integrity Forest Carbon Credit Supply and Demand issues. He said the Group will unveil a roadmap and strategy for fortifying and expanding forest carbon credits by COP28 and COP30, and will include mid-term actions to bolster high-integrity forest carbon finance and the announcement of forest carbon results-based finance transactions. Mr. Jinapor said Ghana will continue to play a lead role in this Group and the broader FCLP, to accelerate nature-based climate action. He called on all nations, and all stakeholders, to join hands with Ghana to usher in a new era of sustainable forest management and climate resilience for global climate action. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Mampong Akuapem Traditional Council has imposed a noise ban in preparation for this year's Ohum Odwira festival, effective from Monday, September 4, 2023. The ban, which will last for two weeks, encompasses all activities involving noise-making, including funerals. Nana Yirenkyi I, the Mampong Akuapem Apesemakehene, revealed this information during a media briefing. He emphasized the importance of adhering to the ban and warned that anyone who defied the directive would face consequences. The traditional council, in collaboration with the Mampong police, will ensure strict enforcement of the ban to maintain the tranquility required for the festival's observance The Ohum Odwira festival is a prominent and culturally significant celebration observed by the Akuapem people of Ghana, particularly in the Akuapem Traditional Area, which includes towns and villages like Mampong Akuapem, Akropong, and Aburi. This festival is celebrated annually to commemorate the rich history, traditions, and heritage of the Akuapem people. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Deputy Director for Special Duties for the National Democratic Congress, Brogya Genfi has admonished the party youth to pray for a resounding victory for the Vice President, Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia in the NPP Presidential Primaries on November 4th 2023. The vibrant youth activist was addressing the party youth in Ejura Sekyeredumase Constituency when he said "... pray for Bawumia to win the NPP Presidential primaries on November 4th because he's the one we are prepared for...". He continued that "...the Vice President has caused more harm to the country but we can be at least benevolent at this point by praying for him to win the primaries. Let us pray he gives Kennedy Agyepong and Co a real showdown." The youth program was attended by some gurus in the party including the Ashanti Regional Chairman and Secretary of the party, the Regional Youth Organizer and Deputy, the National Organizer, Deputy General Secretary and Deputy National Youth Organizer as well as the newly appointed Director for Inter party/CSOs relations. The Member of Parliament for Ejura Sekyeredumase, Hon. Mohammed Bawa Braimah who chaired the program called on the youth to work hard to ensure another term victory for the party in the constituency in 2024. 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 Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was at the Manhyia Palace last weekend to celebrate the Akwasidae Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the King of the Asante Kingdom. The event took place on September 3, 2023. Dressed in traditional kente cloth, Dr. Bawumia was accompanied to the Manhyia Palace by a delegation including some party officials. During the event, the Vice President expressed his gratitude for the blessings he received from Otumfuo during the Party's Super Delegates Conference held on August 26. He acknowledged the role Otumfuo's blessings played in his victory during the conference. "I came in peace, and today being Akwasidae, I came for a visit and to celebrate with him (Otumfuo). Again, I came here initially to ask for his blessing when I was going to contest for the flagbearership of the NPP. He blessed me, and God also blessed his blessing, which materialized for me to win the contest on August 26, 2023." The Vice President emphasized that his journey was not merely one of gratitude. He conveyed his need for Otumfuo's continued blessings and prayers as he prepares for the final stage of the NPP's presidential elections, where he will face four other candidates. "We have another contest coming again on the 4th of November, where we are going to elect the flagbearer, and I still need his blessing. So, I came to ask for his blessing and inform him about it, that he may give me his blessings and show me the way to clinch victory. I thank you so much, and may God bless you." During the NPP super delegates election held on August 26, 2023, Bawumia garnered 629 votes representing 68.15 percent of the total votes cast. In second place was Assin Central lawmaker, Kennedy Agyapong who polled 132 votes representing 14.30 percent while Alan Kyerematen polled 95 votes representing 10.29 percent. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto secured the fourth spot with 36 votes representing 3.90%. The final round, slated for November this year, will determine the substantive candidate of the NPP for the presidential election ahead of the 2024 general elections. The incorruptible @MBawumia joined Asenteman to celebrate with Otumfuo at Akwasidae. Asenteman loves Bawumia pic.twitter.com/85ccIgKEC9 Abdul Rauf Ibrahim (@AbdulRaufIbra20) September 3, 2023 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 Nkrabea Effah ffah Dartey, has voiced skepticism about New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopeful Alan Kyerematen's prospects in the NPP upcoming delegates congress. Speaking in an interview on Neat FM on September 1, 2023, he expressed surprise that Kennedy Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central beat Alan in the super delegates contest. I predicted Bawumia to win, followed by Alan Kyerematen, Kennedy Agyapong, and Dr. Afriyie Akoto. "However, the manner in which Kennedy defeated Alan Kyerematen surprised me. To be honest, I was shocked, but after doing some analysis, I realized Kennedy Agyapong is the one to watch since he tried to act like the Donald Trump of Ghana. "Unfortunately, it appears that Alan Kyerematen, because he has contested for the past 20 years, it appears his time is over, this is the way I look at it, he said. He argued that Agyapong's victory was even more unexpected considering him being a first-time contender in the race. He added "Apart from Alhaji Bawumia, the next choice is Kennedy Agyapong because he beat Alan with over 30 votes, but Alan previously was considered the heir apparent, he went to greet Otumfuo and the other traditional councils, he created an impression that he was the NPP incoming president but Alhaji Bawumia has beaten him and Kennedy Agyapong, first timer has beaten him, so, right now the question is, who is Alan Kyerematen representing? "That is why, based on the dynamics, I will be very surprised if Alan wins the November 4 election." During the NPP super delegates election held on August 26, 2023, Bawumia garnered 629 votes representing 68.15 percent of the total votes cast. In second place was Assin Central lawmaker, Kennedy Agyapong who polled 132 votes representing 14.30 percent while Alan Kyerematen polled 95 votes representing 10.29 percent. This round of voting reduced the pool of contenders from 10 to five. The final round, slated for November this year, will determine the substantive candidate of the NPP for the presidential election ahead of the 2024 general elections. 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 BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. As part of the NATO's Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP), National Defense University of Azerbaijan hosted training on improvement of teachers-instructors, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. "The main purpose of the conducted training is to train leading instructors, to improve the knowledge and skills of the teaching staff of the National Defense University. It should be noted that the training will last until September 8," the ministry said. Back in July, a delegation led by Major General Stefan Fix, Headquarters Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFC Brunssum) Deputy Chief of Staff for Support, visited Baku in accordance with the Individual Partnership Cooperation Program for 2023. The delegation paid a visit to Azerbaijan's National Defense University. Major General Stefan Fix noted that the reforms carried out in the Azerbaijan Army have demonstrated their results in all fields, including the field of military education. The Minority caucus in parliament has filed its affidavit to oppose the Greater Accra Regional Police Commands injunction application against their planned protest against the Bank of Ghana Governor and his deputies. The affidavit was filed by their lawyers on Friday, September 1, at the registry of the Accra High Court. The Greater Accra Regional Police Command on Wednesday filed for an injunction against the Minoritys proposed routes for the protest. The NDC MPs are seeking to march on Tuesday, September 5, from Makola, through Rawlings Park and Opera Square to the frontage of the Bank of Ghana. The march is aimed at getting the Bank of Ghana Governor and his two deputies to resign from office due to the over GH60.8 billion losses the central bank recorded in 2022. However, the police argue that the route is often overcrowded with human and vehicular traffic, thus going by that route could endanger public order, public safety and the running of essential services. They had proposed an alternate route starting from Parliament House through the Osu Cemetery Traffic Light to end at Independence Square, which the Minority rejected. The injunction, which will be heard on September 4 is to prevent the Minority from using their preferred route. Already, the Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has slammed the police for the move. He described the police action as a breach of trust and expressed utter disappointment in their conduct. We received a letter on Wednesday from the Ghana Police Service accompanied by a bailiff from the Accra High Court who served a notice or motion for an order to prohibit our Bank of Ghana protest, and we must say that we are very disappointed with this development which is an attempt to scatter the protest which is intended to hold the Governor and his deputies accountable for their mismanagement of the bank which resulted in an unprecedented and colossal loss of GH60.8 billion, an amount which has had serious consequences on the economy and pushed close to one million Ghanaians into poverty. And let us assure the people of Ghana that, as representatives, we will keep our sacred duty and we will uphold the public interest in line with our constitutionally guaranteed right to publicly protest, and we want to assure the people of Ghana that we have resolved to embark on this protest and nothing will stop us he noted. Speaking in an interview in Accra, the Bawku Central MP Mahama Ayariga insisted that their demonstration poses no security threat to the public. He added that the police has demonstrated bad faith as they have been engaging them throughout their plan for the protest. A very good law can be used injuriously by very bad people. The Public Order Act as the name suggest is to ensure public order, but please you need to establish that there is a real threat and this is a protest march that we have not heard one single Ghanaian say that they are going to challenge the protesters with a counter demonstration, so there is really no threat he emphasized. 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. Clement Apaak, a member of Parliament for Builsa South, has defended former President John Dramanis comments about President Akufo-Addos cronies in the judiciary. The MP asserts that the former president and presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) stated the truth. NDC presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama accused the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of deliberately appointing cronies to the judiciary, claiming that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has deliberately appointed the most judges to ensure his bidding is carried out when he is out of office. The president acted in this way to avoid accountability for the corruption that has plagued his administration, Mr. Mahama said. Addressing the closing ceremony of the 3rd Annual Lawyers Conference of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Saturday, September 2, Mr. Mahama said Currently, the judiciary is packed with NPP-inclined judges because this government has carried out a deliberate policy of putting their people onto the bench. He has appointed the biggest number of judges onto the bench, it is more than 80 towards 100 and counting. You can see what the current president has done. He has packed the court, and we know they have packed the court because they want to avoid accountability after they have left office. To address this challenge, he has asked members to take up careers on the bench to balance out the judiciary. So, I encourage some of you to look at careers on the bench so that we can balance out what the current situation is. We must be prepared as NDC legal persons to also go onto the bench so that we can balance out the judiciary, he urged. Dr. Apaak defended the former presidents comments, stating that Ghanas democracy is on the verge of collapse due to the mismanagement and incompetence of the current administration. He acknowledged the accuracy of the comments. He criticized those who disagree with his comments as hypocrites, stating that such individuals will continue to face challenges under this administration. He affirmed that the President has appointed card-bearing members to the bench, which poses a threat to our democracy. Nothing wrong with the comments made by JM regarding the current state of our judiciary. Is it not a fact that NADAA has packed the bench; appointed card carrying NPP members as judges? Until the hypocrisy stops our democracy will continue to be on the brink of collapse. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has predicted a 75 per cent victory for Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in the November 4 New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership race. In a radio interview on Accra based Okay FM on Monday morning, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said he was confident that Dr. Bawumia will lead the NPP as the flagbearer into the 2024 general elections. Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also the Member of Parliament for Suame in Kumasi said: "I am convinced and persuaded in my mind that next time, when the contest comes on, the least the man [Bawumia] can have is 75% nationwide." He said the qualities, experience and leadership skills of Vice President Bawumia puts him ahead in the race. Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu suggested that the other contestants should step down, since Dr Bawumia will carry majority of the votes. He appealed to the other contestants to be mindful of their choice words in their campaign and after the election. Reacting to Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu's comment, Hopeson Adorye, a member of the Alan Kyerematen campaign team said it was wrong for the Majority Leader to openly declare his support for the Vice President, especially as he was a member of the NPP Executive Committee and National Council that stated clearly that no leader should openly endorse a candidate. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Popular comedian, OB Amponsah is warning of the possible collapse of Ghanas comedy industry if the sector is deprived of the requisite support from various stakeholders. In a long post on Facebook yesterday, September 1, the headline artiste of Popular But Broke noted that despite the industry boasting of exceptional talent, it is still struggling to find its feet. Giving followers a better picture of his claims, OB disclosed prominent comedians like himself and Lekzy Decomic still struggle, and in most cases, dont even get sponsors to support their shows even though they have a good record of filling auditoriums such as the National Theatre. Also, the standup comedy industry in Ghana is a struggling one. Severely lacking funding even with exceptional talents that can sell anywhere. Let me paint a picture of the industry now. We have a registered association now Gh Comedians Network. We have tried our best to establish a running comedy club every Thursday at 2927 pub. We have tried tertiary school tours (ValleyView University and HTU). Almost every one of these young comedians have their individual comedy specials. Our efforts spill over to other countries and so we are invited to perform at shows in Rwanda, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland, Nigeria. Bro, we even have a full 20 minute feature on CNN about comedy in Ghana. Look at how many comedy shows have happened from January to September. The beautiful picture painted above, will collapse in no time mainly because of severe lack in funding and lack of stakeholders interest. Me and Lekzy can hardly get sponsorship for upcoming shows even after doing a number of shows at the National theater. Because we do not seem to have the skit attracting or bortoss attracting numbers on our socials, we lose out on brand sponsorship and ambassadorial deals, but you all know we are working. We do not take for granted any support we have received so far. But there is a pressing need. The standup comedy industry is standing on wobbly legs. Dont be surprised when it comes crumbling down. Our strength can only reach that far. And when you lose out on a show, because you couldnt secure a visa, you can only smile and bide your time, he stated. OBs post was a follow-up to a previous one, expressing his disappointment over he and colleague, Lekzys inability to honour an invitation to perform at Bloemfontein International Comedy Festival because they couldnt get their visas. However, in a post he later shared on his social media pages, OB expressed his gratitude to people who came to his after sharing his predicament. He, however, disclosed that they couldnt make it to the Bloemfontein International Comedy Festival, which started in South Africa today since they had their visas late yesterday. Thanks to everyone who helped make enquiries and try pull strings on our behalf yesterday. The visa confirmation came late yesterday evening by which time it was a bit too late to process anything; the organiser had found replacements. I believe moving forward, there should be (if not national), an industry conversation about visa acquisition especially within Africa. It is sad to lose out on opportunities like these within your own continent. Whoever is in charge should at least accept the 90 days visa waiver SA is offering us, he stated. 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 An 80-year-old man was hospitalized after he was shot on Monday in South Philadelphia, news sources have reported. The incident took place on the 2600 block of Tasker Street just after 9 a.m. The victim had been shot twice, once in the head and once in the neck. Police found the man and rushed him to a local hospital, where he is listed in critical condition, 6ABC and Fox29 reported. So far, no weapons have been recovered and no arrests have been made. Investigators have also not released a motive or what may have led up to the shooting, according to reports. Read More: Police say that a man upset after losing a game of pool fired a gun into the air. The Lititz Borough Police Department charged Darian Alexander Jaynes, 28, of Philadelphia, with simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. Officers responded to the Parkview Hotel, 25 N. Broad St. in Lititz at 11:29 p.m. Saturday for a weapons call. Police said it was reported that a patron was outside in the parking lot, waving a gun and firing a shot. Police said that they determined that this person was Jaynes but he had already left the area before the arrival of responding officers. Police said that Jaynes was upset over losing a game of pool, exited the establishment, made comments toward other patrons, then fired a single shot into the air while the other patrons were also present in the parking lot. Police later located Jaynes. There were no injuries as a result of this incident, police said. Jaynes has been summoned to appear in district court for a preliminary arraignment and a preliminary hearing. Conagra Brands has recalled 245,366 pounds of frozen meals because they may have small pieces of plastic in them. The Banquet Chicken Strips meals were shipped nationwide and also sold online, according to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service. The meals were produced on on June 20, 2023, July 11, 2023, and July 17, 2023. Details are: Banquet Chicken Strips Meal, 8.9-ounce carton, lot numbers 5009317120, 5009319220 or 5009319820 and best if used by dates of Dec. 11, 2024; Jan. 1, 2025; or Jan. 7, 2025. The establishment number is EST. P-9. The problem was discovered when the firm notified FSIS that it received a consumer complaint of plastic in the chicken strip portion of the product, which resulted in an oral injury associated with consumption of this product, the food safety service said. The meals can be returned to the place of purchase. For more information, call Conagra Brands Consumer Care at 800-921-7404 or send an email to consumer.care@conagra.com. READ MORE: Millions of recalled dehumidifiers linked to 4 deaths in house fires, safety agency says Any gain for Pennsylvania might be a loss for some other state. Still, theres widespread agreement that joining a multi-state licensing compact will bring more nurses to Pennsylvania, even as virtually all other states face their own shortages. Its just taking the existing denominator of nurses and reshuffling them a bit. But Im hoping that a lot of them will want to come to Pennsylvania, says Michele Szkolnicki, the chief nursing officer for Penn State Healths Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. ANCHORAGE, ALaska A pair of Alaska teachers needed good news after they lost nearly all their possessions when their house collapsed into a river swollen by a glacial-outburst flood and their cat went missing. Elizabeth Wilkins was holding onto hope that if any animal would survive the house falling into the Mendenhall River on Aug. 5, it would be Leo, the couples resilient big-eyed, black-and-white cat who shows no fear of bears. I knew that hes pretty smart, and so I felt pretty confident that he would escape and be OK somewhere, she said. That faith paid off 26 days after the flood when Tonya Mead posted a posted of Leo to the Juneau Community Collective Facebook page. Wilkins immediately knew it was Leo, the COVID kitten they rescued in 2020. She rushed to meet Mead. I just started walking down the street calling for him, and he just ran out and was like, Oh hey, here I am, you know, like, where have you been? " she said. The river flooding was caused by a major release of water from Suicide Basin, a Mendenhall Glacier-dammed lake in Juneau, that eroded the river bank. Wilkens and her partner, Tom Schwartz, moved into the home shortly before the flood hit, but they were away on a mountain biking trip to Bend, Oregon. Friends called and sent videos, warning their house was in danger of being washed away. Ultimately, several homes were destroyed or partially destroyed, with others condemned or flooded. None of the destruction was as famous as the house being rented by Wilkins and Schwartz, with video of it collapsing into the river going viral. The couple returned to Juneau three days later to sort out new living arrangements and to look for Leo. They returned to the site of the house, calling out Leos name and leaving food for him in the chicken coop. By then, it seemed like everyone in Juneau was looking for him. There were plenty of sightings of Leo, but Wilkins said it appears that there are just many black-and-white unhoused cats in Juneau. When he did turn up, he appeared to be in good health. In this photo provided by Elizabeth Wilkins, she is shown with her cat Leo on Aug. 3, 2023, in Juneau, Alaska. (Elizabeth Wilkins via AP)AP Leo was a little thinner, but otherwise totally fine, Wilkins said. He ate four cans of tuna and went outside to kill a mouse. I imagine that is how he survived. She said it is amazing to have Leo back, though he currently is staying with a friend while they look for another place to live. Its super joyful because everyone in their community was looking for him, and its nice to have some good news, she said. And just like Leo, some of their other possessions are finding their way back to them, but not in as good of condition as the cat. People have been finding some things, like some of our clothes and pictures were in 4 feet (1.22 meter) of silt in someones yard down the Mendenhall River, Wilkins said. Mark Thiessen of The Associated Press wrote this story. More: Dog food recalled because it may be contaminated with salmonella Sheetz debuts new doughnuts with flavors including peanut butter cup, vanilla galaxy A brand of dog food has been recalled after a sample tested positive for salmonella. Mid America Pet Food recalled one lot of Victor Super Premium Dog Food, Hi-Pro Plus produced at its Mount Pleasant, Texas, facility because it has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella, according to a company announcement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Animals can get sick from eating food contaminated with salmonella and humans can get sick if they handle the food and do not properly wash their hands. It also can be spread to surfaces from the hands. The recalled food was sold in 5-pound bags and distributed across the United States. The lot code is 1000016385 with a best-by date of April 30, 2024. Mid America said no illnesses in animals or people have been reported to date. The company said it voluntarily recalled the dog food after a random sample test by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture was positive for salmonella. The company said the food should be destroyed in a way that children, pets and wildlife do not have access to it. Healthy people infected with salmonella may have symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Pets with a salmonella infection may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. For more information, call Mid America Pet Food consumer affairs at 888-428-7544, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, or send an email to info@mapf.com. READ MORE Gas cooktops sold at Lowes, The Home Depot recalled because of fire risk Weis Markets recalls one flavor of ice cream because of risk of allergic reaction Smoked sausage recalled because it may have bone fragments in it Frozen meals recalled because they may have pieces of plastic in them BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received Special Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for the normalization of Azerbaijan-Armenia relations Igor Khovaev, Trend reports. During the meeting, the sides discussed the situation in the region, as well as the opening of Aghdam-Khankendi and Lachin-Khankendi roads. The head of state pointed out that despite the fact that the representatives of the Armenian population of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan were invited to the capital Baku and other cities of Azerbaijan to hold discussions on reintegration issues, they refused. Igor Khovaev noted that Russia would continue its efforts towards the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and ensuring lasting peace in the region. By Sara Gregory and Alexis Stevens, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS) ATLANTA Five teenagers were killed and three injured during a three-vehicle crash that closed Interstate 85 Monday morning, according to Gwinnett County, Georgia, police. Police said they received reports that a car had gone over the wall of the University Parkway westbound ramp onto I-85 southbound shortly before 4 a.m. Monday, following a crash involving a second car. When the car fell over the raised ramp onto the I-85 southbound ramp to Pleasant Hill Road, it hit a third car, according to police. Five people died at the scene. The three people with injuries were taken to hospitals. Their conditions were not released. The accident temporarily closed I-85 and both ramps. Those killed in the crash were identified late Monday as Katy Gaitan, 17, Ashley Gaitan, 16, and Coral Lorenzo, 17, all from Atlanta, and Hung Nguyen, 18, from Lawrenceville, and Abner Santana, 19, of Suwanee. Three of those killed attended Lakeside High School in DeKalb County, police said. More: A driver crashed into a Dennys near Houston, injuring 23 people 2 of 3 victims IDd after multivehicle crash on I-81 near Pa. line A change of plans had to be made when a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta, Georgia, to Barcelona, Spain, was diverted back after a passenger experienced an onboard medical issue, which was a case of diarrhea all the way through the plane. Delta Flight DL194 was on its way from Atlanta to Barcelona Friday evening. The plane left Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport just before 8:30 p.m., according to media reports. The website FlightRadar24.com reported that the flight was about two hours into its eight-hour flight when it turned over in Virginia and made its way back to Atlanta. As a result, they were back on the ground by 10:40 p.m. without further incident. There were 336 passengers onboard the flight, Fox News Digital reported. A snippet of the pilots call was shared on X, formerly known as Twitter. The audio recorded from the Airbus A350 was broadcast on LiveATC.com, both Fox News Digital and Fox 5 Atlanta reported. Its just a biohazard issue, the pilot is heard saying over the radio in the snippet. Weve had a passenger who had diarrhea all throughout the airplane, so they want us to come back to Atlanta. According to a Delta spokesperson, there was no emergency landing due to the biohazard situation, but the flight did return to its original airport. Also, Delta did not confirm the incident in detail, Fox News Digital and Fox 5 Atlanta reported. Delta flight 194 from Atlanta to Barcelona returned to Atlanta following an onboard medical issue, the spokesperson said. Our teams worked as quickly and safely as possible to get our customers to their final destination. We sincerely apologize to our customers for the delay and inconvenience to their travel plans. Read More: A Northumberland County teenage girl planned on killing her father and grandmother because her grandmother took down inappropriate posters in her room on Monday, state police said. The 13-year-old girl, who lives on the 300 block of Main Street in Milton, made the threats after state police arrived at her family home and arrested her at around 4:30 p.m. Monday, according to court documents. The teenager arrived home around 3 p.m. that day with her father and went into her room, only to find that drug-related items, including posters, had been removed by her grandmother while she was away, according to state Trooper Brett Harvey, who wrote the charging documents. The teenager began arguing with her grandmother, saying she wanted the items back, before she drew a long knife, Harvey said. The girls father then bear-hugged her as she began poking the knifes handle into his left leg, according to Harvey. Police said the girls father eventually wrestled the knife from her and was able to hold her in place until police arrived, according to Harvey. The girl said she only had to make one phone call and her grandmother and father would be dead, according to Harvey. She later told police she planned to stab both of them with the knife when her sister was not looking, according to Harvey. After police arrested the girl, they searched her room and found a box containing a grinder, THC vapes and suspected marijuana blunts that were partially used, Harvey said. THC, or Tetrahydrocannabinol, is a major psychoactive component in cannabis. Children have a right to have their parents present while they are questioned, according to Pennsylvania law. State troopers did not interview teen because a parent or guardian was not available, Harvey said. She was arraigned by District Judge John Gembic on Monday night, and has since been released on $25,000 bail. She was later admitted to a hospital, according to the Shamokin News-Item. In all, the girl is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault, terroristic threats, disorderly conduct, harassment, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. The teenager will appear before District Judge Michael Diehl, who has jurisdiction over the case, unless she waives the hearing. However, the date of the girls next court hearing is unknown; although the teenager has been charged as an adult, court dockets have not been uploaded online. READ MORE: Superior Court asked to affirm conviction of Pa. mom in abuse death of 3-year-old Shots fired inside central Pa. CVS: Police Death of man hit at Harrisburg intersection ruled a homicide Two swimmers sustained minor injuries after they were bitten by sharks in separate incidents at the same beach in Volusia County, Florida, on Labor Day Monday, news sources are reporting. Both victims were bitten off the shores of Ponce Inlet, a stretch of beach on a barrier island south of Daytona Beach. According to a news release from Volusia County Beach Safety, the first incident involved a 37-year-old woman from Apopka, Florida, who was bitten on her right foot. She was in waist-deep water and didnt see the shark that bit her. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital by Volusia County emergency services, where her injuries were considered non-life threatening. The other victim, a 30-year-old male, was surfing near the Ponce Inlet Jetty and was bitten on the left hand. He opted to drive himself to a nearby hospital after the incident. His injury was non-life threatening as well. Right now, its unclear if he saw the shark that bit him, WKMG-TV, WOFL-TV, WESH and CBS News reported. Captain A.J. Miller, the logistics captain for Volusia County Beach Safety, told CBS News that the sharks will not be hunted and captured. He also said bites in the area are normally accidental in nature. The shark is feeding on baitfish and grab a person (by) mistake, bite, release, and swim away, Miller said to CBS News. This is why we call them shark bites and not shark attacks. Read more via People and CBS News. Read More: A 74-year-old man died at a hospital Saturday after a car hit him while he was walking along a Lancaster County road, police said. East Lampeter Township police said Luis Petrilli-Rivera, 34, of Lancaster, hit Tar Pee Tu, 74, of Lancaster, around 11:13 p.m. Saturday on the first block of Pitney Road. The crash happened just south of the Millennium Drive intersection, police said, which is the entrance to Harrisburg Area Community College. Police said Petrilli-Rivera was driving south on Pitney Road and hit Tu in the southbound lane. Its unclear what direction Tu was headed. Pitney Road was closed for about two hours after the crash. No charges have been filed as of Tuesday. Police said an investigation involving crash reconstruction is ongoing. The Saturday pedestrian crash was one of several that happened in central Pennsylvania over Labor Day weekend. A 58-year-old man was hit while crossing a York County intersection Monday night, and another man was dead after a Sunday night crash in Harrisburg. READ MORE: Man found in central Pa. lake died from self-inflicted gunshot: coroner Coroner IDs motorcyclist killed by car backing out of driveway in central Pa. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has announced plans for inspections at two Interstate 78 bridges in Lebanon County. Weather permitting, on Thursday, the I-78 Eastbound and I-78 Westbound bridges over Exit 8 Ramp B to Route 22 West in Bethel Township will be inspected. Alternating right and left shoulders of the westbound Exit 8 off-ramp to Route 22 under I-78 will be restricted. Work will be conducted from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Thursday. PennDOT says that motorists should be alert and drive with caution through the work zone. Lebanon City Police are investigating an incident of gun shots fired. The incident took place in the 400 block of North Fifth Street. at approximately 2:07 a.m. on August 29. No injuries were reported. The incident involved two groups of individuals. The group was last seen fleeing to the 500 block of Church Street. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 717-272-6611. By STEVE PEOPLES, AP National Political Writer NEW YORK (AP) The end of Labor Day weekend would typically mark the start of a furious sprint to the Iowa caucuses as candidates battle for their partys presidential nomination. But as the 2024 campaign comes into greater focus, the usual frenzy is yielding to a sense of inevitability. Among Republicans, Donald Trump is dominating the primary field, outpacing rivals with resumes as governors, diplomats and entrepreneurs that would normally prove compelling. The former presidents strength comes despite or perhaps because of multiple criminal indictments that threaten to overshadow any serious debate about the future of the country. And for now, the tens of millions of dollars that Republican rivals are pouring into the race are doing little to diminish Trumps stature, fueling concerns among his GOP critics who fear the primary is essentially over before it begins. As one troubled front-runner tightens his grip on the Republican nomination, President Joe Biden is on a glide path to victory on the Democratic side. The 80-year-old incumbent is facing only token opposition for the Democratic nomination despite concerns about his age and performance from many within his own party. President Joe Biden speaks during a Labor Day event at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 19, in Philadelphia, Monday, Sept. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, file)AP Whether voters like it or not, a Trump-Biden rematch may be on the horizon, raising the prospect of a deeply uncertain election season that only intensifies the nations political divide. Already, Trump is skipping his partys presidential debates and his court appearances are sometimes drawing more attention than his campaign stops. And Biden has barely begun to campaign as he grapples with questions about his age and his sons legal challenges. I just cant imagine things markedly changing. So, it appears that past is prologue, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said in an interview, praising Bidens record of achievement while warning his party against underestimating Trumps political strength. Newsom said concerns about Bidens age are fair game and the White House knows it. But if age equals results, he went on, Im looking forward to his 85th birthday. On the Republican side, dread is building among some donors and party leaders who hoped conservative voters would move past Trump given the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol he inspired and his serious legal challenges. A Trump-Biden rematch would be a disaster for the country. Im very depressed about it, said Bobbie Kilberg, a prominent Republican donor who is supporting former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. She said its scary that so many voters in her party continue to support the former president. I refuse to believe that Trump is our inevitable nominee. There is time for the 2024 landscape to shift. Four months remain before the first votes are cast in the Iowa caucuses and the general election is more than a year away. And recent history has plenty of examples of overlooked and seemingly overmatched candidates who proved the conventional wisdom wrong. Both Trump and Biden are among them. There are also significant variables. Abortion continues to scramble elections even in GOP strongholds like Kansas, Kentucky and Ohio as voters reject Republican efforts to restrict access to the procedure. A greater backlash is possible as the courts review access to a commonly used abortion pill. Former President Donald Trump walks to speak with reporters before leaving from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, file)AP And Trump is facing 91 felony charges in criminal proceedings unfolding in Washington, New York, Miami and Atlanta. They involve everything from his handling of classified information to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election to orchestrating hush money payments to a porn actor. The former president could be a convicted felon before the general election is decided next November. Still, party leaders including most of his Republican primary opponents have vowed to support him even if hes convicted. And nothing in the Constitution bars felons from assuming the presidency. At the same time, Democratic officials are deeply concerned about the prospect of a third-party bid under the banner of No Labels, a centrist group backed by a $70 million budget actively working to secure a place on the presidential ballot in at least 20 states this year. Group leaders insist they would nominate a candidate next spring only as an insurance policy should Trump and Biden win their respective primaries, which appears increasingly likely. And then, No Labels would move forward only if its certain that its presidential nominee wouldnt unintentionally help Trump win reelection. Democratic leaders arent convinced. Several current and former elected officials have been in close contact with the organization, including Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. Both Trump and Biden have glaring liabilities, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Biden is old and confused, and Trump is corrupt and dishonest. Those were among the top terms Americans use when asked to describe each partys leading presidential candidates. Fresh from leading Hurricane Idalia recovery efforts in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis returned to the GOP presidential campaign trail with a low-key, no-press luncheon in central Pennsylvania Tuesday attended by about 40 donors. The intimate gathering at the Central Penn College conference center in East Pennsboro Township, was closed to all media, with reporters and photographers banned from the parking lot as well as the small ballroom where the donor luncheon took place. PennLive interviewed a few of the attendees as they were leaving, following the hour-plus visit with DeSantis. Michelle Nestor, a GOP committee person for Cumberland County and a member of the Cumberland Valley School Board, said she wanted to see DeSantis up-close before deciding between him and the GOP front-runner, former President Donald Trump. I wanted to kind of vet him, Nestor said of DeSantis, who she said made time for one-on-one conversation with each of the approximately 40 donors who attended. The donation amount to attend the event wasnt disclosed. It was not an opportunity to interview him but to see him as a personality and whether or not he is a presidential candidate, she added. Hes great as a governor, but does he have the ability to do the job? After the lunch session with DeSantis, Nestor says shes nearly sold on the Florida governor as the best Republican to beat President Joe Biden in 2024. It kind of gets me excited to have another great candidate, she said. Trump was a great candidate. He was great president. I just dont know that were able to pull together as a party -- all the people within our party to support him in another race. Nestor gives DeSantis a better chance of uniting the GOP to defeat Biden. I think the 2020 voters, both on the Republican moderate side and the moderate Democrats, I think will slide back over to DeSantis after what I heard today, she said. And what was that message? The message is what hes accomplished in Florida, said attendee Dan Naylor, who traveled all the way from Lackawanna County to hear DeSantis first-hand. Naylor said DeSantis stressed his handling of Floridas robust economy and the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the Florida governor lifted most restrictions and ordered school students back to classrooms much earlier than most of the rest of the country. The economic growth thats taken place; the fact that they have freedoms down there. They didnt shut down for COVID, Naylor said. DeSantis also touts his high-profile battle with so-called wokeness, highlighted by his ongoing feud with Disney, one of the largest employers in Florida. The battle erupted several years ago over a Florida law that critics branded as Dont Say Gay. But DeSantis and his supporters say the measure, which prevents sex and gender issues from being taught in grades kindergarten through third in Florida, has strengthened parental rights to vet what their children are reading and being taught in public schools. Overall, it was a message that went over very well in the room of 40 donors, Nestor said. His message and everything he highlighted that he needs to do and execute on for the country, he has already done in Florida, she said. But it wasnt just the message. After hearing reports that DeSantis can come off awkward and stiff during campaign events, Nestor said she wanted to take the measure of the man. A lot of people were saying hes kind of dead, she said. I mean, there was personality there. He personally reached out to each and every one of us in there. Then he gave his remarks, and then he went around and said goodbye to each and every one of us. As she exited after just over an hour in DeSantis presence, Nestor said shes now leaning the governors way for the GOP nomination. If I had to vote right now, probably, yeah, DeSantis, she said. Right, now with all the stuff (four criminal indictments) thats going on with Trump, I dont know if hed be ready to be the candidate. Central Penn College spokeswoman Diane McNaughton told PennLive the event was privately arranged and funded, and wasnt sponsored or endorsed by the college. A catering services entity that operates separately from the college handled all of the arrangements, she said. Small businesses may now have a better chance at landing a state government contract as a result of an executive order Gov. Josh Shapiro signed on Tuesday. The order expands increases the amount of money the commonwealth spends on contracts with small diverse businesses, building on former Gov. Tom Wolfs efforts along these lines that more than doubled that spend over his time in office. It jumped to 11.3% last year from 4.9% in 2015. Under this executive order signed at Philadelphias Enterprise Center, a 35-year-old nonprofit that cultivates and invests in minority entrepreneurs, the state will raise the revenue limit for small businesses to qualify for state contracts to $47 million, up from $38.5 million that it has been held at since 2018. Shapiro also is calling on the General Assembly to change the definition of a small business as one that has up to 500 employees, instead of the current 100 employee cap. This change as well as raising the revenue limit are consistent with the federal Small Business Administrations requirements, according to administration officials. Shapiro pointed out that Maryland, a state with less than half of Pennsylvanias population, sets aside $448 million in prime contracts for small businesses. In Pennsylvania, small businesses only get $42 million of those contracts. We are missing opportunities to incorporate our small businesses into our shared prosperity, which holds them and really all of us back. We must do better, the governor said. He announced that the state will biannually post data on how many prime contracts are going to small businesses as part of this initiative. Additionally, administration officials led by Lt. Gov. Austin Davis will form a panel to advise commonwealth agencies on ways to make contracting opportunities more inclusive. General Services and PennDOT also will establish working groups to conduct outreach to the small businesses and provide technical support to help them compete for commonwealth business. We must support small-business owners by cutting red tape and putting resources into economic development and innovation, Davis said in a statement. Thats why todays executive order is so important. Were going to go out and actively encourage small businesses and small diverse business owners to compete for government contracts and become commonwealth vendors. Shapiro, who campaigned last year on expanding opportunities for small businesses, already has taken other steps to help fulfill that promise by cutting the time it takes the state Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunity to certify a small business as verified and eligible to compete for commonwealth business from 3 weeks to within 10 days, and implementing a faster payment policy to pay vendors. General Services Secretary Reggie McNeil, whose department oversees state purchasing, said, This new executive order is going to fill many gaps for our small businesses. ... Actions like this will continue changing the narrative around doing business with the commonwealth and build up Pennsylvanias small business community. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @JanMurphy. Read more on PennLive: Cash is king or at least it used to be and Pa. lawmakers want to keep it that way 2024 presidential campaign is coming into focus. It looks familiar Congress returns to try to prevent a government shutdown while the GOP weighs an impeachment inquiry BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. Armenian separatists continue to carry out illegal transportation accompanied by Russian peacekeepers in Azerbaijan's Karabakh, Trend reports. The video shows that, once again, illegal military transportation of Armenian separatists to their combat positions is carried out via the Khankendi-Karkijahan-Khalfali road, accompanied by armored vehicles of peacekeepers. VIDEO: It should be noted that previously, videos of illegal transportation of separatists accompanied by the Russian peacekeepers, have also been recorded. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. Today, Western leaders are rushing to Baku to take photos with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations of Hungary Peter Szijjarto wrote on his Facebook page, Trend reports. "I remember how we started building relations with Azerbaijan in 2010 and the criticism we faced back then. But today, Western leaders are eager to come to Baku for a photo with the President of Azerbaijan," he wrote. According to him, since 2010, Azerbaijan and Hungary have maintained friendly relations with each other. "Our friendship with Azerbaijan is not dependent on economic activity, so we have been friends not only since Azerbaijani natural gas became available. This year, the physical flow of natural gas from Azerbaijan to Hungary began," he added. Los Angeles Deputy Who Allegedly Stole Casino Chips From Poker Player Won't Be Charged September 04, 2023 Jon Sofen Senior Editor U.S. A professional poker player accused an East Los Angeles deputy officer of stealing $500 worth of casino chips from him in 2020, but the district attorney's office, following a lengthy investigation, recently decided no charges will be filed. The alleged incident took place during a traffic stop, in which the apparent victim whose name hasn't been identified claims Deputy Braulio Robledo illegally swiped poker chips out of his car. Robledo denied ever having pulled over the poker player, but an internal investigation of video surveillance captured his patrol vehicle at the scene of the alleged crime. The Sheriffs Department holds each of its members to the highest standards and expects them to act with integrity and professionalism, the department said. Any employee that violates the publics trust and engages in misconduct will be investigated and held accountable. Multiple previous lawsuits have accused Robledo of being a member of a secretive gang within the Los Angeles Sheriff's Station. Secretive deputy gangs have long been an issue within the entire L.A. Sheriff Department. Robledo has a lengthy history of serious accusations, including in 2019 when three women accused the controversial police officer of sexual misconduct. In that instance, similar to the poker chip theft allegations, the DA's office declined to file charges. Why Charges Weren't Filed The alleged chip theft incident took place in January 2020, and only recently has it been determined that charges will not be filed. Shortly after leaving Commerce Casino, the poker player was pulled over due to expired car registration tags, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney Charge Evaluation Worksheet. According to the report, the alleged victim has been "uncooperative" during the investigation. Therefore, "the Office is unable to initiate criminal proceedings against Robledo." Per the investigation's findings, the poker player was pulled out of the vehicle and patted down for weapons during the traffic stop. The officer then let the driver go with just a warning. An employee of Commerce Casino, who is also a personal friend of the driver, told investigators that she witnessed the traffic stop and that the alleged victim told her that $500 worth of casino chips were missing from his bag following the search. Video surveillance of the incident from a nearby business is a bit sketchy and hard to make out exactly what was going on. But, as the report explains, the photos do appear to show a pat down search of the driver on the back of a patrol SUV. Investigators determined the SUV captured in the surveillance video was assigned to Deputy Robledo. The poker player told authorities he "triple counted" the casino chips he had when he left Commerce that night, and even showed police the poker income tracker app he used to keep record of his wins and losses. It wasn't until the alleged victim arrived at home before noticing he was missing $500 five $100 chips from his bag. He then called police to report the missing chips, which he alleges occurred during the traffic stop. But the poker player was, according to the investigation, uncooperative and stopped responding the emails and phone calls from the sheriff's department. He specified that he declined any further participation in the case due to fearing retaliation from "deputy gangs," and felt he would be putting his life in danger if he continued with the accusations. In July 2021, an officer communicated with the alleged victim and requested a call back to further discuss the incident, but the poker player is said to have never returned the call. Numerous further attempts to make contact in the following months, according to the report, were unsuccessful. In the end, the DA's office determined there was "insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt" that Robledo committed the crime. The main reason for why charges won't be filed is due to inconsistencies in the alleged victim's statement and casino surveillance video. According to the investigation, the poker pro claimed to have left Commerce Casino with 15 white chips ($100 value chips) and that he was missing five of those chips following the traffic stop. But the casino's surveillance video appears to show he only left the poker room with 13 white chips, investigators claim. The report on the incident did, however, give a possible reason as to why there was a discrepancy. "It is possible that (victim's name) thought he had 15 white chips, when in fact he had 13. It is possible that the additional two white chips (victim's name) believe he had were accounted for in cash and that Robledo actually stole a combination of chips and cash totaling $500," the report stated. But, as the document reads, it's also possible that the poker player simply miscounted how much money he had on him upon leaving the casino. As such, along with the alleged victim's refusal to further cooperate with the investigation, the district attorney's office doesn't think they can prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This isn't the only time a casino chip theft incident occurred involving a Los Angeles poker room. During the infamous jack-four scandal on Hustler Casino Live in September 2022, a staff member of the show admitted to swiping $15,000 worth of chips from Robbi Jade Lew's stack. Formal charges were never filed against the fired HCL employee, Bryan Sagbigsal. Sharelines A poker player had his casino chips stolen, allegedly, from a California cop, but no charges filed. PokerNews' Lukas Robinson Wins the PartyPoker Sunday Party; Exclusive Malta Satellite Incoming September 05, 2023 Matthew Pitt Senior Editor Lukas "RobinPoker" Robinson, PokerNews' first online ambassador, took down the $100,000 guaranteed Sunday Party at PartyPoker on August 4, and padded his bankroll with $13,731. The 1,026-strong field was whittled to only 16 players on Day 1, and Robinson found himself third in chips. By the time only eight players remained, Robinson held the chip lead, and he used his chip advantage to full effect, eventually coming out on top for $13,731, which included bounty payments. Sunday Party Final Table Results Rank Player Bounties Prize Total Prize 1 Lukas "Robin Poker" Robinson $7,654 $6,077 $13,731 2 antiZZZZ $2,642 $6,066 $8,708 3 Charly Error $1,007 $4,020 $5,027 4 Joker_James95 $1,269 $2,609 $3,878 5 perservero77 $567 $1,783 $2,350 6 ASAP JARDA $952 $1,376 $2,328 7 Phaelzin $1,326 $1,014 $2,340 8 Jaime "jaimestaples" Staples $596 $808 $1,404 The final table was set when "x1fnd" committed their stack from the small blind with pocket jacks, and they couldn't get there against the pocket queens of "antiZZZ." Team PartyPoker's Jaime "jaimestaples" Staples was the first of the eight finalists to bow out, and it was Robinson who eliminated the popular Canadian. Robinson min-raised to 600,000 with pocket sevens under the gun, and Staples opted to call in the cutoff with ace-jack of clubs. The flop fell seven-five-queen with two clubs, and both players checked. The eight of clubs on the turn was greeted by a 1,200,000 bet from Robinson into the 4,350,000 pot, which Staples called. A five on the river improved Robinson to a full house, and he paused for a while before leading out with a 3,000,000 bet. Staples pondered his options before settling on a jam for 10,167,932. Robinson snap-called and raked in the 24.6 million chip pot. Although delighted to scoop such a large pot, Robinson apologized to Staples for the cooler he sprung on him With Staples' chips in his stack, Robinson held more than 2.5 times as many chips as any of his remaining six opponents, and the route to victory was well illuminated. That victory drew closer when "Phaelzin" raise-shoved for 39 big blinds with pocket jacks when Robinson was lying in wait with pocket aces! Those aces held, and Robinson continued his domination. Check out these PokerNews-exclusive freerolls Read more Robinson Navigates His Way to Heads-Up "ASAP JARDA," "perservero," "Joker_James95," and "Charly Error" fell by the wayside, leaving Robinson heads-up against "antiZZZZ" trailing his opponent in by 90 to 77 big blinds. Robinson came out on top of the early one-on-one confrontations the best and began forging a chip lead for himself. By the time the final hand came around, Robinson had "antiZZZZ" on the ropes and then woke up with pocket kings! Robinson limped with the cowyboys, and "antiZZZZ" checked holding ace-four of diamonds. The seven-six-eight flop saw "antiZZZZ" check-call a 1.2 big bling bet. Another seven on the resulted in a check-call from "antiZZZZ," this time a more substantial three big blind bet. A king on the river put a possible diamond flush on the board, but gifted Robinson a full house. "antiZZZZ" check, Robinson bet half pot, and snap-called when "antiZZZZ" jammed for a shade under 16 big blinds. GG for "antiZZZZ" and a career-best online score for the PokerNews online ambassador. Next Up: PartyPoker Grand Prix Malta Although you can play against Robinson in the online poker world, you have the chance to battle with him in a live poker setting in sunny Malta at the upcoming PartyPoker LIVE Grand Prix Malta festival. Robinson moved to Malta from the Isle of Man in January 2023, so it make sense to enter a prestigious event on his doorstep. Speaking to PokerNews, Robinson said, "I really wanted to live abroad and Malta seems the perfect destination for me and my girlfriend. We have never lived abroad before and I knew from other poker players, such as Fintan "easywithaces" Hand that you could stream poker and live a great life and with better weather than England!" "I also heard about the live poker scene in Malta, with many series coming here, including the Malta Grand Prix that PartyPoker is hosting at the end of September. Being in Malta gives me a great work/life balance and is not a bad place to play most of the sites that PokerNews has partnerships with." You could be playing in the 1 million guaranteed Grand Prix Malta for free, thanks to a PokerNews-exclusive tournament held online at PartyPoker. Set your alarms for 7:00 p.m. BST on September 17 because that is when the 11 buy-in PokerNews Grand Prix Malta Package tournament shuffles up and deals. The tournament guarantees at least one 1,500 Grand Prix Malta package will be won, which includes the 550 tournament buy-in, a five night stay at the Vivaldi hotel, plus 250 towards your flights. Here's to seeing you in Malta. PartyPoker is heading to sunny Malta Find the full schedule here Grab Yourself a PartyPoker Welcome Bonus If you haven't joined PartyPoker yet and want a bankroll boost ahead of playing Grand Prix Malta satellites, you can earn a generous welcome bonus when you download PartyPoker via PokerNews. Your first deposit will receive a 100% matched bonus up to $600. Plus, PartyPoker will award you up to $30 worth of free play in the form of tournament tickets. The minimum deposit is $10, which comes with $10 in tournament tickets released over the course of a week released on the following time scale: Day 1: 2x $1 SPINS tickets + 1x $5.50 MTT ticket Day 2: 4x $0.25 SPINS tickets Day 4: 1x $3.30 MTT ticket Day 6: 4x $0.25 SPINS tickets However, if you deposit $20 or more, then that package increases to $30 worth of tickets released as follows: Day 1: 1x $5.30 MTT ticket Day 2: 2x $1 SPINS ticket Day 3: 1x $5.50 MTT ticket Day 4: 1x $5.50 MTT ticket Day 5: 3x $2.20 MTT tickets Day 6: 2x $3 SPINS tickets + 1x$3.30 MTT ticket Residents in the United Kingdom can get a different PartyPoker welcome bonus. Made up of a 100% matched deposit with a maximum of 400 on any deposit over 10. Players also receive 100 free play, made up of Party Dollars and SPINS Overdrive tickets, over the course of 14 days. This is a limited-time offer for UK residents, so grab it before it races off into the distance. All matched deposit bonuses have playthrough requirements and are released in 10% increments. For full details and to check the expiry date of the bonuses, check out the terms and conditions on the PartyPoker website. Sharelines Discover how PokerNews' online ambassador Lukas Robinson took down the PartyPoker Sunday Party. The public's chance to weigh in before Dorchester County Council about big tax breaks proposed for a mystery business didn't take place as originally advertised on Sept. 5, after a notice was published online and then scrubbed from the internet. The council last month gave the second of three required approvals to an incentive agreement for a Autumn Timber LLC, which previously went by its Project Orchid code name. The deal would cut the company's property tax bill to 4 percent of the assessed value of any land and buildings it occupies for the next 40 years. The agreement would also refund 100 percent of the companys taxes on any personal property it owns. The tax breaks, which don't require the company to create any jobs, would be among the biggest for any Dorchester County business. They are similar to incentives that neighboring Berkeley County gave to Google when the technology giant announced a data center to be built near Moncks Corner in 2017. A public hearing on the tax breaks was originally scheduled for county council's meeting on Tuesday, according to a public notice that was published on The Post and Courier's website on Aug. 18. The notice was then removed sometime after the newspaper published a story outlining the tax breaks. The web link for the notice now states: "The page you're looking for is gone." The final version of the meeting agenda was released to the public and media late last week. It did not include a public hearing for Autumn Timber. County administrator Jason Ward told The Post and Courier on Sept. 5 he was not aware of a public hearing notice for Autumn Timber. NORTH CHARLESTON A long-planned new interchange on Interstate 26 is becoming a reality a decade after its initial design began. Land clearing recently got underway to connect Weber Boulevard in the Ingleside tract with I-26. Charleston County, which is overseeing development of the $54.5 million project, expects substantial completion by early 2026, according to spokeswoman Kelsey Barlow. The new highway connection, called the Palmetto Commerce Interchange, has been in the works since 2013. The intersection design doesn't extend Weber Boulevard into North Charleston's residential neighborhoods on the eastern side of I-26. On- and off-ramps from the westbound lane will direct traffic to and from the Ingleside development via Weber Boulevard. Plans also call for a bike and pedestrian path to be included across I-26 from Ingleside Boulevard to Salamander Drive near Deerhaven Mobile Home Park. The road work is meant to offer an alternate route for motorists who use U.S. Highway 78 and Ashley Phosphate Road to access the industry-laden Palmetto Commerce Park. The interchange will connect with a network of roads in the sprawling industrial site and the developing mixed-used Ingleside tract near Highway 78 and I-26. Mayor Keith Summey called the new intersection "a real asset" that's "going to take a lot of traffic off of Ashley Phosphate Road and Highway 78." The longtime mayor is not seeking reelection, and he won't be in office when the road is completed. The median price of a house in South Carolina of $329,885 is 1.5 percent higher than in September a year ago, but down from the record set in June of $338,000. The price is now 51 percent higher than in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Read moreSC home sales continue slide as interest rates approach 8% The occasion is the eve of the release of her new novel, Absolution, with the author making a stop in town, her first here, for a reading Oct. 30 at The Unitarian Church in Charleston, by way of Buxton Books. Read moreHogan: Time-traveling to 1960s Saigon with a famed author (oh, and Barbie, too) Growing up in Pittsburgh, Pa., I always looked forward to family trips to Bruegger's Bagels. At this particular location on hilly Greentree Road, patrons could see inside the production area, where bagels floated in a vat of boiling water. Brushed in egg wash and baked, the bagels that received a cinnamon sugar shower had me rushing to the window in fascination. A magical sight to behold for a kid with a penchant for sweets. At the time, it was a bagel. That was only outdone by Panera Bread, another chain that landed in our Western Pennsylvania suburb just after the millennium. With 34 grams of sugar affixed to the top of a chewy roll, this cinnamon-sugar bagel was a parents worst nightmare. It also was an 11-year-olds dream. Im not the only one with nostalgic affection for these memory-inducing chains, according to a recent report by Bon Appetit. But as that account concludes, we are now fortunate to have better, locally-owned options across the country. Of its top 24 U.S. bagel shops, Bon Appetit named destinations in 14 states. None are here. Despite the snub, Charleston has a few standouts that have opened in the last two years and which are worthy of the spotlight. Big Apple bagels New York City has long been the presumed bagel capital of the U.S. Northeasterners who crave those distinct rolls have brought them to Charleston. Serving New York-style bagels, Greg Odachowski had a feeling his shop at 43 Cannon St. would be a hit. With a clever name like Holey City Bagels, how couldnt it be after opening in June 2022? I kind of got a sense of the demand for bagels, said Odachowski, who operated a food truck with managing partner Bridget Byrne before debuting the brick-and-mortar location. I dont know if I expected the line out the door. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. The opening of the Zangezur corridor can make a significant contribution to the expansion of the potential of the Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route), Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov said, Trend reports. "Jeyhun Bayramov, speaking about the initiatives put forward by Azerbaijan to expand the potential of the Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route), said that the opening of all transport communications in the region, including the Zangezur corridor, can make a significant contribution to this process," the minister said at a meeting with the Commissioner of the EU for Neighborhood and Enlargement Policy Oliver Varheli. Currently, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov is on an official visit to Hungary. Editors note: Candidates running opposed races for Summerville mayor and the Summerville Town Council District 2 seat were all asked to respond to the following questions. All candidates received the same set of questions and were asked to limit their responses to around 1,000 words total. Read moreQUESTIONS FOR CANDIDATES: Tiffany Johnson-Wilson The MUSC Hollings Cancer Center LOWVELO annual fundraising event will take place on Nov. 4, starting at 5 a.m. on the Isle of Palms. The 10 and 20-mile island ride will have a start time of 9 a.m. This event will have an impact on some roads on the island. The following is a list of road c Read moreRoad closures forthcoming for LOWVELO event Disgraced former attorney Alex Murdaugh accused Colleton Countys top court official of tampering with the jury that found him guilty of murder in March, arguing that her influence called for a new trial. Murdaugh also asked federal authorities to open an investigation into the conduct of Colleton Countys clerk of court, Rebecca Hill, during his six-week trial at the Walterboro courthouse she manages. In a motion filed Sept. 5, Murdaughs attorneys cited information from jurors who said they saw Hill talk to the jurys foreperson in private for several minutes at a time. They also allege that Hill told jurors not to be fooled by Murdaugh's testimony or evidence put forward by his lawyers. Ms. Hill betrayed her oath of office for money and fame, Murdaughs attorneys wrote in their motion to retry the case. Once these facts are proven, the law does not allow the Court any discretion about how to respond. It must grant a new trial. Hill did not respond to a request for comment. S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson, whose office prosecuted the case, said his team was reviewing the motion "and will respond through the legal process at the appropriate time." The U.S. Attorney's Office for South Carolina, which Murdaugh asked to open an investigation into Hill's conduct, declined to comment. Murdaugh attorney Dick Harpootlian said he wanted an outside agency to run any inquiry because the S.C. Law Enforcement Division, which investigated the murders, is "very invested" in protecting the guilty verdict. Our society is facing many challenges, but one that seems to lie just beneath the surface is a decline in empathy. We don't understand one another. We just aren't able (as the saying goes) to walk a mile in someone else's shoes. We can't see what motivates others, what makes them tick. As sy Read moreStevens: We need more empathy, and reading more can help I am a very private person. I respect the opinions of others, and I share my own only with close friends and family. I love my life, feel incredibly fortunate and have zero interest in engaging in any sort of public dialogue. But a commentary from S.C. House Speaker Murrell Smith in the Aug. 4 Post and Courier made me extraordinarily fearful for the future of our country, our civilization and everything I was brought up to respect, admire and aspire to. Its an unabashed accolade to former President Donald Trump, and while Mr. Smith is entitled to his own opinion, I do not think he is entitled to his own facts. Mr. Smiths claims are almost all either misleading or downright inaccurate. For example, Mr. Smith praises Mr. Trumps proven record of promoting economic prosperity and job creation," saying he "ushered in a period of unparalleled economic growth ... realized across the country, particularly here in South Carolina" and claiming that "Our states unemployment rate plummeted during his presidency. None of that is true. The unemployment rate did not plummet during Trumps presidency. Nationally, it increased from 4.4% to 6.7%. In South Carolina, it increased from 4.4% to 4.68%. President Joe Biden reduced Trumps 6.7% national unemployment rate down to 3.4%. In South Carolina, with Biden in office, our unemployment rate is now even lower at 3.1%. While President Trump oversaw a job growth averaging 180,000 new jobs per month, the Biden administration job growth has averaged 470,000 new jobs per month. Thats a 161% increase. President Bidens first two years on the job were the strongest two years of job growth in U.S. history. They include the creation of more than 13.2 million new jobs, including 810,000 jobs in manufacturing. FLORENCE The city announced a Florence resident has been diagnosed with West Nile Virus, a disease transmitted by mosquitoes. Symptoms of West Nile Virus include fever, headache, joint pain, muscle pain, rashes and occasionally nausea and vomiting. But most people about 4-out-of-5 don't experience any symptoms, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. The risk of serious illness is low, but some can develop a potentially fatal swelling of the brain known as encephalitis. West Nile Virus is common in birds, humans and other animals in Africa, Australia, Eastern Europe, west Asia and the Middle East, but it began to emerge in North America at the beginning of the 2000s, according to DHEC. So far in 2023, 552 people have been diagnosed with West Nile virus in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control. That includes three in South Carolina. The disease is transmitted to humans and animals by mosquitoes, which become infected after feeding on infected birds. It cannot be passed from person to person. In mild cases, treatment for West Nile Virus includes many of the same remedies used for the flu: drinking plenty of water and fluids, resting in bed, and taking medication such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen to relieve fever and discomfort. Severe cases may require hospitalization. The CDC recommends using mosquito repellent to lower the risk of contracting the virus. The agency also suggests emptying and cleaning items that hold water: tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpots or trash containers. That helps prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs in the standing water. In a Sept. 5 press release, the city said it would continue to operate its mosquito suppression efforts. The citys fogger truck follows a weekly route and responds to work orders submitted by residents. City crews also treat standing water areas with larvicide to eliminate mosquitos larval habitat. I dont know anything about a time capsule, said Ty Seidule, who served as vice chair of the militarys naming commission and is a professor emeritus of history at West Point. A majority of the eight-person naming commission visited Arlington to assess the monument in person. According to their final report, what they saw above ground were objects that sanitized the Civil War and the antebellum South. Seidule said the naming commission didnt know to consider things below ground. Standing in Arlington, one sees a bronze goddess representing the glories of the South towering over bronze vignettes that contain depictions of enslaved persons that, according to the commissions report, deny the horrors of slavery. The commission pointed to the depiction of a Mammy an overweight enslaved woman holding a child. Another depiction shows a faithful slave. One bronze panel contains a Latin phrase that references a noble Lost Cause. Taken together, the bronze artwork shows a whitewashed view of American history, historians say. All but the monuments bare granite pedestal could be gone by years end. The pedestal will stay as to not disturb any graves in the immediate vicinity. Currently, there are no plans to dig beneath it. There are 482 graves of Confederate soldiers surrounding the monument, 11 of them from South Carolina. This area, Section 16, was created by Congress at the turn into the 20th century to re-inter Confederate soldiers whose remains were haphazardly buried in public cemeteries in the Washington, D.C., area during the Civil War. Many of those Confederate soldiers died in U.S. Army hospitals from battle wounds. Take, for instance, David E. Brown, the first Confederate buried in Arlington. His grave is one of the closest to the Confederate memorial. He was from Townville, S.C., and fought for the 14th South Carolina Infantry. He was wounded in battle and died at the age of 23 at a hospital in downtown Washington. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. Azerbaijan allocated funds in the amount of 20 million manat ($11.8 million) for the design and construction of the Gubadli-Lachin highway, Trend reports. President Ilham Aliyev signed a corresponding decree. According to the order, for the design and construction of the Gubadli-Lachin highway, originating from the 33 km of the Khudafarin-Gubadli-Lachin highway, 20 (twenty) million manat ($11.8 million) have been allocated to the State Agency of Highways of Azerbaijan from the reserve fund of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan provided for in the State Budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2023. The Ministry of Finance of Azerbaijan was instructed to provide financing in the amount specified in the decree, and the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan was instructed to resolve issues arising from this decree. Days before former President Donald Trump left the White House, CNN opinion writer Daniel Dale sat down to pick the most notable lies from his presidency, a task he likened to trying to pick the most notable pieces of junk from the town dump. He assured readers that he was qualified for the dirty job because he had fact checked every word uttered by this President from his inauguration day in January 2017 until September 2020 when the daily number of lies got so unmanageably high that I had to start taking a pass on some of his remarks to preserve my health. What precisely did Dale think Trump was lying about? The first item on his list was that he had lied about the weather on his inauguration day, telling a crowd that the rain just never came until he finished talking and went inside, at which point it poured. He went on to cite Trumps statement that the coronavirus was under control, SharpieGate, the Boy Scout flap, and Trumps remark that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) supported al Qaeda. He concluded, of course, with Trumps insistence that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen. Following Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis indictment of Trump last month, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wrote, If there were any justice in the world, Donald Trump would have taken the Mug Shot of Dorian Gray. As with Oscar Wildes charismatic and amoral narcissist, the Picture of Donald Trump should have been a foul parody, a reflection of what the chancer has done with his life. It should have shown Trumps corroding soul rather than his truculent face. It should have revealed a man so cynical and depraved that he is willing to smash our nations soul our democracy and destroy faith in our institutions. All this simply to avoid being called a loser. Through some strange quickening of inner life the leprosies of sin were slowly eating the thing away, Wilde wrote of Dorians portrait. The rotting of a corpse in a watery grave was not so fearful. Wow. Then there are the conservative anti-Trumpers. In July, after comparing Trumps behavior to the more sinister impulses of Napoleon, the Wall Street Journals Peggy Noonan described an interaction shed had with a Trump supporter (and former office holder) at a then-recent party in New York. She wrote: He quickly made his way to me to speak of his hero. He referred to the Abraham Accords and the economy and said: Surely you can admit he was a good president. He was all wound up, so I spoke slowly. I will tell you what he is: He is a bad man. I know it, and if I were a less courteous person, I would say that you know it, too. He was startled, didnt reply, and literally took a step back. Because, I think, he does know it. But doesnt ever expect it to be said. I cite these pieces because they are typical of the analysis that passes for the truth in the medias coverage of Donald Trump. At least Dale tried to come up with some reasons for his denigration of the outgoing president. But, in the end, all three fail to explain why Trump is dangerous, why hes a depraved madman who is willing to smash our nations soul our democracy. The lack of specifics and the unfounded contempt in these pieces show just how vast the reality gap has become between the medias portrayal of Trump vs. Biden. Yes, Trump is a flawed man. At times, his conduct has been decidedly unpresidential. Most Republicans will readily admit that Trump is prone to exaggeration and that his behavior is sometimes boorish and infantile. But his obvious patriotism and his clear record of achievements are among the strongest of any U.S. president. There was never anything dangerous about his policies. Despite his Grand Canyon-sized ego, he always put America first. Contrast that with the Biden administration. In addition to the tangible decline of the U.S. in the past three years, and mounting evidence of Bidens complicity in his familys alleged overseas pay-to-play business, the man is deteriorating before our very eyes. And no one, not even the journalists whose job it is to hold our public servants accountable, is willing to call it out. In a Tuesday editorial, The Wall Street Journals Barton Swaim points out that Bidens deficiencies are very different and far more dangerous than Trumps. The painful truth, he writes, is that Bidens personal culpabilities and political liabilities are what any normal, uninvested person would call grave. (Scott wrote about this editorial earlier here.) Mr. Bidens cringe-making decline is on display nearly every time he appears in public; examples are too many, and too painful, to describe. His diminished state might be funny in a novel or a movie, but in the real world its a continuing invitation to bad actors to engage in devilry and expect no consequence. And yet with a tiny number of unremarkable exceptions, Democratic politicos say nothing. Journalists have conspired with the Democratic Party to revile Trump for eight years. The constant repetition of their propaganda has made it appear as the truth. The result could be a case study in the madness of crowds. Wall Street Journal editorial writer Barton Swaim contrasts the fealty of leading party members and media organs to President Trump, on the one hand, and President Biden, on the other. When it comes to Biden, Swaim observes: The deficiencies of Mr. Trump are different from those of Mr. Biden, but the latters personal culpabilities and political liabilities are what any normal, uninvested person would call grave. Mr. Bidens cringe-making decline is on display nearly every time he appears in public; examples are too many, and too painful, to describe. His diminished state might be funny in a novel or a movie, but in the real world its a continuing invitation to bad actors to engage in devilry and expect no consequence. And yet with a tiny number of unremarkable exceptions, Democratic politicos say nothing. The stupendously incompetent pullout from Afghanistan occurred early in Mr. Bidens term, and the horrors it produced have destroyed any other presidencya bomb killing 13 Marines; a retaliatory drone strike killing zero terrorists and 10 civilians, including seven children; a White House affecting unconcern for hundreds of Americans trapped inside the country; Afghan citizens pitifully clinging to a departing U.S. military plane, some of them falling to their deaths; former Afghan allies left at the mercies of the Taliban; billions of dollars worth of military equipment abandoned in the field; women and girls forced to drop out of school. Forgive the indecorousness, but it is undeniable that this calamity was a consequence of some combination of senility and incompetence. Yet the number of high-level Democrats who expressed more than vague worry and concern is somewhere between small and nonexistent. You might have expected a credible Democrat, maybe a retired military officer, to challenge Mr. Biden in a primary. But no; the party rearranged its traditional primary schedule to begin with South Carolina and so make any primary challenge nearly impossible. I await the stream of articles in the New York Times and Washington Post about Mr. Bidens iron grip on his party. The Hunter Biden revelations would have generated calls for resignation in a time of more sanity and less rancor. Text messages indicating the young Mr. Biden was selling access to his father, a maze of shell companies seemingly meant to hide transactions, strong evidence that the Justice Department monkey-wrenched an investigation into that activitynone of it provokes curiosity on the left. That one of the associates Hunter badgered for payment works for a company with ties to the Chinese government is also, for Democrats and the lefts pundit class, a matter of no interest. This newspapers editorial page managed to provoke Mr. Trump into many all-caps condemnations. Has any center-left outlet provoked Mr. Biden into one of those fits of rage for which he is famous? The leftist journalist Franklin Foers book The Last Politician, to be published Tuesday, relates some episodes that reflect poorly on President Biden. The passages Ive been able to glean, however, look mildmainly a lot of unflattering things said about Mr. Biden, anonymously, by allies and aides. That these rather gentle slights have attracted so much attention isnt a measure of their severity. They remind us, rather, that for 2 years no one on Mr. Bidens side has dared to say anything disparaging of him. Now thats what I call fealty. PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 22:31:01 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1091 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATESTORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. (TSX-V:BAY)(OTCQB:ATBHF) (the "Company" or "Aston Bay") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Cantor Fitzgerald Canada Corporation (the "Agent"), who has agreed to sell, on a commercially reasonable "best efforts" private placement basis, up to 26,315,789 units of the Company ("Units") at a price of C$0.19 per Unit (the "Offering Price"), for aggregate gross proceeds of up to C$5,000,000 (the "LIFE Offering"). Each Unit will be comprised of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share (each, a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of C$0.29 for 24 months following the completion of the LIFE Offering.The Units to be issued under the LIFE Offering will be offered to purchasers pursuant to the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption (the "LIFE Exemption") under Part 5A of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions, in all the provinces and territories of Canada, except Quebec. The Company and the Agent may increase the size of the offering, up to 48 hours prior to the Closing Date (defined below), by issuing up to an additional 10,526,316 units (the "Additional Units") for additional gross proceeds of C$2,000,000. Any Additional Units will be sold pursuant to the exemptions from the prospectus requirements in Canada other than the LIFE Exemption in each of the jurisdictions of Canada and in offshore jurisdictions. Such Additional Units may be subject to a hold period under Canadian Securities Laws.There is an offering document (the "Offering Document") related to the LIFE Offering that can be accessed under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website at https://astonbayholdings.com/ . Prospective investors of the Units should read the Offering Document before making an investment decision.The Company plans to use the net proceeds from the LIFE Offering, and sale of any Additional Units, for exploration and development purposes of the Company's projects in Virginia, and for working capital and general corporate purposes. The LIFE Offering, and sale of Additional Units, is scheduled to close on or about September 21, 2023 (the "Closing Date"), or such other date as the Company and Agent may agree, and is subject to certain conditions customary for transactions of this nature, including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.The securities to be offered pursuant to the LIFE Offering, and sale of the Additional Units, have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.The Company also confirms, as previously disclosed in the press release dated August 9, 2023, the Company is no longer considering consolidation of its Common Shares.About Aston Bay HoldingsAston Bay is a publicly traded mineral exploration company exploring for high-grade copper and gold deposits in Virginia, USA, and Nunavut, Canada. The Company is led by CEO Thomas Ullrich with exploration in Virginia directed by the Company's advisor, Don Taylor, the 2018 Thayer Lindsley Award winner for his discovery of the Taylor Pb-Zn-Ag Deposit in Arizona. The Company is currently exploring the high-grade Buckingham Gold Vein in central Virginia and is in advanced stages of negotiation on other lands with high-grade copper potential in the area.The Company is 100% owner of the Storm Project property, which hosts the Storm Copper Project and the Seal Zinc Deposit and has been optioned to American West Metals Limited.Further details are available on the Company's website at https://astonbayholdings.com/ FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTSStatements made in this press release, including those regarding the closing and the use of proceeds of the private placement, management objectives, forecasts, estimates, expectations, or predictions of the future may constitute "forward-looking statement", which can be identified by the use of conditional or future tenses or by the use of such verbs as "believe", "expect", "may", "will", "should", "estimate", "anticipate", "project", "plan", and words of similar import, including variations thereof and negative forms. This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect, as of the date of this press release, Aston Bay's expectations, estimates and projections about its operations, the mining industry and the economic environment in which it operates. Statements in this press release that are not supported by historical fact are forward-looking statements, meaning they involve risk, uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although Aston Bay believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable and undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which apply only at the time of writing of this press release. Aston Bay disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law. We seek safe harbour.Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.THIS PRESS RELEASE, REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE CANADIAN LAWS, IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES, AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN IN THE UNITED STATES. THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN, AND WILL NOT BE, REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AME PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 14:03:45 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 977 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 COLLEGE STATION, TX / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Enzolytics, Inc. (OTC PINK:ENZC) ( https://enzolytics.com/) Biogenysis, Inc. ("BGEN"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Enzolytics, Inc. (the "Company" or "ENZC"), a drug development biotech company, announced today a continued partnership with Khalpey AI Lab ( https://khalpey-ai.com ) and Contenta, Ltd., Estonia, to identify biomarkers for early onset Alzheimer's disease. Such a discovery could lead to early diagnosis and the design of preventative therapies for effective treatment to stop the progression of Alzheimer's at an early stage.Alzheimer's disease affects over 6 million people in the United States and significantly impacts the economy, costing an estimated $321 billion in 2022, with an additional $271 billion in unpaid caregiving. Unfortunately, the number of people in the U.S. impacted by Alzheimer's is expected to double to 12.7 million individuals by 2050, resulting in an annual cost of nearly $1 trillion.Despite the predicted increase in Alzheimer's disease and its impact on those affected, significant obstacles remain. Diagnosis and treatment rates remain low across all stages of the disease. Therefore, developing accurate and user-friendly diagnostic tests and biomarkers is crucial. Identifying and validating these biomarkers is essential for predicting, diagnosing, and treating the disease. AI has shown promise in various fields, such as microbiome research, genetics, and nutrition. AI analysis of the biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's disease holds the promise of novel solutions for addressing the disease early. Biogenysis is marshalling its expertise and relevant contacts to address this opportunity today. The structured partnership will combine the efforts and expertise of Biogenysis with those of Khalpey AI Lab and Contenta, Ltd.Riin Ehin, the CEO of Contenta, Ltd., said, "Estonia has a rich history in biology and medicine, focusing strongly on gut microbiota in immunity. The Estonian Genome Project Foundation (EGPF) has over 200,000 genome samples, and the Estonian Health Information System is comprehensive. We are honored to be part of the Alzheimer's disease consortium with Biogenysis and to make a positive impact on Alzheimer's disease patients." Biogenysis AI Advisory Board Member Dr. Kirsten Bischof stated, "The potential of Artificial Intelligence in analyzing gut-brain communication is immense. Unlocking new biomarkers of neurodegenerative illnesses opens avenues for novel, simpler, less toxic treatments. Researchers have identified significant differences between preclinical AD patients' and healthy individuals' microbiomes. This discovery will lead to early diagnosis and help design preventative therapies for effective treatment to stop the disease's progression. ML algorithms can identify molecular signatures and predict specific disease states. Collaborating with Contenta and Khalpey AI Lab will make possible analysis of the gut microbiota of thousands of patients to identify those at higher risk of developing dementia and permit the design of preventative treatments to avoid cognitive decline." Dr. Zain Khalpey, the Director of the Khalpey AI Lab, stated, "Our team is dedicated to advancing the field of AI, with a focus on creating innovative healthcare solutions. We are proud to work with partners to achieve our goals and bring these solutions to the patient bedside. Our AI Lab is passionate about positively impacting healthcare outcomes. The partnership between Biogenysis and Contenta is a significant step forward in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. This includes identifying early biomarkers for use in delaying disease progression to benefit countless patients. We feel honored to contribute to Dr. Chandra's state-of-the-art AI platform, which has the potential to revolutionize various therapeutic approaches." Dr. Gaurav Chandra, CEO of Biogenysis, Inc., said, "In Alzheimer's, the neurons in the brain responsible for memory, language, and thinking are damaged first. Even though these symptoms are new to the affected person, the changes in the brain that cause them are believed to start at least 20 years before the symptoms manifest. With this collaboration, we aim to find early biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and discover new therapeutic targets to slow its progression." The CEO of Enzolytics, Charles Cotropia, said: "With regard to the future use of Artificial Intelligence, we agree with experts who have said, AI will change the world'. It is undeniable that AI will impact healthcare as well as all other technology areas. Biogenysis is at the forefront of applying AI to create new and improved health therapies. The Company has 4 pending International Patent Applications claiming significant discoveries derived from application of its AI Platform to produce new and effective therapies. Many more developments are planned including the patenting of each. Our partnering with Khalpey AI Lab and Contenta, Ltd. will accelerate the Company's objective to use AI to develop infectious disease therapeutics for improving health care around the world. This partnership and our planned business combination with Sagaliam Acquisition Corporation will provide the basis for achieving this objective." Enzolytics, Inc. OverviewEnzolytics, Inc. is a drug development company committed to commercializing its proprietary monoclonal antibodies and proteins to treat debilitating infectious diseases.Biogenysis, Inc., a subsidiary of Enzolytics, Inc., uses proprietary techniques to produce fully human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against infectious diseases. The technology is currently being employed to produce monoclonal antibody therapeutics for treating the CoronaVirus (SARS-CoV-2), HIV-1 and the Feline Leukemia Virus. The Company has also identified conserved epitopes on and has plans to produce mAbs targeting many other viruses, including H1N1 Influenza, HTLV1 & HTLV2, Leukemia Virus, Herpes Simplex I Virus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Smallpox Virus, Rabies, Influenza A, Influenza B, Ebola Virus, Epstein Barr Virus, and Monkey Pox Virus. The Company has also analyzed epitopes of animal viruses and plans to produce mAbs for treating these animal viruses.Virogentics, Inc., a subsidiary of Enzolytics, is advancing multiple therapeutics targeting numerous infectious diseases. One patented and clinically tested compound, ITV-1 (Immune Therapeutic Vaccine-1), is a suspension of Inactivated Pepsin Fraction (IPF), covered by U.S. Patent Nos. 8,066,982 and 7,479,538. Studies have shown it to be effective in treating HIV/AIDS. ITV-1 has also been shown to modulate the immune system.Safe Harbor Sta PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 23:50:57 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 441 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Comerica Incorporated ("Comerica " or the "Company") (NYSE:CMA) 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 Comerica securities between February 9, 2021 and May 29, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/cma Case Details:The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose, among other things, that: (1) Comerica failed to provide meaningful oversight over the vendors to whom it contracted out day-to-day operations of the Direct Express program, a system through which it is contracted to provide federal benefits to millions of Americans without bank accounts; (2) as a result of violations in the day-to-day operations of Direct Express, including handling fraud disputes and allowing sensitive data to be handled out of a vendor's office in Pakistan, Comerica was not in compliance with the Federal Contract, and knew it was not in compliance; (3) Comerica knew and failed to disclose that it was in potential violation of Regulation E due to inadequate fraud prevention in the Direct Express program and responses to instance of fraud; and (4) as a result, Defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.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/cma 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 Comerica you have until October 20, 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 & Grossman, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 16:03:18 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 331 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Revolutionizing Mental Health Care: Clarity Clinic Now Offering Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)CHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Clarity Clinic has added non-invasive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to its practice as another therapeutic option for those struggling with treatment-resistant depression, and is now accepting new patients at its Loop and Arlington Heights locations.Major Depressive Disorder is a significant mental health condition in the US, one that has been exacerbated by the challenges of an ongoing pandemic. Clarity Clinic offers multiple treatment options for those struggling, including counseling and behavioral therapy as well as medication management. In some cases, however, anti-depressant pharmacological therapies are not effective. For those patients, TMS may be an effective option.TMS, or Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, is sometimes confused with Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), which is quite different. TMS is a non-invasive therapy that uses electromagnetic pulses to induce electrical activity in those parts of the brain that are underactive in depressed patients. The magnetic coils are placed against the patient's head during a session. The treatment has been shown effective in 49% of patients who have failed at least two prior medication courses. Additionally, it demonstrated a remission rate of 32% (Rush, et al., 2006). These statistics are markedly improved over additional medication courses.TMS therapy has been cleared by the FDA since 2008. Side effects may include a mild, transient headache that abates over the course of the treatment. Patients can return to their normal activities immediately following a session. Insurance usually covers the treatment for those who qualify.Clarity Clinic's CEO, Pavan Prasad, MD, said, "We are pleased to add TMS as another option for our patients with depression. This technology has the potential to bring relief to those who have not found it in other therapies." Individuals seeking TMS treatment or looking for more information about Clarity Clinic's comprehensive mental health services can visit claritychi.com/TMS or contact (872) 277-8882 to schedule a consultation.Contact InformationRuby Maskey Digital Marketing Manager, Clarity Clinic media@ claritychi.com SOURCE: Clarity Clinic PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 17:25:28 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 958 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Critical Elements Lithium Corporation (TSX-V:CRE)(US OTCQX:CRECF)(FSE:F12) ( "Critical Elements" or the "Corporation" ) is pleased to report the results of exploration of multiple lithium-tantalum pegmatite (" LCT pegmatite" ) trends with positive prospecting sampling results on the Duval ( Table 1 ) and Lemare ( Table 2 ) sites.Progression of the wholly owned Rose lithium-tantalum deposit toward a final investment decision is Critical Elements' primary goal. Rose is one of the most advanced hardrock lithium development projects in North America (see updated feasibility study results in the news release dated August 29, 2023), with key environmental permits and crucial Impact and Benefits Agreement in place. However, the Corporation also owns over 1,050 square kilometres of concessions that are highly prospective in the Eeyou Istchee region of Quebec and management intends to catalyze the value inherent in this asset. To this end, Critical Elements launched a surface exploration program as announced in the news release dated May 31, 2023.During June 2023, Critical Elements conducted a prospecting program over several areas of the Corporation's Nemaska belt property portfolio using ground-based and helicopter-borne teams of geologists. The program was interrupted for several weeks due to the unprecedented wildfire situation in the region. The Corporation is deeply concerned by the damage caused to the environment, as well as the negative impact on the people of Eeyou Istchee. Our teams have now returned to the field to continue with the planned program. The program's objective is to identify new pegmatite bodies using systematic rock geochemical sampling of ranked LCT-pegmatite targets as defined by ALS Goldspot "SmartTarget" methodology, which combines both expert-driven and machine-learning data-driven targeting approaches to refine the geological interpretation of the properties for further exploration work.A total of 108 rock samples were collected during the short exploration campaign of June 2023. Prospecting confirms the discovery of the new two-kilometre-long trend of white pegmatite on the Corporation's 100% owned Duval property that hosts several lithium, cesium, and tantalum anomalies. Individual results include 2.22% Li 2 O, 1.54% Li 2 O and 0.54% Li 2 O in an angular pegmatite boulder field that may have been transported one kilometre from the main discovery outcrops during glaciation ( Table 1 and Figure 1 ). These mineralized pegmatites are spatially associated with mafic volcanics along an interpreted regional-scale shear zone that borders the Nemiscau Belt, in a similar geological setting that extends to the Whabouchi lithium deposit, three kilometres off the claims to the northeast ( Figure 3 ). These results begin to show the potential of the Corporation's Nemaska trend properties.In addition, the Corporation has received sample results confirming the summer 2022 discovery of the extension of the LCT pegmatite trend on the Lemare property marked by a sample grading 0.38% Li 2 O. Recent high-grade results include up to 2.44% Li 2 O and 1.60% Li 2 O ( Table 2 and Figure 2 ) in in situ pegmatite outcrop. This highlights the potential for future drilling to extend the LCT pegmatite trend to over 5 kilometres on the Lemare property.The reader is cautioned that grab samples are selective by nature and may not represent average grades of the mineralization in the pegmatites.Table 1: Selected Duval Sample resultsPropertySamplenumberUTM NAD 83 ZN18Li 2 OT a 2 O 5CsEastingNorthing(%)(ppm)(ppm)DuvalH87400443758957225972.227042DuvalH87400543760557226031.546712DuvalH87400643764557226270.544314Note: Grab samples are selective by nature and may not to represent average grades of the pegmatite. All samples are angular boulder.Figure 1: Duval Project Sample Location Map*2.08% Li2O, 2.22% Li2O 1.54% Li2O, 0.54% Li2O (Table 1) in an angular pegmatite boulder field. Table 2: Lemare best resultsPropertySampleUTM NAD 83 ZN18Li2OT a2O5CsnumberEastingNorthing(%)(g/t)(ppm)LemareH87390146665357312712.4457117LemareH87390246665457312721.603272(Grab samples are selective by nature and are unlikely to represent average grades of the deposits).Figure 2: Lemare Project Sample Location MapFigure 3: Nemaska Belt Portfolio Sample Location Map with Sample Highlights*2.08% Li2O, 2.22% Li2O 1.54% Li2O, 0.54% Li2O (Table 1) in an angular pegmatite boulder field.The surface exploration program with five crews continues to ground-truth several LCT-pegmatite targets. Results will be released in context as the program progresses. Management is currently engaged in designing a significant fall and winter drill program with multiple rigs to drill-test new targets including the Duval discovery, advance the Lemare deposit, and expand the Rose project resource inventory including protential proximal satellite mineralization. Details of this extensive program will be forthcoming near-term.Quality assurance/quality controlQuality assurance and quality control procedures have been implemented to ensure best practices in sampling and analysis of the core samples. The drill core was logged and then split, with one-half sent for assay and the other retained in the core box as a witness sample. Duplicates, standards and blanks were regularly inserted into the sample stream. The core samples were delivered, in secure tagged bags, directly to the ALS Minerals laboratory facility in Val-d'Or, Quebec. The samples are weighed and identified prior to sample preparation. The samples are crushed to 70% minus 2 mm, then separated and pulverized to 85% passing 75 m. All samples are analyzed using sodium peroxide fusion ME-MS-89L, with full analysis for 52 elements. Value over 25,000 ppm Li were re-assays using Li-ICP-82b and value over 2,500 ppm Ta2O5 were re-assays using Ta-XRF10.The Corporation has resumed its mineral exploration and development programs as of early August 2023, as the wildfires in the region gradually abate. This includes surface exploration program over the Rose, Rose North and South and Nemaska Belt properties with five crew support by helicopter. Additionally, the corporation is conducting environmental baseline fieldwork, lidar survey and geotechnical work on Rose site to support the advancement of the details engineering work.Qualified personsPaul Bonneville, Eng, is the qualified persons that have reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release on behalf of the Corporation.About Critical Elements Lithium CorporationCrit Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov received a delegation led by Oussama Kaissi, Chief Executive Officer at the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), which is part of the Islamic Development Bank Group, who is on a visit to our country, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijan Energy Ministry. At the meeting, the sides emphasized the successful and effective cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Islamic Development Bank, and highly appreciated the Bank's support for projects implemented in Azerbaijan in various sectors, including energy. The information on strategic goals arising from Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development, projects implemented in the liberated territories and the creation of the Green Energy Zone, energy efficiency, measures taken to develop the renewable energy sector was provided, as well as the sides exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. We stand ready to engage more with Azerbaijan, European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi wrote on his page on X (Twitter), following the meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov in Budapest, Trend reports. "Was good to meet Minister in Budapest to discuss our strategic transport and energy connectivity projects," he added. Meanwhile, the sides discussed the level of development of relations in political, economic, trade, transportation, energy security, and other areas. Bayramov stressed importance of the memorandum of understanding on strategic partnership in the energy sector between Azerbaijan and the EU, which envisions joint activities in the field of energy security as well as the development of alternative energy resources. Discussing Azerbaijan's initiatives in expanding the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor), Bayramov noted that the opening of all transportation routes in the region, including the Zangezur Corridor, can significantly foster this process. Decoder Market Overview 2023 Decoder Market Overview 2023 PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 15:12:18 Press Information Infinity Business Insights Pune Sourabh Sales Coordinator 5183003575 email https://www.infinitybusinessinsights.com # 569 Words PuneSales Coordinator5183003575 Decoder is a remarkably lucrative segment, and an in-depth study by IBI found that the industries held a major Decoder Market share in 2023. 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Get a free sample PDF of Decoder Market report: https://www.infinitybusinessinsights.com/request_sample.php?id=985650&SP The major Key Players for global Decoder are: Analog Devices, AKM Semiconductor, Atmel, Maxim Integrated, Intersil, Texas Instruments, Microchip Technology, Nuvoton Technology, ON Semiconductor, Rohm Semiconductor, Cirrus Logic, Fairchild Semiconductor, Holmate Tecnology Corp, Linx, NXP Semiconductor, Sigma Designs, ST-Ericsson etc.The Decoder Market research report on the impact of Covid-19 on the growth of enterprises and companies worldwide. The Market Report has been updated to include COVID-19's influence on the market as well as insights, analyses, estimates, and predictions. This Market study examines the influence of demand and supply, price variations, and suggestions for the market in light of the most recent coronavirus update. The attractive Decoder Market analysis report considers vital aspects of the market comprising historical data, current market trends, environment, technological innovations, future technologies & technological progress of the Decoder Market industry. The Decoder Market industry can easily visualize what is already available in the market, what the market expects, the competitive landscape & what it needs to do to outperform its competitors. This market report provides up-to-date information on the market as a whole & provides a holistic view of the market. Extensive xxx market research documentation is the true backbone of any business that can not only increase sales but also thrive in the marketplaceDecoder Market segment by Type, covers: 1 Channel, 2 Channels, 4 Channels, 8 Channels, 16 Channels, OthersDecoder Market segment by Application: Transportation, Commercial, Residential, Institutional, Military and DefenseDecoder Market by Regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Oceania, South America, Middle East & AfricaEnquiry Before Buying this Report - https://www.infinitybusinessinsights.com/enquiry_before_buying.php?id=985650&SP Drivers and Restraints: The Global Decoder Market Economy is expected to increase at a healthy CAGR, driven by unprecedented demand from developing markets. Market digital technology advancements enable efficient production, portfolio expansion, efficient work maintenance, and sales monitoring. Proliferating demand for smart storage, decentralised networks, intelligent automation, and Rise in disposable income in flourishing fast developing countries are a few of the major market developments. The post-pandemic economic growth enhancing energy usage, automobiles, manufacturing, and consumer products sales, leads to a remarkable growth rate in 2023. However, going to comply with severe restrictions and varying norms around the world, competitive pressures, and price level approximated to remain just above top end during the near term in key nations, and oscillating raw material costs are some of the business restraints over the forecast period. PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 14:21:30 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 985 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Maintains "all of the above" strategy calling for a diverse deployment of new technologies supported by the North Carolina Utilities Commission in its 2022 Carbon PlanProposes new advanced nuclear at Belews Creek, new hydrogen-capable natural gas facilities at Roxboro and Marshall, plus significant increase in renewables and storageRetires coal by 2035; achieves carbon neutrality by 2050, as required by North Carolina's clean energy law under least-cost and reliability mandatesCHARLOTTE, N.C. / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Duke Energy filed a new resource plan to advance the company's energy transition while prioritizing reliability and affordability - one designed to help maintain North Carolina's status as the nation's top state for economic development.The Carbon Plan Integrated Resource Plan (CPIRP) builds on the trajectory of the North Carolina Utilities Commission's (NCUC) 2022 Carbon Plan, which established a least-cost path to meet the carbon dioxide emissions reduction targets of House Bill 951, North Carolina's clean energy law.In the updated proposal, Duke Energy has identified new generation to meet unprecedented strong growth in the Carolinas and take the place of retiring coal plants: advanced nuclear at Belews Creek (Stokes County) and hydrogen-capable natural gas plants at Roxboro (Person County) and Marshall (Catawba County). The plan also significantly increases solar, storage and wind compared to the 2022 proposal, maintaining the "all of the above" strategy supported by the NCUC."This plan delivers a path to cleaner energy without compromising grid reliability, affordability or the energy demands of a growing region," said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy's North Carolina president. "We project exponential growth, far beyond what has already made us the top state for business, so we've charted an ambitious roadmap for meeting that need while protecting reliability and affordability for our customers." Reducing carbon while accommodating growthBetween economic development success, population growth and increased adoption of electric vehicles, energy use by Duke Energy customers in the Carolinas is projected to grow by around 35,000 gigawatt-hours over the next 15 years - more than the annual electric generation of Delaware, Maine and New Hampshire combined.To accommodate this, the CPIRP includes three core energy portfolios for the NCUC to review and ensure a pathway to carbon reduction that is least-cost and maintains equal or greater reliability than customers have today. The three portfolios reach HB951's interim 70% carbon reduction target by 2030, 2033, and 2035, respectively, utilizing the flexibility given to the NCUC under state law to protect reliability and encourage advanced nuclear and offshore wind. All three portfolios reach carbon neutrality by 2050."We've already made tremendous progress in the energy transition, retiring two-thirds of our aging coal plants in the Carolinas and reducing emissions by 46% since 2005," said Bowman. "Now we're proposing specific new generation at existing plant sites, leveraging our current infrastructure, transmission system and workforce to save customers money while supporting job creation and tax base in these communities." Diverse mix of resources to reliably meet growthThe new plan maintains Duke Energy's commitment to exit coal by 2035. To meet the significant increase in projected energy demand, all three proposed portfolios are more ambitious in pace and scale than the 70% by 2030 portfolio from the company's 2022 Carbon Plan proposal.The company has recommended a "near term action plan" based on the least-cost, least-risk portfolio. Activities in that plan would facilitate the following new resources:Solar - 6,000 megawatts (MW) by 2031Battery storage - 2,700 MW by 2031Hydrogen-capable natural gas - 5,800 MW by 2032, which includes replacing coal retirements at Roxboro (Stokes County) and Marshall (Catawba County)Wind - 1,200 MW onshore by 2033; preserve option of 1,600 MW offshore for 2033 or laterPumped storage hydro - 1,700 MW by 2034 at Bad Creek Hydro in Oconee County, S.C., serving both statesAdvanced nuclear - 600 MW by 2035, partially replacing coal retirements at Belews Creek (Person County) and one other existing plant location to be determinedDuke Energy's industry-leading energy efficiency and demand response options - voluntary programs that incentivize customers to reduce their energy use and save money - will help keep the need for new resources as low as possible. These options are projected to deliver a cumulative demand reduction of 22% over the next 15 years.Stakeholder input critical to the processDuke Energy held five stakeholder engagement meetings over a four-month period on technical, complex issues involving resource planning. More than 100 individuals, representing a diverse group of organizations that included customers, environmental advocates, community leaders and other industries, attended these virtual sessions.The presentation materials and Q&A from these engagement sessions, as well as additional documents and links related to the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) process, can be viewed on Duke Energy's IRP website. These technical sessions were augmented by environmental justice conversations in North Carolina that will continue with local community outreach in the months ahead for communities where new infrastructure is proposed.More public input aheadToday's filing in North Carolina begins a public regulatory process at the NCUC that involves the evaluation of thousands of pages of testimony and data from the company, other parties to the proceeding and the input of customers. The NCUC will hold public hearings before issuing its final CPIRP order by the end of 2024.The same resource plan was also filed in South Carolina on Aug. 15. Regulators there will independently conduct their own proceedings to consider the IRP and are expected to issue an order in spring 2024.The plan will be checked and adjusted every two to three years, incorporating technology advances, updated cost forecasts and applicable federal funding to ensure ongoing affordability and reliability for customers.Duke Energy Carolinas/Duke Energy ProgressDuke Energy serves nearly 3.7 million households and businesses in North Carolina through two utilities, Duke Energy Carolinas (central and western North Carolina, including Charlotte, Durham and the Triad) and Duke Energy Progress (central and eastern North Carolina plus the Asheville region).Duke Energy Carolinas owns 19,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2.8 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 24,000-square-mile service area in North Car PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 14:01:08 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 667 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 A Pioneering Step Towards Immersive, Virtual Classrooms for Military TrainingCHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Enduvo, the leading content creation platform for communication and immersive learning, announced today that it has been granted Authority to Operate (ATO) by the United States Air Force (USAF). This landmark decision positions Enduvo as the first-ever no-code platform enabling trainers to create experiential learning environments for complex military training topics. The multi-year partnership with Enduvo has quickly resulted in the development of USAF curriculum for initial pilot training, instrument updates, engine systems, and biomedical device checklists among others.U.S. Air Force Training Enduvo's Authority to Operate and run IL2 data on Air Force Networks means the company plays a critical role in the modernization and enhancement of the USAF's training curriculum. The platform's ability to simplify the creation of interactive virtual education courses - while integrating various forms of multimedia - has already had a positive impact on the speed of training and communications within the USAF. Given the intricacies of contemporary air combat systems, artificial intelligence applications, and cyber defense measures, the USAF can now rapidly adapt its training programs to meet ever-evolving challenges with the help of Enduvo.Recent studies show that experiential learning technologies like Enduvo significantly improve knowledge comprehension and retention. According to a 2020 study by PwC, employees trained through virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) were up to four times more focused than in traditional learning environments and completed training 1.5 times faster.*"This Authority to Operate is not just an accreditation, it's an affirmation of the new era and effectiveness of immersive technology and experiential learning," said Steve Garrou, Enduvo's CEO. "We are committed to setting new benchmarks in learning comprehension, retention, and real-world application for our nation's defenders and their corporate partners." The process for USAF ATO approval is complex and includes an extensive threat risk assessment of all Information Technology on AFNet through a Risk Management Framework (RMF). To aid in this process, Enduvo partnered with Ingalls Information Security to serve as a trusted advisor to help develop Enduvo's DoD RMF process. The partnership with Ingalls was important to achieving the ATO approval with the USAF."This underscores a pivotal moment in the evolution of modern military training," said Jason Ingalls, CEO and founder of Ingalls Information Security. "By leveraging immersive technology, the USAF is revolutionizing training methods to meet the dynamic needs of today's defense ecosystem. We are immensely proud to partner with and serve as a trusted vendor to Enduvo in this transformative endeavor." About EnduvoEnduvo is a content creation platform for communication and immersive learning. It enables companies to leverage the power of immersive technology to easily transform their training programs. The no-code platform makes it easy for anyone to create high-quality AR, VR and MR content, without any technical experience required. With Enduvo, creators can develop interactive learning experiences that will help employees learn faster, retain more information, and collaborate more effectively. If your organization is looking to improve its communications and training programs, you can learn more by emailing contact@ enduvo.com or call 877-624-7838 x 1.About Ingalls Information SecuritySince 2010, Ingalls Information Security has provided technology-enabled, integrated cybersecurity risk management services. Ingalls' diverse experience across military/defense intelligence, network security, information technology, and cybersecurity solutions has honed a powerful edge in preventing and responding to cyberattacks. Ingalls' expertise focuses on Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR), Incident Response and Breach Remediation, and Consulting, which includes Professional Services and Government Programs. In 2021, Ingalls formally launched the Government Programs Department to specialize in DoD cybersecurity solutions, including CMMC preparation and assessment, DFARS Compliance expertise, and ATO/RMF support. The company's core focus is to establish Louisiana as a cybersecurity center of excellence and bring 5,000 industry jobs into the state. Learn more at www.iinfosec.com *PwC, "The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Soft Skills Training in the Enterprise," 2020Contact InformationCristele Lartigue cristele.lartigue@enduvo.com SOURCE: Enduvo PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 17:00:47 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 472 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / Septemer 5, 2023 / Exotic Snack Guys, an international snack retail brand, has grown their roster of import locations to around 40 countries, including France, Japan, South Korea, Pakistan, India, Sweden, and Taiwan. The company stocks familiar flavors such as apple, dark chocolate, and vanilla while also embracing lesser known options like white peach, lychee, and Kobe beef. With this expansion, Exotic Snack Guys continues to enrich its current inventory's cultural diversity while also building its community of snack enthusiasts.A glimpse of ESG's shelves | Courtesy of Exotic Snack GuysThe company was founded by Zohaib Naman and his business partner in late June of this year. The two noticed how trendy international snacks were with online audiences and how marketable they could be in high-traffic zones like New York and Toronto, and they believed they could bring the same engagement and intrigue to their Chicago area. Naman also recognizes the sentimental value that snacks can have for some people, and making them readily available in-person and online has helped bring Exotic Snack Guys' community together.Naman comments, "I was born in the Middle East myself. I remember walking into a Middle Eastern store and finding a candy I really liked growing up. It brought back a lot of memories for me. So, it's been good being able to do the same for other people and hearing their stories when they find candy they loved from their childhood." Exotic Snack Guys has also opened special orders for customers looking for particular snacks. If a product a customer is looking for isn't currently in stock, the owners will track it down and order it for them. Naman remarks that this has been yet another way for them to discover new snacks as well and expand their roster.With the explosive popularity that the company has seen, Exotic Snack Guys has had to move their in-house operations to a new storage and distribution center in suburban Bensenville. The brand states how glad they are to have met so many people through their adventure and are also making plans to broaden its community.Exotic Snack Guys hopes to have new locations opened in Milwaukee, Houston, Orlando, and Miami in the coming months, and the company is also working on importing from a total of 100 countries by the end of the year.ABOUT EXOTIC SNACK GUYSExotic Snack Guys is a Chicago-based company that caters to snack enthusiasts around the nation. Having launched in June 2023, the company sources its snacks from around 40 different countries. Exotic Snack Guys sells online as well as at their physical store and plans to open several locations in Houston, Miami, Milwaukee, and Orlando.To learn more about the company, visit exoticsnackguys.com or contact:Zohaib Naman+1 (773) 904-7479contact@ exoticsnackguys.comhttps://twitter.com/exoticsnackguyshttps://facebook.com/exoticsnackguyss SOURCE: EXOTIC SNACK GUYS PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 12:16:34 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 341 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, reminds investors of a class action lawsuit against Danaher Corporation ("Danaher" or "the Company") (NYSE:DHR) for violations of 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.Investors who purchased the Company's securities between April 21, 2022 and April 24, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"), are encouraged to contact the firm before September 15, 2023.If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com , or by email at brian@ schallfirm.com The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.According to the Complaint, the Company made false and misleading statements to the market. Danaher's revenue growth from its business related to COVID-19 was declining. Despite the Company's claims, revenues from other business units were not able to compensate for this decline. The Company overstated its ability to sustain the growth it enjoyed in 2020 and 2021. The Company would be incapable of hitting its revenue targets. Based on these facts, the Company's public statements were false and materially misleading throughout the class period. When the market learned the truth about Danaher, investors suffered damages.Join the case to recover your losses.The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.CONTACT:The Schall Law FirmBrian Schall, Esq.,www.schallfirm.comOffice: 310-301-3335info@ schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 19:00:25 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 738 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SALT LAKE CITY, UT / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Flex Fleet Rental is thrilled to unveil a momentous development that is poised to reshape the landscape of commercial truck rentals in North America. We are delighted to announce the acquisition by Kaizen Automotive Group, a pioneering force in the automotive industry. The acquisition was finalized on September 1, 2023, marking a pivotal chapter in our journey.This strategic move ushers in a new era of possibilities, as Flex Fleet Rental and Summit Fleet, a subsidiary of Kaizen Automotive Group, join forces to forge one of the largest and most dynamic commercial truck fleet entities on the continent. The synergies created by this collaboration promise to raise the bar for exceptional service and innovative solutions. "By joining forces with Summit Fleet, we are thrilled to improve our product and service offerings across North America," said Brian Goldhardt, President and CEO of Flex Fleet Rental. "We couldn't be more excited about this acquisition with it positioning ourselves into our next chapter of growth." Commenting on this momentous occasion, Nate Clarke, CEO of Kaizen Automotive Group, expressed his enthusiasm: "We couldn't be more optimistic about the acquisition. The merger of Summit Fleet with Flex Fleet Rental will empower us to continue delivering industry-defining commercial fleet management services including technology that outshines our competition to our customers across North America." "We acquired Flex Fleet Rental in early 2019, anchored to a shared vision with management to institutionalize Flex Fleet Rental into the leading medium-term truck rental and logistics business with the ultimate customer experience," said Gene Weil, Managing Director of Waterfall Asset Management. "The sale to Kaizen Automotive is an exciting advancement in Flex Fleet's growth story, both as an acknowledgment of the industry-leading status Flex Fleet Rental has achieved, as well as an opportunity for our customers, vendors and employees to take advantage of the scale, operational sophistication, and product depth of the combined enterprise in Canada and the U.S."The heartening aspect for all our valued customers and partners is that this strategic move will have no impact on our day-to-day operations. Our dedicated management team is led by CEO Brian Goldhardt, CFO Nic Bement, COO John McNellis, and CTO Parker Spendlove. Accompanied by our hardworking employees will continue to lead the company with unwavering commitment. As we step into this new phase, our mission to provide exceptional services remains steadfast. Our direct contacts, business address, and billing information will remain unchanged, ensuring seamless continuity.Should you have any inquiries or require assistance, we invite you to reach out to us at 801-899-9399 or email us at support@ flexfleetrental.com . Your satisfaction has been and will continue to be our top priority.Flex Fleet Rental takes this moment to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our valued friends and customers. Your unwavering support has been instrumental in shaping our journey thus far, and we are excited to embark on this new chapter together, guided by our commitment to excellence and innovation.Parr Brown Gee & Loveless served as legal counsel to Kaizen Automotive Group with respect to the acquisition. Kramer Levin served as legal counsel and Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisor to Waterfall and TRP.About Flex Fleet Rental: Founded in 2013, Flex Fleet Rental is a leading commercial truck rental company that has consistently set the benchmark for service excellence and innovation in North America. With a focus on delivering top-notch vehicles, exceptional customer service, and cutting-edge technology, Flex Fleet Rental continues to redefine the industry.Media Contacts:Brian Goldhardt President & CEO801-899-9399Support@ flexfleetrental.com About Kaizen Automotive GroupFounded over 30 years ago, the Kaizen Automotive Group is a leader in the automotive industry. Their focus is its unwavering commitment to exceptional customer service which has led to some of the highest volume stores across Canada. Kaizen Group is a Calgary-based company with 16 dealerships representing Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Chevrolet, Ford, Lincoln, Kia, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai and Genesis; including 6 dealerships in California under the names of Imperial Valley Chevrolet GMC, Imperial Valley Hyundai, Imperial Valley Honda, Chula Vista Honda, Chula Vista Ford, and Chula Vista Kia. Kaizen Automotive Group also offers industrial and commercial rentals, leasing, telematics, fleet management, and fleet card services across North America through its company, Summit Fleet.Media Contacts:Nate Clarke President & CEO587-390-3629Contact InformationParker Spendlove Chief Technology Officer pspendlove@ flexfleetrental.com (801) 721-9607SOURCE: Flex Fleet Rental PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 18:32:29 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 665 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 DETROIT, MI / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / General Holiefield, Founder of Factory Social, is announcing the official launch of their social media platform app. The Factory Social app offers all the traditional features found on a typical social media app, including posting, sharing, Direct Messaging and live streaming. The app was built specifically for members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) - now, Factory Social is on a mission to sign up its first 2,500 members. With this goal to reach as many interested members as possible, Holiefield has also announced that Factory Social will be giving special prizes away to randomly selected members every time a milestone is reached.Holiefield, who has over two decades worth of experience in labor, unions, manufacturing and grass roots politics, and communications, was inspired by the noticeable gap between the hourly shop floor and the executive branch. With around 400k active, and 600k retired UAW members in the United States to date, Factory Social has made it their mission to house the one million plus members and be a digital force within the auto industry."Factory Social is an exclusive place for UAW Members to speak freely, share ideas, build strategies, settle differences and run election campaigns," says Holiefield. "I noticed the mass amounts of people that would come out to the rallies, and protests. I was inspired to create a vlog where all this action could be captured in one place. That vlog turned into a website in 2010, and now since the emergence of social media, after much trial and error, we've finally been able to launch the Factory Social app to capture the voice and culture of union members in a digital space created just for them".The app's launch marks the beginning of Holiefield's goal to have a positive impact on the UAW and the auto industry. "I noticed the unbelievable impact that the auto industry has on the middle class and the country," says Holiefield. "I also witnessed the bankruptcy period first hand - these experiences motivated me to build a digital space where UAW members can exist and have the same impact in the current digital age as the union had during the height of the industrial age." In the near future, Holiefield also hopes to use his platform to create jobs and offer them to active members who wish to make extra money, and retirees looking to lend their knowledge to the next generation.Factory Social is officially up and running for members to sign up and be a part of making history by helping launch the first social media platform for UAW Members all over the country. Members can sign up for a subscription fee of $29 a year. Factory Social aims to put the one million plus UAW members in one place for the first time ever. In this digital age of social media and online applications, Holiefield aspires to create a platform to adapt to this rapidly changing world and impact as many union workers as possible. For more information regarding Factory Social and its features, visit their website at factory.social or email info@ factory.social About Factory SocialGeneral Holiefield is the founder of Factory Social, a social media application meant for UAW members who are looking for a platform to share ideas. At 22, Holiefield was one of the youngest elected union officials in UAW history at Chrysler's biggest site for their biggest contractor. His father, General Holiefield Sr., was the Vice President of the UAW. Coming from a familiar background of activists and union workers, Holiefield has experience in both member and leadership positions among the UAW. The Factory Social app is now on a mission to sign up its first 2,500 members, and Holiefield continues to work towards reaching as many UAW members as possible. For more information regarding Factory Social and its features, visit their website factory.social or contact:Contact:General Holiefield, Factory Socialinfo@ factory.social313-816-5983 SOURCE: Factory Social PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 15:34:03 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 498 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Hagens Berman urges RTX Corporation f/k/a Raytheon Technologies Corporation (NYSE:RTX) investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now. The Firm also encourages persons with knowledge that might assist the investigation to contact its attorneys.Class Period: Feb. 8, 2021 - July 25, 2023Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Oct. 2, 2023Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/rtx Contact An Attorney Now: RTX@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895RTX Corporation (RTX) Securities Fraud Class Action:The litigation focuses on RTX's disclosures about its manufacturing quality controls within its Pratt & Whitney engine program.The complaint alleges that RTX made false or misleading statements and failed to disclose that: (1) its engines had been affected from at least 2015 - 2020 by a quality control issue; and (2) this issue would require RTX to recall and reinspect many engines, affecting its customers and harming its business.Investors learned the truth on July 25, 2023, when Reuters reported that contamination in the metal used to manufacture the Pratt & Whitney engine parts meant that 1,200 of the more than 3,000 engines built of the twin-engine Airbus A320neo between 2015 and 2021 must be removed and inspected for micro cracks.The same day, RTX reduced its 2023 free cash flow guidance by about $500 million (or about 10%) and blamed this on "recent" findings of contamination in the metal used to make its Pratt & Whitney engine parts that would require potentially hundreds of accelerated engine inspections.During the earnings call, management revealed "[i]t's going to be expensive" and "[t]his is an issue that we first uncovered back in 2020 when we had an incident with the V2500 turbine disc." This news sent the price of RTX shares sharply lower that day."We're focused on investors' losses and proving RTX misled investors about its manufacturing quality controls and, recently, its claim to have remediated the contamination issue in 2021," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in RTX Corporation and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding RTX Corporation should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email RTX@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens BermanHagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Contact:Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 09:32:27 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 406 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until October 23, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HE), if they purchased the Company's securities between February 28, 2019 and August 16, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of Hawaiian Electric and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-he/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by October 23, 2023.About the LawsuitHawaiian Electric 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's wildfire prevention and safety protocols and procedures were inadequate to meet the challenges for which they were ostensibly designed; (ii) accordingly, despite knowing the degree of risk that wildfires posed to Maui, the Company's inadequate safety protocols and procedures placed Maui at a heightened risk of devastating wildfires; and (iii) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.The case is Bhangal v. Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc., et al., No. 23-cv-04332.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, 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 http://ksfcounsel.com/ Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partnerlewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 23:02:34 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 347 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. ("Hawaiian Electric" or the "Company") (NYSE:HE) 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 Hawaiian Electric securities between February 28, 2019 and August 16, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case.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) Hawaiian Electric's wildfire prevention and safety protocols and procedures were inadequate to meet the challenges for which they were ostensibly designed; (2) accordingly, despite knowing the degree of risk that wildfires posed to Maui, the Company's inadequate safety protocols and procedures placed Maui at a heightened risk of devastating wildfires; and (3) 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. You may review a copy of the Complaint. You may also 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 Hawaiian Electric you have until October 23, 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 BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. Slovakia has developed a 'smart village' project for Garvand village in Azerbaijan's Aghdam district, the Chairman of Slovakia's National Council, Boris Kollar told reporters during his visit to Baku, Trend reports. "The purpose of my visit to Azerbaijan is to further promote the development of relations, including economic ties, between the two countries," he said. Kollar also noted that meetings will be held regarding the 'smart village' project developed by Slovakia in Garvand village. "For us, close ties with Azerbaijan are very important. We intend to take trade and economic relations with Azerbaijan to a new level," the official said. Garvand village was liberated from Armenian occupation as a result of the 2020 second Karabakh war. Following the liberation of its territories from Armenian occupation in 2020, Azerbaijan initiated the long-awaited 'Great Return' program, which envisions the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their native lands. The Great Return to the Liberated Territories began on July 19, 2022, when former Azerbaijani IDPs returned to Aghali village, built on the basis of the concept of a 'smart village' in the Zangilan district. The design of the second 'smart village' is underway in Dovlatyarly village of the Fuzuli district. PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 15:33:45 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 545 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Hagens Berman urges Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HE) equity and bond investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now.Class Period: Feb. 28, 2019 - Aug. 16, 2023Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Oct. 23, 2023Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/HE Contact An Attorney Now: HE@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE: HE) Securities Fraud Class Action:The complaint alleges that, unknown to investors, (1) Hawaiian Electric's wildfire prevention and safety protocols and procedures were inadequate to meet the challenges for which they were ostensibly designed, and (2) accordingly, despite knowing the degree of risk that wildfires posed to Maui, the company's inadequate safety protocols and procedures placed Maui at a heightened risk of devastating wildfires.On Aug. 12, 2023 (after historic wildfires broke out in Maui, killing dozens of people and causing billions of dollars of damage), The Washington Post reported that "[b]efore the Maui wildfires, Hawaiian Electric did not have a plan - adopted widely in California and other states - to shut off power in certain lines in advance of dangerous winds." According to the Post "Hawaiian Electric was aware that a power shut-off was an effective strategy, documents show, but had not adopted it as part of its fire-mitigation plans, according to the company and two former power and energy officials interviewed by The Washington Post." Citing a former member of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, the Post reported that the decision to avoid shutting off power "is reflective of the utility's struggles to bolster its aging and vulnerable infrastructure against wildfires[.]"Then, on Aug. 16, 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported that Hawaiian Electric is in talks with restructuring firms and is exploring options to address its financial and legal challenges arising from the Maui wildfires.The next day, the WSJ reported that, while knowing of wildfire threats, Hawaiian Electric spent less than $245,000 between 2019 and 2022 on Maui wildfire-specific projects.This news drove the price of Hawaiian Electric shares and bonds sharply lower."We're focused on investors' losses and proving Hawaiian Electric misled investors about its operational safeguards necessary to comply with state safety requirements," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in Hawaiian Electric and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Hawaiian Electric should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email HE@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens BermanHagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Contact: Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 14:05:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 675 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 INNIO nominated in the category for Developers and Manufacturers of More Sustainable Engines and Turbines Nomination underscores INNIO's successful endeavors to empower communities and industries in transitioning to green energy while enhancing its own operational sustainability Winners will be announced in Dusseldorf on November 23, 2023, as part of the 16th German Sustainability DayJENBACH, AUSTRIA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / INNIO Group (INNIO*) has been nominated for the prestigious German Sustainability Award in the category for Developers and Manufacturers of More Sustainable Engines and Turbines. This prominent award, given annually, recognizes companies that excel in addressing industry challenges and make meaningful contributions to sustainable transformation through their products, services, or operations.INNIO Group HQ The nomination highlights INNIO's efforts to support the green energy transition and empower industries and communities to make sustainable energy work today. For instance, customers can already purchase all energy solutions from the Jenbacher* product portfolio with a "Ready for H2"** option, enabling them to convert to 100% hydrogen operation once hydrogen becomes more readily available.Simultaneously, the company is taking significant steps to make its own operations more sustainable and reduce its carbon footprint. By 2030, INNIO plans to reduce the carbon footprint of its production and office sites by 50%, while also safeguarding and conserving natural resources. INNIO reports on its progress annually through its sustainability report."The nomination underscores the pioneering role we assume with INNIO in the industry and acknowledges the work our INNIO team accomplishes daily to make energy more sustainable," says Dr. Olaf Berlien, President and CEO of the INNIO Group. "I am proud of the entire team and would like to thank all employees for their contribution to what we have achieved." The German Sustainability Award seal is regarded as the most prestigious German recognition for exemplary ecological and social achievements. Sponsors of the award include the German Sustainability Award Foundation in collaboration with the German federal government, associations, business groups, civil organizations, research institutions, and the media. The winners will be announced in Dusseldorf on November 23, 2023, as part of the 16th German Sustainability Day.INNIO has previously received multiple awards for its sustainability commitments. INNIO's award recognitions include the Platinum Medal by EcoVadis, which ranks INNIO among the top 1% of evaluated companies. Additionally, Sustainalytics named INNIO as the global number 1 among industry companies as part of the ESG risk rating at the time of the rating.###About INNIO Group (INNIO)INNIO* Group is a leading energy solution and service provider that empowers industries and communities to make sustainable energy work today. With our product brands Jenbacher* and Waukesha* and our digital platform myPlant*, we offer innovative solutions for the power generation and compression segments that help industries and communities generate and manage energy sustainably while navigating the fast-changing landscape of traditional and green energy sources. INNIO is individual in scope, but global in scale. With our flexible, scalable, and resilient energy solutions and services, we enable our customers to manage the energy transition along the energy value chain wherever they are in their transition journey.INNIO is headquartered in Jenbach (Austria), with other primary operations in Waukesha (Wisconsin, U.S.) and Welland (Ontario, Canada). A team of more than 4,000 experts provides life-cycle support to the more than 55,000 delivered engines globally through a service network in more than 100 countries.At the time of the assessment, INNIO's ESG risk rating ranked it first globally among the more than 500 engineering companies assessed by Sustainalytics. For more information, visit the INNIO Group website at www.innio.com . Follow INNIO and its brands on Twitter and LinkedIn.* INNIO, Jenbacher, Waukesha, and myPlant are trademarks of the INNIO Group or one of its affiliates. All other trademarks and company names are the property of their respective owners.** In general, "Ready for H2" Jenbacher units can be converted to operate on up to 100% hydrogen in the future. Details on the cost and timeline for a future conversion may vary and need to be clarified individually.Contact InformationSusanne Reichelt INNIO Media Relations susanne.reichelt@innio.com +43 664 80833 2382SOURCE: INNIO Group PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 10:03:35 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 432 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CTO Graeme Cox's triumph at the Samsung Bosphorus Race mirrors RingStone's commitment to innovation and growth.LONDON, ENGLAND / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / RingStone, a leading technical due diligence provider for software and tech-enabled companies, proudly acknowledges the remarkable achievement of Graeme Cox, an established executive, who conquered the challenging Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race. The cross-continental race, navigating a rigorous 6.5-kilometer (4.03 miles) course, is one of the top 100 toughest swims. Graeme's inspiring accomplishment mirrors RingStone's commitment to innovation and collaboration, showcasing the parallel journeys of pushing boundaries and achieving success.RingStone CTO Graeme Cox Swims the Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race.Graeme Cox, a RingStone Principal Practitioner, brings over three decades of technology industry experience to the team, including 20 years as CTO and CEO, and embodies visionary leadership. A graduate of Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science from the University of Edinburgh, Graeme holds multiple technology patents, boasts research grant awards and regularly contributes as a subject matter expert to publications highlighting AI, machine learning, biometrics, and cybersecurity.Graeme's entrepreneurial spirit and extensive expertise, including big data, AI, machine learning, and cybersecurity, seamlessly align with RingStone's mission to empower businesses through insightful technology and practical strategies."The Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race pushed my limits, much like the challenges we embrace at RingStone," shared Graeme Cox. "I approached the race with the same determination my colleagues and I bring to every project - with a spirit of exploration, problem-solving, and growth. It's about overcoming obstacles and fostering progress." RingStone, recognized as a leader in technical due diligence and value creation, partners with private equity investors and acquiring firms to amplify the value of their businesses and investments."Graeme's remarkable achievement echoes Ringtone's dedication to innovation and teamwork," said Hazem Abolrous, RingStone's Chief Executive Officer. "Graeme's journey resonates with our shared values - the commitment to embracing challenges, collaborating, and driving positive outcomes. His swim embodies the essence of our approach, focusing on practical solutions that fuel growth and success." With a global presence in Europe and North America, RingStone is driven by the forward-thinking approach of Graeme Cox in its mission to promote innovation and excellence.About RingStoneThrough technical due diligence, benchmarking, and targeted assessments, RingStone helps clients to transform their organization for future growth. The RingStone team is united by a common vision to use experience, the power of AI technology, and data to solve challenges for investors while providing a distinctive approach to technology diligence and value creation. Learn more at ringstonetech.com.Contact InformationHazem Abolrous Managing Partner hazem@ ringstonetech.com +14259988740 SOURCE: RingStone PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 12:05:58 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1049 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Mawson Gold Limited ("Mawson" or the "Company") (TSX:MAW)(Frankfurt:MXR)(OTC PINK:MWSNF) announces results from six drillholes (SDDSC068, 73-74, 76, 77B, 78) at the Sunday Creek Project in Victoria, Australia (Figure 1).SDDSC077B drilled 404.4 m @ 5.6 g/t AuEq (5.1 g/t Au, 0.3 %Sb) from 374.0 m (uncut), and traverses 13 individual high-grade vein sets (Figures 3-6). Seven intervals have >100 g/t Au (up to 2,670 g/t Au), 20 intervals at >15 g/t Au and 20 intervals have >5% Sb (up to 55.8% Sb). It is the best hole drilled to date on the project, a spectacularly wide and high-grade intersection of gold-antimony mineralization.SDDSC078 demonstrated the up-dip extension and continuation of five high grade zones towards the surface and SDDSC068 demonstrated the scale of the Sunday Creek system with a 500 m down-dip extension below prior drilling from the Apollo area.Sunday Creek is 100% owned by Southern Cross Gold ("SXG"), which is an ASX listed company owned 51% by Mawson. Four rigs continue to drill both in the main drill area where eleven holes (SDDSC079-81, 83-90) are currently being geologically processed and chemically analyzed, with four holes (SDDSC082, 91-93) in drill progress (Figures 5-6) and up to 7.5 km along strike at the Tonstal, Consols and Leviathan prospects where twelve holes (SDDTS001-7, SDDCN001 and SDDLV001-4) for 2,383 m (including two redrilled collars) have now been completed with results expected in the coming weeks (Figure 2).Highlights:Demonstrating Grade: SDDSC077B exceeds the previous best hole by almost three times. It contains the highest grades seen at Sunday Creek to date (up to 2,670 g/t Au) and includes the best intersection at Sunday Creek, as well as two others in the top 10.Hole SDDSC077B intersected 404.4 m @ 5.6 g/t AuEq (5.1 g/t Au, 0.3% Sb) from 374.0 m (uncut). A selection of highlights include:5.6 m @ 17.8 g/t AuEq (14.1 g/t Au, 2.4% Sb) from 392.2 m, including:0.2 m @ 31.5 g/t AuEq (31.4 g/t Au, 0.0% Sb) from 392.2 m0.4 m @ 231.6 g/t AuEq (182.0 g/t Au, 31.4% Sb) from 394.2 m5.4 m @ 39.3 g/t AuEq (38.0 g/t Au, 0.8% Sb) from 407.7 m, including:0.4 m @ 593.6 g/t AuEq (574.0 g/t Au, 12.4% Sb) from 407.7 m4.9 m @ 36.1 g/t AuEq (20.1 g/t Au, 10.1% Sb) from 445.2 m, including:1.4 m @ 113.9 g/t AuEq (66.6 g/t Au, 29.9% Sb) from 445.2 m0.3 m @ 54.0 g/t AuEq (12.1 g/t Au, 26.5% Sb) from 449.7 m6.9 m @ 205.2 g/t AuEq (204.5 g/t Au, 0.4% Sb) from 733.8 m, including:0.8 m @ 1,741.5 g/t AuEq (1,736.4 g/t Au, 3.3% Sb) from 739.9 m:Including 0.4 m @ 731.2 g/t AuEq (731.0 g/t Au, 0.1% Sb) from 739.9 mIncluding 0.4 m @ 2,679.8 g/t AuEq (2,670 g/t Au, 6.2% Sb) from 740.3 mDrill hole SDDSC077B is the first hole to date to expand the mineralized footprint 25 m to 60 m from SDDSC050 (305 m @ 2.4 g/t AuEq, reported 20 November 2022) and demonstrate continuity of mineralized structures between these holes at the Rising Sun prospect area (Figure 4).Drill hole SDDSC082 (in progress to plan 1,000m) is targeting mineralization 100 m below SDDSC077B and has intersected multiple zones of mineralization from 413 m to the current depth of 870 m down hole. Visible gold has been noted in multiple individual restricted zones to date.SDDSC078 intersected five mineralized structures over 214 m downhole length. Five individual assays of greater than 20 g/t gold, up to 162 g/t gold and high grades of antimony of up to 12.8% Sb were intersected. Visible gold was noted in six individual restricted zones.The Rising Sun area remains open up-dip, down-dip and along strike.Demonstrating Volume: SDDSC068 confirmed continuity of the known high-grade zones to great depth at Apollo by drilling 500 m down-dip from hole SDDSC066 (10.4 m @ 22.4 g/t AuEq) adding to the volume of the mineralized endowment.The Apollo area remains open up-dip, down-dip below 1,000 m depth and along strikeMawson owns 93,750,000 shares of SXG (51%), valuing its stake at A$46.9 million (C$41.2 million) based on SXG's closing price on August 31, 2023 AEST.Noora Ahola, Mawson Interim CEO, states: "With the release of SDDSC077B, SXG's 100% owned Sunday Creek project solidifies its status as one of the best new gold discoveries in the world today. Thirteen individual high-grade vein sets with seven >100 g/t Au intervals and 20 >15 g/t Au over 400 m of strike speaks volumes on the quality of project. Hitting intercepts such as 0.4 m @ 2,670 g/t gold was the remaining factor that elevates Sunday Creek into the same league as the other globally high-grade epizonal gold deposits that exist in Victoria."Along with recently reported holes SDDSC068 & 78, these holes confirm SXG's strategy to demonstrate grade, volume and scale at the project drilling both up and down dip of previously reported fantastic holes such as SDDSC050 and SDDSC066."SXG recently announced a planned 26,000 m drill campaign to April 2024 and is fully funded and permitted to execute on its strategy across its 11 km mineralized trend at Sunday Creek. It has a total of 24 holes that are pending release from both the main drill area and its regional targets up to 7,500 m to the northeast. We expect a steady stream of positive results to come out of Australia." Results DiscussionDrill hole SDDSC077B 404.4 m @ 5.6 g/t AuEq (5.1 g/t Au, 0.3% Sb) from 374.0 m (uncut) was designed to demonstrate continuity of mineralized structures between 25 m to 65 m spacing around hole SDDSC050 (305 m @ 2.4 g/t AuEq reported 20 November 2022) at Rising Sun. SDDSC077B (cumulative 2,272 AuEq g/t x m) exceeded SDDSC050 (cumulative 852 AuEq g/t x m), the previous best hole, by almost three times.SDDSC077B hole intersected 13 zones of mineralization from 375 m to 787 m down hole depth with visible gold noted in 28 individual restricted zones. SDDSC050 also traversed across the same 13 vein structures intersected in SDDSC077B with between 25 m to 60 m distance separating the two holes.SDDSC077B drilled parallel to the host breccia dyke but at a high angle to the predominant NW high-grade mineralization trend, and therefore, the true thickness of the mineralized interval is interpreted to be approximately 60-70% of the sampled thickness. Cumulatively the hole recorded a 2,272 g/t AuEq x m intersection. Seven intervals had >100 g/t Au (up to 2,679.8 g/t Au), 20 intervals at >15 g/t Au and 20 intervals with >5% Sb (up to 55.8% Sb) were intersected. Uncut, the hole graded 404.4 m @ 5.6 g/t AuEq (5.1 g/t Au, 0.3 %Sb) from 374.0 m.Figure 4 shows the plan view of drill holes SDDSC050 and PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 16:34:21 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 511 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Meera, which automates 80% of a sales team's busywork, is now supporting Spanish conversations on its AI texting platform. Designed to provide high-quality customer support in Spanish throughout all stages of the customer journey, the update is bringing transformative AI-texting to businesses around the world.Meera can now respond to customers in SpanishMeera's AI-based text automation platform is changing how new leads are nurtured and meetings are scheduled by syncing with CRMs to send human-like text messages. Its platform does the heavy lifting for sales agents, including responding to leads 24/7, using natural language processing to mimic human texting, scheduling meetings, and transferring calls to sales professionals. The company's goal is to provide users with a text-loving SDR that never sleeps or has a bad day.Meera understands that the need for excellent, efficient customer service is universal regardless of where a business operates. With its latest update, the company will serve nearly 7.5% of the world's population who speak Spanish. By supporting Spanish text conversations on its platform, Meera is empowering companies in North America, Central America, South America and beyond with the ability to offer timely service in their native language and ultimately prioritize their customers' experiences."The reality is simple: most solutions on the market add multi-language support much later into the product roadmap," says Vivek Zaveri, Founder & CEO, Meera. "This means Spanish-speaking customers often struggle to receive adequate support when they need it. It also means companies must overspend on human agents to provide Spanish support. At Meera, we wanted to change this narrative by ensuring companies could better serve their Spanish-speaking customers through the power of AI-powered conversations with a human touch." The underlying AI technology powering Meera was trained using natural language processing and is capable of supporting a variety of languages. This made it possible for Meera's computer engineers to rapidly adapt the platform to support Spanish after initially releasing in English. Companies are now able to add Spanish capabilities to Meera in only a few clicks.With the successful launch of its Spanish capabilities on its AI platform, Meera is developing plans for additional support for other languages in future releases. To learn more about Meera and its update for Spanish conversational text messages, please visit https://www.meera.ai/ Meera: Text messaging that engages new leads within 15 secondsAbout MeeraMeera is an AI text messaging platform that uses human-like messages to automate 80% of your team's busy work. That way, your agents don't have to waste time following up and qualifying leads that are nearly impossible to reach by phone or email. Meera engages prospects automatically, nurtures them until they are ready to talk to sales and then either schedules a meeting or transfers a call directly to a member of your team. The result is more qualified meetings with less effort and lower acquisition costs.For more information about Meera, including its new support for Spanish speakers, please visit the company's website or contact:Ph: +1-855-506-3372Email: info@ meera.ai SOURCE: Meera PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 22:15:38 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 350 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Ensada Tractron LLC - Developer of Agribusiness recently lead a tour of a New Holland plant (a brand of CNH Industrial) in Saskatoon, Canada. Though Ensada has organized several international tours for its local farmers in Mongolia in recent years, this particular visit provided a glimpse as to how Mongolia's agriculture sector can improve sustainable production through precision farming technologies.More than 40 percent of the country's grain is grown in the Selenge province. However, crop production has recently been hindered by environmental obstacles, driving a growing interest for agri-tech solutions among the Mongolian farming community."In Selenge, farmers face challenges due to limited rainfall and need for an efficient way to conserve water and soil. Seeing farmers here in Canada successfully combat similar issues using New Holland's tractors, combines, and especially the precision air drills, has been inspiring. These machines enable farmers to practice no-till farming, conserving soil moisture and preventing soil erosion, both of which are critical for our farms back home," said Batnasan Dorlig, CEO of Shuren Taria LLC, one of the visiting farmers.At the CNH Industrial facility in Saskatoon, the group was introduced to the cutting-edge production technology behind New Holland's precision air drills, GPS-guided tractors, soil analysis and crop monitoring technology. Renowned for implementing world-class manufacturing (WCM) processes, the New Holland Saskatoon plant also houses a ground-breaking research and development center."New Holland not only understands the needs of farmers but also builds top-notch machinery to fulfil those needs. The production of the air drill was extraordinary - it is truly a masterpiece of technology and engineering. I am excited about the possibility of introducing such effective tools and technologies to Mongolia," Dorlig expressed.Ensada organized a tour to the New Holland plant in Canada, where learning about the precision air drills proved to be a promising solution to lack of rainfall for crops in Selenge province.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from CNH Industrial on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: CNH IndustrialWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cnh-industrialEmail: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: CNH Industrial PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 17:45:26 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 479 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CORAL SPRINGS, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / One Firefly, a digital marketing agency that caters to technology professionals in the residential and commercial custom integration markets, announced today the launch of its latest offering, Amplify People. This innovative service is set to revolutionize the hiring and recruitment landscape within the AV and Custom Integration industry.Amplify People emerges from One Firefly's core mission: empowering technology professionals to grow. Recognizing the challenges many integrators face in hiring and retaining top talent, Amplify People offers a unique blend of industry expertise, a tailored approach, and a focused network to ensure the right fit for every role.Key Features of Amplify People:Industry Expertise: A deep understanding of the AV and Custom Integration industry ensures candidates are both technically proficient and culturally aligned.Focused Network: Insight into industry trends and the recruitment landscape, and access to a vast network of seasoned professionals ensures a streamlined hiring process.Cultural Alignment: Beyond technical skills, Amplify People deploys a Company Culture Candidate Matching Process to find the right cultural fit, ensuring smoother team integrations and reduced turnover.Proven Hiring Processes: One Firefly has spent years practicing and fine-tuning proven hiring methodologies for recruiting, attracting, and attaining A-player talent. Now, they're bringing these processes to the industry to find precision-matched talent that aligns with skill, culture, and personality needs.Ron Callis, CEO of One Firefly, commented on the launch, "With Amplify People, we're bringing our proven hiring methodologies to the forefront of the AV and Custom Integration industry. We believe that the right talent can significantly amplify a company's growth, and we're here to ensure businesses find the right people." Allison Yenawine, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist at One Firefly, added, "Our deep industry knowledge, combined with our passion for empowering businesses, has culminated in this service. We believe Amplify People will catalyze companies looking to elevate their teams and achieve unparalleled success." Amplify People will also lower the cost burden of hiring. The service will be offered on a subscription-based pricing model, spreading the expense over the course of a year, while providing integrators the flexibility to pace hires. And it will give integrators the peace of mind of knowing their hiring team is ready to jump into action as needed.Amplify People is not just a recruitment service; it's a commitment to ensuring that businesses in the AV and Custom Integration sector have access to the best talent. Click here to learn more about Amplify People, or contact us at sales@ onefirefly.com to schedule a consultation with our team.About One FireflyOne Firefly is an award-winning, full-service marketing agency that caters to technology professionals in the residential and commercial custom integration markets. One Firefly is headquartered in Coral Springs, Florida, with staff throughout North America, and has been operating since 2007Contact InformationMaria Penaloza maria.penaloza@newswire.com SOURCE: One Firefly PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 13:51:17 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 923 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LUGANO, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Stanyslav Nykolaevych Kondrashov, a distinguished publicist, journalist, and international writer, journeyed into the heart of the Navajo reservation, the largest tribe of American Indians, as he wrote a poignant journalistic work that shed light on their struggles, customs, and exploitation by white businessmen. Within the pages of his work, Kondrashov's keen insights and evocative storytelling painted a vivid picture of the challenges faced by the Navajo people.Stanislav Kondrashov ventured into the territory of the Navajo reservation and documented his experiences in his seminal work, "Among the Indians in Arizona (On the other side)." In this eye-opening account published in Soviet Russia, Kondrashov masterfully captures the plight of the Navajo tribe, illuminating their customs, traditions, and the disturbing exploitation they endure under the hands of white businessmen.The author's penetrating observations lay bare the challenges faced by the Navajo people, who number over one hundred and fifty thousand, making them the most populous surviving Indian tribe in the United States. Within the vast twenty-five thousand square mile Navajo Reservation located in northeastern Arizona, Kondrashov encountered a world of resilience and cultural richness amid adversity. His work was divided into ten sections: Into the Outback, Grand Canyon, Jack Cooker, Flagstaff, Another day in Flagstaff, Tuba City, Window in the Rock, Excursion to Gallup, Working Monday, and Parting.Stanislav Kondrashov begins his work by describing his journey to Arizona with the intention of exploring the Native American communities, explaining that while there are many discussions about various American ancestral backgrounds, there has been limited attention given to the indigenous population. Kondrashov reflects on the marginalized state of Native Americans living on reservations and their subjugation to new masters.He then describes the process of arranging the trip-dealing with bureaucratic procedures and booking flights. He travels from New York to Chicago, then to Phoenix and finally to Flagstaff, where he begins to observe the Native American presence. Kondrashov highlights the contrast between bustling urban areas and the quiet, remote towns he encounters, emphasizing the uniqueness of each place. The passage also captures a fleeting encounter with Native American children in Flagstaff and reflects on their presence and situation in the town. His observations and reflections on this journey give readers insight into his exploration of Native American communities and his thoughts on the experience.The heart of Kondrashov's narrative explores the disturbing reality of exploitation that the Navajo people face. He shines a light on the injustices perpetrated by white businessmen who take advantage of the tribe's land, resources, and labor. Through meticulous research and immersive reporting, Stanislav Kondrashov captures the complex interplay between tradition and modernity, oppression and resilience, that defines the Navajo experience.Kondrashov's work reflects a deep understanding of the Navajo people and their history. His writing is an important reminder that Native Americans continue to face discrimination and injustice in the United States, even today. It has been more than three decades since his work was published, yet it remains as relevant and poignant as ever. Through Kondrashov's captivating storytelling, readers are given a powerful window into the resilience and courage of Native American communities.In recent years, Stanislav Kondrashov's work has gained renewed interest as more people discover his timeless exploration of the Navajo Reservation and its people. His vivid insights offer an invaluable perspective on this rich culture that has been largely marginalized in the American mainstream. With this work, Kondrashov has been credited for providing a voice to the oppressed and silenced Native Americans of Arizona. As one reads his captivating words, they are reminded of the importance of acknowledging and respecting indigenous cultures around the world.To learn more about the works of Stanislav Kondrashov, please visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanyslav_Kondrashov About Stanislav KondrashovStanislav Kondrashov was a renowned journalist and political columnist who left an indelible mark on the world of journalism and international affairs during the five decades that spanned his career. Born in the village of Kulebaki, located in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, he graduated from high school in 1946, where he earned a silver medal for his academic achievements. He pursued higher education at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, gaining admission hors concours, as he followed his passion for international affairs. Kondrashov began his career in journalism at the newspaper "Izvestia" in 1951, where he made an immediate impact with his work investigating the complexities of the Batista regime in Cuba. In October 1956, he was assigned as Izvestia's correspondent to Egypt during the conflict between Israel and Egypt. As a result of his remarkable skills, Stanislav was given a spot as a permanent correspondent in Egypt in November 1957.His career next took him to the United States, where he served as Izvestia's correspondent during two noteworthy periods: from November 1961 to June 1968 and again from October 1971 to December 1976. He provided extensive coverage of pivotal moments in history, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the tragic assassinations of President Kennedy and his brother Robert, and the Vietnam War. In August 1977, Stanislav Kondrashov assumed the role of a political columnist for Izvestia, contributing his valuable insights and analysis to the publication. His astute observations and captivating writing style made him a respected and sought-after voice in the realm of political journalism. Throughout his illustrious career, Kondrashov authored an impressive collection of 28 books, each offering a profound understanding of global affairs and history, further cementing his reputation as a distinguished author and journalist.Media Contact:Jessica Smith | Market Newsjessica@ marketnews.comphone: 1-415-837-8371SOURCE: Stanislav Kondrashov Publishing PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 18:12:19 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 454 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / RestoStrategy, a restaurant-specific Fractional Chief Marketing Officer service, has recently released Profitable Plates, a marketing optimization guidebook for restaurant owners. This book was created as a way to bridge the crucial divide between knowledge and ability for restaurant owners looking to improve their current marketing strategies.In regards to the restaurant industry, up-to-date, industry-specific marketing resources available are inconsistent and difficult to find. While many establishments have been able to successfully increase their brand awareness, there are others who are overwhelmed by the continuous stream of things to do to make their current strategies more dynamic, agile, and competitive in the online space.Alejandro Aguilar, founder, CEO, and author of Profitable Plates, states, "I've been a hard worker all my life, and I learned a lot of important lessons from every industry I've been in. One that I carry with me is to let people help you. After all, you don't know what you don't know, and I've seen that marketing is the common thing that fellow restaurant owners don't know. Profitable Plates is meant to empower owners, build their confidence, and diversify their expertise so that they can knock out doubt and get their work done." The book discusses a range of need-to-know topics that are specifically catered to the restaurant industry, such as how to run the numbers before promotional campaigns to make sure they make sense, mastering deliveries to maximize profits, how to build a richer community, boosting employee morale, and more. To overcome information overload, each chapter is written to be approachable and easy-to-understand no matter the reader's technical or marketing fluency.Aguilar adds, "I want owners to walk away from Profitable Plates with actionable goals that will help them understand that marketing isn't just a branding tool. It also has the potential to become a rejuvenated avenue for profit when applied intentionally and with dedication. When done properly, marketing will influence every part of the business and will be as relevant as having a good product and a great experience." Profitable Plates was released on July 21st and is available to read digitally as well as on paperback.ABOUT RESTOSTRATEGYRestoStrategy is a restaurant-specific Fractional Chief Marketing Officer service based in Miami, FL that helps restaurants throughout the United States build marketing engines that increase site traffic and conversion rates in a measurable and profitable way. The company, co-founded by Alejandro Aguilar and Geissler Paul Gimenez, released Profitable Plates in July 2023 as a comprehensive, easy-to-digest guidebook for restaurant owners looking to optimize their marketing strategies.To learn more about the company, visit restostrategy.com or contact:Alejandro Aguilar+1 (786) 309-6026info@ restostrategy.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/restostrategy SOURCE: RestoStrategy PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 09:31:34 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 421 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until October 2, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against RTX Corporation f/k/a Raytheon Technologies Corporation (NYSE:RTX), if they purchased the Company's securities between February 8, 2021 and July 25, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of RTX and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-rtx/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by October 2, 2023.About the LawsuitRTX 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's Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine that powers hundreds of aircraft across many airlines had been affected by a quality control issue from at least 2015-2020; (ii) the quality control issue would require the Company to recall and reinspect many of its GTF airplanes, affecting customers and harming its business; and (iii) as a result, RTX'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 Peneycad v. RTX Corporation f/k/a Raytheon Technologies Corporation, et al., No. 23-cv-01035.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, 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 http://ksfcounsel.com/ Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partnerlewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. Azerbaijani Defense Minister Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has expressed condolences to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry told Trend. "I am deeply saddened by the information about the death of Naval Forces servicemen of brotherly Pakistan, as a result of a helicopter crash in the city of Gwadar, Balochistan state. May Allah rest the souls of the deceased! I share the grief of their relatives and friends and express my deepest condolences to their families. May the souls of the deceased rest in peace and the memory of them live in our hearts forever," the minister said. PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 16:26:35 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 524 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ANNADALE, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / RV Overnights, a startup travel company which connects small businesses with travelers seeking overnight parking for RVs, has announced the pending launch of its membership on September 13th, 2023.This will coincide with the first day of the Hershey RV Show in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The RVOvernights team will be attending with a tradeshow booth, to offer education and information about what the company offers, which is a membership program designed to assist RVers during their travels across the United States.Through the RVOvernights platform, RVers can choose from a wide variety of locations for overnight parking at various small businesses across the country, known on the platform as the hosts. The host locations are typically situated in desirable regions with excellent views of scenic landscapes.Once a traveler purchases the membership with RVOvernights, they can book overnight parking spots with hosts for no fee. The platform only asks that guests consider supporting their hosts by making a purchase at the small businesses. Host locations through RVOvernights include museums, wineries and breweries, farms, various attractions, non-profits, restaurants, and more.For the yearly membership fee, guests receive unlimited stay requests at any of their hosting locations. Additionally, one gets access to the RVOvernights app, which includes dump stations and propane fill locations. Members can stay at any property with an approved stay request from their hosts. The company also offers a Happier Camper Guarantee. If a member is not satisfied with the program, they can claim a refund within the first 90 days of their membership.Co-founder Rob Case explains that the program is built from a small business owner's viewpoint, seeking to benefit both member and host experiences. RV Overnights allows each small business to promote their offerings, encouraging members to support hosts by purchasing goods and services. The platform has also incorporated features inspired by popular rideshare companies, such as multiple ratings for each member and a "Stay Score" to measure the reliability of a member, ensuring social responsibility and respectful use of the program.In preparation for launching its membership, RVOvernights has implemented several other novel features in its updated platform, such as a simple QR code check-in process, a messenger portal for increased communication between hosts and members, and the ability for hosts to block dates annually and list individual parking spaces.Recognizing the growing popularity of RV travel and the quick filling up of campgrounds, RV Overnights offers a solution by connecting small businesses to travelers. Co-founders Rob Case and Kurt Nehlig, both lifetime small business owners and avid RVers, believe that understanding both sides of the equation enables them to build a program that benefits everyone, and they are excited to launch membership at the Hershey RV Show.About RVOvernights.com RVOvernights.com is a hospitality startup that offers a platform to connect RV travelers with small businesses (hosts). Hosts provide overnight parking spots for RVs, and can list properties on the platform for free. Travelers can search and book available spots; hosts set their own availability, rules, and restrictions.Website: https://rvovernights.com/ Contact Kurt Nehlig: info@ rvovernights.com or 908-219-9119SOURCE: RVOvernights.com PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 09:31:56 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 424 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until October 19, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Shift4 Payments, Inc. (NYSE:FOUR), if they purchased the Company's securities between November 10, 2021 and April 18, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of Shift4 and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-four/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by October 19, 2023.About the LawsuitShift4 and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On April 19, 2023, Blue Orca Capital reported that "Shift4 [is], in reality, a roll-up of low-tech POS systems and payment processors which is substantially less profitable, generates far less cash, and is materially more levered than investors are led to believe," and that in 2022, the Company "engaged in a string of highly questionable and hyper-aggressive accounting maneuvers seemingly designed to keep the stock afloat, from cash flow manipulation to inexplicable distributor acquisitions that enabled it to capitalize a major component of COGS [cost of goods sold]."On this news, shares of Shift4 fell $5.95 per share, or 8.68%, to close at $62.59 per share on April 19, 2023.The case is O'Meara v. Shift4 Payments, Inc., et al., No. 23-cv-03206.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, 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 http://ksfcounsel.com/ Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partnerlewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 10:50:22 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 549 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / The Gen-AI craze has largely overshadowed the revolutions bringing AI to the physical world: Robotics. A 22-year-old serial entrepreneur is embracing both AI and Robotics to revolutionise the way we consume food and has assembled an A-list team of respected innovators and "do-ers".The core philosophy of KAIKAKU centres around augmenting human capabilities by automating the repetitive chores and manual tasks native to the restaurant sector, which has long been riddled by chronic staff shortages and low job satisfaction. Unleashing the potential of robotics and AI, they aim to empower hospitality staff to embrace creativity and innovation, making the industry more dynamic and engaging than ever before.At its helm is CEO Josef Chen, a serial tech and food entrepreneur who at just 17 years old founded his first successful venture, which achieved a successful exit in just two years. Chen grew up in a Chinese Restaurant family helping with chores such as cutting cabbage at the age of 7: "Having experienced all the problems first-hand and seeing my parents struggle to find staff, I have thought about ways to radically change the industry almost every day." KAIKAKU, derived from the Japanese term for "radical change", was founded in April 2023 by a stellar team with a mixture of F&B and technical expertise. "I endeavoured to assemble the best team in Europe that can build everything at breakneck speed, and I believe we're off to an amazing start!", says Chen.Co-Founder and CTO Dr David Sharp, who has a remarkable track record of delivering breakthrough innovations as former Head of Ocado Technologies 10x and Head of Engineering of Ocado's Autonomous Mobility Team, joined the mission after researching commercial F&B Technologies: "There is an exciting opportunity to apply the latest automation, robotics and AI technologies to transform the customer proposition and operational economics for the quick service restaurant sector".Another notable addition is Piers Millar, who Chen convinced to drop out of his studies at the London School of Economics to join as Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer. Bringing hands-on experience as the UK's youngest Crew Trainer at McDonald's and having helped Chen scale a dark kitchen dessert brand to 6 figure revenues within 3 months of inception, Millar confidently projects: "By 2030, will robotics be a common sight at restaurants and cafes? No doubt!"."To achieve our hyper-ambitious goals, we also needed expertise on scaling the world's largest locations of F&B chains, creating delicious food consistently at massive scale and the details on creating and opening new F&B concepts from ground 0", Chen told us, "so we went out and found the world's leading experts in the fields to join our advisory board!". Featuring industry veterans such as Don Fertman, former Chief Development Officer of Subway, David Crean, former Global Chief Science Officer at Mars Inc and Jonathan Hart, former Managing Director of Caffe Nero and CEO of Thorntons.Automation and robotics aren't distant dreams for the F&B industry; they're today's reality. Leading restaurant chains worldwide are embracing technology to streamline their operations and elevate customer experiences, emphasising the immense potential that KAIKAKU is poised to harness.Contact:Josef Chenjosef@ kaikaku.ai Frantisek Jezekfrantisek@ kaikaku.ai SOURCE: KAIKAKU PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 16:02:17 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 492 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Lawrence J. Chastang, Jr., Director and Kerry Watts, Senior Trust officer of Western International Trust Company Limited, discuss the evolving landscape for wealth management and how it is experiencing a notable shift. As high-net-worth families seek more personalized approaches to preserve and enhance their wealth, the prominence of family offices is on the rise. This trend has coincided with a keen interest in the use of Cayman trusts, creating an intricate interplay between these two unique and important wealth management instruments.Family offices offer a comprehensive suite of services tailored to meet the unique needs of affluent families. Lawrence J. Chastang, Jr. notes that: "Family offices handle investment management, estate planning, philanthropic endeavors, and other aspects of personal finance." As family offices grow in complexity and sophistication, they increasingly incorporate offshore trusts into their structures, and Cayman trusts in particular, have emerged as a popular choice.Kerry Watts, an experienced senior trust professional explains that "Cayman trusts offer several advantages that are particularly attractive to family offices. Foremost among these is the jurisdiction's robust legal framework, which provides strong protection for trust assets. The trusts law of the Cayman Islands allows for a high degree of flexibility in terms of trust creation and administration, which is especially beneficial for family offices dealing with diverse and often complex asset classes." Western International Trust Company Limited professionals also point out that the discretion offered by Cayman trusts aligns well with the administrative needs of high-net-worth families. While there has been a push towards greater transparency in global financial matters, the Cayman Islands maintain a balanced approach.Lawrence J. Chastang Jr. explains, "Another pivotal reason family offices are drawn to Cayman trusts is the island's status as a tax-neutral jurisdiction. While it is crucial to note that tax advantages should not be the sole driver for establishing a trust, the absence of capital gains, inheritance, or income tax on trusts established in the Cayman Islands can present effective wealth management solutions." The use of Cayman trusts by family offices is not without challenges. Kerry Watts points out that Navigating the legal intricacies requires specialized knowledge and experience. Recent regulatory changes demand a vigilant approach to compliance. Moreover, issues such as succession planning and cross-border considerations can add to the complexity.Western International Trust Company Limited agrees that the rise of family offices and their increasing interaction with Cayman trusts symbolizes an evolving wealth management sector. It underscores the need for customized, flexible solutions in the face of growing wealth and the multifaceted requirements of high-net-worth families. As family offices continue to thrive and diversify their strategies, Cayman trusts are likely to play an increasingly vital role in global wealth preservation and growth.Please note that this article is for informational purposes only and does not provide immigration, tax or legal advice.Contact Information:Andrew MitchellEmail: media@ cambridgeglobalmedia.comPhone: 404-955-7133SOURCE: Cambridge Global PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 16:16:21 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 764 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / NielsenOriginally published on Nielsen InsightsWhen CODA won the best picture Oscar in 2022, many people with disabilities hoped it would lead to more inclusion of their stories in media. But aside from the awareness and accolades, little progress to further advance disability inclusion on screen has followed.And the trend isn't limited to feature films. Video Descriptor Data from Gracenote highlights that the number of new disability-inclusive TV and movie titles has been declining since peaking at 365 in 2019.With limited inclusive options across TV and film, it's not surprising that the disability community has found more of what it's looking for across social media channels, where content creators with disabilities are actively filling the inclusivity void across traditional media channels. It's important to note that while disabled creatives are finding success in social media, this is not a replacement for the decline in representation in TV and films.Indeed, traditional media channels could learn from the success of disabled social media influencers and the brands they represent. Creatives with disabilities are providing brands with an authentic way to connect with an audience that's actively seeking inclusivity. And importantly, branded posts from influencers with disabilities often outperform those from influencers without disabilities.In a recent analysis of branded Instagram posts between May 2021 and May 2023, Nielsen InfluenceScope assessed the performance of 24 creators with disabilities to determine their effectiveness and ROI when compared against posts from creators without disabilities. Across eight industries, 278 branded posts from disabled creators generated a total of $474,000 in media value. Among the industries, the posts in the fashion industry generated the highest media value in absolute terms (40% of the total), but the posts in the electronics industry generated the highest value per post ($2,400 per post, well above the average of $1,700).In aggregate, the posts from creators with disabilities scored 21.4% better in average media value than posts from creators without disabilities and drove 20.5% more interactions.Across the industries, the branded posts from disabled creators outperformed posts from creators without disabilities in media value and engagement actions five times out of eight.Case study: Tommy Hilfiger is reshaping fashion and beautyWithin the fashion industry, which accounted for 32% of the branded content in the InfluenceScope study, the #TommyAdaptive campaign for Tommy Hilfiger's Adaptive collection has benefitted from the support of 26 different influencers, including three with disabilities: Jillian Mercado (@jillianmercado), Tiffany Yu (@imtiffanyyu) and Lauren "Lolo" Spencer (@itslololove). Over the past two years, the campaign has generated 257,000 interactions and $106,000 in media value.On average, the campaign has achieved an engagement rate of 2.6% per post, collected an average of 6,000 interactions per post (more than 40% higher than the fashion industry average) and generated an average media value of $2,500 per post (also more than 40% higher than the fashion industry average).The brand's focus on designing for the needs of all people and the effectiveness of the digital campaign have resulted in an array of positive comments to the 47 branded posts, with 38% highlighting the brand's focus on inclusivity and 31% expressing an appreciation for clothing that fits people with specific needs.The brand's focus on designing for the needs of all people and the effectiveness of the digital campaign have resulted in an array of positive comments to the 47 branded posts, with 38% highlighting the brand's focus on inclusivity and 31% expressing an appreciation for clothing that fits people with specific needs.While the TV screen remains the dominant media option for Americans, accounting for just under 5 hours per day1, disability representation across broadcast, cable and streaming programming remains remarkably low.This, in turn, limits the opportunity for brands to be present in disability-inclusive content. In fact, Nielsen's latest Attitudes on Representation study2 found that 34% of respondents said they don't believe there's enough content that represents them on TV.The upside of digital connectivity and new media channelsComparatively, Americans spend an average of 3 hours and 23 minutes with their computers, smartphones and tablets per day3, which provide access to an even greater variety of media choice, including content that they believe better represents them. Newer media options, including social media, offer greater inclusivity, which provide brands with more opportunities to embrace and show support for the disabled community by being present in the inclusive content that isn't available in traditional media channels.Sources:Q4 2022 National TV panel; time spent includes live TV, time-shifted TV, TV connected device usage.Nielsen Attitudes on Representation on TV Study, April 2022Q4 2022 National TV panelView additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Nielsen on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: NielsenWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/nielsenEmail: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Nielsen PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 08:32:36 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 451 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 A California-based moving company has been evolving and now offers commercial clients a revolutionized relocation experience.CONCORD, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Concord, CA - Valley Relocation, a leading commercial relocation company with an impeccable track record, celebrates 38 years of excellence in providing businesses across California with exceptional relocation solutions and seamless services. As a trusted name in the industry, Valley Relocation continues to set new standards in commercial moves, offering specialized transportation, warehouse and storage services, e-waste disposal services, facility services, and more.Red-white-moving-truck Over the past four decades, Valley Relocation has remained at the forefront of the commercial relocation sector, serving a diverse range of businesses with their unique and evolving needs. The company takes pride in its customer-centric approach, dedicating its resources to ensuring every move is executed with precision, professionalism, and care.A company representative stated, "Reaching this milestone of 38 years is a testament to the unwavering commitment and dedication of our team at Valley Relocation. Throughout our journey, we have witnessed the ever-changing landscape of commercial relocation and adapted our services to meet the dynamic demands of our valued clients. We have consistently strived to provide innovative and specialized solutions to ensure our clients' businesses experience a smooth and easy transition." With state-of-the-art equipment and highly skilled professionals, Valley Relocation offers safe and efficient transportation for delicate and oversized items. Whether it's a small office or a large corporation, Valley Relocation handles every aspect of commercial moves with meticulous planning and execution.Valley Relocation's secure and modern warehouse facilities provide businesses with flexible asset storage solutions. The company is committed to environmentally responsible practices and offers secure e-waste disposal services, ensuring electronic waste is handled properly. Valley Relocation's expert team assists businesses in setting up and optimizing their new facilities, ensuring a seamless transition to their new workspace.With a customer-first approach, Valley Relocation offers free site surveys to thoroughly assess businesses' relocation requirements and tailor services accordingly. The company's skilled team works closely with clients, providing personalized attention and transparent communication at every step of the process.As Valley Relocation marks its 38th anniversary, it renews its commitment to delivering excellence and innovative solutions to its clients. The company's reputation for reliability and customer satisfaction has earned it a loyal clientele and numerous accolades.About Valley RelocationValley Relocation is a California-based commercial relocation company with 38 years of experience providing specialized transportation, commercial relocation, warehouse and storage services, e-waste disposal services, facility services, and more. As a customer-centric organization, Valley Relocation is dedicated to delivering seamless and efficient solutions to businesses in various regions of California.Contact InformationTerri MierkeyWebsite: https://valleyrelocation.com/ Commercial phone: (800) 284-6285Headquarters: 5000 Marsh Dr., Concord, CA 94520SOURCE: Valley Relocation PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-05 22:30:06 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 675 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Popular QSR Grows With New Development DealATHENS, GA / ACCESSWIRE / August 30, 2023 / Zaxby's, the rapidly growing Georgia-based QSR franchise, now with over 930 locations, is thrilled to announce a recent franchise signing that will lead the company into a new frontier out west in Phoenix. This expansion marks Arizona as the 21st state for the brand."This is such an exciting time for us," says Bert Lane, Zaxby's Vice President of Development. "Not only are we seeing growth in our tried-and-true Mid-Atlantic states and Southeast, but we're thrilled to expand our footprint in the western part of the United States." Zaxby's is renowned for its exceptionally delicious chicken, but their commitment goes beyond just food. They collaborate with franchise owners who share a dedication to hard work, a service-oriented culture, and a passion for community development.Lane emphasizes, "Our robust franchise model appeals to driven entrepreneurs. We not only equip our franchise partners for their business journey, but have also consistently endeavored to preserve the brand's unique character. It's crucial for us to collaborate with individuals who uphold the lofty standards we've established." Incentivizing GrowthThis year alone Zaxby's has sold 51 new locations and is on pace to surpass 950 new units by the end of the fiscal year. Many new franchisees are taking advantage of Zaxby's robust incentive program that capitalizes on the brand's aggressive development and expansion plan. That plan includes Select Market Incentives (SMI) like discounts on the standard royalty of 6%, allowing franchisees the ability to ramp up marketing to drive sales performance in their new markets. The plan calls for no royalties paid in the first year, a half-price 3% royalty in the second year, and a 6% royalty in year three. Additionally, Zaxby's is refunding the full license fee of $35,000 upon store opening per schedule.Taking full advantage of the new incentives are husband and wife entrepreneurs Brian and Jessica Nelson, opening the new territory in Phoenix. They plan on developing six locations in the next five years in the East Valley of Phoenix, which encompasses the Queen Creek, Chandler, Gilbert, and Mesa areas. Current plans call for the first store to open in the fall of 2024, with the second in the spring of 2025, and four more locations by 2027. Both Brian and Jessica have extensive histories in the restaurant industry, are longtime fans of Zaxby's food, and feel ready to take on this challenge."We are looking for our next venture to pour our heart, soul, knowledge, and resources into," said Jessica. "Zaxby's has a high standard of excellence, which is important to us, while a lot of businesses seem to be compromising or lessening their standards. It is literally the only casual dining establishment I will eat at due to the quality and freshness of ingredients - big, longtime fan! I also love the consistency in product quality across locations. Two words: Zax Sauce." The Nelsons' primary objective is to make Zaxby's the Go-To location for delicious, quality food as well as providing an efficient, welcoming, and memorable experience for their customers in the East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona.About Zaxby'sFounded in 1990 and headquartered in Athens, Georgia, Zaxby's is a quick-service restaurant franchise. For 30 years, Zaxby's has filled its table with people who share the vision of "enriching lives". The brand is committed to serving made-to-order, "indescribably good" chicken fingers, wings, sandwiches, and salads in an exceptionally comfortable and friendly atmosphere. Zaxby's has grown to more than 900 locations in 17 states and has plans to open hundreds more restaurants across the United States in the next five years. Zaxby's has been ranked a top franchise on Entrepreneur's esteemed Franchise 500 list each year since 2013. As of 2021, Zaxby's earned its designation as a five-star VetFran partner, highlighting the brand's commitment to support and incentivize franchise ownership among veterans.For more information about bringing Zaxby's to your community, visit zaxbysfranchising.com . To explore menu options and Zaxby's unbeatable culture, visit zaxbys.com MEDIA CONTACT:Jennifer Williams 919-459-3592 jwilliams@919 marketing.com SOURCE: Zaxbys In a recent report, Spotify, an online streaming platform, disclosed that Gen Zs aged 18-24 accounted for 55 per cent of the total Nigerian hip-hop streams. Considering their massive support for Hip-Hop music, Nigerian Generation Z individuals occupy the most significant percentage of the genres listeners. Gen Zs, colloquially known as Zoomers, is the demographic succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. They were born between 1997 and 2012. Spotify also disclosed that they are followed by listeners aged 25-29, contributing 19 per cent of the streams, while the age brackets of 0-17 and 30-34 hold a 9 per cent share. From a gender perspective, Spotify revealed that Nigerian Hip hop music predominantly resonates with males, commanding a substantial 75 per cent of the recorded streams, while females account for 24 per cent. However, it stated that the genre has continued to thrive in the streaming era as a new crop of rappers create rap music that appeals to Gen Z consumers. Spotify noted how its platform has enabled Gen Z to explore and embrace music worldwide, with Nigerian hip-hop resonating strongly due to its energetic, relatable lyrics and cultural authenticity. Hip hops popularity among Gen Zs continues to grow. This is evident in the data that shows how the generation consumes the genre of music, It added. Pioneers and Faves The report recognised some Nigerian artistes who started the journey of hip-hop to give it the popularity it has today. They include Modenine, Naeto C, Bouqui, Ruggedman, Gino, Eedris Abdulkareem, eLDee, Sasha P, Ikechukwu and others. They noted that these artists pioneered the sounds and culture of hip-hop that have influenced Nigerian tracks and have grown to gain substantial traction within the continent. It said, Its interesting to see how Nigerian listeners who are hip hop enthusiasts are contributing to the elevation of the hip hop genre and the sounds that tapped influences from it. Trailing back to the impact of Nigerian Gen Zs on promoting hip-hop music, it said the demographic is playing a significant role in this trend. According to the streaming platform, the spotlight falls on Olamide, Odumodublvck, Blaqbonez, Zlatan, and Ice Prince as the most streamed Nigerian hip-hop artistes. It said, Nigerias patriotism in music is evident as most streamed hip hop artists are Nigerians, unlike regions such as Kenya and South Africa where international hit-man Drake leads. Global Recognition Like Afrobeats, Nigerian Hip hop has also made its way to a global pedestal with its five decades of existence. Hip Hop has achieved global prominence, and this triumph extends to Nigeria, where it has profoundly influenced the evolution of Afrobeats. Spotifys report says its unsurprising that Nigeria occupies a significant position within Africas hip-hop listenership landscape, securing the second spot right after South Africa. This position underscores the genres popularity within the country and reflects the widespread impact of Nigerian hip hop on the African music scene. Spotifys Artist and Label Partnerships Manager for West Africa, Victor Okpala, noted that Hip-hop is one of the most popular music genres in the world. The artiste manager opined that it contributes to newer genres and music movements in Nigeria and worldwide. He said, Its ability to evolve and stay relevant is a testament to its power as a form of artistic expression that resonates with listeners worldwide. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print PremiumTrust Bank is to celebrate Ekiti Governor Biodun Oyebanjis first anniversary in office with a play on Adekunle Fajuyi, the late military governor of the old Western Region. The play, a collaborative effort with the Duke of Shomolu Productions, a theatrical plays producing outfit, chronicles the last hours of Mr Fajuyi, who paid the supreme sacrifice for loyalty and country. Mr Fajuyi, a colonel at the time of his death, fought to protect then military head of state, General Aguiyi Ironsi, in the 1966 counter-coup. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the coup claimed Ironsis life, who fell on 29 July 1966. Fajuyi gave his life for his country; he gave his life for loyalty and country, Mr Joseph Edgar, Chairman of Duke of Shomolu Productions, famous for producing historical plays. Following the highly successful showing of Zik, which attracted high-profile guests such as the respected Obi of Onitsha, the widow of Nigerias first President, the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, we are presenting the story of Fajuyi. The story shall be presented through brilliant dances to capture our super storytelling motives. As Governor of the Western Region, Fajuyi sacrificed his life during the counter-coup to protect then Head of State, Aguiyi Ironsi, and ensure the countrys unity. This heroic action is showcased in the play, written and directed by famed Prof. Rasaki Bakare, current Ekiti State Commissioner for Arts and Culture. It featured 70 performers and iconic actors Yemi Shodimu and Barbara Soky in the lead roles. Fajuyi will be staged in both Ekiti and Lagos. The statement said that Dele Oye, the national president of NACCIMA, would give an opening remark to support PremiumTrust Banks efforts toward a solid Nigerian economy and promoting national unity. READ ALSO: NAN reports that the Duke of Shomolu Foundation has provided Nigerians with plays that chronicled the countrys history over the last seven years. The statement quoted Mofoluwake Edgar, managing director of the Duke of Shomolu Foundation, saying that the stories had attracted more than 300,000 attendees and told stories of notable personalities via plays like Awo, Jakande and Ogiame Erejuwa. Other plays were on former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Sardauna of Sokoto, and Ahmadu Bello, among others. It added that PremiumTrust Bank is excited to work closely with the Duke of Shomolu Foundation to bring the Fajuyi story to Nigerians during national rebirth. Mr Oyebanji will attend the Ekiti showing held on 14 October, while Lagos takes its turn on the 5th of November. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Scores of federal ciivil servants on Tuesday stayed away from work in adherence to the two-day strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to protest the suffering occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy. When PREMIUM TIMES visited the ever busy Federal Secretariat on Shehu Shagari Way in Abuja, activities were low. Only a few workers were noticed gong to their offices. Even those who reported for work quickly returned to their homes. There was heavy presence of security personnel from different agencies at the secretariat to stop any breakdown of law and order. Apart from the police, the personnel of Nigeria Security, Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Sefety Commission (FRSC) were also noticed around the secretariat, the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Attempts by this newspaper to speak with the workers were futile as they declined comments on the strike. Some of them were however heard lamenting how they were being treated by the government. Some banks and filling stations in Wuse District of Abuja visited by this newspaper opened for business, an indication that members of some affiliated unions such as NUPENG and NUBIFIE did not join the protests. For instance, the AZMAN and Total filling stations on Sultan Abubakar Way in Wuse was dispensing petroleum products. Similarly, customers were seen moving in and out of the First Bank on Mambolo Street of Wuse unhindered to transact business. NLC, in a communique issued after its National Executive meeting on 31 August, announced a two-day warning strike from 5 to 6 September over the hardship faced by the masses due to the removal of fuel subsidy. On Monday, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, scheduled a meeting with the officials of the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) but the leadership of the former did not attend. During the meeting, the federal government appealed for a period of two weeks to finalise the organised labours demands. Some of the issues we discussed are those that are very urgent. There are some that will require a long span of time. This was the basis of our discussion. We agreed that there should be no strike within the two-week period while we are doing our deliberations and working towards realising some of these objectives. TUC President, Festus Osifo, told journalists that its leadership would continue to engage with the federal government to ensure that its demands are addressed. In the palliatives that were rolled out, we have not seen anything put in place for federal workers. We need a wage award. The palliatives rolled out by the government are not far-reaching. We believe that the government can do much more, he said. Previous protests On 2 August, both the TUC and NLC successfully organised a nationwide protests but called it off after the first day following the intervention of the federal government. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the nationwide protest called by the two labour unions was held in various state capitals. The Abuja protest was led by Messrs Ajaero and Osifo. The Abuja protesters marched from the Unity Fountain to the National Assembly complex where they were addressed by the Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, who promised that the upper chamber would intervene in the crisis. The labour leaders met with President Bola Tinubu after the protest that day. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. The proposal to open the Aghdam-Khankendi road and at the same time intensify the use of Lachin road to meet the needs of Armenian residents living in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region was rejected by the Armenian side, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said this at a meeting with Hungarian National Assembly Speaker Laszlo Kover, Trend reports. It was noted that the Armenian side's rejection of Azerbaijan's proposals shows that the current situation around the Lachin road is not "humanitarian", as Armenia claims, but political in nature. Today Jeyhun Bayramov met with Kover within the framework of his official visit to Hungary. The sides discussed Azerbaijani-Hungarian relations in various fields, including parliamentary diplomacy, and regional security situation. Some affiliates of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja, have adhered to the directives by the congress to embark on a two-day nationwide warning strike. The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) correspondent who visited some of the NLC affiliates including banks, government ministries and parastatal agencies on Tuesday, observed that some of the offices were under lock. It would be recalled that the NLC in a communique issued at the end of its National Executive Council (NLC) said it would commence a two-day nationwide warning strike from 5 to 6 September. The NLC also threatened to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike within 14 working days or 21 days from when the communique was issued. It also said this was until steps were taken by the government to address the excruciating mass suffering and impoverishment being experienced due to the removal of subsidy. NAN correspondent who visited some of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, observed that very few workers were on ground. Also, at the Radio House, the gate was locked preventing staff from going inside the premises. NAN observed that some filling stations in town were closed in compliance with NLC directives. NAN also observed that some banks were closed due to the directive by the NLC. NAN observed that some banks were seen to be closed such as Access Bank, First Bank Nyanya, also Union Bank in Area 3, among a few others. While some were seen to be open to customers such as Guaranty Trust Bank the bank was not as busy as the usual days. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print There were varied reactions across the Southwestern states on Tusday to the strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to protest the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government. NLC had declared a two-day nationwide strike on Tuesday and Wednesday over increasing hardship and suffering caused by the removal of the subsidy. The labour union is angry over non-implementation of some of the resolutions reached from their previous meetings, by the federal government. In compliance with the strike call, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) disrupted economic activities at the Apapa and Tin-Can Island Ports. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who monitored the level of compliance to the action, reports that the port gates leading to both the Apapa and Tin-Can Island seaports were all locked. Joy Onome, the spokesperson of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA), told NAN that they could not access the ports when they came out for operations. The impact will be very enormous because this will lead to congestion at the port. Now, we are also talking about shipping companies and terminal operators charges, what will happen to that? who will pay for them? At the end of the day, demurrage is going up because we are wasting ample time, she said. Ms Onome noted that the containers that were meant to be dropped for examination did not take place, while envisaging same to be the case for Wednesday. We want a situation where three additional days will be given to us because of the strike, so that we will be able to cushion the effect, he said. Also speaking, a transporter, Yusuf Liadi, said that not a truck had exited nor accessed the port. He, however, advised that already cleared cargoes be allowed to exit the port, saying importers would accrue more demurrage and shipping charges. This, he noted, would also be detrimental to the already fragile economy. We are already suffering in this country, infact, we are suffocating. For instance, I left my house early this morning for Apapa to transport an already cleared container to owners warehouse only to be told now that there is strike. No consignment will be allowed to move. This is double tragedy for the agent and importers, because they will pay demurrage and storage charges to shipping companies and terminal operators. Also, government should provide palliative, the suffering is much. I spent over N5,000 to come to Apapa due to the subsidy removal. Government should do something before it becomes too late, he said. Lagos banks open The National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), in a circular dated 2 September, had also directed all organs of the union to also comply with the NLC strike. However, in Lagos, some commercial banks defied the call for withdrawal of services. NAN reports that Access Bank, First Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Zenith Bank, Sterling Bank were among those that opened while customers were also seen at the various banks. Some of the areas visited by NAN correspondent included Ikorodu, Anthony, Maryland, Ojuelegba and Iponri. In spite of the downpour, there were beehives of activities at Mile 12 Market, Ketu Market and Oyingbo Market. Traders and buyers were seen transacting at the various markets while commercial transport operators were seen picking passengers at various bus stops and motor parks. Partial compliance in Ogun When PREMIUM TIMES reporter visited the state secretariat at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, there were not much activities as many junior workers stayed away. But senior workers who are members of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) did not observe the strike, in line with the directive from their union leaders. Some commercial banks had their workers at work but didnt open to customers. But the NLC Chairman, Hammed Benco, said the warning strike was successful. The union had deployed a task force to monitor compliance with the warning strike. The TUC Secretary in the state, Adebiyi Olusegun, told journalists that it boycotted the strike following the decision of the national body. Theres no clash of interest between NLC and TUC, but only different approaches, Mr Olusegun said. NLC enforce compliance in Ondo In Ondo State, labour leaders chased workers out of their offices at the state secretariat, the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and other offices situated at Alagbaka in Akure. The NLC Chairman, Victor Amoko, who monitored the warning strike described it as successful, saying the strike was for all Nigerian workers and not only those in Ondo State. Mr Amoko said that the federal government had done little to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal on the workers and general populace of Nigeria. He said that the state Head of Civil Service, Kayode Ogundele, had compelled the workers to report at work in spite of the call for a warning strike by the NLC. Our workers complied it was only that a little confusion created by the Head of Service who threatened them that he would not pay them salaries if they did not come back. He started writing names of workers who reported at work, which is uncalled for to us because it is not being done in Ondo State alone. We are not particular about the government of the state, if we are talking about this state, there is another issue on that. So asking them to come back because you pay their salaries is uncalled for, he said. Meanwhile, Mr Ogundele insisted that workers in the state were not part of the strike. Mr Ogundele made this position known during his routine inspection of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Akure on Tuesday. According to him, the state NLC was yet to inform the state government of its intention to go on strike while the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had emphatically distanced itself from the strike. Mr Ogundele said based on the position, no worker in the state had any reason to be absent from work or else such worker would be seen to have been absent without official permission. According to him, absenteeism from work without permission has corresponding implication in line with extant rules in the state Public Service. Workers understood that TUC had declared that they are not part of the strike that was declared by the NLC. And Im also happy to note that in Ondo State, NLC has not in any way officially communicated to us that they are on strike, the HoS said. He hinted further that the monitoring of the situation would continue later in the day and on Wednesday, calling on Accounting Officers in all MDAs to comply fully with existing rules guiding lateness and absenteeism. Meanwhile, all the banks in the state capital were under lock and key. A staffer of one of the new generation banks in Alagbaka, Akure, who spoke with NAN and did not want his name mentioned, confirmed the development. Our closure was to avoid any unforseen circumstances which may happened if we open for services today, he said. Also banks in Ikare-Akoko, the headquarters of Akoko North East Local Government were not opened for services. Speaking with the NAN, Kamil Adesina, one of the banks customer called on government to find lasting solution to the hardship been confronted by the members of the public in the respect of subsidy removal. Here in Ikare-Akoko, banks were not opened for services. I wanted to do transfer, but could not. I have visited many ATM stands and none is working or dispenses money. We are just begging government to fulfill its promise it made since removal of fuel subsidy because people are suffering, Mr Adesina said. Banks, hospitals shut in Oyo People were turned away at banks and public hospitals in Oyo State as workers in the establishments complied with the strike. NAN correspondents who monitored the strike reports that branches of First Bank, Guarantee Trust Bank, Sterling bank and others in Ibadan metropolis had their gates closed to customers. Also, it was observed that only few nurses were on duty to attend to emergency cases at the Adeoyo State Hospital and Oni and Sons Childrens Hospital, both at Ring Road in Ibadan. The gates of the Oyo State High Court/ Magistrates Courts at Ring Road and Iyaganku respectively were also shut to the public as well as the Federal High Court, Court of Appeal and National Industrial Court. Speaking to NAN in a telephone interview, the Oyo State NLC Chairman, Kayode Martins, said workers in the state complied with the directive of the national body of the union on the strike. Mr Martins said the union in the state directed their members to stay at home and they complied. He said there would not be any street demonstration and that the protest was a sit at home strike. At the federal secretariat complex, Ikolaba in Ibadan, leaders of the Federal Workers Forum were seen manning the entrance. They prevented the few workers who wanted to report for duty from gaining access into their offices. The national cordinator, Federal Workers Forum, Andrew Emelieze, said the NLC gave a directive that workers should go on a two-day warning strike. In that sense we have decided that the federal secretariats across the country should be shut down, because theres no worker who is not affected by the current hardship. Theres no worker that is not going through suffering. Workers are feeling disappointed, feeling that they have been betrayed and cheated by the system, he said. Mr Emelieeze said in the past three months prices of petrol has been increased twice within the period. Yet salaries have been stagnant to the extent that workers are finding it difficult to survive. It is as a result of this hardship that workers decided to embark on the warning strike. This is to let government know that if federal workers should be crying like this what of those Nigerians that are not working. So we are insisting that the federal government should listen to the cry of labour, do the needful and make sure that workers demands are met, he said. The forums coordinator said that the federal government should expect further actions from Nigerian workers If it failed to respond to the workers demands in the next 14 to 21 days. NAN, however, reports that gates of the state secretariat were opened which enabled the workers to report at their respective duty posts. Banks comply in Osun Banks in Osogbo, Osun State capital, also shut their doors to customers, who instead carried out transactions on Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) near their premises. However, compliance was partial for civil servants as senior management staff of government offices in Abere were seen at their duty posts. A director, who pleaded anonymity, said workers at the senior management levels would not join the strike but cannot force junior staff to come to work. The staff of the Osun House of Assembly, Osogbo, were also at their duty posts following lawmakers plan to hold their plenary session. At the Osun State High Court, Oke-Fia, majority of the staff were absent with a few vehicles sighted entering and exiting the court premises. The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) was equally shut with many customers who came to buy tokens for their meters stranded at the office. An official of IBEDC, who refused to be named, said that they received directive to join the strike and that they fully complied. Modupeola Oyedele, Osun State NLC Caretaker Chairperson, told NAN that all members of NLC and affiliate members were to comply with the directive. Mrs Oyedele, however, said there would be no street protests because the strike is the sit-at-home type of strike. She further explained that any worker seen going to work during the strike are likely not members of the NLC or its affiliates. Those you see going to work today are not members of the NLC, so the directive is not binding on them. The strike directive is for the Labour Congress members and its affiliate members, she said. NAN reports that commercial activities in Osogbo were progressing uninterruptedly as businesses, shops and markets were open with commercial transporters doing their businesses without obstructions. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Troops of the Nigerian army have again uncovered 12 illegal oil bunkering sites in Owahwa Creek, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, South-south Nigeria. This is coming barely one week after troops of 3 Battalion clamped down on active illegal refining site in Enokora, a community in Burutu Local Government of the state. The army spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement on Monday, said the latest illegal oil refinery sites were discovered on Saturday by troops of 181 Amphibious Battalion conducting anti-oil theft operations in the area. Mr Nwachukwu, a brigadier-general, said the troops carried out the operation in collaboration with the personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The army spokesperson explained that the operation was part of their ongoing onslaught against saboteurs of Nigerias oil sector. In the crackdown, the vigilant troops discovered 12 active illegal refining sites, 60 crude oil cooking ovens, 14 reservoirs, six wooden boats laden with stolen crude and 470 sacks of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) concealed in the camps, he said. Mr Nwachukwu said the troops also intercepted a vehicle conveying 25 polythene bags of suspected illegally refined AGO in Ogbodu, a community in Udu Local Government Area of the state. Discovery, arrest Mr Nwachukwu said, in a similar operation on the same day, troops of 3 Battalion intercepted two wooden boats ladened with stolen crude oil in Tsekelewu, a community in Warri North Local Government Area of the state. The troops also arrested two suspects in connection with the crime. Both suspects and the illegal products have been handed over to NSCDC personnel attached to Tantita Security Services for further action, the spokesperson said. He said the army has implored Nigerians to report any suspected act of sabotage or criminality to security agencies to enhance ongoing operations to curb crude oil theft in the country. Oil theft, illegal bunkering in oil-producing communities mainly in south-south Nigeria, and its negative impact on the countrys economy have been a source of concern to the Nigerian government over the years. The Federal government in August 2022 awarded a pipeline surveillance contract reportedly worth N48 billion per year (N4 billion per month) to Government Ekpemupolo, who is popularly known as Tompolo, to check massive oil theft in the region. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A police officer was, on Sunday, killed when suspected kidnappers attempted to abduct some travellers in Ogbeke-Nike, along Ugwogo/Opi/Nsukka Road in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, South-east Nigeria. The incident occurred at about 6 p.m. The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, in a statement on Monday, said two of the kidnappers were killed by police operatives who foiled the attack. How it happened Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, said the hoodlums had blocked the road and shot sporadically before the operatives gallantly moved in. The operatives were supported by Neighbourhood Watch Group and Forest Guards in the area. The police spokesperson said some of the operatives were on escort duty for an unnamed high-profile individual during the incident. Two of the miscreants were neutralised on the spot, while many others escaped into the forest with fatal gunshot wounds, he said. READ ALSO: However, one of the operatives who sustained a gunshot wound in the ensuing gun duel was taken to the hospital and later confirmed dead by doctors in the morning hours of today (Monday), Mr Ndukwe said, adding that his body had been deposited in a morgue for preservation and autopsy. One AK-47 rifle with two magazines, 82 rounds of 5.56 mm, 16 rounds of 7.62 mm calibres of live ammunition, a cutlass and two mobile phones were among the items recovered from the hoodlums, according to the police. The Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu, has mourned the unfortunate loss of the gallant police operative, Mr Ndukwe said. Mr Uzuegbu commended the police operatives, the Neighbourhood Watch Group and Forest Guards involved in the operation for their courage and successfully repelling the attack. The police commissioner reiterated the commitment of the police to ruthlessly deal with and rid the state of unrepentant criminals, especially those involved in violent crimes. He urged residents to remain security conscious and law-abiding and promptly report to the police crime suspects found with bullet wounds in their neighbourhood. Increased attacks There have been increased attacks by kidnappers along Ugwogo/Opi/Nsukka Road and its environs in recent times. Several people, including university students and government officials, have been kidnapped lately around the area. The latest attack occurred about one month after suspected kidnappers killed one person and abducted many travellers along Ugwogo-Neke Odenigbo Road in the council area. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has described Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi as an iconic individual who designed one of the most important symbols of our collective existence as a country and a nation. Mr Idris disclosed this while on a condolence visit to the family of Mr Akinkunmi, at his Elebu, Ibadan, residence, on Monday, 4 September. The minister said the visit was at the behest of President Bola Tinubu, who assured the family of the deceased and Oyo State that he shared in the pain caused by the icons death. He added that the late Mr Akinkunmi represented the unity and oneness of the country through the legacy he left behind. Mr President has asked that we come to commiserate with the family and the state and also to tell them that he shares with them in this grief, along with the Federal Government, throughout this period, he said. He assured that the familys requests at this time would be looked into. Earlier, the minister paid a courtesy visit to the governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, where he was received at the executive chamber of the Governors Office, Agodi Ibadan. READ ALSO: Represented by the Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, Mr Makinde said that even though the national anthem has been changed twice, the national flag has remained the same owing to the depth of the message and meaning it preaches. He must have had in mind a united country that would always be one, said the Deputy Governor. We must appreciate Akinkunmi for his rich knowledge and deep insight in that he saw agriculture as a key item that will always be relevant, especially now in the face of dwindling oil prices globally. Again, the white colour on the flag symbolises the peace and unity of the nation. The unity and togetherness of the nation remain key to us all. He expressed appreciation to the president, on behalf of the Akinkunmi family and the entire state, for sending the high-powered delegation to condole with the state, saying the people of Oyo State are ready to cooperate with the Federal Government on the countrys unity. Suleiman Haruna Deputy Director, Press Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation September 4, 2023 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Lagos State Environmental Taskforce says reports making rounds that one of its officers shot dead a truckdriver at the Mile 2 area of state are untrue. The taskforce spokesperson in a statement said officers of the units were not posted out today for environmental or traffic operations. A yet to be identified driver was reportedly shot dead by a taskforce officer. What led to the death of the driver has yet to be ascertained. Following the murder, some youths protested in Mile 2 and blocked the road leading to the intervention of the police. Taskforce The attention of the Lagos State Taskforce has been drawn to a report making rounds that officials of the agency were involved in the killing of an unidentified individual along Mile 2 axis this morning, the statement reads. The agency would like to clearly state that none of its personnel were posted out for operations today except for officers posted to Freedom Park, Ojota, and Maryland to maintain peace and orderliness where a rally by the Nigerian Labour Congress has been scheduled. The chairman of the agency, Shola Jejeloye, stated that its officers are often mistaken for other enforcement units. He said that taskforce personnel are clearly adorned in tactical jackets with the word Taskforce clearly inscribed in front and behind with unique identification numbers. None of our men were posted out today for environmental and traffic operations, rather they were only posted to freedom park to maintain peace and orderliness during the planned NLC rally so that miscreants and other sinister forces do not hijack the protest, Mr Jejeloye said. Our operational jackets are clearly branded with unique identification numbers for members of the public to recognize during our operations. The agencys boss urged those pointing accusing fingers at the agency to further beam their searchlight at other public or private establishments who branded their enforcement units as taskforce. He also said that the agency will do all within its power to get to the root of the matter and ensure that perpetrators of the crime are brought to book. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) has inducted 12 female journalists into the Female Reporters Leadership Project (FRLP) under its Report Women Programme. As part of the induction and award ceremony for the fifth edition held in Lagos State on Monday, three of the 12 journalists were recognised as winners of the edition for their story and leadership project. The winners received a laptop each and other cash prizes. Leadership project Initiated in 2014, the FRLP which has now produced 86 fellows is designed to equip female journalists with skills, support and tools required to position them for the highest leadership positions in their various media houses. Blessing Oladunjoye of BO News Services emerged as the winner with the story addressing the unethical practices and absence of substantial law on surrogacy and assisted reproductive technology in Nigeria. For her leadership project, she led a capacity-building workshop for entry-level female journalists. Sarah Ayeku, a presenter with TVC News and Folashade Ogunrinde of TV 360, emerged as the first and second runner up respectively. Ms Ayeku explored the ineptitude and connivance of some police officers with perpetrators to deny survivors and victims justice, while Ms Ogunrindes story highlights the flaws in the administration of criminal justice in Nigeria. The 2023 fellowship dubbed: Champion Building Edition was sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation. Award ceremony The award ceremony followed a six-month-long leadership and mentorship training programme for the 12 female journalists selected out of the 173 applications from broadcast, online and print media across the six geopolitical zones. Ijeoma-Okereke, a programme officer at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) was also inducted into the fellowship. For her leadership project, Ms Okereke researched the effect of motherhood on the career advancement of female journalists working in Nigerian newsrooms, while her story investigated the poor working conditions of widows and senior citizens in Plateau State. Other stories ranged from the inaccessibility of the healthcare system for Internally Displaced People (IDP), the aftermath of the Owo attack on women, the conditions of IDPs in Katsina State and the impact on women, maternal mortality in Nigeria and the contributions of untrained traditional birth attendants in Ebonyi state, among others. In her remarks, the Executive Director of WSCIJ, Motunrayo Alaka, said the fellows have all demonstrated exceptional leadership and investigative prowess through their projects. Ms Alaka said equipped with skills for newsroom leadership. this years cohort has addressed mentorship gaps for female journalists. She said they also rekindled the aspirations of journalism and mass communication students in journalism as a career path, produced a research report on the impact of motherhood on female journalists working in Nigerian newsrooms and revived the press clubs of two secondary schools. Report Women programme, other projects Mrs Alaka noted that the Report Women programme has trained 537 reporters across Nigerias six geopolitical zones, produced 131 stories focused on women and girls, conducted comprehensive women-oriented media and carried out three surveys on gender parity in news and newsroom leadership in 2017, 2019 and 2022. She said that in the coming weeks, WSCIJ will launch a female experts source guide website with over 500 female experts from eight sectors to facilitate their engagement as sources in the news. In his goodwill message, the Consul General, Kingdom of the Netherlands in Lagos, Michel Deelen, urged journalists to keep impacting the society because what they do matters. Mr Deelen said the reporting projects have been consistent, broadened, and narrowed to continue to make impacts. Proud of what you have achieved and the champions you are presenting are going to be the loving example and the dream for doing this project, he said. The Executive Director of Strictly Speaking, Bimbo Oloyede emphasised the need for the fellows to champion the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which has not been domesticated in Nigeria. Ms Oloyede also commended the WSCIJ for its intentionality towards the project. The 2023 fellows are Blessing Oladunjoye of BONews Service, Karina Igonikon of the British Broadcasting Corporation, Pidgin, Rivers, Zubaida Baba Ibrahim HumAngle Media, Abuja, Ijeoma Okereke-Adagba Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Abuja, Sarah Ayeku TVCNews, Lagos and Fortunate Ozo of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Ebonyi. Others are Maryam Abdullahi of The Cable Newspaper, Niger, Folashade Ogunrinde TV360 Nigeria, Lagos, Bamas Victoria International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Abuja, Yemi Olus-Galadima Making of Champions, Lagos, and Martha Asumata Agas News Agency of Nigeria, Plateau, and Olufisoye Adenitan of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Ondo. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Federal Government has appealed for a period of two weeks to finalise organised labours demands. Simon Lalong said this while addressing journalists at the end of a closed-door meeting with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Monday in Abuja. Mr Lalong said the meeting was called to avert the proposed nationwide warning strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). The NLC had said that it would embark on a two-day nationwide warning strike from 5 September to 6 September over the hardship faced by the masses due to the removal of fuel subsidy. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NLC were absent at the meeting called by the minister. The Federal Government had earlier appealed to NLC to suspend the proposed 2-day warning nationwide strike. Also, the TUC in a communique had said the need to embark on strike had not arisen but it would allow conversation with the government to address grey areas. According to Mr Lalong, the government was going to address those issues within the period of two weeks and come back for further discussion. Some of the issues we discussed are those that are very urgent. There are some that will require a long span of time. This was the basis of our discussion. We agreed that there should be no strike within the two-week period while we are doing our deliberations and working towards realising some of these objectives, he said. READ ALSO: Wike frowns on N85bn Abuja housing project Also, Festus Osifo, the president of the TUC, said some of the issues requiring urgent attention included the implementation of palliatives and wage awards. He said others are tax exemptions and allowances to public sector workers; modalities for N70 billion Small and Medium Enterprises and RTEAN crisis. In the palliatives that were rolled out, we have not seen anything put in place for federal workers. We need a wage award. The palliatives rolled out by the government are not far-reaching. We believe that the government can do much more, he said. Mr Osifo also said that the TUC leadership would continue to engage with the federal government to ensure that its demands are addressed. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police have arrested four officers who allegedly assaulted a traveller in Rivers State, South-south Nigeria. Background PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how a human rights activist, Harrison Gwamnishu, petitioned the Nigerian Police Force via his X handle (formerly Twitter) on Friday over alleged assault of a traveller by some unidentified police officers in the state. Mr Gwamnishu said the traveller, simply identified as Jennifer, was allegedly beaten by the officers who were on a stop-and- search operation around Ada George, Port Harcourt, on Thursday. The activist uploaded on the social media platform a video clip of the incident. Please investigate this and call these men to order, he appealed to the police authorities in Nigeria. Video clip In the one minute, three seconds clip, which has now gone viral, a woman is heard shouting at some armed officers along a highway, accusing them of inflicting injury on her sister. This is the Nigerian Police. Look at my sisters mouth, she yelled at the officers. The clip showed at least four armed officers at the scene of the incident. Policemen give my sister beta injury and you are here making a video of me. After giving my sister an injury. Did you see anything in my sisters bag? Never, she said. The sister, understood to be Jennifer, was bleeding on her lips. She was seen inside a Toyota Corolla car struggling to clean herself up. The clip did not show when the officers allegedly inflicted the injury on her. Two unidentified persons, believed to be co-travellers, were seen discussing with some of the officers. Were investigating Responding, the police, in a post via their official Facebook page on Saturday, said they were aware of the viral clip of the officers accused of assaulting the woman. Preliminary findings have pinned the scene to Rivers State. We take this matter seriously and are actively investigating the situation, the police wrote. Arrest of officers The police, in a fresh update via their Facebook page on Monday, confirmed the arrest of the four officers. We want to inform our esteemed friends that the police officers allegedly involved in the incident from the video have been identified and now in custody as part of our ongoing investigation, they said. The viral video clip and a photograph of the four officers were uploaded by the police. The police said they were committed to ensuring a fair and thorough examination of the matter. However, to ensure transparency and gather all perspectives, we urgently request the lady seen in the video to please come forward and share her side of the story, they stated. The police also dropped their phone number and asked the woman to contact them or visit their facility to narrate what transpired during the incident. Not the first time The latest incident occurred about five months after a police officer, filmed slapping a motorist in Emouha, Rivers State, was demoted. The Emouha incident occurred a few days after Ubi Ebri, another officer, allegedly shot dead a young man in the neighbouring Delta State for reportedly refusing to give N100 bribe PREMIUM TIMES reported how youths in Delta State protested with the victims corpse along major roads in Asaba. Mr Ebri, the officer, was immediately arrested, dismissed from service and later arraigned. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Brice Nguema, the leader of the coup that ousted Gabons President Ali Bongo, was sworn in as interim president on Monday. Mr Nguema was cheered by jubilant supporters in a televised ceremony designed to cast the military as liberators of an oppressed society. In West and Central Africas eighth coup in three years, army officers led by Mr Nguema seized power on 30 August, minutes after an announcement that Mr Bongo had won an election. The putschists annulled the election and said it was not credible. Like a meteorite in the dark of night, our countrys defence and security forces assumed their responsibilities. It was without violence, without clashes, and without bloodshed that the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI) changed the regime that had been confusing the power of the Republics institutions for several years. This was in flagrant disregard of democratic rules, he said. Mr Nguemas speech repeatedly interrupted by cheers also proposed reforms. They included a new constitution to be adopted after a referendum, new electoral and penal codes and measures to prioritise local banks and companies for economic development. He said political exiles would be welcomed back and political prisoners freed. Several figures from Mr Bongos government, including the vice president and prime minister, attended the ceremony. Mr Bongo himself remains under house arrest. The coup ending the Bongo familys 56-year grip on power had drawn cheering crowds onto the streets of the capital Libreville. However, it has also been condemned abroad. Central African regional bloc (ECCAS) has urged partners, led by the United Nations and the African Union, to support a rapid return to constitutional order. At his inauguration, Mr Nguema reiterated that his administration would organise free and fair elections though gave no timetable. He has previously said the junta would proceed quickly but surely but cautioned that too much haste could lead to elections that lacked credibility. (Reuters/NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. Western Azerbaijan Community, in the framework of substantive dialogue with UNESCO, presented specific topics to the leadership of the organization and in accordance with international conventions recognizing the relevant role of communities in the field of cultural heritage preservation, asked UNESCO to provide practical assistance in capacity building, the Community told Trend. UNESCO recently sent a response letter stating that it will take appropriate steps in line with the Community's call for the preservation of cultural heritage and responded positively to the request for capacity-building support. It was noted that the Community will continue practical cooperation with UNESCO to increase its capacity to preserve Azerbaijan's cultural heritage in Armenia, including maintaining a register of cultural monuments based on modern methodology, assessing their condition and determining the necessary steps for restoration. Amidst ongoing efforts by global economies to transition to clean and sustainable energy, Nigerias former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, says African leaders cannot be compelled to phase out fossil fuel use without effective climate financing for the continent. Mr Osinbajo made this known while addressing Nigerian journalists in Kenya on Monday after moderating a panel session on Carbon Markets in the Global South at the ongoing Africa Climate Summit/Week in Nairobi, Kenya. So we cannot be asked to do a dramatic transition. We are saying we need Carbon market, we need finance to be able to transition, Mr Osinbajo said. He noted that to transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy, there must be some use of fossil fuel, especially gas, as transition fuel. It is impossible to expect countries) that are gas or fossil fuel rated to just suddenly change from gas or fossil fuel straight into renewable energy, the former vice president said. He added that no country anywhere in the world has been known to develop industries using purely renewable energy, and all of the developed countries have used fossil fuels to some extent to attain their feat. Based on this, Mr Osinbajo explained that African countries cannot be asked to do a dramatic transition. The Africa Climate Summit/ Week As the inaugural Africa Climate Summit kicks off on Monday in Nairobi, Kenya, President Bola Tinubu and Mr Osinbajo are some of the African leaders expected from Nigeria to address key issues around climate change, including green growth, carbon pricing, climate financing, climate adaptation, renewable and clean energy, among others. READ ALSO: The summit is championed by Kenyan President William Ruto, who doubles as the Chairman of the Committee of Heads of State of the African Union on Climate Change. It is themed: Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World, with the crucial objective of delivering green growth and climate finance solutions for Africa. According to the organisers, throughout the event, Heads of state are expected to join forces to develop a united stance on vital issues such as adaptation and resilience, renewable energy, sustainable development, food and water security, and financing for climate action on the African continent. At the summit, discussions are expected to serve as vital preparations for the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP 28, scheduled for November in the United Arab Emirates. Climate finance Mr Osinbajo, who was recently appointed as a Global Advisor, hinted that Africa needs finance to be able to transition. We are saying we need a Carbon market; we need finance to be able to transition. You dont tell a country that has tremendous fossil fuel resources to one day just switch to renewable energy, no, he said. He explained that experts came to the summit to craft an African agenda because Africa needs finance to fulfil its climate pledges. We are saying that, dont say transition without supporting that transition with adequate capital, he said. Mr Osinbajo said climate capital will come from the carbon market being proposed and that it is the reason why African leaders are pushing for it, in addition to other sources of finances. He said Africa needs between $6 trillion and $7 trillion if it will do a successful transition. We have suffered from the pollution caused by the global north over the years using fossil fuels. For a just and transparent transition, we must have some understanding here, he said. Asked if there is hope for Nigeria, he replied in the affirmative, saying, Indeed there is hope for Nigeria. Similarly, when asked what he thinks Africa will do differently at the forthcoming 28th edition of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) later this year, Mr Osinbajo said Africa has its own agenda, which is why the ACS conference is important. He explained that African negotiators also present an agenda, which is why they are saying Africa can become the first truly Green civilisation in the world. We can become the first continent that will industrialise and grow its economy using renewable energy, he added. To achieve this, Mr Osinbajo said Africa needs investments and support and that the pledge of $100 billion is not what they are asking for. We are saying that we can have a fundamental change in the way that we approach our net zero ambition if we invest in Africa, he noted. The truth of the matter is that, if Africa developed at a trajectory as the global north using fossil fuel, no one is ever going to achieve net zero by any target, so the investment has to come into Africa so that it becomes the first truly green civilisation and if we are able to do so everyone will achieve their net zero objectives. Climate Action for Africa During his address at the summits opening plenary, Mr Ruto noted that in the face of the profound challenges posed by climate change in Africa, the continent stands unwavering in its commitment to confront the existential threat to all of humanity. Africas abundance of wind and solar energy can power our development, creating jobs, protecting local economies, and accelerating the sustainable industrialisation of the continent, the Kenyan president said. For them to lead the way toward a sustainable and prosperous future for the continent and the world, finance and technology must be provided to developing countries. As we come together at the Africa Climate Summit and the Africa Climate Week, we aim to weave a single, resounding African voice that will carry the outcomes of these crucial events to COP28 and beyond, Mr Ruto said. According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, while Africas per capita emissions are significantly lower than the global average, the continent is disproportionately affected by rising global temperatures and escalating climate consequences. It said drought, desertification, and cyclones, among others, are causing food shortages, displacement, and migration. At the same time, the UN said the continent is rich in resources like renewable energy, minerals, agriculture, and natural capital, standing ready to drive its own green growth. Africa accounts for just four per cent of global emissions. Yet it suffers some of the worst effects of rising global temperatures: The people of Africa and people everywhere need action to respond to deadly climate extremes. Im convinced Africa can be at the heart of a renewable future. Now is the time for all countries to stand as one in defence of our only home, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. African countries have the potential to be the frontrunners in renewable energy, sustainable land use and innovative technologies, attracting investment, facilitating technology transfer, and positioning African nations as leaders in the global transition to green development, the UN said. On his part, Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, said: The world is asking a lot: Develop, but dont do it in the carbon-intensive way that we did. It is a global responsibility to collectively work out how we do that. And thats exactly what were here to do. So African nations can come to COP28 leading in action and ambition. The discussions here will inform the global stocktake about the challenges, barriers, solutions and opportunities for climate action and support within the context of Africa. The UNFCCC Secretariat can work with you to identify the solutions to attain those opportunities, Mr Stiell said. Timely opportunities The UNFCCC said the Africa Climate Week provides a timely opportunity ahead of COP28 for regional stakeholders to speak on barriers overcome and opportunities realised in different countries, showcasing how Africas industrial growth can be aligned with the climate goals of the Paris Agreement and drive economic progress while curbing environmental impacts. Africa Climate Week must be the place where we accelerate climate action across the African continent and finance a just transition to a climate-resilient future a transition that empowers Africa to take control of its own destiny and become a green leader and economic powerhouse, said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme. Also, the Administrator of the UN Development Programme, Achim Steiner, noted that: Climate change is reshaping economies and impacting lives and livelihoods. The UN said the Africa Climate Week will show the implications of climate change for Africa, but also the solutions emerging from across the continent. Enhanced collaboration can drive progress by integrating climate considerations into economic and development planning, ensuring inclusive, sustainable growth through low-emissions pathways, the UN said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, expressed his support for new partnerships with global technology companies to ensure that data from public institutions are accurate and transparent in providing templates on which proper public sector planning and accounting can occur across sectors. Speaking at a meeting in the State House with the Global Vice President of Oracle, Andres Garcia Arroyo, Mr Tinubu welcomed the companys commitment to Nigerias civil service reform process and data management sector, even as he emphasised the need for greater knowledge transfer through the establishment of academies and training institutions in the country. Aiming to promote the ease of doing business, digital innovation, effective identity management, efficient payroll administration and qualitative citizen-centred service delivery, the President cited Oracles proven success in the automation of the Lagos State payroll system during his tenure as the Lagos State Governor and lauded the positive impact of technological solutions in enhancing accountability and expediting timelines for service delivery without sacrificing quality in the process. I have tested Oracle, and it has worked for our success. In Lagos State, what we did in effective collaboration with you has been copied across the states of the Federation. We can only build our institutions with accurate data and cutting-edge data management capabilities that are reliable and effective. We can only rely upon our human resources for excellent service delivery to Nigerians if they are well-trained and ready to learn. READ ALSO: The transfer of knowledge is essential for our nation and the continent. In this government, we believe the only way to build our country is a bottom-up approach. From one single sheet of paper, we can create an end-to-end solution for public administration that will rid our service of its worst tendencies in favour of effectiveness and reliability, the President declared. Expressing concern about Nigerias bloated civil service payroll at the national and sub-national levels, the President stated: Each time they give me the payroll number, I get so frightened. Where am I going to get the capital to develop the infrastructure we desperately require if the payroll of 1% 2% of the population is consuming all the revenue? I think we need tight technological control that can check and balance all necessary control points of our transaction processes. Im looking forward to working with Oracle because I have the belief and confidence that you can do it as you have in the past. In his remarks, the Global Vice President of Oracle proposed a comprehensive digital transformation of the work process at the federal level of administration to achieve greater macro-economic visibility, streamline government processes for cost and time savings, and provide the desired skills development opportunities for Nigerians. You have shown tremendous practical leadership throughout your career, Mr. President. We have partnered with you, and we know how determined you are to achieve all that you set out to achieve. This is why we are offering Nigeria a free national diagnostic of the present situation in the public service with a view to dimensioning across sectors the scale of solution required. We look forward to partnering with you again, the Oracle VP concluded. Chief Ajuri Ngelale Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) September 4, 2023 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The President of the Africa Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has said the natural wealth of Africa must be revalued and reflected in its Gross Domestic Growth (GDP) to show the true wealth of the continent. This is as Mr Adesina called on the developed countries to meet their climate financial commitments. He said it is the basis for conversations around climate change. Mr Adesina, who listed the continents natural resources including its vast forest, especially the Congo Basin and the renewable energy potential, said this on Tuesday at the opening of the Presidential Day Programme at the ongoing Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. The AfDB President said adequately valuing the continents wealth would determine its relationship with the developed world, especially in relation to their financial strength and capacity for transactions. He said: We must reevaluate the wealth of Africa; the need for reevaluation of the abundant resources of Africa including its vast forest such as the Congo Forest Basin which is worth a magnificent carbon market is very important. Africas rich natural wealth is not accounted for in the estimation of its GDP. It is therefore not enough to praise Africa for its rich natural wealth, the GDP must take that into consideration. Therefore Africas GDP must be revalued to capture its carbon deposit and biodiversity. On $100 billion commitment According to Mr Adesina, the developed countries pledged to commit $100 billion annually for climate finance on the continent but he noted that the pledges have not been fulfilled. At the global level, the developed economies must meet their commitment to provide $100 billion annually in climate finance. The global climate change finance architecture must be changed to prioritise the needs of Africa. At the national level, we must have real action for climate adaptation, he said. Announces $1 billion Youth Adaptation Fund Meanwhile, as part of the banks efforts to mitigate the climate change consequences, especially for the youths of Africa, Mr Adesina announced a pledge of $1 billion commitment to its Africa Youth Adaptation Programme. He said the facility is provided in partnership with the Global Centre for Adaptation, noting that the gathering of the world leaders in Nairobi for the summit will make Africas voice on climate change resonate across the world. The Africa Climate Summit will shape the future pathway of Africas Development. We gathered here because the people of Africa want us to act; because the future of the youth of Africa is at stake, and because we must galvanise the global actions on climate change Announcing the commitment, Mr Adesina said the $1 billion facility will be for the banks Youth Adaptation Programme, which he noted, is aimed at supporting the African youths efforts at combatting the climate change crisis on the continent. He said: We must put the youth and the women at the core of climate financing. That is why the AfDB and the Global Climate Adaptation (GCA) are announcing here today $1 billion for the Youth Adaptation Programme to accelerate access to financing for the youths. The youth are not just the youth of Africa but are the present of Africa. Lists other interventions Mr Adesina said AfDB is also rolling out the establishment of the Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank, for the businesses of the youth across Africa. He also noted that AfDB is committed to providing $25 billion towards climate Finance by 2025. He said: Africa must develop with what it has, not what it doesnt have. Africa is blessed with large resources for renewable energy in the world- solar, wind, etc. But we cannot power Africa with potential. We must be practical. That is why AfDB is investing $20 billion in the African Power Programme to provide electricity for 250 million people of Africa. He said Africa must use its natural gas and combine it with renewable resources, saying The international energy agencies must ensure that by doing so, we will only add 0.5 per cent to global emissions. He said Africa must ensure that African food and agriculture are climate-resilient, noting that AfDBs Agricultural Technology Finance Programme has provided 12 million farmers in 21 countries with climate-resilient agricultural technologies. Following the January Africa Food Summit in Dakar, AfDB has mobilised N72 billion to support African countries to deliver these food and agricultural deliverable components, to ensure food security and food sovereignty within five years, Mr Adesina said. Africa Climate Summit The Africa Climate Summit, which is themed: Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World, is the inaugural effort by the African leaders to mobilise global leaders with the crucial objective of delivering green growth and climate finance solutions, for Africa. Throughout the event, heads of state who are joined by world leaders including the President of the European Union Commission, Ursula Leyen; representative of the American government and Special Presidential Envoy on Climate USA, John Kerry, among others, are expected to join forces to develop a united stance on vital issues such as adaptation and resilience, renewable energy, sustainable development, food and water security, and financing for climate action on the African continent. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Rivers State Government has shut Africa Independent Television (AIT) and its affiliate radio station, Raypower FM, in Port Harcourt, South-south Nigeria. The stations were shut down on Sunday when some telecommunications engineers allegedly contracted by the state government invaded the facilities, according to a report by the AIT. The engineers, accompanied by armed security operatives, allegedly disconnected the wave guard from the antenna on the mast while riggers dismantled the mast. Meanwhile, excavators were said to have been also deployed by the state government to demolish the Transmitter Complex at the DAAR Communications Plc Broadcast Centre in Port Harcourt. DAAR Communications is the parent company of AIT TV and Raypower Radio. The management of the media outfit, according to the report, was taken by surprise due to the sudden invasion of its facilities by the government. It said the invasion and shutdown of its operations occurred despite ongoing efforts to resolve issues with the government amicably. But the organisation, in the report, did not disclose the issues it was having with the state government. No notice was given to the organisation before the shutdown of its operations, according to the report. READ ALSO: Daar Communications posts first profit in nine years Some officials of the telecommunications contractor told AIT.live that they were working on a directive from the above. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the shutdown of the stations might be connected to an ongoing land dispute between the state government and DAAR Communications. Government silent Boniface Onyedi, the spokesperson to Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, declined to respond when contacted by PREMIUM TIMES. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigerians Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, has inaugurated an eight-man committee to develop a roadmap for the countrys education sector. Inaugurating the committee at the ministry on Tuesday, Mr Mamman, a professor, asked members to help in charting a clearly defined path to develop the countrys education sector. PREMIUM TIMES has earlier reported on some of the challenges awaiting the education minister as he assumed duty. The minister noted that his ministry must address the challenges that have brought setbacks to the sector in the past years. Priorities The minister urged the committee members to prioritise addressing issues such as the financial autonomy in tertiary institutions, access and equity, research and innovation, as well as the government-industry-academic nexus. He said the global competitiveness of the countrys educational system should also be prioritised. Mr Mamman also listed some of the most important issues to include ensuring that the curriculum from basic to tertiary level meets the demands of our times and needs of the society. I am happy to note that work had commenced at some level, especially the secondary and tertiary levels. What we need to know is to what extent what we already have to meet contemporary demands of education globally and if not sufficient, how to address them, he said. One thing I must not fail to add is that we must have an education system that embraces technology and moves into a digital future where our education responds to the demands of society. We need to move away from education for its sake but to education for the development not only of the individual but most importantly for the society we live. The minister lauded the efforts of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in addressing the infrastructural deficit in the countrys schools. He said the roadmap should be in tandem with the vision of President Bola Tinubus administration. He said: On education specifically, our president has declared his commitment and as a priority, among other missions, to see about 10.5 million Nigerian out-of-school-children retrained with skills that will make them stand on their own. We will, therefore, need a clear roadmap and framework that will guide the ministry achieve these goals. I do appreciate that the timeframe of four weeks might look too tight but I am counting on your expertise, the availability of preliminary work done by the ministry in the review of the just concluded strategic plan, your commitment and patriotic zeal. He added that the members of the committee were chosen based on their antecedents and involvement in the education sector in the past. Members of the Committee The committee is to be chaired by a former Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Nuru Yakubu, a professor, while Joseph Achede, an official of the ministry is expected to serve as secretary. Other members of the committee include a former head of the Enugu Campus of the Nigerian Law School, Ernest Ojukwu; the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, Ismail Junaidu; Saad Umar, a former Director General of the Independent National Electoral Commission Electoral Institute, all professors. Others include Shulamite Paul, Garba Ibrahim, and Hindatu Abdullahi. Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Delhi, the Indian capital, for a six-day official visit, during which he will attend the G20 Leaders Summit and attend business-related meetings. President Tinubu arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, at about 6:40 p.m. local time (2:10 p.m. Nigerian time). In his delegation were senior government officials, including ministers and presidential aides. While in India, the Nigerian president will participate in the G20 Summit, which is scheduled to be held on Saturday and Sunday, 9 and 10 September. He will also attend a number of high-level meetings and engagements with other world leaders and business executives on the sidelines of the summit. The president will also meet with the Nigerian community in India. Earlier in a statement, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said Mr Tinubu would use his time in India, through the various meetings and engagements, to attract global capital and foreign direct investments (FDI) to the country. On the sidelines of the summit, the president will participate in and deliver keynote addresses at both the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and the Nigeria-India Business Conference. The CEO Roundtable will be attended by leading industrialists in the Indian private sector, Nigerian industrialists, as well as senior government officials from both countries. The president aims to leverage this platform to attract global capital and promote increased foreign direct investments in key labour-intensive sectors of Nigerias economy for job creation and revenue expansion. Moreover, he will use this opportunity to highlight Nigerias attractiveness as an investment destination, specifically outlining his cross-sectoral reform plan as encapsulated by the Renewed Hope Agenda. Given the presidents renowned experience in attracting investment to Lagos State, leading industrialists have sought separate private engagements with him at the summit. The presidents itinerary will also feature bilateral meetings with a cross-section of world leaders from four different continents, representing both G-20 and nonG20 countries. These engagements are geared towards strengthening bilateral economic, trade, and investment partnerships for mutual benefit. At the G20 Summit, the Nigerian leader is expected to share Nigerias perspective on the theme, One Earth-One Family-One Future, which speaks to the global unity required to address the challenges facing humanity and the planet. With its collective contribution of up to 80 per cent of global GDP, 75 per cent of international trade, and housing 60 per cent of the worlds population, the G-20 constitutes a significant economic power bloc of socio-economic opportunity and geo-political stability. While Nigerias membership of the G-20 is desirable, the government has embarked on wide-ranging consultations with a view to ascertaining the benefits and risks of membership. This is consistent with the desire of the president to democratize foreign policy and articulate policy formulation and implementation through a Whole-of-Society and a Whole-of-Government approach that achieves the nations long-term strategic objectives. Once consultations are concluded, the government will decide whether or not to apply to join as appropriate. The participation of President Tinubu at the G-20 Summit in India is, in part, in furtherance of this objective, Mr Ngelale had said in his statement. READ ALSO: Tinubu to attend G20 Summit in India Accompanying Mr Tinubu on the mission are the following members of his cabinet: Yusuf Tuggar, minister of Foreign Affairs; Wale Edun, minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy; and Doris Uzoka-Anite, minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment. Mr Tinubu will return to Nigeria immediately after the summit. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A media group, Society of Nigerian Broadcasters, has condemned the alleged shutdown and demolition of a building belonging to the Africa Independent Television (AIT) and its affiliate radio station, Raypower FM, in Port Harcourt by the Rivers State Government. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the state government allegedly shut down the operations of the stations and demolished their facilities when some telecommunications engineers contracted by the government invaded the facilities. The state government did not respond to enquiries by PREMIUM TIMES on the reason for their alleged action. But this newspaper learnt that the shutdown and demolition of the stations facilities might be connected to an ongoing land dispute between the state government and DAAR Communications, the parent company of AIT and Raypower broadcast stations. Affront against Nigerian judiciary Reacting, in a statement on Tuesday, the Coordinating Chairperson of the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters, Festus Kehinde, said the alleged shutdown and demolition of stations facilities by the state government was an embarrassing afront against the Nigerian judiciary. Mr Kehinde explained that the state government is a party in an ongoing lawsuit on the matter before an unidentified court. But he did not give details of the matter. The coordinating chairperson added that the governments action while the matter was still pending at the court was synonymous to a malicious political gang up by an opposing political party seeking for self-help to forcefully remove a sitting governor while the opposition partys petition has not been determined by a tribunal. This unfortunate step taken by the state government is a clear demonstration that the executive arm believes in jungle justice rather than the rules of law, which is very nauseating at this stage of this nations democracy, he said. This action is totally unacceptable and should be condemned by all lovers of justice and equity. The Society of Nigerian Broadcasters is joining other well-meaning Nigerians and professional bodies to condemn this barbaric act. Mr Kehinde said the group was calling on the Nigerian government and their agencies at all levels to refrain from actions capable of compromising the international image of Nigeria. The coordinating chairperson said, although broadcast media houses in Nigeria were facing humongous infrastructure and financial challenges, they remain steadfast in ensuring the advancement of the countrys unity and democratic governance. He asked the government at all levels to partner media organisations in the task of overcoming the nations security and economic challenges rather than aggravating financial crisis inflicted on the media houses as a result of the governments poor economic policies. DAAR Communications, the owners of AIT, deserves to be adequately compensated for this act of omission on the part of the Government of Rivers State, he added. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The United Nation Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, on Tuesday called for a $500 billion annual fund to assist developing countries invest in their lives, livelihoods and infrastructures to reduce the impacts of climate change in their countries. Mr Guterres made the pronouncement while addressing African leaders and delegates at the ongoing Africa Climate Change Summit in Kenya on Tuesday. And I have called for an SDG Stimulus of at least $500 billion a year to help developing countries invest in their people and the systems they need, he said. He explained that Africa accounts for just four per cent of global emissions, but it suffers some of the worst effects of climate change. Today, I renewed my call for the world to step up climate action to avoid the worst effects of climate change, keep global promises to provide essential support, and help Africa make a just and equitable transition to renewable energy, the UN chief said. Potentials in Africa While reiterating that Africa can be a renewable energy superpower, he said it is time to bring together African countries with developed countries, financial institutions and technology companies to create a true African Renewable Energy Alliance. All of these, he said, require addressing another injustice; an outdated, unfair and dysfunctional global financial system. On average, Mr Guterres said African countries pay four times more for borrowing than the United States and eight times more than the wealthiest European countries. Turbocharging a just and equitable green transition while supporting development more broadly across Africa requires a dramatic course correction, he said. The UN official said it necessary to ensure an effective debt-relief mechanism that supports payment suspensions, longer lending terms, and lower rates for Africa. This, he said, means re-capitalizing and changing the business model of Multilateral Development Banks so they can massively leverage private finance at affordable rates to help developing countries build truly sustainable economies. Existing injustices While stressing that there are existing global financial injustices preventing the African continent from upscaling climate adaptation, Mr Guterres explained that the multilateral system does not reflect todays Africa or a world that is growing increasingly multipolar. Global governance structures reflect the world as it was, not as it is, he said, adding that Global institutions were created in the aftermath of World War II when many African countries were still ruled by colonial powers and not even at the table. We see this injustice playing out in the African context today, he added. Similarly, during his remarks, Sultan AlJaber, COP28 president designate, called on donors to double adaptation finance by 2025 and for all parties to transform the Global Goal on Adaptation from theory and text into tangible action and real results to unlock Africas potential and accelerate climate action. Africa is demonstrating the political will & determination to transition to a climate resilient future. But one essential element that can unlock Africas potential is missing, and that is available, accessible & affordable finance, he said. On her part, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Union Commission, said Climate action can be one of the main drivers of Africas growth. For this, Africa needs massive investment, she noted. She said Europe wants to be Africas partner in closing the existing investment gap, with Global Gateway. Way forward Mr Guterres said global institutions need to step up, guarantee African representation, and respond to African needs and African potential;From international financial institutions, to the Security Council of the United Nations, where Africa lacks a permanent seat. Thats why across my upcoming meetings including the ASEAN meeting in Indonesia this week, followed by the G20 meeting in India and the G77 meeting in Cuba I will continue advocating for deep reforms to make these institutions more responsive to the needs of developing countries, he said. The UN official said they cannot afford a fractured world and that its time to end the injustices that are holding Africa back. I will work closely with African leaders and organisations like the African Union to make progress towards the peaceful, prosperous and sustainable future that Africans need and deserve, he added. Mrs von der Leyen said, We need to bring the conversation on climate financing to the global stage at @COP28_UAE.Attracting private investment to Africa, Carbon pricing and Setting global targets for the energy transition, to track progress and attract even more private investments. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, has appealed to the military in Africa to face their constitutional role and not get involved in political governance. Mr Gbadebo said this on Tuesday at a media briefing on his 80th birthday ceremony scheduled for 14th September . The paramount ruler in Abeokuta spoke within the context of recent political crisis in Africa that has seen the military taking over government in Niger Republic and Gabon. Mr Gbadebo urged the military to allow the politicians to learn from their mistakes. He recalled military rule in Nigeria under the late Sani Abacha, saying one should not pray for a repeat of such experience in Nigeria. Before his ascension to the throne, Mr Gbadebo was the principal staff officer to Tunde Idiagbon, a brigadier-general who was the Chief of Staff at the Supreme Headquarters, from January 1984 to September 1985. The traditional ruler later retired from the army as a colonel. He said, The military has constitutional roles to play, it is written in the constitution of every nation and I will appeal to the military to keep to its constitutional role because governance is not the work of the military. We all saw what happened in 1998 in Nigeria before the change of government in 1999. So let everybody play his role for which the constitution has provided, the role the constitution assigned to each person is what that person should follow or what the group of people should follow. If politicians are making mistakes, let them make mistakes, they will correct themselves, they will get better and better still and Nigeria will get stronger at the end of the day. Also speaking on security, the monarch enjoined traditional rulers to go back to how their ancestors secured their domains in the past. I am sure nobody is happy about the security situation in Nigeria, but it is a major government business. The security of lives and properties is the major job of any government that is worth being called a government. The new government is working hard on this, but security is the business of all of us so we must work in tandem with the security agencies if we want to sleep with our two eyes closed. We must report any strange movement, we must report anything that may later turn out to be dangerous to people. Nobody brings money into a country where there is insecurity, so investment can never come here if the investor himself cannot even visit his establishment and see what is being done with his money. So let us make it the business of everybody to work with security agencies and government to make Nigeria a safer place, the traditional ruler counselled. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, has announced that the US will provide $30 million to accelerate climate-resilient food security efforts across Africa. Mr Kerry disclosed the funds support while delivering his remarks at the High-level Opening Segment of the Africa Climate Summit in Kenya on Tuesday. As part of implementing PREPARE, Im pleased to announce the US intent to provide an additional $30 million to accelerate climate-resilient food security efforts across Africa, he said. The US official described Africa as a land of great promise, but that it is also a land of upheaval because the entire continent is being disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. To combat this crisis, early and effective adaptation is required, he said. The ongoing inaugural Africa Climate Summit and Africa Climate Week is themed: Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World. The ACS 2023 is focused on delivering climate-positive growth and finance solutions for Africa and the world, organisers said, adding that the aim of the summit is to address the increasing exposure to climate change and its associated costs, both globally and particularly in Africa. Adaptation saves lives Mr Kerry said Adaptation saves lives and creates jobs, noting that roads and bridges built today can only spur growth and curb poverty if theyre still standing tomorrow. US President Joe Biden is aware of that and he launched the President Biden Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), to help half a billion people in developing countries, especially in Africa, adapt to the worst impacts of this crisis this decade. President Biden wants to work alongside African nations to lead the way in adapting to and managing the impacts of climate change, he said. As a part of PREPARE, Mr Kerry said that the US president is committed to working with Congress to provide $3 billion annually for adaptation by 2024, describing it as the largest commitment in US history. Based on this, he said the US is working with partners on the Transitional Committee this year to design an effective fund to help vulnerable developing countries respond to loss and damage. Disbursement Mr Kerry said that the proposed $30 million support funds would be disbursed in two tranches. The US envoy leader in Kenya said the US will first provide $20 million to the Africa Adaptation Initiative for the Food Security Accelerator. This, he said, will be invested in African agricultural businesses and help create independent and climate resilient supply chains. Mr Kerry explained that $10 million will be disbursed in the second tranche and it will go to the Climate Resilience and Adaptation Finance and Technology Transfer Facility, to scale technologies advancing adaptation like cold chain storage, which will help maintain the quality and safety of food from the farm all the way into peoples homes. Africa has taken on the worst of this crisis, but through PREPARE the United States is here to help Africa adapt to climate impacts, he added. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov has embarked on an official visit to Croatia, Trend reports via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Within the framework of the visit, Jeyhun Bayramov is scheduled to meet with Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlic Radman and other high-ranking officials of the country. During the visit, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister is also expected to participate and speak at round tables on security issues in the South Caucasus and prospects of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Croatia. The National Executive Committee of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has expelled Rabiu Kwankwaso, following his alleged refusal to appear before the partys disciplinary committee. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Mr Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of NNPP, had been suspended earlier by the partys leadership at its National Convention on 29 August in Lagos. Recall that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NNPP set up a disciplinary committee and directed it to invite Mr Kwankwaso to defend allegations of gross anti-party activities and mismanagement of party/campaign funds within five days. The NEC had warned that, failure to appear before the committee, Mr Kwankwaso would be expelled from the party in line with the provisions of the partys constitution 2022 (as amended). Consequently, Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq, the Acting national publicity secretary of NNPP, said in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos, that the NEC had expelled Mr Kwankwaso with immediate effect because of his refusal to honour the committees invitations. Mr Abdulrasaq said: The NEC met in an emergency session on Friday, September 1 and resolved as follows: Following the refusal of Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to appear before the disciplinary committee which sat on Thursday, August 31 after being duly invited in writing, he is hereby expelled from NNPP with immediate effect. That the erstwhile presidential candidate, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso will be reported to appropriate quarters to answer questions on financial impropriety relating to mismanagement of public funds. NAN reports that the crisis within the NNPP started when the NWC of the party loyal to Kwankwaso, announced the suspension of the founder of the party, Boniface Aniebonam, and the National Publicity Secretary, Agbo Major on 24 August. Former National Chairman, Alkali dumps party Meanwhile, the immediate past National Chairman of the NNPP, Rufaii Alkali, has resigned from the party amid the raging crisis. Mr Alkali, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said he decided to quit after consulting widely. His action is considered by observers as a huge blow to the party that has been whacked by a major crisis that has torn the group into shreds. The former national chairman, who resigned from his position earlier on 31 March, said he had offered to step aside then, to give the group an opportunity to move ahead by injecting people with new ideas. When I resigned from being national chairman, I wanted NNPP to move fast and consolidate on the indisputable gains made in the 2023 general elections and prepare for future polls. Unfortunately, in the last few weeks, the party has slipped deeper and deeper into avoidable crises and conflicts that have led to several cases of suspension and counter-suspension of key leaders. There has been an acrimonious press war, accusations and counter-accusations which, regrettably, has torn the party into factions. After the historic merger of the party in March 2022, together with other astute, highly dedicated, hardworking and loyal members, we put in place a robust political structure nationwide. The National Working Committee forged cohesion among our members and created a formidable platform that fielded candidates for all elective offices. I am proud to be part of that dream team. It is on record that within a period of less than one year and despite the limited time corridor from the merger to the general elections, the party won a governorship seat and many other slots in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly. I voluntarily stepped aside as the national chairman shortly after the general election to give room for new hands and fresh ideas in order to advance the party forward. As far I was concerned, I never believed in the culture of sit-tight in leadership positions nor that I was indispensable. We wanted to build a new Nigeria on the solid foundation of dedication, hardwork, resilience and personal sacrifice. Recent disturbing developments that threw up factions working against each other are really unfortunate and counter-productive. Sadly, there appears to be no end in sight in this needeless war of attrition. It seems that theres an unwritten code by the warring factions not to allow elders of the party to mediate toward finding a lasting solution to the crises. This is indeed regrettable and unhealthy for the growth and survival of any political party, especially an emerging group like the NNPP. Having consulted widely, I hereby announce the withdrawal of my membership of the NNPP forthwith, and I pray and wish the party the best in her future endeavours, he stated. READ ALSO: NNPP speaks on Kwankwasos suspension Mr Alkali, a former spokesperson of the PDP, called on friends, associates and supporters to remain calm and resolute while awaiting communications on future developments and our next direction. He joins many other top members of the party that have left the NNPP. Among them is Othman Hunkuyi, the partys candidate in the Kaduna State governorship election. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigerias President Bola Tinubu has said Africas most populous country would require $17.7 billion annually to achieve its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) unconditional pledges by 2030. The countrys minister of State, Environment and Ecological Management, Iziak Salako, disclosed this while delivering his remarks at the ongoing Africa Climate Summit in Kenya on Tuesday. the unconditional target in our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) requires $17.7 billion in investments annually, the minister, who represented Mr Tinubu, said. The NDC is a document embodying ambitious pledges and actions set by countries that have endorsed the Paris Agreement in order to effectively and efficiently reduce carbon emissions, thus mitigating the devastating impacts of climate change in their respective countries. It also contains actions countries intend to take in order to build resilience to adapt to the impacts of the rising temperatures. Nigerias NDC In July 2021, Nigeria submitted an updated NDC document to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In the document, Nigeria affirmed its pledges to follow the path of low carbon development by 2030 as enshrined in the Paris Accord endorsed in 2015. The submitted NDC document shows that Nigeria has proposed stronger and ambitious targets than it last did in 2015 sequel to the endorsement of the Paris agreement. According to Climate Action Tracker, an independent global scientific analysis organisation tracking climate action since 2009, Nigerias unconditional target meets its fair share contribution to limit warming to 1.5C; however, its conditional target is consistent with 2C of warming when compared to the level of climate action needed within the country. While Nigerias policies and action are 1.5C compatible when compared to its fair share contribution, they are not on track when compared to the level of climate action needed within the country to meet that warming limit. Nigeria needs additional support to implement additional policies and to strengthen and meet its conditional target, the CAT said In the updated NDC, the Nigerian government proposed to mitigate four greenhouse gases(GHG), namely, carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), as against the three GHG (CO2, CH4 and N2O) proposed in the previous NDC submitted. GHGs are gases that have the property of absorbing infrared radiation (net heat energy) and radiating it back to earths surface, thus contributing to greenhouse effects. The GHG mitigation assessment has been expanded to cover 11 pollutants in total, including short-lived climate pollutants (black carbon) and their air pollutants (PMs, NOx, SO2,NH3, OC, NMVOCs and CO) to evaluate the co-benefits of mitigation measures in reducing these substances, alongside GHGs, Nigerias NDC final document states. According to the submitted NDC, Nigeria recommits to its unconditional contribution of reducing carbon emissions by 20 per cent below business-as-usual by 2030, while it increases its conditional target to 47 per cent as against the 45 per cent captured in the 2015 NDC. The updated NDC also includes an enhanced contribution by the waste sector, which was not included in the 2015 NDC due to lack of reliable data, the Nigerian government said. The 2021 NDC update also covers the water resources sector, and articulates other nater value-based solutions not included in the 2015 NDC, the NDC document noted. Poor funding While climate financing in Africa has been a pivotal part of the conversation at the ongoing summit so far, with world leaders and organisations raising funds via pledges, Mr Tinubu in his remarks said between 2019 and 2020, all of Sub- Saharan Africa received barely $20 billion dollars in climate finance. Annual climate finance flows to Africa are currently just 11% of what we actually require so more investments definitely have to come to the continent, he said. The president said the ACS event as well as their recent efforts and advocacy on the topic of climate change boldly demonstrate to the global community that Africa is rising to the challenge and taking decisive steps to deliver a sustainable economic future for our people. Mr Tinubu said the African Climate Summit occurs at a pivotal juncture, offering Nigeria an exclusive stage to spotlight its priorities, solutions and needs regarding climate action to the global community. As a continent, it is critical that climate action spurs socioeconomic development for us. We know that with robust planning and increased investments in the region, this is achievable, the president said. He explained that Africa is already bearing the brunt of a climate crisis it did not cause but the continent, with significant renewable energy resources, critical minerals, vast carbon sinks and growing population, can be a strong solution centre. Ongoing efforts In Nigeria, the president said the government has articulated unchanging position to advance climate action without jeopardising economic development. He noted that the country has designed an ambitious Energy Transition Plan to achieve universal access to energy by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2060 while prioritising industrialization, job creation and economic growth. Significantly, our plan helps to crystallise the scale of resources needed to deliver climate targets, and it is clear that current financial flows will not suffice. Nigerias Energy Transition Plan requires $1.9 trillion spending up to 2060, including $410 billion above business-as-usual spending, he said. The president noted that this additional financing requirement translates to about $10 billion per annum but that average international financing flows to Nigeria for clean energy have been about $655 million per year over the past decade. The Nigerian leader said the nation is presently establishing partnerships with both public and private sector players, driving innovative policy changes, advancing renewable energy projects including on-grid solar and electric vehicle deployment, and exploring innovative financing mechanisms like carbon trading to lay the foundation for an all-encompassing transition. He said climate action and environmental sustainability is central to achieving four ( food security, poverty eradication, job creation and security) of his eight climate agenda for the country. We recognize that Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JET-Ps) are emerging as an important source of capital for climate-sensitive energy efforts in developing regions and Nigeria wants to be considered for one, he said. Mr Tinubu told world leaders at the summit that his team is currently working on a proposal to the G7 for a JET-P for Nigeria and that it is encouraging that South Africa and Senegal have secured JET-Ps, but they must be scaled up across Africa in addition to other strategic financing opportunities. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved 11 September to 9 October for the resumption of collection of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states. The commission made this known in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, in Abuja on Tuesday. Mr Olumekun said the approval was given in continuation of INEC preparations for the forthcoming off-cycle Governorship Elections in the three states holding on 11 November. He said the exercise was only for registered voters in the three states who could not collect their PVCs before the suspension of the exercise on 5 February. The PVCs will be available for collection at all our local government area offices in the three states: eight in Bayelsa, 27 in Imo and 21 in Kogi. In addition, the commission has created other designated centres with large number of uncollected PVCs. The details of all centres will be made available by the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in the three states. The commission has earmarked week days (Monday Friday) from 9am to 3pm for the collection of PVCs for a period of four weeks from Sept. 11 to Oct. 9, he said. Mr Olumekun added that in the same development, two RECs have been redeployed to other states. The REC for Edo, Mr Obo Effanga, takes over in Bayelsa in view of the forthcoming off-cycle governorship election, while Prof. Ayobami Salami moves to Lagos from Ekiti. ALSO READ: Court orders INEC to allow two Nigerians vote without PVCs The two states are among those without RECs following the end of tenure of the last holders of the offices, he said. He enjoined all political parties and candidates to conduct themselves peacefully and to avoid utterances and actions capable of causing a breach of peace in their ongoing campaigns. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The federal government says, notwithstanding the obvious challenges daily faced by Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu has planted the seeds of national transformation, growth and all-round development in his 100 days in office. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this in a statement issued on Tuesday to mark the 100 days of President Tinubu in office. In the statement personally signed by the minister and made available to journalists in Abuja, Mr Idris appealed to Nigerians and the labour unions, in particular, to continue to support the government and show more understanding. Mr Tinubu, who assumed office on 29 May after being declared winner of the 2023 presidential election, clocked 100 days in office on Tuesday. The minister noted that since the assumption of office, Tinubus administration has been making steady progress and engendering national rejuvenation He said, realising that the country was in a difficult situation with both local and foreign debts, Mr Tinubu took a courageous decision to remove the fuel subsidy to avert a national economic catastrophe of epic proportions. The minister described the scrapped fuel subsidy as a Sword of Damocles that hung over Nigeria for decades, stunted growth and set the country a-borrowing. President Tinubu took a bold and courageous decision to remove the fuel subsidy to avert a national economic catastrophe of epic proportions. In addition to subsidy removal, President Tinubu took further steps to unify the multiple foreign exchange markets. While these two vital steps to save the country from hitting the rocks brought momentary discomfort to Nigerians, President Tinubu has never failed in his appeal to Nigerians to see the current inconveniences as a price we must all pay to save our country from disappearing, he said. To ameliorate the pains, Mr Idris said the government rolled out intervention programmes to help cushion the unintended negative impacts of the reforms. The interventions, according to him, included working out a minimum wage and salary increase, supporting states and local governments to enable them to cater for the most vulnerable and providing fertilisers to farmers. He said the government also provided grains to people and rolled out over 11,000 CNG buses for affordable public transportation. While striving to reduce the impact of the high cost of living on the citizens, President Tinubu has focused on redirecting our economy and removing the impediments to productivity and competitiveness. With these, the real sector will grow and create millions of decent jobs that are essential for long-term economic growth, he said. The minister added that in the last 100 days, the government set up a Tax and Fiscal Reforms Committee that is fully at work to deepen the ongoing reforms and reposition the national economy for long-term sustainability. According to him, the committee would simplify the nations complicated tax system, eliminate multiple taxes, streamline regulations that negate the ease of doing business, and close the over 20 trillion annual tax gap. The minister assured that the administration will promote efficiency in revenue collection and expand the tax net by ensuring that those not paying are made to pay while those not paying the correct amount are made to pay their fair share. On the political scene, Mr Idris said that in 100 days, the administration had worked to promote political stability to engender peace, progress and development. The administration has stabilised the polity and reduced tensions associated with ethnic and religious agitations by better managing our diversity. To strengthen the bond of national unity and social harmony, President Tinubu ensured balance in all the appointments into key government positions, including that of service chiefs from diverse parts of the country. While promoting peace and political stability within the country by carrying along every segment of our country, the President also prioritises adequate information about government activities and policy direction, he said. On the global scene, Mr Idris said that the president emerged as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government within his 100 days in office. He said the president had commendably raised the profile of Nigeria globally and within the West Africa sub-region. Specifically, he said Mr Tinubu has been promoting the rule of law, defending constitutional order, and standing as a bulwark against military incursion into governance, especially in Niger, where a democratic government was toppled recently. It is not by accident that Nigeria continues to enjoy the respect of the rest of the world. It is so because of the firm and principled stand of President Tinubu for the ideals of democracy, rule of law and good governance. In his drive to rejuvenate and revitalise the national economy, he said the president embarked on a journey to India accompanied by a select delegation of cabinet ministers and over 30 entrepreneurs across various sectors of the economy for the G20 summit. The initiative, according to the minister, is to showcase Nigerias readiness to collaborate meaningfully for sustainable economic development. The minister noted that since assumption of office, the president had been at his duty post, working assiduously to deliver on his campaign promises as enunciated in his Renewed Hope Agenda for a better and greater Nigeria. He stressed that in the last 100 days, Tinubus government has offered purposeful leadership and set the administrations tone, texture, and character. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print it must be pointed out that military coup a forceful seizure of political power by the armed forces of a country is not the only threat to liberal democracies in Africa. We also have constitutional coup-making, whereby those elected to office change the constitutions of their countries to elongate their tenures. Military coups became the norm in several African countries shortly after independence, until the 1990s when the current wave of democracy began. The contagion effect from the 13 January 1963 coup in Togo, the first in Africa, in which President Sylvanus Olympio was assassinated, soon spread like wild fire across the continent. There have been over 200 attempted coups in Africa since the 1950s, with about half of these succeeding. Out of the 54 countries in Africa, 45 have had at least one coup attempt since 1950. Sudan has has the most number of military coups 17, out of which six succeeded. Burkina Faso is the most adept in planning and executing military coups, with nine successful military takeovers in the country and only one failed attempt. After a period of relative democratic stability in the current wave of liberal democracy in the continent, military coups are making a fast comeback, with the recent takeover in Gabon coming just one month after soldiers seized power in Niger Republic. In 2021, there were six coup attempts in Africa, with four of them being successful. Of the 18 coups recorded globally between 2017 and 2022, all but one in Myanmar in 2021 took place in Africa. This probably prompted the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to warn in 2021 that military coups are back. What does the resurgence of military coups in Africa tell us about the fate of liberal democracy in the continent? There are several observations: One, the democratic space tends to be elastic. It can expand or contract without democracy necessarily being under mortal threat. American political scientist, Samuel Huntington, who called the current round of liberal democracy in the modern world, a third wave, noted that each of the two earlier waves was followed by reversals. He pointed out that the first long wave of democratisation, which began in the 1820s, with the widening of the suffrage to a large proportion of the male population in the United States and which continued for almost a century until 1926, leading to 29 countries in Europe and America becoming democracies, was followed by a reverse wave. This was when Mussolini came to power in Italy, such that by 1942 the number of democratic states in the world had reduced to 12. Again, the second wave of democracy, which started with the triumph of the Allies in World War II and reached its zenith in 1962 (when 36 countries became democracies), was followed by a reverse wave from 1960 to 1975, which brought the number of democracies down to 30. In essence, it can be argued that liberal democracy oscillates between surge and reversals, in accordance with the boom and bust cycles of capitalism. Even within national governments in the contemporary Western world, we often see an oscillation between right-wing authoritarians (Trump, for example) and those on the left of the political spectrum (Joe Biden, for instance). This raises a fundamental question of whether the current surge in military coups in Africa is the normal reversal wave that follows a period of democratic surge. Two, it must be pointed out that military coup a forceful seizure of political power by the armed forces of a country is not the only threat to liberal democracies in Africa. We also have constitutional coup-making, whereby those elected to office change the constitutions of their countries to elongate their tenures. Although 33 out of about 48 new constitutions in Africa, which were enacted in the 1990s, provided for limits of two terms for the office of the president, nearly 30 countries have contemplated the removal of term limits since 1998, with many succeeding. Electoral manipulations and rigging, such that electoral outcomes are not believed to represent the wishes of the electorate, also alienate voters from electoral processes and thus equally constitute a threat to democracy. In several French African countries, anti-French sentiments and the inability of governments to deal with some developmental challenges (such as defeating Jihadism) is yet another source of disillusionment, which provides an ammunition for the military to strike. democracy in the continent suffers from an expectation crisis. Take, for instance, what Nigerians call the democracy dividend. There is a presupposition that democracy will lead to economic development and an improvement in the standard of living of the people. The truth, however, is that there is no conclusive evidence in the literature that liberal democracy could offer such. Three, a major difference between the practice of democracy in the advanced states of Europe and the USA and its practice in Africa is that while the basis of nationhood is already settled in the former, in the latter, even the basis of statehood remains contested in many countries. This poses severe challenges to especially two key components of democracy freedom of speech and conduct of elections. Precisely because most of the states in the continent are just emerging from prolonged periods of dictatorship, the free speech guarantees of liberal democracy tend to facilitate the unleashing of bottled up feelings from the authoritarian era. This aggravates the structures of conflict in society, exacerbates inter-ethnic tensions and suspicions and complicates nation-building processes. In essence, while democratic reversals in the West do not, strictly speaking, threaten democracy or the nation-state, in Africa, military coups could threaten the state system because it could be construed as an attempt by one or more ethnicities (which share primordial identities with the coup leaders) to gain undue advantage for their groups. The consequent resentment is bottled up but unleashed in several ways, including separatist agitations, whenever an opportunity presents itself. There is a similar challenge with the conduct of elections. In virtually all parts of Africa, politicians take literally the injunction of Kwame Nkrumah, Ghanas first prime minister and president, to seek first the political kingdom and every other thing will be added unto you. There are two major explanations for this: the first is that political power is seen as a veritable instrument of wealth accumulation. The second is a pervasive fear that any group that captures state power will use it to privilege its in-group, to the disadvantage of others. Elections therefore tend to be very anarchic, and almost warfare. Losing the presidential election could mean your ethnic group will be excluded from the dining table by the triumphant group or coalition. This alienates the others from both the democratic process and the state system they feel marginalises them. Four, democracy in the continent suffers from an expectation crisis. Take, for instance, what Nigerians call the democracy dividend. There is a presupposition that democracy will lead to economic development and an improvement in the standard of living of the people. The truth, however, is that there is no conclusive evidence in the literature that liberal democracy could offer such. On the contrary, many of the countries in Asia whose economies grew exponentially, including China, Malaysia and Singapore, did so under benevolent dictatorships. People are also frustrated about the quality of leaders they get under democracy. Again democracy only promises to allow people to choose from those who present themselves to be elected. Given that it is mostly those who have the financial wherewithal and the necessary rough edges to compete that present themselves for election, people often do not feel that the leaders they get are the best available. This, coupled with the manipulation of the electoral system, and generalised feeling that the costs of running democracy is not worth it, lead to a further aggravation of the disillusionment with democracy. It seems a more realistic option open to Africans is to engage in robust conversations about how to adapt liberal democracy to their unique environments because it seems obvious that while Africans cherish the freedoms that democracy offers, they are generally disappointed by the governance systems in the continent. Five, what will be the option for Africa? In the immediate post-independence period, many African leaders Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana, Nyerere in Tanzania, Kenneth Kaunda in Zambia and a host of others instituted one party states. Their basic argument was that political parties signified the institution of divisions, and therefore were un-African. They also argued that Africa was in a state of emergency and therefore could not afford the luxury of institutionalising divisions. Others like Museveni, who came to power in 1986, claimed he was running a no party democracy. Then came the period of military rule in which the military was extolled as a modernising institution that hated the corruption, indiscipline and politicisation of primordial identities by the politicians. Unfortunately, unlike in some Asian countries where benevolent dictatorship led to economic development and improvement in general welfare, African autocracy of various hues proved incapable of being the engines of economic development or nation-building. Frustrations with governance were in some cases transferred to frustrations with the state, with some groups clamouring to de-link from the state system, while others seem to be in perpetual search for a political messiah to turn things around. It seems a more realistic option open to Africans is to engage in robust conversations about how to adapt liberal democracy to their unique environments because it seems obvious that while Africans cherish the freedoms that democracy offers, they are generally disappointed by the governance systems in the continent. Jideofor Adibe is a professor of Political Science and International Relations at Nasarawa State University, Keffi and Extraordinary Professor of Government Studies at North Western University, Mafikeng South Africa. He is also the founder of Adonis & Abbey Publishers and can be reached at 0705 807 8841 (Text or WhatsApp only). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigeria is set to play host to 54 African nations and other continental Internet governance stakeholder blocs at the 2023 Africa Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF 2023) in Abuja from 18th to 21st September, 2023. This years event, being the 12th edition of the annual forum, is being hosted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on behalf of the Federal Government, and is scheduled to take place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, with the theme, Transforming Africas Digital Landscape: Empowering Inclusion, Security, and Innovation. The Forum will serve as a platform for meaningful dialogue and collaboration on Internet Governance among various sectors and regional initiatives to advance digital connectivity, address Internet Governance challenges, and empower Africa through digital transformation. The event will be preceded by the African Youth Internet Governance Forum, which will take place from 13-18 September, 2023. The series of events at this years programme will commence with the Parliamentarian Symposium, scheduled to take place from 18-19 September 2023 during which members of the Parliament from all participating countries will take the opportunity to consult and network with one another in a roundtable designed to better understanding of the roles of the legislature, and promote deeper synergy with parliaments on Internet Governance in Africa. As a crucial gathering of stakeholders and investors in Africas digital future, the AfIGF 2023 promises to be a rare assemblage of key stakeholders from government, civil society, academia, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, and a broad spectrum of actors in the private sector intentionally rallied to discuss important matters focused on the development, access, and governance of the Internet in Africa. The Forum, structured in a variety of gatherings, including dialogues, workshops, panel sessions, symposia, and roundtables, is a vibrant and inclusive platform that brings together stakeholders from across the African continent and other international partners, to engage in discussions that will shape the future of Internet Governance. Other focal sessions at the event will include plenary discussions, interactive workshops, and expert panels focusing on Digital Inclusion and Connectivity; Cyber Security and Data Protection; Digital Rights and Freedom of Expression; Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Emerging Technologies; E-Commence and Digital Economy; and Data Governance and Trust, among others. Participants are also expected to discuss the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the context of digital literacy and internet access in a manner that can accelerate development for the continent. The event will feature high-ranking speakers, policymakers, industry experts, and thought leaders from across Africa and beyond. Through participants expertise and insights, the forum will generate actionable recommendations that can inform policymaking, drive investments, and shape the future of Internet Governance in Africa, by reshaping the trajectory of the continents digital landscape and paving the way for a more inclusive and prosperous digital future. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Taraba State Government on Monday denied the outbreak of anthrax, in the state. The government was reacting to reports by some national broadcasting stations of the outbreak of the disease in the state. Shehu Abdullahi, the states Director, Veterinary Services, at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said the report was an unfounded rumour as the ministry has no confirmed outbreak of the disease or fatalities in any part of the state. Anthrax is an infectious bacterial disease of animals, caused by the spore-forming bacteria Bacillus anthracis. It can affect humans and a wide range of animals, particularly cattle and sheep. The first reported outbreak of anthrax was confirmed on 14 July 2023, in a livestock farm in Niger State and subsequently, another outbreak was detected in Lagos State. Mr Abdullahi said there are channels for reporting suspected disease outbreaks in the Ministry and that if any occurs, the state response team would be the first to know and would have swung into action immediately. He said this at the flagging-off of free vaccination of livestock against anthrax at Kpanti Napu, in Yorro Local Government. As of today, no suspicion or outbreak of anthrax has been reported in the state. This, according to him, underscores the value of this vaccination exercise that the state government has graciously invested in. Mr Abdullahi claimed inadequate investment in animal vaccination by successive administrations in the state forced livestock keepers to seek self-help elsewhere. He said this has also led to extensive drug misuse and the emergence of resistant disease-causing agents with its attendant complications of widespread drug resistance. The state governor, Agbu Kefas, who was represented by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Food Security, Nicholas Oliver, said the state had considered it important to be proactive in halting the disease from entering the state, considering the confirmation of the outbreak in some parts of the country. He called on the Director, of Veterinary Services (DVS), of the Ministry and his Divisional Veterinary Officers spread across the sixteen local government councils to ensure immediate commencement of the anthrax vaccination of susceptible animal species across their councils. Mr Kefas also solicited the support of security operatives in the state to enable the ministry to succeed in carrying out the vaccination exercise. Mr Kefas then called on those keeping livestock or carrying out businesses that are livestock-related to remain vigilant and report any suspicious illnesses or deaths in animals to the veterinary authorities. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Seven people were killed while several others were wounded when terrorists attacked Doka community of Sabuwa Local Government of Katsina State on Tuesday. A source said about 12 residents of the community were abducted while cattle and other domestic animals were rustled. Those killed include six men and a woman while those wounded, most of whom are men, are currently receiving treatment at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Katsina. Sabuwa is one of the most insecure areas in Katsina as terrorists and other outlaws roam freely and attack communities at will. Aside other areas in Katsina, Sabuwa shares shares boundaries with Kaduna State. Doka was one of the few communities considered impenetrable before todays attack, a source who is from the community said. He asked for anonymity for security reasons. They (terrorists) made several attempts to attack the community before today; that was why they came in large numbers. He said the terrorists, who stormed the community, spent about three hours from 12:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. before they left with the abductees. The terrorists parked their motorcycles about a kilometre from the community and walked to avoid catching the attention of the vigilante members stationed in the area, the source said. The source claimed security agents didnt respond to distress calls by residents. Ghost towns Our source said several villages in the area are becoming ghost communities due to the incessant attacks by the terrorists. Communities from Funtua, Dandume, Faskari and Sabuwa areas around the area are the worse hits in terms of terrorists activities, he said through phone. Its not easy for our people. Life has become difficult because we cant even go to the farm or patronise local markets and these are the only things we know how to do, the source, a local business man, added. ALSO READ: Nineteen residents abducted in fresh Katsina attack The police spokesperson in the state, Abubakar Sadik confirmed the attack to reporters in Katsina but didnt give details. He said six people were killed while five were injured and added that fresh security measures have been taken to avert further attacks and rescue the abducted persons. The central and southern parts of Katsina have been witnessing series of terrorist activities for over a decade. The attack in Doka happened a few days after the killing of a commercial vehicle driver and abduction of about four passengers on Sheme Yankara road under Faskari area in the state. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Lagos Blue Rail Train began operations Monday as Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu joined hundreds of commuters on the inaugural ride. The train journeyed from the Marina station to Mile 2 in a less than 30 minutes. The journey kickstarted at 09:13 a.m. and arrived at the last bus stop at 09:35 a.m. Using the Cowry Card, the train can be boarded at the Marina Station, National Theatre Station, Iganmu Station, Alaba Station and Mile 2 Station. The metro line will be commencing operations on Tuesday, 5 September, at 6:30 a.m., the state government has said. A full Journey from Marina to Mile 2 will cost N750, zonal fares will be between N400 and N500 (for people not making the complete full trip). However, due to the transportation palliative announced by the governor, the highest fare for the full trip will be N375. During the ride, many passengers spoke to PREMIUM TIMES about their experience and why they think itsunique. Isiaka Abdulwaheed described his experience as wonderful. He said he had the cowry card and only recharged it with N3,000 when he got to the Marina station. He said N375 was deducted for the journey from Marina to Mile 2. Tolulope Braimoh said it is a smooth ride. Iyu Oladunjoye, Eko Akete Grammar School principal, applauded the states government for bringing metro line into life. A high school student, Jimoh Moridiya, said it is very convenient and comfortable. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Local divers have recovered more bodies of victims of a road accident from the Omo River in Ogun State. PREMIUM TIMES reported how a Toyota Sienna car plunged into the river on Saturday, near J4 in Ijebu East Local Government Area on the Ijebu Ode-Ore expressway. Three bodies had immediately been recovered and an injured passenger. The spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Florence Okpe, gave the registration number of the car as APP830HX. According to her, the suspected cause of the lone crash was overspeeding leading to loss of control by the driver. Ms Okpe further said the injured victim was taken to Hope Clinic in J4 for medical attention, while the corpses were deposited at the State General Hospital morgue in Ijebu-Ode. In another statement, Ms Okpe said two more bodies had been recovered from the river by local divers, bringing the number of dead victims to five. Two additional dead bodies were found by local divers today (Monday), she said in the statement. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. A delegation headed by the Chairman of the National Council of Slovakia Boris Kollar, who is on a working visit to Azerbaijan, visited the Alley of Martyrs on September 5, Trend reports. The delegation headed by Kollar paid tribute to the memory of the heroic sons of Azerbaijan who sacrificed their lives for the freedom and sovereignty of the country, laid flowers on their graves and a wreath at the Eternal Flame monument. The guests, who admired the panorama of the capital of Azerbaijan from the highest point of Baku, were informed about the history of the Alley of Martyrs and the landscaping works carried out in the city. In addition, during the visit, the delegation was accompanied by Deputy Chairman of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) Fazail Ibrahimli, Head of the working group on Azerbaijani-Slovak interparliamentary relations Anar Mammadov and other officials. Nigerias billionaire and Chairman, Geregu Power Plc, and also Director, First Bank Holdings Plc, Femi Otedola, has commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, members of his administration and the people of the state on the successful completion and inauguration of the Lagos Blue Rail after so many years. In a statement issued yesterday, Mr Otedola, said the project should gladden the heart of every Lagosian and resident of the state. Mr Sanwo-Olu, on Monday, flagged off the commercial operations of the train service in the state by riding on the maiden passenger train on the Blue line rail from Marina Terminal to Mile-2 Station. The governor, was the first passenger at the Marina Station of the Blue Line Rail. The ride from the Marina Terminal to Mile 2 takes about 25 minutes, with a 90-second stoppage at each of the five stations before the final destination. Commenting on the development, Mr Otedola said: This should gladden and make every Lagosian proud. This is because the idea of governance is to build world class infrastructure for the people to benefit. He commended Mr Sanwo-Olu for his focused leadership and determination to transform the state with world class infrastructure in the area of transportation, health, security, power generation and transmission and enabling business environment. The governor is showing uncommon leadership, focus determination, willpower to deliver even in the face of very limited resources available to him. He has remained undeterred and unwavering. This particular rail, even though it took so long to complete, he has shown tremendous courage that he is capable of doing the heavy lifting. This is a signature project that he is bequeathing to Lagosians. To even think that the red line is coming up soon is also something to rejoice about, Mr Otedola said. Mr Otedola pointed out that the new rail infrastructure would make life easier for residents of the state, bring more comfort to them, reduce the time of commuting, lessen the traffic challenge in the state as well as reduce cost of transportation. The billionaire enjoined other states to Lagos in his infrastructure drive. He also called all well-meaning Nigerians to continue to support the Sanwo-Olu-led government as it strives to change the face of Lagos. I call on other State governors learn from Lagos and replicate same in their respective states. He also advised residents of the state to ensure that the ultra-modern facility is well protected so as it would serve the purpose for which it was created. The Blue Line Rail project was constructed by the Lagos State Government and supervised by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), as part of the development and improved intermodal transport system in the state. The rail line project started during the administration of former Governor Babatunde Fashola but the first phase 13km (Marina to Mile 2) on the Lagos-Badagry corridor was completed by the Babajide Sanwo-Olus administration. The Blue Line Rail was commissioned in January 2023 by former President Muhammadu Buhari. The project was conceived by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the first governor of Lagos State. The Red Line Rail project is 96 per cent completed would be commissioned by Mr Tinubu before the end of the year. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 6. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov, within the framework of his official visit to Croatia, has participated in discussions and spoke at a round table themed "Security problems in the South Caucasus and prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and Croatia", organized by the Croatian Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO), Trend reports. During a round table, the current issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Croatia, as well as the latest situation in the region, were discussed. Minister Bayramov noted the exceptional role of mutual contacts, high-level visits and the mechanism of political consultations in the development of strategic partnership relations between Azerbaijan and Croatia. He pointed out the importance of using the existing potential for the development of relations between Azerbaijan and Croatia in various fields, especially in the areas of economics, energy security, alternative energy, investment, transport, logistics, pharmaceuticals, tourism, etc. Minister Bayramov also informed the participants of the event about the current situation in the region after the second Karabakh war, the construction and restoration work carried out in the territories liberated from Armenian occupation, as well as the process of normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Among the challenges facing the advancement of the peace agenda, he named Armenian provocations, steps the Armenian side is taking against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, including the incomplete withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan, interference in the reintegration of Armenian residents of Karabakh into the Azerbaijani society, and the continued mine threat. The minister emphasized that the false propaganda carried out by the Armenian side on the issue of the Lachin road has no basis, that the roads passing through the territory of Azerbaijan simultaneously create conditions for the delivery of goods to the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, where Armenian residents live, nevertheless Armenian officials and the illegal separatist regime are hindering the process. Allegations of a "blockade" and a "difficult humanitarian situation" in the region are nothing more than political manipulation. In this context, the minister recalled Armenia's abuse of the Lachin road for two and a half years after the war. According to Bayramov, in order not to miss the historic opportunity to establish peace in the region after almost 30 years of conflict, today, more than ever, it is important that the international community correctly assess the situation in the region, as well as form an adequate position against the provocations of Armenia. Visual artists will take over Hox galleries across Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Paris and Rome as part of the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Saw This Made This campaign, transforming the spaces with creative art installations, complemented by innovative gin cocktails, inspired by their location, from the Hoxton bartenders. LONDON, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and The Hoxton will be coming together to bring an exciting addition to their neighbourhoods in Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Paris, and Rome as part of the gin brand's Saw This Made This campaign. The Hoxton is a series of hotels that prides itself on supporting local communities, whether that be local food, local creatives, or the local streets and scenes that it calls home around the world. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is a brand that celebrates creativity both inside the cocktail glass and beyond, and now the two have teamed up to unveil a special, locally flavoured art installation series. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and the Hoxton will be championing new-gen artists in five European locations in the form of five unique pop-up art installations, with the aim of encouraging guests to discover the creative inspiration all around them. Spirit of Resilience, from the team at Hoxton, Amsterdam This latest news is revealed as part of the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Saw This Made This campaign; launched firstly with iconic film director Baz Luhrmann as the campaign Creative Director, with the aim of inspiring people to see creativity and beauty all around them. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is continuing its global mission, calling for everyone to be inspired in their local areas, engage their own creativity, and unlock their creative potential. The project comes as an extension of the Hox Gallery; an area within each hotels' public spaces dedicated to showcasing exciting, up-and-coming local artists through seasonal programming, demonstrating long-term, meaningful support to the creative communities in and around each Hox neighbourhood. Drawing from a wide range of mediums, genres and influences, the chosen artists in each city are united by the inspiration they draw from the feel and character of their local setting, taking over lobbies, windows and rooftops across Europe. With BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin's balanced flavour profile and versatility, it is the ideal canvas for cocktail creativity. The world-renowned gin brand has partnered with the head bartenders at The Hoxton bars to create a series of Saw This, Made This limited-edition cocktails, taking inspiration from the local city. Each art installation and unique gin cocktail will be available so guests can enjoy a creative tipple while taking in the wonders of the artist's installations. London The line-up of local talent involved in the installations begins with London-based, Argentina-born fine artist Sofia Clausse. Sofia will be putting her Royal Academy-trained skills to use celebrating the city she now calls home at The Hoxton, Holborn this August, creating a colourful stained glass-style mural to mirror the vibes of one of London's liveliest neighbourhoods. Sofia was attracted to the series of arched windows by the bar in the lobby of the Holborn Hox, which look out onto High Holborn, seeing them as reminiscent of stained-glass windows, particularly because of the arched shape, so chose these as the canvas for her artwork. Much of Sofia's work uses lines, and she has created her own sets of painting tools to create these, from custom screen-printing squeegees to 3D printed tools. The London bar team have been inspired by the crossroads in High Holborn and The Kingsway, an almost perfect north/south/east/west crossroads. The Crosstown Traffic includes BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, Claret Vermouth and sage and hop-smoked Honey - a play on a Martinez served in a rocks glass. The large cross-stamped ice block evokes the crossroads motif, garnished with brushstrokes, black for the road, red for the Central Line and blue for the Piccadilly Line. Barcelona French-born, Barcelona-based illustrator and muralist Perrine Honore will be spreading joy in The Hoxton, Poblenou, using her ebullient style and pops of awesome colour to reflect the area's vibrant beachside appeal. While Perrine works across a variety of mediums including street art, textiles, posters and even jewellery, all her work is united through a festive and colourful aesthetic, building a narrative where spontaneity prevails. Perrine chose to move to Barcelona because of the city's buzzing network of dynamic designers and illustrators, and Poblenou is a hub for the local creative community; in recent years urban regeneration has seen old textiles factories and mills converted to artist studios, design showrooms and art schools, breathing fresh life into the neighbourhood and establishing it as one of the most cultural districts of the city. Inspired by a typical beach in Barcelona, the Cala is made with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, grapefruit juice, cider and salty butter syrup and garnished with a banana leaf and butter cracker, drawing upon the atmosphere and lifestyle in Spain, mixing salty flavours with bitter and floral notes. Amsterdam Over at The Hoxton, Amsterdam, self-taught Dutch artist Frederique Matti will be using thick layers of paint to depict the cosy vibes of an Amsterdam party in full flow. Her tactile, colour-popping motifs will appear on a glass wall just inside the hotel entrance, capturing local moments in her signature line style, expressed through objects you might find at a party, telling a story about the guests, surroundings and energy. Frederique's art is inspired by her inner world, acting as a visual diary of little life moments translated into colour, shapes and objects, with the subjects simultaneously important and insignificant. Using thick layers of paint to depict the minor yet charming moments that fill people's ordinary lives, her work has a highly tactile quality and is characterised by flat shapes and an abundance of colour. The Dutch bar team has created the Spirit of Resilience featuring BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, tarragon infused genever, Green Chartreuse, apple cordial and lime juice. The name was chosen to depict the windmills found in Amsterdam which have been a familiar structure throughout the history of the Netherlands. The cocktail is garnished with a banana leaf to represent the propellers of the windmills. Rome For the pop-up installation at The Hoxton, Rome, visual artist Luca Font will be taking centre stage. His bold, geometric graphics with strong blacks and primary colours will come to life in the Rome lobby in the form of four wanderlust illustrations Giclee printed. Luca captures the local spirit of Rome by absorbing the city's many artistic historic and cultural layers and tells stories of everyday life. His distinctive work ranges from tattooing to illustration and painting, focussing on bold graphics, strong blacks, and primary colours: a contemporary take on mid-century European art and Italian futurism, with a retro feel. In Rome, inspiration for the drink comes from the vine found near the Colosseum - the ancient Pantastica grapes found on Palatine Hill in the heart of Rome. To represent this the Colosseum Shadow is made from Roman wine 'tea' - made from leftover local wine infused with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, Roman chamomile, wine syrup and lemon juice. Paris Parisian artist Caroline Derveaux, will be using a joyful palette to create a dream-like artwork on the glass roof of The Hoxton, Paris. Caroline combines bright colours with geometric shapes and abstract elements, and a mix of architectural and organic forms creating an imagined microcosm exploring dreams, emotions and memories. The design will play with the natural light streaming through the hotel's glass roof and is inspired by evening cocktails at golden hour in the City of Light. Caroline wanted her installation to give an immersive feel, adding figurative elements to her abstract style, alluding to the end of summer in Paris - her favourite time to enjoy the city. The French bartenders have been inspired by the Grand Palais and to bring this to life their cocktail Le Palais Carre is served in a hexagon shaped glass with a pyramid shaped ice cube and includes BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, Martini Riserva Special Rubino, lemon juice, strawberries, grapefruit zest and figs. Notes to editors About The Hoxton The Hoxton is a series of open house hotels, rooted in culture and community, located in key cities across the UK, Europe and North America. Each hotel is a reflection and extension of its neighbourhood, inspired by the diversity and originality of the streets that surround them. Vibrant, welcoming public spaces and exciting dining concepts mean every Hoxton is as much a destination for the local community as it is for guests. The Hoxton, Shoreditch opened in 2006, followed by Holborn (2014), Amsterdam (2015), and Paris (2017). Global expansion saw the arrival of The Hoxton, Williamsburg (2018), Portland (2018), Chicago (2019), Downtown LA (2019), Southwark (2019), Rome (2021), Poblenou and Shepherd's Bush (2022), and Charlottenburg and Brussels (2023). The Hoxton is part of Ennismore, a creative hospitality company rooted in culture and community, with a global collective of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with purpose at their heart. thehoxton.com | ennismore.com @thehoxtonhotel About BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Based on a 1761 recipe, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin is created by perfectly balancing a unique combination of 10 hand-selected exotic botanicals from around the world. Every drop of our gin is distilled at Laverstoke Mill in the south of England and is 100% vapour-infused, a process where the natural flavours of the botanicals are skilfully captured, resulting in the fresh and vibrant taste with which BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is synonymous. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is pioneering a more sustainable future all 10 botanicals are sourced sustainably, while the design of the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE distillery was awarded 'outstanding' by BREEAM; the world's leading environmental assessment for buildings. Best known for the iconic blue bottle of BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, the brand has expanded its family to create a portfolio of premium and super-premium gins including Bombay Citron Presse and BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru Murcian Lemon. The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE brand has been part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda for more than 25 years. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. bombaysapphire.com @bombaysapphire ENJOY BOMBAY SAPPHIRE RESPONSIBLY BOMBAY SAPPHIRE IS A TRADEMARK Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201176/The_Hoxton_and_BOMBAY_SAPPHIRE.jpg SOURCE BOMBAY SAPPHIRE; The Hoxton GUIYANG, China, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by Huanqiu.com Photo:Courtesy of the 2023 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week "The theme of 2023 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (here in after referred to as CAECW) reminds me of the Silk Road in history. Today, the event is not only a journey of material connectivity, but also a voyage of intellectual exchange and collaborative learning. Education is the essence of the modern Silk Road, and the free flow of ideas and philosophies across the world help enrich lives and foster innovation, creativity and the spirit of learning," said by Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN Secretariat in the video address at the 2023 CAECW. Themed "New Vision for Education Cooperation, Common Prosperity for Belt and Road", the event was held in Guiyang, Guizhou Province on August 28, 2023. This year marks the tenth anniversary of both BRI and the concept of cultivating a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future. Over the past decade, the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and ASEAN has made steady progress. Both sides have shared the benefits of BRI development, and promoted respective process of modernization. Over the past 15 years, CAECW has grown from a single platform for education cooperation to a platform including culture and people-to-people exchanges, which not only strengthened China-ASEAN education cooperation but laid a solid foundation for cooperation in other fields. Such diversified form of exchange and cooperation has contributed the "strength of Guiyang" to China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership. CAECW enhances international influence and propels practical cooperation The CAECW plans to organize 122 activities, of which 65 activities will take place during the opening period, with the other 57 scheduled in the rest of the year. In addition, CAECW strives to develop a number of branded exchange programs of education, skills and culture so as to tell China's stories, convey Guizhou's voice, enhance international influence and promote practical cooperation, which have been highly appreciated by the attending guests. Nyunt Phay, Education Minister of Myanmar said at the opening ceremony, "As we move forward in an interconnected world, all countries must be united, leverage respective advantages and work together to improve the level of education for the benefit of future generations. In the context of globalization, the China-ASEAN education cooperation has great potentials." J. Prospero E. De Vera III, Chairman of the Philippines Commission on Higher Education commented, "The participation of Philippine higher education institutions in the 2023 CAECW is indeed timely in promoting the role of Philippine universities in social transformation." Nadiem Anwar Makarim, Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of Indonesia, praised that the 15th CAECW offers a perfect opportunity of deepening cultural exchange and cooperation on the moment of the tenth anniversary of BRI. Driven by regional cooperation, Indonesia and ASEAN are expecting a new vision of education. "Singapore and Guizhou attach the same importance to education that opens up big space and potential of education cooperation between the two regions," said by Loh Tuck Keat, Consul-General of Singapore in Guangzhou. At the opening ceremony of CAECW, Guizhou Provincial Department of Education and Singapore University of Technology and Design signed a cooperation agreement, heralding the closer and more sustainable exchanges and cooperation between universities in Singapore and Guizhou. He also mentioned the two previous Singapore-China cooperation programs, hoping that it will help clarify the future directions of cooperation between Singapore and Guizhou. Language and culture exchanges in the digital era People-to-people connectivity is a cornerstone of the shared development of China and ASEAN, which is dependent on and guaranteed by language exchange. The language and culture exchanges and mutual learning in the digital era is of great significance to further enhancement of China-ASEAN people-to-people exchanges and development of digital education. During the 2nd China-ASEAN Language and Culture Forum themed "Language and Culture Exchanges in the Digital Era", the China-ASEAN Language and Culture Exchange and Cooperation Initiative was released. The landmark achievement of language and culture cooperation: Vietnamese-Chu Nom-Chinese-English: New Dictionary of Four Writing Systems in Comparison was also unveiled. Additionally, the Cooperation Project of Nanyang Chinese Literature Classification Series was initiated, and a signing ceremony of cooperation agreements was launched between relevant universities in China and ASEAN countries. Datuk Dr. Habibah Abdul Rahim, Director of Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Secretariat, highly appreciated and supported the role of China Education Association for International Exchange in promoting the exchanges of language, culture and study. In the digital era, people are getting more connected that highlights the pivotal role of language in social, daily life and cultural communication. Digital technology provides a key platform for real-time global communication and sharing, promoting education equality and developing friendship among countries. The Vietnamese-Chu Nom-Chinese-English: New Dictionary of Four Writing Systems in Comparison comprises nearly 2.12 million words and over 60,000 entries, providing massive samples for the academic community to go deeper into the relations between Chinese and Vietnamese languages. At the linguistic level, it involves Vietnamese, Chinese and English, while at the literary level, it involves Chinese, Chu Nom, Japanese and dialect characters. Nguyen Tuan Cuong, Director of Institute of Sino-Num Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, noted that the New Dictionary conducts multi-language comparisons, including Chinese, Chu Nom, Vietnamese, and English. It extracts essence from the massive resources of ancient and modern resources, which fills the blank of academic circle. Vocational education exchanges and cooperation has become a crucial driver of regional economic growth As a significant part of China-ASEAN exchanges, vocational education exchanges and cooperation has become a crucial driver of improving the practical cooperation and promoting the regional socioeconomic development. Thongsa Inthavong, Deputy Director of Vocational & Technical Education Department, Lao Ministry of Education and Sports, hoped to take advantage of platforms like CAECW and China-ASEAN Vocational Education Association to gather and share high-quality resources of all stakeholders, and deepen and enhance the cooperation on vocational education between Laos and China. The 2023 CAECW will continue to deepen China-ASEAN digital education cooperation, Sino-foreign university cooperation on a higher level, and further enhance vocational education cooperation. ASEAN and China will seize this unique opportunity to reconsider and envision education, and further consolidate the role of education as a major tie of the China-ASEAN community of shared destiny. SOURCE Huanqiu.com The five-person wealth management team has over 70 years of collective experience serving individuals and families, family offices, and institutions TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fidelis Capital, an advisor-owned wealth management firm that provides a superior private banking experience, announces that one of the largest wealth management teams in the Mid-Atlantic region formerly with Bank of America Private Bank has joined the independent firm as partners. The team, which advises on more than $4.5 billion in client assets, was frustrated by the constant turnover and inability to provide solutions that they believed their clients deserved at the bank. The five-person wealth management team launches with an office in Washington DC and includes: Christopher F. Tate , J.D., Partner, Wealth Strategist , J.D., Partner, Wealth Strategist Michael J. Sellers , Partner, Portfolio Manager , Partner, Portfolio Manager Benjamin A. Hilyard AIF , CTFA, Partner, Fiduciary Specialist , CTFA, Partner, Fiduciary Specialist Aaron J. Wall , CFA, Partner, Portfolio Manager , CFA, Partner, Portfolio Manager Ashley Connor , Client Service Associate The team represents one of the largest teams of wealth managers to leave a private bank in recent history, choosing an option designed to better serve their clients over the platform constraints of a retail wealth management firm built on a brokerage or bank chassis. "Fidelis Capital operates as an outsourced family office, which will provide tremendous value and support as we strive to help clients navigate financial complexity in their lives," said Christopher F. Tate, J.D., Partner, Wealth Strategist, Fidelis Capital. "Instead of the common industry practice of providing clients with access to one primary advisor, we surround families with a team of subject matter experts, who each specialize in a particular field and are in touch with the industry as a whole, to be able to seek out in-depth solutions to complex problems." Christopher Tate most recently served as Wealth Strategies Advisor, Senior Vice President at Bank of America Private Bank. He holds a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, an MA in International Transactions from George Mason University, and a BA from the University of Virginia. "I have to say that Fidelis Capital's investment IQ is the best I've ever seen," noted Michael J. Sellers, Partner, Portfolio Manager, Fidelis Capital. "As partners in Fidelis, we will have access to the intellectual capital of some of the best wealth managers in the business as well as the freedom to choose the best solutions for our clients regardless of the provider. We couldn't be happier about this move." Michael Sellers was most recently a Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager at Bank of America Private Bank, where he managed portfolios for both institutional clients and high-net-worth families. A financial services professional with 20 years of experience, he holds a BS in business administration from the University of Mary Washington, and an MBA, with a concentration in finance and investments, from The George Washington University. Additionally, he has completed coursework at the Aresty Institute of Executive Education at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Benjamin Hilyard was most recently a Managing Director and Senior Trust Officer with the trust department of Bank of America Private Bank. Ben is a graduate of Connecticut College and has studied trust and estate planning at the Cannon Financial Institute, and finance at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He holds the Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) designation sponsored by the ABA Institute of Certified Bankers and is a member of the Washington, D.C. Estate Planning Council. Aaron Wall was most recently a Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Bank of America Private Bank in Washington, D.C. Aaron creates and maintains personalized investment strategies utilizing a broad range of wealth management solutions, including financial planning and risk mitigation strategies. He is a deep thinker and prolific author of thought leadership, communicating complex investment strategies into executable solutions. We are excited to leverage his skillset for the benefit of our broader Fidelis client base. Aaron obtained his BS in finance from Salisbury University and is a CFA charterholder. The fifth member of the team is Client Service Associate Ashley Connor, who previously was a Portfolio Management Senior Associate with the team at Bank of America Private Bank. She is a graduate of Marymount University and has more than 12 years of experience in private banking. "The fact that this outstanding team from Bank of America has chosen to join Fidelis Capital is indicative of the continued evolution of private banking and a testament to how Fidelis Capital is helping to change the private banking sector," said Rick Simonetti, Founding Partner, CEO, Head of Wealth Planning, Fidelis Capital. "As the founders of Fidelis Capital did, this team is making the transition to independence in search of an environment more amenable to the complex, ultra-high-net-worth wealth planning that their clients need." As changes in the private banking world continue, Fidelis Capital remains at the forefront of change and will be positioned as the face of how the industry is evolving. About Fidelis Capital Fidelis Capital is a wealth management firm that provides a true private banking experience. Founded by former private bankers from Wells Fargo and Bank of America, Fidelis Capital is the first wealth management firm started by principals from rival institutions. Fidelis Capital has offices in Tampa, FL, Dallas, TX, and Washington D.C. For more information, visit www.fideliscapital.com. CONTACT: Michaela Morales JConnelly 973 224 7152 [email protected] SOURCE Fidelis Capital HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As communities band together to support those affected by natural disasters, AARP Pennsylvania remains vigilant against opportunistic scammers seeking to exploit vulnerabilities. Recognizing the need for awareness, AARP Pennsylvania is equipping residents with some tips to safeguard themselves from disaster-related scams. Watch AARP's "Fraud Watch Minute" on Disaster Scams. Fraud Watch Minute: Disaster Scams In the years since its inception in 2005, the U.S. Justice Department's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) has logged over 95,000 complaints tied to more than 100 events, spanning hurricanes, floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, explosions, and chemical spills. Tragedies often pave the way for scams targeting the susceptible and those grappling to rebuild their lives. Dubious contractors, colloquially dubbed "storm chasers," frequently descend upon regions impacted by natural events, offering speedy and inexpensive remedies for ravaged homes and businesses. However, some of these contractors overcharge for substandard work, leaving property owners to grapple with shoddy repairs. Mary Bach, Chair of AARP Pennsylvania's Consumer Issues Task Force, emphasized, "During trying times, it's imperative to stay cautious and prudent when considering contractors. Scammers prey on chaos to exploit the unsuspecting." Another prevalent post-disaster swindle involves imposters posing as representatives from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or other governmental entities. These imposters promise to expedite insurance claims, secure grants, or streamline building permitsall contingent on upfront payments. David Kalinoski, Associate State Director of Community Outreach at AARP Pennsylvania, asserted, "Official government agencies never demand payment for their services. It's crucial to verify such claims before divulging personal information or releasing funds." In conjunction with contractor-related scams, natural disasters usher in a surge of fraudulent charities soliciting donations for relief endeavors. These deceitful organizations often mirror the names or websites of reputable aid groups to deceive potential donors. AARP Pennsylvania advises individuals to thoroughly scrutinize charities before contributing to ensure that their donations genuinely bolster relief efforts. To bolster protection against these scams, AARP Pennsylvania offers these five tips: Thoroughly Vet Contractors: Before enlisting a contractor, verify their credentials, consult their Better Business Bureau profile, and ensure they possess proper licensing and insurance. Request Detailed Estimates: Prior to commencing repair work, obtain comprehensive written estimates, meticulously review contracts before signing, and retain copies of all documentation. Validate Insurance Coverage: Confirm with your insurance provider whether repairs are covered prior to undertaking them. Authenticate FEMA Representatives: Ask for official identification from individuals claiming to represent FEMA. Confirm their identity by contacting the FEMA Helpline. Donate Prudently: Direct donations toward established charities with a proven track record in disaster relief efforts. Leverage resources like Charity Navigator, CharityWatch, and BBB's Wise Giving Alliance to authenticate organizations. Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork. About AARP AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org, www.aarp.org/espanol or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspanol and @AARPadvocates, @AliadosAdelante on social media. MEDIA CONTACT: TJ Thiessen | [email protected] | (202) 374-8033 SOURCE AARP Pennsylvania HONG KONG, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Acclime, Asia-Pacific's leading tech-enabled professional services provider, is proud to announce the appointment of Ed Novak as the firm's Managing Director, North America. Ed will lead Acclime's US-based Client Service Centre, advising clients from North America on the best ways to leverage Acclime's teams throughout Asia and Oceania. The appointment highlights Acclime's commitment to providing global-standard professional services in the Asia-Pacific region for clients from around the world. Ed brings extensive leadership experience to Acclime's North American operations, having held significant roles in the technology and professional services sectors, including at IBM, PwC, Amdocs, Grant Thornton, and Radius/Vistra. Blair Lucas, Acclime's Group Commercial Director, noted, "Ed's particular skill set lies in supporting companies in North America to fulfil their growth strategies as they expand internationally. Ed built and led teams that delivered successful paths to global growth, and I have strong confidence in his ability to deliver meaningful results for Acclime's North American clients." Ed shared Blair's enthusiasm and confidence, stating, "I am thrilled to begin this new role, and I look forward to both managing a high-performance client support team and cultivating sustainable relationships with collaborative referral partners. As more and more companies invest in Asia-Pacific growth strategies, I am eager to leverage the Acclime advisory and corporate services platform for their benefit." Acclime's CEO, Martin Crawford, put Ed's appointment into perspective by adding, "The US is one of the largest FDI investors into Asia and the largest in the ASEAN bloc. Acclime's mission is to help these companies navigate into and throughout these markets with our on-the-ground operations, backed by an expert team in their own time zone in the USA. Ed's experience as an international expansion specialist will make him and his team the go-to experts for any US company or investor targeting expansion in the Asia-Pacific market." With Ed Novak leading the North American operation, Acclime continues on an exciting path of bolstering its tech capabilities to embrace enhanced digitisation, AI integration, and the delivery of exceptional corporate services. Acclime will be counting on Ed's expertise to further strengthen its ability to deliver seamless cross-cultural integration for North American businesses in the Asia-Pacific. About Acclime Acclime is a premier corporate and advisory services provider with operations in key Asia-Pacific jurisdictions, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Australia, and New Zealand. The company's vision is to reinvent the corporate services sector with innovative solutions that help organisations and private clients advance their interests in Asia, with a particular focus on difficult-to-navigate emerging markets. The Acclime group employs over 1,200 experts serving 13,000 clients across 15 countries, each with its own unique cultural and regulatory challenges. Global client service centres are also provided in the UK, US, EU, and UAE. For more information, please visit www.acclime.com . SOURCE Acclime Provides clinical validation for ACM Biolab's Tunable Platform ("ATP"), ACM Biolab's proprietary polymer-based delivery platform ACM-001 was well tolerated at the recommended dose levels with no serious adverse events and encouraging early immunogenicity data ACM is in partnering discussions to provide new drug delivery solutions that address the most significant challenges faced using lipid nanoparticle-based (LNP) delivery systems SINGAPORE and BASEL, Switzerland and SYDNEY, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ACM Biolabs, a biotechnology company using its next-generation polymer-based delivery platform to develop new nano formulations for use in multiple therapeutic fields, today announced positive topline results from a Phase I trial of ACM-001, the Company's first clinical-stage development program. ACM-001 is an adjuvanted booster vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. It comprises a spike-protein component from the immune-evasive beta SARS-CoV-2 variant and an immunostimulant, CpG 7909, formulated using the Company's polymer-based delivery technology, ACM Biolabs' Tunable Platform (ATP). The trial, which was conducted in thirty-six subjects at six sites in Australia, showed that the vaccine candidate was safe and well-tolerated at the recommended dose level for both standard intramuscular injection as well as mucosal delivery. Promising early immunogenicity data indicate that the intramuscular vaccine initiated a broadly active antibody response targeting previous variants as well as currently circulating omicron strains. Vaccine developers face many, widely known challenges using lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). These include ultra-low cold storage (-60C to -90C) throughout the supply chain and an inflexible processing time. ATP has the potential to overcome many of these challenges and ACM Biolabs also benefits from a clear and robust IP position underpinning its technology. Further data to be presented at a key industry medical conference over the coming months and published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Madhavan Nallani, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of ACM Biolabs, commented: "This is excellent news for ACM Biolabs as it substantially de-risks our core technology and enables us to progress all our formulations in discovery and development. We have received a lot of interest in our technology from partners who we believe will find the data valuable as we advance projects with them." Pierre Vandepapeliere, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of ACM Biolabs, added: "These positive Phase I results provide clinical validation for ATP, our flexible proprietary delivery platform. It means we can move forward with confidence and explore the full potential of the technology in multiple therapeutic areas including vaccines. What excites us the most is the broader neutralization upon vaccine administration suggests the high quality of antibodies generated by targeting immune cells. On behalf of ACM, I would like to thank all study participants and staff members at the clinical sites." About ACM Biolabs ACM Biolabs is a biotechnology company that is using its proprietary polymer-based nanoparticle delivery platform to develop new formulations for use in multiple therapeutic fields. ACM Biolabs' Tunable Platform (ATP) is a polymer/lipid hybrid, non-viral delivery platform that offers the flexibility to deliver multiple payloads including oligonucleotides, small molecules, proteins, and mRNA. ATP is thermostable, allowing mRNA storage at 4C in contrast to the current lipid nanoparticle-based delivery systems that require ultra-low cold storage. ACM Biolabs has programs targeting multiple organs, tissues, and immune cells. The Company has a growing pipeline of discovery and development-stage product formulations targeting numerous therapeutic areas including infectious diseases, oncology, and ophthalmology. ACM's first clinical-stage development program ACM-001, is an adjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (beta variant) vaccine and the company is seeking a partner to develop an mRNA vaccine. The Company has several oncology products including a program for solid tumors targeting a Toll-like receptor (TLR) and a lung cancer program. In ophthalmology, ACM Biolabs is exploring a specialized formulation suitable for topical application to the retina. ACM Biolabs was founded in 2013 in Singapore. It has subsidiaries in Basel, Switzerland, and Sydney, Australia. The Phase I trial of ACM-001 was undertaken by ACM Biolabs' wholly-owned Australian subsidiary, ACM Biolabs Pty Ltd. For further information, please visit: https://acmbiolabs.com/ Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on current assumptions and forecasts of the ACM Biolabs and ACM Biosciences management. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors could lead to material differences between the forward-looking statements made here and the actual development. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only of the date of this communication. ACM Biolabs and ACM Biosciences disclaim any intention or obligation to update and revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE ACM Biolabs The collection is a combination of movement and everyday life for the health of it! MANCHESTER, United Kingdom, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Adanola, the high quality activewear and wardrobe essentials brand, and Stephanie Suganami, tastemaker and executive also known as Steph Shep, have teamed up to create a capsule collection complete with elevated everyday apparel. Adanola x Steph Shep was designed for waking up, working out, running errands, hanging out, and everything in between, to fill the gaps that Steph felt she had in her active, everyday wardrobe. Steph Shep x Adanola "After the brand first developed a relationship with Steph in 2017 - we're now so excited to be partnering with her on a full collection that fits the needs of an active lifestyle," states Hyrum Cook, CEO and Founder of Adanola. "Steph had great ideas and this capsule brings an even more elevated flare to our high quality product range." "I'm really excited to release this collaboration with Adanola," states Stephanie Suganami, "I feel grateful to have created a line with a brand that understands my everyday needs while still prioritizing fashion and function. This capsule is truly an accumulation of classic staples reimagined and my dream pieces come to life!" The Adanola x Steph Shep collection features ultimate sets of bras, tops, and leggings in deep blue, black, and brown colorways, outerwear like down coats and kimono jackets, as well as matching sweats with a subtle print of the Adanola logo shown among LA's palm tree skyline. An assortment of classic tops, bottoms, and trendy accessories are also featured in the collection. Pricing ranges from 10.99-89.99 ($14-$115). Adanola is designed to be as versatile as your lifestyle. Adanola's mission is to create high quality activewear and wardrobe essentials accessible to everybody. Every piece is designed to make you feel like your very best self, whatever you're doing. The Adanola x Steph Shep collection offers elevated everyday pieces fit for various lifestyles and occasions it's everybody's everyday uniform. Adanola x Steph Shep is available for purchase beginning September 5, 2023 on www.adanola.com . For more information, please visit www.adanola.com . ABOUT ADANOLA Adanola is a Manchester-based clothing brand renowned for its versatile activewear and wardrobe essentials that prioritize style and comfort. With a commitment to redefining fashion norms, Adanola empowers individuals to embrace their unique identities while making environmentally conscious choices. Each piece is meticulously designed to adapt seamlessly to various lifestyles, reflecting Adanola's belief that fashion should be as versatile as the people who wear it. PRESS CONTACT The Lede Company [email protected] SOURCE Adanola Hon. Herbert Krapa , Republic of Ghana's Deputy Minister of Energy, gives keynote remarks at ASR launch event African Capacity Building Foundation to incubate ASR centre of excellence in Accra, Ghana NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The African School of Regulation (ASR) officially launched today during the Africa Climate Summit 2023, which is co-hosted by the Republic of Kenya and the African Union. The ASR, which will now be incubated by the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), with headquarters in Accra, Ghana, will strengthen the African energy sector's capacity in support of the Agenda 2063 goals for sustainable development on the continent. The ASR launch event, which took place in front of a packed audience, was cohosted by the ACBF, European University Institute (EUI), and The Rockefeller Foundation at the Sankara Hotel. Keynote remarks provided by: Hon. Herbert Krapa , Deputy Minister of Energy, Republic of Ghana Panel discussion with: Ashvin Dayal , Senior Vice President of Power and Climate, The Rockefeller Foundation , Senior Vice President of Power and Climate, The Rockefeller Foundation Linus Mofor , Senior Environmental Affairs Officer, UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) , Senior Environmental Affairs Officer, UN Economic Commission for (UNECA) Mamadou Biteye , Executive Secretary, ACBF , Executive Secretary, ACBF Ignacio Perez-Arriaga , PhD, Acting Director, ASR By Africa, for Africa Energy Solutions Expanding Africa's electricity infrastructure to provide universal energy access, while reducing reliance on fossil fuel-based power generation and supporting the industrialisation of the continent, requires significant investment. Pioneered with the vision of an institution "by Africa, for Africa," the ASR will become a hub of excellence for knowledge exchange and training that helps scale much-needed investment in, and development of, more affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy systems. It will do so by supporting the advancement of cutting-edge policy development and regulatory solutions tailored to the unique situation of individual nations. A network of implementing partners of the ASR will be built, covering the several regions and prevalent languages in the African continent. The partners will co-organise events with the ASR and adapt the body of knowledge to the local needs. The recent call for prospective host institutions resulted in a surge of interest. Because of its reputation, geographical footprint, and synergies with African institutions as a Specialized Agency of the African Union, the ACBF was selected to incubate the ASR on the continent. "The ASR will be instrumental in guiding Africa towards a sustainable energy transition. The ASR will build the required capacities, create an environment for innovative solutions to regulation challenges, and an ecosystem for increased investments," said Mr. Mamadou Biteye, Executive Secretary of the ACBF. "Central to this vision is fostering skills development, knowledge sharing, and sustainable jobs, including focusing on the representation of women and young people in a field typically dominated by men." As part of the ASR's launch, the ACBF announced that plans are underway to hire a new Executive Director of the ASR over the coming few months, with Prof. Ignacio Perez-Arriaga, PhD continuing to serve as ASR Interim Director until then. In addition, The Rockefeller Foundation, which is a philanthropic partner of the Africa Climate Summit, announced it provided a USD 1 million grant to help seed the ASR. "Having this new collaboration between ACBF and ASR underscores Africa's leadership in paving the way for a sustainable energy future on the continent, and the Africa Climate Summit provided the perfect platform to embolden this catalytic initiative," said Mr. William Asiko, Vice President of The Rockefeller Foundation's Africa Regional Office. "Representing an investment in Africa's institutional and human capital development to sustain inclusive energy transition solutions, the ASR's mission and scope will be highly complementary to The Rockefeller Foundation-supported Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet's work in multiple African nations to accelerate clean energy investments." The ASR is backed by several technical and resource partners. The Enel Foundation, EUI via the Florence School of Regulation (FSR), Energy Nexus Network (TENN), Global Energy Alliance for the People and the Planet (GEAPP), Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences (PAUWES), The Rockefeller Foundation, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the University of Cape Town (UCT) via the Power Futures Lab signed a Scientific Knowledge Partnership Agreement to establish the ASR. The EUI via the FSR was also designated by the Parties of the Agreement to provide logistical support and coordination during the initial phase of creation of the ASR. About The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) is the premier partner for capacity development in Africa. As the African Union's Specialized Agency for Capacity Development, the Foundation pays attention to improving the effectiveness of Africa's public sector institutions at local, national, regional, and continental levels to become effective systems integrators and catalyzers of sustainable and transformative change. Since its creation in 1991, ACBF has trained over 50,000 personnel in civil service, most of whom hold key positions in Ministries of Finance, Planning or Economic Development and Central Banks across the continent. The Foundation has established a network of over 50 think tanks supporting evidence-based policymaking across Africa and conducted numerous policy research/analyses, which have been critical in informing economic management and establishing benchmarks for success. For more information, visit https://www.acbf-pact.org or follow us on X @ACBF_Official. About The African School of Regulation (ASR) The African School of Regulation (ASR) aims to be the hub of excellence for learning practical skills established on a sound foundation, promoting independent discussion and knowledge exchange, conducting applied research to address new challenges, and making available a repository of resources in energy regulation and policy to achieve sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy in Africa. For additional information, please see the ASR website https://africanschoolregulation.org/ or email [email protected]. About The Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity and make opportunity universal and sustainable. Our focus is on scaling renewable energy for all, stimulating economic mobility, and ensuring equitable access to health care and nutritious food. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201685/The_Rockefeller_Foundation.jpg SOURCE The Rockefeller Foundation NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The aircraft ejection seats market size is estimated to grow by USD 71.31 million from 2022 to 2027, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.17%, however, the growth momentum will progress during the forecast period. APAC is estimated to account for 34% of the global market during the forecast period. Technavio's analysts have elaborately explained the regional trends and drivers that shape the market during the forecast period. Another region offering significant growth opportunities to vendors is Europe. The increased military spending, rising geopolitical tensions, and the growing need for military aircraft to support a wide range of military operations are the major driving factors. The market is mainly driven by countries such as the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia in Europe. These countries have strong armies and need large numbers of military aircraft. Therefore, the European aircraft ejection seat market is propelled by an increasing number of airports, rising air traffic, and increasing demand for new aircraft which in turn drive the market growth during the forecast period. For more insights on the historic period (2017 to 2021) and forecast market size (2023 to 2027) - Request a sample report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Aircraft Ejection Seats Market 2023-2027 buy the report! Aircraft Ejection Seats Market - Segmentation Assessment Segment Overview Technavio has segmented the market based on application (Combat aircraft and Training aircraft), type (Single seat and Twin seat), and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America). The market share growth by the combat aircraft segment will be significant during the forecast period. In 2022, the combat aircraft segment held the largest market share and is projected to continue to dominate during the forecast period. Combat planes are a vital tool for all the military in the world. In addition, with the growing threat of terrorism, as well as policy tensions between states, emphasis has been moving to fleet modernization through the replacement of obsolete aircraft with new advanced combat aircraft. The development and purchase of fifth-generation fighter aircraft are anticipated to increase and the growth of the combat aircraft segment in the global aircraft ejector seat market will be driven by the increase in the purchase of combat aircraft. Insights on the market contribution of various segments including country and region wise, historic market data (2017 to 2021), and forecast market size (2023 to 2027) - Download a Sample Report Aircraft Ejection Seats Market Market Dynamics Key factor driving market growth The increasing demand for military aircraft globally is notably driving the market growth. The aerospace and defense industry observes a significant trend of increasing demand for military aircraft, driven by geopolitical tensions, security concerns, and counterterrorism operations. The demand for modern military aircraft is fuelled by disputes over territory, regional conflicts, and complex threats, leading to a rise in defense spending. Governments require specialized aircraft that can track and engage targets, gather real-time situational awareness, and support counterterrorism efforts. Therefore, the growing demand for military aircraft, which are the significant aircraft in which aircraft ejection seats are used, is one of the major drivers that is anticipated to drive the growth of the aircraft ejection seats market during the forecast period. Leading trends influencing the market - The growing use of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) training for testing aircraft ejection seats is an emerging trend shaping the market growth. Major challenges hindering the market growth - The technological complexity associated with aircraft ejection seats is a significant challenge hindering market growth. Insights on Market Drivers, trends, and challenges, historic period(2017 to 2021), and forecast period(2023 to 2027)- Request a sample report! What are the key data covered in this Aircraft Ejection Seats Market report? CAGR of the market during the forecast period Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the aircraft ejection seats market between 2023 and 2027 Precise estimation of the aircraft ejection seats market size and its contribution to the market in focus on the parent market Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behaviour Growth of the aircraft ejection seats market across Europe , North America , APAC, Middle East and Africa , and South America , , APAC, and , and A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about companies Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of aircraft ejection seats market companies Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports: The commercial aircraft seating market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.75% between 2022 and 2027 and the size of the market is forecast to increase by USD 2,908 million. This report extensively covers market segmentation by aircraft type (narrowbody, widebody, and regional aircraft), cabin class (economy class, business class, premium economy class, and first class), and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America). Rising procurement of new-generation aircraft is a major driver for the growth of the commercial aircraft seating market. The aircraft seating market size is expected to increase by USD 13.07 billion from 2021 to 2026, at a CAGR of 18.74%. This report extensively covers aircraft seating market segmentation by aircraft type (commercial aircraft and military aircraft) and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America). The growing demand for commercial aircraft is one of the key drivers supporting the aircraft seating market growth. Aircraft Ejection Seats Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 5.17% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 71.31 million Market structure Concentrated YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 4.82 Regional analysis Europe, North America, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 34% Key countries US, China, Japan, France, and Germany, Canada, Mexico, Italy,Spain, India, Japan, Australia, and South Korea Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled BAE Systems Plc, EDM Ltd., Martin-Baker Aircraft Co. Ltd., Raytheon Technologies Corp., and Rostec Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table of contents 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation by Application 7 Market Segmentation by Type 8 Customer Landscape 9 Geographic Landscape 10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 11 Vendor Landscape 12 Vendor Analysis 13 Appendix About US Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com SOURCE Technavio CAMBRIDGE, England, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Alchemab Therapeutics, an antibody discovery company identifying naturally occurring antibodies from individuals resilient to disease, today announced that Young Kwon, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, will participate in a fireside chat at the Wells Fargo 2023 Healthcare Conference on 7 September 2023 at 4:30 p.m. ET. Dr. Kwon will be discussing Alchemab's antibody discovery platform and lead preclinical programs for frontotemporal dementia/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease. A live audio webcast of the presentation can be accessed via Alchemab's website at https://www.alchemab.com/events-presentations/ . The webcast will be archived for 90 days following the live presentation. About Alchemab Alchemab studies the unique antibody response of resilient individuals to develop drugs based on naturally derived antibodies to prevalent, hard-to-treat diseases which do not have disease modifying therapies. Alchemab's platform integrates data mining of patient-derived immune responses with the latest, multi-disciplinary drug discovery approaches to understand what keeps people well. The goal is to unlock nature's engineering and harness the incredible human immune system to find breakthrough drugs. Alchemab's highly experienced team has broad expertise and capabilities across discovery and development. Through collaborations with world class institutions, Alchemab taps into large ecosstems and millions of patient samples which it analyzes using advanced computational approaches. Alchemab is headquartered in London, UK with labs in Cambridge, UK and Boston, US. For more information, visit www.alchemab.com/. SOURCE Alchemab Therapeutics BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. Family members of Azerbaijani persons who went missing during the first Karabakh war visited Shusha, Trend's Karabakh bureau reports. The trip was organized by the "Families of the Missing Persons in Karabakh" public association. Also, the visit to the mass grave found on the territory of Shusha prison is planned within the framework of the trip. By the end of August, foreign NGOs have appealed to the international community in connection with Azerbaijanis, who went missing as a result of Armenia's military aggression. Due to Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan for around 30 years, a total of 3,890 Azerbaijanis were officially registered as missing during the first Karabakh war. Among them, 3,171 were military personnel, and 719 civilians. LUND, Sweden, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Swedish semiconductor trailblazer, AlixLabs, has successfully secured SEK 40 million in funding to accelerate their pioneering work. Specializing in semiconductor advancements, AlixLabs has developed a revolutionary Atomic Layer Etching (ALE) Pitch Splitting technology (APS), which has attracted substantial investment from notable backers including Navigare Ventures, Industrifonden, and FORWARD.one. This marks a significant step towards transforming semiconductor manufacturing by making it more energy-efficient and cost-effective. The semiconductor industry has long faced challenges related to escalating expenses, particularly due to the high costs of Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV) equipment and has an escalating need for energy-efficient alternatives and more sustainable practices. AlixLabs is disrupting the semiconductor landscape with their innovative approach to manufacturing. Through their ALE Pitch Splitting technology (APS), they enable the precise division of nanostructures while significantly reducing energy consumption and emissions. This breakthrough has now caught the attention of investors, as it addresses the rising costs associated with current manufacturing techniques. Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs, stated: "The investment plays a pivotal role in propelling our company towards scalable success. The infusion of capital not only validates our vision but also empowers us to bring our groundbreaking technology to the forefront of semiconductor manufacturing. This investment marks a significant milestone as we work towards our goal: to have our meticulously developed process adopted by circuit manufacturers in their most advanced production by 2025. With this support, we are forging a path to transform the semiconductor landscape and usher in a new era of efficiency and innovation." AlixLabs' innovation arrives at an opportune moment, with the European Union's ambitious semiconductor initiative, the EU Chips Act, allocating substantial resources for semiconductor companies. With over 43 billion euros earmarked for the next five years, this initiative complements AlixLabs' mission to drive technological progress and sustainable manufacturing. Alex Basu, Investment Manager at Navigare Ventures, said: "AlixLabs has taken considerable steps in establishing itself as an emerging equipment manufacturer, contributing to the fast growing European semiconductor industry. We look forward to a continued partnership as they bring their technology to production in the coming years." Tobias Elmquist, Senior Investment Director, commented: "At Industrifonden, we're committed to science-backed, scalable investments that have the power to drive meaningful change in society. AlixLabs is redefining semiconductor manufacturing and we're proud to support them on their journey towards a more efficient and sustainable industry." Arjan Gobel, partner at FORWARD.one:"The technology that AlixLabs has developed solves real problems for its semiconductor customers and adds a lot of value for them by reducing the complexity of making chips and making the process much cheaper while reducing the environmental impact of the process significantly. Doing this with a very skilled and ambitious team, makes it a great investment for FORWARD.one." Contact: Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs, phone +46 767 63 94 67, email [email protected]. The following files are available for download: https://news.cision.com/alixlabs-ab/i/tem-cross-section-aps-in-bulk-silicon,c3212420 TEM cross section APS in bulk Silicon https://news.cision.com/alixlabs-ab/i/alixlabslogo-bigsignet-sekundaer,c3212421 AlixLAbsLogo BigSignet Sekundaer https://news.cision.com/alixlabs-ab/i/05-alixlabs-labb-211116,c3212422 05 AlixLabs labb 211116 https://news.cision.com/alixlabs-ab/i/01-alixlabs-grupp-211116,c3212423 01 AlixLabs grupp 211116 SOURCE AlixLabs AB NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Altimar Acquisition Corp. III (NYSE. ATAQ) (the "Company"), a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company, today announced that it will redeem all of its outstanding Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 (the "public shares"), effective as of September 22, 2023, because the Company will not consummate an initial business combination within the time period required by its amendment to the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (the "Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association"). As stated in the Company's Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, if the Company is unable to complete an initial business combination by September 8, 2023, the Company will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to the Company (less taxes paid or payable, if any, and up to US$100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then public shares in issue, which redemption will completely extinguish public members' rights as members (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company's remaining members and the directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to its obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and other requirements of Applicable Law. The per-share redemption price for the public shares will be approximately $10.34 (the "Redemption Amount"). The balance of the trust account as of June 30, 2023 was approximately $41,658,542, which includes approximately $467,329 in interest income (excess of cash over $41,191,213, the funds deposited into the trust account). In accordance with the terms of the related trust agreement, the Company expects to retain, from the interest and dividend income from the trust account, any taxes paid or payable and up to $100,000 to pay dissolution expenses. Accordingly, there is expected to be a total of $41,558,542 available for redemption of the 4,019,039 public shares outstanding, which results in a redemption price of approximately $10.34 per share. The last day that the Company's securities will trade on the NYSE will be September 8, 2023. As of September 22, 2023, the public shares will be deemed cancelled and will represent only the right to receive the Redemption Amount. The Redemption Amount will be payable to the holders of the public shares upon presentation of their respective stock or unit certificates or other delivery of their shares or units to the Company's transfer agent, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. Beneficial owners of public shares held in "street name," however, will not need to take any action in order to receive the Redemption Amount. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to the Company's warrants, which will expire worthless. The Company's sponsor has waived its redemption rights with respect to the outstanding founder shares and the shares underlying the private placement warrants. After September 22, 2023, the Company shall cease all operations except for those required to wind up the Company's business. The Company expects that NYSE will file a Form 25 with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") to delist its securities. The Company thereafter expects to file a Form 15 with the Commission to terminate the registration of its securities under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may include, and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of Altimar Acquisition Corp. III may include, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements regarding possible business combinations and the financing thereof, and related matters, as well as all other statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "would" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management team, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company's management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company's annual form on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 30, 2023. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law. Contact: Altimar Acquisition Corp. III [email protected] HPS Investment Partners, LLC Prosek Partners Mike Geller / Josh Clarkson [email protected] / [email protected] SOURCE Altimar Acquisition Corp. III ADELAIDE, Australia, Sept. 5, 2023 Amp Energy ("Amp" or the "Company"), a global renewable energy and hydrogen developer backed by Carlyle, announced today the execution of a transmission network connection agreement ("TCA") with South Australia's high-voltage transmission network owner ElectraNet for its Bungama Battery Energy Storage System ("BESS") in Bungama, South Australia. The 150MW / 300 MWhr TCA is expected to energise by early 2025, as the first phase of a larger Bungama BESS and Solar PV installation. Bungama BESS is the first TCA within Amp's Renewable Energy Hub of South Australia, a AUD$2 billion strategic portfolio of renewable generation and Battery Energy Storage Assets across three sites, Bungama, Robertstown and Whyalla, established in 2021. The Bungama BESS project has entered into an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Agreement and benefit sharing with the Nukunu Wapma Thura Aboriginal Corporation. The project is expected to create up to 70 construction jobs for up to a year and 20 ongoing jobs during operations. "The Bungama BESS announcement emphasizes our commitment to the state of South Australia, towards its goal of achieving net zero emissions and 100% renewable energy generation by 2050," said Dean Cooper, Head of Amp Australia. The Bungama BESS connection follows the Company's announcement in April of Amp being named as the successful bidder to develop the Cape Hardy Port Precinct, with the intent to develop and build up to 5 GW of electrolyser capacity over the next decade in the precinct, delivering over 5 million tons per annum of green ammonia and establishing South Australia as a global leader in the production of green hydrogen and ammonia. Minister for Trade and Investment Nick Champion stated "South Australia's world-leading renewable energy reputation continues to attract significant investment into the State, especially in our regions. Projects like these not only create highly skilled jobs, they demonstrate our global standing as a leader in the green energy sector. Amp Energy joins a growing list of developers committed to South Australia's multi-billion dollar pipeline of projects backed by the Government's dedicated global and national investment agency, Invest SA". Minister for Energy and Mining Tom Koutsantonis said "Transmission is fundamental to a renewable generator being able to deliver energy to the customer. It's pleasing to see Amp Energy overcome this barrier by reaching this deal with ElectraNet, which will unlock investment and job creation." Amp's expansion in South Australia will include and leverage Amp X's digital energy platform which caters for a number of interoperable offerings aimed at unlocking grid flexibility at a large scale from the edge of the grid in order to support a fully decarbonised energy system and accelerate the energy transition. Amp X includes an Artificial Intelligence powered Virtual Power Plant capability, which enables real-time autonomous management and optimised dispatch of Battery Energy Storage assets across the grid. About Amp Amp Energy is a well-established global energy transition development platform, which delivers renewables, battery storage, and hydrogen at scale, together with proprietary AI-enabled grid flexibility through its Amp X platform. Since its inception 14 years ago, Amp has developed and built close to 3GW of assets globally, and has another 4GW either in late-stage development or construction. Amp is backed by major investments from institutional capital partners including global private equity firm Carlyle. The company has global operations throughout North America, the UK, Australia, Japan, and Spain. Amp X has developed a disruptive grid edge digital platform to allow all forms of distributed generation and load to make a dynamic contribution to the energy system, whether as an individual unit or as an aggregated group of assets, providing flexibility, resilience and system stability at the lowest possible cost. SOURCE Amp Energy TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Arctech, the world's leading solar tracking, racking, and BIPV provider, has signed a 240MW solar tracker supply contract with China Energy Engineering Corporation Limited (CEEC) for a solar photovoltaic generation plant project in Uzbekistan's Tashkent region. This is the third project recently won by Arctech in Uzbekistan, with the previous projects including the 1 GW solar PV project in Qashqadaryo Viloyati and Buxoro, and the 500MW solar PV project in Sherabad. This is undoubtedly another significant progress of Arctech's thriving development in Uzbekistan. SkyLine II Solar Tracking System will be used in the project. Featuring a pentagonal torque tube and a synchronous multi-point drive mechanism. SkyLine II is one of the few truly rigid 1P trackers in the industry. The design does not only stiffen the system by equipping it with larger bending and torsional capabilities, but also allows for the highest stability at all tracking tilts. Due to the design, the post span is further increased, which can reduce the number of posts by more than 30%, with less than 180 posts per MW, which consequently decreases Engineering Procurement Construction's cost by about 2%. Through an innovative "multi-drive" mechanism. These stiff trackers can safely stow horizontally, which is vital to lower the wind pressure onto the new large-format modules and prevent cracking and delamination. Stiff trackers also enable increasing the wind stow speed threshold and thus extend the operational wind speed range. These optimized stow parameters can also help prevent energy losses and increase energy generation and revenue to a considerable extent. Currently, over 85% of Uzbekistan's electricity comes from coal and natural gas, with most of its natural gas coming from Russia. To solve the problem of energy shortage and reduce dependence on fossil energy, the Uzbek government has encouraged the development of renewable energy in recent years. The country plans to increase the installed capacity of solar energy by 5GW by 2030. As a world leading solar tracker supplier, Arctech achieved another breakthrough in Uzbekistan and even the Central Asian market this time. Through its previous projects, Arctech has gained recognition from Central Asian owners for high-caliber products and innovative technology, which is also the reason why Arctech continues to win solar tracker orders. SOURCE Arctech ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. today announced the acquisition of UK-based Lifesure Group Limited (Lifesure). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Lifesure provides personal lines insurance broking services in the vacation/holiday and leisure industry, with products including park home, motorhome, caravan and leisure home insurance. As part of the transaction Gallagher will also acquire Lifesure's affiliated company Barnes Commercial, an insurance broker serving small-to-medium businesses. Paul Reid and his team will become part of Gallagher's UK & Ireland Retail division. "Lifesure has an excellent reputation for client relationships and will enhance our UK retail capabilities in the niche personal lines space," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "I am delighted to welcome Paul and his colleagues to Gallagher." Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Gallagher provides these services in approximately 130 countries around the world through its owned operations and a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. Investors: Ray Iardella, VP - Investor Relations Media: Paul Day, Communications Manager 630-285-3661/ [email protected] 630-285-5946/ [email protected] SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. TSX: ASND www.ascendantresources.com Lead Project Financing Bank(s) Expected To be Appointed by late September TORONTO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Ascendant Resources Inc. (TSX: ASND) (OTCQB: ASDRF) (FRA: 2D9) ("Ascendant" or the "Company") ") is pleased to announce that it has commenced the tender phase for the Mandated Lead Arranger ("MLA") of its Export Credit Agency project financing program. As of September 4, 2023 the Company and its Advisors have issued detailed banking information memorandums to a number of Project Finance Banks who have indicated an interest in being the Mandated Lead Arranger as part of the UK Export Finance ("UKEF") supported export credit facilities for the Company's 80% owned Lagoa Salgada project in Portugal. (See press release dated July 5, 2023). The selection of the MLA is expected to be completed by the end of September. Once an MLA has been appointed, detailed due diligence will commence with the aim of receiving final terms for the ECA backed Project Financing at Lagoa towards the end of the year. As outlined previously, UKEF has expressed an interest to provide support for up to US$190 million for the Lagoa project; representing 70% of total capital expenditure, interest payable during construction, the political risk insurance premium as well as other approved expenditures for each project. As previously announced on April 17, 2023 the Company appointed SD Capital Advisory Ltd and GKB Ventures Ltd ("S&G") to solicit interest for Export Credit Agency backed Project Financing. As a result of this process the Company appointed UK Export Finance to support potential export credit facility. UKEF is a department of the UK Government and is the UK's official Export Credit Agency ("ECA"). UKEF operates under an Act of Parliament to support UK exports, predominately through the provision of 100% unconditional guarantees backed by the UK Government. Mark Brennan, Executive Chairman, commented "We are very pleased to be moving forward to the next stage of determining project financing support to bring the Lagoa Salgada project into development. We look forward to working with UKEF and the future appointed MLA to complete project financing in the coming months." About Ascendant Resources Inc. Ascendant Resources is a Toronto-based mining company focused on the exploration and development of the highly prospective Lagoa Salgada VMS project located on the prolific Iberian Pyrite Belt in Portugal. The Lagoa Salgada project is a high-grade polymetallic project, demonstrating a typical mineralization endowment of zinc, copper, lead, tin, silver, and gold. Extensive exploration upside potential lies both near deposit and at prospective step-out targets across the large 7,209-hectare property concession. Located just 80km from Lisbon and surrounded by exceptional infrastructure, Lagoa Salgada offers a low-cost entry to a significant exploration and development opportunity, already showing its mineable scale and cashflow generation potential. Ascendant currently holds a 80% interest in the Lagoa Salgada project through its position in Redcorp - Empreendimentos Mineiros, Lda, ("Redcorp"). The Company's common shares are principally listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "ASND". For more information on Ascendant, please visit our website at http://www.ascendantresources.com/. Forward Looking Information This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the business, the Lagoa Salgada project and timing of completion of studies. In making the forward- looking statements contained in this press release, Ascendant has made certain assumptions, including, but not limited to the indicative nature of the support from UKEF and the Company's ability to secure an MLA and ultimately recieve terms for a Project Financing. Although Ascendant believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, Ascendant disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, the risks described under the heading "Risks Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 31, 2023 and under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 and other risks identified in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca. The risk factors referred to above are not an exhaustive list of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking information. The Company's statements containing forward-looking information are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking information if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, one should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. SOURCE Ascendant Resources Inc. Further positions Atria and its subsidiary-affiliated financial professionals and programs to thrive in today's competitive landscape NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Atria Wealth Solutions, Inc. (Atria), a leading multi-channel wealth management holding company, announces the successful completion of its acquisition of Grove Point Financial, LLC (Grove Point). The acquisition of Grove Point brings approximately 400 independent financial professionals with $15 billion of assets under administration to the fast-growing Atria. Atria now serves close to 2,700 financial professionals with nearly $120 billion of assets under administration. Grove Point is a leading independent wealth management firm with a rich history tracing back to its founding in 1984 as H. Beck, Inc. Grove Point's financial professionals will continue to service and support their clients with no interruptions, given that Grove Point's custody and clearing platforms are already woven into the multi-clearing and multi-custodial infrastructure Atria built for its subsidiary firms. Through its alignment with Atria, Grove Point financial professionals will benefit from enhanced support and a broader set of solutions to meet the ever-growing demands of their clients. Doug Ketterer, CEO and Founding Partner of Atria, said, "Our new relationship with Grove Point will be an undeniable success for all involved. I've been very fortunate to meet with many Grove Point financial professionals since announcing the acquisition, and they are truly a phenomenal group of individuals. Their passion, care and commitment to their clients is abundantly clear and palpable. It's these driving forces that have been at the core of Atria since its inception and, when combined with the Grove Point team, it creates something unique and special." Michelle Barry, President of Grove Point, said, "We operate in a very complex and demanding environment and those challenges will only continue to increase in the future. It is very exciting to provide our financial professionals with a broader set of tools, solutions and peers so they can best serve their clients' needs. Our new relationship with Atria will help us support both the Grove Point financial professionals and associates who are passionate about serving their clients and communities. We are excited to embark on this journey with Atria and to contribute to the amazing things that will come in the future." Since its founding, Atria has aggressively invested in people, solutions and services that drive scale and efficiencies for independent financial professionals and financial institution programs, ensuring they can meet the complex needs of their clients and helping them stay at the forefront of a highly competitive environment. Atria's award-winning proprietary offerings, including Unio, the financial professional platform, Clear1, the client portal, and Contour, the fee-based advisory platform, solve for today's challenges and best position users to seize tomorrow's opportunities. These offerings, combined with a comprehensive product platform, extensive practice management resources and a broad array of marketing tools, will position Grove Point's financial professionals to thrive today and tomorrow. Eugene Elias, Jr., COO and Founding Partner of Atria, added, "Fit is critical to success anytime two firms come together. The entire team at Grove Point, both the financial professionals and home office team, perfectly fit with who and what we are at Atria. We are a group of like-minded people who share the same philosophy an unwavering commitment to being the best for our clients. This is the linchpin of our success, and I couldn't be more excited to officially welcome the financial professionals and employees of Grove Point into the Atria family." Grove Point Financial joins CUSO Financial Services, Sorrento Pacific Financial, Cadaret Grant, NEXT Financial Group, Western International Securities and SCF Securities as an Atria subsidiary. About Atria Wealth Solutions, Inc. Atria Wealth Solutions, Inc. (Atria), headquartered in New York City, is a wealth management solutions holding company focused on delivering a clear path to the future of financial advice for financial professionals, financial institutions and their clients. Atria's broker-dealer and RIA subsidiaries, located throughout the U.S., empower independent financial professionals and financial institutions with a sophisticated set of tools, services and capabilities that deepen client relationships and maximize efficiencies in their practices. Atria operates the following wealth management subsidiaries that provide brokerage and advisory services: CUSO Financial Services, Sorrento Pacific Financial, Cadaret Grant, NEXT Financial Group, Western International Securities, SCF Securities and Grove Point Financial. Atria's subsidiaries together support close to 2,700 financial professionals with nearly $120 billion of assets under administration. Each broker/dealer is a member FINRA/SIPC, and each advisory firm is a federally registered investment adviser. For more information, please visit atriawealth.com. About Grove Point Financial, LLC Grove Point Financial, LLC (Grove Point) operates from its headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. The firm provides broker-dealer and RIA services to approximately 400 financial professionals across the U.S. Grove Point is guided by a mission of delivering service excellence based on relationships, where all financial professionals thrive in an intimate and accessible culture that values partnership above all else. Securities offered through Grove Point Investments, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Grove Point Advisors, LLC. Media Contact for Atria Wealth Solutions Haven Tower Group Julian Arenzon 424 317 4865 [email protected] SOURCE Atria Wealth Solutions NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Automotive Crash Test Dummies Market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 2.39% from 2022 to 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 13.55 million, according to Technavio. The need for region-specific crash tests due to varying safety standards is a key factor driving market growth. Crash tests have a key role to play in the development of new cars due to their increasing sales, which leads to increased use of crash test dummies. To address the regional safety issues, vehicle manufacturers are differentiating their products to meet international standards while at the same time meeting specific safety and emission requirements. In addition, the market is also influenced by the different test methods, with North America, Europe, and Asian Pacific countries experiencing variations in their collision angle. Hence, these factors are expected to drive market growth during the forecast period. Request a sample report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Automotive Crash Test Dummies Market 2023-2027 Automotive Crash Test Dummies Market Company Analysis Company Landscape - The automotive crash test dummies market is fragmented, with the presence of several global as well as regional companies. A few prominent companies that offer automotive crash test dummies in the market are 4a Technology GmbH, Autoliv Inc., Calspan Corp., DEKRA SE, Dewesoft d.o.o., Dynamic Research Inc., Encocam Ltd., Exponent Inc., FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology Inc., GESAC Inc. Co., Humanetics Innovative Solutions Inc., IAV GmbH, JASTI Co. Ltd., Kistler Holding AG, Mazda Motor Corp., Plascore Inc., Siemens AG, Volkswagen AG, XSENSOR Technology Corp., and ZF Friedrichshafen AG and others. Buy the report! Company Offerings - Kistler- The company offers automotive crash test dummies such as Thor 50M and Hybrid III 50th Th 472 0000 2 Assy. The company offers automotive crash test dummies such as Thor and Hybrid III 50th Th 472 0000 2 Assy. 4a Technology GmbH - The company offers automotive crash test dummies such as 4activeSB and 4activePS. The company offers automotive crash test dummies such as 4activeSB and 4activePS. Autoliv Inc. - The company offers automotive crash test dummies such as Autoliv crash test dummies. The company offers automotive crash test dummies such as Autoliv crash test dummies. For details on the company and its offerings Request a sample report Automotive Crash Test Dummies Market - Segmentation Assessment Segment Overview Technavio has segmented the market based on type, Application (Passenger vehicle and Commercial vehicle), Product (Male dummy, Female dummy, and Child dummy), and Geography (Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The passenger vehicle segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The necessity of improving the safety of passengers and complying with stringent safety requirements is a key factor contributing to this segment's growth. Because of the growing emphasis on assessing passenger vehicle impact and safety in a simulation crash, it is increasingly important for car manufacturers and regulatory authorities to use crash test dummies. Also, there are major players such as Humanetics who make a significant contribution to the market with their Advanced automotive crash test dummies. Hence, these factors are expected to drive segment growth during the forecast period. Geography Overview By geography, the automotive crash test dummies market is segmented into Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and the Middle East and Africa. The report provides actionable insights and estimates the contribution of all regions to the growth of the automotive crash test dummies market. Europe is estimated to contribute 42% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. The key players in the region are Germany , the UK, France , Italy , and Spain . The market in the region is growing due to the surge in demand for motor vehicles, as well as improved market conditions. Geopolitical developments, technical advances, and safety regulations, in particular those of Euro NCAP, have an influence on the market. Overall, due to the commitment of the sector towards enhancing safety features and complying with regulatory standards, it is expected that growth will be experienced in this focus region. Hence, these factors are expected to drive market growth in the region during the forecast period. For insights on global, regional, and country-level parameters with growth opportunities from 2017 to 2027 - Download a Sample Report Automotive Crash Test Dummies Market Market Dynamics Major Trend Increasing the average age and weight of crash test dummies is a major trend in the market. The weight of the crash test dummies shall be determined by considering the average human body weight. Originally designed in the 1970s, the male crash test dummies averaged between 165 and 170 pounds. Adoption of obese models is on the rise in the US due to differences in trauma compared with those of average weight. Additionally, the treatment of these injuries costs between USD 2 and USD 4 billion per year in the country. The recovery time is prolonged because the bone and tissue do not heal. Hence, these factors are expected to drive market growth during the forecast period. Drivers, Trends, and challenges have an impact on market dynamics, which can impact businesses. Find more insights in a sample report! What are the key data covered in this Automotive Crash Test Dummies Market report? CAGR of the market during the forecast period Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the automotive crash test dummies market between 2023 and 2027 Precise estimation of the size of the automotive crash test dummies market and its contribution to the market with a focus on the parent market Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior Growth of the automotive crash test dummies market across Europe , North America , APAC, South America , and the Middle East and Africa , , APAC, , and the and A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about companies Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of automotive crash test dummies market companies Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports The automotive drivetrain market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.89% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 68.89 billion. The automotive dual variable valve timing market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.63% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 12,518.16 million. Automotive Crash Test Dummies Market Scope Report Coverage Details Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 2.39% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 13.55 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 2.15 Regional analysis Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution Europe at 42% Key countries US, China, Japan, Germany, and UK, Canada, Mexico, Italy, Spain, India, Japan, Australia, and South Korea Competitive landscape Leading Companies, Market Positioning of Companies, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled 4a Technology GmbH, Autoliv Inc., Calspan Corp., DEKRA SE, Dewesoft d.o.o., Dynamic Research Inc., Encocam Ltd., Exponent Inc., FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology Inc., GESAC Inc. Co., Humanetics Innovative Solutions Inc., IAV GmbH, JASTI Co. Ltd., Kistler Holding AG, Mazda Motor Corp., Plascore Inc., Siemens AG, Volkswagen AG, XSENSOR Technology Corp., and ZF Friedrichshafen AG Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and Market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get customized segments. Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation by Application 7 Market Segmentation by Product 8 Customer Landscape 9 Geographic Landscape 10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 11 Company Landscape 12 Company Analysis 13 Appendix About US Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com SOURCE Technavio New assay provides rapid access to guideline recommended biomarkers within days of a non-small cell lung cancer diagnosis. CAMBRIDGE, England and RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Biofidelity, a revolutionary genomic technology company dedicated to bringing the benefits of precision medicine to patients around the world, today announced the commercial launch of ASPYRE-Lung in the US. ASPYRE-Lung is a novel assay that dramatically simplifies and accelerates the detection of biomarkers for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), enabling clinicians to determine which treatment is best for each patient at a fraction of the cost of current sequencing tests, in days instead of weeks. New assay provides rapid access to guideline recommended biomarkers within days of non-small cell lung cancer diagnosis Post this Biofidelity launches alternative technology to PCR and next-generation sequencing for cancer patients. Click here to learn more about ASPYRE-Lung. "Despite incredible growth in the genomics market and the exciting range of targeted treatment options for lung cancer, clinicians need better tools to make faster, more informed decisions for their patients," said Barnaby Balmforth, PhD, Biofidelity Co-founder and CEO. "Today's launch of ASPYRE-Lung reflects Biofidelity's mission to bring the benefits of precision medicine to millions of patients around the world." Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the US, with more than 200,000 cases diagnosed every year.1 Modern targeted treatments offer enormous advantages for patients who are eligible to receive them, yet 65 percent of patients still start treatment without the recommended biomarker testing needed for their use.2 The primary barrier limiting patient access to targeted treatments is the lengthy turnaround time of current sequencing-based solutions, typically weeks from diagnosis. "Due to the length of time it takes for current methods of testing to return actionable results, clinicians are faced with the impossible choice of waiting for NGS results before starting non-small cell lung cancer therapy or prescribing what could be sub-optimal therapy for our patients," commented Dr Kashyap Patel, MD, Carolina Blood and Cancer Care CEO and Immediate Past President of Community Oncology Alliance. "It's time we overcome the complexity and inefficiency of testing that is limiting the potential survival advantage of precision medicine." ASPYRE-Lung eliminates this barrier by providing comprehensive biomarker test results across all guideline recommended genes for NSCLC within days of diagnosis, enabling clinicians to offer their patients the best possible treatment options. "As a patient advocacy organization, we believe access to comprehensive biomarker testing is very important to advancing cancer care", said Paige Humble, Chief Executive Officer, Lung Cancer Initiative. "Everyone who is diagnosed with lung cancer deserves access to the best treatment available, and we support efforts to improve access and the time that it takes for patients to receive actionable results." For more information about ASPYRE-Lung, including multimedia resources like this video , please visit www.biofidelity.com About Biofidelity: Biofidelity is a rapidly growing commercial-stage genomic technology company dedicated to bringing the benefits of precision medicine to patients around the world. ASPYRE, the first application of our novel molecular biology technology platform, makes genomic analysis simpler, faster, and more efficient. With the ability to harness existing instrumentation commonplace in laboratories worldwide, ASPYRE provides straightforward, cost-effective access to the vital information needed for accurate targeting and monitoring of cancer treatment. Founded in 2019, Biofidelity is comprised of scientists, engineers, physicians and commercial experts dedicated to making genomics globally accessible. For more information, please visit biofidelity.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter . Media: Andrea Conners +1 239 728 1202 [email protected] 1 https://gis.cdc.gov/Cancer/USCS/#/Trends/ 2 https://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/PO.22.00246 SOURCE Biofidelity BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.5. The UNEC Research Foundation of Azerbaijan State University of Economics, has conducted another training session for government agencies. Considering the intensity of work and the specific nature of the activities of the Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a training on the topic of "Strategic Communication and Crisis Management" was held for the leading experts and heads of divisions of the Agency with the aim of enhancing the necessary skills for improving their performance, Trend reports. The training, led by the head of the Foundation's department, Ellada Aliyeva, focuses on essential knowledge and skills in the fields of public and strategic communication, the development of relationships with focus groups, the fundamental principles of structured communication, digitalization, crisis communication, interaction with the media, and the determination of priority directions. Given that the continuous updating of templates and scenarios is of particular importance in crisis situations, especially in the context of priority and high-risk activities such as mine action, the UNEC Research Foundation is committed to regularly conducting such trainings. As a result of the trainings conducted by the Foundation in the past, an increase in the efficiency of internal and external communication within government structures has been observed. TAIPEI, Sept. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BizLink (TWSE code: 3665), a major global interconnect solutions provider, is happy to announce that we have won the Asiamoney 2023 Asia's Outstanding Companies Poll in the "Most Outstanding Company in Taiwan Automobiles & Components Sector" for the fifth consecutive year. Our consistent recognition reflects our long-term efforts in financial performance, management team excellence, IR activities, and CSR initiatives. "BizLink has continued to be selected as the most outstanding company in its category for the fifth straight year despite the challenging operating environment. This represents our global teams' high resiliency in adapting to change. This is deeply rooted in our corporate culture, and I am very proud of this. Our consistent recognition means that our strategic development and direction are correct, and we will continue to move in the right direction," said Roger Liang, BizLink Chairman. The award is presented annually by internationally renowned professional financial media, Asiamoney, who publishes the rankings in print and online. To rank the top companies, "Asiamoney" surveyed 1,225 fund managers, analysts, bankers, and rating agencies, receiving 7,653 votes for publicly listed companies across 13 markets. 194 companies made the list of the most outstanding companies for their sectors in their respective markets. About BizLink We are a U.S.-headquartered and vertically integrated supplier of interconnect solutions. Our global manufacturing footprint stretches across 32 sites on three major continents allowing for seamless integration into our customers' supply chains by serving the Industrial, IT DataComm, Automotive, and Electrical Appliance industries with new product introduction (NPI) and box build as well as system integration capabilities ready at selective sites. Please visit our website for more information about us, including our Corporate Sustainability section for our ESG track record. Press Contact Mike Wang, Investor Relations, [email protected] , +886-2-82261000 #2663 Claudia Lin, Public Relations, [email protected] , +886-2-82261000 #52760 SOURCE BizLink Holding Inc. PHOENIX, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bluum announces its third consecutive inclusion in the Inc. 5000 list. The list highlights the fastest-growing private companies in America, requiring exceptional revenue growth, U.S. based operations, and independence. For More Information visit www.bluum.com Bluum announces its third consecutive inclusion in the Inc. 5000 list. Post this Inc. 5000 America's Fastest Growing Private Companies Bluum's consistent presence on the Inc 5000 list reflects its sustained expansion and ability to consistently deliver strategic, effective educational technology solutions for their valued customers. VP of Ed Services Emily Cook credits this achievement "to the team's dedication to deliver on our mission which is to improve learning and make it more accessible. We have kept a steady focus on what matters most by listening to educators and developing custom solutions to meet their unique needs." As Bluum celebrates this milestone, the company extends its heartfelt gratitude to its customers, employees and valued partners. This achievement is not solely about Bluum; it is a collective triumph, an embodiment of shared dedication and mutual success. The company looks forward to a future marked by continued growth, innovation, and shared achievements. For media inquiries, please contact: Emily Cook VP of Ed Services [email protected] About Bluum: Bluum is a pioneer in providing innovative technology solutions for education. We believe in creating engaging, inspiring and safe learning environments that equip students for the future. Bluum is committed to helping educators and students realize their full potential through technology. SOURCE Bluum NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation ("BNY Mellon") (NYSE: BK) today announced the commencement of a cash tender offer (the "Offer") by BNY Mellon Capital Markets, LLC ("BNYMCM"), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of BNY Mellon, to purchase any and all of the securities of BNY Mellon listed in the table below (the "Securities"). Title of Securities CUSIP Number ISIN Coupon Outstanding Principal Amount (millions) Maturity Date First Par Call Date Workout Date(1) Reference U.S. Treasury Security Bloomberg Reference Page Fixed Spread (Basis Points) 0.350% Senior Medium-Term Notes, Series J due 2023 06406RAP2 US06406RAP29 0.350 % $750 12/07/2023 11/07/2023 Maturity 0.50% due 11/30/2023 FIT3 +0 bps 3.350% Senior Medium-Term Notes, Series J due 2025 06406RBC0 US06406RBC07 3.350 % $950 04/25/2025 03/25/2025 Maturity 2.625% due 04/15/2025 FIT4 +15 bps 3.430% Fixed/Floating Rate Callable Senior Medium-Term Notes, Series J due 2025 06406RBF3 US06406RBF38 3.430 % $700 06/13/2025 06/13/2024 Par Call 2.50% due 05/31/2024 FIT3 +15 bps (1) The workout date for a Security is the date on which such Security is assumed to be paid down for purposes of calculating the Total Consideration (as defined below) in connection with such Security. The "Total Consideration" offered for each $1,000 principal amount of Securities validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer will be determined in the manner described in the Offer to Purchase (as defined below) by reference to the fixed spread for the Securities over the yield based on the bid-side price of the Reference U.S. Treasury Security, as calculated by the Joint Dealer Managers (as defined below) at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on September 11, 2023. Holders whose Securities are accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer, including Securities tendered by guaranteed delivery, will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on their purchased Securities from the last interest payment date for the Securities to, but excluding, the Settlement Date (as defined below). The Offer is being made pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, dated today, which contains detailed information regarding the terms of the Offer. The Offer is scheduled to expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 11, 2023, unless extended or earlier terminated (the "Expiration Date"). BNYMCM expects to accept for payment and pay the Total Consideration for Securities validly tendered and not validly withdrawn before the Expiration Date and for Securities validly tendered pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures on the Settlement Date. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer, the settlement date is expected to be September 14, 2023, or promptly thereafter (the "Settlement Date"). Tenders of Securities pursuant to the Offer may be validly withdrawn at any time before the Expiration Date. Securities subject to the Offer may also be validly withdrawn at any time after the 60th business day after commencement of the Offer if for any reason the Offer has not been consummated within 60 business days after commencement. The tender offer is conditioned upon the satisfaction of certain customary conditions described in the Offer to Purchase, but is not conditioned upon any minimum principal amount of Securities being tendered. Subject to applicable law, BNYMCM may, at its sole discretion, waive any condition applicable to the tender offer and may extend the Offer. Under certain conditions and as more fully described in the Offer to Purchase, BNYMCM may terminate the tender offer before the Expiration Date. The complete terms and conditions of the Offer are set forth in the Offer to Purchase and in the related Notice of Guaranteed Delivery, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, which holders are urged to read carefully before making any decision with respect to the Offer. The Offer is open to all registered holders of Securities. A beneficial owner of Securities that are held of record by a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company, or other nominee (each, a "Custodian") must instruct such Custodian to tender such Securities on the beneficial owner's behalf in a timely manner. Beneficial owners should be aware that a Custodian may establish its own earlier deadline for participation in an Offer. D.F. King & Co., Inc. is serving as the tender agent and information agent. Requests for documents may be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc. by telephone at +1 (212) 269-5550 (banks and brokers) or Toll-Free at +1 (800) 814-2879 or email at [email protected]. Copies of the Offer to Purchase and related Notice of Guaranteed Delivery are available at the following web address: www.dfking.com/bnymellon. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC are serving as Joint Dealer Managers (the "Joint Dealer Managers") for the Offer. Questions regarding the Offer may also be directed to the Joint Dealer Managers as set forth below: Citigroup Global Markets Inc. 388 Greenwich Street, Trading 4th Floor New York, New York 10013 Attn: Liability Management Group Collect: +1 (212) 723-6106 Toll-Free: +1 (800) 558-3745 Email: [email protected] Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC 200 West Street New York, New York 10282 Attn: Liability Management Group Collect: +1 (212) 357-1452 Toll-Free: +1 (800) 828-3182 This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase nor the solicitation of an offer to sell any Securities. The Offer is being made only pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and related Notice of Guaranteed Delivery. The Offer is not being made to holders of Securities in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities, blue sky or other laws of such jurisdiction. In any jurisdiction where the laws require a tender offer to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the tender offers are made by the Joint Dealer Managers on behalf of BNYMCM. None of BNY Mellon, BNYMCM, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, D.F. King & Co., Inc., or the trustee or security registrar with respect to the Securities, nor any affiliate of any of the foregoing, has made any recommendation as to whether holders should tender or refrain from tendering all or any portion of their Securities in response to the Offer. ABOUT BNY MELLON Established in 1784, BNY Mellon is America's oldest bank and the first company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BK). Today, BNY Mellon powers capital markets around the world through comprehensive solutions that help clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment life cycle. BNY Mellon had $46.9 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration and $1.9 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2023. BNY Mellon has been named among Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies and Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. Additional information is available on www.bnymellon.com. Follow us on LinkedIn or visit our Newsroom for the latest company news. Contacts: Media Garrett Marquis +1 949 683 1503 [email protected] Analysts Marius Merz +1 212 298 1480 [email protected] SOURCE BNY Mellon MARLBOROUGH, Mass., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) will host a meeting with the investor community to review its financial goals and long-term growth strategies on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, between 8:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. ET. "Our results in the first half of 2023 exceeded our expectations and demonstrated the strength of our category leadership strategy, commitment to clinical evidence generation and the winning spirit of our global team," said Mike Mahoney, chairman and chief executive officer, Boston Scientific. "We are looking forward to our 2023 Investor Day, where our leadership team will provide more insight into our current pipeline, near-term catalysts and our long-range financial goals." The Investor Day meeting will be held in hybrid format, in person in Boston and online as a simultaneous webcast. Investors and other interested parties may register for the webcast by visiting the events section on the company's investor website at https://investors.bostonscientific.com. A replay and summary materials from the presentations will also be available online on the website for approximately one year following the event. The company also announces that it will webcast its conference call discussing financial results and business highlights for the third quarter ending September 30, 2023, on Thursday, October 26, 2023 before the market opens. The call will be hosted by Mike Mahoney, chairman and chief executive officer, and Dan Brennan, executive vice president and chief financial officer. About Boston Scientific Boston Scientific transforms lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world. As a global medical technology leader for more than 40 years, we advance science for life by providing a broad range of high performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of healthcare. For more information, visit www.bostonscientific.com and connect on Twitter and Facebook. CONTACTS: Media: Katie Schur 508-683-5574 (office) Media Relations Boston Scientific Corporation [email protected] Investor Relations: Lauren Tengler 508-683-4479 (office) Investor Relations Boston Scientific Corporation [email protected] SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation MONCTON, NB, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Breathe BioMedical (BBM) has announced Bill Dawes as their new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective August 14, 2023. Bill has served as the Chief Business Officer (CBO) at BBM over the last two years before stepping into the role of CEO this week. Bill is an experienced leader in the pharma and diagnostics space, having held executive level positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Lantheus Medical Imaging and LikeMinds. He brings broad experience in business and operations functions within highly regulated, public, and private company settings with experience ranging from large companies to start-up settings. When speaking of the announcement, BBM's Executive Vice Chair, Telfer Hanson said, "In my short time with the company I have become even more impressed with the technology and the team at Breathe BioMedical. I am excited to have Bill, with his broad background and experience, in this critical leadership role as we advance our work for this platform technology in the breast cancer screening space." BBM is a clinical development stage company that is currently developing an accurate, accessible and non-invasive breath test to detect early-stage breast cancer in women. Today there are significant limitations of screening with mammography for women with dense breast tissue. Nearly 50% of women have dense breast tissue for which mammography has a lower sensitivity. BBM is developing its technology platform to enable non-invasive disease screening with improved accuracy for breast cancer detection in all women, including those with dense breast tissue. Speaking of the new role, Bill said, "I am thrilled to lead this team as we advance this revolutionary technology clinically in breast cancer. My goal is to make this technology a reality for early-stage, accessible breast cancer screening. There is a clear unmet clinical need for a breast cancer screening test that will be sensitive enough for all women, and we believe we can develop that test." In addition to this exciting announcement, Breathe BioMedical has welcomed Dr. Norman Betts to its Board of Directors. Dr. Betts is a seasoned professional with experience in corporate, government and academic sectors. He has extensive expertise as a board member and senior leader. His experiences include being the Minister of Finance for New Brunswick, a Director at NB Power, a Director at Bank of Canada and a Professor at the University of New Brunswick. We are thrilled to have Dr. Betts join our team and bring his valuable financial and board experience to BBM. BBMs recent changes in leadership and area of clinical study are representative of the clear and focused plan which has been developed for the company resulting in an even brighter outlook ahead for this exciting technology. About Breathe BioMedical: BBM is a medical technology company focused on developing an accurate breath test to detect early-stage breast cancer in women. Breath analytics involves the collection, processing, and analysis of breath samples to identify biomarker patterns associated with specific diseases. In 2023, research by Dr. Farah Naz that used BBM technology, was published in an online abstract at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference. The research showed greater than 88% accuracy in differentiating between the breath signatures of women with early-stage breast cancer and dense breast tissue, compared to those without. BBM is located in Moncton, New Brunswick and its US subsidiary is located in Boston, Massachusetts. One day, detecting disease will be as easy as breathing. Additional information: Media Contact: Allison Henderson, Communications Coordinator, [email protected], (506) 380-0664 For more information, visit: https://breathebiomedical.com/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/breathebiomedical/ SOURCE Breathe BioMedical SEATTLE, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Resolute Promise LLC has launched a project to research the site of the R5C Curtis Commando aircraft that crashed into the South Tahoma Glacier on Mount Rainier on December 10, 1946. The airplane, carrying thirty-two military personnel, was flying from San Diego to Seattle when it encountered extreme weather conditions. Due to the dangerous terrain, high elevation, and limited access to the location of the crash, very little is understood about the site since it was last fully observed in the summer of 1947. Resolute Promise, a team of subject matter experts, visited Mount Rainier National Park several times through the summer of 2023 to better understand current conditions and what has happened to the wreckage since 1946. In mid-August, our group of experts performed split operations with an alpine team spending four days at high elevations, visually inspecting the site in coordination with a filming team working at lower altitudes, retracing the steps of the personnel who first saw the wreckage in 1947. The alpine team scanned the glacier for debris, observing aluminum wreckage above 9,000 feet. The Alpine team benefited from exceptional visibility and weather. However, the sheer size of the glacier and the vast number of crevasses complicated the mission. The Resolute Promise team plans to continue surveying the glacier utilizing advanced technologies, including optical and satellite imagery. Resolute Promise would like to acknowledge that our work on the western slopes of Tahoma is the traditional homeland of various Indigenous peoples of Washington State, including the Puyallup and Nisqually Nations. Considering climate change and the availability of modern technology, the Resolute Promise team believes the site can be more clearly understood. The purpose that drives Resolute Promise is to remember those who lost their lives in the service of their country while bringing their story to the public square. Resolute Promise would like to hear from family members, loved ones, and friends of those who were lost that fateful day. https://www.resolutepromise.com/families-impact For more information: www.resolutepromise.com or [email protected] Contact: service@resolutepromise.com Jennifer Powers (530)741-2376 SOURCE Resolute Promise LLC Creating New Touchpoints for Users with Limited Distribution of Free NFTs for Event Participation TOKYO, Sept. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Casio Computer Co., Ltd. announced today the kickoff of an interactive user community with the launch of the VIRTUAL G-SHOCK project. The community is designed to serve as a touchpoint between the G-SHOCK line of shock-resistant watches and users. An initial issue of 15,000 limited-edition G-SHOCK CREATOR PASS NFTs (non-fungible tokens), which allow the holder to participate in events held in the VIRTUAL G-SHOCK community, will be globally distributed for free via the Polygon blockchain*1 beginning on September 23, 2023. *1. A blockchain for the distribution of NFTs G-SHOCK CREATOR PASS G-SHOCK debuted in 1983 with a shock-resistant structure. Casio has since established an unrivaled position for G-SHOCK as a globally loved brand, expanding the user base through collaborations with figures in fashion, sports, art, music, and other cultural arenas. To broaden the user base even further, Casio is using such fast-growing digital technologies as NFTs and the metaverse for its virtual community, opening the door to co-creative projects and other all-new experiences. The first step for the VIRTUAL G-SHOCK community is its launch on Discord,*2 followed by an initial distribution of 15,000 free limited-edition G-SHOCK CREATOR PASS NFTs starting on September 23. Pass holders will be able to participate in co-creative projects and other events held in the community. *2. A US-based voice, video, and text communication service Co-creative projects include the G-SHOCK CREATOR PASS Color Design Contest that will determine the pass design (colors, materials, and patterns). Submitted designs will be voted on by community members, and the winning entry will become the design for the actual pass. A variety of upcoming projects are also in development. This project is just the beginning of the new virtual experiences that Casio will deliver for G-SHOCK users. Virtual G-SHOCK Site https://casio.link/487nP0e SOURCE CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD. BEIJING, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily: On Sept. 2, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) via video. "In developing the services sector and trade in services, China will work with all countries and parties to advance inclusive development through openness, promote connectivity and integration through cooperation, foster drivers for development through innovation, and create a better future through shared services, in a bid to jointly get the world economy onto the track of sustained recovery," Xi said. In his speech, Xi announced a series of measures of China to expand the opening up of the services sector and expounded on China's important proposals for promoting the prosperity and development of international trade in services. The speech demonstrated China's willingness and commitment to sharing the achievements of trade in services with other countries. The world economic recovery remains sluggish today, with less than 3 percent growth for the year as estimated by some international institutions. Trade in services is a pivotal component of international trade, and the services sector plays a vital role in economic and trade collaboration between nations. At present, the deepening global cooperation in trade in services and the services sector, the accelerated process of digital-driven, smart and green growth, and burgeoning new technologies as well as new business forms and models would give a strong impetus to advancing economic globalization, reviving global growth and enhancing the resilience of world economic development. With the theme of "Opening up leads development, cooperation delivers the future," the 2023 CIFTIS aims to build an important platform for expanding opening up, deepening cooperation and leading innovation, and will inject new impetus into promoting world economic recovery through trade in services. How will China, the second-largest economy in the world, further contribute to global economic recovery? Noting that this year marks the 45th anniversary of China's reform and opening up, Xi reaffirmed the country's commitment to promoting high-standard opening up and advancing Chinese modernization on all fronts through high-quality development, thereby providing all countries with new opportunities for openness and cooperation. China will create a "more open and more inclusive" development environment, strengthen the bond of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, strengthen innovation-driven development, and share the outcomes of the Chinese modernization drive with the rest of the world. These proposals demonstrate China's firm determination to follow the development trend of economic globalization, promote development by opening up and seek win-win results with cooperation. They also manifest China's aspiration to lend new impetus to global development with the opportunities generated by the country's vast market, and to increase the sense of gains of people around the world. How will China, a powerhouse of trade in services, further promote international service trade? Xi noted that China will expand a globally-oriented network of high-standard free trade areas, actively launch negotiations on the negative list for trade in services and investment, and further open up services areas such as telecommunications, tourism, law and vocational examinations. China's national integrated demonstration zone for greater openness in the services sector as well as eligible pilot free trade zones and free trade port will be the first to align their policies with high-standard international economic and trade rules, Xi said, adding that the country will widen access to its services sector, advance the opening up in cross-border services trade in an orderly manner, improve the level of standardization of services trade, and steadily expand institutional opening up. China will deepen cooperation on services trade and digital trade with Belt and Road partner countries. It will accelerate the cultivation of new drivers for the digitalization of services trade, implement pilot reforms on basic data systems, and promote the development of digital trade through reform and innovation. Besides, it will take the initiative to increase the imports of quality services, and encourage more exports of knowledge-intensive services. These measures will not only help with the development of China's service sector and trade in services, but also promote the prosperity of global trade in services and bring more benefits of trade in services to people around the world. This year marks the 45th anniversary of China's reform and opening up. The world is seeing a more proactive China in expanding openness and cooperation, and a more attractive China to all countries eager for openness and cooperation. China is continuously working to improve its business environment, further expanding the industries and areas in which foreign investment is encouraged, offering greater convenience for foreign investors in China, and promoting the signing of more high-standard free trade agreements and regional trade agreements. It has created a series of platforms of opening up including the CIFTIS and the China International Import Expo. In the first seven months of this year, 28,406 foreign-funded enterprises were established across China, up 34 percent. The CIFTIS this year has attracted 59 countries and 24 international organizations to set up exhibitions and conferences, with more than 2,400 companies participating offline. More than 500 Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders attended the event, and over 20 percent of participants were from outside China. This fully proves the confidence of the international community in the Chinese economy, and the great importance it is attaching to the vast opportunities presented by the Chinese market. The global economy thrives in openness and withers in seclusion. China will unswervingly expand high-level opening up, and work with all parties to uphold the hard-won free trade and multilateral trading regime, share in the historic opportunities in the development of global trade in services, and unite for an even brighter and more prosperous future for the world. SOURCE People's Daily PITTSBURGH, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Clean Express Auto Wash proudly accepted the esteemed 2023 People Helping People Award, presented by North Hills Community Outreach during their Corks for Community event this past Thursday. John Roush, CEO of Clean Express Auto Wash, expressed gratitude for the recognition, stating, "We are deeply honored to receive this award and extend our heartfelt appreciation to North Hills Community Outreach for their remarkable work. Their invaluable services to the community resonate with our core values, and we are privileged to play a part in their mission to care for others." Clean Express Auto Wash has maintained a steadfast partnership with North Hills Community Outreach over the past year, steadfastly supporting their mission of assisting those in need and crisis within Northern Allegheny County. Through various fundraising initiatives under the Clean Cares banner, Clean Express has contributed over $6,000 to this commendable organization. Both Clean Express and Clean Cares firmly believe that giving back to local communities is both a responsibility and a privilege. It's with both intent and purpose that they dedicate time, resources, and financial support to non-profit organizations and youth programs. About Clean Express Auto Wash: Clean Express Auto Wash is the premier express car wash for the Toledo, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh regions. Clean offers a fast, high-quality, and environmentally friendly car wash that is 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Clean Express Auto Wash is part of the Express Wash Concepts family of car wash brands, which includes Moo Moo Express Car Wash, Flying Ace Express Car Wash, Green Clean Express Auto Wash, and Bee Clean Car Wash. For more information visit www.cleanexpresswash.com. About North Hills Community Outreach: North Hills Community Outreach is a community- and interfaith-based organization addressing the needs of people in crisis, hardship, and poverty. They believe in the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. They pride themselves on being an organization of open arms. SOURCE Express Wash Concepts Appointment signals organizational emphasis on enhanced product platform and strategy at national independent wealth management organization. WILMINGTON, Del., Sep. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CoastalOne, an exclusive wealth management firm for independent advisors, today announced industry leader Yanni V. Bousnakis, CFA has joined the firm as its Chief Product Officer. Mr. Bousnakis, whose bona fides include leadership roles at Kestra Financial, Cetera and LPL Financial, will oversee CoastalOne's efforts to significantly expand its wealth management capabilities, including its investment advisory solutions. He will report directly to CoastalOne's Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Keefe. "We are embarking on a new era here at CoastalOne, elevating both the advisor and client experience on multiple fronts," said Mr. Keefe. "Yanni brings 20-plus years of product strategy and front-line platform development expertise to this new role. We're thrilled to have someone of his caliber on board to drive this transformational change and lead our growing team of specialists in the development and management of our product strategy and offerings." Prior to joining CoastalOne, Mr. Bousnakis served as SVP, Head Advisory Platforms & Investment Solutions at Kestra Financial, where he was responsible for creating and maintaining the strategic direction of the firm's advisory platform and investment products to ensure they supported the needs of the firm's advisors and their clients. Earlier in his career, he was Head of Investment Solutions at Cetera Financial, where he led the design, development and management of the organization's advisory platform. During his tenure, he provided strategic vision, devised features and led project development through each phase until successful launch of its new advisory platform. He has also served in leadership roles at First Allied Securities, LPL Financial and Scudder Investments. "CoastalOne is a firm on the move. We have new ownership committed to implementing a dynamic growth strategy, a new CEO in Kevin, and a solid infrastructure to build upon," said Mr. Bousnakis. "While we're evolving to build out our platform to include a much broader range of resources, tools and solutions, we're remain committed to our roots: we're an advisor-centric firm with an advisor-first support model. That's not going to change." About CoastalOne CoastalOne, located in Wilmington, Delaware, is an independent broker-dealer and RIA platform that enables financial professionals to maximize the success of their practices. CoastalOne is comprised of Coastal Equities, Inc. (CEI), a FINRA registered independent broker-dealer, and Coastal Investment Advisors, Inc. (CIA), an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. CoastalOne is focused on providing professionals with dedicated support, integrated technology, and a deep understanding of regulatory framework so they can deliver outstanding service and personalized guidance to their clients. Their goal is to become the firm of choice for independent financial professionals and their clients, and their mission is to build life-long client relationships from a foundation of personal service, trust, and collaboration. Learn more at www.Coastal-One.com. Media Contacts: Joseph Kuo or Michael Dugan 424 317 4851 or 424 317 4852 [email protected] or [email protected] SOURCE CoastalOne Chairman of the Board of Small and Medium Business Development Agency of Azerbaijan (KOBIA) Orkhan Mammadov has met with a delegation led by Chief Executive Officer of the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) Oussama Abdel Rahman Kaissi, Azernews reports, citing KOBIA. During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on financing of SMEs, insurance as well as possible cooperation opportunities. The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) is a member of the Islamic Development Bank Group and is responsible for providing credit and political risk insurance to promote and support the development of international trade and investment in the member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The meeting was a positive step forward in strengthening the relations between Azerbaijan and ICIEC, and both parties are looking forward to further collaboration in the near future. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. The next, fifth conference of member states' labor ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will be held this year in Baku, said the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of Azerbaijan at a meeting with the OIC delegation, Trend reports. Deputy Labor and Social Protection Minister Anar Kerimov noted Azerbaijan's successful experience of cooperation with the OIC over the past period, as well as with other authoritative structures uniting Muslim countries. It was emphasized that Azerbaijan has made an important contribution to strengthening Islamic solidarity in the world. It was underlined that the second conference of labor ministers of OIC member countries was also organized in Baku, within its framework the head of the Azerbaijani state initiated the establishment of the OIC Labor Center with headquarters in Baku, and this initiative was unanimously supported by the OIC member countries. The meeting also discussed the work carried out by Azerbaijan in the past period to establish the OIC Labor Center. It was emphasized that this Center will play an important role in further strengthening of cooperation between the member countries of the organization. Moreover, special importance of conferences of labor ministers of OIC member countries in expanding ties between Islamic countries in the field of labor, employment and social protection was noted at the meeting. It was emphasized that the next conference in Baku will also allow achieving significant progress in this direction. At the same time, issues related to the organization of the conference were discussed, and a document was signed in connection with the relevant agreement. CHICAGO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) will host a webcast and conference call to review its fiscal 2024 first quarter results on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. ET. The company's news release will be issued at approximately 7:30 a.m. ET. The live audio webcast and presentation slides will be available on conagrabrands.com/investor-relations under Events & Presentations. The conference call may be accessed by dialing 1-877-883-0383 for participants in the U.S. and 1-412-902-6506 for all other participants and using passcode 4734297. Please dial in 10 to 15 minutes prior to the call start time. Following the company's remarks, the conference call will include a question-and-answer session with the investment community. A replay of the webcast will be available until Oct. 5, 2024. About Conagra Brands Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. The company's portfolio is evolving to satisfy people's changing food preferences. Conagra's iconic brands, such as Birds Eye, Duncan Hines, Healthy Choice, Marie Callender's, Reddi-wip, and Slim Jim, as well as emerging brands, including Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke's, Earth Balance, Gardein, and Frontera, offer choices for every occasion. For more information, visit www.conagrabrands.com . SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc. "Insurers collected more than $150 billion in premiums from California homeowners over the last 25 years and enjoyed profits at four times the average rate nationwide. Now they're demanding an unprecedented bailout from the California Legislature in the last few days of session as the price of continuing to do business here in the wake of wildfire losses. They've colluded to create conditions that will get them big rate hikes; in the same way, Attorney General Van De Kamp found they colluded to pull out of the market to keep charging too much in the wake of Proposition 103. The Attorney General needs to investigate." Harvey Rosenfield, author of Proposition 103 and founder of Consumer Watchdog. Last Week's Secret Recording That Caught a 17-Year Veteran Insurance Lobbyist Boasting of an Industry Plan for a Late-Session 'Jam' May Have Exposed a Scheme to End 30 Years of Consumer Protections "This midnight smash and grab in Sacramento is part of an orchestrated campaign by the industry to pressure the legislature by creating artificial shortages in insurance. It must not be allowed to succeed on the backs of California policyholders." Jamie Court, President of Consumer Watchdog RELATED LINKS: AG letter Secret lobbyist recording caught by Jamie Court on Southwest flight from LA to Sacramento YouTube Photograph of Lobbyist and release Photograph/Bio Harvey Rosenfield Photograph Bio Jamie Court SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Citing growing shortages of homeowners, renters, and condo insurance in California, which the industry is using to pressure Sacramento leaders into a last-minute bailout that would lead to skyrocketing insurance premiums, Consumer Watchdog this morning asked CA Attorney General Rob Bonta to initiate an immediate investigation into whether insurance companies are colluding with each other to force higher prices, in violation of California law. "Insurance companies doing business in California are orchestrating shortages to pressure state officials to boost insurance premiums and authorize a massive bailout of the insurance industry that will likely cost Californians billions," the letter to the Attorney General states. "Industry insiders have confirmed the companies' deliberate, ongoing destabilization of the marketplace and have described to Consumer Watchdog how insurance companies and their lobbyists coordinate their actions to create shortages." "We have also learned from industry insiders how the insurance companies coordinate their activity," the letter continues. "They convene weekly meetings at the offices of their lobbyists and lawyers Personal Insurance Federation of California and American Property Casualty Insurance Association. These meetings are ostensibly for the purpose of discussing public policy issues. But Consumer Watchdog is informed that the conversations include the sharing of confidential corporate information about planned market withdrawals, proposed rate requests, and other activity not publicly available. Consumer Watchdog can produce a confidential witness with decades of experience in the industry who participated in these meetings to validate these claims." In its letter to Bonta, Consumer Watchdog detailed how a growing number of insurance companies including State Farm, Allstate, and Farmers have destabilized California's $12 billion homeowner market by refusing to sell new homeowners policies to applicants or to renew existing policies. Auto insurance companies are taking similar actions, Consumer Watchdog said. Industry lobbyists are using the threat of further withdrawals to demand that state elected officials allow companies to charge excessive rates by undermining the anti-price gouging protections of Proposition 103 and by requiring all policyholders in the state to pay additional surcharges to reimburse insurance companies for unexpected wildfire losses in the FAIR Plan, the state's "insurer of last resort." A lobbyist flying to Sacramento two weeks ago confirmed the industry's Sacramento strategy, noting that State Farm and Allstate had withdrawn from selling homeowner insurance and boasting that "we are trying to jam a bill in the last three weeks of the year." He joked it would be a "surprise." The implication of his comments is that the companies staged the pullouts as a way of pressuring an eleventh-hour deal. Insurance Companies Previously Caught Colluding to Create Shortages in California This is not the first time insurance companies have conspired to create shortages in California, Consumer Watchdog told AG Bonta. Insurance companies conspired to stop doing business in California on the day after insurance reform Proposition 103 passed on November 8, 1988, according to Bonta's predecessor, Attorney General John Van de Kamp. The purpose of the unlawful boycott was to pressure the California Supreme Court into overturning the initiative. "The success of their lawsuit [challenging Proposition 103] would be aided by a mass withdrawal, creating a crisis in which insurance would become unavailable," Van de Kamp concluded, finding collusion after a two-year investigation. Consumer Watchdog urged Bonta to act immediately to protect Californians' pocketbooks and the integrity of the democratic process. The non-profit said Bonta should immediately issue subpoenas to insurance company lobbyists, executives, and state elected officials and regulators who have been working with the insurance industry to obtain the bailout. "These individuals will have the documents and knowledge that will confirm exactly what the insurance companies have been doing and why." SOURCE Consumer Watchdog Announced by COP28 President-Designate, H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber , during keynote address at African Climate Summit in Nairobi , the investment initiative will help unlock Africa's clean energy potential. President-Designate, H.E. Dr. , during keynote address at African Climate Summit in , the investment initiative will help unlock clean energy potential. The Initiative brings together public, private, and development capital from Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), Masdar, AMEA Power. Africa50 will act as a strategic partner to help identify initial projects and connect to local implementing entities. The COP28 President-Designate calls on Africa leaders to set out clear long-term transition and investment plans, along with policy and regulatory frameworks to unlock commercial finance for clean energy projects. President-Designate calls on leaders to set out clear long-term transition and investment plans, along with policy and regulatory frameworks to unlock commercial finance for clean energy projects. New initiative aligns with COP28 Presidency call for global tripling of renewable energy by 2030 and push to make finance more available, accessible and affordable. Presidency call for global tripling of renewable energy by 2030 and push to make finance more available, accessible and affordable. Initiative will sit under umbrella of Etihad 7, a development platform championed by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and launched by the UAE at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in 2022. Etihad 7 aims to provide 100 million people across the African continent with clean electricity by 2035. NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The COP28 President-Designate, H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, announced today a UAE finance initiative that will provide US$4.5 billion to help unlock Africa's clean energy potential. The announcement was made during a keynote address at the inaugural African Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. The landmark initiative brings together vital public, private, and development capital from UAE institutions, notably from Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), Masdar, and AMEA Power. Africa50, which is an investment platform established by African governments and the Africa Development Bank (AfDB), has also joined the UAE finance initiative. Africa50 was founded to help solve the continent's critical infrastructure challenges and will help identify initial projects and connect to local implementing entities. The COP28 President Designate has repeatedly called for the global tripling of renewable energy by 2030 and has pushed to make finance more available, accessible and affordable. The announcement came with a clear call to action for African leaders to improve policy and regulatory frameworks to attract the long-term investments necessary to accelerate the deployment of clean and renewable energy. In order to reduce barriers to investment, the President-Designate highlighted multiple action points that require the coordinated efforts of African leaders and the international community. These include restoring the financial sustainability of local utilities and modernizing basic energy infrastructures, clarifying development processes and eliminating the red-tape delaying market lead-time, in addition to eliminating restrictions to capital flows and accessing adequate and affordable risk mitigation measures. During his remarks, the COP President-Designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber said: "This initiative builds on the UAE's track record of commercially driven, innovative blended finance solutions that can be deployed to promote the adoption of clean energy in emerging and developing nations. This multi-stakeholder partnership approach is designed to accelerate sustainable economic progress, address the challenge of climate change and stimulate low carbon growth." He added: "The initiative will prioritize investments in countries across Africa with clear transition strategies, enhanced regulatory frameworks and a master plan for developing grid infrastructure that integrates supply and demand. In short, this initiative is designed to work with Africa, for Africa. It aims to clearly demonstrate the commercial case for clean investment across this continent. And it will act as a scalable model that can be replicated to help put Africa on a superhighway to low carbon growth." Fast-tracking the energy transition, fixing climate finance, focusing on people, lives and livelihoods, and underscoring these efforts with full inclusivity are the key pillars of the COP28 Presidency's Action Agenda In sub-Saharan Africa alone, 600 million people live without access to electricity. Delivering greater access to clean energy will drive social and economic development but currently investment in African renewables represents only 2 percent of the global total, and less than a quarter of the US$60 billion a year the continent needs by 2030. The initiative announced today seeks to correct this imbalance by bringing key stakeholders together to accelerate development and delivery of infrastructure, generation and distribution solutions to close the gap in universal clean energy access. The initiative will sit under the umbrella of Etihad 7, a development platform launched by the UAE at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in 2022, and championed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). Announced in 2022, Etihad 7 aims to provide 100 million people across the African continent with clean electricity by 2035. The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) and the Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI) are kickstarting this initiative through funding the initial investment intended to catalyze private sector action. ADFD is supporting with US$1 billion of financial assistance to address basic infrastructure needs, offer innovative finance solutions and increase mobilization of private investments. The ECI is providing US$ 500 million of credit insurance to de-risk and unlock private capital further demonstrating ECI's commitment towards global sustainable development. Masdar, one of the world's largest clean energy companies, active in 22 countries in Africa, is committing an additional US$2 billion of equity as part of the new initiative. Masdar will mobilize an additional US$8 billion in project finance and through its Infinity Power platform. Masdar will target the delivery of 10 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy capacity in Africa by 2030. AMEA Power is targeting 5GW of renewable energy capacity in the continent by 2030, mobilizing US$5 billion, of which US$1 billion will come from equity commitment, and US$4 billion from project finance. Additionally, the initiative seeks to create pathways for other multilateral development banks, governments, and philanthropies to catalyze additional private sector investment. The COP28 Presidency has called for others including international financial institutions (IFIs) and foundations to join the effort to convert words into actions. The COP28 UAE Presidency also recognizes that the Global South needs to be in the driver's seat to ensure a fully inclusive approach. The COP28 UAE Presidency continues to call for the doubling of adaptation finance and to operationalize funding arrangements for Loss and Damage to ensure that those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change are protected. The COP28 Presidency is working to achieve broader reform of IFIs to unlock necessary mitigation as well as adaption financing to support the Global South. Today's announcement comes days before the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is due to release the technical data around the first Global Stocktake of climate progress since the 2015 Paris Agreement. It is widely anticipated that the Stocktake will find that the world is off-track from meeting its objectives as outlined In 2015. For all media enquiries and interview requests, please contact [email protected]. The latest updates from COP28 are available on Twitter (@COP28_UAE), with images and videos for usage on Flickr (COP28 UAE). For more information, please visit: www.cop28.com. Notes to Editors: COP28 UAE: COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023 . The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors. UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from . The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors. As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals. UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals. The UAE will lead a process for all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition and a "leave no one behind" approach to inclusive climate action. SOURCE COP28 COP28 President-Designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber addressed the inaugural Africa Climate Summit, held in Nairobi, Kenya . President-Designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber addressed the inaugural Africa Climate Summit, held in . Speaking to heads of state at its high-level opening, Al Jaber announced a $4.5 billion clean energy investment initiative between the UAE and Africa that aims to unlock Africa's capacity for sustainable prosperity. clean energy investment initiative between the UAE and that aims to unlock capacity for sustainable prosperity. Working together, The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Etihad Credit Insurance, Masdar and AMEA Power will join with Africa 50 as a strategic partner under the guidance of the UAE and African leadership to "develop 15 GW of clean power by 2030." 50 as a strategic partner under the guidance of the UAE and African leadership to "develop 15 GW of clean power by 2030." The initiative will "demonstrate the commercial case for clean investment across this important continent" and will be "designed to work with Africa , for Africa ." , for ." "Will act as a scalable model that can and should be replicated and will support COP28's global goal of tripling renewable energy by 2030." "Al Jaber grounded his remarks in the reality that "the world is losing the race to secure the goals of the Paris Agreement and struggling to keep 1.5 within reach" And that Collectively, "we are not delivering the results that we need in the time we need them." Al Jaber cited that currently, " Africa contributes just 3 per cent of global emissions, yet suffers some of the worst consequences. Droughts, floods and failed harvests have exposed one fifth of Africa's people to hunger, tripled the number of people displaced in the last three years, and is dragging down Africa's GDP growth by at least 5 per cent every year. contributes just 3 per cent of global emissions, yet suffers some of the worst consequences. Droughts, floods and failed harvests have exposed one fifth of people to hunger, tripled the number of people displaced in the last three years, and is dragging down GDP growth by at least 5 per cent every year. In response, he called on "all parties to unite around a plan of action that is fully inclusive, that fast tracks a just, responsible and well managed energy transition, focuses on people, lives and livelihoods, and fixes climate finance." Al Jaber called Africa "a beacon of hope, filled with potential and a global example of what pro-climate, nature positive development should look like, adding that "it simply makes sense for Africa to get a fairer share of the pie." "a beacon of hope, filled with potential and a global example of what pro-climate, nature positive development should look like, adding that "it simply makes sense for to get a fairer share of the pie." The "key to making this happen is finance, but it must be made available, accessible and affordable." In his remarks, the COP28 President-Designate made calls to raise ambitions, including by "calling on donors to close out the 100-billion-dollar pledge they made over a decade ago, to replenish the green climate fund, to double adaptation finance by 2025 and for all parties to transform the Global Goal on Adaptation from theory into real action and tangible results." President-Designate made calls to raise ambitions, including by "calling on donors to close out the pledge they made over a decade ago, to replenish the green climate fund, to double adaptation finance by 2025 and for all parties to transform the Global Goal on Adaptation from theory into real action and tangible results." He also called for "early pledges for the loss and damage fund to help vulnerable countries." "What was promised in Sharm El Sheikh , must be delivered in Dubai ." , must be delivered in ." During the three-day trip, the Al Jaber spoke on multiple platforms on topics including cooling, youth engagement, adaptation and security; as well as meeting with African leaders and visiting local communities experiencing climate-related hardships. Dr. Al Jaber was joined by esteemed member of the COP28 leadership team, including HE Shamma Al Mazrui, Youth Climate Champion; HE Razan Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion; HE Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi , Director-General of COP28 and HE Adnan Amin, CEO of COP28 NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- COP28 President-Designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber addressed the inaugural Africa Climate Summit, held in Nairobi, Kenya, where he emphasised the need for mitigation and adaptation finance as critical success factors for climate progress in Africa and globally. Noting that the world is "losing the race to secure the goals of the Paris Agreement and struggling to keep 1.5 within reach," Dr. Al Jaber called on "all parties to unite around a plan of action that is fully inclusive, a plan of action that fast tracks a just, responsible and well managed energy transition, focuses on people, lives and livelihoods, and fixes climate finance. Addressing heads of state at the high-level opening of the summit, Al Jaber announced a new $4.5 billion initiative between the UAE and Africa that seeks to unlock Africa's capacity for sustainable prosperity. Al Jaber announced that "The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Etihad Credit Insurance, Masdar and AMEA Power will join with Africa 50 as a strategic partner under the guidance of the UAE and African leadership to develop 15 GW of clean power by 2030. Working together, we will deploy 4.5 billion dollars that will catalyze at least an additional 12.5 billion dollars from multilateral, public and private sources." "It is our ambition that this will launch a new transformative partnership to jump start a pipeline of bankable clean energy projects," said Al Jaber. The President-Delegate explained that the partnership will "demonstrate the commercial case for clean investment" across Africa and "act as a scalable model that can and should be replicatedit is designed to work with Africa, for Africa." Al Jaber acknowledged that "Africa contributes just 3 percent of global emissions, yet suffers some of the worst consequences. Droughts, floods and failed harvests have exposed one fifth of Africa's people to hunger, tripled the number of people displaced in the last three years, and is dragging down Africa's GDP growth by at least 5 per cent every year. Al Jaber also recognized the scale of energy poverty within Africa, acknowledging that "almost half of Africa's population still have no access to electricity, almost one billion people lack clean cooking fuels, and this energy gap will only increase as Africa's population grows." Discussing how to fast track low-carbon solutions for Africa's growing population, Al Jaber said that the "key to making this happen is finance, but it must be made available, accessible and affordable." As a part of the COP28 Presidency's Action Agenda, Al Jaber emphasized his plan to fix climate finance. He urged donors to "close out the 100-billion-dollar pledge they made over a decade ago and to replenish the green climate fundIn parallel, we need a complete upgrade of the global financial architecture that was built for a different era. IFIs and MDBs must up their game, including by raising concessional capital and lowering debt burdens. They need to attract and leverage private capital at a multiple. And the multilateral, public and private sectors need to mesh together and work as true partners to accelerate the delivery of practical solutions and real, impactful projects on the ground." Addressing the imbalance between financing for mitigation and adaptation, Al Jaber called on donors to "double adaptation finance by 2025", and to "transform the Global Goal on Adaptation from theory and text into tangible action and real results." We also need early pledges for the loss and damage fund, to help vulnerable countries recover from severe climate impacts that they are already experiencing: The COP28 President-Designate stated, "What was promised in Sharm El Sheikh, must be fully operational in Dubai." During his remarks, Al Jaber also highlighted many of Africa's trailblazing climate initiatives noting that many African countries are already leading the way. Al Jaber noted how "Kenya is closing in on its goal of 100 per cent clean energy by 2030, the African Union's Great Green Wall is helping reclaim degraded agricultural land across the Sahel. Ethiopia's Green Legacy Initiative is enhancing food security and stimulating green jobs across the Horn of Africa. And the countries of the Congo Basin are protecting vital rainforests and helping preserve the world's natural carbon sinks." Al Jaber expressed his belief that Africa is "a beacon of hope, filled with potential and a global example of what pro-climate, nature positive development should look like." Al Jaber concluded his remarks at the summit by saying that climate change is a "global fight and demands a global solution". If Africa loses, we all lose, If Africa succeeds, we all succeed. Progress for one is progress for all. This inaugural Africa Climate Summit was co-hosted by the Republic of Kenya and the African Union Commission, to convene national leaders from across Africa and the world, as well as leading figures from business, policy and civil society: to design and catalyze solutions which address climate change in Africa and across the world. The summit was attended by global and African leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Chair of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, and President of the African Union, H.E. President Azali Assoumani. The full COP28 Presidency team accompanied the COP28 President-Designate to the Summit, taking part in a series of speaking engagements, meetings with national leaders, and community visits to improve collaboration on climate action. The full COP28 UAE Presidency leadership team consists of: His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber , President-Designate for COP28 , President-Designate for Her Excellency Shamma Al Mazrui, Youth Climate Champion Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment Her Excellency Razan Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion His Excellency Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi , Director-General of COP28 , Director-General of His Excellency Adnan Amin, CEO of COP28 Hana AlHashimi , UAE Chief Negotiator COP28 During the visit, H.E. Al Mazrui visited the Kibera Slum, Africa's largest urban slum, to meet individuals whose lives are profoundly affected by climate change. UN Climate Change High Level Champion for COP28 Razan Al Mubarak took part in a series of events focusing on nature-based solutions for climate action, investments for nature, and inclusion. COP28's Director General Ambassador Al Suwaidi participated in an event to develop solutions for Voluntary Carbon Markets and announced a new 'Pact on Fragility', developed in collaboration with Kenya and Germany, to drive finance to countries experiencing climate change and conflict. Ambassador Al Suwaidi also visited the Dadaab refugee camp and witnessed the experience of refugees who have fled conflict in Somalia, whose hardships are compounded by prolonged droughts. Dr. Al Jaber also engaged in bilateral meetings with African leaders, including the presidents of Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, African Development Bank, and several important officials and heads of states. Discussions revolved around mobilizing broader support for the COP28 agenda, addressing vulnerability to climate change impacts, seeking critical EU endorsement for COP priorities, garnering support for the hydrogen agenda, accelerating financing for adaptation efforts, and pursuing outcomes related to nature conservation packages, and many other important areas. Notes to Editors COP28 UAE: COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023 . The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors. UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from . The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors. As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals. UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals. The UAE will lead a process for all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition and a "leave no one behind" approach to inclusive climate action." The four pillars of the COP28 Presidency's Action Agenda are fast tracking the energy transition, fixing climate finance, focusing on people, lives, and livelihoods, and underpinning everything with full inclusivity. SOURCE Daniel J Edelman Ltd KIELCE, Poland, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Viettel Group, a leading corporation in the defense sector of Vietnam, has announced its participation in the International Defense Industry Exhibition (MSPO), to be held from the 5th to the 8th of September, 2023, in Kielce, Poland. Viettel attends the largest military exhibition in Europe for the first time This marks the first time a Vietnamese enterprise has participated and showcased its products and innovations at MSPO, highlighting the potential business development opportunities for Viettel in the European defense industry sector. Viettel will be joining other renowned global brands, such as WB Group, Thales, Lockheed Martin. Viettel Booth is at Hall G, Stand G31. The 31st edition of MSPO is one of Europe's three largest annual defense exhibitions and ranks 9th among the top 100 largest military exhibitions in the world. Covering a vast area of 34,000 square meters, the event will feature over 700 companies and host more than 60 delegations from 36 countries. The event showcases millions of defense products and technologies, attracting over 25,000 visitors annually. Viettel will present a range of military products across various technological generations, on par with major global players, in diverse fields, such as communications, electronic warfare, radar, optoelectronics, simulation models, UAVs, private networks for the military, and other defense products. With 70 products on display, Viettel aims to demonstrate its comprehensive research and production capabilities. The company's participation in MSPO 2023 is driven by the goal of expanding business opportunities, fostering multinational partnerships, and promoting Vietnam's defense industry on the global stage. Mr. Nguyen Vu Ha, CEO of Viettel High Tech, a subsidiary of Viettel Group specializing in the defense industry, expressed his thoughts on the occasion: "Having core technology in our hands is a solid foundation for Viettel as we enter and penetrate international markets. Vietnamese defense products have met customer requirements, and we are confident and committed to providing continuously updated and improved products to serve end-users." He further emphasized, "We believe that this event will enhance Viettel's position in the global market and make a positive contribution to the development of Vietnam's high-tech industry." About Viettel Group Viettel Group is Vietnam's leading brand, operating in 11 countries and territories. Its services cater to a customer base of more than 130 million people worldwide, across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The defense industry is one of Viettel's key areas, and the company has successfully researched, developed, and manufactured numerous modern military products and pieces of equipment, significantly contributing to the development of Vietnam's defense industry. About Viettel High Tech Viettel High Tech is the R&D arm of Viettel Group in the high-tech industry. It continuously expands its research, mastery, and production of urgently needed weapons and technical equipment, as well as new-generation weapons. Currently, Viettel High Tech is focused on promoting the export of "Make in Vietnam" products to major markets around the world. Media Contact Mrs. Le Thuy Mai (Alicia) Head of Marcom Viettel High Technology Industries Corporation, Viettel Group [email protected] SOURCE Viettel High Technology Industries Corporation MESA, Ariz., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Daiso, the renowned global retail chain offering a wide range of affordable and unique products, is thrilled to announce the grand opening at Mesa Main Marketplace in Mesa, Arizona on September 23rd. "We are thrilled to open our store at Mesa Main Marketplace," said Jack Williams, Chief Retail Operations Officer for Daiso USA. "This achievement reflects the dedication and support of our customers who have embraced Daiso's unique concept and diverse product range. We are excited to provide an exceptional shopping experience to the vibrant Mesa community and look forward to serving our customers with the utmost care and dedication." The new Daiso store at Mesa Main Marketplace encompasses 5,340 square feet and promises to be a haven for shoppers seeking quality merchandise at affordable prices. With its extensive range of products spanning various categories, including Japanese inspired home decor, stationery, food, and more, Daiso has become synonymous with accessible and innovative offerings. John Clarke, Chief Development Officer for Daiso USA says, "Arizona based Daiso customers have shown us through our online business and social media their desire for us to have more stores within the state, influencing our immediate growth strategy in this region. We currently operate 104 units in 7 states with more states opening in 2024". On both Saturday, September 23rd and Sunday, September 24th, the first 100 customers to shop at the Mesa Main Marketplace location and make a minimum purchase of $30 will receive an exclusive tote bag and a plushie. These special offerings are Daiso's way of expressing gratitude to its loyal customers and welcoming new shoppers to the Daiso community. Daiso invites customers to join in the celebration. The Mesa Main Marketplace Daiso is anchored by neighboring tenant H Mart and is open Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m to 8 p.m. About Daiso: Daiso is a global retail chain founded in Japan, known for its vast array of unique and affordable products across various categories such as household goods, stationery, beauty, and more. Daiso entered the US market in 2005 and continues to expand its global footprint while maintaining its commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction. The Daiso US headquarters is located in La Mirada, CA. SOURCE Daiso USA MAUI, Hawai'i, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Before paying insureds for the contents of their homes destroyed by the Maui Wildfire, insurers are requiring survivors to submit detailed "personal property inventories." Preparing the inventories can take hours or even days. Many survivors find it traumatic to list all the items lost in the fire. Maui Attorney Lance D. Collins has formally requested that Hawai'i Insurance Commissioner Gordon Ito call upon property insurance companies to pay out 100% of coverage limits for loss of contents or personal property without requiring survivors to submit an itemized list or other proof of what they lost in the Maui fire. Such paperwork "Is a burden the people of Lahaina should not be required to bear while the community continues to attempt to recover", said Collins. "Insurance commissioners in other jurisdictions have taken similar actions in the wake of wildfires, and the Hawai'i commissioner should do so as well," Collins added. Lance D. Collins is a Maui lawyer who, along with Honolulu lawyer Harrison L. Kiehm, leads the Malama Law Group. The Malama Law Group represents property owners, renters, businesses and families who have lost loved ones in the Maui fire, having filed one of the First Circuit's first lawsuits arising from the fire that destroyed Lahaina. Collins' and Kiehm's offices have united to form Malama Law Group. Joining the Malama Law Group from California is Hawaiian lawyer Kristine Kalama Keala (formerly Meredith), managing partner of Danko Meredith, a preeminent utility wildfire California firm that has won over $1 billion in cash compensation for survivors of utility fires. You can contact Lance D. Collins at (808) 243-9292 or by visiting www.malamalawgroup.com. This attorney advertising is on behalf of Lance D Collins of the Law Office of Lance D. Collins and Malama Law Group. SOURCE Danko Meredith With a capacity of 52 tons per flight, this new direct route benefits customers shipping between the U.S. and Argentina PLANTATION, Fla., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DHL, the world's leading provider of international express shipping, has announced the launch of a new dedicated network flight to Argentina. The flight operates six times per week between Miami International Airport (MIA) and Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE), with a stopover in Santiago, Chile (SCL), before returning to Miami (MIA). Operated by DHL Aero Expreso, the Boeing B767-300 aircraft will provide a gross payload capacity of 52 tons per flight. The new, dedicated network flight will improve service reliability and increase capacity to support DHL's international shipping customers. This is the first DHL dedicated network flight serving Argentina. "DHL remains steadfast and bullish in its belief in the power of trade, and how it continues to drive local economies, build prosperity and fuel entrepreneurship," said Mike Parra, CEO of DHL Express Americas. "That's why we continually invest in and strengthen our global network. The introduction of this new flight to Argentina reinforces our unwavering commitment to global trade by delivering faster and more efficient shipping and logistics solutions, and addressing the growing demand in the region." The new DHL network flight will improve delivery times for U.S. origin shipments, resulting in a 10% increase in shipments clearing Customs the same day the flight arrives in Argentina, and a 50% increase in shipments being delivered the same day they are cleared. Service for shipments originating in Argentina have also improved, enabling 100% of shipments to be exported, at the latest, the day following the pick-up. DHL Aero Expreso is a Panama-based airline that operates cargo services in Latin America and the Caribbean. The new flight to Argentina marks a significant milestone for DHL Express, as it continues to expand its dedicated network capacity in the region. In 2021, the company added Chile to its dedicated network with a direct flight from the United States. In 2022, Brazil was incorporated into the network as well, with more than 600 tons of cargo capacity per week. This flight also improved connectivity with Central America through its connection in Colombia. Last year, DHL Express introduced several new routes, including a flight to and from Vietnam and the United States as bilateral trade increased, adding 102 tons of additional capacity per flight; a new route between Japan and the United States, also in response to the increasing international shipping needs between these two countries, adding 102 tons of additional capacity per flight, six times per week. Media Contact: DHL Express Americas Media Relations Robert Mintz Phone: +1 425 984 4249 E-mail: [email protected] Follow and tag us: The Web: www.dhl-usa.com/express Twitter: www.twitter.com/DHLUS Instagram: www.instagram.com/dhlus Facebook: www.facebook.com/DHLUSA LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/DHLExpress YouTube: www.youtube.com/dhl DHL Excellence. Simply delivered. DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 395,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, engineering, manufacturing & energy, auto-mobility and retail, DHL is decisively positioned as "The logistics company for the world". DHL is part of DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 94 billion euros in 2022. With sustainable business practices and a commitment to society and the environment, the Group makes a positive contribution to the world. DHL Group aims to achieve net-zero emissions logistics by 2050. SOURCE DHL Healthcare Workforce Development Solutions to enhance efficiencies, help eliminate costs and retain top talent. PHOENIX, Ariz., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Dignity Health Global Education (DHGE) , a leading workforce development solutions provider that exclusively enables healthcare systems and organizations to upskill and retain top talents, is announcing its strategic collaboration with Premier, Inc. , a leading technology-driven healthcare improvement company, to provide Premier's vast network of 4,350 U.S. health systems and 300,000+ other providers with a wide range of healthcare workforce development solutions to help support retention, reduce costs, boost engagement and enable continuity of patient care. According to the American Hospital Association , by 2025 there will be a shortage of up to 3.2 million healthcare workers caused by pandemic burnout, high turnover rates and staffing shortages that could threaten access to care within the communities they serve. As the demand for healthcare services is rapidly increasing, exceptional patient care hinges on high-quality workforce development training that will equip healthcare professionals with the ability to interpret complex problems and find solutions. These factors result in a need for better access to centralized professional development services that help fill in-demand positions as well as retain, upskill and reskill talent. "As we navigate the healthcare industry's ever-evolving landscape, we recognize true innovation and progress must be achieved through collaborative efforts," said Andy Brailo, Chief Customer Officer at Premier. "Our initiative with DHGE complements and amplifies Premier's robust workforce management consulting, data and technology within Premier's PINC AI technology platform, empowering us to deliver transformative workforce training initiatives for our members. Together, we can build a future where healthcare professionals are equipped with the knowledge and skills to meet the ever-growing demands of our industry, ultimately supporting the highest quality care for patients." DHGE to offer exclusive pricing to Premier's more than 4,350 U.S. hospitals and health systems and approximately 300,000 other providers. By leveraging experienced industry experts and faculty, DHGE will offer Premier's network of members exclusive pricing on a broad range of scalable, high-quality and cost-effective workforce development solutions. DHGE's workforce development solutions are highly unique and offer a learner-centered approach, as well as harnessing the powers of cutting-edge technologies and clinical expertise to ensure programs are evidence-based with immediate applicability, driving impactful transformation across an entire enterprise. "A powerful, holistic approach to the current healthcare landscape is to adapt workforce solutions to a system's mission, vision and values while ensuring high-quality academic integrity, accessibility and seamless use for healthcare professionals," said Andrew Malley, Chief Executive Officer, DHGE. "It's crucial to ensure solutions are affordable for the industry's constrained budgets. We're innovating to solve problems in a thoughtful, human-centered way, which is precisely what we need for healthcare and therefore the health of all people." Tailored to each organization's unique needs, DHGE workforce solutions offer practical tools and knowledge transfer to train healthcare professionals at different stages of their career paths. Each program is designed to fill in-demand positions, retain clinical and non-clinical talent and upskill and reskill healthcare employees. DHGE prioritizes equipping healthcare systems with an ecosystem that supports operational efficiencies, all while meeting regulatory requirements and aligning with leading credentialing partners. To meet the real-time needs of the healthcare industry, DHGE's programs are designed to be scalable, relevant and affordable. If you are a member of the Premier network, ask your regional director for more information about DHGE's workforce solutions and how they can help with prominent pain points within your healthcare system. You can also view the DHGE website for more information. About Dignity Health Global Education Great Solutions, Great Healthcare Dignity Health Global Education (DHGE) is a workforce development platform that enables healthcare systems and organizations to upskill and retain top talents. Dedicated to providing the best client experience, we develop custom online and hybrid programs and workforce development solutions that improve and positively impact talent retention as much as patient health and quality of care. We remain leaders in the healthcare education space by creating cutting-edge solutions through innovative technologies, clinical expertise, and evidence-based training alongside the industry's top subject matter experts. DHGE will be transitioning to a new brand name later this year, look for our new branding release in the fall. To learn more about DHGE please visit www.dhge.org. References: 1) American Hospital Association. Fact Sheet: Strengthening the Health Care Workforce. https://www.aha.org/fact-sheets/2021-05-26-fact-sheet-strengthening-health-care-workforce . Accessed May 15, 2023. SOURCE Dignity Health Global Education BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. Samir Poladov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, held a meeting with a delegation of the Independent Permanent Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on a visit to the country, the agency told Trend. Samir Poladov informed about the existing mine problem in the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation and the serious threat it poses to people's lives, as well as about the activities carried out in the direction of combating the mine threat. During the visit to Ganja, the delegation visited a residential area that was subjected to rocket attacks by Armenians during the second Karabakh War. During the trip to the Aghdam and Fuzuli districts, the delegation members witnessed the consequences of the destruction of religious, cultural, and historical monuments and cemeteries of Azerbaijanis, as well as serious contamination by mines in civilian territories. In addition, they intend to prepare and submit to the international community an appropriate report on the facts recorded in the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation. The visit of the delegation of the Independent Permanent Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to the Aghdam district liberated from occupation began on September 3. The delegation, which is on a visit to Azerbaijan, will conduct a fact-finding mission in the Aghdam and Fuzuli districts and the city of Ganja until September 6. HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DPC Dash Ltd ("DPC Dash", the "Group", or the "Company") (1405.HK), Domino's Pizza's exclusive master franchisee in Mainland China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China and Macau Special Administrative Region of China, is pleased to announce the official inclusions into both the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect Program and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Connect Program. Following this inclusion, the Company's shares will be eligible to trade through both stock connects. This expansion follows shortly after DPC Dash's inclusion to the Hang Seng Composite Index earlier this year. The Group believes that the official inclusion of the Company's ordinary shares into the stock connect properly reflects the capital market's recognition of the Company's strong business performance and future growth prospects. Launched in 2014, the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect is a mutual stock market access program where investors in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong can trade and settle shares listed on either market via the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong or clearing houses in their home market. Launched in 2016, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect is a cross-boundary investment channel that connects the Shenzhen Stock Exchange with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange where investors in each market is able to trade shares on the other market. COMPANY STATEMENT Ms. Aileen Wang, CEO & Executive Director of DPC Dash commented, "The official inclusions into both Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect mark yet another major milestone for DPC Dash and its shareholders. To enable direct access by China Mainland investors to our ordinary shares will broaden the Company's shareholder base as well as increase our global appeal." Ms. Wang further added, "We believe we have built strong brand momentum following our recent inclusion into the Hang Seng Composite Index and announcement of solid interim 2023 financial results. We will leverage this to continue our accelerated growth into what we believe is an underserved China Pizza market." About DPC Dash Ltd DPC Dash Ltd is Domino's Pizza's exclusive master franchisee in the China mainland, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China and the Macau Special Administrative Region of China. Domino's Pizza, Inc., DPC Dash Ltd's global franchisor, is one of the most widely recognized global consumer brands and the world's largest pizza company. Led by a seasoned and visionary management team, DPC Dash Ltd is a market leader that differentiates from competitors with, among others, a continually developed and localized pizza-focused menu, unique expertise and leadership in delivery, technology focus and scalable and replicable store economic model. DPC Dash Ltd directly operates 672 stores across 20 cities in China mainland as of June 30, 2023. The Company is the fastest growing among China's top-five pizza brands, as well as the third largest in terms of 2022 revenue, according to a report by Frost & Sullivan in March 2023. For more information, please visit www.dpcdash.com About the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect The Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect provides a two-way trading link between the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The Stock Connect allows qualified mainland China investors to access eligible Hong Kong shares (Southbound) as well as Hong Kong and overseas investors to trade eligible A-shares (Northbound) subject to certain daily trading limits. Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect The Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect is a cross-boundary investment channel that connects the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Under the program, investors in each market are able to trade shares on the other market using their local brokers and clearing houses. The program launched on 5 December 2016 CONTACTS DPC Dash Ltd Investor Relations: ICR, LLC [email protected] DPC Dash Ltd Media Relations: ICR, LLC [email protected] SOURCE DPC Dash Ltd Empowering people. Transforming communities. Uniting the city. More Than $1 Million Will be Invested in the Chicagoland Area to Restore Hope, Unlock Potential, and Close the Wealth Gap OPERATION TEN CITY CHICAGO will Promote Entrepreneurship, Economic Empowerment, and Wealth Creation; Bringing Business Opportunities, Education and Training, Money, Food, Clothing, Gas Cards, and More to Black and Brown Communities in the City. Business Owners in Chicago Can Enter a Pitch Competition Where Cash Prizes Will Be Awarded. CHICAGO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Bill Winston, a globally renowned pastor, CEO, entrepreneur, and business leader, and Bill Winston Ministries announce that Chicago, IL will be the sixth stop of the Operation Ten City (OTC) campaign. Operation Ten City Campaign kicked off in the summer of 2022 with a commitment to stop in 10 metropolitan cities across the U.S. Prior to Chicago, Operation Ten City has made stops in St. Louis, Detroit, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. Bill Winston Ministries Bill Winston Ministries Operation Ten City Chicago will take place this September leading into the International Faith Conferencehosted annually in Chicago by Dr. Bill Winston. Operation Ten City Chicago will take place from Friday, September 8th Tuesday, September 12th with highlights including Youthpreneur Entrepreneurship Workshop; Heaven's Pantry Drive-Thru Food, Clothing, and Gas Giveaway; Expungement Clinic; three nights of Miracle Tent Revivals; and many other resources to close the wealth gap and bring positive change to Chicago. Operation Ten City Chicago concludes with Greatness Unlocked, a business segment taking place during the day on Tuesday, September 12 at Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park, including a Business Pitch Competition and keynote sessions. "Our goal with Operation Ten City is to bring economic restoration and prosperity to ten cities of our nation, including our hometown of Chicago, and to close the wealth gap in black and brown communities through entrepreneurship and ownership," says Dr. Bill Winston. "One of the main reasons for poverty is the absence of self-production. And one of the main roots to the violence in our city is poverty. So, if we can close the wealth gap, we can also reduce some of the violence. OTC is coming to empower and turn people who primarily have been consumers into producers." Highlights attendees can expect at the upcoming Operation Ten City Chicago include: Youthpreneur Entrepreneurship Workshop an exciting, half-day interactive and inspirational entrepreneurship workshop for middle school and high school students. This workshop seeks to impart seeds of entrepreneurial education, wealth-building, and ownership in the lives of youth to empower and equip them with the knowledge to make sound choices for their futures. Attendees will be registered for door prize drawings, including 8 iPads. Youthpreneur will be held on Friday, September 8 from 10:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. at Living Word Christian Center, 7600 West Roosevelt Road, Forest Park, IL 60130. an exciting, half-day interactive and inspirational entrepreneurship workshop for middle school and high school students. This workshop seeks to impart seeds of entrepreneurial education, wealth-building, and ownership in the lives of youth to empower and equip them with the knowledge to make sound choices for their futures. Attendees will be registered for door prize drawings, including 8 iPads. Youthpreneur will be held on from at Living Word Christian Center, 7600 West Roosevelt Road, 60130. Business Pitch Competition The Business Pitch Competition will be held on Tuesday, September 12 . Local entrepreneurs with businesses that have a measurable impact will have the opportunity to showcase their business products and services and win a cash award. The three, highest-rated contestants in the final round will win a cash award. First prize winner: $10,000 ; Second prize winner: $5,000 ; and Third prize winner: $2,500 . Those interested in entering the business pitch competition should register online at operationtencity.com. If a pitch winner is a member of a local Chicago church that is a registered 501c3 entity, the church may qualify to receive a donation double the amount of the entrepreneur's cash prize. The deadline to register is September 4, 2023 . The Business Pitch Competition will be held on . Local entrepreneurs with businesses that have a measurable impact will have the opportunity to showcase their business products and services and win a cash award. The three, highest-rated contestants in the final round will win a cash award. First prize winner: ; Second prize winner: ; and Third prize winner: . Those interested in entering the business pitch competition should register online at operationtencity.com. If a pitch winner is a member of a local church that is a registered 501c3 entity, the church may qualify to receive a donation double the amount of the entrepreneur's cash prize. The Operation Ten City - Chicago Business Marketplace is centered around providing a platform for emerging and established entrepreneurs. Join us for this one-of-a-kind, entrepreneurial marketplace designed for visionary creators, innovators, and business leaders! This is the perfect opportunity to discover and showcase a diverse range of products and services from across various sectors as well as expand your professional network. The deadline to register is September 6, 2023 . is centered around providing a platform for emerging and established entrepreneurs. Join us for this one-of-a-kind, entrepreneurial marketplace designed for visionary creators, innovators, and business leaders! This is the perfect opportunity to discover and showcase a diverse range of products and services from across various sectors as well as expand your professional network. Heaven's Pantry Drive-Thru Food, Clothing & Gas Card Giveaway (Three Locations) The Heaven's Pantry Drive-Thru Food, Clothing & Gas Card Giveaway will be held on Saturday, September 9 th from 9:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. in three different areas of Chicago at the same time. Between the three locations, a total of 3,000 families will be assisted with free food (feeds a family of four for a week); brand new clothing for men, women, and children; and gas, Uber, and Lyft gift cards. Registration is not required for Heaven's Pantry. Items will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. (Three Locations) The Heaven's Pantry Drive-Thru Food, Clothing & Gas Card Giveaway will be held on from in three different areas of at the same time. Between the three locations, a total of 3,000 families will be assisted with free food (feeds a family of four for a week); brand new clothing for men, women, and children; and gas, Uber, and Lyft gift cards. Registration is not required for Heaven's Pantry. Items will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Humboldt Park: New Life Covenant Community Center, 3400 W. Division, Chicago, IL 60651 60651 West Garfield: JLM Life Abundant Community Center, 2622 W. Jackson, Chicago, IL 60612 60612 Englewood : Salvation Army, 945 W. 69 th Street, Chicago, IL 60621 : Salvation Army, 945 W. 69 Street, 60621 Expungement Clinic The Operation Ten City Campaign is dedicated to helping people get a fresh start with a clean slate to reclaim their lives. The Expungement Clinic will be held on Saturday, September 9 th from 10:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. at Kennedy-King College , 740 West 63 rd Street, Chicago, IL 60621. At the Expungement Clinic, a volunteer team of legal experts will assist individuals in navigating the process of expungement and better understanding local laws. The Operation Ten City Campaign is dedicated to helping people get a fresh start with a clean slate to reclaim their lives. The Expungement Clinic will be held on from at , 740 West 63 Street, 60621. At the Expungement Clinic, a volunteer team of legal experts will assist individuals in navigating the process of expungement and better understanding local laws. Greatness Unlocked Business & Entrepreneurship Keynote Sessions Following the Business Pitch Competition, Operation Ten City will conclude with keynote sessions to activate your hidden potential and leave you inspired to start or grow your business successful. Listen to impactful messages from Dr. Bill Winston , Dr. Deloris Thomas , and more to be announced soon! Following the Business Pitch Competition, Operation Ten City will conclude with keynote sessions to activate your hidden potential and leave you inspired to start or grow your business successful. Listen to impactful messages from Dr. , Dr. , and more to be announced soon! Miracle Tent Revivals The three nights of Miracle Tent Revivals will be held at three locations throughout the city, simultaneously Friday, September 8 ; Saturday, September 9 ; Sunday, September 10 from 6:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. Saturday's event is geared toward youth and young adults; however, the entire family and all ages are invited. Each revival will feature a special guest speaker and musical artist. The three nights of Miracle Tent Revivals will be held at three locations throughout the city, simultaneously ; ; from Saturday's event is geared toward youth and young adults; however, the entire family and all ages are invited. Each revival will feature a special guest speaker and musical artist. Miracle Tent Revival North Humboldt Park 1440 N. Humboldt Blvd. Miracle Tent Revival South Englewood 68 th & Halsted Streets 68 & Halsted Streets Miracle Tent Revival West West Garfield Madison & Kilpatrick Avenues Events and activities hosted by Operation Ten City Chicago are free and open to the public, but registration is required, except for Heaven's Pantry Drive-Thru Food, Clothing & Gas Giveaway and the Miracle Tent Revivals. Registration is not required for Heaven's Pantry. Items will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. For more information and to stay up to date on Operation Ten City, please visit https://www.operationtencity.com/. Operation Ten City will make stops in more metropolitan areas across the United States, including Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Washington, D.C., and New York. Please view the OTC Chicago video: https://vimeo.com/847684848 Please see OTC Philadelphia Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/home/Dr.%20Bill%20Winston/OTC%20Philadelphia%20Photos%202023 MEDIA CONTACTS: Kayla Tucker Adams; KTA Media Group, [email protected]; cell 214-403-9852 Bonnie Winfrey, Kailen & Kyler Enterprises; [email protected]; cell 815-557-6681 Deborah Farmer; Brown Farmer Media Group Inc; [email protected]; cell 773-310-7701 SOURCE Bill Winston Ministries CHICAGO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The crucial role that it plays in enabling developing technologies, meeting low-latency requirements, and providing sector-specific solutions will define the future of the edge data centre market. Edge data centers will become a key component of contemporary IT infrastructure as the edge ecosystem develops. The Edge Data Center Market is expected to grow from USD 10.4 billion in 2023 to USD 29.6 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 23.2% during the forecast period, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The need for low latency requirements for applications such as IoT, real-time analytics, and augmented reality has driven market growth. Browse in-depth TOC on "Edge Data Center Market" 260 - Tables 50 - Figures 271 - Pages Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=142018469 Scope of the Report Report Metrics Details Market size available for years 20202028 Base year considered 2022 Forecast period 20232028 Forecast units Million/Billion (USD) Segments Covered Component (Solutions, Services), Facility Size, and Vertical Geographies Covered North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Asia Pacific Companies Covered The key technology vendors in the market include Dell (US), Eaton (Ireland), IBM (US), NVIDIA (US), Schneider Electric (France), Fujitsu (Japan), HPE (US), Cisco (US), and more. Services segment to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period The Edge Data Center Market, by component, includes solutions and services. Service providers aid in designing and deploying edge data centers in various locations; this includes selecting suitable hardware, networking equipment, and software solutions curated for the specific needs of edge computing. This factor has increased the demand for edge data center services among end users. Large Facility segment to capture the largest market share Adopting large edge data center facilities depends on various factors, including the specific needs of organizations, the nature of applications, the geographic distribution of users, and available resources. Large edge data center facilities are suitable for resource-intensive applications like AI training, complex simulations, and data analytics that require significant computing power and storage. Request Sample Pages @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=142018469 Manufacturing vertical to capture the second-largest market share Edge data centers enable manufacturers to monitor production processes in real-time, allowing for immediate adjustments and interventions to optimize efficiency, reduce downtime, and improve product quality. The proliferation of IoT devices in manufacturing, such as sensors on machinery, robotics, and assembly lines, generates large amounts of data. Edge data centers process this data locally, reducing latency and improving responsiveness for real-time decision-making. Edge data centers play a critical role in implementing predictive maintenance strategies. By analyzing data from sensors and equipment at the edge, manufacturers can predict potential equipment failures, schedule maintenance more efficiently, and reduce unplanned downtime. Edge data centers allow manufacturers to analyze data from various stages of the production process locally. This data-driven approach helps identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and areas for process improvement. North America segment to capture a significant market share during the forecast period The Edge Data Center Market includes regional segmentation into Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. As per region, North America accounts for the largest market share in the global Edge Data Center Market in 2023, and this trend will persist during the forecast period. North America has the most established edge data center adoption due to several factors, such as large enterprises with sophisticated IT infrastructure and skilled technical expertise. North America's two most significant Edge Data Center Market contributors are the US and Canada. It is a region with strict regulations for several economic sectors and advanced technology. North America is known for its technological advancements and early adoption of innovative solutions. The large enterprises in this region are rapidly adopting edge data center solutions and services to improve employee experience and tackle any business continuity challenges amid COVID-19. In North America, large enterprises and SMEs focus on developing innovative edge data centers integrated with technological advancements, such as 5G, IoT, AI, and ML; this would boost growth in the future. Top Key Companies in Edge Data Center Market: The primary technology vendors in the market include Dell (US), Eaton (Ireland), IBM (US), NVIDIA (US), Schneider Electric (France), Fujitsu (Japan), HPE (US), Cisco (US), Huawei (China), 365 Data Centers (US), Rittal (Germany), Panduit (US), Equinix (US), Sunbird (US), Vertiv Group (US), HUBER+SUHNER (Switzerland), CommScope (US), Siemon (US), Flexential (US), EdgeConneX (US), Compass Datacenters (US), Zenlayer (US), Vapor IO (US), Zella DC (Australia), Smart Edge Data Centers (UK), Ubiquity (US), DartPoints (US), Edge Centres (Australia), and SBA Edge (US). Most key players have adopted partnerships and product developments to cater to the demand for edge data centers. Recent Developments: In July 2023 , Dell announced a collaboration with Airspan to deliver a pre-integrated solution for wireless edge deployments. This solution combines Dell's modular data center and Airspan's advanced wireless networking technology, providing a seamless and efficient solution for wireless edge deployments. , Dell announced a collaboration with Airspan to deliver a pre-integrated solution for wireless edge deployments. This solution combines Dell's modular data center and Airspan's advanced wireless networking technology, providing a seamless and efficient solution for wireless edge deployments. In July 2023 , Siemon launched new EagleEye Red software for managing data center and LAN networks. Its multi-tiered network discovery protocols allow users to quickly scan and find all IP-based devices within their network and position assets at their correct locations. , Siemon launched new EagleEye Red software for managing data center and LAN networks. Its multi-tiered network discovery protocols allow users to quickly scan and find all IP-based devices within their network and position assets at their correct locations. In July 2023 , Flexential announced a significant expansion of FlexAnywhere Platform in 2023 with over 110MW Under Development across Atlanta, GA and Hillsboro, OR. , Flexential announced a significant expansion of FlexAnywhere Platform in 2023 with over 110MW Under Development across and In June 2023 , Dell has recently expanded its Dell Private Wireless Program, aiming to offer secure enterprise connectivity for edge locations. The program now supports Airspan and Druid wireless solutions, providing businesses with enhanced options for reliable wireless connectivity at the edge. , Dell has recently expanded its Dell Private Wireless Program, aiming to offer secure enterprise connectivity for edge locations. The program now supports Airspan and Druid wireless solutions, providing businesses with enhanced options for reliable wireless connectivity at the edge. In June 2023 , HPE announced an extended partnership with Equinix to expand the HPE GreenLake private cloud portfolio within Equinix International Business Exchange (IBX) data centers. This partnership involves pre-provisioning HPE GreenLake for Private Cloud Enterprise and HPE GreenLake for Private Cloud Business Edition at selected Equinix data centers worldwide. This move aims to provide customers with swift access to a wide array of private cloud solutions, enabling them to achieve speed, agility, flexibility, and choice in their hybrid cloud strategy. , HPE announced an extended partnership with Equinix to expand the HPE GreenLake private cloud portfolio within Equinix International Business Exchange (IBX) data centers. This partnership involves pre-provisioning HPE GreenLake for Private Cloud Enterprise and HPE GreenLake for Private Cloud Business Edition at selected Equinix data centers worldwide. This move aims to provide customers with swift access to a wide array of private cloud solutions, enabling them to achieve speed, agility, flexibility, and choice in their hybrid cloud strategy. In May 2023 , NVIDIA launched a new class of large-memory AI supercomputer, the NVIDIA DGX. The NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips and the NVIDIA NVLink Switch System drive this powerful system. It facilitates the development of massive, next-generation models for generative AI language applications, recommender systems, and data analytics workloads. , NVIDIA launched a new class of large-memory AI supercomputer, the NVIDIA DGX. The NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips and the NVIDIA NVLink Switch System drive this powerful system. It facilitates the development of massive, next-generation models for generative AI language applications, recommender systems, and data analytics workloads. In May 2023 , 365 Data Centers expanded its comprehensive enterprise service capabilities to encompass eight new data center locations and 35 new Points of Presence (PoPs). This expansion benefits agents, resellers, and direct customers by providing a unified solution with one Master Service Agreement (MSA), one support team, and one invoice for a full-stack offering, including colocation, network, cloud, and IT support services. , 365 Data Centers expanded its comprehensive enterprise service capabilities to encompass eight new data center locations and 35 new Points of Presence (PoPs). This expansion benefits agents, resellers, and direct customers by providing a unified solution with one Master Service Agreement (MSA), one support team, and one invoice for a full-stack offering, including colocation, network, cloud, and IT support services. In April 2023 , an MoU was signed between Cisco and Leonardo, and within the framework of the MoU, activities will be supported by dedicated working groups to periodically and jointly identify business opportunities and areas of technical cooperation to meet market demands, particularly in the sectors of cybersecurity, secure networking, IoT, digital workplace, and cloud edge computing. , an MoU was signed between Cisco and Leonardo, and within the framework of the MoU, activities will be supported by dedicated working groups to periodically and jointly identify business opportunities and areas of technical cooperation to meet market demands, particularly in the sectors of cybersecurity, secure networking, IoT, digital workplace, and cloud edge computing. In January 2022 , Cisco expanded its Cisco Catalyst 9000 portfolio; this helps bring enterprise-grade switching capabilities to the industrial edge for industries operating in harsh conditions and supporting critical infrastructure such as utilities, oil and gas, roadways, and rail. Inquiry Before Buying @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=142018469 Edge Data Center Market Advantages: Edge data centers improve the responsiveness of apps and services by processing and storing data closer to end users and IoT devices. By eliminating single points of failure and offering redundancy, distributed edge data centers improve availability and provide continuous access to crucial data and applications. Edge computing improves application and service performance by lowering network traffic and streamlining data processing for nearby users. Edge data centers are adaptive to changing business needs because they can be readily scaled to handle growing data volumes and user demands. By fulfilling data sovereignty and regulatory needs, edge data centers enable organisations to keep sensitive data within particular geographical zones. Tighter security controls and quicker threat detection are made possible by being physically close to end users, which lowers the risk of cyberattacks and data breaches. Edge computing optimises network bandwidth and lowers operational costs by decreasing the need to transport huge amounts of data to centralised data centers. Applications that require quick response times, such augmented reality, industrial automation, and self-driving cars, benefit from real-time data processing at the edge. By enabling quicker content distribution and lowering page load times for websites and video streaming services, edge data centers improve user experiences. Report Objectives To define, describe, and forecast the Edge Data Center Market based on component (solutions and services), facility size, vertical, and region To provide detailed information about the major factors (drivers, opportunities, restraints, and challenges) influencing the growth of the Edge Data Center Market To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high-growth segments of the Edge Data Center Market To forecast the size of the market segments concerning five main regions: North America , Europe , Asia Pacific , Middle East and Africa , and Latin America , , , and , and To analyze subsegments of the market concerning individual growth trends, prospects, and contributions to the overall market To profile the key players of the Edge Data Center Market and comprehensively analyze their market size and core competencies To track and analyze competitive developments in the Edge Data Center Market globally, such as product enhancements, new product launches, acquisitions, and partnerships and collaborations. Browse Adjacent Markets: Data Center and Networking Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Network Emulator Market- Global Forecast to 2028 Content Delivery Network Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Self-healing Networks Market - Global Forecast to 2027 Network Probe Market- Global Forecast to 2027 Network Engineering Services Market- Global Forecast to 2027 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/edge-data-center-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/edge-data-center.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets Organizations' needs for DevOps, Agile, cloud, and ITSM solutions and skills keep growing globally as all businesses become software companies HELSINKI, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Eficode grew organically and with acquisitions by over 170% in its last fiscal year, from 79,3 million euros to 189,6 million euros. Eficode's compound annual growth (CAGR) during the previous four fiscal years has been 70%. During the past fiscal year, Eficode grew to nearly 600 employees and contracting consultants for DevOps, Agile, and associated tools and services. Eficode sees a strong connection between customers' need for consulting expertise and sales of licenses, cloud subscription for software development tools, and managed services. Profitable growth with heavy financial backing In December 2022, Eficode announced a significant investment from Investcorp, a leading global alternative investment firm. Investcorp became a majority shareholder in Eficode. Eficode's founder Risto Virkkala, CEO Ilari Nurmi, management team, and many employees remain significant shareholders, committed to the ambitious growth journey. "We already see how partnering with Investcorp has prepared Eficode for the next growth phase. They have the expertise and experience to support our global expansion strategy," says Ilari Nurmi, CEO of Eficode. "In August 2023, Eficode acquired Avoset, and we continue to build Eficode's business both organically and inorganically with Investcorp." The United States and the United Kingdom became key regions for Eficode In October 2022, Eficode acquired Clearvision, a solutions provider for Atlassian, Git, and open-source tooling to bolster its growth in the UK and US. For the fiscal year ending on 30 June 2023, the regions became the most significant in terms of revenue, together representing over 40% of Eficode's revenue. The UK and US are essential growth regions because Eficode offers a broader services portfolio for existing customers. In addition, Eficode UK has been shortlisted by Best Companies as one of the best small companies to work for in the UK. Business in Continental Europe grows organically During the year, Eficode acquired notable new customers in Continental Europe: A significant Atlassian consolidation and transformation agreement with a global provider of energy projects, technologies, systems, and services; A significant Atlassian migration and license agreement with a worldwide renewals and energy solutions company; An Atlassian Cloud migration project and a long-term contract with a global airline based in Continental Europe; In aggregate, Eficode's business in Continental Europe grew 135 %. Innovations and AI enter software development As a notable development in customer demand, consulting services and tools to capitalize on Artificial Intelligence in software development have surged rapidly. Eficode is working with all major technology companies in the software development industry to build a way to global leadership in the ecosystem and to be a driving force during the era of AI-driven software development. Eficode received Atlassian Partner of the Year 2022 Services EMEA for its outstanding contribution and achievements. During the year, the company was awarded specialization status in all Atlassian areas: Agile at Scale, ITSM, and Cloud. By combining Eficode ROOT, a managed DevOps platform, and Total Support, a productized support solution for companies using Atlassian tools, Eficode continues to provide innovation and customer value. Gartner recognized Eficode as a Representative Vendor in the recent Gartner Market Guide for Digital Accessibility. According to this Market Guide, "Gartner expects to see a turning point for digital accessibility akin to the 'General Data Protection Regulation moment' experienced in privacy." Eficode partakes in the advisory councils for all its major technology partners, Atlassian, GitHub, and GitLab, thus shaping the software development tooling and consulting industry. Media contacts Ilari Nurmi, Chief Executive Officer, Eficode. [email protected], +358 40 577 5084 Lauri Palokangas, Chief Marketing Officer, Eficode. [email protected], +358 50 486 4918 The following files are available for download: https://news.cision.com/eficode-oy/i/eficode-grew-170--last-financial-year-and-propels-forward-with-strong-customer-demand,c3211807 Eficode grew 170% last financial year and propels forward with strong customer demand SOURCE Eficode Oy CALGARY, AB, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - AuditSoft, Canada's most trusted safety and compliance auditing software, is thrilled to announce that its Open API has been integrated with BC Municipal Safety Association (BCMSA) and its EHS Analytics software to unlock historical data insights and enable continuous improvement. AuditSoft announced its partnership with BCMSA last year and recently revealed that the AuditSoft Open API, designed for interoperability with legacy and third-party systems, is now available for integration. The integration with BCMSA and its existing systems and data will provide a more comprehensive and holistic view of member performance. "Data quality is critical for any analytical reporting and AuditSoft has the most reliable audit data available," said Ben Snyman, CEO, and Co-founder of AuditSoft. "That's we developed the AuditSoft Open API. It makes business sense that our systems can communicate effectively with third-party platforms. By integrating with BCMSA's EHS Analytics software, we can unlock historical data insights, enabling better decision-making and driving continuous improvement in workplace safety." "Certificate of Recognition (COR) audits are an invaluable tool when it comes to improving workplace safety. AuditSoft's ability to standardize, aggregate, and compare audit results and performance within industry sets it apart in the market," said Mike Roberts, CEO of BCMSA. "The BCMSA is committed to innovation and harnessing data to drive better outcomes for members. This integration allows us to do that and provides us with a more complete view of membership data and workplace safety performance." AuditSoft's auditing tools are designed to drive efficiencies, inter-auditor consistency, and unlock powerful audit insights. With a presence across Canada and a series of new safety partnerships announced over the past 12 months, AuditSoft is positioned to continue its rapid growth as organizations increasingly look to scale auditing programs cost-efficiently and leverage data to drive decision-making. About AuditSoft: AuditSoft is the leading safety and compliance auditing software. Associations and Certifying Bodies partner with AuditSoft to supply their members with cutting-edge auditing tools and unlock valuable audit insights. Each year, AuditSoft is used to conduct thousands of audits in high-risk industries across Canada. Find more information about AuditSoft at www.auditsoft.co About BCMSA: The British Columbia Municipal Safety Association (BCMSA) is an independent, non-profit organization committed to improving worker health and safety in all industries throughout the province. Safety is their business. BCMSA works to improve safety programs and implement effective occupational health and safety management across the province. Their onsite, virtual, and online courses, as well as their resources equip employers and employees with invaluable prevention training that serves to reduce human and financial costs. Learn more about BCMSA at www.bcmsa.ca SOURCE AuditSoft SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Timekettle, the technology company specializing in AI translation devices, has brought its T series and W series products to IFA 2023, the world's biggest technology exhibition. These innovative translators cater to the needs of multilingual individuals in various scenarios and have garnered significant attention from business partners and visitors across Europe, and highly impressed with their high-quality translation and technological innovation. The visitor tests translator earbuds at Timekettle booth. One of the highlights at this year's IFA is the unveiling of Timekettle's flagship product, the WT2 Edge translator earbuds. The cutting-edge technology of HybridComm sets this product apart from others in the market, and it revolutionizes traditional translation devices by introducing a completely different technical structure that enhances speech processing, simultaneous interpretation, and AI translation, particularly for engaging in profound and lengthy conversations. WT2 Edge users range from business professionals and multinational families to language educators and learners. In contrast to Timekettle's translator earbuds, the T series offers a highly portable handheld translator device with a compact size and user-friendly one-button translation. The Fluentalk T1 and Fluentalk T1 mini are part of this series, providing effortless usability with just a single click, users no longer need to rely on translation apps or tedious processes, they can access translations instantly, even in unexpected situations while traveling abroad. The Fluentalk T1 mini has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from overseas travelers, expats since being released two months ago. At IFA 2023, Timekettle eagerly welcomes business and media partners to try its groundbreaking translation solutions firsthand and experience some of the most natural, fluent, and accurate translation solutions on the market. Timekettle Booth at IFA 2023 Date: September 1st, 2023 - September 5th, 2023 Location: A219, Hall 5.2, Messe Berlin, Messedamm 22, 14055 Berlin, Germany About Timekettle Established in 2016, Timekettle is an industry-leading and award-winning provider of translation solutions. Their exceptional products have been recognized with numerous international accolades, including the CES Innovation Award, iF Design Award, and Japan Good Design Award. Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, Timekettle also operates a customer center in Los Angeles, United States. As the top-selling brand in the translator device industry, Timekettle currently holds the largest market share on Amazon, serving hundreds of thousands of users in 171 countries and regions worldwide. For further information, please visit https://www.timekettle.co/ or contact [email protected] . View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/enhancing-global-connectivity-timekettles-revolutionary-translator-devices-take-center-stage-at-ifa-2023-301917792.html SOURCE Timekettle HEIDELBERG, Germany, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A ground-breaking research collaboration between European Wellness Biomedical Group (EWBG), through its subsidiaries European Wellness Academy (EWA) and Baden R&D Laboratories (Baden), and Heidelberg's Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology has yielded new insights into the distinct neuroanatomy and neuropsychology of Down syndrome (DS). The studies promise a paradigm shift in developing personalized rehabilitation strategies and care programs. In a pivotal study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience (doi: 10.1002/brb3.3186), researchers Dr. Osama Hamadelseed, Prof. Dato' Sri Dr. Mike Chan, Prof. Dato' Sri Dr. Michelle Wong, and Prof. Dr. Thomas Skutella synthesized data from 84 studies spanning from 1977 to 2022. Their findings challenge the conventional view of DS as a homogenous group, revealing unique neuroanatomic changes linked to language and memory deficits that emphasize the need for tailored care approaches. "Individualized assessment of neuroanatomical landmarks and cognitive skills is paramount for developing effective intervention strategies," commented Heidelberg University's Head of Neuroanatomy, Prof. Dr. Thomas Skutella. A second study, published in Brain and Behavior (doi: 10.1002/brb3.3186), delved into the link between cognitive capabilities and brain volume variations in DS using MRI and psychological evaluations. The findings underscore the connection between cognitive functions, language skills, and altered brain volumes in DS, offering insights into early intervention and rehabilitation management. "This insight could drive early intervention strategies and contribute to designing effective rehabilitation management protocol," stated Dr. Osama Hamadelseed. These studies represent a significant leap forward in understanding DS and related neurodevelopmental disorders, with the potential to redefine care strategies for individuals with DS, ushering in a new era of personalized support and improved quality of life. EWBG, globally acclaimed for innovations spanning stem cell therapeutics, immunomodulation, biological regenerative medicine, and more, are working closely with Heidelberg University, Germany's oldest university and a bastion of scientific research in Europe, on various joint research projects, including on autism, global developmental delay, and neurodegenerative disorders. EWBG chairman and scientist, Prof. Dato' Sri Dr. Mike Chan, a Senator of the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade (BWA), has reaffirmed his continuous commitment to creating sustainable growth through strategic international collaborations in bio-regenerative medicine. European Wellness Academy EWA, a CPD authorized body and academic arm of EWBG, offers premium training and development in cutting-edge Bio-Regenerative Medicine modalities for practitioners and researchers. Its core academic team comprises qualified MDs, immunologists, and scientists with numerous international affiliations and accreditations. Baden R&D Laboratories Baden, with branches in Germany and Asia, serves as EWBG's R&D arm. Equipped with world-class facilities and an experienced team of experts, Baden is a leading provider in bioregenerative research and development. Heidelberg University Established in 1386, Heidelberg University is Germany's oldest university and a renowned research powerhouse in Stem Cell Research & Immunology in Europe. With 56 Nobel Laureates associated with the institution, Heidelberg University boasts an illustrious history. Brandon John media@european-wellness.com SOURCE European Wellness Biomedical Group EverWind granted exclusive right to pursue development for multi-phased green energy production and storage facility ST. JOHN'S, NL, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - EverWind Fuels ("EverWind"), Canada's leading large-scale green hydrogen developer, has been awarded the exclusive right to pursue the development of EverWind's green fuels project on the Burin Peninsula of Newfoundland of Labrador. EverWind's successful bid was announced on August 30, 2023, as part of the Province's Crown Land Call for Bids by the Honourable Andrew Parsons, Minister of Innovation, Energy and Technology, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. "This is a monumental day for EverWind and the communities on the Burin Peninsula," explained Trent Vichie, CEO and founder of EverWind. "We have been working on, and investing in this project since March 2022, and we are truly honoured to have been selected by the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador as one of the successful projects. We are excited to now be able to deliver on our development, combining the province's world-class, untapped wind resource with the skills, resiliency and experience of the supportive communities, labour force and businesses of Newfoundland and Labrador." "Thanks to the leadership and vision of Premier Furey and Minister Parsons, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador demonstrated their commitment to becoming a leader in the global green energy transition and have accelerated the growth of province's growing renewable green energy industry on a world stage," added Vichie. "Coupled with strong public policy support from the federal government and the leadership of Ministers O'Regan and Wilkinson in particular, Canada is well positioned to lead the way in decarbonization, reducing emissions and creating new jobs and sources of prosperity for workers, businesses and families here in Newfoundland and Labrador and across Atlantic Canada. The investment tax credits announced in the 2023 Budget, are critical in making Canadian green energy projects competitive globally." For its Burin Peninsula Green Fuels Energy Project, EverWind will convert renewable power from wind into green hydrogen and then into green ammonia. This will then be transported safely around the world and used as green fertilizer as well as a green energy. EverWind's wind farms are expected to be generating power on the Burin Peninsula by 2027. "We are thankful for the significant support EverWind has received from the Burin Peninsula," said Sam Imbeault, EverWind's Newfoundland Operations Lead. "We will continue to work closely with the Burin Peninsula Energy Board and communities throughout the region to deliver a transformational green energy project, which will help ensure the environmental, social and economic prosperity of the Peninsula for generations to come. Thank you to all who consulted with us and showed support during this important process." Brian Keating, Chair of the Burin Peninsula Energy Board and Mayor of Marystown calls this announcement one of the most important in the history of the Burin Peninsula. "I am incredibly proud to see how communities across the Burin Peninsula have come together to support this project. Green energy is not only the key to global environmental sustainability, it is also the key to the economic and social prosperity of the Burin Peninsula," said Keating. Following today's announcement, EverWind has firmly established its position as one of the leading green energy developers in North America, with two world scale projects secured and under development in Nova Scotia and in Newfoundland & Labrador. "EverWind is building an unparalleled pipeline of green energy projects, which now exceeds 10GW of renewables that will help the world deliver on its decarbonization objectives. Our size and scale, and the technical and commercial progress we have made on our projects, are quickly becoming our competitive differentiation, making us the partner of choice for governments, offtakers and suppliers globally," added Vichie. About Green Hydrogen & Green Ammonia EverWind will convert renewable power first into green hydrogen and then into green ammonia, which can be transported safely around the world and used as a clean source of energy as well as green fertilizer. EverWind works with some of the largest European energy companies, global industrial companies, and leading hydrogen & ammonia equipment suppliers. About EverWind Fuels EverWind is North America's leading independent green hydrogen developer. EverWind received the first environmental assessment approval (Nova Scotia) in North America for a large-scale green hydrogen project, and is well progressed in design, engineering, and development for the first phase of both its green energy generation projects and the production facility which will convert this energy into green hydrogen. EverWind owns and operates the deepest ice-free berth on the East Coast of North America (Point Tupper, NS) with world class access to rail, roads, and pipelines. Our safety-first culture reflects a highly skilled and extensively certified workforce, with a stellar safety record. EverWind is led by Trent Vichie, co-founder of Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, and former Blackstone Partner. EverWind's development team consists of over 20 members who have previously held senior positions at various infrastructure, private equity, renewable power, engineering, and utility companies. EverWind is also supported by a world-class advisory team including Black & Veatch, ILF, RES, Strum Environmental, McInnes Cooper, King & Spalding, McKinsey, Morgan Stanley, CIBC, and Citi. EverWind is also supported by a local team of Newfoundland & Labrador based partners including ICI Innovations, Angler Solutions, Eunoia Consulting and Edwards & Associates. EverWind's Newfoundland & Labrador Projects Leveraging our Nova Scotia platform and development experience, EverWind is pursuing a sister project on the Burin Peninsula in Newfoundland & Labrador. This project will consist of a 2+ GW wind farm to produce green hydrogen and ammonia. Located in a region with a proud industrial heritage, EverWind will continue to work closely with the Burin Peninsula Energy Board and communities throughout the region to advance the project. EverWind acknowledges the island of Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland) as traditional territory of the Beothuk and the Qalipu Mi'kmaq and the Mi'kmaq of Miawpukek Mi'kamawey Mawi'omi and acknowledges Labrador as the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Innu of Nitassinan, the Inuit of Nunatsiavut, and the Inuit of NunatuKavut. EverWind is committed to working in a spirit of truth and reconciliation to make a better future for all. EverWind's Nova Scotia Projects The first phase has received an environmental assessment approval and is on-target to produce approximately 240,000 tonnes per annum of green ammonia starting in 2025, then achieve 1.5 million tonnes per annum production by 2026 through a second phase. The next phase of our Nova Scotia project will generate green energy through an additional 2+ GW wind farm currently under development, which is expected to be the largest in North America. EverWind acknowledges the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq people, and we acknowledge them as the past, present, and future caretakers of this land, Mi'kma'ki. From the beginning our work has shared a core principle of environmental stewardship. We are committed to working with Mi'kmaq and delivering a comprehensive partnership on all aspects of the project. EverWind's Nova Scotia Project includes three Mi'kmaq equity partners and is a champion for meaningful engagement with Rightsholders and the advancement of social and economic reconciliation. At a local level, the EverWind works closely with multiple municipalities and stakeholder organizations throughout Nova Scotia. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by EverWind, including statements concerning projected wind farm capacity, projected green ammonia production volumes, construction and production timelines, sources and transmission of power, and benefits of the project. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, such as general economic and regulatory conditions, could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development, or performance of EverWind and those projected in the forward-looking statements contained in this release. EverWind does not intend, and does not assume any liability whatsoever, to update these forward-looking statements or to align them to future events or developments, except as may be required by law. SOURCE EverWind Fuels Company POTOMAC, Md., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Z Advanced Computing, Inc. (ZAC), the pioneer CognitiveExplainable-AI (Artificial Intelligence) (Cognitive XAIor CXAI) software startup, has developed the "Describer" for making automatic and precise descriptions andmeasurements of complex 3D objects for US Air Force (USAF), which is a major AI and Machine Learning (ML) breakthrough. In addition, ZAC is using only a few training samples, and using much lower computing power (i.e., only an average laptop, with only CPU (with no GPU servers)), for both training and recognition, which is also another major AI breakthrough. This is in sharp contrast to the other algorithms in industry (e.g., statistical algorithms, Neural Net, Deep CNN, ResNet, and GAN), which are not able to describe and measure 3D objects at all. In addition, the other algorithms in industry also require thousands to billions of training samples, trained on large GPU servers. ZAC algorithms can describe and measure 3D objects from any viewpoint, for full "Explainability" of 3D objects. Post this ZAC Cognitive Explainable-AI (CXAI) algorithms have many substantial advantages over other AI/ ML algorithms in the industry and academia, including the industrys state-of-the-art, such as Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) or ResNet. The ZAC capabilities/ results have already been demonstrated on the projects for US Air Force and Bosch/ BSH, for the detailed complex 3D image/ object recognition from any view angle. (All values in the table are typical/ approximate.) "ZAC algorithms can describe and measure 3D objects from any viewpoint, for full Explainability of 3D objects," emphasized Dr. Bijan Tadayon, CEO of ZAC. "We will be using this tech for Medical Imaging, too," continued Dr. Bijan Tadayon. ZAC owns a very strong IP portfolio with over 450 inventions, including 13 issued US patents. ZAC has an impressive team of scientists and developers. The development is headed by Saied Tadayon, a scientist and veteran software developer and a math prodigy, who ranked 1st as an undergrad at Cornell and got his PhD from Cornell at age 23. ZAC world-renowned advisors include Prof. David Lee (Nobel Laureate, Physics), Prof. Mory Gharib (former Caltech Vice Provost of Research, and a prolific entrepreneur and inventor, with multiple startups), Prof. Gholam Peyman, MD (Inventor of LASIK, and awarded National Medal of Technology and Innovation by US President), late Prof. Robert Buhrman (former Cornell Sr. Vice Provost of Research), Prof. Mike Spencer (former Cornell Associate Dean of Engineering for Research), and Prof. Mo Jamshidi (UTSA, Founding Dir. of NASA Center for Autonomous Control, and US Army Science Board member). The late Prof. Lotfi Zadeh of UC Berkeley (Father of Fuzzy Logic, co-inventor of Z-Transform, and AI Hall-of-Fame inductee) is also one of ZAC inventors. Some other applications of ZAC tech are: autonomous vehicles, medical, e-commerce, ads, satellite/aerial, security, manufacturing, and smart homes/appliances. Contact: Z Advanced Computing, Inc. (ZAC) Tel.: 301-294-0434 [email protected] www.ZAdvancedComputing.com SOURCE Z Advanced Computing, Inc. Sales increased by 10.6% year-on-year, totaling 3.7 billion Adjusted EBIT grew by 2.5% reaching 207 million, adjusted EBITDA rose by 4.5% to 232 million Order intake amounted to 3.5 billion Sales of around 8.0 billion expected for 2023 Exyte signed share purchase agreement to acquire pure media specialist Intega STUTTGART, Germany, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Exyte GmbH (Exyte), a global leader in the design, engineering, and delivery of high-tech facilities, accomplished sound financial results in the first half of fiscal year 2023. In the first six months of 2023 Exyte recorded a growth in sales of almost 11% to 3.7 billion (6M/2022: 3.4 billion). The order intake totaled 3.5 billion (6M/2022: 4.7 billion). Moreover, an increase in financial earnings was achieved with an adjusted EBIT of 207 million (6M/2022: 202 million) and an adjusted EBITDA of 232 million (6M/2022: 222 million). The adjusted EBIT margin and the adjusted EBITDA margin are slightly below last year's figures reaching 5.6% and 6.2% respectively. The substantial order backlog of around 6.4 billion ensures Exyte's future profitable growth. "In the first half of 2023 we were able to pursue our growth path with solid sales growth and increased financial earnings. Moreover, we were awarded with several key projects all over the world in all our business segments. This shows that Exyte's strong emphasis on megatrend-driven industries and its customer-centric strategy places the company in an advantageous position to maintain its growth momentum even amidst global economic uncertainties," says Dr. Wolfgang Buchele, CEO of Exyte. Financial year 2023: Positive outlook confirmed "We see that our markets are currently shifting regionally. While semiconductor factories have been built almost exclusively in Asia in recent years, many large-scale projects in the field of semiconductors and battery cells are currently being prepared or are already in implementation especially in the USA and Europe, also driven by government subsidies. This development is reflected in Exyte's current order and business development," Buchele continues. Exyte's outlook for the remainder of the financial year 2023 is positive, as the company will continuously pursue its 'Pathway to Ten' with expected sales of around 8.0 billion by the end of this year and envisaged sales of 10.0 billion by 2027. Order intake is expected around the same high level as in the previous year. Development of business segments: strong demand in battery cells, high potential in US data center market and additional acquisition for vertical integration In the first six months of 2023, all business segments contributed to Exyte's sales growth. The differences in incoming orders are due to specific market developments in the respective industries and are taken into account accordingly in Exyte's business planning. In 6M/2023 sales generated in the Advanced Technology Facilities segment grew by around 8% to 3.1 billion year-on-year (6M/2022: 2.9 billion). The business segment is currently executing large-scale semiconductor projects in all geographies. After a particularly strong prior-year period, Exyte achieved an order intake of 2.9 billion (6M/2022: 4.2 billion). Amongst others Exyte has been awarded major semiconductor projects in Germany and the US. Exyte also continues its success in the business with gigafabs for battery cells. In Europe, Exyte meanwhile is involved in the construction of several new gigafabs. The customers are German vehicle manufacturers, an Asian battery manufacturer and a consortium of vehicle manufacturers with an energy company. In addition, Exyte is in talks with other vehicle manufacturers and technology companies as well as with start-ups working on the next generation of battery cells. Sales of the Biopharma & Life Sciences business segment slightly increased to 293 million (6M/2022: 291 million). Major projects are currently being implemented in Germany, Malaysia, and Singapore. The segment saw a significant rise in incoming orders of more than 30% reaching 368 million (6M/2022: 283 million). The remarkable growth in order intake is based on large projects in Singapore and Denmark awarded by two leading global healthcare companies. The Data Centers segment accomplished a record in sales with 251 million, more than doubling last year's sale (6M/2023: 114 million). This sales development is driven by multiple projects for blue-chip software and technology companies in Denmark, Israel, Malaysia, and Taiwan. The order intake amounted to 124 million (6M/2022: 233 million). To accelerate the growth of the company's Data Centers business segment and to meet 2027 revenue targets, Exyte has decided to also enter the US data center market. There, the company wants to take advantage of the local data center industry's growth. "The data center industry in the US is experiencing rapid growth, with increasing demand for reliable and scalable infrastructure to support digital transformation. We are convinced that Exyte, with its experience and technological know-how, can offer its clients innovative solutions for sustainable and high-performance data centers," Buchele explains. The Business Area Technology & Services consisting of several entities providing cleanroom technology, critical equipment for subsystems as well as installation services and offsite manufacturing (OSM) recorded an increase in sales of around 22% to 438 million (6M/2022: 360 million). Moreover, incoming orders rose by close to 9% to 599 million compared to previous year (6M/2022: 552 million). The positive development of CPS Group in the US contributes substantially to this success. Exyte continues to strengthen its business in the area of mission-critical equipment and installation services. To this end, Exyte recently signed agreements to acquire Intega GmbH , a specialist in high-purity media supply systems. "With the acquisition of Intega, Exyte advances its strategy of vertical integration. The acquisition is the next important step in growing the competence in the area of critical sub-systems for advanced technology facilities, especially for the semiconductor industry. In addition, Intega will act as a nucleus for Exyte's European service activities," says Buchele. The transaction is subject to the required approvals by anti-trust authorities. Key financial figures at a glance 6M/2023 6M/2022 Change 2023 vs. 2022* Order Intake 3.5 bn 4.7 bn -26.6 % Sales 3.7 bn 3.4 bn +10.6 % Adjusted EBITDA 232 m 222 m +4.5 % Adjusted EBITDA Margin 6.2 % 6.6 % -0.4 PP Adjusted EBIT 207 m 202 m +2.5 % Adjusted EBIT Margin 5.6 % 6.0 % -0.4 PP * The percentage is calculated based on the values in million. For more details about our 6M-results 2023 please visit our website. About Exyte Exyte is a global leader in the design, engineering, and delivery of ultra-clean and sustainable facilities for high-tech industries. With cutting-edge expertise developed over more than a century, the company serves clients in the sophisticated markets of semiconductors, battery cells, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and data centers. Exyte offers a full range of services from consulting to managing the implementation of turnkey solutions with the highest standards in safety and quality to its customers worldwide. Exyte creates a better future by enabling key industries to enhance the quality of modern life. In 2022, the company generated sales of 7.4 billion with around 9,000 employees worldwide. Contact Rene Ziegler Vice President Corporate Communications & Investor Relations +49 711 88044606 +49 172 5838786 [email protected] www.exyte.net Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1487100/4253414/Exyte_Logo.jpg SOURCE Exyte BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) held a currency auction with the participation of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) on September 5, 2023, Trend reports. The bank said that the auction's demand, which amounted to $41.4 million (a decrease of 18.82 percent, or $9.6 million, compared to the previous auction), was fully met. The demand at the previous auction was $51 million. Based on the outcomes of the auction, the average weighted exchange rate of the Azerbaijani manat to the US dollar came to 1.7 AZN per USD. At currency auctions, $2.3 billion has been bought since the year's start. The auction held on March 28, 2023, saw a record-high demand for the currency of $96.3 million. The average demand at currency auctions organized by the Central Bank of Azerbaijan in 2022 amounted to 52.4 million manat ($30.8 million), while the supply was $70 million. Moreover, the CBA started conducting currency auctions by one-way sale of currency in competitive conditions in mid-January 2017. SINGAPORE, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fairdesk, a rising star in the digital-currency exchange arena, is excited to announce the launch of the highly anticipated Fairdesk Trading Competition 2023. 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Explore the Fairdesk Trading Competition: Join the Competition SOURCE Fairdesk VANCOUVER, BC and HOUSTON, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - International Battery Metals Ltd. (the "Company") is pleased to advise that on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, it filed with the British Columbia Securities Commission an Annual Information Form for the financial year ending March 31, 2023 (the "AIF"). The filing of the AIF is due in part to the Company's ongoing development of its Module Direct Lithium Extraction Unit, as well as the Company's ongoing strive to ensure it maintains the highest disclosure standards. Additionally, the Company believes that the filing of the AIF reflects a positive step in the Company's growth that will provide the Company with greater exposure to the investment community, including institutional investors in both Canada and the United States. In addition to the filing of the AIF, the Company would also like to advise that it has posted on its website a letter from Garry Flowers, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, addressed to shareholders of the Company (the "Shareholder Letter"). The Shareholder Letter provides readers with a general overview of the Company's development over the course of the 2023 fiscal year, as well as a general outlook of the Company for the upcoming months. A copy of the Shareholder Letter can be found on the Company's website located at www.ibatterymetals.com. About the Company The Company's direct lithium extraction technology is based on proprietary lithium extraction housed in patented extraction towers that are enclosed in a modular, shippable platform able to be loaded and brought into production within 10 days of arrival on a customer site. Utilizing the patented technology, the Company's focus has been on advanced extraction of lithium chloride from ground water salt brine deposits and returning the same water to the subsurface aquifer from which it is extracted. The Company' unique patented technology ensures faster delivery of lithium chloride while ensuring minimal environmental impact. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Garry Flowers" Garry Flowers, CEO Neither Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain assumptions, estimates, and other forward-looking statements regarding future events. Such forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and are subject to factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control that may cause actual results or performance to differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Forward looking and cautionary statements This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state in the United States in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This release may contain statements within the meaning of safe harbour provisions as defined under securities laws and regulations. This release may contain certain forwardlooking statements with respect to certain of the plans and objectives of the Company and expectations about the potential impacts of filing the AIF, including the anticipated benefits, express or implied, of increasing the Company's exposure to institutional investors. The use of any of the words "will", "expected", "view", "believes" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The statement made in this press release are made as of the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be expressly required by applicable securities laws. By their nature, forwardlooking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forwardlooking statements. SOURCE International Battery Metals Ltd. "These first drill holes have now confirmed a new modeled gold zone at the Duparquet Gold Project," stated Dan Wilton, CEO of First Mining. "With further drilling to continue, First Mining is well positioned to continue advancing this strategically important project located in the prolific Abitibi Greenstone Belt. The ongoing drilling success at Duparquet will provide upside potential to the Duparquet Gold Project where First Mining is currently advancing on a PEA and expect to have that completed in Q3 2023." Drilling Highlights: Initial drilling campaign at the Duparquet Project since acquisition confirms new gold zone "Buzz Zone" intercepts of 6.52 g/t Au over 4.6 m , 1.19 g/t Au over 10.4 m , 4.94 g/t Au over 1.0 m and 2.16 g/t Au over 1.5 m , 1.19 g/t Au over , 4.94 g/t Au over and 2.16 g/t Au over 1.5 m Additional intercepts in areas of geologic and wireframe validation which include 8.70 g/t Au over 3.3 m and 3.47 g/t Au over 7.75 m and 3.47 g/t Au over 7.75 m Continued demonstration of a sizeable and growth-enabled gold system in one of Canada's largest undeveloped gold projects Table 1: Selected Significant Drill Intercept Results at Buzz Zone Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Grade (Au g/t) Target DUP23-002 450.8 455.4 4.60 6.52 Buzz inc. 452.6 454.4 1.80 12.82 Buzz inc. 453.5 454.4 0.90 18.60 Buzz and 582.0 592.4 10.40 1.19 Buzz inc. 587.8 588.5 0.70 3.97 Buzz DUP23-003 659.0 660.0 1.00 4.94 Buzz and 715.5 717.0 1.50 2.16 Buzz *Reported intervals are drilled core lengths (true widths are estimated at 75-85% of the core length interval); assay values are uncut The Phase I drilling program commenced in May 2023 and is focused on validating, de-risking and unlocking exploration opportunities at the Duparquet Project, which has seen limited exploration since 2013. First Mining's initial campaign is the first to be conducted within its newly consolidated and wholly owned mineral tenure at Duparquet, which now spans 19 km of strike length of the prolific Destor-Porcupine Fault Zone in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. The newly modeled "Buzz Zone" occurs immediately south of the existing Duparquet mineral resource, which includes a combined pit and selective underground mining scenario with additional tailings resource, and which is currently estimated at 3.4 million ounces of gold in the Measured & Indicated category, grading 1.55 g/t Au, and an additional 1.6 million ounces of gold in the Inferred category, grading 1.36 g/t Au*. Recent drilling by First Mining targeted a new potential zone surrounding a historical drill intercept (1.77 g/t Au over 30 m in drill hole B09-40, including 2.38 g/t Au over 4 m, 7.44 g/t Au over 3 m and 5.72 g/t Au over 2 m), with a recognized potential for significant expansion with confirmation of continuity. First drilling by the Company at the Buzz Zone included two drill holes totalling 1,395 meters which demonstrate new mineralization over a strike length of 240 m which remains open in all directions. * Details of the Duparquet Gold Project mineral resource can be found in the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimate Update for the Duparquet Project, Quebec, Canada" which was prepared by InnovExplo Inc. of Val d'Or, Quebec in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and has an effective date of September 12, 2022. Buzz Target The Buzz target is located immediately south of the current resource wireframes at First Mining Gold's Duparquet Deposit (see Figure 1, Figure 2). The Buzz Zone is a resource expansion target which is hosted within interpreted splay(s) off the prolific Destor Porcupine Fault Zone located in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. The mineralization at Duparquet is known to occur along high strain corridors within sheared and brecciated zones that straddle or cut though the margins of the Beattie syenite. The gold mineralization is associated with fine- to very fine-grained, disseminated pyrite and lesser arsenopyrite, and is associated with silicification, sericitization and ankeritization. The second hole of the Phase I drill program, DUP23-002, was aimed at validating current mineralized resource wireframes and geological models while testing the Buzz Zone, a target previously underexplored due to the proximity of the historical boundary between the Duparquet property and the Porcupine East property, which was acquired by First Mining earlier this year. The Buzz Zone was intersected at a vertical depth of 355 metres and includes intervals of 6.52 g/t Au over 4.6 m, including 12.82 g/t Au over 1.8 m, and 1.19 g/t Au over 10.4 m, including 3.97 g/t Au over 0.7 m (Table 1). This drill hole also validated several of the modelled resource wireframes while confirming continuity at depth which included intervals of 8.70 g/t Au over 3.3 m and 0.94 g/t Au over 12.0 m. The drill hole also intersected additional mineralized zones near surface that had not been identified and included in the wireframes used in the current mineral resource estimate which included assay intervals of 2.72 g/t Au over 6.3 m from 106.0 m to 112.3 m, and 0.74 g/t Au over 20.25 m from 125.8 m to 146.0 m. The third hole of the program, DUP23-003, located 230 m to the east of DUP23-002, intersected mineralization below the current resource with a potential for wireframe extension of up to 75 m, including a significant intercept of 3.47 g/t Au over 7.75 m from 378.85 m to 386.60 m. DUP23-003 also drill tested the Buzz Zone and returned 4.94 g/t Au over 1.0 m from 659.0 m to 660.0 m, and 2.16 g/t Au over 1.50 m from 715.5 m to 717.0 m, hosted within brecciated lithologies. Initial interpretation of the target intercept provides a positive vector at depth for a favourable host setting within the conventionally targeted syenite, approximately 100 m vertically deeper. 2023 Duparquet Drilling Program First Mining commenced a foundational drilling program in May 2023 with an initial 5,000 m drilling campaign that is focusing on the advancement of newly defined targets, as well as validating and expanding on resource growth and optimization opportunities. The first three holes in the Phase I 5,000 m drilling program were aimed at validating the historical modelled mineralization and testing opportunities to extend the mineralization at depth and along strike. The Phase I program is also aiming to unlock exploration opportunities immediately surrounding the mineral resource, as well as at targeted areas that were identified from integrating datasets from the recently consolidated land tenure, which was historically underexplored and demonstrates potential to add additional mineral resources around the project (Figure 3). Other drill targets tested by First Mining include drilling around the historical Beattie mine, where there is still significant opportunity for validation and extension at depth. Drill hole DUP23-001 targeted the depth extension of the mineralization at the contact of the Beattie syenite and mafic volcanics. Two of the interpreted wireframes were intersected along the southern half of the Beattie Syenite. The hole intersected silicified, fine-grained syenite containing 0.5-1% pyrite and arsenopyrite and returned 2.28 g/t Au over 5.05 m, followed by a second zone approximately 105 m down the hole at the southern contact of the syenite with the volcanics, which returned 0.96 g/t Au over 9.8 m (Figure 4). Significant assay results from the Duparquet Gold Project drilling program are reported below in Table 2, and drill locations are provided in Table 3. Results from the current drilling validate the existing resource model, having intersected gold mineralization within the pit shell and interpreted wireframes. The drilling results also confirm that the interpreted wireframes have continuity at depth and that significant new gold mineralization exists to the south, beyond the limits of the current mineral resource estimate. The Company's exploration strategy at Duparquet is focused on advancing on multiple targets during this Phase I program, while continuing to integrate and modernize historical datasets to support drill targeting. "We are looking forward to completing our Phase I drilling campaign and launching into the next round of drilling in the fall of 2023, with an improved understanding of the resource and the brownfields opportunities at Duparquet while unlocking further exploration potential at the drill bit and with regional greenfields campaigns," stated James Maxwell, First Mining's Vice President of Exploration. Table 2: Significant Drill Intercept Results at Duparquet Gold Project Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Grade (Au g/t) Target DUP23-001 259.50 264.55 5.05 2.28 Beattie and 365.20 375.00 9.80 0.96 Beattie DUP23-002 44.00 47.00 3.00 0.96 Beattie and 106.00 112.30 6.30 2.72 Beattie and 125.75 146.00 20.25 0.74 Beattie and 354.00 357.30 3.30 8.70 Beattie inc. 354.00 355.00 1.00 18.80 Beattie and inc. 356.30 357.30 1.00 9.20 Beattie and 420.00 432.00 12.00 0.94 Beattie and 450.80 455.40 4.60 6.52 Buzz inc. 452.60 454.40 1.80 12.82 Buzz and inc. 453.50 454.40 0.90 18.60 Buzz and 582.00 592.40 10.40 1.19 Buzz inc. 587.80 588.50 0.70 3.97 Buzz DUP23-003 60.50 65.50 5.00 6.08 Beattie inc. 60.50 61.50 1.00 11.80 Beattie and inc. 63.50 64.50 1.00 15.00 Beattie and 136.00 158.40 22.40 1.09 Beattie inc. 137.80 138.30 0.50 13.10 Beattie and 266.20 267.00 0.80 7.07 Beattie and 378.85 386.60 7.75 3.47 Beattie inc. 380.30 382.00 1.70 10.79 Beattie and 659.00 660.00 1.00 4.94 Buzz and 715.50 717.00 1.50 2.16 Buzz *Reported intervals are drilled core lengths (true widths are estimated at 75-85% of the core length interval); assay values are uncut Table 3: Drill Hole Locations, Duparquet Gold Project Hole ID Azimuth () Dip () Length (m) Easting Northing Target DUP23-001 175 63 507 630445 5374387 Beattie DUP23-002 175 55 645 631053 5374400 Beattie and Buzz DUP23-003 180 60 750 631307 5374429 Beattie and Buzz Note: Collar coordinates in UTM NAD 83 z17 About the Duparquet Gold Project The Duparquet Project is geologically situated in the southern part of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt and is geographically located approximately 50 km north of the city of Rouyn-Noranda. The Duparquet Project is part of a property ownership package that spans several kilometres of strike length along the prolific Destor-Porcupine Fault Zone, along with numerous mineralized splays and influential secondary lineaments. The Duparquet Project includes the past-producing Beattie and Donchester mines and as well as the Central Duparquet and Dumico deposits. In addition, the project is located adjacent and contiguous to our Pitt Gold and Duquesne projects, as well as the Porcupine East claim blocks that we recently acquired from IAMGOLD. Analytical Laboratory and QA/QC Procedures All sampling completed by First Mining within its exploration programs is subject to a Company standard of internal quality control and quality assurance (QA/QC) programs which include the insertion of certified reference materials, blank materials and a level of duplicate analysis. Core samples from the 2023 drilling program were sent to AGAT Laboratories in Thunder Bay where they were processed for gold analysis by 50 gram fire assay with an atomic absorption finish, and samples from selected holes were sent to AGAT Laboratories in Mississauga, Ontario, or Calgary, Alberta, for multi-element analysis (including silver) by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) method with a four acid digest. AGAT Laboratories systems conform to requirements of ISO/IEC Standard 17025 guidelines and meets assay requirements outlined for NI 43-101. Qualified Person Louis Martin, P.Geo., Senior Geologic Consultant of First Mining, is a "Qualified Person" for the purposes of NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release. About First Mining Gold Corp. First Mining is a gold developer advancing two of the largest gold projects in Canada, the Springpole Gold Project in northwestern Ontario, where we have commenced a Feasibility Study and permitting activities are on-going with a draft Environmental Impact Statement ("EIS") for the project published in June 2022, and the Duparquet, Pitt Gold, Duquesne and Porcupine East Gold Project in Quebec, a collection of advanced-stage development assets located on the Destor-Porcupine Fault Zone in the prolific Abitibi region. First Mining also owns the Cameron Gold Project in Ontario and a portfolio of gold project interests including the Pickle Crow Gold Project (being advanced in partnership with Auteco Minerals Ltd.), the Hope Brook Gold Project (being advanced in partnership with Big Ridge Gold Corp.), and a large equity interest in Treasury Metals Inc. First Mining was established in 2015 by Mr. Keith Neumeyer, founding President and CEO of First Majestic Silver Corp. ON BEHALF OF FIRST MINING GOLD CORP. Daniel W. Wilton Chief Executive Officer and Director Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "intends", "estimates", "envisages", "potential", "possible", "strategy", "goals", "opportunities", "objectives", or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events. All forward-looking statements are based on First Mining's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Such factors include, without limitation the Company's business, operations and financial condition potentially being materially adversely affected by the outbreak of epidemics, pandemics or other health crises, such as COVID-19, and by reactions by government and private actors to such outbreaks; risks to employee health and safety as a result of the outbreak of epidemics, pandemics or other health crises, such as COVID-19, that may result in a slowdown or temporary suspension of operations at some or all of the Company's mineral properties as well as its head office; fluctuations in the spot and forward price of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in the currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar); changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding); the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities, indigenous populations and other stakeholders; availability and increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; title to properties.; and the additional risks described in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, and in the Company's Annual Report on Form 40-F filed with the SEC on EDGAR. First Mining cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to First Mining, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. First Mining does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on our behalf, except as required by law. Cautionary Note to United States Investors The Company is a "foreign private issuer" as defined in Rule 3b-4 under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is eligible to rely upon the Canada-U.S. Multi-Jurisdictional Disclosure System, and is therefore permitted to prepare the technical information contained herein in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of the securities laws currently in effect in the United States. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards. Technical disclosure contained in this news release has not been prepared in accordance with the requirements of United States securities laws and uses terms that comply with reporting standards in Canada with certain estimates prepared in accordance with NI 43-101. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning the issuer's material mineral projects. SOURCE First Mining Gold Corp. Modal title PRN Top Stories Newsletters Sign up to get PRNs top stories and curated news delivered to your inbox weekly! Enter Your Email Select Country Select Country Submit Thank you for subscribing! Our newsletters contain tracking pixels to help us deliver unique content based on each subscriber's engagement and interests. For more information on how we will use your data to ensure we send you relevant content please visit our By signing up you agree to receive content from us.Our newsletters contain tracking pixels to help us deliver unique content based on each subscriber's engagement and interests. For more information on how we will use your data to ensure we send you relevant content please visit our PRN Consumer Newsletter Privacy Notice . You can withdraw your consent at any time in the footer of every email you'll receive. Unsere Newsletter enthalten Zahlpixel, die die Lieferung einzigartiger Inhalte in Bezug auf das Abonnement und die Interessen der einzelnen Abonnenten ermoglichen. Weitere Informationen uber die Verwendung Ihrer Daten im Hinblick auf die Zusendung von relevanten Inhalten, finden Sie in unserer Mit Ihrer Anmeldung erklaren Sie sich damit einverstanden, Inhalte von uns zu erhalten.Unsere Newsletter enthalten Zahlpixel, die die Lieferung einzigartiger Inhalte in Bezug auf das Abonnement und die Interessen der einzelnen Abonnenten ermoglichen. Weitere Informationen uber die Verwendung Ihrer Daten im Hinblick auf die Zusendung von relevanten Inhalten, finden Sie in unserer PRN Consumer Newsletter Privacy Notice . 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Vous pouvez a tout moment revenir sur votre consentement par le biais des informations situees au bas de chaque e-mail recu. SUZHOU, China, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, NyokAssist was first-in-man (FIM) use, supporting High-risk PCI completed by Dr. Junbo Ge's team from Zhongshan Hospital in Shanghai. This successful implementation of HRPCI initially confirmed the safety and effectiveness of NyokAssist in assisting high-risk PCI. Doctors completing HRPCI supported with NyokAssist The patient is a 48-year-old male, who was diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD), heart failure, type II diabetes, and post-PCI before surgery. Preoperative echocardiography showed left ventricular enlargement with decreased left ventricular systolic motion, with an LVEF of 34%. (Note: The case study has been authorized by the patient's consent and has been anonymized to ensure the protection of individual confidentiality.) Given the patient's complicated medical condition and high surgical risk, Dr. Ge's team evaluated the possible hemodynamic disorders during the procedure, requiring mechanical circulatory support, and decided to perform PCI with the support of NyokAssist. Eventually, the procedure went well. With the insertion of the 9Fr sheath, NyokAssist was easy to deliver through the aortic arch and valve, causing less invasive injury compared with the current product in the market. It effectively ensured safety and effectiveness through the procedure, providing an average flow of more than 3L /min. The patient's blood pressure was stable during the procedure. A testament to innovation, the patient's recovery culminated in discharge 2 days after the procedure. Coronary artery disease (CAD) has been on the rise since the last decade in China, the number of PCI cases increased steadily to 1.5 million in 2022, of which high-risk PCI cases account for over 10%. Such operations have a high mortality rate. The persistent challenge lies in a lack of secure and effective intraoperative protection during clinical practice. The interventional VAD becomes a pivotal solution for maintaining the stability of intraoperative hemodynamics, securing the success of the operation, and optimizing postoperative outcomes. The FIM use has been an exciting milestone for magAssist, showing that magAssist devotion to transforming innovations into lifesaving technologies has come to fruitful results. Furthermore, NyokAssist has recently received designation from the U.S. FDA's Breakthrough Device Program, underscoring its potential on the global stage. Surgical Procedure Coronary angiograms demonstrated an 85% in-stent restenosis in the distal segment of the left main. There was 80% stenosis of the proximal left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery and total occlusion in the middle segment of the LAD. The left circumflex artery was small and the opening was completely occluded. The distal segment of the right coronary artery showed 50% stenosis. After a thorough preoperative evaluation, a 9Fr sheath was inserted through the right femoral artery. Following this, the device was initiated to provide circulatory support at a steady 3.0 LPM once the pump was positioned. The AOP rose from 85/50 mmHg before the pump was started to about 120/80 mmHg. The AOP was stable during the whole procedure. Fielder XT-R guide wire was successfully delivered through the occlusal segment to the distal left anterior descending artery with the assistance of an Expressman extension catheter and 130cm APT micro-catheter. The 2.0*20mm and 2.5*20mm balloons were pre-dilated at the lesions of the proximal-distal segment of the anterior descending artery. Then, two stents were implanted in series. Finally, the 2.0*20mm saccule was used to dilate the lesion of the first diagonal branch. Wolverine (3.5*10mm) cutting balloon was used to dilate the lesions in the left main coronary artery, and Bingo (3.5*20mm) drug balloon was used to expand and release drugs. Angiography showed satisfactory expansion of the lesions without residual stenosis. Angiography showed satisfactory stent expansion, with residual stenosis <30% in the first diagonal branch. There is no residual stenosis in the middle to the distal segment of the anterior descending artery, and TIMI 3 antegrade flow. The procedure went well, NyokAssist was easy to deliver through aortic arch and valve. The patient's blood pressure was stable during the operation. Echocardiography demonstrated the pump was in position, and no aggravation of aortic and mitral valve regurgitation was observed. After the operation, the catheter pump was successfully removed, and only a single ProGlide SMC device was used to close the femoral artery. The patient was able to stand 6 hours later without vascular complications. The patient's recovery continued to progress positively, culminating in discharge 2 days later. Disclaimer: NyokAssist has not received approvals from either the U.S. FDA or China NMPA at this stage. The content is intended solely for informational purposes, with a focus on providing information including industry and academic exchange. It is not intended for advertising and should not be considered as an advertisement, either explicitly or implicitly. Nor shall it be considered for any purpose of offering to sale or sale. For precise information, please seek guidance from a healthcare professional. SOURCE magAssist Co., Ltd The innovative home service franchise platform ranks 12th on the prestigious annual list published by Utah Business SPRINGVILLE, Utah, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second consecutive year, Five Star Franchising , an innovative, growing platform of home service brands, has been recognized by Utah Business magazine as one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the state. Five Star Franchising ranks 12th on the 2023 Fast 50 list, up three spots from 15th in 2022. Fast 50 companies are ranked according to their total five-year revenue and compound annual growth rate. Five Star Franchising, an innovative, growing platform of home service brands, has been named for the second consecutive year to the Utah Business Fast 50 list, ranking 12th among the states fastest-growing companies. Five Star Franchising offers industry-leading tools and support to empower and inspire franchise owners throughout North America. With more than 800 franchise locations, Five Star Franchising's brands, including Five Star Bath Solutions, Gotcha Covered, Bio-One, 1-800-Packouts, 1-800-Textiles, and Mosquito Shield, are top performers in technology, marketing, operations, local market success and people. "Five Star Franchising's incredible growth is driven by our commitment to building a world-class home service franchise platform and helping our franchise owners achieve their dreams," said Scott Abbott, CEO and co-founder of Five Star Franchising. "We're proud of the positive impact we're having on the economy in Utah. The company has grown fifteen-fold in the last three years, and our platform of brands provides fantastic value and opportunity for anyone seeking financial independence by owning their own business." Rankings were revealed at the Fast 50 gala event on Aug. 24. The full list is available online and will be featured in the September issue of Utah Business. For more information about Five Star Franchising, visit http://fivestarfranchising.com/ . About Five Star Franchising Five Star Franchising is an innovative, growing platform of seven home service brands with more than 800 franchises collectively, across North America. The company empowers franchise partners' success with industry-leading tools and support while maximizing profitable growth for their franchise owners. Five Star Franchising's brands include Five Star Bath Solutions, Gotcha Covered, Bio-One, 1-800-Packouts, 1-800-Textiles, and Mosquito Shield as well as ProNexis, a leader in growth and customer experience solutions for home services franchises. Five Star's commitment to its core values Driven, Real, Innovative, Vital, and Enthusiastic (DRIVE) ensures its brands are top performers in technology, marketing, operations, local market success, and people. For more information, visit fivestarfranchising.com . MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Ripley Ripley PR (865) 977-1973 [email protected] SOURCE Five Star Franchising Inc. Magazine Reveals Annual List of America's Fastest-Growing Private Companiesthe Inc. 5000 NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. magazine revealed that FlexScreen is No. 3,217 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy's most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. Regarding the achievement, FlexScreen Inventor & CEO Joe Altieri had this to say: "Making the Inc. 5000 list for the third year in a row is truly an incredible achievement. I'm grateful for this accomplishment, but most of all for the people who made it possible. My family, partners, employees, and customers have all gone above and beyond to help us innovate, adapt, and thrive throughout the years, and I truly believe the best is yet to come for FlexScreen." Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at https://www.inc.com/inc5000/2023. The top 500 companies are featured in the September issue of Inc., which is available now. "Building one of the fastest-growing companies in America in any year is a remarkable achievement. This kind of accomplishment comes with hard work, smart pivots, great leadership, and the help of a whole lot of people. More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Methodology Companies on the 2021 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2017 to 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2017. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2020. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2017 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to three decimal places. There was one tie on this year's Inc. 5000. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.'s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000. About Inc. Media The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including web sites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Vision Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com. For more information on the Inc. 5000 Vision Conference, visit http://conference.inc.com/. SOURCE FlexScreen The Need for Potency and Reliable Dosage Are Central Aspects of the Veteran Bulgarian Health Brand's Supplement Manufacturing Business FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VemoHerb is a Bulgarian supplement manufacturer that has been in operation for over two decades. In that time, the company has found that there are a handful of core philosophies that are central to creating exceptional supplements. Two of these focal points are the need for strong concentration and consistency in dosage. "We live in an information age," says Vasil Zlatev, co-owner of VemoHerb. "Consumers aren't following nutraceutical advice blindly. They understand what they're looking for, and they want products with the potency and consistency to provide real results." VemoHerb has responded to this need by prioritizing quality over quantity. The brand's product selection is robust after decades of research and formula development. However, it doesn't have the same "mass selection" as many other supplement brands. Instead, the company focuses on maintaining a select group of products at premium standards including the need for high concentration and reliable dosage. Regarding concentration, VemoHerb's botanical ingredients come from wild-grown herbs in select regions. "Like grapes in the wine-making process," Zlatev explains, "the place where a remedial herb grows is critical to its makeup." VemoHerb's flagship ingredient, Tribulus Terrestris, is a good example of this concept. The company only harvests wild-grown Tribulus (with zero cultivation) in the rural and mountainous areas of its home region of Bulgaria to guarantee a consistent and strong presence of its key active ingredients. Once harvested, the brand processes its herbs in a completely closed-loop production cycle. They use a unique know-how technology to extract the highest concentration of active ingredients in each element. This ensures maximum potency in every dose. The use of an in-house closed production cycle also allows the company to maintain complete analytical and technological control from start to finish of the production process. This means they can keep costs low and, critically, standardization high. The end result is a line of pristine supplements sourced from wild-grown herbal ingredients featuring consistent, concentrated dosages. It's this process, perfected over years of experience and research, that has enabled the VemoHerb team to live up to its slogan of "Premium Quality for all." About VemoHerb VemoHerb is a health and wellness enterprise with over two decades of experience in the supplement industry. Founded in 1999, the family-owned label was established to develop and market innovative herbal extracts and food enzymes. The brand prides itself on its closed-loop production process, which starts with harvesting wild-grown herbs from the Balkan Mountain region, includes cutting-edge active ingredient extraction via the company's in-house lab, and ends with elite supplements with transparent and informed labels. Learn more at vemoherb.com . Media Contact: Deyana Zdravkova International Marketing & Sales Services Vemo 99 LTD 88 Rozhen Blvd, 1271 Sofia, Bulgaria; Phone: +359 2 931 66 21 364777@email4pr.com SOURCE VemoHerb SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan Institute proudly presents the 2023 Enlightened Leadership Awards for Responsible Growth, a testament to the unwavering commitment of outstanding global enterprises that have seamlessly integrated growth with their role as global stewards. Through commitment to 'innovating to zero' on global challenges like carbon emissions, inclusion in workforce, women empowerment and diversity, these exceptional companies inspire change, setting a paradigm for responsible growth and positive transformation on a global scale. Through commitment to 'innovating to zero' on global challenges like carbon emissions, inclusion in workforce, women empowerment and diversity, these exceptional companies inspire change, setting a paradigm for responsible growth and positive transformation on a global scale. Congratulations! "In an increasingly interconnected world, the winners of the 2023 Enlightened Leadership Awards shine as exemplars of corporate leadership. These companies have seamlessly woven together their growth aspirations with a genuine dedication to fostering positive change. Their strategies not only elevate their industries but also resonate across boundaries, highlighting the undeniable link between business success and global well-being. " said Prerna Mohan, Director, Frost & Sullivan Institute. Guided by a rigorous, research-driven eight-step methodology, the Frost & Sullivan Institute continues to uphold its commitment to excellence. The selection process places emphasis on growth excellence, 'innovating to zero' in alignment with global priorities, enhancing the customer value chain, and leveraging technology, underscoring the Institute's unwavering dedication to holistic growth and the principles of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG). The Frost & Sullivan Institute extends heartfelt congratulations to the exceptional achievers of the Enlightened Growth Leadership Awards. We are excited to announce that this year's 2023 awardees will be celebrated at our prestigious awards banquet at Prague in November. Recipients: Crescent Energy CrossAmerica Partners LP CVS Health Danaher Datadog Delek US Holdings, Inc. Dexcom, Inc Diamondback Energy, Inc. Diodes Incorporated DocuSign, Inc. Dorman Products. Enphase Energy. Entegris Enviva Inc. EOG Resources, Inc. EPAM Systems, Inc. Epic Systems Corporation Etsy, Inc. Exelixis, Inc. ExlService Holdings, Inc. and Affiliates First Quantum Minerals Ltd. Fiserv, Inc. Fortinet, Inc. FOX Factory, Inc. FRANCO-NEVADA CORPORATION Franklin Electric GFL Environmental Inc. Horizon Therapeutics plc HubSpot, Inc. Humana IAC IES Holdings, Inc. Coherent Corp. Incyte IEA Ingersoll Rand Insulet Corporation INTERFOR CORPORATION International Flavors & Fragrances Inc IPG About Frost & Sullivan Institute The Frost & Sullivan Institute (FSI) is a non-profit organization that utilizes business practices to address global priorities. The genesis of the institute goes back to the vision of either creating or becoming part of a solution that addresses threats to humanity. The Institute has identified strategic imperatives for transformation and believes we can accelerate innovation to zero. To learn more about FSI, visit www.frostandsullivaninstitute.org About Frost & Sullivan For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion. Media Contact: Bivechana Gautam Email: [email protected] Related Links www.frost.com www.frostandsullivaninstitute.org SOURCE Frost & Sullivan The first clinical trial sample analysis provider to adopt LIMS To provide enhanced quality of pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and immunogenicity data from bioanalytic testing YONGIN, South Korea, Sept. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GCCL, a Korean clinical trial sample analysis company, announced on Sep. 5th that it has adopted the Lab Information Management System for the first time in the sample analysis industry. Thermo Scientific Watson LIMS by Thermo Scientific, which GCCL has adopted this time is a well-known software widely used by many global CROs, pharma companies and regulatory authorities. It is known to support the entirety of bioanalytic workflow from assay validation for pharmacodynamic analysis of biologics and chemical pharmaceuticals to sample analysis and reporting. According to GCCL, the company has even added the Immune Response Module that supports the immunogenicity analysis workflow in order to provide more enhanced bioanalytic services. Song Hyun Yang, CEO of GCCL, said, "Striving for better data accuracy is at the core of our company as a sample analysis service provider." And he added that "with the introduction of LIMS, we provide a high-quality sample analysis service that adheres to the global guidelines". With the server in place, GCCL is planning to complete the Computer System Validation (CSV) and start applying the system for pharmacodynamic analysis of chemical and biologic pharmaceuticals as well as for immunogenicity analysis of biopharmaceuticals from Q1 next year. About GCCL GCCL, a Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP)-certified agency accredited by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of South Korea, is a clinical trial sample analysis company that provides services for all phases of clinical trials from phase 1 to 4. Based on its variety of analysis platforms that meets the global quality standards and its own sample logistics system, the company is providing clinical trial sample analysis services for its partners across Asia and beyond. This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of GCCL's management. Such statements do not represent any guarantee by GCCL or its management of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. GCCL undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule. GC & GCCL Contacts (Media) Yelin Jun [email protected] Sohee Kim [email protected] Jieun Yun [email protected] SOURCE GCCL GeeTest Named Finalist in Bot Management category in Cyber Defense Magazine's 11th Annual InfoSec Awards WUHAN, China, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GeeTest is proud to announce we have been named a finalist for the following award from Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM), the industry's leading electronic information security magazine: Finalist in Bot Management category of Top InfoSec Innovator Awards for 2023 Judging continues through October 2023, where winners will be announced online, in print and during Cyber Defense Con 2023, where a select group of winners will be given the opportunity to showcase their innovative solutions to the Top Global CISOs during their invitation-only conference. "We're thrilled to receive this recognition in one of the most prestigious and coveted cybersecurity awards in the world from Cyber Defense Magazine, during their 11th anniversary as an independent cybersecurity news and information provider. We knew the competition would be tough and with top judges who are leading infosec experts from around the globe, we couldn't be more pleased," said Yuan Wu of GeeTest. "GeeTest embodies three major features we judges look for with the potential to become winners: understanding tomorrow's threats, today, providing a cost-effective solution and innovating in unexpected ways that can help mitigate cyber risk and get one step ahead of the next breach," said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine. About GeeTest GeeTest, a leading provider of cutting-edge bot management solutions founded in 2012, has consistently demonstrated a commitment to innovation, cybersecurity, and enhancing user experience. This commitment is most prominently reflected in its revolutionary CAPTCHA technology, particularly the latest version, GeeTest CAPTCHA v4. This innovative leap forward not only addresses the challenges posed by increasingly sophisticated bots but also offers a competitive edge that sets it apart from other vendors, including Advanced Bot Detection: Boosted security with proactive approaches that evolve alongside bots Enhanced User Experience: Game-like challenges and invisible CAPTCHA align security with user satisfaction, fostering a positive user experience Seamless access for all: We've designed simple, painless alternatives to make CAPTCHA services with WCAG 2.0 compliance accessible for all. GeeTest has occupied the Top 1 market share in APAC and services with over 360,000 enterprises worldwide presently including Airbnb, Nike, Imperva, etc. Most notably, GeeTest has achieved comprehensive coverage in the blockchain industry with over 20% of the Top 50 crypto exchanges choosing GeeTest to fight fraud attacks, including BINANCE, Axie Infinity, Poloniex, crypto.com, etc. In November 2021 GeeTest was recognized as a selected vendor in Forrester's Now Tech: Bot Management, Q4 2021. In July 2023, GeeTest CAPTCHA was recognized as impactful DDoS Protection software for businesses by Capterra. Book a Demo with GeeTest: https://www.geetest.com/en/Register_en GeeTest protects your business from Account Takeover (ATO) Web Scraping Denial of Inventory Card Testing/attacks Credential Stuffing SMS Pumping Bonus & Gift card abuse Spam Registration About Cyber Defense Awards This is Cyber Defense Magazine's eleventh year of honouring InfoSec innovators from around the Globe. Our submission requirements are for any startup, early stage, later stage, or public companies in the INFORMATION SECURITY (INFOSEC) space who believe they have a unique and compelling value proposition for their product or service. About Cyber Defense Magazine Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of cyber security news and information for InfoSec professions in business and government. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards for the best ideas, products, and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and special editions exclusively for the RSA Conferences and Cyber Defense Conferences. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group. SOURCE GeeTest BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. Turkiye increased cement exports to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 1.3 percent ($31.5 million) from January through August 2023 compared to the same period last year, Turkiyes Ministry of Trade said, Trend reports. Turkiye increased cement exports to the UAE by 13.5 percent ($3.7 million) in August compared to the same month in 2022. In addition, Turkish cement exports decreased by 15.1 percent and amounted to $3.2 billion from January through August 2023 compared to the same period last year. Turkiye exported cement worth $395.7 million in August this year, which is 16.5 percent less than in July last year. In general, Turkiye exported cement worth $4.9 billion over the past 12 months (from August 2022 through August 2023). DUBLIN, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Coagulation Market Analysis & Forecast to 2023-2033: Market Product Type, Test Type, by End-User, and by Region" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global coagulation market size was estimated to be USD 4.2 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach at USD 8.1 billion by 2033 with a CAGR of 7.2%. Increasing incidence of bleeding disorders, rising technological advancements, increasing surgical procedures, growing awareness and diagnosis of coagulation disorders, and increasing research and development activities will drive the market growth. The accuracy, speed, and efficiency of coagulation testing have all improved as a result of technological and instrument advancements. Faster and more convenient testing has been made possible by the introduction of automated coagulation analyzers and point-of-care testing equipment, which has stimulated market expansion. By product type, fibrinolytic agents was the highest revenue-grossing segment in the global coagulation market in 2022 owing to their critical role in the management of thrombotic disorders and the increasing adoption of fibrinolytic therapy in various healthcare settings. Coagulation factors will be the fastest revenue-grossing segment in the global coagulation market in 2022 owing to the growing demand for replacement therapies in patients with inherited bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, and factor deficiencies. By test type, prothrombin time (PT) tests was the highest revenue-grossing segment in the global coagulation market in 2022 owing to the widespread use of PT tests in various clinical settings, including hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, and point-of-care settings. Activated partial thromboplastin time tests will be the fastest revenue-grossing segment in the global coagulation market in 2022 owing to the rising incidence of coagulation disorders, such as hemophilia, lupus anticoagulant, and von Willebrand disease, which necessitate regular monitoring of the intrinsic pathway of the coagulation cascade. By end-user, hospitals was the highest revenue-grossing segment in the global coagulation market in 2022 owing to the significant volume of coagulation testing conducted in hospital settings and the wide range of coagulation-related procedures performed within these facilities. Research institutes will be the fastest revenue-grossing segment in the global coagulation market in 2022 owing to the growing focus on research and development activities in the field of coagulation, driving the demand for specialized coagulation testing, innovative therapies, and cutting-edge technologies. Global Coagulation, By Region (USD Billion) North America was the highest revenue-grossing segment in the global coagulation market in 2022 owing to the well-established healthcare infrastructure, high prevalence of coagulation disorders, and strong adoption of advanced coagulation testing and management practices. Asia Pacific will be the fastest revenue-grossing segment in the global coagulation market in 2022 owing to the increasing prevalence of coagulation disorders, improving healthcare infrastructure, and a growing focus on early diagnosis and treatment. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 145 Forecast Period 2022 - 2033 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $4.2 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2033 $8 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.0 % Regions Covered Global Company Profiles CryoLife, Inc Baxter International, Inc Cohera Medical, Inc C.R. Bard, Inc Ethicon, Inc. [J&J] Cardinal Health Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation Mallinckrodt plc plc B. Braun Melsungen AG Report Scope: Base Year: 2022 Forecast Period: 2023-2033 Study Coverage Market Forecast by Product type, Test type, End-user Market Forecast for 5 Regions and 17+ Countries North America (U.S. and Canada ) (U.S. and ) Europe ( Germany , France , UK, Spain , Italy , Russia , Rest of Europe ) ( , , UK, , , , Rest of ) Asia Pacific ( China , Japan , India , Australia , South Korea , Rest of APAC) ( , , , , , Rest of APAC) Latin America ( Brazil , Mexico , Argentina , Rest of LATAM) ( , , , Rest of LATAM) MEA ( South Africa , GCC, Rest of MEA) , GCC, Rest of MEA) Exhaustive Company Profiles of Top 10+ Major Market Players Segmentation: Coagulation Market Report 2022-2033 Coagulation Market Analysis & Forecast by Product Type 2022-2033 (Revenue USD Bn) Coagulation Analyzers Consumables Coagulation Factors Fibrinolytic Agents Coagulation Market Analysis & Forecast by Test Type 2022-2033 (Revenue USD Bn) Prothrombin Time (PT) Tests Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time Tests D-Dimer Tests Platelet Function Tests Coagulation Market Analysis & Forecast by End-user 2022-2033 (Revenue USD Bn) Hospitals Diagnostic Laboratories Research Institutes For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/pjtbk4 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets DUBLIN, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Finasteride Market By Application, By Type, By Distribution Channel: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The finasteride market valued for $362.11 million in 2021 and is estimated to reach $546.72 million by 2031, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.2% from 2022 to 2031. The major factors driving the growth of the finasteride market include rise in prevalence of hair loss and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), as well as surge in awareness about the benefits of finasteride treatment. For instance, article published in National Library of Medicine 2021, stated that, male pattern baldness affects up to 2% of general population. This rise in male pattern baldness is anticipated to drive the growth of the market. The finasteride market is witnessing significant growth driven by various factors. The rise in the prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is expected to be a major contributor to market expansion. According to a publication in the Lancet Healthy Longevity Journal 2022, there were 94 million prevalent cases of BPH reported globally in 2019. Additionally, as the global population ages, there's a notable increase in the incidence of BPH and related conditions. This has resulted in a growing demand for medications like finasteride, known for managing BPH symptoms, thereby indicating a rise in the geriatric population. The availability of generic types of finasteride has played a pivotal role in market growth. This affordability and accessibility have been achieved through offerings like finasteride tablets in generic form by companies such as Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. Furthermore, the market is being fueled by key players offering both branded and generic versions of finasteride. Notable names like Merck & Co., Inc., Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., contribute to the market's expansion. Rising disposable income is also playing a part in the market's growth, with an increased demand for medications that enhance physical appearance, including finasteride for male pattern hair loss. This willingness to invest in treatments for improved aesthetics is aided by rising disposable income levels. However, alternative treatments for male pattern baldness and BPH, such as hair transplant surgery and availability of alternate medications, pose some challenges to the market's growth. Additionally, the absence of favorable reimbursement policies and alternative treatments may impede growth. Nonetheless, the demand for finasteride and growing awareness of its benefits offer promising opportunities for market players. Major key players in the global finasteride market include Alkem Laboratories Ltd, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., Merck & Co., Inc., Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., and more. These players contribute to the dynamic landscape of the finasteride market, which is driven by factors ranging from healthcare needs to market offerings and economic trends. Key Benefits For Stakeholders This report provides a quantitative analysis of the market segments, current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the finasteride market analysis from 2021 to 2031 to identify the prevailing finasteride market opportunities. The market research is offered along with information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities. Porter's five forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer network. In-depth analysis of the finasteride market segmentation assists to determine the prevailing market opportunities. Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global market. Market player positioning facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of the market players. The report includes the analysis of the regional as well as global finasteride market trends, key players, market segments, application areas, and market growth strategies. Market Dynamics Drivers Rise in prevalence of male pattern baldness Rise in adoption of finasteride for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) Increase in adherence of finasteride for treatment of BPH and male pattern baldness Restraints Side effects associated with finasteride Competition from other medications and availability of alternate medicine Opportunities Growth opportunities in emerging markets Key Market Players Alkem Laboratories Ltd HETERO LABS LIMITED Merck & Co., Inc. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Organon & Co. Aurobindo Pharma Cipla Ltd Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. Key Topics Covered: CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Report description 1.2. Key market segments 1.3. Key benefits to the stakeholders 1.4. Research Methodology CHAPTER 2: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2.1. CXO Perspective CHAPTER 3: MARKET OVERVIEW 3.1. Market definition and scope 3.2. Key findings 3.2.1. Top impacting factors 3.2.2. Top investment pockets 3.3. Porter's five forces analysis CHAPTER 4: FINASTERIDE MARKET, BY APPLICATION 4.1. Overview 4.1.1. Market size and forecast 4.2. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) 4.3. Male pattern baldness CHAPTER 5: FINASTERIDE MARKET, BY TYPE 5.1. Overview 5.1.1. Market size and forecast 5.2. Branded 5.3. Generic CHAPTER 6: FINASTERIDE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL 6.1. Overview 6.1.1. Market size and forecast 6.2. Hospital Pharmacies 6.3. Online Providers 6.4. Drug Stores and Retail Pharmacies CHAPTER 7: FINASTERIDE MARKET, BY REGION 7.1. Overview 7.1.1. Market size and forecast By Region CHAPTER 8: COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE 8.1. Introduction 8.2. Top winning strategies 8.3. Product Mapping of Top 10 Player 8.4. Competitive Dashboard 8.5. Competitive Heatmap 8.6. Top player positioning, 2021 For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/d6uvql About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets CARACOL, Haiti, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a remarkable milestone that underscores a decade of transformative impact, the inaugural graduation ceremony of S&H School, established in 2013 by Global Sae-A in Caracol, northern Haiti, has marked a turning point in the nation's educational landscape. Global Sae-As S&H School in Haiti produced its first graduates in 10 years since its establishment. The photo shows Chairman WK Kim (center, front row), the schools founder, taking a commemorative photo along with other key attendees and graduates after awarding diplomas. (From the left in the front row, Global Sae-A Sr. Advisor Lon Garwood, S&H Global Vice President David Moon, Global Sae-A Chairman WK Kim, S&H School Principal Sophia Choi, and Global Sae-A CEO KM Kim) Global Sae-As S&H School in Haiti produced its first graduates in 10 years since its establishment. The photo shows Global Sae-A Groups Chairman WK Kim, the schools founder, giving a congratulatory speech at S&H School's first graduation ceremony. Global Sae-As S&H School in Haiti produced its first graduates in 10 years since its establishment. The photo shows students performing a congratulatory taekwondo performance at the graduation ceremony. This year, a cohort of 47 students stands on the cusp of the future, having completed their journey through S&H School's comprehensive educational program. These graduates stand as a testament to the remarkable power of free, high-quality education offered over ten years, encompassing their entire scholastic journey from elementary to high school. Of these graduates, 11 have successfully secured employment, while 36 are primed to continue their studies at universities, showcasing the potency of S&H School's holistic approach. Last year, Global Sae-A pioneered internships for aspiring graduates at Sae-A Trading's international branches, providing a seamless transition into society. Attending in person were Global Sae-A Chairman and school founder WK Kim, Global Sae-A CEO KM Kim, Haiti government officials, Director of the Regional Ministry of Education, and local community leaders, as well as a bevy of international stakeholders connected virtually. Amidst Haiti's economic challenges since the 2010 earthquake, compounded by an unstable environment, Global Sae-A's unwavering commitment has extended beyond education to encompass epidemic prevention initiatives and significant medical volunteering. With a firm belief that education is the catalyst for national development, S&H School emerged as a cornerstone in the reconstruction process in 2013. Initially established as an elementary school through collaboration with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), S&H School's subsequent expansion to include secondary education in 2017 transformed it into a premier comprehensive institution. A meticulously crafted curriculum, elite faculty, multilingual subjects, and a focus on nourishing growth through balanced meals have made S&H School a unique educational haven in Haiti. Uniquely, S&H School provides free tuition, books, supplies and lunches, a distinction setting it apart as one of the sole institutions in Haiti offering this provision. The incorporation of Hangul as an official curriculum subject since 2018 exemplifies Global Sae-A's commitment to cultural exchange, fostering a vibrant educational environment. Additionally, orchestral music education enriches students artistically. With approximately 700 students across 28 classes spanning kindergarten to high school, S&H School's impact reverberates widely. Global Sae-A Chairman WK Kim, the school's founder, expressed his pride in witnessing the small educational seed sown in Haiti a decade ago flourishing into empowered individuals poised to shape Haiti's future. Chairman Kim stated, "I urge our graduates to embrace their potential and embrace 'courageous challenges,' an ethos integral to Global Sae-A's values, thereby becoming agents of transformation in Haiti's history." Global Sae-A's profound impact transcends the realm of education, resonating powerfully through its extensive humanitarian initiatives worldwide, under the aegis of the Sae-A Foundation. These endeavors stand as a testament to the company's unwavering commitment to global welfare. Notably, the Sae-A Foundation's compassionate reach manifested significantly in responding to urgent crises. In the aftermath of the devastating wildfires that swept through Indonesia last year, the foundation orchestrated the distribution of thousands of masks and substantial quantities of essential sustenance, providing solace to those displaced by the catastrophe. Similarly, during the harsh throes of winter, the foundation extended a benevolent hand to those affected by the conflict in Ukraine. The provision of blankets and winter garments, valued at $2 million, offered both warmth and hope in the face of adversity. Elevating its dedication even further, Global Sae-A, in partnership with the esteemed international NGO CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) and its affiliate Ssangyong Engineering and Construction, earmarked an impressive commitment of $8 million for humanitarian aid. This comprehensive pledge encompasses diverse initiatives, including the financing of shelters tailored for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The collaboration between these entities underscores a resolute drive to effect positive change in communities in need. Expanding upon its ethos of corporate social responsibility (CSR), Global Sae-A extends its influence through subsidiary ventures in Haiti, Guatemala, Indonesia, and Vietnam. These localized efforts epitomize the company's endeavor to harmonize CSR strategies with specific community needs. Scholarships empower aspiring minds, visits to orphanages sow seeds of compassion, and environmental protection initiatives foster sustainable practices, all reflecting the company's holistic approach to conscientious business stewardship. In summation, Global Sae-A's enduring impact traverses continents and scenarios, emboldening its status as a beacon of corporate benevolence. The amalgamation of education and humanitarianism underscores the company's mission to catalyze positive change on a global scale. For media inquiries, please contact: [Global Sae-A PR Team] Karen Seo (Manager) [email protected] Kris Kwon (Assistant Manager) [email protected] SOURCE Global Sae-A Group Leading water safety and swim lesson school announces additional Austin, TX area location AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Goldfish Swim School, the country's leading water safety and swim lesson school offering infant and child swim lessons, is pleased to announce an additional Austin, TX area location. The newest addition to the Goldfish Swim School family joins a thriving existing location in the Northwest Hills neighborhood. The Goldfish Swim School South Austin team will be welcoming swimmers into the pool in Winter 2023. Located at 3601 Davis Lane Bldg. 3 in South Austin, Goldfish Swim School South Austin provides indoor, year-round swim instruction to children ages four months to 12 years-old in a safe and hands-on setting with lifeguard certified instructors, small class sizes (max 4:1 student to teacher ratio), and flexible class choices, all in a climate-controlled, state-of-the-art facility. Goldfish runs on a perpetual lesson schedule, with enrollment open any time all year long. Goldfish Swim School offers convenient scheduling options with flexible and free makeup classes. In addition to swim lessons, Goldfish Swim School offers amenities such as birthday parties, private changing rooms, showers and drying stations and free open swims for members. Facility highlights include an air-conditioned viewing gallery for parents to watch lessons, snack bar, retail shop and an inviting tropical environment. The statistics around drowning and young children remain staggering. Drowning remains the number one cause of accidental death for kids age one to four. In 2022 alone, there were at least 76 drownings in the state of Texas. The Goldfish team is committed to changing this statistic by providing swim lessons and water safety education to local families. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)recommends that children participate in regular, high quality swim lessons starting at age one. In addition to providing swim lessons, the Goldfish Swim School South Austin team will also offer water safety presentations free of charge to any interested school, organization or community group. Goldfish Swim School South Austin opens in winter 2023. Families can pre-register for lessons now by visiting the website . About Goldfish Swim School: Founded in 2006 by husband-and-wife team Chris and Jenny McCuiston, Troy, Michigan-based Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children aged four months to 12 years. Classes are led by specially trained instructors in a safe, child-friendly environment using a research-based philosophy called The Science of SwimPlay. Since opening its first franchised location in 2009, the brand has grown to 150+ schools in 30+ states, with an additional 150+ in development. Goldfish is ranked No. 69 overall in Entrepreneur's 2023 Franchise 500, has been recognized as the No. 1 provider of children's swimming lessons for seven consecutive years, was recently named to Inc. 5000 for 2023 and is rated as a Top Franchise by Franchise Business Review for 2023. Goldfish Swim School is currently in the process of expanding franchise opportunities throughout North America. For information on franchising, go to www.goldfishswimschool.com/franchising-opportunities. CONTACT Sara Fisher 2 Moms Media, LLC 773-368-5220 [email protected] SOURCE Goldfish Swim School NEW YORK and SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Golub Capital today announced that Sean Chung has joined as a Managing Director and will be based in the Firm's Seoul office, further expanding the Korea-focused team. The Korea-focused team will now include: Sean Chung , Managing Director, Korea. Prior to Golub Capital, Sean held positions as Managing Partner at OSR Holdings and Head of Global Alternative Investment Team at Shinhan Investment. , Managing Director, Korea. Prior to Golub Capital, Sean held positions as Managing Partner at OSR Holdings and Head of Global Alternative Investment Team at Shinhan Investment. Anthony Yum , Managing Director in the Business Development group based in New York , will continue to focus on managing existing and new client relationships in Korea for the Firm. Prior to Golub Capital, Anthony was a Managing Director at Shinhan Investment America. , Managing Director in the Business Development group based in , will continue to focus on managing existing and new client relationships in Korea for the Firm. Prior to Golub Capital, Anthony was a Managing Director at Shinhan Investment America. BoMee Chu, Managing Director and Co-Head of the Product Specialist team, based in New York . Prior to Golub Capital, BoMee worked at Antares Capital and J.P. Morgan. "Over the past 7 years, we have built strategic relationships with Korean institutional investors, as LPs continue to diversify their portfolios with resilient private credit strategies," said David Golub, President of Golub Capital. "We are excited about how our exceptionally talented Korea-focused team, now including Sean, will enable us to further expand and deepen our relationships with Korean investors." Sean Chung, Managing Director, Korea at Golub Capital added, "I am delighted to be joining a market leader like Golub Capital. Having partnered with the Firm over the years, becoming part of this growing team was a natural next step." This latest news builds on the Firm's commitment to the Korean market and its recently expanded strategic partnership with the Korea Investment Corporation ("KIC"). KIC CEO Mr. Seoungho Jin said, "We welcome Golub Capital's expansion in Korea. Golub Capital's growing business and presence in Korea will contribute to the more dynamic growth of the Korean finance industry and its institutional investors. With its continued commitment to the Korean market, we are pleased to further strengthen our established partnership going forward." About Golub Capital Golub Capital is a market-leading, award-winning direct lender and experienced credit asset manager. We specialize in delivering reliable, creative and compelling financing solutions to companies backed by private equity sponsors. Our sponsor finance expertise also forms the foundation of our Broadly Syndicated Loan and Credit Opportunities investment programs. We nurture long-term, win-win partnerships that inspire repeat business from private equity sponsors and investors. As of July 1, 2023, Golub Capital had over 825 employees and over $60 billion of capital under management, a gross measure of invested capital including leverage. The firm has lending offices in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and London. For more information, please visit golubcapital.com. Media Contact [email protected] SOURCE Golub Capital LLC MONTEREY PARK, Calif., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Daiso, the beloved Japanese retail chain, is thrilled to announce the grand re-opening of its Monterey Park store, located at 2205 S. Atlantic Blvd., Monterey Park, CA 91754. The much-anticipated event is set to take place on Saturday, September 23rd, at 10:00 AM. After undergoing extensive renovations and improvements, the Daiso store in Monterey Park at the Prado Center is back and better than ever, ready to serve the local community with an even more delightful shopping experience. To celebrate this special occasion, Daiso has prepared an exciting offer for its valued customers. The first 150 customers to spend $30 or more will receive a free exclusive Daiso tote bag, complete with an adorable plushie. "We are incredibly excited to welcome our customers back to the newly revamped Monterey Park store," said Jack Williams, Chief Retail Operations Officer for Daiso USA. "Our team has worked tirelessly to enhance the shopping experience, and we can't wait for our customers to see the improvements. We also want to express our gratitude by giving back to our loyal patrons with these exclusive gifts." Daiso is renowned for its wide range of affordable and high-quality products, from household items and kitchenware to beauty products and stationery. The re-opening of the Monterey Park store promises to offer an even greater selection of unique and stylish products that customers have come to love. Be sure to mark your calendars for Saturday, September 23rd, at 10:00 AM, and join us for the grand re-opening celebration of Daiso in Monterey Park at the Prado Center. Come early to secure your exclusive tote bag and plushie with a purchase of $30 or more! About Daiso: Daiso is a global retail chain founded in Japan, known for its vast array of unique and affordable products across various categories such as household goods, stationery, beauty, and more. Daiso entered the US market in 2005 and continues to expand its global footprint while maintaining its commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction. The Daiso US headquarters is located in La Mirada, CA. SOURCE Daiso USA NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The healthcare logistics market size is expected to grow by USD 87.9 billion between 2022 and 2027. However, the growth momentum of the market will progress at a CAGR of 11.67% during the forecast period. The market is segmented by Product (Pharmaceutical products and Medical devices), Service (Transportation and Warehousing), and Geography (APAC, North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and South America). The report analyses the market size and growth and provides accurate predictions on the growth of the market. View a PDF Sample Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Healthcare Logistics Market 2023-2027 Growing global pharmaceutical sales drives the growth of the healthcare logistics market. The market includes prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs. The growth of the global market can be attributed to factors such as the growing geriatric population and new product launches by pharmaceutical manufacturers. Furthermore, the incidence of chronic diseases and the need for improved medical assistance are increasing. Also, with the growing number of patients, there is a dire need for advanced equipment to effectively deal with it. Additionally, increasing healthcare awareness and growing medicinal knowledge among people with the help of the Internet increases the sales of over-the-counter drugs. Hence, such factors fuel the growth of the healthcare logistics market during the forecast period. The report also covers information on upcoming trends and challenges. Explore detailed information by purchasing a report Key Highlights: The report recognizes the following as some of the key players in the healthcare logistics market: Agility Public Warehousing Co. K.S.C.P, AGRO Merchants Group, Air Canada, AmerisourceBergen Corp., CEVA Logistics AG, Cold Chain Technologies, Continental Cargo OU, Deutsche Post AG, DSV AS, Farmasoft, FedEx Corp., Kuehne Nagel Management AG, McKesson Corp., Oximio, DB Schenker, SF Express Co. Ltd., Swisslog Holding AG, United Parcel Service Inc., and VersaCold Logistics Services The Healthcare Logistics Market is fragmented in nature. Market to observe 11.12% YOY growth in 2023. Keg Segments: The pharmaceutical products segment will be significant during the forecast period. These products include branded drugs, generic drugs, and other vaccines. New drug approvals also drive the demand for pharmaceutical logistics. The products based on the requirements of pharmaceutical manufacturers enable logistics players to convert or set up their existing logistics or warehouse units. For instance, the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) approved 46 new drugs or new molecular entities (NME) in 2018, which was more than the number of entities approved in 2017. Hence, factors like new product launches boost the growth of the pharmaceutical products segment of healthcare logistics during the forecast period. Get a glance at the market contribution of the segments, Request a Sample Related Reports: The Internet Of Things Market In The Healthcare Sector size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 20% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 161.6 billion. The global healthcare information software market size is estimated to grow by USD 7,279.27 million at a CAGR of 4.98% between 2022 and 2027. Technavio has segmented the market into Application, Deployment, and Geography. North America is estimated to contribute 37% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. Healthcare Logistics Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 11.67% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 87.9 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 11.12 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 37% Key countries US, China, Japan, Germany, and UK Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Agility Public Warehousing Co. K.S.C.P, AGRO Merchants Group, Air Canada, AmerisourceBergen Corp., CEVA Logistics AG, Cold Chain Technologies, Continental Cargo OU, Deutsche Post AG, DSV AS, Farmasoft, FedEx Corp., Kuehne Nagel Management AG, McKesson Corp., Oximio, DB Schenker, SF Express Co. Ltd., Swisslog Holding AG, United Parcel Service Inc., and VersaCold Logistics Services Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. ToC: Excustive Summary Market Landscape Market Sizing Historic Market Sizes Five Forces Analysis Market Segmentation by Product Market Segmentation by Service Market Segmentation by Geography Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Drivers, Challenges, & Trends Company Landscape Company Analysis Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com SOURCE Technavio WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Heffernan Insurance Brokers, one of the largest full-service, independent insurance brokerage firms in the United States, ranked number 19 out of 100 in the list of Bay Area "Top Corporate Philanthropists" by San Francisco Business Times. Heart of Heffernan | Working Together. Inspiring Change. Improving Lives. Bridging Gaps. The Business Times list was compiled based on total cash contributions paid to Bay Area-based charitable organizations in 2022. Heffernan's total cash contributions paid to charities in the Bay Area totaled $6,422,004 and cash giving per Bay Area employee reached $2,500 last year. The firm has held a place on this list since 2003 by donating more than $22 million to local charities since its inception in 1988. To celebrate 35 years in business, Heffernan Insurance Brokers is holding a benefit event Saturday, September 16th, 2023, at Pier 27 in San Francisco. The 'One Night in Old Havana' themed evening will include cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, a live auction, raffle, and more. All proceeds will benefit the Heffernan Foundation, the charitable giving program of Heffernan Insurance Brokers, and five nonprofit beneficiaries: Affordability Project, Alameda County Community Food Bank, Cristo Rey De La Salle, ICA Cristo Rey Academy, and 10,000 degrees. Over $2 million has been raised in advance of the event from vendors, clients, and business partners, including several international and national brokers and insurance carriers. Tickets are available to the public and can be purchased at onecau.se/heffernan35th. Heffernan's philanthropic efforts include College Track, Dollars for Doers, Employee Volunteer Time, Employee Matching, Garee Lee Smith Scholarship Award, Grant Donations, Program Related Investments, and more. "Being able to give back to nonprofits doing amazing work in our communities is one of our core beliefs in making our world a better place," said Michelle Lonaker, Executive Director of Heffernan Foundation. "Heffernan is proud to be included in the Top Bay Area Corporate Philanthropists again for 2022." A video highlighting the Heffernan Foundation can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr6dJl7bGQk&t=89s. About Heffernan Insurance Brokers Heffernan Insurance Brokers, founded in 1988, is one of the largest independent insurance brokerage firms in the United States providing comprehensive business insurance, personal insurance, employee benefits and financial services solutions to a wide range of businesses and individuals. Headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., Heffernan has a nationwide presence specializing in customized solutions to serve its clients' different needs in virtually every industry. Heffernan has been named on the insurance industry's 'Best Agency to Work For' list, and consistently named a 'Top Corporate Philanthropist.' For more information, visit www.heffins.com. License #0564249 About Heffernan Foundation Heffernan Foundation's mission is to change futures through access to education, reduce homelessness and food deficiency through relevant nonprofit collaboration; and promote community and employee engagement. Heffernan Foundation is the charitable giving program of Heffernan Insurance Brokers, headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif. Employee-owned, the company has been among the Top Greater Bay Area Philanthropists since 2003. For more information, visit www.heffernanfoundation.org or call 925.295.2575. FEIN 71-1010693 SOURCE Heffernan Insurance Brokers LONDON, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- There are 88,200 crypto millionaires worldwide, with just under half (40,500) holding their fortunes in Bitcoin, according to the inaugural Crypto Wealth Report published by leading international wealth and investment migration specialists Henley & Partners. The total market value of crypto is now a staggering USD 1,180 billion and there are 425 million individuals globally that own cryptocurrencies. This first-of-its-kind report includes exclusive statistics on the number of crypto and Bitcoin millionaires, centi-millionaires, and billionaires provided by global wealth intelligence firm New World Wealth, as well as insights from leading academics, industry experts, and crypto players. It also features Henley & Partners' Crypto Adoption Index, which compares the best residence and citizenship by investment programs for crypto investors. Dr. Juerg Steffen , CEO of Henley & Partners, says traders, miners, investors, and cryptopreneurs are exploring investment migration strategies to safeguard their interests. "We have seen a significant spike in enquiries from crypto millionaires over the past six months looking to protect themselves against any potential future bans on the trading or use of cryptocurrencies in their own countries and mitigate the risks of aggressive fiscal policies that tax digital assets at source." To the Moon: Crypto is a 'done deal' In the global super-rich league, there are now 182 crypto centi-millionaires (namely, high-net-worth individuals with crypto holdings of USD 100 million or more), 78 of whom are Bitcoiners, while six of the world's 22 crypto billionaires have amassed their fortunes from trading Bitcoin. As global investment expert, Jeff D. Opdyke, points out in the report, "crypto is the most inevitable trade and technology of the last 30 years, and now is a fantastic opportunity to buy as we're unlikely to ever see these prices again." Dr. Niklas J.R.M. Schmidt from the Austrian law firm Wolf Theiss explains how they should be custodied, while Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tevetoglu, a blockchain law specialist in Istanbul, warns of the "severe legal consequences" of thinking that there are no laws governing blockchain technology and crypto assets. In his commentary, Carlos Gonzalez Campo, a Research Analyst at 21Shares, points that "although crypto asset valuation remains an emerging topic seeking consensus, especially as the asset class expands and matures, there are some actionable methods investors can use." Best bets for crypto investors Including over 750 data points, Henley's new Crypto Adoption Index assesses and rates crypto-friendly investment migration host countries based on their level of adoption and integration of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Singapore takes the leading position overall with a score of 50.2 out of 60, or 83.76%, with Switzerland in 2nd place (78.17%), followed closely by the UAE on 76.17%. Hong Kong (4th on 76%), the United States (5th on 73.83%), Australia (6th on 71.83%), and the United Kingdom (7th on 71.17%) all land first-class honors when it comes to crypto adoption, with Canada (8th on 67,33%), Malta (9th on 64.83%) and Malaysia (10th on 62.5%) also making it into the Top 10. Most tax-friendly options In terms of the tax-friendliness parameter, which assesses a country's approach to taxing cryptocurrency-related activities, Singapore and the UAE score a flawless 10 out of 10, with Hong Kong, Mauritius, and Monaco securing an impressive 9 out of 10, and Antigua and Barbuda, Malaysia, Namibia, and Switzerland each achieving a respectable 8 out of 10. The UAE and Singapore are again frontrunners when it comes to public adoption, which measures the level of awareness, interest, and engagement with cryptocurrencies in the general population, with each scoring 7 out of 10 for this parameter. However, when it comes to infrastructure adoption, which assesses the technological foundations for crypto transactions and exchanges, such as the number of crypto ATMs, integration with local banks, and the presence of digital asset exchanges, both the UAE and Singapore tumbled down the rankings. The US currently leads the way in this regard, with Greece, Thailand, Hong Kong, and New Zealand all making it into the Top 10 countries with a reasonably well-developed infrastructure that supports smoother crypto adoption. Read the Full Press Release and the Henley & Partners Crypto Wealth Report online. SOURCE Henley & Partners Suit Alleged Lawyers and Their Marketing Agency Conspired to Misappropriate Attorney Michael Pohl's Client Lists to Pursue Barratry Claims Against Him HOUSTON, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 128st District Court jury has determined Lance Christopher Kassab entered into a conspiracy to take thousands of client files from Michael Pohl in 2017. According to the lawsuit, Michael Pohl was in the process of closing his Mississippi office in 2017. Pohl's marketing vendor, Precision Marketing Group, LLC (PMG) owned by Scott Favre is accused of unauthorized taking of client files from Pohl's office. PMG's legal counsel Tina Nicholson and Favre then sold the client files to Lance Kassab, who specializes in legal malpractice litigation. The jury found Lance Kassab used the information in those client files and contracts to solicit clients against Michael Pohl claiming barratry. Kassab used the alleged barratry as his defense to the trade secrets complaint filed by Pohl in state district court. "This has been a long time coming and we are pleased justice was done and the jury returned a verdict for us and against Lance Kassab," says attorney Michael Pohl. "The Harris County jury awarded over $6 million in damages against Kassab with $3 million of those damages the result of unanimous findings of willful and malicious conduct by Kassab against me." Lance Kassab filed a barratry counterclaim against Michael Pohl and recovered nothing. SOURCE Michael A. Pohl, PLLC Law Offices BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. The Mortgage and Credit Guarantee Fund of Azerbaijan presents a "Mechanism for guaranteeing the obligations of issuers (entrepreneurs) on bonds", the fund told Trend. According to the fund, a meeting dedicated to the presentation of this mechanism was held. According to the information, at the meeting, which was attended by representatives of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, the National Depository Center of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Baku Stock Exchange, investment companies operating in the country and the "Association of Stock Market Participants of Azerbaijan" public association, a presentation on the application of the new mechanism was presented, answers were given to participants' questions. In addition, the Fund's guarantee of the fulfillment of obligations on corporate bonds of issuing companies operating in the non-oil sector increases the liquidity and attractiveness of corporate bonds issued by them in manat, and expands the access of entrepreneurs to alternative financial resources. The introduction of the mechanism is also important from the point of view of supporting the development of the securities market and the distribution of investors' risks. New tools in the field of state support of entrepreneurship are implemented by the fund in accordance with the decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated January 26, 2023 No. 2002 on amendments to the decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated November 29, 2017 No. 1691 "On ensuring the activities of the Mortgage and Credit Guarantee Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan". LIMA, Peru, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hunt Oil Company of Peru L.L.C., Sucursal del Peru ("HOCP") announced today the commencement of a cash tender offer (the "Offer") for any and all of its outstanding 6.375% Trust Enhanced Senior Notes due 2028 (CUSIP Nos.: Rule 144A: 445640 AB1, Regulation S: P5300P AB9), (ISINs: Rule 144A: US445640AB18, Regulation S: USP5300PAB96) (the "Notes"). The Offer is being made on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase, dated September 5, 2023 (the "Offer to Purchase"), and the related Notice of Guaranteed Delivery (as these terms are defined in the Offer to Purchase and, collectively, the "Offer Documents"). The following table sets forth certain information relating to the Notes: Description of Security CUSIP No. ISIN Aggregate Original Principal Amount Aggregate Current Principal Amount Consideration per U.S.$1,000 Original Principal Amount* 6.375% Trust Enhanced Senior Notes due 2028 144A: 445640- AB1 Reg S: P5300P- AB9 144A: US445640AB18 Reg S: USP5300PAB96 U.S.$600,000,000 U.S.$499,200,000 U.S.$977.50 * The Consideration for the Notes will be the amount set forth in the table above multiplied by the current scaling factor of 83.20% (the "Scaling Factor"). The Scaling Factor results from the fact that the Notes have been partially amortized. The Consideration for the Notes will be paid together with accrued and unpaid interest from the last interest payment date for the Notes to, but not including, the Settlement Date (as defined below). As set forth in the table above, subject to the terms and conditions of the Offer, holders of the Notes (each, a "Holder") must validly tender and not validly withdraw their Notes at or before 8:00 a.m., New York City time (7:00 a.m., Lima time), on September 12, 2023, unless such date and time are extended or the Offer is earlier terminated by HOCP in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law (such time and date, as may be extended or earlier terminated, the "Expiration Time"), to receive U.S.$977.50 for each U.S.$1,000 in original principal amount of Notes, multiplied by the Scaling Factor (the "Consideration"). In addition to the Consideration, Holders whose Notes are accepted for purchase will receive accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes from the last interest payment date for the Notes to, but not including, the Settlement Date (as defined below). Subject to the exceptions set forth in the indenture governing the Notes, dated June 1, 2018, as amended by the supplemental indenture dated April 29, 2022, HOCP will also pay additional amounts such that, after deduction or withholding for taxes, Holders will receive the amount that they would have received if there had not been any such deduction or withholding. The Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase by the Company will be cancelled on the Settlement Date and Holders of such Notes will not be entitled to receive any further payments thereunder. In the event of a termination of the Offer, all Notes tendered pursuant to the Offer will be promptly returned. HOCP's obligation to accept for purchase and to pay for Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer is subject to the satisfaction or waiver, in HOCP's discretion, of certain conditions, which are more fully described in the Offer Documents, including the consummation of HOCP's concurrent offering of new notes (the "New Notes Offering") (the "Financing Condition"). However, the Offer is not conditioned on any minimum amount of Notes being tendered. Subject to satisfaction or waiver of said conditions, in HOCP's sole discretion, HOCP anticipates that it will accept for purchase Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or before the Expiration Time and pay for such accepted Notes promptly following the Expiration Time and the Guaranteed Delivery Date (the "Settlement Date"). The Settlement Date for the Offer is expected to occur on September 19, 2023, which is the fifth business day after the Expiration Time, unless the Offer is extended or earlier terminated by HOCP in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law. Tendered Notes may be withdrawn at any time at or before 8:00 a.m., New York City time (7:00 a.m., Lima time), on September 12, 2023, unless extended (the "Withdrawal Deadline"). HOCP reserves the right to amend, terminate or withdraw the Offer, including if the Financing Condition or other conditions are not satisfied, subject to applicable law. In the event of a termination or withdrawal of the Offer, Notes tendered and not accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer will be promptly returned to the tendering Holders. HOCP has engaged BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credicorp Capital Sociedad Agente de Bolsa S.A. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC as the Dealer Managers for the Offer. Persons with questions regarding the Offer should contact BofA Securities, Inc. at +1 (888) 292-0070 (toll-free), +1 (646) 855-8988 (collect), Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at +1 800-558-3745 (toll-free), +1 212-723-6106 (collect), Credicorp Capital Sociedad Agente de Bolsa S.A. at +51 (1) 416-3333 (Ext. 36143) (collect) and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at +1 (866) 846-2874 (toll-free), +1 (212) 834-7279 (collect). The complete terms and conditions of the Offer are described in the Offer Documents, copies of which are available at the following web address: https://www.gbsc-usa.com/huntoil/, or may also be obtained from Global Bondholder Services Corporation, the Information and Tender Agent for the Offer, by contacting Global Bondholder Services Corporation at +1 (855) 654-2015 (toll-free) or +1 (212) 430-3774 (collect), or email [email protected]. No Offer or Solicitation This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase the Notes or any securities and it is not soliciting an offer to sell the Notes or any securities of HOCP. HOCP has neither obtained any commitments to purchase, nor entered into any agreements, to sell any securities. The Offer is being made solely by means of, and pursuant to the terms of, the Offer to Purchase and the related Notice of Guaranteed Delivery. The Offer to Purchase has not been filed with, and has not been approved or reviewed by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority of any country. No authority has passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the Offer to Purchase or any other documents related to the Offer, and it is unlawful and may be a criminal offense to make any representation to the contrary. In those jurisdictions where the securities, blue sky or other laws require any tender offer to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the Offer will be deemed to be made on behalf of HOCP by one or more registered brokers or dealers licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction. None of HOCP, the Dealer Managers, the Information and Tender Agent or the Trustee for the Notes, or any of their respective affiliates, makes any recommendation in connection with the Offer. Holders must make their own decisions as to whether to tender their Notes, and, if so, the principal amount of Notes to tender. None of HOCP, the Dealer Managers, the Information and Tender Agent or the Trustee for the Notes, or any of their respective affiliates, has authorized any person to give any information or to make any representation in connection with the Tender Offer other than the information and representations contained in the Offer to Purchase. Please refer to the Offer Documents for a description of offer terms, conditions, disclaimers and other information applicable to the Offer. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this release constitute forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to: statements regarding the timing and terms of the Offer, including the Expiration Time and Settlement Date; the consummation of the New Notes Offering; the timing and payment of the Consideration; and any assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "driving," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "seek," "should," "will," "would," and similar expressions are intended to help identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, are based on judgments, are inherently uncertain and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in those forward-looking statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements in this release, which are based on information available to us on the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About HOCP HOCP is part of the Camisea Consortium and holds a 25.2% interest in the License Contracts related to the largest natural gas producing fields in Peru, the Camisea Fields, which include Block 88 and Block 56 in the Ucayali Basin of Peru. Block 88 is the largest source of natural gas production in Peru and also contains the largest number of Proved Reserves and Probable Reserves, while Block 56 is the second largest in Peru in terms of natural gas production and Proved and Probable Reserves levels. As a result of its 25.2% interest in the Camisea Consortium, it also holds a 25.2% interest in each of the facilities related to the Camisea Fields, including the Malvinas Plant, a natural gas processing plant near the Camisea Fields and the Pisco Plant, a liquids fractionation facility near Pisco, Peru on the Pacific coast. Media Contact: Giannina Rodriguez [email protected] +51997596439 Winnifer Kindlimann [email protected] +51961764016 SOURCE Hunt Oil Company of Peru L.L.C. Hyundai Mobis announces its 'MOBIS MOBILITY MOVE 2.0' strategy for European expansion Growth focused around its three core businesses: Electrification (battery/PE system), Next-generation chassis (X-By-Wire), and Connectivity Hyundai Mobis to double revenue growth Year-on-Year achieving 30% annual sales growth in Europe by 2030 SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- At IAA Mobility 2023 Hyundai Mobis (KRX: 012330) has announced its European market expansion strategy 'MOBIS MOBILITY MOVE 2.0' which showcased its commitment to electric mobility. Hyundai Mobis is confident it can rapidly expand in Europe where electric vehicle technology is already making an impact, as highlighted by the recent contract win with Volkswagen, one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers, for its large-scale battery system. The company's approach for the European market is focused around its three core solutions, involving electric vehicle core components such as battery systems and power electronics (PE systems). Axel Maschka, Executive Vice President and Head of Business Division of Hyundai Mobis announcing Mobis MOBIS MOBILITY MOVE 2.0 strategy at IAA Mobility 2023 Press Conference. "The Mobis core solution will play a significant role in the European automotive market as it shifts to electric," explained Axel Maschka, Executive Vice President and Head of Business Division, Hyundai Mobis. "We expect orders from the region will more than double compared to last year. By 2030 we are aiming for an annual sales growth of over 30% in the European market." Expansion through innovative mobility solutions At the exhibition, Hyundai Mobis is highlighting the market leadership of its electrification solutions including the Battery System (BSA) and Power Electronics System (PE System) installed in the Kia EV9, as well as its next-generation electric platform, e-CCPM (Electric Complete Chassis Platform Module). During the press conference, Hyundai Mobis announced it is developing an 800V high-voltage battery system and a third-generation PE system suitable for high-performance electrical vehicles. Hyundai Mobis plans to target the European mobility market using 'X(Everything)-By Wire' and '5G-based V2X (Vehicle to Everything) Integrated Control' technologies. X-By-Wire transforms essential functions like steering and brakes from mechanical to electronic controls, in line with demand for electrification. This next-generation chassis technology enhances freedom in vehicle architecture, design, and spatial capabilities, and Hyundai Mobis has the expertise to build the full range of By-Wire solutions including Electronic Steering (Steer-By-Wire), Electronic Braking (Brake-By-Wire), and Independent Rear Wheel Steering (Rear Wheel Steering). Hyundai Mobis has started its development of 5G-based V2X Integrated Control technology, which is considered a core technology for Level 4 autonomous driving. This technology enables vehicles to exchange large amounts of data with exterior environments (other vehicles, intelligent transportation systems) without delay. Having already developed a secure 5G communication module, Hyundai Mobis is planning to introduce a new telematics product integrating V2X technology to the market soon. Hyundai Mobis' investment in state-of-the-art mobility solutions is driven by the willingness of automotive manufacturers in Europe to embrace innovation. The company's reputation for highly differentiated technologies is key to expanding orders in a market where premium manufacturers have stringent technology standards. By aligning with these requirements, Hyundai Mobis is confident it can achieve a target for orders in the European region of $1.29 billion, which is two times higher than last year. In the first half of this year, Hyundai Mobis has already secured orders for automotive electric parts, such as its advanced assistance system (ADAS) camera sensors from major European brands. On its stand (Hall B2) Hyundai Mobis has a 'Private Zone' for international clients to introduce twenty of its new ready-to-mass-produce technologies such as the next-generation integrated cockpit system (M.VICS 4.0), Hologram AR-HUD, and rollable display. It has been reported that top executives from major European automakers such as Volkswagen, BMW, and Daimler have visited this location. About Hyundai Mobis Hyundai Mobis is the global no. 6 automotive supplier, headquartered in Seoul, Korea. Hyundai Mobis has outstanding expertise in sensors, sensor fusion in ECUs and software development for safety control. The company's products also include various components for electrification, brakes, chassis and suspension, steering, airbags, lighting, and automotive electronics. Hyundai Mobis operates its R&D headquarters in Korea, with four technology centers in the United States, Germany, China and India. For more information, please visit the website at http://www.mobis.co.kr Media Contact Jihyun Han: [email protected] Myong Sun Song: [email protected] SOURCE Hyundai Mobis CHICAGO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- IMC , a leading market maker that provides liquidity on trading venues around the globe, today announced it has acquired Cardinal Capital Management, LLC (Cardinal). Cardinal is a proprietary trading firm based in Chicago. A US-registered broker-dealer, Cardinal has a strong history of providing liquidity in the equity derivatives markets. Following the acquisition, the firm will be renamed IMC Securities. "We look forward to welcoming the Cardinal team to IMC and working together to meet IMC's strategic growth objectives," said Michiel Knoers, IMC's Global Head of Trading. "Together with our existing operations, including IMC Chicago, a leading market maker in US listed options, ETFs and equities, and IMC Execution Services, which facilitates executions for institutional clients, IMC Securities will offer additional meaningful liquidity in the US equity derivatives markets, to the benefit of retail and institutional participants." Pat Kernan, founder of Cardinal Capital Management, said: "Cardinal is honored to be joining the IMC family. We are excited to build on IMC's cutting-edge technology, strong capital base, and collaborative culture." The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. About IMC IMC is a leading global market maker. With more than three decades' experience, IMC employs more than 1,400 talented individuals across offices in Amsterdam, Chicago, Sydney, Hong Kong, Seoul, New York, Zug, and Mumbai. IMC's core business is to provide liquidity in financial assets on trading venues, and to deliver the best outcome in value and risk to investors. IMC employs state-of-the-art algorithms, statistical techniques, and innovative low latency technologies to execute its strategies. IMC engages in trading activities on its own account and closely complies with regulatory requirements set by (supra-)national authorities. About Cardinal Capital Management, LLC Cardinal Capital Management is a proprietary trading firm with a strong history of providing liquidity in the equity derivatives markets. Founded in 2003, the firm has grown from a small group trading in the open-outcry markets to a strong competitor in the full complex of equity index options. SOURCE IMC SINGAPORE and MUMBAI, India, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- IndoSpace, the largest investor, developer, and operator of grade A industrial and logistics real estate in India, is pleased to announce the successful completion of its second round of fundraising for IndoSpace Logistics Parks IV ("ILP IV"), securing an additional USD 150 million in investment. The round was led by the Qatar Investment Authority ("QIA"), and Grosvenor's Diversified Property Investments business. IndoSpace Park Following the initial close of USD 243 million, this second round of funding increases the fund size to USD 393 million and demonstrates the continued confidence and support from leading global investors in IndoSpace's advanced approach to industrial real estate development in India. QIA and Grosvenor's participation in this round reflects the attractive opportunity to develop modern grade A industrial and logistic parks in the world's fastest growing large economy. The funds raised in this round will continue to advance IndoSpace's mission of developing state-of-the-art industrial and logistics parks across the top 8 markets in India. With a strong focus on sustainability and modern design, IndoSpace provides world-class infrastructure and tailored solutions to meet the evolving needs of businesses operating in the e-commerce, manufacturing, retail, and logistics sectors. IndoSpace has a proven track record of leveraging its deep understanding of market dynamics and strong industry relationships to deliver returns to investors while also driving economic growth and job creation in India. ILP IV will add an additional 25-30 million square feet to the IndoSpace portfolio, furthering IndoSpace's leading position in the Indian market. ILP IV will focus on India's largest logistics real estate markets: Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune. The establishment of ILP IV follows on from the first three development funds, which have a combined total of 58 million square feet of modern logistics real estate in India completed and under development. About Qatar Investment Authority Qatar Investment Authority ("QIA") is the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar. QIA was founded in 2005 to invest and manage the state reserve funds. QIA is among the largest and most active sovereign wealth funds globally. QIA invests across a wide range of asset classes and regions as well as in partnership with leading institutions around the world to build a global and diversified investment portfolio with a long-term perspective that can deliver sustainable returns and contribute to the prosperity of the State of Qatar. About Grosvenor Diversified Property Investments Grosvenor Diversified Property Investments backs local partners globally, who share Grosvenor's core values, have specialist expertise and a demonstrable investment track record. The team sits within the wider Grosvenor business, an international organisation whose activities span urban property, food and agtech, rural estate management and support for philanthropic initiatives. By investing Grosvenor's own capital alongside local partners who have a clear understanding of the changing demands of real estate in their markets, the business aims to generate strong commercial results, while advancing Grosvenor's social and environmental ambitions. Since its first partnership in 2012, the team has successfully backed aligned, specialist, local management teams across five continents and in a broad range of sectors including industrial/ logistics, student accommodation, life sciences, healthcare, housing, and offices. Find out more here. About IndoSpace IndoSpace ( www.indospace.in ) is the largest investor, developer, and operator of grade A industrial and logistics real estate in India. IndoSpace has the largest national network of 51 logistics parks with 58 million square feet delivered/under development across 11 cities. With India's largest and most experienced industrial real estate team, IndoSpace continues to lead the development of key logistics infrastructure for India's economic growth. For more information, visit www.indospace.in and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201490/IndoSpace_Park.jpg SOURCE IndoSpace International SaaS Awards Program Announces Best Newcomer Finalists SAN CARLOS, Calif., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Innervate , the dynamic customer experience company, today announced it has secured its place as a finalist in the prestigious 2023 SaaS Awards program, competing in the Best SaaS Newcomer category. Formerly known as RevJet, Innervate is the industry's first plug-and-play dynamic customer experience orchestration solution. The company's footprint extends well beyond digital advertising to address all customer experience content across all formats and channels including websites, email, apps, video, social media, retail media, in-store displays, programmatic print, contact centers and more. Innervate named as a Best Newcomer finalist for the 2023 SaaS Awards. Post this "It's an honor to be selected as a finalist for The SaaS Awards in the Best Newcomer category," said Darren Waddell, EVP of Marketing and Sales at Innervate. "This recognition is a testament to our vision to provide the first plug-and-play solution for orchestrating unlimited customer experience use cases." Celebrating its 8th year, The SaaS Awards continue to recognize and honor outstanding SaaS innovations from all corners of the world. The Best Saas Newcomer award is given to the best SaaS product to appear in the last 12 months and demonstrate evidence of innovation and either positive reception or clear market demand. Entries from hundreds of companies spanning North America, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Australasia were received. "Each year, we see an explosion of competition and brilliant ideas in every submission," said James Williams, Head of Operations at The SaaS Awards. "The organizations announced today as finalists, including Innervate, are clear evidence of the exceptional quality and level of innovation achieved this year. Our panel of judges is thrilled to acknowledge these world-class SaaS innovators." For more information on Innervate, visit www.innervate.com . ABOUT INNERVATE Innervate, the Dynamic Customer Experience Company, delivers a plug-and-play solution that allows organizations to orchestrate unlimited CX use cases seamlessly across any channel, using their existing systems and teams. With Innervate's Dynamic Customer Experience Orchestration, it's simple to get started, simple to scale and simple to succeed. Customers get modern CX use cases to market faster with Innervate's open network architecture that easily connects systems and data sources, without requiring coding. Organizations quickly innovate unlimited CX use cases across channels, using existing systems, data sources and teams. Ultimately, customers grow a portfolio of dynamic CX use cases, enriched by the data and systems they've already invested in and networked. Welcome to the era of plug-and-play CX. Innervate.com. SOURCE Innervate NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The internet of things market in the healthcare sector by component (medical devices, software, system applications, and connecting technologies), application (telemedicine, patient monitoring, clinical operation, workflow management, and connected imaging and others), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa) - Forecast and Analysis 2023-2027 report has been added to technavio offering. The potential growth difference for the Internet of Things market in the healthcare sector from 2022 to 2027 is USD 161.6 billion. With ISO 9001:2015 certification, Increasing remote patient monitoring is a key factor driving market growth. Access to healthcare facilities in some countries is difficult, as most residents live away from hospitals. In addition, it is difficult for patients over the age of 60 to visit the hospital regularly. In this way, remote patient care by the Internet of Things will solve these types of problems. Moreover, the main advantage of telemedicine is that it allows health professionals to access patients by means of sensors and remote equipment to help them with their prescriptions, obtain medication, or measure biometrics. Hence, these factors are expected to drive market growth during the forecast period. Technavio has proudly partnered with more than 100 Fortune 500 companies for over 16 years. Get deeper insights into the market size, current market scenario, future growth opportunities, major growth driving factors, the latest trends, and much more. Buy the Full Report Here Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Internet of Things Market in the Healthcare Sector 2023-2027 Internet of Things Market in the Healthcare Sector - Market Dynamics Increasing threats to cybersecurity is a significant challenge restricting market growth. Cybersecurity threats are not only making it easier for end users to use IoT capabilities such as predictive maintenance and smart analytics; they also expose the system to different cyber threats. Attacks of malicious software and data breaches are among the most significant cyber threats. Cyber security threats are still present in web systems, and the same applies to the Internet of Things devices. Different anti-malware programs promise to protect industry systems from this kind of attack. But, to protect an Industrial System against hackers, it is not possible to use such Antimalware Programs. Furthermore, the use of cloud-based cyber security solutions was suggested by some Internet of Things solution providers. However, concerns remain about the security of such solutions. Hence, these factors are expected to restrict market growth during the forecast period Learn about additional key drivers, trends, and challenges available with Technavio. Read Sample PDF Report Now Internet of Things Market in the Healthcare Sector - Segment The medical devices segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period. Remote monitoring of healthcare and the provision of early convenient treatment and personalized care are now possible due to the development of IoT-enabled medical devices, allowing for their deployment by doctors. These devices are placed in an individual's body so that specific information on physiology can be measured. In addition, the collection of data, analysis for research, and observation of electronic medical records made available by medical devices is one of the main applications of the IoT. Hence, these factors are expected to drive segment growth during the forecast period. is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period. Remote monitoring of healthcare and the provision of early convenient treatment and personalized care are now possible due to the development of IoT-enabled medical devices, allowing for their deployment by doctors. These devices are placed in an individual's body so that specific information on physiology can be measured. In addition, the collection of data, analysis for research, and observation of electronic medical records made available by medical devices is one of the main applications of the IoT. Hence, these factors are expected to drive segment growth during the forecast period. North America is estimated to contribute 35% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. The US is the major contributor to the market in the region. This is due to high healthcare expenditure and the adoption of advanced technologies. View the Sample Report for insights into the contribution of all the segments and regional opportunities in the report. Key Companies in the Internet of Things Market in the healthcare sector: Aeris Communications Inc., Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., AT and T Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd., General Electric Co., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., Honeywell International Inc., Intel Corp., International Business Machines Corp., Koninklijke Philips N.V., Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp., PTC Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, SAP SE, Siemens AG, Thales Group, and Wipro Ltd. Related Reports: The managed security services (MSS) market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 12.88% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 27,743.64 million. The predictive analytics market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 22.24% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 2,1601.17 million. Internet Of Things Market In The Healthcare Sector Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 20% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 161.6 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 17.21 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 35% Key countries US, China, Japan, Germany, and UK Competitive landscape Leading Companies, Market Positioning of Companies, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Aeris Communications Inc., Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., AT and T Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd., General Electric Co., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., Honeywell International Inc., Intel Corp., International Business Machines Corp., Koninklijke Philips N.V., Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp., PTC Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, SAP SE, Siemens AG, Thales Group, and Wipro Ltd. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and Market condition analysis for forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation by Component 7 Market Segmentation by Application 8 Customer Landscape 9 Geographic Landscape 10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 11 Company Landscape 12 Company Analysis 13 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com SOURCE Technavio SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Emerging artist Gaddy Bee is making a profound impact on the ever-changing world of music by blending together elements of Soul, R&B, and Hip-Hop. Originally from Columbia, South Carolina, Gaddy Bee released his latest single, "Play That Ukulele (Ukulele)," a captivating song that explores intense connections, breaking boundaries, and celebrating uniqueness without hesitation. Embracing musical fusion: Gaddy Bee unveils his distinct sound blending soul, R&B, and hip-hop, redefining artistic boundaries and celebrating individuality. He's adorned with a symbolic gorilla necklace, a token of power, his creative passion shines, infusing every note with meaning. #GaddyBeeMusic San Francisco, CA 2023 Harmonizing genres, unleashing passion: Gaddy Bee's musical journey explores soul, R&B, and hip-hop influences in his latest single 'Ukulele'. He was seen in the studio completely raptured in writing 'Ukulele' lyrics #UkuleleVibes Gaddy Bee's journey as a creative individual began in Columbia, where he started nurturing his artistic talents from a young age. As he moved from doodles to meaningful verses, his artistic skills found their true voice in the form of poems and lyrics. Gaddy Bee believes that his music is the most valuable way to express himself, stating, "Expressing myself through music is the greatest gift, and I love to embrace my creative side fully. I'm unapologetically me," highlighting his commitment to authentic self-expression. By blending the music of different eras and genres, Gaddy Bee bridges the gap between generations and musical styles. Drawing inspiration from his early exposure to Soul, Motown, and R&B, he seamlessly weaves these timeless sounds into his hip-hop creations. This approach adds a refreshing and exciting dimension that resonates deeply with a wide range of listeners. Diverging from the typical patterns of hip-hop artists, Gaddy Bee fearlessly explores new lyrical territories, challenging boundaries and encouraging listeners to embrace their true selves. His unique sound has captured the attention of both fans and critics, often drawing comparisons to innovators like E-40 and the magnetic charisma of Eddie Murphy, while also finding unexpected inspiration from the dynamic Cardi B. Harnessing the intensity and transformative essence of a true Scorpio, Gaddy Bee infuses his music with unreserved passion. His single, "Ukulele," encapsulates these qualities, delving into themes of intimate connections and breaking free from societal norms. Gaddy Bee's musical compositions bear witness to the power of embracing individuality and exploring new artistic frontiers. His unwavering commitment to creating emotionally charged and diverse music extends an invitation to audiences, inviting them to join a journey that challenges assumptions and celebrates the beauty of embracing one's genuine self. For the latest news and updates on Gaddy Bee's musical journey, please visit: Press Contact: Gaddy Foster Email: [email protected] Phone: 415-793-4296 About Gaddy Bee: Originally from Columbia, South Carolina, Gaddy Bee is an emerging artist who skillfully combines the worlds of Soul, R&B, and Hip-Hop to create groundbreaking musical landscapes. His upcoming single, "Ukulele," challenges norms and champions unfiltered self-expression. Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of influences, Gaddy Bee's music speaks to multiple generations, encouraging listeners to embrace their true authenticity. SOURCE Gaddy Bee PITTSBURGH , Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create a wearable firefighting solution for safer and efficient fire suppression/extinguishing," said an inventor, from Newark, N.J., "so I invented the MAYRANT HALON INJECTION. My design would allow any firefighter to have a comfortable portable device that could be taken anywhere, especially where larger equipment is limited." The patent-pending invention provides a fire suppression/extinguisher backpack-style unit for safer and efficient firefighting measures. In doing so, it allows for rapid deployment. It also offers fresh air intake and supply for the user. The invention features a flexible and adjustable design that is easy to use so it is ideal for firefighters, first responders, rescue persons, etc. The original design was submitted to the New Jersey sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 21-NJD-2559, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com. SOURCE InventHelp The global IoT device management market is experiencing growth due to a rise in adoption of IoT devices and growth in need of data security and privacy. PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "IoT Device Management Market by Component (Solution and Service), Enterprise Size (Large Enterprise and Small and Medium-sized Enterprise), End User (Retail, Healthcare, Transportation, Manufacturing, Utilities, and Others), and Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2032." According to the report, the global generated $2.2 billion in 2022, and is estimated to reach $29.5 billion by 2032, witnessing a CAGR of 30.2% from 2023 to 2032. The report offers a detailed analysis of changing market trends, top segments, key investment pockets, value chains, regional landscapes, and competitive scenarios. The IoT device management market is the field of the technology sector that focuses on management and control of IoT devices. IoT devices are actual physical items that have sensors, software, and connection built in them so they can communicate data with other systems and devices. These electronic devices encompass a wide array of products, including connected vehicles, smartwatches, industrial machinery, and smart household appliances. IoT device management involves tasks like deployment, supervision, configuration, and maintenance throughout the lifecycle of these devices. It comprises various functionalities such as firmware updates, data analysis, security oversight, and troubleshooting of these devices. Download Sample Report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/13532 Prime determinants of growth Factors such as the rise in adoption of IoT devices, and growth in need of data security and privacy primarily drive the growth of the IoT device management market. However, inconsistency in the IoT standards for compatibility hamper market growth to some extent. Moreover, rise in adoption of cloud base devices is expected to provide lucrative opportunities for market growth during the forecast period. Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $2.2 Billion Market Size in 2032 $29.5 Billion CAGR 30.2 % No. of Pages in Report 305 Segments covered Component, Enterprise Size, End User, and Region. Drivers Rise in adoption of IoT devices. Growth in need of data security and privacy. Opportunities Rise in adoption of cloud base devices Restraints Inconsistency in the IoT standards for compatibility Covid-19 Scenario The demand for IoT devices expanded across many industries as a result of a global trend toward remote work and the rise in reliance on digital solutions. IoT devices are embraced by businesses more frequently to support applications such as remote monitoring, asset tracking, and automation. This has increased the requirement for these devices to be managed and secured effectively. Organizations have looked for effective ways to remotely monitor, operate, and upgrade these devices, which has led to opportunities for device management platforms and services. The demand for comprehensive device management solutions is fueled by the urgent requirement for strong security measures to safeguard sensitive data acquired by IoT devices. Buy this Complete Report (305 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/iot-device-management-market/purchase-options The solution segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on component, the solution segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than two-thirds of the IoT device management market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period, owing to real-time streaming analytics, security solutions, data management, remote monitoring, and network bandwidth management. However, the services segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 32.6% from 2023 to 2032, owing to providing reliable, secure, and efficient service offerings that meet the needs of both customers and providers. The large enterprise segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on enterprise size, the large enterprise segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the IoT device management market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period, owing to remotely check the functionality and health of IoT devices, diagnose problems, and carry out upgrades and maintenance without physical access. However, small and medium-sized enterprise segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 32.3% from 2023 to 2032, owing to the need to implement cost-effective IoT device management solutions, such as risk & compliance, encryption, and incident management drives the adoption of market among SMEs. The manufacturing segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on end user, the manufacturing segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than one-third of the IoT device management market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period, owing to surge in the adoption of industrial IoT, a rise in the trend of adoption of automation in manufacturing, and an increase in penetration of smart devices in the manufacturing sector. However, the transportation segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 34.9% from 2023 to 2032, owing to increase in demand for digital solutions in the smart transport industries, as it is projected to contribute to the development of intelligent transportation systems, which is expected to impact the services and customer satisfaction. Asia-Pacific region to garner the major share by 2032 Based on region, the North America segment held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for more than one-third of the IoT device management market revenue, owing increase in adoption and growth of advanced and latest technologies, such as cloud computing, AI, and ML. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 34.1% from 2023 to 2032, owing to rise in the number of digital transformation initiatives with growth in adoption and growth of advanced technology, such as cloud computing, and data analytics drives the need for IoT device management solutions, particularly in countries such as China, Japan, and India. Enquiry Before Buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/13532 Leading Market Players: - Microsoft Corporation Oracle Corporation International Business Machines Corporation PTC, Inc. Telit Smith Micro Software, Inc. Aeris Advantech Co., Ltd. Enhanced Telecommunications Bosch.IO Gmbh The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players of the IoT device management market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different countries. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. Trending Reports in ICT & Media Industry: Confidential Computing Market Expected to Reach $184.5 Billion by 2032 PropTech Market Expected to Reach $119.9 Billion by 2032 Swarm Intelligence Market Expected to Reach $725.4 Million by 2032 Messaging Security Market Expected to Reach $21.6 Billion by 2032 IoT Testing Market Expected to Reach $30.4 Billion by 2032 AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model): AMR introduces its online premium subscription-based library Avenue, designed specifically to offer cost-effective, one-stop solution for enterprises, investors, and universities. With Avenue, subscribers can avail an entire repository of reports on more than 2,000 niche industries and more than 12,000 company profiles. Moreover, users can get an online access to quantitative and qualitative data in PDF and Excel formats along with analyst support, customization, and updated versions of reports. Get an access to the library of reports at any time from any device and anywhere. For more details, follow the link: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: United States 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kalitta Air, a leading global cargo airline, and TrustFlight, a technology innovator focused on digitization of the aviation industry, today announced that TrustFlight will provide its innovative electronic tech log, reliability analytics and fleet oversight tools for Kalitta Air's fleet of twenty-nine (29) aircraft and subsequent additions to its fleet. Air cargo operators such as Kalitta Air use tech logs to record airframe usage and discrepancies for internal and regulatory oversight. As a global standard operating procedure, a log is completed for every flight operation by civilian and military aircraft operators. While most air freight carriers currently utilize paper-based reporting systems, Kalitta Air will deploy TrustFlight's digital tech log solution. In addition, Kalitta Air will implement TrustFlight's reliability analytics and fleet oversight tools to gain a real-time analysis of their fleet to optimize maintenance activities. Leading air cargo operator innovates with aviation technology company Post this Christopher Barks, Director of Quality Control & Chief Inspector for Kalitta Air, said: "Implementing electronic logs enables us to benefit from increased operational efficiencies and maintain our reputation for reliable on-time performance worldwide. TrustFlight impressed us with the capability and ease of use of their systems alongside their knowledge of maintenance processes." Karl Steeves, Director of TrustFlight said: "Kalitta Air is a pioneer in air cargo, globally recognized for its long history of success and operational acumen. They are well-positioned to transition to all-digital tech log record keeping. We're proud that they have entrusted TrustFlight for this task." About Kalitta Air Kalitta Air is a Michigan Limited Liability Company founded by Conrad Kalitta. Kalitta Air began service in November 2000 with three (3) Boeing 747 aircraft and its fleet has grown to over twenty-nine (29) aircraft, comprised of Boeing B777 and B747 freighters. Capable of air express delivery of virtually any type of freight, the company provides scheduled and on-demand charter service for customers in the United States and around the world. About TrustFlight TrustFlight is a digital technology innovator focused on the aviation industry. The company's best-in-class digital tools and services provide new levels of safety, efficiency and insight to everyone involved in the operation and maintenance of aircraft. TrustFlight boasts a suite of digital solutions. Electronic Tech Log automates flight data entry, scheduling, and maintenance recording. Centrik offers managers a 360-degree view of company operations. MEL Manager serves to digitize and manage minimum equipment lists. Originally founded by two commercial pilots, TrustFlight has grown to become a global firm supporting a wide variety of airlines, airports, maintenance providers and regulators. SOURCE TrustFlight 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. MUNICH, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rightware today announced it has entered into an agreement with Toyota Motor Corporation for the use of its Kanzi One HMI software to create in-vehicle experiences for global models of the Toyota and Lexus brands. As proven by the current generation of Toyota vehicles around the globe, the combination of Kanzi One and the unmatched automotive experience of the Kanzi Services team gives Toyota the flexibility and design capabilities to enhance their brand and delight drivers. Toyota Selects Kanzi One Rightware has a long history of focusing on the unique challenges of the automotive industry. With Kanzi One, Toyota was able to achieve the best possible graphics performance on cost-effective hardware platforms. Further, Toyota was able to create and maintain distinct UI modules, mixing and matching them to create instrument clusters for vehicle variants and models across diverse markets. This highly efficient workflow means reduced effort and faster time-to-market. "Toyota is one of the world's most iconic brands, and it is a tremendous honor for us to be part of that. Together, Rightware and Toyota deliver brilliant cockpit experiences for millions of drivers," said Freddie Geier, CEO of Rightware. "The powerful combination of Kanzi One and the Kanzi Services team delivers competitive advantages to Toyota, taming the growing complexity of automotive design and development. We look forward to our continued collaboration with Toyota." Collaborating with Rightware gave Toyota the ability to realize their design vision across dozens of vehicle models and variants globally, maximizing efficiency and achieving a better result at lower risk. About Rightware Rightware is the pioneering provider of automotive graphics software, uniquely positioned with foundations in gaming, graphics, and UI development, and laser-focused on the automotive industry. Kanzi One, our all-in-one HMI toolchain, enables automakers to deliver the best user experience for their customers while transforming the traditional HMI into a real Signature UI. We support this mission with a worldwide design and services organization boasting an unmatched track record of successful production projects. Headquartered in Finland, we have a presence in China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and USA. As a ThunderSoft company, our combined skills and assets allow us to deliver fully integrated HMI solutions, engineering support, and design services anywhere in the world. Kanzi One is the market-leading automotive UI tool, trusted by over 50 automotive brands around the globe. www.rightware.com. Contact [email protected] Derek Sellin, Vice President, Marketing, [email protected], +358 9 8554 322 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201094/Rightware_Oy.jpg SOURCE Rightware Oy MIAMI, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lennar Corporation (NYSE: LEN and LEN.B), one of the nation's largest homebuilders, announced today that the Company will release earnings for the third quarter ended August 31, 2023 after the market closes on September 14, 2023. Additionally, the Company will hold a conference call on September 15, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The call will be broadcast live on the Internet and can be accessed through Lennar's website at investors.lennar.com. If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the call will be archived at investors.lennar.com for 90 days. Lennar Corporation, founded in 1954, is one of the nation's leading builders of quality homes for all generations. Lennar builds affordable, move-up and active adult homes primarily under the Lennar brand name. Lennar's Financial Services segment provides mortgage financing, title and closing services primarily for buyers of Lennar's homes and, through LMF Commercial, originates mortgage loans secured primarily by commercial real estate properties throughout the United States. Lennar's Multifamily segment is a nationwide developer of high-quality multifamily rental properties. LENX drives Lennar's technology, innovation and strategic investments. For more information about Lennar, please visit www.lennar.com. Contact: Ian Frazer Investor Relations Lennar Corporation (305) 485-4129 SOURCE Lennar Corporation NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lowenstein Sandler's Investment Management Group continues to expand with the addition of another highly regarded lawyer from the private funds space: new partner Jonathan A. Danziger, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Glenview Capital Management. Danziger will be based in Lowenstein's New York City office beginning in mid-September. The addition of Danziger, a leader in the private funds industry, to Lowenstein's Investment Management Group further expands Lowenstein's preeminence in this area. Danziger advises investment management clients on the formation and structuring of private funds and management companies, regulatory and compliance matters, and shareholder engagement and activist campaigns. He has particular experience counseling clients on fund structuring, public and private investment opportunities, compliance matters, regulatory exams, trading issues, and ongoing requirements for maintaining the highest standards of operational excellence. Prior to serving as the GC and CCO at Glenview, he practiced in the Investment Management group at Schulte Roth & Zabel. Robert G. Minion, Chair of Lowenstein's Investment Management Group, says: "Jonathan is highly regarded and greatly respected throughout the investment management community. His experience makes him ideally suited for our Investment Management Group." Marie T. DeFalco, Co-chair of Lowenstein's Investment Management Group, adds: "Our IM practice continues to be a recognized industry leader and Jonathan will play a valuable role in our continued growth." Scott H. Moss, Co-chair of Lowenstein's Investment Management Group and Chair of Lowenstein's Fund Regulatory & Compliance practice, says: "We are thrilled to welcome Jonathan to our expanding team. He possesses a wealth of knowledge that will be greatly beneficial to our clients." "I've always been careful to partner with the most esteemed firms serving investment management clients, and Lowenstein is no exception: its investment management and funds practices have a strong reputation as a top-tier player in the industry," says Danziger. "Lowenstein is innovative, entrepreneurial, and commercially minded, as well as both energetic and smart. I look forward to being a part of such a great firm." Lowenstein's Investment Management Group is one of the leading practices of its kind in the United States. More than 100 of the firm's 350+ lawyers are dedicated to serving funds and investor clients worldwide from the Group's headquarters in New York City and offices across the nation. Its teams provide the full spectrum of legal services to hedge fund formation, private equity funds, distressed debt funds, credit funds, venture capital funds, real estate funds, fund of funds, and other pooled investment vehicles, as well as to investment advisers, commodity pool operators, commodity trading advisors, broker-dealers, and institutional investors; they are regularly recognized by clients and industry groups as well, including Chambers USA and Chambers Global, U.S. News Best Law Firms, and The Legal 500. About Lowenstein Sandler LLP Lowenstein Sandler LLP is a national law firm with over 350 lawyers based in New York, Palo Alto, New Jersey, Utah, and Washington, D.C. The firm represents leaders in virtually every sector of the global economy, with particular emphasis on investment funds, life sciences, and technology. Recognized for its entrepreneurial spirit and high standard of client service, the firm is committed to the interests of its clients, colleagues, and communities. SOURCE Lowenstein Sandler LLP Trial firm secures unprecedented honor from Texas Lawyer magazine readers DALLAS, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For a fourth consecutive year, Lyons & Simmons, LLP's focus on results has earned the trial firm a place among the top personal injury law firms in Dallas by readers of Texas Lawyer magazine. Lyons & Simmons is the only Dallas firm to be voted into the top three each year since the magazine added the personal injury designation to its annual "Best Of" survey in 2020. Based on its repeat recognition, the firm earned a place in the Texas Lawyer "Best Of" Hall of Fame in 2022. The "Best Of" reader survey was launched in 2010 to identify the top legal products and service providers in Dallas, Houston and Austin/San Antonio. "We take our clients' trust very seriously. These are individuals and families oftentimes facing life's worst adversity, and they rely on us to help make things right," says firm co-founder Michael Lyons. "Our dedication goes beyond financial recovery. It is also about supporting our clients and helping to force change." With a focus on large, complex personal injury and wrongful death cases, Lyons & Simmons has a reputation for record jury verdicts and settlements. In 2021, the firm obtained the largest verdict for a wrongful death case in Midland County history. In 2022, the firm obtained an eight-figure verdict for a woman left a paraplegic due to delays in ER care. The trial win was recognized as Texas' second largest medical malpractice verdict of the year by Texas Lawyer and American Lawyer magazines and was named one of the "Most Impressive Plaintiffs Verdicts of 2022" by Courtroom View Network. Lyons was part of a trial team that obtained an $860 million verdict in Dallas County involving a tower crane collapse that killed a young Dallas woman. The firm also currently serves on the plaintiffs' executive committee for In Re: Astroworld Festival Litigation MDL, which includes lawsuits stemming from the 2021 Houston mass casualty tragedy that claimed the lives of 10 young people. "Since day one, the well-being of our clients has been paramount," says co-founder Christopher Simmons. "When you accept that responsibility, you find you work that much harder. Ultimately that dedication is reflected in the consistency of your results." Earlier this year, the firm was recognized as a finalist for The National Law Journal's Elite Trial Lawyers awards based on its record of exemplary success on behalf of plaintiffs involved in catastrophic injury litigation. It was the firm's second ETL finalist designation in the past three years. About Lyons & Simmons, LLP Dallas-based Lyons & Simmons, LLP is a trial boutique representing clients in wrongful death, personal injury, products liability and complex "bet-the-company" business litigation matters across the country. Media Contact: Rhonda Reddick 800-559-4534 [email protected] SOURCE Lyons & Simmons DUBLIN, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Musculoskeletal Disorders Drugs Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report By Distribution Channel, By Route of Administration (Parenteral and Oral), By Drug Type (Analgesics, DMARDs, Corticosteroids), By Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2023 - 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global Musculoskeletal Disorders Drugs Market is set to witness significant expansion, projected to reach a substantial value of $109.4 billion by 2029, with a steady Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.2% during the forecast period. The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to play a pivotal role in driving market growth, led by countries like China, Japan, and India, with an estimated 2/5th share of the market by 2029. Factors like an aging population in these countries contribute to this growth, with over 60% of Japan's population aged 30 and above. The rise in life expectancy and aging population leads to a surge in musculoskeletal diseases, boosting the demand for treatments and subsequently propelling market expansion. Market Insights Musculoskeletal disorders are pervasive and are influenced by various factors. The major strategies pursued by market participants include partnerships to cater to evolving user demands. For instance, in January 2022, Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices collaborated with Microsoft to expand its digital surgery ecosystem. Pfizer's collaboration with Sirana Pharma is investigating treatments for rare bone diseases through microRNA targeting approaches. Market Competition Analysis Leading the market are Johnson & Johnson, Novartis AG, and Pfizer, Inc. Pfizer's acquisition of Arena Pharmaceuticals aims to enhance Pfizer's Immunology and swelling healing area, contributing to the advancement of immuno-inflammatory illness treatment. Other key innovators include AbbVie, Inc., Amgen, Inc., and UCB S.A. Impact of COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic caused supply chain disruptions across industries, including healthcare. This impacted the musculoskeletal disorders drugs market, leading to a temporary decline. However, a rebound is anticipated as the pandemic recedes and the market is expected to grow steadily in the coming years. Market Growth Factors High Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Diseases : Over 150 diseases and conditions fall under the category of musculoskeletal disorders, affecting individuals globally. The prevalence of these disorders, such as arthritis, osteoarthritis, and back pain, drives the demand for drugs and treatment options. : Over 150 diseases and conditions fall under the category of musculoskeletal disorders, affecting individuals globally. The prevalence of these disorders, such as arthritis, osteoarthritis, and back pain, drives the demand for drugs and treatment options. Alcohol Consumption Impact: The link between joint diseases and alcohol consumption drives market growth. With rising alcohol consumption, the market is poised to expand as more individuals seek treatment for related disorders. Market Restraining Factors Healthcare Professional Shortage: A projected shortage of healthcare professionals by 2035 could impact disease management and hinder the demand for associated medications. Scope of the Study Distribution Channels : Drug Stores & Retail Pharmacies, Hospital Pharmacies, Online Providers : Drug Stores & Retail Pharmacies, Hospital Pharmacies, Online Providers Route of Administration : Parenteral, Oral : Parenteral, Oral Drug Types: Analgesics, DMARDs, Corticosteroids, Others Key Market Players Key companies profiled in the report include AbbVie, Inc., Amgen, Inc., Eli Lilly And Company, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis AG, Pfizer, Inc., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., and UCB S.A. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rzxw3l About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets MediPharm Labs sold vacant land in Napanee, Ontario last utilized in 2021 for outdoor cannabis growing activities. The land was acquired by MediPharm as part of the VIVO Cannabis acquisition in April 2023 . last utilized in 2021 for outdoor cannabis growing activities. The land was acquired by MediPharm as part of the VIVO Cannabis acquisition in . The net cash proceeds of $1.9 million adds non-dilutive capital to MediPharm's strong balance sheet. adds non-dilutive capital to MediPharm's strong balance sheet. The $1.9 million cash is in addition to $7 million annualized synergies already executed since the closing of the VIVO Cannabis acquisition in April 2023 TORONTO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - MediPharm Labs Corp. (TSX: LABS) (OTCQB: MEDIF) (FSE: MLZ) ("MediPharm", "MediPharm Labs" or the "Company") a pharmaceutical company specialized in precision-based cannabinoids, is pleased to announce it has completed the sale of vacant land for net proceeds of $1.9 million dollars. On August 30, 2023, MediPharm completed the sale of 291 Kimmett's Side Road, Napanee, Ontario, for net proceeds of $1.9 million. This land was previously used by VIVO Cannabis for outdoor cannabis growing. The land has not been utilized since 2021. This sale of surplus land adds non-dilutive capital to the Company and is one of the many benefits of the successful VIVO transaction. Since closing the transaction, the Company has already executed approximately $7 million in annualized savings as it progresses towards a synergy target of $7-9 million on an annual basis. About MediPharm Labs Founded in 2015, MediPharm Labs specializes in the development and manufacture of purified, pharmaceutical-quality cannabis concentrates, active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and advanced derivative products utilizing a Good Manufacturing Practices certified facility with ISO standard-built clean rooms. MediPharm Labs has invested in an expert, research driven team, state-of-the-art technology, downstream purification methodologies and purpose-built facilities for delivery of pure, trusted and precision-dosed cannabis products for its customers. MediPharm Labs develops, formulates, processes, packages and distributes cannabis and advanced cannabinoid-based products to domestic and international medical markets. In 2021, MediPharm Labs received a Pharmaceutical Drug Establishment License from Health Canada, becoming the only company in North America to hold a commercial scale domestic Good Manufacturing License for the extraction of multiple natural cannabinoids. The Company carries out its operations in compliance with all applicable laws in the countries in which it operates. In 2023, MediPharm acquired VIVO Cannabis Inc. which expanded MediPharm's reach to medical patients in Canada via Canna Farms medical ecommerce platform, and in Australia and Germany through Beacon Medical PTY and Beacon Medical GMBH. This acquisition also included Harvest Medical Clinics in Canada which provides medical cannabis patients with Physician consultations for medical cannabis education and prescriptions. Website: www.medipharmlabs.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, a future synergy target of $7-9 million on an annual basis. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the inability of MediPharm Labs to obtain adequate financing; the delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals; and other factors discussed in MediPharm Labs' filings, available on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, MediPharm Labs assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change. SOURCE MediPharm Labs Corp. OKLAHOMA CITY, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MidFirst Bank is pleased to announce the addition of John D. Higginbotham to its Oklahoma City market leadership, joining MidFirst Bank as the market executive and senior vice president of commercial lending. Higginbotham brings more than 40 years of banking and finance experience to MidFirst, including 35 years with Bank of Oklahoma, where he served as the market president and CEO as well as chief operating officer. He dedicated a major portion of his career to the commercial division where he managed corporate and healthcare lending teams. Higginbotham earned his Bachelor of Science in business administration from Oklahoma State University and attended the University of Washington-Michael G. Foster School of Business. He is also a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma, Leadership OKC and SALLT Leadership. "We are thrilled that John is joining our team at MidFirst," said Alan Kraft, first executive vice president of commercial lending. "John's focus on collaborating among all lines of business as well as his commitment to developing and expanding client relationships in the Oklahoma market will be invaluable to the bank." As an embedded member of the Oklahoma City community, Higginbotham has served on several nonprofit boards throughout his career. He is actively involved and serves as chairman of City Rescue Mission, treasurer of Downtown OKC, trustee for United Way of Central Oklahoma, and as a board member of Allied Arts and the National Board of Student Mobilization. He is also a dedicated mentor for City Care's Whiz Kids program. Higginbotham has previously served on several boards, including the board of governors for the Oklahoma State University Foundation, chairman of the OKC Philharmonic, chairman of Canterbury Voices, board member of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, co-chair of the Greater OKC Chamber Campaign, and board member and chair of the Oklahoma City March of Dimes campaign. Higginbotham lives in Edmond with his wife, Julie. They are active members of the First Presbyterian Church of Edmond, where he serves as an elder. About MidFirst Bank With $36.5 billion in assets, Oklahoma City-based MidFirst Bank is the largest privately owned bank in the nation and provides commercial lending, wealth management, private banking and mortgage servicing nationally. MidFirst Bank has banking centers in Oklahoma, Arizona, Colorado, Texas and California. MidFirst Bank serves California through 1st Century Bank, a division of MidFirst Bank. SOURCE MidFirst Bank NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The military wearable sensors market size is estimated to grow by USD 160.7 million from 2022 to 2027, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to decelerate at a CAGR of 6.72% during the forecast period. Increased spending on military modernization programs is notably driving market growth. Modernization of the military comprises transformations in technological capacities. Militaries of various nations aim to be well-trained and equipped with modern systems of armament and technique as well as modern and interoperable tools. In addition, the modernization of the military emphasises several areas, such as control and command systems, information systems, wearable devices, equipment, and armaments. Globally, countries are investing in such programs to intensify their military capabilities. For instance, the US Army has proposed a five-year Mission Training Complex Capabilities Support contract. Therefore, such initiatives will expand the demand for military wearable sensors, which, in turn, will fuel the growth of the market during the forecast period. Request a sample report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Military Wearable Sensors Market 2023-2027 Military Wearable Sensors Market - Segmentation Assessment Segment Overview Technavio has segmented the market based on type(Device-based sensors and Clothing-based sensors), application (Headwear, Eyewear, Bodywear, Wristwear, and Hearables), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America). The device-based sensors segment will account for a significant share of market growth during the forecast period. Many wearable devices have been developed for military applications such as goggles, keychains, watches, and activity and health-tracking wristbands. Generally, wearable devices include the global positioning system (GPS), which comprises a sensor for monitoring and tracking the position of personnel and physical structures. In addition, GPS provides precise details about the position and velocity of objects on the field. Incorporating wearable displays with GPS provides real-time data to soldiers. Such data include satellite /images that are crucial for military intelligence. Therefore, GPS helps with tactical and operational decisions in real-time. Such factors will boost the growth of the segment during the forecast period. Buy the report! Geography Overview By geography, the global military wearable sensors market is segmented into North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America. The report provides actionable insights and estimates the contribution of all regions to the growth of the global military wearable sensors market. North America is estimated to account for 37% of the global market. In North America , the US is a major revenue contributor to the market. The country is investing particularly in the R&D of wearable technology to improve its military modernization efforts. In the US, the aerospace and defense industry innovates technologically advanced aircraft and other systems. However, the country is a primary exporter and consumer of such machines and systems. The requirement to assure national security and achieve military dominance has driven the demand for military wearable sensors in the region. Such factors will fuel the growth of the market in the region during the forecast period. Insights on the market contribution of various segments including country and region wise, historic market data (2017 to 2021), and forecast market size (2023 to 2027) - Download a Sample Report Military Wearable Sensors Market Market Dynamics Leading trends influencing the market The use of IoT and big data in militaries is an emerging trend shaping the market growth. IoT devices exchange data through the internet without human intervention. Big data and analytics are increasingly important. IoT tech is used in wireless sensor networks and software, consisting of sensors, digital signal processors, radio-frequency devices, and big data. Sensor data is interpreted at a command center and integrated with other data sources to inform orders. Therefore, the use of IoT and big data in the military is a primary trend that will influence the growth of the market during the forecast period. Insights on Market Drivers, trends, and challenges, historic period(2017 to 2021) and forecast period(2023 to 2027)- Request a sample report! What are the key data covered in this Military Wearable Sensors Market report? CAGR of the market during the forecast period Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the military wearable sensors market between 2023 and 2027 Precise estimation of the military wearable sensors market size and its contribution to the market in focus on the parent market Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior Growth of the military wearable sensors market across North America , Europe , APAC, Middle East and Africa , and South America , , APAC, and , and A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about companies Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of military wearable sensors market companies Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports: The Wearable Robots and Exoskeletons Market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 33.11% between 2022 and 2027 and the size of the market is forecast to increase by USD 4,718.14 million. The Military Satellite Payloads and Subsystems market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.97% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 2,912.36 million. Military Wearable Sensors Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Decelerate at a CAGR of 6.72% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 160.7 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 6.4 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution North America at 37% Key countries US, China, Germany, France, and Russia, Canada, Mexico, Italy,Spain, India, Japan, Australia, and South Korea Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled ASELSAN AS, BAE Systems Plc, Bionic Power Inc., Elbit Systems Ltd., Epsilor Electric Fuel Ltd., General Electric Co., Honeywell International Inc., Interactive Wear AG, L3Harris Technologies Inc., Leonardo Spa, Lockheed Martin Corp., Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Rheinmetall AG, Saab AB, Safran SA, TE Connectivity Ltd., Teledyne Technologies Inc., Thales Group, TT Electronics Plc, and Viasat Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table of contents 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation by Type 7 Market Segmentation by Application 8 Customer Landscape 9 Geographic Landscape 10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 11 Vendor Landscape 12 Vendor Analysis 13 Appendix About US Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com SOURCE Technavio SYRACUSE, N.Y., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine have honored Mohawk Global as one of this year's Best Medium Workplaces. After ten years of achieving the Great Places to Work certification, this is the company's first time being featured on the prestigious list. "We believe in cultivating a culture of love and trust at Mohawk Global. That, along with our vision to enrich people's lives, allows our people to thriveas well as our company," says Gar Grannell, Chairman and CEO of Mohawk Global. Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine have honored Mohawk Global as one of this year's Best Medium Workplaces. Post this Enriching our people involves improving the communities in which we live. Our people are passionate about giving back and we wholly support them for this. The Mohawk Global Giveback programlaunched in 2022enhances the reinvestment into our communities through volunteer opportunities where Mohawk Global has an office location. "Their participation in this program is just one example of how our people are what makes Mohawk Global a Great Place to Work," proudly states Gar Grannell. The Best Medium Workplaces award is based on employee feedback collected through America's largest annual workforce study of over 1 million employee survey responses by Great Places to Work. In that survey, 97% of Mohawk Global employees said it is a great place to work, a four percent increase from the 2022 survey. As a team, Mohawk Global emphasizes the importance of the participation rate, as it is an opportunity for employees to truly make a difference in the workplace culture. Mohawk Global is proud to report that the survey was completed by 91% of employees. The Best Medium Workplaces list is highly competitive. Great Place to Work selected the list using rigorous analytics and confidential employee feedback. Companies are assessed on how well they are creating a great employee experience that cuts across race, gender, age, disability status, or any aspect of who employees are or what their role is. To be considered for the list, companies must be Great Place To Work-Certified and have 100 to 999 U.S. employees. Mohawk Global is proud to be represented alongside the impressive companies on the Best Medium Workplaces list, ranking at #83. Learn more about Mohawk Global's survey results here. About Mohawk Global Mohawk Global is a leading supply chain services provider headquartered in Syracuse, New York. Mohawk Global strives to create an environment of growth, and as a family-owned and operated business, everything is guided by the core values Enrich. Care. Deliver. The caring culture is what gives their teams the unique ability to deliver collaborative solutions with tailored projects for each partners' needs. They are a team who genuinely care about each other, clients, and their community. About the Best Medium Workplaces Great Place to Work selected the Best Workplaces in New York by gathering and analyzing confidential survey responses from its study of thousands of companies representing more than 6.1 million U.S. employees at Great Place to Work-Certified organizations. Companies must be headquartered in the state of New York to be eligible. Company rankings are derived from 60 employee experience questions within the Great Place to Work Trust Index survey. Read the full methodology. SOURCE Mohawk Global DALLAS, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mohr Partners, Inc., a top-three global corporate real estate advisory & outsourcing services firm, is pleased to announce that Darren Shibuya has joined the firm as Managing Partner to lead its Los Angeles office. Shibuya, a 30-year veteran of commercial real estate, has spent his entire career representing corporate occupiers across the United States and internationally, acquiring and disposing their leased and owned real estate. Darren Shibuya "I'm thrilled to embark on this exciting journey with Mohr Partners," Shibuya said. "This experience will give me the opportunity to leverage my three decades of experience helping occupiers manage their corporate real estate while utilizing Mohr Partners' best-in-class site selection, economic incentives, labor and supply chain consulting expertise to drive unparalleled value for my clients." Shibuya joins Mohr Partners after eight years as an Executive Vice President with JLL in Los Angeles. Additionally, Shibuya spent time as the Senior Managing Director at DTZ (now part of Cushman & Wakefield), where he worked with Mohr Partners' Chairman & CEO Robert Shibuya (no relation to Darren). Prior to DTZ, Darren Shibuya spent 20 years as a Principal in Cresa's Los Angeles office. "It's a pleasure to reconnect with Darren and welcome him to the Mohr Partners family," Robert Shibuya said. "I've known Darren for over 25 years and his proven dedication, industry acumen and unwavering commitment will undoubtedly steer our firm to new heights in the Los Angeles market." Darren Shibuya graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor's degree in business administration & finance. He is also a Past President of the CoreNet Global Southern California Chapter. About Mohr Partners, Inc. : Mohr Partners, Inc. is a global corporate real estate advisory & outsourcing company, providing corporate occupiers with an integrated set of portfolio services including strategic planning, business intelligence, lease administration & accounting, research and site selection, labor analytics, project and construction management, comprehensive demographics analysis, economic incentives negotiations, transaction management and facility services. Since 1986, Mohr Partners has been managing real estate portfolios for corporations, and each year completes transactions for its clients in all 50 U.S. states, all provinces of Canada and locations around the world. Mohr Partners seamlessly provides corporate real estate services globally through its strategic alliance partners in Canada, Mexico/Latin America, EMEA and Asia Pacific. For more information on Mohr Partners, please visit www.mohrpartners.com. SOURCE Mohr Partners, Inc. NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The motorcycle airbag jacket market is estimated to grow by USD 161.75 million from 2022 to 2027, growing at a CAGR of 14.67%. Europe is estimated to contribute 33% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. The growth is driven by high production and sales in the region. Airbag jackets are being widely adopted in advanced markets of the region, which support vehicle safety and reduce accidents due to fatigue. Safety rules are enforced by European authorities and riders are encouraged to use advanced safety technologies such as smart sensors and airbag jackets. In the region, leading OEMs of premium bikes such as Benelli, Ducati, and BMW Motorrad offer a variety of models to be ridden for on-roads or trails. Hence, these factors are expected to drive market growth in the region during the forecast period. For Comprehensive details on the market size of the historical period(2017 to 2021) and forecast period (2023-2027) - View the Sample report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Motorcycle Airbag Jacket Market 2023-2027 Company Landscape The motorcycle airbag jacket market is fragmented; the companies are competing with competitors and are trying to get a greater market share. The market is growing, and the chances of new entrants cannot be overlooked. The major companies have well-established economies of scale and market presence and generally rely on positioning technological advances, and the price of the products -The report provides a full list of key companies, their strategies, and the latest developments. Buy Now Market Dynamics Key Driver The introduction of airbags as a product differentiator is a key factor driving market growth. For the established players on the market, premium motorcycle production has turned out to be a profitable venture. New players looking for a chance in countries such as India, China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Mexico have benefited from the growing demand for luxury motorcycles. Moreover, it is considered a distinguishing feature that some premium motorcycle manufacturers are offering Airbag jackets. In addition, the development of advanced airbag jackets has been forecast to be stimulated by greater cooperation between motorcycle OEMs and airbag jacket producers such as Autoliv. Hence, these factors are expected to drive market growth during the forecast period. Major Trend - The growing popularity of long-distance motorcycle trips is a major trend in the market. Significant Challenge - Limited customer awareness is a significant challenge restricting market growth. Technavio has identified key trends, drivers, and challenges in the market, which will help clients improve their strategies to stay ahead of their competitors. - View Sample Report Company Profiles The motorcycle airbag jacket market report includes information on the product launches, sustainability, and prospects of leading companies including Access Equip Motos France, AIRVEST, Alpinestars USA Inc., Autoliv Inc., Bering Moto, CLOVER IT Srl, Dainese Spa, Ducati Motor Holding Spa, Furygan, GIMOTO SRL, Helite Moto, Helite Sarl, HIT AIR, Mugen Denko Co. Ltd., PIERER Mobility AG, Point Two Air Vests USA LLC, Polaris Inc., Spidi Sport Srl, The Merlin Partnership Ltd., and Ubuy Co W.L.L. Market Segmentation The market is segmented by product (airbag vest and airbag jacket), type (cord and cordless), and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The airbag vest segment is expected to experience substantial growth during the forecast period. The vests are designed with the objective of providing protection on the rider's chest and back when they are wearing them over their shoulders. Most protective clothing has a strengthened interior and an extremely hard abrasion-resistant outer core so that it can be worn under the jacket or shirt or over the sweatshirt. In addition, intelligent features, collecting data, and optimizing measurements for personalized protection are provided by technologically advanced airbag vests. Hence, these factors are expected to drive segment growth during the forecast period. Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports The automotive drivetrain market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.89% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 68.89 billion. This automotive drivetrain market report extensively covers market segmentation by application (forward-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive), vehicle type (passenger car and commercial vehicle), and geography (APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The increasing demand for commercial vehicles is driving the automotive drivetrain market. The automotive dual variable valve timing market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.63% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 12,518.16 million. This automotive dual variable valve timing market report extensively covers market segmentation by application (passenger cars and commercial vehicles), type (hydraulic cam phaser and electric cam phaser), and geography (APAC, Europe, North America, Middle East and Africa, and South America). One of the key factors driving the automotive dual variable valve timing market growth is the increasing demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. Motorcycle Airbag Jacket Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 14.67% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 161.75 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 12.14 Regional analysis Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution Europe at 33% Key countries US, Japan, Germany, France, and the UK Competitive landscape Leading Companies, Market Positioning of Companies, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Access Equip Motos France, AIRVEST, Alpinestars USA Inc., Autoliv Inc., Bering Moto, CLOVER IT Srl, Dainese Spa, Ducati Motor Holding Spa, Furygan, GIMOTO SRL, Helite Moto, Helite Sarl, HIT AIR, Mugen Denko Co. Ltd., PIERER Mobility AG, Point Two Air Vests USA LLC, Polaris Inc., Spidi Sport Srl, The Merlin Partnership Ltd., and Ubuy Co W.L.L Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and Market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get customized segments. Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation by Product 7 Market Segmentation by Type 8 Customer Landscape 9 Geographic Landscape 10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 11 Company Landscape 12 Company Analysis 13 Appendix About US Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com SOURCE Technavio POWER Magazine honors CEP Renewables and its partners for America's largest landfill solar facility RED BANK, N.J., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CEP Renewables announced today that its Mount Olive project has received POWER Magazine's Top Renewable Energy Plant of the Year Award. The award for the largest solar landfill project in North America is shared with CEP partners NJR Clean Energy Ventures (CEV), CS Energy, Terrasmart, and Lindsay Precast. This 25.6-MW project in New Jersey allowed the Mount Olive township to recoup $2.3 million in taxes while transforming a former 65-acre Superfund site into a clean, revenue-generating asset. The Mount Olive project partners at the Experience POWER award reception in Savannah, Georgia Developed by CEP Renewables , Mount Olive was constructed by CS Energy . Terrasmart designed and supplied its Glide fixed-tilt, ballasted racking systems and supplied the eBOS components. TMEIC partnered with Lindsay Precast for the prefabricated steel skids and integration of their Solar Ware Ninja inverters. The project is owned and operated under a long-term agreement with CEV , a subsidiary of investor-owned utility New Jersey Resources. "With over a decade of successfully deploying these types of projects, we are uniquely experienced in turning previously contaminated Superfund and brownfield sites into clean energy, jobs, and tax revenue," said Chris Ichter, executive vice president at CEP. "We are honored by this award and proud to contribute to New Jersey's goal of meeting 50 percent of its electricity needs with renewable energy by 2030." POWER magazine has honored top performers in the electricity-generating industry for the last four decades. The Mount Olive project was selected for its innovative approach and team solutions across design, engineering, construction, and finance, including: CEP Renewables strategically structured the financing to include the landfill's purchase through a redevelopment and tax lien foreclosure, resulting in the 2021 Award for Innovation in Governance from the New Jersey League of Municipalities . to include the landfill's purchase through a redevelopment and tax lien foreclosure, resulting in the . CS Energy ensured the integrity of the landfill's protective cap through settlement analyses, resulting in detailed site preparation and careful construction execution. through settlement analyses, resulting in detailed site preparation and careful construction execution. Terrasmart value-engineered the racking system to minimize project costs and meet revenue goals , optimizing the ballasted design to achieve a reduction in the cost of concrete blocks. , optimizing the ballasted design to achieve a reduction in the cost of concrete blocks. Lindsay Precast reduced on-site labor and streamlined schedules while maintaining the highest level of quality throughout the prefabrication and integration of TMEIC's Ninja Inverters to steel skids. "This is our eighth project with CEP Renewables, our seventh project with Lindsay Precast, and our fourteenth landfill solar project with Terrasmart," said Janani Ramkumar, VP of operations at CS Energy. "The team is excited to receive POWER Magazine's Top Renewable Energy Plant of the Year Award! It's a testament to the strength of our partnerships in delivering high-quality solar assets that yield significant long-term financial and environmental benefits." About CEP Renewables: CEP Renewables designs, develops, and builds grid-connected, utility-scale solar projects. CEP has global expertise, having developed projects in Europe, Asia, and North America. For many years, the company has invested heavily in New Jersey and is supporting Governor Murphy's ambitious Energy Master Plan (requiring 100% utilization of clean energy by 2035). CEP utilizes its highly-skilled professional team to implement complex remediation, engineering, and permitting strategies that allow it to bring particularly challenging projects from conception to energization. For more information visit https://www.ceprenewables.com/ . Media contact: Fabienne Rodet, [email protected], (650) 804-2504 SOURCE CEP Renewables DENVER, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Evan Zucker has been named Chair of the National Jewish Health Board of Directors. He succeeds Steven D. Kris, who has been board chair since January 2020, and will continue to serve as a member of the board and executive committee. Evan Zucker named Chair of the National Jewish Health Board of Directors. Zucker is a Principal of Academy Partners Group, a private investment firm based in Denver with a variety of real estate and property technology-related business interests in the United States and Mexico. Prior to his current position, Zucker was Partner at Ares Management Corp and Chair of the Ares Industrial Real Estate Group. He served as Principal at Black Creek Group, a real estate private equity and investment management firm that he co-founded in 1993. Ares Management Corp acquired Black Creek Group's U.S. real estate business in July 2021. He joined the National Jewish Health Board in 1993 and has served in a variety of roles, including serving as the Chair of the Finance Committee for 14 years. Zucker has been involved with a variety of philanthropic and charitable causes over the years, serving on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including on the Board of the Denver Zoo and also as a member of Colorado Concern. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Stanford University. "Evan's decades of experience and knowledge of National Jewish Health will be invaluable as he assumes leadership of our Board of Directors. We are thrilled to have his guidance and insights as we move forward into the future," said Michael Salem, MD, President and CEO of National Jewish Health. "We also sincerely thank Steve Kris for his extraordinary service as Chair over the past several years, including during the pandemic and the building and opening of our Center for Outpatient Health." National Jewish Health is the leading respiratory hospital in the nation. Founded 124 years ago as a nonprofit hospital, National Jewish Health today is the only facility in the world dedicated exclusively to groundbreaking medical research and treatment of children and adults with respiratory, cardiac, immune and related disorders. Patients and families come to National Jewish Health from around the world to receive cutting-edge, comprehensive, coordinated care. To learn more, visit njhealth.org or the media resources page. SOURCE National Jewish Health 2023 data from Cruise Lines International Association shows investment in technologies and alternative fuels that will accelerate the maritime transition towards net zero WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the leading voice of the global cruise industry, today released its 2023 Global Cruise Industry Environmental Technologies and Practices Report, showing concrete progress by the sector in advancing its environmental and sustainability agenda. The 2023 order book data shows that cruise lines continue investment in new vessels with 44 new ships on order during the next five years, representing an investment of $62 billion since 2019. Of these new ships, 25 will be LNG- powered and seven will be either methanol ready on delivery, or methanol capable, representing an investment in new engine technologies that will accelerate the maritime transition towards a future of low to zero carbon fuels. Examples of progress cited include the number of alternative fuels pilot programs and trials currently in place with cruise ships. In addition, an increasing number of vessels sailing and launching over the next five years will either use alternative fuels or will be able to incorporate zero carbon fuels when they become available. The 2023 report also demonstrates other significant investments cruise lines are making to reduce emissions at berth and at sea, such as shoreside electricity, which allows cruise ships to switch off engines for significant emissions reduction while in port. More cruise lines are diversifying energy solutions by incorporating multi-fuel engines, trialing fuel cell technology, wind (including solid sail) technology, as well as photovoltaic solutions and battery storage for power shaving. Efficiency tracking systems are now in use on 171 CLIA-member ships, representing 60% of the global fleet, with many more systems planned. In addition, cruise lines are pursuing fuel flexibility, investing today in propulsion technologies with conversion capabilities for the futurewith 32 pilot projects and collaborative initiatives underway with sustainable fuel producers and engine companies. President, and CEO, CLIA, Kelly Craighead said: "Cruise lines continue to transform the modern fleet to protect the oceans, air and destinations enjoyed by millions of passengers each year. Our data shows a step change in the uptake of new environmental technologies by our cruise line members. Already today cruise lines are building the ships of the future which will run on new, more sustainable engine technologies. The introduction of these new technologies and the many pilot programs and trials in place reveal how the cruise industry is an innovator and early adopter of technologies that are helping us sail to a more sustainable future." The availability of sustainable marine fuels remains essential to achieving the maritime industry's decarbonisation goals and underscores the need for governments to support research efforts to accelerate development of these fuels so that they are safe, viable and available for use. Chairman of CLIA Pierfrancesco Vago said: "Achieving our collective sustainability ambitions requires substantial investment from the public and private sector. The cruise industry, as part of the broader maritime sector, is doing its part by building the future of cruise into our ships today. We need governments to support research efforts, as well as provide a clear and stable regulatory landscape, so that fuel suppliers and others can do the critical work needed." The data shows that CLIA ocean-going cruise lines continue their work to reduce emissions. Highlights of progress include: Shoreside Electricity (SSE) Capability Plugging into shoreside electricity allows ship engines to be switched off, reducing emissions by up to 98%, depending on the mix of energy sources, while a ship is in port, according to studies conducted by a number of the world's ports and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Across the CLIA cruise-line member fleet, 120 ships (46% of the total and a 48% increase in the number of ships with SSE since 2022) are equipped to connect to shoreside electricity, with 86% of CLIA member ships (representing 95% of global passenger capacity) coming online between now and 2028 specified for shoreside electricity system. Currently 32 ports (compared to 29 ports in 2022), representing fewer than 2% of the world's ports, have at least one cruise berth with plug-in capability. By 2028, more than 210 ships with shoreside power capability are expected, plus additional ships to be retrofitted with the capability, representing a total of 72% of ships and 74% of global passenger capacity. In 2022, CLIA has announced that its ocean cruise line members have made a commitment that all ships calling at ports capable of providing shoreside power will be equipped to either use SSE by 2035 or be able to use alternative low-carbon technologies, as available, to reduce emissions in port. As part of the EU's Fit for 55 green program, by 2030, major ports in Europe will be required to have shoreside power, which will further accelerate the available port infrastructure investment in that region. Advanced Wastewater Treatment Systems As part of their overarching sustainability focus, cruise lines have committed to not discharging untreated sewage anywhere in the world, during normal operations. Across the CLIA cruise-line member fleet, 202 ships (77% of the total), representing 80% of global passenger capacity (a 12% increase from 2022) are equipped with advanced wastewater treatment systems. These systems operate to a higher standard than shoreside treatment plants in many coastal cities. All CLIA-member cruise line new-build ships are specified for advanced wastewater treatment systems which will bring the total to 242 ships, representing 80% of the fleet and 84% of global capacity. In addition, since 2019, the number of ships with advanced wastewater treatment systems capable of meeting the more stringent standards of the Baltic Sea Special Area has increased 167%. Today, nearly one- third of CLIA member ships have this capability. Renewable fuels and alternative energy sources Various CLIA member lines are trialing, using, and incorporating into new-build ships the capability to run on renewable fuels, including biofuels and synthetic carbon fuels. Within the CLIA member fleet, four ships sailing today use renewable biofuel as an energy sourceand an additional four new-build ships are expected to be configured for renewable biofuels. In addition, 24 ships have biofuel trials and two have synthetic carbon fuels trials. Seven new-build ships are anticipated to run on zero carbon fuels, including five ships envisioned to use green methanol and two envisioned to use green hydrogen. 15% of new-build cruise ships entering service in the next five years are anticipated to be equipped with battery storage and/or fuel cells to allow for hybrid power generation. Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Fuel As the cruise industry anticipates the transition to a future of sustainable, renewable fuels, several cruise ships are utilizing liquified natural gas (LNG). Ships designed with LNG engines and fuel supply systems are able to switch to bio or synthetic LNG in the future, with little or no modifications. The 2023 report found 48% of new-build capacity will be designed with LNG engines and fuel supply systems. These ships are part of a future generation of vessels that will be capable of running on renewable marine fuels once fuel providers are able to make them available at scale. Based on analyses by SeaLNG and others, LNG is currently the fossil fuel available at scale that has the best performance in reducing atmospheric emissions. LNG has virtually zero sulfur emissions and particulate emissions, reduces NOx emissions by approximately 85%, and achieves up to a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Notes to Editors: The data tables for this year's report can be found at this LINK. *Sustainable, renewable marine fuels can include biofuels, synthetic carbon fuels, and other advanced approaches including zero carbon fuels, such as green methanol and green hydrogen. For more information, please visit cruising.org/environment-sustainability . About the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) CLIA is the world's largest cruise industry trade association, providing a unified voice for the industry as the leading authority of the global cruise community. On behalf of its members, affiliates and partners, the organization supports policies and practices that foster a secure, healthy, and sustainable cruise ship environment, promoting positive travel experiences for millions of travelers who cruise annually. This year, CLIA forecasts that annual the number of passengers will reach 31.5 million passengerssurpassing 2019 levels. The CLIA community includes the world's most prestigious ocean, river, and specialty cruise lines; a widespread network of stakeholders, including ports and destinations, ship development, suppliers, and business services; and a highly trained and certified travel agent members that represent the largest network of travel professionals specializing in cruise travel. The organization's global headquarters are in Washington, DC, with regional offices located in North and South America, Europe, and Australasia. For more information, please visit cruising.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube with our handle @CLIAGlobalor on LinkedIn. SOURCE Cruise Lines International Association Top-10 Strongest Corporate Boards Revealed; Pressure Mounts as Boards Face New Challenges, Shifting Priorities, and a Marked Decline in Business Acumen CHICAGO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PPG Industries, Teradyne, and International Paper outperformed all other public corporations in the U.S. in terms of board governance capacity, according to a study by JamesDruryPartners. In its newest edition of The Weight of America's Boards, the firm measured the "Average Director Weight" (objective standard for assessing relative board strength) of America's largest publicly traded companies (based on revenue and market cap). Since 2011, the board of PPG (NYSE: PPG) has appeared on the study's top-ten list seven times and has ranked #1 twice, most recently in 2016. This study provides a thoughtful benchmark by which the integrity of a board's governance system can be measured. Post this Governance Study Cover This year, the study carefully evaluated the business acumen of every director serving on more than 600 public boards. A complete ranking of the corporations can be found in the full report: The Weight of America's Boards (2023) Top-10 Corporations with the Highest Average Director Weight: PPG Industries Teradyne International Paper Waste Management Elevance Health (Formerly Anthem) Baker Hughes Regions Financial Walt Disney Uber Technologies Yum! Brands "The Weight of America's Boards provides a thoughtful benchmark by which the integrity of a board's governance system can be measured," said the report's lead author, Jim Drury (CEO of JamesDruryPartners). "It is an honor to provide the unique insights contained in the study. For more than a decade, boards have used its findings to facilitate boardroom discussion, and we anticipate that the actionable insights in this edition will help them to further strengthen their governance capacity." Other Key Findings: 47% of the 6,525 board seats analyzed in the report were held by gender and/or ethnically diverse directors. Female directors make up nearly a third of today's public boards, which outpaces their presence in the C-suite by almost 7%. According to the report, 32.7% of board directors are female, compared to a recent McKinsey/LeanIn.org study which indicated 26% of C-level executives to be women. In addition, board seats held by non-white directors were shown to have more than doubled since 2011, the first year The Weight of America's Boards was published. Current Challenges: Geopolitical and macroeconomic instability, increased regulatory oversight, ESG compliance, rapid technological advancement, cyber risk, and a complex global business environment are among the leading issues corporate boards are facing today. In addition, public skepticism towards corporate boards and unfounded criticism from shareholder activists continues to grow. Concerning Trends: For the first time in the history of the study, Average Director Weight declined among the boards examined. ADW fell 3.5% since the last report was issued, an indicator of decreased business acumen in corporate boardrooms. The number of active CEOs serving on outside boards continued to trend downward, driving this alarming decline. The report also noted that, of the 6,525 board seats analyzed, only 100 seats were filled by outside active CFOs. Together, these trends indicate that some boards are lacking the financial and business leadership expertise needed to deal with the complex, ever-evolving challenges facing boards today. CEO Drury attests, "We are more convinced than ever that strong governance capacity is the high-octane fuel in a corporation's engine. It is the able leadership of the board Chairperson and committee heads that catalyzes this precious fuel in a manner that fosters governance strength, quality, and effectiveness." About JamesDruryPartners (www.jdrurypartners.com) Following an earlier career in management consulting and executive search, Jim Drury founded JamesDruryPartners to advise boards in the selection of new CEOs and board directors. While advising some of the highest profile companies in the U.S., he soon recognized that boards were experiencing a "brain drain" as CEOs began to reduce their outside board commitments. The firm expanded its offerings as a result, developing new services focused on maintaining the strength of corporate boards. In addition to director recruitment, the firm launched its most innovative service, BoardSelect: optimizing the matching process of America's top executives with the boards that could most benefit from their service, while also providing a governance experience most beneficial to the companies they lead. SOURCE James Drury Partners CHICAGO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chicago chapter of NIRI, The Association for Investor Relations (NIRI Chicago), today announced its upcoming Investor Relations (IR) Workshop will address the opportunities and challenges of digitalization in IR, including how artificial intelligence and other technologies are transforming the ways companies communicate with investors and other stakeholders. This year's annual workshop will be held on Friday, Sept. 22 at the Metropolitan, Willis Tower, 233 S. Wacker Drive, 66th Floor, Chicago. "The future of technology in investor relations is already here," said Shawn Alcaraz, IRC, chapter president. "We need to ensure we're staying at the forefront of innovation to keep IR programs relevant and competitive into the next phase of this increasingly digital world. Artificial intelligence and digitalization can greatly impact and disrupt how companies communicate with stakeholders and navigate the risks of today. Our workshop will provide essential insights that can reshape how companies conduct IR and connect you with the best minds in the IR field." Highlights of the 2023 IR Workshop will include: From TV to Futures Fireside Chat with Steve Grasso : Keynote speaker Steve Grasso , chief executive officer of Grasso Global Inc., is a market analyst and institutional sales trader, a regular contributor to CNBC's Fast Money financial talk show, and a former NYSE floor official and governor. Based on more than 30 years of trading experience, Grasso will discuss his insights on policy, regulation and the future of the stock market during a fireside chat moderated by Ruth Venning , IRC, executive director, investor relations and of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) program at Horizon Therapeutics, as well as a 2023 NIRI Fellow. Keynote speaker , chief executive officer of Grasso Global Inc., is a market analyst and institutional sales trader, a regular contributor to CNBC's Fast Money financial talk show, and a former NYSE floor official and governor. Based on more than 30 years of trading experience, Grasso will discuss his insights on policy, regulation and the future of the stock market during a fireside chat moderated by , IRC, executive director, investor relations and of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) program at Horizon Therapeutics, as well as a 2023 NIRI Fellow. AI: Friend, Foe or Coworker? Artificial intelligence (AI) has arrived in the mainstream workplace and using it could become a regular part of your workday. We'll transform your thinking about AI's impact, including how AI and ChatGPT (along with other tools) will become part of everyday work life, as well as the IR and career ramifications. This session will share the top skills to learn and key technology takeaways to implement now. Artificial intelligence (AI) has arrived in the mainstream workplace and using it could become a regular part of your workday. We'll transform your thinking about AI's impact, including how AI and ChatGPT (along with other tools) will become part of everyday work life, as well as the IR and career ramifications. This session will share the top skills to learn and key technology takeaways to implement now. Flirting with Disaster: Managing Social Media Risks in Crises: In this interactive exercise, crisis communication experts will engage participants on how to respond to an escalating crisis. In this interactive exercise, crisis communication experts will engage participants on how to respond to an escalating crisis. A Guide to Getting the Buy-Side's Attention: Attracting new shareholders is not without its obstacles, but experienced buy-side professionals will advise participants on the best tactics to engage and attract the perfect investor in this session. Attracting new shareholders is not without its obstacles, but experienced buy-side professionals will advise participants on the best tactics to engage and attract the perfect investor in this session. ESG 2.0 From Defense to Offense: Environmental, society and corporate governance plays a growing role in differentiating stock decisions among Generation Z investors and beyond. Panelists will share ESG strategies being deployed to attract long-term investors while creating corporate value and contributing to positive change in the world. Environmental, society and corporate governance plays a growing role in differentiating stock decisions among Generation Z investors and beyond. Panelists will share ESG strategies being deployed to attract long-term investors while creating corporate value and contributing to positive change in the world. Persuasive Data Visualization: Your organization's stock value depends in part on your ability to persuasively present data-driven analyses and evidence. This hands-on workshop will teach you how to clearly communicate your company's investment appeal across various channels. NIRI Chicago's annual full-day IR workshop is open to the public and attracts attendees from throughout the Midwest. The event will begin at 8 a.m. CT on Friday, Sept. 22 with registration, breakfast and networking with practitioners and IR service providers. The cost for NIRI Chicago members is $175 and $250 for non-members who register before Sept. 7 ($225 and $300 thereafter, respectively). Additional information and registration can be found on the NIRI Chicago 2023 IR Workshop webpage. Sponsors and Exhibitors NIRI Chicago thanks the following sponsors and exhibitors: Anonymous Design, Irwin, Q4, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Corbin Advisors, Modern IR, Morrow Sodali, Notified, NYSE Group, PR Newswire and Rivel. The Chicago chapter of NIRI, The Association for Investor Relations (NIRI Chicago), provides professional development and networking opportunities to practitioners of investor relations, a strategic management responsibility that integrates finance, communication, marketing and securities law compliance. Through its collaborative community, NIRI advances engagement in the capital markets and drives best practices in corporate disclosures, governance and informed investing. For more information, visit www.nirichicago.org. SOURCE NIRI Chicago Stories written by Women about Women highlights the impact of women in the hunting and fishing industry CAZENOVIA N.Y., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Outdoor Specialty Media Group announces the publishing of the August issue of North American Outdoorsman digital magazine. This issue features Jana Waller from Skullbound TV fame as the cover story talking about the rise of her career in the outdoor industry, and the influencers that shaped her career path, most importantly her dad. She talks about her desire to feel the excitement that hunts with her dad created, and ultimately this led her to bring this excitement to TV for all to share. Jana is an avid outdoorswoman and conservationist and works tirelessly to give veterans an opportunity to experience an expedition with her. Season 2022 of Skullbound TV Chronicles was devoted to veteran hunts. Annual 2023 Women's Issue showcasing women in the Outdoor industry, content is written by women about women Post this Jana Waller - Outdoor Industry Pioneer Read her story here: A Portrait of Grit and Grace in the Hunting and Outdoor Community Dedicated Women's Issue The issue theme is about Women in the Outdoor Industry, and how they are continuing to influence the landscape, legislation, gear, and opportunities for ladies to participate in greater numbers. Some highlighted stories include: Adventure stories, tips and tricks, gear reviews, cooking, and more The issue also has adventure stories with expert tips on hunts for white tail deer, turkeys, geese, and other Big Game animals. Plus, how to use planning skills and new technologies to improve your chances of success, and highlighting success stories of hunters who harvested huge bucks, including some tips and techniques they used to ensure success. The gear reviews and new product releases have links to visit web sites for more information or purchase of the newest available gear. The food section covers preparing your harvest to enjoy at your table, as well as hosting many other wild game recipes. See our Newsletter Here SOURCE Outdoor Specialty Media Group LLC Leading staffing company invites job-seekers to attend free experience that will provide them with resumes, professional headshots, on-site hiring opportunities, and career confidence. BOSTON, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Insight Global, a leading national staffing company dedicated to empowering people through opportunity, is inviting people to attend an immersive, completely free experience on Saturday, September 9, aimed at providing personalized, one-on-one career counseling. All Boston job-seekers who want to gain confidence and access to job resources like resume writing, interview skills and professional headshots, are encouraged to register and attend. Free childcare will also be available. Insight Globals immersive Be The Light Tour is coming to Boston on Saturday, September 9, to arm job seekers with resumes, headshots, networking opportunities, and career confidence. "We're committed to inspiring and empowering job-seekers with the skills they need to create a brighter and better future," said Bert Bean, CEO of Insight Global. "Whether you're looking for a job or simply want to get ready for your next career move, we are thrilled to bring this transformative experience to Boston to inspire and encourage people to pursue what is possible." This first-of-its-kind experience will take place on Saturday, September 9, between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Seaport (88 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA 02210). The event will have experts, technology and tools that will help people look for jobs or think about a career change. Whether it's needing more access to resources, technology or even the childcare that a job search often requires, Insight Global is working to remove these barriers and meet people where they are to enable a better future for them. The mobile career event will have local onsite corporate, hiring, and community partners including Fidelity, Floor & Decor, Indeed, Microsoft + LinkedIn, Westborough Behavioral Healthcare Hospital, State of MA, EMPath, Purvis, Clean Harbors, Northwestern Mutual, Evolv Technology, NESN, Rosie's Place, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Dress for Success, Best Buddies and Per Scholas. Attendees can take advantage of the following free services: One-on-One Consultations with Insight Global experts who will provide a personalized experience based on attendees' career goals. with Insight Global experts who will provide a personalized experience based on attendees' career goals. Career Readiness Workshops on resume writing, technology, interview skills and job hunting. on resume writing, technology, interview skills and job hunting. Headshot Studio complete with a wardrobe stylist, makeup touch-ups, and a professional photographer who will take photos and upload to LinkedIn profiles (and create a profile). complete with a wardrobe stylist, makeup touch-ups, and a professional photographer who will take photos and upload to LinkedIn profiles (and create a profile). Career Networking with recruiters from Insight Global and client partners who will be on hand to offer tips, tricks and best practices for job-seekers and share opportunities that may be available. with recruiters from Insight Global and client partners who will be on hand to offer tips, tricks and best practices for job-seekers and share opportunities that may be available. Childcare Services staffed by qualified childcare professionals. staffed by qualified childcare professionals. Additional Supportive Services, including assistance for Spanish speakers and the hearing and physically impaired. including assistance for Spanish speakers and the hearing and physically impaired. Merchandise Checkout where attendees who complete the day will earn free swag. Registered attendees will also have the chance to take home Chromebooks and gift cards. Everyone Is Welcome The Be The Light tour is open to anyone looking to better their job or career. In particular, first-generation college grads, unhoused individuals, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQIA, justice impacted, single-income families, veterans, AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander), BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) and young adults. Throughout the country, many communities face challenges when it comes to entering the workforce or career bettermentfrom social and economic inequality to disenfranchisement. Insight Global is on a mission to change that, and in turn, change lives. Insight Global is setting a goal to positively impact 5,000 job-seekers in the first year of the tour, and 15,000 job-seekers by 2025, creating economic sustainability, bridging the gap by breaking generational poverty and providing equal access and opportunity for all. Space is limited, so registration is highly encouraged. Contributors that Make These Dreams a Reality A number of local and national corporate and charitable organizations are working in partnership with Insight Global to make the Be The Light tour possible. For a full list of partners, visit www.insightglobal.com/careerstart. About Insight Global: Insight Global is a national staffing and services company dedicated to empowering people. We relentlessly pursue opportunities for others, because when we all work together, anything is possible. We specialize in sourcing information technology, accounting, finance, and engineering professionals, and delivering service-based solutions to Fortune 1000 clients. Our team spans across more than 70 offices throughout the world and placed more than 50,000 people in jobs in 2022. Insight Global's services extend far beyond just filling roles. In addition to staffing services, we provide culture consulting, DEI training, specialized healthcare staffing and resources, and an array of managed services through our managed services division called Evergreen. To learn more about Insight Global, visit insightglobal.com. SOURCE Insight Global DUBLIN, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Organic feminine care Market By Product Type, By Nature, By Age Group, By Distribution Channel: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global organic feminine care market size was valued at $2.18 Billion in 2021 and is estimated to reach $3.92 Billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2022 to 2031. Feminine care products that are made from organically grown raw materials, such as organic cotton and organic rubber, are referred to as organic feminine care products. Organic feminine care product disposal has very little of an environmental impact. Sanitary pads and tampons have a substantial impact on the development of large amounts of plastic trash, which poses a serious threat to marine and terrestrial environments. There is a rise in the global demand for organic feminine care products due to the growth in awareness of the dangerous chemicals utilized in the production of conventional feminine hygiene products. Traditional, commercially available sanitary pads contain risky chemicals like rayon, metal dyes that induce allergies, and highly processed wood pulp. Dioxin is generated when chlorine is used to bleach tampons and pads. When these chemicals are disposed of, they damage the environment and may also cause cancer in humans. The factors such as the increase in government measures to reduce the use of plastic in both developed and developing nations, as well as the growth in consumer awareness of the environment and eco-friendly goods. Global demand for organic sanitary products is significantly influenced by rise in awareness of personal hygiene. Various marketing activities, government initiatives, and educational campaigns, the demand for organic sanitary pads has grown along with rise in disposable income. Companies in developed countries may launch new products to stay competitive. Manufacturers must produce organic sanitary pads at competitive prices to increase their adoption in new areas. The market is expanding in terms of value sales as a result of increased consumer awareness of the uses and benefits of disposable feminine care products such as sanitary pads, tampons, and other disposable feminine care products. In addition, these disposable feminine care items are readily accessible in the market through a variety of retail establishments, including internet shops, supermarkets, hypermarkets, discount shops, and others. In turn, this has fueled the market for organic feminine care. The rapid growth in the number of internet users across the globe presents a lucrative growth opportunity for organic feminine hygiene product vendors. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in 2022, about 66% of the global population had access to the internet, which was only 29% in 2010. Therefore, a rapid shift of the population to digital platforms has significantly fostered the growth of the online retail platform, which is expected to positively impact the growth of the organic feminine care market during the forecast period. The organic feminine care market analysis, the market is segmented based on product type, nature, age group, distribution channel, and region. On the basis of product type, the market is classified into sanitary pads, tampons, menstrual cups, panty liners & shields, and others. Sanitary pads segment is further categorized based on size into regular, large, and extra-large. Tampons segment is categorized into light (3 mL), regular (5 mL), and super (12 mL). The menstrual cup is bifurcated into small and large. On the basis of nature, the market is bifurcated into disposable and reusable. On the basis of age group, it is segmented into up to 18 years, 19-30 years, 31-40 years, and 41 years & above. On the basis of distribution channel, the market is segregated into supermarkets and hypermarkets, pharmacies, online stores, and others. On the basis of region, the organic feminine care market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA (Latin America, Middle East, and Africa). Unilever PLC, Kao Corporation, Procter & Gamble Co., Eco Femme, Ontex BV, Bodywise (UK) Limited, Corman S.p.A., Unicharm Corporation, Women's India Personal Care Pvt. Ltd., TOP Organic Project, The Honey Pot Company, LLC., Apropos, The Honest Company, Inc., GladRags, and Organic Initiative Limited are the major companies profiled in the organic feminine care market report These manufacturers are constantly engaged in various developmental strategies such as partnerships, mergers, acquisitions, and new product launches to gain a competitive edge and exploit the prevailing organic feminine care market opportunities. Key Benefits For Stakeholders This report provides a quantitative analysis of the market segments, current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the organic feminine care market analysis from 2021 to 2031 to identify the prevailing organic feminine care market opportunities. The market research is offered along with information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities. Porter's five forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer network. In-depth analysis of the organic feminine care market segmentation assists to determine the prevailing market opportunities. Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global market. Market player positioning facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of the market players. The report includes the analysis of the regional as well as global organic feminine care market trends, key players, market segments, application areas, and market growth strategies. Key Market Segments By Age Group Upto 18 Years 19-30 Years 31-40 Years 41 Years and Above By Product Type Sanitary Pads Size Regular Large Extra Large Tampons Size Light Regular Super Menstrual Cups Size Small Large Panty Liners and Shields Others By Nature Disposable Reusable By Distribution Channel Supermarkets and hypermarkets Pharmacy Online Stores Others By Region North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe UK Germany France Italy Spain Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China Japan India South Korea Australia Rest of Asia-Pacific LAMEA Brazil Argentina Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of LAMEA Key Market Players Bodywise (UK) Limited Corman S.p.A. TOP Organic Project The Honey Pot Company, LLC The Honest Company, Inc. GladRags Organic Initiative Limited Women's India Personal Care Pvt. Ltd. Unilever PLC Kao Corporation Ontex BV Unicharm Corporation Apropos Procter & Gamble Co. Co. Eco Femme Key Topics Covered: CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Report description 1.2. Key market segments 1.3. Key benefits to the stakeholders 1.4. Research Methodology 1.4.1. Primary research 1.4.2. Secondary research 1.4.3. Analyst tools and models CHAPTER 2: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2.1. CXO Perspective CHAPTER 3: MARKET OVERVIEW 3.1. Market definition and scope 3.2. Key findings 3.2.1. Top impacting factors 3.2.2. Top investment pockets 3.3. Porter's five forces analysis 3.3.1. Bargaining power of suppliers 3.3.2. Bargaining power of buyers 3.3.3. Threat of substitutes 3.3.4. Threat of new entrants 3.3.5. Intensity of rivalry 3.4. Market dynamics 3.4.1. Drivers 3.4.1.1. A rise in the number of working women population 3.4.1.2. Rise in concerns over the accumulation of plastics wastes 3.4.1.3. Rise in awareness towards personal hygiene 3.4.1.4. Health concerns due to ingredients used in conventional sanitary napkins 3.4.2. Restraints 3.4.2.1. Lower penetration in developing economies 3.4.2.2. The high price of organic menstruation products 3.4.3. Opportunities 3.4.3.1. The rapid growth of the online retail platform 3.4.3.2. Certifications and labels boost consumer confidence in products 3.5. COVID-19 Impact Analysis on the market 3.6. Key Regulation Analysis 3.7. Pricing Analysis 3.8. Value Chain Analysis CHAPTER 4: ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE 4.1. Overview 4.1.1. Market size and forecast 4.2. Sanitary Pads 4.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 4.2.2. Market size and forecast, by region 4.2.3. Market share analysis by country 4.2.4. Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 4.2.4.1. Regular Market size and forecast, by region 4.2.4.2. Regular Market size and forecast, by country 4.2.4.3. Large Market size and forecast, by region 4.2.4.4. Large Market size and forecast, by country 4.2.4.5. Extra Large Market size and forecast, by region 4.2.4.6. Extra Large Market size and forecast, by country 4.3. Tampons 4.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 4.3.2. Market size and forecast, by region 4.3.3. Market share analysis by country 4.3.4. Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 4.3.4.1. Light Market size and forecast, by region 4.3.4.2. Light Market size and forecast, by country 4.3.4.3. Regular Market size and forecast, by region 4.3.4.4. Regular Market size and forecast, by country 4.3.4.5. Super Market size and forecast, by region 4.3.4.6. Super Market size and forecast, by country 4.4. Menstrual Cups 4.4.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 4.4.2. Market size and forecast, by region 4.4.3. Market share analysis by country 4.4.4. Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 4.4.4.1. Small Market size and forecast, by region 4.4.4.2. Small Market size and forecast, by country 4.4.4.3. Large Market size and forecast, by region 4.4.4.4. Large Market size and forecast, by country 4.5. Panty Liners and Shields 4.5.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 4.5.2. Market size and forecast, by region 4.5.3. Market share analysis by country 4.6. Others 4.6.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 4.6.2. Market size and forecast, by region 4.6.3. Market share analysis by country CHAPTER 5: ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE 5.1. Overview 5.1.1. Market size and forecast 5.2. Disposable 5.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 5.2.2. Market size and forecast, by region 5.2.3. Market share analysis by country 5.3. Reusable 5.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 5.3.2. Market size and forecast, by region 5.3.3. Market share analysis by country CHAPTER 6: ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP 6.1. Overview 6.1.1. Market size and forecast 6.2. Upto 18 Years 6.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 6.2.2. Market size and forecast, by region 6.2.3. Market share analysis by country 6.3. 19-30 Years 6.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 6.3.2. Market size and forecast, by region 6.3.3. Market share analysis by country 6.4. 31-40 Years 6.4.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 6.4.2. Market size and forecast, by region 6.4.3. Market share analysis by country 6.5. 41 Years and Above 6.5.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 6.5.2. Market size and forecast, by region 6.5.3. Market share analysis by country CHAPTER 7: ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL 7.1. Overview 7.1.1. Market size and forecast 7.2. Supermarkets and hypermarkets 7.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 7.2.2. Market size and forecast, by region 7.2.3. Market share analysis by country 7.3. Pharmacy 7.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 7.3.2. Market size and forecast, by region 7.3.3. Market share analysis by country 7.4. Online Stores 7.4.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 7.4.2. Market size and forecast, by region 7.4.3. Market share analysis by country 7.5. Others 7.5.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 7.5.2. Market size and forecast, by region 7.5.3. Market share analysis by country CHAPTER 8: ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY REGION 8.1. Overview 8.1.1. Market size and forecast By Region 8.2. North America 8.2.1. Key trends and opportunities 8.2.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.2.2.1. North America Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.2.2.2. North America Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.2.2.3. North America Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.2.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.2.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.2.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.2.6. Market size and forecast, by country 8.2.6.1. U.S. 8.2.6.1.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.2.6.1.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.2.6.1.2.1. U.S. Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.2.6.1.2.2. U.S. Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.2.6.1.2.3. U.S. Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.2.6.1.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.2.6.1.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.2.6.1.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.2.6.2. Canada 8.2.6.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.2.6.2.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.2.6.2.2.1. Canada Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.2.6.2.2.2. Canada Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.2.6.2.2.3. Canada Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.2.6.2.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.2.6.2.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.2.6.2.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.2.6.3. Mexico 8.2.6.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.2.6.3.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.2.6.3.2.1. Mexico Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.2.6.3.2.2. Mexico Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.2.6.3.2.3. Mexico Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.2.6.3.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.2.6.3.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.2.6.3.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.3. Europe 8.3.1. Key trends and opportunities 8.3.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.3.2.1. Europe Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.2.2. Europe Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.2.3. Europe Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.3.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.3.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.3.6. Market size and forecast, by country 8.3.6.1. UK 8.3.6.1.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.3.6.1.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.3.6.1.2.1. UK Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.1.2.2. UK Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.1.2.3. UK Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.1.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.3.6.1.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.3.6.1.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.3.6.2. Germany 8.3.6.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.3.6.2.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.3.6.2.2.1. Germany Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.2.2.2. Germany Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.2.2.3. Germany Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.2.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.3.6.2.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.3.6.2.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.3.6.3. France 8.3.6.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.3.6.3.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.3.6.3.2.1. France Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.3.2.2. France Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.3.2.3. France Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.3.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.3.6.3.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.3.6.3.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.3.6.4. Italy 8.3.6.4.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.3.6.4.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.3.6.4.2.1. Italy Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.4.2.2. Italy Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.4.2.3. Italy Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.4.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.3.6.4.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.3.6.4.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.3.6.5. Spain 8.3.6.5.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.3.6.5.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.3.6.5.2.1. Spain Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.5.2.2. Spain Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.5.2.3. Spain Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.5.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.3.6.5.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.3.6.5.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.3.6.6. Rest of Europe 8.3.6.6.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.3.6.6.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.3.6.6.2.1. Rest of Europe Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.6.2.2. Rest of Europe Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.6.2.3. Rest of Europe Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.3.6.6.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.3.6.6.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.3.6.6.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.4. Asia-Pacific 8.4.1. Key trends and opportunities 8.4.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.4.2.1. Asia-Pacific Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.2.2. Asia-Pacific Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.2.3. Asia-Pacific Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.4.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.4.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.4.6. Market size and forecast, by country 8.4.6.1. China 8.4.6.1.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.4.6.1.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.4.6.1.2.1. China Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.1.2.2. China Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.1.2.3. China Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.1.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.4.6.1.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.4.6.1.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.4.6.2. Japan 8.4.6.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.4.6.2.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.4.6.2.2.1. Japan Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.2.2.2. Japan Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.2.2.3. Japan Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.2.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.4.6.2.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.4.6.2.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.4.6.3. India 8.4.6.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.4.6.3.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.4.6.3.2.1. India Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.3.2.2. India Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.3.2.3. India Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.3.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.4.6.3.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.4.6.3.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.4.6.4. South Korea 8.4.6.4.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.4.6.4.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.4.6.4.2.1. South Korea Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.4.2.2. South Korea Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.4.2.3. South Korea Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.4.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.4.6.4.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.4.6.4.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.4.6.5. Australia 8.4.6.5.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.4.6.5.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.4.6.5.2.1. Australia Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.5.2.2. Australia Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.5.2.3. Australia Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.5.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.4.6.5.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.4.6.5.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.4.6.6. Rest of Asia-Pacific 8.4.6.6.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.4.6.6.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.4.6.6.2.1. Rest of Asia-Pacific Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.6.2.2. Rest of Asia-Pacific Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.6.2.3. Rest of Asia-Pacific Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.4.6.6.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.4.6.6.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.4.6.6.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.5. LAMEA 8.5.1. Key trends and opportunities 8.5.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.5.2.1. LAMEA Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.2.2. LAMEA Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.2.3. LAMEA Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.5.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.5.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.5.6. Market size and forecast, by country 8.5.6.1. Brazil 8.5.6.1.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.5.6.1.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.5.6.1.2.1. Brazil Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.6.1.2.2. Brazil Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.6.1.2.3. Brazil Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.6.1.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.5.6.1.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.5.6.1.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.5.6.2. Argentina 8.5.6.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.5.6.2.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.5.6.2.2.1. Argentina Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.6.2.2.2. Argentina Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.6.2.2.3. Argentina Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.6.2.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.5.6.2.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.5.6.2.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.5.6.3. Saudi Arabia 8.5.6.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.5.6.3.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.5.6.3.2.1. Saudi Arabia Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.6.3.2.2. Saudi Arabia Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.6.3.2.3. Saudi Arabia Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.6.3.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.5.6.3.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.5.6.3.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.5.6.4. South Africa 8.5.6.4.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.5.6.4.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.5.6.4.2.1. South Africa Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.6.4.2.2. South Africa Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.6.4.2.3. South Africa Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.6.4.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.5.6.4.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.5.6.4.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel 8.5.6.5. Rest of LAMEA 8.5.6.5.1. Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities 8.5.6.5.2. Market size and forecast, by Product Type 8.5.6.5.2.1. Rest of LAMEA Sanitary Pads Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.6.5.2.2. Rest of LAMEA Tampons Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.6.5.2.3. Rest of LAMEA Menstrual Cups Organic feminine care Market by Size 8.5.6.5.3. Market size and forecast, by Nature 8.5.6.5.4. Market size and forecast, by Age Group 8.5.6.5.5. Market size and forecast, by Distribution Channel CHAPTER 9: COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE 9.1. Introduction 9.2. Top winning strategies 9.3. Product Mapping of Top 10 Player 9.4. Competitive Dashboard 9.5. Competitive Heatmap 9.6. Top player positioning, 2021 CHAPTER 10: COMPANY PROFILES 10.1. Bodywise (UK) Limited 10.1.1. Company overview 10.1.2. Key Executives 10.1.3. Company snapshot 10.1.4. Operating business segments 10.1.5. Product portfolio 10.1.6. Key strategic moves and developments 10.2. Corman S.p.A. 10.2.1. Company overview 10.2.2. Key Executives 10.2.3. Company snapshot 10.2.4. Operating business segments 10.2.5. Product portfolio 10.3. Unilever PLC 10.3.1. Company overview 10.3.2. Key Executives 10.3.3. Company snapshot 10.3.4. Operating business segments 10.3.5. Product portfolio 10.3.6. Business performance 10.4. The Honest Company, Inc. 10.4.1. Company overview 10.4.2. Key Executives 10.4.3. Company snapshot 10.4.4. Operating business segments 10.4.5. Product portfolio 10.4.6. Business performance 10.4.7. Key strategic moves and developments 10.5. Apropos 10.5.1. Company overview 10.5.2. Key Executives 10.5.3. Company snapshot 10.5.4. Operating business segments 10.5.5. Product portfolio 10.6. TOP Organic Project 10.6.1. Company overview 10.6.2. Key Executives 10.6.3. Company snapshot 10.6.4. Operating business segments 10.6.5. Product portfolio 10.7. Eco Femme 10.7.1. Company overview 10.7.2. Key Executives 10.7.3. Company snapshot 10.7.4. Operating business segments 10.7.5. Product portfolio 10.8. Women's India Personal Care Pvt. Ltd. 10.8.1. Company overview 10.8.2. Key Executives 10.8.3. Company snapshot 10.8.4. Operating business segments 10.8.5. Product portfolio 10.9. Kao Corporation 10.9.1. Company overview 10.9.2. Key Executives 10.9.3. Company snapshot 10.9.4. Operating business segments 10.9.5. Product portfolio 10.9.6. Business performance 10.10. Procter & Gamble Co. 10.10.1. Company overview 10.10.2. Key Executives 10.10.3. Company snapshot 10.10.4. Operating business segments 10.10.5. Product portfolio 10.10.6. Business performance 10.11. Unicharm Corporation 10.11.1. Company overview 10.11.2. Key Executives 10.11.3. Company snapshot 10.11.4. Operating business segments 10.11.5. Product portfolio 10.11.6. Business performance 10.11.7. Key strategic moves and developments 10.12. The Honey Pot Company, LLC 10.12.1. Company overview 10.12.2. Key Executives 10.12.3. Company snapshot 10.12.4. Operating business segments 10.12.5. Product portfolio 10.13. Ontex BV 10.13.1. Company overview 10.13.2. Key Executives 10.13.3. Company snapshot 10.13.4. Operating business segments 10.13.5. Product portfolio 10.13.6. Business performance 10.13.7. Key strategic moves and developments 10.14. Organic Initiative Limited 10.14.1. Company overview 10.14.2. Key Executives 10.14.3. Company snapshot 10.14.4. Operating business segments 10.14.5. Product portfolio 10.15. GladRags 10.15.1. Company overview 10.15.2. Key Executives 10.15.3. Company snapshot 10.15.4. Operating business segments 10.15.5. Product portfolio List of Tables TABLE 01. GLOBAL ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 02. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR SANITARY PADS, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 03. GLOBAL SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 04. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR REGULAR, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 05. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR LARGE, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 06. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR EXTRA LARGE, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 07. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR TAMPONS, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 08. GLOBAL TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 09. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR LIGHT, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 10. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR REGULAR, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 11. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR SUPER, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 12. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR MENSTRUAL CUPS, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 13. GLOBAL MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 14. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR SMALL, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 15. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR LARGE, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 16. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR PANTY LINERS AND SHIELDS, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 17. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR OTHERS, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 18. GLOBAL ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 19. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR DISPOSABLE, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 20. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR REUSABLE, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 21. GLOBAL ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 22. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR UPTO 18 YEARS, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 23. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR 19-30 YEARS, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 24. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR 31-40 YEARS, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 25. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR 41 YEARS AND ABOVE, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 26. GLOBAL ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 27. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR SUPERMARKETS AND HYPERMARKETS, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 28. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR PHARMACY, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 29. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR ONLINE STORES, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 30. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR OTHERS, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 31. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY REGION, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 32. NORTH AMERICA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 33. NORTH AMERICA SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 34. NORTH AMERICA TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 35. NORTH AMERICA MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 36. NORTH AMERICA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 37. NORTH AMERICA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 38. NORTH AMERICA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 39. NORTH AMERICA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY COUNTRY, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 40. U.S. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 41. U.S. SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 42. U.S. TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 43. U.S. MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 44. U.S. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 45. U.S. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 46. U.S. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 47. CANADA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 48. CANADA SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 49. CANADA TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 50. CANADA MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 51. CANADA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 52. CANADA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 53. CANADA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 54. MEXICO ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 55. MEXICO SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 56. MEXICO TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 57. MEXICO MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 58. MEXICO ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 59. MEXICO ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 60. MEXICO ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 61. EUROPE ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 62. EUROPE SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 63. EUROPE TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 64. EUROPE MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 65. EUROPE ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 66. EUROPE ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 67. EUROPE ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 68. EUROPE ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY COUNTRY, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 69. UK ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 70. UK SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 71. UK TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 72. UK MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 73. UK ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 74. UK ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 75. UK ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 76. GERMANY ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 77. GERMANY SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 78. GERMANY TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 79. GERMANY MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 80. GERMANY ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 81. GERMANY ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 82. GERMANY ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 83. FRANCE ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 84. FRANCE SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 85. FRANCE TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 86. FRANCE MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 87. FRANCE ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 88. FRANCE ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 89. FRANCE ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 90. ITALY ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 91. ITALY SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 92. ITALY TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 93. ITALY MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 94. ITALY ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 95. ITALY ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 96. ITALY ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 97. SPAIN ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 98. SPAIN SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 99. SPAIN TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 100. SPAIN MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 101. SPAIN ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 102. SPAIN ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 103. SPAIN ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 104. REST OF EUROPE ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 105. REST OF EUROPE SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 106. REST OF EUROPE TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 107. REST OF EUROPE MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 108. REST OF EUROPE ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 109. REST OF EUROPE ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 110. REST OF EUROPE ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 111. ASIA-PACIFIC ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 112. ASIA-PACIFIC SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 113. ASIA-PACIFIC TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 114. ASIA-PACIFIC MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 115. ASIA-PACIFIC ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 116. ASIA-PACIFIC ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 117. ASIA-PACIFIC ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 118. ASIA-PACIFIC ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY COUNTRY, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 119. CHINA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 120. CHINA SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 121. CHINA TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 122. CHINA MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 123. CHINA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 124. CHINA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 125. CHINA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 126. JAPAN ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 127. JAPAN SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 128. JAPAN TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 129. JAPAN MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 130. JAPAN ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 131. JAPAN ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 132. JAPAN ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 133. INDIA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 134. INDIA SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 135. INDIA TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 136. INDIA MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 137. INDIA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 138. INDIA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 139. INDIA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 140. SOUTH KOREA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 141. SOUTH KOREA SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 142. SOUTH KOREA TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 143. SOUTH KOREA MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 144. SOUTH KOREA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 145. SOUTH KOREA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 146. SOUTH KOREA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 147. AUSTRALIA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 148. AUSTRALIA SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 149. AUSTRALIA TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 150. AUSTRALIA MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 151. AUSTRALIA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 152. AUSTRALIA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 153. AUSTRALIA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 154. REST OF ASIA-PACIFIC ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 155. REST OF ASIA-PACIFIC SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 156. REST OF ASIA-PACIFIC TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 157. REST OF ASIA-PACIFIC MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 158. REST OF ASIA-PACIFIC ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 159. REST OF ASIA-PACIFIC ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 160. REST OF ASIA-PACIFIC ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 161. LAMEA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 162. LAMEA SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 163. LAMEA TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 164. LAMEA MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 165. LAMEA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 166. LAMEA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 167. LAMEA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 168. LAMEA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY COUNTRY, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 169. BRAZIL ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 170. BRAZIL SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 171. BRAZIL TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 172. BRAZIL MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 173. BRAZIL ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 174. BRAZIL ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 175. BRAZIL ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 176. ARGENTINA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 177. ARGENTINA SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 178. ARGENTINA TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 179. ARGENTINA MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 180. ARGENTINA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 181. ARGENTINA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 182. ARGENTINA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 183. SAUDI ARABIA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 184. SAUDI ARABIA SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 185. SAUDI ARABIA TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 186. SAUDI ARABIA MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 187. SAUDI ARABIA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 188. SAUDI ARABIA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 189. SAUDI ARABIA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 190. SOUTH AFRICA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 191. SOUTH AFRICA SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 192. SOUTH AFRICA TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 193. SOUTH AFRICA MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 194. SOUTH AFRICA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 195. SOUTH AFRICA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 196. SOUTH AFRICA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 197. REST OF LAMEA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 198. REST OF LAMEA SANITARY PADS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 199. REST OF LAMEA TAMPONS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 200. REST OF LAMEA MENSTRUAL CUPS ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY SIZE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 201. REST OF LAMEA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 202. REST OF LAMEA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 203. REST OF LAMEA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) TABLE 204. BODYWISE (UK) LIMITED: KEY EXECUTIVES TABLE 205. BODYWISE (UK) LIMITED: COMPANY SNAPSHOT TABLE 206. BODYWISE (UK) LIMITED: PRODUCT SEGMENTS TABLE 207. BODYWISE (UK) LIMITED: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO TABLE 208. BODYWISE (UK) LIMITED: KEY STRATEGIES TABLE 209. CORMAN S.P.A.: KEY EXECUTIVES TABLE 210. CORMAN S.P.A.: COMPANY SNAPSHOT TABLE 211. CORMAN S.P.A.: PRODUCT SEGMENTS TABLE 212. CORMAN S.P.A.: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO TABLE 213. UNILEVER PLC: KEY EXECUTIVES TABLE 214. UNILEVER PLC: COMPANY SNAPSHOT TABLE 215. UNILEVER PLC: PRODUCT SEGMENTS TABLE 216. UNILEVER PLC: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO TABLE 217. THE HONEST COMPANY, INC.: KEY EXECUTIVES TABLE 218. THE HONEST COMPANY, INC.: COMPANY SNAPSHOT TABLE 219. THE HONEST COMPANY, INC.: PRODUCT SEGMENTS TABLE 220. THE HONEST COMPANY, INC.: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO TABLE 221. THE HONEST COMPANY, INC.: KEY STRATEGIES TABLE 222. APROPOS: KEY EXECUTIVES TABLE 223. APROPOS: COMPANY SNAPSHOT TABLE 224. APROPOS: PRODUCT SEGMENTS TABLE 225. APROPOS: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO TABLE 226. TOP ORGANIC PROJECT: KEY EXECUTIVES TABLE 227. TOP ORGANIC PROJECT: COMPANY SNAPSHOT TABLE 228. TOP ORGANIC PROJECT: PRODUCT SEGMENTS TABLE 229. TOP ORGANIC PROJECT: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO TABLE 230. ECO FEMME: KEY EXECUTIVES TABLE 231. ECO FEMME: COMPANY SNAPSHOT TABLE 232. ECO FEMME: PRODUCT SEGMENTS TABLE 233. ECO FEMME: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO TABLE 234. WOMEN'S INDIA PERSONAL CARE PVT. LTD.: KEY EXECUTIVES TABLE 235. WOMEN'S INDIA PERSONAL CARE PVT. LTD.: COMPANY SNAPSHOT TABLE 236. WOMEN'S INDIA PERSONAL CARE PVT. LTD.: PRODUCT SEGMENTS TABLE 237. WOMEN'S INDIA PERSONAL CARE PVT. LTD.: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO TABLE 238. KAO CORPORATION: KEY EXECUTIVES TABLE 239. KAO CORPORATION: COMPANY SNAPSHOT TABLE 240. KAO CORPORATION: PRODUCT SEGMENTS TABLE 241. KAO CORPORATION: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO TABLE 242. PROCTER & GAMBLE CO.: KEY EXECUTIVES TABLE 243. PROCTER & GAMBLE CO.: COMPANY SNAPSHOT TABLE 244. PROCTER & GAMBLE CO.: PRODUCT SEGMENTS TABLE 245. PROCTER & GAMBLE CO.: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO TABLE 246. UNICHARM CORPORATION: KEY EXECUTIVES TABLE 247. UNICHARM CORPORATION: COMPANY SNAPSHOT TABLE 248. UNICHARM CORPORATION: PRODUCT SEGMENTS TABLE 249. UNICHARM CORPORATION: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO TABLE 250. UNICHARM CORPORATION: KEY STRATEGIES TABLE 251. THE HONEY POT COMPANY, LLC: KEY EXECUTIVES TABLE 252. THE HONEY POT COMPANY, LLC: COMPANY SNAPSHOT TABLE 253. THE HONEY POT COMPANY, LLC: PRODUCT SEGMENTS TABLE 254. THE HONEY POT COMPANY, LLC: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO TABLE 255. ONTEX BV: KEY EXECUTIVES TABLE 256. ONTEX BV: COMPANY SNAPSHOT TABLE 257. ONTEX BV: PRODUCT SEGMENTS TABLE 258. ONTEX BV: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO TABLE 259. ONTEX BV: KEY STRATEGIES TABLE 260. ORGANIC INITIATIVE LIMITED: KEY EXECUTIVES TABLE 261. ORGANIC INITIATIVE LIMITED: COMPANY SNAPSHOT TABLE 262. ORGANIC INITIATIVE LIMITED: PRODUCT SEGMENTS TABLE 263. ORGANIC INITIATIVE LIMITED: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO TABLE 264. GLADRAGS: KEY EXECUTIVES TABLE 265. GLADRAGS: COMPANY SNAPSHOT TABLE 266. GLADRAGS: PRODUCT SEGMENTS TABLE 267. GLADRAGS: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO List of Figures FIGURE 01. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 FIGURE 02. SEGMENTATION OF ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 FIGURE 03. TOP INVESTMENT POCKETS IN ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET (2022-2031) FIGURE 04. LOW BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS FIGURE 05. MODERATE BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS FIGURE 06. HIGH THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES FIGURE 07. MODERATE THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS FIGURE 08. MODERATE INTENSITY OF RIVALRY FIGURE 09. DRIVERS, RESTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES: GLOBALORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FIGURE 10. IMPACT OF KEY REGULATION: ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FIGURE 11. PRICING ANALYSIS: ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET 2021 AND 2031 FIGURE 12. VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS: ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FIGURE 13. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2021(%) FIGURE 14. COMPARATIVE SHARE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR SANITARY PADS, BY COUNTRY 2021 AND 2031(%) FIGURE 15. COMPARATIVE SHARE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR TAMPONS, BY COUNTRY 2021 AND 2031(%) FIGURE 16. COMPARATIVE SHARE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR MENSTRUAL CUPS, BY COUNTRY 2021 AND 2031(%) FIGURE 17. COMPARATIVE SHARE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR PANTY LINERS AND SHIELDS, BY COUNTRY 2021 AND 2031(%) FIGURE 18. COMPARATIVE SHARE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR OTHERS, BY COUNTRY 2021 AND 2031(%) FIGURE 19. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY NATURE, 2021(%) FIGURE 20. COMPARATIVE SHARE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR DISPOSABLE, BY COUNTRY 2021 AND 2031(%) FIGURE 21. COMPARATIVE SHARE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR REUSABLE, BY COUNTRY 2021 AND 2031(%) FIGURE 22. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY AGE GROUP, 2021(%) FIGURE 23. COMPARATIVE SHARE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR UPTO 18 YEARS, BY COUNTRY 2021 AND 2031(%) FIGURE 24. COMPARATIVE SHARE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR 19-30 YEARS, BY COUNTRY 2021 AND 2031(%) FIGURE 25. COMPARATIVE SHARE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR 31-40 YEARS, BY COUNTRY 2021 AND 2031(%) FIGURE 26. COMPARATIVE SHARE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR 41 YEARS AND ABOVE, BY COUNTRY 2021 AND 2031(%) FIGURE 27. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL, 2021(%) FIGURE 28. COMPARATIVE SHARE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR SUPERMARKETS AND HYPERMARKETS, BY COUNTRY 2021 AND 2031(%) FIGURE 29. COMPARATIVE SHARE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR PHARMACY, BY COUNTRY 2021 AND 2031(%) FIGURE 30. COMPARATIVE SHARE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR ONLINE STORES, BY COUNTRY 2021 AND 2031(%) FIGURE 31. COMPARATIVE SHARE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FOR OTHERS, BY COUNTRY 2021 AND 2031(%) FIGURE 32. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET BY REGION, 2021 FIGURE 33. U.S. ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 34. CANADA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 35. MEXICO ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 36. UK ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 37. GERMANY ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 38. FRANCE ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 39. ITALY ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 40. SPAIN ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 41. REST OF EUROPE ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 42. CHINA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 43. JAPAN ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 44. INDIA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 45. SOUTH KOREA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 46. AUSTRALIA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 47. REST OF ASIA-PACIFIC ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 48. BRAZIL ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 49. ARGENTINA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 50. SAUDI ARABIA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 51. SOUTH AFRICA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 52. REST OF LAMEA ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET, 2021-2031 ($MILLION) FIGURE 53. TOP WINNING STRATEGIES, BY YEAR FIGURE 54. TOP WINNING STRATEGIES, BY DEVELOPMENT FIGURE 55. TOP WINNING STRATEGIES, BY COMPANY FIGURE 56. PRODUCT MAPPING OF TOP 10 PLAYERS FIGURE 57. COMPETITIVE DASHBOARD FIGURE 58. COMPETITIVE HEATMAP: ORGANIC FEMININE CARE MARKET FIGURE 59. TOP PLAYER POSITIONING, 2021 FIGURE 60. UNILEVER PLC: NET SALES, 2019-2021 ($MILLION) FIGURE 61. UNILEVER PLC: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT EXPENDITURE, 2019-2021 FIGURE 62. UNILEVER PLC: REVENUE SHARE BY SEGMENT, 2021 (%) FIGURE 63. UNILEVER PLC: REVENUE SHARE BY REGION, 2021 (%) FIGURE 64. THE HONEST COMPANY, INC.: NET REVENUE, 2019-2021 ($MILLION) FIGURE 65. THE HONEST COMPANY, INC.: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT EXPENDITURE, 2019-2021 ($MILLION) FIGURE 66. THE HONEST COMPANY, INC.: REVENUE SHARE BY SEGMENT, 2021 (%) FIGURE 67. KAO CORPORATION: NET REVENUE, 2019-2021 ($MILLION) FIGURE 68. KAO CORPORATION: REVENUE SHARE BY SEGMENT, 2021 (%) FIGURE 69. KAO CORPORATION: REVENUE SHARE BY REGION, 2021 (%) FIGURE 70. THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY: NET SALES, 2020-2022 ($MILLION) FIGURE 71. THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY: REVENUE SHARE BY SEGMENT, 2022 (%) FIGURE 72. UNICHARM CORPORATION: NET SALES, 2019-2021 ($MILLION) FIGURE 73. UNICHARM CORPORATION: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT EXPENDITURE, 2019-2021 ($MILLION) FIGURE 74. UNICHARM CORPORATION: REVENUE SHARE BY SEGMENT, 2021 (%) FIGURE 75. UNICHARM CORPORATION: REVENUE SHARE BY REGION, 2021 (%) FIGURE 76. ONTEX BV: NET REVENUE, 2019-2021 ($MILLION) FIGURE 77. ONTEX BV: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT EXPENDITURE, 2019-2021 ($MILLION) FIGURE 78. ONTEX BV: REVENUE SHARE BY REGION, 2021 (%) Companies Mentioned Bodywise (UK) Limited Corman S.p.A. TOP Organic Project The Honey Pot Company, LLC The Honest Company, Inc. GladRags Organic Initiative Limited Women's India Personal Care Pvt. Ltd. Unilever PLC Kao Corporation Ontex BV Unicharm Corporation Apropos Procter & Gamble Co. Co. Eco Femme For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/oincye About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets HOUSTON, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Starlight Haven, the leader in unique, outdoor hospitality, announced the opening of its expanded resort in Hot Springs, Arkansas, inviting guests to experience novel accommodations nestled in nature. The expansion introduces geodesic domes, safari-inspired tents, and a range of communal areas and hiking trails throughout the 27-acre site. The new expansion aims to redefine the outdoor experience. Post this Aerial Shot of Starlight Haven Geodesic Dome At the heart of the expansion lies a communal clubhouse, an inviting 1,000 sqft. open space designed to bring guests together. The clubhouse is adorned with a cozy fireplace, a plush lounge area, and offers a variety of games for everyone to enjoy. For those needing to stay connected to work, a separate conference room ensures a quiet space to focus. Outdoor enthusiasts will be drawn to the magnificent 1,200 sqft. deck, where guests can unwind while basking in nature. "The new expansion aims to redefine the outdoor experience," said Kevin Ferguson, co-founder of Starlight Haven. "Our guests can now choose from a range of unique accommodations and immerse themselves in the natural environment that combines the great outdoors with modern comforts and resort-style amenities." Inside the resort's new accommodations, guests will be greeted by a cozy, modernly furnished living space, featuring a queen size bed adorned with luxury linens. Each accommodation offers a warm, inviting atmosphere with panoramic views that will ensure guests feel calm and relaxed. All geodesic domes, safari-inspired tents and treehouses are climate controlled and come with a private bathroom, kitchenette, and private deck, which features a relaxing hot tub, a gas grill, and comfortable outdoor lounge furniture, making it the perfect spot for an outdoor dining experience or lounging under the stars. Starlight Haven has also launched tailored experiences and packages for guests to enjoy. Whether seeking relaxation, adventure, or something in between, guests can personalize their stay with exclusive options designed to cater to individual interests and needs. "The Hot Springs region is a mecca for nature-based travel, and we are elated to bring our unique hospitality concept to the area," said Jigar Adhvaryu, co-founder of Starlight Haven. "Our luxurious accommodations, coupled with our location just 8 minutes from downtown Hot Springs and the Hot Springs National Park, will appeal to nature lovers as well as general leisure travelers." Reservations for the expanded resort are now open, at www.visitstarlight.com. Media Contact: Starlight Haven Press Team [email protected] www.visitstarlight.com SOURCE Starlight Haven HONG KONG, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An of China Asset Management (Hong Kong) Company Limited ("PAAMC HK"), the offshore asset management platform of Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd., is pleased to announce the launch of its latest offering Ping An of China Select Investment Fund Series - Ping An Stable Fund (the "Fund"). In a period of highly volatile market, the Fund aims to provide stable income through strategic investments mainly in money market instruments and short-term debt securities. The Fund is designed to meet investors' needs, and adapt to shifting market conditions, where cash and near-cash management products have gained popularity. With a focus in preserving principal and generating stable income, the Fund offers investors a balanced investment approach that combines the security of bank fixed deposits with the added returns of fixed- or floating-income instruments. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily[i] in a broad range of USD-denominated money market instruments and short-term debt securities which are issued by governments, quasi-governments, international organisations, financial institutions and corporates. Its estimated return before fees is expected to exceed one-month USD bank fixed deposit with relatively lower risk than traditional public bond funds. Armin Cheung, Managing Director of PAAMC HK, said, "The launch of the Fund comes at a time when investors are seeking safe harbors amid economic uncertainties. Our proven capabilities in managing money market fund and fixed income space, combined with our deep understanding of the market dynamics, position us well to manage the Fund. We are committed to manage the Fund prudently, preserving safety and liquidity while still providing a competitive yield." The Fund is now available for public offering. It offers different currencies other than USD, such as RMB (Hedged), HKD(Hedged), GBP(Hedged) to suit different investors' needs. [i] Not less than 70% of its net asset value ("NAV") Media Contact: PordaHavas email: pingan.hk@pordahavas.com SOURCE Ping An of China Asset Management (Hong Kong) Company Limited - Expanding around the world, requiring more dynamic talents LUXEMBOURG, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Founder and CEO of SquaredFinancial Group Philippe Ghanem, a 20-year veteran in the financial industry, has issued an inspiring call for talents to join his leading company, highlighting the vital role of talents in driving the success of any firm. Philippe Ghanems Cal for Talent As the Group is embarking on an exciting phase of expansion in the four corners of the world, the call for talent takes centre stage. Philippe Ghanem firmly believes that people are the cornerstone of any successful enterprise, catalysing growth and steering innovation. The current team, comprised of industry experts and professionals, has laid the groundwork for a revolutionary path, and now the company seeks to bolster this remarkable foundation with more forward-thinking minds. SquaredFinancial Group's outstanding journey in financial technology since 2005 has been marked by innovation and a strong commitment to delivering quality service to investors around the world. With a determined vision, the company, its management and its team have been staying ahead of the curve with cutting-edge technology. By responding to this call, candidates are presented with an unparalleled opportunity to work alongside professionals. Philippe Ghanem's visionary approach, combined with the company's technological and financial expertise, paves the way for a future that redefines online trading. Philippe Ghanem, Founder of Squared Financial, proudly states: "Our success story is underscored by our dedication and commitment to embrace boundless opportunities and challenges. Today, we are ever-expanding, and my call is clear: join the SquaredFinancial family to further broaden the scope of our business and extend our expertise to investors of different backgrounds." Prospective talents are encouraged to explore this golden opportunity and take their career to new heights by joining SquaredFinancial team. They are invited to visit the company's website at https://lp.sqfin.com/careers/en. About SquaredFinancial SquaredFinancial Group is a well-established well-capitalized FinTech firm founded in 2005. It aims at becoming a one-stop shop that meets investors' financial needs. With around two decades of experience in financial technology and trading, it offers global solutions to traders of different generations and backgrounds, who are looking for an intuitive and sophisticated investment gateway. As a regulated firm, it provides investors with an online platform backed by cutting-edge technology that offers the opportunity to trade all kinds of markets. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201126/Squared_Financial.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1987371/Squared_Financial_Logo.jpg SOURCE Squared Financial Nation's Leading Superfruit Bowl Shop Launches Limited-Time Menu Items and Offer for Reward Members Beginning September 5 BELMAR, N.J., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Playa Bowls, the nation's leading superfruit bowl shop specializing in acai, pitaya, mango, green and coconut bowls, juices, smoothies, cold brew and more, has officially revealed its seasonal fall specials. The limited-time specials are set to debut on September 5 and continue through November 14. Following the launch of this season's specials, Playa Bowls will also be dropping its highly anticipated fall and winter merchandise collection in October. This limited-time menu will feature fan-favorites for fall, including apple and pumpkin creations. Menu items include: Apple Turn Up Acai Bowl Playa Acai topped with blueberry flax granola, banana, apple slices, apple butter, chopped peanuts, and cinnamon Jack-O'-Lantern Acai Bowl Playa Acai topped with pumpkin flax granola, banana, pumpkin butter, and pumpkin spice Pumpkin Pie Smoothie 16oz or 20oz Banana, pumpkin butter, vanilla protein, pumpkin flax granola, pumpkin spice, and oat milk Pumpkin Sweet Cream Cold Brew 16oz or 20oz Chicory coffee concentrate ( New Orleans style) with pumpkin sweet cream and oat milk style) with pumpkin sweet cream and oat milk Pumpkin Protein Bites Pumpkin flax granola, peanut butter, honey, chia seeds, vanilla protein, pumpkin butter, and pumpkin spice "Playa Bowls goes beyond simply serving nourishing superfruit bowls and smoothies; we create menu items that celebrate the essence of each season. Our specials have been carefully crafted to embrace the warm and comforting spirit of autumn, bringing a taste of fall right to your taste buds," said Abby Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer of Playa Bowls. "Each menu item is curated with the best ingredients to provide tasty and high-quality specials for our valued guests." From September 5 until September 9, Playa Rewards members can receive $3 off one item from the brand's fall specials menu. This offer can be redeemed via Playa Bowls' mobile app, in shop, or online. Guests can join Playa Rewards through the brand's mobile app. Alongside the limited-edition menu, Playa Bowls will continue to offer Playa Mango, the brand's newest base that debuted earlier this spring. Guests have the option to build their own bowl with Playa Mango base or can combine Playa Mango with another base of their choosing. Founded by surfers Abby Taylor & Rob Giuliani, Playa Bowls was born out of the desire to recreate the delicious, refreshing, healthy versions of acai and pitaya bowls the pair encountered on various surf trips to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, California, and Hawaii. At each beach, the duo discovered new and unique twists on this popular post-surf treat and came home wanting more. The pair set up a blender and a folding table on the boardwalk in their hometown of Belmar, and Playa Bowls was born. Eight years, thousands of employees, and hundreds of thousands of bowls later, Playa Bowls continues to offer superfruit bowls with a mission to lead communities in healthy, sustainable living. Since its inception in 2014, Playa Bowls has emerged as a leader in the national superfruit bowl shop segment. Today, the brand has more than 200 shops systemwide, operating in 20 states, with plans to continue to expand its domestic footprint across the U.S. and globally. To learn more about Playa Bowls, visit PlayaBowls.com and follow the superfruit bowl shop on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok. For more information on franchising, please visit playabowls.com/franchise. About Playa Bowls Known as New Jersey's original acai bowl shop, Playa Bowls is the nation's leading superfruit bowl shop serving up an extensive and unique menu of over 40 items, including the bright flavors of acai, pitaya, mango, green and coconut bowls alongside oatmeal bowls, juices, smoothies, and cold brew made with the freshest, high-quality ingredients. What began as a pair of blenders, a patio table, and a fridge in 2014 has flourished into more than 200 shops nationwide that operates in 20 states, thousands of employees, and a mission to lead communities in healthy, sustainable living. The rapidly growing franchise has received numerous accolades including Forbes 30 Under 30, Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers & Shakers, QSR Young Leaders to Watch, and finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Visit playabowls.com for additional information and stay connected on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter and TikTok . Contact: Andrea Mazzola Fish Consulting 954-893-9150 [email protected] SOURCE Playa Bowls The premise cable market is driven by factors such as a rise in demand from the buildings and construction industry and surge in demand for broadband services PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Premise Cable Market By Type (Copper Cable, and Fiber Optic Cable), Cable Type (CAT5E Cables, CAT6 Cables, CAT6A Cables, CAT7 Cables, CAT8 Cables, and Others), and Application (Industrial, Broadcast, Enterprise, IT And Network Security, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the global premise cable market was valued at $7.3 billion in 2022, and is projected to reach $19.6 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 10.5% from 2023 to 2032. Request PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/6133 Premise cables refer to the wiring employed for linking LAN and telephone apparatus inside a structure. This comprises both vertical and horizontal cables that extend from a central point, like a server room, throughout the entire building, ultimately reaching individual workstations. Several benefits arise from utilizing premise cables, including an efficient communication framework, consistent operational effectiveness, and the potential for expansion down the line. The uniform configuration guarantees suitability with diverse devices and systems, simplifying the process of setup and upkeep. The orderly cabling arrangement diminishes the likelihood of signal disturbances, resulting in reliable data transfer and decreased instances of system downtime. Prime Determinants of Growth The premise cable market is anticipated to expand significantly during the forecast period owing to a rise in demand from the buildings and construction industry. In addition, the surge in demand for broadband services fuels market growth. On the other hand, high costs associated with research and development proficiencies is anticipated to restrain the market growth during the forecast period. Nevertheless, the premise cable is anticipated to benefit owing to an increase in demand for high-speed connectivity systems and is expected to present enormous opportunities for the market over the forecast period. Report Coverage and Details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $7.3 billion Market Size in 2032 $19.6 billion CAGR 10.5 % No. of Pages in Report 250 Segments covered Type, Cable Type, Application, and Region Drivers Rise in demand from the buildings and construction industry Surge in demand for broadband services and connections across the globe Opportunities Increase in demand for high-speed connectivity system Restraints High costs associated with research and development proficiencies COVID-19 Scenario: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the premise cable market. The surge in remote work, online education, and virtual interactions drove a heightened demand for reliable and high-speed networking infrastructure, leading to increased sales of premise cables. As businesses adapted to remote operations, investments in technology, including upgraded cabling, became essential. However, disruptions in supply chains and manufacturing hindered the market's growth, causing delays and supply shortages. Despite challenges, the pandemic accelerated digital transformation, underscoring the importance of robust networking solutions, thereby influencing the premise cable market's trajectory towards technological advancement and increased adoption. The Fiber Optic Cable segment maintained its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on type, the fiber optic cable segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than half of the global premise cable market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period, owing to the proliferation of data-intensive applications such as streaming, cloud computing, and IoT. Moreover, the same segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 10.99% from 2023 to 2032. The growth is attributed to the rise of smart buildings and the need for low-latency connections for applications like video conferencing and remote work. The CAT7 Cables segment maintained its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on Cable Type, the CAT7 Cables segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than one-fourth of the global premise cable market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. In addition, the CAT8 Cables segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 12.14% from 2023 to 2032. The growth is attributed to the increase in demand for Data Center and High-Density Environments. These trends and growth factors present significant opportunities for premise cable providers in the CAT8 Cables segment. The Industrial segment maintained its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on application, the Industrial segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly one-third of the global premise cable market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period, owing to growing adoption of Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things. However, the other segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 12.94% from 2023 to 2032 due to the surge in demand for data centers in the government sector to store data. In addition, the growth of distance learning, online research, administrative systems, and security solutions within educational campuses further fuels the demand for advanced cabling infrastructure. These factors collectively create a strong demand for premise cables in the premise cable market. North America to maintain its dominance by 2032 Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for nearly one-third of the global premise cable market revenue. However, the Asia-Pacific is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 12.00% from 2023 to 2032 due to the increasing adoption of smart home systems and industrial sector which are fueling the growth of the market in this region. Want to Access the Statistical Data & Graphs, and Key Players' Strategies: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/6133 Leading Market Players: Anixter Inc. Belden Inc. HellermannTyton Hitachi Ltd. Nexans S.A. SAB Brockskes GMBH & Co. KG Schneider Electric Siemens Siemon Prysmian Group The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players of the global premise cable market. These players have adopted different strategies such as product launch, product development, partnership, investment, acquisition, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. Key Benefits For Stakeholders: This report provides a quantitative analysis of the market segments, current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the premise cable market analysis from 2022 to 2032 to identify the prevailing premise cable market opportunity. The market research is offered along with information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities. Porter's five forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer network. In-depth analysis of the premise cable market segmentation assists to determine the prevailing market opportunities. Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global market. Market player positioning facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of the market players. The report includes the analysis of the regional as well as global premise cable market trends, key players, market segments, application areas, and premise cable market outlook and market growth strategies. Premise Cable Market Key Segments: By Type: Copper Cable Fiber Optic Cable By Cable Type: CAT5E Cables CAT6 Cables CAT6A Cables CAT7 Cables CAT8 Cables Others By Application: Industrial Broadcast Enterprise IT and Network Security Others By Region: North America (U.S., Canada , and Mexico ) (U.S., , and ) Europe (U.K., Germany , France , Italy , Spain , Russia , Netherlands , Belgium , Poland , and Rest of Europe ) (U.K., , , , , , , , , and Rest of ) Asia-Pacific ( China , Japan , India , South Korea , Australia , Malaysia , Thailand , Philippines , Indonesia , and Rest of Asia-Pacific ) ( , , , , , , , , , and Rest of ) LAMEA ( Latin America , Middle East and Africa ) Procure Complete Report (250 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://bit.ly/3qSbHPY Trending Reports in Semiconductor and Electronics Industry (Book Now with 10% Discount + COVID-19 Scenario): Wire and Cable Market By Installation Type (Overhead, Submarine, and Underground), Voltage (High, Medium, and Low), Vertical (Energy and Power, Aerospace and Defense, IT and Telecommunication, Industrial, Oil and Gas, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 USB Cable Market By Type (USB Type A, USB Type B, and USB Type C), Functionality (USB 1.x, USB 2.0, USB 3.x, and USB 4), Product Type (USB Data Cable, USB Charger, and Multifunctional USB Cable), Application (Smartphone, Camera, Camcorder, Printer, Scanner, Computer, TV, and Others), Industry Vertical (Commercial, IT and Telecommunication, Industrial, Automotive, Healthcare, and Others), and Charging Power Delivery (0.5 To 15W, 15 To 27W, 27 To 45W, 45 To 100W, 100 To 240W): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 Ethernet Cable Market By Type (Copper Cable and Fiber Optic Cable), Cable Type (Unshielded Twisted Pair and Shielded Twisted Pair), Cable Category (CAT 5E, CAT 6, CAT 6A, CAT 7, CAT 8, and Others), and Application (Residential, Industrial, and Commercial): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030 Copper Wire and Cable Market By Type (Wire and Cable), Voltage (Low, Medium, and High), and Application (Building Wire, Communication, Power Distribution, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030 Consumer Active Optical Cable Market By Technology (InfiniBand, Ethernet, HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB), and Connector Type (CFP, SFP, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030 About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 UK: +44-845-528-1300 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research JERUSALEM, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a Zoom meeting with 394 of the world's most influential Evangelist leaders. Mike Evans, the founder of Friends of Zion, a number one best-selling author, and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee for a lifetime of combating antisemitism hosted the meeting. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosts US Evangelical leaders with Dr. Mike Evans This was Netanyahu's first video conference with the Evangelical community since returning to the premiership last year. Netanyahu said that he "considers the Evangelicals to be true friends of the State of Israel, without them the state of Israel would not exist and that he will do everything to continue to strengthen the alliance between the evangelicals and Israel". "You are the greatest friends the Jewish state has. I will never forget it, and the vast majority of Israelis strongly agree with me," the prime minister told listeners. During the call, Netanyahu also spoke about the Iranian threat and the need for the country to develop a strong economy and military. He also noted that Israel is boldly working toward a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia. "I cannot guarantee it, but we are giving it a good try," Netanyahu said. Attached link to the interview. https://youtu.be/G5SoR0rzjw0?si=lP3aDygAUWI57q1A The Friends of Zion Heritage center was established in 2015, in the center of Israel's capital Jerusalem, by founder Dr. Mike Evans. The Friends of Zion Heritage center is a Zionist platform dedicated to the fight against anti-Semitism and BDS, and concerns itself with bolstering awareness for the historical support of the Christian friends of Israel. Their advanced Media Center holds dozens of events, activities, and press conferences in line with the FOZ museum's vision For inquiries, contact Tal Marom Spokesperson for FOZ [email protected] Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5SoR0rzjw0 SOURCE Friends of Zion MANCHESTER, N.H., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dr. Wayne Lajewski Scholarship for Medical Students is pleased to announce a new scholarship opportunity for students pursuing a medical degree. Valued at $1,000, this scholarship aims to support ambitious students who are dedicated to achieving excellence in the medical field. The deadline to apply is January 15, 2024, and the winner will be announced on February 15, 2024. Established by Dr. Wayne Lajewski, a respected internal medicine physician based in Manchester, NH, this scholarship reflects Dr. Lajewski's commitment to advancing medical education. With over 20 years of experience as a seasoned diagnostician, trusted clinician, and steadfast advocate for preventive care and healthy lifestyles, Dr. Wayne Lajewski understands the rigor required to succeed in medicine. This scholarship represents an investment in the next generation of diligent medical professionals. "I'm proud to support students who have demonstrated academic aptitude and interest in the medical field," said Dr. Lajewski. "This scholarship is intended to alleviate financial barriers that may stand in the way of pursuing a medical degree, and I hope it will empower recipients to fully focus their energy on their studies." To qualify for the Dr. Wayne Lajewski Scholarship for Medical Students, applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria: Currently enrolled in an accredited university or graduating high school senior planning to attend a university in the United States Minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale 500-1000 word essay responding to the prompt: "Discuss the future and necessary improvements in the field of medicine" Complete scholarship application and submit all required documents by January 15, 2024 deadline A distinguished selection committee will review all applications and evaluate applicants based on eligibility, essay responses, financial need, and academic dedication. The student who demonstrates exceptional promise in the medical field will be awarded the $1,000 scholarship. The Dr. Wayne Lajewski Scholarship for Medical Students represents an exciting opportunity for ambitious students to earn financial support for their academic journey. All eligible students are strongly encouraged to apply and take advantage of this chance to have their hard work recognized. For complete details on eligibility and the application process, please visit the scholarship website at www.drwaynelajewskischolarship.com. Interested students may also contact the scholarship administrator at [email protected] with any questions about applying. SOURCE Dr. Wayne Lajewski Scholarship PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (the "Republic") today announced that it has commenced a cash tender offer (the "Offer") for any and all of its outstanding 4.375% Notes due 2024 (the "Old Notes"). A comprehensive description of the terms of the Offer is included in the Republic's Offer to Purchase, dated September 5, 2023 (the "Offer Document"). Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Offer Document. The following table summarizes the material pricing terms of the Offer, which is being made upon, and is subject to, the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer Document. Old Notes(1) Maturity Date Outstanding Aggregate Principal Amount of Old Notes as of September 5, 2023 (2) Purchase Price(3) ISIN CUSIP Common Code 4.375% Notes Due 2024 January 16, 2024 U.S.$ 550,000,000 U.S.$ 996.50 USP93960AF25 (Reg S)/ US896292AH25 (144A) P93960AF2 (Reg S)/ 896292AH2 (144A) 100656230 (Reg S)/ 100658526 (144A) _____ (1) The Old Notes are admitted to trading on the Euro MTF Market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. (2) May include Old Notes held by institutions and companies controlled by the Republic that have not been cancelled. (3) Per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Old Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn. Holders whose Old Notes are validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer will also receive Accrued Interest. The Offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 12, 2023, unless extended or earlier terminated by the Republic (the "Expiration Deadline"). No tenders submitted after the Expiration Deadline will be valid. Tenders of Old Notes may be withdrawn any time at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 12, 2023, by following the procedures described in the Offer Document. The purchase price (the "Purchase Price") offered for each $1,000 principal amount of the Old Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer is provided in the table above. In addition to the Purchase Price, holders who validly tender and do not validly withdraw Old Notes will receive an amount in cash equivalent to accrued and unpaid interest on Old Notes purchased up to, but not including, the Settlement Date (as defined below). The settlement date for Old Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn and accepted for purchase and delivered at or prior to the Expiration Deadline is expected to be September 14, 2023 (the "Settlement Date"). Holders must validly tender (and not validly withdraw) their Old Notes at or prior to the Expiration Deadline, in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Offer Document in order to be eligible to receive the Purchase Price. The Republic's obligation to accept for purchase and to pay for the Old Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, which are more fully described in the Offer Document, including, among others, the Republic's completion of the offering and sale of new debt securities (the "New Notes Offering") on terms acceptable to the Republic. The Offer does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or other financial instruments that may be issued or otherwise incurred in connection with the New Notes Offering. The Republic reserves the right, subject to applicable law, in its sole discretion, to: (i) waive any and all conditions to the Offer at any time and from time to time; (ii) extend or terminate the Offer; or (iii) otherwise amend the Offer in any respect. The Republic is not soliciting consents from holders of securities in connection with the Offer. Old Notes may be tendered and accepted for payment only in principal amounts equal to minimum denominations of $200,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. No alternative, conditional or contingent tenders will be accepted. Holders who tender less than all of their Old Notes must continue to hold Old Notes in at least the Minimum Authorized Denomination of $200,000 principal amount. Nothing contained in the Offer Document will prevent the Republic from exercising its rights to redeem, defease or satisfy or otherwise discharge its obligations with respect to all or a portion of Old Notes by depositing cash or securities with the trustee in accordance with the fiscal agency agreement governing the Old Notes. The Republic has retained J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. to act as Dealer Managers. Global Bondholder Services Corporation has been retained to serve as both the depositary and the information agent (the "U.S. Tender Agent and Information Agent") for the Offer. For additional information regarding the terms of the Offer, please contact: J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at (866) 846-2874 (toll free) or (212) 834-7279 (collect) and Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. at 1-833-498-1660 (toll free) or [email protected] (email). Requests for copies of the Offer Document and other related materials should be directed to Global Bondholder Services Corporation at [email protected] (email), 1-855-654-2014 (U.S. Toll Free), 1-212-430-3774 (Banks and Brokers). This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell with respect to any Old Notes nor is this announcement an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase new debt securities. The Offer is being made solely pursuant to the Offer Document, which set forth the complete terms and conditions of the Offer. The Offer is not being made to, nor will the Republic accept tenders of Old Notes from, holders in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities, blue sky or other laws of such jurisdiction. None of the Republic, the Dealer Managers, the trustee of the Old Notes or the U.S. Tender Agent and Information Agent makes any recommendation to any holder of Old Notes in connection with the Offer. Holders must make their own decisions as to whether to tender their Old Notes and, if so, the principal amount of Old Notes to tender. Forward-Looking Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are information of a non-historical nature or which relate to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. No assurance can be given that the transactions described herein will be consummated or as to the ultimate terms of any such transactions. The Republic undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events or for any other reason. Press contact: Mrs. Suzette Taylor Lee Chee Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance [email protected] SOURCE The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago OREM, Utah, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SecurityMetrics, a leading innovator in compliance and cybersecurity, is proud to announce its participation as a Diamond Sponsor at the PCI SSC North America Community Meeting, which will take place from September 12th-14th in Portland, Oregon. With a strong commitment to PCI compliance excellence and industry advancement, SecurityMetrics will be at the forefront of this event, offering its solutions to PCI DSS version 4.0, presenting on primary research affecting ecommerce website threats, forensic investigation expertise, live demos, and 1:1 time with their experienced QSAs. SecurityMetrics is set to give five presentations that delve into the new PCI DSS v4.0 standard, specifically focusing on new requirements for ecommerce security (e.g., requirement 11.6.1). Presentation details Two-Part Series: Part 1: "What Merchant Banks Need to Tell Their Ecommerce Merchants About PCI v4.0" Date: Tuesday, September 12th Time: 10:15-10:35 AM Part 2: "What Ecommerce Merchants Need to Know About PCI v4.0" Date: Tuesday, September 12th Time: 10:45-11:05 AM Tech Exchange "How to Protect Your Ecommerce Transactions: An Overview of PCI DSS v4.0 Changes for Ecommerce Sites" Date: Wednesday, September 13th Time: 3:25-3:45 PM PFI Presentation "Ecommerce Research and Script Scanning Results" Date: Wednesday, September 13th Time: 3:25-3:45 PM Main Stage Panel "Breach Trends & Lessons Learned - A Panel Discussion" Date: Wednesday, September 13th Time: 3:50 PM - 4:10 PM Brad Caldwell, CEO of SecurityMetrics says, "We are excited to be a part of the 2023 PCI SSC North America Community Meeting and to contribute to the discussions that will shape the future of our industry. Our goal is to empower businesses with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate the evolving landscape of cybersecurity." To help businesses prepare for PCI DSS v4.0, SecurityMetrics is offering a live demo of their 4.0 portal, which is designed to streamline and simplify the compliance process. SecurityMetrics' Qualified Security Assessors (QSAs) will be available on-site to answer questions, and provide insights into the latest trends in cybersecurity and compliance. For the first time ever, the SecurityMetrics Podcast, hosted by Jen Stone (Principal Security Analyst, QSA, CISSP, CISA), has been invited by the PCI Council to record multiple episodes of the podcast at the community meeting. Jen and other industry experts will discuss PCI DSS v4.0 and other cybersecurity topics. If you have a topic you feel would contribute to this objective and would like to be considered as a guest, email us: [email protected] . This year, SecurityMetrics is thrilled to offer high-value giveaways exclusively for event attendees including a free PCI DSS v4.0 Risk Check for Merchants and Acquirers and a free copy of the PCI Guide (valued at $129.99). These giveaways will be available our booth (booth #1). Additionally, those who stop by our booth to discuss their PCI DSS v4.0 needs can receive an Amazon Gift Card or a Tile mate. SecurityMetrics looks forward to engaging with attendees, sharing knowledge, and fostering discussions that drive the industry forward. For more information about SecurityMetrics' participation at the PCI Community Meeting, please visit https://www.securitymetrics.com/events . For press inquiries, call 801.995.6516 or email [email protected]. About SecurityMetrics SecurityMetrics secures peace of mind for organizations that handle sensitive data. They have tested over 1 million systems for data security and compliance. Industry standards don't keep up with the threat landscape, which is why they hold their tools, training, and support to a higher, more thorough standard of performance and service. As an Approved Scanning Vendor , Qualified Security Assessor , Certified Forensic Investigator, and Managed Security provider, SecurityMetrics guides organizations through data security testing and compliance mandates (PCI, HIPAA, GDPR, HITRUST). SecurityMetrics has over 20 years of forensic investigations, penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and compliance audits. The privately held company is headquartered in Orem, Utah where it maintains a Security Operations Center (SOC) and 24/7 multilingual technical support. SOURCE SecurityMetrics, Inc. NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Danaher Corporation ("Danaher" or the "Company") (NYSE: DHR), and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and docketed under 23-cv-02055, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Danaher securities between April 21, 2022, and April 24, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Danaher securities during the Class Period, you have until September 15, 2023 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] Danaher designs, manufactures, and markets professional, medical, industrial, and commercial products and services worldwide. The Company is comprised of more than 20 operating companies organized under four segments: Biotechnology; Life Sciences; Diagnostics; and Environmental & Applied Solutions. In 2020 and 2021, Danaher's diagnostic tests and life sciences research tools were widely used in the effort to combat the COVID-19 virus. Specifically, Danaher's diagnostics segment included Cepheid, a leader in molecular testing, and its life sciences segment included a variety of companies that worked to develop COVID-19 vaccines and therapies. As a result, Danaher experienced a significant upswing in revenue growth over the course of this period. 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: (i) as the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic subsided, revenue growth associated with Danaher's COVID-19-related businesses was declining; (ii) contrary to the Company's prior representations to investors, revenues associated with Danaher's non-COVID-19-related businesses were insufficient to compensate for the foregoing negative trend; (iii) accordingly, Danaher overstated the Company's ability to sustain the growth it had experienced in 2020 and 2021; (iv) as a result, it was unlikely that Danaher would be able to meet its 2023 revenue forecasts; and (v) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times. On April 25, 2023, Danaher issued a press release announcing its financial results for the first quarter of 2023. Among other items, Danaher reported that "[r]evenues decreased 7.0% year-over-year to $7.2 billion, with a 4.0% non-GAAP core revenue decrease, due to the impact of lower COVID-19 revenue, and 6.0% non-GAAP base business core revenue growth." The Company also projected that "[f]or the second quarter and full year 2023, . . . non-GAAP base business core revenue growth will be up mid-single digits year-over-year", down from an earlier projection of high-single-digit growth. Notably, this announcement appeared to be at odds with Danaher's prior reassurances that revenues associated with the Company's non-COVID-19-related businesses would compensate for the foregoing negative results. On this news, Danaher's stock price fell $22.36 per share, or 8.79%, to close at $231.99 per share on April 25, 2023. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com. CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and Brookfield Asset Management, one of the largest investment companies in the world, have discussed application of clean and digital energy technologies, Trend reports. According to SOCAR, its President Rovshan Najaf met with Managing Partner in Brookfields Real Estate Group and Regional Head of the Middle East Jad Ellawn. The meeting presented detailed information about infrastructure projects implemented in various countries by Brookfield. Besides, the parties discussed SOCAR's long-term corporate strategy, which identified energy security, energy transition, digitalization, business sustainability, efficiency and optimization were as priority areas. The parties also discussed the favorable investment environment created in Azerbaijan for foreign investors, and also exchanged views on the introduction of clean and digital energy technologies, decarbonization, infrastructure projects and other issues of mutual interest. Brookfield Asset Management, headquartered in Canada, was founded in 1899. The total value of assets managed by the company is $850 billion. The relations between Azerbaijan and Brookfield have been developing. Back in January this year, the company's management arrived in Azerbaijan, where a number of high-level meetings were held. The company's CEO Bruce Flatt said at the time that he was deeply impressed by the development processes in Baku. He noted the expansion of successful cooperation of Brookfield Asset Management with the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ). Last year, SOFAZ invested $40 million each in shares of Leonard Green & Partners, Vista Equity Partners, Brookfield Asset Management, Thoma Bravo, Apollo Global Management, Clayton Dubilier & Rice companies. NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of The Boeing Company ("Boeing" or the "Company") (NYSE: BA). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Boeing and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On August 23, 2023, Spirit Aerosystems Holdings, Inc. ("Spirit Aerosystems"), a key supplier of components for Boeing aircraft, issued a press release acknowledging "a quality issue involving elongated fastener holes on the aft pressure bulkhead on certain models of the 737 fuselage produced by Spirit AeroSystems." Spirit Aerosystems stated that it "has implemented changes to its manufacturing process to address this issue" and is "working closely with [Boeing] to address any impacted units within the production system and address any needed rework." On this news, Boeing's stock price fell $11.27 per share, or 4.93% percent, to close at $217.31 on August 24, 2023. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com. CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. ("Hawaiian Electric" or the "Company") (NYSE: HE) and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and docketed under 23-cv-04332, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Hawaiian Electric securities between February 28, 2019 and August 16, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Hawaiian Electric securities during the Class Period, you have until October 23, 2023 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] Hawaiian Electric, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the electric utility, banking, and non-regulated renewable/sustainable infrastructure investment businesses in the state of Hawaii. The Company provides service to 95% of Hawaiian residents and operates in three segments, including the Electric Utility segment, which engages in the production, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai. Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Hawaiian Electric's wildfire prevention and safety protocols and procedures were inadequate to meet the challenges for which they were ostensibly designed; (ii) accordingly, despite knowing the degree of risk that wildfires posed to Maui, the Company's inadequate safety protocols and procedures placed Maui at a heightened risk of devastating wildfires; and (iii) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. 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 plani.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 ("WSJ") reported that Hawaiian Electric is meeting with firms that specialize in restructuring advisory work, 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 WSJ reported that Hawaiian Electric had for years been aware of the threat posed by wildfire but waited years to act. Indeed, the WSJ stated that between 2019 and 2022 the Company 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 the publication of the WSJ articles, Hawaiian Electric's stock price fell $2.54 per share, or 17.43%, to close at $12.03 per share on August 17, 2023. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com. CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Shift4 Payments, Inc. ("Shift4" or the "Company") (NYSE: FOUR) and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and docketed under 23-cv-03206, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Shift4 securities between November 10, 2021 and April 18, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Shift4 securities during the Class Period, you have until October 19, 2023 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] Shift4 provides software and payment processing solutions in the United States. The Company provides, among other products and services, integrated and mobile point-of-sale ("POS") solutions. In Shift4's third quarter of 2022, the Company completed its so-called "mass strategic buyout program" as part of a purported strategic initiative to insource its sales distribution network. According to Shift4, because the Company is not a "member bank" as defined in certain payment network rules, the Company is not eligible for primary membership in certain payment networks and is therefore unable to directly access them. Accordingly, Shift4's payment networks require the Company to be sponsored by a member bank as a service provider, which the Company has accomplished through a sponsorship agreement with its sponsor bank. To cover overdraft obligations at the sponsor bank, prior to December 2022, Shift4 had funds deposited in a sponsor bank merchant settlement account to facilitate gross card transaction deposits for those customers the Company bills on a monthly, as opposed to a daily, basis. The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Shift4 had inadequate disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting; (ii) as a result, Shift4 failed to properly account for customer acquisition costs, thereby artificially inflating its net cash provided by operating activities; (iii) accordingly, Shift4 would likely be forced to restate one or more of its previously issued financial statements; (iv) Shift4 employed accounting maneuvers in connection with, among other things, its mass strategic buyout program and sponsor bank merchant settlement account, that were designed to present an inaccurate picture of, inter alia, the Company's performance, its underlying business quality, and its earnings power; (v) all the foregoing, once revealed, was likely to negatively impact Shift4's reputation and business; and (vi) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On October 21, 2022, Shift4 disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that the Company's third quarter 2021, full year 2021, first quarter 2022, and second quarter 2022 financial statements should no longer be relied upon and would need to be restated because of a material weakness in the Company's financial controls, which had caused it to incorrectly treat "customer acquisition costs" as cash used in investing activities rather than cash used in operating activities in its Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. As a result, Shift4 was forced to negatively revise its net cash provided by operating activities to $3 million (down from its originally reported $29.2 million), $30.8 million (down from its originally reported $37.1 million), and $70.8 million (down from its originally reported $85 million) for the year ended December 31, 2021, the three months ended March 31, 2022, and the six months ended June 30, 2022, respectively. On this news, Shift4's stock price fell $1.21 per share, or 2.67%, to close at $44.16 per share on October 24, 2022. On April 19, 2023, Blue Orca Capital published a report addressing Shift4 (the "Blue Orca Report"). The Blue Orca Report alleged, among other things, that "Shift4 [is], in reality, a roll-up of low-tech POS systems and payment processors which is substantially less profitable, generates far less cash, and is materially more levered than investors are led to believe." The Blue Orca Report further alleged that in 2022, "Shift4 engaged in a string of highly questionable and hyper-aggressive accounting maneuvers seemingly designed to keep the stock afloat, from cash flow manipulation to inexplicable distributor acquisitions that enabled it to capitalize a major component of COGS [cost of goods sold]." For example, the Blue Orca Report alleged, inter alia, that Shift4's "buyout of 50% of its independent distributors"i.e., in connection with its mass strategic buyout program"and Q4 2022 cash account withdrawal" from its sponsor bank merchant settlement account "together inflated operating cash flow by 61%." On this news, Shift4's stock price fell $5.95 per share, or 8.68%, to close at $62.59 per share on April 19, 2023. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com. CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR), the world's premier commercial real estate organization for industrial and office brokers, is pleased to announce Lynn Reich, SIOR, as the winner for the Howell Watson Distinguished Service Award of 2023. She is one of only 17 recipients to be honored with this achievement since the award was established in 1985. The Howell Watson Distinguished Service Award is the highest form of industry recognition given by SIOR and it recognizes an individual's outstanding vision, leadership, and service to SIOR and the broader commercial real estate (CRE) industry. Only awarded when merited, it further recognizes an SIOR member renowned for extraordinary professionalism and integrity. This award was originally named after a distinguished leader of SIOR, Howell H. Watson. Lynn Reich receives the Howell Watson Distinguished Service Award of 2023, is one of only 17 to be honored since 1985. Post this Lynn Reich, SIOR, an industrial specialist and real estate veteran, has a distinguished and illustrious career in commercial real estate. Former executive vice president for Colliers, she recently stepped into retirement after more than 45 years serving her clients and community. In that time, she received many additional accolades, including the impressive "The Goldie Initiative Shero Award." She also served as a Goldie Initiative mentor for many years helping support countless women in graduate real estate studies committed to becoming leaders in the industry. Reich has been a member of SIOR since 1986 and has been making a large impact on the organization ever since. She served on the SIOR Board of Directors and is an SIOR Global past president. She also served as SIOR Foundation past president and was an SIOR Foundation Trustee for more than 28 years. In addition, she has served as a volunteer on countless SIOR committees, including, but not limited to, the Chapter Leadership Council, the Nominating Committee, the Budget and Finance Committee, the Communications and Editorial Committee, the International Member Oversight Working Group, the Education Working Group, the Diversity Working Group, and the Women's Leadership Group, to which she was instrumental in starting. Reich is also a previous award-winning SIOR instructor. "The Howell Watson award honors those truly extraordinary members who not only excel as brokers, but also uphold the highest ethical standards, contribute to their communities, and drive positive, lasting transformation within our industry," says SIOR CEO Robert Thornburgh, SIOR. "Lynn truly embodies these attributes, and it has been a personal privilege to have worked closely alongside her and learn from one of the very best in the business." For a complete list of the Howell Watson Distinguished Service Award recipients, click here. About SIOR ( www.sior.com ) The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) is the leading society for industrial and office real estate professionals. Only the industry's top professionals qualify for the SIOR designation and adhere to the highest levels of accountability and ethical standards. Today, there are more than 3,700 SIOR members in 722 cities and 45 countries. www.sior.com Contact: Alexis Fermanis, SIOR Sr. Director of Marketing & Communications | [email protected] SOURCE SIOR STOCKHOLM, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Skanska has signed a contract with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to expand and make operational and multimodal improvements to 7.2 kilometers (4.5 miles) of the I-405 corridor in Bothell, Washington, USA. The contract is worth USD 834M, about SEK 8.8 billion, which will be included in the US order bookings for the third quarter of 2023. The purpose of the I-405, Brickyard to SR 527 Improvement Project is to create a dual express toll lane (ETL) system from south of the I-405/SR 522 interchange to the I-405/SR 527 interchange. This project includes new lanes, direct access ramps, interchange improvements, infrastructure in support of Stride Bus Rapid Transit program, and new fish passage culverts within the project vicinity. Construction is anticipated to begin in November 2023 and with expected completion in late 2028. CONTACT: For further information please contact: Meghan Carvalho, Communications Manager, Skanska USA, tel +1 (951) 6752337 Andreas Joons, Press Officer, Skanska AB, tel +46 (0)10 449 04 94 Direct line for media, tel +46 (0)10 448 88 99 This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com. The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/95/3829394/2273551.pdf 20230905 US I405 Brickyard SOURCE Skanska FOLSOM, N.J., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SJI today announced it has commenced a cash tender offer (the "Tender Offer") to purchase for cash any and all of (i) the outstanding Corporate Units, each consisting of a purchase contract issued by us to purchase shares of our common stock and a 1/20, or 5%, undivided beneficial ownership interest in $1,000 principal amount of our 2021 Series B 1.65% Remarketable Junior Subordinated Notes due 2029 (the "RSNs") (the "Corporate Units") and (ii) the Separate RSNs (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) listed in the table below (collectively, the "Securities," and each a "Series" of Securities) from each registered holder of the applicable Series of Securities (each, a "Holder," and collectively, the "Holders") subject to the terms specified in the Offer to Purchase (as defined below), including the Financing Condition (as defined in the Offer to Purchase). Title of Security CUSIP / ISIN Aggregate Number of Corporate Units and Aggregate Principal Amount of Separate RSNs Outstanding Early Tender Premium Total Consideration(1)(2) Corporate Units(3) 838518306 / US8385183061 3,085,100 Corporate Units $1.50 per Corporate Unit $69.00 per Corporate Unit Separate RSNs 838518AB4 / US838518AB47 $173,149,000 principal amount of Separate RSNs $30 per $1,000 principal amount of Separate RSN $975 per $1,000 principal amount of Separate RSN (1) Holders whose Corporate Units are accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer will also receive (i) accrued and unpaid contract adjustment payments and (ii) accrued and unpaid interest payments, in each case from the last applicable payment date to, but excluding, the Settlement Date (as defined below). Holders whose Separate RSNs are accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on their purchased RSNs from the last interest payment date for such RSNs to, but excluding, the Settlement Date. Contract adjustment payments and interest payments on the Corporate Units and interest payments on the Separate RSNs will be paid on October 1, 2023, so we expect accrued and unpaid interest payments and contract adjustment payments, as applicable, to accrue from October 1, 2023 to, but excluding, the Settlement Date. (2) Includes the Early Tender Premium. (3) Each Corporate Unit has a stated amount of $50. Indicative timetable for the Tender Offer: Event Calendar Date and Time Commencement September 5, 2023 Early Tender Deadline 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 18, 2023, unless extended with respect to one or more Series of Securities. Withdrawal Deadline 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 18, 2023, except in certain limited circumstances where additional withdrawal rights are required by law. Expiration Time 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 3, 2023, unless extended with respect to one or more Series of Securities. Settlement Date Promptly after the Expiration Time. Expected to be October 5, 2023, the second business day following the Expiration Time, but subject to change. The complete terms of the Tender Offer are set forth in the Offer to Purchase dated September 5, 2023 (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Offer to Purchase"). Consummation of the Tender Offer is subject to a number of conditions, including the absence of certain adverse legal and market developments, as well as a Financing Condition. There can be no assurance that the Company will complete in a timely manner, or at all, the Debt Financing (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) or that the Financing Condition will be satisfied. See "Terms of the Tender OfferConditions to the Tender Offer" in the Offer to Purchase. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Tender Offer will be consummated or that any failure to consummate the Tender Offer will not have a negative effect on the market price and liquidity of the Securities. The Tender Offer is not conditioned upon any minimum amount of Series of Securities being tendered. There are no guaranteed delivery provisions applicable to the Tender Offer. The Tender Offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 3, 2023, unless extended (such date and time, as the same may be extended, the "Expiration Time"). Holders of Securities must validly tender and not validly withdraw their Securities at or before 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 18, 2023, unless extended (such date and time, as the same may be extended, the "Early Tender Deadline"), to be eligible to receive the applicable Total Consideration (as defined herein) per Corporate Unit and $1,000 principal amount of the Separate RSNs tendered by such Holders that are accepted for purchase, which is equal to the applicable Tender Consideration for each Corporate Unit and $1,000 principal amount of the Separate RSNs tendered and accepted for purchase plus the applicable Early Tender Premium. The "Total Consideration" for each Corporate Unit and $1,000 principal amount of the Separate RSNs tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer will be $69.00 and $975, respectively, which Total Consideration will include the applicable Early Tender Premium. Holders whose Corporate Units are accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer will also receive (i) accrued and unpaid contract adjustment payments and (ii) accrued and unpaid interest payments, in each case from the last applicable payment date to, but excluding, the Settlement Date. Holders whose Separate RSNs are accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on their purchased RSNs from the last interest payment date for such RSNs to, but excluding, the Settlement Date. Contract adjustment payments and interest payments on the Corporate Units and interest payments on the Separate RSNs will be paid on October 1, 2023, so we expect accrued and unpaid interest payments and contract adjustment payments, as applicable, to accrue from October 1, 2023 to, but excluding, the Settlement Date. Assuming the Tender Offer is not extended and the conditions to the Tender Offer are satisfied or waived, South Jersey Industries, Inc. expects that settlement for Securities validly tendered and not validly withdrawn on or before the Early Tender Deadline, and for Securities validly tendered after the Early Tender Deadline and on or before the Expiration Time, will be on October 5, 2023 (the "Settlement Date"). Securities tendered may be validly withdrawn at any time on or before 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 18, 2023 (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Withdrawal Deadline"), but not thereafter, except in certain limited circumstances where additional withdrawal rights are required by law. For a Holder who holds Securities through DTC to validly tender Securities pursuant to the Tender Offer, an Agent's Message (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) and any other required documents must be received by the Tender Agent at its address set forth on the Offer to Purchase at or prior to the Expiration Time. For a Holder who holds Securities through Clearstream Banking, societe anonyme or Euroclear Bank SA/NV to validly tender Securities pursuant to the Offers, such Holder must tender such Securities in accordance with the procedures of such clearing system. There is no letter of transmittal for the Offer to Purchase. Subject to applicable law, the Tender Offer may be amended, extended, terminated or withdrawn with respect to the Securities at any time. If the Tender Offer is terminated with respect to any Series of Securities without Securities of such Series being accepted for purchase, Securities of such Series tendered pursuant to the Tender Offer will promptly be returned to the tendering Holders. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or purchase, or a solicitation of an offer to sell or purchase, or the solicitation of tenders with respect to, any security. No offer, solicitation, purchase or sale will be made in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. The Tender Offer is being made solely pursuant to terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase and only to such persons and in such jurisdictions as are permitted under applicable law. BofA Securities is serving as the Dealer Manager in connection with the Tender Offer. Questions regarding the terms of the Tender Offer for the Corporate Units should be directed to BofA Securities at +1 (888) 803-9655 (toll free). Questions regarding the terms of the Tender Offer for the Separate RSNs should be directed to BofA Securities at +1 (888) 292-0070 (toll free), +1 (980) 387-5602 (collect) or [email protected]. Any questions or requests for assistance or additional copies of the Offer to Purchase or the documents incorporated by reference therein may be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc., which is acting as the Tender Agent and the Information Agent for the Tender Offer, at www.dfking.com/sji and the following telephone numbers: banks and brokers at (866) 864-7964 (toll free); all others at (212) 269-5550 (all others) or email at [email protected]. About SJI SJI, an energy infrastructure holding company based in Folsom, NJ, delivers energy services to customers through two primary subsidiaries: SJI Utilities (SJIU) and SJI Energy Enterprises (SJIEE). SJIU houses the company's regulated natural gas utility operations, delivering safe, reliable and affordable natural gas to more than 700,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers across New Jersey via its South Jersey Gas and Elizabethtown Gas subsidiaries. SJIEE houses the company's non-utility operations primarily focused on clean energy development and decarbonization via renewable energy production and energy management activities. Visit sjindustries.com for more information about SJI and its subsidiaries. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations and assumptions that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding guidance, industry prospects or future results of operations or financial position, expected sources of incremental margin, strategy, financing needs, future capital expenditures and the outcome or effect of ongoing litigation, are forward-looking. Forward looking statements can also generally be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "seek," "strategy," "would," "could," "should," "may," "will" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of management at the time that these statements were prepared and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions on an international, national, state and local level; weather conditions in SJI's marketing areas; changes in commodity costs; changes in the availability of natural gas; "non-routine" or "extraordinary" disruptions in SJI's distribution system; cybersecurity incidents and related disruptions; regulatory, legislative and court decisions; competition; the availability and cost of capital; costs and effects of legal proceedings and environmental liabilities; the failure of customers, suppliers or business partners to fulfill their contractual obligations; changes in business strategies; acquisition-related liabilities; the diversion of management time on acquisition-related issues; and public health crises and epidemics or pandemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. These risks and uncertainties, as well as other risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, are described in greater detail in (i) in "Terms of the Tender OfferCertain Significant Consequences to Holders" in the Offer to Purchase including our ability to successfully complete the Debt Financing and (ii) "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. These cautionary statements should not be construed by you to be exhaustive and they are made only as of the date of this press release. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will approximate actual experience or that the expectations derived from them will be realized. Further, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Media Contact: Krystle Straus 609-561-9000 ext. 4131 kstraus@sjindustries.com SOURCE South Jersey Industries, Inc. CHICAGO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Spaulding Ridge, a global cloud advisory and implementation firm, announced today it has acquired SOLISTIC Decision Sciences, a leading marketing analytics and data cloud company located in the United States and India. Founded in 2017, SOLISTIC delivers technical expertise and intelligence in implementing Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Data Cloud, and other Salesforce technologies. The acquisition of SOLISTIC is part of Spaulding Ridge's global vision to help clients drive customer and employee insights and actions through effective use of data. Spaulding Ridge will embrace SOLISTIC's relationships with Salesforce, its clients, and its knowledge of Data Cloud and Marketing Cloud to continue to expand on Spaulding Ridge's data capabilities. Spaulding Ridge's acquisition will embrace SOLISTIC's knowledge of Data Cloud & Marketing Cloud. Post this "We're excited for what the future holds," said Kyle Boston, Managing Partner at Spaulding Ridge. "With this acquisition, we intend to lead from the front on leveraging the power of top-of-the-funnel marketing intelligence to fuel the foundation of Salesforce Data Cloud and Marketing Cloud for our clients and the market as a whole." "We are so incredibly proud to be announcing the news that SOLISTIC is officially joining Spaulding Ridge," said Ryan DeShazer, Founder and CEO of SOLISTIC. "Our firm has been singularly focused on data and AI since inception, and together with Spaulding Ridge, we have a global platform and world-class team to fully realize our ambition of becoming THE preeminent data-first Salesforce SI." SOLISTIC will now operate under the name of Spaulding Ridge, benefiting from Spaulding Ridge's global delivery and support resources as the team continues to design, implement, and maintain modern analytics architecture around the world. Spaulding Ridge will be able to offer SOLISTIC's additional unique capabilities to clients, allowing the firm to integrate their analytics offerings more deeply into client service. Salesforce, Marketing Cloud, Data Cloud, and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc. About SOLISTIC Decision Sciences Founded in 2017, SOLISTIC is a leading business transformation firm specializing in data informed marketing intelligence. With offices in Columbus, OH and Pune, India, SOLISTIC has successfully implemented hundreds of projects geared towards marketing intelligence, data informed reporting and analytics. Through SOLISTIC's well established marketing analytics capabilities, the firm's expertise enables the Office of the CRO to truly understand their data, to streamline efficiencies and become revenue resilient. To learn more visit solistic.io. About Spaulding Ridge Spaulding Ridge is a global leader in business transformation for the offices of the CFO and CRO. We drive clear outcomes for leading enterprises by transforming company data and business processes for better insight, collaboration, and decision making because when you see further, you go further. We help companies use their cloud technology to achieve: Revenue excellence. Drive profit by giving your customers the personal attention and outstanding service they expect. Drive profit by giving your customers the personal attention and outstanding service they expect. Financial and operational strength. Plan, execute, record, review, and optimize every piece of your business with integrated finance and operations solutions. Plan, execute, record, review, and optimize every piece of your business with integrated finance and operations solutions. Organizational effectiveness. Get the managed services support, change management support, systems integrations, and data tools to maintain a solid foundation for your business. To learn more visit spauldingridge.com. SOURCE Spaulding Ridge, LLC BDO becomes one of the largest ESOPs in the country. CHICAGO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Stout, a global investment bank and advisory firm, has advised BDO USA (BDO) on the establishment of an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Stout served as the exclusive financial advisor to BDO and led the ESOP structuring, financing process, and execution on behalf of the company. Stout also served as the sole debt placement agent on a term loan financing led by Apollo-managed funds to facilitate the ESOP. The transaction closed on August 31. BDO is now among the largest ESOPs in the country and is the first large public accounting firm to transition to ESOP ownership. "BDO's ESOP is a game-changer for our people, firm, and profession," shared BDO USA CEO Wayne Berson. "It is the realization of our purpose of helping people thrive, every day. It is also the natural evolution of our business, allowing us to pursue continued investment opportunities in quality, operations, and growth strategies while maintaining continuity in leadership and commitment to a long-standing vision and purpose. We are thrilled to begin our next chapter as an ESOP, taking our people-first culture to a new level of engagement and commitment." Stout has completed over 2,000 ESOP-related engagements and has worked with some of the largest and most successful ESOP companies in the country. Stout provides investment banking services to private companies seeking to establish an ESOP in addition to advisory services for existing ESOP-owned companies. Coupled with its long-standing history of advising institutional trustees on ESOP transactions, Stout is the leading, full-service financial advisor in the ESOP sector. The deal was led by three seasoned professionals: Aziz El-Tahch, Co-Head of Stout's ESOP & ERISA Advisory practice; Mark Buchanan, Head of Stout's ESOP Investment Banking practice; and Jeff Zolkin, Head of Stout's Capital Markets. "Stout's strategic guidance and knowledge were instrumental in creating an ESOP structure that would allow our people and firm to thrive," said Steve Ferrara, COO of BDO USA. "Stout deftly helped us navigate the intricacies of this complex transaction, allowing us to bring broad-based beneficial ownership to all eligible U.S. employees and enabling a material benefit to the firm. We are grateful to the entire Stout team." "We believe this landmark transaction positions Stout as the advisor of choice in structuring and raising capital for ESOP transactions involving large, blue-chip companies with complex ownership structures, during a time when the benefits of broad-based employee ownership are becoming more widely recognized," said El-Tahch. "BDO is an innovative and forward-thinking organization, and this transaction serves as a blueprint for ESOP formations in the accounting and professional services sector going forward," added Buchanan. ABOUT STOUT Stout is a global investment bank and advisory firm specializing in corporate finance, accounting and transaction advisory, valuation, financial disputes, claims, and investigations. We serve a range of clients, from public corporations to privately held companies in numerous industries. Our clients and their advisors rely on our premier expertise, deep industry knowledge, and unparalleled responsiveness on complex matters. Learn about our Relentless Excellence at stout.com. Stout is a trade name for Stout Risius Ross, LLC, Stout Advisors SA, Stout Bluepeak Asia Ltd, Stout GmbH, MB e Associati S.r.l., Stout Park Ltd, and Stout Capital, LLC, a FINRA-registered broker-dealer and SIPC member firm. The terms "Stout" or the "firm" refer to one or more of these legally separate and independent advisory practices. ABOUT BDO USA At BDO, our purpose is helping people thrive, every day. Together, we are focused on delivering exceptional and sustainable outcomes for our people, our clients, and our communities. Across the U.S., and in over 160 countries through our global organization, BDO professionals provide assurance, tax, and advisory services for a diverse range of clients. BDO is the brand name for the BDO network and for each of the BDO Member Firms. BDO USA, P.C., a Virginia professional corporation, is the U.S. member of BDO International Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, and forms part of the international BDO network of independent member firms: www.bdo.com. SOURCE Stout NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- StreetWise Partners, a leading nonprofit organization, announced today, The Opportunity Pledge: a public commitment companies are making to build an inclusive and diverse workforce. September marks National Workforce Development Month in the U.S., a prime opportunity for corporations to invest in initiatives which support job seekers and develop diverse talent pipelines. For the past 26 years, StreetWise Partners has enabled economic equity through innovative workforce development and mentoring programs. By pairing job seekers with mentors, their commitment and impact has supported over 10,000 mentees and 15,000 mentors in New York and Washington, D.C. The Opportunity Pledge is an open call for organizations to commit to advance economic equity in the workforce. Companies contribute to The Opportunity Pledge in three ways: by making a tax-deductible financial contribution to StreetWise Partners to reach more jobseekers, by making a commitment to hire StreetWise Partners' graduates, and through in-kind donations such as lending office space for in-person programming. Organizations joining The Opportunity Pledge are supporting StreetWise Partners strategic growth plan that will initially launch 1,900 careers by mentees and job seekers, generating $92M in first year wages. Shari Krull, CEO of StreetWise Partners, said, "We are driven to equip underrepresented job seekers with the skills, industry knowledge, and social capital necessary to launch careers and achieve upward mobility. The Opportunity Pledge offers employers a proven program to attract talent while growing a diverse workforce. Forward-thinking corporations are joining in to publicly mark their commitment." Early adopters to The Opportunity Pledge include Erickson Immigration Group, Symphony, Mizuho, Tradeweb, TIAA, Global Atlantic Financial Group, and The Ready Foundation. "Tradeweb is a proud partner of StreetWise and participating in this pledge further exemplifies our strong commitment to building a diverse workforce," said Fred Strobel, Managing Director, Global Head of Human Resources at Tradeweb. "Symphony is honored to join The Opportunity Pledge and, in this way, share its commitment to the social advancement of underrepresented individuals in the workplace. We have been working with StreetWise for the past year and it's been a truly mutually beneficial relationship. Our employees are committed and invested in helping their mentees. They have been able to share their knowledge and experience while learning from their mentees, which has been hugely rewarding. We take DEIB seriously and are focused on contributing to a more equitable workplace overall," said Symphony's CEO, Brad Levy. "Erickson Immigration Group believes in the power and importance of realizing one's fullest professional and personal potential. Our firm is proud to be a corporate partner to StreetWise Partners and support their essential work to elevate underrepresented jobseekers," said Rick Heath, Erickson Immigration Group CFO and StreetWise Partners DC Advisory Council Member. For more information about The Opportunity Pledge, please contact [email protected]. To learn more about StreetWise Partners' work, please visit www.streetwisepartners.org About StreetWise Partners StreetWise Partners is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to driving economic equity through mentoring programs for today's adult workforce. The organization connects talent with opportunity through mentorship and career development services in New York and Washington, D.C. SOURCE StreetWise Partners Thousands Impacted by Breast Cancer to Come Together to Raise Critical Funds for Breast Cancer Research and Financial Assistance DENVER, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Susan G. Komen, the world's leading breast cancer organization, will be hosting the annual 2023 Colorado MORE THAN PINK Walk on Sunday, October 8, 2023. The annual Walk will be held again at Civic Center Park. Thousands of individuals including family and friends will come together to celebrate breast cancer survivors, honor those who have passed away from the disease, and raise critical funds that support research and critical support services for breast cancer patients, including research, financial assistance, screening and diagnostics and patient navigation services. "We are excited to bring back the MORE THAN PINK Walk and welcome walkers to this event to make a difference in our fight against breast cancer in our community," said Corrina Steiger, Executive State Director for Colorado Susan G. Komen. "Continuing to support individuals going through breast cancer in our community is a critical mission as the demand for our services continues to increase." Breast cancer survivors and those living with metastatic disease, caregivers, family members and loved ones will come together at Civic Center Park at 7:30 a.m., opening ceremony kicks off at 9 a.m. and the Walk begins at 9:30 a.m. Sponsors for the event include Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, Great Clips and Puma Biotechnology. Walk participants will include breast cancer survivors, metastatic breast cancer thrivers, co-survivors and supporters of Susan G. Komen. What: 2023 Susan G. Komen Colorado MORE THAN PINK Walk When: Sunday, October 8, 2023 at 7:30 a.m. Where: Civic Center Park Details: Register at: www.komen.org/coloradowalk About Susan G. Komen Susan G. Komen is the world's leading nonprofit breast cancer organization, working to save lives and end breast cancer forever. Komen has an unmatched, comprehensive 360-degree approach to fighting this disease across all fronts and supporting millions of people in the U.S. and in countries worldwide. We advocate for patients, drive research breakthroughs, improve access to high-quality care, offer direct patient support and empower people with trustworthy information. Founded by Nancy G. Brinker, who promised her sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would end the disease that claimed Suzy's life, Komen remains committed to supporting those affected by breast cancer today, while tirelessly searching for tomorrow's cures. Visit komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN. Connect with us on social at www.komen.org/contact-us/follow-us/. CONTACT: Deb Song Susan G. Komen [email protected] SOURCE Susan G. Komen for the Cure LONDON, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sustainability Magazine , a renowned publication under the BizClik brand, upcoming 'Sustainability LIVE London 2023' has sold out. Sustainability LIVE London , the leading ESG, net zero, and sustainability event in London, is set to take place on September 6th and 7th, 2023, at the Business Design Centre (BDC) and has officially sold out of their in-person tickets. The two-day conference is due to gather over 8,000 in-person and virtual participants, uniting influential figures from diverse industries to exchange groundbreaking ideas, proven solutions, and actionable insights for a sustainable future. Sustainability LIVE London will showcase the expertise of over 70 globally recognized sustainability leaders from renowned speakers from leading global companies like Capgemini Invent, EY, Schneider Electric, Google, Microsoft, Tech Mahindra, Philip Morris International, Smurfit Kappa, Meta, AWS, and many others. Those who missed out on in-person tickets will still be able to get themselves a virtual ticket HERE . Lucy Buchholz, Editor in Chief of Sustainability Magazine. "I'm so excited to attend this year's event as it's guaranteed to be bigger and better than ever. And with such an amazing lineup of speakers, it's no surprise that it's sold out!" Glen White, Founder and CEO of BizClik says - "8,000 people is an amazing fete by a brilliant team. Our Sustainability platforms - Sustainability , Energy & EV magazines are growing at an incredible pace and so are the LIVE events that run alongside them. With our new show - Net Zero LIVE in March and Sustainability LIVE expanding to New York, Dubai & Singapore in 2024, we've never been so excited to be working in the ESG & Net Zero arena." You can read the latest news in Sustainability Magazine by clicking HERE . You can register for our next upcoming hybrid event Net Zero LIVE London - EV LIVE, Sustainability & Energy LIVE which is taking place on the 6th - 7th March 2024. CLICK HERE You can now register your interest in our upcoming events: Sustainability LIVE Dubai - Virtual Conference - 22-23 January 2024 Sustainability LIVE Miami - Virtual Conference - 3 - 4 June 2024 Sustainability LIVE London - Hybrid Event - 11 - 12 September 2024 Visit www.bizclikmedia.com to discover more about BizClik's media portfolio. SOURCE BizClik On Tuesday, September 12 fans can participate in the Taco Tuesday Taco Tab, which will help cover a portion of taco fans' orders TLDR: Now that Taco Tuesday is free in 49 states, it's time to celebrate! On Tuesday, September 12 , Taco Bell and DoorDash are funding up to $5 million worth of tacos for taco lovers across (most of) the country*, available exclusively on DoorDash. , Taco Bell and DoorDash are funding up to worth of tacos for taco lovers across (most of) the country*, available exclusively on DoorDash. DoorDash users can add code TACOTAB to orders placed with participating Mexican restaurants (a full list can be found here) to get $5 off $15+ qualifying orders**. IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With the liberation of Taco Tuesday in 49 states, DoorDash has joined the fun with Taco Bell to throw a celebration for taco lovers across (most of) the country*, covering up to $5 million worth of tacos on Taco Tuesday, September 12. DoorDash, the on-demand delivery platform that connects consumers with their favorite local businesses, has assembled over 20,000 local Mexican restaurants to participate in the momentous event. By celebrating Mexican restaurants across the country, Taco Bell and DoorDash hope to empower businesses of all sizes and encourage taco enthusiasts to explore all that their communities have to offer. On Tuesday, September 12 fans can participate in the Taco Tuesday Taco Tab, which will help cover a portion of taco fans orders "Since the day we filed the legal petitions, our goal has always been to create a world where everyone can freely celebrate and promote Taco Tuesday, because when tacos win, we all win. It's been remarkable to see local restaurants already begin to celebrate Taco Tuesday their way, and we couldn't be more thrilled to partner with DoorDash to help elevate those small businesses even further," said Taco Bell U.S. Chief Marketing Officer, Taylor Montgomery. "While Tuesdays hold a special place in our heart and will continue to do so, this celebration isn't just about opening up a taco tab. It's about championing every individual who makes, sells, eats and celebrates tacos. This Taco Tuesday is for them." This One's for You, Taco Community Prior to this summer's Taco Tuesday liberation announcement, taco vendors, mom and pop shops and restaurants across 49 states were at risk of legal action if they used the phrase "Taco Tuesday" when celebrating with their local patrons. Once recipients of cease and desist letters, restaurants Luna's Tacos & Tequila of Greeley, CO and Freedom's Edge Brewing Company of Cheyenne, WY can now freely celebrate Taco Tuesday and have wasted no time sharing the news on social media. "Taco Tuesday has been liberated in Colorado and we couldn't be more excited to celebrate our love of tacos with our community," said Samantha Corliss, Co-owner and founder of Luna's Tacos & Tequila. "Like many taco shops across the country, Luna's was no stranger to legal difficulties with Taco Tuesday. Now that it is freed, we look forward to celebrating Taco Tuesday for many years to come!" For the first time ever, the September 12th Taco Tab promotion will celebrate over 20,000 participating Mexican restaurants on DoorDash across 49 states for the biggest Taco Tuesday ever. Put It On The Taco Tab The $5 million Taco Tuesday Taco Tab provides taco fans the opportunity to discover over 20,000 restaurants, so trying that new spot you've had your eye on or supporting your local favorite is easier than ever. Visit DoorDash.com/TacoTab to check out the full list of participating restaurants. Joining the party is simple: DoorDash users will receive $5 off any $15+ order with participating Mexican restaurants for one day only, Tuesday, September 12, using code TACOTAB. "DoorDash's mission has always been to empower local economies, and it's at the heart of everything we do. That's why we came together with Taco Bell to offer America* the chance to celebrate Taco Tuesday on September 12," said Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, Chief Marketing Officer at DoorDash. "With over 20,000 participating Mexican restaurants, DoorDash users can choose from an unmatched selection of diverse, delicious meals, from beloved restaurants to local favorites. With our Taco Tuesday Taco Tab promotion, we're aiming to highlight the best Mexican restaurants nationwide, and celebrate a long-held tradition in the most festive way possible." To learn more, visit TacoBell.com/Freeing-Taco-Tuesday. This is just the beginning of more Taco Tuesday fun to come from Taco Bell with forthcoming in-app rewards, experiences, merch and more. To stay up to date on the latest, follow along on Taco Bell social channels. * The Taco Tuesday trademark registration covering all states except New Jersey has been canceled, though a separate registration covering New Jersey is still active. Therefore, the DoorDash offer will be limited to the 49 states where Taco Tuesday has been freed. ** On 9/12/23 from 12:01 am PT to 11:59 pm PT, use promo code TACOTAB and spend $15 or more (before taxes, fees & gratuity) to receive $5 off your order for delivery at participating restaurants in the Mexican cuisine category for up to the first 1 million users who place a qualifying order on the DoorDash website or app. Offer not valid in the state of New Jersey. For a limited time and while supplies last. Not valid in-store. Not valid for dine-in or group orders. Not valid for scheduled orders. Limit one redemption per person. Fees and taxes will apply. Not valid for the purchase of alcohol. Subject to availability. Must have or create a valid account with a valid form of accepted payment on file. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. No cash value. Non-transferable. Additional terms & conditions apply. See here. About Taco Bell Corp. For more information about Taco Bell, visit our website at www.TacoBell.com, our Newsroom at www.TacoBell.com/news or www.TacoBell.com/popular-links. You can also stay up to date on all things Taco Bell by following us on LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and subscribing to our YouTube channel. About DoorDash DoorDash (NYSE: DASH) is a technology company that connects consumers with their favorite local businesses in more than 25 countries across the globe. Founded in 2013, DoorDash builds products and services to help businesses innovate, grow, and reach more customers. DoorDash is building infrastructure for local commerce, enabling merchants to thrive in the convenience economy, giving consumers access to more of their communities, and providing work that empowers. With DoorDash, there is a neighborhood of good in every order. Matt Prince Taco Bell Corp. [email protected] Rosie Herzog Edelman [email protected] SOURCE Taco Bell Corp. GUANGZHOU, China, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Beninese President Patrice Athanase Guillaume Talon paid a state visit to China from August 31 to September 3. "What I expect from the talks between presidents of Benin and China is to speed up the implementation of the 'Nine Programs' of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which has also been agreed at the end of the fifth meeting of the China-Benin Mixed Commission on Economic, Trade and Technical Cooperation," said Elisee Heribert-Label Adjovi, governor of the pan-African magazine Le Label Diplomatique, in a recent interview with GDToday. Beninese President Talon paid a state visit to China from August 31 to September 3. What I expect from the talks between presidents of Benin and China is to speed up the implementation of the Nine Programs of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, said elisee Heribert-Label Adjovi, governor of the pan-African magazine Le Label Diplomatique, in a recent interview with GDToday. The 'Nine Programs' of FOCAC include the medical and health program, the poverty reduction and agricultural development program, the trade promotion program, the investment promotion program, the digital innovation program, the green development program, the capacity building program, the cultural and people-to-people exchange program, and the peace and security program. Adjovi told GDToday that through furthering the cooperation with China, Benin expects to create a Sino-Beninese Investment Fund to attract more Chinese companies to the Glo-Djigbe Industrial Zone, set up a mechanism for co-investment cooperation through joint ventures with Chinese companies, and seek support from the China-Africa Development Fund for the development of Chinese companies in Benin. "Benin-China relations are based on frank dialogue on bilateral cooperation issues, as well as a shared vision of how the world should move forward. China's assistance to Benin has never been subject to political conditions," Adjovi said. He took the Belt and Road cooperation as an example. "Benin officially joined the Belt and Road Initiative in 2019. This Initiative represents an opportunity to share development experience, particularly in the areas of agriculture, education, digital technology, health, economic development, and infrastructure. It's a good example of skills and technology transfer, which interests most countries on the African continent." "The relations with China have become a model for Benin's cooperation with other countries, whether in government assistance, agriculture and fisheries, industry, public works, public health, energy, trade, or human resources," Adjovi said. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201036/Beninese_President_Talon_paid_a_state_visit_China_August_31.jpg SOURCE GDToday Agreements Come at Niles, Joliet Stores Where Record-Setting Strike Occurred CHICAGO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Teamsters Local 777 members at three dispensaries operated by Rise a subsidiary of Green Thumb Industries (GTI) have ratified their first collective bargaining agreements with the multi-state cannabis operator. The contract ratifications at two locations in Joliet, Ill. and another in Niles, Ill. mark the end of a protracted fight with GTI that included a 13-day work stoppage that ended back in May the longest Unfair Labor Practice strike at a cannabis retailer in U.S. history. "Let this be a lesson to cannabis companies all across not just Illinois, but the entire country Teamsters don't back down," said Jim Glimco, Local 777 President. "A lot of people who went through what these men and women went through, they would've thrown in the towel. Not this group. They're young, energetic, tough, smart; they look out for one another, and they embody what being a part of this union is all about." "We're happy that we were able to reach an agreement that was both amenable to all parties involved and consistent with the high standards that Teamsters have for our collective bargaining agreements," said Peter Finn, Teamsters Western Region International Vice President and Food Processing Division Director. "We look forward to having a productive relationship with GTI moving forward, and to continuing our effort to bring more long-term, prosperous careers to workers at this company." The strong contracts not only codify a number of benefits, but also include significant improvements. These include wage increases of 18 percent over the lifetime of the agreement, attendance bonuses, a scheduling policy based on seniority, guaranteed tips and discounts, improved safety standards, and protection against unjust termination or discipline. "I could not be prouder of myself and my coworkers for achieving this first, historic collective bargaining agreement," said Reilly Drew, a Rise worker who served on the bargaining committee. "We started as a small but united group of workers. Over the last year and a half, we have grown to be a strong union, changed our workplace for the better, and forged a bright path forward for workers in our industry." "It took longer than expected, but we persevered," said Tim Burns, another Rise worker who served on the bargaining committee. "I'm happy we got it done and established a foundation for cannabis workers here at Rise." Founded in 1937, Teamsters Local 777 represents workers in a wide variety of industries throughout the Chicago area. For more information, go to teamsters777.org/. Contact: Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877 [email protected] SOURCE Teamsters Local 777 NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Teleperformance, a global leader in digital business services, announced today that it was named among the 2023 Best Workplaces in AsiaTM by Great Place to Work. The company ranked the 11th Best Workplace in Asia among multinational companies in Greater China, India, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. Digital business services company Teleperformance was named among the 2023 Best Workplaces in Asia by Great Place to Work, ranking 11th among multinational companies in Greater China, India, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. Nearly 95,000 Teleperformance employees across Asia participated in the annual survey, rating the digital business services company on trust, company values, leadership and innovation. As a Best Workplaces in Asia winner, Teleperformance employees overwhelmingly reported Teleperformance as a safe place to work, have the resources to do their jobs, and are treated fairly regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation. "We are grateful for this recognition and, especially to our employees who have helped us create a strong culture of open dialogue, trust and respect," said David Rizzo, President Asia Pacific, Teleperformance. "As one of the largest multinational companies in the world, our people are our most valuable asset and are core to our success. That's why we take great care in fostering a workplace culture that celebrates and values each country's unique culture to strengthen connections with our team members while also nurturing a globally connected and interactive workforce." Earlier this year Teleperformance received Great Place to Work certifications in 72 countries, including 15 countries across Asia where it operates. Today, over 99% of its 410,000 global employees work a in Great Place to Work-certified location. "When you show employees how much you care, they will reward you with hard work, higher innovation rates, and higher productivity," says Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work. "The Best Workplaces in Asia demonstrate the value of investing in your employees and creating an equitable environment where everyone can succeed." Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture and employee experience. Its annual certification program is based on a rigorous methodology and independent employee feedback. ABOUT TELEPERFORMANCE GROUP Teleperformance (TEP ISIN: FR0000051807 Reuters: TEPRF.PA - Bloomberg: TEP FP), is a global leader in digital business services, blending the best of advanced technology with human empathy to deliver enhanced customer care that is simpler, faster, and safer for the world's biggest brands and their customers. The Group's comprehensive, AI-powered service portfolio ranges from front-office customer care to back-office functions, including Trust and Safety services that help defend both online users and brand reputation. It also offers a range of specialized services such as collections, interpreting and localization, visa and consular services, and recruitment process outsourcing services. With more than 410,000 inspired and passionate people speaking more than 300 languages, the Group's global scale and local presence allows it to be a force of good in supporting communities, clients, and the environment. In 2022, Teleperformance reported consolidated revenue of 8,154 million (US$8.6 billion, based on 1 = $1.05) and net profit of 645 million. Teleperformance shares are traded on the Euronext Paris market, Compartment A, and are eligible for the deferred settlement service. They are included in the following indices: CAC 40, STOXX 600, S&P Europe 350, MSCI Global Standard and Euronext Tech Leaders. In the area of corporate social responsibility, Teleperformance shares are included in the CAC 40 ESG since September 2022, the Euronext Vigeo Euro 120 index since 2015, the EURO STOXX 50 ESG index since 2020, the MSCI Europe ESG Leaders index since 2019, the FTSE4Good index since 2018 and the S&P Global 1200 ESG index since 2017. Visit the Group at www.teleperformance.com. SOURCE Teleperformance DALLAS, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) reached a Tentative Agreement for the airline's Material Specialists. "We are pleased to reach a Tentative Agreement with the IBT for our Material Specialists who support our Technical Operations organization by having the right tools and parts ready to maintain our aircraft," said Adam Carlisle, Vice President Labor Relations at Southwest Airlines. "I appreciate both Teams working together to reach an agreement that rewards our Employees far before the amendable date for this contract." This agreement covers Southwest's more than 480 Material Specialists. The IBT will communicate directly with its members about the agreement and the voting process. ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. Southwest Airlines Co. operates one of the world's most admired and awarded airlines, offering its one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at 121 airports across 11 countries. Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying nonstop within the United States than any other airline1. Based in Dallas and famous for an Employee-first corporate Culture, Southwest maintains an unprecedented record of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history. By empowering its more than 71,0002 People to deliver unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty among more than 126 million Customers carried in 2022. That formula for success brought industry-leading prosperity and 47 consecutive years3 of profitability for Southwest Shareholders (NYSE: LUV). Southwest leverages a unique legacy and mission to serve communities around the world including harnessing the power of its People and Purpose to put communities at the Heart of its success. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship. As the airline with Heart, Southwest has set a goal to work toward achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Southwest has also set near-term targets and a four-pillar strategy to achieve its environmental goals. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/planet. 1U.S. Dept. of Transportation most recent reporting of domestic originating passengers boarded 2Fulltime-equivalent active Employees 31973-2019 annual profitability SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co. BROOKLYN, N.Y., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival, (BCLF), returns this year to celebrate its milestone fifth season in New York City. Through the BCLF, Caribbean thought and intellectualism, which are often underrepresented in popular culture, have a unique platform to be celebrated, appreciated, and thrive. From September 7th-10th, lovers of literature will once again have the opportunity to experience this dynamic literary festival as it brings Caribbean stories and storytellers to the forefront of New York's culture scene with interactive events. "It's a true celebration of culture, diversity, and the power of words. Festival 5 will be full of vibrant energy and more events than any year prior. It is a must-attend 4-day experience," said Director of Operations Mellany Paynter. Since its inception in 2019, the BCLF festival has gathered under its wing over 250 Caribbean writers, publishers, and creatives, including renowned contemporary and classic authors. This year, the organization selected Bahamian writer Ethan Knowles as the winner of the coveted BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Award For Writers In The Caribbean for his short fiction story "Sponger Monkey." The Caribbean-American Writer's Prize was awarded to Jade Leatham from Dominica for her short fiction story "Jungle Siren." The festival will also feature celebrated writers from Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad, and other islands. The four-day event, taking place at locations across Brooklyn includes panel discussions, a film screening, a Kalinda workshop, and poetry readings. Also on its roster is "5 Minutes With Elizabeth Nunez", an original BCLF short film series celebrating a selection of novels by Elizabeth Nunez and "Bad Man Doh Cry": a literary conversation about the norms, dynamics, relationships, and rites of passage of Caribbean masculinity through the selected works of award-winning male writers. As the premiere literary festival taking place at the epicenter of the Caribbean diaspora, BCLF's multifaceted programming continues to amplify, expand, and showcase the notable contributions of Caribbean and Caribbean-American writers. "Without our stories, we are nothing. Our work at the BCLF has been to insist that the ones who own these stories and share them with the world are rightly acknowledged, credited and celebrated," said Massiah-Aaron. For more information on The Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival and the daily schedule, visit bklyncbeanlitfest.org/ SOURCE BCLF SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Aisha Akhtar, MD, FCPS, is acknowledged as a Top Pinnacle Healthcare Professional for her contributions to the field of Colorectal Surgery. Aisha Akhtar Dr. Akhtar pursued higher education at the Army Medical College, National University of Science and Technology in Islamabad, Pakistan where she earned an MBBS. She then completed a surgical residency at Shiffa International Hospital in Pakistan and relocated to the United States at the age of 29 where she finished a surgical oncology fellowship at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas; a surgical residency at Texas Tech University in Lubbock; Penn State Medical Cente; and St. Agnes Hospital. The doctor is FCPS certified in Pakistan and board certified by the American Board of Surgery (ABS) in the United States. Dr. Akhtar explained that the ABS is an independent, non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania founded for the purpose of certifying surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training, and knowledge. According to the doctor, colorectal surgery is a field in medicine dealing with disorders of the rectum, anus, and colon. It involves caring for patients with cancers of the colon, rectum, and anus, along with other benign disorders, like inflammatory bowel disease (Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease); diverticulitis; and a myriad of anorectal pathologies, like hemorrhoids, fistulas, abscesses, and fissures. Specializing in the treatment of benign and malignant conditions, Dr. Akhtar practices at Arizona Advanced Surgery in Glendale Phoenix and Scottsdale Arizona. She is an expert in treating many different ailments including cancers of the colon and rectum; inflammatory bowel disease; hemorrhoids; anal fissures; anal fistulas; pelvic floor problems; and fecal incontinence. The doctor is a general surgeon and also performs colonoscopies using the latest surgical techniques to treat the full range of colorectal disorders from simple to complex and notes that she is committed to providing quality care to patients with compassion and dignity. A testament to her professional and acumen in the field, Dr. Akhtar is licensed to practice in New York; Maryland; and Arizona; and is affiliated with HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Medical Center; HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center; HonorHealth Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical Center; HonorHealth Deer Valley Medical Center; and HonorHealth Sonoran Crossing Medical Center. The doctor is trained in the most advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgical techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that affect the colon rectum and anus and maintains affiliation with many professional organizations including the American College of Surgery; the American Medical Association; the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons; and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. She is also a distinguished Fellow of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan. The doctor has published in various medical journals, including International Surgery Journal and Cureus, and has presented many posters at the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery. Dr. Akhtar asserts that she is ardent about being a female colorectal surgeon to provide personal care to female patients who want female providers for medical care and feel ashamed to discuss anorectal problems with male surgeons. Expanding her reach into underserved populations, she also specializes in screening for anal cancer in the LGBT-Q population and performs anal PAP smears and High-Resolution Anoscope's for high-risk patients. Dr. Akhtar lives in Scottsdale and enjoys cooking, hiking, and spending time with her two sons in her spare time. She has been married to Mr. Muhammad Khawaja for 9 years. The doctor speaks multiple languages including English, Hindi, and Urdu, and volunteers her time with the Islamic Society of the Northeast Valley Free Clinic, providing educational seminars and seeing patients who are underinsured. Dr. Akhtar would like to dedicate this honor to her mother, Mrs. Kosar Praveen. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE The Inner Circle MIAMI SHORES, Fla., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Dr. Nirat Beohar is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Life Member for his contributions to the fields of Interventional Cardiology and Medical Education. Nirat Beohar, MD, FACC, FSCAI Dr. Beohar pursued higher education at the Maulana Azad Medical College in 1990 where he earned a Medical Degree. He relocated to the United States and attended Baylor College of Medicine where he completed a residency in Internal Medicine in 1994 and was a visiting fellow at the Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. He then attended George Washington University where he finished his fellowship in cardiovascular disease in 1998 and concluded a second fellowship in Interventional Cardiology at the Feinberg Medical School in 1999. The doctor holds multiple board certifications from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) in Cardiovascular Disease; Interventional Cardiology; Nuclear Cardiology; CT Angiography; and Internal Medicine and notes that ABIM is a physician-led non-profit independent evaluation organization driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world. He explained that cardiology is a branch of medicine that deals with the disorders of the heart, as well as some parts of the circulatory system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, and electrophysiology. He notes that cardiologists are doctors who diagnose, assess, and treat patients with diseases and defects of the heart and blood vessels (the cardiovascular system). A Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC), Dr. Beohar asserts that he has devoted his career to the use and development of catheter-based therapies for the treatment of heart disease. He currently serves in many leadership positions including Vice Chief of the Columbia University Division of Cardiology at Mount Sinai Medical Center; Director of the hospital's Cardiac Catheterization Lab; Medical Director of the hospital's Structural Heart Disease Program; Director of the hospital's Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program; and a Professor at Columbia University Medical Center. The doctor is an expert in many specialties including implanting catheter-delivered heart aortic valves; treating complex coronary conditions, such as left main and multi-vessel disease as well as chronic total occlusions; and devices to close atrial septal defects; PFOs; and other intracardiac shunts. Dr. Beohar implants left ventricular assist devices such as the Tandem heart and Impella for patients in cardiogenic shock and is skilled in transseptal catheterization, a highly specialized technique used to access the left side of the heart to treat structural heart disease. He has also had experience with percutaneous therapies for peripheral vascular disease. Prior to his current posts, Dr. Beohar worked at Mount Sinai-Columbia; was an interventional cardiologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago; an Associate Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine; and the Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at the Veterans Administration Lakeside Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Beohar's illustrious career has been punctuated by many awards and honors including the Top Doctor Award by Coral Gables Magazine in 2019. He is also highly sought after for his lectures to fellows and also assists with medical education in India. He would like to dedicate this honor in loving memory of his parents, Prakash C. and Sushma Beohar, and his mentors, Robert Bonow, MD, and Charles J. Davidson, MD. Contact: Katherine Green 516-825-5634 [email protected] SOURCE The Inner Circle VERO BEACH, Fla., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, James C. Lasker is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Platinum Healthcare Professional for his contributions to the field of Hematology-Oncology. Dr. Lasker pursued higher education at Yale University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He then attended Temple University, School of Medicine in Philadelphia receiving a Medical Doctor degree. He later attended Emory University where he finished an internship and internal medicine residency; completed a Fellowship in hematology-oncology at Baylor College of Medicine; and capped his scholarship concluding a Fellowship in bone marrow transplant at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Lasker explained that hematology is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. He also noted that oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. A hematologist-oncologist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of cancer; malignant blood diseases such as leukemia; lymphoma; and multiple myeloma; and blood disorders, such as iron-deficiency anemia; clotting abnormalities; hemophilia; and sickle-cell disease. Realizing his calling to be a physician at a young age, Dr. Lasker explained that "When I was five, I decided I wanted to be a physician. I enjoyed putting Band-Aids on my family members and friends, as well as looking in their mouths with a tongue depressor. I chose medical oncology as a specialty because of my personal experiences with losing loved ones at an early age. I am motivated to come to work by the pure enjoyment of looking after the needs of cancer patients and their families." He joined Alabama Oncology in 1996 as President and Managing Partner from 2011 through 2018, and currently works at their Alabaster and Princeton offices. The doctor is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). He is also a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and American Society of Hematology and is president and manager of The Baptist Physician Alliance (BPA) 2009-2019, which is a physician-led, non-profit, independent evaluation organization driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world. The doctor is an active member of the Medical Association of Alabama; the Jefferson County Medical Society; and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Also a compassionate civic leader, Dr. Lasker has served as the President of the local soup kitchens in Alabama, raising funds for the organization. He also works with "Hand in Paw," which provides animal or pet therapy to patients. The doctor would like to dedicate this honor to his mentors, Monty Lane, MD; Ken Walker, MD; and Jimmie Harvey, MD. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE The Inner Circle Laman Ismayilova Shamakhi might be included in UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage as the birthplace of outstanding poets and writers. The Culture Minister Adil Karimli said this at the Forum of Azerbaijani Language and Literature, Azernews reports. "Therefore, the opening of the forum in Shamakhi should not be considered a coincidence," the minister added. For centuries, Shamakhi was one of Azerbaijan's most prominent cities, an important cultural and trading centre and the royal seat of the Shirvanshahs (9th to 18th centuries). Furthermore, it is known as the root of Azerbaijani literature. The city is well known for wine-making and carpet weaving. To meet craftsmen, weaving famous carpets such as "Shirvan", "Gobustan", "Shamakhi", "Israfil" and "Ardzhiman" tourists can visit village of Jangi. Note that Azerbaijan and UNESCO have been enjoying successful cooperation since 1992. In 2003, the parties signed the framework agreement on cooperation in the areas of culture, science, education, and communication, which allowed Azerbaijan to become one of the donors of UNESCO. Many Azerbaijani cultural sites have been included in UNESCO's World Heritage List. Icherisheher (Old City), Maiden Tower, and Shirvanshah's palace were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000, while since 2007 the Gobustan National Historical-Artistic reserve was also listed among these heritages. Shaki, an important city at the crossroads of the historic Silk Roads was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List during the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee held in Baku. In 2017, UNESCO recognized Azerbaijan's dolma as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Art of crafting and playing with kamancha, presented jointly by Azerbaijan and Iran, was also inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Moreover, the Pomegranate Festival, Art of miniature were inscribed in UNESCO Representative List in December 2020. UNESCO also successfully celebrated the 600th anniversary of the death of the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Imadaddin Nasimi and the 200th anniversary of the first settlement of Germans in Azerbaijan. In 2021, Lankaran region was included in the UNESCO list "Network of Creative Cities". AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ThisWay Global , the leader in AI bias-removal and talent acquisition sourcing technology, announced that CEO Angela Hood will present at IBM Lunch & Learn Series that will focus on business automation and Ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI). The inaugural series kicks off at IBM Watson Astor Place in New York on Thursday, September 7th, from 10:30 AM-1:00 PM EDT. AI technologies, such as big data, machine learning, large language models, and generative AI, are rapidly transforming the global business market. These rapid shifts exacerbate the existing skills gap in the marketplace, with companies challenged and struggling to source and recruit qualified talent. There are almost 10 million job openings in the U.S. , but only 5.9 million unemployed workers, leaving 4 million jobs unfilled. According to Gartner, 76% of HR leaders believe their organizations should adopt and implement AI solutions within the next 12 to 24 months, or they will fall behind in organizational success (profitability, market share, employee satisfaction, employee retention, innovation, etc.) compared to those that act. ThisWay Global's AI technology helps businesses automate their talent acquisition processes in an ethical way. Its powerful Diversity Sourcing & Matching Engine enables employers to connect with diverse applicants and candidates from over 8,500 diversity-based organizations. Each candidate is matched against open positions based on their skills and experience, reducing bias and increasing diversity across all industries. IBM's Lunch & Learn Series will dive into the HR domain, talent acquisition workflows, and how AI can empower employees by enhancing their skills. Advanced AI productivity tools can be used as a digital concierge, freeing employees' time from repetitive tasks and mundane work, such as scheduling interviews, calendaring training sessions, processing paperwork, etc. Attendees will be introduced to how IBM's watsonx Orchestrate can apply AI to optimize workflows across HR while driving productivity and employee satisfaction and will learn about the following: How AI can be used to automate talent acquisition processes How to ensure that AI is used in an ethical way How AI can be applied to improve work-life balance and employee satisfaction and retention A demo of IBM's watsonx Orchestrate and real-world use case will be shared with attendees. "I'm thrilled to team with IBM's group and share more about how ThisWay Global is helping our customers, whether they have a small HR tech stack or a large HR tech stack, understand how the right AI tools can boost productivity, empower employees, and transform workflows while upholding privacy, fairness and human-centric values," said Angela Hood, Founder and CEO of ThisWay Global. For more information about this event, interested parties can contact [email protected]. About ThisWay Global ThisWay Global is an award-winning, Google-accelerated, venture-backed leader in the HR tech industry. The company's commitment to bias removal, candidate-to-job matching technology and certified diversity supplier (WBENC) status gives it a significant lead over its competition. ThisWay is an IBM Silver Partner and the initial go-to-market partner of Watson Orchestrate. ThisWay Global's proprietary network has more than 8,500 unique diversity-based partners, providing companies and governments with a unique database of highly-skilled candidates, reducing bias and increasing diversity across all industries. ThisWay's team includes industry leaders from Indeed, Walt Disney, Nerd Wallet, Marriott, Jobcase, Recruitology, Mya Systems, Jive, Radancy, CareerBuilder, Circa, USMC, ARMY, Bering Sea Eccotech, Dept. of Defense, and many more recognized brands. The privately-held company's headquarters are in Austin, Texas. Press Contact: Carmen Hughes Ignite X [email protected] 650.576.6444 SOURCE ThisWay Global NORTH CANTON, Ohio, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR ; www.timken.com ), a global leader in engineered bearings and industrial motion products, has acquired Des-Case Corp., a Nashville, Tenn.-based manufacturer of specialty filtration products for industrial lubricants. Founded in 1983, the company serves customers across a variety of industrial end markets. Des-Case's revenue for the calendar year 2023 is expected to be around $40 million. "Des-Case is a technical leader in branded filtration solutions that sit adjacent to our automatic lubrication systems," said Christopher Coughlin, Timken executive vice president, president of Industrial Motion. "Des-Case is known for innovative products and services that improve equipment reliability, increase profitability and provide environmental benefits. By adding new products that complement our existing portfolio, this acquisition provides strong synergy opportunities, including cross-selling and international expansion." The vast majority of Des-Case products are consumables with a highly repetitive buying cycle that are sold through many of the same distributors that carry Timken's bearings and other products. The company's comprehensive product offering includes breathers, filter elements, condition monitoring, lubrication storage and filter systems that are used throughout the entire lubricant lifecycle. These solutions are critical for enhancing reliability, reducing downtime and extending the useful life of customers' systems. Des-Case employs approximately 120 people and operates manufacturing facilities in Tennessee and the Netherlands. Timken funded the transaction with a combination of cash on hand and its existing revolving credit facility. About The Timken Company The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR; www.timken.com) designs a growing portfolio of engineered bearings and industrial motion products. With more than a century of knowledge and innovation, we continuously improve the reliability and efficiency of global machinery and equipment to move the world forward. Timken posted $4.5 billion in sales in 2022 and employs more than 19,000 people globally, operating from 46 countries. Timken has been recognized among America's Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek, the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere, America's Most Innovative Companies by Fortune and America's Best Large Employers , Best Employers for New Graduates and Best Employers for Women by Forbes. Safe Harbor Certain statements in this release (including statements regarding the company's forecasts, estimates, plans and expectations) that are not historical in nature are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, the statements related to expectations regarding the expected future financial performance of the newly acquired business are forward-looking. The company cautions that actual results may differ materially from those projected or implied in forward-looking statements due to a variety of important factors, including: the inability to successfully integrate the newly acquired business into the company's operations or achieve the expected synergies associated with the acquisition; negative impacts to the newly acquired business as a result of global conflicts and hostilities; and adverse changes in the markets served by the newly acquired business. Additional factors are discussed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2022, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Except as required by the federal securities laws, the company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Media Relations: Scott Schroeder 234.262.6420 scott.schroeder@timken.com Investor Relations: Neil Frohnapple 234.262.2310 [email protected] SOURCE The Timken Company Local owners want to make professionalism in contracting a priority MEMPHIS, Tenn., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Top Rail Fence, the on-time professionals in fence design, quality installation and service, will celebrate the grand opening of its Memphis location at the West Tennessee Home Builders Association's Vesta Home Show Vendor Days on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at the association's Collierville, Tennessee office. Local Top Rail Fence Memphis owners Adam Hatley, left, and Jack Shannon plan to make customer service and professionalism a priority with their new fencing company. "We're very excited to take this leap into entrepreneurship and want to share our grand opening with local builders," said Top Rail Fence Memphis co-owner Jack Shannon. "I was born and raised in Memphis, and I have wanted to open a professional and responsible fence contracting company in the area for some time. Showcasing our new fencing company to area contractors at this event is a great way to get started." Shannon and his consultant, Adam Hatley, another Memphis native, are determined to ensure that customers will no longer have poor experiences when hiring a property service provider. "Customer service seems to be lacking throughout the contracting industry," Hatley said. "We have seen and heard stories of someone hiring a contractor that does not show up or only completes half of the job. We want to bring back the professionalism of the industry. Our word is our bond. If we say we're going to be there, we're going to be there." Shannon has roots in the contracting industry. His family owned and operated a lumber company in the Memphis area for decades. "I started working with my father when I was 14," Shannon said. "I'm hoping to pass Top Rail Fence down to my own son if that is what he chooses to do. It'd be great to create a legacy in the area while getting the opportunity to be my own boss." Top Rail Fence is a part of HomeFront Brands, a family of emerging, franchised residential and commercial property service brands that includes Top Rail Fence, Temporary Wall Systems, BiltRite Home Inspections, The Designery, Window Hero Exterior Cleaning Services and Mozzie Dome. Top Rail Fence Memphis offers residential, commercial and farm and ranch fencing options. To learn more about Top Rail Fence Memphis, visit https://toprailfence.com/locations/memphis/. About Top Rail Fence Top Rail Fence got its start in 2014 in Greenville, South Carolina as Brookview Fencing, a veteran-owned and family-operated business. In 2022, the company joined the HomeFront Brands family of companies to serve more communities as Top Rail Fence. Since that time, Top Rail Fence has added locations throughout the United States and is continuing to expand. It strives to be at the top rail in customer responsiveness, quality design and materials, on-time delivery and installation, and in customer satisfaction. The company provides fencing solutions for residential, commercial and agricultural locations and offers wood, aluminum, vinyl, and chain link to provide the right fence to fit the customer's needs. For more information about Top Rail Fence, please visit https://toprailfence.com/. About HomeFront Brands: HomeFront Brands empowers entrepreneurs to create thriving franchised residential and commercial property service brands. Driven by an experienced team of franchise executives and rooted in family values, HomeFront Brands helps emerging or established concepts accelerate their growth by delivering enterprise-level solutions to local business owners who aspire to build a dynasty and create generational wealth. By leveraging integrated technology, data-driven intelligence and advanced learning management systems, HomeFront Brands is building a foundation for its brands -- Window Hero, The Designery, Temporary Wall Systems, BiltRite Home Inspections, Top Rail Fence and Mozzie Dome to transform lives through franchise ownership. For more information about HomeFront Brands' current solutions, new business development, and franchising opportunities, please visit HomeFrontBrands.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Ripley Ripley PR 865-977-1973 [email protected] SOURCE HomeFront Brands NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The trinitrotoluene market size is expected to grow by USD 282 million from 2022 to 2027. In addition, the growth momentum of the market will be progressing at a CAGR of 3.78% during the forecast period, according to Technavio. The prevalence of geopolitical conflicts, political tensions, and cross-border issues is notably driving the trinitrotoluene market. However, factors such as TNT toxicity to living organisms may impede market growth. The market is segmented by application (military, mining, construction, and others), product (military grade and industrial grade), and geography (APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The report offers an up-to-date analysis of the market, and to know the exact growth variance and the Y-O-Y growth rate, Request Sample Report. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Trinitrotoluene Market 2023-2027 Trinitrotoluene Market 2023-2027: Company Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of 20 companies operating in the trinitrotoluene market including Agilent Technologies Inc., Austin Powder, Chemring Group Plc, Cymit Quimica S.L., Dyno Nobel, Enamine Ltd, Eurenco, Explosia as, Hangzhou Yuhao Chemical Technology Co. Ltd., Hanwha Corp., LGC Science Group Holdings Ltd., Merck KGaA, MuseChem Chemicals, Omnia Holdings Ltd., Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa SA, RR Scientific LLC, Sasol Ltd., Smolecule Inc., Solar Industries India Ltd., and Mil-Spec Industries Corp. Agilent Technologies Inc: The company offers trinitrotoluene through its subsidiary, The Biotek. This report provides a full list of key companies, their strategies, and the latest developments. Buy Now for detailed company information Trinitrotoluene Market 2023-2027: Segmentation Application The military segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period. One of the main factors that is significantly fuelling the growth of this segment is the increasing investment by countries in advanced weapons such as trinitrotoluene for strengthening national security and protecting themselves from internal and external threats. Some of the key countries increasing their defense expenditure include the US, China, and Russia. Additionally, several companies are increasingly investing in product development that incorporates modern technologies and features in order to enhance the effectiveness of trinitrotoluene. Some of the applications of new types of trinitrotoluene include explosives that can steer themselves toward targets and guided missiles that can be remotely controlled. Furthermore, there are several private market players that offer military services, and they are also significantly contributing to the growth of the military segment. Hence, such factors are expected to fuel the growth of this segment, which in turn will drive the trinitrotoluene market growth during the forecast period. Geography APAC accounts for 38% of the growth of the global trinitrotoluene market during the forecast period. Some of the main countries that are significantly contributing to the growth of the trinitrotoluene market in APAC through increased defense expenditures include China, India, and Japan. The main factor fuelling increasing defense expenditure in these APAC countries is due to the rising prevalence of cross-border issues and terrorist activities, especially in countries like India and China. Furthermore, there is increasing adoption of trinitrotoluene in the metal mining industry, especially in China and India, where metal extraction and exploratory activities are high. Additionally, there is an increasing demand for TNT for construction stone production and cement production from quarries, which is significantly contributing to the growth of the trinitrotoluene market in the region. Hence, such factors are expected to drive the growth of the trinitrotoluene market in APAC during the forecast period. Learn about the contribution of each segment summarized in concise infographics and thorough descriptions. View PDF Sample Report Trinitrotoluene Market 2023-2027: Key Highlights Historic Market Size 2017-2021 CAGR of the market during 2023-2027 Detailed information on factors that will assist trinitrotoluene market growth during the next five years Estimation of the trinitrotoluene market size and its contribution to the parent market Forecasts on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the trinitrotoluene market Analysis of the competitive landscape and detailed information on companies Comprehensive details of factors that will impede the growth of trinitrotoluene market companies Related Reports: The hinokitiol market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.21% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 12,934.44 thousand. The marine lubricants market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 2.31% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 754.4 million. The growth of the market depends on several factors such as the development and growth of the shipping industry, the growing demand from APAC, and the increase in naval expenditure. Trinitrotoluene Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 3.78% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 282 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 2.9 Regional analysis APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution APAC at 38% Key countries US, China, India, Japan, and France Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Agilent Technologies Inc., Austin Powder, Chemring Group Plc, Cymit Quimica S.L., Dyno Nobel, Enamine Ltd, Eurenco, Explosia as, Hangzhou Yuhao Chemical Technology Co. Ltd., Hanwha Corp., LGC Science Group Holdings Ltd., Merck KGaA, MuseChem Chemicals, Omnia Holdings Ltd., Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa SA, RR Scientific LLC, Sasol Ltd., Smolecule Inc., Solar Industries India Ltd., and Mil-Spec Industries Corp. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for the forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table of Contents Executive Summary Market Landscape Market Sizing Historic Market Sizes Five Forces Analysis Market Segmentation by Application Market Segmentation by Product Market Segmentation by Geography Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Drivers, Challenges, & Trends Company Landscape Company Analysis Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com SOURCE Technavio The agenda includes how the world can achieve the goal of "Zero Hunger", as well as the development of global and regional agri-food systems SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The government of Uzbekistan is hosting an International Conference on Food Security on Thursday 7 and Friday 8 September, with technical assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Initiated by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the event will be attended by ministers and diplomats from more than 30 countries, as well as representatives of international organizations, financial institutions and scientific organizations. The participants will include: Dr Qu Dongyu, Director-General of FAO Khusrav Noziri, Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization Shri Janesh Kain , Deputy General Secretary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization , Deputy General Secretary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Yerlan Baidaulet, Director General of the Islamic Organization for Food Security Jamshid Khodjayev, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Aziz Voitov, Uzbekistan's Minister of Agriculture, said: "Today, the whole world is facing the problems of land degradation and water scarcity, a pandemic and an unstable geopolitical situation. Against the background of these challenges, the issue of food security is becoming more acute." Viorel Gutu, FAO Sub-regional Coordinator for Central Asia, said: "The upcoming conference will contribute to the further development of cooperation between FAO and Uzbekistan. It will also serve as a good platform to discuss challenges and solutions for the development of global agri-food systems, in particular across Central Asia, as well as within landlocked countries." The conference will take place at the Silk Road Samarkand complex. It will analyze the measures being taken to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger. The goal's targets include achieving universal access to safe and nutritious food and ending all forms of malnutrition by 2030. For more information about the conference, visit https://icfs.agro.uz/. SOURCE Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Uzbekistan Vodafone and Vodacom plan to use Project Kuiper's low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation to extend the reach of their 4G/5G networks. Companies plan to participate in beta testing of Project Kuiper service in 2024. LONDON, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vodafone and Project Kuiper, Amazon's low Earth orbit satellite (LEO) communications initiative, today announced a strategic collaboration through which Vodafone and Vodacom plan to use Project Kuiper's network to extend the reach of 4G/5G services to more of their customers in Europe and Africa. Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone Group Chief Executive, and Dave Limp, Amazon Senior Vice President of Devices and Services. The customer terminal antennas featured are used to send and receive data to and from Project Kuiper satellites. Vodafone and Vodacom plan to use Project Kuiper's high-bandwidth, low-latency satellite network to bring the benefits of 4G/5G connectivity to areas that may otherwise be challenging and prohibitively expensive to serve via traditional fibre or microwave solutions. Project Kuiper will connect geographically dispersed cellular antennas back to the companies' core telecom networks. This means Vodafone and Vodacom will be able offer 4G/5G services in more locations without the time and expense of building out fibre-based or fixed wireless links back to the core networks. As part of the collaboration, Amazon plans to partner with Vodafone to roll out Project Kuiper's high-speed broadband services to unserved and underserved communities around the world. The companies are also exploring additional enterprise-specific offerings to provide businesses with comprehensive global connectivity solutions, such as backup service for unexpected events and extending connectivity to remote infrastructure. Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone Group Chief Executive, said: "Vodafone's work with Project Kuiper will provide mobile connectivity to many of the estimated 40% of the global population without internet access, supporting remote communities, their schools and businesses, the emergency services, and disaster relief. These connections will be complemented further through our own work on direct-to-smartphone satellite services." "Amazon is building Project Kuiper to provide fast, affordable broadband to tens of millions of customers in unserved and underserved communities, and our flexible network means we can connect places that have traditionally been difficult to reach," said Dave Limp, Amazon's senior vice president for devices and services. "Teaming with a leading international service provider like Vodafone allows us to make a bigger impact faster in closing the digital divide in Europe and Africa. Together we'll explore how we can help our customers get the most value from expanded connectivity, particularly in areas like residential broadband, agriculture, education, healthcare, transportation, and financial services." "At Vodacom, our purpose is to connect for a better future, and we work every day to bring more people in Africa online," said Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom Group. "Collaborating with Project Kuiper gives us an exciting new path to scale our efforts, using Amazon's satellite constellation to quickly reach more customers across the African continent." Vodafone, Vodacom and Project Kuiper will begin deploying services in Africa and Europe as Amazon's production satellites come online. Amazon is preparing to test two prototype satellites in the coming months before starting to deploy production satellites in 2024. Amazon expects to begin beta testing Project Kuiper services with select customers by the end of 2024, and Vodafone and Vodacom plan to participate in that testing through this collaboration. To learn more about partnering with Project Kuiper, email [email protected]. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201135/Vodafone_Group_PLC.jpg SOURCE Vodafone Group PLC ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- We Card's message to retailers is to ramp up and renew training and compliance efforts during We Card's 11th National Awareness Month in September as FDA steps up enforcement activities. The We Card Program, now in its 28th year is highlighting steps retailers can take to make sure they're doing all they can to identify and deny underage purchase attempts of tobacco and vapor products. We Card's message to retailers is to ramp up and renew training and compliance efforts Post this We Card Awareness Month - September 2023 "September's We Card Awareness Month is the time to ramp up and renew retailer compliance efforts on federal law and FDA requirements as well as state and local requirements for responsibly retailing age-restricted products," said Lyle Beckwith, Senior Vice President of Government Relations for the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) and a We Card founding board member. "We Card has always been a collective effort across all retail trade categories and public awareness raising efforts, such as Governor's Proclamations and Letters of Support, are a key part of We Card Awareness Month. All September, we anticipate a rising tide of support for what is really the retailer community's year-round efforts of "carding" and preventing underage youth access to tobacco and vaping products. Governor's Proclamations from Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and South Carolina have been issued in support of We Card Awareness Month and more are expected all throughout September," said Doug Anderson, president of The We Card Program, Inc. We Card is asking retailers to take several key steps: Make certain newly-hired employees are fully training and re-train veteran employees using comprehensive eLearning training either store developed or offered through We Card. Courses should cover FDA requirements of retailers and state law requirements along with role playing practice at "carding" (or ID scanning if that's the store's practice). Equipping store personnel with "What to Say" phrases is key since a customer-service friendly way to both "card" and deny sales is important for both customers and employees. Refresh training materials and in-store signage to ensure both the store and employees have the latest tools and information to prevent the underage sale of tobacco and vapor products. On September 1 st, retailers can order 2024 We Card materials, including the 2024 Renewal Kit and the 2024 We Card Age of Purchase Calendar. Measure performance of both employees and the store through mystery shopping checks to confirm employees are properly "carding" or scanning IDs as required by store management. We Card's service, ID Check-Up, uses 21+ year old checkers with an online management reporting portal tool. Double check overall store practices against We Card's Guide to Best Practices complete a brief survey to download the free Guide. Join We Card's new campaign to raise awareness of the underage access problem of "social sourcing" by ordering a free in-store campaign kit of materials. Research shows underage youth report getting access to tobacco and vaping products 80-90% of the time through social sources the gifting, proxy purchase by another, or transfer from one to another, such as "bumming" or "borrowing." We Card's new campaign focuses on raising awareness of one element of the problem of social sourcing where those underage ask 21+ year old adults to buy or provide to them tobacco or vaping products. About We Card: The We Card Program, Inc. is a national non-profit organization that represents a unified effort among trade associations, retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers. It was created 28 years ago to support retailers of tobacco and other age-restricted products. Individual retail establishments as well as large retail chains use We Card's educational and training services to comply with federal and state laws while working to prevent underage tobacco, e-vapor and other age-restricted product sales. National and state retail trade associations, government officials, community groups and others also support We Card's ongoing efforts to educate and train retailers. For a full list of stakeholders actively supporting The We Card Program, visit wecard.org. SOURCE The We Card Program, Inc Wilfred van Zuilen Promoted to Group President, EMEA Mark Bezjak Promoted to President of the Americas Chief Science, Technology and Innovation Officer Nitin Goyal, M.D. Appointed to Executive Leadership Team WARSAW, Ind., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. (NYSE and SIX: ZBH), a global medical technology leader, today announced key updates to the Company's Executive Leadership Team. Wilfred van Zuilen has been promoted to Group President, EMEA; Mark Bezjak was promoted to President of the Americas; and Chief Science, Technology and Innovation Officer Nitin Goyal, M.D. has been appointed to the Executive Leadership Team, all reporting directly to President and Chief Executive Officer Ivan Tornos. "The expansion of Zimmer Biomet's Executive Leadership Team coincides with our renewed focus on commercial execution and innovation to drive the Company forward," said Mr. Tornos. "These appointments demonstrate the continued evolution of our business strategy as we remain focused on developing our team to drive value for patients, customers and all stakeholders." Wilfred Van Zuilen Promotion to Group President, EMEA Mr. van Zuilen joined Zimmer Biomet in June 2021 as President, EMEA. He will continue to be responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of products in the EMEA region, and in his expanded role, he will also lead select global R&D projects. Prior to joining Zimmer Biomet, Mr. van Zuilen served as Regional Vice President, North Western Europe (United Kingdom, Ireland, Nordics and Benelux) at Medtronic. Prior to that, he led Medtronic's Restorative Therapies Group of businesses for EMEA and has also held regional leadership positions with Covidien, Novartis and Edwards Lifesciences. Mr. van Zuilen holds a bachelor's degree in Business Economics from Erasmus University in Rotterdam. Mark Bezjak Promotion to President of the Americas Mark Bezjak joined Zimmer Biomet in April of 2008 as Director of Corporate Sales and has held roles of increasing importance with the Company, most recently serving as the President of North America, since 2021. In his expanded role, he will add oversight of Latin America to his current responsibilities for all commercial, downstream marketing and distribution activities in North America. Prior to his work at Zimmer Biomet, Mr. Bezjak held multiple roles with Teleflex Medical and Michelin Tire Company. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Virginia Tech and an MBA in Strategic Leadership from the University of Richmond. Nitin Goyal, M.D. Appointment to Executive Leadership Team Dr. Goyal joined Zimmer Biomet in June 2021 in the newly created role of Chief Science, Technology and Innovation Officer. With his appointment, he will continue to have oversight of all global innovation, medical education, clinical affairs, and reimbursement strategy, now reporting to the President and CEO. Dr. Goyal is a practicing adult hip and knee reconstruction surgeon. Prior to joining Zimmer Biomet, he also served as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Innovation and Digital Care Delivery at Rally Health, part of the Optum business of UnitedHealth Group. Dr. Goyal is the Founder and CEO of Pulse Platform as well as Surgical Creations, leading both companies from inception to acquisition. He received his Bachelor's degree from Penn State University, his Medical degree from the Jefferson Medical College and completed his residency in Orthopedic Surgery and fellowship in Adult Reconstruction at the Rothman Institute and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. About Zimmer Biomet Zimmer Biomet is a global medical technology leader with a comprehensive portfolio designed to maximize mobility and improve health. We seamlessly transform the patient experience through our innovative products and suite of integrated digital and robotic technologies that leverage data, data analytics and artificial intelligence. With 90+ years of trusted leadership and proven expertise, Zimmer Biomet is positioned to deliver the highest quality solutions to patients and providers. Our legacy continues to come to life today through our progressive culture of evolution and innovation. For more information about our product portfolio, our operations in 25+ countries and sales in 100+ countries or about joining our team, visit www.zimmerbiomet.com or follow Zimmer Biomet on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zimmerbiomet. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as "may," "will," "expects," "believes," "aims," "anticipates," "plans," "looking forward to," "estimates," "projects," "assumes," "guides," "targets," "forecasts," "continue," "seeks" or the negatives of such terms or other variations on such terms or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the Company's expectations, plans, intentions, strategies, prospects, business plans, product and service offerings, new product launches, potential clinical successes, and other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially. Some of these risks and uncertainties can be found in Zimmer Biomet's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and subsequent periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.zimmerbiomet.com or on request from the Company. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in the Company's filings with the SEC. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Readers of this press release are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, since there can be no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. This cautionary statement is applicable to all forward-looking statements contained in this press release. SOURCE Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, September 5. Turkmenistan and Belarus discussed coordination of positions and mutual support in international organizations, Trend reports. According to the official source, these issues were discussed during a meeting between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, Sergei Aleinik, and the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Belarus, Nazarkuly Shakulyev. During the meeting, the sides discussed various aspects of cooperation between the two countries, in particular the expansion of trade, economic, political, and humanitarian ties. Meanwhile, cooperation between Turkmenistan and Belarus is a long-term and mutually beneficial partnership covering various areas of cooperation. Both countries are strengthening relations based on mutual respect and similar interests, which contribute to the development of economic, cultural, and political ties. Economic cooperation between Turkmenistan and Belarus includes trade in energy resources, mechanical engineering, and agriculture. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, September 5. Turkmenistan and Georgia exchanged views on the current state and prospects of cooperation between the two countries, Trend reports. These issues were discussed at a meeting between the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Alexander Khvtisiashvili and the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to Georgia Dovletmyrat Seyitmammedov, during which he presented copies of his credentials. During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the organization of mutual visits at a high level. They also considered further development and strengthening of Turkmen-Georgian cooperation in the political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres. The Deputy Minister expressed the readiness of the Georgian side to provide assistance and support in the activities of the new Ambassador of Turkmenistan for the further development of bilateral relations. In turn, the Ambassador assured that he would make every effort to strengthen ties between Turkmenistan and Georgia. Meanwhile, economic relations between Georgia and Turkmenistan are developing in the areas of trade and investment. Both countries are seeking to expand the exchange of goods and services, including energy resources, agriculture and construction. Moscow ready to revive Black Sea grain deal as soon as its demands are met: Putin. Image Source: IANS News Moscow, Sep 5 : Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow would return to the Black Sea grain deal as soon as its requirements are met. "We will be ready to revive the grain deal, and we will do this as soon as all restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products are lifted," Putin added on Monday at a press conference following talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Russian city of Sochi. He said that Russia's grain harvest could reach 130 million ton this year, and the country's export potential would remain at 60 million ton, Xinhua news agency reported. He added that Moscow is not opposed to the grain deal, but warned Ukraine against using grain export corridors for military purposes. Erdogan noted that Turkey had been working on a new package of proposals together with the UN. He expressed confidence that the proposals would help resume the deal as soon as possible. The Russian leader further said that Moscow will continue exporting food and fertiliser to help stabilise global food prices. He added that Russia, Turkey and Qatar would work jointly to deliver one million tonne of Russian grain to countries in need. The initiative will contribute to solving the global food crisis, Putin said, adding however that it shouldn't be viewed as an alternative to the Black Sea grain deal. The two leaders also discussed bilateral energy and trade relations, including the joint construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant. The Russian President noted that the plant's first unit is expected to be launched next year. Putin further confirmed Moscow's readiness to establish a regional gas hub in Turkey to deliver gas supplies to third countries. The two Presidents also discussed the Ukrainian crisis and global ceasefire proposals aimed at achieving a political settlement. Putin thanked Erdogan for his mediation efforts, and reiterated that Moscow remained open for dialogue. Erdogan in turn confirmed that Turkey is ready to act as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine, and remains committed to establishing lasting peace and stability. Jerusalem, Sep 5 : Israel Defense Forces' top lawyer has warned against moves that will harm the independence of Israeli courts, saying it will put Israeli officers in danger of being prosecuted abroad by international tribunals. The remarks, widely perceived as criticism against the government's controversial plan to reshape the country's judicial system, were made by Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi during a speech at a conference of Israel's Bar Association in Tel Aviv on Monday. In her speech, Tomer-Yerushalmi cautioned that without the independence of the courts, particularly the Supreme Court, Israel could lose a key defence in international legal matters, potentially endangering officers in international legal forums, Xinhua news agency reported. "IDF's (Israel Defense Forces) international legitimacy efforts are greatly benefited by the aura, the protection, with which the justice system provides it, particularly, the Supreme Court's professional and independent international status," Tomer-Yerushalmi said. "Measures that may harm, or be perceived as harmful to, the independence, professionalism and effectiveness of the legal system, may crack the aura that the judicial system provides to the military and harm the interests of Israel," she added. She said that her office and senior IDF officers have presented these warnings to the government. The Palestinians and some legal experts have appealed to hold senior Israeli officers accountable at international tribunals over actions involving the conflict with the Palestinians and the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The military has been confronted with thousands of announcements by reservists, including combat pilots and senior commanders, that they are halting their service due to the judicial overhaul plan. The plan aims to diminish certain authorities of the Supreme Court, transferring them to the ruling coalition. Opponents argue that it undermines the rule of law, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government asserts that it is necessary to rein in the "activism" of the Supreme Court. The plan has thrown the country into turmoil, with millions of Israelis, according to police estimates, having taken part in weekly demonstrations across the country against the overhaul plan. --IANSint/khz Jerusalem, Sep 5 : Israel and Japan have signed a document of understanding to promote economic and innovation cooperation, the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry said in a statement. The document was signed in Tel Aviv on Monday by Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat, and Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is visiting Israel together with a business delegation of 80 Japanese companies. Cooperation agreements between Japanese and Israeli companies were also signed in the presence of the Ministers, Xinhua news agency reported. Barkat announced an official visit to Japan next month, during which he will lead an Israeli business delegation and meet Japanese government officials and business representatives. In 2022, the trade volume between Israel and Japan amounted to $3.39 billion, of which $2.075 billion are Israeli imports from Japan, and the rest are Israeli exports to Japan, according to the statement. The main Israeli exports to Japan are machinery, electrical equipment, optical and medical devices, chemical products and food products, while Japan mainly exports machinery, electrical equipment, and vehicles to Israel. Why Iran is feeling 'victorious' on its entry in the BRICS. Image Source: IANS News Tehran, Sep 5 : Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said that his country is ready to transfer its experiences and achievements to friendly countries, especially those in Africa. He made the remarks on Monday at a meeting with Burkina Faso's visiting Foreign Minister Olivia Rouamba in the Iranian capital Tehran, in which the two sides also discussed bilateral relations, according to a statement published on the website of the Iranian president's office. Raisi highlighted Iran's good relations with most African states following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and praised African countries' resistance against colonialism and terrorism, Xinhua news agency reported. Rouamba, for her part, said African countries, including Burkina Faso, draw inspiration from the resistance of Iran's Islamic Revolution against the global hegemonic system. Rouamba described Iran as a friendly and brotherly state, expressing Burkina Faso's interest in enhancing bilateral cooperation. Earlier on Monday, Rouamba met her Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and discussed boosting bilateral trade ties as well as important regional and international issues. Delhi court overturns JJB's order, two juveniles to be tried as adults in murder case. Image Source: IANS News Lucknow, Sep 5 : A special NIA court in Lucknow has convicted two persons, Atif Muzaffar and Mohammed Faisal Khan, in a case related to the killing of a retired school principal, allegedly under the influence of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), an NIA spokesman said. The court on Monday charged the two guilty under the sections of IPC 302 (murder), 120 B (criminal conspiracy), along with sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The court will pronounce the quantum of punishment in the case on September 11. NIA said that on October 24, 2016, Ram Babu Shukla, who retired as the principal of Swami Atmaprakash Brahmachari Junior High School in Kanpur, was killed while he was returning home on a bicycle. He was attacked by the accused near Pyondi village in Kanpur. The case was handed over to the NIA in November 2017. The anti-terror agency had filed a chargesheet against the two accused on July 12, 2018, after investigations revealed that the accused had been radicalised by the ISIS ideology and were out to kill people whom they believed to be "disbelievers". A third accused, Mohammad Saifulla, had died in Lucknow during the exchange of fire with the Anti-Terrorist Squad on March 7, 2017. Investigations by NIA revealed that the accused were operating under the influence of ISIS, a banned terrorist organisation. "They had murdered Ram Babu Shukla to strike terror and alarm in the minds of the common people," NIA spokesman said. BEIRUT, May 23, 2018 (Xinhua) -- The new speaker of Lebanese parliament Nabih Berri addresses the first session of the newly elected Lebanese parliament in Beirut, Lebanon, on May 23, 2018. The newly elected Lebanese parliament convened Wednesday, ch. Image Source: IANS News Beirut, Sep 5 : Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has called on political blocs to initiate a dialogue to resolve the presidential election impasse in September. Lebanon has been without a President since former President Michel Aoun's term ended in October last year, Xinhua news agency reported. So far, the parliament has held 12 election sessions, but failed to pick a head of state as neither of the two main blocs -- Hezbollah and its allies and their opponents-- have the majority. "In September, we should find a solution to this crisis. I believe it is everyone's responsibility to elect a president of the republic in September," Berri said in an interview with the daily al-Joumhouriya on Monday. He added that he had called for a seven-day dialogue, and regardless of its outcome, he would call for open sessions until a President is elected. Having been suffering from an unprecedented financial crisis, Lebanon urgently needs to elect a President and form a new cabinet to implement necessary reforms and set the country on the path of recovery. Gaza, Sep 5 : The Israeli authorities have said that it will suspend exporting goods from the Gaza Strip, starting Tuesday, until further notice, according to Palestinian sources. "Israel informed the coordinating commission run by the Palestinian Authority that all goods will be prevented from exporting through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, the sole commercial crossing in the territory," the sources told Xinhua news agency on Monday. The decision came after Israel thwarted an attempt to smuggle explosive materials at the crossing, according to the sources. In a press statement to Xinhua, Ghassan Alyan, coordinator of Israeli government activities in the Palestinian territories, said earlier on Monday, an attempt to smuggle explosive materials, hidden in a truck carrying clothes from Gaza, was thwarted at the crossing, Xinhua news agency reported. "The Israeli authorities decided to stop shipping goods from Gaza to Israel and the West Bank after the smuggling attempt," he added. Despite the suspension's potential negative impacts on the economic situation in the strip, Israel will not allow the "terrorists to exploit the civil and humanitarian field in Gaza," Alyan said. The Economic Ministry run by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) condemned the decision in a press statement, saying "it is violating the human rights in Gaza". The Ministry pointed out that the decision "will make the economic situation in the strip more difficult and create more obstacles to economic activities, especially in the industrial and agricultural sectors". It called on the international community to pressure Israel to revoke its decision and reopen the crossing for exports. Israel has imposed a tight blockade on the Gaza Strip, home to more than two million people, since the Hamas movement seized control of the enclave in 2007. Since then, the economic situation in the strip has deteriorated, leaving its residents struggling in dire living conditions. Seoul :North Korean leader Kim Jong-un toasts Russian President Vladimir Putin during a post-summit dinner at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia.(Yonhap/IANS). Image Source: IANS News Seoul, Sep 5 : North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may soon travel to Russia to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and discuss a possible arms deal, according to a news report. In its report published on Monday, The New York Times, citing unidentified "American and allied officials", said that Kim may travel to Vladivostok next week, Yonhap News Agency reported. "In a rare foray from his country, Mr. Kim would travel from Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, probably by armoured train, to Vladivostok, on the Pacific Coast of Russia, where he would meet with Mr. Putin," the report said "Both leaders would be on the campus of Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok to attend the Eastern Economic Forum, which is scheduled to run September 10 to 13," it added. The White House National Security Council (NSC) declined to confirm the report when asked, but said Kim may be expecting high-level dialogue in Russia. "As we have warned publicly, arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK (North Korea's official name) are actively advancing," NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson told Yonhap News Agency, citing Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu's trip to Pyongyang in July that she said sought to "convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Russia". "We have information that Kim Jong-un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia," the NSC spokesperson added. John Kirby, NSC coordinator for strategic communications, earlier warned that Pyongyang may be considering providing additional weapons and military equipment to Russia for use in the latter's ongoing war in Ukraine, also noting that the leaders of North Korea and Russia may have discussed such deals in letters they have exchanged since Shoigu's trip to Pyongyang. A State Department spokesperson said a second group of Russian officials had traveled to North Korea following Shoigu's visit there for "follow-on discussions about potential arms deals". "Any arms deal between the DPRK and Russia would directly violate a number of UN Security Council resolutions," the spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency. "We urge the DPRK to cease its arms negotiations with Russia. And we are taking action directly by exposing and sanctioning individuals and entities working to facilitate arms deals between Russia and the DPRK," the official added, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Shoigu was earlier reported to have said that Russia and North Korea are considering holding a joint military exercise with China. The New York Times report said a delegation of some 20 North Korean officials, "including some who oversee security protocols for the leadership", traveled to Vladivostok in late August, indicating an upcoming trip by Kim. "One potential stop for Mr. Kim after Vladivostok, an official said, is Vostochny Cosmodrome, a space launch center," said the report, noting North Korea may be seeking to secure advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines from Russia in exchange of its weapons. Pyongyang unsuccessfully fired two space launch vehicles each carrying a military reconnaissance satellite in late May and August. The reclusive regime has said that it will attempt another launch in October. San Francisco, Sep 5 : A stretch of a highway in California has been named after a 33-year-old Indian-origin police officer who was shot dead while conducting a traffic stop in 2018. Dedicated to Ronil Singh from Newman Police Department, the "Corporal Ronil Singh Memorial Highway", which stands at Highway 33 and Stuhr Road, was unveiled at a ceremony on September 2, the Modesto Bee newspaper reported. "Love you papa," Singh's son Arnav, who was just five-months-old when his father was killed, wrote on the back of the signboard. He was present along with mother Anamika and other family members, and were joined by Singh's Newman Police Department colleagues and officials, including county Supervisor Channce Condit, state Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, US Representative John Duarte and Assemblyman Juan Alanis. "Today, a promise that was made has finally been brought to life. The Newman community honoured the late Corporal Singh for his dedication and commitment to putting his life on the line for the safety of others," Senator Alvarado-Gil wrote in a Facebook post, saying that Singh will always be a hero. A resolution for naming a portion of Highway 33 after Singh was passed by the Assembly Transportation Committee in September 2019. Fiji-born Singh started his law enforcement career as a volunteer with the Modesto Police Department and then served as a cadet and animal service officer with the Turlock Police Department. He was gunned down by a suspected drunk driver when he was working overtime on Christmas night on December 26, 2018. Multiple agencies responded to assist Singh, who was found at the scene with gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. In 2020, Mexican national Paulo Virgen Mendoza, also known as Gustavo Perez Arriaga, pleaded guilty to murdering Singh and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. He was apprehended at a relative's residence in Kern County following an intensive three-day manhunt. Paulo's brother, Conrado Virgen Mendoza, was sentenced in 2021 to 21 months in prison for conspiring with others to assist his brother in fleeing to Mexico to avoid prosecution for Singh's murder. --IANS mi/ksk BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5. The current Iranian government (which has been in power since August 2021) is looking for solutions to negotiate with the US in order to break the deadlock on the country's nuclear program, Trend reports. As indicated in the analytical article of Iranian Khabaronline agency, within this framework, in the first stage, the Iranian government reached an agreement with the US on the exchange of prisoners against the background of the nuclear talks. In return, the US has agreed to unblock Iran's assets frozen in abroad due to the sanctions, and Iran's nuclear activities are intended to be continued at the level agreed upon by the US and in a limited manner. "The exchange of prisoners between Iran and the US and the agreement on a number of mentioned issues can be considered a mini-agreement between the two countries. However, this agreement is contrary to the strategic plan of action adopted by the Iranian parliament for the economic development of Iran and the protection of the rights of the Iranian people. Because this plan envisages limiting Iran's nuclear program in return for the lifting of US sanctions against Iran," said the agency. The article notes that any agreement that will lead to the well-being of the Iranian people becomes a certain hope in the country. However, until there is a comprehensive agreement such as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), such short-term or mini-agreements cannot be trusted. On May 8, 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the 5+1 group (Russia, China, the UK, France, the US, and Germany), and imposed new sanctions against Iran as of November 2018. Over the past period, the sanctions affected Iranian oil exports, more than 700 banks, companies, and individuals. The sanctions have resulted in the freezing of Iranian assets abroad. In late 2020, the Iranian parliament decided to implement a strategic plan to tackle the sanctions, citing the non-implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and six countries and the imposition of sanctions on Iran. According to the decision of the Iranian parliament, as of February 23, Iran suspended the implementation of additional steps and an additional protocol provided for in the nuclear deal. As a result, the control mechanism of the IAEA decreased by 2030 percent On January 2016, Iran's nuclear program triggered the creation of JCPOA between Iran and the P5+1 group (the US, Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany). In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year. To preserve the agreements reached as part of the JCPOA, the European signatories of the deal started in January 2019 and a financial mechanism for maintaining trade with Iran called INSTEX was formed. On May 8, 2019, Iran announced ceasing to fulfill its commitments regarding the sale of over 300 kilograms of uranium, as stated in the deal, basing its decision on the other signatories that have not fulfilled their obligations. On July 7, Iran announced that it will not be fulfilling its commitments regarding the enrichment of uranium at 3.67 percent and the reconstruction of the Arak Heavy Water Reactor Facility as stated in the deal. On September 5 of the same year, Iran announced its commitment to enrich uranium, using next-generation centrifuges and not to mix it with the enriched uranium residues as part of the third step of reducing commitments in JCPOA. On November 5, 2019, Iran announced to have taking the fourth step in connection with reducing its commitments to the nuclear agreement. So, uranium gas is being pumped to the centrifuges at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. On Jan.2020, Iran took the last fifth step in reducing the number of its commitments within JCPOA. Lucknow, Sep 5 : The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has started preparing for the 2024 general elections in 25 Lok Sabha seats of western Uttar Pradesh. RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary has called a meeting of party's organisational functionaries from western Uttar Pradesh's 22 districts in five divisions -- Moradabad, Aligarh, Meerut, Saharanpur and Agra -- in Greater Noida on September 11 to augment party's structure ahead of the next year general elections. RLD national general secretary Trilok Tyagi said all zonal and district presidents from the region have been asked to attend the meeting and give their feedback about the prevailing ground level political situation. "The idea is to strengthen the party at the grassroots," he said. The development is being perceived as RLD's fresh stance to position itself strongly even as the opposition alliance gears up to discuss the seat sharing formula to take on the BJP. Sources said the RLD has already started sending discreet feelers of staking claims for maximum number of Lok Sabha seats in the western Uttar Pradesh region which has a sizable population of Jats and Gurjars. "Party's electoral presence has been growing since the 2022 Assembly elections. We have proved to be worthy partners of SP and also enjoy good relations with the Congress. We expect a good return as being part of the large opposition alliance," said RLD national convener Anupam Mishra. Experts said the opposition parties have been mulling a strategy to put forth a one-on-one contest with the BJP. "The entire opposition needs to coordinate well and come together to defeat the saffron poll machinery," said a senior RLD leader. Sources said the RLD was expected to express its point of view during a meeting called by Congress president and INDIA convener Mallikarjun Kharge in the Parliament House on Tuesday. Sources said the INDIA bloc plans to meetings in New Delhi as well as Lucknow to draw Common Minimum Programme (CMP). RLD vice-president Shahid Siddiqui has found a place in INDIA's campaign committee, while other leaders like Rohit Jakhar and Prashant Kannaujia have been included in the social media campaign committee and media campaign committee, respectively. New Delhi, Sep 5 : A significant trend in the market is the strength in IT index which is up 4.2 per cent in a week, says V.K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services. Mid-cap IT has been doing well and now large-caps like HCL Tech, Infosys and Wipro have joined the rally. The order pipeline of IT companies is expected to improve on the back of the expected soft landing of the US economy, he said. Metal stocks also are firming up on expectations of rebound in China following the stimulus measures announced to revive the Chinese property market. But there is no room for too much optimism here since the Chinese property market is in deep trouble and recovery would be difficult, he said. Brent crude at $89 and the poor monsoon are areas of concern. Good inflows into mutual funds is reflected in the strong buying by DIIs who have been buyers for Rs 4,900 crore in the last two trading sessions, he added. Nifty extended the gains further to end above the 19,500 zone with improving bias moving past the resistance barrier of 19,450 levels and further with one more important hurdle of 19,600 zone, if breached decisively, can bring conviction for further movement of the index to re-test the 20,000 landmark, says Vaishali Parekh, Vice President - Technical Research, Prabhudas Lilladher. The overall participation from the broader markets is also quite significant to support the benchmark index to maintain a positive approach from here on for further gains. The support for the day is seen at 19,400 levels while the resistance is seen at 19,700 levels, Parekh said. BSE Sensex is up 132 points at 65,761 points on Tuesday morning. Titan is up over 1 per cent. NTPC, Tata Steel are down 1 per cent. 'Gaza's only power plant will run out of fuel'. Image Source: IANS News Gaza, Sep 5 : Starting from Tuesday and until further notice, Israeli authorities will suspend exporting goods from the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said. "Israel informed the coordinating commission run by the Palestinian Authority that all goods will be prevented from exporting through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, the sole commercial crossing in the territory," the sources told Xinhua news agency. The decision came after Israel thwarted an attempt to smuggle explosive materials at the crossing, according to the sources. In a statement to Xinhua, Ghassan Alyan, coordinator of Israeli government activities in the Palestinian territories, said earlier on Monday, an attempt to smuggle explosive materials, hidden in a truck carrying clothes from Gaza, was thwarted at the crossing. "The Israeli authorities decided to stop shipping goods from Gaza to Israel and the West Bank after the smuggling attempt," he explained. Despite the suspension's potential negative impacts on the economic situation in the strip, Israel will not allow the "terrorists to exploit the civil and humanitarian field in Gaza", Alyan added. The Economic Ministry run by the Hamas militant group condemned the decision in a press statement, saying "it is violating the human rights in Gaza". The Ministry pointed out that the decision "will make the economic situation in the strip more difficult and create more obstacles to economic activities, especially in the industrial and agricultural sectors". It called on the international community to pressure Israel to revoke its decision and reopen the crossing for exports. Israel has imposed a tight blockade on the Gaza Strip, home to more than two million people, since the Hamas seized control of the enclave in 2007. Since then, the economic situation in the strip has deteriorated, leaving its residents struggling in dire living conditions. Focus should be on positions that nations take on key issues: Jaishankar on G20 participation. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Sep 5 : External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said that instead of focusing on leaders who have decided to skip the forthcoming G20 summit, the need is to focus on positions taken by nations on important issues. Speaking at the 'Doordarshan Dialogue, G20: The India Way' on Monday, he said that ultimately countries are represented by whoever they have chosen to represent them, so the levels of representations don't become the final determinant of the position of a country. He said this in response to a question on Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin skipping the G20 summit, which is scheduled to be held between September 9 and 10. Jaishankar further said that every G20 member in the summit will make a contribution to global politics. "So I would say rather than focus necessarily on which country chooses to come at what level, the real issue is what position they take when they come. That's really what it is, we will remember about this G20 for the outcomes it produced," he added. On Monday, the Chinese foreign ministry had announced that Jinping will not be attending the summit and in his place premier Li Qiang will attend the multilateral event. Earlier last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin had expressed his inability to attend the G20 summit. --IANSans/dpb New Delhi, Sep 5 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned hearing on the Uttar Pradesh government's plea seeking cancellation of bail granted to cleric Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, who is charged by the state anti-terrorist squad (ATS) for allegedly running a mass religious conversion racket. A bench comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose, Sanjay Kumar and S.V.N. Bhatti acceded to the request made by Uttar Pradesh government through a letter seeking adjournment. In the last hearing, the top court had asked Additional Advocate General Garima Prashad to file a tabular statement clearly specifying the role attributed to Siddiqui in alleged mass religious conversion case by September 5. Last week, the Supreme Court granted one time relaxation to cleric Siddiqui to visit his ancestral village in Uttar Pradeshas Muzaffarnagar to perform last rites in his brotheras funeral. It had ordered that the cleric will not take part in any political or social event except connected with brotheras funeral and will not make any public speeches. On April 5, a division bench of Justices Attaur Rahman Masoodi and Saroj Yadav of the High Court directed Siddiquias release on bail, who was arrested from Meerut on charges of converting over 100 people. The High Court granted him bail on the grounds of parity as one of the co-accused was granted bail by the Supreme Court. The state ATS had claimed that he ran the biggest conversion syndicate across the country and donations through 'hawala' in a trust operated by him, were also stated to have been recovered. Canberra, Sep 5 : A delegation of Australian MPs will travel to the US in a bid to stop attempts to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the lawmakers announced on Tuesday. The multi-party group, led by former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and government MP Tony Zappia, said in a statement that they will travel to Washington D.C. on September 20, where they will urge politicians and officials to abandon extradition efforts for Assange, reports Xinhua news agency. Assange, an Australian citizen, is wanted in the US on 18 charges relating to WikiLeaks' 2010 publication of thousands of classified documents on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and diplomatic cables. He has been in prison in Britain since 2019, and is currently appealing a decision by the UK High Court in June 2022 to allow an extradition. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Assange's brother Gabriel Shipton said Australians overwhelmingly supported allowing him to return home. "The vast majority of Australians can't understand why the U.S. continues to act in a way that keeps Julian locked up in one of the worst prisons in the UK," he said. "Even Australians who didn't support Julian's actions believe he has suffered enough and should be set free immediately." A coalition of nine former federal, state and territory attorneys-general in August wrote an open letter to the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describing Assange's treatment as "troubling" and calling for greater efforts to secure his freedom. Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in May that he was frustrated at the lack of a diplomatic solution to the issue. New Delhi, Sep 5 : The art of cybercrime often lies in its power to deceive, with scammers constantly evolving tactics to ensnare unsuspecting victims. In a recent case, a philanthropic professional found herself swindled of nearly Rs three lakh in just five hours, in an operation that displayed a higher level of sophistication by cyber thugs. The victim, referred to as Mahima (name changed), a resident of Dwarka, received a call from an unfamiliar number around 11 a.m. on July 25. An automated message, claiming her parcel was set to be returned, prompted her to press "1." Assuming it was related to her frequent e-commerce orders, she complied. However, as soon as she pressed the digit, a live person entered the call, alleging that the parcel sent in her name contained illegal items, including multiple passports, drugs, and clothing. According to the police FIR registered at Dwarka cyber police station, accessed by IANS, the caller asserted that these items were linked to "terror outfits." Mahima was instructed to file a complaint with the Mumbai Police urgently, to which she agreed. Moments later, the call was transferred to another person. "I got terrified, I was told by the person that I should register a complaint with Mumbai Police to avoid any problem in future. I agreed to his suggestion. The call got transferred to another person," read the complaint. This new caller identified himself as a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official, explaining that since the parcel had arrived in her name and was connected to money laundering through numerous bank accounts, she might be considered a suspect. What alarmed Mahima was that the caller had access to her Aadhaar details, potentially obtained during her recent stay at Mumbai hotels. "Since I had recently visited Mumbai for my official work, I believed his story," she said. The call was transferred once more, with the next caller posing as a 'DCP of CBI.' What convinced Mahima of the authenticity of the call were the background sounds, including what seemed like a genuine wireless transmitter and officers conversing in the background, lending credence to the call's legitimacy. "I heard sounds like wireless systems and officer noises in the background which made me believe that he is a police officer. He threatened me that since the parcel was in my name I will be arrested even if I have not committed any crime," she said in her complaint. Under threat of arrest, Mahima was coerced into cooperating in an 'investigation' over a Skype call, during which she was asked to turn on her camera. Despite her compliance, the scammers kept their cameras off. "He told me that I need to cooperate for the Investigation which will happen over a Skype call. He also told that I should not move out of my room or call anyone. I became very terrified and anxious. Over the Skype call, I was asked to switch on the camera and they kept the camera off," the FIR read. As a result, she made multiple UPI transactions totaling Rs three lakh, only to later realise that she had fallen prey to fraudsters. Gandhinagar, Sep 5 : In an event marking two decades of the Vibrant Gujarat summits, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address a gathering on September 28th at the historic Tagore Hall in Ahmedabad. The location holds significance as it was here, in 2003, that the inaugural Vibrant Gujarat summit was hosted by then chief minister Narendra Modi himself. As part of the proceedings, Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are anticipated to be inked in emerging sectors such as green hydrogen and clean energy, underscoring Gujarat's commitment to sustainable growth and innovation. The inception of the Vibrant Gujarat summits came during a challenging period for the state. Gujarat had weathered the impact of the Kandla cyclone, grappled with poor monsoons and water scarcity, faced the devastating Kutch earthquake, and dealt with the aftermath of the Godhra riots. It was against this backdrop that chief minister Modi conceptualised and orchestrated the first Vibrant Gujarat global summit, aimed at revitalising the state's image as a prime investment destination. Prior to the advent of Vibrant summits, the traditional approach involved chief ministers traveling abroad to engage with potential investors. However, the approach introduced by Modi saw investors from across the globe converging in Gujarat instead. This innovative model soon inspired other states to follow suit and host similar events. The 20th anniversary celebration of the Vibrant Summit is slated to include the felicitation of esteemed officials such as A.K Sharma and Maheshwar Sahu, instrumental figures behind the triumph of past editions of the summit. Distinguished attendees are also expected to include business magnates, industrialists, and representatives from partner nations. The commemorative event will also provide a platform to discuss the roadmap for the state's trajectory over the next 25 years. New Delhi, Sep 5 : French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to New Delhi to participate in this week's G20 Summit held under India's presidency of the bloc, his office said in a statement issued on Tuesday. "The G20 Summit will enable France's Head of State to continue his ongoing dialogue with his counterparts from every continent, so as to combat the risks of fragmentation of the world," the statement said. "It will also be an opportunity to make progress in implementing joint responses to the major global challenges that can only be tackled effectively through multilateral action: peace and stability, poverty alleviation, protection of climate and our planet, food security and digital regulation," it added. The Summit will also provide an opportunity to follow up on the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact held in Paris last June, the statement noted. This had led to the establishment of the Paris Agenda for People and the Planet, providing a framework for collective action to ensure that no country has to choose between fighting poverty and protecting the planet, it said. From New Delhi, Macron will head to Bangladesh for a bilateral visit on September 10, the office confirmed. --IANS ans/ksk -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Jakarta, Sep 5 : The 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and related summits kicked off in Jakarta on Tuesday, with a focus on establishing the region as an epicentre of economic growth. Addressing the opening ceremony, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, whose country is holding the rotating ASEAN chair this year, urged the regional bloc to stay united and not be a proxy to any power. "Don't make our ship, ASEAN, become an arena of rivalry that causes damages to each other. Make our ship the foundation to build cooperation and create prosperity, stability and peace, not only for the region but also for the world," he said. During the next three days, leaders of ASEAN member nations are expected to discuss issues that would chart the future of the bloc as a community and an institution. This includes steps to speed up the decision-making in crises and emergencies, as well as steps to bolster ASEAN's capacity to respond to emerging challenges in the region. The summit under Indonesia's ASEAN chairmanship this year is themed "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth". In the past decade, ASEAN's average annual growth reached 3.98 per cent, above the global economic growth of 2.6 per cent, according to official data. Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. A unique Streamliner model Maximilian Busser and Edouard Meylan have collaborated for a second time for the Only Watch charity auction organised to raise funds for the Monegasque Association against Muscular Dystrophy, co-creating an exceptional one-off piece dedicated to music. Baptised the H. Moser X MB&F Streamliner Pandamonium, it features a minute repeater complication led by a miniature DJing panda, a creature that has become the signature of the Only Watch creations by MB&F. At the heart of the Streamliners case is a three-dimensional movement that has been developed specifically and exclusively for Only Watch. It will not be used in any other models. Acoustically captivating and visually enticing, the minute repeater mechanism can be seen on the fume dial in a brand-new colourway. Stripped of logos and indices, this dial illustrates the minimalist philosophy of H. Moser & Cie. and showcases the large suspended balance wheel characteristic of MB&F. With this creation, MB&F and H. Moser & Cie. deliver a masterful mix of their DNAs, rhythmically punctuated with signature elements from each of the two brands. With its rare poetic sophistication, this watch is the height of technical excellence. H. Moser & Cie. and MB&F create a buzz for Only Watch When Maximilian Busser and Edouard Meylan join creative forces, it really creates some noise! Heads of MB&F and H. Moser & Cie. respectively, both independent, family-sized Swiss companies, these two passionate entrepreneurs never do things by half. Following on from their immensely successful previous collaboration, Max and Edouard both wanted to repeat the experience in aid of the fight against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy led by Only Watch. For this second collaboration, just as in 2020, the worlds of the two brands collide, working together for the enrichment of both. For a single one-off piece, MB&F and H. Moser & Cie. move to the same tempo, inviting the public to enjoy an artistic performance dedicated to showcasing sound. To get the audience buzzing and give Only Watch the maximum possible resonance, the two brands decided to create a minute repeater. Returning to the very essence of this complication, they positioned the complex chime mechanism on the dial, allowing the passage of time to be heard whilst the choreography of the hammers and gongs can be simultaneously admired. This ever-moving stage is further animated by the dial, which has been stripped of logos and indices and features a brand-new colourway, Aquamarine fume. Continuing in this minimalist spirit, so emblematic of H. Moser & Cie., the hours and minutes are displayed directly on the dial via subtly elegant small leaf-shaped hands at 2 oclock. H. Moser x MB&F Streamliner Pandamonium H. Moser & Cie. & MB&F Miniature DJ panda Baptised the H. Moser X MB&F Streamliner Pandamonium, this creation refers to the literary capital of hell, Pandemonium a term which also describes a situation of wild and noisy disorder or confusion. The letter a which replaces the e is a nod to the miniature panda sculpture that adorns its dial, a creature that has become the signature of the MB&F world, as Max Busser explains: Each Only Watch creation is an opportunity for MB&F to see things through the eyes of the children, more specifically those suffering from muscular dystrophy. Our original panda was created as an allegory for Only Watch 2011, and returned in 2021, before now making its third appearance in 2023. This time, it is an invitation to immerse yourself in the world of music and lose all touch with reality for just a few beats. For both MB&F and H. Moser & Cie., the notion of pleasure is essential. In life as in watchmaking, having fun and cultivating the inner child is key. This state of mind comes through in this little DJ panda, made from white gold and sculpted and decorated entirely by hand. Placed alongside the hammers, it seems to be mixing the soundtrack to the meeting between MB&F and H. Moser & Cie. Its turntables are fitted on the axis of the hammers and are driven by the rotation of the mechanism as it operates. At a height of just 5.35 mm, this miniature took countless hours of precision work to create, from the design and development phase, to modelling then manufacturing, followed by time at the hands of the engraver, then the jeweller for the final polishing not forgetting the meticulous painting. This was a true technical and artistic feat due to the tiny scale of its elements, such as the muzzle, which measures 0.99 mm, or the turntables, featuring a paw print, with an outer diameter of 1.75 mm and measuring just 0.35 mm thick. Flying balance wheel and double hairspring Taken from the Legacy Machine range, a large suspended balance wheel occupies centre stage. This beating heart represents the very essence of watchmaking in the eyes of Max Busser, and features a double hairspring produced by Precision Engineering AG, H. Moser & Cie.s sister company. Thanks to this pair of perfectly matched hairsprings, the movement of the point of gravity on each spring when it expands is corrected, significantly improving accuracy and isochronism in continual pursuit of perfection. In addition, the paired hairsprings also reduce the effect of friction normally experienced with a single hairspring, improving isochronism. Hypnotic in its movements, this balance wheel posed an additional challenge as the gongs had to be bent in two places to allow them to pass over the balance wheel bridge. Occupying three dimensions, the shaped gongs feature a flat coil and an upper coil, positioned one on top of the other. Ingenuity devoted to enhancing sound Within a steel frame on an integrated bracelet, the cushion-shaped case is topped with a domed sapphire crystal. It is water-resistant to 5 ATM. Preserving the proportions and signature curves of the Streamliner collection was no mean feat. The sliding bolt, used to activate the minute repeater mechanism and fitted on a Teflon runner to ensure it slides perfectly smoothly, is built into the main plate to save space. The case middle has been completely hollowed out in order to accommodate the movement while allowing enough space to create a soundbox. This amplifies the chiming of hours, quarter-hours and minutes by two gongs, onto which fall two hammers that are raised based on information provided by different feeler-spindles. The geometry of the case has been meticulously designed, developed and adapted to maximise the properties of steel and enhance its impact, whilst allowing the essential walls to form part of the resonance. Steel has a relatively high elastic modulus, which means that this material deforms very little under stress and is consequently more rigid than gold; it retains the vibratory energy from sound well, rather than allowing it to dissipate thanks to its low damping effect. While ensuring the functioning of the minute repeater mechanism was already a complex technical feat, it also required perfect understanding of the subject to achieve a beautiful sound that combines amplitude, a certain length and a pure note. H. Moser x MB&F Streamliner Pandamonium H. Moser & Cie. & MB&F Like a three-dimensional sculpture Driving this exceptional creation is the three-dimensional hand-wound HMC 906 calibre, which has been partially skeletonised to allow certain key components of the mechanism to be admired. As it was not possible to case up this movement from underneath, as it usually would be, the assembly concept had to be redesigned. To be able to integrate the calibre from the top of the case, a removable bezel was created. In addition to the fact that it opens up the required access, it also makes the case larger, which is beneficial for the sound. Beating at 18,000 vibrations/hour, the calibre HMC 906 guarantees a minimum power reserve of 54 hours. It features highly contemporary finishes, with anthracite grey rhodium-plating on the bridges and the main plate, and the famous horizontal double Moser stripes. A collaboration between friends In conclusion, Edouard Meylan emphasises: A successful mix of two sets of expertise and DNA which mutually enrich one another, the H. Moser X MB&F Streamliner Pandamonium model is a one-off piece resulting from a unique development process, featuring a unique movement and a unique dial, created especially for Only Watch, and providing us with the opportunity to excel ourselves for a good cause. There is no doubt that this model will create a buzz amongst collectors and lovers of Haute Horologie alike. It will be part of the international Only Watch event, which culminates in the auction on 5th November. Edouard Meylan and Max Busser extend an invitation to all music lovers out there. On your marks! Get ready! Mix! Khandwa : , Sep 5 (IANS/ 101Reporters) An overcrowded bus winding through a narrow road is among the first images that pops up when one thinks of a rural landscape. Such buses not only serve as the lifelines bridging the gap between remote regions and urban centres, but also do much more, as in the case of the Harbola community of Madhya Pradesh. Living in the remote villages of Nimar region, especially in Khandwa district, the Harbola people have been traditionally into singing. Thanks to Subhadra Kumari Chauhan's famous poem Khoob Ladi Mardani, depicting the valour of 'Jhansi Ki Rani' Rani Laxmibai as narrated by the Harbolas, the word about the community had spread before Independence itself. However, despite their talent, most of the community members had to take up agricultural jobs to make ends meet. A new ray of hope emerged when a private bus started plying from Baldua Dongri in Khandwa district to Jhirniya in neighbouring Khargone district, covering a total of 77 km via Sawkheda, Mundwada, Sihada, Khandwa and Pandhana (NP). "Earlier, my wife and I used to work as farm labourers to make ends meet. At times, in the rainy season, we faced starvation too. Ever since the bus started plying, I have not done anything but sing, accompanied by tumdi-kartal (both folk instruments)," Atmaram Nainsingh (58) of Baldua Dongri village in Khandwa district tells 101Reporters, while waiting at the bus station in the city. Over 200 people from seven nearby villages benefit from the service. At 8 a.m. every day, the bus starts from Harbola Bahul Basti (a Harbola-dominated residential area) in Dongri-Kurwada. It reaches back to the starting point by 6 p.m. One trip on the bus costs Rs 120 end-to-end. There is no government-run public transport between cities in Madhya Pradesh. With bus plying, the Harbolas leave the village for two to three weeks at a stretch and earn money by performing at tourist spots. "We start to move out after Deepavali (October-November) and travel from place to place, singing in open areas to attract locals We continue to do so until Holi (March)," says Dharamlal Sunderlal, another villager who was returning home after touring the state for a week along with Nainsingh. "Not every day is a good day, sometimes we do not earn enough or not at all When it gets tough, we step out at 5 a.m. and beg on the city streets. We sleep at the bus station or near the overbridge," he adds. "This is because their folk music has not received the respect it deserves. The government encourages other art forms and provides them a platform abroad and in the country. Tumdi- kartal artistes should also be respected," says Rajan Ranhe, another village resident. The roots of tumdi-kartal music run deep "Earlier, the Harbolas used their art to communicate messages between kings and inspired the locals to take part in the freedom movement by narrating stories of prominent freedom fighters," he adds. The Harbolas fall under the category of Other Backward Classes and live in clusters in Bundelkhand area as well as Khandwa district. Baldua Dongri sarpanch Pancham Manidhar tells 101Reporters that around 8 lakh Harbolas are present across the country. Of them, about 5,000 live in Khandwa district. In addition to singing, they also work at farms and construction sites. "Our community moved here from Bundelkhand about five generations ago. Since then, we have been earning income by singing paeans to kings. Due to economic disparity, we are forced to beg to make ends meet. Whatever they manage to earn is only because of the availability of bus to Khandwa," Rahne says. "There are periods during which travelling for 20 days a month can earn us enough to rest at home for the next 20 days," says Nainsingh, who supports his family of seven with tumdi-kartal singing. His elder son works as a farm labourer to supplement the family income. Social glue "The 8 a.m. bus is the only mode of transport that connects Goradiya, Sawkheda and Mundwada villages with the rest of the state," Antarsingh Parihar (75) of Khargone district tells 101Reporters. He was on his way to visit his daughter in Goradiya. "My daughter Santoshi's mother-in-law met with an accident. I am going there to enquire about her health. When my daughter got married in 2016, reaching Goradiya located 27 km away was a big task. Now, there is no such problem. I would say the bus service has strengthened the relationship between the two families," Parihar says. Purnima (21), who boarded the bus from Khandwa to reach Sawkheda located 15 km away, says she was able to continue her studies because of the bus. Purnima is in the final semester of her BA programme at the Government Girls Degree College in Khandwa. "The bus provides a safe environment for girls to travel. The villagers have faith in the bus drivers and conductor. They take care of us like family," she says. The bus service has also enabled jobseekers. Sumaila Bano (23) from Mundwada now works as a teacher in a private school in Khandwa, located 11 km away. She earns an honorarium of around Rs 3,000 per month. With this income, Bano plans to continue her education, which will eventually lead to a higher salary at a higher teaching position. "It would not have been possible without the bus," she says. Dharamaraj Bansor from Baldua Dongri shares that before the bus service, villagers were confined to their place due to a lack of transport facilities. Many owned land and earned through farming, while others found work as labourers in nearby villages. "Bus service has enabled people to travel to Khandwa for employment opportunities, improving their quality of life," he says. According to Manidhar, the largest chunk of the population of the community lives in Benpura Kurwada, totalling around 1,200 residents. Additionally, 200 people live in Madni panchayat, 350 in Badgavmal, 400 in Baldua Dongri within Mathani panchayat and 2,000 in Bainpura-Dongri. Among these, only Baldua Dongri has a bus service connecting to Khandwa. (Mohammad Asif Siddiqui is a Madhya Pradesh-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.) A threat to free speech, hate speech needs to be defined and contained.. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Sep 5 : The recent incidents of burning copies of the Holy Quran in Sweden and Denmark by far-right elements has forced the two Scandinavian countries, besides several others to introspect their stand on the freedom of expression and hate speeches and crimes. Reportedly the Swedish government is concerned about national security following several incidents involving the burning of the Holy Quran that have provoked demonstrations and outrage from Muslim-majority countries. On August 25, Denmark's government said it would "criminalise" desecration of religious objects and moved a bill banning the burning of scriptures. Denmark and Sweden are among the most secular and liberal countries in the world, and have long allowed trenchant public criticism of religions. Politicians across Denmark 's political spectrum said an outright ban would compromise citizens' constitutionally inscribed right to freedom of expression as new laws could stop or at least restrict them. While freedom of expression is a fundamental human right in liberal democracies, the right to express one's opinion can become complex when expressing one's views clashes with the religious and cultural beliefs of others and when this rhetoric veers into hate speech. In many European countries, lawmakers and others are asking whether these religious book burnings should be seen as exercises of free expression or more as incitement based on religion. A few countries are already introducing new legislation to curb hate speech against religious communities, as per a report by Armin Langer, for The Conversation. But here we also have to acknowledge the fact that such tendencies grew in Scandinavian countries, which have a far better societal edifice. This suffered cracks when a large number of migrants from various, mostly Muslim Arab and Asian countries, to these developed nations began. As a result of their old customary and religious belief and with little help from government's side, these migrant communities were not able to assimilate themselves properly in the mainstream of these countries and were seen more of a problem, rather than an asset. As per census figures, migrants in Sweden constitute about 1.8 to 4.4 per cent of the population, in numbers these transform to 250,000 to 400,000 in a country of 9 million people. On the other hand, 5 per cent of Denmark's population consists of migrants or descendants of migrants. Historically, since medieval times, because of the dominant role of Christianity in political and cultural life, blasphemy against Christian beliefs in European countries was severely punished. Even now various European countries retain blasphemy laws, though the laws may not prevent present-day acts like dishonouring of religious texts. Russia, introduced a federal law in 2013 criminalising public insults of religious beliefs. The German Penal Code of 1969 has forbidden the public slander of religions and worldviews. Both, Austria and Switzerland have laws in this regard. In 2011, a person in Vienna was fined for calling the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) a paedophile. This case later went up to the European Court of Human Rights, which supported the Viennese court's decision. The court said that the person wasn't trying to have a useful discussion but instead just wanted to show that Prophet Muhammad shouldn't be respected. Spain also takes a strong stance against religious disrespect. Its penal code makes it a crime to publicly belittle religious beliefs, practices or ceremonies in a way that could hurt the feelings of followers of other religions. Italy, punishes acts deemed to be disrespectful to religions. Its penal code has been used to punish actions that insult Christianity. For example, in 2017 authorities charged an artist for depicting Jesus with an erect penis. Even in the US, there's an on going debate about the boundaries of free speech. The First Amendment of the Constitution allows free speech, which some can interpret as the right to burn holy books. If we analyse closely, based on our interpretation of societal mores and democratic principles, these acts of hatred against one particular religious community seems to be a part of a broader agenda of targeting Muslims by far-right groups across Europe and elsewhere, too. Lawmakers, social scientists, academicians, politicians all are intent on getting a plausible definition of defining whether these acts of book burnings should be seen as exercises of free expression or more as an incitement based on religion. On the other hand in India, a country which has seen a steady increase in cases of hate crimes and hate speeches over the past few years, the real intervention has come from the judiciary, not the political class. In reality, if we really want to put an end to such fissiparous tendencies then we'll have to change our focus. The cases of burning copies of the Holy Quran or religious books of other religions or the increasing rise in Islamophobia across the world, could be resolved with the help of the political class but we need to adopt a more humane and social approach to resolve the anti-religious acts through finalising a more clearer definition of free speech, hate speech and hate crimes. Only this would help in dealing with them in a more proactive manner rather than a reactive manner, as is evident by the Danish decision to review laws relating to free speech in Denmark. A few countries are introducing new legislation to curb hate speech against religious communities. For example, in 2006 England got rid of the blasphemy law and introduced The Racial and Religious Hatred Act, which makes it an offense to stir up religious hatred. After repealing its blasphemy law in 2020, Ireland has been discussing the introduction of a hate speech law, which will criminalise any communication or behaviour that is likely to incite violence or hatred. Sweden passed a hate speech law in 1970 protecting racial, ethnic, religious and sexual minorities. Swedish authorities pointed to this legislation when they took action against a Quran-burning incident that occurred in front of a mosque in June 2023. (Asad Mirza is a Delhi-based senior political and international affairs commentator.) New Delhi, Sep 5 : The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Tuesday asked SpiceJet to work towards resolving disputes with the lessors who have initiated insolvency proceedings against the airline. This came during an insolvency plea filed by one of the lessors -- Celestial Aviation Services Limited -- against the low-cost airline. The NCLT noted that all insolvency petitions against SpiceJet have been brought forward by lessors rather than banks or financial institutions. Consequently, the tribunal encouraged the airline to consider settling with the lessors, stressing that this could be in its best interest. In May, lessors had requested the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to deregister one aircraft each from Wilmington Trust SP Services, Sabarmati Aviation Leasing, and Falgu Aviation leasing with the airline. Celestial Aviation Services Limited's insolvency plea marks the fifth such case against SpiceJet. Other lessors, including Willis Lease Finance, Aircastle, and Wilmington, have also filed petitions. The pleas are scheduled for a hearing on September 15. Recently SpiceJet entered into a settlement agreement with Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC), a major lessor for its Q400 aircraft, a spokesperson had said. "The agreement settles all past liabilities for the Q400s leased by NAC to SpiceJet. The airline presently operates five Q400 aircraft from NAC in its fleet," the airline had claimed. The SpiceJet spokesperson had said that separately, the airline will be inducting three additional Q400 aircraft from NAC back into its fleet. "These three planes had been repossessed by the lessor. The induction of the three planes in addition to the fleet revival and restoration program launched by the airline would result in a substantial addition of planes in the SpiceJet fleet in the coming weeks," it was told. Earlier, the DGCA had said that SpiceJet has been removed from the enhanced surveillance regime. The decision came after the airline, which has faced several challenges, was placed under close monitoring by the aviation watchdog. --IANSspr/dpb Seoul, Sep 5 : North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has mainly brought his daughter, Ju-ae, to military-related events in an apparent bid to highlight his feats in the military sector and elicit the loyalty of the armed services, South Korea's Unification Ministry said Tuesday. Kim's daughter has made public appearances on 15 occasions since she made her first one in November 2022, and 12 cases of the total, or 80 per cent, were at military-related events, the Ministry said citing reports by the Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper. In contrast, she attended events related to the economy and social affairs three times, Yonhap News Agency quoted the Ministry as saying. Ju-ae, believed to be around 11 years old, was first reported by state media on November 18, 2022 when she, along with her father, attended the firing of a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile. Since then, her public appearances have been focused on the military field, including a military parade in February and an inspection in May of a facility to prepare the launch of the country's first spy satellite. North Korean state media have carried a total of 107 photos featuring her. Of them, seven photos were placed on the front page of the Rodong Sinmun, and 80 photos, or 75 per cent, showed her right next to Kim Jong-un. Despite an increase in her appearances in state media, many North Korean observers see the possibility of Ju-ae becoming a hereditary successor as low, given the country's patriarchal society and the rumoured existence of an eldest son among Kim's children. South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers Monday that it is "hasty" to judge that Ju-ae has been anointed as the successor, as North Korea, a male-dominant society, is "obsessed" with the Paektu bloodline of Kim's royal family. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Lucknow, Sep 5 : What began as a seemingly simple domestic dispute has now snowballed into a murky tale that is making its way to police stations and courts. Jansatta Dal leader and Kunda MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh a.k.a Raja Bhaiya's wife Bhanvi Kumari Singh has submitted an affidavit before a family court, wherein she alleged that she was subjected to domestic violence, abuse, and extramarital affairs spanning nearly three decades, dating back to their marriage in 1995. The divorce case, initiated by Raja Bhaiya, in Delhi's Saket court, cites cruelty and desertion charges against his wife, Bhanvi Kumari Singh. In her response, Bhanvi Kumari has levelled serious accusations against her husband, alleging decades of cruelty and his refusal to allow her to return to their matrimonial home. The divorce case is currently being heard in Delhi's Saket court, with the next hearing scheduled for October 17. Bhanvi claimed that she made multiple attempts to reconcile and salvage their marriage despite her husband treating her with indifference and cruelty. She had also stated in the affidavit that she is willing to reconcile and continue with the marriage. Parts of the affidavit that are now in public domain have revealed serious accusations against Raja Bhaiya, including three alleged long-term extramarital affairs, including one involving a close relative and an alleged ongoing affair with a news reporter from a prominent news channel. Additionally, Bhanvi Kumari alleged that Raja Bhaiya frequented "dance bars" and engaged in affairs with multiple women while she was denied the opportunity to live with him. She also claimed that she was subjected to physical abuse, humiliation, and eviction from their matrimonial home when she objected to her husband's affairs. In the affidavit, Bhanvi Kumari recounted an incident in 2016 when Raja Bhaiya, under the influence of alcohol during a video call with one of his affair partners, allegedly fired a gun at her twice. Moreover, Bhanvi Kumari alleged that when she enrolled their minor daughter in a school in Delhi to shield her from her father's influence, Raja Bhaiya physically assaulted the child, resulting in permanent hearing damage. Bhanvi Kumari claimed that she endured mental and financial abuse, with her husband refusing to provide money for household expenses or their children's needs. She stated that she was subjected to traumatic medical treatments, including IVF, to bear a son, after already having two daughters. In the latest development, Bhanvias sister Sadhvi has filed a complaint with the Lucknow police accusing Bhanvi of attempting to malign Raja Bhaiya and their family. Lawyers for both parties and Raja Bhaiya have declined to comment on the developments but Bhanvi Kumari has asserted her unwillingness to accept a divorce. She vehemently denied deserting her husband or refusing to live with him, stating, "He has been having an affair with a journalist and treating me badly. Why should I leave my house for someone else to move into it?" New Delhi, Sep 5: As media attention about the upcoming G20 Summit is striding towards crescendo, the misinformation campaign has also accelerated into overdrive. Social media warriors from both China and Pakistan are spinning a web of lies to discredit India's hosting of the world's mega event in its capital. There has been a massive buzz on social media about the G20 summit, but according to the fact-checking website www.dfrac.org, several users are running anti-India campaigns using the hashtag of G20. Accounts being operated by Chinese and Pakistanis are linked to propaganda networks that are then connected to Communist Party of China and Pakistan's military wings. Chinese Twitter Army's Propaganda on G20 Many Chinese accounts have posted on Facebook regarding the G 20 summit and Kashmir. One user named Eng Hui James Tan claimed on Facebook: "Both countries are disappointed over India 's Presidency of G20 summit this year. China has stated that it will not participate, and Modi's reaction seems to be threatening". Several Chinese accounts on Twitter and Facebook have shared the tweet of Pakistan's propaganda arm Pakistan Strategic Forum (@ForumStrategic) on G20. These tweets stated: "The countries refused to participate in the G20 meeting in India's illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)." Later, several Chinese accounts shared the screenshot of @ForumStrategic's tweet on various platforms including Twitter and Facebook. A Chinese user named @hexieshehui1 retweeted a tweet from @ForumStrategic and wrote: "China's non-participation in the G20 meeting in Kashmir is due to the regional dispute with India on one side and support for Pakistan on the other. Other Islamic countries have expressed support for Pakistan on religious grounds." Another Chinese account named Ou Mei Zhen (Uncle Shun) posted on Facebook with the caption: "Modi is ashamed, and he is also "threatening" China!". The account also shared a tweet by Pakistan Strategic Forum (@ForumStrategic) on G20. Subsequently, several Chinese accounts started posting screenshots of the Pakistan Strategic Forum on G20. Propaganda by Pakistani users over G20 Apart from the G-20, numerous Pakistani users continue to run anti-India propaganda regarding Kashmir in the Chinese language. Here is the analysis of three Pakistani users. ImranGhazali (@ImranGhazaliPK): Imran Ghazali (@ImranGhazaliPK) is a Twitter account with 123k followers. The account claims in its bio that he is the Digital Head of the former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf. He also works for several other organisations, which are mentioned in his bio. Many of these accounts have been withheld in India i.e. restricted in India. Accounts such as @GovtofPakistan and @alifailaanpk.are also included. Imran Ghazali has a considerable number of followers, more than 123,000. Majority of these followers are from Pakistan. Among the admirers and followers of Imran Ghazali, the highest number of users are supporters of the former Pakistani PM Imran Khan. A video was posted from this Twitter account with a caption written in Chinese. The video allegedly depicts harassment in Kashmir. This video was captioned: "The suffering of the people of Kashmir began on 27 October 1947 when Indian troops landed at IIOJK after New Delhi suspended the special status of IIOJK on 5 August by revoking Article 370 and Article 35-A of the Indian Constitution and their number increased". Imran Ghazali's tweet on Kashmir in the Chinese language has been liked by the official account of former Minister of State for Climate Change, Zartaj Gul Wazir, Government of Pakistan. Apart from this, several Pakistani accounts have also liked the post. Moreover, the video posted by Imran Ghazali was shared by other Pakistani users as well with captions in the Chinese language. MarsPlanet (@MarsPlanet16): There is a Twitter account named "MarsPlanet" (@MarsPlanet16) with 4148 followers, and it has posted 49,400 tweets so far. The account's cover photo features an image of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan. This account usually tweets in Urdu and Chinese languages. Notably majority of the tweets are in Chinese language for running propaganda over Kashmir. Mars Planet has posted a controversial map. In this map, he has depicted Pakistan as extending up to Agra in Uttar Pradesh. Not only this, Kashmir, Gujarat, some parts of Himachal, some parts of Rajasthan, the capital New Delhi, and Haryana have been displayed as part of Pakistan on this map. In this map, Punjab is portrayed as Khalistan. Mars planet shared this map and wrote: "InshaAllah Kashmir is about to escape from Indian brutality. China has restored India's withdrawal from Kashmir and restoration of Article 370 to previous positions. If not, we will occupy the next Kashmir. Now the Indian government is on edge but next is Kashmir freedom". In another tweet in Chinese, Mars Planet wrote that the Muslims of Kashmir are looking towards China for freedom and China has become quite significant for the Kashmiri people. "China must help Kashmiri people while otherwise Indian atrocities are killing, beating, and robbing Kashmiri people every day. Now, Kashmiris are looking to China to free them from India's brutal rule" mentioned in another tweet. Donnee China (@donneechina): "There is a user on Twitter named Donee China (@donneechina). This user consistently tweets in the Chinese language about Kashmir. While sharing a poster, Donnee China wrote: "On August 5th, we commemorate Kashmir Day, a day of great significance. On this day, we express our solidarity with our Kashmiri brothers and sisters facing enormous challenges. The Kashmir issue transcends national borders; it is an issue that touches the heart of humanity and has profound significance in the Islamic world". In a tweet, Donne China wrote: "Kashmiris to celebrate Jammu Martyrs' Day on 6th November Kashmiris will celebrate Jammu Martyrs' Day on 6th November. The day is held annually to commemorate the massacre of thousands of Jammu Muslims killed by Dogra forces in November 1947". Donee China's entire Timeline is flooded with tweets over Pakistan and Kashmir. He has tweeted specifically more than 7 times about Kashmir in the Chinese language. In these tweets, he has largely run propaganda on Kashmir. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative --IANS PowerSchool acquires Neverskip, to expand its reach to over 1.2 mn students in India. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Sep 5 : Global edtech leader PowerSchool on Tuesday announced the acquisition of Chennai-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) software company Neverskip. With this acquisition, PowerSchool will expand its reach to over 900 schools and 1.2 million students in India and will set a foundation for growth to support the larger Indian education market. "Our acquisition of Neverskip is an instrumental step in our journey to provide personalized education to all and we are excited to welcome their employees and customers to PowerSchool," Hardeep Gulati, Chief Executive Officer of PowerSchool, said in a statement. PowerSchool will also extend its best-in-class technology by providing centralised access to all administrative and learning functions, including admissions, fee management, transport, student records, homework, assignments, examinations, report cards, parent communication, blended classrooms, personalised education, and meaningful data analytics. "As a leader in education innovation, PowerSchool will continue to provide cloud-based technologies to enable schools in their digitisation journey aligned with India's New Education Policy (2020)," said Apoorav Nischal, Managing Director and Country Head, PowerSchool India. Over the last two decades, PowerSchool has established itself as one of the front runners in the global edtech ecosystem, catering to over 50 million students in over 90 countries, the company said. PowerSchool reported $630 million in revenue in 2022, with a valuation of $4.3 billion, and forecasts a revenue target of approximately $690 million for 2023. The brand's user-friendly Learning Management System (LMS), Schoology Learning, supports over 60,000 schools globally. "As demonstrated by their globally renowned products, especially Schoology Learning, PowerSchool has truly redefined personalised education. This step enables us to expand our solution suite and value to customers and dramatically expand our scale and reach" said Shankar Jambulingam, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Neverskip. With this acquisition, PowerSchool and Neverskip will now support some of India's most renowned schools, including, D.A.V Group of Schools, Ekya, Maxford, Future Kids, Manipal School and SBOA Group of Schools with its products. Dubai-based Naffco to set up manufacturing plant in Telangana. Image Source: IANS News Hyderabad, Sep 5 : Naffco, a global leader in fire safety, will set up a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Telangana with an investment of Rs 700 crore. The deal was struck on Tuesday on the first day of IT and Industries Minister K. T. Rama Raoas business tour to Dubai. Additionally, Naffco will collaborate with the National Academy of Construction (NAC) which is located in Telangana to establish a Fire Safety Training Academy. This announcement came after a meeting held between Minister KTR and the leadership team of Naffco led by CEO Khalid Al Khatib in Dubai. Naffco leadership expressed confidence in providing world class fire safety measures keeping in mind the rapid growth of India and Telangana. They also added that the Naffcoas plant in Telangana will produce fire safety equipment which will cater to the fire safety needs in India. Naffco offers a wide range of world-class firefighting equipment, trucks and vehicles, fire pumps and controllers, fire protection systems, passive fire protection, extra-low voltage solutions, medical, safety, and training. Naffco has been recognised as a global leader in fire safety with operations in over 100 countries. Imphal, Sep 5 : With the intervention of the Chairperson of Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC), the Manipur government has taken steps to depute specialist doctors and other health workers at the Foreigners Detention Centre, Sajiwa (Imphal) where 136 foreigners, mostly Myanmarese, including 24 women have been lodged. Officials on Tuesday said that soon after the visit of MHRC Chairperson Justice (Retd) Utpalendu Bikas Saha recently, the Superintendent Manipur Central Jail, Sajiwa requested the Director of Manipur Health Services to depute two medical officers, one gynaecologist, two male and two female nurses, a pharmacist and a medical attendant at Foreigners Detention Centre, Sajiwa. The Foreigners Detention Centre, Sajiwa was set up on February 16 this year and presently 136 foreigners, mostly Myanmar nationals, including 24 women and 6 minors are lodged in the Centre Of the 24 women, there are two pregnant ladies staying in the center. The Central Jail Superintendent in his letter to the Health Director said that recently, the Chairperson of MHRC on his visit to this Detention Centre expressed his dissatisfaction with the health care facilities being provided to the inmates at the Detention Centre, specially unavailability specialist Gynaecologist. Presently, two lady medical officers and one lady staff nurse are posted at the center. The additional medical officers, specialists and health workers are necessary for smooth management of the Foreigners Detention Centre round the clock (24 x 7) to avoid any unwanted situation related to medical care in the center, the letter pointed out. The Manipur government -- on the advice of the Union Home Ministry (MHA) began collecting the biometric data of illegal Myanmar immigrants in the northeastern state from July and the exercise would be completed by September end. A team of officials of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), deputed by the MHA, assisted the state government officials in collecting the biometrics of illegal immigrants at the Foreigners' Detention Centre at Sajiwa in Imphal East district. The exercise would continue in all districts until the data of all illegal Myanmar immigrants in the state are collected. As many as 718 Myanmar nationals, including 301 children and 208 women, had entered Manipur's Chandel district on July 22 and 23 due to the ongoing clashes between the Army and the civil forces in the neighbouring country. The Myanmar nationals are now staying in seven locations of the Chandel -- Lajang, Bonse, New Samtal, New Lajang, Yangnomphai, Yangnomphai Saw Mill, and Aivomjang -- all villages along the India-Myanmar border. Singapore, Sep 5 : Parents have been asking for a review of guidelines on overseas excursions from a top school in Singapore after a 17-year-old Indian student died in June during one such trip to Cambodia. Kaira Karmakar, a student of United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA) on Dover Road, died in a road accident on June 1 while she was on an unchaperoned school trip to Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh, The Straits Times reported. She was with a group of classmates, and there were no teachers or adult representatives accompanying them. The school declined to say how many students were part of the group, the news report said. In an email sent to Kaira's parents on June 1, UWCSEA informed that their daughter had died while in Cambodia for the school's project week. As per the school guidelines, students have the option of going on an overseas field trip for project week as part of the Grade 11 curriculum, and that it is "designed to support readiness for independent life" after graduation. The process is supervised by a teacher who does not go on the trip. UWCSEA head of college Nick Alchin said in an email on June 7 that the school is planning to have an external investigation done into the accident in addition to reviewing the project week guidelines. Alchin said the final report will be submitted to the audit and risk committee of the school's board of governors, which is responsible for reviewing school processes. However, one parent told The Times that it has been nearly three months and there has been no update on the incident since the June 7 e-mail from Alchin. "The school has not informed the parents of the outcome of the investigation and obviously expects that this has been forgotten throughout the summer holidays. As a parent, I feel voiceless and cornered." The parent, who didn't wish to be named, also asked why the school would allow students to go on an overseas trip without being accompanied by an adult. While UWCSEA declined to answer queries on the accident or the review of project week guidelines, it praised Kaira as an "exceptional and an outstanding student" in a statement. "Kaira was exceptional, an outstanding student who had already achieved so much in her life and who shared her blessings freely. UWCSEA has named a scholarship in Kaira's honour, so that a young student of great promise and potential can experience an education at the school she loved," the statement read. According to the UWC website, an endowment has also been set up in Kaira's name, which will help support UWCSEA scholarships, among other things. Russian journalist and human rights activist Alexandr Podrabinek, a Soviet-era political prisoner, complained about a very thorough check during his trip to Poland. He said he understood the hatred of Russia as the country that started the war, but at the same time hinted at the prejudice against anyone with a Russian passport. ADVERTISIMENT The Russian oppositionist shared his experience on his personal Facebook page. He said that he flew to Poland on an airplane of the Polish company LOT. Upon landing he had "five times checked hispassport, photographed it, called somewhere, rewrote something and showed his passport to each other." "On arrival in Warsaw, the border guard looked at me like a wolf, or rather a she-wolf - as if I had not repaid her debt or commanded an army unit in the war with Ukraine. Then they organized a thorough customs inspection in the "green" corridor and all asked me why I was going and when I would be back," the journalist wrote. He admitted: Poles have reasons to hate the Russian Federation, so he is "not offended by them." "But what is this ineradicable habit of judging randomly met people by their nationality, citizenship, skin color or social status? After all, they look you in the eye, know nothing about you, but hate you in advance. I don't understand it," Podrabinek complained. ADVERTISIMENT In comments to the post, many of the journalist's readers disagreed and pointed out that such a suspicious attitude towards Russians is justified. "Quite understandable and explainable", "You meet people by their clothes, and in this case it is a Russian passport. I understand the attitude of Poles (or Ukrainians, or Georgians, or Baltic inhabitants) who meet them. Alas," "It's good that they let us in at all!" "Russia is now openly threatening Poland. So nothing surprising", "This is the notorious collective responsibility", - wrote under the post. ADVERTISIMENT One Internet user asked what else the author expected, having a passport of the Russian Federation."Now it is equal to a Nazi document from the Second World War. And the attitude will be like this for a long time to come," the commenter shared his opinion. "Explain what exactly hurt you: that a Russian is more thoroughly checked or that they were impolite with you? The former is understandable and justified," another subscriber asked. ADVERTISIMENT We would like to add that Podrabinek condemned Russia's aggression against Ukraine. During the Soviet era, he was twice convicted for "spreading deliberately false fabrications defaming the Soviet state and social order". As OBOZREVATEL wrote, Russians complain en masse about high prices, boorish attitude, quality of mobile communication and attempts to divorce for money, which they encountered while vacationing in occupied Crimea in the summer of 2023. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information from us in Telegram-channel Obozrevatel and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Agra, Sep 5 : The Wildlife SOS in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department has successfully rescued a 10-foot-long crocodile that had ventured into Nagla Amaan village in Firozabad, near here. The crocodile, which had strayed from a nearby water canal to an agricultural field, created a stir among the villagers, prompting them to call the local authorities who reached out to the forest department. A quiet morning in Nagla Amaan village near Firozabad turned eventful when passers-by spotted a 10-foot-long crocodile in an agricultural field. Concerned for the reptile's safety, the villagers notified the local authorities. A three-member Rapid Response Unit of the Wildlife SOS travelled 100 km to reach the location and safely extricated the crocodile in an operation that lasted for an hour. Medical observation conducted on-site revealed no injuries to the reptile, which was subsequently released back into its natural habitat. Ashish Kumar, Range Forest Officer, Jasrana, said, "We are grateful to Wildlife SOS for their prompt assistance in rescuing the crocodile. The seamless cooperation of the experienced team of the NGO led to the successful rescue and release of the reptile." Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS, said, "The operation wouldn't have been possible without the cooperation of the villagers who swiftly alerted us about the crocodile's presence." Baiju Raj M.V., Director, Conservation Projects, Wildlife SOS, said, "Rescues like these can be a challenge as caution needs to be exercised while approaching such a large crocodile, especially with a large number of people around. It's our duty to protect these magnificent reptiles and ensure they thrive in their natural homes." The mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), also known as the marsh crocodile, is native to India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Pakistan and some parts of Iran. It is most commonly found in freshwater environments such as rivers, lakes, hill streams, village ponds and human-made reservoirs and are protected under Schedule l of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. New Delhi, Sep 5 : Online furniture store Pepperfry on Tuesday elevated its co-founder Ashish Shah to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), as its co-founder and CEO Ambareesh Murthy passed away at age 51 due to cardiac arrest last month. The company also secured $23 million in funding from existing shareholders, including institutional investors and family offices, underscoring their confidence in the companyas vision and strategic plans for the future. As the COO of the company, Shah played a pivotal role in shaping Pepperfry's customer-centric strategy, supply side strengths, and operational excellence. "Pepperfry remains focused on its mission to provide a wide array of well-designed products to help customers create inspiring and functional living spaces. The best tribute to Ambareesh will be to build on the foundation laid by us and fortify Pepperfry's position as Indiaas leading furniture and home products company," said Shah. The latest round of capital infusion will strengthen Pepperfryas ability to cater to the evolving needs of its over 10 million and increasing customer base through a strong omnichannel presence, a robust supply chain, and tech-driven innovation. Pepperfry said it will reiterate its fundamental proposition of variety and leverage its retail footprint of more than 190 Studios in over 100 cities. Last month, Murthy passed away at the age of 51 due to cardiac arrest in Leh. "Extremely devastated to inform that my friend, mentor, brother, soulmate @AmbareeshMurty is no more. Lost him yesterday night to a cardiac arrest at Leh. Please pray for him and for strength to his family and near ones," Shah had announced in a post on X. Murty co-founded Pepperfry with Shah in June 2011. The companyas investors include Pidilite Industries, Goldman Sachs, Norwest Venture Partners, Bertelsmann India, State Street Advisors, and InnoVen Capital, among others. --IANS na/vd Mysuru: Congress leaders are during a public meeting for the inauguration of the state government's Gruha Laxmi scheme. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Sep 5 : Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who will be visiting Europe on three nation visit for a week from September 6 to 11, will hold a conversation programme at University of Oslo in Netherlands on the theme of 'The World's largest country; the world's largest democracy'. A party leader here said that the Congress leader will be holding a conversation programme at University of Oslo on September 11 between 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on the theme of 'The World's largest country; the world's largest democracy'. A party source said that he left for Europe on Tuesday morning. However, party leaders remained tightlipped over his departure from Delhi. The Congress leader, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Kerala's Wayanad will also be participating in a lecture programme at Leiden University in Netherlands on September 10. According to a party leader, Rahul Gandhi will participate in a lecture event with the topic "India in the World: Interaction with Rahul Gandhi and Sam Pitroda Besides the Congress leaders Professor Jeanne Mifsud Bonnici will also be present in Netherland's Wijnhaven. The former Congress President will kick starting his trip of three European Nations and will participate in several programmes there which includes his visit to European Union Parliament and interaction with the Indian diaspora beside many others. "Rahul Gandhi will arrive in Belgium's capital city of Brussels on September 6 and on September 7 and 8, he will participating in several programmes, which includes his visit to European Parliament and his meeting with Indian diaspora," sources said. Rahul Gandhi will be visiting France, Belgium's Brussels and Norway's Oslo. On September 9, Rahul Gandhi will arrive in Paris at 3 p.m. and in evening at 5 p.m. he will participate in a University programme at 5 p.m. The Congress leader will then also attend a dinner programme on the same day. The Source said that Rahul Gandhi will be also attending a breakfast on September 9 which will be followed by meeting with the MPs, friends in France either inside or outside France's Parliament. He said that he will then also have lunch with the people from the Asian countries in the afternoon before proceeding for his meeting with the labour union of France. Besides the hectic schedule in France, Rahul Gandhi will attend a meeting with the 300 to 400 Indian diaspora in Paris and then next day he will leave for Oslo on September 10. This is Rahul Gandhi's first trip outside India after his membership was reinstated by the Lok Sabha following the stay of conviction in a 2019 Modi surname remarks defamation case by the Supreme Court on August 4. Earlier this year, he had visited US for over six day trip to US, where he addressed the Indian diaspora, attended a lecture programme at Stanford University and others in cities of San Francisco, Washington and New York. In March this year, he had also visited UK and attended several programmes. His statements in US and UK drew sharp responses from the ruling BJP. Mysuru: Congress leaders are during a public meeting for the inauguration of the state government's Gruha Laxmi scheme. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Sep 5 : Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who will be visiting Europe on three nation visit for a week from September 6 to 11, will hold a conversation programme at University of Oslo in Norway on the theme of 'The World's largest country; the world's largest democracy'. A party leader here said that the Congress leader will be holding a conversation programme at University of Oslo on September 11 between 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on the theme of 'The World's largest country; the world's largest democracy'. A party source said that he left for Europe on Tuesday morning. However, party leaders remained tightlipped over his departure from Delhi. The Congress leader, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Kerala's Wayanad will also be participating in a lecture programme at Leiden University in Netherlands on September 10. According to a party leader, Rahul Gandhi will participate in a lecture event with the topic "India in the World: Interaction with Rahul Gandhi and Sam Pitroda Besides the Congress leaders Professor Jeanne Mifsud Bonnici will also be present in Netherland's Wijnhaven. The former Congress President will kick starting his trip of three European Nations and will participate in several programmes there which includes his visit to European Union Parliament and interaction with the Indian diaspora beside many others. "Rahul Gandhi will arrive in Belgium's capital city of Brussels on September 6 and on September 7 and 8, he will participating in several programmes, which includes his visit to European Parliament and his meeting with Indian diaspora," sources said. Rahul Gandhi will be visiting France, Belgium's Brussels and Norway's Oslo. On September 9, Rahul Gandhi will arrive in Paris at 3 p.m. and in evening at 5 p.m. he will participate in a University programme at 5 p.m. The Congress leader will then also attend a dinner programme on the same day. The Source said that Rahul Gandhi will be also attending a breakfast on September 9 which will be followed by meeting with the MPs, friends in France either inside or outside France's Parliament. He said that he will then also have lunch with the people from the Asian countries in the afternoon before proceeding for his meeting with the labour union of France. Besides the hectic schedule in France, Rahul Gandhi will attend a meeting with the 300 to 400 Indian diaspora in Paris and then next day he will leave for Oslo on September 10. This is Rahul Gandhi's first trip outside India after his membership was reinstated by the Lok Sabha following the stay of conviction in a 2019 Modi surname remarks defamation case by the Supreme Court on August 4. Earlier this year, he had visited US for over six day trip to US, where he addressed the Indian diaspora, attended a lecture programme at Stanford University and others in cities of San Francisco, Washington and New York. In March this year, he had also visited UK and attended several programmes. His statements in US and UK drew sharp responses from the ruling BJP. Mumbai, Sep 5 : Actor Jackie Shroff, remembering the lessons he received from both his parents as well as his mentor, the acclaimed director Subhash Ghai, thanked them for their guidance and wished them 'Happy Teacher's Day', as gratitude. Taking to Instagram, the actor shared several pictures of himself with both his parents as well as with Subhash Ghai and captioned the post: "From my first life lessons from my parents and brother to the unforgettable guidance on set with Subhash Ghai, I've come a long way." "My teachers will always have a special respect in my heart for moulding me into the person I am today. Happy Teacher's Day. Thank You," he added. The veteran actor, who is renowned for his roles in films such as 'Border', 'Ram Lakhan', 'Devdas', 'Baap Numbri Beta Dus Numbri', 'Rangeela' and 'Agni Sakshi' too was a novice once, and hasn't shied away from admitting this. In particular, he has regarded the filmmaker as his guide who helped him carve his way into the industry from his humble beginnings with the film 'Hero' in 1983, which established the 66-year old-actor into the big name he is today. But alongside Subhash Ghai, the actor would not exclude his parents or his brother. He added various old pictures of his childhood where he was seen with his mother, father, and brother, as well as younger pictures of himself with his parents all in black and white. The post also included several other photos from his younger days from the 1980's and early 1990's with his mother. Fans and netizens appreciated this gesture of the actor who sent out various emojis as well as thanked the actor, acknowledging his humble nature. Currently, Jackie Shroff was seen in 'Jailer' starring superstar Rajinikanth, and will next be seen in the Malayalam movie 'Chila Nerangalil Chila' and the Hindi film 'Baap'. New Delhi, Sep 5 : Despite high-income countries claiming that they have achieved green growth and reduced carbon emissions, a new Lancet study has challenged their claims, saying emission reductions in 11 rich nations fall drastically short of meeting the climate goals and fairness requirements of the Paris Agreement. If current trends continue, the 11 high-income countries that have "decoupled" carbon emissions from GDP growth would, on average, take over 200 years to get their emissions close to zero, and would emit more than 27 times their fair share of the "global carbon budget" that must not be exceeded if we are to avert catastrophic global warming beyond 1.5 degree Celsius, according to a paper published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal. The authors argued that the pursuit of economic growth in high-income countries is at odds with internationally agreed climate targets, and call for transformative "post-growth" climate policy centred around sufficiency, fairness, and wellbeing. Politicians and media have been celebrating recent decoupling achievements of high-income countries as "green growth" claiming this could reconcile economic growth with climate targets. To investigate this claim, the new study compared carbon emission reductions in these countries with the reductions required under the Paris Agreement. "There is nothing green about economic growth in high-income countries. It is a recipe for climate breakdown and further climate injustice. Calling such highly insufficient emission reductions 'green growth' is misleading, it is essentially greenwashing," said lead author Jefim Vogel from the Sustainability Research Institute at the University of Leeds, UK. For growth to be legitimately considered 'green', it must be consistent with the climate targets and fairness principles of the Paris Agreement - but high-income countries have not achieved anything close to this, and are highly unlikely to achieve it in the future. "Continued economic growth in high-income countries is at odds with the twin goal of averting catastrophic climate breakdown and upholding fairness principles that protect development prospects in lower-income countries. In other words, further economic growth in high-income countries is harmful, dangerous, and unjust," Vogel lamented. The 11 high-income countries are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK. None of the high-income countries who have "decoupled" emissions from growth have achieved emission reductions anywhere near fast enough to be Paris-compliant. The scale of the gap between achieved and Paris-compliant emission reductions is dramatic. Among the 11 high-income countries examined, emission reductions between 2013 and 2019 were on average just 1.6 per cent per year. By contrast, reduction rates of 30 per cent per year are needed by 2025 for countries to comply with their fair-shares of the global carbon budget for 1.5 degree Celsius, the study noted. In light of their findings, the authors said that attempts to pursue "green growth" in high-income countries will not deliver the emission reductions required to meet the climate targets and fairness principles of the Paris Agreement, and argue that a "post-growth" approach is needed instead. "If high-income countries are to meet their Paris obligations, they should scale down energy-intensive and less-necessary forms of production, reduce the consumption of the rich, shift from private cars to public transit," said Professor Jason Hickel from the Institute for Environmental Science and Technology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) in Spain. They also need to accelerate renewable energy deployment and efficiency improvements with public financing, he suggested. Unlike high-income countries, the authors note that lower-income nations have lower emissions per capita, making it more achievable for them to stay within their carbon budget fair-shares, even while increasing their production and consumption for human development objectives, the authors noted. --IANS na/vd New Delhi, Sep 5 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday lashed out at the Opposition for criticising the government over President of Bharat G20 invite, saying they should first ask Congress leader Rahul Gandhi why he did not name 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' as 'India Jodo Yatra'. Opposition has slammed BJP government after the Rashtrapati Bhawan sent out invites for a G20 dinner of September 9 in the name of President of Bharat instead of the usual President of India, saying the country doesn't belong to a political party. "In our Constitution it is clearly said India, that means Bharat. The name Bharat has been existing since long. So, there is no need to give new name Bharat," the Chief Minister told reporters at the Assam House here, attacking the Opposition. He said, "Our country was Bharat, it is Bharat and it will always remain Bharat." "When the country is heading towards Amrit Kaal then why our country's name should be in British name? "What is the problem of Congress party. They did Bharat Jodo Yatra, why they did not name it India Jodo Yatra. When you think it will benefit you, then you take Bharat name, when you feel it will not benefit you, you take India name," the Chief Minister said. Sarma, who is also the convenor of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), in an apparent reference to the statement of Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks said, "Opposition is conspiring to eliminate Hindu religion. Now, they are after Bharat. They should first ask Rahul Gandhi why he did not keep the name of Bharat Jodo Yatra as India Jodo Yatra." On September 7 last year, Rahul Gandhi, who represents Kerala's Wayanad parliamentary seat, had carried out the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari which concluded in Jammu and Kashmir in January this year. The Congress said the yatra was one of its most decisive mass contact programme. Earlier, in a series of posts on X, the Chief Minister wrote: "Now my apprehension has proven to be true. The Congress party seems to have a strong aversion towards Bharat. It appears that the name 'I.N.D.I alliance' was intentionally chosen with the aim of defeating BHARAT." "Republic of Bharat- happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards Amrit Kaal," he said. Amrit Kaal was coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021 which envisions a new roadmap for the country for the next 25 years. Chandigarh, Sep 5 : The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Tuesday arrested Dharmendra Sandhu, one of the directors, in connection with Pearls Agrotech Corporation Ltd (PACL Ltd) scam in which five crore investors were defrauded of around Rs 50,000 crore by the company. An official spokesperson for the Vigilance Bureau said Sandhu, a resident of Jalandhar, was arrested for a case registered on February 21 at Crime Police Station in Mohali. He said an extraordinary general body meeting of PACL Ltd was held on January 1, 2022, at Ms PACL Limitedas registered office in Jaipur that had been closed for past seven-eight years and appointed three new directors -- Hirdaypal Singh Dhillon, Sandeep Singh Mahal and Sandhu on the basis of forged proceedings. They had allegedly submitted forged documents to the Registrar of Companies in Jaipur through chartered accountant Jaswinder Dang of Ludhiana and got their names reflected as Directors of PACL Ltd on the website of Ministry of Company Affairs. Mahal and Dang have already been chargesheeted and are in judicial custody, he said. The spokesperson said these three unlawfully appointed directors issued notices under the signatures of Mahal to different persons holding or possessing assets of PACL Ltd without taking permission from the committee constituted by Supreme Court under the Chairmanship of Justice (retd.) R.M. Lodha and started extorting money from them. Recently, the Ministry of Company Affairs has removed the names of Dhillon, Mahal and Sandhu from the list of Directors of PACL Ltd. The Committee led by Justice (retd) Lodha has been constituted to sell the properties of PACL Ltd. and use the sale proceeds to refund the investors. The Pearls Group had allegedly cheated thousands of people by illegally operating different investment schemes. The CBI, which has been investigating the scam since February 19, 2014, has alleged that over Rs 60,000 crore was siphoned off by the two flagship companies of Pearls Group -- PGF Ltd and PACL Ltd -- by duping close to 5.50 crore investors from across the country by floating Ponzi schemes. The vigilance bureau in June asked all deputy commissioners to verify the entries made in the land records pertaining to 2,239 properties in the state identified by the CBI as properties recorded in the name of Pearls Agro-Tech Ltd (PACL), its directors and associate companies. The ownership details of these properties have also been included in the list shared by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The CBI had arrested Nirmal Singh Bhangoo, CMD of Pearls Golden Forest Ltd, and three others on January 8, 2016, in the Ponzi scam case. New Delhi, Sep 5 : Following a highly successful debut at The Taj Palace, New Delhi last year, Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) introduces its flagship Indian-concept restaurant brand, Loya, at Taj West End, Bengaluru. Traversing the landscape of North India, Loya captures the culinary tapestry from the foothills of the Himalayas to the terrains of Punjab and the snow-capped peaks of India. Derived from Bakarwalshepherds, aLoyaa signifies a joyous gathering for a feast, embodying the spirit of camaraderie. Inviting patrons on a captivating epicurean journey through North India, the menu revives lost culinary traditions and long-preserved authentic recipes made with heirloom ingredients. The spotlight is on the inherent uniqueness and time-honoured cooking techniques of dungaar, the art of smoking and slow-cooking; aromatics of baghar, spices tempered in hot oil; and sigdi, cooking over an open fire; and the practice of pounding masalas with a sil-batta, pestle and mortar. The bar philosophy, Loya aPaancha, a blend of the charm of the past with modern refinement, focuses on indigenous beverages and the Northas botanical abundance with a contemporary twist on local spirits.. Transcending taste and aroma, Loyaas design blends elegance and nostalgia, featuring grand arches and intricate motifs with outdoor spaces featuring natural rocks, boulders, and Himalayan spring-inspired aquatic bodies. Loyaas music curated by Shreyas Patkar is inspired by folk tunes, traditional rhythms, and soul-stirring compositions add the final touch to the quintessence of North India. Raise a toast at Qissa Lounge and indulge in LoyaQissa, the eclectic storytelling events as the restaurant embarks on a new chapter in Bengaluru's culinary journey. (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) --IANS IANSlife/tb Kolkata, Sep 5 : The internal probe committee of Jadavpur University ((JU) constituted in the wake of the death of a fresher submitted its probe reported on Tuesday wherein it suggested immediate rustication of four students of the prestigious university. The first year student of Bengali honours had died on August 10 after falling from the balcony of a studentsa hostel. It is suspected that he became a victim of ragging. The probe panel has also suggested that the JU authorities should lodge FIRs against the six former students who were present at the studentsa hostel at the time of the 'mishap'. It also recommended suspension of 15 students for one semester, 11 students for two semesters and five for four semesters. One current research scholar associated with the university should be barred from entering the campus for life after the completion of his research, the probe panel suggested. The committee also said that a thorough inquiry should be initiated against the superintendent of the main studentsa hostel where the mishap took place on August 10, especially on complaints of negligence on his part. If the complaints are found justified, disciplinary actions should be initiated against him, it suggested. It is learnt that the internal probe committee submitted its report after recording the versions of as many as 140 witnesses. Besides video-recording of the verbal statements, the signatures of the witnesses were also taken on written statements in the matter. Meanwhile, JU insiders said that during the second round of meeting with the representatives of the anti-ragging cell of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the university authorities faced a lot of uncomfortable questions to which they did not have any answer. One such question was whether the JU authorities ever took any action against any student for his/her involvement in ragging, or whether any student against whom charges of ragging were proved has ever been suspended for a specific period of time. The UGC representatives also expressed dismay over the fact that the executive committee meeting of the university had not been convened for quite some time now. Citizens of the terrorist country of Russia have thrown another tantrum over the drone attack. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that all UAVs were "successfully" shot down by air defense systems, but Russians did not believe in yet another legend of the military department. ADVERTISIMENT The occupiers argued that the UAV debris in the Moscow region allegedly fell near a garage that contained gas cylinders. This was reported by Russian propaganda Telegram channels. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, on the night of September 5, a UAV attack was carried out on Russian territory. The office of war criminal Sergei Shoigu reported that the drone was allegedly destroyed over the Kaluga region. In turn, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin issued that another UAV, which tried to carry out an attack on the capital of the terrorist state, was allegedly shot down in the Istrinsky district of Moscow Region. In addition, the governor of Kaluga Region, Vladislav Shapsha, claimed that explosions had occurred in his region. He reported that the UAV was allegedly shot down by air defense forces, and there were no damages or casualties. ADVERTISIMENT "The wreckage of a Ukrainian UAV shot down by an air defense system fell near a garage with gas cylinders in Pavlovskaya Sloboda, Moscow region. Several strong explosions followed during the fire. At the moment there is no information about casualties," the propagandists explained the explosions. Russian citizens demanded evidence from the Defense Ministry that the UAV debris fell on the garage. Russians doubted that the explosions in the Moscow region were caused precisely by the cylinders in the garage. At the same time, Russians have thrown a tantrum that explosions and UAV attacks are becoming more frequent on Russian territory. Citizens of the terrorist country complain that at this rate they will soon start attacking St. Petersburg and asked rhetorically when the UAV attacks will stop. ADVERTISIMENT Recall, in the aggressor country Russia in the morning of September 5 complained about a new attack of UAVs. In Moscow airports again delayed flights - the plan "Cover" was announced in "Vnukovo". Earlier it was reported that on September 1, explosions were again heard in the Russian Federation, the authorities reported the shooting down of a drone "without casualties or damage", however, the conversations of Russians in publicks indicate that the drone was not one and they "experienced" a whole series of explosions. ADVERTISIMENT As reported OBOZREVATEL, residents of the terrorist state of Russia once again complained about UFOs. This time an unknown object in the sky Russians saw in the Leningrad region. Moreover, frightened Russians issued that the UFO allegedly came from Latvia. Only verified information from us in Telegram-channel Obozrevatel and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes! New Delhi, Sep 5 : The curatorial team of the 2024 Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale is led by globally renowned curator Ute Meta Bauer as Artistic Director and comprised of DBF curator Wejdan Reda (SA) and curators Rahul Gudipudi (IN), Rose Lejeune (UK), and Anca Rujoiu (RO). Together, they bring experiences and insights from diverse geographic backgrounds, extending the Biennale exhibition with artistic formats such as performance, sound, research-based practices, and digital forms. The Biennale is being developed as a living entity rather than a static framework, with a strong focus on conversation and process. Collaborations and partnerships will connect the contributing artists and architects with local cultural producers, musicians, nonprofit entities, restaurateurs, traders, and farmers, pointing to how art practices today engage with society on multiple levels. The intention is to create spaces for personal encounters and exchange with and between diverse communities. Since April 2023, the Biennale Encounters program has been offering a regular series of public gatherings, artist talks, workshops, and other activities within the JAX District. Additional members of the core team include Laura Miotto and Savina Nicolini / SNA (scenography), Attitudine Forma (art fabrication), Kai von Rabenau / mono.studio (graphic design), Ebrahim Hassan (lead Arabic editor), Laura Schleussner (managing editor), and Lucas Goy / les eclaireurs (lighting design). They will support the curatorial vision of a multi-sensory exhibition experience. In preparation for the 2024 Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, Bauer and members of the core team undertook research trips to various regions across Saudi Arabia, including Dammam, Khobar, Al-hasaa, Riyadh, Jeddah, Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Rijaal Almaa. These visits focused on creating dialogues with Saudi artists of different generations to learn about the country's rich and diverse cultural scene. Ute Meta Bauer, Artistic Director of the 2024 Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale: "I am delighted and honored to be part of this remarkable project. The team of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation and the team of this edition of the Contemporary Art Biennale bring together a breadth of expertise in terms of geographies and skills, which provides an invaluable context for our process-oriented approach. Saudi Arabia has a long, rich history of art, and it has been a privilege to encounter so many practices over months of research. Our aim is to engage deeply with the location and the conversations taking place here, while creating new connections within the region and beyond." Aya Al Bakree, CEO of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation: "It is with great pleasure that we announce the core team for the next edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale. The expertise that this strong team brings to the Diriyah Biennale Foundation not only expands our body of knowledge, but also adds to the diversity of art forms that we showcase and the audiences that we reach. Following the great success of the inaugural Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale in 2022, this edition's team will make a significant contribution to the vitality of contemporary art in Saudi Arabia and to the presence of Saudi culture on the world stage." The Artistic Director was selected by an independent Advisory Committee, whose members include Rafal Niemojewski (chair), Raneem Farsi, Antonia Carver, Sara Binladen, and Akram Zaatari. Several candidates were approached, and a decision was made based on criteria following DBF's curatorial principles. DBF is dedicated to establishing a robust curatorial team for the long term, with a collective commitment to capacity building. With an awareness of Diriyah's specific site, the 2024 Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale intends to connect artists from Saudi Arabia, the wider region, and other parts of the world. The Biennale's three-month exhibition period will feature newly commissioned art and architectural projects in addition to existing artworks and research projects in a series of repurposed former warehouses. During this time, a live program of performances, concerts, and poetry readings will extend from the Biennale's site into its surrounding environment, including the Wadi Hanifah. A number of these works reflect upon and engage with the unprecedented process of transformation taking place in Saudi Arabia today. The Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale is organized by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, a public institution established in 2020 dedicated to nurturing creative expression and instilling an appreciation for culture and the arts in Saudi Arabia. The Diriyah Biennale Foundation also produces the world's only Islamic Arts Biennale, taking place in Jeddah. The two Biennales are organized and developed by the Foundation in alternate years. The Diriyah Biennale Foundation headquarters are located in the JAX District in Diriyah alongside artist studios, a department of the Ministry of Culture, and the future location of a contemporary art museum. Diriyah, on the northwestern outskirts of Riyadh, is the historic home of the House of Saud and their royal residence At-Turaif, a Najdi mud-brick settlement founded in the fifteenth century that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009. Initially an oasis, Diriyah formed around the Wadi Hanifah, a valley with a seasonal river, where human presence dates back some 80,000 years-a history that is currently being explored archaeologically. (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) --IANS IANSlife/tb Mumbai, Sep 5 : Actor Pankaj Tripathi, who is celebrating his birthday on Tuesday and had the trailer launch of his upcoming film 'Fukrey 3' on Tuesday, shared that while shooting, he likes to eat khichdi. Pankaj, who was recently honoured with the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in 'Mimi', spoke with the media on the occasion of the trailer launch of the third instalment of the franchise. Talking about his eating habits while on shoot, the actor said, "Main jab bhi shoot pe hota hoon khichdi khata hoon har din." Hearing his answers, the media burst into laughter to which the actor replied in all earnesty saying, "Nahi sach mein ye mazak nahi hai, main sach mein har din khichdi khata hoon jitne din bhi shoot chale. It helps me stay calm and focused and main apna kaam acche tareeke se kar paata hoon". The actor was then requested to cut a cake at the trailer launch to celebrate his birthday but, he humbly turned down the request saying: "Thank you for this gesture but main kaafi asahaj ho jata hoon cake cutting ko leke. Apna birthday manaane mein meri itni ruchi nahi hai (thank you for this sweet gesture but I get very uncomfrtable with the whole cake-cutting thing. I don't celebrate my birthdays because I can't relate to that concept of celebrating one's own birthday." 'Fukrey 3' releases in cinemas on September 28. Agartala, Sep 5 : Over 84 per cent of the 93,495 voters on Tuesday cast their votes in the by-elections to two Assembly constituencies in Tripura -- Boxanagar and Dhanpur. Officials said no untoward incident was reported from the two Assembly segments in Sepahijala district. However, the CPI-M state Secretary Jitendra Choudhury claimed that due to the threats and intimidation of the ruling BJP cadres, the party's polling agents could not operate in more than 50 per cent of the 110 polling stations in the two seats. "There was silent rigging in both the constituencies by the BJP workers. The police and election officials overlooked this new style of intimidating the opposition voters and election agents," Choudhury claimed. BJP leaders, however, denied the accusations and claimed that voting took place in both the seats in a festive mood, sans any hassles. Polling ended at 4 p.m. amid heavy security. Men and women in large numbers queued up in front of the polling stations well before the process began at 7 a.m.In all, 93,495 voters, including 45,222 females, were eligible to cast their votes in 110 polling stations to decide the electoral fortune of eight candidates, four each in two seats. For the first time in over five years, a direct contest is being witnessed between the ruling BJP and the opposition CPI-M-led Left Front.The Congress and the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), the other two main opposition parties in the state, had earlier announced not to field candidates in the two seats to prevent division of vote share. The leaders of TMP headed by Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman had declared not to support the BJP or the CPI-M in the by-elections, leaving the choice to the voters and party workers. On the other hand, Congress leaders, including state unit President Asish Kumar Saha and MLA Sudip Roy Barman, have campaigned for the CPI-M candidates. Saha told IANS earlier that to defeat the BJP and to ensure victory for the opposition INDIA bloc, they have campaigned in both the Assembly segments for the Left nominees. After the formation of INDIA, Tuesday's by-elections were its first electoral battle. The CPI-M has nominated Mizan Hossain in Boxanagar and Kaushik Chanda in Dhanpur, while the ruling BJP has fielded Taffajal Hossain in Boxanagar and Bindu Debnath in Dhanpur. CPI-M's Mizan Hossain and BJP's Bindu Debnath are contesting elections for the first time, while Kaushik Chanda and Taffajal Hossain had contested the Assembly polls held in February this year. In February, the Left parties and the Congress had contested the elections together with seat-sharing arrangements, while the TMP had gone solo. The by-election in Dhanpur seat was necessitated after Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik resigned from the Assembly, days after her election from the seat as a BJP nominee. The Muslim-dominated Boxanagar Assembly seat fell vacant after the death of sitting CPI-M MLA Samsul Haque, who died on July 19 following a cardiac attack. New Delhi, Sep 5 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday deferred the bail hearing for low-cost airline SpiceJet's Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh The decision came as settlement talks are underway between the complainant and Singh. |The case revolves around an allegation by a Delhi businessman and his family that they had entered into a share purchase agreement with Singh, paid Rs 10 lakh for 10 lakh shares, but did not receive the shares. It was also alleged that Singh had provided outdated and invalid DIS (delivery instruction slips). On Tuesday, a bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma asked Singh to settle the dispute with the complainant. This development comes as SpiceJet allocated over 48 million shares to nine aircraft lessors to settle outstanding dues of approximately Rs 2.31 billion, as the airline aims to return to full operations. The judge also made an oral observation that media reports indicated SpiceJet was doing well and encouraged Singh to consider settling the matter. Earlier in the day, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) asked SpiceJet to work towards resolving disputes with the lessors who have initiated insolvency proceedings against the airline. This came during an insolvency plea filed by one of the lessors -- Celestial Aviation Services Ltd -- against the low-cost airline. The NCLT noted that all insolvency petitions against SpiceJet have been brought forward by lessors rather than banks or financial institutions. Consequently, the tribunal encouraged the airline to consider settling with the lessors, stressing that this could be in its best interest. Last month, a trial court had rejected Singh's anticipatory bail application, citing insufficient grounds for granting relief in light of the overall facts and circumstances of the case and the gravity of the offense. In July, the high court had observed that the allegations of fraud against Singh in the share transfer agreement dispute were serious and encouraged the parties to consider settling. --IANS spr/vd Patna, Sep 5 : The Bihar Forest and Wildlife Department has started a campaign against people who are keeping tortoises in their homes as pets. As per the Hindu tradition, people used to keep tortoises in aquariums for prosperity. People believe that this helps in passing the examinations, and a growth in wealth and business. Due to this, demand for the animal turns high during Dushahra and Diwali and the smuggling of tortoises also increases during the festival session after monsoon. With this in view, Bhagalpur administration has appealed to people to hand over tortoises to the Wildlife Department or the Sundarvan tortoise rescue center. "Keeping tortoises as pets in the home is a crime. It comes under animal cruelty act and the offenders can be liable to pay hefty fines or face jail as well," said wildlife official Sanjit Kumar. As per the Animal Cruelty Act, 1960, keeping pets hungry, or teasing them is a crime. The tortoises smuggling network has a deep route starting from the coastal areas of West Bengal, Bihar and going all the way to Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and other parts of the country. Bihar Police also seized a number of tortoises smuggled through trains and through private and commercial vehicles. Mumbai, Sep 5 : Actor Pulkit Samrat, who will be soon seen in the upcoming film 'Fukrey 3', feels that the presence of actor Pankaj Tripathi in any film makes the film "safe". The actor, who was in a fun mood throughout the trailer launch of his film in Mumbai on Tuesday spoke to the media, and shared a few anecdotes from the making of the film. He said that all the actors in the film became close to each other during the initial days of the shoot of the first part of the franchise ''Fukrey'. Earlier, while interacting with the media Pankaj Tripathi had said that he feels blessed that from the role of a gatekeeper in 'Fukrey' to have an integral part in the 'Fukrey 3'. Replying to this, Pulkit said: "I would like to say that from a gatekeeper in 'Fukrey', Pankaj sir has become that safe person for all of us, jinke saath we feel very comfortable. Aur Pankaj sir ke film mein rehne se picture bahut safe ho jaati hai given how much the audience loves him." Pulkit also credited the writing of the franchise and shared that the reason all the characters in the 'Fukrey' franchise feels relatable and relevant is the writing of the franchise. 'Fukrey 3' releases in cinemas on September 28. Mumbai, Sep 5 : Celebrity chef Vikas Khanna, who will be soon seen in the OTT version of the cooking reality show 'MasterChef India', recently took to his social media and shared an update from the auditions of the show. On Tuesday, the celebrity chef uploaded a selfie on the Story section of his Instagram. He wrote on the picture, "On my way back to NY. Had the most AMAZING auditions of 'MasterChef India'. It's amazing to introduce these talented & magical homecooks. #MasterChefIndia". Talking about the show, following the success of its previous season, 'MasterChef India' is gearing up to make a return on OTT. Celebrity chefs Vikas Khanna and Ranveer Brar will be returning to the judges' panel for this season too. The newest addition to the panel of judges will be Chef Pooja Dhingra. She graced the show as a guest judge last season and is now set to step into the role of a judge. Together the judges will guide and inspire dedicated contestants who will soon go hammer and tongs on an epic culinary contest in the 'MasterChef' kitchen, striving to earn the coveted title. The show will soon drop on Sony LIV. New Delhi, Sep 5 : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will highlight its digital payments infrastructure at the forthcoming G20 summit, with central bank digital currency (CBDC) and public tech platforms being the main focus areas. According to RBI sources, the RBI exhibition pavilion at the G20 summit will put up five major items for display, including the Public Tech Platform (PTP) for frictionless credit. An experience centre would be available for the delegates where one can experience an interactive demonstration of the entire process i.e., from onboarding to sanction and disbursement of the Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs) and dairy loans in an entirely digital manner in a few minutes, revolutionising rural credit, sources said. It will be showcasing an informational video on the RBIas digital rupee and its journey. The live digital rupee transactions will be demonstrated by select banks which are participating in the pilot, said sources. Apart from this, digital payments initiatives will also be showcased, highlighting UPI One World - where visitors will be on boarded to UPI without having a bank account in India and they will benefit in the process to have a first-hand experience of breezing payments through UPI. Also the RuPay On-The-Go segment of the pavilion would allow customers to carry out contactless payment transactions through accessories they wear (watch, ring) or use (key chain) every day and highlight the adaptability of the domestic card scheme associated products at par with such global products. Finally under the Bharat Bill Payment System ((BBPS), it will highlight the adaptability of the BBPS platform to integrate with FinTechs and conventional financial players to facilitate domestic as well as cross-border payment transactions, RBI sources said. --IANS ans/vd Kolkata, Sep 5 : The by-election to the Dhupguri Assembly constituency in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district concluded peacefully on Tuesday with over 80 per cent voter turnout, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said. The officials added that the exact polling percentage will be slightly higher as some voters were still standing in queues at some polling booths even after the expiry of the scheduled polling time. Political observers feel that the polling percentage recorded so far is quite high considering the trend of lower turnout in by-elections. The CEO officials said the polling process was peaceful on Tuesday, with hardly any complaint received from any political party throughout the day. The counting of votes will be taken up on September 8. The bypoll in Dhupguri was necessitated by the sudden demise of BJP legislator Bishnu Pada Roy on July 25. Roy had come to Kolkata to participate in the monsoon session of the Assembly. He was admitted to a city hospital after he complained of the chest pain. He died soon after being admitted to the hospital. The bypoll is witnessing a three-way fight between Trinamool Congress, BJP and Congress-backed CPI(M). The BJP has fielded Tapasi Roy, the widow of CRPF jawan Jagannath Roy who was martyred in a terror attack at Lawaypora in J&K on March 25, 2021. The Trinamool has fielded Nirmal Chandra Roy, a professor at the Dhupguri Girls College, while the Congress-backed CPI(M) candidate is Ishwar Chandra Roy. In the 2021 Assembly elections, BJPas Bishnu Pada Roy had defeated sitting Trinamool MLA Mitali Roy by a margin of 4,355 votes. Being denied re-nomination in the bypoll, Mitali Roy joined the BJP just a couple of days ago. London, Sep 5 : Chipmaker NXP Semiconductors has admitted a data breach, alerting customers about a recent incident involving their personal data. The data breach was first reported by Troy Hunt, the owner of Have I Been Pwned, who posted a copy of the email NXP had sent to customers affected by the data breach. "According to our records, you have a registered user profile on the NXP.com website that has been inactive for at least the last 18 months. What happened and what information was involved: Your inactive account with us has been identified as part of an incident that occurred on July 11, 2023 that potentially involves your e-mail address," the company told affected customers in the email. "This was the only personal data of yours potentially impacted; no other personal data was impacted by this incident," NXP said. Upon discovering the incident, the chip-maker immediately launched an internal investigation, activated its incident response procedures, and the incident response team took immediate action to contain the incident. "We also promptly notified the authorities. We have completed our internal investigation, and though we have found no evidence to suggest your data has been fraudulently used, we are now contacting all affected NXP.com users out of an abundance of caution," the company added. NXP said it encourages people to Be cautious of unsolicited communications requesting personal information or containing specific links. "NXP will not proactively contact you to request your personal or confidential information. If you ever receive an e-mail or call claiming to be from us requesting this information, please flag it as phishing and report it to the relevant authorities in your country if necessary," said the company. In a statement to TechCrunch, a company spokesperson was quoted as saying that an "unauthorised party" had acquired "basic personal information" from a system connected to NXP's online portal. --IANS na/ Fighters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have successfully repelled attacks by Russian occupants in the east. The soldiers continue their counter-offensive in the south. There have been 22 military clashes over the past 24 hours. ADVERTISIMENT This is stated in the operational summary of the General Staff of the AFU as of 18:00 on September 4. According to the data received, during the day the enemy has made 5 missile and 68 air strikes, made 42 shelling from multiple rocket launchers on the positions of our troops and settlements. "Russian terrorist attacks have unfortunately resulted in civilian deaths and injuries. Residential houses and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed. The likelihood of missile and air strikes across the entire territory of Ukraine remains high," the statement said. - The situation in the Volyn and Polissya sectors remained unchanged. - In the Siversky and Slobozhansky sectors, the enemy fired mortar and artillery shells at more than 15 localities, including Karpovychi, Prohres in Chernihiv region, Nova Huta, Romashkove, Buhir, Malushyne in Sumy region and Udy, Vovchansk, Vovchanski Khutory, Hatyshche, Ohirtseve, Ternova in Kharkiv region. ADVERTISIMENT - In the Kupyansk sector, the enemy launched an air strike near Budarky, Kharkiv region. More than 10 localities came under artillery fire, including Figolivka, Dvorichna, Kindrashivka, Synkivka, Kyslivka in Kharkiv region. - In the Liman sector, the enemy conducted unsuccessful offensives near Novoyehorivka and Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region. It carried out air strikes in the areas of Bilohorivka, Luhansk region, Yampolivka and Spirne, Donetsk region. More than 10 localities came under enemy artillery fire, including Nevske and Bilohorivka in Luhansk region and Spirne, Rozdolivka, Serebryanka, Verkhnekamianske in Donetsk region. ADVERTISIMENT - In the Bakhmut sector, our defenders successfully repelled attacks by Russian troops in the area north of Klishchiyivka, Donetsk region. The enemy launched an air strike near Ivanivske in the Donetsk region. More than 15 localities came under enemy artillery fire, including Minkivka, Vasyukivka, Bohdanivka, Chasiv Yar, Bila Hora, and Pivnichne in the Donetsk region. - In the Avdiivka sector, the enemy launched an air strike near Avdiivka. He fired with artillery and mortars at the localities of Oleksandropil, Novokalynove, Keramik, Avdiivka, Severne, Pervomayske in Donetsk region. ADVERTISIMENT - In the Mariinka sector, the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the Russian offensive in the vicinity of Mariinka, Donetsk region. The enemy launched an air strike near Krasnohorivka. The localities of Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, Gostre, Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk region came under artillery fire. - In the Shakhtarsk sector, the enemy launched an air strike near Vuhledar. More than 10 localities came under artillery fire, including Vuhledar, Vodiane, Shakhtarske, Novoukrainka, and Urozhayne in the Donetsk region. - In the Zaporizhzhya sector, the enemy launched air strikes in the areas of Mala Tokmachka, Orikhov, Robotyno, Stepnohirsk in Zaporizhzhya region. More than 15 localities came under artillery fire, including Novodarivka, Olhivske, Zaliznychne, Mala Tokmachka, Robotyne, Kamianske in Zaporizhzhia region. ADVERTISIMENT - In the Kherson sector, the enemy launched air strikes in the areas of Tyahyntsi and Molodizhne. Burhunka, Kherson region, came under artillery and mortar fire. At the same time, the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to conduct an offensive operation in the Melitopol sector, consolidating their positions and conducting counter-battery activities. "Within the last day, the aviation of the Defense Forces conducted 11 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment, 2 strikes on enemy anti-aircraft missile systems. Over the course of the day, missile and artillery units destroyed 11 artillery pieces at firing positions and 4 enemy control points. Support the Armed Forces! We will win together! Glory to Ukraine!" the General Staff summarized. ADVERTISIMENT As reported OBOZREVATEL, the United States in the coming weeks may send to Ukraine ammunition with depleted uranium. Such shells can be assigned for American tanks Abrams. Experts told about the advantages of these shells. Only verified information from us in Telegram-channel Obozrevatel and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes! New Delhi, Sep 5 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday said that it has recovered Rs 50 lakh, the full bribe amount that was paid to Gail India Ltd 's Executive Director, Projects, K.B. Singh by two persons at the instruction of a private firm's director. Singh allegedly promised to provide the private firm with undue favors in the SAPL (Srikakulam Angul Pipeline) and VAPL (Vijaipur Auraiya Pipeline) projects of GAIL. "We have arrested Krishna Ballabh Singh, the Executive Director of GAIL, Surendra Kumar, Director of Advance Infrastructures Pvt Ltd, Davinder Singh, CGM of GAIL, Harsh Yadav, a resident of Delhi, and Suryavesh, a resident of Jhajjar, Haryana. An FIR was filed against them, including Sunil Kumar, the Senior General Manager of MECON Ltd, and Vadodara-based private firm, Advance Infrastructures Pvt. Ltd," said the official. The official stated that Singh, in conspiracy with others, was providing undue favours in connection with the SAPL and VAPL Projects of GAIL. Surendra Kumar of Advance Infrastructures arranged the bribe amount of Rs 50 lakh through Yadav and Suryavesh. The CBI learned that a Rs 50 lakh bribe was to be delivered to Singh by Yadav and Suryavesh, set a trap and apprehended the duo when they handed over the bribe to the official. The official said that Rs 50 lakh bribe was recovered from Singh. Searches were conducted at the premises of the accused, including in Delhi, Noida, Visakhapatnam, and Vadodara, which led to the discovery of incriminating documents and digital evidence. The arrested accused will be presented before the competent court. New Delhi, Sep 5 : The Supreme Court has said that a judge cannot shut his own eyes and act like a robot in the process of dispensation of justice. A bench of Justices B.R. Gavai, J.B. Pardiwala and Prashant Kumar Mishra made the above observation in a recent judgement setting aside a death penalty awarded to a man by the Patna High Court in a 2015 case of murder and gang rape of a 10-year-old girl. After hearing the appeal on merits, the bench remitted the matter back to the High Court for afresh consideration after noting that there were "serious lapses" in the investigation and on the part of defence. In April 2018, the Patna High Court confirmed the judgment of conviction and sentence of death passed by a trial court in Bhagalpur for the offence punishable under Sections 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) of IPC and Section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. In its judgment, the top court said that the oral evidence of the investigating officer "disturbed" it a lot, as she, in her cross examination before the trial court, admitted that following the instructions of her senior officers, she did not take any steps to procure the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report. "Who are these senior officers a and why they instructed (her) a not to procure the FSL report should have been a subject matter of inquiry by both, the State as well as the trial court," it said, adding that such lapse is just a tip of the iceberg and is a very serious flaw on the part of the investigating officer in a serious matter. The Supreme Court said that it was the duty of the defence counsel to confront the witnesses with their police statements so as to prove the contradictions in the form of material omissions and bring them on record. "We are sorry to say that the learned defence counsel had no idea how to contradict a witness with his or her police statements in accordance with Section 145 of the Evidence Act, 1872," it said. It said that the lapse on the part of the public prosecutor is also something very unfortunate and he knew that the witnesses were deposing something contrary to what they had stated before the police. "It was his (public prosecutoras) duty to bring to the notice of the witnesses and confront them with the same even without declaring them as hostile," the apex court observed. "The presiding officer of the trial court also remained a mute spectator. It was the duty of the presiding officer to put relevant questions to witnesses in exercise of his powers," said the Supreme Court, adding: "If the High Court would have taken little pains to look into the record, then immediately it could have taken recourse to Section 367 of the CrPC." The top court said that free and fair trial is sine qua non of Article 21 of the Constitution of India, adding that If the criminal trial is not free and fair, then the confidence of the public in the judicial fairness of a judge and the justice delivery system would be shaken. "No doubt he (judge) has to remain very vigilant, cautious, fair and impartial....This, however, would not mean that the judge will simply shut his own eyes and be a mute spectator, acting like a robot or a recording machine to just deliver what stands fed by the parties," it said. "Justice has nothing to do with what goes on in the courtroom; Justice is what comes out of a courtroom," said the top court citing Clarence Darrow, a famous American lawyer. It noted that the appellant has been in jail for more than nine years and said that the High Court will take up the death reference afresh for hearing expeditiously. "(The appellant convict) may not be in a position to engage a lawyer of his choice. Probably, he may not be in a position to even understand what is said in this judgment. In such circumstances, the High Court may request a seasoned criminal side lawyer to appear on behalf of the appellant and assist the court," the Supreme Court said. --IANS puneet/vd Bengaluru, Sep 5 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that the Narendra Modi-led Central government's move to rename the country as Bharat is not required. Speaking to reporters, he maintained that the Constitution mentions the name of the country as India and it is the name which is agreed upon by one and all. "There is no need for renaming it," he added. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that "the Central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, out of fear of our Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), are up to changing the name of Republic of India into Republic of Bharat". "One can observe that the BJP and Central government are seeing their defeat in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Indian currency has the name India on it and attempts are made to change it," Shivakumar stated. "We are all Indians. It is not correct to change the name of the country out of fear of defeat. Their thinking is much more. If this is revealed, people will be shocked. I will speak on it at a different time. I am opposing the proposal as the President of Karnataka Congress. This politics will not last long. You canat be in power for long, donat do this," he added. Ahmedabad, Sep 5 : The Gujarat High Court dismissed a series of petitions challenging the age criterion stipulated by the state government for Class 1 admission in academic year 2023-24. A division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice N.V. Anjaria also held that parents who compel children under the age of three to attend preschool are committing an "illegal act." The pleas were filed by a group of parents whose children had not attained the age of six by June 1, 2023, and sought to contest the validity of the state government's notification dated January 31, 2020, which outlined the age limit for Class 1 admissions for the academic year 2023-24. In its ruling, the high court highlighted the prohibition specified in Rule 8 of the Right to Education (RTE) Rules, 2012, which pertains to preschool admissions, as it underlined that "no preschool is permitted to admit a child who has not completed three years of age by June 1 of the academic year". It emphasised that this prohibition was in alignment with the principles enshrined in the Right to Education Act, 2009, and the Right to Education Rules, 2012. The court contended that a child's early childhood care and education, lasting three years in a preschool, serves as a foundational preparation for their subsequent admission to Class 1 in a formal school. The petitioners had contended that the cutoff date of June 1 for the current academic year would hinder around nine lakh children's right to education. While the parents argued for relaxation based on the completion of three years of elementary education in a preschool, the Court's interpretation of the RTE Act, 2009, clarified that a child's right to free and compulsory education commences after they reach the age of six. Additionally, it referred to the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020, which underscores the significance of early childhood care and education for children under six years. New Delhi, Sep 5 : Areas relating to maritime security as well as digital economy will be reviewed by India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during ASEAN Summit in Indonesia, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending on September 7. He will leave for Indonesia during the night on Wednesday and return to New Delhi late in the evening on Thursday. Secretary, East, in the External Affairs Ministry Saurabh Kumar while briefing media persons on Modi's visit to Indonesia to attend the summit, which is themed "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth", said on Tuesday that Indonesia is chairing the summit this year, and that the Prime Minister will attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit. On matters to be discussed during the event, he said: "It is difficult to anticipate what would be discussed when the leaders meet, but issues which are of mutual concern--regional and international will come up once they have the discussionaWhether there would be consensus or not, can't anticipate what would come out of the discussions. We cannot reveal any specific term." There are speculations that ASEAN nations may discuss the "standard map" which China had issued last week, that showed several parts of Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh under its own territory. It also showed a substantial portion of the South China Sea under Chinese territory. Several neighbouring nations including India, had reacted angrily to this development. India issued a "strong protest" to Beijing, claiming that they had no justification to claim Indian land. Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Nepal later joined the opposition to the so-called "standard map." However, the MEA official said that the Myanmar situation could come up for discussion. "Myanmar, of course, like other regional and international issues, is likely to come up in the discussions. Our position on Myanmar is very clear. So I would leave it at that. And once we have the post-summit briefing, if there is anything more, I would add to that," hesaid. "This year Indonesia is the chair of ASEAN and their theme is ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth. Within this framework, Indonesia organised a flagship event ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum to implement the ASEAN outlook. This is an event that is focused on increasing the connectivity of ASEAN to the Indo-Pacific by involvement of businesses & industries," Kumar said. With India and Asean observing the 30th anniversary of their partnership in 2022, the Indian side has focused on increasing connectivity in the physical, digital and economic domains. India and Indonesia launched direct flights through two private airlines in August, and India has also started direct flights to Vietnam. Following the linking of the real-time cross-border payment systems of India and Singapore in February, Kumar said the Indian side is "looking at ways to expand this to other Asean countries". He also said that PM Modi's journey to Indonesia will be brief because he will be hosting the G20 Leaders Summit in New Delhi. "It is a very short visit, as the Prime Minister is hosting the G20, and the effort is to participate in this important summit and get back home as quickly as possible because the Prime Minister is the host for G20. So, there would not be any bilaterals during the course of the visit," Kumar said. New Delhi, Sep 5 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital during which he delivered a presentation on the ongoing construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and developmental work underway in the city. According to sources, the Prime Minister was apprised of the development projects that are currently underway, and those which are expected to be completed by January 2024. It has been learnt that the Prime Minister, during the presentation on the development projects of Ayodhya, also provided some key suggestions. A discussion was also held on the events that would be organised during the inauguration ceremony of the Ram Temple. The Prime Minister's Office has also posted a picture of the meeting between Adityanath and Modi on X (formerly Twitter). The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also shared a photograph on X, while thanking PM Modi for his guidance. "Your invaluable guidance gives strength to 'New Uttar Pradesh' to play an important role in the achievement of the resolution of 'Developed India @ 2047'. Thank you very much for taking the valuable time out of your busy schedule," Adityanath wrote on X. Ayodhya District Magistrate Nitish Kumar and Divisional Commissioner Gaurav Dayal were also present at the meeting. Meanwhile, sources said that during the meeting, PM Modi also sought details about land availability with the government. He also suggested Adityanath to increase and upgrade all other necessary public infrastructure and public utility facilities including parking of vehicles, in view of the number of devotees visiting Ayodhya in future. It is being said a discussion in the meeting was also held on setting up a Temple Museum. New Delhi, Sep 5 : Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived in Delhi on Tuesday evening to attend the G20 Summit, which is scheduled to take place in the national capital on September 9-10. Tinubu is the first foreign dignitary to arrive for the multi-lateral event. "Arrivals begin for the G20 Summit! @NGRPresident @officialABAT is the first Head of Delegation to arrive in New Delhi for the Summit. Received by MOS @MoHFW_INDIA @spsinghbaghelpr at the airport. This is President Tinubuas first visit to India since the assumption of office," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on X (formerly Twitter). Minister of State for Health S.P. Singh Baghel received the Nigerian President at the IGI Airport here. Nigeria is an invitee country for the G20 Summit. High-level deliberations are expected to take place between India and Nigeria during Tinubu's visit, official sources said. Patna, Sep 6 : A day after self-styled saint Paramhans Acharya announced Rs 10 crore bounty for beheading of Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin over his Sanatan Dharma comments, RJD national Vice President Shivanand Tiwari on Tuesday asked what kind of Sanatan Dharma is this where a person announces reward for murder? "I want to ask them that if appealing to people for genocide of a particular community in a religious conclave is right. Is it a part of Sanatan Dharma? The way a self-styled saint announced the reward of beheading a person is highly condemnable," he said. Paramhans Acharya had announced Rs 10 crore reward for beheading Udhayanidhi Stalin, who had called for eradication of the Sanatan Dharma like dengue, malaria, and coronavirus. Citing the case from the Mahabharat when Guru Dronacharya demanded the thumb of tribalas son Eklavya only to make Arjun as the best archer in the world, the RJD leader said that Eklavya, who does not have a prominent gotra, caste, and royal background readily sacrifices his thumb and gives it to Dronacharya. "The tradition of Dronacharya is still applied in the current world. How teachers and professors of prominent institutes like IIT, IIM would treat students of OBC, EBC, minority, SC and ST...," he said. "The contractors of Sanatan Dharma should reply where Dalit, backward class people, tribals, and women stand in their religion. Some years ago, a Shankaracharya of Puri came to Patna and made a statement publically that scheduled caste people are untouchable from their birth. I have registered an FIR against him and late Ram Vilas Paswan was the witness of it. That incident is mentioned in his autobiography. "In Sanatan Dharma, women are termed the doors of hell. Sanatan Dharma allows Sati Pratha. Everyone knows how thousands of widows are living in Varanasi and Vrindavan," Tiwari said. Guwahati, Sep 6 : Assam Police have arrested a fake physician who was practising in the Jyotikuchi neighborhood of Guwahati for the past 10 years, officials said on Tuesday. A senior police officer said that the arrested person has been identified as Paresh Chakraborty, who allegedly treated patients at his fictitious clinic 'Charu Lakshmi Ayush Medical Pharmacy' at Shankar Hotel in the Jyotikuchi area. The Medical Association of Assam had lodged a complaint against Chakraborty, following which a police team raided Chakrabortyas chamber. According to the police, they seized a number of objectionable documents from Chakrabortyas chamber. Jaipur, Sep 5 : Union Minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday appealed to the people of Rajasthan to vote for his party in the upcoming Assembly elections for a developed, prosperous and safe state. "The double-engine government has to be brought back. The destiny of Rajasthan has to be changed. Change the future of villages, poor, labourers and farmers. Create employment for the youth. Besides, change the future of Rajasthan and the country. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, support the BJP government under the leadership of J.P. Nadda," he told the people while flagging off the Parivartan Yatra. He flagged off the Parivartan Yatra from Gogameri. The yatra will cover 2,128 km in 50 assembly constituencies of Bikaner Division and Jhunjhunu, Sikar, and Alwar districts. He also spoke of the development work undertaken during the tenure of former chief minister Vasundhara Raje. The Minister also criticised the Opposition without taking any names. He, however, did not speak anything about the controversy triggered by the Sanatan Dharma remarks of Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. He also spoke on farmers' hardship in growing wheat, millet, and corn every year but not getting good returns due to fluctuating prices and output from farmlands. Gadkari said: "This is the time for diversification of agriculture towards energy and power. Now, our farmers will not only be the food provider but also the energy provider. Now, ethanol is being made from sugarcane juice. Ethanol is being produced from millet, wheat, maize and sorghum." The Russian occupiers could have created a whole network of mazes on their second line of defense in the south of Ukraine. The enemy had enough time for this - more than a year. ADVERTISIMENT This was said by the speaker of the joint press center of the Defense Forces of the Tauride direction Oleksandr Shtupun on the air of the information telethon on Monday, September 4. According to him, one should not think that the second line of defense of the invaders is much weaker than the first. There is less minefield density there, but the number of mines is also high, Stupun said. In addition, the enemy army's second defense line may contain mazes. "The only thing that can play to our advantage is that the trenches, trenches and overlaps are not as strong," he added. Asked whether the occupiers had actually built entire tunnels and "underground cities" there, as some military experts say, Stupun said he had no such information. ADVERTISIMENT "The Russians have had more than a year of time to entrench themselves, so I think mazes exist there," the military officer added. On September 3, Shtupun confirmed that the Ukrainian Defense Forces had broken through the first defense line of Russian troops in the Zaporizhzhya direction. Now our soldiers have opportunities for maneuvers with equipment and troops. According to him, the occupants held about 60% of the resources on the first line, it was especially heavily mined, a significant amount of anti-tank weapons were used there, the subsequent lines are not so strong in engineering terms. As reported by OBOZREVATEL, the commander of the operational-strategic grouping of troops "Tavria" Oleksandr Tarnavsky said that the Russian Federation spent 60% of its time and resources on the construction of the first line of defense and only 20% each on the second and third. Moscow did not expect Ukrainian troops to pass through. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information from us in Telegram-channel Obozrevatel and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Haveri : , Sep 6 (IANS) Karnataka Agricultural Marketing Minister Shivananada Patil on Tuesday sparked of a controversy after saying that the compensation package of Rs 5 lakh given by the government is resulting in more number of farmers's suicides. Speaking to reporters in Haveri, he claimed that the reporting of farmersa suicide is creating panic among people. "There are few who have died due to drinking liquor. There are those who died due to heart attacks. We have started to provide Rs 5 lakh compensation from 2015 for the farmers who committed suicide. Since then, the numbers have been rising. The media should also take note of this development. "In 2020, more than 500 farmers had ended their lives. In 2021 more than 600 had committed suicide. But, if you consider FIRs, it is your mistake. The farmers are committing suicides for various reasons. Even deaths due to love cases is also considered as farmersa suicides," he said. "I donat understand how newspapers are giving figures without cross checking. There are officers and before reporting, one should cross check with them. The relatives, thinking out of greed, that if the complaint is given as suicide due to crop loss, they will get compensation," he claimed. "If the farmers meet injustice, there will be no delay in compensation. The legislators are pressured naturally by people. The wrong reports will create panic. Do not come to conclusion that death of a farmer is a case of suicide. The reason for death is not only loans, crop loss. There will be personal matters. Even the death due to snake bite is also reported as suicide," he added. The farmers and activists have slammed Patil for his statements and demanded his resignation. Mallikarjuna Ballary, General Secretary of District Farmersa Association, said that the organisation will provide him Rs 50 lakh and let him commit suicide. He also stated that the organisation would surround Patil and stage protests wherever he goes. Srinagar, Sep 6 : The Court of Additional Sessions Judge in Jammu and Kashmir has issued a landmark judgment against two individuals involved in a narcotics smuggling case, sentencing them to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs two lakh for each of the two accused, police said. The convicted individuals, Syed Ishfaq Shah and Khursheed Ahmad Gojar, both residents of Jabdi village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, were arrested in connection with an FIR at the Karnah police station. "Their arrest followed the discovery of 15 kg of brown sugar, obtained from both accused individuals during their confession in the Karnah area," police added. "Further investigation conclusively established that the duo intended to transport the narcotics consignment from Karnah to Punjab. Additionally, it was proven that both smugglers had procured the narcotics consignment from across the Line of Control through Bashir Ahmad, who is presently settled in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) and is known to be a cousin of Khursheed Ahmad." Bengaluru, Sep 6 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has expressed concern over the increasing number of human- wild animal conflicts in the state. Speaking at a meeting on Tuesday regarding human-wild animal conflict which was also attended by the Forest Minister and senior officers of the department, the Chief Minister expressed his concern over the death of 11 people in 15 days due to elephant attacks. He instructed forest officials to adopt scientific measures to control the animals from entering the villages. He also told them to maintain a strict vigilance, so that such incidents do not recur. He directed them to identify and clear huge encroachments of forest land. Expressing his dissatisfaction over the death of sharpshooter Venkatesh, who was hired to tranquilise an elephant, the CM sought to know if precautionary measures were taken to treat the injured elephant. Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said that this year, Rs 100 crore has been allocated to build a fence to prevent elephants from entering human habitats. Washington, Sep 6 : US President Joe Biden will focus on "fundamentally reshaping and scaling up the multilateral development banks" during his upcoming visit this week to New Delhi for the G20 leaders' meeting, the White House said. Biden's other priorities for the summit will include debt relief for countries, climate, health, digital technology, including commitments with respect to a more inclusive digital transformation and a responsible path and approach to Artificial intelligence development. The US President's plans have not changed because of wife, First Lady Jill Biden, testing positive for Covid-19. He has tested negative but due to possible exposure to the virus he will be undertaking the usual precautions mandated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), such as wearing masks in public places and around people. Biden will leave for New Delhi on Thursday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday at a news briefing to preview the visit. Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting on Friday and then the US President will attend G20 meetings on Saturday and Sunday. This will be Biden's first visit to India as President. He went there last in 2013 as Vice-President. "Delivering on an agenda fundamentally reshaping and scaling up the multilateral development bank's, especially the World Bank and the IMF (the International Monetary Fund)" will be one of the main focuses of the US President, Sullivan said. He added: "We know that these institutions are some of the most effective tools that we have for mobilising transparent, high quality investment into developing countries. And that's why the US is championing the major effort that is currently underway to evolve these institutions so that they are up to the challenges of today and tomorrow." Nominating Indian-American Ajay Banga to head the World Bank was a part of these efforts, the Biden administration has said before. Pointing to expanded US funding of the World Bank by $25 billion, per a request to US Congress from the Biden administration, the US National Security Adviser said the US expects other partner countries to follow its lead. "We've been leading this effort that we hope will see the G20 endorsed this level of ambition and deliver a broader vision of multilateral development banks that are better, bigger and more effective." Russia's invasion of Ukraine will also be on the table. "We know that there'll be continued focus on how the G20 deals with Russia's illegal and ongoing war in Ukraine. The reality is that Russia's illegal war has had devastating social and economic consequences. And the poorest countries on the planet are bearing the brunt of that. As he has done before, President Biden will call for a just and durable peace, one founded in respect for international law, principles of the UN Charter, the precepts of territorial integrity and sovereignty, and he will continue to emphasise that the US will support Ukraine for as long as it takes to redeem these principles." Cairo, Sep 6 : Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has stressed the urgent necessity to provide the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) with financial contributions in order to continue its services. In a meeting with the UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini in Cairo, Shoukry stressed Egypt's willingness to support the agency, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday in a statement. Egypt will continue to coordinate with international actors in order to give the agency the financial and political support it needs to offer essential services to Palestinian refugees, Shoukry said. The Egyptian top diplomat also highlighted the importance of not linking financial support for UNRWA with any political considerations, Xinhua news agency reported. For his part, the Commissioner-General thanked Egypt for its assistance and its efforts to mobilise international support for the refugee agency. He stressed UNRWA's willingness to continue close coordination and consultation with Egypt in order to strengthen the agency's capacity to carry out its duties. Established in 1949, UNRWA is mandated to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees. Nearly all of its funding comes from voluntary contributions. Nouna Airport, Nouna, Burkina Faso [ XNU / DFON ] If you are planning to travel to Nouna or any other city in Burkina Faso, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Nouna Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Nouna Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Burkina Faso. Nouna Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided. Nouna Airport Info: Nouna Airport IATA Code: XNU Nouna Airport ICAO Code: DFON Latitude : 12.7333 Longitude : -3.86667 City : Nouna Country : Burkina Faso World Area Code : 593 Airport Type : Small Nouna Airport Address / Contact Details : Nouna Airport (XNU), Nouna, Burkina Faso Timezone : Africa/Ouagadougou Nouna Airport Timezone : GMT +00:00 hours Current time and date at Nouna Airport is 02:35:15 AM (GMT) on Tuesday, Oct 31, 2023 Looking for information on Nouna Airport, Nouna, Burkina Faso? Know about Nouna Airport in detail. Find out the location of Nouna Airport on Burkina Faso map and also find out airports near to Nouna. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Nouna Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Nouna Airport, airlines operating to Nouna Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Burkina Faso. Scroll down to know more about Nouna Airport or Nouna Airport, Burkina Faso. Nouna Airport Map - Location of Nouna Airport Load Map Burkina Faso - General Information Country Code BF Capital Ouagadougou Currency Franc (XOF) 1 XOF = 0.002 USD 1 USD = 618.256 XOF 1 XOF = 0.002 EUR 1 EUR = 655.957 XOF More XOF convertion rates Tel Code +226 Top Level Domain .bf This page provides all the information you need to know about Nouna Airport, Burkina Faso. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Burkina Faso or traveling to Nouna Airport. Details about Nouna Airport given here include Nouna Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes) Coordinates of Nouna Airport - Latitude and Longitude (Lat and Long) of Nouna Airport Location of Nouna Airport - City Name, Country, Country Codes etc... Nouna Airport Time Zone and Current time at Nouna Airport Address and contact details of Nouna Airport along with website address of the airport Clickable Location Map of Nouna Airport on Google Map. General information about Burkina Faso where Nouna Airport is located in the city of Nouna. General information include capital of Burkina Faso, currency and conversion rate of Burkina Faso currency, Telephone Country code, exchange rate against US Dollar and Euro in case of major world currencies etc... XNU - Nouna Airport IATA Code and DFON - Nouna Airport ICAO code On the night of March 18, 1655, two Spanish friars broke into a church to steal the bones of the founder of their religious institution, the Order of the Most Holy Trinity. This bookinvestigates this little-known incident of relic theft and the lengthy legal case that followed, together with the larger questions that surround the remains of saints in seventeenth-century Catholic Europe. Drawing on a wealth of manuscript and print sources from the era, A. Katie Harris uses the case of St. John of Mathas stolen remains to explore the roles played by saints relics, the anxieties invested in them, their cultural meanings, and the changing modes of thought with which early modern Catholics approached them. While in theory a relics authenticity and identity might be proved by supernatural evidence, in practice early modern Church authorities often reached for proofs grounded in the material, human worldpreferences that were representative of the standardizing and streamlining of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century saint-making. Harris examines how Mathas advocates deployed material and documentary proofs, locating them within a framework of Scholastic concepts of individuation, identity, change, and persistence, and applying moral certainty to accommodate the inherent uncertainty of human evidence and relic knowledge. Engaging and accessible, The Stolen Bones of St. John of Matha raises an array of important questions surrounding relic identity and authenticity in seventeenth-century Europe. It will be of interest to students, scholars, and casual readers interested in European history, religious history, material culture, and Renaissance studies. The Cambodian Civil War and genocide of the late 1960s and 70s left the country and its diaspora with long-lasting trauma that continues to reverberate through the community. In this book, Briana L. Wong explores the compelling stories of Cambodian evangelicals, their process of conversion, and how their testimonials to the Christian faith helped them to make sense of and find purpose in their trauma. Based on ethnographic fieldwork with Cambodian communities in the metropolitan areas of Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Paris, and Phnom Penh, Wong examines questions of religious identity and the search for meaning within the context of transnational Cambodian evangelicalism. While the community has grown in recent decades, Christians nevertheless make up a small minority of the predominantly Buddhist diaspora. Wong explores what it is about Christianity that makes these converts willing to risk their social standing, familial bonds,and, in certain cases, physical safety in order to identify with the faith. Contributing to ongoing dialogues on conversion, reverse mission, and multiple religious belonging, this book will appeal to students and scholars of world Christianity, missiology, and the history of Christianity, as well as Southeast Asian studies, secular sociologies, and anthropologists operating within the field of religious studies. Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijan Culture Minister Adil Karimli is on the visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC). On the sidelines of the visit, the Culture Minister discussed prospects of cooperation with the Chinese Minister of Culture and Tourism, Hu Heping, Azernews reports citing the ministry. During the meeting, the sides brought to attention that the basis of successful bilateral ties was laid by the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also attaches special importance to relations with China. The sides stressed that Azerbaijan and China enjoy fruitful cultural cooperation. The fact that Uzeyir Hajibayli's operetta "The Cloth Peddler" has been shown in different cities across China is a manifestation of the strong Azerbaijani-Chinese ties. The culture minister also discussed prospects for cooperation in the fields of theater, cinematography, museum work, library, preservation and restoration of cultural heritage, as well as language and literature. The importance of mutual experience exchange in the fields of restoration of monuments, library work and cinematography was noted, ideas were exchanged on joint film production. Cooperation in the field of creative industries has been highlighted. Emphasizing the importance of the Baku Process on intercultural dialogue proposed by President Ilham Aliyev in 2008, Adil Karimli said that the Chinese government always pays attention to the World Intercultural Dialogue Forum held in Azerbaijan within this platform. He invited the Chinese side to participate in the next forum to be held in Baku in 2024. The Chinese minister accepted the invitation and expressed his gratitude. Minister Hu Hipin voiced the proposal to hold the Chinese Culture Week in Azerbaijan next year. Other issues of mutual interest were also discussed at the meeting. After the meeting, the delegation laid a wreath in front of the bust of the world-famous Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi in Beijing's Chaoyang Park. The delegation is on a visit to China until September 9. Note that Azerbaijan and China successfully cooperate in different fields. Economic ties between Azerbaijan and China play a large role in the bilateral political relationships. In 2017, China became Azerbaijan's 4th largest trading partner. In January-July 2023, the volume of exports from Azerbaijan to China increased by 120 percent compared to the same period of 2022. Azerbaijan Trade House has been recently established under the presidential instructions. The Trade House intends to promote the Made in Azerbaijan brand in the Chinese market and expand the export of Azerbaijani products. Long-range ground and air-based weapons could significantly change the course of the war in Ukraine. Thanks to powerful missiles Ukrainian servicemen could destroy important enemy targets in a short period of time. ADVERTISIMENT We are talking primarily about ATACMS missiles, which would be extremely difficult for the occupants to intercept by air defense means. About this in an exclusive interview with OBOZREVATEL told military expert, reserve colonel Petro Chernik. According to him, there have been recent discussions about Germany's transfer of Taurus cruise missiles. Chernik noted that Germany has no more than 150 such missiles, according to preliminary data. "It would be good to have them in Ukraine. Some large warehouses, large command posts, transformer substations, railroad tracks - it would be useful to use these missiles for these purposes. But in such a quantity, these weapons still do not change the course of the war," the expert explained. At the same time, he added that the course of the war can change a huge number of long-range airborne missiles, in particular, AGM-158 with a range of 980 kilometers. The military expert emphasized that these missiles can be launched from F-16 fighters. At the same time, the Americans have more than 5 thousand AGM-158s in service. According to Chernik, even 500 such missiles would be a significant step in strengthening the Ukrainian army. ADVERTISIMENT However, Chernik added that ATACMS could be the most effective missile in destroying enemy targets. According to him, the AGM-158 is a subsonic missile, which is much easier to intercept by air defense systems. In addition, to launch several such missiles, it is necessary to maintain a fighter aircraft, and this takes quite a lot of time. Unlike air-launched missiles, several truckloads of ATACMS missiles can launch a salvo in a matter of minutes. "The Americans have more than four thousand ATACMS in storage. If they gave us a thousand, we'd grind down everything there is to grind down in a few weeks. But here we are dealing with big politics, we won't change the Americans. They have their own view of the course of this war. We have been dancing around this issue for a year, but the wagon is still standing there," Chernik said. ADVERTISIMENT We shall remind you that German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in no hurry to make a decision on providing Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles. The head of the German government is afraid that the Ukrainian troops will begin to use this weapon to strike the territory of the aggressor country Russia. Earlier it was reported that the White House continues to "quietly debate" whether to transfer ATACMS ballistic missiles to Ukraine. This topic gained new urgency after France at the NATO summit in Vilnius announced the transfer of its analog of the British Storm Shadow - SCALP missiles. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information from us in Telegram-channel Obozrevatel and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The liberation of the temporarily occupied Crimea will be a big blow to the entire system of war organization of the aggressor country Russia. This may be followed by the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT This opinion was expressed in an exclusive interview with OBOZREVATEL by former Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko. "I distinguish between the concepts of cessation of hostilities and cessation of war," he clarified. The general agreed with the conclusions reached by Ben Hodges, former commander of the US Army in Europe, that Crimea is a decisive territory of war. "I'll agree with Hodges. He says that there is not only a military background here, but also a military and political strategic order. If we manage to liberate Crimea in the near future, it will be a significant blow to the entire system of war organization on the part of the Russian Federation, and this may be one of the conditions for the cessation of hostilities," Romanenko said. ADVERTISIMENT He admitted that it is possible that Ukraine and Russia will not sign a peace treaty as a result of the war, as it happened in the case of Japan. As is known, this country has not yet signed a peace treaty with Russia on the results of World War II. "We can expect the same situation if there is a reactionary regime in Russia, which will behave accordingly and with which it will not be possible to conclude any treaty on the war," the general said. "For us, there will be peace only when our interests are taken into account, we will not go for any other agreement. This is not the spring of 2022, when there was a difficult situation, when the political side of Ukraine was ready to sign documents related to return to the original positions on February 24. We have grown stronger, and now we will fight to return to the 1991 borders," the general summarized. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZREVATEL wrote, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the liberation of Crimea can occur both militarily and diplomatically. According to the head of state, until the Ukrainian peninsula will not be de-occupied, we can not talk about a stable peace on the European continent. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Officials of Purdue University, the Purdue Applied Research Institute (PARI) and the Purdue Research Foundation announced a permanent presence in elevating the partnership with Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane), in a ceremony Tuesday, Sept. 5, at WestGate Academy in Odon, Indiana. This investment will catalyze and accelerate the existing collaborative research agreements that focus on national security and defense and on semiconductors. Titled Purdue@Crane, this focus on hypersonics, energetic materials and trusted microelectronics at WestGate@Crane Technology Park builds on the strong Crane-Purdue partnerships in these fields and takes them to the next level, Purdue officials said. This new initiative bolsters the partnership with a permanent Boilermaker presence at the Odon, Indiana, center adjacent to NSWC Crane. Today marks a momentous milestone and turns a new chapter in the collaboration between Purdue and Crane, said Purdue University President Mung Chiang. This new strategic partnership with the most important defense presence in our state brings excellence at scale to deliver solutions for national security research. With one of the nations largest and highly ranked STEM programs, Purdue is excited to become a permanent neighbor and dedicated partner with NSWC Crane. As America's leading university in semiconductor workforce and innovation, we are also looking forward to the new semiconductor ecosystem at WestGate Foundry 1. An initial focus of this initiative secure and reliable microelectronics will be led by a research director, an experienced and respected leader in defense microelectronics who will expand workforce and technology development in advanced packaging, reliable and trusted microelectronics, and electronic system design. Collaborative work with companies located in the WestGate@Crane Technology Park, beginning with NHanced Semiconductors Inc. and Everspin Technologies Inc., is anticipated. The estimated annual budget will begin at $2 million this fiscal year and is expected to grow to $40 million of collaborative research in national security by 2030, Purdue officials said. The Purdue director and a team of researchers and staff will be located permanently outside NSWC Crane, starting at WestGate Academy. The staff will grow in number as Purdue@Crane moves forward. Plans include 3,000 square feet of space in WestGate Academy to start with, as well as a cleanroom space in WestGate Foundry 1. The cleanroom space is a forthcoming microelectronics manufacturing facility and a key component of Purdues semiconductors workforce, innovation and partnership strategies in the execution of the CHIPS and Science Act. The SCALE microelectronics workforce development program, which is administered by NSWC Crane, just received $19 million from the Defense Department. Officials of NSWC Crane and Purdue joined together to make the announcement at the southern Indiana defense outpost. Among the guests were NSWC Crane Cmdr. Navy Capt. Rex Boonyobhas and U.S. Rep. Jim Baird, IN-4, who said collaborations such as this between Purdue and NSWC Crane are important. This kind of thing with Purdue, with the (Purdue Applied) Research Institute all of that ties with America and the importance of protecting this country, Baird said. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb congratulated both parties on this new endeavor, noting, Indianas commitment to developing the next-level, hard-tech ecosystem is ahead of schedule because of partners like Purdue University and NSWC Crane, WestGate. Having this formalized strategic collaboration in place will not only assist in strengthening Americas national security but also provide the academic talent pipelines necessary for next-generation innovation. I applaud President Mung Chiang and the base leadership for formalizing this important and impactful partnership. U.S. Sen. Todd Young of Indiana called Purdue and NSWC Crane two of our countrys most important assets as we strive for technological advantage. Our national security depends on partnerships among higher education, the private sector and all layers of government, Young said, and this venture yet another example of how Indiana is leading the way. NHanced President Robert Patti echoed the governors statement. We at NHanced are thrilled with the Purdue announcement, he said. Their permanent presence will accelerate our collaborations and bring new technology to market much faster. As a leader in MRAM (magnetoresistive random-access memory) commercialization, research and development, and manufacturing, Everspin is excited to collaborate with Purdue University on the next generation of MRAM use cases related to artificial intelligence and high-density memory applications, said Sanjeev Aggarwal, Everspin president and CEO. NSWC Cranes skilled professionals put technical solutions directly into the hands of the armed services, ensuring safer missions by leveraging the talent, knowledge and experience of its highly technical workforce. It is this work at Crane that makes Purdue@Crane a very natural fit with PARIs mission of applying the vast research infrastructure of one of the worlds greatest universities to solving critical problems in national defense and global security, said Mark Lewis, PARI president and CEO and a former deputy undersecretary of defense for research and engineering. There is a lot of discussion in defense circles about bridging the so-called valley of death between the laboratory and the warfighter, Lewis said, but that is exactly what we will be doing with this new initiative. I look forward to a future of impactful collaborations at Crane. NSWC Cranes partnership with Purdue University is stronger than ever, and the strategic investment in Purdue@Crane is a true testament that our priorities are aligned to provide critical defense solutions to solve some of the nations toughest technical challenges, said Angela Lewis, NSWC Cranes technical director. It is an honor to collaborate with an esteemed academic institution like Purdue, and I am excited to see this investment mature, particularly in the fields of hypersonics and microelectronics development. Purdues engagement at WestGate started in 2015 to support research and development of innovations through commercialization and collaboration, said Chad Pittman, chief executive of economic development at the Purdue Research Foundation. This announcement reflects the next phase of Purdues commitment to the region, to NSWC Crane, to the state and to the growth of semiconductor and microelectronics workforce that is mission critical to our nation, he said. This announcement is an intentional next step for Purdues collaboration with key partners in the national defense community. Writer/media contact: Evamarie Socha, ecsocha@purdue.edu The Ukrainian Armed Forces' pressure on Russian positions in Bakhmut is forcing the aggressor country of the Russian Federation to redeploy forces from other areas of the front to this area. The fortress city in Donetsk region remains a place where the enemy continues to invest more and more reserves. ADVERTISIMENT This was pointed out by Valery Ryabykh, development director of the Defense Express information and consulting company, on the air of Espresso. According to him, the occupiers are now afraid of a "collapse of the front". "Active actions of Ukrainian units in the south force the Russians to constantly transfer reserves to the Bakhmut direction. The Ukrainian military leadership's plan is to constantly pressurize the Russians here, which will make it impossible for them to develop their offensive actions. In particular, in the Limano-Kupyansk direction," he explained. The military expert says that the AFU continue their difficult and methodical work to grind down the Russian reserves in Bakhmutshchyna. The invaders have long been forced to transfer forces and reserves there in order to hold their positions in Bakhmut itself. ADVERTISIMENT "Since the collapse of the front in this direction can lead to an even greater retreat of the Russian army. Therefore, they are constantly saturating this area with reserves," Ryabykh explained. He added that in recent weeks there has been no information about big advances of our units near Bakhmut. However, the Defense Forces are carrying out difficult and methodical work and occupying more favorable positions for further advances. "The AFU daily grind the reserves that Russia has transferred and continues to transfer to the Bakhmut direction," the expert emphasized. As reported OBOZREVATEL, last week on the Bakhmut direction the AFU released another 3 square kilometers of territory. Successes of our soldiers were in the area of Klishchiivka. The enemy is conducting defensive actions in order to contain the advance of Ukrainian troops and unsuccessfully attempts to restore the lost position near this settlement. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information from us in Telegram-channel Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! A French multi-national corporation is linking up with an Egyptian company after signing a multi-million Euro contract to modernise a length of railway in the African nation. Thales and Orascom Construction will be working with Egyptian National Railways (ENR) to update the double-track rail link between Cairo, Giza and Beni Suef. The new project is part of the Railway Improvement and Safety Project for Egypt (RISE), which aims to improve passenger and employee safety by introducing new railway safety and traffic control systems. The 300m Euro (256m) construction project is expected to last five years, after which two years of guarantee and five years of maintenance services will be put in place. Signalling and telecommunications systems will be updated and the stretch of track, with is located on the east bank of the Nile 115km from the capital city, will be renewed. The extent of the project is considerable and includes design, supply, construction, testing and commissioning. Spare parts will also be provided as will training, documentation, guarantee with maintenance services, tracks and civil works. Electronic lockings by Thales who have worked with ENR since 2013 and the Centralised Traffic Control Centre will become the main traffic control and signalling systems. These are similar to the systems installed in Cairo and will also allow ENR control the railway between the capital and Alexandria. This section was recently handed over to ENR by Thales, including the extension from Cairo to Benha. The company is also assuming responsibility for sections of line from Asyut to Nagh Hammadi in Upper Egypt as well as the line's cybersecurity. ENR was inaugurated in 1854 and is the second-oldest railway network in the world, carrying around 314m passengers each year, Dr Yves Joannic, Vice-President Main Line Signalling Business Line, Thales, said: Our collaboration with ENR underscores our commitment to revolutionizing rail systems worldwide. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies and our extensive expertise, we aim to enhance passenger safety and reliability, while driving the advancement of transportation networks across the globe. Our continues partnership with ENR marks a significant milestone in our mission to transform Egypt's railway sector. By introducing state-of-the-art signalling systems, we are dedicated to improving the travel experience for passengers in Egypt. Through innovation and collaboration, we strive to optimize punctuality, increase profitability, and elevate the capacity of our railway networks, fostering economic growth and connectivity within the country. Alessio Bencivenni Managing Director at Ground Transportation Systems, Thales Egypt The contract for the excavation and construction of the Italian side of the base tunnel of the Turin-Lyon high-speed/capacity railway line has been awarded to the ASTM Group major works company Itinera. The contract award was announced last Thursday, 31 August, at a public meeting by the top management of the Public Promoter Tunnel Euralpin Lyon Turin (TELT). Construction will be a joint venture between Itinera, Ghella and Spie Batignolles. Itinera will lead the project as leader with a 41% share, with Ghella having a 39% share and Spie Batignolles a 20% share. The contract is worth about 1.1 billion euros, and is the latest contract for the major civil works in the international part of the new railway line between Italy and France. When complete, the line will be 65 km long international stations at Saint Jean de Maurienne in France and Susa in Italy, where there will be a junction with the existing line. The main part of the work is the Moncenisio base tunnel, which has the longest double-bore single-track railway tunnel ever built at 57.5 km long. The specific part of the contract awarded to Itinera is for construction of the tunnel from Susa in Italy to the French border. This includes constructing about 10 km of the base tunnel, which will be divided into two bores, the down-ramps and the by-passes. The total length of the tunnels to be built is about 30 km, of which 18 km will use a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and 12 km will be bored using traditional methods. Excavation will produce about 6 million tons of material, while about 730,000 cubic metres of concrete will be required, including for jet-grouting and casting pre-cast segments. The contract is planned to take 91 months to complete, and at its peak will employ about 700 man/days. Work on the French side began in 2021, and this award for the Italian side marks a crucial step in this strategic infrastructure which forms one of the main components of the Mediterranean Corridor, which is one of the nine axes of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Eventually, this axis will provide a rail connection between southwestern Europe and countries in central and eastern Europe. Once this new Turin-Lyon railway line is in full operation, which is planned to be in 2032, it is expected that over 1 million trucks will be removed from Alpine roads, with a saving of 3 million tons of CO2 each year. As well as this contract, Itinera is also carrying out excavation on the French side of the tunnel, between the entrance portal at Saint Julienne Mont Denis and Saint Martin La Porte. It also has other major international transportation projects, including the new 3.8 km-long Storstrm Bridge in Denmark, providing a rail and road connection between Copenhagen in Denmark and Hamburg in Germany. The series follows Julie Montagu, Viscountess Hinchingbrooke, as she visits friends and owners of castles, manor houses and stately homes, discovering how they have adapted to the 21st century. American Viscountess will air across Little Dot Studios digital media channels and will be a FAST exclusive for Little Dot from November.Little Dot Studios is supporting the production of Season 3 of the series with investment, insights and editorial input to enhance the brand, increase audiences and maximise revenue streams through a multi-platform distribution strategy with content from Seasons 1 and 2. In addition to the exclusivity across FAST, the format will also be available across Little Dots social media network channels including Real Royalty, Chronicle, Real History, All Out History and Abode to drive further reach, unlocking the potential for the show to travel the world across multiple platforms.Introducing American Viscountess to the Little Dot Studios Digital Network, and securing exclusive FAST rights, expands our existing catalogue w ith some brilliant digital-first original content, commented Connie Hodson, director of acquisitions, Little Dot Studios Media Network.The series is primarily targeted for our Real Royalty channels across FAST, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook, that said due to the nature of this content it will have multiple publications across a number of our history channels within the Network. Were thrilled to be working with such a talented team at Living History Films to bring our wealth of experience and insight into this production. Our strategic partnership means we can, together, increase revenue streams and expand on the existing audience and grow the franchise.American Viscountess celebrates the past and present of Britains privately-owned castles and stately homes. These houses are steeped in British history and played host to many key historical moments, as well as kings & queens of course, added Luke Montagu, founder & executive producer, Living History Films In addition, the series provides a behind-the-scenes view of the challenges of maintaining these great estates today, as well as the many innovative ways in which they are adapting for the 21st century. There is no better partner than Little Dot Studios as we develop new audiences for these programmes, and benefit from their tremendous expertise across a variety of digital distribution platforms. Editor's Note: RealClearBooks is delighted to publish Daniel J. Mahoney's "Foreword" to Between Two Millstones: Book 2, Exile in America, 1978-1994, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's compelling account of his final sixteen years of exile in the United States. The book is newly available in paperback. In its pages, the Russian Nobel Laureate chronicles his continuing struggle with the voracious "Soviet Dragon" even as he encounters many in the West who defame traditional Russian culture, history, and religion rather than taking aim at the root of the tragedy: Communist ideology. As Mahoney shows, in this volume we witness a thinker and artist of the first rank who bravely stood up to the totalitarian Lie even as new forms of coercive political correctness began to assert themselves throughout the Western world. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn did not voluntarily depart for the West in February 1974. He was expelled from the Soviet Union for unleashing that great torrent of truth that was The Gulag Archipelago. That book, one of unparalleled historical and literary investigation, did more than any other work in the twentieth century to expose the truth about Communism and to undermine the moral and political legitimacy of one of the most vile regimes in human history. If Solzhenitsyn did not welcome exile, if he felt torn, as always, between the two millstones of the Soviet Dragonas repressive and mendacious as everand an uncomprehending and increasingly hostile West, he nonetheless found solitude and happy refuge in his eighteen years in Cavendish, Vermont. It was there that he worked on, and eventually nished, his other great work of historical and literary investigation, The Red Wheel, a momentous ten-volume novel and work of dramatized history, an almost superhuman effort to recover the truth about 1917 and Russias descent into the totalitarian quagmire. After the speeches and political interventions chronicled in Book 1 of Between Two Millstones, culminating in the Harvard Address in June 1978, Solzhenitsyn gradually settled down to the life of a writer-historian, dedicating himself to the peaceful solitude of the literary arts. In Vermont, he found a happiness in free and uninterrupted workconditions he could only dream of during the years of repression and harassment in the Soviet Union chronicled in The Oak and the Calf, perhaps the greatest of his literary memoirs (and all of them are of the highest quality and interest). Above all, he found a place to work. He was aided by the remarkable resources of the Hoover Institution in Palo Alto, California, which provided him with an ample supply of newspapers from St. Petersburgs revolutionary days, and crucial memoirs and testimonies of old survivors from Russias First Wave of emigration, those who ed the homeland after the October Revolution of 1917 and the Bolshevik victory in the Russian Civil War. With these abundant resources, the crucial centerpiece of The Red Wheel, the four books of Node III: March 1917, began to take shape. Solzhenitsyn also found a serene and welcome home for his family. His account of his role in the education of his sons, the impressive development of their characters and intellectual talents, their blossoming as young men, is both touching and informative. We see Yermolais precocious interest in politics, Ignats striking musical gifts, and Stepans intense intellectual curiosity. Those traits are evident to this day, together with a deep delity to their fathers life, thought, and literary legacy. Between Two Millstones The Solzhenitsyn home also had some of the character of a veritable publishing house or literary magazine. Natalia Solzhenitsyn (Alya throughout the manuscript) was in every sense her husbands intellectual partner his editor, sounding board, research assistant, and wise condanteeven as she reared a family. She loved Russia with the same passion as did her husband. The Solzhenitsyn boys also helped with typesetting and other literary and publishing tasks. Natalia and the young sons truly lived in Vermont, interacting with the broader community. The boys were as American as they were Russian. Natalia Solzhenitsyn was the authors conduit to the Russian underground, to publishing houses, to the national media, to the political class, and to the local Cavendish and broader Vermont communities. Her strength, energy, talents, and erce protectiveness were almost preternatural, as described in this and other writings of Solzhenitsyn. The Solzhenitsyns lived in a community that was both rural and conservative, but increasingly marked by a post-1960s progressivism. Solzhenitsyn amusingly describes educators in New England, like the headmaster Dick (note his ostentatious informality) at East Hill, who was a largely benign gure but totally ignorant of the truth about the Soviet Union (Dick counted Lenin, and even Stalin, among his progressive heroes!). Solzhenitsyns serenity was marred by his constant appreciation of Russian Pain (the title of chapter 6 of Between Two Millstones). He worried about those administrators (Alik Ginzburg and Sergei Khodorovich) of the Russian Social Fund (which provided vital help to former zeks and their families) who were jailed, harassed, and persecuted by the Soviet authorities. The Solzhenitsyns did everything humanly possible to rally Western governments and public opinion to their defense. Solzhenitsyn also worried about other prisoners of conscience, like Igor Ogurtsov, who languished in prison and exile. But Solzhenitsyn also saw signs of hope, from the patriotic and Christian historical and spiritual reections of Dmitri Likhachyov (whod spent time in the 1920s as a zek on the Solovetsky Islands) to the village prose writers who had broken through the suffocating fog of wooden language and ideological cliches to reclaim the spirit of a forgotten Russia, one that had been under systematic assault since 1917. Solzhenitsyn also appreciated, at least initially, Vladimir Maximovs editorial efforts with Kontinent, an important Russian literary, cultural, and political journal based in Germany that aimed to raise Russian literatureand political and social reection from its ailing state. During these more relaxed years of exile, Solzhenitsyn came to reconsider the achievement of Aleksandr Tvardovsky, the editor of Novy Mir and the publisher, in the fall of 1962, of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. He had loved Tvardovsky, as every reader of The Oak and the Calf knows, but lamented his equivocations and saw him, at the end of the day, as too much of a Soviet man. But with growing lucidity and clarity, Solzhenitsyn was coming to appreciate just how much the great man had done to recover authentic Russian literature. His fundamental stance toward Tvardovsky was now decisively one of gratitude. In his new situation of comparative leisure, Solzhenitsyn continued to turn down most invitations. Completing The Red Wheel was his rst priority. But an intelligent and sympathetic journalist at the BBC Russian Service, Janis Sapiets, whom we already met in Book 1 of Between Two Millstones, offered the Russian writer an opportunity to speak directly to the Russian people. That interview, broadcast in February 1979, on the fth anniversary of Solzhenitsyns expulsion, provides a perfect summary of Solzhenitsyns principal concerns about the Russian past, present, and future. He was severely critical of newly minted Russian emigres (from the Third Wave of emigration) who never failed to blame Russia, historic Russia, Orthodox Russia, for the terrible crimes of the Bolsheviks (this view would become dominant in the West, too). Solzhenitsyn shared with his Russian listeners his concern for a misconstrued admiration of the reckless February fever of FebruaryMarch 1917, which could destroy, or at least deeply undermine, Russias path to an ordered and civilized liberty. Emigre intellectuals, such as Andrei Sinyavsky, Em Etkind, and Aleksandr Yanov, busied themselves with mendacious efforts to link Solzhenitsyn to fascism, anti-Semitism, and new forms of tyranny. Etkind even called Solzhenitsyn a Russian Ayatollah, fantastically identifying him with the clericalist violence and despotism in revolutionary Iran (this is one of the few calumnies to which Solzhenitsyn responded almost immediately: see The Persian Ruse, Jerusalem Post, 20 December 1979, 8). The author of The Gulag Archipelago was said to want new camps, new prisons, and a new despotism. These were lies worthy of the Bolsheviks themselves and, alas, had their effect on elite opinion in the United States. In the interview with Sapiets, as in chapter 6 of Between Two Millstones, Solzhenitsyn would lay out a rm but moderate and manly patriotism that rejected Russian self-hatred and self-abnegation, as well as the fascist, neo-pagan, and neo-Bolshevik temptations. All three of the latter positions falsely identied love of Russia with an immoral accommodation with those who had destroyed her liberty, her intellectual and spiritual life, her property- owning peasantry, and her historic Christian faith. Solzhenitsyn would never make an accommodation with those who systematically tyrannized the bodies and souls of men. As always, Solzhenitsyns was a principled via media, opting for what he suggestively calls a healing, salutary, moderate patriotism. Alas, he did not nd much of it in emigre or homegrown Russian intellectual circles. Facile cosmopolitanism, and hatred of the nation, or an anti-Christian nationalism, were increasingly the order of the day. Many who should have known better confused Solzhenitsyns proud, principled, moderate, and self-limiting patriotism with fascism and imperialism. Some of these men had come to hate historic Russia: Sinyavsky shamelessly called Russia, still suffering from the ravages of Communism, a bitch. Many of those who defamed Solzhenitsyn were barely concealed Soviet men who shared Communisms utter disdain for truth, country, and the spiritual dimensions of human existence. As always, Solzhenitsyn faced the malevolence of two menacing millstones. The expanded edition of August 1914, with its praise of the magnanimous and moderate Pyotr Stolypin and his middle path of Russian social development, came under bitter attack even before the book appeared in English. One issue was Solzhenitsyns description of Stolypins assassin, Dmitri Bogrov, a double agent of the tsarist secret police and leftist armed revolutionaries. Even though Solzhenitsyn drew scrupulously on the account given by Bogrovs brother (in a book published in Berlin in 1930) of Bogrovs motives in assassinating Stolypin (motives linked to the continuing humiliation of Russias Jewish population), Solzhenitsyn was unfairly and inaccurately accused of demonizing Jews. There was a purge at Munich-based Radio Liberty, where signicant excerpts from the book had been read to an audience in the USSR, and the US Senate conducted an ignorant and embarrassing investigation fueled by the calumnies of Solzhenitsyns cultured despisers in the Third Wave of emigration. By 1985, Solzhenitsyn was under systematic assault of a new wave of ideological lies, this time put forward by self-described pluralists and secularists, some nostalgic for the original purity of the October Revolution. But decent men such as Richard Grenier (in the New York Times) and Norman Podhoretz (in Commentary) came to the defense of Solzhenitsyn and the truthand the controversy eventually died down. When the augmented edition of August 1914 was nally published by the New York publishing house Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1989, there was no discussion of the frenzied and false accusations of just four years before. Two millstones, indeed . . . Throughout all these accusations and assaults, Solzhenitsyn kept his eye on the prize. He would tell the truth about the Revolutions of 1917, and warn his compatriots about the twin temptations of February fever and a turn toward a malevolent, pagan nationalism. And he continued to ght the insinuation that historic Russia, and not Bolshevik ideology, was responsible for the system of violence and lies that characterized the Soviet tragedy. Thus, for Solzhenitsyn, a no to the fascists, a no to the National Bolsheviks, a no to Leninism in all its forms, and a no to those who decried Orthodoxy and authentic Russian national consciousness. Following Sergei Bulgakov, Solzhenitsyn knew that a great people could not sustain its life on the national principle alone. But he refused to conate Orthodoxy with a soft ecumenism that was indifferent to their own peoples national identity. As in Book 1 of Between Two Millstones, Solzhenitsyn continues his dialogue with the other great opponent of the Soviet regime, the physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov. Solzhenitsyn continues to admire Sakharovs courage and his increasing lucidity about the evils of the ideological regime in the Soviet Union. Solzhenitsyn never doubts Academician Sakharovs fundamental decency, even though Sakharov had played his own role in spreading misconceptions about Solzhenitsyns views on patriotism, Orthodoxy, and the Russian future at the time of the controversy over 1974s Letter to the Soviet Leaders. Solzhenitsyn could not and did not share Sakharovs unalloyed faith in technology and technical progress, or his misplaced condence in supranational world government, an invitation, in Solzhenitsyns view, to new forms of despotism and an accompanying erosion of the national and spiritual traditions and principles that inform a truly self-respecting and self-governing people. Sakharov, for all his courage, decency, and contempt for totalitarian tyranny, had little or no concept of Russia as a nation to which one could be dedicated in the moderate, and salutary, ways Solzhenitsyn proposed. Solzhenitsyn believed human rights, precious as they were, had to be accompanied always by a commensurate respect for perennial human obligations. For his part, Sakharov treated human rights as an end in itself, and privileged the right to emigrate above all. He loved freedom and human dignity but, in Solzhenitsyns view, did not truly feel Russian pain. The two men, Solzhenitsyn writes, were of the same age, fought the same evil system, and were vilied by the same baying propaganda machine. They both preferred peaceful political change to armed revolution. For all their differencesand they were very signicant, indeedthey respected, even admired each other. But what divided them, in the end, was Russia itself. Unfortunately, Solzhenitsyns principal biographer in the English-speaking world belonged spiritually to Sakharovs sphere: Michael Scammell. He was a liberal anti-Communist who could see no limitations in Enlightenment principles (or the whole edice of Progress). He was hostile to almost every word of Solzhenitsyns after his arrival in the West in 1974, and approached the beautiful meditations and reections in From Under the Rubble a noble and deeply thoughtful, Christian, anti-totalitarian set of essays edited by Solzhenitsynwith suspicion and scorn. Scammell was tone-deaf to nearly everything Solzhenitsyn had to say except for, importantly, their shared opposition to Communist totalitarianism. In his hands, a friend of the West became an uncritical enemy of the West (which Scammell identied rather dogmatically with Western secularist liberalism). To be sure, Scammells book brought together a great deal of biographical information unavailable to non- Russian readers at the time it was published. For that it remains valuable. But this contentious biographer unfortunately set the tone, for a decade and a half or more, for the American and British reception of Solzhenitsyns work. And Scammells biography, not without its merits, was falsely praised by many reviewers for a balance that was in fact sorely lacking. But there are good men to be noted: Harry T. Willetts, the slow but meticulously faithful translator of Solzhenitsyns books; Ed Ericson, who worked with Solzhenitsyn to abridge the Archipelago (his visit to Cavendish in 1983 is charmingly related in this work); Claude Durand and Georges Nivat in France, the rst an outstanding publisher of Solzhenitsyns work, the second a thoughtful and judicious interpreter of his writings; trusted and talented Slavists and interpreters of Solzhenitsyns work, such as Alexis Klimoff and Michael Nicholson; journalistic admirers of Solzhenitsyns life and work, such as Bernard Levin and Malcolm Muggeridge, who conducted insightful interviews with Solzhenitsyn when he came to London to receive the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion. (The lecture on that occasion is Solzhenitsyns most thoughtful, comprehensive, and measured account of his religious and spiritual convictions, showing that, after his years in prison and the camps, Solzhenitsyn becameand remaineda philosophically minded Christian who freely affirmed Divine Providence, human free will, the age-old drama of good and evil in the human soul, and the powerful workings of the natural moral conscience on everyone who is open to the spiritual resources inherent in the human heart.) I particularly recommend that readers ponder the superb chapter on Around Three Islands where Solzhenitsyn recounts his visits to Japan (which had, admirably, turned from war and tyranny to national self-limitation), and where Solzhenitsyn experiences an old and dignied, if rather alien, culture; and to Taiwan, or Free China, whose courage and resistance to Communist despotism won Solzhenitsyns approbation. Last but not least, there is an account of his visit to the United Kingdom, where he met Prince Philip (who shared his broad views on the world) and Prince Charles and his young bride Diana (Solzhenitsyn was charmed by both); was interviewed by Levin and Muggeridge (interviews still well worth reading today); and had a cordial and welcome meeting with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. This chapter is both a literary tour de force and an important chronicle of the denouement of the Cold War. Eventually, Solzhenitsyn would be published in a Soviet Union undergoing glasnost and perestroika. As the enemy of Sovietism par excellence, he was the last major anti-Communist writer to appear in print at home when, nally, The Gulag Archipelago and the Nobel Lecture saw the light of day in 1990. This was a famous victory, followed by an even more remarkable one: the tearing down of the statue of Dzerzhinsky, the founder of the Cheka, at Lubyanka Square. Solzhenitsyn waited eagerly for the liberation of his country from Communist lies and tyranny even as a new Time of Troubles emerged, marked by an unrepentant Communist oligarchy, mass corruption, the impoverishment of old pensioners, unprecedented levels of bureaucratization, and an intellectual elite that, as a whole, sneered at Orthodoxy and self-limitation and irted with the worst nihilistic currents of Western culture. In the fall of 1993, Solzhenitsyn bid farewell to friends in Europe, denouncing ideological revolution in the French Vendee; repeating and renewing the themes of the Harvard Addressin a softer, more hopeful toneat the International Academy of Philosophy in Liechtenstein; and meeting, on 15 October 1993, Pope John Paul II, his great spiritual ally in defending the essential connection between Truth and liberty, and assailing the totalitarian Lie. Solzhenitsyns account of that visit with the pope is brief and poignant. In America, Solzhenitsyn had a more troubled farewell. There, he had never truly succeeded in persuading elites that Russia was the rst and principal victim of Bolshevism, an anti-human ideology that targeted the whole of humanity. Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes fame hounded him with the same old, tired, mendacious cliches (are you a fascist? a monarchist? an anti-Semite?). But Paul Klebnikov at Forbes, the business journal, conducted an informed, intelligent, and sympathetic interview with Solzhenitsyn that redeemed Wallaces lamentable display. Klebnikov was writing a thesis on the great Stolypin and shared Solzhenitsyns vision for a strong, free, decent, and self-limiting Russia. In that interview, Solzhenitsyn thus was able to say a proper farewell and to speak his mind openly, without the usual distortions and misunderstandings. In May 1994, Solzhenitsyn returned to post-Communist Russia. This was a time of new burdens and challenges, to be conveyed in the next set of memoirs: Another Time, Another Burden. The story, fraught with signicance, continues . . . Daniel J. Mahoney Augustine Chair in Distinguished Scholarship Assumption College Worcester, MA 2 April 2020 Daniel J. Mahoney is a Senior Fellow at the Claremont Institute and professor emeritus at Assumption University. He has written widely on French politics and political thought and has also written extensively on Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and the moral grounds of opposition to totalitarianism. His latest books are The Statesman as Thinker: Portraits of Greatness, Courage, and Moderation and Recovering Politics, Civilization, and the Soul: Essays on Pierre Manent and Roger Scruton. Serena Pitt / Instagram By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 09/05/2023 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. couple Serena Pitt and Joe Amabile have gotten married for the second time with a more lavish wedding in South Carolina.Serena and Joe, who fell in love and got engaged on 's seventh season in Summer 2021, tied the knot for the first time in a quickie courthouse wedding in New York in October 2022.But the couple had a big wedding -- officiated by BIP bartender Wells Adams -- to celebrate with family and friends on Saturday, September 2 at The Cedar Room in Charleston, SC."Good morning from us and our wedding bands," Serena, 25, captioned a video of her and Joe's left hands via Instagram Stories on Sunday, September 3.Many members of Bachelor Nation attended the nuptials -- including Abigail Heringer and her fiance Noah Erb Mari Pepin-Solis and fiance Kenny Braasch Nick Viall and fiancee Natalie Joy, and Tia Booth "This time around it feels like the start of an exciting new chapter and we are looking forward to continuing doing life together," Joe, 37, told People.Joe and Serena told the magazine that their wedding was a "magical" and "big celebration" as well as a "fun weekend getaway" that was "accessible" for their 134 guests."[We] had a venue we loved!" Serena said. "Charleston is so beautiful and the minute we visited the city and The Cedar Room we could instantly envision our wedding there."Given Serena is from Toronto and Joe is from Chicago -- and that they currently live together in New York -- the couple had no prior ties to Charleston.However, the bride gushed, "[We were] so excited to create special memories there!"Serena wore a "simple and elegant" form-fitted dress with "glowy" makeup and loose waves in her hair. She walked down the aisle to "Make You Feel My Love" by Adele before she and Joe, who wore a traditional tuxedo, exchanged personal, handwritten vows At the reception, Serena changed into a "chic and glamorous" dress, and the couple's first dance was to "Take My Heart" by The Tesky Brothers.Joe said high-end alcohol, a plated dinner with "southern flair," and mini espresso martinis were served at the reception, which helped to create a "fun and positive energy" for their guests.The venue was decorated with flowers and earthy tones.Joe also said it was "super special" to exchange vows with Serena in front of Wells, who is a "good friend" to them both.Joe gushed to People about how he married his "best friend," and Serena said Joe makes her "feel so safe and supported."Joe said the Charleston ceremony was "the happiest moment of our lives," and Serena added, "It's truly such a magical day."After the wedding, the pair took off to Italy for a honeymoon in Lake Como, Florence and Tuscany. Joe said he was looking forward to doing "nothing" with his wife and just relaxing."Joe booked our entire honeymoon, down to the dinner reservations! It's going to be unbelievably romantic. And the perfect fit for us as major pasta lovers," Serena concluded.Serena celebrated her bachelorette party in Las Vegas, and the Canada native's loved ones hosted her a bridal shower in Joe's hometown of Chicago in June. That same month, Joe and his boys celebrated at his bachelor party in Las Vegas.In November 2022, Joe and Serena said they had no desire to televise their wedding and share it with Bachelor Nation fans.Joe looked at Serena in a YouTube video and said, "Anything in this world can change, but I highly doubt it."The pair had initially intended to keep their first wedding a secret and only share the news with close family and friends, but a person apparently spotted them at the courthouse and so Serena and Joe were worried the story may get leaked.Serena and Joe therefore posted a sweet video of their union on Instagram late last year, announcing their marriage in their own special way.The 7 finale, which featured Joe's marriage proposal to Serena, aired in October 2021.Serena told Us Weekly in September 2022 that she'd love to marry Joe exactly one year later -- even though she believed wedding venues would be limited -- and so she managed to achieve her goal.Serena admitted at the time she was "very overwhelmed by the planning process" but felt ready to dive in."Joe will start off saying, 'Whatever you want,' but he is an opinionated guy. He has a vision for the wedding, for sure," Serena shared in Summer 2022."I think it's actually going to be very 50/50. I want it to feel like our wedding, not my wedding. And if anything, I would say he's probably more opinionated than I am about this stuff... It'll be a team effort."Serena and her fiance celebrated their engagement party in July 2022, and that's when their parents met each other.Serena and Joe believe they established a strong relationship foundation while filming .Serena, for instance, never let the fact Joe's ex-girlfriend of nearly two years, Kendall Long , was on the beach get in the way of her connection with Joe.Serena kept her eye on the prize, avoided jealousy, and trusted Joe as Kendall sought closure.Prior to appearing on 7, Joe got eliminated very early from Becca Kufrin 's season of The Bachelorette and met Kendall on Season 5 of Paradise.Despite being happy and in love, Joe and Kendall broke up because they couldn't agree on whether to live in Chicago or Kendall's home city of Los Angeles long-term.Joe gave Los Angeles a chance during and after his stint on Dancing with the Stars in 2018 and wanted to move back to Chicago to be with his friends and family, but Kendall apparently wouldn't even consider relocating and trying out a life in Chicago. (Kendall is now engaged and living with her fiance in Germany).And Serena dumped Matt James on his The Bachelor season that aired in early 2021 after her hometown date.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group As part of his working trip, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Donetsk Region. There, he presented state awards to Ukrainian defenders who as part of the Donetsk task force repel the enemy invasion. ADVERTISIMENT About it reports the press service of the Office of the President. In particular, from the hands of Volodymyr Zelensky the order "Gold Star" with the title of Hero of Ukraine received the commander of the 36th separate brigade of marines. Command of Marine Infantry of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Colonel Viktor Sikoza. The officer has been involved in the defense of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity since March 2014, carried out combat missions during the Combined Forces Operation in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and since February 25, 2022 has been involved in repelling a full-scale Russian invasion. In particular, his unit defended Mariupol. In April 2022, Viktor Sikoza was appointed commander of the 36th separate brigade of marines. Under his leadership, the brigade carried out combat missions in the Kherson direction, then transferred to the operational subordination of the commander of operative-tactical grouping "Donetsk". More than once, the colonel personally led the brigade's units during counter-offensives. ADVERTISIMENT The President also awarded the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnitsky of - degrees, "For Courage" of degree and the Order of Princess Olga of degree to the defenders and protectors who showed personal courage and selflessly acted, defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. "Powerful people who defend our state. Dear gentlemen officers, soldiers, - all those who protect, risking themselves, the life of Ukraine. I want to congratulate you all today, thank you, shake hands. for what you are," - said Vladimir Zelensky during the awarding of defenders. The head of state wished the servicemen health and a speedy victory. "Proud that we have such ordinary, but at the same time heroic people in our state. Thanks to you, Ukraine will definitely remain here. And this is important for all future generations. Glory to Ukraine!" - the President added. ADVERTISIMENT OBOZREVATEL reported that the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine visited the fighters of the brigade "Stalevyi cordon". They perform tasks in the northeastern direction. Is Imitation the Sincerest Form of Flattery? You may have seen this firearm spelled one of two ways: Deringer or Derringer. No, this isnt an issue of historical standards on spelling, rather a distinction between a genre of gun and the original maker. Henry Deringer was a gunmaker out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Many people know him by the infamous pocket pistol that bears his name, which was used by John Wilkes Boothe to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. However, Deringers history as a gunmaker shouldnt be defined by that alone. Early in his career, Deringer had a reputation for making all types of firearms, including contract muskets for the U.S. government. It was his pistol invention, though, that put him on the map. There were many variations on his Deringer pistol, but in general, they were single-shot percussion handguns of at least .41 caliber. They also were notably back-action, meaning that the operational parts of the gun are located behind the hammer. Variations included barrel lengths, engraving styles, size, and grip shape; the firearms were produced in the 1850s through the 1860s. This pistol became so popular that there were many copycats, birthing the colloquial name derringer to describe pocket pistols in general. However, some makers, such as Slotter & Company went to the trouble of hiring someone with the same name and spelling as Deringers last name to use it on their firearms. Deringer didnt take out a patent on his firearm, which spurred on these copycats, but he did become famous for a lawsuit with the maker AJ Plate, setting a precedent for the legitimacy of trademark law even in the absence of a patent. Saddam Husseins regime in Iraq fell 20 years ago, and over the years, many secrets of his reign were uncovered. But we still dont really know much about the small arms industry of Saddams era. Engineers and managers of Iraqs military factories vanished without a trace, and there was never much official information available. In a previous article, the Tabuk AK was covered, the main service rifle of the Iraqi military. But there was another, arguably more famous rifle in Saddams Iraq. Everyone who remembers the 2003 invasion likely can recall pictures of U.S. servicemen with gold-plated AKs definitely a great trophy. Exactly the same rifles were gifted to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and to this day, those golden weapons reside in the Abdeen Palace Museum in Cairo. Another rifle like that was presented to the king of Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz bin Fahd Al Saud, by Saddam himself. But, if you glance just beyond the bling, even without the gold, this AK itself is absolutely unique and not a direct copy of any other design. THE RIFLE WITH MANY NAMES As an armorer and security contractor, Ive seen and repaired dozens of those rifles all over Iraq, and there was even a time when one of those AKs was stored by the bedside. Word on the street is that it was created specifically for Saddams Republican Guard, his most elite units led by his son, Qusay Hussein. The legend seems plausible even the guns that werent gold-plated often had a special recess on the handguard for a small gold coin, something you wouldnt generally expect to see on mere general-issue service rifles. While field stripping is the same as any other AK, the son of Tabuk has several features unique to this model. Note muzzle device and front sight/gas block. Many Iraqis were asked about this gun, but it was never discovered if it had any official designation within the Iraqi military. A factory brochure just called it short assault rifle Tabuk. But Iraqis have a whole bunch of names for it. More eloquent and educated Iraqi gun enthusiasts call it The Son of Tabuk, which makes sense. It is, essentially, a heavily modified, shorter version of the Iraqi Tabuk rifle, itself a licensed copy of the Yugoslavian M70 Kalashnikov variant. Other Iraqis, when you ask them about the name of this rifle, would give you a smug smirk and after a few seconds of hesitation, will reveal the name Osama. Yes, that Osama: Osama bin Laden. The reason for that nickname is quite simple before Osama joined SpongeBob in his life under the sea in 2011, he was constantly seen in propaganda videos with a short-barreled Soviet AK variant called AKS74U, chambered for 5.4539 with a side folding stock. Saddams AK can be found with both a regular AK-pattern front trunnion, as well as the bulged, RPK-type. Since most people arent real Kalashnikov connoisseurs, they ignore trivial details like caliber and type of the folding stock and simply call all short-barrel AKs Osama. Like Kleenex. But the short Tabuk isnt a direct derivative of any Soviet or Yugoslavian AK variant. The features of this rifle come from several different origins. Some short Tabuks have standard AK receivers, and some have reinforced RPK-pattern receivers. Brown plastic handguards look Bulgarian, and the flash hider doesnt really look like anything. The front sight gas block combo actually strongly resembles the Finnish RK62, which is often called Valmet, or its descendant, the Israeli Galil. Note center rifles handguard, missing its signature gold coin. THE HELP FROM A FELLOW GUNSMITH While repairing some weapons in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, one of the short Tabuks was missing a screw on the side of the front sight that kept it in place. Fixing this front sight ended up being a real pain. A driver was asked to bring me to a construction store in order to find a matching screw, but when the driver heard that it was a gun part, he decided to do it properly and go to an actual gun shop. We headed to the Citadel, a 6,000-year-old fortress overlooking the center of the city. Right next to it, theres an entire street filled with military shops full of tactical accessories of questionable quality, tons of fake 5.11 clothing as well as some guns and ammo. Blinged-out, gold-plated guns are some of the most coveted Middle Eastern trophies. With no screws on-hand, every vendor respectfully sent us to the same place down the road. The name Bahtiar was said multiple times. Finally, the inquiries ended in the basement of an old sandstone building, where an impressive display of weaponry met anyone who wanted to see Bahtiar the Great, the most famous gunsmith of Erbil. During the war with ISIS, Bahtiar was repairing weapons of the local militia for free. He worked in this basement for over 30 years and was interviewed by BBC and other media outlets, including sometime RECOIL contributor, Miles Vining. That day, Bahtiar was out, so his son was on duty, repairing someones RPG-7 grenade launcher. I asked my translator to say that I need a screw to repair an AK and showed him the sample. The young man put down RPG-7 and answered, graciously hiding his complete disappointment in my [lack of] gunsmithing skills: Youre mistaken, Kalashnikov rifles do not use screws like that. When the young man was shown a picture of the short Tabuk, he had an immediate change of heart. He retrieved a large box with spare parts from under his workbench, and said: Take anything you want, my friend, it is free for you. That screw on the front sight is indeed a pain in the ass. IRAQI QUALITY CONTROL But the biggest problem with short Tabuks wasnt proprietary parts. It was an overall diminishing quality of arms that followed the constant decline of the Saddam regime. Once, when working in the Maysan province of Iraq, there was an especially rusty short Tabuk. It was abandoned at the bottom of a broken and crooked metal box, and I honestly felt bad for this gun. It was covered with rust, probably neglected for decades. After removing all the rust and putting it all back together, it was discovered the bolt carrier wouldnt even move unless the charging handle was pushed up while being pulled back at the same time. Valmet-ish front sight with its problematic screw. Everything was inspected bolt, locking lugs, gas tube until the bolt carrier. The factory workers simply forgot to remove a chunk of metal from the bottom/right of the bolt carrier. So, unless you tilted the carrier left while charging, it wouldnt move. The gun couldnt even function properly right from the factory, but still managed to pass quality control and was actually issued to some unfortunate soldier. It took 40 minutes of grinding to polish the bolt carrier into spec, and the rifle finally started working properly for the first time in 30 years. Another time, in Kirkuk, an even better example of Saddam-era Iraqi craftsmanship was found. After removing the muzzle device from this unfortunate short Tabuk, something Id never seen before was discovered a second gas port right on the muzzle thread itself. The worker at the factory drilled the gas port in the barrel and probably soon realized he was off by almost 2 inches. Without much hesitation, instead of scrapping the barrel, this worker drilled a second hole, this time in the right place, and sent it down the assembly line. The rifle with two gas ports passed all the quality assurance and made it to the arsenal of elite Iraqi forces. The last example of amazing quality was, perhaps, the most unusual Iraqi rifle Ive stumbled upon in my life, a late production short Tabuk with a set of features never seen anywhere else. Instead of a brown handguard, it had a yellow one. And the muzzle device didnt look like anything normal either. It was manufactured in 2002, just one year before Saddams regime fully collapsed. It was in good condition, but you could remove the barrel pin (which normally requires a press) with the push of a pencil. As a result, the barrel moved in the front trunnion and the headspace was completely off. When you fired it, the case would rupture and break apart, and the broken shell would stay in the chamber, preventing new rounds from feeding. Everyone needs a spare gas port in their life. The worst thing about this is that you cant really see it unless you try to load a round in the chamber, and at this point, its usually too late to do anything. Also, you cant extract the broken shell without specialized tools. This gun was retired from service, and theres still hope that someday itll end up in the museum. LOOSE ROUNDS Every time you go to a museum, you see weapons swords, spears, bows, arrows, or perhaps some flintlock pistols. Weapons can tell you a lot about the society they came from. Political affiliations with other countries, level of technology, and manufacturing capabilities weapons can answer those questions if youre ready to look for the answers. The worst of the bunch. The finger-tight barrel pin resulted in excessive headspace and a deadlined rifle. The short Tabuk is just another artifact of modern Iraqi history. Under Saddams rule, the technological capabilities of a once-great country were declining, especially after the failed invasion of Kuwait in 1991. Factory employees, many of whom worked in the defense sector to legally avoid military service, didnt care about their jobs. Sanctions and international isolation didnt help either. But theres also a positive takeaway from the story of Son of Tabuk. Dictators always fall; it doesnt matter how big they think they are, and the weapons of their elite guard will inevitably end up in the hand of the peasants they once oppressed. About The Author Vladimir Onokoy is a small arms subject matter expert and firearms instructor. Over the years, he worked in 16 different countries as a security contractor, armorer, instructor, firearms industry sales representative, product manager, and consultant. His articles were published in RECOIL, The Firearm Blog, Small Arms Review, Small Arms Defense Journal, and Silah Report, and contributed to the Vickers Guide: Kalashnikov, Volumes 1 and 2. To contact him, email: [email protected]. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. The Athens-Clarke County Library, with the help of the University of Georgia's Plant Biology Graduate Student Association, got their first seed library on Aug. 19. This seed library allows people to check out a seed packet, plant it and let it grow to maturity. Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in India are expected to stay buoyant, seen over the last three-four years, despite a slowdown in the first seven months of the calendar year. M&A is a lumpy business activity, and we may suddenly see large deals taking place during the next two quarters of the calendar year. "This would help maintain the streak of strong M&A activity. "This sustainable trajectory over the medium term will be led by private equities (PEs), who are investing billions of dollars to acquire local companies. "They would be implementing best global practices in the acquired companies, thus increasing their value over time, said S Ramesh, managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO), Kotak Investment Banking. "Overall, healthcare, financial services, energy and manufacturing are some of the themes playing out in the broader M&A space, he said. We are witnessing financialisation of corporate India due to the avalanche of private capital coming in. "In the last two-three years, PE investors have been taking controlling positions in listed companies. "This is in addition to their investment in unlisted subsidiaries and private companies. "Many of these private investors have been able to demonstrate exit at high valuations, thereby giving confidence around sustainability and depth of the Indian market, said Ramesh. These investors continue to ideate and evaluate a number of investment opportunities, which may result in new deals. We expect financialisation to lead to a larger number of companies, which are professionally managed, backed by either PEs or institutional investors. "This is in contrast to an ecosystem dominated by promoter-driven companies, he said. Ramesh said the value of current investments by both foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) and PEs would be around $800-900 billion. Of this, $250-300 billion would be invested by PEs and the remaining by portfolio investors. I see that proportion changing drastically. "Over the next five years, the proportion of PE capital in this pool is likely to go up significantly, he said. Indian assets are seeing strong interest among buyers that is, domestic corporates, overseas strategic investors and financial investors. A few recent large deals include Titans acquisition of CaratLane for $560 million and acquisition of Route Mobile by Proximus Group of Belgium for $1 billion, Ramesh said. Temaseks acquisition of Manipal Health for $2 billion, Baring EQTs HDFC Credila buy, and Brookfields acquisition of Avaada Energy stake for $1 billion are some other big deals so far. Primary markets may have been subdued in the initial months of 2023 but have shown an uptick in the recent past. "We remain optimistic that we are witnessing an early bull run in the primary markets, which is likely to sustain. "This could help clear a large part of the initial public offering (IPO) pipeline both current and new, added Ramesh. Some big-ticket IPOs to hit the markets include JSW Infrastructure, Go Digit, Tata Technologies, RR Kabel, Samhi Hotels, India Shelter and Cello World. Sell-down activity in listed stocks has also seen a sharp uptick and is likely to sustain. A large number of companies listed in the last three-five years have high institutional shareholding. A sell down is a good route for exits by both private market investors and public market investors, said Ramesh. These sell downs help improve liquidity, deepening equity markets and reducing impact costs. During volatile secondary markets, investors have been more comfortable investing in listed companies, which led to an interest in equity sell downs. As secondary markets stabilise, primary markets will also gain from this stability. PE investors and promoter sales have largely dominated the equity sell-down activity over the last two years. In fact, many private equity investors have been jubilant with the success achieved through sell downs on secondary markets. This opens up sustainable alternative routes to exits through mergers and sale to other PE investors. Ramesh said rising equity sell-down activity is not new. The trend started from calendar year 2022, owing to exit by PE investors in tech IPOs in 2021. "While 2022 saw sell downs largely in tech stocks, this years sell downs are more diversified, he said. In September 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may visit Russian Federation with an official visit. Tentatively, he plans to travel from Pyongyang, his country's capital, to Vladivostok, Russian Federation, by armored train and meet with Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin. ADVERTISIMENT According to The New York Times, the two sides will discuss military cooperation. In particular, Moscow will negotiate arms shipments from Pyongyang to likely use in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. NYT, citing sources, writes that Putin wants Kim Jong-un to agree to send Russia artillery shells and anti-tank missiles. The North Korean leader, in turn, would like the Russian president to authorize the provision of advanced technologies for satellites and nuclear submarines to the DPRK. Kim Jong-un is also seeking food aid for his impoverished country. Journalists' sources said the two leaders will arrive at the Far Eastern Federal University campus in Vladivostok to attend the Eastern Economic Forum, which will be held from Sept. 10 to 13. Kim also plans to visit Pier 33, where warships of the Russian Pacific Fleet are moored. ADVERTISIMENT According to unconfirmed reports, a North Korean delegation recently traveled to Russia by train to plan their leader's future visit. In late August, a delegation of about 20 DPRK officials, including those who oversee the leadership's security protocols, traveled by train from Pyongyang to Vladivostok and then flew to Moscow. The trip took about 10 days, according to individuals familiar with the intelligence reports. While the White House declined to discuss the new intelligence, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrianne Watson acknowledged that the U.S. expects "diplomatic engagement at the leadership level" on the arms sale between Russia and North Korea. "We call on the DPRK to cease arms talks with Russia and honor Pyongyang's public commitments not to supply or sell weapons to Russian Federation," Watson said. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZREVATEL wrote: - In July 2023, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea for the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, celebrated in North Korea as "Victory Day," and met with Kim Jong-un. It was the first visit of a Russian defense minister to this country since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. - According to media reports, Shoigu offered Kim Jong-un to hold joint naval exercises between Russia, North Korea and China. - Earlier, the Russian and North Korean dictators exchanged letters and agreed to develop strategic relations. Only verified information from us in Telegram-channel Obozrevatel and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday asked banks and other financial institutions to ensure that their customers must update nominees to help resolve the problem of unclaimed money in future. Photograph: ANI "I want the banking system, the financial ecosystem including the mutual funds, stock markets to keep in mind that when someone deals with his (customer's) money, the organisations will have to think about the future and ensure that customers nominate their heirs, give the name and address," Sitharaman said speaking at the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) in Mumbai. According to a report, the banking system alone has more than Rs 35,000 crore of unclaimed deposits, while the overall quantum of the unclaimed money is said to be more than Rs 1 lakh crore. The Reserve Bank on August 17 launched a centralised web portal UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits - Gateway to Access information) to help people search and claim unclaimed deposits. The portal, launched by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, has been developed by the central bank to help the public to facilitate and make it easier for them to search their unclaimed deposits across multiple banks in one place. The finance minister said that it is essential to build a responsible financial ecosystem, and added that one laggard can cause a disruption, which can lead to trust deficit and the resultant crisis in the financial world. She also noted that tax havens and round-tripping of money are a threat to responsible financial ecosystem. "We equally should talk about the threats to a responsible financial global ecosystem and the global challenges thereof to build a responsible financial ecosystem," she added. Listing out the threats faced by the financial system, she said there are physical border threats, which are conventional warfare and other things. Then there are cyber threats whose intensity, unpredictability, and also the depth and access have gone up too high today. "As much as you build firewalls, there are more and more newer ways in which attacks are being made. "Cryptos which are a threat as well as an opportunity is also an example of the urgent need global cooperation because we are not going to be able to have a responsible financial ecosystem which we cannot regulate." On how the fintech players have helped the country, the minister said in about last four years, the number of demat accounts has increased by 2.5 times from 4.1 crore in 2019-20 to 10 crore in 2022-23. A record number of mutual fund SIPs are being registered, which helps in generating long-term wealth. Monthly SIP inflows have touched an all-time high of Rs 15,245 crore in July. When it comes to the assets under management of the mutual fund industry, it has increased tremendously in the last decade, growing more than four-folds from Rs 10 lakh crore in May 2014 to Rs 46.37 lakh crore in July 2023, she said. On the increasing number of income tax return filings, she said the August data signals that the formalisation of the economy is now really wide and it is accessing so many different areas. Credit facilities, social security, pension, insurance, all of them are getting covered. Though Maharashtra still continues to be the leader in income tax filing, other states are also moving up. In places like the north-east, Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, the new I-T return filings have gone up to two digits, grown by double digits growth. This augurs very well for the financial ecosystem. She also asked fintech companies to invest heavily in robust security measures, utilising advanced encryption and other measures to protect user data and financial transactions. A secured system is what will build trust and therefore that is a must for the financial ecosystem to truly flourish, she said, adding, India can lead in making the financial ecosystem inclusive, resilient and sustainable as we have the tools but we have to make it responsible. As India progresses towards formulating its own model of theaterisation, the public must get involved in the debate because in the end, it affects the well-being of the entire nation, asserts Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd). IMAGE: Soldiers patrol the Line of Control in the Machil sector in Kupwara, south Kashmir. Photograph: ANI Photo Theaterisation of the Indian armed forces has been in and out of public attention for the past three years or so. Discussions on the subject have been restricted to 'informed' circles and there is at most, a foggy understanding of the concepts and ideas that surround the entire issue of theaterisation. That is unfortunate for two very good reasons. First, the armed forces belong to the entire nation. They exist to preserve and protect the sovereignty and integrity of India. They are meant to prevent conflict through a show of strength (deterrence); and fight and win convincingly if dragged into war. The public is the body that suffers the consequences of conflict and therefore they must be assured of the effectiveness of their armed forces in conflict. Second, the employment of the armed forces is an involved exercise in civil-military relations. Armed forces officers are domain specialists, but lack a complete understanding of other crucial aspects of National Grand Strategy. Employment of the armed forces is undoubtedly a vital component of this Grand Strategy. There needs to be wider public understanding about the armed forces and their role in national security including evolutionary processes such as theaterisation. Trinity of Combat The Army, the Navy and the Air Force are the three main components of the armed forces that are expected to fight land, maritime and air battles respectively. At the time of Independence, India inherited a modest Army, Navy and Air Force, which, over the past three-quarters of a century have grown into formidable fighting organisations. From being ill-equipped and inexperienced armed forces in 1962, the country went on to fight two more major wars in 1965 and 1971 and conduct several other major operations where our prowess, professionalism and patriotism were unquestionably of the highest order. However, we fought singly in the most part, with land, maritime and air campaigns being planned and executed separately with a loose coordination between cooperating forces. There have been instances of air-land cooperation, but at a rudimentary level. This is because we were neither equipped adequately to fight complex battles nor conceptually mature for joint employment of forces. IMAGE: Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, right, with, from left, Air Marshal B R Krishna, Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff; General Manoj Chandrashekhar Pande, Chief of the Army Staff; Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff; Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff. Photograph: PTI Photo from the Rediff Archives Jointness As conflicts erupted the world over, it came to be accepted that no single service can prosecute complex operations on its own and that 'jointness' was indeed the way forward. Jointness meant officers and other ranks of each service needed to know and appreciate what the other two did, and how planning and execution of warfare could be achieved jointly. This required joint employment of forces and sometimes subordinating one service's role to the other for the overall achievement of war aims. The ground forces -- the Army on land and the Navy at sea would always be the final arbiter of conflict. While the Air Force can and must prosecute certain air campaigns on its own, it needs to robustly support the ground forces. This thinking was new and since the services operated in silos inside their own kingdoms, turf wars emerged. None of the services took kindly to sharing of assets or subordination of role to another service. There was also serious discomfort in joint planning and sharing of information with sister services. The enunciation of joint doctrines has been of recent origin in India, as late as the late 1990s and early 2000s. Experiments in jointness meant a healthy 'give and take' and while everyone was happy with the 'take', nobody wanted to 'give'. The Navy, the smallest service, was the first to give jointness a chance when it agreed to experiment with Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The envisaged Far Eastern Naval Command gave way to the joint Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) in 2001 with naval assets becoming common and positions held by naval officers, including the Commander-in-Chief, becoming rotational. The other two services did not display the same enthusiasm and a review of effectiveness of the Command that was to take place ten years after its inception never took place. Needless to mention, the balance of exchange did not favour the Navy. Many in the armed forces consider the ANC to be a failed experiment, but are not willing to admit it openly. IMAGE: Nine commanders-in-chief from the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Andaman and Nicobar Command at a high level meeting in Mumbai, February 25, 2022, chaired by Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh at the Western Naval Command. Photograph: ANI Photo Integration 'Jointness' and 'Integration' are terms that are sometimes used interchangeably. The difference between the two needs explanation. Jointness alludes to 'fighting together' or joint employment of forces in combat. It has been established that the effect of joint employment of forces far exceeds the sum of its parts and creates the desired 'effect'. Those who speak about 'effect-based operations' are saying just this in military jargon. Integration is quite another concept and refers to the enablers that bring about seamless joint employment of forces. The three services have diverse equipment and combat platforms. They just cannot be fielded together and become effective as a joint force. There is a range of enablers that are critical in 'integrating' the forces so that they can become cohesive, combat-worthy and credible fighting formations. These include common communication and networking protocols, compatibility of equipment, streamlined joint planning mechanisms, well-understood joint doctrines, clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), well-defined responsibilities and competent joint workforces in headquarters and formations. Joint training is also a critical enabler and will impact integration. There are other aspects of military operations such as intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, space, cyber, and special operations, the integrated employment of which would be critical in any future conflict. In a single sentence, if jointness implies the joint employment of forces in combat, integration implies how this will be made to happen. IMAGE: Senior army officers apprise General Manoj Chandrashekhar Pande, chief of the army staff, about the situation along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri sector, September 2, 2023. Photograph: ADG PI - Indian Army/X Theatres In this backdrop, how do we see 'theaterisation'? A theatre, as the name implies, has geographical connotations. A battle is fought in a geographical area. Small geographical areas are called tactical battle areas and a larger area can be called a theatre of operations. Hence, we commonly hear terms such as Northern Theatre, Eastern Theatre, Western Theatre or Maritime Theatre. Theatre forces conduct military campaigns within their respective theatres, with inter-theatre coordination, as necessary. Theatres should have theatre commanders, who bear full responsibility for planning, execution and outcomes of the campaigns entrusted to them. Directives to these theatre commanders flow from a Joint Headquarters under the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), suitably empowered with operational powers and forces allocated for specific campaigns by the respective service upon orders of the CDS. This is how theatre commands function in general. Are Theatres Integrated or Joint? Armed with this knowledge, should theatre commands be called 'integrated' or 'joint'? Does it matter? A theatre command should be able to employ 'joint' forces effectively in combat and its allocated forces must be seamlessly 'integrated' to be able to do so. Everything else is a play of words. There is a working system in place. If it must be revamped, there must be assurance of 'integration' aspects first, lest we find ourselves disjointed-in-theatre. As India progresses towards formulating its own model of theaterisation, the public must get involved in the debate because in the end, it affects the well-being of the entire nation. Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd) is a former Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Today, with China centrally seated and located, the Global South has an intriguing road ahead. Odds of it becoming a Chinese bloc in the emerging new bipolar world are higher than we'd wish them to be, observes Shekhar Gupta. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi with other leaders at the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, August 23, 2023. Photograph: Press Information Bureau However fashionable it might be to repudiate and disown Jawaharlal Nehru these days, at least one element of foreign policy he bequeathed to us remains intact, even in the Narendra Modi dispensation. We could set up this argument by simply counting the number of times Mr Modi has used the expression 'Global South' in his public speeches lately. This stretches across global summits, the address to the US Congress, the BRICS summit at Johannesburg to domestic platforms, including his Independence Day address from the Red Fort, and earlier this year in January, at the Voices of Global South Summit. Let's first look at the idea in some detail, and why we think it marks a continuity in thought from the Nehru era. It is the idea that India, or its leader, could be the leader of the rest. What does the 'rest' mean? It mostly means the world beyond the US, its European partners and its allies elsewhere. If you Google the term Global South, you will find lots of entries. Generally, and geographically, it refers to the countries in the southern hemisphere. But then you run into challenges. Where do you put Japan and South Korea, Singapore and further, in the deepest south, Australia and New Zealand? Geography, therefore, fails us. It gives us a broad sense, but it's far from accurate. History tells us that the line notionally dividing the Global North and South is based on the ideas of former German chancellor Willy Brandt. In 1980, a commission chaired by Brandt submitted a report titled North-South: A Programme for Survival. This soon became known only as the Brandt Report. It draws a sadly arbitrary line dividing the world around a latitude of 30 degrees north, cutting through the Americas between the US and Mexico, running above all of Africa, then straight fairly through Europe, and then extends upwards to take China in its grand sweep. But then it has to do some convenient gymnastics to exclude Australia and New Zealand, and if you go into the finer details, to carve out what we might call the Brandt Exclusion Zones of Japan and South Korea. The idea of a division into a rich North and a poor, struggling, developing South does not pass the test of geography. The term likely came up first in a 1969 special issue of the Catholic journal, Commonweal. And yes, you guessed it right, given the year, this was a special issue on the Vietnam War. Writer Carl Oglesby complained about centuries of dominance by the North over 'the Global South' to 'produce an intolerable order'. This went through other iterations through the intervening five decades: Third World, Developing World. And now, the Global South has been exhumed and resurrected. Mr Modi has emerged as its most prominent and powerful global brand ambassador. We've already seen how the definition fails the test of geography. Let's examine it using an economic touchstone. On all calculations and from all credible sources, you find the number of nations featuring among the Global South to be 78. Out of these, the prominent ones are: China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Nigeria, and Bangladesh. Together, these six account for the bulk of the grouping's population. What's common between them economically? We know the Chinese still love to make the supremely hypocritical claim that they are a developing country. But at a per capita income upwards of $12,000, they are anything but a developing country. Or a member of the Global South in the way the grouping is defined. And if indeed they were, would they want India to be the grouping's leader? Once again, if income were your criterion, and the geographical dividing lines could be shifted according to your convenience -- in this case only generally north -- Russia would soon look a worthier candidate to be in the Global South. Geography and economics having failed us, we come to strategic denominators. Many of the 'evil' Global North's key allies happen to be in the South: Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the Philippines and indeed, why not India as well? 'Natural strategic allies' is the expression three successive Indian prime ministers have used to describe our relationship with America. Two of the most important global allies of Captain America of the Global North, Japan and Australia, also happen to be our allies in the Quad. Now count also the countries in the Global South that might be our strategic allies. Do tell me if you find a couple. The hard fact is, our allies, our economic interests, our diaspora, and through it our social, cultural and economic ties and interests, all lie in what we sneeringly dismiss as the Global North. And why do we do so? Because we see them as having gone ahead of us already. So we seek the leadership of the rest. IMAGE: Modi at the BRICS-Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue in Johannesburg. Photograph: ANI Photo Nehru's India inherited a universe broken by two successive World Wars and putting itself back together as colonial powers faded away. It was also a world being carved up by the two blocs, led by the US and the Soviet Union, respectively. Nehru's political metaphor, personal lifestyle and social linkages were Western. His ideological upbringing evolved in the company of the British Socialists. This made him fundamentally averse to being seen to be aligned with the West. In that era, the division was not so much North-South as East-West. That the West was arrogant, dominant, exploitative and cynical and the Soviet Bloc was somehow part of the East. However different and distant this might have been from the East we inhabited, the idea of 'Noble East, Evil West' took root. It seeped deep into our popular culture of the period. Check out lyricist/poet Shailendra's lines from Raj Kapoor's (1960) Jis desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai: Kuchh log jo zyada jaante hain, insan ko kam pehchante hain/yeh poorab hai, poorab waale, har jaan ki keemat jaante hain (some people who claim to know more than the rest, but do not understand human values, should know that this is the East, and people of the East know the value of each human's life). There was no surprise then that the Non-Aligned Movement that Nehru founded had a distinctly anti-Western (American) slant. If any pretence of NAM being truly non-aligned still remained, Indira Gandhi finished it with not only a more pronounced pro-Soviet slant but also by signing the Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation with Moscow. Then, with India and Cuba as its leading lights, NAM was almost entirely a proxy for the Soviet Bloc. So deep was this influence across generations of Indians that it took almost two decades after the end of the Cold War and the vaporisation of the Soviet Bloc for India to embrace the new reality. I said two decades because I see the signing and parliamentary approval for the Indo-US nuclear deal as that turning point. Now the rise of China is challenging that post-Cold War, unipolar order. Nobody likes unipolarity, and nobody should. During the United Progressive Alliance-II government, a fanciful idea called Non Alignment 2.0 was floated in New Delhi, but it didn't go anywhere because the Congress lost power soon thereafter. Mr Modi, with a majority, was seen as capable of making a more decisive break from the past, and he has been doing so. Pragmatically, transactionally, and cynically, which is all very good for India. The Chinese challenge to American unipolarity and the rapid decline of Russia, however, have caused confusion. That's why new ideas of multilateralism, plurilateralism are coming in. Nothing should be dismissed without debate. But it is safe to presume today that anything new and multilateral outside the American influence will be dominated by China. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS are only two examples. In this situation, leadership of the Global South needs a reality check. In the Cold War, the Soviet Union was geographically distant and the leader of a well-defined bloc, and therefore influenced Nam only from the outside. Today, with China centrally seated and located, the Global South has an intriguing road ahead. Odds of it becoming a Chinese bloc in the emerging new bipolar world are higher than we'd wish them to be. By special arrangement with The Print Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com 'Now they're talking about changing the Constitution; they feel they have no reason now to hide their intentions.' IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi arrives in the Lok Sabha for the debate on the no confidence motion against his government, August 10, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo 28 parties make up the INDIA Alliance, but only 3 bothered to attend the activists' meeting in its support held on the eve of the alliance meet in Mumbai. CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya was one of them. Now 61, Bhattacharya's involvement in politics began while at the prestigious Indian Statistical Institute, from where he graduated and also holds a master's degree. Here he talks to Jyoti Punwani about the raison d'etre of the INDIA alliance, how democracy is of vital interest to the poor; and the untapped potential of Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar as inspirational icons. The first of a two-part interview: People have different expectations from the INDIA alliance. Some, like Medha Patkar, want it to commit to an entirely different developmental model; others feel if it removes the BJP, that's enough. As part of it, what do you expect? There are some factors we need to consider. One, a large section of people has begun to realise that two terms of this government has brought nothing but destruction, and they may not be able to bear the consequences of a third term. Second, we had a multi-party system, but now we don't even have a bipolar system. It is one party rule at the Centre, and they talk of ruling till 2047. On August 9 last year, Nitish Kumar left the NDA and joined hands with the RJD in Bihar. Just 10 days earlier, BJP President J P Nadda had said in Patna that no other party could fight the BJP at the national level, and all other parties would be destroyed. So, from Congress-mukt Bharat the BJP has gone to vipaksh-mukt Bharat. Hence we call it fascist and feel an urgency to remove it. Fascism here goes beyond Germany's model. There, there was one Hitler. Here, Modi goes, Yogi's waiting. There's a supply line. How did we reach here? It's been a long process. The build up to the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 led to Gujarat 2002 and now to the targeting of Muslims. The New Economic Policy of 1991 led to the first Vibrant Gujarat summit of 2003 and now to crony capitalism. The early hydel projects in Himachal and Uttarakhand laid the stage for the current disasters there, with the added push being given by the BJP's obsession with tourism and roads. UAPA was already there; the BJP just built on it. 2014 was a great opportunity for them. Since then, things have moved so fast that now they're talking about changing the Constitution; they feel they have no reason now to hide their intentions. Ambedkar's Constitution is being described as a 'British Constitution'. It's interesting that there's no mention of Hindu Rashtra in Bibek Debroy's article on changing the Constitution. The aim is politicisation of governance; doing away with separation of powers between the three institutions of government. The BJP may have said it's not their official view, but Debroy is the PM's chief economic advisor, so what he says is important. To understand today's situation, it's very important to remember what Ambedkar had said. First, he spoke about the dangers of a personality cult in India. 'Democracy in India is only a top-dressing on an Indian soil, which is essentially undemocratic,' he had said. Second was his warning that electoral equality wouldn't mean much if economic inequality kept increasing, which is happening now, as the Oxfam Report shows. Finally, he described a Hindu Rashtra as 'the greatest calamity for this country'. All three situations described by him exist; we are in a calamity. To face a calamity, common sense says we must have a disaster management approach. The first thing to do then is a Rescue operation. We have to rescue democracy. How much will be recovered in that operation, I can't say. After Rescue comes Relief. Those targeted by the calamity need relief, be they minorities or MSMEs, Dalits or Adivasis. The third step is Reconstruction. We need to rebuild a robust democracy which would be able to counter fascism. It is in recognition of this situation that INDIA has been formed. It's a broad based alliance, and also an alliance in the making. Five years earlier, it would have been unthinkable for the Shiv Sena and the Left, the RJD and the CPIML, to be in one group. But today it's the demand of the situation. The CPI(ML)'s trajectory is from Rescue to a system of robust socialism. Others in the alliance may only want some balance to be restored. IMAGE: Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders at their meeting in Mumbai, September 1, 2023. Photograph: Ishant/ANI Photo Some activists wonder that given the kind of parties in the alliance, can't the Left support it from outside instead of joining it? That can be decided if a government is formed in 2024. In Bihar, even with 12 MLAs, we are not part of the government. We didn't want ministries, we wanted to influence government through people's movements. When we feel the government is anti-people, we oppose it. We recently had two long agitations. Teachers protested against the state government's new recruitment rules, which would have meant that those recruited years ago through panchayats, would have had to sit afresh for a state-level exam. These teachers had been waiting to get recognition as state government employees. The CM finally met the striking teachers and assured them of a solution. The second agitation was for ASHA workers, who in Bihar, were not even paid an honorarium. They were given something called a paritoshik, meaning reward. Their 31-day strike resulted in them getting an increase of Rs 1500, and their payments being renamed honorariums. In both these struggles, our comrades were leading from the front. We thus managed to play the role of a bridge between people's aspirations and the government. Have things changed now in Bihar that the BJP is no longer in power? Not really. Bulldozers are used in Bihar too. The administration and the police still act on the behalf of the RSS. In May, people coming out of Baba Bageshwar Dham's lecture in which he advocated a Hindu Rashtra, vandalised the nearest statue of Ambedkar they could find. Later, a platform build for another statue was demolished by the administration. In both cases, we led strong campaigns for their restoration. IMAGE: Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya (in check shirt) flashes the victory sign at a press conference in Patna after the 2020 Bihar assembly elections where the CPI(ML) won 12 of the 19 seats it contested. Photograph: Pappi Sharma/ANI Photo Talking about Ambedkar, how do you see Dalit politics today? If you separate identity from ideology, then identity politics will be used by the dominant political force. That's what's happening today with Dalit politics. We have to wed identity to ideology. Unfortunately, the way the Ambedkarite ideology has grown, has reduced Ambedkar to a Dalit icon. He's been glorified only as framer of the Constitution and author of the reservation policy. Now the BJP has appropriated him, using his writings out of context to portray him as anti-Muslim. Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh are the most underutilised ideological icons. Bhagat Singh has been presented only as a revolutionary who gave his life for freedom. But his ideas speak to you in today's situation. The same with Ambedkar. Had we taken him seriously, his impact would have been different. Actually, not just Dalits, the country needs to rediscover Ambedkar. We must present his ideas to the people. We have to start describing the Constitution as the most important gain of the Independence movement, after freedom itself. Ambedkar has to be seen as one of our foremost freedom fighters. There were those who fought for a free India, and those who visualised what free India would be like. That's what Ambedkar did. There's historically been a misunderstanding and distance between the Dalit movement and the Left movement. If this were to be removed, fascism could be resisted more successfully. Fortunately, in Bihar a new slogan is emerging from the ground: Jay Bhim Lal Salaam. Part 2 of the Interview: 'BJP Thinks The Poor Don't Understand Democracy' Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com US President Joe Biden has tested negative for COVID-19 and will travel to India on Thursday to attend the G20 Summit during which he will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the White House said on Tuesday. IMAGE: US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi raise a toast, Washington, DC, June 22, 2023. Photograph: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters The announcement comes a day after First Lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. Biden was tested for the virus on Monday and Tuesday following his wife's positive test, but his results were negative. The US President will travel to India on Thursday to attend the G20 Summit, national security advisor Jake Sullivan told a press conference at the White House. He said President Biden will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi on Friday. Biden will participate in the official sessions of the G20 Summit on Saturday and Sunday, Sullivan said. The NSA said Biden is committed to working with emerging market partners to deliver big things together. Earlier, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that President Biden tested negative last night for COVID-19 and tested negative again on Tuesday. "He's not experiencing any symptoms as far as the steps that he is taking since the President was with the First Lady yesterday. He will be masking while indoors and around people in alignment with CDC guidance," she said. "And as has been the practice in the past, the President will remove his mask when sufficiently distance from others indoors and while outside as well. The CDC guidelines recommend a combination of masking testing and monitoring for symptoms. The President is doing all of that in current and close consultation with his physician," she added. Sullivan said the focus of the US in the G20 summit "is going to be on delivering for developing countries making progress on key priorities for the American people from climate to technology". "That's what we believe the world will see in New Delhi this weekend. The United States' commitment to the G20 hasn't wavered and we hope this G20 Summit (in New Delhi) will show that the world's major economies can work together even in challenging times," he said. President Biden, he said, has worked to rebuild the American economy from the bottom up in the middle out by making smart investments in the industries of the future while tackling climate change and empowering workers. And those investments are paying off. "We think countries around the world too, can benefit from a similar type of approach, and that we can help them as well by mobilising investment to support them in tackling the challenges that they face. And that's one of our main focuses in the G20," Sullivan said. The US, he said, is also looking forward to warmly welcoming the African Union as a permanent member of the G20. "We believe that the African Union's voice will make the G20 stronger," Sullivan said. Even before NCP-Ajit Pawar leaders came to meet in Delhi, the central government decided to buy 200,000 tonnes of onions from farmers at Rs 24.1 per quintal. This was among the highest prices at which onions have ever been bought from farmers. IMAGE: A vendor tosses onions at the Sardar vegetable market in Surat. Photograph: ANI Photo Last month, the central government, in a sudden move, imposed a hefty 40 per cent export duty on onions to improve supplies in the domestic market and cool down prices. The step was taken after onion prices in major mandis in Maharashtra and elsewhere jumped by almost 75 per cent in a span of nearly 20 days due to low supplies amid firm demand. Reports of damage to the kharif onion crop and its delayed harvest due to late sowing also triggered bullish sentiment. The clampdown stunned the farmers and growers who, after suffering a series of setbacks with the onion crop in March and April, were expecting some decent returns from the kharif harvest. The onions that they had stored from the rabi harvest were also fetching a better price. However, according to a CRISIL report this year, the rabi onions were of inferior quality compared to previous years and would not have lasted the full lean season. Rabi onion is also the most storable of all, as it has low moisture content. Low stocks, coupled with some uncertainty over the kharif harvest, meant that prices jumped. Between April and June of 2023, compared to the same period last year, onion exports from India jumped by almost 27 per cent to 630,089 tonnes. The sudden duty announcement caught farmers and traders unawares, and they went on a flash strike, deciding to stop the auction of the crop in Nashik, the country's biggest onion trading centre. There were protests in Madhya Pradesh as well, which is also a major producing state and more importantly goes to polls in the next few months. The events that followed the strike were somewhat unprecedented in terms of the speed at which they were taken, signifying the churn happening in Maharashtra politics. Immediately after the strike call and protests, sources said delegations of senior leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party's newest ally, the Nationalist Congress Party-Ajit Pawar faction, decided to meet the Union ministers to press forward the grievance of the growers. Calls went out to everyone in the state, including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, CM Eknath Shinde, and even Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, who at that time was in Japan, to avert the crisis from escalating. As a result, even before the leaders came to meet in Delhi, a decision was already in the works by the central government to purchase an additional 200,000 tonnes of onions from the farmers at a price of Rs 24.1 per quintal from the State-supported National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (Nafed) of India and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation (NCCF) of India to create a buffer. This was among the highest prices at which onions have ever been bought from farmers. Surprisingly, the rate at which Nafed and NCCF decided to purchase onions was tantalisingly close to the rate at which onions were exported before the duty was levied (that is, around $320 per tonne, or approximately Rs 26.5 per kilogram, or kg). Procurement centres have been opened both in Maharashtra and MP to ensure that farmers don't suffer due to the duty and get a reasonable enough price. Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde, expressing satisfaction at the central decision, said that the price paid for procurement is even higher than what farmers in Maharashtra were getting before the duty (which, according to him, was Rs 18-Rs 19 per kg). But that's not all. Weeks before the onion crisis unpeeled, the central government cleared a long-pending imbroglio over the tax on payment of sugarcane prices above the fair and remunerative price (FRP) or statutory minimum price (SMP). As a consequence of this settlement, several cooperative sugar mills in Maharashtra are now looking to pay a cane price that is Rs 20-Rs 30 per quintal more than the average FRP for the 2023-2024 season to farmers, according to industry sources. This could be a bonanza for approximately 8.5 million farmers in the state associated with these cooperative sugar mills as members. In the 2020-2-21 sugarcane season (October-September), the average FRP paid by cooperative sugar mills in Maharashtra was Rs 319 per quintal, which rose to Rs 324 per quintal in the 2021-2022 season. And, in the 2022-2023 season, cooperative sugar mills in Maharashtra paid an average FRP of Rs 333 per quintal. Sources said that in the past few years, cooperative sugar mills in the state were wary of paying anything above the designated average FRP that is calculated based on recovery, as there wasn't any clarity on whether such an excess payment would be considered a distribution of profit or business expenditure. However, with the income-tax department clearing the air on this by laying down the rules through which cooperative sugar mills can claim past cane prices paid to farmers in excess of the FRP or SMP as business expenditure a few months ago, several mills are looking to restart making extra payments to farmers over the designated FRP from the next season onwards. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Manoj Jarange, the face of latest agitation in support of reservation for Marathas, hails from a farming family and dabbled in politics before taking up issues related to his community and cultivators in Maharashtra. IMAGE: Manoj Jarange, the politician-turned activist who is on hunger strike in support of Maratha quota from August 29, 2023 in Jalna, Maharashtra. Photograph: Courtesy Manoj Jarange on X When he started his indefinite hunger strike in support of Maratha quota in a village in adjoining Jalna district on August 29, it largely went unnoticed, but everything changed on September 1 when violence broke out when local authorities tried to move him to hospital. The subsequent chain of events threw up a huge challenge for the 14-month-old Eknath Shinde-led three-party government with an angry opposition gunning for Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio, and seeking his resignation for police action against Jarange's supporters and pro-Maratha quota protesters. The police baton charged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a violent mob in Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district last Friday after protesters refused to let authorities shift Jarange to hospital. Several persons, including 40 police personnel, were injured and more than 15 state transport buses set ablaze in the violence. The protest and subsequent police action catapulted the lanky activist, aged around 40, into prominence and forced the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP (Ajit Pawar group) government to once again start talking about reservation for Marathas in education and jobs, an emotive issue which is now caught in legal tangle. Jarange originally hails from a small village, Matori, in Beed district of central Maharashtra and spent some time in party politics before agitating for farmers and the Maratha community, according to people who know him. He completed his school education in the village itself. After spending some years in Matori, he moved to Shahgad under Ambad tehsil in Jalna district where he worked in a hotel, Rajendra Kale, a journalist based in Matori, told PTI. Later, he got a job in a sugar factory at Ambad from where he joined politics. His wife and children stay in Shahgad in Jalna, he said. Jarange played a leading role in getting government compensation for families of people who lost their lives in Maratha reservation agitations earlier, Kale said. "While working for the Congress party, he became district president of the Youth Congress around year 2000. However, due to ideological differences over some political issues, he left the Congress and started working for a Maratha community organization. He then formed an organization named 'Shivba Sanghatana' around 2011," said Prof Chandrakant Bharat, co-ordinator of the Maratha Kranti Morcha, one of the outfits that has been agitating for quota for the community. Jarange also took up issues related to farmers and in 2013, he launched an agitation for releasing water from the Jayakwadi dam for cultivators of Jalna district, Bharat said. He was active in the pro-quota marches that were taken out in 2016 across the state and took Maratha community members from Marathwada in central Maharashtra to Mumbai to put forward their demands before the then-BJP government led by Fadnavis, said the MKM functionary. Jarange's agitation in Sashti Pimpalgaon of Jalna district lasted for nearly 90 days, Bharat said. Anil Maharaj Jarange, a relative of Manoj Jarange, said the activist left his village Matori around 2005-06. "His father Raosaheb and mother Prababhai Jarange still reside in Matori. His elder brothers Jagannath and Kakasaheb also live in Matori and do farming," said the relative. "Manoj purchased some land near Shahgad in Jalna district but his family always had an average income. He also encouraged others to work for the community," Anil Jarange said. A delegation of the Maharashtra government, comprising ministers, on Tuesday failed to convince Manoj Jarange, whose hunger strike for Maratha quota entered the 8th day, to withdraw his protest. IMAGE: A truck set on fire during a protest demanding quota for Marathas, Jalna, Maharashtra, September 2, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Jarange, who has been holding the hunger protest in Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district, said he would stop drinking water and fluids after four days if a favourable decision on quota is not taken. The government has so far reached out to Jarange twice urging him to withdraw the fast, but he has refused to budge. Last Friday, police baton-charged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a violent mob in Antarwali Sarathi village after protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift Jarange, who has been on a fast since August 29, to hospital. Several persons, including 40 police personnel, were injured and more than 15 state transport buses were set ablaze in the violence. On Tuesday, Minister of Tourism Girish Mahajan along with his cabinet colleagues Sandipan Bhumre and Atul Save met Jarange and urged him to call off the protest. They were joined by MLAs Narayan Kuche, Rajesh Tope and ex-legislator Arjun Khotkar. Mahajan asked Jarange to accompany them to Mumbai and hold talks with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on the issue, but he refused. "We are giving four days to the government. If the government fails to issue GR (resolution) on the Maratha reservation, I will quit water, juice and IV fluids," he told Mahajan. Mahajan told Jarange that a sub-committee has completed 60-70 per cent of the work on preparing a report. "The government needs at least 30 days to decide because of some technical difficulties. We need to do concrete work on this issue. But the decision can come even before that. We are concerned about your health," Mahajan said. However, Jarange said the agitation would continue peacefully and he would cooperate with the government. "But I will quit water if a decision is not taken within four days." Jarange said the delegation returned to Mumbai after a call couldn't get connected for further talks. "The delegation members said they would come back tomorrow," he said. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said a committee will submit its report within a month on how to issue Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas from Marathwada region. Reservation in jobs and education provided by the Maharashtra government to the Maratha community in 2018 when Fadnavis was chief minister was quashed by the Supreme Court in May 2021, citing the 50 per cent ceiling on total reservations among other grounds. Opposition parties of the INDIA bloc on Tuesday demanded that the government maintain transparency and not keep the country in the dark on the agenda of the special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22, even as they called for early passage of the women's reservation bill. IMAGE: A view of Parliament, in New Delhi. Photograph: Rahul Singh/ANI Photo Sources said former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for early passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha during the upcoming session as the same has already been passed by the Rajya Sabha. At a meeting, the opposition parties decided to move together in the upcoming session and also raise the Adani issue. They also decided to hold the first INDIA parties' joint public rally in Madhya Pradesh and the next meeting in Bhopal. The leaders of several opposition parties, who attended the dinner meeting hosted by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence here, also discussed the strategy to be adopted during the upcoming session. Kharge said the Narendra Modi government is convening a special session of the Parliament for the first time without spelling out the agenda. "No one from any opposition party has been consulted or informed. This is not the way to run a democracy," he said after the meeting. "Everyday, this government plants a story in media of a prospective agenda', thereby creating a smokescreen of diversion from real issues burdening the people. The Bharatiya Janata Party wants to keep key issues like price rise, unemployment, Manipur, China's transgressions, CAG reports, scams and weakening of institutions aside and cheat our people," he noted. "The INDIA parties discussed the way forward for the special session. We shall not be deterred in raising people's issues, we intend to keep our focus on these. Let the BJP know Bharat Judega, INDIA Jeetega," Kharge said. After the meeting, Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi later told reporters that floor leaders of INDIA alliance parties in both Houses questioned why this special session is being convened and the government has not clarified on it yet. He said 12 days later a special session of Parliament is being convened and the country does not know what is it is for. He also asserted that the leaders of INDIA parties have decided to keep their unity at any cost and noted that the saffron party was rattled over it. "We demand that the BJP should show transparency and tell the country what is the agenda of this special session. The INDIA alliance has agreed that we want a constructive session that could help in the progress of the country and is in its interest," he told reporters. He said to help resolve the problems before the country, we want a constructive session and the INDIA alliance will extend all support. Congress leaders Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gaurav Gogoi, Pramod Tiwari, Ravneet Bittu, besides Tiruchi Siva and T R Baalu of DMK, Supriya Sule of NCP, Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha of AAP, Sitaram Yechury of CPI-M, Manoj Jha of RJD, Mahua Majhi of JMM, Derek O'Brien of TMC, Binoy Viswam of CPI, Ram Gopal Yadav of SP, Vaiko of VCK, N K Premchandran of RSP, were present during the meeting. Earlier, the Congress said it will constructively participate in the special session, but made it clear that it won't sit there only for "Modi chalisa" and want that issues of public concern be also raised during the five-day sitting. The party's stance was decided at a strategy group meeting chaired by Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Kharge, where leaders of the Congress in both Houses were also present. Accusing the government of keeping the country in the dark, the Congress also asked it to spell out the agenda of the special session. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh and Gogoi said the Parliament belonged to the country and the country was being kept in dark by the government. Noting that the government should be transparent, Gogoi said, "But this government is neither transparent, nor responsible". "What is the agenda, what are the issues," he asked, while noting that the entire country is being kept in the dark. Ramesh said it is for the first time that the government has not taken opposition parties into confidence and not discussed the agenda for the upcoming session. He asserted that it is impossible to have only government business during the five-day sitting while offering to participate in the proceedings of both Houses hoping that the dispensation will allow them to raise issues of public importance. "We are not going to sit only for Modi chalisa. We will surely demand from the government and try and raise our issues in every session. But, we have not been getting an opportunity to raise them in the previous sessions. "Our demand would be that there should be discussion on those issues and with this sentiment we would participate in this special session," Ramesh told reporters. "This is the first time that to divert attention from the INDIA alliance partners, the prime minister and their alliance partners declare that there will be a five-day special session of Parliament," he said. "It is impossible that for five days there is only government business. We want that during the special session of Parliament, along with economic and political issues, issues related to foreign policy and borders should also be discussed. Gogoi said the special session has been announced, but the BJP itself is not able to decide the important issues. "We discussed the instability that is still there in Manipur, people are still in camps, people are being killed; The news about Adani ji was recently published in Guardian and Financial Times. There should be an investigation on the Adani issue. Whether it is Nuh or in different provinces of the country, or instability in society, and the reason for which is only the divisive politics of BJP," he said. Over 260 eminent citizens, including former judges and bureaucrats, have written to Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud urging him to take cognisance of DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin's 'eradicate Sanatan Dharma comment, calling it "hate speech". IMAGE: Udhayanidhi Stalin. Photograph: ANI Photo In a letter to the CJI, the signatories, including former Delhi HC judge S N Dhingra, said not only did Udhayanidhi Stalin make a hate speech but refused to apologise for his remarks. The letter, signed by 262 people including 14 retired judges, 130 former bureaucrats and 118 ex-armed forces officers, said they are deeply concerned over the remarks made by the Tamil Nadu minister which undeniably amount to "hate speech" against a large population of India and strike at the very core of the Constitution of India which envisages a secular nation. The letter said action is needed in order to preserve the secular character of the country. Any delay on the part of the administration in taking action on very serious issues will invite the court's contempt, it said. The letter said the state government has refused to take action and acted in contempt of the court's orders and "gravely undermined or rather made a mockery of the rule of law". "We urge the Supreme Court to take suo motu (on its own) notice of contempt, ensuring accountability for the inaction of the state government of Tamil Nadu, and take decisive steps to prevent the inducement of hate speech, preserving public order and peace and we request you to take immediate appropriate actions. "We sincerely hope for the thoughtful consideration of our plea and implore immediate measures to ensure justice and rule of law to prevail," it said. The letter referred to a Supreme Court order wherein it had asked the authorities to take action in cases of hate speech on its own without waiting for a complaint to be filed. In his address at a meeting of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association in Chennai on Saturday, the DMK leader, a film actor and son of Chief Minister M K Stalin, had likened Sanatan Dharma to coronavirus, malaria and dengue and said such things should not be opposed but destroyed. As a massive controversy erupted over his remarks, Udhayanidhi Stalin stuck to his guns and said he will continue to speak out against caste discrimination in all religions. The letter stated that the rule of law was undermined when the Tamil Nadu government refused to take any action against Udhayanidhi Stalin and rather chose to justify his remarks. "In the case of Shaheen Abdulla vs Union of India and Ors, the Supreme Court of India observed that there cannot be fraternity unless different religious communities are amenable to live in harmony. "The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the growing incidents of hate speeches in the country and has directed the governments and police authorities to take suo motu action in such cases without waiting for the lodging of formal complaints, the letter said. In the Shaheen Abdulla case, the apex court held that the Constitution of India envisages a secular nation and directed state governments to come down hard on hate speeches. "Thus, cases should be suo motu registered and the offenders should be proceeded against in accordance with law. Any hesitation to act as per the directions would be viewed as contempt of court," it said. A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the August 7 notification which restored the Lok Sabha membership of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi following the apex court order staying his conviction in a 2019 defamation case over his Modi surname remark. IMAGE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi waves to the crowd during party's Rajiv Yuva Mitan Sammelan, in Raipur, September 2, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo The top court had on August 4 stayed his conviction in the defamation case. Gandhi represents Wayanad in the lower House of Parliament. The Congress leader was disqualified as an MP on March 24 after a Gujarat court convicted and sentenced him to two-year imprisonment for criminal defamation for comments he made about the Modi surname. The Gujarat high court had later dismissed his petition for a stay on conviction, observing that "purity in politics" is the need of the hour. The petition, which was filed in the apex court on Tuesday by Lucknow-based advocate Ashok Pandey, said it is challenging the August 7 notification issued by the Lok Sabha restoring Gandhi's membership. It claimed that as per provisions contained in Article 102 read with section 8 (3) of the Representation of the People (RP) Act, 1951 and the law laid down by a constitution bench of the apex court in B R Kapoor vs State of Tamil Nadu and another, "the disqualification based on conviction and sentence will continue to operate till it is set aside in appeal." While Article 102 of the Constitution deals with disqualification of a member of either House of Parliament, section 8 (3) of the RP Act says a person convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of such conviction and shall continue to be disqualified for a further period of six years since his release. The petition has arrayed the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Union of India, the Election Commission of India and Rahul Gandhi as respondents. It has also sought a direction to the Election Commission to notify the vacancy of the seat being held by him and holding fresh election there. The petition claimed Gandhi lost his membership of Lok Sabha when he was convicted for defamation and was awarded two years sentence and "as such the Speaker was not right is restoring back his lost membership." "In view of order of the Supreme Court staying the conviction of Rahul Gandhi, the petitioner also pray to constitution bench of this court to kindly decide the issue as to whether the conviction of an accused can be stayed by the court of appeal or any court and whether on the basis of stay of conviction, a person who has suffered disqualification by operation of law, will become qualified to be chosen as or for being, a member of Parliament/ State legislature," it said. The plea urged the apex court to decide whether the notification regarding loss of membership of a convicted legislator will be notified by the chairman or speaker of the House concerned or is it the domain of the Election Commission. "Rahul Gandhi is disqualified from being chosen as or from being a member of Parliament and state legislature till his conviction is not set aside by the court of appeal and so, to restore his membership and to permit him to continue to work as Member of Parliament is in clear violation of Article 102 read with section 8 (3) of the RP Act, 1951," it claimed. The top court passed the August 4 order while hearing a petition by Gandhi challenging the Gujarat high court verdict which had dismissed his plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the defamation case filed by Purnesh Modi over his "Modi surname" remark. The apex court, while granting Gandhi the relief, had said no reason was given by the trial court judge while convicting him except that he was admonished by the top court in a contempt case. Purnesh Modi had filed the criminal defamation case in 2019 against Gandhi over his "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?" comment made at an election rally in Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019. A metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat had on March 23 sentenced the former Congress president to two years in jail after convicting him under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500 (criminal defamation). Following the verdict, Gandhi was disqualified as an MP under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act. The top court had earlier closed the contempt proceedings against Gandhi for wrongly attributing to it his "chowkidar chor hai" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the Rafale case, with a warning to be more careful in future, after the senior Congress leader tendered an unconditional apology. CloudSEK in its report also warned that the leaked data could enable account takeovers. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: Reuters Cyber threat analysis company CloudSEK on Monday reported that personally identifiable information (PII) and medical diagnoses of over 320,000 patients, along with sensitive data about doctors, were found to have been leaked on the dark web from the ministry of AYUSH website for Jharkhand. The breach was initiated by a threat actor who goes by the name Tanaka, and the compromised data included sensitive information about doctors, such as their PII, login credentials, usernames, passwords, and phone numbers. Information about 500 login credentials, some in cleartext (unencrypted form), was exposed on the dark web. The website for Jharkhand is designed and developed by Bitsphere Infosystem, an information technology services firm based in Ranchi. The threat actor shared a post titled bitsphere.in on an English-speaking hacking forum, CloudSEK said in a report. Email queries sent to officials of the AYUSH ministry, the office of the director at AYUSH Jharkhand, and Bitsphere Infosystem remained unanswered at the time of going to press. The ministry of AYUSH website for Jharkhand serves as a critical resource providing information about ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, unani, siddha, and homeopathy treatments. It connects patients to doctors working in these medical disciplines and is also used for education and research in these fields. Although the database is relatively small, at around 7.3 megabytes in size, it contains over 320,000 patient records, including their PII information and medical diagnoses. It also contains contact information for 737 people who used the contact us form on the website, as well as 472 records containing PII information of doctors. The database also contains PII information for 91 doctors, along with information about where they are posted. The link between the compromised data and AYUSH Jharkhands website was established by cross-referencing chatbot and blogpost data shared by the threat actor with publicly accessible data on the website. CloudSEKs contextual artificial intelligence digital risk platform, XVigil, was used to identify the source of the leaked data. CloudSEK researchers found a deeply concerning data breach that has far-reaching implications for patient and doctor confidentiality. The breach raises serious concerns about the digital security of health care data, the analytic platform said. In its report, CloudSEK also warned that the leaked data could enable account takeovers, as commonly used or weak passwords could lead to brute force attacks. It would equip malicious actors with the details required to launch sophisticated phishing attacks. Brute force refers to attacks that use trial and error to guess login credentials or encryption keys. Breach of health care databases may have severe implications as it includes sensitive data such as reproductive, sexual, and mental health data. This new report comes months after a Telegram bot was allegedly found leaking personal data collected by the governments CoWin portal. Last year, the servers of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi were infiltrated in a cyberattack, paralysing its operations. Dark side of the web Security forces on Tuesday extended the search operation to adjoining villages to track down a terrorist who managed to escape from a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, officials said. IMAGE: A manhunt has been launched in Reasi for the escaped terrorist. Photograph: ANI While one terrorist was killed and two security personnel injured in the initial gunfight at Gali Sohab village in Tuli area on Monday, the second terrorist slipped out from the cordoned house located on a slope, taking advantage of rough terrain, the officials said. They said the security forces stormed the house early on Tuesday morning amid intense firing but there was no trace of the second terrorist who was believed to be hiding inside. However, the search parties comprising the police, Army and CRPF retrieved the body of the slain terrorist and also recovered an AK assault rifle, two magazines, a rucksack, a pocket diary and some medicines and eatables. The officials said reinforcements were rushed to the area and nearly half-a-dozen adjoining villages in the forested area were sealed and a search operation is underway to neutralize the fleeing terrorist. Jammu-based defence PRO Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said the Army along with police has been continuing relentless operations in the forest areas of Reasi district to scuttle nefarious designs of the terrorists. A joint operation was launched based on specific information about the presence of two armed terrorists. The dynamic counter terrorist grid was established with extensive deployment in the area of responsibility, he said in a statement in Jammu. The defence PRO said the terrorists trapped inside the cordoned house opened fire on the security personnel deployed outside and in the ensuing heavy gunfight, one terrorist was neutralized. A detailed search of the house and the surrounding areas after the encounter resulted in the recovery of one terrorist's body along with other warlike stores. Search operation is in progress, Lt Col Bartwal said. He said the Army successfully demolished an improvised explosive device (IED) in the same region on September 3. A major incident has been averted in the region by these two consecutive actions by security forces. The presence of these heavily armed terrorists in the hinterland indicates sustained attempts by inimical forces to destabilize the South of Pir Panjal region, the defence PRO said. The officials said the encounter in the village broke out around 2 pm on Monday when the joint troops zeroed in on the house where the terrorists had taken shelter at gunpoint during the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. After getting information about the presence of the terrorists, security forces after trekking for over four hours reached the village and cornered the terrorists who opened indiscriminate firing in a vain bid to escape the security dragnet, the officials said. The officials said the slain terrorist is believed to be a part of banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) module operating in Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi districts. Two members of the same group were eliminated in Khawas area of Rajouri on August 5. While the body of one terrorist was recovered from the scene of the encounter the same day, another body of a terrorist who had jumped into a river was retrieved from a village in Reasi district on August 18. The border district of Poonch along with nearby Rajouri has witnessed several encounters this year, resulting in the killing of around 20 terrorists and 10 security personnel. Most of the terrorists were killed while attempting to sneak into this side from across the border, the officials said. IMAGE: A delegate being welcomed for the final G20 Summit Sherpa meeting in Manesar, Haryana, September 4, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Although their partners will be busy collaborating to establish a common agenda for the Group of Twenty, the spouses of the participating heads of State and partner countries will have the opportunity to savour the culinary diversity of Indian millets and explore themes such as Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. An exhibition on the origins of Indian art, culture, handicrafts, and India's grassroots farming innovations is scheduled for September 9 and 10. Sources indicate that while the leaders convene at Pragati Maidan's Bharat Mandapam convention centre on September 9, their spouses will visit the verdant campus of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute on Pusa Road in West Delhi during the morning. Here, Kyoko Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's wife, will extend a welcome to them. IMAGE: A G20 hoarding ahead of the G20 Summit in New Delhi. Photograph: Jitender Gupta/ANI Photo During their visit, the spouses will enjoy a lunch featuring millet dishes prepared by renowned chefs from across the country. They might even try their hand at rustling up a quick millet dish themselves. Within the IARI campus, a dedicated section will showcase various millet dishes. According to sources, chefs from different regions of India will demonstrate the preparation of millet dishes and invite guests to try their hand at millet cooking. Spouses of the majority of the 19 visiting heads of state, as well as those from five guest countries, are expected to attend. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo Later, the spouses will proceed to Jaipur House at India Gate, home to the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), to view an exhibition titled Roots and Routes: Past, Present, and Continuous. The NGMA exhibition will present the progression of Indian art and culture through history, showcasing elements such as Gandharva sculptures, specially brought from Chandigarh's Government Museum and Art Gallery, and Pahari miniature paintings. Guests might also receive Indian handicrafts and textiles as part of the 'One District, One Product' initiative. IMAGE: Humayun's Tomb. Photograph: ANI Photo On September 10, both the leaders and their spouses are scheduled to pay their respects to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, at Rajghat. In addition to these official events, the respective countries' missions have organised separate outings for their visiting delegations. To ensure safety and assistance, the Delhi police and the office of the lieutenant governor of Delhi have deployed a specialised group of 400 officers known as 'tourist police' in newly acquired Bolero vehicles across 21 locations. These locations include landmarks like Humayun's Tomb, the Lotus Temple, the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid, shopping areas, and dining establishments, including malls, Dilli Haat, and the Hauz Khas Village. IMAGE: The Nanaji Deshmukh Plant Phenomics Centre, IARI, New Delhi. Photograph: Press Information Bureau Another stop on the itinerary is the Nanaji Deshmukh Plant Phenomics Centre, located within the IARI campus. This centre, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra D Modi on October 11, 2017, on the birth anniversary of social worker Nanaji Deshmukh during his centenary year, is managed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. It conducts research on climate-resilient crop varieties and features advanced 'climate-controlled facilities', including eight greenhouse chambers. The guests will then proceed to the IARI fairground to witness the cultivation of millets. At a separate exhibition hall, they will gain insight into the efforts of agricultural startups and farmer-run farmer producer organisations across various aspects of Indian agriculture. These include innovations and technological advancements in the sector, highlighting the pivotal role of small farmers and the significant contribution of women in India's remote hinterlands to the field of agriculture. Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com An Indian military contingent consisting of Indian Army and Indian Air Force personnel are participating in Exercise Bright Star - 23 currently being conducted at the Mohammed Naguib military base in Egypt. The multinational tri-services military exercise is being led by US CENTCOM and the Egyptian army. Exercise Bright Star - 23 will provide an opportunity to the Indian Army and Indian Air Force to share best practices and experiences with other armies besides enhancing defence cooperation. IMAGE: Glimpses from Exercise Bright Star - 23, where an IAF IL-78 AAR aircraft refuelled aircraft from the Egyptian air force, here and below. Photograph: Kind courtesy @IAF_MCC/Twitter IMAGE: Bonds of friendship in the skies over Egypt. Photograph: @IAF_MCC/Twitter Photograph: @IAF_MCC/Twitter Photograph: @IAF_MCC/Twitter IMAGE: The Indian Army and IAF contingent at Alexandria. The Indian contingent of 550 personnel is among the largest Indian deployments for an overseas military exercise. Photograph: Kind courtesy @indembcairo/Twitter Photograph: @indembcairo/Twitter Photograph: @indembcairo/Twitter Photograph: @indembcairo/Twitter Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com WEST ARLINGTON Today is the last day of the year that the "OPEN" message painted by hand on the side of an A-frame sign will be turned to fa Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Some clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 33F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 33F. Winds light and variable. Slovakia's new populist Prime Minister Robert Fico said Thursday that his government was stopping military aid to Ukraine, in the first Western reversal of the kind. China drew sharp complaints from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam with its latest version of a territorial map that sets new boundaries in the contested South China Sea that reach far into waters claimed by those neighbors. The 2023 edition of China's territorial map encompasses small islands claimed by five Southeast Asian countries, going beyond a claim that was rejected by a 2016 international arbitration ruling. Delhi also took issue with the map's inclusion of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The Chinese social media app, which means Little Red Book, has taken off in Taiwan. A recent Taiwanese college graduate, Lee Chia-Shan who declined to reveal her real name for security reasons spends her days posting Instagram photos of Taiwans most beautiful cafes and promoting new brands in exchange for free products. But having less than 10,000 followers on the platform means her posts often fail to attract as many attractions as she would like. Luckily, a different app has got her covered. On Instagram the number of followers just stops at a certain point, and beyond that its tough to break through the algorithm, said Lee. But a single spur-of-the-moment post on Xiaohongshu easily gets thousands of views. Xiaohongshu is a popular Chinese social media app with 200 million monthly active users. It caters to post-millennial female users who want to share lifestyle content, including beauty products, fashion, interior design, travel and spiritual growth. The app, which means literally Little Red Book, a reference to the book of Mao Zedong quotes, has taken off in Taiwan, where it is the go-to fashion reference for many young social media influencers. In order to catch up with the latest trends, Lee spends day after day diligently swiping and posting on the platform. She has even begun writing her posts in mainland Chinas simplified characters instead of Taiwans more commonly used traditional characters because they have more reach. Xiaohongshus website activity by country. (Screenshot/Similarweb) Lee is not alone. Many Taiwanese cosmetic designers have even begun including Xiaonghsu in marketing their products. One well-known pharmacy AFCL visited displayed five or six Chinese brands under advertisements such as Xiaohongshu bestseller and As seen on Xiaohongshu. Taiwan stood as the apps second largest user base outside mainland China between March and May. It also often trends on Taiwans IOS and Android app stores. Xiaohongshu was the third most downloaded app in Taiwan on both IOS and Android in the first two weeks of August 2023. (Screenshot/Similarweb) The rise of Xiaohongshu in Taiwan is evident. But what are the implications? Taiwan already imposed a public sector ban on TikTok after the FBI warned that the Chinese social media service posed a national security risk. Is it not the case for Xiaohongshu? Behind the enemy lines Posts in Xiaohongshu promote lifestyle habits or self-realization and usually have nothing to do with politics, says Wang Pin-yi, a Taiwanese college student who is a staunch advocate for Taiwanese independence. Wang also declined to reveal her real name due to security concerns. Its a convenient replacement for all other apps, so [users] spend more time on it, she said. Wangs view was echoed by other Xiaohongshu users interviewed by AFCL who said that the app was less political and better in quality than similar Chinese platforms such as TikTok. Comparing key data between Tiktok and Xiaohongshu. (Photo/AFCL) But after a year of use, Wang said, she feels at times like she is behind enemy lines. I noticed that negative messages about China are hard to find on the app, creating the illusion that China seems like its a really nice, cozy place to live, said Wang. The app is also full of China-centered discourse that Wang believes carries a strong sense of ethnic superiority. They dont necessarily attack, but they always leave comments praising China as better, Wang says, referring to some videos of foreign bloggers that Xiaohongshu users often spontaneously post. She believes this signals a desire to use any topic whether food or cosmetics to help promote and strengthen a sense of Chinese identity. The experiment Xiaohongshu promises to be the users guide to life by helping them discover a real, beautiful and diverse world. AFCL decided to do a little experiment to see if all the facts in Xiaohongshus world matched our own, starting with the 34th anniversary of the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen Square massacre. Publishing or sharing any content about the protests on Chinese social media platforms is the quickest way to have ones post deleted and account banned particularly during the most sensitive days preceding or following the protests anniversary. Posting such content is the most practical and easy way to test whether Xiaohongshu follows Beijings long standing policy of censoring discussion of the event. Between June 2 to June 5 two AFCL team members searched for, commented on and posted messages about the protests on Xiaohongshu, with a similar test conducted on TikTok as a control measure. Keyword searches on Xiaohongshu related to the protests such as June 4th, Tiananmen Square, or tanks only produced irrelevant information. The result was no different when searching for candles. Posting photos or emojis of candles on social media has also long been a way Chinese netizens silently commemorate and mourn on the anniversary of the protests. Searches for June 4 and Tiananmen did not bring up any results in Xiaohongshu. (Screenshot/Xiaohongshu) So AFCL decided to take it to the next level. One AFCL member who left a comment 64 Tiananmen on a Xiaohongshu post was immediately sent the following message: This comment violates our terms of service. You are banned from posting for 2 hours. One AFCL team member was temporarily banned from posting after commenting 64 Tiananmen. (Screenshot/Xiaohongshu) Another member received a similar message within 20 minutes of uploading a photo of the Tank Man -- an iconic figure associated with the 1989 protests quickly followed by a notice that the members account would be blocked due to violations of the apps standards. AFCLs inquiry for clarification on standards went unanswered. Xiaohongshu blocked the account of one AFCL tester after they uploaded a picture of Tank Man onto the app. (Screenshot/Xiaohongshu) Separately, Wang Pin-yi claimed that a private message on the app sent by a friend which jokingly mentioned Papa Xi, referring to President Xi Jinping, was never delivered. She told AFCL that she later received a system reminder to report any messages violating the apps terms of service. A message sent by one Xiaohongshu user in which they referred to Xi Jinping as Papa Xi (left - third message down) was censored in transit and never reached the recipient users phone (right). Instead they received a reminder to report any messages violating the apps terms of service (right - bottom). (User provided Screenshot/Xiaohongshu) Dr. Ruei-Hau Hsu, an assistant professor in the Department of Information Engineering at Sun Yat-sen University, told AFCL that Chinese software developers analyze filter keywords related to the Tiananmen protests based on frequency and popularity. Hsu added that developers may have allowed candle advertisements to pass censors due to the low likelihood they referenced the protests, whereas articles or posts run a greater reaching of touching upon the subject. High degree of risk Now we know that Xiaohongshu has achieved significant popularity in Taiwan, that it promotes a positive image of China, and that, like other China-born social media platforms, it censors sensitive information for Beijing. But what does this imply for its users in Taiwan? Xiaohongshus user service agreement and privacy policy seen by AFCL show that the company stores personal user data including all text, photos, videos, audio, comments, likes and favorites on the app in China. Data will be collected and provided to Chinese authorities if requested to do so. And such provisions put Taiwanese citizens at a high degree of risk, said Lai Chung-chiang, the convenor of the Economic Democracy Union think tank in Taiwan. Xiaohongshus user agreement outlines undesirable information that can result in users getting banned if their post contains such content. Many of the infractions are broad and vague. (Photo/AFCL) Chinas recently enacted counter-espionage law requires any company or individual to provide any information requested by state investigators. It is illegal to refuse. (Photo/AFCL) Taiwanese who post anything on the app that could be interpreted as violating one of Chinas frequently vague and ambiguous national security laws such as Chinas recently enacted counter-espionage law or the 2020 Hong Kong national security law should avoid going to Hong Kong or China, Lai added. Chinese law doesnt care whether a person is inside or outside the country. If [the government] wants to arrest people, it will, he noted. Taiwans Ministry of Digital Affairs restricts public officials use of Chinese-made software listed as national security threats, including Xiaohongshu and Douyin. Talks with Taiwans Ministry of Education about potentially extending such restrictions to campuses are ongoing. Lai however believes that the Taiwanese government should consider extensively expanding the current list of Chinese software deemed a threat and forcibly removing them from Taiwanese app stores. Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Taejun Kang and Malcolm Foster. Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) is a branch of RFA established to counter disinformation in todays complex media environment. Our journalists publish both daily and special reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers understanding of public issues. Chinas Foreign State Immunity law, passed Friday by the National People's Congress Standing Committee, takes effect Jan. 1, 2024. Pictured: Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee, discusses a report with deputies in Beijing, Aug. 31, 2023. China has passed a law allowing the authorities to seize and freeze the assets of foreign states, in a move analysts say will encourage tit-for-tat "hostage diplomacy." The country's National People's Congress Standing Committee passed the Foreign State Immunity law on Friday, in a move state media said would "safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests." The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2024, allows Chinese, Hong Kong and Macau authorities to seize or freeze the assets of foreign states in situations where the government concerned has already taken similar action against Chinese assets on foreign soil, state news agency Xinhua reported. "Once a foreign state abolishes, restricts or downgrades the immunity it has granted to China, China will have the right to take necessary countermeasures in accordance with the principle of reciprocity," Xinhua said. But the law doesnt affect privileges and immunities enjoyed by foreign diplomatic missions, consular posts, special missions, missions to international organizations, delegations to international conferences, nor the privileges accorded to foreign heads of state, heads of government, foreign ministers, and other officials of comparable status. Analysts said the law is part of a slew of recent legislation targeting foreign entities and individuals in China that includes recent amendments to the Counterespionage Law, and a Foreign Relations Law. Elastic definition Chinese authorities have typically employed a highly elastic definition of what constitutes a state secret, and national security charges are frequently leveled at journalists, rights lawyers and activists, often based on material they posted online. "This kind of legislation means they have another tool they can use ... to bring a lot of diplomatic pressure to bear to achieve their aims," Hong Kong lawyer and current affairs commentator Sang Pu commented on the law. "They can claim that they are only acting in accordance with their laws." "This kind of legislation means they have another tool they can use ... to bring a lot of diplomatic pressure to bear to achieve their aims," says Hong Kong lawyer and current affairs commentator Sang Pu, speaking about the new law. Credit: Zhong Guangzheng "This is an important part of China's Wolf Warrior diplomacy, and another step forward in its diplomatic bullying of other countries," Sang said. "It's part of a comprehensive foreign policy intended to confront Western liberal democracies." Under the law, a foreign state will be deemed to have consented to the jurisdiction of Chinese courts if it files a lawsuit, or if it is named as a plaintiff or a defendant in a lawsuit accepted by a Chinese court. Commercial activities by foreign states could spark legal action in China if the actions "have had a direct effect in Chinese territory even though they took place outside Chinese territory." That includes transactions of goods or services, investments, borrowing and lending, and other acts of a commercial nature that do not constitute an exercise of sovereign authority, according to the China Law Translate website. Lunghwa University of Science and Technology assistant professor Lai Jung Wei said the ruling Chinese Communist Party appears to believe that foreign countries are busy infiltrating China, much as their agents and supporters are infiltrating other countries. "A lot of their state-owned enterprises take the guise of private enterprises to infiltrate the rest of the world," Lai said. "They do this because the party has to be in control of everything it's a party-state." "And they use the same logic to view the rest of the world, and they are worried that the rest of the world is going to start doing it to them," he said. Hostage diplomacy Lai said it's another card Beijing which has repeatedly hit out at sanctions against its officials over its human rights record can play in future diplomatic wrangles. "[They're saying] if you refuse to back down, we can use this against you, or as a form of retaliation if you do similar things to us," he said. "But the legislation is inseparable from party rule." "To put it bluntly, it's a form of political security for the Xi Jinping dictatorship," he said. Canadians Michael Kovrig [right] and Michael Spavor, shown in March 2023, were taken into custody by Chinese authorities shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer and the daughter of the company's founder, on a U.S. extradition request. They were held for more than two years in China before being released. Credit: Andrew Harnik/Pool/AP China was widely criticized for its "hostage diplomacy" when it arrested and jailed Canadian nationals following the arrest of a top Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on Dec. 1, 2018 pending a U.S. extradition request. Sang said it's noteworthy that the law will be enacted in Hong Kong and Macau as well as in mainland China, suggesting that there is now scant difference between the three jurisdictions. "Hong Kong is getting more and more similar to mainland China," he said. Reports emerged last year that China was trying to obtain floor plans for all properties used by foreign missions in Hong Kong, amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent under a draconian national security law imposed on the city by Beijing. Simon Cheng, a former employee of the British Consulate General in Hong Kong, told Radio Free Asia that Chinese state security police were insistent that he draw a floor plan of the consulate for them during his interrogations during a 15-day detention in August 2019. Cheng warned in an October 2022 interview that Beijing will continue to tighten control on what it views as potentially hostile "foreign forces" that it blames for inciting the 2019 protest movement in Hong Kong. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. The court says the city must provide a legal framework for the recognition of same-sex relationships. Civil rights activist Jimmy Sham speaks to supporters on the campus of the Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, Nov. 25, 2019. In what has been called a 'moment of hope' for LGBTQ+ rights in the city, detained Hong Kong civil rights activist Jimmy Sham has partially won his bid for equal recognition of same-sex marriage in a judicial review case he took all the way to the city's Court of Final Appeal. The final appeals court ruled on Tuesday that the government has a constitutional duty to provide a legal framework for same-sex relationships to be recognized, setting a two-year timeline for officials to deliver. But it ruled against Sham's argument that the exclusion of same-sex couples from the institution of marriage was a violation of the right to equality under the Hong Kong Bill of Rights and Basic Law; and that lack of recognition of foreign same-sex marriage violated the right to equality. Sham, who is among 47 opposition activists and former lawmakers currently on trial for "subversion" under a national security law for taking part in a democratic primary, filed his judicial review back in 2018, but lost the case both in the Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal at the High Court. His lawyer, Karon Monaghan KC, had argued at the hearing in June that it is unconstitutional for the Hong Kong government to eliminate the possibility of same-sex marriage, and that it is unconstitutional not to offer an alternative legal union for same-sex couples. She said such discriminatory treatment would likely also engender discrimination against same-sex couples in other areas, including inheritance rights and access to housing, and sent the wrong message to the public. Same-sex relationships share all the characteristics of intimacy, love, long-term commitment and mutual support with heterosexual marriages, Monaghan said. She argued that the government's rejection of same-sex marriage, and its failure to provide alternatives like civil unions, amounts to discrimination against same-sex couples, sending the "insulting" message that homosexual relationships are inferior to heterosexual ones. Important victory Sham, who married his husband in New York in 2013, but who has been denied permission to marry him in Hong Kong, called on the court to rule that the government's approach is unconstitutional. An earlier court ruling in 2020 described his bid for equality of recognition as "too ambitious." Detained activist Jimmy Sham [center] leaves a prison van to enter the Court of Final Appeal as Hong Kong's top court hear his final bid to ask for recognition of his New York-registered same-sex marriage in Hong Kong, on June 28, 2023. Credit: Louise Delmotte/AP Hong Kong Marriage Equality welcomed the ruling, saying the verdict was an "important victory" for same-sex couples. "This verdict won't cause harm to anyone, and also marks Hong Kong society's progress towards equality in love, and a more harmonious society," it said. "This is a big step." It called on the government to actively communicate with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual and questioning community in developing the framework. Amnesty International described Tuesday's ruling as "a moment of hope" for LGBTQ+ people in Hong Kong. "Jimmy Shams partial victory in court is the reward for his tireless campaigning for equality, and it sends a clear message to the Hong Kong government that its laws on same-sex marriage are in urgent need of reform," Amnesty Internationals Regional Director for East, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Piya Muqit, said in a statement. Today can be the start of a more equal society in Hong Kong, but there is still a long road ahead," Muqit said. "It is now crucial that the government does not delay in implementing this ruling as a first step towards ensuring full equality for [LGBTQ+] people." Jimmy Shams marriage is legitimate and should be recognized as such," Muqit said, calling for a comprehensive review of all of Hong Kong's laws, policies and practices that discriminate based on sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status. Sham is the former convenor of Civil Human Rights Front, which once organized mass protest marches on the anniversary of Hong Kongs handover to Chinese rule and on New Year's Day and which once led a march of 2 million during the 2019 protest movement. The front was among several prominent civil rights groups to disband following the imposition of the national security law on July 1, 2020. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Campaign groups are putting up posters in British universities, only to see them torn down overnight. A man in a white shirt kicks at a man in a black shirt in this screenshot from a video taken in Southampton, England, Sunday, June 11, 2023. British police are investigating an attack on two Hong Kongers in the southern English city of Southampton. UPDATED AT 05:00 a.m. EDT on 09-06-2023 Exiled Hong Kongers in the U.K. are stepping up calls for the British government to sanction officials linked to human rights violations in the city they once called home, despite apparent attempts at sabotage and the threat of violence by supporters of the Chinese Communist Party. Posters have been appearing on university campuses across the country calling for sanctions amid an ongoing crackdown on peaceful dissent and political opposition under the Hong Kong National Security Law, amid a risk of violent attacks from supporters of Beijing. Some 30-40 students at nine universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh and University College London have signed up for a poster and leaflet campaign launched by the campaign group HKers United, the head of the organization told Radio Free Asia. "There are a great many international students in the United Kingdom, and a lot of students come to the U.K. to study," said the groups leader, who gave only the name Rex. "In some countries, for example, Sweden, or Poland, they may not have a clear understanding of what is happening in Hong Kong, and we want more people to pay attention to this. Then they can explain it to people back home." But Rex said the poster campaign has been marred apparently by the actions of Beijing's supporters on British soil. "We put up the posters, and they disappeared the next day," Rex said. "We all know that there are a lot of Chinese students on [British] campuses, and we highly suspect that it was them." "But we can't let that stop us because it's hard to avoid." Protesters hold placards as they gather in the center of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London to demonstrate against the dramatic deterioration of press freedom in Hong Kong, Jan. 9, 2022. Credit: Tolga Akmen/AFP The renewed campaign comes amid growing concerns over Chinese Communist Party infiltration of all aspects of British life, and warnings from Hong Kongers in exile over growing acts of violence by Beijings supporters and officials alike. Overseas activists frequently report being targeted by agents and supporters of the Chinese state, including secret Chinese police stations in a number of countries. Protecting culture and freedom Meanwhile, a petition calling on the government to sanction officials and civil servants whose actions contribute to breaches of rights and freedoms that Beijing promised would remain after the 1997 handover had garnered more than 20,000 signatures when viewed on Monday. "The U.K. has to take responsibility to monitor Chinas implementation," the petition read, citing the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration governing the handover to Chinese rule. "We want the U.K. Government to implement sanctions to pressure the Chinese regime not to undermine the rules of law, democracy and autonomy of Hong Kong and protect the interests of the British in Hong Kong," it said. A Hong Kong student who gave only the nickname Water said people had been out on his campus in London on Monday, promoting the petition. "Students ... represent the opinions of the next generation of Hong Kongers," Water said. "We are very worried right now about whether we can pass on Hong Kong's culture and its freedoms can be passed on [to the next generation]." "If our generation doesn't do this, then there's no guarantee that the next generation will," he said. He said older Hong Kongers sometimes express fear and concern for his generation of student activists, however. Activists at risk U.K.-based former pro-democracy lawmaker Daniel Kwok said he believes many more people are too scared of potential repercussions to join the campaign. Calling for sanctions has been criminalized under the National Security Law, under clauses banning "collusion with foreign powers." Legislator Eunice Yung, daughter-in-law of Elmer Yuen, one of the eight overseas activists wanted by the police, speaks to the media after being taken to the police station for investigation, in Hong Kong, July 24, 2023. Credit: Tyrone Siu/Reuters National security police have hauled in family members of most of the eight wanted activists in recent weeks for questioning, in addition to placing a HK$1 million bounty on each of the activists' heads. "Our goal is to obtain 100,000 signatures to show the strength of public opinion ... by Jan. 10 next year," Kwok told Radio Free Asia. "We are hoping that the British government will use stronger diplomacy ... to protect political dissidents and activists with British National Overseas passports or British nationality, including Jimmy Lai." Lai, a British citizen who founded the now-shuttered pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, faces two counts of "conspiracy to collude with foreign forces" and one count of "collusion with foreign forces" under a draconian security law imposed by Beijing in the wake of the 2019 protest movement, along with a charge relating to "seditious" publications. He was first arrested in August 2020 and is currently serving time for fraud in connection with the lease on his Next Digital media empire's headquarters. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office replied to the petition: "We keep all sanctions designations under close and regular review. We do not speculate about future sanctions designations, as to do so could reduce their impact." It said China is in "ongoing non-compliance" with the 1984 Joint Declaration, pointing to its suspension of the extradition treaty with Hong Kong, and the extension of an arms embargo on mainland China to Hong Kong. Kwok dismissed the British government's response to the petition as "insufficient." This story was updated to correct the name of U.K.-based former lawmaker Daniel Kwok, who was erroneously referred to as Dennis Kwok. Radio Free Asia apologizes for the error. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. The focal point of the meeting is expected to be arms trading. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin this month -- a development that would complicate the U.S.s plan to curb both Russian aggression in Ukraine and North Koreas nuclear ambitions. As we have warned publicly, arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing, U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said Monday, referring to North Korea by its formal name. We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia, she added. A South Korean diplomatic official also confirmed to Radio Free Asia that the visit would occur this month. Its foreign ministry on Tuesday issued a stern warning against Moscow and Pyongyang that ammunition trading should not take place under any circumstances. No U.N. member state should engage in activities that violate U.N. Security Council sanctions against North Korea, including the illegal arms trade, Lim Soo-suk, South Koreas foreign ministry spokesperson said in a regular briefing. Arms trade and related cooperation with North Korea is a violation of Security Council resolutions. Emphasizing the importance of international peace and stability, the spokesperson also added that it was closely monitoring developments surrounding the Korean peninsula with the relevant U.S. authorities. The potential meeting comes as North Korea is publicly backing Russia in its aggression against Ukraine. Through its state media, it has reiterated its support of Russias aggression, raising suspicion that Pyongyang is also providing ammunition to Moscow. While the specific agenda for the summit remains unclear, arms trading is expected to be a focal point of the meeting, given Russias urgent need for military equipment, and North Koreas need for diplomatic support amid growing US-South Korea-Japan security cooperation. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russias Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visit an exhibition of armed equipment on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice. Credit: KCNA via Reuters Washington issued a stern warning against North Korea last month regarding weapons transactions with Russia. The White Houses national security spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. was concerned about potential arms deals between Russia and North Korea. A reinforced alliance between the two may enable North Korea to further advance its nuclear and missile capabilities, leveraging Russian technology and expertise. This could destabilize the delicate balance on the Korean Peninsula and challenge the deterrence capabilities of regional stakeholders like South Korea and Japan. A united front from North Korea and Russia may embolden their respective stances against the U.S. and its allies, potentially undermining diplomatic efforts and escalating tensions in broader geopolitical arenas. Its worth noting that this meeting took place against the backdrop of escalating tensions between the U.S. and both Russia and China, Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul who had advised the South Korean government over the years, said. This implies that the Korean Peninsula matter might soon be entangled in a neo-Cold War-like framework. Essentially, it indicates that leveraging sanctions to denuclearize North Korea is becoming increasingly challenging. On a more practical front, North Korea is mostly likely to have needed food supplies, as much as Russia has a military need. A sign is seen on a street closed to traffic, amid growing fears over the spread of COVID in Pyongyang, North Korea. Credit: KCNA via Reuters North Korea had imposed strict COVID restrictions in early 2020, shutting down its borders, including that with its biggest trading partner, China. The North Korean economy contracted for the third straight year in 2022, according to the Bank of Korea. COVID restrictions, compounded by international sanctions, are widely seen to have further depressed the Norths struggling economy. A trip to Russia is merely the start, and a China-visit remains a distinct possibility, Yang added. Chinas potential inclusion in this bloc could further convolute the regional landscape. This scenario seems increasingly plausible, as Russia has officially proposed a joint naval drill with China and North Korea in July, said South Koreas National Intelligence Service on Monday. The potential trilateral alliance among the authoritarian nations could counterbalance the influence of the U.S. and its western allies in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. With Chinas extensive economic influence, global sanctions or diplomatic pressures against North Korea or Russia could be less effective. Updated on Sept. 5, 2023, at 3:13 a.m. ET to include statement from South Koreas foreign ministry. Edited by Elaine Chan and Taejun Kang. Regional bloc will stick to its five-point consensus on Myanmar, a much criticized and ineffectual peace plan. From left, Thai Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Sarun Charoensuwan; Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo; Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone; Hassanal Bolkiah, the sultan of Brunei; Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confer before the start of the retreat session at the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Sept. 5, 2023. ASEAN members may have their differences but the bloc remains united and central to the conduct of regional affairs, Indonesias president asserted on Tuesday amid criticism of the groupings inadequacy in tackling the Myanmar crisis. Joko Jokowi Widodo, whose country holds the Southeast Asian blocs chair for 2023, was speaking on day one of its three-day summit in Jakarta, as observers questioned ASEANs cohesion and relevance in the face of regional challenges such as the post-coup situation in Myanmar and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Lately, Ive been hearing questions related to ASEAN: will ASEAN break up and not be able to unite? Can the ASEAN ship keep sailing? Jokowi told his counterparts at the start of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit. As a family member and as the chair of ASEAN, I want to affirm that ASEANs unity is still well maintained. Unity does not mean there is no difference of opinion, he said, even after member-state Thailand broke ranks and engaged in talks with the Burmese junta. And despite criticism about it being ineffective, Jokowi said a five-point plan that the bloc had agreed to with the Myanmar junta chief should remain the main guide for resolving the conflict there. We need more tactical and extraordinary efforts for the implementation of the five-point consensus, he said, referring to the regional consensus that was struck within a few months after the Burmese military overthrew an elected government in February 2021. The five-point plan includes ending violence, starting dialogue, providing humanitarian aid, appointing a special envoy, and the envoy visiting Myanmar. The junta meanwhile has ignored the five-point consensus. Since the coup on Feb. 1, 2021, the military has cracked down on mass protests, killed more than 4,000 people and arrested tens of thousands more, human rights groups say. Jokowi said Indonesia had achieved some trust building through engagements with stakeholders in Myanmar, except with the military junta. Retno Marsudi, the Indonesian foreign minister, said the Myanmar crisis was very difficult, very complicated and not easy to solve. There had been no significant progress in implementing the consensus despite Indonesias engagement efforts, she added. However, ASEAN leaders had agreed to form a troika of current, previous and incoming chairs of the regional bloc to deal with the Myanmar crisis, she said. Such a troika would then include 2022 chair Cambodia, this years chair Indonesia, and upcoming chair Laos. Hun Manet, who inherited power last month from Hun Sen, his strongman father, was among the heads of government attending the Jakarta summit. New Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisit was unable to join the others because his cabinet was being sworn in by the king on the same day. Security forces march in formation around the venue of the ASEAN Summit at the Jakarta Convention Center, Sept. 5, 2023. [Eko Siswono Toyudho/BenarNews] Meanwhile, the Philippines said Tuesday that it was ready to replace Myanmar as the rotating chair of the 10-nation bloc in 2026. We will fortify the foundations of our community-building and navigate ASEAN as it embarks on a new chapter, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said. Some media reports in mid-August cited unnamed diplomatic sources as saying that Myanmar was withdrawing from chairing ASEAN in 2026 because of the domestic crisis. Malaysia, a particular vocal critic of the Myanmar junta, is set to be ASEAN chair in 2025. On Monday, the countrys top diplomat expressed Malaysias frustration at the Burmese militarys reneging on the five-point consensus. Malaysia and other member countries gave their views that we cannot allow this to continue without strong and effective measures imposed on the junta, Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir told reporters after ASEAN foreign ministers met in Jakarta on the summits eve. Malaysian media quoted Zambry as also saying that ASEAN top diplomats would urge their leaders to review the five-point plan. Zambrys predecessor, Saifuddin Abdullah, had called for abandoning the consensus outright and devising a new time-bound plan. Many regional observers arent fans of the consensus either. Indonesia lacked a clear strategy and had failed to make progress on the ASEAN five-point plan under its chairmanship, said Dinna Prapto Raharja, an international relations lecturer at Paramadina University in Jakarta. The five-point initiative has been rolling along without any direction or urgency, she told BenarNews. She also questioned Jokowis statement that ASEANs unity was still well maintained. Anyone who follows foreign affairs issues can see that it is divided, she added. Another analyst wondered what Jokowi meant by calling for extraordinary efforts to implement the five-point consensus. I have no idea what they are, but I assume they are more of a hope, Muhammad Waffaa Kharisma, a researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta, told BenarNews. If they are called extraordinary, they should be something that is out of the comfort zone. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attends the retreat session at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Sept. 5, 2023. [Mast Irham/Pool/AFP] Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim raised the issue of the disputed South China Sea in his address to his ASEAN counterparts, saying it must be managed in a peaceful and rational way through dialogue in accordance with international law. He was referring to the 2023 edition of the standard map of China, which showed Chinas claims over most of the South China Sea overlapping with those of ASEAN members including, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam. These members as well as Taiwan objected to the map, which Beijing released last month amid tensions with the United States over Taiwan. The 2023 map covers Taiwan and most of the West Philippine Sea, particularly the contested Spratly Islands. China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan. While Jakarta is not an active claimant in the South China Sea, it has been locked with China in tensions over the Natuna Islands. The three-day ASEAN meetings include talks between the bloc and dialogue partners at the East Asia Summit. Among those scheduled to attend the talks are U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Jason Gutierrez in Manila, Muzliza Mustafa in Kuala Lumpur, and Almira Wang in Jakarta contributed to the report. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news service. Soldiers tortured them and used them as human shields. Tha Kyin village, Ngazun township, Mandalay region in a photo taken in April 2020. Junta troops arrested more than 70 residents of Mandalay regions Ngazun township, residents told Radio Free Asia Tuesday. They said the locals from Tha Kyin village were rounded up in revenge for a Peoples Defense Force drone attack that killed seven soldiers. A resident, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, said troops captured more than 50 villagers on Sunday and around 20 on Monday. Everyone they met on their way was grabbed and immediately drugged, the local said. The women were arrested at night. Their faces were covered and their hands were tied behind their backs. Every man was arrested, fathers, sons and brothers. He said after the locals were tortured and interrogated at the village administrative office, they were taken to another village in four trucks on Monday. Around 40 were released on Tuesday, according to a leader of the local defense force, TGYR-Youth Guerrilla Counter Revolution, who wouldnt give his name for security reasons. The detainees were taken as human shields and not all were released when the troops arrived at their destination. More than 30 were still held. RFAs calls to the juntas Mandalay region spokesperson, Thein Htay, went unanswered Tuesday. Troops have been stationed in Tha Kyin village since a junta captain was killed in a shootout with the local Peoples Defence Force in February 2022. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang. Refugees in Bangladesh want citizenship and the right to resettle their old communities. Rohingya refugees gather for a rally marking the 6th anniversary of genocide day, in Ukhia, Bangladesh, on Aug. 25, 2023. Myanmar's junta has pledged to build 20 villages as part of a plan to repatriate thousands of Muslim Rohingya who fled a crackdown to neighboring Bangladesh, but members of the ethnic group say they dont trust the regime and wont accept the offer. Myanmars government has made at least two attempts to invite Rohingya back to the country since the military carried out a brutal offensive in their home state of Rakhine in August 2017, but with little success. About 1 million Rohingya, including about 740,000 who fled the offensive, live mostly in crowded and sprawling refugee camps in Coxs Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh. On Tuesday, Union Minister Ko Ko Hlaing told state-owned media that 7,000 Rohingya will be repatriated from Bangladesh camps to Myanmar by the end of the rainy season next month. He said 20 new villages will be constructed for the Rohingyas and that plots for 1,000 houses had already been cleared for those who return. The union minister claimed that China and other members of the international community had agreed to provide assistance in building additional homes. The comments came days after the junta invited officials from foreign embassies including Bangladesh, Thailand, and Sri Lanka to examine arrangements for readmitting Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. Just for show But while the junta appears to be rolling out the red carpet to the Rohingya, residents of the camps in Bangladesh told RFA Burmese they believe the offer is a trick. They are doing it just for show, due to international pressure, said Ali Jaina, a Rohingya living in the Balukhali refugee camp in Coxs Bazar. They have been putting on these kinds of shows since we arrived [in Bangladesh]. But no one has gone back. The Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Chen Hai, Myanmars Union Minister Ko Ko Hlaing and others tour a facility for Rohingyas along Myanmar-Bangladesh border on March 9, 2023. Credit: Chinese Embassy in Myanmar Al Jaina said that the Rohingya in Bangladesh have no confidence in the junta. How can they give us peace when they cant even make peace with the ethnic groups who already live there?" he said. Since seizing power in a February 2021 coup detat, Myanmars military has become embroiled in a multifront conflict with an armed resistance and multiple ethnic armies based in the countrys remote border regions. Junta troops have killed more than 4,000 civilians since the takeover, according to Thailands Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma). Al Jaina dismissed the juntas plan to repatriate Rohingya as a program that will move refugees from one camp to another, and suggested that those who accept will face an even worse food crisis than they do in Bangladesh, due to restrictions their ethnic group faces in Myanmar. No desire to return without guarantees Another Rohingya at a camp in Bangladesh said they would only return if they are guaranteed citizenship, access to education, freedom of movement, and the right to resettle their original land. If we are provided with these, we will go back right away, the refugee said, speaking on condition of anonymity citing fear of reprisal. No one would need to plan for our return or persuade us to go back we would do it ourselves. If not, none of us are going to go back. We have no desire to do so. A Myanmar delegation arrives in Teknaf on May 25, 2023, to meet with Bangladeshi officials as part of efforts to revive a long-stalled plan to return the stateless Rohingya minority to Myanmar. Credit: AFP Union Minister Ko Ko Hlaing has said that returnees will be issued a screening card for citizenship, although they will need to apply. Rohingya who want to return to their original communities can do so with official approval from village and state authorities, he said. Attempts by RFA to contact Hla Thein, the juntas spokesman for Rakhine state, for comment on the screening process for readmitting Rohingya went unanswered Tuesday. Nay San Lwin, co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition, said that the junta's readmission plan will fail because it does not provide any substantial opportunities for the Rohingya refugees. The key to the readmission process is providing the Rohingya with the right to citizenship and [recognition of their] ethnicity, he said. Without these, no one will return. Simply moving refugees from the camps in Bangladesh to other camps on the Myanmar side wont be successful." In 2018 and 2019, Myanmar and Bangladesh made two attempts to repatriate some 6,000 Rohingya. However, with no guarantees of citizenship or resettlement of original communities, no one accepted the offer. Based on an analysis of the situation in Rakhine state, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said on March 19 that conditions were not acceptable for the Rohingyas to return home for the foreseeable future. Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. By offering tours, travel agencies are implicitly supporting Chinas repression of Uyghurs, it says. UPDATED at 7:01 P.M. ET on 09-05-2023 Western travel agencies must stop offering tours of Chinas far western Xinjiang region because they are implicitly supporting Beijings repression of the mostly Muslim Uyghurs who live there, a new report by a Uyghur advocacy group says. Travel companies have no business in running tours to sites of ongoing atrocities, said Omer Kanat, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Uyghur Human Rights Project, or UHRP, in a statement issued Aug. 30, the day the report was released. Nobody would have dreamed of taking tourists into Rwanda, Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, or Darfur in the midst of the horrors in these places, he said. The same should apply to East Turkistan, he said, using Uyghurs preferred name for Xinjiang, which means New Territory in Mandarin. Human rights organizations, the U.S. government and several Western parliaments have declared the Chinese governments actions toward the Uyghurs as genocide or crimes against humanity. A 2022 report issued by the U.N.s human rights office said the abuses may constitute crimes against humanity. The actions include heavy surveillance, mass detentions of an estimated 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities in camps and prisons, torture, forced sterilizations of women, forced labor, repression of religious belief and expression, and destruction of cultural heritage. China has denied accusations of rights abuse in Xinjiang. There was no immediate response from the government about the report. Performers dance to welcome visitors at a tourist service center in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwestern China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Aug. 31, 2023. Credit: Hu Huhu/Xinhua via Getty Images Genocide Tours The report titled Genocide Tours: International Travel Companies in East Turkistan, identifies seven Western travel companies with tour itineraries that include stops in Urumqi, Turpan and Kashgar. The tours also include visits to Uyghur homes, which families are not in a position to refuse, given an environment of state control, the report says. The travel companies are based in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Among the firms identified are Abercrombie & Kent, Bamboo Travel, Geographical Expeditions, Goway Travel, Intrepid Travel, Laurus Travel and Wild Frontiers, which is also doing business under the name Myths and Mountains. In early August, the UHRP emailed the companies to inform them about the report. Geographic Expeditions acknowledged receipt of the groups email, while Intrepid Travel said it canceled tours to Xinjiang, the UHRP said. On Tuesday, Wild Frontiers told RFA that its marketing department responded to the report on X, formerly known as Twitter, but no such tweets were found on its accounts. Wild Frontiers told Voice of America that it has not operated tours to Xinjiang since 2019 and that it would conduct an investigation into its trips to the region to ensure that potential future visits are done as sensitively as possible. According to the UHRP, the company said it does not support China's actions in Xinjiang but believes that travel can have a positive impact on local communities. Bamboo Travel told VOA it does not support China's suppression of the Uyghurs and has not operated tours in Xinjiang in five years. Goway said it would stop offering tours that include Xinjiang, following an article about the report that appeared in the Guardian. The company had no comment about the report. Though the tour companies see their actions as neutral, they are contributing to Chinas narrative that life is normal in the region and minimizing concerns over genocide, said Julie Millsap, UHRPs government relations manager. Because Chinese authorities prevent Uyghurs in Xinjiang from freely engaging with foreign tourists, visitors impressions are being filtered through the lens that the Chinese government allows them to see and is helping to portray life as normal, when in reality it is still not, Millsap told RFA. In the report, the UHRP makes seven recommendations to travel companies and their respective trade associations, calling for an end to Xinjiang tours and for companies to meet internal, industry, and international environmental, social and governance standards. The group also called for the companies to commit to international human rights standards for the travel industry embodied in the Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics and to adhere to its articles through an annual review of operations. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. The story was updated to include additional information from Wild Frontier and Goway Travel. "When I moved to Warsaw I immediately wanted to find my fellow Belarusians," recalls Natalka Hapanovich, a Belarusian engineer who fled Minsk in the wake of violent crackdowns following the country's disputed 2020 election. "I felt sadness for my homeland." Hapanovich is a co-founder of the School of Belarusian Traditional Culture in Warsaw. She explained to RFE/RL's Belarus Service how the organization was founded one year ago. "We started getting to know other Belarusians during rallies [of Belarusians in Warsaw protesting the violence in their home country]. Then I went to a Christmas event organized by emigres. I met some girls there and after the party was over we just stayed on and played songs, and such a warm community was created." As Hapanovich and others sang and danced during the impromptu after-party, pipers playing traditional bagpipes then joined in. That was the moment, Hapanovich said, "we decided, 'Let's open a school.' And we began to develop and grow followers.... People wanted to volunteer to help." The school, teaching Belarusian singing, dance, clothes making, and how to play the country's traditional bagpipes, opened on September 11, 2022. "I hope we bring joy to people," Hapanovich said. More than 50,000 Belarusians are resident in Poland, a number that has more than doubled since 2020. Five volunteers work on organizing the school. "We do all this in our spare time," Hapanovich told RFE/RL's Belarus Service. "The most difficult thing is that we are often exhausted. I'm eager to do all of this but I have very little energy after work. But somehow we back each other up and try to coordinate things." Hapanovich says the dance classes in particular are of interest to Poles. "Many guys come to the dances now, both to bond with each other, and to find a Belarusian girl. When [Polish] people come, they say: 'Oh, wow! I didn't know Belarusian dances are like that. I thought it was some turns and that's it, but actually they are very complex....' Traditional Polish dances, such as the mazurka, are simpler in terms of movements, so our dances are very interesting for [Polish visitors to the school]." Singing classes, she says, serve as a kind of therapy for some. "Singing, especially folk songs, gives relief through the body, in particular, it reduces tension," Hapanovich claimed. As for whether it's necessary to have talent or prior knowledge of singing and dancing, the school's co-founder says that "you only need to have the desire. I've yet to meet Belarusians who can't dance, or who sing badly. Everyone can sing, everyone has the opportunity to learn to dance. We're not trying to win any contests or to train professionals. Our goal is only to support our traditions." The lessons are run on a shoestring budget. In bagpipe classes, students are required to bring their own instruments, or they can take turns with an instructor's bagpipes. In the clothes-making lessons, students bring their own material, which they learn to cut and stitch into traditional Belarusian shirts, skirts and belts. Classes are held in a Warsaw museum, as the school does not yet have its own premises. "We have plans to acquire our own space and to provide materials for the students, but for this we need financing," Hapanovich said. "We applied for some grants, but so far we haven't had any success. But we're staying positive, Belarusian and Polish associations help us a lot." The United States has condemned a violent anti-Semitic event at an airport in Russia's predominantly Muslim region of Daghestan in which a mob overran the airport and threatened an aircraft arriving from Tel Aviv. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington condemned the incident, adding at a briefing with reporters on October 30 that the storming of the airport "looked like a pogrom to me" in videos of the incident that he had viewed. "We call on Russian authorities to publicly condemn these violent protests, to hold anyone involved accountable, and to ensure the safety of Israelis and Jews in Russia," Miller said. The violence occurred on October 29 when dozens of protesters, angry over the situation surrounding the current war between Israel and Hamas militants, broke through doors and barriers at Makhachkala airport, with many of them chanting "Allahu akbar" (God is great) as they stormed the runway after the aircraft arrived. Riot police and reinforcements, including National Guard units, were subsequently sent to "ensure the safety of arriving passengers, according to the Baza Telegram channel. Officials said more than 20 people were injured -- two critically -- in the unrest, with 10 of those injured needing hospitalization, while Baza said six police officers were among the casualties. It was not clear whether any Israeli citizens were on the plane that arrived from Tel Aviv or whether any passengers were among the injured. The RIA Novosti news agency reported on October 30 that more than 60 people were detained at the airport. In a statement on October 30, the head of Russia's Federation of Jewish Communities, Rabbi Aleksandr Boroda, said the incident "undermined the basic foundations of our multicultural and multinational state." "The events of October 29 at the Makhachkala airport, as well as previous incidents...clearly show that the conflict in the Middle East has already affected the lives of people in Russia, and that anti-Israel sentiment has now turned into open aggression toward even Russian Jews," Boroda said. The incidents Boroda referred to include a suspected arson attack on a Jewish center under construction in the city of Nalchik and reports that crowds gathered in front of two hotels in the Dagestani city of Khasavyurt demanding "refugees from Israel" leave the premises. Russia's aviation authority closed the airport and said it would remain out of operation until November 6, but later changed its stance and as of late on October 30, air traffic had resumed. Flights from Israel, however, were being temporarily rerouted to other cities in Russia. The Investigative Committee, meanwhile, said it had conducted searches of the residences of some of those involved in the unrest. "Participants in the mass unrest are being interrogated under the relevant criminal case...records from video surveillance cameras have been retrieved," the committee said. 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. The Kremlin blamed the unrest on "outside interference," and without showing any evidence accused Ukraine of involvement. Ukraine rejected the accusation, saying that the Russian Foreign Ministry was attempting to "shift responsibility from a sick person to a healthy one." Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko added on Facebook that the events in Makhachkala "reflect deep-rooted anti-Semitism of Russian elites and society." The United States also rejected the Russian accusation about Ukrainian involvement. "I've seen their comments about blaming Ukraine. They are absurd," Miller 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. Some media said the mob gathered at the airport after a Telegram channel said "uninvited guests" would be on the plane and that they should be met in "adult fashion" and forced to go elsewhere. 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 Interior 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 region, demanding that residents of Israel not be allowed in. 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, Reuters, and RIA Novosti Hundreds of people protested on September 4 in the capital of North Macedonia, Skopje, over allegations that patients at the state Oncology Clinic missed life-saving treatment because staff were stealing the expensive drugs to sell on the black market. The organizers of the protest demanded that the last three health ministers take responsibility because they allege that the abuses have been going on for a long time. ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Renowned U.S. political scientist and philosopher Francis Fukuyama says a diminished Russia due to losses in the Ukraine war would remove any territorial threats to Kazakhstan and give Central Asian countries more opportunities to set their own policies. Fukuyama, the director of the Center for the Advancement of Democracy and the Rule of Law at Stanford University, talked about the state of the Ukraine war, how battlefield losses are affecting Russia and its government, and scenarios for the end of the conflict in an interview with RFE/RL's Kazakh Service. He was in Almaty for the Kazakh-language release of his new book, Liberalism And Its Discontents. War's End: The Collapse Of Putin's Regime Or A Cease-Fire? Fukuyama added to the view he gave Current Time, a Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, a few months ago that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was a strategic mistake, while refreshing his views on the war with the conflict's effect on Central Asian countries. "I think that Putin thought that he could launch that so-called special military operation and the regime in Kyiv would fall in two or three days, and he can install somebody to be sympathetic to Moscow. But more than a year and a half later, the Russian Army has suffered horrendous casualties. This was a much bigger action for Russia than Putin had intended." Fukuyama said an essential task for the Ukrainian Army was the destruction of the land corridor Moscow has established between the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, which it illegally occupied in 2014. He said the important thing was for Ukrainian forces to cut the railway line and therefore be able to easily bombard the bridge across the Kerch Strait that provides the bulk of Russian supplies to its military. Many authoritarian regimes look very strong until the moment they collapse." Fukuyama said that if Ukrainian forces were able to accomplish this, "Russia's position will become much weaker. Perhaps then it makes sense to talk about a cease-fire or some conflict mitigation. But it is too early to say [now] that the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed and that there will continue to be a stalemate." In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Fukuyama predicted recently that the end of the war would lead to the collapse of President Vladimir Putin's regime. Noting the discontent in the Russian Army signaled by the failed uprising led by paramilitary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and his subsequent death, he told RFE/RL the real threat to Putin's regime comes not from the streets but from "somebody within the security establishment." "Many authoritarian regimes look very strong until the moment they collapse," Fukuyama said. "It's quite possible [that Putin] can manage to survive because Russia has a lot of resources, and [Putin] is a pretty clever politician." Weak Russia Can Lead To Stronger Central Asia Fukuyama's best-known work as a political scientist is the article and the book of the same name, The End Of History And The Last Man, published in 1992, in which he claimed that with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Western liberal democracy had triumphed as the "final" political system and thus ended "history" in that respect. Regarding the current situation in Eurasia, the 70-year-old scholar said any weakness to the Russian regime as a result of losses in Ukraine could allow Central Asian countries more independence in formulating in greater importance. Conversely, Fukuyama said the fall of Ukraine to Russian forces would pose a significant threat to Kazakhstan, as some ultranationalist politicians in Moscow claim parts of northern Kazakhstan should be Russian. "Any weakening of Russia...could give Central Asian countries -- and [specifically] Kazakhstan -- a greater ability to set their own policies [without Russian interference]," he said. "You can imagine the opposite if [Russians] conquer Ukraine or take some part of Kazakhstan, like they have in Ukraine. But a weakened Russia would allow [Central Asians to make their] own decisions without worrying what the Russians will say or how they will react." Fukuyama also pointed to the importance of a liberal development of society in the region. One of the things that's been quite striking in visiting this region is how little communication trade interchange there is among the countries in Central Asia." "It is important to form a national identity that truly includes all those who live in Kazakhstan rather than allowing one group or another to dominate. During the [Soviet era] there was an attempt [coming from Moscow] to Russify everything, to make everyone speak Russian, to make Russian culture somewhat dominant. And that was wrong," he said. "People really need the freedom to live in their own cultural environment without being blocked by others." Fukuyama is surprised by the strict measures that exist on Central Asia's borders and says a greater implementation of a free market and the opening of borders would lead to a surge in the region's economic development. "One of the things that's been quite striking in visiting this region is how little communication trade interchange there is among the countries in Central Asia," he said. "[There could be much] bigger markets and much more prosperity if the countries in this region didn't impose border controls and didn't pursue more economically nationalist kinds of policies but rather were integrated into a larger single market. That's a project that the leaders in these countries could pursue at some point." Independence Is Essential... Fukuyama's doctrine of liberalism posits that in a truly open society people will be treated equally regardless of race, gender, or anything else. When asked about Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, Fukuyama emphasized the importance of liberty for the individual. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here. "I think [Kazakhstan has] a very centralized authoritarian regime. I think that the transition to Mr. Toqaev nonetheless opens up certain possibilities that probably didn't exist under the first president, just because [former Kazakh President Nursultan] Nazarbaev was there for so long and had centralized so much power...[but] even if you don't have full democracy, I think you can still have an authoritarian regime that permits a greater degree of individual freedom," Fukuyama said, citing China as an example. "If you look at China, there's a big difference between China in 2010 and China in 2023 because individual Chinese in 2010 had much more freedom to travel, to speak, to think for themselves. Under [Chinese leader] Xi Jinping, those freedoms have been taken away. It's still an authoritarian regime as it was back then...but I think the degree of individual freedom has been gravely restricted. Those are the kinds of choices that exist in Kazakhstan, even if it continues to be a highly centralized regime." ...And Poor Education Leads To An Easy Dictatorship Fukuyama said the possibilities for greater democracy in Central Asia are restricted due to its two big authoritarian neighbors, China and Russia, although he did offer hope in pointing to Mongolia. "Mongolia is also caught between Russia and China and yet, ever since 1991, it's had democratic elections," he said. "It's permitted a great deal of freedom for its citizens. So, I don't think that geographical location necessarily dictates the internal form of government. [But] if the power of Russia and China were to weaken, it will permit more freedom of action for Central Asian countries." Fukuyama also cited the poor level of education as amplifying dictatorship in the region, though he noted the critical role of the new generations of Kazakhstan in going abroad for their university education. "If you have a population that is not very educated, it's easier to run a dictatorship," he said. "[But] if you have a country that's got a larger middle class where people travel abroad, they have different ideas, then you're going to have a greater demand for a more open society, and that's been happening in Kazakhstan. The number of students that have gone abroad to study outside of Central Asia is quite impressive, and they are in time going to make a difference. So that's a major social change in the last generation." Written by Baktygul Chynybaeva based on an interview by Elnur Alimova of RFE/RL's Kazakh Service Rena Murshud Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya will pay a visit to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports. The visit of the Turkish minister is scheduled for September 6-8. As part of the visit, A. Yerlikaya will take part in the second meeting of the Ministers for the Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters and Emergencies of the Organization of Turkic States (OTG) countries in Baku. The second meeting of the Ministers for Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters and Emergencies of the UTC countries will be held in Baku from 6 to 8 September. The meeting was organized by the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan. As part of the event, it is planned to conduct international exercises "Baku-2023" with the participation of authorized structures of the UTC member countries. A POLICE officer shot and killed in the line of duty more than a century ago has had a memorial stone commemorating his life unveiled in his former "patch". Assistant Chief Con David Hartley beside the memorial PC John Kew died after being shot by Frederick Backhouse one half of the notorious Backhouse Brothers, who lived on PC Kews patch in Swinton. The brothers had reportedly been threatening people in the local area with a revolver and PC Kew went to their house to search them. Advertisement Advertisement Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every day. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Rotherham Advertiser within your account. Edit Preferences Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... He was shot on July 10, 1900, and died a day later from his injuries, aged 29 the last officer murdered on duty in South Yorkshire. His sacrifice was commemorated with the unveiling of a memorial stone in Kew Court by The Police Memorial Trust, which was founded by the late film director Michael Winner after the tragic death of PC Yvonne Fletcher in St James Square in London in 1984. Since Mr Winners death, his wife Geraldine has continued his work as chair of the trust and over the past 39 years 55 memorials have been erected to remember police officers killed in the line of duty. Mrs Winner, who gave a speech prior to unveiling the memorial, said: The Police Memorial Trust are honoured to place our memorial to the service, bravery and sacrifice of police constable John Kew here in South Yorkshire. Advertisement Advertisement It is absolutely right that the landscape of Swinton should change just a little it is a fitting place for those who live, work or visit the memorial to remember the officer for generations to come. South Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Con David Hartley also paid tribute to the late officer, noting how he set the standard for modern day policing with his sacrifice. ACC Hartley, who laid a wreath at the memorial on behalf of South Yorkshire Police, said: This memorial stone serves as a constant reminder of PC Kews sacrifice and it will allow us to remember and commemorate his courage as a serving police officer in protecting the people of this county. Congress Any faith or belief system that fails to grant equal rights is not a genuine religion but rather a 'disease'- Priyanka Kharge NEW-DELHI: In response to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Udhayanidhi Stalin's recent remarks concerning 'Sanatan,' the Congress party conveyed its perspective on the matter. The Congress emphasized that every political party possesses the right to express its opinions but reiterated its unwavering commitment to upholding equality across all religions. While addressing the issue, Priyanka Chaturvedi, leader of Shiv Sena (United Progressive Alliance), directed her comments towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She accused the BJP of displaying 'feigned concern' for Sanatan Dharma as a political tactic and labeled it as hypocrisy. Advertisement Priyanka Kharge, a minister in the Karnataka government and a prominent Congress leader, made a profound statement, declaring that any faith or belief system that fails to grant equal rights is not a genuine religion but rather equated it to a 'disease.' Quami Insaaf Morcha Sit-In Protest Primarily Seeks the Release of Sikh Prisoners MOHALI: In a Recent Court Hearing, the Quami Insaaf Morcha was given an extension of four more weeks for their ongoing sit-in at the Mohali-Chandigarh border. The court's decision reflects its firm stance regarding the activities of the Front. For the past eight months, the Quami Insaaf Morcha has been staging a sit-in protest on the Mohali-Chandigarh border. The sit-in protest primarily seeks the release of Sikh prisoners and justice for the desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji, a sacred scripture in Sikhism. Advertisement Notably, a decision was made by the Front's leaders yesterday to open one side of their protest site. However, Jagtar Singh Hawara's father announced that no route would be opened. Later in the evening, the police took the initiative to open one side of the protest site, leading to a tense atmosphere during the process. Governor Banwari Lal Purohit Governor Purohit Reminisced about his Own School and College Days JALANDHAR: Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit paid a visit to KMV College in Jalandhar, where he engaged with students and delivered a heartfelt message. Addressing both students and teachers, Governor Purohit reminisced about his own school and college days, emphasizing the importance of attentive listening to teachers, which greatly facilitated their understanding of subjects. In the present era, Governor Purohit noted the proliferation of digital tools that students have at their disposal, allowing them to seek answers beyond the classroom. However, he underscored the enduring significance of the Guru-Shishya (teacher-student) tradition, emphasizing that without a guiding mentor, true understanding remains elusive. Advertisement Reflecting on the changing aspirations of today's youth, Governor Purohit observed a shift away from the traditional pursuit of government jobs. Instead, he noted that young people are increasingly venturing into entrepreneurship or securing lucrative positions in prominent companies following completion of specialized courses. Governor Purohit also imparted wisdom about the invaluable treasure of good health, urging students to prioritize their well-being alongside their education. He recognized the youth's aspiration for a corruption-free nation, emphasizing their pivotal role in setting exemplary standards. Encouraging patience, gratitude, and a strong work ethic, he expressed the belief that these qualities would usher in positive societal changes. Furthermore, Governor Purohit emphasized the profound significance of the youth in shaping the nation's future. He conveyed his hopes and expectations for the young generation, who bear the collective dreams of the nation. Advertisement As part of this visit, Governor Purohit commended the college administration and honored students who had excelled in their respective fields. In return, the college management bestowed an honor upon Governor Banwari Lal Purohit for his esteemed presence and insightful guidance. Panchayats This Results in reduced govt grants and other associated expenditures CHANDIGARH: In a move aimed at streamlining administrative efficiency, the Punjab government is set to merge several panchayats that were divided into multiple units seemingly without valid reason. Many villages in the state currently have two panchayats despite having a relatively small population. The consolidation effort, once implemented, is anticipated to reduce the total number of panchayats in Punjab from the current count of 13,241 to approximately 12,200, with an estimated reduction of about 1000 panchayats. This Strategic merger is expected to result in reduced government grants and other associated expenditures. Officials from the Panchayat Department noted that over the years, several "Dhanis" (hamlets) had been declared as separate villages, each having its own panchayat, even though they were originally part of neighboring villages. This expansion of panchayat units contributed to the continuous growth in the number of panchayats across the state. Advertisement Significantly, The government has also announced a special grant of Rs 5 lakh for villages that elect a Sarpanch unanimously. Smaller panchayats stand to benefit more from this grant, as they often require additional resources to fulfill their local development needs. Official orders related to this grant allocation are expected to be issued in due course, with the government ensuring compliance with all relevant legal aspects. The Punjab government's initiative to merge small panchayats reflects its commitment to improving governance efficiency, rationalizing administrative structures, and optimizing resource allocation for the betterment of rural communities in the state. CM Bhagwant Mann More than 30,000 Young Individuals have been offered Govt jobs in Punjab: CM Mann CHANDIGARH: In a Significant Move to boost employment prospects, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has announced the provision of more than 1,200 jobs within the next three days. The Chief Minister unveiled this initiative during a recent public address in Jaipur. During his speech, CM Mann revealed that the Punjab government will soon be distributing appointment letters to approximately 700 patwaris and over 500 police sub-inspectors. The distribution of appointment letters for the 700 patwaris is scheduled for September 8, while the 560 sub-inspectors will receive their appointments on September 9. Advertisement This Announcement comes as part of the government's ongoing efforts to bolster employment opportunities for the youth of Punjab. Chief Minister Mann highlighted that, thus far, more than 30,000 young individuals have been offered government jobs in the state. Additionally, the government has successfully regularized the employment status of 28,000 temporary employees. Furthermore, CM Mann noted that the services of 12,710 teachers have recently been regularized. He reiterated the commitment of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to prioritize youth employment in Punjab. The Chief Minister also expressed his intention to replicate these employment initiatives in Rajasthan, following the formation of the AAP government in the state. Visa Fraud Further investigation in the matter is underway MOHALI: The Phase-11 Police Station has initiated legal action against three individuals in connection with a fraud case involving Rs 5.3 lakh purportedly for immigration to Canada. The accused in this case have been identified as Amrit Kaur, Shubham Kumar, and Sandeep Kaur. The Accused had established an immigration office under the banner of "Blue Star Immigration Group of Company" in Phase-11. A formal complaint was lodged by Karamjit Kaur, a resident of Sultanpur Lodhi Kapurthala, leading to the registration of a case against the accused. The charges filed include sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and section 24 of the Immigration Act. Advertisement The Complaint dates back to March 28 when Paramjit Kaur approached the management of the Blue Star Company with the intention of obtaining a study visa for her son, Ekamjot, to pursue education in Canada. The company's representatives had initially quoted a sum of Rs 20 lakh for facilitating visas for Ekamjot and his parents and children to travel to Canada. Subsequently, Paramjit Kaur made an initial payment of Rs 5.3 lakhs. However, the accused later informed her that the visa had been declined and assured her that the funds would be refunded. Regrettably, the accused neither reimbursed the money nor facilitated the intended visas. Following an investigation conducted by the Anti-Human Trafficking unit, the accused were found to be culpable. As a result, a case was formally registered against the three individuals affiliated with the immigration company. Korean Leader Kim Jong Un & Russian President Putin Kim's visit to Russia could occur within the current month: Report WASHINGTON: In a potential development that has drawn global attention, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is reportedly considering a visit to Russia for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This news comes at a time when Russia is actively seeking to procure military equipment for its ongoing conflict in Ukraine. An American official, speaking on condition of anonymity, disclosed this information on Monday. The United States anticipates that Kim's visit to Russia could occur within the current month, although specific details regarding the meeting's location and timing remain uncertain. However, it is speculated that the port city of Vladivostok, situated on the Pacific Ocean and relatively distant from North Korea, might serve as a feasible venue. Advertisement Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for the National Security Council, highlighted recent efforts by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who visited North Korea last month with the aim of persuading the nation to provide ammunition to Russia. Watson remarked, "We have received information that Kim Jong Un may continue these discussions, which will include leadership-level political participation in Russia." In response to these developments, the United States has called on North Korea to halt its arms negotiations with Russia and adhere to its public commitment not to supply or sell arms to Russia. Shoigu has proposed the idea of conducting joint military exercises between the two countries. The New York Times was the first to report on the possibility of a meeting between Kim Jong Un and President Putin in Russia this month. North American Punjabi Association Writes to US Secretary of State Surge in Hate Crimes against Sikh Individuals & Institutions has become Deeply Troubling NEW YORK: The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) has voiced its deep concern regarding the escalating fear and insecurity faced by Sikhs residing in North America due to the alarming surge in hate crimes. The organization has highlighted that recent incidents have raised serious questions about the safety and well-being of Sikh Americans, who have long been an integral part of the American society. Executive Director of the North American Punjabi Association, Satnam Singh Chahal, penned a letter addressed to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, underscoring the challenges that Sikhs have encountered in recent years, including incidents of hate crimes, discrimination, and bias. NAPA firmly believes that addressing these issues promptly and comprehensively is imperative to safeguard Sikh Americans and all other minority communities. Advertisement Chahal emphasized that Sikhism is renowned for its principles of peace, inclusivity, and service to humanity. Sikhs have made substantial contributions to the economic, cultural, and social progress of North America. They are esteemed citizens who epitomize the fundamental values of freedom and equality upon which the nation was founded. However, the surge in hate crimes against Sikh individuals and institutions has become deeply troubling. Sikhs are often misconstrued as being different, primarily due to their distinctive appearance, characterized by the turban and beard, which hold profound religious significance. Notably, The North American Punjabi Association's letter to the US Secretary of State underscores the urgent need to address these issues and uphold the principles of tolerance, diversity, and harmony that are at the core of American society. It calls upon the government to take concrete steps to ensure the safety and protection of all its citizens, regardless of their background or beliefs, fostering an environment where every individual can thrive without fear or prejudice. Indian shares were slightly higher in early trade on Tuesday, extending gains for a third straight session. The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex was up 167 points, or 0.3 percent, at 65,795 while the broader NSE Nifty index was up 47 points, or 0.2 percent, at 19,575. Among the top gainers, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Grasim, BPCL, Jio Financial Services and Apollo Hospitals Enterprise climbed 1-3 percent. Zen Technologies rose 1.2 percent on bagging a government order worth Rs. 123.3 crore. Railway-linked stocks extended gains from the previous session. IRFC jumped over 6 percent, Rail Vikas Nigam added 3 percent and IRCTC rose about half a percent. Raymond soared 11.3 percent after a foreign brokerage firm initiated coverage on the stock with a buy rating. Ramco Cements edged up slightly after putting a 3 MW wind power capacity on stream. SpiceJet climbed nearly 7 percent after the airline allotted over 4.81 crore equity shares on a preferential basis to nine of its aircraft lessors to clear outstanding dues of Rs 231 crore. Cipla gained 1 percent after it signed a pact to acquire south Africa's Actor Pharma. Tata Power added 1 percent after signing a Power Delivery Agreement (PDA) with Neosym Industry Ltd (Neosym). Tata Steel dropped 1 percent on news it is in advanced talks to secure funds for its U.K. plant. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis Dr Nhamo Mutingwende, a post-doctoral researcher at RUBIC Responding to concerns about the presence of Escherichia coli (better known as E. coli) in Makanas water supply, the Rhodes University Biotechnology Innovation Centre (RUBIC) activated its newly launched Water Testing Laboratory services to successfully allay fears about the presence of this bacteria in drinking water. Makana Municipality in May released statement detailing contamination at three sites. E. coli serves as an indicator of faecal contamination of water sources, and the possible presence of disease-causing pathogens. Having launched the laboratory two months prior, RUBIC was able to implement a monitoring system. Testing over the subsequent months showed an improvement in the quality of municipal water around Makana, with the presence of E. coli decreasing to one site from the initial three. According to RUBIC Director Professor Janice Limson, feedback from the local community regularly highlighted concerns about the quality of drinking water, with individuals and businesses even reaching out to Rhodes University for assistance with water testing. At the time, there wasnt a formal mechanism in place and the testing for community members remained ad hoc, without the necessary funding, she said. However, the required funding was subsequently made available through Prof Limsons DSI/NRF South African Research Chair, and through the DSI/NRF Community of Practice in Social Learning and Sustainable Development, led by Distinguished Professor Heila Lotz-Sisitka. Individuals involved in the initiative including professionals from Rhodes University and elsewhere, realised it would be possible to provide testing services by expanding existing research capacity in water testing conducted by MSc and PhD students, and making this service available to the community. The Laboratory partnership with the Public Service Accountability Monitors Action for Accountability (PSAM A4A) team, led by Andile Nayika, has been instrumental to the success of the community water testing arm of the Laboratory. The collaboration has entailed extensive training and engagement with community members of A4A who have provided valuable insights into community water testing needs and working with RUBIC staff to identify and sample different sites for water testing. According to Professor Janice Limson, flexibility in the search for solutions is an important factor and allows for consideration of the needs of the community, members of higher education institutions, and research itself. It is a win-win for communities, scientists and for individuals who are part of this process, Prof Limson said. According to Prof Limson, When the water quality concerns first came to light, the municipality welcomed the offer of assistance, with our staff and students in RUBIC working alongside their team to conduct the extensive sampling and testing needed. For Lwazikazi Madikiza, RUBICs Science Engagement manager, being part of the water testing team has been challenging and rewarding. Often, we dont realise the number of people that need to come together in a collaborative effort to ensure that an initiative of this nature is established. Support from communities and local stakeholders, including the municipality, is integral to making sure that the University can make an impact. This impact must be driven by the needs of the communities, she said. Inspired by the three pillars of RUBIC, educate, innovate, communicate, Prof Limson said she has been able to more fully explore how we embed innovation and community engagement into our postgraduate teaching and research. The water testing laboratory has already opened up new opportunities and we hope to use the facility to better understand contamination of water once it leaves the water treatment works and to help develop new products and processes. She sees engagement with communities as a missing link between her field, biotechnology, and the development of new technology. Engaging communities should be central to any research approach aimed at developing technology that communities need, want and will use. The water testing service is invaluable in this sense as it provides results in a shorter timeframe, showcasing the benefits of science to society, while also helping to provide the model and community engagement platform to develop and co-create technology. The facility is currently funded through research grants for its community engagement arm. Community members are welcome to make contact with RUBIC to request further information at rubicwater@ru.ac.za and 046 603 7673. Water is one of Rhodes Universitys priority research areas. To support this valuable initiative or some of our other water-focused projects, please visit: https://www.ru.ac.za/givingtorhodes Friends and family, co-workers and the children he taught in the Carlsbad Unified School District have not forgotten educator Stefan Edgerly, who died in 2016 at age 42. Theyll gather again to remember him at a fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 12 for the scholarship fund established in his name. It takes place at Gregorios restaurant at 300 Carlsbad Village Drive (in the Village Faire), which is donating 20 percent of all sales to the Edge Scholarship Fund for Carlsbad High School students. Edgerly was an alumnus of the Carlsbad district, having been a student at Magnolia Elementary, Valley Middle and Carlsbad High schools. After graduating from Cal State San Marcos, he taught at Aviara Oaks Middle School after a couple of years teaching third grade at Pacific Rim Elementary. He handled many different subjects, including English and social studies, but he loved teaching art above all, said his mother, Sandra Hadder. Advertisement And he loved the kids. He went to their games, attended their events, gave them support. He was also involved in Where Everybody Matters (WEB), a program in which eighth-graders helped sixth-graders make a smooth transition to middle school. To me, he was the kind of guy who had a positive impact on everyone around him, said Bryan Brockett, Aviara Oaks principal at the time and now principal at Carlsbad High. His impact expanded beyond the classroom. He was just a fun guy to be around. Edgerly went back to school to get a second minor in art so he could pursue his dream of being an art teacher. But he was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer in March 2016, and underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments. We were blessed we were able to have him here and assist him, said Hadder. He fought for six months the most horrible six months. He was in such pain. But he had so much support. The community, colleagues and the kids rallied, following his progress and posting positive, loving messages to the web page set up at posthope.org/stefans-journey. In September 2016, he was going to be the art teacher, recalled Hadder. The principal brought Stefan the keys to the classroom and told him he was the art teacher, even though he wasnt able to do it. He got to sit in the classroom. But it was beyond obvious that this wasnt going to happen. Stefan Edgerly died Oct. 14, 2016, at Scripps Memorial Hospital-Encinitas. They took such good care of us, his mother said. They gave him more care than we were able to give him. Stefan was such an infectious personality, such a gracious man to the end. The staff came to the funeral. So did many of his students. It was the most amazing thing, Hadder said. These kids just poured their hearts out at the service. Losing a favorite teacher whos young was not to be expected. We did our best to try to help them through this. The service was held on the Aviara Oaks campus, where family, former classmates, students and parents overflowed the 600 seats set up in the gym. Edgerlys family allowed the students to scrawl messages of love in marker on his truck; they also provided notepaper for them to write messages to Edge and his family. It was definitely a blow to the school, said Brockett. We had families that had known him since he taught elementary school. He was loved by his colleagues. Two teachers helped create the scholarship fund, launched with a fundraiser at That Pizza Place in Carlsbad. Two scholarships of $1,000 each were awarded. This year, Gregorios restaurant will host the fundraiser. You look for ways to keep his spirit alive, said Hadder of her son. It takes a very special person to be a middle school teacher. The kids are kind of struggling with their own inner beasts at that age. Stefan was perfect for middle school. And the parents loved him. He was so encouraging. He helped their kids get through. Hadder recently shared one of the notes written by a student at the service: I never had Mr. Edgerly as a teacher, but he was always as encouraging as humanly possible. He told me to chase my dreams; I could go to Princeton. He always said he would be the first to contribute to my college fund: $25. Mr. Edgerly has changed me forever. Inspired by the note, Hadder reached out and contacted the student this month and sent that check for $25. She DID have the grades to apply to Princeton! Hadder reported in a subsequent email. She didnt get accepted but she chased her dreams. Stefan would be SO proud! To donate, make check out to Carlsbad High School and put Stefan Edgerly Scholarship Fund in the memo line. Mail to Carlsbad High School, Attn. ASB Finance, 3557 Lancer Way, Carlsbad CA 92008. laura.groch@sduniontribune.com Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi stressed on Tuesday that Egypt is "a major regional state and plays a "pivotal" role in achieving peace in the Middle East and Africa. Egypt is also a "key" partner to Japan, Hayashi said during a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry at the end of their talks in Cairo. He noted that the Egyptian-Japanese relations were elevated to the level of strategic partnership during the visit of the Japanese premier to Egypt in April. He noted that he discussed with Shoukry a number of issues, including enhancing ties, economic cooperation as well as regional and international conditions. The talks tackled means of supporting ship movement in the Suez Canal, the Grand Egyptian Museum as an icon of cultural cooperation between the two sides as well as boosting investments and resuming EgyptAir flights between Egypt and Japan. The talks also tackled the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian war and Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal, he said, underlining Japan's cooperation to ensure international food security. He added that the talks tackled the situation in Sudan, urging Sudanese parties to cease fire and form a civilian government. He expressed concerns over deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Sudan, noting that Japan extended $92 million to Sudan's neighboring countries. He added that his country is concerned about Palestinian-Israeli tension, lauding the Egyptian efforts to hold a Palestinian reconciliation meeting. He noted that his country extended a $1 million grant to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), in addition to 1.4 million dollars to the World Food Program. Shoukry said the talks tackled means of furthering bilateral ties, voicing appreciation to Japan's support to national projects in Egypt, including the Grand Egyptian Museum. Shoukry noted resuming EgyptAir flights to Tokyo as of 14 September would contribute to boosting tourism. Shoukry both countries are looking forward to a deep discussion on means of putting into effect the important declaration of elevating the level of bilateral ties during the upcoming Egyptian-Japanese strategic dialogue round due to be held in December in Tokyo. Shoukry lauded Japanese investments in Egypt, expressing desire to encourage the Japanese private sector to inject more investments in various promising sectors. Japan's top diplomat also expressed happiness for being in noting that this is his first visit to Egypt since assuming his post. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: Ferroptosis, which is caused by a buildup of iron in cells, appears to be a major mechanism of white matter injury in Alzheimers disease and vascular dementia, according to a new study. This is a major finding, said Professor Stephen Back, a neuroscientist at Oregon Health & Science University. Weve long studied myelin, the insulation-like protective sheath covering nerve fibers in the brain, including delays in forming myelin in premature infants. Our new research extends that line of work by uncovering a cascading form of neurodegeneration triggered by deterioration of myelin. Professor Back and colleagues discovered that microglia degenerates in the white matter of the brain of patients with Alzheimers and vascular dementia. Microglia are resident cells in the brain normally involved in clearing cellular debris as part of the bodys immune system. When myelin is damaged, microglia swarm in to clear the debris. In the study, the researchers found that microglia themselves are destroyed by the act of clearing iron-rich myelin a form of cell death known as ferroptosis. Weve missed a major form of cell death in Alzheimers disease and vascular dementia, Professor Back said. We hadnt been giving much attention to microglia as vulnerable cells, and white matter injury in the brain has received relatively little attention. The authors initially discovered the degeneration of microglia in tissue samples. Subsequently, they developed a novel immunofluorescence technique to determine that iron toxicity was causing microglial degeneration in the brain. This was likely a result of the fact that the fragments of myelin are themselves rich in iron. In effect, the immune cells were dying in the line of duty. Everyone knows that microglia are activated to mediate inflammation, Professor Back said. But no one knew that they were dying in such large numbers. Its just amazing that we missed this until now. The scientists found that the cascading effect of degenerating microglia appears to be a mechanism in advancing cognitive decline in Alzheimers disease and vascular dementia. They expect pharmaceutical companies will use this new finding to develop compounds focused on reducing microglial degeneration in the brain. Thats where the field will go next, Professor Back said. A discovery like ours will stimulate a lot of excitement in the pharmaceutical industry to develop therapeutically important compounds. The underlying cause initiating the cycle of decline likely relates to repeated episodes of low blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain over time due to acute stroke or chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. Dementia is a process that goes on for years and years. We have to tackle this from the early days to have an impact so that it doesnt spin out of control. A paper on the findings was published in the journal Annals of Neurology. _____ Philip A. Adeniyi et al. Ferroptosis of microglia in aging human white matter injury. Annals of Neurology, published online August 21, 2023; doi: 10.1002/ana.26770 Shares in Ashtead sank on Tuesday morning despite the equipment rental group reporting a record performance in its fiscal first quarter, after it cut its forecast for UK growth due to a "softening" market. The company said rental revenues in the UK, which accounts for around one tenth of group sales, are expected to rise by just 6-9% this year, down from earlier guidance of 10-13%. Nevertheless, guidance for growth in its North American divisions was unchanged. The stock was down 5.7% at 5,157.24p by 0904 BST. Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, said the revised UK guidance will have come as a "shock" to the markets, and be a sign of warning for "deteriorating conditions" across the sector. "While the warning lights have been flashing, particularly in the latest snapshot of the UK manufacturing sector in August flash PMI numbers, the extent of the fall in guidance has come as shock, with shares falling sharply on the open. Its little surprise that its UK and US businesses are diverging in prospects, given the huge stimulus programmes provided by the Biden administration across sectors like green energy and infrastructure." Ashtead said group revenues at constant currency rose 19% year-on-year in the three months to 31 July to $2.7bn, while adjusted pre-tax profit increased a lesser 11% to $615m as a result of higher financing costs. The company, which operates under the name Sunbelt Rentals in the UK, US and Canada, is the second-largest equipment rental company in the US with 1,128 stores in all 50 states. The US division, its largest, increased sales by 22% to $2.3bn, while UK revenues were broadly flat at $225m. Canadian revenues rose 16% to $160m, though the company highlighted that the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild strikes were having a significant impact on is Film and TV business there. Free cash flow improved to $139m, up from $91m a year before, while the net debt-to-EBITDA leverage ratio remained at 1.6x, which is the lower end of Ashtead's target price. Chief executive Brendan Horgan said: "We are executing well against all actionable components of our strategic growth plan, in end markets which remain robust. In the quarter, we invested $1.1bn in capital across existing locations and greenfields and $361m on nine bolt-on acquisitions, adding a combined 40 locations in North America. "This significant investment is enabling us to take advantage of the substantial structural growth opportunities that we see for the business as we deliver our strategic priorities to grow our General Tool and Specialty businesses and advance our clusters." Horgan said that, despite a "softening" in the UK market, the company's overall performance is estimated to be in line with our expectations. Discount retail chain B&M is to buy "up to" 51 stores from collapsed rival Wilko, which fell into administration last month. In a press release, B&M European Value Retail confirmed it had entered into an agreement with Wilko's administrators to buy the shops for a maximum of 13m. "The consideration is fully funded from existing cash reserves and the acquisition is not expected to be conditional on any regulatory clearances," B&M said. B&M, which has over 700 stores and nearly 33,000 employees in the UK under the B&M brand, did not disclose which Wilko stores it had purchased, but analyst Orwa Mohamad at research agency Third Bridge, reckons the company will have "cherry picked Wilko's best stores i.e. the ones that are most profitable". B&Ms general focus on out-of-town locations means it can incorporate many of Wilkos high street stores and locations with limited cannibalisation impact," Mohamad said. From an assortment perspective, theres a high degree of crossover between Wilko & B&M in households, garden, toys, accessories. Quite often, Wilko & B&M sell the same product, meaning consumers have a strong incentive to continue frequenting those stores regardless of the banner. It is thought that some 350 Wilko stores are still at risk of closure, after the retailer appointed administrators in August following a financial collapse. B&M's parent group also runs a further 311 convenience stores under the Heron Foods brand in the UK, as well as 107 B&M stores in France. The stock was down 3.4% at 548p by 1030 on Tuesday, driven down after JP Morgan analysts hit the stock with a double-downgrade from 'overweight' to 'underweight', owing to deflationary risks for food retailers across Europe. Abbas Ganbay Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with Oliver Varhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, in Budapest as part of his visit to Hungary, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Sides discussed the relations between Azerbaijan and the EU, including the current situation in the region. The opening of the Zangazur Corridor can make a significant contribution to the expansion of the Middle Corridor, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told a meeting with the EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi. During the discussions, the sides emphasized the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Partnership in the field of energy between Azerbaijan and the EU, which envisages joint activities in the field of energy security, as well as the development of alternative energy resources, in cooperation in this field. Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, who spoke about the initiatives put forward by Azerbaijan in the direction of expanding the potential of the Middle Corridor - Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, noted that the opening of all transport and communications in the region, including the Zangazur corridor, can be a significant contribution to the process. The Minister noted that the opening of all transport and communications in the region, including the Zangazur corridor, can be a significant contribution to the process. The corridor is part of a strategic transportation route extending from the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to Kars, Turkiye's eastern province, passing through Armenian territory near the country's border with Iran. During the Soviet era, Moscow built two railways to connect Nakhchivan with the main Azerbaijani territory in a region that Baku now refers to as the Zangazur Corridor. However, these railways became unusable during the First Garabagh War, which began in 1992. Baku now aims to rebuild the Soviet-era railways and construct highways in the area to connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan region. Furthermore, the corridor is also part of a big transportation project connecting Baku with Istanbul. The corridor aims to give Azerbaijan unrestricted access to its Nakhchivan enclave without any Armenian checkpoints while it passes through Armenian territory near the Tehran-Yerevan border. The Zangazur Corridor plays a crucial role in increasing regional connectivity not only throughout Caucasia but also across greater Eurasia, joining Turkish, Russian, Central Asian, Iranian, and Armenian territories and linking Europe to Asia. The connectivity the corridor will enable will also help galvanize trade relations between different states. Turkiye's land connection with Azerbaijan also means that Ankara will have better access to Turkic states in Central Asia, with which it has strong historical and cultural ties. Azerbaijani Ambassador to Turkiye, Rashad Mammadov, said that the corridor is going to unite the whole Turkic world. The Zangazur Corridor is a big deal as it will significantly boost interregional connectivity far and wide. Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova said that the opening of the Zangazur corridor will make a significant contribution to the transit and trade potential of the Turkic world. The corridor is also expected to help reconcile Azerbaijan and Armenia. City-based drone manufacturer Garuda Aerospace teaming up with Bharat Drone Association and National Drone Pilot Association, has launched a training programme for differently-abled persons. According to Garuda Aerospace, the program will provide free-of-cost training, education, and skill development over a span of 10 days to persons with disabilities. The Equality Drone Training program is supported by Varsha Kukreti Augustine, Founder and CEO of AutoMicroUAS, and Dr. MJ Augustine Vinod, Group Captain (Retd), Garuda Aerospace. The Equality Drone Training program is designed to train individuals with physical disabilities, including deafness, speech impairments, and mobility constraints. The program, with theory and practical sessions, will cover aspects across both maintenance and operation, including data analysis. The program spans the utilization of drones across agriculture, surveillance and mapping, and e-commerce and delivery, thus equipping participants with skills required across a range of industries. The training is tailored to individuals depending on their disability to further empower them. IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced that it has collaborated with Indian Bank, a premier public sector bank, to accelerate its modernization path with flexible and secure compute infrastructure for deploying new front-end banking applications while addressing the business growth of the Core Banking Solution (CBS) workloads for the bank. Indian Bank is one of the leading public sector banks in India, serving over 100 million customers with 5798 branches spread across the country and abroad. As part of their Project PARADISE[1], Indian Bank wanted to consolidate their Front Branch Servers for better manageability and availability at both Data Centres (DC) and Disaster Recovery (DR) centers while also running their CBS workloads on the latest generation of IBM Power servers. As part of our capacity management initiative and to manage evolving application requirements, we wanted a cloud-like functionality within our own data center. With benefits like better flexibility, lower costs, and enhanced security, we are creating a value-oriented solution by setting up a proactive and service-oriented model for the bank, said Deepak Sarda, Chief General Manager - IT and Partnership, Indian Bank. We are thrilled to work with IBM to transform our core banking environment. With the proposed private cloud solution, we aim to achieve better agility, scalability, and security to meet our growth requirements and adopt a consumption-based IT solution that is required dynamic, hyper-competitive market. The gains through technology-based innovation will empower us to deliver exceptional customer experiences while ensuring the highest level of data protection, he added. Viswanath Ramaswamy, Vice President, Technology, IBM India & South Asia, said, Evolving customer needs demand a new operating model for banks driven by a nimbler digital environment. Those who embrace new technologies to modernize can gain a significant competitive edge, build market differentiation through innovation, and prepare themselves for the new financial frontier. We are focused on helping clients introduce hybrid cloud and AI tools to their workflow, operate with greater efficiency, and drive growth while minimizing risks. Supporting Indian Banks journey of transforming their digital capabilities is a testament to the success of this focused effort. To meet the Indian Banks digital infrastructure needs, IBM proposed a hybrid cloud approach for all AIX workloads to boost agility and introduced a combination of Capex and Opex models for the consumption of compute resources. Essentially, it provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and aims to deliver various capabilities such as additional compute and storage, build a private cloud using the available resources, create a single pool of processors across DC and DR, and enable services equivalent to a pay-as-you-grow model. To simplify and improve the security of their private cloud, Indian Bank is using IBM PowerSC for all AIX endpoints to get better support for compliance audits. Additionally, Indian Bank has deployed IBM PowerVC for simplified virtualization management, cloud deployments, workload image management, and dynamic resource optimization for IBM AIX Servers. Further, by deploying Power Enterprise Pools, the bank has been able to provide a single pool of compute resources across their DC and DR sites, thereby enabling more efficient utilization of available compute resources and decreasing the total cost of ownership for the bank. The new cloud environment provided by IBM incorporates features such as virtual machine replication for consistency, a self-service portal for streamlined provisioning, and advanced capabilities such as virtual image capture, deployment, and cataloging. By consolidating front-end branch servers, Indian Bank enhances manageability and availability at its data centers in Chennai and Mumbai, ensuring uninterrupted service for customers. Dhanalakshmi S. Gowda, a student at JSS Academy of Higher Education in Mysuru pursuing a master's degree in public health, will take part in an international youth exchange program and boot camp on "Inclusive and Sustainable Cities" in Italy from September 3 to September 9. 'Youth for Governance' (Y4G) Fellow Dhanalakshmi represents GRAAM (Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement. sia) and HSFs (Hanns Seidel Foundation), organizes Youth for Governance (Y4G), a year-long fellowship program, to address the limited engagement of Indias youth in democracy. The Y4G fellowship program for empowering young leaders aims to unlock the potential of dynamic individuals as agents of change. Through this program, GRAAM seeks to enhance youth participation in democratic processes, fostering active citizenship and social responsibility and, ultimately, strengthening democratic institutions. This year, Dhanalakshmi has been recommended by GRAAM to represent India on the global stage in Italy. The second edition of the Youth Boot Camp for Inclusive and Sustainable Cities is a unique platform designed to equip young leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to be champions in combating discrimination within their communities. The intensive five-day boot camp will feature expert speakers and policymakers delivering thematic lectures. Participants from across the globe will engage in dynamic and action-oriented dialogues to deconstruct racism and discrimination, fostering a more inclusive world. The agenda at the boot camp includes immersive and interactive workshops and training sessions, enabling young leaders to drive positive change in their communities and beyond. Dr. Basavaraju R. Shreshta, India coordinator of G20 C20 Delivering Democracy Working Group and Executive Director of GRAAM, said, GRAAM aims to empower youth, nurture their leadership potential, and create a more inclusive and participatory democracy in India. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Nearly a dozen firearms that law enforcement officials say couldve wound up killing someone on the boroughs North Shore have instead landed a West Brighton man in prison. In January, Field Intelligence officers (FIO) searched a home on Delafield Place belonging to 43-year-old Adam Simmons, as part of an ongoing investigation, authorities said at the time. Removed from the premises, located steps from a local playground, were six assault rifles, three handguns, six receivers, a 60-round drum magnifier, magazines, a handgun kit, assorted ammo, a polymer kit, four silencers and two 3D printers, court documents alleged. Police in January uncovered a trove of unlicensed firearms and ammunition from a Livingston home just steps from a playground. (Google Maps) After previously pleading guilty to second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the investigation, Simmons was sentenced Aug. 25 by Justice Lisa Grey to two years in prison followed by two years of post release supervision. At the time of his arrest, the defendant allegedly told police that he and at least one other person previously owned a legitimate FFL (firearms) dealership, saying, I tried to call the precinct to tell them. How you supposed to get rid of them? District Attorney Michael E. McMahon issued a statement following the sentencing, saying that his office is committed to preventing gun violence by any means necessary. Our office will always have zero tolerance for those who possess illegal firearms, the statement continued. We commend our partners in the NYPD and Assistant District Attorneys Ryan Malloy, Gregg Brown, and Jonathan Chananie for their work to remove [the firearms], and ensure this defendant will not be able to hurt another Staten Islander. RELATED CONTENT: Staten Island courts >>Staten Island man told parole board he wasnt same young person who killed. Then, he allegedly struck again. >>Every parents worst nightmare Staten Island man pleads to sex abuse of child >>Source: Shooter, 19, sprayed bullets toward afternoon basketball game at Staten Island park. Arraigned Wednesday. >>Staten Island home invasion will land defendant in prison. At least one other case ongoing. >>Accused of pandemic break-ins at nail salon, restaurant, Staten Island man off to prison >> Dont f look this way! Family of murder victim has words for Staten Island defendant >> Landlords of illegal smoke shops in NYC no longer immune to criminal punishment STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A 40-year-old man from Manhattan pleaded guilty in connection with a pair of bizarre encounters that authorities described as a hate crime against a priest at a church in West Brighton and a separate robbery in South Beach. The defendant, Dylan Vok of Edgecombe Avenue, has several prior arrests and was featured in a 2017 Advance/SILive.com series on mental illness and the criminal justice system, where he attributed his legal troubles at the time to difficulty getting sufficient treatment for his conditions. Vok was arrested for an encounter that occurred on Aug. 6 at about 6:35 a.m. at Sacred Heart R.C. Church at 981 Castleton Ave., according to the criminal complaint and police. The victim was a priest at the parish, according to a source with knowledge of the incident. The priest first asked the suspect to leave the house of worship, authorities said. Instead of complying, Vok formed his hands into fists and moved toward the victim, causing him to fear for his physical safety, the complaint alleges. Give me a duffle bag with $30,000 or else Ill bring out all that f----- shit, the criminal complaint quotes Vok as saying, using a homophobic slur. He also threatened the priest he was going to take you into the confessional and force the victim to perform a sexual act, the complaint alleges. The suspects actions were based on the defendants perception regarding [the] informants sexual orientation and religion, the complaint states. Less than four hours later, around 10 a.m., Vok allegedly was involved in a heist in the vicinity of Capodanno Boulevard and Ocean Avenue in South Beach. Vok had an unknown object in his hand as he ran toward the male victim, police allege. Give me all of your money and cigarettes, the complaint quotes Vok as saying to the victim, who then handed over an undisclosed amount of cash. In connection with the church incident, the defendant was charged with misdemeanors, including aggravated harassment, menacing as a hate crime, menacing, harassment and trespass. The heist prompted charges of robbery, petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, menacing and harassment. The defendant pleaded guilty to aggravated harassment as a hate crime and petit larceny to resolve the two cases. He has been released on his own recognizance and is due back in Criminal Court on Sept. 14, according to public records. According to a source, Vok is being evaluated by CRAN (Community Re-entry Assistance Network), and based on its determination, there could be a mental-health component to his sentence. Vok was released on parole in July after he was sentenced to 18 months to three years in prison following a conviction of aggravated family offense, a class E felony, according to public records. An attorney for the defendant in the August cases did not immediately respond to a request for comment. DEFENDANT DESCRIBED PLIGHT WITH MENTAL ILLNESS In 2017, Vok, an artist, spoke with the Advance/SILive.com about his prior arrests and his challenges receiving mental-health treatment. In and out of the legal system for years, Vok in that interview described the moments leading up to his breakdowns as a collection of dark, anxious and sometimes aggressive thoughts that stack on top of each other. Negative thoughts start to take over, he said. The thoughts depend on what was happening. Thinking of past things ... how they affected the present. In the midst of an emotional breakdown a few months prior, Vok took to the streets of Randall Manor in June 2017 when he was armed with a machete and two knives. Vok, then 34, had returned home to Staten Island earlier that week and learned that many of his friends had fallen victim to the opioid epidemic. Another friend had been killed in an unrelated matter, he said. Unmedicated, and with a diagnosis history of bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety and ADHD, a familiar feeling of vulnerability and trepidation swept over him. A weapons enthusiast with a red lightning bolt tattooed on his face, Vok grabbed his gear. He roamed through Clove Lakes Park and Snug Harbor, through water and brush. Then, onto the residential streets of Randall Manor. I was in those neighborhoods where there was a lot of those dealers, and my anger was projected toward them, Vok recalled in an interview with the Advance in 2017. The drug epidemic has taken a hold of a lot of people I didnt know it had taken hold of. Witnesses told police Vok was jumping on cars and yelling that heads are gonna roll! It wasnt the first time he had been arrested while illegally possessing a weapon. In 2011, he was nabbed for allegedly roaming Clove Lakes Park with a sword. Months prior to that, he was charged with smashing the windows of parked cars with a skateboard in West Brighton. Vok pleaded guilty to the Randall Manor incident in exchange for a six-month sentence and five years probation. The jail time was reduced to four months, which he served in a mental health unit on Rikers Island. OTHER STATEN ISLAND NEWS: >> NYPD: Staten Island man, 31, robbed, beat gas station worker; attacked 2nd victim >> Horrific discovery of partial human remains by animal on Staten Island: Sources >> NYPD: 3 arrested in protests at planned migrant shelter at Staten Island school; roads blocked >> Alleged car thieves jumped from Verrazzano to Fort Wadsworth in dramatic escape bid: Sources >> NYPD seeks tips in knife-point robbery at business on Staten Island >> Source: Woman suffers life-threatening injuries in fire at apartment building on Staten Island >> Crash at The Boulevard mall on Staten Island damages multiple cars, sends vehicle up against storefront STATEN ISLAND, N.Y Police released the names of two 22-year-old women who died in a horrific crash on the Staten Island Expressway when their car hit a guardrail, careened across multiple lanes of traffic and burst into flames. Jianna Pischetola of Midland Beach was driving a 2023 Chevy Corvette eastbound on the expressway when the car struck a guardrail near the Hylan Boulevard/Clove Road exit around 11 p.m. on Sunday, according to police. Pischetola and her passenger, Gabriella Shammas of the Dyker Heights section of Brooklyn, were pronounced dead at the scene by EMS. A 2018 Ford F150 with three occupants was involved in the crash; two people who both were 49 years old and a 15-year-old girl were not injured, according to police. The tragic episode began around 11 p.m. when police responded to a 911 call of a vehicle collision on the Brooklyn-bound Staten Island Expressway in the vicinity of Hanover Avenue, according to the preliminary investigation by the NYPDs Highway District Collision Squad. Pischetola was driving the Corvette convertible eastbound on the expressway when she lost control of the vehicle and struck a divider separating the main roadway and an exit lane for Hylan Boulevard, the NYPD said. As a result, the Corvette overturned onto the main roadway and struck the passenger side of the pickup truck, which was also traveling Brooklyn bound in the middle lane of the expressway, according to the preliminary police investigation. The Corvette continued to travel along all Brooklyn-bound lanes, coming to a final rest while engulfed in flames in the HOV lane. Pischetola suffered severe trauma to her body and was pronounced dead on the scene by EMS, police said. Shammas was ejected from the Corvette and also pronounced dead at the scene, according to the NYPD. The investigation into the crash continues. SEVERAL WEEKEND COLLISIONS The crash was one of three separate collisions on Sunday across the city in which four people were reported dead. In addition to the crash on the Staten Island Expressway, an earlier collision on New Dorp Lane resulted in the fatality of a 29-year-old male motorcyclist, police said. The NYPD identified the motorcyclist as 29-year-old Ahmed Motea Assabahi of Brooklyn. A resident of New Utrecht, Assabahi was driving a 2023 Kawasaki ER650P motorcycle at a high rate of speed around 8:30 p.m. when the vehicle fell to the pavement, causing Assabahi to slide into a white, 2019 Dodge Ram pick-up truck driven by a 21-year-old man making a left turn from New Dorp Lane to 10th Street, police said. No arrests have been made at this time in connection with the motorcycle crash. The fourth death resulted from a separate crash in Brooklyn. According to the New York Post, an electric bike rider was traveling east on Eastern Parkway around 8 p.m. when he collided with a Jeep traveling west on Eastern Parkway, the report said. The Jeep was allegedly attempting to make a left turn on Schenectady Avenue in Crown Heights, police said. The adult e-biker was taken to King County Hospital where he was pronounced dead, the report said. OTHER STATEN ISLAND NEWS: >> Man pleads to hate crime in scary encounter with priest at Staten Island church >> NYPD: Staten Island man, 31, robbed, beat gas station worker; attacked 2nd victim >> Horrific discovery of partial human remains by animal on Staten Island: Sources >> NYPD: 3 arrested in protests at planned migrant shelter at Staten Island school; roads blocked >> Alleged car thieves jumped from Verrazzano to Fort Wadsworth in dramatic escape bid: Sources >> NYPD seeks tips in knife-point robbery at business on Staten Island >> Source: Woman suffers life-threatening injuries in fire at apartment building on Staten Island STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The first day of classes for New York City public schools and Catholic schools is Thursday. To help mark the new school year, we are asking readers to send us your back-to-school photos by using the hashtag #SILive with your pictures on Instagram. You can also tag us in your Instagram post, with our username @siadvance. Parents: Snap some shots of your children boarding the bus, walking into school or holding a sign with their grade and age. Teachers: We want to see how you decorated your classroom for the school year ahead. The city Department of Education academic calendar includes some two dozen days off for public school students between Thursday and last day of classes, which is Wednesday, June 26. The Archdiocese of New York Superintendent of Schools released the first look at the 2023-2024 calendar for Catholic elementary school students on Staten Island this past spring, with the last day of school set for Friday, June 14. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - As New York City students prepare to return to school on Thursday, its important for parents and caregivers to understand the states vaccine requirements. New York State law mandates that all children must meet school immunization requirements for attending school or daycare facilities -- this includes all public, private and religious schools. Students through twelfth grade must be vaccinated against various illnesses, including DTaP (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis), poliovirus, MMR (measles-mumps-rubella), varicella (chickenpox) and hepatitis B. Regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine mandate for public school students involved in sports or extracurricular activities, it was in effect throughout the 2021-2022 school year and extended into the fall. However, it was lifted in September 2023. Medical exemptions If your child has a health condition that makes a vaccine potentially harmful, parents must complete a medical exemption form with the childs doctor. Forms must be filled out by a New York State-licensed medical doctor or osteopathic doctor -- paperwork from nurse practitioners or physician assistants will not be considered. After submission to the school, the form will undergo review, and parents will be notified if the form is approved. Your child can still attend school during this process, and its important to note that medical exemptions must be reapproved annually. New York State does not allow any non-medical exemptions for school vaccine requirements. Religious exemptions are no more As of June 13, 2019, New York State ceased to accept religious exemptions for required vaccinations. Within 14 days of the first day of school or daycare, parents must show proof of their childs up-to-date vaccination or a valid medical exemption. Children who are unvaccinated must get the first dose in each immunization series within 14 calendar days after the first day of school and complete subsequent doses on schedule to attend, according to the city Department of Education (DOE). So, where can I get my child vaccinated? The DOE recommends that students receive vaccinations from their health-care provider. If this isnt an option, the Department of Health (DOH) holds immunization clinics across the five boroughs, where your child can receive the necessary vaccinations. How will the school know my child is vaccinated? Parents have several options to provide their childs vaccination records: A new admission exam form completed by a health-care provider; a print-out of an electronic medical form signed by a health-care provider; a record from the DOH Immunization Registry; a DOH Immunization Clinic vaccine history print-out. What if my child is behind on vaccinations? Even if your child is behind on his or her vaccinations, he or she still may be able to attend school with the first dose of the required vaccines. The remaining doses must be administered according to the official schedule. The DOE recommends that parent discuss with the childs health-care provider to determine the timing for the remaining doses. What if there is a disease outbreak in school? Your child may be excluded from school for at least one incubation period after the last student at school has caught the disease. An incubation period is the time between an infection and when signs and symptoms start to appear. What if my child is immune? If the blood test shows your child is immune, your child does not need to get a vaccine for that particular disease. To apply to opt-out of those vaccines, you need to have your health-care provider fill out a Review of Serology or Documentation of Varicella Disease form. Bring the completed form to your school, and the school will review it and then let you know if the request is approved. Your child can attend school during the approval process. If your child is approved for the opt-out, they must still get all other required school vaccinations. Suggested vaccination schedule by grade Below is a suggested vaccination schedule by grade from the New York State Department of Health. Pre-Kindergarten Children under age six who are enrolled in childcare and prekindergarten (pre-K), must receive a flu vaccine by Dec. 31, according to the Archdiocese of New York. Pre-kindergartners must also get the following vaccines: DTaP Hepatitis B Polio Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine (MMR) Varicella (Chickenpox) Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine (Hib) Pneumococcal Conjugate vaccine (PCV) Kindergarten through Grade 5 Booster doses for: Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis (DTaP) Polio Measles, Mumps and Rubella Varicella (chicken pox) Annual flu shot Grade 6 Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis (TdaP) Meningitis (Menactra) HPV (Gardasil) No. 1 of 2 Annual flu shot Grade 7 HPV Gardasil No. 2 of 2 Annual flu shot Grades 8-9 Catch up on Gardasil (missed dose) Annual flu shot Grade 10 Booster dose of Meningitis (Menactra) Annual flu shot Grade 11 Annual flu shot Grade 12 STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Despite a looming school bus strike that could impact thousands of New York City public school students, service will not be interrupted during the first days of the new academic year, according to a new report by Chalkbeat. Union officials told Chalkbeat on Friday that school bus service wont face disruptions from a strike during the first week of school, which begins on Thursday, Sept. 7. The news comes after city officials released a plan to assist families if there is a strike by Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1181, which represents about half the bus drivers and attendants who serve city public school students. Carolyn Rinaldi, chief of staff at ATU, told Chalkbeat there would be no disruptions as the new school year is underway, but that the union is at the bargaining table to fight for a fair contract. Rinaldi said routes will be serviced and negotiations are ongoing. The potential strike could affect approximately 4,400 routes across all five boroughs potentially impacting 80,000 students, of which 25,000 are special education students, the city has previously warned. Officials said the top priority is ensuring that every student, especially the most vulnerable, can continue to attend school without interruption. Schools Chancellor David C. Banks said the city is pushing for a resolution before the start of the school year. Make no mistake, this is a labor dispute that will have deep implications for some of our most vulnerable student populations and their families, said Banks. The city has consistently demonstrated good faith in its negotiations with union partners, such as the UFT and DC37. We anticipate and hope for a similar constructive approach with our bus companies and their employees. the city has outlined several contingency plans as a precaution in the event of a school bus strike. There will be several alternative transportation options for families, according to the city Department of Education (DOE). All impacted students and families will be eligible to receive emergency MetroCards valid on MTA buses and subways (excluding express bus service) that will provide a total of four trips and transfers daily from Monday through Friday between 5:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. Some impacted families will be eligible for additional services, including: Reimbursement for alternative transportation The DOE is establishing a reimbursement system for families who must resort to taxis, rideshares, or personal vehicles due to the strike. A reimbursement rate of 58 cents per mile has been set, with a maximum reimbursement of $200 ($100 each way) per day. Rideshare for affected students and families Currently, the DOE is planning to provide rideshare to some impacted families. Students using the rideshare option would need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Additionally, parents or guardians can use the service to travel to work or a destination of choice within the five boroughs and be picked up from that location in the afternoon in order to pick up a child from school. Other transportation options continue to be explored. The DOE said it will frequently update families of developments and available alternatives if a strike is called. The city said it remains hopeful a resolution can be reached. For further information or inquiries, contact the city DOEs transportation Customer Service Unit at 718-392-8855. The last time there was a school bus strike was in January 2013, when workers demanded better job security. At the time, dozens of school bus drivers and matrons, who were members of Local 1181, walked the picket line outside the Pioneer Bus yard on Arthur Kill Road in Rossville. Inside the lot, more than 380 yellow buses sat idle. That walkout in 2013 lasted more than four weeks. YOU MIGHT LIKE: NYC 2023-2024 public school calendar: Key dates for upcoming academic year Staten Island teens make an impact in their community this summer | In Class column Engaging photos capture kids exploring science, technology and more at Staten Island STREAM Fair NYC to introduce Black studies curriculum in public schools this fall: 5 things to know STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Protest policing in New York City will change following a court agreement announced Tuesday with George Floyd protestors and their advocates. The agreement seeks to protect the rights of protestors and the media by requiring the NYPD to change how it deploys officers to public demonstrations better allowing New Yorkers to exercise their First Amendment rights free from intimidation or violence, according to Attorney General Letitia James. The agreement settles lawsuits brought by James, the New York City Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), the Legal Aid Society, and a pair of legal actions brought by 2020 George Floyd protestors related to officers excessive use of force during those protests. The right to peacefully assemble and protest is sacrosanct and foundational to our democracy. Too often peaceful protesters have been met with force that has harmed innocent New Yorkers simply trying to exercise their rights, James said. Todays agreement will meaningfully change how the NYPD engages with and responds to public demonstrations in New York City. As the Attorney General, it is my duty to protect New Yorkers rights and this agreement will ensure that peaceful protesters can make their voices heard without fear, intimidation or harm. A new, four-tiered response system will minimize police presence at protests, require the NYPD to use de-escalation methods before increasing its response, create a new, senior role within the department to oversee response to all public demonstrations, and end traditional police tactics, like kettling, according James office. The attorney general described kettling as the practice of enclosing individuals with an intent to take police action against them without having individualized probable cause. Mayor Eric Adams described the agreement as the result of a collaborative process that seeks to build consensus, balance safety with justice, and protect protesters, bystanders, and law enforcement personnel. The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental part of American freedom, and the right to public safety is essential for our city to function balancing these two important rights is one of this administrations core missions, Adams said. I spent my career fighting for police reform and accountability, and now as mayor, our administration is committed to improving our policies to keep New Yorkers safe and protect their civil liberties. Todays agreement, stemming from the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, sets new protocols and policies in place for the NYPD when responding to spontaneous protests as we ensure that we are both protecting public safety and respecting protesters First Amendment rights. The agreement makes the city pay $1.6 million to the city Department of Investigation and fund $1.4 million for a collaborative oversight committee that will review the police departments response to public demonstrations over the next three years. According to Adams administration, the new response protocol combines multiple law enforcement strategies, including the use of more community affairs officers to de-escalate situations with protesters, the presence of patrol officers to enforce traffic laws and direct crowds, and the deployment of specialized units as necessary to ensure public safety. Under the four-tier system, the NYPD will temporarily accommodate peaceful protests passing through the streets or sidewalks in the first tier. Tier two will see the NYPD station additional officers in the vicinity of the protest in anticipation of the need for law enforcement intervention. Tier three takes effect once there is probable cause that an individual has committed a crime with enough officers deployed to address the issue. Tier four takes place when a protest must end. It is activated when either protesters are trying to enter or block entry to sensitive locations or crimes are so widespread that de-escalation and/or targeted enforcement has failed. Millions of protestors took to streets around the globe in 2020 following a Minneapolis police officers murder of George Floyd. During the summer of 2020, the frustrations of a global pandemic, a tragic killing, and the use of spontaneous demonstrations throughout the city drew people from all over the country some with good intentions and some with bad, said Police Commissioner Edward Caban. This presented many unique challenges for officers, who did their best to protect peoples rights to peaceful expression while addressing acts of lawlessness. Now, the NYPD has re-envisioned its policies for policing protests to deal with these unique scenarios. This agreement represents the departments commitment to continually improving to ensure the public remains safe and individual rights are protected. MORE LOCAL NEWS Staten Island elected officials call for end to Travis migrant shelters with contracts up for renewal Former Staten Island Catholic school to house up to 300 adult migrants in coming days Surveillance cameras installed outside St. John Villa migrant shelter Borough president calls for migrants to be housed in Washington, D.C. NYPD keeps watch as tempers flare outside planned St. John Villa migrant shelter STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Amid an ongoing wave of New York City subway surfing fatalities, including a 15-year-old Staten Islander in May, officials have kicked off a new campaign designed to discourage the dangerous stunt and save lives. On Tuesday, the MTA, alongside Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul, unveiled a new public information campaign developed by local teenagers to educate their peers on the potentially fatal consequences of riding atop New York Citys trains and subways. Riding outside a train car is subway stupidity and never ends well, said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. We are begging parents to speak with their children and teachers to talk to their students about what can seem like a game but can end in tragedy. The multi-platform campaign, titled Subway Surfing Kills Ride Inside, Stay Alive, was designed by a group of five recent graduates from the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan, with Milana Blokhina, Maksymilian Rychlicki and Nicholas Setiawan handling graphics and Langening-Arum Ratmansunu and Dalma Chiclayo responsible for animation. I am so proud of the work my fellow students at Art and Design,and I did this summer to create this campaign alongside city leadership, said Blokhina. With the campaign now being implemented, it is so fulfilling to know that we contributed to something bigger: the safety of fellow New Yorkers and all who travel in our subways. We hope that the work we have accomplished is proof of the creative capacity of New York City public school students and highlights the importance of design for the greater good. The campaign is comprised of a vast array of messaging across various mediums, including student-generated graphics and animations, student-recorded public service announcements that will be played in stations, posters and banners displayed throughout the system and distributed to local schools, as well as social media posts across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Additionally, the distribution of Student MetroCards for the upcoming school year will include a palm card with the message Subway Surfing Kills Ride Inside, Stay Alive. Each subway surfing death tragically strips young New Yorkers of promising futures, said Adams. We cannot endure another tragedy on our trains. Thats why we are partnering with the MTA on an innovative campaign to raise awareness, and we have recruited true social media experts to help lead it: young New Yorkers. Our young people know best how to reach their peers, and they want to help keep their friends safe. The new campaign comes at a time when subway surfing incidents are on the rise in New York City, with more than 450 documented instances of passengers riding outside train cars during the first six months of the year. So far in 2023, there have been five fatalities due to suspected subway surfing, the same number as there were from 2018 through 2022, combined. Among those killed earlier this year were Gregory Jantzen, a 15-year-old Tottenville student who was fatally injured in a horrific accident where he was crushed by a passenger walkway while riding on top of a Staten Island Railway (SIR) train in Annadale. The preliminary investigation revealed that the boy was riding with friends when he climbed alone outside onto the top of a train car. He came in contact with an overhead structure that has since been identified as a passenger walkway at the Annadale station, MTA Police said at the time. In the wake of the boys death, the MTA warned about the dangers of riding on top of moving trains. This was an awful situation that demonstrates again the deadly risk taken by anyone who attempts to subway surf, NYC Transit President Richard Davey said in May. Our hearts go out to loved ones who have senselessly lost a child, and we continue to encourage teenagers find safer ways to seek thrills. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Stifling temperatures looming over New York City will persist in the coming days, an AccuWeather forecaster told the Advance/SILive.com, stretching an ongoing late-summer heat wave. The National Weather Service forecasts Staten Island will experience a high in the low 90s Tuesday afternoon before highs closer to the mid-90s on Wednesday and Thursday. Temperatures reached 90 degrees on the borough on Monday, according to the Advance/SILive.coms weather station. Dave Dombek, an AccuWeather senior meteorologist, said hot temperatures will remain an issue for New York City through the end of the work week. Even when temperatures slightly lower on Friday, the heat is still gonna be very humid and sticky, he said. The humidity is pretty much here to stay, I would say at least through Saturday, said Dombek. With lingering humidity expected to make oppressive heat feel even hotter this week, Dombek said temperatures could feel closer to the high 90s. Some areas will be closer to 100 (degrees), said Dombek. A heat advisory, issued when the combination of heat and humidity is forecast to make it feel between 95 degrees and 99 degrees for two or more consecutive days, or 100 to 104 degrees for any length of time, is in effect until at least Wednesday, the Advance/SILive.com reported. That advisory may later be extended into Thursday. New York City opened cooling centers Tuesday and Wednesday to help residents mitigate heat impacts, wrote Mayor Eric Adams on X, formerly known as Twitter. Please remember to take care of yourself when youre outdoors, and dont forget to hydrate, said Adams. When temperatures rise, at-risk individuals, including the very young, older adults and people with underlying conditions, should limit outdoor exposure. People overwhelmed by heat should immediately move to a cooler and shaded location. Dombek said temperatures did not reach the 90-degree threshold necessary to start a heat wave at the National Weather Services Central Park weather station earlier this week, meaning Tuesday would serve as the first day of an expected three-day heat wave in Manhattan. However, the agencys Newark Liberty International Airport site the closest official location to Staten Island registered highs of 92 degrees and 93 degrees on Sunday and Monday, respectively, according to National Weather Service data, indicating Tuesday would serve as the third day of an ongoing heat wave. The Advance/SILive.coms weather station, located on the roof of its office in Bloomfield, recorded a high of 89 degrees on Sunday and 92 degrees on Monday. 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! Chief executives cant escape responsibility for the things that happen on their watch. Had Joyce retired in 2019, as was originally loosely envisaged, he would have departed as a hero and been regarded as a towering figure in Qantas history. Loading Instead, the then-new chairman, Goyder, asked him to stay on with an open-ended contract, and so he was still in place when the pandemic erupted and threw the world, and the aviation industry in particular, into three years of chaos. Virgin collapsed instantly and Qantas, with the help of government assistance, barely survived after losing almost $6.5 billion through the pandemic years. Like every other airline in the world, as the economy and the industry emerged from two years of rolling lockdowns and border closures, Qantas (and Virgin, Rex and the airports) struggled to scale back up as demand for travel surged. Lengthy queues, delayed and cancelled flights, lost baggage and a very sharp rise in fares as the available capacity was overwhelmed by the demand, exacerbated by a shortage of planes, pilots and ground staff and the continuing widespread incidence of COVID-19 and flu among those who were available. As by far the largest Australian carrier, Qantas became the focus for most of the complaints even though an ACCC report on the sectors performance last year found that Qantas cancelled fewer of its flights (as a proportion of them) than Virgin and its on-time performance was almost identical. Both performed better than most of their overseas counterparts the issues that plagued the sector were experienced globally. The pressure is on Qantas chairman Richard Goyder. Credit: Rhett Wymann That doesnt excuse the poor performance Qantas itself has said it should have done better but provides some context. The period from early 2020 to 2022 was unprecedented and extraordinarily disruptive for the complex ecosystem of aviation and it was almost pre-ordained that those in charge of the carriers who survived the crisis would be tainted by their customers experience. The customers dont care about excuses, only their experiences. Joyce, whose 15 years at the helm of Qantas has been characterised by often ruthless and profit-driven decision-making, was always going to be an obvious target for those disaffected customers and the aviation unions he neutered in 2011 when he grounded the Qantas fleet in response to the very effective and destructive rolling industrial campaign by Qantas pilots, engineers and baggage handlers. Loading Theyve finally got their man, although given that he was going anyway, the victory is more about the damage to his legacy than his career. Despite the way it has ended, Joyces tenure as CEO has been a positive one for Qantas and its shareholders, transforming a business that couldnt cover its cost of capital into one of the worlds most financially sound, with a $2.5 billion profit in the 2023 financial year and a conservative balance sheet. He inherited an airline that, confronted by the (initially) low-cost-carrier, Virgin Blue, had, like most legacy airlines, an uncompetitive cost structure but used the 2011 crisis to slash costs and re-engineer the structure of the groups operations. The customers dont care about excuses, only their experiences. He saw off the challenge of a market share war with the rebadged Virgin Australia, a competitor backed by some of Qantas biggest offshore rivals, despite losing $2.8 billion in 2013-14, using that period to again carve into the Qantas cost base. Loading And then he dealt decisively, if not perfectly, with the pandemic, raising capital and selling assets to secure its survival (with the above-mentioned help of the federal government). He also tore another $1 billion from its cost base and ramped up Qantas and Jetstars capacity at a rate that has enabled it to emerge with a larger domestic market share than it had pre-pandemic. Hes also positioned Qantas to break free of the major strategic weakness in its international operations, its status as an end of the line carrier trying to compete with hub airlines, with their scale and geographic advantages. This time last week it looked like Qantas boss Alan Joyce had survived his final hurdle ahead of his scheduled retirement and was preparing to embark on a global victory lap to spruik the groups record-breaking profit to investors. Since then, Joyce has hurriedly and unceremoniously stepped down two months ahead of schedule, and the two-hour-grilling from senators he endured after being summoned before them last month pales in comparison to the turmoil that followed. Qantas boss Alan Joyce will step down on Wednesday, after leading the business for 15 years. Credit: Nine Qantas declared an eye-watering $2.47 billion underlying profit for 2023 to gleeful applause from investors and outrage from frustrated critics on August 24. Days later, Joyce was summoned to appear before a Senate select committee on the cost of living, with senators eager to disprove the assertions that both sides of politics have been too soft on Australias biggest airline. Before the dust had settled on the fallout from the hearing, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) revealed on Thursday it had launched proceedings against Qantas in the Federal Court, and called for hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties if convicted. An airlines future is its good name. Qantas has for decades thrived on its reputation. Alan Joyce has the challenge before him to continue that tradition. With these words, the Herald welcomed Joyces appointment as chief executive of Qantas in July 2008. Just over 15 years later, Joyce has resigned prematurely and leaves behind a company with a trashed reputation and goodwill leaching away. The once much-loved airline is battling both friends and regulators. Fiercely loyal customers have taken the company to court and the company has taken its formerly proud workforce unions to court; the Australian Competition and Consumer Commissions revelation that Qantas had secretly cancelled flights despite selling tickets worth more than half a billion dollars has prompted unprecedented Federal Court action from the watchdog Australian Securities and Investments Commission. In May, Joyce announced he would resign as chief executive officer in November. Vanessa Hudson was named his replacement. Despite the post-pandemic pickup, Qantas had not been travelling well with flight cancellations and lost luggage causing widespread anger and dismay. But the avalanche of recent bad news and Joyces tortuous attempts to clarify or justify such as the request to the Albanese government to refuse a Qatar Airlines request for more flights to Australia and his initial brusque refusal to extend the controversial deadline for passengers to claim who were owed flight credits and subsequent backdown plus the tumbling Qantas share price, ended his amble toward resignation. Loading Of course, it is appropriate he went early. Joyce has taken the hit for all that has gone wrong at Qantas, a not-unexpected outcome for someone who relentlessly promoted himself and became synonymous with the company. But the bad times make it easy to forget the positives that Qantas accrued during his too-long tenure at the top. After working for the Irish carrier Aer Lingus, and then Ansett, Joyce arrived from being Jetstar Airlines chief executive as Qantas was hit hard by rising oil prices and international airlines were put under huge pressure. Joyce took gambles, expanded into Asia, caught the new Australian interest in overseas travel and was one of the first to use a companys profile to push for social change: Qantas was a strong and credible advocate for same-sex marriage. There were years of industrial strife and staff cuts. Joyce even shut down Qantas in a showdown with unions. Then there was the blunder of losing billions trying to vanquish Virgin. Qantas also received $2.7 billion in subsidies during the pandemic lockdown, much of which made its way to the pockets of shareholders. The largesse of the federal bailout looked even worse when Qantas announced a record $2.47 billion profit last month. The airline industry is a hard game and while Qantas did not make a profit in every year under Joyces leadership, he certainly did well personally: he reportedly could receive $24 million held in escrow in long-term executive bonuses awaiting him in retirement if the Qantas board agrees. Shopping mall owner Vicinity Centres has sold the Broadmeadows Homemaker Centre for $20 million. The deal comes soon after the sale to Nikos Property Group of the ASX-listed companys 50 per cent stake in the neighbouring Broadmeadows Central shopping centre, 15 kilometres north-west of the CBD, for $134 million. The Broadmeadows Homemaker Centre has changed hands for $20 million. The 3.4-hectare homemaker centre at 1185-1197 Pascoe Vale Road has a lettable area of 5631 square metres and offers a mix of national and chain retailers. The centre is integrated with separately owned assets occupied by major retailers Harvey Norman, Dan Murphys and Bunnings Warehouse. When CBD got word that Deloittes 1000-odd Australian partners were gathering in Adelaide last week, the firm was quick to assure us it was absolutely not a party. It was, we were told an annual partner meeting, and a chance to connect in person to discuss our strategic priorities and reinforce the culture and values of the firm. So what then are we to make of the photos emerging from the get-together showing a bunch of Deloitte types having a wild old time, as disco lights flashed and a janky cover band belted out bangers to a braying crowd of partners? Deloitte staff let their hair down at the firms partners retreat in Adelaide last week. There was even a bloke crowd-surfing across what appears for all the world to be a mosh pit, but Deloittes official spokespeople wouldnt comment on all that, saying they had nothing to add to their statement from last week. The not a party one. The surprise executive departures from Andrew Twiggy Forrests operations have extended to the film and television industry with the head of Minderoo Pictures leaving with little publicity. Richard Harris, a former Screen Australia and South Australian Film Corporation executive, launched the production and funding arm of Andrew and Nicola Forrests philanthropic foundation Minderoo less than two years ago to team up with filmmakers to inspire social change. From left: Richard Harris, Nicola Forrest and Andrew Forrest when Minderoo Pictures was launched in late 2021. Credit: Kate Geraghty He left in January after what he called a difficult time personally that included deaths in the family, though he conceded [Fortescue] drive very hard, theres no doubt about it. Theyre a very driven organisation all the way through, he said. But I really wanted to focus on things that meant I could be more of the master of my own business. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Remove items from your saved list to add more. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Its French, but dont expect steak frites and other bistro classics at Caravin, says the team that brought us Bar Suze and B.S. Pasta Palace. The best venues to see and be seen at this October. See all stories . Sydneys French food revival kicks up another notch when Caravin wine bar and restaurant opens on Potts Points Ward Avenue on Thursday, September 7. The 35-seat Caravin slides into the former home of Dumplings & Beer and is the latest by Phil Stenvall and Greg Bampton, who brought us the now-closed Bar Suze (theyve opened B.S. Pasta Palace in its place). Caravin owners Greg Bampton and Phil Stenvall. Edwina Pickles Theyve adorned its five-metre ceilings with an art deco-style chandelier as a nod to Ward Avenues architectural lineage. Custom-made black-topped tables have chocolate trim and the original floors are exposed. The bar will dispense Australian and international wines, with a focus on French. Caravin joins the new wave of Francophile eateries sweeping the city: Bistrot 916, Brasserie 1930, Armorica and more. But in between this boom and the turn-of-the-century rush of French restaurants such as Banc and Balzac, sliders, burgers and slow-cooked meats swept the city. The states teachers union and the NSW Labor government have ended months of deadlock over wage negotiations, reaching a historic pay deal which is set to give new graduates a $10,000 pay rise. To fund the once-in-a-generation salary increases, NSW Education Minister Prue Car flagged she would work with state schools to find budget savings, but provided no detail of the potential cuts. NSW Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car is confident a new pay agreement will be reached with the NSW Teachers Federation. Credit: Janie Barrett A proposed agreement between the NSW Teachers Federation and the government will scrap the previous offer that included a 2.5 per cent cap from the second year, and hike graduate teachers salaries from $75,791 to $85,000. We will be working with the federation on where we can streamline, where we can cut red tape, where we can make sure every single cent we are spending on education in this government goes towards the education of our children, Car said. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size At last, we say farewell to the CEO who, in 2011, stranded 60,000 Qantas passengers worldwide to settle a stoush with a union (Best thing I can do: Alan Joyce to leave Qantas early, smh.com.au, September 5). And we thought the mess Scott Morrison left behind for others to clean up was unsurpassable. Those who nominated Joyce in 2017 for Australias highest honour (an AC) for eminent service to the aviation transport industry seem to be keeping their heads down. I wonder why. Steve Cornelius, Brookvale The announcement of Joyces resignation from Qantas effective immediately begs the question: will he retain the latest round of bonuses and share allocations so recently granted to him by Qantas board? Was his decision to get out early based on the potential for all the largesse visited upon him by the board and the Australian taxpayer being reversed at or before the next Qantas AGM in November? Chris Rivers, Port Macquarie I finally agree with a Joyce decision. Just check that as he approaches the departure lounge with $10.8 million in shares, a $4.3 million short-term bonus and $8 million in long-term share bonus, his bags may be seriously overweight. Mark Paskal, Austinmer Its not often a Qantas departure is early, and with quite so much carry on. Peter Fyfe, Enmore Joyce may disappear with the big bikkies, but perhaps we will see an upgrade from Milk Arrowroots in the Qantas lounge. John Burman, Port Macquarie Right to the end, Joyce puts the Qantas bottom line first. Lets hope his replacement is ready to put customers at the head of the queue, for once. Philip Cooney, Wentworth Falls Advertisement Illustration: Matt Golding Credit: Qantas, same old story. The bloke at the top stuffs up and a woman takes over to sort things out. Jacqui Keats, Black Head The Qantas board should follow Joyce to the exit. Ingrid Radford, Waverton Suggestion for the Qantas board in the post-Joyce era - make all executive incentive payments only in frequent flyer points. Maybe that would make them easier to use for the rest of us. Seppo Ranki, Glenhaven I remember back in the 70s a great fuss was made of an announced executive salary of one million dollars (Letters, September 9). Many questioned how anyone could be worth such a sum. How things have changed. We now live in a society where the shareholder is the undisputed king. The worker and consumer no more than vassals. Companies get away with sacking staff only to outsource jobs to labour hire companies. Some engage in alleged activities that are tantamount to extortion with no compunction, no respect for the consumer, and so far they have managed to get away with it. In my view Joyces $10m share bonus could be reduced to about two bob and that would still be too much. Donna Wiemann, Balmain No-one has ever satisfactorily explained to me how high-powered executives, already highly motivated and well paid, need bonuses to do their job better. Corporations are bound by a social contract to their workers, customers and society. Many corporations are trashing this because they can in a very anti-competitive business environment. Executive, self-titled geniuses think these huge profits are entirely their own success. They are not. Business loves certainty, security and conformity. Australia provides all of this. Because the certainty, security and conformity in Australia allows businesses to be successful, they ought to be morally obliged to give back to their societies. But only a minority do so. Thirty years ago Qantas was a beloved Australian icon. Not anymore as federal Labor has discovered to its shock. Under Joyce, Qantas has trashed its workers and the paying public. It no longer deserves protection status. The flying public want a fair price, not being ripped off by a government protected species. Bruce Sheekey, Randwick Do flying kangaroos come home to roost or is it just chickens? Phillip Moore, Bonnet Bay Advertisement Pharmacies no longer the family businesses we once knew As a GP, we almost always give patients the maximum repeats for a medicine (Question time pharmacists swear heckle in parliament, September 5). For common ones, this will mean six months supply. A patient may then only need to see us every six months, so it is poor business but a good service to the patient. When patients have multiple scripts they need to go often to the pharmacy, especially when they could only get a months supply of each medicine and the medications often run out at different times. So many car trips and lots of fuel, and lots of emissions. Big chain pharmacy is no longer the family business it was and nearly all of their income comes from sales of non-script items. Greg Lewin, Tumbi Umbi If unionists wanting better IR laws for their members had pulled that stunt in Question Time, the opposition would be rending their garments in mock outrage at the militancy, the effrontery and the outright rudeness of the perpetrators. But when its by those in the so-called professional class, then far from any rebuke, their public hissy-fit is applauded and encouraged. Hypocrisy and opportunism writ large. Adrian Connelly, Springwood Are pharmacists really saying to the sick and elderly be damned, we want to continue to lean on you to ensure the profitability of our businesses? Are they saying; We fear we cant run a profitable business without exploiting you and taking all the benefits of technological and scientific advances in the pharmaceutical industry to ourselves? The measure of a society is how well it protects its least advantaged members, generally the sick and elderly. Have pharmacists not heard of structural change? Every industry constantly adapts to change, but no, pharmacists think they should be exempt from the impact of structural change. Its an interesting response from a profession to improvements in efficiency and economic development that should benefit us all. Margaret Shanahan, Northbridge It seems the federal government is mollycoddling pharmacists for their apparent loss of income when other small businesses go into liquidation and no-one comes to their rescue. The hundreds of chemists sitting in the gallery during Question Time are only able to take part in the protest because they have plenty of time and money on their hands. No other profession could afford this type of antics on a working day. Get over it, chemists, and come down to earth. Taxpayers do not owe you anything. Mukul Desai Hunters Hill Wasnt there a rationalisation of chemist shops in the late 1900s? Perhaps the numbers (especially those of the rude, noisy owners) need culling again. Donald Hawes, Peel Advertisement Ensuring the pizza delivery boy gets a slice of the pie Its an interesting argument to put that someone should work below the poverty line and/or under dangerous conditions so that I can have my pizza delivered, or my coffee served, as cheaply as possible (Gigs up: $1 billion wage hike for sector, September 5). The gig economy is worth supposedly over $10 billion. Surely if people dont wish to get/make the food themselves it is not unreasonable that the deliverer can eat as well. Brenton McGeachie, Queanbeyan West Hard work There is no simple solution to youth gangs and a Police strike force working alone cannot resolve the problem of young offenders (Police blitz on teen gangs in cars, September 5). Our work starts from birth. Child and family health centres should be located in, or near, primary schools to support parents. The school curriculum must be inclusive of all students and ensure that they leave school with the skills and experiences that might land them their first job. Councils, the Department of Communities and Justice, and organisations such as Police Citizens Youth Clubs should be collaborating to provide meaningful and fun programs for youth to keep them off the street. Positive role models are essential. Collaboration is the key, and the belief that all children have the potential to achieve success and contribute to their community. Elizabeth Starr, Abbotsford Assange example The cross-party delegation of politicians travelling to America to lobby the US House of Representatives and Senate on behalf of Julian Assange is truly inspiring (Politicians to fly to US for Assange, September 5). As Barnaby Joyce rightly points out, a group of MPs containing followers of the Right, the Left and various positions in between would normally disagree on just about everything, which makes their united front for Assange all the more powerful. Theyre a wonderful example to their fellow MPs, and I reckon many voters would like to see more of the same on other great issues of our times, rather than the negative nit-picking which too often consumes too much of the daily political discourse. Nick Franklin, Katoomba Monique Ryan and Barnaby Joyce agree on Julian Assange and not much else. Credit: Advertisement Inadequate strategy Thankfully, gone are the ignorant days of acclimatisation societies, the aim of which was to deliberately introduce non-native species to Australia in the hope they would adapt and establish themselves (Australia on the frontline of war on invasive species, September 5). Yet, when politicians simply announce that tackling feral cats, foxes and other invasives is a priority for the government, we all know that the brumby has well and truly bolted. What we can do is support the efforts of groups like the Wild Deserts project which seek to rewild small areas so that native species like the crest-tailed mulgara and the golden bandicoot have a feral-free haven in which they can survive. We could also make sure the currently inadequate quarantining strategies are beefed up so that they may be somewhat effective, because the recent invasion by the Varroa destructor which is now spreading through our apiary industry has shown how slack we still are. Andrew Brown, Bowling Alley Point Money wasted NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe cannot put a figure on the cost of extending the life of the Eraring coal-fired power station (Minister disputes Kean claim on Eraring cost, September 5). No matter the exact amount, it will cost taxpayers money. And for what? In 2022, forced blackouts due to the unreliability of our old coal-fired power stations left the grid short of capacity for months. On top of that, we are already seeing the cost of natural disasters intensified by global warming. An example is flood damage, which cost the economy around $5 billion last year according to economic modelling. Investment could be directed to renewables via batteries and rooftop solar and grid upgrades, rather than taxpayers money being wasted on propping up an outmoded and polluting source of power. The Australian Energy Market Operator has revealed that with an effective and timely response, the closure can be done on time. All it takes is the political will. Anne OHara, Wanniassa (ACT) Loading Rabbit hole Warren Mundine to replace Marise Payne in the evolving Liberal Party (Mundine emerges as the front runner for Liberal Senate spot, September 5)? Sounds like a case of two steps backwards then four steps backwards. Brilliant forward-thinking down yet another Dutton rabbit hole. Barry Ffrench, Cronulla Advertisement Dont drive, and make sure you have a foodie game plan. These are two rules the artistic director of Brisbane Powerhouse suggests you adopt when it comes to Night Feast. If only Id known beforehand. Night Feast will enable the public to experience fine-dining creations they may not normally be able to afford. A mixture of naivety and a lack of preparation had me fighting for what felt like my stomachs life to find a park before racing to the first food queue I encountered amid a sea of hungry punters at the inaugural Night Feast in March. On hearing of my rookie errors, Kate Gould chuckled. Tom Hanks (Jim Lovell) and Kathleen Quinlan (Marilyn) in a scene from Apollo 13 in 1995. Credit: Getty In those portrayals and others, Marilyn helped make the astronauts wife a heroic archetype: the American housewife accepting her husbands absences imposed by work, sacrificing peace of mind for the sake of his and their countrys grand adventures, confronting the possibility of his death with dignity while the nation looked on, and wringing from all of that a life she saw as charmed. (From left) Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton in Apollo 13. Credit: AP Marilyn Lillie Gerlach was born on July 11, 1930, in Milwaukee, to Lillie and Carl Gerlach. Her father ran a candy store. As a freshman at Juneau High School in Milwaukee, she often made shy eye contact with a junior who worked behind the cafeteria counter to get free lunches. One day that boy, Jim Lovell, asked her to the junior prom. Soon enough, she found herself spending time on the family porch, chatting with Jims mother as Jim launched homemade rockets from a vacant lot nearby. He attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and Marilyn, after graduating, enrolled at George Washington University in Washington to be closer to him. Mission commander Jim Lovell and his wife Marilyn reunited in Honolulu, Hawaii, after the safe return of Apollo 13. Credit: Getty She typed his college thesis. Hours after he graduated in June 1952, they married at an Episcopal church in Annapolis. Early on, Jim Lovell worked as a naval test pilot. In 1962, he was chosen as one of the so-called New Nine, the second group of American astronauts (following the Mercury Seven), which also included Neil Armstrong. Marilyn Lovell on the day of the Gemini 7 launch in Houston, Texas, December 4, 1965. Credit: Getty The Lovell family settled in Houston near other families of astronauts, a cosy neighbourhood referred to by the press as Togethersville. Several of the wives including Annie Glenn, Betty Grissom and Rene Carpenter became public figures in their own right. On Christmas Day 1968, while Jim was on the Apollo 8 mission, the first manned spaceflight to orbit the moon, Marilyn answered her door to find a representative from Neiman Marcus carrying a large box with moon-themed decor. In it was a mink coat and a note The New York Times would later describe as the most romantic card in the universe: To Marilyn from the Man in the Moon. Marilyn did her household chores that day in pyjamas and her new mink. On that mission, Jim named a triangle-shaped mountain on the lunar surface Mount Marilyn. It would later serve as a landmark for astronauts, and in 2017, after campaigning by Jim, the name was officially recognised by the International Astronomical Union. While many astronauts and their wives eventually divorced, the Lovells remained together, despite the unusual stresses the family faced. Loading Marilyn hid one of her pregnancies from her husband for four months, worrying that if it became widely known, NASA would deem her pregnancy to be a distraction for her husband and preclude him from flying into space. The success of her furtiveness came to disturb her, though, making her wonder if her husband simply had not been around long enough to notice she was pregnant, Lily Koppel wrote in her 2013 book The Astronaut Wives Club. Then there were the frantic days when it was unclear if Apollo 13 would return safely to Earth. Marilyn, like other astronauts wives, devotedly watched television reports by Jules Bergman, the ABC News science correspondent who they felt could be depended on for unvarnished reporting. He gave Jim Lovell a 10 per cent chance of survival. When Marilyns 12-year-old daughter, Susan, became hysterical on seeing a priest at their door, Marilyn found a way to soothe her. Do you really think the best astronaut either one of us knows is going to forget something as simple as how to turn his spaceship around and fly it home? she asked her daughter, according to Jims memoir. Reporters with notebooks, microphones and television cameras filled up the Lovell family lawn and driveway. She fielded a call from president Richard Nixon: I just wanted you to know, Marilyn, that your president and the entire nation are watching your husbands progress with concern, he said. Everything is being done to bring Jim home. Welcome Home: Apollo eight moon pioneer James Lovell, kisses his wife, Marilyn, on his return to his home early December 29, 1968. Credit: Getty When parachutes were seen on TV billowing out from the spaceship, guiding it safely to the ocean surface, a couple of famous astronauts in Marilyns living room, Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, opened champagne. President Nixon called with a new message: I wanted to know if youd care to accompany me to Hawaii to pick up your husband. She replied, Mr President, Id love to. Emerging from her home in a dress with red, white and blue stripes to speak to reporters, she said: Isnt this a great day? I am very thankful and humble, thankful to the men at Mission Control for making it possible for my husband to return to Earth. Jim later worked for a marine company and in telecommunications. The family lived in Lake Forest for 40 years. Marilyn died on 27 August 2023. She is survived by Jim, along with their children, Barbara Harrison, Susan Lovell and Jeffrey and James Lovell III; 11 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Loading I dont know why weve got a reputation of being snobs in Melbourne. Yes, we love having trams, but Sydney now has a tram too (and theyre very proud of it, it travels nearly a full block). Still, we in Melbourne love to get on our high horses about our, well, horses at Spring Racing, our centralised shopping in the CBD, our craft beers made by a long-haired hipster in a microbrewery, our ingenuity in creating elaborate brunch and, of course, our $7 coffees that you have to venture down graffitied laneways to get. As a touring comedian, Ive been fortunate enough to perform in every city around Australia. I have stayed in fancy hotels and on lumpy Airbnb mattresses. I have eaten in fine dining restaurants and scarfed down stale pizza at late-night kebab joints. Ive caught public transport in every city and even endured a replacement bus or two (Im still surprised I made it off them alive). Rest in peace, Melbourne Star. Although I think Ill always live in Melbourne (because thats where all my stuff is), I must admit this city can still learn a thing or two from our fellow metropolises. It wouldnt hurt us to accept that other Australian cities not only do some things as well as us, but also do a handful of things better than us. Not many, though (dont get too excited, Hobart). South Australia, for example, truly is the Festival State. Its not that Adelaide has more arts and cultural events than we do (Melbourne beats them on quantity), but when theres a festival in town it takes over the whole city. Every single person knows when Adelaide Fringe or WOMAD is on. Even the bats change their schedules to catch a Fringe show. In Melbourne, by contrast, most people cant even tell you what month the Comedy Festival starts. Im often asked, When can I see you perform at the Comedy Fest? The answer is usually: About two weeks ago. Id love to see the City of Melbourne amp up its promotion of festivals to an Adelaidian level so that any time a big event is on, it feels ubiquitous. Then again, if you asked me what happens during Moomba, Id say it was something to do with man-birds. A registered nurse has been banned from working for six months and ordered to undergo professional responsibility training after failing to quarantine when she arrived in Perth from Queensland during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, Western Australias borders were open to the sunshine state, but travellers were required to complete 14 days quarantine to ensure they did not introduce the virus to the community. Western Australia maintained a contentious hard border policy during the pandemic. Credit: File photo/Getty Images Rachael Johnston, 48, was a Queensland clinical nurse manager at a private home support service, when she and her partner, Michael Balmforth, 48, flew to Perth on September 19, 2021 and checked into their self-quarantine accommodation. The following day, however, the pair left and travelled on a small commercial flight to Esperance in regional WA. They then stayed one night before collecting a car and driving to Laverton and Leinster in the states Goldfields region. Wangaratta: AFL legend Michael Long has called on King Charles III to back the Voice to parliament and plans to travel to London to seek an audience with the King to petition him. The former Essendon champion is walking from Melbourne to Canberra recreating a walk he made 19 years ago when former prime minister John Howard abolished the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission to urge a Yes vote in the October 14 referendum. Michael Long re-enacts his long walk from Melbourne to Canberra in support of the Voice to parliament. Long was joined by former MPs and athletes Pat Farmer and Nova Peris. Credit: Justin McManus Long was joined on Monday by former Liberal MP and ultra-marathoner Pat Farmer, who is running around Australia supporting the Voice. Farmer said it was a great shame that Opposition Leader Peter Dutton had opposed the Voice while former Labor MP Nova Peris compared the proposed body to a watchdog that would monitor laws that affect Indigenous Australians. The chiefs of some of Australias biggest companies will be confronted at their annual general meetings by small shareholders demanding answers on how bankrolling the Voice Yes campaign aligns with the firms core business. Corporate giants such as Qantas, Wesfarmers, Rio Tinto and BHP have poured millions into the Yes campaign, which has been tapping donors as it tries to reverse falling support ahead of the October 14 referendum. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with then-Qantas chief Alan Joyce. Corporate giants such as Qantas, Wesfarmers, Rio Tinto and BHP have poured millions into the Yes campaign. Credit: Louie Douvis Australian Shareholders Association chief executive Rachel Waterhouse said 120 volunteer retail investor representatives would use upcoming AGMs and scheduled meetings with company chairs to seek explanations about how Voice donations aligned with firms strategies and core purpose. Waterhouse said investors had been writing to companies about their concerns, highlighted by a survey her association conducted in July showing 70 per cent of 300 respondents opposed donations to either the Yes or No side. Washington: The Pentagon has identified western and southern Japan as a major hotspot for UFO sightings, using 27 years of data that has been made public for the first time. The US government has launched a new website it says will act as a one-stop shop for the reporting of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), the official term for UFOs and unidentified objects in the sea. A map released on the website of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) shows where the most sightings have been recorded using data from between 1996 and 2023. A map released on the website of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) shows where the most UFO or UAP sightings have been recorded using data from between 1996 and 2023. The image shows one of the worlds biggest hotspots around western and southern Japan, near the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, where the United States dropped atomic bombs in August 1945. That changed when the military decided they would need a mercenary force of their own to ease reliance on Prigozhin during the invasion of Ukraine. In the run-up to war, General Vladimir Alexeev, deputy head of the GRU, drew up a plan for Redut to play a key role in the assault, including the planned assassination of Volodymyr Zelensky. He hired Anatoly Karazi, a former head of Wagner intelligence, to poach fighters from Prigozhins company to bolster the ranks, the Insider, a Russian outlet, reported in a joint investigation with Bellingcat and Der Spiegel in May. The move reportedly provoked a physical confrontation between Alexeev and Prigozhin, who was forced to back down. Loading When the invasion went wrong and Redut took crippling casualties, the Kremlin was forced to call in Prigozhin and Wagner. But Alexeevs ambition never went away. Redut resumed recruiting Wagner fighters after Prigozhins mutiny two months ago. There are reports that Andrei Troshev, the most prominent surviving Wagner commander after Prigozhins air crash, has already taken a job at the rival outfit. Redut are not the only ambitious players on the scene. Sometime in 2022, Sergei Aksyonov, the Kremlin-appointed governor of annexed Crimea, set up his own private military company called Convoy. Loading The groups existence came to light in March, when it emerged with an aggressive social media game emphasising Cossack symbolism. It takes its name from the Imperial Convoy, a Cossack bodyguard for the Tsars. It has fought in Ukraines Kherson region and is led by Konstantin Mazai Pikalov, a former henchman of Prigozhin, who was deeply involved in Wagners operations in the Central African Republic. It is believed to be relatively small, fielding 200-300 men, and some accounts describe it as the elite reconnaissance company of a larger volunteer battalion called Livadia, which Aksyonov is believed to bankroll and is linked to a Russian army unit. Loading Although theoretically raised to defend Crimea, Convoy recently began advertising on its Telegram channel for work in Africa. Russia is opening a second front in order to deprive the West of resources. Unprecedented measures have been developed to liberate African countries from colonial dependence, Pikalov told iStories, a Russian outlet, when asked about the advertisements. The era of bare-assed Zulus with a Kalashnikov assault rifle is over. We will give African soldiers new weapons and teach them how to use them, he added. On August 21, two days before Prigozhin died, it said on its Telegram channel that it was recruiting pilot navigators to fly drones in Africa. Portraits of Wagners Yevgeny Prigozhin (right) and Dmitry Utkin at a makeshift memorial on August 24. Credit: Reuters Convoys origins make it difficult to tell whether it is a private enterprise, a GRU front, a rival to Wagner, or an offshoot of it. It may be all at once. The Dossier Centre, an investigative organisation funded by the former oligarch and political prisoner Mikhail Khodorkovsky, earlier this year traced financial donations to Convoy back to VTB bank and Arkady Rotenberg, a close Putin associate. Those payments are channelled through a St Petersburg company called the Cossack Association Convoy, which was set up in 2009 and is part owned by the same Pikalov who now commands the reconnaissance company. Pikalov himself has been linked to several apparent Russian covert operations in Bosnia, Ukraine, and Africa. In 2018 he arrived in the Central African Republic three weeks before Russian journalists investigating Wagners activities there were murdered, Bellingcat established in a 2020 investigation. It is Aksyonovs PMC, but all the commanders are ex-Wagner. Theyve all known each other a long time, a former Convoy member told iStories. Then there are the corporate battalions. Gazprom, Russias state-owned hydrocarbons giant, is known to bankroll at least two battalions called Fakel (torch) and Potok (stream). Independent Russian media reports suggest the battalions recruit existing Gazprom staff and security guards, with the promise of being able to return to their staff jobs after the war. The company also pays a bonus on top of regular army pay. Some reports say Gazproms battalions, which the company does not acknowledge the existence of, have been folded into Redut as part of that companys expansion. The corporate units may have been part of a Kremlin strategy to shift the costs of the war onto businesses and regional governments, and to raise more manpower without formally declaring a general mobilisation. There are even units linked to specific cities and regions. An investigation by Meduza, the Latvia-based Russian news outlet, revealed the existence of an outfit informally known as Sobyanins Regiment after Sergei Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow. London: Toy dolls made from seashells, a map made from turtle shells and other Indigenous heritage items have been handed back to members of a remote northern Australian community as part of renewed efforts among British museums to decolonise their collections. The items were acquired by a British anthropologist more than 70 years ago. One of the highlights of the collection being returned is a group dadikwakwa-kwa in the Anindilyakwa language which have helped unlock a rich cultural history. On Tuesday, they were formally returned by the Manchester Museum to representatives of the Anindilyakwa community, who travelled from Groote Eylandt, the largest island in the Gulf of Carpentaria, about 50 kilometres from the north coast of mainland Australia. Professor Peter Worsley had purchased, traded, and acquired the collection while undertaking fieldwork on the island for his PhD thesis on Aboriginal kinship in the early 1950s. London: A European Union official and poster boy of the diplomatic corp has been imprisoned in Iran for more than 500 days in the latest example of Tehrans hostage diplomacy to extract concessions from the West. For more than a year, Johan Floderus appeared in adverts to entice Swedes to apply for the blocs civil service. His incarceration on spying charges was kept a closely guarded secret by Swedish and EU authorities until now. The 33-year-old Swede, who was employed by the EUs foreign affairs service, was arrested at Tehran airport on April 17, 2022, The New York Times reported. According to the newspaper, the former civil service trainee visited Iran with several Swedish friends on what was described as a private tourist trip. PHILIPSBURG:--- On Monday afternoon, the Marie Genevieve de Weever Primary School (MGDW) held a heartwarming ceremony to honor and celebrate the exceptional contributions of Mrs. Anna Grantham-Halley, who served as the School Manager from 2015 to 2020. The event served as a token of appreciation for her dedicated service to Public Education. A commitment to excellence marked Mrs. Grantham-Halley's tenure at MGDW, tireless dedication to the well-being of students, and a passion for education. Stuart Johnson, the current School Manager of MGDW, led the heartfelt tribute to Mrs. Grantham-Halley during the special gathering. He shared his gratitude for her unwavering support and commitment to the school. Mr. Johnson also praised Mrs. Grantham-Halley for her hands-on approach, which contributed to improved facilities for the school. The event was attended by current and former staff members, family, and friends all of whom had been touched by Mrs. Grantham-Halley's tenure as School Manager. The atmosphere was filled with gratitude and nostalgia as attendees shared fond memories and stories of her time at MGDW. In his closing remarks, Mr. Johnson stated, "Mrs. Anna Grantham-Halley's dedication to the students and the institution has left an indelible mark on our school. We are eternally grateful for her unwavering commitment to education and the betterment of our community. Today, we not only celebrate her accomplishments but also pay tribute to her many educational contributions." The event concluded with a heartfelt presentation of a commemorative plaque to Mrs. Grantham-Halley, symbolizing the enduring appreciation and respect at the MGDW Primary School. Marie Genevieve de Weever Primary School remains committed to pursuing excellence in education. Brexit had such an impact on nursery and hospitality staff its been a spiral of agencies and desperately trying to find people. Covid struck just as we were trying to sort pre-launch memberships. We had booked marketing suites, had big ideas for open days to get members, wed signed the lease, then suddenly it was lockdown. I was sitting on Zooms with council planning committees, unable to walk around and see any progress on the clubs. I didnt know if the world was even going to open up again. And then when we finally did open, Russia went to war and our utility bills quadrupled we just went, are you kidding me? Whats coming next! Meanwhile, 61% of respondents from the UK, US, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and Singapore said they refused to buy a product or service in the past two years because they considered the vendor to be unkind. Toyota is known to be one of the front-runners when it comes to hydrogen vehicles, with its Mirai being one of the first cars powered by the fuel to be available to consumers in 2015. A second-generation Mirai followed in 2020, and three of this cars hydrogen tanks are used to underpin the Hilux, positioned on a sub-frame bolted to the main ladder chassis of the pick-up. We know this has been a deeply unsettling time for everyone concerned and would like to express our gratitude to all Wilko team members for the dedication and support they have continued to give the business in the most trying of circumstances. In the first six months of the year, revenue jumped to 215 million, thanks to hotels and catering revenue jumping by more than 30% to 143.9 million. The Prime Minister himself signed the death warrant for duty free shopping when he was Chancellor back in 2020, and there is little evidence that he has any inclination to reprieve a tax concession that in his eyes, mainly benefits London, and would cost the Exchequer. Whether youre violently anti or hysterically pro-Ulez, you have to admit that it demonstrated admirable qualities in our Mayor, Sadiq Khan. He showed us he can be refreshingly intractable and dogged, that he doesnt mind upsetting people under incredible pressure from half of London, and even his own party leader. He showed us he is a man who is prepared to never stop fighting for a cause he really believes in. In a time of politicians like the get-rich-quick-multiple-identity Grant Shapps and Im not working if I havent got my K Nadine Dorries, a conviction politician doing something unpopular for the good of our great city truly is a beautiful thing. It was unfortunate that schools minister Nick Gibb this morning described the Governments response to a crisis of its own making as world leading. It was unfortunate too that Ms Keegan was on holiday in Spain while more evidence of unsafe concrete used in buildings came to light. But most unfortunate of all is that pupils who should be at school, are not. The picture emerging is that of Department for Education ministers who have been sitting on their posteriors and now theyve started putting their feet in their mouths. Linklater plays fast and loose with the real-life story of Gary Johnson, a Texan investigator who worked as an undercover agent for the police. Posing as a hitman, Johnsons work led to more than sixty arrests. Here, the director transposes the action from Texas to New Orleans, a city that cinematically, at least usually denotes either crime or sex or a hot combination of the two (The Big Easy, Bad Lieutenant, Queen & Slim... the list is long). At first, it looks as though Linklater is only going to give us the former, but when a femme fatale comes into the picture, its clear the latter will quickly be in the mix. Kicking off the first of his four-night residency in north London, Frederick Gibson, who goes by the moniker Fred Again.., took us on an emotional ride; from heartache to euphoria, fulfilment to nostalgia, ultimately ending in a state of frustration. Prior to the gig, Fred Again.. posted a statement on social media, warning that no show at Alexandra Palace would be the same as the last, with plans to change the set each night. With that in mind, this version of events may differ entirely to those that unfold over the next three days. Discussing the album, the band said: Hackney may be at the heart of Hackney Diamonds, but this is a truly global moment we want to share with fans around the world via YouTube. Rents on new tenancies will keep rising until we get them under control. That has to involve building new homes, particularly affordable and social homes, so that people on ordinary incomes can stay in their communities and continue to build their lives in our city. Detective Chief Inspector Laurence Smith, said: I am urging anyone with information to come forward and contact us. This murder happened in broad daylight, and Im certain that it would have been wit-nessed by people who are yet to speak with officers His mother begged to go to him. She had to watch him dying in front of her eyes. She had lost it - she couldnt even speak. But his sister was screaming, it was horrific. When first told it had blundered by prosecuting a company through the single justice procedure, Tower Hamlets claimed other councils had done the same. There was scope to argue that the procedure could be used for corporate defendants and we understand that other authorities had similarly used it for corporate defendants, a spokesman said. Nevertheless, if there was an error it was merely procedural. It also found sleep in particular is impacted, with 56% of those suffering saying sleep had got worse in the last year compared with 37% of people who said they had never suffered joint pain. They wrote: In light of the need to maintain both the safety and confidence of staff, patients and visitors, we recommend that in those organisations where the presence of RAAC has been confirmed and is being managed, boards take steps now to assure themselves that the management plans in place for each incidence and particularly where panels are currently subject to monitoring only are sufficiently robust and being implemented. After that point, the Government only provides lunches to children from households receiving certain benefits. For households on universal credit, they must earn less than 7,400 a year - after tax and not including benefits, and regardless of the number of children in the family - in order for their children to be eligible for the meals. But the expansion has sparked far greater controversy than the first Ulez expansion two years ago, which took it from central London up to the inner boundary of the North and South Circular roads. More than 500 Ulez enforcement cameras have been vandalised or stolen. We are the first water company to provide storm overflow alerts for inland waters and this near real-time data is available to customers as a map on our website. We want to lead the way with this transparent approach to data and we have also published on our website our plans to upgrade over 250 of our sewage treatment works and sites. The boats that were being used a year ago were commercial, reasonable boats. The ones that are being used now we think dont meet EU safety standards .. so this is what we are working with European partners now. We think there is a means for any country in the EU to seize the boats and engines that are most frequently used because they do not meet the marine worthy, seaworthy standards that the Commission would require. And then the decision was taken, an important decision was taken last Thursday to keep children safe with new evidence that emerged about non-critical Raac that we now believe is unsafe, and we took the difficult decision because we want to keep children safe. "What you would normally do in response to that in the prison service would be to close down a couple of wings of the prison, reboot the jail, and then get it back up to working well again, he said on Times Radio. Crime and policing minister Chris Philp said: "We cannot allow young people to think there are no consequences to misusing drugs. There is no question that abusing laughing gas is dangerous to people's health and it is paramount we take decisive action before the situation gets worse." The community are really rallying around, we're immediately getting offered with help to take my children to school. But I'm still finding it upsetting because they're my kids, I don't want someone else to take them to school Parent Sally Walsh We will be working constructively with retailers and other stakeholders to come up with solutions. While we will be asking for views on a ban, we are also keen to explore other interventions that could have a more immediate impact. Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, has defended her decision to take a vacation during the summer while new information about the use of dangerous concrete in school buildings emerged. She has also had to apologise for swearing after a television interview and complaining that everyone else has sat on their arse during the crisis. Rachel, Head Nurse at Battersea, said: We had great fun travelling in style with our dogs to visit some of Londons famous sites and celebrating Batterseas Wear Blue for Rescue. City-goers will be able to catch a ride in a special Wear Blue for Rescue taxi or bus, so whether youre travelling to the Isle of Dogs, Barking or even Catford, you can show your support for rescue. Even after the divorces of three of her four children, the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, when the monarchy faced its gravest crisis since the abdication of King Edward VIII, the saga of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and the controversy surrounding the Duke of York, the late Queen remained a steadfast figure. He said: In November 2022 KRW Law contacted the Irish government and invited them to commit to formally confirming they would lodge an inter-state application before the European Court of Human Rights as soon as the UK legacy Bill receives royal assent and becomes law. He looked at me with a tear in his eye as he recounted this story and said: I will never forgive myself for going along with Dodis plan. He would still be alive but for me. "So we are very unlikely to see temperatures quite that high but probably a 33 is on the cards either tomorrow or maybe also on Thursday, so we are not too far away from the UK record either." They also attacked the universitys initial claim of only one graduate in the past three years, saying: There have in fact been nine graduates of the MRes in History of Africa and the African Diaspora in the past three years, six of whom are now undertaking PhDs at the same institution. The claim is inexcusable since the University undoubtedly has a record of past and current students. At least one fatality has been reported, but organisers said the death of a man in his 40s was not weather-related. The sheriff of nearby Pershing County said he was investigating but has not identified the man or a cause of death. In an audio transmission from the flight deck posted on social media site X by an aviation enthusiast, the pilot said: This is a biohazard issue. Weve had a passenger who has had diarrhoea all the way through the airplane, so they want us to come back to Atlanta. Lawyers and activists say the ruling could potentially force changes by the citys government and institutions, and lead to the creation of a new legal regime to allow smoother inheritance and insurance options as well as tax allowances, among other rights. The official said the US isn't sure exactly where or when the meeting would take place, but the Pacific port city of Vladivostok would be a likely possibility given its relative proximity to North Korea. Elnur Enveroglu Armenia's arbitrariness and traditional method of setting up provocations have left the West in a desperate situation. A handful of separatist lobbyists are making noise in the US Congress and even threatening the leadership of the White House. It is all about the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, and the so-called regime's groundless claims about the "blockade" in Azerbaijan's Garabagh. The separatists, who needlessly keep the Western public and officials busy, in this regard, constantly make their patrons in the West take illogical steps by any means, and do not hesitate to apply certain pressures to the governing structures of the countries. Operating in the United States Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Raffi Hamparian has called upon U.S. Senators to place a hold on all nominations to the State Department, blocking any new confirmations until President Biden takes decisive action to stop the so-called blockade in Azerbaijans own territory. ANCA's illogical and biased statement allegedly calls for the imposition of severe sanctions against Azerbaijan, and it is claimed that the ANCAs call is backed up by a nationwide advocacy campaign, empowering Armenian and allied Americans from all fifty states to send letters urging their Senators to take this principled stand in accord with U.S. interests and American values. The mentioned facts show that the Armenian lobby not only engages in nonsense in the West, but also completely twined round the management system of the West. It also shows that a giant country like America has become a tool in the hands of a group of separatists that do not matter at all in the truest sense of the word. Why does the West turn a blind eye to these lies? Why are facts and realities always overshadowed when seen through the eyes of the West? Azerbaijan has been waiting for a response from the Armenian community for the eighth day along the Aghdam-Khankendi road with trucks full of food. The separatists are trying to portray themselves as being under a blockade by creating a scene and blocking the way of aid sent by Azerbaijan. If we are talking about the Lachin road, then the legal grounds may clarify that the road is under the control of the Azerbaijan State Border Troops. First of all, until the border checkpoint was established on the Lachin road, Armenian armed provocations were constantly presented to the world community with evidence. This was repeatedly discussed between the parties in joint meetings between Armenia and Azerbaijan with mediators, and both the West and Russia voiced a common opinion with Azerbaijan about the logical outcome of the process. The question is asked, why was Armenia not even warned about this when Armenian separatist elements were transporting weapons, ammunition and illegal goods from Armenia to Azerbaijan until the Lachin road was no under control of the State Border Services of the Republic of Azerbaijan? If the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is unequivocally recognized, then the baseless claims of Armenia and the separatist regime should or can be rejected at least. However, today Azerbaijan is watching a completely different scene. So to speak, sheep appear in wolves clothing. This means Armenian hypocrites try to appear worse than they are. Nevertheless, it takes a lot of courage to put pressure on White House leadership, and to mock Congress with their lies. It should be either courage or foolish bravery. However, if the Armenians had courage, they would show it in the integration of the Armenian society living in Garabagh and allow people to meet face to face with Azerbaijani community. It seems that the Armenian lobby has lost its mind so much that it cannot realize who it is playing with. Even so, their groups in Karabakh are of the same mind. If it were the other way around, instead of creating a scene of a bread line with coupons, they would accept the food sent to them normally and not engage the public's mind with meaningless games. As for those in the West, they should not confuse Azerbaijan with others. Although they easily play with the White House and Congress, Azerbaijan is not tolerant of their light games. They must bear in mind that the end of all this game they have fabricated ends with integration by crossing the Aghdam-Khankendi road. The small town of Iinomachi in Fukushima prefecture, sometimes known as UFO Town, is another of Japans tourist highlights. In an effort to gain attention and market itself as a home to aliens, Iinomachi has been decorated with alien-themed ornaments. It also serves as the headquarters for the International UFO Lab, a study organisation run by alien aficionado Takeharu Mikami that was established in 2021. Were discovering the delights of sipping it too, after a lifetime of shooting it in the back of dark clubs in the early hours. Many across the Atlantic would be horrified at the idea of shooting aged tequila in particular. Swallowing a measure whole before biting down on a poor piece of citrus fruit hardly does justice to the labour of love needed to make such agave spirits, some of which have been matured for up to 30 years. Seeing his Richard III with Lars Eidinger was electric. When I heard he was interested in coming to the British stage for the first time, with Ibsens classic An Enemy Of The People, I was delighted to say the least. Emmanuels well-wishes led to many teasing her over the comment as her character in the series had met a grim fate at the hands of Cersei in the show. Such kind words, considering she had your head cut off, wrote one fan. I understand peoples criticism, she said. I understand what people are going to say, but I took it from a standpoint of getting to know the audience of the younger generation and being able to share my platform. Apple has used the Lightning connector in iPhones since the iPhone 5 in 2012. Its reversible nature made it much less of a pain to use than the microUSB other phones had at the time. And it was hugely smaller than the Apple 30-pin connector iPhone and iPod veterans will remember from the early days of Apple. But is this actually a positive move for the average iPhone user? The UK child protection charity says the growing immersive online medium is being taken advantage of by adult abusers to prey on their victims - and is calling for a crackdown by tech giants. The 38-year-old was catapulted to the tech stratosphere after the release of his companys viral AI chatbot ChatGPT last December. Not only will the golden visa allow Altman to stay in the country for up to 10 years, it means he can skip queues at the airport through priority screening and service lanes. He will also be able to easily come and go as he pleases and wont have to bother with paperwork, such as a limited stay permit. School uniform maker Smart polled 8,748 schoolkids across the nation, and 67 percent said they experience a lot of stress in their lives, and 11 percent tremendous stress. Only 4.6 percent said they are not stressed. The words teenagers hated hearing the most are, "What is there in your life right now that can possibly give you stress?" according to a poll. Some 36 percent of those who experience stress said they hate hearing other people ask what kinds of stress they could possibly be under in their adolescent lives. The second least favorite comment cited by 24 percent was, "The stress you're experiencing is nothing compared to what others suffer," followed by "You're not the only one getting stressed out" (22 percent), "You're too young to be stressed " (11 percent), and "You're stressed because your mind is weak" (seven percent). Lee Shin-dong, a professor of education at Soonchunhyang University said, "Rather than saying things that hurt their pride, it is better to console them by telling them what a tough time they must be having." Around half of the respondents said the most stress comes from their studies. Next were friends (15 percent) and family (11 percent). Asked what changes they hope for to reduce stress, around 42 percent said not to be compared with other people all the time. 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"In the course of this morning, one of the patients who was in a very serious condition since the beginning of hospitalization and who had a reserved prognosis, died at the Bucharest Bagdasar Arseni Emergency Clinical Hospital. He was of Nepalese origin and had over 90 pct burns on the body surface," said the source, agerpres reports. This is the fifth person who died as a result of the explosions that took place in Crevedia, the County of Dambovita, northwest of Bucharest, in the evening of August 26. Chinese President Xi Jinping is apparently skipping this week's Group of 20 summit in India as bilateral relations remain icy. Instead, Premier Li Qiang will represent China at the Sept. 9-10 gathering, the Foreign Ministry said Monday in a one-sentence notice on its website. Relations between China and India have grown frosty over their disputed border, and three years ago the tensions resulted in a clash in the Ladakh region that killed 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. It turned into a long-running standoff in the rugged mountainous area, where each side has stationed tens of thousands of military personnel backed by artillery, tanks and fighter jets. Frictions have also risen over trade and India's growing strategic ties with China's main rival, the United States. Both India and China have expelled the other's journalists. India recently overtook China as the world's most populous nation and the two are rivals in technology, space exploration and global trade. Asked why Xi would not be attending the summit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning declined to answer. "The G20 is a major forum for international economic cooperation. China has always attached great importance to and actively participated in relevant activities," Mao told reporters at a daily briefing. "Premier Li Qiang will elaborate on China's views and propositions on G20 cooperation, promote the G20 to strengthen solidarity and cooperation and work together to address global economic and development challenges," she said. She said China is ready to work with all parties "to jointly promote the success of the G20" summit and "make positive contributions to promoting the stable recovery of the world economy and promoting sustainable development." Health Minister Alexandru Rafila said on Tuesday that he will not support mass anti-drug testing of students, but will support testing to detect cases of the use of psychoactive drugs. "Regarding the testing of children in schools, I think there are some essential messages that need to be sent: we will not support mass testing, we will support testing for the purpose of detecting cases of the use of psychoactive drugs; we will only work together with parents. That will be done without discrimination or stigma for children. The safety and harmonious development of children has other components, not only those related to drug use. The physical safety of children is very important, and the involvement of local authorities and colleagues from the Ministry of Internal Affairs is essential," Rafila said in a social media post on the signing of a national school safety action pla, agerpres reports. According to the minister, the safety and health of children and adolescents are essential for the development of communities. "I think that the Ministry of Health together with all the government institutions that signed today at the initiative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs a framework plan for school safety have taken an essential step in this field. We want to have healthy children. They must be correctly informed about a healthy lifestyle, how to avoid drugs, how to avoid alcohol, how to avoid tobacco. That can be done very well in school, and together with the Ministry of Education we will develop education for health programmes. I would be very happy and I think that there is a lot of desire on the part of the church denominations to participate in this programme that we are developing together with the Ministry of Education," added Rafila. Ukrainian pilots can be trained in Romania, at Base 86, by contract, but Romanian pilots have priority for training on F-16 aircraft, the minister of National Defense, Angel Tilvar, said in an interview granted to AGERPRES. "As it emerged from the decisions we made at the political level, in Romania (Ukrainian pilots, ed. n.) they are not excluded, but it will be on a contractual basis," the minister pointed out, adding that at least three states have expressed the desire, until now, to send pilots to this training center, agerpres reports. He also spoke about the security situation at the border. "At this moment there is no form of violation of the national territory, be it land, naval or air. From this point of view, Romanian citizens are in a state of absolute safety," he argued.Regarding the cancellation of the corvette acquisition process, the minister explains that there are no "things imputable to the Ministry of National Defense" and that "Romania has not lacked defense plans that include the Black Sea".Regarding the Battle Group from Cincu, Tilvar states that currently "there is no operational need for raising it to the rank of brigade"."This does not mean that we are not prepared to do it," the minister adds.AGERPRES: Mr. Minister, today, the Ministry of National Defense denied the fact that Russian drones have fallen on Romanian territory, practically denying an information coming from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, as if these drones had fallen on Romanian territory during the attacks on Ukrainian ports, where grain is transported. The first question is: related to the transport of grain by Romanian seafarers, Ukrainian grain, if the Ministry of Defense contributes or is going to contribute to the defense of Romanian seafarers who transport these grains from Ukrainian ports, which are repeatedly attacked?Angel Tilvar: Firstly, I will start by doing what I normally do, which is to condemn what Russia is doing in Ukraine. I do it every time we have such incidents, because these things are imputable to Russia. Ukraine is a sovereign state, which is under an act of aggression from Russia, and it is normal for Romania, which is a democratic state, belonging to the democratic world, to condemn such actions. Secondly: As you said, the Ministry of Defense denied that Russian drones have fallen on national territory and did so knowingly, because - and now I'm answering your question - we are present with all that means warning capabilities and to monitor the situation in the area, which is why the information we provide is accurate and correct from all points of view.AGERPRES: But the defense of Romanian seafarers itself, because the problem has been raised several times, the Romanian seafarers who go to these Ukrainian ports, repeatedly attacked and come to Romania on the Danube, can be ensured by the Ministry of Defense?Angel Tilvar: This is not necessarily about the involvement of the Ministry of Defense, because in Romania's security architecture we also have the Coast Guard, we also have the Border Police. So, there was no question of the Ministry of National Defense having extraterritorial powers in this regard.AGERPRES: But from the moment they come to the Romanian territory, it is already insured...Angel Tilvar: It is Romanian territory and there things happen according to Romanian legislation and it is about Romanian citizens who benefit from the protection of the Romanian state, in the case you mentioned. AGERPRES: To what extent can you reiterate the assurances that the Ministry of Defense has given countless times in situations similar to the attacks on the ports on the Romanian border? To what extent can you reiterate the fact that Romania is not and will not be targeted by Russian attacks from the border, from a few kilometers from the border? Angel Tilvar: Firstly, I am glad that you are bringing this up, because I think it is important that the citizens of Romania know from the voice of the Ministry of National Defense, but also from what I am saying now in the interview that you have the kindness to give me. l take the fact that at this moment there is no form of violation of the national territory, be it land, naval or air. So, from this point of view, Romanian citizens at this moment are in a state of absolute safety, and life in Romania can go on normally, because, after all, this is the goal of the Ministry of Defense - to ensure that life of Romanians proceed normally. AGERPRES: Recently, the American Senate approved the security plan for the Black Sea - the Black Sea Security Act - and defined the Black Sea region as an "arena of Russian aggression", so it is written in the official document. What is Romania's situation, that is, Romanian security at the Black Sea, with its own forces at this moment? And I ask you because there are problems related to the Romanian fleet... Angel Tilvar: I want to tell you that this Black Sea Security Act is a document that we have been waiting for. I will not hide from you the fact that the Romanian delegations or the Romanian politicians who went to Washington, in whatever format it was, including discussions with think-tanks and policy makers in Washington, had as their topic the Black Sea. The Black Sea concerns us because, being a riparian state and being a state that is in the proximity of the conflict in Ukraine, I think it could not be otherwise. Ever since Madrid, when the issue of the new strategic concept was raised, but also when it came to the strategic compass at the European level and here, now, in Vilnius, at the Summit from which we returned not long ago, the Black Sea appears as an important region from the point of view of the NATO agenda and we are glad that it has gained relevance, I think, also due to Romania's diplomatic efforts, Romania's political-military efforts, so that the Alliance is aware of the fact that the Black Sea space is a space where, as you said, Russia continues to harass, provoke, test reactions and so on. Here is one of the reasons why we, at the level of the Ministry of National Defense, consider that the Black Sea is important for the entire Eastern Flank, because I want to repeat what I've said on other occasions: Romania, as a member and as part of an important political-military alliances - perhaps the most important in the history of humanity -, understands to assume the tasks it has within the Alliance, at the same time to signal and generate topics of concern and interest for the entire Alliance. From our perspective, to go back to the second part of your question, at this time, the 11 ships that we have or the naval helicopters or the drones or the capabilities related to the use of our diver teams - because, let's not forget, that more than 70 mines were detected in the Black Sea, five of which were neutralized by our teams - they have the possibility, in conjunction with other capabilities, to monitor and ensure an understanding of what is happening both for us and for the allies whom we are constantly in contact with, to confirm, on the one hand, the relevance of the Black Sea from a security point of view, but at the same time, for the citizens of Romania and of the Alliance, because we are on the Eastern border of the Alliance, of both the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance, to make a security contribution that is more than obvious, I think. AGERPRES: The long process of the corvette acquisition that was cancelled by the Ministry of National Defence has raised this security issue in the Black Sea. I am asking you now, as regards the cancelled corvette process, if there are lessons learned, what will follow after this, will a new procurement process start? Angel Tilvar: I want to tell you that up to the point where these corvettes were due to be delivered, Romania did not lack defence plans that included the Black Sea, so they were part of the defence architecture, having their own role, but Romania had prepared alternatives to complement. As far as lessons learned are concerned..., we definitely would have wanted these capabilities, otherwise we would not have expressed the desire to have them, but I do not think that these are things attributable to the Ministry of National Defence. We were beneficiaries. There was an agreement between an economic entity, a company and another company in Romania. They failed to agree, they failed to meet their own commitments, which is why, after we asked the Naval Forces again to make (a request - ed. n.) to the committee that procedurally exists in such situations, there was nothing left for us to do but to note that they failed to meet their own commitments and to cancel this acquisition. So, I repeat, this is not the fault of the Ministry of National Defence. At the same time, my colleagues in the Naval Forces are evaluating other possibilities to complement what we want operationally from those capabilities. AGERPRES: As for these possibilities... could you talk about them? Angel Tilvar: At this moment it would be premature, not for confidentiality reasons, but simply because I don't have a very clear answer for you and I don't want to launch into the public space things that are rather personal opinions or speculations. I believe that the discussion will take place in a more applied manner when I have an answer that is applied. AGERPRES: And now, coming to the subject of military procurement, how extensive will military procurement projects be in the future? We have 2.5 percent of GDP allocated to Defence, some tenders have already been announced for howitzer systems, for drone systems. What comes next? Angel Tilvar: First of all, I am glad that you note that it is about procurement, there has been extensive procurement. These large acquisitions did not start this year. For six to seven years, Romania has been one of the countries where citizens have understood the need to have these capabilities. And yet, this unprovoked war of aggression by Russia against a sovereign state has found us in the position of having state-of-the-art capabilities. And here I am referring to PATRIOT or HIMARS. It has found us in a position to have the defence needs met, something that is desired by many others. So, after these six years of 2 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, the Romanian Parliament, the citizens of Romania, ultimately - although Romania is a country that has many problems to solve - have understood - and I am grateful to them for this - that money is not necessarily spent on Defence, it is invested in defence and in our peace and security and this 2.5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product allows us to continue our procurement programmes in such a way that. .. Well, this is an ongoing process and in five years time the Ministry of Defence will probably want more capabilities, in 10 years time more capabilities and so on. But our desire to have things that are of a high level from a technical, technological and interoperability point of view, because this is another desire of the Romanian Army and it is also an obligation that stems from our belonging to a military bloc. The fact that we have the F-35 to be delivered... Perhaps as a deadline, when we talk about 2030, it may seem like a distant deadline. But if we think that in this kind of procurement of capabilities these are the deadlines, we will see that Romania will have, before long, these capabilities. If we take a comparative approach to other countries, some of them of means, you will see that we are doing fairly well. Then, the fact that 32 F-16s are due to be delivered to us is important here, and I can't help but mention the F-16 training centre that will be run by Romania and which, at Base 86, will enable Romanian pilots to prepare for the F-16s that are to come, as well as other members of the Alliance or other partners willing to do this in Romania. In time, we would like this centre to become a regional hub, because I believe that Romania has demonstrated its vocation as a security donor in this area. I believe that the Romanian military, wherever they have been, have proven that they come from an army that can provide very well trained soldiers and I would see, at the risk of being perhaps a little less modest, I would see this centre as a recognition of Romania's ability to host and bring such projects. AGERPRES: Precisely because you talked about the F-16 training centre, the Ministry of Defence press releases emphasize that Romanian pilots will be professionalised, but Romania has signed its membership in the international coalition that will also train Ukrainian pilots. Angel Tilvar: Obviously, this will be done on a contractual basis, I stress: Romanian pilots will have priority. So far there are at least three other countries that have expressed a desire to send pilots to this training centre and obviously there are stages, because you probably know, yes, I will do it for those who read us or who follow us: there is a collaborative approach between us, between the Netherlands and between Lockheed Martin. Our partners in the Netherlands will provide the Lockheed Martin aircraft, they will provide the training and the training elements in terms of maintenance and Romania, as the host country, will certify, will contribute with everything related to the infrastructure and it's no small thing and I think the result will be very good. What I would like to point out is that this centre was announced at the Vilnius Summit and this is no small thing, because the Vilnius Summit was not lacking in events and communication elements and things happened quite quickly. Last week, I had the honour to represent the Ministry of National Defence at the meeting in Madrid, where we signed with Lockheed Martin, with my Dutch counterpart for this training centre at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Spain. I think it is a good thing, whose significance and importance will grow as time goes by. AGERPRES: As for the Ukrainian pilots... is there a time frame when they will come for training? Angel Tilvar: As it resulted from the decisions we made at the political level, in Romania they are not excluded, but it will be on a contractual basis, taking into account the training architecture of Ukrainian pilots, which is designed at the European level, in which they can do this training not only in Romania, but Romania is willing and has, will have the necessary capacity. This can also be done. AGERPRES: And the training will start...? Angel Tilvar: It will start once the technical agreements have been concluded and they are a mandatory step for such an approach and I believe that by the end of the year we can discuss this, which, again, in terms of such initiatives means very quickly. AGERPRES: You mentioned that you attended the informal meeting of ministers in Toledo. Angel Tilvar: Indeed. AGERPRES: I read in the press release issued by the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union some of the conclusions of this meeting, and there it was mentioned that so far 25,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been trained in the countries of the European Union and the number of these Ukrainian soldiers who are trained on EU territory is set to increase to 30,000. My question is: will there be Ukrainian servicemen trained on the territory of Romania? Angel Tilvar: If we decide this depending on the operational needs they have, I believe this can be achieved. AGERPRES: But at the moment there is no... Angel Tilvar: At this moment, the things that were done from the point of view of preparation were done within the EUMAM mission (EU Military Assistance Mission, ed. n.), to which you have access with all the details and there you can check all these things. AGERPRES: I have to ask you the question: does Romania's military support for Ukraine exist?... The transit of military equipment on Romanian territory? Angel Tilvar: We made the decision - and this was said by several voices - to do this in a way that would not create any level of concern or any level of alert on the part of Romanian citizens. Military support means many things. Military support also means exchange of information when it comes to, for example, the mines floating in the Black Sea. It also means elements that we also have for warning and - as I told you - we have increased the level of vigilance that we also have in the area of the Danube and the Black Sea. It means things related to collaboration when moving objects that can be suspected as mines in the area... These things are also done at the level of military dialogue and so on. They can also be understood as support. AGERPRES: But transit of weapons on Romanian territory or weapons given by Romania to Ukraine existed, or can you talk about this? Angel Tilvar: I would prefer to be more reserved in giving such details, which are not spectacular, but which still relate to the way we understood to refer to them. AGERPRES: Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the Cincu Multinational Battle Group was formed and grew. On Tuesday, Mr. President will visit the Battle Group and the growth of this Battle Group at the brigade level has been discussed over time. What is the perspective of this fact, that is, is there a calendar? They say "when needed"... Angel Tilvar: The discussion that I also had on a bilateral level with the minister of Defense from France, during the visit I made to France not too long ago, it was obvious that we will have this on the agenda as well, since we've proved the capacity as the host nation, they being the framework nation, we've proved our capacity to be able to satisfy this kind of requirements, which is why what we decided together or what we formulated together was that this can be done in case of need and if needed. At this moment, there is no operational need for promotion to the rank of (brigade, ed. n.). This does not mean that we are not prepared to do it. So, I think it's logical what happens, because it's pointless to oversize something in the absence of a need for oversizing. AGERPRES: Returning to the subject of military acquisitions, what percentage of military acquisitions will be Government-to-Government, what percentage will be auctions? Angel Tilvar: I don't have a percentage and you can see that it is very difficult, because military acquisitions, apart from the important ones, the ones that have high visibility, also involve lower-level, but equally important, acquisitions. I want to tell you and at the risk of repeating myself: I think it is good that this should be done, any purchase over 100 million euros needs the Romanian legislation, the prior approval of the Romanian Parliament. And I am glad that it is so, because in this way we make the needs very transparent and we are sure that the Parliament, which is, in the end, the expression of the will of the Romanian citizens, supports the decisions or the needs that the Ministry of National Defense formulates. So, I couldn't give you a percentage, because I actually don't know the percentage, and a lot of things are in the phase where the need for purchase is being analyzed. From the need for acquisition to the procurement procedure, there are some steps that are very well established within the procedures of the Ministry of National Defense and only when we have formulated the need for acquisition can we discuss the procedure according to the need. If we need a capability that is found in a country. Do not forget that in the case of such acquisitions and in the case of such contracts we are talking about sometimes different legislation from the point of view of acquisitions. This agreement is subject to the sovereignty and legislation of each country. When we know the need, when we have approved the need, at the moment when we open the procedure, we know exactly if the country that can offer us a capability has G-2-G provided for in its legislation, if that is what you are referring to, Government to Government, or if it has the possibility to ... We are also very interested in the offset elements, because through the offset elements there is the possibility to create jobs, to strengthen the national industry, to specialize people for the national industry and these things are not indifferent to them, something that and we already do in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, which has the basis of the matter regarding the armaments industry. AGERPRES: Because you talked about the revitalization of the national armaments industry, what are these prospects, that is, how much do you want to increase the national armaments industry? Angel Tilvar: I think that, to this question, my colleague (minister of Economy, ed. n.) will answer with great openness. I wish, if possible, to buy absolutely anything from Romania, as a beneficiary. The way in which this can be achieved I think depends a lot on how things move there. AGERPRES: What about the infrastructure of the defense industry itself? Angel Tilvar: I think it depends a lot on the type of ability we are talking about. We have demonstrated that we can make vehicles in at least a reasonable manner. We demonstrated that we can do other capabilities. Regarding, let's say, things that require a technological level that is beyond our reach, we must be fair and honest and say that we cannot do it, but I think that many things... Romania is not a country to be rejected from the point of view of capacity and ability to produce. AGERPRES: Because there are discussions related to Romania's future budget, Defense has 2.5 pct of GDP. Do you think, do you assess that maybe the amount from Defense will be reduced, in the context of these discussions and this crisis related to the budget? Angel Tilvar: I want to thank you for the question. I think that if I read carefully the statements that the Romanian prime minister has made during his recent visit to Brussels, I think that 2.5 pct appears in such statements. It's a commitment. It is a commitment that came from the authorized voice of the Government, which is the one that ultimately designs the budget and the arguments that he has brought in support of the idea of continuing to have 2.5 pct I think were convincing. AGERPRES: Let me return to the Black Sea Security Act. Among the countries that are affected, in the act adopted by the American Senate, is the Republic of Moldova. Was it Romania's contribution that the Republic of Moldova was added? Angel Tilvar: I think it would be arrogant on our part to say that it was exclusively Romania's contribution, because, surely, at the level of the decision-makers in Washington, they could not help but see that, in the big picture of the region, Moldova occupies a very clear place. It is no less true that Romania is currently the main advocate of the Republic of Moldova's cause. We ourselves, whenever and in whatever format we are part of, do not stop mentioning the Republic of Moldova and how important it is, on the one hand, for the Republic of Moldova to become a member country of the European Union. On the other hand, the Republic of Moldova is the subject of hybrid type actions, which are intended to destabilize it, divert it from the European path and create a state that will turn Moldova from a path that, in my opinion, is irreversible because it expresses not only the political will at the level of the leadership of the Republic of Moldova, but I think it also expresses the will of the citizens. At the Ministry of Defense, we made it our goal to support the cause of the Republic of Moldova. We collaborate very well, and the visits I made there, which were not few, strengthened my conviction that we are on the right path. That doesn't mean we're going to stop. We will collaborate as much as we can. I know from our experience - and here I speak also as a parliamentarian - that joining the European Union is a difficult process, it is based on merit, it is based on a negotiation of many chapters that will be complicated and we are ready to offer our support. I am referring to political support, because Moldova deserves this support. AGERPRES: And the last question... A ministerial meeting of NATO Defense was announced in Brussels, on October 12 and 13. What are the main messages you're going out there with right now, because things can change? Angel Tilvar: October 12-13, if we look at how quickly it evolves or what changes are from the point of view of the situation in Ukraine, I think it represents a rather distant date. Certainly in agreement with those whom we collaborate very well with, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but also with the situation at that moment, we will go with the messages that express our position. But I can guess already: the things that will be constant in our communication, namely the support for Ukraine, the solidarity that we must have from the point of view of the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance and the fact that, being on the good side of history, we cannot make concessions regarding the values we all believe in. So these things will be constant in our messages. Considered the man of the moment in Italy, General Roberto Vannacci, one of Italy's most renowned military figures, has given an extensive interview to STIRIPESURSE.RO! General Roberto Vannacci, a distinguished military leader in Italy's history, has authored a book that has not only become a bestseller but has also sparked controversy at the European and even NATO levels. Roberto Vannacci's book, released on August 10th, is titled "Il mondo al contrario" translated as "The World Upside Down," and has become the best-selling book of the year in Italy within just two weeks of its release. Married to a Romanian, General Roberto Vannacci granted an interview to STIRIPESURSE.RO in which he discussed the hottest topics. According to information available to the editorial team, Vannacci's book has become a subject of intense discussion among military attaches at the embassies of NATO countries in Romania and among military personnel in the Ministry of National Defense. This is because many are familiar with the Italian general and resonate with what he has published in "The World Upside Down." Vannacci says he cannot be homophobic, racist, or xenophobic, given the soldiers he has led in theaters of operation in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Ivory Coast, Libya, Rwanda, and Somalia. At 54 years old, Army General Roberto Vannacci has had an exemplary career: a paratrooper in special forces, former commander of Task Force 45 during the war in Afghanistan, former commander of the Folgore paratrooper brigade, former commander of Col Moschin (a special unit that carries out strategic incursions in highly dangerous areas), and former commander of the Italian contingent in Iraq. Vannacci is considered a brave "soldier in the service of the state." In 2020, the general was sent as a defense attache to the Italian Embassy in Moscow, with missions in Belarus, Armenia, and Turkmenistan. He left his post in 2022 because he was declared "persona non grata" by Russian authorities following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. His brilliant ascent, adorned with national and international honors, propelled him to the helm of the Military Geographic Institute, the historic cartographic body of Florence (IGM), in June 2023. However, he was dismissed on August 18th, just eight days after the release of his book. Reporter: General, you speak Romanian impeccably. If I may use an expression used by some Romanian journalists, even better than many politicians in Bucharest. How did you achieve this level? General Roberto Vannacci: I lived in Bucharest for 2 years. I am a graduate of the Military Studies Academy in Bucharest. I attended the Academy between 2000 and 2002. Ten years later, I married a Romanian woman I met there, in Bucharest, while I was attending the Academy. That's how I became proficient in Romanian because we speak both Italian and Romanian at home. Reporter: You have been accused by a segment of Italian society, including some of your superiors, of racism, xenophobia, homophobia, etc. This is despite the fact that you have served in various theaters of operation, and, jokingly put, you are a minority in Italy because you are a general. Not all Italians are generals. Moreover, you are married to a woman who belongs to a minority, a Romanian. General Roberto Vannacci: Initially, I was accused of being homophobic, racist, xenophobic, and so on. But now I have managed to demonstrate that these accusations were mere words. In my entire experience, all the individuals I have led in theaters of operation have been men and women of various sexual orientations, and they have never complained about how I behaved. So, everyone who accused me is now silent because all the allegations have been debunked. Initially, they started with a very high tone, but now the tone has decreased, and the truth is being established. I am very pleased because I had the opportunity to explain to the citizens of Italy why I wrote the book, and if people were to read the book, they would realize that there is nothing racist, homophobic, or against human dignity in it. The book aims to highlight the fact that there are many minorities trying to prioritize their needs over the majority in society. This is a paradox. Reporter: Is it a dictatorship of minorities? General Roberto Vannacci: Yes! I have nothing against homosexuals, people from Africa, or other ethnicities, but we must consider the connection with the majority, which represents the civilization they are guests in, such as Italy. Why shouldn't they conform to Italian culture and civilization, and why should we conform to their culture? This is a phenomenon of the last 10 years, and to me, it's just absurd. I wrote the book for this reason. I have not offended anyone. If people who read the book, because initially, I was accused of offending people, including homosexuals, Africans, and others, read it, they would see that it's not true at all. I did not use any vulgar language or insults in the book I wrote. People who have started to read the book have realized this. Now, the book is the best-selling book in Italy since the beginning of the year. Reporter: How do you view the controversy surrounding the book? General Roberto Vannacci: We'll see how it plays out because I've had 7 days of "battle." I have given interviews every day, for 4-5-6 hours each, to journalists from the most important publications and television channels. I believe the truth has been largely restored, around 90%. We'll see how it ends, but I believe it will end well. I have never retracted what I wrote or what I did. I was sure that there was nothing to retract. Reporter: It's said that in tough times, you find out who your friends are. How has it been for you? General Roberto Vannacci: That's exactly what happened. In difficult times, you discover who your friends are and who are not. That's what happened here. I had people I thought were close to me, but they distanced themselves, and I had many others whom I knew were with me, and they remained by my side. This is natural selection; it always happens. So, these tough periods are important for discovering who is truly your friend and who stands by you for opportunities. Reporter: You are, beyond everything, a courageous person, otherwise, you wouldn't be a military man. However, what you have published is quite rare, not only for an exceptional military figure but also for a civilian. General Roberto Vannacci: It's a different kind of courage than the courage on the battlefield. I expected there to be many debates, but I didn't expect such a big scandal. The important thing is to be honest. If you are honest with what you think, if you are sure that you have done something that needed to be done, or you think it needed to be done, it's important to remain honest. That's what I've learned once again from this experience. Reporter: Do you have any regrets? General Roberto Vannacci: I have nothing to regret from my book. Even if more than half of Italy condemned me at the beginning, I wasn't concerned. That's because I was sure that what I wrote in the book and what I expressed was neither an offense nor anything bad. It's just something that people are no longer accustomed to saying. In the end, people understood, and I am very happy about that. Reporter: Who are your detractors, and how much of the population do they represent? General Roberto Vannacci: They are an ultra-minority. We must establish that normality is a statistical matter, just statistical. It's not a matter of better or worse normality. It's simply what the majority of people do, and that's what we must always defend. Reporter: What do you think they aim to achieve? General Roberto Vannacci: What's the strategy? To destroy normality so that nothing is considered normal, and everything is considered normal. Well, we cannot accept that. We must absolutely defend ourselves against these things, define them, and be very determined to defend the normality, which is neither better nor worse. It exists! It exists and has a statistical tone, it's exactly what the majority of people do, and we must not be afraid to say this clearly. I have nothing against minorities; I have nothing against those with a different orientation than mine, but we must reestablish the majority and the minority, it must be clear. I don't want to wake up in a few years and have someone tell me on the street, "I'm offended that you're holding hands with your wife." Reporter: Do you feel that a lot of people who think the same way as you could gather around you, not only in Italy but elsewhere? General Roberto Vannacci: We hope so, we hope so! It has happened in Italy. I have received many emails and calls from people I don't know, telling me that they support me, and I hope it happens everywhere. It's not a movement of courage; it's a movement of normality, a movement that probably needs to happen sooner or later. What I said is banal, I didn't conduct any scientific research, nothing extraordinary. I just said something banal that people no longer dared to say. We need to return to what is banal, normal, and say it. We must fight for what we have considered normal until now. It's very simple, but it needs courage. We hope that this stone thrown into the water will create significant and powerful waves and be something meaningful in other countries as well. I know that articles about the book have been written in almost all countries, regardless of the continent. Every day, I have about 7-8 interviews on television, radio, and websites. Reporter: We come from Christian Europe; do we still live in a Christian Europe? General Roberto Vannacci: We have a clear identity. We cannot and should not abandon our identity; I don't see why we should. Why should we give up our identity? It's the identity we inherited from our ancestors, and I don't see why we should abandon it. It's something I cannot define, and it cannot be accepted. We need to have some courage and establish the right balance. I have nothing against immigrants; I have nothing against different cultures. But when they come to us, they must adapt to our values, just as I adapted to the values of others when I traveled the world. It's normal; those who do not adapt to the culture they are "guests" in are considered invaders. IntMin Predoiu: Lacks of any kind are not an excuse for not doing your duty Minister of Interior Catalin Predoiu on Tuesday told the heads of law enforcement structures within the Ministry that lacks of any kind should not serve as an excuse for the employees to not do their job, told Agerpres. According to a press release of the MAI, Catalin Predoiu called a videoconference meeting with the heads of law enforcement structures within the Ministry, at both the central and territorial level, to establish the priorities for the next period. Participating in the videoconference are representatives of the Romanian Police, Gendarmeries, Border Police, General Inspectorate for Immigration, the General Operational Management Directorate, the General Anti-corruption Directorate, the General Directorate for Internal Protection, the National Anti-drug Agency, the National Agency against Human Trafficking. The Minister thanked the participants for all the efforts made at the national level to ensure a public order and protection climate for the citizens, but drew attention on the need to adopt certain measures to eliminate the causes that led to such "very serious" incidents in which the MAI employees were involves, reads the same source. "I ask for a new attitude at work, in carrying yout missions to the benefit of the citizens. You need to get more involved. So I urge you to regain your status that you deserve in the community. Lacks of any kind are not an excuse for you to not do your job in front of the citizens," said Predoiu, as quoted in the abovementioned press release. The Minister of the Interior gave assurances that the assets of the MAI were mobilized to meet the priorities and build a new attitude towards work and the citizen. "I am aware that there are many things to fix or improve in the MAI structures. We are already taking action in multiple directions. And I want to assure the citizens that we have mobilized the assets of the MAI to meet the priorities and build a new attitude towards work and the citizen. Some things can be done immediately, others require more time. But, with all the legitimacy of the function, I asked for immediate action and an increase in the quality of the professional act in all MAI structures. I will use all the administrative levers and legal powers I have to achieve these objectives," added Predoiu. He asked the heads of all structures to pay maximum attention to comply with the priorities for the next period: preventing and combating drug and human trafficking, strengthening the fight against organized crime, combating tax evasion and smuggling, increasing the degree of safety on public roads. At the same time, he requested involvement in the implementation of the National Framework Action Plan for School Safety, which was signed on Tuesday. Predoiu drew attention to the need to strengthen the professional training of MAI employees, at all levels, with an emphasis on those in the operative area, recently employed or with a few years of experience, the same press release says. During the discussions, the same source shows that the Secretary of State for Public Order and Safety, Bogdan Despescu, requested an increase in the level of mobilization of all operational staff and additional attention to citizen reports, asking for more exigency from the bosses to identify employees with problems behaviour that do not respect the rigors of the police profession. Bogdan Despescu asked the managers of the central and county structures to constantly carry out analyzes on how to fulfill the missions in order to verify the efficiency of the adopted measures and the establishment of new ones, every time when it is necessary, the final objective being to increase the degree of safety of the citizen, it is also shown in the press release. Iohannis: The presence of Luxembourgish troops, a strong signal of support for enhancing Romania's security President of Romania Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday at the military base at Cincu, after a meeting visiting Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel, that the presence of the Luxembourgish troops is a strong signal of Luxembourg's support for enhancing Romania's security. "The presence of the Luxembourgish troops is a strong signal of the solidarity support of this NATO member state for enhancing Romania's security amidst a dramatic deterioration of the security situation in our neighbourhood," said Iohannis. The head of state welcomed the "special quality of the relationships between Romania and Luxembourg," pointing out that their political and diplomatic dialogue has lately been close. Iohannis also said that the in-depth discussions with Bettel reconfirmed the convergent objectives within NATO and the European Union. "Thus, we discussed security developments and strongly condemned Russia's recent escalation of attacks in the Danube Delta and Black Sea. We reconfirmed Romania's multidimensional support for Ukraine, which will continue for as long as it takes. I reiterated Romania's commitment to further contribute to facilitating the transit of Ukrainian grain," said Iohannis. He went on to say that the bilateral dialogue "highlighted the common objective of the two countries in favour of a stronger and more resilient European Union, a union of values in which citizens can trust, which provides stability and is prepared to meet the challenges of the future." At the same time, Iohannis said that the two countries will continue to work together to achieve this goal. "At the same time, we maintain our support for the expansion of the European Union both in the region of the Western Balkans and in the Eastern neighbourhood. Romania will act firmly for a decision at the level of the European Council regarding the opening of negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova." Iohannis added that he thanked Bettel for the strong and constant support expressed by Luxembourg in favour of Romania's accession to the Schengen Area. President Iohannis also thanked him for "Luxembourg's open attitude towards the Romanian community in the Grand Duchy" that is well integrated and contributes to the economic development of the host country and to strengthening the ties between the two countries. LabMin Oprescu meets National Federation of Trade Unions in Finance leaders Minister of Labour and Social Solidarity Simona Bucura Oprescu on Tuesday welcomed a delegation of the National Federation of Trade Unions in Finance to discuss a new public pay law, told Agerpres. "The minister took note of the grievances of the trade union leaders and the specific inequities that have formed over time in the pay system. Mrs Simona Bucura Oprescu expressed her full readiness for dialogue and for an honest partnership for the best solutions for the new law to be adequate, related to the complexity of the work and the constraints that the officials who contribute to the collection of government revenues have." The social dialogue with occupational families on the new public pay law will continue with trade union partners. On August 22, employees of the Tax Administration organised a nationwide warning strike and a protest rally before the Ministry of Finance. Also, on August 11, over 15,000 Finance Ministry employees from all over the country started spontaneous protests, dissatisfied with the measures proposed by the Executive to cut its expenses, as that could affect over 22,000 people from the system. Labour Minister, Kazakh ambassador discuss the mutual recognition of contributions to pensions The 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 contributions of the citizens of both countries are recognized and calculated after the withdrawal from activity. "During the meeting, the steps that both Romania and Kazakhstan must take so that the pension contributions of the citizens of both countries are recognized and calculated after the retirement of Kazakh citizens working in Romania, but also of the Romanians who carry out their activity in the Republic of Kazakhstan. In this respect, the Romanian and Kazakh sides have agreed to conclude a memorandum on pensions and social securities," reads a press release of the MMSS. According to the same source, in the margins of the bilateral discussions, the ambassador appreciated the extremely close cooperation of the Romanian side to protect the rights of employees and safety at work and assured that the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan wants to remain a solid partner in ensuring energy security in the region. For his part, the Minister of Labour and Social Solidarity appreciated the fact that the Republic of Kazakhstan has important investments in Romania being also an important contributor to the budget and especially to the public pension system. Moreover, the Romanian Minister appreciated that the Republic of Kazakhstan is one of Romania's most important partners in Central Asia, the press release states. Luxembourgish Prime Minister Xavier Bettel: We are not partners only on paper, but in reality too Romania and Luxembourg are not "partners only on paper," but also in reality, said, on Tuesday, Luxembourgish Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, during a joint press conference with President Klaus Iohannis, at the military base in Cincu, told Agerpres. He reiterated the support that his country gives to Romania in terms of Schengen accession. He also noted the support that the Romanians gave to the Ukrainians. "Thank you and a big thank you to your people," he said. Bettel showed that there are 26 Luxembourgish soldiers at Cincu right now, part of the Battle Group, which is the largest detachment of soldiers from his country. Another person injured in the explosion at the LPG station in Crevedia will be airlifted to a hospital in Germany, the Ministry of National Defense announced on Tuesday in a press release sent to AGERPRES. The Minister of Defense, Angel Tilvar, approved a new humanitarian mission on Tuesday, at 9:00 a.m., from Air Transport Base 90 in Otopeni, north of Bucharest to transport a patient diagnosed with burns from the Bucharest Bagdasar Arseni Emergency Clinical Hospital to the University Hospital of Lubeck, Germany, agerpres reports. The C-27 J Spartan military aircraft belonging to the Romanian Air Force, configured for medical missions, took off on Tuesday morning on the route Bucharest - Lubeck and back, the source mentioned. The mission is carried out at the request of the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, and the medical team that monitors the patient during the flights is made up of specialists from the Bucharest Floreasca Emergency Clinical Hospital, MApN informs. Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday that reports about drones that may have fallen on Romanian territory are not confirmed. "At this time, this information is not confirmed. I have the information from the minister of Defense. At this moment, this information is not confirmed," Ciolacu said in a statement to the press, agerpres reports. Romania's territory was not hit by Russian drones in the overnight airstrike on a Ukrainian port on the other side of the Danube, Romanian Foreign minister Luminita Odobescu said on Monday in Berlin. "Obviously, there is a risk, because what happened there is very close to our borders," Odobescu told reporters on the sidelines of her visit to Berlin.Ukrainian Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Monday that his country had photographic evidence showing that Russian drones hit Romanian territory during a drone attack on infrastructure in a Ukrainian port on the Danube. French authorities were imposing a newly announced ban Monday on the abaya Muslim dress for women in schools, with over 500 establishments under scrutiny as children across the country returned to class. The government announced last month it was banning the abaya in schools, saying it broke the rules on secularism in education that have already seen Muslim headscarves banned on the grounds they constitute a display of religious affiliation. The move gladdened the political right but the hard-left argued it represented an affront to civil liberties. "Things are going well this morning. There is no incident for the moment, we will continue all day to be vigilant so that the students understand the meaning of this rule," said Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne as she visited a school in northern France. But she added that there were a "certain number" of schools where girls had arrived wearing an abaya. "Some young girls agreed to remove it. For the others, we will have discussions with them, and use educational approaches to explain that there is a law that is being applied," she added. President Iohannis, Luxembourg's PM arrive at Cincu military base President Klaus Iohannis arrived on Tuesday at the military base in Cincu, Brasov county, accompanied by Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel, who is paying a visit at the invitation of the Romanian side, told Agerpres. According to the Presidential Administration, the two high officials will hold political consultations, visit together the troops stationed at the "Getica" National Joint Training Centre in Cincu and address the Luxembourgish military who are part of the NATO Battle Group in Romania. Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Francois Bausch is also participating in the visit. President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Xavier Bettel will have in-depth discussions on strengthening the allied deterrence and defence posture on NATO's Eastern flank, the continuation of multidimensional support to Ukraine, as well as on support for vulnerable partners in the region, with a focus on the Republic of Moldova, seriously affected by the consequences of the war of aggression against Ukraine, the source said. The consultations will also focus on intensifying Romanian-Luxembourgish cooperation in the area of European affairs, including the adoption of the new Strategic Agenda and the EU enlargement process. Discussions will also focus on ways to further develop bilateral relations, including the security and defence component, which has become a key area of cooperation in the current context. At the same time, the two high officials will address the deepening of Romanian-Luxembourgish economic and sectoral relations, with a focus on investment and the development of financial markets and cutting-edge technologies. "The visit of Prime Minister Xavier Bettel reconfirms the intensity of the Romanian-Luxembourg bilateral dialogue and contributes to strengthening the close coordination of the two countries within the European Union and NATO," the Presidential Administration said. President Iohannis: No drone or part of such device has reached Romania There has been no drone or any other part of such device that reached Romania, President Klaus Iohannis said in Cincu on Tuesday, told Agerpres. If the president of the country says that, I believe it, said Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, present at the joint press conference with the Romanian head of state. The Ministry of National Defence (MApN) on Monday "categorically" denied the information in the public space about a "so-called situation that occurred during the night of Sunday to Monday, in which Russian drones fell on the national territory of Romania." MApN underlines that the structures in charge of the Ministry of National Defence "monitored in real time the situation generated by the Russian drone attacks, both last night and on Saturday and Sunday, on the infrastructure near the Ukrainian ports on the Danube." President Iohannis: The Cincu Battle Group is the core of this NATO construction The Cincu Battle group is the core of this NATO construction, President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday at the Getica National Joint Training Centre. "Together with the allies, we will further strengthen the NATO components on Romania's soil, especially this battle group," added Iohannis. He said that Romania will support Ukraine for "as long as it takes." Iohannis welcomed at Cincu Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel and addressed the troops who are part of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Romania. Also in the Luxembourgish retinue was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Francois Bausch. The battle group consists of approximately 1,000 French, Dutch, Belgian and Luxembourgish soldiers. France is its framework nation. "Through the joint effort of our Romanian and Luxembourgian military, together with the other allies, we are increasing NATO's ability to respond to current security threats. Today, Romania is an important centre of NATO's enhanced deterrence and defence posture on the eastern flank and the Black Sea, a region of strategic interest for the security of the Euro-Atlantic space," said the Romanian head of state. He added that "hosting the hub for the training of F-16 pilots, including Ukrainians," is a clear example of Romania's commitment to Ukraine. Iohannis told the troops: "The professionalism, dedication and strength of character that define you make NATO the strongest political and military alliance in history. You know better than anyone that together we are stronger! Through the activity you carry out, together with the Romanian military, I am convinced that you will increase the level of interoperability and, thus, the efficiency of our common action." President Iohannis: We are determined to continue Army endowment programmes President Klaus Iohannis at the military base in Cincu, which he visited on Tuesday with Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel, said that the Romanian Army's endowment is moving to a new level and that its endowment programmes will continue. "We are in the phase where the endowment of our army is moving to a whole new level. Since 2015 we have decided to allocate 2% of the gross domestic product to Defence, of which a large part for endowment, and from this year on we are allocating 2.5% to Defence. This has allowed us to tackle new large-scale, major purchases of state-of-the-art, latest generation weaponry. But, at the same time, let us not forget that these allocations have allowed us to train our military personnel, training that is obviously ongoing, for example, here in Cincu, together with our allies. These facilities that have been purchased and implemented have completely changed the face of the Romanian Army, but we are determined to continue with these endowment programmes," said Klaus Iohannis. The President of Romania had a meeting in Cincu with Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel, who visited Romania at the invitation of the Romanian side. The two high officials held political consultations, visited the troops stationed at the "Getica" National Joint Training Centre in Cincu and addressed the Luxembourgish military who are part of the NATO Battle Group in Romania. The visit also saw the participation of Luxembourgish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Francois Bausch. The absorption of European funds is currently 84 pct and will reach 88 pct at the end of September, minister of Investments and European Projects Adrian Caciu said on Tuesday at hearings in the Committee on European Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies. "Once again, the objective that we have set by order of the minister is that we have a 94 pct absorption rate at the end of the year, but payments to the beneficiaries, and this is very important, because in the end the eligibility is done on the expenses incurred on December 31, to be 110 pct. Why 110 pct? Because we also have projects that have suspicions of fraud, irregularities or may involve other suspicions during the audit of these expenses, both by the Certification Authority and Payment, but also by the Audit Authority of Romania. Then, in order to have this reserve, the payments to the beneficiaries on December 31 must be 110 pct and I'm talking about total programmes, obviously, within the axes," said Caciu, agerpres reports. He added that experts from the relevant ministry are in discussions with those from the European Commission to make it possible to continue the "up-to-date" projects and move some funds from "those axes that are not performing". Adrian Caciu, was heard, on Tuesday, in the Commission for European Affairs regarding the status of milestones in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Romania's ambassador to Cyprus meets Cypriot Justice Minister on extradition of Beny Steinmetz Romanian Ambassador to Cyprus Dan Mihalache on Tuesday met Cyprus's Minister of Justice and Public Order Anna Koukkides Procopiou. "Had a great meeting with my old friend, Anna Koukkides Procopiou, in her capacity of Minister of Justice and Public Order of Cyprus. Discussed topics of mutual interest and ways to strengthen our bilateral cooperation within the framework of the EU," the ambassador said in a social media post. Asked by AGERPRES if the extradition of the Israeli citizen Beny Steinmetz, detained in Cyprus under a European arrest warrant issued in Romania, was on the agenda of the meeting with the Cypriot minister, the Romanian ambassador said yes. "The [Romanian] Ministry of Justice will provide the Cypriot authorities with the documentation regarding the conditions of detention in Romania that meet European standards," Mihalache told AGERPRES. In December 2020, Beny Steinmetz was sentenced to five years in prison in the 'Baneasa Farm' case regarding illegal returning of land, together with another Israeli businessman, Tal Silberstein (five years), Remus Truica (seven years), Paul of Romania (three years and four months), journalist Dan Andronic (three years suspended). Paul of Romania managed to flee the country before the sentence was pronounced, and European arrest warrants were issued on businessmen Tal Silberstein and Beny Steinmetz. On September 3, judicial sources said that after Steinmetz, internationally wanted to serve a five-year prison sentence, was spotted at the Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus, the authorities started the procedure of handing him over to Romania. The Press Office of the General Police Inspectorate of Romania (IGPR) reported that on August 31, following co-operation by the Siren Bureau - Police Cooperation Centre - IGPR, a 67-year-old man, an Israeli citizen, was spotted at Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus. "He was wanted to be handed over under a European arrest warrant issued on January 12, 2021, by the Brasov Court of Appeal," said IGPR. He was sentenced to five years in prison for forming an organised criminal group with the aim of acquiring all the wealth claimed under special returning legislation, through corruption/similar crimes, by offering money/goods to people with influence over public officials, in order to determine them to act according to the group's purpose, the instigation and complicity in the commission by these persons of the crime of abuse of office and influence peddling implicating public officials. "The person in question was arrested, and the extradition procedure to Romania will be carried out," said IGPR. Steinmetz also has a sentence of five years in prison to serve that was issued in January by a Swiss court after he was found guilty of bribing public officials to get mining licenses in Guinea. In the second part of this week, the Banat Village Museum offers a chronological journey through the history of Europe, from Prehistory to the Modern Era, with war drums, swords, axes, cannons and muskets, brave fighters and brilliant nobles, craftsmen and villagers, all being brought back to life by numerous historical reconstruction groups from Romania and abroad. September 6-10, under the guidance of archaeologist Marius Barbu, experimental archeology workshops with prehistoric carved stone will take place. Komakiza, the Dacian blacksmith, opens the ancient blacksmith workshop, Damanais - ARS FABRILIS OFFICINA - a woodworking workshop that uses an ancient lathe, while Hrafnabroethr shows Varangian sailors and fighters from the 10th century, agerpres reports. Also, the Losonczy Istvan Association opens the gates to the soldiers defending the Timisoara Fortress from the Ottoman expansion in the 16th century, and the Eyalet of Timisoara talks about leaders of the Ottoman world that in 1552 marked the beginning of a new era for Timisoara. In the evening, Specimen Teatro of Italy presents "Canti d'amore e tarantelle" - love songs and tarantelles, old traditional music from southern Italy. Historical camps will also be set up, and there will be talk about life in the trading hubs along the Volga, raids on land and water, the slave trade in Kievan Rus' of the 10th century, and from the places where the Siberian taiga meets the steppes of Kazakhstan and the Mongolian plains this project of musical reconstruction that presents the culture of the Altaic peoples arrives through history.There will be no shortage of historical gastronomy, the secrets of making traditional masks and opanaks, of the occupations of infantry mercenaries from the first half of the 15th century, of Italian mercenaries from around the year 1500, of Slovak nobles and soldiers of the 16th-17th centuries and of the Arnauts and other military typologies specific to the Balkan area at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, all in the cheerful atmosphere of historical camps, with shows of sound and light.The festival ends on Sunday afternoon, with the "Battle of the Centuries" - the clash of all the soldiers from the historical camps, followed by the salute of the troops and gun salutes. USR: Gov't has swollen with thousands of employees since PSD, PNL have been at rule The Social Democratic Party (PSD) - National Liberal Party (PNL) government "has swollen" with thousands of employees since the PSD and PNL have been at rule, say representatives of the Save Romania Union (USR) on Tuesday, who are asking Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu to "stop hiring politicians and wasting public money." According to them, "only in July 2023, while PSD Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu promised to reduce public spending, 150 people were hired at the General Secretariat of the Government, compared to June 2023." In July 2023, USR adds, there are 500 more employees at the Ministry of Investment and European Projects and at the Ministry of Finance than a year ago (July 2022), while there are big delays in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) reforms, and the state budget revenues are disastrous even according to the PSD-PNL coalition supporting the Government. Other ministries have also considerably increased their number of employees during this period: 130 more employees at the Ministry of Environment, 50 at the Ministry of Economy and another 50 at the Ministry of Family, because the nerve on public money has no limits, USR representatives say in a press release. "People can't pay enough taxes for this government to hire civil servants whose usefulness is nowhere to be seen. So the Government has decided that everyone has to pay more so that they can hire more of their own cronies, connections and party acquaintances," said USR MEP Cristian Seidler. Daniel Neman Features writer Follow Daniel Neman 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 Some men are born great. Some achieve greatness. And some have greatness thrust upon them. Edward Bernays was born great. And he thrust his greatness upon the rest of the world. Bernays was known as the father of public relations. The theories he conceived and successfully put into practice helped to shape the concept of marketing in America and throughout the world. But thats not where the greatness comes in. Here is the greatness: He invented bacon and eggs for breakfast. In the 1920s, Bernays represented the Beech-Nut Packing Co., which at the time made bacon and other ham- and pork-based products. The company asked him to boost the sales of bacon, and he complied. In a short filmed interview he gave many years later, Bernays explained that he researched the issue and learned that most Americans then ate a light breakfast. So he went to his PR firms staff doctor and explained what he was trying to do. The doctor suggested that a heavy breakfast was sounder from the standpoint of health than a light breakfast, because the body loses energy during the night and needs it during the day, Bernays says in the interview. The doctor agreed to send out a letter to 5,000 other physicians, asking if they agreed with him. Forty-five hundred of them responded, all agreeing that yes, heavy breakfasts are the way to go. Many of those letters suggested that bacon and eggs would be a good part of such a breakfast. Bernays made sure newspapers and magazines learned of these results, and this unscientific survey became national news. Sales of bacon soared. Bernays had other successes over the years, though not as long-lasting as the baconization of America. Working for the government just after the country entered World War I, he pressed the case that the war was worth supporting. He later took on the near-impossible task of making President Calvin Coolidge appear relatable by having him host a pancake breakfast attended by all the biggest celebrities, including Al Jolson. Coolidge won the election. When the American Tobacco Co. was a client, he created campaigns convincing women to smoke by suggesting that they could become thin by smoking instead of eating. His own wife smoked, incidentally. Bernays, who did not, tried to persuade her to quit. When women began smoking, they balked at smoking Lucky Strikes, which were made by the American Tobacco Co. He learned women werent buying Luckies because the red and green packages clashed with their clothes. So he set out to make green a desirable color for fashion by holding a ball, attended by all of society, at which women were encouraged to wear green. At the same time, he told manufacturers and retailers that green was the next big color. A couple of decades later, he promoted the United Fruit Co. (now known as Chiquita) by associating bananas with good health. And when the company could financially benefit by the overthrow of the democratically elected president of Guatemala, he helped lay the groundwork for a successful 1954 coup secretly led by the CIA. OK, thats a little disturbing. And thats not the least of it. In his many books, he made the case that advertisers could control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing about it. He called that concept the engineering of consent. And it was his belief that the public represented chaos and that only skilled propagandists such as himself could bring them to order through the systematic manipulation of their thoughts. Doing so required an understanding of the ways of the subconscious, a subject into which Bernays had particular insight. His mother was Sigmund Freuds sister. His fathers sister was Freuds wife. That made him Freuds nephew on both sides of his family. Bernays theories were later used, not surprisingly, by Joseph Goebbels. In his autobiography, Bernays wrote, This shocked me, but I knew any human activity can be used for social purposes or misused for antisocial ones. Edward Bernays died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1995. He was 103. Striking teachers rallied in front of the National Assembly on Monday to protest against growing harrassment and assault from pupils and their parents. Marking 49 days since the suicide of a teacher from an elementary school in southern Seoul, teachers from all over the country gathered to protest for their right. Three other teachers from different schools also killed themselves over the last five days. United Airlines has resumed flights after holding all aircraft at their departure airports because of a systemwide technology issue, the airline announced Tuesday afternoon. Federal officials said that United crews had been unable to contact airline dispatchers through normal means. United asked the FAA to pause the airlines departures nationwide, the Federal Aviation Administration said on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. The FAA said the issue was limited to United and its subsidiaries. It announced before 2 p.m. Eastern time that the ground stop on United flights had been lifted. Shares of Chicago-based United Airlines Holdings Inc. fell on news of the ground stop and were down more than 2% in afternoon trading. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Tony Messenger Metro columnist Follow Tony Messenger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Something that Haseeb Ahmadi said last week stuck with me. You might have read my column about him. Hes the former Afghan interpreter who came to the U.S. in 2017 on a special immigrant visa because of his support of the American war effort. My colleague Bill McClellan first wrote about Ahmadi and his friendship with Hugh Tychsen, a former Marine who grew up in St. Louis. Six years later, Ahmadi is living his American Dream. Hes moved from south St. Louis City to Belleville. Hes become an American citizen and started his own construction businesses. He and his wife had a second daughter. Hes working to bring more Afghans and their families to St. Louis. But he has a warning for his fellow Afghans and the businesspeople he hopes will hire them. A lot of things are new for us, Ahmadi says. Weve coming from another world. Indeed, so many things are different about the place where he grew up and the place where he now lives, Ahmadi says. Theres the sense of time, for example. In Afghanistan, he told me, if a boss wanted to gather his employees at a given time, there would be some unspecific discussion of an afternoon meeting. Time was amorphous. Folks would go about their day and, God willing he says, theyd eventually end up in the same place. In the U.S., when a boss says to be at work at 9 a.m., he doesnt mean 10. That seems like a simple enough thing, but its a cultural barrier that must be broken through, with understanding on both sides. Many Afghans also had jobs where companies provided lunch, Ahmadi says. They are shocked on their first day here, when they have nothing to eat for lunch. As Ahmadi was speaking, I thought about my son. Hes a freshman in college. Hes entered a different world. As a dad, I tried to do all the things parents think about to prepare him for the culture shock. Theres nobody there to wake you up for school anymore. Laundry doesnt do itself. People come from different parts of the country, and the world. They have all sorts of backgrounds and may react to things differently than youre used to. His success will be defined by how he reacts to these changes, and also in how others react. Young people, I believe, are generally better prepared to adapt to differences among each other and learn from those around them. In college, theres a massive safety net for young men and women as they live on their own for the first time housing, food cards, tutoring, peer support, counselors. If immigrants to St. Louis are going to succeed, they need many of the same things. Theyre coming from another world. Our future success as a region will be determined, to some extent, on how we help our new friends find their own success in this community. Its not just Afghans who find opportunity in St. Louis. Just a couple of years ago, for instance, the St. Louis Mosaic Project reported that the Indian-born population in the St. Louis region now tops 15,000, surpassing the Mexican-born population. Business leaders suggest that for St. Louis to prosper, it needs immigrants from many parts of the world to fill jobs, start new businesses and pick up where generations of Bosnians (and before them, Germans and Irish and Lebanese) have thrived. But for that to really work, well need to heed Ahmadis advice. The opportunity to learn from each other, and adapt to our differences rather than be turned off by them, is a path to prosperity. If you have work, and you have friends, it can work, Ahmadi says of his advice to his fellow Afghans. But it will take some time. Update on Oct. 10, 2023: Ross recieved a suspended sentence and was placed on three years probation in the case. CLAYTON A man who used a pocket knife to repeatedly stab his next-door neighbors border collie in the yard of his Crestwood home was found guilty after a judge rejected his self-defense claim. John C. Ross III, 63, said hed grown increasingly frustrated by his neighbors three dogs who were let loose in the neighborhood. They often scared him and pooped in his yard, he testified in a bench trial last month. Ross, a longtime electrician, claimed he was outside on Sept. 7, 2019, repairing the electrical wiring of his home when two of the dogs attacked him and bit his shorts and hand. He claimed he fell in the grass of his backyard, when the dogs advanced on him barking. He then stabbed the border collie, Teddy, at least seven times. I didnt stop and collect my thoughts, he testified. I was scared throughout the event. But St. Louis County Circuit Judge Kristine Kerr in a Friday ruling sided with the dogs owners, Robin Steele and Bill Parker, who described a different version of events. They testified they watched as Ross chased after Teddy, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, pinned the pet to the ground and stabbed him in anger, not self defense. Teddy was a sweetheart, Steele said Tuesday. This man was never scared. He never called for help. He didnt scream. The story he told on the stand is very different than the memory that replays in my head over and over again. Ross was convicted of felony unlawful use of a weapon and second-degree felony animal abuse. Kerr wrote that the accounts of Ross chasing down the dog himself contradicted his claim of self defense. Further contact with the animal was not imminent but was caused by the defendant himself, she wrote. Parker had been renting the home in the 9700 block of Greenview Drive next to Ross for about a year before the attack. Parker and Steele were married at the time, but were living separated, though they still often spent time together. Neighbors called by Ross defense attorneys confirmed that the dogs were not fenced or kept on a leash, and would roam into yards freely. One neighbor testified that one of Parkers other dogs, a brown German Shepherd mix, bit her while she was walking in the neighborhood a few months before the stabbing. Ross testified that he would have to climb into his work truck or go into the house to avoid the dogs. He said that less than a month before the stabbing, one of the dogs jumped on him and ripped his pants. He said he grabbed his pistol, came back outside to confront Parkers adult son. You need to control your dogs, he told him, according to Ross testimony. Ross declined offers from the dogs owners to repay him for the torn pants or to cut his lawn because of the poop from the dogs. Photos from the day of the stabbing presented as evidence in the trial showed a small scrape on Ross hand, which he claimed was from a dog bite before the stabbing. After he stabbed Teddy, Ross went into his home and got a pistol. Parker testified that Ross then stayed at the property line with his gun, glaring at them as they were caring for their injured dog. He never mentioned being scared for his safety from the dogs, the owners testified. Steele called Crestwood police to report the attack. They soon arrived to find Ross working on a vehicle outside his home. According to Kerrs ruling, Ross at first told an officer he stabbed the dog in the driveway, before later changing his story to the backyard where there was blood in the grass. The officer testified that the defendant was nonchalant as if nothing had happened, Kerr wrote. Steele said Tuesday that she was relieved by the verdict. Its been a long and emotional four years, she said. It was a murderous, evil event. Ive never seen anything like it in my life. The case was prosecuted by St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bells chief of staff Sam Alton and assistant prosecuting attorney John Paul Frisella. My office will treat these cases seriously, because they are serious, Bell said in a written statement Tuesday. That is why I assigned my chief of staff to handle the case along with another experienced prosecutor from our office. Ross is set to be sentenced in October. KANSAS CITY, Mo. A panel of judges heard oral arguments Tuesday over whether to uphold or overturn the convictions of a former Kansas City police detective who in 2019 fatally shot a Black man. Eric DeValkenaere, who is white, was sentenced to six years in prison after he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the killing of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb, who was shot while in his pickup truck at his home. The first Kansas City officer to be convicted in the death of a Black man, DeValkenaere is asking judges at the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, in downtown Kansas City, to overturn his convictions. He remains free on bond while appealing. At Tuesdays hearing, the three-judge panel questioned DeValkenaeres attorneys version of events. The judges questioned that Lamb was armed, as DeValkenaeres lawyers suggested, and whether DeValkenaere and his partner had established probable cause to enter onto Lambs property, where DeValkenaere shot Lamb while he was in his pickup truck. Jonathan Laurans, the defense attorney for DeValkenaere, said there were 11 legal and factual errors in the trial courts findings of fact and conclusions of law. Among them, Laurans said the trial court was wrong in finding that the officers had no legal reason or probable cause to enter onto Lambs property. Laurans said there was videotape that showed Lamb committed several traffic crimes. The most blatant occurred when Lamb sped past another vehicle at a traffic light, turning into cross traffic both ways, he said. That probable cause justifies not only an arrest, but certainly if you can arrest, you can detain, you can stop. Laurans said DeValkenaere was justified to shoot Lamb because he was protecting his partner Troy Schwalm. I ask you to do the right thing and reverse, he told the judges. This man did not commit any crime, this man, Eric DeValkenaere. He deserves this courts reversal. In a rare legal move, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has argued for DeValkenaeres convictions to be thrown out. Bailey, whose office is responsible for arguing on behalf of the state, said while Lambs death was tragic and did not need to happen, DeValkenaere reasonably used deadly force when he shot Lamb. Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, whose office prosecuted DeValkenaere, called Baileys decision not to support the guilty verdict unprecedented and extremely distressing. Her office was granted permission to intervene in the appeal because, with the attorney generals decision, no one would advocate to affirm DeValkenaeres convictions and sentence. Shaun Mackelprang, a lawyer for the attorney generals office, suggested Tuesday that once Lamb backed into his garage, he got out of his truck and retrieved a handgun. It is conceivable that when he drove back to the house and got out of the vehicle and had some interactions and moved around, that he picked up the gun, Mackelprang said. But the judges said that video captured from a police helicopter refuted that claim. Ben Cox, an assistant Jackson County prosecutor, argued that the Circuit Court was correct in its verdict and that DeValkenaere and his partner, Schwalm, had no legal reason to be on Lambs property. There was no evidence to support the defense attorneys claim that Lamb was armed and pointed a handgun at Schwalm at the time of the shooting, Cox said. The appellant was criminally negligent that day and Cameron Lamb died as a result, he said. Ever since that day, the appellants version of the facts, and the legal justification have been changing. But neither the true facts or the applicable law has changed. The appellant unreasonably entered that property, he did so unlawfully... he unreasonably drew his weapon, and he unreasonably escalated a situation that had previously been de-escalated. He shot an unarmed man in his home. DeValkenaere was not present at the hearing, which lasted just over 52 minutes. The appeals court will issue a ruling at a later date. Before the hearing, supporters of Lambs family held a rally outside of the courthouse, where they called for DeValkenaere to pay for his crimes. On the sidewalk outside the courthouse, someone spray painted the words: Arrest DeValkenaere. Judge convicted DeValkenaere On Dec. 3, 2019, Lamb got into an argument with his girlfriend and it became physical, according to testimony at DeValkenaeres 2021 trial. At one point, Lambs girlfriend left their home and he chased her in his truck. During the chase, he got a call from a roommate to return home. Meanwhile, DeValkenaere and another plainclothes detective, Schwalm, had been alerted by a police helicopter about the chase. The two, who were members of the Kansas City Police Departments Violent Offenders Squad, arrived at Lambs home and tried to arrest him as he was backing his pickup truck down a sloped driveway in his garage. Nine seconds after they arrived, DeValkenaere shot and killed Lamb. DeValkenaere later said he opened fire after Lamb pointed a handgun at Schwalm. Police found Lamb inside the truck with his left arm and head hanging out of the drivers side window. A gun was found on the ground near Lambs left hand, police said at the time. DeValkenaere was indicted by a Jackson County grand jury in June 2020. At trial, prosecutors said DeValkenaere did not have the legal authority to be on the property when he killed Lamb. His conduct during the shooting was reckless and violated the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. They alleged the detectives, who were in plainclothes, did not ask for permission to walk onto the property and did not have a warrant Prosecutors also said the crime scene was staged and police planted the gun at the scene. Before he was shot, Lamb had his left hand on the trucks steering wheel and he had limited use of his right hand, prosecutors said. DeValkenaere was found guilty at a bench trial by Jackson County Circuit Court Presiding Judge J. Dale Youngs. The detectives did not have a search warrant or consent to be on the property, he said. In court filings, Baileys office said the evidence did not support the verdict. Baileys office argued DeValkenaere did not act with criminal negligence and that he reasonably shot Lamb to protect his partner. The move was unusual, considering the Missouri attorney generals offices history of defending criminal convictions. The office under then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt, for example, aggressively fought Bakers efforts in 2021 to free an innocent man from prison. Following oral arguments, Bakers office said in a written statement, Today we asked the Court to uphold the rule of law just as we have in countless other cases. We will await respectfully the Courts decision. Since DeValkenaere was convicted, there have been multiple efforts to lobby Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to pardon the former detective. However, Parson has said he would not consider a pardon while the case is under appeal. UPDATED at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday with new details from police ST. LOUIS An argument on one of the parking lots outside the St. Louis Art Museum prompted brief gunfire Monday afternoon, alarming people relaxing on Art Hill. Katie McPhee, 37, of Richmond Heights, was sitting a short distance away on Art Hill with her parents and infant daughter when she heard loud voices arguing, then a single shot. Then a woman came through the hedges separating the lot and the hill with a gun. It was scary, McPhee said. I literally grabbed my 6-month-old and ran down the hill. A swarm of police officers responded shortly after 2:30 p.m., conducted interviews and led one woman away in handcuffs. A park ranger said no one was hurt. Police didn't provide details to reporters on Monday, but on Tuesday released a brief description of the incident. Police said two women had been involved in the quarrel. One of them, a 40-year-old woman, came to Art Hill with her boyfriend. A 33-year-old woman, who is the mother of the boyfriend's children, tracked the boyfriend's location to Art Hill. The women argued and both pulled guns, police said. The younger woman fired one shot at the older woman before the gun malfunctioned, police said. Police said they took both women into custody. Each woman claimed to be acting in self-defense, police said. CLAYTON A former Ritenour High School choir teacher has been acquitted of sexual abuse charges. St. Louis County Judge Ellen Ribaudo found Richard Bell not guilty of felony sexual contact with a student after an Aug. 22 bench trial. Bell, 61, was indicted in June 2022 and accused of inappropriately touching a 15-year-old student in his choir class at Ritenour High School. His accuser, along with another student who allegedly witnessed the sexual contact and two others who testified they were prior victims, took the stand during the bench trial, according to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's office. Bell also testified on his own behalf. Ribaudo wrote in her judgment that she reached her verdict after finding insufficient evidence of physical contact between Bell and the student. JEFFERSON CITY Missouri education leaders expect blowback on proposed state standards for social-emotional learning even as some parents in St. Charles County say schools should focus on academics. I can see people are going to say (were) telling our students how they should think about things, and this is not what this is at all, said Charlie Shields, president of the Missouri Board of Education, at an August board meeting. Its creating a set of norms of what civility looks like. Public comments on the proposed standards are open through Sept. 15 and will be shared at the state boards meeting next month. If the board approves the standards, implementation will follow in the 2024-2025 school year. The social-emotional learning standards are defined through three categories: me, including personal healthy behaviors and self-esteem; we, teamwork, collaboration and cooperation; and others, empathy, compassion and fairness. State board members said the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must be careful with the rollout of the new standards, so they dont become weaponized. Were not advocating that everyone has to change their values to all meet the same values, were advocating for basic human dignity, said Kimberly Bailey, board member from Raymore and a marriage and family therapist, at the meeting. Weve got to capture that in our definitions, or this will die on the vine. The debate over social-emotional learning is already heated in St. Charles County, where a group of conservative parents launched Operation Opt-Out to exclude their children from curriculum and programs that are not directly related to academic instruction and that are designed to affect my childs behavioral, emotional, or attitudinal characteristics. School administrators in Wentzville said they have received an uptick in opt-out forms, but they are not considered valid requests for student accommodations. The district is working on its own comprehensive opt-out process for parents, according to a spokeswoman. The other four school districts in the county, Fort Zumwalt, Francis Howell, Orchard Farm and St. Charles City, all said they have not received any of the opt-out forms. The St. Charles County Parents Association received an overwhelming response from parents in other Missouri counties requesting opt-out forms specific to their childrens school district, according to Kristen Haftarczyk, president of the group. The opt-out forms cite programming from the Utah consulting company Leader in Me, which the Wentzville school board approved earlier this year for use throughout the district. The parents group considers Leader in Me to be a form of psychological testing with discussions that are invasive and personal about mental health/feelings, Haftarczyk said. Other concerns involve the companys proprietary materials that parents cant view but are woven through nearly every subject, including math and science. When the district implements a district-wide initiative involving a non-mandated, non-academic, controversial and experimental program that goes against many families beliefs causing them to create their own opt-out, it then causes children to be excluded from mandated academic instruction, she said. ST. CHARLES COUNTY Birdwatchers, hikers and other nature lovers will have a new place to admire Missouris natural landscape when St. Charles County opens its newest park next year. The 126-acre Spring Bend Park, located south of Highway 364 and west of the Missouri River, is slated to open in the spring. The county plans to invest $5 million into the property, and approved a $632,000 design contract with the St. Louis firm SWT Design. Ryan Graham, the countys parks and recreation director, said Spring Bend Park will allow residents to explore the propertys wooded areas, prairielands and natural landscape through walking and biking trails. It will also have an observation deck to spot deer, turkeys, foxes and birds that nest in nearby trees. You can almost throw a rock in any direction at this property and you are going to hit a subdivision. This is truly going to be an emerald in an otherwise concrete world, Graham said. The trails will connect into the nearby Katy Trail and the Centennial Greenway, which will link Spring Bend Park to Heritage Park along Highway 94. Construction on the trails is expected to begin this winter. Additional construction is slated to begin in the coming years. We really cant wait to get the public out there, Graham said. The property was donated to the county in 2007 by Nancy and William Knowles, but it was held in a trust until their passing. William, who won a Nobel Prize in 2001 for his work in researching drugs to treat Parkinsons disease, died in 2012. Nancy died this spring. William and Nancy had such deep ties to the property, such a deep love for nature, that they wanted to make sure places like this existed well into the future, said Graham. He credited the family for having the foresight to make this park a reality. They could have easily sold this place like their neighbors did, but they didnt. They stuck it out, and now we will have this great park to enjoy, Graham said. Nancys father, Edward Cherbonnier, purchased the property in the 1930s. Spring Bend earned its name from a natural spring on the site and its proximity to the Missouri River. Cherbonnier worked in sales for Ralston-Purina, and his grandchildren say the property was his oasis from the bustle of city life, often taking his children and grandchildren with him. Two granddaughters, Lesley McIntire, 75, and Elizabeth Knowles, 65, fondly remember trips to Spring Bend horseback riding through the woods, Thanksgiving dinners, finding arrowheads in freshly plowed fields, and being quizzed about wildflowers on the property. My grandfather was very much interested in natural history, so much so that he actually had the log cabin out there built in the style of a traditional Missouri log cabin, McIntire said. He was also fascinated with wildflowers, and he would collect specimens of Missouri wildflowers, transplanting them from all over the state along this trail into the woods. It was really an outstanding wildflower collection. Her grandfathers favorite wildflower was the birdfoot violet, while her mother cherished the shooting star and wild irises that grew on the property. McIntire and her sister, Knowles, say they are grateful the county is honoring their parents vision, including preserving the farmhouse that dates to the 1830s. The county has charged SWT Design with generating ideas for how the historic farmhouse and cabin can be reused. The sisters say they plan to be at the planned ribbon-cutting for the new park in 2024. It will be totally joyful, Knowles said. I think thats really the legacy they wanted to leave, that all the beauty and pleasure they got from the land is going to be passed on and enjoyed by future generations. WASHINGTON After months of struggling to find agreement on just about anything in a divided Congress, lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to try to avert a government shutdown, even as House Republicans consider whether to press forward with an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. A short-term funding measure to keep government offices fully functioning will dominate the September agenda, along with emergency funding for Ukraine, federal disaster funds and the Republican-driven probe into Hunter Bidens overseas business dealings. Time is running short for Congress to act. The House is scheduled to meet for just 11 days before the governments fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, leaving little room to maneuver. The deal-making will play out as two top Republicans, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, deal with health issues. The president and congressional leaders, including Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, are focused on passage of a monthslong funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, to keep government offices running while lawmakers iron out a budget. Its a step Congress routinely takes to avoid stoppages, but McCarthy faces resistance from within his own Republican ranks, including from some hard-line conservatives who openly embrace the idea of a government shutdown. Honestly, its a pretty big mess, McConnell said at an event in Kentucky last week. Here are the top issues as lawmakers return from the August break: Keeping the government open When Biden and McCarthy struck a deal to suspend the nations debt ceiling in June, it included provisions for top-line spending numbers. But under pressure from the House Freedom Caucus, House Republicans advanced spending bills that cut below that agreement. Republicans also tried to load their spending packages with conservative policy wins. For example, House Republicans added provisions blocking abortion coverage, transgender care and diversity initiatives to a July defense package, turning what has traditionally been a bipartisan effort into a sharply contested bill. Democrats control the Senate and are certain to reject most of the conservative proposals. Senators are crafting their spending bills on a bipartisan basis with an eye toward avoiding unrelated policy fights. Top lawmakers in both chambers are turning to a stopgap funding package, a typical strategy to give the lawmakers time to iron out a long-term agreement. The House Freedom Caucus already released a list of demands it wants included in the continuing resolution, but they amount to a right-wing wish list that would never fly in the Senate. The conservative opposition means McCarthy will almost certainly have to win significant Democratic support to pass a funding bill but such an approach risks a new round of conflict with the same conservatives who in the past threatened to oust him from the speakership. Democrats are already readying blame for the House GOP. The last thing the American people deserve is for extreme House members to trigger a government shutdown that hurts our economy, undermines our disaster preparedness, and forces our troops to work without guaranteed pay, said White House spokesman Andrew Bates. In a letter to his colleagues Friday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote that the focus will be funding the government and preventing House Republican extremists from forcing a government shutdown. It leaves McCarthy desperate to get the votes to keep government offices running and avoid the political blowback. As he tries to persuade Republicans to go along with a temporary fix, McCarthy has been arguing that a government shutdown would also halt Republican investigations into the Biden administration. If we shut down, all of government shuts it down investigations and everything else it hurts the American public, the speaker said on Fox News last week. Impeachment inquiry Since they gained the House majority, Republicans launched a series of investigations into the Biden administration, with an eye toward impeaching the president or his Cabinet officials. They zeroed in on the presidents son, Hunter Biden, and his overseas business dealings, including with Ukrainian gas company Burisma. The inquiries have not produced evidence that President Biden took official action on behalf of his son or business partners, but McCarthy has called impeachment a natural step forward for the investigations. Moderate Republicans have so far balked at sending the House on a full-fledged impeachment hunt. Ukraine and disaster funding The White House has requested more than $40 billion in emergency funding, including $13 billion in military aid for Ukraine, $8 billion in humanitarian support for the nation and $12 billion to replenish U.S. federal disaster funds at home. The request for the massive cash infusion comes as Kyiv launches a counteroffensive against the Russian invasion. But support for Ukraine is waning among Republicans. Nearly 70 Republicans voted for an unsuccessful effort to discontinue military aid to Ukraine in July, though strong support for the war effort remains among many members. Health concerns McConnell, 81, faces questions about his ability to continue as the top Senate Republican after he froze up twice during news conferences in the last two months since falling and suffering a concussion in March. During the event in Kentucky last week, he fell silent for roughly 30 seconds as he struggled to answer a question from a reporter. Dr. Brian Monahan, the Capitols attending physician, said Thursday that McConnell is cleared to work. But the question of whether McConnell the longest-serving party leader in Senate history can continue as Republican leader has sparked intense speculation about who will eventually replace him. Meanwhile, the health of California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 90, has visibly wavered in recent months after she was hospitalized for shingles this year. She suffered a fall at her San Francisco home in August and visited the hospital for testing. In the House, Rep. Steve Scalise, the No. 2 Republican, disclosed last week that he has been diagnosed with a form of blood cancer known as multiple myeloma and is undergoing treatment. Scalise, 57, said he will continue to serve and described the cancer as very treatable. PINOLA, Miss. A species of tiny fish that once flourished in a river running hundreds of miles from central Mississippi into southeastern Louisiana is being reintroduced to the Pearl River after disappearing 50 years ago. Wildlife experts say a number of factors likely contributed to the disappearance of the pearl darter from the Pearl River system, including oil and gas development, agricultural runoff, urban pollution, and dam construction. All are deemed detrimental to the pearl darters habitat and survival. And even though pollution and other threats to habitat remain today within the Pearl River, more than 400 miles long, officials say the 1972 federal Clean Water Act has helped make it cleaner. Clean enough, in fact, that Mississippi and the federal government wildlife experts say there are signs that the pearl darter may be able to thrive there again. This site has some of the highest species diversity in the entire Pearl River, said Matt Wagner, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist who last month joined workers wading into the Strong River, a headwater tributary of the Pearl. They dipped bowls into buckets full of tiny pearl darters from a private hatchery and eased them into the water. Theres more species here than most other places, and a lot of the species that we find here are what we call sensitive species. They are species that are not very tolerant of things like pollution, high disturbance and things of that nature. The presence of those species bodes well for the return of the pearl darter to the Pearl River, Wagner said. The pearl darter is a bottom-dwelling fish that measures about 2.5 inches long. It is named for the iridescent coloring around its gills, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which listed it as a threatened species in 2017. It had not vanished completely by 1973. It was still found in Mississippis Pascagoula River system. But that accounted for only about 43% of its historic range. Wagner is optimistic about its future in the Pearl River. This is the biggest win of my career as a biologist so far, Wagner said. Its very seldom that you get to restore a species back to its historic range. As a biologist, when you go to school, this is the type of day youre all dreaming about. There will be regular sampling of the waters to see how the species is surviving. The hope is that they will thrive and spread throughout the Pearl system and federal protection will some day no longer be needed. They should, ideally, get delisted from the Endangered Species Act, Wagner said. 25 endangered animals that live only in America 25 endangered animals that only live in America Salt marsh harvest mouse Utah prairie dog Red wolf Kauai cave wolf spider Laysan duck Yosemite toad Gunnison sage-grouse Devils Hole pupfish Fanshell Giant kangaroo rat Delta green ground beetle Jollyville Plateau salamander California condor American burying beetle Squirrel Chimney Cave shrimp Crested honeycreeper (Akohekohe) Red Hills salamander Louisiana pine snake Woundfin Alabama red-bellied turtle Bruneau Hot springsnail Mountain yellow-legged frog Flattened musk turtle Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard Northern Idaho ground squirrel Actors Baek Jin-hee and Yoon Hyun-min have put an end to their seven-year relationship. Yoon's agency said Monday, "Yoon has broken up with Baek. Both of them have been busy with work and their schedules, so they naturally drifted apart." Baek's agency confirmed that the two recently broke up as they grew apart due to busy schedules. "They will remain good friends and colleagues," it added. The two first met through an MBC drama in 2016 and publicly acknowledged their relationship in March of the following year. They openly expressed their affection for each other on various TV programs. Yoon will appear in the movie "Marrying the Mafia: Returns," which is set to be released on Sept. 21, while Baek is currently appearing in the KBS drama "The Real Has Come." To assess what Americas increasingly radicalized movement against abortion rights is plotting next against Americas women, its generally useful to look to Texas. And whats going on in the Lone Star State right now should be chilling not just to those who support reasonable abortion rights but to anyone who understands that unfettered travel within the U.S. is as fundamental a freedom for Americans as speech or religion. As The Washington Post reported last week, that freedom of travel is under attack in several Texas communities that have passed or are considering local ordinances that would outlaw use of local roads to aid women in leaving the state to escape its strict abortion ban to obtain abortion services in neighboring states. To hem them in, in other words. Whats next, roadblocks equipped with pregnancy tests? Anyone who assumes this level of dystopian extremism cant happen here in Missouri hasnt been paying attention. In fact, Missouri lawmakers have already proposed antiabortion enforcement measures that make even Texas latest trend look mild by comparison. More on that in a moment. Ordinances already approved in two Texas cities and in two counties, and under consideration in other jurisdiction, make it illegal for anyone to aid a pregnant woman in leaving the state for abortion services by using local roads and highways. The measure would be enforceable by any private citizen who decided to sue anyone who assists a woman in that way. That unusual enforcement mechanism was pioneered by Texas a few years back as a way to impose laws that, if they were enforced directly by government, would be plainly unconstitutional. Such as restricting individuals interstate travel. Finding creative new ways to get around the Constitution thats where the movement to restrict abortion rights is today. A chief proponent of the Texas ordinances told The Washington Post that one way it could work is, for example, if a husband wants to prevent his wife from leaving the state for an abortion, he could threaten to sue anyone who offered to drive her. Here we stress: That assessment isnt from a critic of these laws. Its from a chief proponent, explaining how they are ideally designed to work. Sit with that a moment. For the almost five decades that Roe v. Wade was in force, its opponents argued that individual states, not a federal court ruling, should determine their own abortion standards. But since the overturn of Roe last year, that stance has given way to one in which lawmakers in some red states are aggressively seeking to extend their own bans on neighboring states in various ways. Missouris abortion ban, in effect since the very day Roe fell, is as strict as any in the nation, outlawing the procedure from the moment of conception in every case, including rape and incest, with a sole, vague exception for medical emergencies. Doctors who violate it can face 15 years in prison. There are no Texas-like travel bans in place here yet but Missouri lawmakers have suggested provisions including censorship of billboards, websites and other sources of information for Missouri women regarding out-of-state abortion services. Other measures filed last year sought to extend Missouris abortion ban to apply to doctors in other states when Missouri women come seeking help. Thats an unconstitutional absurdity but no more so than Missouris abortion-ban statute itself, which explicitly states (in plain violation of the constitutional separation of church and state) that Almighty God is the author of life. Missourians who believe otherwise are apparently free to hit the road. For now, at least. The takeaway from what Texas is doing, and what Missouri may yet do, should be obvious: Having cast off Roe in part with a states-rights argument, the antiabortion movement is now determined to cast aside states rights and impose its will on every region of the country, regardless of whether those regions like it. There is no better argument for a national law codifying the protections that existed under Roe. A Utah woman who gave online parenting advice via a once-popular YouTube channel was charged Friday with six felony counts of aggravated child abuse after two of her six children were found abused and malnourished, authorities said. Ruby Franke, whose now-defunct channel "8 Passengers" chronicled her family life, was arrested Wednesday night in the southern Utah city of Ivins. She was taken into custody at the home of Jodi Hildebrandt, who owns a counseling business that she says teaches people to improve their lives by being honest, responsible and humble. Hildebrandt also was arrested Wednesday and faces the same six abuse charges. Franke appears in YouTube videos with Hildebrandt that were posted online by Hildebrandt's counseling business, ConneXions Classroom. Prosecutors allege Franke and Hildebrandt either caused or allowed someone to torture Franke's 12-year-old son and injure her 10-year-old daughter. Both children were starved and harmed emotionally, prosecutors said. Both women are being held without the possibility of posting bail, court records said. Wednesday morning, Franke's son climbed out of a window of Hildebrandt's residence and ran to a neighbor's house, asking for food and water, according to an affidavit filed by an officer with the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department. The neighbor saw duct tape on the boy's ankles and wrists and called law enforcement, the affidavit said. The boy was taken to a hospital, where he was put on a medical hold "due to his deep lacerations from being tied up with rope and from his malnourishment," arrest records state. Franke's daughter later was found malnourished in Hildebrandt's house and also was taken to the hospital, officers said. Two of Franke's other children were placed in the custody of child protection services, the affidavit said. The Franke family was criticized online for its "8 Passengers" video blog showing parenting decisions that included banning their oldest son from his bedroom for seven months for pranking his younger brother, and also sending him to a wilderness therapy camp for undisclosed reasons. In other videos, Ruby Franke talked about refusing to take lunch to a kindergartener who forgot it at home, and threatening to cut the head off a young girl's stuffed toy to punish her for cutting things in the house. In one video, Franke said she and her husband told their two youngest children that they would not get presents from Santa Claus one year because they had been selfish and weren't responding to punishment like being kept home from school and cleaning the floorboards. "It's because they're so numb, and the more numb your child is, the bigger the outcome they need to wake them up," Franke said in a video. Some critics started an online petition asking child protective services to get involved. The Franke's oldest daughter cut ties with her parents, she said in social media posts. The YouTube channel, which started in 2015, ended after seven years. After her arrest, Franke requested an attorney and did not speak with officers, the affidavit said. A voicemail left at a phone listing for Ruby Franke's husband seeking comment on the arrest was referred to his attorney, Randy S. Kester. Kester said he was representing Kevin Franke's interests in keeping his children together and in his care, and he could not comment on Ruby Franke's arrest. Voicemails left with Hildebrandt's counseling business seeking comment on Thursday and Friday were not returned. While the children were found at Hildebrandt's house, Franke was seen on a YouTube video filmed at Hildebrandt's house and posted two days earlier, indicating Franke was present at the residence and had knowledge of the abuse, malnourishment and neglect, arrest records said. FAIRFAX, Va. Diego Fonseca looked at the computer and took a breath. It was his final attempt at the math placement test for his first year of college. His first three tries put him in pre-calculus, a blow for a student who aced honors physics and computer science in high school. Functions and trigonometry came easily, but the basics gave him trouble. He struggled to understand algebra, a subject he studied only during a year of remote learning in high school. "I didn't have a hands-on, in-person class, and the information wasn't really there," said Fonseca, 19, of Ashburn, Virginia, a computer science major who hoped to get into calculus. "I really struggled when it came to higher-level algebra because I just didn't know anything." Fonseca is among 100 students who opted to spend a week of summer break at George Mason University brushing up on math lessons that didn't stick during pandemic schooling. The northern Virginia school started Math Boot Camp because of alarming numbers of students arriving with gaps in their math skills. Colleges across the country are grappling with the same problem as academic setbacks from the pandemic follow students to campus. At many universities, engineering and biology majors are struggling to grasp fractions and exponents. More students are being placed into pre-college math, starting a semester or more behind for their majors, even if they get credit for the lower-level classes. Colleges largely blame the disruptions of the pandemic, which had an outsize impact on math. Reading scores on the national test known as NAEP plummeted, but math scores fell further, by margins not seen in decades of testing. Other studies find that recovery has been slow. At George Mason, fewer students are getting into calculus the first college-level course for some majors and more are failing. Students who fall behind often disengage, disappearing from class. "This is a huge issue," said Maria Emelianenko, chair of George Mason's math department. "We're talking about college-level pre-calculus and calculus classes, and students cannot even add one-half and one-third." For Jessica Babcock, a Temple University math professor, the magnitude of the problem hit home last year as she graded quizzes in her intermediate algebra class, the lowest option for STEM majors. The quiz, a softball at the start of the fall semester, asked students to subtract eight from negative six. "I graded a whole bunch of papers in a row. No two papers had the same answer, and none of them were correct," she said. "It was a striking moment of, like, wow this is significant and deep." Researchers say math learning suffered for various reasons. An intensely hands-on subject, math was hard to translate to virtual classrooms. When students fell behind in areas like algebra, gaps could go unnoticed for a year or more as they moved to subjects such as geometry or trigonometry. At home, parents are generally more comfortable helping with reading than math. As with other learning setbacks, math issues are most pronounced among Black, Latino, low-income and other vulnerable students, said Katharine Strunk, who led a study on learning delays in Michigan and is now dean of the graduate school of education at the University of Pennsylvania. "Those are the students who were most impacted by the pandemic, and they're the ones who are going to suffer the longer-term consequences," she said. "They're not going to have the same access." Colleges say there's no quick fix. Many are trying to identify gaps sooner, adopting placement tests that delve deeper into math skills. Some are adding summer camps like George Mason's, which helped participants increase placement test scores by 59% on average. In lieu of traditional remedial classes, which some research finds to be ineffective, more schools are offering "corequisite" classes that help students shore up on the basics while also taking higher courses like calculus. Penn State tackled the problem by expanding peer tutoring. Professors report that students who participate scored 20% higher on exams, said Tracy Langkilde, dean of Penn State's College of Science. What's becoming a persistent problem at some colleges has been a blip for others. At Iowa State University, known for its engineering program, students entering in 2020 were far more likely to be placed in lower-level math classes, and grades fell. That group of students had continued trouble, but numbers improved for the following year's class, said Eric Weber, math department chair. At Temple, there's been no rebound. Professors tried small changes: expanded office hours, a new tutoring center, pared-down lessons focused on the essentials. But students didn't come for help, and they kept getting D's and F's. This year, Babcock is redesigning the algebra course. Instead of a traditional lecture, it'll focus on active learning, an approach that demands more participation and expands students' role in the learning process. Class will be more of a group discussion, with lots of problems worked in-class. "We really want students to feel like they're part of their learning," Babcock said. "We can't change their preparation coming in, but we can work to meet their needs in the best way possible." WAR IN UKRAINE KYIV, Ukraine Russia said Saturday its forces destroyed three Ukrainian naval drones being used in an attempt to attack a key bridge linking Russia to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula, forcing its temporary closure for a third time in less than a year. One naval drone was destroyed late Friday and two others early Saturday morning, according to Russia's Defense Ministry. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials. The Kerch bridge, which is a key supply route for Kremlin forces in Russia's war with Ukraine, has come under repeated attack since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The bridge connecting Crimea and Russia carries heavy significance for Moscow as a key artery for military and civilian supplies and as an assertion of Kremlin control of the peninsula it illegally annexed in 2014. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that his nation's forces were "on the move" after Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar announced Friday that Kyiv's troops were advancing in the Zaporizhzhia region. U.K. military officials said Russia risks splitting its forces in an attempt to prevent a Ukrainian breakthrough in the south. On Saturday afternoon, one civilian was killed and two wounded during shelling of Russia's Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Two Ukrainian drones attacked the region's Valuysky district, causing minor damage to a private home and car, while another drone was intercepted by Russian air defense in the Grayvoronsky district. A woman was also wounded Saturday during shelling of a village in the neighboring Kursk region, also bordering Ukraine, regional Gov. Roman Starovoit said. He blamed Ukraine for the shelling. Ukrainian authorities, who generally avoid commenting on attacks on Russian soil, didn't say whether they launched the attacks. Meanwhile, four people were wounded in the Ukrainian shelling of the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, Moscow-installed Mayor Aleksei Kulemzin said Saturday. Donetsk is the regional capital of the eastern Ukrainian province of the same name, which was among the four Ukrainian provinces illegally annexed by Russia in September. The city came under the control of Russia-backed separatists in 2014. The Ukrainian military said Saturday that over the prior 24 hours, Russia had launched four missile strikes and 39 airstrikes, in addition to 42 attacks from multiple rocket launchers. One person was killed and two were wounded during shelling of Ukraine's southern Kherson region on Saturday, according to Gov. Oleh Prokudin. Farther north, a police investigator was killed and two other people were wounded when shells hit Seredyna-Buda in the Sumy region. Four people were wounded during artillery shelling and drone attacks in the Nikopol district of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Gov. Serhii Lysak said. VALLEY PARK In the early hours of Jan. 17, 1894, a mob lynched a 24-year-old Black man named John Buckner, hours after he'd been accused of raping a Black woman and attempting to rape a white woman. Buckner was hanged from a bridge that spanned a stretch of the Meramec River just south of the historic town of Valley Park. Now, a coalition of historians and activists wants to erect a plaque memorializing the location now along a popular recreational trail as part of an ongoing effort to highlight the wave of lynchings that once roiled the nation. But there's one problem: the City of Valley Park so far won't let them. The city insists the lynching didn't happen in Valley Park, but south of the current municipal border on the Meramec River, in unincorporated St. Louis County. When the coalition asked to meet city officials to discuss evidence behind putting the marker in Valley Park, the city declined. Parks Director Gil DeNormandie on Monday directed the group to send any further requests to the city's attorney. "This has nothing to do with opposing the historical marker or the goal behind it. What is has to do with is accuracy," Tim Engelmeyer, the city attorney, told the Post-Dispatch in a recent interview. "The reason why it was denied was they're wanting to put a marker in a spot where it didn't even occur." To members of Reparative Justice Coalition of St. Louis, historical documents clearly tie the lynching to Valley Park by name. And the city's refusal to meet undermines what they say is an effort to educate people about extrajudicial killings of Black men and promote dialogue about racial inequities in American society. "We think that this commemorative work is part of a reparative process that helps our community heal from this historical trauma and create a new legacy out of that process of reflection and healing," said Geoff Ward, professor of African and African American Studies at Washington University and a member of the Reparative Justice Coalition. The discussion over placing the Buckner marker in Valley Park is the latest incident in a broader debate in the region and across the country over how to reckon with legacies of slavery and antiBlack racism. About 86% of Valley Park's 6,800 residents are white, and about 8.5% are Black, according to census estimates for 2022. The Buckner memorial would be donated to the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit criminal justice reform group based in Montgomery, Alabama. that operates the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, focused on lynchings across the country. The Equal Justice Initiative is also partnering with local groups to place historical markers that "address the legacy of slavery, lynching, and racial segregation" across the country. The city of St. Louis agreed to the Reparative Justice Coalition's request to install a marker recognizing the lynching of Francis L. McIntosh, who was tied to a tree and burned to death on April 28, 1836, in an area that is now Kiener Plaza downtown. McIntosh, a free Black man and steamboat cook, had been arrested for allegedly stabbing a sheriff's deputy to death during a scuffle on the levee before the mob took him. Elsewhere in Missouri, Boone County officials next month will unveil a marker outside the county courthouse in Columbia that recognizes the 1889 lynching of George Bush, a Black teenager accused of assaulting a white girl. David Cunningham, chair of the sociology department at Washington University and a member of the Reparative Justice Coalition, held up the Valley Park example during an Aug. 26 meeting of the St. Louis Reparations Commission, a new panel studying how to best make up for generations of slavery and racial segregation in the city. The responses by the cities of St. Louis and Valley Park, Cunningham said, showed the difference between "a violent history that can be addressed, identified, given voice and repaired and a violent history where silence is maintained through the efforts of elites, of people who are in the leadership of these communities that refuse to allow voice to be given to these kinds of histories." 'A lynching in St. Louis County' Buckner was one of at least 68 documented Black victims of racist lynchings in Missouri between 1863 and 1950, according to the Equal Justice Initiative. Born in 1870 to one of the earliest free Black families settling in St. Louis County, Buckner lived with his parents and siblings along Hawkins Road, roughly 3 miles south of Valley Park's modern-day border on the Meramec, in what was then largely farmland, according to the coalition. By Jan. 18, 1894, the day after he died, newspapers had reported on the killing as a form of vigilante justice by the community around Valley Park, then a river and railroad outpost in a rural part of unincorporated St. Louis County. Valley Park was incorporated as a city in 1917. The reports recounted how a mob kidnapped Buckner from a holding cell in Manchester, an older town a few miles north, and then traveled back south through Valley Park to the Meramec, where they hanged him from a bridge. A county grand jury later concluded there was no wrongdoing. No one was ever charged. In 1889, at age 19, Buckner was convicted of assault with attempt to rape a Black school teacher, and served three years in prison, according to newspaper reports. Five years later, on Jan. 16, 1984, Allie Harrison, the daughter of a white farmer for whom Buckner had worked, accused Buckner of attempting earlier that day to rape her until she fought him off. Her father, William Harrison, rode north to Manchester to seek a warrant for Buckner's arrest before returning to Valley Park to assist people searching the woods for Buckner. As the allegations spread, an older Black woman who lived near Buckner's family home, Delia Mungo, also identified Buckner as the man who had raped her earlier that day. The local constable went to Buckner's family's home and arrested him to take him to a judge in Manchester. As they passed through Valley Park, they were harassed by an angry crowd that eventually dispersed at the constable's pleading. In Manchester, a judge ordered Buckner taken to the county jail in Clayton, but because it was already night, it was decided Buckner would be held in a cellar until daybreak. Meanwhile, "a quiet movement to lynch Buckner was being put through at Valley Park," the Post-Dispatch reported. And in the overnight hours, a crowd of 20 to 30 people, armed, broke into the building, held guards at gunpoint and kidnapped Buckner. The mob included Black participants, newspapers reported; Mungo told a reporter her husband was among them. Buckner "was quickly hustled into a wagon which was in waiting at the door and the mob drove off toward Valley Park in high glee," the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported. The group "moved back to Valley Park, where they arrived at 4:30 (a.m.)," the Post-Dispatch said. Then they moved onto the bridge, where Buckner was hanged. At daylight, crowds gathered to see Buckner's body, the paper wrote, "... train crews passing Valley Park saw the corpse swinging with the wind and knew that swift retribution had been dealt out for the most fiendish double criminal assault in the history of St. Louis County." A week later, a grand jury concluded there was no need to investigate. "We have examined a large number of witnesses on the unfortunate lynching of the man Buckner, which lately occurred at Valley Park, and we have not been able to find any evidence sufficient to justify an indictment in the premises," the grand jury said, the Globe-Democrat reported. 'To help bring awareness' Today, the Reparative Justice Coalition wants to set Equal Justice Initiative's marker in what they say is the most historically accurate and the most accessible site: at Arnold's Grove Trailhead to the Meramec Greenway within sight of where Highway 141 crosses the river. The current bridge, they said, replaced the historic wagon bridge where Buckner was killed. Valley Park officials told the group to contact the county to instead put the marker in Buder Park. But Buder Park is less historically accurate and doesn't get as much traffic, Ward said. The nearest corner of the park within sight of the bridge is occupied by an archery range. The Great Rivers Greenway, a nonprofit that built the Meramec Greenway and other trails connecting regional parks, supports putting the Buckner marker there. The nonprofit is also helping place the McIntosh plaque in Kiener Plaza later this year, which will be part of a planned extension of the Brickline Greenway. The greenways are meant to provide outdoor spaces for recreation and improve habitat for wildlife and plants, but they're also meant to "connect people with the stories of places along the greenway," said community program manager Elizabeth Simons. When Great Rivers Greenway approached Valley Park in May for a permit to install the Buckner plaque, the city declined. "According to historical records, this unfortunate crime took place on the south side of the Meramec River," DeNormandie said in an email. He also referred to a ceremony the Reparative Justice Coalition had held in 2022, in Buder Park, recognizing Buckner's killing. "You may or may not know, but the vigil was held on the south side of the Meramec River in an area near the train bridge in Buder Park," DeNormandie said. "The City feels as though any marker needs to be placed on the south side of the river. We are not opposed to commemorating significant historical events, but we are concerned that any marker placed north of the river would be historically inaccurate or misleading." In July, the Great Rivers Greenway asked Valley Park to meet with members of the Reparative Justice Coalition to discuss their reasoning behind putting Buckner's marker in Valley Park instead, and sent the city newspaper reports of the event. "Some of the historians who organized the January 2022 John Buckner soil collection event provided additional information such as the attached news articles covering the event and related maps which point to the lynching occurring in Valley Park," Simons wrote in the email. "If you would be willing to meet with us to discuss, we'd appreciate that." Last week, DeNormandie declined. The city stood by its May statement, he said, and the newspaper reports indicated the lynching was "perpetrated in St. Louis County," and that "County" authorities would not investigate Buckner's killing. A Post-Dispatch artist's drawing of Buckner's killing, the city argued, showed the "south side of the Meramec River." He referred the group to Engelmeyer, the city's attorney. "The city is standing by its below statement and will not allow the marker to be installed on the trail," DeNormandie wrote in an email Aug. 28. The Reparative Justice Coalition has said the 2022 Buckner ceremony was only held in Buder Park because St. Louis County officials were supportive. Valley Park officials never responded to requests to take part, the Reparative Justice Coalition said. The ceremony instead was attended by County Executive Sam Page, Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, a representative of the Office of Racial Harmony for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and members of the Peace and Justice Ministry from Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Valley Park. Ministry chair Jeff Schulenberg said the ceremony was an opportunity to "help drive an interest in current issues of oppression, current struggles of members of our society that sometimes get overlooked." "As a Catholic parish involved in efforts along the lines of peace and justice we wanted to help bring awareness to our city's past in Valley Park," he said. The ministry since hasn't been involved in any discussions about the historical marker. Told of the city's response, Schulenberg said it was "unfortunate." "I find it a bit disingenuous to talk about the placement being in error when he was dragged off a site of Manchester Road and dragged through Valley Park to the south side of the river," he said. Engelmeyer, in an interview, said the city reviewed newspaper reports the Reparative Justice Coalition provided in making their decision. "I'm not sure that the commission or anything that our parks director has seen indicates it happened on the north side," he said. "I don't think other communities would allow them to put a lynching marker in their city designating an area where an extremely ugly event occurred, when it didn't really occur there." But Engelmeyer also said the city would consider a marker that recognized, without being specific about the location, that Buckner was lynched in the area. "If you're saying, well could we do some sort of designated area where this man may have been murdered, of course we would consider that," Engelmeyer told a reporter. That was never relayed to the Reparative Justice Coalition, Ward said. The group's request to the city didn't make any specific requests about what exactly the marker would say. The marker, which would be fabricated by Equal Justice Initiative, hasn't been designed yet. But Ward said the group hoped the city would meet to discuss it. "Setting aside these somewhat arbitrary municipal boundaries," Ward said, "this is an issue that is relevant to greater St. Louis, to our region, to our nation." Nassim Benchaabane 314-340-8167 nbenchaabane@post-dispatch.com Russian efforts to conquer Ukraine have not gone according to plan but in the Black Sea, Russian efforts to disrupt Ukrainian agricultural, mainly grain, and exports have had more success. Before Russia invaded in 2022, Ukraine grain and other agricultural exports represented ten percent of such exports worldwide. Most of these agricultural exports left by ship from Ukrainian Black Sea ports before the 2022 Russian invasion, with most being stopped by a Russian blockade. Russia offers to allow renewal of Ukrainian grain exports to get economic sanctions on Russia lifted. Before 2022 Ukraine exported about 33 million tons of grain and other agricultural products a year. Since the war began, that has declined to 13.5 tons a year. Russia normally exports three times more grain and other agricultural goods than Ukraine. There are no trade sanctions on Russian food exports and the more Ukrainian food exports Russia can block, the more Russia receives for its grain. In the last year Russia has shipped 60 million tons of food and is getting above average prices for it. Unlike Ukraine, which only ships grain from Black Sea ports, Russia has other options. Russia has lost a lot of support from African and Middle Eastern countries that depend on Ukraine and Russian grain exports. Russia assures these nations that it will supply the grain, but does not mention that prices will be higher because of the Russian disruption of food Ukrainian exports. Many of the nations Russia exports food to are relatively poor countries and the higher prices are a burden. The United States is one of the five major wheat exporters. The top five are Russia, Australia, America, Canada, and Ukraine. Together these nations export over 115 million tons of wheat a year worth nearly $32 billion. Food importing nations have noted that the Western economic sanctions on Russian exports have deliberately excluded food. Russian efforts to block Ukrainian grain exports increase the price of exported grain and Russian benefits while nations purchasing this grain dont. Norsk Partners with EZDRM for Secure Live Streaming Solutions Norsk and EZDRM will demonstrate how to make secure live streaming easy at IBC in Amsterdam. Boise, Idaho( ) Norsk, the low-code live streaming SDK from id3as, has announced a partnership with EZDRM, the original DRM-as-a-Service (DRMaaS) provider, to provide easy-to-integrate, robust security for live video streaming services. See for yourself how it works in a demo at IBC 2023 at 11:30 a.m. CET at EZDRMs stand (5.A67), Make Live DRM Easy with Norsk and EZDRM (sign up here to secure your spot). Norsk enables developers to easily create amazing, dynamic live video workflows and deploy them at any scale, all in just a few lines of codefreeing them from the limitations of off-the-shelf solutions and the cost and resource demands of trying to build custom workflows from scratch. The partnership means that Norsk customers can take advantage of EZDRMs simple and robust content security options across a wide range of consumer devices, including support for Universal Complete, PlayReady, WideVine, FairPlay, WisePlay, and ClearKey. Since Norsks mission is to Make Live Easy for media publishers and system integrators alike, its only fitting that we would partner with EZDRM, which has established a track record of simplifying digital rights management, says Adrian Roe, CEO of id3as, the company behind Norsk. Security is a crucial concern for our customers, whether theyre monetizing their content or just need to make sure only the right people in the right places are watching their streams. We are always pleased to collaborate with those in the industry who share our enthusiasm for simple, robust solutions to act as the foundation of an innovative streaming business, commented Olga Kornienko, COO and Co-Founder of EZDRM. The approach that Norsk offers is truly innovative, and offers a seamless integration with our DRMaaS solutions to provide scalable content protection for a growing live streaming marketplace. Can't make the demo? Set up a meeting with Norsk during IBC, and visit EZDRM on stand 5.A67 Interview with Jonas Engwall, Chief Executive Officer of Bedrock With more than 20 years experience in the media and technology industry, and a professional career spanning almost a dozen countries, Jonas brings extensive expertise and a proven track record for leading business growth and international expansion. He joined RTL Group in 2007 in various strategy and business development positions. From 2013, he led the launch of RTL Group channels in India, and was appointed Chief Executive Officer of RTL CBS Asia, which was launched across 19 territories. In 2017, he served for two years as Head of iflix Asia rolled out in 13 countries. Prior to joining Bedrock, he had rejoined RTL Group in 2019 as Senior Vice President Global Operations Management VOD. Jonas holds a Master in Economics and a Bachelor in Computer Science from the University of Uppsala, Sweden. Bedrock Shapes the Future of Streaming Services With a State-of-the-Art Platform Can you introduce Bedrock and explain its mission within the streaming industry? Bedrock is a leading streaming technology firm that empowers clients to provide seamless, personalized, and engaging streaming experiences. Our mission is to deliver state-of-the-art streaming tools and platforms that enable clients to thrive in the highly competitive streaming industry. Bedrock serves as the backbone of streaming services for major media players and broadcasters, offering robust solutions for video-on-demand (VoD), linear TV, live channels, and live sports. How does Bedrock ensure its clients a competitive edge against global giants like Netflix and Disney? Bedrock employs several strategies to give our clients a competitive edge. First, we prioritize innovation and stay ahead of technological advancements. Our dedicated research and development team monitors industry trends and emerging technologies, allowing us to anticipate market needs and develop innovative solutions. Second, our platform allows clients to tailor their offerings to specific target audiences and adapt to regional preferences. Additionally, we emphasize mutualization of developments and expenses, sharing technology and expertise across our client base to offer cost-effective solutions with the same quality as global giants. What factors have contributed to Bedrocks recent growth, and how do you plan to sustain it? Bedrocks growth can be attributed to exceptional streaming technology and personalized solutions. Our commitment to delivering robust and reliable platforms has earned the trust of major media players, leading to increased partnerships and a growing client base. Continuous innovation is another driver of our growth. By investing heavily in tech development, we introduce new features, improve user experiences, and adopt cutting-edge technologies to meet evolving client needs. To sustain growth, we will continue investing in technology and talent, staying at the cutting edge, nurturing partnerships, and exploring expansion opportunities in new markets. How does Bedrock ensure a seamless and engaging user experience across different devices and screens? User experience is a top priority for Bedrock. We invest in robust and scalable infrastructure to handle high-quality streaming across various platforms. Our advanced recommendation algorithms and personalization techniques analyze user preferences and contextual information to deliver personalized content recommendations, regardless of the device used. We collaborate closely with clients to understand their target audience and customize the platforms look and feel to match their brand identity, ensuring a consistent and immersive user experience. What factors do you consider when selecting potential clients, and how do you create a win-win situation? When selecting potential clients, we look for market leaders committed to high-quality content and user experiences. We consider the strategic fit between Bedrock and the client, evaluating how our technology aligns with their goals. By understanding their specific needs, we deliver solutions to meet their requirements and contribute to their success. In creating a win-win situation, we provide clients with state-of-the-art streaming platforms while benefiting from their market leadership and collaboration. By aligning our goals, we can drive growth, innovation, and differentiation in the streaming market. How does Bedrock support platforms transitioning from a subscription-led model to advertising-driven? Bedrock supports platforms transitioning from a subscription-led model to advertising-driven by leveraging our 15+ years of experience in streaming tech and advertising strategy. We offer comprehensive solutions in collaboration with our partners, such as Yospace and Smartclip, that help broadcasters and media companies experiment with monetization formats, manage the complexity of ad tech, and optimize ad delivery. Thanks to our differentiated backend and frontend capabilities, we can ensure a seamless and robust advertising experience. By partnering with Bedrock, clients can focus on their core business while accessing the best ad tech solutions to accelerate their transition to an advertising-driven model. How does Bedrock prioritize innovation and stay at the forefront of streaming technology advancements? Innovation is deeply ingrained in Bedrocks culture. We have dedicated research and development teams that monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and consumer behaviors. By staying updated on the latest developments, we anticipate market needs and develop innovative solutions. Collaborations with industry leaders provide valuable insights and perspectives. We invest in our teams expertise and create opportunities for continuous learning, ensuring our team remains knowledgeable and skilled in the latest streaming technologies. What are Bedrocks plans for expansion and any upcoming initiatives? Bedrock aims to nurture existing partnerships and forge new collaborations with media players and broadcasters across Europe and beyond. We are excited about exploring opportunities in regions where streaming services are evolving. We will continue investing in technology and talent, leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics to enhance personalization, recommendation capabilities, and data-driven decision-making. By shaping the future of streaming services, we aim to lead in this dynamic industry and provide exceptional value to clients and their audiences. BEDROCK BEDROCKSTREAMING.COM 46 RUE JACQUES DULUD, NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE, DEPARTEMENT DES HAUTS-DE-SEINE, REGION ILE-DE-FRANCE 92200 FRANCE This article is Sponsored Content Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Related Articles Russia has officially proposed joint maritime drills with North Korea and China to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the National Intelligence Service said Monday. The NIS told the National Assembly Intelligence Committee that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made the proposal when he visited North Korea in July. Shoigu was in Pyongyang from July 25-27 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice and attend a defense expo. Kim and Shoigu agreed on military cooperation since Russia wants artillery shells and other weapons from the North for its war in Ukraine and North Korea wants technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Amarc Resources Ltd. ("Amarc" or the "Company") (TSXV:AHR)(OTCQB: AXREF) announces that it and well-known British Columbia minerals prospector Richard J (Dick) Billingsley ("Optioner"), have agreed to establish an indigenous scholarship as part of the terms of an option agreement ("the "Agreement"). Under the terms of the Agreement, Amarc may acquire from Mr. Billingsley a 100% interest in a group of mineral claims, covering some 2.34 km2, that are located internal to and near to the northern extent of the 678 km2 DUKE property. Amarc CEO, Dr Diane Nicolson said, "We are very pleased with the outcome of our negotiations with Dick who has generously agreed that Amarc's funding of the scholarship would satisfy an important part of the consideration to him for the transfer of these mineral claims to the Company. It is planned that Amarc, Mr. Billingsley and representatives from the Lake Babine Nation would participate in a scholarship awards committee. Education and training are a priority for Amarc. We hope that local young people will benefit from this scholarship, acquiring additional knowledge and skills that will lead them to a career in mineral exploration or another rewarding field." Lake Babine Nation, Chief Murphy Abraham commented, "Lake Babine Nation invites and supports this scholarship program, and it's one of many initiatives Diane and her team at Amarc have been working towards when it pertains to reconciliation. This will be a great opportunity for the next generation to further educate themselves in the field of mining exploration and/or other related fields. Much appreciation to Mr. Billingsley and Amarc for providing this opportunity which will help build the capacity Lake Babine needs to be able to sustain itself in the future of this industry." Under the terms of the Agreement, Amarc can acquire 100% of these claims, subject to a 2% Net Smelter Returns royalty retained by the Optionor that is capped at $10 million, by issuing 200,000 Amarc shares (subject to a four month hold under Canadian securities rules) and making annual cash payments of $5,000 to the Optionor plus funding an annual scholarship for Indigenous students for a period of 10 years in the amount of $20,000 per year (total of 200,000 shares and $250,000 cash). The Agreement is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval and an earn-in right of Boliden Mineral Canada Ltd. ("Boliden") on the DUKE District (see further details under About the DUKE District). Amarc is the project operator. Comprehensive 2022-2023 DUKE District Program Extensive and widely spaced drilling in 2022-2023 by Amarc expanded the DUKE Deposit to a footprint of 650 m north-south by 800 m east-west. The drilling also highlighted the potential for further expansion of the Deposit, delineation of zones of higher grade within it, and for discovery of additional mineralization within the surrounding mineralized system (see Amarc news release June 15, 2023). Highlights from this drilling as fully reported in Amarc's news release June 15, 2023 include: 183 m of 0.43% CuEQ[1] (0.31% Cu, 0.019% Mo, 0.07 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Ag) in hole DK22009, 217 m of 0.45% CuEQ (0.33% Cu, 0.018% Mo, 0.08 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Ag) in hole DK22010, 82 m of 0.41% CuEQ (0.30% Cu, 0.017% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 1.1 g/t Ag) in hole DK23022 and 36 m of 0.47% CuEQ (0.34% Cu, 0.024% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Ag) in hole DK23024. In addition, the Amarc crews remobilized in May and are well progressed with a program of extensive airborne and ground exploration surveys designed to assess 16 prioritized porphyry Cu-Au targets across the DUKE District to define targets for early 2024 drill testing (see Amarc news release May 17, 2023). About the DUKE District Amarc's DUKE District is located 80 km northeast of Smithers within the Babine Region, one of the most mineralized porphyry belts in BC. It hosts the former Bell and Granisle Cu-Au mines that were operated by Noranda Mines, and the advanced stage Morrison Cu-Au deposit. Significant potential exists for discovery of new large porphyry Cu deposits. Infrastructure servicing the former mines and the very active forestry and exploration industries is nearby. There is an extensive network of forest roads and much of the Duke District is road accessible. Central to Amarc's extensive DUKE District mineral tenure is the DUKE Cu-Mo-Au-Ag Deposit discovery, located 30 km north of the former Bell Mine. Although explored historically, the extensive porphyry Cu system at the DUKE discovery was not fully delineated. Many of the 21 historical shallow and closely-spaced core holes intersected and ended in significant Cu-Mo-Au-Ag mineralization within a small portion of a robust, 4.7 km2 IP chargeability anomaly. In 2017 and 2018, Amarc completed seven core holes over an area measuring approximately 400 m north-south by 600 m east-west (see Amarc releases December 19, 2017 and June 12, 2018) at the DUKE Deposit, successfully intersecting porphyry copper-style mineralization to a vertical depth of 360 m. The eighth hole, drilled one kilometre to the north within the 4.7 km2 sulphide mineral system, intersected similar porphyry Cu-Mo-Ag-Au mineralization. In addition, Amarc has completed a comprehensive compilation of government and historical data over the entire 678 km2 DUKE District claim holdings. This detailed scientific work has provided a new interpretation of the geological, geochemical and geophysical characteristics of the Babine belt, and identified 16 previously unrecognized porphyry Cu deposit-scale targets with exciting potential (see May 6, 2020 news release). The databases compiled and leveraged for this work were extensive: they include data from the BC Geological Survey, Geoscience BC, numerous historical industry workers and Amarc. The targeting study covered an area 140 km by 110 km (15,400 km2). Datasets include >2,300 regional geochemical samples, 116,344 line-km of airborne magnetic and radiometrics, and 25,500 line-km of aerogravity. Further information on the historical and Amarc's modern exploration activities in the DUKE District are described in the Company's DUKE Project 2020 Technical Report available on the website at https://amarcresources.com/projects/duke-project/technical-report/. In November 2022, Amarc entered into a Mineral Property Earn-In Agreement (the "EIA") with Boliden Mineral Canada Ltd. ("Boliden"), an entity within the Boliden Group of companies (see Amarc release November 22, 2022). Under the terms of the Agreement, Boliden has a two-staged option to earn up to a 70% interest in the DUKE District by funding $90 million exploration and development expenditures. About Amarc Resources Ltd. Amarc is a mineral exploration and development company with an experienced and successful management team focused on developing a new generation of long-life, high-value porphyry Cu-Au mines in BC. By combining high-demand projects with dynamic management, Amarc has created a solid platform to create value from its exploration and development-stage assets. Amarc is advancing its 100%-owned IKE, DUKE and JOY porphyry CuAu districts located in different prolific porphyry regions of southern, central and northern BC, respectively. Each district represents significant potential for the development of multiple and important-scale, porphyry CuAu deposits. Importantly, each of the three districts is located in proximity to industrial infrastructure - including power, highways and rail. Amarc is associated with HDI, a diversified, global mining company with a 35-year history of porphyry Cu deposit discovery and development success. Previous and current HDI projects include some of BC's and the world's most important porphyry deposits - such as Pebble, Mount Milligan, Southern Star, Kemess South, Kemess North, Gibraltar, Prosperity, Xietongmen, Newtongmen, Florence, Casino, Sisson, Maggie, IKE, PINE and DUKE. From its head office in Vancouver, Canada, HDI applies its unique strengths and capabilities to acquire, develop, operate and monetize mineral projects. Amarc works closely with local governments, Indigenous groups and stakeholders in order to advance its mineral projects responsibly, and in a manner that contributes to sustainable community and economic development. We pursue early and meaningful engagement to ensure our mineral exploration and development activities are well coordinated and broadly supported, address local priorities and concerns, and optimize opportunities for collaboration. In particular, we seek to establish mutually beneficial partnerships with Indigenous groups within whose traditional territories our projects are located, through the provision of jobs, training programs, contract opportunities, capacity funding agreements and sponsorship of community events. All Amarc work programs are carefully planned to achieve high levels of environmental and social performance. Qualified Person Dr. Roy Greig, P.Geo, a Qualified Person ("QP") as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has read and approved all technical and scientific information related to the Duke Project contained in this news release. Dr. Greig is Amarc's Vice President, Exploration. For further details on Amarc Resources Ltd., please visit the Company's website at www.amarcresources.com or contact Dr. Diane Nicolson, President and CEO, at (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114, or Kin Communications, at (604) 684-6730, Email: [email protected]. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AMARC RESOURCES LTD. Dr. Diane Nicolson President and CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor any other regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking and other Cautionary Information This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All such statements, other than statements of historical facts that address exploration plans and plans for enhanced relationships are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Assumptions used by the Company to develop forward-looking statements include the following: Amarc's projects will obtain all required environmental and other permits and all land use and other licenses, studies and exploration of Amarc's projects will continue to be positive, and no geological or technical problems will occur. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, potential environmental issues or liabilities associated with exploration, development and mining activities, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and tenure and delays due to third party opposition, changes in and the effect of government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, exploration and development of properties located within Aboriginal groups asserted territories may affect or be perceived to affect asserted aboriginal rights and title, which may cause permitting delays or opposition by Aboriginal groups, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Amarc Resources Ltd., investors should review Amarc's annual Form 20-F filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov and its home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedar.com. [1] Copper equivalent (CuEQ) calculations use metal prices of: Cu US$4.00/lb, Mo US$15.00/lb, Au US$1,800.00/oz and Ag US$24.00/oz and conceptual recoveries of: Cu 85%, Mo 82%, Au 72% and 67% Ag. SOURCE: Amarc Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com: NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. (TSX-V:BAY)(OTCQB: ATBHF) (the "Company" or "Aston Bay") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Cantor Fitzgerald Canada Corporation (the "Agent"), who has agreed to sell, on a commercially reasonable "best efforts" private placement basis, up to 26,315,789 units of the Company ("Units") at a price of C$0.19 per Unit (the "Offering Price"), for aggregate gross proceeds of up to C$5,000,000 (the "LIFE Offering"). Each Unit will be comprised of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share (each, a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of C$0.29 for 24 months following the completion of the LIFE Offering. The Units to be issued under the LIFE Offering will be offered to purchasers pursuant to the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption (the "LIFE Exemption") under Part 5A of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions, in all the provinces and territories of Canada, except Quebec. The Company and the Agent may increase the size of the offering, up to 48 hours prior to the Closing Date (defined below), by issuing up to an additional 10,526,316 units (the "Additional Units") for additional gross proceeds of C$2,000,000. Any Additional Units will be sold pursuant to the exemptions from the prospectus requirements in Canada other than the LIFE Exemption in each of the jurisdictions of Canada and in offshore jurisdictions. Such Additional Units may be subject to a hold period under Canadian Securities Laws. There is an offering document (the "Offering Document") related to the LIFE Offering that can be accessed under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website at https://astonbayholdings.com/. Prospective investors of the Units should read the Offering Document before making an investment decision. The Company plans to use the net proceeds from the LIFE Offering, and sale of any Additional Units, for exploration and development purposes of the Company's projects in Virginia, and for working capital and general corporate purposes. The LIFE Offering, and sale of Additional Units, is scheduled to close on or about September 21, 2023 (the "Closing Date"), or such other date as the Company and Agent may agree, and is subject to certain conditions customary for transactions of this nature, including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The securities to be offered pursuant to the LIFE Offering, and sale of the Additional Units, have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Company also confirms, as previously disclosed in the press release dated August 9, 2023, the Company is no longer considering consolidation of its Common Shares. About Aston Bay Holdings Aston Bay is a publicly traded mineral exploration company exploring for high-grade copper and gold deposits in Virginia, USA, and Nunavut, Canada. The Company is led by CEO Thomas Ullrich with exploration in Virginia directed by the Company's advisor, Don Taylor, the 2018 Thayer Lindsley Award winner for his discovery of the Taylor Pb-Zn-Ag Deposit in Arizona. The Company is currently exploring the high-grade Buckingham Gold Vein in central Virginia and is in advanced stages of negotiation on other lands with high-grade copper potential in the area. The Company is 100% owner of the Storm Project property, which hosts the Storm Copper Project and the Seal Zinc Deposit and has been optioned to American West Metals Limited. Further details are available on the Company's website at https://astonbayholdings.com/. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Statements made in this press release, including those regarding the closing and the use of proceeds of the private placement, management objectives, forecasts, estimates, expectations, or predictions of the future may constitute "forward-looking statement", which can be identified by the use of conditional or future tenses or by the use of such verbs as "believe", "expect", "may", "will", "should", "estimate", "anticipate", "project", "plan", and words of similar import, including variations thereof and negative forms. This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect, as of the date of this press release, Aston Bay's expectations, estimates and projections about its operations, the mining industry and the economic environment in which it operates. Statements in this press release that are not supported by historical fact are forward-looking statements, meaning they involve risk, uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although Aston Bay believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable and undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which apply only at the time of writing of this press release. Aston Bay disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law. We seek safe harbour. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. THIS PRESS RELEASE, REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE CANADIAN LAWS, IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES, AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN IN THE UNITED STATES. THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN, AND WILL NOT BE, REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS UNLESS REGISTERED OR EXEMPT THEREFROM. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Ullrich, Chief Executive Officer [email protected] (416) 456-3516 SOURCE: Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com: DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Sawatch Labs and Kimley-Horn were selected to conduct a comprehensive fleet electrification study for Salt Lake City. This study, aimed at promoting sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, will assess Salt Lake City's fleet operations and provide a comprehensive plan for transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs). "Salt Lake City prides itself on setting aggressive, but achievable, environmental goals to improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions. We aim to transition most of our municipal fleet to electric vehicles over the next few years, as described in our Joint Resolution on Electrified Transportation," said Mayor Erin Mendenhall. "This electrified fleet assessment and the partnership with Sawatch with Kimley-Horn is a key factor to allow us to meet those goals in a timely and cost-effective manner, while balancing fleet resiliency and operational needs." This fleet electrification study will encompass various key components, including an electric vehicle (EV) suitability assessment for Salt Lake City's 1,400-vehicle fleet. This assessment will be conducted using Sawatch Labs' ezEV software. It will consider operational feasibility, total cost of ownership analysis, and projected GHG emissions reductions to develop a well-structured vehicle deployment plan. This assessment holds the potential to significantly assist Salt Lake City in reaching its sustainability goals. In addition, Kimley-Horn will conduct an Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) assessment to evaluate site infrastructure capacity and identify necessary upgrades to meet the fleet's charging needs. Utilizing the analyses provided by Sawatch Labs' ezIO software, Kimley-Horn will deliver site assessments and determine the project charging demand at each location based on the actual fleet operations. As part of the study, Kimley-Horn will also conduct an Emergency Response Preparedness and Resiliency needs assessment. This segment of the project will identify opportunities to enhance fleet resiliency through on-site electricity generation and storage solutions, further strengthening Salt Lake City's commitment to sustainability. By harnessing cutting-edge technology and expertise in the field, Sawatch Labs and Kimley-Horn are confident the study's findings and recommendations will lay the groundwork for a greener, more sustainable fleet in Salt Lake City. "We are honored to have the opportunity to work with Salt Lake City and contribute to their sustainability goals through this electrification study. Together with Kimley-Horn, we look forward to implementing impactful and sustainable solutions that align with Salt Lake City's vision," said Matthew Helm, CEO of Sawatch Labs. This exciting project is already underway, and the results are expected to be delivered throughout the second half of 2023. About Sawatch Labs Sawatch Labs is a leading data analytics company that has been dedicated to unleashing the potential of operational data since 2017. Their core mission is to empower fleets by providing actionable insights that optimize fleet operations. Leveraging advanced analytics, they have successfully supported fleets in all 50 states in achieving their goals and enhancing their overall performance. Their expertise spans a wide range of specialties, including a profound understanding of raw telemetry from all major providers, custom software development, big-data aggregation and analysis, seamless software partner integrations, GIS and ESRI solutions, harnessing API/SDK capabilities, driver safety policy best practices, and more. Their comprehensive approach ensures that fleets receive tailored solutions that suit their unique needs, enabling them to make informed decisions and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry. For more information, visit https://sawatchlabs.com/. Follow Sawatch Labs on LinkedIn. About Kimley-Horn Kimley-Horn, one of the nation's premier engineering, planning, and design consulting firms, serves a wide range of disciplines, including transportation, aviation, development services, energy, transit, urban design, landscape architecture, and water/wastewater. With nearly 8,000 employees in more than 125 offices nationwide, Kimley-Horn is one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For and one of People Magazine's Companies that Care. For more information, please visit www.kimley-horn.com. Follow Kimley-Horn on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Contact Information Sarah Booth Chief Operating Officer [email protected] (303) 578-2465 SOURCE: Sawatch Labs View source version on accesswire.com: SALT LAKE CITY, UT / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Flex Fleet Rental is thrilled to unveil a momentous development that is poised to reshape the landscape of commercial truck rentals in North America. We are delighted to announce the acquisition by Kaizen Automotive Group, a pioneering force in the automotive industry. The acquisition was finalized on September 1, 2023, marking a pivotal chapter in our journey. This strategic move ushers in a new era of possibilities, as Flex Fleet Rental and Summit Fleet, a subsidiary of Kaizen Automotive Group, join forces to forge one of the largest and most dynamic commercial truck fleet entities on the continent. The synergies created by this collaboration promise to raise the bar for exceptional service and innovative solutions. "By joining forces with Summit Fleet, we are thrilled to improve our product and service offerings across North America," said Brian Goldhardt, President and CEO of Flex Fleet Rental. "We couldn't be more excited about this acquisition with it positioning ourselves into our next chapter of growth." Commenting on this momentous occasion, Nate Clarke, CEO of Kaizen Automotive Group, expressed his enthusiasm: "We couldn't be more optimistic about the acquisition. The merger of Summit Fleet with Flex Fleet Rental will empower us to continue delivering industry-defining commercial fleet management services including technology that outshines our competition to our customers across North America." "We acquired Flex Fleet Rental in early 2019, anchored to a shared vision with management to institutionalize Flex Fleet Rental into the leading medium-term truck rental and logistics business with the ultimate customer experience," said Gene Weil, Managing Director of Waterfall Asset Management. "The sale to Kaizen Automotive is an exciting advancement in Flex Fleet's growth story, both as an acknowledgment of the industry-leading status Flex Fleet Rental has achieved, as well as an opportunity for our customers, vendors and employees to take advantage of the scale, operational sophistication, and product depth of the combined enterprise in Canada and the U.S." The heartening aspect for all our valued customers and partners is that this strategic move will have no impact on our day-to-day operations. Our dedicated management team is led by CEO Brian Goldhardt, CFO Nic Bement, COO John McNellis, and CTO Parker Spendlove. Accompanied by our hardworking employees will continue to lead the company with unwavering commitment. As we step into this new phase, our mission to provide exceptional services remains steadfast. Our direct contacts, business address, and billing information will remain unchanged, ensuring seamless continuity. Should you have any inquiries or require assistance, we invite you to reach out to us at 801-899-9399 or email us at [email protected]. Your satisfaction has been and will continue to be our top priority. Flex Fleet Rental takes this moment to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our valued friends and customers. Your unwavering support has been instrumental in shaping our journey thus far, and we are excited to embark on this new chapter together, guided by our commitment to excellence and innovation. Parr Brown Gee & Loveless served as legal counsel to Kaizen Automotive Group with respect to the acquisition. Kramer Levin served as legal counsel and Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisor to Waterfall and TRP. About Flex Fleet Rental: Founded in 2013, Flex Fleet Rental is a leading commercial truck rental company that has consistently set the benchmark for service excellence and innovation in North America. With a focus on delivering top-notch vehicles, exceptional customer service, and cutting-edge technology, Flex Fleet Rental continues to redefine the industry. Media Contacts: Brian Goldhardt President & CEO 801-899-9399 [email protected] About Kaizen Automotive Group Founded over 30 years ago, the Kaizen Automotive Group is a leader in the automotive industry. Their focus is its unwavering commitment to exceptional customer service which has led to some of the highest volume stores across Canada. Kaizen Group is a Calgary-based company with 16 dealerships representing Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Chevrolet, Ford, Lincoln, Kia, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai and Genesis; including 6 dealerships in California under the names of Imperial Valley Chevrolet GMC, Imperial Valley Hyundai, Imperial Valley Honda, Chula Vista Honda, Chula Vista Ford, and Chula Vista Kia. Kaizen Automotive Group also offers industrial and commercial rentals, leasing, telematics, fleet management, and fleet card services across North America through its company, Summit Fleet. Media Contacts: Nate Clarke President & CEO 587-390-3629 Contact Information Parker Spendlove Chief Technology Officer [email protected] (801) 721-9607 SOURCE: Flex Fleet Rental View source version on accesswire.com: BOCA RATON, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 4, 2023 / Halten Records is an Electronic Dance Music (EDM) company proposing a change that disrupts traditional financing models. If songs that are currently in production are to be considered the equivalent of a minimum viable product (MVP), gauging investor interest at this stage can revolutionize how music is distributed. Through presales, the industry can turn increasingly towards data. Thus, a new era can be envisioned with change to the following areas: Music Distribution: Attaining an early form of traction metrics or social proof can enable discussions with parties such as angel investors, venture capital firms, businesses interested in exploring partnerships, crowdfunding, record labels, or prove to be sufficient to obtain royalty advances (debt). However, should the artist be able to find the right branding and marketing partners, an alternate route to securing distribution may be possible. By making early financing more prevalent, music deals can mature into structured instruments with pre-defined milestones and exits. Fan Engagement: The general public can have a direct impact in an artist's career, arguably when he or she needs it most. This creates a more intimate and meaningful journey to be shared, where an artist may be able to reward early fans or investors financially and through unique experiences. Facilitated by technology, an industry shift may already be underway. New market offerings include an accelerator by Warner Music Group (WMG) and Polygon, and an AI Incubator by Universal Music Group (UMG) and YouTube. While the focus may have been historically on established artists, using data to test commercial viability, international licensing interest, and collaborative branding, can prove to be equally important in producing successful artists by utilizing a more targeted business-centric approach. Halten Records is exploring its distribution strategy with its near-term goal of producing EDM music. For prospective investors wanting to learn more and preview Halten's EDM tracks, its official website is https://haltenrecords.com/ Halten Records LLC is 'testing the waters' to gauge investor interest in an offering under Regulation Crowdfunding. No money or other consideration is being solicited. If sent, it will not be accepted. No offer to buy securities will be accepted. No part of the purchase price will be received until a Form C is filed and only through Wefunder's platform. Any indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind. Media Contact Organization: Halten Records LLC Contact Person: Jaime Penaranda Website: https://haltenrecords.com Email: [email protected] City: Boca Raton State: Florida Country: United States SOURCE: Halten Records LLC View source version on accesswire.com: ST. JOHN'S, NL / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Kraken Robotics Inc. ("Kraken" or the "Company") (TSX-V:PNG)(OTCQB: KRKNF) announces that CEO Greg Reid will present at the Planet MicroCap Showcase: VANCOUVER 2023 on Wednesday, September 6, 2023 at 4:30PM PT / 7:30PM ET. Mr. Reid will host one-on-one investor meetings during the event. Investors can register for Mr. Reid's presentation at https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2986/48839 "In August, we reiterated our 2023 revenue guidance range of $66 million to $78 million (up 76% year-over-year at the range midpoint), and Adjusted EBITDA between $12 million to $17 million," said Kraken Robotics CEO Greg Reid. "Thus far in 2023, we have announced almost $40 million of contracts, our existing defense programs including the $50 million Canadian Navy program are progressing well, and the macro demand environment is strong. I look forward to meeting investors and telling Kraken Robotics' story at the Planet MicroCap Showcase: VANCOUVER 2023." To access the live presentation, please use the following information: Planet MicroCap Showcase: VANCOUVER 2023 Date: Wednesday, September 6, 2023 Time: 4:30PM PT / 7:30PM ET Webcast: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2986/48839 If you would like to book 1x1 investor meetings with Kraken Robotics and to attend the Planet MicroCap Showcase: VANCOUVER 2023, please make sure you are registered here: https://planetmicrocapshowcase.com/signup 1x1 meetings will be scheduled and conducted in person at the conference venue: Fairmont Waterfront Vancouver (BC). About Planet MicroCap Planet MicroCap is a global multimedia financial news, publishing and events company focused on news dissemination, providing information, data and analytics for the MicroCap investing community. We have cultivated an active and engaged audience of folks that are interested in learning about and to stay ahead of the curve in the MicroCap space. The Planet MicroCap Showcase: VANCOUVER 2023 website is available here: https://planetmicrocapshowcase.com/ If you would like to attend the Planet MicroCap Showcase, please register here: https://planetmicrocapshowcase.com/signup If you can't make the live presentation, all company presentations "webcasts" will be available directly on the conference event platform on this link under the tab "Agenda": https://planetmicrocapshowcase.com/agenda ABOUT KRAKEN ROBOTICS INC. Kraken Robotics Inc. (TSX.V:PNG)(OTCQB: KRKNF) is a marine technology company providing complex subsea sensors, batteries, and robotic systems. Our high-resolution 3D acoustic imaging solutions and services enable clients to overcome the challenges in our oceans - safely, efficiently, and sustainably. Kraken Robotics is headquartered in Canada and has offices in North and South America and Europe. Kraken is ranked as a Top 100 marine technology company by Marine Technology Reporter. LINKS www.krakenrobotics.com SOCIAL MEDIA LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/krakenrobotics Twitter www.twitter.com/krakenrobotics Facebook www.facebook.com/krakenroboticsinc YouTube www.youtube.com/channel/UCEMyaMQnneTeIr71HYgrT2A Instagram www.instagram.com/krakenrobotics Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, the words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "seek", "propose", "estimate", "expect", and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements with respect to, among other things, business objectives, expected growth, results of operations, performance, business projects and opportunities and financial results. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events based on certain material factors and assumptions and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, changes in market, competition, governmental or regulatory developments, general economic conditions and other factors set out in the Company's public disclosure documents. Many factors could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to vary from those described in this news release, including without limitation those listed above. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this news release and such forward-looking statements included in, or incorporated by reference in this news release, should not be unduly relied upon. Such statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation Services Provide (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release, and the OTCQB has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. For further information: Stephen Griffin, Group Marketing Manager [email protected] Joe MacKay, Chief Financial Officer (416) 303-0605 [email protected] Greg Reid, Chief Operating Officer (416) 818-9822 [email protected] Sean Peasgood, Investor Relations (647) 955-1274 [email protected] News Compliments of Accesswire SOURCE: Kraken Robotics via Planet MicroCap View source version on accesswire.com: VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Pampa Metals Corp. ("Pampa Metals" or the "Company") (CSE:PM)(FSE:FIRA)(OTCQB: PMMCF) announces that, further to its news release of August 10, 2023, effective at the opening of trading on September 8, 2023 (the "Effective Date") the common shares of the Company (the "Shares") will commence trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange on a consolidated basis, with one post-consolidated Share outstanding for every 2.5 pre-consolidation Shares (the "Consolidation"). As a result of the Consolidation, on the Effective Date, a total of approximately 29,117,310 Shares will be issued and outstanding, subject to adjustments for rounding, with approximately 13,221,894 Shares reserved for issuance. No fractional shares will be issued. The number of post-consolidated Shares to be received will be rounded up to the nearest whole number for fractions of 0.5 or greater or rounded down to the nearest whole number for fractions of less than 0.5. The exercise or conversion price and the number of Shares issuable under any of the Company's outstanding convertible instruments will be proportionately adjusted upon the effectiveness of the Consolidation. Shareholders of record as of the Effective Date who hold Shares represented by a physical certificate or DRS statement will receive a letter of transmittal from the transfer agent for the Company, Odyssey Trust Company, with instructions on how to exchange their existing certificates or DRS statements for certificates or DRS statements representing Shares on a post-Consolidation basis. ABOUT PAMPA METALS Pampa Metals is listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE: PM), Frankfurt (FSE: FIRA) and OTC (OTCQB: PMMCF) exchanges and wholly owns a portfolio of projects highly prospective for copper, molybdenum and gold along proven and highly productive mineral belts in Chile, the world's largest copper producer. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Joseph van den Elsen | President & CEO INVESTORS CONTACT Joseph van den Elsen | President & CEO [email protected] Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Pampa Metals expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will" or "may" occur. These statements are subject to various risks. Although Pampa Metals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. SOURCE: Pampa Metals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com: UKIAH, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Paul Dolan Vineyards is elated to announce that its new package design has been honored with the People's Choice Award for Classic Format. This accolade comes as a highlight of the Wine Business Monthly's packaging design competition, which recognizes and celebrates remarkable wine packages in the industry. Paul Dolan Vineyards Package - People's Choice Award Paul Dolan Vineyards received people's choice award in classic format. Long recognized as a leading CCOF certified organically grown brand, Paul Dolan Vineyards is proud to be a leader in the soil health movement known as regenerative farming. The winery's vineyards are a thriving diverse ecosystem of plants, insects, and animals, both above and below ground. Instead of rows of neatly groomed vines and bare dirt, one will find a tangle of cover crops blooming with bright flowers, pea tendrils twining around neighboring plants, as well as barley and rye swaying in the breeze. Insects flit from plant to plant and below, in the soil, the ground is teeming with worms, ants and microscopic organisms. "It is this image, the wonderful chaos and diversity that we see in our vineyards, that we wanted to bring to life on our new package," said Stephanie Hahn, Director of Marketing at Mendocino Wine Company. Working with renowned South African designer Tertia du Toit, the brand embarked on the journey to create a design that would showcase the brand's story and the values it embodies. Now, through its artistic vision and unwavering commitment to quality, the brand is setting a new benchmark for wine packaging that resonates harmoniously with connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike. The annual competition curated by Wine Business Monthly spotlights the artistry and ingenuity that go into crafting wine packages that not only uphold the wine's integrity but also convey captivating visual narratives. The People's Choice award underscores the brand's unwavering commitment to excellence, its innovative design acumen, and its dedication to providing consumers with exceptional products. The design not only stood out among an impressive array of entries but also epitomized the brand's unique ability to seamlessly blend tradition with contemporary aesthetics. "We are absolutely thrilled to receive the People's Choice Award for Classic Format Package Design. This recognition is a validation of the hard work and creativity of our team and reinforces our belief in the pivotal role thoughtful packaging plays in elevating a brand's message," expressed Stephanie Hahn. "Our gratitude goes out to everyone who cast their votes in our favor." To learn more about Paul Dolan Vineyards, visit pauldolanvineyard.com. Contact Information Stephanie Hahn Director of Marketing [email protected] 415-497-3654 Marketing Mendocino Wine Company [email protected] 415-497-3654 SOURCE: Mendocino Wine Company View source version on accesswire.com: NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / T-Mobile T-Mobile is always looking for ways to make a positive impact with our network, even long before we launched the country's first and only nationwide 5G standalone (SA) network. As the 5G era comes to fruition we've been busy innovating with partners across industries to bring the technologies of tomorrow into the present. The things I'm reading on the page I can see them - and really touch them in virtual reality - so it connects the dots for me." MOREHOUSE COLLEGE STUDENT One area of innovation that I am particularly proud to be a part of is leveraging 5G to make the teaching and learning experience more accessible and immersive for students and teachers. Listening to teachers, students and schools, we've heard the rising excitement and need for technology incorporating extended reality (XR), like virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR), into their curriculums. To match the demand, we've been hard at work with our partners to integrate our 5G network into these new technologies. And the fruits of our labor are starting to ripen. Our students reported a 92% increase in STEAM knowledge, and most said they would consider a Metaverse career. Thanks to T-Mobile's sponsorship & Kai XR's programming, our students know their dreams are possible." MERCEDES HARRIS, HOUSTON ROTARY CLUB Now you may be wondering: "Schools have Wi-Fi, so why is 5G needed?" When implementing XR learning programs with thousands of schools in small towns and urban areas across the country, our partners found that school Wi-Fi systems sometimes can't handle the requirements needed to reliably run XR programs. How can students collaborate in virtual laboratories or on VR fieldtrips if the content lags due to poor connectivity? XR needs fast speeds and ultra-low latency to work as intended. And then you also need to account for the complex permission and security systems schools set up that make it difficult to connect in the first place. 5G is expanding classroom walls and allowing students to engage in programs and experience unique learning environments designed specifically to spark their interest in education. Perhaps the best part is that due to the nature of 5G, these programs can be taken practically anywhere there is a signal - and with the country's largest and fastest 5G network - we're uniquely positioned to reach more students across the country than ever before. VR powered by T-Mobile 5G allows us to democratize access to visceral experiences that empower students to build connections with current and compelling problems and abstract up to math models & equations from there, rather than memorizing procedures in a sterile vacuum. With recent advances in spatial computing, we finally have the opportunity to teach STEM disciplines how they should be taught: through one's own life experiences." ANURUPA GANGULY, CEO AND FOUNDER OF PRISMS VR Here's how the companies we are working with are helping students engage with new technologies and STEM education leveraging 5G: Kai XR We started working with Kai XR in 2021 when they joined the T-Mobile Accelerator program, a yearly developer cohort aimed at driving innovation with support from T-Mobile engineers and 5G connectivity. Recently, Kai XR worked with Harris County Juvenile Detention Center in Texas to provide students with educational learning objectives using T-Mobile 5G connected devices to improve digital literacy, demystify in-demand technologies like XR, provide hands-on opportunities with emerging tech and decrease recidivism for students in the center through exposure to career pathways. Two hundred students completed the program, with 84% expressing interest in learning more about the metaverse and advanced and emerging technologies and 95% expressing interest in a metaverse career. Kai XR is active in schools in Georgia, California and Alabama reaching thousands of students with its learning platform. VictoryXR A 2022 T-Mobile Accelerator participant, VictoryXR is active in 135 schools across the country, with 90 unique courses taught at higher education institutions. VictoryXR uses its platform to create virtual classrooms, campuses and laboratories using AR and VR headsets connected to T-Mobile 5G to provide students with unique learning environments they might otherwise not have access to. With its virtual environments VictoryXR covers topics such as history, anatomy, chemistry and biology, opening the door for students to collaborate together in near real-time, whether that be on a virtual field trip to Egypt or analyzing a cadaver, VictoryXR paired with 5G enables entirely new classroom experiences. It restores joy in the education system when you see student achievement increase by 11.9%. It makes you rethink what your other approaches have been in the past and why did we wait so long to do something this transformative." DR. MUHSINAH MORRIS, MOREHOUSE COLLEGE Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy Using the VeyeZER" GRAPH application for the Microsoft HoloLens 2 device, the Barbara Bush Foundation is pilot testing a somewhat different approach to XR learning. This solution seeks to improve adult literacy by performing a series of reading skill assessments, tracking eye movement and compiling statistics to allow practitioners to create customized learning programs for participants to improve their literacy, once again leveraging 5G to maintain low-latency and reliable connectivity. After pilot testing the solution with adult learners at sites in Charleston, South Carolina and Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Foundation's team-led by researchers from the University of New Mexico-has determined that this technology shows great promise. With additional refinement, it has the potential to equip educators with rapid, high-frequency access to critical, personalized data that will help learners increase their literacy levels, opening the doors to new opportunities that may not have been previously available. Challenges associated with measuring literacy levels and progress are among the many barriers that prevent adult learners from engaging in literacy programs. By allowing for more rapid, frequent assessments of literacy skills compared to some of the more traditional, time-intensive methods, this solution has the potential to greatly reduce barriers to participation as well as support improved outcomes for the learners in adult literacy programs." ANDREW ROBERTS, INTERIM PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BARBARA BUSH FOUNDATION FOR FAMILY LITERACY Prisms of Reality Earlier this year, we shared how Prisms VR is helping close the opportunity gap in math and science for students without access to reliable internet by pairing T-Mobile 5G with its VR learning programs. Today, Prisms VR is active in 36 states, improving student test scores, engagement and interest in STEM topics, all while delivering a superior immersive VR experience nearly impossible to perform on school Wi-Fi systems due to latency, network restrictions and bandwidth. The future of learning With 5G, these companies are bringing new experiences and equal learning opportunities to students across the country without needing to worry about connectivity issues. The future of the classroom has never looked more promising than it does now. John View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from T-Mobile on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: T-Mobile Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/t-mobile Email: [email protected] SOURCE: T-Mobile View source version on accesswire.com: RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE: APLE) (the Company or Apple Hospitality) today announced that it plans to report third quarter 2023 financial results after the market closes on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, and host a conference call for investors and interested parties at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, to discuss the results. The conference call will be accessible by telephone and the internet. To access the call, participants from within the U.S. should dial 877-407-9039, and participants from outside the U.S. should dial 201-689-8470. Participants may also access the call via live webcast by visiting the Investor Information section of the Company's website at ir.applehospitalityreit.com. A replay of the call will be available from approximately 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on November 8, 2023, through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 22, 2023. To access the replay, the domestic dial-in number is 844-512-2921, the international dial-in number is 412-317-6671, and the passcode is 13740906. In addition, an archive of the webcast will be available on the Company's website for a limited time. About Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE: APLE) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns one of the largest and most diverse portfolios of upscale, rooms-focused hotels in the United States. Apple Hospitalitys portfolio consists of 220 hotels with more than 28,900 guest rooms located in 87 markets throughout 37 states as well as one property leased to third parties. Concentrated with industry-leading brands, the Companys hotel portfolio consists of 97 Marriott-branded hotels, 119 Hilton-branded hotels and four Hyatt-branded hotels. For more information, please visit www.applehospitalityreit.com. For additional information or to receive press releases by email, visit www.applehospitalityreit.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905077475/en/ Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. Kelly Clarke, Vice President, Investor Relations 804-7276321 [email protected] Source: Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. Kim Se-jeong showcased her new album in Seoul on Monday. It marks her return to the K-pop music scene after establishing herself as an actress by appearing in a couple of hit TV series in recent years. Kim plunged into acting, taking on a lead role with her first TV series "School 2017," after making an appearance in Mnet's audition show "Produce 101" in 2016, which later allowed her to build a singing career as a member of girl groups like IOI and Gugudan. With the release of her first full-length album consisting of 11 songs, Kim will hold concerts in Seoul on Sept. 23 and 24 before embarking on a tour that will take her to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Melbourne, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo. CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AptarGroup, Inc. (NYSE: ATR), a global leader in drug and consumer product dosing, dispensing and protection technologies, today announced that Sarah Glickman, an accomplished leader with more than 30 years of global financial and operational experience, has joined its Board of Directors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905451175/en/ Sarah Glickman Joins Aptars Board of Directors (Photo: Aptar) We are pleased to welcome Sarah Glickman to our Board of Directors. Sarahs extensive knowledge of all aspects of corporate finance coupled with her global operational experience, including in the pharmaceutical industry for companies like Novartis and Bristol-Myers Squibb, makes her an important addition to Aptars Board of Directors, said Stephan B. Tanda, Aptar President and CEO. Sarah currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer for Criteo S.A., a global commerce media company. Prior to joining Criteo, Sarah was the Acting Chief Financial Officer at XPO, Inc. She also held global executive roles at Novartis and Honeywell International and started her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Since 2021, Sarah has served on the Board of Directors and is Chair of the Audit Committee for 2seventy bio, Inc., a biotech company (previously part of bluebird bio, Inc.). Candace Matthews, Chairperson of Aptars Board of Directors, stated, We are excited to welcome Sarah to Aptars Board of Directors. Her strong operational and financial leadership roles in large and complex global companies, such as Honeywell International, will benefit Aptar and its shareholders. Sarahs appointment also underscores Aptars commitment to a demographically and culturally diverse board; with her appointment five out of the ten directors are women. On her appointment, Sarah Glickman said, I am thrilled to join Aptars Board of Directors. I look forward to leveraging my experience and perspective to help the company continue to grow and increase shareholder value while staying true to Aptars purpose of transforming ideas into solutions that improve everyday life. Glickman is a U.S. CPA and a U.K. Fellow Chartered Accountant with a degree in economics from the University of York, England. About Aptar Aptar is a global leader in drug and consumer product dosing, dispensing and protection technologies. Aptars innovative solutions and services serve a variety of end markets including pharmaceutical, beauty, personal care, home care, food and beverage. Using insights, proprietary design, engineering and science to create dispensing, dosing and protective technologies for many of the worlds leading brands, Aptar in turn makes a meaningful difference in the lives, looks, health and homes of millions of patients and consumers around the world. Aptar is headquartered in Crystal Lake, Illinois and has 13,500 dedicated employees in 20 countries. For more information, visit www.aptar.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905451175/en/ Investor Relations Contact: Mary Skafidas [email protected] 347-351-6407 Media Contact: Katie Reardon [email protected] 815-479-5671 Source: AptarGroup, Inc. PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Arconic Corporation (Arconic or the Company) announced today that its Vice President of Finance and Treasurer, Marcelo Morgueta, has accepted the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Arconic. Incoming Chief Executive Officer of Arconic Chris Ayers, said, I am very pleased to welcome Marcelo to our executive leadership team. Our global finance group will benefit from Marcelos historical knowledge of the Company and deep background leading finance functions with a sharp focus on creating value for all stakeholders. I look forward to working with him to advance our long-term strategic goals. Morgueta has extensive expertise in corporate finance, financial planning, operations finance, and almost two decades of experience in the aluminum industry. He joined the company in 2005, and advanced through roles of progressive responsibility across business segments, both in Brazil and the United States. Most recently, Morgueta was Vice President, Finance and Treasurer at Arconic, and prior to the company separation in 2020, he served as Chief Financial Officer of two large business segments, Global Rolled Products and Transportation and Construction Solutions. Prior to these roles, he was an auditor at Deloitte and BDO. Morgueta holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and an MBA in Finance, Audit and Controllership from UNESP (Universidade Estadual Paulista), and Fundacao Getulio Vargas, respectively, both prestigious universities in Brazil. He is based at the Companys corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. About Arconic Corporation Arconic Corporation (NYSE: ARNC), headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a leading provider of aluminum sheet, plate, and extrusions, as well as innovative architectural products, that advance the ground transportation, aerospace, building and construction, industrial and packaging end markets. For more information: www.arconic.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905249761/en/ Investor Contact Shane Rourke (412) 315-2984 [email protected] Media Contact Tracie Gliozzi (412) 992-2525 [email protected] Source: Arconic NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Aviation Capital Group LLC (ACG) announced today the closing of a $500 million secured credit facility in support of its Aircraft Financing Solutions (AFS) business. The facility was structured by BNP Paribas and Societe Generale and includes an accordion option which can be exercised to provide up to $1 billion in total availability. The initial commitment was provided by a syndicate of ACGs relationship banks, including BNP Paribas, Societe Generale, Wells Fargo Bank, Commerzbank, Credit Industriel et Commercial, and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank. ACG is excited to announce the closing of our second AFS credit facility, said Robert Lewandowski, Managing Director of ACG. This facility further enhances our ability to support our airline customers with innovative financing solutions to help meet their capital requirements. We sincerely thank BNP Paribas and Societe Generale for their leadership in closing this transaction quickly and efficiently, and we are thankful for the support shown by the participating banks as we continue to grow our AFS program. About Aviation Capital Group Aviation Capital Group is one of the worlds premier full-service aircraft asset managers with over 480 owned, managed and committed aircraft as of June 30, 2023, leased to roughly 90 airlines in approximately 45 countries. It was founded in 1989 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Century Corporation. Follow ACG on LinkedIn, and for more information, visit www.aviationcapitalgroup.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905435998/en/ Media Relations: Elizabeth Stevens [email protected] Investor Relations: Matthew Novell [email protected] Source: Aviation Capital Group LLC Lawsuit: Ninth-grade teacher groomed and sexually assaulted female students in 1974 CULVER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Waters Kraus & Paul announces that the Culver City Unified School District will go to trial October 23 in a lawsuit filed by a former student who alleges she and at least one other student were systematically groomed and sexually assaulted by a ninth-grade social studies teacher in 1974. According to the lawsuit, the district failed to protect the 14-year-old Culver City Junior High School student from teacher Michael McHatton, who assaulted the plaintiff after months of grooming during the 1974-1975 school year. McHatton was openly affectionate with the student, calling her by pet names and inappropriately touching her. According to the lawsuit, McHatton would arrange for the student to visit his classroom and private office during lunch and after school and would give her gifts. He invited the girl to his boat, falsely claiming other students would be there, where he sexually assaulted her. The victim dropped out of school after the assault and has suffered lasting emotional damages. Its time to shine a light on this case so that this victim can finally get justice and so that students, former students, parents, and community members can know exactly what happened, said attorney Susan Ulrich of the Waters Kraus & Paul law firm, who is representing the plaintiff along with firm partner Kevin Loew. This case is tragic, and the assault of the plaintiff was preventable. I am so proud of the plaintiff and other witnesses who were brave enough to come forward and tell their stories. All victims of childhood sexual assault deserve justice, and we stand with them in their fight for accountability. The case is Jane Doe v. Culver City Unified School District, No. 21STCV19869, in Los Angeles County Superior Court. If you or anyone you know has any information concerning Michael McHatton or the sexual assaults at Culver City schools, please contact attorney Susan Ulrich at 424-217-2421 or [email protected]. About Waters Kraus & Paul Waters Kraus & Paul is a national plaintiffs law firm devoted to helping victims of sexual abuse, as well as personal injury and wrongful death cases. Based in Dallas, with offices in Los Angeles and Moline, Illinois, Waters Kraus & Paul has represented families from all fifty states and many foreign countries, as well as foreign governments. For more information, visit https://waterskraus.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905176848/en/ Robert Tharp 214-458-4007 [email protected] Source: Waters Kraus & Paul GREENFIELD, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) will attend the Morgan Stanley 21st Annual Global Healthcare Conference on Monday, September 11, 2023 and Tuesday, September 12, 2023. Jeff Simmons, president and CEO, will participate in a fireside chat on Monday at 4:15 p.m. ET. A live audio webcast will be available in the Events and Presentations section of Elancos investor website. A replay will be available for approximately 30 days. ABOUT ELANCO Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) is a global leader in animal health dedicated to innovating and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets, creating value for farmers, pet owners, veterinarians, stakeholders and society as a whole. With nearly 70 years of animal health heritage, we are committed to helping our customers improve the health of animals in their care, while also making a meaningful impact on our local and global communities. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our Elanco Healthy Purpose all to advance the health of animals, people, the planet and our enterprise. Learn more at www.elanco.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905910565/en/ Investor Contact: Katy Grissom (317) 273-9248 [email protected] Media Contact: Colleen Parr Dekker (317) 989-7011 [email protected] Source: Elanco Animal Health Incorporated NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ordergroove, the leading provider of subscription solutions for retailers and brands, and GNC, a global leader in health and wellness solutions, are excited to announce a four-year renewal of their strategic partnership, originally established in 2015. GNCs renewed investment in its omnichannel subscription and membership offerings, Routines and Pro Access, respectively, will further deliver on GNCs mission to spark customers motivation and support their desire to live well. The renewed agreement solidifies GNCs subscription-first strategy. GNC's Executive Vice Chairman, Yong Kai Wong, expressed enthusiasm about the long-term partnership, saying, We are thrilled about this long-term partnership with Ordergroove and how subscriptions and memberships have helped us foster well-being for our customers via Routines and proper adherence, both online and in our retail stores at the point-of-sale. Ordergroove is best-in-class and has been critical to our success thus far and will be for years to come. Since launching subscriptions with Ordergroove in 2015, GNC has seen tremendous growth in active subscribers and recurring revenue. Across Ordergroove's customer base, consumers who enroll in a subscription experience, on average, have three times the lifetime value of transactional shoppers. The key to GNCs subscription success has been helping its customers achieve their health and fitness goals via a personalized, omnichannel experience that removes friction and encourages adherence to goals. By leveraging data-driven insights and predictive analytics powered by Ordergroove, GNC offers subscribers and members personalized experiences that are tailored to meet each customers unique needs. From personalized product recommendations to subscriber management via Alexa and SMS, GNC is on the bleeding edge of helping customers develop healthy routines that enable them to live well. We are proud to extend our partnership with GNC, a retailer Ive been a customer of since growing up in Miami, Florida, and a brand that is synonymous with consumer health, said Ordergrooves CEO Greg Alvo. This renewal underscores the trust and confidence GNC places in Ordergrooves best-in-class omnichannel subscription and membership solutions that drive profitable, recurring revenue. We look forward to being an integral part of driving GNCs mission of fostering well-being for years to come. About Ordergroove Ordergroove enables subscription and membership experiences for the worlds largest and most innovative retailers, including LOreal, Dollar Shave Club, IL MAKIAGE, La Colombe Coffee, Bonafide Health and The Home Depot. As a market leader in subscription technology, the companys proprietary Relationship Commerce platform is shifting consumer interactions from one-and-done transactions to frictionless and highly profitable recurring relationships. Ordergroove technology uses artificial intelligence, analytics, and unmatched consumer expertise to empower top brands to transform their commerce experiences while making their consumers lives easier. To learn more, visit Ordergroove.com. About GNC GNC is a leading global health and wellness brand that provides high-quality, science-based products and solutions consumers need to live mighty, live fit, and Live Well. The brand touches consumers worldwide by providing its products and services through company-owned retail locations, domestic and international franchise locations, digital commerce and strong wholesale and retail partnerships across the globe. GNC's diversified, multi-channel business model has worldwide reach and a well-recognized, trusted brand. By combining exceptional innovation, product development capabilities and an extensive global distribution network, GNC manages a best-in-class product portfolio. www.gnc.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905271602/en/ Lauren Lowman, Ordergroove [email protected] Source: Ordergroove MUNICH--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The global fund of funds, Golding Impact 2021, has been upgraded to dark green and now meets the strict requirements of Article 9 Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). This represents Golding Capital Partners response to the increasing demand for investments with ambitious, measurable environmental and social sustainability objectives. In addition to investments in the EU, the funds global private equity impact strategy also enables investors to gain exposure to countries such as the US, Canada, UK, Switzerland as well as selected emerging markets, without having to forego the strict transparency rules introduced by the European SFDR. This expands the universe of impact funds available to institutional Article 9 investors significantly and also increases the level of diversification substantially. The impact fund will focus on companies with cutting-edge, transformative business models within climate technologies (85 per cent) and inclusive finance (15 per cent). Impact fund opens up global Article 9 potential According to research by Golding Capital Partners, only 30 per cent of all private equity impact funds worldwide are classified as qualifying for Article 9 of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), although many more have sustainable investment objectives and conform to strict sustainability criteria. Impact funds based outside the European Union are often able to meet the requirements for classification under Article 9, but are typically not willing to incur the additional administrative costs of doing so. As a result, investors seeking to make Article 9 investments have until now been missing out on these opportunities. Our verification and classification process, carried out in close cooperation with our target fund managers, enables us to close this gap in the interest of our investors, explains Dr Andreas Nilsson, Managing Director and Head of Impact Investing at Golding. The funds investment strategy remains unchanged: It will focus on funds and their portfolio companies which on the one hand generate risk-adjusted market rate returns, and on the other hand contribute significantly to alleviating climate change, biodiversity loss and global inequality by virtue of their sustainable business models. The main geographic markets are Europe and North America, with a smaller allocation to emerging markets. The fund is structured as a Luxembourg SCS SICAV-RAIF and has a minimum commitment of 5 million. Detailed verification process based on SFDR standards The new classification is based on a process devised in cooperation with an advisory company, which mirrors the requirements of the SFDR for sustainable investments. Golding collects and reviews relevant data as defined by the SFDR to classify potential target funds based outside the EU and therefore not subject to the EU Disclosure Regulation, but still meet all the criteria of Article 9. It is important to note that we are not reclassifying funds already covered by the SFDR according to our own criteria. What we are doing is reviewing target funds which are not formally classified under to the EU regulation with the aim to determine whether they conform to the SFDR criteria, adds Dr Andreas Nilsson. Our impact strategy has a global scope and there is a large number of high-quality impact opportunities in North America, UK and some of the larger emerging markets that are not subject to the SFDR. The fact that we are now able to make them investable under the umbrella of an Article 9 fund is a great step forward and a pioneering achievement by our impact team. This expands the impact universe for institutional Article 9 investors by a significant multiple and enables even greater diversification, says Dr Matthias Reicherter, Managing Partner and CIO at Golding. About Golding Capital Partners GmbH Golding Capital Partners GmbH is one of Europes leading independent asset managers for alternative investments, focusing on the asset classes infrastructure, private credit, private equity, secondaries and impact. With a team of more than 200 professionals at its offices in Munich, London, Luxembourg, Milan, New York, Tokyo and Zurich, Golding Capital Partners helps institutional and professional investors to develop their investment strategy and manages some 14 billion in assets. Its more than 230 investors include pension funds, insurance companies, foundations, family offices and ecclesiastical institutions, as well as banks, savings banks and cooperative banks. Golding became a signatory of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) in 2013 and has been a supporter of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) since 2021. Disclaimer The purchase of interests in the fund of funds represents an entrepreneurial investment, which in addition to the chance of income, also entails risks up to the total loss of invested capital. An investment decision should only be taken on the basis of the appropriate issue document, the partnership agreement, the subscription form, the most recent valuation (net asset value) and last annual report. The fund of funds is only open to knowledgeable investors within the meaning of the Luxembourg Law of 23 July 2016 relating to reserved alternative investment funds (RAIF) and who are professional investors within the meaning of the Luxembourg Law of 12 July 2013 on alternative investment fund managers (AIFM) or, to the extent that the legislation applicable to such investors allows the distribution of shares in this investment fund of funds to them, particularly those who qualify as semi-professional investors in Germany or qualifying private investors under Austrian or Swiss law. You are advised that Golding Capital Partners is not authorised to provide legal or tax advice. The information in this document is a presentation of Golding Capital Partners internal opinion of the topic under discussion, which may not have been validated or not definitively by external legal or tax advisers and which does not apply in all circumstances. The presentations do not meet the statutory requirements intended to ensure the objectivity of financial analysis. None of the statements by Golding Capital Partners constitute investment advice or legal or tax advice and must always be reviewed by knowledgeable third parties authorised to provide legal or tax advice. Some of the legal matters involved may not have been definitively settled. It can therefore not be ruled out that third parties, regulatory and tax authorities and public auditors hold different opinions. For this reason, no guarantee for the accuracy of the statements can be given. Although the information contained in this document has been compiled with great care, we cannot guarantee that it has been reproduced without error. The information here represents the information available to us at the time the document was prepared. Nevertheless, we cannot guarantee that our analyses and our assessment of them reflect the current situation. The statements included in this information must only be understood as the opinions of Golding Capital Partners. You are advised that past performance and forecasts are not a reliable guide to future results. We cannot guarantee that the forecasts will actually materialise. No one should take any action on the basis of the information in this document without a thorough analysis of the relevant situation and without appropriate professional advice from third-party experts. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905104818/en/ Golding Capital Partners GmbH Susanne Stolzenburg Director, Head of Marketing & Communications T +49 (0)89 419 997 553 [email protected] PB3C GmbH Johannes Braun PR Director Real Assets T +49 (0)89 242 0865 36 [email protected] Source: Golding Capital Partners GmbH ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. (NYSE: HGV) (HGV or the Company) today provided an update on its business in Hawaii following the recent wildfires on Maui. The Company has 13 properties in the Hawaiian Islands, including two properties and sales centers in Maui: Kaanapali Beach Club in Kaanapali, and the recently opened Maui Bay Villas in Kihei. Neither Maui property sustained physical damage, and the Company maintains business interruption insurance at both properties. The devastation that weve seen from the recent wildfires is tragic, and our thoughts are with the people of Maui, including our many team members who live and work on the island, said Mark Wang, president and CEO of Hilton Grand Vacations. Hawaii has always held a special place in my heart. I spent over 25 years living and working on the islands, and Ive witnessed firsthand the resilience of Hawaiis people in the face of adversity. As Maui begins the process of rebuilding, were providing support to the local community, our affected team members, and our club members. Weve activated a Team Member Relief Fund and provided immediate housing assistance to dozens of our team members and their families directly impacted by the fires, along with first responders assisting in relief efforts. In total, weve provided nearly $500,000 of relief through direct support to team members and residents, along with donations to a number of organizations including the Aloha United Ways Maui Fire Relief Fund and the Hawaii Community Foundations Maui Strong Fund. We believe in the spirit of the people of Maui, and were committed to providing support to all those affected as they rebuild in the aftermath of these tragic events. Hawaii Business Update Were continuing to assess the impact of the wildfire on our business, said Dan Mathewes, chief financial officer of Hilton Grand Vacations. Currently, Kaanapali Beach Club is not accepting guest reservations, and non-essential travel to the affected areas remains limited by regional authorities. As a result, were anticipating a significant decline in contract sales activity at our Maui properties for the remainder of the year. Outside of the affected Maui resorts, we have not yet seen an uptick in cancellation activity at our other Hawaiian properties. Nevertheless, the situation remains fluid, and we may see some additional disruptions across our broader Hawaii portfolio as we relocate and rebook our guests. In the trailing 12 months ended June 30, 2023, contract sales in all of HGVs Hawaii sales centers represented approximately 16% of total contract sales. In that same period, the Companys two Maui properties contributed over 20% of Hawaiis contract sales. Our most recent guidance contemplated that Hawaii, and Maui in particular, would be larger contributors to growth in the second half of this year versus the first half, owing to the expected continuing market recovery. Currently, we estimate that the impact to Q3 2023 will be $20 to $25 million in contract sales and $12 to $15 million in Adjusted EBITDA. Conference Participation On Sept. 7, the Company will be meeting with investors at the 2023 Bank of America Gaming and Lodging Conference in New York City. Important Notice This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements convey managements expectations as to the future of HGV, and are based on managements beliefs, expectations, assumptions and such plans, estimates, projections and other information available to management at the time HGV makes such statements. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts, and may be identified by terminology such as the words outlook, believe, expect, potential, goal, continues, may, will, should, could, would, seeks, approximately, projects, predicts, intends, plans, estimates, anticipates, future, guidance, target, or the negative version of these words or other comparable words, although not all forward-looking statements may contain such words. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release include statements related to HGVs revenues, earnings, taxes, cash flow and related financial and operating measures, and expectations with respect to future operating, financial and business performance and other anticipated future events and expectations that are not historical facts. HGV cautions you that our forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including those that are beyond HGVs control, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the future results. Any one or more of these risks or uncertainties could adversely impact HGVs operations, revenue, operating profits and margins, key business operational metrics, financial condition or credit rating. For a more detailed discussion of these factors, see the information under the captions Risk Factors and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in HGVs most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, which may be supplemented and updated by the risk factors in HGVs quarterly reports, current reports and other filings HGV makes with the SEC. HGVs forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this communication or as of the date they are made. HGV disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement made in this communication to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results over time. About Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. (NYSE: HGV) is recognized as a leading global timeshare company. With headquarters in Orlando, Florida, Hilton Grand Vacations develops, markets, and operates a system of brand-name, high-quality vacation ownership resorts in select vacation destinations. As one of Hiltons 22 premier brands, Hilton Grand Vacations has a reputation for delivering a consistently exceptional standard of service, and unforgettable vacation experiences for guests and more than 520,000 Club Members. Membership with the Company provides best-in-class programs, exclusive services and maximum flexibility for our Members around the world. For more information, visit www.corporate.hgv.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905980822/en/ Investor Contact: Mark Melnyk 407-613-3327 [email protected] Media Contact: Lauren George 407-613-8431 [email protected] Source: Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. Crafting a Unified Vision: the Power of Branding Meets Direct Selling Prowess MADISON, Wis. & PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hy Cite, a trailblazer in the direct selling industry with over 60 years of impressive history, unveiled its brand-new corporate strategy. This revamp, a significant milestone in Hy Cites quest to lead the next era in direct selling, was orchestrated in collaboration with LaVisual, a leading branding agency celebrated for its progressive designs and innovative branding strategies. Hy Cites revamped corporate identity and strategy aim to further solidify its position not only in the U.S. but also to strengthen its growing influence in the Latin American markets. This rebranding initiative underscores Hy Cites commitment to supporting thousands of independent entrepreneurs, enabling them to view the company as the epitome of modern and astute business. Braven Greenelsh, CEO of LaVisual, remarked, Collaborating with Hy Cite has been an incredible journey. Their dedication to elevating entrepreneurs is palpable, and it was our mission at LaVisual to capture that essence and spirit. This synergy between our teams resulted in a brand strategy that not only highlights Hy Cite's long-standing legacy but also resonates with the aspirations of today's ambitious entrepreneurs." Paulo Moledo, CEO of Hy Cite Enterprises, commented on the partnership, saying, The rebranding wasn't merely about aesthetics but encapsulating the very soul of Hy Citeour dedication to unity, belonging, and providing unparalleled opportunities. LaVisual has been instrumental in translating this ethos into a compelling brand narrative. As both companies surge ahead, this collaboration promises to be a beacon for those in the branding and direct selling arenas, showcasing whats possible when passion, expertise, and vision converge. For an in-depth look at Hy Cites revamped brand strategy, visit Hy Cites official website. To witness LaVisuals signature branding prowess, explore www.lavisual.com. About Hy Cite Hy Cite, headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, has a history of over 60 years in the direct selling industry and a nearly 30-year presence in Latin America. It has operations in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and the Dominican Republic, where it has become a partner in the economic progress of thousands of independent distributors of its products. Hy Cite has more than 1,500 employees in eight corporate offices and eight distribution centers, more than 10,000 Authorized Independent Distributors, and Junior Distributors with over 2.6 million customers served in the U.S. and Latin America since 2018. With more than $500 million in annual sales last year, Hy Cite is ranked 24th among the world's leading direct selling firms according to the 2023 DSN Global 100 List. About LaVisual Located in Pasadena, California, LaVisual stands out as a paramount branding agency, known for its cutting-edge designs and innovative branding methodologies. LaVisual's approach is grounded in ensuring brands are not merely adaptive but lead in their respective markets. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905327810/en/ Latchmi Chandrasekar Email: [email protected] Source: LaVisual Appointment continues Duceras commitment to offer a full range of investment banking services to its clients NEW YORK & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ducera Partners (Ducera or the Firm), a leading investment bank, today announced that Christopher Grubb has joined the Firms new San Francisco office as a Partner, to lead its U.S. Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) practice and expand Duceras strategic advisory capabilities. Mr. Grubb is a distinguished investment banker with expertise advising on a broad range of M&A and strategic advisory mandates. Bringing more than twenty years of experience, he most recently served as the Head of M&A and Restructuring for the Western Region of Greenhill, where he advised clients on M&A, financing, and restructuring mandates. He previously served as Co-Head of U.S. M&A and also spent four years as Greenhills Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Grubb earned an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS in Engineering from Cornell University. Michael Kramer, Founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Ducera Partners, said, Ducera continues to evolve as a full-service investment bank and strategic advisory firm and we are focused on building out our capabilities around strategic M&A engagements to both enhance and complement our existing areas of expertise. Chriss impressive background and differentiated transaction execution experience spanning the healthcare, technology and consumer sectors align well with our historical areas of focus, and I believe makes him an ideal advisor for our Firm in support of clients needs. Mr. Grubb added, Ducera possesses an enviable track record of success advising on large, complex, and transformational transactions and delivering optimal results on behalf of its clients. As the M&A environment continues to evolve and companies increasingly seek to fund transactions outside of the traditional capital markets, I believe there will be growing opportunities to partner with a broad array of companies that value Duceras unique approach to creating value and are focused on building long-term strategic advisory relationships to help them achieve their financial goals. I am looking forward to working closely with Duceras impressive team. About Ducera Partners Ducera Partners is a leading investment banking advisory practice with expertise in restructuring, mergers & acquisitions, strategic advisory, liability management, capital markets, wealth management, and growth capital. Since its founding in June 2015, Ducera Partners has advised on over $750 billion in transactions across various industries. Ducera Partners has offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Stamford. For more information about Ducera Partners, please visit www.ducerapartners.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905590700/en/ Mike Geller Prosek Partners [email protected] Source: Ducera Partners President Yoon Suk-yeol faces a flurry of bilateral meetings with global leaders at the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta and the G20 meetings in New Delhi this week. The ASEAN meeting is scheduled for Tuesday to Thursday and the G20 on Saturday and Sunday. One aim is to drum up support for Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030, a tall order after a the recent debacle of the World Scout Jamboree. Bilateral meetings have been arranged with 14 countries, including Malaysia and the Philippines, deputy national security adviser Kim Tae-hyo told reporters Monday. "We are currently coordinating additional bilateral meetings with six other countries." NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- KBRA releases research on KBRA-rated commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), Freddie Mac, commercial real estate collateralized loan obligation (CRE CLO), and single-family rental (SFR) exposure to Hurricane Idalia. Hurricane Idalia struck Floridas northwestern shoreline as a Category 3 hurricane on the morning of Wednesday, August 30. The relatively fast-moving storm caused high winds and heavy rains in the Big Bend region of Florida. The storms center was already back out to sea off the coast of North Carolina by Thursday morning. Preliminary estimates of insured losses from the storm range from $2 billion to $9 billion for Florida alone. Although the losses are significant, they are substantially lower than the estimated $60 billion caused by Hurricane Ian, which hit Florida in September 2022. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) updated its disaster declaration on September 3 to include 14 Florida counties eligible for individual and public assistance: Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Pasco, Pinellas, Suwanee, and Taylor. The counties cover a low-lying area and include St. Petersburg, the largest city within the declared counties. Eight of the counties have populations of less than 50,000 and only the counties of Hernando (207,000), Pasco (609,000), and Pinellas (962,000) exceed 200,000 residents. KBRA identified loans within our rated universe of CMBS, Freddie Mac, and CRE CLO transactions that are backed by properties in the impacted areas in Florida. Our analysis indicates that 113 KBRA-rated deals have underlying loan collateral within the 14 Florida counties with a total allocated property exposure of $880.7 million across $7.3 billion of loan balance. Ten deals have property-level exposure that is at least 3% of the total transaction balance. Among both KBRA-rated multi-borrower and single-borrower SFR transactions, 45 deals have properties in the 14 affected Florida counties. For multi-borrower deals, only CoreVest American Finance 2022-1 has property exposure that is at least 3% of total property value. Among single-borrower transactions, 10 have property-level exposure of at least 3%. The severity of property damage in the impacted counties is currently unknown. Although potential losses may be fully or partially mitigated by existing insurance policies, the degree of coverage may vary. Securitized loans generally require comprehensive coverage for fire, casualty, special perils, business interruption, rental loss, and commercial general liability insurance. In addition, properties in areas designated as having special flood hazards are generally required to maintain flood insurance, and properties in certain high-risk areas typically need to maintain windstorm and/or named storm coverage. KBRA will continue to monitor the situation and review available servicer information to better understand the extent of the damage and determine any potential impacts on ratings. Click here to view the report. About KBRA KBRA is a full-service credit rating agency registered in the U.S., the EU and the UK, and is designated to provide structured finance ratings in Canada. KBRAs ratings can be used by investors for regulatory capital purposes in multiple jurisdictions. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905446283/en/ Rob Grenda, Senior Director, CMBS Surveillance +1 215-882-5494 [email protected] Greg Springrose, Director, CMBS Surveillance +1 215-882-5936 [email protected] Roy Chun, Senior Managing Director, CMBS Surveillance +1 646-731-2376 [email protected] Business Development Contact Daniel Stallone, Senior Director +1 646-731-1308 [email protected] Source: KBRA Lineup includes 50+ industry-leading speakers, a startup pitch competition, a live podcast and more; 3686 to be held Sept. 19-21 at Wildhorse Saloon NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- One of the Souths largest gatherings of founders, investors, executives, and entrepreneurs, LaunchTNs 3686 conference is celebrating its 10th anniversary Sept. 19-21 at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville. Highlights from this years schedule include: This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905461498/en/ A panel from 3686 in September 2022. (Photo: Business Wire) 50+ industry-leading speakers discussing a board range of topics for entrepreneurs, including everything from fintech to fundraising A Startup Pitch Competition by InvestTN, featuring judges from Company Ventures, Dive In, Mark Cuban Companies, and NEA A live podcast recording with former Governors Phil Bredesen and Bill Haslam One-on-one meeting opportunities with 100+ VCs and investors Throughout the three-day festival, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from leading experts in healthcare, consumer products, music, finance, and more. Among the 50+ speakers slated to appear are Oracle Netsuites Evan Goldberg and Built Technologies Jamie Ikerd. The lineup also includes executives from AllianceBernstein, Built Technologies, CareBridge, Nissan, and Pinnacle Financial Partners, among others. Full list of speakers can be viewed at attend3686.com/speakers/. Former Governors Bredesen and Haslam will discuss their entrepreneurial journeys during a live recording of the You Might Be Right podcast. Bredesen and Haslam will be joined by Sarah Bellos and Brad Smith. Bellos is the founder and CEO of Stony Creek Colors, the global leader in the production of plant-derived natural indigo dye. Smith is founder and CEO of Russell Street Ventures, an innovative healthcare firm focused on launching and scaling companies that serve some of our nations most vulnerable patient populations. In addition to panels, networking lunches, happy hours, and a fireside chat, 3686 attendees also have the opportunity to request and schedule one-on-one meetings with other attendees, which is a great chance for entrepreneurs and investors to connect. At last years 3686, there were more than 500 one-on-one meetings. The Startup Pitch Competition hosted by InvestTN LaunchTNs new $70-million investment fund will showcase five startups from across Tennessee. In addition to gaining exposure to investors, customers, and supporters from across the U.S., participants will have a chance to receive a $150,000 investment from InvestTN. Anyone who purchases an investor ticket will also get access to an investor-only breakfast and programming on Sept. 21 at the Frist Art Museum. Attendees include limited partners, family offices, VCs, and angel investors from across Tennessee and the U.S. Last years event attracted more than 820 entrepreneurs and business leaders from 23 states. Tickets are available now at attend3686.com. The full schedule can be viewed at attend3686.com/schedule/. About LaunchTN LaunchTN is a 501c3 nonprofit partnership building an ecosystem of support for every startup and investor in Tennessee. As a public-private partnership, we are uniquely positioned to provide direct investment, while also supporting collaboration among founders, investors, researchers, private sector institutions and government. We foster entrepreneurship, technology advancement and workforce development by providing capital access, commercialization support, and connections. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905461498/en/ Chloe Morrison Communications Director, LaunchTN 423-304-9693 Source: LaunchTN LG Energy Solutions residential energy storage system with an inverter, tailored for U.S. households, is set to launch this September. Prime+ offers easy installation and unparalleled compatibility with existing photovoltaic systems. The company completes extensive pilot testing to ensure product quality. SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220), a leading global manufacturer of advanced lithium-ion batteries, announced today the upcoming launch of its new residential energy storage system, Prime+. For the first time in the U.S. market, the company is releasing an ESS that integrates an inverter and a battery system. Prime+ enables the parallel use of two 10H or 16H Prime battery modules for a total capacity of 19.2 or 32 kilowatt-hours. Installation is swift full commissioning of inverter and batteries takes just 10-15 minutes. Thanks to its complete compatibility with existing photovoltaic systems, Prime+ serves as an ideal retrofit solution for U.S. homeowners. This inverter will also be compatible with the LG Energy Solution enblock S, a new product set for release later this year. Prime+ will be available later in September through major distributors across the U.S. Interested homeowners can contact a local installer to ask questions and arrange a purchase. Detailed information can be found on the LGES websites Where to Buy section: https://www.lgessbattery.com/us/home-battery/installer-search.lg After extensive pilot testing, the new system proved easy to install and passed all necessary quality assessments. LGES collaborated with multiple installers, deploying representatives of its sales and technical teams, to oversee the operations and verify the speed, simplicity and effectiveness of the process. The Prime+ AC-coupled inverter from LG Energy Solution was quick and easy to install, freeing our team to complete more work in less time, said Jeff Dimond, COO of ES Solar, a customer of LG Energy Solution. Prime+ saves teams valuable time and resources because its ready to work in minutes, not hours, said Michael Bishop, a Technical Sales Specialist with the LGES ESS Team in North America. The installation process is faster than ever, transforming the way installers work. To maximize convenience, the companys newly launched Global ESS Customer Portal (GECP) app offers streamlined access for customers. Installers can use this platform to initiate and track after-sales service requests in real time. If the system malfunctions, the portal enables return merchandise authorization both online and offline optimizing the process with serial number scanning and automatic address input via Google Maps. Installers can then use the app to monitor the entire return process all the way through initiation, diagnosis and shipping. To ensure customer satisfaction, the durable Prime+ comes with a 10-year warranty that covers the batteries, the inverter, and the auto-backup device. It is available in two configurations the backup solution and the arbitrage (self-consumption) solution enabling customers to choose the option that suits their needs. LGES will showcase Prime+ at the RE+ exhibition, which runs Sept. 11-14 in Las Vegas. About LG Energy Solution LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220), a split-off from LG Chem, is a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, mobility, IT and energy storage systems. With 30 years of experience in revolutionary battery technology and extensive research and development, the company is the top battery-related patent holder in the world with over 25,000 patents. Its robust global network, which spans North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, includes battery manufacturing facilities established through joint ventures with major automakers such as General Motors, Stellantis N.V., Hyundai Motor Group and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. At the forefront of green business and sustainability, LG Energy Solution aims to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2050 while embodying shared growth and promoting a diverse and inclusive corporate culture. To learn more about LG Energy Solutions ideas and innovations, visit https://news.lgensol.com. About LG Energy Solutions ESS Division Since mass production of ESS battery cells began in 2015, LG Energy Solution has provided total ESS solutions from cells, packs/racks and enclosures to battery management systems. The companys ESS product lineup covers all applications in the industry, including grids, residential ESSs, and ESSs for commercial and industrial use. LG Energy Solution acquired NEC in 2022 and soon established the U.S.-based system integrator LG Energy Solution Vertech. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905644831/en/ Amy Hollyfield U.S. Inquiries / Zeno Group U.S. [email protected] 1-650-868-3363 Woosik Jin Global Inquiries / Zeno Group Korea [email protected] 82-10-5307-6656 Source: LG Energy Solution MORRISTOWN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Majesco, a global leader in cloud insurance software solutions, and Microsoft have announced a strategic alliance aimed at driving long-term digital transformation for insurers. By leveraging Microsoft Cloud and Analytics capabilities, the partnership empowers customers with a scalable and secure intelligent cloud environment. With a shared vision of empowering individuals and organizations to achieve more, the enhanced collaboration promises innovative and transformative solutions, ensuring sustained growth and agility in the ever-evolving insurance industry. Majesco is committed to unlocking new possibilities and shaping a brighter future for insurers worldwide. The race to the cloud has become a pivotal focus in the boardroom, driving insurers to seek not only migration, but also a truly transformative SaaS platform that meets current business challenges and elevates the customer experience, says Robert Machnacki, SVP of Global Cloud Operations at Majesco. Our partnership with Microsoft exemplifies our unwavering commitment and significant investment in offering customers an unparalleled cloud solution with differentiated capabilities. We are thrilled to have this strategic alliance and eagerly anticipate assisting our clients in thriving amidst the digital age's vast opportunities. Majesco joins forces with Microsoft to provide a seamless and unified digital insurance platform, powered by the robust architecture of Microsoft Azure. Majesco's Cloud Platform seamlessly integrates with Azure, combining the best of both worlds and delivering an unparalleled solution that effortlessly tackles the insurance industry's challenges. This partnership unlocks the potential for accelerated growth, operational optimization, and innovation in today's digital landscape. With a focus on digital transformation, Majesco partners with leading organizations, boasting an impressive track record with over 70% of its customers already thriving on its cloud solution. We are thrilled to partner with Majesco and their dedication to delivering cloud native and scalable solutions to advance digital transformation across the Insurance industry. In deploying both critical infrastructure and innovative AI solutions, Majesco is empowering their customers to not only accelerate digital readiness, but helping them to boost profitability," says Luke Thomas, Vice President, Financial Services, at Microsoft. "Utilizing the power of the Microsoft Cloud allows Majesco to provide endpoint security and leading-edge generative AI models to their clients, resulting in the highest caliber customer experience. About Majesco Majesco is the partner P&C and L&AH insurers choose to create and deliver outstanding experiences for customers. We combine our technology and insurance experience to anticipate whats next, without losing sight of whats important now. Over 330 insurers, from greenfields and startups to some of the worlds largest insurers, rely on Majescos SaaS platforms solutions of core, data, analytics, digital, and rich ecosystem of partners to create their next now. As an industry leader, we dont believe in managing risk by avoiding change. We embrace change, even cause it, to get and stay ahead of risk. With 825+ successful implementations we are uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between a traditional insurance industry approach and a pure digital mindset. We give customers the confidence to decide, the products to perform, and the follow-through to execute. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905560581/en/ Majesco Media Contact Laura Ann Tillotson Vice President, Marketing & Creative Services [email protected] 201-230-0752 Source: Majesco Japans fastest-growing intelligent robotics company, Mujin, secures capital to pave the way for a new era of robotic automation TOKYO & ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Mujin, a leader in intelligent robotics for manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain operations, has successfully raised $85 million in its Series C funding round, reflecting the companys rise to market leadership. The funding round was led by SBI Investment Co., Ltd. in Japan, along with Pegasus Tech Ventures, a prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm, 7 Industries from the Netherlands, corporate investor Accenture, and renowned angel investor Dr. James Kuffner. With this fresh infusion of capital, Mujin aims to enhance the accessibility of its revolutionary intelligent robotics platform, the MujinController, to integrators and end users, empowering them to develop new, advanced automation applications and drive further innovation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905922006/en/ Mujin palletizing, depalletizing and piece picking robot deployments powered by the MujinController. (Photo: Business Wire) Innovative Robotic Technology At the heart of Mujins product line is the companys universal MujinController platform, which transforms industrial robots from any manufacturer into intelligent machines capable of automating a wide variety of applications across manufacturing and logistics, with additional applications to come in the future. The MujinController platform empowers users to develop and deploy advanced automation solutions faster and at a lower cost, with more accurate, safe, and reliable performance. With over 12 years of market experience, Mujin stands as a pioneer in the intelligent robotics realm, empowering experts in industrial automation to unleash their creativity and craft innovative robotic applications. Dr. Ross Diankov, Mujins cofounder said: The MujinController introduces a unique approach to creating robotics applications, leveraging a real-time non-volatile digital twin and offering a suite of perception, planning, and control algorithms to digitize the real world and autonomously move robots and other industrial equipment through it. We are excited to continue our journey toward perfecting the MujinController and getting it into everyones hands. Market Traction Powered by Mujins cutting-edge Machine Intelligence technology, the MujinController is a groundbreaking advancement that has already enabled Mujin to master some of the toughest applications in contemporary manufacturing and logistics environments. Mujin has solved palletizing and depalletizing for both single and mixed SKU orders, precise picking to streamline E-commerce order fulfillment, metal bin picking for parts in the automotive segment, unlocked truck trailer and container unloading, as well as quick deployment of robot cells. Mujins mission is to enable integrators and end users to harness the full potential of intelligent robotics, unlocking a wide range of never-before-automated tasks, elevating the outlook of industrial automation on a global scale. Dr. Diankov's advisor from his Ph.D. program at Carnegie Mellon University and now CEO of Woven by Toyota, James Kuffner, commented on the funding round, saying: "This Series C funding is a significant milestone for Mujin, a company that has pioneered intelligent automation technology since 2011. Mujin can accelerate and expand its delivery of truly state-of-the-art advanced industrial robotic solutions to customers globally, strengthening its position as the technology market leader. Future Vision Mujins platform continues to drive efficiency and productivity, reshaping industries and laying the foundation for a future where automation plays a pivotal role in all workplaces. With a strong commitment to eliminating mundane and hazardous tasks, Mujin envisions a world where workers can unleash their true potential and focus on more meaningful endeavors. As Mujin embarks on this new chapter of growth and innovation, the company remains committed to delivering cutting-edge automation solutions that transform industries and drive operational efficiency worldwide. Investor Comments SBI Investment Co, Ltd.: We have always wanted to support such companies that can compete and win in the world. Mujin is the company which made us feel we had found such a company. We are very proud to be working with Mujin, a company that represents Japanese high-end technology, and we will do everything we can to support the company so that it can become a world-class company. Pegasus Tech Ventures: Anis Uzzaman, Founder and CEO of Pegasus Tech Ventures, expressed his enthusiasm for Mujins future potential. Mujin has developed a platform technology that enables companies to develop and deploy automation solutions that were previously not possible, said Uzzaman. As a result, Mujin has been able to race ahead of the competition and deliver results that others cannot. We look forward to helping Mujin accelerate their growth in the U.S. market. Accenture: Mr. Atsushi Egawa, representative director and president, Accenture Japan Ltd., said, Accenture has been collaborating with Mujin since 2019 on reinventing the logistics and manufacturing industries with AI and robotics. Mujin is world-renowned for its robotics technology and an integral part of the transformation efforts in these industries globally. Together, we will continue to help our logistics and manufacturing clients drive value from hyper-automation and data-driven management. 7-Industries: Mujin is the global leading cutting-edge Robotics company, deploying autonomous robots for years, and we are looking forward to supporting Mujin in shaping the future of industrial automation. About Mujin Mujin, a robotics technology company, develops Machine Intelligence for robot controllers that are designed as a common platform for industrial and collaborative robots specializing in logistics and other pick-and-place applications. Launched in Tokyo in 2011 with offices in China and in the U.S., Mujin works with many of the worlds largest companies to make material handling applications easier to deploy, more accurate and less costly. The companys flagship product, the MujinController, uses Machine Intelligence technology to give robotic systems real-time decision-making ability that enables truly autonomous, reliable, and production-capable robot applications. For more information, visit https://www.mujin-corp.com. Press photos and video: Click for Asset Library View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905922006/en/ [email protected] (404) 963-1117 Source: Mujin CENTENNIAL, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NUBURU, Inc. (NUBURU or the Company) (NYSE American: BURU), a leading innovator in high-power and high-brightness industrial blue laser technology, today announced that the Company is scheduled to participate in the following industry and investor events in September: FABTECH Expo Chicago Date: September 11, 2023 Location: Chicago, IL Event Details: FABTECH Expo Chicago is a convenient one-stop shop venue featuring world-class suppliers to discover new solutions to all metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing needs. Mark Zediker, NUBURUs CEO, Co-Founder and Director, will be attending and connecting one-on-one with media in attendance on Monday, September 11, 2023. For those interested in arranging a one-on-one meeting with Mark, please contact [email protected]. The Battery Show Date: September 12-14, 2023 Location: Virtual Event Details: The Battery Show brings together engineers, business leaders, top-industry companies, and innovative thinkers to discover ground-breaking products and create powerful solutions for the future. Andrew Dodd, NUBURUs Vice President of Global Sales, will be virtually connecting one-on-one with media attending the Battery Show. NUBURU will be exhibiting at The Battery Shows digital exhibit hall, Hall D. For those interested in arranging a one-on-one meeting with Andrew, please visit the Hall D Digital Guide. Northland Capital Markets 2023 Institutional Investor Conference Date: September 19, 2023 Location: Virtual Event Details: Northlands 2023 Institutional Investor Conference brings together leaders, investors, and its own professionals to discuss trends, perspective and opportunities across a broad range of market sectors, providing a full program of 1x1 and small group investor meetings. Mark Zediker, CEO, Co-Founder and Director, and Brian Knaley, CFO, will be hosting one-on-one and small group meetings with investors at the Northland Capital Markets 2023 Institutional Investor Conference, to be held virtually on Tuesday, September 19, 2023. For those interested in arranging a meeting with NUBURU management, please contact your Northland representative. The presentation materials utilized during the investor conference will be available on the Investor Relations section of NUBURU's website at www.nuburu.net. About NUBURU Founded in 2015, NUBURU, Inc. (NYSEAM: BURU) is a developer and manufacturer of industrial blue lasers that leverage fundamental physics and their high-brightness, high-power design to produce faster, higher quality welds and parts than current lasers can provide in laser welding and additive manufacturing of copper, gold, aluminum and other industrially important metals. NUBURUs industrial blue lasers produce minimal to defect-free welds that are up to eight times faster than the traditional approaches all with the flexibility inherent to laser processing. For more information, please visit www.nuburu.net. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905557782/en/ Investor Relations: Cody Slach & Ralf Esper Gateway Group, Inc. [email protected] (949) 574-3860 Media Relations: Zach Kadletz & Anna Rutter Gateway Group, Inc. [email protected] (949) 574-3860 Source: NUBURU, Inc. Case study shows New Zealand life and health insurer with better outcomes, enhanced client experience in first use of FINEOS LISA for medical claims SYDNEY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Partners Life, one of New Zealands largest private life and health insurance companies, has become the first insurer to successfully launch medical claims on the FINEOS Platform, as outlined in a new case study. The move to the cloud-native purpose-built FINEOS Platform enables Partners Life to provide enhanced claims processing, reduced claims leakage, and streamlined user experience to 300,000 Kiwis. New Zealanders have a public health care system for their emergency care but may purchase private insurance to cover additional costs and reduce wait times for hospital treatment. In just over a decade, Partners Life had grown from a startup to an award-winning market leader. It sought a software partner with a modern cloud-based claims solution to begin a digital transformation to better serve its customers. It chose FINEOS based on its purpose-built platform, experience and capabilities, among other factors. Early last year, Partners Life became the first life insurance company in New Zealand to go live on the FINEOS Platform, replacing its legacy system with FINEOS Claims for life, total and permanent disability (TPD), trauma and income protection. The second phase of the project, completed this year, brought the component-based capabilities of FINEOS AdminSuite to medical claims at Partners Life through the market-tested, preconfigured FINEOS Life Insurance Solution Australasia (LISA). FINEOS LISA was created to meet the unique value proposition of the regional market in line with customer needs and within compliance requirements. Partners Life employees and customers have already started to experience the benefits of this significant shift in operations, said Daniel Walker, Partners Life Chief Operating Officer. Automation allows our case managers to do what they do best: help our clients who need them. Our operations are more efficient and we will build on these steps to improve our clients digital experience. Michael Kelly, FINEOS founder and CEO, applauded the long-term vision of the 2022 ANZIFF Company of the Year. Partners Lifes leadership has a vision of the future and how to reach their goals through systematic transformation. Whats more, they have implemented a significant change management program to ensure their success, he said. FINEOS LISA was configured to address this market, and we are pleased to be able to prove how its capabilities translate to medical claims. Details of the project are summarized in a case study on FINEOS.com. About FINEOS Corporation FINEOS (ASX:FCL) is a leading provider of core systems for life, accident and health insurers globally with 7 of the 10 largest employee benefits insurers in the U.S. as well as a 70% market share of group insurance in Australia. With employees and offices throughout the world, FINEOS continues to work with innovative, progressive insurers in North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific. For more information, visit FINEOS.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905155335/en/ Audrey Honig Geragosian Media Relations Lead +1 860-538-6638 Source: FINEOS Corporation Acquisition to accelerate Rockwells end-to-end autonomous production logistics solutions, providing safer, more efficient manufacturing environments for customers MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the worlds largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Ontario, Canada-based Clearpath Robotics Inc., a leader in autonomous robotics for industrial applications. Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are the next frontier in industrial automation and transformation, and this acquisition will supercharge Rockwells lead in bringing the Connected Enterprise to life. Transporting parts and materials to assembly lines and between manufacturing cells is one of the industrys most complex and inefficient tasks, often resulting in production bottlenecks. Autonomous production logistics will transform the workflow throughout a manufacturing plant, enabling substantial reductions in cost and greater operational efficiency. Clearpaths OTTO Motors Division offers AMRs and fleet management and navigation software, which dramatically increase throughput and reduce costs by ensuring components and subassemblies are in place when needed and by transporting finished goods to a truck or warehouse upon completion. Combined with Rockwells strong continuing partnerships in fixed robotic arms, solutions such as Independent Cart Technology, and traditional leadership in programmable logic controllers (PLCs), the addition of OTTO Motors AMR capabilities will create a complete portfolio of advanced material handling solutions unmatched in the industry. According to Interact Analysis, the market for AMRs in manufacturing is expected to grow about 30% per year over the next five years, with an estimated market size of $6.2 billion by 2027. This acquisition is expected to contribute a percentage point to Rockwells fiscal 2024 revenue growth. Rockwell and Clearpath together will simplify the difficult and labor-intensive task of moving materials and product through an orchestrated and safe system to optimize operations throughout the entire manufacturing facility, said Blake Moret, Chairman and CEO, Rockwell Automation. The combination of autonomous robots and PLC-based line control has long been a dream of plant managers in industries as diverse as automotive and consumer packaged goods. With Clearpath, Rockwell is uniquely positioned to make that dream a reality across virtually all discrete and hybrid verticals, optimizing planning, operations, and the workforce. Data from Rockwells offerings and OTTO Motors AMRs will be harnessed in artificial intelligence-powered Software as a Service information management applications, such as those by Rockwells Plex and Fiix businesses. With this, Rockwell will deliver a unified solution for manufacturing, enabling autonomous execution and optimization to increase efficiency and allow for traceability and real-time adjustments. The combined technology will also amplify Kalypsos production logistics consulting practice. Industrial customers are under ever-increasing pressure to do more with less. Autonomous production logistics is becoming a necessity to meet targets and stay competitive. We are excited to join Rockwell and help expand their leadership position in advanced material handling, said Matt Rendall, co-founder and CEO of Clearpath. Together, we will create safer and more productive workplaces with autonomous technology. Founded in 2009, Clearpath got its start offering robotics technology to global research and development markets, and in 2015, launched its OTTO Motors Division. The acquisition will be funded by a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Rockwells investment in PTC. It is subject to customary regulatory approval and is expected to close in the first quarter of Rockwells fiscal year 2024. At close, Clearpath will report to Rockwells Intelligent Devices operating segment. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC served as Rockwells financial advisor. About Rockwell Automation Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 28,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com. About Clearpath Robotics Clearpath Robotics Inc. is a global leader in autonomous technology for industry, serving thousands of the world's most innovative brands through the company's namesake research division and industrial division, OTTO Motors. We strive to automate the worlds dullest, dirtiest and deadliest work with Autonomous Mobile Robots, creating safer and more productive workplaces. Headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, the company was named one of Fast Companys Most Innovative Companies for 2023. To learn more about our Autonomous Mobile Robots, visit www.ottomotors.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905169725/en/ Media contact: Ed Moreland Head of Government Affairs and External Communications +1 571-296-0391 [email protected] Investor Relations contact: Aijana Zellner Head of Investor Relations and Market Strategy +1 414-382-8510 [email protected] Source: Rockwell Automation, Inc. NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Evercore (NYSE: EVR) announced today that Seth Bergstein has joined the firms investment banking business as a senior managing director in the Technology Group based in New York. His longtime colleague Sandeep Sharma will also be joining as a managing director, and the two will lead coverage of consulting, professional, technology & digital services, and business process outsourcing. Mr. Bergstein comes to Evercore from Morgan Stanley, where he started his career in 1988 as a financial analyst. In 2001, he founded the global services group, which he led until 2021 when he became a vice chairman of investment banking, responsible for leading coverage of several of the firms most important clients. Mr. Bergstein also served as a member of the management committee of investment banking for 13 years. Naveen Nataraj, co-head of Evercores U.S. Advisory business said, At the heart of Evercore lies a dedication to excellence, both in advice and execution. The addition of Seth to our team underscores our commitment to providing top-tier talent and services to our clients, as Seth is one of the most respected, talented and experienced professionals in his sectors. Mr. Bergstein said, I have always admired Evercores commitment to serve clients and to its focus on strategic thinking and innovation. With the evolving investment banking landscape, I look forward to joining such a talented and collaborative partnership and doing great work together for our clients. Mr. Bergstein holds an MBA from Northwestern University and a B.A. in economics, psychology and cognitive science from Wesleyan University. He is a trustee of both the Jewish Board and The Institute of International Education. About Evercore Evercore (NYSE: EVR) is a premier global independent investment banking advisory firm. We are dedicated to helping our clients achieve superior results through trusted independent and innovative advice on matters of strategic significance to boards of directors, management teams and shareholders, including mergers and acquisitions, strategic shareholder advisory, restructurings and capital structure. Evercore also assists clients in raising public and private capital, delivers equity research and equity sales and agency trading execution, and provides wealth and investment management services to high-net-worth and institutional investors. Founded in 1995, the firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices and affiliate offices in major financial centers in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. For more information, please visit www.evercore.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905244411/en/ Business: Naveen Nataraj Co-Head of U.S. Advisory [email protected] Media: Jamie Easton Head of Communications & External Affairs [email protected] Or Shree Dhond / Zach Kouwe Dukas Linden Public Relations [email protected] (646) 722-6531 Investor: Katy Haber Head of Investor Relations & ESG [email protected] Source: Evercore At SEMICON Taiwan 2023, TXOne Networks to showcase new Edge V2 engine, industrys first practical solution for cost-effectively defining rules across OT network segments to isolate security breaches and safeguard reliable operations IRVING, Texas, & TAIPEI, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TXOne Networks, a leader in industrial cybersecurity, announced the second generation of its Edge engine for eliminating the spread of operational technology (OT) network infections and safeguarding reliable operations. Edge V2 is the first industry solution to deliver automatic rule generation, enabling effortless network segmentation in complex, large-scale OT environments. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905978164/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) TXOne Networks will showcase its Edge purpose-built OT security appliances leveraging the new V2 engine in Booth P5322 at SEMICON Taiwan 2023, scheduled for September 6-8 in Taipei. Our Edge suite of solutions helps to ensure the reliability, safety and availability of industrial processes and infrastructure by delivering proactive protection of OT assets and eliminating malicious acts during the crucial production stage, said Terence Liu, chief executive officer, TXOne Networks. The introduction of our unique capability for automatic rule generation in Edge V2 is a breakthrough for semiconductor companies and organizations in sectors such as manufacturing, oil and gas, automotive and pharmaceuticals. Edge V2 eliminates months of effort in preparing an OT environment for effective network segmentation to keep operations running throughout cybersecurity events. OT environments often are giant, diverse and flat networks in which a compromise of one device can quickly propagate via an internal network to all other connected devices. Effective network segmentation is the first crucial step to controlling and mitigating the harm of security events. But because each network segment typically is characterized by different applications, software and hardware that work together to accomplish certain OT tasks, it historically has been time-consuming, labor-intensive and prohibitively expensive to define the potentially thousands of rules around what network protocols and signals are allowed to be transmitted across a given segment in the event of a breach. The Edge V2 engine enables effortless network segmentation via automated rule generation and learning. The TXOne Networks solution learns from the communications traffic passing through an organizations network and generates customized OT-protocol trust lists for that specific infrastructure. Edge V2 is equipped with operation-oriented OT network visibility design and an advanced OT-intelligent policy deployment mechanism. The solution also delivers inline virtual patching for proactive protection from vulnerabilities without operational downtime, form-factor flexibility for building a defense-in-depth posture and deep analysis across a tremendous range of network protocols. Learn more about Edge. Follow TXOne Networks on Blog, Twitter, and LinkedIn. About TXOne Networks TXOne Networks offers cybersecurity solutions that ensure the reliability and safety of industrial control systems and operational technology environments. TXOne Networks works together with both leading manufacturers and critical infrastructure operators to develop practical, operations-friendly approaches to cyber defense. TXOne Networks offers both network-based and endpoint-based products to secure the OT network and mission-critical devices using a real-time, defense-in-depth approach. www.txone.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905978164/en/ Global Media Contacts Lynette Lee [email protected] America Media Contacts De Anne OConnell [email protected] Minu Seshasayee Interprose for TXOne Networks [email protected] +1 425.283.7426 Source: TXOne Networks Scientists hailing from the Fish Ecology Laboratory at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ) have recently pinpointed three previously unknown locations where the cloud fish, a group of rivulids comprising over 300 species scattered across Brazil, can be found. Of this total, 130 species are threatened with extinction, as per the official species list published by the Ministry of the Environment. Consequently, they occupy the top spot for the highest number of endangered species within the Brazilian fauna, Azernews reports, citing Agencia Brasil. Among these three newly discovered sites for the Notholebias minimus species in the state of Rio de Janeiro, one lies within the protective embrace of the Brisas Environmental Protection Area (APA) in Sepetiba Bay, while the other two are nestled in the municipality of Seropedica, one of which graces the university campus itself. These breakthroughs stem from the doctoral research conducted by Gustavo Henrique Soares Guedes within UFRRJ's Postgraduate Program in Animal Biology. These findings have been hailed as a cause for celebration, given the species' precarious position on the brink of extinction in the wild. In an interview with Agencia Brasil, Gustavo Guedes explained that the Notholebias minimus species is endemic to Rio de Janeiro. It doesn't exist anywhere else in the world, he said. The fish are small, colorful, and increasingly rare. They reach a maximum length of four centimeters. Guedes further elaborated that the entire coastal plain of Rio de Janeiro, stretching from Copacabana to Seropedica, historically comprised marshes that served as the habitat for this cloud fish species, Notholebias minimus. He remarked, We still have many records today in Barra da Tijuca due to the slow pace of urban expansion. Threats to species Threats to these species loom large, exacerbated by limited knowledge regarding cloud fish, which constitute the most endangered group of fauna in Brazil. This stems partly from habitat loss and degradation, particularly in the Atlantic Forest, where human activity has decimated numerous wetlands hosting these species. Additional emerging threats include climate change, invasive species, and pollution. Guedes revealed the peril of fish trafficking as another menacing threat, with traffickers primarily dealing in cloud fish eggs rather than the fish themselves. They don't send the fish to Europe or the United States; they send the eggs, which can even be sent by post. For this reason, Guedes said it is very difficult to detect the trafficking of these animals. And this is also one of the threats, because many traffickers take these fish out of the environment, breed them in aquariums, take the eggs and sell them around the world. The eggs are remarkably resilient, and capable of surviving without water for up to six months. Life cycle These cloud fish boast a unique life cycle, alternating between aquatic environments during the rainy season and terrestrial habitats during the dry season. Guedes explained, They exhibit a strong zonality in their life cycle, occupying temporary wetlands during specific times of the year. When the environment dries out, these fish reproduce, depositing their eggs in the soil, which boasts remarkable resilience. These eggs remain buried for months without water. When the rains return, these fish hatch and repopulate the aquatic environment. In times past, before scientific knowledge prevailed, the popular belief was that these fish descended from the sky with the rain, hence earning them the moniker 'cloud fish.' Mapping initiative Gustavo Guedes and his team are going to map cloud fish all over Brazil to try to uncover new habitats harboring these imperiled species. Establishing conservation units stands as an effective strategy to safeguard these fish while assessing their vulnerability to climate change. Fieldwork is slated to commence next October in the Lakes Region of Rio de Janeiro, timed to coincide with the onset of seasonal rains. The latest data regarding these fish's distribution is accessible through the Brazilian Biodiversity Information System (SIBBr) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), digital platforms that integrate open data pertaining to biodiversity and ecosystems. The history of France is also the history of all those who have arrived over the passage of time to live on French territory, dating back as far as the 17th century. At least that is one of the messages that the French National Immigration History Museum in Paris, which reopened its doors this summer after a three-year renovation, is seeking to put across. Through a chronological tour, the museums new collection aims to tell the story of how the country has been built through the contribution of its millions of immigrants. A common and sometimes tumultuous history that, according to the institution, helps to provide understanding of an essential part of the French identity and to break down prejudices in the context of the rise of the extreme right. France cannot be understood without immigration. One third of French people are of immigrant origin. It is part of our history and even of the construction of the country and of the French spirit, says Constance Riviere, general manager of the Porte Doree Palace that houses the museum. The imposing art deco building, in the southeast of Paris, holds its own significance. It was built in 1931 for the Paris Colonial Exposition and its facade features an impressive bas-relief gallery, which sought to exalt the colonial power that France was at the time. The Porte Doree Palace in Paris. Pascal Lemaitre The exhibition focuses precisely on that colonial past, although it begins more than 200 years earlier, in 1685. On that date, King Louis XIV promulgated the so-called Code Noir (Black Code), a decree regulating the slave trade in the French West Indies and defining slaves as objects, not people. On the wall of the first room, one fact stands out: more than 1.4 million Africans were deported by France to its colonies between 1642 and 1848. The exhibition then goes into other details, such as the ban established in 1777 on colored people entering French territory unless they worked for a white person. Little by little, the exhibition lays out the way in which the requirements to be a French citizen were defined and redefined. There are many people who are immigrants today, but who at a certain time were considered French nationals. I am thinking in particular of Algerians, says Riviere, who succeeded former education minister Pap Ndiaye and worked in the cabinet of former socialist president Francois Hollande. Algeria, a French colony from 1830 to 1962, occupies a key place in the exhibition. Its citizens were considered neither French nor foreign, but indigenous, French subjects and later French Muslims of Algeria. Visitors in the section of the exhibition dedicated to the treatment of slaves in France and its colonies. Anne Volery We dont count as human beings here The exhibition mixes history and personal experience. It tells the story of the Senegalese Tirailleurs (sharpshooters) recruited by France to fight in World War II and of the foreigners who participated in the resistance. Between 1947 and 1975, the number of foreigners in France doubled to 3.4 million, during an era when cheap labor formed the backbone of the countrys post-war reconstruction. Migrants took the jobs that the French did not want, such as the Spanish maids, portrayed in photos and in a documentary filmed in 1969, in which a young Galician migrant describes her work and living conditions as an employee of a wealthy family in Paris. We live in a family, but we dont feel like a family. When everyone is together at mealtime, we are alone in the kitchen. This family atmosphere is forbidden to us, she recounts. We dont count as human beings here, she adds, as images of the large apartment where she works scroll by. Between 1964 and 1979, the country also welcomed 15,000 political exiles from Latin America, mainly Brazilians, Argentines, Uruguayans and Chileans. Then came some 13,000 refugees who fled Vietnam by sea after the war. But the reception conditions, the exhibition points out, were not always ideal, and neither were the often-unsanitary places where migrant workers were housed. This situation led to major social protests in defense of the rights of migrant workers and, later, against violence and crimes against immigrants, which were on the rise at a time of stricter immigration policies in the context of an economic crisis. Between 1945 and 1980, there was no law on immigration. Between 1980 and today, there is a new law almost every two years. It has become a political fact and the museum has to draw attention to it. It is part of Frances relationship with immigration, explains Riviere. Spanish maids photographed by Jean-Philippe Charbonnier, on display at the museum. Jean-Philippe CHARBONNIER / RAPHO-TOP The emergence of the banlieues The museum also focuses on two key moments in 1983, when the far-right National Front party now Marine Le Pens National Rally won its first municipal election victories with an openly anti-immigrant discourse. At the same time, in the southern city of Marseille, a group of 32 people started a march for equality and against racism that ended weeks later in Paris with a demonstration numbering some 100,000 people. The protest shook French society and constituted the first political eruption of second-generation immigrants. The exhibition also devotes space to the emergence of the banlieues and how they began to insert themselves into the political debates of the 1980s when these suburbs, populated mainly by the children and grandchildren of immigrants from the Maghreb and Africa, experienced their first outbreaks of violence and clashes with police forces. These flared up again two months ago after a 17-year-old of Moroccan and Algerian descent was shot and killed by a policeman in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. To mark its reopening, the museum launched a publicity campaign with posters that read: It is incredible how many foreigners have made French history. One of them portrayed the monarch Louis XIV, the Sun King, who reigned for 72 years. In small type and in brackets, it added: Spanish mother, Austrian grandmother. A room at the exhibition displaying anti-racist posters. Anne Volery Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition FILE PHOTO: Pump jacks operate at sunset in an oil field in Midland, Texas U.S. August 22, 2018. Picture taken August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo By Shariq Khan BENGALURU (Reuters) - Oil prices rose a dollar a barrel on Tuesday to their highest since November, after Saudi Arabia and Russia extended their voluntary supply cuts to the end of the year, worrying investors about potential shortages during peak winter demand. Brent crude futures rose by $1.04, or 1.2%, to settle at $90.04 a barrel, closing above the $90 mark for the first time since November 16, 2022. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) futures gained $1.14, or 1.3%, to settle at $86.69 a barrel, also a 10-month high. Investors had expected Saudi Arabia and Russia to extend voluntary cuts into October, but the three-month extension was unexpected. "This is a clear indication that oil prices trump volume (for Saudi Arabia)," said Jorge Leon, senior vice president at Rystad Energy. "These bullish moves significantly tighten the global oil market and can only result in one thing: higher oil prices worldwide," Leon added. Both Saudi Arabia and Russia said they would review the supply cuts monthly, and could modify them depending on market conditions. "With the production cut extended, we anticipate a market deficit of more than 1.5 million barrels per day in 4Q23," UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo wrote in a note to clients. UBS now expects Brent crude to rise to $95 a barrel by year-end. Reflecting concerns about the short-term market supply, front month Brent and WTI contracts were also trading at their steepest premium since November to later-dated prices. This structure, called backwardation, indicates tightening supply for prompt deliveries. Also supporting oil prices on Tuesday, Goldman Sachs said it now sees the probability of a U.S. recession starting in the next 12 months at 15%, down from an earlier forecast of 20%. Along with the Saudi supply cuts, which began in July, prospects of the U.S. economy avoiding a hard recession have helped lift oil demand and prices in recent months. Both Brent and WTI futures have gained more than 20% since the end of June. (Reporting by Shariq Khan; Additional reporting by Natalie Grover, Katya Golubkova and Andrew Hayley; Editing by Andrea Ricci, Nick Macfie and Timothy Gardner) Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG) today announced the acquisition of UK -based Lifesure Group Limited (Lifesure). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Lifesure provides personal lines insurance broking services in the vacation/holiday and leisure industry, with products including park home, motorhome, caravan and leisure home insurance. As part of the transaction Gallagher will also acquire Lifesure's affiliated company Barnes Commercial, an insurance broker serving small-to-medium businesses. Paul Reid and his team will become part of Gallagher's UK & Ireland Retail division. "Lifesure has an excellent reputation for client relationships and will enhance our UK retail capabilities in the niche personal lines space," said J. Patrick Gallagher , Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "I am delighted to welcome Paul and his colleagues to Gallagher." Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois . Gallagher provides these services in approximately 130 countries around the world through its owned operations and a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. Investors: Ray Iardella , VP - Investor Relations Media: Paul Day , Communications Manager 630-285-3661/ [email protected] 630-285-5946/ [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/arthur-j-gallagher--co-acquires-lifesure-group-limited-301916329.html SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. On Monday, Ford Motor (NYSE: F) shared that they're pushing back the production of their long-awaited Explorer SUV in Cologne by about six months. The reason behind this move, as explained by Ford's Germany chief, is to wait for the new generation of Volkswagen battery tech to become available. The chief mentioned in an interview at Munich's IAA car show that production is set to kick off in the summer of the following year. The German head also mentioned that talks were in progress to figure out the implications for the workforce in Cologne. The American car manufacturer currently offers two fully electric SUVs and an e-Transit van in Europe. However, they have ambitious plans with seven new models slated for release by 2024, including two manufactured in Cologne and one in Romania. According to Martin Sander, the Ford Model e Europe General Manager, production of the second new model in Cologne, which is also based on Volkswagen's MEB platform, will start a few weeks after the first one. Ford hasn't established precise production targets for these new models yet. According to Sander, they won't initially utilize the full capacity of the Cologne plant, which has the capability to produce 250,000 vehicles. Instead, they plan to gradually increase production in response to the growing demand for electric vehicles. Shares of F are up 0.08% in pre-market trading Tuesday. By Michael Elkins | [email protected] According to CEO Luca de Meol, Renault's Ampere electric vehicle division, set to go public through an initial public offering (IPO), might attain a valuation of around 10 billion euros ($10.8 billion). During an interview with the Financial Times at the Munich IAA car show on Monday, De Meo suggested that Ampere's market worth could range from eight to ten billion euros when it goes public next year. De Meo confirmed that the timeframe for Ampere's IPO, as it aims become a pure player in electric vehicles and software, remains scheduled for next spring, contingent upon favorable market conditions. "It's not me who sets the price. The only thing I can do is give some details, and that's what we're going to do next week, we're going to New York, we have to we go around to investors, Said De Meo. Last week, UBS suggested that Ampere might be worth between 3 to 4 billion euros when it goes public. But on Monday, de Meo told reporters that this figure doesn't quite capture the full value of everything Ampere brings to the table, including things like car platforms, advanced electronics and software, production facilities, engines, and the talented team of engineers. Spinning off Ampere will provide product specialization and a "substantive and holistic response to potential competition from the Chinese and the Americans." Added De Meo. By Michael Elkins | [email protected] OCALA, Fla., Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AIM ImmunoTech Inc. (NYSE American: AIM) (AIM or the Company) today announced that Thomas K. Equels, Chief Executive Officer of AIM, will present at the H.C. Wainwright 25th Annual Global Investment Conference being held September 11-13, 2023 in New York, NY and virtually. In addition to the presentation, management will be available to participate in virtual one-on-one meetings with qualified members of the investor community who are registered to attend the conference. For more information about the conference, please visit the conference website. A video webcast of the presentation will be accessible for viewing on-demand beginning on Monday, September 11 at 7:00 AM ET for those registered for the event and will be available on the Events page in the Investors section of the Companys website (aimimmuno.com). The webcast replay will be archived for 90 days following the event. About AIM ImmunoTech Inc. AIM ImmunoTech Inc. is an immuno-pharma company focused on the research and development of therapeutics to treat multiple types of cancers, immune disorders and viral diseases, including COVID-19. The Companys lead product is a first-in-class investigational drug called Ampligen (rintatolimod), a dsRNA and highly selective TLR3 agonist immuno-modulator with broad spectrum activity in clinical trials for globally important cancers, viral diseases and disorders of the immune system. For more information, please visit aimimmuno.com and connect with the Company on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Investor Contact: JTC Team, LLC Jenene Thomas (833) 475-8247 [email protected] Source: AIM ImmunoTech Inc. BOSTON, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aqua Security, the pioneer in cloud native security, announced today that it has achieved the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) in process authorization at a high impact level and is listed in the FedRAMP marketplace. Sponsored by the Department of Education, this achievement is an important milestone in the companys journey to provide innovative security from code to cloud and back for federal, state and local government agencies with its Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP). Aqua is in process of achieving the exclusive high impact authorization, which includes more than 400 security controls and standards, to validate that the solution meets the security requirements necessary to protect the federal governments most sensitive unclassified data in cloud computing environments. This prestigious authorization currently includes fewer than 20 companies such as Microsoft, AWS and Okta, among other top industry players. This year alone, U.S. federal agencies will spend $9 billion on cloud-based solutions, emphasizing the need for compliant security capabilities for the public sector. Obtaining a FedRAMP certification indicates that a solutions provider has undergone an exhaustive assessment process to meet extensive security benchmarks and demonstrates readiness to provide cyber resilience for government agencies. Becoming FedRAMP certified will allow U.S. federal government organizations to leverage Aquas unified CNAPP to secure their entire software development lifecycle (SDLC), from the software supply chain to runtime. Aquas pursuit of FedRAMP authorization underscores our unwavering commitment to delivering the highest level of security and compliance to our public sector clients, said Youssef Takhssaiti, director of FedRAMP and public sector at Aqua Security. By achieving this status, we are one step closer to meeting critical public sector demand for market-leading cloud native application protection. Aqua Securitys CNAPP helps U.S. federal government agencies address, comply and execute on Executive Order (EO) 14028 and OMB M-22-09, as well as other critical cybersecurity requirements issued regarding software hygiene, and asset and data protection. Over the last year, Aqua has made significant investments to build its federal division and has grown its customer base by 20% and its team by 60%, including adding Takhssaiti to lead its FedRAMP authorization process. Aqua holds other industry certifications including ISO/IEC 27001 and SOC 2 Type II. Visit the website to learn more about Aquas federal solutions and view Aquas page in the FedRAMP marketplace. About Aqua SecurityAqua Security sees and stops attacks across the entire cloud native application lifecycle in a single, integrated platform. From software supply chain security for developers to cloud security and runtime protection for security teams, Aqua helps customers reduce risk while building the future of their businesses. The Aqua Platform is the industrys most comprehensive Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP). Founded in 2015, Aqua is headquartered in Boston, MA and Ramat Gan, IL with Fortune 1000 customers in over 40 countries. For more information, visit https://www.aquasec.com. Contact: Jennifer TannerLook Left Marketing [email protected] Source: Aqua Security LONDON, Ontario, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) has named Dr. Antonio Calcagno, Professor of Philosophy at Kings, among Canadas top scholars. Dr. Calcagno has received the honour of being elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in the Academy of the Arts and Humanities. Dr. Calcagno will receive the recognition on November 16, 2023, at the Royal Society of Canada Celebration of Excellence & Engagement in Waterloo, Ontario. At Kings, Dr. Calcagno specializes in social and political theory as both a researcher and instructor. His work in early phenomenology focuses both on canonical thinkers and on the archival and interpretive recovery of women philosophers who set the foundation for the phenomenological movement. His extensive body of scholarship has brought to the foreground the contributions of figures marginalized by racism, sexism, and prejudice, including Edith Stein and Gerda Walther. As well, Dr. Calcagno has been a key figure in introducing contemporary Italian philosophy to wider audiences. His connections to Italy have benefited Kings students. In 2017, he helped to establish an experiential learning program at the Rondine Centre in Italy for Kings Social Justice and Peace Studies students as part of their course studies and he has been an instructor for the Kings course there. Being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada adds to Dr. Calcagnos long list of academic recognitions. Dr. Calcagno is the author of five books, editor of seventeen books and has published over 100 articles. Along with Dr. Silvia Benso, he is also the translator of the forthcoming work of the philosopher Elena Pulcini. The winner of various major SSHRC grants, he is the co-founder of the North American Society for Early Phenomenology and the Society for Italian Philosophy. In 2018, he received the Kings University College Hugh Mellon Excellence in Research Award, named in honour of the late Dr. Hugh Mellon, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Kings University College. Quotes: Dr. Antonio Calcagno, Professor of Philosophy, Kings University CollegeThis award is meaningful because it helps recognize the importance of a broad, pluralist approach to philosophy. More research work needs to be carried out to expand our understanding of the rich and diverse figures and traditions that constitute human thinking and the life of the mind. My own work in phenomenology, history of philosophy, and social and political thought is very much dedicated to this ideal. Dr. David Malloy, President, Kings University CollegeThis is truly an outstanding achievement for Dr. Calcagno. Recognized globally for years as an important philosopher of social and political philosophy, Antonio is receiving from the Royal Society of Canada well-deserved recognition for his contribution to the academy. We are so very proud to call him our own. Dr. Robert Ventresca, Vice President and Academic Dean (Interim), Kings University CollegeI cant think of a more worthy choice for this distinguished honour, whom Im honoured to call a colleague and a friend. Antonio is warmly regarded by peers and students alike for his humane and compassionate approach to teaching and learning, and for his ability to transcend disciplinary boundaries in communicating the deep insights of his work to advance our understanding of, and appreciation for, the human condition. About Dr. Antonio CalcagnoAt Kings, Dr. Calcagno specializes in social and political theory as both a researcher and instructor. His work in early phenomenology focuses both on canonical thinkers and on the archival and interpretive recovery of women philosophers who set the foundation for the phenomenological movement. His extensive body of scholarship has brought to the foreground the contributions of figures marginalized by racism, sexism, and prejudice, including Edith Stein and Gerda Walther. As well, Dr. Calcagno has been a key figure in introducing contemporary Italian philosophy to wider audiences. His connections to Italy have benefited Kings students. In 2017, he helped to establish an experiential learning program at the Rondine Centre in Italy for Kings Social Justice and Peace Studies students as part of their course studies and he has been an instructor for the Kings course there. Being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada adds to Dr. Calcagnos long list of academic recognitions. Dr. Calcagno is the author of five books, editor of seventeen books and has published over 100 articles. Along with Dr. Silvia Benso, he is also the translator of the forthcoming work of the philosopher Elena Pulcini. The winner of various major SSHRC grants, he is the co-founder of the North American Society for Early Phenomenology and the Society for Italian Philosophy. In 2018, he received the Kings University College Hugh Mellon Excellence in Research Award, named in honour of the late Dr. Hugh Mellon, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Kings University College. About Kings Kings is a public Catholic University College that provides general and honours degree programs in the liberal arts, social sciences, management, and a master's degree in social work. Institutionally autonomous, Kings is academically affiliated with Western University, and Kings graduates receive a Western University degree. Kings is open to students of all faith backgrounds, with its community entered on the values of social justice, equality and the education of the whole person. About the Royal Society of Canada (RSS)The Royal Society of Canada was founded in 1882 and is the senior national body of distinguished Canadian scholars and scientists. Fellows are nominated and selected by their peers for outstanding academic contributions to the humanities, natural and social sciences. Kings has one other elected Fellow, Dr. Paul Werstine, Professor of English. Kings also has elected members of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, which recognizes emerging academics by the Royal Society of Canada. These include Dr. Robert Ventresca, Dr. Rachel Birnbaum and Dr. Calcagno (2015). For more information, please contact: Jane Antoniak, MCM, APR Director, Communications & Media Relations Kings University College 266 Epworth Ave. London, ON [email protected] 519-719-9366 @kingsatwestern www.kings.uwo.ca Source: King's University College The nations #1 EV festival stops in Seattle to offer a weekend full of electric adventures with the world's top electric cars & trucks, e-motorcycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards on multiple demo courses, including a velodrome high-speed e-bike track Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10; tickets can be purchased online and in person SEATTLE, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Electrify Expo, North Americas largest electric vehicle (EV) festival, is bringing all-electric fun for families, shoppers and thrill seekers to Seattle this weekend for an action-packed event, September 9-10, at Marymoor Park in Redmond, Washington. Attendees at Electrify Expo will ride, drive and demo the world's leading electric cars and trucks alongside electric motorcycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards and more. Consumers are embracing the idea to go electric but still have questions about what that means, said BJ Birtwell, CEO and founder of Electrify Expo. Electrify Expo answers that by making it easy for consumers to get behind the wheel of an EV, hop on the seat of an e-bike, e-scooter, e-motorcycle and more on a variety of demo courses. Theres no better way to drive EV adoption than hands-on experiences with these products from the worlds leading brands. According to Axios, Seattle's adoption of EVs has far outpaced the nations and Electrify Expo is bringing nearly every EV maker right to their backyards to try the vehicles out for themselves. Electrify Expo Seattle will be the final stop on the West Coast for the 2023 tour. Following New York, this will be the second time the US public will get to see Volvos new EX30 affordable SUV, the companys first compact fully electric crossover is its quickest car ever, alongside their new EX90 fully-electric SUV. One of the most anticipated EVs of the year, the all-new spacious Kia EV9 SUV with third row seating for up to seven passengers, will also be on display at the festival before it hits the roads later this year. The Polestar 3 SUV also made its debut at Electrify Expo San Francisco and will make the trip to Seattle for the first time. Tesla will be on display with their Model 3, S, X & Y, including a Plaid version for consumers to test out. Ford will have their Mach-E and F150 Lightning on display as well as available for consumer test drives. Whether you're looking for a high performance demo or a comfortable street cruise, Electrify Expo is the one-stop shop to kick the tires on all things electric including: BMW: i7, iX xDrive50, iX M60, i4 eDrive 35, i4 eDrive 40, i4 M50 Ford: Mach-E, F150 Lightning Kia: EV9 SUV, EV6, EV6 GT, Niro EV Mitsubishi: Outlander PHEV Polestar: 2, 3 and 2 BST Porsche: Porsche Taycan Tesla: Models S, 3, X, Y Toyota: Prius Prime, Prius, Tundra, Sequoia Hybrid, Corolla Cross HV, BZ4X Volvo: EX30, EX90, All-electric XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge; Plug-in Hybrid XC90 Recharge In addition to automakers, Seattle attendees will experience exciting e-bike, e-scooter, and other micromobility and powersport products on two and four wheels from top brands including: Monday Motorbikes Ryvid E-Motorcycles P-51 E-Bikes Gocycle Stromer E-Bikes Async E-Bikes Volcon ePowersports and many more The Seattle stop includes a special velodrome track for consumers seeking a thrilling experience on an e-bike. For a full brand lineup, visit www.electrifyexpo.com. Electrify Expo gates will open at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, September 9-10, with a full day of fun concluding at 5 p.m. each day. Tickets for Electrify Expo are available to purchase in person and online. Media interested in attending may request credentials by emailing [email protected]. About Electrify ExpoElectrify Expo is North America's largest outdoor electric vehicle (EV) festival showcasing the latest technology and products in electrification including startup and legacy EVs, electric motorcycles, bikes, scooters, skateboards, boats, surfboards and more. The festival addresses one of the most challenging barriers to mass adoption of electric vehicles - first hand experience with the product - with meaningful demonstrations and test rides. Top brands from around the world exhibit and attend Electrify Expos events to meet consumers at all stages on their path to electrification. 2023 events will take place in Long Beach and San Francisco, Calif., Washington DC, New York, Seattle, Miami, and Austin, Texas. To stay up to date on the latest news and announcements from Electrify Expo, visit www.electrifyexpo.com and follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Media ContactSkyya PR[email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f301b5b9-5167-49d7-948f-a4f4eab6378b Electrify Expo Heads to Seattle Electrify Expo heads to Seattle this weekend September 9-10. Source: Electrify Expo United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain at the Ford Motor Michigan Assembly Plant to mark the beginning of contract negotiations in Wayne, Michigan, U.S. July 12, 2023. A 46% pay raise. A 32-hour week with 40 hours of pay. A restoration of traditional pensions. The demands that a more combative United Auto Workers union has pressed on General Motors, Stellantis and Ford demands that even the UAWs own president calls audacious are edging it closer to a strike when its contract ends Sept. 14. The automakers, which are making billions in profits, have dismissed the UAWs wish list. They argue that its demands are unrealistic at a time of fierce competition from Tesla and lower-wage foreign automakers as the world shifts from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles. The wide gulf between the sides could mean a strike against one or more of the automakers, which could send already-inflated vehicle prices even higher. A potential strike by 146,000 UAW members comes against the backdrop of increasingly emboldened U.S. unions of all kinds. The number of strikes and threatened strikes is growing, involving Hollywood actors and writers, sizable settlements with railroads and major concessions by corporate giants like UPS. Shawn Fain, who won the UAWs presidency this spring in the first direct election by members, has set high expectations and assured union members that they can achieve significant gains if they are willing to walk picket lines. In a speech to a Labor Day parade crowd in Detroit on Monday, Fain said that if the companies dont come up with a fair contract, come Sept. 14, were going to take action to get it by any means necessary. Fain has characterized the contract talks with Detroit automakers as a form of war between billionaires and ordinary middle-class workers. Last month, in an act of showmanship during a Facebook Live event, Fain condemned a contract proposal from Stellantis as trash and tossed a copy of it into a wastebasket, where it belongs, he said. Over the past decade, the Detroit Three have emerged as robust profit-makers. Theyve collectively posted net income of $164 billion over the past decade, $20 billion of it this year. The CEOs of all three major automakers earn multiple millions in annual compensation. Speaking last month to Ford workers at a plant in Louisville, Kentucky, Fain complained about one standard for the corporate class and another for ordinary workers. They get out-of-control salaries, he said. They get pensions they dont even need. They get top-rate health care. They work whatever schedule they want. The majority of our members do not get a pension nowadays. Its crazy. We get substandard health care. We dont get to work remotely. UAW members have voted overwhelmingly to authorize its leaders to call a strike. So, too, have Canadian auto workers, whose contracts end four days later and who have designated Ford as their target. The UAW hasnt said whether it will select one target automaker. It could strike all three, though doing so could deplete the unions strike fund in under three months. On the other hand, if a strike lasted even just 10 days, it would cost the three automakers nearly a billion dollars, the Anderson Economic Group has calculated. During a 40-day UAW strike in 2019, GM alone lost $3.6 billion. Last week, the union filed charges of unfair labor practices against Stellantis and GM, which it said have yet to offer counterproposals. As for Ford, Fain asserted that its response, by rejecting most of the unions demands, insults our very worth. All three automakers have countered that the unions charges are baseless and that theyre seeking a fair deal that would allow them to invest in the future. Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, suggested that the strong U.S. job market and the companies outsize profits have given Fain leverage in negotiations. In addition, he noted, the automakers are poised to release a slew of new electric vehicles that would be delayed by a strike. And they have only a limited supply of vehicles to withstand a prolonged walkout. They are vulnerable, Masters said. The question really is, he said, are the parties willing to move on some of these things at the table? That hasnt been evident yet. Even Fain has described the unions proposals as audacious in demanding the restoration of traditional defined-benefit pensions for new hires; an end to tiers of wages; pension increases for retirees; and perhaps boldest of all a 32-hour week for 40 hours of pay. Currently, UAW workers who were hired after 2007 dont receive defined-benefit pensions. Their health benefits are less generous, too. For years, the union gave up general pay raises and lost cost-of-living wage increases to help the companies control costs. Though top-scale assembly workers earn $32.32 an hour, temporary workers start at just under $17. Still, full-time workers have received profit-sharing checks ranging this year from $9,716 at Ford to $14,760 at Stellantis. At Detroits Labor Day Parade, workers said a strike appears likely now. Jason Craig, a worker at a Stellantis parts warehouse near Detroit, said his company appears most likely to be the strike target, but he said the union might go to Ford because it seems more family-oriented. Fain reiterated Monday that all three companies remain strike targets. Perhaps the biggest issue blocking a contract agreement is union representation at 10 EV battery plants that the companies have proposed. Most of these plants are joint ventures with South Korean battery makers, which want to pay less. These battery workers deserve the same wage and salary standards that generations of auto workers have fought for, Fain told members. The union fears that because EVs are simpler to build, with fewer moving parts, fewer workers will be needed to assemble them. In addition, workers at combustion engine and transmission plants will likely lose jobs in the transition; theyll need a place to go. Fain, a 54-year-old electrician who came out of a Chrysler factory in Kokomo, Indiana, is among several labor leaders across the economy who have been escalating their demands and flexing their muscles. So far this year, 247 strikes have occurred involving 341,000 workers the most since Cornell University began tracking strikes in 2021, though still well below the numbers during the 1970s and 1980s. Masters suggested that the automakers wouldnt be able to quickly replace striking workers. The tight job market, diminished interest in manufacturing jobs and comparatively modest wages would make it difficult to hire enough workers. Some auto workers regard the UPS contract, with a $49-an-hour top wage for experienced drivers, as a benchmark for their negotiations. Others say theyre just hoping to get near that figure. But automakers say a generous settlement would stick them with costs far above their competitors just as they start producing more EVs. The inability to bring Hyundai-Kia, Nissan, Volkswagen, Honda and Toyota factories into the union has weakened the UAWs leverage, said Harry Katz, a labor professor at Cornell. If you include the value of their benefits, workers at the Detroit 3 automakers receive around $60 an hour. The corresponding figure at foreign-based automakers with U.S. factories is just $40 to $45, Katz said. Much of the disparity reflects pensions and health care. If the Detroit companies end up with higher labor costs, theyll pass them on to consumers, making vehicles more expensive, said Sam Fiorani, an analyst with AutoForecast Solutions, a consulting firm. More than half of the vehicles built in the U.S. are in nonunion plants, he said. So if you raise the price to build a unionized vehicle, you could price yourself out of competition with vehicles already built in North America. A strike of more than a couple of weeks would reduce still-tight supplies of vehicles on Detroit automakers dealer lots. With demand still strong, prices would rise. The UAWs members are reminding management that management cant operate those factories without a settlement, Katz said. Masters and Katz say theres still time to settle without a strike. Katz predicts a settlement short of UPS numbers, possibly with 3% general pay raises plus cost-of-living adjustments, increased company contributions to 401(k) accounts for newer workers and faster transitions to top pay. That said, Katz suggested, Fain has to back up his tough talk: Hes got to prove himself. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition SALISBURY, N.C., Sept. 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, Food Lion Feeds is responding to the needs of its neighbors in South Georgia, whom recent power outages have impacted. Providing support to partner food bank Second Harvest of South Georgia, Food Lion Feeds is sending a truckload* of 19 pallets of water. The Food Lion brand bottle water equals more than 40,000 pounds, or nearly 4,000 gallons. Food Lion Feeds was founded in 2014 by Food Lion to address food insecurity in the towns and cities it serves. Second Harvest of South Georgia serves 26 counties with branches in three cities. At Food Lion, we care for the towns and cities we serve because we know our neighbors and associates count on us every day, said Angela Wheeler, Community Relations Specialist, Southern Division, Food Lion. Part of demonstrating care is lending a hand to support our communities during times of need. We are humbled to assist our neighbors in South Georgia by providing cases of water that will help them as they recover from the effects of the hurricane. Video 1: An ADUSA Distribution associate supports Food Lion Feeds emergency-relief efforts by loading water onto a semi-trailer for delivery to Second Harvest of South Georgia in Valdosta, GA. Video 2: The semi-trailer is set to deliver 19 pallets of Food Lion water by Tuesday, Sept. 5, to Second Harvest of South Georgia in Valdosta, GA, to support neighbors impacted by the power outages from Hurricane Idalia. *Editors Note The delivery of the truckload of water is supported by the ADUSA Distribution Center in Greenville, SC. The ADUSA Distribution Center, Ahold Delhaize USAs distribution and transportation company, supports Food Lion. Both Food Lion and ADUSA Distribution and Transportation companies are part of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. About Food LionFood Lion is an omnichannel retailer committed to nourishing its neighbors during the moments that matter most. More than 82,000 associates across 1,100+ stores deliver an easy, fresh and affordable shopping experience throughout 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. Through its Count on me culture, Food Lion fosters a sense of belonging for all associates, promoting a diverse and inclusive environment that has supported LGBTQ+ equality for nearly two decades. Food Lion is the only company in the country to be named an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for 22 consecutive years. It also pioneered a food rescue program to support food-insecure neighbors. Through Food Lion Feeds, the retailer has donated more than 1 billion meals to individuals and families since 2014 and has committed to donate 1.5 billion meals by 2025. Founded and based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit foodlion.com. CONTACT: Food Lion Media Relations 704-245-3317 [email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bfd8b936-3ca0-422e-9b5c-1e63d13c0c33 Videos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/13e8822a-6ee7-40b3-a96e-7bfb237461b2 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/06108e99-3ed2-4975-81d9-026e5df9abed Truckload of Water An ADUSA Distribution associate supports Food Lion Feeds emergency-relief efforts by loading water onto a semi-trailer for delivery to Second Harvest of South Georgia in Valdosta, GA. Source: Food Lion MONT-SAINT-GUIBERT, Belgium, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Celyad Oncology (Euronext: CYAD) (the Company or Celyad Oncology), today announces the below information following the issuance, on 04 September 2023, of 3,930,770 new shares of Celyad Oncology SA (the Company) to Tolefi and an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group as well as other historical shareholders. As a result, the Companys share capital has been increased to 80,628,224.49 EUR and is represented by 26,524,726 shares. This information is published in accordance with Article 15 of the Belgian Law of 2 May 2007 on the disclosure of major participations in issuers whose shares are admitted to trading on a regulated market and regarding miscellaneous provisions. Figures Modified on 04 September 2023 following the capital Increase: Total amount of share capital (EUR) 80,628,224.49 Total Number of shares with single voting rights 24,156,351 Total Number of shares with double voting rights 2,368,375 Total Number of Shares 26,524,726 Total of voting rights 28,893,101 Total number of attributed warrants 2,852,913 Total number of shares with voting rights that could be created following the exercise of the attributed warrants 2,852,913 Total number of diluted shares (Outstanding shares + Warrants) 29,377,639 Total number of diluted shares with voting rights 31,746,014 Contact person for regulated information (financial, transparency) By law, any transparency declaration must be sent to our Company by email to the attention of Georges Rawadi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO): [email protected] . Further questions about the content of this release can be sent to [email protected] . About Celyad Oncology Celyad Oncology is a cutting-edge biotechnology company dedicated to pioneering the discovery and advancement of revolutionary technologies for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells. Its primary objective is to unlock the potential of its proprietary technology platforms and intellectual property, enabling to be at the forefront of developing next-generation CAR T-cell therapies. By fully leveraging its innovative technology platforms, Celyad Oncology aims to maximize the transformative impact of its candidate CAR T-cell therapies and redefine the future of CAR T-cell treatments. Celyad Oncology is based in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium. For more information, please visit www.celyad.com. Forward-looking statements This release may contain forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation, statements regarding beliefs about and expectations for the Companys updated strategic business model, including associated potential benefits, transactions and partnerships, statements regarding the potential value of the Companys IP, and statements regarding the continuation of the Companys existence. The words will, potential, continue, target, project, should and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based on managements current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and important factors which might cause actual events, results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Celyad Oncology to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks related to the material uncertainty about the Companys ability to continue as a going concern; the Companys ability to realize the expected benefits of its updated strategic business model; the Companys ability to develop its IP assets and enter into partnerships with outside parties; the Companys ability to enforce its patents and other IP rights; the possibility that the Company may infringe on the patents or IP rights of others and be required to defend against patent or other IP rights suits; the possibility that the Company may not successfully defend itself against claims of patent infringement or other IP rights suits, which could result in substantial claims for damages against the Company; the possibility that the Company may become involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce its patents, which could be expensive, time-consuming, and unsuccessful; the Companys ability to protect its IP rights throughout the world; the potential for patents held by the Company to be found invalid or unenforceable; and other risks identified in Celyad Oncologys U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and reports, including in the latest Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC and subsequent filings and reports by Celyad Oncology. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of publication of this document and Celyad Oncologys actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Celyad Oncology expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this document to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, unless required by law or regulation. Investor Contact: Media Contact: David Georges VP Finance and Administration [email protected] Caroline Lonez R&D Communications and Business Development [email protected] Source: Celyad Oncology SA Mississauga, ON, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Konica Minolta Business Solutions (Canada) Ltd. (Konica Minolta) is pleased to announce the acquisition of Force Security Solutions (Force), a leading managed security services provider and systems integrator. Founded in 2003, Force provides state-of-the-art security products and services, including risk assessments, the design and implementation of intrusion detection, access control and IP video surveillance technology. With an increasingly critical need for more effective physical security measures at organizations across North America, Konica Minolta is dedicated to developing and offering smart security solutions to protect assets, staff and operations, and to guard against potential threats and liabilities through its video security solutions (VSS) portfolio. By acquiring Force, an end-to-end managed security service provider, Konica Minolta U.S.A. rounds out its established VSS offering and strengthens its ability to provide managed services and work closer with end customers. Our customers have identified physical security as a top priority for them and the acquisition of Force is a continuation of our focus on helping our customers digitally transform their environments said Sam Errigo, President and CEO, Konica Minolta U.S.A. With Force we will strengthen our vision for an AI driven end-to-end secure service approach to the market. With a shared approach to grow with the cloud/AI/managed services, Konica Minolta U.S.A. sees great synergies for long-term success with Force. The company has a full-service direct integration footprint in the Washington, D.C. area, building a high-value solution-based business across both commercial and government customers. Konica Minolta U.S.A. will also continue to work with other integrators across North America to provide managed security services. As a security system service provider, Forces strong customer focus in both commercial and government spaces will enable our VSS business unit to truly offer end-to-end solutions, using our award winning AI software and solutions and Forces strong service-based approach, said Vijay Raghavan, Senior Vice President, Digital Transformation and Emerging Businesses, Konica Minolta U.S.A. Combined with our already successful VSS portfolio, we look to help our customers execute on the next generation of AI-driven IOT security services. Through its consultative approach, Force performs thorough risk assessments and strives to educate its clients on the benefits of effective security processes, policies and supporting electric security technologies that ultimately mitigate risk and exposure for their clients. At Force, we are laser focused on providing our customers state-of-the-art, proactive security services and products so they wont be left vulnerable, said Ken Kocher, President, Force Security Solutions. We could not be more excited to join Konica Minolta U.S.A. and be part of its growing video security solutions. This strategic move offers the opportunity to scale our business and meet the needs of the market in protecting the community at large. About Konica Minolta Canada Konica Minoltas journey started 150 years ago, with a vision to see and do things differently. We innovate for the good of society and the world. The same purpose that kept us moving then, keeps us moving now. Konica Minolta Business Solutions (Canada) Ltd. is reshaping and revolutionizing the workplace to achieve true connectivity through the Intelligent Connected Workplace portfolio. Its business technology offerings include IT Services, intelligent information management, video security solutions and managed print services, as well as office technology and industrial and commercial print solutions. Through its ongoing work, the company is fortunate to be continuously recognized for its products and services. This includes, but is not limited to being included on CRNs MSP 500 list numerous times; named a finalist in the IT Software Category by The World Technology Awards; recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys and presented with Keypoint Intelligences BLI 2021 A3 Line of The Year and BLI 2021-2023 Most Colour Consistent A3 Brand Awards for its bizhub i-Series. Sustainability also continues to be a key driver for the company. As such, Konica Minolta Inc. has spent six years on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list. For more information, please visit Konica Minolta online and follow its accounts on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter (@KonicaMinoltaCA), and Instagram! About Force Force Security Solutions provides the highest level of Electronic Security including Intrusion Detection, Access Control and IP Video Surveillance technology. Our standards are higher and your security is our priority. Our highly qualified security consultants and technical staff provide a unique blend of education and experience. We can design and implement state-of-the-art security products and services for your business. We put our resources to work to provide your business with security solutions that will provide you with the safety, security, and peace of mind you deserve, 100% of the time, so that you are always protected. Attachments Konica Minolta Media Relations - Canada Konica Minolta Business Solutions (Canada) Ltd. +1 437.388.1140 [email protected] Source: Konica Minolta Business Solutions (Canada) Ltd. CALGARY, ALBERTA, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marksmen Energy Inc. (Marksmen or the Company) (TSXV: MAH) is pleased to announce the following: Completion of a Well in Pickaway County, OhioMarksmen is excited to begin the completion of an upper oil zone at its HD2 well in Pickaway County, Ohio. This formation, first discovered over 125 years ago, has been the most prolific oil producing formation in central and western Ohio, and extends into Michigan, Illinois, and Ontario. When the HD2 well was drilled, this upper zone flowed back oil into the containment tanks at high pressures. The well was brought under control with heavy weight brine and the zone was then cased and cemented, pending further evaluation. Technical reviews are now finished, and completion work is scheduled to start sometime in the week beginning September 18, 2023, depending on service company availability. The overall program should take three to four days. Depository Trust Company (DTC)Marksmen's shares are now eligible for electronic clearing and settlement in the United States through the Depository Trust Company (DTC). DTC eligibility is expected to simplify the process of trading and enhance liquidity of Marksmens shares in the United States. DTC is a subsidiary of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, a U.S. company that manages the electronic clearing and settlement of publicly traded companies. Securities that are eligible to be electronically cleared and settled through DTC are considered to be DTC eligible. This electronic method of clearing securities speeds up the receipt of stock and cash, and thus accelerates the settlement process for investors and brokers, enabling the stock to be traded over a much wider selection of brokerage firms by coming into compliance with their requirements. OTC MarketsMarksmen also announces that it is in the final stages of completing the process to upgrade from OTC Pink to OTCQB Venture Market (OTCQB), ticker symbol MKSEF. Archie Nesbitt, CEO of Marksmen said, This will allow investors yet another avenue for trading Marksmen's shares, and the Company looks forward to increasing the awareness around our company for U.S. investors. We believe that trading on the OTCQB can lead to overall enhanced liquidity and visibility in global capital markets. The OTCQB is a leading market for early-stage and developing U.S. and international companies. Recognized as an established public market by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the OTCQB has helped companies build considerable shareholder value including enhanced liquidity and valuation. Investors may benefit from efficient trading through their preferred broker or financial advisor, transparent pricing with real-time quotes, and trusted disclosure that is made broadly available to broker-dealers and market data providers. The Companys common shares will continue to trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol MAH. For additional information regarding this news release please contact Archie Nesbitt, Director, and CEO of the Company at (403) 265-7270 or e-mail [email protected]. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This news release may contain certain forward-looking information and statements, including without limitation, the timing for the well completion in Pickaway County, and the timing and successful completion of the upgrade to OTCQB. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and such information involves various risks and uncertainties. Marksmen does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. A description of assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information and a description of risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in Marksmens disclosure documents on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca. Source: Marksmen Energy Inc. TORONTO and CHICAGO, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medexus Pharmaceuticals Inc. ("Medexus" or the "Company") (TSX: MDP) (OTCQX: MEDXF), is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Research Capital Corporation, as sole bookrunner and sole underwriter (the Underwriter), pursuant to which the Underwriter has agreed to purchase, on a bought-deal basis, 3,389,900 units of the Company (the Units) at a price of C$2.95 per Unit for gross proceeds to the Company of C$10,000,205 (the Offering). Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a Common Share) and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a Warrant). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of C$3.65 at any time up to 30 months following the Closing Date (as defined below). The net proceeds of the Offering will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes. The Company has granted the Underwriter an option (the Over-Allotment Option), exercisable in part or in whole at the Underwriters discretion, at any time until thirty (30) days following the Closing Date, to purchase up to the number of additional Units, and/or the components thereof, equal to 15% of the aggregate number of Units sold in the Offering to cover over-allotments, if any, and for market stabilization purposes. The Offering will be completed: (i) by way of a short form prospectus to be filed in all provinces of Canada other than Quebec pursuant to National Instrument 44-101 Short Form Prospectus Distributions; and (ii) on a private placement basis in the United States pursuant to exemptions from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), and applicable U.S. state securities laws. The closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about September 21, 2023 (the Closing Date), or such later or earlier date as the Underwriter and the Company may agree upon, and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the Company receiving all necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange, and the securities regulatory authorities, and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. The securities referred to in this press release have not been, nor will they be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities, nor a solicitation for offers to buy any securities in the United States, nor in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About Medexus Medexus is a leading specialty pharmaceutical company with a strong North American commercial platform and a growing portfolio of innovative and rare disease treatment solutions. Medexus's current focus is on the therapeutic areas of oncology, hematology, rheumatology, auto-immune diseases, allergy, and dermatology. For more information about Medexus and its product portfolio, please see the company's corporate website at www.medexus.com and its filings on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Contacts Ken d'Entremont | CEO, Medexus PharmaceuticalsTel: 905-676-0003 | Email: [email protected] Marcel Konrad | CFO, Medexus PharmaceuticalsTel: 312-548-3139 | Email: [email protected] Forward Looking Statements Certain statements made in this press release contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (forward-looking statements). The words anticipates, believes, expects, will, plans and similar expressions are often intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Specific forward-looking statements contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the proposed closing date of the Offering, the receipt of regulatory approvals and the anticipated use of proceeds of the Offering. These statements are based on factors or assumptions that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection, including assumptions based on historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Since forward-looking statements relate to future events and conditions, by their very nature they require making assumptions and involve inherent risks and uncertainties. The Company cautions that although it is believed that the assumptions are reasonable in the circumstances, these risks and uncertainties give rise to the possibility that actual results may differ materially from the expectations set out in the forward-looking statements. Material risk factors include those set out in the Companys materials filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities from time to time, including the Companys most recent annual information form and managements discussion and analysis. Accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date hereof. Other than as specifically required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise. Source: Medexus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. OTTAWA, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) and its members have elected this years new Fellows and named the incoming class of the RSC College. One hundred and one new Fellows have been elected by their peers for their outstanding scholarly, scientific and artistic achievement. Recognition by the RSC for career achievement is the highest honour an individual can achieve in the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences and Sciences. The RSC is also welcoming 58 new Members of the RSC College. The College consists of mid-career leaders who provide the RSC with a multigenerational capacity to help Canada and the world address major challenges and seize new opportunities including those identified in emerging fields. The Royal Society of Canada is very proud to welcome today an imposing group of inspiring scholars, artists and creators whose peers have recognized their exceptional contributions to the world of science and culture and to the well-being of our society. The impact of their work will continue to be felt in the development of public policies for years to come, while adding greatly to the enrichment of public life, said Alain-G. Gagnon, president of the RSC. On Thursday, November 16, 2023, the RSC will welcome the 2023 new Members of the RSC College and on Friday, November 17, the Class of 2023 new RSC Fellows will be inducted for outstanding research and scholarly achievement. The ceremonies will be held in person in Waterloo, Ontario. We hope you will join us in celebrating this stunning landscape of talent, imagination, discipline, and discovery. Click here to register. Click here for more information about the newly elected Fellows and College members. Founded in 1882, the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) comprises the Academies of Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences and Sciences, and The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. The RSC recognizes excellence, advises the government and the larger society, and promotes a culture of knowledge and innovation in Canada and with other national academies around the world. For More Information: The Royal Society of Canada, [email protected]; www.rsc-src.ca; @RSCTheAcademies Source: The Royal Society of Canada | La Societe royale du Canada JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital Jacksonville announced Curtis Whetzel as its new Chief Executive Officer. Whetzel brings over 10 years of physical therapy experience and over five years of healthcare operational leadership to his work with Reunion. He most recently served as an area director for therapy services across Florida managing staff, clinical and financial outcomes, and the customer experience. "As the CEO of Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital Jacksonville, it is my personal mission to combine my passion for therapy and my relationships throughout Florida to open and operate a successful rehab hospital that believes in excellent patient care and proven business strategies, said Whetzel. Whetzel holds a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences and has worked as a physical therapist in multiple hospitals and clinics. As the Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital Jacksonville CEO, he strives to make Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital a provider and employer of choice in Greater Jacksonville. He will lead his team to drive positive performance results across the hospital's clinical, financial, and overall operating capacities. Whetzel will also lead the hospital team to provide the exceptional quality care and positive patient experiences that are hallmarks of Reunion Rehabilitation Hospitals. About Reunion Hospital Jacksonville Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital Jacksonville is designed to provide comprehensive, high-quality post-acute medical rehabilitation therapies to a wide variety of patients. At this state-of-the-art inpatient rehabilitation hospital, the clinical team embraces new tools and processes to give patients with physical, occupational, or cognitive limitations positive outcomes and an opportunity to return to their active lives. For more information, please visit www.reunionrehabhospital.com Media Contact: Nhi Le, [email protected] Source: Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital WASHINGTON, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden's Cabinet for America's 33 million small businesses announced $20 million in grants awarded to 49 state and territory international trade agencies across the country as part of the SBA's State Trade Expansion Program (STEP). "For over ten years, the SBA's State Trade Expansion Program has been an important federal and state partnership to get funding directly to small businesses seeking to grow their businesses and our economy with international trade opportunities. And with these funds, small businesses can get trade-ready, attend trade shows in foreign markets, and grow through global e-commerce," said Administrator Guzman. "The Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to leveling the playing field for entrepreneurs and ensuring American small businesses can promote their products and services to over 95% of the world's consumers who live abroad." Since its creation in 2010 as part of The Small Business Jobs Act, the STEP program has awarded $235.5 million in grants and directly supported over 13,000 small businesses' international expansion and export growth. As states improve their exporting skills, the return on investment keeps improving- last year, every $1 in STEP funding yielded $43 in export sales. "STEP's profound impact stands as a testament to the SBA's unwavering support of U.S. small businesses seeking to grow their international footprint," said Acting Associate Administrator for International Trade Claire Ehmann. "As STEP matures beyond its first decade, the SBA will continue modernizing and marketing this signature program that helps small businesses enter and expand into the international marketplace." STEP awards help entrepreneurs compete globally by offsetting costs incurred by export-related activities, including participating in foreign trade missions, designing international marketing campaigns, participating in export trade show exhibits, attending training workshops, and other important means of engagement. Strengthening the base of small business exporters and improving global competitiveness on the international stage are key components of the SBA's small business strategy, in line with the Biden-Harris Administration's goals of expanding opportunity for America's small businesses to grow and compete. This year's awardees were selected after a highly competitive application process. Individual STEP awards are managed at the local level by state government organizations and nonprofit entities. To find out if your state or territory has earned an award, and to apply for funding opportunities, please visit: www.sba.gov/STEP and explore how small business counseling from local SBA Resource Partners can help inform your export strategy. ### About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more visit www.sba.gov. Christine Saah Nazer U.S. Small Business Administration 202-756-0304 [email protected] Source: U.S. Small Business Administration Menlo Park, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Si-Ware Systems, a leading provider of integrated micro-spectroscopy solutions, and Eigenvector Research, a renowned provider of multivariate analysis and chemometrics software, announced their partnership integrating Solo software into the NeoSpectra platform. This collaboration uniquely supports the community of Near-Infrared (NIR) model developers by providing them with state-of-the-art technology to develop, deploy, and maintain models to remote portable devices on the NeoSpectra Cloud-based platform. Integrating Solo software, Eigenvectors standalone machine learning software, with the NeoSpectra platform brings many benefits to developers, ensuring high-quality and reliable models for a wide range of applications. Eigenvector Solo combines a user-friendly interface and extensive graphical displays with state-of-the-art algorithms and the widest array of data pre-processing and analysis methods to provide both beginning and experienced developers with the tools they need to create and maintain robust models. Mostafa Medhat,VP of Product & Business Development at Si-Ware Systems, expressed his excitement, saying, "We are thrilled to partner with Eigenvector Research to integrate their industry-leading software into our NeoSpectra platform. This collaboration demonstrates Si-Wares commitment to provide our customers and partners with the most advanced technology available. By combining Si-Ware's all-in-one NeoSpectra spectroscopy platform with Eigenvector Research's advanced software, our community of developers will be able to improve the NIR model development processes to bring new applications to a variety of industries." Barry Wise, President of Eigenvector Research, also commented on the partnership, stating, "We are delighted to collaborate with Si-Ware Systems and integrate Solo software into the NeoSpectra platform. Our software's capabilities will enable developers to utilize existing models developed on any NIR instrument and transfer them effortlessly to the NeoSpectra platform. Additionally, the integration will allow developers to easily deploy, update, and maintain models through a centralized portal, streamlining their workflow and enhancing efficiency." In addition to its advanced software packages, Eigenvector Research has developed a comprehensive resource center with extensive self-help sections, guides, webinars, and Eigen University on-line and in-person chemometric courses to help model developers of any level understand multivariate modeling and get the most out of the software. For more information about Si-Ware Systems and the NeoSpectra platform, please visit www.si-ware.com To learn more about Eigenvector Research and their software solutions, please visit www.eigenvector.com About NeoSpectraNeoSpectra enables businesses to bring the lab to the field, empowering organizations to analyze anywhere through portable devices that produce lab-like results. NeoSpectra is an all-in-one, universal material analysis solution platform built on a family of single-chip FT-NIR spectrometers. Combining handheld scanners that have unprecedented performance and accuracy with an ecosystem of supporting applications and accessories, NeoSpectra delivers instant insights and solutions for industries such as agriculture, food, life sciences, and more. NeoSpectra is created by Si-Ware Systems. The company is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, with research and development centers in Paris, France, and Cairo, Egypt. About Eigenvector Research Inc.Eigenvector Research is a leading provider of advanced data analysis solutions specializing in chemical data science. Our team of experts combines domain-specific knowledge with modern multivariate statistical methods to unlock valuable insights from complex datasets. We offer research and consulting services, develop user-friendly software tools, and provide comprehensive training programs. With a deep understanding of chemical, physical, and biological systems, we deliver customized solutions tailored to the unique needs of industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and environmental science. Our mission is to empower researchers, scientists, and engineers with the tools they need to make data-driven decisions and drive innovation in their respective fields. Attachment Ahmed Korayem NeoSpectra by Si-Ware Systems +1 650 257 9680 [email protected] Source: Si-Ware Systems CALGARY, Alberta, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- STEP Energy Services Ltd. (STEP) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Rachel Moore as an independent director of STEPs board of directors, effective October 1, 2023. Ms. Moore is currently serving as the executive vice president, corporate services, at Ovintiv Inc. (TSE: OVV), a position she has held since January 2020. Ms. Moore previously served as Ovintivs vice president, human resources since January 2015. Before joining Ovintiv, Ms. Moore held a variety of senior leadership positions including executive vice president, human resources at Savanna Energy Services Corporation, and vice president, human resources, at Enerflex Systems Ltd. Ms. Moore currently serves on the board of directors for the Wilder Institute (Calgary Zoo) in support of wildlife conservation and previously served as the chair of the board for the United Way of Calgary and Area. Ms. Moore holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Calgary. Steve Glanville, president and CEO of STEP, commented, We are pleased to welcome Rachel as our newest member of our board of directors. We look forward to her contributions and the positive impact she will make as we continue to innovate, grow, and reach new milestones. STEP also announces that Ms. Donna Garbutt will be retiring as a member of the board of directors effective September 30, 2023. Ms. Garbutt has served as a member of the board since April 2017 and was chair of STEPs HSE Committee. Mr. Glanville adds, On behalf of the board and management team, I want to express our appreciation to Donna for her significant contributions and exceptional leadership during her tenure on STEPs board, where she also served as chair of STEPs HSE Committee. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for her commitment over the last six years and wish her a fulfilling and happy retirement. Following the retirement of Ms. Garbutt and the appointment of Ms. Moore, STEPs board of directors will consist of seven members. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains certain information that is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties (such statements are usually accompanied by words such as "anticipate", "expect", "believe", "may", "will", "should", "estimate", "intend" or other similar words). All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this document are intended to provide STEP security holders and potential investors with information regarding STEP and its subsidiaries, including management's assessment of STEP's and its subsidiaries' future plans and financial outlook. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to, but not limited to information regarding the retirement of Ms. Garbutt and the appointment of Ms. Moore. All forward-looking statements reflect STEP's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made and as such are not guarantees of future performance. As actual results could vary significantly from the forward-looking information, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information and should not use future-oriented information or financial outlooks for anything other than their intended purpose. The forward-looking information and statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of the document, and none of the Company or its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to publicly update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required pursuant to applicable laws. We do not update our forward-looking information due to new information or future events unless we are required to by law. For additional information on the assumptions made, and the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the anticipated results, refer to the most recent Quarterly Report to Shareholders and Annual Report filed under STEPs profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. ABOUT STEP STEP is an energy services company that provides coiled tubing, fluid and nitrogen pumping and hydraulic fracturing solutions. Our combination of modern equipment along with our commitment to safety and quality execution has differentiated STEP in plays where wells are deeper, have longer laterals and higher pressures. STEP has a high-performance, safety-focused culture and its experienced technical office and field professionals are committed to providing innovative, reliable, and cost-effective solutions to its clients. Founded in 2011 as a specialized deep capacity coiled tubing company, STEP has grown into a North American service provider delivering completion and stimulation services to exploration and production (E&P) companies in Canada and the U.S. Our Canadian services are focused in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB), while in the U.S., our fracturing and coiled tubing services are focused in the Permian and Eagle Ford in Texas, the Uinta-Piceance and Niobrara-DJ basins in Colorado and the Bakken in North Dakota. Our four core values; Safety, Trust, Execution and Possibilities inspire our team of professionals to provide differentiated levels of service, with a goal of flawless execution and an unwavering focus on safety. For more information please contact: Steve GlanvillePresident and Chief Executive OfficerTelephone: 403-457-1772 Klaas DeemterChief Financial OfficerTelephone: 403-457-1772 Email: [email protected] Web: www.stepenergyservices.com Source: STEP Energy Services Ltd. On July 28 Perus independence day just after two in the afternoon in the center of Lima, a man in a green polo shirt and with dreadlocks was grabbed and dragged by police officers. The agents were stationed there to control the demonstrations being held against the government of President Dina Boluarte. As this was occurring, just a few blocks away, Perus first female president was reading the last paragraphs of her extensive televised message to the nation a speech that is traditionally given by the head of state during the national holidays. Meanwhile, in the video taken in the University Park, you can see how an agent grabs the man by the neck. He subsequently faints. He is then dragged by his arms and legs until hes taken behind a police cordon. The row of shields closing interrupts the footage. Shanin Kenty Aguirre Figueroa, 34, spent two nights in a cell. The police justified the arrest with the allegation that he was causing a disturbance. One agent says he was throwing stones another claims that Aguirre kicked him in the testicles. Another says that he bit his hand. They also maintain that Kenty Aguirre had sprayed a white liquid on them and that he was harassing people. But in none of the videos be it those taken by citizen journalists or the Municipality of Lima was it possible to corroborate the version of the riot control officers. What was seen minutes before his arrest was the dreadlocked young man who was sporting a blue helmet using his cellphone to record the arrest of a community leader. His shirt had been torn and the police were beating him on the ground. Protests against President Dina Boluarte and the Congress of the Republic of Peru, in July of 2023. Musuk Nolte On an August morning, a few weeks after the incident, Kenty Aguirre and his older sister, Kuzy, arrive for their interview with EL PAIS. He moves with a little difficulty, before sitting down on one of the benches in the University Park. Hes suffering the consequences of the 17 lesions found all over his body. Kenty wants to explain what happened to him above all, because he doesnt want it to happen to someone else. I never had any confidence in the police. I have witnessed so many abuses this time, it was my turn. And its not that there are simply bad elements the violence of the police is structural. I have experienced it firsthand, he affirms. Aguirre has worked in communications for Perus Catholic University over the past decade. He specializes in audiovisuals specifically, in cinema and documentaries and has participated in several shoots as a cameraman and cinematographer. When he was arrested, Peruvians who opposed the demonstrations dismissed him, noting that he was just another bum. Its not very different from what the policemen told him: Surely youre a terruco (a terrorist). Look how much you earn. Why are you coming to these marches? Youre wasting your time. Go look for a job. On July 28 which was a Friday Aguirre went out to record the protests on his own, without having been contracted. He realized that he was more useful recording and disseminating information than just marching. He belongs to a group of self-organized photographers. Unfortunately for him, he forgot his memory card, so he had to leave his camera in his backpack and record everything with his cell phone. He was carrying a gas mask, a bottle of bicarbonate water and a case for his glasses. He says that behind the police cordon when the cameras could no longer record his arrest several policemen beat him while he covered himself with his backpack. One of them knocked him down and put his knee on his head. He says they tried to intimidate him, telling him they would cut off his knee-length hair. And that, later, when they put him in the vehicle to take him to the police station, a policeman told him: You screwed up, now there are no more cameras and slapped him with an open hand. My face didnt bleed. Most of the blows were to my extremities. It seems that the policemen knew where to hit me, so as not to leave so many marks. My knees are what hurt the most, he says. At the Cotabambas police station, in the historic center of Lima, Aguirre limped inside. He was asked to sign a document stating that the arrest procedure had been standard, without violence. He refused to sign. Another detail that he denounced was the attitude of the forensic doctor, Melva Calderon, who had to certify his injuries. She didnt seem interested in recording my injuries. She discharged me quickly and I had to insist many times that her report be detailed. I took off my pants thats when she saw all my bruises, he explains. There were 17 injuries to his arms and legs. The most serious is a large bruise on the back of the left thigh. In the cell, Aguirre who had lost his glasses during the arrest and couldnt make out faces in the dark met Raul Tinco, the leader whom he had recorded minutes before they dragged him away. Unlike other detainees, Aguirre had a support network and various institutions that spoke up for him. He acknowledges and appreciates this. I never imagined such solidarity. I know that I have had privileges. Without the videos from alternative media, I dont know how this would have ended. Its because of those videos that it was shown that I did nothing but record. Its the alternative media that deals with the danger and reports facts that many times, the [main] channels dont show, he affirms. Aguirre was released on Sunday, July 30. His case was dropped, as it couldnt be proven that he had caused a disturbance. But he emphasizes that he wont let this go he intends to sue the agents responsible for abuse of authority and torture. For now, it has been possible to identify the non-commissioned officers Andrei Ivan Laurente Sanchez and Francesco Vela Rojas as well as the senior non-commissioned officer Julio Castro Amoretti. Until today a month after the events transpired Aguirres cellphone, camera or other belongings havent been returned to him. He was only released with his national identity card and his empty backpack. The Prosecutors Office says that the origin of the property must be proven. Thats absurd. This is only done when a third party is going to collect the property, otherwise its theft. This was an arbitrary and illegal detention an act of intimidation against anyone who films acts of police violence in the marches, summarizes Aguirres lawyer, Juan Jose Quispe, from the Legal Defense Institute. Kuzy Aguirre Kentys older sister chimes in: When they called home, it would have been less worrying to hear that he was in a hospital, but to know that he was with the policeyou dont know how hes going to get back. With them, theres no certainty of what will happen. Theyre a big mafia, she expresses, with a trembling voice. Shortly before being released, Kenty Aguirre recounts that the policeman who hit him in the car approached him, patted him on the back and whispered: Take it easy, son, its all over now. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Nairobi, Kenya, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- During a plenary session at the Africa Climate Summit today, the Africa Business Leaders Coalition (ABLC) called for the private sector to accelerate climate action to advance Africa's sustainable growth, prosperity and development in line with the Summits theme of Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World. The Africa Business Leaders Coalition is a pan-African CEO-led initiative emanating from the UN Global Compact Africa Strategy 20212023. It includes over 55 companies representing $150bn in revenue and over one million employees. It provides a platform for African business leaders to have a unified private sector voice as they actively and meaningfully engage on the continents most pressing issues through an organized, forward-looking, principles-based approach. During the event hosted by Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director, UN Global Compact; Bogolo Kenewendo, Special Adviser to UN Climate Change Champions; Jeremy Awori, CEO of Ecobank; Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom; Helmy Abouleish, CEO of Sekem and Elizabeth Yee, EVP of Programs of The Rockefeller Foundation, members of ABLC highlighted the progress they have made since they first released their Climate Statement at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The African Business Leaders Climate Statement called for more businesses to fulfill their climate commitments and become resilient to climate change. ABLC members have pledged to increase the share of renewables in their energy use and invest in climate-adaptation solutions, creating them where they do not exist. Members also committed to a just and equitable transition one which ensures that their supply chains, value chains and local customers are the first to benefit from the switch to clean energy and greener forms of production. Nearly one year on, participating companies of ABLC have progressed this ambition with: 40% more members measuring and disclosing Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; more members measuring and disclosing Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; 90% more members increasing the share of renewables in their energy mix; more members increasing the share of renewables in their energy mix; 150% more members developing resilience plans, with 80% of members now explicitly accounting for climate risks; more members developing resilience plans, with of members now explicitly accounting for climate risks; ABLC members are also at the forefront of embedding Just Transition plans in their businesses and value chains. Helmy Abouleish, CEO of Sekem, spoke during the event about his companys initiative to green the desert through carbon credit markets for smallholder farmers. As part of a 4-Phase scale up plan, by 2028 it is estimated 250,000 farmers will be reached, sequestering 9.6 million tons of CO2 emissions per year. He noted that this will be a tipping point for how the market views organic agriculture, providing higher returns for farmers while promoting sustainable development. Jeremy Awori, CEO of Ecobank spoke about the creation of Sub-Saharan Africas first green bond which will channel global funding to renewable energy. $13.8mn of the $382mn fund has already been allocated to green projects, helping to close a funding gap where only 10% of capital needed to meet the SDGs in Africa is sourced from the continent. Further progress from ABLC will be reported at the upcoming COP28 climate summit in Dubai in November. Members of the ABLC commit to upholding the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and becoming a UN Global Compact participant within six months of joining. Notes to Editors About the UN Global Compact As a special initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General, the UN Global Compact is a call to companies worldwide to align their operations and strategies with Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Our ambition is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the Sustainable Development Goals through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change. With more than 18,000 companies and 3,800 non-business signatories based in over 101 countries, and 62 Local Networks, the UN Global Compact is the worlds largest corporate sustainability initiative one Global Compact uniting business for a better world. For more information, follow @globalcompact on social media and visit our website at unglobalcompact.org and Africa Business Leaders Coalition About the Africa Business Leaders Coalition The Africa Business Leaders Coalition (ABLC) is a CEO-led initiative emanating from the UN Global Compact Africa Strategy 20212023 committed to advancing sustainable growth, prosperity, and development in Africa by bringing measurable impact to its most pressing issues. The ABLC works closely with the UN Global Compact Hub in Abuja and 10 African Local Networks operating across Africa. United Nations Global Compact (212) 907-1301 [email protected] Source: United Nations Global Compact TORONTO, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Torex Gold Resources Inc. (the Company or Torex) (TSX: TXG) is pleased to report initial results from the 2023 drilling program at EPO, a deposit located to the north of the Media Luna deposit, in close proximity to the Guajes Tunnel, south of the Balsas River. Results from the 2023 program continue to highlight the potential to upgrade Inferred resources to the Indicated category and expand Inferred resources through step-out drilling to the north and south of the deposit. Jody Kuzenko, President & CEO stated: The geology of the Morelos Property continues to impress and support our strategy to enhance the production and cash flow profile beyond 2027 and extend the overall life of the Morelos Complex. The focus of our renewed investment in exploration and drilling is on expanding the resource potential of the Media Luna Cluster and making stand-alone discoveries across the broader Morelos Property. We are pleased with the results to date from the 2023 drilling program at EPO as the assay results indicate the potential to upgrade additional Inferred mineral resources while expanding mineralization. We are also optimistic about the potential to further increase the size of EPO, as the deposit remains highly prospective with mineralization open to the north, south, and potentially at depth. Results from the 2023 program will be incorporated into the year-end Mineral Resource update and will form the basis of an internal study evaluating the feasibility of developing an economic mining front at EPO, which could leverage the infrastructure currently being developed for Media Luna, including the Guajes Tunnel. Drill results from the resource categorization program have been positive, with infill drilling along the southern end of the deposit returning intercepts with similar grades and widths as previous drilling. Several drill holes returned favourable assay results including 9.78 grams per tonne gold equivalent (gpt AuEq) over 21.3 metres (m) in drill hole ML23-957D; 11.08 gpt AuEq over 5.3 m in ML23-941D; 5.08 gpt AuEq over 5.0 m in ML23-954D; 7.11 gpt AuEq over 14.1 m in ML23-938D; and 3.96 gpt AuEq over 49.75 m in ML23-933D. Initial results from the resource expansion program have also been encouraging, with four step-out holes confirming the mineralized footprint of the deposit approximately 500 m to the north of the current block model. Notable assay results from the resource expansion program include 6.14 gpt AuEq over 15.75 m and 4.04 gpt AuEq over 11.2 m in drill hole ML23-942; 4.69 gpt AuEq over 3.1 m, 4.49 gpt AuEq over 3.4 m, and 6.26 gpt AuEq over 3.0 m in ML23-935; 4.80 gpt AuEq over 8.6 m in ML23-956; as well as 7.99 gpt AuEq over 7.1 m and 8.81 gpt AuEq over 6.2 m in ML23-949A. The intercepts show a strong structural control of the mineralization by the dykes with assays demonstrating a higher proportion of copper mineralization relative to gold. Additionally, an evolving structural interpretation for the Morelos Property, in conjunction with historical drill results, indicate the potential to extend the mineralized footprint of EPO to the south. Drilling to test the southern extensions of the deposit and validate the structural interpretation is planned for the second half of the year. Overall, initial results from the 2023 drilling program at EPO are very encouraging and, combined with the success of the 2022 drilling campaign, continue to demonstrate the potential for EPO to become a new mining front on the south side of the Balsas River, which would support our strategic goal of filling the mill with higher-grade feed beyond 2027. The gold equivalent grade calculation accounts for the same metal prices ($1,550/oz gold (Au), $20/oz silver (Ag), and $3.50/lb copper (Cu)) as well as metallurgical recoveries (85% Au, 75% Ag, and 89% Cu) used in the current Mineral Resource estimate for the EPO deposit (effective date of December 31, 2022). Assay results from the resource categorization program at EPO can be found in Table 3 and results from the expansion drilling program at EPO can be found in Table 4. 2023 EPO DRILLING PROGRAM Through the end of July, approximately 24,140 m and 54 holes were drilled as part of the 2023 drilling program at EPO, with assays received for 34 holes. This represents 72% of the approximately 35,000 m of total drilling planned at EPO in 2023. A recent structural study has identified at least three north-south oriented thick-skin faults, with the Cuajiote fault believed to be responsible for the El Limon Guajes and Media Luna Cluster mineralization. Specifically at EPO, this structural interpretation highlights the exploration potential to the south and to the north, towards the highly prospective Todos Santos target, all of which further demonstrates the continuity of the Media Luna Cluster. RESOURCE CATEGORIZATION PROGRAM The resource categorization program in 2023 is aimed at upgrading Inferred resources along the southern portion of the deposit to the Indicated category. The initial results suggest a portion of the Inferred resources in the area of focus will be upgraded to Indicated resource category (Figures 1 and 2). Assay results have been received for 30 holes drilled under the resource categorization program (approximately 21,280 m), 24 of which returned intercepts with mineralization in excess of 2.0 gpt AuEq and over 3 m in length. Table 1: Highlights from the 2023 resource categorization program at EPO Drill Hole From(m) To(m) Core Length1(m) Au(g/t) Ag(g/t) Cu(%) AuEq2(g/t) ML23-932D 503.33 507.04 3.71 4.70 9.89 0.50 5.63 ML23-933D 469.25 519.00 49.75 3.49 6.51 0.24 3.96 ML23-934D 712.00 718.17 6.17 0.44 38.81 2.29 4.60 ML23-937D 653.79 660.93 7.14 3.03 22.45 0.62 4.29 ML23-938D 462.04 468.40 6.36 1.50 61.12 1.54 4.69 485.86 500.00 14.14 6.56 9.41 0.27 7.11 ML23-939D 643.09 658.22 15.13 1.41 29.71 0.94 3.27 ML23-941D 735.83 741.10 5.27 9.80 12.97 0.70 11.08 ML23-943D 481.00 502.00 21.00 2.98 5.02 0.10 3.19 588.90 598.60 9.70 2.19 15.86 0.53 3.24 ML23-954D 683.26 688.30 5.04 2.94 20.72 1.18 5.08 ML23-957D 511.61 532.94 21.33 9.29 9.11 0.24 9.78 ML23-962D 505.28 510.00 4.72 2.77 38.46 0.55 4.10 Notes to Table:1) Intercepts are reported as core length (not true width/thickness). Core lengths reflect drilling core recovery.2) The gold equivalent grade calculation used is as follows: AuEq (g/t) = Au (g/t) + Ag (g/t) * 0.011385 + Cu (%) * 1.621237 and use the same metal prices ($1,550/oz gold, $20/oz silver, and $3.50/lb copper) and metallurgical recoveries (85% gold, 75% silver, and 89% copper) used in the Mineral Resource estimate for the EPO deposit. The returned intercepts generally exhibit similar thickness and grades to those defined by the 2022 drilling program, which supports the goal of upgrading Inferred resources to the Indicated category within the southern portion of the deposit while also indicating the potential to expand Inferred resources immediately to the west and east of the current block model. RESOURCE EXPANSION PROGRAM Initial results from the resource expansion program at EPO have been successful, with 4 step-out drill holes confirming the mineralized footprint of EPO approximately 500 m to the north of the current block model. Drilling for the remainder of 2023 will be focused on extending mineralization to the north and south of the deposit. The control of the Cuajiote fault on EPO suggests that mineralization could extend to the north and to the south, with the latter interpretation being supported by historical drill results within the interpreted extent of the deposit. Step-out drilling planned for the second half of 2023 will be targeted at both validating the structural interpretation and extending the mineralized footprint of the deposit to the south (Figure 3). Table 2: Highlights from the 2023 resource expansion program at EPO Drill Hole From(m) To(m) Core Length1(m) Au(g/t) Ag(g/t) Cu(%) AuEq2(g/t) ML23-935 673.42 676.50 3.08 3.44 17.78 0.65 4.69 747.00 750.36 3.36 3.17 30.71 0.60 4.49 775.14 778.18 3.04 1.33 127.53 2.15 6.26 ML23-942 791.93 807.68 15.75 3.26 58.86 1.36 6.14 912.50 923.66 11.16 1.54 27.10 1.35 4.04 ML23-949A 747.00 754.07 7.07 0.64 115.61 3.72 7.99 774.17 783.49 9.32 0.63 59.14 1.57 3.84 834.83 841.00 6.17 2.52 100.10 3.18 8.81 ML23-956 668.00 676.59 8.59 1.57 42.05 1.70 4.80 Notes to Table:1) Intercepts are reported as core length (not true width/thickness). Core lengths reflect drilling core recovery.2) The gold equivalent grade calculation used is as follows: AuEq (g/t) = Au (g/t) + Ag (g/t) * 0.011385 + Cu (%) * 1.621237 and use the same metal prices ($1,550/oz gold, $20/oz silver, and $3.50/lb copper) and metallurgical recoveries (85% gold, 75% silver, and 89% copper) used in the Mineral Resource estimate for the EPO deposit. EPO GEOLOGY The EPO deposit is part of the Media Luna Cluster, hosted within the Mesozoic carbonate-rich Morelos Platform, overlayed by Cuautla and Mezcala formation, and has been intruded by Paleocene stocks, sills, and dykes of granodioritic to tonalitic composition. The north-south Cuajiote thick-skin fault controls the architecture of the deposit with other sub-parallel second order faults generating the favorable trap for the different event of fluids at multiple stages of deformation. Skarn-hosted copper was deposited in an early-stage mineralization event. Gold-silver mineralization was developed in the ground preparation of intense flat fractures found in the footwall of the faults at the contact of Morelos limestone and Media Luna granodiorite during reverse movement, as well as within altered dykes and sills of the skarn envelope associated with minor deformation stages. The main portion of this mineralized package dips slightly to the west at approximately 30; in the lowest part of the known mineralization, the dip steepens to approximately 60, while the northernmost portion of the deposit dips to the north, resulting in a broad antiformal geometry of the deposit. The skarn is characterized by a mineral assemblage of pyroxene, garnet, and magnetite. Metal deposition and sulfidation occurred during retrograde alteration and is associated with a mineral assemblage comprising amphibole, phlogopite, chlorite, and calcite quartz epidote as well as variable amounts of magnetite and sulfides, primarily pyrrhotite. Additional mineralization is associated with skarn developed within and along dykes and sills above the main granodiorite intrusion. Additional information on the Media Luna deposit, the Media Luna Feasibility Study, and the analytical and sampling process is available in the Companys technical report entitled the Morelos Property, NI 43-101 Technical Report, ELG Mine Complex Life of Mine Plan and Media Luna Feasibility Study, Guerrero State, Mexico, dated effective March 16, 2022 filed on March 31, 2022 (the Technical Report) on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and the Companys website at www.torexgold.com. QUALITY ASSURANCE / QUALITY CONTROL At the Companys Morelos Property (see description below), all the Media Luna Project drill core is logged and sampled at the core facility within the project camp under the supervision of Nicolas Landon, Chief Exploration Geologist for the Media Luna Project. A geologist marks the individual samples for analysis and sample intervals, sample numbers, standards and blanks are entered into the database. The core is cut in half lengthwise using an electric core saw equipped with a diamond tipped blade. One half of the core is placed into a plastic sample bag and sealed with zip ties in preparation for shipment. The other half of the core is returned to the core box and retained for future reference in the Company core shack with the assay pulps and coarse rejects. The core samples are picked up at the project camp and delivered to Bureau Veritas (BV) to conduct all the analytical work. Sample preparation is carried out by BV at its facilities in Durango, Mexico and consists of crushing a 1 kg sample to >70% passing 2 mm followed by pulverisation of 500 g to >85% passing 75 m. Gold is analyzed at the BV facilities in Hermosillo, Mexico following internal analytical protocols (FA430) and comprises a 30g fire assay with an atomic absorption finish. Samples yielding results >10 g/t Au are re-assayed by fire assay with gravimetric finish (FA530-Au). Copper and silver analyses are completed at the BV facilities in Vancouver, Canada as part of a multi-element geochemical analysis by an aqua regia digestion with detection by ICP-ES/MS using BV internal analytical protocol AQ270. Overlimits for the multi-element package are analyzed by internal protocol AQ374. Torex has a sampling and analytical Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) program in place that has been approved by BV and is overseen by Nicolas Landon, Chief Exploration Geologist for the Media Luna Project. The program includes 5% each of Certified Reference Materials and Blanks; blind duplicates are not included, but Torex evaluates the results of internal BV laboratory duplicates. Torex uses an independent laboratory to check selected assay samples and reference materials and has retained a consultant to audit the QA/QC data for every drill campaign at Media Luna. The QA/QC procedure is described in more detail in the Technical Report filed on SEDAR. QUALIFIED PERSONS The scientific and technical data contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Carolina Milla, P.Eng. Ms. Milla is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (Member ID #168350), has experience relevant to the style of mineralization under consideration, is a qualified person under NI 43-101, and is an employee of Torex. Ms. Milla has verified the data disclosed, including sampling, analytical, and test data underlying the drill results; verification included visually reviewing the drill holes in three dimensions, comparing the assay results to the original assay certificates, reviewing the drilling database, and reviewing core photography consistent with standard practice. Ms. Milla consents to the inclusion in this release of said data in the form and context in which they appear. ABOUT TOREX GOLD RESOURCES INC. Torex is an intermediate gold producer based in Canada, engaged in the exploration, development, and operation of its 100% owned Morelos Property, an area of 29,000 hectares in the highly prospective Guerrero Gold Belt located 180 kilometres southwest of Mexico City. The Companys principal asset is the Morelos Complex, which includes the El Limon Guajes (ELG) Mine Complex, the Media Luna Project, a processing plant, and related infrastructure. Commercial production from the Morelos Complex commenced on April 1, 2016 and an updated Technical Report for the Morelos Complex was released in March 2022. Torexs key strategic objectives are to optimize and extend production from the ELG Mine Complex, de-risk and advance Media Luna to commercial production, build on ESG excellence, and to grow through ongoing exploration across the entire Morelos Property. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: TOREX GOLD RESOURCES INC. Jody Kuzenko Dan Rollins President and CEO Senior Vice President, Corporate Development & Investor Relations Direct: (647) 725-9982 Direct: (647) 260-1503 [email protected] [email protected] CAUTIONARY NOTES ON FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTSThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information also includes, but is not limited to, statements about: results from 2023 drilling at EPO support strategy to fill the mill with higher-grade feed beyond 2027; results from the 2023 program continue to highlight the potential to upgrade Inferred resources to the Indicated category and expand Inferred resources through step-out drilling to the north and south of the deposit; the geology of the Morelos Property continues to impress and support the Companys strategy to enhance the production and cash flow profile of the Morelos Complex beyond 2027 and extend the overall life of the Morelos Complex; the focus of the Companys renewed investment in exploration and drilling is on expanding the resource potential of the Media Luna Cluster and making stand-alone discoveries across the broader Morelos Property; the assay results indicate the potential to upgrade additional Inferred mineral resources while expanding mineralization; the Company is also optimistic about the potential to further increase the size of EPO, as the deposit remains highly prospective with mineralization open to the north, south, and potentially at depth; the results from the 2023 program will be incorporated into the year-end Mineral Resource update and will form the basis of an internal study evaluating the feasibility of developing an economic mining front at EPO, which could leverage the infrastructure currently being developed for Media Luna, including the Guajes Tunnel; the intercepts from the initial results from the resource expansion program show a strong structural control of the mineralization by the dykes with assays demonstrating a higher proportion of copper mineralization relative to gold; an evolving structural interpretation for the Morelos Property, in conjunction with historical drill results, indicate the potential to extend the mineralized footprint of EPO to the south; overall, initial results from the 2023 drilling program at EPO are very encouraging and, combined with the success of the 2022 drilling campaign, continue to validate the potential for EPO to become a new mining front on the south side of the Balsas River, which would support the Companys strategic goal of filling the mill with higher-grade feed beyond 2027; a recent structural study has identified at least three north-south oriented thick-skin faults, with the Cuajiote fault believed to be responsible for the El Limon Guajes and Media Luna Cluster mineralization, specifically at EPO, this structural interpretation highlights the exploration potential to the south and to the north, towards the highly prospective Todos Santos target, all of which further demonstrates the continuity of the Media Luna Cluster; the initial results of the 2023 resource categorization program suggest a portion of the Inferred resources in the area of focus will be upgraded to Indicated resource category to the south and potentially expanding Inferred resources immediately to the west and east of the current block model; the returned intercepts generally exhibit similar thickness and grades to those defined by the 2022 drilling program, which supports the goal of upgrading Inferred resources to the Indicated category within the southern portion of the deposit while also indicating the potential to expand Inferred resources immediately to the west and east of the current block model; the control of the Cuajiote fault on EPO suggests that mineralization could extend to the north and to the south, with the latter interpretation being supported by historical drill results within the interpreted extent of the deposit; and the Companys key strategic objectives to extend and optimize production from the ELG Mining Complex, de-risk and advance Media Luna to commercial production, build on ESG excellence, and to grow through ongoing exploration across the entire Morelos Property. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as objective, strategy, target, continue, potential, focus, demonstrate, aim or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results will, would, or is expected to" occur. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with: the ability to upgrade mineral resources categories of mineral resources with greater confidence levels or to mineral reserves; risks associated with mineral reserve and mineral resource estimation; uncertainty involving skarn deposits; and those risk factors identified in the Technical Report and the Companys annual information form and managements discussion and analysis or other unknown but potentially significant impacts. Forward-looking information is based on the assumptions discussed in the Technical Report and such other reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date such statements are made. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.Figure 1: 2023 resource categorization program at EPO is expected to result in additional Inferred resources being upgraded to the Indicated resource category. Figure 2: Infill drilling carried out as part of the 2023 resource categorization program at EPO have returned assay results with similar grades and widths as previous drilling. Figure 3: 2023 resource expansion program at EPO has confirmed the continuity of mineralization approximately 500 m to the north of the current block model. Mineralization at EPO remains open to the north, to the south, and potentially at depth. Table 3: Initial results from 2023 resource categorization drilling program at EPO Final Intercept Drill Hole Area Purpose UTM-E UTM-N Elevation Hole Type Mother Hole Azimuth Dip Depth From To Core Length Au Ag Cu AuEq Lithology (m) (m) (m) () () (m) (m) (m) (m) (g/t) (g/t) (%) (g/t) ML23-932D EPO IND 422199.22 1985614.78 1460.91 DD ML22-927 575.50 503.33 507.04 3.71 4.70 9.89 0.50 5.63 Skarn composite 2 ML23-933D EPO IND 422199.22 1985614.78 1460.91 DD ML22-927 593.50 469.25 519.00 49.75 3.49 6.51 0.24 3.96 Skarn composite 2 ML23-934D EPO IND 421932.52 1985579.20 1432.26 DD ML23-930 754.25 712.00 718.17 6.17 0.44 38.81 2.29 4.60 Skarn composite 2 ML23-937D EPO IND 421932.52 1985579.20 1432.26 DD ML23-930 680.50 653.79 660.93 7.14 3.03 22.45 0.62 4.29 Skarn composite 2 ML23-938D EPO IND 422199.22 1985614.78 1460.91 DD ML22-927 576.50 462.04 468.40 6.36 1.50 61.12 1.54 4.69 Skarn composite 1 EPO IND 422199.22 1985614.78 1460.91 DD ML22-927 576.50 485.86 500.00 14.14 6.56 9.41 0.27 7.11 Skarn composite 3 ML23-939D EPO IND 421932.52 1985579.20 1432.26 DD ML23-930 746.50 643.09 658.22 15.13 1.41 29.71 0.94 3.27 Skarn composite 1 ML23-940D EPO IND 422199.22 1985614.78 1460.91 DD ML22-927 620.50 468.59 476.94 8.35 1.83 4.51 0.08 2.01 Skarn composite 2 EPO IND 422199.22 1985614.78 1460.91 DD ML22-927 620.50 577.00 582.42 5.42 0.64 69.76 0.95 2.98 Skarn composite 5 ML23-941D EPO IND 421932.52 1985579.20 1432.26 DD ML23-930 800.50 735.83 741.10 5.27 9.80 12.97 0.70 11.08 Skarn composite 1 ML23-943D EPO IND 422199.22 1985614.78 1460.91 DD ML22-927 632.85 469.46 475.08 5.62 0.59 34.19 1.06 2.69 Skarn composite 1 EPO IND 422199.22 1985614.78 1460.91 DD ML22-927 632.85 481.00 502.00 21.00 2.98 5.02 0.10 3.19 Skarn composite 2 EPO IND 422199.22 1985614.78 1460.91 DD ML22-927 632.85 588.90 598.60 9.70 2.19 15.86 0.53 3.24 Skarn composite 5 ML23-945D EPO IND 422199.22 1985614.78 1460.91 DD ML22-927 578.50 443.05 449.10 6.05 1.32 33.27 0.72 2.87 Skarn composite 1 EPO IND 422199.22 1985614.78 1460.91 DD ML22-927 578.50 524.00 531.90 7.90 0.90 49.05 0.77 2.71 Skarn composite 4 ML23-954D EPO IND 422197.73 1985617.10 1460.87 DD ML23-947A 715.80 683.26 688.30 5.04 2.94 20.72 1.18 5.08 Skarn composite 2 ML23-957D EPO IND 422197.73 1985617.10 1460.87 DD ML23-947A 671.70 511.61 532.94 21.33 9.29 9.11 0.24 9.78 Skarn composite 1 ML23-962D EPO IND 422194.88 1985621.29 1460.91 DD ML22-809 602.10 505.28 510.00 4.72 2.77 38.46 0.55 4.10 Skarn composite 3 Notes to Table Intercepts are reported as core length (not true width/thickness). Core lengths reflect drilling core recovery. The gold equivalent grade calculation used is as follows: AuEq (g/t) = Au (g/t) + Ag (g/t) * 0.011385 + Cu (%) * 1.621237 account for the same metal prices ($1,550/oz gold, $20/oz silver and $3.50/lb copper) and metallurgical recoveries (85% gold, 75% silver and 89% copper) used in the Mineral Resource estimate for the EPO deposit. Table 4: Initial results from 2023 resource expansion drilling program at EPO Final Intercept Drill Hole Area Purpose UTM-E UTM-N Elevation Hole Type Mother Hole Azimuth Dip Depth From To Core Length Au Ag Cu AuEq Lithology (m) (m) (m) () () (m) (m) (m) (m) (g/t) (g/t) (%) (g/t) ML23-935 EPO EXP 421981.00 1985606.75 1440.44 CD 349.80 -49.95 890.55 673.42 676.50 3.08 3.44 17.78 0.65 4.69 Skarn composite 1 EPO EXP 421981.00 1985606.75 1440.44 CD 349.80 -49.95 890.55 747.00 750.36 3.36 3.17 30.71 0.60 4.49 Skarn composite 4 EPO EXP 421981.00 1985606.75 1440.44 CD 349.80 -49.95 890.55 775.14 778.18 3.04 1.33 127.53 2.15 6.26 Skarn composite 5 ML23-942 EPO EXP 421981.62 1985606.98 1440.43 CD 16.28 -49.89 682.95 791.93 807.68 15.75 3.26 58.86 1.36 6.14 Skarn composite 3 EPO EXP 421981.62 1985606.98 1440.43 CD 16.28 -49.89 682.95 912.50 923.66 11.16 1.54 27.10 1.35 4.04 Skarn composite 5 ML23-949A EPO EXP 421983.76 1985606.59 1440.46 CD ML23-949 987.55 747.00 754.07 7.07 0.64 115.61 3.72 7.99 Skarn composite 2 EPO EXP 421983.76 1985606.59 1440.46 CD ML23-949 987.55 774.17 783.49 9.32 0.63 59.14 1.57 3.84 Skarn composite 4 EPO EXP 421983.76 1985606.59 1440.46 CD ML23-949 987.55 834.83 841.00 6.17 2.52 100.10 3.18 8.81 Skarn composite 9 ML23-956 EPO INF 421985.74 1985602.92 1440.53 CD 29.42 -60.66 821.60 668.00 676.59 8.59 1.57 42.05 1.70 4.80 Skarn composite 3 Notes to Table Intercepts are reported as core length (not true width/thickness). Core lengths reflect drilling core recovery. The gold equivalent grade calculation used is as follows: AuEq (g/t) = Au (g/t) + Ag (g/t) * 0.011385 + Cu (%) * 1.621237 account for the same metal prices ($1,550/oz gold, $20/oz silver and $3.50/lb copper) and metallurgical recoveries (85% gold, 75% silver and 89% copper) used in the Mineral Resource estimate for the EPO deposit. Table 5: References to historical drilling at EPO (prior to 2023) Final Intercept Drill Hole Area Purpose UTM-E UTM-N Elevation Hole Type Mother Hole Azimuth Dip Depth From To Core Length Au Ag Cu AuEq Lithology (m) (m) (m) () () (m) (m) (m) (m) (g/t) (g/t) (%) (g/t) MLN-04 EPO EXP 422396.11 1986295.07 1328.42 CD 310.00 -70.00 655.50 561.22 570.23 9.01 5.09 14.68 0.28 5.72 Skarn Composite 1 MLN-09 EPO EXP 422102.88 1985625.75 1447.69 CD 220.00 -82.00 668.00 614.10 624.07 9.97 1.24 10.90 0.53 2.23 Skarn Composite 1 MLN-20 EPO EXP 422200.08 1985619.58 1460.95 CD 220.00 -83.00 701.35 552.42 555.96 3.54 6.85 10.23 0.23 7.33 Skarn composite 1 EPO EXP 422200.08 1985619.58 1460.95 CD 220.00 -83.00 701.35 623.35 632.06 8.71 2.82 10.76 0.50 3.75 Skarn composite 2 EPO EXP 422200.08 1985619.58 1460.95 CD 220.00 -83.00 701.35 665.50 673.36 7.86 1.49 9.66 0.62 2.60 Skarn composite 3 NWZML-10 EPO EXP 422392.18 1985546.09 1493.79 CD 40.00 -86.00 517.85 451.53 454.37 2.84 4.21 73.87 0.25 5.46 Skarn composite 1 ML21-753 MLSW EXP 421867.82 1984351.08 1113.52 CD 234.83 -74.89 938.00 836.00 847.00 11.00 4.00 19.44 0.78 5.48 Breccia ML22-803D EPO IND 422195.89 1985617.85 1460.66 DD ML22-766 695.20 568.77 577.62 8.85 1.79 13.04 0.06 2.03 Skarn Composite 1 ML22-843D EPO IND 421981.42 1985602.89 1440.40 DD ML22-834 737.65 683.67 706.31 22.64 1.43 19.69 0.82 2.98 Skarn Composite 1 ML22-899 EPO INF 421984.71 1985607.11 1440.34 CD 114.77 -73.09 708.20 556.81 563.00 6.19 0.57 26.34 0.83 2.21 Skarn composite 1 EPO INF 421984.71 1985607.11 1440.34 CD 114.77 -73.09 708.20 639.00 655.70 16.70 1.92 18.41 0.77 3.38 Skarn composite 3 SP22-004 SPL_UG UG 421892.16 1984629.51 913.83 CD 220.21 -64.25 393.55 343.95 350.04 6.09 19.16 29.03 0.45 20.22 Granodiorite with ISO level Notes to Table Intercepts are reported as core length (not true width/thickness). Core lengths reflect drilling core recovery. The gold equivalent grade calculation used is as follows: AuEq (g/t) = Au (g/t) + Ag (g/t) * 0.011385 + Cu (%) * 1.621237 account for the same metal prices ($1,550/oz gold, $20/oz silver and $3.50/lb copper) and metallurgical recoveries (85% gold, 75% silver and 89% copper) used in the Mineral Resource estimate for the EPO deposit. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b9059ee7-f328-4ee9-ba01-6a3fc4fd9665https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ba5aeaf7-2bde-48c0-b4bf-db350c02b96d https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/26789588-7d92-43ef-ad3e-ef9ff0b110b1 Figure 1 2023 resource categorization program at EPO is expected to result in additional Inferred resources being upgraded to the Indicated resource category. Figure 2 Infill drilling carried out as part of the 2023 resource categorization program at EPO have returned assay results with similar grades and widths as previous drilling Figure 3 2023 resource expansion program at EPO has confirmed the continuity of mineralization approximately 500 m to the north of the current block model. Mineralization at EPO remains open to the north, to the south, and potentially at depth. Source: Torex Gold Resources Inc. Chicago, IL, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UIC Law to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Fair Housing Clinic at this years Fair Housing Conference, featuring Pulitzer Prizer winner Bill Dedman. The conference will take place on Thursday, September 7 and Friday, September 8 at UIC Law and will feature a Law Review Symposium and celebratory reception. For three decades, the UIC Law Fair Housing Legal Support Center & Clinic has played a pivotal role in educating the public about fair housing laws and tirelessly working towards the eradication of discriminatory housing practices. To commemorate this significant milestone, the conference will host distinguished experts who will delve into a wide range of topics, along with a featured presentation from Bill Dedman on the conference theme: Fair Housing: Thirty-Five Years after The Color of Money The Struggle Continues. The presentation will highlight the progress made since Dedmans groundbreaking, "The Color of Money," series shed light on racial discrimination by banks and savings and loan associations in middle-income Black neighborhoods. The Law Review Symposium will serve as a platform for legal scholars, practitioners, and experts to share their insights and research on various aspects of fair housing. In addition to the symposium, the celebratory reception will offer attendees a chance to reflect on the achievements of the Fair Housing Clinic over the past three decades. View the agenda and register for the event on the UIC School of Law website. Join us in shaping a future where fair housing is a reality for everyone. ### About the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law The University of Illinois at Chicago School of Law is a part of the University of Illinois Chicagos largest university and only public Carnegie Research 1 Institution. Its mission is to make a difference in the lives of students and the community. Located in the heart of the citys legal, financial, and commercial districts, UIC Law is recognized as one of the most diverse law schools in the nation and is a leader in providing access to underrepresented students. From our nationally recognized faculty and programs to the impact of our legal clinics, we prepare students with the knowledge, skills, experience and values to change lives. For more information, visit https://law.uic.edu/. Melah Lofton UIC Law 312.427.2737 [email protected] Source: UIC Law VALLOUREC French limited liability company (societe anonyme) with a Board of Directors with share capital of 4,732,381.22 Registered office: 12, rue de la Verrerie 92190 Meudon, France Registered on the Nanterre Trade and Companies Register under n 552 142 200 Meudon, September 5, 2023 Monthly information relating to the total number of voting rights and shares comprising the share capital Article L. 233-8-II of the Code de commerce and Article 223-16 of the General Regulations of the Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF) Date Total number of outstanding shares Theoretical total number of voting rights (1) Net total number of voting rights (2) 31 August 2023 236 619 061 229 240 471 229 132 803 31 July 2023 236 619 061 229 240 471 229 132 803 30 June 2023 235 532 187 229 240 471 229 132 803 31 May 2023 231 777 627 229 228 999 229 080 116 30 April 2023 231 777 627 229 228 999 229 080 116 31 March 2023 231 777 627 229 228 999 229 080 116 28 February 2023 231 777 627 229 228 999 229 080 116 31 January 2023 231 777 627 229 228 999 229 080 116 31 December 2023 231 777 627 229 228 999 229 080 116 30 November 2022 231 777 627 229 228 999 229 080 116 31 October 2022 231 777 627 229 228 999 229 080 116 30 September 2022 228 928 428 228 928 428 228 779 545 31 August 2022 228 928 428 228 928 428 228 779 545 31 July 2022 228 928 428 228 928 428 228 779 545 30 June 2022 228 928 428 228 928 428 228 779 502 31 May 2022 228 928 428 228 928 428 228 740 763 30 April 2022 228 928 428 228 928 428 228 740 763 31 March 2022 228 928 428 228 928 428 228 740 763 28 February 2022 228 928 428 228 928 428 228 740 763 31 January 2022 228 928 428 228 928 428 228 740 763 31 December 2021 228 928 428 228 928 428 228 740 763 30 November 2021 228 928 428 228 928 428 228 740 763 31 October 2021 228 928 428 228 928 428 228 740 763 30 September 2021 228 928 428 228 928 428 228 740 763 31 August 2021 228 928 428 228 928 428 228 740 763 31 July 2021 228 928 428 228 928 428 228 714 160 30 June 2021 228 928 428 228 928 428 228 914 031 31 May 2021 11 449 694 11 811 810 11 797 413 30 April 2021 11 449 694 11 811 772 11 790 691 31 March 2021 11 449 694 11 811 662 11 810 581 28 February 2021 11 449 694 11 809 473 11 808 392 31 January 2021 11 449 694 11 809 652 11 808 571 31 December 2020 11 449 694 11 810 456 11 809 375 30 November 2020 11 449 694 11 809 708 11 808 627 31 October 2020 11 449 694 11 809 929 11 808 848 30 September 2020 11 449 694 11 809 877 11 808 796 31 August 2020 11 449 694 11 792 317 11 791 236 31 July 2020 11 449 694 11 792 291 11 791 210 30 June 2020 11 449 694 11 792 487 11 791 352 31 May 2020 11 449 694 11 825 998 11 810 412 30 April 2020 457 987 760 467 246 708 466 723 205 31 March 2020 457 987 760 467 212 665 466 689 162 29 February 2020 457 987 760 470 490 431 469 966 928 31 January 2020 457 987 760 470 448 503 469 925 000 31 December 2019 457 987 760 470 435 812 469 912 309 30 November 2019 457 987 760 470 400 552 469 877 049 31 October 2019 457 987 760 470 391 503 469 868 000 30 September 2019 457 987 760 470 373 857 469 850 354 31 August 2019 457 987 760 470 365 861 469 842 358 31 July 2019 457 987 760 470 354 599 469 831 096 30 June 2019 457 987 760 470 370 960 469 842 814 31 May 2019 457 987 760 470 352 202 469 824 056 30 April 2019 457 987 760 470 352 409 469 717 892 31 March 2019 457 987 760 470 318 361 468 612 089 28 February 2019 457 987 760 470 289 887 469 583 848 31 January 2019 457 987 760 470 288 267 470 197 228 31 December 2018 457 987 760 470 286 184 470 195 145 30 November 2018 457 987 760 470 207 119 470 116 080 31 October 2018 457 987 760 470 207 002 470 115 963 30 September 2018 457 987 760 470 205 298 470 114 259 (1) According to Art. 223- 11 of the AMF General Regulations the theoretical (or gross) number of voting rights is used on the basis of all shares with voting rights, including shares temporarily deprived of voting rights (treasury shares, liquidity contract treasury shares), but excluding shares which have no voting rights (preferred shares). (2) The net number of voting rights (or voting rights exercisable at a Shareholders Meeting) is calculated by excluding shares without voting rights. It is provided for public information. The by-laws of Vallourec contain a provision imposing an obligation to declare crossing thresholds in addition to those relating to legal thresholds. This information is also available on the Vallourec website under Regulated information: https://www.vallourec.com/en/hub-finance/informations-reglementees Attachment COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Worthington Industries, Inc. (NYSE: WOR) will hold its quarterly earnings conference call on Thursday, September 28, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. ET. The Company will discuss its fiscal first quarter results, which will be released after the market closes on September 27. A live audio webcast of the call will be available at www.WorthingtonIndustries.com. For those unable to listen to the live call, a replay of the audio webcast will be available on the Investors section of the Companys website approximately two hours after the completion of the call and will be archived for one year. LIVE CONFERENCE CALL SCHEDULE Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 Starting Time: 9:00 a.m. ET Conference ID: 1777337 Domestic Participants: 888-330-3567 Contacts:SONYA L. HIGGINBOTHAMVP, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS AND BRAND MANAGEMENT614.438.7391 | [email protected] MARCUS A. ROGIERTREASURER AND INVESTOR RELATIONS OFFICER614.840.4663 | [email protected] 200 Old Wilson Bridge Rd. | Columbus, Ohio 43085WorthingtonIndustries.com Source: Worthington Industries, Inc. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - Psyched Wellness Ltd. (CSE: PSYC) (OTCQB: PSYCF) (FSE: 5U9) (the "Company" or "Psyched Wellness"), a life sciences company focused on the production and distribution of health and wellness products derived from the Amanita Muscaria mushroom, is pleased to announce, further to its press releases dated May 30, 2023 (the "May 30 Release"), June 12, 2023 (the "June 12 Release") and September 1, 2023 (the "September 1 Release"), that it has closed a second tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") effective August 31, 2023 (the "Tranche 2A Closing Date") for gross proceeds of US$4,500,000 ("Tranche 2A") upon satisfying the Tranche 2A closing conditions and receiving a closing notice. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings attributed to them in the May 30 Release. Pursuant to Tranche 2A, the Company has issued 87,402,855 Units at a price of C$0.07 per Unit for gross proceeds of US$4,500,000, approximately C$6,118,200, based on an exchange rate of US$1.00 = C$1.3596 as at August 28, 2023, as published on the website of the Bank of Canada. Each Unit consists of one (1) Common Share and one (1) Warrant. Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one (1) Additional Share at a price of C$0.10 per Additional Share at any time for a period of sixty (60) months from the date of issuance, exercisable on a cashless basis, subject to acceleration and compliance with the policies of the CSE, as further outlined in the May 30 Release. All securities issued under Tranche 2A are subject to: (i) a four (4) month and one (1) day hold period from the date of issuance and (ii) applicable legends as required pursuant to the U.S. Securities Act. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes. Shareholder Meeting At the annual general and special meeting of Shareholders held on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 (the "Meeting"), the Shareholders voted overwhelmingly in favour of each resolution put forth at the Meeting at a passing rate of over 99%, including approval of the Transaction Resolution (as defined in the June 12 Release) by a majority of minority Shareholders. Jeffrey Stevens, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented, "I appreciate the support and patience of our Shareholders as we have been working behind the scenes with Gotham Green Partners to close this tranche of financing. This is a transformative investment that will allow the Company to maintain its first-mover advantage in bringing legal and safe products derived from the Amanita Muscaria mushroom to consumers in the United States. I am pleased to also share that both sides have been working together on additional product development, while working to close the financing, to ensure we can hit the ground running post-closing." Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement In connection with closing Tranche 2A, the Company and Gotham (as defined in the June 12 Release) entered into an amended and restated investor rights agreement dated August 30, 2023 (the "Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement") which amends the original Investor Rights Agreement dated June 12, 2023 to provide for the closing of Tranche 2 in two instalments, Tranche 2A, and tranche 2B for gross proceeds of US$2,500,000 ("Tranche 2B"), and provides, among other things, that: on the Tranche 2A Closing Date and for a period of twelve (12) months following the closing of Tranche 2A (the "Nomination Period"), Gotham will have the right to: designate one (1) additional individual to become a member of the Board (who shall not be the Initial Nominee (as defined in the June 12 Release)), who would replace an existing Board member (the "Second Nominee"), bringing the total Board representation of Gotham to two (2) members, and maintaining the size of the Board at seven (7); jointly designate, with the Company, one (1) individual for election to the Board, who will initially be Nick Kadysh, an existing Board member (the "Joint Nominee"); and designate for election to the audit committee of the Company, provided that any of the following individuals satisfy the eligibility criteria for such committee, one (1) of either: (x) the Gotham Nominees (as defined herein), or (y) the Joint Nominee; in addition, upon closing Tranche 2B, and during the remainder of the Nomination Period, Gotham shall be entitled to designate up to one (1) additional individual to become a member of the Board (the "Third Nominee" and together with the First Nominee and Second Nominee, the "Gotham Nominees"), replacing one existing member of the Board (who shall not be the First Nominee or Second Nominee), bringing the total Board representation of Gotham to three (3) members, and maintaining the board size at seven (7), provided that no more than three (3) Board members, at any time, will be employees or partners of the Investors (as defined in the June 12 Release) or their affiliates. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement: the Company extended Gotham's exclusivity until November 8, 2023, during which time the Company and its directors, officers, and representatives are prohibited from directly or indirectly discussing, negotiating, or entering into any agreement or arrangement with respect to any potential financing transaction, sale transaction or other strategic transaction with any third party; the Tranche 2A Investors entered into lock-up agreements with the Company to refrain from selling any Units acquired in Tranche 2A (and any securities underlying such Units acquired in Tranche 2A) for a period of twelve (12) months following the Tranche 2A Closing Date; the Company entered into an amended executive employment agreement with its Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey Stevens, pursuant to which Mr. Stevens will be reengaged as Chief Executive Officer of the Company, with such employment agreement to supersede the employment agreement dated April 20, 2021 entered into between the parties (the "Employment Agreement"); the Company entered into an amended independent contractor agreement with The Shisel, pursuant to which David Shisel, as principal of The Shisel, shall be reengaged to perform Chief Operating Officer services for the Company, with such consulting agreement to supersede the consulting agreement dated June 8, 2022 entered into between the parties (the "Consulting Agreement"); the Company reimbursed Gotham for reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the Offering in the amount of C$15,000; and within five (5) business days following the satisfaction and/or waiver of the Tranche 2B Closing Conditions (as defined herein), the Company anticipates closing Tranche 2B. Closing of Tranche 2B is conditional upon the completion of the following (the "Tranche 2B Closing Conditions"): Gotham shall, in their sole discretion, be satisfied with their legal, tax, business and other due diligence with respect to the Company and its business, assets, liabilities, current and future operations, condition and prospects (financial or otherwise); Gotham shall have delivered to the Company a notice in writing (the "Tranche 2B Closing Notice"), in accordance with the terms of the Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement, which shall include certain information, including confirmation from Gotham that the Tranche 2B Closing Conditions have been satisfied or waived, and confirmation of the identity of the Investors and Units issuable in Tranche 2B that each Investor will acquire; the Investors in Tranche 2B shall have entered into lock-up agreements with the Company to refrain from selling any Units acquired in Tranche 2B (and any securities underlying such Units acquired in Tranche 2B) for a period of twelve (12) months following closing of Tranche 2B; and satisfaction of certain other closing conditions customary for a transaction of this nature. The Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement will terminate on the earliest of: (i) the written agreement of Gotham and the Company; (ii) the date on which Gotham ceases to hold any securities of the Company; (iii) if Gotham provides a notice to the Company that closing of Tranche 2B will not occur; and (iv) by the Company by written notice to Gotham, if Gotham has not delivered a Tranche 2B Closing Notice to the Company by November 8, 2023, or such other date as the parties may agree in writing. Gotham has no obligation to acquire any Units under Tranche 2B. The Units issuable in connection with Tranche 2B shall be issued to the Investors within five (5) business days following the satisfaction and/or waiver of the Tranche 2B Closing Conditions, subject to the terms and conditions of the Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement. Accordingly, as a result of the Offering, Gotham may be considered to have beneficial ownership over the Units issuable in connection with Tranche 2B in addition to the Units issued in the Initial Tranche and Tranche 2A. The Company will make the Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement available on its SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Director Change In connection with closing Tranche 2A and pursuant to the rights afforded under the Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement, Terry Booth has resigned as a director of the Company, effective August 31, 2023, to accommodate Gotham's nominee, Lauren Spikes being appointed to the Board. The Company would like to thank Terry for his services as a director of the Company and wishes him all the best in his future endeavors. "Psyched Wellness has built a solid foundation in the international psychedelic mushroom space. I wish Jeff, the Board and the Psyched Wellness team the very best in the future and I look forward to following their continued success," stated Mr. Booth. Lauren Spikes Lauren has been an Associate at Santa Monica-based investment firm Gotham Green Partners since September 2021. During her time at Gotham she has been active in all aspects of the investment process, including sourcing, business due diligence, industry review, documentation and portfolio management. Prior to joining Gotham, Lauren oversaw strategic finance for a fast-growing ecommerce business operating in the alternative beverage space. While there, she was deeply involved in the operational side of the business and subsequently helped lead the company through a fundraise. Lauren began her career at UBS Investment Bank in New York where she was involved in M&A and capital raising activities for clients in the industrial sector. Lauren graduated summa cum laude from Texas A&M University with a degree in Finance. Option and RSU Grants In connection with entering into the Employment Agreement, the Company granted Mr. Stevens 4,500,000 stock options (each, an "Option") pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Company's Option plan dated June 30, 2020 (the "Option Plan"). Each Option is exercisable into one Common Share at a price of $0.10 per Common Share, expires five years from the date of grant and vests upon the following terms: (i) 1,000,000 Options vest immediately; (ii) 500,000 Options vest on the six-month anniversary of the closing of Tranche 2A; and (iii) 3,000,000 Options vest in equal quarterly installments of 250,000 Options, beginning on the nine-month anniversary of the closing of Tranche 2A. In connection with entering into the Consulting Agreement, the Company granted Mr. Shisel (x) 1,000,000 Options, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Option Plan. Each Option is exercisable into one Common Share at a price of $0.10 per Common Share, expires five years from the date of grant, and vests in equal quarterly installments of 250,000 Options, beginning on May 26, 2026; and (y) 3,500,000 restricted share units (each, an "RSU") pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Company's RSU award plan dated May 11, 2021. The RSUs vest upon the following terms: (i) 1,000,000 RSUs vest immediately; (ii) 500,000 RSUs vest on the six-month anniversary of the closing of Tranche 2A; and (iii) 2,000,000 RSUs vest in equal quarterly installments of 250,000 RSUs, beginning on May 1, 2024. All of the Options and RSUs (and any Common Shares issuable upon their exercise and redemption) are subject to a four (4) month and one (1) day hold period pursuant to the polices of the CSE and applicable securities laws. Related Party Transaction Harrison Aaron, a director of the Company (the "Participating Insider") participated in the Offering and acquired an aggregate of 3,884,571 Units pursuant to Tranche 2A. The participation of the Participating Insider in Tranche 2A constitutes a "related party transaction", as such term is defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Shareholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") and would require the Company to receive minority shareholder approval for and obtain a formal valuation for the subject matter of, the transaction in accordance with MI 61-101, prior to the completion of such transaction. However, in completing Tranche 2A, the Company has relied on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101, in each case on the basis that the fair market value of the Participating Insider's participation in Tranche 2A does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. Further details will be included in a material change report to be filed by the Company. While the Company filed a material change report in respect of the Offering on June 22, 2023, the Company did not file a material change report in respect of the participation of the Participating Insider more than 21 days before the closing date of Tranche 2A. The shorter period was necessary to permit the Company to close Tranche 2A in a timeframe consistent with usual market practice for a transaction of this nature. For further information, please contact: Jeffrey Stevens Chief Executive Officer Psyched Wellness Ltd. Tel: 647-400-8494 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.psyched-wellness.com About Psyched Wellness: Psyched Wellness is a Canadian-based health supplements company dedicated to the distribution of mushroom-derived products and associated consumer packaged goods. The Company's objective is to create premium mushroom-derived products that have the potential to become a leading North American brand in the emerging functional food category. The Company is in the process of developing a line of Amanita muscaria-derived water-based extracts, teas and capsules designed to help with three health objectives: promote stress relief, relaxation and assist with restful sleeping. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the objectives, distribution, and development of the Company's business and products and future activities following the date hereof, including the distribution of mushroom-derived products and associated consumer packaged goods; the Company's objective to create premium mushroom-derived products that have the potential to become a leading North American brand in the emerging functional food category; the development of the Company's Amanita muscaria-derived water-based extracts products and the uses and potential benefits of Amanita Muscaria; the anticipated use of the proceeds from the Offering; Gotham exercising its rights under the Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement; the anticipated size, timing of the closing(s), number of placees, and tranches of the Offering; the anticipated completion of the entire Offering under the stated terms, including the satisfaction and/or waiver of the Tranche 2B Closing Conditions; the Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement not being terminated in accordance with its terms; and the Company maintaining a first-mover advantage in bringing legal and safe products derived from the Amanita Muscaria mushroom to consumers in the United States. Forward-looking information in this news release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: the Company carrying out its objectives, distribution, and the development of its business and products and future activities following the date hereof as intended; the Company creating premium mushroom-derived products that have the potential to become a leading North American brand in the emerging functional food category; the Company developing its Amanita muscaria-derived water-based extracts products and them having the uses and potential benefits of Amanita Muscaria; the Company completing the entire Offering under its stated terms; the Company's allocating the proceeds from the Offering as intended; the Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement not being terminated in accordance with its terms; Gotham will exercise its rights under the Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement; and the Company will maintain a first-mover advantage in bringing legal and safe products derived from the Amanita Muscaria mushroom to consumers in the United States. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the Company's inability to carry out its objectives, distribution, and/or the development of its business and products and future activities following the date hereof; the Company's inability to achieve its objective to create premium mushroom-derived products that have the potential to become a leading North American brand in the emerging functional food category; the Company's inability to develop its Amanita muscaria-derived water-based extracts products and/or the products not having the uses and/or potential benefits of Amanita Muscaria; the Company's inability to complete the entire Offering under its stated terms or at all, including the inability to satisfy and/or get waiver of the Tranche 2B Closing Conditions; the Company's inability to allocate the proceeds from the Offering as intended; risks associated with Gotham exercising its rights under the Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement; and risk that the Company will be unable to maintain or have a first-mover advantage in bringing legal and safe products derived from the Amanita Muscaria mushroom to consumers in the United States. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179566 San Francisco, California--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - BackPac, a leading provider in the Human Resources industry focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), announced the launch of its AI-driven DEI Content Calendar. This inventive tool is designed to empower HR Managers to implement and distribute customized content that suits their company culture across various channels, including Slack, Email, and other company communication platforms. The DEI Content Calendar allows companies to select monthly celebrations and topics, and BackPac creates custom content about the topic itself, reflecting each organization's unique needs and culture. Brenda Pak, CEO of BackPac, stated, "The DEI Content Calendar revolutionizes how we approach inclusivity and diversity in the workplace. By leveraging AI and data analytics, we enable companies to create meaningful connections and foster a culture that truly celebrates diversity." The company's defining characteristic is their commitment to combining social impact actions with DEI content and promoting healthy mental health. Along with this, the launch of the DEI Content Calendar further solidifies its position as an innovator in the field. "The future of DEI is all about personalized, data-driven solutions that resonate with each organization's unique needs," said Brenda Pak. "Our DEI Content Calendar shows our dedication to innovation, social impact, and mental well-being. We're not just creating content but building bridges between cultures and communities." The Importance of DEI According to BackPac, Diversity, Equity, and inclusion in the workplace can potentially offer many benefits across the various aspects of a business. Promoting diversity and inclusion fulfills an ethical corporate and social responsibility and significantly impacts the brand image, aiming to help promote business growth. As indicated in a recent study by Changeboard, a diverse organization may experience up to 19% higher employee retention. BackPac continues to create DEI content related to the workplace, informing on topics related to inclusivity towards diverse cultures, people, and different minority groups. About BackPac BackPac is a pioneer in Human Resources, specializing in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). They innovate DEI content related to the workplace, use data and analytics to predict turnover and retention, and assist with recruiting. BackPac also partners with nonprofits to create actions within employees and manage donations and volunteering. Their unique approach combines social impact actions with DEI content and promotes healthy mental health. Contact information: Name: Branda Pak Email: [email protected] Website: www.backpac.co To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179200 The 2023 NEXTY Awards is Honoring CENTR's Pioneering Approach to Mental Wellness with Innovative Functional Beverages Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - CENTR Brands Corp. (CSE: CNTR) (FSE: 303) (OTCQB: CNTRF) ("CENTR" or the "Company"), a pioneering force in the functional wellness beverage industry, has been honored as a finalist for the esteemed 2023 NEXTY Awards at Natural Products Expo East. This recognition not only underscores CENTR's commitment to delivering exceptional value to consumers but also highlights its unwavering dedication to redefining mental wellness through innovative and integrity-driven products. CENTR Enhanced - NEXTY Awards Finalist To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6356/179527_f3b7a389045e9843_001full.jpg Elevating Mental Wellness At the forefront of CENTR's recognition as a NEXTY Awards finalist is its groundbreaking creation, CENTR Enhanced+ Caffeine. This remarkable beverage represents a fusion of science and flavor, offering a citrus-forward, ZERO-calorie, sparkling water infused with 60mg of natural caffeine. By harnessing the power of carefully selected ingredients, including Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), Citicoline, Panax Notoginseng, Astragalus Membranaceus, and Sceletium Tortuosum, CENTR Enhanced+ Caffeine provides a sustained and balanced mental energy boost. Championing Wellness CENTR's dedication to the well-being of individuals is evident in its commitment to crafting products that promote holistic health. With a portfolio of functional wellness beverages, CENTR empowers customers to prioritize their physical and mental wellness in today's fast-paced world. CENTR Enhanced+ Caffeine stands as a testament to the brand's core values of innovation, excellence, and wellness enhancement. The NEXTY Awards celebrate brands that embody innovation, inspiration, and integrity within the natural products industry. Over 400 products were nominated for the 2023 Expo East NEXTY Awards, and CENTR's recognition as a finalist underscores the brand's commitment to excellence and advancement in the field. The winners of the NEXTY Awards will be unveiled on the trade show floor of Natural Products Expo East on Thursday, September 21. CENTR eagerly anticipates the announcement of the winners and is proud to stand among other exceptional brands that share its dedication to excellence and innovation. About CENTR Brands Corp. CENTR Brands Corp. is one of North America's leading functional wellness beverage companies dedicated to promoting holistic well-being. With a commitment to providing high-quality products and exceptional customer experiences, CENTR offers a range of functional wellness beverages that support individuals in their pursuit of balanced and healthy lifestyles. By leveraging innovative technology and embracing consumer-centric strategies, CENTR empowers customers to prioritize their well-being and discover the benefits of wellness beverages. The Company produces CENTR and CENTR Sugar Free, both sparkling, low calorie CBD beverages; CENTR Instant, a family of on-the-go, adaptogen-based CBD powders; and CENTR Enhanced, a refreshing, ZERO calorie, non-CBD, nootropic and adaptogen sparkling water incorporating a variety of science-backed ingredients. The Company's ethos revolves around functional efficacy, exceptional flavor, and visual design that resonate with consumers seeking a well-rounded approach to wellness. For more information on CENTR Brands visit www.findyourcentr.com or contact us at [email protected]. Be sure to follow us on social media @findyourcentr. Consumers that do not yet have a local CENTR Brands retailer can visit our online store at: www.findyourcentr.com. The CENTR Brands app is now available for download on either the App store or Google Play store. On behalf of the Board, CENTR BRANDS CORP. /s/ Arjan Chima Arjan Chima, Chief Executive Officer Forward-Looking Information This press release may contain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Company's intentions regarding its objectives, goals or future plans and statements, including with respect to the completion of the Offering, the proposed use of the net proceeds of the Offering, the value proposition the Company offers to consumers, the Company's ability to capitalize on global health & wellness trends, its ability to grow revenue opportunities and improve returns to its shareholders, the Company's positioning in the emerging health beverage market and the Company's ability to drive sustainable, industry-leading growth. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179527 The new program offers boosting Law Firms with paid and earned media with multiple SEO benefits. Plano, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - Celebrated for his pivotal role in steering legal professionals towards impactful Lawyer SEO and PR strategies, Rene Perras, who has effectively aided both small and large law firms in advertising and digital marketing, has now partnered with KISS PR, a prominent Dallas-based firm specializing in lawyer SEO and online PR. This strategic collaboration aims to provide law firms with a comprehensive approach that combines SEO, paid media, and earned media strategies, all developed in synergy with KISS PR's expertise. Rene Perras - Dallas Lawyer SEO & PR for Law Firms To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8033/179490_reneperras.jpeg Founder of KISS PR, Qamar Zaman, a distinguished member of the Forbes Council, will leverage his insights on how law firms can harness earned media to secure more compelling cases through an innovative content strategy. This new endeavor, a product of the joint efforts of Zaman and Perras, has materialized into a novel offering named the "Brand Story Show." This collaboration empowers law firms to cultivate awareness using a comprehensive omni-channel marketing approach. Empowering Law Firms in the Digital Age In an era dominated by digital advancements, a robust online presence has become essential for businesses across industries, including law firms. Through an illustrious career spanning over two decades, Rene Perras has consistently demonstrated the potential of strategic digital marketing in enhancing law firms' online visibility, credibility, and lead generation. Enhancing Law Firm Branding with SEO Strategies In the contemporary digital landscape, a robust online presence is imperative for businesses, particularly law firms. Rene Perras's expertise in Lawyer SEO and PR has made a significant impact on the legal industry, facilitating the development of a cohesive and impactful online brand image for law firms. This involves meticulous optimization of online content and websites, ensuring that potential clients can easily discover and connect with a firm's brand. By incorporating SEO based branding, law firms can climb search engine rankings, positioning themselves as the preferred choice for legal services. Key Advantages of Law Firm Branding A potent brand presence goes beyond aesthetics, fostering trust, recognition, and influence, thereby influencing potential clients' decisions. The benefits of effective branding encompass: Recognition and Trust: A prominent brand presence nurtures trust and recognition, shaping potential clients' decisions. Enhanced Reputation: Effective branding accentuates a firm's expertise and professionalism, bolstering its industry standing. Referral Potential: A strong brand encourages satisfied clients to make referrals, fostering organic growth. Leveraging the Influence of Press Releases and Earned Media in Legal Marketing Press releases are vital tools in legal marketing, illuminating a firm's achievements and insights. When media outlets pick up these releases, they generate earned media, further elevating a law firm's visibility and reputation. Advantages of Incorporating Press Releases: Expanded Visibility: Media coverage stemming from press releases extends a law firm's reach and establishes it as a reliable source. Credibility and Authority: Features in respected media outlets enhance a law firm's credibility within the legal sector. Lead Generation: Press releases attract potential clients, increasing the likelihood of generating qualified leads. Amplifying Impact Through Blogging and Press Releases Blogs serve as pivotal platforms for showcasing a law firm's expertise. When combined with press releases, the reach and influence of blog content are significantly magnified. Effective Strategies for Law Firms: Announcing New Blog Posts: Utilize press releases to promote new blog content, capturing media attention and fostering valuable backlinks. Showcasing Expertise: Highlight blog content offering unique legal insights through press releases. Building Backlinks: Promote blog content via press releases to earn valuable backlinks from esteemed media outlets. KISS PR: Spearheading Lawyer SEO and PR Excellence With an impressive track record spanning two decades, KISS PR stands as a pioneering force in Lawyer SEO and PR strategies. Under the guidance of Rene Perras and his adept team, law firms across the nation consistently achieve remarkable outcomes. KISS PR's Comprehensive Services Include: Strategic SEO: Achieving top Google rankings. Tailored Marketing: Customized solutions for legal professionals. Expertise in Website Design: Specializing in legal website design and development. Customized Social Media: Tailored content marketing solutions for lawyers. Reputation Management: Ensuring online image protection. Technical SEO Audits: Providing comprehensive assessments. KISS PR's Enduring Impact KISS PR's approach, rooted in Brain Science, has steered numerous law firms towards online success. Their expertise in Lawyer SEO and PR strategies has been transformative, enabling law firms to excel in the digital realm. With a legacy of successful collaborations spanning over a decade, KISS PR continues to inspire legal professionals to harness the full potential of digital marketing. For more information on Brand-based SEO, kindly visit their official website: https://kisspr.com/. Media Contact: Rene Perras T: 214-653-2424 Source: KISS PR Lawyer SEO Services To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179490 Dryden, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - Dryden Gold Corp. ("Dryden Gold" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that it will host a Town Hall Meeting on September 7, 2023, at 11:00am EST. Trey Wasser, Chief Executive Officer and Maura Kolb, President of Dryden Gold Corp. will provide shareholders and interested investors an update on recent land acquisitions and exploration vision for the company. Mr. Wasser and Ms. Kolb will be available to answer any questions that investors may have regarding the Company's exploration plans and its upcoming public offering during a live Q&A session. To register for the Town Hall Meeting, please click this link: https://lnkd.in/gTucm4Gv ABOUT DRYDEN GOLD CORP. Dryden Gold Corp. is a privately held exploration company focused on high-grade gold mineralization. The Company has a strong management team and Board of Directors comprised of experienced individuals with a track record of building shareholder value through property acquisition & consolidation, exploration success and merger & acquisitions. The Company has consolidated 100% of a dominate land position in the Dryden Camp in the greenstone belt in the Canadian Shield of Northwestern Ontario. (See Figure 1) Dryden Gold's property package ranges from historic gold mines to early-stage prospects. The property hosts high-grade gold mineralization over 50km of potential strike length. The property has excellent infrastructure with the Trans-Canada Highway running through the center of the property as well as Ontario Grid Power, rail, gas and proximity to the City of Dryden with its rich mining heritage. The Company is planning an initial public offering in the fall of 2023. For more information go to our website www.drydengold.com. QUALIFIED PERSON The technical disclosure in this news release has been approved by Maura J. Kolb, M.Sc., P.Geo. a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators. DISCLAIMER & FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, and by their very nature involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on currently available information, Dryden Gold Corp. provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Undue reliance should not be placed on "forward-looking statements". Figure 1 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9776/179563_0e9fc46c7448b82a_001full.jpg CONTACT INFORMATION Trey Wasser CEO Email: [email protected] Phone: 940-368-8337 Maura Kolb, M.Sc.. P. Geo., President Email: [email protected] Phone: 807-632-2368 www.drydengold.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179563 In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Parliament Press Office, Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov shows his resignation letter addressed to the Parliamentary Speaker in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Sept. 4, 2023 Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov submitted a letter of resignation on Monday after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would be replaced and named his successor. Oleksii Reznikovs removal follows a scandal around the defense ministrys procurement of military jackets. It was not the first similar case during the ongoing war. Zelenskyy made the announcement on his official Telegram account, writing that new leadership was needed after Reznikov went through more than 550 days of full-scale war. He named Rustem Umerov, a Crimean Tatar lawmaker, as the new defense minister. Reznikov was a good and prominent international negotiator, but it appears that there is chaos and disorder within the Ministry of Defense, which many deputies have taken advantage of, resulting in corruption scandals during the war, said analyst Volodymyr Fesenko from the Kyiv-based Penta Center. All actions of the Ukrainian authorities are geared toward the interests of the war, and scandals and statements about Ukraines slow counteroffensive in the face of very limited military resources compel Zelenskyy to be flexible and seek new personnel solutions. Reznikov was appointed in November 2021, several months before Russias invasion of Ukraine. In his resignation letter, Reznikov pointed out that it had been not an easy journey from his appointment until today, but that he had been part of the process of persuading international donors to give Ukraine sophisticated weaponry, from the categorical refusal to provide Ukraine with Stingers in November 2021 to the creation of an aviation coalition. Umerov, 41, a politician with the opposition Holos party, has served as head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine since September 2022. He resigned from that position on Monday, according to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraines parliament. An economist by training, he has worked in the telecommunications and investment sectors, was involved in human rights advocacy and has founded numerous funds to support the rights of Crimean Tatars. Fesenko said that Western partners value Umerov for this role as head of the State Property Fund, and he is one of the few politicians in Ukraine with direct contact with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Since the full-scale war broke out, Umerov has been involved in prisoner exchanges and was part of the Ukrainian delegation in negotiations with Russia over the U.N.-backed grain deal. Military analysts say that the replacement of the minister will not affect the situation on the front lines because the minister is not responsible for operational decisions. Military analyst Roman Svitan said the advance of the Ukrainian army southward towards the occupied Melitopol and Berdiansk will continue without a pause during the autumn-winter period. Therefore, the new minister will need to intensify negotiations with Western partners of Kyiv and ensure a continuous cycle of supplying the necessary weaponry to the front lines. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - EMX Royalty Corporation(NYSE American: EMX) (TSXV: EMX) (FSE: 6E9)(the "Company" or "EMX") is pleased to announce the execution of an amended and restated royalty agreement on September 1, 2023 for its Timok royalty property with Zijin (Europe) International Mining Company Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Zijin Mining Group Ltd ("Zijin"). EMX and Zijin have agreed that the Timok royalty will consist of a 0.3625% Net Smelter Return ("NSR") royalty that is uncapped and cannot be repurchased or reduced. The royalty covers Zijin's Brestovac exploration permit area (including the Cukaru Peki Mining licenses), as well as portions of Zijin's Jasikovo-Durlan Potak exploration license north of the currently active Bor Mine (Figure 1). EMX's Timok royalty property is located in the Bor Mining District of Serbia and covers the Cukaru Peki copper-gold deposits which have recently been put into production by Zijin. Cukaru Peki represents one of the premier copper and gold discoveries in the world in the past 10 years and is a top tier royalty asset for EMX. The Cukaru Peki deposits consist of a high-level body of high-grade, epithermal-style copper-gold mineralization referred to as the "Upper Zone", and a deeper body of porphyry-style copper-gold mineralization known as the "Lower Zone". Zijin is currently producing copper and gold from the Upper Zone deposit at Cukaru Peki, while concurrently developing the Lower Zone. The Cukaru Peki deposits and operations are summarized in Zijin's annual reports and in various Zijin disclosures. An NI-43-101 technical report for the Timok royalty was filed by EMX on SEDAR on March 31, 2022. As part of the execution of the revised royalty agreement, EMX will receive approximately US$6.68 million. This includes royalty payments of $1.59 million from July-December, 2021, royalty payments of $3.20 million from the calendar year 2022, and $1.89 million for the period of January-June, 2023. From that point forward EMX will continue to receive quarterly production royalty payments on an ongoing basis. EMX is appreciative of Zijin's cooperative and amicable approach throughout the process of achieving this resolution and looks forward to working with Zijin as the projects advance. Dr. Eric P. Jensen, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and employee of the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved the disclosure of the technical information contained in this news release. About EMX. EMX is a precious, base and battery metals royalty company. EMX's investors are provided with discovery, development, and commodity price optionality, while limiting exposure to risks inherent to operating companies. The Company's common shares are listed on the NYSE American Exchange and the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol EMX, and also trade on the Frankfurt exchange under the symbol "6E9". Please see www.EMXroyalty.com for more information. For further information contact: David M. Cole President and Chief Executive Officer Phone: (303) 973-8585 [email protected] Scott Close Director of Investor Relations Phone: (303) 973-8585 [email protected] Isabel Belger Investor Relations (Europe) Phone: +49 178 4909039 [email protected] Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain "forward looking statements" that reflect the Company's current expectations and projections about its future results. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties, exploration results and budgets, mineral reserve and resource estimates, work programs, capital expenditures, timelines, strategic plans, market prices for precious and base metal, or other statements that are not statements of fact. When used in this news release, words such as "estimate," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "will", "believe", "potential" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company's future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to: unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company's MD&A for the quarter ended June 30, 2023 (the "MD&A"), and the most recently filed Revised Annual Information Form (the "AIF") for the year ended December 31, 2022, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the AIF and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the SEC's EDGAR website at www.sec.gov. Figure 1. Locations of EMX royalty interests and key geological features in the Timok Magmatic Complex in the Bor Mining District of Serbia. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1508/179559_b87e0acd24d1f9f1_002full.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179559 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - Infinico Metals Corp. (TSXV: INFM) ("Infinico" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it signed a letter of intent agreement on September 5, 2023 with each of Ressources Broadback Inc. ("Broadback") and Julie Gadoury (together, the "Agreements"), pursuant to which the Company shall be granted the option to acquire a 100% interest in certain claims, consolidating the Nicobi Project (the "Property"). The Nicobi Project comprises 107 claims and is situated at the southwest corner of Nicobi Lake, 75 km east of Lebel-sur-Quvillon and 75 km southeast of Infinico's previously announced Dalhousie orthomagmatic Ni-Cu-Co Project. The Nicobi Project is an ortho-magmatic Ni-Cu-Co-3PGE project located within a mafic-to-ultramafic intrusion of the Abitibi Subprovince. Historical exploration drilling until the early 1990s targeted and revealed disseminated to massive sulphide mineralization. Parts of the property underwent systematic drilling in the 1960s, during which previous operators defined a non-compliant resource. A scout drilling campaign in 1991 intersected 37.61 metres at 0.75% Cu and 0.89% Ni from the surface. This was collared with a 70.0 m step out from the initial discovery, tapping into and opening mineralization in the distal parts of the intrusion. Various geophysical surveys were completed over the property, including a high-quality gravity survey as well as a modern Airbourne Time Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM) survey executed in 2008. The reprocessing of the historical drilling and geophysical data will commence in the coming weeks. Reprocessing of historic drilling and geophysical data in 3D software will help to develop a comprehensive geological model and provide a better understanding of the known mineralization. Modelling of TDEM may also identify previously unrecognized or overlooked conductive features which can be directly targeted with future drilling. This work is expected to quickly fast-track the project so that the Company can commence field work in early 2024. Initial field work will include drilling and downhole electromagnetic surveying (DHEM). The drilling will aim to confirm historic grades and drill intersects, along with starting to test the strike and depth extent of the mineralized intrusion. Under the terms of the Agreement with Broadback, Infinico shall pay $500,000 and issue 5,000,000 common shares in the capital of the Company ("Shares") to Broadback and undertake $4,000,000 in exploration over a three-year period to earn 100 % interest in the claims associated with the property. The terms are as follows. Cash Shares Exploration Expenditures On Signing - 1,500,000 - First Anniversary - 1,500,000 $1,000,000 (within first 12-month period) Second Anniversary - 1,000,000 $1,000,000 (within second 12-month period) Third Anniversary $500,000 1,000,000 $2,000,000 (within third 12-month period) Broadback shall retain a 2% net smelter return, on all its claims under the agreement, on all payable metals subject to a 1% buyback for $1,000,000, payable anytime. Under the terms of the Agreement with Julie Gadoury, Infinico shall pay $175,000 and issue $250,000 worth of common shares in the capital of the Company ("Shares") to Julie Gadoury over a three-year period to earn 100 % interest in the claims associated with the property. The terms are as follows. Cash Shares On Signing - $50,000 in shares First Anniversary $25,000 $50,000 in shares Second Anniversary $50,000 $50,000 in shares Third Anniversary $100,000 $100,000 in shares All Shares issued and issuable pursuant to the Agreement shall be subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance. Completion of the acquisition of the Property is subject to the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Julie Gadoury shall retain a 2% net smelter return, on all its claims under the agreement, on all payable metals subject to a 1% buyback for $500,000, payable anytime. Tom Panoulias commented that; "This is our second acquisition in Quebec in the last couple of months and represents an important component in the company's strategy to assemble a premier North American nickel portfolio, featuring a pipeline of exploration projects with excellent growth potential." Qualified Person Szabolcs Orban, MSc, EFG, EurGeol (#1883) is Vice President of Exploration for Infinico Metals Corp and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical content of this news release. About Infinico Metals Corp. Infinico Metals Corp. is a public company on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: INFM) focusing on the exploration for critical metals (Nickel, Copper and Cobalt) in the province of Quebec. The Company has signed an option agreement with Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. on the Dalhousie Project, which hosts magmatic Ni-Cu-Co sulphide mineralization, coincident with conductive features and remains largely untested. The Company also holds a series of key gold prospects on the Burin Peninsula, Newfoundland, where it has completed 6,840 m of diamond drilling on the Hickey's Pond target. For more information, please contact: Tom Panoulias, Interim CEO & Director Telephone: (416) 2945649 [email protected] www.infinicometals.com Forward-Looking Statements 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. This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the proposed acquisition of the Property, the Company's objectives, goals or future plans, statements, exploration results, potential mineralization, the estimation of mineral resources, exploration and mine development plans, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to failure to identify mineral resources, failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves, the inability to complete a feasibility study which recommends a production decision, the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, political risks, inability to fulfill the duty to accommodate First Nations and other indigenous peoples, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects, capital and operating costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, an inability to predict and counteract the effects of COVID-19 on the business of the Company, including but not limited to the effects of COVID-19 on the price of commodities, capital market conditions, restriction on labour and international travel and supply chains, and those risks set out in the Company's public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179442 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - MTB Metals Corp. (TSXV: MTB) (OTCQB: MBYMF) (FSE: E8H) ("MTB" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") for gross proceeds of up to C$1,000,000 from the sale of any combination of flow-through units of the Company (each, a "FT Unit") at a price of C$0.18 per FT Unit and non-flow through units of the Company (each, a "Unit") at a price of C$0.16 per Unit. Red Cloud Securities Inc. will be acting as a finder in connection with the Offering. Each FT Unit will consist of one common share of the Company to be issued as a "flow-through share" within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (each, a "FT Share") and one half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "FT Unit Warrant"). Each FT Unit Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one common share of the Company (each, a "Warrant Share") at a price of C$0.25 for a period of 24 months following the issue date. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (each, a "Unit Share") and one common share purchase warrant (each, a "Unit Warrant"). Each Unit Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Warrant Share at a price of C$0.18 for a period of 24 months following the issue date. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Offering for the exploration of the Company's projects in the prolific Golden Triangle of northern British Colombia. The gross proceeds from the issuance of the FT Shares will be used to incur resource exploration expenses which will constitute "Canadian exploration expenses" as defined in subsection 66.1(6) of the Income Tax Act and "flow through mining expenditures" as defined in subsection 127(9) of the Income Tax Act (the "Qualifying Expenditures"), which will be renounced with an effective date no later than December 31, 2023 to the purchasers of the FT Units in an aggregate amount not less than the gross proceeds raised from the issue of the FT Shares. If the Qualifying Expenditures are reduced by the Canada Revenue Agency, the Company will indemnify each subscriber of FT Units for any additional taxes payable by such subscriber as a result of the Company's failure to renounce the Qualifying Expenditures. The closing of the Offering is subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals including the TSX Venture Exchange. Finder's fees will be payable in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. The FT Shares, Unit Shares, Warrant Shares and any common shares of the Company that are issuable from any finder's warrants will be subject to a hold period ending on the date that is four months plus one day following the issue date in accordance with applicable securities laws. The securities offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor in any other jurisdiction. The Company also announces an expansion of the drill program presently underway at the Telegraph porphyry copper-gold project, with the intention of locating and mobilizing a second drill rig. Further details will be announced shortly. About MTB MTB has six active projects spanning 670 square kilometres (67,587 hectares) in the prolific Golden Triangle of northern British Columbia. With the focus on the Telegraph project, discussions are now underway leading to joint ventures and/or spinouts of other projects. Telegraph is located in the vicinity of 4 world-class porphyry deposits being advanced by major mining companies: Galore (Teck / Newmont), Schaft (Teck), Saddle (Newmont) and the operating Red Chris copper-gold mine (Newcrest / Imperial Metals). Field work by MTB on its 310 square kilometre property, together with earlier results, provides compelling evidence for the presence of one or more porphyries, similar to others in the area. The American Creek project is centered on the historic Mountain Boy silver mine. The project is road accessible and 20 km from the deep-water port of Stewart. There are multiple silver, gold and copper occurrences on the property, including a 2006 drill hole that encountered 5 kgs of silver over 5 metres. Red Cliff is a past producing gold and copper mine in which the Company holds a 35% interest. Recent drill results include 2 meters of 26 g/t gold. On the BA property, 182 drill holes have outlined a substantial zone of silver-lead-zinc mineralization located 4 km from the highway. Several targets with high-grade silver potential remain to be tested. Surprise Creek, to the north, hosts the same prospective stratigraphy. On the Theia project, work by MTB and previous explorers has outlined a silver bearing mineralized trend 500 metres long, highlighted by a 2020 grab sample that returned 39 kg per tonne silver (1,100 ounces per ton). Two other zones on the property produced copper values over 5%. Southmore is in the midst of some of the largest deposits in the Golden Triangle. It was explored in the 1980s through the early 1990s and was overlooked until MTB consolidated the property and carried out airborne geophysics and field work which confirmed several zones of gold and copper, with values up to 20% copper and 35 g/t gold. On behalf of the Board of Directors: Lawrence Roulston President & CEO For further information, contact: Caroline Klukowki [email protected] 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. This news release may contain certain "forward looking statements". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Not for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179502 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - Respond.io, a pioneer in customer conversation management solutions, proudly announces its attainment of the prestigious ISO 27001:2022 certification. This marks a significant milestone in the company's ongoing pursuit of watertight data security, operational excellence and industry leadership. The respond.io Trust Center is a repository of the company's privacy practices and security measures To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7958/179538_figure1.png Elevating Standards in Data Security ISO 27001:2022 is a comprehensive standard that guides organizations of various sizes across industries on how to establish, implement, maintain and enhance a systematic data security and risk management system. Amidst the rising prevalence of cybercrime, effectively managing customer data is a daunting task. ISO 27001 guides organizations in cultivating risk awareness, preemptively addressing vulnerabilities and implementing a comprehensive strategy that involves individuals, policies and technology. By attaining the ISO 27001:2022 certification, respond.io not only demonstrates its commitment to safeguarding sensitive customer information but also bolsters its defenses against cyber threats and achieves high standards of operational excellence. This is a company-wide initiative, spanning human resources, which conducts strict background checks during the hiring process, to the tech teams. The latter implemented stringent security procedures, from end-to-end processes to vulnerability handling, and utilized robust cybersecurity technology to ensure continuous ISO compliance by monitoring elements like employee devices even at rest and AWS infrastructure. Any discrepancies will trigger swift alerts for resolution within agreed SLA timelines. The Impact of ISO 27001:2022 Certification on respond.io's Users and Their Customers Respond.io's ISO 27001:2022 certification benefits the thousands of businesses that rely on its platform for customer conversations at every stage of the customer journey. This certification reflects high data security standards via a strong Information Security Management System (ISMS), fortifying against breaches and unauthorized access in adherence to internationally recognized standards. Additionally, it offers an effective risk management framework that streamlines operations, reduces disruptions and improves workflow. In turn, businesses can foster trust by assuring customers their data is handled with utmost care and protected by rigorous security protocols. Respond.io's transparent ISO compliance provides customers with a clear understanding of their data's handling, processing and protection. Championing Trust and Reliability "We are thrilled with our successful acquisition of the ISO 27001:2022 certification, which showcases our dedication to safeguarding user data and secures our position as an industry leader," says respond.io CEO Gerardo Salandra. "Customers are increasingly looking for partners they can trust with sensitive data. Following this, we have rolled out a Trust Center so users can engage with our platform with even greater confidence." The respond.io Trust Center compiles the company's practices, policies, and procedures on privacy, security, and compliance. It is a symbol of transparency and assurance that aims to build confidence among respond.io users. By making its privacy practices and security measures highly visible and accessible, respond.io allows its customers to verify the fulfillment of their respective compliance prerequisites. Interested parties can also subscribe to receive updates on the latest security measures and policies to track continuous improvements. To learn more about how respond.io commits to data privacy and security, visit respond.io's Trust Center. Hashtag: #respondio #datasecurity #saas https://www.linkedin.com/company/respondio https://www.facebook.com/getrespondio/ https://www.instagram.com/respond.io https://www.youtube.com/@Respondio The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About respond.io Respond.io is a customer conversation management software that enables companies to respond to messages from any channel from one centralized dashboard by teams of all sizes, thus making communication with customers easier, faster and more satisfactory. Over 10,000 companies from 86 countries, including British Airways, Klook, Decathlon, Roche and Bigo use respond.io. The platform processes 120 million messages per month, beating three of its main competitors combined. In 2022, respond.io raised $7 million in Series A funding, led by Headline Asia with participation from AltaIR Capital, Smart Partnership Capital, Sterling Oak Group and Calendula Ventures. In April 2023, the company achieved the prestigious status of a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP). The company is headquartered in Malaysia. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179538 Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - Shine Box Capital Corp. (TSXV: RENT.P) ("Shine Box") announces that the previously announced letter of intent between Shine Box and Electro Metals & Mining Inc. ("Electro") dated February 16, 2023, in respect of the proposed business combination transaction between Shine Box and Electro (the "Proposed Transaction") has been terminated in accordance with its terms. The Proposed Transaction was expected to constitute the "Qualifying Transaction" of Shine Box, as such term is defined in TSX Venture Exchange Policy 2.4 - Capital Pool Companies. Shine Box has re-engaged in the process of identifying and evaluating assets or businesses with a view to completing a Qualifying Transaction. Shine Box has applied to the TSX Venture Exchange to resume trading of the common shares of Shine Box (trading symbol "RENT.P"), which were previously halted from trading pending completion of the Proposed Transaction. For further information please contact: Shine Box Capital Corp. Dan Forigo Phone: 403-796-5529 E-mail: [email protected] Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would" , "might " or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: the resumption of trading of the Shine Box common shares. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; and the delay or failure to receive board, shareholder, court or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, the Corporation assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, Inc. nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the polices of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States of America. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. Securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179602 TAIPEI , Sept. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BizLink (TWSE code: 3665), a major global interconnect solutions provider, is happy to announce that we have won the Asiamoney 2023 Asia's Outstanding Companies Poll in the "Most Outstanding Company in Taiwan Automobiles & Components Sector" for the fifth consecutive year. Our consistent recognition reflects our long-term efforts in financial performance, management team excellence, IR activities, and CSR initiatives. "BizLink has continued to be selected as the most outstanding company in its category for the fifth straight year despite the challenging operating environment. This represents our global teams' high resiliency in adapting to change. This is deeply rooted in our corporate culture, and I am very proud of this. Our consistent recognition means that our strategic development and direction are correct, and we will continue to move in the right direction," said Roger Liang , BizLink Chairman. The award is presented annually by internationally renowned professional financial media, Asiamoney, who publishes the rankings in print and online. To rank the top companies, "Asiamoney" surveyed 1,225 fund managers, analysts, bankers, and rating agencies, receiving 7,653 votes for publicly listed companies across 13 markets. 194 companies made the list of the most outstanding companies for their sectors in their respective markets. About BizLink We are a U.S. -headquartered and vertically integrated supplier of interconnect solutions. Our global manufacturing footprint stretches across 32 sites on three major continents allowing for seamless integration into our customers' supply chains by serving the Industrial, IT DataComm, Automotive, and Electrical Appliance industries with new product introduction (NPI) and box build as well as system integration capabilities ready at selective sites. Please visit our website for more information about us, including our Corporate Sustainability section for our ESG track record. Press Contact Mike Wang , Investor Relations, [email protected] , +886-2-82261000 #2663 Claudia Lin , Public Relations, [email protected] , +886-2-82261000 #52760 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bizlink-wins-asiamoney-asias-outstanding-companies-for-the-5th-consecutive-year-301917236.html SOURCE BizLink Holding Inc. Premium sleep aid supports better sleep by combining melatonin and cannabinoids SAN DIEGO , Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CV Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: CVSI) (the "Company", "CV Sciences", "our", "us" or "we"), a preeminent consumer wellness company specializing in hemp extracts and other proven, science-backed natural ingredients and products, today announced the launch of +PlusCBDReserve Collection Sleep Gummies as the brand continues to expand into the sleep aid market. The +PlusCBD Reserve Collection product line is crafted with a proprietary blend of full-spectrum cannabinoids with rich and bold profiles, providing intense support when needed. +PlusCBDReserve Sleep Gummies are the latest addition to the successful Reserve Collection, formulated for consumers that want a product specifically designed for better sleep. Reserve Sleep Gummies give consumers more out of their nightly sleep supplement with 25mg CBD, 2.5mg THC, 5mg CBN, and 3mg of melatonin per gummy. Reserve Sleep allows consumers to regulate their circadian rhythms naturally while avoiding habit-forming sleep aids. Like all +PlusCBD Reserve products, Sleep Gummies feature a potent blend of naturally occurring CBD and THC for a broader, full-spectrum cannabinoid experience. Sleep Gummies are available in a natural blackberry flavor sweetened with organic cane sugar. "The global sleep aid market is expected to exceed $125 billion by 2030, proving that there is an incredible demand for products that help consumers rest and recover after a long day of work and other life stressors," said Joseph Dowling , CEO of CV Sciences. "CV Sciences has long been committed to formulating science-backed, hemp-derived products to address the many needs of consumers, from anxiety and pain to sleep. Reserve Sleep is an effective, natural product that combines the melatonin that many consumers already utilize with cannabinoids that target sleep, allowing them to get the rest they need for optimal health." In addition to Reserve Sleep Gummies, CV Sciences recently launched Daily Balance THC Free softgels in a 100mg dose . These softgels are formulated for consumers who need higher CBD concentration to achieve their wellness goals without the effects of THC. 100mg THC Free softgels are easy-to-swallow, vegan and contain a precise dose, backed by clinical research to support everyday health. Visit +PlusCBD or CV Sciences for more information. About CV Sciences, Inc. CV Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: CVSI) is a consumer wellness company specializing in hemp extracts and other proven, science-backed, natural ingredients and products, which are sold through a range of sales channels from B2B to B2C. The Company's PlusCBD branded products are sold at select retail locations throughout the U.S. and are the top-selling brands of hemp extracts in the natural products market, according to SPINS, the leading provider of syndicated data and insights for the natural, organic and specialty products industry. CV Sciences follows all guidelines for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and the Company's products are processed, produced, and tested throughout the manufacturing process to confirm strict compliance with Company and regulatory standards and specifications. With a commitment to science, PlusCBD product benefits in healthy people are supported by human clinical research data, in addition to three published clinical case studies available on PubMed.gov. PlusCBD was the first hemp extract supplement brand to invest in the scientific evidence necessary to receive self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status. CV Sciences, Inc. has primary offices and facilities in San Diego, California . The Company also operates a drug development program focused on developing and commercializing CBD-based novel therapeutics. Additional information is available from OTCMarkets.com or by visiting www.cvsciences.com . Media Contact: Sarah Winston [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cv-sciences-inc-launches-reserve-sleep-gummies-301913498.html SOURCE CV Sciences, Inc. - World-Renowned Nashville Practice Expands MSP Presence in Southeastern US - TORONTO , Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - MedSpa Partners Inc. ("MSP") is proud to welcome Dr. Brian Biesman to its top-tier North American medical aesthetics platform. Based in Nashville, Tennessee , Dr. Biesman and his team have been pioneering advances in both surgical and non-surgical medical aesthetics for nearly 35 years. A renowned oculofacial plastic surgeon, Dr. Biesman is recognized as one of the most innovative practitioners in medical aesthetics, with over 200 clinical studies, book chapters, and peer-reviewed publications to his name. His contributions to the advancement of medical aesthetics include co-founding and co-directing Music City SCALE, one of the largest, longest-running, and most recognized aesthetic meetings in America. Dr. Biesman is also a member of numerous advisory boards, has held multiple society presidencies, and has been listed as one of America's Top Doctors for nearly 20 years running. Speaking on his reasons for joining MedSpa Partners, Dr. Biesman shared, "I'm excited for us to join such a talented and accomplished group of practices and practitioners. We have always prided ourselves on our commitment to rigorously investigating new ways of providing the best possible care for our patients, a commitment shared throughout the MSP partnership. The decision to be acquired and partner was one we did not take lightly, and after careful consideration of our options for joining other platforms, MSP was the clear choice as they are the premier platform in North America . I look forward to working with our partners to continue to push the boundaries of medical aesthetic care and patient experience." MSP CEO Dominic Mazzone commented, "At MSP, our brand is known for partnering with clinics that demonstrate a particular commitment to excellence, whether it be excellence in creating best-in-class patient experiences, excellence in providing customized, exceptional outcomes, or excellence in clinical research and thought leadership. It's rare that a single practice is excellent in all of these areas, but that's exactly what Dr. Biesman and his accomplished team bring to MSP. Not only have they been at the forefront of medical aesthetics for decades, they have also built one of the strongest team cultures we have seen in the industry, united by the goal of providing the best possible care for their patients. We're thrilled to welcome Dr. Biesman and his team to MSP and are excited to continue to expand in the Southern US." About MedSpa Partners Inc. MedSpa Partners is acquiring North America 's leading Medical Aesthetics clinics, with the goal of allowing our industry-leading partners to achieve their personal and professional aspirations by creating world-class customer experiences through support, collaboration, and community. MSP is a portfolio company of Persistence Capital Partners, the leading private equity fund exclusively focused on high-growth opportunities in the healthcare field. Additional information on MSP is available at www.medspapartners.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dr-brian-biesman-joins-medspa-partners-301917958.html SOURCE MedSpa Partners Inc. First New York Insurer to earn accreditation for multiple lines of business including commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid NEW YORK , Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EmblemHealth, one of the nation's largest nonprofit health insurers, has earned Health Equity Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its commercial HMO and POS products, Medicaid HMO products, and Medicare HMO products. EmblemHealth is the first insurer in New York State to receive accreditation across three product lines. The NCQA Health Equity Accreditation program gives healthcare organizations an actionable framework for improving health equity and focuses on the foundational work of: Building an internal culture that supports the organization's external health equity work, Collecting data that help the organization create and offer language services and provider networks mindful of individuals' cultural and linguistic needs and Identifying opportunities to reduce health inequities and improve care. "We are committed to reducing health inequities in our members and the communities we serve. This award recognizes our work in meeting New Yorkers where they are in their personal health journey and closing gaps in care," said Abdou Bah, Senior Vice President and Chief Health Equity Officer at EmblemHealth. "We're taking a multipronged approach to this work with the goal of reducing health disparities in underserved populations, leading to better health outcomes and improved member satisfaction." EmblemHealth works to address health equity issues directly with its members and through their doctors. EmblemHealth has Neighborhood Care locations strategically located in ethnically diverse communities and within AdvantageCare Physicians, a primary and specialty care practice serving half a million patients across the greater New York City area. The Neighborhood Care sites offer many services, including in-person assistance and language translation services, onsite and virtual health and wellness classes, and personalized connections to community resources, health care providers, and other EmblemHealth resources. The centers are staffed with Customer Care Navigators who represent their communities, many of whom are bilingual. EmblemHealth collects information such as preferred language, cultural and religious preferences, and health literacy as it applies to medication and shares the data with the member's health care provider. This information helps doctors treat their patients, close gaps in care, and work with EmblemHealth to address social determinants of health. "This rigorous NCQA Health Equity accreditation process validates the path-breaking work that our team is doing to remove the intractable social barriers to accessing health care services," said Karen Ignagni , EmblemHealth's CEO. "We are proud to be the first plan to obtain this important designation in New York for multiple product lines." Learn more about EmblemHealth at emblemhealth.com. About EmblemHealth EmblemHealth is one of the nation's largest nonprofit health insurers, with 3.2 million members and an 80-year legacy of serving New York's communities. The company offers a full range of commercial and government-sponsored health plans to employers, individuals, and families, as well as convenient community resources. As a market leader in value-based care, EmblemHealth partners with top doctors and hospitals to deliver quality, affordable care. For more information, visit emblemhealth.com. About NCQA NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. In recognition for its leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion, NCQA has won the Excellence in Diversity Award from the Chesapeake Human Resources Association. NCQA's website (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more-informed health care choices. NCQA can be found online at ncqa.org, on Twitter @ncqa, and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ncqa. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/emblemhealth-awarded-prestigious-health-equity-accreditation-from-ncqa-301918074.html SOURCE EmblemHealth Trading Symbol TSX: SVM NYSE American: SVM VANCOUVER, BC , Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Silvercorp Metals Inc. ("Silvercorp" or the "Company") (TSX: SVM) (NYSE American: SVM) reports its "Safety Production Permits" for the GC Mine and its tailing storage facility were renewed and issued by the Department of Emergency Response and Administration of Guangdong Province , valid for a period of three years. The previous permits expired on September 3, 2023 . Prior to the renewal, the Company implemented a series of improvement measures within the mine requested by the authorities, such as upgrading all electric cables to flame retardant cables and backfilling certain open areas, which has impacted production activities. Combined with a district-wide cessation of industrial activity associated with improvements made to the provincial power grid this summer and a fatality in the GC Mine , there has been a production disruption of between four to five weeks this quarter. The fatality at the GC Mine was an employee of the contractor operating within the mine. The Mine management immediately followed appropriate protocols and notified the relevant authorities. A full investigation has been completed. Silvercorp extends its sincere condolences and is supporting the family in this time of need. The Company places the safety and well-being of all workers as its highest priority and has reminded all personnel of the appropriate safety policies and protocols to minimize the risk of any future accidents. About Silvercorp Silvercorp is a profitable Canadian mining company producing silver, lead and zinc metals in concentrates from mines in China . The Company's goal is to continuously create healthy returns to shareholders through efficient management, organic growth and the acquisition of profitable projects. Silvercorp balances profitability, social and environmental relationships, employees' wellbeing, and sustainable development. For more information, please visit our website at www.silvercorp.ca. For further information Lon Shaver Vice President Silvercorp Metals Inc. Phone: (604) 669-9397 Toll Free: 1 (888) 224-1881 Email: [email protected] Website: www.silvercorpmetals.com CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER - FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain of the statements and information in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial securities laws. Any statements or information that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "is expected", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategies", "targets", "goals", "forecasts", "objectives", "budgets", "schedules", "potential" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the price of silver and other metals; the accuracy of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates at the Company's material properties; the sufficiency of the Company's capital to finance the Company's operations; estimates of the Company's revenues and capital expenditures; estimated production from the Company's mines in the Ying Mining District ; timing of receipt of permits and regulatory approvals; availability of funds from production to finance the Company's operations; and access to and availability of funding for future construction, use of proceeds from any financing and development of the Company's properties. Forward-looking statements or information are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information, including, without limitation, social and economic impacts of COVID-19; risks relating to: fluctuating commodity prices; calculation of resources, reserves and mineralization and precious and base metal recovery; interpretations and assumptions of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; exploration and development programs; feasibility and engineering reports; permits and licenses; title to properties; property interests; joint venture partners; acquisition of commercially mineable mineral rights; financing; recent market events and conditions; economic factors affecting the Company; timing, estimated amount, capital and operating expenditures and economic returns of future production; integration of future acquisitions into the Company's existing operations; competition; operations and political conditions; regulatory environment in China and Canada; environmental risks; legislative and regulatory initiatives addressing global climate change or other environmental concerns; foreign exchange rate fluctuations; insurance; risks and hazards of mining operations; key personnel; conflicts of interest; dependence on management; internal control over financial reporting as per the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; and bringing actions and enforcing judgments under U.S. securities laws. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information are statements about the future and are inherently uncertain, and actual achievements of the Company or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, without limitation, those referred to in the Company's Annual Information Form under the heading "Risk Factors" and in the Company's Annual Report on Form 40-F, and in the Company's other filings with Canadian and U.S securities regulators. 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company's forward-looking statements and information are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this press release, and other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements and information if circumstances or management's assumptions, beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, or changes in any other events affecting such statements or information. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. Additional information related to the Company, including Silvercorp's Annual Information Form, can be obtained under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, on EDGAR at www.sec.gov, and on the Company's website at www.silvercorpmetals.com. CAUTIONARY NOTE TO US INVESTORS The disclosure in this news release and referred to herein was prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 which differs significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The terms "proven mineral reserve," "probable mineral reserve" and "mineral reserves" used in this news release are in reference to the mining terms defined in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Standards (the "CIM Definition Standards"), which definitions have been adopted by NI 43-101. Accordingly, information contained in this news release providing descriptions of our mineral deposits in accordance with NI 43-101 may not be comparable to similar information made public by other U.S. companies subject to the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral resources will ever be converted into reserves. Pursuant to CIM Definition Standards, "Inferred mineral resources" are that part of a mineral resource for which quantity and grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geological evidence and sampling. Such geological evidence is sufficient to imply but not verify geological and grade or quality continuity. An inferred mineral resource has a lower level of confidence than that applying to an indicated mineral resource and must not be converted to a mineral reserve. However, it is reasonably expected that the majority of inferred mineral resources could be upgraded to indicated mineral resources with continued exploration. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. Canadian standards, including the CIM Definition Standards and NI 43-101, differ significantly from standards in the SEC Industry Guide 7. Effective February 25, 2019 , the SEC adopted new mining disclosure rules under subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "SEC Modernization Rules"), with compliance required for the first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021 . The SEC Modernization Rules replace the historical property disclosure requirements included in SEC Industry Guide 7. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now recognizes estimates of "Measured Mineral Resources," "Indicated Mineral Resources" and "Inferred Mineral Resources." In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of "Proven Mineral Reserves" and "Probable Mineral Reserves" to be substantially similar to corresponding definitions under the CIM Definition Standards. During the period leading up to the compliance date of the SEC Modernization Rules, information regarding mineral resources or reserves contained or referenced in this news release may not be comparable to similar information made public by companies that report according to U.S. standards. While the SEC Modernization Rules are purported to be "substantially similar" to the CIM Definition Standards, readers are cautioned that there are differences between the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Definitions Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral reserves or mineral resources that the Company may report as "proven mineral reserves", "probable mineral reserves", "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the reserve or resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gc-mine-safety-production-permits-renewed-301918353.html SOURCE Silvercorp Metals Inc Roman Yarmolenko, a Ukrainian soldier from the 93rd brigade, learns to walk on a prosthetic leg. He crosses rough, muddy terrain outside the Unbroken rehabilitation center in Lviv, Ukraine, Wednesday, July 26, 2023 The small band of soldiers gather outside to share cigarettes and war stories, sometimes casually and sometimes with a degree of testiness over recollections made unreliable by their last day fighting, the day the war took away their limbs. Some clearly remember the moment they were hit by anti-tank mines, aerial bombs, a missile, a shell. For others, the gaps in their memories loom large. Vitaliy Bilyaks skinny body is a web of scars that end with an amputation above the knee. During six weeks in a coma, Bilyak underwent over 10 surgeries, including his jaw, hand, and heel, to recover from injuries he received April 22 driving over a pair of anti-tank mines. When I woke up, I felt like I was born again and returned from the afterlife, said Bilyak, who is just beginning his path to rehabilitation. He does not yet know when hell receive a prosthesis, which must be fitted individually to each patient. Ukraine is facing a future with upward of 20,000 amputees, many of them soldiers who are also suffering psychological trauma from their time at the front. Europe has experienced nothing like it since World War I, and the United States not since the Civil War. Mykhailo Yurchuk, a paratrooper, was wounded in the first weeks of the war near the city of Izium. His comrades loaded him onto a ladder and walked for an hour to safety. All he could think about at the time, he said, was ending it all with a grenade. A medic refused to leave his side and held his hand the entire time as he fell unconscious. When he awoke in an intensive care unit the medic was still there. Thank you for holding my hand, Yurchuk told him. Well, I was afraid youd pull the pin, the medic replied. Yurchuks left arm was gone below the elbow and his right leg above the knee. In the 18 months since, Yurchuk has regained his equilibrium, both mentally and physically. He met the woman who would become his wife at the rehabilitation hospital, where she was a volunteer. And he now cradles their infant daughter and takes her for walks without the slightest hesitation. His new hand and leg are in stark black. Yurchuk has himself become the chief motivator for new arrivals from the front, pushing them as they heal from their wounds and teaching them as they learn to live and move with their new disabilities. That kind of connection will need to be replicated across Ukraine, formally and informally, for thousands of amputees. Their whole locomotive system has to be reoriented. They have a whole redistribution of weight. Thats a really complicated adjustment to make and it needs to be made with another human being, said Dr. Emily Mayhew, a medical historian at Imperial College who specializes in blast injuries. There are not nearly enough prosthetic specialists in Ukraine to handle the growing need, said Olha Rudneva, the head of the Superhumans center for rehabilitating Ukrainian military amputees. Before the war, she said, only five people in all of Ukraine had formal rehabilitation training for people with arm or hand amputations, which in normal circumstances are less common than legs and feet as those sometimes are amputated due to complications with diabetes or other illnesses. Rudneva estimated that 20,000 Ukrainians have endured at least one amputation since the war began. The government does not say how many of those are soldiers, but blast injuries are among the most common in a war with a long front line. Rehabilitation centers Unbroken and Superhumans provide prostheses for Ukrainian soldiers with funds provided by donor countries, charity organizations and private Ukrainian companies. Some donors are not willing to provide military aid to Ukraine but are willing to fund humanitarian projects, said Rudneva. Some of the men undergoing rehabilitation regret theyre now out of the war, including Yurchuk and Valentyn Lytvynchuk. Lytvynchuk, a former battalion commander, draws strength from his family, especially his 4-year-old daughter who etched a unicorn on his prosthetic leg. He headed recently to a military training ground to see what he could still do. I realized its unrealistic. I can jump into a trench, but I need four-wheel drive to get out of it. And when I move fast a child could catch me, he said. Then, after a moment, he added: Plus, the prosthesis falls off. The hardest part for many amputees is learning to live with the pain pain from the prosthesis, pain from the injury itself, pain from the lingering effects of the blast shockwave, said Mayhew, who has spoken with several hundred military amputees over the course of her career. Many are dealing with disfigurement and the ensuing cosmetic surgeries. That comorbidity of PTSD and blast injury and pain those are very difficult to unpick, she said. When people have a physical injury and they have a psychological injury that goes with it, those things can never be separated. " For the severely injured, rehabilitation could take longer than the war ultimately lasts. The cosmetic surgeries are crucial to allowing the soldiers to feel comfortable in society. Many are so disfigured that its all they believe anyone sees in them. We dont have a year, two, said Dr. Natalia Komashko, a facial surgeon. We need to do this as if it was due yesterday.. Bilyak, the soldier who drove over anti-tank mines, still sometimes finds himself dreaming of battle. Im lying alone in the ward on the bed, and people I dont know come to me. I realize theyre Russians and they start shooting me point-blank in the head with pistols, rifles, he recounted. They start getting nervous because theyre running out of bullets, and Im alive, I show them the middle finger and laugh at them. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Hyundai Mobis announces its 'MOBIS MOBILITY MOVE 2.0' strategy for European expansion Growth focused around its three core businesses: Electrification (battery/PE system), Next-generation chassis (X-By-Wire), and Connectivity Hyundai Mobis to double revenue growth Year-on-Year achieving 30% annual sales growth in Europe by 2030 SEOUL, South Korea , Sept. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- At IAA Mobility 2023 Hyundai Mobis (KRX: 012330) has announced its European market expansion strategy 'MOBIS MOBILITY MOVE 2.0' which showcased its commitment to electric mobility. Hyundai Mobis is confident it can rapidly expand in Europe where electric vehicle technology is already making an impact, as highlighted by the recent contract win with Volkswagen, one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers, for its large-scale battery system. The company's approach for the European market is focused around its three core solutions, involving electric vehicle core components such as battery systems and power electronics (PE systems). "The Mobis core solution will play a significant role in the European automotive market as it shifts to electric," explained Axel Maschka , Executive Vice President and Head of Business Division, Hyundai Mobis. "We expect orders from the region will more than double compared to last year. By 2030 we are aiming for an annual sales growth of over 30% in the European market." Expansion through innovative mobility solutions At the exhibition, Hyundai Mobis is highlighting the market leadership of its electrification solutions including the Battery System (BSA) and Power Electronics System (PE System) installed in the Kia EV9, as well as its next-generation electric platform, e-CCPM (Electric Complete Chassis Platform Module). During the press conference, Hyundai Mobis announced it is developing an 800V high-voltage battery system and a third-generation PE system suitable for high-performance electrical vehicles. Hyundai Mobis plans to target the European mobility market using 'X(Everything)-By Wire' and '5G-based V2X (Vehicle to Everything) Integrated Control' technologies. X-By-Wire transforms essential functions like steering and brakes from mechanical to electronic controls, in line with demand for electrification. This next-generation chassis technology enhances freedom in vehicle architecture, design, and spatial capabilities, and Hyundai Mobis has the expertise to build the full range of By-Wire solutions including Electronic Steering (Steer-By-Wire), Electronic Braking (Brake-By-Wire), and Independent Rear Wheel Steering (Rear Wheel Steering). Hyundai Mobis has started its development of 5G-based V2X Integrated Control technology, which is considered a core technology for Level 4 autonomous driving. This technology enables vehicles to exchange large amounts of data with exterior environments (other vehicles, intelligent transportation systems) without delay. Having already developed a secure 5G communication module, Hyundai Mobis is planning to introduce a new telematics product integrating V2X technology to the market soon. Hyundai Mobis' investment in state-of-the-art mobility solutions is driven by the willingness of automotive manufacturers in Europe to embrace innovation. The company's reputation for highly differentiated technologies is key to expanding orders in a market where premium manufacturers have stringent technology standards. By aligning with these requirements, Hyundai Mobis is confident it can achieve a target for orders in the European region of $1.29 billion , which is two times higher than last year. In the first half of this year, Hyundai Mobis has already secured orders for automotive electric parts, such as its advanced assistance system (ADAS) camera sensors from major European brands. On its stand (Hall B2) Hyundai Mobis has a 'Private Zone' for international clients to introduce twenty of its new ready-to-mass-produce technologies such as the next-generation integrated cockpit system ( M.VICS 4.0), Hologram AR-HUD, and rollable display. It has been reported that top executives from major European automakers such as Volkswagen, BMW, and Daimler have visited this location. About Hyundai Mobis Hyundai Mobis is the global no. 6 automotive supplier, headquartered in Seoul, Korea . Hyundai Mobis has outstanding expertise in sensors, sensor fusion in ECUs and software development for safety control. The company's products also include various components for electrification, brakes, chassis and suspension, steering, airbags, lighting, and automotive electronics. Hyundai Mobis operates its R&D headquarters in Korea , with four technology centers in the United States , Germany , China and India . For more information, please visit the website at http://www.mobis.co.kr Media Contact Jihyun Han: [email protected] Myong Sun Song : [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hyundai-mobis-launches-mobis-mobility-move-2-0-strategy-to-double-growth-in-europe-301916902.html SOURCE Hyundai Mobis PITTSBURGH , Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create a wearable firefighting solution for safer and efficient fire suppression/extinguishing," said an inventor, from Newark, N.J., "so I invented the MAYRANT HALON INJECTION. My design would allow any firefighter to have a comfortable portable device that could be taken anywhere, especially where larger equipment is limited." The patent-pending invention provides a fire suppression/extinguisher backpack-style unit for safer and efficient firefighting measures. In doing so, it allows for rapid deployment. It also offers fresh air intake and supply for the user. The invention features a flexible and adjustable design that is easy to use so it is ideal for firefighters, first responders, rescue persons, etc. The original design was submitted to the New Jersey sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 21-NJD-2559, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street , Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/inventhelp-inventor-develops-wearable-firefighting-solution-njd-2559-301916638.html SOURCE InventHelp Jefferson's Tropics Aged in Humidity is a fully matured Kentucky bourbon whiskey finished in the intensely hot and humid climate of Singapore , resulting in a truly unique bourbon NEW YORK , Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jefferson's Bourbon, a pioneer in the bourbon category, and well-known for its boundary pushing approach to whiskey blending and unique maturation, proudly debuts Jefferson's Tropics Aged in Humidity. Jefferson's Tropics Aged in Humidity is a fully matured Kentucky straight bourbon finished in Singapore's extreme heat and humidity to deliver a rich, textured, and completely unique tasting experience. Jefferson's is constantly experimenting with various blending, aging, and finishing techniques to achieve unique flavors. Its newest release is the ultimate culmination of founder Trey Zoeller's efforts to continue to explore unique maturation techniques and environments. After the success of the innovative Ocean Aged at Sea Voyage Series, founder Trey Zoeller was convinced climate could affect the maturation process more than the mashbill or barrel itself and sought to find new and interesting climates for further proof. But first, he needed a location. "After taking barrels to many different locations, it was evident that the hot and humid climates had such a positive impact on the bourbon. So when homing in on a location to age our first Jefferson's Tropics Aged in Humidity release, we knew we needed to be near the equator, where the heat and humidity would be year-round and intense. Singapore - one of my bucket list travel destinations - was absolutely perfect for this experiment," said Zoeller. "The result is a remarkable bourbon, one that further reinforces my belief that terroir for whiskey comes from the environment that the bourbon matures in rather than the ground from which the grains are grown. The Jefferson's Tropics Aged in Humidity series embodies the result of this with its richness and complexity - we can't wait for you to experience it firsthand." The journey to create this special liquid was a wild one. Nine containers with a combined capacity of 720 barrels of fully matured Kentucky straight bourbon set sail for Singapore via an ocean ship in July 2019 , marking the start of the journey. Following that journey, these barrels were exposed to Singapore's severe heat and humidity for an astounding 18 months resulting in a bourbon that is intensely caramelized and steeped with flavor. The extreme heat essentially slow cooks and caramelizes the sugars in the wood. The containers finally made their way back to Kentucky in March 2023 , where Zoeller evaluated and selected the ideal flavor profile and proof point. The result is a harmoniously blended bourbon that boasts aromatic baking spices on the nose, notes of bing cherry, toffee, and sea salt, and a long, textured, full-bodied finish. Jefferson's Tropics Aged in Humidity is fully matured and bottled at 52% ABV. An allocated limited edition special release will be available starting September 2023 in fine spirits retailers and restaurants/bars across the US (MSRP $99.99 /750mL). For more information visit https://jeffersonsbourbon.com/jeffersons-tropics-bourbon/ and follow the brand on Instagram at www.instagram.com/jeffersonsbourbon. PLEASE SIP RESPONSIBLY Jefferson's Tropics Aged in Humidity. 52% ALC/VOL (104 PROOF) 2023 Pernod Ricard USA, New York, NY ABOUT JEFFERSON'S Trey Zoeller and his father, Chet, a famed bourbon historian, established Jefferson's in 1997. They were continuing a family tradition that goes back to 1799 when Trey's eighth generation grandmother became the first woman on record in America to be arrested for the "production and sales of spirituous liquors." Over the last 25 years, Trey has brought a unique perspective to Jefferson's , seeing bourbon through the lens of nature, exploration, and experiences. The brand has led with innovations in the art of blending and maturation, yielding distinctive flavors. ABOUT PERNOD RICARD Pernod Ricard USA is the premium spirits and wine company in the U.S. , and the largest subsidiary of Paris, France-based Pernod Ricard SA., the world's second largest spirits and wine company. Pernod Ricard employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide, is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI) and is part of the CAC 40 index. The company's leading spirits include such prestigious brands as Absolut Vodka, Avion Tequila, Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky, The Glenlivet Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Kahlua Liqueur, Malibu, Martell Cognac, Olmeca Altos Tequila, Beefeater Gin, Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, Codigo Tequila, Monkey 47 Gin, Seagram's Extra Dry Gin , Malfy Gin, Hiram Walker Liqueurs, Midleton Irish Whiskey, Redbreast Irish Whiskey, Aberlour Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Lillet, Jefferson's Bourbon, TX Whiskey, Skrewball Whiskey, Smooth Ambler Whiskey, Rabbit Hole Whiskey, Pernod and Ricard; such superior wines as Jacob's Creek, Kenwood Vineyards, Campo Viejo , Brancott Estate and Sainte Marguerite en Provence rose.; and such exquisite champagnes and sparkling wines Perrier-Jouet Champagne, G.H. Mumm Champagne , Mumm Napa. Pernod Ricard USA is headquartered in New York, New York, and has more than 1,000 employees across the country. As "creators of conviviality," we are committed to sustainable and responsible business practices in service of our customers, consumers, employees and the planet. Pernod Ricard USA urges all adults to consume its products responsibly and has an active program to promote responsible drinking. For more information, visit: www.pernod-ricard-usa.com. Media Contact: Liza Howard [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jeffersons-bourbon-bottles-the-heat-and-humidity-of-singapore-in-latest-innovation---jeffersons-tropics-aged-in-humidity-301918054.html SOURCE Jeffersons Bourbon NEW YORK , Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lowenstein Sandler's Investment Management Group continues to expand with the addition of another highly regarded lawyer from the private funds space: new partner Jonathan A. Danziger , General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Glenview Capital Management. Danziger will be based in Lowenstein's New York City office beginning in mid-September. The addition of Danziger, a leader in the private funds industry, to Lowenstein's Investment Management Group further expands Lowenstein's preeminence in this area. Danziger advises investment management clients on the formation and structuring of private funds and management companies, regulatory and compliance matters, and shareholder engagement and activist campaigns. He has particular experience counseling clients on fund structuring, public and private investment opportunities, compliance matters, regulatory exams, trading issues, and ongoing requirements for maintaining the highest standards of operational excellence. Prior to serving as the GC and CCO at Glenview, he practiced in the Investment Management group at Schulte Roth & Zabel. Robert G. Minion, Chair of Lowenstein's Investment Management Group, says: "Jonathan is highly regarded and greatly respected throughout the investment management community. His experience makes him ideally suited for our Investment Management Group." Marie T. DeFalco , Co-chair of Lowenstein's Investment Management Group, adds: "Our IM practice continues to be a recognized industry leader and Jonathan will play a valuable role in our continued growth." Scott H. Moss , Co-chair of Lowenstein's Investment Management Group and Chair of Lowenstein's Fund Regulatory & Compliance practice, says: "We are thrilled to welcome Jonathan to our expanding team. He possesses a wealth of knowledge that will be greatly beneficial to our clients." "I've always been careful to partner with the most esteemed firms serving investment management clients, and Lowenstein is no exception: its investment management and funds practices have a strong reputation as a top-tier player in the industry," says Danziger. "Lowenstein is innovative, entrepreneurial, and commercially minded, as well as both energetic and smart. I look forward to being a part of such a great firm." Lowenstein's Investment Management Group is one of the leading practices of its kind in the United States . More than 100 of the firm's 350+ lawyers are dedicated to serving funds and investor clients worldwide from the Group's headquarters in New York City and offices across the nation. Its teams provide the full spectrum of legal services to hedge fund formation, private equity funds, distressed debt funds, credit funds, venture capital funds, real estate funds, fund of funds, and other pooled investment vehicles, as well as to investment advisers, commodity pool operators, commodity trading advisors, broker-dealers, and institutional investors; they are regularly recognized by clients and industry groups as well, including Chambers USA and Chambers Global, U.S. News Best Law Firms, and The Legal 500. About Lowenstein Sandler LLP Lowenstein Sandler LLP is a national law firm with over 350 lawyers based in New York , Palo Alto , New Jersey , Utah , and Washington, D.C. The firm represents leaders in virtually every sector of the global economy, with particular emphasis on investment funds, life sciences, and technology. Recognized for its entrepreneurial spirit and high standard of client service, the firm is committed to the interests of its clients, colleagues, and communities. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lowenstein-sandlers-investment-management-group-continues-to-grow-with-the-addition-of-jonathan-a-danziger-301917968.html SOURCE Lowenstein Sandler LLP SYRACUSE, N.Y. , Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine have honored Mohawk Global as one of this year's Best Medium Workplaces. After ten years of achieving the Great Places to Work certification, this is the company's first time being featured on the prestigious list. Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine have honored Mohawk Global as one of this year's Best Medium Workplaces. "We believe in cultivating a culture of love and trust at Mohawk Global. That, along with our vision to enrich people's lives, allows our people to thriveas well as our company," says Gar Grannell , Chairman and CEO of Mohawk Global. Enriching our people involves improving the communities in which we live. Our people are passionate about giving back and we wholly support them for this. The Mohawk Global Giveback programlaunched in 2022enhances the reinvestment into our communities through volunteer opportunities where Mohawk Global has an office location. "Their participation in this program is just one example of how our people are what makes Mohawk Global a Great Place to Work," proudly states Gar Grannell . The Best Medium Workplaces award is based on employee feedback collected through America's largest annual workforce study of over 1 million employee survey responses by Great Places to Work. In that survey, 97% of Mohawk Global employees said it is a great place to work, a four percent increase from the 2022 survey. As a team, Mohawk Global emphasizes the importance of the participation rate, as it is an opportunity for employees to truly make a difference in the workplace culture. Mohawk Global is proud to report that the survey was completed by 91% of employees. The Best Medium Workplaces list is highly competitive. Great Place to Work selected the list using rigorous analytics and confidential employee feedback. Companies are assessed on how well they are creating a great employee experience that cuts across race, gender, age, disability status, or any aspect of who employees are or what their role is. To be considered for the list, companies must be Great Place To Work-Certified and have 100 to 999 U.S. employees. Mohawk Global is proud to be represented alongside the impressive companies on the Best Medium Workplaces list, ranking at #83. Learn more about Mohawk Global's survey results here. About Mohawk Global Mohawk Global is a leading supply chain services provider headquartered in Syracuse, New York . Mohawk Global strives to create an environment of growth, and as a family-owned and operated business, everything is guided by the core values Enrich. Care. Deliver. The caring culture is what gives their teams the unique ability to deliver collaborative solutions with tailored projects for each partners' needs. They are a team who genuinely care about each other, clients, and their community. About the Best Medium Workplaces Great Place to Work selected the Best Workplaces in New York by gathering and analyzing confidential survey responses from its study of thousands of companies representing more than 6.1 million U.S. employees at Great Place to Work-Certified organizations. Companies must be headquartered in the state of New York to be eligible. Company rankings are derived from 60 employee experience questions within the Great Place to Work Trust Index survey. Read the full methodology. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mohawk-global-is-named-one-of-the-best-medium-workplaces-in-2023-by-great-place-to-work-and-fortune-magazine-301918155.html SOURCE Mohawk Global 2023 data from Cruise Lines International Association shows investment in technologies and alternative fuels that will accelerate the maritime transition towards net zero WASHINGTON , Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the leading voice of the global cruise industry, today released its 2023 Global Cruise Industry Environmental Technologies and Practices Report, showing concrete progress by the sector in advancing its environmental and sustainability agenda. The 2023 order book data shows that cruise lines continue investment in new vessels with 44 new ships on order during the next five years, representing an investment of $62 billion since 2019. Of these new ships, 25 will be LNG- powered and seven will be either methanol ready on delivery, or methanol capable, representing an investment in new engine technologies that will accelerate the maritime transition towards a future of low to zero carbon fuels. Examples of progress cited include the number of alternative fuels pilot programs and trials currently in place with cruise ships. In addition, an increasing number of vessels sailing and launching over the next five years will either use alternative fuels or will be able to incorporate zero carbon fuels when they become available. The 2023 report also demonstrates other significant investments cruise lines are making to reduce emissions at berth and at sea, such as shoreside electricity, which allows cruise ships to switch off engines for significant emissions reduction while in port. More cruise lines are diversifying energy solutions by incorporating multi-fuel engines, trialing fuel cell technology, wind (including solid sail) technology, as well as photovoltaic solutions and battery storage for power shaving. Efficiency tracking systems are now in use on 171 CLIA-member ships, representing 60% of the global fleet, with many more systems planned. In addition, cruise lines are pursuing fuel flexibility, investing today in propulsion technologies with conversion capabilities for the futurewith 32 pilot projects and collaborative initiatives underway with sustainable fuel producers and engine companies. President, and CEO, CLIA, Kelly Craighead said: "Cruise lines continue to transform the modern fleet to protect the oceans, air and destinations enjoyed by millions of passengers each year. Our data shows a step change in the uptake of new environmental technologies by our cruise line members. Already today cruise lines are building the ships of the future which will run on new, more sustainable engine technologies. The introduction of these new technologies and the many pilot programs and trials in place reveal how the cruise industry is an innovator and early adopter of technologies that are helping us sail to a more sustainable future." The availability of sustainable marine fuels remains essential to achieving the maritime industry's decarbonisation goals and underscores the need for governments to support research efforts to accelerate development of these fuels so that they are safe, viable and available for use. Chairman of CLIA Pierfrancesco Vago said: "Achieving our collective sustainability ambitions requires substantial investment from the public and private sector. The cruise industry, as part of the broader maritime sector, is doing its part by building the future of cruise into our ships today. We need governments to support research efforts, as well as provide a clear and stable regulatory landscape, so that fuel suppliers and others can do the critical work needed." The data shows that CLIA ocean-going cruise lines continue their work to reduce emissions. Highlights of progress include: Shoreside Electricity (SSE) Capability Plugging into shoreside electricity allows ship engines to be switched off, reducing emissions by up to 98%, depending on the mix of energy sources, while a ship is in port, according to studies conducted by a number of the world's ports and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Across the CLIA cruise-line member fleet, 120 ships (46% of the total and a 48% increase in the number of ships with SSE since 2022) are equipped to connect to shoreside electricity, with 86% of CLIA member ships (representing 95% of global passenger capacity) coming online between now and 2028 specified for shoreside electricity system. Currently 32 ports (compared to 29 ports in 2022), representing fewer than 2% of the world's ports, have at least one cruise berth with plug-in capability. By 2028, more than 210 ships with shoreside power capability are expected, plus additional ships to be retrofitted with the capability, representing a total of 72% of ships and 74% of global passenger capacity. In 2022, CLIA has announced that its ocean cruise line members have made a commitment that all ships calling at ports capable of providing shoreside power will be equipped to either use SSE by 2035 or be able to use alternative low-carbon technologies, as available, to reduce emissions in port. As part of the EU's Fit for 55 green program, by 2030, major ports in Europe will be required to have shoreside power, which will further accelerate the available port infrastructure investment in that region. Advanced Wastewater Treatment Systems As part of their overarching sustainability focus, cruise lines have committed to not discharging untreated sewage anywhere in the world, during normal operations. Across the CLIA cruise-line member fleet, 202 ships (77% of the total), representing 80% of global passenger capacity (a 12% increase from 2022) are equipped with advanced wastewater treatment systems. These systems operate to a higher standard than shoreside treatment plants in many coastal cities. All CLIA-member cruise line new-build ships are specified for advanced wastewater treatment systems which will bring the total to 242 ships, representing 80% of the fleet and 84% of global capacity. In addition, since 2019, the number of ships with advanced wastewater treatment systems capable of meeting the more stringent standards of the Baltic Sea Special Area has increased 167%. Today, nearly one- third of CLIA member ships have this capability. Renewable fuels and alternative energy sources Various CLIA member lines are trialing, using, and incorporating into new-build ships the capability to run on renewable fuels, including biofuels and synthetic carbon fuels. Within the CLIA member fleet, four ships sailing today use renewable biofuel as an energy sourceand an additional four new-build ships are expected to be configured for renewable biofuels. In addition, 24 ships have biofuel trials and two have synthetic carbon fuels trials. Seven new-build ships are anticipated to run on zero carbon fuels, including five ships envisioned to use green methanol and two envisioned to use green hydrogen. 15% of new-build cruise ships entering service in the next five years are anticipated to be equipped with battery storage and/or fuel cells to allow for hybrid power generation. Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Fuel As the cruise industry anticipates the transition to a future of sustainable, renewable fuels, several cruise ships are utilizing liquified natural gas (LNG). Ships designed with LNG engines and fuel supply systems are able to switch to bio or synthetic LNG in the future, with little or no modifications. The 2023 report found 48% of new-build capacity will be designed with LNG engines and fuel supply systems. These ships are part of a future generation of vessels that will be capable of running on renewable marine fuels once fuel providers are able to make them available at scale. Based on analyses by SeaLNG and others, LNG is currently the fossil fuel available at scale that has the best performance in reducing atmospheric emissions. LNG has virtually zero sulfur emissions and particulate emissions, reduces NOx emissions by approximately 85%, and achieves up to a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Notes to Editors: The data tables for this year's report can be found at this LINK. *Sustainable, renewable marine fuels can include biofuels, synthetic carbon fuels, and other advanced approaches including zero carbon fuels, such as green methanol and green hydrogen. For more information, please visit cruising.org/environment-sustainability . About the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) CLIA is the world's largest cruise industry trade association, providing a unified voice for the industry as the leading authority of the global cruise community. On behalf of its members, affiliates and partners, the organization supports policies and practices that foster a secure, healthy, and sustainable cruise ship environment, promoting positive travel experiences for millions of travelers who cruise annually. This year, CLIA forecasts that annual the number of passengers will reach 31.5 million passengerssurpassing 2019 levels. The CLIA community includes the world's most prestigious ocean, river, and specialty cruise lines; a widespread network of stakeholders, including ports and destinations, ship development, suppliers, and business services; and a highly trained and certified travel agent members that represent the largest network of travel professionals specializing in cruise travel. The organization's global headquarters are in Washington, DC , with regional offices located in North and South America , Europe , and Australasia . For more information, please visit cruising.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube with our handle @CLIAGlobalor on LinkedIn. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-environmental-data-report-confirms-step-change-in-cruise-industry-uptake-of-new-environmental-technologies-301918435.html SOURCE Cruise Lines International Association TULSA, Okla. , Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE) will participate in the Barclays CEO Energy-Power Conference on September 6, 2023 , in New York . ONEOK management will participate in a fireside chat session at 10:20 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time ( 9:20 a.m. Central Daylight Time ). A link to the live webcast, replay and ONEOK's latest investor materials are available at www.oneok.com. ONEOK, Inc. (pronounced ONE-OAK) (NYSE: OKE) is a leading midstream service provider and owns one of the nation's premier natural gas liquids (NGL) systems, connecting NGL supply in the Rocky Mountain , Permian and Mid-Continent regions with key market centers and owns an extensive network of gathering, processing, fractionation, transportation and storage assets. ONEOK is a FORTUNE 500 company and is included in the S&P 500. For information about ONEOK, visit the website: www.oneok.com. For the latest news about ONEOK, find us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Analyst Contact: Megan Patterson 918-561-5325 Media Contact: Brad Borror 918-588-7582 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oneok-to-participate-in-barclays-ceo-energy-power-conference-301918127.html SOURCE ONEOK, Inc. BEIJING, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The China International Fair for Trade in Services 2023 (CIFTIS), the largest fair in the global services trade sector, commenced on September 2 . Leveraging its host location, the Shijingshan International Open Cooperation Forum 2023 opened on September 3 at the Shougang Park in Shijingshan District . It was hosted by the Shijingshan District People's Government of Beijing Municipality and Shougang Group and organized by Asia Digital Group. Representatives from multiple countries gathered to exchange ideas and suggestions on strengthening international open cooperation and promoting regional economic development in the new era to establish a high-quality international open cooperation zone in Shijingshan. Executive Vice Mayor of Beijing Xia Linmao, Director of the Department of Trade in Services and Commercial Services of the Ministry of Commerce Wang Dongtang, and Secretary of the Shijingshan District Committee of Beijing Municipality Chang Wei addressed the forum. Keynote speakers included Li Xin , Mayor of Shijingshan District, Liu Meiying , Full-Time Deputy Director of the "Two Zones" Office in Beijing , Liang Jie , Deputy General Manager of Shougang Group, Jonathan Nelson , Global Head of Digital at Populous, and Lionel CHEN, President of ADNRS (Association Pour le Developpement de la Nouvelle Route de la Soie ). Global Discussion on the Future of International Open Cooperation The Report to the 20thNational Congress of China emphasized the importance of deepening and expanding global partnerships based on principles of equality, openness, and cooperation, with the goal of fostering a favorable international environment for development. International open cooperation is not only a long-standing development approach consistently upheld by China , but also an indispensable path towards a brighter future for the world. In his speech, Xia Linmao, Executive Vice Mayor of Beijing, highlighted the transformation of Shijingshan from an old industrial base to a glory of modern industry. It is promoting urban revitalization in a mode of development in which resource utilization, including environmental pollution, diminishes as economic growth progresses. Shijingshan has successfully integrated industrial style, science and technology, culture, and natural scenery, turning an industrial rust belt into an urban runway. Looking ahead, the district aims to seize the opportunities arising from transformation and development in West Beijing . With a fresh perspective, it welcomes guests from all backgrounds to participate in the global cooperation network on the stage of the CIFTIS. Director of the Department of Trade in Services and Commercial Services of the Ministry of Commerce Wang Dongtang highlighted Beijing's role as both national integrated demonstration zone for greater openness in the service sector and pilot free trade zone. Beijing has implemented various innovative measures to capitalize on opportunities in manufacturing services, digital services, and cultivating new competitive advantages in characteristic trade in services. Shijingshan, located at the western gate of the capital city and known as the birthplace of modern industry, actively promotes industrial transformation and upgrading. It embraces the synergies of the CIFTIS and fosters the development of the service industry and services trade. An industrial system has been gradually constructed, led by modern finance and characterized by science and technology services, digital creativity, and new generation information technology. These efforts are supported by the business service industry. The Ministry of Commerce will continue to support Beijing and Shijingshan District in expanding their opening to the world, deepening international cooperation, and helping to establish an internationally renowned business environment and a favorable industrial development ecology. As the host of the forum, Chang Wei, Secretary of the Shijingshan District Committee of Beijing Municipality, emphasized the strategic importance of urban renewal and how the district is utilizing the Olympic Winter Games, the CIFTIS, and the New Landmark to achieve this goal. Shijingshan also views industrial transformation as a key economic support and is actively building a modern and advanced industrial system that emphasizes precision and innovation. This system is led by modern finance and encompasses science and technology services, digital creativity, and new generation information technology, and supported by robust business services. To improve the business environment, the district has implemented the 6.0 version policy aimed at optimizing overall business conditions. In addition, Shijingshan seeks to enhance its openness and align with the capital's new development pattern. It leverages the service industry's exemplary role in expanding openness, continuously fostering its global network of contacts. Li Xin , Mayor of Shijingshan District, gave a keynote speech where he provided an overview of Shijingshan's recent development achievements and discussed the planning and deployment of the high-quality international open cooperation zone. He highlighted that Shijingshan is actively capitalizing on the opportunities presented by the "two zones" construction and generating new momentum through industrial opening up. The district is attracting outstanding enterprises in emerging industries such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and industrial internet. Among the top 50 VR companies in China , 14 have chosen to settle in Shijingshan. Additionally, industry platforms like the Science Fiction Industry Center of the China Association for Science and Technology and the Metaverse Future Research Institute have also settled here. The north part of the Shougang Park has seen the arrival of over 200 outstanding enterprises and institutions, including Tencent, Baidu, the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration and the Intelligent Science & Technology Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Limited. This has created an industrial agglomeration ecosystem that combines "science and technology+" and "sports+". The International Open Cooperation Zone will leverage the synergies of the CIFTIS and closely integrate with its nine theme exhibitions. It aims to provide comprehensive services for domestic and foreign high-quality enterprises in the service industry looking to settle in Beijing . The zone will serve as a synergetic area for the CIFTIS, a demonstration zone for international cooperation in the service industry, a key construction area for the two zones, a model zone for transforming old industrial bases, and a distinctive zone for green and low-carbon development. During the forum, the Signing Ceremony for Key Projects in Shijingshan District was held. Representatives including Executive Vice Mayor of Shijingshan District Li Xianxia, Vice Mayor of Shijingshan District Li Wenhua , Deputy General Manager of Shougang Group Liang Jie , and Vice President of Bank of Beijing Wang Jin signed contracts with 40 enterprises, key partners of the Shijingshan District People's Government of Beijing Municipality and Shougang Group. The contracted projects span various fields such as new generation information technology, science and technology services, financial innovation, artificial intelligence, aerospace technology, and education services. One notable cooperation project aims to promote the research, development, and innovative application of large-scale artificial general intelligence models. This initiative will inject new resources and vitality into the construction of an industrial development cluster in this field with regional influence in Shijingshan District . Another noteworthy project focuses on the implementation of digital currency sci-fi application scenarios. This endeavor not only expands the new possibilities for digital currency application scenarios in Beijing but also marks the launch of the Comprehensive Experimental Zone for Digital Currency in Shijingshan District . A group of distinguished individuals has jointly launched the International Open Cooperation Zone . The members include Vice Mayor of Shijingshan District Wang Zhiyong , Commercial Counselor of the Singapore Embassy in China and Director of the China Division of the Enterprise Singapore Yap Cheng Boon, Chairman of the Expert Committee and Executive Vice President of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Mechanical and Electronic Products Zheng Chao , Full-Time Deputy Director of the "Two Zones" Office in Beijing Liu Meiying , Overseas Member of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and Vice Chairman of the European Investment Counsel Xie Xiaochu , Overseas Member of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and President of the Chinese Youth Federation of Europe Zhou Yanjun , Chief Representative of the NRW. Global Business in Beijing /Guangzhou Feng Xingliang, President of ADNRS Lionel CHEN, Managing Director of the Property Unit of RGE Group Sun Youning, and CEO of Shougang Fund Shen Zhuolin. This initiative is in line with the vision put forward by President Xi Jinping at the Global Trade in Services Summit of the CIFTIS. It emphasizes the importance of harnessing open services to foster inclusive development, facilitate interaction and integration through service cooperation, nurture momentum through service innovation, and create a more promising future by promoting service sharing. During the ensuing round-table discussion, Executive Vice President of Asia Digital Group Zhang Li assumed the role of the moderator, alongside distinguished attendees including Vice Mayor of Shijingshan District Wang Zhiyong , Executive Vice President of RGE Benny Lee, CEO of Shougang Fund Shen Zhuolin, General Manager of JY-Consultancy Wendy Zhao , and Chief Representative of the NRW. Global Business in Beijing /Guangzhou Feng Xingliang. The discussion revolved around the theme of "Open Cooperation for a Shared Future: Jointly Building a High-Level International Open Cooperation Zone ". Esteemed participants shared profound insights into the significance of international open cooperation by drawing from the development experiences of many nations and regions, as well as presenting strategic proposals for the establishment of the International Open Cooperation Zone in Shijingshan. Establishing a High-Level International Open Cooperation Platform As a pivotal region in the preparation and hosting of both the Beijing Olympic Summer and Winter Games, Shijingshan District has played a crucial role in rejuvenating old industrial bases. The " Dual Olympic District " has sparked a wave of transformative energy, propelling regional development forward. With a focus on ensuring optimal services for the Olympic Winter Games, Shijingshan District has taken proactive measures to embrace sustainable development and facilitate the restructuring of its industrial framework. This entails the gradual establishment of a cutting-edge and high-precision "1+3+1" industrial system, with the modern financial industry assuming a strategic leadership role, complemented by science and technology services, digital creativity, and new generation information technology as defining hallmarks. Additionally, the high-end business services act as crucial support for this integrated system. Synergizing with the construction of the "One Axis, Four Parks" industrial functional zone and the coordinated growth of the "Five Key Projects", these efforts collectively enhance the overall modernization of the regional industrial system. The emergence of the Chang'an Fin-Axis has heralded the establishment of a novel consumer finance paradigm underpinned by three credit card centers of banks. Building upon the Beijing Banking & Insurance Business Park , Shijingshan District and China Electronics Technology Group Corporation have collaborated to develop an intelligent manufacturing industrial park, thereby facilitating the deeper integration of fintech and industry at a superior level. Notably, the reformed Zhongguancun Shijingshan Science Park has yielded a remarkable revenue of 396 billion yuan in 2022. Furthermore, the district has strategically expanded its presence in cutting-edge sectors like industrial internet, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, science fiction, and internet 3.0. The New Shougang High-End Industrial Integrated Service Area (New Shougang Area for short) has emerged as a prominent symbol of urban revitalization "Together for a Shared Future". The area prioritizes the spheres of cultural revival, industrial rejuvenation, ecological preservation, and invigorating vitality. As a result, notable achievements have been attained in serving national strategies, exploring models of transformation, promoting industrial upgrading, and stimulating consumption. Shijingshan District also attaches great importance to high-quality cultural and creative parks. Particularly noteworthy is the Beizhong Science and Technology Cultural and Creative Industry Park , which has been designated as the pilot project under the purview of architects in Beijing . Moreover, it has been selected as a city-level pilot program focused on expanding cultural spaces within aging factory buildings. In addition, both the Shougang Cultural Industrial Park and Langyuan Park have received recognition as municipal-level cultural industrial parks. These commendations are poised to unlock larger areas of urban renewal space, thereby facilitating a transition from localized transformations to more extensive revitalization efforts. With unwavering backing from the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, Shijingshan District is experiencing a rapid convergence of national and international platforms such as the Olympic Winter Games and the CIFTIS. A prime demonstration of this trend is the ongoing release of the 500,000 m2 high-quality commercial building in the southeastern region of Shougang Park , a project developed and constructed by Singapore's RGE. Additionally, the collaboration between Shougang Group and Jardine Matheson Group from the UK is poised to commence construction on the New Shougang International Talent Community. Driven by its resolute commitment to promoting transformation and development, West Beijing is consistently amassing fresh impetus for open development. Capitalizing on the rapid advancement of industries in the New Shougang Area, Shijingshan District is proactively devising plans to establish a pinnacle for the expansion and progress of West Beijing , that is, the International Open Cooperation Zone , based on the New Shougang area and its surrounding interconnected industry spaces. This strategic initiative serves as a pivotal endeavor undertaken by Shijingshan District in adherence to the national strategy of fostering openness and collaboration. It aligns with the significant directives set forth by the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, while harnessing the synergies from the CIFTIS. Furthermore, it represents an integral pillar supporting the industrial transformation and development in the western part of Beijing. Moving forward, Shijingshan District will center its efforts on the construction of the International Open Cooperation Zone . This endeavor will entail harnessing the full potential of the CIFTIS as a dynamic platform, capitalizing on the synergies generated by grand-scale events. Besides, the district will establish a robust investment mechanism, effectively converting its inherent resource advantages into favorable developmental prospects. An essential objective is to foster the convergence of diverse international stakeholders within Shijingshan, cultivating an environment conducive to vibrant open cooperation. Let's embrace open cooperation for a shared future. The open Shijingshan serves as a beacon for global partners seeking to explore, invest in, and collaboratively shape the promising future. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/open-cooperation-for-a-shared-future-shijingshan-international-open-cooperation-forum-opened-301918009.html SOURCE Asia Digital Group CHICAGO , Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Spaulding Ridge , a global cloud advisory and implementation firm, announced today it has acquired SOLISTIC Decision Sciences, a leading marketing analytics and data cloud company located in the United States and India . Spaulding Ridge's acquisition will embrace SOLISTIC's knowledge of Data Cloud & Marketing Cloud. Founded in 2017, SOLISTIC delivers technical expertise and intelligence in implementing Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Data Cloud, and other Salesforce technologies. The acquisition of SOLISTIC is part of Spaulding Ridge's global vision to help clients drive customer and employee insights and actions through effective use of data. Spaulding Ridge will embrace SOLISTIC's relationships with Salesforce, its clients, and its knowledge of Data Cloud and Marketing Cloud to continue to expand on Spaulding Ridge's data capabilities. "We're excited for what the future holds," said Kyle Boston , Managing Partner at Spaulding Ridge. "With this acquisition, we intend to lead from the front on leveraging the power of top-of-the-funnel marketing intelligence to fuel the foundation of Salesforce Data Cloud and Marketing Cloud for our clients and the market as a whole." "We are so incredibly proud to be announcing the news that SOLISTIC is officially joining Spaulding Ridge," said Ryan DeShazer , Founder and CEO of SOLISTIC. "Our firm has been singularly focused on data and AI since inception, and together with Spaulding Ridge, we have a global platform and world-class team to fully realize our ambition of becoming THE preeminent data-first Salesforce SI." SOLISTIC will now operate under the name of Spaulding Ridge, benefiting from Spaulding Ridge's global delivery and support resources as the team continues to design, implement, and maintain modern analytics architecture around the world. Spaulding Ridge will be able to offer SOLISTIC's additional unique capabilities to clients, allowing the firm to integrate their analytics offerings more deeply into client service. Salesforce, Marketing Cloud, Data Cloud, and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc. About SOLISTIC Decision Sciences Founded in 2017, SOLISTIC is a leading business transformation firm specializing in data informed marketing intelligence. With offices in Columbus, OH and Pune, India , SOLISTIC has successfully implemented hundreds of projects geared towards marketing intelligence, data informed reporting and analytics. Through SOLISTIC's well established marketing analytics capabilities, the firm's expertise enables the Office of the CRO to truly understand their data, to streamline efficiencies and become revenue resilient. To learn more visit solistic.io. About Spaulding Ridge Spaulding Ridge is a global leader in business transformation for the offices of the CFO and CRO. We drive clear outcomes for leading enterprises by transforming company data and business processes for better insight, collaboration, and decision making because when you see further, you go further. We help companies use their cloud technology to achieve: Revenue excellence. Drive profit by giving your customers the personal attention and outstanding service they expect. Drive profit by giving your customers the personal attention and outstanding service they expect. Financial and operational strength. Plan, execute, record, review, and optimize every piece of your business with integrated finance and operations solutions. Plan, execute, record, review, and optimize every piece of your business with integrated finance and operations solutions. Organizational effectiveness. Get the managed services support, change management support, systems integrations, and data tools to maintain a solid foundation for your business. To learn more visit spauldingridge.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spaulding-ridge-completes-acquisition-of-solistic-decision-sciences-expanding-global-salesforce-and-data-analytics-practice-301916237.html SOURCE Spaulding Ridge, LLC WATSONVILLE, Calif. , Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Viru Group ("Viru"), a global leader in the agro-industrial sector and the largest producer of canned and frozen fruits and vegetables in Peru , and Superior Foods International ("SFI"), one of the most reliable suppliers of safe, high-quality frozen products in USA, are pleased to announce that they will join forces through Viru acquiring Superior Foods International. SFI and Viru have been partners for over a decade, sharing a vision of quality, excellence, innovation and best in class service. By joining forces, they aim to elevate their combined capabilities, expand offerings, and provide their stakeholders with even greater value and service. "We want to express our sincere gratitude to all our customers for the continued support and trust. Together with SFI, we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and are confident that this acquisition will enable us to reach new heights together, becoming an even stronger and more effective organization," said Yoselyn Malamud , CEO Viru. "SFI has become part of Viru, a move that will bring us both significantly enhanced capabilities and expanded opportunities. Our mission, core values, and dedication to our current partners is unwavering. SFI will continue to operate with the same entrepreneurial spirit, independence, and agility as we have for the past 40 years. Our current management team and dedicated staff will continue to ensure we deliver ongoing value to our customers, suppliers, and stakeholders," said Marco Cruz , SFI Managing Director. About Viru Group (www.viru.com.pe) With over 17,000 employees, 30,000 owned acres (12.000 ha) of cultivated land, and 10 production facilities across South America and Europe , Viru has become a best-in-class global player. Viru's scale, vertical integration, and strong commitment to innovation are key differentiators in the industry. Viru has been recognized as a Great Place to Work in Peru since 2018 and is committed to supporting 15 of the 17 UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. About Superior Foods International (www.superiorfoods.com) SFI is a global manufacturer and supplier of frozen vegetables, fruits and value-added frozen food products for the retail, club store, foodservice, and industrial markets across the USA . Superior Foods International world headquarters is located in Watsonville, California , in the heart of the fertile Central Coast . Company mission: connecting world food markets to global supply, for the benefit of everyone involved. Media Contacts: [email protected] +51.44.484040 / [email protected] +1.831.728.3691 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/superior-foods-international-announces-acquisition-by-viru-group-to-elevate-capabilities-and-expand-offerings-301918389.html SOURCE Superior Foods International, LLC The former Minister of Defense, Oleksii Reznikov, shows his resignation letter in an image provided by the Ukrainian Parliament. AP The most gripping political soap opera of the war in Ukraine has lasted half a year. The dismissal of Oleksii Reznikov, still acting Minister of Defense, was an open secret since last February, when members of President Volodymyr Zelenskiys party assumed that his replacement would be installed at that time. Since then there has not been a month in which the media and Reznikov himself has not speculated about the date of his departure. Preparations for the counteroffensive postponed a decision that Zelenskiy had already made, according to his supporters, to demonstrate that the fight against corruption is as important as any fought on the battlefield. Zelenskiy announced Sunday that he would propose Reznikovs dismissal to the Ukrainian Parliament, the Rada. The reason, according to the head of state, is that the Ministry of Defense needs a new direction. Reznikov has been a key asset in Ukraines strategy for negotiating foreign military aid. A lawyer and career military man during the time of the Soviet Union, his skills in establishing strong personal relationships with his counterparts in NATO member states have been key in the defense of his country. Reznikov, like Zelenskiy, has not missed any opportunity to meet with Western politicians and senior military commanders. In his farewell letter, in which he confirmed his dismissal before the Rada, Reznikov stressed that in the year and a half of war that he has been at the head of Defense, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have managed to expel the invaders from 50% of the territories they had occupied, from the failed Russian offensive on Kyiv to the liberation of the province of Kharkiv and half of the province of Kherson. But this has not been enough to save his position in office. A betrayal of the country A priority for Zelenskiy is to send signals to his citizens and Europe that he is combating Ukraines systemic corruption. Since June 2022, the country has been a candidate to join the European Union. Clamping down on corruption, especially by senior state officials, is a non-negotiable priority for entry, the European Commission has stressed. Since last year, Zelenskiy has approved dozens of dismissals linked to wartime corruption cases, and has also strengthened the independence of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office and given greater powers to the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption. Embezzlement scandals are constant, in all areas of public administration, but those linked to the Armed Forces, and the countrys defense budget, carry a significance that the president himself admitted this August when proposing to the Rada that it equated to treason. In a year and a half, the United States and the countries of the European Union have provided Ukraine with aid valued at more than $175 billion, most of it to its Armed Forces. Kyivs allies are increasingly demanding more transparency and the accumulation of information about corruption in the Ministry of Defense was unsustainable. Reznikov is not accused of any irregularity, but he himself has conceded that he is ultimately responsible for what has happened in his ministry. And what has happened has unnerved Ukrainian public opinion. First it was a million-dollar contract, investigated by justice, for the purchase of food rations for the troops. The contract was signed with inflated prices and with fewer quantities than stipulated. Then there was another scandal over the purchase, supposedly at prices well above the average market cost, of uniforms for the army. Zelenskiy also dismissed all those responsible for the provincial recruitment offices of the Armed Forces in August due to the succession of evidence of bribes paid by thousands of Ukrainian men not to be enlisted. At the beginning of this year, when more voices were calling for his dismissal, Reznikov was focused on negotiations with Ukraines allied countries to provide a new phase of weapons that would allow the current counteroffensive against Russian defenses to be launched with guarantees. Being dismissed then would have meant a major setback for Ukrainian military operations on the front. The Ministry of Defense and the Ukrainian Armed Forces are not the only sources of corruption linked to the money that is essential for the country to invest in order to defend itself from the Russian invasion. Last February, Zelenskiy relieved the leadership of the border control department for irregularities detected in the customs service. The situation has only gotten worse during the war, said Danilo Hermantsev, deputy of the Servant of the People, Zelenskiys party, and head of the parliamentary committee on finance, taxes and tariffs. In the last year, EL PAIS has received several complaints from aid donors to the army about alleged demands for bribes at the border to accelerate the process of importing essential materiel to be used for the defense of the country, be it off-road vehicles or non-standard equipment. Sources from the United States government and a Foreign Ministry of an EU member state have explained to this newspaper in recent days that they are strengthening their alternative information network in Kyiv to monitor the destination of the aid that they supply to Ukraine. Zelenskiy has confirmed that his hardcore is studying the feasibility of calling presidential and legislative elections in 2024. The presidents term ends next March and the elections for the Rada should be held this October. The Constitution and martial law prohibit elections in time of war, but Zelenskiys trusted men, such as the Speaker of Parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk, have assumed that a legal reform will be proposed to make the election possible. Trusted Ukrainian media outlets such as Pravda and Telegraf, in addition to experts consulted this August by EL PAIS, have stated that the main reason for calling Ukrainians to the polls is the progressive decline in popularity of Zelenskiy and his party. As explained by Mark Savchuk, advisor to the National Anti-Corruption Office, this loss of support has largely to do with the fact that the electorate does not see that the profound reforms that the president promised to democratize and cleanse the country of corruption are being implemented. Reznikovs fall from grace is understood in this context. Several Ukrainian media outlets have suggested that he could be appointed Ukraines ambassador to the United Kingdom. Six months ago, when it was reported from Zelenskiys party that Reznikovs days were numbered, there was speculation that he would be put in charge of a new Ministry of Armaments. His successor as chief of Defense is Rustem Umerov, a Muslim Tatar from Crimea and, until now, head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine and one of the main negotiators of the exchange of prisoners of war with Russia. In addition to Umerovs proximity to Zelenskiy, Umerovs appointment has to do with Ukrainian political power defending the Crimean Tatars (a native ethnic group) as opponents of the Russian occupation of the Black Sea peninsula and as an example of respect for the diversity of nationalities living in Ukraine required by the EU to begin accession negotiations. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition VERO BEACH, Fla. , Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle , James C. Lasker is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Platinum Healthcare Professional for his contributions to the field of Hematology-Oncology. Dr. Lasker pursued higher education at Yale University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He then attended Temple University, School of Medicine in Philadelphia receiving a Medical Doctor degree. He later attended Emory University where he finished an internship and internal medicine residency; completed a Fellowship in hematology-oncology at Baylor College of Medicine; and capped his scholarship concluding a Fellowship in bone marrow transplant at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Lasker explained that hematology is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. He also noted that oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. A hematologist-oncologist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of cancer; malignant blood diseases such as leukemia; lymphoma; and multiple myeloma; and blood disorders, such as iron-deficiency anemia; clotting abnormalities; hemophilia; and sickle-cell disease. Realizing his calling to be a physician at a young age, Dr. Lasker explained that "When I was five, I decided I wanted to be a physician. I enjoyed putting Band-Aids on my family members and friends, as well as looking in their mouths with a tongue depressor. I chose medical oncology as a specialty because of my personal experiences with losing loved ones at an early age. I am motivated to come to work by the pure enjoyment of looking after the needs of cancer patients and their families." He joined Alabama Oncology in 1996 as President and Managing Partner from 2011 through 2018, and currently works at their Alabaster and Princeton offices. The doctor is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). He is also a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and American Society of Hematology and is president and manager of The Baptist Physician Alliance (BPA) 2009-2019, which is a physician-led, non-profit, independent evaluation organization driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world. The doctor is an active member of the Medical Association of Alabama; the Jefferson County Medical Society; and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Also a compassionate civic leader, Dr. Lasker has served as the President of the local soup kitchens in Alabama , raising funds for the organization. He also works with "Hand in Paw," which provides animal or pet therapy to patients. The doctor would like to dedicate this honor to his mentors, Monty Lane , MD; Ken Walker , MD; and Jimmie Harvey, MD. Contact: Katherine Green , 516-825-5634, [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-inner-circle-acknowledges-james-c-lasker-as-a-pinnacle-platinum-healthcare-professional-for-his-contributions-to-the-field-of-hematology-oncology-301918323.html ATLANTA , Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- White Cap L.P. ("White Cap"), a distributor of specialty construction supplies and safety products for professional contractors, has closed on the previously announced agreement to acquire RENO Hardware and Supply, a distributor of construction supplies serving commercial, multi-family and residential contractors throughout Southern California. "RENO Hardware and Supply has built a strong reputation as a quality supplier of construction materials in Southern California , and we know their experienced associates, extensive product offerings, and established three-branch footprint will strengthen our ability to serve local customers as we join our two teams," said John Stegeman , Chief Executive Officer of White Cap. For more than 50 years, RENO Hardware and Supply has carried a vast, high-quality inventory of tools, hardware and supplies for projects ranging from the smallest remodel to multi-story buildings to large commercial developments, serving customers across all of Southern California . Their three locations in Riverside , Burbank , and Signal Hill, California serve the local area on jobs of all sizes. About White Cap White Cap and its affiliates serve as a one-stop shop providing concrete accessories and chemicals, tools and equipment, building materials and fasteners, erosion and waterproofing products, and safety products to professional contractors by meeting their distinct and customized supply needs in non-residential, infrastructure, and residential end markets. White Cap is comprised of multiple brands in the U.S. and the Brafasco, Brock White , and NCA brands in Canada . White Cap operates approximately 470 branches across North America with more than 9,500 employees supporting approximately 200,000 customers. For more information, visit about.whitecap.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/white-cap-expands-southwest-region-with-acquisition-of-reno-hardware-and-supply-301916634.html SOURCE White Cap Supply Holdings LLC Voters cast ballots for 2020 Democratic Primary Election inside of a polling station at the Selma Fire Station on Super Tuesday in Selma, Alabama , U.S., March 3, 2020. REUTERS/Michael A. McCoy/File photo By Joseph Ax (Reuters) -Alabama's Republican-backed congressional map illegally dilutes Black residents' voting power and must be redrawn, a panel of three federal judges ruled on Tuesday, a decision that the state said it would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. That appeal plan escalated the stakes of a judicial decision that boosted Democratic chances to win back a U.S. House of Representatives majority in the 2024 congressional elections. The lower court's ruling marked the second time that the judges threw out a map delineating the boundaries of the seven U.S. House districts in Alabama put in place by the Republican-controlled state legislature. The three-judge panel in Birmingham wrote that it saw little reason to give the state legislature a third chance. Instead, a court-appointed special master will create a new electoral map ahead of next year's vote, the judges decided. At issue was whether the Republican-drawn map violated a bedrock federal civil rights law, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. "We have now said twice that this Voting Rights Act case is not close," the judges wrote. "And we are deeply troubled that the state enacted a map that the state readily admits does not provide the remedy we said federal law requires." Under the Republican map, only one of the state's U.S. House districts is majority Black even though Black residents make up more than a quarter of the state's population. The state's lone Democratic U.S. representative, Terri Sewell, represents that district. The panel first intervened in 2022, ruling that an earlier Republican plan was illegal. After the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the panel's decision in June, the Birmingham court ordered Alabama legislators to create a second district with either a Black majority or "something quite close" to comply with the Voting Rights Act. The law bars lawmakers from drawing district lines in a manner that discriminates against minority voters. The latest plan increased the number of Black voters in a second district but fell short of a majority, prompting civil rights groups to challenge the new map in court once again. The office of state Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Republican, said, "While we are disappointed in (Tuesday's) decision, we strongly believe that the legislature's map complies with the Voting Rights Act and the recent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court." Alabama's Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen in filings submitted to the lower court disclosed plans to appeal to the Supreme Court and the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The plaintiffs who challenged Alabama's map, including the state chapter of the NAACP, in a joint statement said: "Alabama openly admits its intention to defy the law and the U.S. Supreme Court. But we will not back down." The Alabama case is among several legal battles over redistricting that could result in new congressional maps in at least half a dozen states, enough to determine congressional control in the November 2024 elections. Republicans hold a slim 222-213 majority in the U.S. House. A Florida state judge on Saturday ruled that a redistricting plan advanced by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis violated the state constitution by diminishing the power of Black voters in northern Florida. The judge ordered lawmakers back to the drawing board. The Supreme Court in June allowed a challenge to Louisiana's congressional map to advance. A federal court has ordered lawmakers to draw a second majority-Black district. A U.S. appeals court is set to review the case next month. The Voting Rights Act was passed at a time when Southern states including Alabama enforced policies blocking Black people from casting ballots. Electoral districts are redrawn each decade to reflect population changes as measured by a national census, last taken in 2020. In most states, such redistricting is done by the party in power, which can lead to map manipulation for partisan gain. (Reporting by Joseph Ax, additional reporting by John Kruzel; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Bill Berkrot and Will Dunham) SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian authorities rescued 532 workers held in modern-day slavery in August, in the country's largest joint operation of the kind, labor prosecutors announced on Tuesday as the government aims to stamp out human trafficking rackets. In Brazil, slavery is legally defined as forced labor but also covers debt bondage, degrading work conditions and long hours that pose health risks. In a statement, labor prosecutors said the cumulative rescues happened over just last month, in raids involving over 200 inspections in 22 states plus the capital Brasilia. The operation freed 26 children and teenagers, and at least 74 people that had also been victims of human trafficking. One inspection led to the rescue of 97 workers at a garlic farm in southeastern Minas Gerais state. "At the work site there were not enough bathrooms, a place to heat food and chairs for employees to sit on. The workers did not have a formal work permit nor did they receive protective equipment," according to the statement. The United Nations has concluded that contemporary forms of slavery often involve especially vulnerable populations who toil in the shadows of the law, including those who perform illicit work. "The majority of those who suffer are the poorest, most vulnerable and marginalized social groups in society," according to a statement on the multinational body's website. (Reporting by Ana Mano; Writing by Carolina Pulice; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Lincoln Feast) FILE PHOTO: Brazilian indigenous peoples gather as the Supreme Court on weighing the constitutionality of laws to limit the ability of Indigenous peoples to win protected status for ancestral lands, in Brasilia, Brazil August 30, 2023. REUTERS/Adriano M By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday officially recognized two Indigenous territories, granting them legal protection as reservations to defend against invasions by illegal loggers, gold miners and cattle ranchers. The announcement came on the day Brazil celebrates its Amazon region, home to the world's largest tropical rainforest, the preservation of which is seen as essential to soaking up carbon emissions responsible for global warming. Environmentalists say Indigenous groups are the best guardians of the rainforest and deforestation data shows that the forests on their reservations are the best conserved. Lula, who pledged to legalize the greatest number of reservations possible, has so far signed decrees recognizing eight Indigenous territories since taking office in January. It is a race against time as Brazil's Congress is pushing through legislation that would restrict the recognition of Indigenous land claims, a move backed by the country's powerful farm lobby. The Supreme Court, however, is expected rule that the cut-off date for claiming ancestral lands that were not lived on in 1988 is unconstitutional for denying recognized Indigenous rights. The reservations legalized by Lula on Tuesday are the Acapuri de Cima and the Rio Gregorio Indigenous territories in the states of Amazonas and Acre, respectively. Some 500 Kokama people live on 19,000 hectares (47,000 acres) of rainforest in the first reservation, and 2,000 Katukina and Yawanawa people live on 187,944 hectares (46,420 acres) in the second. Half of Brazil's 1.6 million Indigenous people live in the Amazon in 180 different tribes, and in some territories there are isolated people who have had no contact with the outside world, said Indigenous Peoples Minister Sonia Guajajara. Maintaining the Amazon alive requires keeping its Indigenous people alive, she said in a speech. "We are the guardians of the Amazon," Guajajara said. "Protecting our territories guarantees our lives and ensures the diversity needed to face climate change." (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Sandra Maler) VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Catholic Church is to beatify a Polish family of nine including a new-born baby who died at the hands of the Nazis during World War Two, the Vatican's saint-making department said on Tuesday. The service to beatify Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma and their seven children will be held on Sunday in the Polish town of Markowa where they died in March 1944. The family was killed by German military police for sheltering a family of Jews. The Ulmas hid them for a year and a half and were shot with them when Nazi guards discovered them. Beatification is the last step before sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. Vatican media have noted that it is the first time that an entire family has been honoured together in this manner. However, the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints clarified that the beatification would not include an unborn child, as has been claimed by several media reports in the past few days. Wiktoria Ulma was heavily pregnant and gave birth as she was killed, giving her youngest son a "blood baptism", the dicastery said. On its website, the Vatican department says the baby boy's body was found when the family was exhumed to give them "a more dignified" burial. The other six Ulma children executed by the Nazis were aged between 18 months and seven, it added. Pope Francis, who has just returned from a trip to Mongolia, is not scheduled to attend the ceremony. (Reporting by Keith Weir and Alvise Armellini, editing by Nick Macfie) FILE PHOTO: Gabon coup leader General Brice Oligui Nguema is sworn in as interim president during his swearing-in ceremony, in Libreville, Gabon, September 4, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer By Wilfried Obangome LIBREVILLE (Reuters) - Central African Republic President Faustin Touadera held closed-door talks with Gabon's junta-appointed leader in Libreville on Tuesday in the wake of the main regional bloc's condemnation of the Aug. 30 coup. Central African bloc ECCAS has suspended Gabon's membership, but has so far stopped short of imposing sanctions in response to the non-violent military ouster of President Ali Bongo - West and Central Africa's eighth coup in three years. No statements were made to the press after Touadera's private audience with the junta's General Brice Oligui Nguema, who was sworn in as interim president on Monday to cheers from supporters welcoming the end of the Bongo family's 56-year hold on power. Touadera was visiting in Libreville, the capital, in the capacity of a mediator between the junta and ECCAS, a source in the Gabonese presidential palace said. Nguema has promised to name a new government for the oil-producing nation in the coming days and oversee free and fair elections, although he has not said how long he envisages the transition to democracy will be. In a possible sign some internal political forces are rallying around the new authorities, the leader of Gabon's main opposition alliance, Albert Ondo Ossa, said he had spoken with Nguema on Tuesday. "Today, at my home, I had the opportunity to have a private and collegial conversation with the President of the Transition," he said in an online post, sharing a photo of him, Nguema, and others clasping hands for the camera. "Let's dare to believe in a better and brighter future for our beloved country, Gabon." Ondo Ossa's opposition platform Alternance 2023 claims he was the rightful winner of a recent election. Military officers seized power shortly after Bongo was announced as its winner - a result they annulled and said was not credible. Apart from one video appeal for international support, little has been heard from Bongo since he was placed under house arrest during the coup. (Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Leslie Adler) Congolese police officers secure a road cleared off barricades erected during a demonstration to demand justice for the murder of civilians killed during a protest against the presence of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democr By Arlette Bashizi GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) -Six soldiers were charged on Tuesday for their involvement in the killing of 56 people during an army crackdown on anti-U.N. demonstrations in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo last week. The group, which includes a colonel and a lieutenant-colonel from the republican guard, are being prosecuted for "crimes against humanity by murder, malicious destruction and inciting soldiers to commit acts contrary to duty or discipline", according to a statement by the military court in Goma. The charges were read out at the start of the trial on Tuesday. The accused had not yet been asked to enter their plea. The two officers were in command of soldiers who opened fire on protesters, according to a source close to the presidency who asked not to be named. "This was not a state action, they acted in isolation and not within the framework of their sovereign missions," military prosecutor Michel Kashil told the court. "We will demonstrate that this is a systematic attack against well-targeted populations, the members of a certain church," he said. The protests were organised by a mystical Christian sect called Wazalendo. Congo's government had previously said 43 people were killed in the unrest in Goma last Wednesday. At the trial, prosecutor Kashil said the death toll stood at 56, with another 75 people wounded. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in eastern Congo, known as MONUSCO, has faced protests since last year spurred partly by complaints that it has failed to protect civilians against decades of militia violence. An anti-MONUSCO protest in July 2022 resulted in more than 15 deaths, including three peacekeepers in Goma and the city of Butembo. "The government's response is a step in the right direction, but a full and impartial investigation will have to look higher up the chain of command to ensure real justice," said Thomas Fessy, senior Congo researcher at Human Rights Watch. He called on the government to investigate senior officials who may have been responsible for the operation, and to release civilians who were arbitrarily arrested. (Additional reporting by Ange Kasongo Adihe, Sonia Rolley, Stanis Bujakera and Erikas Mwisi Kambale; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Hereward Holland, Alexandra Hudson) By Dave Sherwood and Marc Frank HAVANA (Reuters) -Cuba has uncovered a human trafficking ring that coerced its citizens to fight for Russia in the war in Ukraine, its foreign ministry said, adding that Cuban authorities were working to "neutralize and dismantle" the network. The statement from Cuba's foreign ministry late on Monday gave few details, but noted the trafficking ring was operating both within the Caribbean island nation, thousands of miles from Moscow, and in Russia. "The Ministry of the Interior... is working on the neutralization and dismantling of a human trafficking network that operates from Russia to incorporate Cuban citizens living there, and even some from Cuba, into the military forces participating in war operations in Ukraine," the Cuban government statement said. Russia's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Russia last year announced a plan to boost the size of its armed forces by more than 30% to 1.5 million combat personnel, a lofty goal made harder by its heavy but undisclosed casualties in the war. In late May, a Russia newspaper in Ryazan city reported that several Cuban citizens had signed contracts with Russia's armed forces and had been shipped to Ukraine in return for Russian citizenship. It was not immediately clear if the Cuban foreign ministry statement was associated with the Ryazan report. Russia, which has strong political ties with communist-run Cuba, has long been an important destination for Cuban migrants seeking to escape economic stagnation at home. The defense ministers of Cuba and Russia earlier this year discussed the development of joint "technical military" projects at a meeting in Moscow. But the administration of Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel denies any involvement in the Ukraine conflict. "Cuba is not part of the war in Ukraine," the foreign ministry said late on Monday. "(Cuba) is acting and will act energetically against anyone... who participates in any form of human trafficking for the purpose of recruitment of Cuban citizens as mercenaries to use arms against any country." Cuba said it had already begun prosecuting cases in which its citizens had been coerced into fighting in Ukraine. "Attempts of this nature have been neutralized and criminal proceedings have been initiated against people involved in these activities," the statement read. (Reporting by Dave Sherwood and Marc Frank in Havana; additional reporting by Felix Light in Tbilisi, Editing by Michael Perry and Bill Berkrot) A Muslim woman, wearing the style of dress called an abaya, walks in a street in Nantes, France, August 29, 2023. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo PARIS (Reuters) - French Education Minister Gabriel Attal said on Tuesday he was in favour of trialling school uniforms or a dress code amid a debate over a ban in state-run schools on abaya, the loose-fitting, full-length robes worn by some Muslim women. Uniforms have not been obligatory in French schools since 1968 but have regularly come back on the political agenda, often pushed by conservative and far-right politicians. Attal, who announced the abaya ban earlier this week, told BFM TV he would provide a timetable in autumn for carrying out a trial run of uniforms with any schools that agree to participate. "I don't think that the school uniform is a miracle solution that solves all problems related to harassment, social inequalities or secularism," he said. But he added: "We must go through experiments, try things out" in order to promote debate, he said. France has enforced a ban on religious symbols in state schools since 2004 to uphold its strict brand of secularism known as "laicite". The topic is a sensitive one, regularly triggering political tension in the country. For some, wearing a uniform means equality and erasing differences of social status and wealth. For others it is a debate that is not needed and is distracting from more serious issues such as discipline and harassment. In January 2023 President Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte told Le Parisien newspaper in an interview that a school uniform "erases differences, we save time - it's time-consuming to choose how to dress in the morning - and money - compared to brands." She recalled wearing a uniform for 15 years, a navy blue skirt and sweater as a student, telling the paper she took it well. "So I am in favour of wearing a school uniform, but with a simple and not dull outfit." (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Hugh Lawson) A protester against a tribute held in honor of the victims of leftist groups during the military dictatorship. EFE/JUAN IGNACIO RONCORONI (EFE) Argentinas far-right party La Libertad Avanza (Freedom Advances) is threatening to break the consensus on the 1976-1983 military dictatorship, which killed an estimated 30,000 people. For the past 40 years, political parties from both the left and right have staunchly opposed the dictatorship and vowed to prevent its return. But the far-right group, led by Javier Milei, has started to challenge this state policy. Victoria Villarruel, Mileis running mate in the upcoming presidential elections, is trying to shift the focus to the other victims of Argentinas dirty war. On Monday, Villarruel who is the daughter of soldiers held an event in Buenos Aires in tribute to those killed by leftist groups. The 48-year-old lawyer argued that the state violates human rights by guaranteeing impunity for a group of violent people. For 40 years, the victims of terrorism were disappeared from memory, she added. The event was attended by Lorenza Ferrari, the mother of Laura Ferrari, who was murdered by the left-wing Peronist guerrilla organization Montoneros in 1975; Graciela Saraspe, the daughter of Oscar Saraspe, who was killed by the Peoples Revolutionary Army (ERP) in 1974; and Arturo Larrabure, the son of the Argentine soldier Del Valle Larrabure, who was kidnapped by ERP for a year until his death. Larrabures captors said he killed himself, while the Argentinean Army said he had been murdered. The three argued that they had been forgotten by the state, and expressed their support for Villarruel. Victoria Villarruel, during the protest against the event to honor the victims of armed leftist groups during Argentina's last dictatorship. AGUSTIN MARCARIAN (REUTERS) Hundreds of people gathered outside Buenos Aires City Legislature Palace, where the event was being held, to protest the revisionist tribute. Demonstrators carried signs with messages such as Never Again, and Fascism is not honored, it is fought. Authoritarianism is outside, responded Villarruel. Those of us who are older and lived through the dictatorship know what state terrorism did, said Beatriz Olhasso, a retiree, who attended the protest. It is no coincidence to me that [Javier] Mileis candidate for vice president is reaching out to very young kids, who didnt live through that moment, and who feel that they are owed something from these 40 years of democracy because they have precarious jobs and live poorly. Some protesters tried to tear down the barricades that blocked the road leading to the Legislature Palace. Just like the Nazis, wherever they go we will go looking for them, they chanted, in reference to those guilty of crimes against humanity in Argentina. The mayor of Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, was also accused of protecting Villarruel and supporting her ideas. Villarruel questions the trials for crimes against humanity that took place following the dictatorship, criticizes the work of human rights organizations such as the Grandmothers and Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, which is still searching for those who went missing during the dirty war, and says she will review the compensation received by victims of state terrorism. In 2006, Villarruel founded the Center for Legal Studies on Terrorism and its Victims (CELTYV), the group that organized Mondays event. The organization brings together the relatives of people murdered by guerrillas in the 1970s, and promotes the so-called two demons theory, which equates state violence with that committed by armed groups. I would like the judiciary to be truly independent and judge these people [the guerrillas] just as it judges the agents of the state who have violated human rights, Villarruel said in 2016. Villaruel, who made the leap into politics via her work at the center, is threatening one of the few state policies that have endured in Argentina regardless of the government in power. With the return to democracy, in 1983, Argentina opened the so-called Trial of the Juntas, a judicial trial of the crimes committed during the dictatorship. A total of 1,189 people have so far been convicted of crimes against humanity, and Argentina has become a reference point for its policy on ensuring the crimes of the dictatorship are not forgotten. People line up outside the Buenos Aires City Legislature before entering an event organized by Victoria Villarruel, the running mate of presidential candidate Javier Milei. AGUSTIN MARCARIAN (REUTERS) Up until now, repudiation of the dictatorship went unquestioned, at least in public. In 2013, for example, when dictator Jorge Rafael Videla died in prison, his body was buried under an unmarked tombstone after several cemeteries refused to accept his remains. In Spain, by comparison, the dictator Francisco Franco remained buried in a mausoleum built by his prisoners until 2019. The site was often visited by supporters of the Franco dictatorship, who expressed their desire for a return to the undemocratic regime. That, in Argentina, would have been unthinkable. While Villarruel says she is not a denialist, she has visited prisoners convicted of genocide. She maintains that she is fighting for those who do not have human rights. Mondays event has sparked concern among human rights groups, which say it is threatening the basic agreements of 40 years of democracy. That debate seemed to be over, Victoria Montenegro, the president of the Human Rights Commission of the Buenos Aires Legislature, told EL PAIS after the tribute. In Argentina, there were not two demons. There was a terrorist state that kidnapped, tortured and disappeared people, that stole babies, she said. This discourse [from Villarruel] is confusing. There is no doubt that each life is unique and unrepeatable. But there is an enormous difference between the actions of militant groups and the role played by the state. The event comes as the Argentina Armed Forces enjoy high approval ratings, with a survey by the consulting firm Poliarquia finding that the military is ranked above the justice system, Congress and political parties. Villarruel has said that if her party wins the election, she will increase the military budget from 0.6% of gross domestic product (GDP) to 2%. She said she will achieve this by redirecting funds from the ministries that Milei intends to eliminate: Health, Education, Labor, Environment and Women. Villarruels party Freedom Advances won the primary elections in August, securing one third of the votes. The possibility that the group may win the presidential election has sent alarm bells ringing. Carlos Enrique Pisoni, the son of leftist militants who were disappeared during the dictatorship, expressed his concern on Monday. This is revenge. After 40 years of democracy, we cannot have a vice president who does not defend the values of democracy. She says a lot of atrocities that we cannot normalize, he told the Buenos Aires Legislature. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The logo of Amazon is seen on the company's logistics centre in Boves, near Amiens, France, April 8, 2022. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Trade Commission may file a lawsuit later this month against Amazon.com after the company did not offer concessions to settle antitrust claims, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The lawsuit will target the company's logistics program, Fulfillment by Amazon, pricing on its website by third-party sellers and will suggest "structural remedies" that could break the company up, the report said on Tuesday. Amazon and the regulator declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. The company's shares, which have gained about 63% so far this year, edged 0.4% lower in extended trading. The probe began during former President Donald Trump's administration when the government decided to investigate Amazon, Google, Meta Platforms and Apple for allegedly breaking antitrust law. Amazon has been criticized for allegedly favoring its own products and disfavoring outside sellers on its platform, among other allegations. The company has denied the allegations. FTC chairperson Lina Khan authored a Yale Law Journal article in 2017, in which she said Amazon's structure and practices posed anticompetitive concerns and has escaped antitrust scrutiny. In June, the regulator sued Amazon accusing the company of enrolling millions of consumers into its $139-per-year paid subscription service without their consent and making it hard for them to cancel the plan. (Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru and Diane Bartz in Washington; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila) German Finance Minister Christian Lindner speaks during a plenum session of the lower house of parliament, Bundestag, to present the 2024 budget and financial planning of the Federal Government, in Berlin, Germany September 5, 2023. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse By Maria Martinez and Christian Kraemer BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's budget for 2024 is one of the first steps in its return to sustainable finances, made necessary by higher borrowing costs and greater financial burdens in the years to come, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on Tuesday. Europe's biggest economic power is aiming to curb spending that surged in response to COVID-19 and a run-up in energy prices triggered by the Ukraine war. Lindner plans to comply with Germany's debt brake that constitutionally limits structural budget deficit to 0.35% of economic output. The brake was suspended between 2020 and 2022 to help deal with the crises and restored this year. "We need to recognise our new fiscal realities," he said while presenting the draft for the 2024 budget and financial plans through 2027 to parliament. "We need to refocus," he told parliament's lower house, the Bundestag. The draft budget plans net new debt of 16.6 billion euros ($17.82 billion) for 2024, with spending of 445.7 billion euros, down from 476.3 billion estimated for 2023. "The issue is the return to the debt brake or, more precisely, to sustainable public finances in the long term." Lindner said the clearest signal change in fiscal policy was necessary was the increase in interest rates. Germany expects to pay 37 billion euros in interest on its debt next year, which Lindner said was a tenfold increase compared to the year 2021 and an amount twice as high as the budget of the Ministry of Education and Research. "The message is therefore clear: we simply cannot afford to run up new debts without limit; they would be impossible to finance," Lindner said. 'AN ICEBERG COMING' He warned budget negotiations would get tougher in 2028 and beyond, when Berlin will face additional burdens, such as repayment of pandemic-era debts and European Union funds, it did not have to account for in the 2024-2027 medium-term financial plan. "Behind the horizon line, not yet visible to us, there is an iceberg coming," he said. "We have to change course now, because the iceberg will not change course." The finance ministry forecasts a budget gap of around 5 billion euros per year between 2025 and 2027, but later the repayments of pandemic debts to the tune of 12 billion euros per year will add to that. In 2031 the repayments of Germany's Economic Stabilisation Fund will also come due. In addition, the German government has committed to the 2% NATO spending target. This will be achieved until 2027 with the help of the 100 billion euro special fund for the modernisation of the German armed forces. In 2027, however, the fund will probably be completely exhausted, Lindner said. "From 2028 onwards, considerable funds will therefore be needed in the core budget to comply with the goal. We are talking about a double-digit billion euro amount," Lindner said. Some economists say the debt brake hinders investment but Lindner said it was not the case. "The debt brake is not a brake on investment, but it does force us to set priorities," Lindner said. The budgetary plan targets 54.2 billion euros in investments in 2024, up from 38 billion euros in 2019, before the crisis started, and rising to 57.2 billion in 2027. The Bundestag is meeting to discuss the budget and financial planning this week and has until Dec. 1 to decide on the entire federal budget. Between now and then, the draft budget is likely to change significantly, in part to take into account the new tax estimate due in October and updated economic forecasts. ($1 = 0.9315 euros) (Reporting by Maria Martinez and Christian KraemerEditing by Miranda Murray and Tomasz Janowski) FILE PHOTO: Ex-Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng and his lawyer Marc Agnifilo leave the federal court in New York, U.S., May 6, 2019. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -Malaysia wants a former Goldman Sachs banker convicted last year in New York of helping loot billions of dollars from its 1MDB sovereign wealth fund to return to the country before starting his 10-year U.S. prison sentence. U.S. District Judge Margo Brodie in Brooklyn on Tuesday delayed Roger Ng's scheduled Sept. 6 surrender date by one month to Oct. 6, after federal prosecutors said they needed more time to talk with Kuala Lumpur about first letting him stand trial on charges there. "The United States is also working to ensure that the procedures governing the defendant's return to Malaysia will not unduly delay the service of his U.S. sentence," prosecutors said. Ng's lawyers agreed to the one-month delay, prosecutors said. Marc Agnifilo, one of the lawyers, declined to comment. The case stemmed from about $6.5 billion in bonds that Goldman helped 1MDB sell in 2012 and 2013. U.S. prosecutors said $4.5 billion of that sum was embezzled by officials, bankers and their associates. Ng, 51, was convicted in March 2022 on bribery and money laundering conspiracy charges. Brodie called his embezzlement "a crime of pure greed" when sentencing Ng a year later. At a court hearing last month, U.S. prosecutor Drew Rolle said Ng could be returned to Malaysia to stand trial there once he is in U.S. custody. Agnifilo said at the hearing that Malaysia wanted Ng's cooperation with an ongoing 1MDB probe. Ng was arrested in Malaysia in November 2018 and agreed to be extradited to the United States three months later. In a separate letter to Brodie on Tuesday, lawyers hired this month by Malaysia's government said the United States had "backtracked" on its commitments regarding Ng's surrender. The lawyers called the matter a "very serious issue." Another onetime Goldman banker, Ng's former boss Tim Leissner, pleaded guilty and testified against Ng at trial. He has not yet been sentenced. Jho Low, the alleged mastermind of the 1MDB scheme, was also criminally charged but is at large. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot) White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows speaks to reporters following a television interview, outside the White House in Washington, U.S. October 21, 2020. REUTERS/Al Drago/File photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges in the Georgia election subversion case, joining two other allies of former President Donald Trump. Meadows and lawyers John Eastman and Jeffrey Clark all waived formal arraignment, which had been scheduled for Wednesday in Fulton County Superior Court. The three were charged last month along with the Republican former president and 15 co-defendants with trying to overturn Trump's 2020 election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump is the front-runner for his party's 2024 presidential nomination. Meadows went from being one of Trump's top Republican allies in the U.S. House of Representatives to becoming his White House chief of staff. Meadows attended White House meetings related to attempts to undo Trump's election defeat. The indictment alleges he helped to fuel the conspiracy by making false statements about the election and conspired with Trump to develop a plan to disrupt and delay the congressional certification of the electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021. It also alleges that he tried to pressure a chief investigator in the Georgia secretary of state's office, Frances Watson, to speed up the Fulton County signature verification and that he took part in a phone call in which Trump pushed Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to reverse his narrow loss in the state. Raffensperger declined to do so. Eastman represented Trump in a long-shot lawsuit to overturn voting results in four states Trump lost in 2020. He has been under scrutiny by both U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith's office and state prosecutors in Georgia for writing a series of legal memos that claimed then-Vice President Mike Pence could reject electors from certain states to deny Biden a majority of Electoral College votes. The indictment in Georgia's Fulton County alleges Eastman was part of a plot to appoint fake electors. Eastman's legal representative has called the indictment an effort to criminalize lawful political speech. Clark was a high-ranking U.S. Justice Department official who, in the waning days of the Trump administration, sought to persuade Trump to oust Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen so that he could take over the department and help pursue Trump's false claims by opening an investigation into voter fraud in Georgia and other states. The federal indictment brought by Smith against Trump also appears to refer to Clark as a co-conspirator. The indictment cites Clark's efforts to persuade Rosen to submit a letter to Georgia falsely claiming the Justice Department had detected voting irregularities there. Trump and his former personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, pleaded not guilty last week and waived a formal arraignment. The Georgia charges marked Trump's fourth indictment since he launched his re-election campaign for president in November last year. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu) Israelis walk by the building where Papua New Guinea plans next week to open its embassy to Israel, in Jerusalem September 1, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Papua New Guinea opened its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem on Tuesday, becoming only the fifth country with a full diplomatic mission in a city whose status is one of the most sensitive issues in the Middle East. The Pacific nation's mission joins embassies from the United States, Kosovo, Guatemala and Honduras in Jerusalem, while most countries maintain their diplomatic representation in the coastal city of Tel Aviv, Israel's main economic hub. While Israel considers Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital and wants all embassies based there, most of the world does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, believing its status should be resolved in negotiations. Palestinians want the capital of an independent state of theirs to be in the city's eastern sector, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move never recognized internationally. Israel will pay for the embassy, located in a high-rise opposite Jerusalem's biggest mall, for the first two years, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape was quoted in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier newspaper. Marape also pledged support at the United Nations for Israel, whose leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, attended the embassy ceremony in a reprieve from stalled regional peacemaking and clouded ties with Washington. "Many nations choose not to open their embassies in Jerusalem, but we have made a conscious choice," Marape said at the embassy's inauguration ceremony. "For us to call ourselves Christian, paying respect to God will not be complete without recognizing that Jerusalem is the universal capital of the people and the nation of Israel," Marape said. Wassel Abu Youssef, an official with the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation, said Israel was "looking for any country - even if that country can only be seen under a microscope - so it can claim there are countries opening embassies in Jerusalem". Papua New Guinea, which occupies the eastern half of the West Pacific Island of New Guinea, has an economy based on agriculture and mining. Its bilateral trade with Israel is worth just $1 million a year, according to Israeli authorities. Netanyahu said the new embassy would make it easier to develop agriculture, health, water and technology projects. "This will not only enable us to cherish the past but also seize the future," he said at the ceremony. (Additional reporting by Kirsty Needham, Maayan Lubell and Ali Sawafta; Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Bill Berkrot) David Fernandez, 52, shows damage on the homes of his parents and their neighbours following heavy rain, in El Alamo, Spain September 4, 2023. REUTERS/Susana Vera MADRID (Reuters) - Police and rescue services searched on Tuesday for three people missing after devastating floods hit central Spain as trains to the south resumed after thousands of passengers were left stranded. The torrential downpour that swept over large swathes of Spain on Sunday and Monday, caused by a so-called cut-off low phenomenon, left three people dead and wreaked havoc on transport infrastructure, shutting roads, subway lines and high-speed train connections. The heaviest damage was in the provinces of Toledo and Madrid in the country's centre. Local authorities, the army's emergency response corps, firefighters and law enforcement officers were working to "guarantee the stability of a key pipeline in the system supplying water to more than 270,000 people in the south of Madrid and Toledo", Environment Minister Teresa Ribera told reporters. Ribera was speaking from the town of Aldea del Fresno, southwest of Madrid, which was devastated by the flooding of the Alberche River. A middle-aged man went missing there with his son when their car was dragged into the overflowing river on Sunday night after an avalanche caused by a sudden rush. The minor was found alive after spending the night clinging to a tree he had climbed, but rescuers were still searching for his father, emergency services said. The other two missing people, in Toledo province, were a 54-year-old woman whose vehicle was swept away while driving along a flooded road and an 83-year-old man who was dragged into the strong currents near his home, police said. Railway infrastructure manager Adif said high-speed rail traffic between Madrid and the southern region of Andalusia had resumed on Monday morning after overnight repairs to damage caused by the storm. The train connection between Madrid and Toledo, 70 kilometres (45 miles) south, remained closed. Rail operator Renfe said that 50,000 passengers had changed their train tickets free of charge since Sunday morning. (Reporting by David Latona and Emma Pinedo; Editing by Inti Landauro and Ed Osmond) Alan Joyce, Chief Executive Officer of Qantas, speaks with members of the media at an event celebrating Qantas' 100th birthday at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia, November 16, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott By Byron Kaye SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia's Qantas Airways said its long-serving CEO would bring forward his retirement amid a publicity firestorm over an accusation of illegal ticket sales, signalling what the flagship carrier hopes is the end of a tumultuous period. Alan Joyce, the company's boss for 15 years, had been scheduled to retire in November but said in a statement on Tuesday that he was leaving two months early due to "the focus on Qantas and events of the past" in the last few weeks, without elaborating. Five days earlier, Australia's consumer watchdog sued Qantas alleging it sold tickets to some 8,000 flights in mid-2022 after they were cancelled, violating the country's consumer law. Qantas had issued two apologies, blaming tough industry conditions at the time. The airline said Joyce's exit would help it "accelerate its renewal", giving the sense of a company bowing to public and political pressure after years of weathering it. Over a decade and a half Joyce faced regular criticism for cutting jobs, including a 2011 decision to ground the entire Qantas fleet over an industrial dispute. Even before the fares-for-no-flights scandal, Qantas was facing negative headlines over reports it campaigned successfully to have Australia's federal government stop rival Qatar Airways from running additional flights to Australia. The airline also faced scrutiny over a decision to let nearly A$500 million ($323.00 million) of pandemic-era flight credits expire by the end of the year, which it reversed shortly after the regulator filed its lawsuit. Joyce, who last month announced a record annual profit after three years of pandemic-driven losses, had long been popular with investors. But the airline's share price had fallen 13% since the start of August amid questions over whether it had maximised profits at the expense of its longer-term reputation with customers. The shares were down slightly on Tuesday, in line with the broader market. "Alan Joyce's Qantas legacy is ... a brand now synonymous with low pay, insecure work, illegal sackings and consumer rip offs," said Labor Senator Tony Sheldon, the former head of the Transport Workers Union, in a statement. "The board has backed Joyce's behaviour at every step and must be held equally accountable," he added. Qantas declined a request to interview its chairman, Richard Goyder. Speaking to the Australian Financial Review, Goyder said it was "a time for humility, and I think you'll see plenty of that as well". Joyce's early retirement will see his replacement Vanessa Hudson become the first woman to lead the century-old airline from Wednesday. ($1 = 1.5480 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Byron Kaye in Sydney and Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Jamie Freed) The port of Izmail seen from Plauru, Romania, September 5, 2023. REUTERS/Andreea Campeanu By Andreea Campeanu and Luiza Ilie PLAURU, Romania (Reuters) - Fishing on the Romanian shore of the Danube on Tuesday, beekeeper Gabi Popescu could see barges loading grain in the Ukrainian river port of Izmail, a day after Russia launched its third overnight strike against port infrastructure. The attack rattled windows in the Romanian border village of Plauru across the river and Popescu's trailer shook. "I counted five explosions, three very powerful ones," said Popescu, who has been bringing his beehives to Plauru from central Romania for six years. Ukraine said Russian drones had detonated on the territory of NATO member Romania, a rare report of stray weapons from the war hitting a neighbouring member of the Western military alliance. Romania strongly denied it had been hit, but the attacks on Ukraines river ports, just hundreds of metres from the Romanian border, have increased security risks for NATO which has a collective defence commitment. "I can tell you no piece, no drone and no part of a device landed in Romania," President Klaus Iohannis told reporters on Tuesday. "We have total control over our national space... "But, yes, we are concerned, because these attacks are taking place very close to the Romanian border. I was ... told today there were verified attacks 800 metres from our border, so very, very close." Ukraine has reported suspected Russian weapons flying over or crashing into neighbours, including NATO members, several times during the war. In the most dramatic incident, two people were killed in Poland by a missile that fell near the border last November. Poland and NATO allies later said it was a misfired Ukrainian air defence missile. The Danube river is now Ukraine's main route out for grain after access to its own Black Sea ports was cut off after Russia in mid-July left a safe passage grain corridor agreement brokered by the United Nations and Turkey. Since then, Russia has attacked Ukraines river ports Izmail and Reni repeatedly. In Plauru, the few remaining residents can hear the bomb sirens which ring out in Izmail several times a week. "We ignore them during the day, but our souls tense up when they ring at night," said resident Daniela Tanase. Despite government assurances that Romania is protected by its NATO membership, Popescu cannot take heart. "I mean, I don't feel safe here. I am on the Romanian shore and I do not feel safe." (Reporting by Andreea Campeanu; Additional reporting by Luiza Ilie; Writing by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Nick Macfie) Mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin attends a meeting chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of unmanned aircraft, at the Rudnyovo industrial park in Moscow, Russia April 27, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS/File Ph (Reuters) - Russia shot down at least three Ukraine-launched drones early Tuesday that were targeting the country's capital, the Russian defence ministry said. The ministry said that its air defence systems destroyed two drones over the Kaluga and Tver regions, which border the Moscow region, as well as one closer to the capital, over the Istra district of the Moscow region. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that the drones "were trying to carry out an attack on Moscow" and that a consumer services facility was damaged in the Istra district, which is located some 65 km (40 miles) northwest of the Kremlin. There was no damage or casualties elsewhere, the mayor defence ministry said. Reuters could not independently verify the reports. Sobyanin said that drone debris in the Tver region fell in the Zavidovo village. According to RIA state news agency, Zavidodvo is home to "Rus", an official residence palace of the Russian president. President Vladimir Putin's main residences are the Novo-Ogaryovo residence in the Moscow region as well as the Grand Kremlin Palace - where official events are held. Russian news agencies reported that almost 50 flights were cancelled or postponed early Tuesday from the four major airports around the capital - Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky. Drone attacks on Russian targets, especially in Crimea - annexed by Moscow in 2014 - and in regions bordering Ukraine, have become almost a daily occurrences since two drones were destroyed over the Kremlin in early May. The attacks have disrupted flights in and out of Moscow in recent weeks. Ukraine rarely takes direct responsibility for such drone strikes but says destroying Russian military infrastructure helps a counteroffensive Kyiv began in June. (Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Stephen Coates & Simon Cameron-Moore) FILE PHOTO: Mondher Ounissi, vice president of Ennahda party, speaks during a news conference at the party headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia April 17, 2023. REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui/ File Photo By Tarek Amara TUNIS (Reuters) - The two top officials in Tunisia's main opposition Ennahda party were arrested, the party said on Tuesday, the latest targeting of opponents of President Kais Saied. The interim head of Ennahda, Mondher Ounissi, was detained by police and minutes afterward so was Abdel Karim Harouni, who was placed this week under house arrest, the party said. Ounissi's arrest follows the publication of audio recordings on social media this week attributed to Ounissi in which he accused some officials of his party of seeking to control Ennahda and receiving illegal funds. The Public Prosecution Office on Monday opened an investigation into the recordings. Ounissi said in a video on his Facebook page that the recordings were fabricated. Harouni heads the Shura Council, the highest-ranking body in Ennahda, which was the biggest political party in the parliament closed by Saied in 2021. The police this year arrested the party's leader, Rached Ghannouchi, the most prominent critic of Saied, as well as several other party officials. The government also banned meetings at all Ennahda offices and police closed all party offices, in a move Ennahda said aimed at consolidating a dictatorial regime. Police this year have detained leading political figures, who accused Saied of carrying out a coup after he closed the elected parliament in 2021 and moved to rule by decree before rewriting the constitution. Saied has described those detained as "terrorists, traitors and criminals". (Reporting by Tarek Amara; Writing by Tarek Amara and Moaz Abd-Alaziz; editing by Jonathan Oatis, Lincoln Feast and Grant McCool) 88-year-old Vania Vanishlivi last May in the territory of Khurvaleti (Georgia), occupied by Russia since 2008. SOPA Images Limited / Alamy Stoc (Alamy Stock Photo) In the summer of 2014, refugees from the separatist territories of Donbas were being housed at a camp in Rostov-on-Don (Russia). Among them a grandmother rocked a baby while talking to this journalist: Ukraine doesnt let us speak our language, she said in Russian. Little by little, however, the woman switched to Ukrainian and in this language she repeated the same message: They dont let us use our language, they dont let us That grandmother, who switched seamlessly from one Slavic language to another without even realizing it, showed how fluid identities could become in the spaces of the former Soviet Union several decades after its disappearance. When the USSR collapsed as an entity in 1991, many in Russia and the West believed they were witnessing a brief and relatively bloodless process of dissolution, whose protagonists were the 15 federated republics that made up the former union. But the clean break with the past that the leaders of the Soviet socialist republics of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus proclaimed on a night in December that year was accompanied by more convoluted, more unforeseen and far-reaching developments. And it was then that the seeds of the current war against Ukraine were sown, although it was not until 2014 that Russia started the military action against its neighbor that was brought to a head in 2022. Among Russian President Boris Yeltsins inner circle in the early 1990s, the idea prevailed that the independence of the federated republics of the USSR (especially the Central Asian ones) was going to free Russia from territories that leeched off its resources. Over time, however, the relief that Russia had cast off these freeloaders turned into resentment and frustration at the loss of land and influence. In addition to 15 internationally recognized countries that were seeking their own identity, the collapse of the USSR left its fringes or territorial stripes, whose origin was in the political structure (like self-contained matrioshkas) of the Soviet State. These fringes were spaces with frozen conflicts, which were internationally unrecognized and, in theory, bequeathed to one or another of those new states that in fact had no control over them. Initially, there were four unrecognized spaces, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, in Georgia; Transnistria in Moldova, and Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan, although the last case became part of the wider Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. However, the security and survival of the others depended (and still depend) on Russia. Each of those territories had (and have) their historical and political arguments, and, in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, their own languages. For years, Russia positioned itself as part of the solution to the frozen conflicts (as a participant in dialogues and mediations, as well as in peacekeeping missions with international legitimacy), but none of the rebel territories were ever reintegrated into the new post-Soviet states. In 2008, the conflicts, which had been dormant for years, were reactivated after Georgias armed incursion against South Ossetian separatists. Following its military intervention, Russia unilaterally recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as states, thus blocking their reintegration into Georgia. In this way, the perspective of reintegration, which had been the goal pursued until then for all the fringe republics of the USSR, openly gave way to a new model that gave Moscow more opportunities to strengthen its influence over its neighbors. Starting in 2014, Russia added others to the conflicts that were inherited from the USSR, as the fruit of its own destabilizing harvest. With Crimea annexed and chunks of the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia taken from Kyiv, Moscow is now trying to reconfigure the European map for its own gain. Before February 24, 2022, the date that marks the beginning of a new stage, traveling through the problematic areas of the Soviet Union made it possible to see the development of those conflicts on the ground. The geographical distances between recognized and unrecognized territories had become political or military and travel had become labyrinthine. In 2008, South Ossetia was isolated from Georgia and I remember a family from Tskhinvali (the capital of South Ossetia) that was never able to finish the renovation of their bathroom, because the bricklayers who did it lived in Tkviani (in the territory controlled by Georgia). Suddenly, in the 18 kilometers they traveled every day, an insurmountable barrier had appeared. On one side were the tiles and the workers; on the other were the tools. In 2014, the mazes multiplied. Traveling legally from Kyiv to Crimea or to the pro-independence areas of Donbas required long detours, sometimes hundreds of kilometers, between places that were physically only dozens of kilometers apart. In contrast, Moscows military intervention also enabled risky shortcuts between Russia and Donbas, without customs or borders. Starting in 2022, the labyrinths are much more extensive and fragment the spaces that, according to the failed globalizing vision of Mikhail Gorbachev (the last leader of the Soviet Union) should have been integrated into a European Common Home from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Today, going from Moscow to Western Europe, Russians have to stop in Turkey or Armenia and these paths could become even more tortuous in the future if drone attacks force air traffic to be moved from Moscow airports to others in more eastern locations in Russia. In the troubled territories of the former USSR, Russia presents itself as the savior. Moscow distributes Russian passports to its inhabitants, pays their pensions, welcomes them into its educational and labor system, and maintains local budgets. However, in several of the saved territories, this journalist has spoken in confidence to influential members of the local communities: We know that the Russians did not come to help us. These words, spoken helplessly, sounded when it was too late to turn back the clock and return to negotiations that failed, partly also because the West did not want to consider the realities that survived the official dissolution of the USSR. For years, traveling through the troubled spaces of the Soviet Union gave this journalist an opportunity to observe how the heirs of that disappeared country perceived themselves and the world around them. Now that Russias war against Ukraine and its political and diplomatic consequences make access to those territories even more difficult, it would be useful to remember the problems and choices that the citizens of the former USSR faced and continue to face. This is an article written by Pilar Bonet in connection with her new book, 'Shipwrecked of the Empire' (Galaxia Gutenberg), which is published this Wednesday, September 6. FILE PHOTO: The logos of Swiss bank Credit Suisse and UBS are seen in Geneva, Switzerland, June 7, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo ZUG, Switzerland (Reuters) - The new expanded UBS is not too big for Switzerland following the bank's emergency takeover of fallen rival Credit Suisse, Chief Executive Officer Sergio Ermotti said on Tuesday. "UBS is not too big - size is not only about the relationship of the balance sheet to the country's GDP," Ermotti told an event in Zug, Switzerland. UBS completed its emergency takeover of Credit Suisse in June, forging a Swiss banking and wealth management giant with a $1.6 trillion balance sheet. The figure is far larger than the entire economic output of Switzerland which stood at $878 billion in 2022 at current exchange rates. Ermotti said 20% of the combined bank's balance sheet was relatively stable and invested in the Swiss property market, while the bank had more than $200 billion in loss-absorbing capital. The executive, who returned to UBS in April to steer the Credit Suisse takeover, was also critical of Credit Suisse. "Credit Suisse went under because it had a business model for years which was simply not right. The bank unfortunately made billions in operating losses over the last few years and could have gone on making losses," he said. "The bank was no longer viable." Credit Suisse failed after rattled investors withdrew billions after a series of losses and missteps, triggering a liquidity crisis. Ermotti said some of the money had been transferred to UBS, while some had gone to other banks in Switzerland and even abroad. Still, he was optimistic that Credit Suisse could be integrated successfully into UBS. UBS last week said it would reduce costs by $10 billion , saying it will axe 3,000 jobs in Switzerland alone. "More than 99% of the people at Credit Suisse are good people, people with integrity," Ermotti said. "I don't think it will be a problem to integrate Credit Suisse," he said. (Reporting by Oliver Hirt, writing by John Revill; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) FILE PHOTO: The U.S. Capitol dome is seen from the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger/file Photo By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Democratic and Republican leaders of the U.S. Senate expressed support for continued assistance for Ukraine on Tuesday, as lawmakers returned to Washington facing a tight deadline for passing spending bills. President Joe Biden last month asked Congress to approve about $40 billion in additional spending, including $24 billion for Ukraine and other international needs, in a test of the country's willingness to keep supporting Ukraine as it fights Russian invaders. "We also must continue standing with our friends in Ukraine, now more than ever, as the counteroffensive against Putin's forces is in full swing," the Senate's Democratic majority leader, Chuck Schumer, said in remarks opening the Senate after its August recess. "The Senate's top priority must be keeping the American people safe. And this month we'll have the chance to do that with supplemental appropriations for urgent national security and disaster relief priorities," Republican leader Mitch McConnell said. "We need to continue to invest in America's defense industrial base, both to support our partners in today's fight and to help our forces deter tomorrow's threats," he said. Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters at the White House earlier on Tuesday that the administration was working closely with both the Senate and House of Representatives on the supplemental aid package, which seeks funding through the end of 2023. Sullivan said the administration believed it would be able to secure the necessary funding. "The conversations have been constructive, they've been positive they've been substantive and we anticipate being able to work our way through to a sound package so that Ukraine can get what it needs," he said. Prospects for Biden's supplemental request could be less bright in the House, where Republicans hold a slim majority and some on the far right, particularly those most closely allied with former Republican President Donald Trump, have been critical of U.S. funding for Kyiv. Biden's request for Ukraine aid comes as lawmakers face an Oct. 1 deadline to pass at least a short-term spending bill or face an embarrassing government shutdown. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, additional reporting by Katharine Jackson; editing by Grant McCool) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to media with El Salvadors Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill at the State Department in Washington, U.S., August 7, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday spoke with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, the State Department said. Blinken spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about expanding Israels regional integration and countering threats posed by Iran, the department said in a statement. In a separate statement, the State Department said Blinken expressed continued concern about ongoing violence in the West Bank when he spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. They also discussed their support for a two-state solution and opposition to actions endangering its viability, the department said. (Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) A person walks by a Verizon store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 22, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Verizon Business Network Services, a unit of the telecom giant , agreed to pay $4.1 million to resolve U.S. allegations that it failed to follow required cybersecurity standards, the U.S. Justice Department said. The settlement resolves allegations that a Verizon service which provides federal agencies with secure internet connections and other external networks did not completely satisfy three required cybersecurity controls in contracts from 2017 to 2021. "When government contractors fail to follow required cybersecurity standards, they may jeopardize the security of sensitive government information and information systems," Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston said in a statement. Verizon said that in 2020 it "proactively identified and disclosed" to the General Services Administration a potential issue with a managed security service that it sells to some federal government agencies. It added that at no time did the potential issue result in a security or data breach. The settlement did not make any determination of liability. The department gave Verizon and others credit in settlements with government contractors that "disclose misconduct, cooperate with pending investigations and take remedial measures, all of which are critically important to protecting the nation against cyber threats." (Reporting by David Shepardson, Costas Pitas and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) U.S. Army mariners rescue an Indonesian fisherman, center, whose boat capsized 10 miles off Obi Island, Indonesia, Sept. 1, 2023. (U.S. Army) U.S. Army mariners came to the rescue of a fisherman clinging to a plastic cooler lid Friday off the western coast of Obi Island, Indonesia, according to the 8th Theater Sustainment Command. The USAV Palo Alto, a 174-foot landing craft, was headed home to Japan from the Talisman Sabre exercise in Australia when Sgt. Seth Leonard, a watercraft engineer on the bridge, saw something ahead, according to an Army news release Monday. I noticed what looked like someone waving their arms, which is the signal for distress in water, Leonard said in the release. I grabbed my binoculars to see if my eyes were playing tricks on me and thats when I saw someone about 1.5 miles directly in front of us. The fisherman had clung to the plastic cooler lid for hours after his boat capsized, Jon Daniell, a spokesman for the Hawaii-based sustainment command, said by phone Saturday from Indonesia. It was about the size of a boogie board, Sgt. 1st Class Stefen Valencia, a Palo Alto crewman, said in the release. Im pretty sure that lid is what kept him alive. The crew of the USAV Palo Alto pose with an Indonesian fisherman they rescued near Obi Island, Indonesia, Sept. 1, 2023. He was found clinging to the lid of a cooler. (U.S. Army) The crew pulled the fisherman from the sea and brought him to the Palo Altos sick bay where he was fed and given dry clothes, Daniell said. The crew used Google Translate to communicate with the man, he said. The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta helped coordinate an Indonesian navy ship to collect the fisherman. The Palo Altos crew, assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), was bound for the vessels prepositioned base in Japan following two months of military exercises with U.S. and Australian forces Down Under, Daniell said without naming the base. A rescued Indonesian fisherman recovers aboard the USAV Palo Alto, Sept. 1, 2023. The man was found clinging to a cooler lid after his boat capsized 10 miles off the coast of Obi Island, Indonesia. (U.S. Army) The U.S. military and Coast Guard assisted several mariners in distress this summer. Sailors aboard the Navy destroyer USS Ralph Johnson provided food and fuel to Filipino fishermen in distress Aug. 14 on the South China Sea. A week earlier, the USNS Millinocket, an expeditionary fast-transport vessel also taking part in Talisman Sabre, provided fuel to a leisure craft stranded on the Timor Sea off northern Australia. The Coast Guard on July 13 orchestrated a multinational effort to find two overdue Micronesian fishermen adrift more than 800 miles southeast of Guam in the Western Pacific. On July 10, the Coast Guard, working with French, Canadian and U.S. air force and naval aircraft, found and airlifted 11 people from a disabled, 21-foot fishing boat, the Full Horizon 20, adrift off the coast of Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands. Detained activist Jimmy Sham, center, leaves a prison van to enter the Court of Final Appeal as Hong Kongs top court hear the activists last bid to ask for recognition of his New York-registered same-sex marriage in Hong Kong, on June 28, 2023. Sham partially won his final appeal Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, seeking recognition for same-sex marriage registered overseas, in a landmark court ruling that is likely to have a far-reaching impact on the citys LGBTQ+ community. (Louise Delmotte/AP) HONG KONG Hong Kong's top court ruled Tuesday that the government should provide a framework for recognizing same-sex partnerships, in a landmark decision for the city's LGBTQ+ community. The ruling did not grant full marriage rights to same-sex couples but was a partial victory for prominent pro-democracy activist Jimmy Sham, who had fought a five-year legal battle over the recognition of same-sex marriages registered overseas. Sham married his husband in New York in 2013, and argued that Hong Kong's laws, which don't recognize foreign same-sex marriage, violate the constitutional right to equality. Equality advocates said the judgment was a step forward and will have strong implications for the lives of the LGBTQ+ community and the financial hub's reputation as an inclusive place to stay and work. Judges at the top court, by a majority, declared in a written ruling that the government is in violation of its positive obligation to establish an alternative framework for legal recognition of same-sex partnerships, such as registered civil partnerships or civil unions. "The absence of legal recognition of their relationship is apt to disrupt and demean their private lives together in ways that constitute arbitrary interference," Justice Patrick Keane wrote. The court suspended its declaration for two years to give the government time to comply with its obligation. But the judges unanimously dismissed Sham's final appeal on other grounds related to same-sex marriage and recognition of overseas same-sex unions. Currently, Hong Kong only recognizes same-sex marriage for certain purposes such as taxation, civil service benefits and dependent visas. Many of the government's concessions were won through legal challenges in recent years and the city has seen a growing social acceptance toward same-sex marriage. Surveys showed 60% of the respondents showed support for same-sex marriage in 2023, up from 38% in 2013, according to a report issued by researchers at The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of North Carolina School of Law in May. In a previous hearing, Sham's lawyer Karon Monaghan had argued that the absence of same-sex marriage in Hong Kong sent a message that it's less worthy of recognition than heterosexual marriages. Jerome Yau, a co-founder of non-governmental organization Hong Kong Marriage Equality, said the ruling sent a clear signal that same-sex relationships deserve some form of recognition and that it would help enhance Hong Kong's reputation. "This judgement, we believe, will go a long way in attracting young talent coming to Hong Kong to work and live," he said. Hong Kong resident Travis Chow, who has a same-sex partner, said he had wondered about their future but the judgement prompted him to think seriously about the option of staying in Hong Kong in the long run. "This is absolutely happy and encouraging," he said. The court decision was an important step for equality for the LGBTQ+ community in Asia, said gender studies scholar Suen Yiu-tong at the Chinese University. But Suen admitted he was disappointed that the court did not recognize same-sex marriage. Sham has been in custody after being charged under a Beijing-imposed national security law following massive pro-democracy protests in 2019. The law has been used to arrest and silence many other pro-democracy activists as part of a crackdown on dissent in the former British colony. Sham is the former convenor of Civil Human Rights Front, which was best known for organizing the annual protest march on the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997, for years. The group also organized some of the biggest political protests that roiled the city in 2019 but was disbanded in 2021 under the shadow of the security law. On the afternoon of August 15, 2023, a dust-covered police vehicle pulled up in front of Michael Opolot. The 20-year-old was among the cheering crowd that had come to witness the visit of the Ugandan presidents son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, in the eastern town of Soroti. The police arrested Opolot without explanation and drove off, witnesses told this newspaper. According to the document containing the charges against the young man, to which Reuters had access, Opolot was charged on August 18 with aggravated homosexuality after unlawful sexual intercourse with a 41-year-old man, a crime that is punishable by death in Uganda following the approval in May of one of the harshest anti-LBGTQ+ laws in the world. The crime is applied against repeat offenders, those who transmit HIV to others, or who have intimate relations with minors or people with disabilities. Opolot has been charged with aggravated homosexuality because it is alleged that the person deemed to be the victim is not of sound mind, explains Patience Muwanga, a human rights lawyer who is part of the defense team and works for the human rights organization Chapter Four. But our investigation, and what is on record, [shows] there is actually no proof that the victim is of unsound mind. Since his arrest, Opolot has been held in Soroti main prison. On September 1, the young man appeared in court, but the proceedings were postponed until September 14, as the state prosecutor was not present. Muwanga adds that his legal team is working to ensure Opolot is granted bail before he appears in court again. One of his relatives, who spoke to EL PAIS on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, expressed grave concern that they may never see him again. Our family is devastated, she said through tears. I know its not safe to talk about his detention, but he is staring at the death penalty. We are pleading with the government to release him, because he is innocent. Jacqueline Okui, a spokesperson for the director of public prosecutions, merely commented in a telephone interview that aggravated homosexuality is a crime punishable by capital punishment. Frank Baine, a spokesman for the Ugandan prison services, warned that the media should stop glorifying homosexuality because it is un-African. If he has a problem [following his arrest], let him face it. I cant talk about him. Actually, I feel very uncomfortable talking about him, he added. But Muwanga points out that charging Opolot using the law against homosexuality is inhumane and that it is gravely violating peoples rights. As human rights lawyers, we cant sit, watch and wait. The process of doing away with this law needs to be expedited because its enforcement is against human rights, she said. EL PAIS tried unsuccessfully to contact the detained young man, as the authorities would not permit entry into the prison facilities. Many gay people are going into hiding to protect their lives Before the law was enacted in May by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, homosexual relations were already a crime in the country under rules dating back to the British colonial era and carried penalties of up to life imprisonment. The new legislation passed in a context of increasing homophobia in Africa not only maintains life imprisonment for sexual acts between persons of the same sex, but condemns aggravated homosexuality with the death penalty and promotion of homosexuality with up to 20 years in prison. Publicly defending homosexuality is a vague concept, and the LGBTQ+ community feels it is on thin ice. The recent rampant arrest of people for being homosexual has sent a wave of fear among the LGBTQ+ community in Uganda, said Ram Gava, a gay pastor whose church was shut down when the new law was enacted. Many gay people are going into hiding to protect their lives, he added. Bob Bwana, program officer for Ice Breaker, a community-based organization that advocates for LGBTQ+ rights and provides health services in Uganda, says the law is increasingly becoming a weapon to target people who are not heterosexual. He says his organization has recorded a number of attacks, including blackmail attempts and kidnapping. This week, police arrested four people in Buikwe district in central Uganda and shut down the massage parlor where they worked, alleging that it offered gay sex in exchange for money. Bwana says entities like his are holding secret talks, dialoguing and sensitizing homosexuals in Uganda to be vigilant and cautious in order to protect their lives. Rainbow Railroad, a Canadian association that helps LGBTQ+ people escape persecution in their home countries, said it had received 700 requests from Ugandans between January and May this year, more than any other year in the decade it has been working in the country. For Ashwanee Budoo-Sholtz, Deputy Director of the Africa Division at Human Rights Watch, the international community must remain aware of these human rights violations and the threat that this law represents for the LGBTQI+ community. Moreover, HIV-positive and at-risk people in Uganda have reported medical neglect and threats, as well as concern that HIV treatment and outreach programs will disappear due to lack of funding. Around 1.4 million people are living with AIDS in Uganda, out of a total population of 45 million, and 17,000 die annually from the disease, according to the latest data from the Uganda AIDS Commission. Uganda risks paying for its anti-LGBTQ+ law with major funding cuts, which are vital to the state. According to data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, 30% of Ugandas population was living on less than $1.77 a day in 2020 and more than 40% of the countrys budget depends on international support, particularly in key sectors such as health and education. The United States and the European Union have condemned the shameful legislation and threatened Kampala with sanctions if it is not repealed. The World Bank announced in August that it will not provide funding to Uganda because the anti-homosexuality regulation fundamentally contradicts the World Bank Groups values. We believe our vision to eradicate poverty on a livable planet can only succeed if it includes everyone irrespective of race, gender, or sexuality. This law undermines those efforts. Inclusion and non-discrimination sit at the heart of our work around the world, the institution said in a statement. However, the Ugandan presidents response to international pressure has been one of defiance: Nobody will move us we should be ready for a war. Remember that war is not for the soft, Museveni said in June. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition This photo from the state-run Korean Central News Agency shows Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, July 27, 2023. (KCNA) SEOUL, South Korea Russias defense minister has proposed to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a first-ever, three-nation naval exercise that includes China, according to a South Korean lawmaker. Rep. Yoo Sangbum, a spokesman for the ruling People Power Party, told reporters Monday that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu put the idea to Kim in July. Sangbum spoke to the media in Seoul after a closed-door intelligence briefing for South Korean lawmakers by National Intelligence Service director Kim Kyou-hyun. Shoigu met Kim in Pyongyang during a commemoration for the 70th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, according to Yoo. A Chinese delegation was also present for the event, North Koreas state-run Korean Central News Agency reported on July 29. Russias ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, said he was not aware of plans for trilateral training, but the idea seemed appropriate, according to an interview published Saturday by Tass, Russias state-run news service. This photo from the state-run Korean Central News Agency shows Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, July 27, 2023. (KCNA) The U.S. and South Korea on Thursday wrapped up Ulchi Freedom Shield, a semiannual, large-scale joint exercise that consisted of more than 30 separate military drills throughout South Korea. The 11-day exercise included U.N. Command nations Australia, Canada, France, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, the Philippines and Thailand. North Korea frequently condemns the exercise as a rehearsal for an invasion. Chinese and Russian forces have conducted joint military drills as recently as July, when the two countries held Northern/Interaction-2023, a four-day maritime and airpower exercise in the Sea of Japan, or East Sea. Around 10 warships and 30 aircraft took part in the training, safeguarding the security of strategic maritime routes and implementing the two militaries' sea-air integrated joint capabilities, Chinese Rear Adm. Qiu Wensheng said in a July 24 report by the state-run Global Times. Talk of a three-party military exercise follows a Monday report that Kim plans to visit Russia later this month. He would meet President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, about 425 miles north of Pyongyang, to discuss an arms trade, according to the New York Times. The newspaper cited unnamed officials from the U.S. and allied nations. Putin seeks North Korean artillery shells and antitank missiles for its nearly 19-month-long war in Ukraine, while the North wants Russias technology for nuclear-powered submarines and satellites, the officials said in the report. Kim and Putin held their first summit in Vladivostok on April 25, 2019. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby warned last week that arms negotiations between Pyongyang and Moscow were actively advancing and that its leaders had exchanged letters pledging to increase their bilateral cooperation. Any arms deal between [North Korea] and Russia will directly violate a number of U.N. Security Council resolutions, Kirby told news reporters Wednesday in Washington, D.C. We are continuing to monitor this situation closely and we urge [North Korea] to cease its arms negotiations with Russia." A head-on collision between two vehicles near Ramstein Air Base on Aug. 18, 2023, led to a seriously injured airman's medical evacuation to a U.S. hospital. The airman died Sept. 4, German police and U.S. Air Force officials said. (Westpfalz police department) Updated Sept. 6, 2023 at 1:40 p.m. Central European Time KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany A security forces airman died Monday after being seriously injured in a car crash last month, Air Force officials said. Senior Airman Christopher Rocha, 23, was a staff sergeant select and an alarm monitor for the 569th U.S. Forces Police Squadron, the 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein Air Base said Wednesday. He was from El Paso, Texas. Rocha died Monday morning at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland, according to statements from the Westpfalz Police Department and the Air Force. Rocha had been transferred there following the Aug. 18 crash on a road between Landstuhl and Ramstein. Monday we lost a valuable member of our Team Ramstein family, Brig. Gen. Otis Jones, 86th Airlift Wing commander, said in a statement Wednesday. Senior Airman Rocha was an important member of our team and will be severely missed by all of us who had the honor to serve alongside him. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with his family, friends, and co-workers during this time of loss. Chaplains and mental health professionals are available to assist those in need, base officials said. Rocha was injured in a head-on collision. He lost control of his Honda, went into the other lane and hit a Toyota driven by a 49-year-old German citizen from Weilerbach, who was also hospitalized, police said. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, base officials and Westpfalz police said this week. At least four U.S. service members have died in traffic crashes in Germany this year. The other three were soldiers stationed in the state of Bavaria. Two of the soldiers were killed in personal vehicles, and the third was riding in a tactical vehicle. A video screen grab shows First Lady Jill Biden speaking at a graduation ceremony at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in South Carolina on Friday, June 30, 2023. Jill Biden tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday, Sept. 4, 2023, at the end of a three-day weekend she had spent alongside President Joe Biden, the White House said. (U.S. Marine Corps) First lady Jill Biden tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday, at the end of a three-day weekend she had spent alongside President Joe Biden, the White House said. "This evening, the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19," Jill Biden's communications director Elizabeth Alexander said in a statement late Monday. "She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms. She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware." The president, who returned to Washington on Monday, took a coronavirus test and received a negative result after the first lady's positive test, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "The President will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms," she said. Biden is scheduled to depart Thursday for a visit to the Group of 20 summit in India. He and the first lady traveled together on Saturday to Florida and then to Rehoboth Beach, where they spent part of the weekend at their beach house. Jill Biden previously tested positive for the coronavirus in August 2022. The president had a positive case in July 2022. Each recovered after experiencing mild symptoms. Vietnam veteran Larry Taylor tries to hold back tears as President Joe Biden places the Medal of Honor around his neck during a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes) WASHINGTON President Joe Biden recalled Tuesday what Larry Taylor told him in July when the president called to tell him he would receive the Medal of Honor. His response was, I thought you had to do something significant to receive the medal. Larry, you sure as hell did something, Biden told the audience gathered in the East Room of the White House. Taylor, now 81, was an Army helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War and led a mission in 1968 to save a small group of soldiers trapped in a rice field by enemy fire. I was doing my job. I knew that if I did not go down and get them, they would not make it, Taylor told reporters last week. David Hill, now 75, was a sergeant with the Army Rangers serving as part of a four-man reconnaissance patrol on June 18, 1968. He said if it werent for Taylors actions that day, he and the three other men would not have survived. Hell, we were dead, Hill said. The fortunes of war had turned against us that night. Hills unit was on a night mission near a village northeast of Saigon when they were surrounded in a rice paddy by a North Vietnamese force of nearly 100 soldiers. The patrol leader could see using a starlight scope that enemy troops were closing in on three sides. But they thought the Vietnamese troops had not surrounded them yet and that they could escape back in the direction that they entered the paddy. They tried to make it back to a tree line but found they had been cut off, Hill said. We were in a Custer-like situation, he said. Taylor, who was a first lieutenant at the time, heard of the soldiers plight on a radio call. He and another pilot each flew a Cobra helicopter and went looking for the team. Taylor wasnt certain he would be able to find them because it was such a dark night. But using radio equipment and direction finders, Taylor was able to locate them. President Joe Biden adjusts the Medal of Honor he just placed around his neck of Vietnam veteran Larry Taylor during a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes) Taylor said the first problem with rescuing the soldiers was poor visibility. Its difficult to support you because I cant see you and I cant see the bad guys. Im afraid if I start throwing some rockets out here, Im going to kill one of you all, he recalled telling them over the radio. Taylor instructed the four soldiers to mark their location with flares, even though they could also pinpoint their location to the North Vietnamese. Using the flares as a reference point, Taylor and his wingman strafed the North Vietnamese positions with multi-barreled rotary machine guns and rockets. For nearly 30 minutes, the two American helicopters attacked the enemy troops, expending all their rockets and nearly 16,000 machine-gun rounds. At that point, Taylor directed the other helicopter pilot to fire his remaining machine gun rounds along the eastern flank of the American patrol and then return to base camp. Taylor fired his own remaining rounds along the western flank, using his Cobras landing lights to draw the enemys attention while the U.S. soldiers moved southeast toward a nearby extraction point that Taylor had designated. We were finally able to make a breakout because he directed us to the very weakest portion of the enemy envelopment, Hill said. There wasnt time or room in the helicopter for the four soldiers to get inside the two-seat Cobra. When Taylor moved the helicopter into a close position, the soldiers grabbed onto the rocket-pods and skids. They beat on the side of the ship twice, which meant haul ass. And we did, Taylor said. Hill, who is the last surviving member of the reconnaissance team, and Taylor became friends following the rescue. Taylor served in Vietnam from August 1967 to August 1968. With the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division, he flew more than 2,000 combat missions in the UH-1 and Cobra helicopters. He concluded his military service in 1971 as a captain in the 2nd Armored Cavalry in what was West Germany at the time. Taylor was awarded 61 combat decorations, including the Silver Star, 43 Air Medals, a Bronze Star and two Distinguished Flying Crosses. He also received the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with the Bronze Star. Hill started a 7-year process serving as Taylors nominator to get his Silver Star upgraded to the Medal of Honor. He and a couple of his fellow Army Rangers believed the Army and Taylors commanders at the time had failed in not getting him the highest military honor. After two failed attempts with the Army, retired four-star Army Gen. B.B. Bell started working with Hill and the team in 2021. Then-1st Lt. Larry Taylor sitting in a UH-1 Huey helicopter in an undated photo. After completing flight training, Taylor was assigned to one of the Armys first Cobra helicopter companies in Vietnam where he served from August 1967 to August 1968. (Larry Taylor and the Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center) Bell, who serves as chairman of the National Advisory Board for the Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga, Tenn., dealt with the awards process many times during his 29-year career in the military. However, Bell was not sure how much help he would be on Taylors case. I told him straight up, Dave, I want you to know that this is very improbable because the chain of command made their decision in 1968. They had all the information, he said. Bell said Hill stopped him in mid-sentence. Sir, they didnt have any of this information, is what Bell recalls being told. Bell said he was picking himself off the floor when he learned this. The men on the ground involved in the incident were all Army Rangers. Due to the intense combat at the time and the inability to get off the base, the 4th Calvary chain of command was not able to make it to where the Army Rangers were stationed. What the command used were radio reports and a tertiary back brief from Taylor and his co-pilot to figure out what happened, Bell said. Of course, pilots always talk down their own exploits. They always do, Bell said. It was clearly heroic, but it was [the] Silver Star. They had none of Dave Hills, or the other patrol members, information. Due to the chaos on the battlefield the war just kept marching on. Bell and Hill worked together to prepare the third submission to appeal the decision to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records, or ABCMR. Bell said it took the ABCMR six months to review the matter and approved upgrading the Silver Star to the Medal of Honor. Taylor, who lives in Signal Mountain, Tenn., said he is proud to receive the Medal of Honor. But he also said he is most proud that he followed the military motto that he had requested for his Medal of Honor challenge coins that recipients design leave no man behind. As Bidens speech began to wind down, Taylor started to tear up as the president mentioned the sacrifice he made in order to save those men. When duty called, Larry did everything he [could]. Because of that, he ended up saving four families for generations to come, Biden said. Thats valor. That is our nation at its very best. A new sign in Bostons Kenmore Square designations U.S. Highway 20 as part of the National Medal of Honor Highway Project. (Dick Tobiason) Massachusetts has supplied the last link in the creation of a coast-to-coast route saluting recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for valor in combat. At a celebration on Aug. 12 in Boston's Kenmore Square, near Fenway Park, a proclamation was read designating the portion of U.S. Highway 20 running through the state as the Massachusetts Medal of Honor Highway. A military honor guard and members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars also took part. Massachusetts became the 12th and final state to designate its portion of Highway 20 as their Medal of Honor Highway. The route goes through Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts. Supporters of the National Medal of Honor Highway Project have one final goal: Congress. Currently the Medal of Honor route is actually a collection of state designations along the route. U.S. Highway 20 extends 3,365 miles from Newport, Ore., on the Pacific Coast, to Boston on the Atlantic. Each leg through one of the dozen states honors Medal of Honor recipients from that state or about 60% of all 3,516 service members who have received the Medal of Honor since the Civil War. Bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate would honor all those who have been awarded the Medal of Honor. Democratic and Republican senators backing the federal designation said in a joint statement that the recognition of Medal of Honor recipients would be a generational memorial to the bravery of those in the nation's past and those to come in conflicts of the future who act above the call of duty. Designating U.S. Highway 20 as the National Medal of Honor Highway would provide a permanent and deserved recognition of Americas heroes," said U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon. The Medal of Honor has three current designs: The Army, Air Force, and Navy versions. The Marine Corps and the Coast Guard award the Navy version. (Congressional Medal of Honor Society) Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Dick Tobiason of Bend, Oregon, was inspired to launch the highway effort as a way to honor his friend and neighbor, Bob Maxwell, who received the decoration in World War II. Maxwell, as a 23-year-old Army Technician 5th Grade, received the Medal of Honor for saving the lives of fellow American soldiers by jumping on a German hand grenade during an attack by Nazi troops near Besancon, France on Sept. 7, 1944. Maxwell recovered from his severe wounds, married and died at age 98 on May 11, 2019, survived by children and grandchildren. Tobiason brought the idea to the Oregon Legislature, which in 2017 passed the first state highway designation in the project. It covered the 451-mile portion of U.S. Highway 20 that runs through Oregon, which produced 12 Medal of Honor recipients. It became a template for other states to follow, with the designations, along with signs honoring recipients from each state. At the August event in Boston, the guest of honor was former Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services Director Thomas G. Kelley. He represented the 65 living Medal of Honor recipients. Kelley, a Boston native, received the Medal of Honor while a lieutenant in command of River Assault Division 152 the "brown water Navy" swift boats that saw action on the rivers of Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. On June 15, 1969, Kelley led eight boats on a mission along the Ong Muong Canal in Kien Hoa Province, South Vietnam. The boats came under heavy enemy fire from Viet Cong forces on the shore. When one boat broke down, Kelley ordered his own vessel placed between the shore and the stalled craft. A rocket propelled grenade hit Kelley's boat, severely injuring him costing him an eye. Kelley continued to direct the response to the attack and was able to withdraw his boats to safety. Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to formulate a comprehensive strategy for the repatriation of foreigners residing illegally in Pakistan. He was chairing a meeting on law and order situation in the country here, which was attended by senior officials from the police, security agencies, and the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA). During the meeting, the caretaker interior minister vowed to tackle the illegal immigration issue and provide foolproof security to foreigners. The minister said that maintaining law and order was the top priority of the government and that miscreant activities by any individual or group would not be tolerated. He directed the authorities to formulate a comprehensive strategy for the return of foreigners residing illegally in Pakistan. Bugti also ordered the completion of the action plan to open three more border crossings on the Pakistan-Iran border. The minister stressed the need to clearly define the scope of police and security agencies in order to improve their performance. He also directed the authorities to provide state-of-the-art training and resources to the civil armed forces. Regarding the security of foreigners, the minister directed the authorities concerned to ensure the implementation of the code of conduct by finalizing it. He also ordered the provision of all possible facilities to visa applicants for business and investment. The minister called another meeting next week to review the implementation of the National Action Plan. It is estimated that the Moon may contain 10 billion times less water than our planet holds in the oceans alone. All the great ancient civilizations were aware of the importance of water; it is no coincidence that Egyptian culture developed on the banks of the Nile, Mesopotamian culture between the Euphrates and the Tigris, or Chinese culture in the basin of the Huang River. For the Romans, those great transporters of water, the availability of abundant water was considered a symbol of wealth and, therefore, of power. There is not a single major city on Earth that is not located on the banks of a river or near to a copious source of fresh water. It should come as no surprise, then, that what is to be secured on the Moon as a first step toward future settlement is precisely that. As early as 1961, the possibility was put forward that ice might be found in cold depressions located at the lunar poles, in regions of permanent shadow that exist because of the Moons low obliquity. In particular, large impact craters located at high latitudes offer protection from solar radiation throughout the lunar day. And this is true for both the walls and the floor of the crater, as well as for the smaller craters within the large ones. There are approximately half a million of these on the entire surface of the Moon, with some measuring up to one kilometer (0.62 miles) in diameter. It is precisely in one of these young craters that NASAs Moon Mineralogy Mapper instrument, M3, carried aboard the Indian Space Research Organisations Chandrayyan-1, the countrys first mission to our satellite, found evidence of a water footprint in 2008. Confirmation would come a year later, when the upper stage of the rocket used to launch NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter deliberately crashed into a crater at the Moons south pole. The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellites flyby through the debris plume detected 155 kilograms of water before it too impacted on the lunar surface. The amount of water the Moon might hold is extremely uncertain, but it is estimated that it may contain 10 billion times less than the Earths oceans alone, and our satellite is only 81 times smaller than our planet. But if the Moon is close to Earth and the main feature of the blue planet is water, why isnt that the case for the Moon as well? Why isnt it full of liquid water if it is right next door? Well, for a compelling reason: it does not have enough mass to support an atmosphere. Molecules escape from the lunar gravitational field when they have more energy in motion than gravitational energy. Or, in other words, if due to their temperature they move faster than the surface escape velocity, they are lost to outer space. The escape velocity on the Moon is 2.4 km/s: that means that light gases are not retained in the form of an atmosphere. What the Moon has instead is a very tenuous structure called the exosphere, which is similar to the upper part of the Earths atmosphere. What is the origin of lunar water? There are three main hypotheses on the origins of lunar water that are not mutually exclusive: on the one hand, we have the impacts of icy comets; on the other, volcanic eruptions; and finally, there is the effect of the solar wind. Comets come from water-rich regions of space far from the Sun and their continuous impact when the solar system was young may have not only provided our satellite with water, but also, we believe, filled part of our oceans. Today the Moon is, for the most part, geologically inert, but before it cooled it experienced volcanic eruptions that could have released the water found in large quantities in its rocks. The solar wind, meanwhile, deposits hydrogen atoms without electrons (protons) on the surface of the Moon, which interact with the oxygen in the lunar rocks to form water. It is likely that some of the ice on the Moon has been there for billions of years and during this time has been exposed to bombardment from meteoroid impacts, the solar wind, and the emission of radiation from the interplanetary medium. In addition to being mechanisms by which water is lost, they might have also left traces in the lunar ice. This is the goal of a series of manned and robotic missions that are already making history. Indias Chandrayaan-3 has succeeded in making the first landing at the lunar South Pole. Russias Luna-25 failed in its own attempt, highlighting the difficulty of the enterprise. The problem of understanding the origin of water on the Moon is compounded by the difficulties of conducting a search on the ground on an object lacking an atmosphere, with different gravity from ours, daytime temperatures reaching 120 C, 384,400 km (238,885 miles) from Earth and in impact craters found primarily at the hostile south pole, which poses problems for direct communication and features steep terrain. We have always built cities near water sources, and the future of lunar exploration therefore means looking into the south pole. What will we call the first lunar city? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Scott Cahill (18) is alleged to have assaulted two of the men and robbed a third A young man punched an English tourist to the ground and stamped on his head in a "vicious and unprovoked" attack on a group of friends in Dublin city centre, it is alleged. Scott Cahill (18) is alleged to have assaulted two of the men and robbed a third when the tourists who were on a night out were violently set upon by youths. He was refused bail at Dublin District Court and remanded in custody for DPP directions. Mr Cahill, with an address at St Jamess Road, Greenhills, Crumlin, Dublin is charged with robbery and assault causing harm. The incident happened in Fownes Street, Temple Bar on the night of August 11. Detective Garda Derek Brereton said Mr Cahill made no reply to the charges after caution. Objecting to bail, he told Judge John King there were four alleged victims in the incident; three had been assaulted and one was assaulted and robbed by a group of eight suspects. The alleged victims were English tourists on a night out in Temple Bar when they were subjected to a vicious and unprovoked attack," he said. The attacks happened simultaneously in the space of two minutes, Det Gda Brereton said. One man was robbed of a silver necklace, wallet and bank cards while being attacked by multiple suspects. All four were all knocked to the ground and struck while on the ground, the garda said. Two were kicked, one to the head. Three of the men went to hospital with injuries, the court heard. Outlining Mr Cahills alleged role in the robbery, Det Gda Brereton said it would be the prosecutions case the accused initiated the assault on this man, punching him in the back of the head before, along with two others, pulling and dragging him to the ground. It was alleged Mr Cahill punched the man to the head while he was on the ground before another suspect went through his pockets and took property. According to the gardai, he punched the second man to the back of the head, then hit him again and knocked him to the ground. Mr Cahill allegedly punched the third man to the face, knocking him to the ground and stamped on his head while he was on the ground. He had no role in the attack on the fourth man. It was alleged the accused was captured on excellent quality CCTV where he was wearing a Canada Goose jacket and Armani runners. Det Gda Brereton said Mr Cahill's movements on the night were tracked and he was in the same group of five people. He said the alleged attack was extremely violent and he feared Mr Cahill could interfere with witnesses if granted bail. A violent disorder charge was also being considered by the DPP. The accused made no admissions in interview. Applying for bail, defence barrister Karla Ray said Mr Cahill was presumed innocent and would abide by bail conditions, including obeying a curfew and signing on twice daily at a garda station. There was no possibility of witness interference as he was not familiar with any of the alleged victims who lived overseas and was also unaware of any witnesses from the scene which was a built-up area, Ms Ray said. Judge King said no conditions would allay the courts fears regarding bail and remanded the accused in custody to appear in Cloverhill District Court on September 12. Mr Cahill is the third person to be charged over the incident. Two teenage boys were previously charged and appeared before the Childrens Court as they are minors. The jury deliberated for 15 minutes before deciding unanimously that 22-year-old Conor ONeill did the acts as alleged A Co Armagh man found to have subjected a woman to a horrific rape attack faces spending the rest of his life in a secure mental health facility in England after he was given a hospital order without limit of time. At the end of the one day trial where the evidence was not contested, the Craigavon Crown Court jury of six men and six women deliberated for 15 minutes before deciding unanimously that 22-year-old Conor ONeill did the acts as alleged. At an earlier hearing, ONeill, understood to be from Lurgan but who appeared at court by videolink from Hydebank Young Offenders Centre, was deemed to be unfit to stand trial. It meant the jurys function was to determine whether the 22-year-old did the acts or did not do the acts, rather than deciding guilt or innocence. Arising from a shocking incident on 20 September 2021, ONeill was charged with two counts of oral rape, two of attempted rape, seven counts of sexual assault and single charges of attempted sexual assault by penetration, making a threat to kill and causing actual bodily harm. Opening the case against ONeill, prosecuting KC Charles MacCreanor warned the jury they would see video footage of the incident and hear shocking and upsetting evidence about the attack but reminded them their duty was to approach the evidence dispassionately and not be swayed by feeling of sympathy or prejudice. The jury heard how the victim was working at a retail outlet when ONeill came in and asked to be shown an item. As she did so he grabbed her, dragging her into a storeroom on the premises where he began to sexually attack her, then he dragged her into a disabled toilet, locked the door and continued his sexual attack on her. You will hear her account of her ordeal, the struggle that took place, how she tried to fight back, that she thought she was going to be killed and what he did to her and said to her, the senior barrister told the jury. They watched an Achieving Best Evidence video interview where the victim told detectives how ONeill repeatedly forced her to perform a sex act on him as he grabbed her by the head. He kept going on about having sex with me, she told officers. She said she had no strength left to fight back and she was just trying to stay alive, and that ONeill kept trying to have sex with her but he couldnt. She said he removed a tampon from her as he sexually assaulted her and ripped her clothes off, and refused to listen to her pleas that please, you dont need to do this. He also repeatedly banged the victims head off the floor and threatened to slit her throat. Fearing for her life and with no strength to fight back, Mr MacCreanor told the jury the victim had the presence of mind to tell ONeill to lie on his back so she could sit on top of him. But when he did so she took a massive breath, got all her strength to open the disabled toilet door and ran like mad, ran naked from the toilet, grabbing a fleece and running like that out the door onto the street for help. As she pleaded with passers-by for help, she was shouting dont let him at me hes still there he raped me, he raped me. A customer who had entered the shop and heard her pleading had already called police and officers were quickly on the scene. Leaving the premises with his trousers around his ankles and swigging from a bottle of vodka, ONeill was arrested as he shuffled down the street. As police lifted him he shouted out: F****** scumbag b****. Ill see you when I get out of jail. B**** got what she deserved. I did not rape her, you know why? I love raping people. Ill knock her out, Ill kill her baby, Ill burn her family out. The victim was medically examined within six hours of her horrific attack and doctors found more than 30 injuries, including cuts, bruises and abrasions. Following the jurys findings, trial Judge Patrick Lynch KC explained to them that two consultant, forensic psychiatrists had both opined that due to severe learning disability and severe mental impairment, ONeill was not fit to stand trial. Later on the judge heard evidence from Dr Paul Devine who opined that in his view the most appropriate disposal of the case was for a hospital order without limit of time. It means that ONeill will be held in a secure unit for treatment and will only be freed when its deemed safe to do so. Under cross examination from Mr MacCreanor, however, Dr Devine, who had examined ONeill on behalf of the defence, conceded that given the nature of the learning disability that no improvement of the condition can ever be expected. Having heard sworn evidence from the doctor and read reports from him and another psychiatrist who both agreed, Judge Lynch imposed the hospital order without limit of time. The scene at Beatrice Road in Bangor, Co Down, in July 2021 (Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye) A Polish man was jailed for life today after he admitted stabbing a man to death in the defendants home. With a jury sworn in and ready to hear the trial of Daniel Szcezyelak at Downpatrick Crown Court, defence KC Arthur Harvey asked for the single charge to be out to the 37-year-old again. Standing in the dock and with the jury watching on, Szcezyelak said simply guilty to the charge that he murdered Nigel Orr-McAuley on a date unknown between 12-15 July 2021. The 53-year-old victim, who had been a financial advisor and involved in the Boys Brigade in Bangor, was stabbed to death at Szcezyelaks home on the Beatrice Road in Bangor. Following his 11th hour dock confession, Judge Geoffrey Millar KC told the self-confessed killer there is only one sentence that this court can impose and that is life imprisonment. In due course I will conduct a hearing to determine the length of time you must serve in custody before you maybe considered for parole, the judge told Szcezyelak, that will be a decision taken at that time by the parole commissioners and thereafter, you will remain on licence for the remainder of your days and if you breach the terms of that licence you will be liable to recall to prison. Judge Millar told Mr Harvey he already had multiple psychiatric reports which had been prepared at an earlier stage and the senior barrister confirmed the only extra report would be a pre-sentence probation report. Prosecuting KC Philip Mateer told the court he would be seeking to lodge Victim Impact Statements from Mr Orr-McAuleys grieving relatives. Remanding Szcezyelak into custody and thanking the jury for their attendance, Judge Millar told the killer he would reconvene the court to fix his minimum tariff on 20 October. Registered firearms trader Patrick O'Mahony Jr (53) of Ballyrameen, Castlemaine, Co. Kerry faces a single charge A military enthusiast will face trial in February accused of unlawfully possessing an "essential component" for a machine gun in his luggage at Dublin Airport following a trip to America. Registered firearms trader Patrick O'Mahony Jr (53) of Ballyrameen, Castlemaine, Co. Kerry faces a single charge for possessing a bolt from a Browning machine gun at Terminal 2 on November 28, 2021. He appeared at Dublin District Court on Tuesday when Judge John Hughes ordered that his non-jury trial, expected to take at least one day, be heard on February 1. The Director of Public Prosecutions directed summary disposal of the case at the district court level, not in the Circuit Court, which has wider sentencing powers. Patrick O'Mahony Outlining the allegations, Garda Sharon Breen told an earlier hearing that customs officers searched O'Mahony's luggage and found suspected firearms parts, which were later sent for examination, but only one was relevant. She said the bolt was an "essential component" for a Browning machine gun, a prohibited firearm. Mr O'Mahony was interviewed and explained it was for a "historical firearm", and the court heard he was a registered firearms trader, but the judge noted, "not for something like this". He had brought the item back following a trip to Florida in the United States. Garda Breen agreed with the defence that Mr O'Mahony co-operated from the outset, and gardai found everything was in order at his business. The defence pleaded with the judge to accept jurisdiction, saying the component was for an antique 1919 gun. HIs solicitor added that the "military enthusiast" intended to display it at his business in rare components and historical firearms. He also said the accused had no other parts to enable him to construct the firearm mechanism. The garda did not suspect anything sinister, and the accused was interested in military components. A co-defendant, another registered firearms dealer, who faced similar charges was sent to the Circuit Court and received a six-month suspended sentence earlier this year after pleading guilty. Peadar Keating (41) is currently serving 11 years for directing a feud murder plot on behalf of the Kinahan cartel. Kinahan cartel leader Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh appeared in court again today where another Dublin gangland criminal was named for having involvement in a firearms plot. Kavanagh, 55, was arrested along with Shaun Kent, 37, and Daniel McLoughlin, 36, as part of an investigation by the National Crime Agency - dubbed Britain's FBI. The three men appeared in court in August where they were charged with a series of firearm offences. The had court heard that Dubliner Kavanagh faces five charges: conspiracy to possess firearms without a certificate, possessing ammunition without a certificate, possession of a fire bull firearm a weapon which can fire repeatedly without any pressure being added to the trigger and possession of a dumdum bullet, which explodes prior to impact. He was also charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice. Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh The court heard that the investigation centres on Encrochat handles and information received about firearms, some of which were hidden in Ireland. In court last month prosecutors claimed that Kavanagh gave information to police from the UKs National Crime Agency (NCA) on the location of 11 firearms in a bid to get a reduced sentence. These guns were found in Northern Ireland two years ago. Kavanagh is already serving a 21-year sentence for masterminding a 36m drug smuggling operation. Today, Kavanagh appeared over video-link from maximum security HMP Belmarsh and spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth. Appearing via video-link from HMP Altcourse in Liverpool, McLoughlin denied conspiracy to possess a firearm without a certificate, conspiracy to possess ammunition without a certificate, conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon and conspiracy to possession prohibited ammunition. Appearing from HMP Forest Bank, Kent denied two counts of conspiracy to possess a firearm without a certificate, two counts of conspiracy to possession ammunition without a certificate, two counts of conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, two counts of conspiracy to possess prohibited ammunition and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. The conspiracy to pervert the course of justice charge against Kent states: You, Shaun Kent, conspired with Liam Byrne, James Keating, and Peadar Keating and others unknown to do a series of acts to come into possession of firearms. And thereafter to hide them and then reveal their whereabouts to the NCA to enable Thomas Kavanagh to receive a lesser sentence. A trial estimated to last between four to six weeks was set for 2 September next year at the Old Bailey. A further case management hearing will take place on 8 January 2024. All three defendants were remanded in custody. Peadar Keating (41) is currently serving 11 years for directing a feud murder plot on behalf of the Kinahan cartel. Despite being jailed, it is suspected that Keating still has control over a number of serious criminals operating in the Clondalkin area and earning serious cash from drug dealing. Crumlin criminal Liam Byrne is currently in Spain where he is fighting extradition where he is accused of firearm offences linked to the same investigation. NCA regional head of investigations Craig Turner earlier said: 'These charges are a major milestone in what has been a long and complex international investigation. 'We will continue to work with our partners to target criminals who we suspect are operating at the highest levels of organised crime impacting on the UK.' Lea Rose Cheng (27) began dri n king with her grandfather in Hoggin's Irish Pub at 2pm on the day of the murder. A woman has been found guilty of murder after knifing a man to death after meeting during an all-day boozing session. Lea Rose Cheng (27) broke down in tears she was convicted of murdering Dylan Bacon (39), who was found lying in a pool of his own blood near a block of flats in Liverpool in March 2020. A post mortem found the cause of death as a stab wound to the chest. It also detailed how he had suffered "eight incised wounds to his head and torso", the court heard. During her trial, the court was told a trail of blood led police back to Cheng's home. On the day of the murder, Cheng, also known as Learna, had left her home at around 2pm and began drinking in Hoggin's Irish Pub with her grandfather. They later moved onto the Old Swan, also known as the White House. At some point, Mr Bacon joined then and sat with them at a table. CCTV footage later showed Cheng making "affectionate gestures" to him, including putting her arms around him and kissing him on the cheek. However, she was later "violently sick at the table" and left with her grandad to his home. Meanwhile, Mr Bacon continued to the Millfield Inn and spotted her as she walked across a road. After he left the pub, the two were not seen on camera again until 7pm, with their movements unknown for a period of around an hour and a half. He was later seen leaving with blood trickling down his back, wearing only one of his trainers and without the jacket he was wearing upon entering. Dylan Bacon Footage showed him "taking his final steps" before "collapsing and dying". After police arrived to quiz Cheng, she was "initially uncooperative" and "refused to leave the flat". She also claimed to officers that Mr Bacon had knifed her then "killed himself because he didn't want to go to prison". She later accepted that she had been responsible for inflicting his fatal wounds. However, the defendant claimed that she did not remember doing so and alleged that Mr Bacon had "stalked and preyed" on her. She will be brought back before the courts for sentencing on Friday. Speaking after the verdict, Dave Brunskill, Head of the Homicide Support Unit, said: "Firstly, I would like to convey that our thoughts are very much with Dylans family. It has been heart-breaking for them to relive his final moments during this trial. As the jury heard, Dylans tragically died at the hands of Cheng and she pleaded not guilty to his murder. This prolonged the agony for his family who had to endure a month-long trial hearing about the events of that fatal night. "Nothing will bring Dylan back to them, but I hope that this conviction will give his family a sense of justice. Mr Harris has travelled to the United Arab Emirates city with the Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly to take part in meetings on tackling transnational organised crime. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has travelled to Dubai where he is expected to discuss with police how Kinahan cartel leaders could be flown back to Ireland, the PA news agency understands. Mr Harris has travelled to the United Arab Emirates city with the Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly to take part in meetings on tackling transnational organised crime. Daniel Kinahan (45) is under mounting pressure from law enforcement agencies across the globe and is understood to have become fearful in recent months that authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would hand him over to the US police or An Garda Siochana. Earlier this year it was believed he had travelled to Iran in a bid to avoid extradition. In a statement to PA, An Garda Siochana said: Transnational organised crime gangs not only cause death and misery in the countries they originate from, but also in communities across the globe. Tackling these gangs protects people here in Ireland and abroad. As part of these efforts, Commissioner Harris and senior garda officers regularly liaise and work with international law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle these gangs. This includes the ongoing multi-national operation devised by An Garda Siochana to tackle the Kinahan transnational organised crime gang. It has also seen Commissioner Harris travel to the US, Colombia and Europe to further this activity. In addition, Commissioner Harris in conjunction with Departments of Justice and Foreign Affairs has expanded An Garda Siochanas network of international liaison offices with new offices already established in the US, South America, and most recently in the Middle East, with a further office to be established shortly in Thailand. The criminal, who has been involved in cash-in-transit robberies, has been embroiled in a number of gangland disputes over the years, including with his former criminal associates. A senior gangland figure has been arrested in relation to the murder of a father of two who was shot dead near his Dublin home two-and-a-half years ago. The suspect (40), who was previously a central figure in the mob led by slain gangland criminal Eamon The Don Dunne, was arrested yesterday morning in connection with the fatal shooting of Patrick Pappy Lyons on February 11, 2021. Mr Lyons (44) was shot five times as he was walking along Belclare Terrace in Ballymun and died at the scene. It is unclear if the man arrested yesterday is the suspected shooter in the case or is believed to have provided the handgun used. The criminal, who has been involved in cash-in-transit robberies, has been embroiled in a number of gangland disputes over the years, including with his former criminal associates. He has a previous conviction for a firearms-related offence and has served a significant jail sentence for organised criminal activity. He is also currently suspected of being involved in the drugs trade in the Finglas and Ballymun areas. Mr Lyons was not involved in gangland crime. He was a drug user and had a number of convictions related to his addiction. Gardai suspect he was murdered after falling foul of dangerous criminals locally, possibly over a small drugs debt of just a few hundred euro. In the aftermath of his murder, the Irish Independent revealed the garda ombudsman had launched a probe amid claims several gardai had been made aware of a threat to Mr Lyonss life more than 24 hours before he was shot dead. The Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) raided the home of an officer as part of the investigation a month after the fatal shooting. Mobile phones and other devices were removed from the officers home. The garda watchdog also visited Ballymun garda station to gather evidence and took away notebooks and documents. A Gsoc spokesman yesterday confirmed that its investigation is ongoing. Gsoc received a referral from An Garda Siochana in relation to this matter in February 2021, he told the Irish Independent. The referral was in accordance with section 102 (1) the Garda Siochana Act, 2005. This investigation remains open. As such, Gsoc is not in a position to comment further at this time. It is claimed gardai investigating Mr Lyonss murder were not made aware of pre-existing knowledge relating to a threat until four days after his death. It is understood the three officers who allegedly knew of the threat to his life were key members of the murder investigation and participated in murder case conferences without disclosing the information. They were later removed from the investigation. Detectives believed the weapons were primed for use and had been controlled by Gilligans gang, although no charges were brought against him over this seizure. John Gilligan cut a relieved figure as he walked out of the courtroom in Torrevieja a free man yesterday morning. Despite Spanish police describing him as the leader of a drug-trafficking outfit that moved narcotics using the postal system, the 71-year-old was handed a suspended prison sentence totalling 22 months. The crimes he admitted to include possession of cannabis, possession of a firearm, and exporting prescription drugs without a licence. If he offends again within that period, the suspended portion of the sentence will be activated, and he will spend time in a Spanish jail. He has already failed once to re-establish himself, hes old and wont be touched, in Ireland at least Security sources however, believe the days of John Gilligan operating at any level of influence in the criminal underworld have passed, with one describing him as a spent force. He has already failed once to re-establish himself, hes old and wont be touched, in Ireland at least. Hes also avoided any more prison time. If he was to get involved again, he wont be as lucky the next time he gets caught, one source said. Just three years ago, gardai believed John Gilligan was attempting to establish himself as a fixer among crime groups here. He was the target of one garda operation in the months before his arrest in Spain, on suspicion of acting as a fixer for a planned drug deal. The transaction never materialised, and Gilligan avoided being captured. Later that year, cooperation among several police forces led to gardai receiving intelligence about the movement of firearms organised by his associates. In September 2020, members of the Emergency Response Unit stopped a car travelling through Castlerea, Co Roscommon, and seized three loaded firearms. Detectives believed the weapons were primed for use and had been controlled by Gilligans gang, although no charges were brought against him over this seizure. The information came from Spains Policia Nacional who were carrying out intense investigations into his criminal network. They identified how the gang included his son Darren, who had to be extradited back to Spain this year after failing to turn up in a Spanish court. The 47-year-old had been working as a delivery driver for Amazon while effectively on the run, evading the court hearing before his extradition. Another gang associate is criminal Fat Tony Armstrong, who was already well-known to Spanish police after being arrested over the murders of the Westies gang leaders Shane Coates and Stephen Sugg. The Blanchardstown criminals disappeared in 2004 and their bodies were found in Alicante two years later. Armstrong was investigated over their killings but never charged. On October 22, 2020, Spanish police swooped on the gang, seizing eight kilos of cannabis, 26,000 pills and several mobile phones. The Policia Nacional said they arrested the gang leader whose mob was using the postal system to transport drugs into the UK and Ireland. Video footage was also shared by the police which showed Gilligan, with his face pixelated, being arrested. Murdered journalist Veronica Guerin A Colt Python revolver was also recovered, with investigators at the time saying they were attempting to establish if it was the same weapon used in the murder of Sunday Independent crime journalist Veronica Guerin. Tests confirmed suspicions it had nothing to do with the reporters murder. Gilligan was later charged and, after a three-year process, appeared before the court in Torrevieja to hear his fate. Despite facing the prospect of over six years in prison, Gilligan walked free just hours later with the 22-month suspended sentence. What I do not get is that they are allowing Irelands most evil criminal to put his side of the story when he doesnt have a story to tell. It is utter lies His latest court appearance coincided with the first of a three-part interview which aired on Virgin Media last night. In the series, based on the book The Gilligan Tapes by journalist Jason OToole, he talks about his life of crime, his assault on Veronica Guerin, and her subsequent murder. The platform given to Gilligan has caused controversy, with Ms Guerins brother Jimmy saying over the weekend that he was upset and disappointed it will allow the criminal to peddle his lies. What I do not get is that they are allowing Irelands most evil criminal to put his side of the story when he doesnt have a story to tell. It is utter lies, Jimmy Guerin told the Sunday Independent. The charges Gilligan admitted to yesterday were a far cry from the criminal enterprise he oversaw in the 1990s when he was importing tonnes of cannabis into Ireland via Cork Port. His growing empire brought him to the attention of Ms Guerin, who was shot dead on June 26, 1996, while working to expose Gilligans gang. He was cleared of masterminding her murder but was later jailed for importing cannabis and served 17 years in Portlaoise Prison. Convicted in 2001, he has spent the last 22 years before the courts with appeals, battling unsuccessfully to keep his ill-gotten gains from the Criminal Assets Bureau, and now managing to avoid prison time in Spain. Small changes make a big difference in Skodas new offering When the Skoda Enyaq was launched in 2021, it landed in showrooms just months apart from the Kia EV6 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5. This meant that it got a little lost in coverage as the other two ploughed ahead. But in truth, the Skoda Enyaq was always my favourite of the three and my voting that year at the Irish Car of the Year Awards will back that up. But I was in the minority and the EV6 won the ICOTY while the IONIQ 5 won the World Car of the Year. Slightly unusually, the Enyaq was initially released in a Coupe version but since then the full blown SUV iteration has landed and two years in has had a few minor tweaks too. So when I heard it was available to road test for a full week I jumped at the chance. The interior First things first, yes I know it is not as pretty as the Coupe. Its a slightly swollen version with a big rear end. But what you lose in sleekness and drag coefficient you gain in comfort and space inside. My test car was the RS version so it came with a upgrades like the utterly gorgeous Crystal Face grille which got most of the attention. It is an expensive add-on for the Sportline versions but is as-standard in the RS. There is a nice glossy black trim around the windows and there are aggressive bumpers added too, giving the exterior an altogether better look. They havent reinvented the wheel here, so its nothing radical, but it proves that the sum of small changes makes a big difference and Skoda has shied away from bragging about its RS-ness because there is very little badging present on it. Additions inside include a lovely suede trim on the beautifully-curved dashboard surrounding a giant touchscreen that is pretty user friendly and responsive, and decent-sized digital instrument display. Of course, there are alternatives to the materials used if you would prefer leather on the seats. Skoda has removed a few physical knobs that I would have preferred were kept in but this new approach is being lauded by some of my peers, so it is a matter of taste. Maybe we can compromise and just me a volume control knob. The augmented-reality Heads-Up display is one of the best in the business and the intro display is more impressive than other car companies touchscreen tech on their infotainment systems. The Coupe version This Enyaq RS iV shares its all-electric powertrain with the (whisper it) Volkswagen ID.4 GTX which means theres a 77kWh battery beneath the floor offering 299bhp and 460Nm of torque. But who cares if you can drive from 0-100km/h in 6.5seconds and reach 180km/h when you have a whopping 517km in range (a realistic 440km, by the way). It can be charged at a super fast charger too, which means if you are lucky enough to get one you can recharge the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in 35 minutes. Plus, it still has a huge 585-litre boot and lots of space in row 2 (thanks to the added head room of the SUV design) so there is very little to complain about here. Genuinely. It is a firm, but comfortable drive and I found it much prefers to drive at pace on motorways and provides more-than-decent stability and bucket loads of genuine fun for the driver. This RS version starts from 71k, which will put a lot of people off, but I am here to tell you that if that number is eye-watering to you then skip on down the trim lines to find something you can settle on. The Enyaq iV starts from 51k and the Sportline is 58k. So there pared-back are options. And while some of the upgrades and tech enhancements wont be present, it is still a brilliant car that deserves a higher ranking in the sales tables. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto emphasized the need for diversification in the energy sources and the recently initiated gas flow from Azerbaijan, Azernews reports, citing a post on X by Zoltan Kovacs, Hungarian Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Relation. The post reads that FM Szijjarto asserted that Brussels has forfeited its right to influence Hungary's natural gas sources due to its refusal to finance energy infrastructure expansion. He emphasized the need for diversification in energy sources and the recently initiated gas flow from Azerbaijan. Besides, according to the post, Peter Szijjarto highlighted the insufficient capacity in Southeast European infrastructure and called on the European Union to support expansion. Hungarian FM discussed the importance of economic ties between Hungary and Azerbaijan and expressed concerns about the current EU leadership's impact on EU-China relations and Eastern European cooperation. In Spain, combating water hyacinth in the countrys rivers has required mobilizing the army. Thats because the plant spreads like wildfire and is very difficult to eradicate. Water hyacinth wreaks havoc from Lake Victoria, in Africa, to Indonesia, to Florida, in the United States. The plant tops the list of the planets 10 most-widespread invasive alien species. It is one example of the biological invasion that humans have both intentionally and unintentionally caused, resulting in significant damage to nature and multimillion-dollar economic losses. Worldwide, this invasion represents an annual cost of $423 billion (over 390 billion at the current exchange rate), including economic losses and the expenses of efforts to eradicate these species. Biological invasion is also one of the five main causes of the biodiversity loss crisis that is plaguing the planet, according to IPBES Invasive Alien Species Assessment, which was released on Monday. The report is an exhaustive analysis prepared by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES); IPBES has connections to the United Nations, to which 143 countries belong. IPBES scientists argue that invasive alien species have contributed solely or alongside other drivers to 60 per cent of recorded global extinctions, and the species are also the only driver in 16 per cent of documented global animal and plant extinctions. But how do these species become a threat to biodiversity? Through humans. Alien species are being introduced by human activities to all regions and biomes of the world at unprecedented rates, warns IPBES. Experts estimate that there are currently 37,000 established alien species, which have arrived with humans either deliberately or accidentally. Moreover, they are increasing at " an unprecedented rate of approximately 200 annually. Of these, 3,500 are documented as harmful and classified as invasive alien species. This report focuses on these species and was prepared by 86 experts from 49 countries, drawing on over 13,000 scientific references. People and nature are threatened by invasive alien species in all regions of Earth, they warn. As the authors explain, the alien species negative impacts are increasing rapidly in all regions of Earth and are predicted to do so in the future. Even without the introduction of new species, existing populations of invasive alien species will continue spreading through all ecosystems. Costs to the economy and nature One of the reports purposes was to quantify the damage that invasive alien species cause. Many of them have been introduced for commercial purposes, but IPBES is blunt: The benefits to people that some invasive alien species provide do not mitigate or undo their negative impacts, which include harm to human health (such as disease transmission), livelihoods, water security, and food security. The scientists also note that the global economic costs of invasive alien species have quadrupled every decade since 1970. Of the estimated $423 billion per year cost to the global economy in 2019, the vast majority (92%) stems from the invasive species negative impact on natures contributions to people and good quality of life. Specifically, reduction in food supply [is] by far the most frequently reported impact. The remaining 8% is related to the management expenditures for biological invasions. Once again, water hyacinth represents a good example: In Lake Victoria, artisanal fisheries mainly involving men, have declined following the introduction, establishment and spread of the invasive alien plant, Pontederia crassipes (water hyacinth), which has led to the depletion of tilapia, says IPBES. This plant species also has negative consequences on energy (as it interferes with hydroelectric production) and water quality. In fact, water hyacinth also tops the list of invasive species with the greatest number of documented negative impacts. Eliminating water hyacinth from the Guadiana River (Spain), in 2014. RN FOTOGRAFOS Biological invasion also causes significant harm to health, as diseases such as malaria, Zika and West Nile virus spread through invasive alien species of mosquitoes such as those of the genera Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegyptii. Invasive alien species pose a serious threat to biodiversity and can cause irreversible damage to nature, including the extinction of species at the local and global scales; they also threaten human well-being, Helen Roy, one of the reports coordinators, said in a statement on Monday. Biodiversity loss Five years ago, IPBES produced a study on planetary species extinction that set off alarm bells. That analysis identified five major drivers of global biodiversity loss: changes in land use, the climate crisis, overexploitation of resources, pollution and invasive alien species. The governments that belong to IPBES asked scientists to prepare a case study, which is the report that was released today. Experts point out that, of the total number of alien species, about 6% of plants, 22% of invertebrates, 14% of vertebrates and 11% of microbes are invasive. The authors also state that at least 218 invasive alien species have been responsible for over 1,200 local extinctions. After the common rattlesnake, lantana (a shrub, Lantana camara) and the common rat (Rattus rattus) are the second and third most widespread species in the world, with far-reaching impacts on humans and nature. The difficulty of eradicating invasive alien species In addition to describing the problem in detail, the IPBES experts were also charged with providing solutions to this growing problem. As the scientists point out, if things remain the same, the total number of alien species is projected to further increase globally, and by 2050, is expected to be approximately 36 per cent higher than in 2005. The specialists warn that the problem is often ignored until it is too late, which is why early action is crucial. The report notes that experience has shown that eradication has been successful and cost-effective for some invasive alien species especially when their populations are small and slow-spreading, in isolated ecosystems such as islands. For example, over the past century, there have been 1,550 documented examples of eradication on 998 islands, with success cited in 88 per cent of cases. French Polynesia is a case in point; there, Rattus rattus (black rat), Felis catus (cat), Oryctolagus cuniculus (rabbit) and Capra hircus (goat) have been successfully eradicated. Things become more complicated when dealing with locations beyond islands, especially in marine ecosystems. Alien plants are also more difficult to eradicate because of the longevity of dormant seeds that can persist in soil. The authors of the report add that when eradication is not possible for different reasons, invasive alien species can be contained and controlled, particularly in terrestrial and closed water systems. Containment can be achieved with physical, chemical and biological control measures or some combination thereof. In the case of chemical methods, experts warn that they must be implemented under regulatory compliance requirements, and that society is increasingly less tolerant of such methods. For its part, biological control has been very effective in controlling some invasive alien plants, invertebrates and, to a lesser extent, plant microbes and a few vertebrates; but a biological approach to eradication can also have undesirable effects if not well regulated. In any case, the IPBES authors point out that, overall, policies and their implementation have been insufficient in managing biological invasions and preventing and controlling invasive alien species. They add that most countries (80 per cent, 156 out of 196) have targets for the management of biological invasions within their national biodiversity strategies and action plans, but only 17 per cent of countries have national legislation for biological invasions. The report also says that 45% of countries do not invest in managing biological invasion. You can follow CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT on Facebook and Twitter or sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter. Ms Twohig said her mother had told her that she was feeling sore and in a lot of pain after the incident The family of a 97-year-old woman who died a few days after suffering two broken legs in a fall in a nursing home has expressed disbelief that she was not sent for an X-ray until almost 48 hours after the incident despite being in pain. A sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court heard Breede Twohig experienced an assisted fall while being attended to by a healthcare assistant in the Altadore nursing home in Glenageary, Co Dublin on February 13, 2021. Ms Twohig, a widow and mother of five from Dalkey, Co Dublin, died five days later at St Vincents University Hospital where she had been admitted after X-rays confirmed she had suffered two broken femurs (thigh bones). Her daughter, Dorothy Twohig, told the inquest that she had been informed by the nursing home on the evening of February 13, 2021 about the fall. Ms Twohig said her mother had told her that she was feeling sore and in a lot of pain after the incident. She said she contacted the nursing home the next day to get a doctor to check on her mother as she was in a distressed state during a video chat. The witness said Altadore staff had stressed to her that her mother had not suffered a fall but an assisted fall. The inquest heard that Dr Aiden Jennings, an on-call GP, was unable to identify where Ms Twohigs pain was. Dr Jennings did not recommend that she needed an X-ray at the time and prescribed paracetamol for the pain, but advised that her condition should be reviewed the following day. However, Dorothy Twohig, who was unable to visit the nursing home due to Covid-19 restrictions, said her mother continued to complain about her legs feeling very sore. Ms Twohig said she felt relieved the following day when Altadore informed her that her mother was being sent for an X-ray and there was no sense of urgency from the nursing home staff about the issue. She said she was confused when she subsequently received a voicemail at around 7pm advising her to contact Altadore as her mother was being brought to the emergency department in St Vincents. She said she was beyond shock when the hospital confirmed that her mother had suffered fractures to both her legs. Ms Twohig said it had never entered her head that her mother might have broken her legs in the fall as she had been assured that her mothers pain was the result of bruising. The inquest heard doctors at St Vincents decided that it was unsafe to perform surgery on Ms Twohig because of her condition and advanced age. While she recognised that anyone could suffer a fall, Ms Twohigs daughter said she could not accept that it took 48 hours before her mother was sent for an X-ray. It should have happened and it could have saved her life, she said. Ms Twohig said she believed there would have been a very different outcome if the restrictions on visiting nursing homes had not been in place at the time. I would have seen my mother and the extent of her injuries rather than relying on a doctor and text messages, said Ms Twohig. I was assured she was being looked at appropriately by professionals. She understood what an assisted fall was, but it did not make sense that someone could suffer fractures as the result of such a fall. In reply to questions from her own solicitor, Billy Brick, Ms Twohig gave evidence that she had not received much information from the nursing home about her mothers condition. Ms Twohig said her mother was a very robust, fit and healthy woman who had been driving and living independently until she was 92 when she required an operation for cervical stenosis. However, she said her mother never fully recovered from the operation and had moved to live in the Altadore nursing home. She had also had surgery 10 years earlier for arthritis which affected both her knees. A staff nurse at Altadore, Ana Turcu, said she was informed by a healthcare assistant about the assisted fall involving Ms Twohig about 10 minutes after it happened. In reply to questions from the coroner, Clare Keane, Ms Turcu said she could not remember if she had gone to check on Ms Twohig, but she did not think any major injury could have occurred as the assistant had helped the resident to go gently onto the floor. Altadores director of nursing, Rachel Gallogly, told the inquest that all the nursing homes staff were made aware of its policy on preventing falls as well as receiving training in manual handling and falls prevention. Questioned by Mr Brick, Ms Gallogly said the nurse in charge of a resident would be responsible for decisions in relation to X-rays. The inquest heard medical notes from the nursing home recorded that Ms Twohig most likely suffered soft tissue injuries in the fall, but that she should be kept under observation for the following 48 hours. Other medical records show that just before she was brought to hospital it was noted that Ms Twohig was very pale, sweating and in a lot of pain. It was also recorded that the toes on one foot were a purplish colour and her legs could not be touched, while she was screaming in pain. In a written statement, consultant surgeon at SVUH, Paul Curtin, said Ms Twohigs lower legs were mottled on arrival, while she also had an elevated white blood cell count and kidney problems. On the cause of death, Dr Keane said there was no doubt that the fracture to the legs was a factor. However, the coroner said Ms Twohig also had sepsis and she could not rule out that she had a urinary tract infection prior to the fall which would have also contributed to her death. She said it was also unclear if Covid-19, with which Ms Twohig had been infected in December 2020, had played any role. Returning a narrative verdict, Dr Keane expressed condolences to Ms Twohigs relatives on the death of an incredible lady. Road Closed | Suspicious object discovered at playing fields used by East Belfast GAA club Diversions are in place and road users have been advised to seek alternative routes for their journey. Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) stock image. Picture: Aodhan Roberts/Belfast Telegraph Emma Montgomery Tue 5 Sep 2023 at 09:30 Police have closed Church Road in Castlereagh after the discovery of a suspicious object at playing fields used by East Belfast GAA. So-called UAP Disclosure Act, was unveiled by Senator Charles Schumer over the summer. Mysterious object spotted in the sky over Co Fermanagh, photographed by Sheamus Greene in December 2020 Any discovered UFO technology will be revealed to the public through a Controlled Disclosure Campaign plan, according to proposed legislation which is set to go before President Biden towards the end of the year. The sensational language is included in Americas 2024 Defence Authorisation Act, which was amended without objection to include the incredible revelation. This proposed legislation is to create an independent, nine-member Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Review Board, appointed by the President and confirmed by the US Senate. Defence Authorisation Act 2024 The Board's mission would be to gather and engage in "controlled disclosure" of records relating to "unidentified anomalous phenomena, technologies of unknown origin, or non-human intelligence" held by the US Government. The proposal also contains a provision allowing the government to exercise eminent domain, or ownership, over any "recovered technologies of unknown origin" and "biological evidence of non-human intelligence" currently under private control. This is in reference to a number of aerospace contractors who are believed to have stashed away non-human technologies, hidden within special access programmes. Back in July, top ranking Air Force officer, David Grusch the official who provided the US President with an intelligence update every Wednesday- told the global public about the findings of his investigation into the matter, which he had been tasked with by Congress. After four years examining the subject and interviewing 40 high ranking members of the military, Mr Grusch concluded that the there is a long-standing UFO recovery programme, engaged in reverse engineering alien technology. Mysterious object spotted in the sky over Co Fermanagh, photographed by Sheamus Greene in December 2020 The Sunday World can reveal that non-human intelligence is referred to 22 times in the proposed 2024 Defence Authorisation Act. Further interesting language in the US Governments military expense plan for next year includes the lines: Unidentified anomalous phenomena are differentiated from both attributed and temporarily non-attributed objects by one or more of the following observables: Instantaneous acceleration absent apparent inertia. Hypersonic velocity absent a thermal signature and sonic shockwave. Transmedium (such as space-to-ground and air-to- undersea) travel. Positive lift contrary to known aerodynamic principles. "Multispectral signature control. Physical or invasive biological effects to close observers and the environment. The term ``unidentified anomalous phenomena'' includes what were previously described as flying discs; flying saucers. As well as Mr Gruschs under oath testimony to Congress, he was joined by two fighter pilots, David Fravor and Ryan Graves, who also testified under oath. Both men gave detailed descriptions of high speed interactions with UFOs/ UAP, with Mr Graves noting that: The government knows more about UAP than shared publicly, and excessive classification practices keep crucial information hidden. There's a lack of transparency around UAP that's unsettling. The UAP we encountered and tracked on multiple sensors behaved in ways that surpassed our understanding and technology. The UAP could accelerate at speeds up to Mach 1, hold their position against hurricane-force winds, and outlast our fighter jets, operating continuously throughout the day. They did not have any visible means of lift, control surfaces or propulsion nothing that resembled normal aircraft with wings, flaps or engines. I am a formally trained engineer and I have no explanation for this, Mr Graves said. The Controlled Disclosure Campaign plan is cited to take place over a period many years, no later than 25 years after the creation of each individual record. Nadia Forde has joined the cast of Conflict, the Finnish political TV drama. Actor and model, Nadia Forde, has landed a plum role in the hotly anticipated new series of Conflict, a Finnish political thriller TV show. Forde, who starred in Once Upon a Time in London, will play Claire Belfort, the daughter of a high-profile American family who get caught up in the unfolding drama. The story follows an unknown military unit as it invades a peaceful seaside town in Finland. All residents are taken hostage, including Annika Berg, a Finnish army soldier. Ms Forde previously spoke about how the loss of her mother focused her on only pursuing things in life which mattered to her happiness. Acting has been a revelation for the Dublin woman. "Do I want to do this, do I not want to do this, what makes me happy?" she said. "I think mortality brings around how short life is. And why waste a moment of it not doing what you want to do? "I remember getting booked for panto and just loving it. Crying on the last night, heartbroken it was over." Nadia Forde Nadia completed her formal acting training in the Bow Street acting school. There, she also learned she enjoyed being behind the camera. "I think there is a liberating moment with acting. It's not about how I look, it's about the character. That's really shed a lot of skin for me. "In an 'it's okay to have lines, to not look a certain way' kind of way. And I think if you look, I'm more me now than I was then. No extensions. No tan, no anything. "And also when you're younger, you're like, 'I need more make-up, I need this, I need that'. Whereas actually it's like, 'I'm different, and that's okay, Nadia said. Conflict was announced two years ago and the six-part series is now shooting in Helsinki. It will premiere next year in Finnish, Swedish and English. The pair had been together for six years after meeting on Dancing With the Stars Model Thalia Heffernan has opened up about her split from her long-term boyfriend Ryan McShane. The pair had been together for six years after meeting on Dancing With the Stars. In September 2022, Thalia moved to New York after signing with IMG Models, returning to Ireland over Christmas. She ended her relationship with Ryan back in January, with Ryan confirming their breakup over the summer, and went back to the States, where she has been living since. Speaking to Georgie Crawford on The Good Glow podcast, she explained that the past year has been really hard for her but shes using this time to figure herself out. My life as it is now is just chaos in the best way, but it can also be very overwhelming, she said. Ive been back and forth a good bit since then but everything has changed. The person I am now compared to the person I was when I went to New York is completely different. Im still getting my head around that and learning a lot about myself, figuring out who I want to be as opposed to who I am. New York has this incredible energy that either accepts you or rejects you. Im not entirely sure if Ive been accepted or rejected, but I just keep going. Im trying to let the universe guide me for the first time. It does often to feel like theres more negative than positive or Im being pushed back constantly. Theres been a lot of stuff happen this year thats made me reanalyse my life. Maybe its a gift, but at the time it didnt feel like it. Its been a really hard year for me. Thalia said that she has had a few battle scars from the past twelve months, including her big breakup. The difficulties that did happen were in both my career and personal life. I ended up breaking up with my long-term boyfriend. I went back to America after that happened and I just was like, Youre on your own but you made that decision, so you have to follow through, she shared. I knew that Id be okay. Its never easy leaving family, friends, boyfriends, homes. Like my home now is a storage unit. I really have removed all of my safety nets. Ive always had one leg in Ireland and one leg wherever I went. Ive always had a boyfriend or responsibilities or family here that kept part of me back here. And then my physical self was in another country. I didnt realise until now that New York will not give you what you need until you give her all of you, and I had to do that. I had to give it my all or I would resent it my whole life. Id resent myself, the people that I felt held me back. So, I had to do the thing that was the hardest, which was to let go of those people and then, if it doesnt work out, its on me. It was such a challenge but it changed my perspective and I think I needed that. Thalia recently left IMG and has signed with a new agency. She plans to return to New York over the next few weeks after spending some time in Ireland. Im learning who I am because Ive changed, my surroundings have changed so much, and my life has changed so much. Im still not at the end of that journey, the 28-year-old said. Its a very scary thing, but its an amazing thing. Te Arawa and Sealord are forming a partnership to transition unproductive land to native forest. Sealord is investing $10 million over the next ten years in a carbon offset programme that will see underutilised Te Arawa whenua around the wider Rotorua region developed into permanent forest. The programme, developed by Te Arawa Fisheries and New Zealand Carbon Farming, will help offset some of the carbon resulting from Sealords operations, maximise the potential of marginal land, create jobs and improve whanau outcomes, and help improve the local environment, including water quality in and around Te Arawa lakes. Called Ara Rakau, Te Arawa Fisheries CEO Chris Karamea Insley says the initiative is a solid example of the opportunities the carbon economy offers Maori, while highlighting the role New Zealands leading companies can take in supporting the countrys climate commitments. The Emissions Trading Scheme represents a $16 billion economic opportunity for Maori one which will be transformative for generations as poor quality land can be used to generate better economic, cultural, social and environmental outcomes not just for Maori, but for entire communities," says Chris. This is a New Zealand-leading climate change partnership kaupapa, based on te ao Maori principles. In this case, Sealord will improve their carbon footprint, improved financial returns will be driven for hapu, new jobs will be created, and we can make a real difference when it comes to water quality in our lakes. Its a genuine win-win-win. Sealord CEO Doug Paulin says the programme supports Sealords sustainability focus, helping the company to achieve its carbon reduction goals. Sealord is committed to sustainability and playing our role in helping to address climate change impacts on future generations. Weve already reduced our total emissions by 23.7 per cent since we started measuring our carbon footprint in 2019, through investment in new vessels, fuel optimisation, focussed maintenance and reducing fossil fuel use in our land-based operations,' says Doug. Now that weve made some significant changes, the challenge is hitting our science-based carbon emission targets as there are limited options for further big gains within our operations." Sealord CEO Doug Paulin. Photo: Supplied. Doug says this long-term plan helps them further mitigate climate change through off-setting as a final option. "With fuel burned by our vessels representing over 90 per cent of our scope 1 emissions, we can only reduce to a certain point with our current fleet. We are actively monitoring development of engine technology and new fuel sources, but this may be decades away from becoming viable in our fleet. "While we wait for this, we have made the decision that we must invest now to enable Sealord to have options in the future so we can meet our carbon commitments. New Zealand Carbon Farming will undertake the physical planting and forestry management. Its director Matt Walsh says the partnership provides a new opportunity to work together on the critical issues of climate change and biodiversity loss. In particular, were extremely proud to be partnering with Te Arawa Fisheries in establishing a well-managed transition forest to provide measurable benefits for the environment and for future generations, says Matt. We also look forward to aligning with Matauranga Maori knowledge to establish a best-practice approach for this project. By using our extensive experience to establish an exotic nurse crop and transition to a biodiverse native environment, we will not only be providing carbon sequestration when we need it the most, but we will also be creating new opportunities for local investment and development. This is a great example of how environmentally-focused businesses, Iwi and other landowners can work together to provide positive outcomes for local people and the planet. A feed of sub-tropical air is bringing rain and warmer temperatures to New Zealand for the first working week of spring, a distinctly different feel to the cold southwesterlies which dominated the last month of winter. "A slow-moving front is bringing periods of heavy rain to Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula," says MetService Meteorologist Jessie Owen. "Due to the slow nature of this weather feature there is a risk it could become stationary over a particular area for some time leading to higher rainfall accumulations for localised areas. Heavy Rain Watches have been issued for these regions and people are advised to keep up to date at www.metservice.com." On Tuesday afternoon and evening there is a risk of thunderstorms developing about western parts of Auckland and Northland. If these thunderstorms arise they are likely to bring impactful downpours to these areas. It is important for people to check back in with the severe weather warnings at http://bit.ly/AllWarnings as further Heavy Rain Watches may be issued to cover this period, says Jessie. The sub-tropical air is also having an effect on temperatures this week. Many places in the North Island as well as eastern parts of the South Island are forecast to crack 20C, with the warmest day of the week looking to be Wednesday. Overnight lows are also expected to be significantly warmer, with no sign of the frosts from last week. The next weather system to affect the country is a trough from the Tasman Sea. This will bring a period of rain to western parts of both islands on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Heavy Rain Watches have been issued for Mt Taranaki, western Tasman, and the West Coast Region. Eastern areas will be spared from much of this rain and can expect fine and warm weather for most of the week. Finally, to round out the week another high pressure system is forecast to bring settled weather to the country by Friday. For a sneak peak at what else is expected this September check out the latest MetService long-range forecast at http://bit.ly/MonthlyOutlook to see when southwesterlies are expected to return this month. Tauranga's senior doctors are joining their colleagues across the country in a two-hour strike effort for better working conditions. The strike effort has come after failed negotations between Te Whatu Ora and the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. Cardiologist Dean Boddington says he has worked at Tauranga Hospital for 15 years, but is growing tired of "covering the cracks" when there is an extreme lack of staff. Dean says he has noticed a gradual decline in the working conditions of his workplace, citing the population growth and a lack of junior staff as key reasons why. "We do not have enough staff. Technically, you can only strike about salary, but that's not why we are here. Our employer, Te Whatu Ora, has systematically not employed enough people," says Dean. "It's not just specialists. There's not enough nurses, junior doctors, and not enough of everybody. "At the end of the day, the buck stops with [specialists]. If you're in hosptial and your life is at risk, it's the specialists who are going to have to treat you and sort you out. "We rely on having our colleagues around us, but there's not enough of them. We supported nurses on their strike, but unfortunately its come to the point now where we need to strike as well." Dean says he is the only electrical cardiologist at the Tauranga Hospital, and would "happily take a pay cut" to lessen some of his workload. "We need more staff. I would happily take a salary cut to have another person who could split my load." Dean adds Te Whatu Ora often "tells the public doctors earn so much" when in his view, the salary often quoted is only earned when you work "60 hours per week". According to Dean, "more and more" junior staff are leaving the country for Australia, which makes "extra work" fall on senior doctors. "Unless the salaries are fixed to create less of a gap between here and Australia, we're not going to be able to get those junior doctors back. This is our fear, that we'll keep losing them, and more work will fall on us again." Dean shares this sentiment with psychiatrist Mark Lawrence, who says many junior doctors are leaving the country for Australia to earn both a better salary and work under better conditions. Mark Lawrence, holding the 'toot for health' sign alongside his colleagues. Photo: Taylor Rice/SunLive. Mark says he has been invested in the Tauranga area for about 26 years, and has been a senior doctor for 14 years. "There's been a gradual decline for over a decade after poor investment in health," says Mark. "We had a pay freeze for three years during Covid-19, which effectively means we've had a pay cut with the Consumer Price Index going up. "When the negotating team did their best to negotiate with Te Whatu Ora, we asked for a minimum amount and what was thought of as a fair offer, but the offer they gave was too low." Dean says the health workforce is tired, still recovering from the pandemic, and is wanting to feel heard. "Unfortunately we don't feel valued by Te Whatu Ora or the negotiations. We are the senior heads and leads of the hospitals, and when we asked for fair conditions, it wasn't enough. "We want to let the public know we are here and committed, but we need to be valued. I've seen so many of my friends, colleagues and junior staff leaving for Australia to get twice as much income with better working conditions. "Money isn't the only thing which is important, but we need to be valued. Some of us have been in this community for decades or more. We have an investment in this place and want to stay, but we've had enough." After today's strike action, negotiations between Te Whatu Ora and ASMS are set to resume on Wednesday, September 6. A magnitude 3.0 earthquake which struck near Te Aroha has been reportedly felt in Tauranga this evening. The earthquake struck at 7.05pm with a depth of 5km, and is described as having light shaking, according to Geonet. More than 600 people felt the quake, with 368 people describing it as "weak" and a further 205 people describing it as light. According to the Geonet website, the earthquake was felt by people in Te Aroha, Tauranga, Waihi, Paeroa and Katikati. For more information on the earthquake, visit the Geonet website. Waikato Police investigating an aggravated robbery in Te Kuiti from May have now obtained a warrant to arrest for Tom Phillips. Recent developments in our ongoing enquiries have led Police to charge Mr Phillips with aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and unlawfully possessing a firearm. In May, Police appealed for information after two people entered a bank on Rora Street, Te Kuiti and demanded cash. Both were armed and fled the scene on a black, farm-style motorbike, says Acting Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders. "We are yet to identify the other person involved. "Police have been seeking to speak with Mr Phillips for some time. "We have issued several appeals for information following sightings of Mr Phillips over the last couple of months. "We urge the public to report any sightings of Mr Phillips to Police on 111 quoting file number 230516/7295." Waikato Police are investigating an aggravated robber in Te Kuiti from May, Alternatively, you can contact Police via the dedicated email address op.curly@police.govt.nz (link is external). "We also urge people not to take action themselves as Mr Phillips potentially still has firearms in his possession. "Additionally, Police remain concerned about the welfare of the Phillips children, who were officially reported as missing in December 2021. "If you have any information that may assist Police in locating them, please get in contact. "Police would like to thank the public for the information received so far which has been invaluable for our ongoing enquiries." Cancer treatments began with aggressive cocktails of chemicals and evolved with the creation of drugs from cells. Now, living beings are being incorporated into the war against cancer. A few days ago, a team of researchers from the universities of San Diego (United States) and Adelaide (Australia) presented a study in the journal Science in which genetically modified bacteria were used to detect tumor DNA in the intestines of mice. This function could be incorporated into other projects, which have managed to send bacteria modified to carry therapeutic payloads into solid tumors. In this way, researchers were able to breach the barriers that tumors use to protect themselves from the immune system and directly apply medications, which has been a longstanding challenge. In the recent work published in Science, researchers modified the ability of bacteria to adapt to their environment, a feature known as horizontal gene transfer. Unlike vertical transmission, which occurs between parents and offspring, microorganisms are able to exchange genes, and the capabilities they provide, among themselves. This property facilitates the spread of antibiotic resistance. Although it was known that bacteria had this ability, the researchers saw that this same exchange was possible between mammalian tumors and human cells and bacteria. More information The neuroscience of cancer: How tumors hijack the nervous system to grow faster Of the bacteria that populate the intestine, Robert Cooper, from the University of California in San Diego, chose Acinetobacter baylyi for the study. The bacteria were modified so that they could identify the mutated KRAS gene that is behind many tumors. The bacteria incorporated that DNA, which was later used to detect if the mouse from which it had been extracted had developed a tumor. Researchers now want to use these bacterial biosensors to detect other types of tumor and microbial infections. Advances in synthetic biology are not only making it possible to recruit bacteria to warn of potential tumors, they are also enabling bacteria to annihilate tumors. A team from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), for example, has used bacteria directed with ultrasound to deliver drugs to tumors. It has achieved this by taking advantage of tumors defense mechanisms to evade the immune system. Cancer cells are able to create an immunosuppressive environment that keeps cells such as T lymphocytes at bay. But this also makes it easier for bacteria to settle there. In the Caltech study, researchers modified the bacteria to transport drugs that would not otherwise reach the tumors. Whats more, they developed an ultrasound system that activated the release of the drug, meaning they could target harmful cells and avoid damaging healthy ones. The authors of the study in Science warn that their work is a proof of concept, but they already have ideas about how it could be applied to patients. Administration could be as easy as taking a probiotic pill [with the modified bacteria inside], explains Robert Cooper, the lead author of the paper and a researcher at the University of California, San Diego. The bacteria would then be extracted for analysis through stool, urine or blood samples. According to Cooper, the limitations of detecting tumor DNA this way are that the bacteria are only able to capture the known mutations that they are designed to detect. However, colorectal cancer tends to have a few very common mutations that trigger it, he notes. Furthermore, the intestine is full of bacteria, i.e. the famous intestinal microbiome. This would make it very easy to incorporate the biosensors, as the environment is well-suited to bacteria. This feature would make this method superior in sensitivity to liquid biopsies, which require more time for a solid tumor to develop and begin to spread tumor DNA in the blood. In the future, scientists hope to expand the system so that it is possible to identify more than one mutation. The plan is to incorporate new modifications to the bacteria and to make cocktails with different bacteria that detect different mutations. DNA detection will probably have to be combined with other screening methods, because not all tumors will have a different mutation, but it may at least be possible to reduce the frequency of colonoscopies, concludes Cooper. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A total of 226 different charitable organisations and scholarship and award programmes will be thrilled to receive their share of $3.3M from this year's Acorn Foundations distribution funding round. This total reflects a nearly 10 per cent increase in community support over 2022 and come in light of difficult economic conditions and the end of extra central government funding available during the Covid-19 crisis. It is Acorns 20th year of supporting local charities on behalf of their generous donors. Acorns cumulative gifts to the community since its founding in 2003 now exceed $16.5M, and with funds under management currently surpassing $63M. Acorn Foundation chair Lesley Jensen says they know that Acorns donors will be positively impacting the Western Bay of Plenty region for decades to come. $16.5M is an amazing amount of money to be distributed since the Acorn seed was first planted in 2003. We are extremely proud of the work of each of our recipients and grateful for the trust of every donor. To celebrate Acorns 20th year, the foundation showcased the extraordinary generosity of Acorns donors and the lasting benefit of their gifts to the community through a photographic exhibition located on the Strand in the heart of Tauranga. This beautiful exhibition was created in partnership with UNO Magazine and their award-winning photographer, Alan Gibson. The photographs can be viewed on Acorns website and in UNO Magazines 60th issue. Although Acorn is well-known in the Western Bay of Plenty as the organisation where you can leave a gift in a will, there is no one-size-fits-all when supporting our region. Additional ways to contribute include living gifts, resettlements of family or community trusts, regular giving into Community Group funds, as a member of a Giving Circle or Workplace Giving programme, through a corporate gift to designated charities, or as TECT beneficiaries who donate their rebates to the Acorn Vital Impact Fund. The foundation distributes its endowment fund grants to community organisations each September, while scholarship and award programmes and pass-through giving occur all year round. This year, the increasingly high cost of living has made food security for locals a major concern. Endowment gifts from the A Simpson, Mary Sutherland and Stewart Trust funds were made to Tauranga Community Foodbank, while the D&M Bassett, C&P Peat and T Woodman funds all supported the increased need for food parcels at The Hub Te Puke. Tauranga Community Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin is appreciative of the extra support this year. These donations will assist us with buying food to provide nutritious food support for people who would otherwise have nowhere else to turn. Unfortunately, we have seen a growth in demand for our service as the cost of living is affecting many people who would normally not need our support." Several of Acorns Giving Circles also identified food security as a concern, with the members of Sallys Angels Giving Circle choosing to split their $7,000 donation between food rescue charity Good Neighbour and Tauranga Community Foodbank. The donation will be used to respond to community needs through our Food Rescue and Urban Mahi Projects as these are the most pressing needs we are seeing at the moment, says Good Neightbour general manager Simone Gibson. The Acorn team work closely with donors to identify areas to support that are closest to their hearts. Sometimes these decisions involve choosing specific charities or tagged distributions. Other donors identify fields of interest (i.e., the environment, animal welfare, youth development) or decide to leave their funds unrestricted. These areas of interest funds and unrestricted distributions are allocated by Acorns volunteer Distributions Committee, made up of Acorn Foundation Trustees and committed locals with a deep understanding of the issues facing our region. We are so appreciative of the unrestricted and soft-tagged funds we receive, as it allows Acorn to support the many dozens of local organisations that provide valuable services to our community that most residents never hear about, says Acorn Foundation CEO Lori Luke. One example of an organisation receiving funding for the first time is Aquatic Survival Skills Trust. The trust was set up in 2022 with the vision to deliver survival skills in all aquatic environments to our community through primary schools. To achieve this vision, they train local Educators to deliver the Aquatic Survival Skills programme in local primary schools. The Educators train the teachers alongside the children and provide resources for children's ongoing learning as part of their health curriculum. We are grateful to Rei Preston-Thomas, and the anonymous donor for their kind donations to support the work our trust does to provide water survival skills through our schools, says Aquatic Survival Skills Trust Board member, Ali Wieringa. In addition to Acorns grants being distributed to the community in September, this month also marks Wills Month, when community foundations around New Zealand partner with local law firms to promote the benefits of supporting the community in a will. Sixteen firms in the Western Bay of Plenty are offering to include a gift to the region through Acorn in their clients existing wills at no cost. Find out more at: www.acornfoundation.org.nz Juan Cano Malaga Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram A British man accused of killing a restaurant doorman and attempting to murder three young men in a separate incident has been arrested for a third time in a year on the Costa del Sol. National Police discovered a firearm inside the 32-year-old's vehicle during a routine check while he was driving through Marbella on Sunday 3 September. When officers arrested and identified him they discovered he was also on bail for his alleged involvement in two other offences. The first was a triple attempted murder at Lago de las Tortugas in Marbella just over a year ago. Three young Irish men were shot from a moving car. One of them was hit in the side by a bullet, causing serious injuries. The British national, who was one of six gang members arrested allegedly behind the shooting, reportedly waved a gun at police when officers swarmed his house. Although two pistols were seized from his home, he was released after being brought before a judge. Related news British man arrested after doorman dies following brawl at Towie star Elliot Wright's Mijas restaurant Juan Cano Two months later, in April, he was arrested again following an incident at Olivia's restaurant in Mijas. The doorman, Jose Rafael Pisani, who was trying to break up a brawl, was allegedly punched and knocked to the ground. He was rushed to hospital in a critical condition but died hours later in the intensive care unit. Guardia Civil investigators identified the Brit on security camera footage and arrested him for the murder, but he was released on bail by the investigating court. 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. Lewis, N.Y. A woman was killed after a wrong-way driver pursued by police on the Northway in the Adirondacks crashed into a pickup with four people, troopers said. At 7:43 p.m. Monday, troopers were trying to stop a 2019 Ford F150 truck going the wrong way on the Northway (Interstate 87) in the town of Lewis, troopers said. The truck, driven by Brian M. OLeary, 37, of East Millinocket, Maine did not stop and troopers pursued it. The Rosamond Gifford Zoo announced their two latest additions today. Two Amur tiger clubs, born on the morning of April 29 to their mother Zeya, can be seen by the public starting today at their exhibit on the Zoos Wildlife Trail. It is quite a privilege to be able to see not one, but two of these rare tiger cubs at our zoo, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said at the cubs debut. The birth of these special, striped cubs is a big success for our zoo and community, and its all thanks to the diligence and expertise of the animal care team at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. The cubs - a male names Zuzaan, and a female named Soba (pronounced Zova,) have spent the last five months with their mother in an off-exhibit den, receiving necessary vaccinations to provide them immunity to common disease and infections they might encounter in their exhibit. The Rosamond Gifford Zoo announces that two Amur tiger cubs, born in late April to mother Zeya, will be viewable to the public in their exhibit on the Wildlife Trail starting Tuesday, September 5, 2023. They have grown more explorative and rambunctious over the summer and have begun to venture outside of their den to explore the outdoor portion of their home. Amur tigers are the largest feline species on Earth and their number is one of the smallest. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has determined that less than 400 of these Critically Endangered cats remain in the wild. Along with other Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) - accredited institutions, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo participates in the Amur tiger Species Survival Plan (SSP), which seeks to contribute new generations of genetically diverse Amur tigers to the currently declining population. The goal is to one day take these animals born in human care and introducing them into the wild. Since the birth of the cubs, our team of tiger care specialists have worked tirelessly to provide routine vaccinations and regular health check-ups to ensure their well-being, Executive Zoo Director Ted Fox said. Weve all waited for this moment, and know the public is anxious to see them. Now we get to enjoy seeing the curious tiger cubs as they explore their exhibit all while knowing that the care they received these past few months has set them up for a lifetime of health and success. The Zoo has cared for Zeya and the cubs father, Thimbu, for over three years, but the process of introducing them was long, slow, and unpredictable. The zoos goal has always been to pair these tigers to breed, but as apex predators, this species of cat is incredibly complex. The Rosamond Gifford Zoo announces that two Amur tiger cubs, born in late April to mother Zeya, will be viewable to the public in their exhibit on the Wildlife Trail starting Tuesday, September 5, 2023. After years of introductions, Zeya and Thimbu have welcomed their first cubs, passing along their crucial genetics to a new generation of Amur tigers. Thimbu has four siblings, but he is the first of the five to have sired cubs, said Fox. Zeya was hand-reared by Beardsley Zoo personnel after her mother was uninterested in raising her. The birth of any Amur tiger cub is remarkable, but with all the factors in this instance, these cubs are truly extraordinary. Unlike her mother, Zeya instinctually took to motherhood, and has diligently raised her cubs throughout the past five months. For more information on Amur tigers, visit rosamondgiffordzoo.org. While the rest of the country was recovering from the effects of the storm that pounded parts of Spain this past weekend, people in Buenache de Alarcon were still being battered by the rain at 9 p.m. on Monday. It was in this small town in the province of Cuenca where Felisa Olmos, 73, found herself trapped between the furniture in her room early on Sunday, while water filled her house. I remember I was hanging on to a curtain and on top of a closet. Suddenly I got dizzy and fainted, she recalled the next day at nightfall. When she regained consciousness, she was in a hospital in Cuenca. Now, the only thing Olmos is worried about is being left out on the street: The only thing I want is for my house to be fixed, she says. Three people have died in the Castilla-La Mancha region, according to the latest count. Three more are missing and thousands of residents have lost everything. Regional authorities have asked the central government to declare a disaster zone, while residents continue to sweep away the mud as best they can or look for a place to spend the night. The flooding inflicted heavy damage in Aldea del Fresno, Madrid. Alvaro Garcia A child named Ethan spent the whole night of Sunday clinging to a tree branch to avoid being swept away by the current of the Alberche River. Eduardo Canadas, 40, a resident of the small town of Aldea del Fresno in the Madrid region, was the first to find the 10-year-old, whose face was bruised and covered with mud. Thank you, thank you, thank you, was all he managed to say to his rescuer. At close to midnight on Sunday, his father had decided that it was getting too dangerous and that the family should return to their main place of residence in Alcorcon. But the car never made it over the bridge, and was instead swept away by an overflowing Arroyo Grande. Ethans mother and 14-year-old sister were found further downstream, but his father remains unaccounted for. Effects of the storm on the town of Cobeja, in Toledo province. Claudio Alvarez At number 8 Arenal Street, in the town of Casarrubios in Toledo, the stream running in front of the building overflowed and began to seep into the first floors and push cars parked outside against the facade of the residential building. A young man in his 20s, who had recently moved in with his mother, died when he got trapped in the elevator. Neighbor testimony suggests that the young man took the elevator down to the garage to check on his car and assess whether he should take it outside in case the garage flooded. When he re-entered the elevator, the power went out and he was trapped, while the water came pouring in. Manuel de la Vera, 28, a resident, says: We could hear him inside, asking for help, but the water was very high and it was impossible to reach him. Another neighbor estimates that the boy was locked in there for at least two hours. The tragedy could have claimed more lives had it not been for the solidarity of the community. De la Vera, who lives on the second floor, recalls that at one in the morning they began to pull out the residents of the first floor through the internal skylights: We had to use blankets to get the four neighbors out. With shaking hands, muddy clothes and wild eyes, De la Vera remembers how people shouted that they were going to drown, that they were going to die. Two women outside their homes in Villaluenga de la Sagra, in Toledo province. Claudio Alvarez Less than 20 miles from there, the Toledo town of Cobeja still smells of mud and fuel. It looks like a box of Lego blocks thrown at random on the street. The San Pedro stream overflowed twice during the early hours of Monday, dumping mud on homes, sweeping away trucks and mixing domestic diesel deposits with mud, creating a brown cocktail that seemed to stain everything in sight. Sacramento Serrano, 62, and Marta Jimenez, 28, fiercely push brooms to get the mud out of their house. The once cream-colored furniture is scattered in front of the door. They dont expect to save anything, just to clean up. Inside the home, the mud is ankle-deep. Everything was floating, Serrano recalls. Overturned cabinets, a sofa on top of the dining room table and a brown line on the wall, a reminder of how high the water rose, are the scars left from an early morning of horror. The water dragged cars away in Villaluenga de la Sagra, Toledo. Claudio Alvarez Elsewhere in Spain, other provinces hit hard by the torrential rain were Cadiz, Tarragona and Castellon. The heavy rains are the result of a slow-moving storm system, known officially as an upper-level isolated depression (DANA). The storm hit Spain on Saturday, killing two people who were canyoning in the mountains of Huesca. 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. Louis Feuillatte works at MJstack, a free vendor-agnostic cannatech consulting service that pairs cultivators and retailers with the right tech partners. Feuillatte answered eight simple questions for NY Cannabis Insiders People to know series. Should you or someone you know be featured as a Person to Know? Fill out this form and we may publish your story. What is your position and what do you/your company do in the cannabis space? MJstack is a free cannabis consultancy with a focus on the technology and business solutions space. I help cannabis operators across all verticals plan and execute on their technology stack so that they are using their capital efficiently. How long have you worked in the cannabis space? I joined the industry during my time in college working for a monthly educational and networking event organizer in NYC in 2019. This opened my eyes to what the industry could be one day in New York, as these were the pre-recreational days. It also delighted me to know that so many everyday people were keen on learning more about this industry. After graduating from college I immediately joined the MJstack team and havent looked back since. What did you do before you were involved in the cannabis industry? I was in school getting my degree in business and entrepreneurship. What led you to the cannabis industry? When I saw the farm bill pass legalizing hemp federally I knew it was only a matter of time until more states got on the cannabis bandwagon to chase tax revenue. It is nice to see that in states like New York, social equity applicants are given the first shot since they are the ones who were most affected by the war on drugs. Do you have any advice for someone looking to get into the NY weed industry? Be wary of what cannabis technology sales reps say, especially when it comes to integrations with other solutions. Also remember that you want to own your data as much as possible. What do you think the NY cannabis ecosystem will look like in five years? Pending a real push to fight black market operators in the space, this will continue to be a struggle. If the barrier to entry stays as high as it is now for MSOs, they may stay out of this market allowing mom and pop operators to flourish. At this point we will also see non-social equity operators enter the market. Do you use cannabis? If so, whats your favorite method? I prefer flower, both in hand-rolled joints and in my desktop vaporizer. Who should contact you, and whats the best method? Any current or prospective cannabis business owners should reach out to me. Phone, email and LinkedIn in that order are the best way to reach me: 720-689-1731, louis@mjstack, https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-feuillatte/ 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. This guest column is from Jeff Jones, an AUCC based in the heart of the Finger Lakes Emerald Necklace (more about Jeff at the bottom of this column). The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of NY Cannabis Insider. The cannabis powers that be in New York State the governor, the legislature, the Cannabis Control Board (CCB), and the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) need a history lesson, with a side of Econ 101. They are about to repeat the tragedy of California by handing large corporations the dual sabres of 1) supply and demand, and 2) cash flow is king. As a result, New Yorks small business and social and economic equity outcomes will be severely muted. Prove me wrong. The history lesson In California, the state had social and economic equity objectives and wanted to transition legacy enterprises to the adult-use market. Californias Prop 64 law contained a five-year moratorium on cultivation canopies larger than one acre. However, during the proposed final regulations phase, following an expensive lobbying effort by large cannabis corporations, a loophole emerged that violated the spirit of Prop 64: small license stacking. With this loophole, well-connected and well-financed companies conglomerated dozens of small licenses, in effect building cultivation canopies of 25+ acres. Meanwhile, most legacy producers were only able to produce between one-quarter and one acre each. The Econ 101 lesson This loophole allowed the large license-stacking companies to do two things that overwhelmed all other factors in the marketplace: 1) They oversupplied the market. Santa Barbara County, the center of license-stacking, became the leading producer of cannabis in California. Humboldt County, the center of the nations legacy cannabis production for the preceding decades, was a distant second. Over the following years, wholesale prices crashed, and continue to be depressed to this day. 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: 2) They extracted cash from the marketplace faster than anyone else. These enterprises vertically integrated across production, distribution, and retail right from the start, and their Southern California greenhouses produced five crops a year. Meanwhile, legacy producers with small canopies could only produce one crop a year, and a complicated three-tier system forced them to work with distributors who rarely paid in-full or on time, with little accountability. These factors allowed large cannabis corporations to rake in cash year-round while smaller companies struggled to bring in revenues. The resulting outcomes in California By nearly any measure, Californias adult-use rollout has been of very limited success. Social equity programs are not supporting vibrant communities of entrepreneurs generating livelihoods and generational wealth. They are anemic and facing a long, slow road to their intended outcomes. Small farms with unicorn genetics containing rare cannabinoid profiles who are the poster children of the regenerative organic cannabis movement are not thriving and employing dozens of their community members. They are hanging on by a thread and doing all of the work themselves. The marketplace has been so negatively affected by these basic economic principles that most businesses large and small are operating at break even or below break even levels. The amount of cannabis flower entering the commercial market has fallen nearly 40% in the last year to pre-2020 levels. Back in New York In the February 2023 New York Illicit Cannabis Market Absorption Analysis and the 2021 New York Cannabis Legalization Market Opportunity Analysis, both published by MPG Consulting, New Yorks large cannabis corporations position themselves as the best solution for illicit market absorption (read: closing down legacy), supply chain stabilization (read: supply of indoor flower), jobs, and the tax revenues necessary to fund social and economic equity. In these MPG analyses, a strategy is outlined for New Yorks Registered Organizations (ROs) to capture over 77% of the market right out of the gate, and to increase their cultivation canopy to 250,000 square feet. This is equivalent to over 5.5 acres of production or, with five harvests per year, just under 30 acres of annualized production each. Therefore, as in California, these corporations will have the ability to oversupply the states market and pull cash from the system faster than anyone else. Corporations are not our friends Corporations have at the heart of their DNA the duty to serve the needs of their shareholders above all other concerns, be these achieving social and economic equity, environmental sustainability and repair, or our childrens futures and livelihoods. Cannabis corporations are no different. They have proven antagonistic to regulations that do not favor them. In New York, they lobbied to remove one of the few protections against their market dominance: the three-year moratorium on their vertically integrated storefronts. Several of these corporations have also enjoined or otherwise supported multiple lawsuits now hampering New Yorks adult-use rollout. NY Cannabis Insider's next full-day conference is happening Sept. 21 in Buffalo. Get tickets! They have also proven challenging to regulate. A June 13, 2023, MJBizDaily article describes a recent lawsuit that accuses Californias largest regulated producer, Glass House Brands, of being one of the largest, if not the largest, black marketers of cannabis in the State of California, if not the country. Online cannabis communities have been discussing this activity as an open secret for over a year. Finding a way forward We cant fault sharks for being sharks, and we likely cant expect that the state will go back to the drawing board with the rollout, so what can we do? Possible solutions: 1. We can ask the state to temper the ability of these corporations to decrease opportunities for others. A firm and low cap on their production, manufacturing, and distribution levels until the marketplace demonstrates a level of acceptable social and economic equity outcomes would be a step in the right direction. 2. We can ask the state to ensure that the ROs generate social and economic equity outcomes themselves. Currently there is a shelf space carve-out necessitating that the ROs carry inventory from other businesses in their vertically integrated shops. However, any producer large or small can currently satisfy this requirement. This shelf space should be reserved for social and economic equity licensees, small-tier producers, and microbusinesses. 3. We can ask the state to direct economic development funds and resources to stimulate cannabis small business development and not depend solely on the ROs to fund this critical work. State funds such as New York Forward and the Downtown Revitalization Initiative can support the buildout of small cannabis businesses on Main Streets across the state. The states small business development infrastructure, including business incubators, small business development centers, SUNY schools, and farmers markets, could all be deployed to help small cannabis businesses succeed. In order for the state to achieve its social and economic equity goals, a critical mass of small businesses must exist in the marketplace. This is a unique economic development challenge. However, If the state can learn from the mistakes of California, maintain balance in the ecosystem, and deploy its vast economic development resources to reduce the many barriers to small business success, we can avoid similar tragedies here. Godspeed, New York. Lets get blooming! ______________________________ From the author: Jeff Jones has a background in microenterprise development and microfinance, and has worked for the Aspen Institute and Mercy Corps, co-created the MicroMentor.org platform, was the inaugural Operations Manager for one of the first cannabis producer co-ops in California, launched a cannabis brand, PremaFlora, focused on sourcing from small, regenerative, diverse farms all while managing a network of traditional market cannabis farms and participating on all sides of that underground economy as well. He can be reached at thelastpotfarm@gmail.com or thelastpotfarm.com. Syracuse, N.Y. After hearing from 16 former Syracuse Common Council members and the nine who currently serve on that body praise Van Robinson, the crowd packed into the council chambers turned its attention to the doors in the back. Two pieces of yellow paper covering a sign were removed to reveal a new honor. The room where elected lawmakers have debated and voted upon thousands of resolutions and laws is now named the Van B. Robinson Common Council Chambers. Councilors approved a resolution Tuesday naming their City Hall chambers after the 85-year-old Robinson, who served 18 years on the council, including eight as its first African American president. After the formal vote, about 75 people attended a 30-minute ceremony in Robinsons honor. Van, we know how much you love this city, Mayor Ben Walsh said before reading a proclamation that made Tuesday Van Robinson Day in the city. Really, today is showing how much we love you. A dominant theme in the council resolution and in speakers comments was Robinsons strong advocacy for removing the elevated portion of the interstate, something he first began discussing after moving to the city in 1968 from the Bronx. He continued speaking out after being appointed to council and then being elected to a full term in 2001. When he first joined the Syracuse Common Council in 1999 as Councilor-at-Large, Van had already been rallying neighborhood groups around the idea of demolishing I-81 for years, and he became one of the first elected officials to champion the idea of removing the viaduct to create a street-level boulevard, eliminating an eyesore and a public health hazard while reuniting downtown in the process, the resolution said. In April 2022, Robinsons goal was realized when the state announced that it would remove the viaduct and replace it with a boulevard. Van B. Robinson was a visionary ahead of his time, current Common Council President Helen Hudson wrote in a memo to the city clerk requesting the resolution. In 2006, Van Robinson, then a Syracuse city councilor, stood under the raised portion of Interstate 81. He has long advocated to tear down the highway. Robinsons political career grew out of community activism that began soon after he arrived in Syracuse more than 50 years ago. While working for more than 40 years for Group Health Insurance, he volunteered on numerous political campaigns and local nonprofit boards, including Elmcrest Childrens Center, FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Red Cross, Meals on Wheels and InterFaith Works. Robinson has also been a longtime leader of the Syracuse NAACP, serving as its president and vice president and being a key figure in the groups efforts to establish the Pan-African Village at the New York State Fair 30 years ago. In 2018, that area of the fair was named in his honor. He first got into government when former Mayor Lee Alexander appointed him to the Syracuse Board of Zoning Appeals. He was appointed to fill a councilor-at-large seat in 1999, then won elections for that seat in 1999, 2001 and 2005. He became the citys first Black council president in 2009 and was re-elected to that post in 2013. Robinson has remained active in political advocacy and community service since leaving the council due to term limits. He served as superintendent at the Pan-African Village at this years fair. Last month, he spoke at a city council rally advocating for the state to return land freed up by the I-81 teardown to the city. Following Tuesdays ceremony, Robinson expressed gratitude for the words he heard, although he also joked that all the attention was embarrassing. He spoke about how his fathers advocacy for removing a elevated train in New York City when he was a child inspired his own actions after he discovered the viaduct in Syracuse. While hes pleased that the state has committed to tearing the highway down, hes not satisfied. The progress could be a little faster, he said. Ill be so happy when its done. Van Robinson, former president of Syracuse Common Council, was among the first community leaders to propose the destruction of the Interstate 81 viaduct. He spoke at a Syracuse Common Council rally on Aug. 14, 2023, to advocate for the state to return land freed up by the project to the city. (Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com) 5 1 / 5 Syracuse Common Council Chambers named after Van Robinson City reporter Jeremy Boyer can be reached at jboyer@syracuse.com, (315) 657-5673, Twitter or Facebook. Syracuse, N.Y. The lead paint chipping from the walls at 201 Fillmore Ave. is in 5-year-old Trinity Jacksons blood. Her mom can see it. Shes angry all the time, said her mother, Lakeshia Harper. My mom calls her The Evil One. " Trinitys little sister Talia Williams, 2, drops her dolls in paint flecks on the floor of her playroom. She runs barefoot through the house, touching the walls her mom washes with bleach to clear paint dust. Harper was relieved to find a whole three-bedroom house available for just $1,100 when she needed it in 2019. Some of the windows are broken. You can see through a hole in the kitchen floor into the basement. The grass is knee-high. When a housing code inspector comes through, he takes pictures of those kinds of things. But what hes looking for on this day is something less visible and more harmful to the children. Lead paint chips and dust are easily ingested by young children who tend to put things in their mouths. And nearly every house in Syracuses poorest neighborhoods is old enough to have been layered with poison paint. The public discussion of lead poisoning here is filled with civic leaders, doctors and prosecutors, but Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard went in search of those with the most at stake: Syracuses children. Heres what we found: Kids are held back in school. Their speech is delayed. They suffer from anemia. They cant comprehend what their parents and teachers are saying. Some are anxious and dont trust new people and situations. Every parent interviewed said their child seemed angry. Parents fear this poisoning has set their children on a path to poor choices and teen violence, an alarming trend in Syracuse. Recent crackdowns may embarrass some landlords and separate them from their properties, but they do little to improve the lives of the people who live there, a Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard investigation found. Even after thousands of Syracuse kids have been poisoned, the system still takes too long and relies too heavily on kids getting sick to trigger action. Governments have improved their practices, but its not nearly enough to change the lives of the thousands of kids who play, eat and sleep within reach of old peeling paint. So far, many landlords appear more willing to pay government fines than to renovate their properties. Talia Williams, 2, stands at the entrance to her toy room, where paint has chipped off the walls. The house was condemned by codes inspectors on Aug. 3, 2023 for lead paint violations, among other problems. Since this photo was taken, Talia's mother, Lakeshia Harper, has locked the door to the playroom to keep her daughter away from the paint chips. Douglass Dowty | Syracuse.comDouglass Dowty | Syracuse.com The state attorney generals office recently sued Todd Hobbs, the owner of that Fillmore Avenue house, and another landlord, William DAngelo, for failing to maintain old lead paint. A third landlord, John Kiggins, settled in 2021. The high-profile lawsuits exposed a troubling dynamic: Just three landlords are responsible for poisoning at least 44 children in Syracuse the last decade, the lawsuits claim. Most of these children are Black. Poison houses are transferred from owner to owner. Tenants, often with government subsidies, continue to pay $800 to $1,200 a month to live in homes with chipping and peeling paint. Even the houses exposed in court are sometimes found to be poisoning kids a few years later, records show. An alarming 11% of kids tested for lead in 2022 had elevated blood levels. That is 458 new cases added to the thousands of kids already poisoned in the city. That is an outrageous statistic. But the number is certainly higher. Many children are not tested. Most homes have not been tested. Related: Does your apartment have a lead paint problem? Search violations in Onondaga County They just keep letting people move in here The Fillmore Avenue house was flagged because Trinitys blood lead level scored at 18 micrograms per deciliter more than three times the amount considered to be elevated, her mother said. The paint on the doors at each entrance tested more than 20 times the amount considered harmful, records show. Peeling paint was just one complaint lodged with the city between 2018 and 2023. The sewer backed up. The upstairs bathroom leaked through the ceiling into the living room. There was a large gap in the foundation, causing water to build up in the basement. Please do something about the property at 201 Fillmore, a neighbor complained to the city. She said she tried on her own to trim the grass around the fire hydrant, but broke her weed cutter. This is a nice neighborhood and we are tired of seeing it. The city notified the landlord in March 2021 that he needed to clean it all up by April that year. At the same time, the county health department was hounding Hobbs and his property managers. Logs show county staff leaving voicemail after email and rechecking the property with little change. At one point, county officials noted, the peeling exterior paint had not been repaired, but the landscaping had been changed, revealing a significant amount of paint chips in the dirt outside, records show. By August, there was still a long to-do list: windowsills, porch ceilings, door frames and windows. In October, the county signed off on the work. Last month, Keenan Lewis re-inspected Harpers house himself. Hes a code enforcement officer who was elevated to be the citys lead paint coordinator last fall. Harper took him on a tour of each room. Two-year-old Talia followed along, handing toys to the visitors. Lewis took pictures and opened and closed doors. He pointed out that high-friction areas like door frames are often to blame for lead paint dust. I think we will shut this down, Lewis said at the end of the inspection. Were going to go back to the office and write a bunch of violations. Then were gonna have to shut it down. City lead paint coordinator Keenan Lewis takes pictures inside the kitchen of 201 Fillmore Ave. in August as 2-year-old Talia Williams looks on. Lewis announced after the inspection that he planned to condemn the property for lead paint violations, among other infractions. Michelle Breidenbach | mbreidenbach@syracuse.com That sounds like cause for celebration, but it starts a new ordeal for Harper and her children. Declaring a house unfit is likely to take months. And Harper is skeptical shell find something else at the same time the city is emptying hundreds of tenants from apartment buildings deemed unsafe for human habitation. City Hall is working right now to relocate more than 1,000 families. Harpers plan for now is to make the house as safe as possible for her children. She locked the door to the playroom with the dolls inside. For decades, they just keep letting people move in here and treating them how they want to treat them, she said of the landlord. Hobbs is accused of neglecting lead paint hazards in 19 properties where 11 children have been poisoned since 2016. His response: Its not his fault. Theres just too much lead paint in Syracuses houses. Syracuses lead problems are not issues that any property owner or any lawsuit can cure, attorney Scott Iseman said on Hobbs behalf. Both Fitch Street homes in the center of this photo are owned by landlord William D'Angelo and have unresolved lead paint violations. D'Angelo, who also owns a third Fitch Street house with lead paint issues, has been sued by the state attorney general's office for not remediating the poison paint. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com Fitch Street: I know its here Fifteen houses on Fitch Street, on the Near West Side, have had lead paint violations from the county health department since 2015, records show. The three landlords hauled into court Hobbs, DAngelo and Kiggins own six of them. Only about half of the houses are still standing on the 200 block. Others have been demolished or destroyed by fire. A man was found stabbed in the street one morning last month. The day after the man was found, DAngelo stopped his truck to ask a Syracuse.com reporter and photographer what they were doing on the block. He said he owns the three houses they were photographing. He said he had no comment on the lawsuit and rolled away. Inside one of DAngelos apartments, Katalayahia Johnson, 9, plays with Barbies in their doll house. The county logged lead paint violations in the house in 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2022, records show. It took Katalayahia two years to graduate from kindergarten. Her speech is delayed. Keyonda Johnson said she is excited her daughter is starting to learn to add numbers. Johnson said her daughter was poisoned by lead paint. She led a reporter to the bathroom to show the chipped porcelain on the sink and bathtub common culprits for lead paint poisoning. I know its here, she said, looking at a bathtub filled with toys. No matter what we touch, its coming off. Next door, Elaine Norvel said one of her grandsons got lead paint poisoning. When his house came up clean, inspectors found lead paint instead in Norvels house, where he visits. Shes had 27 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren come and go from her apartment, she said. Its hard to find a place big enough to rent for $775 a month. If you want to have a business, fix it up correctly, she said of landlords. He wants to take our money, but he doesnt want to fix it. In the 300 block of Fitch Street, Dequan Caldwell said his 6-year-old son has elevated lead levels. That blood test prompted the county health department to send inspectors to his apartment, which is owned by Hobbs, he said. The house was repainted, but it quickly chipped off, Caldwell said. Next door, a mother of a 3-year-old asked reporters who to call for a blood test. After she saw her child eating paint off the wall near the bed, she tasted it herself to understand why. It was sweet, she said. Thats the attraction. Its like they dont care, Caldwell said of landlords. Nobody cares until it affects their family members, their loved ones. The families are grateful people are starting to pay attention. But none of that changes their lives. In 2017, a Brooklyn man, Mendy Kletzky, was charged by the county district attorney with a misdemeanor for ignoring 21 lead violations at a South Side house. A year later, he walked away from court with no fine and no punishment. Now Kletzky is back in Syracuse, records show, and two of his houses have again been cited with lead violations. Katalayahia Johnson, 9, took two years to complete kindergarten after suffering developmental delays that her mom attributes to living in a Fitch Street house, in Syracuse, with persistent lead paint violations. Root cause of many problems Dr. Travis Hobart, director of the Central and Eastern New York Lead Poisoning Resource Center at Upstate University Hospital, said lead paint is bad for anyone, but especially growing children. Lead in blood attacks the brain. In kids, the effect might be having trouble sitting still in class. As young adults, studies have shown an increase in criminal behavior and teen pregnancy. It can cause a lifetime of trouble that leads to lower-wage jobs and impulsive choices. It affects their ability to focus or behave, he said. One of the things it causes is trouble with executive function: Can you make good decisions about going through your day? Even at low levels, it affects your IQ and your attention. Community health advocates have pushed for more awareness and consequences for landlords who dont consider fresh paint part of the cost of doing business. For years, as children continued to be poisoned by their homes, the city of Syracuse had no law on the books to address it. Last year, a new city ordinance made peeling paint a code violation as serious as faulty steps or bad wiring. Code enforcement officers are celebrating the tally after one year in action: 3,034 lead violations issued and 1,674 properties brought into compliance. The city is focusing on structures with up to five units in neighborhoods with old housing, where they know kids are being poisoned. Thats mostly the South, Southwest and North sides, said Jake Dishaw, deputy commissioner of code enforcement. Property owners are supposed to register with the city when they rent homes to people. The city inspects homes on the rental registry every three years. The problem, however, is that only about 60% of the 9,000 rentals in Syracuse are on its registry. That leaves thousands of apartments with no inspection unless a child gets sick and draws the attention of the county health department. Bad landlords dont invite code inspectors on tours. And many tenants are too afraid of retaliation to call the city or county for an inspection, advocates say. There are other challenges. It takes a long time for the citys process to play out. Theres 60 days to confirm theres a problem. Then 15 days for the landlord to get the notice of violation. After that, the city has to build a case showing calls, emails and warning letters to prove that the landlord isnt trying. One recent lawsuit brought by the city says violations have existed for 222 days past the due date. Landlords also take advantage of a loophole: If they transfer the property to a faceless limited liability company, the violations remain, but the clock starts over at City Hall. That is true even if the landlord owns the LLC. City officials realize what theyre up against. Lengthy legal battles are not enough to prevent lead paint poisoning. They have also started sending community ambassadors door-to-door to teach people how to be safe in old homes. That means mopping floors and wiping surfaces like windowsills, flushing used cleaning water down the toilet and washing toys and pacifiers. Its very unlikely that someones going to take a structure that was built before 1978 and abate, permanently, every layer of paint history on that home, Dishaw said. Even the city offices where Dishaw was speaking could have lead paint as an original layer. The government banned lead in paint in 1978. To be safe, it needs to be covered and maintained. That can be simply a coat of new lead-free paint. Thats why this is an ongoing property maintenance issue. Its no different than the ongoing maintenance of sprinklers and smoke detectors, he said. These landlords are living good lives Kiggins, owner of Endzone Properties Inc., was the first to settle the attorney generals lawsuit. An investigation in 2020 found that over more than six years, at least 18 children were poisoned by lead paint while living in 17 of Endzones estimated 89 properties. During this same period, at least 32 Endzone properties were flagged by the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County for chipping, peeling and deteriorating lead paint. He denied any wrongdoing. He paid a $215,000 fine $85,000 to 17 families and $130,000 to be shared by the city and county. Thats $5,000 for each family. He was forced to sell his properties. He is banned from ever owning rental property in New York state again. It sounds harsh in a news release. But in reality, Kiggins was not required to fix all the properties before he sold them. In fact, most had already been sold before the lawsuit started, AG officials said recently. Six of those properties were again written up for lead paint violations under the new landlord, according to county government records obtained through a Freedom of Information request. Margarita Cunningham said she paid rent to Kiggins and the new landlord on Marguerite Avenue. Cunningham said that once Kiggins sold the property things actually got worse. She and her son ended up in the hospital with what turned out to be a black mold infestation. When the county health department came to check the apartment in April, they discovered exposed lead paint. Cunningham noticed her 5-year-old daughter was chewing batteries. Then, she noticed her daughter was eating paint. Kids with developmental delays, which can be caused by lead paint poisoning, are more likely to have this disorder, called pica a psychological disorder that causes kids to eat things that are not food. A blood test showed a high level of lead, she said. Now, her daughter suffers severe ups and downs in her behavior. Like other parents of lead-poisoned children, she wont know the severity of any setbacks until her daughter is in school. These landlords are living good lives, she said. They have us living in poverty and filth. Read more about housing in Syracuse: Syracuse-area landlord poisoned 15 children with lead paint, state AG charges AG sues Syracuse landlord after 11 children in rental units test positive for lead poisoning Unlivable Syracuse apartments get a rescue. But once again, the tenants lose Syracuse children are poisoned by lead paint even when taxpayers pay the rent Childhood lead poisoning creeps up in Syracuse as more kids get tested Contact Michelle Breidenbach | mbreidenbach@syracuse.com | 315-470-3186. Contact Douglass Dowty | ddowty@syracuse.com | 315-470-6070. A town in Upstate New York has been named one of the 10 hottest ZIP codes in America. Realtor.com recently revealed its list of 2023s hottest zip codes in the U.S., featuring six real estate markets in the Northeast. Pittsford, located near Rochester, was the only place in New York state to make the top 10. The Town of Pittsfords 14534 ZIP code ranked No. 9 in the nation with an average of 3.5 unique viewers per property and an average of just 21 days on the market. The ZIP code, which includes parts of Henrietta, Perinton and Mendon, saw a median listing price of $571,000 in June 2023. Having grown up in Pittsford, I can attest to the small hometown feel and the natural beauty and resources available, Michael OConnor, president of the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors, told the Democrat & Chronicle. Its proximity to downtown Rochester (and its employers), the Finger Lakes and the New York state Thruway also make Pittsford a very popular destination for home buyers. According to Realtor.com, home buyers are looking for affordability and value, especially with current high mortgage rates. Other factors include proximity to large urban cities and size; a typical home in Pittsfords 14534 ZIP code was 29.3% larger than the median sized home in the surrounding Rochester metro area in June. Two other ZIP codes in New York state made Realtor.coms top 50 rankings: Endicotts 13760, near Binghamton, ranked No. 28 with a median listing price of $273,000; and Ithacas 14850 is No. 36 with a median listing price of $585,000. The rankings are based on two main factors in the housing market: Market demand, as measured by unique viewers per property on Realtor.com; and the pace of the market as measured by the number of days a listing remains active on Realtor.com. The hottest areas are those that have high demand from buyers, in other words, lots of unique viewers per each property, and fast-selling homes, an indicator of limited supply. The 2023 list is based on Realtor.com listing data from January to June 2023, with the top ZIP codes limited to one ZIP code per metropolitan area. The Hottest ZIP Codes of 2023 (according to Realtor.com): 1. 43230 (Gahanna, Ohio) 2. 06489 (Southington, Connecticut) 3. 07450 (Ridgewood, N.J.) 4. 01810 (Andover, Massachusetts) 5. 18064 (Nazareth, Pennsylvania) 6. 46322 (Highland, Indiana) 7. 48183 (Trenton, Michigan) 8. 06851 (Norwalk, Connecticut) 9. 14534 (Pittsford, N.Y.) 10. 63021 (Ballwin, Missouri) ... 28. 13760 (Endicott, N.Y.) 36. 14850 (Ithaca, N.Y.) MORE: Home values rise in Central NY, but pace is slowing: See your ZIP code Liverpool, DeWitt, more: Where Central NY home sellers are cashing in most right now Syracuse, N.Y. -- Heat advisories have been issued in Upstate New York for Wednesday, marking the third consecutive day the National Weather Service has cautioned residents about excessive heat. The combination of high temperatures and high humidity could make it dangerous to do strenuous activity outdoors, the weather service said. The heat index in Syracuse could reach into the upper 90s. The advisory is in place in more than 30 counties from noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday. (See map below.) Theres also an advisory in place for today, which also expires at 7 p.m. The heat index combines temperature and humidity to calculate how hot the air feels on skin. Wednesday could be the hottest day of 2023 so far in some cities. Syracuse is forecast to hit a temperature of 94 degrees on Wednesday, tying the hottest day of the summer so far, July 6. That would also set a record for Sept. 6, which is now 93 degrees. On Wednesday, Albany, Binghamton and Rochester, which all saw their hottest days of this summer on June 2, could reach those low-90s levels again on Wednesday. Temperatures could exceed 90 degrees again on Thursday. The hot, humid air is surging in from the Southeast, which has had a brutally hot summer as a stubborn heat dome settled in across much of the southern half of the United States. KYODO NEWS - Sep 5, 2023 - 13:22 | All, World, Japan Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida embarked on a seven-day trip to Indonesia and India on Tuesday, seeking to address concerns about the disposal of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, especially in response to recent criticisms from China, during multinational summits. Kishida will participate in meetings with leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other countries in Jakarta for three days, followed by the two-day Group of 20 major economies summit starting on Saturday. These gatherings mark the first large-scale international forums following the commencement of water discharge from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific on Aug. 24, which drew criticism from local fishermen, China, and fisheries groups in Asian nations. Kishida told reporters at his office before leaving Tokyo, "I will explain Japan's transparent handling of the treated water in collaboration with the IAEA to gain understanding and cooperation at multilateral and bilateral summits," referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Tokyo also aims to beef up ties with the "Global South" developing and emerging countries, including ASEAN members and some from the G-20, in a bid to counter Beijing's expanding influence. Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, among others, will address various meetings in Jakarta. These include the ASEAN-plus-three talks on Wednesday, which involve Japan, China, and South Korea, as well as the East Asia Summit on Thursday, where they will be joined by regional powers such as the United States, India, and Russia. However, the two are not likely to hold a bilateral meeting during their stay in the Indonesian capital, according to Japanese government officials. At the meetings, the Japanese prime minister will explain the safety of the water discharge to the global community, as the IAEA concluded in July that the plan complies with global safety standards, according to government officials. The water release is necessary for decommissioning the Fukushima complex, crippled by a massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami. However, the Chinese government has alleged that the IAEA assessment did not reflect views from all experts involved in the review, criticizing Japan's discharge of "nuclear-contaminated water" into the ocean as irresponsible. After the water release, Beijing suspended all imports of Japanese seafood. Tokyo called for its immediate withdrawal, citing the lack of scientific basis for the measure. The United States and the European Union, among others, have shown their support for the water discharge. At the G-20 summit in New Delhi, Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine since February last year, as well as global issues of food security, climate change, health and digitalization, are likely to be discussed, Japanese government officials said. Among other participants are U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will join them instead of President Vladimir Putin, according to the Indian government. Chinese President Xi Jinping will not participate in the G-20 meeting. Kishida is expected to hold bilateral talks with leaders of countries such as India and Indonesia on the fringes of the international conferences, according to the Japanese government. Related coverage: China's Xi to skip G-20 summit for 1st time, Premier Li to attend instead Leaders of China, Japan, South Korea seeking to meet by year-end If youre paying extra for cloud storage or sound recognition functionality for your Google Nest cameras, prepare to pay a little more extra in the coming weeks. Google quietly announced the news of the imminent Nest Aware price hike last Friday afternoon, just as millions of Nest Aware users in the US were preparing for a long weekend of Labor Day barbecues. Starting now for new subscribers, the price of Nest Aware is going up to $8 a month, a $2/month increase, while the annual Nest Aware price has risen to $80, a $20/year price hike, as 9to5Google reports. This news story is part of TechHives in-depth coverage of the best home security cameras. Meanwhile, the enhanced Nest Aware Plus service will cost $15 a month, up from $12 a month, while the annual Nest Aware Plus plan will go up $30 a year to $150/month. Existing Nest Aware subscribers will see the price hike on their bills in the fall, Google said. If youre getting Nest Aware through a third party like ADT, good news: The price of your Nest Aware plan isnt going up, or at least not for now. Nest Aware is the subscription-based cloud service for Googles various Nest cameras, such as the wired and battery-powered Nest Cam, the Nest Cam with floodlight, and the Nest Doorbell. The standard Nest Aware plan offers 30 days of video history plus intelligent alerts for suspicious sounds such as smoke and/or carbon monoxide alarms, as well as the sound of breaking glass. Youll also get alerts when your Nest camera spots a familiar face that youve previously tagged. Finally, Nest Aware boasts emergency e911 calling directly from the Google Home app. Nest Aware Plus includes all Nest Aware features while upping the video storage to 60 days, and it also adds up to 10 days of 24/7 video history. Googles Nest Aware plans are different from most of its competitors in that each plan covers all your Nest cameras. Generally speaking, the less expensive cloud subscription plans for security cameras only support a single cam, while pricier pro plans support all your cameras. Google overhauled its Nest Aware plans back in 2020, switching from a per-camera scheme to the current whole-home plans. Sign up for the Best of TechHive newsletter The social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is now the media of choice for all SpaceX-related live streaming as the private space company stopped its YouTube live streams in favor of the Elon Musk-led site. However, there was one exception to this change, as the SpaceX Crew-6 which is also part of NASA's Commercial Crew, was live streamed via YouTube under the space agency's channel. Its massive shift to X highlights the focus of Musk on his social media platform, with his other companies also joining suit in this shift online. SpaceX Stops Livestreaming on YouTube in Favor of X (Photo : JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) The recent livestream of SpaceX took place in X, and this is what would be observed in the future as the company already stopped its live content posting on Google's YouTube. While there are no rivalries yet between X and YouTube, the Elon Musk-led social media is building itself as the platform destination for all content, also referred to as "the Everything App." When Crew-6 undertook its return mission, it was expected that SpaceX would bring its live content to YouTube, like what it did before for previous flights. However, this was absent from the Google-owned online content platform as it was directed over at X. While there remains no confirmation of exclusivity to stream SpaceX's content on X only, the recent no-show of its Livestream on YouTube marks a new age for the Elon Musk-led companies. Read Also: Elon Musk Assassination Plot: Errol Musk Speaks Out on Growing Safety Concerns, Shadow Government Threat NASA's YouTube Livestream Continues Despite SpaceX opting out of YouTube to favor X, NASA remains to have its YouTube channel where the last mission, Crew-6's return, was live streamed over Google's platform. This would be something to expect from NASA in the future, especially for missions under the Commercial Crew program, despite SpaceX being a part of it. SpaceX and NASA's Launches NASA and SpaceX have been longtime partners in the space race, as the Elon Musk-owned company stands as one of the most iconic and notable companies in the industry, with many projects underway for both companies. The most notable is the Commercial Crew, with SpaceX launching the astronauts towards the International Space Station, with the recent internationally diverse Crew-7 already arriving at their destination. The massive focus of NASA to delegate private space companies to launching missions under a contract has been a significant shift for the agency which previously undertook everything there is to a space mission. In a new initiative called Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities-2 (CCSC-2), NASA yet again tapped into the likes of SpaceX, Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, and more for its missions. While SpaceX is a massive part of NASA's missions, it is still a private company and can do so as it pleases, like choosing which streaming platform would be their choice to broadcast their missions. And this is exactly what SpaceX did on their last mission launch, with the company favoring X over other platforms, showing its massive shift towards what Musk is building for social media. Related Article: Astronauts Safely Touch Down on Earth via SpaceX Capsule After 6-Month ISS Stay 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Nokia could be launching a new device in India, and so far, speculations point to two possible units that were found in the US. This comes as the company recently launched two different smartphones in the US in August. New Unrevealed Nokia 5G Smartphone Model or Models to be Launched in India with Revelation on September 6 According to the story by Gadgets 360, Nokia is getting ready to launch a new 5G smartphone lineup with a smartphone that has yet to be announced. This came after a teaser video was released on September 2, sharing that a new 5G model could be launched in India. The announcement was posted by Nokia on Twitter, or X, announcing that the new smartphone would be a 5G model. So far, the handset is expected to be revealed on September 6, with no details available regarding the smartphone. Nokia G310 5G Comes with Android 13, and Snapdragon 480+ 5G SoC comes with 4 GB of RAM and Other Specs The teaser video reportedly shows curved corners and other details of the smartphone. So far, the company needs to announce further information regarding the smartphone to show or reveal what buyers might get with the new device. Recently, Nokia launched two smartphones in the US market, the Nokia G310 5G and Nokia C210 models. So far, the Nokia G310 5G comes with Android 13 and 4 GB of RAM while also being powered with the Snapdragon 480+ 5G SoC. The Smartphone Also Packs a 90 Hz Refresh Rate Screen with a 20:9 Aspect Ratio and 720 x 1,612 Pixels Screen Aside from that, the device also packs a 6.56-inch HD+ display, which comes at a 20:9 aspect ratio, while also running on a screen size of 720 x 1,612 pixels. The device also performs at a refresh rate of 90 Hz, making it good enough for gaming devices. Regarding the optics, Nokia reportedly has a triple rear camera setup, with its star being the 50 MP primary sensor. This camera reportedly has autofocus abilities, performing better when taking videos. Read Also: Apple Could Surpass Samsung as 'Global Smartphone' Leader Following iPhone 15 Launch Nokia G310 5G Camera Specs Include a 50 MP Primary Sensor and 2 MP Depth and Micro Sensor Aside from its 50 MP primary sensor, the Nokia G310 5G, as fans can see on Smart Prix, comes with two 2 MP depth and macro sensors, and as for its front cam, the device comes with an 8 MP sensor. The device also supports 20W fast charging for its 5,000 mAh battery. As for the device's resistance against dust and splash, the smartphone is rated IP52 and comes with its QuickFix technology, making it easy for owners to perform self-repairs. It also comes with the standard micro-USB port and 3.5mm headphone jack. Other connectivity options include Bluetooth 5.1 as well as WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac. Other connections include its GPS/AGPS as well as USB OTG. So far, there's no information regarding whether the smartphones expected to launch in India would be the Nokia G310 5G or the Nokia C210. Related Article: Apple Insider Claims iPad Pro's Magic Keyboard Revamp to Make it Look Like a Laptop-How? 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Company owners rely on their employees to drive profit for their business. But it requires fair treatment and a good working environment to gain positive recognition and encourage employee advocacy. It is rewarding to witness an employee openly advocate for a company. Yet, it is more fulfilling when everyone in the company shares their support willingly, not just for brand recognition but because the experience stands true for everyone involved. What are the benefits of employee advocacy? Besides attracting new leads and upholding a positive image, encouraging employee advocacy can help attract top talents to the company. Job seekers are more likely to apply to a company when they hear positive feedback from past or present employees. It can also boost sales, which results from high workplace engagement. Moreover, when employees are heard and recognized, this improves employee engagement and retention, allowing the company to expand as its workforce grows. Overall, having an employee openly advocate not only drives sales but also elevates the image of the company in the industry. With just compensation, fair treatment, and a good working environment, companies are likely to receive these benefits from their employees, especially when they use a platform for employee advocacy. Outlined below are the top 5 best employee advocacy software in 2023: 1 DSMN8 Overview DSMN8 takes the lead as one of the best employee advocacy software. It has been voted #1 in different categories of G2 Summer 2023 Reports: Best Results, Best Est. ROI, and Most Implementable. It is also the momentum leader in employee advocacy based on data collected from product reviews and aggregated from online sources and social networks. As an all-in-one employee advocacy platform, DSMN8 is used by companies of all scales from Nokia, Shopify, Dropbox, Ipsos, and more. It can easily turn employees into social media influencers, social sellers, and brand advocates to drive brand recognition and business sales. It is scalable, easy to use, and offers world-class support. Features DSMN8 contains a built-in gamification engine that enables employers to reward the most successful employee influencers. It displays an integrated leader and point system which can motivate members to compete for the top spot and earn real rewards and prizes. With a single-sign-on feature, it's easy to log into the employee advocacy software. Companies only need one set of credentials to access multiple applications. It is built with secure proprietary technology, which ensures company data remains protected and safe from threat actors. DSMN8 also offers a white-label solution for those in need of a dedicated app that matches the company's branding. It can also function as a central hub for employees to bond virtually, where anyone can communicate, read, and share company content. Members can also comment and tag colleagues on relevant posts. With advanced reporting, employers can understand the metrics based on the impact of employees' networks from sharing company-related content. DSMN8 also offers personalized content for each member, allowing employees to choose posts based on their location, interests, and job. This platform for employee advocacy also offers integration with tools like Adobe Analytics and Microsoft Teams, enabling companies to centralize workflows and communications in one space. With its ease of use and overall functionality, DSMN8 can supercharge online reach and engagement to generate more inbound sales leads and reduce hiring cost. 2 Sociabble Overview Founded in 2014, Sociabble has been helping companies promote employee advocacy. It's a platform that empowers the workforce to become active on social media. It can generate expert content, allow one-click shares, and enable user-generated content. It can amplify a company's marketing initiatives while giving a voice to every single employee. Companies can leverage this employee advocacy software to boost website traffic, generate qualified leads, and attract top talent by allowing employees to become brand ambassadors on social media. Sociabble can also transform executives into thought leaders, as the involvement of top management is key to success. Features Sociabble can automate and unify social media actions. It uses AI to tag and organize uploaded photos automatically. Employers can archive and store pre-approved content in the media library, streamlining content production. This ensures consistent quality across all posts for employee advocacy. With its agenda view, Sociabble enables collaboration among colleagues, allowing everyone to see what each member has scheduled and posted to maximize their efforts and avoid content repetition. The employee advocacy software also provides scheduling and targeting to take advantage of the peak hours for optimal visibility. Sociabble also displays content optimization scoring, which aids in identifying what content can receive high engagement. It can also offer insights into content performance, allowing companies to analyze and implement a successful content strategy. Companies can leverage Sociabble for its content and collaboration features to boost their marketing efforts. 3 PostBeyond Overview PostBeyond is an employee advocacy and social selling platform from Influitive. It can boost brand visibility by transforming employees into active social shares. It unlocks their potential to influence the target audience by entrusting them to amplify the company's values. As an all-in-one platform, PostBeyond packs with features to streamline employee advocacy. It can simplify social sharing, promote consistent brand communication, and offer real-time reporting from the employee advocacy program. Features PostBeyond contains many features to centralize content. Employees can subscribe to different topics to personalize their feeds. With the Explore feed, anyone can discover all of the content and see the latest and top-performing posts from the company's socials. Employers can also showcase the featured posts for members to prioritize them when sharing company-related content. To mark the completion of a campaign, employers can set up content expiration dates, which automatically remove outdated content from the platform. PostBeyond also has an internal post feature, which turns off the sharing capability for company announcements, updates, or news, which is essential for confidentiality. PostBeyond can also auto-queue content for employees and executives who don't have the time to schedule their content. This convenience extends to shareable links, allowing employees to share information and content with one click. Employers can encourage friendly competition with Team Leaderboards, where employees are ranked based on different actions such as engagement and shares. PostBeyond can also display a personal dashboard for each employee, which grants access to their social media performance and insights into the metrics of their shared posts. With iOS and Android compatibility, anyone can easily share and boost engagement to promote employee advocacy from their phones. PostBeyond also supports multiple languages for inclusivity and guided onboarding for user orientation. With useful integrations and brand compliance features, this employee advocacy software guarantees maximum online visibility. 4 GaggleAMP Overview GaggleAMP aims to humanize brands through people and their networks. It desires to empower human connection through exchanging ideas and engagement across digital communities. As an employee advocacy platform, it can expand reach, drive engagement, and offer measurable business results to produce better outcomes. The company has served companies of all sizes worldwide for over ten years. It is 100% founder-owned, with no external influence from other business lines. It promises to increase brand awareness and engagement by building and sustaining relationships among employers and employees. Features GaggleAMP offers ease of use with its one-click employee engagement, enabling anyone to amplify reach to increase engagement without distracting members from their work priorities. It also features AI-powered Paraphrase, which can personalize the brand message for each employee. This feature helps foster genuine engagement, as each message is customized according to the employee's preference, yet it remains aligned with the brand. GaggleAMP offers real-time reporting and analytics to improve employee advocacy effectiveness. This feature allows companies to keep track of efforts made by their employees and tailor their strategies to serve more content that performs better for higher engagement. With gamification, GaggleAMP enables active employee participation. Employers can reward their employees who are topping the leaderboards and acknowledge other teams for their efforts in participating in friendly competitions. This feature can further boost the shares of company posts, as each point gets totaled from each employee's social media activity. 5 Ambassify Overview Ambassify desires to help companies build genuine and sustainable connections with and among their employees. With the popularity of social media, company owners can use the software to leverage the network of employees to receive more engagement, clicks, and conversions from leads. By employing the best social media marketing strategies, employee advocacy can have a great impact on business results. Ambassify is both the name of the company and the employee advocacy software. It offers multiple features to support and faciliate use cases like employer branding, corporate branding, sustainability, and social media marketing. The company provides customers who launched an employee advocacy program with additional (and optional) training and services delivered by its network of partners. In their professional services, the experts deliver various types of content designed to enrich the knowledge of its customers. They also provide individual and group sessions based on the specialties of each expert and partner. The company also offers personalized consultancy, which grants support to help customers take their business strategy to the next level. Taking advantage of the professional services and the employee advocacy software of Ambassify has proven successful for leading companies like Swiss Life Germany, Sweco, Orange, Sodexo, Barco, Bayer, KBC and more. By customizing the features of its platform and launching several initiatives to onboard members, Ambassify has helped turn the online community of Swiss Life into a reliable and customized content hub. While it takes time to invite, train, and evangelize employees, the customer success team of Ambassify is ready to help in every stage of the process to build a strong relationship and to guide them on how best to implement their Employee Advocacy Program. Features Native Video Sharing Ambassify contains a native video-sharing feature, allowing every advocate to share videos directly onto their social media without redirect links and without leaving the platform. Sharing videos can help boost engagement as they are easier to comprehend, which is ideal, given the short attention span the population has these days. Easy Campaign Builder Managers can select different campaign types from the library of Ambassify. Based on their intention, they can pick the right tile, choose a specific campaign for the employees to advocate, and personalize it to fit the company's branding and messaging. These intentions are: Like, comment, or share our content Post their content Follow us on social media Give input about a topic Check out our content Provide us with referrals By utilizing this feature, companies can heighten their visibility online and potentially increase their leads. Community Goals Collective goals allow employees to work together and improve their relationships as colleagues. By setting up common goals to work towards, these goals can strengthen the bond between them, their managers, and the company owners as they strive to reach them successfully. Managers can set up leaderboards to display the top contributors or define specific objectives to motivate people and ignite their competitive spirit. Each point is summed up, and the winner gets rewarded with a badge on their profile to prove their achievement. Smart Scheduling of Posts There are certain times of the day when social engagements are at their peak. Utilize these times with smart scheduling of posts. This feature allows employee ambassadors to schedule their posts to be shared at an optimal time. Namely, a time slot where their audience is most likely to interact with it. The system of the employee advocacy software can research and choose the best timeslot, or employees can schedule it themselves at their preferred time. Campaign Variations Campaign variations allow employees to choose their preferred angle to promote the same campaign by choosing between different caption copies. This prevents resistive content from being generated, which can turn away potential leads from engaging with the brand. This feature also allows customization of pre-filled content from its description to its attachments, so that employees can choose the one that resonates with them the most and create more diversity on social media, while talking to different audiences at the same time. Advanced Analytics and Verified Shares Companies can keep track of their employee's social media activity through the advanced analytics and verified shares feature of the employee advocacy software. It can display the list of members who have successfully shared the campaign on their chosen platform, whether on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. Ambassify verifies social networks automatically, allowing companies to save time and focus their efforts on the core aspects of the business. Ambassify can help companies streamline and control their corporate brand communication for successful employee advocacy. With a consistent quality of campaigns, companies can stand out in the market and become an attractive and authentic employer that genuinely cares about the services it delivers and the employees that provide them. The employee advocacy software does not only improve brand recognition, but it also builds a good working culture among employees, where everyone is recognized for their efforts and rewarded accordingly. Companies can leverage the features of Ambassify and its professional services to achieve their KPIs. Eventually, this results in business expansion as more applicants seek opportunities to work with the best employers. Conclusion Employers can reap great benefits when they utilize the top 5 best employee advocacy software of 2023. Likewise, employees can receive rewards for their efforts in driving brand recognition and generating more leads for the business. With their combined efforts, companies can flourish, even their workforce, to achieve greater heights and establish their brand as a global name in the market. Greece has initiated a collaborative effort with Israel to harness artificial intelligence (AI) technology for the early detection of wildfires, according to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Greece Talks to Israel to Harness AI Tech for Early Detection of Wildfires Following discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia, Cyprus, Mitsotakis also proposed the inclusion of Israel in European Union (EU) civil protection initiatives to enhance the coordination of firefighting endeavors. Numerous countries, including Israel and Cyprus, have deployed firefighting aircraft and crews to assist Greece in battling wildfires that have devoured extensive forested areas over the past two months. These wildfires included the EU's largest-recorded blaze, which tragically took the lives of 20 individuals. Mitsotakis expressed Greece's willingness to serve as a testing ground for Israeli AI technology designed for the early detection of wildfires. "We are already talking to Israel about AI-based solutions that will offer us early detection capabilities," Mitsotakis noted in an Associated Press report. Read Also: Youth-Led Climate Lawsuit Achieves Historic Victory in Montana Court Greece Wildfire Is Largest Wildfire in the EU A massive forest fire in Greece has been declared the largest wildfire ever documented in the EU. In response to this crisis, the EU has mobilized nearly half its firefighting air fleet to combat the inferno. This devastating event, occurring in northeastern Greece, has taken the lives of at least 20 individuals and has been deemed an "ecological disaster" by experts. The EU's response to this dire situation included deploying 11 planes and one helicopter from its airborne fleet, in addition to 407 firefighters, to aid Greece in containing the flames located north of Alexandroupoli city, as disclosed by spokesman Balazs Ujvari. The EU's civil protection agency reported that this wildfire has consumed a vast expanse of land, covering more than 810 square kilometers (310 square miles), exceeding the size of New York City. It represents the most extensive wildfire encountered by the EU since the commencement of data recording by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) in 2000. Since the wildfire outbreak on August 19, the remains of 20 individuals have been discovered, with 18 victims identified as migrants, including two children. These tragic discoveries were made in a region often exploited as an entry point from Turkey. Authorities from Greece's fire service have reported that the wildfire remains uncontrollable within the boundaries of the Dadia National Park in the northeast region. In light of this devastating situation, forest ranger Dora Skartsis reflected on a previous catastrophe in 2011, expressing sorrow over the loss of "everything that was regenerated since" in the past few days. Skartsis, who also leads a group dedicated to biodiversity conservation in the region, underscored the enormity of the disaster, emphasizing its classification as a significant ecological catastrophe. The affected forest plays a pivotal economic role, supporting logging, beekeeping, and tourism activities in Evros, one of Greece's economically disadvantaged regions. Related Article: How Much Heat Can Your Body Take? Scientists Reveal the Maximum Limit 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has explored one of the most celebrated supernovae, SN 1987A (Supernova 1987A). Situated 168,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, SN 1987A has captivated scientists for nearly four decades. Since its discovery in February 1987, it has been subjected to extensive observations across a broad spectrum, from gamma rays to radio waves. New observations by Webb's NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) are shedding light on the development of this supernova and its remnant. A Keyhole in SN 1987A These observations reveal a central structure resembling a keyhole, teeming with clumps of gas and dust ejected during the supernova explosion. The density of this dust is so high that even Webb's near-infrared detection cannot penetrate it, resulting in the formation of the dark "hole" within the keyhole. Surrounding the central keyhole is a brilliantly illuminated equatorial ring, creating a belt that links two faint arms resembling an hourglass in the outer regions. The equatorial ring comprises materials ejected tens of thousands of years before the supernova's explosive event. Within this ring, conspicuous hotspots have emerged, triggered by the collision of the supernova's shockwave with the ring. Furthermore, spots have been identified beyond the ring's confines, accompanied by diffused emissions. These areas indicate where the supernova's shockwaves have encountered external matter. While multiple observatories, including NASA's Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, have previously captured these formations to some degree, the James Webb Space Telescope's unparalleled sensitivity and spatial resolution have brought to light a novel aspect within this supernova remnant - minute crescent-like structures. Read Also: Ring Nebula Comes Into Focus: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Unveils Remains of a Dying Star in Stunning Detail SN 1987A's Crescents According to NASA, these crescents are believed to constitute the outer layers of gas expelled during the supernova's detonation. Their radiance hints at the possibility of limb brightening, an optical phenomenon stemming from our observational perspective. It can create the illusion of greater substance within these crescents than may exist. NASA noted that although the now-retired Spitzer telescope observed this supernova in infrared throughout its existence, providing crucial data on how its emissions evolved, it never attained the same precision and intricacy as the Webb. Despite decades of investigation since the supernova's initial identification, numerous enigmas persist, especially regarding the anticipated formation of a neutron star following the explosion. Like Spitzer, Webb will persist in its observations of the supernova, utilizing its NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) instruments to gather fresh high-fidelity infrared data. This data could yield novel insights into the recently uncovered crescent structures. Webb will also continue its collaborative efforts with other observatories, including Hubble and Chandra, to deepen its comprehension of this iconic supernova's historical and future aspects. Related Article: NASA's Webb Spots Massive Plume from Saturn Moon Spanning Nearly the Distance from LA to Buenos Aires 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. By Christine Tjandraningsih and Puy Kea, KYODO NEWS - Sep 5, 2023 - 23:01 | World, All Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed Tuesday for the Philippines to become the rotating chair of the regional body in 2026 instead of Myanmar, after assessing that the junta has made "no significant progress" in implementing a peace plan struck two years ago. The agreement was reached during a leaders' retreat, after the leaders found that implementation of the so-called five-point consensus has not made any headway, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told reporters. The consensus was reached between Myanmar and the other countries in the grouping in April 2021, which is aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the Myanmar conflict. The retreat is part of a series of summits among ASEAN member states and with their dialogue partners that will last until Thursday. Military-ruled Myanmar is not taking part in the summits as Indonesia, the host country and chair of the 10-member group this year, has maintained ASEAN's position of only allowing it to send a nonpolitical representative. Retno said the leaders also decided to set up a troika made up of the current, previous and next chairs of ASEAN to ensure that efforts will continue to deal with the Myanmar crisis which they believe will unlikely be resolved in a year. ASEAN will also retain the post of special envoy of the ASEAN chair on Myanmar, she added. While ASEAN efforts regarding Myanmar have failed to bear fruit, its ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai held a meeting at a prison in the capital Naypyitaw on July 9, the first confirmed contact between her and a high-ranking foreign government official since the February 2021 coup. The lack of advance coordination between the Thai foreign minister and Indonesia led to questions and concerns raised by some member countries regarding the move. But ASEAN foreign ministers later said a number of the member states viewed the meeting with Suu Kyi favorably. Earlier Tuesday, in an apparent reference to U.S-China rivalry, Indonesian President Joko Widodo told ASEAN leaders that Southeast Asia should take a neutral stand, saying ASEAN "has agreed not to be proxy for any powers, and to cooperate with anyone for peace and prosperity." "Don't make our ship, ASEAN, an arena of rivalries in which (countries) destroy each other" but make it a field to grow cooperation, said the president, popularly known as Jokowi. The United States is sending Vice President Kamala Harris instead of President Joe Biden to the series of ASEAN-sponsored summits with partner nations to be held Wednesday and Thursday. China will be represented by Premier Li Qiang, India by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japan by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Russia by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The grouping and China have been drafting a code of conduct to prevent confrontations in the region, given that ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping territorial claims with China and Taiwan. Tensions between China and some ASEAN members have increased since the recent release by Beijing of a map laying claim to Malaysian and other maritime areas in Southeast Asia. Malaysia said it had filed a diplomatic protest over the map. The Philippines also lodged a protest, saying a line drawn on the map showing nearly all of the South China Sea as part of China had been invalidated by a 2016 ruling by a Netherlands-based international tribunal. According to a draft of a statement to be issued following the ASEAN-China summit slated for Wednesday, the ASEAN leaders might voice concern over activities that have caused tensions in the waters, including land reclamation. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Its chairmanship rotates annually based on the alphabetical order of the English names its members. Related coverage: China's Xi to skip G-20 summit for 1st time, Premier Li to attend instead Japan PM Kishida starts trip to Indonesia, India for ASEAN, G-20 talks Sam Altman, the Chief Executive Officer of OpenAI, has become the inaugural recipient of Indonesia's golden visa, as the country endeavors to attract foreign investment. This initiative aims to bolster the nation's economic growth and entice investors from abroad. (Photo: JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images) OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addresses a speech during a meeting, at the Station F in Paris on May 26, 2023. Altman, the boss of OpenAI, the firm behind the massively popular ChatGPT bot, said on May 26, 2023, in Paris that his firm's technology would not destroy the job market as he sought to calm fears about the march of artificial intelligence (AI). Receiving Grant from Indonesia Indonesia has granted its inaugural "Golden Visa" to Sam Altman, Chief Executive Officer of OpenAI. CNBC reported that this comes just one week after the program's launch, designed to lure foreign investment into Southeast Asia's largest economy. Silmy Karim, Indonesia's Director General of Immigration, explained that Golden visas are offered to individuals with international renown who can bring advantages to Indonesia, in addition to those based on investment and capital investment. Karim expressed that Altman can actively contribute to the advancement and utilization of AI technology in Indonesia. The Golden Visa is granted for a duration of 10 years. Earlier this year, Altman was in Indonesia as part of a tour that took him to major cities in Asia. This includes Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, and Singapore. Indonesia's Golden Visa As a holder of this prestigious visa, the American entrepreneur will benefit from expedited airport procedures at various airports throughout Indonesia's extensive archipelago. Additionally, he will have extended stay periods and simplified entry and exit processes. As reported by Time, this fresh visa program offers the opportunity for foreign investors to reside in the country for a period ranging from five to ten years. For instance, an individual who commits to a $350,000 investment in shares of domestic public companies, savings accounts, or government bonds qualifies for a five-year residency. While Altman's specific investment strategies in Indonesia remain undisclosed, his recent visit to Jakarta to discuss the future of artificial intelligence suggests a strong inclination toward engaging with the nation's technological ecosystem. The "Golden Visa" may serve as a catalyst for potential collaborations aimed at enhancing Indonesia's presence and influence in the global arena of AI and technology. Also read: Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman Express Support for EU's Governance of AI Since their introduction in the previous year, OpenAI's suite of tools has triggered a surge in investments dedicated to AI infrastructure. These tools have demonstrated the capability to emulate human-like intelligence by harnessing the power of extensive data centers, thereby illuminating the profound potential of artificial intelligence. This revelation has ignited a flurry of investment activities aimed at bolstering the infrastructure that supports AI advancements. OpenAI, with Sam Altman at the helm, has garnered international recognition for catalyzing investments in AI infrastructure. The company's innovations, including ChatGPT, have fundamentally transformed the AI landscape by harnessing extensive data centers to emulate human-like intelligence. Mint reported that this groundbreaking approach has spurred substantial investments in the development and scaling of AI infrastructure on a global scale. Related Article: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Expresses Concerns About What AI Might Do in Elections 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. China is preparing to initiate a state-backed investment fund with the goal of raising approximately $40 billion for its semiconductor industry. This move underscores China's determined efforts to bridge the technological gap with the United States and other global competitors in the semiconductor field. (Photo: Feng Li/Getty Images) BAODING, CHINA - JUNE 24: A worker controls the production line of the silicon chips used for making photoelectric board products at the plant of Tianwei Yingli Green Energy Resources Co., Ltd on June 24, 2009, in Baoding, China. China's top economic planning agency will soon submit a draft support plan of the country's new energy industry to the State Council for approval, a plan that would focus on nuclear power and renewable energy as wind and solar power, according to an official of the National Bureau of Energy. $41 Billion Investment from China Despite ongoing attempts by the United States to restrict China's semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, Reuters reported that China is forging ahead with plans to establish a fund aimed at strengthening its semiconductor industry. This state-backed initiative marks the third installment from the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, with a goal of securing 300 billion yuan (approximately $41 billion). The two previous funds, launched in 2014 and 2019, successfully raised $19 billion and $27 billion, respectively. China's finance ministry is anticipated to provide approximately $8 billion to this initiative. While the identities of other contributors remain undisclosed at this time, previous sponsors have included prominent entities such as China Telecom and China National Tobacco Corporation. The primary objective of the fund will be to develop advanced tools and technologies for the semiconductor manufacturing sector. Also read: US AI Chip Curb Extends to 'Some Middle East' Countries For a significant period, US News reported that President Xi Jinping has emphasized China's imperative to attain self-reliance in semiconductor production. This necessity has gained even greater urgency due to the recent imposition of a series of export control measures by Washington in the past couple of years. These measures were motivated by concerns that Beijing might harness advanced chips to enhance its military capabilities. In October, the United States implemented far-reaching sanctions that severed China's access to cutting-edge chip manufacturing equipment. Chinese Companies with Home-Grown Chips Engadget reported that this development follows closely on the heels of Huawei, a prominent Chinese electronics manufacturer, unveiling its latest smartphone, the Mate 60 Pro. This features domestically produced chips. Huawei collaborated with chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) to design a novel Kirin 9000s chip. The Mate 60 Pro seems to leverage SMIC's advanced 7nm technology, delivering download speeds that surpass those commonly found in standard 5G smartphones. The recent unveiling of the Mate 60 Pro and its impressive capabilities serves as a stark counterpoint to the measures taken by the United States, Japan, and the Netherlands to curtail China's chip access and constrain its production capabilities. As recently as August, President Biden issued an executive order tightening restrictions on investments in Chinese companies involved in technologies such as semiconductors. Earlier restrictions have been squarely aimed at Huawei, including a January prohibition on licensing US technology exports to the Chinese firm. Related Article: China's Semiconductor Industry Sees Huge Demand in Chip Industry for 2024: Here's What The Nation is Doing to Solve it 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The DogeRAT malware, a Remote Access Trojan with an insidious agenda, has raised alarms in India's Defense Ministry. Capable of infiltrating Android devices, TechCrunch reports that this malware poses a significant risk by granting hackers unauthorized access to sensitive data and even complete control over infected smartphones. DogeRAT Malware Scare As first spotted by MoneyControl, the Controller General of Defence Accounts, a branch of India's Defense Ministry, issued a stern advisory to citizens on August 24, cautioning against the pernicious DogeRAT malware. This malicious software, initially uncovered by the cybersecurity startup CloudSEK, is cunningly distributed through popular social media and messaging platforms, camouflaging itself as a legitimate app. Notably, it masquerades as seemingly benign applications like ChatGPT, Opera Mini, and premium versions of YouTube, Netflix, and Instagram. Once infiltrated into a victim's device, DogeRAT operates stealthily, quietly amassing unauthorized access to a treasure trove of sensitive information, including contacts, messages, and banking credentials. However, the malware's capabilities extend far beyond mere data pilferage. A Closer Look at DogeRAT's Arsenal The advisory further reveals the extent of DogeRAT's sinister capabilities. Once ensconced within an Android device, the malware becomes a puppeteer's tool, enabling hackers to execute various malicious actions. These include spamming, initiating unauthorized payments, modifying files, capturing photos and keystrokes, tracking the user's location, and secretly recording audio. The origin of this cyber threat remains shrouded in mystery, though the advisory underscores that a group of cybercriminals deployed Telegram to propagate counterfeit versions of well-known apps. These apps, seemingly harmless at first glance, contained the lurking DogeRAT malware. Read Also: Forever 21 Data Breach: Personal Details of Over 500,000 Customers, Employees Compromised Government's Proactive Measures In response to this looming menace, India's Defense Ministry has issued stringent guidelines to safeguard its departments and officials. They are sternly advised against downloading apps from unverified third-party platforms and cautioned about clicking on links from unknown senders. Individuals are encouraged to keep their smartphones up-to-date with the latest software and security patches and install antivirus software to fortify their defenses. Malware's Global Reach DogeRAT's audacious author has left digital breadcrumbs for investigators. TechCrunch also reports that a post on GitHub reveals the malware's campaign orchestration through a Telegram bot and an open-source NodeJS app hosting platform. CloudSEK researchers warn that this malware is not limited to India alone; it possesses ambitions of a global reach. India's Cybersecurity Battlefield India's burgeoning digitization and status as the world's second-largest internet market after China has made it a hotspot for cyber threats. The Indian IT ministry recently reported a staggering 171% increase in cybersecurity incidents affecting government departments, surging from 70,798 in 2018 to 192,439 in 2022. Meanwhile, global cybercrime costs are predicted to rise 15% annually over the next five years, reaching $10.5 trillion by 2025. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: Australian Clinic TissuPath Reports Data Breach With 10 Years of Pathology Letters Potentially Exposed 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tesla Shanghai has filed a lawsuit against Bingling Intelligent Technology in China on the grounds of alleged unfair competition and violation of technological secrets. The case will be heard at the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court on October 10, according to the Shanghai Securities Journal. Newsmax reported that Bingling Intelligent Technology is a well-known chip designer and car component producer with headquarters in Changzhou, Jiangsu province. Notably, evidence from the Chinese business data site Tianyancha indicates that a Xiaomi investment fund entity owns 11.9% of Bingling. Tesla Wins Lawsuit Against 'Tesla Beer' Maker The lawsuit was initiated after Tesla recently won a trademark dispute in China over the usage of the term "Tesla Beer." Zhongyin Food Co., Ltd. sought to use Tesla's name and logo to advertise its goods, which led to legal action from the electric car manufacturer owned by Elon Musk. A judge ruled in Tesla's favor, admitting that Tesla's exclusive trademark rights had been violated, and Zhongyin was mandated to stop engaging in unfair business activities, pay a fine of 5 million (about $690,000), and make a public announcement, Teslarati reported. A variety of drinks with Tesla themes, including sodas and beer, started to appear in China in 2019. These goods have nothing to do with Tesla. When it comes to safeguarding its brand, reputation, or intellectual property rights, Tesla has been steadily developing its legal staff. Read Also: Elon Musk Assassination Plot: Errol Musk Speaks Out on Growing Safety Concerns, Shadow Government Threat Tesla Model 3 Showcased in Beijing Car Show Meanwhile, Tesla debuted its locally built Model 3 vehicle at a Beijing trade show. The upgraded Model 3 sedan was shown a day earlier in some nations. The Tesla Model 3, manufactured in Shanghai, will be offered across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. A rear display for backseat passengers is one of numerous innovations for Chinese clients, according to Reuters. a Chinese sales lady said recent daily order volume of the new model 3 is more than 10 times of normal daily order volume @SawyerMerritt @zhongwen2005 @teslashanghai @WholeMarsBlog pic.twitter.com/vby1FFQei2 NathanZ (@Elon_fanboy77) September 4, 2023 Tesla's increasing dependence on the Chinese market, where it fights for market share with well-known local EV maker BYD, is highlighted by the fact that the business debuted the new Model 3 sedan there before the United States. Tesla debuted a flaming red variant of the car at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS). Sales professionals from Tesla talked with prospective customers, answering questions and offering points about the characteristics of the vehicle. While some visitors showed excitement about the improved audio system and back display, others remarked on the rising number of available electric car alternatives, signaling increasing competition in the electric vehicle industry. One booth visitor, Hu, said she was not persuaded to order the Tesla Model 3. "There's no special reason (to buy Tesla) because there are so many new energy vehicles," she remarked. The new Tesla Model 3 will also be on display at the Munich auto show, showcasing the company's ongoing attempts to broaden its worldwide reach and satisfy rising customer demand for electric cars. Related Article: Chinese Wind Power Giant Installs 14.3 MW Offshore Turbine in Just 30 Working Hours 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, renowned for its exploration of Pluto and the Kuiper Belt Object Arrokoth, may soon face an uncertain fate as the agency contemplates ending the mission. This immediately sparked controversy among the planetary science organizations as the majority of them disagreed with the decision. Community Wants to Save New Horizons The planetary science community has not taken NASA's decision lightly. The New Horizons science team received notice from NASA that the mission, as currently structured, is scheduled to conclude on September 30, 2024. This news has prompted widespread objections and concerns from scientists and enthusiasts alike. To save the fate of New Horizons missions, the National Space Society started a petition drive last August. The agency is hoping that NASA will reconsider to withdraw the changes. Furthermore, members of the public who wish to advocate for the continuation of the New Horizons mission can also take a proactive approach by reaching out to their Congressional representatives. These representatives possess the authority to communicate directly with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson to express support for the mission and its dedicated science team. This engagement is particularly crucial as NASA may require the current team to compete for their own mission in September. Related Article: NASA's Asteroid Watch Reveals 5 Massive Asteroids Approaching Earth This Month Pioneering Mission With New Horizons According to Universe Today, the New Horizons spacecraft remains actively engaged in scientific exploration as it traverses uncharted territories within the Solar System. Last year, a NASA Senior Review panel commended the mission for its accomplishments and unique positioning within the outer Solar System. The panel emphasized that New Horizons holds a distinct role as the sole spacecraft poised to explore this region for the next 20-30 years. Why NASA Decided to Lie-Low With New Horizons? The positive feedback that New Horizons got from the community is still not enough for NASA to continue the project. The agency's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) intends to replace the New Horizons Kuiper Belt team with a team specializing in heliophysics. While the budget is not yet determined to be the reason behind the sudden hibernation of New Horizons, Alan Stern, Principal Investigator of the mission, believes that it makes no sense to cut the support for the spacecraft. "You have a perfectly working spacecraft," he said, "and for only $3 million a year that it costs to support our Kuiper Belt science team, you're going to quit the very exploration of the Kuiper Belt the spacecraft was built and paid for to do? It makes no sense," Stern says. With that being said, it's still up for NASA to resume or shut down the exploration in the Kuiper belt. As the agency said, the missions are scheduled to halt on September 30, 2024. Earlier this month, NASA said that it's planning to bring laser communications to the ISS, according to Tech Times. Read Also: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Unveils New Structures of an Iconic Supernova 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Israeli fintech startup ThetaRay has successfully raised $57 million in a growth funding round led by Portage, CTECH reports. With participation from existing investors, including JVP and OurCrowd, this funding round marks a significant milestone in ThetaRay's journey. While ThetaRay has remained discreet about its current valuation, the company did reveal that it has experienced a substantial valuation surge compared to its previous funding round. To date, ThetaRay has secured a remarkable total of $150 million in funding, solidifying its position as a fintech innovator. Empowering Global Payments with AI Peter Reynolds, the newly appointed CEO of ThetaRay, tells us that "global payment infrastructure too often fails to accurately differentiate between perfectly legitimate transactions and ones from bad actors dealing with illicit funds. Read Also: Baidu's Ernie Chatbot Public Rollout Spurs 6 Million Users, New AI Apps ThetaRay's innovative approach seeks to bridge this gap, providing a safer and more efficient financial ecosystem. The company, which boasts offices in key global financial hubs such as New York, Madrid, London, Dubai, and Tel Aviv, offers cutting-edge cloud-based transaction monitoring and screening solutions underpinned by proprietary and patented AI technology. ThetaRay's platform is designed to monitor financial transactions with unparalleled precision, allowing the seamless flow of funds across borders by establishing trust in transactions. Trusted by Financial Giants ThetaRay's success story is not without its key players, including some of the world's most significant financial institutions. Institutions such as Santander, Travelex, Mashreq Bank, MFS Africa, and ClearBank have entrusted ThetaRay with financial security, further validating the company's capabilities and potential to reshape the financial landscape. The company's impressive growth over the last two years is evident in its customer base, which has expanded more than tenfold. Moreover, existing clients have demonstrated satisfaction with ThetaRay's services, contributing to a net dollar retention rate exceeding 180%. These milestones have culminated in an astounding fivefold increase in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). While the precise ARR figure remains undisclosed, ThetaRay's trajectory speaks volumes about its trajectory in the fintech sphere. Global Expansion on the Horizon ThetaRay's strategic move to secure $57 million in funding has not gone unnoticed by industry leaders. Erel Margalit, Founder and Chairman of JVP and Chairman of ThetaRay, commented on the significance of the partnership with Portage: "Portage's deep expertise in the FinTech and Financial Services space makes them the ideal partner as ThetaRay embarks on a new chapter of growth and geographic expansion." More Startups Using AI Employee support startup Atomicwork has successfully raised $11 million in a seed funding round. Atomicwork's game-changing strategy centers around artificial intelligence, harnessing its power to streamline and simplify employees' daily interactions with various tools. The platform seamlessly integrates with popular collaboration tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams, using conversational intelligence to automate support, service delivery, and operational tasks at scale. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: Greece Teams Up With Israel to Introduce AI-Powered Detection System of Wildfires 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A pioneering collaboration of chemists and physicists hailing from Kyoto University, the Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science, RIKEN, Rikkyo University, and Tohoku University in Japan has achieved a groundbreaking feat in nuclear physics. For the very first time, they witnessed electron scattering from artificially created radioisotopes. Unveiling Atomic Nuclei's Finite Size Since the revelation in the 1950s that atomic nuclei possess a finite size, researchers have tirelessly pursued methods to gain insights into the elusive structure of these minuscule entities. To achieve this, they envisioned the development of a femtoscope, a specialized instrument capable of capturing the inner workings of atomic nuclei. According to Phys.org, the collaborative research team devised a sophisticated system that embodies the essence of a femtoscope. Their journey commenced with the utilization of a particle accelerator, instrumental in energizing a cluster of electrons. These highly charged electrons were then expertly directed to collide with a solid block of uranium carbide, giving rise to a stream of cesium-137 ions. Self-Confining Radioactive-Isotope Ion Target (SCRIT) System The ions underwent an extraordinary transformation as they entered the innovative self-confining radioactive-isotope ion target (SCRIT) system. Within this ingenious setup, the ions were meticulously confined within a three-dimensional space, impeccably aligned with an electron beam. This precise alignment facilitated the orchestrated encounters between ions and electrons, laying the foundation for the groundbreaking observations that would follow. Related Article: Large Hadron Collider Experiment Detects a Rare 'Hypernuclei' From Proton Collisions Capturing How Electron Scatters The researchers harnessed the capabilities of a magnetic spectrometer to meticulously record the intricate interference patterns arising from electron scattering. This pivotal achievement marks the very first instance of such electron scattering being captured and observed. Beyond this remarkable milestone, the SCRIT system has unlocked an array of exciting research opportunities. It offers a versatile platform for investigating scattering events involving various types of nuclei, notably those characterized by short lifespans. Moreover, the system embodies the qualities of a femtoscope, akin to an oscilloscope but operating on the femtometer scale. The research titled "First Observation of Electron Scattering from Online-Produced Radioactive Target" can be found in the journal Physical Review Letters. In other news, Tech Times reported that a group of scientists succeeded in treating the arthritis of a 46-year-old gorilla. The big primate Liesel is currently under the care of the Budapest Zoo in Hungary. However, the caretakers noticed that the gorilla had difficulty in walking and they suspected that it was because of the arthritis. The zoo asked help from the University of Sheffield to address Liesel's health problem. Through stem cell therapy, the team of scientists managed to cure the gorilla. This scientific breakthrough is not only a win for animals, but for humans who are looking to better their lives. Read Also: NASA's Decision to Halt New Horizons Mission Sparks Controversy 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In an urgent plea to Congress, the top prosecutors from the 50 US states have banded together to warn of the rising danger of child abuse by artificial intelligence (AI). The attorneys general sent a convincing letter to Republican and Democratic House and Senate leaders demanding the creation of an expert committee to explore how AI might hurt children and to legally prohibit AI-generated child sexual abuse materials. The letter emphasizes the need for immediate action from authorities, stating, "We are engaged in a race against time to protect the children of our country from the dangers of AI. Indeed, the proverbial walls of the city have already been breached. Now is the time to act," as reported by AP News. Republican South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson organized support for the anti-child exploitation campaign from all 50 states and four US territories and believes protecting kids from AI should be a bipartisan concern. Public Calls for Robust Protection Against AI Abuse This year, the US Senate has already held hearings on the possible dangers presented by AI-related technology. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and other prominent players in the IT sector have emphasized the need for government engagement to reduce the potential hazards of more powerful AI systems. To ensure that the most powerful AI systems adhere to safety regulations, Altman suggested creating a US or international body. The US Congress has not yet created comprehensive AI rules similar to those in Europe, but mounting public worry has spurred American authorities to promise a crackdown on AI tools that flout already-existing consumer protection and human rights laws. Attorney General Wilson is urging his colleagues in other states to review their legislation for possible areas of concern in addition to federal action. The letter worries about "deepfake" situations when AI creates videos and photographs of child abuse. Read Also: COVID Spreading in Florida: Hospitalizations, Deaths on the Rise Although they may not strictly include the abuse of actual children, these unsettlingly realistic AI-generated materials might pose legal difficulties. Wilson explained that in the case of the AI-generated materials, children were not attacked and abused physically, "but their likeness is being used as if they were." Laws Must Evolve as Technology Advances AI tools, including Stable Diffusion, originally intended to generate visuals for art and design, are being abused by some to produce child exploitation materials. The technology, which creates realistic images from text inputs, is utilized to create wholly fictional photos of kids specifically for the production of child porn. Even if the victims are wholly digital constructs, this activity adds to the desire for a sector that takes advantage of minors. South Carolina Attorney General Wilson underscored the importance of staying ahead of technological advancements, stating, "The bad guys are always evolving on how they can slip off the hook of justice, and we have to evolve with that," as quoted in a report from The Daily Record. While the US attorneys general call for legislation against AI-enabled child exploitation, reports of such material have arisen worldwide. According to the BBC, AI-generated photos of child sexual abuse, including gross actions against newborns and toddlers, have reportedly been found by police internet child abuse investigation teams in the UK. To address the growing problem, several IT businesses have taken action. Meta, OnlyFans, and Pornhub have all expressed support for the "Take It Down" program, which enables teenagers to report graphic images and videos of themselves posted online, including artificial intelligence-generated content. However, to address the larger issue, extensive legislative measures are necessary. Related Article: Greece Teams Up With Israel to Introduce AI-Powered Detection System of Wildfires 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NXP Semiconductors, a Dutch chipmaker, has alerted its clients of a data breach that exposed their private information. Troy Hunt, the proprietor of "Have I Been Pwned?" published a copy of the email issued by NXP to impacted consumers to discover the breach. Online NXP accounts, which provide access to technical resources and community help, seem to have been affected by the attack, according to a TechCrunch report. On its account benefits page, NXP Semiconductors underscores its dedication to account security, which includes tools like two-step authentication, to protect users' accounts and data. According to NXP spokesperson Andrea Lempart, an "unauthorized party" gained access to "basic personal information" through a system connected to the company's website. The compromised information includes NXP customers' full names, email addresses, postal addresses, business and cell phone numbers, company names, job titles, descriptions, and communication preferences. NXP Clients Warned Over Possible Phishing Attempts The nature of the NXP data breach remains unclear and why it took some days for the chip maker to notify those affected. NXP discovered the incident on July 14, after it happened on July 11. Customers of NXP Semiconductors have been cautioned to be wary of unsolicited emails that ask for personal information or include particular URLs. The tech firm emphasized that it would never intentionally ask its customers for personal or private information and recommended recipients, if necessary, report phishing efforts to the appropriate authorities. The NXP data breach comes after a security researcher reported to have found a flaw in the Delhi Metro's smart card system, which relies on NXP-produced chips, according to Benzinga. People were able to take advantage of the defect and use top-up cards to ride for free on the subway system. Read Also: Tesla vs. Bingling Technology: Legal Battle in China Ensues Over Tech Secret Infringement According to InvestorsObserver, NXP Semiconductors (NXPI) is the best-rated semiconductor company with an overall score of 79. The tech company's shares rose 30.61% to $209.96 this year. The overall score, which considers short- and long-term indicators, shows that NXPI beats 79% of the market. NXP Semiconductor performs strongly, having an average overall score of 48. The semiconductor sector outperforms 48% of the market on average for stock performance, per the report. Popular Fashion Brand Suffered Massive Data Breach Last week, TechTimes reported about Forever 21's disclosed major data breach that affected over 500,000 people. The clothing company said hackers unlawfully accessed highly sensitive personal data of customers and workers during the breach that happened earlier this year. Forever 21 is noted to have taken steps to protect the stolen data from the third party who committed the data breach. The firm also stated that it swiftly informed those impacted. Despite the incident, the worldwide fashion brand said there was no indication of fraud or identity theft using the stolen data. However, some experts warn that hackers may utilize stolen data for phishing and other fraud. Related Article: 50 US State Attorneys General Call for Congressional Probe into AI Child Exploitation 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Apple and Microsoft reportedly want their services, the iMessage chat app and Bing search engine, to be exempted from the designated gatekeepers list under the European Unions forthcoming Digital Markets Act (DMA) on September 6. Both the tech giants argue that their services arent large or powerful enough to justify earning the restrictions of the DMA (via The Financial Times). For those unaware, the DMA is a European Union (EU) regulation that aims to make the digital economy fairer and more contestable by keeping the big internet companies in check. It will ensure that these platforms behave in a fair way online and promote more competition and choice, greater innovation, better quality, and lower prices. The platforms that meet certain criteria, such as having an annual turnover of more than 7.5 billion, a market cap above 75 billion, and at least 45 million active monthly users or at least 10,000 active business users in the EU, will be subject to a slew of interoperability and competition rules of the DMA. While the European Commission has not released the list of designated gatekeepers, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, ByteDance, and Samsung are already on the said list. However, the EU has yet to determine which specific services offered by them should be covered. Once the EU assigns its gatekeepers, they will have six months, or until March 2024, to abide by the DMAs rules. Microsoft and Apple are privately (and separately) arguing that their services arent large or powerful enough to justify earning the restrictions of the Digital Markets Act, states the FT report. Apple is reportedly working actively on methods to open up its iOS platform to third-party app stores and sideloading to comply with new anticipated rules. However, it argues that iMessage falls short of DMAs user threshold of 45 million monthly users, exempting it from opening the service to facilitate rival apps such as Metas WhatsApp, the report noted, citing the sources. Analysts have estimated that iMessage, which is built into every iPhone, iPad and Mac, has as many as 1bn users globally, but Apple has not disclosed any figures for several years. The decision is likely to hinge on how Apple and the EU define the market in which iMessage operates. On the other hand, Microsoft is unlikely to dispute the designation of its Windows operating system, as it acknowledges that it qualifies as a gatekeeper. However, it argues that its Bing search engine only holds a market share of 3% (compared to its rival Google), and subjecting it to further legal scrutiny could put it at a greater disadvantage with the new rules. It also argues that under the new rules, Bing would need to give users a choice of other search engines, including Googles Search, which could end up boosting Googles market share. Microsoft further rejected the idea that Bing should be subject to the same obligations placed on its much larger rival, Google Search, the FT report added, citing two people with direct knowledge of the matter. Neither the European Commission nor Apple or Microsoft have commented on the report. KYODO NEWS - Sep 5, 2023 - 20:28 | All, Japan, World The value of Japan's seafood exports to China fell 23.2 percent in July from a year earlier to 7.7 billion yen ($52 million), partly due to the neighboring country's blanket radiation testing on such products that started that month, government data showed Tuesday. The exports of those products, particularly scallops, saw a decline for the first time since January 2021, as Beijing had tightened its inspections prior to the release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Despite concerns from neighboring countries such as China, Japan went ahead in late August in discharging the water from the Fukushima Daiichi plant. China subsequently suspended imports of all seafood products from Japan. Such a ban is likely to see a further drop in China-bound seafood exports for August, ministry officials said. Tuna was also among the products significantly affected by China's radiation testing that lengthened customs procedures. The aggregate export value of Japanese agricultural, forestry, and fishery products to China for July also fell 20.8 percent to 22.5 billion yen, the data showed. The total exports of such products to Hong Kong were down 2.9 percent, while those of seafood products alone fell 11.0 percent. Due to the impact of China's tightened inspections, the total value of Japan's food, agriculture, forestry and fisheries exports decreased 0.03 percent to 117.8 billion yen, marking a decline for the first time in six months. The decrease is likely to affect the ministry's target of raising annual exports to 2 trillion yen by 2025. Related coverage: Japan protests China's import ban over Fukushima water release at WTO Japan to give extra 20.7 billion yen to fisheries amid China import ban Japan business leaders to visit China in January 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 The family restaurant that wants to make birria fashionable in Madrid, that Mexican stew that is eaten in a taco and dipped in the broth Reunion Island targeted by several bomb threats, "no real threat detected", according to the prefect iPhone 15: Apple has had a BMW problem for weeks and still no solution To comply with the Paris Climate Agreement: Global CO budget smaller than previously assumed, according to study Self-perception of animals: Roosters may be able to recognize themselves in the mirror Migrant caravan in Mexico: Thousands want to walk 3000 kilometers through Mexico to the U.S. border After the implementation of the new standard, Beijing issued the first heavy pollution warning Where does the haze come from? Active job openings-to-applicants ratio in September: 9.1 times on average nationwide, the same level for the third consecutive month Fog and haze in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Rainy and snowy weather in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang and other places In this life, you must go to Jilin in autumn once! Buenaventura del Charco, psychologist and author of 'You're Your Life': "Why this determination to get out of your comfort zone? Let's bring a fucking couch to life!" From the best island in the world to a great hotel in Rome: the most appetizing trips between now and Christmas Friends cast on the death of Matthew Perry: We were more than just fellow actors. We are a family The 10th Anniversary of the Opening of the Motuo Highway: The Construction and Transformation of the "Motuo Heavenly Road"-Chinanews.com Video The test that revealed the alterations of Carlos' lung cancer in three days: "I got rid of 'chemo' and 'radio'" 123 pages of materials reported on the supervisor's academic fraud: another manuscript by the supervisor was taken down by the journal Beijing: Odd and even numbers are implemented when the "red alert" is heavily polluted Those odd workers who "work on their stomachs" under the viaduct "It is necessary to make it mandatory to wear "collars": the death of 29-year-old hockey player Johnson made us think about the equipment of the players Carlos Alcaraz's return to Paris-Bercy: "It would be a lie to say I'm 100 per cent" Elfsborg back at the top of the league after a late lead goal against Gothenburg Zagitova's form, Valieva's perseverance and Shanaeva's behavior: what is being discussed in the world of figure skating Chinese women's football coach: Decompressing the players before the life-and-death battle becomes the first task Messi won his eighth Ballon d'Or, and he continued to write a legend with his legend Luis de la Fuente: "After the applause I wasn't worried about the consequences, I just wanted to be satisfied with myself: I had made a mistake and I had to ask for forgiveness" Peak season of the wedding market: meet the needs of upgrading and create a happy experience in the whole process Before the end of the year, social security and wages ushered in new changes Major supermarkets, etc. Movement to reduce the price of some products by improving the efficiency of delivery Supply and Marketing Cooperative: Make every effort to do a good job in the supply of agricultural materials for autumn and winter planting and the winter storage of fertilizers China's National Energy Administration: The overall guarantee of power supply in the peak winter is under certain pressure The express delivery industry welcomes the annual test: the service continues to upgrade, and the parcel runs out of acceleration Winter power saving for the first time in two years without requesting the prospect of securing a reserve rate Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Nishimura Shuijingfang's revenue and net profit in the third quarter increased by about 20%, achieving its performance target From the 1986 mourning with Prince Felipe to the 'Leonormania' of Madrid: "We saw that young man as a hope" Iria, granddaughter of Fernando Fernandez Tapias: "Now the truth of everything will be known" Maximum solemnity for Eleanor's swearing-in: 19 cannon shots, arrival in the Rolls, first speech at the Royal Palace and the necklace of Charles III Netanyahu: Israel has entered the third phase of the war with Hamas Four arrested in Madrid for squatting in the house of a sick elderly woman: a call from a neighbor alerted the police How to use the 123.<> billion yuan in compensation for ecological and environmental damage The State Railway Administration interviewed the 10rd Bureau of China Railway and the Heihe Municipal People's Government on the "15.<>" accident Cui Tiankai on China-US relations: How can China and the United States achieve harmony but difference, fight without breaking? - Chinanews.com video The country's first local regulations on the prevention of juvenile delinquency in districted cities were approved 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 The whole of Uppsala without district heating the heating plant without electricity What is the curse of the "eighth decade" that Ehud Barak feared and Abu Obeida waved? In Moldova, they announced the blocking of more than 30 sites, including Russian ones The Price of "De-Occupation": How the Utro Dagestan Telegram Channel Is Connected to Politician Ponomarev Matthew Perry's Estate: His Parents and Five Siblings, the Possible Heirs to His Million-Dollar Fortune Video of the detainees. Another victory for Hamas and a setback for Netanyahu He warned them of the curse of the "eighth decade". How did Israelis comment on Abu Obeida's speech? After the implementation of the new standard, Beijing issued the first heavy pollution warning Where does the haze come from? Israeli army rescues kidnapped woman: "We will use the astonishing information she has revealed to us" 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. KYODO NEWS - Sep 5, 2023 - 13:25 | World, All North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to travel to Russia this month to discuss with President Vladimir Putin the possibility of supplying Moscow with more weapons for its war in Ukraine as well as other military cooperation, The New York Times reported Monday citing American and allied officials. Kim, who rarely travels outside his country, would travel from Pyongyang, probably by armored train, to Vladivostok for the meeting, the officials reportedly said. The two leaders would be on the campus of Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok to attend the Eastern Economic Forum, scheduled from Sept. 10 to 13. Kim also plans to visit Pier 33, where naval ships from Russia's Pacific fleet dock. The officials were cited as saying Putin wants Kim to agree to send artillery shells and antitank missiles, while Kim would like Russia to provide North Korea with advanced satellite and nuclear-powered submarine technology. Kim also desires food aid for his country. Kim may also visit Moscow, one official said, as well as Vostochny Cosmodrome, a space launch center in the Russian Far East. The idea for the visit emerged after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled in July to North Korea to commemorate the 70th anniversary of a cease-fire agreement in the Korean War, according to the report. In late August, a delegation of about 20 North Korean officials, including some who oversee security protocols for the leadership, traveled by train from Pyongyang to Vladivostok, then flew to Moscow, in a trip believed to be a forward planning exercise, the report said. The respective countries have been heavily sanctioned by Western powers and Japan over North Korea's nuclear weapons program and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Related coverage: Russia proposed 3-way drill with North Korea, China: South Korea spy agency Russia commemorates WWII victory over Japan on disputed islands North Korea fires cruise missiles into Yellow Sea: South Korea KYODO NEWS - Sep 5, 2023 - 20:52 | World, All Srettha Thavisin was sworn in as Thailand's prime minister and finance minister Tuesday, more than three months after the country's general election, amid expectations that the former property tycoon will be able to boost Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. Most of Srettha's 33 ministers are drawn from his Pheu Thai Party, which garnered the second-highest number of votes in the May 14 general election, with the remaining ministers coming from pro-military parties that were formerly rivals of Pheu Thai. Pheu Thai has established a coalition with 10 other parties, including those that supported the previous pro-military government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who announced his retirement from politics in July. Several key Cabinet posts, including defense, commerce, and foreign affairs, went to Pheu Thai. The party's former deputy leader, Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, doubles as foreign minister and deputy prime minister. Doubling as finance chief, Srettha, who was formerly president of real estate developer Sansiri Public Co., is expected to focus on improving the Thai economy, which is still on a recovery path after the COVID-19 pandemic. Pheu Thai had initially formed a coalition that included Move Forward, the party that garnered the most votes, following the election. But Pheu Thai dissolved the coalition after parliament rejected Move Forward's leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, as new prime minister in July. The decision was largely driven by significant opposition to his efforts to amend the country's stringent laws against insulting the monarchy. Srettha, who had no experience as a politician, was elected as prime minister by a parliamentary vote on Aug. 22, hours after ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand. Pheu Thai is the political vehicle of Thaksin, who had been in self-imposed exile for around 15 years. Related coverage: Thai king reduces ex-PM Thaksin's jail time to 1 year Ex-Thai PM Thaksin moved to hospital after return from exile Thai parliament selects Srettha Thavisin of Pheu Thai party as PM KYODO NEWS - Sep 5, 2023 - 23:05 | All, World, Japan The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Defense in Kyoto Animation arson trial says suspect not mentally fit KYOTO - The defense team for the man accused of carrying out a 2019 arson attack that killed 36 people at a famous Japanese anime studio in Kyoto called for his acquittal at the trial's first hearing Tuesday, arguing he was not mentally competent at the time. Shinji Aoba, 45, admitted at the Kyoto District Court to the attack, deemed as one of Japan's worst-ever mass murders. He faces five charges including murder over the blaze at the Kyoto Animation Co. studio's premises, according to the indictment. ---------- Japan's July seafood exports to China down 23% on radiation testing TOKYO - The value of Japan's seafood exports to China fell 23.2 percent in July from a year earlier to 7.7 billion yen ($52 million), partly due to the neighboring country's blanket radiation testing on such products that started that month, government data showed Tuesday. The exports of those products, particularly scallops, saw a decline for the first time since January 2021, as Beijing had tightened its inspections prior to the release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. ---------- Philippines to be 2026 ASEAN chair as no progress on Myanmar seen JAKARTA - Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed Tuesday for the Philippines to become the rotating chair of the regional body in 2026 instead of Myanmar, after assessing that the junta has made "no significant progress" in implementing a peace plan struck two years ago. The agreement was reached during a leaders' retreat, after the leaders found that implementation of the so-called five-point consensus has not made any headway, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told reporters. ---------- Japan's FY 2024 budget requests hit record 114.39 trillion yen TOKYO - Budget requests by Japanese ministries and agencies for fiscal 2024 totaled a record 114.39 trillion yen ($779 billion), after higher bond yields pushed up debt-servicing costs on top of increased defense and social security spending, the Finance Ministry said Tuesday. The amount surpassed the 111.66 trillion yen sought for fiscal 2022, previously the largest on record, with the Finance Ministry planning to scrutinize requests to trim total spending before it unveils a budget before the end of the year. ---------- North Korea's Kim to meet Putin in Russia to talk weapons supply: NYT WASHINGTON - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to travel to Russia this month to discuss with President Vladimir Putin the possibility of supplying Moscow with more weapons for its war in Ukraine as well as other military cooperation, The New York Times reported Monday citing American and allied officials. Kim, who rarely travels outside his country, would travel from Pyongyang, probably by armored train, to Vladivostok for the meeting, the officials reportedly said. ---------- Japan protests China's import ban over Fukushima water release at WTO TOKYO - The Japanese government said Tuesday it has submitted a document to the WTO protesting China's blanket seafood import ban following the release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. At a regular press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, the top government spokesman, said the document dated Monday has been distributed to members of the World Trade Organization. ---------- Opening of Osaka casino resort to be delayed by 1 year to fall 2030 OSAKA - A casino resort planned for construction in Osaka will open around the fall of 2030, about a year behind schedule, the Osaka prefectural government said Tuesday. The so-called integrated resort, or IR, comprised of a large hotel, conference facilities and gambling areas, was previously scheduled to open between the fall and winter of 2029. ---------- World Cup puts bounce in Japan basketball's step ahead of Olympics OKINAWA, Japan - Japan's success at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Okinawa could trigger a leap in the sport's domestic popularity, as it edges upward behind baseball and football in recognition from the wider public as a game to view via live broadcasts. The final matches scheduled in Okinawa Arena ended Sunday, and the co-host's qualification for the Paris Olympics, coupled with the festive atmosphere generated by fans flocking from across the country and abroad, has left many buzzing. ---------- Video: Protest against U.S. base relocation within Okinawa Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington 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 Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A group of Australian lawmakers said Tuesday they would travel to Washington this month to lobby the United States to abandon its efforts to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The delegation includes former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and five other lawmakers from across the political spectrum. Their trip is timed to draw attention to the issue ahead of a planned visit to the White House in late October by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Independent lawmaker and delegation member Monique Ryan told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. they represented a large group of lawmakers who feel "really, really strongly about the importance of securing Mr. Assange's freedom. Ryan said Assange was in poor health which made the matter more pressing. Assange, an Australian citizen, has spent the past four years in Britains Belmarsh Prison fighting extradition to the U.S. He has been charged with espionage for publishing classified military and diplomatic cables through WikiLeaks. If found guilty, he could face a sentence of up to 175 years in prison. The effort by the Australian lawmakers is the latest in a series of international moves raising questions about the extradition. Pope Francis met with Assange's wife Stella in June, which she said was evidence of his ongoing support for the family's plight. In May, Brazils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva denounced the lack of concerted efforts to free Assange. Before he was incarcerated, Assange took asylum for seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in an attempt to avoid extradition to Sweden over sexual assault allegations. Sweden dropped that investigation in 2019 because so much time had elapsed. Greg Barns, a human rights lawyer and Assange campaign adviser, said most Australians believed the matter should come to an end. Julian should be immediately reunited with his wife and children," Barns said. "That can only happen if the U.S. Department of Justice drops its extradition bid at once. The delegation plans meet with members of the House and Senate as well as the State Department and Justice Department. They will also meet with organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, and the Committee to Protect Journalists. Assanges brother Gabriel Shipton said even Australians who didnt support Assange's actions believed he had suffered enough and should be set free. American prosecutors allege Assange helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal classified diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks later published, putting lives at risk. Former President Donald Trump apparently took what he thinks is a glam-worthy, campaign-focused mug shot, and he may be right. His supporters are rushing to buy his mug merch, and many no doubt are throwing money at him because they see him as a victim. His campaign raised more than $9 million in just three days. Crisis-ridden Qantas Airways has been in desperate need of a circuit breaker, and Alan Joyces scalp should have been it. Instead, Joyce offered himself up, rather than being forced by the board to leave. As sacrifices go this isnt much of one. Joyce was already set to leave in two months time anyway. As sacrifices go - this isnt a big one. Joyce was already set to leave in two months. Credit: Nine The optics might go in Qantas favour, but the difference in a practical sense is minor. Advertisement Eating outRestaurant news The experts guide to Victorias best regional food events to book right now Melbourne Food and Wine Festivals November regional dining program has been announced. Heres festival creative director Pat Nourses top picks to book right now. Dani Valent September 4, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share Wedged between Melbourne Cup weekend and the flurry of December, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festivals just-launched regional dining program is a banquet of events from November 10 to 19. The program spans the Yarra Valley, Ballarat and Gippsland, with a showcase Village Feast on November 18 in seaside Inverloch, two hours east of Melbourne. A number of Sydneysiders are steaming south for the festivities, including Good Foods Adam Liaw, who will collaborate with local chef Thi Le (Anchovy, Jeow and Ca Com) at one of 10 Village Feast food stalls. Adam Liaw will be at the Village Feast. Supplied Clayton Wells (previously of Automata and now at MOD Dining at the Art Gallery of NSW) is collaborating with Mark Briggs from Sardine Dining in Paynesville at another stall. My parents live in Gippsland, says Wells. Its a beautiful part of the world. This is all about showcasing a great part of Victoria, digging deep into local produce and having a chat to people who come along. You want to create that connection. Barbados-born chef Paul Carmichael. Supplied Advertisement And Village Feast is also a rare opportunity to sample the stylings of Barbados-born Paul Carmichael (ex-Momofuku Seiobo), who is teaming up with Nick Mahlook and his Lakes Entrance-based Sodafishcrew. Mahlook says theyll be using the south Gippsland produce he knows so well, particularly seafood, and steering it towards the Caribbean. Special access, hands-on events and bespoke tastings are a feature of the regional festival. Dining in the Mines (November 10) is a highlight of the Ballarat program, with snacks and smelting underground followed by dinner at the Charlie Napier Hotel. Theres a rose theme for the Chandon x Drom Brunch (November 12), which intersperses Yarra Valley sparkling with cult croissants. Down Home with Rachel and Bill, an afternoon party in Yarragon, West Gippsland, on November 17 includes music, wine and snacks with hosts cheese maker Rachel Needoba, from the Butterfly Factory, and vintner William Downie. We are really lucky as Victorians and visitors that these places are so close to Melbourne, says the festivals creative director, Pat Nourse. Jump on the train to Ballarat, head to the Yarra Valley, road trip to the splendid jewel of a town that is Inverloch. Its a good time, teeming with talent, celebrating beautiful food and drink. Head underground for Dining in the Mines at Sovereign Hill. Advertisement Pats picks A Spring Supra with Gippsland winery Momento Mori and Gray & Gray restaurant. November 18. Ill definitely be booking this for a touch of Georgian culture in Gippsland, says Nourse. Think polyphonic singing around a laden table, with guidance from a traditional toastmaster. Blend Your Own Pinot at Fleet Wines, Leongatha. November 19. This sounds ridiculously incredible, says Nourse. You start with great base wines and walk out with bottles of wines that youve made yourself. Hows that for a flex at your next dinner party or BYO session? Worlds Longest Lunches at Ballarat and Yarra Valley. November 11. Always nice for something traditional and relaxed, says Nourse. But if you want something a bit out there, consider the Interstellar Wine Worlds party (also November 11) hosted by Jayden Ong and showcasing movers and shakers of the Yarra Valley wine world. For more details on the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Regional Edition (November 10-19, 2023), visit melbournefoodandwine.com.au Road trip! Victorias 10 best regional pubs of 2023 Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up Are aliens real? Lets start with the Fermi Paradox, also known as, Where are all the aliens?, which refers to the discrepancy between the high likelihood of advanced extraterrestrial life and the lack of conclusive evidence of its existence. There are about 300 billion [stars] in our galaxy. The average galaxy has 100 billion stars. And there are 500 billion to 2 trillion galaxies, says Dr Brad Tucker, an astrophysicist at the Australian National University. If you hold a grain of sand at arms length up to the sky, thats about the size of the area shown here. The glittering blobs are not stars, but entire galaxies, each containing billions of stars. Credit: NASA Its hard to estimate the likelihood a given planet will have life. But if the chances are above zero, youd think there would be life somewhere in the universe. So, why hasnt it made contact? Perhaps theres a great filter that stops civilisations colonising the universe; travelling faster than light may simply be impossible, making exploration relatively slow. Or perhaps we cant hear alien signals, or they simply arent interested in talking to us. Generally, astronomers think the universe does hold life, says Tucker. But they are split on whether that life must be intelligent. Because we evolved from simple lifeforms, we tend to think complex life is inevitable, but the evidence is equivocal, says Tucker. Life? Yes. But take it up the chain, thats where the debate diverges. Bottom line: aliens may be real. Are UFOs real? Given we cant rule out the existence of aliens altogether, we should start our examination of UFOs with an open mind they could be aliens! Or they could be something else. A scientist starts with an open mind, and then asks: what does the evidence say? David Grusch told a congressional hearing that the US government has alien aircraft in its possession. Credit: Reuters Youre not saying outright, Its not true, says Tim Mendham, executive officer of the Australian Skeptics. But youre looking for something tangible physical evidence, rather than theory. If you say you can fly, I say, Show me. And the more extraordinary the claim, the more extraordinary the evidence we should demand. David Grusch, the US whistleblower who created a sensation when he told a US congressional hearing that a clandestine government program has retrieved UFOs and possible alien remains, has no photos, no documents, no ship and no bodies. The evidence is classified, he says, or third-hand. He has shown no evidence at all, none whatsoever to back his claims, says Mendham. He makes passing references to having evidence, But I cant give it to you now. Right, thank you very much, next. Loading And we should not accept Gruschs claims simply because he is a ranking officer on a UFO taskforce. Sceptics ask for the evidence rather than simply believing the word of a higher authority. What about the videos of things that are hard to explain, such as flying objects displaying extreme acceleration? Well, we can ask: What makes an alien the best explanation? If youre going to say its aliens, you better have the data to say its aliens, says Tucker. We seek hard evidence, not the eyewitness accounts that fuel most UFO claims, because we humans are very easy to fool. As terrestrial creatures, we spend most of our time looking at things on our eye level. When we look up at the sky, we discover it is full of weird looking stuff! Venus can sometimes glow like an enormous star. Meteorites and space junk can burn up in the atmosphere. Satellites can catch the suns rays in unusual ways. Ive been seeing satellite flares for the better part of 30 years. A lot of people who have not might call it a UFO, says Monash University astronomer Associate Professor Michael Brown. So were pretty cautious with eyewitness reports. Grusch claims we may not have detected alien visitors to Earth because they can travel in other dimensions. This is known as the dragon in the garage fallacy. To verify a theory that aliens can travel through other dimensions you have to be able to test it. We cant test or verify Gruschs multidimensional claims, so as sceptics we shouldnt entertain them. Brown remains very sceptical about UFOs. When CBD got word that Deloittes 1000-odd Australian partners were gathering in Adelaide last week, the firm was quick to assure us it was absolutely not a party. It was, we were told, an annual partner meeting and a chance to connect in person to discuss our strategic priorities and reinforce the culture and values of the firm. So what, then, are we to make of the photos emerging from the get-together showing a bunch of Deloitte types having a wild old time, as disco lights flash and a covers band bangs out some favourites with the crowd chanting along? Deloitte staff let their hair down at the firms partner meeting in Adelaide. There was even a bloke pictured crowd-surfing across what appears to be a mosh pit, but Deloittes official spokespeople wouldnt offer us a view on that question, saying they had nothing to add to their statement from last week. The not a party one. Levy a modicum of pressure at any point in Victorias health system, and bottlenecks and boilovers arise elsewhere. From delays in general practice and primary care, to the chronically stressed hospital system. From years-long waits to obtain specialist care, to inconceivably difficult and unacceptable conditions in aged care and disability care. From delays in ambulance attendance, to the hours ambulances spend waiting to offload patients at hospitals. Paramedics at work at Box Hill Hospital. Credit: Luis Ascui A blockage at one point infects the whole system. Add in the eternal wrestle over state and federal funding systems, the public-versus-private care dynamic, the vested interests, the political power plays, and you are left to wonder where the patients stand in all this. As The Ages dedicated health journalists have reported in detail, there are chronic, dangerous and unattended crises in the states health system. Many have been apparent for decades, and the answers are neither obvious nor simple. Demoralising. Thats how one young paramedic who stood in the cool night outside Box Hill Hospital last week described the all-too-common experience of ambulance ramping. As she filled out paperwork in the brightly lit ambulance bay, her partner waited in the busy hospital with a patient. A patient arrives at the Northern Hospital in Melbourne, where the ambulance waiting bay is often busy or full. Credit: Luis Enrique On any given day, a two-person ambulance crew might be stuck at the emergency department for an hour, or two, or four, before they are cleared to return to their truck to pick up a new patient. For Melbournes younger paramedics, this is all they know. There hasnt been a time when their job hasnt been synonymous with extended delays transferring patients to congested hospitals. Dog owners who let their animals run free in the wrong areas are under fire after another off-leash dog attack left three black swans dead in Melbournes inner west on Sunday, the second instance of a swan death along the Maribyrnong river in the past fortnight. Maribyrnong Council is hunting for the dog owner whose off-leash dog savaged a family of native black swans on Sunday in an on-leash area near Footscrays well-known Chinese Heavenly Queen Temple in the Maribyrnong River Reserve. Two adult swans and one cygnet were killed during a dog attack on a family of swans in Footscray. Wildlife Victoria confirmed that they were called in response to an attack around 3pm on Sunday, in which a dog lashed out and killed two adult black swans and one of four young cygnets. Car giant Tesla says the Albanese governments dream of local battery making is in peril unless it offers tax incentives to local manufacturers to combat the hundreds of billions of dollars the United States is spending to lure facilities to its shores. Australia has some of the worlds biggest known reserves of minerals used in batteries and produces 80 per cent of the lithium feedstock and more than 50 per cent of the nickel contracts Tesla sources globally. Tesla chair Robyn Denholm says the nation could ditch its dig and ship status and compete with the world for battery-making investments. Credit: James Brickwood Carmakers around the world are scrambling to lock in supplies of metals including nickel, lithium, copper and cobalt, which they need in increasing quantities to build millions of lithium-ion batteries to power the worlds electric cars. Demand is also soaring for raw materials used in the grid-scale batteries, wind turbines, solar panels and power lines that are needed to replace fossil fuel-based generators and reach net-zero emissions. A world power like no other takes centre stage this week. For the first time, India will host the G20 leaders summit in the nations capital, Delhi. The high-profile gathering coincides with a slew of symbolic milestones for the worlds most populous nation. India recently surpassed Britain as the worlds fifth-largest economy and is on track to be third largest by the end of this decade. Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to make the most of this global moment. Credit: AP Goldman Sachs, an investment bank, projects Indias gross domestic product will surpass that of the United States by 2075. India made history last month when it became only the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the moon following the US, the Soviet Union and China. Back in 2008 I arrived in a very different India to become the Delhi-based correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Since then, the countrys economy has almost tripled in size (when measured in US$) and there has been huge investments in infrastructure. Growth in net profit at the top 10 Saudi banks slowed to 0.3% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) in Q223 despite a significant drop in impairment charges, said leading global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M). The countrys 10 largest listed banks analysed in A&Ms KSA Banking Pulse are: Saudi National Bank (SNB), Al Rajhi Bank, Riyad Bank (RIBL), Saudi British Bank (SABB), Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF), Arab National Bank (ANB), Alinma Bank, Bank Albilad (BALB), Saudi Investment Bank (SIB) and Bank Aljazira (BJAZ). Asad Ahmed, A&M Managing Director and Head of Middle East Financial Services, commented: Profitability for the KSA banks marginally improved during the quarter owing to a substantial decrease in impairment costs. Lenders saw a slight drop in operating income due to flat net interest income (NII) growth and a decline in non-core income. Consolidated balance sheets and capital position of Saudi Arabian banks continues to be strong. Credit growth may slow Looking forward, if Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) continues to match policy rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve, as we have seen in the past, we expect banks to face a slowdown in credit growth and some pressure on the loan book due to the economic environment. As impairment charges decreased by 23.3% QoQ, cost of risk improved by 13 basis points (bps) QoQ. Higher operating expenses (+2.4% QoQ) worsened the cost efficiency, deteriorating the cost-to-income (C/I) ratio by 95bps QoQ. This resulted in slowing down the net income growth (+0.3% QoQ) to SR17.4 billion ($4.64 billion). Return on equity (RoE) declined by 21bps QoQ to 14.9%, while return on assets (RoA) remained stable at 2%. KSA banks witnessed moderate growth in both lending and deposit mobilisation. Loans & advances (L&A) increased by 2.6% QoQ while deposits growth moderated to 1.7% QoQ. Operating income declined marginally by 0.7% QoQ, due to flat NII growth and decline in non-core income (-3.2% QoQ). Using independently sourced published market data and 16 different metrics, A&Ms KSA Banking Pulse assesses banks key performance areas, including size, liquidity, income, operating efficiency, risk, profitability, and capital, tracking Q223 results against Q123. The report also offers an overview of the key developments affecting the banking sector in the Kingdom. Prevailing trends L&A increased by 2.6% QoQ mainly driven by growth in corporate / wholesale lending (+3.6% QoQ). Deposits increased by 1.7% QoQ driven by growth in time deposits (+7.9% QoQ). Consequently, aggregate loan-to-deposit ratios (LDR) for the top 10 banks increased 0.8%age points QoQ to 96.1%. Total operating income decreased marginally by 0.7% QoQ in Q223. Aggregate net interest income (NII) was flat for the quarter at SR25.3bn, whereas non-core income decreased by 3.2% QoQ, driving the overall decline in total operating income. As SAIBOR increased by 30bps in Q223, aggregate total interest cost increased by 20.9% QoQ. Aggregate net interest margin (NIM) contracted by 8bps in Q223 on the back of spread contraction and the lag effect of decline in LDR in the previous quarters. Yield on credit (+38bps QoQ) increased to 7.8% due to the rise in benchmark rates while the cost of funds increased by 39bps QoQ to 2.7%. Seven out of the top 10 banks in KSA reported a contraction in NIM. Cost-to-income (C/I) ratio deteriorated by 95bps QoQ to reach 31.8%. The deterioration was a result of higher operating expense (+2.4% QoQ) as opposed to a decline in operating income (-0.7% QoQ). The cost of risk improved by 13bps QoQ to settle at 0.4% in Q223 as aggregate impairment charges declined by 23.3% QoQ. Nine out of the top ten banks reported an improvement in cost of risk.-- TradeArabia News Service KYODO NEWS - Sep 5, 2023 - 13:35 | All, Japan, 3/11 Fukushima The Japanese government said Tuesday it has submitted a document to the WTO protesting China's blanket seafood import ban following the release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. At a regular press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, the top government spokesman, said the document dated Monday has been distributed to members of the World Trade Organization. China notified the WTO, which is the body that oversees the rules of international trade, on Thursday of its emergency import ban, Matsuno said, prompting Japan to lodge its protest. The document argues China's import suspension is "totally unacceptable," adding Tokyo will continue to ask Beijing to "immediately repeal its measure." Matsuno said Japan has demanded China review the import ban based on the rules of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade agreement, to which both Tokyo and Beijing are signatories. On Aug. 24, Japan started discharging the treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean despite opposition from the local fishing industry and China. The plant was badly damaged by a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. Japan and China have been at odds over the safety of the water release, further straining their already difficult relationship, while the Kishida administration has pledged to provide 100.7 billion yen ($729.1 million) in aid to support the fishery industry. Tokyo has claimed the water is safe as most radionuclides except tritium have been removed through a purification process. China, however, has urged Japan to halt discharging what it calls "nuclear-contaminated water." Related coverage: Japan to give extra 20.7 billion yen to fisheries amid China import ban Japan business leaders to visit China in January Japan fisheries minister regrets saying Fukushima water "contaminated" Moscow: A new photo appearing to show Russian General Sergei Surovikin, who has not been seen in public since a brief mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group in June, has been published on social media by a well-known Russian media personality. The first picture of General Sergei Surovikin since his detention. General Sergei Surovikin is out. Alive, healthy, at home, with his family, in Moscow. Photo taken today, Ksenia Sobchak wrote in a caption to the picture on Telegram on Monday. Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the photo, which showed a man in sunglasses and a cap walking alongside a woman resembling Surovikins wife, Anna. A second report, published by prominent independent Russian journalist Alexei Venediktov on his Telegram channel, said: General Surovikin is at home with his family. He is on leave and available to the Defence Ministry. NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 -- The motorcycle airbag jacket market is estimated to grow by USD 161.75 million from 2022 to 2027, growing at a CAGR of 14.67%. Europe is estimated to contribute 33% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. The growth is driven by high production and sales in the region. Airbag jackets are being widely adopted in advanced markets of the region, which support vehicle safety and reduce accidents due to fatigue. Safety rules are enforced by European authorities and riders are encouraged to use advanced safety technologies such as smart sensors and airbag jackets. In the region, leading OEMs of premium bikes such as Benelli, Ducati, and BMW Motorrad offer a variety of models to be ridden for on-roads or trails. Hence, these factors are expected to drive market growth in the region during the forecast period. For Comprehensive details on the market size of the historical period(2017 to 2021) and forecast period (2023-2027) - View the Sample report Company Landscape The motorcycle airbag jacket market is fragmented; the companies are competing with competitors and are trying to get a greater market share. The market is growing, and the chances of new entrants cannot be overlooked. The major companies have well-established economies of scale and market presence and generally rely on positioning technological advances, and the price of the products -The report provides a full list of key companies, their strategies, and the latest developments. Buy Now Market Dynamics Key Driver The introduction of airbags as a product differentiator is a key factor driving market growth. For the established players on the market, premium motorcycle production has turned out to be a profitable venture. New players looking for a chance in countries such as India, China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Mexico have benefited from the growing demand for luxury motorcycles. Moreover, it is considered a distinguishing feature that some premium motorcycle manufacturers are offering Airbag jackets. In addition, the development of advanced airbag jackets has been forecast to be stimulated by greater cooperation between motorcycle OEMs and airbag jacket producers such as Autoliv. Hence, these factors are expected to drive market growth during the forecast period. Major Trend - The growing popularity of long-distance motorcycle trips is a major trend in the market. Significant Challenge - Limited customer awareness is a significant challenge restricting market growth. Technavio has identified key trends, drivers, and challenges in the market, which will help clients improve their strategies to stay ahead of their competitors. - View Sample Report Company Profiles The motorcycle airbag jacket market report includes information on the product launches, sustainability, and prospects of leading companies including Access Equip Motos France, AIRVEST, Alpinestars USA Inc., Autoliv Inc., Bering Moto, CLOVER IT Srl, Dainese Spa, Ducati Motor Holding Spa, Furygan, GIMOTO SRL, Helite Moto, Helite Sarl, HIT AIR, Mugen Denko Co. Ltd., PIERER Mobility AG, Point Two Air Vests USA LLC, Polaris Inc., Spidi Sport Srl, The Merlin Partnership Ltd., and Ubuy Co W.L.L. Market Segmentation The market is segmented by product (airbag vest and airbag jacket), type (cord and cordless), and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The airbag vest segment is expected to experience substantial growth during the forecast period. The vests are designed with the objective of providing protection on the rider's chest and back when they are wearing them over their shoulders. Most protective clothing has a strengthened interior and an extremely hard abrasion-resistant outer core so that it can be worn under the jacket or shirt or over the sweatshirt. In addition, intelligent features, collecting data, and optimizing measurements for personalized protection are provided by technologically advanced airbag vests. Hence, these factors are expected to drive segment growth during the forecast period. Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports The automotive drivetrain market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.89% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 68.89 billion. This automotive drivetrain market report extensively covers market segmentation by application (forward-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive), vehicle type (passenger car and commercial vehicle), and geography (APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The increasing demand for commercial vehicles is driving the automotive drivetrain market. The automotive dual variable valve timing market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.63% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 12,518.16 million. This automotive dual variable valve timing market report extensively covers market segmentation by application (passenger cars and commercial vehicles), type (hydraulic cam phaser and electric cam phaser), and geography (APAC, Europe, North America, Middle East and Africa, and South America). One of the key factors driving the automotive dual variable valve timing market growth is the increasing demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. Motorcycle Airbag Jacket Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 14.67% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 161.75 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 12.14 Regional analysis Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution Europe at 33% Key countries US, Japan, Germany, France, and the UK Competitive landscape Leading Companies, Market Positioning of Companies, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Access Equip Motos France, AIRVEST, Alpinestars USA Inc., Autoliv Inc., Bering Moto, CLOVER IT Srl, Dainese Spa, Ducati Motor Holding Spa, Furygan, GIMOTO SRL, Helite Moto, Helite Sarl, HIT AIR, Mugen Denko Co. Ltd., PIERER Mobility AG, Point Two Air Vests USA LLC, Polaris Inc., Spidi Sport Srl, The Merlin Partnership Ltd., and Ubuy Co W.L.L Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and Market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get customized segments. Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation by Product 7 Market Segmentation by Type 8 Customer Landscape 9 Geographic Landscape 10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 11 Company Landscape 12 Company Analysis 13 Appendix About US Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander earns IIHS Top Safety Pick The 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander, a midsize SUV, earns a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. To qualify for Top Safety Pick in 2023, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front and original moderate overlap front tests as well as an acceptable or good rating in the updated side test. Acceptable or good headlights must be standard across all trims, and a front crash prevention system that earns an advanced or superior rating in the daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluation must be available. In contrast, for the higher-tier Top Safety Pick+ award, a good rating in the updated side test is required, and vehicles need to demonstrate advanced or superior performance in both the daytime and nighttime pedestrian tests. Redesigned for the 2022 model year, the Outlander qualifies for the lower-tier award but misses out on the plus because it hasnt been rated in the nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluation. 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander Named IIHS Top Safety Pick September 05, 2023 FRANKLIN, Tenn.; Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) announced today that the new 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander has joined the Outlander Plug-in Hybrid (models built after May, 2023) as a 2023 calendar-year Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) TOP SAFETY PICK (TSP) winner. When choosing the perfect vehicle for a family, safety ratings are always a primary shopping metric, and Outlander excels here. The 2024 Outlander earned the IIHS TSP designation with Good ratings in IIHSs updated evaluation for side crashworthiness; standard-equipped headlights and the driver-side small overlap frontal, passenger-side small overlap frontal, and original moderate-overlap frontal crash test evaluations. Outlander also scored a Superior rating for its forward collision-mitigation systems vehicle-to-pedestrian daytime performance. The 2024 Outlander Plug-in Hybrid is also expected to carry over its existing TSP rating from the 2023 model year. With seven-passenger seating, a suite of modern safety features, and the most sophisticated Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system weve ever offered, the Outlander was made to be a family vehicle, said Mark Chaffin, CEO of MMNA. Our commitment to customer safety is paramount, and it's great to be recognized by a respected organization like IIHS for the work put in by our engineering teams to maximize safety performance in our best-equipped, most-advanced SUV. Both the 2024 Outlander and Outlander Plug-in Hybrid offer an impressive array of standard and available Advanced Driver Assist Systems6 to increase driver convenience, confidence and occupant safety. Available MI-PILOT Assist integrates Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Keep Assist (LKA) and Traffic Sign Recognition to maintain appropriate speed and following distance and keep the vehicle in the center of the lane.1 Depending on trim level, Outlander Plug-in Hybrid also offers: Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM), Predictive Forward Collision Warning (PFCW), Active Blind Spot Assist (ABSA), Blind Spot Warning (BSW), Lane Change Assist (LCA), Lane Departure Warning and Prevention (LDW & LDP), Driver Attention Alert, Rear Automatic Emergency Braking, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Automatic High Beam (AHB), Hill Descent Control (HDC), Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) and a Multiview Camera system.2, 3, 4, 5, 7 IIHS is an independent, nonprofit organization that researches, performs evaluations, and assesses safety ratings in crashworthiness and crash-avoidance testing of production vehicles. The TSP designation is awarded for models attaining Good ratings in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal tests, original moderate overlap frontal, and an Acceptable rating in IIHS updated side crashworthiness crash evaluations. Additionally, vehicles must be available with an advanced or superior rating for daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention and come with standard acceptable- or good-rated headlights. For more information on the full lineup of Mitsubishi vehicles, visit MitsubishiCars.com. For more information on MMNA, visit media.mitsubishicars.com. Disclaimers MI-PILOT Assist is a driver assistance system only and is not a substitute for safe and careful driving. The driver must remain engaged with the driving task and monitor the environment at all times. The Forward Collision Mitigation with Pedestrian Detection system is a driver aid only and is not a substitute for safe and careful driving. Under certain circumstances, the system may not detect other vehicles and/or pedestrians correctly. The Lane Departure Warning system is designed to read lane marks under certain conditions. It is not a collision avoidance system or a substitute for safe and careful driving practices. Available feature. The Blind Spot Warning (BSW) system is a driver aid only and is not a substitute for safe and careful driving. Under certain circumstances, this system may not detect other vehicles correctly. Not available on all models. Advanced Driver Assist Systems are driver aids only and are not substitutes for safe and careful driving. Under certain circumstances, these systems may not sound an alert, provide steering input, or apply braking. The driver must remain engaged with the driving task and monitor the environment at all times. See Owners Manual for further information. The Multi-View Camera system is a driver aid only and is not a substitute for visual confirmation. The view on the screen is limited and objects outside that view will not be seen. # # # ABOUT MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA, INC. Through a network of approximately 330 dealer partners across the United States, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is responsible for the sales, marketing and customer service of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in the U.S. In its recently announced Midterm Plan Challenge 2025 MMNAs parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has committed to accelerating its efforts toward a sustainable carbon-neutral future, setting goals of 40 percent reduction in vehicle CO2 emissions and 50 percent reduction in operational CO2 emissions by 2030. Additionally, MMC has set targets for global sales of electrified vehicles at 50 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2035, leveraging a blend of plug-in hybrids (PHEV), hybrids (HEV) and pure electrics (BEV). MMNA has its headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as corporate operations in California, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas, and Florida. KYODO NEWS - Sep 5, 2023 - 21:26 | World, All, Japan, 3/11 Fukushima China has rejected Japan's proposal that it join an international verification framework for assessing the results of radiation level monitoring in treated water being released into the sea from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, sources familiar with the bilateral relationship said Tuesday. China is staunchly opposed to the ocean discharge and has banned all seafood imports from Japan since it began in late August, calling the water "nuclear-contaminated." Beijing has also ignored Tokyo's repeated proposals for a science-based dialogue involving experts on the matter, Japanese officials said. Under the framework, participating countries will compare, analyze and evaluate the results of the monitoring carried out respectively by the Japanese government and the International Atomic Energy Agency on seawater off Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan. In order to guarantee the objectivity of international evaluations, Japan does not participate in the framework. The research institutions participating in the framework are selected by an entity related to the IAEA. It currently involves institutions from the United States, France, Switzerland and South Korea. Since early this year, Tokyo has repeatedly asked Beijing through diplomatic channels to participate in the monitoring efforts, but has had its requests rejected by China under the argument that the framework "does not guarantee" independent analysis of the released water, the sources said. A Japanese government source pointed out that China likely believes joining the framework would be "tantamount to endorsing the ocean discharge." The water has undergone a treatment process that removes most radionuclides except tritium. Before being discharged into the ocean, the remaining radioactive substance is diluted to one-40th of the concentration permitted under Japanese safety standards. 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. Worldwide, nuclear power plants routinely release treated water containing low concentrations of tritium and other radionuclides into the environment as part of normal operations, according to the IAEA. ==Kyodo KYODO NEWS - Sep 5, 2023 - 12:11 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Japan's household spending in July fell 5.0 percent from a year earlier, the biggest drop in more than two years, government data showed Tuesday, as higher prices hit consumption. Households of two or more people spent an average of 281,736 yen ($1,900), declining for the fifth consecutive month and marking the sharpest fall since a 6.5 percent plunge in February 2021, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said. By category, spending on education decreased 19.8 percent as families curtailed outlays for cram schools in the face of soaring costs, a ministry official said. Household expenditures declined 18.6 percent as spending on renovations fell as people spent less time at home following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, the official said. Food expenditure, accounting for around one-third of household spending, declined 2.8 percent, amid rising prices for fish and meat. Spending on medical supplies such as face masks and thermometers fell after the legal status of COVID-19 was downgraded to the same category as seasonal flu. "The impact of rising prices seems to be taking effect gradually," the official said. Meanwhile, spending on accommodation and package tours increased 10.6 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively, as people traveled during their summer vacations after the removal of coronavirus restrictions. The data is a key indicator of private consumption, which accounts for more than half of the country's gross domestic product. Related coverage: Japan's 4-year spending on COVID, inflation relief hit 68.5 trillion yen Japan's consumer prices rise 3.1% in July in blow to households Japan's real wages fall in June for 15th month under inflation A hairdresser braids a client's hair with synthetic hair extensions in Lusaka, Zambia, on Aug. 15, 2023. (Photo by Lillian Banda/Xinhua) LUSAKA, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Hair-braiding skills have emerged as a powerful means of income generation for young women in Zambia in recent years. This traditional art form, deeply rooted in African culture, has not only created employment opportunities but also offered financial independence for women in different parts of the country. Young women no longer see hair braiding as a mere passion or hobby but as a means to earn a living. Among those who are benefiting from hair braiding skills is 27-year-old Judith Brown who specializes in sisterlocks braids, a hairstyle appreciated by those seeking to maintain a natural look. Brown who hails from Ndola, Copperbelt region of Zambia, has since turned part of her home into a salon and built a substantial loyal customer base through her social media platform called Judy's Sisterlocks Zambia. "I have always been passionate about braiding and styling hair and so I decided to teach myself how to do sisterlocks through online tutorials three years ago," she said. According to Brown, the demand for hair braiding services has led to an increased interest in braiding techniques, opening up doors of opportunity for young women like her across the country. "I earn money to supplement the income of my household as well for savings," she said. Barbara Phiri, 23, based in Lusaka, Zambia's capital, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity hair braiding has provided her. Phiri who operates from Kamwala trading area of Lusaka said that she has been involved in hair braiding since she was a young teenager and the skill enabled her to pay her school fees among other things. "The income I generate from hair braiding has not only allowed me to pay school fees but also invest in my future aspirations," she said, adding that she started braiding hair in 2015 as a hobby and now she earns an average of 150 Zambian Kwacha (about 7.5 U.S. dollars) per day from the skill. Emily Nachalwe, who works from an open space within Railway Market in Kabwe town, central Zambia, said hair braiding is not only supplementing household incomes but also helping a lot of younger mothers out of poverty. "I am able to provide (money) for the needs of children as well as for a few extended family members. My daily income is around 200 to 300 Zambian Kwacha," the mother of three said. There are several braiding techniques that are currently in high demand among clients in Zambia. Most braiding styles involve adding extensions to the natural hair, thereby creating a thick look. This photo taken on Aug. 17, 2023 shows a young lady's new cornrows hairstyle with synthetic hair extensions in Lusaka, Zambia. (Photo by Lillian Banda/Xinhua) New UK brand diplomat for Maker's Mark bourbon Edrington UK has announced the appointment of its latest UK brand diplomat for Makers Mark bourbon, Charlotte Pederson. Pedersons new role will focus on brand engagement and education within the UK on- and -off trade, including providing bespoke educating programmes into the brand and bourbon category and supporting the brand development strategy. Pederson will transition from her position as Edrington UKs whisky specialist, where she played a key role as an education provider for the business portfolio of luxury and premium whiskies, including Highland Park, The Glenrothes, Bowmore and Laphroaig. Commenting on her new role, Pederson said: Makers Mark is not only an iconic American Whisky, but a brand that is committed to being a force for good, with years of industry-leading efforts to benefit the lives of their team, customers, communities and shared natural environment. I could not be more excited to be the new Makers Mark Brand Diplomat in the UK to communicate these credentials as well as the rich brand story that sets Makers Mark apart. Having recently visited the home of Makers Mark at Star Hill Farm and seen where the magic happens, I am even more looking forward to sharing the exciting things in store for the brand this year. Andrea Montague, head of Advocacy at Edrington UK, added: We are excited to see Charlotte transition into her new role as Makers Mark Brand Diplomat. Her experience and skillset gleaned through leading in-house training sessions and drink development strategies as Whisky Specialist means she is perfectly placed to shine in the role and continue educating others on this growing category. 5 September 2023 - Bradley Weir While we the news came as a massive shock for most of us - the pair have been hailed as couple goals and have two kiddos together - there were quite a few signs that things weren't going well that went totally unnoticed. 404 Something's wrong here Sorry. We can't find the page you're looking for. RETURN HOME Panels report on Kunbi caste certificates to Marathwada Marathas in a month MUMBAI : AMID protests for Maratha quota, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said a committee will submit its report within a month on how to issue Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas from Marathwada region. Kunbis (the community associated with agriculture) are grouped under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category in Maharashtra. A committee was set up and asked to submit a report within a month on how to issue Kunbi certificates to the Maratha community from Marathwada. The State Government has taken this issue seriously and we are working to find an amicable solution, the Chief Minister told reporters here. Marathas have been demanding the reservation in education and Government jobs. Reservation in jobs and education provided by the then Maharashtra Government to the Maratha community under the socially and educationally backward category in 2018 was quashed by the Supreme Court in May 2021, citing the 50 per cent ceiling on total reservations among other grounds. I have directed officials to study the Supreme Courts verdict on the Maratha quota and recommend solutions. We need to establish that the Maratha community is backward, the Chief Minister added. However, Manoj Jarange Patil, who has been on hunger strike in Jalna district, told reporters he would not call off the protest unless a Government order (GR) is issued granting reservation in education and jobs to the Maratha community. Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district became ground zero of the renewed agitation for quota. On Friday, police baton charged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a violent mob in the village after protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift Jarange to hospital. Several persons. Including 40 police personnel, were injured and more than 15 State transport buses were set ablaze in violence. Mah Govt regrets use of force by police, says Dy CM Fadnavis: UNDER fire for lathi-charge on Maratha quota protesters in Jalna district, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said the Government regrets the use of force by police. He also said the lathi-charge order was not given by any top official to the Jana Police last week. Such decisions (use of police force etc.) are taken at the local level, Fadnavis, who handles the Home Department, told reporters. Maharashtra Government expresses regret for the use of force by police in Jalna district a few days back, he said. Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had claimed that the lathi-charge order was given on a phone call made from the office of the Chief Minister and State Home Minister. Reduce power tariff, reinstate subsidy for steel makers Business Bureau Highlighting the main challenges and issues faced by the steel industry, Rajesh R Sarda, Director, Ramsons Group and President of the Steel and Hardware Chamber of Vidarbha, said that it is important to reduce the power tariff and reinstate the power subsidy scheme for the revival of the steel industry in Vidarbha. Comparatively, in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, the tariff rates are Rs 2 to Rs 2.5 per unit lower than in Maharashtra. For medium-scale industries, the rate reaches Rs 11.50 per unit to Rs 12 per unit, while in Chhattisgarh, it is as low as Rs 8 per unit. This stark difference makes it challenging for new industries to establish themselves and for existing ones to expand in Maharashtra, said Sarda. In Nagpur the steel products are quoted higher by Rs 2,000 per tonne to Rs 2,500 per tonne as compared to Chhattisgarh. Apart from this, Chhattisgarh is 200 kilometres and Madhya Pradesh just 100 kilometres away from Nagpur. Therefore, transportation charges does not inflate the steel prices as much while sending the products to Maharashtra. This makes steel manufactured in Vidarbha uncompetitive. At present Chhattisgarh is fulfilling the steel demand of entire Maharashtra. With a rich experience of more than 33 years in the steel industry, Sarda strongly felt that the industries have become financially unsustainable due to high power rates in the Maharashtra. The Government first reduced the power subsidy given to Vidarbha and Maratwada regions by 50 per cent in May 2022. This power subsidy scheme should be restored by the Government for the growth of the steel industry. Furthermore, in November 2022, the Government applied the Fuel Adjustment Charge (FAC) of Rs 1.35 per unit, which was not supposed to be charged. This led to an increase in the tariff rate. In April 2023, the Government merged FAC with the new tariff rate, further increasing the overall tariff. The Government decisions have hindered the growth of industries in Maharashtra, he pointed out. 3 brothers die after drinking poisonous liquor Our Correspondent Bilaspur, In a shocking incident three brothers died after drinking poisonous liquor at village Parsahi about 35-kilometres away from Bilaspur under Janjgir-Champa district on Monday. They purchased the country made liquor from a bootlegger and after consuming it they suddenly fainted one after another. They were immediately taken to the hospital where doctors declared all three dead. Akaltara Police under whose limits the area comes have taken possession of the bodies and sent them for autopsy. Police seized the empty liquor bottles and sent them for forensic tests. Police have registered a case and started investigation. According to information received from Akaltara Police the deceased Sanjay Sande (41) his brother Sant Kumar Sande (43) and cousin Jitendra Sonkar (38) met after a long time and wanted to celebrate the moment. They purchased liquor from a local bootlegger also of the same village and consumed it at a barren place on the outskirts of the village. Soon after finishing their drinks, all the three brothers fainted one after another. The villagers later found them in a state of unconsciousness and immediately rushed them to Community Health Center (CHC) where doctors pronounced them brought dead. Immediately after information Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Anil Soni along with a posse of Akaltara Police rushed to the spot and took possession of the bodies before sending them for postmortem. Anil Soni told that three brothers died after drinking country made liquor and the cause of death will be clear after autopsy reports. He said that they have seized the empty liquor bottles and sent them for forensic tests. Police was also enquiring about the shop from where the liquor was purchased. Relatives of the deceased alleged that there was poison in the liquor which claimed three innocent lives. After the incident people of the village reached the hospital demanding firm action against the bootlegger and liquor suppliers. Akaltara Police based on the circumstantial evidences and statements of the villagers have registered a case and started further investigations. 354 criminals jailed to reduce murder cases Staff Reporter : Commissioner of Police (CP) Amitesh Kumar had always been a man of action, and his tenure in Nagpur was no exception. Over the course of three years, he had brought a remarkable transformation to the citys law enforcement. The Monday morning after his third anniversary in office found him sitting behind his desk, a rare moment of relaxation for the hardworking officer. His three-year tenure, marked by a remarkable crackdown on criminals and a significant reduction in murders. Kumar took a bold stand against criminals, detaining a staggering 150 criminals under the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act (MPDA) and initiating action under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against 204 notorious history-sheeters. These decisive actions sent a clear message to criminals operating in Nagpur. One of Commissioner Kumars most significant achievements was the 35 per cent reduction in murder cases in 2022. When asked about the reason behind this success, he attributed it to continuous preventive action against goonda elements. Between September 2020 and September 2023, 150 criminals were booked under MPDA, and 34 MCOCA orders were passed, leading to the arrest of 204 history-sheeters. While murder cases have historically been a major challenge in Nagpur, Commissioner Kumars proactive approach, supported by the MPDA and MCOCA, helped deter criminal activities. He noted that most of the recent murder cases were related to family matters, indicating a shift away from organised crime. Commissioner Kumar also emphasised on his commitment to improving traffic management in the city, acknowledging that there is room for improvement in this area. Under his leadership, transparency in police transfers was introduced, boosting the morale of police officers. Additionally, a comprehensive health check-up initiative for police personnel was implemented, ensuring the well-being of those serving the city. Out of 8000 police personnel, 4000 have undergone health check-ups. Looking ahead, Commissioner Kumar outlined plans for capacity building in tackling online frauds and addressing drug-related offences, further demonstrating his dedication to enhancing the citys safety and security. WELLINGTON, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand scientists have released "Shaking Layers" heatmaps to show the intensity of shaking caused by earthquakes in different parts of the country. The maps could help emergency responders work out where the highest potential damage to buildings and infrastructure could be, and could also be used by the public to check on the level of shaking that they may have experienced where they are, GNS scientists said on Tuesday. The maps incorporate data from ground motion sensors and are automatically produced within 10 to 20 minutes of a magnitude 3.5 or greater earthquake. Users checking the GeoNet earthquake monitoring website can zoom into the map and get a measure of how strong the shaking was in any area, said GNS seismologist Nick Horspool. The measure of shaking intensity is underpinned by the modified Mercalli intensity scale, which indicates the earthquake's effect on people and their environment. For example, people in an area with a shaking intensity measure of 4 can expect light shaking, where walls may creak, and windows may rattle, he said. Shaking Layers can aid emergency response by indicating both the level and location of potential damage to buildings and infrastructure, which can support emergency responders to target their resources where they are needed most, Horspool said, adding it also helps engineering assessments, infrastructure management and research into disaster risk reduction. 4 Kerala PSUs part of Indias first solar exploration mission Aditya-L1 KOCHI, AS INDIAS first solar exploration satellite reached space, four Kerala public sector undertakings, including Keltron, have reason to be delighted as they too have contributed to this achievement by the country. Various products indigenously developed and manufactured by the four PSUs - Keltron, Steel and Industrial Forgings Limited (SIFL), Travancore Cochin Chemicals (TCC) and Kerala Automobiles Ltd (KAL) - have been used in the Aditya L1 mission. This milestone achieved by the PSUs was highlighted by state Industries Minister P Rajeev in a Facebook post. The minister said 38 electronic modules manufactured by the Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (Keltron) were used in the PSLV-C57 launch vehicle used to send the Aditya L1 satellite into space. In addition to that, Keltron also provided testing support for various types of electronics models required for the mission, he said. Rajeev further said that the forgings for the various stages of the Aditya L1 launch vehicle were indigenously developed by SIFL. The SIFL also indigenously developed various other forgings and components for the launch vehicles propellor tank, engine and rocket body, he said. Besides Keltron and SIFL, TCC too played a role in the mission, the minister said. The state-owned chemical company supplied the 150 metric tonnes of sodium chlorate crystals required for the project, he said. Apart from all that, various components required for the rockets satellite separation system were supplied by KAL, the minister said in his post. Not just Aditya-L1, but Chandrayaan-3 mission too saw the contribution of Kerala PSUs. Six public sector companies and 20 private companies from Kerala participated in the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which successfully demonstrated a soft landing on the Moons south pole -- the first by any country in the world. The PSUs - Keltron, KMML, SIFL, TCC, KAL and Small Industries Development Corporations (SIDCO) - had contributed to the lunar mission. The Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML), a major public sector undertaking (PSU) under the state government, had played a crucial role in supplying the vital titanium sponge metal for the engine parts of the countrys third lunar mission. DON'T SPARE HIM THIS is the fittest case for immediate action for spreading religious hatred -- against Tamil Nadu Minister Mr. Udayanidhi Stalin (who also happens to be son of TN Chief Minister Mr. M.K. Stalin) who went overboard likening Sanatan Dharma to diseases like Malaria and Dengue and calling for its eradication. He should be booked immediately, no matter the position of power he holds, and punished in accordance with the law of the land. When a person who has taken oath of office swearing on the Constitution of India to uphold sacred principles enshrined there, indulges in spreading filth against one religion or way of life, then he must be booked and punished in the strictest of terms possible under law. Mr. Udayanidhi Stalin deserves only such a treatment in full accordance with the law of the land. Most unfortunately, Mr. Udayanidhi Stalins remark is not an isolated utterance; it is an integral part of a conspiratorial spread of anti-Hindu (read Sanatan) narrative designed to play vote-bank politics. There should be no problem with politics if the activity does not indulge in slamming religions. But when a narrative is worked up deliberately to spread ill-will about a religious faith or a way of life -- that Sanatan is -- then it becomes a criminal indulgence of planned action to drive a wedge through the social ranks. Mr. Udayanidhi Stalins remark comes under that category. Hence our insistence that he be arrested forthwith and punished the hardest. The ground-swell of strong reactions that the ugly remark elicited from various sections of the larger Indian society shows how badly hurt the sentiments are. If Mr. Udayanidhi Stalin had involved any other religion -- say Islam -- for making such a remark, the country would have got engulfed in a terrible social strife that would have been difficult to quell. But the peace-loving Hindu -- Sanatan -- community has resorted to expressing its strong exception to the highly undesirable remarks by the rabid Udayanidhi Stalin who has lost moral and constitutional right to continue as a Minister in Tamil Nadu Government. For, in targetting the Sanatan belief, he has violated his own oath -- which he has done deliberately. By doing so, he has sowed seeds of a serious social discord that would be difficult to be assuaged. There is no doubt that the father-son Stalin duo is fully aware of the consequences of making an ugly statement targetting the Sanatan faith in such a manner. Despite this, they appear to have chosen to make the statement with a dirty political purpose. Both of them seem to have forgotten that the lady of their family -- that is the wife of Mr. M.K. Stalin and mother of Udayanidhi -- is a regular visitor to temples and shrines and is known to have been generous in showering upon those rich donations. Does the son now want his own mothers faith to be trampled upon? To this question, the Stalin duo apparently has no answer! Though on individual basis, many Opposition leaders -- particularly from the I.N.D.I.A. grouping -- have chosen to say nothing against Udayanidhis remark, they have their own private reservations against any such indulgence. Many of them have expressed an open opposition to the Udayanidhis remark. Obviously, this episode will have several adverse impacts on the I.N.D.I.A. groupings electoral prospects. One, the I.N.D.I.A. unity would be a suspect proposition; two, the believers of the Sanatan faith -- who form about 80-plus percentage of the Indian population -- would turn away from the new grouping; three, those sections would converge to the other pole of Indias domestic polity, that is the Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance. There is no doubt that the I.N.D.I.A. leaders are fully aware of the adverse impact of such remarks. Yet, they do not seem to mind -- possibly because their interest is not in winning elections in 2024, but only in creating terrible social disturbances in the country. In other words, these people are playing into the hands of some foreign conspiratorial power that is masterminding stress and strife in the larger Indian society. Such remarks directed against the Sanatan appear to be part of a dirty anti-national design. For, in the past some time, many such remarks have come up -- suspectedly with the purpose of creating disturbances in the Indian society. There are reasons to suspect that such remarks propose to go far beyond the realm of electoral politics. The law empowers the State to proceed against all the persons who indulge in making such remarks against any faith. The people who live by the Sanatan ideals form more than 80 per cent of the total Indian population. When sentiments of such a larger segment of the population are hurt, the consequences could be terrible. In view of all such ugly possibilities, we insist that Mr. Udayanidhi Stalin needs to be arrested immediately and suitably punished. He may indulge in a swagger that the Tamil Nadu Police would not act against him -- which was why he said, in effect, that he did not care about consequences of his remark. In such a situation, a simple suo motu court order, too, can put the arrogant Tamil Nadu Minister behind bars. There may be other ways as well to book the man without delay -- which need to be explored and exploited immediately. This must be done in larger national interest so that the undesirable tendency is halted in its tracks. Anybody who indulges in making such remarks needs to be taught a lesson -- no matter, then, who he or she is. If there is any delay in taking action against Mr. Udayanidhi Stalin, then the common people would get the message that anybody can mock at the core values of Indias democratic and secular polity. That must be avoided at all costs. FIR filed against Editors Guild, theyre trying to provoke clashes in Manipur: CM IMPHAL : MANIPUR Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday said that his Government has filed an FIR against the president and three members of the Editors Guild of India (EGI), and accused them of trying to provoke clashes in the State. Singh told a press conference here that at a time when many have been killed and left homeless, the EGI published a totally one-sided report without understanding the complexity of the crisis faced by Manipur, the background and the history of the State. The Editors Guild in a report published last week had critiqued media coverage out of Manipur, a State which has seen ethnic clashes for the last four months. It has criticised one-sided reporting by some media outlets, slammed the Internet ban as being detrimental to press reporting and claimed there were indications that the State leadership had turned partisan during the conflict period. The State Government has filed an FIR against the members of the Editors Guild who are trying to create more clashes in the State of Manipur, Singh told a press conference. Besides EGI President Seema Mustafa, those who were booked are the three senior journalists - Seema Guha, Bharat Bhushan and Sanjay Kapoor - who visited the State between August 7 and 10 to study media reportage on the ethnic violence. They are anti-state, anti-national and anti-establishment (people) who came to pour venom. Had I known it before, would not have allowed them to enter, the Chief Minister claimed. The EGI in its report published on Saturday said it received several representations that the media in Manipur was playing a partisan role in the ongoing ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Chin communities. There are clear indications that the leadership of the State became partisan during the conflict. It should have avoided taking sides in the ethnic conflict but it failed to do its duty as a democratic Government which should have represented the entire State, the report said. In normal circumstances, the EGI said, reports filed by journalists are cross-checked and monitored by their editors or chiefs of bureaus from the local administration, police and security forces, but this was not possible during the conflict. Meanwhile, the Press Club of India on Monday condemned the registration of an FIR against three members of a fact-finding committee of the Editors Guild of India along with its chief who had examined media coverage of the ethnic violence in Manipur. Freedom fighter Chandrabhan Rai passes away, cremated with full state honour Staff Reporter The mortal remains of freedom fighter Chandrabhan Rai was consigned to flames with full state honour at Gwarighat crematorium, on Monday. Rai took his last breadth late in the night on Sunday. Mayor, Jagat Bahadur Singh along with other public representatives and senior officials participated in the last rites and paid tributes to the departed soul. On the occasion he said at the tender age of 13, Chandrabhan Rai carried the torch of independence and leaped into the struggle for Goa's liberation, joining hands with freedom fighters. He may no longer be with us today, but his legacy will endure among us forever. He devoted his entire life to serving society. Full state honor was given to late Rai at his residences in Adhartal as well as in Gwarighat crematorium on behalf of the Government. The local administration paid homage by laying the national flag on Chandrabhan Rai's mortal remains, which was subsequently removed with due respect at the crematorium. Tehsildar Hari Singh Dhurve and his team were present throughout the ceremony. People from all walks of the life participated in the funeral procession and last rites to pay homage to the great son of the motherland. HC issues new roster of work Our Correspondent BILASPUR, High Court of Chhattisgarh has issued a new roster of work, which will be effective from September 4. The allocation of cases will be allocated to seventeen different benches. Three division benches, six special benches and eight single benches have been constituted. The Division Bench-I comprising of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Naresh Kumar Chandravanshi will hear all writ matters of Division Bench (except against the order of Tribunal constituted under Article 323-A and 323-B of the Constitution of India and matter relates to Ultra Vires up to the year 2022), Public Interest Litigation Petitions, writ appeal from the year 2023 onwards, habeas corpus petitions, criminal appeal from the year 2022 onwards, writ petition (Cr.), contempt petition (criminal) and application for leave to appeal U/s 378 Cr.P.C (Motion hearing matters). The Division Bench-II comprising of Justice Goutam Bhaduri and Justice Deepak Kumar Tiwari will hear tax cases including writ appeals of tax cases, commercial division bench cases, all civil matters of division bench and company appeal and criminal appeal from the year 2020 to 2021. The Division Bench-III comprising of Justice Sanjay K Agrawal and Justice Radhakishan Agrawal will hear all criminal matters of division bench (except criminal appeal from the year 2020 onwards and application for leave to appeal U/s378 Cr.P.C), writ appeal up to the year 2022, all writ matters of division bench (against the order of tribunal constituted under Article 323-A and 323-B of the Constitution of India and matter relates to Ultra Vires uto the year 2022), The Special Bench comprising of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha will hear application under sub-section (4) or sub-section (5) or sub-section (6) of Section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, petitions under Section 482 Cr.P.C and Cr.M.P. up to the year 2017, criminal revision from the year 2013 to 2015 (except criminal revision against acquittal), transfer petition (criminal) and specially assigned cases. The Special Bench comprising of Justice Goutam Bhaduri will take up all nature of writ petitions (WP) up to the year 2006 and tied up matters. The Special Bench comprising of Justice Sanjay K Agrawal will hear civil revision up to the year 2020 and tied up matters. The Special Bench comprising of Justice Naresh Kumar Chandravanshi will take up criminal reference (SB), criminal revision against acquittal and tied up matters. The Special Bench will take up criminal appeal up to the year 2002 and tied up matters. The Special Bench comprising of Justice Radhakishan Agrawal will hear criminal revisions up to the year 2012 (except criminal revision against acquittal), miscellaneous appeal (Motor Vehicle Act) up to the year 2016 and tied up matters. The Single BenchI comprising of Justice Sanjay Agrawal will hear criminal appeals from the year 2003 to 2005, writ petition (service) from the year 2020 to 2021 and tied up matters. The Single Bench-II comprising of Justice Arvind Singh Chandel will take up writ petition (C) uto the year 2017, writ petition (service) from the year 2022 onwards and tied up matters. The Single Bench comprising of Justice Parth Prateem Sahu will take up writ petition (C) from the year 2018 onwards, contempt case (civil) and tied up matters. The Single Bench-IV comprising of Justice Rajani Dubey will hear writ petition (service) up to the year 2018, civil revision from the year 2021 onwards and tied up matters. The Single Bench-V comprising of Justice Narendra Kumar Vyas will take up second appeals, first appeals, transfer petition (civil), all other civil matters which have not been assigned to any single bench, writ petition (Service) of the year 2019, writ petition (L) and tied up matters. The Single Bench-VI comprising of Justice Sachin Singh Rajput will hear miscellaneous appeal (Motor Vehicle Act) from the year 2017 onwards, criminal appeal from the year 2006 onwards, acquittal appeals and leave to appeals and tied up matters. The Single Bench-VII comprising of Justice Rakesh Mohan Pandey will hear petitions under Section 482 Cr.P.C and Cr.M.P from the year 2018 onwards and all bail applications under Section 438 Cr.P.C and writ petition (T), writ petition under Article 227 Constitution of India and tied up matters. The Single Bench-VIII comprising of Justice Sanjay Kumar Jaiswal will take up all bail applications under Section 439 Cr.P.C, criminal revision from the year 2016 onwards (except criminal revision against acquittal), appeals under Section 14A of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, arising out of order of the Special Court under Section 438 Cr.P.C and 439 Cr.P.C and tied up matters. It is time varsities allow teachers assessment by students: Bais Staff Reporter Stating that universities and colleges have no right to mess with the future of their students, Governor of Maharashtra, Ramesh Bais said, In the best universities of the world, teachers are often assessed by students. This system should be initiated in our colleges and universities too. The ranking of teachers is as important as the ranking of universities. This will help the students to make better choices of colleges and universities. Recruitment of the best faculty should be given priority by universities and colleges. Bais was the chief guest at the centenary celebration awards function organised to mark the occasion of Teachers Day, by Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) on Monday at Dr Vasantrao Deshpande Hall. Former Judge of Supreme Court, Justice Vikas Sirpurkar was the guest of honour. Vice-Chancellor Dr Subhash Chaudhari, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Dr Sanjay Dudhe and Registrar Dr Raju Hiwase also shared the dais. I strongly feel that universities should improve their governance and make it student-centric. Universities should respond to students' questions. When students grievances are not addressed at the university level, the students approach the Vice Chancellor. Delay in declaration of results of various examinations is not acceptable at all. In many colleges and universities, 30 to 40 per cent of the posts of teachers are vacant. We must find ways and means to make our universities financially self-sufficient so that they can recruit and retain the best faculty members, suggested Bais. Kharge convenes meeting of newly-constituted CWC in Hbad on 16th NEW DELHI, THE first meeting of the newly-constituted Congress Working Committee under party chief Mallikarjun Kharge will be held in Hyderabad on September 16 and will be followed by an election rally near the State capital the next day in poll-bound Telangana. Announcing this at a press conference held at the All India Congress Committee headquarters here, Congress general secretary organisation K C Venugopal said an extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting will be held on September 17 that will include all Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs. The meeting will discuss the political situation in the country and review the partys poll preparedness in five states where elections are due this year. A political resolution will also be passed at the meeting. The CWC is the top decision-making body of the Congress, and Kharge had reconstituted it in August, 10 months after he took charge as the Congress president. With the Congress seeking to consolidate its hold in the poll-bound southern state, Venugopal said that on September 17 evening, which is celebrated as Telangana National Integration Day, the party will hold a mega rally near Hyderabad, where it will announce five guarantees for the Telangana Assembly election. September 17, 2023 is the big day for Telangana, as you all know. September 17, 2023 evening, we are holding a massive mega rally near Hyderabad. Congress President, former Congress presidents and all other senior leaders of the party will attend that mega rally nearby Hyderabad, Venugopal told reporters at the presser where Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh was also present. Assembly elections in Telangana are slated later this year and the Congress is pulling all stops to wrest power from the ruling BRS. The K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS has been in power for the last almost 10 years and is facing a challenge from both Congress and BJP. Make your learnings and knowledge more impactful: Prof Sougata Ray Business Bureau Prof Sougata Ray, Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship (Practice) at Indian Business School, and Thomas Schmidheiny, Chair and Executive Director - TSCFE, inaugurated Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Nagpurs second batch of Ph.D. (Executive) during a ceremony held on the institutes campus on Monday. Congratulating the new batch of research scholars, Prof. Ray said that it was incredible on the senior working business executives part to understand the deep desire within and make choices accordingly. It is essential to set up aspirations, develop the ability to abstract and write, and make your knowledge and experience more impactful, Prof. Ray advised the research scholars. Prof. Ray was all praise for the 12 research scholars as they displayed determination to pursue education despite having to balance professional and family commitments. India is set to lead globally, and the new breed of research scholars has to understand their roles and make this journey impactful. Always remember that research is not an individual activity but a collaborative effort made with faculty and other Ph.D. students. Research is science and a craft as well. Deal with it accordingly, Prof. Ray advised. In his introductory speech, Dr Bhimaraya Metri, Director of IIM Nagpur, provided information about the institute and its current journey. Dr Metri congratulated Prof. Satish Kumar, Chairperson, Ph.D., IIM Nagpur, for bagging the first prize in the Basant Kumar Birla Distinguished Research Scholar Awards for Social Science and Management 2022 (Government Institute Category). Prof. Satish Kumar, in his welcome speech, said they had selected 12 candidates out of the 400 received applications. Manipur appoints retired Army officer who led Myanmar ops as SP (Combat) IMPHAL, THE Manipur Government has appointed a retired decorated Army officer who was in charge of the operation to destroy militant camps in Myanmar eight years ago, as the Senior Superintendent of Police (Combat), a post created for him, officials said on Monday. The appointment of Col (retired) Nectar Sanjenbam for five years followed Union Home Minister Amit Shah statement last month that Kuki people started entering Manipur from Myanmar illegally following a military crackdown on militants. An organisation of the Meitei, one of the warring communities in the north-eastern State, have also asserted that the four-month-long strife is a manifestation of the tension over deforestation, illegal opium poppy cultivation and change in demography in certain areas of the State mainly caused by illegal immigrants from Myanmar. It is alleged that arms are being supplied to militants from Myanmar to Manipur. The Governor of Manipur is pleased to appoint Col (retired) Nectar Sanjenbam as Senior Superintendent of Police (Combat) in Manipur police department on a fixed tenure basis for a period of five years with immediate effect, the State Home Department said in an order. He had led the operations against militants in Myanmar in June 2015, days after their attack in Manipurs Chandel district left 18 Army personnel dead. Significant casualties have been inflicted on them, the Army had said. It appears that the Government wants to use the retired Colonels experience in counter-militancy operations in Myanmar to address the situation in Manipur where more than 160 people were killed in the ethnic violence since early May. Col Sanjenbam who retired prematurely last year was awarded the Kirti Chakra gallantry award for his role in the operation inside Myanmar. Police find keywitness in SanaKhan murder case Staff Reporter The city police have found a key witness in the Sana Khan murder case who claims to have seen the dead body of Sana Khan in the house of prime accused Amit alias Pappu Sahu in Jabalpur on August 2. Commissioner of Police (CP) Amitesh Kumar said that the key witness was found during the special team visit at Jabalpur. The team was led by DCP Detection Mummaka Sudarshan and DCP Zone II Rahul Madne. Similarly, the police claim to have found two more witnesses who heard an altercation between Sana Khan and her husband-turned-foe Pappu Sahu at the latters house. Another forensic evidence that could make a strong case against the culprits is the recovery of soaked blood stains from the sofa in Sahus residence, CP Kumar said. The top cop also said that gathering of key evidences and witnesses would be helpful for the investigators to prove the murder charges against the culprits in the court. As of now, we have four key witnesses in the case and the chain of digital and forensic evidence also are potential chain of evidences, he said. 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. However, the accused are yet to spill beans about the exact location of Sanas dead body who was murdered by Pappu Sahu on August 2 in Jabalpur. CAIRO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Global Congress on Population, Health and Development (PHDC) kicked off in Egypt's new administrative capital on Tuesday. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi attended the opening ceremony of the four-day conference in Egypt's new capital, located some 50 km east of Cairo. The conference was attended by around 8,000 policymakers and researchers. "The population issue in Egypt and countries with similar experiences constitute a real danger," Sisi said, adding he wants to "make education strong" in light of Egypt's large population and limited resources. At the ceremony, Egypt's Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar launched the country's National Population Strategy and General Health Strategy 2023-2030. In order to meet the basic needs of its more than 105 million citizens, Egypt has in recent years explored several ways to control its rapid population growth and made use of its limited natural resources, particularly fresh water and arable lands. SC to release digital reports soon: CJI NEW DELHI, DURING hearing on the batch of pleas challenging nullification of Article 370 before the Constitution Bench, Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud said that the digital SCR (Supreme Court Reports) having exact headnotes as it appears in volumes will be out soon in the next few weeks. CJI Chandrachud urged the legal fraternity to get into the habit of citing SCR in pleading or during oral argument before the Supreme Court, adding that the free digital services will help lawyers across the country from the district level to high courts. SCR is now digital. We already got eSCR. Hopefully, in the next few weeks, we will have a digital SCR. Digital SCR is exactly as it appears in volumes. eSCR is obviously an electronic copy. We have updated the headnotes right probably upto the last month or so now, he told members of the bar. He asked lawyers to have a look at eSCR and called for their suggestions or improvement. He said that the SCR had fallen way behind its time and is now being regularly updated. We are moving from eSCR to digital SCR. Digital SCR will have volume, he said, adding that SCR will have neutral citation. The announcement was made after senior advocate V Giri during his oral arguments submitted that the recent top courts judgement doesnt have SCC citation so far and have SCC Online citation. SCR is the official journal of reportable Supreme Court decisions, which is published under its authority. Each part contains the full text of reportable decisions with Head Notes, a Subject Index and a Nominal Index. The Head Notes are approved by the Judges of the Supreme Court who delivered the judgement. The e-SCR portal is the repository of the electronic version. This year, the Supreme Court under the leadership of CJI Chandrachud uploaded translation of over 9,400 judgements in different languages on the e-SCR portal. The translated versions of Judgements are made available in 15 languages -- Assamese, Bengali, Garo, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Khasi, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. On August 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the ramparts of the Red Fort lauded the Supreme Court for its decision to provide the operative part of judgements in the mother tongue of litigants. Staff Reporter The much touted, ambitious Smart City Project in East Nagpur has been scaled down as officials failed to make headway with land acquisition. This has reduced the road network to just 50 per cent from the earlier plan. Disclosing many hurdles the project has been facing, Prithviraj B, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nagpur Smart and Safe City Development Corporation Limited (NSSCDCL), said that the company has been working under tight deadline and concentrating on completing the allotted work. He was speaking at a media interaction at his office, on Monday. As per earlier plans, roads of 49.76 km were to be rolled out and now, new work orders are meant for just 13.5 km besides earlier completed 12.36 km. The mega plans and big promises of local leaders have failed to materialise due to stiff opposition from locals and has resulted in the mega climbdown. The result, road length in the Smart city area has been reduced by nearly 50 per cent. This seals the projects fate. Smart city concept was based on Area Based Development (ABD) mode and was to be constructed in 1,730 acres of land spread over Punapur, Pardi, Bharatwada and Bhandewadi villages. The development project was under Town Planning scheme as per MRTP Act. During media interaction at NSSCDCL's office at NMC Headquarters, Civil Lines, the new CEO said, Smart Cities Mission is now required to complete all projects by June 2024, this is the final deadline and thereafter no extension is going to be granted. So we have issued work orders for four packages that involves laying of 13.5 kms road with amenities. Now that land acquisition seems almost impossible to completed, the company (NSSCDCL) has decided to prioritise the work and execute only those projects that are feasible and could be completed within the stipulated time frame. From the media interaction, it was certain that the entire scheme of Smart City failed to take off. One of the prime reason for project debacle was that already 70 per cent of area was already developed, though haphazardly due to mushrooming of unauthorised layouts, said the CEO. However a fine reading would reveal that the Town Planning scheme sanctioned for Smart City Project in city was to taxing for citizens. First under the provisions of MRTP Act, Government could acquire upto 40 per cent of land of owners and pool them for development of amenities. Secondly, even the cost of development of civic amenities was to be recovered by NSSCDCL from the citizens whose land is going to be acquired. This was met with stiff resistance as citizens did not had that much deep pockets and they were also skeptical of promised high returns giving the stature of city. But Prithviraj said in earlier estimate the total recovery from land owners was pegged at Rs. 3200 crore but post arbitration the amount was reduced to just Rs. 247 crore. The Smart City project of Nagpur is most challenging as major land was already urbanised and hence acquiring the land remained a major challenge. Of the 42 work orders, 15 have been completed and 15 other are in last phase. To a query, Prithviraj said that Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) has now agreed to part with land required for rehabilitation of brick kilns, they are currently occupying significant portion of land in Smart City area. Though all of them would not be accommodated, yet a large number of them are likely to get the new land parcels for their unit. He said by Diwali, the Home Sweet Home, the multi-storey project of rehabilitation of Project-affected Persons (PAPs) is going to be completed. Similarly, out of four elevated service reservoirs (ESRs), the people residing in area would get piped water supply within next two months as two ESRs are going to be commissioned in Bharatwada. A simple analysis would reflect that the blame rests totally at Government's door as they drafted a Town Planning scheme for East Nagpur, where entire burden was laid on the shoulders of land owners. As per provisions of MRTP Act, Government can acquire upto 40 per cent of land and pool it for development of amenities. But the catch was that NSSCDCL was also told to recover development fees from land owners. This was nothing but double jeopardy, a to punishing the land owners. But now in the new development mode, the company has decided to provide 160 amenities in Smart City area. To another query as to kiosk installed at city bus stops, Prithviraj said they are right now not working as it needs software upgrade as RBI did not permit use of cash at these units. NSSCDCL officials including Rajesh Dufare, General Manager; Dr Sheel Ghule, General Manager; Rahul Pande, Chief Planner; Neha Jha, Chief Accounts Officer; Dr Pranita Umredkar, General Manger (I) and Project Director; also were present during the media interaction. White collar hiring falls 6 per cent in August: Report Business Bureau White collar hiring in India witnessed a 6 per cent year-on-year decline in August following cautious sentiment in IT, insurance, auto, healthcare and BPO sectors, a report said on Monday. In August this year there were 2,666 job postings, as against 2,828 job postings in the year-ago period. On a sequential basis, hiring went up by 4 per cent in August 2023, as against 2,573 job postings in July 2023, according to the Naukri JobSpeak Index. The Naukri JobSpeak is a monthly Index representing the state of the Indian job market and hiring activity based on new job listings and job-related searches by recruiters on the resume database of Naukri.Com. Jobspeak Index for August 2023, reveals optimistic hiring sentiments being driven by non-IT sectors such as oil and gas, hospitality, and pharma. The IT sector also showed positive signs, registering sequential hiring growth after declining for the past few months. This is a healthy indication of normalcy trends returning to white-collar job market in India, Naukri.Com Chief Business Officer Pawan Goyal added. The IT sector was a major laggard as new jobs created in the IT industry were 33 per cent lower compared to the high base value in August last year. Besides IT, sectors such as insurance, auto, healthcare, and BPO, also showed cautious hiring sentiments with a dip of 19 per cent, 14 per cent, 12 per cent, and 10 per cent, respectively, in new job creation compared to August last year, it added. Meanwhile, the oil and gas sector continued its upward trend with 17 per cent growth in hiring compared to August last year. The job growth for this sector is highest in the cities of Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad. Experienced Professionals with over 16 years of experience remained most sought after candidates, it stated. Hospitality sector continued to hire aggressively and witnessed 14 per cent growth in new jobs created compared to August last year, it said. Driven by a renewed focus on R&D, the pharmaceutical sector witnessed a 12 per cent growth in hiring compared to August last year, particularly strong in cities like Ahmedabad and Chennai. Further, it revealed that the number of open job vacancies related to AI functions increased sequentially in August by 8 per cent. The steepest jump was witnessed for ML engineers and full stack AI scientists, respectively, followed by other roles including data scientists and data analysts, it said. CHONGQING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cooperation in digital technology between China and Latin America is thriving and has become an integral component of their overall partnership, according to a forum held Monday in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The 2023 China CELAC Digital Technology Cooperation Forum brought together heads of government departments, diplomatic envoys, and representatives from relevant international organizations, representing 16 Latin American and Caribbean countries. This event served as a pivotal sub-forum within the ongoing Smart China Expo 2023. Some foreign representatives emphasized the vast potential of the digital market in Latin America and its robust development demand, saying that they eagerly anticipate collaborative efforts and mutually beneficial partnerships with China in this field. Latin American and Caribbean countries, especially those reliant on manufactured goods imports, are very dependent on advancements in science and technology, said Daniel Filmus, Argentina's minister of science, technology and innovation. He stressed that digital technology possesses the potential to address specific challenges and enhance the well-being of people, while expressing his aspirations for comprehensive collaboration with China to achieve mutual development goals. "We acknowledge the efforts of China and CELAC in promoting an environmentally sustainable economic and digital transformation, facing global challenges, promoting socio-economic development, progress and well-being of peoples," said Cristina Shimoda, acting director of the Department of Science, Technology and Digital Innovation under Brazil's Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. "Brazil is keen to deepen collaboration opportunities in terms of mobility of researchers and technological development." Data reveals that the trade volume between China and Latin America had nearly reached 500 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, reaffirming China's steadfast position as Latin America's second-largest trading partner. This forum is poised to catalyze deeper cooperation between China and Latin America within the digital technology sector, said Zhang Yunming, vice minister of industry and information technology. Zhang said China anticipates collaborating with Latin American and Caribbean nations to advance mutually beneficial and mutually rewarding endeavors in digital economic cooperation and trade exchange. Lilliputs Nobleman speaks! You know, after arriving here from Ireland some 7 months ago I didn't know what to expect. Ireland, as you're no doubt aware, is called the Emerald Isle because the land stays green year-round. Sure, the weather can get a tad tiresome with the misty rain and fog, but it's never very cold. However, I must say that my first winter here was a very cold one. And it's not just me being a wuss, as I heard the same thing from other horses, as well. I had to grow out my coat a bit more to stay warm. As time passed the snow melted and the ground was green everywhere, just as in Ireland! The morning fog would hang on the mountains and with the hillsides a vibrant green it all looked great. Then one morning I looked out at the valley and the vibrant green grass was now a golden brown what a surprise! Once again, I turned to my fellow California-raised horse for an explanation, and they assured me this was normal, because California is known as the Golden State. Well, ok then! Just as I got used to the golden-brown hills, I noticed that the valley floor burst into neat rows of greenery. As I turned to my stablemates, they informed me that the rows of greenery were crops. And I must say I've enjoyed gazing at the changing panoramic views of Cummings Valley. Here is a view of Cummings Valley from Mountain Springs Ranch. And speaking of the weather, how about Hurricane Hilary? Lots of rain! My first (and hopefully last) hurricane and probably yours, too! YEOSU, South Korea, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- South Korean fishermen have suffered a sharp fall in the sale of aquatic products after Japan's dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean. "Fishermen are now really on the brink of death. They are on the brink of bankruptcy. There are many fishermen under such situations," Kim Young-chul, a fisherman and executive director of the National Fisherfolks Federation in South Korea, told Xinhua on Tuesday. Kim said the consumption of fishery products fell sharply before and after Japan's dumping of radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, which started on Aug. 24. "Fishermen suffered much even before the dumping. Consumption (of aquatic products) shrank sharply as people say they will not eat (aquatic products) as much as they can after the dumping of radioactive wastewater," Kim said. According to the Gallup Korea poll of 1,602 adults for two days through July 10, 82.4 percent of the interviewees said the consumption of fishery products would reduce after the wastewater discharge. The panic buying of dried fish emerged in the consumption market as they can be stored for years, while prices of raw fish were cut in half due to weaker demand, Kim noted. "Wholesalers (of aquatic products) tell (fishermen) to stop fishing as they cannot sell, and even if (fishermen) go out for fishing, they should reduce their catch," he added. Struck by a massive earthquake and an ensuing tsunami in March 2011, the Fukushima nuclear power plant suffered core meltdowns and generated a massive amount of water tainted with radioactive substances from cooling down the nuclear fuel. Winnebago Industries, Inc. (NYSE:WGO Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of Hold from the five analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $68.75. Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on WGO shares. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Winnebago Industries from $72.00 to $75.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 22nd. StockNews.com started coverage on Winnebago Industries in a research note on Thursday, August 17th. They set a hold rating for the company. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their target price on Winnebago Industries from $57.00 to $59.00 in a research note on Friday, June 23rd. Get Winnebago Industries alerts: View Our Latest Report on Winnebago Industries Insider Buying and Selling at Winnebago Industries Institutional Investors Weigh In On Winnebago Industries In other news, insider Donald Jeff Clark sold 294,829 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.89, for a total transaction of $20,015,940.81. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 468,997 shares in the company, valued at $31,840,206.33. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . 4.92% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Winnebago Industries by 2.3% during the second quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 6,456 shares of the construction companys stock worth $431,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. raised its stake in shares of Winnebago Industries by 0.3% during the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 48,223 shares of the construction companys stock worth $3,216,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System raised its stake in shares of Winnebago Industries by 2.2% during the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 8,583 shares of the construction companys stock worth $572,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its stake in shares of Winnebago Industries by 0.9% during the second quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 22,087 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,073,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares during the last quarter. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System raised its stake in shares of Winnebago Industries by 0.6% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 36,763 shares of the construction companys stock worth $2,452,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. Winnebago Industries Stock Performance Shares of Winnebago Industries stock opened at $66.76 on Friday. Winnebago Industries has a one year low of $50.82 and a one year high of $70.53. The company has a market cap of $2.02 billion, a PE ratio of 8.82 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 2.45. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $66.32 and a 200-day simple moving average of $61.95. Winnebago Industries (NYSE:WGO Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, June 21st. The construction company reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.78 by $0.35. The business had revenue of $900.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $977.15 million. Winnebago Industries had a return on equity of 23.45% and a net margin of 6.53%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 38.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.13 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Winnebago Industries will post 7.55 EPS for the current fiscal year. Winnebago Industries Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 13th will be paid a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 12th. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.86%. This is a boost from Winnebago Industriess previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. Winnebago Industriess payout ratio is currently 14.27%. About Winnebago Industries (Get Free Report Winnebago Industries, Inc manufactures and sells recreation vehicles and marine products primarily for use in leisure travel and outdoor recreation activities. The company operates in six segments: Grand Design Towables, Winnebago Towables, Winnebago Motorhomes, Newmar motorhomes, Chris-Craft Marine, and Winnebago Specialty Vehicles. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Winnebago Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Winnebago Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. That release could not be found. In a society marred by deep-rooted corruption and where the tendrils of influence reach into every facet of governance, the impending legal battle takes on a gloomy hue. It unfolds in a nation where justice has at times been elusive, and the judiciary itself bears the weight of suspicion a nation where fear, intimidation, and compromise often loom larger than the rule of law. Justice Isa Ayo Salami's past public remarks in 2015, cautioning against misplaced optimism, echo ominously. His words resonate with those who have witnessed the subtle and not-so-subtle forces that can sway the course of justice in a society riddled with corruption. It is a society where those who dare to speak the truth often find themselves in the crosshairs of power, where the judiciary itself may bear the scars of compromise and external pressures. In this atmosphere of uncertainty, a psychological guess emerges, weighed down by the painful awareness of past injustices. It dares to envision a disheartening outcome for a case that carries the hopes of many. It fears that the very system designed to safeguard justice may falter under the weight of entrenched corruption, potentially wounding a man, Peter Obi, who has endeared himself to the people. But in the midst of these fears and doubts, there is also a glimmer of hope a hope that justice, fairness, and the rule of law will prevail, defying the odds and proving the naysayers wrong. It is a hope that the judiciary will rise above the shadows, guided by the principles of justice and the aspirations of a society yearning for change. In the coming days, as the case unfolds and the judgment is delivered, the nation watches with bated breath, torn between the painful memories of the past and the fervent hope for a brighter future. In the end, the outcome will serve as a litmus test of the resilience of justice in a society deeply scarred by corruption. This psychological guess, heavy with foreboding, will either be confirmed or challenged by the verdict that emerges. In the closing chapters of this legal saga, a shroud of psychological darkness descends, cloaking the hearts and minds of those who have watched with growing worry. As the case draws nearer to its conclusion, the weight of uncertainty bears heavily upon the collective consciousness. This psychological darkness is born of the somber recognition that the journey thus far has been fraught with challenges, and the road ahead remains treacherous. It reflects the concerns that justice, fairness, and the rule of law may yet be obscured by the shadows of corruption and external pressures. As the case heads towards its denouement, there is an unrelenting worry that transcends each passing day. It is a worry that transcends the lower courts, extending its reach even to the hallowed halls of the Supreme Court. The fear persists that the core principles of justice may not find their rightful place in the final judgment, leaving a society in perpetual disquiet. The conclusion of this legal battle, whether in the lower courts or the Supreme Court, will be a defining moment. It will test the resilience of the judicial system and its capacity to dispel the psychological darkness that has gripped the nation. As the final chapters are written, the worry remains, but so does the enduring aspiration for a brighter and more just future. I have a painful but resolute conclusion that underscores a critical sentiment shared by many individuals in Africa, including Nigerians. It's a recognition that despite the challenges posed by corruption, political elites, and hidden agendas, the perseverance and resilience of the people are essential. As the court's decision is awaited, it's important to remain engaged in the democratic process and to respect the rule of law, regardless of the eventual judgment. Legal processes play a crucial role in upholding justice and maintaining the integrity of the political system. Trust in the judiciary is crucial for a functioning democracy, and efforts to strengthen the rule of law and protect judicial independence are ongoing challenges in many countries. The case of Bush v. Gore in the United States serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of timely resolution in election disputes. In 2000, the legal battle over the recount of votes in Florida was resolved within approximately 35 days, leading to a decisive ruling by the Supreme Court. This swift resolution played a significant role in maintaining public confidence in the electoral system. While it is essential to acknowledge that comparing an advanced democracy like the United States to Nigeria may not be entirely fair, the concept of sensible time frames holds universal relevance. The extended duration of Peter Obi/Atiku's legal challenge, spanning from March 21, 2023, to September 6, 2023, totaling approximately 169 days, raises valid concerns about the impact on public trust and confidence. In any democracy, whether advanced or emerging, the timely resolution of election disputes is critical to mitigating suspicions and preserving the integrity of the electoral process. Complex legal proceedings may naturally take time, but prolonged disputes can exacerbate doubts, particularly in a society marked by deep-rooted corruption. No matter how it all ends, there is a sense of both pain and hope. The pain stems from the fear that external pressures, corruption, or compromise within the judiciary may influence the outcome, potentially affecting a leader like Peter Obi, who enjoys widespread support. As we await the court's decision, one thing remains clear: The principles of democracy, including the rule of law, freedom of expression, and the right to peaceful protest, are essential tools for promoting positive change and ensuring that the voice of the people is heard. No matter how it all ends, I weep in pain and joy that we will get there one day. The question is when. 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 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. Professor Oshodi is highly regarded as an authority on psycho-prescriptive writings concerning African institutional and governance matters. With an impressive body of work that encompasses over forty academic publications and books, as well as over 300 public opinion articles, he emphasizes the values of truth, ethics, and transparency in his work. [email protected] BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday urged Britain to ensure the safety of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office and its personnel in London after the premises of the office were vandalized last week. Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a regular news briefing when asked to comment on the incident during which the office was sprayed with red paint and the emblem of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was defaced. "China strongly condemns this heinous act and demands that the British side conduct a thorough investigation, and bring the perpetrators to justice," Mao said. It is no more news to not a few political observers and Journalists across Nigerias six geo-political zones that the Comrade Julius Abure, the chairman of the Labour Party (LP) has rejected the result of the Edo State Local Government Election held on Saturday, September 2, 2023, across the 18 local governments in Edo state as announced by the State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC). The leadership of the LP condemned the election as conducted by the ESIEC describing it as another charade of how condescending a state government can unashamedly resort to in attempt to rubbish the gains of democracy. Besides a number of areas of irregularities pointed out in a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Obiora Ifoh, in Abuja, on Sunday, the resentments and condemnations been expressed by virtually all members of the party in the state and beyond are mind-boggling. Ifoh, who quoted Abure in the statement said that democracy can only succeed when the authorities allow the votes of the people to count and the choice of the voters respected. He said, Reports from our agents across most of the polling units in the state confirmed that there were deliberate effort by the EDSIEC to frustrate voters by ensuring that the electoral officers either came late to the polling units or didnt show up at all. In few places where the election held, insufficient ballot papers were brought with no single result sheet. But at the end of the day, results were churned out with the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party returning elected. He further said, Before the election, credible information reached us that the state government had no intention of conducting any election, let alone a credible one. The EDSIEC we gathered simply took instructions from the government house and announced an already prepared list as winners of the election. Edo people and Nigerians deserve the best to represent them in government. What happened in Edo state was a mockery of democracy and such must not be allowed to stand. We, therefore, call on the state government to also condemn the charade that happened on Saturday, denounce the outcome and call for a fresh and credible election. State Independent Electoral Commissions across Nigeria have failed to help democracy grow. They are purely appendages of the states government and there is nothing independent in them. We therefore call on the national assembly to scrap the commission and entrust the conduct of the local government elections on the Independent National Electoral Commission for proper management. State Independent Electoral Commission has become an embarrassment to democracy in Nigeria. It is therefore time to scrap them so as to restore sanity in our grassroots politics. As gathered by this writer, late arrival of electoral materials, low voters' turnout majorly characterized the local government election so much that the governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, was alleged to be behind the sham. Given the dust and eyebrows raised as a result of the irregularities that characterized the election, and accusing fingers been pointed toward the direction of the governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, the question as to whether State Independent Electoral Commissions are truly independent has been a subject of debate. This no doubt has resulted in arguments and counter arguments. In fact, since the election was concluded, not a few political observers, and members of the opposing parties to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state are asking whether State Independent Electoral Commissions are truly independent as their names connote, and the suspicion has been a matter of serious concern to not a few people. The question of whether INEC should commence the conduct of local government elections across the 774 local governments in Nigeria instead of SIECs has from one political dispensation to the another been a nagging question since the undemocratic trend that is often exacerbated by SIECs often rears its ugly heads, and playitself out across the 36 states whenever the need to organise local government elections arises. In fact, given how problematic the retrogressive situationhas remained, calls in support of the idea that the INECtakes over the conduct of local government electionsacross the country whenever there are needs to do so have been mounting. In fact, the calls are becoming vehement, particularly as been witnessed in Edo State at the moment. The reason for the call cannot be farfetched as experience has shown that the SIECs have proven incapable of conducting free, fair and credible election at the local government levels. As gathered, not a few people are willing to urge the Federal Government to give INEC the constitutional mandate to take over the process of conducting local government elections from the states. Most people engaged by this writer on the issue are optimistic that if INEC takes over, it will go a long way in boosting the credibility of elections at the local government level, and that it will also improve participation at the grass roots level, rather than leaving governors to continue playing the tripartite roles of the players, linesman and referees at the same time. The call is being fueled by the fact that many people havelost confidence in the SIECs because they are doubtful that electoral umpires at SIECs, particularly in reference to EDSIEC which was alleged to have allocated votes in favour of candidates affiliated to the PDP, the ruling party in the states. In fact, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Ward 7, Egor local government area of Edo State, Mr Kingsley Ogeifa, in response to the alleged misconducted local government election in Edo State, has called for a law that would empower INEC to conduct council elections nationwide, instead of leaving such election of critical importance to SIECs. Ogeifa made the appeal while reacting to the delay in the distribution of materials in the September 2 Local Government Council (LGC) election in the State, and said he was disappointed at the shoddy manner with which the EDSIEC conducted the election process across the 18 local government areas. I am very disappointed, because it is unfortunate that at this time and age, we could witness such. The last election that was conducted by INEC, they arrived here early. Before 8:30 am materials had been distributed. See what time it is. We are yet to see any sign of materials. It would have been better if INEC had handled this election. I think that should be better because the way it is now, most of the State governors believe they can do whatever they want to do because they control the State Electoral Commissions. I think INEC taking over will still be better. If EDSIEC wants to conduct the elections in its office, it should have told us so that we would move down there, he lamented. The APC candidate was shocked that after several postponements, EDSIEC could still display this type of organizational shoddiness. Given the foregoing arguments, the question, Should governors continue to play the roles of players, linesmen and referee in SIEC-conducted elections? On the day announcement was made of the appointment of Mr. Chiedu Ebie as new Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the oil flow station at Owa-Alidinma, a shouting distance from Agbor-Alidinma, Chiedu Ebies community was crowded with workers and engineers of Pan-Ocean Oil Company as if they were gathered to welcome the new chairman of NDDC back to the petroleum industry. This joyous group was supported by workers from Obi Anyima cluster of oil wells and Ekuku-Agbor oil well. For a seasoned technocrat and a player in the oil industry whose ward harbour oil yielding wells and crude gathering stations from many drilling points in Pan-Oceans OML 147, Chiedu Ebies appointment as Chairman of the board of the NDDC presents a new challenge for him to impact on the development effort of the devastated oil producing communities of the Niger Delta. Now his community and the entire nine states where crude oil is presently produced in Nigeria look up to him and his interventionist agency to ameliorate their deficits in infrastructure and human capital development. Chiedu Ebie from birth was always expected to be an outlying achiever and much has always been expected of him as the scion of the respected academic and administrator, Professor John C. Ebie, a psychiatrist and pioneer Chief Medical Director of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH and helped nurture the institution to the excellence it has achieved today. His uncle Sir Fortune Ebie was also the pioneer Chief Executive of Federal Housing Authority, FHA. Fortune Ebie was the one who ideated and built FESTAC Housing Estate in Lagos with then Brigadier Obasanjo as Minister of Works and Housing and thereafter moved to Nairobi, Kenya to head Shelter Afrique. Mr. Ebie from this progeny of great men and women has continued in and is advancing the achievements of his ancestry. His first stint in public service of Delta State was when he was appointed as the Commissioner for Education (Basic & Secondary), an assignment he took on so well, that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa during the 3rd anniversary celebration of his administration singled him out as the most outstanding of his appointees. For his diligence, hard work and commitment, Okowa rewarded him by making him the Secretary to Delta State Government (SSG) at the start of his second term. This elevation to SSG was known to all and sundry to be purely on merit. Before then, he was a player in the oil industry. He brought with him to government, steady hands and a quiet panache to a charged political environment. This quality proved invaluable in stabilizing the government of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa. Ebies two year stay as Secretary to the State Government of Delta state, has remained remarkable as the years of achievement of the Okowa administration in the state. His organizational skills, hands on commitment to the job held the state steady and is still applauded as the years of achievement even when Governor Okowa immersed himself in national politics and was projecting to the national stage. Without being accused of any wrong doing, Mr Ebie was removed as the Secretary to State Government in a brusque and unfair manner. Rather than this removal hurting him, it rather energized him to work with others in convening a pan Deltan political group, Delta Unity Group (DUG) to collaborate and work with APC in the recently concluded elections. The involvement of DUG in APC created a strong resurgence in the party, that gave her the victory at the national and indeed at the state where her victory will soon be properly scheduled after the tribunal judgement. He will be supported by Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya, one of Deltas finest public officers as Delta State Representative at NDDC. Igbuya, an experienced public administrator was a one time Local Government Chairman, Member of Delta State House of Assembly where he attained the office of the Speaker. It is instructive to note that Igbuya was the Chairman, House Committee on DESOPADEC. This exposed him to the yearning and aspirations of the oil producing communities in Delta State. It is now clear that providence was taking him through the trajectory in preparation for this onerous task. A task we are convinced is not beyond him, considering his experience and pedigree. The loud roar or statement from the jungle by the Lion through these selections and appointments is that only the best is good enough for Delta State and Nigeria. Never again will situations where top government offices used to promote cronyism, mediocrity and inefficiency be tolerated or accepted. We are assured that Mr. Chiedu Ebie and Rt. Hon. Ovwigo Igbuya will bring their usual commitment and panache to the infrastructural development of oil producing states in Nigeria. Is Nigeria as we know it today slipping away from us and into the abyss? Is Nigeria abandoning the rule of law and slipping into the rule of the jungle? Without doubt, Nigeria is rotten and rotting to the core. The Judiciary can prevent the rot, but will they rise to the challenge to cleanse, sanitize, and disinfect the putrid, stinking country? Or will they uphold the complete hijack and takeover of the nation by criminal entities led by dirty politicians linking up with dirty judges, serving and retired, as the arrowheads of depredation? Like rats after causing havoc, these criminal entities are escaping the country, one by one, leaving the military and DSS behind to manage the mess they created, until they can return safely in the no distant future to continue where they left off. But the military are not fools. Neither are they saints. Indeed, many soldiers are greedy themselves. You think they can't see what greedy politicians and greedy judges are doing, each abusing their positions and their offices held on public trust to unjustly enrich themselves? You think these greedy soldiers will not be tempted just as the Justices are tempted, to abuse their commissions and to do likewise? You think other onlookers demanding justice today will not abandon their quest and resort to their own means and devices? When everyone begins to abuse their offices, jungle rules start to apply. Engineers will intensify their attempts to cut corners in material quality, oversite control, and workmanshipquality. Pharmacists will reduce their quality control on medications. Doctors will intensify their issuance of fake prognostications and prescriptions as well as insist on inflated paybefore play before medical consultations. Medical laboratory scientists will give fake diagnosis, leaving malaria to detect typhoid in blood samples. This is a roundabout way of saying that the conditions are ripe for ambitious soldiers to strike if the Judiciary ventures through greed to lose the trust and confidence of the masses. The military dares not to intervene when the masses are happy and can see that the cause of Justice has been properly dispensed and its demands rigorously served. Injustice, real or imagined, as perceived by the generality of the public, creates perfect conditions for ambitious soldiers to step in and grab their share of the loot. When the military steps in, the first action is invariably to abandon the rule of law and replace it with martial law. No one can predict what that will entail or encompass. It all depends on the exigencies experienced at the spur of the moment. That uncertainty is not a good place to be in. So, it is up to the Nigerian Judiciary to spare the nation the agony of uncertainty by upholding Justice and not pandering to the greed embedded in their wallets or the long throat ensconced in their gullets. Like I n I said before, the rule of the jungle is an uncharted territory. There are no maps and no templates. It can be designed one way butexecuted another way. Who says there are no divergencies or cleavages within the military? Who knows which scores will be settled? Who says there cannot be a degeneration into a bitter civil war? Who says corrupt Judges cannot join corrupt politicians in facing summary justice?The choice is therefore that of the Justices to judge wisely by favoring true justice, and notthe interests of any paymaster. Will they sense the gravity of the situation and seize the historical opportunity to judge wisely, not resorting to arcane technicalities to shield and defend the indefensible? Will they understand that long after the bribe money they may receive from corrupt politicians has been squandered, the judgements they make tomorrow will still be remembered by future generations. Do they want to see their children deny any association with them, deny their parentage, deny their surnames, simply because they dont want to be tainted by the infamy they are tempted to spew tomorrow? Do they realize that they are bound by their oaths of office to deliver justice, and justice alone, secured not by changing the Constitution and extant rules midway into the electoral process to satisfy the interests of any one party, but by protecting the interests of Democracy as expressed by the Law already in force when the last Presidential elections were held? Will they apply judicial wisdom and not judicial recklessness earmarked to only suit their private pockets and not the interests of Nigeria? Time, in this case 24 hours, will tell. All that should be said has already been said. The die is cast. The clock is ticking. What will be will be.Let everyone grab their destiny. There should be no had I known. You know already, right now! We are and . Anthony Chuka Konwea, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE, MNSE, FNIStructE, MNICE. The New Owerri palatial home of His Excellency, Chief Engr. Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, MFR, OFR, CFR, FNICE, FNSE, KSC, (Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo) the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide was a hive of activities as he marked his 81 birthday on Monday, September 4, 2023. Chief Iwuanyanwu had wished a very sober and reflective birthday because of the mood of the country, hence did not extend invitation to anybody, but behold, it was an out-pour of emotions as dignitaries of diverse backgrounds from various locations gathered to show love and solidarity to the pre-eminent Igbo Leader. While several persons joined Ahaejiagamba in his home, some other dignitaries took to the press to express their birthday wishes to the Octogenarian. The Governor of Imo State and the Chairman, the South East of Nigerian Governors Forum, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma qualified Chief Iwuanyanwu as "a living legend and one of the founders and pillars of Imo State. Uzodimma added: As a pioneer, you have made quantum contributions to Nigeria, from the Imo Airport to Blood Bank, from millions of scholarships to publishing, from real estate to construction, to sports, to philanthropy; your imprimatur is everywhere. Uzodimma pointed out that since he took over the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the difference is clear. For Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Iwuanyanwu is a committed patriot who has done his best for the growth and development of the South East and the country in general Soludo remarked that Ahaejiagamba has shown a mature way of handling the affairs of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, stressing that by his methodical approach to leadership, Ohanaeze has achieved a lot in advancing the interest of the Ndigbo. The erudite governor further commended Iwuanyanwu to have used his numerous business establishments to offer employment to the teeming Igbo youths The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Uk and Ireland chapter led by Chief Mrs Aqueen Ibeto qualified Iwuanyanwu as an inspiring leader, a pillar of strength and support; a man with a large heart who stands for justice and fairness, a real hero and a benefactor of many lives. The Uk leader stated that Iwuanyanwu has remained a worthy ambassador of everything good in the Igbo community both at home and in the Diaspora. Ibeto added that Iwuanyanwu has distinguished himself as a man of large heart who stands for justice and fairness; a real hero and an outstanding purveyor of morals A veteran journalist, Emma Agu was not left out in the euphoria. Agu likened Ahaejiagamba to a good wine that tastes better with age, every passing day. According to Agu, Iwuanyanwu keeps appreciating in value as a foremost nationalist, bridge-builder, patriot and statesman and has contributed enormously to the socio-economic development of the country. Agu added that the Imo State-born civil engineer, politician, philanthropist, businessman and statesman has recently turned on such spectacular public service credentials that confirm his standing as an exceptionally gifted patriot, organizer, trailblazer and national icon. Agu informs that Ahaejiagamba has in the twenty years that he had the privilege of working with him registered an indelible impression on him as a compassionate and foremost advocate of justice, equity and fairness qualities the rare and sterling qualities he inherited from his parents, Pa Bernard and Lady Hulder Iwuanyanwu, both of the blessed memory from Umuohii Atta in Ikeduru Local Government of Imo State in Nigeria. The Agu impression is not in contrast with the general attestation that Iwuanyanwu has always espoused the view that equity, justice and fairness were irreducible requirements, indeed spiritual conditions for peace and all human progress to which he was ready to commit every effort and every resource at his disposal. Agu added that the Igbo ethnic and Nigeria as a whole should be grateful that, Iwuanyanwu at 81, is deploying his rich experience in Nigerian politics, wide social network and the formidable bridges he has built over the years as a philanthropist and statesman, in the task of building a Nigeria in which his Igbo, like every other ethnic group, is providing a level playing field to not only enjoy the bounties of the earth but to guarantee a strong and united country that would be able to withstand the inevitable headwinds of nation-building. The Acting National Youth Leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Mazi Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu stated: In politics, you have made indelible marks; in business, you have performed beyond expectations and demonstrated an uncommon capacity. You are a symbol of Igbo greatness, courage and boldness. You have indeed inspired and motivated Ndigbo across the globe For the Ikeduru Union in the Uk, they wished Ahaejiagamba a wonderful and glorious birthday. The goodwill message signed by Chief Raph Nwosu and Cosmas Sylvanus prayed to God, in His infinite mercies to grant Ahaejiagamba a long life in good health. On his own part, Prince Ubochi C. U bochi, the Traditional Prime Minister of Amaifeke, wished the Igbo Leader the best of everything because he deserves it today and always The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Global was not left out in the celebration of the iconic Igbo Leader. In a release signed by Chief Mrs Aqueen Ibeto, the Convener, and Mazi Emenike Anigbogu, the group expressed that the 81 years of Chief Iwuanyanwu is a monumental achievement that marks wisdom, unassailable leadership qualities and a lifetime of exceptional contributions to humanity. They qualified Chief Iwuanyanwu as a global entity who has been striving for the upliftment of Ndigbo around the world. They enthused that they are elated that a quintessential Igbo Leader, the Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo has taken up the role of the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and that his resilience and cognate experience are great assets and enormous benefits to Ndigbo And for the National Executive Committee (NEC) and indeed all the organs of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Iwuanyanwu is an awesome leader with an incredible physical prowess, an extra-ordinary creative thinker and a transformative imaginative visionary. Indeed, a new Ohanaeze Ndigbo is born E-Sign. Dr. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, the National Publicity Secretary, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide. American arrested in Bangkok for Phuket villa damage PHUKET: A 41-year-old American man has been arrested in Bangkok and brought back to Phuket to face charges over damage done to a rented villa in Karon during a drunken rampage. tourismcrimeimmigrationpolice By The Phuket News Tuesday 5 September 2023 05:06 PM The arrest of the American man was announced at a press conference in Bangkok yesterday (Sept 5) chaired by Immigration Bureau Chief Pol Lt Gen Phakphumphiphat Sujjapan. The American man, referred to only by the pseudonym John, was wanted on an arrest warrant issued in Phuket for a destruction rampage that resulted in damage to a villa in Karon, the Immigration Bureau reported. The owner of the home filed a formal complaint with Karon Police, who duly informed Phuket Immigration. As local Immigration officers were unable to locate John, a warrant for his arrest was issued. The American man had presented himself at the Immigration Division 1 branch at the IT Square building in Thung Song Hong, Lak Si District, Bangkok, in order to extend his permit to stay in the country. At the time the American presented himself to Immigration officers, he was staying at a condo in the Soi Sukhumvit 11 area in District, Bangkok. An officer recognised the American from an arrest warrant shared from Phuket, and after confirming the mans identity placed him under arrest. American John admitted that he was the same person listed as wanted on the arrest warrant, Immigration Bureau reported yesterday. The man has since been returned to Phuket to be formally charged at Karon Police Station, the report added. The Immigration Bureau did not report the monetary value of the damage done to the villa. However, the person who filed the complaint posted on the Mercedes P. BenzZaa Facebook page on Aug 28, Today, the tenant has already agreed to pay damages in front of the official. From the appraisers price of 890,000 baht, it was 340,000 baht in cash and 70,000 baht for the house deposit, and the complaint has been withdrawn. UPDATE: Khun Benz of the Mercedes P. BenzZaa Facebook page later confirmed to The Phuket News that her case of a foreigner causing damage to her property was unrelated to the damage done by the American "John". A different foreigner, nationality not disclosed, had gutted her condo, also in Karon, and taken all the furniture. Free visa for tourists from China raises crime concerns BANGKOK: A free-visa travel privilege for Chinese visitors proposed by new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin could lead to more transnational crime, according to the Immigration Bureau (IB). Chinesetourismcrimeimmigration By Bangkok Post Tuesday 5 September 2023 09:29 AM Photo: Bangkok Post The policy championed by Mr Srettha is set for launch on Oct 1 to attract more Chinese visitors, who previously made up most tourist arrivals. Despite the easing of COVID-19, the number of Chinese visitors has not made a strong rebound, reports the Bangkok Post. Adith Chairattananon, honorary secretary-general of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta), said earlier that many Chinese are not in the mood to travel overseas in light of the economic pressure and the weak yuan though it might not be a critical concern as the baht has also weakened. Negative images of Thailand are circulating on Chinese social media, particularly regarding safety, which makes them reluctant to travel, Mr Adith said. The Atta has also noted many Chinese travel companies have yet to recover due to a lack of workers and higher operating costs, unlike big firms that can rapidly adjust their businesses. The plan to offer the free visas has divided opinions as Mr Srettha is reportedly discussing the issue with security and related agencies. Some tourism-related businesses are concerned that greater ease of entry would unleash an influx of Chinese criminals. IB chief Pol Lt Gen Pakphumpipat Sajjapan said yesterday (Sept 4) that an offer of a free visa could create a loophole through which operators of call centre gangs, illegal businesses and other transnational crimes could slip into the country. He said the IBs workload would multiply trying to catch such elements once they have entered the country. The planned policy, it is feared, would also worsen congestion at immigration counters. But Pol Lt Gen Pakphumpipat said the bureau was ready to follow a free-visa policy. The IB would need to prepare measures to alleviate airport crowding due to the expected spike in Chinese visitors. For instance, all immigration check-in counters must be fully opened during peak arrival hours. The IB was looking to designate dedicated immigration lanes for Chinese passport holders. Pol Lt Gen Pakphumpipat added the IB unsuccessfully asked the Airports of Thailand to allocate more space for immigration checkpoints at international airports. Military outlines plans to reduce conscription quotas BANGKOK: Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang has confirmed that the military has outlined plans for an immediate reduction in military conscription quotas, in line with the new governments policies. military By National News Bureau of Thailand Tuesday 5 September 2023 12:44 PM Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang. Photo: NNT Minister Sutin, along with Prime Minister and Finance Minister Srettha Thavisin, held discussions on Sunday (Sept 3) with incoming military leaders, reports NNT. The talks focused on the nations present situation, addressing pertinent issues, and exchanging the requirements and demands of each party involved. Both the government and military said they are in agreement on several policy objectives, including transitioning to a voluntary military service system. The two sides also discussed the militarys need for government support across various aspects. Emphasising its proactive stance toward organisational improvements and alignment with government policies, the military said it is committed to keeping the government informed about any challenges that might take place in the future. When questioned about the timeline for these measures to take effect, Sutin indicated that tangible results would be noticeable without delay. Specifically, the transition to a voluntary military service system by April 2024 is expected to result in a significant reduction in military conscription quotas. Addressing concerns related to the excessive number of high-ranking officers, the defense minister noted that plans are in place to gradually reduce the overall size of the military. According to Sutin, the precise percentage reduction is currently under deliberation, with the military actively working on presenting the proposed figures. Although these plans have been internally discussed, they have not yet been made public. The commercial launch vehicle CERES-1, carrying four satellites, blasts off from the waters surrounding Haiyang, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 5, 2023. China on Tuesday sent a sea-launched rocket into space from the waters surrounding Haiyang, placing four satellites into planned orbit. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center conducted the offshore mission. It was the 9th flight mission of the CERES-1 rocket series, the launch center said. (Photo by An Di/Xinhua) HAIYANG, Shandong, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday sent a sea-launched rocket into space from the waters surrounding Haiyang, a coastal city in the eastern province of Shandong, placing four satellites into planned orbit. The commercial launch vehicle, CERES-1, blasted off at 5:34 p.m. (Beijing Time). The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center conducted the offshore mission. It was the 9th flight mission of the CERES-1 rocket series, the launch center said. The commercial launch vehicle CERES-1, carrying four satellites, blasts off from the waters surrounding Haiyang, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 5, 2023. China on Tuesday sent a sea-launched rocket into space from the waters surrounding Haiyang, placing four satellites into planned orbit. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center conducted the offshore mission. It was the 9th flight mission of the CERES-1 rocket series, the launch center said. (Photo by An Di/Xinhua) The commercial launch vehicle CERES-1, carrying four satellites, blasts off from the waters surrounding Haiyang, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 5, 2023. China on Tuesday sent a sea-launched rocket into space from the waters surrounding Haiyang, placing four satellites into planned orbit. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center conducted the offshore mission. It was the 9th flight mission of the CERES-1 rocket series, the launch center said. (Photo by An Di/Xinhua) The commercial launch vehicle CERES-1, carrying four satellites, blasts off from the waters surrounding Haiyang, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 5, 2023. China on Tuesday sent a sea-launched rocket into space from the waters surrounding Haiyang, placing four satellites into planned orbit. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center conducted the offshore mission. It was the 9th flight mission of the CERES-1 rocket series, the launch center said. (Photo by An Di/Xinhua) On Demand We have a new story every day on the front page of thephuketnews.com. Also like us on our Facebook page (facebook.com/thephuketnews) and be the first to watch all the new stories. Finally you can watch any segment, any time by going to thephuketnews.com/tv where all the stories are listed for you to enjoy. All our programs can be enjoyed in High Definition when watching on the internet. In-Room VDO Sanipex, a leading bathroom and plumbing solutions provider in the Middle East, together with its local partner Loft by Etab, will be back next week at Index Saudi Arabia 2023 to showcase its innovative luxury European design-led ranges from its own brands - Bagnodesign, Bystro and Richmond. A premier interior design, furniture, and fit-out trade event, Index Saudi Arabia 2023 is being held from September 10 to 12 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center. During the event, Sanipex Group is set to unveil exciting new releases at its stand reaffirming its prominence among architects, designers, developers, and contractors, said a statement from the company. The showcase will highlight innovative luxury European design-led ranges from its own brands - Bagnodesign, Bystro and Richmond - as well as a hand-picked selection from some of its iconic global partner brands. With comprehensive solutions for both residential, hospitality, and commercial projects, Sanipex Group positions itself as the go-to destination for design professionals, it stated. The surge in real estate projects, diversification into various sectors, like retail, medical, education and hospitality, along with the booming fit-out market affirm the demand for premium interior design solutions in Saudi Arabia, where Sanipex Group's exceptional products and expertise align perfectly. From its exclusive suppliers, the group will also be presenting a variety of categories including Bathroom, Kitchen Appliances, Outdoor Living, and Hotel Amenities, featuring an incredible range of carefully curated lifestyle pieces with a focus on this years emerging trends. "Visitors can look forward to a trend-leading selection of Italian-led sanitaryware, furniture, brassware, mirrors, and accessories by Bagnodesign. The brand will be launching its new Chiasso brassware collection which reflects the trend of mixing natural materials with metal," said a company spokesman. "This collection is available in four stunning finishes and 12 porcelain handle accents, which can be custom cut in its state-of-the-art Slab Fabrication Facility in Jebel Ali, Dubai, with the opportunity to correspond with the Alpine washbasins and countertop collection from the same brand," he added. Additionally Sanipex will have on display the comprehensive Bristol range. Combining a soft, industrial style with bold statement pieces, Bristol is the perfect choice for emulating the rejuvenating ambience of an urban spa in the comfort of the home, with emphasis on the linear and cross brassware in on-trend finishes, complemented by the distinctive Galaxy Black bathtub and basins for a minimalistic chic look. The exhibit will also include renowned bathroom brands Nobili, Axent, Jee-O, and Dolphin to really step up the offering. Synonymous with excellence, these trusted brands bring their latest innovations to the forefront. Tubes will also grace the stand with its avant-garde heating solutions in a number of stylish finishes to suit all bathrooms, said the statement. Enabling complete kitchen solutions to be sourced from one supplier, the newly launched Bystro Kitchen brand allows design professionals to turn to Sanipex Group for quality, reliability and choice when working on their kitchen projects. Expertly crafted in line with the latest European design trends, Bystros exceptional Italian style and functionality will be showcased in an impressive indoor kitchen display. The full range includes built-in cookers, microwaves, refrigeration solutions, wine coolers, and more. Complementing the brand will be Nobilis highly-refined kitchen mixers, crafted with Made in Italy excellence. As designers look to extend indoor comfort to outdoor spaces, Sanipex Group will be exhibiting its ultimate design solutions to inspire visitors. "From a sleek, outdoor kitchen featuring bespoke slab kitchen countertops custom made in its Slab Fabrication Facility, to fire pits from Australias leading EcoSmart Fire, and plush, weather resistant Outdoor Living furniture from Italian brands Talenti and Jati and Kebon, Sanipex Group will demonstrate its full capabilities in transforming outdoor spaces into inviting retreats, for family and hospitality guests alike," said the spokesman. "Lastly, for designers seeking the ultimate finishing touches for a luxury hotel guestroom, look no further than Bagnodesign's versatile offerings in a choice of finishes suited to complement any design requirement, as well as the newly launched Richmond. Designed with luxury and comfort in mind, Richmond is a hand-selected range of hotel amenities to make the guests stay memorable," he stated. "From mini bars and safes to hair dryers, it combines user-friendly design with the latest technology, taking care of even the smallest details," he added.-TradeArabia News Service BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Despite a sluggish global economy, many multinational companies, especially those in the consumption sector, have found China a source of confidence for business growth, as their latest financial reports highlighted robust Chinese market performance. Foreign catering firms earned big in China as the service retail market picks up recovery steam. U.S. coffee chain brand Starbucks' China's revenue grew 60 percent year on year when excluding the impact of foreign currency translation in the third quarter (Q3) of its 2023 fiscal year. A total of 237 new outlets were opened during the period, more than the sum of the previous two quarters and setting a record high for Q3 performance. Thanks to Chinese people's growing passion for outdoor activities and sports-based social networking, U.S.-based global sportswear brand Skechers saw Chinese market sales rise 19 percent year on year in Q2. "We have long-term optimism on the Chinese market and stay committed to investing in China," said Willie Tan, who is in charge of Skechers' China, the Republic of Korea, and Southeast Asian markets. The company opened a live-streaming base in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan in July to utilize the increasingly popular sales approach. Global cosmetics companies also reported strong recoveries in the Chinese market. China again rose to be the largest market in terms of net sales for the Japanese cosmetics brand Shiseido Group in Q2, while French counterpart L'Oreal saw its high-end products report double-digit sales growth in the Chinese mainland. China has managed to keep foreign investment relatively stable in the first half of this year. The country saw a 35.7 percent year-on-year increase in the number of new foreign enterprises despite a slight dip in actually utilized foreign investment. In a recent development of China's opening-up efforts, the country's State Council last month unveiled guidelines containing 24 specific measures to further optimize foreign investment environment and beef up foreign investment inflow. These measures include expanding pilot areas to open wider in terms of services, encouraging foreign firms and their R&D centers to undertake major sci-tech projects, facilitating the travel of senior executives, technicians, and their families, and enhancing the expertise of personnel in local government offices handling foreign investment. "We believe that 'investing in China is investing in the future.' A commitment to China, its people and its talents is a winning factor for every international company," L'Oreal Chairman Jean-Paul Agon told Xinhua in a recent interview. 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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 COLOMBO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's cabinet has approved a proposal to change existing provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act to allow the registering of electric three-wheelers, cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardena told reporters on Tuesday. The cabinet of ministers approved the proposal to publish it in the government gazette and would submit it for parliamentary approval consequently, Gunawardena said. The country's Motor Vehicles Act stipulated that the tare weight of a motor tricycle should not exceed 500 kg, but due to the electrically charged batteries used in electric three-wheelers, the tare weight of such three-wheelers could not meet the standard. The bill removed the requirement of the tare weight upper limit, an obstacle to the registration of electric three-wheelers, and has received the clearance of the attorney general. There are about 1.2 million three-wheelers on Sri Lankan roads, and over the next five years Sri Lanka plans to electrify half a million three-wheelers, Gunawardena said. Assembly bypoll in Dhupguri of the Jalpaiguri district passed off peacefully on Tuesday except for stray incidents in a few places. However, the BJP has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against an additional superintendent of police, Wangden Bhutia, who allegedly intimidated party candidate Tapasi Roy. Around 74 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 5 pm, according to Jalpaiguri district magistrate (DM). Advertisement BJP candidate Ms. Roy, during her visit to several polling stations, noticed that West Bengal Police personnel were checking EPIC and slips from voters even standing at the gates of the polling booths. The BJP candidate immediately protested and requested the police to leave the entrance of polling booths. Notably, the Central forces were deployed in all polling booths and the Bengal police were deployed in the polling premises to maintain the queue of voters. The BJP candidate Ms. Roy asked the Bengal police why are you here, close to the door of a polling booth? You will do your duty at least 200 metres away from the polling booths. Central forces are here to keep a close eye and maintain the proper election procedure in the polling booth, Ms Roy told some policemen. It may be noted that the Leader of the Opposition of the State Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, during election campaigning in Dhupguri urged the people to stop the election if the Bengal (Mamata) police came within 200 meters of a polling station. Though the police personnel left the place following requests from the BJP candidate, the Additional S P, Wangden Bhutia, rushed to the spot and asked the BJP candidate not to interfere in security arrangements and not disturb the election procedure. Paying no heed to the BJP candidates plea, ASP Mr Bhutia said: You can not ask the police to leave the place of their duty. You cant do it. You are not a competent authority. Dont do that. You are merely a candidate. You are circulating the wrong message. We dont have instructions related to the 200-metre distance. You can lodge a complaint with the Observer here or with the Election Commission with the help of an App. But you cant interfere and disturb police arrangements. This is the final and last appeal to you with due respect. We will withdraw the police forces if the Commission asks. Sources said on receiving information, the Election Commission in Kolkata has sought a report on it from the district magistrate. Polling began at 7 am today in all 260 polling booths in Dhupguri on Tuesday and an average voter turnout of 33 per cent at 1 pm was recorded. Polling officials could not begin polling on time in a few booths due to a technical snag of EVM. Voters witnessed a contrasting picture compared to recent political violence on the rural poll day in several places under the Dhupguri Assembly area. Where experienced violence and rigging in several polling stations, today they witnessed peaceful voting procedures there. To avoid the scorching sun and 37-degree temperature, voters lined up in all polling stations since morning and exercised their democratic rights peacefully. Police took prompt action when the senior BJP leaders, who were not voters of the Dhupguri segment, entered their party office in Dhupguri mid-day today. Fuelling the ongoing face-off between Raj Bhawan and state secretariat Nabanna, Governor CV Ananda Bose, in his capacity as chancellor of state-run universities, appointed interim vice-chancellors ( VCs) of 16 universities. The universities include Presidency University (PU), MAKAUT, University of Burdwan, West Bengal State University, Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Rani Rashmoni Green University, Biswa Bangla University, Netaji Subhas Open University, Harichand Guruchand University, Alipurduar University. Subhrakamal Mukhopadhyay, retired chief justice of Karnataka High Court andVC of the Rabindra Bharati University (RBU), has also been appointed as interimVC of the PU as an additional charge. Advertisement According to the Raj Bhavan sources, Prof Raj Kumar Kothari has been appointed as the interim VC of the West Bengal State University while Prof Debobrata Basu will head the Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya as an interim VC. Raj Bhavans decision to appoint the interimVCs has prompted the state government to make strong reactions against the move. The state education minister Bratya Basu on Monday accused the Governor of acting in a dictatorial manner and claimed that the move could destroy the university system in the state. Mr Basu while reacting to the appointment of the interim VCs in 16 government universities said, The governors move was violative of the bill passed by the state legislative Assembly, concerning the roles and functions of the constitutional head as the chancel lor of universities and state government. The state government has threatened to take action against the Raj Bhavan. Interestingly, Mr Bose on Sunday evening issued a circular stating that VCs are the principal executive officers of state universities and other officials of the institutions will not take orders directly from the government or execute those without their consent. Historian cum writer Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri, who is close to the chief minister Mamata Banerjee when asked, told The Statesman, I am not making any comments on these issues. Let me know about the development first. Till then I dont know who will be accused of fuelling con- troversies, Raj Bhavan or the state government. As scheduled, a University Grants Commission (UGC) delegation arrived at Jadavpur University today to assess the situation. The visit comes 25 days after the death of first year student Swapnadip Kundu. Sources said that the team members may also visit the hostel. UGC representatives spoke separately with members of the university administra- tion. In this regard, the vice- chancellor of Jadavpur University, Buddhadeb Sau, stat- ed, They have expressed their desire to meet with us. I cant say if they are happy or not with the report earli- er sent by JU authorities. They came for a visit, and there is nothing more to it. I have no idea about the purpose of their visit. Advertisement The vice-chancellor denied having any information about the UGC teams visit and mentioned that they have not clarified their purpose yet. On the other hand, when asked about the decision to instal CCTV cameras, the vice-chancellor said, I have given an order to send the request to instal CCTV cam- eras toWebel within 3-4 days. Initially, we will instal CCTV cameras, which are mandatory. They cannot be turned off even if the students protest. They will be at all the gates. The incident at Jadavpur University has already led to two reports being sub- mitted to the UGC. Even after responding twice, the UGC is not satisfied. On 25 August, the registrar of Jadavpur University had stated that they had sent the report for the first time after sending the questions. However, the UGC has not responded to it yet. The UGC delegations visit to the university campus is expected to assess the over- all situation and understand the aftermath of the incident. According to sources, the UGC delegation may stay on the university campus for several days. Its worth noting that the university authorities have previously raised concerns about the lack of security arrangements, including the installation of CCTV cameras, in many areas. Jadavpur University had sent a letter to the commission regarding these allegations and the university administration claimed that they received a satisfactory response from the UGC. However, later, the UGC sent another letter, and the vice-chancellor stated that they have not received any information regarding their visit. On the occasion of Teachers Day, Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla here on Tuesday conferred State Awards upon 14 teachers and honoured two others with National Awards for the year 2022 in a State level function held at Raj Bhavan Shimla. On the occasion, Lady Governor Janki Shukla also presented saplings and pictures to all the awardees. The Governor paid rich tributes to late Dr S Radhakrishnan, former President of India, whose birth anniversary is celebrated as Teachers Day throughout the country. Advertisement He termed Dr Radhakrishnan as a veracious personality, Nobel laureate, academician and an able administrator. Governor said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has termed the next 25 years as Amrit Kaal, adding that during this period, we should contribute to the development of the country in some way or the other. He said that only teachers play a pivotal role in shaping and enabling the future generation to contribute towards nation-building. Expressing concern, he said, Today many youths were in the grip of drugs, which was a matter of concern for the future of the country. There was a need to start a strong campaign against drugs he said adding that students of schools, colleges, and other educational institutions should be made aware of the ill effects of drugs. Teachers could play an important role in awaring the students about the ill effects of drugs and make an important contribution to the entire society. The Governor said that the process of making good human beings should be the basis of education. The overall objective of the development of children was to build a strong nation, so teachers have the obligation to imbibe moral values to them, he added. Teaching is a noble profession and carries a massive responsibility because the conduct, character and thoughts of teachers influence the students and therefore, they should perform their duties honestly and sincerely, said the Governor. While congratulating the awardees, he appealed to the teaching community to work with more commitment and dedication. He said that the Government of India has implemented the National Education Policy in the country after 34 years. In the current context, this new National Education Policy, which provides affordable education to all and has many merits, but its implementation is also challenging, he added. It is important to understand its broader aspects and implement it and the onus lies more with the teachers, said the Governor. He also released a souvenir on the occasion. Education Minister Rohit Thakur welcoming the Governor and Lady Governor, said that the state government was committed to the development of the education sector. He said that the life of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan has been inspirational as he dedicated his life to education and worked hard to strengthen this sector. While congratulating all the award winners, he said that the education department is the biggest department of the government and there were more than 83,000 teachers in the department. He said that there has been unprecedented development in the field of education in Himachal Pradesh. In 1947, the literacy rate of the state was only eight percent, which has increased to more than 88 percent today. Today, there are 140 colleges in the state. The number of schools, colleges and universities were quite large and school facilities were available even in the last corner of the state where our teachers were serving, he said. Earlier, Ashish Butail, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Education welcomed the Governor and said that teachers have an important role in nation building and due to the special status of teachers in the society, their responsibility becomes more sensitive. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will highlight its digital payments infrastructure at the forthcoming G20 summit, with central bank digital currency (CBDC) and public tech platforms being the main focus areas. According to RBI sources, the RBI exhibition pavilion at the G20 summit will put up five major items for display, including the Public Tech Platform (PTP) for frictionless credit. An experience centre would be available for the delegates where one can experience an interactive demonstration of the entire process i.e., from onboarding to sanction and disbursement of the Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs) and dairy loans in an entirely digital manner in a few minutes, revolutionising rural credit, sources said. Advertisement It will be showcasing an informational video on the RBIs digital rupee and its journey. The live digital rupee transactions will be demonstrated by select banks which are participating in the pilot, said sources. Apart from this, digital payments initiatives will also be showcased, highlighting UPI One World where visitors will be on boarded to UPI without having a bank account in India and they will benefit in the process to have a first-hand experience of breezing payments through UPI. Also the RuPay On-The-Go segment of the pavilion would allow customers to carry out contactless payment transactions through accessories they wear (watch, ring) or use (key chain) every day and highlight the adaptability of the domestic card scheme associated products at par with such global products. Finally under the Bharat Bill Payment System ((BBPS), it will highlight the adaptability of the BBPS platform to integrate with FinTechs and conventional financial players to facilitate domestic as well as cross-border payment transactions, RBI sources said. Actor and scriptwriter Atul Tiwari Sunday highlighted the importance of theatre in shaping an actors craft and emphasized the role of drama schools in shaping actors to give an uninterrupted three-hour performance. Tiwari in an exclusive interview to The Statesman talked about the role theatre plays in shaping an actor. He acknowledged how theater creates a direct connection between actors and their audience. A distinguished alumnus of the National School of Drama (NSD), Tiwari said, Western nations provide better facilities and support for theater. They have a theater-loving community and a government that respects theater artists. Advertisement He expressed disappointment with the treatment of theater in India, lamenting the lack of equivalent respect. Tiwari proposed a two-pronged approach to address this issue, urging both the government and society to respect theater and its artists. More theaters should be constructed in smaller towns and cities, beyond the capital with improved theater infrastructure, he said. Having written scripts for a number of movies, Tiwari highlighted how scripts have evolved to cater to changing audience preferences over time, adapting to the shifting landscape of cinema. Renowned for his role as the minister in 3 Idiots and as Bihars governor in the series Maharani alongside Huma Qureshi, Tiwari is set to play a significant role in the upcoming film Mujib: The Making of a Nation, a biopic based on the life of Bangladeshs founder and President, Sheikh Mujib-Ur-Rahman. Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday visited the International Media Centre for the 9-10 September G20 Summit and reviewed arrangements there. The G20 Summit will be held in Bharat Mandapam and the International Media Centre (IMC) has been developed in its proximity at Hall No 4 and 5 of the International Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) Complex. During his visit, the Minister was given a walkthrough of MCR, Studio, PCR, PQR and social media room at the venue. Advertisement Mr Thakur said that India is excited to host the G20 Leaders Summit. He said that more than 200 meetings have taken place in over 60 cities across India, response during which was overwhelming. This was a historic scale of organization of an event and he was hopeful that the Leaders Summit will make history, he said. Speaking about the arrangements at The International Media Centre, the Minister said that it has world class facilities and this showcases the power of New India. Art and culture pieces from India adorn the walls of the facility. He said that the main media centre, the venue for press conferences, is named Himalaya and can accommodate over 300 journalists. India is globally recognized for its digital payment system and this technological prowess will be showcased in the pavilions here, he added. India will flaunt her rich culture and heritage during the summit and at the same time put forth a lofty image of a New India, said the Minister speaking of Indias projections during the Summit. Stating that G20 will see the largest gathering of media personnel from across the world, the Minister extended a warm welcome to the media fraternity from across the world. Appreciating Doordarshan for erecting an elaborate set up for the telecast of the event, he said that Doordarshan is playing a very important role with over 78 UHD and 4K cameras installed at various locations from airport to Bharat Mandapam. Clean feed will be provided to all media, he said. The Media Centre has the capacity of hosting over 2000 media delegates with all sorts of facilities. It will host all Domestic and Foreign Media including official media. There will be over 1300 work stations with internet connectivity and printers. LANZHOU, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A new study has disclosed that the abnormal warming of the tropical Indian Ocean is probably a key factor for the recent wetting trend in northwest China, according to Lanzhou University. Investigating and understanding the long-term natural precipitation variability in northwest China provides insights into the recent wetting trend in this drought-plagued region, said Li Guoqiang, a professor at the College of Earth and Environmental Sciences of Lanzhou University. Featuring a very arid climate, northwest China has received a persistent increasing trend of precipitation during the recent decades, which enhances the flood frequency and strength in this region. It is important to trace the key to this wetting trend. Researchers from Lanzhou University and Nanjing University jointly carried out the study by examining the effects of ocean feedback on the response of precipitation variations in northwest China to mid-Holocene and recent climate forcings based on sensitivity climate simulations. They used a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model and a single atmosphere general circulation model in this study and explored the mechanisms of multiple time-scale precipitation variations of the region. The study results showed that the tropical Indian Ocean warming plays an important role in the mid-Holocene and recent precipitation variations in northwest China. The study results have been published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews. The Andhra Pradesh CID has initiated investigations after the Income Tax department issued notice to TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu for allegedly receiving kickbacks worth Rs 118 crore from infrastructure firms which showed payment to bogus subcontractors to siphon off funds. The state government is preparing to launch a comprehensive investigation into the matter to ascertain potential common origins or connections between the IT scam and the Skill Development Corporation scam. The IT notice has added an arsenal to the YSRCPs allegations of massive corruption indulged in by the previous TDP regime in the name of development. The statement further said that APCID has issued notices to key figures associated with the IT scam, notably Manoj Vasudev Pardasanny and Yogesh Gupta linked to the Skill Development Corporation Scam. Advertisement It was after conducting raids on the premises of Pardasanny that the IT Department sent notice to Chandrababu Naidu over the undisclosed income worth Rs 118 crore. Pardasanny had represented Shapoorji Pallonji, the contractor for various projects including the construction of the temporary Secretariat, Assembly, and high court and housing projects by TIDCO. According to the YSRCP government, the money trail reached Dubai and the CID was considering sending a team there to investigate the matter. After reports of the IT notice to Naidu surfaced, YSRCP leaders have accused the Opposition leader of using the development of Amaravati as a facade to ensure kickbacks from infrastructure companies routed through bogus firms. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Tuesday, criticised the Congress party for what he alleged was a strong aversion towards the name Bharat. In his tweet, Sarma expressed his belief that the Opposition bloc INDIA deliberately chose its name with the intention of opposing the concept of Bharat. He said, Now my apprehension has proven to be true. The Congress party seems to have a strong aversion towards Bharat. It appears that the name I.N.D.I alliance was intentionally chosen with the aim of defeating BHARAT. Advertisement This tweet by Assam CM Sarma triggered fresh discussions and debates, particularly in light of speculations about the government planning to introduce a Bill to officially rename India as Bharat. Notably, this development came just before the special Parliament session scheduled from September 18th to 22nd. In another post on the same micro-blogging platform X, Sarma expressed his pride in the idea of a REPUBLIC OF BHARAT, emphasising the bold progress of their civilisation towards an era known as AMRIT KAAL. These social media updates by Sarma fueled speculation and added momentum to the ongoing debate concerning the potential renaming of India as Bharat. The Congress also joined the discussion, criticising the government for recent developments. They highlighted that the Rashtrapati Bhawan had issued an invitation for a G20 dinner on September 9th, addressing it to the President of Bharat instead of the customary President of India. This change in nomenclature added a new dimension to the evolving discourse surrounding Indias official name. In response to this change, senior congress leader Jairam Ramesh commented, So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of President of Bharat instead of the usual President of India. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. But now even this Union of States is under assault. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was Monday discharged from Delhis Sir Ganga Ram Hospital after recieving treatment. The Congress leader was admitted to the hospital after showing symptoms of fever on Sunday. The Congress leaders health is now normal and she has been advised to rest. She is unlikely to attend the Oppositions INDIA block floor leaders meeting in Delhi today to discuss special session plans. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has called the meeting of INDIA bloc floor leaders at his Delhi residence. Advertisement Gandhis health has not been on good side lately and she has also travelled to the USA for treatment in the past few years. Though it has not been revealed what kind of treatment she is undergoing. The former Congress presidents last appearance was at the INDIA blocs Mumbai meeting last week. A section of party leaders want her to lead the alliance but she is said to reluctant citing her health condition. Three from Himachal and one from Chandigarh are part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission Many children might have dressed up as the former President of India, one of the pioneers of Indias nuclear mission, and ISRO scientist APJ Abdul Kalam in school, but few actually might have gotten to live the dream of being a scientist, like him. Like APJ who hailed from Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu, the southernmost tip of peninsular India, and as PM Modi hailed in his Independence Day speech that tier 2 and tier 3 cities have been throwing up young achievers that too without any hunger for monetary benefits, here are four of these young men who were part of the ISRO team that successfully dispatched Chandrayaan-3 to the moon. So when Prashuman from Nau Meel near Pandoh in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh became a part of the ISRO team dealing with the cryogenic fuel engine of Chandrayan-3, his parents knew his maternal grandfathers prophetic words had come true. He used to address Prashuman as Kalam sahaab realising the potential of his mechanics-oriented mind. He had earned this epitaph not out of nowhere. He would always try and find out the mechanism behind devices like toys, tricycle, lock and key, mobile phone, etc by opening them to know their mechanism, says his mother Ritu Suman, a teacher. Advertisement A few kilometres away in another village Panjethi in the Talyahar area of Mandi district, Vijay Kumar Sen who studied in Navodaya Vidyalaya, Pandoh, and IEET, Baddi, under HP University, was also working hard at the same time when Prashuman was growing up. Vijay too joined ISRO in 2010 at the age of 21. His father refuses to divulge any details about Vijay and says, As per the protocol we cant speak. In yet another small village Baba Badoh in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, another young scientist Dr Anuj Chaudhary, who studied at Greenfields School, Nagrota, and then did his B Tech from Kurukshetra University was working in hostile conditions in his small village. There was no road to our village. Nobody knew us before our son made us proud being part of the Chandrayan-3 mission, says Sarita Kumari, Anujs mother who is a housewife and her husband an accountant in Delhi. But Anuj had shown his intellectual skills right from his childhood. He always stood first in every exam, and the proud mother cant thank his teachers enough. In nearby Chandigarh, Nikhil Anand did his B Tech degree from Chandigarh University at Gharuan, Mohali, and M Tech from PEC and to fulfill his fathers desire also did an LLB degree. Law was my choice and engineering was his passion and he went for the latter, says Lallan Thakur, Nikhils father who is an advocate. As Prashumans mother sums it up for mothers struggling with their little ones, Primary education of every child must be very good. So it is the responsibility of teachers and as far as mothers are concerned, sometimes they have to give up their interests. I am enjoying my youth now after both my children have finished their studies, says the radiant, simple, and youthful mother. Citing ISRO protocol, the parents of the young scientists refused to divulge more details about what part of the mission they participated in. As India still basks in the glory of the successful Chandrayan-3 mission, the mission Aditya L1 to the sun may give direction to several young scientists who would want to make their parents proud probably a decade or two later. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state was now safe for tourists to visit. All the roads leading to famous tourist destinations Shimla, Dalhousie, Kasauli, Dharamshala, Macleodganj, were open and safe to travel, he said while talking to the media on his two-day visit to his home district Hamirpur on Tuesday. The recent spell of heavy rains during monsoons, though disrupted the National Highways and other roads, the state government restored the same on a war footing, and tourists are welcome to the state, he said. Advertisement Mining activities have been banned in the state till 15 September on the river basins of Beas and its tributaries besides other rivers. He said that the state government will recruit 1200 police personnel who besides curbing the drug menace will also play the role of tourism police. The government also mulls to change recruitment rules in police department, he said. Replying to the media on the issue of Rajya Chayan Ayog(Himachal Pradesh State Staff Selection Commission), the Chief Minister said that the Ayog will be opened in Hamirpur itself, in the existing complex. The Chief Minister visited the disaster-affected families in the Badsar Assembly segment interacted with them and assured to provide all possible assistance to them. He handed over the revenue papers of the land measuring six marlas each to the three families in Guru-da-Ban, whose land was washed away and houses declared unsafe. The Chief Minister also directed the district administration to provide land to others as well who have lost their shelters. The Chief Minister stated that the state government will soon provide land to others, severely affected by the disaster. Sukhu said that the state government stands with them in this hour of distress. He visited Jabbal Kheriyan, Guru-da-Ban, Bhebad, Samtana Khurd and Lahari Salan to assess the damages caused to the families due to heavy monsoon rains. The Chief Minister also instructed to provide help to those whose houses have been damaged in Samtana village of Badsar constituency. Sukhu also went to landslip areas in Lahari. Bypolls are being held today in seven assembly constituencies spanning across six states in what is being seen as a first major test for the Oppositions INDIA alliance. The seats where bypolls are being held include Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh, Dhupguri in West Bengal, Puthuppally in Kerala, Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, Dumri in Jharkhand and Boxanagar and Dhanpur in Tripura. The results of these bypolls will be announced on September 8. As many as 28 Opposition parties have come together to form an alliance called Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance or INDIA to take on the mighty BJP-led ruling National Democratic Alliance or NDA. While the INDIA bloc resolved to fight the next years Lok Sabha elections together as far as possible, these bypolls are likely to give them a reality check of the grassroots level politics. The Opposition is putting up a united front in Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand. However, in West Bengal and Kerala, their candidates are fighting the by-elections against each other. Advertisement In UPs Ghosi, the traditional BJP vs Samajwadi Party contest has transcended into a much bigger NDA vs INDIA battle that may have a bearing on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. While BJP candidate Dara Singh Chauhan is being supported by the NDAs Apna Dal (S), Suheldeo Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and Nishad Party, INDIA bloc partners the Congress, the RLD, Left parties, and Apna Dal (K) are rallying behind SPs Sudhakar Singh. While byelections in four states are being fought on expected lines, Keralas Puthuppally and West Bengals Dhupguri highlighted the weakness of INDIA alliance as its partners are pitted against each other. In Keralas Congress-stronghold Puthuppally, the Left is making the grand old party sweat it out as CM Pinarayi Vijayan himself led the campaigning. The positive bypolls results could also help the Opposition INDIA bloc in shifting the focus away from the recent Sanatana Dharma controversy. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalins son Udhayanidhi triggered a massive political storm with his remarks equating Sanatana Dharma with malaria, dengue and corona. In a Chennai conference, the DMK leader also called for the eradication of Sanatana Dharma. His remarks were severely criticized by the BJP and gave the saffron party much-needed ammunition against the INDIA bloc, given DMK is also one of its 28 alliance partners. The INDIA bloc would now be hoping these bypolls change the winds and set the momentum in their favour. Commenting on the Union Ministers diatribes against him on Monday, CM Vijayan at a press conference said that Rajeev Chandrasekhar had been spewing not just poison but deadly poison in a bid to dent the secular credentials of Kerala. Over 72.91 percent voting was recorded in Puthuppally assembly constituency in Kerala, where the bypoll was held on Monday. According to reports, 1,28,624 of the 1,76,412 registered voters cast their ballots in Puthuppally. The bypoll was necessitated on account of the death of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in July 2023. Advertisement The Congress-led UDF opposition has fielded former Chief Minister late Oommen Chandys son, Chandy Oommen, in an apparent strategy to bank on sympathy wave. Jaick C Thomas is the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate. Thomas, a CPI-M state committee member and a former state president of SFI, the student wing of the CPI-M, lost to Oommen Chandy in the 2021 Assembly election by less than 10,000 votes. The BJP has fielded its Kottayam district president G Lijin Lal. Besides, four other candidates one from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and three independent contestants are in the fray UDF candidate Chandy Oommen along with his mother and sisters cast their votes at Georgian Public School, Puthuppally by 9.30 am. UDF candidate Chandy Oommen along with his mother and sisters cast their votes at Georgian Public School, Puthuppally by 9.30 am. A heavily armed Pakistani terrorist has been killed in the forest area of Reasi district in a joint operation by the Indian Army along with J&K Police and Special Operation Group (SOG). However, another terrorist managed to escape during the encounter. An Army jawan and a policeman were injured during an exchange of fire. Defence spokesman, Lt. Colonel Suneel Bartwal said on Tuesday that the joint operation was launched based on specific information about the presence of two armed terrorists. A dynamic counter-terrorist grid was established with extensive deployment in the area. Advertisement Based on the intelligence, the Indian Army and the J&K Police launched a swift operation in the Kalaban area in the Reasi district on 4 September. The terrorists trapped inside the cordoned house opened fire on the security personnel deployed outside. In the ensuing heavy firefight, one terrorist was neutralised. A detailed search of the house and the surrounding areas after the encounter resulted in the recovery of one terrorist body along with other war-like stores including one AK series assault rifle with magazines. Search Operation in progress. The Indian Army successfully demolished an IED in the same region on 3 September. A major incident has been averted in the region by these two consecutive actions by security forces. The presence of these heavily armed terrorists in the hinterland indicates sustained attempts by inimical forces to destabilize the SPPR region. Reiterating his resolve to defeat the BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha polls as well and in 2027 UP assembly elections, newly appointed Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai on Tuesday demanded judicial probe into the murder of a youth in the house of a Union Minister in Lucknow and attack on a female police constable in a moving train. Addressing his maiden press conference after being appointed as the Congress state chief, Rai hit out at the Yogi Adityanath government over law and order and other issues. He questioned the Chief Minister as to when the bulldozer will move to the house of Union Minister Kaushal Kishore, whose son is involved in the murder of a youth. Condemning the killing of a BJP worker with the pistol of the son of Union Minister Kaushal Kishore, Rai said the crime has exposed the much publicized law and order situation of the Yogi Government. Advertisement He said that liquor and gambling was going on at the ministers house while he campaigned for prohibition. The murder of a BJP worker in his own house and his conspiring to save his son is a condemnable act. The Minister lies that his son was not present at the time of incident and he was in Delhi but he is seen present in the CCTV footage. Even after three to four days of the incident, no action has been taken. Under pressure from us, the police have issued a notice saying that the ministers son will be interrogated, he alleged. Referring to the brutality done by miscreants in the train with a woman constable, the State Congress president said that if this government is unable to provide security to its own women constables, then how can it protect the common people of the state. Exposing the reality of all the claims made by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav in the context of railway security, he asked why the railway department could not provide security to this lady constable Sumitra Patel? Yesterday, when I was going to the trauma centre to inquire about the condition of the injured lady constable, the state government tried its best to stop me from going there by deploying a large number of police forces, but we reached there and after talking to the doctors, inquired about the condition of the lady constable, he said. Meanwhile, the UP Congress president said that the party will start the Pad Yatra from September 7 in the state to oppose the policies of the government. This photo taken on Aug. 11, 2023 shows a bridge across the Binlang River in the northern section of the Stilwell Road in Houqiao Township of Tengchong, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo by Gong Zujin/Xinhua) KUNMING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- It is getting dark, but the Houqiao land port in Tengchong City in southwest China's Yunnan Province remains busy as a seemingly endless flow of vehicles pass on a road between China and Myanmar. The road, previously named after former U.S. General Joseph Stilwell, now facilitates the transport of fresh fruits like bananas and watermelons from Myanmar to China, and groceries and construction materials in the opposite direction. "This is a land passage between China and Myanmar that facilitates our trade," said Li Jianping, who works at the port's management office. While serving in the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II, Stilwell provided support for the Chinese people in their resistance against Japanese aggression. Linking the northeastern Indian town of Ledo and Yunnan's provincial capital of Kunming via Tengchong, the 1,726-kilometer road was once dubbed a "lifeline" during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. More than 50,000 tonnes of supplies were transported along the road to battlefields in China. Although some sections of the road were damaged during the war, cross-border exchanges and trade never stopped. In 2004, China funded upgrades to the road between Tengchong and Myitkyina in Myanmar, reducing the travel time on the 200-kilometer section from about eight hours to just three. In 2020, an expressway between Tengchong and Houqiao opened to traffic, marking the completion of the high-speed road between Yunnan's capital of Kunming and Houqiao Port. In the same year, the construction of the Stilwell Road Museum was completed, with the building housing more than 5,000 WWII artifacts, including Dodge trucks, Willys jeeps and road construction tools. People visit an exhibition hall for the Stilwell Road at the Memorial for Anti-Japanese War in Western Yunnan in Tengchong, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Aug. 31, 2023. (Photo by Gong Zujin/Xinhua) At the same time, trade between China and its bordering countries continued to grow. In 2013, China and India proposed the construction of a Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor, which, with a market of more than 3 billion people, is believed to boost the integrated development of the economic plates of South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia. Deng Zhongjie, who works at the logistics company RUIHEJC, has been working in cross-border transportation and trade between China and Myanmar for more than seven years. "The Stilwell Road is still an important route for Yunnan's opening-up, which has also promoted the development of the planting industry in Myanmar," he told Xinhua, noting that the road could help integrate the production and resource advantages of countries such as China, Myanmar and India, thus aiding development along the route. In the first five months of this year, the number of passengers crossing the border through ports in Tengchong rose 302.4 percent from last year, the freight volume increased 148 percent, and total imports and exports grew nearly 400 percent. "While continuing to upgrade the Stilwell Road, we could boost its extention to form a land route with more openness and vitality," said Fan Yujin, an associate researcher at the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences. The idea of one nation, one election has received conditional approval from poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who acknowledges that it is in the interest of the country if done with correct intentions. The advantages of a single poll may include decreased costs and voter fatigue, according to Kishor, a pollster who has guided various parties to victories, including Prime Minister Narendra Modis BJP, Mamata Banerjees TMC and Nitish Kumars JD(U), among other regional parties. Additionally, he warned that overnight changes could cause problems, a comment that many took as a jab at the BJP over rumors that it planned to move the 2024 general election to coincide with state elections later this year. If done with correct intentions, and there (is) a transition phase of four to five years, then it is in the interest of the country. This phenomenon was once in effect for 17-18 years. He said. A commission led by former President of India Ram Nath Kovind was entrusted on Friday with determining whether it would be possible to hold the national and state elections concurrently. The committee will recommend specific amendments to the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act and other relevant rules to ensure the legality of simultaneous elections. It will also dwell on the need for ratification by at least 50 per cent of all states, which must pass them in their Assemblies. It will also check the feasibility of holding elections to panchayats and municipalities, along with central and state elections. Advertisement This happened immediately after the government has called a special session of Parliament this month, which sparked rumors that the BJP, the current government, intended to call for a general election later this year, when certain states would also be holding elections. However, the governments agenda for this session has not been confirmed. Up to 1967, simultaneous voting was the norm; four elections were held in this manner. After some state assemblies were prematurely dissolved, the practice was abandoned. In 1970, the Lok Sabha was also adjourned for the first time a year early. Making One Nation, One Election a reality was the BJPs campaign promise. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has previously said that holding elections every few months strains Indias resources and results in gaps in administration. The government last week announced the formation of a nine member panel, comprising former defence personnel, academia and industry, under the chairmanship of Vijay Raghavan, former Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government, to undertake a detailed assessment of the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization). This follows years of complaints on its functioning and output by all stakeholders including the armed forces. The committee is to submit its final report within three months. The primary task of the committee is to consider restructuring and redefining the role of the DRDO, streamline its research efforts, foster cooperation with foreign entities and rationalize its laboratories. It would also devise strategies to enable it to attract talent, retain skilled personnel and build an environment conducive to innovation and research. All earlier committees including the Kargil, Shekatkar and Rama Rao committees have recommended its revamping, but nothing moved. The DRDO was formed in 1958 by amalgamating the Technical Development Establishment of the army and the Directorate of Technical Develop- ment and Production with the Defence Science Organization. Its journey commenced with 10 establishments and laboratories which have currently grown to 52 laboratories, all engaged in research in multiple domains. Its staff comprises of approximately 30,000 of which only 30 per cent belong to the scientific community. Its vision statement is empowering the nation with state of the art indigenous defence technologies and systems, while one of its missions is,design, develop and lead to production state of the art sensors, weapon systems, platforms and allied equipment for our defence services. It has failed in both. The DRDOs budget was enhanced by 9 per cent this year to Rs 23,260 crores of which approximately 12,850 crores are for R & D. Nationally, India allocates only 0.7 per cent of its budget for R & D, which is low, especially when we consider shortfalls in technology. Advertisement In December 2019, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence tabled a report which stated, The committee stresses the need for a complete revamp and re orientation of DRDO functions. It added that the DRDO needs to enhance collaboration with the private sector and aca- demia. It stressed that the organization should concentrate on research only in fields where capability weak- nesses exist in India. There is no doubt that the DRDO has delivered missile technology with little progress in other fields, which remains a matter of concern. Where it has delivered, it has been after con- siderable delays and cost overruns, resulting in dissatisfaction amongst the services. In the pre-Aatmanirbhar days, when India imported most of its defence needs, all defence procurement demands were routed through the DRDO, which then suggested which technologies they could deliver and when. Classic examples include Anti-tank guided missiles and UAVs. In most cases the government accepted their suggestions and blocked procurements ignoring requests of the armed forces. At the end of the day, either the promised prototype was never delivered or what was fielded was way below specifications sought by the forces and that too after prolonged delay. The result was that capabilities essential for national security were left short. Their hold and power over procurements were legendary. The DRDO also avoids involving the private sector, which the government is currently keen to incorporate. Like the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), the DRDO is also a PSU and like the OFB it failed to meet its targets. The government scrapped the OFB and converted its factories into seven defence PSUs. These are now producing results. They are competing in open tenders with the private sector without any special consideration. It is the turn of the DRDO to be similarly revamped. It may be incorrect to compare two diverse organizations but while ISRO successfully launched Chan- drayaan 3, the DRDO failed to produce even the basic weapon system, the rifle. It is not that ISRO has an unlimited budget while DRDO does not. Indias space budget is amongst the lowest in the world while its accomplishments surpass almost the best. ISRO did so largely employing indigenous technologies and involved the academia and the private sector at every stage, which should also have been the approach of the DRDO. For DRDO to claim that defence applications are largely delinked from dual use technologies is also incor- rect, especially in the current age. Its lack of success is possibly because of its work ethos, lack of collaboration with other sectors and misplaced priorities. The change in performance of the erstwhile OFB factories is testa- ment that a change in organization structure can prove advantageous. What is essential is that the DRDO must stick to research on major technological national short- comings. Even in these fields it should collaborate with academia and the private sector as is being done by ISRO. Laboratories, earmarked for research in other fields, should either be closed or privatised. The government has already earmarked 25 per cent of its defence R&D budget for the private sector. This could be increased. The government regularly announcing negative lists for procurement implies that R&D needs to be given more credence. Additionally the national R & D budget should be raised from 0.7 to 1 per cent ini- tially and steadily higher. Unless the DRDO, which is the backbone of R & D within the country, gets its act together, issuing negative lists would be meaningless. ISRO has shown that results do not flow from scientists emerging from IITs alone but from cohesion, a conducive working environment and teamwork including the academia and the pri- vate sector. The DRDO could also become a hub for coordinating research being conducted by the private sector and the academia in multiple fields, while it itself concentrates on specific fields. It does not need to adopt the USs DARPA (Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency) model, which is just a funding body. It could handle coordination with simultaneous research. Multiple committees have recommended revamping of the DRDO, over the years, but to no avail. The last such committee was in August 2020 under Dr Ramagopal Rao, Director IIT, Delhi. Its report also appears to have been buried. The current committee has been established as the PMO finally appears concerned about the tepid performance of the DRDO. Hopefully, this time there will be some positive outcome. (The writer is a retired Major-General of the Indian Army.) Indian cities are rapidly growing into large, diverse and unwieldy urban agglo merations. It is only pertinent to reflect on the plural character of Indian cities, reflected among other dimensions in the countrys rich heritage of city building and in a different manner in the present configuration and condition of Indian cities. One grand plan, an image, or a few landmark projects cannot shape all areas in them well. Therefore, government urban corporations must develop diverse initiatives to improve Indian cities comprehensively. Indian city-building heritage is worth navigating for its sheer richness and diversity. For example, the art of city building is evident in ancient yet living and vibrant cities like Madurai and Varanasi, steeped in sacral symbolism and a distinct culture. Among other examples, Jaisalmer and Jodhpurs aesthetically rich historic cities with compact and community-friendly residential neighbourhoods, Fatehpur-Sikri with its splendid poetics of architecture and public space-making or the traditional plan of the historical city of Jaipur with its nuanced variety of public spaces tied to peoples culture, all display a sin- gular strain of masterly city building. Further, areas developed during the colonial rule in major Indian cities like Mumbai, Kolkata or Delhi, with their vast public spaces and vistas complimented by well-built public buildings of fine architecture, and a modern Chandigarh are also part of Indian city planning and design heritage. Advertisement Indian city building heritage is a palimpsest and repository of plural, rich, legitimate planning and design ideas and examples. Modernisation initiatives by the Indian government to improve cities need to be harmonious with the character of this precious heritage. It needs to be conserved with equanimity and studied for lessons to shape present day Indian cities well, closer to the culture of the people living there.Most major Indian cities have areas of different periods, and characters fused within them. From a particular perspective, one can read them as having a congested and decaying older city area, usually of the princely state times and sometimes older, with compact neighbourhoods, bazaars, eateries, affordable merchandise markets and others. In most cases, graceful city areas of the Colonial era succeed with majestic public buildings of fine architecture. Further, the city areas of the Socialist phases follow, with their gradually decaying employee colonies,industrial precincts, cinema theatres, and once prominent shopping districts now caught in the cen- tre of ever-expanding cities. A relatively new energy guzzling and traffic-clogged, opulent tech-glass city of the post-economic liberalisa- tion phase appears later on the urban scene. It adds to the existing layers of the Indian city, concentrated employment centres and a workforce moving back and forth from near and far-off residential colonies and listless suburbia. From an abstract stand- point, the informal city of the urban poor and migrant work- ers may be read as being spread in the interstitial unlivable spaces of these varied city areas and on less contested fringe areas of Indian cities. This mosaic of interconnected city areas and others, each with its internal complexities, also has urban land put to multiple uses. They are also of different ages and characters, sim- ultaneously growing and transforming in time. Most of these areas, however, fall short of adequate social and physical infrastructure, lung spaces and commons, and public health and sanitation standards. Further, they are lived in by large populations with urban poor, most adversely affected on all counts. Among other reasons, owing to the prospect of high visibility or ease of implementation or new revenues and employment generation, developing new spectacular projects seems to be preferred by many State governments over evenly spread city improvement initiatives. After all, unlike new ven- tures, urban renewal initiatives by urban corporations that attempt to upgrade existing city areas with their ageing infrastructure, multiple stakeholders and intricate issues are invariably plagued by poor visibility and progress. Consequently, Indian cities witness a systemic loss of verdure natural assets around them due to ever new projects and consequent speculation. Simultaneously, continuous deterioration of existing city areas occurs due to overgrowth and neglect. Further, the sale of publicly owned lands in city areas incessantly by many State governments, reportedly to raise revenues for urban development projects, depletes the prospect of creating lung spaces and commons in existing city areas. In effect, existing city areas of Indian cities persistently decay, producing unequal urban landscapes. Despite many government efforts, comprehensive improvement and development of all areas in Indian cities seem distant and elusive. Therefore, while new developments have their role in addressing the needs of ever-increasing urban populations, it is imperative to steer political will with corresponding fiscal investments commensurately across diverse existing areas of Indian cities. Further, among other measures, urban renewal initiatives need to be incentivized more than other development projects. Additionally, expenditures by urban corporations on pro- jects need to be audited by the authorities concerned for their breadth and spread, not limited to a few items of city improvements or landmark projects. Also, besides the 74th amendment empowering local municipal bodies and the NITI Aayog committees recommendations to strengthen urban planning, the Government of India could develop a dedicated National Urban Services cadre with technical expertise in urban planning, urban design and allied disciplines to lead and support presently ill-equipped urban corporations. Urban corporations can also institutionalise the participation of corporate and other private agencies, think tanks and research institutions to improve existing city areas. In addition, while grand master plans for an entire city, among many other functions, regulate the use of overall urban land at a city level, greater emphasis on augmenting them with environmentally and socially responsible ward-wise, need-based local area development plans is essential. Though National urban renewal missions encourage such plans, their apt realisation by urban corporations true to diverse local area needs remains a mirage. Such area plans need not necessarily target realising a Hong Kong or New York City-like image as symbols of progress or the only development models. Instead, while using urban land efficiently, urban corporations should dovetail them with urban design strategies sensitive to local contexts, informed by lessons from Indian city-building traditions and peoples needs. Also, recently reported Smart city projects that received awards in cities such as Coimb- atore, Indore, Kolkata, and Thanjavur, under multiple themes not limited to water, mobility, culture, and built environment, can be critically analysed for planning and design lessons. In addition to these initiatives and select projects, integrated improvement and devel- opment of larger existing city areas holistically across Indian cities is much crucial work wait- ing to be done by State governments and their urban corporations. Such work may have many themes tied up coherently to trigger a larger-scale, effective urban transformation of all areas of Indian cities. In due recognition of the plural charac- ter of Indian cities, governments should look at achieving good cities for all, which reads like a new urban mission! (The writer is a practising architect based in Hyderabad) The Supreme Court on Tuesday was told that the first deputy prime minister and Union home minister of India late Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the architect of Article 370 that conferred special status to the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir on its accession to India. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal told a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said that Sardar Patel was the architect of 370, it was done with his approval. The bench, also comprising Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Surya Kant was told this as it (bench) reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 and the subsequent bifurcation of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories J&K and Ladakh. Advertisement Concluding his rejoinder arguments, Sibal told the bench that Article 370 was hammered out between the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and then interim Prime Minister of J&K Sheikh Abdullah and it was Sardar Patel who was speaking to Sheikh Abdullah on the issue. Referring to a letter written by Nehru to Sardar Patel where Nehu pointed to some provisions of draft Article 370 and expressed doubts, Sardar Patel while not agreeing with them took upon himself the task of persuading the Congress party on the final draft of the Article 370. As the bench referred to political compromises, Sibal agreeing with it said, Everybody was part of the process All the key players (Nehru, Sardar Patel and Sheikh Abdullah) were collaborating in the drafting of 370 and in a letter Sardar Patel assured Nehru that he will persuade the party (Congress) about the final outcome of Article 370. The constitution bench reserved its verdict on the conclusion of arguments that were spread over 16 days in which petitioners challenging the abrogation of Article 370, had contended that Article 370 was a permanent feature of the relationship between the Union of India and Jammu & Kashmir. The bench was told that the constitution of India and the constitution of J&K spoke to each other through Article 370. The hearing saw the petitioners arguing that Article 370 could not have been seen in isolation and had to be seen in the context of history, certain developments and its linkage with other provisions of the Constitution. It was contended that through the instrument of accession, J&K had ceded its external sovereignty relating to masters of external affairs and not the internal sovereignty, which under its constitution, the J&K retained with itself. The bench appeared not persuaded by this position as it said that there was nothing in the Indian constitution recognising such a position and said that after J&K had become part of the Union of India and accepted the constitution of India, then all the provisions of the Indian constitution extended to it. It was also argued by the petitioners that recourse to Article 356 the imposition of the Presidents rule could not be taken to denude the State of its character and change its boundaries and convert it into Union Territory. However, Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and other lawyers defending the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of K&K into two Union Territories said that there was nothing like external or internal sovereignty. They said that once J&K had merged with India, there was only one sovereignty the sovereignty of India. They also defended the imposition of Presidents rule, Lt. Governor of J&K dissolving the State assembly, abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the State into two UTs. The Solicitor General Mehta told the bench that it was only after the abrogation of Article 370, that all the rights that people in India enjoyed were extended to the people of J&K. He said that post abrogation of Article 370, there was normalcy in the State and the incident of terrorism, stone pelting and agitations have come down. The cases of stone pelting have come to zero. He said that there was development in the state and Kashmir has seen a huge flow of tourists. A Khalistan referendum event, scheduled to take place on September 10 at a school in Canada, has been cancelled after images of weapons on the poster were brought to the school authorities notice by concerned residents. The Surrey School District announced on Sunday that it has cancelled the event at Tamanawis Secondary School in Surrey town of British Columbia province as the event organisers failed to remove the concerning images despite repeated requests. Earlier today, our district cancelled a community rental of one of our schools due to a violation of our rental agreement. Promotional materials for the event featured images of our school, alongside images of a weapon, the Surrey School District said in a statement published on The Indo-Canadian Voice website. Advertisement Despite repeated attempts to address the issue, the event organisers failed to remove these concerning images, and materials continued to be posted throughout Surrey and on social media, the statement read. The poster featured a kirpan (dagger) as well as an AK-47 machine gun, along with the name of banned Khalistani group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), which is led by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. It also had pictures of Khalistani leaders Hardip Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead in June at a parking lot in Surrey and Talwinder Singh Parmar, the mastermind of the 1985 Air India Flight bombing. As a school district, our primary mission is to provide quality education and support to our students and ensure a safe environment for our school communities. Our agreements, policies and guidelines, including those for rentals, support our district in creating a safe environment for our community. Anyone renting our facilities must adhere to this, the statement by school authorities read. The school district added that the decision is in no way an endorsement of, or criticism of, any political position. The development comes amidst recent appearances of pro-Khalistani posters threatening Indian diplomats and installations in Canada. SFJs Pannun has called on the Khalistan elements in Canada to lock down Indias Consulate in Vancouver on September 8. Pakistani TikTok sensation Hareem Shah, known as @_Hareem_Shah, took to a social media platform, previously Twitter, on September 3, to assert that her spouse was forcibly taken by individuals wearing nondescript attire approximately a week ago. In her video statement, Shah implored Pakistans intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to locate her unblemished husband, emphasizing that he lacks any criminal history or political associations. In the video footage, Shah revealed that it has been a full week since her spouse, Bilal, was subjected to an apparent abduction incident in Karachi. The TikTok influencer recounted that she and her husband were residing in London, and Bilal had traveled to Pakistan for professional commitments. She alleged that on one evening, shortly after leaving their residence following lunch, unidentified individuals in unmarked vehicles and civilian attire apprehended him in what she termed an unlawful manner. She mentioned that she had initiated legal proceedings by filing a petition in court and registering a complaint with the police, but her efforts yielded no results. Shah expressed her deep concern, deeming this situation a direct challenge to the established legal norms and principles in Pakistan. Advertisement My husband Bilal has been abducted by people dressed in plain clothes. I request the law enforcement agencies to trace my husband. Bilal has no connection with any political party, she wrote on the microblogging platform in Urdu. What does Hareem Shah and family say? In a separate message shared on the platform X, Shah made a claim that her spouse, Bilal, had been forcibly taken in Karachi, allegedly under the directive of Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif. She wrote, It appears that my husband Bilal has been apprehended in Karachi on the purported orders of Maryam Nawaz. I beseech the ISI to promptly secure Bilals safe return. In a formal report filed with the police, Bilal Shahs mother asserted that they forcefully abducted her son. This happened in Korangi region in Karachi on August 27, purportedly in response to the social media content of his wife. According to reports, a formal First Information Report (FIR) is with the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) police station regarding the alleged abduction of Bilal Shah by unidentified individuals. Its worth noting that Hareem Shah has been a part of numerous contentious situations in the past. In August, following Indias historic achievement of becoming the first nation to successfully land a spacecraft on the Moons South Pole, she shared a critical message on social media. She tweeted, The Modi Government allocated millions of dollars for the #Chandrayaan3 mission to the moon, but it would have been more prudent if they had allocated the same funds towards constructing toilets across India. Its crucial to set our priorities straight. This photo taken on Aug. 23, 2023 shows the damaged building following a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi) Russian air defense forces have destroyed Ukrainian drones in the Kaluga and Moscow regions, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Russian air defense forces have destroyed Ukrainian drones in the Kaluga and Moscow regions, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. "Today at night, air defense forces destroyed drones in the Kaluga Region and in the Istra district that were trying to commit an attack on Moscow," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his Telegram channel. Sobyanin added that according to preliminary data, there was no damage or casualties on the crash site and emergency services are working on the site. Russia has reported a series of drone attacks across the country recently and has repeatedly accused Ukraine of being behind the drone strikes. This photo taken on July 30, 2023 shows a building damaged in a drone attack in Moscow, Russia. (Xinhua/Cao Yang) On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that its air defenses have destroyed two Ukrainian drones overnight, one shot down over the Black Sea near the Crimean Peninsula and the other intercepted over the Kursk region. In addition, the ministry said Sunday that its air defense had destroyed a Ukrainian drone over the Belgorod region, preventing it from carrying out a terrorist attack on Russian facilities. On Aug. 30, four Il-76 transport aircraft were destroyed during an overnight drone attack at Pskov airport in western Russia, according to Ukrainian authorities. According to the airport's website, Russia's 334th Military Transport Aviation Regiment, armed with II-76 aircraft, was stationed at the airport at the time of the drone attack. A Ukrainian government official confirmed local reports that Ukrainian military intelligence was behind the attack, said the BBC report. Meanwhile, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 31 that a new Ukrainian-made long-range weapon had successfully reached a target 700 km away, Kyiv Independent reported. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova told a weekly briefing last Wednesday that Ukraine would not have been able to hit targets deep inside Russian territory without satellite data obtained from the West. This photo taken on July 30, 2023 shows a building damaged in a drone attack in Moscow, Russia. (Xinhua/Cao Yang) Zakharova warned that Ukraine's actions will not be left unpunished. Actually, drones have been deployed by both sides in the conflict. Russia hit Ukraine's port infrastructure in an overnight drone attack on the southern Black Sea port city of Odesa, regional authorities said Sunday. Two civilian port workers were injured in the attack, said the Odesa regional military administration. Serhii Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian volunteer army "South," wrote in a Telegram post that a fire broke out in a port infrastructure facility following the attack. According to Ukraine's Air Force, the country's air defense has intercepted 22 out of 25 Shahed-136 and Shahed-131 kamikaze drones launched against the region. JAKARTA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- China firmly supports ASEAN's central position in regional cooperation and its greater role in international affairs, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Tuesday. Li made the remarks upon his arrival here for an official visit to Indonesia, where he will also attend the 26th China-ASEAN Summit, the 26th ASEAN Plus Three Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit. Noting that the visit is his first to an Asian country as premier, Li said that China stands ready to have in-depth exchanges of views with all parties on major issues of regional cooperation, strengthen solidarity and coordination, work together to meet challenges, and promote East Asia to continuously serve as an important engine for global development. China is ready to work with Indonesia to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, build a closer China-Indonesia community with a shared future, promote integrated and mutually reinforcing modernization through high-level and all-round strategic cooperation, and inject more stability and new momentum into international and regional cooperation, Li added. India and Singapore linked their digital payment systems unified payments interface (UPI) and PayNow in February 2023 to enable instant and low cost cross-border fund transfer. Now the plan is to increase the fund transfer limit at least five times. "The limit right now is 1,000 Singapore dollars. We are working with regulators from both sides to raise the limit to 5,000-10,000 Singapore dollars," Dilip Asbe, MD and CEO of National Payment Corporation of India said on Tuesday. NPCI is keen to see UPI in other countries. Apart from Singapore, the governments of India and UAE too had signed agreements to interlink their payment systems. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in July that soon Indians could also begin using UPI in France. There could be many more in coming years. Asbe believes that in at least 50 per cent of top 30 markets, there would be pipes in place for cross-border transactions by 2030. "The way the government and RBI is driving it, I think its possible," he said. UPI has seen rapid scale up in recent years. The instant mobile payment platform crossed 10 billion transactions in a month for the first time in August. Asbe, who was speaking in a session at the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai, sees huge growth opportunities from here on as more and more people adopt UPI. "Today the UPI is used by 350 million people. I think our objective is UPI to be used by every Indian. We have a 3x opportunity on the user side, we have a 3x opportunity on the merchant side and if you take a combined effect, we have a 10x opportunity from where we stand," When asked where he sees India's financial system by 2030, Asbe said "for sure" there could be 2 billion UPI payment transactions per day. Credit is another emerging opportunity on UPI. RBI had earlier this year allowed linking of rupay credit cards to UPI to make payments. On Monday, RBI announced that the scope of UPI was being further expanded by including credit lines as a funding account. Under this facility, payments through a pre-sanctioned credit line issued by a scheduled commercial bank to individuals, with prior consent of the individual customer, are enabled for transactions using the UPI System. Asbe says there is huge growth opportunity in the credit market. "Today the credit card underwriting cost and the acquisition cost makes it very difficult to go back to everybody. I can with the pure digital avatar of credit cards, I strongly believe there is an opportunity to grow this market 10x," said Asbe. He said they were working closely with the large lenders and feels a complete digital onboarding process by banks, could drive this growth in the credit market. Until three months ago, 80-year-old Kiran Shah would run out of breath even if he walked just 15-odd steps. A diabetic patient with high blood pressure, below normal kidney functioning, and a pacemaker, he was suffering from aortic stenosis (narrowing of aortic valve) and the family members were exploring treatment options for him. The family happened to meet Dr. Abhishek Rajpopat, interventional cardiologist and an expert in structural heart diseases. Medicines do not work in case of aortic stenosis and open heart surgery or Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) are the only options. Trained at Copenhagen, Denmark, Dr. Rajpopat opted for zero contrast TAVI or Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). He told THE WEEK on Tuesday that in Shahs case administering contrast media (a chemical used to see with clarity the structures within the body) during the procedure could have posed severe threats to the already compromised kidneys, potentially leading to kidney failure. To mitigate this risk, I opted for a contrast media-free approach, he said. According to Dr. Rajpopat, performing the procedure without contrast media requires specialised and exceptional level of skill and a specialsed team. "It is like driving a car in the night without a headlight," he explained. It has now been three months since Shah underwent the procedure, which, Dr Rajpopat said, has been the first of its kind in the western region on a patient of Shahs age. Shahs son Kunal said they were informed about the risk factors and given his fathers complications, they opted for TAVI over open heart surgery. In patients over 80 years of age, the mortality rate is around 0.5 per cent to 0.8 per cent. While Shahs regular medicines would continue, for the heart all that he now requires is blood thinning medicines. I am feeling really good. I do not need anyones help in my daily routine, Shah said. Times are changing and so is life expectancy. You are never too old and sick to be treated, Dr. Rajpopat concluded. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday accused the Congress of resorting to minority appeasement and said the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in contrast focuses on the welfare of tribals, Dalits, the poor and backward classes. Shah also expressed confidence that his party will win more than 150 seats in the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, which are due in November this year. He was addressing a public rally during a function organised to flag off the BJP's Jan Ashirwad Yatra', a mass-contact programme, in Mandla of Mahakaushal region. Quoting former PM Manmohan Singh's statement that minorities must have the first claim on resources, Shah said the Congress was too much into appeasement of minorities but the situation changed when Modi became the PM in 2014. After becoming PM, Modi said that his government would work for the welfare of tribals, Dalits, the poor and backward classes who have the right to resources, Shah said. Now, you have to choose between these two ideologies, said the Union minister. Shah said that during 9 years of the BJP rule, the Modi government at the Centre has worked for these sections. The budget for tribal welfare has been increased to Rs 1.19 lakh crore by the Modi government from Rs 24,000 crore during the Manmohan Singh government, he said. The BJP is taking out 'Jan Ashirwad Yatras' from five different places in MP. These programmes will culminate on September 25 in Bhopal with a 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh'. PM Modi is expected to address BJP workers in the state capital that day, party functionaries said earlier. Following his Mandla engagement on Tuesday, Shah will head for Sheopur in the Gwalior-Chambal region where too he will address a public rally after inaugurating another Jan Ashirwad Yatra', according to a party spokesperson. In connection with the Rs 300 crore Karuvannur bank fraud, Enforcement Directorate (ED) made two arrests on Monday. P. Satheeshkumar and P.P. Kiran were apprehended under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Satheeshkumar, is known to have close ties with CPI(M) leader and former minister A.C. Moideen, and there are allegations of his involvement as a benami to various influential figures. The other arrested individual, agent Kiran, is accused of siphoning off Rs 22 crore from the bank through benami channels. ED had been conducting extensive interrogations of both suspects over the past several days. Notably, the agency had also issued a notice to Moideen for questioning, but he failed to appear for the interrogation, marking the second time the CPI(M) leader has disregarded the notice. On August 22, ED carried out searches at the residences of Moideen, Kiran, and Kumar. ED is pursuing the investigation with the assumption that former minister played a pivotal role in facilitating the disbursement of illicit loans from the bank. The arrests are expected to place the CPI(M) in a more defensive position, given Kumar's close affiliations with numerous local party leaders. Furthermore, there are allegations that the illegal transactions orchestrated by Kiran for the fraud were purportedly conducted with the approval of the bank's board of directors, who were all CPI(M) activists. ED is actively probing this association. Additionally, there are claims that Kumar held multiple accounts in various banks under the control of the CPI(M), which were allegedly used to facilitate various illicit loan disbursements. In the days ahead, ED will delve deeper into the extent of the connections between those arrested and CPI(M) leaders, including Moideen. Currently, the CPI(M) is actively protecting Moideen. The party recently convened a public protest gathering in Thrissur to express their unwavering support for their leader. Additionally, the party's official publication featured an extensive article on Sunday, highlighting the leader's contributions. The party is upholding its stance by repeatedly emphasizing the narrative that the Union government is employing central agencies to undermine the reputation of opposition leaders. Ahead of the summit, the G20 dinner invite to delegates written 'President of Bharat', instead of 'President of India' has sparked another row. Opposition parties of INDIA alliance criticised the BJP-led government for continuing to distort history. Reacting to the invite, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the union of states is under assault. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) Ramesh said that "Modi can continue to distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States. But we will not be deterred." Mr. Modi can continue to distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States. But we will not be deterred. After all, what is the objective of INDIA parties? It is BHARATBring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation And Trust. Judega BHARAT Jeetega INDIA! https://t.co/L0gsXUEEEK Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 5, 2023 "So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'," Ramesh said in his post. Tamil Nadu CM M. K. Stalin criticised BJP by saying that all they could come up with was a name change after 9 years promise to transform India. After Non-BJP forces united to dethrone the fascist BJP regime and aptly named their alliance INDIA, now the BJP wants to change 'India' for 'Bharat....BJP promised to TRANSFORM India, but all we got is a name change after 9 years! However, Rajya Sabha MP and BJP leader Sushil Modi said that the name India was given by the Britishers. "In the Constitution, both India and 'Bharat' are there. For 75 years if the President of India was written then what's the objection in writing President of 'Bharat'? We don't say 'India Mata ki Jai' but 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'...The name India was given by the Britishers. RJD and JDU have an objection with the name Bharat then they use the name India," Sushil told ANI. With the special session of the Parliament to be held on September 18, the Bharat row is set to pick up pace. Reportedly, the Centre may be bringing up a resolution to rename India as Bharat in the special session. Meanwhile, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said that there was no need for a change in the name India. "In our Constitution, it is incorporated that 'Constitution of India'. India is an accepted word for the country making it 'Bharat', I don't think is required." Generally, three paraliamentary sessions are held in a year--Budget, Monsoon and Winter sessions. Sources had said the "special session", without question hour, could see parliamentary operations being shifted to the new Parliament building which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28. In another incident in the line of several reported over the past few weeks in Madhya Pradesh, a tribal youth working as a cleaner on a private inter-state bus service was stripped and beaten up along with the conductor of the bus by a passenger and his associates in Gunnor of Panna district. The Congress has launched a scathing attack on the BJP government over the incident, sharing a CCTV grab of the incident and a video statement of the victim Rinku Kol. Quoting a post of Madhya Pradesh Congress on social media platform X (earlier Twitter), the superintendent of police of Panna, Sai Krishna Thota said that a case under non-bailable sections was registered immediately after the incident and the main accused has been arrested and sent to jail. Sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP) of Gunnor Edwin Carr confirmed to THE WEEK that a case for assault and damage of property (as the bus windshield and windows were broken by the accused during the incident) had been registered against seven persons and the main accused Sajul Singh Parmar has been arrested. Search was going on for the other accused. The incident occurred in the wee hours of Monday and a video (CCTV grab) went viral on Monday night, showing the stripping and beating up of persons later identified as Kol, bus conductor Umesh Tiwari and two passengers. According to sources, the accused Sajul Singh Parmar had booked a ticket on the bus from Bharuch in Gujarat to come to Shankargarh in Gunnor of Panna. The bus is run by a Panna-based private agency. After getting into the bus, Parmar reportedly demanded a separate seat for himself, which the conductor Tiwari refused. This led to an argument between them. When the bus reached Shankargarh around 3 am on Monday, Parmar called some of his associates to the spot and they reportedly demanded money from Tiwari for buying liquor. When refused they beat up Tiwari as well as Kol, who was also stripped. Two passengers who tried to intervene were also beaten up and the driver was threatened with life for trying to stop them from damaging the bus, sources said. After the video went viral, Madhya Pradesh Congress shared it on social media, saying Tribal youth stripped naked and beaten up. In the incident at Gunnor in Panna district, a tribal youth traveling in a bus was mercilessly beaten up by a dozen people; Shivraj ji, where should the tribals go now? Why have you become so worthless? MP Congress also shared a video of victim Rinku Kol who said that he was stripped and beaten up for no fault and his manager (conductor) was also beaten up. He said he was just doing his work and did not say anything to the accused passenger, yet he was assaulted. MP Congress chief and ex-chief minister Kamal Nath made a scathing attack on the BJP government, highlighting the past incidents of atrocities on tribals. He said on social media platform X: A tribal youth was stripped naked and thrashed badly in a bus by a dozen people at Gunnor in Panna district. In 18 years of Shivraj's shameful rule, a BJP system that is an enemy of tribals has been set up. Madhya Pradesh demands answers from tyrant Shivraj on questions like: what are the reasons for atrocities on tribals in Madhya Pradesh increasing day by day?; why in your rule a BJP leader urinates on a tribal youth in Sidhi?; why under your rule, a tribal girl is buried alive in Nemawar along with five family members?; why has Madhya Pradesh become number one state in tribal atrocities under your rule?; why funds are not provided for running of SC/ST police stations? Nath further asked whether the BJP will apologise to the Panna victim for the incident and if stringent action will be taken within 24 hours rather than brushing the incident under carpet. Amid the controversy surrounding a G20 dinner invite that refers to President Droupadi Murmu as the "President of Bharat" instead of "President of India" and the opposition's claim that the Narendra Modi government is planning to change the name of India to Bharat, local media reports in Pakistan say the country may lay claim to the name 'India'. A tweet from the X handle of South Asia Index read: "Pakistan may lay claim on name "India" if India derecongnises it officially at UN level. - local media." "Nationalists in Pakistan have long argued that Pakistan has rights on the name as it refers to Indus region in." An earlier tweet from the handle had claimed that the government in India is set to change the name of the country from India to Bharat in an attempt to "decolonise" India. It is to be noted that the Indian government has not made any official statement on changing the name of the country. The handle pointed out that the name Bharat has roots in Sanskrit. "India refers to Indus region, basin of mighty Indus River, spanning much of modern day Pakistan," it read, adding, "Jinnah had objected to British India adopting "India" as its name for newly independent country & had suggested Hindustan or Bharat instead." In 1947, a month after India's Independence, Muhammed Ali Jinnah had refused to accept an invitation from Louis Mountbatten to be the honorary president of an art exhibition because the invitation used India instead of Hindustan to refer to the country. It is a pity that for some mysterious reason Hindustan have adopted the word India which is certainly misleading and is intended to create confusion, Jinnah had then written to Mountbatten. South Asia Index, in the tweet, further claimed that Indian rightwing has long detested name "India." Meanwhile, former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan claimed that the original name of the country was "unquestionably" Bharat and it was the British that started calling it India. It will be a race till the finish line. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a whirlwind visit to Jakarta for the ASEAN-India summit and the East Asia Summit, 48 hours before the G20 Leaders Summit is to begin. We are appreciative of Indonesia for making adjustments for the ASEAN schedule, said Saurabh Kumar, Secretary East, Ministry of External Affairs at a special briefing. This is the first ASEAN-India meeting after the elevation of the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which happened last year. Prime Minister will review the progress in ASEAN-India relations and provide them with further direction. ASEAN is a central pillar in the Act East policy and the wider vision of the Indo-Pacific. India and ASEAN share similar vision in the Indo-Pacific. There is the Ukraine crisis, and a growing China. And, with ASEAN facing a crisis within, divided over Myanmar. The military junta has been banned from attending the meetingand demanding that the military stick to the 5-point peace planbut Thailand has been pushing engagement. The divisions within, in the face of a rather belligerent Chinageopolitics is likely to spill into the summit. The East Asia Summit also comes on the heels of Chinas newly released map. India is not the only country that has strongly objected to the map for laying claim to Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh. The map lays claim to the South China Sea as almost entirely Chinas. But Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam also claim parts of the sea. Indonesia, too has strongly contested the map. It is more than likely that these issues will come up at the summit. The East Asia Summit also comes at a time when the tensions over Myanmar have really split ASEAN. The chair, Indonesia, has had a rather difficult job of finding consensus. "ASEAN has agreed to not be a proxy to any powers. Don't turn our ship into an arena for [rivalry] that is destructive," Indonesian President Joko Widodo said. "We, as leaders, have to ensure this ship keeps moving and sailing and we must become its captain to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity together." The INDIA bloc seems to be divided on its stance on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's minister son Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks about eradicating Sanatan Dharma as BJP top brass and Hindu outfits intensify their attack on the opposition alliance. BJP had asked on Monday if the INDIA bloc had met in Mumbai to target Sanatan Dharma. The opposition parties remain divided and there was a difference in opinion among Congress leaders too. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh slammed Congress, wondering why Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Ashok Gehlot are "silent" on the issue. BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad also slammed Rahul, Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav for keeping mum on the issue. While Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal said the party's ideology is Sarvadharma Samabhava (equal respect to all religions) and it respects everyone's beliefs, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's Karnataka minister son Priyank Kharge said any religion that does not give equal rights is not a religion and "is as good as a disease". Karan Singh, another Congress leader, had an entirely different viewpoint and said DML leader's preposterous remarks were most unfortunate and totally unacceptable. The Trinamool Congress condemned Udhayanidhi's remarks that Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated like coronavirus, malaria and dengue, with the party chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee saying, I have great regard for the people of Tamil Nadu. But my humble request to them, every religion has its separate sentiments. India is a secular country, it is a democratic country and at the same time, unity in diversity is our origin. So, I respect Sanatan Dharma. We go to temples, mosques, churches everywhere. We should not be involved in any matter which may hurt any section," Banerjee said. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi slammed BJP's sick hypocrisy for expressing "fake concern" over the religion while they are brutally lathi charging sanatanis who are fighting for their rights in Maharashtra. She tweeted, "Sanatanis have long withstood attacks by invaders to end their identity yet they have not just survived but thrived. The country's bedrock, which is linked to Sanatan Dharm, has been inclusiveness of all faiths and identities. Anyone making derogatory comments against it is ignorant of what it stands for. Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh alleged that BJP has insulted Hinduism in the past. "What about those who steal donations in the name of Ram, Yogi Adityanath talking about Bajrangbali as Dalit and ascribing caste to a god, is that not an insult of Hinduism," he asked. Samajwadi Party's Swami Prasad Maurya said the BJP is marketing the word 'Sanatan' and they are playing with the sentiments of the people. The controversy triggered by DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks on Sanatan Dharma continues to rage with an Ayodhya seer issuing a death threat against the leader. Seer Paramhans Acharya on Monday announced a reward of Rs 10 crore for beheading DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin over his alleged remarks against 'Sanatan Dharma'. "I will pay Rs 10 crore cash reward to anyone who beheads Stalin and brings his head to me. If no one dares to kill Stalin, I will myself find him and kill him," Paramhans Acharya, the chief priest of the Tapaswi Chawni temple of Ayodhya, said. He added that Sanatan Dharma neither has a beginning nor an end. "It has never been destroyed and can never be destroyed," he said, warning that anyone trying to destroy Sanatan Dharma will be destroyed. Udayanidhi, son of Chief Minister M K Stalin, said on Saturday that 'Sanatan Dharma' was against equality and social justice and should be eradicated. He also likened 'Sanatan Dharma' to coronavirus, malaria, and dengue fever and said such things should not be opposed but destroyed. Udhayanidhi Stalin, however, brushed off the threat to his life, declaring he was the grandson of the man who put his life on the line for Tamil Nadu and was "not worried about these threats". Udhayanidhi, speaking at an event said, that Paramahansa Acharya in Uttar Pradesh has announced that "he would give me 10 crore to shave my head for talking about Sanatana (Dharma)". "A 10-rupee comb is enough to comb my head," he said, referring to the threat. "This is not new to us. We are not the ones who are afraid of all these threats. I am the grandson of the artist who put his head on the rail track for Tamil," said Udhyanidhi referring to his grandfather M Karunanidhi, one of the state's iconic leaders. Security was tightened outside Udhayanidhi's residence in Chennai. #WATCH | Security tightened outside the residence of Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in Chennai after he was given a death threat regarding his 'Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated' remark. pic.twitter.com/r3HSLCBmab ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023 According to local media reports, while only one guard is usually on duty outside his Chennai Greenway residence, over 10 policemen are deployed outside his residence now. This comes amid reports that Hindu organisations may attempt to lay siege to the minister's residence. BEIRUT, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday called on political parties to engage in dialogue to end the presidential election impasse in September. Lebanon has been running without a president since October last year when the term of Former President Michel Aoun ended. The parliament has failed to elect a new president 12 times, because of a lack of consensus among the country's political factions, mainly Hezbollah and its opponents. "In September, we should find a solution to this crisis. I believe it is everyone's responsibility to elect a president," Berri said in an interview with the al-Joumhouriya daily published on Monday. The speaker added that to satisfy both parties, a seven-day dialogue has been initiated, followed by open presidential election sessions. He said he would call for open sessions until a president is elected, regardless of the dialogue's outcome. "We must put an end to the presidential crisis before the end of September," Berri stressed, saying the initiative is the country's "last chance." Lebanon has been suffering an unprecedented financial crisis. The country urgently needs to elect a president and form a new cabinet to implement the necessary reforms and put the country on the path to recovery. We are a strong nation and we will survive, she says In the United States today, hardly a day goes by without Donald Trump blaming his indictments, in a total of 91 state and federal criminal counts, as "election interference." The way he puts it, "the criminal Biden administration is prosecuting me because they can't beat me in the polls." Americans are buying what he is selling. A Wall Street Journal poll shows Trump and Biden tied at 48 percent support. Trump may win again, and if he does, we might be witnessing the last days of American democracy. Here's how: Trump would be unlikely to peacefully leave office if elected again as President. It is essential to acknowledge that Trump's bid for the presidency in 2016 and his subsequent reelection campaign in 2020 were punctuated by legal challenges, investigations, and allegations of wrongdoing. These included accusations of obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and financial improprieties. As his first term neared its end, it became increasingly clear that Trump's tenure in the White House provided him with a level of immunity from prosecution that he would not enjoy as a private citizen. In that context, as the 2020 elections neared, Trump began an attempt to secure his reelection by cutting the legs off his most-likely and strongest challenger, Joe Biden. It is the stuff that caused the first impeachment of Trump. He demanded that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski start an investigation into Biden's son Hunter and his lucrative contracts in the country. Trump went as far as withholding congressionally approved aid to Ukraine. But Trump did not stop there. He began to sow seeds of doubt about the legitimacy of upcoming election results without ever providing any evidence to support it. "Common sense," was what his then-Attorney General, now-critic Bill Barr told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, when asked about evidence of upcoming voter fraud. As the elections neared, Trump pumped up the volume on allegations that the election would be stolen. Claims that it was stolen began on election night, when it was evident he lost the election. Trump then began a desperate series of frantic trial-and-error searches to find a reason to void the election results, actions that devolved into stoking flames of violence and insurrection leading to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, demanding that vice-president Mike Pence not certify the results. Mob of Trump supporters attacked the United States Capitol Building in Washington | Reuters Trump put so much pressure on Pence without result that a frustrated Trump then turned Pence into the enemy. His supporters broke into the capitol "Hang Mike Pence!" and erected a gallows outside. It would later come out in testimony that when indicted co-conspirator John Eastman explained his legal theory to Trump lawyer Eric Herschmann, Eastman inadvertently revealed the ultimate goal of the maneuvers. Are you out of your effing mind? Youre going to turn around and tell 78-plus million people in this country this is how youre going to invalidate their votes, because you think the election was stolen? And I said theyre not going to tolerate that. I said youre going to cause riots in the streets." Herschmann said he told Eastman. He then related Eastman's reply: "Theres been violence in the history of our country to protect the democracy or protect the republic." Violence was the goal. On Jan. 3, 2021, Trump offered environmental lawyer Jeffrey Clark the job of Attorney General, replacing Barr for his reluctance to follow illegal orders. According to court records, Clark was then told that "there had not been outcome-determinative fraud in the election and that if the Defendant remained in office nonetheless, there would be riots in every major city in the United States." Trump indictment documents say that Clark responded, "Well... thats why theres an Insurrection Act." That, there, is what is at the heart of what Trump wanted. The Insurrection Act allows a sitting US president to deploy the military and National Guard units in states where there is unrest or rebellion as a response to civil disorder. With troops on the streets, Trump would then have been able to remain in power beyond the expiration of his term, on January 20, 2021. It was obvious at the time that Trump was aware that the presidency effectively granted him a temporary sanctuary from the legal scrutiny he faced. He collected a second impeachment but failed again to find a way to stay in power. Chagrined, he skipped the traditional ride to the capitol with the new president for a peaceful transfer of power. Fast-forward to 2022. With gathering investigations and imminent indictments Trump then moved to upend the system and announced his candidacy earlier than any other presidential candidate ever on June 5, 2022 for the 2024 election. The move allowed him to claim all legal action against him to be "election interference." In effect, Trump was throwing his criminal defense strategy into the presidential election, breaking the rules of what had been a 233-year-old orderly process. But it backfired on him. US Attorney General Merrick Garland immediately distanced his department from any legal action against Trump by appointing the chief prosecutor at the International Court in The Hague Jack Smith as independent special counsel, making him independently responsible for overseeing two pre-existing Justice Department criminal investigations into Trump's actions. In trying to escape prosecution -seeking the presidency as a way to avoid prison and accountability- Trump encountered prosecution in the very path where he sought refuge. His candidate status triggered action resulting in from investigations that may have otherwise dragged on for years. Whereas in Brazil former president Jair Bolsonaro has been banned from office for 8 years for similarly falsely claiming fraud in the elections, the American system guarantees everyone the right to lie and further allows a man so accused, indicted even, to run for the president. If he wins, he will have the power to stop all federal investigations against him and even pardon himself, thus avoiding all accountability or legal peril while he is in office. Now, the immunity offered by the presidency would once again expire with his departure from office. This means that as soon as he relinquished the presidency after his four-year term, Trump would once again be subject to prosecution for any alleged crimes. Trump has a long history of using legal maneuvers, executive orders, and legal challenges to his advantage. What would be the likelihood he might employ similar tactics, even deploying troops and declaring martial law, to delay or evade legal proceedings once out of office? Trump has already rallied his loyal base and created a narrative of victimization and political persecution. He has convinced a large part of the electorate that is is not the law that is after him, but "a corrupt, power-hungry Biden using the law as a weapon against his leading opponent. Lest you laugh, 83 percent of Republicans and 55% of Americans responding to an ABC News/Ipsos poll say the prosecutions are politically motivated. Asked by conservative talk show host Glenn Beck if he would prosecute his political enemies if elected, Trump last week responded. "They are doing it to us... so, yes." This is not a prediction of such a scenario occurring but rather an analysis of the factors and motivations that could drive Trump's actions if reelected, including of the potential complexities and challenges that may arise in the event of a second Trump presidency. Though Democrats still chuckle at the thought of Trump being elected, it serves to remember that it was that dismissal of Trump's strength with the voters that led to his surprise win in the 2016 elections. It would stand that American voters have the right to see legal cases involving their presidential candidates resolved transparently and impartially before they vote. Yet the Republican party is in near unanimous support of postponing the Trump trials until after the election. The American politization of the courts could now have the largely Trump-appointed Supreme Court decide the timing and course of the trials and their broadcast. If they delay long enough there may never be a trial as a President Trump would have every power to stop legal action against himself. The ramifications, including the erosion of public trust in democratic institutions and the risk of a peaceful transition of power being jeopardised mean that if Trump were to attain power and regain office, future fair and free elections in America might be threatened. Trump's previous actions suggest that he may not willingly submit himself to accountability. Only time will tell whether American democracy can withstand these challenges. But it is not a stretch that we may be living through the last days of American democracy. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will travel to Russia this month to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a US official, AP reported. According to the US official, details of the meeting were not clear but it was likely to take place in the Russian port city of Vladivostok. The officials also said that the leaders are likely to discuss the possibility of supplying weapons to Russia for its war against Ukraine. The development comes against the background of the G-20 summit, which will take place in India on September 9 and 10. Putin will skip the conclave, where leaders like US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are expected to attend. The meeting between the two leaders also comes ahead of the Eastern Economic Forum, expected to meet at Vladivostok between September 10-13. Members of the forum include Australia, China, Japan, India, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States. Both Kim and Putin are expected to attend the Eastern Economic Forum. Kim is expected to travel for the meeting in an armoured train, the New York Times reported. While in Russia, Kim plans to visit Pier 33, where naval ships from Russias Pacific fleet dock. In July 2023, Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu met with Kim when the former visited North Korea to celebrate the 70th anniversary of an armistice that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War. During the visit, Kim showed Shoigu several weapons North Korea has been developing and testing. These included ballistic missiles banned by the United Nations. According to sources, Putin and Kim had swapped letters following Shoigus visit, the Guardian reported. The US has expressed concerns over advancements in arms negotiations between the two countries. North Korea, which has little to virtually no relations with the West, is facing a severe food shortage. And, in lieu of the arms it might supply to Russia, it might seek food aid to mitigate malnutrition among North Korean children under five. There's also speculation that Russia has invited North Korea to take part in joint naval exercises with China. In the meantime, Putin is likely avoiding the G20 summit to avoid confrontation with leaders of Western allies of Ukraine, namely, the US, the UK, France and other EU nations, that are in attendance. China's President Xi Jinping too, is skipping the event. However, China is sending a delegation headed by its premier Li Qiang. Joe Biden, ahead of the G20 summit in 2022, had reportedly coordinated with global counterparts to isolate Putin if he had decided to participate either in person or virtually. Putin had found himself isolated at the 2014 G20 summit after he seized Crimea and so, he left early. In 2022, Russia's Defence Minister Sergey Lavrov attended a G20 event in Indonesia's Bali. But, walked out after Russia's offensive in Ukraine was condemned. Shunned by most Western leaders, it is natural that Putin is seeking to form relations with countries that have traditionally had good relations with Moscow. Experts say that he is seeking to build an anti-West coalition by seeking allies in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. This year, Putin also stayed away from the BRICS summit as it was held in South Africa. And South Africa is a signatory to the International Criminal Court (ICC). And ICC had issued a warrant against Putin over war crimes stating his removal of children from Ukraine. Putin's landing in South Africa could have resulted in him being arrested. He however attended the meeting virtually. United Nations food agency has cut another 2 million people in Afghanistan from its food aid programme owing to shortfall of funds. According to reports, cumulatively, 10 million people will be cut off from aid this year. The new cuts mean the agency will be able to provide food assistance to about a fifth of the 15 million people who need it in Afghanistan, the agency said. In a statement, WFP said, Due to a massive funding shortfall, going forward WFP will only be able to provide emergency assistance to 3 million people per month. Hsiao-Wei Lee, WFPs Country Director and Representative in Afghanistan said, Amid already worrying levels of hunger and malnutrition, we are obliged to choose between the hungry and the starving, leaving millions of families scrambling for their next meal. Lee added, With the few resources we have left, we are not able to serve all those people teetering on the edge of utter destitution. WFP had to reduce rations from 75 to 50 per cent for communities experiencing emergency levels of hunger. In April and May, it was forced to cut off 8 million people from food assistance. WFP is often the last lifeline for women, who are increasingly being pushed out of society, with dwindling options for making a living and feeding their children, it said. WFP stated it needs US$1 billion to reach a planned 21 million people with lifesaving food and nutrition assistance as well as livelihood support. The Taliban promised a more moderate rule than during their previous period in power in the 1990s. But they have imposed harsh measures since seizing Afghanistan in August 2021 as US and NATO forces were pulling out after two decades of war. Among their actions, the Taliban have prohibited Afghan women from working at local and non-governmental organisations. Aid agencies have been providing food, education, and health care support to Afghans in the wake of the Taliban takeover of August 2021 and the economic collapse that followed. The ban was extended to employees of the United Nations in April. The measures have triggered a fierce international uproar, increasing the country's isolation at a time when its economy has collapsed and its humanitarian crisis grows more grim. The cuts announced Tuesday mean that 1.4 million new and expecting mothers and their children are no longer receiving specialised food designed to prevent malnutrition, the programme said. WFP expects to see a sharp rise in admissions to nutrition centres in the months to come as children slide deeper into hunger. (With PTI inputs.) New Delhi / Gurugram (India), September 5: Gurgaon-based edtech company SkillArbitrage has acquired Dataisgood, a top data science training company, in a USD 3 million partly stock, partly cash deal. A bootstrapped startup, Dataisgood was founded in 2021 by Ankit Maheshwari, an experienced founder and serial entrepreneur, who has sold two of his startups to marquee companies before. SkillArbitrage is glad to have Ankit and his team along for this journey with us and we see a lot of opportunity to scale in this market says Ramanuj Mukherjee, CEO, SkillArbitrage. SkillArbitrage is a brand owned by Addictive Learning Technologies Pvt Ltd, the parent entity which also owns legal edtech brand LawSikho catering to law students and legal professionals. Switching domains from electrical engineering to tech, I often felt the pain of being an outsider. But it is in unfamiliar terrain that I have founded some of the most innovative tech startups. Dataisgood was born out of a desire to ease this transition for people like me, and we can scale much faster with SkillArbitrage along with us says Ankit Maheshwari. Shishir Singh, co-founder, Dataisgood said it is "an exciting partnership which fuels our mission, infusing innovation. Together, we're set to reshape the data-driven tech leadership landscape." "From my beginnings as a Data Analyst in e-commerce, I witnessed the transformative might of data on businesses. A love for data ignited within me. At Dataisgood, my passion found purpose fostering future data-driven tech leaders worldwide," he added. Set up in December 2022, SkillArbitrage trains working professionals from India and other developing countries to get international remote jobs, remote internships and freelance work in startups & SMEs in advanced economies like the US, UK and Canada. About 70% 0f SkillArbitrages learners are in their 30s and 40s. Within just six months of its launch, SkillArbitrage has been able to find jobs and freelance gigs for learners in 90 Indian and 12 international companies. With the acquisition of Dataisgood, SkillArbitrage will add courses on data science, data analysis and cybersecurity to its repository. These courses will have global relevance and open doors to new entrepreneurial and remote-work opportunities for learners. Data science, data analysis and cybersecurity are some of the most sought-after skills in todays technology-driven world, with applications across industries. Professionals who train with SkillArbitrage earn in dollars no matter where they live. Some learners are also empowering Indian companies that are working with international clients & markets. With more businesses around the world seeking remote workers because they can access a better talent pool at a fraction of the cost it has become increasingly important to help Indians identify, prepare and pitch for these cross-border career opportunities. SkillArbitrage courses and placement support have been especially popular with homemakers and mothers of young children, professionals looking for side gigs and extra income, digital natives wanting to escape office cubicles and those living in smaller cities who cannot move to metros to find jobs. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR PUNE, India, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- upEducators, a leading EdTech company, proudly announces that it has successfully empowered over 10,000 educators with cutting-edge technology and modern teaching practices. This achievement emphasizes upEducators' commitment to revolutionizing teacher upskilling in India and shaping the future of education. Ankush Bhandari, the founder of upEducators, embarked on this extraordinary journey that began with a tiffin service in Pune. Today, he stands at the helm of an EdTech company that empowers educators to deliver exceptional education to countless students through comprehensive training programs and innovative pedagogy. The startup today provides live-interactive courses related to STEM Robotics, Coding, Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Google Certified Educators, Microsoft Certified Educators Course, Digital Marketing, Online Teaching and Innovative Teaching Practices for Educators at affordable prices. An Unconventional Journey: From Tiffinwala to EdTech Trailblazer Born and raised in Bhanpura in Madhya Pradesh, Ankush moved to Pune for higher education. After completing his post graduation in Arts, he launched 'Indian Flavors', a tiffin service center in 2009. Within six months, he delivered over 300 tiffins daily, demonstrating his entrepreneurial acumen. However, unforeseen circumstances led to the closure of this venture, leading a career shift into the education industry. Driven by his relentless thirst for knowledge, Ankush swiftly progressed from a sales role to a leadership position, eventually becoming the head of the company's primary division. Observing the educational landscape closely, Ankush recognized the need for transformation in the Indian education system. This realization led him on an enriching journey to Finland, where he studied the world-renowned Finnish education system at Helsinki University. Among the standout elements was the highly regarded Teachers Training System, emphasizing the development of exceptional educators. Upon his return, he initiated Teachers' Training workshops in Pune. The pivotal turning point arrived with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, eventually propelling him to establish upEducators in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh. In Bhandari's own words, he transitioned from "nourishing stomachs through his tiffin service to nourishing the intellects of educators through upskilling." Empowering Educators with upEducators In April 2021, Ankush left his consultancy job to dedicate himself fully to the startup, which he initially managed alongside his wife Malvika, which has now grown to a 35+ member team. In just two years, upEducators was recognized as a Google for Education Partner company, transforming over 10,000 educators from 18 countries. This includes educators from prestigious institutions like Mayo College, Symbiosis School, and Doon School, that have become Google Certified Educators or Microsoft Certified Educators. For more details on Upskilling Educators with New Age Skills, visit: www.upeducators.com Vision for the Future Ankush Bhandari articulates the essence of upEducators' mission: "We are not just helping educators become future-ready; we are also contributing to the Digital India Mission by empowering educators with digital learning." Recently, upEducators embarked on a significant initiative by collaborating with esteemed top educators honored with National Teacher Awards and the prestigious Presidential Award. This partnership aims to provide a platform for these distinguished educators to share their invaluable teaching practices with their peers, thus enriching the education landscape. Among these exceptional National Teacher Awardees are individuals such as Ms.Achala Verma, Dean of Academics at Birla Balika Vidyapeeth, Ms. Sangeeta Sohni, a retired teacher from Atomic Teachers Central School, and Ms. Kavita Sanghvi, the esteemed Principal of Chatrabhuj Narsee Memorial School in Mumbai. Looking ahead, they envision extending their reach by training over 1 lakh educators, and equipping them with modern skills and pedagogical approaches. The company firmly believes in the potential of quality teacher training within the Indian Education System, where every educator, when empowered with high-quality training, becomes a catalyst for positive change. Ankush Bhandari's incredible journey from a tiffin service provider to the visionary founder of upEducators is a testament to his determination, innovation, and unwavering commitment to education. With 10,000 educators trained, a stellar rating of 4.9/5 from over 1000 educators, and a robust social media following with nearly 2.25 lakh teachers, upEducators is truly reshaping teacher upskilling in India. Looking ahead, upEducators envisions a path where countless educators are empowered to be future-ready, ushering in a new era of education. About upEducators upEducators, a Google for Education Partner company, is one of India's fastest growing EdTech companies in upskilling of educators. It offers meticulously crafted training programs to empower educators with the digital pedagogy skills and innovative teaching practices needed to succeed in today's fast-changing education landscape. For more about upEducators, visit : www.upeducators.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201499/Ankush_Bhandari.jpg (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR Singapore, Sept 5 (PTI) A 51-year-old Indian national was sentenced to five months in jail in Singapore on Tuesday for molesting a 12-year-old girl last year in a supermarket when intoxicated. Thanikkodi Shanmugam, a permanent resident of Singapore, pleaded guilty to one count of using criminal force on a minor to outrage her modesty, Channel News Asia reported. The court heard that the minor girl was with her mother at a supermarket in the Sembawang housing precinct at about 12.30 pm on July 17, 2022, when Shanmugam touched the minor inappropriately and walked off. The victim informed her mother, who chased Shanmugam with her daughter following. This was captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage. Continuing to walk away, Shanmugam broke into a run and took a lift up a block of flats while the victim's mother called the police. Three passers-by helped stop the Indian national, and the victim's mother took his photo, but Shanmugam broke free and ran off again. She continued chasing him until her slippers "broke", said the prosecutor, adding that she then lost sight of him. Meanwhile, her daughter, shivering, remained with the passers-by, who tried to calm her down. Shanmugam was identified and arrested that same afternoon. When first interviewed by the police, he denied the offence, saying the touch was "accidental" and that he did not remember the incident. Shanmugam had consumed hard liquor and was intoxicated at the time of the incident, the prosecutor was quoted as saying in the report. The prosecutor sought a sentence of five to seven months jail term for Shanmugam. For molesting a minor, Shanmugam could have been jailed for up to five years, fined, or both. He cannot be caned as he is above 50, which otherwise is mandated by the law of those under 50. Lahore, Sep 5 (PTI) A pastor was shot at and wounded by an unknown assailant in Pakistan's Punjab province, weeks after a number of churches and Christian homes were burnt down by a mob on blasphemy allegations. Reverend Father Eleazar Vicky, who serves at the Myong-Sang Naserth church in Jaranwala tehsil of Faisalabad district, survived the assassination attempt on Sunday evening while returning home from the church. According to police, Father Eleazar was returning home from the church when an unidentified bearded man shot and injured him. He was shifted to a hospital where a doctor operated on him and removed a bullet from his right arm. His condition is said to be out of danger. Police officer Navid Ahmad told reporters on Tuesday that a case has been registered against unidentified suspects on the pastor's complaint. "We have deployed police personnel for the security of Pastor Eleazar and rounded up a couple of suspects," Ahmad said, adding that the security of churches has also been beefed up. The pastor, in his statement to police, said that an objectionable religious slogan in Arabic was written on the outer wall of the church. Besides, he was also mentioned as a blasphemer. "I informed the police, which whitewashed it. A few days ago, when I went to drop my son off at school, a few bearded people intercepted me and said, 'As our written slogans have been deleted from the wall of your church, soon you will also be deleted'," he said. The pastor suspected a radical Islamist party might be behind the attack on him. On August 16, a 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 city, Lahore. They also attacked a Christian cemetery and vandalised the office of the local assistant commissioner. Police have arrested 180 suspects, including the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) activists, in connection with the unprecedented mob attack. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said that the mob attack was a part of a larger hate campaign against the Christian community. "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 was also questioned," a report by the independent human rights body said. Blasphemy is a sensitive issue in Pakistan, where anyone deemed to have insulted Islam or Islamic figures can face the death penalty. Often, an accusation can cause riots and incite mobs to violence, lynching and killings. According to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), the Punjab province recorded over 75 per cent of the abuse of blasphemy laws cases in the past 36 years. Minorities, including Christians and Hindus, have been frequently subjected to blasphemy allegations, and some tried and even sentenced under blasphemy in Pakistan. Washington, Sep 5 (AP) Former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio will be sentenced on Tuesday for a plot to attack the US Capitol in a failed bid to stop the transfer of presidential power after Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. Tarrio will be the final Proud Boys leader convicted of seditious conspiracy in the January 6, 2021 attack to receive his punishment. Three fellow Proud Boys found guilty by a Washington jury of the rarely used sedition charge were sentenced last week to prison terms ranging from 15 to 18 years. The Justice Department wants the 39-year-old Tarrio to spend more than three decades in prison, describing him as the ringleader of a plot to use violence to shatter the cornerstone of American democracy and overturn the election victory by Joe Biden, a Democrat, over Trump, the Republican incumbent. Tarrio wasn't in Washington on January 6 he was arrested two days earlier in a separate case but prosecutors say he helped put in motion and encourage the violence that stunned the world and interrupted Congress' certification of Biden's electoral victory. "Tarrio has repeatedly and publicly indicated that he has no regrets about what he helped make happen on January 6, prosecutors wrote in court documents. Tarrio, of Miami, was supposed to be sentenced last week in Washington's federal court, but his hearing was delayed because US District Judge Timothy Kelly got sick. Kelly, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, sentenced Tarrio's co-defendants to lengthy prison terms though far shorter than what prosecutors were seeking. Lawyers for the Proud Boys deny that there was any plot to attack the Capitol or stop the transfer of presidential power. There is zero evidence to suggest Tarrio directed any participants to storm the US Capitol building prior to or during the event," his attorneys wrote in court papers. Participating in a plan for the Proud Boys to protest on January 6 is not the same as directing others on the ground to storm the Capitol by any means necessary. Police arrested Tarrio in Washington on January 4, 2021, on charges that he defaced a Black Lives Matter banner during an earlier rally in the nation's capital, but law enforcement officials later said he was arrested in part over concerns about the potential for unrest during the certification. He complied with a judge's order to leave the city after his arrest. On January 6, dozens of Proud Boys leaders, members and associates were among the first rioters to breach the Capitol. The mob's assault overwhelmed police, forced lawmakers to flee the House and Senate floors and disrupted the joint session of Congress for certifying Biden's victory. The backbone of the government's case was hundreds of messages exchanged by Proud Boys in the days leading up to January 6. As Proud Boys swarmed the Capitol, Tarrio cheered them on from afar, writing on social media: Do what must be done. In a Proud Boys encrypted group chat later that day someone asked what they should do next. Tarrio responded: Do it again." Make no mistake, Tarrio wrote in another message. We did this. (AP) NPK GRS Islamabad, Sep 5 (PTI) Pakistan is pushing for the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is expected to travel to India later this week to attend the G-20 summit in New Delhi, according to a media report. Though the Foreign Office is tight-lipped over the possible stopover by the Saudi de facto ruler as he travels to New Delhi to attend the summit, the sources in the PM Office did not rule out the possibility, according to the Express Tribune newspaper. "Nothing is official yet but there are signals that the Saudi crown prince may travel to Pakistan during his visit to India," said a source at the Prime Minister Office. There was no confirmation from either side as sources said there was a possibility that both sides wanted to keep the visit under wraps till the last moment. However, if the visit is materialised that would be only for a few hours, according to sources. The reason Pakistan is keen that the Saudi crown prince undertakes a visit to Islamabad, even for a few hours, is to avoid a possible public backlash. Many countries, particularly the big powers, have in recent years de-hyphenated Pakistan and India relationship with the exception of Gulf states that still maintain a certain balance with regard to their relations with the two nations. In February 2019, when the Saudi crown prince visited India, he also travelled to Pakistan. Officials feel that if the Saudi ruler skips the Pakistan trip while travelling to India that would invite a public backlash. The Saudi crown prince is not only attending the G20 summit, slated for September 9 and 10, but will stay back in Delhi for a day on a state visit. In this situation, it has become even more important for Pakistan that he visits the country, sources said. The other factor due to which Pakistan is pushing for the visit is because it considers Saudi Arabia a key player for its economic revival plan. Pakistan has set up a Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to attract foreign investment, particularly from the Gulf countries. The visit of the Saudi crown prince would help that cause, as per the sources. At a weekly briefing last Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said there was no announcement from either side about the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman to Pakistan. The Saudi crown prince had earlier postponed his visit to Pakistan in November last year. RAMALLAH, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Tuesday criticized the United States for its inaction on the "ongoing Israeli violations in the West Bank," urging it to take meaningful actions to end the "Palestinian suffering." Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesperson of the Palestinian presidency, said in a press statement that "the irrational U.S. silence has encouraged the Israeli government to continue its violations against our people in the West Bank." As a result, Israel returned to its policy of storming the cities in the West Bank and killing young Palestinians as well as destroying the infrastructure of Palestinian cities and villages, Abu Rudeineh added. "Palestinians will never give up their rights of defending their lands and holy places," he stressed. He called on the U.S. to "intervene immediately to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression and not be satisfied with the policy of statements that do not change anything on the ground," warning that "the situation is on the verge of exploding as a result of the dangerous Israeli escalation." Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian in overnight clashes in a West Bank refugee camp, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Tuesday, amid rising tension in the occupied territory. Since January, 33 people, most of them Israelis, have been killed in a series of attacks carried out by Palestinians, and more than 220 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers, according to official figures. Nairobi (Kenya), Sep 5 (AP) Climate change is relentlessly eating away at Africa's economic progress and it's time to have a global conversation about a carbon tax on polluters, Kenya's president declared Tuesday as the first Africa Climate Summit got underway. Those who produce the garbage refuse to pay their bills, President William Ruto, a host of the summit, said to an audience that included senior officials from China, the United States and the European Union - some of the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases. The rapidly growing African continent of more than 1.3 billion people is losing 5% to 15% of its gross domestic product growth every year to the widespread impacts of climate change, according to Ruto. It's a source of deep frustration in the resource-rich region that contributes by far the least to global warming. He and other leaders urged reforms to the global financial structures that have left African nations paying about five times more to borrow money than others, worsening the debt crisis for many. Africa has more than 30 of the world's most indebted countries, Kenya's Cabinet secretary for the environment, Soipan Tuya, said. The US government's climate envoy, John Kerry, acknowledged the acute, unfair debt. He also said 17 of the world's 20 countries most impacted by climate change are in Africa - while the world's 20 richest nations, including his own, produce 80% of the world's carbon emissions that are driving climate change. Asked about the Kenyan president's call for a carbon tax discussion, Kerry said President Joe Biden has not yet embraced any particular carbon pricing mechanism. Ruto said Africa's 54 countries must go green fast before industrializing and not vice versa, unlike (richer nations) had the luxury to do. Transforming Africa's economy on a green trajectory is the most feasible, just and efficient way to attain a net-zero world by 2050, he said. Climate finance is key, speakers said. A pledge by richer nations of $100 billion a year to help developing nations achieve their climate goals remains unfulfilled, and Ruto said the summit declaration will firmly encourage everyone to keep their promises. The United Arab Emirates, which is hosting the next United Nations climate meeting later this year, announced it plans to invest $4.5 billion in Africa's clean energy potential. The African continent has 60% of the world's renewable energy assets and more than 30% of the minerals key to renewable and low-carbon technologies. One goal of the summit is to transform the narrative around the continent from victim to assertive, wealthy partner. It's becoming increasingly difficult to explain to our people, particularly to our youth, the contradiction: resource-rich continent and poor people, Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde said. Africa's GDP should be revalued for its assets, which include the world's second-largest rainforest and biodiversity, African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina said. Africa cannot be nature-rich and cash-poor, he said. But divisions are evident around the issue that was little mentioned in the opening speeches and yet is at the heart of the tough conversations ahead: fossil fuels. Africa must use its natural gas resources - a growing interest of Europe - along with renewable energy sources, Adesina said. Give us space to grow, he said. Ruto, however, has criticized the addiction to fossil fuels. His country now gets more than 90% of its energy from renewables. We don't have to do what the developed countries did to power their industries. It will be harder to use renewable energy exclusively, but it can be done," said one local summit attendee, Martha Lusweti. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the summit attendees that it's time for the world to break our addiction to fossil fuels. Worldwide spending on fossil fuel subsidies reached $7 trillion in 2022, according to the International Monetary Fund. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said African nations could produce enough clean energy to power the continent and export abroad, but for this, Africa needs massive investment. Some of Africa's biggest economies rely on fossil fuels. South Africa's coal-fired plants are struggling. Parts of Nigeria's Niger Delta are slick from oil extraction. Some of Africa's cities have the world's worst air pollution. A TotalEnergies pipeline project in Uganda and Tanzania is being challenged. Missing from the summit were the leaders of a number of Africa's largest economies including South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt, as well as forest-rich Congo. Also missing from the leading speakers was China, the world's largest emitter of heat-trapping gases, Africa's largest trading partner and one of its biggest creditors. Some African leaders gave passionate descriptions of climate change's toll. The seas that once serenaded us with lullabies now warn of rising tides, Sierra Leone's president, Julius Maada Bio, said. It is an African story, and I daresay it's a global story, too. (AP) SCY SCY Ain Sheeb (Syria), Sep 5 (AP) More than 300 people were killed and over 600 wounded by cluster munitions in Ukraine in 2022, according to an international watchdog, surpassing Syria as the country with the highest number of casualties from the controversial weapons for the first time in a decade. Russia's widespread use of the bombs, which open in the air and release scores of smaller bomblets or submunitions as they are called, in its invasion of Ukraine and, to a lesser extent, their use by Ukrainian forces helped make 2022 the deadliest year on record globally, according to the annual report released Tuesday by the Cluster Munition Coalition, a network of non-governmental organisations advocating for a ban of the weapons. The deadliest attack in Ukraine, according to the the country's prosecutor general's office, was a bombing on a railway station in the town of Kramatorsk that killed 53 people and wounded 135. Meanwhile, in Syria and other war-battered countries in the Middle East, although active fighting has cooled down, the explosive remnants continue to kill and maim dozens of people every year. The long-term danger posed to civilians by explosive ordnance peppered across the landscape for years or even decades after fighting has ceased has come under a renewed spotlight since the United States announced in July that it would provide them to Ukraine to use against Russia. In Syria, 15 people were killed and 75 wounded by cluster munition attacks or their remnants in 2022, according to the coalition's data. Iraq, where there were no new cluster bomb attacks reported last year, saw 15 people killed and 25 wounded. In Yemen, which also had no new reported attacks, five people were killed and 90 were wounded by the leftover explosives. The majority of victims globally are children. Because some types of these bomblets resemble metal balls, children often pick them up and play with them without knowing what they are. Among the casualties are 12-year old Rawaa al-Hassan and her 10-year-old sister, Doaa, whose family has lived at a camp near the village of Ain Sheeb in northern Syria's opposition-held Idlib province since being displaced from their hometown in Hama province six years earlier. The area where they live in Idlib had frequently come under airstrikes, but the family had escaped from those unharmed. During the holy Islamic month of Ramadan last year, as the girls were coming home from school, their mother Wafaa said, they picked up an unexploded bomblet, thinking it was a piece of scrap metal they could sell. Rawaa lost an eye, Doaa, a hand. In a cruel irony, the girls' father had died eight months earlier after he stepped on a cluster munition remnant while gathering firewood. The girls are in a bad state, psychologically since the two tragic accidents, said their uncle Hatem al-Hassan, who now looks after them and their mother. They have difficulty concentrating, and Rawaa often flies off the handle, hitting other children at school. Of course, we're afraid, and now we don't let them play outside at all anymore, he said. Near the village of Ram Hamdan, also in Idlib, Ali al-Mansour, 43, was tending his sheep one day in 2019 with his 5-year-old son in tow when the child handed him a metal object that looked like a toy and and asked him to take it apart. I tried to take it apart and it wasn't working, so I hit it with a rock, and it exploded on me, al-Mansour said. He lost his eyes and his hands. Without a breadwinner, his family now lives on handouts from relatives. Scattered submunitions often strike shepherds and scrap metal collectors, a common post-conflict source of livelihood, said Loren Persi, one of the editors of the Cluster Munition Coalition's annual report. They also lurk in the fields where truffle hunters forage for the lucrative delicacy, he said. Efforts to clear the explosives have been hampered by lack of funding and by the logistics of dealing with the patchwork of actors controlling different parts of Syria, Persi said. Some 124 countries have joined a United Nations convention banning cluster munitions. The US, Russia, Ukraine and Syria are among the hold-outs. Deaths and injuries from cluster munition remnants have continued for decades after wars ended in some cases including in Laos, where people still die yearly from Vietnam war-era US bombing that left millions of unexploded cluster bomblets. Alex Hiniker, an independent expert with the Forum on the Arms Trade, said casualties had been dropping worldwide before the 2011 uprising turned civil war in Syria. Contamination was being cleared, stockpiles were being destroyed," she said, but the progress "started reversing drastically in 2012, when the Syrian government and allied Russian forces began using cluster bombs against the opposition in Syria. The numbers had dropped off as the war in Syria turned into a stalemate, although at least one new cluster bomb attack was reported in Syria in November 2022. But they quickly spiked again with the conflict in Ukraine. US officials have defended the decision to provide cluster bombs to Ukraine as necessary to level the playing field in the face of a stronger opponent and have insisted that they will take measures to mitigate harm to civilians. This would include sending a version of the munition with a reduced dud rate, meaning fewer unexploded rounds left behind after the conflict. State Department officials did not respond to a request for additional comment. Hiniker said she and others who track the impacts of cluster munitions are baffled by the fact that the US is sending totally outdated weapons that the majority of the world has banned because they disproportionately kill civilians. The most difficult and costly part of dealing with the weapons, she said, is cleaning up the mess afterwards. (AP) GRS GRS Jakarta, Sep 5 (AP) Indonesian President Joko Widodo will welcome fellow Asian and world leaders with a captivating jungle scene of a two-story waterfall, wild orchids and even an orangutan perched up a tree. The make-believe wilderness set up in elaborate detail in the huge lobby of the Jakarta Convention Center in the capital includes a widescreen video of a yellow beak hornbill gliding across an azure sky, swaying leaves and piped-in bird chirps. It's a pleasant icebreaker for Widodo and his guests in Jakarta for a week of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit talks starting Tuesday. Indonesia wants to give the best hospitality, Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi told The Associated Press about the unique reception for ASEAN leaders and VIPs such as US Vice President Kamala Harris, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The convention centre's lobby was off-limits to the public and a sign barred videos and pictures until the jungle spectacle is unveiled. Indonesia also wanted to highlight ASEAN's urgent call for environmental protection and the need to shift to greener energy sources, Setiadi said. Artificial is the only type of jungle that exists in Jakarta. The nearest jungle, home to endangered orangutans, is more than 1,300 kilometers (more than 800 miles) away on Borneo island. The Indonesian capital is one of the world's most polluted cities and teems with skyscrapers, traffic and 11 million people. The government has begun a two-decade project to move the capital from Jakarta to Nusantara, on the island of Borneo, that will involve constructing government buildings and housing from scratch in the area about 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) northeast of Jakarta. (AP) NPK AMS New Delhi, Sep 5 (PTI) From imperialists and sultans to a modern-day dictatorship finally overturned by a precarious democracy, new book, "Descent Into Paradise", is touted to be a personal account of 'untold' Maldives in the grips of gruesome political turmoil, internal strife and climate change. Written over a decade that spans the Maldives' tumultuous history, the book, a travel memoir and a political history by journalist-author Daniel Bosley, will hit the stands on September 19. It is published by PanMacmillan India. In the autumn of 2011, the postman-turned-journalist Bosley embarked on an unexpected adventure which started as an internship in London's Maldives High Commission the diplomatic mission of the Indian Ocean tourism hotspot. Little did Bosley know that he would soon set off on an odyssey through an imperilled island nation undergoing one of the most tumultuous periods in its history. "While dissenters and intrepid reporters faced abduction, imprisonment, and even death, the climate crisis and Islamist zealots posed ever greater threats to the country's vulnerable environment and its ancient culture," writes Bosley in the book. According to the publisher, "richly observed and infused with empathy and essential humour", "Descent into Paradise" thoroughly alters our understanding of the Maldives, "a place where magical waters and surreal skies hide unthinkable dangers even as the struggle for justice risks submersion". "It is a deep insight into the island nation that will be of interest to journalists, historians, and those interested in geopolitics and travel writing," they added. The general elections in Maldives are slated to be held on September 9. Kolhapur, Sep 5 (PTI) The bandh called by Maratha outfits in western Maharashtras Kolhapur on Tuesday received a good response, as a majority of the commercial establishments remained shut in the city. Sakal Maratha Samaj led an agitation in Kolhapur's Dasara Chowk, condemning the violence against protestors in Jalna last week, and asked the government to clear their stand on the reservation for the Maratha community. Maratha reservation returned to the centre stage last week after the police baton-charged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a violent mob in Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district. The police said protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift a man on hunger strike for Maratha quota to the hospital. According to the police, the overall bandh was peaceful, and no untoward incident was reported anywhere in the city or district. "Traders in the market areas of the city supported the bandh and all commercial establishments remained closed till evening," Kolhapur Superintendent of Police Mahendra Pandit said. Members of Sakal Maratha Morcha gathered at Dasara Chowk and registered their protest over the Jalna violence, he said. As a precaution, the state transport and civic buses remained off the road, while private vehicles continued to ply, the official said. A holiday was declared for schools, while colleges remained open but the attendance was low, he said. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sunil Pawar said the bandh received impromptu support from people. "As there was anger among people over the incident in Jalna, they took part in the bandh on their own. No untoward incident was recorded anywhere," he said. The government should make its stand clear on the Maratha reservation, he said. "We will seek answers from Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar as to what he is doing about the reservation as he is a Maratha minister," he said. Thane, Sep 5 (PTI) The Anti-Corruption Bureau has arrested an engineer, a technician and a clerk of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL) and another man in a case of bribery in Thane district, the ACB said on Tuesday. On August 14, the 34-year-old assistant engineer of the MSEDCL's Kalyan division took away the power meter of a person's flat in Ambernath area on suspicion of tampering, Thane ACB inspector Hanmant Kshirsagar said in a release. After checking the electricity meter on August 28, the engineer told the person there was a power theft for the last three years and that he would be required to pay an amount of Rs 3 to 4 lakh, including the power consumption charges and penalty. The engineer also told the person that he could reduce the bill amount to Rs 1 lakh for which he allegedly sought a bribe of Rs 75,000 and later brought down the demand to Rs 70,000, the official said. The person did not want to pay the bribe and lodged a complaint with the ACB's Thane unit, he said. The ACB sleuths laid a trap on Monday and nabbed a 35-year-old man while he allegedly accepted the bribe amount of Rs 70,000 on behalf of the engineer from the complainant near a temple on Kalyan-Badlapur road in Ambernath, the official said. The engineer as well as a junior clerk and a principal technician of the MSEDCL allegedly involved in the crime were also subsequently arrested, he said. A case was registered against the four accused at Ambernath police station under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, he added. Bhubaneswar, Sep 5 (PTI) The Odisha Congress will launch a 'Ghar Ghar' programme under which party leaders will visit the house of people of the state. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattnayak on Monday said the party will launch the 'Ghar Ghar Congress' programme on September 15. He said under the programme Congress leaders will visit each house of the state to deliver the message as to how both the BJD and the BJP are "responsible for the plight of common men." "We will also tell people how the Odisha government neglected OBC, SC and ST. The party will also expose the nexus between the BJD and the BJP," the OPCC president said. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Jaynarayan Mishra said the BJP is preparing to submit a 108-point chargesheet against the BJD government alleging its involvement in rampant corruption from the village to the state capital. He said the 'chargesheet' will be circulated in panchayats, blocks and districts to expose BJD's "misrule". He alleged that the state government has failed in fronts. Asked about the contents of the proposed chargesheet, Mishra said beginning from Lord Jagannaths Ratna Bhandar issue to corruption at the panchayat level will be highlighted. The BJP leader also alleged large-scale irregularities and corruption in the mining sector including coal mining. BJD vice-president and MLA Debi Prasad Mishra said that opposition parties are in the habit of making "false" charges before elections. He claimed that the people of the state are with BJD which will form the government again. New Delhi, Sep 5 (PTI) The G20 Summit in India will be an opportunity to make progress in implementing joint responses to major global challenges, France said on Tuesday, announcing its President Emmanuel Macron's participation in the conclave. Macron's office said the president will travel to Delhi to participate in the G20 Summit on September 9 and 10 following which he will leave for Bangladesh for a bilateral visit. In a statement, it said the summit will enable Macron to continue his ongoing dialogue with his counterparts from every continent to combat the "risks of fragmentation" of the world. "The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, will travel to Delhi to participate in the G20 summit under India's Presidency on September 9 and 10, and will then travel to Bangladesh on September 10 for a bilateral visit," it said. "The G20 summit will enable France's Head of State to continue his ongoing dialogue with his counterparts from every continent, so as to combat the risks of fragmentation of the world," it said. "It will also be an opportunity to make progress in implementing joint responses to the major global challenges that can only be tackled effectively through multilateral action: peace and stability, poverty alleviation, protection of climate and our planet, food security, and digital regulation," it added. Macron's office said the summit will also provide an opportunity to follow up on the summit for a New Global Financial Pact held in Paris last June. "This had led to the establishment of the Paris agenda for people and the planet, providing a framework for collective action to ensure that no country has to choose between fighting poverty and protecting the planet,"it said. The G20 member countries represent around 85 percent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. The grouping comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU). On Macron's Bangladesh trip, the French statement said he will "continue to implement France's strategy in the Indo-Pacific region, after having welcomed Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi in Paris this summer, and visited Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Sri Lanka." "It will also be an opportunity to deepen our bilateral relationship with a country that is undergoing rapid economic development, with France's support, and is seeking to diversify its partnerships," it said. "Bangladesh and France also have a great commonality of views when it comes to global challenges, particularly with regard to the Paris Agenda for People and the Planet, which Bangladesh actively supports," it said. The readout said as Bangladesh is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate disruption, President Macron will reiterate France's determination to stand by its side on the humanitarian front, particularly given the regular flooding the country faces. "Bangladesh is also a major contributor to international solidarity efforts, be they through its contingents in peacekeeping operations or in hosting Rohingya refugees," it said. New Delhi, Sep 5 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review progress of India's relations with 10-nation ASEAN at a summit meeting in Jakarta on Thursday. Shoring up India's trade and security ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is likely to be the focus of Modi's engagement with leaders of the bloc. The ASEAN-India Summit will be the first summit since the elevation of ties between the two sides to a comprehensive strategic partnership last year. The two sides are expected to unveil a new initiative to expand maritime security cooperation, people familiar with the matter said. The prime minister will also attend the East Asia Summit that will take place shortly after the end of the ASEAN-India summit. Modi will leave for the Indonesian capital city on Wednesday evening and will return late on Thursday, Secretary of State (East) Saurabh Kumar said. It will be a brief visit by the prime minister to Jakarta as he has to return home for the G20 summit, Kumar said, adding no bilateral meetings are scheduled on the sidelines of the ASEAN and East Asia summits. The member countries of ASEAN are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. The ties between India and ASEAN have been on a significant upswing in the last few years with focus being on boosting cooperation in the areas of trade and investment as well as security and defence. The ASEAN is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region, and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners. The ASEAN-India dialogue relations started with the establishment of sectoral partnership in 1992 which graduated to full dialogue partnership in December 1995 and summit level partnership in 2002. The ties were elevated to strategic partnership in 2012. The ASEAN is central to India's Act East Policy and its vision for the wider Indo-Pacific. The ASEAN comprises Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia and Myanmar. Jammu, Sep 5 (PTI) Kishtwar authorities have constituted a three-member committee to monitor social media in an effort to curb "false and unfounded" news aimed at maligning the image of the government. According to an order issued by Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Devansh Yadav, the committee would be headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner Inderjeet Parihar, with Deputy Superintendent of Police Ishan Gupta and District Information Officer Munit Sharma as members. "The committee shall keep overall vigil/monitoring overall social media portals on a daily basis and shall furnish/recommend the cases of false media reporting/portals to undersigned for taking further necessary action," the order read. It said the head of the committee can co-opt any other officer or official in the 'Social Media Monitoring Cell' after prior permission. Yadav in his order said it has been observed that a number of online social media portals have been found to be reporting fake news. " a number of instances have been reported with regard to fake and frivolous reporting, particularly against the government functionaries by some media persons which malign the image of the government machinery. "Such social media handles and media persons need to be monitored to put curbs to false and unfounded reporting/news," the deputy commissioner said. He asked all media persons to follow the necessary guidelines of Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Codes) Rules in letter and spirit. TOKYO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A man accused of carrying out a deadly arson attack on a Kyoto Animation Co. studio four years ago admitted the charges in the indictment, in the first hearing of his trial at Kyoto District Court on Tuesday. Shinji Aoba, 45, from Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, faces murder and four other charges over the attack on the No. 1 studio of the animation powerhouse also known as KyoAni in Kyoto on July 18, 2019, which left 36 people dead and 32 others injured. "I didn't imagine that so many people would lose their lives, and I now think that I went too far," Aoba said at the outset of the lay judge trial, admitting that he carried out the attack. The defense team said Aoba was suffering from delusions and believed he was fighting back against a "dark figure," arguing that even if he is convicted, he should be given a reduced sentence because of his state of diminished capacity. His lawyers also said the studio's structure may have had led to the large number of fatalities. The prosecutors said Aoba wrongly believed that KyoAni had plagiarized a novel he had entered into a contest run by the firm and that he was under surveillance by the authorities. But they said he was not controlled by such delusions and can be held fully responsible for the attack on the studio. The prosecutors indicted him in December 2020, claiming after conducting a psychiatric evaluation that he can be held criminally responsible for his actions, despite his documented history of mental illness. After Tuesday's first hearing of the lay judge trial, 23 more sessions are expected to follow before the ruling is handed down on Jan. 25, 2024. Pauri, Sep 5 (PTI) A four-year-old girl was mauled to death and an elderly woman injured in separate leopard attacks in Uttarakhand's Pauri district on Tuesday, Forest Department officials said. The two incidents took place in Dhikal and Markhola villages, they said. Ayesha (4) was playing in the courtyard of her home in Dhikal village in the Khirsu area when a leopard hiding behind the bushes attacked her and dragged her away, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Swapnil Anirudh told PTI. Her relatives and villagers ran after the leopard and made noise. Later, the girl's body was recovered from a field 400 metres from her home, he said. Two cages have been set up in the village to catch the leopard and a team has reached the spot to tranquillize it, the DFO said, adding immediate financial assistance has been provided to the girl's family. Forest personnel have also been deployed in the village and the leopard's movement is being tracked with the help of drones, Anirudh said. In the second incident, a 67-year-old woman was injured after a leopard attacked her while she was cutting grass along with other women in Sanyun Markhola village in the Pabau area, the officials said. The leopard let go of the woman when those accompanying her raised an alarm, they said. The woman was taken to the Pabau primary health centre where she was administered first aid, they said. New Delhi, Sep 5 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned for a week the hearing on a plea filed by former JNU student Umar Khalid seeking bail in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA over his alleged involvement in the conspiracy behind the northeast Delhi riots of February 2020. A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Dipankar Datta deferred the matter as senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Khalid, was not available. Supreme Court judge Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra had on August 9 recused himself from hearing Khalid's plea. Khalid's petition challenging the October 18, 2022 order of the Delhi High Court, which had rejected his bail plea in the matter, had come up for hearing before a bench of Justices A S Bopanna and Prashant Kumar Mishra. The high court had rejected Khalid's bail plea, saying he was in constant touch with other co-accused and the allegations against him were prima facie true. The high court had also said the actions of the accused prima facie qualified as "terrorist act" under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and several others have been booked under the anti-terror law UAPA and several provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured. The violence had erupted during the protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Khalid, arrested by the Delhi Police in September 2020, had sought bail on grounds that he neither had any criminal role in the violence nor any "conspiratorial connect" with any other accused in the case. The Delhi Police had opposed Khalid's bail plea in the high court, saying the speech delivered by him was "very calculated" and he brought up contentious issues like Babri Masjid, triple talaq, Kashmir, the alleged suppression of Muslims and the CAA and NRC. A family of red wolves, from right, 3-month-old pups, Sentinel and Sabine; their mother, Brave, 7, and their father, Diego, 8, lie in their enclosure at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, R.I., Friday, July 7, 2023. Thanks to a network of breeding facilities like this one, there is little danger of the species going extinct. But the goal has always been a viable wild population. (AP Photo/David Goldman) More than 50 Eritrean asylum seekers suspected of participating in the violent clashes that occurred in Tel Aviv over the weekend have been placed under administrative detention on Monday and Tuesday. The decision for their detention reportedly came from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. Following questioning by the Population, Immigration and Border Authority (PIBA), 53 individuals believed to be involved in the clashes were transferred to Givon Prison in Ramle, where they will be held for a minimum of four days. The clashes, which transpired in south Tel Aviv on Saturday, resulted in over 170 people sustaining injuries, including both civilians and police officers. The confrontations spanned several hours and pitted migrant supporters against opponents of Eritreas government. In response to the unrest, law enforcement employed live fire tactics, leading to numerous hospitalizations, including police officers who were wounded while attempting to control the situation. Reportedly, among the detainees, 14 were identified as supporters of the Eritrean regime, while 20 were confirmed opponents, with the remaining detainees being unaffiliated. The suspects are scheduled to appear before a court to determine whether the custody period will be extended. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that the governments intention is not only to employ administrative detention but also to initiate deportation proceedings for those individuals found to be involved in the riots. The incidents of violence erupted during a protest opposing an official Eritrean government event commemorating the 30th anniversary of President Isaias Afwerkis rise to power. The supporters of the regime, identifiable by their red attire, were met by opponents clad in blue. The demonstrations escalated into a lengthy bout of violence that persisted for hours. Billionaire Elon Musk said he will file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to clear his social media platforms name against charges of anti-Semitic content. It all began with a series of Twitter exchanges over the weekend, when Musk doubled down on his criticism of the ADL and engaged with a notorious figure known for his antisemitic and white nationalist views. The online exchange revolved around Musks assertion that the ADLs aggressive stance on banning social media accounts, even for minor rule violations, ironically contributed to the proliferation of antisemitism on the platform. Musks comments were made in response to Keith OBrien, a far-right Irish activist who goes by the online alias Keith Woods. Notably, OBrien had previously been banned by Twitter for hate speech but had his account reinstated under Musks influence. Last week, OBrien played a big role in promoting the campaign to ban the ADL, which gained traction on social media. On Friday, Musk publicly supported OBriens call to ban the organization, sparking widespread controversy. Musk, who has identified himself as a free speech absolutist, even contemplated polling Twitter users on whether the civil rights organization should be banned from the platform. In response to Musks remarks, the ADL issued a statement on Saturday, expressing their resolve in the face of what they described as a coordinated attack on their organization by antisemites, white supremacists, conspiracy theorists, and trolls. The ADL highlighted its recent participation in the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington and a meeting with the leadership of Twitter, now known as X, as possible triggers for the online backlash. On Monday, Musk tweeted that hes not really an anti-Semite. To be super clear, Im pro free speech, but against anti-Semitism of any kind, Musk posted. Musk then responded to a user who pointed out that Chaya Raichik, the frum Crown Heights woman who gained national attention for her X account, LibsofTikTok, which exposes radical liberal agendas across the country, was called an extremist by the ADL. ADL has pushed hard for us to shut down account like Chayas, even though it has nothing to do with anti-Semitism, which is their supposed charter! Musk wrote. Raichik replied to the X owner, requesting that he release all communications on the ADL and other organization whove pushed to censor accounts on X (formerly Twitter). Great point, Musk replied. A giant data dump would clear the air. Musk later tweeted: To clear our platforms name on the matter of anti-Semitism, it looks like we have no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation Leadue oh the irony! A user then noted that the ADL has been sued previously over defamation, including a case in Colorado in which it was required to shell out $10.5 million. Interesting, Musk responded. In our case they would potentially be on the hook for destroying half of the value of the company, so roughly $22 billion. He went on to accuse the ADL of being responsible for most of our revenue loss. He noted that advertisers avoid controversy, so all that is needed for ADL to crush our US & European ad revenue is to make unfounded accusations. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) President Joe Biden addressed concerns regarding his age during a campaign event in Philadelphia, assuring voters that he intends to lead the presidential ticket for the 2024 election. Speaking before the Sheet Metal Workers union on Monday, Biden acknowledged the murmurs about his age and remarked, I tell you what, someone said, You know what? That Biden, hes getting old, man. I tell you what.' He added, Well, guess what? Guess what? You know, the only thing that comes with age is a little bit of wisdom. Ive been doing this longer than anybody, and guess what? Im going to continue to do it, with your help. Fox News Peter Doocy noted, That seems to be a subtle response to the claim made by an author who interviewed 300 people in Biden world for a new book, who said this weekend that President Biden could bow out. The reference was to an interview on Meet The Press featuring Franklin Foer, the author of the book titled The Last Politician. Foer shared with NBCs Chuck Todd that it wouldnt be a total surprise if President Biden decided to withdraw from the race. During their coverage, Fox News presented a fresh Wall Street Journal poll indicating a dead even match between Biden and leading GOP contender Donald Trump for the presidency. Doocy pointed out that the same poll highlighted genuine concerns among voters about Bidens age. That same Wall Street Journal poll has 73% of voters, including two-thirds of Democrats, saying that President Biden is too old for another term, Doocy pointed out. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) In a new poll from The Wall Street Journal, most Americans, including a healthy majority of Democrats, expressed doubts about President Joe Bidens age and fitness for a second term in the White House. The poll found that 73% of Americans believe that the 80-year-old President Biden might not be physically up to the demands of another four years in office. Interestingly, even within the Democratic party, two-thirds of respondents shared this concern. The findings underscore a widespread perception that age could be a major factor in the 2024 presidential race. The poll also explored a hypothetical rematch between President Biden and former President Donald Trump. The results showed a dead heat, with both candidates polling at 46% in a potential general election matchup. Concerns over Trumps age were also notable, with just under 50% of voters expressing reservations about the 77-year-old former presidents ability to serve effectively. When evaluating various leadership attributes, more voters believed that Trump was mentally prepared for the job, possessed a vision for the future, cared about people like them, and boasted an impressive presidential record, compared to Biden. On the other hand, the incumbent president held an advantage in the categories of honesty and likability. The survey also delved into public sentiment regarding Trumps ongoing legal issues, revealing mixed opinions. Among respondents, 37% indicated that the four criminal indictments against Trump this year would make them less likely to vote for him, while 24% said it would make them more likely to vote for him, and 35% claimed it would have no impact on their decision. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) First lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 Monday but is experiencing only mild symptoms, her spokeswoman said. President Joe Biden was tested for the virus following his wifes positive test, but his results were negative. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president would continue testing regularly and would be monitored for symptoms. Jill Biden will remain at the couples home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, for the time being, communications director Elizabeth Alexander said. The first lady had planned to start the new school year Tuesday at Northern Virginia Community College, where she teaches English and writing. Due to her condition, she was working with school officials to arrange substitute teachers for her classes, Alexander said. The first lady had traveled with her husband to Florida on Saturday to inspect the damage from Hurricane Idalia. President Biden then spent part of the Labor Day weekend at the Delaware beach house before traveling Monday to a union event in Philadelphia and then back to the White House. The Bidens both contracted COVID previously, last summer. (AP) President Joe Biden will award the Medal of Honor on Tuesday to a Vietnam War Army helicopter pilot who risked his life by flying into heavy enemy fire to save four members of a reconnaissance team from almost certain death as they were about to be overrun. Biden is recognizing retired Capt. Larry Taylor of Tennessee at the White House. On the night of June 18, 1968, then-1st Lt. Taylor flew his Cobra attack helicopter to rescue the men after they had become surrounded by the enemy. Taylor, now 81, recalled in an interview last week that he had to figure out how to get them out, otherwise they wouldnt make it. David Hill, one of the four Taylor saved that night, said his actions were what we now call thinking outside the box. Hill and the others were on a night mission to track the movement of enemy troops in a village near the Saigon River when they were discovered by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops. An intense firefight ensued and soon they were running out of ammunition. They radioed for help. Taylor arrived in minutes at the site northeast of what is now Ho Chi Minh City. He asked the team to send up flares to mark their location in the dark. Taylor and a pilot in an accompanying helicopter started firing their ships Miniguns and rockets at the enemy, making low-level attack runs and braving intense ground fire for about a half-hour. But with both helicopters nearly out of ammunition and the enemy continuing to advance, Taylor surveyed the teams intended escape route to a point near the river and concluded that the men would never make it. He had to think of something else. Now running low on fuel and almost out of ammunition himself, Taylor directed his wingman to fire the rounds left in his Minigun along the teams eastern flank and return to base camp, while Taylor fired his remaining rounds on the western flank. He used the landing lights to distract the enemy, buying time for the patrol team to head south and east toward a new extraction point he had identified. After they arrived, Taylor landed under heavy enemy fire and at great personal risk. The four team members rushed toward the helicopter and clung to the exterior it only had two seats and Taylor whisked them away to safety. He was on the ground for about 10 seconds. I finally just flew up behind them and sat down on the ground, Taylor said by telephone. They turned around and jumped on the aircraft. A couple were sitting on the skids. One was sitting on the rocket pods, and I dont know where the other one was, but they beat on the side of the ship twice, which meant haul a. And we did! What Taylor did that night had never before been attempted, the Army said. Taylor said he flew hundreds of combat missions in UH-1 and Cobra helicopters during a years deployment in Vietnam. We never lost a man, he said. You just do whatever is expedient and do whatever to save the lives of the people youre trying to rescue, he said. Taylor left Vietnam in August 1968. He was released from Army active duty in August 1970, having attained the rank of captain, and was discharged from the Army Reserve in October 1973. He later ran a roofing and sheet metal company in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He and his wife, Toni, live in Signal Mountain, Tennessee. He received scores of combat decorations, including the Silver Star, a Bronze Star and two Distinguished Flying Crosses. But Hill said in an interview that he and Taylors other supporters were shocked to learn long after that harrowing night that Taylor had not been awarded a Medal of Honor. Hill said they believed Taylor deserved the medal, the militarys highest decoration for service members who go above and beyond the call of duty, often risking their lives through selfless acts of valor. Their campaign lasted more than six years. Biden called Taylor in July with the news. (AP) TOKYO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Budget requests by Japanese government agencies for fiscal 2024, starting next April, hit a record high of 114.39 trillion yen (about 779 billion U.S. dollars), the Finance Ministry said Tuesday. The Defense Ministry sought 7.71 trillion yen, a roughly 12 percent increase, as Japan is beefing up defense capabilities. The requested amount topped 110 trillion yen for the third straight year and surpassed the previous record of 111.66 trillion yen sought for fiscal 2022, with the Finance Ministry planning to scrutinize requests to trim total spending before it unveils a budget before the end of the year. About a third of Japan's annual budget is dominated by funds for nursing care, medical and pension benefits. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare sought 33.73 trillion yen, up 586.6 billion yen from the current fiscal year, reflecting ballooning social security costs. (1 U.S. dollar equals 147.275 Japanese yen) The Texas Senate is set to gavel in Tuesday for the impeachment trial of state Attorney General Ken Paxton, a formal airing of corruption allegations that could lead Republican lawmakers to oust one of their own as lead lawyer for Americas largest red state. In May, the state House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach Paxton on articles including bribery and abuse of public trust. It was a sudden rebuke by the GOP-controlled chamber of a star of the conservative legal movement who has weathered years of scandal and alleged crimes. Paxton is only the third sitting official in Texas nearly 200-year history to be impeached. The House vote suspended the 60-year-old from the office he used in 2020 to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn President Joe Bidens electoral defeat of Donald Trump. Paxton decried the impeachment as a politically motivated sham and said he expects to be acquitted. His lawyers have said he wont testify before the Senate, but the trial remains fraught with political and legal risk. The attorney general is under federal investigation for the same conduct that prompted his impeachment, and his lawyers say removal from office would open the door to Paxton taking a plea in a long-stalled state fraud case. Heres what Paxton is accused of and how the trial will work. WHY WAS PAXTON IMPEACHED? At the center of Paxtons impeachment is his relationship with a wealthy donor that prompted the attorney generals top deputies to revolt. In 2020, the group reported their boss to the FBI, saying Paxton broke the law to help Austin real estate developer Nate Paul fight a separate federal investigation. Paul allegedly reciprocated, including by employing a woman with whom Paxton had an extramarital affair. Paul was indicted in June on federal criminal charges that he made false statements to banks to get more than $170 million in loans. He pleaded not guilty. Paul gave Paxton a $25,000 campaign donation in 2018 and the men bonded over a shared feeling that they were the targets of corrupt law enforcement, according to a memo by one of the staffers who went to the FBI. Paxton was indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015 but is yet to stand trial. The eight deputies who reported Paxton largely staunch conservatives whom he handpicked for their jobs went to law enforcement after he ignored their warnings to not hire an outside lawyer to investigate Pauls allegations of wrongdoing by the FBI. All eight were subsequently fired or quit and four of them sued under the state whistleblower act. Paxton is also accused of pressuring his staff to intervene in other of Pauls legal troubles, including litigation with an Austin-based nonprofit group and property foreclosure sales. WHAT DID PAXTON GET IN RETURN? In return, the impeachment prosecutors say Paul bankrolled renovations to one of Paxtons homes and facilitated his affair. Paxton privately acknowledged the affair with a state Senate aide in 2018 and told a small group of staff that it was over. But the impeachment prosecutors say Paxton carried on with the woman, who Paul hired in Austin so she could be closer to the attorney general. The developer also allegedly set up an Uber account under a pseudonym that Paxton used to discreetly see the woman. After Paxtons staff revolted, the attorney general rushed to cover up that Paul had paid for costly renovations to his million-dollar Austin home, according to the prosecutors. Paxtons lawyers released documents showing he paid a company tied to Paul hours after his deputies went to the FBI. HOW WILL THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL WORK? The Senate trial is expected to last two or three weeks and will have elements that resemble proceedings in criminal and civil courts. Theres a defendant, defense lawyers, prosecutors, opening statements, closing arguments and witnesses who will be called to testify and can be cross-examined. The jury is the 31-member Senate. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, presides over the Senate and will serve as the judge. A two-thirds majority of the chamber or 21 of the 31 senators must vote against Paxton to secure a conviction. Thats where the politics come into play. There are 19 Senate Republicans and 12 Democrats. If all 12 Democrats vote to convict Paxton, they still need at least nine Republicans. Or, the Senate could vote by a simple majority to dismiss the charges against him. Among the senators is Paxtons wife, Angela Paxton. Trial rules dont allow her to participate or to vote. But her presence, which is mandated by state law, means she counts as one of the 31 senators present at the trial. There are other conflicts that likely wouldnt be allowed in a court of law. Patrick loaned Paxtons 2022 reelection campaign $125,000, and this year accepted $3 million in campaign donations and loans from Defend Texas Liberty, a pro-Paxton political action committee. Another Republican senator, Brian Hughes, may be called by prosecutors to testify, and the woman Paxton had an affair with used to work for Republican Sen. Donna Campbell. IF PAXTON IS CONVICTED Paxton has been suspended without pay since the House voted in May to impeach him. If the Senate convicts him, he would be removed from office. But it would take another Senate vote to decide whether he should be permanently barred from holding office. That would also require a two-thirds majority, or 21 votes. In 1917, Gov. James Pa Ferguson was removed from office for misapplication of public funds, embezzlement and the diversion of a special fund. The Senate also voted to bar him from holding future office. That didnt entirely remove him from Texas politics. Fergusons wife, Miriam Ma Ferguson, ran for governor in 1924 promising she would seek her husbands advice and Texas would get two governors for the price of one. She was elected twice, first in 1924 and again in 1932. (AP) A new report claims that some of Trumps closest allies who are co-defendants with him in the Georgia election case, may turn against him in an effort to protect themselves from potential time in prison. Politico reported on the legal strategy of former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who is currently facing charges related to Trumps alleged conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. Court documents cited in the report suggest that Meadows may follow the lead of other former Trump associates by positioning Trump as the primary driver of the alleged racketeering enterprise they have been accused of. During a recent court hearing in Atlanta, Meadows defense attorney drew attention to Trumps role in what is expected to be a critical element of the prosecutions case. This element revolves around the infamous January 2, 2021, phone call in which Trump urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find enough votes to declare him the election winner. Meadows had arranged that call. While prosecutors played audio of the call in court, Meadows attorney, Michael Francisco, emphasized that Meadows role in the discussion was relatively minor and less provocative than Trumps. Francisco pointed out that Meadows did not make a direct request to alter the vote totals. This legal strategy aligns with a broader trend observed in recent developments related to the investigation. For instance, last month, Yuscil Taveras, the IT director of Mar-a-Lago, reportedly retracted his court testimony and provided information implicating Trump in efforts to delete the resorts security camera footage. Such revelations bolster the case against Trump for alleged obstruction of justice and mishandling of classified documents. Additionally, court filings from David Shafer, Cathleen Latham, and Shawn Still, who were indicted as fake electors for attempting to interfere with Georgias election results, have indicated that they were acting on instructions from Trump and his lawyers. Commenting on the situation, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen noted, History has shown the 18 co-defendants that Donald doesnt care about anyone but himself. I suspect it will be every defendant for himself. Meadows own testimony during a recent hearing reinforced Trumps involvement in the alleged election interference. Meadows revealed that Trump viewed the false electors as a significant part of his strategy to remain in power, fearing repercussions if he did not align with the campaigns actions. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Jury selection began Tuesday in the case against former Trump White House official Peter Navarro, who was charged with contempt of Congress after he refused to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Navarro, a former economics professor, served as a White House staffer under then-President Donald Trump and later promoted the Republicans baseless claims of mass voter fraud in the 2020 election he lost. Navarro has said that Trump invoked executive privilege, barring him from cooperating with the House Jan. 6 committee. His trial is expected to last through the end of the week. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta has ruled Navarros executive privilege argument isnt a defense against the charges, finding that Navarro hadnt shown evidence Trump invoked it. Navarro was charged last year with two misdemeanor contempt counts, one for failing to appear for a deposition before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack and a second for failing to produce documents the committee requested. Each count is punishable by up to a year behind bars. Navarro, who has pleaded not guilty, was the second Trump aide to face criminal charges after former White House adviser Steve Bannon. Bannon was convicted of two counts of contempt of Congress and was sentenced to four months behind bars, though he has been free pending appeal. Trump faces a federal indictment in Washington, D.C., and a state indictment in Georgia over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden, a Democrat. He has denied wrongdoing and has said he was acting within the law. The House Jan. 6 committees final report said Trump criminally engaged in a multi-part conspiracy to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 election and failed to act to stop his supporters from attacking the Capitol. (AP) Aryeh Gottleib, who was seriously injured in the Chevron terror attack, was released on Monday from Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva. Gottlieb was transferred to Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer for rehabilitation. Gottlieb told Arutz Sheva last week that the road between Beit Chagai and Kiryat Arba is one of the most dangerous in Yehudah and Shomron because many checkpoints have been opened under IDF orders after they were closed due to terror attacks. Within about a seven-minute drive, there are seven places from which a terrorist can carry out a terror attack and disappear within ten seconds into Area A. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) In a highly unusual protest, Israeli-Bedouin students in the Neve Midbar Regional Council were sent by their parents to school on camels and donkeys on Tuesday morning. The protest took place on the background of a strike by the transportation company, which is refusing to provide busing for the students as it claims the government owes it funds. A statement from the Neve Midbar Regional Council states that the bus company of about 6,500 students unexpectedly stopped working as a protest against the non-payment of funds due to them, according to their claim, since February 2023. The council has been in discussions with the Education Ministry for a long time to transfer transportation budgets, but the ministry insists on making the transfer of the budget conditional on the checking of individual routes. The council has no issue with the routes being checked but it is required to immediately transfer the budgets that are due for immediate transportation needs. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may travel to Russia for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, a U.S. official said, in a trip that would underscore deepening cooperation as the two isolated leaders are locked in separate confrontations with the U.S. U.S. officials also said that Russia is seeking to buy ammunition from North Korea to refill reserves drained by its war in Ukraine. In return, experts said, North Korea will likely want food and energy shipments and transfers of sophisticated weapons technologies. A meeting with Putin would be Kims first summit with a foreign leader since North Korea closed its borders in January 2020. They met for the first time in April 2019, two months after Kims high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with then-U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to Pyongyang in July and asked Kim to send more ammunition to Russia, according to U.S. officials. Shoigu said Moscow and Pyongyang were considering holding military exercises for the first time. Its unclear how far Kim and Putins military cooperation could go, but any sign of warming relations will worry rivals like the U.S. and South Korea. Russia seeks to quash a Ukrainian counteroffensive and prolong the war, while North Korea is extending a record pace of missile tests to protest U.S. moves to reinforce its military alliances with South Korea and Japan. Heres look at what Kims possible trip to Russia would mean. WHAT DOES RUSSIA WANT FROM NORTH KOREA? Since last year, U.S. officials have suspected that North Korea is providing Russia with artillery shells, rockets and other ammunition, many of which are likely copies of Soviet-era munitions. Russia is in urgent need of (war supplies). If not, how could the defense minister of a powerful country at war come to a small country like North Korea? said Kim Taewoo, former head of Seouls Korea Institute for National Unification. He said Shoigu was the first Russian defense minister to visit North Korea since the 1991 disintegration of the Soviet Union. Buying munitions from North Korea would be a violation of U.N. resolutions, supported by Russia, that ban all arms trade with the isolated country. But now that it faces international sanctions and export controls over its war in Ukraine, Russia has been seeking weapons from other sanctioned countries like North Korea and Iran. North Korea has vast stores of munitions, but Du Hyeogn Cha, an analyst at Seouls Asan Institute for Policy Studies, doubted whether it could swiftly send significant amounts to Russia, because the narrow land link between the countries can handle only a limited amount of rail traffic. WHAT DOES KIM WANT IN RETURN? Kims priorities would be aid shipments, prestige and military technology, experts said. It would be a win-win deal for both, as Putin is cornered over his exhausted weapons inventory while Kim faces pressure from the South Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral cooperation, said Nam Sung-wook, a former director of the Institute for National Security Strategy, a think tank run by South Koreas spy agency. Their needs are matched perfectly now. Pandemic-era border closures have left North Korea with severe economic difficulties, and Kim is likely to seek supplies of food and energy to address shortfalls. Kim will likely also trumpet expanding relations with Moscow as a sign that the country is overcoming its years of isolation. North Korean leaders have long valued face-to-face meetings with world leaders as signs of international importance and for domestic propaganda purposes. Kim is likely also seeking Russian technology to support his plans to build high-tech weapons systems such as powerful long-range missiles, hypersonic ballistic weapons, nuclear-powered submarines and a spy satellite, said Hong Min, an analyst at Seouls Korea Institute for National Unification. Its unclear whether Russia would be willing to provide North Korea advanced technologies related to nuclear weapons and ICBMs, Cha said. Russia has always tightly guarded its most important weapons technologies, even from key partners like China, he said. HOW CLOSE COULD THE TWO COUNTRIES GET? Shoigu told reporters Monday that Russia and North Korea were pondering the possibility of bilateral military exercise. Earlier, South Koreas spy agency told lawmakers that Shoigu appeared to have proposed a trilateral training exercise involving China. Either way, it would be the Norths first joint military drills with a foreign country since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. The country has avoided training with a foreign military in line with its official juche, or self-reliance, philosophy. Kim Taewoo, the former institute director, said expanding South Korea-U.S.-Japan security cooperation could prompt Kim Jong Un to break that taboo and hold drills with Russia and China for the first time. But Nam, who is now a professor at Korea University, said North Korea wont likely accept the offer, as it could leave North Korea even more dependent on China and Russia. Park Won Gon, a professor at Seouls Ewha Womans University, said its too early to predict what Kims diplomacy could yield beyond making a show of defiance toward the United States. In any case, North Korea and Russia need to show that theyre working together, that theyre stepping up this cooperation, Park said. There clearly are practical areas of cooperation, and also some symbolic aspects they want to show the United States. (AP) President Biden on Tuesday tapped former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew to serve as his next ambassador to Israel, pending confirmation by the Senate. Lew previously served as Treasury secretary during the Obama administration from 2013-2017. He was also director of the Office of Management and Budget from 1998 to 2001 during the Clinton administration and was a principal at the National Security Council in both presidencies. Prior to his government work, Lew served as managing director and chief operating officer for two Citigroup business units. He is currently co-president of the board of the National Library of Israel USA and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Lew was confirmed as Treasury secretary in 2013 with bipartisan support in a 71-26 vote. He will need the support of at least 50 senators in a narrowly divided Senate this time around to earn confirmation to the ambassador post. If confirmed, Lew would replace Tom Nides, Bidens first ambassador to Israel, who departed the post after two years. He would take over the ambassadorship at a tense time in U.S.-Israel relations. The Biden White House has been adamant that Israel is a critical ally, but the president and top aides have expressed concerns about judicial reforms pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus administration that would curb the independence of the judiciary. (AP) Sponsored Content In this video, Rav Kolodetsky and his Rebbetzin verify that a gadol in klal Yisrael, the son of a gadol, is in distress and facing a severe situation of pikuach nefesh. It is well known that Rav Chaim Kanievsky ztl blessed his daughter, Rebbetzin Kolodetsky, before he passed away, granting her the power to bless and ensure the fulfillment of her blessings. 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More than three million people fall victim in the UK each year. That is why I welcome the Daily Mails Stop The Social Media Scammers Campaign, highlighting the way the fraudsters work. But, as the Mail is demanding, we also need to force social media companies to put stronger systems in place to stop the scammers. Online threat: Scams can be seen as victimless crimes, but they cause emotional and financial devastation. More than three million people fall victim in the UK each year Some, such as Google, Twitter and TikTok have already taken steps to stop fraud. Data from the banks show that 61 per cent of all so-called authorised push-payment scams in the UK are on platforms owned by Meta Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Scams have become such a big issue in the UK that the Prime Minister appointed me as his Anti-Fraud Champion, the first time any country has had someone in such a position. Before becoming an MP, I led the banks efforts to stop fraud, but now my task is to lead the Government against scammers. We must strengthen law enforcement, but also stop the scams happening in the first place. My job is to use all the tools of Government, including legislation and regulation, to ensure such strong anti-fraud measures are in place that the scammers are put out of business. Most is done by organised criminal gangs, many based overseas. Around seven in 10 frauds have an international element. It is big business: they are flush with cash, have access to sophisticated technologies and can train up their armies of fraudsters, working in fraud factories. The UK is a global hotspot for fraud for four main reasons. There is more money here than most countries. We speak English, making it easier for international gangs. We are relatively technologically enabled. And we have an instant payments system Faster Payments which makes it easier for fraudsters to whisk off cash within seconds of getting it. There is much to do to stop the scammers, but also a lot we are already doing. We have just launched a new National Fraud Squad with 400 officers. We are making sure local police forces make tackling fraud a higher priority. Working with partners, we will launch a major public awareness campaign so more people know how to protect themselves. But we will not win the battle against fraud without widescale changes to the way companies especially tech firms operate. Hot spot: Data from the banks show that 61%t of all so-called authorised push-payment scams in the UK are on platforms owned by Meta - Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp Fraud is so varied there is no single bullet that will kill it off, so the Governments approach is to deploy every weapon in its arsenal. We have legislated to force banks and other payments providers to compensate victims of fraud the only country to do this. This gives them a financial incentive to deploy AI technology to block fraudulent payments. The Payments System Regulator is looking at slowing down suspect payments to give banks and police time to act. All our mobile phone companies have now brought in an AI-driven SpamShield to filter out scam texts. While the system is far from perfect it has stopped 600 million scams texts so far. Yet given that 80 per cent of fraud is cyber-enabled, it is tech firms that must do the most to stop it. Many do a lot to stop fraud but not all and the fraudsters know how to spot weaknesses. As the Mail has demanded, there are simple measures tech firms can take, such as checking the identity of those who take out paid advertising or try to sell goods on peer-to-peer marketplaces. The Mail is also asking for secure payment systems, which work well on platforms such as eBay. The new Online Safety Bill will require social media companies to treat fraud as a priority harm and put in place robust systems to block fraudsters or face fines of up to 10 per cent of turnover. That will take some time to come in, so I am negotiating an Online Fraud Charter, to make sure all the main tech firms quickly put in place industry-leading systems to stop fraud. This will require firms to make stronger efforts to stop scams in the first place, to take them down quickly when they happen and work with police to catch the scammers. If all social media firms put in place the systems that the best ones use, it would reduce fraud dramatically. No other country is doing as much as the UK to stop scams and other governments are keen to find out what we are doing. Governments have never previously worked together to stop fraud, but it is a global problem. It would be more powerful if governments worked together. In the new year, we will hold the first ever global fraud summit in London, to catalyse international Government action against fraudsters. We know we cannot stand still. Fraudsters are great entrepreneurs, if we close down one line of business, they will find other ways to steal our money. But tackling fraud is now a clear priority across government, regulators and industry. We are at a turning point and all guns are now focused on the enemy. This is a battle we can start to win. Meta said: We recognise the important role we must play in tackling this industry-wide issue. We dont want anyone to fall victim to these criminals which is why we have systems to block scams and financial services advertisers now have to be FCA authorised. Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated methods to defraud people which is why we run consumer awareness campaigns on how to spot fraudulent behaviour. The global ESG fund industry is set to be worth as much as 42 trillion by 2025. In light of this, figures showing four successive months of withdrawals in the UK from such funds which prioritise environmental, social and governance criteria may seem a blip. But this is not so. It is a wake-up call that merits attention now, although it may not rival the sound and fury of the US culture wars over 'woke' investing. Elon Musk considers ESG to be 'the devil'. Florida governor Ron DeSantis is similarly unenthusiastic. Even BlackRock boss Larry Fink, ESG's most vocal proponent, now prefers to avoid the ESG term, considering it to have been 'weaponised'. Concerns: Figures show four successive months of withdrawals in the UK from ESG funds which prioritise environmental, social and governance criteria The British investors who cashed in close to 2billion worth of their ESG fund holdings since May have expressed their discontent through their withdrawals. Some of this unhappiness focuses on the shares that are deemed suitable. The selection methodology is not consistent and can sometimes be bizarre. In 2020, it emerged that some funds had stakes in Boohoo, apparently believing they could inspire a fast fashion business to become virtuous. Defence companies are excluded, despite the role of businesses like BAE in the Ukraine war. After all, what is more ethical than the defence of democracy? The anti-armaments stance has also adversely affected the funds' returns. Another concern is the funds' lack of emphasis on the 'G' part of ESG, although superior governance standards should create better all round corporate citizens. The cost of paying too little attention to governance is illustrated by the damage done to NatWest, which has lost Dame Alison Rose, its chief executive, over the disclosures about Nigel Farage's bank account to a journalist. Chairman Sir Howard Davies is set to follow suit. They seemed to forget that, in financial services, governance is based on trust. The FCA has delayed its proposed and much-needed ESG labelling rules until the end of year. Until then, the withdrawals from ESG funds may continue because investors sense that they are being greenwashed. Middle-class favourite B&M is the secret haunt of the bargain-loving middle classes. They pop into one of its 707 stores, which are mostly based on retail parks with plenty of car parking space, following a visit to a nearby Lidl. They leave B&M with something for their pet, and other items for the home. This discounter excels at making you buy stuff. Its talents are now going to be put to the test following its acquisition of 51 of the 400 shops left empty by Wilko, the summer's retail casualty. Wilko stores are largely situated on high streets, which means that B&M must secure a new clientele those get to shops on foot or on the bus. This means that B&M's merchandising division in the Far East it orders directly from manufacturers must produce ranges to tempt these shoppers. B&M shares fell to 547.8p on the news of the Wilko store deal. Yet such is the belief of some analysts in B&M's flair that they are targeting a price of 680p. B&M's progress towards this level will be interesting. But it will not be as compelling as the detailed account that we are owed, I would argue as to how Wilko failed to thrive amid a cost-of-living crisis, and role of the restructuring specialist Hilco, the main secured creditor to the retailer. Will Wilko turn out to be the bargain of the year for Hilco? Almost certainly. Arm wrestle By now we should be less bitter about the news that Arm, the Cambridge-based semiconductor company, will float in New York rather than in London, and that US tech giants, like Apple and Nvidia, will be the 'cornerstone' investors. UK shareholders must wait their turn. But the announcement that Arm shares will be valued at between $47 and $51 has served to remind us of the shortcomings of the UK stock market which was considered unworthy for various reasons, including the tepid welcome it tends to give to tech names. The Americanisation of Arm will reignite the debate about the higher valuations that fund managers say would be afforded to some other British players by Wall Street. What multiple, for example, would be given to Ashtead, the equipment supplier, since it makes 85 per cent of its sales and 90 per cent of its profits from its American Sunbelt operation? Industrie De Nora (De Nora), an Italian expert in sustainable electrochemical technologies and in the emerging green hydrogen industry, has signed a collaboration agreement with Saudi-based Acwa Power, to help advance the energy transition via the production of green energy, water and wastewater disinfection technologies and jointly perform research and development of key technologies. The worlds largest private water desalination company, Acwa Power plans to utilide De Noras expertise in electrode technologies as the enabling factor for the sustainable production of green hydrogen. De Nora Group is a key provider of a comprehensive portfolio of water and wastewater technologies, with several product lines rooted in the companys most advanced electrochemical technologies. The Italian group said its collaboration with Acwa will draw on the experience of similarly scoped high profile projects in the region, such as the largest seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant in the world, underway as part of the second phase of the Al Jubail Desalination Plant upgrade, and the worlds largest green hydrogen production plant at Neom using alkaline water electrolysis supplied by its joint venture partner thyssenkrupp nucera AG &Co. KGaA (thyssenkrupp nucera), a joint initiative of Air Products, Acwa Power and Neom Green Hydrogen company. The De Nora-Acwa partnership was formally recognized with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the Saudi-Italian Investment Forum, held yesterday (September 4) in Milan under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Investment and the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. It was attended by Luca Buonerba, the chief marketing and business development officer at De Nora, Marco Arcelli, the Acwa Power CEO, Khalid Al Falih, Saudi Ministry of investment (Energy) and Adolfo Urso, Italian Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy. "We are pleased to further expand our long-lasting presence in the Middle East and confirm our strong commitment to participate in realizing the Saudi 2030 Vision," said Buonerba. "Our portfolio of solutions for clean water and green hydrogen production is well appreciated by Acwa as well as many Saudi companies and utilities across the region enjoying clean water treated by our technologies. The overall reinforcement of the business relations between our companies, under the umbrella of the friendship of the Italian and Saudi governments, is certainly a springboard for additional successes and expand our presence," he noted. Buonerba pointed out that by working in partnership with Acwa and with the guidance of their management, De Nora will realize many opportunities to provide the country with the best technologies at the most competitive total cost of ownership, minimizing the CO2 footprint, granting easy and cost competitive access to clean water and green hydrogen. Arcelli said: "We have high expectations for the relationship with De Nora for the exchange of crucial expertise, products, and equipment to Saudi Arabia, home of one of the largest decarbonization programs in the world." "De Noras expertise in electrochemistry and sustainability technologies will enhance Acwa Powers portfolio of water desalination and power projects. We will also investigate to enhance the cooperation in operations and maintenance of our desalination and green hydrogen applications," stated Arcelli. "Acwa and De Nora both share a mutual vision to deal with some of the worlds most pressing problems, and we look forward to the future of this development," he added.-TradeArabia News Service KHARTOUM, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Sudan on Tuesday received the first international civilian flight after the outbreak of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in mid-April. Sudan's Civil Aviation Authority announced in a statement that an EgyptAir flight from the Egyptian capital Cairo arrived at the airport of Port Sudan, the capital city of Red Sea State in the morning. On Aug. 15, the Authority reopened the airspace in the country's eastern part and launched an alternative air navigation center in Port Sudan. Sudan closed its airspace shortly after the outbreak of the clashes as air navigation systems at Khartoum International Airport were affected by the conflict. Diplomats and foreigners leaving the country had to use a small airport affiliated with the army's Wadi Seidna Air Base in Omdurman City, northwest of the capital Khartoum, or the international airport in Port Sudan, located more than 800 km east of Khartoum. Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the country's armed forces and the paramilitary forces in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, resulting in at least 3,000 deaths and more than 6,000 injuries, according to figures released by the Sudanese Health Ministry. About 4.8 million people have been displaced inside and outside Sudan due to the conflict, according to the latest update by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. In 2019 I applied for a refund of Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) premiums that Id paid on some loans. I received the money owed with no problems. Then, in 2022, I learned I was entitled to a refund of the tax that had been deducted from the payout. So I completed the forms and sent them off. I heard nothing more until I received a letter in early March, informing me that my tax refund of 1,447 from HMRC would be sent to a company called Tax Reclaim PPI Ltd within 14 days. I do not recall having any dealings with this firm. Ive tried calling it but the number is disconnected. Ive sent emails but they just bounce back. Why did HMRC send the money to this firm? And why has it not passed on my refund five months later? W. D., Newtownards, Co. Down. Rip-off fees: A reader was left horrified after discovering that her PPI refund was being sent to a third party firm Sally Hamilton replies: Somehow you have fallen into a nasty trap where a third party can make a claim for a tax refund on your behalf and pocket hefty fees for the privilege, when you could easily have reclaimed it for yourself with no charge. Money Mail issued a warning about these reclaim firms last year. Indeed, the papers investigation helped obtain a 6 million repayment for 48,000 taxpayers who were ripped off by Tax Credits Ltd. This company offered to help claim tax rebates but did not show clients a copy of an agreement, known as a deed of assignment, that must be signed by customers before a firm can make a claim to HMRC and receive refunds on their behalf. I contacted Tax Reclaim PPI Ltd to see what had happened in your case. I tried its phone number first but, like you, encountered a dead line. However, I was luckier with email. The firm responded later that same day, saying it had quickly contacted you after my intervention to discuss the situation. It also said that you had signed a contract with it on September 29, 2022, and that HMRC had a copy of this document. HMRC confirmed to me that it holds a deed of assignment signed by you, authorising this firm to apply for and receive your refund. This meant it could not pay you the refund, even though you had also completed a claim yourself. You then told me you had a vague memory of being on a call with someone talking about tax reclaims many months ago, but you did not recall signing anything. After that you went quiet on me. HMRC would not let me see the signed agreement without your direct consent, which you didnt provide. I can only assume the firm is telling the truth. However, even assuming that the authorisation is valid, I pointed out to the firm that five months was an unacceptable period to be sitting on your tax repayment. I am pleased to say this sparked some action and your refund was organised immediately. A spokesman for the firm told me a cheque would be sent out, minus its usual service fee of 33.3 per cent plus VAT and a 50 administration fee. That would leave you with just 820 of the 1,447 owed, meaning the company has pocketed 43 per cent of the refund amounting to 627. A few days later, you got in touch with me again with the surprising news that the firm had, in fact, sent you the full 1,447. No explanation was given for this turn of events, but naturally you werent complaining. The reason those who received PPI windfalls can reclaim tax at all is that statutory interest of 8 per cent a year (not compounded) was added to the payouts. The interest is treated in the same way as interest paid on savings accounts, which is taxable. But instead of receiving the interest gross, as savers do, 20 per cent tax was taken off the windfall interest at source. As most people are entitled to a savings interest allowance (1,000 for basic-rate taxpayers and 500 for higher-rate), tax would not necessarily be due on the PPI payment, so a reclaim could be made. Although it was unable to comment on Tax Reclaim PPI Ltd directly, HMRC provided general tips for those who feel they have unwittingly authorised an agent to act for them. It says customers who believe they did not appoint an agent to reclaim tax should report it to HMRC, as well as to Action Fraud. A spokesman says: Where theres evidence that a repayment agent isnt meeting our standard for agents, we will investigate them. Consumer protection in this area has improved, as claims agents must now register with HMRC, and agreements made since March 15 will not be legally binding. This means taxpayers can change their minds and have a refund paid to them instead of to an agent, so long as they let HMRC know before the payment is issued. Anyone who is due a tax refund on a PPI windfall can make a claim via gov.uk/claim-tax-refund. Straight to the point Barclays closed my account in December as it is no longer serving international customers after Brexit. I live in Spain and have 2,000 in the account I cant access. L. K., via email. Barclays says it tried to contact you several times before closing your account. It has set up a transfer request for your funds, which will be with you within ten days and offered you a 100 gesture of goodwill. *** I bought an LG fridge-freezer from AO.com in 2018. In June, I noticed it wasnt keeping my food frozen. LG sent an engineer to fix it, which cost me 195, but my food was still defrosting. Can you help me get a refund? P. D., Solihull, W. Mids. LG says an internal leak caused the problem so the fridge-freezer cannot be fixed and it cannot be replaced as the warranty is up. But it will refund you for the engineer repair and offer you a discount on an LG product. *** My mum had a new front door installed by DG Solutions, at a cost of 1,300. Shortly afterwards she could not get back into her house because it had jammed. The emergency locksmith costing 120 said it had warped. The firm has gone into administration and her home insurer, AXA, says she is not covered. L. B., Essex. If your mum had paid by card, she might have been able to make a claim for reimbursement under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act or request a chargeback. Since she didnt, we asked the insurer to reconsider the claim. AXA says: Because her home insurance policy does not provide cover for faulty workmanship, we are unfortunately unable to cover the claim. Redman Nichols Butler, the administrators winding up DG Solutions, refused to comment so you may want to try them directly and join the queue of creditors. TalkTalk wants to charge me for bills TalkTalk wrote to me in March saying it could no longer send my monthly bill for phone and broadband to my email address. Instead, it would have to post it to my home and charge me 2.75 a month for doing so. No other firm I deal with has a problem contacting me via this address. Ive used the same one since June 2006 and TalkTalk has even emailed me about the billing problem via this email. M. T., Leigh, Greater Manchester. Sally Hamilton replies: It seems crazy that TalkTalk customer services was able to exchange emails with you over your billing complaint, but its billing department could not issue your regular payment demand to that same email address. TalkTalks initial response to your complaint suggested checking your spam folder, seeing whether the inbox was full and ensuring its email address was in your contacts or safe senders list. None of these actions was appropriate in your case. Its final suggestion caused me a wry smile. If the others failed, you should contact your email provider: in other words, TalkTalk. TalkTalk suggested you change your email address. You said youd rather cancel your contract, as that would cause less hassle than changing an email held by all the companies you deal with. I asked TalkTalk to look into what had gone wrong. It took a few weeks and a tech expert at TalkTalk spoke to you several times. But it then found the error was due to its billing system marking your email as invalid. TalkTalk has now corrected this and you have started to receive your bill by email again. As well as refunding the initial 2.75 paper billing charge, TalkTalk added 50 as an apology for its error. Britons with second homes in France may choke on their croissants when they are hit with their latest property tax bill in the coming weeks. The French government is ramping up property taxes for owners of holiday homes in popular tourist areas. Some may find their bill has risen by 60 per cent as President Emmanuel Macron clamps down on second homes in areas where there is a housing shortage. There are two main property taxes in France, taxe fonciere and taxe dhabitation. The taxe fonciere is an ownership tax and is paid by the owner of a property, regardless of who occupies it. The taxe dhabitation, a residence tax, is paid by the occupier. It is like council tax in the UK and is spent on community services. Last year the tax was an average of 772 (660) for a house and 941 (800) for a flat. Townhouse: Kate Cherry and husband Matt, are braced for sharp tax hikes on their four-story property in Occitania, southern France (pictured) As of 2023, this tax is now abolished for those owning one residence. But it is still applied on second homes and additional properties so includes Britons who own a second home in France. It is this tax where a surcharge of between 5 per cent and 60 per cent could be applied in 2024. Initially, the surcharge was limited to 1,136 councils in big cities and tourist resorts, where last year areas including Bordeaux, Lyon and Biarritz increased property taxes by 60 per cent. For example in Paris, the city council has declared a 51.9 per cent property tax rise. Now the French government has given an additional 2,263 rural areas the option to roll out increases to the tax by the same amount. The tax rates for 2024 have not been published yet so its still a very grey area for homeowners. There should be some clarity towards the end of the year but there are still a lot of things that are not yet known, or whether the taxes will increase again at some point, warns Christophe Du Tertre, a specialist at FranceTax Law.com. But one things sure: property taxes are rising for second home owners in France, and this will affect the thousands of Britons with holiday properties there. For example, in Brittany, 156 councils have been given permission to increase the residence tax by up to 60 per cent where about 12 per cent of the regions properties are second homes. An estimated 8,900 Britons may be hit by the hike in taxes. Townhouse: Kate Cherry and husband Matt In eastern France in the Jura region, Lebby Eyres, 52, has owned a second home for the past 11 years with her French husband Fred, a TV producer. He comes from neighbouring Burgundy, so the pair often stay at the house when they are visiting his family with their two teenage children. The couple bought the four-bedroom property for 165,000 in 2012 from an 86-year-old woman who had knocked two houses into one. It is still treated as two houses, meaning the tax bill will be higher. The taxe fonciere for the house is due to rise by 11.5 per cent this year, from 1,126 to 1,257 a year. The couple also pay taxe dhabitation of around 1,100 annually, so pay total property taxes of around 2,000. They expect their total annual property tax bill to rise to around 2,500. Its a double whammy. We pay the taxes annually, so it is quite onerous to get two big bills near the end of the year, says Lebby, who is chief executive of The Health Lottery. However, she adds that the house is not an investment. We bought it so we can see family and the children could experience French culture, being half French. We may possibly retire down here one day. We would just have to take any tax rises on the chin. Kate Cherry, 46, lives in Hertfordshire and owns a four-story townhouse in Occitania, southern France. Kate , who lived in the region when her parents moved there in the 1990s, bought the property with her husband Matt for 350,000. Connection: Lebby Eyres (pictured at her second home in the Jura region) expects her total annual property tax bill to rise from 2,000 to around 2,500 It is split into four apartments, two of which are let. Another is used by Kate, while the other is used by her parents. Kate only pays the taxe dhabitation on the one apartment that is used as her main dwelling when shes in France. She paid 729 last year. Her taxe fonciere bill was 3,611 in 2022, about 300 up on the year before. Kate, regional director at business networking organisation The Athena Network, says there are still question marks over how much second-home owners will see their property tax bills rise. She is expecting her bill for the coming year to land this month. Im waiting to see what our village does in terms of increasing property taxes because the council is super reliant on tourism and there are a lot of businesses that make most of their money in the summer. I understand they need to make money but clearly I wouldnt like to see it go up too much, she says. Rising property taxes are a further blow to Britons who are already struggling to spend time in their holiday homes in Europe. British citizens can no longer spend more than 90 days in EU countries in any 180-day period. Squeezed: Around 60,000 Britons are estimated to own a second home in France, down by a third from around 90,000 in 2012 About 809,000 Britons own second homes, according to the English Housing survey. Some 60 per cent are in the UK, up from 48 per cent 10 years ago, suggesting more Britons are now favouring holiday homes in their own country. Since Brexit, we are seeing fewer British buyers because there are constraints on how long they can be in the country, says Alex Balkin, head of Savills French Riviera division. Around 60,000 Britons are estimated to own a second home in France, down by a third from around 90,000 in 2012. Susan and Chris Beesley have recently sold a home in France because of increasing bureaucracy and the restrictions on how long they can stay. Their chalet in the French Alps came with a self-contained apartment in the same property. Susan and Chris stayed in the apartment during peak ski seasons, while letting the chalet to holidaymakers. They sold the apartment for 300,000 in 2021 and the chalet for 695,000 in 2022. We loved our property but we were impacted by the pandemic, which hit bookings. Also, after Brexit, we could no longer stay out there for the full season and run our chalet business. We decided to sell up and use the money to invest elsewhere, says Susan, 68, a former management consultant who advises others on how to make income in retirement. The couple were paying around 1,500 a year for the taxe dhabitation and 1,950 for the taxe fonciere. I truly believe owning a property overseas is good but youve got to go into it with your eyes open and understand how the rules work and that they can change depending on the government at the time, adds Susan. moneymail.co.uk Machinery hire firm Ashtead Group said business is booming in the US, off the back of 'mega projects' and the government's green spending bill. Ashtead revealed strong revenue and profits, with the FTSE 100 firm saying adjusted profit before tax was up by 11 per cent to $615million The London-based business, which has a major business in the US and hires out machinery like scaffolders, excavators and forklift trucks, revealed that revenue rose by 19 per cent to $2.7billion (around 2.15billion) with rental revenue rising 14 per cent to $2.4billion for the first half to 31 July year-to-year. But Ashtead cautioned that its UK business was softening. Ashtead revealed a strong quarter with revenue up 19 per cent to $2.7billion (2.15billion) Brendan Horgan, Ashtead's chief executive, said: 'The group delivered another record quarter with revenue up 19 per cent, rental revenue growth of 14 per cent and adjusted profit before tax increasing 11 per cent, both at constant currency. 'Our business has clear momentum with robust end markets in North America, which are supported in the US by the increasing number of mega projects and recent legislative acts. 'We are in a position of strength, with the operational flexibility and financial capacity to capitalise on the opportunities arising from these market conditions and ongoing structural change. 'Despite UK market conditions softening, we expect overall performance to be in line with our expectations and the board looks to the future with confidence.' Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, said: 'After a sterling performance at its full-year numbers in June, Ashtead's impressive momentum has continued with its first quarter numbers outstripping expectations. 'Group revenue increased by 19 per cent, within which the crucial US unit posted gains of 22 per cent. 'Operating profit grew by 18 per cent and pre-tax profit by 11 per cnt alongside further strong investment in the business in an attempt to consolidate the current strength of the trading position. 'Some $1.1 billion was spent on the business, with $361 million on nine bolt-on acquisitions, while 40 locations were added in North America. 'Expansion into North America is clearly paying dividends in both the US and Canada. 'The receding risk of recession in the States also feeds into a positive narrative, while the equipment rental space not only continues to grow with revenues up by 14 per cent but the group estimates that there could be much more to play for. In June, Ashtead achieved another record annual performance on the back of strong demand for its industrial equipment in the US. The group, saw turnover jump by $1.7billion (1.4billion), or 24 per cent at constant currency levels, to a record $9.7billion for the 12 months ending April. Rental-only revenue in the US, where it trades as Sunbelt Rentals, climbed by 23 per cent, with organic sales providing the bulk of growth despite the firm completing dozens of acquisitions during the year. Hunter added: 'The business is a cyclical one which brings its own risks, especially in the event of any weakening in demand and the negative response to the numbers echoes the wider market weakness at the open. 'Even so, for the moment, Ashtead is making hay while the sun shines and momentum is building. The shares have risen by 26 per cent over the last year, as compared to a gain of 2.3 per cent for the wider FTSE 100, with the market consensus of the shares as a buy fully likely to remain intact following this update.' Ashtead shares are down 2.27 per cent to 5,344p in morning trading on Tuesday. The Frenchman has over 30 years of business experience Rio Tinto has appointed Jerome Pecresse to lead its aluminium business, succeeding Ivan Vella. The group said that, Jerome - who was until recently president and chief executive of General Electric (GE) Renewable Energy - will join the company on 23 October 2023. The Frenchman has over 30 years of business experience, including senior leadership roles in global companies in the mining and energy fields. Rio Tinto has appointed Jerome Pecresse to lead its aluminium business In a statement, Rio Tinto said: [Jerome] joined GE in 2015, when GE completed its acquisition of Alstom's energy activities, as president and CEO of GE Renewable Energy. At Alstom, Jerome also led the company's Renewable Energy business. Jakob Stausholm, chief executive at Rio Tinto, said: 'Jerome brings a wealth of experience across renewable energy, mining, business development and strategy, ideal for shaping our industry leading aluminium business for a low carbon future. 'I look forward to welcoming Jerome to Rio Tinto and to the diverse contribution I know he will make to our business at this critical moment for our industry.' Jerome Pecresse said: 'I am thrilled to be joining Rio Tinto to continue building a stronger and more sustainable global aluminium business with our team around the globe. We have a key role to play in delivering on Rio Tinto's strategy and supplying materials needed in a low carbon world.' Rio Tinto shares is up 0.6 per cent to 5,030p in morning trading on Tuesday. Last week, Rio Tinto sold 55 per cent of its stake in the La Granja copper project in Peru, South America to Canadian minerals firm First Quantum. The deal is worth $105million (83.4million) with the group saying it will invest up to 'a further $546million into the joint venture to sole fund capital and operational costs to take the project through a feasibility study and toward development'. 'La Granja, located at high altitude in Cajamarca, Northern Peru, has the potential to be a large, long-life operation, with a published Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource totalling 4.32billion tonnes at 0.51 per cent copper', Rio adds. More than 50 Wilko stores will shut next week in a fresh blow to staff even after B&M swooped in to save some of the stricken retailers sites. The store closures will result in redundancies for 1,016 staff who have been nervously awaiting news over their futures since the company crashed into administration last month. Administrators at PwC said they would reveal the locations of the 52 stores that will close today before the shutters come down for the final time on Tuesday or Thursday next wek. There was no interest from potential buyers for these particular stores, PwC said. The administrators also announced a further 299 redundancies at two distribution centres in Worksop and Newport. These staff will be redundant tomorrow. A total of 1,601 Wilko jobs have been lost. More than 50 Wilko stores will shut next week resulting in redundancies for 1,016 staff The bleak news came after Wilkos discount rival B&M yesterday agreed to buy up to 51 Wilko stores for 13million. It is not clear how many of the 1,000 or so staff at these shops will be kept on. And B&M would not confirm whether it will keep the Wilko name. Analysts reckon it is keen to expand the B&M brand beyond retail parks and onto the High Street meaning the Wilko name could disappear. Talks between PwC and HMV owner Doug Putman to save hundreds more stores and thousands of jobs are ongoing. Administrators said: We continue to explore all interest in the remainder of the business and are actively working with potential buyers. Rescue talks for Wilko founded by JK Wilkinson in 1930 with a single hardware shop in Leicester have been taking place since the stricken homeware chain collapsed on August 10, putting 400 stores and 12,500 jobs at risk. PwC has been trying to secure the best value for creditors, including restructuring specialist Hilco, which is owed 40million. Staff are hoping for more information this week about Canadian tycoon Putmans ambitions for the retailer. He is thought to want to save 300 stores and pay debts owed to Hilco. It has been reported that suppliers are demanding overdue payments, which is holding up administrators from giving Putmans deal the green light. Hopes for a larger white knight rescue of the Wilko chain have been clouded in a dust of uncertainty, said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown. At the most, it looks like a scaled-down bid for the chain will be clinched, which would save the famous red and white frontage. But Wilkos presence on the High Street would be a pale comparison to its heady days of success. Unions reiterated criticisms of the companys leadership and owners after Wilko dished out multi-million dividend payouts in the run-up to its collapse. Some 77m was handed to former shareholders in the past decade, including during years when the firm made a loss, The Mail on Sunday reported exclusively. Last night Andy Prendergast, GMB national secretary, said: Every single redundancy is a person who will wake up facing an uncertain future. This needs to be on the forefront of everyones minds. The reality is, years of mismanagement have led us here. Dell Technologies Inc., founded in 1984, is a multinational computer technology company headquartered in Round Rock, Texas. The company designs, develops, sells, and supports personal computers, servers, data storage devices, network switches, software, and other related technologies. Consumers, small businesses, and large enterprises worldwide use Dell Technologies Inc.'s products and services. Dell Technologies Inc. has achieved many key highlights and achievements throughout its history. In 2016, the company completed the most significant tech merger in history by acquiring EMC Corporation for $67 billion. Additionally, Dell has been recognized for its sustainability efforts, including being named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for several consecutive years. Michael Dell is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dell Technologies Inc. He has been with the company since its inception in 1984, leading it through many changes and challenges. Jeff Clarke is the Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, responsible for global operations, customer support, and supply chain management. Dell Technologies Inc. has reported healthy financial results in recent years. With average revenue in the billions of dollars and a 1 - 3% increase yearly for several years. The company's average gross profit margin stays between 25 to 35%. Depending on the year, Dell Technologies Inc. maintains debt levels either slightly below or above its current assets. Dell Technologies Inc.'s price-to-earnings ratio and price-to-book ratios are slightly below the industry average, indicating that Dell Technologies Inc.'s stock is undervalued compared to its peers. Dell Technologies Inc.'s stock performance has been strong recently but became volatile in Q1 of 2022 amid investor fears of a recession. Despite these issues, Dell Technologies Inc.'s stock price is still positive, over 80% in a five-year timeframe. Dell Technologies Inc.'s stock has also outperformed the broader market, with the S&P 500 increasing by approximately 60% over the same period. Dell Technologies Inc. operates in the highly competitive computer technology industry. The industry is characterized by rapid technological advancements, changing consumer preferences, and intense competition. Dell Technologies Inc.'s main competitors include HP Inc., Lenovo Group Limited, and Apple Inc. One trend that is impacting the industry is the shift toward mobile computing. Consumers are increasingly using smartphones and tablets instead of traditional personal computers. This trend has led to declining sales of personal computers and increased competition in the mobile computing space. Another trend impacting the industry is the increasing importance of data privacy and security. Consumers are becoming more aware of the risks associated with data breaches and are demanding more secure devices and services. This trend has led to increased investment in cybersecurity by companies in the industry. Dell Technologies Inc. has several potential growth opportunities. One area of focus is the Internet of Things (IoT). Dell Technologies Inc. has developed a suite of IoT solutions and services that help customers manage and analyze the data generated by connected devices. This market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. Another growth opportunity for Dell Technologies Inc. is the expanding market for cloud computing. The company has invested heavily in cloud infrastructure and services and has partnered with major cloud providers such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services. As more businesses move their computing infrastructure to the cloud, Dell Technologies Inc. is well-positioned to benefit from this trend. Despite its many strengths, Dell Technologies Inc. faces several potential risks and challenges. One key challenge for the company is the ongoing decline in the personal computer market. As consumers shift towards mobile devices, sales of personal computers are likely to continue to decline. Dell Technologies Inc. will need to adapt to this changing market to remain competitive. Another risk for Dell Technologies Inc. is the intense competition in the computer technology industry. The company faces competition from established players like HP and Lenovo and newer entrants like Google and Apple. To remain competitive, Dell Technologies Inc. must continue to invest in research and development and develop new products and services. Dell Technologies Inc. faces potential risks from changing regulatory and political environments. The company operates in many countries worldwide, and changes in regulations or political instability in key markets could impact its operations. Dell Technologies Inc. may also face increased regulatory scrutiny regarding data privacy and cybersecurity issues. Elastic N.V., a data analytics company, delivers solutions designed to run in public or private clouds in multi-cloud environments. It primarily offers Elastic Stack, a set of software products that ingest and store data from various sources and formats, as well as performs search, analysis, and visualization on that data. The company's Elastic Stack product portfolio comprises Elasticsearch, a distributed, real-time search and analytics engine, and data store for various types of data, including textual, numerical, geospatial, structured, and unstructured; Kibana, a user interface, management, and configuration interface for the Elastic Stack; Elastic Agent that offers integrated host protection and central management services; Beats, a single-purpose data shippers for sending data from edge machines to Elasticsearch or Logstash; and Logstash, a data processing pipeline for ingesting data into Elasticsearch or other storage systems from a multitude of sources simultaneously. It also provides software solutions on the Elastic Stack that address cases, including search applications, workplace search, logs, metrics, application performance monitoring, synthetic monitoring, security information and event management (SIEM), endpoint security, extended detection and response, and cloud security. The company was incorporated in 2012 and is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 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. 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. KIEV, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Ukrainian parliament voted on Tuesday to dismiss the country's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov from his post, lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said. The motion was supported by 327 votes in favor, surpassing the required minimum of 226, Zheleznyak wrote on Telegram. Reznikov, who was appointed as defense minister in November 2021, said on Monday that he had submitted a letter of resignation to parliament chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk. On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he plans to dismiss Reznikov and ask parliament to confirm Rustem Umerov, head of the country's leading privatization fund, as his replacement. According to Zheleznyak, the parliament will consider the appointment of Umerov on Wednesday. British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a multinational tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Established in 1902, the company has a rich heritage and is one of the world's largest tobacco manufacturers. Its mission is to deliver "a better tomorrow" by offering high-quality tobacco and nicotine products to adult consumers worldwide while ensuring responsible business practices. The company produces and sells cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco and next-generation products (NGPs), including e-cigarettes and tobacco heating products. British American Tobacco's extensive portfolio of well-known brands, such as Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Dunhill and Rothmans, caters to diverse consumer preferences. With a global reach, British American Tobacco operates in over 180 markets and has a strong presence in developed and emerging economies. Its target market primarily comprises adult smokers and tobacco consumers who seek high-quality products and innovative alternatives. British American Tobacco boasts a highly experienced and diverse leadership team that drives the company's strategic vision. Under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Jack Bowles, the management team combines extensive industry expertise with a focus on innovation and sustainable growth. With over 30 years of experience in the tobacco industry, Bowles has held various senior leadership positions within British American Tobacco before assuming the role of CEO in 2019. He has played a pivotal role in shaping the company's NGP strategy and driving its transformational agenda. British American Tobacco has delivered solid financial performance over the past few years, driven by its global presence and robust brand portfolio. The company's reported revenue has been up for the past several years, and its operating profit margin has been stable at around 40%, highlighting its ability to generate strong profitability. Over the years, British American Tobacco has shown resilience in the face of regulatory challenges and changing market dynamics. The company has managed its debt levels effectively, maintaining a healthy balance sheet and a strong credit rating. Its price-to-earnings ratio and price-to-book ratio indicate that the company's stock appears undervalued compared to its peers. The factors driving the company's valuation include its global market leadership, diversified product portfolio and ability to adapt to changing consumer preferences through its NGP offerings. Recent changes in investor sentiment have been influenced by the company's continued focus on innovation, sustainable practices and its commitment to reducing the health impact of its products. British American Tobacco's stock performance has shown resilience amid broader market fluctuations. Trading volume has remained robust, indicating sustained investor interest in the company. Several factors have contributed to this positive market performance. Firstly, the company's ability to adapt to evolving consumer preferences by investing in NGPs has positioned it to capture a growing market segment. Successful product launches and strategic acquisitions have also boosted investor confidence in British American Tobacco's long-term prospects. British American Tobacco operates in the tobacco industry, which continues to face significant regulatory and social challenges. The industry is subject to strict regulations regarding advertising, packaging, and health warnings aimed at reducing the harm caused by tobacco consumption. This regulatory environment has led to declining smoking rates in many developed countries. In addition to regulatory pressures, the industry faces increasing scrutiny over the health risks associated with smoking. Growing awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco has led to a shift in consumer preferences towards reduced-risk alternatives, such as NGPs. This trend presents both opportunities and challenges for companies like British American Tobacco. Despite these challenges, the tobacco industry remains resilient and continues to generate substantial revenue. The global tobacco market is highly competitive, with key players vying for market share. British American Tobacco competes with other major tobacco companies such as Philip Morris International and Japan Tobacco International. In recent years, British American Tobacco has significantly invested in NGPs, leveraging its technological capabilities and scientific expertise. The company has introduced successful products like Vuse and glo, which have gained traction among consumers seeking alternative nicotine experiences. Expanding its NGP offerings presents a significant growth opportunity for British American Tobacco, particularly as the market for reduced-risk products continues to grow. While British American Tobacco has demonstrated resilience, the company faces several risks and challenges. One of the key challenges is the increasing regulation and restrictions imposed on the tobacco industry. Stricter regulations can impact product development, marketing activities, and consumer demand. The company needs to adapt to these evolving regulatory landscapes while maintaining compliance and finding innovative ways to engage with consumers. Changing consumer preferences and the growing popularity of reduced-risk alternatives pose another challenge. As more consumers switch to NGPs, traditional tobacco sales may decline, impacting British American Tobacco's revenue streams. The company must continue investing in research and development to stay at the forefront of NGP innovation and maintain its competitive position. Additionally, ongoing litigation and legal challenges related to smoking-related health issues present financial and reputational risks. British American Tobacco must effectively manage these risks through robust risk management strategies, transparent communication, and responsible business practices. The 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. Zhihu Inc. operates an online content community in the People's Republic of China. Its community allows people to seek inspiration, find solutions, make decisions, and have fun. The company also offers technology, business support, and consulting services; information transmission, software, and information technology services; information and marketing services; vocational training; and internet services, as well as holds audio-visual permit. Zhihu Inc. was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. Huntsman (NYSE:HUN) pays an annual dividend of $0.95 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 4.11%. HUN 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 3 consecutive year(s), indicating that it does not yet have a strong track record of dividend growth. The dividend payout ratio is 98.96%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, HUN will have a dividend payout ratio of 59.01% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for HUN. Haverty Furniture Companies (NYSE:HVT) pays an annual dividend of $1.20 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 4.63%. HVT 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 3 consecutive year(s), indicating that it does not yet have a strong track record of dividend growth. The dividend payout ratio is 27.97%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, HVT will have a dividend payout ratio of 31.25% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for HVT. The following companies are subsidiares of Molina Healthcare: 2028 West Broadway, Aetna & Humana - Medicare Advantage, Affinity Health Plan, Better Health Network, Florida NetPASS LLC, Hclb Inc., MHAZ, Magellan Complete Care, Mercy CarePlus, Molina Care Connections, Molina Clinical Services, Molina Healthcare Data Center, Molina Healthcare of Arizona, Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida, Molina Healthcare of Georgia, Molina Healthcare of Illinois, Molina Healthcare of Indiana, Molina Healthcare of Iowa, Molina Healthcare of Kentucky, Molina Healthcare of Louisiana, Molina Healthcare of Michigan, Molina Healthcare of Mississippi, Molina Healthcare of Nevada, Molina Healthcare of New Mexico, Molina Healthcare of New York, Molina Healthcare of Ohio, Molina Healthcare of Oklahoma, Molina Healthcare of Pennsylvania, Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico, Molina Healthcare of Rhode Island, Molina Healthcare of Rhode Island Holding Company, Molina Healthcare of South Carolina, Molina Healthcare of Tennessee, Molina Healthcare of Texas, Molina Healthcare of Texas Insurance Company, Molina Healthcare of Utah, Molina Healthcare of Virginia, Molina Healthcare of Washington, Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin, Molina Pathways, Molina Youth Academy, NextLevel Health Illinois, Oceangate Reinsurance, Pathways Community Corrections, Providence Community Services, Providence Human Services, SWH Holdings, Senior Health Holdings, Senior Whole Health of New York, The Game of Work LLC, The Management Group, Total Care Medicaid plan, Unisys -Health Information Management, and YourCare Health Plan. Read More iShares MSCI EAFE ETF, formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Funds investment objective is to seek investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of its underlying index, MSCI EAFE Index (the Index). The Index has been developed by MSCI Inc. as an equity benchmark for its international stock performance. The Index includes stocks from Europe, Australasia and the Far East. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index. The Fund's investment advisor is BlackRock Fund Advisors. Molson Coors Beverage (NYSE:TAP) pays an annual dividend of $1.64 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 2.89%. 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 1,025.00%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, TAP will have a dividend payout ratio of 31.91% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for TAP. NANCHANG, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chen Jiadong, a former senior legislator of Xiamen City in east China's Fujian Province, was on Tuesday sentenced to life imprisonment for accepting bribes, embezzlement and abuse of power. The verdict was issued by the Intermediate People's Court of Nanchang in east China's Jiangxi Province. Between 2000 and 2022, Chen took undue advantage of his positions in Tibet Autonomous Region and Fujian to assist various individuals and entities, and accepted 94.15 million yuan (about 13.12 million U.S. dollars) in money and valuables in return. According to the court, Chen exploited his position in Fujian's Zhangzhou City between 2015 and 2017, embezzling state-owned properties valued at more than 3.41 million yuan. He was also found guilty of indulging in malpractice for personal gains and abusing his power during his tenure in Zhangzhou between 2013 and 2014, resulting in state asset losses of over 190 million yuan. The defendant has been deprived of his political rights for life and his personal properties have been confiscated, according to the verdict. 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. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. manufactures and supplies precision instruments and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through five segments: U.S. Operations, Swiss Operations, Western European Operations, Chinese Operations, and Other. The company's laboratory instruments include laboratory balances, liquid pipetting solutions, automated laboratory reactors, titrators, pH meters, process analytics sensors and analyzer technologies, physical value analyzers, density and refractometry, thermal analysis systems, and other analytical instruments; and LabX, a laboratory software platform to manage and analyze data generated from its instruments. Its industrial instruments comprise industrial weighing instruments and related terminals, automatic dimensional measurement and data capture solutions, vehicle scale systems, industrial software, metal detection equipment, x-ray systems, check weighing equipment, camera-based imaging equipment, track-and-trace solutions, and product inspection systems. The company's retail weighing solutions consist of networked scales and software, stand-alone scales, and automated packaging and labelling solutions for handling fresh goods. It serves the life science industry, independent research organizations, and testing labs; food and beverage manufacturers; food retailers; chemical, specialty chemical, and cosmetics companies; food retailers; transportation and logistics, metals, and electronics industries; and the academic community through its direct sales force and indirect distribution channels. The company was incorporated in 1991 and is based in Columbus, Ohio. iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index (the Index), which is a rules-based index consisting of liquid the United States dollar-denominated, high yield corporate bonds for sale in the United States, as determined by the index provider. The Index may include large-, mid- or small-capitalization companies, and components primarily include consumer services, financial, industrials, and oil and gas companies. The components of the Index, and the degree to which these components represent certain industries. The Fund generally invests at least 90% of its assets in the securities of the Index and in investments that provide substantially similar exposure to the securities in the Index. The Funds investment adviser is BlackRock Fund Advisors. Goldman Sachs BDC (NYSE:GSBD) pays an annual dividend of $1.80 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 13.37%. GSBD has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The dividend payout ratio is 216.87%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on EPS estimates, GSBD will have a dividend payout ratio of 80.36% in the coming year. This indicates that the company may not be able to sustain their current dividend. Read our dividend analysis for GSBD. 13 hours ago Still thinking about buying 3M for its dividend? Consider this Wall Street analysts typically go into hiding every three months when the long-awaited earnings season kicks off, making them earn their paychecks through long hours of due diligence and financial modeling. This time, you bet they had to dig into 3M Company (NYSE: MMM) and its unusually high potential. With financial titans like BlackRock Inc. (NYSE: BLK) and Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) advising their clients and also their own funds to move into undervalued stocks and seek quality Read Article Corning Incorporated engages in the display technologies, optical communications, environmental technologies, specialty materials, and life sciences businesses worldwide. The company's Display Technologies segment offers glass substrates for flat panel displays, including liquid crystal displays and organic light-emitting diodes that are used in televisions, notebook computers, desktop monitors, tablets, and handheld devices. Its Optical Communications segment provides optical fibers and cables; and hardware and equipment products, such as cable assemblies, fiber optic hardware and connectors, optical components and couplers, closures, network interface devices, and other accessories for the telecommunications industry, businesses, governments, and individuals. The company's Specialty Materials segment manufactures products that offer material formulations for glass, glass ceramics, crystals, precision metrology instruments, and software, as well as glass wafers and substrates, tinted sunglasses, and radiation shielding products for various markets comprising mobile consumer electronics, semiconductor equipment optics and consumables, aerospace and defense optics, radiation shielding products, sunglasses, and telecommunications components. Its Environmental Technologies segment provides ceramic substrates and filter products for emissions control in mobile, gasoline, and diesel applications. The company's Life Sciences segment offers laboratory products, including consumables, such as plastic vessels, liquid handling plastics, specialty surfaces, cell culture media, and serum, as well as general labware, and glassware and equipment under the Corning, Falcon, Pyrex, and Axygen brands. Corning Incorporated was formerly known as Corning Glass Works and changed its name to Corning Incorporated in April 1989. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Corning, New York. 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. 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. WELLINGTON, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand scientists have called on the global community to take up a more unified approach to combating the threats of invasive alien species worldwide, as a comprehensive international report was released on Tuesday. The Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control, released by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) on biodiversity loss, was a watershed moment in the global understanding of biosecurity and biological invasions, said Philip Hulme of Lincoln University. The overwhelming evidence of major economic, social, and environmental impacts on human, animal, plant, and ecosystem health is a wake-up call to the global community to take up a more unified approach to combating these threats worldwide, Hulme said. Bruce Clarkson, a restoration ecologist from the University of Waikato, said invasive alien species were resulted from a global transportation and economic trade model overlain by global climate change. Biological invasions cost the global community an estimated 423 billion U.S. dollars in 2019, and those costs have quadrupled every decade since 1970, according to the report. Amanda Black, Director Bioprotection Aotearoa, mentioned New Zealand's pest mammals such as deer, goats are stripping the understory of the forests and leading to massive soil erosion as observed with devastating events following Cyclone Gabrielle earlier this year. Invasive insects like wasps have caused severe economic and environmental damage, with costs to manage exceeding 150 million NZ dollars (88.19 million U.S. dollars) per year and growing, Black said. Governments worldwide have agreed as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to reduce the introduction and establishment of priority invasive species by 50 percent by 2030. Procter & Gamble Co, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a multinational consumer goods corporation founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. The company has a rich history of innovation and has become a household name in many countries worldwide. Proctor & Gamble Co is a consumer staples stock. A consumer staples stock is a type of stock that offers investors a more stable and steady growth pattern that is minimally affected by economic factors. With a market capitalization of over $327.9 billion as of February 2023, Procter & Gamble is one of the largest companies in the world. The company operates in over 70 countries, with its products sold in more than 180 countries globally. Its brand portfolio includes household names such as Tide, Pampers, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Crest, and Olay. Procter & Gamble's business is divided into five segments: Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric & Home Care, and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. The Beauty segment includes SK-II, Pantene, and Herbal Essences. The Grooming segment comprises brands such as Gillette, Venus, and Braun. The Health Care segment includes brands such as Oral-B, Vicks, and Pepto-Bismol. The Fabric & Home Care segment includes Tide, Downy, and Swiffer brands. The Baby, Feminine & Family Care segment includes brands such as Pampers, Always, and Tampax. Procter & Gamble's products are sold through various channels, including retail stores, online retailers, and direct-to-consumer channels. The company has also invested in e-commerce capabilities and digital advertising, recognizing the importance of these channels in reaching consumers. Procter & Gamble has a long history of innovation and investing in research and development. The company's R&D efforts are focused on improving its existing products and developing new products that meet the evolving needs of consumers. Procter & Gamble also invests heavily in marketing and advertising, recognizing the importance of building strong brands that resonate with consumers. Recently, Procter & Gamble has made sustainability a key focus area. The company has set ambitious goals to reduce its environmental footprint, such as using 100% renewable electricity at all its plants by 2030. Procter & Gamble has also committed to reducing its plastic packaging waste to reduce its use of virgin plastic by 50% by 2030. Procter & Gamble has a strong financial position, a solid balance sheet and a history of strong cash flows. The company has a long record of paying dividends, with over 130 years of uninterrupted dividend payments. Procter & Gamble has also implemented a share buyback program, repurchasing over $30 billion of its shares in the past three years. Despite its size and global reach, Procter & Gamble faces competition from various large and small companies. The consumer goods industry is highly competitive, with companies constantly vying for market share and consumer attention. Procter & Gamble must continue to innovate and invest in its brands to stay ahead of its competitors. Safehold Inc. (NYSE:SAFE) posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August, 1st. The company reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $85.70 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $82.90 million. Safehold had a negative net margin of 14.88% and a positive trailing twelve-month return on equity of 0.35%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 41.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($4.00) EPS. 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. BlackRock, Inc. is a leading American multinational investment company headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1988, BlackRock has become the world's largest asset manager, overseeing more than $8 trillion in assets under management. The company operates on a global scale, with a presence in 30 countries and serving clients in 100 countries across the globe. BlackRock's history dates back to 1988, when it was established as an enterprise risk management and fixed-income institutional asset manager. Over the years, the company steadily expanded its range of services and investment products to meet the evolving needs of its clients. BlackRock's dedication to innovation, data-driven strategies, and commitment to responsible investing contributed to its meteoric rise in the financial industry. BlackRock offers a comprehensive suite of financial products and services, catering to a diverse clientele, including institutional, intermediary, and individual investors. The company's core functions include investment management, risk management, and advisory services. BlackRock's wide range of investment products encompasses mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and hedge funds designed to suit various risk profiles and investment goals. BlackRock's target market primarily consists of institutional investors such as pension funds, insurance companies, endowments, and sovereign wealth funds. The company also caters to individual investors seeking professionally managed investment options through mutual funds and ETFs. BlackRock's reputation for expertise, global reach, and innovative solutions has attracted clients from various sectors seeking competent and reliable asset management services. BlackRock's leadership team consists of accomplished individuals with diverse expertise in the financial sector. Mr. Laurence Douglas Fink, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer and a co-founder of BlackRock, possesses extensive experience in finance and investments, steering the company's strategies and vision since its inception. BlackRock has displayed impressive financial performance. Despite challenges in the market, the company has maintained robust revenue growth, reflecting its ability to attract and retain clients. Additionally, BlackRock's earnings metrics have remained solid, underlining the effectiveness of its investment strategies and risk management practices. The company's profit margin metrics also highlight its efficiency in managing costs and generating profits. BlackRock's consistent focus on innovation and technological advancements, such as the Aladdin software, has likely contributed to improved profitability and operational effectiveness. Aladdin is a comprehensive investment management software platform developed by BlackRock, Inc. Aladdin stands for "Asset, Liability and Debt and Derivative Investment Network." BlackRock was initially created in the late 1980s as an internal risk management tool to help the company manage its investment portfolios. Over the years, Aladdin has evolved into one of the financial industry's most widely used and sophisticated investment management systems. Furthermore, BlackRock's prudent approach to managing its debt levels ensures a healthy financial position and minimizes financial risks. By maintaining a manageable debt-to-equity ratio, the company exhibits a responsible financial strategy, instilling confidence in investors. BlackRock's valuation metrics showcase the market's recognition of the company's strong performance and future growth potential. Compared to industry peers, BlackRock's valuation appears favorable, reflecting investor confidence in its ability to deliver sustained returns. The company's solid financial track record, extensive global reach, and diverse product offerings contribute to its attractive valuation. BlackRock operates in the highly competitive financial services industry, specifically in the asset management and custody banks sector. Several large players characterize the industry, each vying for market share and client assets. BlackRock's competitive advantage lies in its scale, global presence, and reputation for delivering consistent investment performance. As an industry leader, BlackRock benefits from economies of scale, allowing it to offer cost-effective investment solutions to its clients. The company's focus on ESG principles and risk management aligns with the growing demand for sustainable and responsible investment options, positioning it favorably in the industry. BlackRock's growth opportunities are abundant, fueled by global economic growth, expanding financial markets, and increased demand for investment products. The company's broad range of mutual funds, ETFs, and other investment vehicles cater to various investor preferences, offering diversified and tailored solutions. Moreover, the growing interest in ESG investing presents a significant growth avenue for BlackRock. As investors seek socially responsible investment options, the company's expertise in ESG integration can attract a broader client base. Furthermore, as technology continues to reshape the financial landscape, BlackRock has the opportunity to capitalize on digital innovations. The company's Aladdin platform, a sophisticated investment management system, has driven efficiency and risk management. By leveraging technology and data analytics, BlackRock can enhance its product offerings, expand its client base and deliver personalized investment solutions. In addition to organic growth, strategic acquisitions can be pivotal in expanding BlackRock's market presence. Selective mergers and partnerships can provide access to new markets, strengthen the company's capabilities and foster innovation. However, successful integration and alignment with the company's long-term vision are critical considerations in pursuing such opportunities. Despite its strong market position, BlackRock faces various risks and challenges that can impact its performance and direction. Market volatility, asset price fluctuations, and interest rate changes can affect the company's investment returns and lead to potential client redemptions. Moreover, regulatory changes and compliance requirements pose ongoing challenges for the financial industry. As governments implement new regulations and policies worldwide, BlackRock must adapt to the evolving regulatory landscape to ensure compliance and maintain its reputation as a responsible corporate citizen. The competitive landscape also presents challenges. As new players enter the market and existing competitors innovate, BlackRock must continuously differentiate itself and demonstrate its value proposition to retain and attract clients. Furthermore, cybersecurity threats are a growing concern for financial institutions. BlackRock's vast data and information infrastructure make it a potential cyberattack target. The company's proactive approach to cybersecurity and investment in robust risk management practices is crucial to safeguard its assets and protect client data. BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- In a joint operation against telecom fraud by Chinese police and local law enforcement force in Myanmar, a total of 11 dens in northern Myanmar have been busted, with 269 suspects detained, the Ministry of Public Security said Tuesday. Of the 269 suspects, 186 are Chinese nationals, and they have been handed over to the Chinese side. The ministry vowed to further intensify the crackdown on such illegal activities to safeguard the safety of people's lives and property. Limericks Martin Stapleton has emerged as a leading candidate to become the next President of the Irish Farmers Association in a campaign that will end in December. Seizing the opportunity to reestablish the IFA as a fighting machine for Irish farmers, his campaign centres around strengthening four key pillars underpinning the needs of the 72,000 IFA members who are eligible to elect him - Respect, Unity, Freedom to Farm and Farm Income. Already there is a groundswell of support from farmers throughout the country on those core issues urging him to lead the fight for a better future. Holding a strong track record of commitment and achievement with IFA, he is the current National Treasurer; former Chair of the National Farm Business Committee and Returning Officer for the organisation. A native of Oola, County Limerick on the Tipperary border, Martin is married to Siobhan with three teenage children and together they run a successful dairy farm. Having strived to build up their family farm inherited from previous generations, he is adamant that as a family farmer, wishing to honour the legacy of my parents and theirs before them, the urge to lead IFA comes from wanting all farmers to have the freedom to farm. He sees unity and cohesion as the IFAs greatest assets and under his leadership, a formidable, unified organisation will again be a force to be reckoned with in Ireland and Brussels with the aim of delivering tangible results for all farmers. In a campaign that is taking him to the four corners of Ireland to meet IFA members, he is calling for farmers to unite to build a powerful IFA lobby. Farmers are under severe pressure, he said and top of their issues is falling commodity prices in all sectors. I am adamant that price supports must be made available to all farmers as a priority. As decided by the IFA National Council in July, voting will follow a hybrid model. Each member will be posted a ballot paper in November which they may post or bring to a branch AGM. This will add to the convenience of members wishing to vote and Martin Stapleton is urging all members to use their vote as active members of a strong farming lobby group. BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Government officials and business leaders from Britain attending the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing have hailed a broad cooperation prospect between the two countries in various fields. The United Kingdom, the guest country of honor of the 2023 CIFTIS, has assembled its largest-ever delegation for the fair this year. Produced by Xinhua Global Service [September 05, 2023] Nippon Express (China) Named One of "Top 50 Chinese Logistics Companies" in 2023 for Seventh Consecutive Year Tweet TOKYO, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nippon Express (China) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "NX China"), a group company of NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, INC., was designated one of the "Top 50 Chinese Logistics Companies for 2023," the only Japanese company to be so honored, at the China Logistics Situation Development Analysis Conference and Top 50 Logistics Enterprises Forum jointly hosted by the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing and Hebei Transportation Investment Group Corporation in Wuhan, China, on August 3. Logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202308298606-O1-7HuK79tp Image: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M103866/202308298606/_prw_PI2fl_7SaH3Q9O.jpg This event has been held annually since 2005 by the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing to select the "Top 50 Chinese Logistics Companies" from among tens of thousands of Chinese and foreign logistics companies in China based on statistical logistics revenue data. Inclusion among the Top 50 is determined by such management benchmarks as sales, company size, growth potential and profitability. Approximately 600 logistics company representatives and experts from all over China participated in this year's event, and NX China placed among the Top 50 for the seventh consecutive year since 2017. The Nippon Express Group will continue helping customers develop their business activities by offering international transport services utilizing its global network and further expanding its logistics functions within China to realize its long-term vision of becoming a logistics company with a strong presence in the global market. Nippon Express website: https://www.nipponexpress.com/ Nippon Express Group's official LinkedIn account: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nippon-express-group/ SOURCE NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, INC. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Eutelsat Partners With Karista's Spacetech Fund Tweet Regulatory News: Karista and Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) (Paris:ETL) today announced a new strategic partnership which will see Eutelsat become a new subscriber to the venture capital (VC) firm's Spacetech fund. This will add to Karista's ability to fully harness the unprecedented momentum that is building up in the space economy. For Eutelsat, the new partnership consolidates its existing close ties with the industry's innovative start-ups and plays a key role in the development of a vibrant space ecosystem featuring the latest in space technology in France and across Europe. With the addition of a leading satellite operator, satcom players are increasingly turning their attention to the far-reaching changes taking place in this ecosystem and witnessing the emergence of a new space economy featuring a host of new applications. Since September 2021, Karista's Spacetech fund has backed young French and European companies involved in the Spacetech revolution, with seed/series A investments ranging between 1 million and 5 million. Karista's preferred target is high-potential start-ups involved in designing new infrastructures on the ground and in orbit, and leveraging the massive surge in available data to build innovative, transformative solutions for various economic sectors and industries. Karista's team of dedicated investors backs impactful businesses in all areas of the economy, with a special focus on sovereignty and sustainability (insurance, finance, agriculture, energy, transport, environment, telecommunications, security, etc.). In just two years, Karista has actively rolled out the fund, investing in seven Spacetech companies: Miratlas (May 2022): Offers unique solutions to ensure continuous and secure optical links between Earth and Space. (May 2022): Offers unique solutions to ensure continuous and secure optical links between Earth and Space. Leanspace (June 2022): Ground segment "platform-as-a-service" for digitizing the lifecycle of space missions via the cloud. (June 2022): Ground segment "platform-as-a-service" for digitizing the lifecycle of space missions via the cloud. Cysec (October 2022): A provider of confidential computing solutions to secure applications containing highly sensitive data in areas such as space, critical infrastructure, edge applications, healthcare and defence. (October 2022): A provider of confidential computing solutions to secure applications containing highly sensitive data in areas such as space, critical infrastructure, edge applications, healthcare and defence. Heex Technologies (November 2022): Platform for managing data in embedded systems in real time, enabling the transition from Big Data to Smart Data. (November 2022): Platform for managing data in embedded systems in real time, enabling the transition from Big Data to Smart Data. Bfore.Ai (November 2022): A developer of predictive cybersecurity solutions, identifying cyberattacks before they occur, using AI technology and behavioral analysis. (November 2022): A developer of predictive cybersecurity solutions, identifying cyberattacks before they occur, using AI technology and behavioral analysis. Look Up Space (June 2023): Develops a global, radar-based solution for permanent, real-time, reliable space surveillance and provides space security data and services. (June 2023): Develops a global, radar-based solution for permanent, real-time, reliable space surveillance and provides space security data and services. ConstellR (July 2023): onstellR's proprietary space infrastructure paves the way for precise physical measurement of the Earth's resources to assess vegetation and soil health at an unprecedented level. With its fleet of geostationary satellites, Eutelsat has shown itself over the last forty years to be a forerunner in its technological choices for delivering new services and offers in video broadcasting, data transmission, government services and fixed and mobile connectivity to broadcasters, telecoms operators and end-users, from private consumers to businesses. Concurrently, Eutelsat has developed close ties with innovative start-ups across the satellite sector, building alliances, partnerships and synergies with many of them. Eutelsat has taken this culture of innovation one step further by announcing its planned combination with OneWeb, a pioneering constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites, to form a unique hybrid GEO/LEO offering. The new partnership consolidates Eutelsat's status as a catalyst and driver of innovation in the space sector. Eva Berneke, CEO of Eutelsat Communications, said: "We are thrilled to contribute to the growth of a number of French and European start-ups that are delivering innovative solutions and services in the space industry. Our partnership with Karista's Spacetech fund further cements Eutelsat's close ties with NewSpace start-ups and, more importantly, enables ambitious innovative projects to come to fruition and take shape. Ultimately, the entire European space ecosystem will gain from this vibrant, forward-looking momentum." "It is with great pride that our investment team welcomes Eutelsat as a new investor in the Spacetech fund. This new partnership confirms the growing interest of the world's leading satcom players in a fast- expanding, rapidly changing market with potential growth drivers for industry. It is also a token of recognition for our team, whose day-to-day efforts are focused on creating and sharing performance in a unique segment of the market that is experiencing rapid technological evolution", Olivier Dubuisson, Chairman of Karista, commented. About Eutelsat Communications Founded in 1977, Eutelsat Communications is one of the world's leading satellite operators. With a global fleet of 36 satellites and associated ground infrastructure, Eutelsat enables clients across Video, Data, Government, Fixed and Mobile Broadband markets to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location. Around 7,000 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks. Committed to promoting all facets of sustainable development across its business activities, Eutelsat leverages its in-orbit resources to help bridge the digital divide while maintaining a safe and uncluttered space environment. As an attractive and socially responsible employer, Eutelsat assembles 1,200 men and women from 50 countries who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service. For more about Eutelsat please visit www.eutelsat.com About Karista Founded in 2001 and having already invested in over 100 companies, Karista is a European venture management platform whose mission is to create and share financial performance through technology at the service of society. Through its thematic funds in healthcare, digital healthcare, spacetech and digital, Karista co-constructs the story of young companies that are breaking technological barriers. Their goal: to make a real difference in their markets with profoundly innovative solutions. As a strategic partner to entrepreneurs, Karista federates a stable and established team of experienced investors. They are recognized for their expertise, operational understanding, sense of curiosity and practical commitment. www.karista.vc View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230904469460/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Kanzi One Selected by Toyota for Global HMI Design and Development Tweet MUNICH, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rightware today announced it has entered into an agreement with Toyota Motor Corporation for the use of its Kanzi One HMI software to create in-vehicle experiences for global models of the Toyota and Lexus brands. As proven by the current generation of Toyota vehicles around the globe, the combination of Kanzi One and the unmatched automotive experience of the Kanzi Services team gives Toyota the flexibility and design capabilities to enhance their brand and delight drivers. Rightware has a long history of focusing on the unique challenges of the automotive industry. With Kanzi One, Toyota was able to achieve the best possible graphics performance on cost-effective hardware platforms. Further, Toyota was able to create and maintain distinct UI modules, mixing and matching them to create instrument clusters for vehicle variants and models across diverse markets. This highly efficient workflow means reduced effort and faster time-to-market. "Toyota is one of the world's most iconic brands, and it is a tremendous honor for us to be part of that.Together, Rightware and Toyota deliver brilliant cockpit experiences for millions of drivers," said Freddie Geier, CEO of Rightware. "The powerful combination of Kanzi One and the Kanzi Services team delivers competitive advantages to Toyota, taming the growing complexity of automotive design and development. We look forward to our continued collaboration with Toyota." Collaborating with Rightware gave Toyota the ability to realize their design vision across dozens of vehicle models and variants globally, maximizing efficiency and achieving a better result at lower risk. About Rightware Rightware is the pioneering provider of automotive graphics software, uniquely positioned with foundations in gaming, graphics, and UI development, and laser-focused on the automotive industry. Kanzi One, our all-in-one HMI toolchain, enables automakers to deliver the best user experience for their customers while transforming the traditional HMI into a real Signature UI. We support this mission with a worldwide design and services organization boasting an unmatched track record of successful production projects. Headquartered in Finland, we have a presence in China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and USA. As a ThunderSoft company, our combined skills and assets allow us to deliver fully integrated HMI solutions, engineering support, and design services anywhere in the world. Kanzi One is the market-leading automotive UI tool, trusted by over 50 automotive brands around the globe. www.rightware.com. Contact [email protected] Derek Sellin, Vice President, Marketing, [email protected], +358 9 8554 322 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201094/Rightware_Oy.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/kanzi-one-selected-by-toyota-for-global-hmi-design-and-development-301917156.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] SES Space & Defense Awarded U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Contract to Support DEUCSI Program Tweet SES Space & Defense, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SES focused on delivering satellite network solutions for the U.S. Government, has been awarded a multi-year contract by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to conduct a series of tests to integrate space broadband services across a multi-orbit satellite network in support of the Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet (DEUCSI) program. This announcement by AFRL is the third award under the DEUCSI CALL 003 Program seeking experimentation for use cases in the Arctic region and airborne communications. The DEUCSI program is intended to establish communications with military platforms via multiple commercial space internet (CSI) constellations in Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) utilizing a common user terminal with the ability to alternate between space broadband providers. As the industry's leading COMSATCOM integrator, SES Space & Defense will demonstrate multi-orbit, multi-band solutions that seamlessly switch among commercial space broadband services in different frequency bands to access favorable spectrum or failover between constellations. In doing so, SES Space & Defense will leverage common hardware elements to communicate with commercial space broadband constellations and military communications systems to provide greater flexibility in communication paths while minimizing the deployment of constellation-specific hardware. "An integrated multi-orbit, multi-band satellite architecture is a requirement in today's contested and congested environment for a network-centric military," said SES Space & Defense Senior Vice President of Space Initiatives, Jim Hooper. "The DEUCSI program is a great example to showcase SES Space & Defense's multi-orbit, multi-band holistic approach to deliver seamless interoperability to the U.S. Air Force to achieve unparalleled situation awareness and strategic advances for mission success." Follow us on: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram Read our Blogs > Visit the Media Gallery > About SES Space & Defense SES Space & Defense is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SES, the leader in global content connectivity solutions, and is exclusively focused on building, managing, and supporting the most advanced satellite network solutions for the U.S. Government. SES Space & Defense leverages a proven multi-operator network integration and management capability, an extensive global terrestrial network, as well as access to SES's multi-orbit satellite fleet. It also offers U.S. Department of Defense customers the essential tools in cybersecurity for mission-critical operations, coupled with a proven track record in governance and compliance. SES Space & Defense operates under a proxy board, enabling it to support classified projects, and it has been present in the U.S. Government satcom market for over four decades. Further information can be found at: www.sessd.com. About SES SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world. As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the world's only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the world's leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SES's video network carries ~8,000 channels and has an unparalleled reach of 369 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230904260244/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Zoho Celebrates 100 Million Users Tweet Zoho Corporation, a leading global technology company, today announced that it is serving 100 million users across its 55+ business applications. Zoho is the first bootstrapped SaaS company to reach this milestone. This growth comes on the heels of the company reaching 1 billion in annual revenue last year. Consistently providing accessible technology while promoting sustainable growth, Zoho has steadily increased its traction from 1 million users in 2008 to 100 million 15 years later-with the last 50 million users added within the past five years. Zoho is profoundly grateful for the enduring support of its more than 700,000 customers across 150+ countries. Zoho is proud to have grown steadily and responsibly, without ever taking external funding. This allows the company to preserve its long-term vision and culture without outside pressure or influence. It's also what keeps the company centered on its values, such as debt-free growth and serving customers closer to where they are-a product of the company's transnational localism efforts. "I want to thank all of our customers for trusting us with their business and helping us reach 100 million users worldwide," said Sridhar Vembu, CEO of Zoho. "This is an impressive milestone for any organization, but it's particularly sweet for us as a bootstrapped company that's never raised external capital. And we are not done yet. We have an impressive innovation pipeline covering the next 10 years, investing in deep technologies to serve billions of users around the world. We're working towards it, and we want to thank all of you for your continued support." This fall, Zoho resumes its Zoholics conferences across the world. After completing 13 Zoholics in the first half of the year, the company will host 18 Zoholics across 16 countries in the next 8 weeks, totaling 31 user events across 27 countries in 2023. Zoholics is transnational localism in action. Zoho has always believed that being close to customers allows the company to build useful, trusted, customer-focused solutions. The company plans to celebrate the 100 million milestone with its customers across continents during Zoholics. For a full calendar of Zoholics, please visit: https://www.zoho.com/zoholics/ Zoho Privacy Pledge Zoho respects user privacy and does not have an ad-revenue model in any part of its business, including its free products. The company owns and operates its data centers, ensuring complete oversight of customer data, privacy, and security. More than 100 million users around the world, across hundreds of thousands of companies, rely on Zoho everyday to run their businesses, including Zoho itself. For more information, please visit: https://www.zoho.com/privacy-commitment.html About Zoho With 55+ apps in nearly every major business category, Zoho Corporation is one of the world's most prolific technology companies. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with international headquarters in Chennai, India, Zoho is privately held and profitable with more than 15,000 employees. For more information, please visit: www.zoho.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905105130/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Acclime appoints Ed Novak as new Managing Director for North America. Tweet HONG KONG, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Acclime, Asia-Pacific's leading tech-enabled professional services provider, is proud to announce the appointment of Ed Novak as the firm's Managing Director, North America. Ed will lead Acclime's US-based Client Service Centre, advising clients from North America on the best ways to leverage Acclime's teams throughout Asia and Oceania. The appointment highlights Acclime's commitment to providing global-standard professional services in the Asia-Pacific region for clients from around the world. Ed brings extensive leadership experience to Acclime's North American operations, having held significant roles in the technology and professional services sectors, including at IBM, PwC, Amdocs, Grant Thornton, and Radius/Vistra. Blair Lucas, Acclime's Group Commercial Director, noted, "Ed's particular skill set lies in supporting companies in North America to fulfil their growth strategies as they expand internationally. Ed built and led teams that delivered successful paths to global growth, and I have strong confidence in his ability to deliver meaningful results for Acclime's North American clients." Ed shred Blair's enthusiasm and confidence, stating, "I am thrilled to begin this new role, and I look forward to both managing a high-performance client support team and cultivating sustainable relationships with collaborative referral partners. As more and more companies invest in Asia-Pacific growth strategies, I am eager to leverage the Acclime advisory and corporate services platform for their benefit." Acclime's CEO, Martin Crawford, put Ed's appointment into perspective by adding, "The US is one of the largest FDI investors into Asia and the largest in the ASEAN bloc. Acclime's mission is to help these companies navigate into and throughout these markets with our on-the-ground operations, backed by an expert team in their own time zone in the USA. Ed's experience as an international expansion specialist will make him and his team the go-to experts for any US company or investor targeting expansion in the Asia-Pacific market." With Ed Novak leading the North American operation, Acclime continues on an exciting path of bolstering its tech capabilities to embrace enhanced digitisation, AI integration, and the delivery of exceptional corporate services. Acclime will be counting on Ed's expertise to further strengthen its ability to deliver seamless cross-cultural integration for North American businesses in the Asia-Pacific. About Acclime Acclime is a premier corporate and advisory services provider with operations in key Asia-Pacific jurisdictions, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Australia, and New Zealand. The company's vision is to reinvent the corporate services sector with innovative solutions that help organisations and private clients advance their interests in Asia, with a particular focus on difficult-to-navigate emerging markets. The Acclime group employs over 1,200 experts serving 13,000 clients across 15 countries, each with its own unique cultural and regulatory challenges. Global client service centres are also provided in the UK, US, EU, and UAE. For more information, please visit www.acclime.com . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/acclime-appoints-ed-novak-as-new-managing-director-for-north-america-301917510.html SOURCE Acclime [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Arctech Supplies 240MW of Solar Tracking System for Solar PV Project in Uzbekistan Tweet TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Arctech, the world's leading solar tracking, racking, and BIPV provider, has signed a 240MW solar tracker supply contract with China Energy Engineering Corporation Limited (CEEC) for a solar photovoltaic generation plant project in Uzbekistan's Tashkent region. This is the third project recently won by Arctech in Uzbekistan, with the previous projects including the 1 GW solar PV project in Qashqadaryo Viloyati and Buxoro, and the 500MW solar PV project in Sherabad. This is undoubtedly another significant progress of Arctech's thriving development in Uzbekistan. SkyLine II Solar Tracking System will be used in the project. Featuring a pentagonal torque tube and a synchronous multi-point drive mechanism. SkyLine II is one of the few truly rigid 1P trackers in the industry. he design does not only stiffen the system by equipping it with larger bending and torsional capabilities, but also allows for the highest stability at all tracking tilts. Due to the design, the post span is further increased, which can reduce the number of posts by more than 30%, with less than 180 posts per MW, which consequently decreases Engineering Procurement Construction's cost by about 2%. Through an innovative "multi-drive" mechanism. These stiff trackers can safely stow horizontally, which is vital to lower the wind pressure onto the new large-format modules and prevent cracking and delamination. Stiff trackers also enable increasing the wind stow speed threshold and thus extend the operational wind speed range. These optimized stow parameters can also help prevent energy losses and increase energy generation and revenue to a considerable extent. Currently, over 85% of Uzbekistan's electricity comes from coal and natural gas, with most of its natural gas coming from Russia. To solve the problem of energy shortage and reduce dependence on fossil energy, the Uzbek government has encouraged the development of renewable energy in recent years. The country plans to increase the installed capacity of solar energy by 5GW by 2030. As a world leading solar tracker supplier, Arctech achieved another breakthrough in Uzbekistan and even the Central Asian market this time. Through its previous projects, Arctech has gained recognition from Central Asian owners for high-caliber products and innovative technology, which is also the reason why Arctech continues to win solar tracker orders. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/arctech-supplies-240mw-of-solar-tracking-system-for-solar-pv-project-in-uzbekistan-301917511.html SOURCE Arctech [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] dynaCERT Creates a Green Freight Program Task Force to Provide Financial Assistance to Clients That Purchase Its HydraGEN Technology Tweet dynaCERT Inc. (TSX: DYA) (OTCQX: DYFSF) (FRA: DMJ) ("dynaCERT" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has empowered a specialized team, the "dynaCERT Green Freight Program Task Force", to assist all dynaCERT's Canadian dealers and their clients that seek to realize the financial advantages of the recently launched Stream 2 of the Green Freight Program of Natural Resources Canada, a Department of the Government of Canada ("NR Can"). The Green Freight Program provides funding assistance to qualified purchasers. dynaCERT supports government initiatives that create jobs while fighting climate change and driving down costs for users of the Company's HydraGEN Technology, designed to reduce fuel consumption in diesel engines and reduce polluting emissions. The dynaCERT Green Freight Program Task Force Through its Green Freight Program Task Force, dynaCERT is helping its clients save money, reduce pollution and decarbonize fleets, while helping build a prosperous net-zero economy for generations to come. dynaCERT's Green Freight Program Task Force is spearheaded by Ed Cordeiro, Director of Sales, Americas, and co-managed by senior executives, Khoa Tran, Director of Finance, and Ishan Juneja, Program Coordinator. For further information and assistance regarding the dynaCERT Task Force and dynaCERT's HydraGEN Carbon Emission Reduction Technology line of commercial products, please contact: Ed Cordeiro Director of Sales, Americas dynaCERT Inc. +1 (647) 462-6667 [email protected] Khoa Tran Director of Finance dynaCERT Inc. + 1 (416) 560-2207 [email protected] Ishan Juneja Program Coordinator dynaCERT Inc. +1 (647) 339-7738 [email protected] The Green Freight Program of the Government of Canada The Green Freight Program of the Government of Canada was launched to provide financial assistance to fleets looking to implement new technologies that provide lower GHG emissions. To be considered for funding, applicants must submit a list of technologies and equipment. Repowers of eligible technologies must be permanent modifications, demonstrate the capacity to reduce diesel consumption of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and reduce GHG emissions by switching the fuel used to a lower-carbon alternative. This includes projects where the engine and/or drive train is replaced and where kits are added to the truck. Dual fuel options are eligible. Under Stream 2 of the program, applicants can receive a maximum of 50% of project costs up to $5,000,000. The final amount of NRCan's non-repayable contribution to an applicant under this program will be dependent on the applications received and available funding. NRCan will provide up to 50% of the costs and applicants will contribute the remaining 50% as a combination of cash contributions, in-kind contributions or funding from other government sources. Projects by not-for-profit organizations or provincial, territorial, regional, or municipal governments or their departments or agencies, where applicable, as well as projects with Indigenous businesses or community groups, may request an increase in the maximum amount payable by NRCan, up to 75% of total project costs. Stream 2 of the Green Freight Program provides support for innovative actions including engine repowers, switching to cleaner fuels, and fleet transportation improvements. Selected projects will support data-driven investment decisions when considering energy-efficient improvements for their medium- and heavy-duty vehicles across fleets. The application window will remain open until November 16, 2023. Stream 2 of the Green Freight Program builds on the progress of Stream 1 of the Green Freight Program, which supports investments in fleet-wide energy assessments and retrofits, including for truck and trailer equipment. Stream 1 continues to accept applications. For information regarding the Canadian Government Green Freight Program, please see: https://natural-resources.canada.ca/energy-efficiency/transportation-alternative-fuels/greening-freight-programs/green-freight-program/20893 For information regarding Stream 2 of the Canadian Government Green Freight Program, please see: https://natural-resources.canada.ca/energy-efficiency/transportation-alternative-fuels/greening-freight-programs/green-freight-program/green-freight-program-applicants-guide-stream-2/25263 Ed Cordeiro, Director of Sales, Americas of dynaCERT, stated, "Canadian businesses are adopting innovative and efficient technologies to help drive down costs and pollution at the same time. In the transportation sector, which accounts for one-quarter of Canada's emissions, the Government of Canada is continuing to help businesses reduce their emissions, including through the Green Freight Program. Road vehicles are a key contributor to pollution in Canada. Such government incentives are a great tool to reduce risk and can motivate fleets to adopt cleaner options to build a more environmentally friendly transportation system for Canadians. dynaCERT's HydraGEN Technology is designed to reduce pollution on our roads and support a cleaner transportation system that benefits all Canadians." About dynaCERT Inc. dynaCERT Inc. manufactures and distributes Carbon Emission Reduction Technology along with its proprietary HydraLytica Telematics, a means of monitoring fuel consumption and calculating GHG emissions savings designed for the tracking of possible future Carbon Credits for use with internal combustion engines. As part of the growing global hydrogen economy, our patented technology creates hydrogen and oxygen on-demand through a unique electrolysis system and supplies these gases through the air intake to enhance combustion, which has shown to lower carbon emissions and improve fuel efficiency. Our technology is designed for use with many types and sizes of diesel engines used in on-road vehicles, reefer trailers, off-road construction, power generation, mining and forestry equipment. Website: www.dynaCERT.com. READER ADVISORY Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, performance of achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. In particular, forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, the Green Freight Program of the Government of Canada which cannot be independently verified by the Company. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success for new products and technologies; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of products and services; changes in technology and changes in laws and regulations; the uncertainty of the emerging hydrogen economy; including the hydrogen economy moving at a pace not anticipated; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships and distribution agreements; and the other risk factors disclosed under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking information to conform such information to actual results or to changes in our expectations except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the release. On Behalf of the Board Murray James Payne, CEO View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905951159/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Mojave Flash LiDAR Suite Now Available Through Amazon and DigiKey Electronics Tweet PreAct Technologies (PreAct), an Oregon-based developer of near-field flash LiDAR technology, today announced the availability of its Mojave LiDAR, a high-performance, low-cost sensor solution to address a variety of applications including smart cities, robotics, cargo monitoring, education & university research, building monitoring, patient monitoring, agricultural, and much more. The PreAct Mojave LiDAR is distributed globally by DigiKey Electronics and Amazon. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905951215/en/ PreAct's Mojave LiDAR is a high-performance, low-cost sensor solution that addresses the needs of a variety of applications including smart cities, robotics, cargo monitoring, education & university research, building monitoring, patient monitoring, agricultural, and much more.?(Photo: Business Wire) "I am incredibly proud of our team for getting Mojave ready to be available to the mass market, and these distribution partnerships are a major milestone for our comany," said Paul Drysch, CEO of PreAct. "As more industries are discovering the power of LiDAR sensors to provide high quality data while also maintaining individual privacy, we knew we had to make Mojave as widely available as possible. Now anyone - not just large companies - can purchase the highest performing near-field sensor on the market and customize it for a wide variety of use cases. The availability of such powerful technology at an affordable price is a game changer." Introduced to the sensor market in August, Mojave is the only flash LiDAR designed to meet the needs of non-automotive industries, as well as automotive applications. With its software-definable capabilities, depth accuracy error of less than 2%, and a single unit retail cost of $350, Mojave is the first truly mass-market LiDAR. Mojave meets the stringent needs of sensors in robotics, agriculture and other industrial applications. It has superior cliff and edge detection over any other sensor on the market, can provide over 1.4 million points per second of depth information and has the ability to detect floor slope and camber. Mojave comes fully calibrated from the factory and both the software and firmware are upgradable, allowing companies to invest once in the hardware and continue to improve the sensor performance over time. Mojave is now available to companies, organizations and individuals looking to purchase single Mojave units or in volume through DigiKey and Amazon. DigiKey is recognized as the global leader and continuous innovator in the cutting-edge commerce distribution of electronic components and automation products worldwide. Amazon is known for its fast, efficient distribution of products across the globe. For Mojave LiDAR specs, visit www.preact-tech.com/mojave. About PreAct Technologies PreAct Technologies is the market leader in near-field software-definable flash LiDAR technology and integrated SDK (software development kit). Its patent-pending suite of sensor technologies provides high resolution, affordable LiDAR solutions to a wide range of industries including robotics, healthcare, ITS, logistics, security, industrial, consumer electronics, trucking, and automotive. With unmatched quality and accuracy, PreAct's edge processing algorithms drive technology resulting in 3D depth-maps of small objects at sub-centimeter accuracy up to 20 meters. PreAct's LiDARs and SDK enable companies and innovators to address the industry's most pressing business and technology needs. The firm is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with offices in Ashburn, Virginia, and Barcelona Spain. For sales inquiries, please contact [email protected]. For more information, visit www.preact-tech.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905951215/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] AMCO Produce Chooses Sollum Technologies Dynamic LED Grow Lights Tweet For more than 40 years, AMCO Produce has been a leader in fresh produce production thanks to its high standards of operation at all levels - from cultivation to distribution. Striving to continually improve their business, AMCO will be replacing HPS lights with Sollum's LED grow light solution in their propagation area and newly converted strawberry production space. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905312672/en/ AMCO CHOOSES SOLLUM LED LIGHTING AS A VERSATILE SOLUTION IN THEIR PROPAGATION OPERATIONS AND STRAWBERRY PRODUCTION (Photo: Business Wire) Based in Leamington, Ontario, AMCO supplies a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the year. To cope with harsh winters and meet the needs of a diverse collection of crops - including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and now strawberry - AMCO relies on the most cutting-edge greenhouse technology available. With Sollum' dynamic LED lighting solution, President of AMCO, Fausto Amicone, is looking to continue to grow his business operations by revolutionizing their lighting strategy. "When it comes to our propagation operations, meeting the lighting needs of every crop would require purchasing multiple models of fixtures," says Amicone. "With Sollum's solution, we have all the functionality we need in a single, fully programmable lighting solution enabling unlimited lighting zones, each lit by a personalized light recipe adapted to the needs of each crop. We can add or remove crops as needed without purchasing additional hardware or software. We are confident that Sollum's lighting solution is a perfect fit for AMCO's business goals." "Sollum's dynamic LED grow light multi-zoning capabilities can accommodate the needs of different crops, but also adapt to their different growth stages, at different times of the year," added Louis Brun, President and CEO of Sollum Technologies. "And this is managed from any device through our user-friendly SUN as a Service platform, which monitors fixtures 24/7, providing data to enable preventative maintenance and ensure optimal performance. That said, we also support growers not only during the installation phase but throughout the year. Our smart support team of agronomists, engineers and technicians explains, trains, recommends and answers questions on site or remotely as producers grow with our solution." AMCO is just one of the many producers in Leamington - Canada's greenhouse capital - who have made the move to Sollum fixtures. Sollum LED grow lights have also been making waves overseas in Europe, and south of the border in the United States, as more and more of those in the greenhouse industry recognize the many benefits of fully dynamic smart LED lighting. About Sollum Technologies Sollum Technologies designed the only 100% dynamic LED lighting solution that modulates the full spectrum of the Sun's natural light to illuminate closed environments such as greenhouses, research centers and laboratories. Sollum's award-winning, turnkey solution consists of internet of things, AI-powered light fixtures that are controlled by Sollum's proprietary SUN as a Service cloud platform. Sollum's distinctive proposition is a fully scalable cleantech solution that evolves with business needs and multi-zone light management, with each zone benefiting from automatic dimming of an unlimited number of light recipes; this is why it provides unparalleled value in terms of energy savings and, additionally for greenhouse growers, increased productivity and superior produce quality. Founded in 2015, the company is based in Montreal (Quebec, Canada), where its design, development, and manufacturing activities are concentrated. For more information, visit sollum.tech. 2023 Sollum Technologies. All rights reserved. SUN as a Service, LED by nature, SF-ONE, SF-MAX, SF-PRO and the Sollum logo are registered or trademarks of Sollum Technologies View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905312672/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] JAKARTA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and related summits kicked off here on Tuesday, with the focus on establishing the region as an epicenter of economic growth. Addressing the opening ceremony, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, whose country is holding the rotating ASEAN chair this year, urged ASEAN to stay united and not be a proxy to any power. "Don't make our ship, ASEAN, become an arena of rivalry that causes damages to each other. Make our ship the foundation to build cooperation and create prosperity, stability and peace, not only for the region but also for the world," he said. During the next three days, leaders of ASEAN member nations are expected to discuss issues that would chart the future of ASEAN as a community and an institution. This includes steps to speed up the decision-making in crises and emergencies, as well as steps to bolster ASEAN's capacity to respond to emerging challenges in the region. The summit under Indonesia's ASEAN chairmanship this year is themed "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth." In the past decade, ASEAN's average annual growth reached 3.98 percent, above the global economic growth of 2.6 percent, showed ASEAN data. Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. [September 05, 2023] Ametros Strengthens its C-Suite with Two Promotions Tweet Ametros, which helps people manage their medical funds following workers' compensation or liability settlements, has expanded its C-Suite with the promotions of two accomplished executives. As of September 1, Andrea Mills, formerly Executive Vice President of Sales, was promoted to Chief Client Officer and Gal Zhovnirovsky, formerly Executive Vice President of Operations and Engineering, became Ametros' Chief Operating Officer. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905669169/en/ Andrea Mills has been promoted to Chief Client Officer for Ametros. (Photo: Business Wire) "Since joining the company in 2017, Andrea and Gal have been instrumental in our rapid, strategic growth," said CEO Porter Leslie. "In different ways, they each contributed to our products and services, and I'm confident they will excel in these pivotal roles and take us to the next level." In the newly createdposition of Chief Client Officer, Mills takes on the responsibility of ensuring that all departments embrace the company's customer-centric culture and deliver best-in-class solutions to its client partners. Adept at fostering client relationships, she enjoyed a successful career marketing ancillary services in the workers' compensation and disability sectors before joining Ametros. A graduate of Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina, Mills is a board member of the National Medicare Secondary Payer Network and the former president of the Baltimore Claims Association. This transition will be her fourth promotion since joining Ametros as she has been instrumental in the company's success and growth surrounding its clients and partners. "Andrea has deep expertise in the work comp market and a reputation as a charismatic leader which explains her stellar reputation in this space," Leslie said. "She understands what our partners need and the level of service they deserve and knows how to deliver it." As Chief Operating Officer, another newly created position for Ametros, Zhovnirovsky will be responsible for contributing to strategic decision-making, driving continued growth and innovation, and overseeing and optimizing the company's day-to-day operations. He joined Ametros with a degree in Computer Science from Boston University and a strong background in technology and operational excellence. His Ametros journey has included three previous promotions and a growing concentration on product development and customer success. "Gal has applied his passion for technology, scaling operations, and improving the lives of injured parties into products that improve customer experiences for both our clients and our members," Leslie said. "He embraces the Ametros vision and will be an outstanding COO." About Ametros Ametros is the industry leader in post-settlement medical administration and a trusted partner for thousands of members receiving funds from workers' compensation and liability settlements. Headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts, Ametros may be reached at 877.275.7415 or via www.ametros.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905669169/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] OKX to Host 'Rewrite the System: An OKX Web3 Party' at MARQUEE During TOKEN2049 in Singapore SINGAPORE, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OKX , a global leading Web3 technology company, today announced that on September 14 it will host: ' Rewrite the System: An OKX Web3 Party ' at MARQUEE Singapore . The event will take place from 18:45 to 23:00 (UTC+8) and coincides with the second day of Asia's premier Web3 and crypto conference TOKEN2049, of which OKX is a Title Sponsor . The event will feature a series of activities, including on-site games, lucky draws, a photo booth, an NFT printer, OKX Web3 swag rewards and two panel discussions. The first panel will focus on on-chain ecosystem growth, featuring speakers from the OKX Web3 team and its partners. There will also be a second panel focused on Web3 infrastructure development, featuring speakers from OKLink , OKX's OKB Chain team and OKX Web3 partners. OKX Web3 partners, including Polygon , Lido , DWF Labs , and Orbiter Finance , as well as media partner, CoinTelegraph , will attend 'Rewrite the System: An OKX Web3 Party,' which is sponsored by zkSync , CoreDAO , Solana , Animoca Brands , The Sandbox , Chainge Finance , Cubic , Orion Protocol and Lifeform . OKX Chief Innovation Officer Jason Lau said: "We're excited to bring together industry-leading Web3 guests and our very own product leaders for an insightful night of networking and fun. The activities and panels we have planned for 'Rewrite the System' will be a great opportunity for attendees to engage with the latest developments in Web3 technology and connect with industry experts." The event takes its name from OKX's global brand campaign , entitled: "The System Needs a Rewrite." Launched on May 10, 2023, the campaign promotes a new paradigm led by Web3 self-managed technology to replace existing centralized systems. To attend 'Rewrite the System: An OKX Web3 Party,' submit an RSVP to the event here . For further information, please contact: [email protected] About OKX A leading global technology company driving the future of Web3, OKX provides a comprehensive suite of products to meet the needs of beginners and experts alike, including: OKX Wallet : The world's most powerful, secure and versatile crypto wallet which gives users access to over 70 blockchains while allowing them to take custody of their own funds. The wallet includes MPC technology which allows users to easily recover access to their wallet independently, removing the need for traditional, 'written down' seed phrases. In addition, OKX Wallet's account abstraction-powered Smart Account enables users to pay for transactions on multiple blockchains using USDC or USDT, and interact with multiple contracts via a single transaction. : The world's most powerful, secure and versatile crypto wallet which gives users access to over 70 blockchains while allowing them to take custody of their own funds. The wallet includes which allows users to easily recover access to their wallet independently, removing the need for traditional, 'written down' seed phrases. In addition, OKX Wallet's account abstraction-powered enables users to pay for transactions on multiple blockchains using USDC or USDT, and interact with multiple contracts via a single transaction. DEX : A multi-chain, cross-chain decentralized exchange aggregator of 300+ other DEXs and approximately 15 bridges, with 200,000+ coins and more than 20 blockchains supported. : A multi-chain, cross-chain decentralized exchange aggregator of 300+ other DEXs and approximately 15 bridges, with 200,000+ coins and more than 20 blockchains supported. NFT Marketplace : A multi-chain, zero-fee NFT marketplace that gives users access to NFT listings across seven top-tier marketplaces including OpenSea, MagicEden, LooksRare and Blur. : A multi-chain, zero-fee NFT marketplace that gives users access to NFT listings across seven top-tier marketplaces including OpenSea, MagicEden, LooksRare and Blur. Web3 DeFi : A powerful DeFi platform that supports earning and staking on about 70 protocols across more than 10 chains. OKX partners with a number of the world's top brands and athletes, including English Premier League champions Manchester City F.C., McLaren Formula 1, The Tribeca Festival, Olympian Scotty James, and F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo. As a leader building innovative technology products, OKX believes in challenging the status quo. The company recently launched a global brand campaign entitled, The System Needs a Rewrite , which advocates for a new paradigm led by Web3 self-managed technology. To learn more about OKX, download our app or visit: okx.com Disclaimer The information displayed is strictly for informational purposes only. It does not constitute and shall not be considered as an offer, solicitation or recommendation, to deal with any products (including any NFT or otherwise), or as financial or investment advice. Both OKX Web3 Wallet and OKX NFT Marketplace are subject to separate terms of service at www.okx.com . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/okx-to-host-rewrite-the-system-an-okx-web3-party-at-marquee-during-token2049-in-singapore-301917606.html SOURCE OKX [September 05, 2023] CVC acquires leading infrastructure manager DIF Tweet CVC, a leading global private markets manager focused on private equity, secondaries and credit is acquiring a majority stake in leading infrastructure manager, DIF Capital Partners ("DIF"), and providing a commitment to acquire the remaining shares over time. This combination creates a global private markets manager with seven complementary strategies and approximately 177 billion* of total assets under management. DIF is headquartered in Amsterdam with 16 billion of assets under management, a team of over 225 professionals across 11 offices and operating two different investment strategies - the Core / Build-to-Core funds and the Core-plus funds. DIF was founded in 2005 and has built a leading position in mid-market infrastructure investments, primarily in Europe, North America and Australia. The tie-up with CVC will help accelerate growth, as DIF continues to deepen and widen both its investment capabilities, its geographic reach and its global investor base. DIF will continue to be led by its current CEO and Partners and it will continue to operate under the DIF brand. Commenting on the transaction, CVC Chair and Co-Founder, Rolly van Rappard said: "Expanding into infrastructure is a logical next step for us, given the long-term secular growth trends in infrastructure and its adjacency to our existing strategies. We have known the DIF team for several years, and we are delighted to partner with one of the top pure-play global infrastructure managers, with an impressive track record of performance and growth." Rob Lucas, Managing Partner at CVC added: "We are excited to join forces with DIF, a top-performing global infrastructure manager. DIF's business model and culture is deeply aligned with our local model, and our new infrastructure platform will prove highly complementary to our leading private equity, secondary and credit strategies. We are pleased to welcome Wim, the DIF Partners and the entire DIF team to the CVC group and together, we look forward to being a global leader in infrastructure." Wim Blaasse, CEO and Managing Partner at DIF said: "We are delighted to be teaming up with CVC, which is a natural step in the evolution of DIF and together with my Partners, I look forward to leading DIF in this next phase of growth. We have known the CVC team for many years, we have been very impressed by everything they have built and we are excited about becoming part of the CVC group. This transaction enables us to benefit from CVC's global platform, scale and investor relationships, and to double down on important infrastructure sectors like Energy Transition and Digitalisation while retaining independence over our investment decisions." The transaction is subject to regulatory and other consents and is expected to close in Q4 2023 or Q1 2024. The Dutch works council of DIF has been informed and positively advised on the transaction. Advisers to CVC in this transaction included JPMorgan. DIF's advisers included, among others, Morgan Stanley & Co. Plc, Loyens & Loeff, PwC and De Brauw. * Pro forma for recently closed fundraise About CVC CVC is a leading private equity and investment advisory firm with a network of 25 offices throughout EMEA, the Americas and Asia, with approximately 161 billion of assets under management. CVC has six complementary strategies across private equity, secondaries and credit, for which we have secured commitments in excess of 200 billion from some of the world's leading institutional investors across its private equity, credit and secondaries strategies. Funds managed or advised by CVC are invested in over 125 companies worldwide, which have combined annual sales of approximately 130 billion and employ more than 450,000 people. For further information about CVC please visit: www.cvc.com. Follow us on LinkedIn. About DIF Capital Partners DIF Capital Partners ("DIF") is an independent infrastructure fund manager, with c.16 billion of AUM. DIF was founded in 2005 and has built a leading position in managing mid-market investments, primarily in Europe, North America and Australia. DIF follows two strategies: its traditional DIF funds invest in lower risk mid-sized infrastructure projects and companies in the energy transition (incl. renewables) and utilities sector, as well as PPPs and concessions. The firm's CIF funds invest in small to mid-sized companies that will thrive in the new economy. These companies are typically active in the digital, energy transition and sustainable transportation sector. With a team of over 225 professionals in 11 offices, DIF combines global presence with the benefits of strong local networks and investment capabilities. DIF is located in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. For more information, please visit www.dif.eu View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905763264/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Orbis Celebrates 20 Years of Its Groundbreaking "Cybersight" Telemedicine Platform and a New Cybersight App Tweet Tool provides free access to training and mentors for eye care professionals in areas with the greatest need 99% of users surveyed said Cybersight improved their knowledge and skills New Cybersight mobile app expands access for eye care professionals through offline functionality NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Eye care nonprofit Orbis International celebrates the 20th anniversary of its award-winning telemedicine and e-learning platform, Cybersight. Born at the dawn of the internet, Cybersight now has more than 85,000 registered eye care professionals hailing from nearly every country and region in the world. A new Cybersight mobile app is giving access to even more eye care professionals with its offline functionality, critical for eye teams working in areas with poor or no internet connection. Cybersight has more than 85,000 registered eye care professionals hailing from nearly every country in the world. Through Cybersight, medical professionals around the world can access training and education tools, courses and lectures anywhere, anytime from a laptop, tablet or mobile phone. Cybersight's advanced features, including long-distance mentoring and an artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostic tool, are available for free for eye care professionals in low- and-middle-income countries, home to nine out of ten people with vision loss. Via Cybersight, Orbis's team of 400 world-leading Volunteer Faculty (medical experts) can deliver training and consultations without having to leave their homes. To date, Cybersight has delivere more than 30,000 consultations to help eye care professionals diagnose and treat patients with complex cases from all corners of the world, even reaching conflict-affected areas like Ukraine and Syria. The Cybersight team has undertaken comprehensive research to better understand how eye care professionals benefit from the platform. This survey showed that professionals at all levels value Cybersight. Of Cybersight users surveyed, 99% said the platform increased their knowledge and skills, 75% said it enabled them to make better informed decisions and 72% said Cybersight increased their professional confidence. The New Cybersight App Orbis recently launched a new Cybersight mobile app that provides even easier access to these services for eye care professionals. The app enables eye teams to create and respond to patient cases while offline, and automatically syncs when the user next connects to the internet. The flexibility this offline functionality provides is critical for eye teams working in areas with poor or no internet connectivity, including in remote or conflict-affected communities. "The Cybersight app provides a lot of knowledge, especially the lessons we need to learn more about in pediatric eye care," says Dr. Kieu Le The Mong, an ophthalmologist in Vietnam who specializes in treating retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a leading cause of vision loss in children. "I use the app frequently to access information and connect with mentor specialists in ROP." 20 Years of Telehealth Innovation In 1998, decades ahead of his time, Dr. Eugene Helveston, then part of Orbis Volunteer Faculty, created the first-ever internet-based ophthalmic telemedicine program. In 2003, Cybersight officially launched, paving the way for landmark changes in ophthalmic education. During Orbis visits to Havana, Cuba, Dr. Helveston realized that in-person training projects were not enough; committed local doctors needed ongoing support. Having already experimented with remote consultations, he along with Orbis team members, set about training local colleagues with digital imagery and clinical history recording. This would allow them to email cases to Dr. Helveston at his home in Indianapolis. From there he could send back, via email, a diagnosis, or recommendation for further tests and re-submission, or a suggested treatment plan. In doing so, Orbis's first ophthalmic telemedicine system was born. Over the past two decades, Cybersight has proven to be critical for ophthalmic training, especially in recent years. As the COVID pandemic unfolded, Orbis was already set up to meet the needs of eye care professionals throughout the world virtually. In the past four years, there have been more than 11 million views of Cybersight videos, over 119,000 webinar attendances and over 246,000 course enrollments. About Orbis Orbis is a leading global non-governmental organization that has been a pioneer in the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness and vision loss for over four decades. Orbis transforms lives by delivering the skills, resources and knowledge needed to deliver accessible quality eye care. Working in collaboration with local partners, including hospitals, universities, government agencies and ministries of health, Orbis provides hands-on ophthalmology training, strengthens healthcare infrastructure and advocates for the prioritization of eye health on public health agendas. Orbis operates the world's only Flying Eye Hospital, a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board an MD-10 aircraft, and an award-winning telemedicine platform, Cybersight. For the past ten consecutive years, Orbis has achieved Charity Navigator's coveted four-star rating for demonstrating strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency, placing Orbis in the top 3% of U.S. charities. For the past two years, Orbis has earned GuideStar 's platinum Seal of Transparency. In 2022, Orbis earned "accredited charity" status from the Better Business Bureau by meeting all 20 of their standards for charity accountability. To learn more, please visit orbis.org . MEDIA CONTACT Orbis International Jenna Montgomery Manager, Global Communications and Marketing [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/orbis-celebrates-20-years-of-its-groundbreaking-cybersight-telemedicine-platform-and-a-new-cybersight-app-301917079.html SOURCE Orbis International [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] ORYZON to Give Updates on Corporate Progress in September Tweet H.C. Wainwright Global Investment Conference in NYC Sachs Annual Biotech in Europe Forum in Basel Third Annual Global CMT Research Convention in Boston BioSpain-2023 in Barcelona MADRID, Spain and BOSTON, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oryzon Genomics, S.A. (ISIN Code: ES0167733015, ORY), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company leveraging epigenetics to develop therapies in diseases with strong unmet medical need, announced today that its management will give an update on corporate progress at several international events in September. Oryzon will participate at the H.C. Wainwright Global Investment Conference, which will be held on September 11-13 at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York (USA) and virtually. The company will provide a corporate update and will also hold one-on-one meetings with pharmaceutical companies and global investors. Click on link for more info about the H.C. Wainwright Global Investment Conference Oryzon has been invited to the Sachs Annual Biotech in Europe Forum in Basel (Switzerland) on September 20-21, where the company will participate in a panel entitled Advanced Approaches to Neurodegenerative Diseases Panel, which will be held on September 20. The company will also hold one-to-one meetings with pharmaceutical companies and global investors. Click on link for more info about the Sachs Annual Biotech in Europe Forum Oryzon will attend the Third Annual Global Charcot Marie-Tooth (CMT) Research Convention in Cambridge, MA on September 22-23, where Oryzons Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Douglas V. Faller, will participate in a round table entitled Pushing Boundaries in CMT Research: Early-Stage Biotech Companies' Evolution and Insights on Therapy Development and our Oncology Project Leader Dr. Natalia Sacilotto will take part in a round table entitled Patient-Powered Perspectives: Biotech Insights on CMT and Collaborating with Patients. Additionally, the company will present during the poster session the data obtained in a CMT experimental model with its selective HDAC6 inhibitor ORY-4001. Click on link for more info about the Global CMT Research convention. Executive directors of the company will attend BIO-Spain 2023, which will take place on September 26-28 in Barcelona, Spain. Besides regular one-on-one meetings, the company will moderate a KOL panel discussion focused on mental health and precision medicine and the potential of LSD1 inhibitors like vafidemstat. This panel, entitled Mental Health and Personalized Medicine, will take place on September 26 at 16:00-17:00 h CET, and will be chaired by Dr. Tamara Maes, Oryzons Vice President, with the participation of Dr. Marc Ferrer, MD, PhD, Coordinator of the Comprehensive Care Program for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) for adolescents and young adults at the Vall dHebron University Hospital (Spain), Dr. Clara Tang, Director of Research at the Kabuki Syndrome Foundation (UK) and Dr. Siddharth Banka, MBBS, MRCPCH, PhD, Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine (Manchester University NHS Trust). The company will also participate in a KOL panel discussion moderated by Mr. Jesus Gonzalez Nieto-Marquez, Managing Director of BME, entitled Want to be a Rocket? How stock markets boost the growth of biotech companies with the participation of Mr. Roger Freixes, Partner of Cuatrecasas (Spain); Dr. Isabel Lozano, CEO of Atrys (Spain) and Dr. Carlos Buesa, CEO of Oryzon (Spain). This panel will take place on September 27 at 17:30-18:30 h CET. Click on link for more info about BIO-Spain About Oryzon Founded in 2000 in Barcelona, Spain, Oryzon (ISIN Coe: ES0167733015) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company and the European leader in epigenetics, with a strong focus on personalized medicine in CNS disorders and oncology. Oryzons team is composed of highly qualified professionals from the pharma industry located in Barcelona, Boston, NYC and San Diego. Oryzon has an advanced clinical portfolio with two LSD1 inhibitors, vafidemstat in CNS and iadademstat in oncology, in several Phase II clinical trials. The company has other pipeline assets directed against other epigenetic targets. In addition, Oryzon has a strong platform for biomarker identification and target validation for a variety of malignant and neurological diseases. For more information, visit www.oryzon.com About Vafidemstat Vafidemstat (ORY-2001) is an oral, CNS-optimized LSD1 inhibitor. The molecule acts on several levels: it reduces cognitive impairment, including memory loss and neuroinflammation, and at the same time has neuroprotective effects. In animal studies vafidemstat not only restores memory but reduces the exacerbated aggressiveness of SAMP8 mice, a model for accelerated aging and Alzheimers disease (AD), to normal levels and also reduces social avoidance and enhances sociability in murine models. In addition, vafidemstat exhibits fast, strong, and durable efficacy in several preclinical models of multiple sclerosis (MS). Oryzon has performed two Phase IIa clinical trials in aggressiveness in patients with different psychiatric disorders (REIMAGINE) and in aggressive/agitated patients with moderate or severe AD (REIMAGINE-AD), with positive clinical results reported in both. Additional finalized Phase IIa clinical trials with vafidemstat include the ETHERAL trial in patients with Mild to Moderate AD, where a significant reduction of the inflammatory biomarker YKL40 has been observed after 6 and 12 months of treatment, and the pilot, small-scale SATEEN trial in Relapse-Remitting and Secondary Progressive MS, where anti-inflammatory activity has also been observed. Vafidemstat has also been tested in a Phase II in severe Covid-19 patients (ESCAPE) assessing the capability of the drug to prevent ARDS, one of the most severe complications of the viral infection, where it showed significant anti-inflammatory effects in severe Covid-19 patients. Currently, vafidemstat is in two Phase IIb trials in borderline personality disorder (PORTICO) and in schizophrenia patients (EVOLUTION). The company is also deploying a CNS precision medicine approach with vafidemstat in genetically-defined patient subpopulations of certain CNS disorders and is preparing a clinical trial in Kabuki Syndrome patients. The company is also exploring the clinical development of vafidemstat in other neurodevelopmental syndromes. About Iadademstat Iadademstat (ORY-1001) is a small oral molecule, which acts as a highly selective inhibitor of the epigenetic enzyme LSD1 and has a powerful differentiating effect in hematologic cancers (see Maes et al., Cancer Cell 2018 Mar 12; 33 (3): 495-511.e12.doi: 10.1016 / j.ccell.2018.02.002.). A FiM Phase I/IIa clinical trial with iadademstat in R/R AML patients demonstrated the safety and good tolerability of the drug and preliminary signs of antileukemic activity, including a CRi (see Salamero et al, J Clin Oncol, 2020, 38(36): 4260-4273. doi: 10.1200/JCO.19.03250). In a recently completed Phase IIa trial in elder 1L-AML patients (ALICE trial), iadademstat has shown encouraging safety and efficacy data in combination with azacitidine (see Salamero et al., ASH 2022 oral presentation). Iadademstat is currently being evaluated in combination with gilteritinib in the Phase Ib FRIDA trial in patients with relapsed/refractory AML with FLT3 mutations. Beyond hematological cancers, the inhibition of LSD1 has been proposed as a valid therapeutic approach in some solid tumors such as small cell lung cancer (SCLC), neuroendocrine tumors (NET), medulloblastoma and others. In a Phase IIa trial in combination with platinum/etoposide in second line ED-SCLC patients (CLEPSIDRA trial), preliminary activity and safety results have been reported (see Navarro et al., ESMO 2018 poster). Iadademstat is being evaluated in a collaborative Phase II basket study with the Fox Chase Cancer Center in combination with paclitaxel in R/R neuroendocrine carcinomas, and the company is preparing a new trial in combination in SCLC. Oryzon has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) to collaborate on potential further clinical development of iadademstat in different types of solid and hematological cancers. In total iadademstat has been dosed so far to more than 100 cancer patients in four clinical trials. Iadademstat has orphan drug designation for SCLC in the US and for AML in the US and EU. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This communication contains, or may contain, forward-looking information and statements about Oryzon, including financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, and expectations with respect to future operations, capital expenditures, synergies, products and services, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally identified by the words expects, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates and similar expressions. Although Oryzon believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors and holders of Oryzon shares are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Oryzon that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include those discussed or identified in the documents sent by Oryzon to the Spanish Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV), which are accessible to the public. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and have not been reviewed by the auditors of Oryzon. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. All subsequent oral or written forward-looking statements attributable to Oryzon or any of its members, directors, officers, employees, or any persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statement above. All forward-looking statements included herein are based on information available to Oryzon on the date hereof. Except as required by applicable law, Oryzon does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. This press release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States or any other jurisdiction. Oryzons securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. Any public offering of Oryzons securities to be made in the United States will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained from Oryzon or the selling security holder, as applicable, that will contain detailed information about Oryzon and management, as well as financial statements. IR, US IR & Media, Europe Spain Oryzon Ashley R. Robinson Sandya von der Weid Patricia Cobo/Daniel Foley Emili Torrell LifeSci Advisors, LLC LifeSci Advisors, LLC Atrevia Chief Business Officer +1 617 430 7577 +41 78 680 05 38 +34 91 564 07 25 +34 672 447 094 +34 93 515 1313 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] SecurityMetrics Exhibits PCI DSS v4.0 Solutions and Ecommerce Threat Research at the Annual PCI SSC Community Meeting as a Diamond Sponsor Tweet OREM, Utah, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SecurityMetrics, a leading innovator in compliance and cybersecurity, is proud to announce its participation as a Diamond Sponsor at the PCI SSC North America Community Meeting, which will take place from September 12th-14th in Portland, Oregon. With a strong commitment to PCI compliance excellence and industry advancement, SecurityMetrics will be at the forefront of this event, offering its solutions to PCI DSS version 4.0, presenting on primary research affecting ecommerce website threats, forensic investigation expertise, live demos, and 1:1 time with their experienced QSAs. SecurityMetrics is set to give five presentations that delve into the new PCI DSS v4.0 standard, specifically focusing on new requirements for ecommerce security (e.g., requirement 11.6.1). Presentation details Two-Part Series: Part 1: "What Merchant Banks Need to Tell Their Ecommerce Merchants About PCI v4.0" Date: Tuesday, September 12th Time: 10:15-10:35 AM Part 2: "What Ecommerce Merchants Need to Know About PCI v4.0" Date: Tuesday, September 12th Time: 10:45-11:05 AM Tech Exchange "How to Protect Your Ecommerce Transactions: An Overview of PCI DSS v4.0 Changes for Ecommerce Sites" Date: Wednesday, September 13th Time: 3:25-3:45 PM PFI Presentation "Ecommerce Research and Script Scanning Results" Date: Wednesday, September 13th Time: 3:25-3:45 PM Main Stage Panel "Breach Trends & Lessons Learned - A Panel Discussion" Date: Wednesday, September 13th Time: 3:50 PM - 4:10 PM Brad Caldwell, CEO of SecurityMetrics says, "We are excited to be a part of the 2023 PCI SSC North America Community Meeting and to contribute to the discussions that will shape the future of our industry. Our goal is to empower businesses with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate the evolving landscape of cybersecurity." To help businesses prepare for PCI DSS v4.0, SecurityMetrics is offering a live demo of their 4.0 portal, which is designed to streamline and simplify the compliance process. SecurityMetrics' Qualified Security Assessors (QSAs) will be available on-site to answer questions, and provide insights into the latest trends in cybersecurity and compliance. For the first time ever, the SecurityMetrics Podcast, hosted by Jen Stone (Principal Security Analyst, QSA, CISSP, CISA), has been invited by the PCI Council to record multiple episodes of the podcast at the community meeting. Jen and other industry experts will discuss PCI DSS v4.0 and other cybersecurity topics. If you have a topic you feel would contribute to this objective and would like to be considered as a guest, email us: [email protected] . This year, SecurityMetrics is thrilled to offer high-value giveaways exclusively for event attendees including a free PCI DSS v4.0 Risk Check for Merchants and Acquirers and a free copy of the PCI Guide (valued at $129.99). These giveaways will be available our booth (booth #1). Additionally, those who stop by our booth to discuss their PCI DSS v4.0 needs can receive an Amazon Gift Card or a Tile mate. SecurityMetrics looks forward to engaging with attendees, sharing knowledge, and fostering discussions that drive the industry forward. For more information about SecurityMetrics' participation at the PCI Community Meeting, please visit https://www.securitymetrics.com/events . For press inquiries, call 801.995.6516 or email [email protected]. About SecurityMetrics SecurityMetrics secures peace of mind for organizations that handle sensitive data. They have tested over 1 million systems for data security and compliance. Industry standards don't keep up with the threat landscape, which is why they hold their tools, training, and support to a higher, more thorough standard of performance and service. As an Approved Scanning Vendor , Qualified Security Assessor , Certified Forensic Investigator, and Managed Security provider, SecurityMetrics guides organizations through data security testing and compliance mandates (PCI, HIPAA, GDPR, HITRUST). SecurityMetrics has over 20 years of forensic investigations, penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and compliance audits. The privately held company is headquartered in Orem, Utah where it maintains a Security Operations Center (SOC) and 24/7 multilingual technical support. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/securitymetrics-exhibits-pci-dss-v4-0-solutions-and-ecommerce-threat-research-at-the-annual-pci-ssc-community-meeting-as-a-diamond-sponsor-301915567.html SOURCE SecurityMetrics, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Nassau Financial Group and Fortress Investment Group Enter Into Strategic Partnership Tweet Nassau Financial Group, L.P. ("Nassau"), a leading provider of fixed annuities and asset management, and Fortress Investment Group LLC ("Fortress"), a global investment management firm, today announced they have entered into a strategic partnership. This strategic partnership marks a significant milestone for both organizations and opens new avenues for growth and close collaboration. The transaction closed on September 1, 2023, after receiving regulatory approvals. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230904160795/en/ As part of this strategic partnership, Nassau received a $130 million minority non-voting common equity investment from Fortress. This investment will provide additional primary capital to both further strengthen Nassau's balance sheet and accelerate the firm's growth strategy, including organic growth and acquisitions. Nassau entered into a long-term Investment Management Agreement ("IMA") with Fortress, whereby Nassau's insurance subsidiaries will have full access to Fortress' credit investment strategies. Nassau intends to begin investing alongside Fortress credit funds targeting direct lending and ABS investing opportunities. "We are thrilled to partner with Fortress to support the next phase of growth," said Phil Gass, Chairman and CEO of Nassau. "In addition to Fortress' significant equity investment, they bring extensive experience and an impressive investment track record across multiple credit investment strategies that fit well with our investment portfolio. Through this strategic partnership, Nassau will benefit from new investment capabilities, improving our competitive position as we continue capitalizing on attractive growth opportunities andcreating value for all our stakeholders." "We are pleased to invest in, and partner with, Nassau's exceptional business and team," said Jack Neumark, a Fortress Managing Partner and co-head of global specialty finance. "We believe our deep experience across the credit spectrum is extremely well aligned with Nassau's portfolio and investment objectives, and we very much look forward to contributing to Nassau's continued growth and success." Nassau was founded in 2015 with an initial capital commitment along with subsequent growth capital provided by Golden Gate Capital. With this transaction, Fortress owns approximately 7.7% of Nassau, with Golden Gate Capital remaining Nassau's majority controlling shareholder. Goldman Sachs served as financial advisor and Sidley Austin LLP served as legal advisor to Nassau. Deutsche Bank served as financial advisor, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as transaction counsel, and Skadden served as investment management counsel to Fortress. About Nassau Financial Group Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Nassau Financial Group is a growth focused and digitally enabled financial services company with three distinct and closely connected businesses: insurance, reinsurance, and asset management. Nassau currently has $23.0 billion in assets under management, $1.4 billion in adjusted GAAP equity, and 390,000 policyholders. For more information, visit nfg.com. About Fortress Investment Group Fortress Investment Group LLC is a leading, highly diversified global investment manager. Founded in 1998, Fortress manages $44.7 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2023, on behalf of over 1,900 institutional clients and private investors worldwide across a range of credit and real estate, private equity and permanent capital investment strategies. For more information, visit fortress.com. About Golden Gate Capital Golden Gate Capital is a San Francisco-based private equity investment firm with over $19 billion in cumulative committed capital. With a long-term investment philosophy, the principals of Golden Gate Capital have a long history of investing across a wide range of industries and transaction types, including going-privates, corporate divestitures, and recapitalizations, as well as debt and public equity investments. For more information, visit www.goldengatecap.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230904160795/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] SightPower awarded MICA funding to develop Automated Mine Shaft Inspection System for Global Mining Industry Tweet OTTAWA, ON and SUDBURY, ON, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - SightPower is excited to announce the awarding of $CAD 612 K funding from the Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator (MICA) for the development of an Automated Mine Shaft Inspection AI-based system for the global mining industry. A National Network of Innovation for Mining, MICA is designed to bridge the innovation-commercialization gaps that delay commercial success, domestically and globally. MICA leverages public and private sector investments to benefit the mining sector, both domestic and global, and the Canadian economy by: Investing in and advancing made-in- Canada solutions and integrating cross-sector innovators nationally. solutions and integrating cross-sector innovators nationally. Fostering networking opportunities and intersectoral collaboration to generate synergies and help increase the number, scale, and market reach of Canadian SMEs. SightPower Inc. offers stakeholders holistic technology for the digital transformation of a mining enterprise with seamless integration of mining data. Sight Power's Digital Mine platform is data agnostic and works across formats of any data type. This flexibility supports the connection with legacy products, compliance with workflows, data exchange with monitoring and fleet management systems, and the incorporation into ERP systems. The technology allows for the creation of a Digital Twin of a mine site, generating a dynamic tool for mine operators to manage their operations. The result is more effective mine design, planning, resource management, mineshaft operations for underground mines, and optimal mine-to-mill solutions. Mine Shafts are the lifeline of underground mies, and miners depend on safe uninterrupted and efficient flow of material. All shaft constructive elements must always be kept in good working conditions for safe and uninterrupted functionality of an underground mine. To prevent any potential accident and to maintain the continuous hoisting operations, every mine shaft must be stopped for 4-12 hours per week undergoing a visual inspection which is ineffective, unreliable, and puts the inspection team in an unsafe environment. The project supported by MICA and undertaken by SightPower will bring to industry a unique technological solution for mineshaft inspection. Instead of unreliable and potentially unsafe visual inspections, SightPower is developing an innovative hardware-software technology that will enable the automation of mine shaft inspection. Data collected by the hardware device, consisting of a laser-scanner and high-resolution camera, will be fed into SightPower's digital mine platform. The result will be a digital twin of the mine shaft. The AI driven, automated shaft monitoring system offers significantly better accuracy and reliability than what can be achieved by an inspection done by a person. This lowers the probability of accidents thus improving safety and efficiency of mining operations, and provides almost continuous shaft availability, bringing a significant financial gain by increased operational time and production. "We are very encouraged to support SightPower's Automated Mine Shaft Inspection technology which may significantly improve operational capabilities and increase safety of underground mining operations," said Chamirai Nyabeze, Network Director at MICA. "MICA support creates the unique opportunity to combine nowadays data collection capabilities with a concept and the technology of digital twinning and AI-based data analysis. This combination for mineshaft operational support is a revolutionary step for the whole industry," said Borys Vorobyov, CEO at SightPower. "We are delighted to team with MICA and MICA members to make this technology available for any underground mine in and outside Canada." For additional information about MICA please visit https://micanetwork.ca/ For additional information about SightPower, and Sight Power's Digital MineTM platform and technology, please visit sight-power.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sightpower-awarded-mica-funding-to-develop-automated-mine-shaft-inspection-system-for-global-mining-industry-301916118.html SOURCE SIGHTPOWER INC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Lanner Electronics Collaborates with Hailo to Unveil Revolutionary PCIe AI Acceleration Card - Falcon Lite Tweet Empowering Next-Generation AI Workloads with Unprecedented Performance, Efficiency and deployment flexibility TAIPEI, Taiwan, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lanner Electronics, a leading provider of advanced network appliances and edge AI computing platforms, is excited to introduce the new PCIe AI Acceleration Card, Falcon Lite, powered by Hailo-8 AI processors. The Falcon Lite's modular PCIe form factor provides a flexible solution for solution providers looking to accelerate edge AI workloads with deployment flexibility and power efficiency. The Lanner Falcon Lite PCIe AI Acceleration Card is designed to meet the soaring demand for scalable intelligent video analytics applications in smart retail, Industry 4.0, and intelligent transportation. With high-density AI processors, the Falcon Lite can accommodate 2, 3, and 4 Hailo-8 AI processors, offering up to 104 tera operations per second (TOPS) of AI performance to offload the CPU for low-latency deep learning inference. Designed to support x4, x8, and x16 PCIe interfaces in both commercial and industrial settings, the Falcon Lite AI Accelerator Card provides the mostflexible deployment in the market, enabling legacy devices such as NVRs, Edge AI boxes, Industrial PCs, AI Servers and robots to run video-intensive, mission-critical Edge AI applications such as video analytics, traffic management, access control, and beyond. "We are thrilled to collaborate with Hailo to introduce the Falcon Lite PCIe AI Acceleration Card to the market," said Jeans Tseng, CTO of Lanner. "As AI continues to transform industries, our commitment to innovation drives us to deliver top-tier solutions that empower businesses to harness the full potential of artificial intelligence. The Falcon Lite represents a significant leap forward in AI processing power, and we are confident it will drive new possibilities for AI-driven applications across various sectors." "Falcon Lite is the result of a close collaboration between Lanner and Hailo, aimed at responding to the increasing demand of our customers for high-capacity edge Ai solutions" said Yaniv Iarovici, VP of Business Development at Hailo. "Following up on the success of the Falcon-H8, the new Falcon Lite brings unprecedented power efficiency and cost efficiency to developers of AI-powered applications." At GSX 2023, Lanner will collaborate with Hailo to demonstrate the Falcon Lite's ability to detect and classify objects from multiple streams in real-time. Visit our booth at #3871 and explore the limitless possibilities unlocked by Edge AI technology. The Falcon Lite PCIe AI Acceleration Card is now available for evaluation and purchase. For more information or to request a product demonstration, please visit our website at https://www.lannerinc.com/products/edge-ai-appliance/deep-learning-accelerators/falcon-lite About Lanner Electronics Lanner Electronics is a world-leading hardware provider for advanced network appliances, ruggedized edge AI appliances. Lanner's Edge AI hardware platforms bring proven reliability, with a purpose-built design that can withstand the distinct challenges of the industrial edge and enable mission-critical applications such as video analytics, traffic management, access control, and beyond. https://www.lannerinc.com/ About Hailo Hailo, an AI-focused chipmaker, is developing specialized AI processors that enable data center-class performance on edge devices. Hailo's processors are the product of a rethinking of traditional computer architecture, enabling smart devices to perform sophisticated deep learning tasks such as object detection and segmentation in real-time, with minimal power consumption, size, and cost. The processors are designed to fit into a multitude of smart machines and devices, impacting a variety of sectors including automotive, security, industry 4.0, and retail.?For more information visit https://hailo.ai . Media Contact: Brian Chen +886-8692-6060 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lanner-electronics-collaborates-with-hailo-to-unveil-revolutionary-pcie-ai-acceleration-card---falcon-lite-301916053.html SOURCE Lanner Electronics [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] ValGenesis Announces Arizona Automation & Technologies as New Service Partner for India, Bangladesh, and UAE Tweet SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ValGenesis, Inc., the market leader in enterprise validation lifecycle management systems (VLMS), and Arizona Automation & Technologies, a premier provider of business and technology solutions, have partnered to extend a suite of ValGenesis products across the life sciences sector in India, Bangladesh, and United Arab Emirates (UAE). Arizona Automation & Technologies provides regulatory and compliance services in accordance with GAMP5, risk assessment (ICH Q9), and CFR Title 21 Part 11, serving clients across the life sciences industry including equipment suppliers, IT software providers, and automation consultants. ValGenesis' end-to-end digital validation platform, which includes its flagship VLMS offering, helps the world's leading life sciences companies enable stronger compliance, enforce standardization, and further digital transformation across manufacturing operations. As a service partner, Arizona Automation & Technologies will provide implementation services for a suite of ValGenesis products, including VLMS Express, a simplified cloud-based validation solution for startups and midsized companies, and iRisk, a next-generation platform for digitizing risk management. The combination of Arizona Automation & Technologies expertise and ValGenesis technology will provide companies with a unified digital platform that drives new levels of collaboration, intelligence, compliance, and corporate efficiency. "We aim to maximize our clients' operational efficiency by digitally transforming their systems and processes in the spirit of Pharma 4.0," says Bo Olsen, ValGenesis' SVP ofPartners. "We are pleased to partner with Arizona Automation & Technologies to make this happen in life science companies across these countries, helping them stay resilient and compliant." "We are committed to deliver excellence with integrity," says Sahil Mansuri, Head of Business Development at Arizona Automation & Technologies. "Our aim is to enhance and maximize our clients' operational performance by helping them achieve their business objectives in a professional, timely, and cost-effective manner. We are very pleased to associate with ValGenesis and help life science companies go paperless to stay compliant." ABOUT ARIZONA AUTOMATION & TECHNOLOGIES Arizona Automation & Technologies provides one-stop compliance solutions to life sciences, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, clinical research labs, CROs, pharma R&D, equipment suppliers, IT software providers, and automation consultants. The company offers computer system validation, IT software development, IT-GxP administration support, regulatory compliance, and audit support services. For more information visit: https://arizonaautomation.in/index.html ABOUT VALGENESIS ValGenesis, Inc. is the creator of an innovative software platform that serves as a foundation for managing compliance-based validation activities in life science companies. ValGenesis, Inc. is the provider of the first enterprise application that manages the corporate validation lifecycle process. This solution is fully compliant with U.S. FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and Annex 11 requirements. As the first fully paperless solution for electronic management of validation execution and approval, ValGenesis was selected by an industry peer review committee to receive the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) New Innovative Technology Award in 2005. For more information, visit https://www.valgenesis.com/ Further Information Althea D'Sylva, ValGenesis Communications, +1 510-445-0505 Ex. 1026, [email protected] Sahil Mansuri, +91-8401160769, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/valgenesis-announces-arizona-automation--technologies-as-new-service-partner-for-india-bangladesh-and-uae-301916391.html SOURCE ValGenesis Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] by Xinhua writer Ma Qian BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Calling the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) a high-level platform for China's opening-up, Saudi private firm Ajlan & Bros expected the event to deepen mutual understanding with their Chinese partners and lay a solid ground for future cooperation. The ongoing annual event is witnessing China's ratcheted-up endeavors to continuously invigorate global services trade and further open up its services sector, which buoyed international businesses with vigor and confidence. BOOST SYNERGY IN GLOBAL SERVICES TRADE To foster more growth for global services trade and cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised during the 2023 CIFTIS to enhance synergy with development strategies and cooperation initiatives of various countries, and deepen cooperation on services trade and digital trade with Belt and Road partner countries. The pledge made Mohammed Al Ajlan, chairman of the Saudi-Chinese Business Council, look forward to more services cooperation with China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). "China's pursuit of high-quality development is in line with Saudi Arabia's 'Vision 2030' economic transformation goals," said Ajlan, who is also deputy chairman of Ajlan & Bros Holding Group. "As the synergy between Saudi Arabia's 'Vision 2030' and China's Belt and Road Initiative continues to deepen, China's 5G, artificial intelligence, big data, financial technology and other emerging fields of technology are gradually moving to the Saudi market," he said, stressing that economic complementarity and cooperation potential of the two countries are obvious. "Undoubtedly, this will attract more Middle Eastern companies to strengthen cooperation and exchanges with Chinese enterprises, further promoting bilateral trade between China and Saudi Arabia, and contributing to China's high-level opening-up for new opportunities in global economic growth," he added. China had expanded its share of global commercial services exports from 3 percent in 2005 to 5.4 percent in 2022, according to a report titled Trade in Services for Development, which was jointly released by the World Bank Group and the World Trade Organization in July. In the first seven months of this year, China's services trade value grew 8.1 percent year on year to reach 3.67 trillion yuan (about 511.2 billion U.S. dollars), data from the Ministry of Commerce showed. The China-proposed BRI is closely linked to Egypt's Vision 2030 development strategy, as the two countries have conducted full-fledged cooperation in the fields of industry, energy, communications and infrastructure, said Abu Bakr al-Deeb, an advisor to the Cairo-based Arab Center for Research and Studies. Financing is one of the basic factors that enhance development in countries benefiting from the BRI, and has greatly helped Egypt develop its services sector, al-Deeb said. "China has already started cooperation with Egypt in many areas of the services sector, mainly in the maritime and transportation ones, investing billions of U.S. dollars in the maritime industry in recent years, especially in the Suez Canal, which is a vital component of China's Maritime Silk Road," he noted. Ghulam Qadir, trade and investment counsellor of the Embassy of Pakistan in China, said that China puts much emphasis on the new growth momentum that the world needs for trade liberalization, adding that "the hard-won and hard-fought" trade liberalization across the world must be maintained and improved. "This shows that how China is moving forward and offering its (development) space to other countries," Qadir said, stressing that there should be greater synergies among the development strategies of all countries, especially the developing countries. INSTITUTIONAL OPENING-UP OF SERVICES SECTOR As China has been committed to setting up a high-standard opening-up system for the services sector, this year's CIFTIS represents an epitome of the country's step forward to widen access to the booming sector and to expand institutional opening-up in pursuit of high-quality development. British company Schroders recently became one of the first global asset managers to operate in the Chinese market, as China has accelerated the opening-up of its financial services sector to facilitate international participation. The asset management company was awarded a license in June to operate a public fund business in China. "With our wholly-owned fund management company, we're going to have a broad suite of capabilities," said Sebastian Wood, chairman of China Affairs with Schroders. Wood described the 2023 CIFTIS as a springboard for Schroders' ambitious plans in the region. "The fair gives us a platform and an opportunity to network, and it will bring into focus our ambitions for the Chinese market." "China is modernizing and developing its investment market rapidly," said Wood, who was British ambassador to China between 2010 and 2015. "It's right to be very aware of that strategic opportunity in the historic development of the market here." "We see it as a long-term strategic commitment which we have to this market. We want our services to be available to a range of clients in China, including larger Chinese financial institutions and intermediaries down to retail clients as well," he added. China is further opening up to global businesses, particularly in the services sector, said Gianpaolo Bruno, trade commissioner of Italian Trade Agency (ITA) Beijing Office and coordinator of ITA Offices in China and Mongolia, suggesting that's the main message China wants to deliver through this year's CIFTIS. The Italian official highlighted a series of policy measures that China has carried out, from intellectual property rights (IPR) protection to foreign direct investment (FDI) incentives. In particular, he talked of China's stepped-up efforts to grant foreign companies equal access to government procurement activities. "They are also very good signals that we really appreciate. We hope that the Italian business community could take advantage of these opportunities," he added. In August, China's State Council released 24 suggestions for attracting foreign investments, ranging from improving IPR protection to facilitating cross-border data flows. Authorities should guarantee that foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) can participate in government procurements in accordance with the law, and support FIEs in innovating and developing world-leading products through measures such as first-order purchases, said the document. "We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the efforts undertaken by the Chinese government to create a level playing field for everybody to access the services sector in this country," Bruno said. Georgian businessman Giorgi Rtveladze also held that doing business in China is quite convenient and profitable, thanks to the country's major international expos like CIFTIS and the authorities' favorable policies such as tax exemption in free trade zones. It is the first time that Rtveladze, a representative of Georgian wine company Rtvelisi, participated in the 2023 CIFTIS, after exporting Georgian wine to China for five years. "The Chinese market is good for us. It welcomes foreigners to come and do business. We are happy to be here, and our business is growing," he said. At present, Rtveladze is pursuing his PhD in south China's Hainan University. Looking to the future, he said he hopes to do business in more areas in the country and export more products to its enormous market. [September 05, 2023] Pennsylvania-based cybersecurity provider expanding footprint to Florida Tweet AccessIT Group announces new office in Florida and appointment of Sean Brantley as regional sales manager. KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AccessIT Group, a specialized cybersecurity solutions provider with over 20 years of experience and relationships with leading technology partners, today announced plans to open a new office in Florida to complete its 2023 East Coast expansion. As a market leader of advanced security services and solutions in the Northeast, AccessIT Group has been methodically expanding their footprint south, starting with the opening of their Charlotte, North Carolina office in 2019 and today with the announcement of their new Florida location. Heading up the new office is Sean Brantley, who has been appointed regional sales manager for the company's now southernmost location. Brantley is a Florida resident, born and raised, with over 30 years of professional expertise in the dynamic field of cybersecurity. Throughout his career, he has held key roles at renowned companies, including IBM, HP, Intel, McAfee, Proofpoint, and most recently, Tufin, enriching his understanding of customer success in this ever-evolving sector. Brantley's proven track record of delivering exceptional outcomes paired with his ability to adapt to change and drive impactful transformations makes him the perfect person to expand AccessIT's security expertise to the region. "Expanding our presence along the East Coast has been in the works for a while now," explains David Hark, President of AccessIT Group, "so we embraced the opportunity to bring Sean onboard and extend our coverage in the Southeast. This expansion will allow us to better serve our growing client base and meet market demand." Follow AccessIT Group LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/accessit-group Twitter: www.twitter.com/AccessITGroup Facebook: www.facebook.com/aitgroup YouTube: www.youtube.com/@accessitgroup About AccessIT Group AccessIT Group is a specialized cybersecurity solutions provider offering a full range of advanced security services that assist organizations with the design, implementation and operation of their security program and infrastructure. We focus on cloud, risk management, compliance and implementation services, working with organizations to address the evolving complexities of cyberthreats. With six locations along the East Coast and over 20 years of experience and relationships with leading technology partners, we help you find the most appropriate technologies for implementation in your environment. Our cybersecurity experts operate as an extension to your team and help you identify the technologies and practices needed to protect your organization and your client data. Learn more at www.accessitgroup.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pennsylvania-based-cybersecurity-provider-expanding-footprint-to-florida-301916547.html SOURCE AccessIT Group [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Tyler Technologies to Provide Enterprise Justice Solution Suite to Licking County, Ohio Tweet Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: TYL) announced it has signed an agreement with Licking County, Ohio, Clerk of Courts and the Courts of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division, for Tyler's Enterprise Justice software suite, including its re:Search portal. "We have been seeking a more extensive case management system that would allow us to efficiently manage the courts' cases, now and in the future, as our county continues to grow," said Licking County Common Pleas Clerk of Courts Olivia C. Parkinson. "We are pleased to select Tyler's Enterprise Justice system as the ideal choice to make our courts' systems more transparent and accessible to our users, from pro se litigants to the general public." Licking County selected numerous products within the Enterprise Justice suite, including: Enterprise Case Manager, Enterprise Financial Manager, Enterprise Jury Manager, Enterprise Custom Reports, Documen Management, eSignatures, Notifications, and re:Search Portal. Once implemented, Tyler's products will help Licking County comply with new and potential changes in legislation relative to public access, including online document imaging and e-filing. Additionally, the solutions will help the courts integrate and communicate more efficiently with constituents. The solutions will be powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in a Tyler SaaS environment, enhancing the county's security, resiliency, and scalability. Tyler's Enterprise Case Manager solution will provide comprehensive court administration for Licking County's courts, including easily locating case information; creating and viewing dockets in various ways; generating forms, letters, and a variety of reports with advanced tools; sending notifications by text and email; and calculating fees, fines, and distributing payments automatically. "We're excited to bring our robust court case management system to Licking County," said Brian McGrath, president of Tyler's Courts & Justice Division. "As a leader in this market, we're confident that we can enhance efficiency, streamline clerk operations, and bring increased accessibility and transparency to all users." Licking County is located in central Ohio, with its county seat in Newark. It has a population of approximately 180,000. About Tyler Technologies, Inc. Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) provides integrated software and technology services to the public sector. Tyler's end-to-end solutions empower local, state, and federal government entities to operate efficiently and transparently with residents and each other. By connecting data and processes across disparate systems, Tyler's solutions transform how clients turn actionable insights into opportunities and solutions for their communities. Tyler has more than 40,000 successful installations across nearly 13,000 locations, with clients in all 50 states, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, and other international locations. Tyler has been recognized numerous times for growth and innovation, including Government Technology's GovTech 100 list. More information about Tyler Technologies, an S&P 500 company headquartered in Plano, Texas, can be found at tylertech.com. ### #TYL_Financial View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905076793/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Barclays appoints Pedro Costa as Vice Chairman, Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) M&A in the Americas Tweet Barclays today announces the appointment of Pedro Costa as Vice Chairman, Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) M&A in the Americas. Mr. Costa will be based in New York and report to Ihsan Essaid and Gary Posternack, Global Co-Heads of M&A. Mr. Costa brings to Barclays close to 20 years of investment banking experience advising companies across the full spectrum of software and digital media sectors. In his new role he will focus on advising large TMT companies with capital formation and strategic advice. Throughout his career, he has advised on over 100 domestic and international deals aggregating over USD$200bn in value. "We are delighted to welcome Pedro to Barclays as we continue to expand our capabilities and add talent in high-growth industry sectors aligned to strategically important areas of focus, specifically TMT and M&A," said Gary Posternack. "Pedro has spent close to two decades developing extensive knowledge and fostering key client relationships in his coverage sectors. His expertise and proven leadership will further bolster our TMT M&A team, and will ensure that we continue to deliver the best solutions and advice for our clients," said Ihsan Essaid. Mr. Costa joins Barclays from Morgan Stanley, where he most recently served as a Managing Director in the Technology Investment Bankin Group and Head of Technology M&A for the Americas. During his tenure at Morgan Stanley, he played a key role in a number of significant M&A transactions, including the recent sales of Magnet Forensics and Grayshift to Thoma Bravo, the take public of IonQ through merger with DMY Technology, the sale of ServiceChannel to Fortive, the creation of Onto Innovation through the merger of Rudolph Tech and Nanometrics, and the sale of Medidata to Dassault Systemes. He also spent five years in Sao Paulo leading Morgan Stanley's M&A practice in Brazil. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Mr. Costa worked at Bain in New York and McKinsey & Company in Warsaw and Lisbon. The appointment of Mr. Costa as Vice Chairman, TMT M&A in the Americas is the most recent in a series of important strategic hires for Barclays, evidencing a continued commitment to investing in industry-leading talent within the Corporate and Investment Bank. About Barclays Barclays is a British universal bank. We are diversified by business, by different types of customer and client, and geography. Our businesses include consumer banking and payments operations around the world, as well as a top-tier, full service, global corporate and investment bank, all of which are supported by our service company which provides technology, operations and functional services across the Group. For further information about Barclays, please visit our website home.barclays. About Barclays Corporate and Investment Bank Barclays Corporate and Investment Bank is comprised of the Investment Banking, International Corporate Banking, Global Markets and Research businesses. It provides money managers, financial institutions, governments, supranational organisations and corporate clients with services and advice for their funding, financing, strategic and risk management needs. For further information about Barclays Corporate and Investment Bank, please visit our website www.cib.barclays. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905134070/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] UltiSat Expands Coverage Areas for GC5 SATCOM TRANSEC Enabled Service Technical Trials Tweet CHANTILLY, Va., Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UltiSat, a global provider of advanced communications solutions to government, humanitarian-aid and critical infrastructure markets, has expanded the coverage area for technical trials for its new GC5 SATCOM TRANSEC Service. GC5 is a new fully managed, end-to-end TRANSEC service, specifically designed to meet DoD Instruction 8523.01 and NSA CSA requirements. Coverage is now available in the continental United States (CONUS) and Europe Middle East (EME) regions for technical trials and live demonstrations. The trials and network operations are supported out of UltiSats teleport facilities in Laurel, Maryland USA and Biddinghuizen, Netherlands. UltiSat announced the introduction of its GC5 SATCOM Service earlier this year with technical trials and demonstrations starting in May. GC5 is the first off-the-shelf satellite communications service designed specifically to meet the DoD mandated TRANSEC security demands of todays tactical environment. The bundled solution includes a selection of remote terminals, bandwidth plans, coverage areas, and data center interconnection options. GC5 includes inherent security features that meet or exceed US Department of Defense standards, includinga TRANSEC compliant architecture and FIPS 140-2 certified encryption. The GC5 moniker, refers to Command, Control, Communications, Computing and Cyber as critical elements of government missions. A key feature of the GC5 Service is the ability to seamlessly move terminals across coverage areas as mission locations change, without any government infrastructure investment, said UltiSat President and CEO David Myers. To enable customers to test GC5 in a range of different scenarios, UltiSat is further expanding coverage for technical trials into key government operational areas. UltiSat offers live on-site demonstrations at its facilities in the Washington D.C. area, as well as up to 30 day limited technical trials at customer locations in CONUS and EME. Customers may bring their own approved terminals or conduct trials using satellite equipment provided by UltiSat. GC5 strikes a perfect balance between the resiliency of defense grade satellite communications and the simplicity of a commercial off-the-shelf managed service. In addition to technical trials, production services will be offered with various coverage regions across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific starting later this year. About UltiSat UltiSat provides global end-to-end connectivity solutions and managed network services for land mobile, maritime, and airborne operations. Customers in government, humanitarian-aid, and critical infrastructure markets have unique communications requirements and greater demand for resiliency. Our portfolio includes a range of solutions leveraging satellite, terrestrial, wireless and cloud technologies, combined with in-house systems engineering and global field service. UltiSat leverages a 25+ year heritage deploying solutions in over 120 countries. UltiSat is a wholly owned subsidiary and separate operating company of Speedcast. For more information visit www.ultisat.com. For more information contact: [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] ecobee Announces Energy Saving Programs to Help Support Grid Stability Across Ontario Tweet Toronto-based smart home company ecobee today announced two energy saving programs - one with the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and one with Hydro One - to help strengthen the electricity grid in communities across Ontario by reducing the strain on the grid during periods of high demand. Residents of Ontario who own a smart thermostat can now earn $75 for enrolling in either the IESO's Save on Energy Peak Perks program, or the Hydro One myEnergy Rewards program through the Community Energy Savings feature in the ecobee app. Participating customers will experience slight, temporary, and automatic temperature adjustments of a few degrees on their ecobee smart thermostat during periods of high energy demand. These shifts in energy consumption can help create a more reliable and sustainable electricity grid, which benefits customers as well as their local community. Customers will remain in control of their comfort and can opt out of the adjustment at any time, or adjust their settings in the ecobee app to match the impact they want to have. "At ecobee, we are committed to offering planet positive solutions that address the timely problems customers are facing, such as increasing energy costs and growing demand for electricity," said Chris Carradine, EVP at ecobee Energy. "As a company that was founded in Ontario, we're excited to participate in these important energy-saving programs, which will allow more Ontarians to help their communities and automatically save on energy, without sacrificing comfort." Community energy savings programs aim to provide an opportunity for customers to play a significant role in the operation of the electricity grid, with the goal of ensuring a cost-effective, sustainable, and reliable electricity system in Ontario. "Over the next 20 years, the IESO forecasts that demand for electricity will grow 40 percent across Ontario," said Tam Wagner, Director, Demand Side Management, the IESO. "Energy efficiency programs, which include Peak Perks, are a cost-effective resource that continually help the province meet its electricity demands." The Save on Energy Peak Perks program is available to eligible customers across the prvince of Ontario. Customers will receive a $75 prepaid Mastercard for participating, as well as an additional $20 for each year they stay enrolled in the program starting in 2024, and energy-saving events may take place up to 10 times per year between June and September. Customers who don't already have a smart thermostat may qualify for a free one as part of Save on Energy's Energy Affordability Program. "Hydro One is preparing for a clean energy future and we're inviting our customers to join us by participating in a new, innovative way to use their thermostats that will help create a greener Ontario and get rewarded for doing so," said Megan Telford, Executive Vice President, Strategy, Energy Transition and Human Resources. "The demand for clean energy is increasing at a remarkable rate and Hydro One is committed to finding new ways to better optimize our electricity grid so energy remains reliable and cost-effective into the future." Hydro One myEnergy Rewards is available to eligible residential customers in Hydro One's service territory. Customers will receive $75 for participating, and energy-saving events may take place up to 15 times per year. Customers who don't already have an ecobee smart thermostat can purchase one from the Hydro One myEnergy Rewards Marketplace and automatically pre-enroll in the myEnergy Rewards program, after meeting eligibility criteria. They can also receive a $50 discount on either an in-person installation or a guided virtual installation appointment. Over the years, ecobee has demonstrated its commitment to improving everyday life while creating a more sustainable world. In North America, ecobee partners with over 100 utilities to offer energy saving programs to customers. Residents of Ontario who are interested in joining one of these programs can learn more at https://www.ecobee.com/en-ca/eco-plus/community-energy-savings/. About ecobee ecobee Inc. was founded in 2007 with a mission to improve everyday life while creating a more sustainable world. Since launching the world's first smart thermostat, ecobee has helped customers across North America save more than 27.8 TWh of energy, which is the equivalent of taking all the homes in Los Angeles and Chicago off the grid for a year. Today, ecobee continues to innovate with smart home solutions that solve everyday problems with comfort, security, and conservation in mind. With ecobee's products, including the award-winning Smart Thermostat Premium, ecobee continues to encourage Smart Owners to imagine what home could be. ecobee is a part of Generac Holdings Inc. (NYSE: GNRC), a leading global designer and manufacturer of energy technology solutions, and other power products. Generac and ecobee share a vision to deliver a cleaner and more sustainable energy future for customers and communities. The Generac and ecobee home of the future will be more comfortable, resilient, and efficient. For more information, visit ecobee.com. About IESO The IESO operates Ontario's power grid 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, ensuring Ontarians receive a reliable and cost-effective source of power when and where they need it. It works with sector partners and engages with communities across Ontario to plan and prepare for the province's electricity needs now and into the future. About Hydro One Hydro One Limited, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, is Ontario's largest electricity transmission and distribution provider with approximately 1.5 million valued customers, approximately $31.5 billion in assets as at December 31, 2022, and annual revenues in 2022 of approximately $7.8 billion. Our team of approximately 9,300 skilled and dedicated employees proudly build and maintain a safe and reliable electricity system which is essential to supporting strong and successful communities. In 2022, Hydro One invested approximately $2.1 billion in its transmission and distribution networks, and supported the economy through buying approximately $1.9 billion of goods and services. We are committed to the communities where we live and work through community investment, sustainability and diversity initiatives. We are designated as a Sustainable Electricity Leader by Electricity Canada. Hydro One Limited's common shares are listed on the TSX and certain of Hydro One Inc.'s medium term notes are listed on the NYSE. Additional information can be accessed at www.hydroone.com, www.sedarplus.ca or www.sec.gov. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905978153/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Former Intel Exec Joins Untether AI as President to Drive Commercial Efforts in the Burgeoning AI Acceleration Market Tweet Today, Untether AI, the leader in energy-centric AI acceleration technology, announced it has appointed Chris Walker, former Corporate Vice President and General Manager at Intel Corporation, as President. After leading the silicon giant's mobile business unit through multiple years of growth and fostering the company's client AI work, Walker joins Untether AI to lead its commercial efforts at a time when demand for efficient AI compute is rapidly accelerating. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905799800/en/ Chris Walker, President (Photo: Business Wire) "Untether AI has been growing at a rapid pace and Chris brings unique experience, growing world-leading chip businesses at the highest level," said Arun Iyengar, Untether AI CEO. "Chris' experience in business, engineering, and architecture while focused on driving customer results makes him the ideal leader to take on Untether AI's rapidly expanding commercial demands." This hire comes at a time when Untether AI has its first generation runAI-based products reaching its production ramp and the second generation speedAI devices sampling soon. At 30 TeraFlops per watt (TFlops/W) and 2 PetaFlops of performance, Untether AI's speedAI devices set a new standard for energy efficiency and compute density delivering inference compute capablities with dramatically reduced energy requirements. Untether AI processes AI compute workloads at least 15 times more efficiently than the state-of-the-art chips offered by leading GPU manufacturers. "I'm thrilled to be part of the company redefining AI chip architecture, the new frontier of computing," said Chris Walker, Untether AI President. "At a time when demand for AI compute is exploding, Untether AI is building the silicon that will power the next generation of AI workloads. From autonomous vehicles to enabling new enterprise class generative capabilities, demand for AI is an immense opportunity. This is where Untether AI's ultra-efficient at-memory chip architecture is well-positioned to be a market leader." Walker joins Untether to help the company address the growing AI compute demands from the automotive, aerospace, industrial, and financial services sectors. The recent proliferation of large language model use-cases is also increasing demand for efficient AI compute across a range of enterprises. With an architecture that delivers energy-centric high-performance inference, Untether AI is ideally suited to accelerate AI inference applications from the edge to the cloud. "Chris' ability to drive palpable ambition amongst teams is admired; I am confident he will inspire a mindset of resilience and dedication at Untether AI," said Arun Chetty, Intel Capital Managing Director. "As the need for AI compute expands, Chris' vast knowledge in architecture, product management, sales and marketing, and business development will be an invaluable component in aiding Untether AI as they work to unlock the future of AI workloads." "Untether AI is at the forefront of creating a new approach to highly efficient AI inference solutions. This is an imperative for scaled AI customer deployments in the data center, cloud, at the edge and embedded solutions," said Dr. Shaygan Kheradpir, senior advisor to Tracker Capital and the Technology team lead at Cerberus Capital Management. "Chris brings unique and unparalleled leadership experience in delivering innovative solutions and results at the highest levels of scale with partners." Walker had previously overseen Intel's Mobile Client Platforms encompassing SoCs, wired and wireless products. Driving P&L and strategy across engineering, products, customers, and ecosystem partnerships, he grew Intel's largest business line to over $25 billion. Walker also led from vision through scale the transformation of laptop innovation through Project Athena and the creation of the Intel Evo platform. About Untether AI Untether AI provides energy-centric AI inference acceleration from the edge to the cloud, supporting any type of neural network model. With its at-memory compute architecture, Untether AI has solved the data movement bottleneck that costs energy and performance in traditional CPUs and GPUs, resulting in high-performance, low-latency neural network inference acceleration without sacrificing accuracy. Untether AI embodies its technology in runAI and speedAI devices, tsunAimi accelerator cards, and its imAIgine Software Development Kit. Founded in Toronto in 2018, Untether AI is funded by CPPIB, GM Ventures, Intel Capital, Radical Ventures, and Tracker Capital. www.untether.ai. All references to Untether AI trademarks are the property of Untether.AI. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905799800/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Xplore Appoints Rizwan Jamal as Chief Executive Officer Tweet Current President and Chief Commercial Officer to assume CEO role and join Xplore's Board of Directors Interim CEO Fran Shammo to resume role as Executive Chair of the Board MARKHAM, ON, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - Xplore Inc., Canada's fibre, 5G and satellite broadband company for rural living, today announced that it has concluded its CEO search with the promotion of President and Chief Commercial Officer Rizwan Jamal to President and Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Fran Shammo, who has been serving as interim CEO, will continue in his role as Executive Chair of the Board. "We are delighted to appoint Rizwan to the role of CEO," said Mr. Shammo. "Rizwan's appointment to CEO of Xplore comes as the result of a thorough search process. He has deep knowledge of and connections within the Canadian broadband market from his time at other Canadian telecommunications companies, which has proved instrumental at Xplore since joining the company earlier this year. We are confident that Rizwan is the right person to carry Xplore into its next chapter, as we continue to invest in better broadband experiences for rural Canadians." "I am honoured to have been appointed to this role, and look forward to continuing to work closely with Fran and the rest of the Xplore leadership team," said Mr. Jamal. "Since joining Xplore, I've been thoroughly impressed by our dedicated team and the company's unwavering commitment to bringing innovative broadband solutions to more communities throughout rural Canada. I'm excited to continue building on our progress to date and progressing strategic initiatives that will benefit our world-class network including investing in our fibre-optic network, expanding our 5G home-internet service, and offering faster upload and download speeds." Mr. Jamal, who is based in Toronto, joined Xplore in May 2023 as President and Chief Commercial Officer. In this role, he has been responsible for the Company's sales, marketing, and product development functions and has supported Xplore's strategic priorities across the business. Prior to Xplore, Mr. Jamal worked at Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE) for more than 11 years, where he most recently served as President, Residential and Small Business. Before that, he spent 11 years at Telus Corporation (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) in various roles, including as Senior Vice President of Consumer Marketing. About Xplore Inc. Xplore Inc. is Canada's fibre, 5G and satellite broadband company for rural living. Xplore is committed to the relentless pursuit of an improved broadband experience for all Canadians. Xplore is building world-class fibre optic and 5G wireless networks to enable innovative broadband services for better every day rural living, for today and future generations. SOURCE Xplore Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] KBRA Releases Research - KBRA-Rated CMBS, Freddie Mac, CRE CLO, and SFR Exposure to Hurricane Idalia Tweet KBRA releases research on KBRA-rated commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), Freddie Mac, commercial real estate collateralized loan obligation (CRE CLO), and single-family rental (SFR) exposure to Hurricane Idalia. Hurricane Idalia struck Florida's northwestern shoreline as a Category 3 hurricane on the morning of Wednesday, August 30. The relatively fast-moving storm caused high winds and heavy rains in the Big Bend region of Florida. The storm's center was already back out to sea off the coast of North Carolina by Thursday morning. Preliminary estimates of insured losses from the storm range from $2 billion to $9 billion for Florida alone. Although the losses are significant, they are substantially lower than the estimated $60 billion caused by Hurricane Ian, which hit Florida in September 2022. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) updated its disaster declaration on September 3 to include 14 Florida counties eligible for individual and public assistance: Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Pasco, Pinellas, Suwanee, and Taylor. The counties cover a low-lying area and include St. Petersburg, the largest city within the declared counties. Eight of the counties have populations of less than 50,000 and only the counties of Hernando (207,000), Pasco (609,000), and Pinellas (962,000) exceed 200,000 residents. Among both KBRA-rated multi-borrower and single-borrower SFR transactions, 45 deals have properties in the 14 affected Florida counties. For multi-borrower deals, only CoreVest American Finance 2022-1 has property exposure that is at least 3% of total property value. Among single-borrower transactions, 10 have property-level exposure of at least 3%. The severity of property damage in the impacted counties is currently unknown. Although potential losses may be fully or partially mitigated by existing insurance policies, the degree of coverage may vary. Securitized loans generally require comprehensive coverage for fire, casualty, special perils, business interruption, rental loss, and commercial general liability insurance. In addition, properties in areas designated as having special flood hazards are generally required to maintain flood insurance, and properties in certain high-risk areas typically need to maintain windstorm and/or "named storm" coverage. KBRA will continue to monitor the situation and review available servicer information to better understand the extent of the damage and determine any potential impacts on ratings. Click here to view the report. About KBRA KBRA is a full-service credit rating agency registered in the U.S., the EU and the UK, and is designated to provide structured finance ratings in Canada. KBRA's ratings can be used by investors for regulatory capital purposes in multiple jurisdictions. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905446283/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Government of Canada invests nearly $1.2 million to bring high-speed Internet to over 1,600 households in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia Rural communities to benefit from increased connectivity to high-speed Internet OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada All Canadians need reliable and affordable high-speed Internet, no matter where they live. The Government of Canada is taking action to bring high-speed Internet access to underserved communities. Today, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, together with Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and Jaime Battiste, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, announced nearly $1.2 million in federal funding for Rogers to bring high-speed Internet access to over 1,600 households, including over 440 Indigenous households, in 16 rural and remote communities on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Today's announcement builds on the Government of Canada's progress toward ensuring that 98% of Canadians have access to high-speed Internet by 2026, and 100% by 2030. The Government of Canada will continue to make investments in infrastructure to build strong communities and a more competitive and resilient Canada for everyone. Quotes "We all know that Internet is no longer a luxuryit's a necessity. That's why our government made a historic commitment to connect 98% of Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2026. Today's announcement highlights our commitment to Internet connectivity in rural Nova Scotia. This investment will provide reliable high-speed Internet access, through Rogers, to over 1,600 underserved homes in 16 Cape Breton communities." The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency "High-speed Internet service is essential to the success of everyone living and working in Nova Scotia. This investment will help create jobs, improve access to health care and online learning services, and keep people connected to their family, friends and loved ones." Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard "Reliable Internet is essential to staying connected no matter where you live. That is why our government is collaborating with Rogers to bring high-speed Internet access to 16 communities across our province. By working to close the connectivity gap in span >Nova Scotia, this funding will help increase employment opportunities while also advancing access to health care and online learning services." Jaime Battiste "Access to reliable, high-speed Internet is critical for residents of rural Nova Scotia to stay connected and access health care services, and for businesses to operate and grow. We are proud to partner with the Government of Canada to bring high-speed fibre Internet access to more than 1,600 households." Ron McKenzie, Chief Technology and Information Officer, Rogers Communications Inc. Quick facts Canada's Connectivity Strategy aims to provide all Canadians with access to Internet speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) download / 10 Mbps upload. Connectivity Strategy aims to provide all Canadians with access to Internet speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) download / 10 Mbps upload. The Universal Broadband Fund is a $3.225 billion investment by the Government of Canada designed to help provide high-speed Internet access to 98% of Canadians by 2026 and achieve the national target of 100% access by 2030. investment by the Government of designed to help provide high-speed Internet access to 98% of Canadians by 2026 and achieve the national target of 100% access by 2030. Today, 93.5% of Canadian households have access to high-speed Internet, compared to just 79% in 2014. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested nearly $51 million in connectivity projects in Nova Scotia. Associated links Stay connected Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on social media. Twitter: @ISED_CA, Facebook: Canadian Innovation , Instagram: @cdninnovation and LinkedIn SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada [September 05, 2023] KinderCare Offers Families Free Day of Child Care This Fall Tweet To support families as they ease into the busy back-to-school season, KinderCare Learning Centers today announced that it is offering a free day of care as part of the company's National Open House fall event. Families of children aged six weeks to sixth grade can take advantage of this offering from September 5 through October 6 in KinderCare centers nationwide. "As the number of women returning to the workforce reaches an all-time high in the U.S., we know there's a strong need for high-quality child care across the country," said Michael Canavin, President, KinderCare Learning Centers. "Whether it's full- or part-time-time care, we're ready to help support working parents with programs that provide safe and well-rounded environments for children to foster a love of learning while building confidence for life. We're excited to welcome in families for this sneak peek of our industry-leading programs." KinderCare takes pride in its curriculum, focusing on a whole-child approach to build confidence for life and instill a love of learning. In fact, national studies confirm that the longer that children are enrolled in KinderCare programs, the sooner they achieve key developmental milestones. Families with children between the ages of six weeks and 12 years old not currently enrolled in a KinderCare Learning Companies program may sign up for a free day at KinderCare centers across the country. Availability may vary depending on location and the children's ages. To find a center near you and for more information, please visit https://www.kindercare.com/lp/free-day. About KinderCare Learning Companies A leading provider of early childhood and school-age education and care, KinderCare builds confidence for life in children and families from all backgrounds. KinderCare supports hardworking families in 40 states and the District of Columbia with differentiated flexible child care solutions to meet today's dynamic work environment: In neighborhoods, with KinderCare Learning Centers that offer early learning programs for children six weeks to 12 years old and with Creme de la Creme , which offers a premium early education model using a variety of themed classrooms; that offer early learning programs for children six weeks to 12 years old and with , which offers a premium early education model using a variety of themed classrooms; For work, wherever employees work, offering customized employer-supported child care benefits at more locations than any other provider, and In local schools, with Champions before and after-school programs. KinderCare programs meet the highest standards, validated by independent, third-party evaluation including: Gallup , measuring workforce engagement, , measuring workforce engagement, National Association for the Education of Young Children , ensuring individual early learning center quality, , ensuring individual early learning center quality, Cognia , accreditation for before- and after-school programs , accreditation for before- and after-school programs BRIGANCE and TerraNova assessments of children's academic progress and achievement, and assessments of children's academic progress and achievement, and WELL Health-Safety Rating, validating health and safety practices in our facilities. Headquartered in Lake Oswego, Oregon, KinderCare operates more than 2,000 early learning centers and sites. In 2023, KinderCare earned its seventh Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award - one of only four organizations worldwide to achieve this milestone for six consecutive years. To learn more, visit KC-Learning.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905388505/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] ZHENGZHOU, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A fleet of 87 apron buses manufactured by leading Chinese bus maker Yutong departed Zhengzhou in central China's Henan Province on Monday for Saudi Arabia. This is the largest overseas order for such vehicles produced by Yutong. The desert climate of Saudi Arabia, characterized by scorching heat, aridity and minimal rainfall throughout the year, significantly impacts vehicle performance. With a unique body structure and advanced anti-corrosion technology, Yutong's apron buses can maintain their durability even after prolonged exposure to sweltering conditions, said Wu Tao, chief of the apron bus product management section of Yutong. As the largest supplier of apron buses in China, Yutong has developed core strengths across the entire value chain from research and development, production and sales to after-sales services, according to Zhao Huan from the apron bus division of Yutong. Its products are now exported to more than 20 countries, including the Maldives, Spain and Britain, providing apron bus services in 67 airports, Zhao added. TC Latin America Partners and REI, integrate as "Industrial Gate," to lead the nearshoring boom in Mexico TC Latin America Partners "TC" and Real Estate Investments "REI" announce their vertical integration in Mexico under the new brand "Industrial Gate," consolidating their strategic alliance to capitalize on opportunities in the growing industrial market in Mexico, driven by nearshoring. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905662108/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) Since 2021, TC and REI have collaborated on the development and operation of industrial facilities in Mexico. This integration represents a pivotal milestone in optimizing their capabilities and effectively responding to positive market dynamics. The "Industrial Gate" strategy is focused on acquiring and developing Class A industrial properties, specializing in built-to-suit asset development. REI brings its operational and development expertise to TC's team in Mexico, along with extensive market knowledge. Notably, excellence is emphasized in all stages of the process, from development to asset disposition, leveraging TC's experience as an institutional asset manager. Since their first joint investment in 2021, "Industrial Gate Escobedo," an industrial park located in Monterrey, notable synergies have been cultivated within the teams. As of the third quarter of 2023, the portfolio comprises 10 industrial buildings with 3.4 million square feet of gross leasable area (GLA), housing tenants such as Foxconn, DHL, and Forvia; additionally, the portfolio has a land reserve with the potential to develop approximately 1.5 million square feet of additional GLA. The integration of TC and REI as "Industrial Gate" marks a significant milestone in Mexico's industrial landscape. Together, they will be able to seize the market opportunity generated by nearshoring, establishing a differentiated strategy focused on meeting the needs of tenants and investors. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905662108/en/ [September 05, 2023] What If Artificial Intelligence Could Prevent a Potential Fall? This Connecticut Memory Care Community Says It Can. Tweet The AI-powered technology that prevented 400+ falls in a 6-month pilot and earned Maplewood a spot on the McKnight's 2023 Excellence in Technology Awards finalist list will soon become a mainstay at Maplewood at Stony Hill. BETHEL, Conn., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Maplewood at Stony Hill , a dedicated memory care community in Bethel, CT, announced the rollout of an AI-powered fall prevention system following a highly successful pilot run at a sister property earlier this year. The technology, co-developed by Maplewood and Inspiren, Inc. , is being installed in all 84 residential apartments at Maplewood's Stony Hill community. Called AUGi (for Augmented Intelligence), it's the world's first cognitive resident care assistant, and will promote independence, help prevent injury, and instill peace of mind in residents living with early, mid-stage, and late-stage Alzheimer's disease and dementia and their families. AUGi demonstrated notable success during a 6-month, 33-unit pilot study at Inspir Carnegie Hill , a luxury senior living community operated by Maplewood Senior Living on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The platform consists of a sleek wall-mounted automated sensor system that uses HIPAA-compliant computer vision, artificial intelligence, and advanced room environmental sensors to passively and continually observe resident and staff behavior while maintaining privacy. The system learns residents' sleep patterns, mobility issues and general room activity, and successfully prompted over 400 documented staff interventions in high-fall-risk situations throughout the test period. These findings offer tremendous hope for te entire senior care industry, as falls in older adults (65+) result in over 32,000 deaths each year, according to the CDC. "AUGi's ability to monitor, triage, and alert staff to critical safety events has been a revolutionary tool for our caregivers," said Brian Geyser, Maplewood's Vice President of Health & Wellness, who coordinated the pilot program at Inspir Carnegie Hill. "While our staff is already extraordinarily attentive, AUGi acts like an extra set of eyes on our most vulnerable residents, maximizing the productivity of our caregivers while simultaneously enhancing the sense of privacy and independence in our residents." As such, the platform had an astonishing 100% voluntary opt-in rate among residents, families and responsible parties, as well as a 99% staff adoption rate. During the pilot program, staff used the AUGi mobile app to check on assigned residents an average of 22 times per shift. AUGi also earned Maplewood a finalist spot in the McKnight's 2023 Excellence in Technology Awards. Maplewood at Stony Hill's implementation of this cutting-edge technology is emblematic of their unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence. In 2021, the community earned Purple Flag accreditation , a prestigious accolade for communities meeting the highest standards of dementia care. To achieve accreditation, Maplewood at Stony Hill underwent the rigorous application process, which consists of an audit, the implementation of 10 themed procedures, and Purple Flag for Dementia Care's 60 practice recommendations. "AUGi will be a tremendous addition to our caregiving approach," said Lauren Stowell, Executive Director at Maplewood at Stony Hill. "We embrace the capabilities of artificial intelligence as we strive to provide the best quality of life for our residents, which starts first and foremost with their safety." In addition to the 84 units at Maplewood at Stony Hill that will soon welcome AUGi, the technology will be under evaluation for future implementation across the Maplewood portfolio following an empirical study of AUGi's effectiveness in partnership with Hunter College. Maplewood at Stony Hill offers a mix of private, deluxe studio and one-bedroom apartments, starting at $6,450 a month. For personalized pricing, availability and touring, please visit https://www.maplewoodseniorliving.com/bethel-connecticut/contact/ . About Maplewood Senior Living Maplewood Senior Living is known for its upscale senior living residences, offering a broad range of premier services, amenities and care to its residents. Based in Westport, CT, Maplewood Senior Living operates 16 senior living communities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Ohio. There is an Upper East Side location in Manhattan, NY, within the company's newest brand, Inspir. This new, senior living offering was launched to provide a luxurious option for seniors looking to join a residential community in major metropolitan areas. A second Inspir location is under development in Washington D.C.'s vibrant Dupont Circle neighborhood. For more information, please call 203-557-4777 or visit http://www.maplewoodseniorliving.com. About Inspiren Inspiren is a nurse-led, nurse-founded technology company amplifying the care capacity of healthcare enterprises through a singular, AI-driven, interoperable platform called AUGi. AUGi (Augmented Intelligence) is a wall-mounted device that automatically analyzes clinically significant events within a patient's care environment. Using its advanced sensors, AI and intuitive mobile and web applications, AUGi provides unparalleled real-time insight into patient safety and clinical efficiency. Designed as a powerful IoT (Internet of Things) and interoperable platform, AUGi also serves as a data integration hub for all patient care technology. Inspiren's HQ is located in New Lab, the 84,000-sq.-ft. technology innovation center in Brooklyn, NY. To learn more about Inspiren, please visit us at inspiren.com. Media Contact Anna de Graaf [email protected] 757-759-1008 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/what-if-artificial-intelligence-could-prevent-a-potential-fall-this-connecticut-memory-care-community-says-it-can-301915707.html SOURCE Maplewood Senior Living [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Government of Canada and FCM Partner to Transform Brampton's Susan Fennell Sportsplex Into State-Of-The-Art Net Zero Facility Tweet BRAMPTON, ON, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - Community initiatives that cut pollution, reduce greenhouse gases and support efficient local infrastructure help keep the air clean and are a critical part of the strategy for a cleaner Canada. They also help build strong and healthy communities. This is why the Government of Canada, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) are investing in smart, and sustainable, solutions across the country. Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and FCM President Scott Pearce announced $10 million for retrofits to the Susan Fennell Sportsplex in Brampton, Ontario, through the Green Municipal Fund's (GMF) Community Buildings Retrofit (CBR) initiative. The retrofits are expected to transform the nearly 30-year-old multi-purpose sportsplex into a state-of-the-art zero-carbon facility. The project will electrify the facility's gas-powered equipment, including boilers and ice resurfacers, install a geothermal system, as well as upgrade the ice rink refrigeration plants, air handling units, heat pumps, lighting, and other systems. Through a combination of energy efficiency upgrades, renewable energy measures and carbon offers, the city aims both to reduce this facility's carbon footprint and create a model for other recreational facilities as part of its long-term goal towards Zero Carbon transition. The upgrades are expected to reduce operating costs and carbon emissions by 91% annually, with the remaining 9% savings achieved through carbon offsets. The reductions equal about 550 cars taken off the road for one year, or 30,000 trees grown for 10 years. These retrofits are funded by the Green Municipal Fund, administered by the Federation of Canadan Municipalities, through an endowment by the Government of Canada. For over 20 years, GMF has helped local governments switch to sustainable practices faster. Its unique mix of funding, resources and training gives municipalities the tools they need to build resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Community Buildings Retrofit initiative is part of a $950 million federal investment in FCM's Green Municipal Fund and is designed to scale up energy-efficiency and lower emissions across Canada. Quotes "Investing in deep retrofits to reduce emissions and build more efficient infrastructure is a critical way we can fight climate change and support cleaner communities. These retrofits will result in significant cost savings for the municipality as well as providing a state-of-the-art net zero facility that residents and families can enjoy." The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources "Canada's ongoing transition to a net-zero economy requires collaboration. By working hand-in-hand with our partners, we are building sustainable communities and investing in the next generation. In Brampton, through our significant investments in energy-efficient public infrastructure, we're laying foundations for the long-term sustainability of our city. " Sonia Sidhu, Member of Parliament for Brampton South "Municipal facilities are important places where Canadians receive the services they need directly in their local communities, but they can also produce GHG emissions. More generally, municipalities have influence over half of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. That's why it's so crucial that FCM's Green Municipal Fund and the Government of Canada support projects like the retrofitting upgrades to the Susan Fennell Sportsplex. Only with all levels of government onboard will Canada achieve its net-zero goal by 2050 while also cutting costs for local governments and residents. Together, a greener and more affordable Canada is possible." Scott Pearce, FCM President "The energy transition is underway in communities across Canada, and the City of Brampton is committed to doing its part to create a cleaner, more sustainable future for everyone to enjoy. We are thrilled to receive this $10 million investment from the Government of Canada and FCM. The upgrades to Susan Fennell Sportsplex are another step toward meeting our net-zero goals while ensuring this facility is prepared to serve Bramptonians for generations to come." Patrick Brown Mayor of the City of Brampton Associated link Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Fund 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan) SOURCE Natural Resources Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Hilton Grand Vacations Provides Update on Impact from Maui Wildfires Tweet Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. (NYSE:HGV) ("HGV" or "the Company") today provided an update on its business in Hawaii following the recent wildfires on Maui. The Company has 13 properties in the Hawaiian Islands, including two properties and sales centers in Maui: Ka'anapali Beach Club in Ka'anapali, and the recently opened Maui Bay Villas in Kihei. Neither Maui property sustained physical damage, and the Company maintains business interruption insurance at both properties. "The devastation that we've seen from the recent wildfires is tragic, and our thoughts are with the people of Maui, including our many team members who live and work on the island," said Mark Wang, president and CEO of Hilton Grand Vacations. "Hawaii has always held a special place in my heart. I spent over 25 years living and working on the islands, and I've witnessed firsthand the resilience of Hawaii's people in the face of adversity. As Maui begins the process of rebuilding, we're providing support to the local community, our affected team members, and our club members. We've activated a Team Member Relief Fund and provided immediate housing assistance to dozens of our team members and their families directly impacted by the fires, along with first responders assisting in relief efforts. In total, we've provided nearly $500,000 of relief through direct support to team members and residents, along with donations to a number of organizations including the Aloha United Way's Maui Fire Relief Fund and the Hawaii Community Foundation's Maui Strong Fund. We believe in the spirit of the people of Maui, and we're committed to providing support to all those affected as they rebuild in the aftermath of these tragic events." Hawaii Business Update "We're continuing to assess the impact of the wildfire on our business," said Dan Mathewes, chief financial officer of Hilton Grand Vacations. "Currently, Ka'anapali Beach Club is not accepting guest reservations, and non-essential travel to the affected areas remains limited by regional authorities. As a result, we're anticipating a significant decline in contract sales activity at our Maui properties for the remainder of the year. Outside of the affected Maui resorts, we have not yetseen an uptick in cancellation activity at our other Hawaiian properties. Nevertheless, the situation remains fluid, and we may see some additional disruptions across our broader Hawaii portfolio as we relocate and rebook our guests." In the trailing 12 months ended June 30, 2023, contract sales in all of HGV's Hawaii sales centers represented approximately 16% of total contract sales. In that same period, the Company's two Maui properties contributed over 20% of Hawaii's contract sales. Our most recent guidance contemplated that Hawaii, and Maui in particular, would be larger contributors to growth in the second half of this year versus the first half, owing to the expected continuing market recovery. Currently, we estimate that the impact to Q3 2023 will be $20 to $25 million in contract sales and $12 to $15 million in Adjusted EBITDA. Conference Participation On Sept. 7, the Company will be meeting with investors at the 2023 Bank of America Gaming and Lodging Conference in New York City. Important Notice This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements convey management's expectations as to the future of HGV, and are based on management's beliefs, expectations, assumptions and such plans, estimates, projections and other information available to management at the time HGV makes such statements. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts, and may be identified by terminology such as the words "outlook," "believe," "expect," "potential," "goal," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "could," "would," "seeks," "approximately," "projects," "predicts," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates," "future," "guidance," "target," or the negative version of these words or other comparable words, although not all forward-looking statements may contain such words. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release include statements related to HGV's revenues, earnings, taxes, cash flow and related financial and operating measures, and expectations with respect to future operating, financial and business performance and other anticipated future events and expectations that are not historical facts. HGV cautions you that our forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including those that are beyond HGV's control, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the future results. Any one or more of these risks or uncertainties could adversely impact HGV's operations, revenue, operating profits and margins, key business operational metrics, financial condition or credit rating. For a more detailed discussion of these factors, see the information under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in HGV's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, which may be supplemented and updated by the risk factors in HGV's quarterly reports, current reports and other filings HGV makes with the SEC. HGV's forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this communication or as of the date they are made. HGV disclaims any intent or obligation to update any "forward-looking statement" made in this communication to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results over time. About Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. (NYSE:HGV) is recognized as a leading global timeshare company. With headquarters in Orlando, Florida, Hilton Grand Vacations develops, markets, and operates a system of brand-name, high-quality vacation ownership resorts in select vacation destinations. As one of Hilton's 22 premier brands, Hilton Grand Vacations has a reputation for delivering a consistently exceptional standard of service, and unforgettable vacation experiences for guests and more than 520,000 Club Members. Membership with the Company provides best-in-class programs, exclusive services and maximum flexibility for our Members around the world. For more information, visit www.corporate.hgv.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905980822/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] IEHP welcomes Healthcare Scholarship Fund recipients Tweet RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- When Mina Botros immigrated to the U.S. from Egypt at age 10, he became an Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) member. Now the 25-year-old Riverside resident is preparing to give back to the community he loves by becoming a doctor in the very place he calls home the Inland Empire. And in a full-circle moment, Botros once again has the heart of IEHP watching over him this time in the form of a scholarship through the not-for-profit health organization's Healthcare Scholarship Fund. Known as HSF, the fund addresses two critical needs: providing financial support to physicians-in-training and closing the gap on the shortage of health care providers in the region. "[IEHP] was a big source of support for me to seek health care and everything I needed to start a new life here," recalled Botros, a second-year med student at Loma Linda University. "I got a lot of support out of IEHP, but I know there's a lot of people who didn't have that same support. And later on, I saw some family members and friends falling through the gaps and suffering from it; that's when my passion toward serving the Inland Empire community through health care was solidified." IEHP launched its HSF in 2020 in partnership with three local medical schools Loma Linda University School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, and California University of Science and Medicine in Colton. Since its inception, HSF has invested millions of dollars in the future of health care through full-ride scholarships intended to help offset costs associated with attending medical school. Along with Botros, this year's awardees join more than 100 schoarship recipients already in their respective career field studies. To welcome the 2023 Scholars to the HSF family, IEHP hosted a special luncheon for the students and their supporters on Aug. 19 at the company's headquarters in Rancho Cucamonga. Each scholar received messages of encouragement and tips of the trade from IEHP leaders, including IEHP Chief Executive Officer Jarrod McNaughton. "The Inland Empire is actually at the bottom of the list when it comes to the provider-to-population ratios in the state of California," McNaughton explained. "And so, the goal with this program is to have 50 full-ride medical school scholarships per year at the three medical schools in an attempt to go upstream and make sure you are well taken care of in the process and you can really focus on [becoming] an incredible provider." The HSF program is just one way IEHP is working to address the critical need of health care within the areas it serves throughout San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The organization launched a Network Expansion Fund (NEF) Program with a 73 percent retention rate which serves as a subsidy to offset costs associated with hiring physicians. All NEF recipients must commit to three years of practicing within the IEHP network and with no restrictions. Since its launch, NEF has supported more than 450 physicians and advanced practitioners. To be considered as an HSF Scholar, med students must meet certain criteria based on their institution's respective eligibility requirements, and all must agree to practice in the region for five years with a contracted IEHP provider. In the meantime, IEHP will support HSF recipients throughout their academic journey by providing a helping hand whenever the need arises. "You'll be hearing a lot from us," McNaughton explained. "This is not a 'one-time wonder.' We really want to be engaged and support you through your journey." About IEHP With a mission to heal and inspire the human spirit, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans, the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid plan in the country and for the third year in a row, certified as A Great Place To Work. In its 27th year, IEHP supports nearly 1.7 million Riverside and San Bernardino County residents enrolled in Medicaid or IEHP DualChoice (those with both Medi-Cal and Medicare). Today, IEHP has a growing network of 7,000 providers and 3,000 team members who are fully committed to the vision: We will not rest until our communities enjoy optimal care and vibrant health. To learn more, visit iehp.org. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iehp-welcomes-healthcare-scholarship-fund-recipients-301918301.html SOURCE Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 05, 2023] Switzerland Dynasty Global AG begins the internationalization process with a focus on Asia, after acquiring a high-end property in London Tweet Founded in 2018 in Crypto Valley, Switzerland, the company created the DN, the first payment token with reference in the real estate market. SAO PAULO, Sept. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The world's first crypto assets issuer to operate in the payment token market with a reference in the real estate market, Dynasty Global AG is focused on expanding into Asia. After starting the internationalization process with the acquisition of a high-end development in London last month, the institution's objective is now focused on the Asian market. To this end, Eduardo Carvalho, CEO and corporation cofounder, will be present in the coming days at Token2049, a global cryptocurrency event taking place in Singapore, between September 13 and 14th, with the aim of exploring new opportunities and establishing partnerships with institutional investors. According to the executive, the search for growth within the Asian continent is justified mainly due to the advanced maturity stage of crypto assets in the region. To give you an idea, a study by the company K33 points to Asia as the continent with the most holders of digital currencies, with 262 million people. By way of comparison, North America appears in second place with 54 million people, while South America has 33 million. "Asia is a world apart, where technology already assumes a much more present role compared to the rest of the world. It is no wonder that the digital asset market is more developed in the region, which makes it an attractive and strategic location in Dynasty's strategic planning", adds Carvalho. Pioneer in the market With a project started in 2016 and headquarters founded in early 2018 in the Crypto Valley, Switzerland, cradle of the main cryptocurrencies on the planet due to the strong local jurisdiction, Dynasty Global AG is a pioneering global company in uniting the power between real estate and cryptocurrencies. In other words, the corporation uses assets from the real estate market as a value reference for its payment tokens. With this, the company makes DN, its digital asset, act more stable compared to other crypto assets on the market, especially in periods of instability, since the return comes from renting the properties in its portfolio. With 21 million tokens issued, DN is currently listed in Brazil through FlowBTC, and in the rest of the planet through Probit, P2PB2P and Exmarkets. According to Carvalho, Dynasty was created precisely because of the need for a value reference in the world of cryptocurrencies. "Since our inception, we have made it a priority to provide as much transparency as possible to our token holders. In fact, one of our differentials is exactly this: to bring security to those who trust our business model", he concludes. High-end asset in London The brand's global expansion project kicked off last month, with the official acquisition of a unit in a high-end development in London. Managed by the hotel chain Marriott - one of the most renowned in the world -, the asset is located on Park Street, in the Mayfair neighborhood, one of the most sought-after locations in the country. In addition to generating revenue for the mechanism for buying back and burning its digital currency, the point will be incorporated into the Dynasty Club, a club where members holding the DN will have advantage and priority in relation to the use of this property. For the execution of the agreement, Dynasty Global AG had a great success in private funding. The total contribution received was CHF 12 million (approximately USD 12 million at current exchange rates), including equity investment and private sale of DNs, adding up the result in Brazil and Europe. About Dynasty Global AG: Dynasty Global AG is the first crypto-issuing company in the world to use the real estate market as a value reference for issuing payment tokens. Through DN, the broadcaster manages to simplify financial transactions globally and provide a decentralized experience, in addition to greater stability, since it has a reference to the value of a real asset. With a strong presence in the European, Asian and Brazilian markets, the company is headquartered in Crypto Valley, Switzerland, known as the "Silicon Valley" of cryptocurrencies for supporting the use of cryptocurrencies on a daily basis and shelter projects such as Ethereum, Cardano, among other known cryptocurrencies. With 21 million tokens issued, DN is listed on several global exchanges and in Brazil it is available on FlowBTC. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201165/Eduardo_Carvalho_143.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/switzerland-dynasty-global-ag-begins-the-internationalization-process-with-a-focus-on-asia-after-acquiring-a-high-end-property-in-london-301918317.html SOURCE Dynasty Global Investments AG [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] We start this discussion with background on litigation amid a great deal of political posturing and partisan disputes . . . Check-it . . . The case became part of a back-and-forth between local officials in Jackson County and statewide officials. In June, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker issued a public letter to Missouri Gov. Mike Parson about a potential pardon . . . Parson, who called the letter a "political game" from Baker, did not include DeValkenaere in his list of pardons for June and July. Later in the summer, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a legal brief arguing for the conviction to be overthrown or a new trial to be granted . . . Oral arguments begin at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning. About push back scheduled . . . "The rally is organized by the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, KC Law Enforcement Accountability Project (LEAP), Decarcerate KC and Its Time 4 Justice. It will be held at 8 a.m. in front of the Missouri Court of Appeals near 13th and Oak Street in Kansas City, Missouri." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Missouri Court of Appeals will hold oral arguments Tuesday in Eric DeValkenaere case The Missouri Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in a former Kansas City Police Department detective's appeal. Q My husband is a country boy. I knew when I met him that he was raised in the country, but we met in the city. Im a city girl, and he knew that when we met. We spent holidays out with his parents and friends and I have really come to enjoy the quiet and slower pace of the country. We got married on his parents farm and have spent lots of time out there while raising our young kids. And, as many people did, we moved out there (for several reasons) during COVID. But we moved back at the end of the pandemic and have been back in the city for two solid years. The kids are happy, Im happy but my husband is not. Hes pushing for a permanent move. The kids are still young so the decision is ours, but they are not on board. They both love their school, their friends and their extracurricular activities. And Im not interested. Full stop. Is this going to be the end of our marriage? Is this whats going to break us apart? Will my husband not feel that family is more important than location? Im afraid to talk about it, and afraid not to talk about it. What do we do? City vs. Country A This is such a tricky and not uncommon situation. No doubt hes wondering the same thing, as in, is our marriage not more important than location? The truth is, you two need to compromise. Im not sure what that looks like, but if you dont, and one of you wins, resentment will surely ensue. So I suggest you go through all the pros and cons, from your viewpoint; and I suggest he does the same. Then talk it through. Maybe youll be able to come up with a plan together. If not, youll need counselling to see if a third party can show you the way. And if that doesnt work, youll need counselling to figure out how to go your separate ways. Q My daughter is pregnant, for the second time, with her husband whom I adore. Their daughter is my life my first grandchild. Shes smart, sweet, funny and very loving. Thankfully, I have been able to spend a lot of time with her as I work part-time, and from my home. My concern is that, though her parents are loving and spent quality time with her in the beginning, they put her in a daycare/nursery very early on. They are both very focused on their careers and admit that they are both fairly self-centred. Now that my daughter is pregnant again, I worry that my granddaughter will take an even further back seat in her parents world. I would hate for her to feel less loved. How can I discuss this with my daughter and her husband? Worried Grandma A You need to tread carefully here, Grandma. Whatever you do, you do not want your daughter and/or her husband to stop you from spending time with your granddaughter and the impending new baby. And they could if you upset them enough. I know youre coming from a place of love and concern, but they may hear it as judgmental and accusatory. So, tread softly. I suggest offering your help in a more scheduled and concrete way for example, every Monday youll take your granddaughter on an afternoon adventure, feed her dinner, have a sleepover, and then get her to school on Tuesday. Once thats in place, you could talk to your daughter casually about how you can help once the baby comes, and talk to them from an interest standpoint of how they hope to add this other layer into their lives. FEEDBACK Regarding the camp counsellor looking for help from her superiors (July 25): Reader: You hit the nail on the head when you mention that the end goal is the well-being of the campers. I am a nursery school staff member at a church and we are required to have our Plan to Protect certification before we work with children. Protection of this part of the vulnerable sector is very important and includes way more than protecting against physical abuse. In this situation, there seems to be an uncaring attitude, by counsellors at every level, opening the way to more serious situations. It doesnt sound like there is a Plan to Protect program in place. Lisi: Plan to Protect was first created in 1996, and has since become known as the standard of abuse prevention and vulnerable sector protection. Ellie Tesher and Lisi Tesher are advice columnists for the Star and based in Toronto. Send your relationship questions via email: ellie@thestar.ca or lisi@thestar.ca. A man is dead after being shot in south Etobicoke late Monday night. Toronto police said 22 Division officers responded to a shooting outside a residential address near The Queensway and Park Lawn Road at 11:49 p.m. Officers located the victim and provided life-saving measures, police said Tuesday morning, adding the man was taken to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Police didn't release a description of the shooter or shooters. Anyone with information should call the homicide squad at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477). Police are appealing to the public for help in solving the 1982 disappearance of Naif (John) Rashid. On Jan. 18, 1982, Rashid was reported missing from the Weston Road and St. Phillips Road area. Toronto police said the man was last seen on the evening of Jan. 15, 1982 and is believed to have attended the Gasworks tavern, which was located in the Yonge and Dundonald streets area of downtown Toronto. Rashid at the time was five feet 10 inches tall, 150 pounds with black wavy hair, brown eyes, a black moustache and a deep voice. He was last seen wearing a brown waist-length bomber-style leather jacket, blue jeans and a navy blue long-sleeved sweater. Today, he would be 76 years. Despite the passage of time, investigators in our Homicide and Missing Persons Unit remain actively committed to solving this case, police said in a news release Tuesday, Sept. 5. Family members and investigators are making an appeal to the media and public for any information that may help advance the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the homicide and missing persons unit at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477). BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Tesla is expecting to make more strides in the Chinese market as China's new energy vehicle (NEV) industry enjoys massive market and vibrant growth momentum, said President of Tesla China Wang Hao. Tesla's new version of China-made Model 3 sedan made debut at the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) on Saturday, marking the first time the global carmaking giant has unveiled a vehicle in China ahead of the United States. "A platform like CIFTIS is an excellent window for multinational enterprises to understand the Chinese market," Wang said. "We can be well-informed of consumers' thoughts in a short period of time and feel the market vibes up close." China's NEV industry has made a meteoric leap over the past decade, and Tesla has gained a groundswell of popularity among Chinese customers, in stark contrast to landscape when the EV maker entered China in 2014, according to Wang. "Few car companies would launch new cars at a service trade fair. But why not here?" he added. "Now, when automobile manufacturers talk about their development strategies for the future, they almost focus on new energy sections. If we don't keep up with that pace, we will be left behind," he noted. A total of 53 percent of all fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids globally were running on China's roads at the end of 2022, according to an analysis published by the German Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Wuerttemberg (ZSW) in August. With a doubling of new registrations to 6.5 million electric vehicles, China also recorded the largest increase of all markets last year, as the country accounted for 60 percent of global registrations, ZSW said in a statement. Wang stressed the strong support Tesla obtained from the Chinese authorities, including the Beijing municipal government back in 2014 and the Shanghai municipal government in recent years. Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory delivered 64,285 electric vehicles in July, up 128 percent from the same period last year, according to the U.S. electric auto giant. Recently, the Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory began exporting its Model Y (Rear-Wheel Drive) vehicle to the Republic of Korea (ROK), marking the first entry of made-in-China Tesla vehicles into the ROK market. Wang also mentioned that an increasing number of foreign traditional car enterprises have begun to cooperate with China's NEV and battery companies. Tesla's localization rate of car components used in the Shanghai factory has exceeded 95 percent. "We signed contracts with about 360 local Tier 1 suppliers, and we've brought 60 of them to the international market," Wang added. "They also won recognition from other international auto manufacturers." "Chinese enterprises in the (related) supply chain have grown with Tesla, because there are a lot of underlying research and development of new energy vehicles, from ideas to assembly lines. Tesla is advancing with these enterprises," he said. "These enterprises will serve more other Chinese new energy vehicle enterprises, which is a benign environment for mutual promotion. We look forward to working hand in hand with the Chinese new energy vehicle industry to make more progress," Wang added. Enditem (Moritz Rommerskirchen, and Du Zheyu in Berlin, Peng Peigen, and Zhou Rui in Shanghai also contributed to the story.) With falls chill in the air, its not too soon to begin plotting (and booking) your winter escape. Here, five travel writers who specialize in the Caribbeans sun-drenched destinations share their expert recommendations for your consideration. Melanie Reffes, travel columnist and journalist The destination: St. Martin and St. Maarten What makes it special? On this one island, you can experience two nations: French in the north (St. Martin), and Dutch in the south (St. Maarten). With no official border separating the sides and an easy island to navigate, travellers can explore many cultures, all with a distinct Caribbean spin, says Reffes. Why this winter? The next annual St. Maarten Heineken Regatta the largest regatta in the Caribbean will begin Feb. 29. Plan your trip well and you can tack on French Carnival, which happens throughout February. When you go, dont miss: The Dutch side rocks for duty-free shopping, says Reffes. Bring an extra carry-on bag, or buy one on Front Street in the capital city of Philipsburg. She also recommends Toppers Rhum on the Dutch side for a distillery tour (pick up the White Chocolate Raspberry Rhum as a souvenir), and a stop at Tijon on the French side to create your own perfume. Bird lovers shouldnt miss St. Maartens Parotte Ville aviary. Make sure your cellphone is charged for photo taking when the birds perch on your shoulder. Susan Campbell, travel writer The destination: Aruba aruba What makes it special? For Campbell, it starts with Arubas beaches, which she credits as some of the worlds best. All of Arubas beaches are open to the public no security-gated party prisons here. The entire island is open, welcoming and safe, and so easy to get around. Public transport is excellent, and taxis are cheap, so beach-hopping is a breeze, and each stretch of sand holds its own unique allure. Why this winter? 2024 will mark the 70th anniversary of the Aruba Carnival, which gets bigger and better each year. The Carnival season will kick off this November, with most events in January and February. When you go, dont miss: Campbell suggests checking out any of the 10 unique chefs table experiences across the island, or heading to the capital city of Oranjestad, where a new restaurant row includes the phenomenal Taste My Aruba, and a new artisanal distillery, Pepe Margo, makes local rum and, surprisingly, gin. She also recommends visiting Arikok National Park, seeing the outdoor art in the city of San Nicolas, and experiencing the famous Palm Beach strip full of bars, nightclubs and glitzy casinos. For accommodations, Aruba Ocean Villas is a small collection of ridiculously luxurious overwater bungalows that rival Bora Boras best. Brian Major, managing editor of digital guides and publications/Caribbean, TravelPulse.com The destination: Puerto Rico puerto_rico What makes it special? Puerto Rico may be the most underrated Caribbean destination, says Major, who notes that the U.S. territorys 270 miles of coastline, with nearly 300 beaches, from intimate coves to long, palm tree-lined beachfronts, offer plenty of reasons to visit. Adding to the list are bioluminescent bays, rocky cliffs with panoramic ocean views, and El Yunque National Forest, the U.S. national forest systems only tropical rainforest. Why this winter? The San Sebastian Street Festival, from Jan. 19 to 22, is a raucous celebration that packs Old San Juans streets with costumed revelers dancing and partying among hundreds of artists and local musicians. When you go, dont miss: Established in 1521, Old San Juan is one of the Caribbeans best-preserved colonial centres, says Major. Along its cobblestone streets, youll find balconied heritage buildings, art galleries, leather and jewelry shops, and restaurants serving authentic local cuisine. He also suggests exploring the cultural contributions of the hundreds of thousands of Africans who arrived in the territory via forced migration. The Museo de Arte de Ponce, Museo de las Americas and Museo de Historia de Caguas each offer outstanding African art collections and presentations. Michele Peterson, food and travel writer The destination: Martinique martinique What makes it special? Im already dreaming of sipping French champagne and dining on grilled lobster and ouassous (freshwater prawns) on one of Martiniques beautiful beaches, says Peterson, who notes the countrys cuisine a distinct mix of French, Caribbean, Creole, West African and South Asian traditions as the number one reason to get there. Plus, the entire lush island is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Why this winter? Air Canada will launch the first-ever direct flights from Toronto to Fort-de-France (Martiniques capital), beginning Dec. 16, says Peterson. Also, she adds, Martiniques volcanic and forest areas including Mount Pelee and les Pitons du Carbet are a candidate for UNESCOs World Heritage list, set to be announced in September. When you go, dont miss: Some of my favourite things to do in Martinique include taking a boat tour to Josephines Bath, an offshore sandbar where local lore says Napoleons Empress bathed as a child; enjoying the (unofficial) rhum trail, which now includes 14 distilleries with the addition of Braud & Quennesson; and exploring new restaurants such as Le Comptoir ND, helmed by acclaimed chef Nathanael Ducte. For where to stay, she suggests French Coco, a new, wellness-inspired boutique hotel in La Trinite, or the freshly renovated, all-inclusive Club Med Buccaneers Creek, set in a coconut grove on a prime beach facing Diamond Rock. Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon, on-air travel expert and writer, and self-described Carivangelist The destination: Anguilla four_seasons_anguilla_aerial_credit_aleks_danielle What makes it special? Beyond its 33 dreamy beaches and swanky resorts and villas, I love Anguilla because its posh but unpretentious like me, says Greaves-Gabbadon. The vibe is casual, but the person sitting next to you, barefoot at the beach bar, could be a billionaire, she notes, adding, You simply cant beat the sweep of sand at Maundays Bay, which is as fine and white as confectioners sugar, and home to Belmond Cap Julucas iconic dome-roofed suites. Why this winter? Anguilla is a great idea anytime, but Im particularly interested in checking out the Guerlain spa, which debuts this winter at one of my favourite hotels there, Belmond Cap Juluca. When you go, dont miss: A day trip to the offshore oasis Sandy Island; a rum punch (or three) at Elvis Beach Bar in Sandy Ground; and happy hour (with more rum punch!) overlooking Meads Bay at Four Seasons Anguillas Sunset Lounge are my must-dos. DALLAS (AP) By some measures, air travelers have enjoyed a less stressful summer than last year, but canceled flights remain elevated as airlines face their last big test of the prime vacation season: Labor Day weekend. The Federal Aviation Administration predicts that this will be the third busiest holiday weekend of the year so far, behind only the Juneteenth weekend, which included Father's Day, and the Presidents Day break. Hurricane Idalia weakened and headed out to sea Thursday. While the storm left damage and power outages, its impact on travel eased. Airlines canceled several dozen flights in Florida and Georgia on Thursday but expected to operate at full strength Friday. Travelers can check conditions where they are going on the FAA website. Thursday figured to be the busiest day in U.S. airspace, with 52,203 flights scheduled, followed by 49,111 flights on Friday, according to the FAA. After a lull on Saturday and Sunday, flights are scheduled to pick back up Monday and Tuesday. The numbers include airline, military and some private flights. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen more than 14 million passengers from Friday through Wednesday, up nearly 11% over the same weekend last year. TSA Administrator David Pekoske warned that at times it could take more than 30 minutes to get through security and more than 10 minutes in PreCheck lanes, so we encourage you to arrive early, pack your patience. The agency recommended that travelers get to the airport two hours before their flight. AAA said bookings for domestic travel flights, hotels, rental cars, and cruises are running 4% higher than Labor Day last year. The auto club and insurance seller said international bookings are up a staggering 44% now that COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, with the top destinations being Vancouver, Rome, London, Dublin, and Paris. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average was $3.83 a gallon on Wednesday, a penny less than a year ago, AAA reported. On many planes this weekend, every seat is expected to be filled, capping a busy summer. American Airlines expects to carry nearly 3.5 million passengers on about 32,000 flights between Thursday and next Tuesday. United Airlines is predicting its biggest Labor Day weekend ever, with nearly 2.8 million passengers in that same six-day stretch. TSA figures show that the number of travelers going through U.S. airport checkpoints in August is 2% higher than in August 2019, before the pandemic. The good news for travelers is that the rate of canceled flights is down about 19% from last summer, according to data from tracking service FlightAware. Still, the 1.8% cancellation rate since June 1 is a tick higher than during the same period in 2019, and flights delays are even more common than last summer. Weather has accounted for about three-fourths of all airline delays this year, according to the FAA, but at other times the volume of flights has been too much for FAA air traffic control centers, many of which are understaffed. Travelers have enjoyed a bit of a break from last year's skyrocketing airfares. The average fare for a domestic flight in July was down 9% from June and 19% from last July, according to the government's consumer price index. However, the index sample is skewed toward discount airlines the biggest airlines have reported that their prices are closer to 2022 levels. Africa is responsible for only a fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions but is suffering disproportionately from climate change. This is harming food security, ecosystems and economies, fuelling displacement and migration and worsening the threat of conflict over dwindling resources, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The State of the Climate in Africa 2022 report shows that the rate of temperature increase in Africa has accelerated in recent decades, with weather- and climate-related hazards becoming more severe. And yet financing for climate adaptation is only a drop in the ocean of what is needed. More than 110 million people on the continent were directly affected by weather, climate and water-related hazards in 2022, causing more than $8.5 billion in economic damage. There were a reported 5,000 fatalities, of which 48% were associated with drought and 43% were associated with flooding, according to the Emergency Event Database. But the true toll is likely to be much higher because of under-reporting. Africa is responsible for less than 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. But it is the continent which is the least able to cope with the negative impacts of climate change. Heatwaves, heavy rains, floods, tropical cyclones, and prolonged droughts are having devastating impacts on communities and economies, with increasing numbers of people at risk, said WMO Secretary-General Prof Petteri Taalas. There are big gaps in weather observations in Africa and early warning services are woefully adequate. We are determined to close those gaps and ensure that life-saving early warnings reach everyone, he said. The report, produced jointly with the African Union Commission and Africa Climate Policy Centre of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), was released during the Africa Climate Summit, which also saw the launch of the Early Warnings For All in Africa Action Plan. Kenya, which is hosting the summit, also released its State of the Climate in Kenya in 2022 report. Africa, like other regions, has come to terms with the reality that climate change is already happening. Left untamed, the coming decades and years would easily be characterized by severe climate-induced pressure on the continents economies, livelihoods and nature, says Ambassador Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment at the African Union Commission. Given Africas high exposure, fragility and low adaptive capacity, the effects of climate change are expected to be felt more severely. Peoples health, peace, prosperity, infrastructure, and other economic activities across many sectors in Africa are exposed to significant risks associated with climate change, she writes in the report. Agriculture is the mainstay Agriculture is the mainstay of Africas livelihoods and national economies supporting more than 55% of the labour force. But its agricultural productivity growth has declined by 34% since 1961 due to climate change. This decline is the highest compared to what other regions of the world have experienced, the report says. Projected annual food imports by African countries are expected to increase by about a factor of three, from $35 billion to $110 billion by 2025. The level of loss and damage, and therefore the costs incurred, will depend on many factors, including the level of ambition of global mitigation actions and the level of investment in adaptation at the local level. In a 4 C warming world, with strong regional adaptation, residual damages costs equivalent to 3% of Africas projected gross domestic product could be incurred annually by 2080. The loss and damage costs in Africa due to climate change are projected to range between $290 billion and $440 billion, depending on the degree of warming, according to the UNECAs African Climate Policy Centre. Climate change and the diminishing natural resource base could fuel conflicts for scarce productive land, water, and pastures, where farmer-herder violence has increased over the past 10 years due to growing land pressure, with geographic concentrations in many sub-Saharan countries, according to the report. The report, with an accompanying story map, is the result of a multi-agency effort. It includes input from the African Union Commission, the UN Economic Commission for Africa, and contributions from African National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, WMO Regional Climate Centres, specialized United Nations agencies, the African Development Bank, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, and numerous experts and scientists. Key messages Temperature: The average rate of warming in Africa was +0.3 C/decade during the 19912022 period, compared to +0.2 C/decade between 1961 and 1990. This is slightly above the global average. The warming has been most rapid in North Africa, which was gripped by extreme heat, fuelling wildfires in Algeria and Tunisia in 2022. Rainfall: The Horn of Africa faced its worst drought in 40 years, with Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia particularly hard hit. The triple-dip La Nina was a substantial contributor. Five consecutive failed rainfall seasons reduced agricultural productivity and food security. In Somalia, almost 1.2 million people became internally displaced by the catastrophic impacts of drought on pastoral and farming livelihoods and hunger during the year. A further 512,000 internal displacements associated with drought were recorded in Ethiopia. Many parts of the Sahel experienced significant flooding during the monsoon season, with Nigeria, Niger, Chad and the southern half of Sudan particularly affected. Tropical Cyclones: The South Indian Ocean experienced an active tropical cyclone season despite an unusually late start. The Southern Africa region was hit by a series of tropical cyclones and tropical storms in the first months of 2022, leading to flooding and population displacement. There was little time for recovery between shocks in nations like Madagascar. Sea-level rise: The rate of coastal sea-level rise in Africa is similar to the global mean value of 3.4 mm/year. It is, however, slightly higher than the global mean along the Red Sea (3.7 mm/year) and along the western Indian Ocean (3.6 mm/year). Climate Adaptation: Per capita emissions of carbon dioxide in Africa in 2021 were 1.04 metric tons per person, compared with the global average of 4.69 metric tons per person. More than 50 African countries have now submitted their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Agriculture and food security, water, disaster risk reduction, and health are the top priorities for adaptation. Implementing Africas NDCs will require up to $2.8 trillion between 2020 and 2030. The African Development Bank (AfDB) has doubled its climate finance to $25 billion by 2025 and devoted 67% of its climate finance to adaptation, in addition to its effort to raise up to $13 billion for its Africa Development Fund, it said. - TradeArabia News Service BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have identified the genetic mechanism that allows Tibetans to maintain a high level of reproductive health in an oxygen-deficient highland environment. Conducted by researchers from the Kunming Institute of Zoology (KIZ) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the study was published recently in the journal Current Biology. According to the study, "The adaptation of Tibetans to high-altitude environments has been studied extensively. However, the direct assessment of evolutionary adaptation, i.e., the reproductive fitness of Tibetans and its genetic basis, remains elusive." In order to identify a genetic basis for their good reproductive health at high altitudes, the researchers conducted systematic phenotyping and genome-wide association analysis of 2,252 mother-newborn pairs of indigenous Tibetans, covering 12 reproductive traits and 76 maternal physiological traits. They found that, compared with the lowland immigrants living at high altitudes, indigenous Tibetans show better reproductive outcomes, reflected in their lower abortion rate, higher birth weight and better fetal development. According to the study, the results of genome-wide association analyses indicate a polygenic adaptation of reproduction in Tibetans, attributed to the genomic backgrounds of both the mothers and the newborns. "Collectively, these results shed new light on the phenotypic pattern and the genetic mechanism of human reproductive fitness in extreme environments," said He Yaoxi, the corresponding author of the study and a researcher at KIZ. The study will provide important points of reference for highland medicine and physiology, He added. Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it. I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends. More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it. The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity. About me: I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS. Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line). Age: 42 Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed. I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it). Russian intelligence services are using malware, referred to as Infamous Chisel, to target applications used by the Ukrainian military with the aim of stealing military information. The UK Defense Ministry said this in an intelligence update posted on the social platform X, Ukrinform reports. Infamous Chisel enables persistent access to, and the collation and exfiltration of data from, compromised Android devices. This includes targeting applications used by the Ukrainian military. Infamous Chisel has highly likely been used with the aim of stealing sensitive military information. This activity demonstrates Russias continued use of cyber capabilities to support the invasion of Ukraine, the report says. It is noted that on 31 August 2023, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), alongside international partners, published a report on a malware campaign targeting Android mobile devices used by the Ukrainian military. The malware, referred to as Infamous Chisel, has been used by the Russian cyber threat group known as Sandworm. NCSC has previously attributed Sandworm to the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorates (GRU) Main Centre for Special Technologies (GTsST), the ministry added. As Ukrinform reported, hackers suspected of working for Russias foreign intelligence agency tried to break into the computers of dozens of diplomats at embassies in Ukraine by using a fake BMW advert. In the temporarily occupied territories, the invaders could not find a sufficient number of observers for the 'elections' among the locals and therefore have to import them from the territory of the Russian Federation. The Center of National Resistance reported this on Telegram, according to Ukrinform. "These actions are aimed at imitating the 'correctness' of the elections that are planned for the temporarily occupied territories. Such 'observers" should be selected from the local population, but the Russians bring their own observers to the elections, trained and instructed in advance. At the same time, this proves that the local population is unwilling to cooperate with the occupiers, which is why the enemy cannot recruit a sufficient number of local residents to 'control the elections,'" the statement said. Meanwhile, in Russia, the law provides for so-called 'observers" to monitor the integrity of elections. They must be appointed by the 'governors' and approved by the direct leadership of the Russian Federation. The Center for National Resistance calls on the residents of the temporarily occupied territories not to cooperate with the occupiers and to ignore the pseudo-elections of the Russians. As reported, the invaders in the Kherson region are forcing people to 'vote' at gunpoint. Ukraine has the photo evidence of the Shahed-type drones crashing on the territory of Romania during Russias overnight attack against Ukraine on the night of September 4, 2023. The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba, speaking to journalists in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. I believe, in this particular case, they [Romanian authorities Ed.] are now studying all the aspects of what has happened. It is pointless to deny that something had crashed there. We state authoritatively, with evidence, that the Shahed drones had landed there. We have the photo evidence of the fact that something had fallen there, Kuleba told. In his opinion, Romanian authorities decided to take a break, fully investigate the situation, and draw conclusions. In this regard, Kuleba noted that there are tendencies to try not to escalate the interpretation of certain events by the partners in order not to get involved in a direct conflict. Kuleba emphasized that it is absolutely obvious to Ukraine what has happened in Romania. We have the photo evidence. We are ready to share it, but the final conclusions will be drawn by the Romanian authorities, who then have not only to draw conclusions but also say what they will do about it, Kuleba added. In his words, it is easier to draw conclusions than to take further steps afterwards, and this may explain Romanias overly cautious reaction. A reminder that, referring to the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service, Ukraines Foreign Affairs Ministry stated earlier that, during Russias overnight attack on the Odesa regions Izmail Port on the night of September 4, 2023, Russian Shahed-type drones crashed and detonated on the territory of Romania. Later, Romanias National Defence Ministry claimed that Russian drone attacks had not posed any direct military threats to the countrys territory or territorial waters. From February 24, 2022 to September 5, 2023, Ukraines Defense Forces eliminated 265,680 Russian invaders, including 560 in the past day. Thats according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports. Ukraines forces also destroyed 4,489 enemy tanks (+9 in the past day), 8,670 (+7) armored fighting vehicles, 5,649 (+38) artillery systems, 747 (+6) multiple rocket launchers, 504 (+1) air defense systems, 315 (+0) warplanes, 316 (+0) helicopters, 4,512 (+31) operational and tactical-level UAVs, 1,447 (+0) cruise missiles, 19 (+0) warships/cutters, 8,175 (+26) trucks and tankers, and 851 (+4) units of specialized equipment. The incoming data on enemy losses are being verified. As Ukrinform reported earlier, Ukraines Defense Forces continue their offensive operation in the Melitopol direction, engaging in counterbattery combat. The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are accumulating progress on the battlefield, which may have a chain reaction effect and eventually lead to Russias defeat. The relevant statement was made by General David Petraeus, Commander of the U.S. Central Command in 2008-2010, Director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in 2011-2012, during the Kyiv Security Forum, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. According to Petraeus, Russians did not distinguish themselves by particularly impressive battlefield expertise but established formidable defenses, and the fighting is very hard. Meanwhile, in his words, Ukrainian forces are adapting to tactics on the ground very impressively, and their reactions have been truly admirable. Ukraines Defense Forces are keeping Russians stretched out all along the front line and not letting them concentrate in one place. Ukrainian warriors are creating conditions for further progress by striking Russian ammunition and fuel depots, air and sea bases in Crimea, and logistics lines. Petraeus mentioned that, with Western artillery systems, Ukrainian forces can now outrange Russian systems. In his opinion, certain conditions are being created on the battlefield, and at some point the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be able to strike with the reserve forces available. All of this is beginning to accumulate, and the question is when do the Russian forces begin to crumble, and when do they crack, and then how effectively can Ukraine take advantage of that to get within range of these critical lines of communications that run along the southeastern and southern part of Ukraine, and can you cut off Crimea [], ideally even take down the Kerch Strait Bridge. If that can be done, then you have the Russian forces in a pretty perilous situation, Petraeus concluded. Photo: imago images/i Images In Kyiv, law enforcement officers exposed officials with the military medical commission and the draft office who had been helping mobilization evaders cross out of Ukraine. Thats according to the Prosecutor General's Office, Ukrinform reports. "Under the guidance of the Prosecutor General's Office, three individuals - officials from the diagnostic medical center and the Military Commissariat, as well as their intermediary, were charged," the statement reads. They are accused of obstructing the lawful operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations and trafficking people across the border (Part 1 of Article 114-1, Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). According to the inquiry, employees of Kyiv-based healthcare facilities forged medical papers to claim that draft-age men had been undergoing long-term treatment. "Then the employees of the Kyiv Territorial centers of military recruitment and social support "confirmed" the fabricated diagnosis, stating these men were unfit for military service," the report said. After that, documents were issued, allowing the said citizens to cross out of Ukraine. Persons who received such illegal services were also instructed on how to behave at border check points. For each such service, the perpetrators would receive US$11,000, which would then be distributed among co-conspirators. The culprits used an intermediary to get the money from applicants. As reported by Ukrinform, the Ombudsmans Office will complete the audit of all military medical commissions in Ukraine within three weeks. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, the United States has seized over USD 1 billion of private Russian assets in other countries. According to Ukrinform, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco reported this to CBS News. "We've grounded planes in Switzerland and the Middle East. We've arrested smugglers in Italy, in Germany, in Latvia. We've charged money launderers in the U.K. So basically, what we've shown is there's no place to hide," she said. Monacos office manages the KleptoCapture working group, a division of the Department of Justice established in March 2022 to enforce sanctions against Russian oligarchs and search for their hidden assets around the world. According to the deputy attorney general, this work is based on broad cooperation with foreign partners. "What we're seeing is this really unprecedented, galvanized international community coming together to isolate the Putin regime, to condemn its incredible brutality against the Ukrainian people," she stated. KleptoCapture is not only looking for Kremlin henchmen hiding assets but also for those helping oligarchs avoid sanctions. "To banks, to [the] aviation industry, to insurance companies, all who have to make that asset goit's a sign and a warning to them: Be careful with whom you're dealing because we are watching," Monaco stressed. "And there will be consequences if you aid and abet the evasion of these sanctions." Last year, the Department of Justice confiscated a USD 300 million superyacht in Fiji that belonged to oligarch Suleyman Kerimov. They also demanded the confiscation of a USD 90 million yacht off the coast of Spain that belonged to oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. Among the luxury items that the U.S. Department of Justice has been trying to confiscate since the beginning of Russia's war are a USD 60 million Gulfstream jet and a USD 350 million Boeing aircraft registered to a network of five shell companies and an anonymous trust linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Monaco said that it is still necessary to obtain authorization from the Congress to use the funds for the benefit of the Ukrainian people. As Ukrinform reported, the Ministry of Finance called on international partners to make progress in finding mechanisms to finance the country's recovery with frozen Russian funds. At a meeting in Sochi, the presidents of Turkiye and Russia failed to agree on Moscow's fulfillment of the terms of the Black Sea Grain Initiative agreement and the resumption of the grain corridor. This was discussed at a press conference in Sochi following a meeting between Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. One of the issues on which the parties focused was the revival of the Black Sea Initiative. Alternative proposals put on the agenda could not offer a permanent model such as the Black Sea Initiative... In this context, they have prepared a new package of proposals for the UN and are ready to hold consultations in this direction, Erdogan said. Putin, in turn, emphasized that the obligations under the agreement concerning the Russian side had not been fulfilled, and Russia was ready to return to the agreement if its terms were fully met. President Erdogan noted that Turkiye is ready to play an active mediation role again to end Russia's war and achieve peace. Regarding the supply of Russian grain, the parties announced an agreement to supply one million tonnes to the poorest countries with the participation of Qatar. However, according to Putin, this project is not an alternative or a replacement for the Black Sea grain corridor. As Ukrinform reported earlier, the presidents of Turkiye and Russia met in Sochi today to discuss the resumption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Photo: AA Russia's arguments about the low rate of grain supplies to African countries are groundless. In addition to direct supplies of grain, starving African and Asian countries receive products processed in third countries. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Turkiye Vasyl Bodnar said this in a comment to Ukrinform. "Let's take a closer look at the real situation in African countries, whether they are experiencing acute hunger and grain shortages. No, they are not. Because the international market reacts accordingly. Ukrainian grain that gets to Turkiye or Spain is processed in these countries and goes to the African market. These processes have been going on in this way before (until 2022 - ed.). Therefore, even now, some of it comes directly in the form of grain, for example, to countries such as Egypt, Morocco, and other countries, and some from third countries in the form of flour, pasta, etc.," Bodnar stated. The diplomat reminded that when the grain deal was signed last July and grain ships started moving from Ukrainian ports, prices on international markets fell. This also contributed to the saturation of the African market with food, including through certain UN programs, direct grain supplies, and supplies of products after processing in third countries. "If you look at the economic structure of most African countries, they have very little capacity to process grain. We had such a story with one of the countries that was offered to supply several thousand tonnes of grain. But they refused precisely because they did not have the capacity to process it. Then we engaged international partners who transported and processed the grain and supplied finished grain products to that country," the diplomat said. The Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkiye advises not to succumb to Russia's manipulations but to look at the general trend in the world and analyze how satisfied the African market is with grain and grain products, given the real shortages and the need to help countries experiencing hunger. "The average global grain price has a significant impact on these processes. While the harvest is underway and other countries are supplying the market, there is no shortage. But soon it will become noticeable as Ukrainian grain is not going to the world markets in the volumes needed. The world will feel it in the coming months. It will be a new threat to global food security provoked by Russia," Bodnar commented. The Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkiye also recalled the supply of grain to countries in Africa and Asia facing hunger as part of the humanitarian food program Grain from Ukraine. It was initiated by President Zelensky with the participation of the UN and other countries. "Under the Grain from Ukraine program, we supply our grain at our own expense and at the expense of donor countries for processing in third countries. Then it goes to the countries most in need (Yemen, Somalia, Kenya, and others). Similarly, the African market is saturated thanks to grain processing in third countries. The main thing is to ensure that Africa does not starve and does not experience price increases provoked by Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports," Bodnar said. As Ukrinform reported, yesterday in Sochi, the presidents of Turkiye and Russia met. The main topic was the resumption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. No agreement was reached on this issue. At a press conference following the talks, the Russian president made unfounded accusations that most of the grain through the grain corridor did not go to African countries. ANKARA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he believed a "good result" on the revival of the Black Sea grain deal would be achieved soon. Turkiye is in close contact with the United Nations (UN) on resuming the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the semi-official Anadolu Agency quoted Erdogan as saying on Tuesday, following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday. Erdogan said he would discuss the issue with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York on the sidelines of the upcoming General Assembly. The Turkish president said Putin had two main conditions to revive the deal: first, Moscow must re-connect its agricultural bank to the Swift payment system so that it can be paid for its grain exports; second, insurance must be provided for the Russian ships involved in the deal. Erdogan added that the UN had recently offered a proposal to address one of Russia's demands. "In the letter he sent on Aug. 28, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed a mechanism, not directly SWIFT as the Russians wanted, but an intermediary mechanism that would result from the SWIFT transaction," Erdogan told reporters on his flight from Russia to Turkiye. The deal, which was brokered by Turkiye and the UN in July 2022 in Istanbul, encountered a setback when Russia decided to withdraw from it in July, alleging unfulfilled obligations by its counterparts. Ukraines Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov has submitted his letter of resignation to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. I have submitted my letter of resignation to Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Parliament of Ukraine. It was an honor to serve the Ukrainian people and work for the Ukrainian Army for the last 22 months, the toughest period of Ukraines modern history, Reznikov posted on the social platform X, Ukrinform reports. Reznikov also published a photo of his resignation letter. As Ukrinform reported, on September 3, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that within a week he would table in the parliament a proposal to dismiss Oleksii Reznikov from the post of Minister of Defense and appoint Rustem Umerov, who currently serves as head of Ukraines State Property Fund, to replace him. According to Article 114 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Foreign Affairs are appointed by the Verkhovna Rada upon the Presidents proposal. Oleksii Reznikov led the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine from November 4, 2021. Previously, from March 4, 2020 to November 3, 2021, he held the post of Deputy Prime Minister - Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine. Reznikov's resignation comes in the wake of procurement corruption scandals around Ukraine's Ministry of Defense. In January 2023, media reports of the possible resignation of Reznikov appeared for the first time. However, this did not happen. In August, some media outlets again reported about the possible dismissal of the current defense minister, as well as his possible appointment as Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom. In turn, Reznikov said that he was "unaware" of possible plans to appoint him as ambassador to the UK after he leaves the post of Defense Minister. Global international organizations need deep reformation, which became especially evident after Russia launched a war of aggression against Ukraine. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Annalena Baerbock, who spoke at a meeting of heads of German diplomatic missions in Berlin, Ukrinform reports. She placed special emphasis on the development of international law. "I believe that we are at a crucial moment where we can achieve what was previously impossible: to reform the Rome Statute so that the crime of aggression can be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court. Because it is known that the current loophole in international law makes it impossible to hold the leaders of Russia accountable before the International Criminal Court for breaching peace," Baerbock said, stressing that the crime of aggression must not go unpunished. According to her, this is important primarily for Ukraine, as well as for all countries that may be threatened by aggression from a more powerful neighbor. She raised the issue of the need to "boldly" reform the European Union, which is preparing for a new wave of expansion. Berlin initiated a process with some partners regarding the reform of decision-making in the field of common foreign and security policy by a qualified majority (instead of a unanimous vote - ed.). By the end of the year, a conference will be held in Berlin, where this will be among the topics of discussion, she announced. The UN Security Council, international financial institutions, health care bodies, such formats as the G20, the WTO, etc. also require reform, the minister noted. She said Germany had been actively taking on more responsibility recently, in particular, on initiating reforms. The meeting of heads of diplomatic missions is held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany once a year. As Ukrinform reported earlier, during a video address to the Third International Summit of the Crimea Platform, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Germany would never recognize Russia's illegal attempt at annexing Ukrainian territories, which is a gross violation of international law, and will continue to support Ukraine for as long as the Russian Federation continues its war. Photo: Photothek The Verkhovna Rada voted to dismiss Oleksii Reznikov from the post of Minister of Defense. Thats according to People's Deputy from the Holos parliamentary faction, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, who broke the news on Telegram, Ukrinform reports. He specified that the adoption of the relevant resolution saw the support of 327 lawmakers. As Ukrinform reported earlier, Oleksii Reznikov headed the Ministry of Defense from November 4, 2021. Before that, from March 4, 2020 to November 3, 2021, he held the position of Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine. in January 2023, a procurement corruption scandal broke out around the Ministry of Defense. Then, for the first time, reports emerged of the possible dismissal of Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. However, this did not happen. In August, some media outlets again reported the potential sacking of the current Minister of Defense and his possible appointment as Ukraine's Ambassador to the United Kingdom. People's Deputy from the Holos faction, Yaroslav Zhelezniak, also shared similar suggestions. Previously, President Volodymyr Zelensky, in response to questions about Reznikov's possible resignation from the position of Minister of Defense and his potential appointment as Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, said he would comment on any personnel decisions after the relevant decrees were signed. On September 3, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that within a week, he would propose to parliament to dismiss Oleksii Reznikov from the position of Minister of Defense and to appoint the current head of the State Property Fund, Rustem Umerov, as Reznikovs replacement. On September 4, Reznikov filed to the Verkhovna Rada a resignation letter. President of Romania Klaus Iohannis insists that no Russian drones or their parts reached the territory of Romania on the night of September 4, 2023. The relevant statement was made by President of Romania Klaus Iohannis during a joint press conference with Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports, referring to Stiripesurse. There has been no drone or any other part of such device that reached Romania, Iohannis stressed. On Monday, Romanias National Defence Ministry categorically denied the information in the public space about a so-called situation that occurred during the night of Sunday to Monday, in which Russian drones fell on the national territory of Romania. If the president of the country says that, I believe it, Bettel said. A reminder that, on the night of September 4, 2023, during Russias drone attack on the Odesa region, Russian Shahed-type drones crashed and detonated on the territory of Romania. Deputy Minister of Justice Oleksandr Banchuk says the authorities have not abandoned the idea of having a classic jury trial in Ukraine as considerations are underway as to when it would be better to implement this. He said this in an interview with Ukrinform, answering questions about the potential prospects of the classic jury trial proceedings in Ukraine. "In 2019, we tabled in parliament the relevant draft law. But in the conditions of martial law, given the lack of adequate funding, this has become a complicated issue," Banchuk said. He recalled that a few months ago, the National Security and Defense Council in its decision regarding the situation of justice in Ukraine laid down among the measures to be taken the introduction of a full-fledged jury trial. "So this idea has not been abandoned, but the question is when it will be implemented. Now we can work out certain solutions amid martial law, but only with the aim of implementing them after the war ends," the deputy minister added. As reported earlier, the Ministry of Justice drafted two bills, the adoption of which will ensure the introduction of the classic jury trial in the country. BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday reiterated that Taiwan has no basis, reason or right to join the UN or other international organizations that require statehood. It was reported that the Taiwan authorities listed "four appeals" on Taiwan's UN participation and claimed that they would invite "diplomatic allies" to submit a joint letter to the UN Secretary-General urging him to rectify the UN's erroneous interpretation of UNGA Resolution 2758 at a recent press briefing. In response, Spokesperson Mao Ning told a daily news briefing that Taiwan is part of China. Despite that fact and legal basis, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have been distorting UNGA Resolution 2758, openly challenging the internationally recognized one-China principle, and spinning lies to pursue "Taiwan independence". These are extremely dangerous separatist provocations. Noting the 26th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 with an overwhelming majority on October 25 of 1971, which "decides to restore all its rights to the People's Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations", and to expel forthwith the representatives of the Taiwan authorities from the place which they unlawfully occupy, Mao said that henceforth, the "dual representation" proposal put forth by the United States and a few other countries to keep Taiwan's seat in the UN became a piece of waste paper. "Once and for all, UNGA Resolution 2758 resolved, politically, legally and procedurally, the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, at the UN. It also made it clear that there can only be one seat representing China at the UN. No issues exist about so-called 'two Chinas' or 'one China, one Taiwan'," Mao added. Since the adoption of UNGA Resolution 2758, it has been observed by the UN and its specialized agencies and other international and regional organizations, Mao said, adding that on the basis of the one-China principle, 182 countries have established diplomatic relations with China, and the one-China principle has long been a universally recognized norm in international relations and a prevailing consensus among the international community. "Any issue regarding the Taiwan region's participation in the activities of international organizations must be addressed under the framework of the one-China principle. Taiwan has no basis, reason or right to join the UN or other international organizations that require statehood," Mao said. She reiterated that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China. Taiwan is part of China's territory. Although the two sides have been politically against each other for a long time, China's state sovereignty and territorial integrity has never been split. This is the real status quo of the Taiwan question. The DPP authorities' hype-up of Taiwan's participation in the UN system is actually an attempt to create a false impression of "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan" and challenge the UN-centered international order underpinned by international law. Mao pointed out the DPP authorities have been promoting "incremental independence" and pushing for "de-sinicization", while some external forces have been fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle and conniving at and supporting separatist acts for "Taiwan independence". "It is them, not anyone else, who are undermining the status quo and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. They are the ones responsible for disrupting the cross-Strait status quo." "Let me stress that the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair and its resolution is a matter for the 1.4 billion Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait," Mao said, adding that the DPP authorities will not succeed in seeking external support to embolden its separatist acts, and UNGA Resolution 2758 must not be challenged and the one-China principle is unshakable. "The wheels of history will keep rolling on. The complete reunification of our country can, without doubt, be realized," Mao said. MANAMA, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Israel opened its new embassy in Bahrain on Monday, days ahead of the three-year anniversary of a U.S.-brokered deal in which the kingdom agreed to normalize relations with Israel, Bahrain News Agency reported. The embassy was officially inaugurated in the presence of visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, the news agency quoted Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani as saying. The Bahraini top diplomat said that "the historic step is another important milestone in relations between the two countries." During a joint press conference, the Bahraini official also reiterated the kingdom's "firm position in support of achieving a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace that guarantees the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people," according to the report. The trip marks Cohen's first visit to one of the countries that established diplomatic relations with Israel under the so-called Abraham Accords in 2020, which also include the United Arab Emirates and Morocco. Cohen assumed office in late December when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government was inaugurated. During the visit, Cohen and his Bahraini counterpart discussed ways to expand cooperation in trade, investment, technological exchange, training, and tourism, according to the report. In his meeting with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in the Bahraini capital of Manama on Monday, Cohen expressed Israel's desire to sign normalization deals with more Arab countries, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said. (@ChaudhryMAli88) ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 05th Sep, 2023) The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) announced the launch of "Ghars Al Emarat" (UAE Planting Initiative), which will see ten mangrove trees planted for each conference visitor. The initiative is under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the board of Directors of the EAD, and within the framework of the Abu Dhabi Climate Change Strategy and Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative and the UAE's hosting of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28). Through the initiative, which coincides with the Year of Sustainability, mangroves will be planted using innovative methods such as drone dispersal, and approximately ten mangroves will be planted for each visitor participating in the conference. Mangroves will be planted during the last quarter of this year, which is the best time for planting this species, within the most suitable coastal environments for growth, such as the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve, Al Mirfa City and Jubail Island, where natural mangroves already exist. This initiative also supports the goals of the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative, provides a platform for developing innovative solutions for conserving and restoring mangroves, helps mitigate the effects of climate change, and raises awareness of their importance. Dr. Sheikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of EAD, said, "This initiative aims to support Goal 13 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to 'climate action', which calls for urgent measures to be taken to address climate change and its impacts. It also supports national initiatives, including the UAE Net Zero by 2050 climate neutrality strategic initiative, which aligns with the UAE's goal of planting 100 million mangroves by 2030." "This initiative also highlights the UAE's commitment to achieving climate neutrality and promoting nature-based solutions to reduce the effects and adapt to climate change and reduce the environmental footprint of conference visitors, at the rate of absorbing one tonne of carbon for every 5,000 mangrove trees," Dr. Shaikha added. Razan Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, said, "Building a resilient, net-zero future depends on halting nature loss and restoring our natural ecosystems. Nature-based solutions, including those involving mangroves, have the potential to supply over a third of our climate mitigation needs and build resilience to the effects of climate change. I welcome this EAD-led initiative, which both raises awareness and takes action to restore and protect mangroves in the UAE." Mangroves are among the most productive coastal ecosystems in the world and are, therefore, extremely important as they provide various ecological and economic services. Mangroves help mitigate the effects of climate change, as they absorb greenhouse gases and can store and sequester carbon. In Abu Dhabi, the trees support a wide range of biodiversity that live in them. Mangroves also play an essential role in protecting neighbouring habitats such as seagrass beds and coral reefs from sedimentation, as well as helping to improve water quality and supporting ecotourism activities. Abu Dhabi hosts 85 percent of the UAE's mangroves, and as part of its strategy, the Agency is working to study and preserve these important coastal habitats. Thanks to mangrove rehabilitation projects, Abu Dhabi has witnessed an increase in the size of its mangrove areas. Efforts to restore mangroves in the UAE date back to the 1970s, when the late Sheikh Zayed launched extensive afforestation programmes to plant mangroves on the country's beaches. Since its inception, EAD has continued Sheikh Zayed's efforts via a range of afforestation programs in cooperation with its concerned partners, which include the planting of 40 million mangroves since restoration efforts began, on islands and in various regions, including Saadiyat, Jubail, Yas, Hudayriat, Abu Al-Abyad and Al Dhanna. BEIJING, Sept. 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Sep, 2023 ) :Before sleeping, Kashan Khan, a Pakistani doctoral student of Tianjin University in north China's Tianjin Municipality, ordered vegetables and meat for cooking on a shopping app on his mobile phone, and he would pick up the goods on the way to the dormitory the next day. "The online shopping in China is convenient. I don't have time to go to shopping malls or markets. I can buy everything I need online, even the flowers for my girlfriend," said Khan, who was busy with scientific research, and online shopping helped save a lot of time for him. China's digital trade has developed vigorously in recent years. According to the data released by the China academy of Information and Communications Technology, the scale of China's digital economy increased by 4.1 trillion U.S. Dollars, with an average annual compound growth rate of 14.2 percent from 2016 to 2022. "I have lived in China for seven years. I saw the rapid development of e-commerce, mobile payment, and artificial intelligence in China by myself. I hope that Pakistan can promote a digital economy like China and people in my hometown can benefit from this economy mode," Khan told Xinhua. Khan's wish has come true, as the dividend of China's booming digital trade has provided a pool of business opportunities and injected fresh hope into countries along the Belt and Road. To keep up with the digital transformation trends, the Digital Silk Road was launched. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) technology dimension extends from the ocean floor to outer space, enabling artificial intelligence, big data applications, and other strategic internet solutions. As of November 2022, China had established the Digital Silk Road cooperation mechanism with 16 countries and advanced the Silk Road E-commerce bilateral cooperation mechanism with 26 countries, including Pakistan. Samoyed Cloud Technology, a Chinese scientific and technological enterprise focused on artificial intelligence, big data, mobile Internet, and cloud computing, tapped into the vast potential of the market of Pakistan's digital economy and launched the e-commerce platform EZTRADER to provide digital trade services for the local retailers importing Chinese products. "Chinese products are popular in Pakistan. Since the platform EZTRADER was launched in May of this year, it has attracted more than 3,000 local retailers, completely exceeding our expectations," said Lin Jianming, chairman and CEO of the company. Muhammad Rizwan, a 35-year-old retailer of mobile phone accessories in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, settled in EZTRADER swiftly after it was launched. "E-commerce platforms provide a centralized space where businesses can connect, negotiate, and conduct transactions. We don't need to search for potential partners or clients individually. We can trade directly with manufacturers or suppliers in China without intermediaries. This can significantly reduce the cost," said Muhammad Rizwan. Alibaba.com, an online business-to-business marketplace for global wholesalers under the Alibaba Group, has launched foreign trade business in many countries along the Belt and Road. Pakistan topped the number of overseas wholesalers on the platform, and the annual growth rate of the number of Pakistani wholesalers was over 64 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic. For lack of capital and sales channels, a Pakistani couple, Aziz-ur-Rehman and Sadia Aziz, struggled in the first two years after they had established their baby clothing brand with their savings of 1.5 million rupees (about 18,000 U.S. dollars) in 2018. In 2020, Alibaba.com provided them with complete online business solutions and online training sessions. Their company was connected with global customers through the platform and turned losses into profits. "Up to now, our company's business revenue was over 3 million rupees and grew at a rate of 1 million rupees per year. China provided us with a lot of opportunities in the digital economy. We believe Pakistan's digital economy is promising in the future," said Aziz-ur-Rehman. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghaddam called on Caretaker Minister for Health Dr. Nadeem Jan and discussed further enhancing collaboration in the health sector ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Sep, 2023 ) :Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghaddam called on Caretaker Minister for Health Dr. Nadeem Jan and discussed further enhancing collaboration in the health sector. The two sides discussed in detail diverse areas of cooperation in the field of health between the two brotherly countries. The two sides also agreed on enhancing cooperation in health research and provision of technical assistance. The Iranian ambassador said that there is a huge potential for further bolstering collaboration in the health sector between the two nations. Federal Health Minister welcomed the Ambassador and affirmed commitment to further strengthening Pak-Iran cooperation in the health sector. The Iranian ambassador extended felicitations to Dr. Nadeem Jan on assuming the office of Health Minister and prayed for his success. Appointment of a world-renowned public health expert as Health Minister of Pakistan would bring tangible improvement in the Health sector, remarked the Iranian ambassador. Dr Nadeem Jan said, "Pakistan and Iran share long-standing and time-tested close fraternal relations. " He expressed the desire for both countries to learn from each other's experiences in providing better health facilities to the people and protecting them from diseases. Pakistan has expressed the desire to seek cooperation from Iran in addressing the issue of shortage of medicines. To this end drug regulatory authorities of both countries need to devise a comprehensive strategy with the aim to ensure on a fast track basis the uninterrupted supply of life-saving drugs. Dr. Nadeem Jan said, "We will continue our close collaboration in the field of medical education. Health security remains our topmost agenda and we need to work closely to prevent cross-border transmission of diseases." Iran has a strong Primary healthcare system and Pakistan will definitely benefit from the experiences and best practices adopted by Iran in the field of primary healthcare. Dr. Nadeem Jan expressed gratitude for the dialysis machine donated by Iran for the people of Pakistan. (@Abdulla99267510) The Caretaker Prime Minister emphasizes that efforts will be made to hold the elections punctually. ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Sept 5th, 2023) Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar expressed the interim government's commitment to ensuring free and fair general elections. However, he refrained from specifying a definite time frame for the polls during a discussion with foreign media. Kakar emphasized that efforts would be made to hold the elections punctually. He noted ongoing efforts to redraw Constituencies based on the latest population census, a task that may take a month or more to complete. Kakar assured that all political parties registered with the Election Commission, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, would receive equal opportunities in the upcoming general elections. He also mentioned that parties involved in acts of violence would be handled in accordance with the law. Caretaker PM Kakar highlighted the amicable relationship between the interim government and the army, emphasizing their collaboration for economic revitalization. In terms of regional politics, he underscored the priority of maintaining strong ties with China and the commitment to complete CPEC projects. Regarding the Afghan Taliban's transitional phase, Kakar urged patience and understanding, acknowledging the challenges posed by the withdrawal of allied forces from Afghanistan. He expressed concern about the weaponry left behind, which fell into the hands of militants, significantly impacting regional security. Pakistan is eager to collaborate with the international community to address this shared challenge. (@FahadShabbir) Over 900 people were killed or injured by cluster munitions in Ukraine last year amid broad Russian use of the widely-banned weapons, propelling global casualty figures to record levels, a report showed Tuesday Geneva, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Sep, 2023 ):Over 900 people were killed or injured by cluster munitions in Ukraine last year amid broad Russian use of the widely-banned weapons, propelling global casualty figures to record levels, a report showed Tuesday. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, it has "extensively" used stocks of old cluster munitions and newly developed ones, the Cluster Munition Coalition said in an annual report, adding that Ukrainian forces also used such weapons "to a lesser extent". Ukraine had registered no cluster munition casualties for several years but recorded 916 deaths and injuries last year, nearly all of them involving civilians, it said. "The vast majority of the cluster munition rocket missile and artillery attacks in Ukraine ... have been conducted by Russian forces," said Mary Wareham, the arms advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, who participated in the report. "That is I think the major reason for the uptick in civilian casualties," she told reporters in Geneva. - Lasting threat - The Ukrainian casualties accounted for the vast majority of the global figure, which rose to 1,172 in 2022 -- the highest since CMC began reporting in 2010. A full 890 of the casualties registered in Ukraine -- 294 deaths and 596 injuries -- happened during attacks using cluster munitions, the monitor said. Cluster munitions can be dropped from planes or fired from artillery before exploding in mid-air and scattering bomblets over a wide area. They also pose a lasting threat, as many fail to explode on impact, effectively acting as landmines that can go off years later. Twenty-six of the casualties recorded in Ukraine last year were caused by such remnants. The report said 855 of the known casualties in Ukraine -- 93.3 percent -- were civilians, while 58 were military and three were deminers. Loren Persi, a co-author of the report, stressed that many casualties could have gone unrecorded, pointing to indications that there were at least another 51 cluster munition attacks in 2022 where casualties were not recorded. - 'Appalled' - Beyond Ukraine, cluster munition attacks were registered last year in Syria and Myanmar, with such attacks across the three countries causing 987 casualties in total. In 2021, no casualties were attributed to cluster munition attacks anywhere in the world. At least 185 people were meanwhile killed or wounded by cluster munition remnants across Ukraine, Syria and Myanmar and five other countries: Azerbaijan, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon and Yemen, the report said. That compares to 149 casualties in 2021, it said, pointing out that children make up over 70 percent of all casualties from cluster munition remnants. Russia, Ukraine, Syria and Myanmar have not joined the convention prohibiting the use, transfer, production and stockpiling of cluster bombs, which has 112 state parties and 12 other signatories. The United States, which is also not a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, meanwhile sparked widespread outcry in July with its decision to provide Kyiv the weapons. "We were appalled by the decision," Wareham said, adding that her organisation had for a year been fighting the move "behind the scenes". (@FahadShabbir) Deep within Kasigau, a sweeping wilderness of craggy hills and savannah roamed by elephants, a team armed with clipboards and measuring tapes is busy studying an unremarkable tree Kasigau, Kenya, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Sep, 2023 ):Deep within Kasigau, a sweeping wilderness of craggy hills and savannah roamed by elephants, a team armed with clipboards and measuring tapes is busy studying an unremarkable tree. Gnarled and leafless, it nonetheless has great value: it stores carbon, and the team wants to know exactly how much is locked away across this semi-arid, half-a-million-acre (200,000-hectare) woodland in southern Kenya. "We want to make absolutely sure we account for every single tree," said Geoffrey Mwangi, lead scientist at US-based company Wildlife Works, as the "carbon samplers" took the dimensions of another thorny specimen. The data translates into carbon credits, and millions of dollars have been made selling these to corporate giants such as Netflix and Shell looking to offset their greenhouse gas emissions and burnish their green credentials. As climate change accelerates and pressure mounts on companies and countries to lift their game, demand for carbon credits has exploded -- even as their reputation has taken a battering. Cash-strapped African nations want a much bigger share of a $2-billion market that is forecast to grow five-fold by 2030. Africa only produces 11 percent of the world's offsets yet boasts the planet's second-largest rainforest and tracts of carbon-absorbing ecosystems like mangroves and peatlands. Kenyan President William Ruto, who is hosting a climate summit in Nairobi this week, said Africa's carbon sinks were an "unparalleled economic goldmine". "They have the potential to absorb millions of tons of CO2 annually, which should translate into billions of dollars," he said on Monday. A single credit represents one tonne of carbon dioxide removed or reduced from the atmosphere. Companies buy credits generated through activities like renewable energy, planting trees or protecting forests. Carbon markets are largely unregulated and accusations that some offsets -- particularly forest-based ones -- do little for the environment or exploit communities have sent prices crashing this year. Kenya already generates the most offsets in Africa and despite market uncertainty, sees the potential for a much bigger domestic industry capable of creating much-needed jobs and economic growth. "There is massive interest. We have 25 percent of the African market (for carbon credits) in Kenya, and it's our ambition to expand this," Ali Mohamed, the president's special envoy for climate change, told AFP. In Kasigau, about 330 kilometres (205 miles) southeast of Nairobi, landowners and communities are paid to keep the forest intact under a flagship carbon credit project run by Wildlife Works, a for-profit business and largest offset developer in Africa. Joseph Mwakima from Wildlife Works said project revenue had employed around 400 people and funded water, education and health infrastructure in a long-underserved part of Kenya. "These are things that were never really there," he told AFP. Wildlife Works founder Mike Korchinsky said at least half of revenue went to communities. The forests protected under the scheme were once cleared for firewood and charcoal, degrading a carbon sink and critical wildlife habitat. Avoiding deforestation serves climate goals by keeping carbon in the soil and trees instead of allowing them to be released into the atmosphere. The Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project was the world's first to generate certified credits this way. Wildlife Works says the project has been independently verified nine times since 2011, and has avoided roughly 22 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. Kenya emits about 70 million tonnes of CO2 per year, according to Climate Watch, a platform managed by the World Resources Institute that tracks national greenhouse gas emissions. The UN-endorsed African Carbon Market Initiative, launched at COP27 in November, believes 300 million credits could be generated annually on the continent by 2030 -- a 19-fold increase on current volumes. For Kenya, this would mean more than 600,000 jobs and $600 million in annual revenue. But these projections assume a carbon price far above current trades, and a massive increase in finance at a time of great volatility in a market struggling to build trust and integrity. Ahead of the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, more than 500 civil society organisations wrote to Ruto urging him to steer the conference away from carbon markets and other "false solutions... led by Western interests". "In truth, though, these approaches will embolden wealthy nations and large corporations to continue polluting the world, much to Africa's detriment," it read. Ruto's appointee to lead the summit, Joseph Nganga, said carbon markets acted "not as an excuse for emissions but as a means to ensure accountability" as rich polluting nations bore the cost. Countries are moving to regulate the sector. Earlier this year, Zimbabwe announced it would appropriate half of all the revenue generated from carbon credits on its land, sending jitters through markets. Kenya is finalising its own legislation. Mohamed said the government did not want to "chase away investors" but to ensure transparency and a fair share for communities. Korchinsky expressed confidence the Kasigau project "will hold up to whatever scrutiny is applied". (@FahadShabbir) A new study has disclosed that the abnormal warming of the tropical Indian Ocean is probably a key factor for the recent wetting trend in northwest China, according to Lanzhou University LANZHOU, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Sep, 2023 ) :A new study has disclosed that the abnormal warming of the tropical Indian Ocean is probably a key factor for the recent wetting trend in northwest China, according to Lanzhou University. Investigating and understanding the long-term natural precipitation variability in northwest China provides insights into the recent wetting trend in this drought-plagued region, said Li Guoqiang, a professor at the College of Earth and Environmental Sciences of Lanzhou University. Featuring a very arid climate, northwest China has received a persistent increasing trend of precipitation during the recent decades, which enhances the flood frequency and strength in this region. It is important to trace the key to this wetting trend. Researchers from Lanzhou University and Nanjing University jointly carried out the study by examining the effects of ocean feedback on the response of precipitation variations in northwest China to mid-Holocene and recent climate forcings based on sensitivity climate simulations. They used a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model and a single atmosphere general circulation model in this study and explored the mechanisms of multiple time-scale precipitation variations of the region. The study results showed that the tropical Indian Ocean warming plays an important role in the mid-Holocene and recent precipitation variations in northwest China. The study results have been published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Turkish and Japanese firms gathered in Trkiye's metropolitan Istanbul on Tuesday to strengthen economic relations between the two countries ISTANBUL, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Sep, 2023 ) :Turkish and Japanese firms gathered in Trkiye's metropolitan Istanbul on Tuesday to strengthen economic relations between the two countries. The Trkiye-Japan business Forum was jointly organized by the Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro), the Turkish Trade Ministry, and Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which had the theme "New Collaborations in the next 100 years." Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat said at the one-day event that the parties came together to strengthen their economic relations. "So far, there has been no significant conflict in the relations between the two countries, and the relationship has always been built on respect," he noted. The event will foster long-term and mutually beneficial relationships between Japanese and Turkish businesses, he stressed. Yasutoshi Nishimura, the Japanese economy, trade and industry minister, for his part, said Trkiye and Japan have 100-year-old trust-based relations. Trkiye is a gateway for Japan to the middle East, the minister said, adding that around 280 Japanese firms are active in Trkiye and the number will continue to increase. The head of Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro), Kazushige Nobutani, said his institution is trying to boost Trkiye and Japan's economic relations by organizing a number of events, including seminars for Japanese firms. Recalling that 2024 will mark the 100th anniversary of Trkiye and Japan's diplomatic relations, he said economic and cultural relations will grow significantly in the new century. Chinese has become increasingly popular among students in Tanzania's Zanzibar, where Li Yaya, an associate professor of Chinese language and literature, has been volunteering to teach Chinese for more than 10 years. University of Wyoming economist Jake Hochard, the Knobloch Associate Professor of Conservation Economics in the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, was nominated by representatives of the White Office of Science and Technology Policy to contribute to an international assessment of how businesses affect and rely on nature. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), an independent intergovernmental body that works to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services, has gathered experts and practitioners from around the world to contribute to the report. Hochard will represent the United States in serving as a lead author for the assessments second chapter that focuses on how business benefits from biodiversity across the globe. In addition to Hochard, the team supporting the second chapter includes experts and practitioners nominated by the governments of South Africa, Colombia, Republic of Korea, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Zimbabwe, Malaysia and Finland. Hochard is an environmental economist whose work combines geospatial analysis, mathematical modeling and empirical analysis to examine feedback between natural and human systems -- with the goal of engaging with stakeholders to support natural resource policy development and management decisions. Im thrilled and humbled to join this international effort, Hochard says. Whether its wildlife driving ecotourism, tropical plants supporting pharmaceutical discovery or pollinators promoting crop production, the links between biodiversity and business are critical, and collating them in this chapter will be an exciting contribution. The assessment is expected to take up to two years and also will examine how business impacts biodiversity; approaches for measurement of how business benefits from and impacts biodiversity; options for businesses to serve as key actors of change; and how civil society, governments and the financial sector can create an enabling environment for businesses to support biodiversity conservation. The first in-person meeting of the groups lead authors will be in Bogota, Colombia, in later this month. IPBES is not a United Nations body, but the United Nations Environment Programme provides secretariat services to the group. The University of Wyomings 10th annual The Big Event -- a student volunteer service project in the Laramie community -- will take place Saturday, Oct. 14. Sponsored by UWs Service, Leadership and Community Engagement (SLCE) office, The Big Event promotes campus and community unity through service-oriented activities. UW students come together for one day to express their gratitude for the support from the surrounding community. Student volunteers help with various projects that can be large or small, such as exterior painting and yardwork. Community members can register projects for student volunteers through the job request form found at www.uwyo.edu/bigevent or by calling the SLCE office at (307) 766-3117. They can submit job requests through Sunday, Sept. 24, or when the capacity for job requests is reached. Those who submit a job request will be contacted by a SLCE staff member or volunteer to perform a site check before the job request is accepted. The Big Event was founded at Texas A&M University in 1982 and has expanded to more than 100 schools nationwide. UWs first The Big Event was in fall 2013. More than 300 student volunteers are expected to participate in the event this fall. For more information about The Big Event, visit www.uwyo.edu/bigevent or email bigevent@uwyo.edu. For more information about SLCE, visit www.uwyo.edu/slce. People visit the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Wei) As China has been committed to setting up a high-standard opening-up system for the services sector, this year's CIFTIS represents an epitome of the country's step forward to widen access to the booming sector and to expand institutional opening-up in pursuit of high-quality development. by Xinhua writer Ma Qian BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Calling the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) a high-level platform for China's opening-up, Saudi private firm Ajlan & Bros expected the event to deepen mutual understanding with their Chinese partners and lay a solid ground for future cooperation. The ongoing annual event is witnessing China's ratcheted-up endeavors to continuously invigorate global services trade and further open up its services sector, which buoyed international businesses with vigor and confidence. BOOST SYNERGY IN GLOBAL SERVICES TRADE To foster more growth for global services trade and cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised during the 2023 CIFTIS to enhance synergy with development strategies and cooperation initiatives of various countries, and deepen cooperation on services trade and digital trade with Belt and Road partner countries. The pledge made Mohammed Al Ajlan, chairman of the Saudi-Chinese Business Council, look forward to more services cooperation with China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). "China's pursuit of high-quality development is in line with Saudi Arabia's 'Vision 2030' economic transformation goals," said Ajlan, who is also deputy chairman of Ajlan & Bros Holding Group. "As the synergy between Saudi Arabia's 'Vision 2030' and China's Belt and Road Initiative continues to deepen, China's 5G, artificial intelligence, big data, financial technology and other emerging fields of technology are gradually moving to the Saudi market," he said, stressing that economic complementarity and cooperation potential of the two countries are obvious. "Undoubtedly, this will attract more Middle Eastern companies to strengthen cooperation and exchanges with Chinese enterprises, further promoting bilateral trade between China and Saudi Arabia, and contributing to China's high-level opening-up for new opportunities in global economic growth," he added. China had expanded its share of global commercial services exports from 3 percent in 2005 to 5.4 percent in 2022, according to a report titled Trade in Services for Development, which was jointly released by the World Bank Group and the World Trade Organization in July. In the first seven months of this year, China's services trade value grew 8.1 percent year on year to reach 3.67 trillion yuan (about 511.2 billion U.S. dollars), data from the Ministry of Commerce showed. Visitors walk past the exhibition area of healthcare services of the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) The China-proposed BRI is closely linked to Egypt's Vision 2030 development strategy, as the two countries have conducted full-fledged cooperation in the fields of industry, energy, communications and infrastructure, said Abu Bakr al-Deeb, an advisor to the Cairo-based Arab Center for Research and Studies. Financing is one of the basic factors that enhance development in countries benefiting from the BRI, and has greatly helped Egypt develop its services sector, al-Deeb said. "China has already started cooperation with Egypt in many areas of the services sector, mainly in the maritime and transportation ones, investing billions of U.S. dollars in the maritime industry in recent years, especially in the Suez Canal, which is a vital component of China's Maritime Silk Road," he noted. Ghulam Qadir, trade and investment counsellor of the Embassy of Pakistan in China, said that China puts much emphasis on the new growth momentum that the world needs for trade liberalization, adding that "the hard-won and hard-fought" trade liberalization across the world must be maintained and improved. "This shows that how China is moving forward and offering its (development) space to other countries," Qadir said, stressing that there should be greater synergies among the development strategies of all countries, especially the developing countries. INSTITUTIONAL OPENING-UP OF SERVICES SECTOR As China has been committed to setting up a high-standard opening-up system for the services sector, this year's CIFTIS represents an epitome of the country's step forward to widen access to the booming sector and to expand institutional opening-up in pursuit of high-quality development. British company Schroders recently became one of the first global asset managers to operate in the Chinese market, as China has accelerated the opening-up of its financial services sector to facilitate international participation. The asset management company was awarded a license in June to operate a public fund business in China. "With our wholly-owned fund management company, we're going to have a broad suite of capabilities," said Sebastian Wood, chairman of China Affairs with Schroders. Wood described the 2023 CIFTIS as a springboard for Schroders' ambitious plans in the region. "The fair gives us a platform and an opportunity to network, and it will bring into focus our ambitions for the Chinese market." "China is modernizing and developing its investment market rapidly," said Wood, who was British ambassador to China between 2010 and 2015. "It's right to be very aware of that strategic opportunity in the historic development of the market here." "We see it as a long-term strategic commitment which we have to this market. We want our services to be available to a range of clients in China, including larger Chinese financial institutions and intermediaries down to retail clients as well," he added. People taste wine at the booth of Georgia during the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Wei) China is further opening up to global businesses, particularly in the services sector, said Gianpaolo Bruno, trade commissioner of Italian Trade Agency (ITA) Beijing Office and coordinator of ITA Offices in China and Mongolia, suggesting that's the main message China wants to deliver through this year's CIFTIS. The Italian official highlighted a series of policy measures that China has carried out, from intellectual property rights (IPR) protection to foreign direct investment (FDI) incentives. In particular, he talked of China's stepped-up efforts to grant foreign companies equal access to government procurement activities. "They are also very good signals that we really appreciate. We hope that the Italian business community could take advantage of these opportunities," he added. In August, China's State Council released 24 suggestions for attracting foreign investments, ranging from improving IPR protection to facilitating cross-border data flows. Authorities should guarantee that foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) can participate in government procurements in accordance with the law, and support FIEs in innovating and developing world-leading products through measures such as first-order purchases, said the document. "We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the efforts undertaken by the Chinese government to create a level playing field for everybody to access the services sector in this country," Bruno said. Georgian businessman Giorgi Rtveladze also held that doing business in China is quite convenient and profitable, thanks to the country's major international expos like CIFTIS and the authorities' favorable policies such as tax exemption in free trade zones. It is the first time that Rtveladze, a representative of Georgian wine company Rtvelisi, participated in the 2023 CIFTIS, after exporting Georgian wine to China for five years. "The Chinese market is good for us. It welcomes foreigners to come and do business. We are happy to be here, and our business is growing," he said. At present, Rtveladze is pursuing his PhD in south China's Hainan University. Looking to the future, he said he hopes to do business in more areas in the country and export more products to its enormous market. A panel of three U.S. judges in the southern state of Alabama ruled Tuesday that the state legislature for a second time discriminated against Black citizens in the way it redrew congressional district lines for the 2024 elections. The panel said lawmakers refused to obey an edict giving Black voters a reasonable chance of choosing the winner of a second seat in Alabamas seven-member delegation in the House of Representatives. The three-judge panel said it would now appoint a special master to redraw the congressional district lines, although the state could appeal its ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. The months-long dispute is occurring in a state that had a long early 20th-century history of physical attacks on Black Americans and discrimination extending throughout the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The Alabama Legislature at first adopted a congressional map in 2021 with only one majority-Black district, even though Black people account for 27% of the states population. Civil rights activists in the state sued to block use of the map in next years elections, and the three-judge panel ruled in their favor. The federal jurists said then that the state lawmakers map likely violated the U.S. Voting Rights Act and that the state should have two districts where Black voters have a chance to elect their preferred candidates. The state now has one Black representative in Congress, Democratic Representative Terri Sewell. The judicial panel said the state needs to adopt a plan where Black residents are a majority or something quite close to it in two congressional districts. The state government sued to block the judicial panels ruling but lost, with the U.S. Supreme Court in June unexpectedly upholding the decision that the state-drawn map was unacceptable, a ruling that also could imperil congressional maps in other southern states. The Supreme Court ruling could give Democrats a better chance of retaking control of the House of Representatives since most Black voters support Democratic candidates. With the Supreme Court ruling against it, the Alabama Legislature redrew its first map, still refusing to create a second majority-Black district but changing the racial composition of one district from about 30% Black to 40%. It rejected plans that would have pushed the percentage of Black voters even closer to a majority. In the ruling Tuesday, the judicial panel said the legislatures new plan was woefully lacking. "We are not aware of any other case in which a state legislature faced with a federal court order declaring that its electoral plan unlawfully dilutes minority votes and requiring a plan that provides an additional opportunity district responded with a plan that the state concedes does not provide that district, the judges wrote. The law requires the creation of an additional district that affords Black Alabamians, like everyone else, a fair and reasonable opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. The 2023 Plan plainly fails to do so." In a hearing before their ruling, all three judges had pointedly questioned the state's solicitor general about the legislatures refusal to create a second majority-Black district, or something close to it. "What I hear you saying is the state of Alabama deliberately chose to disregard our instructions to draw two majority-Black districts or one where minority candidates could be chosen," Judge Terry Moorer said. The state contended that its map complied with the Voting Rights Act and the Supreme Court decision in the case. To further change the congressional lines, the state said, would mean violating traditional redistricting principles, such as keeping communities of interest together. Abha Khanna, an attorney representing one group of plaintiffs in the case, argued during the hearing that Alabama chose "defiance over compliance." "Alabama has chosen instead to thumb its nose at this court, and to thumb its nose at the nation's highest court, and to thumb its nose at its own Black citizens," Khanna said. 2022 saw the highest number of casualties from cluster bombs since 2008, the year most of the world banned them, according to an annual report from the Cluster Munition Coalition, or CMC, released Tuesday. Civilians represent 95% of the victims. Cluster bombs killed or wounded 1,172 people in 2022, mostly non-combatants, a nearly eightfold increase from 2021. That casualty number was 890 in Ukraine alone. Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Laos, Azerbaijan, Myanmar, and Yemen also recorded casualties. According to the report, children accounted for 71% of casualties from unexploded remnants, often mistaking the small, shiny fragments for playthings. Cluster bombs scatter explosives across wide swaths of land. Some submunitions initially fail to detonate, so unseen bomblets can linger in terrain like landmines, killing and disabling civilians years after a conflict has ended. Once an area has been contaminated, countryside used for agriculture becomes unworkable; routes where humanitarian aid could be delivered become impassable. Loren Persi, who helped edit the report, emphasized the need for improved access to rehabilitation services [particularly in remote war-torn areas]. Today, 124 nations recognize a global ban on cluster bombs. As per the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, those countries have committed to restoring contaminated lands, dismantling the last of their stockpiles, and assisting victims. All countries that have not banned these weapons must do so immediately, said Tamar Gabelnick, director of the CMC, referring to some of the biggest players in geopolitics, like the U.S. and Russia. Since February 2022, Russia has repeatedly peppered Ukraine with cluster bombs. Ukraine has used cluster bombs, too, albeit to a lesser extent. In July, the U.S. began transferring an unknown load of stockpiled 155mm artillery-delivered cluster bombs to Kyiv. At least 21 government leaders and dignitaries from around the world have condemned that decision, including some who support Ukraines war effort. "Its unconscionable that civilians are still dying and being wounded from cluster munitions 15 years after these weapons were prohibited," said Mary Wareham from Human Rights Watch at a press conference in Geneva. Activists like Wareham are worried that a resurgence in cluster bombs could diminish global support for the 2008 ban, permanently shifting how wars play out for the worse. The bloody political crisis in Myanmar and Chinas increasing aggressiveness are overshadowing the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that opened Tuesday in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. Indonesian President Joko Widodo told his fellow leaders in the 10-member regional bloc that ASEAN has agreed not to be a proxy to any power, and said they must become captains of our own ship to achieve peace. ASEAN has been stymied in its attempts to resolve the crisis in Myanmar, which has been mired in chaos since the military overthrew the democratically-elected government of de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, 2021. The junta agreed to a five-point consensus crafted by ASEAN just months after the coup, which includes an immediate end to the violence, peace talks between the junta and its opponents and the delivery of humanitarian aid. But Myanmars junta has failed to follow through on the ASEAN plan, carrying out a bloody crackdown on anti-coup demonstrations and deadly airstrikes on armed resistance forces that are assisted by several rural ethnic rebel groups who have been fighting for decades for greater autonomy. The stalemate has furthered ASEANs reputation in some diplomatic circles as an irrelevant entity, and has further divided the members on its strategy. The junta has been barred from any high-level meetings, but officials from Thailand held one-on-one talks with junta leaders back in July. But the leaders agreed Tuesday to strip Myanmar of its 2026 chairmanship of ASEAN and grant it to the Philippines. Tuesdays summit comes days after China introduced a new maritime map outlining its claims to a majority of the South China Sea, aggravating tensions with its Southeast Asian neighbors, including who have competing territorial claims. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will attend this weeks ASEAN summit in place of President Joe Biden, as well as a wider regional forum that will include China, Russia, India and Japan. Some information for this report came from Reuters, Agence France-Presse. Fierce rainstorms battered neighboring Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria on Tuesday, triggering flooding that caused at least seven deaths, including two holidaymakers swept away by a torrent that raged through a campsite in northwestern Turkey. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said four other people were missing after the flash flood swept over the campsite in Kirklareli province, near the border with Bulgaria. He said about 12 vacationers were at the site when the waters hit. Search teams had located two bodies, he said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "The search and rescue efforts for the missing [four] continue uninterrupted," he added. Television footage showed rescuers carrying a young girl and an adult to safety from waters reaching waist-high in some areas. The rains also damaged and forced the closure of a main road, HaberTurk television reported. In Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, heavy rain flooded streets and homes in two neighborhoods, leaving at least two people dead, according to a statement from the governor's office. Around a dozen people were rescued after being stranded inside a library, while some subway stations were shut down. Istanbul Gov. Davut Gul urged motorcyclists to stay home. In Greece, police banned traffic in the central town of Volos, the nearby mountain region of Pilion and the resort island of Skiathos as record rainfall caused at least one death, channeled thigh-high torrents through streets and swept cars away. The fire department said one man was killed near Volos when a wall buckled and fell on him. Five people were reported missing, possibly swept away by floodwaters. Authorities sent cellphone alerts in several other areas of central Greece, the Sporades island chain and the island of Evia warning people to limit their movements outdoors. Streams overflowed their banks and swept cars into the sea in the Pilion area, while rockfalls blocked roads, a small bridge was carried away and many areas suffered electricity cuts. Authorities evacuated a retirement home in the city of Volos as a precaution. Greece's weather service said a Pilion region village received 75.4 centimeters (nearly 30 inches) of rain late Tuesday, by far the highest level recorded since at least 2006. It noted that the average annual rainfall in the Athens region is around 40 centimeters (15.75 inches). The country's minister of climate crisis and civil protection, Vassilis Kikilias, said the heavy rain was expected to ease up after midday Wednesday. He advised people in affected areas to stay indoors. The storm comes on the heels of major summer wildfires that hit Greece over the past few weeks, with some burning for more than two weeks and destroying vast tracts of forest and farmland. More than 20 people were killed in the fires. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis blamed both the wildfires and storms on climate change, while conceding that his center-right government "clearly didn't manage things as well as we would have liked" on the wildfire front. "I am afraid that the careless summers, as we knew them ... will cease to exist and from now on the coming summers are likely to be ever more difficult," he said Tuesday. Farther north in Bulgaria, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said two people died and three others were missing after a storm caused floods on the country's southern Black Sea coast. Overflowing rivers caused severe damage to roads and bridges. The area also suffered power blackouts, and authorities warned residents not to drink tap water due to contamination from floodwaters. High winds sent 2-meter waves crashing onto beaches at tourist resorts amid torrential rain that flooded streets and houses. TV footage showed cars and camper vans being swept out to sea in the hardest-hit southern resort town of Tsarevo. Authorities declared a state of emergency in Tsarevo and urged people to move upstairs as the ground floors of some hotels were inundated. The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) has suspended Gabon's membership during an extraordinary summit in Djibloho, Equatorial Guinea, and condemned the use of force to resolve political conflicts. One week after a coup ousted Gabon's president, Ali Bongo, little has been said about him and he hasn't been seen since a video in which he was pleading for international help. Monday's extraordinary summit was held under the presidency of Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. Obiang said ECCAS wants Gabon to return to constitutional order so that all the institutions in the country can function. ECCAS said it expects the international and regional communities to help Gabon out of difficult times, but gave no details. ECCAS said Gabon was suspended from proceedings because of an unconstitutional power change. Chad's foreign affairs minister, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, read the summit's resolutions on Equatorial Guinea's National Television. He said ECCAS leaders are asking the military junta in Gabon to guarantee the physical integrity, safety and security of ousted President Bongo and his family. He said Gabon has an obligation under international law to protect all citizens and ensure a quick return to civilian rule. Annadif said the summit designated Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera to negotiate with Gabon's military junta to hand over power. Etienne Ngola, an international affairs lecturer at the Omar Bongo University in Libreville, said via a messaging app that the coup in Gabon was one of the most peaceful in the world with no bloodshed. He said ECCAS should allow Gabon's military junta, which has much internal support, enough time to bring back order and prepare civilians for democratic rule before handing over power. Gabon's ousted president has not been seen in public since August 30, when a group of Gabon military officers appeared on national television and announced that they had seized power and put Bongo under house arrest. But an audio extract from a video of Bongo has gone viral on social media platforms. In the video, Bongo cries for help, asking people he calls his friends to come to his rescue. "I am Ali Bongo Ondimba, president of Gabon, and I want to send a message to all the friends that we have all over the world, to tell them to make noise for the people here have arrested me and my family," he said on the video. "My son is somewhere and my wife is in another place and I am at the residence, nothing is happening, I don't know what is going on so I am calling you to make noise. I am thanking you." Shortly after the coup, Bongo's son, 31-year-old Noureddin Bongo Valentin, was arrested and accused of high treason and corruption. The ECCAS summit did not make any public statements regarding the arrest of Bongo's son. The military junta led by General Brice Oligui Nguema, a former commander of the Republican Guard, who was sworn in on Monday as Gabon's transitional president, has not commented on his predecessor's family situation. During the summit, Niger-born Abdou Abarry, who is the special representative of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for Central Africa and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa, pleaded for the establishment of rules and strong institutions he said will consolidate Gabon's democratic foundations at the end of a transition within a reasonable time. Abarry also expressed hope that ECCAS and the regional office of Central Africa would equip themselves with what he called adequate instruments to deal with the resurgence of unconstitutional changes. Presidents Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo, Joao Lourenco of Angola, Faustin-Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic, as well as Sao Tome and Principe Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada and a representative of Cameroonian President Paul Biya were present at the ECCAS summit. ECCAS also has Chad, Burundi, Gabon, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo and Rwanda as members. The summit said all member states agreed that more sanctions will be meted out on Gabon should the military junta fail to hand over to civilian rule soonest. During his swearing-in ceremony on Monday, Nguema said he would hand over civilian rule, but did not say when. Clashes erupted in an immigrant neighborhood in Sweden's third largest city after an anti-Muslim protester set fire to a copy of the Quran, police said Monday. Police in Malmo said they were pelted with rocks and dozens of cars were set on fire, including in an underground garage, and described the events that started Sunday and lasted overnight as "a violent riot." The clashes started after an anti-Islam activist, Salwan Momika, burned a copy of the Quran on Sunday and an angry mob tried to stop him, police said. At least three people were detained, they said. Early Monday, a crowd of mainly young people set fire to tires and debris and some threw electric scooters, bicycles and barriers in Malmo's Rosengard neighborhood, which has seen similar clashes in the past. Several banners condemned the Quran burning. "I understand that a public gathering like this arouses strong emotions, but we cannot tolerate disturbances and violent expressions like those we saw on Sunday afternoon," senior police officer Petra Stenkula said. "It is extremely regrettable to once again see violence and vandalism at Rosengard," she said. "Regardless of the reason behind these riots, the car fires, the harassment, violence against police officers ... regardless of the reason, I think that all Swedes find this completely unacceptable," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said at a news conference. In the past months, Momika, a refugee from Iraq, has desecrated copies of the Quran in a series of anti-Islam protests mostly in Stockholm. Swedish police have allowed his actions, citing freedom of speech. The Quran burnings have sparked angry protests in Muslim countries, attacks on Swedish diplomatic missions and threats from Islamic extremists. Muslim leaders in Sweden have called on the government to find ways to stop the Quran burnings. Sweden dropped its last blasphemy laws in the 1970s and the government has said it has no intention to reintroduce them. However, the government has announced an investigation into the possibility of enabling police to reject permits for demonstrations over national security concerns. After months of struggling to find agreement on just about anything in a divided Congress, lawmakers are returning to Capitol Hill to try to avert a government shutdown, even as House Republicans consider whether to press forward with an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. A short-term funding measure to keep government offices fully functioning will dominate the September agenda, along with emergency funding for Ukraine, federal disaster funds and the Republican-driven probe into Hunter Biden's overseas business dealings. Time is running short for Congress to act. The House is scheduled to meet for just 11 days before the government's fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, leaving little room to maneuver. And the dealmaking will play out as two top Republicans, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, deal with health issues. The president and congressional leaders, including Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, are focused on passage of a months-long funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, to keep government offices running while lawmakers iron out a budget. It's a step Congress routinely takes to avoid stoppages, but McCarthy faces resistance from within his own Republican ranks, including from some hardline conservatives who openly embrace the idea of a government shutdown. "Honestly, it's a pretty big mess," McConnell said at an event in Kentucky last week. Here are the top issues as lawmakers return from the August break: Keeping the government open When Biden and McCarthy struck a deal to suspend the nation's debt ceiling in June, it included provisions for topline spending numbers. But under pressure from the House Freedom Caucus, House Republicans have advanced spending bills that cut below that agreement. Republicans have also tried to load their spending packages with conservative policy wins. For example, House Republicans added provisions blocking abortion coverage, transgender care and diversity initiatives to a July defense package, turning what has traditionally been a bipartisan effort into a sharply contested bill. But Democrats control the Senate and are certain to reject most of the conservative proposals. Senators are crafting their spending bills on a bipartisan basis with an eye toward avoiding unrelated policy fights. Top lawmakers in both chambers are now turning to a stopgap funding package, a typical strategy to give the lawmakers time to iron out a long-term agreement. The House Freedom Caucus has already released a list of demands it wants included in the continuing resolution. But they amount to a right-wing wish list that would never fly in the Senate. The conservative opposition means McCarthy will almost certainly have to win significant Democratic support to pass a funding bill but such an approach risks a new round of conflict with the same conservatives who in the past have threatened to oust him from the speakership. Democrats are already readying blame for the House GOP. "The last thing the American people deserve is for extreme House members to trigger a government shutdown that hurts our economy, undermines our disaster preparedness, and forces our troops to work without guaranteed pay," said White House spokesman Andrew Bates. In a letter to his colleagues Friday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote that the focus when the Senate returns Tuesday will be "funding the government and preventing House Republican extremists from forcing a government shutdown." It leaves McCarthy desperate to get the votes to keep government offices running and avoid the political blowback. As he tries to persuade Republicans to go along with a temporary fix, McCarthy has been arguing that a government shutdown would also halt Republican investigations into the Biden administration. "If we shut down, all of government shuts it down investigations and everything else it hurts the American public," the speaker said on Fox News last week. Impeachment inquiry Since they gained the House majority, Republicans have launched a series of investigations into the Biden administration, with an eye towards impeaching the president or his Cabinet officials. They have now zeroed in on the president's son, Hunter Biden, and his overseas business dealings, including with Ukrainian gas company Burisma. The inquiries have not produced evidence that President Biden took official action on behalf of his son or business partners, but McCarthy has called impeachment a "natural step forward" for the investigations. An impeachment inquiry by the House would be a first step toward bringing articles of impeachment. It is not yet clear what that may look like, especially because the speaker does not appear to have the GOP votes lined up to support an impeachment inquiry. Moderate Republicans have so far balked at sending the House on a full-fledged impeachment hunt. But Donald Trump, running once again to challenge Biden, is prodding them to move ahead quickly. "I don't know how actually how a Republican could not do it," Trump said in an interview on Real America's Voice. "I think a Republican would be primaried and lose immediately, no matter what district you're in." Ukraine and disaster funding The White House has requested more than $40 billion in emergency funding, including $13 billion in military aid for Ukraine, $8 billion in humanitarian support for the nation and $12 billion to replenish U.S. federal disaster funds at home. The request for the massive cash infusion comes as Kyiv launches a counteroffensive against the Russian invasion. But support for Ukraine is waning among Republicans, especially as Trump has repeatedly expressed skepticism of the war. Nearly 70 Republicans voted for an unsuccessful effort to discontinue military aid to Ukraine in July, though strong support for the war effort remains among many members. It is also not clear whether the White House's supplemental request for U.S. disaster funding, which also includes funds to bolster enforcement and curb drug trafficking at the southern U.S. border, will be tied to the Ukraine funding or a continuing budget resolution. The disaster funding enjoys wide support in the House, but could be tripped up if packaged with other funding proposals. Legislation on hold The Senate is expected to spend most of September focused on funding the government and confirming Biden's nominees, meaning that major policy legislation will have to wait. But Schumer outlined some priorities for the remaining months of the year in the letter to his colleagues. Schumer said the Senate would work on legislation to lower the costs of drugs, address rail safety and provide disaster relief after floods in Vermont, fires in Hawaii and a hurricane in Florida. Senators will also continue to examine whether legislation is needed to address artificial intelligence. Schumer has convened what he is calling an "AI insight forum" on Sept. 13 in the Senate with tech industry leaders, including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, the CEO of X and Tesla, as well as former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. Health concerns Senate Republicans will return next week to renewed questions about the health of their leader, McConnell. McConnell, 81, faces questions about his ability to continue as the top Senate Republican after he has frozen up twice during news conferences in the last two months since falling and suffering a concussion in March. During the event in Kentucky last week, he fell silent for roughly 30 seconds as he answered a question from a reporter. Dr. Brian Monahan, the Capitol's attending physician, said Thursday that McConnell is cleared to work. But the question of whether McConnell the longest-serving party leader in Senate history can continue as Republican leader has sparked intense speculation about who will eventually replace him. Meanwhile, the health of California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 90, has visibly wavered in recent months after she was hospitalized for shingles earlier this year. She suffered a fall at her San Francisco home in August and visited the hospital for testing. And in the House, Rep. Steve Scalise, the No. 2 Republican, disclosed last week that he has been diagnosed with a form of blood cancer known as multiple myeloma and is undergoing treatment. Scalise, 57, said he will continue to serve and described the cancer as "very treatable." All About America explores American culture, politics, trends, history, ideals and places of interest. Buried deep beneath New Yorks busy streets lies a secret gem, one of the citys first underground subway stations. With its brass chandeliers, skylights and vaulted tiled ceiling, the Old City Hall Station makes New Yorks modern depots look like poor distant relatives. I was blown away, says Polly Desjarlais, the New York Transit Museum's content manager, of her reaction when she first saw the old station. I think it's this perfect sort of time capsule. It's really this lovely, elegant and really unique space. New Yorks first underground subway, which included the Old City Hall station, opened in 1904. Before then, New Yorkers used elevated trains and streetcars for public transportation. The Old City Hall Station, designed by prominent architects George Heins and Christopher LaFarge, with vaulted, tiled ceilings by master artisan Rafael Guastavino, was considered a jewel in the crown when it opened. It was a statement that New York City had arrived at the level of the great European metropolises like London and Paris, Rome, Madrid that New York City was taking its place as a world city, says Clifton Hood, a history professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. The Old City Hall Station was built during a period when many public buildings and spaces, such as Grand Central Terminal and the New York Public Library, were designed in a majestic way to show that New York could compete culturally with great European cities. Built by railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1871, Grand Central is a commuter rail station with a vaulted ceiling featuring elaborate depictions of the sky and stars. The New York Public Library, dedicated in 1911 and funded by some of Americas richest men at the time, is a majestic landmark known for the twin lion statues guarding its entrance. [The structures] could have been pedestrian but are really pretty fabulous public buildings. Theyre monuments, and the builders of the subways wanted something that would evoke the same kind of spirit, says Hood, who is also the author of 722 Miles: The Building of the Subways and How They Transformed New York. They wanted one station that would be especially magnificent, he says. Like Grand Central and the New York Public Library, the design of the Old City Hall Station was influenced by the French Beaux-Arts style, which incorporated neoclassicism, Renaissance and Baroque elements, while also using more modern materials such as iron and glass. There are gorgeous glass bricks that are flush with the streets that allow the daylight to shine through those leaded glass skylights, Desjarlais says. I've heard [the station] be described as a celebration of curves, because there are a lot of curves. Everything is sort-of rounded. But those graceful curves are what led to the stations demise as a fully functional part of the underground transit system, because its rounded platform couldnt accommodate longer trains. The platform at City Hall is really curved. It's a very, very tight curve, and the platform itself is just over 200 feet long. So, it's short, Desjarlais says. As the subway got busier trains got longer, and we added cars. We were growing those platforms and making them longer to accommodate longer trains. At City Hall, that curve made it virtually impossible to extend. The station was decommissioned in 1945, but it is still a functioning space. One train line, the No. 6, uses the Old City Hall Station to turn around. And while there is no public access to the station from the street, the New York Transit Museum offers paidtours to its members a few times a year. Limited access also helps us preserve as much as we can. And, I think, it makes it really special, Desjarlais says. It keeps that mystery, that lovely idea that just below our feet, we are possibly walking above this wonderful pocket of turn-of-the-century beauty and elegance. Todays subway stations appear to focus more on function than looks, which historian Hood regrets. What is lost is a sense of possibility and aspiration, and really, exhilaration, too, Hood says. What the City Hall Subway Station really shouts is joy, exuberance. It summons us to do more, and I think it lifts our spirits on a daily basis. These builders could have built a pedestrian station, but they didnt. They had higher ambitions, and maybe we should think in those terms, too. Over the years, there was talk of turning the old station into a restaurant or tourist destination. However, after the 9/11 terror attacks, security concerns put those ideas to rest. Today, the unofficial way for the general public to catch a glimpse of the grand old station is by taking the No. 6 train and staying on after the last stop at the Brooklyn Bridge. When the train makes a U-turn at the Old City Hall Station, riders will be treated to a brief trip back to a more glamorous time. Hong Kongs high court is urging the Chinese territorys legislature to create an alternative legal framework that would recognize same-sex partnerships. The Court of Final Appeal ruled Tuesday on a lawsuit filed by pro-democracy activist Jimmy Sham, who has been seeking to have his 2013 marriage to a same-sex partner in New York legally recognized, but has been rejected by two lower courts. The high court refused to recognize full marriage equality for homosexual couples but said the government had a responsibility to provide them with a sense of legitimacy, dispelling any sense that they belong to an inferior class of persons whose relationship is undeserving of recognition. The court order gives the government two years to legally recognize same-sex civil unions. The ruling is the first time the court has directly addressed the issue. Some business groups in Hong Kong have backed campaigns by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) groups to have same-sex marriage recognized in the Asian financial hub as a means of attracting top talent. Sham is one of dozens of pro-democracy activists who are imprisoned and facing trial for violating Hong Kongs national security law imposed by the Chinese government in 2020 by taking part in an unofficial primary election. Some information for this report came from Reuters, Agence France-Presse. MOSCOW, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Moscow would return to the Black Sea grain deal as soon as its requirements are met. "We will be ready to revive the grain deal, and we will do this as soon as all restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products are lifted," Putin said at a press conference following talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Russian city of Sochi. Putin said that Russia's grain harvest could reach 130 million tons this year, and the country's export potential would remain at 60 million tons. He said that Moscow is not opposed to the grain deal, but warned Ukraine against using grain export corridors for military purposes. Erdogan noted that Turkiye had been working on a new package of proposals together with the United Nations. He expressed confidence that the proposals would help resume the deal as soon as possible. The Russian leader further said that Moscow will continue exporting food and fertilizer to help stabilize global food prices. He said that Russia, Turkiye and Qatar would work jointly to deliver 1 million tones of Russian grain to countries in need. The initiative will contribute to solving the global food crisis, Putin said, adding however that it shouldn't be viewed as an alternative to the Black Sea grain deal. The two leaders also discussed bilateral energy and trade relations, including the joint construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant. Putin noted that the plant's first unit is expected to be launched next year. Putin further confirmed Moscow's readiness to establish a regional gas hub in Turkiye to deliver gas supplies to third countries. The two presidents also discussed the Ukrainian crisis and global ceasefire proposals aimed at achieving a political settlement. Putin thanked Erdogan for his mediation efforts, and reiterated that Moscow remained open for dialogue. Erdogan in turn confirmed that Turkiye is ready to act as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine, and remains committed to establishing lasting peace and stability. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday lauded African countries for resisting "colonialism" during a visit by Burkina Faso's foreign minister. Burkina Faso, as well as Mali, are currently ruled by military juntas that severed military ties with France a former colonial power and bolstered relations with Russia. Niger, where a military junta seized power in July, has been the scene of mass protests calling for troops of former colonial ruler France to leave. On Monday, Raisi "praised the resistance of African countries in the face of colonialism and terrorism" during a meeting in Tehran with Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Olivia Rouamba, without specifically mentioning France. He hailed their stance as a "sign of vigilance and awakening," according to a statement published on the Iranian presidency's website. Burkina Faso underwent two military coups in 2022 and the ruling junta subsequently demanded that French troops withdraw from the country. During the meeting with Rouamba, Raisi expressed Iran's willingness to "share its experiences and achievements with friendly African countries." Rouamba also expressed interest in bolstering bilateral relations with Iran, according to the Iranian presidency statement. Iran has been bolstering ties across the African continent in an effort to reduce its isolation and offset the impact of crippling sanctions reimposed since the 2018 withdrawal of the United States from a painstakingly negotiated nuclear deal. In July, Raisi set out on a rare Africa tour that took him to Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Rights groups in Zimbabwe say they are concerned about the arrests of two human rights lawyers Monday night. Police arrested Douglas Coltart and Tapiwa Muchineripi of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights after they asked police not to interview two of their clients who were hospitalized. The clients, opposition activists Womberaishe Nhende and Sonele Mukhuhlani of Citizens Coalition for Change, said that they were abducted, tortured and drugged on Saturday by people they suspected were state agents. Their arrest amounts to criminalization of their profession, said Jeremiah Bamu of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights. All they did was to convey advice that they had received from medical personnel about the medical condition of their clients and their ability to withstand police interviews. And because of that simple conveyance of information and representation of their clients, they have been arrested, and they are now placed on remand. That is a direct attack on the independence of the profession and is a move that is calculated at making lawyers fail to exercise their functions, he said. Coltart and Muchineripi, who were released on $100 bail each, are expected back in court on October 20 to determine the legality of the charges against them obstructing or defeating the course of justice, Bamu said. Lucia Masuka, the executive director of Amnesty International in Zimbabwe, said no one should be prosecuted simply for exercising their human rights, including the right to represent those who have been the arrested. Everyone, regardless of their political affiliation, should be able to freely participate in peaceful activism without fear of abduction or harm, Masuka said. The Zimbabwean authorities must immediately stop issuing inflammatory statements that could incite attacks against political activists, human rights defenders and other people. Masuka also said that authorities must ensure a peaceful post-election environment by fully respecting, protecting and ensuring the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, association and expression. Repeated efforts to reach Kazembe Kazembe, Zimbabwes home affairs minister, for comment were fruitless Tuesday. The arrest of the lawyers happened the day President Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in for his second term and vowed to respect the constitution. Under my leadership and the new Zanu PF government, Mnangagwa said, democracy, good governance, the rule of law and the politics of tolerance will be entrenched, in line with the spirit and letter of our sacred national constitution and laws. The Zimbabwean government has frequently been accused of intolerance and not observing the rule of law since the country got its independence in 1980. An education crisis is once again looming in Kenya as hundreds of nonlocal teachers demand transfers from the predominantly Muslim region in the countrys northeast after a series of deadly attacks by al-Shabab militants. Schools reopened August 28, but most students have not yet resumed classes. Ahmed Hussein reports from Wajir County, Kenya. Southeast Asian leaders decided that Myanmar won't take over the rotating leadership of their regional bloc as scheduled in 2026, Asian diplomats and a leader said Tuesday, in the latest blow to efforts by its ruling generals to gain international recognition after violently seizing power in 2021. Western governments led by the United States have condemned the Myanmar army's ouster of Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically elected government in 2021 and have demanded her immediate release from yearslong detention along with other officials. The Philippines agreed to take over the regional bloc's chairmanship in 2026 at an ASEAN summit hosted by Indonesia on Tuesday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in a statement, citing what he told fellow leaders in the closed-door meetings. "It is my pleasure to announce that the Philippines is ready to take the helm and chair ASEAN in 2026," Marcos told his ASEAN counterparts in Jakarta, the statement said. Marcos did not explain why Myanmar lost the prestigious yearlong ASEAN chairmanship, but two ASEAN diplomats told The Associated Press that it was related to the civil strife in the country and fears that the bloc's relations with the United States and the European Union, among others, might be undermined because of their non-recognition of the military-led government in Myanmar. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the delicate issue publicly. Continuing deadly civil strife in Myanmar and new flare-ups in long-simmering territorial disputes in the South China Sea were high in the agenda of the 10-nation bloc's talks on Tuesday. Thorny issues including the U.S.-China rivalry in the region have set off divisions within ASEAN, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo renewed his call for unity. "All of us are aware of the magnitude of the world's challenges today, where the main key to facing them is the unity and centrality of ASEAN," Widodo told fellow leaders. He likened the regional group to a big ship carrying Southeast Asia's people. "ASEAN leaders must ensure that this ship is able to keep going, able to keep sailing," Widodo said. "We must be captains of our own ships to bring about peace, to bring about stability, to bring about shared prosperity." In a punitive step for their failure to comply with a five-point domestic peace plan crafted by ASEAN leaders in 2021, Myanmar's top generals and their appointed officials were again barred from attending this year's summit in Jakarta despite suggestions by some member states that they be allowed back because their ejection had failed to resolve the country's crisis. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said ASEAN leaders decided to stick with the peace plan despite an assessment that it has not led to any progress in easing the crisis. They designated three nations the bloc's previous, current and next chairs to deal directly with Myanmar's civil unrest, she told reporters. Myanmar's generals will continue to be barred from attending high-level ASEAN meetings, Marsudi said. Myanmar security forces have killed about 4,000 civilians and arrested 24,410 others since the army takeover, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights monitoring organization. After their summit on Tuesday, the regional group's leaders will meet with Asian and Western counterparts from Wednesday to Thursday, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is attending in lieu of President Joe Biden, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said before flying to Jakarta that he plans to offer assurances of the safety of the ongoing release into the sea of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. The release began on Aug. 24 and China immediately imposed a ban on all Japanese seafood. Asked about the possibility of a meeting with Chinese Premier Li in Jakarta, Kishida said there had been no decision made on that. Kishida and three Cabinet ministers recently ate flounder, octopus and sea bass sashimi caught off the Fukushima coast after the start of the wastewater release in an effort to show they were safe. On the South China Sea territorial disputes, the ASEAN leaders "reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation," according to a post-summit communique to be issued by Widodo in behalf of the other leaders. ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei are involved in the territorial standoffs in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirely. "We discussed the situation in the South China Sea, during which concerns were expressed by some ASEAN member states on the land reclamations, activities, serious incidents in the area, including actions that put the safety of all persons at risk, damage to the marine environment, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions, and may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region," the leaders planned to say, using similar language as in past communiques. News reports from Iran say authorities have arrested the uncle of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Iranian woman whose death in police custody last year sparked months of anti-government protests. Safa Aeli was detained Tuesday at his residence in Saqqez and taken to an undisclosed location, the reports said. Sources cited by Kurdish news agency Kurdpa said security forces entered the home without presenting a judicial order. The arrest comes ahead of the September 16 anniversary of the death of Amini, who had been detained by the morality police for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely. Iran saw months of anti-government protests after her death. Activists allege that Iranian authorities have been carrying out an increasing number of arrests as the anniversary approaches. In August, Amnesty International accused Iran of ramping up a campaign of harassment and intimidation against the families of those killed in last years protests. The group said it documented the cases of 36 victims families from 10 provinces across the country who have been subjected to human rights violations in recent months. The office of the U.S. Special Envoy for Iran, Abram Paley, has vehemently denounced the "overt attempts to instill fear among Iranians, who already have suffered profound losses, particularly on the eve of the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death." Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Iran arrived Tuesday in the Islamic Republic, and his counterpart landed in Riyadh, cementing a restoration of ties between the Persian Gulf rivals after a seven-year rupture. Shiite-dominated Iran and Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia agreed to resume diplomatic relations and reopen their respective embassies following a China-brokered deal announced in March. Riyadh and Tehran severed ties in 2016 after Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran were attacked during protests over Riyadh's execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Saudi Arabia's leadership recognizes the "importance of strengthening ties, increasing engagement and taking the [relationship] to broader horizons," Ambassador Abdullah Alanazi said upon his arrival in Tehran to take up his duties, according to a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement. Also on Tuesday, Iran's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alireza Enayati, arrived in the capital, Riyadh, where he was received by foreign ministry officials and embassy staff, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency. Alanazi was formerly Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Oman, while Enayati was previously Iran's Kuwait envoy. Saudi Arabia's embassy in Tehran resumed operations last month. In June, Iran marked the reopening of its embassy in Riyadh with a flag-raising ceremony. Last month Iran's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, preached unity and dialogue during his first visit to Saudi Arabia since the surprise rapprochement was announced, saying bilateral ties were "progressing in the right direction." Iran and Saudi Arabia have backed opposing sides in conflict zones across the Middle East for years. Since the March deal, Saudi Arabia has restored ties with Iranian ally Syria and ramped up a push for peace in Yemen, where it has for years led a military coalition against the Iran-backed Huthi forces. Rising tension in Ethiopia's Amhara region from sporadic fighting between the federal government and local militia groups, known as Fano, is causing shortages of goods and reducing health care services. Towns across the Amhara region have come to a standstill following the fighting. A health worker in Dembecha town, in the West Gojjam Zone, said federal troops had initially camped at the town's hospital for days, making it difficult for staff to provide health services. The worker said the troops eventually left the hospital, but remained in town, checking on residents and making it difficult for residents to feel free to move around. The Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency in the Amhara region in early August, restricting movement and transferring the region's administration to a military command post. In Mezzezo town, 200 kilometers from Addis Ababa, there has been relative calm, but the insecurity has resulted in price hikes on basic goods. Goods are not coming in from Addis Ababa, one Mezzezo resident said, and the prices of merchandise and edible oil have shot up, making it hard to live. Fighting between Fano forces and federal troops reached its peak in early August, after months of skirmishes, following government orders to re-integrate the militia into the formal security structure. A recent U.N. report says that has resulted in the deaths of over 180 people since July. The report adds that more than 1,000 people have been arrested across the country since the declaration of a state of emergency. A resident of Debre Tabor in the South Gonder Zone said a lot of young people were arrested last week after federal troops took over the town following days of fighting. Troops were going house to house on August 30 and 31, the resident said, going around searching for weapons and Fano. The resident added that people are still in danger. In a briefing given September 1, Ethiopian Defense Force Field Marshall Berhanu Jula said the situation in the Amhara region is no longer posing a security threat. Two executives of a Swedish oil exploration and production company went on trial Tuesday in Stockholm for securing the company's operations in Sudan through their alleged complicity in war crimes 20 years ago. Swedish prosecutors claim that former Lundin Oil chairman Ian Lundin and the company's former CEO, Alex Schneiter, supported the Sudanese government of former dictator Omar al-Bashir, who was toppled in an April 2019 popular uprising. The two executives are accused of creating "the necessary conditions for the subsidiary's operations by conducting warfare in a way that entailed the Sudanese military and regime-allied militia systematically attacking civilians or at least carrying out systematic attacks in violation of the principles of distinction and proportionality," the prosecutors said. Lundin told reporters at the Stockholm District Court that the accusations were "completely false." "We look forward to defending ourselves in court," he said. The trial is expected to run until early 2026. A 1983-2005 civil war between the Muslim-dominated north and Christian south tore Sudan apart. A separate conflict in Darfur, the war-scarred region of western Sudan, began in 2003. Thousands of people were killed and nearly 200,000 displaced. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 to become the world's youngest nation. Swedish prosecutors said the Sudanese government conducted offensive military operations in the Block 5A oil field and its vicinity in southern Sudan between May 1999 and March 2003 to gain control of areas for oil prospecting and to create the necessary conditions for oil extraction, the prosecution said. During the military operations, severe violations of international humanitarian law were committed, it said. In a statement, the prosecution said Lundin and Schneiter "participated in the conclusion" of an agreement involving a right to search for and extract oil in a larger area in southern Sudan "in exchange for the payment of fees and a share in future profits." Lundin was the operator of a consortium of companies exploring Block 5A, including Malaysia's Petronas Carigali Overseas, OMV (Sudan) Exploration GmbH of Austria, and the Sudanese state-owned oil company Sudapet Ltd. The prosecution wants the executives barred from conducting business activities for 10 years and the Swedish company fined 3 million kronor ($272,250). They also want 1.4 billion kronor ($127 million) confiscated from Lundin Oil because of economic benefits that were achieved from the alleged crimes. In Sweden, the maximum penalty for complicity in war crimes is a life prison sentence, which generally means a minimum of 20 to 25 years. Prosecutors typically request the punishment they want for a conviction at the end of trials. Vice President Kamala Harris has arrived in Jakarta to meet with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, in a summit hosted by Indonesia, the outgoing chair of the 10-nation group. Her visit comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region as China released a controversial territorial map that has drawn the ire of India, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and the Philippines. Harris is expected to raise the issue of what the administration calls Beijing's "false maritime claims" during her meetings with ASEAN leaders. "She will not shy away from talking about our responsibilities as a Pacific power," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told VOA in an interview Friday. "Five of our seven treaty alliances are in the Indo-Pacific region, and so the vice president will certainly make it clear that the United States takes those responsibilities seriously." While Harris has been in the region several times since assuming office, this is her first time in Indonesia, a U.S. "strategic partner" since 2015 and a key player in the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific strategy. The country is hosting its massive annual Super Garuda Shield live-fire military exercises with the U.S., Australia, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom and France. In August, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin announced the two countries would be working to increase Indonesia's defense capabilities with American weapons. The momentum is on the side of a forward-leaning U.S. approach in the South China Sea, especially considering China's recent publication of its latest territorial map and the Chinese Coast Guard's firing of a water cannon at a Philippine boat trying to resupply a military outpost on a disputed reef, said Prashanth Parameswaran, a fellow at the Wilson Center and founder of the weekly ASEAN Wonk newsletter. "A forward-leaning U.S. South China Sea approach would be in line with Indonesia's greater focus on the issue and initiatives under its chairmanship this year, such as a new regional maritime outlook and advancing ASEAN's Indo-Pacific vision," Parameswaran told VOA. However, ASEAN adheres to consensus-based decision-making, nonalignment and noninterference in the domestic affairs of other countries. Observers say those principles contribute to the group's ambiguity and ineffectiveness in addressing the geopolitical issues that will be the focus of this week's meetings: the South China Sea disputes, the crisis in Myanmar and the war on Ukraine. If the expectations are for ASEAN to solve those issues, ASEAN could be seen as irrelevant, said Bich Tran, an adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "But it's worth remembering that ASEAN has kept peace among its members," she told VOA. "In this sense, ASEAN is still relevant." During her three-day stay in the country, Harris will also be attending the East Asia Summit, which brings together ASEAN and its partners the United States, China, Russia, Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. Biden's missed opportunity? Observers have criticized President Joe Biden's decision to send Harris to Jakarta in his place as a missed opportunity to bolster diplomatic ties with Indonesia, ASEAN's largest economy. The archipelago has been seen as drifting toward China's sphere of influence as the government of President Joko Widodo places "economic diplomacy" as its premier foreign policy goal. Diplomatic sources who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations said Jakarta had been disappointed with Biden's decision, especially after it took steps to align ASEAN's meeting calendar with the U.S. president's travel to the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, in the hopes of securing his attendance. On the heels of the G20, Biden will instead travel to Hanoi, where he is expected to upgrade U.S.-Vietnam ties from the current "comprehensive partnership." Diplomatic sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly, told VOA that Vietnam has agreed to bypass a "strategic partnership" status for that of a "comprehensive strategic partnership," which would put Washington on par with China and Russia in terms of its ties with Hanoi. Previously hesitant to upgrade ties due to concerns of a potential backlash from China, Vietnam, a communist country and ideologically aligned with Beijing, is left with little choice but to diversify diplomatic ties in the face of Beijing's increasing assertiveness in its territorial dispute with Hanoi in the South China Sea. "They want relationships because they want China to know that they're not alone," Biden said during a campaign reception in August. Harris is expected to depart Jakarta Thursday and arrive in Washington Friday, as Biden heads to New Delhi. U.S., British and European Union officials are planning to jointly press the United Arab Emirates this week to halt shipments of goods to Russia that could help Moscow in its war against Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing U.S. and European officials. A UAE official, in response to Reuters' request for comment, said the country "strictly abides by UN sanctions and has clear and robust processes in place to deal with sanctioned entities." The UAE "is continuously monitoring the export of dual-use products," which have both civilian and military applications, under its export control legal framework, the official added. Officials from Washington and European capitals were visiting the UAE from Monday as part of a collective global push to keep computer chips, electronic components and other so-called dual-use products out of Russian hands, the WSJ report said. The UAE, a member of the OPEC+ oil alliance that includes Russia, has maintained good ties with Moscow despite Western pressure to help to isolate Russia over the invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022. It has not matched global sanctions imposed on Moscow. The U.S. State Department declined to comment when asked about the WSJ report. The UAE official added the UAE remained in close dialogue with international partners including the U.S. and European Union about the conflict in Ukraine and its implications for the global economy. "UAE banks, under the supervision of the Central Bank and other relevant authorities, monitor compliance with sanctions imposed on Russia to prevent violations of international law," the UAE official said. BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory letter to the 10th Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Ministers of Justice, which opened Tuesday in Shanghai. Xi noted in the letter that, since the mechanism of the Meeting of SCO Ministers of Justice was launched in 2013, SCO member states have advanced the rule of law with unceasing efforts, enhanced exchanges and mutual learning between governments in the field of justice, and constantly engaged themselves in practical cooperation in the legal services sector. They have also played important roles in upholding the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order underpinned by international law, Xi added. China attaches great importance to the role of the rule of law in consolidating foundations, ensuring stable expectations and delivering long-term benefits, Xi said. He said China stands ready to collaborate with other SCO member states in enhancing exchanges and cooperation in law and judicial administration. China is also willing to work with other SCO member states to promote high-quality economic development through the rule of law, uphold regional peace and stability, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi added. The meeting was hosted by China's Ministry of Justice. HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday hailed recent elections as a sign of the countrys mature democracy and a victory over Western adversaries, as he took an oath of office following a vote whose credibility was questioned by both Western and African observers. Mnangagwa, 80, won disputed polls held on Aug. 26, garnering 52.6% of the vote ahead of main opposition leader Nelson Chamisas 44%. His ZANU-PF party, which has ruled the tiny nation of 15 million people since independence from white minority rule in 1980, also retained a parliamentary majority. There are no losers but victory for the people of Zimbabwe against the neo-colonial tendencies of our countrys detractors and those who believe that might is right. We have shamed our detractors, he said before jubilant supporters, many of them bussed to pack a 60,000-seater Chinese-built stadium in the capital, Harare. Counter revolutionaries and their proxies will never prevail in Zimbabwe, said Mnangagwa, who routinely accuses the opposition of being puppets of the U.S and other Western nations that placed sanctions on the country two decades ago over alleged human rights violations. The elections are the second since the ouster of longtime autocratic ruler Robert Mugabe in a 2017 coup. Mnangagwa, a close Mugabe ally for years, became president following the coup. He undertook to thaw icy relations with the West after taking power. He even applied for Zimbabwe to rejoin the Commonwealth, a bloc of mainly former British colonies that Zimbabwe left in 2003 after it became apparent that the organization would extend a suspension imposed a year earlier following elections marred by allegations of violence and rigging. But criticism over his rule by the West has seen Mnangagwa strengthening ties with traditional Mugabe allies such as China and Russia. He hosted Irans president Ebrahim Raisi in July, months after a visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, and talked up coalitions against U.S sanctions. Mnangagwa also won disputed presidential elections against Chamisa in 2018. The countrys constitutional court rejected Chamisas challenge of the election result. The 45-year-old opposition leader did not approach the court this time despite describing the poll as a blatant and gigantic fraud and calling for fresh elections supervised by the countrys neighbors. Observers from regional blocs the Southern African Development Community and African Union as well as the Carter Center and the European Union said that although voting day was largely peaceful, an atmosphere of intimidation had characterized the runup to the polls. Mnangagwa did not directly address Chamisas concerns or those of the observers during Mondays speech, but he described the elections as peaceful, free, fair, transparent and credible and criticized Western sanctions as illegal and heinous. Credible elections were viewed by many as a key step toward ending Zimbabwes international isolation and setting the stage for the recovery of a once prosperous economy in a country with rich agricultural land and vast mineral resources. Zimbabwe has Africas largest deposits of the highly sought-after battery mineral lithium that has attracted interest from China. Mnangagwa in his inauguration speech promised to use the countrys minerals that include gold and diamonds to drive economic growth. He touted developments in roads and dam construction and a rebound in the agricultural sector as evidence of his record. A carnival atmosphere engulfed the stadium, with thousands dressed in the ruling partys green, yellow and red colors dancing to live music. Helicopters and planes from the countrys air force flew in formation and neatly dressed security forces slow marched, among other displays that included a 21-gun salute. The presidents of Mozambique, South Africa and Congo attended the event. But the situation was muted in much of the capital, Harare, an opposition stronghold where street vendors teemed the streets. About two thirds of the countrys working age population survives on informal trade such as street hawking after the collapse of many formal industries over the past two decades, according to the International Monetary Fund. Mnangagwa promised a new era of freedom, democracy and economic prosperity after replacing Mugabe, yet many say they dont see much change. There is nothing to celebrate, its going to be another five years of suffering and repression, said Onismo Mweda, pushing a cart from where he sold fruits and vegetables in the capitals central business district. Moki Edwin Kindzeka YAOUNDE, CAMEROON The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) has suspended Gabon's membership during an extraordinary summit in Djibloho, Equatorial Guinea, and condemned the use of force to resolve political conflicts. One week after a coup ousted Gabon's president, Ali Bongo, little has been said about him and he hasn't been seen since a video in which he was pleading for international help. Monday's extraordinary summit was held under the presidency of Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.. Obiang said ECCAS wants Gabon to return to constitutional order so that all the institutions in the country can function. ECCAS said it expects the international and regional communities to help Gabon out of difficult times, but gave no details. ECCAS said Gabon was suspended from proceedings because of an unconstitutional power change. Chad's foreign affairs minister, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, read the summit's resolutions on Equatorial Guinea's National Television. He said ECCAS leaders are asking the military junta in Gabon to guarantee the physical integrity, safety and security of ousted President Bongo and his family. He said Gabon has an obligation under international law to protect all citizens and ensure a quick return to civilian rule. Annadif said the summit designated Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera to negotiate with Gabon's military junta to hand over power. Etienne Ngola, an international affairs lecturer at the Omar Bongo University in Libreville, said via a messaging app that the coup in Gabon was one of the most peaceful in the world with no bloodshed. He said ECCAS should allow Gabon's military junta, which has much internal support, enough time to bring back order and prepare civilians for democratic rule before handing over power. Gabon's ousted president has not been seen in public since August 30, when a group of Gabon military officers appeared on national television and announced that they had seized power and put Bongo under house arrest. But an audio extract from a video of Bongo has gone viral on social media platforms. In the video, Bongo cries for help, asking people he calls his friends to come to his rescue. "I am Ali Bongo Ondimba, president of Gabon, and I want to send a message to all the friends that we have all over the world, to tell them to make noise for the people here have arrested me and my family," he said on the video. "My son is somewhere and my wife is in another place and I am at the residence, nothing is happening, I don't know what is going on so I am calling you to make noise. I am thanking you." Shortly after the coup, Bongo's son, 31-year-old Noureddin Bongo Valentin, was arrested and accused of high treason and corruption. The ECCAS summit did not make any public statements regarding the arrest of Bongo's son. The military junta led by General Brice Oligui Nguema, a former commander of the Republican Guard, who was sworn in on Monday as Gabon's transitional president, has not commented on his predecessor's family situation. During the summit, Niger-born Abdou Abarry, who is the special representative of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for Central Africa and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa, pleaded for the establishment of rules and strong institutions he said will consolidate Gabon's democratic foundations at the end of a transition within a reasonable time. Abarry also expressed hope that ECCAS and the regional office of Central Africa would equip themselves with what he called adequate instruments to deal with the resurgence of unconstitutional changes. Presidents Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo, Joao Lourenco of Angola, Faustin-Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic, as well as Sao Tome and Principe Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada and a representative of Cameroonian President Paul Biya were present at the ECCAS summit. ECCAS also has Chad, Burundi, Gabon, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo and Rwanda as members. The summit said all member states agreed that more sanctions will be meted out on Gabon should the military junta fail to hand over to civilian rule soonest. During his swearing-in ceremony on Monday, Nguema said he would hand over civilian rule, but did not say when. URUMQI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- You are my cup of... coffee! Seven years on, Dilxat Tursun can still feel his heart flutter whenever he recalls the moment he clutched 99 roses in his hand and confessed his feelings to Hadiya Msham Abdulla from Tanzania. Although Hadiya didn't give her answer right away, the two are now happily married, running the Dili and Diya Cafe in Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China. While brewing a perfect cup of coffee, they love to tell customers and online followers the story of how they found love despite being thousands of miles apart. Dilxat left his home of Xinjiang to go to college in the eastern city of Fuzhou in 2013, having no clue he was about to meet the love of his life three years later. "I saw Hadiya for the first time during an open class. Later I met her many times in various contests, so we became quite close," Dilxat recalled, "I admire her because she's very kind-hearted." The two often met to study and have dinner together. In 2018, Hadiya returned to Tanzania for an internship, and being apart made them realize how much they wanted to stay with each other. Hadiya returned to Fuzhou, and they started dating and got married on May 20, 2020, a date that sounds similar to "I love you" in Chinese. Hadiya decided to accompany her husband to his hometown Kashgar in 2022. "I like Kashgar very much. People here are very nice and they help us with any problems we have," said Hadiya. "Kashgar has deserts and so many snowy mountains. It is so beautiful." Shortly after, they had a baby, and a plan for the future -- to open a cafe. "Making coffee is Hadiya's dream, and she's quite adept at this craft. I have also learnt many skills under her tutelage," said Dilxat. "We opened the cafe to offer our customers a brand-new coffee experience." Starting a business is never easy. For Dilxat and Hadiya, buying the right amount of African coffee beans was a headache. "Having too many beans in the stockroom runs the risk of them going bad very quickly; while having too few means that they will run out quickly. But we have figured out an optimal amount after months of trial and error," said Hadiya. "Making coffee is a very enjoyable thing for me." The couple poured their hearts and souls into creating the best coffee. Dili and Diya Cafe has become a popular place in the old city area of Kashgar. They also share their business and daily life through live streams on social media. "I hope we can open a chain of stores in every city in Xinjiang, so that our fans can enjoy our coffee wherever they are," said Hadiya. "Recent years have seen rapid development in Kashgar. The old city area is a scenic spot with huge potential. I'm very optimistic about it," said Dilxat. "There's a century-old teahouse in Kashgar. I hope that in the future this city will have a century-old cafe -- our cafe." Pop star (20). Photo: MEGA/GC Images Olivia Rodrigo was homeschooled, grew up starring on Disney Channel shows like Bizaardvark, got a No. 1 record at 17, and is one of the most famous pop stars in the world. Still, there are only so many ways to be 20 years old. With her album Guts, out September 8, Rodrigo is participating in an avalanche of press lately, and the overlaying takeaway is that, though she may not be in college due to the demands of pop stardom, this girl will act her age. In fact, shes currently in the midst of one of the most early 20s of experiences: discovering Joan Didion. In an interview between Rodrigo and Phoebe Bridgers in Interview, Rodrigo asks Bridgers if shes read Didions The White Album. She has so many fucking great quotes, Rodrigo says of Didion. I was reading this bit about her going to San Francisco to meet all these hippies 5-year-olds were dropping acid and going to Grateful Dead concerts. She was talking to some hippie who ran away from home and he called his mom an all-American bitch. And I was like, Thats the fucking coolest phrase Ive ever heard, so I had to write a song about it. Next up, if Rodrigo stays on schedule, will be Susan Sontag. Shell probably start with Notes on Camp, but wed suggest Against Interpretation or Illness As Metaphor, since shes a writer. But its not just the intellectual exercises of your 20s that are on the mind. In a Guardian profile, Rodrigo describes her approach to drinking at restaurants while under 21. Im just so scared, she admits. I am such a goody two-shoes. If someone gives me alcohol at a restaurant, Ill be like, Thanks! But if theyre like, Do you have an ID? Im like pause. No, no, Im 20, I promise, Im sorry! Im such a bad liar. Please remember that this young woman got her start as an actress, but the curse of being just under 21 wins out even over that skill. Rodrigo doesnt seem to get the tension between extremely regular 20-year-old and internationally famous pop star whos been famous since she was little. She, in fact, seems convinced shes not that famous. Im not like Kim Kardashian, she told The Guardian when asked about potentially going to college parties. Im not some crazy super famous person, so I can make it work. Queen, you have three No. 1 hits and 33.5 million Instragram followers. You, in fact, are that famous. The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial sends you out interrogating your beliefs about war, about service, about madness, even about right and wrong. Photo: Republic Pictures/ The Venice world premiere of William Friedkins final picture, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, began with a tribute to the late director (who died less than a month ago) from festival chief Alberto Barbera and jury president Damien Chazelle, the latter of whom gave a moving speech about the filmmaker, calling him the kind of director who made the rest of us directors look safe. The cast wasnt there, owing to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA/WGA strikes, but had they been, another absence would have been noticed: that of Lance Reddick, one of the stars, who died this past March. Knowing theyre not there certainly makes for a bittersweet watch but not a distracting one, because soon enough, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial grabs your attention with its hard-edged, engrossing filmmaking. Friedkin adapted many theatrical pieces for the screen over the course of his career. Indeed, he was one of those directors who seemed to know just exactly how much to open up (or not) a particular play when trying to turn it into a film. Some, like Tracy Lettss Bug (a late-period masterpiece for Friedkin), needed very little futzing with. For The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, based on Herman Wouks acclaimed 1953 stage play (which the author wrote in the wake of his best-selling 1951 novel, which in turn was also adapted into a hit 1954 war picture starring Humphrey Bogart), Friedkin updates the time period, bringing it into the present day and the so-called War on Terror, but he keeps much of Wouks dialogue and structure, remaining within the fixed location of the courtroom and the matter-of-fact cadence of testimony and cross-examination. The result may seem dry and theatrical at first, but it soon becomes quite absorbing. It also feels like a throwback to some of the TV drama work Friedkin did in the 1960s, early in his career. (Perhaps appropriately, it was just announced that The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial will stream on Paramount+ with Showtime in the U.S. on October 6, then make its cable debut on Showtime on October 8.) The story follows the trial of Lieutenant Stephen Maryk (played in this film by Jake Lacy), an executive officer who seized control of the minesweeper Caine from its captain, Philip Francis Queeg (Kiefer Sutherland), during a deadly storm. Though Maryk is the accused, his defense attorney, Lieutenant Barney Greenwald (Jason Clarke), ably turns the court-martial into an examination of the temperamental Queegs paranoid, petty, tyrannical ways, a pattern we soon discover reaches back months, even years. And lets just say it: Those of us whove developed a fetish for shots of Jason Clarke calmly skewering witnesses in the wake of Oppenheimer are very much in luck. The odds are stacked against Greenwald and Maryk, and Friedkin slyly nods to this in the ways that he shoots the competing attorneys. The military prosecutor, Commander Katherine Challee (Monica Raymund), is often framed in full shots against a row of military judges. The camera tracks with her as she moves confidently, a subtle visual echo of the institutional power she commands. Greenwald and Maryk, by contrast, are often isolated and occasionally shot from lower angles. We sense that theyre fighting a system they have little chance against. As the head judge, Reddick exudes pure authority and becomes almost like the voice of God. Because of the hermetically sealed nature of the film, its initially left to the viewers to decide what actually happened on the ship. But the deck is clearly stacked against Queeg, whom Sutherland plays as smug and awkwardly officious. The actor has played psychos more than once in his career, and while he doesnt take Queeg that far, we can imagine, as we watch him, what a wounding experience it might be to serve under this guy. Its a different depiction, of course, than Bogarts, who played Queeg as a small, clearly fragile man with darting eyes; you started to feel sorry for the guy after a while. This isnt the first filmed adaptation of Wouks play. In 1988, Robert Altman did his version for television, with Brad Davis as Queeg, Eric Bogosian as Greenwald, and Jeff Daniels as Maryk. That, too, was a masterful piece of staging, and Davis (a very good actor, taken from us just a couple of years later by AIDS) gave Queeg a grandiosity that made it clear from the get-go that the man was unhinged. And the original work, The Caine Mutiny, Wouks epic novel, actually showed what happened on the ship, presenting Queeg as a vain, emotionally unstable dictator. That in turn set up the court-martial as a validation of the executive officer and his young allies actions. But heres where things get interesting. In both novel and play, Wouk pulls the rug out from under his characters (and the reader, and later the viewer) in a powerful and surprising coda right after the trial, in which Greenwald reveals how he really feels about Queeg and about the men who rose up against him, some of whom come from privilege. There are elements of Wouks own biography scattered throughout the story, and one senses in this epilogue a vein of self-criticism; he was, after all, a young man who served on minesweepers. As a result of this, the finale of any version of The Caine Mutiny winds up becoming something of a bleak celebration of the career officers who are on the front lines of a war long before the enlisted men show up. It also suggests that after 20 years of service, the rigors and brutal infrastructure of the military may well turn people into Queegs. Its a dark, unexpected, uncertain ending, and that powerful coda is one of the defining elements of any work with the words Caine Mutiny in it. Friedkin deploys it here as well, with an austere suddenness that makes it clear how radical it is, even after all these years. Some might read this as a misstep, however. At the time Wouk was writing, the good war of WWII was recent, and the storys ultimately patriotic overtones made perfect sense, however tempered they may have been by what wed seen in the courtroom and onboard the ship. One of the threads of the original play is Greenwalds Jewishness, which at first marks him as something of an outsider in this world and factors into the storys denouement. (As a result, the final scene of Greenwald confronting the educated mutineers over their actions feels like the different sides of Wouks persona the lower-class Jewish kid who went to Columbia and wound up writing a best-selling war novel during his military service arguing amongst themselves.) Updating the work for modern times, Friedkin largely dispenses with this once-crucial element. In bringing the story to the present, the director also appears at first to step in a hornets nest of discourse, as the legacy of the Forever Wars stands in sharp contrast to that of WWII. But Id argue that this brings a surprising complexity to the film, and maybe even reinvents Wouks coda a little bit. Its not a particularly patriotic ending anymore, but it does draw an even starker line between career military officers and the enlisted men and women who joined in the wake of 9/11, essentially marking them as two different cultures. 9/11 happened and so many of us joined up to fight the assholes who crashed those planes into those towers, Greenwald recalls, noting his desire to fly over the Middle East and bomb some terrorists. He says this not with rage or vengefulness but a certain casual bitterness, as if he doesnt really believe in it anymore. Its an idea that runs through Friedkins work. Back in 2000, he made a controversial (and underrated) war movie/legal drama called Rules of Engagement, starring Samuel L. Jackson as a Vietnam veteran who, while protecting the U.S. Embassy in Yemen from a throng of protesters and snipers, orders his men to fire on a crowd and winds up slaughtering dozens of civilians. Much of that film follows Jacksons trial, as he is defended by an old, retired war buddy played by Tommy Lee Jones. Stylistically, that nervous, blustery work is miles away from The Caine Mutiny, but it has a similarly complicated vision of morality, justice, and the mental pressures of command. Rules of Engagement has the Hollywood sheen of a good guys versus bad guys blockbuster, but it leaves the viewer in a genuinely dark, uncertain place. At the time, it seemed like a paycheck picture for Friedkin, who had clawed his way back into the studio systems good graces after a few missteps in the 1980s. But there were very few mainstream directors who could have pulled a movie like that off. He has done something similar here, taking a play whose attitudes were forged on the front lines of WWII and sending it in a pointedly murky direction. Even with its complicated moral vision, Wouks ending reoriented the storys emotional focus; some might argue it clarified it. Friedkins ending leaves you unsure of what to think or feel. It sends you out questioning your beliefs about war, about service, about madness, even about right and wrong. In that sense, despite the lack of ornament and the reduced scale, this Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is pure Friedkin. The Fraud is out now from Penguin Press. Illustration: Uli Knorzer This article was featured in One Great Story, New Yorks reading recommendation newsletter. Sign up here to get it nightly. Zadie Smiths first book, White Teeth, was the English comic novel on bath salts. Published to universal acclaim in 2000, it loosely centered on the Iqbals and the Joneses, two zany families living in Willesden Green, the diverse North London neighborhood where Smith grew up. Her madcap creations lost their teeth, fucked twins, gave birth during earthquakes, predicted the end of the world; there were Irish pubs owned by Iraqis, genetically modified mice, and an Islamic fundamentalist group named KEVIN. (We are aware, said Hifan solemnly, pointing to the spot underneath the cupped flame where the initials were minutely embroidered, that we have an acronym problem.) All the while, one never lost sight of Smith herself, bursting with exuberance and sincerity. Critics celebrated her for breaking the iron rule that first fictions should be thin slices of autobiography, served dripping with self-pity, even as the authors biographical details her age (24), her race (Jamaican mother, white father), her looks (good) would make her an object of fascination. Is Britishness cream tea and the queen? asked the New York Times. Or curry and Zadie Smith? But Smith also had her critics. In an infamous review, James Wood dubbed White Teeth a work of hysterical realism, arguing that Smiths characters, though they did possess a certain shiny externality reminiscent of Dickens, were not really alive. For Wood, a passionate defender of the realist novel, this meant that White Teeth lacked moral seriousness. In response, Smith conceded that hysterical realism was a painfully accurate term for the sort of overblown, manic prose to be found in novels like my own. As early as 2002, she began to speak of the morality of the novel, relocating herself within a tradition that included George Eliot, Henry James, and E. M. Forster. For Smith, this tradition was united in the belief that by enlarging the sphere of plausible others what Forster once called likely people the novel could act to widen the readers moral sympathies. When we read with fine attention, we find ourselves caring about people who are various, muddled, uncertain, and not quite like us (and this is good), Smith wrote in a 2003 lecture on Forster, whose Howards End would inspire her genteel third novel, On Beauty. That same year, she tried to read White Teeth for the first time since publication: I got about ten sentences in before I was overwhelmed with nausea. Its a shame. A novelist has a sacred right to hate her first novel, but White Teeth remains by far the best thing Smith has ever written; what bad luck to have done it by 24! Smith has apparently concluded that White Teeths greatest strength, its audacious unreality, was in fact its fatal flaw. Today, she is firmly within the realist camp despite her recurring feints at departure. Her much-debated 2008 essay Two Paths for the Novel, which pitted the lyrical realism of Balzac and Flaubert against the 20th-century avant-garde, reads now like two paths for Zadie Smith. Every time she has set out down the second path, it has looped consolingly back into the first. On Beauty was a novel of ideas; NW, Smiths fourth novel, dabbled in Joycean modernism. But each new form has represented a fresh attempt to write the morally serious novel that White Teeth had failed to be. This is Smith: radical for the sake of tradition. In another 2008 essay, this one on Middlemarch, Smith argued that a heightened moral sensitivity drove Eliot to push the novels form to its limits. But for this very reason, the George Eliot of today would need to invent her own forms; she certainly wouldnt be writing a nineteenth-century English novel. Now Smith has done just that. The Fraud, her first historical novel, depicts the celebrated Tichborne trial of the 1870s through the eyes of Eliza Touchet, real-life cousin by marriage to the minor novelist William Harrison Ainsworth, an erstwhile rival of Dickens. Eliza, a sensitive soul who longs to discover what could be known of other people, soon becomes obsessed with key witness Andrew Bogle, an enigmatic, formerly enslaved Jamaican; her fascination will ultimately inspire a novel of her own. The Fraud is thus that irresistible creature: a novel about novels. Like Middlemarch, it is divided into eight volumes, and Eliza even spies Eliot (who privately went by Mrs. Lewes) among the trials attendees. Was this what the admirable Mrs Lewes felt as she worked? wonders our budding lady novelist as she prepares to write. More than ever, Smith is asking herself the same question. Her two paths for the novel have become a perfect circle: What could be more avant-garde in an age of data harvesting and identity politics than a heartfelt 19th-century novel? The socially minded Eliot believed that through sympathetic portraits of ordinary people, the novel could provide readers with the raw material of moral sentiment. With The Fraud, Smith delivers her most passionate defense of this idea to date. Whether it persuades is another matter. Years of living with a novelist have made Mrs. Touchet suspicious of the whole breed. Smith imagines Eliza as a thwarted intellectual every Zadie Smith book must have at least one but the subtle, liberal-minded housekeeper still loves her cousin enough to withhold her dismal view of his turgid historical novels. Eliza has an even poorer opinion of his friend Charles, in whose dark charms she glimpses the vampiric attitude of all novelists toward real life. Smith apparently relished writing Dickenss death into The Fraud; the novel is almost too easily read as a final attempt to wash off the ancient stain of hysterical realism. Wood wrote that Smith had substituted information for character, and so here we find a drunk William Thackeray telling Eliza that her cousin too frequently mistakes information for interest. Wood accused Smith of Dickensian caricature; Eliza bitterly charges Dickens with turning the people he meets into cartoons barely worthy of Cruikshanks inkpot. One wonders if the sting of these criticisms really has lingered for 20 years; at least we can assume that Eliza too would have hated White Teeth. God preserve me from novel-writing, she thinks. God preserve me from that tragic indulgence, that useless vanity, that blindness! But one never seriously supposes Smith has lost her faith in the novel. Eliza must have a change of heart. It comes in the form of the Tichborne case, in which the courts weighed an Australian butchers dubious claim to be Sir Roger Tichborne, the long-lost heir to a baronetcy. From the beginning, Eliza regards Sir Roger as an obvious fraud, a man with no centre, who might be nudged in any direction. But Bogle, formerly a valet to Sir Rogers uncle, is something different. Eliza sees nothing hidden or masked in his face, but this makes him totally impenetrable, a cipher without evident motives. Inexplicably, Bogle testifies that the Claimant is the genuine Sir Roger, even as his testimony costs him his pension from the Tichbornes. This sets off a moral crisis in Eliza, whose wonted perspicacity has finally met its match: a man who must be speaking falsely and is nonetheless radiant with truth. As she walks the streets of London taking in the foreign faces Chinese sailors, an African doctor, a delegation of men in fezzes Eliza ponders the question raised by Bogles very existence: What can we know of other people? Desperately curious, Eliza poses as a journalist and convinces Bogle to tell her everything. But his history his life as an enslaved man in Jamaica, then a man-servant in England provides few clues to his motives in supporting Sir Roger; on the contrary, it reveals only a cautious, clever man who has won his freedom through obscure and underhand means. Upon learning this, Eliza senses that the door to ultimate reality has suddenly come loose: Finally, she could open it! But to her astonishment, it opened inwards. She had been standing inside the very thing shed been looking for. The secret is that there is no secret: Andrew Bogle is simply a person, and as Eliza inwardly exclaims, A person is a bottomless thing! One need not believe Bogle to find him believable, the way a character in a good novel is believable. He is one of Forsters likely people, fully, unfathomably alive. For Eliza, this had always been the failure of her cousins drab historical novels; never had there been room for stories like her own or for that matter like Mr. Bogles. Stories of human beings, struggling, suffering, deluding others and themselves. In fact, there is one novel Eliza likes very much. Just a lot of people going about their lives in a village, her cousin scoffs when he spots her reading the second volume of Middlemarch. Is this all that these modern ladies novels are to be about? People? The heart leaps up: Precisely! In that second volume, we find what Smith once called the most famous lines in all of Middlemarch: If we had a keen vision and feeling of all ordinary human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrels heart beat, and we should die of that roar which lies on the other side of silence. As Eliza opens herself to Bogle, this roar will begin to split her ears. Just who does she think she is? Certainly Eliza Touchet, whose late husbands family made their fortune in the transatlantic slave trade, is not the right vessel for an enslaved mans careful ascent to freedom. Bogles firebrand son distrusts Elizas reformist attitudes, and the life story of Andrew Bogle, presented here in two stand-alone volumes, often resembles the Caribbean slave narratives dictated to well-meaning English abolitionists in the early-19th century. It is quite possible that Elizas novel, like the silly ladies novels Eliot abhorred, will be less the result of labor than of busy idleness. So perhaps The Fraud expresses an anxiety about the novel equal to its defense of it. We mistake each other, Eliza admits, reflecting on how everything conspires against the enduring cognizance of other people. But for Smith, the inevitable fraudulence of the novel is precisely what gives it its moral urgency. In a provocative 2019 essay about cultural appropriation, Smith opposed the popular idea that we can and should write only about people who are fundamentally like us: racially, sexually, genetically, nationally, politically, personally. The novelist does presume to know the lives of others, she wrote, but only in order to light up our hidden commonalities as human beings; without this presumption, we could have no social lives at all. Thus Elizas blind spots, far from disqualifying her, testify to the slow, uncertain work of becoming morally serious. Like Dorothea in Middlemarch, she is reaching imperfectly toward the fullest truth, the least partial good. Who does Eliza think she is? Well, a person. Now Smith would be the first to claim that her defense of the novel, that indefensible art, is inherently contradictory. Ideological inconsistency is, for me, practically an article of faith, she wrote in the introduction to her first essay collection, Changing My Mind. Smith has often made a virtue of negative capability, Keatss phrase for how Shakespeare wrote so empathetically that he appeared to hold, in Smiths words, no firm opinions or set beliefs. In a talk given after the 2008 election, Smith ascribed negative capability to Barack Obama, whose biracial heritage had blessed him, as it had her, with the ability to see a thing from both sides. There was tremendous credulity here; as the critic Namara Smith has noted, the argument lacked any awareness that the two sides in question might not be competing on level terrain. Doubtless, many would no longer stand by what they said in the afterglow of 2008. But the optimism here, far from an Obama-era relic, is just an early instance of a very consistent feature of Smiths career as a public intellectual: her almost involuntary tendency to reframe all political questions as human ones. This humanist impulse has made for some perennial wrongheadedness. Smith rather famously compared the opponents of a white artists controversial painting of Emmett Till to Nazis, arguing that all art deserved to be thought through on its own terms. The truth is that Smith herself struggles to think in groups of two or more; her habit of sympathizing with the least sympathetic party in any given situation frequently drives her to the political center. In fairness, the Trump years have made her more receptive to Black radicalism, but Smith will still always favor a psychological interpretation over an ideological one. Thus we are asked, in the wake of Brexit, to spare a thought for the white working-class voter who lacked the perceived moral elevation of acknowledged trauma; thus we are asked not to call the Charleston church shooting a hate crime since, when it comes to murder, what other kind of crime is there? At the same time, Smith regularly confesses that she has no qualifications to write as I do, downplaying her own essays as the useless thoughts of a novelist. This is disingenuous. She is Zadie Smith. But she appears to have decided at some point that being faintly ridiculous all of the time is preferable to being wrong some of the time. No surprise that Smiths most ardent wish these days is for fiction to be a space of freedom from the long teeth of identity. She traces her own desire to know what it was like to be everybody back to that big, colorful, working-class sea that was Willesden Green. But, for her, negative capability gently dissolves the specific contents of whatever consciousness birthed it. One need not be biracial to write a great novel because all great novelists might as well be biracial, so vast are their powers of empathy. Thus Smith is just as happy to attribute the empathic imaginative leap of fiction to David Foster Wallace, a white guy from Illinois who once speculated that straight white males may be more alienated than anybody. Smith has similarly warned us off the absolutist belief, vaguely burbling up among her writing students, that a novels characters should be judged for how correctly they represent the distinctive behaviors of an identity group that a gay character, for instance, should do things only a real gay person would do. How can such things possibly be claimed absolutely, Smith asks, unless we already have some form of fixed caricature in our minds? This is a good point. But one should never trust an argument that depends on the anonymous defenestration of undergraduates. Smiths 2018 short story Now More Than Ever, in which professors point enormous arrows at one another to decide who should be canceled next, is proof enough that nothing breeds reaction in the liberal mind like appointment to an American university. Speaking for myself, Im the one severely triggered by statements like Chaucer is misogynistic or Virginia Woolf was a racist, Smith wrote in a self-effacing review of the film Tar. Not because I cant see that both statements are partially true, but because I am of that generation whose only real shibboleth was: Is it interesting? This is a willful misunderstanding. Of course Woolfs racism is interesting to those whom Smith calls, with not enough irony, the youngs. The problem appears to be that it isnt interesting to her. But when young people rate a novel poorly because they disagree with its politics, it is more convenient to assert that they have simply abandoned the old-fashioned field of aesthetic inquiry altogether than to reckon with the possibility that aesthetic inquiry itself is being remade. And so Smith congratulates the new generation on preferring politics to aesthetics; the best way to get someone off your lawn is to direct them to a lawn of their own. This is literary NIMBYism: Yes, politics, but over there. Smith grants that language has become a convenient battleground for political aggression given the meager success of intractable (but so admirable!) material struggles around, say, wealth inequality or prison abolition. Still, she insists that fiction cannot afford the ideology of separatism that naturally springs up among historically oppressed groups; its business is with the people, all the people, all the time. But this too is a political position. As Forster once said of himself, Smith would rather be a humanist with all his faults, than a fanatic with all his virtues. She admires the veil of ignorance, a thought experiment devised by the liberal philosopher John Rawls in which a group of rational individuals must organize a society without knowing their place within it. For Smith, the novel is just such an experiment in thinking beyond our closely held identities. Its true that many bad novels have substituted ideology for interest. Its equally true that Smith envisions the novel as a little liberal machine for making more little liberals. We hope all of humanity will reject the project of dehumanization, she wrote in an essay on Toni Morrison last year. We hope for a literature and a society! that recognizes the somebody in everybody. Fine words! But they are all gums, and no white teeth. Suppose Zadie Smith is right. How does fiction arouse our sympathies? One good way is to present people who are finely aware and richly responsible, as Henry James wrote, explaining that readers care comparatively little for what happens to the stupid, the coarse and the blind. This makes sense: We are moved by Hamlets feeling for poor Yorick, not by Yorick himself. But the Jamesian sensitive soul is by now a cliche; it is why so many debut novels maroon us in the minds of characters who sound suspiciously like novelists. Perhaps we will have better luck with one of the blind. Consider Mr. Casaubon, the irritable pedant of Middlemarch. Urging us to make room for Casaubon, Eliot tells us that his soul has always been too weighed down by self-doubt to experience true passion: It went on fluttering in the swampy ground where it was hatched, thinking of its wings and never flying. Over a century of readers has been moved by this image. But we know that this leaden theologian could never devise a metaphor so delicate this is Eliot speaking, making him into a likely person. In this respect, Eliot is no different from Hamlet: The more sympathetically she paints her characters, the more we are stirred by her own powers of sympathy. So how is the author to get out of the way? A traditional solution is free indirect style, a technique as old as Austen, in which the narrator speaks in the voice of a character. Here is Elizabeth Bennett, reading that fateful letter from Mr. Darcy: How differently did everything now appear in which he was concerned! Now, here is the same sentence, rewritten as quoted speech: How differently everything now appears in which he is concerned! Elizabeth thought. Not as compelling! Rather than look down from above, Austen briefly sacrifices her authorial omniscience in order to get in character, narrating Lizzys shock as if from within. This technique is now exceedingly common; one finds it all over contemporary fiction, and Smith is quite good at it. Did he think her a vampire? she writes in The Fraud, adopting Elizas anxiety about Bogle as her own. She only wanted to know what could be known of other people! But Eliza is right to be anxious: One can never quite tell if free indirect style is a gallant deferral to a character or a jostling encroachment on him. Here is Bogle in his part of The Fraud, passing contemplatively by an English forest: Bogle admired a gold and russet forest as it went by, swaying in the gathering wind. One lifetime was not enough to understand a people and the words they used and the way they thought and lived. The second sentence is classic free indirect, a clear back-shifting of the contents of Bogles consciousness. But that gold and russet forest whose thought is this? Perhaps it really is Bogles, as sensitively dictated to Eliza: I was admiring the forest gold and russet, as I recall Or perhaps we are reading from Elizas novel about Bogle, also called The Fraud, in which case that gold and russet forest may be her detail, a sympathetic embellishment not unlike Mr. Casaubons fluttering soul. Then again, perhaps it is the work of Zadie Smith, lightly indulging in a novelists word for brown. Now if I am Smiths ideal reader, finely aware and richly responsible, then I will find here not a single vibrating consciousness but as many as three, crammed into a handful of words. Which one should I pity? Especially given that they are not on equal footing: Bogle appears to be in Elizas hands, and both of them are inexorably in Smiths. The irony of Smiths career is that she has never actually excelled at constructing the kind of sympathetic, all-too-human characters she advocates for. (The closest she came was the affecting portrait of a crumbling marriage in On Beauty.) In truth, Bogle is far less interesting than advertised, the latest in a line of increasingly dull characters dating back to the technically proficient NW. Their studied ordinariness makes us long for Smiths true strength, which lies not in character but in voice. We read her because she possesses that rare and precious gift of sounding always like herself; because, as an early admirer said of Eliot, We are in the presence of a soul. True, anyone who has read the irritating experiment in first-person narration that was Swing Time will agree that the last thing we want Smith to write about is herself. I have been both adult and child, male and female, black, brown, and white, gay and straight, funny and tragic, liberal and conservative, religious and godless, not to mention alive and dead, she wrote in the 2019 essay. But what moved us was the reverse: These people had all been her. So if I really do encounter an ethical other in The Fraud, it is Smith herself: her rippling intellect, her unmistakable sound. Eliza, Bogle, and the rest are other others, strangers who, precisely because Smith has so finely enmeshed her consciousness with theirs, necessarily overflow my ethical capacities. I will simply never get them alone. Smith admits that fiction runs the continual risk of wrongness racial caricature, for instance and she allows that Eliza may be treating Bogle like a lifeless scarecrow, one she is determined to stuff with a soul. For Smith, this is the great ethical drama: How will we mistake each other this time? Perhaps she is even right that the infinite rehearsal of this drama can teach readers a fine feeling for humanity. But the humanists mistake is to suppose that politics is just lots and lots of ethics. Ethics asks us to recognize that the other has a soul; politics asks us to reject the soul as a precondition for moral interest. In this sense, fiction has always been an exercise in political consciousness. It asks me to care about people I do not know and will never meet, people who might as well not exist as far as my own life is concerned but whose destinies are nonetheless obscurely intertwined with mine. Not for nothing do we call it the third person. The author of White Teeth knew this. The Iqbal twins, long separated by gulfs of geography, ideology, and personal feeling, try to bury the hatchet by meeting in a neutral place. But soon, they make a mockery of that idea, reenacting memories, quoting mentors, relitigating the hoary tale of their mutineer ancestor. A novel is never a neutral place: Every attempted encounter with the other is interrupted by the hysterical crowd, their noses pressed up against the glass. It was true that Smiths creations in White Teeth were luminous disks of a pre-arranged size, as Forster once said of flat characters, their inner and outer lives forming a single glossy Mobius strip. And it was true that Smith sometimes wrote too blithely of people unlike herself. (There was an Arab family that named all their sons Abdul.) But Smiths characters did not lack humanity so much as she lacked a use for it. Her eye was trained on a collectivity: the vibrant Willesden Green of her youth. In her own way, Smith had written a condition-of-England novel not unlike Middlemarch; with Icarian optimism, she had launched herself directly at the social whole, and in falling, she seemed to fly. Accordingly, Smith never asked too much of her unlikely people. They hit their marks, said their lines, and disappeared, check in hand, back into the crowd. You could tell they had better things to do than be furniture in someones novel. So sympathize away! No one can stop you. But neither the novel nor its people are so weak that they would collapse if our hearts did not bleed for them. Indeed, it is precisely because we feel that characters in novels are real that we can politically object to the way a writer treats them. This may be what the youngs were saying not that they feared for their own sensitive souls but that they wished to know how to do real justice to imaginary people. How might Smith have answered them? She dislikes the adage Write what you know on the grounds that it is now used to keep novelists within the bright chalk circle of personal identity. So for her sake, let us look somewhere more morally serious. The mid-century literary critic F. R. Leavis once wrote, in his very serious book The Great Tradition, that Austens genius was to take certain problems that life compelled on her as personal ones and impersonalize them, tracing carefully out of herself and back into the world. What Leavis admired was not that Austen had stayed in her lane; it was that shed had the good sense to ask where it led. This is a splendid notion. It suggests that, for any novelist, there exists a small number of historical problems that, for reasons of luck and temperament, she naturally grasps as the stuff of life. The genius lies in knowing which ones they are. One Great Story: A Nightly Newsletter for the Best of New York The one story you shouldnt miss today, selected by New Yorks editors. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's auto production and sales rose 7.4 percent and 7.9 percent year on year, respectively, in the first seven months of this year, posting steady growth, according to an official from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, MIIT official Wang Weiming said China is striving to increase its annual automobile sales by 3 percent to 27 million in 2023. Wang added that it is necessary to strengthen departmental coordination and create policy synergy to stabilize and expand the consumption of new energy vehicles and petrol vehicles. However, growth challenges persist in the auto industry, with mounting global uncertainties and the continued triple pressure of domestic demand contraction, supply shocks and weakening expectations, the official noted, adding that the task of stabilizing the growth of the industry is arduous. China's industrial authorities on Saturday unveiled a plan to maintain stable growth of the country's machinery industry in 2023-2024. The plan, jointly released by the MIIT and six other government departments, mainly focuses on 11 sectors, including machine tools, agricultural machinery and construction machinery. China expects the industry's operating revenue to reach 8.1 trillion yuan (about 1.13 trillion U.S. dollars) by 2024, according to the plan. Efforts will be made to expand demand, promote the intelligent transformation of manufacturing, improve the quality of supply and make policy implementation more targeted, the plan stated. Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) has announced the launch of Ghars Al Emarat (UAE Planting Initiative) that will see 10 mangrove trees planted for each visitor to COP28 to be held from November 30 to December 12 in Expo City, Dubai. Through the initiative, which coincides with the Year of Sustainability, mangroves will be planted using innovative methods such as drone dispersal, and approximately 10 mangroves will be planted for each visitor participating in the conference. Mangroves will be planted during the last quarter of this year, which is the best time for planting this species, within the most suitable coastal environments for growth, such as the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve, Al Mirfa City and Jubail Island where natural mangroves already exist. Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative This initiative also supports the goals of the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative, which was launched in February 2022 during the meeting that brought together Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Executive Council, and William, Prince of Wales, at Jubail Mangrove Park in Abu Dhabi. The initiative provides a platform for the development of innovative solutions for conserving and restoring mangroves, helps mitigate the effects of climate change, and raises awareness of their importance and the need to restore them, while strengthening the emirate's position as a leading global research and innovation centre in mangrove conservation. Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of EAD, said: This initiative aims to support Goal 13 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to 'climate action', which calls for urgent measures to be taken to address climate change and its impacts. It also supports national initiatives including the UAE Net Zero by 2050 climate neutrality strategic initiative, which aligns with the UAE's goal of planting 100 million mangroves by 2030. This initiative also highlights the UAEs commitment to achieving climate neutrality and promoting nature-based solutions to reduce the effects and adapt to climate change and reduce the environmental footprint of conference visitors, at the rate of absorbing one tonne of carbon for every 5,000 mangrove trees, Dr Shaikha added. Halting nature loss Razan Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, said: "Building a resilient, net-zero future depends on halting nature loss and restoring our natural ecosystems. Nature-based solutions, including those involving mangroves, have the potential to supply over a third of our climate mitigation needs and build resilience to the effects of climate change. I welcome this EAD-led initiative which both raises awareness and takes action to restore and protect mangroves in the UAE." Mangroves are among the most productive coastal ecosystems in the world and are therefore extremely important as they provide a variety of ecological and economic services. Mangroves help mitigate the effects of climate change, as they absorb greenhouse gases and can store and sequester carbon. In Abu Dhabi, the trees support a wide range of biodiversity that live in them. Mangroves also play an important role in protecting neighbouring habitats such as seagrass beds and coral reefs from sedimentation, as well as helping to improve water quality and supporting ecotourism activities. Abu Dhabi hosts 85% of the UAEs mangroves, and as part of its strategy, the Agency is working to study and preserve these important coastal habitats. Thanks to mangrove rehabilitation projects, Abu Dhabi has witnessed an increase in the size of its mangrove areas. Efforts to restore mangroves in the UAE date back to the 1970s, when the late Sheikh Zayed launched extensive afforestation programmes to plant mangroves on the country's beaches. Afforestation Since its inception, EAD has continued Sheikh Zayeds efforts via a range of afforestation programmes in cooperation with its concerned partners, which include the planting of 40 million mangroves since restoration efforts began, on islands and in various regions, including Saadiyat, Jubail, Yas, Hudayriat, Abu Al-Abyad and Al Dhanna. These programmes have helped increase mangrove areas by 64 square kilometres. In line with the application of strict protection laws, the amount of Abu Dhabis mangroves has increased by more than 35%, and, today, the emirates total mangrove area is 176 square kilometres, including natural and cultivated trees. The Agency launched the Abu Dhabi Blue Carbon Demonstration Project, which studied the importance of mangroves and their role in combating climate change, through carbon sequestration, and the importance of blue carbon habitats and ecosystems. The results revealed that mangrove ecosystems in Abu Dhabi contain 98 tonnes of carbon per hectare. This is equivalent to 1.7 million tonnes for a mangrove area of 17,500 hectares in Abu Dhabi. In 2020, the Mangrove Carbon Sequestration Pilot Study was carried out to assess soil carbon sequestration rates in mangrove forests, which revealed their ability to store carbon at a rate of 0.5 tons per hectare per year. This is equivalent to 8,750 tonnes in Abu Dhabi per year the annual equivalent to the energy consumption of 1,000 homes.-- TradeArabia News Service Vice Premier Liu Guozhong, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, speaks at a ceremony to award seven Chinese nurses the Florence Nightingale Medal for their outstanding contributions to healthcare at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 5, 2023. China had the largest number of recipients of the 49th Florence Nightingale Award, as 37 nurses from 22 countries won the medal this year. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Seven Chinese nurses were awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal on Tuesday for their outstanding contributions to healthcare at a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. China had the largest number of recipients of the 49th Florence Nightingale Award, as 37 nurses from 22 countries won the medal this year. Vice Premier Liu Guozhong, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said in his speech at the ceremony that the seven recipients vividly demonstrated the Red Cross's spirit of humanity, compassion, and dedication. He called on nurses across the country to follow their examples, continue to put people and their lives first, take an active part in the Healthy China Initiative, deepen international exchanges and cooperation, and further provide high-quality health services for the people in the course of Chinese modernization. President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mirjana Spoljaric Egger attended the ceremony and delivered a speech. Wang Yi, Chinese foreign minister and a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and over 700 officials and representatives of health workers also attended the event. Recipes What do you want to cook today? Despite the Federal Court finding that Ben Roberts-Smith was a war criminal and a murderer (although the VC holder is appealing the decision), some Australians maintain a weird obsession with the disgraced soldier. Case in point race seven at the Queanbeyan Race Club on Monday, listed as We Support Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG 900. Ben Roberts-Smith: It is suspected that a military enthusiast may have used his name to sponsor a horse race. Credit: Ross Swanborough It wasnt until Sunday evening, with the name already circulating on social media, that Racing NSW realised what was happening. The governing body, which declined to comment further to CBD, quickly stepped in to change the name to a more benign Karabar Class 1 Handicap. So how did BRS come to adorn a horse race in Queanbeyan? Finding a wild platypus is tough. First, locate the entrance of a burrow, usually hidden by long grass and bushes at the edge of a creek. The tunnels are narrow, up to 10 metres in length, and full of dead ends, pugs of backfilled earth and multiple entrances. Oh, and platypuses constantly move between different burrows. Somewhere, if it hasnt been alerted by a blundering approach, lies the elusive platypus, sleeping about 17 hours a day curled up in a nest of native mat-rush leaves. Or, you could ask Kip, the sniffer dog. It takes him only a matter of minutes. Wildlife detection dog Kip with his trainer Naomi Hodgens. Despite the platypus having an iconic status in Australia, much remains unknown about this unique egg-laying duck-billed monotreme particularly its population numbers and this makes it challenging to halt its slow decline. Now that Im back in Melbourne a couple of nights a week, my kids come over for Thursday dinners cooked by mum. We squash into our flats sitting room for bread, beetroot dip and a glass of wine, then have pork sausage pasta in the kitchen. When the gang heads home, I wash dishes and sing daggy songs, rapt to have adult children. Two weekends ago was a farewell party for our god-daughter Maisie, off to Wales to become a doctor. The afternoon was a blur of heating quiches with Maisies Oma and reminiscing with her parents about shared Sorrento summers back in the day. Lovely. Harry and Meghan promote the Invictus Games last year. Credit: AP Last Saturday, my daughter Sadie was concussed in a roller derby final. Chris and I saw the hit via a live feed on a laptop in a Hobart bar. Sadies dad was in the stands with my parents. We swapped texts. Ill make sure shes safe, he said. Minutes later we saw him in the background, ducking off to check on our girl and get coffee for his ex-in laws. Family. How unreal is it? Not always linear and neat, but with deep roots that anchor us and make us belong together in our little tribes, built through community and friendships as much as shared bloodlines. The Coalition has declined to condemn a rowdy protest by pharmacists in the parliament despite a pointed rebuke from the speaker that the protesters jeers and swearing during question time was very serious and concerning and a reflection of the MPs who may have invited them. A contingent of about 200 pharmacists yelled obscenities and heckled Prime Minister Anthony Albanese before storming out of the House of Representatives on Monday afternoon as part of their protest against the governments 60-day dispensing rules. Members of the opposition shouted and pointed to the pharmacists in the public gallery during question time. Credit: AAP The speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick, on Tuesday described the behaviour in parliament as unacceptable and issued a warning to MPs who might have invited them to the building. Groups of visitors disrupted proceedings early in question time [on Monday], which concerned me enough to issue a warning at the time. Just before 3 oclock, those same visitors again disrupted proceedings as they left the galleries shouting, jeering, and gesturing to members, Dick said on Tuesday. JERUSALEM, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian gunman after he allegedly opened fire at them in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military said on Tuesday. The military said in a statement that the forces were involved in an exchange of fire with the Palestinian gunman who earlier opened fire outside a settlers' restaurant in the Jordan Valley. The gunmen reportedly opened fire at the soldiers, injuring a border police officer before being shot dead. Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a young Palestinian man near the West Bank city of Tulkarm amid a raid. Israeli-Palestinian violence has been on the rise since early 2022, claiming the lives of at least 227 Palestinians and 32 Israelis, according to official sources. Prominent No campaigner and Indigenous leader Nyunggai Warren Mundine is shaping as the front runner to replace moderate senator Marise Payne when she retires from politics, with powerbrokers hoping the former ALP president can unite the conservative wing of the Liberal Party. With Liberal MPs anticipating Payne, a senator for NSW and the former foreign minister, will exit politics in the coming months, Mundine did not rule out the prospect of running for the vacancy when contacted by this masthead. Nyunggai Warren Mundine looms as the frontrunner should Marise Payne quit the Senate. Credit: Trevor Collens After serving as president of the ALP for six years until 2012, Mundines political fortunes have soared as the No campaign has established a commanding lead ahead of the October 14 referendum to establish a Voice to parliament. With nearly two-thirds of Liberal voters backing the No vote, Mundines advocacy against the Voice alongside Country Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has won him plaudits among Coalition MPs and supporters. Give the Cooks a closer look Where is this? Most Australians dont know where to find Rarotonga in the Pacific. Credit: iStock Less than one in every 100 Australians know where Rarotonga it and for that matter, the rest of the Cook Islands actually are with less than 30,000 Australians visiting each year. Until now, that is. Jetstar has introduced three direct flights per week from Australia the most direct flights from Australia ever offered (and the first time a budget carrier has flown there non-stop). Australians will discover Rarotonga is the South Pacifics most complete destination; offering true immersion with locals, a barrier reef encircling the island offering sheltered swimming lagoons, the Pacifics best sunset bars and restaurants, world-class diving and a mountainous hinterland for adventurers. See cookislands.travel; jetstar.com Teardrop islands comeback Pidurangala Rock in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka. Credit: iStock After its worst economic crisis in decades last year which caused severe political instability and shortages of everything from basic food to electricity 2023, at the time of writing, is proving a far more forgiving year for Sri Lanka. The travel industry is back on its feet with depreciation of the rupee meaning our dollar goes a lot further, while hotels are offering specials to entice tourists back (and keeping prices at pre-pandemic levels). Sri Lanka has everything from the best wildlife safaris outside of Africa to surf beaches and hill country dubbed Little England. One in eight families depend on tourism, being there is a good way to aid their recovery. See srilanka.travel Shell out for the Seychelles Keen to reduce your carbon footprint? Then stay on Alphonse Island, arguably the worlds most sustainable isle. In an era of unprecedented climate change, theres nothing hotter than a holiday on an island entirely powered by the sun and fuelled by plant-based foods. Located on a tiny island in the Seychelles with no cars (or roads to drive them on), sleep in a bungalow or suite right on the beach, beside one of the Indian Oceans best diving sites, home to turtles, eagle and manta rays, spinner dolphins and an almost untouched fish population. Located 1500 kilometres east of Africa, these are considered some of the worlds most pristine islands. See alphonse-island.com Arise, the Galapagos of South-East Asia Raja Ampat offers the richest marine biodiversity on Earth. Credit: iStock Dubbed the worlds last true paradise, the Raja Ampat group of islands in eastern Indonesia is credited as offering the richest marine biodiversity on Earth, with over 1500 species of fish and more than 75 per cent of the worlds coral species, all cocooned within a four million hectare marine protection zone. While difficult to access from Australia by plane, its fast becoming the hottest destination in South-East Asian cruising. Australian cruise companies from True North to Coral Expeditions now offer departures from Darwin deep into Raja Ampat. Once beset by bomb and potassium cyanide fishing, its become an Asian ecotourism hot-spot, particularly for divers. See indonesia.travel Easy being green Salina, Italys greenest island. Credit: iStock With Italy experiencing a record-breaking summer for tourists in both 2022 and 2023 (post-pandemic, and post-White Lotus), those preferring to escape the crowds are now discovering Italys Aeolian Islands. Most head to chic celeb hang-out, Panerea, but there are seven volcanic islands rising dramatically from the ocean accessible by ferry from Sicily. While each offers unique attractions from dormant volcanoes to spectacular beaches the greenest island, Salina, is the next big thing. Eat in piazzas by the waterfront among wine bars at picturesque main port, Santa Marina, before visiting vineyards spread across the island. Or better yet, charter your own yacht from Sicily and anchor offshore. See visitsicily.info Killer whale of a time Chinese Premier Li Qiang speaks at a welcoming reception hosted by China-Indonesia business community in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept. 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) JAKARTA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Tuesday that China and Indonesia share similar visions, as well as extensive consensus and common interests at regional and global levels. In his address at a welcoming reception hosted by China-Indonesia business community, Li said for a long time, the China-Indonesia cooperation has gone beyond bilateral scope, adding that both are emerging countries with a strong desire for national rejuvenation, and both are committed to maintaining openness, inclusiveness, harmony and stability in the region. Noting that the visit is his first to an Asian country as premier of China's State Council, Li said making Indonesia his first stop is for development, friendship, peace and cooperation, adding that China and Indonesia are good neighbors, good brothers and good partners across the sea, and their long-lasting friendly relations are beaming with new vitality. He said that in recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Indonesia relations have achieved substantial development, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples. Being each other's important trading partners, the two countries' investment cooperation has grown by leaps and bounds and their industrial and supply chains are deeply integrated, realizing mutual achievements, Li said, noting that China-Indonesia cooperation has gone beyond bilateral scope, which is of exemplary and leading significance to regional stability and prosperity. "The more the situation changes, the more imperative it is to grasp the general trend and mainstream," said Li, adding that for China and Indonesia, two major developing countries, peaceful development and win-win cooperation are the only path to national rejuvenation and people's happiness. Entrepreneurs should strengthen confidence, seek development through deepening cooperation, and win the future by riding the trend, he said. With broad space for high-quality cooperation, China is willing to work with Indonesia to further expand cooperation on green energy, digital economy, biomedicine and artificial intelligence, further expand bilateral cooperation and increase efficiency, Li said, hoping that enterprises of the two countries strengthen high-level innovation cooperation to help the development of the two countries. China will steadily boost institutional opening-up, further expand market access in areas including modern services, and make greater efforts to protect intellectual property rights, Li said. China will make efforts to provide a world-class, market-oriented business environment governed by a sound legal framework, said Li, hoping that Indonesia continues to make its market open and provide a fair and just business environment for Chinese enterprises. Li also expressed the hope that entrepreneurs of the two sides will strive to be promoters, disseminators and leaders of friendship and cooperation between China and Indonesia, create more benefits for the two peoples and make greater contributions to the building of a China-Indonesia community with a shared future. Coordinator for Cooperation with China and Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and some 200 representatives from the business circle of the two countries attended the event. Luhut said in his speech that the cooperation between Indonesia and China has strongly promoted Indonesia's economic development and achieved mutual benefit and win-win results. Indonesia is willing to further strengthen strategic cooperation with China, deepen the integration of industrial chain and supply chain to achieve high-quality development and push bilateral relations to a new level, Luhut added. China's State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Wu Zhenglong and other officials attended the above activities. TRIPOLI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Libya has freed 10 kidnapped Syrians, including children, in the region of Riqdalin, some 120 km west of the capital Tripoli, the country's Interior Ministry said in a statement on Monday. During the operation, Libyan security arrested three individuals, all with previous criminal records, in an abandoned house in Riqdalin, said the statement, adding that the suspects kidnapped the Syrians for ransom. It noted that the kidnappers have been referred to the public prosecution for legal procedures and trial. Libya has been suffering escalating violence and unrest since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011. Allentown, PA (18103) Today Mainly cloudy with scattered evening showers ending, then some gradual clearing later tonight; patchy frost possible towards morning, and a Poconos freeze also possible late. . Tonight Mainly cloudy with scattered evening showers ending, then some gradual clearing later tonight; patchy frost possible towards morning, and a Poconos freeze also possible late. BERN TWP., Pa. - People hit the beach at Blue Marsh Lake this Labor Day, taking in the unofficial end of summer. The smell of food filled the air. Justin Trimble came out from Lebanon with his family for the whole weekend. "Kids just absolutely love it here," said Trimble. "It feels great. I was in the water and I was swimming and I really loved it," said Ana Cadiez, who traveled from Reading. What Cardiez said is a time to take a break from everything. "I like fresh air. And it feels nice and sunny. It just feels great out," said Cadiez. "The turnout is pretty strong for a Labor Day weekend," said Blue Marsh Lake Chief Ranger Jeff Piscanio. Ranger Pisacanio said the parking lots were full as people travelled from around the area and beyond. "A lot of our visitors come from anywhere from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, out of state. A lot of folks from the Philadelphia area and, of course, Harrisburg and Lancaster," said Piscanio. Rebecca Reppert told 69 News she has been coming to the lake for 40 years. She said she has been doing butterfly studies here this summer. "It's a blessing and a joy. I love the breeze and the chance to have some time to read a book and relax one more day," said Reppert. "It's really hot, to be honest," said Bradley Muir, who traveled from Wernersville But the heat did not keep people away. Bradley Muir said he was down on the beach. "It's exciting in many ways," said Muir. It was a last-minute trip from Allentown for Mya Zubillaga. She made sure to get here early at 8 a.m. "I haven't really done anything this summer, so I wanted to like end it with a good time," said Zubillaga. The Chief Ranger said he wants to remind people who are not strong swimmers to wear a life jacket. U. MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. - Coca-Cola will cut 58 jobs at a Lehigh County plant, according to a notice from the State of Pennsylvania. The state notice confirms a statement made earlier by the company that it would "suspend a portion" of its operations at the 7551 Schantz Road, Upper Macungie Township, plant and shift the work to a third-party company in the area. The WARN notice posted by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry said the 58 job cuts will be effective Dec. 31. WARN is an acronym for the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, a federal law that requires employees and communities be notified in advance of some closings and mass layoffs. Last month, Teamsters 772 President Dennis Hower said the union is working to help the employees losing their jobs to find new work and take advantage of government assistance. What is now the Coca-Cola company started in 1886 when pharmacist Dr. John Pemberton of Atlanta, a Confederate States Army veteran, invented a syrup and poured the first glass of Coke in Atlanta. The company is still based in Atlanta. Shares in Coca-Cola are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol KO. At 10 a.m. Tuesday, the price was $59.24 per share. The company has a total market value of $256.2 billion. According to the Coca-Cola website, more than 2.2 billion servings of its drinks are poured daily. Police have searched from the air and on the ground in Pocopson Township, Chester County. Multiple agencies have been brought in to locate 34-year-old convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante, who they said escaped from the Chester County Prison on Thursday. One sighting happened on Sunday, according to police. "Very brief sighting, and it was a trooper actually that observed him at some distance, gave chase, but was unable because of the terrain and some other obstacles there was unable to get to him before he disappeared," said Lt. Col. George Bivens, Pennsylvania State Police deputy commissioner of operations. Ryan Drummond said he saw Cavalcante inside his home Friday night. "I woke up my wife and said 'Hey, I think there might be somebody downstairs. You know, get on the phone,'" Drummond said. Drummond said he flipped the light switch on and off three or four times before pausing. "And then he (Cavalcante) flicked the light switch from downstairs three or four times, which was the moment of like, 'Oh my God, this guy is down there,'" Drummond said. That is when Drummond said he then saw Cavalcante walk out of his house. "I saw him walk out of the kitchen and through our living room, kind of along the side," Drummond explained. "Opened up that door, walked out. He was wearing a white shirt, had a bag." Police said Cavalcante was seen in surveillance video early Saturday morning. Cavalcante recently began a life sentence after being convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend in 2021. According to police, Cavalcante is also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil. Escaped murderer's mother pleads for him to surrender as manhunt continues Officials say they've been broadcasting a message, recorded by Danelo Cavalcante's mother, urging him to surrender. "We have had the individual's mother make a recording asking him to surrender peacefully," Bivens said. "It's done in Spanish, or actually Portuguese, and it's being broadcast in an effort to facilitate his peaceful surrender." Police are asking the public to familiarize themselves with Cavalcante's description. He is 5 feet tall, 120 pounds, with long, curly black hair. There is a $10,000 reward for any information leading to his capture. Police have said if Cavalcante is not actively surrendering, deadly force is authorized. POCOPSON TWP., Pa. - The search for an escaped killer carried into its fifth straight day Monday. Danelo Cavalcante was only days into a life sentence for the murder of his ex-girlfriend when he broke free from the county jail in Chester County Thursday. Authorities say he's been on the run since. "He is desperate. He does not want to be caught. He has very little to lose at this point," said Lt. Col. George Bivens, Pennsylvania State Police deputy commissioner of operations. Since his escape, there have been four credible sightings of convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante, including one where he was seen on video. The most recent was Sunday afternoon. "Very brief sighting, and it was a trooper who actually observed him at some distance," explained Bivens. "Gave chase but was unable, because of some of the terrain and some other obstacles there, was unable to get to him before he disappeared." Authorities say all of the sightings have been within a two-mile perimeter. They're playing a recording from Cavalcante's mother, asking for him to surrender. "He's desperate, he's hungry, he's been in the woods, he's dirty. Perhaps this is what puts him over the edge, where we can get a peaceful surrender," said Rob Clark with the U.S. Marshals Service. Investigators say the area where Cavalcante is believed to still be is heavily wooded with lots of places to hide. His need to sustain himself will likely be an edge for them. "We'll continue to push him hard. I intend to stress him. I want to push him hard. He'll make mistakes. He'll show himself. He's already shown himself a few times. We'll contain him, and we'll eventually catch him," said Bivens. The Chester County District Attorney confirms Cavalcante is the second inmate to escape from the jail in the last few months. While officials are still not saying how he was able to escape, they say they're continuing to investigate. "The prison is very aware of whatever vulnerabilities they had, and they have made efforts to correct those vulnerabilities," said DA Deborah Ryan. KIGALI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Health officials from various African countries gathered in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, on Monday for discussion on challenges facing healthcare provision on the continent, especially how to address the low doctor-to-patient ratio. The three-day meeting was organized by the Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA), an entity bringing together medical regulatory authorities in Africa. "We have the least healthcare workforce than any other continent in the world. The doctor to patient ratio is too low, and gets even lower in specific fields like surgery," Rwandan Minister of Health Sabin Nsanzimana said in his opening speech. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that there should be at least 4.45 health workers per 1,000 people to deliver essential health services and achieve universal health coverage. However, most of African countries could not attain the minimum ratio. Nsanzimana said the shortage of health personnel has been discussed for long at various continental forums without concrete solutions. He thus urged regulatory authorities to find ways to address the issue. President of AMCOA Simon Nemutandani said the conference would facilitate the sharing of the best practices across Africa. "We are making sure that we have got qualified, competent doctors and health practitioners in Africa," he said. CAIRO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Tuesday underlined the urgent necessity to provide the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) with financial contributions in order to continue its services. In a meeting with the UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini in Cairo, Shoukry stressed Egypt's willingness to support the agency, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Egypt will continue to coordinate with international actors in order to give the agency the financial and political support it needs to offer essential services to Palestinian refugees, said Shoukry. The Egyptian top diplomat also highlighted the importance of not linking financial support for UNRWA with any political considerations. For his part, the commissioner-general thanked Egypt for its assistance and its efforts to mobilize international support for the refugee agency. He stressed UNRWA's willingness to continue close coordination and consultation with Egypt in order to strengthen the agency's capacity to carry out its duties. Established in 1949, UNRWA is mandated to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees. Nearly all of its funding comes from voluntary contributions. Johannesburg fire disaster: why eradicating hijacked buildings is not the answer Inner city occupations are the inevitable consequence of the fact that huge populations of people have to get by without a living wage. The fire that killed at least 76 people in a five storey building in Johannesburg on 31 August is not an isolated incident, and has elicited the usual unhelpful response from some city officials and politicians. They have placed the blame on the informal occupation of abandoned buildings, a phenomenon known as hijacking. They have also blamed immigrant populations who, they say, are the primary residents of such buildings. To solve the problem, they argue, hijacked buildings should be expropriated and redeveloped by the private sector. A politician in the city council has also called for mass deportations of illegal foreigners. Based on my work as a researcher on how cities are built and transform at the Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO), I argue that all of this is a distraction from the urgent work of reducing risks in the living environments of the poor, and reducing the risk of fire more generally. The observatory, a partnership between the Gauteng provincial government, the universities of the Witwatersrand and Johannesburg, and the South African Local Government Association, builds the data and analysis to help inform development in the Gauteng City-Region. The rhetoric by politicians and city officials treats the latest tragedy as a freakish problem of hijacked buildings occupied by migrant populations. Yet as human geographer Nigel Clark sadly notes, it is important to acknowledge the way in which catastrophes are a normal part of life particularly for vulnerable groups rather than exceptional or unusual events. In Johannesburg, fires are not limited to hijacked buildings. They have also occurred in legally occupied buildings. Furthermore, fires are not a specific risk to inner city populations. They are a regular occurrence in shack settlements across the city. The use of this tragedy by some politicians to argue in favour of removing hijacked buildings is part of a longstanding pattern of blaming the poor for the conditions and justifying further suffering that they wish to heap on them. A pervasive problem There is no doubt that unscrupulous or negligent informal landlords bear much responsibility for failing to ensure basic fire safety. Yet this problem is not limited to hijacked buildings. In 2018, emergency services were unable to contain a fire at the Bank of Lisbon Building in downtown Johannesburg because there was insufficient water pressure in the building and no fire suppression systems had been installed. Three firefighters died, and the building itself was subsequently demolished. The building had not been illegally occupied; it was rented by the Gauteng provincial government, which was aware that the building was non-compliant in advance of the incident. Three years later, emergency services were hampered in their efforts to contain the fire at a public hospital, Charlotte Maxeke, by incompatible fire hydrant couplings. As these cases show, eradicating hijacked buildings would not have solved failures to comply with fire regulations in legally occupied buildings in the city. Nor would eradicating hijacked buildings remove the risk of fire posed to low income groups across the city as a whole. In Johannesburg more than one in ten households lives in an informal dwelling outside the city centre, either in shack settlements or in back yards. This is calculated from the Gauteng City-Region Observatorys Quality of Life 6 survey 2020/21. These kinds of settlements are also prone to fires as a result of the materials used to construct dwellings, the density of settlements and the risky sources of energy for heating, cooking and light. Once again, some politicians and officials have arrived at the idea that since these settlements are not fit for human habitation, they should be eliminated. In 2006 the elected representative responsible for housing in the KwaZulu-Natal province announced legislation to provide for the progressive elimination of slums. It would have forced private land owners to evict shack dwellers. But the shack dwellers movement Abahlali Basemjondolosuccessfully challenged this initiative in the Constitutional Court. Disposable lives According to the geographer Martin Murray, shack fires underscore the disposability of the lives of the poor. South Africas acute levels of inequality and poverty mean that some people can afford to buy their way out of risks while others cannot. Inner city occupations and shack settlements alike are the inevitable consequence of the fact that huge populations of people have to get by without a living wage. If these households earned higher wages, they would not choose to live in places that were at risk of fire, flooding and other potential disasters. As with the push to evict shack dwellers, the impulse to evict the residents of hijacked buildings conflates unsafe living conditions with those who live in them. A similar conflation occurs on the imagined solution: eradicating the problem means eradicating communities of people in which the problem manifests. In other words, the language of eradication blames the victims of social inequality for their own suffering, and sets the stage for exposing them to further risk. Helping without eradicating Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africas president, stated that the fire was a wake up call for the government to provide habitable housing. Government does indeed have a vital role to play in promoting the right to decent housing for all. It needs to do so in a way that takes into account the full complexity of the structural conditions at play, providing giveaway housing, or working with other stakeholders to correct for failings in the housing market that leave poor and working class people without affordable options. A good example is the City of Johannesburgs recent inclusionary housing policy that obliges developers to include affordable housing in all projects. Much more should be done by the state to provide housing. Yet informal settlements and illegal occupations of inner city buildings will not be eradicated no matter how many houses the state builds as long as acute levels of unemployment and poverty continue. Rather than abandoning residents of such places until they can be formally accommodated, or rendering them homeless through eviction, they need to be supported where they live or provided with alternative accommodation. The living environments of the poor can be made less risky. The epidemic of shack fires can be reduced with fire breaks and fire fighting infrastructure. Similarly, the risk of fire in inner city buildings can be reduced by enforcing tried and tested fire regulations: ensuring that fire escapes and fire fighting infrastructure are functional. Authorities should compel landlords whether informal or formal to implement them. These and many other measures rather than the impulse to eradicate are the basis through which society cares for vulnerable people. Johannesburgs catastrophic CBD fire is a tale of one citys non-accountability crisis Catastrophic events draw the attention-hungry media into the staggering horror of the moment which, although understandable, pulls the focus away from the years it took to cause the catastrophe. Long-term patterns are, however, not newsworthy. Only when they manifest themselves as crises do they become momentarily interesting. But if the attention drifts off, and the drivers of a momentary crisis remain in place, nothing really changes. When the drivers of crises become embedded in systems that reproduce and protect themselves, the problems run deep, become more complex and are resilient to simple interventions. The deaths of at least 76 occupants of the Johannesburg Metro-owned death trap and former Albert Street Pass Office has become the latest in a long line of events that largely reflect similar patterns. These include, inter alia: the collapse of Eskom due to acts of sabotage and corruption; the deaths of about 80 patients when the Gauteng Department of Health outsourced chronic mental health patient care to unlicensed healthcare providers; the violence by zama zamas in Krugersdorp and Riverlea that drew attention to the failure of government to manage closed mines in and around Johannesburg; the cholera outbreak centred at Hamanskraal with upward of 50 deaths, which drew attention to failed water and sanitation management by government; the fire at the Bank of Lisbon Building, the headquarters of the Gauteng Department of Health, which resulted in the deaths of three fireman seen together with fires at eight public hospitals in Gauteng (including arson at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital), which drew attention to the failures of facilities management by the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development; the murder of Babita Deokaran, the head of supply chain management at the Gauteng Department of Health, who was exposing corruption at, inter alia, Tembisa Hospital; the explosion on Bree Street (now Lilian Ngoyi Street), which revealed the failure of preventive maintenance by the City of Johannesburg and the province; and the theft of strategic transport and energy infrastructure by syndicates with possible links to the relevant public organisations and politicians. In these cases, avoiding the crisis outcome needed sustained periods of investment in policy development, systems, infrastructure, high-quality teams and expert specialised law enforcement support. In all instances, however, such investments are nowhere to be found. First, because preventive action is largely missing with no sustained policy frameworks or investments that ultimately hit the ground. Second, when laws are broken, investigations disappear into the ether and/or get fumbled by the National Prosecuting Authority. There is, therefore, no accountability for the policy failures or the lawlessness whether perpetrated by parts of the government or private interests. The absence of accountability is, however, no accident. The repeated narrative that foreign migrants and civil society bodies are to blame for these complex problems is a crude, but noteworthy deflection straight out of the dictators playbook. Just pick on a vulnerable group that cant fight back and make them into a monstrous bogeyman that explains all the ills you caused, past, present and future. But the question this narrative desperately tries to avoid, is how a government, with all its powers and resources, ends up being weaker than a community with few effective protected rights and a motley crew of precarious civil society actors? The answer, however, is quite simple. Government has become captured by criminal elements operating through the governing party, who divert state resources into their pockets. Provided you can keep people fooled using the dictators playbook, no one holds you to account, and the theft continues. As the collapse of public assets and services is inevitable, you need a ready-made reliable counternarrative to evade accountability. If you want to know who is to blame for preventable crises, however, look no further than those resorting to the dictators playbook as indelible a red flag as Lady Macbeths damned spot What need we fear who knows it when none can call our power to account? Strategically placed politicians effectively line their pockets, while occasionally offering some public services as a side-hustle this to maintain the pretence that they are serving the people. Behind the scenes of bluff and bluster, however, not much happens for the people. Posts either involve patronage appointments, who are not expected to deliver anything, or ghost appointments, which are used to syphon funds from government. When services in any way depend on procurement, the patronage appointments ensure the contracts go to designated companies, who are also not expected to deliver much. This way you get the unfinished low-income housing, the wrong, and over-priced computer system, and skinny jeans instead of medical equipment. After a while, infrastructure decays, and complex social problems linger unresolved, surfacing only once critical thresholds are passed. And then, shock and horror, you have a crisis that only a very special minister on top of a pile of ministers can solve with multiple public appearances and the dictators playbook in hand. The Albert Street Pass Office fire exhibits all the signs of this despicable pattern. Up until 2018, this building, owned by the city, was in a serviceable condition and being managed as a shelter for abused women by an NGO. A criminal syndicate chased the NGO out in that year, and the city took no action despite requests for intervention. Under the noses of the city, for the next five years the syndicate sublet the property, without a lease with the owner (the city) or paying rates and taxes. Even the slowest of strategies would have borne fruit by now but the city walked away from their asset and wilfully ignored the law-breaking and risks to the public occurring on their own property. The question is: Why? Of the 57 listed hijacked buildings (yes, there is a list), at least 29 (or 51%) are actually owned by the City of Johannesburg. Their addresses are known, their condition is known, the unsafe conditions are known, the breaches of safety laws are known, the non-payment of rates and taxes are known. So where is the strategy? Where is the action plan? Consistent with the dictators playbook, migrants are now publicly blamed, with the NGOs that protect them from unlawful evictions argued to be the cause. Not mentioned is the fact that there is no documented strategy to show how the citys property portfolio is to be managed. Effectively the city has abandoned 29 buildings they own without any strategy. In the Draft Integrated Development Plan 2022/27 for the Johannesburg Metro, no strategy is outlined other than stipulating an intention to investigate 95% of hijacked/problem properties. The city defines a hijacked property as: properties that are characterised by criminal elements where the individual or a group of people misrepresenting themselves as lawful owners solicits money from the occupiers. Problem Properties are characterised by contravention of the Citys Bylaws and other relevant National and /or Provincial legislations. The report, however, fails to mention that they own 51% of the hijacked properties. As the city is plainly aware of the criminal conduct involved in their own buildings, it is remarkable that no mention is made of criminal proceedings against parties misrepresenting themselves as lawful owners. No timeline is mentioned to do anything, and no mention is made of NGO obstruction through the courts. The possible steps to addressing the problem of hijacked buildings could illustratively involve about seven steps. Step 1: Identify and pursue criminal charges against the criminal elements, who should not be hard to identify. Step 2: Intercept any money transfers from the abused tenants to the criminal elements. Step 3: Immediately mitigate any safety concerns in the buildings. Step 4: Identify and prepare alternative decent accommodation for tenants. Step 5: Demarcate and prepare lawful processes to address illegal immigrants resident in the building. Step 6: Request the voluntary transfer of tenants to the alternative accommodation prepared through Step 4. Step 7: For tenants failing to abide by the voluntary transfer process, adopt the eviction route, which, if lawful, will not be obstructed by the courts. While this could take time, if properly prepared and implemented it should address the problem and root out the syndicates. Given that the City of Johannesburg owns the buildings that have been left to be run by criminal elements, they are quite possibly civilly and criminally liable for the deaths and all associated breaches of the law. This liability could, and hopefully will, extend to individual office bearers both members of the executive and accounting officers. If this is the case, such liability will extend to all the other properties owned by the city. Furthermore, independent investigations should ascertain whether there are links between the criminal elements and city officials, members of the executive, Gauteng politicians and members of law enforcement. In summary, a rock has been lifted on the conduct of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Government. There should be nowhere to hide. Accountability must prevail, no matter how high it goes. The rot in the city must end, and the rotten must be fired, sued and jailed. Only then will we be able to move from the worst of all worlds to the best. This article first appeared on the Daily Maverick. Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE), an S&P 500 company, is a best-in-class, mission-driven life science REIT making a positive and lasting impact on the world. As the pioneer of the life science real estate niche since its founding in 1994, Alexandria is the preeminent and longest-tenured owner, operator, and developer of collaborative life science, agtech, and advanced technology campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, including Greater Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and Research Triangle. The trusted partner to approximately 825 tenants, Alexandria has a total market capitalization of $30.6 billion and an asset base in North America of 74.9 million SF as of June 30, 2023, which includes 41.1 million RSF of operating properties and 5.3 million RSF of Class A/A+ properties undergoing construction, 9.4 million RSF of near-term and intermediate-term development and redevelopment projects, and 19.1 million SF of future development projects. Alexandria has a longstanding and proven track record of developing Class A/A+ properties clustered in life science, agtech, and advanced technology campuses that provide our innovative tenants with highly dynamic and collaborative environments that enhance their ability to successfully recruit and retain world-class talent and inspire productivity, efficiency, creativity, and success. Alexandria also provides strategic capital to transformative life science, agrifoodtech, climate innovation, and technology companies through our venture capital platform. We believe our unique business model and diligent underwriting ensure a high-quality and diverse tenant base that results in higher occupancy levels, longer lease terms, higher rental income, higher returns, and greater long-term asset value. 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. Builders FirstSource, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and supplier of building materials serving the residential construction, repair, and remodeling markets in the United States. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Builders FirstSource operates approximately 550 locations in 40 states. The company prides itself on being one of the largest suppliers of building products, prefabricated components, and value-added services in the industry. Builders FirstSource's mission is to provide its customers with high-quality building materials and construction solutions, empowering them to build homes and structures that meet the highest standards of quality, durability, and aesthetics. The company caters to a wide range of customers, including professional homebuilders, sub-contractors, remodelers, and consumers. The company offers a comprehensive range of building materials, including lumber, plywood, oriented strand board products, wood floor and roof trusses, steel roof trusses, wall panels, stairs, windows, doors, interior trims, and custom products. Builders FirstSource also provides specialty building products and services such as siding, metal studs, roofing, insulation, cabinets, and hardware. The company also offers software solutions that assist retailers, distributors, manufacturers, and homebuilders in various operations. A highly experienced management team leads Builders FirstSource with industry knowledge and expertise. Dave Rush serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the company. Under his leadership, Builders FirstSource has achieved significant growth and expanded its market presence. The management team is committed to driving innovation, operational excellence, and delivering exceptional customer service. Builders FirstSource has reported increasing revenue yearly for the past several years representing healthy year-over-year growth. Builders FirstSource's strong financial performance showcases its ability to capitalize on market opportunities and generate sustainable growth. Builders FirstSource's valuation metrics are favorable compared to industry peers. The company's price-to-earnings ratio indicates that investors are willing to pay a reasonable premium for the company's earnings. The price-to-book ratio suggests that Builders FirstSource's stock price is trading at a modest premium relative to its book value. These valuation metrics reflect investors' confidence in the company's growth prospects and financial stability. Builders FirstSource operates in the building materials industry, which is crucial in the construction sector. The industry has experienced steady growth in recent years due to increased housing demand, renovation activities, and infrastructure development. The company faces competition from other major players in the industry but stands out due to its comprehensive product range, extensive distribution network, and commitment to customer satisfaction. Builders FirstSource benefits from the positive trends in the housing market as new residential construction and remodeling projects drive demand for its products and services. Additionally, the company's focus on sustainable building materials aligns with the industry's growing emphasis on environmentally friendly practices. However, the industry is subject to regulatory and political factors, such as zoning regulations, trade policies, and changes in building codes, which could impact market conditions. While Builders FirstSource has enjoyed robust growth, it faces certain risks and challenges. Changes in consumer preferences and economic conditions could impact demand for residential construction and remodeling projects, affecting the company's revenue. The industry is also sensitive to fluctuations in lumber prices and supply chain disruptions, which can impact profitability. Additionally, regulatory changes and compliance with environmental standards pose ongoing challenges. Builders FirstSource must stay abreast of evolving regulations and ensure its products meet the required specifications. Competition within the industry remains intense, and the company must continue to innovate and differentiate itself to maintain its competitive edge. COLOMBO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's cabinet has approved a proposal to establish diplomatic relations with Comoros and Sao Tome and Principe, a statement by the government's information department said on Tuesday. The statement said Sri Lanka has established diplomatic ties with 46 out of 54 African states recognized by the United Nations, while the agreements to establish such ties with six other countries in Africa are still pending. Sri Lanka's foreign ministry conducted a business forum in March as part of its economic diplomacy initiative to expand and intensify the country's presence in the African continent, bringing together over 50 business leaders representing different sectors and leading business chambers. According to the ministry, the forum was a follow-up to President Ranil Wickremesinghe's "Look Africa" orientation which was initiated during the 75th anniversary of Sri Lanka's independence. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was formed in 1961 with the merger of the Canadian Bank of Commerce and Imperial Bank of Canada. The merger, the largest in Canadian banking history, gave the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce its name but not its true origin. The founding banks originated in 1867 and 1873 respectively and were among the countrys oldest surviving banks at the time. The business is headquartered in Toronto and located at the iconic CIBC Square in downtown Toronto. Today, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is a diversified international financial institution serving more than 13 million clients globally. It provides a full range of financial products and services for individuals, families, businesses and institutions in North America and around the world. The companys goal is to create value by providing consistent returns and sustainable growth. The company maintains a lower-than-average credit profile to help achieve that goal and keep it in a position to take advantage of strategic opportunities. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce operates in 4 segments that include Canadian Personal and Business Banking, Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, U.S. Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, and Capital Markets. In late 2022 the company brought in over C$20 billion in revenue, had more than C$678 billion in deposits and had more than C$896 million in total assets. In regard to the banks health, it carries high AA or A+ investment grade credit ratings from all the major credit rating agencies. The companys products and services include personal and business deposit accounts, checking, savings, credit cards, and loans. Loans include mortgages, business credit, student loans, and agri-business. Other products include investment services, wealth management, and insurance services. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerces digital platform, which was the first launched in Canada, is award-winning and ranked #1 for customer satisfaction by J.D. Power. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerces strategy is built on 3 drivers. The first is focusing on high-growth, high-traffic client demographics, the second is elevating the customer experience through digital and the third is investing in differentiators within fast-growing markets. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is also a committed dividend payer that has not only paid a dividend every year since its inception but increases it on a regular basis as well. The company is also well-known for its long-term dividend growth and has a 15-year CAGR above 5.0%. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is committed to sustainability. The companys efforts won it a spot on Canadas Greenest Employers list for 2022 as well as recognition as Best Diversity Employer and for gender equality. Devon Energy Corporation is an independent oil and gas company headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The company was incorporated in 1971 by John Nichols and his son J. Larry Nichols and later went public in August 2000. The company has since grown to be included in the S&P 500 and is one of the first energy companies to introduce resolutions requiring the company to monitor its impact on global warming. One time a major player in the global oil market, Devon has since sold off its offshore holdings in an effort to focus on US production and its transition to a lower-carbon future. Devon Energy merged with WPX in early 2021 in an all-stock merger of equals. The new company is primarily engaged in the exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the US midwest. The company operates more than 5,100 wells in Oklahomas Delaware Basis, Eagle Ford Group, and the two locations in the Rocky Mountains. As of late 2022, the company laid claim to 1.625 million barrels of reserves including 44% petroleum, 27% natural gas liquids, and 29% natural gas. Daily production was running in the range of 300,000 BPD in petroleum liquids, 125,000 BPD in natural gas liquids, and 920 million cubic feet of natural gas. Rick Muncrief, formally CEO of WPX, is now the head of Devon Energy. Mr. Muncrief comes to the table with more than 40 years of experience including 27 years with one of the US Big Three Oil Companies. WPX Energy (Williams Production and Exploration) brought properties in the Williston and Permian Basins to the combined company. Its proven reserves were roughly 527 million barrels of oil and equivalents. The company also owns and operates a midstream network of pipelines and storage facilities it uses to market and deliver its products. Devon Energy Corporation has pledged to reduce its GHG impact to net zero by 2050. This will be done by a variety of methods that include improving efficiency and leakage, a reduction in flaring, and the electrification of its operations. Near-term goals include a 50% reduction in GHG by 2030 including a 65% reduction in methane release and a 100% reduction in flaring. The company is also focused on reducing its environmental impact by relying on recycled water wherever possible and plans to reduce freshwater usage by 90% in the most active areas. Total greenhouse gas emissions have been in decline since 2018 and fell 17% between 2018 and 2020 alone. 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. 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. Exxon Mobil Corporation is the largest direct descendent of John D. Rockefellers Standard Oil and one of the worlds largest companies. Its earliest roots lie with Vacuum Oil which got its start in the 1860s. Vacuum Oils primary product was kerosene, an important advancement for heating and lighting in rural America. Vacuum Oil was later merged with Standard Oil of New Jersey which was the parent operation of the Standard Oil empire prior to its breakup. Standard Oil of New Jersey would merge with other independent operators over the next few years until settling on the brand Exxon for most of its operations. Meanwhile, Standard Oil of New York was operating under much the same impetus, merging and growing, until it became known as Mobil. Then, in 1999, the two giants became one with a merger of equals that on paper had Exxon buying Mobil. Now, the combined company operates under the Exxon, Mobil, and Esso brands as an international vertically integrated energy and petrochemical business. Today, the company explores and produces crude oil and natural gas and their derivative products globally. As of 2022, it was ranked 6th on Forbes Fortune 500 list and 12th on the Global 500 list but it has held positions from #1 to #10 over the years. In terms of its operations, it is the worlds second-largest oil refiner and the largest refiner outside of China. In terms of reserves, ExxonMobil claimed about 18.5 million barrels of oil and oil equivalents at the end of 2021 and was ranked 15th globally. ExxonMobil operates through three segments that are the Upstream, Downstream, and Chemical segments. The Upstream segment explores for and produces oil and oil equivalents and represents roughly 70% of the income. The Downstream segment gathers, receives, stores, transports and refines oil and equivalents and their derivatives. The Downstream segment also markets and delivers fuel products to consumers and businesses. The Chemicals segment produces the full range of petrochemicals including plastics, resins and synthetic rubber. ExxonMobil is committed to advancing sustainable and carbon-free energy solutions. The company is targeting 2050 for net-zero emissions and its 2030 interim targets are in alignment with the Paris Accord, the EU's Global Methane Pledge, and US Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan. The companys plans include investing $15 billion into reducing greenhouse emissions by 2028. FedEx Corporation is a global courier delivery services company headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Founded in 1971, it is one of the largest logistics companies in the world, with operations in over 220 countries and territories. FedEx offers various services, including express shipping, ground shipping, freight forwarding, and e-commerce solutions. The company has over 600 aircraft and more than 180,000 vehicles in its fleet and employs over 600,000 people worldwide. Frederick W. Smith is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of FedEx Corporation. He has been at the company's helm since its inception and has been instrumental in its growth and success. In 2022 Frederick Smith passed the baton to Raj Subramaniam. Raj Subramaniam has over thirty years of leadership experience and moved into the CEO role from his role as Chief Operating Officer (COO). In recent years, the company has made a few critical changes in its leadership team, including the appointment of Lance Moll as President and CEO of FedEx Freight in 2020, who started his career as a manager at a FedEx distribution center. FedEx reported that revenue has risen at an excellent pace yearly for several years. Net income, while only a fraction of revenue, is pacing in growth with the revenue. This is due to FedEx maintaining a healthy profit margin, with a net profit margin of approximately 3.5%. The company has also been actively managing debt to reduce its debt levels. Total assets on hand are robust enough to cover total liabilities within the company. FedEx has a price-to-earnings ratio lower than the industry average and a price-to-book ratio lower than the industry average. These valuation metrics suggest that the company's stock may be undervalued compared to its peers. FedEx's stock had performed well in recent years, with the stock price recovering from a tumble in 2022 when FedEx pulled its earnings forecast due to worsening business conditions. FedEx operates in the highly competitive logistics and courier delivery services industry with low margins and intense competition. The company faces competition from established players like UPS and DHL and newer entrants like Amazon, which has been expanding its delivery network. The industry is also subject to regulatory and political pressures, such as changes in trade policies and tariffs, which can impact the flow of goods across borders. Despite the challenges in the industry, FedEx has several growth opportunities. The company has expanded its e-commerce capabilities by acquiring ShopRunner, a membership-based e-commerce platform, in 2021. The company has also invested in autonomous delivery technology, launching the FedEx SameDay Bot, designed to make deliveries in urban areas. In addition, the company has been expanding its presence in healthcare logistics by acquiring Cargex in 2021. Several risks and challenges could impact FedEx's future growth prospects. One significant risk is the potential for changes in consumer preferences, particularly with the growth of online shopping and the increasing demand for faster and more convenient delivery options. The company also faces regulatory risks, particularly with changes in trade policies and tariffs. Competitive pressures are also a significant challenge, with Amazon expanding its delivery network and other logistics companies competing for market share. Finally, the company is also subject to risks related to its operations, such as disruptions to its supply chain or the impact of natural disasters on its infrastructure. KATHMANDU, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A training program started in Kathmandu Tuesday to help young Nepali researchers improve their data analysis and scientific paper writing, a move which is believed to contribute to an in-depth research on climate change in south Asia. Some 30 early-career researchers, mostly from Tribhuvan University here, will take part in the seven-day training course supported by the Kathmandu Center for Research and Education, which was established by the Chinese Academy of Sciences inside the university, and the Alliance of International Science Organizations. The training program is aiding Tribhuvan University's efforts to build a research university and boost its capacity in the area of research, said Dharma Kanta Baskota, the university's vice-chancellor. As the majority of the people in south Asia depend on agriculture for their livelihood and the effect of climate change is severe in the agricultural sector, in-depth research on climate change, its impact and the adaptation strategies is needed, Baskota said while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the training program on Tuesday. The research project focuses on analyzing the climate change trend, livelihood situation and the adaptive capacity to combat climate change in south Asia. As China has made notable progress in technological achievements in recent years, there is a broader prospect of exchanges and cooperation in scientific research between the two countries, thus providing driving forces for bilateral relations and common development, said Wang Xin, a counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Nepal. Crescent Point Energy (NYSE:CPG) pays an annual dividend of $0.30 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 3.70%. The dividend payout ratio is 54.55%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, CPG will have a dividend payout ratio of 26.32% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for CPG. Integer Holdings Corporation operates as a medical device outsource manufacturer in the United States, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and internationally. It operates through Medical and Non-Medical segments. The company offers products for interventional cardiology, structural heart, heart failure, peripheral vascular, neurovascular, interventional oncology, electrophysiology, vascular access, infusion therapy, hemodialysis, urology, and gastroenterology procedures. It also provides cardiac rhythm management products, including implantable pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, insertable cardiac monitors, implantable cardiac pacing and defibrillation leads, and heart failure therapies; neuromodulation products, such as implantable spinal cord stimulators; and non-rechargeable batteries, feedthroughs, device enclosures, machined components, and lead components and sub-assemblies. In addition, the company offers rechargeable batteries and chargers; and arthroscopic, laparoscopic, and general surgery devices and components, such as harmonic scalpels, shaver blades, burr shavers, radio frequency probes, biopsy probes, trocars, electrocautery components, wound dressings, GERD treatment components, and phacoemulsification needles. Further, it provides orthopedic products that include instruments used in hip, knee, and spine surgeries, as well as reamers and chisels. Additionally, the company offers customized battery power and power management systems, and battery solutions for the energy, military, and environmental markets. Furthermore, the company provides medical technologies. It serves multi-national original equipment manufacturers and their affiliated subsidiaries in the cardiac, neuromodulation, orthopedics, vascular, and advanced surgical and portable medical markets. Integer Holdings Corporation was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Plano, Texas. Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in rail and related transportation business. The company offers rail services, which include equipment, custom brokage services, transloading and distribution, business development and real estate, and private car storage services; and intermodal services including temperature controlled cargo, port partnership, transloading and distribution, logistic parks, customs brokerage, trucking, and moving grains in containers. It also provides trucking services, such as door-to-door services, import and export dray, interline services, and specialized services comprising flatbed trucks, on-deck mobile transport trays, expedited and temperature controlled cargo, and permit/overweight services; and supply chain services. In addition, it serves automotive, coal, fertilizers, temperature controlled cargo, forest products, dimensional, grain, metal and minerals, petroleum and chemicals, and consumer goods applications. Further, the company operates a network of 20,000 route miles of track and shipping Canada and the United States. Canadian National Railway Company was incorporated in 1919 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. The following companies are subsidiares of Lennar: 360 Developers LLC, Alliance Financial Services Inc., Ann Arundel Farms Ltd., Aquaterra Utilities Inc., Arbor Mill Veteran Project 2018 LLC, Asbury Woods L.L.C., Astoria Options LLC, Autumn Creek Development Ltd., Aylon LLC, Azusa Associates LLC, B2 Milpitas LLC, BB Investment Holdings LLC, BCI Properties LLC, BMR Communities LLC, BMR Construction Inc., BMTD LLC, BPH I LLC, Bainebridge 249 LLC, Bay Colony Expansion 369 Ltd., Bellagio Lennar LLC, Belle Meade LEN Holdings LLC, Belle Meade Partners LLC, Black Mountain Ranch LLC, Blue Horizons Estates LLC, Bonterra Lennar LLC, Bramalea California Inc., Bressi Gardenlane LLC, Breton Park Lennar LLC, CAP IL 1 LLC, CL Ventures LLC, CML INACTIVE LLC, CML-MO HAF LLC, CML-MO HAF PARKING LLC, CP Block 6aS LLC, CP Block 8aS LLC, CP Block 9aS LLC, CP Center Apartments LLC, CP Center Garage LLC, CP Red Oak Partners Ltd., CP Vertical Development Co. 1 LLC, CP/HPS Development Co. GP LLC, CP/HPS Development Co.-C LLC, CPFE LLC, CPHP Development LLC, CalAtlantic Financial Services Inc., CalAtlantic Group, CalAtlantic Group Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Arizona Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Georgia Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Texas Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Washington Inc., CalAtlantic Mortgage Inc., CalAtlantic National Title Solutions LLC, CalAtlantic Title Agency LLC, CalAtlantic Title Group LLC, CalAtlantic Title Inc., CalAtlantic Title LLC, CalAtlantic Title of Maryland Inc., Camarillo Village Park LLC, Cambria L.L.C., Candlestick Retail Member LLC, Cardiovascular Medical Specialists LLC, Carolina Blue LLC, Carson 175 LLC, Cary Woods LLC, Casa Marina Development LLC, Central Park West Holdings LLC, Cherrytree II LLC, Club Bonterra Lennar LLC, Coco Palm 82 LLC, Colonial Heritage LLC, Columbia National Risk Retention Group Inc., Commonwealth Incentive Fee LLC, Concord Station LLP, Coventry L.L.C., Creekside Crossing L.L.C., Crest at Fondren Investor LLC, DBJ Holdings LLC, DCA Financial LLC, DTC Holdings of Florida LLC, Darcy-Joliet L.L.C., Durrell 33 LLC, EL Ventures LLC, EV LLC, Eagle Bend Commercial LLC, Eagle Home Mortgage LLC, Estates Seven LLC, Evergreen Village LLC, F&R QVI Home Investments USA LLC, FLORDADE LLC, Faria Preserve LLC, Fidelity Guaranty and Acceptance Corp., Fidelity Land LLC, Fox-Maple Associates LLC, Friendswood Development Company LLC, GDI MANAGER LLC, Garco Investments LLC, Greystone Construction Inc., Greystone Homes of Nevada Inc., Greystone Nevada Holdings LLC, Greystone Nevada LLC, Greywall Club L.L.C., HCC Investors LLC, HPS Development Co. LP, HPS Vertical Development Co. LLC, HPS Vertical Development Co.-B LP, HPS Vertical Development Co.-D/E LLC, HPS1 Block 1 LLC, HPS1 Block 48-1A LLC, HPS1 Block 48-1B LLC, HPS1 Block 48-2A LLC, HPS1 Block 48-2B LLC, HPS1 Block 48-3A LLC, HPS1 Block 48-3B LLC, HPS1 Block 50 LLC, HPS1 Block 51 LLC, HPS1 Block 52 LLC, HPS1 Block 53 LLC, HPS1 Block 54 LLC, HPS1 Block 55 LLC, HPS1 Block 56/57 LLC, HSP Arizona Inc., HTC Golf Club LLC, Hammocks Lennar LLC, Harbor Highlands Group LLC, Harveston LLC, Haverton L.L.C., Heathcote Commons LLC, Heritage Pkwy East Holdings LLC, Heritage of Auburn Hills L.L.C., Hewitts Landing Trustee LLC, Hingham Properties LLC, Huntley Venture L.L.C., Inactive Companies LLC, Independence L.L.C., Independence Orlando LLC, Isles at Bayshore Club LLC, KMC Real Estate Investors LLC, Kendall Hammocks Commercial LLC, Kentuckiana Medical Center LLC, Kingman Lennar LLC, LB/L Duc III Antioch 330 LLC, LCD Asante LLC, LCI Downtown Doral Investor LLC, LCI North DeKalb Investor GP LLC, LCI North DeKalb Investor LP LLC, LEN - Belle Meade LLC, LEN - OBS Windemere LLC, LEN - Palm Vista LLC, LEN BPT Investor LLC, LEN Mirada Investor LLC, LEN Notarize Investor LLC, LEN OT Holdings LLC, LEN Paradise Cable LLC, LEN Paradise Operating LLC, LEN-CG South LLC, LEN-Cypress Mill LLC, LEN-Ryan 1 LLC, LEN-Touchstone LLC, LENH I LLC, LENNAR HOMES OF TENNESSEE LLC, LFS Holding Company LLC, LH Eastwind LLC, LHI Renaissance LLC, LMC 10th & Acoma Holdings LP, LMC 144th and Grant Investor LLC, LMC 2401 Blake Street Holdings LLC, LMC 2401 Blake Street Investor LLC, LMC 360 Acoma Holdings LP, LMC 410 S Wabash Holdings LLC, LMC 808 Gateway Holdings LLC, LMC 808 Gateway Investor LLC, LMC 8th Avenue Apartment Investor LLC, LMC 990 Bannock Holdings LLC, LMC Axis Westminster Holdings LLC, LMC Axis Westminster Investor LLC, LMC Berry Hill Lofts Holdings LLC, LMC Berry Hill Lofts Investor LLC, LMC Block 42 Holdings LLC, LMC Build to Core III Investor LLC, LMC Build to Core III LLC, LMC Burnside Holdings LLC, LMC Burnside Investor LLC, LMC Chandler and McClintock Holdings LLC, LMC Charlestowne Holdings LLC, LMC Charlotte Ballpark Developer LLC, LMC Cityville Oak Park Holdings LLC, LMC Cityville Oak Park Investor LLC, LMC Cobalt Holdings LLC, LMC Costa Mesa Holdings LP, LMC Crest at Park West Holdings LP, LMC Denver Gateway I Investor LLC, LMC Denver Gateway II Holdings LLC, LMC Development LLC, LMC Downtown Doral South Holdings LLC, LMC Durham Gateway Holdings LP, LMC Evans School Holdings LLC, LMC Gateway Investor LLC, LMC Gateway Venture LLC, LMC Gilman Square Investor LLC, LMC Horton Street Holdings LLC, LMC Huntington Crossing Holdings LLC, LMC Inactive Companies LLC, LMC Lakeside Holdings LP, LMC Leya Holdings LLC, LMC Living Illinois LLC, LMC Living Inc., LMC Living LLC, LMC Living TRS LP, LMC Millenia Investor II LLC, LMC NE Minneapolis Lot 2 Holdings LLC, LMC New Bern Investor LLC, LMC North Park Holdings LP, LMC Parkfield Holdings LLC, LMC Parkfield Investor LLC, LMC Righters Ferry Holdings LLC, LMC River North Holdings LLC, LMC Spring Street Investor LLC, LMC Stonewall Station Investor LLC, LMC Triangle Square Investor LLC, LMC Venture Developer LLC, LMC Verbena Holdings LLC, LMC West Loop Investor LLC, LMCFX Investor LLC, LMCPNW Marymoor Holdings LLC, LMI - Jacksonville Investor LLC, LMI - South Kings Development Investor LLC, LMI - West Seattle Holdings LLC, LMI - West Seattle Investor LLC, LMI - West Seattle LLC, LMI Cell Tower Investors LLC, LMI City Walk Investor LLC, LMI Collegedale Investor LLC, LMI Collegedale LLC, LMI Contractors LLC, LMI Glencoe Dallas Investor LLC, LMI Lakes West Covina Investor LLC, LMI Largo Park Investor LLC, LMI Las Colinas Station LLC, LMI Naperville Investor LLC, LMI Pacific Tower LLC, LMI Park Central Two LLC, LMI Peachtree Corners Investor LLC, LMI Peachtree Corners LLC, LMI-JC Developer LLC, LMI-JC LLC, LMV 1640 Broadway REIT-DC LP, LMV 1701 Ballard REIT-DC LP, LMV 19H REIT-DC LP, LMV 2026 Madison REIT-DC LP, LMV 85 South Union REIT-DC LP, LMV ATown REIT-DC LP, LMV Annapolis REIT-DC LP, LMV Apache Terrace REIT-DC LP, LMV Block 42 REIT-DC LP, LMV Bloomington REIT-DC LP, LMV Bolingbrook REIT-DC LP (DE), LMV Central at McDowell REIT-DC LP, LMV East Village I REIT-DC LP, LMV Edina REIT-DC LP, LMV Fremont WS I REIT-DC LP, LMV Glisan REIT-DC LP, LMV Grand Bay REIT-DC LP, LMV II Grand Bay Pod V Holdings LP, LMV II Kierland Holdings LP, LMV II NoMo Holdings LP, LMV II Venture Developer LLC, LMV II Wynwood Holdings LP, LMV Kirkland REIT-DC LP, LMV Little Italy REIT-DC LP, LMV M Tower REIT-DC LP, LMV Millenia II REIT-DC LP, LMV Milpitas REIT-DC LP, LMV NE Minneapolis REIT-DC LP, LMV Oak Park REIT-DC LP, LMV One20Fourth REIT-DC LP, LMV QR Build to Core Manager LLC, LMV Rio Bravo REIT-DC LP, LMV Scottsdale Quarter REIT-DC LP, LMV Tysons REIT-DC LP, LMV Vallagio III REIT-DC LP, LMV Victory Block G REIT-DC LP, LMV Warren Street REIT-DC LP, LNC Communities II LLC, LNC Communities IV LLC, LNC Communities V LLC, LNC Communities VI LLC, LNC Communities VII LLC, LNC Communities VIII LLC, LNC Pennsylvania Realty Inc., LNC at Meadowbrook LLC, LNC at Ravenna LLC, LS College Park LLC, LS Terracina LLC, LV Opendoor Investor LLC, LV Opendoor JV LLC, LW D'Andrea LLC, Lagoon Valley Residential LLC, Lakelands at Easton L.L.C., Legends Club LLC, Legends Golf Club LLC, Len - Little Harbor LLC, Len FW Investor LLC, Len Paradise LLC, Len-Angeline LLC, Len-Hawks Point LLC, Len-Land LLC, Len-Land West LLC, Len-MN LLC, Len-Verandahs LLP, LenCom LLC, LenFive LLC, LenFive Opco GP LLC, LenFive Sub III LLC, LenFive Sub LLC, LenFive Sub Opco GP LLC, Lenalto CMBS LLC, Lencraft LLC, Lennar Aircraft I LLC, Lennar Arizona Construction Inc., Lennar Arizona Inc., Lennar Associates Management Holding Company, Lennar Associates Management LLC, Lennar Avenue One LLC, Lennar Berkeley LLC, Lennar Bevard LLC, Lennar Bridges LLC, Lennar Buffington Colorado Crossing L.P., Lennar Buffington Zachary Scott L.P., Lennar Carolinas LLC, Lennar Central Park LLC, Lennar Central Region Sweep Inc., Lennar Chicago Inc., Lennar Cobra LLC, Lennar Colgate Urban Renewal Development LLC, Lennar Colorado LLC, Lennar Colorado Minerals LLC, Lennar Commercial LLC, Lennar Communities Development Inc., Lennar Communities Inc., Lennar Communities Nevada LLC, Lennar Communities of Chicago L.L.C., Lennar Concord LLC, Lennar Construction Inc., Lennar Cory Road LLC, Lennar Courts LLC, Lennar Developers Inc., Lennar Ewing LLC, Lennar Financial Services LLC, Lennar Flamingo LLC, Lennar Fresno Inc., Lennar Gardens LLC, Lennar Georgia Inc., Lennar Greer Ranch Venture LLC, Lennar Heritage Fields LLC, Lennar Hingham Holdings LLC, Lennar Hingham JV LLC, Lennar Homes Holding LLC, Lennar Homes LLC, Lennar Homes NJ LLC, Lennar Homes of Arizona Inc., Lennar Homes of California Inc., Lennar Homes of Indiana Inc., Lennar Homes of Texas Land and Construction Ltd., Lennar Homes of Texas Sales and Marketing Ltd., Lennar Homes of Utah Inc., Lennar International Holding LLC, Lennar International LLC, Lennar Lakeside Investor LLC, Lennar Layton LLC, Lennar Living LLC, Lennar Lytle LLC, Lennar MF Holdings LLC, Lennar MPA LLC, Lennar MPA WIP LLC, Lennar Mare Island LLC, Lennar Marina A Funding LLC, Lennar Massachusetts Properties Inc., Lennar Middletown LLC, Lennar Monmouth Redevelopers LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture GP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture GP Subsidiary LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture GP Victory Block G Mezz LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II GP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II GP Subsidiary LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II LP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II Manager LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture LP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture Manager LLC, Lennar Multifamily Builders LLC, Lennar Multifamily Communities LLC, Lennar Multifamily Venture DC LP, Lennar New Jersey Holdings LLC, Lennar New Jersey Properties Inc., Lennar New York LLC, Lennar Northeast Properties LLC, Lennar Northwest Inc., Lennar OHB LLC, Lennar PI Acquisition LLC, Lennar PI Property Acquisition LLC, Lennar PIS Management Company LLC, Lennar Pacific Inc., Lennar Pacific Properties Inc., Lennar Pacific Properties Management Inc., Lennar Plumsted Urban Renewal LLC, Lennar Point LLC, Lennar QR Build to Core GP LLC, Lennar QR Build to Core LP LLC, Lennar Realty Inc., Lennar Reno LLC, Lennar Riverwalk LLC, Lennar Sacramento Inc., Lennar Sales Corp., Lennar Sierra Sunrise LLC, Lennar Spencer's Crossing LLC, Lennar Sun Ridge LLC, Lennar Texas Holding LLC, Lennar Ventures LLC, Lennar West Valley LLC, Lennar Winncrest LLC, Lennar at Franklin LLC, Lennar at Jackson LLC, Lennar at Marlboro 79 LLC, Lennar at Monroe LLC, Lennar.com Inc., Longleaf Acquisition LLC, Lori Gardens Associates II LLC, Lori Gardens Associates III LLC, Lori Gardens Associates L.L.C., Lorton Station LLC, Lyons Lennar Farms LLC, Madrona Ridge L.L.C., Madrona Village L.L.C., Madrona Village Mews L.L.C., Majestic Woods LLC, Maple and Broadway Holdings LLC, Menifee Development LLC, Mid-County Utilities Inc., Miralago West Lennar LLC, Mission Viejo 12S Venture LP, Mission Viejo Holdings Inc., Motomic Diagnostics LLC, Multibank 2009-1 CML-ADC Venture LLC, Multibank 2009-1 RES-ADC Venture LLC, NC Properties I LLC, NC Properties II LLC, North American Asset Development LLC, Northbridge L.L.C., OHC/Ascot Belle Meade LLC, One SR L.P., PD-Len Boca Raton LLC, PG Properties Holding LLC, POMAC LLC, PT Metro LLC, Pace Drive Holdings LLC, Palm Gardens At Doral Clubhouse LLC, Palm Gardens at Doral LLC, Palm Springs Classic LLC, Palm Vista Preserve LLC, Patuxent Infrastructure Inc., Pioneer Meadows Development LLC, Pioneer Meadows Investments LLC, Plaza Condominium Ventures LLC, Portside Marina Developers L.L.C., Portside SM Associates L.L.C., Portside SM Holdings L.L.C., Portside Shipyard Developers L.L.C., Prestonfield L.L.C., Quail Roost Lennar LLC, RCCF GP II LLC, RCCF GP III LLC, RCCF GP IV LLC, RCCF GP LLC, RES-FL EIGHT LLC, RES-FL SEVEN LLC, RES-FL VISION ONE LLC, RES-FL VISION TWO LLC, RES-GA CASCADE LLC, RES-GA DIAMOND MEADOWS LLC, RES-GA KAP LLC, RES-GA SOUTHERN PLANTATION LLC, RES-GA THIRTEEN LLC, RES-GA TWELVE LLC, RES-GA WEST LLC, RES-IL ONE LLC, RES-NC ONE LLC, RES-PA LSJ LLC, RES-PA POM LLC, RES-TX BOULEVARD LLC, RH Insurance Company Inc., RH MOA BBCMS 2017-C1 LLC, RH MOA CF 2017-C8 LLC, RH MOA LLC, RH MOA U 2017-C4 LLC, RH MOA U 2017-C6 LLC, RIAL 2014-LT5 CLASS B LLC, RIAL 2014-LT5 LLC, RL BB FINANCIAL LLC, RL BB INACTIVE LLC, RL BB-AL LLC, RL BB-FL ALHI LLC, RL BB-GA LLC, RL BB-GA RMH LLC, RL BB-IL LLC, RL BB-IN AA LLC, RL BB-IN KRE LLC, RL BB-IN KRE OP LLC, RL BB-IN KRE RE LLC, RL BB-MS LLC, RL BB-NC LLC, RL BB-OH LLC, RL BB-SC BROOKSA LLC, RL BB-SC CLR II LLC, RL BB-SC CLR III LLC, RL BB-SC CLR IV LLC, RL BB-SC CLR LLC, RL BB-SC CRRC LLC, RL BB-SC RACEDAY LLC, RL BB-TN BRISTOL LLC, RL BB-TN LLC, RL BB-TN RACEDAY TOWER LLC, RL BB-TX LLC, RL BB-WV LLC, RL CMBS Holdings LLC, RL CML 2009-1 Investments LLC, RL REGI ARKANSAS LLC, RL REGI Alabama LLC, RL REGI FINANCIAL LLC, RL REGI Florida LLC, RL REGI GEORGIA LLC, RL REGI INACTIVE LLC, RL REGI KANSAS LLC, RL REGI MISSISSIPPI LLC, RL REGI MISSOURI LLC, RL REGI NORTH CAROLINA LLC, RL REGI SOUTH CAROLINA LLC, RL REGI TENNESSEE LLC, RL REGI VIRGINIA LLC, RL REGI-AL HP LLC, RL REGI-AL VRC LLC, RL REGI-FL CRC LLC, RL REGI-FL ESH LLC, RL REGI-FL FT. PIERCE LLC, RL REGI-FL GDL LLC, RL REGI-FL ITALIA LLC, RL REGI-FL MRED LLC, RL REGI-FL RDI LLC, RL REGI-FL SARASOTA LLC, RL REGI-FL TPL LLC, RL REGI-FL VARC LLC, RL REGI-GA DRAD LLC, RL REGI-GA HAY DB LLC, RL REGI-GA MHU LLC, RL REGI-GA MPD LLC, RL REGI-GA RLR LLC, RL REGI-MO GMB LLC, RL REGI-MO MOSCOW MILLS LLC, RL REGI-MS Double H LLC, RL REGI-MS OCEAN SPRINGS LLC, RL REGI-NC CIL LLC, RL REGI-NC LITTLE WING LLC, RL REGI-NC MLD LLC, RL REGI-NC Mland LLC, RL REGI-NC RALEIGH LLC, RL REGI-NC SUGARM LLC, RL REGI-NM LLC, RL REGI-SC CTL LLC, RL REGI-SC LAKE E LLC, RL REGI-SC TDG LLC, RL REGI-SC TIG LLC, RL REGI-TN OAK LLC, RL REGI-TN SEVIERVILLE LLC, RL RES 2009-1 Investments LLC, RMF Alliance LLC, RMF Commercial LLC, RMF PR New York LLC, RMF Partner LLC, RMF SUB 1 LLC, RMF SUB 2 LLC, RMF SUB 3 LLC, RMF SUB 4 LLC, RMF SUB 5 LLC, RMV LLC, Raintree Village II L.L.C., Raintree Village L.L.C., Ral-Len BM LLC, Ral-Len LLC, Rannel Capital WeWork Series D LLC, Rannel Holdings LLC, Rannel Interests LLC, Rannel Investments LLC, Rannel Mortgage Investments LLC, Rannel Proprietary Investments LLC, Renaissance Joint Venture, Reserve @ Pleasant Grove II LLC, Reserve @ Pleasant Grove LLC, Reserve at River Park LLC, Reserve at South Harrison LLC, Rialto Commercial Mortgage Securities LLC, Rialto Credit Partnership GP LLC, Rialto Mezz Partners GP LLC, Rialto Mortgage Finance LLC, Rialto Partners GP II LLC, Rialto Partners GP III - Debt LLC, Rialto Partners GP III - Property LLC, Rialto Partners GP LLC, Rialto RSSF GP LLC, Riverwalk at Lago Mar LLC, Rocking Horse Minerals LLC, Rutenberg Homes Inc. (Florida), Rutenberg Homes of Texas Inc., Rye Hill Company LLC, Ryland Homes Nevada Holdings LLC, Ryland Homes Nevada LLC, Ryland Homes of California Inc., S. Florida Construction II LLC, S. Florida Construction III LLC, S. Florida Construction LLC, SC 521 Indian Land Reserve LLC, SC 521 Indian Land Reserve South LLC, SPIC CPCO Inc., SPIC CPDB Inc., SPIC CPRB Inc., SPIC Del Sur LLC, SPIC Dublin LLC, SPIC Mesa LLC, SPIC NC Fremont LLC, SPIC Otay LLC, SPIC Springs LLC, San Felipe Indemnity Co. Ltd., San Lucia LLC, San Simeon Lennar LLC, Schulz Ranch Developers LLC, Seminole/70th LLC, Siena at Old Orchard L.L.C., Sierra Vista Communities LLC, Silver Springs Lennar LLC, South Development LLC, Southbank Holding LLC, Spanish Springs Development LLC, St. Charles Active Adult Community LLC, St. Charles Community LLC, Standard Pacific 1 Inc., Standard Pacific Investment Corp., Standard Pacific of Colorado Inc., Standard Pacific of Florida, Standard Pacific of Florida GP Inc., Standard Pacific of Las Vegas Inc., Standard Pacific of Orange County Inc., Standard Pacific of Tampa GP, Standard Pacific of Tampa GP Inc., Standard Pacific of Tonner Hills LLC, Standard Pacific of Walnut Hills Inc., Standard Pacific of the Carolinas LLC, Stoney Holdings LLC, Storey Lake Club LLC, Storey Park Club LLC, Strategic Holdings Inc., Strategic Technologies LLC, Summerfield Venture L.L.C., SunStreet Energy Group LLC, SunStreet Manager LLC, TCO QVI LLC, TICD Hold Co. LLC, TIH Hold Co. LLC, Talega Associates LLC, Temecula Valley LLC, Terra Division LLC, Terra/Winding Creek LLC, The Baywinds Land Trust, The Bridges Club at Rancho Santa Fe Inc., The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe Sales Company Inc., The LNC Northeast Group Inc., The Oasis Club at LEN-CG South LLC, The Preserve at Coconut Creek LLC, The Vistas Club at LEN-CG South LLC, Titlezoom Company, Treasure Island Holdings LLC, Treasure Island Member LLC, Treviso Holding LLC, Two Lakes Lennar LLC, U.S. Home Corporation, U.S. Home Realty Inc., U.S. Home of Arizona Construction Co., U.S. Insurors Inc., U.S.H. Realty Inc., UAMC Holding Company LLC, UB 2018C14 MOA LLC, USH - Flag LLC, USH Equity Corporation, USH LEE LLC, USH Leasing II LLC, USH Leasing LLC, UST Lennar HW Scala SF Joint Venture, VII Crown Farm Investor LLC, Venetian Lennar LLC, Vineyard Land LLC, Vineyard Point 2009 LLC, Vista Palms Clubhouse LLC, WCI Communities, WCI Communities Inc., WCI Communities LLC, WCI Towers Northeast USA Inc., WCI Westshore LLC, WCP LLC, WIP Lennar OHB LLC, Waterview at Hanover LLC, West Lake Village LLC, West Seattle Project X LLC, West Van Buren L.L.C., Westchase Inc., Westchase Ltd., Westfield Homes USA Inc., White Course Lennar LLC, Wild Plum JV LLC, Willowbrook Investors LLC, Winncrest Natomas LLC, Woodbridge Multifamily Developer I LLC, Wright Farm L.L.C., and YLRichards4Acres 2015 LLC. Read More George Weston Limited provides food and drug retailing, and financial services in Canada and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) and Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (Choice Properties). The Loblaw segment provides grocery, pharmacy, health and beauty, apparel, general merchandise, and financial services. It operates retail drug stores under the Shoppers Drug Mart name. This segment also provides credit card services, insurance brokerage services, guaranteed investment certificates, and wireless mobile products and services. The Choice Properties segment owns, operates, and manages commercial, residential, tenant, industrial, and office properties. It provides products under the President's Choice, no name, Life Brand, and Farmer's Market brands. The company was founded in 1882 and is based in Toronto, Canada. George Weston Limited is a subsidiary of Wittington Investments, Limited. J Sainsbury plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the food, general merchandise and clothing retailing, and financial services activities in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It operates through three segments: Retail Food, Retail General Merchandise and Clothing, and Financial Services. The company operates various store formats, including convenience stores and supermarkets. It is also involved in the online grocery and general merchandise operations. In addition, it offers financial services, such as credit cards, scorecards, and personal loans; and home, car, pet, travel, and life insurance products. J Sainsbury plc was founded in 1869 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Morgan Stanley is the 6th largest financial institution in the US. The company is ranked 61st on the Forbes Fortune 500 list and is the 39th largest bank in the world. A financial holding company, Morgan Stanley provides a full range of financial services to clients around the world. Morgan Stanley was formed in 1935 as a result of the Glass-Steagall Act. Glass-Steagall separated commercial and investment banking in a way that forced the then-largest bank J.P. Morgan & Co to split into two groups. J.P. Morgan & Co. chose to retain the commercial side of the business while partners Henry S. Morga, grandson of J.P., and Harold Stanley took the investment end. In its first year, Morgan Stanley did 24% of the IPO business and maintains a lions share of the market to this day. The original company existed and grew through acquisitions until 1987 when it merged with Dean Witter Discover & Co. The new Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Discover & Co existed for 14 years until 2001 when the name was shortened back to Morgan Stanley. The bank is credited in part with both beginning and ending the financial crisis of 2007/2008. The Process Driven Trading unit lost $300 million in one day due to a short-squeeze that popped the bubble in the housing market. After teetering on the brink of failure Morgan Stanley agreed to become a bank holding company regulated by the Federal Reserve, a key factor in the original decision to split from parent J.P. Morgan & Co. Ironically when given the chance, present-day J.P. Morgan refused to buy Morgan Stanley but that was for the better. Today, Morgan Stanley operates through three segments via offices in 41 countries and employs more than 75,000 people. Revenue in 2021 topped $49 billion and total assets topped $1.15 trillion. The operating segments are Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management segments. The Institutional Securities segment is by far the largest and most profitable. It offers a range of services and products for businesses, institutions, and entities that include capital raising, strategic advisory, underwriting, advice on M&A, restructuring, and real estate. The Wealth Management segment provides brokerage and investment advisory services for individuals and employers. The services include brokerage, financial planning, company stock-plan administration, insurance, mortgage loans, lines of credit, and retirement planning. The Investment Management segment provides investment products to a range of institutions, organizations, corporations, and governments. O-I Glass, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of glass containers to food and beverage manufacturers primarily in the Americas, Europe, and internationally. The company produces glass containers for alcoholic beverages, including beer, flavored malt beverages, spirits, and wine. It is also involved in the production of glass packaging for various food items, soft drinks, tea, juices, and pharmaceuticals. In addition, the company offers glass containers in a range of sizes, shapes, and colors. It sells its products directly to customers under annual or multi-year supply agreements, as well as through distributors. The company was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Perrysburg, Ohio. 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. CANBERRA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A delegation of Australian Members of Parliament will travel to the United States in a bid to stop the pursuit of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the lawmakers announced Tuesday. The multi-party group, led by former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and government MP Tony Zappia, said in a statement that they will travel to Washington D.C. on Sept. 20, where they will urge politicians and officials to abandon extradition efforts for Assange. Assange, an Australian citizen, is wanted in the United States on 18 charges relating to WikiLeaks' 2010 publication of thousands of classified documents on the U.S.-launched wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and diplomatic cables. He has been in prison in Britain since 2019, and is currently appealing a decision by the UK High Court in June 2022 to allow an extradition. In the statement issued on Tuesday, Assange's brother Gabriel Shipton said Australians overwhelmingly supported allowing him to return home. "The vast majority of Australians can't understand why the U.S. continues to act in a way that keeps Julian locked up in one of the worst prisons in the UK," he said. "Even Australians who didn't support Julian's actions believe he has suffered enough and should be set free immediately." A coalition of nine former federal, state and territory attorneys-general in August wrote an open letter to the Australian PM Anthony Albanese describing Assange's treatment as "troubling" and calling for greater efforts to secure his freedom. Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in May that he was frustrated at the lack of a diplomatic solution to the issue. Douglas Emmett (NYSE:DEI) pays an annual dividend of $0.76 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 6.83%. DEI has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The dividend payout ratio is 230.31%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, DEI will have a dividend payout ratio of 43.68% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for DEI. Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. owns and operates energy and infrastructure businesses. The company operates through three segments: Refining, Retail, and Logistics. The Refining segment owns and operates three refineries that produces ultra-low sulfur diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, marine fuel, distillate, asphalt, low sulfur fuel oil, and other associated refined products primarily for consumption in Hawaii, Pacific Northwest, Wyoming, and South Dakota. The Retail segment operates 121 fuel retail outlets, which sell merchandise, such as soft drinks, prepared foods, and other sundries in Hawaii under the Hele, 76, and nomnom brands; and gasoline, diesel, and retail merchandise in Washington and Idaho under the Cenex, nomnom, and Zip Trip brand names. The Logistics segment owns and operates terminals, pipelines, a single point mooring, and trucking operations to distribute refined products throughout the island of Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, Molokai, and Kauai. It also leases marine vessels; owns and operates a crude oil pipeline gathering system, a refined products pipeline, storage facilities, and loading racks in Wyoming; and a jet fuel storage facility and pipeline that serves Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. In addition, this segment owns and operates a marine terminal, a unit train-capable rail loading terminal, storage facilities, a truck rack, and a proprietary pipeline that serves Joint Base Lewis McChord. The company was formerly known as Par Petroleum Corporation and changed its name to Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. in October 2015. Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1984 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. 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. 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. Boston Scientific Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. It operates through MedSurg and Cardiovascular segments. The company offers devices to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal and pulmonary conditions; devices to treat various urological and pelvic conditions; implantable cardioverter and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators; pacemakers and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers; and remote patient management systems. It also provides medical technologies to diagnose and treat rate and rhythm disorders of the heart comprising 3-D cardiac mapping and navigation solutions, ablation catheters, diagnostic catheters, mapping catheters, intracardiac ultrasound catheters, delivery sheaths, and other accessories; spinal cord stimulator systems for the management of chronic pain; indirect decompression systems; and deep brain stimulation systems. In addition, the company offers interventional cardiology products, that uses in the treatment of coronary artery disease and aortic valve conditions. Further, it provides stents, balloon catheters, guidewires, atherectomy, and thrombectomy systems to treat arterial and venous diseases; and peripheral embolization devices, radioactive microspheres, cryotherapy ablation systems, and micro and drainage catheters to treat cancer. The company was incorporated in 1979 and is headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR) pays an annual dividend of $2.65 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 4.89%. EQR 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 119.91%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, EQR will have a dividend payout ratio of 66.75% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for EQR. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) is a multinational food processing and commodities trading company with a mission to unlock the potential of nature to improve the quality of life. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, ADM operates across six continents and offers a diverse range of products and services in the agricultural industry. The company's primary operations include oilseed processing, corn processing, agricultural services, and wheat milling. ADM's products are essential ingredients used in various consumer goods, including food, beverages, animal feed, and industrial products. ADM serves many customers, including food manufacturers, livestock producers, energy companies, and traders. With a global network of over 450 crop procurement locations, ADM has established strong relationships with farmers and suppliers worldwide. The company's commitment to sustainability is evident through its efforts to promote responsible sourcing, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the efficiency of its operations. ADM's leadership team comprises seasoned professionals with extensive industry experience. Juan R. Luciano serves as ADM's Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. Luciano has been with the company since 2011 and has been pivotal in driving ADM's growth and diversification. His background in agricultural commodities and his strategic vision has been instrumental in shaping the company's success. ADM has consistently demonstrated strong financial performance over the past few years. The company reported revenues growing yearly, and net earnings for the same period also increased, indicating a stable net profit margin of approximately 3%. ADM's ability to generate solid revenues has been supported by its efficient operations, diversified product portfolio, and strong market presence. ADM's valuation metrics indicate a reasonable valuation compared to industry peers. The company's price-to-earnings is below the industry average. This suggests that the market is pricing ADM's shares at a relatively attractive level based on its earnings. Factors driving the company's valuation include its diversified revenue streams, global footprint, and focus on sustainable practices. Recent investor sentiment has been positive, driven by ADM's solid financial performance and growth prospects. In addition to positive market performance, ADM has experienced notable price movements and changes in trading volume due to various news and events. For instance, announcing strategic acquisitions or partnerships often generates investor enthusiasm and can lead to significant stock price increases. Conversely, adverse weather conditions affecting crop yields or changes in government policies related to trade and agriculture can impact ADM's stock negatively. ADM operates in the global agricultural industry, which is crucial in feeding the world's population and meeting the growing demand for food, feed, and biofuels. Weather patterns, commodity prices, and global trade policies influence the industry. ADM enjoys a competitive advantage through its integrated supply chain, an extensive network of processing facilities, and strong relationships with farmers and suppliers. The company's global reach enables it to access diverse sources of raw materials, manage risk effectively and provide customers with a reliable supply of high-quality products. Additionally, ADM's focus on sustainability and commitment to responsible sourcing aligns with changing consumer preferences and regulatory trends, positioning the company well for future growth. ADM has identified several growth opportunities to drive future success. One such opportunity lies in expanding its specialty ingredients and nutrition business. The increasing consumer demand for healthy and sustainable food products presents an avenue for ADM to leverage its expertise in plant-based proteins, natural flavors, and functional ingredients. The company's recent investments in research and development have resulted in innovative product offerings that cater to evolving consumer preferences. ADM aims to capitalize on the growing demand for renewable energy by expanding its biofuels and bio-based products portfolio. As governments worldwide implement policies to reduce carbon emissions, ADM's expertise in biofuel production positions it favorably to benefit from this transition. Acquisitions and partnerships also represent growth avenues for ADM. By strategically acquiring complementary businesses or forming alliances with technology-driven startups, ADM can enhance its capabilities, expand its product offerings and access new markets. Despite ADM's strong market position, several risks and challenges must be considered. One significant risk is the volatility of commodity prices, which can impact the company's profitability and earnings. Fluctuations in crop yields due to weather conditions, changes in global trade policies, and geopolitical tensions can influence agricultural commodities' supply-demand dynamics and pricing. Regulatory and political factors also pose risks to ADM's operations. Changes in trade, food safety, and environmental standards and regulations can impact the company's ability to conduct business in certain regions. ADM must navigate these complexities while maintaining compliance and managing associated costs. ADM faces competition from traditional agricultural players and emerging technologies in the plant-based protein and alternative ingredients space. The rapid pace of technological advancements and shifting consumer preferences require ADM to remain innovative and agile to stay ahead of the competition. 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. Sendas Distribuidora (NYSE:ASAI) pays an annual dividend of $0.08 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 0.74%. The dividend payout ratio is 12.12%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, ASAI will have a dividend payout ratio of 7.48% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for ASAI. Stryker Corporation operates as a medical technology company. The company operates through two segments, MedSurg and Neurotechnology, and Orthopaedics and Spine. The Orthopaedics and Spine segment provides implants for use in hip and knee joint replacements, and trauma and extremities surgeries. This segment also offers spinal implant products comprising cervical, thoracolumbar, and interbody systems that are used in spinal injury, deformity, and degenerative therapies. The MedSurg and Neurotechnology segment offers surgical equipment and surgical navigation systems, endoscopic and communications systems, patient handling, emergency medical equipment and intensive care disposable products, reprocessed and remanufactured medical devices, and other medical device products that are used in various medical specialties. This segment also provides neurotechnology products, which include products used for minimally invasive endovascular techniques; products for brain and open skull based surgical procedures; orthobiologic and biosurgery products, such as synthetic bone grafts and vertebral augmentation products; minimally invasive products for the treatment of acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke; and craniomaxillofacial implant products, including cranial, maxillofacial, and chest wall devices, as well as dural substitutes and sealants. The company sells its products to doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities through company-owned subsidiaries and branches, as well as third-party dealers and distributors in approximately 75 countries. Stryker Corporation was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan. by Raheela Nazir ISLAMABAD, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has brought tremendous socio-economic benefits to Pakistan, transforming vital sectors and generating sustainable development in the South Asian country, Pakistani experts have said. Over the past 10 years, CPEC has emerged as a corridor of opportunities for Pakistan and its people, and improved people's lives and overall economic prosperity, said officials and experts during a seminar organized here to celebrate 10 years of CPEC and the BRI on Monday. Launched in 2013, CPEC is a corridor linking the Gwadar port in southwestern Pakistan with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport and industrial cooperation. Talking to Xinhua, Pakistani caretaker Minister for National Heritage and Culture Syed Jamal Shah said that the longstanding deep-rooted friendship between China and Pakistan has been strengthened since the inception of the multi-billion-dollar project, elevating from diplomatic to robust economic relations. "Both countries worked hand-in-hand and turned a vision of prosperity into a reality through CPEC ... all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China in producing fruitful win-win outcomes set a fine example for the rest of the world," the minister said. Talat Shabbir, director of the China-Pakistan Study Center at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, a Pakistan-based think tank said that during the first phase of CPEC, the focus remained on infrastructure development, energy cooperation, Gwadar port development, and people-to-people connectivity. The projects under CPEC have helped Pakistan overcome severe energy shortages by adding 8,000 megawatts of electricity and building hundreds of kilometers of road infrastructure, he said, adding that the project also brought over 25 billion U.S. dollars in direct investment and generated huge job opportunities. Shabbir said that the construction of roads and railway networks, ports and airports in the country under CPEC has enhanced connectivity and boosted trade. "The country's Gwadar Port established under CPEC would act as a regional trade and commerce hub, benefiting not only Pakistan but other landlocked Asian countries as well," he said. On the occasion, Masood Khalid, former Pakistani ambassador to China, said China has not only achieved remarkable growth at home but also shared its development dividends with developing countries around the globe including Pakistan through the BRI. He said Pakistan should learn from the best practices of China to strengthen its economic resilience, adding that Pakistan needed to further promote cooperation in various sectors including agriculture, industry and trade, and information technology for sustainable economic growth. Speaking about challenges and geopolitical complexities, the officials and experts believed that it is imperative for Pakistan and China to devise robust strategies and remove bottlenecks coming the way to ensure the continuity of progress and peace in the region and beyond. Ciena Corporation provides hardware and software services for delivery of video, data, and voice traffic metro, aggregation, and access communications network worldwide. The company's Networking Platforms segment offers convergence of coherent optical transport, open optical networking, IP routing, and switching services. Its products include 6500 Packet-Optical Platform, 5400 Reconfigurable Switching System, Waveserver stackable interconnect system, and the 6500 Reconfigurable line system, and the 5400 family of Packet-Optical platforms, as well as Z-Series Packet-Optical Platform; 3000 family of service delivery switches and the 5000 family of service aggregation switches, as well as 8700 Packetwave Platform and 6500 Packet Transport System. This segment also sells operating system software and enhanced software features embedded in each of its products. The company's Blue Planet Automation Software and Services segment provides multi-domain service orchestration, inventory, route optimization and analysis, network function virtualization orchestration, analytics, and related services. Its Platform Software and Service segment offers OneControl unified management system that support network solutions. The company's Global Services segment provides consulting and network design, installation and deployment, maintenance support, and training services. Ciena Corporation was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Hanover, Maryland. 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. WestRock Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides fiber-based paper and packaging solutions in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It operates in four segments, Corrugated Packaging, Consumer Packaging, Global Paper, and Distribution. The Corrugated Packaging segment produces containerboards, corrugated sheets, corrugated packaging, and preprinted linerboards to consumer and industrial products manufacturers, and corrugated box manufacturers. It also provides structural and graphic design, engineering services and custom, and proprietary and standard automated packaging machines, as well as turn-key installation, automation, line integration, and packaging solutions; and pack temporary displays, as well as lithographic laminated packaging products. The Consumer Packaging segment manufactures and sells folding cartons that are used to package food, paper, beverages, dairy products, tobacco, confectionery, health and beauty, other household consumer products; and express mail packages for the overnight courier industry. It also offers inserts and labels, as well as rigid packaging and other printed packaging products, such as transaction cards, brochures, product literature, marketing materials, and grower tags, and plant stakes; and secondary packages and paperboard packaging for over-the-counter and prescription drugs. In addition, this segment manufactures and sells solid fiber and corrugated partitions, and die-cut paperboard components. The Global Paper segment manufactures containerboard, paperboard, and specialty grades primarily to corrugated packaging, folding carton, food service, liquid packaging, tobacco, and commercial print markets. The Distribution segment distributes corrugated packaging materials and other specialty packaging products, including stretch films, void fills, carton sealing tapes, and other specialty tapes; and provides contract packing services. The company was incorporated in 2018 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia. iShares Gold Trust (the Trust) is to own gold transferred to the Trust in exchange for shares issued by the Trust (Shares). Each Share represents a fractional undivided beneficial interest in the net assets of the Trust. The assets of the Trust consist of gold held by the Trust's custodian on behalf of the Trust. The sponsor of the Trust is iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC (the Sponsor), which is an indirect subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. The trustee of the Trust is The Bank of New York Mellon (the Trustee) and the custodian of the Trust is JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A., London branch (the Custodian). The activities of the Trust are limited to issuing Baskets of Shares in exchange for the gold deposited with the Custodian as consideration; selling gold as necessary to cover the Sponsor's fee, Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor and other liabilities, and delivering gold in exchange for Baskets of Shares surrendered for redemption. The Trust is not actively managed. British Prime Ministers Trade Envoy to the UAE, Gareth Johnson MP, accompanied by UK Ambassador to the UAE, Edward Hobart, and other officials, paid a visit to Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (Rakez) recently. The high-profile delegation discussed trade relations between the UK and the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, and explored avenues for future cooperation and potential support for British companies looking to expand in the region. During the visit, Rakez showcased its key achievements and areas of focus, highlighted solutions to boost the bilateral trade between the UAE and the UK, and shared the emirate of Ras Al Khaimahs future development plans. Positive milestone Welcoming the delegation, Rakez Group CEO Ramy Jallad said: The British Trade Envoys visit signifies a positive milestone in the strengthening of the decades-long valued trade and investment ties between the UK and the UAE. Rakez already houses a great number of British companies thriving in our sustainable business ecosystem backed by our customer-centric approach and innovative business solutions, which enable them to operate seamlessly and access the growing regional and global markets. Presenting such a wide range of opportunities, we are keen to explore further avenues for cooperation with British investors. The economic zone has a robust community of over 1,500 UK companies among more than 5,000 British businesses operating across the UAE. These companies span multiple sectors such as services, commercial, trading, education, manufacturing, e-commerce, and media. The notable enterprises in Rakez include Spatial Composite, a global manufacturer of cabin crew training equipment; Polar Manufacturing, a provider of carbon fibre and composite product solutions; Ahmad Tea, a leading global tea blender and packager; and A2C Services, a supplier of high-quality refurbished laptops worldwide. Higher education The delegation expressed keen interest in the higher education facilities within the emirate. They were particularly pleased to discover that four British university branch campuses reside in the Rakez Academic Zone. These include the University of Stirling, University of Bolton, University of West London, and Bath Spa University. With 100,000 UK nationals residing in the UAE and millions of annual visitors, businesses including those within Rakez are exposed to a diverse range of cultures and a global audience eager for innovative offerings. The UK is the UAEs largest European trade partner as of 2022, with exports to the UK amounting to approximately $2.34 billion. The launch of the GCC-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) last year is expected to further strengthen this strategic economic relationship.-- TradeArabia News Service NEW YORK, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Indigenous boarding schools that native American children attended have surpassed the number of previously reported institutions, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing a non-profit group. Native American children have attended at least 523 Indigenous boarding schools since the 19th century, including hundreds run by the federal government to assimilate them into White society, said the report. The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition released a new list of Indigenous boarding schools, including many that have closed and some that are still in operation today. "Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Native American children were sent to schools where they were renamed, told not to use Indigenous languages and had their hair cut," said the report. "Many (schools) operated like military training camps where children were subject to abuse, neglect and corporal punishment." The U.S. Interior Department's initial investigation found that 19 boarding schools accounted for the deaths of more than 500 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children but noted the number of recorded deaths was expected to rise, it added. Weather Alert ...FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM CDT /10 PM EDT/ THIS EVENING TO 9 AM CDT /10 AM EDT/ TUESDAY... * WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures between 21 and 27 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 hard freeze will bring an end to 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. && HOUSTON, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Texas Senate is set to start on Tuesday an impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican strongman and firm ally of former President Donald Trump in the largest U.S. red state, over yearslong charges including corruption, lawbreaking and power abusing. The trial, no matter what the result could be, has already become a political spectacle drawing attention nationwide and is widely expected to shake Texas politics, especially among the more hard-right leadership of the state's Republican Party. Twelve Democrats and 19 Republicans in the state Senate, including Paxton's wife, Angela Paxton, will serve as the jury, considering opening and closing statements, witness testimony, cross examination and 20 articles of impeachment. A vote by two-thirds of senators would be required to permanently remove Paxton from office. "It's not a criminal trial. It's not a civil trial. It's a political trial," Republican Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, also the president of the state Senate who will preside over the high court as judge, said in an interview this summer. "This is about facts and this is about evidence," said Republican state House Representative Andrew Murr when he led the House managers acting in a role similar to prosecutors to present the articles of impeachment to the Senate chamber in late May. Paxton, 60, with the support from Trump, has denied wrongdoing and insisted the impeachment "was a politically motivated sham from the beginning." If convicted, Paxton could be removed from office and barred from holding future state office. But he could still run for federal positions. In a 121-23 vote in May, Paxton was impeached in the Republican-led state House. Up to 60 Republicans including House Speaker Dade Phelan voted against the state's top lawyer. Texas Democrats have for years cast Paxton as corrupt. Paxton was reelected in the 2022 midterm elections despite being under indictment on felony securities fraud charges as well as an FBI probe into whistleblowers' bribery claims against him. According to an investigation by the General Investigating Committee, a Texas House panel, Paxton repeatedly abused his office and may have committed at least three felonies in an effort to help a friend and political donor, Austin real estate investor Nate Paul, with various legal troubles. Committee investigators also reviewed criminal charges that have been pending against Paxton since 2015, when a Collin County grand jury indicted him on two counts of felony securities fraud related to private business deals in 2011. Paxton is also facing felony securities fraud charges and an FBI investigation for the same corruption allegations in his impeachment case. An acquittal by the state Senate, especially if followed by a conviction in federal court, would seem to set Texas Republican leadership for major pain and embarrassment, Texas Monthly forecast, noting that whether that outcome would hurt GOP senators at the polls remains to be seen. Paxton is only the third sitting official in Texas's nearly 200-year history to have been impeached, following Governor James Ferguson in 1917 and District Judge O.P. Carrillo in 1975. Since the government revealed last Friday that over 150 schools had been identified as at risk of collapse due to the use of RAAC concrete, three days before they were due to reopen for the start of term, evidence of a far more widespread problem and of countless warnings ignored has been pouring in. Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete is a lightweight material mostly used for flat roofing between the 1950s and the 1990scheaper and quicker to produce and install. Moisture and polluted air significantly reduce its strength over time. It was given a usable lifespan of roughly 30 years, though a Building Research Establishment report in 2002 warned that there was a risk of collapse without warning in panels over 20 years old. Reinforced Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (RAAC), close-up view [Photo by Marco Bernardini, own work / CC BY-SA 3.0 Over 100 schools have been ordered to fully or partially close, with mitigationslargely consisting of propping up faulty roofsalready in place at another 50. It is only through sheer luck that no one has yet been seriously hurt or killed. Collapses involving RAAC are known to have taken place in schools in 2017, 2018 and this summer, fortunately while the buildings were empty. Thousands of children and school workers are potentially still at risk. According to Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, around 1,500 schools are yet to complete checks to find out whether they have RAAC, and another 450 suspect they do but are waiting for an official assessment. The fact that the problem was investigated by survey rather than an urgent system of inspections is a crime meaning dangerous cases of RAAC have been missed elsewhere. Government statements that 95 percent of schools are likely to be unaffected suggests around 700 with problems. The NAHT union has written to the government noting that it told the National Audit Office in May, that there were 8,600 schools which might have RAAC that had not been investigated. Urgent warnings have been sounded for years. The Local Government Association has raised the issue repeatedly since 2018. In 2019, the Standing Committee on Structural Safety labelled RAAC a significant risk. The Office for Government Property reported in 2021 and 2022 that RAAC was now life-expired and liable to collapse. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was told while serving as Boris Johnsons Chancellor that there was a critical risk to life in schools if rebuilding work was not carried out. The former head civil servant at the Department for Education told BBC Radio 4s Today programme Monday that they had requested the money to rebuild 300-400 schools a year and were given the funds for just 100 by Sunak, which was later cut to 50. Sunak and current Chancellor Jeremy Hunt have taken the same attitude even in the face of popular uproar. With pictures of collapsed classrooms on the front of every newspaper, Treasury officials briefed that there would be no new money made available either to fix building or provide alternative accommodation and transport. It would have to come from the existing, savaged, education budget. Statements to the contrary have been made since, but with no details provided. According to the National Audit Office, RAAC is present in at least 41 hospitals. Twenty-four of these have buildings identified as at risk of collapse, with seven hospitals requiring a full rebuild. Documents seen by the Sunday Times warn of catastrophic and likely collapse. Many trusts already have steel and wooden props in place, with staff being asked to carry out regular inspections. The problem is compounded by asbestos, present in 90 percent of schools and hospitals. To date, the official response to Britains worst work-related killerinhaled particles are highly carcinogenichas been to manage the substance in place, on the basis that it is only unsafe when damaged or disturbed. Collapses, or even minor structural damage, could therefore release clouds of toxic fibres. Court and other government buildings have also been flagged for RAAC, with Harrow Crown Court already closed for at least nine months. Building survey Rapleys has warned the material is also very likely to have been used in flat roof, low rise public housing developments, putting a huge number of households in danger. Work it has conducted on the public estate previously suggests 5-10 percent of public buildings from the 50s, 60s and 70s use RAAC panels. The one certainty is that the government has no idea of the full scale of the emergency and is trying to keep a lid on what it does know. Sunak insisted that he was in no way responsible for his own actions when chancellor, while an embattled Gillian Keegan was recorded proclaiming that she had done a fing good job, while unnamed others had sat on their arses. RAAC is a prime example of a crumbling public infrastructure, sabotaged by relentless funding cuts. Schools in the UK have a maintenance and repair backlog of 11.4 billionmore than a third of buildings in the school estate are past their initial design life. The figure for the National Health Service is 10 billion, and for the courts, 1 billion. Outstanding repairs on roads total 14 billion, and another 6 billion on bridges. The estimated cost of post-Grenfell fire remedial work on tower blocks is 15 billion. Figures are not available, but the state of disrepair across the UKs council housing estate is infamous. All of mainstream politics is designed to conceal the basic cause of the UKs worsening health, education and general living standardsthe funnelling of an ever-greater share of social wealth into the bank accounts of the super-rich and the major corporations. The Labour Party has tried to score a few propaganda points against the Tories for even refusing to provide a list of impacted schools and for its constant public spending cuts. They have even pointed to a commitment of funding for school construction made prior to the election of the Tories in 201013 years ago! But Labour under Sir Keir Starmer now boasts of its unbreakable commitment to fiscal responsibility. By pledging to big business and the banks to spend no more than the Tories, Labour is promising to do nothing to address crises like the RAAC scandal or any of the hundred other social issues confronting the working class. Only two weeks ago, Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves was writing off tax rises for the super-rich with the line [I] dont have any spending plans that require us to raise 12 billion. Labour and the Tories are the parties of a financial and corporate oligarchy and their upper middle-class hangers-on, whose privately educated and insured families have no stake whatsoever in preserving a decent education or any other social right to the broad mass of the working class. In 1975, the value of public assets was equal to 137 percent of annual national income, while the value of private assets was 365 percent. By 2021, private wealth had grown to 650 percentmostly held by a small fraction of the populationwhile public wealth had fallen to negative 75 percent, taking account of government debts. Catastrophic events like the Grenfell Tower fire and the experiences of millions in the pandemic testify to the terrible consequences of this looting. A political struggle must be taken up by the working class on all fronts to reclaim the wealth of the parasitic oligarchy and invest it in social goods. This will have to be done independently of and in conflict with the trade unions, which have done nothing to defend budgets, pay or workers health in any sector. Just months after having their strikes sold out by the education and health unions, school and hospital staff face another crisis that demands a fightback. Rank-and-file committees should be formed to plan action demanding full, professional risk assessments and an immediate, fully funded programme of building workspaid for out of the profits of the corporations and wealth of the super-rich, starting with the companies still leeching billions a year out of the NHS through PFI schemes. Resources must be made available to minimise the disruption to children and patients, but there must be no return to unsafe schools until this is done. This work should be coupled with the implementation of measures in all schools and hospitals to track and suppress the COVID-19 virus which threatens to place more strain on the health service this autumn and winter. Contact the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee (UK) and NHS FightBack today. In mid-August, the Israeli Defence Ministry announced it had received permission from the US to sell the Arrow 3 missile defence system to Germany. The procurement of the system by the German Defence Ministry still has to be confirmed by the parliaments of both countries, but this is considered a formality, according to observers. The German parliaments budget and defence committees already approved the purchase in June. The move has far-reaching military and geo-strategic implications. According to the German air force, Arrow 3 could be operational as early as 2025. Launch of an Arrow defence missile Surrounding the new acquisition is discussion of preparations for nuclear war. The system consists of mobile missile units with a range of up to 2,400 kilometres and three radar systems. Deployed in Germany, Arrow 3 would cover all of Europe, including Moscow and Crimea, as well as half of Turkey and parts of Algeria and Libya. The projectile reaches more than ten times the speed of sound, can engage missiles at altitudes of up to 100 kilometres and can also be used against satellites. It is particularly suitable for combating weapons of mass destruction such as medium- and long-range missiles. Costing almost four billion eurospaid for out of the 100 billion euro special assets fund for the German armythis is the largest arms deal in Israeli history. Ron Prosor, Israeli ambassador to Germany, welcomed the US approval, saying, This is a historic day that marks a turning point in relations between Israel and Germany. For the first time, he said, an Israeli system will protect the skies over Germany and all of Europe. Steffen Seibert, Germanys ambassador to Israel, said the move would add a very significant element to our military relations. While the procurement of Arrow 3 shines a spotlight on the close diplomatic and military ties between Germany and Israel, the decision also marks a shift away from other marketable missile defence systems, such as the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense or a version of the French-Italian SAMP/T (MAMBA), which was delivered to the Ukrainian military in May and June. War against nuclear powers The acquisition of anti-ballistic hypersonic missiles is directly aimed at further escalating NATOs proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. It is the military corollary to the insane statements of leading NATO politicians and military strategists that the west should not be deterred by Russian nuclear weapons from realising its military aims in Ukraine. According to Israeli sources, the weapon system is also capable of fending off the nuclear-capable Kinschal hypersonic missile, which has been used by the Russian military against Ukrainian positions since March 2022. The development of its own strategic and tactical missile defence by Germany is also intended to enable the air force to wage war against Russia and other nuclear powers independently of US military support. The Arrow programme stems from an Israeli-American project initiated in 1986 to integrate Israel into the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) of the United States. US President Ronald Reagan had declared three years earlier in an infamous televised speech that SDI would give the US military the means to render nuclear weapons ineffective and obsolete and eliminate the threat of strategic nuclear missiles. At the same time, the Arrow 3 deal is part of Germany's biggest arms build-up since World War II and is integral to the comprehensive great power agenda of the ruling class. It is aimed at politically and militarily weakening the historical rivals of German imperialismespecially Poland and France, but also Italy and Britainand thereby placing the smaller powers of Europe under German protection. Chancellor Olaf Scholz had already elaborated these plans in a keynote speech at Pragues Charles University in August 2022, where he held out the prospect of a massive upgrade of the German air force and called for a jointly built air defence system in Europe to strengthen the European pillar of NATO and take action against threats from the air and from space. Germany will design this future air defence system from the outset in such a way that our European neighbours, such as the Poles, Baltic countries, the Dutch, Czechs, Slovaks or our Scandinavian partners can also participate. To this end, Arrow 3 is to be integrated into a comprehensive air defence system as part of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), which aims to establish Germany as the leading military power on the continent. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD), Defence Committee Chair Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP) and Green Party Defence Spokesperson Sara Nanni all told the press that the system would protect our neighbouring states. The states in question would only have to acquire Arrow missile units for their defence, according to a Tagesschau news report. The radar data would come from a central airspace surveillance system in Germany. European Sky Shield Initiative The ESSI was launched in October last year on the initiative of the German government on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels to create a European air defence and missile defence system following Scholzs speech in Prague. The associated memorandum was signed by the defence ministers of the Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, the United Kingdom, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, and is open to other interested states. This year, Sweden and Denmark, as well as Austria and Switzerland, joined the initiative. In a separate declaration, Switzerland absurdly stated that participation in the European military pact was in line with the neutrality clause enshrined in both the Austrian and Swiss constitutions. In direct contradiction to this, a Germany army (Bundeswehr) document states that it is intended to integrate the expanded or newly created capabilities of the joint procurement initiative into the air defence of the NATO area led by the NATO Commander for Europe. Details are being kept secret from the public. The Bundeswehr merely states that, in addition to Arrow 3, it also plans to procure further German missile defence systems of the type IRIS-T SLM, as well as US Patriot models for the near and immediate vicinity in the course of ESSI. In fact, ESSI is an informal coalition of those willing to rearm whose relationship to NATO and Europe is completely opaque. For example, the ESSI signatories Sweden, Austria and Switzerland are not members of NATO; Switzerland, Norway and Great Britain are not EU states. Key EU states such as France, Poland, Italy and Spain, which maintain close arms industrial relations with Germany within the framework of Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), are also not part of the initiative. The current Arrow 3 procurement plans actually compete with two other European missile defence projects that have been pursued behind the scenes for years. These are the French-coordinated PESCO project Timely Warning and Interception with Space-based Theatre surveillance (TWISTER), whose hypersonic missile is currently being developed by MBDA, and the Hypersonic Defence Interceptor (HYDEF), which was awarded by the European Commission to a Spanish-led missile consortium in July 2022. Although Germany is a major participant in both systems, government officials have claimed that they will not be operational in time to merit consideration. Domination of Europe The German ESSI initiative has been roundly rejected and publicly criticised by France. At a conference on European air defence on the sidelines of the Paris Air Show, French President Emmanuel Macron warned against the purchase of non-European weapons systems. These are less manageable, tied to timetables, queues and priorities, sometimes subject to third-country approval and are too dependent on the outside world. Scholzs initiative was not agreed with Paris and prepares problems for tomorrow. Macron then announced the joint procurement of several hundred French-made Mistral short-range missiles together with Estonia, Hungary, Belgium and Cyprus. Representatives of the German military then accused Macron of defending French interests and putting Europes air defence at risk. A recent paper by the government-affiliated German Institute for International and Security Affairs entitled Germanys Weak Leadership Role in European Air Defence complains that quite a few partners have major reservations about Germanys idea with regard to ESSI. Although the participation of France and Italy is indispensable for the success of the initiative, Berlin has not (yet) succeeded in allaying the concerns of important partners about its leadership role. The paper concludes that Germany must rearm even more comprehensively and assert its claim to military leadership in Europe all the more vehemently. The goal must be to close the capability gap of strategic missile defence as quickly as possible without weakening or endangering European development programmes. The paper goes on to say that Germany, as coordinator of the ESSI, must set a good example in financing Europes air defence. Around 5 billion euros from the special fund are only a first step. In addition,regular funds from the defence budget are needed for technical improvements and new acquisitions. Also, high costs for operation, exercises and maintenance had not yet been taken into account in the Bundeswehr's financial planning. Together with its European sister parties, the Socialist Equality Party (SGP) is contesting the European elections to be held next year in order to oppose the insane war policy of the ruling class. Instead of the war map of the imperialists, we follow the map of class struggle. The only way to ensure peace in Europe and worldwide is through the international mobilisation of the European working class on the basis of a socialist programme. The imperialist military apparatuses must be dissolved and all social resources allocated to build a socialist society in which the warmongers are fought politically and expropriated and the vital interests of the vast majority of the population prioritised. The SGP opposes all of the attempts by German imperialism, responsible for historic crimes in two world wars, to once again bring Europe under its military domination. This past Friday and Sunday in Columbus, Ohio, protesters peacefully took to the streets demanding justice for TaKiya Young and her unborn daughter, following the partial release of heavily edited police body camera footage. The footage, released on Friday before the Labor Day weekend, confirms that Young, a 21-year-old pregnant mother of two and aspiring social worker, posed no threat to police when she was shot and killed on August 24. Bodycam footage showing the moments before a Blendon Township police officer shot and killed Ta'Kiya Young. [Photo: Blendon Township Police Department] Following the release of the tape, Youngs family identified the killer cop as Connor Grubb. The Blendon Township Police Department, citing Marsys Law which was ostensibly created to shield victims of crimes from being publicly identified, have refused to confirm or deny Grubbs identity. Blendon Township, as have many other departments in Ohio, have used Marsys Law to shield the identities of police. According to open source reporting, Grubb has worked as an officer for Blendon Township since 2019 and is currently in the US Marine Corps. Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford has claimed in multiple statements that the two Blendon Township police officers who engaged Young on August 24 were victims of Young. In a written statement released on Friday, Belford claimed that officer #1 is a victim of attempted vehicular assault and that officer #2 is a victim of misdemeanor assault because his arm was allegedly, briefly, caught in the car window as Young slowly rolled away after being shot. Officer #1 is still is on paid administrative leave, while Officer #2 resumed duty this past Friday. The footage released on Friday by Chief Belford refutes police claims that Young was attempting to use her vehicle as a weapon to injure the police. The tape shows the killer cop putting himself directly in front of the vehicle, even though it was already running, in order to give himself legal cover to shoot Young. The tape also confirms that the two cops immediately escalated the situation when they were told by an employee that they thought Young had stolen something from the grocery store. In the short videos, police repeatedly yell at Young to get out of the car, accuse of her stealing and bang on her window. Young, never once displaying a weapon, calmly refused to get out of the car and rejected claims that she stole anything. Despite the fact that Young does not have a weapon, within seconds of coming up on the vehicle, Grubb pulled his pistol out and began pointing it at her with is finger on the trigger. Young had not begun to accelerate her car when Grubb first pointed his gun at her. On the tape, Young is heard asking the cop Are you going to shoot me? In contrast to Belfords claims, Young is shown turning her steering wheel far to the right in an attempt to avoid hitting Grubb. As Young slowly started to accelerate, Grubb leaned forward and shoots once through the windshield, appearing to strike Young in the face/head. As Youngs vehicle slowly rolled forward, both police continued to yell at the dying woman to stop and get the f*** out of the vehicle. The tape abruptly cuts off while Young was still in the vehicle. While police have claimed that they administered first aid to Young after smashing her window, that is not seen on the tape provided. Also not seen on the tape is any evidence of stolen liquor bottles or other merchandise. To date, neither the police, nor Kroger, have provided any video proof proof that Young walked out of the store with unpaid items. Following the release of the footage, Sean Walton, the attorney representing the Young family, called for the police who shot and killed Young to be fired and charged. Walton told the Associated Press in an interview last Friday that, The video did nothing but confirm their fears that TaKiya was murdered unjustifiably...and it was just heartbreaking for them to see TaKiya having her life taken away under such ridiculous circumstances. Since her killing, multiple protests at the Kroger grocery store parking lot where Young was shot, and in Columbus have been held. Despite the overwhelmingly peaceful character of the protests, local residents have informed the World Socialist Web Site that police have deployed drones to collect intelligence on workers and youth exercising their First Amendment rights. On Friday, over 50 anti-police violence protesters, lead by the Ohio Peoples Justice Project marched on N. High Street through the Short North Arts District in Columbus. Protesters chanted Black Lives Matter and carried signs reading stop killer cops, Blendon Township PD murders mothers, cops lie, and Justice for TaKiya Young. On Sunday afternoon and evening, the Peoples Justice Project led another event. Over 100 people marched in Columbus and followed by a rally in Goodale Park. At the rally, community members, victims of police violence and protesters called for the officer that shot and killed Young to be fired and charged in her death. Protesters also demanded accountability for several other recent victims of police violence in Ohio, including Donovan Lewis and Casey Goodson Jr. Speaking at the rally, Malissa Thomas St. Clair, Youngs former 7th grade teacher rejected police claims that Young used her vehicle as a weapon. That car was going no more than 2 miles per hour. If anything, that would have been a bump...that man would not have died. St. Clair added that Young was turning the wheel to avoid the cop and protect her unborn child. We truly believe TaKiya Young was murdered, she said. TaKiya Youngs daughter was murdered. And we need accountability. Speaking to the Daily Mail, St. Clair seemed to confirm, via witness video, that the police shot Young in the face. Young told the paper that Youngs baby daughter was due in November. She had already named her daughter, she already has two sons, and she was very much looking forward to becoming a mother of a daughter-that was something very special to her. Greeces right-wing New Democracy government (ND) has unveiled a new labour bill attacking workers rights and conditions. It was submitted on August 25 for public consultation by the Greek Ministry of Labour. The consultation is set to run until September 8, with the bill expected to be put before parliament for a vote taking place two to three weeks after that. ND was re-elected after routing the pseudo-left opposition party Syriza in June. The most significant attack is on the right to strike. Under the heading Protection of the right to work, the clause criminalises picketing and facilitates strike-breaking. It outlaws the prevention of the free and uninhibited entering or leaving a workplace by workers not participating in a strike who wish to work or who are subjected to physical or psychological violence, as well as the occupation of workplace areas or entrances during a strike. Demonstrators shout slogans as they march during a 24-hour nationwide strike in central Athens, Greece, Wednesday, April 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) The penalty specified is six months in jail and fines of at least 5,000 euros. The Bill aims to build on attacks enacted in employment legislation passed by ND in its previous term in 2021. That legislation began the assault on the right to strike by stipulating a minimum guaranteed service of 33 percent in all public utility service providerssuch as the Athens Metro. It also allowed employers to increase the working day from eight to 10 hours. The bulk of the new Bill involves the incorporation into Greek law of the European Union (EU) Directive 2019/1152 on transparent and predictable working conditions. Greece is one of a handful of countries in the EU who have yet to implement the directive after a deadline expired in August last year. The European Commission claims that the directives aim is to provide more extensive and modernised rights for all workers in the EU, the opposite is true. It will formally incorporate within the EU exploitative practices such as zero hours contracts where employers are not required to guarantee a set number of hours to workers. According to the directives preamble labour markets have undergone far-reaching changes due to demographic developments and digitalisation leading to the creation of new forms of employment, which have enhanced innovation, job creation and labour market growth. The directives aim is ostensibly to improve working conditions by promoting more transparent and predictable employment while ensuring labour market adaptability. What this means in practice is not placing any limits on these exploitative and arbitrary working practices, but only requires employers to provide in writing all essential aspects of the employment relationship. The directive stipulates that where working patterns are unpredictable workers should be informed of a work assignment within a reasonable notice period established in accordance with national law. In Greeces case this has been set to a mere 24 hours, meaning that workers would need to re-arrange commitments such as child-care at the drop of a hat or risk losing their job. An employer cannot prohibit a worker from taking up employment with other employers. This only legitimises the fact that many workers in full-time employment are forced to take more than one job to survive. This is especially true in Greece where the minimum wage is a paltry 780 euros a month, with at least one in six workers employed by more than one employer to make ends meet, according to the Labour Ministrys figures. In a recent television interview Labour Minister Adonis Georgiadis stated, Until now it was illegal for someone in full-time employment to also work elsewhere part-time. He added, Our aim is to make our labour relations more honest. We have not invented something new. We are merely mapping out what is already happening in the world. This will mean that many of the lowest paid workers in Greece will now have the blessings of the state to work up to 13 hours a daythe only limit being the statutory 11 hours rest stipulated by Greek law. The Bill introduces further business friendly measures on top of those outlined in the EU Directive. One is a clause that allows firms which operate on a continuous basis with rotating shifts, such as manufacturers, to extend the working week from five to six days. A long-time demand of the Federation of Industries of Greece (SEV), this will allow firms to increase the workload of existing staff without the need to hire additional staff to cover shifts or pay excessive overtime costs. The labour bill is one of the first major pieces of legislation to be put forward by the Conservative government headed by Kyriakos Mitsotakis since winning a second term in office in June and marks the viciously pro-business agenda it means to pursue over the next four years. This was already clear in the summer appointment of Adonis Georgiadis as Labour Minister following the election. Well known for his belligerent fascistic and anti-communist diatribes, Georgiadis joined New Democracy in 2012 following his expulsion from the far-right Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) after he voted in favour of the second EU/International Monetary Fund austerity package. Georgiadis served as health minister in 2013 under ND Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, overseeing the gutting of the healthcare system. As Development and Investments Minister in the last ND government, he touted Greeces investment potential as a low wage economy to the international financial elite. A statement by Syrizas Labour Policy Unit absurdly claimed that the government was hiding behind the implementation of an EU directive, which is on a completely different wave-length and pledged we will fight with workers and the trade unions, inside and outside of parliament so that this monstrosity of a bill does not pass. This is so much hot air given Syrizas record in government between 2015 and 2019. Syriza was swept into power in January 2015 on an anti-austerity ticket whose mandate was junked within weeks. Following the July 2015 referendum, in which workers overwhelmingly rejected a third austerity package, Syriza along with its junior coalition partner the far-right Independent Greeksswiftly agreed to an austerity package with the EU/IMF. The next four years saw Syriza impose austerity that was even more savage than that enforced by the previous social democratic and ND-led administrations. In 2018, Syriza implemented its own anti-strike legislation, raising the threshold for a strike vote from a third to at least 50 percent of a unions membership. Following its ouster from power in 2019 Syriza continued to haemorrhage support among workers as it moved further to the right, culminating in the rout suffered in the recent election. No less duplicitous was the statement released by the private-sector General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), accusing the government of further deregulating the few remaining labour rights using the incorporation of EU Directive 2019/1152 as a pretext. That workers rights and standard of living have massively diminished in recent years is entirely the responsibility of the trade union bureaucracy who worked as partners of successive governments to impose their austerity offensive. For over a decade dozens of general strikes were called by GSEE and the public sector ADEDY federation against attacks on living standards and working conditions rammed through parliament at the behest of the EU and the IMF. But the purpose of these strikes was to allow workers to let off steam while the measures were voted through. The Stalinist Communist Party of Greece (KKE) also issued a condemnation of the bill, calling on workers to be on the alert in order for a militant fightback in order to prevent this monstrosity of a bill from being submitted to parliament. Countless such calls to arms were made by the KKE over the previous decade in conjunction with the strikes called by the unions, all of which were systematically betrayed. The trade unions affiliated with the KKEs All Workers Militant Front (PAME) played an instrumental role in these sell-outs. By posturing as the militant wing of the trade union bureaucracy, PAME ensured that none of the strikes got out of the bureaucracys control. To take the fight forward workers must set up their own rank-and-file committeesindependent of the unionsand in solidarity with their brothers and sisters throughout the continent who are facing the same onslaught on their living standards and working conditions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Sunday that he was replacing Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov amid the failure of Kievs NATO-backed summer offensive. Despite the deaths of tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops in the 89 days since the start of the offensive, Kievs forces have advanced only a few kilometers. Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov talks to the media after the meeting of the 'Ukraine Defense Contact Group' at Ramstein Air Base in Ramstein, Germany, Friday, April 21, 2023. Reznikov submitted a letter of resignation to the Parliamentary Speaker in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, September 4, 2023. [AP Photo/Matthias Schrader] Last month, the Washington Post reported that US intelligence agencies have concluded that the offensive will fail to reach its main objectives of driving to the Azov Sea in order to cut off the land bridge to the Crimean Peninsula. Announcing Reznikovs resignation, Zelensky called for new approaches in the conduct of the war. The New York Times, citing Ukrainian officials who spoke off the record, said, Ukraine will need new leadership as the war drags on. Reznikovs replacement, Rustem Umerov, is the co-chair of the Crimea Platform, a diplomatic initiative founded in 2021 to secure international support for Ukraines efforts to reconquer the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. The appointment of Umerov, a native of Crimea, sends a signal that, in the face of a military debacle, Kiev is doubling down on its goal of recapturing the peninsula. Umerov, not surprisingly, has close ties to the American state, having taken part in high school in the Future Leaders Exchange program funded by the US Department of State. Rustem Umerov, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, attends the peace talks with Russian delegation in Gomel region, Belarus, on February 28, 2022. On Monday September 4, 2023 Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov submitted a letter of resignation after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would be replaced, and named his successor, Rustem Umerov, a Crimean Tatar lawmaker, as the new defense minister. [AP Photo/Sergei Kholodilin/BelTA Pool Photo ] Umerov is, moreover, an investment banker, a fact that will allow for an even more lucrative alignment between the war and the international and national financial interests that are profiting from the conflict. Reznikovs departure took place against the backdrop of a protracted government crisis that has been bound up with a series of corruption scandals implicating the Department of Defense, in particular. In January, a deputy defense minister and the departments head of procurement were dismissed after revelations that the department overpaid for food provided to troops. At the time, it was also widely reported that Reznikov would be dismissed, yet he remained in his position. At the time, the Zelensky government initiated the most far-reaching purge since the beginning of the war in February 2022. Now, another purge of the state apparatus is under way. In a statement to the Washington Post commenting on Reznikovs ouster, the Ministry of Defense said that several high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Defense were removed from their posts and became subjects to investigation. A day before Reznikovs dismissal, Ukraines domestic security service detained Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky on suspicion of fraud and money-laundering. Kolomoisky had been closely associated with Zelensky during the latters television career and was an early political backer. In May, the head of the countrys supreme court was arrested on charges of bribery. And on Friday, a former deputy minister of economy accused of misappropriating money for humanitarian needs had bail set at $25,000. With more than $100 billion in US and international money flowing into Ukraine, corruption has been widespread. The New York Times reported that close to a billion dollars worth of weaponry had been paid for but not delivered. This is no doubt only a glimpse of the war profiteering and plunder that the Ukrainian oligarchy is engaged in as it sends hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian youth and workers to their almost certain death in the war. Corruption is second nature of a ruling class and state apparatus that emerged from the Stalinist destruction of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the orgy of plunder in the capitalist restoration that followed. The shakeup in the Ukrainian Defense Ministry comes amid widespread commentary in the US media preparing the American public for the war to stretch on for years. In an op-ed in the Washington Post, Max Boot wrote, Ukraine may have a better chance to win in 2024. This is the same Max Boot who, less than three months before, had interviewed General David Petraeus as saying that he expects the Ukrainians to achieve significant breakthroughs and accomplish much more than most analysts are predicting. This time, Boot cites another retired general, US Army Brig. Gen. Mark Arnold, who declared that he is more optimistic about the prospects for decisive operations next year. He quotes Arnold as saying, I remain very skeptical that a decisive battle will occur this year that makes a material effect toward Ukrainian victory. That can happen next summer when the majority of maneuver equipment arrives from NATO into Ukraine. In another column along the same lines in the Wall Street Journal, headlined How to Help Ukraine Win the War of Attrition, Walter Russell Mead declares, Second, current American strategy is not working well. He writes that victory will require an American commitment to another endless war, declaring, If this is a war of attrition, the US and its partners are well-placed to win. We just need to make up our minds and roll up our sleeves. In yet another variation of this theme, former British Army General Richard Barrons writes in the Financial Times, Ukraine cannot win against Russia now, but victory by 2025 is possible. He continues, Ukraines current counteroffensive will not throw Russia outnot that anyone expected it to. Nor is it likely to cut the occupation in half before the winter, which might have been one of the more optimistic aims. It has, however, shown how the Russian army can be beaten. Not in 2023, but in 2024 or 2025. The general continues, Ukraine will take until mid-2024 to reconstitute a sufficiently powerful air force and is very short of the key equipment needed to clear mines. Fixing all this will take the war into next year at the least. In January, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley proclaimed that the US plan was to go on the offensive to liberate Russian-occupied Ukraine and to liberate the occupied areas. With officials having pledged the support for the sweeping goal of retaking Crimea and the Donbas, the US media has gone to work proclaiming that Ukraines spring offensive would lead to the collapse of Russian troops in the equivalent of the Normandy landings on D-Day. Now, with the offensive having created a bloody disaster, US officials are preparing public opinion for a years-long conflict, in which the current death toll, now in the hundreds of thousands, could well stretch into the millions. NEW YORK, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- A landmark exhibition exploring the historical and cultural riches of China's Lower Yangtze River Delta will open on Sept. 10 at The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) in the U.S. state of Ohio. China's Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta, to be on view through Jan. 7, 2024 in CMA's Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Exhibition Hall, is the first exhibition in the West that focuses on the artistic production and cultural impact of a region located in the coastal area south of the Yangtze River, according to a press release by the CMA. Through major loans from more than 30 institutions around the world and selections from the CMA's world-renowned collection of Chinese art, the exhibition features about 200 objects from Neolithic times to the 18th century, ranging from jade, silk, prints, and paintings to porcelain, lacquer, and bamboo carvings. Key loans from six Chinese institutions, including the Beijing Palace Museum, the Shanghai Museum, and the Nanjing Museum, bring rarely seen objects to the United States that illustrate how Jiangnan, which literally means south of the Yangtze River, gained a leading role in China's artistic production and succeeded in setting cultural standards. "To bring these rare, unique treasures together from around the world provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors, nationally and abroad, to witness the richness and unsurpassed quality of art from a part of China that is still associated with natural beauty, elegance, high culture, and erudition. Jiangnan imagery and goods that reached 18th-century Europe shaped our idea of China more than any other region," said Clarissa von Spee, this exhibition's curator and the James and Donna Reid Curator of Chinese Art, Interim Curator of Islamic Art and Chair of Asian Art at the CMA. "This is an exhibition that the Cleveland Museum of Art is uniquely qualified to organize," said William M. Griswold, director and president of the CMA. "Our incredible holdings of Chinese art have inspired the confidence of our more than 30 partners across the world to lend works of art, which allow us to present an exhibition with objects of impressive quality and scope never seen together before." Lower Yangtze River Delta has throughout large parts of its history been one of the wealthiest, most populous, and fertile lands. For millennia, it has been an area of rich agriculture, extensive trade, and influential artistic production. Art from Jiangnan - home to such great cities as Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Nanjing, as well as to hilly picturesque landscapes stretched along rivers and lakes - has defined the image of traditional China for the world. Police have accused a 38-year-old man and 55-year-old woman of attempting to create the hole while doing construction in the area Youyu County Public Security Bureau Damaged portion of the Great Wall of China Two people have been detained after a hole was created in the Great Wall of China, according to authorities. Police have accused a 38-year-old man and 55-year-old woman of attempting to create the hole while doing construction in the area, according to the BBC and NPR, which cited a press release from the Youyu County Public Security Bureau. Authorities allege that the pair used an excavator to open up a hole in the 32nd Great Wall in Youyu county, NPR and China Daily reported. The hole was reported to authorities on Aug. 24, according to China Daily and NBC News. Related: Children Uncover Human Remains While Exploring During Summer Camp: 'That Is a Human Skull' Police claim the workers caused "irreversible damage to the Wall while attempting to reduce their travel time, according to the BBC. The workers have been charged with damaging the relic, per China Daily. An investigation into the incident is ongoing. 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Youyu County Public Security Bureau Damage to the Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987, according to the World Heritage Conventions website. Construction began in 220 B.C. and continued through the Ming Dynasty, which maintained power from the 14th to 17th centuries. Multiple people have faced consequences in recent years for illegally tampering with the wall in various ways. Related: Woman Learns Thrift Store Painting She Bought for $4 Is Actually Lost Artwork That Could Sell for $250K Most recently, a tourist was fined after using a hairpin to carve into the wall in August, NBC News reported. Two years prior in May 2021, authorities banned a pair of foreign tourists from visiting the Wall for allegedly climbing onto an undeveloped section of the structure and ignoring a nearby no crossing sign, according to the outlet. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Here's what Kerry Washington , Sydney Sweeney , Barbara Palvin and more wore at the annual film festival, which runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 9 Kate Beckinsale, Sydney Sweeney and Kerry Washington attend various events Venice Film Festival. The Venice International Film Festival boasts many high-drama looks every time it lands in Italy. This year, which marks the event's 80th run, was no different. Kerry Washington and Michelle Rodriguez stole the spotlight in sequins while polka dots were a hit among Sydney Sweeney and Dominique Fishback. Plus, there were a few cape looks that had us rethinking what it means to cover up, but still make a statement. Ahead, all the best style moments from the many exclusive red carpets, parties and more. Kerry Washington Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty At the Giorgio Armani One Night in Venice event, Kerry Washington sparkled in a flirty midnight blue Armani Prive mini covered in sequins. Sydney Sweeney Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Sydney Sweeney's baby pink tulle gown looks right out of fashion fairytale. She teamed the romantic dress with silver heels that complemented the metallic accents on the design. Ava DuVernay Ryan Emberley/amfAR/amfAR via Getty Boundary-breaking filmmaker Ava DuVernay selected a statement black gown with a keyhole neckline styled with stilettos, a boxy clutch, hoops earrings and a raindrop necklace to the amfAR Gala Venezia, where she was honored with the Award of Inspiration. Barbara Palvin Daniele Venturelli/WireImage At the Poor Things premiere, Barbara Palvin put her expert model posing skills on display in black Armani gown with a cleavage cut-out and a thigh-high slit, topped off with a Brigitte Bardot-inspired updo. Ahead of her grand entrance though, the model and newlywed was photographed walking barefoot and holding her black pumps. (Relatable!) Sadie Sink Stefania M. D'Alessandro/Getty for Miu Miu At Miu Miu Women's Tales dinner at the Fondazione Prada, Sadie Sink proved that her style is ever-evolving. The Stranger Things actress arrived in a halter-neck mini dress with strategically-placed cut-outs, as well as pearlescent heels. Cailee Spaeny Daniele Venturelli/WireImage Cailee Spaeny put her best florals forward for the Priscilla photocall. The actress wore a Rodarte dress adorned with a pink rosette and tulle sleeves which she teamed with pink heels. Rita Ora Andreas Rentz/amfAR/Getty for amfAR Rita Ora's sexy style streak continues! Ahead of her performance at the amfAR Gala Venezia, the musician shut down the red carpet in a sheer Stephane Rolland cape worn over a nude-colored bodysuit and platform heels. Kate Beckinsale Daniele Venturelli/Getty amfAR Gala Venezia co-chair Kate Beckinsale commanded the red carpet in a Georges Chakra Couture look consisting of a magnificent caftan with a gold collar and metallic fringe which matched her shimmering bodysuit underneath! She also wore towering heels and Chopard jewels. Adriana Lima Dominique Charriau/WireImage Adriana Lima arrived at The Killer premiere dressed in a custom PINKO black gown embellished with rhinestones and bling decorating her neck! Camila Mendes Kristy Sparow/Getty Camila Mendes also had her eye on florals. The Riverdale star, who appeared at the amfAR Gala Venezia, wore a white gown covered in a romantic flower pattern featuring black beaded straps at the neckline. Leona Lewis Victor Boyko/amfAR/Getty Images for amfAR Leona Lewis who attended and performed at the amfAR Gala Venezia glistened in a silver sequin gown featuring a regal floor-length cape. Dominique Fishback Stefania M. D'Alessandro/Getty Images for Miu Miu Dominique Fishback was also spotted at the Venice Film Festival! The Swarm lead opted for a black-and-white polka-dot skirt set, black peep-toe heels and ruched purse (all Miu Miu) for the label's Women's Tales dinner. Olivia Palermo Stefania D'Alessandro/WireImage Olivia Palermo turned heads at the Finalmente L'Alba premiere in her regal Tamara Ralph Haute Couture ballgown. Her favorite part about the confection? "I loved the silk petal adorned sleeves," she told PEOPLE exclusively while giving a behind-the-scenes look at her glam. Jenna Coleman Jacopo M. Raule/Getty for Miu Miu Jenna Coleman went retro with her fashion for Miu Miu's Women's Tales dinner. The English actress teamed her two-toned shift dress with a teensy white purse and Mary Jane block heels. Georgia May Jagger Marilla Sicilia/Archivio Marilla Sicilia/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Georgia May Jagger went full throttle with her look at the Ferrari premiere. The model and entrepreneur rocked a custom PINKO sequined gown designed with a sheer bodice. Michelle Rodriguez Andreas Rentz/amfAR/Getty for amfAR Michelle Rodriguez looked like a glam goddess at the amfAR Gala Venezia, wearing a ethereal champagne gown with sequins scattered across the plunging bodice. Lili Reinhart Jacopo M. Raule/Getty for Miu Miu Lili Reinhart opted for a sleek and elegant black gown with a magenta gemstone color at the Miu Miu Women's Tale fete. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. After the rain: Vehicles are seen departing the Burning Man festival in Black Rock City, Nev., Sept. 4, 2023. (Reuters/Matt Mills McKnight) Fyre Festival 2.0? The memes and jokes came fast and furious over the holiday weekend as the annual Burning Man festival was impacted by heavy rains causing a quagmire of sticky mud and calls for attendees to shelter in place and ration their provisions. A mass exodus finally ensued on Monday afternoon, before the eponymous Man burned. But with more than 70,000 people stranded at one point, a death under investigation and rumors of spreading disease, the situation was deemed perilous enough that President Joe Biden was made aware of the situation. Here is a breakdown of everything that went down at this years Burning Man. Early signs of trouble 12:01 a.m., Sunday, Aug. 27: The gates open for early arrivals to the annual event, which attracts tens thousands to the desert in northwest Nevada to build a temporary, self-sufficient and art-themed community called Black Rock City. The annual bacchanal, whose tickets start at $575, is scheduled to wrap on Labor Day, with the highlight being the "burning of the Man" a towering figure of a man whose immolation represents rebirth slated for Sunday night. The forecast calls for rain, beginning Friday, with up to an inch falling by Saturday morning. While that may not sound like much to some, in a geographic region more commonly beset by dust storms than rain storms, it's the equivalent of a few months' worth of precipitation. Theoretically, attendees are supposed to be prepared. One of the guiding principles of Burning Man is self-sufficiency: Everyone must pack their own shelter and provisions, including ample food and water. The festival site warns of extreme conditions: "Weather on the playa is often violent and unpredictable. Dust storms, high winds, freezing temperatures, rain, we get it all out there. Its impossible to be overly prepared when it comes to the elements." Sunday afternoon, Aug. 27: Activists, protesting the detrimental environmental impact on the fragile desert ecosystem caused by fossil fuels, plastics and other waste, block the two-lane road that is the only way into Burning Man. "Burning Man should aim to have the same type of political impact that Woodstock had on counterculture," the organization Extinction Rebellion, part of the collective behind the roadblock, says in a statement. "If we are honest about system change, it needs to start at home. Ban the lowest-hanging fruit immediately: private jets. #breaking Climate protestors from @RaveRevolution @XR_NYC @ScientistRebel1 set up a blockade on the road to #BurningMan this afternoon, demanding that the festival bans private jets and single-use plastics amongst other environmental concerns pic.twitter.com/vzE9XCaVyd michelle lhq (@MichelleLhooq) August 27, 2023 Traffic is backed up for miles before rangers from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Police Department break down the barricade and arrest the protestors. Traffic was backed up as climate activists blocked the only road leading to #BurningMan pic.twitter.com/9oDorimFxz FreedomNews.Tv FNTV (@FreedomNTV) August 27, 2023 The worst is yet to come. Rainfall Friday morning, Sept. 1: With the kickoff of the Labor Day weekend, more attendees arrive en masse by car, with the real big-spenders taking private charters to the nearby Black Rock Airport. Also arriving: rain. "I woke up on Friday, I looked outside the RV and it was kind of shocking how muddy and swampy it was," Carmen, a four-time Burning Man attendee, tells Yahoo Entertainment. "It was clear that you weren't going to go out and do anything. And also, I was staying with a large camp and I heard that one of our large shade structures came down and knocked a bunch of stuff over so it was chaotic." The parched, powdery ground transforms into thick, ankle-deep mud that is difficult to walk in and nearly impossible to drive through. Friday evening: Festival organizers announce via social media that the temporary airport and the main gate into the grounds have been closed due to the inclement conditions, urging Burners to "help each other stay safe." For anyone in BRC, help each other stay safe. The gate and airport in and out of Black Rock City remain closed. Ingress and egress are halted for the time being. Stay prepared for adverse weather conditions continuing through the night and into Saturday. Burning Man Project (@burningman) September 2, 2023 Saturday morning, Sept. 2: Conditions continue to deteriorate. Organizers announce that no vehicles are permitted to enter or exit the site. The Gate and airport in and out of Black Rock City remain closed. Ingress and egress are halted until further notice. No driving is permitted except emergency vehicles. If you are in BRC, conserve food, water, and fuel, and shelter in a warm, safe space. More updates to come. Burning Man Traffic (@bmantraffic) September 2, 2023 Celebrity evacuation Saturday afternoon, Sept. 2: While vehicles were prevented from leaving, some attendees attempted to flee on foot across miles of mud to a paved road where buses were being deployed. And with breaks in the weather, some people take advantage, including DJ and music producer Diplo, whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz. He posts a video to social media on Saturday evening showing him and actor-comedian Chris Rock riding in the back of a truck, saying they just walked 5 miles in the mud before a fan picked us up. just walked 5 miles in the mud out of burning man with chris rock and a fan picked us up pic.twitter.com/0uxSXLHgY6 diplo (@diplo) September 2, 2023 Ebola outbreak?! Saturday afternoon, Sept. 2: Meanwhile, the 72,000 who remain have to deal with deteriorating hygiene conditions. There's a three-eyed "dinosaur shrimp" that reportedly emerges from the muck. Portable toilets are overwhelmed and became disgusting when pump trucks can't reach them for service. Rumors start spreading of an unsubstantiated E. coli outbreak, which is soon conflated into rumors of an equally unsubstantiated Ebola outbreak. Neither turn out to be true. Tens of thousands of visitors at Burning Man were stranded in the Nevada desert after heavy rainfall over the weekend. (David Crane/Getty Images) "I think that's just silly nonsense in my opinion. I'm sure there were things like maybe flu, COVID, I don't know, typical stuff like that I'm sure going around," Carmen tells Yahoo. "But E. coli, no. Ebola, no." A fatality Sunday morning, Sept. 3: The festival is shaken by news of a death. "The Pershing County Sheriff's Office is currently investigating a death which occurred during this rain event. The family has been notified and the death is under investigation. As this death is still under investigation, there is no further information available at this time," according to the sheriff's office. (On Monday, authorities announced the deceased had been identified as Leon Reece, 32. The local medical examiner performed an autopsy to determine a cause of death and is awaiting results of a toxicology test.) Speaking to reporters from his home in Delaware, President Joe Biden says he is monitoring the Burning Man situation: "We're in touch with the local people. We're paying attention. We ought to be getting everybody out of there. There was one death; I don't know what the reason for the death was." Sunday afternoon, Sept. 4: Organizers vow that the burning of the Man is still scheduled to take place Sunday night, despite the forecast calling for "an uncertain weather front." Organizers weigh in on the Ebola rumors: "The online rumors of transmissible illnesses in Black Rock City are unfounded and untrue." Some attendees report being threatened with an $800 fine as they attempt to drive out of the locked-down site. Outside observers continue to react on social media, including people comparing it to the failed Fyre Festival. Sunday evening, Sept. 4: More rain, more flooding. The site remains closed to vehicles attempting to exit. The burning is postponed. The Man burns (finally) Monday, Sept. 5: While the driving ban isn't officially lifted until 2 p.m., CNN drone footage showed thousands already in their vehicles and making their way to the gates on Monday morning. Organizers announce that all of the burns the Man, the Chapel of Babel and the Temple are rescheduled for Monday night through Tuesday night, and encourage people to stay until Tuesday to help alleviate congestion. Monday night, Sept. 5: The burning finally commences to drastically reduced crowds. The postmortem As a few holdouts remain for the last of the events early Tuesday, most of the Black Rock playa has emptied out. The memes and social media jokes are beginning to die down. And some who endured the ordeal are saying that it really wasn't that bad. "I think the news media has jumped at the opportunity to try to just portray this as like a hellscape, horrible Fyre Festival situation and really trying to play up the directness of it," says Carmen. "As somebody who was there and went through all of it, that really wasn't my experience." Faith Cadogan spirals out of control in Casualty episode Hard Pill (BBC One, 8.10pm, Saturday 09 September 2023 See our TV Guide for listings). Elsewhere, Jan Jenning and Gethin West prepare to leave for Switzerland, while Donna Jackson and Max Crisite play a dangerous game of secrets, lies and denial which leads to heartbreak for Dylan Keogh! Full Casualty spoilers below Faith Cadogan unravels Nurse Faith Cadogans life goes into freefall in this weeks Casualty. Last week paramedic Iain Dean (Michael Stevenson) reported his ex to clinical lead Max Cristie (Nigel Harman), after she nearly killed two patients. Now shes being investigated and in danger of losing everything. Instead of facing her problems, however, Faith (Kirsty Mitchell) is ignoring calls from HR, locked in her bedroom and racking up lines, while her eldest daughter Natalia (Zoe Brough) takes care of her younger children! Natalia still thinks her mum has cancer, but can tell something terrible is up, especially as Faiths friend Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless) is ignoring her calls. Stevie, meanwhile, is disgusted by Faiths behaviour, yet is keeping mum about the true extent of her secrets and lies Faith looking in the mirror. Stevie lashes out At work Stevie is on a short fuse, with her coworker Nash Masum (Neet Mohan) bearing the brunt of her temper. Max is alarmed by her behaviour and cautions the agitated medic to calm down, otherwise the rest of the team may start asking questions. Aware that Stevie knows more than shes telling him, Max encourages her to reach out to Faith whos in danger of ruining her life beyond repair. After a stressful shift, coupled with a day of dodging Faith and her family, Stevie hits the pub with the nursing team, but it isnt long before Natalia finds her. In a furious showdown Natalia accuses Stevie of abandoning Faith, only for the doctor to blurt out that she doesnt have cancer, she's a hopeless drug addict! Stevie tells Natalia the truth about Faith. Shocked, Natalia heads home where she witnesses Faith completely unravelling and openly doing drugs and still her mum tries to deny it. Horrified, Natalia leaves while a despairing Faith faces the cost of her spiralling addiction her job, relationships and kids. Is this rock bottom? Or does Faith have further to fall? Natalia is shocked by Stevie's home truths. Jans life or death decision On the surface Jan Jenning and her ex-husband Gethin West are the picture of domesticity, preparing for a trip and bickering about what to pack. Look a little deeper, however, and they are actually in turmoil as they plan to quietly leave Holby to travel to Switzerland so Gethin can end his life on his own terms. But, just like mice and men, their best laid plans go awry. Jan looking very upset at work. Jan (Di Botcher) is delayed at work when her ambulance is attacked by terrifying thugs, who have been terrorising her patient Nathan Mendes (Michael S. Siegel, Foundation) and his daughter Leah (Cicely Whitehead, Alex Rider). Elsewhere, Gethin (Robert Pugh) waits patiently in a taxi outside the ambulance station, where Teddy Gowan (Milo Clarke) stops for a chat. In heartbreaking scenes, Gethin says his goodbyes to his unaware nephew and then ultimately decides to leave Holby without Jan Gethin in the taxi talking to Teddy. Jan is devastated he will be going through this alone and, later, in a moment of painful vulnerability she confides in Iain, who is deeply troubled that she was willing to risk her career and prison. In the meantime, Gethin is stranded and distraught at the airport as they wont allow him to board without assistance. On hearing this Jan grabs her bags and leaves only to run into Teddy who immediately realises something is up. As Jan races to help Gethin, Teddy interrogates Iain about Jans cagey behaviour Will Iain reveal the truth to Teddy? And will Jan make it to the airport in time for the flight? Teddy demands answers from Iain. Dylan sees too much! With her sentencing looming, Donna Jackson (Jaye Jacobs) is in total denial about her predicament and this week a solicitor has to give the nurse a stern talking to! Meanwhile, Donnas daughter Mia (Briana Shann) is on edge and unsure what to do if her adoptive mum ends up going to prison. At work Donnas self-deception continues as she downplays the seriousness of her situation and focuses on terminal patient Ibs Omar Elmi (Patrick Elue, The Almond and the Seahorse). Donna on the phone. Yet, consultant Dylan Keogh (William Beck) is only too aware of how much shes struggling and encourages her to open up. Donna, however, cant face what may lie ahead in her future and turns down his support. Instead, she cancels her plans with Mia and accepts a booty call from Max, who is just as much in denial about his deteriorating health as she is about her pending court case. The confused senior medics decide to hook up in Maxs office but fail to lock the door! Dylan talks to Donna. No prizes for guessing who discovers them in the midst of a carnal connection Yep, poor Dylan. The same Dylan who is secretly helping treat Max and in love with Donna! Donna and Max stare at each other. Also in Casualty this week Newly engaged to Paige Allcott (Shalisha James-Davis) Teddy excitedly makes plans for his stag night, where he wants his uncle Gethin to be at the centre of activities. Iain has a meeting with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) where he gives a statement regarding Faiths drug addiction. After a tough meeting with the NMC, Iain is left reeling by Jan's confession. Ryan Firth (Eddie-Joe Robinson) is surprised when Stevie accepts his invite to join himself, Cam Micklethwaite (Barney Walsh), Jodie Whyte (Anna Chell) and Rida Amaan (Sarah Seggari) for afterwork drinks in the Hope and Anchor. Determined to ignore her conflicting feelings about Faith, Stevie begins buying shots and regaling the nursing team with some of her most shocking tales! Until Natalia turns up demanding answers Ryan and Rida are amused by Stevie's tall tales. After telling Natalia the terrible truth, will Stevie leave Faith to deal with the consequences alone? Casualty episode Hard Pill air on Saturday 09 September 2023 from 8.10pm on BBC One and will be available on BBC iPlayer after transmission. A military takeover of Taiwan is likely, according to one of many Chinese government-approved artificial intelligencechatbots that seem to toe the ruling Communist Partys official line. The island nation has been a self-governing democracy since its separation from the mainland following a civil war in 1949, but China has claimed it as part of its national territory. The chatbots have dubbed Taiwan an inseparable part of China. The Chinese government recently approved a number of AI chatbots for use in the country, including a bot named Ernie and developed by tech giant Baidu and TikTok owner ByteDances Doubao. When Bloomberg tested some of these AI services for how government oversight affected the accuracy of information provided by these chatbots, it found they appeared to be trained to follow the ruling Communist Partys line. When asked whether Taiwan is a country, all the tested chatbots reportedly said the self-governed island was a part of China, and Baidus Ernie chatbot reportedly said a Chinese military takeover of Taiwan is likely. The Zhipu chatbot described Chinas current economic situation, which experts said is at one of its weakest points in recent decades, to be a mix of joys and sorrows, reported Bloomberg. Another chatbot, SenseTime, reportedly described the economy as very stable. When asked to respond queries that may be deemed sensitive content, the Ernie bot was found to change the subject, while Zhipu would delete its response if it found it to be controversial, according to the report. Such generative AI tools are trained by analysing large quantities of data to respond to user queries with unique human-like replies. For instance, OpenAIs ChatGPT has demonstrated a wide range of abilities, from summarising complex research, answering logical questions and also cracking business and medical school exams deemed crucial for students to pass. A number of Chinese companies have sought to build their own version of AI chatbots, prompting Chinas cyberspace regulator to release ground rules for companies developing generative AI services. But prior to the launch of these chatbots, the Chinese government made several months-long efforts to regulate the generative AI industry. Some of the proposed rules have sought to ensure the content of Chinese AI systems reflect socialist core values and avoid information undermining state power or national unity. Baidus launch of Ernie for full public use on Thursday led to the companys stock price rising by over 3 per cent following the announcement. Other AI firms such as Baichuan and Zhipu AI also launched their ChatGPT-like large language models on Thursday. The ruling Communist Party issued regulations on 15 August that required tech companies to carry out a security review of their chatbots, and obtain approvals before their products are publicly launched. It also requires companies providing such AI services to comply with government data requests, regulations which are currently absent in the US. Delta Airlines gave $1,800 to a woman after losing her dog. The New York Post reports that the dog went missing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. On Aug. 18, the owner Paula Rodriguez was flying to San Francisco via Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Thats when she was separated from her dog, Maia. When she arrived in Atlanta, US Customs and Border Patrol detained her because she lacked the proper visa credentials. She wasnt allowed to enter the US and was forced to stay in a detention center overnight. She couldnt get her dog back until the next day when she flew back to the Dominican Republic. Delta said it would keep an eye on Maia in the meantime. However, the next day, Rodriguez found out her dog was missing, and that she wouldnt be allowed to search for her dog at the Atlanta airport because of US regulations. So she got on her flight hoping that Delta would locate Maia and put her on a flight as well. Shes been missing for more than 72 hours in the biggest airport in the United States, Rodriguez told Atlanta News First on Aug. 22. Without food, without water, she must be scared. According to CBS correspondent David Begnaud, Rodriguezs attorney said the $1,800 was an insult. He also shared that the womans mother went to Atlanta to help look for the dog but didnt find her in the airport or shelters. This embedded content is not available in your region. More on this "Delta people have shown empathy through many actions, gestures, and communications with our customer. That continues," a Delta rep said in a statement. "As this matter is being handled by attorneys representing the customer and Delta, we will point out that what our customer is sharing is one portion of an initial conversation between attorneys and not reflective of an offer of compensation." "Delta remains heartbroken for what this customer is going through but will refrain from making further comment on this matter," the rep continued, and said that the $1,800 is not "offer of compensation." If youve seen Europa Europa, the real-life story of a Jewish boy who escapes a Nazi concentration camp and joins the German army, youll know that the Polish director Agnieszka Holland knows how to make films about people wriggling their way through life. Her latest film, which is in competition at Venice, tells several interlinked stories in and around the swampy forest border region between Poland and Belarus. We meet border guards, activists, and refugees themselves. Despite biting off a bit more than it can chew, its an affecting introduction to a little-known crisis and the latest case of a master filmmaker showing us they can still do it. Six weeks out of a national election in which Polands hard-right government is expected to extend its grip on power, Green Border also has a moral urgency beyond its representation of refugees hardship, who are described by members of Polands Straz Graniczna as tourists. If only it were so easy. The Belarusian government allows flights from war-torn parts of Africa and the Middle East in order to send migrants toward Poland, creating problems for its neighbor, a member of NATO and the European Union. More from IndieWire Bashir (Jalal Altawill) and his family are mere pawns in that petty political battle, believing the false promise that they can easily transit to Swedish city Malmo, where their extended family are based. Jan (Tomasz Wosok) is tasked with making their mission as difficult as possible: Belaruss border force happily takes migrants to the barbed wire fences, and Polands pushes them back through. In the last couple of years Poland has introduced a so-called exclusionary zone, where normal rules dont apply. Lawyers and activists can be imprisoned simply for traveling inside the area, while ambulances attending to the (many) medical emergencies must be accompanied by border guards, wholl duly escort them back to Belarus upon recovery. Think of a bleak version of the Abe-Simpson-walking-into-Moes GIF. This absurdity weighs on Jan, whose heavily pregnant wife is anxious for their new home to be ready in time for their daughters arrival. Though he doesnt seem to drink the Kool-Aid of disregarding refugees humanity altogether, Jan must carry out the agencys increasingly grim tactics, and finds his soul suffers. Wosek would be hard to tell apart from Harris Dickinson, his gaunt face almost hiding the twinkle in his eye. Altawill, himself a refugee who fled Syria in 2011, and Behi Djanati Atai as fellow traveller Leila, have a little less need for nuance, their characters situation straightforwardly dire and their performances more physical. The most memorable performance is Maja Ostaszewska as Julia, a therapist-turned-activist whose involvement in the crisis begins when she hears Leilas screams from deep in the forest. Julia serves as a proxy for audiences whose sheltered lives have blinded them to the everyday tragedies on their doorstep. And Holland lets none of Europe off the hook: were told twice that at least 20,000 migrants have died in the Mediterranean while trying to reach the continent since 2015. Holland has always been more of a European filmmaker than a Polish one; having trained in Czechia, she shuns many of the political and aesthetic hangups of her countrymen and women. Green Border is further evidence of that: The first word that appears onscreen is Europe, an apparent nod to the continents doomed hope for overseas refugees and a reminder just how difficult it is to tell apart Polands far east from western Belarus. No refugee arrives in Europe hoping to end up in the poorest part of one of its least wealthy nations, but Bashir, Leila and everyone else who lands in Minsk cannot afford to be fussy. Most Poles do not reward their desperation. Even opposition leader Donald Tusk, who led the European Union before returning to Polish politics, has described the countrys oppressive border policies as uncontrolled. Hollands film is a desperate, transparent call for her country to get a grip. That seems optimistic, but she is certainly pissing off the right people: Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, whose notoriety as a hardliner in a hardline government earns him a name drop in Hollands film, has already compared Green Border to Third Reich propaganda. Despite the noise around it, which will probably help Green Border among those willing to hear it out, it does pay the price of not holding together brilliantly as a film. Its three narratives never fully work together, even as they begin to interlink. Its moments of true emotional poignancy work well, but are all too rare in a film that otherwise has plenty to say. Grade: B Green Border premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival. It is currently seeking U.S. distribution. Best of IndieWire Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Yeezy founder Kanye West and his "wife" Bianca Censori are reportedly under police investigation after being photographed in a seemingly lewd act while in Italy on vacation. The duo were caught on camera with the rapper's pants down, exposing his butt, and Censori's head nestled in his lap. This caused severe backlash online, adding to their already controversial stay in the country. West and Censori have reportedly been banned from using the water taxi service in Venice, and the driver of the boat they boarded has now been identified and will be questioned as a part of the police investigation. Trending: Pregnant Kourtney Kardashian Teases Unique Nursery As Due Date Inches Nearer Aaron Rodgers Breaks His Silence Following Season-Ending Injury Paris Jacksons Stalker Faces A Year In Jail After Being Criminally Charged Kanye West Sued By Project Manager Of Malibu Home Over Brutal Conditions Britney Spears Fans Slam Jamie Lynn Spears Dancing With The Stars Casting Keep on reading to learn more. Kanye West And Bianca Censori Under Police Investigation MEGA According to the Daily Mail, Kanye West and his wife, Yeezy architect Bianca Censori, are under investigation after being photographed in a compromising situation while boarding a water taxi in Venice, Italy. On August 28, shocking images of West and Censori with the rapper's derriere exposed began to circulate online. The photos showed the couple on a boat in the middle of what seemed to be an amorous and lewd act. Censori was on her knees in front of West with her head nestled in his lap, while the rapper had his hands on the back of her head and his pants slightly pulled down. The photo caused severe backlash online from locals and fans, leading to calls for their arrest and even deportation. The Police 'Have Received Complaints From People Who Witnessed It' MEGA According to a police source who spoke with the Daily Mail, West and Censori's actions have led to a barrage of complaints from people who feel the duo crossed the line. The news outlet also reports that the water taxi driver has been identified and is expected to be questioned over the next couple of days. "There are standards of public decorum that have to be followed by tourists and locals alike and any breaches are severely punished. The images of West with his trousers down while in a taxi as he and his partner crossed the lagoon were seen all over the globe," A Venice police source said. They continued, "You could clearly see his trousers were half down and we have received complaints from people who witnessed it. Now we have identified the driver of the boat and we will be asking him what he saw as well." The police source also added that photos shared online proved without a doubt that West and Censori were involved in "a state of intimacy." "The images show the couple clearly in a state of intimacy and if the local prosecutor decides to press charges, then we will notify the couple, most probably through the relevant Embassies," they said. Per the police source, the couple is being investigated for "acts contrary to public decency which is punishable by an administrative sanction." The Couple Showed A 'Lack Of Respect For Venice' Instagram | Angelina Censori A Venetian councilor for public security, identified as Elisabetta Pesce, also spoke with the news outlet and slammed Censori and West for disrespecting the famous city with their actions. She said, "Without any shadow of doubt what we saw from the couple was a lack of respect for Venice, which is the most enchanting city in the world." An insider in close contact with the city's mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, also shared with the Daily Mail that West and Censori's "behaviour will be discussed" during an upcoming monthly meeting on public security. They stated, "Venice is famous for being one of the most beautiful cities in the world and we expect tourists to maintain a respectable level of decency when visiting. These public acts of spectacle are not what we or the millions of tourists who come here each year wish to see and we take a very dim view of it." "We can only hope that the prosecutor imposes a fine and then the couple will think long and hard about their behaviour if they return to Venice in the future," the source concluded. Kanye West & Bianca Censori Banned From Using Water Taxi MEGA Venezia Turismo Motoscafi, the company that owns the water taxi West and Censori were photographed in, has reportedly banned the couple from using their service following the scandalous photos shared online. In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, they condemned the duo's actions and stated that the boat driver had no idea what was happening because he had to pay attention to the traffic. "On board, the driver had to keep a lookout for traffic and did not see these obscenities. If this had happened, he would have immediately disembarked and reported the transgressors to those in authority," their statement read. They noted that they "completely dissociate ourselves from such acts and behaviour" and that West and Censori will "no longer be welcome on board our company's boats." Sam Peltzman, an emeritus economics professor at the University of Chicago, concludes in a study that people who are married are happier than those who haven't tied the knot Getty A stock image of wedding rings. Let those wedding bells ring: Married people are among the happiest people in America, a new study claims. The study, called the "The Socio Political Demography of Happiness," was conducted by Sam Peltzman, an emeritus economics professor at the University of Chicago, and published in July. For his study, Peltzman looked at the General Social Survey (GSS), which is a nationally representative survey of United States adults that has been conducted since 1972. According to the GSS website, the GSS uses the data it collects "in order to monitor and explain trends in opinions, attitudes and behaviors." The survey rates Americans overall happiness by asking participants if they're very happy, pretty happy or not too happy. After reviewing the GSS data while noting various factors including age, race, gender, education, marital status, income and geography Peltzman concluded that American people who are married are 30 points happier than those who are not married. While the other factors were important in determining a persons overall happiness, Peltzman notes those factors didnt matter as much as marital status. (Peltzman's study has not yet been peer reviewed.) The only happy people for 50 years have been married people, Peltzman told The Atlantic. Peltzman noted in his research that theres also been a recent decline in the level of happiness reported by people in the GSS. He said he attributes the drop in overall happiness to less people getting married. According to the United States Census, national marriage rates have declined from 2011 to 2021 by 1.4%. Axios reported that over the past 50 years, U.S. marriage rates dropped by 60%. Andrew Cherlin, a sociologist at Johns Hopkins, told The Atlantic that this decline could be related to the dwindling benefits for married couples. "Life is still a bit easier if you're married," he said. "But many of the life events we link to marriage, such as cohabitating or having kids, are increasingly occurring outside of marriage. While Peltzmans study concludes that married couples are the happiest, The Institute for Family Studies reports that the GSS data also shows that actually fewer Americans believe that married people are the most content, The Atlantic noted. 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. After analyzing the GSS data they found that in 1988, over 50% of people believed married people are happier than unmarried people. That percentage declined throughout the years to just under 40% in 2020. Other studies similar to Peltzmans have explored when and why married people are, in fact, happiest all around the world, according to The Atlantic. Related: Sister Wives' Janelle Brown Reveals When She Knew Marriage to Kody Was Done: 'This Burden Came Off Me' (Exclusive) Related: Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick Celebrate 35th Wedding Anniversary: '35 Years Feels Like a Heartbeat' In 2017, a study conducted using data from the British Household Panel Survey found that married people in England are more satisfied with their lives years after their marriage, The Atlantic reported. Ive been waiting for Americans to have long-term cohabiting relationships like the Europeans do for decades now, and it hasnt happened yet, Cherlin told The Atlantic. "Happy cohabiting couples dont show up in the data because there just arent that many of us. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. I keep a list of restaurants I want to visit, and there are currently 44 from Louisville to Lexington that Id like to get through. Unfortunately, three well-known establishments closed their doors before I was able to cross them off my list. These include Butchertown Grocery, Gasthaus, and most recently, Wiltshire on Market. Fortunately, theres a new restaurant in the former Wiltshire on Market space. Chef Noam Bilitzers MeeshMeesh Mediterranean began welcoming guests on Sept. 1, and Wiltshire owner Susan Hershberg played a big part in getting the eatery open. We were able to really develop the menu and our program under really good guidance (from Hershberg), beverage director Hannah Arbaugh told The Courier Journal. She saw a spark in (Bilitzer) and let us run with our ideas reigned us in when we needed it and now we have this gorgeous space that weve inherited. Were just so fortunate. Bilitzer who is from Israel began bringing Eastern Mediterranean flavors to Derby City by way of pop-ups at Wiltshire on Market during his chef residency. Today, the Chopped winner is serving his creations in what is now his very own brick-and-mortar space. Freedom Run smoked lamb hummus featuring lamb smoked by Red Hog Restaurant & Butcher Shop at MeeshMeesh Mediterranean restaurant in Louisville. The carefully curated menu boasts small plates, a variety of dips and shmears, sides, main courses, and large servings crafted for sharing. Those familiar with Bilitzers creations highly recommend the crispy cauliflower with almonds, pickled currants, herbs, toum, and amba; as well as the shawarma spiced chicken thighs made with amba, jalapeno shug, and herbs. The word MeeshMeesh in Arabic and Hebrew means apricot, Bilitzer explained. I just kind of sat there and tried to think of something that was also catchy in English. MeeshMeesh came to me as a really cute way to tie the cultures and make it relatable for everyone. Bilitzer made sure to infuse Mediterranean flair into not only the restaurants name and cuisine but into the beverage program as well. While I sipped on Arbaughs pomegranate punch her take on a Kentucky Oaks Lily she explained what guests can expect to find at the MeeshMeesh bar. The Whats Up Doc? cocktail at MeeshMeesh Mediterranean in Louisville is made with lemon, carrot, ginger, and vodka. I took a Derby favorite and tweaked it to make it a little more Israeli, she said. We will not offer cranberry juice in-house it will be pomegranate across the board. Like the food, she explained, the beverage program focuses on the Levantine region. (That includes) anywhere Arab influence would have been, she said. With that in mind, all of our wine program (is from an) old and very ancient world, with indigenous varietals that no one has ever heard of. Theyre the oldest grapes that are still being used for production. With the help of John Grisanti from Nouvelle Bar & Bottle, she developed the wine program to complement Bilitzers cuisine and bring unique finds to guests. The pair ensured the final selections included little crossover between the two establishments, so Louisvillians have lots to pick from between both NuLu spots. None of the wines at MeeshMeesh are made in the U.S., and very few are from France. Most of the picks are Israeli, Turkish, and Lebanese. The Arak the Cashbah, made with razzouk arak, is a sweet and sour labneh cocktail with mint that tastes like a key lime pie at MeeshMeesh Mediterranean restaurant in Louisville. Weve also got a really cute Sicilian wine thats named Amira, Arbaugh said, explaining that amira means princess in both Hebrew and Arabic and its also chef Bilitzers moms name. Without Amira, we would not have chef (Bilitzer), so thank goodness weve always got her in the building mothers eye (is) always watching. For wine enthusiasts visiting MeeshMeesh for the first time, Arbaugh recommends the Domaine Des Tourelle, a white wine from the oldest-producing vineyard in Lebanon. Described as a bouquet of tropical fruit and jasmine, it offers crisp and refreshing citrus notes. And the Golan Heights is gorgeous, Arbaugh said of the red wine from Israel. It goes really well with our steak and our lamb. Arbaugh added that she also tries to incorporate flavors from the kitchen into the cocktail program whenever possible. Theres the Tehina Washed Manhattan, which brings a bit of nuttiness into the Old Forester-based beverage. And Not Your Bubbes Borscht boasts beet shrub from Louisville Shrubology, an egg white, and Norden aquavit. The Salatim platter at MeeshMeesh Mediterranean restaurant in Louisville. (Were) playing into all of the things that chef [Bilitzer] remembers from being little, Arbaugh said, [like] eating bubbes borscht. She added that aquavit isnt a spirit commonly offered in our citys bar programs, but it brings the caraway profile found in several MeeshMeesh dishes into its beverages as well. And while the cocktail menu includes three mocktails, Arbaugh says most of the drinks listed can be made zero-proof, too. Thats important to me, she stated. We have a large sober community in town, so being able to make drinks that are flavorful with or without alcohol is one of the things I always strive for. I don't want anyone to feel left out. Arbaugh added that every MeeshMeesh beverage whether its wine, a cocktail, or a mocktail complements Bilitzers menu. Inside MeeshMeesh Mediterranean restaurant in Louisville. Come in and grab a drink, she said, but also grab (food) while youre here. Bring a group. Break bread, have a feast, and enjoy the company. See how all of the different flavors pair together. Everyone has a unique experience here and you will not leave hungry. Know a restaurant that would make a great feature? Email writer Lennie Omalza at aloha@lennieomalza.com or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@gannett.com. WHAT: This is a Levantine-focused, family-style restaurant that encompasses the flavors of Palestine, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and more in its food and beverages. WHERE: 636 E. Market St. SERVICES: Dine-in, private dining, and catering; 5-9 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday; -10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Monday and Tuesday CONTACT: 502-589-5224, meeshmeesh.com This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: MeeshMeesh Mediterranean serves wines from Israel, Turkey, Lebanon Natalia Grace Mans (nee Barnett), the woman at the center of Investigation Discoverys Curious Case of Natalia Grace docuseries, celebrated her birthday with her new adoptive family following several years of confusion regarding her true age. Ukraine-born Natalia and her adoptive parents, Antwon and Cynthia Mans, went live on social media on Monday, September 4, in honor of her 20th milestone birthday. Antwon and Cynthia surprised Natalia with tickets to see her favorite Christian artist, Tauren Wells, as well as some other birthday gifts. Additionally, they wished Natalia a happy birthday on the familys shared Instagram account. #BirthdayGirl #LovedbyMany, the caption read alongside a selfie of Natalia with a Happy Birthday filter. The celebration comes a little more than three months after the release of ID networks six-part docuseries The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, which told the story of Natalias adoption into a family in Indiana in 2010. Her former adoptive father, Michael Barnett, claimed in the series that he and his ex-wife, Kristine Barnett, believed that Natalia was 6 years old when they adopted her. However, her alleged behavioral issues and mature features on her body led the former couple to believe she was actually an adult living with a severe form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SEDc). In addition to accusing Natalia of lying about her age to con her adoptive parents, Michael claimed that she made several threats and attempts to kill or harm him and Kristine, as well as their three biological sons Jacob, Wesley and Ethan. He alleged that Natalia stood over their bed with a knife, attempted to poison Kristines coffee with household cleaner and pushed Kristine into an electric fence. After two years of living with Natalia, Michael and Kristine petitioned to have her birthday legally changed from September 4, 2003, to September 4, 1989, which would have made her 23 years old in 2012. The family then rented Natalia an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, and left her behind as they moved to Canada. Despite Natalia legally being an adult, Michael and Kristine faced charges for neglect of a dependent in September 2019. Ahead of Michaels trial in 2022, Natalias biological mother, Anna Volodymyrivna Gava, was interviewed and insisted that her daughter was born in 2003, as originally stated on her birth certificate. Still, the charges against Michael and Kristine were dismissed in October 2022 and March 2023. During her time in Lafayette, Natalia met Antwon and Cynthia, who went on to adopt her. They maintained that she was a minor when the Barnetts left her behind. Additionally, Antwon and Cynthia denied that she ever showed any signs of violence toward them or their other children. Natalia has also maintained that Michael and Kristines claims about her were not true. Following the premiere of the docuseries from May 29 to May 31, ID network announced a follow-up documentary titled The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks, in which Natalia will share her side of the story. A release date has yet to be announced at the time of publication. Its very frustrating to hear everything thats being said from Kristine and Michael because I already dont know who I am, and I want to know who I am, what happened to me, Natalia said in the trailer. But Im hearing all this stuff that never actually happened from Kristine and Michael. Natalia continued, And people are believing what Kristine and Michael are saying without even hearing my side. This is my side of the story, and Im gonna say what happened because I never got a chance to say what happened. Yall have heard Kristine and Michael and what they have said, but you need to hear both sides in order to know what really happened. Nurse Makenzie Beach gave the gift of life to Logan Salva, who was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh A nurse donated part of her liver to 20-month-old Logan Salva, of Ocala, Florida. A 20-month-old Florida toddler with a genetic disorder now has a second chance at life thanks to the kindness of a Pennsylvania nurse. Logan Salva of Ocala, Florida, received a life-saving donation, Good Morning America reported, after Makenzie Beach a cardiology nurse at UPMC Hamot stepped up to help. Salva had been diagnosed with Alagille Syndrome, a rare genetic mutation in which bile accumulates in the liver due to few bile ducts that allow for drainage, resulting in liver damage. Among the symptoms of Alagille, according to Johns Hopkins, include yellow skin or eyes and kidney disease. UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Logan Salva at Pittsburghs UPMC Children's Hospital. Rather than waiting for a transplant in Florida, Logans family looked into a pediatric liver transplant program at Pittsburghs UPMC Children's Hospital, per WTAE. A miracle for the family happened thanks to Beach, who signed up to be a living donor and donated a part of her liver to Logan. I just felt like it was the right thing for me to do, Beach said in an interview, per Erie News Now. I couldnt ask to be part of something bigger or better than this. This is like a real miracle. "I was in a position with my health, and I have plenty of support, that I could do this, and I didn't see any reason why I wouldn't want to," she added, according to Good Morning America. "A month of inconvenience seemed like a very, very small price to pay." UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Makenzie Beach, a cardiology nurse at UPMC Hamot, donated part of her liver to Logan Salva. According to the American Liver Foundation, living transplantation involves replacing a diseased or damaged liver with a whole or part of a healthy liver from a different person, adding both the donors and recipients liver will regrow over the next few months. 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Logans surgery was performed in early June. George Mazariegos, UPMC chief of pediatric transplant, told WTAE: "The great thing about the living donation is that we are able to take a perfectly healthy segment of the liver in a plant situation and really be able to optimize his chance for a really great recovery." A few months after the surgery, both Beach and Logans family met virtually. Logan appeared in the video chat smiling. They expressed their gratitude to Beach for her donation. "You get the news that a complete stranger is a perfect match for your baby, said Rasika Marletto-Salva, Logans mother, per WTAE, and you're sitting here like, who could it be? It's something you dreamed and prayed for such a long time, so to be able to meet Makenzie, it's incredible. It's truly a gift." UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Loga Salva at home in Ocala, Florida. Related: Selena Gomez Says She's Forever 'in Debt' to 'Best Friend' Francia Raisa for Kidney Transplant Marletto-Salva noticed a physical change in her son for the better following the surgery. "It happened within days, with his complexion, and that was just the beginning of it, and then he just started to fill out and look like a normal little kid again," she said, via Good Morning America. As reported by WTAE, both Beach and Logan and his family plan to meet in person. There are more than 14,000 people in the U.S. on the waiting list for a liver transplant, said the American Liver Foundation. PEOPLE reached out to UPMC for additional information about Logans surgery. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Fred L. Brewer Jr., 23, was one of 57 fighters assigned to escort bombers to their targets in Germany when he went missing in late 1944 Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Lt. Fred L. Brewer Jr., pilot from WWII The remains of a Tuskegee pilot have been identified nearly 79 years after he went missing during World War II. "U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Fred L. Brewer Jr., 23, of Charlotte, North Carolina, killed during World War II, was accounted for Aug. 10, 2023," the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) said in a news release on Friday. Another pilot who saw the incident in late 1944 said at the time that Brewer had attempted a steep climb to get above the cloud cover, but his P-51C Mustang called Traveling Light lost power in its engine, per the DPAA. It was reported Brewers aircraft had rolled over with the canopy jettisoned, but he was not observed ejecting from the plane," they added. "Brewers remains were not recovered, and he was subsequently declared missing in action. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Lt. Fred L. Brewer Jr., pilot from WWII Brewer was flying with 56 other pilots to protect bombers from enemy fire over Regensburg, Germany, ABC News reported. Only 47 pilots made it back, per the outlet. Back in 2011, researchers discovered a tribute had been made in Italy Americans who lost their lives in World War II using airplane wreckage from a nearby crash site, per the DPAA. Around the same time, researchers analyzed the file for Unknown Remains X-125 Mirandola (X-125), which had been recovered but not identified from the Moggio Udinese civilian cemetery by American forces in 1946," they wrote. Related: Veterans Return to Normandy on 78th Anniversary of D-Day and Remember Life-Changing Moments of WWII Those remains, unidentifiable at the time, were taken to the Florence American Cemetery in Italy, the DPAA stated. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Lt. Fred L. Brewer Jr., Pilot Accounted for from WWII In 2022, the remains were dug up by the DPAA and American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) for forensic analysis, which were taken to the DPAA Laboratory for examination and identification, per the release. To identify Brewers remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence, the DPAA said. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis. 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories Brewers name is on the Tablets of the Missing at the Florence American Cemetery in Impruneta, Italy, along with others still missing from WWII, per the release, which noted that a rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for. Related: For D-Day's 75th Anniversary, Listen to Unread Letters from Soldiers on the Ground Brewer completed his education at Shaw University in Raleigh the first college for Black people in the South, per ABC News. He joined the military in November 1943 and, in March 1944, became a pilot at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama, the outlet reported. Brewer is the second of the missing Tuskegee Airmen from World War II to be identified, The Washington Post reported. The first was Capt. Lawrence E. Dickson of New York, who crashed his P-51 in Austria in 1944. According to the outlet, Dickinson was identified in 2018. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Sean Diddy Combs made an unprecedented move Monday to reassign his music publishing rights back to Bad Boy artists like the Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans and Mase who made Bad Boy Records the music industry juggernaut it is today. The development, first reported by Billboard, was a process that reportedly began in 2021 as the rapper and producer was turning down acquisition offers for the entire Bad Boy catalogue outright. Most Bad Boy artists have agreed to the deal, the details of which are largely being kept under wraps. This year also marks the labels 30th anniversary. The deal comes three years after Mase claimed he offered Combs $2 million to buy back his own publishing rights but was denied. In a since-deleted Instagram post, Mase wrote in 2020 around the time Combs received the Industry Icon award at Clive Davis pre-Grammy gala, Your past business practices knowingly has continued purposely starved your artist and been extremely unfair to the very same artist that helped u obtain that Icon Award on the iconic Badboy label. He continued: For example, u still got my publishing from 24 years ago in which u gave me $20k. Which makes me never want to work w/ u as any artist wouldnt This is not Black excellence at all. Looking to Bad Boy Records early days, the label broke big soon after its launch in 1994. Craig Macks Flava in Ya Ear went straight to No. 1 on Billboards Hot Rap Songs and broke into the Top 10 on the pop charts. Combs followed up that hit song with the near-immediate classic Juicy from the Notorious B.I.G. Combs then added artists like Evans, Total and 112, all of whom scored hits for the brand. The label produced everything in-house and came up with a number of creative marketing tactics that each succeeded in pushing its visibility further. Other standout artists over the years have included Carl Thomas, Shyne, Dream, Danity Kane and French Montana. So perhaps Combs decision to reassign the music rights of Bad Boy Records is the moguls way of making amends with artists like Mase who helped build him up or maybe it is the idea of a shrewd businessman who sees yet another way to land on top. But as the man himself told the graduating class of Howard University in 2014: Some of my biggest successes come from some of my biggest failures. I had two choices: Either I was going to sit in that failure and give up, or I was going to make a decision and step out of the darkness. Combs has a new album, The L.O.V.E. Album: Off the Grid, dropping Sept. 15. The post Sean Diddy Combs Gives Bad Boy Publishing Rights Back to Artists Including Faith Evans, Notorious BIG, Mase appeared first on TheWrap. Tony Duncan family will perform at 4:30 pm. (Photo/Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation) The Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation is hosting Honoring the Dreamers, a special event, on Tuesday, September 6, 2023 at the Crazy Memorial at Custer, South Dakota that will feature hoop dancing and an evening drone show. The event is in celebration of Korczak Ziolkowski s birthday and in remembrance of Crazy Horses death. The Crazy Horse Memorial was the dream of Polish American sculptor Korczak Ziokowski, who was born on September 6, 1908. A special cultural performance by Tony Duncan and family at 4:30 pm on the Crazy Horse Memorial veranda. The Duncan Family are World Champion Hoop Dancers from the Mesa, Arizona area. Tony Duncan is a five-time World Champion Hoop dancer and performing artist. The 2013 Native American Music Awards Artist of the Year, Tony Duncan has also toured with international pop star, Nelly Furtado. As a child, he learned hoop dancing from his father, and has since passed the tradition on to his children. Native American veterans will be honored at 8:00 pm on the veranda. At 8:30pm, 150 drones will take to the sky in a spectacular entertaining performance honoring the Dreamers and all Native Americans. Fantasy Drone Shows, creators of the visual program and drone operators, have flown drone light shows all over the country including Las Vegas, Miami, and Los Angeles. They have a one of a kind show planned for their performance. For more information, please visit www.crazyhorsememorial.org About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. " Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net Tanella Alleyne, Rihanna s cousin, has suddenly died at age 28, Loop Barbados News reported. The funeral occurred on Aug. 28, 2023, where Alleyne was laid to rest at Barbados St. George Parish Church. The Barbados church played Rihannas ballad Lift Me Up during the service to send her home. Its currently unclear whether or not Riri was present at the funeral. Julie-Ann Bryan, Tanellas adoptive mom, spoke to the churchs congregation about her cause of death. She stated that on Aug. 6, 2023, Alleyne received a CT scan, in which the doctor saw a big black mass. When her adoptive father asked for clarification, Tanella responded, a big black 44. No other details about her possible brain injury were shared. Bryan spoke about her daughter at the funeral and celebrated her love for life. [Tanella] lived a life of gratitude with an outrageous amount of attitude, sprinkled heavily with confidence, she said. There was something special about Nella. She was bold and courageous. Our love for each other was lit. Reverend Suzanne Archer of St. George Parish Church also offered words of love and condolence to Alleynes family. We are all gathered here today in thanksgiving to Almighty God for the life of dearly departed Tanella, and I know most of you are thinking like that Michael Jackson song says, gone too soon, she said. If it is one thing that we all know, but we may not think about a lot, is that death is inevitable for everyone. Yet despite this knowledge and the fact that you have lost several [family members] before, including her mother, brother, and twin sister, you never seem to be prepared for it, especially when the deceased is so young. Alleyne died six years after her brother Tavon was shot and killed in 2017. He was 21. During that time, Rihanna took to Instagram to send her condolences. RIP cousin cant believe it was just last night that I held you in my arms! never thought that would be the last time I felt the warmth in your body!!! Love you always man! #endgunviolence. More from VIBE.com Click here to read the full article. Corsage star Vicky Krieps is set to receive the TIFF Tribute Performer Award at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival. Krieps is being recognized as she attends Toronto for the world premiere of Viggo Mortensens The Dead Dont Hurt. The Luxembourg actress stars opposite Mortensen in the feminist Western romance drama as French-Canadian flower seller Vivienne Le Coudy, an irreverent and feisty young woman attempting to make a life for herself in a corrupt and violent Nevada town during the 1860s. More from The Hollywood Reporter Vickys transformative performances illuminate the screen, weaving emotions into a tapestry of storytelling. Her dedication to her craft and her ability to embody diverse roles with profound authenticity make her a true luminary in the realm of cinema, Cameron Bailey, CEO of the Toronto Film Festival, said in a statement on Tuesday. Krieps had a breakout role in Paul Thomas Andersons Phantom Thread, starring opposite Daniel Day-Lewis , starred in Barry Levinsons The Survivor and appeared alongside Tim Roth in Mia Hansen-Loves Bergman Island. In Corsage, Krieps played Sissi, also known as the Empress Elisabeth of Austria, in Austrian writer-director Marie Kreutzers feature. Colman Domingo will also receive a Tribute Performer Award at TIFF. Other the 2023 TIFF Tribute Award honorees include Andy Lau, Carolina Markowicz, Lukasz Zal, Shawn Levy, Pedro Almodovar and Spike Lee. The Toronto Film Festival is set to run from this Thursday through Sept. 17, with the TIFF Tribute Awards an annual fund-raiser for the festival and a stop on the awards season circuit set to be handed out on Saturday. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Click here to read the full article. Its been 13 years since The Walking Dead infected audiences with zombie fever and helped kick-start a decades-long obsession with stories of survival among the undead. Even in 2023, the craze has yet to die out, with three Walking Dead spinoffs premiering in just the last three years. Now, its Daryl Dixons turn. The gruff and beloved OG character finds himself in France for a brand new storyline, meaning even if you havent kept up with the show over the last 13 years, you can still tune in to The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Quick Overview Watch 'The Walking Dead' franchise free with Philo trial Philo $25 at Philo Stream 'Daryl Dixon' free ExpressVPN $7 at ExpressVPN Stream 'Daryl Dixon' free ExpressVPN $7 at ExpressVPN Want to catch up on The Walking Dead franchise anyway? Weve got you covered. Heres how to watch every Walking Dead series, from the original to The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Where can I watch The Walking Dead? The Walking Dead (and all of its spinoffs) are on AMC, the premium cable channel also known for Mad Men and Killing Eve. If you want to watch new Walking Dead spinoffs, or rewatch old seasons of the original series, you'll need a TV provider that carries the channel, or a streaming service that offers an AMC add-on. Here's what we recommend for watching The Walking Dead: (Photo: Philo) Watch 'The Walking Dead' franchise free with Philo trial Philo Live TV streaming service Philo currently has AMC's content, including The Walking Dead and subsequent spinoffs, new and old alike. Starting at $25 per month, Philo offers you access to over 70 live channels, including Discovery, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Lifetime and MTV. If youre looking to binge Season 5 of Yellowstone, Philo's got that too. The best part? Philo currently offers a 7-day free trial, so you could technically sign up for the service and stream for free. $25 at Philo How to watch The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon for free (sort of) (ExpressVPN) Stream 'Daryl Dixon' free ExpressVPN Residents of New Zealand are able to watch The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon free on TVNZ. When you factor in the time difference, new episodes drop at nearly the same time for New Zealanders. You can also watch new episodes free on-demand on TVNZ+. Not a resident of New Zealand? You can still stream like you do with the help of a VPN. ExpressVPN offers internet without borders, meaning you can tune into international shows, movies and sporting events as opposed to paying for US coverage. All you'll need to do is sign up for ExpressVPN, change your server location and then find the show on TVNZ. ExpressVPNs added protection, speed and range of location options makes it an excellent choice for first-time VPN users looking to stretch their streaming abilities, plus, it's Endgadget's top pick for the best streaming VPN. New users can save 49% when they sign up for ExpressVPNs 12-month subscription. Plus, the service offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you're nervous about trying a VPN. $7 at ExpressVPN How to watch The Walking Dead and new spinoffs: Don't want to sign up for Philo to make your way through The Walking Dead series? Here's more ways to watch The Walking Dead, from the original series to the Daryl Dixon spinoff. Where to watch The Walking Dead (2010-2021) After Sheriff Rick Grimes is shot on the job and put into a coma, he wakes to find the world has been entirely overtaken by the dead. The Walking Dead, that is! Based on the best-selling comic series, The Walking Dead follows survivors in the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. The hit series stretches across 11 seasons and has spawned five spinoffs (so far). The original Season 1 cast includes Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Melissa McBride and Lauren Cohan. Currently, you can catch the very first episode of The Walking Dead totally free on AMC.com. Watch on AMC+ Watch on Netflix Where to watch Fear the Walking Dead (2015-2023) This sort-of-prequel series takes viewers back to the start of the zombie apocalypse, introducing a blended family full of brand new characters in Los Angeles and then later in Mexico. The series, which saw a soft-reboot with its fourth season, stars Kim Dickens, Cliff Curtis, Frank Dillane, Alycia Debnam-Carey and Lennie James. Fear the Walking Dead is currently in its eighth season. Thanks to a "pop-up" streaming agreement, you can watch Fear The Walking Dead on Max for the next two months, along with several other popular AMC shows. Watch on Max Watch on AMC+ Where to watch The Walking Dead: World Beyond (2020-2021) Nestled in Nebraska inside a safe zone, the first group of teens to ever come of age during the zombie apocalypse decide to leave behind the only home theyve ever known to find their missing family members. Both seasons of The Walking Dead: World Beyond are available to stream on AMC+. Watch on AMC+ Where to watch Tales of the Walking Dead (2022) This episodic anthology miniseries explores new and familiar stories within the world of The Walking Dead. The show features appearances by Terry Crews, Olivia Munn and Jillian Bell. Watch on AMC+ Where to watch The Walking Dead: Dead City (2023) When Maggies son Hershel is kidnapped, she enlists Negan, despite her long-standing resentment of him, to travel to a post-apocalyptic Manhattan on a rescue mission. Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan reprise their original roles for Dead City, alongside Gaius Charles and Zeljko Ivanek. You can watch the first full episode of Dead City totally free on YouTube, and the entire season is out now on AMC+. Watch free on YouTube Watch on AMC+ Where to watch The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (2023) Daryl Dixon heads abroad in the newest Walking Dead spinoff, starring the fan-favorite Norman Reedus. The six-episode miniseries sees the gruff crossbow-toting good guy wash up on the shores of France, where he meets a new group of survivors and potential allies. Melissa McBride is rumored to be making an appearance as Carol in the new show, which officially premieres on AMC Sunday, Sept. 10. Watch on AMC+ Stream 'Daryl Dixon' free ExpressVPN $7 at ExpressVPN Will there be more Walking Dead shows? There are currently two more Walking Dead spinoffs in the works at AMC, though neither series has a set release date yet. The spinoffs are titles The Ones Who Live (2024) and More Tales from the Walking Dead Universe (TBD). Fernando Alonso suggested that F1 fans would have been excused if they were left with the impression that he had sat out last weekend's Italian Grand Prix, for it was an "anonymous race that no one will remember" as far as the Aston Martin driver was concerned. Alonso launched his afternoon of racing at Monza from P10 on the grid and crossed the checkered flag one position higher, having endured a rather solitary run to the checkered flag. But as uneventful as his day at the office may have seemed from the outside, it wasn't an easy Sunday drive for the two-time world champion at the wheel of a car that suffered from a lack of grid. "Obviously, many lessons to take from this race," Alonso commented. "We werent competitive so thats the main focus for us, trying to understand what we need to do different on this type of circuit. "It is frustrating because it was a very demanding race, mentally and physically, to drive the car with very low grip. It was very tricky to drive, one of the most difficult races of the year for me and the worst result [for me this year]. "An anonymous race that no one will remember, but it has been a tough one. But as I said, hopefully good lessons to take from here from the car, the data that we have from the race and we get better next time." It's likely Aston always expected its high-drag AMR23 to struggle in Monza's low-downforce environment, so raking in a few points will have perhaps satisfied the team overall. However, the low-key result reconciled with Ferrari's double top-four finish means that the Scuderia has progressed to third in F1's Constructors' standings, 11 points ahead of Aston Martin. "I think the car and the efficiency of the car is maybe not as it should be for this kind of track," Alonso acknowledged. "It seems to have been our weakness and we know that. "Now we need to get better and bring some new ideas. "I think we are executing the maximum from the car. Sometimes unfortunately its ninth like today, sometimes its second like last week. "But we are not doing any mistakes, with the strategy or the pitstops not making any big mistakes our competitors made at the beginning of the year so we have a good gap in terms of points. "Its getting closer, even Ferrari I think is ahead of us now with this result, so lets bounce back in Singapore." Singapore's Marina Bay high-downforce characteristics should indeed bring Aston and Alonso back into play. "It will be better than Monza for sure! But to win a race, we know how tough it is with Red Bull being outstanding every Sunday," noted the 42-year-old. "So, we will see if we are contenders in Singapore. Im not sure. Every weekend the order seems to change. "The last two street circuits, Alpine was very strong with Esteban [Ocon] in Monaco, and in Baku it was Ferrari dominating with Leclerc on pole position. So lets see in Singapore." Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter Avienda (Ayoola Smart) and Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) in Wheel of Time. Adapted from Robert Jordans epic fantasy tales, Prime Videos The Wheel of Time kicked off its second season last week. With three episodes out there in the world, and more coming each Friday through the eight-part season, io9 got a chance to talk to some of the shows directors and producers. While season one, which aired back in 2021, had to spend time familiarizing viewers with its world and characters, season two plunges right inand widens the scope considerably, since the narratives many players are now spread across various far-flung lands. Read more Producer Holger Reibiger points to the Morocco shoot in particular as presenting season twos biggest challenge, at least in terms of its locations. To shoot in Morocco, its a big challenge; we shot in one place [where] nobody had shot before. Its a very, very remote area with no infrastructure. So that was a big challenge for usbut it was important for us to shoot there and to show the audience this location and to incorporate [it] into season two. Added executive producer Marigo Kehoe, Its exciting to show the audience new placesplaces that they may not have seen before. If were able to achieve that, thats amazing. Like most series, The Wheel of Time is overseen by a team of directors who handle different episodesbut as you might expect, care is taken to ensure visual and thematic coherence. As an executive producer, I always look to making sure theres a balance, Hamri explained. Season one was kind of like the jumping off point for season two. So within that, I think its really important that all departments talk to each other and that were all on the same page, because we have various directors such as Thomas, who did an amazing job for our season opener. And therefore we need to kind of continue that language. Its really about managing that and making sure that we dont veer off, but we want to make sure that the filmmaker feels like they are doing their own thing as well within the context of the language. Its about sticking to the language of the world, but add in your particular flair. So to me, its about managing that and also managing the looks and the style. We have great department heads, so there were times when I would watch all the footage as it came in, as Im directing and preppingand then also making sure Im available for the directors if they have any questions [so they could] use me as much as possible [as a resource to help maintain] the overall vision of season two. Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) in Wheel of Time season two. Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) in Wheel of Time season two. As Wheel of Time fans well know, a big part of the story revolves around people who are able to use magic, or channel. Visually, it manifests on-screen with the help of swirling, sparkling special effects, but theres a certain performative element at play as well. [Series star] Rosamund Pike, [who plays Moiraine], works with a movement coordinator, Scarlett Mackmin, whos a former dancer and a choreographer. One of the things that they developed very early on in the show was the idea that the channeling was individual to each person that does the channeling, Napper explained. So there isnt a sort of uniform way of doing it, theres a personalized way of doing it. Channeling actually has to be a real experience, whether its going through your stomach or your hands, your arms, or whichever part of your body. Theres a very tangible, visceral approach to the magic, even though obviously there are no swirling lights and no sparkly anything [on set]. The actors are then given a kind of key into that, to kind of ground it in realism, whichtalking to Rafe Judkins, the showrunner, right from the beginning when I arrived at the beginning of this, one of the words that kept coming up again and again was how to make the show grounded. This is a high fantasy with a huge scope and huge ambition, but the performances and the ideas within those performances have to remain grounded and relevant for a contemporary audience. So its always the focus: how to make the magic grounded, how to make it feel real, and how to make the performances feel contemporary. The Wheel of Time season two streams new episodes Fridays on Prime Video. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. More from Gizmodo Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. The Worcester Art Museum has transferred ownership of the bronze bust "Portrait of a Lady (A Daughter of Marcus Aurelius?)" to the New York County District Attorneys Office so it can be repatriated to its country of origin after receiving new information about the objects history of ownership. WORCESTER The Worcester Art Museum said in a statement Tuesday that it will be hiring a provenance research specialist and increasing the scrutiny of its collection. Provenance research includes the history of the ownership of a work of art. The statement follows an announcement by the museum Friday that it has transferred ownership of the Roman bronze bust "Portrait of a Lady (A Daughter of Marcus Aurelius?)" to the Manhattan district attorneys office in New York City after receiving information that it was "likely stolen and improperly imported." A warrant signed by a judge in Manhattan June 8 ordered the seizure of the statue. The office of the Manhattan district attorney, also known as the New York County district attorney, has been conducting an ongoing investigation into a smuggling network involving antiquities looted from Bubon in southwestern Turkey and trafficked through Manhattan. "The Worcester Art Museum takes seriously its responsibility to be a steward of objects in its collection. With its limited resources, the museum has not been able to prioritize provenance research of its existing collection," the museum said Tuesday. "Based in part on its experience with the bronze bust, the museum will be hiring a provenance research specialist and increasing its scrutiny of its existing collection." The Roman bronze bust "Portrait of a Lady (A Daughter of Marcus Aurelius?)" dates to A.D. 160180 and is thought to have come from a large family shrine in Turkey of an emperor, possibly Marcus Aurelius or Septimus Severus, likely a life-sized representation of one of their daughters. The warrant said the bust is 21.5-inches tall and valued at $5 million. "It is public information that the New York County district attorney has investigated antiquities from many museum collections, including museums outside of New York. In the course of its investigation regarding the bronze bust at the Worcester Art Museum, the district attorney developed important new information not previously known to the museum that supplemented information in the museums files," the museum said Tuesday. "Because of the confidentiality requirements applicable to grand jury proceedings, the museum cannot disclose the new information. The museum turned the bust over to the district attorneys office, which will repatriate it as that office sees fit," the museum said. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester Art Museum will increase scrutiny of its collection In August, 15-year-old Ruben took a 5,200-mile trip from a shuttered private zoo in Armenia to his new sanctuary home in South Africa Animal Defenders International Ruben, a 15-year-old lion who spent five years abandoned at a zoo in Armenia, is now living in a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa. A lion left by himself at an abandoned zoo in Armenia for five years has finally found freedom at a sanctuary in South Africa. According to the animal rescue organization Animal Defenders International (ADI), 15-year-old Ruben was the only remaining animal at a private zoo in Armenia that closed five years ago. New homes were found for the shuttered zoo's other animals, but none of these locations had room for Ruben. As a result, Ruben spent five years in a concrete cell, where his mobility deteriorated due to malnutrition and no exercise. Animal Defenders International Ruben the lion, who is now at a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa. "Lions are the most sociable of the big cats, living in family prides in the wild," ADI President Jan Creamer said in a statement. "So it must have been devastating for Ruben to have no contact or communication with other lions." Fortunately, "the world's loneliest lion" got help through ADI and Qatar Airways Cargo, which arranged Ruben's 5,200-mile trip from Armenia to the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in Free State, South Africa. Related: How Cher Helped Save the 'World's Loneliest Elephant' and Even Sang to Him: 'It Was Life-Changing' After a successful flight to the sanctuary in August, Ruben is acclimating to his new home in his natural environment and rehabilitating from his lonely years at the zoo. The 455-acre sanctuary houses 32 rescued lions and tigers, per ADI. Animal Defenders International Ruben the lion is now back in his natural environment in South Africa after being left behind in an abandoned Armenian zoo. 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "Ruben was really in trouble until Qatar Airways Cargo stepped up," Creamer added. "ADI had been funding his care in Armenia since December, and when we could find no flights for him, we feared he could be stuck there." Animal Defenders International Animal Defenders International (ADI) and Qatar Airways Cargo helped facilitate Ruben's move from Armenia to South Africa. ADI said that Ruben was examined at a veterinary clinic in Pretoria and that his habitat at the sanctuary was built with ramps and guard rails to help the lion stay active safely while he works on regaining his mobility. "Ruben has already started to get his roar back, his morning calls getting steadily louder as he regains his confidence," ADI shared in its news release. "Seeing him walk on grass for the first time, hearing the voices of his own kind, with the African sun on his back, brought us all to tears," said Creamer, who added that Ruben's demeanor has been totally changed, and he is no longer fearful. Related: 4 Orphaned Lion Cubs from Ukraine Start New Life in Minnesota "His determination to walk is inspiring. If he stumbles or falls, he just picks himself up and keeps going. He is nothing short of heroic. Incredibly, in just a few days, his movement is already improving. We know this will be a long road and will require ongoing veterinary treatment, but the start of his new life could not have been better," Creamer added. Those interested in contributing to Ruben's continued care can learn more atadiwildlifesanctuary.org.za. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. An aerial view of an ancient temple with square rooms and stone walls. Archaeologists excavating a 2,800-year-old temple at a sanctuary in Greece have uncovered several artifacts, including figurines of a dog, a woman and a snake, according to the Greek Ministry of Culture. Some of these figurines may have been used as votive offerings, or gifts to the gods, intended for Poseidon, a Greek god of the sea. The sanctuary, dedicated to Poseidon, is located in the ancient city of Elikis (also known as Helike) on the northern coast of the Peloponnese in Greece. In addition to the artifacts, the archaeologists analyzed sediments at the site, finding that the sanctuary flooded several times around 2,800 years ago, they said in a translated statement . Eventually, the sanctuary fell into disrepair when Elikis was destroyed in an earthquake and tsunami that occurred more than 2,300 years ago. Related: Roman-era statues of Aphrodite and Dionysus unearthed in Turkey A bronze figurine, likely of a dog, from the excavation in Greece. The discovered artifacts include a bronze figurine that appears to be a dog and a clay figurine of a woman. They also found a snake head crafted out of bronze, a clay wing that may have been part of a sphinx or mermaid, and part of a gold necklace. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Related: 31 ancient temples from around the world, from Gobekli Tepe to the Parthenon These artifacts may have been used as offerings to Poseidon and any other gods that may have been worshipped in the temple, Anastasia Gadolou , director general of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, who is overseeing the excavation of the site, told Live Science in an email. Image 1 of 3 A golden piece of a necklace unearthed at the temple. Image 2 of 3 A bronze serpent head, likely from a scepter, that archaeologists found at the site. Image 3 of 3 A clay wing of a mythical form that was once part of an architectural relief, probably the pediment of a temple dating to 560 B.C. RELATED STORIES Broken pagan statue of Greek god Pan unearthed at early church ruins in Istanbul Greek gods and ancient mortals 'resurrected' in terracotta figurines discovered in Turkey 2,000-year-old seal depicting Greek god Apollo found in Jerusalem While the artifacts may have been used as offerings, any deeper understanding of their religious purpose for instance, why a dog-shaped figurine was used is uncertain. "A thorough study taking into consideration all evidence [derived] from the archaeological strati is more than essential," Gadolou said. The archaeologists have been excavating the sanctuary for nearly 20 years. Its discovery and association with Poseidon were noted in a series of papers published between 2011 and 2022. Ancient texts say that there was a sanctuary dedicated to Poseidon at this site and the discoveries at the site support this identification, archaeologists noted in the papers. As a millennial woman, I grew up hearing one message at home, only to get hit with some completely different ideas when I entered the workforce. At home, I had a stay-at-home dad who made sure I knew I could be anything I wanted to be, taught me traditionally "masculine" things like how to use tools, and encouraged me to picture myself as anything from a race car driver to an astronaut. Sanyasm / Getty Images But when I started working, I quickly met people who had very different expectations for me based only on my gender. Like, at 17, I worked under a restaurant manager who insisted that my main purpose in life was to bear children (for the record, I can't and I don't want to, so he was double-wrong). And it's not just me. We've shared some stories from women who faced ridiculous sexism at work, and in the comments, members of the BuzzFeed Community shared even more. Here are their stories: 1. "I went to work for a small company, and they had some big wigs coming. All of the women in the office had to clean before they showed up, but the men got to continue doing their jobs." 2. "We had a male guest in the office who asked me to make him a cup of coffee. I knew he asked me because I was a woman, but I told him, in all honesty, 'Sorry, I don't know how to make coffee.' (I don't drink it either.) I thoroughly enjoyed his surprise and dismay." fayealroy1234 3. "Male coworker who is 10+ years older asked me to write his report for him. When I asked why he was asking me because I knew that wasnt my job he said, 'Only because youre here in the room.' Later when I told another female colleague about it, she said he had asked her, too. When the guy had first started, most of the women in the office were secretaries who did type-up reports, but thats not what we were. He did it himself and never asked again." hex87 4. "I'm a doctor, and also a woman (shocking!). I briefly worked at an outpatient clinic where the other physicians were men. EVERY DAY I would receive numerous emails and instant messages from staff asking me questions about the other physicians' schedules and demanding that I call THEIR patients to organize scheduling. The other physicians not only allowed this, but turned up in my office repeatedly to ask me to organize their patient load and write down how they should schedule the day; whenever anyone called out sick, I was asked to call their patients to reschedule, or manage delegation of tasks. I was, of course, seeing a full roster of my own patients." "These were not older people either. There was one older physician, and the rest were my age, so there's no excuse about them being 'confused.' None of the men were EVER asked to do any of this. Meanwhile, people constantly referred to me as 'nurse' or asked if I was the 'assistant.' Needless to say, I no longer work there." twtwtw ABC / Via giphy.com 5. "We had a bat stuck in the doors of the grocery store I once worked at. Trying to help the poor little guy from more injury, I headed over to the floral department to get thick gloves to grab him. The floral manager asked me why I didn't grab one of the boys to do it. I replied that all the boys were currently hiding in their offices." rlbeattyrl 6. "I once worked a low paid office job that was almost unbearable except for the incredible friendships that I built with five of my female coworkers. We were all each other's work wives and would eat lunch together every day. One day, one of the older men who worked in the company stopped at our table and said with a smirk, 'What is this? A feminist meeting?' And I looked at him with a dead stare and said, 'No, Gerald, we are just women eating.' And God, it felt good. " sunshineinspring 7. "I work with a chap who openly admitted to me that if he doesnt want to do something, hell play the 'helpless man' card. Hell play dumb until someone else (read: a woman) does it for him. I call him on it whenever I notice him doing it, and hell grin sheepishly, then do the task. It really frustrates me that he STILL thinks he can get away with it." 8. "My team was told we had to have minutes for a meeting; it was me (a woman) and three guys. I knew in my core theyd try to make me do it, so I started the meeting by asking who would take minutes. After, like, 20 seconds of silence, one guy said he would. About 45 minutes later, I noticed he hadnt written anything. Someone said something pertinent to my role, so I jotted it down. After we were done, I told him it was really impressive that he just remembered everything we said, and he said, 'I saw you taking notes so I figured you could just do it.'" "I 'joke' yelled that I knew theyd make the girl do it, but I doubled down. I made a fucking Google Doc and told them all to add their own notes because I only had one note and they could remember stuff as well as I could. We were reviewed on it, and only one of the guys actually added anything to the doc. I made it pretty clear we hadnt designated a person and this was a team effort because sometimes, Im the petty bitch I aspire to be." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement gillianscheekbones 9. "I am a medical professional, and I have had men patients ask me to bring them water or tea. That is not my job. Please ask the nurse, not the person that is helping to diagnose and treat you." zombiedolllizkah 10. "HR once CC'ed me and ONLY the other women about a gift for a coworker (who I didn't even particularly like) who had just given birth. I replied that perhaps we could ask Luke, John, Bob, or the many other men who have several children, as I have none and have no idea what newborns might need." 11. "When I first started at my job, I was in another department where it was 99% men. I was an assistant, but not the personal kind in any way, shape, or form. So many of the drivers and warehouse guys thought I was there to clean their break room and make them coffee, go out and buy snacks and birthday shit, etc. One dude even had the audacity, and he was SERIOUS, to ask me to get his laundry done because he didn't have time. EXCUSE ME?" "I said no to every single fucking thing, and my boss, a man, said to be 'nicer.' I told him to fuck off. I talk to them no different than how they talk and demand things from me, and if this continues, I will QUIT. He had a meeting with the warehouse guys about it, and eventually, the drivers caught on and stopped. But my God, seriously?" morgan_le_slay 12. "In college, I had a summer job as a receptionist in a small office full of salesmen. The first thing they asked me to do was to organize their files, which seemingly had never been attended to. It took me a day or two to get that in order. Then they told me to clean the bathroom which was about the nastiest I had ever seen before or since. I did not do it. And when they sat around talking about how exactly they were planning to have sex with their girlfriends, l quit. No job is worth that kind of B.S." summerborn 13. "I work with all men. There are a few women, but they work in the office. I'm the only female in the field with all men. God forbid I'm not smiling one day and the constant comments of 'you should really smile more.' Always being called darling or princess. And not letting me carry things because it might be too heavy. I love the guys I work with, but sometimes, I feel like they think I'm super frail and dainty. And about the smile comments, how many people actually stand around and smile at nothing all day? Not many." laurenkaelawilson Paramount Pictures / Via giphy.com 14. "Literally 90% of my last job was in a hugely male-dominated law enforcement world. I outranked almost all and had almost two decades of experience on them and was still greeted (along with the female receptionists or accountants) with 'hey girls' by one of the chiefs daily. Zero respect given, and the subjugation was horrid." "Meeting minutes? Check. Coffee? Check. Parties? Check. Making sure the guys all set their trash out? Check. Documents. Graphics projects. Phone calls to disgruntled complainants? Check, check, check. Booking travel or venues? Check. NONE of which even REMOTELY fell under my job description. Been groped and hit on 'til I had to lock my office door to feel safe. Been flat out propositioned to 'earn my promotion' despite outscoring all others in testing. Have had kids brought to my office to watch while the guys were too busy. Finally had enough and quit in December. Daily migraines vanished!" fedtheeffup 15. "I was the only female on a seven-person leadership team. At my first executive meeting, a peer asked me if I was going to take notes on the meeting and then send them out afterwards. I responded, 'Are you asking this because Im the head of HR or the only woman present?' (Either way I was not okay with the request.) He responded that my predecessor had always done this (also only female). We decided we could all take our own notes from then on. It was the first of many surprising sexist requests and experiences there." nikarooo 16. "I was expected to wash the dishes that my male coworkers used when they would eat at work. Knowing I was the only other person working at the time, they would put their dirty dishes in the sink and leave, and I was the only other person there. I was not an assistant to them nor was I a janitor or maid. If I didnt do them, I would get complaints about me from the men, as well as other women working other shifts there who would end up doing the dishes for the men." 17. "My second year out of college I was working as a data analyst for a large NY bank. On the whole I loved my job, my manager, and my team. However, the managing director (bosss bosss boss) of our org insisted that another analyst (also female) and I plan events for the entire org, as a way to team-build. So, in our very limited free time, we had to call bowling alleys, escape rooms, etc. to schedule these events, keep track of attendees, and stay within our budget. At first I assumed he asked us because his admin was also busy so he was punting to the analysts, but over and over he would ask her and me, and never once asked one of the male analysts." "Finally I said to him, 'Asking me and [other female analysts name] again, huh. Why not [white guy analyst A] and [white guy analyst B]?' and his response was to laugh and say, 'I would, but I know they wouldnt do as good a job as [you] two, plus dont ladies love to plan events?' Agh." mstef10 18. "I'm a paralegal, and more than once, clients have come in to discuss their pending divorce with their attorney, and bring small children with them. This actually happened only a couple weeks ago. Guy is about to go into my boss's office, turns to me, and goes, 'You'll keep an eye on her, right,' and didn't seem like he was going to wait for a response. I said, 'No, I won't. I have a job to do, and it's not babysitting.' Look on his face was priceless." ash_the_flass 19. "There are no work, holiday, or birthday parties unless women arrange them. I was once the only woman at a small radio station. I didnt bother putting together work, birthday, or holiday parties, and after there was no Thanksgiving, Christmas, or birthday party for the boss, I was written up for not doing these things. I had never been told these were part of my duties. I quit after I was admitted to law school a few months later. I arranged my own 'Goodbye Party.' Every coworker showed up. Some brought their wives." 20. And finally, "A friend of mine is a woman scientist with a PhD and 20 years of experience in a male dominated field. She was asked by her bosss wife (another scientist heading a different research lab) to organize a baby shower for someone in *her* lab, and who my friend hadnt never met." lastmangoinparis Has anything like this ever happened to you? Tell me all about it in the comments. PureWow editors select every item that appears on this page, and the company may earn compensation through affiliate links within the story. You can learn more about that process here. Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Read the original article on Purewow. The Mexican beach town of Tulum has been the favorable place for the gypset crowd for quite some time, but travelers from across the world are increasingly enchanted by its bohemian approach, eco-friendly vibes and soulfuloften spiritualsense of nature. This nature is best on view at Tulums gorgeous and almost untouched white-sand beaches, often dotted with plant life, or at the second largest coral reef in the world. As a result of its staggering beauty, the region has become a much-in-demand location for yoga and wellness retreats, personal journeys and lots of inspired creativity. Did we mention its also home to the preserved ruins of an ancient Mayan port city? Just as the undeniable destination is exploding with visitors, its also bursting with an ever-growing list of new and old hotels. Still, to make your decision on where to stay a little easier, we curated a list of the best hotel resorts in Tulum in terms of value and experiencesall under $400/night*: ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement *At time of publish for high season rates Where to Stay and What to Do in Bacalar, Mexicothe Trendiest Spot South of the Border Layla Tulum Enamored couples are drawn to this picturesque haven in one of Mexico's most stunning regions. A reflection of its surroundings, Layla expertly weaves together authenticity and romance, creating an atmosphere that will captivate whether you opt to relax by the splendid courtyard and pool, reminiscent of a Moroccan Riad, or seek R&R within the elegantly adorned Moroccan-inspired rooms. A sexy rooftop bar with outdoor lounge vibes is an excellent place to grab a drink on-site. For grub, Layla's Burger Bar offers an explosion of flavor by blending Middle Eastern cuisine with Mexican Caribbean ingredientsnot to mention the American staple. The result? A taste you won't find virtually anywhere else! We recommend any of their outstanding draft beers to accompany it or savor a sip from their meticulously curated array of exceptional wines. Book It (from $170/night) Muare Hotels Something about the accent aigu (or e) makes everything feel a little fancier, even in this nightly price range. Muare is a word that means "when there's an intersection of patterns creating a pattern of its own," and the hotel's goal is to create unique experiences, something that nowhere else can offer. We'd say the design that promotes tranquility, intimacy, and lasting relaxation hit that nail on the head since the bohemian inspired villas at Muare blend seamlessly with the jungle, offering a magical escape that captures the very essence of Tulum's ancient wisdom. Some villas even feature semi-outdoor showers for an even more immersive experience, providing a further connection with nature. At the wellness center, located inside the hotel grounds, various experiences can keep you in a zen mode for your entire stay. Still, we especially recommend the Mayan Honey Massage and one of the property's invigorating yoga classes offered three times a week. The hotel's lovely Gaudea restaurant serves scrumptious meals focused on healthy foods that promote well-being without sacrificing taste. Most of the menu features authentic Mexican ingredients; for those with an extra nutritional kick, there are plenty of great smoothie options. book it (from $340/night) Coco Hacienda Tulum A former plant nursery, visitors to Coco Hacienda are greeted with vibrant, art-filled exterior walls and sun-sheltering thatched roof indoor spaces that bleed into the outdoors. Considering its origins, it's no surprise that the adults-only resort bursts with verdant plant life, plus potted cacti, palms, and hanging hammocks, making it feel like an intimate oasis. What we especially like about Coco Hacienda Tulum is that this hotel has a casual, elegant spirit. This is partly thanks to the infinity pool surrounded by eye-catching pink-hued stones and its accompanying restaurant slash coffee spot named Hell Yeah!, which, as the name implies, is extra special in vibes. Twinkling string lights are found around the property for further charming moments, and behind closed doors, the six guest suites feature bathrooms with wood and stone details, raised jacuzzi tubs, and gorgeous light. Charming Colonial-inspired architecture and design mean you'll find headboards with painted details and other traditional Mexican furnishings punched up by vibrant colors. book it (from $110/night) Leandro Bulzzano A former plant nursery, visitors to Coco Hacienda are greeted with vibrant, art-filled exterior walls and sun-sheltering thatched roof indoor spaces that bleed into the outdoors. Considering its origins, it's no surprise that the adults-only resort bursts with verdant plant life, plus potted cacti, palms, and hanging hammocks, making it feel like an intimate oasis. With 11 beachfront suites and 11 new jungle suites, La Valise is one of Tulum's most exciting hotels. Several suites feature king beds on wheels that can be rolled onto private terraces for al fresco nights under the stars, and there are also two mesmerizing Cenote Suites, which feature access to their own private cenote plus outdoor showers and private jacuzzis. La Valise is also home to a destination-worthy spa with treatments ranging from Bee Venom facials to Mayan Ancient Mud Rituals and couples Lunar Ceremonies that evoke the moon's energy. So yeah, sign us up! The hotel restaurant features farm-to-table dishes casually cooked over an open fire. They even work with an indigenous farming cooperative to ensure the ingredients used are purchased in fair trade. The eco-minded property (owned by Namron Hospitality, a boutique brand responsible for creating the Tulum Sustainability Pledge) gets extra points for being eco-luxe since it offers guests reef-safe sunscreens and has a single-use plastic ban on the property. Since the property is located on a secluded beach, they even take care to turn down the lights at night to conserve energy and, more importantly, aid in the natural turtle ecosystem. book it (from $261/night) 2023 Hilton This relatively new property opened in the Hunab Lifestyle Center, Tulum's stylish shopping and dining destination, in November 2022, marking Motto by Hilton's first international hotel. Beyond all the nearby shoppingwhich includes access to some beautiful, locally handmade goodsthe hotel is surrounded by ancient ruins, pristine beaches, nightlife, and famous cenotes. In fact, its location makes it strategically positioned 15 minutes to the Hotel Zone, Central Tulum, and the famed Tulum ruins by bike. Motto by Hilton Tulum also gets excellent marks for its friendly service, which makes it feel like a five-star resort, and its tip-top views from the rooftop one look at this dreamy spot and youll want to park it there all day until the mesmerizing sunset comes. For guests looking for an authentically local stay, Motto by Hilton Tulum has hosts onsite to specifically curate experiences for guests such as a premium mezcal tasting at Ancestral, a sustainable mobility E-scooter or E-bike, or even a jungle DJ class. The hotel has also partnered with the areas two biggest beach clubs, Bagatelle and Vagalume, to provide guaranteed access and sunbed service for hotel guests. The 115 guest accommodations are contemporary, with Mayan-influenced design cues, warm tiles and woods, rich stones, and a soothing neutral palette. Pro tip: Upgrade to a suite, many featuring ocean-facing balconies, living and dining areas, and spacious king bedrooms. The hotel is also a foodie's paradise, featuring five distinct concepts ranging from a pasta restaurant to a restaurant serving home cooked-style Mexican goodness. There's also a bar, cafe, a shared rooftop pool, and a fitness center overlooking a jungle tree canopy. book it (from $93/night) 13 Best All-Inclusive Family Resorts in Mexico As Apple's "Wonderlust" event approaches, rumors swirl about the tech giant introducing a new addition to its AirPods lineup. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple plans to launch updated AirPods with a USB-C charging case, replacing the current Lightning port. This aligns with Apple's commitment to meet new European Union regulations requiring USB-C charging ports for electronic devices. Gurman notes this marks the first iPhone connector switch in over a decade. The shift to USB-C extends to all four upcoming iPhone models, indicating a significant change in Apple's product designa transition that promises faster charging and broader compatibility with various devices. The event is also expected to unveil the highly anticipated iPhone 15 lineup, alongside speculation about the Apple Watch Series 9 and a next-generation Apple Watch Ultra. Apple's "Wonderlust" event will take place on September 12 at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California. In case you missed it, FLANNELS celebrates the nostalgic '90s with new ASTROLOUBI pop-up. Explore the history and scenery of Appalachias original gateway to the West. Theres something magnetizing about the Cumberland Gap. This geologic formation involves a deep notch, or gap, in the otherwise continuous ridgeline of Cumberland Mountain. The historic passage provided a critical gateway for Native Americans, bison, and more than 300,000 people crossing the Appalachians during the early days of U.S. westward expansion. It later became a strategic outpost for both Union and Confederate troops during the Civil War. The gap, situated near the heart of where Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia meet, called to travelers years ago and continues to today. Korrin Bishop Pinnacles Overlook offers a beautiful view of the town of Cumberland Gap. The town of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, sits in the valley below this mesmerizing dip, as if gazing up at it in awe. Deep green mountainscapes hug the park-like town in a 360-degree embrace. As it has for eons, Cumberland Gap welcomes outsiders, both those appreciating the regions natural beauty and those visiting from locations near and far. With its proximity to Lincoln Memorial University, the town exudes a youthful vibrance and collegiate population that ensures the welcoming passage documents new and diverse stories for years to come. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement When you arrive in Cumberland Gap, expect to hear gentle music wafting over from a nearby porch. Much of the towns charm revolves around the simplicity of a quality porch-sit, whether recovering from a long hike, enjoying a local band, or listening to the sound of silence. Korrin Bishop Cumberland Gap is filled with unique, historic lodging options like The Olde Mill Inn Bed & Breakfast. Where to Stay With its 1700s log cabin and late 1800s tongue-and-groove wood house, the Olde Mill Inn Bed & Breakfast evokes the sense of respite that westward travelers must have felt upon passing through the mountainous Cumberland Gap into town. Each of its nine rooms are thoughtfully decorated with eclectic themes that feel like homefrom Nanas sunflower room to the rustic Daniel Boone den. In the morning, you can share stories with fellow travelers at the inns 18-person, custom-made wooden plank table over a hearty breakfast of quiche, sausage, coffee, and warm blueberry muffins. The building sits beside the clear, babbling Gap Creek, so plan to let its song lull you into a restorative afternoon nap or meditation from the inns outdoor patio or your own private porch off The Suitea two-bedroom rental with a jetted tub for two. The town also offers several convenient, peaceful, short-term rentals through Airbnb or Vrbo. Youll find two unique options on Colwyn Avenue, the main street through Cumberland Gaps historic downtown. One, a craftsman Oklahoma Kit Home built in 1928, has three bedrooms, one bathroom, and delightful vintage furnishing. Located directly across from the towns Festival Park, outfitted with a shaded porch, and boasting manicured landscaping and cheerful yellow paint, its the best place in town to sit for a spell and enjoy your sweet tea. The other is a suite, the Inn Over Angelos, which rests above a local Italian joint that offers in-room dining. Your stay in this 1890 property includes antique mahogany trim, cherry wood flooring, hand-carved fireplace mantels, exposed brick walls, views of town, and maybe even a ghost story or two. Korrin Bishop Dining options in Cumberland Gap are made for lingering, like on the porch of Gap Creek Coffee House & Cafe. Where to Eat Begin at The Juice Spot, a casual dining option hosted in an old wedding chapel, for a smoothie, fresh-pressed juice, or acai bowl. Aptly named, The Day Starterpineapple, banana, spinach, agave, and coconut waterwill help power you up the mountain for your afternoon hike. You can also grab homemade wraps or salads to-go for a picnic later on. When youre jonesing for a caffeine kick or a lunch made for lingering, head over to Gap Creek Coffee House, where a sign above the buildings pillow-laden porch swing proudly declares, The Porch: Sit. Relax. Gossip. This understated dining nook sits in the shade of a towering mulberry tree. Its seating options sprawl from inside tables to chairs on the porch and outside around the cafes grassy side to the peaceful banks of Gap Creek. Grab a book from its adjacent tiny library to read while enjoying a grilled cheese with blackberry jam and jalapenos and local-favorite latte, the Caramel Monkey Monkeya vanilla-caramel blend. For a laid-back dinner with friends, plan for a night at Angelos in the Gap. Youll find all your Italian favorites, from fettuccine alfredo and meat lasagna to calzones and pizza. Ample seating inside and on the patio makes this an excellent spot for groups. Pro tip: Opt for the Sicilian deep dish crust to experience the glory of a pizza encircled with perfectly doughy breadsticks. Nineteen19 Grill & Bar offers diverse lunch and dinner menus in an approachable, yet elegant atmosphere. Its perfect for a romantic date night, family get-together, or celebratory gathering of friends. Youll find meals that sample cultures from around the world and just down the street, including tacos, sushi, surf and turf, chicken and waffles, salads, and more. Wherever your entree travels, start with the sweet corn croquettes with jalapeno and roasted garlic lime aioli and end with the berry-topped creme brulee. Korrin Bishop You can hike to the historic Cumberland Gap by taking the Wilderness Trail from town. What to Do Despite its small town population and tranquil vibe, Cumberland Gap is filled with activities that may just keep you from that full-day porch nap you had planned. Get Outside Cumberland Gap National Historical Park encompasses 14,000 acres of wilderness with 85 miles of trails, several of which are accessible via a quick walk from your lodgings front door. A visit to Cumberland Gap truly puts the national park in your backyard. Start at the Iron Furnace Parking Area and walk the Tennessee Road Trail 0.1 miles to the remnants of an 1819 blast furnace, which produced around three tons of iron each day throughout the 1800s. Follow the trail another 0.3 miles to its intersection with the Wilderness Trail. Turn left to hike another 0.3 miles up the trail to the historic Cumberland Gap formation, noted by a wooden park sign. From here, turn left to hike up Tri-State Peak Trail 0.6 miles to Tri-State Point, where youll find an overlook, signage, and a chance to stand in three states at the same time: Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky. Descend Tri-State Point the same way you came up. When you reach the historic Cumberland Gap, turn right on the Wilderness Trail. In about 0.5 miles, youll reach a 0.1-mile spur trail to your left where you can check out the entrance to Gap Cave. From that junction, its another 0.3 miles to a path that turns to the right that will bring you to the Daniel Boone Visitor Information Center. If you turn right in this parking area, youll find a long boardwalk back into town. This hiking loop is about three miles and offers scenery, history, and fresh air to start your day. If you have time, drive into the park to check out Pinnacles Overlook, which offers a gorgeous view of the town tucked below. Use it to eye good porches for your post-hike refreshment. You can also ask local business owners about the towns bike rental program to cruise the towns paved rail-trail greenway. Korrin Bishop Shop for local arts and crafts at the Cumberland Gap Artists Co-op. Shop Local Cumberland Gap is peppered with local businesses where you can find your own little slice of the town to take home as a memory. Hillfolk is an Appalachian herbal shop and learning space with teas, oils, tinctures, face creams, salves, soaps, books, arts, and more. Stop by for an education on the areas healing diversity of plants. Meanwhile, antiquers will love the towns two vintage shops: Whistle Stop Antiques and Gertie's Commissary. The latter is located in Cumberland Gaps historic depot. Set aside ample time to peruse the Frame Shop & Gallery for a variety of regional art and photography with a side of local lore from the stores owner, Steve Moore, born and raised in the region. The nearby Cumberland Gap Artists Co-op is another must-stop for Appalachian arts and crafts. Youll find everything from felted portraits and watercolor landscapes to handmade jewelry and homemade preserves. Chat with the days cashier to learn about which of the artworks in the store are theirs and the inspiration they gain from their surroundings. Korrin Bishop The Olde Church is one of several lovingly restored historic buildings in Cumberland Gap. Explore Town Gems Take a stroll around Cumberland Gap and youll see how the town has melded new with old. Drop a letter to a loved one at the Cumberland Gap Post Office, an adorable hut of a building that was established in 1803. It changed hands between the areas three states before finding its forever home back in Claiborne County, Tennessee, in October 1885. Next, head up the road to the Cumberland Gap City Hall, a two-story, red-brick building that was originally constructed in 1925 as the towns public school. Stop to enjoy the swings out front before looping back to town past The Olde Church Events Center. Established in 1890, The Olde Church was nearing collapse when a husband-and-wife team, Bill and Tammy, were traveling through Cumberland Gap in 2021 from Oregon. The moment Tammy arrived in Cumberland Gap, she said she felt at home. Within days of seeing the historic church building, the couple bought it and began a major renovation to bring it back to life. As they began their work, Tammy learned how seven generations ago, one of her relatives had entered Tennessee through the areas famed gateway to the West around 1790. Stop in to hear tales from Tammy and Bill about their intricate rehabilitation project, gaze at colorful light through the churchs original stained glass, or attend one its community events. The space also offers lodging perfect for wedding parties, family reunions, or other groups. Finish your loop of town with a couple of its newer additions. The Little Congress Bicycle Museum is a quirky, hole-in-the-wall homage to pedal power. The Paul V. Hamilton Center for the Arts is home of LMUs Arts in the Gap programs, including workshops, exhibitions, and performances rooted in Appalachian crafts. You can also opt for an evening ghost tour to see where the past still haunts the present in this quaint little town. Korrin Bishop Outdoor movies are a summer and fall favorite in Cumberland Gap's Berkau Park. When to Visit Cumberland Gap is a delightful destination year-round. If youre looking for a quieter time to visit, choose months when the neighboring LMU is out of session. The fall is also a beautiful time to explore when colorful leaves paint the mountainsides. As a bonus, the autumn scenery in Cumberland Gap comes with far fewer crowds and ample parking compared to the region's well-known leaf-peeping spot, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If you want to soak up Cumberland Gap at its liveliest, plan your trip around one of its many annual festivals. FolkFest occurs in August and celebrates Appalachian crafts, music, vendors, and more, with some of the events most popular concerts taking place on residents porches. The Tri-State Outdoors Fest takes place in July and showcases Cumberland Gaps rich culture of hiking, mountain biking, paddling, hunting, fishing, boating, and other outdoor activities. Other events include outdoor movies, farm-to-table dinners, Airstream rallies, and more. You can learn about the towns upcoming events on its website. For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Southern Living. Many who know the name Ann Lowe entered her story when she designed Jacqueline Bouviers wedding dress for her marriage to John F. Kennedy and wasnt credited for it. But beyond that, theres still too little known about the designer, who would spend 60 years crafting couture-quality gowns for the highest of American society. Now a new exhibit, Ann Lowe: American Couturier the largest ever of her work opening Saturday at the Winterthur museum in Delaware, and the matching book being released alongside it, are unraveling more of the story that was nearly never sewn into the fabric of fashions history. More from WWD ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Baby pink tulle is the first feast for the eyes; a ballgown Lowe designed in 1961 that, as Elizabeth Way, who wrote the book and is guest curating the exhibition, describes, really shows off her mastery of color. Her style was very feminine, it was very traditional. She worked in a 19th century dressmaking practice so she built dresses from the inside out everything from the interior structure, the bras and bodices she built in, working its way out in layers. She had a lot of handmade embellishments, whether its beading, applique, creating three-dimensional fabric flowers, everything was done with a lot of handwork and a lot of attention to detail. To see her pieces in person 40 of which will be on display spanning designs she created from 1928 through 1968 is breathtaking, according to Way. When you see each dress in detail, you get this immediate impression of how elegant and how feminine and fashionable these silhouettes were, she continues. But when you look close, you start to see all these little details pop out at you, so its really a multilayered experience. And to be in the gallery and surrounded by all of them at the same time is actually very special. View of a cotillion dress designed by Anne Lowe, made from silk, satin, rhinestones, sequins and glass beads, 1956. Before Way met Lowe as a figure to uncover (shed write her masters thesis on Lowe and Elizabeth Keckley, whose stories as under-acknowledged Black dressmakers, she found, share similarities) Margaret Powell was unearthing her story. It was Powell, the scholar credited in the books preface for her early and in-depth work to bring Lowe to light, who had the idea for the Winterthur exhibit. When she died in 2019, Winterthur invited Way to curate it. It was also Powell who wanted the world to understand that Lowes story cant be limited by race alone. In the early pages of the book, Powell writes about an interview Lowe did on The Mike Douglas Show in the 60s when she said the driving force behind her work was to prove that a Negro can become a major dress designer. For Powell, the predominant theory behind Lowes exclusion from the story of popular American fashion is simply that the American public was not ready for her argument. While that would have been true, Powell says this almost single-minded focus on race kept history from really analyzing Lowe as a designer and considering her body of work. Still, despite the hardships she faced, race-related and otherwise, Lowe could never be mistaken in claiming her rank as a major dress designer. If we really look at haute couture output, its really on that level, Way says. She was a very important American designer who contributed a lot to the American fashion culture. It wasnt all ready-to-wear coming from Seventh Avenue; she was making couture in the same ways they were making it in France. So we have that level of talent and skill here in the United States and she helped build what we think about as American fashion. The exhibit, like the book, catalogues Lowes journey and the dresses that decorate it. From her birth in Alabama circa 1898 (her self-reported birth date never matched local census data), the daughter and granddaughter of dressmakers, to taking up that baton as early as age 5, when she started sewing scraps into the fabric flowers that would ultimately become a staple of her designs, the book follows Lowe to Tampa, where she heads at the request of society woman Josephine Edwards Lee to outfit her and her daughters. There she designs under her married name, and Annie Cone becomes the label of note for wedding gowns, bridesmaids dresses, debutante balls and the local Gasparilla festival. The Lee family, whose wealth stemmed from the citrus business, would ultimately support Lowes studies at a dressmaking school in Manhattan and later, in setting herself up for a long career there. She arrived in New York City just before the Great Depression with money she had accumulated and a mindset to make it, whatever the odds. She dropped her married name and became Ann Lowe. In the city, Lowe would design for Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and for her own namesake business at different points in time. She built up her client base which, before long, consisted of the New York Social Register, meaning she kept busy crafting designs for these prominent families and their full calendars of events and appearances. A sampling of all of these dresses appear in the exhibit. We look at groups of dresses, Way says. The first one we encounter is a bit of a historical timeline of what youll see in the exhibition. It charts her work from the 1920s through the 1960s and it really shows the changing silhouettes. She had a very, very long career, so this section is a little insight into her biography and talks about the span that she was designing over. From there, the exhibition looks at debutante gowns, fantasy gowns, a 20s Gasparilla dress and wedding gowns, including a replica of Jacqueline Kennedys wedding dress (the original lives at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum) painstakingly done by Katya Roelse, an instructor in the fashion and apparel program at the University of Delaware and a freelance technical designer. Way says Roelse attributed the experience to walking in her footsteps and the very intricate work that she did. A replica of Jacqueline Kennedys wedding dress done by Katya Roelse. Lowe designing that dress though it could have been the catalyst for an even more prominent and perhaps global career had she been credited became the now-controversial moment that really brings her into the wider fashion conversation, years after the wedding. In its own coverage in a 1953 article, WWD would describe the dress, saying: The bride wore ivory silk taffeta with horizontal tucking on snug bodice and around the hem of the full skirt, which was further embellished with round medallions done in tucking, also without crediting Lowe. It wasnt until 1961, when Ladies Home Journal published a piece on the new first lady, including a line about her wedding that read: The brides gown and those of her bridesmaids were designed by a colored woman dressmaker, not the haute couture, that people knew anything about who had designed Kennedys dress. And Lowe wasnt happy at all. Ann Lowe did take exception to that, Way says. In the book, Way continues, Lowe wrote to Kennedy expressing how hurt I feel as a result of an article.I realize it was not intentional on your part but as you once asked me not to release any publicity without your approval, I assume that the article in question, and others, was passed by you.I have worked hard to achieve a certain position in life which has been considerably more difficult due to my race. At this late point in my career, any reference to the contrary hurts me more deeply than I can perhaps make you realize. Lowe asked instead to be described as a noted negro designer not even requesting her name be included. Research shows Kennedys press secretary called Lowe to apologize, saying the words were the reporters and not the first ladys, and that Kennedy wasnt aware they were being written. Lowe would have many high points and setbacks over the course of her contribution to fashion, but she remained hopelessly devoted to making dresses until glaucoma finally took her eyesight and prevented her from doing so. Its a story more than worthy of fashions recognition. But why now for the exhibit? Now is as good a time as any it should have happened earlier but this is when we were able to put it all together. I think its a long time coming, but its always a good time to think about what new stories we can tell about fashion history or history in general. Ann Lowe has a fascinating story, she has a lot of really beautiful material culture and I think we are in a moment, more than ever, that people are interested in fashion exhibitions, interested in fashion history, Way says. In the wake of the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, people are also interested in whats been left out of history, especially in regard to Black artists and creatives of all kinds. Sections on Lowes construction techniques, how past clients kept and altered her work to match modern styling, as well as pieces from contemporary designers like B Michael, Tracy Reese and Amsale Aberra, who have drawn on the foundation Lowe laid, round out the exhibit, which runs through Jan. 7, 2024. The 208-page companion book published by Rizzoli on Sept. 5, will help to solidify Lowes life and work in the fashion record. While there are no plans at present for Ann Lowe: American Couturier to travel, Way says she hopes it kicks off a series of exhibits around and including Lowes work. For [this] exhibition I want people to walk in and really be awed by the beauty. Thats what she was really about, was just creating really beautiful dresses. And we see these dresses from the 1920s through the 1960s, so just to get lost in the beauty of her material culture, she says. But I also want other museums, other scholars to be more aware of her work, what they have in their collections and just incorporate it into their exhibitions. Whatever those themes might be. Her work can speak to a lot of different themes and I hope that shes just more integrated into fashion history from now on. And I hope that the book serves as a really great resource to help other scholars, emerging scholars and existing curators do that. Best of WWD Click here to read the full article. In this article, we discuss the 10 best gold ETFs to invest in. If you want to skip our detailed introduction to the gold industry and just want to take a look at some more ETFs, go directly to the 5 Best Gold ETFs. Gold stands as one of the most ancient investment assets known in history. While some investors hold unwavering faith in its worth, others hold a contrary opinion. That said, it's hard to dispute the distinctive role the precious metal occupies in markets serving as a store of value that sets it apart from nearly all other assets. Gold functions as a safe-haven metal that provides a hedge against various risks, including geopolitical upheavals, and financial turmoil. This occurs because investors seek a secure asset to safeguard their buying power and as a hedge against the erosion of the value of national currencies such as the US dollar. Similar to any commodity, the price of gold is subject to the forces of supply and demand. Gold serves multiple purposes beyond merely being a store of value or an investment. Substantial portions of gold demand are attributed to its use in jewelry and various industrial applications, including electronics and medical devices. Consequently, shifts in the growth or contraction of these industries will invariably impact the demand for gold. Nonetheless, in recent months, numerous individuals have raised doubts about gold's role as a hedge against inflation. The price of gold has exhibited significant volatility, mirroring the turbulent fluctuations of the markets due to shifts in interest rates, geopolitical challenges, and evolving market projections. During the past year alone, gold has surged, reaching a value exceeding $2,000 per ounce in early 2023. In June, both the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England (BoE) opted to raise interest rates. In contrast, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) maintained its target rate unchanged, allowing the impacts of the tightening cycle to gradually permeate the real economy. While concerns about a recession have diminished somewhat, they are not completely eliminated. In such periods, the inherent value of gold becomes notably more appealing than alternative investments like stocks and bonds. While the appeal of other stocks and bonds wanes, there's an expectation of strong performance from gold stocks due to the increasing demand for the precious metal. A report from Bloomberg referenced information provided by Invesco, revealing that global sovereign wealth funds and investors are accumulating gold. Invesco based its findings on a survey encompassing 85 sovereign wealth funds and 57 central banks, collectively overseeing approximately $21 trillion in assets. In relation to gold, the report stated, "A significant portion of central banks express apprehension about the precedent established by the US freezing of Russian reserves, with the majority (58%) concurring that this incident has heightened the attractiveness of gold." The survey findings underscored that gold's role as an inflation hedge persists, with a noteworthy portion of central banks planning to increase their gold holdings over the upcoming three years. Story continues In its gold outlook report for March 2023, fund management company Wisdom Tree suggested that while gold may reach a nominal high this year, achieving a "real" high remains a distant prospect. The report indicated that, even in the most optimistic scenario, gold prices are expected to remain approximately 11% below the inflation-adjusted peaks witnessed during the 1980s. Wisdom Tree noted that if inflation were to decrease significantly (Siegal Case), and the Federal Reserve were to successfully control it earlier than anticipated, gold could see an increase in value. In addition, the report highlighted that gold faced challenges in 2022 due to a strong US dollar. However, in the current year, the precious metal has experienced a resurgence in response to the depreciation of the dollar's value. Wisdom Tree also pointed out that the prevailing consensus suggests that inflation will continue its decline throughout 2023, and both the US dollar and bond yields are expected to decrease as well. Furthermore, there is a notable sense of optimism surrounding the revenue and production prospects for H2 2023 among firms such as Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM). During the Q2 2023 earnings conference call, Tom Palmer, the CEO of Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM), expressed: As planned, higher gold production is expected in the second half of the year, and will be driven by higher grades and tonnes mined from both Subika Underground and open pit at Ahafo. Higher grades and tonnes mined Cerro Negro is the first wave of our district expansion which comes online in the third quarter. Higher tonnes mined and processed at Tanami, where we will mine the highest grades for the year in the fourth quarter. 10 Best Gold ETFs Our Methodology We have curated a collection of ETFs that grant access to gold stocks spanning different market capitalizations, including large-, mid-, and small-cap firms. The goal of this compilation is to offer a comprehensive selection of well-regarded funds listed on US exchanges. Furthermore, we have highlighted the top holdings of these ETFs, wherever applicable, which include prominent companies such as Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:GOLD), Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM), Centerra Gold Inc. (NYSE:CGAU), and Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM), to provide deeper insights for potential investors. Lastly, these gold ETFs have demonstrated remarkable growth over the past five years. The list is organized in ascending order based on their five-year performance as of August 20, 2023. 10. iShares Gold Strategy ETF (BATS:IAUF) 5-Year Performance as of August 20: 23.30% The primary objective of the iShares Gold Strategy ETF (BATS:IAUF) is to mirror the investment outcomes of a foundational index which consists of exchange-traded contracts for gold futures and one or multiple ETPs supported by or connected to tangible gold. The investment fund allocates resources to a blend of exchange-traded gold futures contracts and additional exchange-traded or over-the-counter derivatives. These derivatives correlate with the performance of physical gold, determined by the hypothetical value of said derivative tools and ETPs tied to physical gold. As an example, this could encompass entities like the iShares Gold Trust. As of August 18, the fund's Expense Ratio stood at 0.34%. 9. VanEck Gold Miners ETF (NYSE:GDX) 5-Year Performance as of August 20: 44.85% The VanEck Gold Miners ETF (NYSE:GDX) aims to closely mimic, prior to deducting fees and expenses, the price and yield progress of the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (GDMNTR). This index is designed to monitor the comprehensive performance of businesses engaged in the gold mining sector. Although not directly tied to physical gold, this investment avenue provides investors with diversified access to major publicly traded gold mining enterprises. The portfolio encompasses 51 mining companies, featuring notable names such as Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM), a prominent mining firm with a primary emphasis on gold. The company is also engaged in the extraction of copper, silver, zinc, and lead. Its gold mining operations are distributed across various countries including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Australia, Ghana, the Dominican Republic, and the Republic of Suriname. In the second quarter of 2023, Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM) was a part of the portfolios of 49 hedge funds, with a collective valuation of $652.58 million. Leading the pack for the second quarter was First Eagle Investment Management, holding the most substantial stake with more than 18.45 million shares. Similar to Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:GOLD), Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM), and Centerra Gold Inc. (NYSE:CGAU), Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM) is a gold stock that investors should look out for. 8. abrdn Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF (NYSE:GLTR) 5-Year Performance as of August 20: 47.28% The abrdn Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF (NYSE:GLTR) is an exchange-traded fund incorporated in the USA. The objective of the Shares is to provide investors with a chance to engage in the gold, silver, platinum, and palladium markets by investing in securities. These Shares are designed to present both institutional and retail investors with a straightforward and cost-effective method, featuring low credit risk. This approach allows investors to attain investment advantages akin to possessing physical Bullion metals in the same proportions as held by the abrdn Precious Metals Basket ETF Trust. Launched in October 2010, the fund's Total Expense Ratio stood at 0.6% as of August 18. 7. SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE:GLD) 5-Year Performance as of August 20: 53.58% The SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE:GLD) is an exchange-traded fund ETF that aims to track the performance of gold bullion. Created by State Street Global Advisors, GLD provides investors with a way to gain exposure to the price movements of gold without physically owning and storing the precious metal. Each share of GLD is designed to represent a fractional ownership in actual gold bullion stored in secure vaults. For a few years, the fund held the position of the world's second-largest exchange-traded fund, even briefly achieving the distinction of being the largest. 6. VanEck Merk Gold Trust (NYSE:OUNZ) 5-Year Performance as of August 20: 54.56% The VanEck Merk Gold Trust (NYSE:OUNZ) introduces a unique dimension to physical gold investment. It permits investors to redeem their funds and subsequently receive physical gold, corresponding to their ETF holdings. The minimum delivery size is 1 ounce, and there are associated fees for converting shares to physical gold. Nonetheless, the inclusion of an option for on-demand physical delivery enhances the appeal of this fund for certain investors. Formed in May of 2014, the fund's Expense Ratio stood at 0.25% as of August 18. Click to continue reading and see the 5 Best Gold ETFs. Suggested articles: Disclosure. None. 10 Best Gold ETFs is originally published on Insider Monkey. Late last month, Ski Portillo was hit with the sort of snowstorm that happens rarely -- if at all -- during any given winter. By the end of that storm cycle, the resort had received eight feet of snow. If that was the final hurrah of winter in Chile, I imagine no one would be particularly upset -- it's hard to complain after an eight-foot dump. Yet, despite already fulfilling their seasonal duties, the Snow Gods continue to deliver at Ski Portillo. Winter, it seems, is just getting started. Here's a snowfall update from Ski Portillo shared yesterday, September 4th. At the time of sharing this post, Ski Portillo had received 17 inches of snow, small-fry stuff compared to the previous storm, but still nothing to bat your eye at. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The resort has now seen roughly 200 inches of snow this season. While Ski Portillo's access roads are currently closed, 11 of its 14 lifts are open for skier use. As for snow conditions, they've been about as bomber as you'd expect. Here's a Ski Portillo video update from skier Andrew Rumph earlier this week. Don't miss another headline from POWDER! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skiing. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging ski-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional skier 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 POWDER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality ski videos. The Fish and Wildlife Division of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection confirmed the states first-ever record barracuda on Tuesday. It was added to CDEEP's Exotic Marine category alongside several other fish species that arent typically associated with North Atlantic waters. But the barracuda was technically caught off the coast of New York, which had some East Coast anglers scratching their heads over Connecticuts rules surrounding saltwater fishing records. In a Facebook post , the CDEEP named Jonathan Rogers as the new state record holder. Rogers 48-inch barracuda weighed roughly 19 pounds, according to the agency, and he weighed the fish on a certified scale at a tackle shop in Niantic, Connecticut. Few additional details about the catch were included in the social media post, but one significant detail stuck out: Rogers caught the fish south of Montauk in New York waters. https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCTFishAndWildlife%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02Cb5JxPrVQkWjbTYy4LCYJUAhYBZEj56hSmVZVRhYEgkb6j8efisE7kmRnQjWzVtol&show_text=true&width=500 Explaining why the barracuda was still certified as a new Connecticut record, the agency included this caveat in its post: Saltwater records and trophy fish may be caught outside of Connecticut but only qualify if the vessels home port is in Connecticut. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The explanation triggered quite a few comments from Facebook users. Some wondered (with varying degrees of sarcasm) if this would allow them to certify exotic records caught in faraway locations so long as their boat was docked in a Connecticut marina. So, I can go to Florida, catch a marlin and boat it back to [Connecticut] to be considered for a [Connecticut] state record rather than a [Florida] state record? one person commented. Another user asked a similar question, but instead of using Florida marlin as a hypothetical example, they asked about giant tuna caught off North Carolinas Outer Banks. Yes, the agency responded, if your vessels home port is in Connecticut and you catch a big tuna off of the canyon, please submit for consideration Best of luck. The CDEEP added that its marine records program is unique because saltwater fish can swim freely across arbitrary boundaries. Connecticuts marine boundaries are also much more limited than other states along the East Coast. Sandwiched between New York and Rhode Island, Connecticuts marine zone stretches between the Byram and Pawcatuck Rivers but ends halfway across the Long Island Sound. Everything south of that boundaryincluding where Rogers caught his record barracudais considered New York waters. Read Next: Unfamiliar Fish Turns Out to Be Connecticuts New State-Record Cobia Most northeastern states (including New York) dont even consider barracudas to be eligible for record consideration. The fast-swimming predatory species is more associated with warmer waters further south, and the closest state to Connecticut with a barracuda record on its books is North Carolina . The IGFA all-tackle world record for the species weighed nearly 90 pounds. That barracuda was caught off Christmas Island, which lies in the middle of the Pacific Ocean south of Hawaii. Well, this sounds like a pretty crappy situation for everyone involved. The transatlantic Delta Air Lines flight was forced to turn around Friday after a passenger had a severe case of diarrhea, according to multiple reports. Flight DL194, traveling from Atlanta to Barcelona, had to make a U-turn near central Virginia, data from Flightradar24 indicates. An audio transmission between the pilots and air traffic control recorded from LiveATC.com was shared by an aviation enthusiast on X, formerly Twitter. Its just a biohazard issue, a pilot could be heard saying in the recording. We had a passenger who had diarrhea all the way through the airplane so they want us to come back to Atlanta. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Airbus A350 made it back to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport a little more than two hours after its departure, according to FlightAware. An Airbus A330 flying from Toulouse, France, in July. An Airbus A330 flying from Toulouse, France, in July. Delta told CNN that the flight was delayed for over eight hours. It eventually landed in Barcelona without further incident on Saturday at 5:16 p.m. local time. Our teams worked as quickly and safely as possible to get our customers to their final destination, a spokesperson told the outlet. We sincerely apologize to our customers for the delay and inconvenience to their travel plans. A Delta rep told Insider that flight DL194 had to return to Atlanta following an onboard medical issue, though the airline never indicated what this issue was. HuffPost has reached out to the airline for clarification about the medical issue and hasnt received a response. However, we hope whoever had the accident is surrounded by loved ones and lots of Pepto Bismol. Some users on X claimed to be on the flight or knew someone who was and provided more details. My partner was on that flight! It was pretty bad, one user wrote. It was dribbled down the aisle, smelled horrible. The vanilla scented disinfectant used on it only made it smell like vanilla s***. After the plane landed, it was thoroughly cleaned. They didnt leave until around 2:30 am. Both my wife and I were on the flight. It was a mess, another user wrote. The pilots made the right decision to turn around. The ground crew ripped out the carpet and put new in. Considering the circumstances, the ground crew did a great job, along the attendants and the pilots. Turning around, although inconvenient, sounds like a much better call than other airlines have made in similar situations. In June, a passenger on an Air France flight from Paris to Toronto found a puddle of a previous passengers blood and diarrhea on the floor of the seat in front of him, CNN reported. When the passenger alerted a flight attendant about the mess near his feet, he told the outlet he was handed wet wipes and had to clean it himself. He told CNN, We had to sit there smelling the blood for the next seven hours. Related... 2023 interest rates Government backed Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans are making a strong comeback here in the southern San Joaquin Valley, and you may only need a 3.5% down payment. The FHA loans picked up more than 20% of the market share in the spring, up from 18% at the beginning of the year and 12% the year prior, according to data originally compiled by Alisa Wolfson from Black Knights March 2023 Market Monitor Report. A cooling market lacking the multiple bids and all-cash offers of the recent past has made sellers more receptive to FHA offers. That, combined with a recent reduction in FHA mortgage insurance premiums and a mid-month increase in the FHA-to-conforming spread, made FHA loans comparatively more attractive, says Andy Walden, vice president of enterprise research at Black Knight. For Valley buyers, FHA loans can be easier to qualify for than standard mortgages ands require less elapsed time for major credit problems to pass, like bankruptcy. Furthermore, this year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a 30-basis point reduction to the annual mortgage insurance premium for homebuyers who obtain an FHA-insured mortgage, reducing the premiums from 0.85% to 0.55% and saving Americans an estimated $678 million by the end of the year. (FHA loan borrowers are typically required to pay a mortgage insurance premium, which is essentially an insurance policy for the lender to help protect from borrowers who may default.) What is an FHA Loan? These loans are government-insured by the FHA, an independent regulatory agency that provides supervision, regulation and housing mission oversight for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks. Essentially, they let home buyers with less-than-ideal credit or smaller down payments purchase a home, refinance an existing mortgage, or renovate a home by taking out a second mortgage. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Some one with less than stellar credit. Experts say in addition to the monthly mortgage insurance rate dropping substantially a few weeks ago, the credit score factor plays a big role in who should consider an FHA loan. It used to be a credit score above 700 buyers would use a conventional loan, but lately it can be clients with credit scores over 700 still benefitting from an FHA loan program. We urge you to contact a mortgage lender in your marketplace and get the most up to date information directly from your preferred lender. Keep in mind that in most parts of the country, FHA limits for a single-family home are capped at $472,030, compared to $726,200 for a conventional single family home loan. One more important thing regarding FHA loans, they require little down payment money which is important for many first-time home buyers, says Lawrence Yun, chief economist and senior vice president of research at the National Association of Realtors (NAR). With an FHA loan, a minimum down payment can be as low as 3.5% of the purchase price. Call your local lender today and talk to a professional, you could be in a new home before Thanksgiving. Jeremy Engle is the Owner/Senior Loan Officer at Vero Mortgage, a division of Country Club Mortgage with offices in Visalia, Dinuba, Hanford, Fresno, San Luis Obispo and now available in the Eastern Sierra Nevada town of Mammoth Lakes. Jeremy can be reached at Jeremy@jeremyengle.com or 559-734-5000 in the Valley, 805-544-2775 at the Coast or 760-914-4413 in Mammoth Lakes. This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: FHA loans are making comeback in Visalia, Tulare Scientists have engineered a pink pineapple: It's unassuming on the outside but a blushing pink on the inside. The new "Pinkglow" pineapple, which is grown in Costa Rica, is patented and sold by food giant Del Monte and was 16 years in the making and it's flying off the shelves. But what gives this genetically engineered tropical fruit its rosy hue? The flesh is made pink thanks to an extra helping of lycopene, a carotenoid and pigment that occurs naturally in pineapples. It's also the compound that gives watermelon and tomatoes their reddish color. In pineapples , lycopene is usually converted to beta-carotene by an enzyme, which makes the inside of the pineapple yellow. That enzyme, lycopene beta-cyclase, is muted in the pink pineapple, and this causes lycopene to accumulate, according to Del Monte's patent on the new fruit. Because Del Monte has claimed the pink pineapples as intellectual property, it is the only company allowed to grow them. According to the patent, the lycopene-converting enzyme is muted using a technique known as RNA interference. That means the company added a gene whose RNA matches and binds the RNA carrying the message to build the protein lycopene beta-cyclase, Courtney Weber , plant breeding and genetics expert at Cornell University said. Binding the RNA prevents the cell from making the enzyme. The new gene was then transferred to the pineapple genome using a type of bacteria that naturally transfers DNA to a host cell as part of its life cycle. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The genetic engineering process began in 2005, according to the patent. After six years, Del Monte tested four generations of the plant grown in Costa Rica between 2010 and 2014. The testing process for a new variety takes a long time, Weber told Live Science. "You have to test it, put it in the field, make sure it grows right, make sure it's an acceptable variety, that it's productive enough," Weber said. And the pineapple isn't a particularly fast-growing plant. The produce company also developed a "Honeyglow" pineapple with an extra-golden interior. In August, Del Monte reported that demand for the pink pineapples is outpacing supply and that the Honeyglow and Pinkglow together contributed to higher gross profit than in the previous quarter. RELATED STORIES Why are bananas berries but strawberries aren't? Oldest plant genome on record came from a Stone Age watermelon that grew in the Sahara How do plants with seedless fruit reproduce? In grocery stores, the pink pineapple costs about $10, or roughly twice the price of standard varieties. And online retailers sell a single fruit for $29 to $39. These high prices are a product of scarcity and marketing, Weber said. "We've seen that in other varieties that were not GMO [genetically modified]," he said. For example, Honeycrisp apples and Cotton Candy grapes were both very popular and considerably higher in price than traditional varieties when they were introduced to the market. As more of these fruits are produced, the price comes down, and that will likely be the case for pink pineapples, Weber said. "I don't feel like we should make Mexico jokes, people will get upset" Noel Fielding, wearing a Party Central sombrero and a sarape, mused at the beginning of "The Great British Bake Off's" ill-fated 2022 "Mexico Week." His similarly dressed co-host, Matt Lucas, responded: "What? No Mexico jokes at all? Not even Juan?" In that moment, it was evident that the "Bake Off" hosts were trying to use stale humor to address just how poorly the show's internationally-themed baking weeks had been received in seasons prior. The show's 2020 Japan Week was described even by British newspapers as being "borderline racist," while Eater London termed it an "Orientalist mess," featuring Lucas "mishearing" katsu curry as "cat poo curry" and reminders that Paul Hollywood once confessed that he doesn't believe Japan understands baking on a show about Japanese baking. Related Matt Lucas announces he will be "passing the baguette" to a new "Bake Off" host ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Mexico Week, filled with lazy stereotypes and a purposeful obtuseness about the preparation of classic pastries, didn't fare much better as Eater London's James Hansen ultimately declared it "the nadir of the show's fall from grace." In speaking with Salon Talks in January, "Bake Off" judge Prue Leith acknowledged that the series had made some mistakes, though denied ill-intent: What was so upsetting about it was the idea that we would somehow want to be either patronizing or mocking. The truth is that on "Bake Off," we make jokes about everything, but we certainly would never do it being anything other than friendly. People got upset because the hosts wore sombreros and ponchos. But you can't arrive in Mexico and walk through the airport without people wanting to sell you ponchos and sombreros. Yes they're cliches, but then a hot dog is a cliche and Americans don't mind if we make a hot dog. The show's producers have now responded, too, announcing in advance of the new season, which premieres later this month, that "Bake Off" would discontinue internationally-themed weeks for the foreseeable future. The series' executive producer Kieran Smith told The Guardian that the show was "going very traditional." "We didn't want to offend anyone, but the world has changed and the joke fell flat," Smith said. "We're not doing any national themes this year." Instead, the contestants will focus on "cakes, biscuits, bread, patisserie, chocolate," plus Smith adds, "party cakes is a new theme." In light of all the missteps, it makes sense from a brand safety standpoint that "Bake Off" would scrap theme weeks and "return to the classics." That said, the series has long been lauded for being comforting, educational and accepting. In its tone and gentle touch, it broke the mold as a cooking competition series during a time when other food television was becoming increasingly cutthroat. So why couldn't the show apply that same ethos to its theme weeks? I suppose it's easier to just retreat when one's mistakes have been called out, but it's a shame that "Bake Off" couldn't just learn from those mistakes and come back with a more nuanced flavor. There are many beautiful examples (from Anthony Bourdain's salty "Parts Unknown" to Phil Rosenthal's decidedly more saccharine "Somebody Feed Phil") of how to approach food traditions that are different from your own with curiosity and delight, rather than suspicion or superiority. And it's not like the series creators don't have many people in their orbit, including former contestants, who could oversee theme weeks. We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism I look to Nadiya Hussain, the beloved winner of the show's sixth season. Following "Bake Off," Hussain starred in a two-part BBC One travelogue called "The Chronicles of Nadiya" which followed her as she traced her familial and culinary roots to Bangladesh. It was thoughtful, informative and fun which is likely what a Bangladeshi "Bake Off" theme week hosted by Hussain would feel like, too. While it may be easy to dismiss "Bake Off" as just another cooking show, with an average audience of 9.2 million real-time viewers, the series had a unique opportunity to use food as an accessible, yet powerful, means to bridge cultural understanding. For instance, following Nadiya Hussain's turn on GBBO, she was described in a British government report on community cohesion as having done "more for British-Muslim relations than 10 years of government policy." Now, not every cooking show or personality needs to do that, but this is a time where "The Great British Bake Off" could have committed to leaning into the kaleidoscopic world of pastry that exists outside the Eurocentric cannon. Yet, to borrow a line from another famed cooking series, they instead decided to pack their knives and head home. Read more about this topic Oklahoma resident Kelly Mulholland took to the video-sharing app TikTok to detail a frightening incident involving her 5-year-old kindergartner son and his stepsister, who were both lost by the school bus service on their first day of school. This is how a school bus driver lost a kindergartner on his first day riding the bus. In Ring camera footage, Mulholland's son can be seen asking for help at a stranger's house. His shaky voice and cries show how worried he was. "I'm sorry. Would you help me find my mommy?" he asks. This embedded content is not available in your region. RELATED: Woman Searches For Family Of Little Girl She Saw Being Hurt By A Nanny At The Nashville Zoo Mulholland stated that the school bus driver failed to follow proper procedures, resulting in her son and his stepsister being left at the wrong stop. After being an hour late and the children still not home yet, Mulholland confronted the bus driver. He looked visibly shaken by his mistake but just pointed down the road to where he dropped them off without giving street names or details. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "So I go back to my car to get my phone to call my boyfriend, and a car pulls up alongside of me and says, 'Hey, are you looking for 2 kids?'" she said. The bus driver's mistake led the kids to make a half-mile trek in 105-degree heat in search of their parents. It was only an hour later when they finally found help at a nearby home, the homeowner letting them in upon hearing the situation. In a follow-up video, Mulholland shed light on her husband's heated confrontation with the school. Despite the school's lack of control over the buses, since a separate transportation office managed them, her husband managed to elicit a response from the department. RELATED: Mom Writes Emotional Letter To Her Son's Kindergarten Teacher 'I Already Know You Will Be Horrible To My Boy' This embedded content is not available in your region. "They were very, very quick to respond to everything. Policies were not followed. Not only did he not check to make sure what stop they were supposed to get off at, he's also not supposed to let them off of the bus without a parent present," she said. Mulholland lauded her children's smart thinking during the ordeal as they alternated between ringing doorbells for help adopting a watch system as one stayed on the sidewalk while the other rang the doorbell. Mulholland urged parents to educate their children on what to do if they ever found themselves lost. With all the state-of-the-art technology available today, in particular doorbell cameras, she stressed the importance of children knowing how to use them. RELATED: 11 Signs You Were Raised By A Bad Mother Or Father (And It's Affecting You Now) This embedded content is not available in your region. Subsequent comments on the video widely called for the firing of the bus driver. Mulholland later followed up with another video, acknowledging that the department was going to act to rectify the situation. "The department that we spoke to obviously was not happy about the situation, and they were very adamant that actions were going to be taken," Mulholland said. Additionally, she received a text from the school informing her that their assigned bus number had been changed. While this doesn't confirm any specific actions against the driver, it was a clear acknowledgment of the glaring oversight that had put two children at risk. This incident goes to show that while technology is helpful in cases like these, alert and kind neighbors who are willing to step up and help are crucial to solving a scary situation like this one. RELATED: Concerned Neighbors Successfully Rally To Find Mother Who Was Filmed Dragging Her 9-Year-Old Daughter By Her Hair Ethan Cotler is a writer and frequent contributor to YourTango living in Boston. His writing covers entertainment, news, and human interest stories. This article originally appeared on YourTango Gokaldas Exports of India announced the acquisition last week of Dubai-based Atraco Group for $55 million. Atraco, founded in 1986, is a producer of mens, womens and childrens private label apparel. In addition to the company headquarters in Dubai, they have production facilities in Ethiopia, Egypt and Kenya. Gokaldas vice chairman and managing director, Sivaramakrishnan Ganapathi, noted that the company is estimated to grow by 25 to 30 percent over the next three years, based on Atraco alone. Gokaldas claims sales volume of $250 million and exports to 50 countries. More from Sourcing Journal ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Atraco Group has 10,000 employees, according to its LinkedIn page. Gokaldas has 32,000 workers and sews for the Swedish fashion firm H&M, in addition to Primark, Nike and Gap, among others. It made headlines in mid-2020 when, at the height of the Covid pandemic, it fired 1,257 mostly female unionized workers in the wake of rumors that H&M, its biggest client, had canceled all its orders. H&M denied the claims and said at the time that it had paid for all the merchandise. Some eight months later, in February of 2021, the federation of the Garment and Textile Workers Union (GTWU), an affiliate of the IndustriALL Global Union and its federation, Unions United, accused Gokaldas of engaging in aggressive union busting and acts of intimidation to push the fired workers back on demands for unpaid wages. After a 50-day factory shutdown, Gokaldas was forced by GATWU to pay the wages. The company also reemployed the fired workers at two existing factories. With the purchase of Atraco, Gokaldas has access to the duty-free status of Kenya, provided by the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Ethiopia also had duty-free status but was suspended from the program earlier this year. While AGOA covers many industries, a report this year by Reuters news service called the apparel sector the biggest success story of the program. It is set to expire in 2025. Click here to read the full article. Two people suffered shark-inflicted injuries at Florida's Ponce Inlet on Monday. According to WFLA News, a surfer "in his 30s was bitten on his left hand while surfing near the Ponce Inlet Jetty." The other victim was a 37-year-old woman who was standing in waste-deep water when a shark bit her right foot. WFLA News captioned the post above: "2 bitten by shark at same Florida beach, officials say." According to WFLA, the surfer "denied medical care at the beach and chose to drive himself to the hospital. His injuries were described as non-life threatening." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Meanwhile, the woman "was treated by paramedics at the beach before she was rushed to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries." Ponce Inlet is located in Volusia County, a hot spot for shark attacks. In July, we reported that two surfers were attacked by sharks in one weekend at New Smyrna Beach, also in Volusia County. The county has been dubbed the shark bite capital of the world" by the the International Shark Attack File, the world's only scientifically documented, comprehensive database of all known shark attacks. According to the database, Volusia County has had 343 unprovoked shark attacks since 1882, more than double Florida's Brevard County at 156 and Palm Beach at 82. While we've recently reported numerous no-contact shark encounters, several shark attacks have resulted in injuries. An Australian surfer suffered a great white shark attack in late August that resulted in the loss of his leg. In New York earlier this summer, two shark attacks took place on the same day, but at different beaches. *** 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. The uber-rich hire all kinds of people to make their lives easier. Landscapers maintain gardens, housekeepers tidy homes, nannies raise children. Yet perhaps no role is as important as that of the wealth manager, who is hired to protect capital. These advisers are scattered across the globe in cities such as Geneva and New York, and are employed as fiduciaries, meaning they are required to act in the interest of their clients. As such, they become privy to the intimate lives of the rich and famous, who must expose their secrets so that advice may be offered on, say, the inheritance of a child born of an extramarital affair. Advisers also help families allocate investments, stash cash in boltholes, minimise tax bills, plan for retirement, arrange to pass down their vast wealth and follow unusual wishes. A Singapore-based manager recalls being told to invest a double-digit percentage of a familys wealth in bloodstock horsessteeds bred especially for racinga term he hurriedly looked up after the meeting. For decades, wealth management was a niche service, looked down upon by the rest of finance. Now it is the most attractive business in the industry. Capital and liquidity requirements set after the global financial crisis of 2007-09 have made running balance-sheet-heavy businesses, such as lending or trading, difficult and expensive. By comparison, doling out wealth advice requires almost no capital. Margins for firms that achieve scale are typically around 25%. Clients stick around, meaning that revenues are predictable. Competition has crushed profits in other formerly lucrative asset-management businesses, such as mutual funds. And whereas the pools of assets managed by BlackRock (BLK) and Vanguard, the index- and exchange-traded-fund giants, are huge, they collect a fraction of a penny on every dollar invested. A standard fee for a wealth manager is 1% of a clients assets, annually. Wealth management is all the more appealing because of how quickly it is expanding. Global economic growth has been decent enough over the past two decades, at more than 3% a year. Yet it has been left in the dust by growth in wealth. Between 2000 and 2020 it rose from $160 trillion, or four times global output, to $510 trillion, or six times output. Story continues Although much of this is tied up in property and other assets, the pool of liquid assets is still vast, making up a quarter of the total. Bain, a consultancy, estimates that it will almost double, from just over $130 trillion to almost $230 trillion by 2030meaning that a $100 trillion prize is up for grabs. They anticipate the boom will help lift global wealth-management revenues from $255 billion to $510 billion. It will be fuelled by geography, demography and technology. The biggest managers are attempting to cover ever more of the globe as dynastic wealth is created in Asian and Latin American markets. Baby-boomers are the last generation that can rely on defined-benefit pensions for their retirement; more people will have to take decisions about how their own wealth will support them. Meanwhile, software is streamlining the bureaucracy that once waylaid wealth managers, allowing them to serve more clients at lower cost, and helping firms automate the acquisition of new ones. These gains will allow big banks to serve the merely rich as well as the uber-wealthy. Firms are already climbing down the rungs of the wealth ladder, from ultra-high-net-worth and high-net-worth, who have millions of dollars to invest, into the lives of those with just $100,000 or so. Markus Habbel of Bain sees a comparison to the booming luxury-goods industry. Handbags were once prized for their exclusivity as much as their beauty, but have become ubiquitous on social media, with influencers touting Bottega Veneta pouches and Hermes bags. Think about Louis Vuitton or Gucci. They have basically the same clients as [wealth managers] target and they increased from 40 million [customers] 40 years ago to 400 million now, he notes. Upper-crust buyers have not been put off. Which firms will grab the $100 trillion prize? For the moment, wealth management is fragmented. Local banks, such as BTG in Brazil, have large shares of domestic markets. Regional champions dominate in hubs, including Bank of Singapore and DBS in Asia. In America, the masses are served by specialist firms such as Edward Jones, a retail-wealth-mananagement outfit in which advisers are paid based on commissions for selling funds. UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti speaks on the first results of the Swiss giant banking since its Credit Suisse merger. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images) Only a handful of institutions compete on a truly global scale. These include Goldman Sachs (GS) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM). But the two biggest are Morgan Stanley (MS) and a new-look UBS (UBS) (UBSG.SW), which has just absorbed Credit Suisse, its old domestic rival. After acquiring a handful of smaller wealth-management firms over the past decade, Morgan Stanley now oversees around $6 trillion in wealth assets. After its merger, UBS now oversees $5.5 trillion. To the victor This patchwork is unlikely to last. The industry is heading in a winner-takes-all direction, predicts Mr Habbel, as it becomes very much about scale, about technology and about global reach. Jennifer Piepszak, an executive at JPMorgan, has reported that her firms takeover of First Republic, a bank for the well-heeled that failed in May, represents a meaningful acceleration of its wealth-management ambitions. Citigroup (C) has poached Andy Sieg, head of wealth management at Bank of America (BAC), in an effort to revamp its offering. In 2021, Vanguard purchased Just Invest, a wealth-technology company. UBS and Morgan Stanley have grander ambitions. The firms strategies reflect their contrasting backgrounds and may, ultimately, end up in a clash. Morgan Stanley competes around the world but is dominant in America, and is focusing on wealth services for the masses, as shown by its purchase of E*trade, a brokerage platform, in 2020. James Gorman, the banks boss, has said that if the firm keeps growing new assets by around 5% a year, its current growth rate, it would oversee $20 trillion in a decade or so. This would be built on Morgan Stanleys existing scale. In 2009, the bank agreed to acquire Smith Barney, Citis wealth-management arm, for $13.5 billion, which helped boost margins to the low teens from 2% or so in the years before the financial crisis. Today they are around 27%, reflecting the use of tech to move into advising the merely rich. Andy Saperstein, head of the wealth-management division, points to the acquisition of Solium, a small stock-plan-administration firm, which Morgan Stanley purchased for just $900 million in 2019, as crucial for building a strong client-referral machine. No one was looking at the stock-plan-administration companies because they didnt make any money, he says. But these firms had access to a huge customer base and [clients] were constantly checking to see when the equity was going to vest, what it was worth and when they would have access to it. UBS is employing a more old-school approach, albeit with a global twist. Having taken over its domestic rival, the Swiss bank has a once-in-a-generation chance to cement a lead in places where Credit Suisse flourished, such as Brazil and South-East Asia. Deft execution of the merger would make the firm a front-runner in almost every corner of the globe. Thus, for now at least, the new-look UBS will focus more on geographic breadth than the merely rich. In differing ways, both Morgan Stanley and UBS are seeking even greater scale. When clients hire a wealth manager, they tend to want one of two things. Sometimes it is help with a decision when the cost of making a bad choice is high, says Mr Saperstein, such as working out how to save for retirement or a childs education. Other times it is something exclusively available, such as access to investments unobtainable through a regular brokerage account. Being able to offer clients access to private funds or assets will probably become increasingly important for wealth managers. Greater scale means greater bargaining power when negotiating with private-markets firms to secure exclusive deals, such as private funds for customers or lower fees. Younger generations, which will soon be inheriting wealth, are expected to demand more environmentally and socially conscious options, including those that do not just screen out oil companies, but focus on investing in, say, clean energy. A decade ago a client would tend to follow their wealth adviser if he or she moved to a new firm. Exclusive funds make such a switch more difficult. The winner-takes-all trend may be accelerated by artificial intelligence (AI), on which bigger firms with bigger technology budgets already have a head start. There are three kinds of tools that AI could be used to create. The first take a firms proprietary information, such as asset-allocation recommendations or research reports, and spit out information that advisers can use to help their clients. Attempts to build such enterprise tools are common, since they are the easiest to produce and pose few regulatory difficulties. Wealthbots The second type of tool would be trained on client information rather than companies proprietary data, perhaps even listening in on conversations between advisers and clients. Such a tool could then summarise information and create automatic actions for advisers, reminding them to send details to clients or follow up about certain issues. The third kind of tool is the most aspirational. It is an execution tool, which would allow advisers to speak aloud requests, such as purchasing units in a fund or carrying out a foreign-exchange transaction, and have a firms systems automatically execute that transaction on their behalf, saving time. It will take money to make money, then. The biggest wealth managers already have more substantial margins, access to products their clients want and a head start on the technology that might put them even further ahead. We are a growth company now, claims Mr Saperstein of Morgan Stanley, a sentence that has been rarely uttered about a bank in the past 15 years. We are just getting started. Yet the two giants atop the industry are both going through periods of transition. UBS has barely begun the open-heart surgery that is required when merging two large banks. Meanwhile, Mr Gorman, architect of Morgan Stanleys wealth strategy, will retire some time in the next nine months. The succession race between Mr Saperstein, Ted Pick and Dan Simkowitz, two other executives, is already under way. Either firm could falter. Although the two are chasing different strategies, it is surely only a matter of time before they clash. UBS is on an American hiring spree; Morgan Stanley is eyeing expansion in some global markets, including Japan. A sign for Morgan Stanley's offices in Tokyo at the Yebisu Garden Place. (Photo by James Leynse/Corbis via Getty Images) And despite the advantages offered by scale, smaller wealth-management firms will be difficult to dislodge entirely. Lots of different outfits have a foothold in the industry, from customer-directed brokerage platforms like Charles Schwab (SCHW), which also offer their richest customers independent advice from a fiduciary, to asset-management firms, such as Fidelity and Vanguard, which have millions of customers invested in their funds, who might seek out wealth-management advice. When Willie Sutton a dapper thief also known as "Slick Willie" who died in 1980 was asked why he decided to rob banks, he replied that it was simply because that is where the money is. This is also a useful aphorism to explain strategy on Wall Street, as firms race to take advantage of the $100 trillion opportunity in wealth management. Once the business was a sleepy, unsophisticated corner of finance. Now it is the industrys future. 2023 The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/09/05/the-100trn-battle-for-the-worlds-wealthiest-people Louisiana native Lauren Daigle is bringing her "Kaleidescope Tour" to the Brookshire Grocery Arena on Thursday, Sept. 7 in support of her 23-track self-titled album that will release on Friday, Sept. 8. Born and raised in the Lake Charles area, Daigle considers the whole state her home as she spent her childhood traveling all around it visiting different family members. While she always enjoyed singing, Daigle didn't pursue it seriously until she was diagnosed with cytomegalovirus at age 15 which kept her out of school for two years. Now, she's about to release her fourth full-length record. During her isolation as a teen, singing became her creative outlet and Daigle believes the isolation during the 2020 pandemic is what allowed her to find her voice again. Lauren Daigle poses for a portrait before a rehearsal in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023. "I remember just feeling like everything I once believed in was falling apart and really struggled with the animosity at the time," explained Daigle. "I remember thinking I don't know if music is enough, and I don't know if I have anything to say." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Daigle reached out to her friend Jonas Byron for help in getting back into songwriting, took a leap of faith and ended up with 50 songs to choose from. Her new record will have an impressive 23 songs on it after Daigle decided she couldn't cut any more than that from the long list. "Each one of these songs kind of found me in my journey of being overwhelmed by COVID, being overwhelmed by the times and something happens whenever you have to be still," Daigle said. "Being still forces you to reconcile with things in your life that aren't healthy. So, there was a lot of beauty that came from that time, and I think I walked into the songwriting processes inundated with fear and uncertainty of whether I should keep doing music or not and I left finding my voice again." Finding her voice for a second time in life is what inspired Daigle to name the record after herself. With feelings similar to those years as an isolated teenager, Daigle was reminded why she wanted to do music through conversations with God. Lauren Daigle, a contemporary Christian musical artist who has experienced crossover pop success, will headline Saturday's Alive Music Festival at Atwood Lake State Park. "I remember sitting there and thinking, okay, remind me of that passion because I don't want to miss out on the beauty of this. I don't want to miss out on the joy of what I'm getting to do, and it was like incredible the joy that I have been able to find, pure joy." The Kaleidescope Tour isn't just named after a song on the new record, Daigle has a special connection to the toy because her aunt collected them. She describes tours themselves as kaleidoscopes because there are different people in the crowd every night, each city is different. "I think that's what makes the world just so unique," said Daigle. "Coming into a show and seeing such a diverse array of people and the way they engage with life, it's just so beautiful." You can catch Lauren Daigle performing at The Kaleidescope Tour on Thursday, Sept. 7 at the Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City and Friday, Sept. 8 at the Raising Cane's River Center Arena in Baton Rouge. Visit the Lauren Daigle website to purchase tickets. More Upcoming Events: Check out the musical schedule for Shreveport's Highland Jazz & Blues Festival Meredith G. White is the arts and culture reporter for the Shreveport Times. You can find her on Facebook as Meredith G. White, on Instagram and Twitter as @meredithgwhite, and email her at mgwhite@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Lauren Daigle brings 'Kaleidescope Tour' to Bossier City, Baton Rouge As nearshoring in Central America and South America keeps gaining traction, a freight and transportation giant is marking more territory across the regions. Maersk is strengthening its presence in Latin America with the opening of a 150,700-square-foot fulfillment center in Colombia and a 37,700-square-foot fulfillment center in Panama. More from Sourcing Journal The new Maersk fulfillment center in Colombia is already serving customers from the consumer products and pharmaceutical industries. The warehouse is located in the Zol Funza logistics development, which is a 50 minute-drive from six of the main consumer market areas in Bogota. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The center provides a warehouse management system, cross-docking capabilities and other value-added services, and includes lithium battery electrical equipment and LED lighting. Maersk, like other logistics titans, is seeing plenty of incentive to move further down south as apparel companies shift production closer to home. In 2023, brands like Target and Columbia Sportswear have made massive commitments to Latin American sourcing, with Target saying it would increase its spending by $300 million in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras by the end of 2023. The mass merchant also plans to deepen existing relationships with vendors in all three countries. Columbia Sportswear has committed to purchase up to $200 million in products from northern Central America. Central America has been less attractive as a nearshoring option for U.S. companies than Mexico, most notably due to lacking investment in the business landscape. However, that is gradually changing, and it is becoming increasingly recognized as a strategic nearshoring opportunity due to geographic proximity, free trade agreements, low operational costs and large workforces, Jena Santoro, senior manager of supply chain risk at Everstream Analytics, told Sourcing Journal. Further, the region has well-connected logistics infrastructure like ports and highways, ensuring ease of transportation to and from U.S. markets. Maersks Colombia investment will cost a pretty penny at more than $200 million, says Antonio Dominguez, head of Latin America and the Caribbean at Maersk. In a statement, Dominguez said the capital allocation would expand Maersks logistics infrastructure with investments in cold storages, warehouses, depots, distribution centers and container yards, aiming to provide support to customers supply chains while responding to their industries requirements. Through this expansion to our offering, we strengthen our position as a logistic integrator in the region, connecting the needs of the sector with the needs of the world while keeping our focus on offering high value-added solutions to our customers, Dominguez said. Maersks Panama facility, the companys second in the country, opened in August. Located in the Panama Pacifico logistics park, the 37,700-square-foot site is strategically located approximately 18 miles from the capital, Panama City, and has direct access to the main highways, ports, and airports. These new facilities take Maersks total footprint in the area to more than 1.94 million square feet spread across eight facilities in Central America, the Caribbean, Colombia and Peru. The company already opened a new warehouse in Peru earlier this year, as well as three facilities in Chile near Santiago. The sites strengthen the logistics giants existing capabilities in the country, including the San Antonio Logistics Center in Valparaiso, with over 750,000 square feet of warehousing space located just 10 miles from Chiles main port. As Maersk moves further into Latin American countries, DHL is emphasizing nearshoringor what it calls omni-sourcingcapabilities in the region, investing $556 million in Latin American operations through 2028. The growth in nearshoring also likely had a hand in the initial public offering (IPO) of LatAm Logistic Properties, an industrial logistics real estate developer that was valued at $578 million. Sectors like textile and apparel manufacturing stand to benefit immensely from this expansion as concerns over the use of forced Uyghur labor in Chinas Xinjiang cotton-producing region brought to line unethical sourcing links for many large apparel firms, Santoro said. Global fashion vendor Hansae Co. Ltd. has led the charge with this shift, making large-scale investments in Central America by opening 10 new manufacturing sites in Guatemala and Nicaragua. With the new investments, Maersk aims to better connect Latin America with the world by expanding its end-to-end warehouse and distribution footprint through rail, air and its regional consolidation/de-consolidation network. As a global leader in logistics services and the worlds second-largest container shipping firm by volume transported, the company operates in more than 130 countries and employs over 100,000 people. Maersk is aiming to reach net-zero emissions by 2040 across the entire business with new technologies, new vessels and green fuels. Click here to read the full article. Meta today announced that it will be pulling the plug on Facebook News in the U.K., Germany and France starting in early December. The social networking giant said it was part of its "ongoing effort to better align our investments to our products and services people value the most." Facebook News, for the uninitiated, is a curated news section for publishers introduced by Meta back in 2019, existing in its own dedicated tab within the main Facebook interface. It was first introduced in its domestic U.S. market, before going international starting with the U.K., Germany, Australia and France. The company had planned to bring the service to Brazil and India, but it seems those launches never fully materialized. Facebook News surfaces local and international news relevant to each market. In its original guise, suggested articles were determined algorithmically, with a separate "top stories" section curated by humans. But as of last year, Meta revealed it was making the entire section algorithmic. Facebook News Image Credits: TechCrunch No news Today's announcement is pretty much consistent with Meta's efforts elsewhere in the online news realm. While sharing news has been a major part of Facebook almost since its inception, it's clear that it has been deprioritizing it in recent years for a multitude of reasons. This includes the divisive nature of certain stories, particularly those of a political nature, leading the company to transition more toward the so-called creator economy. Part of this also entailed renaming its news feed as "feed" last year. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement However, the bigger picture here is that there has been a broader industrial and legislative pushback against the role that Big Tech plays in distributing news. This led to new legislation in countries such as Australia, which stipulates that online platforms should compensate publishers for their content -- a move that seems to have worked as the big tech companies subsequently negotiated deals with many publishers. More recently, Canada passed similar legislation as part of its Online News Act, though this spurred Meta to start blocking Canadians' access to stories from news publishers. This led some to question why Meta couldn't reach similar deals with Canadian outlets as it did in Australia, while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lambasted Facebook for its actions. Elsewhere, similar mandates are working their way through their various legal channels, including the U.S. In Europe, meanwhile, the EU Copyright Directive has also led Meta and Google to sign various licensing deals in the past couple of years. More broadly, publishers across the spectrum have reported a drop in referral traffic from Facebook in recent months, confirming Meta's long-stated mission to move away from news. Indeed, the company has previously stated that news constitutes less than 3% of the content people see in their feed, a figure it stuck to with today's announcement on Facebook News in Europe. "We know that people dont come to Facebook for news and political content -- they come to connect with people and discover new opportunities, passions and interests," the company wrote. With the U.K., Germany and France, Meta is quick to stress that it's not blocking links to articles or publishers' pages -- it's merely getting rid of the dedicated News tab. "European news publishers will continue to have access to their Facebook accounts and Pages, where they can post links to their stories and direct people to their websites in the way any other individual or organization can," the company said. And if there was any lingering doubt as to Meta's future plans for news publishers, it seems to have addressed that by stating it does "not expect to offer new Facebook products specifically for news publishers in the future." For now, though, the Facebook News tab remains active in the U.S. and Australia. For how long, though, is anyone's guess. In June, the Michelin-starred chef John Tesar opened Knife Modern Steak in Southern California. That restaurant, however, is not long for this world. The Dana Point steakhouse will be rebranded later this year, as Tesar has severed ties with the hotel in which its located, Nations Restaurant News reported recently. The breakup between the chef and the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa comes after Tesar was filmed getting into an altercation with boycotting hotel employees. More from Robb Report ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I want to apologize to the members of Unite Here for my behavior, Tesar wrote in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. I especially want to apologize to the members of my team. I regret the situation has become a distraction and believe it is in the best interest of all parties, that I end my involvement with the restaurant in the Marriott Cliff Resort & Spa. Since July, hotel workers in Southern California and Arizona have been working without a contract, Nations Restaurant News noted. That same month, Unite Here Local 11, the union that represents employees at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott, filed a federal unfair labor practice charge against the resort, saying that it had encouraged, sanctioned, and/or failed to prevent violence by guests against picketers. In a union letter, the group also outlined an instance in which Tesar was involved: The situation escalated on July 25 when celebrity chef John Tesar broke a drum a worker was holding and was filmed saying to hotel employees, Take your union and shove it along with several profanities. Almost 50 California legislators have stated their support for the local union and expressed concern about the situation occurring at the hotel. In a letter to Jagdeep Singh Bachher, the University of Californias chief investment officer (the resort is owned by the University of California Retirement System), they called the combative incidents profoundly troubling and raised doubts about the Laguna Cliffs management. In addition to being concerned about the wellbeing of the hotels workers, we wish to avoid disruptions to the quality of the service at the hotel and long-term damage to the hotels brand and reputation, the lawmakers wrote. Whatever ends up happening between the union and the resort, Knife Modern Steak will no longer be part of that reputation. Culinary Masters 2023 Dont miss the food event of the year. Register for Robb Reports Culinary Masters now. Or, for more information on Robb Report experiences, visit RR1. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. If your neighborhood were a spice blend, what would it be? If youve seen the spice vending machine at the Shippingport Brewery, 1121 W Main St., in the Portland neighborhood, you might already know what "flavors" are associated with Butchertown, Old Louisville or even Russell. The machine, likely the first such in the world, vends organic spices and blends from Pinch Spice Market, the venture from Thomas McGee and Meaghan Thomas. McGee and Thomas, life and business partners, travel the world on what they call treasure hunts, finding farms in India, Sri Lanka, Mexico, and more, where they can ethically source spices. Back home in Louisville at their facility in Portland, the art and magic of producing small-batch spices and spice blends for their online retail shop begins. 'We're growing fast' The two-person business got its start when McGee was living in Chicago, and it relocated when he and Thomas landed in Louisville. While they admit it was terrifying to jump into their own business, move to a new city, and experience a pandemic, the upside of COVID-19 life was how much people started cooking at home and exploring new flavors, they told the Courier Journal. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Since then, we're growing fast, Thomas said, with sales up 30-40% each month over a year ago, putting them on a trajectory toward a million dollars a year. That growth is what brought them to Portland, the pair said, to a large space they share with other locally owned enterprises including Elixir Kombucha and Heine Brothers Coffee. Their enthusiasm for their home and business bubbles over in conversation. Meaghan Thomas and her partner Thomas McGee stand for a portrait at their home on Monday, May 9, 2022 in Louisville. The couple owns Pinch Spice Market. The people that occupy the space really care about what they do and they believe in fair trade and ethical business building, Thomas said. And we also just love the area We love riding our bikes around the neighborhood I think it's just such a beautiful area. I love being right off the river. There's so many cool parks. And there's really interesting places popping up. Their goal as they grow is to hire people locally, and eventually put them in leadership positions where they can run the production and own a piece of the company while Thomas and McGee travel more. Spices fresh from the harvest Traveling to forge connections with their producers is key. The spice trade, one of the oldest forms of commerce, McGee said is riddled with problems there's a lot of child labor and poverty cycles. So they seek out certified organic farms that engage in fair trade. And the difference in the spices they import and what we find on store shelves? No comparison, they said. The reality is a lot of the grocery store spices sit for a year or two years before they even hit the shelves, Thomas said, while they get spices in fresh from their harvest. I put this to the test when I stopped by their facility for a peek behind the scenes. If you've not been, the spice markets in places like Marrakech and Istanbul are magical, promising a thousand and one amazing meals. The heady fragrance as soon as you step foot in Pinchs portion of the building? It will transport you immediately to a dusty back alley in an ancient market with technicolor spices heaped high. Ra El Hanout is one of the many spice blends available at Louisville-based Pinch Spice Market. While they have the right to be proud of all of their spice blends, the Moroccan blend called Ras El Hanout is the one McGee beams the brightest about. Meaning head of shop, this is a custom blend created by each spice shop in Morocco, and no two are alike. McGee spent months developing his own blend which weaves together more than two dozen spices including the somewhat unexpected lavender, rose, and galangal, in addition to the more traditional cumin, turmeric, and ginger. I made the mistake of burying my nose in a pouch of the blend, and the intensity was a knock-out that left me in desperate need of a tissue so I could sneeze. This is not your dried-out grocery store blend; no, thats only a ghost of the real thing. If your neighborhood were a spice blend, what would it be? The Pinch Spice Market vending machine at Shippingport Brewing in Louisville's Portland neighborhood. So, back to the original question: If your neighborhood were a spice blend, what would it be? I wont keep you in suspense any longer. Here's how Pinch Spice Market has envisioned numerous neighborhoods in Louisville: Butchertown gets a versatile seasoning youd find behind the counter at a local butcher shop, like a brisket rub, and is recommended for meats. Germantown packs eclectic rich flavors like fenugreek and coriander in a classic poultry seasoning suggested for chicken, roasted vegetables, and schnitzel. The Highlands is a nod to the global flavors of its restaurant row with a fusion of garlic, cumin, orange zest and pequin chilies. You should use it in a marinade or on kabobs. Old Louisville, like its namesake, exudes elegance with flavors of Herbs de Provence and black truffle salt. This salt blend is a dream for popcorn, dry-aged steaks, grilled fish, and compound butter. The Portland spice blend, from Pinch Spice Market, is a blend inspired by Old Bay Seasoning. Use generously with grilled fish, crab boils, clam bakes, and chowders. Portland, being the original Port of Louisville, is a blend inspired by Old Bay Seasoning. Use generously with grilled fish, crab boils, clam bakes, and chowders. Russell pays homage to the neighborhoods beloved soul food restaurants with a touch of sweetness complementing its Cajun roots. Try it on pork chops, ribs, and vegetables. Pinch spices are available online at pinchspicemarket.com for shipping or local pick-up, and several options are available in the spice vending machine at Shippingport Brewing, 1221 W Main St. Tell Dana! Send your restaurant Dish to Dana McMahan at thecjdish@gmail.com and follow @elleferafera on Instagram. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Pinch Spice Market in Louisville sell organic spices and blends The cruise line will homeport two ships, the Norwegian Sky and the Norwegian Sun, out of the Maryland city. Michel Verdure/Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Sun in the British Virgin Islands. Norwegian Cruise Line has docked two ships in Baltimore, calling the Maryland city a long term home for the first time ever. The cruise line will homeport two ships, the Norwegian Sky and the Norwegian Sun, out of the Port of Baltimore for the first time, sailing cruises to Canada and New England, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, the company shared with Travel + Leisure. The ships will remain in the city for the fall and winter seasons. "Today marks a history-making moment for Norwegian Cruise Line, as we sail from the vibrant city of Baltimore for the first time," David J. Herrera, the president of Norwegian Cruise Line, said in a statement shared with T+L. "Our voyages from the Port of Baltimore offer guests the best that cruising on the East Coast has to offer, with a convenient homeport option that allows them to experience both the breathtaking fall foliage of Canada and New England and warm weather winter escapes in Bermuda and the Caribbean. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Norwegian Sky kicked off sailings from Baltimore on Friday with a 10-day voyage to New England and Canada, including stops in Marthas Vineyard, Boston, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. Starting in November, the Norwegian Sun will sail from the city to Bermuda as well as to the Caribbean. The Norwegian Sky will then return to Baltimore in September 2024. In addition to Norwegian, both Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line count the Port of Baltimore as a homeport. The Cruise Maryland Terminal sits just about 15 minutes southeast of the city itself and offers plenty of parking to make embarking and disembarking easy. Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld said in the statement Norwegians decision to call Baltimore home shows the cruise line recognizes that Marylands Port of Baltimore is an amazing partner, offering convenient access and outstanding service." With the new location, Norwegian now counts more than 50 homeport locations around the world. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Polestar just unveiled a new prototype with a winning design. The Swedish EV brought a brand-new electric fantasy supercar concept called the Synergy to the IAA Mobility show in Munich this past weekend. The stylish vehicle features a bold look that combines the work of the three winners of the companys most recent student design contest. More from Robb Report The Synergy is a 1:1 scale model that looks like a cross between a spaceship and an endurance race car. Its futuristic exteriorwhich was dreamt up by Paris-based designers Devashish Deshmukh and Swapnil Desaiincludes a front fascia that resembles the head of a hammerhead shark, giant fenders over both sets of wheels and an integrated rear wing. With a height of 3.5 feet tall and a length of 15 feet, the low-slung EV is unlike anything in the brands current lineup, though some familiar design cues, like its razor-thin headlights and sculpted lines, are still present. Polestar Synergy The concepts cabin, which is the work of China-based interior designer Yingxiang Li, is as much of a departure from the norm as its body. The cockpits glass covering opens to reveal a single-seat interior that looks like a streamlined version of the interior of the X-Wing from Star Wars. The performance-oriented layout is meant to give drivers a sense of floating comfort and control. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Unfortunately, the Synergy is just a design concept so there are no technical details available other than that the vehicle is fully electric. Based on the brands past concepts, though, one would think that it would at least be powered by a dual-motor powertrain. The setup in the brands most recently announced model, the Polestar 6 roadster, features a dual-motor setup that produces 884 horses. Inside the Polestar Synergy Polestar has shown a willingness to put past concepts into production, but the Synergy is just a design study and thus is unlikely to ever go into production. However, there will be a chance to see the vehicle in person. The gorgeous supercar will be on display at the Hot Wheels Legends Tour in El Segundo, California, in early October, as part of the two brandss new partnership. It will then make appearances at select Polestar locations around the country. Click here to see more photos of the Polestar Synergy concept. The Polestar Synergy in Photos Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is kicking off its fourth season tonight at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo, and there have certainly been some change-ups this time around (and I don't just mean Jen Shah's jail time). A brand, spanking new season might have you wondering which housewives are returning (hint: Not Jen) and which are fresh faces to the Salt Lake City crew this time around. Well, first, Mary Cosby and Monica Garcia are returning, as "friends of" the cast. However, you may have noticed Angie Katsanevas, or Angie K.who first identified as a friend of Jen Shah last seasonhas been bumped up to a full-time cast member. It seems Angie made quite the splash as a friend, and formed close bonds with Lisa and Whitney. Close enough that she earned a spot on the roster. However, this season, there will be some swirling at the rumor mill regarding her relationship. She's also clearly not going to let bygones be bygones with the culprit. Here's what you need to know about what else is ahead for Angie concerning her work, friendships, relationship, and her role on RHOSLC. Who is Angie K? Angie K's full name is actually Angie Katsanevas, and theres a little bit of info about her on the Bravo website. Last season, the reality network described her as a business-owner, wife, and mother. Shes was also seen as ever loyal. Bravo added this juicy nugget: She always has her friends backs but will speak her mind when they cross her. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Obvs, fans saw her main character traits in action last season on RHOSLC. It seems Angie's friendship with Lisa will remain strong this season. However, time will only tell. What does she do for work? Angie has been a hairdresser since she was 21, per Distractify, and currently owns Lunatic Fringe salon, a hair salon with nine locations throughout Utah, Idaho, and Ohio. The salon offers a luxurious guest experience with multiple levels of talented stylists, according to its website. Angie founded the first salon in Salt Lake City in 1999 with fellow hairdresser Shawn Trujillo...who also happens to be her husband. The business boasts cutting, coloring, styling, extensions, and makeup among its services. Who is Angie K.'s husband? Shawn Trujillo and Angie K. have been together for over 24 years, according to Shawn's Instagram. They first met while working in a hair salon, according to Hair.com. And, despite their rocky relationship ATMit seems the couple has a lot of love for each other. "Her values and behaviors always align," Shawn wrote in an anniversary post last year. "She is strong in her convictions and did I mention the best mom on the planet?" In addition to working at Lunatic Fringe, Shawn seems very interested in fitness. His Instagram bio reads "Mindset/fitness/business," and he posts lots of workout videos on his grid. She has a daughter. Angies 12-year-old daughter with Shawn, Elektra, is apparently a really good equestrian. And Angie loves playing the part of glowing, proud mama on Instagram, where she described her job's qualifications in May: "Working 24/7. Interpersonal skills. Unlimited hours. Sleepless nights. Happy disposition. Negotiation skills. Standing on my feet all day. No breaks and No vacations," she wrote on Instagram. "I was in training for the most important job in the world with the highest return on investment. The title was Mom." Angie has also lauded Elektra's hard work in the ring, where she most recently won the Arizona Winter Circuit. "Proud of our shining Star Elektra coming home a Champion," Angie wrote on Instagram. Angie tried out for the show in the past, but didn't make the cut. ICYDK, Angie actually auditioned for RHOSLC back in 2019, but she wasn't chosen to lead the Salt Lake City housewife crew. In a post she shared on Instagram (which was later deleted but thankfully captured by Queens of Bravo), Angie posted a photo of herself and her daughter in matching shoes with the caption, "Did I make the cut for the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City you ask The answer is No But we got our matching Mommy and Me gear on just in case we got the callback." Angie said she "should have answered YES when they asked if there was drama in the salons. Im sure the women they chose are fabulous. We are Greek. We will find another event to wear our matching heels to," she added. I guess she learned her lesson in time for season 4! She loves a good photo shoot. Angies Instagram is loaded with pics of herself and her family, including her husband and salon co-owner, Shawn Trujillo. Check these out: What's her net worth? Angie's net worth is not totally clear right now, but the U.S. Sun estimates it at around $5 million. Perhaps she will drop some easter eggs this season. You can catch new episodes of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo, or on Peacock. You Might Also Like The day trip fee, which has been talked about for years, will not apply to travelers staying overnight. They are already subjected to a different fee. Venice will finally look to implement its much-discussed fee for day visitors next year on a trial basis after initially postponing it. The fee, which will cost 5 ($5.36) per person, will be imposed on all travelers over 14 years old who come to the famous canal city for the day, Reuters reported, citing the city council. The fee will be implemented on a trial basis mainly during spring bank holidays and summer weekends when the city is at its most crowded. An exact date of when the trial will go into effect was not immediately clear. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Venice tourism councilor Simone Venturini told the wire service the goal is to find "a new balance between the rights of those who live, study or work in Venice and those who visit the city. Patrick Donovan/Getty Images Venice first floated the idea of a visitor fee for day trippers in 2019, but the passage was delayed, in part, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The city then looked to implement it in 2022 before delaying it again until 2023 and then postponing once more. Overnight visitors who currently book a hotel stay are already subject to a different tax. The day tax is being implemented in an effort to prevent over-tourism in a city known as a bucket list destination for many who visit Italy. In fact, Reuters noted tourists often outnumber residents. In the last several years, Venice has made efforts to preserve its unique attributes, including declaring the waterways around the city a "national monument" and banning large cruise ships from passing through its canals. The measures earned the city a temporary reprieve from being included on the UNESCO World Heritage danger list. However, last month, UNESCO once again recommended adding the city to the list, calling the efforts "currently insufficient and not detailed enough." Beyond the city of Venice, travelers to Europe also will have to pay an extra fee next year when the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) goes into effect. That fee will cost 7 ($7.51) and be valid for three years or until the expiration date of someone's travel document. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. A 33-year-old New Zealand woman who was accused of faking debilitating symptoms has died of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Stephanie Aston, 33, passed away in her home in Auckland on 1 September, the New Zealand Herald reports. Aston became an advocate for patients' rights after doctors refused to take her EDS symptoms seriously and blamed them on mental illness. She was just 25 when those symptoms began in October 2015. At the time, she did not know she had inherited the health condition. EDS refers to a group of inherited disorders caused by gene mutations that weaken the connective tissues, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These tissues are responsible for many important functions, and they support the skin, bones, blood vessels, and other organs. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Symptoms of EDS include fragile, small blood vessels; loose joints; abnormal scar formation; abnormal wound healing; and soft, stretchy, velvety skin that bruises easily, per the NIH. There are at least 13 different types of EDS, and the conditions range from mild to life-threatening. EDS is extremely rare: Only one in every 5,000 people have it. Patients with EDS can sometimes receive treatments that might help manage their symptomssuch as physical therapybut there is no cure for the illness. People who live with EDS often have to restructure their lives to learn how to protect their joints and prevent injuries. Aston sought medical help after her symptomswhich included severe migraines, abdominal pain, joint dislocations, easy bruising, iron deficiency, fainting, tachycardia, and multiple injuriesbegan in 2015, per the New Zealand Herald. She was referred to Auckland Hospital, where a doctor accused her of causing her own illness. Stephanie Aston passed away at age 33 after becoming an advocate for patients with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes New Zealand/Facebook) Because of his accusations, Aston was placed on psychiatric watch. She had to undergo rectal examinations and was accused of practising self-harming behaviours. She was suspected of faking fainting spells, fevers, and coughing fits, and there were also suggestions that her mother was physically harming her. There was no basis for the doctors accusations that her illness was caused by psychiatric issues, Aston told the New Zealand Herald. There was no evaluation prior to this, no psych consultation, nothing, she said. She eventually complained to the Auckland District Health Board and the Health and Disability Commissioner of New Zealand. I feel like I have had my dignity stripped and my rights seriously breached, she said. Research suggests women are often much more likely to be misdiagnosed than men. A 2009 study of patients with heart disease symptoms found 31.3 per cent of middle-aged women received a mental health condition as the most certain diagnosis, compared to just 15.6 per cent of their male counterparts. Additionally, a 2020 study found that as many as 75.2 per cent of patients with endometriosisa painful disorder that affects the tissue of the uterushad been misdiagnosed after they started experiencing endometriosis symptoms. Among those women, nearly 50 per cent were told they had a mental health problem. One reason womens health conditions are often ignored or misdiagnosed could come down to where the research stands. A 2022 paper states that females remain broadly under-represented in the medical literature, sex and gender are poorly reported and inadequately analysed in research, and misogynistic perceptions continue to permeate the narrative. Womens pain, in particular, is especially under-researched: 70 per cent of people with chronic pain are women, yet 80 per cent of available studies on pain have focused on men or male mice, per Harvard Health Publishing. Those who knew her say Aston will be remembered for her advocacy. She started the Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes New Zealand society in 2017; the community honoured Astons legacy in a Facebook tribute posted after her death. It is with much sadness that we have to announce the passing of Steph Aston, it read. She hasbeen a beacon for many in our community. Hosting multiple events in Auckland throughout the years and being active in our support groups and helping give direction to manyEven until the very end she was keen to help anyone and lend an ear. You will be sorely missed. I hope you rest well now. Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) is the first smelter in the region to be successfully recertified to the newest version (V3) of Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI)s Performance Standard which was released in May 2022. The certification, for three years starting from August 31 2023, was achieved with no major non-conformance following a rigorous on-site audit of Alba and its facilities. The scope of the certification included the production and marketing of primary aluminium from alumina, calcinations of petroleum coke, water desalination, anode manufacturing, smelting, casting and captive power generation at the Alba Calciner and Smelter sites in Bahrain. Enhance credibility On this achievement, Albas Chief Executive Officer, Ali Al Baqali, said: This ASI recertification underlines our commitment to environmental stewardship, transparency and social responsibility. "This will not only enhance our credibility as a responsible aluminium producer but also contribute to a more sustainable future -- thus positioning us on par with other responsible players in the aluminium industry. Alba joined the ASI as a Production and Transformation member since February 2019, and attained ASI Performance Standard Certification in January 2020 followed by ASI Chain of Custody Standard Certification in April 2023.-- TradeArabia News Service In this article, we will take a look at the 15 best countries to retire in Asia. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis on Asia, the new face of retirement, you may go to 5 Best Countries to Retire in Asia. Asia: The New Face of Retirement According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asia seems to be a dynamic region of growth amidst a backdrop of what seems to be a challenging world economy. With Russia's war in Ukraine, banking strains in Europe and the US, a stubbornly high level of inflation, and rising interest rates, global economic growth is on the brink of deceleration. On the other hand, Asias domestic demand remains strong despite monetary tightening and a weakening external demand, such that the region expects to contribute approximately 70% to global growth this year. As such, China's reopening has successfully provided fresh impetus to Asia's economic growth. A sharp 5.1% rebound has been predicted for the country in 2023 following this reopening. The growth is projected to be led by a recovery in demand, especially for services. Companies like Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA), Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU), and Tencent, the big tech leaders in China, are slowly recovering lost ground after a depressing 2022. According to Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript dated August 10, 2023, the company beat its earnings expectations. Reported EPS for Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) is $2.4, while expectations were $1.97. Their revenue reached RMB234 billion, growing 14% year-over-year. Meanwhile, Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) Q2 2023 Earnings Call Transcript dated August 22, 2023, reported a total revenue of RMB34.1 billion, increasing 15% year-over-year. According to Insider Monkey, Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) is one of the stocks that will benefit from AI as well. Tencent has also been witnessing double-digit revenue growth in the first three months of this year. Story continues Apart from China, the rest of the region is observing growth too, even though it has been uneven. Specifically, many South East Asian countries have been experiencing notable growth in health, education, as well as living standards. According to the World Bank, the region saw an increase in economic growth from 6.9% in 2009 to 7.7% in 2016. South Asias economy is largely driven by India, characterized by its rise of middle class as well as a booming technology sector. Other countries such as Bangladesh are major exporters of textiles, which contributes to GDP. All in all, South Asias GDP climbed up to 8% in 2021. With improvements in economy, healthcare, and living standards, many countries in Asia are increasingly becoming the new face of retirement for expats around the world. Best Countries to Retire in Asia Home to many religions and civilizations, Asia can be one of the best continents to retire to. The major attraction for many expats in Asia is its reasonable cost of living. An Asian retirement, particularly a Southeast Asian retirement, is cheaper than one in places such as the US and the UK. Some of the cheapest countries to retire in Asia include the Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Many Asian countries also boast affordable and efficient healthcare, such as Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. South Korea, and Japan are also some Asian countries with the best quality of life. For those wondering about how much to retire in Asia, the answer is not much. In fact, many expats report living comfortably under $1,000 per month in many South Asian countries. Other countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand need around $2,000 to retire, with many living far cheaper depending on their needs and wants. Some other best places to live in Asia for expats include the Philippines, Laos, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Beautiful landscapes, diverse natural settings, and unique cultural experiences can enhance the retirement experience for those who choose to retire here. When retiring, many expats may feel hesitant to try a new country due to language barriers. As such, some of the best places to live in Asia for English speakers include the Philippines and Malaysia. Retirees will have little difficulty adjusting to these places as the locals are familiar with English. Without further ado, lets move on to the best countries to retire in Asia. 15 Best Countries to Retire in Asia toey19863/Shutterstock.com Methodology In order to compile the list of the best countries to retire in Asia, we began by listing out all Asian countries. Since many countries in Asia are facing political and other instabilities, we eliminated those countries that had a score above 2.5 based on the Global Peace Index Report 2022 and GIWPS. Next, we used the Legatum Prosperity Index to rank countries based on safety and security, personal freedom, social capital, economic quality, living conditions, health, and education. After ranking the countries on these factors, we picked the first 20 Asian countries with the highest scores. We further ranked the countries based on their living costs from Numbeo, granting them additional points for appearing on our list of best countries for expats and countries with the best quality of life. All scores were added to come up with a final score, and countries were ranked in ascending order from the lowest to the highest scores. Cost of living figures are mentioned for a single expat retiree living in the country, sourced from International Living, Cost of Live, and others. Here are the best countries to retire in Asia: 15. Sri Lanka Insider Monkey Score: 12 Thanks to its Dream Home Visa Program, expats can make Sri Lanka their home. Retirees over the age of 55, having a monthly remittance of $1,500 or the equivalent in an approved foreign currency for the principal applicant and $750 or the equivalent in an approved foreign currency for each spouse and dependent child, can avail the opportunity to retire here. Besides the affordable cost of living that can be covered within the monthly required income, the country offers a steady and homogenous temperature, amazing hotels, nightlife, wellness facilities, and art theaters. There are many festivals, ancient temples, and historical sites to enjoy. The locals are also very friendly, and English is widely spoken in the country. 14. Thailand Insider Monkey Score: 13 Thailand makes it to our list of top retirement destinations in Asia owing to its quality healthcare, natural beauty, affordable living, and thriving expat communities. Lush jungles, picturesque islands, and beautiful beaches add to the beauty of retiring to this country. A single expat retiree can live well within $1,000, while a luxurious lifestyle can cost an individual around $2,000. One-bedroom condos within a mile of a beach cost around $500, while resort-style one bed-houses near Koh Samui cost as low as $1,200. The gastronomic haven is the perfect way to explore local Thai food as well as cuisine from Indian, Chinese, and Malay origins. 13. Mongolia Insider Monkey Score: 13 Mongolia is a popular retirement destination in Asia for those who love the outdoors. Snow-capped mountains, rolling hills, and pristine lakes offer ample opportunities for enjoying nature and the outdoors. The rich nomadic culture of Mongolia is very appealing to retirees as well, providing them an opportunity to experience this way of life. While the country doesnt have a fairly large expat community, retirees can enjoy and have fun with the nomads. They also get to explore the countrys rich culture, filled with festivals, music, and art. A single expat retiree can expect to live under $1,500 in the country. 12. Maldives Insider Monkey Score: 14 Pristine white sand beaches, vibrant coral reefs, and heavenly waters attract many retirees to the beautiful island country of Maldives. Retirees who love the waters will enjoy trying out activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, and even swimming. Overwater bungalows and high-end resorts can make staying here much more fun and luxurious. Maldivian cuisine is a huge plus, as are the friendly locals that retirees can befriend. A single expat retiree can live here under $2,143. 11. South Korea Insider Monkey Score: 14 South Korea may not be the most inexpensive option on our list, but it is definitely one of the best places to retire in Asia. Excellent healthcare system, delicious cuisines, and natural beauty are some of the many reasons expatriates are drawn to this country. It is worth noting here that South Korea does not grant a retirement visa, and expatriates would need to qualify for its long term visa to stay. One bedroom apartments, on average, start from $265 and go all the way up to $800, and average cost of living in a metropolis such as Seoul is around $1,411. Food and transportation are cheap in the country. 10. Vietnam Insider Monkey Score: 15 Vietnam is revered for its affordable healthcare, scenic beauty, and delicious cuisine. Retirees can find good housing rental options anywhere between $300 to $800 and live comfortably under $1,000 to $1,500. Vietnamese cuisine is known to be delicious and cheap, and retirees have lots to try here, such as pho, white rose dumplings, and Vietnamese pizza. The locals are friendly as well, and English is spoken in most tourist and expat areas. 9. Nepal Insider Monkey Score: 16 Beautiful country, affordable living costs, and a pleasant climate make Nepal one of the best retirement destinations in Asia. Lush forests, pristine lakes, and the beautiful Himalayan mountain range provide the perfect opportunity for retirees to indulge in trekking, hiking, or simply enjoying the outdoors. The country's cost of living is very affordable, and a single retiree can live here under $1,000. The locals are very friendly too, and the country is revered for its spiritual and wellness retreats. 8. Philippines Insider Monkey Score: 16 Home to the most hospitable and happiest people in the world, the Philippines can be a nice place for retirees to call home. The Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV) can help expatriates move to the country and join over 200,000 expats who already call it home. A couple can live here quite easily for under $1,500 per month, while a single retiree can manage to live under $1,000. The country is also home to beautiful beaches and pristine islands that retirees can explore, and modern and well-developed healthcare facilities are also available. 7. Cambodia Insider Monkey Score: 16 Cambodia is revered for its warm climate, affordable living, and rich cultural heritage. It is also one of the cheapest countries in Asia to retire to, making it an ideal retirement destination. A single expat retiree can live well under $1,000; while many manage to live within $500, too. Apartment rents can be as low as $200. The country is also known for its friendly locals, natural beauty, and growing expat communities, especially in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. 6. China Insider Monkey Score: 17 Affordable living, high quality of life, and world-class healthcare make China one of the best countries to retire in Asia. It also boasts a rich cultural heritage, with many landmarks to explore, such as the Great Wall of China, the Terracotta Army, and the Forbidden City. The cost of living in the country is 45% lower than in the US, and a single expat retiree can live comfortably on $750 per month. This could be higher depending on city or individual needs. Click to continue reading and see the 5 Best Countries to Retire in Asia. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: none. 15 Best Countries to Retire in Asia is originally published on Insider Monkey. (NEXSTAR) For most of us, flying is usually a breeze, from arriving at the airport to boarding the plane to picking up your luggage and moving on to your destination. Unfortunately for some, despite their best efforts, they may find themselves watching their plane take off without them. Maybe its happened to you: You book your flight in advance, you pick your seat (if your airline allows it), and you arrive on time at your gate only to find out your flight is overbooked. An airline overbooking the flight (also known as overselling the flight) is completely legal, the U.S. Department of Transportation explains. The practice allows carriers to sell more boarding passes than there are seats on a plane to compensate for passengers that do not arrive for the flight. When a flight is oversold, airlines will first ask for volunteers to give up their seat. If there arent enough volunteers, some passengers will be involuntarily denied boarding. This is more commonly known as being bumped from a flight. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Whether you volunteer or are bumped, the DOT keeps track of how many passengers are denied boarding because of oversold flights. And based on the latest data, there is one airline that recently bumped more passengers than any others: Frontier Airlines. According to the DOTs latest Air Travel Consumer Report, released in late June, more than 2,440 Frontier passengers were involuntarily bumped from their flights between January and March of this year (data on oversold flights is only released quarterly). That equates to nearly 4 passengers being bumped for every 10,000 passengers total, the DOT report shows. Fortunately for passengers from Fresno Yosemite International, Frontier ended all flights from Fresno at the start of 2022. While that rate can seem large compared to other airlines of the nine others in the report, none had a rate higher than .50 per 10,000 Frontier was also among the carriers that enplaned the fewest passengers during early 2023, ranking as the third-lowest behind Hawaiian Airlines and Allegiant Air. Still, Hawaiian and Allegiant reported zero passengers being bumped between January and March. Of the airlines that fly from Fresno Yosemite International, American Airlines, Southwest, and Alaska Airlines all featured on the list of five-worst. These five airlines bumped the most passengers: Frontier: 2,442 American: 2,069 Southwest: 610 Spirit: 444 Alaska: 66 Americans Airlines network, which includes American Airlines and its branded partners, reported the second-highest number of passengers involuntarily bumped at nearly 2,070. But by contrast, American Airlines served almost 44 million passengers between January and March vastly more than Frontiers 6.5 million. Frontier Airlines didnt immediately respond to Nexstars request for comment. The airline does, however, outline in its contract of carriage that those who are denied boarding will be provided with another Frontier flight to the same destination. Passengers that have already scanned their boarding pass and boarded the original flight also cannot be removed except for safety or security reasons (or other reasons outlined in the contract of carriage), the contract says. Three airlines reported no bumped passengers: Hawaiian, Allegiant, and Delta Air Lines network. United Airlines network saw 32 passengers being bumped, a measly 0.01 for every 10,000. Southwest Airlines, which bumped the most passengers in 2022, bumped the third-lowest passengers in the first quarter at 610. Included in these statistics are both passengers who received denied boarding compensation and passengers who did not qualify for compensation because of one of the exceptions in the Oversales rule, the DOT explained. Those exceptions include a passenger being accommodated on another flight set to arrive within an hour of the original flight; a passenger failing to comply with ticketing, check-in, or reconfirmation procedures; a smaller aircraft being substituted; or a passenger being denied boarding due to safety-related weight restrictions on smaller aircraft. There were, however, more than 66,800 passengers that were voluntarily denied boarding. As the DOT report explains, these passengers opted to give up their seats on an oversold flight in exchange for compensation. Nearly 29,900 passengers were voluntarily bumped by Delta Air Lines network, which includes Delta Air Lines and branded partners, in early 2023. Thats more passengers than the next three airlines combined. Delta is another airline that flies from Fresno Yosemite International. According to the airlines contract of carriage, Delta will provide those that volunteer to give up their seats, or are involuntarily bumped, a seat on the next available flight at no additional cost or a flight on a different airline. If a passengers substitute flight isnt until the next day, Delta covers hotel accommodations for free, or provides a credit voucher for future Delta purchases up to $100 if accommodations arent available. Though it can be frustrating, airlines are allowed to oversell flights to a certain extent, according to the DOT. They are not, however, allowed to use unjust or unreasonable prejudice, like your race or ethnicity, to bump you from a flight. If you are bumped, your airline is federally required to give you a written statement that explains your rights and how it determines who is bumped. Most passengers who are bumped tend to receive compensation that is equal to double the one-way price of the flight they were bumped from, according to the DOT. While the thought of being bumped from a flight can be worrisome, its important to note that very few people actually are. Only about 5,690 passengers of the more than 195.2 million enplaned in early 2023 were bumped, DOT data shows. Its far more likely that passengers will volunteer to give up their seats, which may allow you to catch your flight after all. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. Convicted murderer and disgraced former lawyer Alex Murdaugh is seeking a new trial in South Carolina, alleging the court clerk tampered with the jury as his lawyers claim there is "newly discovered evidence" in the case. Murdaugh, who is still facing charges of financial impropriety related to his family's law firm and the death of his former housekeeper, was convicted in March of killing his wife, Maggie, and son Paul in 2021. Attorneys for the 55-year-old alleged in a new court filing that Rebecca Hill, Colleton County's Clerk of Court, engaged in intentional misconduct deliberately violating a defendant's constitutional right to a fair trial before an impartial jury to secure financial gain for herself. Hill self-published a book on the case called "Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders" in July. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian, attorneys for Murdaugh, are requesting an evidentiary hearing that they said in a news conference Tuesday will give them subpoena power so they can request phone records and emails in addition to speaking to witnesses. Ultimately, they are hoping for a new trial. Murdaugh was convicted of both murders after a six-week trial in which he testified in his own defense. He was sentenced to life behind bars. He denied any involvement in the killings. "I respect this court, but I'm innocent," Murdaugh told the judge ahead of sentencing. "I would never under any circumstances hurt my wife Maggie, and I would never under any circumstances hurt my son." Now Murdaugh's attorneys claim Hill "instructed jurors not to be 'misled' by evidence presented in Mr. Murdaugh's defense. She told jurors not to be 'fooled by' Mr. Murdaugh's testimony in his own defense," they said in a court filing. She also had "frequent private conversations with the jury foreperson," "asked jurors for their opinions about Mr. Murdaugh's guilt or innocence," "invented a story about a Facebook post to remove a juror she believed might not vote guilty" and "pressured the jurors to reach a quick verdict," they allege. The new filing contains sworn affidavits from three of the jurors, identified only by their numbers, as well as excerpts from Hill's book. "Ms. Hill did these things to secure for herself a book deal and media appearances that would not happen in the event of a mistrial. Ms. Hill betrayed her oath of office for money and fame," Murdaugh's attorneys wrote. When they shared the affidavits with Murdaugh, "He was astonished, he was shaking, he was in disbelief," Griffin said Tuesday afternoon. The jurors spoke with the attorneys because "they're upset with the way this played out," Harpootlian said, though he could not comment on whether the jurors regretted their votes to convict. "We were hitting brick walls until her book came out, and then jurors who obviously were not comfortable with how she handled matters were even less comfortable with her going on a book tour, making money off what she did," Griffin said. Griffin and Harpootlian said in a statement they also asked the South Carolina U.S. attorney to open a federal investigation. CBS News has reached out to Hill for comment but has not received a response. Elizabeth Campbell contributed to this report. Young Americans dominating 2023 U.S. Open Companies offer student loan relief for new hires India grows as an investment target Items belonging to an Englishman credited with cracking encrypted Nazi communications during World War II, and who later earned accolades as one of the founding fathers of computer science, were discovered in the possession of a Colorado woman in 2018, nearly four decades after they went missing. In late August, Denver-based federal investigators flew across the Atlantic to return those items - which were enthusiastically received. "We thought probably that was the last we were ever going to see of them," said Dominic Luckett, headmaster at Sherborne School, in BBC coverage of the repatriation ceremony. "So it was a rather pleasant surprise when we got wind that the American authorities knew they were in America, and they were doing their best to track them down and get them back." Sherborne School Headmaster Dominic Luckett shakes hands with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Greg Wertsch (right) during a repatriation ceremony Aug. 22 in Dorset, England. / Credit: BBC But that's not the end of the story: How those artifacts got to Colorado, and whether they were stolen or secretly given away....those are mysteries that have not been solved. Alan Turing's 1936 passport photo, one of the items taken from the Sherborne School in England in 1984 and recently found in a Colorado woman's possession. / Credit: Sherborne School The affair took a dramatic turn in 2018 in Boulder. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Then and there, a woman from Conifer presented the items to officials at the University of Colorado. She offered to lend the artifacts to the university for historical display. The university's historians thanked the woman for the offer but turned her down. Evidently, they knew what they were looking at, or at least had a solid idea about the items' significance. They contacted local authorities, who then contacted federal authorities. That's when Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Greg Wertsch walked into the case. "We did a search warrant on the property, we recovered the items, and then did subsequent investigations to authenticate the items that we had," Wertsch told CBS News Colorado. HSI Special Agent Greg Wertsch speaks at the repatriation ceremony of Alan Turing's missing artifacts in Dorset, England on Aug. 22. / Credit: U.S. Attorneys Office District of Colorado The box of items had been donated in 1965 to the Sherborne School in Dorset, England, located three and a half hours southwest of London. It was given to the all-boys school by the mother of Alan Turing , one of the school's most renowned students. RELATED The enigma of WWII codebreaker Alan Turing Turing attended the school from 1926 to 1931. He went on earn degrees at Cambridge and Princeton, authored groundbreaking articles on computing, artificial intelligence and mathematical biology, and became a national hero by developing a device to decode the German military's secret communications. The Nazis encrypted their messages with an Enigma machine. That ability to hide its communication was critical in building an advantage with its fleet of U-boats, a type of submarine. RELATED Breaking the Nazi's Enigma codes at Bletchley Park Until Turing decoded it, and took away that advantage. To HSI's Wertsch, it helped the Allies win World War II, and saved millions of lives in the process. "At the time, we had no computer technology to decipher codes. Alan Turing worked on this problem," Wertsch said. "Alan Turing was principle in that, in determining how to break the code. That changed the course of the world war." Alan Turing's Order of British Empire medal. / Credit: Sherborne School Turing died a controversial death in 1954. He was posthumously awarded an Order of the British Empire medal for his war effort. That medal, along with his Princeton Ph.D diploma, a personal note from the King George VI of England, a number of school reports and several school report cards, were among the items in a box of artifacts that vanished from the Sherborne School in 1984. A letter to Alan Turing from England's King George VI. / Credit: Sherborne School School officials do not know how the items disappeared. But they did determine that they vanished during a visit by a young woman from America. That woman told the school her name was Julie Schinghomes. She claimed to be doing a study on Turing. She received a tour of school's archives from a staff member. Somehow, when she left, the items went with her. "We don't know precisely if they were stolen or given," Wertsch said. "There is a claim that some of the items may have been given by one person at the school to someone here. However, that person would not have the authority to give them." / Credit: U.S. Attorneys Office District of Colorado According to federal prosecutors, Schinghomes returned home to the United States and changed her name to Julia Turing. Investigators have not found her to be of any relation to Alan Turing. The search warrant was issued in 2021. Investigators found the artifacts and took possession of them. But it would be another year and a half before a settlement was reached between Julia Turing and federal investigators. Wertsch said Julia Turing surrendered her interest in the items - after lengthy and "laborous discussions" - in exchange for prosecutors dropping their criminal case against her. "Everybody in this case came together and agreed, the place for these items was back where they first were," Wertsch said. However, Chris Larson, a spokesperson with the United States Attorney Office in the District of Colorado, declined to comment when asked if, in fact, Julia Turing faced no legal consequences as a result of her actions. Regardless, the items are back where they belong, Wertsch said. "I'm very lucky to have had a small part in preserving that legacy for the world." / Credit: U.S. Attorneys Office District of Colorado Messages left with a relative of Julia Turing requesting comment were not returned. This story will be updated with any comments received. Driver trapped at bottom of ravine for 5 days rescued How a cat helps kids getting glasses for the first time feel comfortable Smash Mouth singer Steve Harwell dies at 56 Attorneys who once challenged Ohio's congressional map as unconstitutional now say it should be used in the 2024 election. In July 2022, the Ohio Supreme Court struck down the state's 15-district congressional map, ruling that it was drawn to unfairly favor Republicans over Democrats. The court ordered Ohio lawmakers to draw a new map for 2024. But Senate President Matt Huffman and fellow Republicans challenged that decision with the U.S. Supreme Court, saying the Ohio judges had overstepped their bounds. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court sent the case back to the Ohio Supreme Court, asking it to review the map in light of a recent North Carolina redistricting decision. On Tuesday, attorneys who had challenged the 2022 Ohio congressional map asked the Ohio Supreme Court to dismiss the case. They argued that Ohioans have already borne considerable costs and frustrations from redistricting disputes and the map used in the 2022 elections was good enough. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "(Our clients) strongly believe this is the best result under the circumstances for the people of Ohio who deserve certainty about the congressional map that they will be voting under in this cycle, at the very least," wrote attorney Don McTigue and several lawyers from the Elias Law Group, a Democratic firm specializing in election and redistricting law. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio and its client the League of Women Voters of Ohio and former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's National Redistricting Action Fund had both challenged Ohio's congressional map. Both asked for the case to be dismissed. "If the Supreme Court of Ohio ordered the current Redistricting Commission to redraw the congressional map, the politicians would likely just gerrymander again," said Jen Miller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio. "Thats why we are focused on banning politicians from redistricting completely through the Citizens Not Politicians amendment." Redistricting reform advocates are hoping to pass a new constitutional amendment that would replace Ohio politicians with a 15-member citizens commission, which would draw maps for Statehouse and congressional districts. That effort failed to clear its first hurdle, but proponents refiled Tuesday. The Ohio Supreme Court is also under new leadership. Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy, a Republican who won the role in 2022, would have ruled in favor of the maps. She was among the three Republicans who dissented in each redistricting ruling. "Recent history shows that, despite our winning seven Ohio Supreme Court orders, manipulative map drawers were ultimately able to run out the clock," said Freda Levenson, legal director for the ACLU of Ohio. "On top of this, the new Ohio Supreme Court is unsympathetic to gerrymandering challenges." Spokespeople for legislative Republicans said they were reviewing the filing. In 2022, Republicans won 10 congressional seats and Democrats won five using the map that the Ohio Supreme Court found unconstitutional. Cincinnati Rep. Greg Landsman flipped a Southwest Ohio district from Republican incumbent Steve Chabot. Ohio lawmakers would still need to craft a new congressional map for 2026 because the districts were approved by Republicans over the objections of Democrats. Meanwhile, the Ohio Redistricting Commission, a seven-member panel of politicians, still must redraw maps for House and Senate seats after the Ohio Supreme Court repeatedly rejected them as unconstitutional. A hearing is set for Sept. 13. Read the filing: Motion to dismiss the challenge to 2022 congressional map by Jessie Balmert on Scribd This embedded content is not available in your region. Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Is Ohio's congressional map fight over? Attorneys ask to dismiss suit A handful of leadership changes and at least one updated contract has pushed the average school superintendent salary in Bucks County up about $14,000 compared to state Department of Education payroll records from the 2022-2023 school year. The 13 top school district administrators averaged about $198,131 during the last school year, roughly $39,000 higher than state average and putting Bucks County around the sixth highest in the state for superintendent salaries. Bucks County school district superintendents make on average about $39,000 more than there couterparts across the state, state Department of Education data show. Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Monroe counties held the top five average salaries last school year, with Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlingtons $340,000 salary making him the highest paid in the state. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Several changes in leadership positions in the county looks to have bumped the superintendents salary up to $212,000 and made Bucks fifth highest in Pennsylvania for superintendent salaries, though an updated state report is still likely at least a month away. Pay changes for superintendents in Bucks County A controversial 40% raise for Central Bucks Superintendent Abram Lucabaugh in July is probably the largest driving force behind the county average pay bump. Lucabaugh, who has worked in Central Bucks for at least 20 of his almost 30-year career in education, was first appointed superintendent in August 2021 with a starting pay of $225,000. More: Central Bucks committees wanted 'vital' LGBTQ+ themed books to remain at high schools As of last October, Lucabaugh was reportedly making $229,000 a year. That salary made him the 33rd highest paid of roughly 500 superintendents in the state last school year. Dr. Abram Lucabaugh is a seventeen-year employee of the Central Bucks School District. The superintendent served as Central Bucks High School East's principal for eleven years before being appointed assistant superintendent of secondary education in 2018. A 6-3 school board vote in July approved a new five-year contract for Lucabaugh that started him at $315,000 a year a rate that would have made him the second highest paid superintendent in the state last year. In Lower Bucks, Bristol Borough School District appointed Broadus Davis as superintendent in January, increasing his previous salary of $130,000 as the acting superintendent to $173,750 a year. Davis previously served as the districts superintendent from 2003 until his retirement in 2010. Davis returned to the district for the 2022-2023 school year to replace another former Superintendent Tom Shaffer, who filled the role to replace former Superintendent Rose Minnitti, who took a job as an assistant superintendent in the New Hope-Solebury School District in 2021. More: Bucks County ranks high in average teacher pay, though gender pay gap remains wide Retirements and new superintendents in Bucks County In Pennridge, Superintendent David Bolton will be retiring after 34 years in education and six years in the district at the end of October. Bolton was the highest paid superintendent in the county as of last October at $230,625. The Pennridge school board on Aug. 28 unanimously approved a three-year contract with Abington Senior High School Principal Angelo Berrios, starting at $210,000 a year, for its top spot. More: Bucks County districts prep for back to school. Here's when students return Berrios, a resident of Pennridge with 22 years experience in Abington, could also see a $5,000 bonus each year if he receives high marks in his performance reviews. If his contract is extended, any further raises would require a board vote. Angelo Berrios, a former Marine and social studies teacher, could be appointed head of the Pennridge School District in Bucks County. Quakertown Community School District will also have a new superintendent for the 2023-2024 school year after Superintendent Bill Harner announced his retirement after 10 years in the district, according to the state data. The district entered into a four-year contract with Matthew Friedman in March at a starting salary of $207,000, with a minimum 2.5% raise each year with a proficient performance rating through 2026. Bristol Township School District approved a five-year $210,000 contract with Michael Nitti in July 2022, but he started his job in the late fall last year after the state data was compiled. More: After COVID school closings, student test scores plummeted, mostly in math in Bucks County Nitti was then an employee of the Ewing Township School District, New Jersey, with 30 years in education before coming to the Lower Bucks district. Former Acting Superintendent Chris Polzer, who was paid $130,515 last school year, is currently the districts assistant superintendent. Meanwhile, Neshaminy School District officials approved the retirement of former Superintendent Robert McGee late last month, five months after McGee was placed on leave for reasons the district has not elaborated on. McGee, who worked for 36 years in Neshaminy, was paid $196,000 as of last October. Jason Bowman, a secondary education director and assistant to the superintendent, has been the substitute superintendent since March. As of March, Bowmans salary was $152,000 but the district approved in July a $12,500 stipend to Bowman for his extra responsibilities over the latter half of the 2022-2023 school year. Returning superintendents of Bucks County While about half of Bucks County's school districts have seen leadership change or a signficiant pay scale, here's a list of the districts that haven't had any major shakeups going into the 2023-2024 school year: Bensalem School District Superintendent Samuel Lee, 42 years in education, with a salary of $205,999 Centennial School District Superintendent Dana Bedden, 30 years in education, with a salary of $215,668 Council Rock School District Superintendent Andrew Sanko, 33 years in education, with a salary of $220,000 Morrisville Borough School District Superintendent Sean Haines, 22 years in education, with a salary of $147,600 New Hope-Solebury School District Superintendent Charles Lentz, 29 years in educaiton, with a salary of $218,554 Palisades School District Superintendent Bridget O'Connell, 26 years in education, with salary of $201,925 Pennsbury School District Superintendent Thomas Smith, 14 years in education, with a salary of $213,150 Things to consider about the data The payroll data from the state education department is collected annually from individual school districts each year around October. While that data reflects the pay of many school employees for that current school year, many financial decisions including employee contracts are made at the end of the fiscal year in June. Superintendent contracts are often made for five-year terms and include performance-based raises, sometimes by 2% to 3%. The rates and rankings in this story are based on the most recent state data and any changes in pay that were either previously reported on or were readily available through the school districts websites. This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Superintendent salaries in Bucks County rise. Here's what they make Should members of the community who have been alerted to "shelter in place" be required to submit an open records request to obtain details about the chemical spills that prompted the alert? Following an August 5 chemical release in Louisvilles Rubbertown corridor, Courier Journal environmental staff writer Connor Giffin reported on deficiencies in the Louisville Emergency Notification System, or LENSAlerts, "a primary line of official emergency communications for the city and surrounding counties." Griffin reported: "LENSAlerts on chemical spills or hazardous material incidents do not identify the chemicals in question, leaving concerned residents to search social media, local news, or investigate for themselves. "Eboni Cochran, co-director of the grassroots Rubbertown Emergency ACTion group and Chickasaw resident, went to the Air Pollution Control District and asked where she could find more documentation to understand what had happened. They told her she needed to file a request under Kentucky's open records law." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Cochran expressed understandable frustration. "I dont think these should be open record requests. I think that if youre putting my life in danger, if youre putting the lives of community members in danger, they shouldnt have to go through a whole process in order to gather documents. The community has a right to know what theyre being exposed to and in what quantities." Cochran's point is well taken. Rubbertown and adjoining neighborhood. April 18, 2012 I recognize the value of putting public records requests in writing. In the early days of Kentucky's open records law, the Attorney General wrote: "It is contrary to the letter and spirit of the open records law for an agency to make it more difficult to inspect a public record than it was before the open records law was enacted. "Records which are easily described and readily available should not be temporarily withheld from inspection by red tape under the pretense of complying with the open records law. Even before the open records law such records as deeds, mortgages and tax records were open to the public. Their availability should be no more restricted than is necessary to safeguard the records." In the case of a threat to public health, such as the August 5 chemical release and its aftermath, public agencies should not only accommodate concerned community members seeking answers, they should go one step further by making affirmative, proactive and voluntary public disclosure of records in their custody. All open records bets should be off if lives have been, or are, imperiled and a public agency can provide full and accurate information aimed at dispelling rumor and suspicion. Why should these community members be forced to suffer the frustrations, delays and indignities of Louisville Metro's NextRequest? But as a retired assistant attorney general, I recognize the value of putting public records requests in writing. The open records law states that "[t]he official custodian may require a written application, signed by the applicant and with his or her name printed legibly on the application, describing the records to be inspected." In virtually all cases, I have found, the requester is well-advised to submit a written request to the public agency and to keep a copy for future use. LENS Alerts fall short West End residents are in danger during Rubbertown chemical spills. A written open records request preserves the requester's rights and verifies the public agency's duties. Should a dispute arise, the written request provides proof of what the requester asked for and if dated and emailed or hand delivered on the same day when the agency's five business day response time began. If the dispute with the agency cannot be resolved, requesters must have copies of their written requests in order to file open records appeals. The open records law requires requesters to provide the Attorney General with a copy of their requests. The Attorney General cannot review their appeals without a copy of the written request. The bureaucratic indifference demonstrated by the Air Pollution Control District that Eboni Cochran described in the aftermath of the August 5 chemical release warrants a revision in agency policy aimed at full, accurate, and immediate proactive disclosure of pertinent records and information. But it generally behooves members of the community seeking information about the agencies that serve them through public records requests to put their requests in writing and avoid the "he said she said" that so often accompanies open records disputes. Amye Bensenhaver, cofounder, Kentucky Open Government Coalition and former assistant attorney general Amye Bensenhaver is a retired assistant attorney general who authored open records and open meetings decisions in that office for 25 years. She is co-founder and co-director of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition along with Jennifer P. Brown, former editor of the Kentucky New Era and currently Hoptown Chronicle editor. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What happened? Chemical spills shouldn't require open records requests CLOVIS, N.M. One of Eastern New Mexico's major retailers will be closed indefinitely after a fire significantly damaged the Walmart here early Sunday morning. Clovis fire crews were called to Walmart at 3728 N. Prince St. around 3:30 a.m. Sunday for a fire alarm activation, according to a news release from the Clovis Police Department. Police and EMS also responded to the scene. When firefighters arrived, they reported "the building was ablaze," police said. "Due to the size of the building and the aggressive nature of the fire, additional fire units from surrounding agencies were requested to assist the Clovis Fire Department," the release reads. Firefighters from Cannon Air Force Base, Melrose, Ranchvale, Pleasant Hill, Texico, Portales and Grady in New Mexico and Farwell and Bovina in Texas assisted with the incident. The store was closed when the blaze began. All employees were able to evacuate and no injuries were reported in the fire. The fire likely started on the south side of the building near the automotive section and burned for at least three hours, local media reported. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The New Mexico State Fire Marshal's Office has been asked to investigate the fire. The store was closed Sunday and Monday and "may be shut down for a longer period," Clovis officials said. "The store is currently closed as we work with authorities to assess the damage. We will share additional information on store operations as soon as possible," reads a social media post from Clovis Walmart management. "In the meantime, well continue serving customers at our store on 1604 E Spruce Street in Portales, NM and on Walmart.com." Officials also noted any prescription medication typically filled at the Clovis Walmart pharmacy will be available at the Portales Walmart pharmacy. "Were grateful to the local emergency crews for their quick response, and most importantly, there have been no injuries reported," Walmart said. This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Clovis Walmart closed after fire significantly damages building [Source] Even if only for a few hours, tensions between the U.S. and China were replaced by a celebration of culture at the 31st annual Washington Chinese Cultural Festival in Washington, D.C., over the weekend. About the event: This years festival took place near Capitol Hill on Pennsylvania Avenue NW from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Organized by the Greater Washington Chinese American Community, the event attracted nearly 10,000 people and featured a diversity of artistic performances, cultural displays, interactive experiences and Chinese cuisine offered at Attendees were treated to song and dance numbers, theatrical performances, martial arts displays, tea ceremonies, calligraphy and instrument demonstrations, among other activities. Food, culture and travel products were also sold at some of the more than 40 booths present. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More from NextShark: Japanese fans continue to clean stadium at World Cup 2022 after win over Spain Why this matters: The festival sought to promote an understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture. Additionally, it provided an opportunity to improve ties between Washington and Beijing, which have soured in recent years. It kinda makes you forget that theres any tension between the two countries, attendee Jesse Solano told CGTN. It makes you feel that the American people and the Chinese people have no problem living together. What China is saying: Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng spoke at the event. In his speech, he urged both China and the U.S. to have open minds and appreciate the beauty in each others culture as a means to improve bilateral relations. More from NextShark: Sunmi drops summer comeback Heart Burn and announces Good Girl Gone Mad world tour Differences between civilizations should not be the cause of conflict, but should be the impetus for progressLets open our mind, appreciate the beauty in each others culture, break down barriers, and strengthen cultural ties, so that we will understand each other better and grow our friendship, and bring more positive energy into China-U.S. relations, Xie said. More from NextShark: India to host Asia's first World Coffee Conference in Bengaluru Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! BLACKPINK's Lisa to be 1st K-pop act to perform at historic cabaret in Paris Elon Musk calls Burning Man best art on Earth amid chaos that saw thousands stranded and one dead Elon Musk offered lofty praise to the Burning Man festival - after this year's event descended into disaster with one person dead and thousands left stranded in the Nevada desert after intense floods. Burning Man is unique in the world, Mr Musk wrote on his platform X on Sunday. Hard to describe how incredible it is for those who have never been. Best art on Earth. The post drew scrutiny for two reasons. First off, it came as the desert festival is suffering from utter chaos on all sides torrential floods caused by Tropical Storm Hilary, false claims of an Ebola outbreak, tens of thousands of stranded attendees, and even a death caused by reasons unrelated to the weather. On top of this mess, Mr Musk seemed to be commenting on a video from Paris Fashion Week in 2022 not Burning Man. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He was replying to a post of someone who claims to be stuck at the festival: Im currently stranded at Burning Man, along with thousands of others. Despite the unexpected challenges, some artists managed to put together an impromptu catwalk show. The Im in the mud show is a metaphor for trying stuff and always learning, the user wrote. Im deeply inspired by the ingenuity and resourcefulness of this community. Burning Man is unique in the world. Hard to describe how incredible it is for those who have never been. Best art on Earth. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 3, 2023 The post was accompanied by a video of someone in a long black dress, black gloves and boots trudging through mud. A note from the social media platform explained: This is not burning man. It is from Balengiaga fashion show in Paris. The note even included a link to the video clip of the luxury brands mud bath show. In fairness to the Tesla founder, festivalgoers were in fact schlepping through mud and some were even building mud sculptures. After some postponement, Burning Man said that the site is expected to open on Monday morning, though that will depend on weather cooperation. According to its website, the festival is a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. The six-day event in the Black Rock Desert was set to run from 27 August through 4 September. As of Monday morning, the Burning Man officials suggested that festivalgoers might be able to finally leave the premises, writing on X: Gate Road remains too wet & muddy for most vehicles to safely navigate out of BRC this morning, but is drying. Exodus likely to begin around noon today. DUPLAIN TWP. The Elsie dam that failed in August was a "ticking time bomb" and a "foreseeable failure" that could cost the small township more than a million dollars to replace or remove, a state official said. The dam on the Maple River, just west of the village of Elsie, was rated in unsatisfactory condition, the worst in the Greater Lansing area, but it was also a low risk to create downstream damage, said Luke Trumble, a dam safety supervisor with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. There are 20 dams in Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties, with an average age of about 60 years, less than the state's average of 71 years. Of those, 14 have received "satisfactory" ratings, the best possible, according to a state database. Two of them, the Erickson and McElmurry Lake dams in Eaton County, do not have any inspections recorded. The Rose Lake dam is in poor condition. Three dams Lake Lansing and Mason Wildlife in Ingham County and Alward Dam in Clinton County are in fair condition, a step worse than satisfactory. The Elsie dam was considered unsatisfactory, the worst ranking, before a chunkof the dam split off on Aug. 17. Water flows through a breach in the dam on the Maple River west of Elsie in Duplain Township on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. As dams across the region and state age and move past their predicted life expectancy, officials and residents are grappling with the cost of maintaining them or a decision to remove them entirely. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "A lot of dams are coming toward the end of their life cycle," Trumble said. "And a lot of owners are coming to terms with that." Ingham County officials are scrambling to make emergency repairs to the Lake Lansing dam, which maintains the lake's water level. They are concerned a collapse could cause property damage and flooding of nearby homes. The cost of repairs isnt yet clear. The dam is considered low risk if it fails, and ultimately lives aren't expected to be at stake. Safety of residents plays a major role in how the state rates dams: how dangerous a failure would be for nearby residents and how likely is a failure. More than half of the dams in the Greater Lansing area have been inspected in the last three years. Inspections are prioritized based on the apparent risks and past inspections, Trumble said. In the Lansing area, there are three high consequence dams: Two Carrier Creek structures in Eaton County and the Moores Park Dam in Lansing. The three received "satisfactory" inspection reports, the best evaluation possible, according to Michigan dam database. The Moores Park Dam, pictured Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. Dams may be owned by municipalities, companies or private citizens, and the state only steps in when disaster happens, which often will end with the state suing the dam owner to recover the costs so it's better to fix the problems earlier, Trumble said. The failure of the Edenville Dam near Sanford in May 2020 led to massive damage in Midland County, including destruction of an entire bridge, multiple homes and businesses, and several other dams being damaged or destroyed. Destroyed dams drained lakes in both Midland and Gladwin counties, leading to 2020 construction cost estimates for restoration that were in the hundreds of millions of dollars $208 million for the Edenville Dam and Wixom Lake; $92 million for Sanford dam and lake; $24 million for Secord Lake and $14 million for Smallwood. The cost to repair the aging Elsie dam, which has been considered several times, most recently in 2010, was always too much for the lightly populated township to pay, Duplain Township Supervisor Bruce Levey said. "There's what we want and there's what we can afford," he said. Across the nation, aging dams are a growing concern, according to an American Society of Civil Engineers' report. "The high average age means that the majority of dams will not have been built to current standards, let alone incorporate newer standards that improve their resilience and reduce the risk to downstream areas," the report says. By the end of the decade, the report said, more than 70% of the nation's dams will be more than a half century old. More than 10% of the state's dams, 272 of them, are over a century old. But that percentage could be higher: The state database tracks 2,548 dams, but only 1,800 of those have a completion date. The state's oldest dam, Parker Dam in Washtenaw County, is 200 years old and there are three dozen dams as old or older than the 1840 Elsie dam. There is no definitive age limit on dams, except that water will always win given enough time, but materials will often dictate how long the dams can be expected to last, Trumble said. Concrete and steel can have a ballpark of a century, but that can be extended with good maintenance or reduced with less active caretaking, he said. What about the Greater Lansing area dams? The Moores Park Dam, pictured Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. While the 20 dams in Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties may be aging, that doesn't mean they are likely to fail, said Logan Bailey, a spokesperson for Eaton County, whose drain commission operates two high-consequence dams on Carrier Creek in Delta Township. "In the latest report, inspectors found that landowners would not be at risk [in case of failure], but the freeway would potentially see consequences," Bailey said. He said the consequences can be mitigated by the maintenance and inspections. The other high consequence dam in the area is operated by the Lansing Board of Water and Light at Moores Park. BWL employees monitor surveillance cameras at the dam around the clock and dam operators inspect it daily, the utility said in a statement. "Over the last two decades, BWL invested in capital projects to repair and update features to ensure the dam is structurally stable to operate for the future," the utility said in a statement. Elsie's low risk meant it didn't qualify for grants A breach in the Elsie dam after emergency repairs were made to limit further damage on Aug. 27, 2023. Grant applications to conduct maintenance on the Elsie dam were rejected, Levey said, because of the low potential consequences of a failure, so the township was never able to pay for the necessary major upgrades. Trumble said the Elsie dam was forecast as a low consequence failure with a high likelihood of failure happening. Grants tend to go toward dams with high consequences of failure, he said. "That highlights the point, a lot of folks who own this infrastructure dont have the means to pay for it," Trumble said. "Grants will never be enough to fully fund our infrastructure needs. Folks cant rely on grant funding. There has to be proper maintenance of dam infrastructure." Trumble said he couldn't say which of Michigan's dams is most likely to fail next. The state has four dams that are listed as both high downstream risk and unsatisfactory inspections, the worst inspection result. All four were involved in the May 2020 dam breaches and are currently being repaired or removed, or will be by 2027. They are not considered to be current risks due to mitigation efforts in the last few years, although the unsatisfactory rankings will remain until the work is finished, Trumble said. That leaves 10 dams in the next-worst category: High consequence and poor inspection reports, according to the state database. Greater Lansing dams Clinton County Elsie dam, in Duplain Township, built in 1840, has failed Alward Lake dam, in Clinton County, built in 1944, is a low risk and in fair condition Lake Geneva dam, in DeWitt, built in 1955, is a significant risk and in satisfactory condition Rose Lake dam, in Bath Township, built in 1960, is a low risk and in poor condition Lake Victoria dam, in Laingsburg, built in 1961, is low risk and in satisfactory condition Thunder Hole dam, in Lebanon Township, built in 1966, is low risk and in satisfactory condition Sleepy Hollow dam, in Laingsburg/St. Johns, built in 1974, is a significant risk and in satisfactory condition Eaton County Narrow Lake, in Brookfield Township, built in 1950, is low risk and in satisfactory condition Lacey dam, in Kalamo Township, built in 1972, is low risk and in satisfactory condition Myers-Henderson detention pond, in Bath Township, built in 1992, is high risk and satisfactory condition Carrier Creek structure A and structure B, in Delta Township, both built in 2008, are both high risk and satisfactory condition Carrier Creek structure F, in Delta Township, built in 2008, is low risk and satisfactory condition McElmurry Lakes dam, in Bellevue Township, built in 2007, is a significant risk and its condition has not been rated Erickson dam, in Windsor Charter Township, is a low risk and satisfactory condition Ingham County Moores Park dam, in Lansing, built in 1908, is a high risk and in satisfactory condition North Lansing dam, in Lansing, built in 1936, is a significant risk and in satisfactory condition Mason Wildlife dam, in Vevay Township, built in 1960, is low risk and fair condition Lake Lansing dam, in Haslett, built in 1975, is low risk and in fair condition Dansville State Game Area dam, in Ingham Township, built in 1986, is low risk and in satisfactory condition Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or 517-267-0415 This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Elsie dam was 'ticking time bomb.' Many other dams reach end-of-life cycle In this article, we are going to discuss the 20 best craft breweries in America. You can skip our detailed analysis of the rising popularity of craft beer, the domestic production of Sapporo beers, and the entrance of a beverage giant in craft, and go directly to 5 Best Craft Breweries in America. While the U.S. toiled in beer production purgatory following the repeal of Prohibition, all of that began to change when President Jimmy Carter signed a small but groundbreaking bill, making homebrewing legal. It took a little bit of time, but that eventually led to several new craft breweries popping up in the 1980s. Many of the brewing ventures that started in this time period were done so not by professionals, but individuals ready to take their home brewing to the next level. The trend slowly grew, and by the 2000s, microbreweries had expanded throughout much of the United States. The Rising Popularity of Craft Beer: The United States is the country that produces the most craft beer in the world. As we mentioned in our article 20 States with the Most Craft Breweries there were 9,552 craft breweries, brewpubs, and taprooms in the U.S. in 2022, up almost 99% from 2015. Meanwhile, retail dollar sales of craft increased 5%, to $28.4 billion, and now account for 24.6% of the $115 billion overall U.S. beer market. The principle strength of craft brewing lies in its vast array of beer innovations to reflect the shift of todays consumers, as it offers its customers something different from what theyre normally used to. Craft lovers are willing to pay a little more for beer that holds more taste, flavor, variety, and alcohol. The quality ingredients and delicious tastes that craft beers offer are not usually found in their mass-produced counterparts. Moreover, drinking craft is also a way to support your local businesses. The Domestic Production of Sapporo Beers: On June 23rd, Stone Brewing shocked the craft beer biz by announcing that it was being acquired by the Japanese brewing giant Sapporo, and the $165 million deal closed quickly in August. Story continues Founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner in 1996, Stone Brewing was one of the largest craft breweries in the United States at the time, but given that it is now owned by an international beer behemoth, it is no longer considered a true craft brewery using the Brewers Association's definition of craft beer. With this transition, Stone's well-known founders Greg Koch and Steve Wagner are no longer in the picture. Under Sapporos management, Stone continues to operate breweries in Escondido, CA, and Richmond, VA, along with seven taproom and bistro locations. The Japanese companys goal is to not only manage Stones growth in the United States, but also to harness the brewerys considerable production resources to produce more Sapporo beers in America, where it is currently the #1 selling Asian beer brand. The Richmond Stone brewery will make about 40% of the companys total domestic output, with the remaining 60% being made out of Stones California operations. The move by the company to make Sapporo beer at the Stone breweries is ironic given that Stones previous co-founder and co-owner, Greg Koch, famously mocked mass-produced lagers by global brewers as fizzy yellow beer. It is worth mentioning that Sapporo also acquired San Francisco-based Anchor Brewing in 2017 for $85 million, with plans of brewing its Asian offerings at Anchors production facility. However, the marriage didnt exactly go to plan and Americas oldest craft brewery ended up permanently ceasing its operations in July. The Entrance of a Beverage Giant: It was announced last year that the Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ:MNST) had acquired the Canarchy Craft Brewery Collective, in a deal worth $330 million. The acquisition gave Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ:MNST) the ownership of Canarchys craft breweries including Cigar City, Oskar Blues, Deep Ellum, Perrin Brewing, Squatters, and Wasatch. The deal provided the beverage giant with a ready-made platform to join the alcohol industry, including infrastructure, people, distribution and licenses, alcoholic beverage development experience, and manufacturing capabilities. Canarchy is an interesting move for the Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ:MNST) because it entered alcohol through craft beer and hard seltzer, a pair of maturing yet popular categories where consumers have countless options to choose from. The company spent the early weeks of 2023 rolling out a line of alcoholic beverages. Called The Beast Unleashed, the drinks are made with malt alcohol and contain 6% alcohol by volume, though no caffeine or energy-inducing ingredients. The Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ:MNST) announced in its Q2 Earnings Call Transcript: In the first half of 2023, we launched The Beast Unleashed which is now available in 28 states through a network of beer distributors. We are pleased with the early results and are continuing to expand distribution, with the goal of being national by the end of the year. According to Nielsen scan data, The Beast Unleashed is currently one of the top new brands in the beer category in 2023. We plan to launch a hot iced tea extension of The Beast Unleashed named Nasty Beast Hardcore Tea later this year or early next year, with a goal of national distribution in the first half of 2024. The brand will have full flavors Original, Half & Half, Razzleberry and Green. Nasty Beast Hardcore Tea will be available in 24 oz. single-serve cans as well as in a variety 12-pack in 12 ounce sleek cans. With that said, here are the Top Craft Breweries in America in 2023. 20 Best Craft Breweries in America Valentyn Volkov/Shutterstock.com Methodology: To collect data for this article, we referred to a number of sources, such as Tasting Table, VinePair, 24/7 Wall St., Reddit etc., looking for the Best Craft Breweries in the U.S. We picked breweries that appeared at least thrice in these sources, assigned them a score based on their number of appearances, and ranked them accordingly. When two breweries had the same score, we ranked them by their average rating on Untappd. If youd rather have your alcohol distilled, here are the 20 Most Popular Liquor Brands in America. 20. Deschutes Brewery Insider Monkey Score: 3 Deschutes Brewery has always been family owned and operated. An Employee Stock Ownership Program was set up in 2013, so employees now own a percentage of the company. In its first year in operation in 1988, the public house sold 310 barrels of beer and today Deschutes is one of the Largest Craft Breweries in the US by Volume. The Portland-based Deschutes sits among the best breweries in Oregon. 19. Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. Insider Monkey Score: 3 Founded in 2009, the Iowa-based Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. was a runaway success and is world-renowned for its IPA and barrel-aged beers. Rated not only as the #1 Craft Beer in America, but also the Best Beer in the World by BeerAdvocate and RateBeer, Toppling Goliaths Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout is chocolate chip pancakes drenched with maple syrup, served with espresso and a shot of bourbon, all in one sip. Toppling Goliath ranks among the Top 50 Craft Breweries in the United States. 18. Goose Island Beer Co. Insider Monkey Score: 4 Anheuser-Busch acquired the Chicago-based Goose Island in 2011, in a deal worth $39 million. Since then, the beer giant has invested aggressively to establish a chain of Goose Island brewpubs in America, as well as internationally. The Goose Island So-Lo sits among the Best Low-Alcohol Beers in America. 17. Founders Brewing Co. Insider Monkey Score: 4 Grand Rapids-based Founders Brewing Company, once one of the citys most recognized locally owned businesses, is now officially under the ownership of Madrid-based Mahou Group. In December 2014, Mahou purchased a 30% stake in Founders Brewing Co. By 2019, Mahou had increased its stake to 90%. 16. Bierstadt Lagerhaus Insider Monkey Score: 4 Bierstadt Lagerhaus has been named the Best Colorado Brewery and Best Lager Brewery In The Country in recent years. In the American craft beer scene, the technique of slow pouring a beer can be attributed to Ashleigh Carter and Bill Eye, owners of Bierstadt Lagerhaus in Denver. Both subsequently created the Slow Pour Pils, which ranks among the 20 Highest Rated Pilsner Beers in 2023. 15. New Belgium Brewing Co. Insider Monkey Score: 5 New Belgium was the top-selling craft beer brand in the U.S multi-outlets in 2022, with dollar sales of $429.3 million, a 14.5% increase from the previous year. In 2019, New Belgium was acquired by the Japanese beverage group Kirin Holdings Company, in a deal estimated to be around $352.8 million. New Belgium ranks among the Top 15 Craft Breweries in the U.S. 14. Boulevard Brewing Co. Insider Monkey Score: 5 When John McDonald tried out some Belgian beers on his trip to Europe in 1984, he became absolutely captivated with them. So much so that one day he decided to sell his house and invest in a craft brewery that eventually became the largest specialty brewer in the Midwest. Boulevard Brewing Company was acquired by the Duvel Moortgat Brewery in 2013, in a deal worth an estimated $100 million. 13. Bells Brewing Co. Insider Monkey Score: 5 The Michigan-based Bells Brewery was acquired by Kirin-owned Lion World Beverages for an undisclosed amount in 2021. The deal brought Bell's into the same portfolio of fellow craft beer pioneer New Belgium Brewing Co. 12. The Alchemist Insider Monkey Score: 5 The Alchemist is a Vermont-based family-run brewery specializing in fresh, unfiltered IPAs. Today, The Alchemist operates two breweries in Waterbury and Stowe and distributes Heady Topper and Focal Banger throughout the state, with the occasional out-of-state shipment. Heady Topper is an American Double IPA that ranks among the 60 Highest Rated Beers in America. 11. Lagunitas Brewing Co. Insider Monkey Score: 6 The Chicago-based Lagunitas boasted $162.1 million in dollar sales in 2022, a 10.9% decrease from 2021. Lagunitas Brewing Co. and Alvarado Street Bakery, both from Petaluma, have recently joined for a neighborly collaboration to prevent waste and produce a beer made from leftover bread. The results are on tap as a limited-edition lager The Toast of Petaluma. Lagunitas was acquired by Heineken N.V. in 2017. 10. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Insider Monkey Score: 6 Dogfish Head Craft Brewery was acquired by The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE:SAM) in 2019, in a deal that paid the founder Sam Calagione and his family $127.7 million in shares of the Samuel Adams maker, and $173 million in cash to its shareholders. Both, The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE:SAM) and Dogfish Head have each maintained their status as independent craft breweries. At the end of Q2, The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE:SAM) was held by 30 hedge funds in the Insider Monkey database, with Southeastern Asset Management boasting the largest stake of 127,274 shares, valued at around $39.25 million. 9. Stone Brewing Insider Monkey Score: 6 Stone Brewing was founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner in 1996 in San Marcos, California. Their mission was to create flavorful, amazing beers and provide an alternative choice for those who were unsatisfied with the industrialized beers dominating the market at the time. Stone Brewing counts among the Top 10 Craft Breweries in America. 8. Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Insider Monkey Score: 6 Known for its best-selling beers like 805 and Mind Haze, this California-based brewery was named the World Beer Cup Champion Brewery in 2004, 2006, 2010, and 2012. Firestone Walker merged with Duvel Moortgat USA in 2015, in a deal worth an estimated $250 million. 7. 3 Floyds Brewing Insider Monkey Score: 6 The 3 Floyds brewery is known for making some of the best craft beers in the U.S. and for commissioning artists to design bizarre labels for their beers. The Zombie Dust Undead Pale Ale is a medium-bodied single hop beer that ranks among the Best Craft Beer Brands in the U.S. 3 Floyds ranks 7th in our List of the Best Craft Breweries. 6. Tree House Brewing Co. Insider Monkey Score: 6 Tree House has eight of the 30 highest rated beers in the world on Beer Advocate and eight of the 40 highest rated beers on Untappd. Considering the sheer number of breweries in the world it is crazy to believe that so many of the top-rated beers could be made by a single establishment. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that the Charlton-based beer maker is among the top breweries in the world. Tree House produced 48,400 BBLs of beer in 2018 and had an estimated revenue of $48 million. Click to continue reading and see the 5 Best Craft Breweries in America. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 20 Best Craft Breweries in America is originally published on Insider Monkey. The Pershing County Sheriff's Office reportedly revealed that a death at the festival is under investigation JULIE JAMMOT/AFP via Getty Site of Burning Man festival in Nevada's Black Rock desert Authorities are investigating a death at Burning Man after extreme rainfall in northern Nevada has taken a toll on the annual event. The local Pershing County Sheriff's Office is investigating a death at the festival that happened "during this rain event," according to NBC News. CNN has also reported the news. "As this death is still under investigation, there is no further information available at this time," the office told NBC News in a statement. The Pershing County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for additional information on Sunday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The revelation of a death investigation comes shortly after thousands of Burning Man attendees were advised to conserve food, water and fuel and shelter in a warm, safe space in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada as a result of rainstorms that began Friday. The event, which was scheduled to take place from Aug. 27 through Sept. 4, had its entrance at the event's Black Rock City closed off due to flooding. Related: Thousands Stuck at Burning Man Due to Extreme Rain Told to Conserve Food, Water and Fuel Among those caught up in the chaos was model Kelly Gale, who documented her journey out of the desert by foot with her actor fiance Joel Kinnaman. Several other festivalgoers also hiked for miles to exit the area, per CNN, which notes that the worst of Sunday's rainfall is expected between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. local time. Gale, 28, shared images to her Instagram Story of her crew walking through the mud with protective bags over their shoes as they trekked on out. "Getting to safety," she wrote alongside one image before adding, "Every year this place is interesting." After getting back home, Gale explained why she left the event early. "Half of us stayed and half of us left," she wrote of her camp. "Felt so difficult leaving but the good thing was making sure there would be enough food and water for those who stayed. Paying for everyone to stay safe and get out safe." As previously reported, organizers told festival-goers on X (formerly known as Twitter) that the gate and airport leaving Black Rock City was closed and that driving was not permitted "except [for] emergency vehicles. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Site of Burning Man festival in 2000 Organizers added that access to Black Rock City was "closed for the remainder of the event." The Burning Man website describes the city as a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression and self-reliance" that thousands of festivalgoers form every year. Travel Nevada notes that more than 70,000 people attend Burning Man annually. A few celebrities, including Diplo and Chris Rock, faced the same challenges at the festival. The 44-year-old DJ tweeted that he walked 5 miles in the mud out of burning man with Chris Rock and a fan picked us up. He also shared a clip of himself and the comedian, 58, riding with him and others in the back of a truck on their way out. On Sunday morning, organizers shared another update via what it calls its 2023 Wet Playa Survival Guide. 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "As of 9 a.m. Sunday, the roads remain too wet and muddy to officially open them for Exodus. There is also an uncertain weather front approaching Black Rock City," it noted. "Some vehicles with 4WD and all-terrain tires are able to navigate the mud and are successfully leaving. But we are seeing most other types of vehicles that try to depart getting stuck in the wet mud which hampers everyones Exodus." "Please do NOT drive at this time," the update continued. "Road conditions differ based on the neighborhood. We will update you on the driving ban after this weather front has left the area." Organizers are planning to "burn the man" a.k.a. commence the culminating ceremony that ends in the burning of a wooden figure on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. 'The Crown' star rocked the pantsless trend for the Miu Miu Women's Tales short film event at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on Sunday Alessandra Benedetti - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Emma Corrin is back rocking a Miu Miu pants-free style in Venice, Italy. On Sunday, the model and actor stepped out for the Miu Miu Women's Tales short film event during Venice Days at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, wearing the brand's cashmere knit cardigan in fern green, with a pair of boy short briefs to match. Corrin, 27, paired the look with sheer black tights and tan Oxford-style shoes, carrying a black Miu Miu handbag, and wore tortoise-framed shades. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Maggie Gyllenhaal and Sydney Sweeney also attended the event. Alessandra Benedetti - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Related: Kendall Jenner Models the Sequin Miu Miu Underwear That Emma Corrin First Wore on the Runway The fashion house's latest campaign has aimed to disrupt women's wear, according to a statement on its website: "The new FW23 Collection conveys a studied disorientation where the familiar is disrupted, as well as the women's wardrobe." Corrin last modeled for the brand during Paris Fashion Week in March. The Golden Globe winner commanded the runway in beaded and sequin-covered briefs, which were part of the house's Fall/Winter 2023-24 collection. They wore the metallic undies with a tan knit turtleneck sweater on the catwalk. Mia Goth had opened the show, with Rick Braukis, Ethel Cain, Amelia Grey, Mame Bineta Sane, Noen Eubanks, Sam Nivola and Zaya Wade also strutting in the bold looks. Corrin had closed the show. Alessandra Benedetti - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The actor and gender equality activist, who was born in Royal Tunbridge Wells, England, came out as queer and non-binary in July 2021, changing their pronouns on Instagram to she/they at the time, but now goes by they/them. Speaking to Vogue last year for a cover shoot, The Crown star addressed gender as a whole, saying, "In my mind, gender just isn't something that feels fixed," they shared, adding, "and I don't know if it ever will be; there might always be some fluidity there for me." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A remorseful SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher turned to social media for a little self-reflection and a promise to do better as she continues to lead a major labor battle. Ahead of the Labor Day holiday, Drescher posted a lengthy message on her Instagram, in which she revealed how a convergence of family aggravation, personal health issues, board member abuse, staff bureaucracy and a release of tears to Duncan [Crabtree-Ireland] from feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders led her to lose her cool with a fellow union member. More from Deadline ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I yelled at an unsuspecting member simply sharing her grievances, wrote Drescher. I had a meltdown and a complete and offensive, over reaction. I, of course apologized but continue to beat myself up over it. Heres her full message: Its Labor Day weekend and I find myself in the volunteer position of leading a major labor battle as we at Sag-Aftra meet this historic moment head on. It is said in buddhist wisdom that to lead, one must follow. In order to do that I must pay close attention to everyones grievances that come at me from all sides. But last week was a convergence of family aggravation, personal heath issues, board member abuse, staff bureaucracy and a release of tears to Duncan from feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. This all writes a recipe for disaster and that cake got baked when I yelled at an unsuspecting member simply sharing her grievances. I had a meltdown and a complete and offensive, over reaction. I, of course apologized but continue to beat myself up over it. Why is it so difficult to let it go and move on when we mess up? And I realized that whether leading a labor movement or being caregiver to a sick and dependent loved one, you are human and you will falter. Do not demand perfection from yourself because you are setting yourself up for failure if you do. You may lose it (like I did)and you may offend those undeserving of your wrath when youve reached the end of your rope. But first, always own your bads and next try to cut yourself slack. Be understanding of your situation even when others may not be. A Shaman once said to me, each time you find yourself ruminating over why you said this or why you did that, try repeating these words to yourself as often as necessary to take the curse off your self loathing: I love you Fran. I know how good you are. Its Fran & Fran til the end of time.' Drescher is running for reelection opposite independent candidate Maya Gilbert-Dunbar but is expected to triumph. National officer ballots were mailed to eligible SAG-AFTRA members August 9, with a return deadline and tabulation set for September 8. Election results are expected to be announced that evening. 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 first lady is staying at her home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware while the president, who has tested negative, remains in Washington, D.C. Jason Kempin/Getty Images Dr. Jill Biden Dr. Jill Biden is experiencing only mild symptoms after testing positive for COVID-19, the White House has revealed. The first lady, 72, tested positive on Monday and is recovering at home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Communications Director Elizabeth Alexander revealed in a statement on Monday. She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms," Alexander said. President Joe Biden tested negative for the virus on Monday evening, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. He will remain at the White House where he will "test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement 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. Related: Joe Biden Plans to Call Good Friend Mitch McConnell After Senators Second Freeze SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden The first lady previously tested positive for COVID-19 in August, 2022 while in South Carolina. Her communications director revealed at the time that she had tested negative for COVID-19 during the day but later began experiencing cold-like symptoms. Despite testing negative again with a rapid antigen test, she tested positive with a PCR test. Dr. Bidens positive test last year came a month after her husband tested positive for the virus and also experienced mild symptoms. He and the first lady both took Paxlovid. "Consistent with CDC guidelines, he will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time," Jean-Pierre said at the time. "He has been in contact with members of the White House staff by phone this morning, and will participate in his planned meetings at the White House this morning via phone and Zoom from the residence." Shutterstock Dr. Jill Biden Related: Joe Biden Says 'No Man Deserves 1 Great Love, Let Alone 2' in Tribute to Jill Biden and First Wife Neilia The president and first lady were both together on Saturday, meeting with officials and touring the disaster zone in Florida in the wake of Hurricane Idalia. They spent Sunday together in Rehoboth. According to CNN, the president is set to honor an Army captain with the Medal of Honor at the White House on Tuesday. He'll also be heading to India for the G20 Summit on Thursday. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The couple who said "I do" on Saturday first met in 2019 while filming King's Hulu show 'The Act' Jon Kopaloff/Getty Joey King and Steven Piet are newlyweds! The Bullet Train actress, 24, and her director husband, 32, tied the knot on Saturday in Spain surrounded by their closest family and friends, a source confirms to PEOPLE. (JustJared was first to report the news.) Earlier this week, King shared a sweet carousel of photos of herself cuddling up to Piet in Portugal. "Love is cool! Love is grand! Love is kissing in front of the Fonte dos Amores and having too many caipirinhas together," she captioned the snaps. The couple first met in 2019 when Piet directed two episodes of her Hulu miniseries The Act. King announced their engagement on Instagram last March with photos from the desert proposal, calling the moment "a real dream." Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic "I never knew happiness could be so powerful that it can take the air from your lungs, overwhelming every part of you that you can't help but feel your eyes well from the undeniable joy," King wrote in the caption. "I never knew that a person's presence and heart could feel like a real home. I never knew love could be so unquestionably beautiful. I never knew until you." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Related: Who Is Joey King's Fiance? All About Steven Piet She continued: "The date was 2/2/22 when you asked me to marry you and made me the luckiest lady alive. On his Instagram account, the filmmaker shared more details about the couple's milestone moment. "The weather was less than perfect. Cold. Windy. Perfectly imperfect to ask my best friend to spend a lifetime together. A lifetime of incredibly safe and vulnerable conversations. Holding hands on silent cab rides home, exhausted from great food and red wine. And oh, the laughter. The uncontrollable laughter." "You've unlocked a dimension of love in me that I never knew existed," he added. Related: Joey King Celebrates 4th Anniversary with Fiance Steven Piet: 'My Love' In May, The Kissing Booth star celebrated the director's 32nd birthday with a sweet tribute, showing the two gazing into each other's eyes followed by a series of other photos together. "To the man who, when I lay my eyes on him, makes my breath catch from how lucky I feel that hes mine," King captioned the post. She continued, "How does one describe a person like you? I dont fully know. What I do know is that the world became a better place the day you were born. Happy birthday Stevie P. Your love is my happy place." 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. Her message also included lyrics from the Swedish song "Tjugonde" by Amason, which roughly translates to: "Beneath the surface the crocodiles, barracuda, great whites / And in the trees there's brooding vultures / But right now they're leaving us alone." Ahead of the couple's wedding King celebrated her nuptials with a bachelorette party in Napa Valley. The Kissing Booth actress donned a white veil and chic halter-neck dress as she toasted her "bachelorette" with friends and family at a winery, later sharing several photos from the fun (and wine-fueled!) occasion on Instagram. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. Meghan Markle didnt attend Beyonces Los Angeles concert just once, she went twice. She attended on Friday with Prince Harry and mom Doria Ragland , where the trio danced the night away to all of the pop stars mega hits, but fans probably didnt expect a second appearance from the Duchess of Sussex. More from SheKnows Meghan popped up at Beyonces birthday concert on Monday surrounded by Hollywood heavyweights, and its enough to make the British tabloids seethe. They want to believe shes the most hated woman in Los Angeles, when in reality, she is warmly embraced by other A-list stars. Look no further than her snapshot with Kelly Rowland and Kerry Washington if shes watching the concert with a member of Destinys Child, then Meghan is a trusted part of Beyonces inner circle. Kerry Washington, Kelly Rowland and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend the "RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR" at SoFi Stadium on September 04, 2023 in Inglewood, California. The Hollywood stamp of approval comes just at the right time as she and Prince Harry head to Dusseldorf, Germany for the Invictus Games. Its a part of relaunching their brand far away from the royal family as they firmly plant their roots in California. Based on the coverage of the couples weekend outings, the U.K. media seemed hyper-focused on one moment of Harry looking bored instead of the Sussexes laughing, dancing, and sharing a few intimate moments of PDA. They are thriving in their new environment and some people dont like that. Meghan: A Hollywood Princess Click here to read the full article. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Price: $27.00 $8.78 Buy On Amazon Meghans next big project is her secret rebrand that shes been working on with her agency, William Morris Endeavor. Its rumored that The Tig is making a very Goop-like comeback, but the details are sketchy so far. It looks to be a fresh beginning for Harry and Meghan, but we are sure the British tabloids will find something to pick on. Before you go, click here to see Meghan Markles best post-royal fashion moments below! Meghan Markle Launch Gallery: 6 Insane Conspiracy Theories Meghan Markle Has Faced Since Becoming a Royal Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Mexican rapper Juan Carlos Sauceda, better known as Lefty SM, was shot dead in Zapopan, Jalisco in Mexico. He was 31 years old. His record label, Alzada Records, confirmed his death on Sunday morning (Sept. 3). More from Billboard Dear Alzada friends and family, with profound sadness were informing you about the death of our brother, Lefty SM, Juan Carlos Sauceda, wrote the label in a brief post on its Instagram account. Our love and prayers are with his wife Maria Isabel and their two daughters. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement According to reports, the artist was attacked near his home in the neighborhood of La Cima in Zapopan, very close to Gaudalajara. Carlos Felix, PR rep for Alzada Records, confirmed to Billboard Espanol that Lefty SM was shot twice and declared dead at a local hospital. No additional information was provided. A formal report from the government of Jalisco is expected during the day. Just this past Friday, Lefty MS performed at Teatro Metropolitan in Mexico City as a guest of his friend and colleague MC Davo, who was one of the first to publicly comment on his death. How is this possible? I cant believe it, really, I cant believe it man, said Davo in tears in a video posted Sunday morning on his Instagram Stories. Later, he posted a photo of both of them together at the beach: Just a few hours ago we were enjoying life. May God have you in his glory. Lefty SM started in music in 1992 in the world of rap and hip-hop in his native San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora. His career took off in 2017 when he launched his YouTube channel and began to gain a reputation in the Mexican urban scene. He collaborated with stars like Santa Fe Klan, with whom he recorded the tracks Si me caigo, Con los ojos rojos and Por mi Mexico, one of his greatest hits. In fact, on Aug. 25, Lefty MS released a remix of Por mi Mexico with Mexican rap stars Santa Fe Klan, Dharius, C-Kan, MC Davo and Neto Pena. Its not possible carnal, wrote Santa Fe Klan wrote on his Instagram, next to a photo of both of them. Tell me its a lieeeeeeeeeee. Best of Billboard Click here to read the full article. The body of Richard Boateng, 31, of Savage, Maryland, washed ashore just north of Rehoboth Beach at North Shores Beach on Monday morning Rehoboth Beach Police Department/ Facebook Richard Boateng, 31 A Maryland man has died after he disappeared in the water off Rehoboth Beach on Sunday, authorities said. The body of Richard Boateng, 31, of Savage, Maryland, washed ashore just north of Rehoboth Beach at North Shores Beach on Monday morning, according to the Delaware News Journal. Related: 19-Year-Old Who Went Overboard on Cruise Ship Yet to Be Found: 'We Need to Apply Pressure' Boateng was last seen in the surf off Rehoboth Avenue at around 5:45 p.m. local time the day before, according to a news release from the Rehoboth Beach Police Department obtained by the outlet. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A representative with the Rehoboth Beach Police Department did not immediately return PEOPLEs request for comment. Lifeguards who had just gone off-duty began a line search in the water after several 911 calls were placed, the Delaware News Journal reported. Related: 'Immobilized' Pickup Truck Driver Rescued 5 Days After Car Found at Bottom of 100-Foot Ravine A multi-agency effort including the Rehoboth Beach Patrol, Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Delaware State Police Aviation Unit, DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife and the Rehoboth Beach Police Department aided in the search and rescue efforts late Sunday, according to Fox affiliate WTTG-TV. According to WTTG-TV, paramedics identified the body as Boateng's and pronounced him dead at the scene. No foul play is suspected. Related: 4 People and Dog Rescued 'Moments' Before Sinking Boat Capsized in New Jersey Bay: 'Fortunate' 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Rip-current warnings have been in place throughout the Labor Day weekend in the mid-Atlantic due to Tropical Storm Idalia causing high surf, the Journal reported. "Think twice before you go in the water this weekend, whether surfing, kiteboarding or boating, and if you do, monitor trusted weather sources, know your limits, and plan for emergencies," Capt. Jennifer Stockwell, commander of Coast Guard Sector Virginia, told the newspaper. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The mythology around Japan as a nation of everyday ghosts where the living and the dead share space, occasionally in view of each other can lead certain western filmmakers into dubious territory: If you dont recall how Gus van Sant floundered with the mawkish, condescending exoticism of The Sea of Trees, trust that its best forgotten. Centered on a long-grieving Frenchwoman who finally makes peace with her husbands death over the course of a Japanese work trip, Sidonie in Japan risks similar pitfalls but Elise Girards droll, bittersweet romance mostly dodges them with grace and good humor, plus a pointed awareness of the limitations of its outsider perspective. Premiering in the Venice Days sidebar at this years Venice Film Festival, this is a sweetly unassuming affair that is given some vinegary oomph by the presence of Isabelle Huppert in the lead which will doubtless secure Sidonie in Japan more international distributor attention than it would otherwise receive. Still, much as the film benefits from the stars signature quizzical semi-froideur, its not a solo showcase, growing gradually into a winning two-hander between Huppert and Tsuyoshi Ihara (best known internationally for his prominent role in Clint Eastwoods Letters From Iwo Jima) as her unlikely chaperone and suitor. Their chemistry, often silent but tinglingly felt in passing gazes and gestures, carries Girards third feature through any longueurs or over-familiar patches. More from Variety ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Its with some reluctance that Sidonie (Huppert) is in Japan at all: In the opening scene, at Charles de Gaulle Airport, she considers deliberately missing her flight to Osaka. A once-renowned author who hasnt written anything in years, shes invited to Japan by independent publisher Kenzo Mizoguchi (Ihara) to promote a reissued translation of her debut novel. Upon meeting him at the airport, her eager enquiry as to whether hes related to the celebrated Japanese filmmaker Kenji Mizoguchi is swiftly shut down with the reminder that certain names are very common in Japan; its not the first time hell politely point out the unreliability of her cultural assumptions. The book tour gets off to an awkward start, with Sidonie out of practise at the kind of interviews required of her particularly regarding a book that is closely entangled with the loss of her entire immediate family as a young woman. I wouldnt say writing heals, but it maybe helped me survive that time, she says in one of her more lucid moments; at others, the trip merely reminds her how distant she feels from the craft, from which shes more or less retired since the death of her husband Antoine (August Diehl) some years before. When Antoine starts sporadically appearing in her hotel room, playing cards and making conversation, shes initially spooked, but Kenzo insists she shouldnt be: The invisible and the visible co-exist, he explains. The film treats its ghost-story elements casually, with only the occasional translucent visual effect drawing attention to the uncanniness of Sidonie and Antoines renewed acquaintance. Their wistful chats, meanwhile, serve principally to draw the introverted authors attention to her lack of comparable real-world human connections. Once she looks up in that regard, the patient, somewhat mystified but plainly besotted Kenzo is the first face she sees at which point Sidonie in Japan evolves into a kind of romantic melan-comedy, built on a tentative exchange of cultures and individual stories. Always best in roles that call equally for frailty and proud, formidable composure, Huppert plays Sidonies gradual thaw into the world by slow, nervous degrees, her face a mask of tension that occasionally collapses into irrational giggles or a sudden, memory-triggered flush of warm feeling. She makes believable the scripts occasional, critical swerves into cringe comedy as when Sidonie, mortifyingly face-blind on Asian turf, accosts a stranger with requests for her assistant and builds a palpable, tactile rapport with Ihara that rests on both characters love of quiet. The film shares it too, occasionally pausing its storytelling to take in the scenery, the breeze, the interior hum of a luxury car in mild traffic or, with a nod to the touristic inevitability of the image, the cotton-candy blur of cherry blossom from a train window. Gentle and empathetic, Sidonie in Japan earns itself the odd postcard indulgence. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Jack Ieronimo was one of the people stuck on board a United Airlines flight for seven hours in July. He later found out that his mother was filmed in a TikTok post about the incident. Ieronimo made his own viral TikTok and said he wanted more accountability from the airline. Jack Ieronimo was one of the people on a United Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Rome that made headlines after passengers said they were stuck on board for seven hours without taking off. Two weeks after the ordeal, Ieronimo returned home from his family trip to find that his mother, Christine, was filmed in a TikTok video from the day of the canceled flight, which was going viral. In the clip, she can be seen at the head of a crowd at an airport gate voicing her concerns about the way the airline handled the situation. She says in the video that elderly people, babies, and pregnant women were among those on board and that passengers were "treated like animals." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Insider previously reported that passengers on the flight from Newark said they were stuck without food or water as temperatures soared to 80 degrees Fahrenheit because of a problem with the air conditioning. In a statement to Insider, United Airlines said passengers were offered the opportunity to get off the plane and were later offered snacks and beverages. This embedded content is not available in your region. Ieronimo, 26, who makes a cameo in the TikTok video while standing in the crowd, told Insider he thought the video of his mother played a "key part" in the incident receiving public attention. He added that if it weren't for the clip, the situation "would have been swept under the rug." The US Department of Transportation said in a statement to CBS7 that it would investigate the matter. He's now spoken out with his own video on TikTok that further explains his family's experience, with the goal of holding the airline to account. Ieronimo called out United Airlines in a TikTok video that has gone hugely viral Ieronimo, based in Rhode Island, told Insider that when he came across the TikTok post of his mother, he noticed that many people were responding to it with positivity. Many commenters under the clip, which was posted on July 17 by Ieronimo's fellow passenger Bianca Dragone, applauded his mother for the way she spoke up on behalf of others and said they were shocked to hear her explain the details of what happened. "It was cool because her feelings were validated," Ieronimo told Insider. This embedded content is not available in your region. On August 22, Ieronimo posted his own TikTok video, acknowledging how viral Dragone's post had gotten and adding information about the experience. In it, he reiterates that he also hadn't seen any food or water being offered by the cabin crew and accuses United Airlines of trying to downplay the incident. A spokesperson for United Airlines declined to comment in response to Ieronimo's video. The TikTok became even more viral than the video of Ieronimo's mom, receiving 19.2 million views and helping him bring the incident to wider attention. "I just wanted to be the person that could try and hold United accountable for their actions because it didn't seem like they were going to be held accountable based on what had come out already," Ieronimo told Insider. "It seemed like they were going to just sweep it under the rug and try and have everybody forget about the situation." In his post, Ieronimo says he never wants to fly with United again and urges the airline to "make it right." This embedded content is not available in your region. "The ball is in your court, Scott Kirby," he says at the end of the clip, referencing the CEO of United Airlines. Ieronimo's mother told Insider the family was refunded the cost of the flight and given a $400 voucher as compensation. An email seen by Insider showed the airline offered the family another check for $550.03 as further compensation for out-of-pocket hotel costs but said reimbursement of the family's prepaid hotel expenses and flights to Rome with a different airline, which they booked after deciding they did not want to fly with United again, could not be covered within its policies. Ieronimo, who said the family's tickets with an alternative airline cost over $4,000, said he was "extremely disappointed" with the airline's response in a written statement to Insider. It's not clear what costs other passengers incurred, but Ieronimo said he thought they all deserved to be compensated for their additional expenses, saying: "It should not take a viral video getting 19 million views to get any sort of attention from United when they should have fully reimbursed us from the beginning." United Airlines declined to comment. For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here. Read the original article on Insider In this article, we will look at the 25 most globalized countries in the world. If you want to skip our in-depth analysis, head straight to the 5 Most Globalized Countries in the World. Globalization in 2023 In the rich tapestry of globalization, countries often find themselves interdependent and connected. The essence of globalization has gained immense traction in recent years. On July 11, Harvard Business Review reported on the status of globalization in 2023. The report discusses how the world economic status has grown after a long period of decline post-COVID. In mid-2022, world trade grew 10% above pre-pandemic levels. Despite poor global economic growth during the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, the International Monetary Fund predicts world trade will grow by 2.4% by the end of 2023. The implications of COVID-19 had only begun to die down when the Russia-Ukraine conflict surged. Russia, a major trade partner for the rest of the world, especially Europe, ultimately limited the flow of goods and services. With a decline in foreign direct investments and a lack of trust in global currencies, the world's economic conditions worsened. However, the decline is less strong than during the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, economists predict that the impact of the war on world trade will eventually die down, and the world economy will grow back in the fourth quarter of 2023 and the first half of 2024. Is Reverse Globalization the New Trend? Globalization occurs when businesses begin to sell and produce their products to markets across borders. While more and more countries continue to engage with each other, concerns related to the impact of globalization on domestic economies are growing. Some countries have begun to restrict imports from developed economies primarily to protect local businesses and cultures. However, globalization is here to stay. "Think Global, Act Local" was first coined in 1915 by Patrick Geddes. This term reflects the status of globalization as of today. While it is true that globalization has hurt local businesses and developing economies, this does not mean that countries would go back to the pre-globalization era. The term "Think Global, Act Local" is a concurrent phenomenon worldwide. Story continues "Think Global, Act Local" means that companies fixate on global markets while they alter their products to fit local tastes and culture of the region they are operating in. This phenomenon has enabled companies to penetrate untapped markets and grow their business globally. Companies are highly invested in empowering communities across the globe. These companies are more than interested in garnering support and awareness from global markets. The incidence of social media has allowed companies to transgress international markets and learn more about consumer behavior without having to spend millions. According to a report by Forbes published on May 18, 77% of businesses use social media to reach and connect with customers. Moreover, over 90% of social media followers follow at least one brand on social media, and 76% of social media users have purchased an item through social media. Such indicates that the world is getting closer to each other in a virtual space, limiting discrepancies and making it easier for firms to target global markets. How Do Companies Race to Become Global? Thinking globally but acting locally is no less of a challenging task. It requires huge amounts of capital and knowledge of international markets. A few companies are leading the global market by acting globally and thinking locally. Such companies usually experience high returns and have mastered the art of catering to global markets. Such examples include GSK plc (NYSE:GSK), Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL), and McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD). You can also view other global stocks to invest in. GSK plc (NYSE:GSK) is a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company based in the United Kingdom. The company has its headquarters based in London. The company is a pioneer in innovating medicine. On March 31, Reuters reported that the company recently signed deals with companies allowing them to produce cheaper versions of their HIV medicine. The company did this to make the medicine available to the masses, especially in developing economies. The companies involved in the production are Aurobindo Pharma, Cipla, and Viatris. The aim of doing so was to propagate the mass availability of the medicine for the global market. You will often find companies enhancing their global supply chain and distribution. Shell Plc (NYSE:SHEL) is a global oil and gas industry leader. The company has its headquarters based in London, United Kingdom. The company differentiates itself from others based on its commitment to society and the environment. On June 14, the company reported that its primary goal was to enhance value to its customers and shareholders by prioritizing an intended decline in emissions and a balanced energy transition. To shed light on this, Wael Sawan, the chief executive officer, stated: We are investing to provide the secure energy customers need today and for a long time while transforming Shell to win in a low-carbon future. Performance, discipline, and simplification will be our guiding principles as we allocate capital to enhance shareholder distributions while enabling the energy transition. By 2025, Shell Plc (NYSE:SHEL) aims to become a net-zero emissions energy business. The company plans to invest $10-15 billion between 2023 and 2025 to build on more energy-efficient solutions such as biofuels, hydrogen, electric vehicle charging, and carbon capture storage to achieve this goal. McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) is leading the way with its global strategy. The company is known to tailor its menu and offerings based on local tastes and cuisines. From breakfast broth in Hong Kong to a past fried chicken combo in other parts of the world, McDonald's believes their global success comes from satisfying customers across borders. On February 29, CNBC reported the rise of McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) in China. The company is set to open 1,900 stores by the end of this year, with half of them located in China. The company's rising success in China comes from the McDonald's Corporation's (NYSE:MCD) ability to adapt to local tastes. McDonald's is also among the top fast-food restaurants. Companies heavily contribute to the global economy. In fact, they keep countries connected. With that, let's discuss the 25 most globalized countries. 25 Most Globalized Countries in the World Pixabay/Public Domain Our Methodology Globalization refers to the process by which organizations and businesses gain international influence. International trade and foreign direct investment for a country are two different ways to assess countries' influence over each other. We sourced our data from The World Bank for both metrics. Both metrics correspond to an equal weight for our ranking. We chose the top 25 common countries of the two lists to shortlist our data. We tried to ensure our data consists of the most recent value available. The year is mentioned against each metric. The ranking is in ascending order. 25 Most Globalized Countries in the World 25. India International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 49% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 0.4% India is emerging as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. The country is highly open to foreign trade and foreign investments and therefore ranks as one of the most globalized countries in the world. Companies that are at the forefront of globalization include GSK plc (NYSE:GSK), Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL), and McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD). 24. Canada International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 67.3% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 3.8% Canada is known for being one of the most globalized countries in the world. The country is home to people from all over the world. With a strong communications and IT network and a globally friendly economy, Canada ranks as the 24th most globalized country in the world. 23. United Kingdom International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 68.9% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 5.2% The United Kingdom, a prominent member of the global economy, ranks as one of the most globalized countries in the world. The country is also among the biggest exporters and importers in the world. 22. France International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 72.1% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 3.1% France, a major tourist hub, is one of the most globalized countries in the world. The country is a major player in global economics and continues to experience an increase in trade. 21. Italy International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 75.8% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 0.4% Italy is a major player in the global industry. The country is a founding member of the European Union and has strong economic ties with the rest of the world. 20. Spain International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 81.7% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 3.1% Spain owns a diversified economy by pioneering the manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and financial services industries. With a large investment in trade, Spain ranks as one of the most globalized countries in the world. 19. Norway International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 83% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 2.6% Norway is one of the most globalized countries in the world. The country specializes in exporting oil and mineral fuels, seafood, and aluminum. 18. Finland International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 92.5% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 4.7% Finland, also one of the happiest countries in the world, is known for being one of the most globalized countries. Primary exporting sectors in Finland include transportation, electronics, forestry, and chemicals. 17. Iceland International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 93.6% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 0.5% Iceland has a rapidly growing economy and is also among the most globalized countries in the world. The Icelandic economy is built on aluminum smelting, fishing, and tourism. 16. Germany International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 98.6% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 4.4% Germany is among the most globalized countries in the world. The country is also one of the largest economies in the world and in Europe. Being an economic hub, the country is an attractive option for global investors. 15. Sweden International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 102.7% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 11% Sweden enjoys one of the highest standards of living. The country engages in extensive trade and thus is an attractive option for international investors. With such a high record of international trade, the country is among the most globalized countries in the world. 14. Greece International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 107% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 0.9% Greece, a popular tourist hub, is also one of the most globalized countries in the world. The tourism industry contributes heavily to the country's rank. 13. Austria International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 120.1% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2021): 4.4% Austria is known for exporting vehicles, engines, machine parts, pharmaceuticals, and beverages. With their high engagement in international trade, Austria is among the most globalized countries in the world. 12. Poland International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 122.3% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 1% Trade and investment have been key contributors to the country's rank as one of the most globalized countries in the world. Poland also enjoys strong economic ties with the rest of the world. 11. Denmark International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 128% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 7.2% Denmark's economy is heavily based on the service industry, international trade, and manufacturing. The country's prominent engagement in trade contributes to the country's rank as one of the most globalized countries in the world. 10. Czechia International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 149.8% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 1.1% With a huge international trade-to-GDP ratio, Czechia ranks as the 10th most globalized country in the world. The country specializes in the export of cars and motor vehicle parts and accessories. 9. Switzerland International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 137.7% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 1.04% Switzerland enjoys a very high standard of living, and therefore, is a prominent member in global trade. The country is home to the headquarters of many leading companies, and therefore, holds strong connected ties with the rest of the world. 8. Estonia International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 171.6% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 5.2% Estonia enjoys a huge telecommunications and electronics industry. Moreover, with strong regional trade ties, Estonia ranks as one of the most globalized countries in the world. 7. Netherlands International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 175.9% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 8.4% The Netherlands stands as the 7th most globalized country in the world. Based in Europe, the country connects to all other countries in the region. 6. Cyprus International Trade as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 183.4% Foreign Direct Investments as a Percentage of GDP (2022): 9.2% The tourism industry is huge in Cyprus. In fact, it is a major contributor to the economy of Cyprus and also contributes to the rank of the country as one of the most globalized. Refined petroleum and pharmaceutical products are the primary exporting goods of the country. Some of the most notable global stocks to buy according to hedge funds include GSK plc (NYSE:GSK), Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL), and McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD). Click to continue reading and see the 5 Most Globalized Countries in the World. Suggested articles: Disclosure: None. 25 Most Globalized Countries in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey. As some workplaces begin to look into the advantages (and disadvantages) of a four-day workweek, a school board in Louisiana is experimenting with a shortened school week. Students in the Acadia Parish of Crowley, La., will attend classes from Tuesday through Friday this year, beginning on Sept. 4. That will follow three five-day weeks, which are meant to work out issues and establish routines. Many parents in the district are reportedly unhappy, in part because the decision will result in higher childcare costs, right as many employers are demanding that workers return to the office. Some parents are also concerned the shortened week could cause children to suffer academically. Louisianas school system is ranked 49th in the nation in both school quality and student success by Scholaroo, which distributes annual rankings. The state has some of the lowest graduation rates and highest dropout rates. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The superintendent of the parish, though, says part of the reason for the move was to hang on to teachers, as a national shortage of those professionals grows. There is a nationwide issue with teacher and employee recruitment, keeping people on the job, making sure people are happy on their jobs or some of the factors that lead to us considering a four-day workweek, Scott Richard told KADN. The four-day workweek has been gaining supporters in recent years. Earlier this year, the results of the worlds largest trial of the program showed workers were just as productive as they were during a five-day week. The nonprofit that ran the pilot program called it a resounding success on virtually every dimension. Louisiana isnt the only state experimenting with a four-day school week. Approximately 850 districts are on a four-day schedule this year, compared to 650 in 2020. The impact on students (and parents) varies. Some schools are making the school days slightly longer, to accommodate state-mandated instructional time. And some districts are offering cash to assist with childcare payments to needy families. Most school districts choose a shorter week to cut costs due to budget constraints, wrote the National Conference of State Legislatures in a brief about the four-day school week. While large-scale research has yet to be performed, some state-specific studies have been published. The results are mixed; one study of students in Colorado showed a statistically significant improvement in math scores among students on a four-day schedule, while a similar study found no significant differences in student performance. No research has shown a drop in test scores or student attendance. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com More from Fortune: 5 side hustles where you may earn over $20,000 per yearall while working from home Looking to make extra cash? This CD has a 5.15% APY right now Buying a house? Here's how much to save This is how much money you need to earn annually to comfortably buy a $600,000 home Killers of the Flower Moon star Lily Gladstone has condemned Yellowstone's glorification of the American West, deeming it "deplorable". Asked about Taylor Sheridan 's much-lauded series led by Kevin Costner and its spinoffs 1883 and 1923, the Native actress spoke candidly. "Delusional! Deplorable!" she told Vulture about the Western depictions in the Yellowstone universe. Paramount+ Related: Killers of the Flower Moon confirms UK release date as new trailer lands Gladstone then clarified that she didn't mean to criticise the Native actors who are part of the Yellowstone cast, which includes Native stars Gil Birmingham, Moses Brings Plenty and Q'orianka Kilcher, among others. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "No offence to the Native talent in that," Gladstone said, revealing: "I auditioned several times. That's what we had." The First Cow actress is part of the ensemble for Martin Scorsese's hotly-anticipated Western crime drama, also starring Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in lead roles, as well as Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow and Brendan Fraser. Apple TV+ Related: TV series based on Gangs of New York in the works from Martin Scorsese In her interview, Gladstone touched upon working with the famed director, explaining how Killers of the Flower Moon, which focuses on the murders of Osage tribe members in 1920s Oklahoma, was made in close collaboration with the Osage Nation community. "The work is better when you let the world inform the work," she said, adding that Killers won't be "a white saviour story". "That was very refreshing how involved the production got with the [Osage Nation] community. As the community warmed up to our presence, the more the community got involved with the film," she continued. "It's a different movie than the one [Scorsese] walked in to make almost entirely because of what the community had to say about how it was being made and what was being portrayed." Killers of the Flower Moon will arrive in UK cinemas on October 20. You Might Also Like The Group of 20 leaders will meet in New Delhi later this week with a very notable absence: Chinas Xi Jinping . Chinas Foreign Ministry said Monday that Premier Li Qiang would lead the delegation to India, without providing an explanation as to why Xi would not attend. Xis absence might make it difficult for countries to reach agreements that can stick. The question for me and I think around that table is, can you really believe that what is agreed to at that table is going to be executed on if Xi is not in the room? Josh Lipsky, senior director of the Atlantic Councils GeoEconomics Center, told reporters on a call. He specifically mentioned the issue of debt restructuring, after an apparent breakthrough agreement between Zambia, China and other nations to restructure billions in loans over the summer. President Biden conceded over the weekend that Xis decision to skip the meeting was a disappointment. His administration has been working to open up more lines of communication with Beijing to manage tensions, and the G20 meeting presented an opportunity for a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders. The next opportunity would be the APEC summit in California, though Chinas spy agency recently cast doubt on Xis attendance there too, according to the South China Morning Post. There are questions about whether the G20 will produce an agreement on a communique that keeps in place language on Russias war in Ukraine used at the last summit in Bali. We will attempt to bring a consensus amongst all parties, amongst all the G20 parties, Amitabh Kant, the Indian official serving as the sherpa for the G20 meeting, told the Financial Times. In addition to Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin is also not attending the summit after also skipping last years gathering in Bali. Officials are going to extraordinary lengths to ensure that monkeys dont disrupt the annual gathering. This includes staging life-size cut-out photos of larger, more aggressive gray langur monkeys to scare real monkeys and hiring people to mimic the noises they make. Gabons new military leader was sworn in as the head of the country Monday, less than a week after it ousted the president in an apparent coup. Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema was sworn in inside the presidential palace in front of government officials, military and local leaders in the capital of Libreville. Oligui is a cousin of former President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who was ousted from his office last week and whose family had ruled the nation for more than five decades. Oligui, a head of the republican guard and a former bodyguard of Bongos father, said at the swearing-in ceremony that the military took over without any bloodshed and vowed to restore power to the people through free elections. With the new government, made up of experienced people, were going to give everyone a chance to hope, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Hours before the mutiny last week, Bongo had just won another term as president in a vote that was plagued with irregulates and a lack of transparency. A spokesperson for the new government said last week that people around Bongo had been arrested for high betrayal of state institutions, massive embezzlement of public funds [and] international financial embezzlement. Nine members of Bongos family are also under criminal investigation in France for embezzlement and money laundering. The U.S. has also voiced its concerns over the conflict in the Central African nation. The United States is deeply concerned by evolving events in Gabon. We remain strongly opposed to military seizures or unconstitutional transfers of power, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said last week. We urge those responsible to release and ensure the safety of members of government and their families and to preserve civilian rule. The Associated Press contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Editor's Note: The online version of this story has been updated to add clarification regarding for sale units that are in process. EMMET COUNTY Area officials tackling the housing crisis are seeking public input on a draft plan they will submit to the state regarding future housing opportunities in the region. The plan was discussed at a special meeting hosted by the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation on Thursday, Aug. 31. Andrea Jacobs, Emmet County Housing Ready Program's director for Housing North, gave a presentation at the meeting that included an update on the draft that will eventually be sent to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The draft is available for public review and officials will be seeking comments and feedback until Sept. 15, according to the Housing North website. In the next five years, Emmet County is expected to have a rental gap of 865 units. Regionally, the group was asked to select five key areas that need to be addressed in terms of housing. In the draft, the five key priority goals listed are: Increase access to stable and affordable quality housing options for households with extremely low incomes. Increase the supply of the full spectrum of housing that is affordable and attainable to Michigan residents. Increase missing middle and workforce housing stock to facilitate greater housing choice. Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the housing ecosystem by enhancing collaboration on housing among state agencies, philanthropy, local governments, Tribal Nations, education and the wide variety of private-sector organizations that make up the housing ecosystem. Expand the use of equitable and holistic local planning and zoning practices to increase housing supply. These goals are not finalized, and can be changed based on feedback. The final plan is expected to be submitted at the end of September. During her presentation, Jacobs said Housing North was asked to use the plan to come up with specific strategies for addressing each goal. Much of the information shared during the meeting spoke about the critical need for housing inventory. By having more available housing, older or more run-down housing options would have to reduce their prices to compete with newer spaces, Jacobs said. Jacobs also shared findings from the Housing Needs Assessment in Emmet County. The Housing Needs Assessment completed by Bowen National Reseach and funded with support from the Frey Foundation, Networks Northwest and Hagerty found that in a 10-county area of Northern Michigan there is an expected housing gap of 8,813 rental units and 22,455 for-sale units through 2027. The region includes Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee and Wexford counties. Emmet County has an expected gap of 865 rental units and 2,505 for-sale units through 2027. For renters, the greatest housing gap is for people earning up to 80 percent of the area's median income. Several projects are in the works to alleviate some of those needs, Jacobs said, but not enough to reach the full numbers. More: Whitmer visits Habitat for Humanitys Alanson subdivision More: In Up North visit, Whitmer highlights housing, infrastructure investments and population growth She mentioned around 280 for sale units that are in process, including homes built by Northwest Michigan Habitat for Humanity near Alanson. That development was visited by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in August as more awareness is raised around the need for affordable housing. More for sale homes will be available as well, including units coming in at Conway Commons as well as mobile homes that will be available near Pickerel Lake. "As an equity building strategy it's not perfect, but it is pretty great when we talk about things like stability, and health outcomes and educational outcomes and things like that, and a home is a home is a home," Jacobs said of the mobile homes. (From left) State Sen. John Damoose, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Northwest Michigan Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Sarah Ulrich, and Michigan State Housing Development Authority Executive Director Amy Hovey tour the Meadowlands subdivision project on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. Subscribe: Get unlimited digital access to news about your community Emmet County is also above the state average in vacant housing. Approximately 32.1 percent of the housing in the county is considered vacant 3.8 percentage points higher than the 10-county region and 20.5 percentage points higher than the state. Cottages and second homes are classified as a vacancy, Jacobs said. When it comes to finding solutions, the goal is to add inventory, Jacobs added. "What those opportunities do when we get those into the inventory is loosen that stranglehold on some of our older rental units right now that we know are wildly overpriced," she said. "Some of our housing stock ... 25 percent of each of our four rental units and four owned units right now were built before 1970. So as long as we can keep those units in good repair, those become naturally occurring, affordable housing." Jacobs said that while it can feel frustrating to continue to see high rent rates on new builds, an inventory is necessary for things to shift around. For example, some people are living in housing rated lower than what they can afford because it's the only space available. By having more inventory even if they are more expensive people could move out of their current, cheaper spaces, freeing them up for somebody whose budget that fits. Sarah Ford, director of Community Philanthropy for the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, said the high rental occupancy rate in the area, sitting around 99.3 percent, is abnormally high. A healthy market should usually max out around 96-97 percent, she said. "We literally have no place to go if they want to move out of their rental unit," Ford said. "By bringing on some rental units, like Andrea was saying, it opens up a little bit of freedom for people to move around that doesn't exist right now." The group also discussed different issues like mixed-income rental units and brainstormed other ways to try to tackle housing issues in the region. For more information on Housing North's work and to view their draft plan, visit housingnorth.org. Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN. This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Housing North provides update on housing needs, seeks input on MSHDA plan Rain drizzled beneath a partly clear sky as mourners filed into Iles Dunn's Funeral Home on Tuesday morning. They were there to honor the life of David Wolnerman, Des Moines' last known Holocaust survivor and one of the few left in Iowa, who died Monday at home with his family by his side. He was 96. "Not only has my family lost a loved one, a patriarch of the family, but society in general and humanity at large has also experienced tremendous loss," said his grandson Rabbi Daniel Wolnerman, who presided over the service. David Wolnerman was forced to work in a total of 11 concentration camps, starting in Auschwitz at the age of 13 after Germans invaded his home in the tiny town of Modrzejo, Poland. He survived forced labor, typhus and starvation, his grandson said. Wolnerman also survived "a selection by" Josef Mengele, nicknamed the "Angel of Death," who performed experiments on prisoners at Auschwitz. Rabbi Daniel Wolnerman speaks during a funeral for his grandfather David Wolnerman, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. David Wolnerman was Des Moines' last known survivor of the Holocaust and one of the few remaining in Iowa. He died Monday. He was liberated from Dachau on April 29, 1945, by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's troops, according to his obituary. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "How he was able to survive nearly six years of this was a miracle," the obituary said. "He felt strongly that God pulled him through the hunger, sickness, and inhumanity of the experience." Wolnerman met his wife, Jennie, in a displaced persons camp in Munich. They eventually made their way to America, reuniting with his sister his only relative to survive the Holocaust in Indiana. The family ran Roxanna Supermarket there for decades. More: This Iowan almost died in Auschwitz. More than 80 years later, hes telling his story. In retirement, the couple settled in the Des Moines metro, where their son Allen lived with his family and their son Michael was attending school at Drake University. At the service, Daniel Wolnerman spoke of fond memories of traditional Shabbat meals with his grandparents in West Des Moines, where they would eat "matzo ball soup, chicken, and all of the traditional Jewish foods that would transport us to another world, a world of peace and harmony, freed from tragedy and trauma. "One where Jews could be Jews without fear of persecution." Missy Wolnerman kisses her father-in-law David Wolnerman as she leaves their family's Seder dinner at the Park Fleur on Saturday, March 27, 2021, in Des Moines. It was one of the first kisses she had given him in over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. David Wolnerman had been hesitant to share his story with the world until 2016, something he started with the encouragement of his son Michael. He eventually began speaking to schoolchildren, church groups and veterans, much like his wife did before her death. Part of his story was sharing how the number 18 showed up in his life a special number that in Hebrew means chai, or life. Still present but faded on Wolnerman's arm were the numbers the Nazis tattooed on him 1 6 0 3 4 4 that when added up total 18. And Wolnerman died on the 18th day of the month of Elul, the last month of the Jewish civil year. "When you think about the plethora of miracles needed to survive a holocaust, you realize that each and every survivor, by definition, is a hero," Daniel Wolnerman said. "My grandfather would pay attention to the miracles and blessings in his life, attributing his survival to the grace of God and viewed his progeny not only with the typical love and affection that a grandfather has, but also with that twinkle in his eyes, knowing every moment he spent with his descendants was an expression of triumph over the evils of humanity." Michael Wolnerman told the Register part of his father's legacy was to teach how to forgive but never forget. "He was inspired to speak to people and make sure they remember. If they didn't, it could be forgotten. If it's forgotten, you're liable to repeat it," he said. At his funeral, the family said people should honor Wolnerman's memory through that philosophy but also to act on it. Address antisemitism when you see it or hear it, they said. Educate yourself on situations going on globally where the "never again" mantra seems forgotten. Rabbi Daniel Wolnerman speaks during a funeral for his grandfather David Wolnerman, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. David Wolnerman was Des Moines' last known survivor of the Holocaust and one of the few remaining in Iowa. He died Monday. Wolnerman is survived by his sons Allen and Michael, their wives Amy and Missy, four grandchildren and six great grandchildren. His wife, Jennie, died in 2016. He and his wife both recorded their stories with the Iowa Jewish Historical Society's oral history project, which can be heard on the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines website. While losing Wolnerman is difficult, the organization has long been taking steps toward preserving the stories of survivors for generations to come, the federation's executive director, Jarad Bernstein, said. "The most impactful way to learn about this terrible time in history is directly from someone who experienced it. The further away from those incidents we get, the fewer people like David are around to share their stories firsthand," Bernstein said. "But we knew these days were coming." In a statement Monday, Gov. Kim Reynolds offered condolences to Wolnerman's family and acknowledged his importance to the city of Des Moines. Despite enduring the horrors of Nazi concentration camps as a young boy, I was always inspired by Davids optimism and his generosity to the Des Moines community. He led a life we can all learn from focused on faith, family, and community," Reynolds said. Memorial contributions can be made to the Michael and Missy Wolnerman Holocaust Education Fund, 33158 Ute Ave., Waukee, Iowa, 50263, where the family will continue Wolnerman's "work to educate people on forgiving, but not forgetting." Des Moines Register reporter Addison Lathers contributed to this story. Noelle Alviz-Gransee is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Follow her on Twitter @NoelleHannika or email her at NAlvizGransee@registermedia.com. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Death of Des Moines' last Holocaust survivor called loss for humanity A campaign fundraiser for indicted Rep. George Santos and the Justice Department are mulling a possible plea deal, according to a Tuesday request for a speedy trial waiver from prosecutors. Samuel Miele is charged in connection with allegedly impersonating a top aide to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to solicit contributions for Santos campaign in 2021. In the letter sent on behalf of all parties, prosecutors said the request is to accommodate ongoing discovery review and plea negotiations. Prosecutors also noted they recently made two substantial discovery productions and that negotiations concerning a potential resolution of this case without the need for a trial are active and ongoing. Under these circumstances, the parties respectfully submit that excluding additional Speedy Trial time to accommodate the defendants ongoing discovery review and facilitate plea discussions will serve the ends of justice and outweigh the best interests of the public and the defendant in a speedy trial, the letter states. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Prosecutors first noted meaningful discussions about possible dispositions of this matter, in an August filing. A continued status conference was requested for October 6. The revelation comes the same day prosecutors and lawyers for Santos, a New York Republican, asked to move his upcoming Thursday status conference to October 27, citing additional time to discuss possible paths forward, as well as the need for the congressman to have additional time to review what they said was voluminous discoverable material. A judge has not yet signed the proposed orders for the conference dates, according to a spokesperson for the Eastern District of New York. Santos has pleaded not guilty to 13 federal fraud and money laundering charges. The congressman announced in April that he is running for reelection. CNNs Lauren del Valle contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Washington North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this month to discuss potentially providing Moscow with weapons to support its ongoing war in Ukraine, a U.S. official told CBS News. Kim would meet Putin in Russia, though the exact location is not clear. The New York Times first reported the North Korean leader's expected travel plans. The possible meeting between the Russian and North Korean leaders comes after the White House said it had new information that arms negotiations between the two countries were "actively advancing." National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Wednesday that Russia's defense minister recently traveled to North Korea to "try to convince Pyongyang to send artillery ammunition" to Russia, and after the visit, Putin and Kim exchanged letters "pledging to increase their bilateral cooperation." Russia's government declined Tuesday to confirm that any meeting was planned, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, responding to questions about the claims by U.S. officials, telling reporters in Moscow: "We have nothing to say on this." North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, left, attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, Russia, on April, 25, 2019. / Credit: Kremlin handout via Getty Images Kirby said intelligence obtained by the U.S. indicates that after the visit to North Korea by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, another group of Russian officials traveled to Pyongyang for further discussions about a possible arms deal between the two countries. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "We urge the DPRK to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia," Kirby said. He warned that the U.S. will take direct action, including by imposing sanctions, against individuals and entities that work to facilitate the supply of weapons between Russia and North Korea. Potential deals could include "significant quantities and multiple types" of munitions from North Korea, which Russia would use for its ongoing war against Ukraine, Kirby said. He warned any weapons agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang would violate numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions. "We will continue to identify, expose and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment from DPRK or frankly any other state that is prepared to support its war in Ukraine," Kirby said. Citing Shoigu's recent trip to North Korea that involved talks over Pyongyang selling artillery ammunition to Russia, Adrienne Watson, National Security Council spokesperson, said Monday that the U.S. has "information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia." Both Russia and China sent high-level delegations to North Korea in July, which marked the first visits by top foreign officials since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. During the trip, Kim gave Shoigu, Russia's defense minister, a guided tour of North Korea's weapons and missiles at an arms exhibition, according to photos shared by North Korean media. The latest warning about Pyongyang possibly providing weapons to Russia comes nearly a year after U.S. officials warned the Russian Ministry of Defense was in the process of buying rockets and artillery shells from North Korea for the war in Ukraine, citing a newly downgraded U.S. intelligence finding. Russia has also used Iranian-made drones to target Ukrainian towns. Search expanded for escaped killer in Pennsylvania Escaped killer spotted near Philadelphia, but search continues North Korea-Russia arms deal eyed as Kim Jong Un and Putin plan meeting Olive oil is, for all intents and purposes, probably one of the biggest staples in most kitchens worldwide. Unfortunately, though, you might need to stock up soon: Extreme heat, especially throughout Europe, may soon wreak havoc on your olive oil. Don't take it for granted. Related New research shows olive oil could help reduce dementia-related deaths In an aptly titled Grist story called "Climate change is coming for your olive oil, too," Max Graham writes that the oil has seen raising prices recently due to "heatflation," which he defines as "when scorching temperatures harm crops and push food prices up." Due to droughts and high heat throughout Europe, especially Spain, olive oil may become a sought after fat in the near future. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Per Graham Spanish olive oil production has already fallen by a half. This, of course, will also undoubtedly impact the price of your favorite olives oils, as well as their availability; Spain is the number one provider of the world's olive oil. "The price of olive oil has surged to an all-time high, double a year ago," wrote Javier Blas for Bloomberg. "In 2019, before the pandemic, the ratio was less than five times." We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism Even Californian olive orchards are struggling, primarily due to excessive, unprecedented rains, though less than 3% of the olive oil consumed in the United States is actually made in California. That said, this is also unfortunately by no means a new development. As Samantha Larson wrote for Epicurious, in 2018, some California olive harvests were so low that companies using "olives grown in Argentina, Chile, Portugal to blend with their California production." This was not looked favorably upon by many customers. What's even more concerning is that fact that in 2019, the olive production of the year prior was less-than-ideal but in 2023, it's fallen even further. In March 2021, Elazar Sontag wrote in Eater that Italian olive production was down. "Olive trees are alternate bearing, with a plentiful harvest year usually followed by a smaller one. Farmers know to anticipate this cycle, but now the successful harvests are sometimes almost as meager as the predictably small ones," Sontag wrote. So, while the trees themselves are often resilient, that's not always the case for the fruit or oil itself. Whether due to extreme heat, drought, frosts, excessive rains or invasive insects, olives have a slew of adversaries, if you will. As CNN reported, The International Olive Council has "stopped short of calling the situation a crisis, but a spokesperson said 'we are facing a complex situation as a consequence of climate change.'" Want more great food writing and recipes? Subscribe to Salon Food's newsletter, The Bite. As the title of Mitski's upcoming album "The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We" predicts, it is thought that many traditionally lush, olive-producing places such as Northern Italy may not be able to produce such olives in upcoming years, with their fertile grounds soon becoming too darn hot for the fruit to flourish. As Giuseppe Morisani and Skyler Mapes, co-founders of Calabrian olive oil company EXAU, told Sontag: "People are like, 'I want to protect the environment.' And I'm like, 'You should plant an olive tree." Read more about this topic BING-JHEN HONG / Getty Images We already know Costco offers incredible savings on everything from coffee and bacon to home appliances and electronics. But did you know you can also get free groceries from Costco? See: Are These 8 Costco Items With Cult Followings Worth the Hype (and Money)? Find: 10 Best Costco Items To Buy for Less Than $10 Sure, you can wander the aisles and make a meal out of all the free samples. But there are at least five other ways members have found to get free food: Take Advantage of Manufacturers Offers Right now, Proctor & Gamble is giving Costco members an opportunity to earn a $25 or $50 Costco Shop card just for buying the everyday household products you probably need! Heres how it works: Between now and September 24, 2023, purchase at least $100 or $200 in P&G products, including Cascade and Dawn dish soap, Bounty paper towels, Crest toothpaste and more. Submit your receipts online at www.costco.com/pg.html, and receive a free Costco Shop card worth $25 (for $100 in purchases) or $50 (for $200 in purchases). Get a New Costco Membership New Costco members can earn a $30 Digital Costco Shop Card when they open a Costco Gold or Executive Membership and use the code CJPROMO. With Costcos already-low prices, that should buy several meals worth of free groceries. Related: 7 Luxury Goods That Are Cheaper at Costco Earn Cash Back When You Shop If you splurge for the Costco Executive membership for $120, not only do you get the $30 Shop card, but you earn 2% back on all your purchases. As long as you spend $6,000 per year in purchases, the card pays for itself. Anything you spend exceeding that amount is free money for groceries (and more), delivered on your annual Costco anniversary in the form of a Reward Certificate. Leverage Gift Cards for Savings Costco wholesale clubs sell gift cards to local restaurants and national chains at a discount. For instance, you can purchase two Texas de Brazil $50 e-gift cards, a $100 value, for $79.99. Landrys offers the same deal, with gift cards at 20% off their face value. The multi-brand restaurant company owns more than 400 locations across the U.S., including Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Rainforest Cafe, and Mortons Steakhouse. Using these gift cards is like getting a portion of your meal, an appetizer, or even a whole kids meal, for free. Story continues Look for BOGO Deals It doesnt happen often, but keep an eye out for buy-one-get-one deals. Sometimes, these are sponsored by the manufacturer and youll need to fill out a rebate form online. You can also search Costco BOGO on Instacart to find offers, all delivered direct to your home. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Ways To Get Free (or Cheap) Groceries at Costco in September two photos show a close up of an infant's dark brown eyes (left) and then show how his eyes turned blue (right) after he was given a specific antiviral drug The brown eyes of a 6-month-old boy turned a deep indigo blue after he was given the antiviral favipiravir to treat COVID-19. This case is unusual, but it's not the first time doctors have reported a patient's eyes changing color after they prescribed favipiravir for COVID-19. So what could be causing this bizarre effect? First, a bit about favipiravir: The antiviral is used to kill a variety of viruses , including influenza viruses and Ebola viruses, by stopping the germs from replicating their genetic material. It specifically works on viruses that use RNA , a molecular cousin of DNA, as their genetic material; as viruses make copies of their RNA, the drug inserts itself into the still-growing RNA molecules and causes mutations. In early 2020, the drug was approved in China to treat COVID-19, as SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus behind the disease, is RNA-based. Since then, several other countries including India, Japan and Thailand have authorized use of the drug to treat mild to severe COVID-19. In Thailand, favipiravir is the main antiviral given to children infected with SARS-CoV-2. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Related: 'Face blindness' could be rare long-COVID symptom, case report hints Common side effects of favipiravir include diarrhea, a drop in circulating white blood cells and elevated levels of a chemical called uric acid in the blood that, if left untreated, can cause nausea and painful kidney stones to form. But what about the reports of spontaneous blue eyes? The unusual effect was first reported in December 2021 , when the corneas of a 20-year-old man with brown eyes turned blue for a day after he took favipiravir. (The cornea is the transparent tissue that covers the front of the eye. It lays over the iris, the circle of color that surrounds the pupil.) But in the summer prior to that report, another group of doctors reported having a man come to their hospital with a UV light to show that the surface of his eyes glowed fluorescent after he took favipiravir. And a 2022 case report described flecks of fluorescence that appeared in the whites of three people's eyes, as well as in their nails and some teeth, after they took the drug. Most recently, doctors reported the peculiar case of eye discoloration in a 6-month-old boy. According to a report published in April in the journal Frontiers in Pediatrics , the boy was taken to a hospital in Thailand after he developed a fever and cough. After testing positive for COVID-19, he was given favipiravir tablets and also a syrup containing the drug. Just 18 hours after the infant took the drug, his mother noticed that his eyes, usually dark brown, shone blue in the sunlight. Upon examining the child, doctors discovered a buildup of blue pigment in both corneas. The boy received favipiravir for three days, after which his COVID-19 symptoms improved. His doctor then halted the treatment due to the strange color change in the infant's eyes. Five days after the treatment was stopped, the boy's eyes returned to their usual color. "Usually the color of the eye is determined by the iris not the cornea and is determined by the amount of pigment that is present in the iris from birth," Dr. Vik Sharma, an eye surgeon at the LondonOC clinic in the U.K. who was not involved in the boy's case, told Live Science in an email. RELATED STORIES What are eyes made of? COVID subvariant EG.5 and its spawn 'Eris' now dominant in the US Nearly 170 genes determine hair, skin and eye color, CRISPR study reveals Instead, the bluish hue caused by favipiravir may result from how the body processes the drug: when the drug is broken down, it may release fluorescent chemicals that then somehow accumulate in the cornea, Sharma said. In support of this idea, researchers previously found that the antiviral can also cause fluorescence in human hair and nails . In the new report, the boy's doctors wrote that this fluorescence "may be due to the drug, its metabolites, or additional tablet components such as titanium dioxide and yellow ferric oxide." Favipiravir tablets have been found to be fluorescent under UV light in the lab, they noted, so it may be that the drug's fluorescent components end up accumulating in different tissues. When an eye doctor examined the boy's eyes two weeks after he recovered from COVID-19, there were no signs of problems with his vision. However, it remains unclear whether there might be any longer-term effects of the temporary change in his eye color, the doctors wrote in the report. "More work is needed to determine the exact cause [of the eye discoloration] and any long-term effects," Sharma said. Factors such as people's age, treatment duration and drug dosage may influence their odds of developing the rare side effect and how long it takes for the eye discoloration to disappear, the report authors wrote. But again, because this strange effect has only been reported a few times, it's unclear exactly why or how favipiravir discolors some individuals' eyeballs while leaving most people's eyes their original hues. The Capitol attending physician on Thursday said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is medically clear to continue with his schedule as planned, after he appeared to freeze up while taking questions from reporters Wednesday. Brian Monahan, the attending physician, said he consulted with McConnell and conferred with the GOP leaders neurology team. He added that occasional lightheadedness, which a McConnell spokesperson said the senator experienced following Wednesdays episode, is not uncommon in concussion recovery and can also be expected as a result of dehydration. McConnell, 81, suffered a concussion and a rib fracture in March after falling at a private dinner in Washington, D.C. He was hospitalized and spent time at an in-patient rehabilitation facility before returning home then, to the Capitol for work in April. I have consulted with Leader McConnell and conferred with his neurology team. After evaluating yesterdays incident, I have informed Leader McConnell that he is medically clear to continue with his schedule as planned. Occasional lightheadedness is not uncommon in concussion recovery and can also be expected as a result of dehydration, Monahan said in a statement. Top Stories from The Hill During a press gaggle in Covington, Ky., on Wednesday, McConnell appeared to freeze for roughly 30 seconds while fielding questions from reporters. It was the second time in just over a month that the GOP leader froze up while answering questions from reporters in front of a camera. The first episode was during his weekly press conference in the Capitol in July. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On Wednesday, a reporter in Kentucky asked McConnell for his thoughts about running for reelection in 2026, which the GOP leader needed the reporter to repeat twice. McConnell then responded thats a, before freezing and looking ahead for about 30 seconds. Following the bout of unresponsiveness, McConnell answered two more questions which his aide had to repeat before walking away from the podium and exiting the room. The press gaggle took place after McConnell spoke for roughly 20 minutes, according to NBC News. Sign up for the latest from The Hill here After the incident, a McConnell spokesperson said the GOP leader felt momentarily lightheaded and paused during his press conference today, similar to what his office said after the first freeze-up episode. An aide for the Kentucky Republican added on Wednesday that the senator feels fine, but noted as a prudential measure, the Leader will be consulting a physician prior to his next event. Later on Wednesday, McConnell was photographed with Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who is running for Senate in Indiana. President Biden on Thursday said he spoke to McConnell who he called a friend earlier that day, and that the GOP leader was his old self on the telephone. The president said he does not have any concerns about the senators ability to do his job. McConnell also spoke with members of his leadership team on Wednesday, including Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.), Senate GOP Conference Vice Chair Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), and Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), according to spokespeople for the three. The Thune spokesperson said McConnell sounded like his usual self and was in good spirits, Capitos aide said the senator said the leader sounded fine and she looks forward to seeing him when the Senate is back on Tuesday, and the Daines spokesperson said the NRSC chair was glad to hear the Leader sounds like himself and is feeling fine. McConnells two freeze ups have raised questions about the longtime GOP leaders political future. The Kentucky Republican has led the GOP conference for 16 years, and in January, he surpassed the late-Sen Mike Mansfield (D-Mont.) as the longest-serving Senate leader in history. But in the wake of his two freeze-ups, the fall in March and two other falls in Finland and Washington, D.C., this year, questions are swirling regarding McConnells tenure as the leader of the Senate GOP conference. Updated at 3:28 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. EXETER At around 11 or 12 years old, Lewis Ruffner recalled picking up his mothers ringing phone he said it would ring quite often. Ruffner Real Estate, hed answer. OK, Ill get Florence (Ruffner) for you. This was about 42 years ago, when Florence Ruffner had just started being a real estate broker in Exeter, and her office was still in her breezeway at her then-home on Thelma Drive. As her business grew, she brought her office downtown starting at the building where Laney & Lu is now located before settling at the current office at 185 Water St. in 1986. Despite offers from other companies to merge, she had kept the business independent and family-centered. Florence Ruffner started her real estate business in Exeter more than years ago, and now there are three generations of Ruffners on staff including her two sons, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. From left are Liz, Florence, Lewis, Mollie and Scott. Its always nice to have your name on the door, she said. Where else could you go work that youre already known, your name is known? And I think we have a great reputation. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Recently, the brokerage welcomed its third generation of the Ruffner family into the office, having Florence, her two sons, Lewis and Scott, and her granddaughter, Liz, working under one roof. Everybody gets along great. As long as they do what I tell em, Florence joked. How the family business went from 'security blanket' to true calling Real estate was not the initial plan for Lewis and Scott they both went to colleges in Minnesota to study criminal justice and history, respectively. For Lewis, he said it was testimonies from people in the field that made him uncertain about continuing his career in criminal justice. When I worked with some of the Minneapolis police, folks in prisons, everyone working in that system said dont go into this field there weren't a lot of people happy with those careers, he said. So I decided to come back home (to work in real estate), its a great field to meet people from all different walks of life. Donut Love in Exeter: Owner says new shop, menu could serve as model for future stores Still, Lewis said, real estate was not his first choice then. His goal was to work for a couple of years and hopefully meet someone and get into something else, which he did. He went on to work in holistic medicine for 25 years before returning to the family business. This time, it's because he felt like it was the perfect fit. He described the experience as coming full circle. Scott, on the other hand, said there was one thing he was sure of when he left Exeter for college: that he wasnt going to come back and work for the family business. Of course, the exact opposite happened, he said. After brief stints in music and waiting on tables, Scott said he found a calling in real estate and decided to use the family business as an opportunity to get into the industry. Scott is also the executive director of TEAM (Town of Exeter Arts and Music), responsible for events such as Tune and Fork Tuesdays. Florence Ruffner, started her real estate business in Exeter more than 40 years ago and now there are three generations of Ruffners on staff. She and her two sons, Lewis, left, and Scott gather on the couch for a photo. Scotts wife, Mollie, was already working for the company when they met. She started in 2005 and got married to Scott in 2011. If somebody works here, it doesnt mean that they have to be family, joked Florence. Although both brothers agreed the family business is a security blanket for them, they both noted they were not forced into it. Coming into the industry, they said felt right for them. And they did it at different times and different phases of their lives. The recent Ruffner to join the family business, Liz (Lewis daughter), was a University of New Hampshire graduate in 2021. Unsure, Liz studied marketing because she wanted to pick something versatile. Florence Ruffner, with her, granddaughter Liz sit at their Exeter real estate office. Liz, who briefly worked in sales in the holistic medicine industry, recently obtained her real estate license. She plans on using her degree to help with the marketing side of Ruffner Real Estate. Just like any other family business, Scott said the job comes with ups, downs and middles. Theres no getting away from it, joked Liz, referring to business conversations during dinner. If anything, Christmas dinner discussion wraps it (the year) up. More: New SAU 16 Superintendent Esther Asbell on CMS leadership, test scores, and COVID-19 Leaving behind a family legacy It was Florence's husband Harrys job at the Seabrook nuclear power plant that brought them from Louisville, Kentucky, to New Hampshire 46 years ago. Florence worked as a dental hygienist early in her career but had some family in real estate and was intrigued by the profession. After moving to Exeter, she got her license and worked with Realtor John Gilmore, who died six months after she started working for him. She went to work for Mill Ridge in Stratham before deciding to go out on her own. Well, I thought I was gonna do it part-time theres no part-time in real estate, she said. I was thinking when the time came for my kids to go to college, it would be nice to have extra income, and so here I am 42 years later. Florence said there is a lot of pride in knowing that she will be leaving a legacy behind if and when she retires. She said she has put in a lot of hard work into her business, with over $43 million in sales as of last year. "I love it, I love it," she said. "I've worked very hard for 42 years to build a reputation I have and give the service we all give, I love it. Someday when I'm in the (retirement) home, they can keep going." Florence said what keeps her going is the people. Florence Ruffner, center, started her real estate business in Exeter 42 years ago and now there are three generations of Ruffners on staff. From left are Lewis Ruffner and his daughter Liz, Florence, Mollie and Scott Ruffner. "You meet so many wonderful, interesting people," she said. "It's different (people) all the time youre constantly learning. Almost all of my close friends I know them through real estate." At 77 years old, Florence has no plans to stop anytime soon, saying that sales are in her blood. When Im in a nursing home, Ill be renting out rooms with my walker, she joked. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Ruffner Real Estate: A family affair in Exeter Contestants in this years Miss Universe Indonesia pageant have been speaking out about the sexual harassment they say local organizers subjected them to, even as the same organizers appear to have crowned a winner in neighboring Malaysia, despite that pageant having been canceled by the U.S. umbrella group. The New York-based Miss Universe Organization, which holds the international beauty pageant each year, severed ties with its Indonesian franchisee in August over allegations that 30 contestants in the Southeast Asian countrys pageant had been required to undergo body checks in front of local organizers without notice or consent. On Aug. 1, two days before the Grand Final, finalists were told to take turns for what they thought was a clothes fitting in a ballroom at a hotel in downtown Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, where the pageant was being held, said Lola Nadya Larasati Pasaribu, who was representing Bali in the competition. When Pasaribu entered the partially enclosed wooden structure, there were half a dozen people inside, including both men and women, she said in a statement shared by her attorney, Mellisa Anggraini. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement One of the women asked me to take off my clothes and underclothes, Pasaribu said, and took photos of a tattoo on her body. The process was very demeaning to my dignity as a woman, Pasaribu said, adding that the photo-taking and body shaming comments violated social norms in Indonesia, the worlds largest Muslim-majority country. Pasaribu said she felt she couldnt object to the body check because of pressure and insistence from the organization. Image: (AP) Eight contestants, including Pasaribu, have provided testimony to the police, said Anggraini, who is representing all of them. She said the contestants were not told about the body checks in advance and that Pasaribu was one of five contestants who were photographed using cell phones. Of course the contestants felt shocked, embarrassed, uncomfortable and humiliated, Anggraini said. Even when they conveyed their discomfort, they were yelled at. Indonesian police said Aug. 29 that the case had been elevated from an initial inquiry to an investigation, meaning a criminal element is involved. In response to the allegations, the Miss Universe Organization cut ties with the Indonesian franchisee, beauty company PT Capella Swastika Karya, and its founder Poppy Capella, saying contestants safety was its top priority and the events in Indonesia were diametrically opposed to everything we stand for as an organization. It said the winner of this years Indonesia pageant, Fabienne Nicole Groeneveld, who was not among the contestants who filed complaints, would represent the country at the Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador in November. Capella, who was overseeing Miss Universe Indonesia for the first time, denied any involvement in the body checks, saying she was opposed to every form of violence or sexual harassment. I as a national director and as the owner of the permit of Miss Universe Indonesia was not involved at all and did not ever know, instruct, ask, or allow anyone who was involved and participated in the process of organizing Miss Universe Indonesia 2023 to have committed sexual harassment through body checking as has been widely reported, she said in an Aug. 12 Instagram post. The Miss Universe Organization also announced the cancellation of this years Miss Universe Malaysia pageant, which Capella had the license for as well. But in an Instagram post on Aug. 27, Miss Universe Malaysia announced a winner. The Miss Universe Organization said it was surprised to see the post. As of August 12th there is no director in Malaysia and no one has been authorized to conduct a Miss Universe Malaysia pageant, a representative said in response to an inquiry from NBC News. Capella did not respond to a request for comment via Instagram. The sexual harassment allegations have shocked Indonesia, drawing condemnation from lawmakers. We must also uphold and respect the cultural wisdom and religious values prevailing in the country, Ashabul Kahfi, chairman of a commission on womens empowerment affairs in the Indonesian House of Representatives, said in a statement. Actions like this not only violate individual rights, but also hurt peoples trust in the system, which should protect them. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com US Rep. Jeff Jackson, seen here on the campaign trail in 2021 when he was still a North Carolina State Senator. Gerry Broome/AP US Rep. Jeff Jackson, a Democrat, predicted he would be targeted by gerrymandering Republicans. Jackson earlier filed a bill to curtail gerrymandering when he was a North Carolina state lawmaker. The bill never made it to a vote. Now Jackson says the state's GOP has him on the chopping block. A US Congressman who tried to make it illegal for politicians to gerrymander may be ousted from his congressional district. Why? Because of gerrymandering. First-term US Rep. Jeff Jackson, a Democrat from North Carolina, issued a warning to his constituents in a video last week, saying the redistricting process would be "brutal." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "In about six weeks, the state legislature here in North Carolina is going to redraw the congressional map, and it looks like they will try to use that as an opportunity to take me out," Jackson said. "The majority party in the state legislature wants one of their own in this district, so they're going to bend it and stretch it to try and make that happen." Gerrymandering refers to the practice of drawing political districts that give one party a lopsided advantage over the other in an election. Boundaries for state and federal districts are redrawn every 10 years following the federal census to ensure each district contains roughly the same number of people. Usually, the party in power is the one in control of the redistricting meaning both Republicans and Democrats have benefited from gerrymandering. In the last round of redistricting, 26 states approved maps on a partisan basis, the Brennan Center for Justice reported in 2022. Just four states Arizona, California, Colorado, and Michigan used fully independent commissions to draw their maps. In an opinion in June, the US Supreme Court said Alabama violated the Voting Rights Act by creating congressional districts that discriminated against Black voters. In 2015, when he was a member of the state's senate, Jackson filed a bill to establish an independent redistricting commission in North Carolina to draw voting districts instead of the state's lawmakers. But that bill never made it out of committee. In his video, Jackson said it wasn't a shock to him that he'd be targeted by redistricting, adding that he doesn't think he will be the only Democrat impacted. "This is what can happen in states where politicians are allowed to draw the political map, which is a bad system, and a lot of states don't allow it, and when I was in the state legislature, the first bill I ever filed was to ban politicians from being able to draw the map, and they sent that bill to a committee that hasn't met in over 20 years," Jackson said. A spokesperson for Jackson's office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Reached for comment via email, the leader of the North Carolina General Assembly's Republican caucus, Rep. Jason Saine, only said that Jackson should "elaborate" on his claims. Read the original article on Business Insider The FBI is investigating a potential criminal act on a flight from Charlotte that landed in Boston Saturday morning, according to our partners at Boston 25 News. A trooper with the Massachusetts State Police Troop F, which is based out of Logan International Airport, said the incident involved a juvenile, a phone and a flight attendant. Details Channel 9s Hannah Goetz received from a passenger also paint a similar picture. According to Boston 25, Massachusetts State Police was alerted to an incident on American Airlines Flight 1441 traveling from Charlotte to Boston around 10 a.m. Saturday. A passenger on that flight spoke anonymously to Boston 25 News on Monday. He said he saw a young girl walk to the planes first class bathroom before she was stopped by a male flight attendant. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He stopped her and said, hey, hold on just a second. Were about to start collecting trash so Im going to wash my hands. So he went in the bathroom and then she went to the bathroom, the passenger explained. The passenger believes this is when the reported criminal act took place. He said after the girl came out, other passengers saw the flight attendant go back in. That is when he says the girls mom came running up to the bathroom to stop another person from going in. The mom came up, she stopped the other lady from going in the bathroom. She said dont go in there, the passenger said. That passenger said he was told the mom was saying there was a camera in the bathroom. The passenger told Boston 25 that police boarded the flight when it landed. A Massachusetts State Police spokesperson said because the alleged incident happened mid-flight, it falls under federal jurisdiction. The FBI confirmed it responded but couldnt provide anymore information. FBI Boston responded along with the Massachusetts State Police. We have no additional information to provide at this time, a statement from the agency reads. American Airlines said the flight was met by law enforcement on arrival and they are cooperating with police. American Airlines flight 1441 from Charlotte (CLT) to Boston (BOS) was met by law enforcement upon arrival. We take this matter very seriously and are fully cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation, as safety and security are our highest priorities, a spokesperson for the airline said. Protestors gathered Monday outside Cruise's headquarters in San Francisco after reports of one of its robotaxis blocking an ambulance with a patient on board who later died. The incident, which the San Francisco Fire Department reported last week, happened on August 14, when a driver hit a pedestrian in the city around 11 p.m. The department said emergency responders had trouble getting from the collision to the hospital because two Cruise robotaxis blocked the road. According to the report, the blockage caused a delay in getting the pedestrian to the hospital, where they later passed away. Cruise denied the accusation that its robotaxis hindered the ambulance from getting away from the emergency scene, and video evidence shown to TechCrunch mostly backs that claim. The event occurred days after Cruise and its main competitor Waymo were awarded permits from California regulators to expand their robotaxi services throughout San Francisco 24/7. The hearing to determine the permit expansions had been delayed twice amid mounting opposition to offering the companies free rein. Residents, ride-hail and taxi drivers and city agencies called out Cruise and Waymo after numerous instances of robotaxis malfunctioning and blocking the flow of traffic, sometimes for hours. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Aside from causing traffic delays, many San Franciscans feared that stalled robotaxis could impede the work of emergency responders. The patient was packaged for transport with life-threatening injuries, but we were unable to leave the scene initially due to the Cruise vehicles not moving, reads the report, first reported by Forbes. The fact that Cruise autonomous vehicles continue to block ingress and egress to critical 911 calls is unacceptable. In a statement, Cruise pushed back against the fire department's statement, saying its vehicle did not impede the ambulance from getting to the hospital and calling the department's statement "not accurate." A spokesperson for the company also called out the irony of pinning the pedestrian's death on Cruise, when the pedestrian was hit by a human driver. The first vehicle promptly clears the area once the light turns green and the other stops in the lane to yield to first responders who are directing traffic, a Cruise spokesperson wrote in a statement. Throughout the entire duration the AV is stopped, traffic remains unblocked and flowing to the right of the AV. The ambulance behind the AV had a clear path to pass the AV as other vehicles, including the ambulance, proceeded to do so. As soon as the victim was loaded into the ambulance, the ambulance left the scene immediately and was never impeded from doing so by the AV. Cruise showed video of the event to TechCrunch, and we can confirm the scene happened more or less in the manner Cruise describes. There were indeed two Cruise vehicles at the scene, alongside other cars trying to make room for first responders. One of the Cruise vehicles looked to be somewhat in the way of a fire truck, clumsily moving out of its path and, eventually, through the intersection where the pedestrian had been struck. This happened before the ambulance arrived. When the ambulance arrived, it parked behind the second Cruise vehicle, which had stopped just before the intersection in the second to the right lane of a four-lane street. A law enforcement officer stood in front of the Cruise vehicle directing traffic, and cars could be seen driving in the far right lane past the robotaxi -- all the while, first responders are addressing the pedestrian and putting them in the ambulance. The video showed the first responders getting into the ambulance and backing up slightly to get distance from the parked Cruise vehicle, then maneuvering to the left of the vehicle seconds later. The Cruise vehicle was not stalled, according to a spokesperson, but didn't move through the intersection because of the police officer standing in the middle of it. Cruise's prediction algorithm is trained to always give right of way to pedestrians, and so the AV couldn't advance at the time. While this situation calls into question how well the AVs are able to read hand gestures from emergency responders, it's clear that the robotaxi didn't hinder the ambulance's path in a significant way. That said, if the street had been a one-way, single-lane road, an indecisive robotaxi parked at the intersection would have definitely been a hindrance. The fire department did not respond in time to TechCrunch to provide more information. Cruise's problems are mounting in San Francisco Despite the fact that blood does not appear to be on Cruise's hands in this instance, the pedestrian death and Cruise's proximity to it are part of a growing list of incidents hanging over the company like a black cloud, giving fuel to the opposition. Protestors on Monday were seen calling for the shutdown of Cruise, as well as Waymo, with signs that read "No Mo Robos" and "Greed Kills." Aside from public safety and traffic concerns, protestors expressed fears of robotaxis displacing hundreds of thousands of jobs in San Francisco and beyond. During the protest, loud music began to play from inside the company offices, drowning out the protests. Since Cruise got the greenlight to expand in San Francisco, the company has been plagued by a series of public incidents. On August 16, 10 Cruise robotaxis stalled, creating a gridlock in North Beach for about 20 minutes during one of the city's biggest music festivals. A spokesperson told TechCrunch that the vehicles stopped because there were too many pedestrians blocking their path. When that happens, a remote operator gets involved to help navigate the car out of the way. But due to the high density of crowds with cell phones, there was a lag between the remote operator and the vehicles. Just two days later, another Cruise vehicle drove into wet cement and got stuck. The San Francisco Department of Public Works said the paving project had been properly marked off with cones and there were workers with flags at each end of the block. That same week, a Cruise robotaxi was involved in a collision with an emergency vehicle that left a passenger injured. Cruise tweeted about the crash, saying one of its Chevy Bolt EVs entered an intersection on a green traffic light and was struck by the emergency vehicle that appeared to be en route to an emergency scene. A video posted by FriscoLive415 that includes police scanner information shows the airbags deployed in the vehicle and the passenger was complaining of a headache. As a result, the California Department of Motor Vehicles requested that Cruise immediately reduce its robotaxi fleet by 50% in San Francisco while it conducts an investigation into the company. On August 24, a Cruise car got into another crash in San Francisco when it was apparently attempting a left turn from the middle lane and collided with a construction backhoe. Cruise said the construction vehicle hit its AV. No injuries were reported. Cruise is actively expanding to new cities, giving the technology more opportunities to learn and improve. But with those improvements will come mistakes and missteps, which will only continue as Cruise enters new markets. (The Conversation) Contrary to how it sounds, year-round school usually doesnt mean students going to school throughout the year or for more days than other students. Often it just means switching up the calendar so that theres not such a long summer break. Below, two education experts Nicole Miller and Daniel H. Robinson answer five questions about the modified school calendars known as year-round school. What kinds of year-round schools exist? The first is the single-track modified calendar, also known as a balanced calendar. The second is the multi-track calendar. Neither one is typically an extended year. Instead, both calendars involve moving the 180 school days around so that there are multiple short breaks as opposed to the typical long summer break. Single-track calendars have all students following the same schedule. This balanced calendar often includes intersessions that provide additional opportunities for learning rather than summer school. With a multiple-track calendar, usually created to alleviate school overcrowding, some students are on campus while others are on break. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Balanced calendars often take the form of 45 school days followed by 15 days of break, or 60 school days followed by 20 days of break. Other kinds of modified calendars with shorter intersessions exist in states like Mississippi and South Carolina. How prevalent is year-round school? Federal data shows year-round school has been fading in popularity over the past decade or so. In the 2007-2008 school year, 4.4% of schools were on a year-round cycle. By the 2017-2018 school year, that figure had dropped to 2.5%. However, since the pandemic, there have been signs of renewed interest in single-track year-round calendars, at least in the Southeast. For instance, in 2020, Louisiana modified its school statute to allow for more flexible calendars. In Mississippi, a significant number of schools shifted to a modified year-round calendar, with 29 of 137 districts using such a calendar in the 2023-2024 school year. In South Carolina, as of 2022, a quarter of school districts had shifted to a modified year-round calendar. These modified calendars typically consist of nine weeks of school with a 5-to-8-day intersession, followed by another nine weeks of school each semester. Is there any evidence that it works? That depends on what you mean by works. If it means saving money by avoiding having to add buildings, then it is possible for a school that normally serves 750 students to serve 1,000 when going to a year-round, multiple-track schedule. This is because the schedule has different students taking breaks at different times. But if works means an improvement in student achievement, then there is insufficient data to answer that question, especially for single-track calendars. One review found modestly higher student achievement for year-round compared with traditional calendar schooling, but it was also plagued with what we believe were poor studies on which to base conclusions. What are the potential drawbacks? There are several challenges involved with switching to a year-round calendar. One is changing child care systems to work with the new calendar. Another is securing funding to provide meaningful learning experiences over the various breaks. Also, problems can arise if a family has children on different calendars. There are also concerns about how high school students have less time for summer jobs and for students to participate in traditional summer activities such as summer camps. Then theres the issue of standardized tests. If schools take longer breaks, it could mean fewer days in school prior to test day. Depending on the type of year-round calendar, changes can affect sports, particularly practice schedules and game schedules. It can also be a problem if members of the same team are on different tracks. Also, some schools may not have adequate air conditioning to be open in the hot summer months. Multi-track calendars might also negatively affect efforts to keep teachers from leaving the job. What are the potential gains? Based on prior research investigating learning schedules, a schedule that distributes instruction and practice more evenly over the calendar year should result in better learning. By having shorter breaks, there could be less learning loss from the extended break over the summers. Finally, some school districts are hoping for a reduction in teacher turnover by having more frequent breaks. There is some, but not extensive, evidence that modified year-round school does a better job of giving teachers a chance to recharge and come back to the classroom after each break feeling refreshed. One study found that teachers perceived that they had greater motivation to teach and that student achievement was also positively impacted when teaching in schools with modified year-round schedules. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. Donald Trump s former chief of staff and co-defendant in the Georgia indictment may flip, one of the most high-profile defections from Team Trump yet. Mark Meadows served as White House chief of staff at the end of Trumps presidency. He was charged alongside Trump and 17 other co-defendants with felony racketeering for trying to overturn Georgias 2020 presidential election results. At his hearing last week, Meadowss legal team signaled that their main defense strategy will include blaming Trump as the principal force behind efforts to thwart the election, Politico reported Tuesday. Meadows organized and participated in the now-infamous phone call during which Trump begged Georgias secretary of state to find 11,780 votesthe exact amount needed to flip the states election results to Trump. Meadows also sent an email pressuring Georgia Republicans to sign slates of fake pro-Trump electors. What I didnt want to happen was for the campaign to prevail in court action and not have this [organized], Meadows said during his August 28 hearing. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement When asked why, he explained, Because I knew Id be yelled at by the president of the United States. Meadows has already shown himself willing to undermine his former boss in order to save his own skin. In mid-August, Meadows and former Vice President Mike Pence said separately that they had no knowledge of Trump declassifying a large number of documents, completely undermining the former presidents main defense in the Mar-a-Lago case. Other former Trump allies are also starting to turn. In July, a Mar-a-Lago employee named Yuscil Taveras changed his testimony in the indictment against Trump for mishandling classified documents. Taveras was assigned a new public defender in July, replacing his Trump-appointed lawyer, and immediately recanted his testimony denying that there had been any conversations about security footage that prosecutors subpoenaed in 2022 as part of the investigation. Trumps personal attorney Rudy Giuliani may also soon turn on his boss (who is refusing to pay him). Giuliani met in June with special counsel Jack Smith, who is investigating Trump in Florida for mishandling classified documents and in Washington for trying to overturn the 2020 election. Its not clear what happened during the meeting, but its not unthinkable that Giuliani may try to reach a deal with prosecutors to save his own skin. Protesters with Indivisible Mass Coalition hold signs outside the so-called crisis pregnancy center Your Options Medical in Brookline on June 17. (Credit: Mingson Lau/News21, Mingson Lau/News21) BROOKLINE The two women met on a cold and rainy June day outside a midrise medical building in this upscale Boston suburb, each on opposite sides of the most divisive issue in America today. Laura Derman, 75, was picketing an open house at Your Options Medical, a so-called crisis pregnancy center inside the building. Even before the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision guaranteed the right to abortion, Derman fought for reproductive freedom and faced an unwanted pregnancy that she was able to terminate safely. To her, Your Options is a misinformation machine posing as a medical clinic to scare women seeking abortions. Anita Cunha, 51, is the Your Options patient advocate who walked outside to greet Derman and ask whether she and other protesters would like a tour. Cunha had two abortions before giving birth to a son, an experience that left her fighting to end abortion nationwide, including in Massachusetts, one of the most Democratic states in the union. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement To her, Your Options is a place of healing something she sought to convey to the demonstrators who toured the facility. They could ask their questions and we could have conversations with them without fighting or yelling or screaming, Cunha said after the encounter. Of Derman she added: She was very kind and her questions were good and she seemed to be satisfied with my answers. Derman, however, said she didnt learn anything she didnt already know. I was glad that we had an opportunity to talk to each other a little bit and maybe listen to each other and try to understand the other person's perspective, she said. But, clearly, they weren't going to change our minds, and we weren't going to change their minds. This embedded content is not available in your region. Regulating crisis pregnancy centers In the year since the Supreme Courts ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson eliminated federal abortion rights, so-called crisis pregnancy centers have become a focus in the renewed debate over abortion. The goal of such facilities is typically to dissuade women from having abortions, though supporters like Cunha say they provide necessary care and counseling. The fury of both sides has come out in legislation and lawsuits. In states where abortion is banned, legislatures are pouring money and resources into these centers as alternatives to abortion. In states where abortion remains legal, lawmakers want to curb the influence of the facilities, which now vastly outnumber abortion clinics nationwide. Before Roe shuttered clinics nationwide, there were about 800 abortion clinics in the U.S. in 2020, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Researchers put the number of crisis pregnancy centers at anywhere from 2,500 to 4,000. This year, 29 states considered or passed bills to bolster these centers with taxpayer money, tax credits for donations or laws promoting so-called medication abortion reversal, a procedure that some claim can reverse the effect of an abortion pill, although medical experts say the treatment is not based on science. At the same time, 12 states considered laws to prevent the centers from deceptive advertising or misusing medical data. Colorado, with probably the most robust anti-pregnancy center laws, was the first to outlaw medication abortion reversal. We just want to make sure that those centers dont engage in any misleading or misinformation to a woman who is pregnant and also that they are following the standards of care, said Democrat Julie McCluskie, speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives. Crisis pregnancy centers say they offer counseling services, pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, parenting classes and other support for people who face unwanted pregnancies. These centers offer women the choice that our opposition has demanded for 50 years, said Myrna Maloney Flynn, president of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, a nonprofit that advances policies to end abortion. However, critics say the centers disguise themselves as abortion clinics or reproductive health centers. Your Options Medical in Brookline is two doors from an abortion clinic and shares a building with several OB-GYN offices. These centers often tell women that abortion can cause depression, infertility and other health problems, including cancer none of which has been proven medically. Although some are licensed, most are nonprofit organizations that dont fall under medical regulations. Attempted regulation of the centers is nothing new, but it grew more urgent in the past year as opponents felt their reach in states where abortion remains legal places now seeing an influx of out-of-state patients. Its a little bit like the frog in the pot, right? said Laurie Veninger, an abortion-rights advocate with Indivisible Mass Coalition. People knew it was coming but didn't know that Dobbs would be coming so quickly, and now they're playing catch-up. Laurie Veninger, with Indivisible Mass Coalition, demonstrates outside Abundant Hope Pregnancy Resource Center during an open house at the anti-abortion counseling center on June 17. The center in Attleboro is located next to an abortion clinic. Mass. emblematic of national fight Nowhere is the confrontation over these facilities more evident than in Massachusetts, where crisis pregnancy centers outnumber abortion clinics 2-to-1 in a state where abortion remains legal up to at least 24 weeks. Last year, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., introduced a bill to nationally regulate information dispensed by the centers, but it went nowhere in a divided Congress. Then in March, Gov. Maura Healey approved a budget with $1 million for educational campaigns on the dangers of crisis pregnancy centers. The Massachusetts Legislature is also considering six bills to address deceptive practices, information privacy and medication abortion reversal. State Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, a Democrat from Northampton, is the sponsor of one that would regulate the collection of consumer health data. Although the bill doesnt mention crisis pregnancy centers, they are one of the targets. Critics fear the centers are collecting personal data from clients and tracking patients from out of state, and sharing that information with whomever they want. State Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, a Democrat, talks about legislation she co-sponsored to regulate so-called "crisis pregnancy centers. In her Beacon Hill office, as the sun splashed on the golden dome of the Massachusetts State House and tourists wandered Boston Common, Sabadosa noted that these facilities are hard to regulate. In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that requiring certain disclosures about their licenses and services violated the First Amendment. Sabadosa is nevertheless trying to increase oversight, because she said she has seen firsthand how crisis pregnancy centers deceive women. As a volunteer for the Abortion Rights Fund of Western Massachusetts, she remembers receiving a call from a young woman who lived in an isolated part of the state and had no access to abortion care. Terrified her parents would find out, the woman went to a crisis pregnancy center and received a free ultrasound. The staff said she had plenty of time to weigh her options because she was only three weeks pregnant. In fact, she was 11 weeks pregnant, Sabadosa said. By the time the woman told her mother, she was beyond the states 24-week abortion limit and had to travel to another state, where she couldnt use her health insurance. It was never clearer to me that there should not be anything that claims to be a health center that just straight up lies to you about how far along you are in a pregnancy and tells you that it's all going to be OK, Sabadosa said, when actually, by virtue of that lie, it is probably not all going to be OK. Restrictions on the centers are being passed at the local level, as well. Somerville, across the Charles River from Boston, exudes New England charm with a mix of local restaurants from mom-and-pop American to Himalayan and a thriving business scene. Five languages are spoken there, according to Councilor-at-Large Kristen Strezo. Shes the city leader who proposed an anti-abortion counseling center ordinance, which passed in March 2022. The ordinance allows for fines against centers that make deceptive statements about their services. Strezo, who acknowledges the city of 80,000 has no crisis pregnancy centers, said the measure is preemptive. The ordinance doesn't shut down anything, she said. But it says that if any of these fake centers choose to try to establish in Somerville, (they must use) accurate information and that our residents are protected. This embedded content is not available in your region. Several other communities have followed suit. Massachusetts is also at the center of a national legislative war over medication abortion reversal. Many anti-abortion counseling centers offer the procedure to reverse an abortion after a patient takes the first of two pills to end a pregnancy. However, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says the practice is not based on science and does not meet clinical standards. At a recent open house at the Abundant Hope Pregnancy Resource Center in Attleboro, the executive director showed off a photo gallery of six babies who supposedly survived the reversal process. The gallery is right outside the ultrasound room. One Massachusetts bill would require the state health department to inform people about medication abortion reversal on its website. Physicians would also be required to tell pregnant individuals about this at least 24 hours before the chemical abortion takes place. Kansas adopted such a law, and Colorado, Oregon and Tennessee had unsuccessful bills with almost identical wording. Despite what experts say, Maloney Flynn of Massachusetts Citizens for Life insisted abortion pill reversal is safe. Theres thousands of babies around the world that exist because of APR, she said. Variations of crisis pregnancy center regulations appeared around the country this year. New York tried to require search engines like Google to warn consumers that abortion and other services may not be available at the centers. It failed. A Pennsylvania bill would prohibit false advertising from any pregnancy center receiving state money. And a bill that died in Kentucky tried to make it a misdemeanor to run an unlicensed center. But the leader in regulation was Colorado. Gov. Jared Polis signed the Safe Access to Protect Health Care package on April 21, which included a new law that requires centers to provide medically accurate information and stop deceptive advertising. That law also prohibits administering medication abortion reversal in the state. A long history The first crisis pregnancy center was founded by Robert Pearson in 1967 in Hawaii, which in 1970 became one of the first states to legalize abortion. Pearson offered financial support, counseling and prenatal care from his own home, and wrote a manual called How to Start and Operate Your Own Pro-Life Outreach Crisis Pregnancy Center. Subsequent centers used the manual as a business model, while others added new services, including crisis hotlines, pregnancy tests and assistance with social services. According to a 2019 Columbia Law Review paper, Pearson told his phone operators not to answer questions about abortion services to persuade callers to come in. This embedded content is not available in your region. Crisis pregnancy centers have almost always been established next to abortion clinics. Shortly after a Planned Parenthood clinic opened in Worcester, in 1982, a crisis pregnancy center called Problem Pregnancy opened on the same floor. Three women went into the center believing it was the abortion clinic because a sign on the door said PP, which could be mistaken for Planned Parenthood. After filling out medical forms, they realized they were at the wrong place, according to the Columbia study. In the early 70s, these facilities grew further under organizations such as Heartbeat International, whose website says it created the first network of crisis pregnancy centers in the U.S. and now has more than 3,000 centers around the world. It provides training for new and existing centers. Critics say Heartbeat and similar organizations have been gearing up for a national push since the reversal of Roe v. Wade. Gifts, grants, fundraising and other contributions to Heartbeat International nearly tripled from $2.2 million to $6 million in fiscal years 2016 to 2021, according to the most recent IRS filings for the organization. Last year, The Associated Press studied the amount of state money given to crisis pregnancy centers and found a total of $89 million in a dozen states, compared to $17 million in eight states a decade earlier. This year, 14 states funneled money to crisis pregnancy centers through increased tax credits. Protesters with Indivisible Mass Coalition gather outside the anti-abortion counseling center Your Options Medical in Brookline on June 17. Even liberal Massachusetts needs more regulation of such centers because they are expanding services and support in the wake of Roes reversal, said Jenifer McKenna, co-author of Designed to Deceive: A Study of the Crisis Pregnancy Center Industry in Nine States. She cited a local news story in which Massachusetts Citizens for Life said it planned to expand these services on a wider, more comprehensive scale. Maloney Flynn said her groups efforts are intended to counter the bombardment it has suffered since the overturn of Roe, from vandalism and threats to verbal attacks by the governor and legislators. It was her idea to unite the centers under a Pregnancy Care Alliance and to host the June 17 open house at Your Options Medical and seven other locations. In addition to the Brookline location, Your Options Medical has a licensed clinic in Revere. The website lists abortion as an option but makes clear that the clinic itself does not provide abortions. It would be really wonderful to know that we've corrected some of those misperceptions and false allegations against us and recognize that there's a place for the services that we have, that it's OK for us to exist, said Teresa Larkin, Your Options Medical executive director. Along with abortion clinics, there doesn't have to be one or the other, it can be both. This embedded content is not available in your region. Leaving it to the courts The battle over anti-abortion counseling centers has also played out in the courts, dating at least to 1982, when Worcester Planned Parenthood won a lawsuit against the pregnancy center that put PP on its door. A more recent case makes regulation difficult. In 2015, California passed a law requiring crisis pregnancy centers to inform residents about their services and licensure. Two centers and the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates challenged the law in court, claiming it violated their First Amendment rights because the act required them to post a sign in their waiting rooms explaining that abortion services were available through other organizations. In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. Shaun O'Reilly joins anti-abortion advocates outside First Concern Pregnancy Resource Center during an open house on June 17 in Marlborough. Massachusetts is expecting lawsuits as soon as any of its legislation targeting the centers passes. Thats what happened this year in Colorado, where the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed a lawsuit on behalf of Bella Health and Wellness, a Catholic health care clinic. The suit challenges the states prohibition on medication abortion reversal, which is not yet even in effect. Rebekah Ricketts, a lawyer representing Bella Health, said the case was brought because that law poses a serious violation of their First Amendment rights. Theyre good actors If theres anything new in this decades-old battle, besides all the legislation, it's that open houses and access to crisis pregnancy centers may be working to help stem the criticism. Even as they voted to regulate the centers, several Colorado legislators said the facilities provide good services. State Sen. Janice Marchman, a Democrat, middle school teacher and mother of teens, signed on to the Colorado bills after listening to concerns about abortion access on the campaign trail. She also discovered that her hometown, Loveland, has one of the highest concentrations of crisis pregnancy centers in the state. After a doctor from a Loveland pregnancy center spoke at a legislative hearing, Marchman decided to visit. What she found was a medical clinic with a licensed physician and a licensed nurse, whom she called lovely. It was fascinating to talk to them, Marchman said. They are providing services. Some women go in there for baby clothes, some go in for formula, some go in for an ultrasound, some go in for STI testing. They're very clear on their website that no abortion services or emergency contraceptives are offered or referred to. Theyre good actors, she said. She just wants to make sure all of them are. This report is part of America After Roe, an examination of the impact of the reversal of Roe v. Wade on health care, culture, policy and people, produced by Carnegie-Knight News21. For more stories, visit https://americaafterroe.news21.com/. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Sides drawn in Mass, US over 'crisis pregnancy centers' HONG KONG, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Acclime, Asia-Pacific's leading tech-enabled professional services provider, is proud to announce the appointment of Ed Novak as the firm's Managing Director, North America. Ed will lead Acclime's US-based Client Service Centre, advising clients from North America on the best ways to leverage Acclime's teams throughout Asia and Oceania. The appointment highlights Acclime's commitment to providing global-standard professional services in the Asia-Pacific region for clients from around the world. Acclime Logo (PRNewsfoto/Acclime) Ed brings extensive leadership experience to Acclime's North American operations, having held significant roles in the technology and professional services sectors, including at IBM, PwC, Amdocs, Grant Thornton, and Radius/Vistra. Blair Lucas, Acclime's Group Commercial Director, noted, "Ed's particular skill set lies in supporting companies in North America to fulfil their growth strategies as they expand internationally. Ed built and led teams that delivered successful paths to global growth, and I have strong confidence in his ability to deliver meaningful results for Acclime's North American clients." Ed shared Blair's enthusiasm and confidence, stating, "I am thrilled to begin this new role, and I look forward to both managing a high-performance client support team and cultivating sustainable relationships with collaborative referral partners. As more and more companies invest in Asia-Pacific growth strategies, I am eager to leverage the Acclime advisory and corporate services platform for their benefit." Acclime's CEO, Martin Crawford, put Ed's appointment into perspective by adding, "The US is one of the largest FDI investors into Asia and the largest in the ASEAN bloc. Acclime's mission is to help these companies navigate into and throughout these markets with our on-the-ground operations, backed by an expert team in their own time zone in the USA. Ed's experience as an international expansion specialist will make him and his team the go-to experts for any US company or investor targeting expansion in the Asia-Pacific market." Story continues With Ed Novak leading the North American operation, Acclime continues on an exciting path of bolstering its tech capabilities to embrace enhanced digitisation, AI integration, and the delivery of exceptional corporate services. Acclime will be counting on Ed's expertise to further strengthen its ability to deliver seamless cross-cultural integration for North American businesses in the Asia-Pacific. About Acclime Acclime is a premier corporate and advisory services provider with operations in key Asia-Pacific jurisdictions, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Australia, and New Zealand. The company's vision is to reinvent the corporate services sector with innovative solutions that help organisations and private clients advance their interests in Asia, with a particular focus on difficult-to-navigate emerging markets. The Acclime group employs over 1,200 experts serving 13,000 clients across 15 countries, each with its own unique cultural and regulatory challenges. Global client service centres are also provided in the UK, US, EU, and UAE. For more information, please visit www.acclime.com . Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/acclime-appoints-ed-novak-as-new-managing-director-for-north-america-301917516.html SOURCE Acclime Tennessee state Rep. Gloria Johnson, one of the three Democrats reprimanded this year for leading a protest against gun violence on the state House floor, has launched a bid for the U.S. Senate in her deep-red home state. Johnson made the announcement outside a Knoxville school where one student fatally shot another when she was a teacher in 2008 to argue that "nothing has been done" since. "We've got to do better, we can do better and Tennesseans deserve better. We have got to do something, and well, this is the something I decided to do," Johnson said about her Senate bid. She went onto criticize Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn , whom Johnson hopes to face if she wins the Democratic primary next year, accusing her of standing in the way of progress. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "We need to make sure that every family has access to affordable health care, every kid has a great school in every district, it shouldn't matter where you live, everyone should have a great school. We need to raise wages so people earn a living wage, and we need to increase our union involvement because that's what built the middle class," she added. Johnson gained prominence in the state after she and two other colleagues took to the state House floor with a bullhorn to criticize what they perceived as legislative inaction after a mass shooting at a Nashville school in March. Republicans blasted the three for using a bullhorn and for speaking when not formally recognized one top Republican compared the protest to an attempted "insurrection" leading to votes to expel the three lawmakers. While the House voted to expel the two state lawmakers who joined Johnson, she was not kicked out. Johnson is white, while the two expelled are Black, leading Democratic lawmakers and other critics of the GOP's actions to question whether three were treated differently because of their race. Republicans have denied those charges, pointing to the fact Johnson survived expulsion by just one vote and arguing that the fates of the three lawmakers differed because of their differing conduct during the protest. Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, center, Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, back left and Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, huddle on the floor of the House chamber Thursday, April 6, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee Republicans are seeking to oust the three House Democrats for using a bullhorn to shout support for pro-gun control protesters in the House chamber. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) (George Walker IV / AP) The two other lawmakers, state Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, won their seats back in special elections last month. Jones was again reprimanded last week for violating new House rules meant to discourage lawmakers from discussing unrelated topics. Johnson will be joined by Pearson and Jones as she announces her campaign in events across the state Tuesday, according to a press release. The saga raised Johnson's profile among Democrats across the country, and it gives her a jolt of momentum as she embarks on a difficult task: dethroning Blackburn in a state that hasn't elected a Democratic senator in more than three decades, since before then-Sen. Al Gore resigned to serve as vice president in 1993. Blackburn won her first term in the Senate in 2018 by more than 10 points over former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen, who Democrats wooed into the race in the hope that he was practically the only candidate with the experience and resume to keep the state competitive. Since then, then-President Donald Trump won the state in 2020 by about 23 percentage points, and incumbent Republican Gov. Bill Lee won re-election in 2022 by 32 percentage points. In a statement reacting to Johnson's bid, Blackburn campaign spokesperson Abigail Sigler blasted Johnson as a "radical socialist" who is "as woke as they come." "While Senator Blackburn is working hard to fight back against Bidens woke agenda, state Rep. Johnson is pushing that divisive, destructive agenda here in Tennessee," Sigler said. "Tennesseans deserve a United States senator who is committed to fighting for our conservative values. Senator Blackburn will continue her record of getting things done and fighting for Tennessee families, she continued. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A tourist who became a stabbers second victim at a Las Vegas Strip resort has filed a lawsuit against the hotel operator claiming negligence. Nathaniel Mahoney, 47, stabbed Leslie Alexander, of Canal Winchester, Ohio, on Sept. 6, 2021, according to Alexanders lawsuit and court records the 8 News Now Investigators obtained. That morning, Alexander was walking inside the MGM Grand toward the Las Vegas Strip entrance when Mahoney stabbed her, the lawsuit said. Mahoney was sitting at a bank of slot machines near a womens bathroom when the random attack occurred, documents said. From the vantage point of [Alexander], the attack seemed to last for several minutes, due to such attack being unexpected, unprovoked, and highly traumatic in nature, Alexanders attorney, F. Travis Buchanan, writes in the lawsuit. No one from the hotels security force and/or its agents or employees responded to the scene, until well after the attack had taken place. Nathaniel Mahoney, 47, stabbed Leslie Alexander, of Canal Winchester, Ohio, on Sept. 6, 2021, according to Alexanders lawsuit and court records the 8 News Now Investigators obtained. (LVMPD/KLAS) A police officer investigating Alexanders stabbing told her Mahoney was a suspect in an earlier stabbing the night before, documents said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Mahoney stabbed a man shortly after midnight on Sept. 5. 2021, also inside the MGM Grand casino and lobby area, according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained from Metro police. MGM surveillance lost track of Mahoney after he left the property. The first stabbing was similar to Alexanders, with Mahoney randomly stabbing the man near the entrance and then walking off, documents said. Police took Mahoney into custody on the Las Vegas Strip shortly after the second stabbing, documents said. An officer located a four-and-a-half-inch butterfly knife in his pocket. In this March 16, 2020, file photo, a couple rides the escalator outside The MGM Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) Police initially arrested Mahoney on charges of battery with a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm, possession of a deadly weapon and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, documents said. In February, Mahoney agreed to plead guilty to one count of assault with a deadly weapon, records showed. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors would recommend a prison sentence of 19-48 months. Judge Michelle Leavitt sentenced Mahoney to the 19-48-month sentence in March. She also gave him nearly 600 days of credit for time served in jail and during his competency proceedings. Alexanders lawsuit claims MGM failed to protect her and other patrons. Her lawsuit asks the court to award her a minimum of $15,000 in damages, which is the standard in civil cases in Nevada. Representatives from MGM Resorts did not immediately return a request for comment. Person crimes, defined by Metro police as homicides, sexual offenses, or assaults, in the area command encompassing the Las Vegas Strip, were down nearly 18% from August 2022 to August 2023, records showed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Previously undefeated in combat as far as we know a British-made Challenger 2 main battle tank has been knocked out for the first time, in Ukrainian hands. Most importantly, however, all four crew are said to have survived the incident. The Challenger 2 has played an important role in opening the door to more advanced Western tanks being donated to Ukraine, but with only 14 of these advanced British tanks delivered to Kyiv, the loss of even one will be felt hard. The fact that its crew emerged unscathed will surely help temper that. https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1698955326496592140?s=20 A video that began to do the rounds on social media yesterday shows a Ukrainian Challenger 2 burning on the side of a road, reportedly somewhere near Robotyne, in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast of southern Ukraine. The operating unit is said to be the 82nd Air Assault Brigade, which is understood to be the sole recipient of these particular tanks. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As for Robotyne, Ukrainian troops first entered this strategic town last month, in a small but important step in the push southward toward Melitopol, which, as we explained in December, is a key objective that must be overcome or bypassed in any effort to liberate Crimea or at least cut off the Russian land bridge to the occupied peninsula. BBC Defense Correspondent Jonathan Beale has said that an unnamed Western defense source confirmed to him that all the crew of the Challenger 2 survived but also described the video as showing a damaged tank, which appears to be an understatement, at least. https://twitter.com/bealejonathan/status/1699013379375915349?s=20 Although burning fiercely, the hull of the tank and, critically, the turret appear to remain broadly intact suggesting its certainly possible that the crew did escape. This is also in contrast to numerous incidents we have seen involving Soviet and Soviet-derived tanks, in which a hit to the hull frequently results in the turret being spectacularly blown off by a violent ammunition explosion. Somewhat remarkably, considering the previous combat history of the Challenger 2, this incident does appear to be the first time that any one of these tanks has been destroyed during a conflict. The British Army took the Challenger 2 to war during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the tank remained in action during much of the counterinsurgency that followed. Although examples of the tanks were damaged in that campaign, and several crewmembers were injured, the British Army reported no outright losses to enemy forces. One Challenger 2 was, however, destroyed in a friendly fire incident, when hit by another tank of the same type. A British Challenger 2 tank rolls into Basra, Iraq, in August 2006. ESSAM AL-SUDANI/AFP via Getty Images At this point, it should be noted that we dont know for sure that the Challenger 2 in the Ukrainian video was set ablaze and destroyed by enemy action exclusively. It remains possible that it was abandoned, either due to a technical problem or as a tactical precaution, or perhaps after running into a minefield, and was only later hit and set on fire. Its even possible that it may have been set on fire by Ukrainian troops deliberately after they abandoned it. The United Kingdom, which has been a fervent supporter of arming Kyiv, including with some weapons offering highly advanced new capabilities, announced back in January this year that it would send Challenger 2s to Ukraine. The tanks were part of a wider package that also included FV432 Mk 3 Bulldog tracked armored personnel carriers, AS90 155mm self-propelled howitzers, plus other assorted vehicles, weapon systems, and other materiel. https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1635398174478307329?s=20 https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1640230772119306240?s=20 The Challenger 2 part of the package comprised 14 tanks together with armored recovery and repair vehicles (equivalent to one British Army armored squadron). As well as the Challenger 2s themselves, the British assistance clearly helped precipitate a shift among others of Ukraines international partners, who subsequently also decided to transfer the modern Western types of tanks that Ukraine had long campaigned for. https://twitter.com/RishiSunak/status/1618199320637079554?s=20 Until the British announcement in January, it was notable that the United States and Germany had also resisted calls to supply Ukraine with more modern tanks. The situation now looks very different, with German-made Leopard 2s from various sources already in combat in Ukraine and U.S.-supplied M1 Abrams tanks undergoing final preparations for their arrival in Ukraine. It is also notable just how enthusiastic the Ukrainians have been about their Challenger 2s. Clearly, these modern tanks offer a range of advantages over the Soviet and Soviet-derived types that currently make up the bulk of the Ukrainian tank fleet. Not only do they boast a much more capable main gun, in 120mm caliber, but they also have advanced thermal and night-vision optics that should give them an edge in many fighting scenarios. Only three days ago, the Armed Forces of Ukraine published a video in which a Challenger 2 crewmember from the 82nd Brigade praised the tanks, including for their psychological effect upon the Russian invaders, and called for more examples to be sent. https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1698286463467540686?s=20 In particular, the soldier interviewed a former T-64, T-72, and T-80 tanker was impressed by the Challenger 2s ability to engage targets at long range and its high level of protection. Everything here is designed for the people, the tanker explained, something that he noted is worryingly absent from Soviet tank designs. In fact, it seems the Challenger 2s long-range prowess and advanced optical and targeting systems have seen it being utilized as a long-range fire-support asset leading to it being dubbed a sniper rifle among tanks. That role may also have been driven by logistics factors, however, due to the relatively small number in use. On the other hand, the Challenger already is well-known for long-distance engagements. In January 1991, a Challenger 1 (the Challenger 2's direct predecessor) recorded the longest-range tank-on-tank kill of Operation Desert Storm, and possibly in history, destroying an Iraqi tank at 5,577 yards or a little over three miles. https://twitter.com/RyszardJonski/status/1620678587388133376?s=20 The small number of Challenger 2s available to Ukraine right now means that this loss will be felt especially keenly. Overall, however, the losses inflicted on its modern Western tanks have not been overly concerning, especially since more tanks are on the way including the much-anticipated M1 Abrams. https://twitter.com/oryxspioenkop/status/1699002507106685372?s=20 Of course, its no surprise that footage of much-vaunted Western tanks knocked out on the battlefield is exposed to widespread media coverage, but not too much should be read into individual losses until more details are actually known. As we have repeatedly stated since the idea of sending advanced armor to Ukraine was seriously floated, the optics of burned out Western armor would be unavoidable and losses were bound to occur. And even if more Challenger 2s are taken out of action, the tank has already had an impact far beyond its modest numbers, thanks to having helped break the taboo about supplying Ukraine with modern Western tanks in the first place. Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com MUNCIE, Ind. Indiana American Water will conduct water main flushing in the Muncie service area beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 5, and continuing through Friday, Oct. 27. Water main flushing in the Winchester service area is also planned from Tuesday, Sept. 5, and continuing through Friday, Oct. 13. The company conducts the annual maintenance program "to assure high-quality water service and to ensure fire hydrants are operational," according to a release. No interruptions in water service are anticipated as a result of the work. Customers may experience a slight drop in water pressure or temporary water discoloration while this program is underway. Customers should refrain from doing laundry during the time of day the flushing program is taking place in or near their neighborhood. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement If tap water is discolored, Indiana American Water recommends allowing several cold-water faucets to run for a short time until the water runs clear. Using more than one faucet allows the water to clear more quickly. Retired Muncie attorney honored MUNCIE, Ind. The 2023 Greater Muncie Chamber of Commerce Legacy Gala held last week at the Horizon Convention Center honored Jon H. Moll, retired local attorney. The Greater Muncie Chamber of Commerce Legacy Award is presented annually to an individual or individuals who"made extraordinary, sustained, and positive contributions to the Muncie-Delaware County community at large, and who has provided leadership in the development of programs, events, and/or new traditions that promote goodwill and community pride," according to a release. Nicholas Tokar, chairman of the Greater Muncie Chamber of Commerce's board of directors, presented the award to Moll. Delaware County Road 1200-N closed MUNCIE, Ind. Delaware County Road `1200-N will be closed between Ind. 3 and Walnut Street in Union Township "until further notice for box culvert repairs," according to a release from the Delaware County Engineering Department. This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Water main flushing planned in Muncie, Winchester service areas COSHOCTON The next installment in the Weird Coshocton series will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Coshocton County District Library, 655 Main St. Each session has facilitator Robert Kehl sharing tales of the strange and bizarre from Coshocton's more than 200 year history. Below are some stories from past presentations centered on local residents from years gone by who led unusual lives. Aviation pioneer worked for the Wright Brothers Russell Shaw was born in Coshocton in 1894. He taught himself to fly at around 16 years old and traveled the country flying airplanes at county fairs. He designed and built eight different flying machines including one of the first commercial flying boats. He worked for the Wright Brothers in 1916 and then built an airline for scenic views of the Grand Canyon. Afterward, he designed and improved many airports around the country. Shaw entered World War II at age 49 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He kept a photo album now located in the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institution. Legless daredevil dies performing Billy Wilson was a daredevil from Coshocton in the early 1900s. He went to enlist in the Spanish-American War and got into an accident on his way back that resulted in the lose of both legs. Afterwards, he would travel around the state performing amazing leaps on his bicycle and was known as the Legless Wonder. He built a giant loop he called the Whirl of Death he unveiled at the Sixth Street Theater. The first performance went perfectly and the crowd loved it. On the second show, something went wrong and Billy crashed. He died in front of the crowd on Aug. 3, 1908. Mayor was friends with a president George Hay, a Coshocton resident who was stricken ill for many months, was surprised with a letter from his classmate at Princeton University on Nov. 21, 1913. Hay graduated from Princeton in 1879 and his classmate was none other than President Woodrow Wilson. Even with everything going on in the country, Wilson was thoughtful enough to send his regards. The president stated, My dear Hay, I have heard with genuine distress that you have not been well since you attended the inaugurationI want to send you, in the meantime, this message of warm greeting and sympathy. Cordially and sincerely yours. Woodrow Wilson. Hay attended Wilsons inauguration on March 4 of the year. Hay was mayor of Coshocton for eight years and died March 14, 1914. Farmer finds artifact In May 1912, Frank Maxwell was plowing his farm just west of Roscoe when he noticed something strange sticking up from the ground. He went to investigate with a shovel and discovered a 33-inch-long well preserved Mastodon tusk. It was 13-inches in circumference. Maxwell took the tusk into town and it was displayed at the Buckeye Clothing Store, where it attracted all kinds of attention. At this point in history, only a few skeletons of mastodons were found so it was a very rare find indeed. Coshocton sisters earn Miss Ohio In 1925, Coshocton had their very own Miss Ohio. Her name was Irene Wolfe and she was selected as the healthiest girl in Ohio. She won the title at the Ohio State Fair and got to represent the state as Miss Ohio at the International Livestock Exposition in Chicago. She was just 15 at the time and from Canal Lewisville. The very next year, Irenes sister Ethel would win Miss Ohio in the interstate style modeling contest. Ethel modeled garments that she made herself and went onto the international contest. This is different from Coshocton's current Miss Ohio, Madison Miller. Provided by the Coshocton County District Library. This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Weird Coshocton: Program features strange tales from local history Introducing Cosayr and Lapidos, insecticides formulated through ADAMA's fully backward integrated production BEIJING and TEL AVIV, Israel, Sept 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ADAMA Ltd. (SZSE: 000553), a leading global crop protection company, today announced the launch of Cosayr and Lapidos in India, its first insecticides containing the active ingredient Chlorantraniliprole (CTPR), benefiting from its new in-house production. ADAMA Logo ADAMA India has launched Lapidos and Cosayr insecticides for paddy and sugar cane growers, offering effective defense against various pests, ensuring improved yields and crop quality. Lapidos is a GR formulation designed for broad application ensuring crop protection at the early growth stage. Cosayr is a foliar solution that combats stem borer and leaf folders that attack rice paddy crops which are responsible for major crop losses every year. "ADAMA has recognized CTPR as an important active ingredient for its future insecticide portfolio, part of our 'Core Leap' strategy," said Walter Costa, VP Marketing and Product Strategy at ADAMA. "The significance of this active ingredient for ADAMA is also evident in the strong cost position having fully backward integrated manufacturing capabilities. We are happy to add these important products to our offering in India and look forward to developing and providing more products based on CTPR." "We take great pride in introducing Cosayr and Lapidos to Indian farmers, a testament to our commitment to delivering solutions and enhancing agricultural productivity," said Sahin Ozkan, ADAMA India General Manager. "CTPR is becoming a significant ingredient in our portfolio in India to meet farmers' needs, delivering on our promise to provide a comprehensive range of crop protection solutions." About ADAMA's Core Leap strategy To increase the commercial potential and sustainability of ADAMA's portfolio, the company identified 24 leading active ingredients coming off patent. These active ingredients form the building blocks of ADAMA's innovation pipeline. ADAMA's proprietary Formulation Technology Platforms further optimize the performance of these molecules, transforming them into more effective, sustainable, and user-friendly products. Story continues About ADAMA ADAMA Ltd. is a global leader in crop protection, providing solutions to farmers across the world to combat weeds, insects and disease. ADAMA has one of the widest and most diverse portfolios of active ingredients in the world, as well as state-of-the-art R&D, manufacturing and formulation facilities. With a culture that empowers our people to listen to farmers and ideate from the field, ADAMA is uniquely positioned to offer a vast array of distinctive mixtures, formulations and high-quality differentiated products, delivering solutions that meet local farmer and customer needs in over 100 countries globally. For more information, visit us at www.ADAMA.com and follow us on Twitter at @ADAMAAgri. ADAMA Contact Tal Moise Public Relations Email: pr@adama.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/799829/Adama_Agricultural_Solutions_Logo.jpg Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/adama-launches-first-off-patent-ctpr-based-offerings-in-india-301917572.html SOURCE ADAMA Ltd. /NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES./ TSX Venture Exchange: ADY OTCQB: ADYRF FSE: 701GR PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - Adyton Resources Corporation (TSXV: ADY) ("Adyton" or the "Company") announces that it has been granted an extension by the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") to complete its non-brokered private placement of up to 104,758,886 common shares at a price of $0.0133 per share for aggregate gross proceeds of up to C$1,393,293 (the "Financing") that was announced by the Company on July 18, 2023. The extended date for final acceptance of the Financing is September 29, 2023. The terms of the Financing remain unchanged from those set out in the Company's July 18, 2023 press release announcing the Financing. Adyton Resources Logo (CNW Group/Adyton Resources) All shares issued pursuant to the Financing will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance under applicable Canadian securities laws and TSXV policies. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF ADYTON RESOURCES CORPORATION Tim Crossley, Chief Executive Officer ABOUT ADYTON RESOURCES CORPORATION Adyton Resources Corporation is focused on the development of gold and copper resources in world class mineral jurisdictions. It currently has a portfolio of highly prospective mineral exploration projects in Papua New Guinea on which it is exploring for copper and gold. The Company's mineral exploration projects are located on the Pacific Ring of Fire which hosts several world class copper and gold deposits. For more information about Adyton and its projects, visit www.adytonresources.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. DISCLAIMER & FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release may include "forward-looking statements", including forecasts, estimates, expectations, and objectives for future operations that are subject to several assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Adyton. Forward looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology. The forward-looking information contained herein is provided for the purpose of assisting readers in understanding management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking information are based on management of the parties' reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on such management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Such factors, among other things, include: impacts arising from the global disruption caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, changes in general macroeconomic conditions; changes in securities markets; changes in the price of gold or certain other commodities; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); discrepancies between actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries; inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of and changes in the costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual future results may vary materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements or information. Adyton Resources Corporation undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Story continues SOURCE Adyton Resources Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2023/05/c1810.html 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. Balonul de Aur: Pe cine a omagiat Messi imediat dupa ce a castigat trofeul - Video Lionel Messi l-a omagiat pe Diego Maradona la gala Balonul de Aur, la care a obtinut cel mai important trofeu pentru a opta oara in cariera. El a vorbit si despre rivalii sai si despre cat intentioneaza sa mai joace, informeaza news.ro."Multumesc [citeste mai departe] Stiri pe aceeasi tema - The World Bank has supported Romania in its efforts to combat nutrient pollution for the past two decades, with over 110 million euros invested in local communities and with assistance given to the Government to strengthen administrative capacity, Anna Akhalkatsi, country manager for Romania, said on - Ministrul Apararii Nationale, Angel Tilvar, a aprobat executarea unei misiuni umanitare luni, 2 octombrie, din Baza 90 Transport Aerian din Otopeni, pentru repatrierea unui pacient diagnosticat cu arsuri de la Spitalul Universitar din Lubeck, Germania, la Spitalul Clinic de Urgenta Pius Brinzeu - Ministrul apararii nationale, Angel Tilvar, a aprobat executarea unei misiuni umanitare luni, 2 octombrie 2023, din Baza 90 Transport Aerian din Otopeni, pentru repatrierea unui pacient diagnosticat cu arsuri de la Spitalul Universitar din Lubeck, Germania, la Spitalul Clinic de Urgenta "Pius Brinzeu" - Three patients injured in the Crevedia explosions who were transferred abroad are still intubated and mechanically ventilated, the Ministry of Health (MS) informed on Monday.The body of one of the patients transferred to Milan, Italy is over 90% burned, being intubated and mechanically ventilated, - The Minister of National Defense, Angel Tilvar, stated, on Monday, at a meeting with the head of the National Guard of the U.S. state of Alabama, that Romania is considering measures to strengthen the monitoring and security of the country's airspace and, implicitly, of NATO, both through efforts at - Another person injured in the Crevedia explosions, who was admitted to the Bucharest Bagdasar Arseni Emergency Clinical Hospital died on Tuesday morning, the Ministry of Health informed."In the course of this morning, one of the patients who was in a very serious condition since the beginning of - A Letter of Intent between the Ministry of National Defense of Romania, the Ministry of Defense of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Lockheed Martin Company regarding the F-16 Training Center in Romania was signed Tuesday by the minister of National Defense, Angel Tilvar, in the context of his - The Minister of National Defense, Angel Tilvar, visited, on Friday, the Military Tailor's and the Inspections and Testing Laboratory of the Ministry of National Defence (MApN), affirming in this context that there are premises for increasing the quality of the equipment intended for the Romanian military. NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The aircraft ejection seats market size is estimated to grow by USD 71.31 million from 2022 to 2027, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.17%, however, the growth momentum will progress during the forecast period. APAC is estimated to account for 34% of the global market during the forecast period. Technavio's analysts have elaborately explained the regional trends and drivers that shape the market during the forecast period. Another region offering significant growth opportunities to vendors is Europe. The increased military spending, rising geopolitical tensions, and the growing need for military aircraft to support a wide range of military operations are the major driving factors. The market is mainly driven by countries such as the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia in Europe. These countries have strong armies and need large numbers of military aircraft. Therefore, the European aircraft ejection seat market is propelled by an increasing number of airports, rising air traffic, and increasing demand for new aircraft which in turn drive the market growth during the forecast period. For more insights on the historic period (2017 to 2021) and forecast market size (2023 to 2027) - Request a sample report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Aircraft Ejection Seats Market 2023-2027 buy the report! Aircraft Ejection Seats Market - Segmentation Assessment Segment Overview Technavio has segmented the market based on application (Combat aircraft and Training aircraft), type (Single seat and Twin seat), and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America). The market share growth by the combat aircraft segment will be significant during the forecast period. In 2022, the combat aircraft segment held the largest market share and is projected to continue to dominate during the forecast period. Combat planes are a vital tool for all the military in the world. In addition, with the growing threat of terrorism, as well as policy tensions between states, emphasis has been moving to fleet modernization through the replacement of obsolete aircraft with new advanced combat aircraft. The development and purchase of fifth-generation fighter aircraft are anticipated to increase and the growth of the combat aircraft segment in the global aircraft ejector seat market will be driven by the increase in the purchase of combat aircraft. Story continues Insights on the market contribution of various segments including country and region wise, historic market data (2017 to 2021), and forecast market size (2023 to 2027) - Download a Sample Report Aircraft Ejection Seats Market Market Dynamics Key factor driving market growth The increasing demand for military aircraft globally is notably driving the market growth. The aerospace and defense industry observes a significant trend of increasing demand for military aircraft, driven by geopolitical tensions, security concerns, and counterterrorism operations. The demand for modern military aircraft is fuelled by disputes over territory, regional conflicts, and complex threats, leading to a rise in defense spending. Governments require specialized aircraft that can track and engage targets, gather real-time situational awareness, and support counterterrorism efforts. Therefore, the growing demand for military aircraft, which are the significant aircraft in which aircraft ejection seats are used, is one of the major drivers that is anticipated to drive the growth of the aircraft ejection seats market during the forecast period. Leading trends influencing the market - The growing use of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) training for testing aircraft ejection seats is an emerging trend shaping the market growth. Major challenges hindering the market growth - The technological complexity associated with aircraft ejection seats is a significant challenge hindering market growth. Insights on Market Drivers, trends, and challenges, historic period(2017 to 2021), and forecast period(2023 to 2027)- Request a sample report! What are the key data covered in this Aircraft Ejection Seats Market report? CAGR of the market during the forecast period Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the aircraft ejection seats market between 2023 and 2027 Precise estimation of the aircraft ejection seats market size and its contribution to the market in focus on the parent market Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behaviour Growth of the aircraft ejection seats market across Europe, North America, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about companies Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of aircraft ejection seats market companies Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports: The commercial aircraft seating market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.75% between 2022 and 2027 and the size of the market is forecast to increase by USD 2,908 million. This report extensively covers market segmentation by aircraft type (narrowbody, widebody, and regional aircraft), cabin class (economy class, business class, premium economy class, and first class), and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America). Rising procurement of new-generation aircraft is a major driver for the growth of the commercial aircraft seating market. The aircraft seating market size is expected to increase by USD 13.07 billion from 2021 to 2026, at a CAGR of 18.74%. This report extensively covers aircraft seating market segmentation by aircraft type (commercial aircraft and military aircraft) and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America). The growing demand for commercial aircraft is one of the key drivers supporting the aircraft seating market growth. Aircraft Ejection Seats Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 5.17% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 71.31 million Market structure Concentrated YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 4.82 Regional analysis Europe, North America, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 34% Key countries US, China, Japan, France, and Germany, Canada, Mexico, Italy,Spain, India, Japan, Australia, and South Korea Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled BAE Systems Plc, EDM Ltd., Martin-Baker Aircraft Co. Ltd., Raytheon Technologies Corp., and Rostec Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table of contents 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation by Application 7 Market Segmentation by Type 8 Customer Landscape 9 Geographic Landscape 10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 11 Vendor Landscape 12 Vendor Analysis 13 Appendix About US Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com Global Aircraft Ejection Seats Market 2023-2027 Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aircraft-ejection-seats-market-size-is-set-to-grow-by-usd-71-31-million-from-2022-to-2027--apac-to-contribute-34-of-the-market-growth---technavio-301916246.html SOURCE Technavio Several lights were damaged on the Chain Bridge, a month after it was re-opened following its upgrade, the website enbudapestem.hu reported. The website, owned by Budapest city council, was told by police that the cost of the damage to four lights located on the southern pedestrian side of the bridge exceeds Ft 2 million. One section has become somewhat dangerous, due to a lack of lighting. The vandals broke the globes of the lamps and several of them do not have a glass cover. NEW DELHI: BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav has called for changing the name of the country from 'India' to 'Bharat' and omitting the same from the Indian Constitution with immediate effect. Harnath Singh Yadav said that the word 'India' was used by the Britishers as an abuse. Speaking to news agency ANI, the BJP MP said, "The entire country is demanding that we should use the word 'Bharat' instead of 'India'...The word 'India' is an abuse given to us by the British whereas the word 'Bharat' is a symbol of our culture...I want there should be a change in our Constitution and the word 'Bharat' should be added to it..." #WATCH | BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav says "The entire country is demanding that we should use the word 'Bharat' instead of 'India'...The word 'India' is an abuse given to us by the British whereas the word 'Bharat' is a symbol of our culture...I want there should be a change in pic.twitter.com/TkOl3Ieuer ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023 It may be noted that the India versus Bharat debate has intensified ever since the Opposition alliance adopted the acronym INDIA - Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance - in July. Just recently, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat made a similar statement regarding changing the name of India to Bharat. Mohan Bhagwat said that regardless of whether people understand it or not, we should not say "India" but should say "Bharat" instead. Additionally, BJP Member of Parliament Naresh Bansal also raised this issue in the Rajya Sabha. What Is Harnath Singh Yadav's Demand? BJP's Member of Parliament Harnath Singh Yadav said, "I am not running this campaign; the entire country is demanding it. This sentiment is coming from all parts of the country.RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has also appealed to call it "Bharat" and not use any other name. "Bharat" is a word filled with passion. It is a living word. It gives us energy. A sense of devotion is associated with it. It is not just limited to India." How Did The Name 'India' Come About? Harnath Singh Yadav further explained that the word "India" was given by the British. "In their view, we were an ignorant community. Wherever they felt that people were ignorant, had a criminal mindset, or were foolish, they used the word "India" for them. People with such a mentality here would mislead others by saying that the English came via the Indus River, so they couldn't say "Sindh" and instead said "India." Hence, gradually, "Ind" became "India," he stated. Jairam Ramesh Reacts To BJP MP's Demand While BJP leaders welcomed the move, the demand to change the name drew a sharp response from the Opposition. The Congress on Tuesday alleged that the "Union of States" is under assault by the Modi government as it claimed that a G20 dinner invite refers to the President as "President of Bharat". So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 5, 2023 "So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: 'Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States'. But now even this "Union of States" is under assault," he alleged. In another post, Ramesh said, "Mr Modi can continue to distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States. But we will not be deterred. After all, what is the objective of INDIA parties? It is BHARATBring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation And Trust. Judega BHARAT Jeetega INDIA!" Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Delhi to participate in the G20 Summit taking place under India's presidency on September 9-10, and will then travel to Bangladesh for a bilateral visit, the President's office said in a statement. The G20 Summit will allow France's President to continue his continuing engagement with colleagues from other continents in order to address the threats of global fragmentation the statement said. "The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, will travel to Delhi to participate in the G20 Summit under Indias Presidency on 9 and 10 September, and will then travel to Bangladesh on 10 September for a bilateral visit. The G20 Summit will enable France's Head of State to continue his ongoing dialogue with his counterparts from every continent, so as to combat the risks of fragmentation of the world. It will also be an opportunity to make progress in implementing joint responses to the major global challenges that can only be tackled effectively through multilateral action: peace and stability, poverty alleviation, protection of climate and our planet, food security, and digital regulation," the President's Office said in an official press release. The Summit will also serve as a follow-up to the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, which was convened in Paris in June. "This had led to the establishment of the Paris Agenda for People and the Planet, providing a framework for collective action to ensure that no country has to choose between fighting poverty and protecting the planet," the release read. After welcoming Prime Minister Modi in Paris this summer and visiting Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Sri Lanka, the French President will continue to implement France's Indo-Pacific policy in Bangladesh. "In Bangladesh, the President of the French Republic will continue to implement France's strategy in the Indo-Pacific region, after having welcomed Prime Minister Modi in Paris this summer, and visited Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Sri Lanka. It will also be an opportunity to deepen our bilateral relationship with a country that is undergoing rapid economic development, with France's support, and is seeking to diversify its partnerships," the president's office said. In Bangladesh, President Macron will restate France's willingness to be by its side on the humanitarian front, especially given the country's frequent flooding and Bangladesh being particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate disruption. Notably, the G20 summit will be held over two days in New Delhi, on September 9 and 10. The two-day summit will draw leaders and delegates from 40 countries, including the 20 member states. The G20 Summit is set to be hosted at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre at Pragati Maidan. The New Delhi G20 summit will see the biggest participation in the history of the grouping, with arrangements in place for the mega event, including those for the stay of leaders of member countries and the invited guest countries. The 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. NEW DELHI: Opposition parties of the INDIA alliance on Tuesday demanded that the government maintain transparency and not keep the country in the dark on the agenda of the special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22, even as they called for early passage of the women's reservation bill. Sources said former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for early passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha during the upcoming session as the same has already been passed by the Rajya Sabha. At a meeting, the opposition parties decided to move together in the upcoming session and also raise the Adani issue. They also decided to hold the first INDIA parties' joint public rally in Madhya Pradesh and the next meeting in Bhopal. The leaders of several opposition parties, who attended the dinner meeting hosted by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence here, also discussed the strategy to be adopted during the upcoming session. Kharge said the Narendra Modi government is convening a special session of the Parliament for the first time without spelling out the agenda. "No one from any opposition party has been consulted or informed. This is not the way to run a democracy," he said after the meeting. "Everyday, this government plants a story in media of a prospective agenda', thereby creating a smokescreen of diversion from real issues burdening the people. The BJP wants to keep key issues like price rise, unemployment, Manipur, China's transgressions, CAG reports, scams and weakening of institutions aside and cheat our people," he noted. "The INDIA parties discussed the way forward for the special session. We shall not be deterred in raising people's issues, we intend to keep our focus on these. Let the BJP know Bharat Judega, INDIA Jeetega," Kharge said. After the meeting, Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi later told reporters that floor leaders of INDIA alliance parties in both Houses questioned why this special session is being convened and the government has not clarified on it yet. He said 12 days later a special session of Parliament is being convened and the country does not know what is it is for. He also asserted that the leaders of INDIA parties have decided to keep their unity at any cost and noted that the saffron party was rattled over it. "We demand that the BJP should show transparency and tell the country what is the agenda of this special session. The INDIA alliance has agreed that we want a constructive session that could help in the progress of the country and is in its interest," he told reporters. He said to help resolve the problems before the country, we want a constructive session and the INDIA alliance will extend all support. Congress leaders Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gaurav Gogoi, Pramod Tiwari, Ravneet Bittu, besides Tiruchi Siva and T R Baalu of DMK, Supriya Sule of NCP, Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha of AAP, Sitaram Yechury of CPI-M, Manoj Jha of RJD, Mahua Majhi of JMM, Derek O'Brien of TMC, Binoy Viswam of CPI, Ram Gopal Yadav of SP, Vaiko of VCK, N K Premchandran of RSP, were present during the meeting. Earlier, the Congress said it will constructively participate in the special session, but made it clear that it won't sit there only for "Modi chalisa" and want that issues of public concern be also raised during the five-day sitting. The party's stance was decided at a strategy group meeting chaired by Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Kharge, where leaders of the Congress in both Houses were also present. Accusing the government of keeping the country in the dark, the Congress also asked it to spell out the agenda of the special session. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh and Gogoi said the Parliament belonged to the country and the country was being kept in dark by the government. Noting that the government should be transparent, Gogoi said, "But this government is neither transparent, nor responsible". "What is the agenda, what are the issues," he asked, while noting that the entire country is being kept in the dark. Ramesh said it is for the first time that the government has not taken opposition parties into confidence and not discussed the agenda for the upcoming session. He asserted that it is impossible to have only government business during the five-day sitting while offering to participate in the proceedings of both Houses hoping that the dispensation will allow them to raise issues of public importance. "We are not going to sit only for Modi chalisa. We will surely demand from the government and try and raise our issues in every session. But, we have not been getting an opportunity to raise them in the previous sessions. "Our demand would be that there should be discussion on those issues and with this sentiment we would participate in this special session," Ramesh told reporters. "This is the first time that to divert attention from the INDIA alliance partners, the prime minister and their alliance partners declare that there will be a five-day special session of Parliament," he said. "It is impossible that for five days there is only government business. We want that during the special session of Parliament, along with economic and political issues, issues related to foreign policy and borders should also be discussed. Gogoi said the special session has been announced, but the BJP itself is not able to decide the important issues. "We discussed the instability that is still there in Manipur, people are still in camps, people are being killed; The news about Adani ji was recently published in Guardian and Financial Times. There should be an investigation on the Adani issue. Whether it is Nuh or in different provinces of the country, or instability in society, and the reason for which is only the divisive politics of BJP," he said. New Delhi: The first meeting of the Coordination Committee of the INDIA alliance will be held on September 13. The meeting will be held at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar's residence here in the national capital, sources said. Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc's Campaign Committee will hold its first meeting at 5:00 pm on Tuesday here at the Milap Building. Earlier last week, the INDIA Bloc added two more members to its already 19-member Campaign Committee taking the total to 21. The new entrants were Tiruchi Siva of DMK and Mehboob Beg of PDP. Gurdeep Singh Sappal, INC, Sanjay Jha, JD(U), Anil Desai, SS, Sanjay Yadav, RJD, PC Chako, NCP, Champai Soren, JMM, Kiranmoy Nanda, SP, Sanjay Singh, AAP, Arun Kumar, CPI(M), Binoy Vishwam, CPI, Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi, NC, Shahid Siddiqui, RLD, NK Premachandran, RSP, G Devarajan, AIFB, Ravi Rai, CPI(ML), Thirumavalan, VCK, KM Kadar Moidin, IUML, Jose K Mani, KC(M) and TMC (to give name later) are also members of the Campaign Committee. Earlier, the INDIA alliance partners concluded their third meeting in Maharashtra and adopted resolutions to collectively contest the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections while announcing that seat-sharing arrangements would be finalized as soon as possible through a spirit of give-and-take. "We, the INDIA parties, hereby resolve to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections together as far as possible. Seat-sharing arrangements in different states will be initiated immediately and concluded at the earliest in a collaborative spirit of give-and-take," said the resolution. The resolution also said that the parties will "organise public rallies at the earliest in different parts of the country on issues of public concern and importance". The first meeting of the joint opposition was held in Patna on June 23 and the second meeting was held in Bengaluru on July 17-18. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has scripted history by etching India's name in the list of elite nations that successfully landed on the moon. Moreover, it also made India the first nation to land on the south pole of the moon. In another feat, ISRO successfully launched its sun mission Aditya L1 on September 2 making India proud again. With two consecutive successes, India has been the toast of the town across the globe. Today, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, India's first solar mission, successfully performed the second earth-bound manoeuvre. "Aditya-L1 Mission: The second Earth-bound manoeuvre (EBN#2) is performed successfully from ISTRAC, Bengaluru. ISTRAC/ISRO's ground stations at Mauritius, Bengaluru and Port Blair tracked the satellite during this operation. The new orbit attained is 282 km x 40225 km," ISRO said in a tweet. adding that the next manoeuvre (EBN#3) is scheduled for September 10, around 02:30 Hrs. While India is celebrating its success, Pakistani people gave some savage replies to their leaders when asked about India's success. They even termed their leaders thieves who only thought about themselves and not about the country or citizens. Watch the below video - Pakistan's Savage Reply To Their Leaders On ISRO's Success: After the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 near the South pole of the moon, the ISRO launched the country's maiden solar mission -- Aditya-L1 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Saturday. It carried seven different payloads to have a detailed study of the sun, four of which will observe the light from the sun and the other three will measure in-situ parameters of the plasma and magnetic fields. Aditya-L1 will be placed in a halo orbit around Lagrangian Point 1 (or L1), which is 1.5 million km away from the Earth in the direction of the sun. It is expected to cover the distance in four months' time.Aditya-L1 will stay approximately 1.5 million km away from Earth, directed towards the Sun, which is about 1 per cent of the Earth-Sun distance. The Sun is a giant sphere of gas and Aditya-L1 would study the outer atmosphere of the Sun. Major objectives of Indias solar mission include the study of the physics of solar corona and its heating mechanism, the solar wind acceleration, coupling and dynamics of the solar atmosphere, solar wind distribution and temperature anisotropy, and origin of Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) and flares and near-earth space weather. (With agency inputs) New Delhi: Actress-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt, who was recently seen in popular reality show Bigg Boss OTT Season 2 finally took off for her vacation with new friend and fellow contestant Bebika Dhurve. Both the ladies shared a glimpse of their amazing time spent together while enjoying the waterfalls. Pooja Bhatt and Bebika twinned in black stunning bathing suits. Pooja captioned the post: Back to my reality! Many of her celebrity friends commented on it. Zareen Khan dropped hear emoji while Sangeeta Bijlani wrote: So happy to see this Several of her fans also dropped comments on the post. One person wrote: Pooja ji is still hotter than bebika. Another one said: Pooja mam you are soo damnn hot...dont go like this in front of Elvish...He will be pissed off. Bebika also shared a couple of photos with her BFF Pooja Bhatt on social media. She wrote in the caption: A mentor A teacher A mother figure My soulmate When her vision.. wisdom.. intellect .. intuition read my soul inside out and found the best in me... why would I care what the world thinks ... The BOND STRONGER THAN JAMES BOND... POOJA MAAM KO KOI SUNA NAI SAKTA ... BEBIKA KISI KI SUNTI NAI... BEBIKA SIRF POOJA MAAM KI SUNTI HAI @poojab1972 My heart and soul Bigg Boss OTT 2 was won by YouTuber Elvish Yadav while Abhishek Malhan aka Fukra Insaan stood as a runner-up. Manisha Rani came in third and Pooja was at No 4 spot after Bebika accepted the money and made an exit from the game. New Delhi: DA Hike Update 7th Pay Commission: Lakhs of central government employees, waiting keenly for announcement on Dearness Allownace Hike, may hear the good news soon after the G20 meeting gets over, media reports said. As per media reports, the government might announce DA hike for employees in a cabinet meeting soon after the G20 meeting gets over, though nothing officially has been confirmed as yet. 7th Pay Commission: July AICPI Index Boost For DA The latest AICPI Index data have given the much needed enthusiasm to lakhs of central government employees who have been waiting for the announcement of the Dearness Allowance (DA). AICPI Index is the final data for determining the calculation of Dearness Allowance and the foundation for determining the DA quantum. Figures of AICPI Index number for the month of June paints an optimistic picture. The All-India CPI-IW for July, 2023 increased by 3.3 points and stood at 139.7 (one hundred thirty nine point seven). On 1-month percentage change, it increased by 2.42 per cent with respect to previous month compared to increase of 0.90 per cent recorded between corresponding months a year ago, The Labour Bureau report said The June index figure showed that it reached 136.4 points as compared to the index number in May which was 134.7 points. A total increase of 1.7 points has been registered in June. According to the figures of May, the total DA score was 45.58 percent, which has increased to 46.24 percent in June 2023, depending on AICPI index figures. 7th Pay Commission: Quantum Of DA Hike Talking to news agency PTI, All India Railwaymen Federation General Secretary Shiva Gopal Mishra had previously said, "The CPI-IW for June 2023 was released on July 31, 2023. We are demanding a four percentage point hike in dearness allowance. But the dearness allowance hike works out to be a little over three percentage points. The government does not factor in hiking DA beyond the decimal point. Thus DA is likely to be increased by three percentage points to 45 percent". He had further explained that the expenditure department of the Finance Ministry will formulate a proposal to hike DA along with its revenue implication and will put up the proposal before the Union Cabinet for approval. The DA hike will be effective from July 1, 2023. Presently, over one crore central government employees and pensioners are getting a 42 percent dearness allowance. However, considering the July All-India CPI-IW figures, the media is yet again abuzz with speculations that DA hike will reach 46 percent, with a rise of 4% from the current 42 percent DA. New Delhi: Indian taxpayers are eagerly waiting for their refunds. The deadline for filing income tax returns for the fiscal year 2022-2023 was July 31, and millions of taxpayers across the country have diligently fulfilled this obligation. However, a significant number of taxpayers now face the anticipation and uncertainty surrounding their income tax refunds. The Income Tax Department of India, in a recent notification via its official Twitter account @IncomeTaxIndia, has issued an important advisory to all taxpayers. The message emphasizes the importance of ensuring that the bank accounts where tax refunds are to be credited are validated and up-to-date. Why is Bank Account Validation Crucial? The process of income tax refunds involves crediting the refund amount directly into the taxpayer's bank account. To streamline this procedure and minimize errors, it is imperative that taxpayers validate their bank account information on the e-filing portal. This ensures that the refunds are disbursed efficiently and securely. How to Validate Your Bank Account: Taxpayers can follow these steps to validate or update their bank account information: Visit the official Income Tax Department website at http://incometax.gov.in. Log in to your e-filing profile. Navigate to the "Profile" section. Select "My Bank Account." Revalidate or Add Bank Account details as necessary. Kind Attention Taxpayers! Your refund can only be credited into a validated bank account. So, please check bank account validation status on e-filing portal. Pl visit https://t.co/GYvO3mRVUH Login Profile My Bank Account Revalidate/Add Bank Account Previously pic.twitter.com/nt80jNccxM Income Tax India (@IncomeTaxIndia) September 5, 2023 Updates May Be Required: It's important to note that previously validated bank accounts may require updating and re-validation, especially if there have been changes in bank account details. This is critical to ensure that the income tax refunds are directed to the correct accounts. The notification from the Income Tax Department underscores the importance of proactive action by taxpayers to avoid delays or complications in receiving their refunds. By adhering to the recommended steps, taxpayers can contribute to the smooth and efficient processing of income tax refunds during this fiscal year. Air India, a Tata Group-owned airline has announced a one time waiver in charges for flyers who are travelling between September 7 to September 11 to and from the Delhi International Airport. The decision has been taken keeping in mind the G20 Summit scheduled on September 9 and 10, 2023. A lot of airlines, anticipating heavy rush during these days, have announced to either cancel or reschedule flights. Various media reports state that almost 160 flights are cancelled between 8-10 September at the Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. Announcing on X, (formely Twitter), Air India wrote, "Important Announcement: There will be travel restrictions in Delhi between 7th and 11th September 2023. As a measure of goodwill, passengers holding confirmed ticket to fly to or from Delhi on these dates are being offered a one-time waiver of applicable charges, if they wish to change their date of travel or their flight." Important Announcement: There will be travel restrictions in Delhi between 7th and 11th September 2023. As a measure of goodwill, passengers holding confirmed ticket to fly to or from Delhi on these dates are being offered a one-time waiver of applicable charges, if they wish to Air India (@airindia) September 5, 2023 It further said, "Only the fare difference for the rescheduled flight, if any, would be applicable. For any query related to this please contact us on +91 124-2641407 / +91 20-26231407." Earlier, the civil aviation ministry ordered airlines to restrict the number of flights between September 8 and 10 to create parking space for the G20 flights. Additionally, the Delhi police said that road travel to the airport would be affected from September 8 to 10 and has issued travel guidelines. Also, the Delhi Police has advised people to use the Delhi Metro's Airport Express Line for hassle-free movement to Terminal 3 and 2 of the Delhi's IGI airport and Magenta Line to Terminal 1 of the airport. (Reuters) -Albemarle, the world's largest lithium producer, aims to close its buyout of junior Australian rival Liontown Resources by the middle of 2024, its chief executive said on Tuesday. Albemarle earlier this week made a revised, non-binding $4.3 billion bid for Liontown as it looks to lock down additional supplies of the key electric vehicle battery metal. The offer is part of a surge of interest in Australian lithium assets amid the clean energy transition. North Carolina-based Albemarle is already a major miner and processor of the battery metal in Australia, and the proposed deal is widely seen as a move to cement that dominance. For Albemarle, Liontown and its Kathleen Valley lithium deposit would "increase our opportunity to meet rapid and growing lithium demand," CEO Kent Masters said on a Tuesday call with investors. "What makes it a world class asset is the quality, the size and the fact that it's in Western Australia." The deal is non-binding and still must be formalized and approved by shareholders. Liontown has agreed to let Albemarle look at some of its private records as part of a due diligence process that will also include a review of Liontown's agreement to supply lithium to Ford, Tesla and others through 2030. "That's one part of due diligence, to go and understand those contracts," Masters said. Masters and other Albemarle executives said that if the Liontown deal closes, the company likely would have to build processing facilities for the Kathleen Valley mine, which is expected to start producing 320,000 metric tons of lithium spodumene concentrate next year, with the potential to hit 700,000 metric tons per year by 2030. Albemarle's shares fell 1% to $197.99 in premarket trading. (Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; editing by Jason Neely and Louise Heavens) IIT JAM 2024: The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, will open registration for the Joint Admission Test, JAM 2024 today. Eligible applicants can register for the exam at jam.iitm.ac.in, the official website of IIT JAM 2024. Registration will begin on September 5 and run through October 13. The JAM 2024 exam will be held on February 11, 2024, and registration is now open. It is for postgraduate admission to the IITs and participating institutes. "JAM 2024 is open to all nationals (Indian/Foreign). For admission, foreign nationals are required to satisfy the rules and regulations of the Admitting Institute pertaining to foreign students. For further details, they are advised to contact the concerned Admitting Institute," reads the official notice. IIT JAM 2024: Steps to check here 1. Visit the IIT JAM official websitejam.iitg.ac.in 2. On the homepage, get yourself registered 3. Enter IIT JAM 2024 enrollment ID, password, and captcha code to log in 4. Fill the application form, upload required documents and pay fee 5. Submit the form and download confirmation fee 6. Take its printout for future reference JAM 2024 will be a computer-based examination for seven test papers: Biotechnology (BT), Chemistry (CY), Economics (EN), Geology (GG), Mathematics (MA), Mathematical Statistics (MS), and Physics (PH). The exam will be divided into three sections: multiple choice questions (MCQs), multiple select questions (MSQs), and numerical answer type (NAT) questions. Aspirants with JAM 2024 scores will be admitted to MSc, MSc (Technology), MSc-MTech Dual Degree, MS (R), Joint MSc-PhD, MSc- PhD Dual Degree, and Integrated PhD degrees. Patna: The Bihar education department has withdrawn its controversial order curtailing the holidays of school teachers on Diwali, Durga Pooja, Raksha Bandhan, and other festivals, as per a government order. "The holiday table issued for government/government-aided elementary and secondary/higher secondary schools under departmental order memorandum no. 2112 dated 29.08.2023 is cancelled with immediate effect," a circular issued by the Director of Secondary Education read. The Bihar secondary education department had earlier announced the reduction of holidays for teachers from 23 to 11 which led to a huge furor among teachers in the state who had even warned of protests. In many schools, teachers were seen attending classes wearing black badges. Many teachers had even gone to the extent of challenging the Additional Chief Secretary of the education department, KK Pathak. Several teachers had also pointed out that the attendance of students in those festive days would be, in any case, negligible. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is in opposition in the state had also criticized the Nitish Kumar government for curtailing holidays on Rakshabandhan, Dussehra, Diwali, and Chhath. The education department had said that it aimed to hold classes for 220 days in an academic year and hence this decision was taken. WASHINGTON: US First Lady Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 just days before President Joe Biden, who tested negative for the virus, is due to travel to a Group of 20 Summit in India, the White House said on Monday. Biden's 72-year-old wife, whose symptoms were described as mild, last had COVID in August of last year. The president, now 80, last tested positive in July 2022. "This evening, the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19," her communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, said in a statement. "She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware." This evening, the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19. She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms. She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware: White House pic.twitter.com/FV5hzPAtZr ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023 Biden flew back alone from Delaware on Monday evening. "Following the First Ladys positive test for COVID-19, President Biden was administered a COVID test this evening," the White House said. "The President tested negative. The President will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Bidens foreign travel could be affected. But Biden's official week-ahead schedule, released shortly after the announcement of the first lady's diagnosis, showed him traveling to New Delhi on Thursday to attend the G20 summit. Biden is scheduled to fly to Hanoi on Sunday. Biden is running for re-election in 2024 in a campaign in which the question about his age has loomed as a key issue for voters. He is the oldest president to seek a second term, and some Republicans have said he is too old to be given another four years in the White House. Biden's allies say he remains fit to serve as president. The United States has been experiencing a rise in Covid cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks. New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said that rather than focusing on some leaders planning to skip the G20 Summit, the focus should be on the position taken by countries on 'key issues'. Jaishankar was speaking at the Doordarshan Dialogue, G20: The India Way. He said that every G20 member in the coming meeting will make a contribution to global politics. Responding to a query over Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping skipping the G20 summit and its impact on the role of India playing the bridge between North and South in this growing polarization, Jaishankar said, "At the end of the day countries are represented by whoever they have chosen to represent them so the levels of representations do not become the final determinant of the position of a country." "So I would say rather than focus necessarily on which country chose to come at what level, the real issue is what position they take when they come. That's really what it is we will remember about this G20 for the outcomes it produced," he added. On Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China announced that Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India on September 9 and 10. Quoting foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, the statement read, "At the invitation of the government of the Republic of India, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India, on September 9 and 10."However, no reason was given in the statement about Xi's absence from the summit. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin also said that he would not attend the summit in India. According to a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry, instead of Putin, Lavrov will attend the summit and is expected to attend two plenary sessions on September 9 and 10. Lavrov is scheduled to hold several bilateral talks and contacts on the sidelines of the summit. In his comments on Doordarshan, Jaishankar also said, "I'm very confident you know whatever the levels of representation that every G20 member will come to this meeting very seriously in the mode that they have to make their contribution to what is an important inflection point today in global politics." You must have tried to solve the Rubik's Cube and even if you haven't, you must have seen the intriguing box. Now, the Defense Ministry in collaboration with the Health Ministry and HLL Lifecare has developed a small hospital in the shape of Rubik's Cube. The hospital has been donated to Myanmar and the government is preparing to donate a similar hospital to Sri Lanka as well. It has been prepared under Project Bheeshma and the hospital has been named Arogya Maitri Cube. In Arogya Maitri Cube, India has built the world's smallest emergency hospital, which is enclosed in square boxes like a game of Rubik's Cube. This small hospital is enclosed in 72 square boxes. The hospital is so small that it can be carried anywhere, can be airlifted and won't break even if it's thrown from the sky to the ground or won't get spoiled even if dropped into water. It has three iron frames, 36 boxes and weighs 720 kg. There is a QR code on every box, which can be scanned to know details like which box contains medicines and their expiry date. The QR codes also show which box has the material for fracture treatment and which has the facility for X-ray. Using this emergency hospital, an operation theatre can be prepared in 8 to 10 minutes. The entire hospital can be prepared in one hour. Generators have been fitted between the three frames of the hospital and the operation theatre on the roof. ICU, operation theatre, beds, medicines and food items are also available in this hospital. This hospital can treat 200 people and keep 100 patients on beds for 48 hours. This hospital can be run completely with the help of solar energy and batteries. Equipped with tools like a testing lab, ventilator, X-ray, and ultrasound machine, this hospital has everything that a modern hospital should have. Be it fracture, head injury, bleeding or breathing problems or need for antibiotics and painkillers the hospital has it all. This hospital can prove to be a boon for battlefield or rural areas with no healthcare facilities. JAIPUR: Congress leader Aradhana Mishra landed in a controversy after she allegedly reprimanded party workers at a meeting here for raising the 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' slogan. During the meeting of Congress workers of the Adarsh Nagar block on Monday, two factions clashed over selection of candidates for the Rajasthan assembly elections in front of Mishra and Jaipur unit president RR Tiwari. Annoyed with the situation, Mishra, who is also Congress' poll observer for the state, advised party workers not to raise slogans in favour of their candidate. Following this, the workers started raising the 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' slogan. Mishra intervened and said, "If you are fond of raising slogans, then raise the slogan of Congress Zindabad." In a video, some Congress workers are seen creating an uproar while others chanted 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. BJP president J P Nadda on Tuesday accused the Congress of having no respect for either the country or the Constitution and constitutional institutions, as he asked why the opposition party "hates" the chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. The Congress is only concerned about the glorification of one special family, he alleged. "Why do those who engage in political yatra in the name of 'Bharat Jodo' hate the chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' so much?" Nadda posed. However, Mishra, who represents Rampur Khas in the Uttar Pradesh assembly, told reporters on Tuesday that she had only asked Congress workers to not raise slogans in favour of any one candidate. She said that "as an AICC (All India Congress Committee) observer, I had stopped workers from raising slogans in favour of any individual and said only slogans in favour of the party can be raised". "Misconstruing the incident and publishing fabricated things is complete nonsense," Mishra said. She said that it is quite natural that supporters raise slogans in favour of their leaders in such meetings when applying for candidature. United Nations/Geneva: India has strongly rejected comments by UN experts on Manipur, terming them unwarranted, presumptive and misleading and asserting that the situation in the Northeast state is peaceful. In the note verbale issued on Monday to the Special Procedures Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Indian mission underscored that the situation in Manipur was peaceful and stable and the Indian government was committed to taking requisite steps to maintain peace and stability. "The Government is also committed to protecting the human rights of the people of India, including the people of Manipur, it said. The Permanent Mission of India completely rejects the news release as it is not only unwarranted, presumptive and misleading but also betrays a complete lack of understanding on the situation in Manipur and the steps taken by Government of India to address it, said the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva. India's response came after a group of UN experts raised alarm about reports of serious human rights violations and abuses in Manipur, including alleged acts of sexual violence, extrajudicial killings, home destruction, forced displacement, torture and ill-treatment. Rejecting the news release by the Special Procedure Mandate Holders (SPMH) titled India: UN experts alarmed by continuing abuses in Manipur', the Permanent Mission of India expressed disappointment and surprise that the SPMHs chose to issue the press release without waiting for the 60 days period for the Indian government to respond to a joint communication issued on the same topic on August 29, 2023. The Indian mission expressed hope that in the future, the SPMH would be more objective in their assessment, based on the facts. It hoped that the SPMH would refrain from commenting on the developments, which have no relevance to the mandate given to them by the Council and abide by the established procedure for issuing news releases and wait for inputs sought from the Government of India before doing so. The Indian mission reiterated that India is a democratic country, with an abiding commitment to the rule of law and to promoting and protecting the human rights of our people. "Indian law enforcement authorities and security forces are committed to dealing with law-and-order situations strictly in accordance with the principles of legal certainty, necessity, proportionality and non-discrimination, it said. In their news release, the UN experts had said they were appalled" by the reports and images of gender-based violence targeting hundreds of women and girls of all ages, and predominantly of the Kuki ethnic minority. The alleged violence includes gang rape, parading women naked in the street, severe beatings causing death, and burning them alive or dead, the experts said. The experts also pointed to an inadequate humanitarian response in the wake of the grave humanitarian situation in Manipur following the latest round of community conflict between the predominantly Hindu Meitei and the predominantly Christian Kuki ethnic communities that erupted in May 2023. New Delhi: Indian businessman and embattled IPL owner Lalit Modi has hit the headlines after he attended the wedding of former Solicitor General of India Harish Salve and his British partner Trina, in London on Sunday. The event was also attended by high-profile guests including Nita Ambani, steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal and model Ujjwala Raut. The former IPL chairman was spotted with supermodel Ujjwala at the wedding ceremony. A picture of the duo posing together at the event surfaced on the internet and raised many eyebrows. Lalit Modi, the fugitive founder of the IPL, was shown smiling while posing with supermodel Ujjwala Raut. As soon as the pictures surfaced on the internet, it went viral in no time. Several publications even referred to as a pair, with Ujjwala being referred to as Lalit Modi's 'girlfriend' in the captions. While Lalit was dressed up in a formal suit, Ujjwala rocked a lavender-hued gown and looked as gorgeous as ever. Both of them happily posed for a camera on the stairs. Netizens too were surprised to see Lalit Modi's photo with Ujjwala and began speculating if the entrepreneur has found love again. So, Lalit Modi is Lawyer Harish Salve's one of friends. Lalit Modi and his girlfriend and model Ujjwala Raut at the wedding. https://t.co/0nOitOrAhr pic.twitter.com/W7eJKWIyrG Narrative Fixer (@LtlBud) September 4, 2023 Former Solicitor General of India #HarishSalve gets married for the 3rd time at the age of 68. Wedding Reception In London, attended by Ujjwala Raut, Nita Ambani, Lakshmi Mittal, Lalit Modi and others.pic.twitter.com/6aLrEmiVRv Megh Update (@MeghUpdates) September 4, 2023 Former Solicitor general of India, #HarishSalve got married for the 3rd time. Nita Ambani, Lalit Modi amongst others attended the ceremony. Hopefully he is lucky the third time. pic.twitter.com/RVSPXyTujC September 4, 2023 Member of the high-level committee formed by the Modi govt on 'One Nation, One Election', Harish Salve enjoying with fugitive Lalit Modi who looted India's money. And for calling him a thief, Rahul Gandhi Ji was suspended from the parliament. pic.twitter.com/RUJKVNfyck Shantanu (@shaandelhite) September 4, 2023 In June 2022, Lalit Modi hogged all the attention after he announced that he is dating former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen. He shared a series of photos from their vacation. However, two months later, Lalit removed their pictures from his bio and left people wondering if their relationship had come to an end. Also Read: LIVE Updates | Trending Entertainment News & Bollywood Buzz: Nick Jonas Showers Love On Priyanka Chopra At Live Concert Speaking of Ujjwala, she is considered one of the original supermodels in the Indian fashion scene during the 90s. She marked her career in the modeling industry at the age of 17, as a commerce student. By the late 90s, Ujjwala Raut was considered one of the top models in the country who would walk the ramp for several international designers and labels like Roberto Cavalli, Hugo Boss, Gucci and many more. She got married to Maxwell Sterry in June 2004 and the couple got divorced in 2011. They have a daughter named Ksha. Her father is a former Deputy Commissioner of Police. Key Insights Allreal Holding's estimated fair value is CHF110 based on Dividend Discount Model Current share price of CHF148 suggests Allreal Holding is potentially 35% overvalued When compared to theindustry average discount of -99%, Allreal Holding's competitors seem to be trading at a greater premium to fair value Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Allreal Holding AG (VTX:ALLN) by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. This will be done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow. We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for Allreal Holding Step By Step Through The Calculation We have to calculate the value of Allreal Holding slightly differently to other stocks because it is a real estate company. In this approach dividends per share (DPS) are used, as free cash flow is difficult to estimate and often not reported by analysts. Unless a company pays out the majority of its FCF as a dividend, this method will typically underestimate the value of the stock. 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 (0.01%). The expected dividend per share is then discounted to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.7%. Compared to the current share price of CHF148, the company appears reasonably expensive at the time of writing. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. Story continues Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate) = CHF7.3 / (6.7% 0.01%) = CHF110 dcf Important Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Allreal Holding as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.7%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.328. 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 Allreal Holding Strength Debt is well covered by earnings. Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Swiss market. Good value based on P/E ratio compared to estimated Fair P/E ratio. Threat Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow. Dividends are not covered by earnings and cashflows. Next Steps: Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. 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. Why is the intrinsic value lower than the current share price? For Allreal Holding, we've put together three pertinent factors you should look at: Risks: Take risks, for example - Allreal Holding has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of. Future Earnings: How does ALLN's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Swiss 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. The Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Royal Reserve Development Authority is treating visitors to the biodiversity of wildlife at the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition, taking place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC). The globally recognised eco-tourism reserve is showcasing at its pavilion the unique environment within the reserve, along with its historical landmarks and tourist activities, through modern display screens and visual aids. This is in addition to Al-Majlis which hosts visitors and highlights the customs and traditions of the Saudi society. The 20th edition of the exhibition being held under the slogan "Sustainability and Heritage... A Reborn Aspiration" will continue until Friday, September 8, and more than 900 exhibitors from 58 countries are participating. The Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Royal Reserve Development Authority pavilion is also showcasing ways to support the local community and efforts to develop the heritage handicraft industry like sewing, knitting, embroidery, spinning, painting, and sculpting, as well as supporting beekeeping activities by displaying various types of honey produced within the reserve during the beekeeping season. The reserve's pavilion allows exhibition visitors to learn about Al-Ashar Pond, located 50 km north of Turubah city. It is one of the historical stations along the ancient Kufi Pilgrim Road, known as the "Path of Zubaida". This is presented through a three-dimensional model of the pond, which includes several architectural artifacts. The Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Royal Reserve Development Authority contributes to raising awareness about the concept of sustainable hunting by showcasing the experience of the Northern Reserve, which spans an area of 2,000 sq km within the boundaries of the reserve. The Northern Reserve is the first sustainable hunting reserve in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, established to regulate hunting activities, protect the environment and maintain natural balance through regulations and standards defining hunting activities and providing sustainable alternatives to care for the native flora and fauna in their natural habitats. Additionally, it has taken initiatives to revive the traditional hunting heritage through heritage methods, a statement said. Also, visitors have been enjoying the artistic performances presented by the "Samri" band to raise awareness about authentic Saudi artistic heritage. TradeArabia News Service gavel on desk with scales of justice Real estate giant Anywhere has reached a settlement agreement in two of the major class action antitrust lawsuits facing the housing industry. According to court documents filed on Tuesday, Anywhere Real Estate and the home sellers suing the firm in both the Moehrl and Sitzer/Burnett cases, which both deal with buyer brokers commissions, have reached a preliminary settlement agreement, settling all claims in both suits. Before the agreements are finalized they must be approved by the U.S. District Court judges in Illinois (Moehrl) and Missouri (Sitzer/Burnett), who are overseeing the two lawsuits. No details about either agreement were disclosed in the filings, but attorneys for the plaintiffs in the Moehrl lawsuit told HousingWire the agreement for both lawsuits was a total of $83.5 million, as the two plaintiff classes negotiated the settlement together. The monetary settlement was the most that could be obtained in light of Anywheres available financial resources. Critically, the settlement includes significant changes to Anywheres practices relating to the conduct that we have challenged, Steve Berman, the managing partner and co-founder of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapirio LLP, wrote in an email. Our antitrust team looks forward to continuing to pursue additional relief against remaining defendants for those who have been systematically overcharged for simply selling their homes in an already unstable housing market. Anywhere asked the court the firm be excused from the pretrial conference on the Sitzer/Burnett suit, scheduled for this coming Friday. The Sitzer/Burnett suit is slated to head to trial on October 16, 2023. A trial date has yet to be set for the Moehrl lawsuit. We are pleased that Anywhere has reached a nationwide settlement with the plaintiffs in the Burnett and Moerhl lawsuits, an Anywhere spokesperson wrote in an email. The path to obtain final approval and implement the settlement is a long one, and Anywhere has taken the first important step toward a resolution that not only releases the company but also our affiliated agents and franchisees. We believe the settlement will remove future uncertainty with respect to the upcoming trial, potential additional claims, and legal expense, enabling Anywhere to focus on and continue delivering whats next for agents and franchisees. Given ongoing legal proceedings and confidentiality agreements between parties, we cannot comment further at this time. Story continues Anywhere is just one of the many defendants in these lawsuits, which also include Keller Williams, RE/MAX, HomeServices of America and the National Association of Realtors. The two lawsuits take aim at NARs Participation Rule, which requires listing agents to make a blanket offer of compensation to buyers agents in order to list the property on a realtor-affiliated multiple listing service (MLS). According to the plaintiffs, commission sharing inflates the costs for consumers, in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. NAR contends that the current commission structure, which has been in place for over 100 years, actually helps consumers. Damages in the Sitzer/Burnett suit are anticipated to be up to $4 billion, while damages in the Moehrl suit are expected to reach up to $40 billion. The other defendants in the suits have yet to file settlement agreements. Attorneys for the plaintiffs in the Moehrl suit did not return a request for comment. Two homes flank a pool house in the first phase of Armenian Estates in Genoa Township. Two more homes are planned in the development, which is a tribute to Armenian design and history. Almost everyone knows what colonial and craftsman homes look like. Architecture buffs probably know prairie or Queen Anne-style homes as well. Armenian? Maybe not. But travelers along Worthington Road in Genoa Township have received a tutorial on Armenian home design with a bit of Armenian history thrown in as central Ohio businessman Ty Safaryan and his family have built "Armenian Estates." More: "If genocide is denied, genocide continues": 108 years later, Columbus' Armenians remember "Armenian Estates was developed to honor our Armenian heritage and roots," said Safaryan, owner of several central Ohio businesses, including Twins Buick GMC and Fine Line Auto Body. "The name reflects our pride in our cultural background and serves as a tribute to the history and traditions of the Armenian people." A large sign marks the entrance to Armenian Estates on Worthington Road in Genoa Township. Work started on Armenian Estates more than two years ago, but the development has come into sharper focus this summer. Two imposing homes and a pool house stand on the 20-acre lot, which is marked by a large sign and gate and several statues of Armenian historical figures along the entrance. "Most are kings and queens of Armenia, the most famous being King Tigran who ruled from 95 55 BC (and) who also happens to be who I was named after," Safaryan said. "Vardan Mamikonian was a military leader who fought the first religious war defending Christianity against the Persians in 451 AD. All these statues are replicas of statues that are in Armenia." Set well off the road are the two homes, a pool house and the pool, also guarded by several statues. "The pool house is a replica of the Temple of Garni, which was built in 77 AD," Safaryan said. "We have a statue of David of Sassoun by the pool seen riding a horse. Hayk Nahapet is in the middle of the property holding a bow, who is the legendary founder of the Armenian nation. To the left of Hayk, there is a statue of Mother Armenia, which symbolizes peace through strength, and Mother Armenia Gyumri to the right." Story continues The pool house at Armenian Estates is modeled after the Temple of Garni in Armenia. The two homes are characterized by a formal appearance that draws on both Western and Middle Eastern traditions. With a white masonry exterior, the two-story homes have flat, or largely flat, roofs; formal entrances featuring a carport topped with a terrace; a belt course (a horizontal row of raised masonry between the first and second floors); and largely symmetrical designs with rows of rounded windows. "What was most important in the design of the property was to give it an Armenian look," said Safaryan, who emigrated as a young man from Armenia in the mid-1990s. "We had ideas of how we wanted to design each house according to our tastes, with the help of interior and exterior designers and architects; thus, the end result is having two homes that both are similar in size but look very different," said Safaryan, who credited the Granville contractors Terra Nova Builders as "instrumental" to the project. Each house is more than 12,000 square feet, plus more than 6,000 square feet of finished lower level space and more than 2,000 square feet of garage space, according to plans submitted to the Delaware County Building Safety department. Inside, both homes are notable for their grand formal entrance with curved double staircases. Two homes have been built in Armenian Estates, and two more are planned. Two more houses are planned for the development, which Safaryan, who is active in Armenian American affairs, plans to use for Armenian events. "We teach our children that we are very fortunate to live in the greatest country in the world, but to also be proud of our Armenian heritage and culture, and the way we designed the property will remind them and our future grandchildren of it," he said. "Armenian Estates was built for a place of gathering for the Armenian community as we hope to strengthen and grow in the future." jweiker@dispatch.com @JimWeiker This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Delaware County's Armenian Estates offers new look for housing ASM International NV Almere, The Netherlands September 5, 2023 ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) will host its Investor Day on September 26, 2023, in London, UK. At the event, ASM will present an update on our business, and explain in more detail how our Growth through Innovation strategy creates value for all our stakeholders, followed by a Q&A session. Presenters include Benjamin Loh, CEO, Paul Verhagen, CFO, Hichem MSaad, CTO, and other members of our senior management team. A detailed agenda will be available closer to the event at ASM Investor Day . ASM will host the event at the Pan Pacific hotel in London. The formal program will start at 1:30 p.m. BST and end at approximately 5:00 p.m. BST. In view of capacity constraints, registration is mandatory; institutional investors and analysts interested in attending the event in person are invited to contact us at investor.day@asm.com. The presentations and Q&A can also be followed through a live listen-only webcast available at ASM Investor Day . About ASM International ASM International N.V., headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands, and its subsidiaries design and manufacture equipment and process solutions to produce semiconductor devices for wafer processing, and have facilities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. ASM International's common stock trades on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange (symbol: ASM). For more information, visit ASM's website at www.asm.com. Contact Investor and media relations Victor Bareno T: +31 88 100 8500 E: investor.relations@asm.com About 52 million air bag systems manufactured by ARC Automotive and Delphi Automotive are potentially dangerous to vehicle occupants and should be recalled, federal auto safety regulators said Tuesday. After an eight-year investigation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officially declared the air bag inflators from ARC and Delphi defective, the first step in the agency's procedure for forcing both companies to recall the auto parts. NHTSA officials will hold a public hearing October 5 about the inflators and can then move to seek a court-ordered recall. NHTSA said a recall is justified because two people have been killed in the U.S. and Canada by ARC inflators, including a Michigan woman in 2021. The air bag inflators have also caused seven injuries, the agency said. The air bag systems in question are installed in 2000 to 2018 models of cars manufactured by Ford, GM, Stellantis, Tesla, Toyota and Volkswagen, according to NHTSA documents. "These air bag inflators may rupture when the vehicle's air bag is commanded to deploy, causing metal debris to be forcefully ejected into the passenger compartment of the vehicle," the agency said. "A rupturing air bag inflator poses an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death to vehicle occupants." Regulators suspect welding problem NHTSA investigators believe the inflators are faulty because of improper welding by ARC and Delphi. The agency said workers at both companies likely created a "weld slag" during manufacturing, which can clog a vent inside the inflator canister that is designed to let gas escape to quickly fill air bags in a crash. In a defective air bag, pressure can build to the point where the canister is blown apart, NHTSA said. Delphi began making the ARC-style air bag inflators in 2001 under a manufacturer license. Delphi ultimately made 11 million of the faulty parts and stopped manufacturing them in 2004, according to NHTSA. Story continues ARC and Delphi didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. NHTSA said it asked ARC to recall the air bag inflators in May but the company refused. In a May 11 letter, ARC denied its products are defective and said that any problems with its air bags "resulted from random 'one-off' manufacturing anomalies that were properly addressed" with individual recalls. Automakers have conducted seven smaller recalls of inflators since 2017 that were attributed to isolated manufacturing problems. One of those recalls included General Motors, which announced in May that it would recall nearly 995,000 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia vehicles from the 2014 through 2017 model years due to faulty air bag inflators. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Here are three stocks with buy rank and strong income characteristics for investors to consider today, September 5th: PACCAR Inc PCAR: This manufacturer of heavy-duty commercial trucks has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 8.9% over the last 60 days. PACCAR Inc. Price and Consensus PACCAR Inc. Price and Consensus PACCAR Inc. price-consensus-chart | PACCAR Inc. Quote This Zacks Rank #1 company has a dividend yield of 1.3%, compared with the industry average of 0.0%. PACCAR Inc. Dividend Yield (TTM) PACCAR Inc. Dividend Yield (TTM) PACCAR Inc. dividend-yield-ttm | PACCAR Inc. Quote Publicis Groupe S.A. PUBGY: This marketing, communications, and digital business transformation company has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 6.1% over the last 60 days. Publicis Groupe SA Price and Consensus Publicis Groupe SA Price and Consensus Publicis Groupe SA price-consensus-chart | Publicis Groupe SA Quote This Zacks Rank #1 company has a dividend yield of 0.2%, compared with the industry average of 0.0%. Publicis Groupe SA Dividend Yield (TTM) Publicis Groupe SA Dividend Yield (TTM) Publicis Groupe SA dividend-yield-ttm | Publicis Groupe SA Quote OFS Capital Corporation OFS: This non-diversified management investment company has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 7% over the last 60 days. OFS Capital Corporation Price and Consensus OFS Capital Corporation Price and Consensus OFS Capital Corporation price-consensus-chart | OFS Capital Corporation Quote This Zacks Rank #1 company has a dividend yield of 12.1%, compared with the industry average of 10.1%. OFS Capital Corporation Dividend Yield (TTM) OFS Capital Corporation Dividend Yield (TTM) OFS Capital Corporation dividend-yield-ttm | OFS Capital Corporation Quote See the full list of top ranked stocks here. Find more top income stocks with some of our great premium screens. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report PACCAR Inc. (PCAR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Story continues Publicis Groupe SA (PUBGY) : Free Stock Analysis Report OFS Capital Corporation (OFS) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research The group has selected MEDITECH Expanse as its electronic health record system. Blackrock Health will also introduce Irelands first integrated digital engagement platform enabling connectivity between patients, consultants and GPs. CANTON, Mass., September 05, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blackrock Health Group, which comprises of the Blackrock, Galway, Hermitage and Limerick Clinics, has announced a 25 million investment in a new digital transformation programme. The investment includes the introduction of the very latest in electronic health record systems, MEDITECH Expanse, and the introduction of Irelands first integrated digital engagement platform that will enable connectivity between patients, consultants and general practitioners (GPs). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905605339/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) These innovations will serve to connect patient data for the 325,000 patients it treats annually across its four clinics, enhance clinical care, improve patient safety all while reducing the administration burden and freeing up more time for clinicians to focus on patient care. The digital transformation project will take three years to implement and will create 60 new jobs across the Blackrock Health group as a direct result of the investment. The partnership builds on the successful rollout of MEDITECH's electronic health record in Galway Clinic in 2017, the first of its kind in Ireland. The MEDITECH Expanse electronic health record system will help to guide clinical decision-making by offering a comprehensive view of a patients health history and will allow patients to attend any of the hospitals within the group with seamless access to their records. The system will also ensure that key information is available to their GP for any follow-up. Using the location agnostic solution, physicians, nurses, and other clinicians at Blackrock Health can use mobile devices to view patient records, place orders, and document care at any time. Story continues CEO of Blackrock Health, Caroline Whelan said: "Improving patient care is always at the heart of the decisions that we make at Blackrock Health and that is why we are investing 25m to digitally transform the way we work across the Group, which in turn will enhance clinical care and patient safety for the 325,000 patients we treat annually. We are excited to embark on this three-year journey alongside our partners at MEDITECH which will enable staff across our four clinics to work in close collaboration and our patients to access one single health record, at any of our clinics." Mike McCann, Chief Information Officer, Blackrock Health said: "We introduced electronic health records at the Galway Clinic in 2017 and since then have seen great improvements in the way that we work day-to-day. Based on these results, the natural next step was to implement a group-wide rollout, as we continue to look at ways to integrate technology into healthcare. We look forward to bringing this technology to patients and staff." Gina Kerley, Executive Director, MEDITECH said: "For many years, the Galway Clinic has been a leader among Irelands healthcare organisations by leveraging technology to improve patient care. We are excited to build on this success and partner with Blackrock Health to provide all four clinics with the innumerable benefits of having a modern electronic health record." About Blackrock Health Blackrock Health is Irelands newest hospital group. In May 2023, Blackrock Health placed 5th in the top 100 most reputable companies in Ireland by RepTrak, making it the most reputable private healthcare provider in the country. We are made up of three of Irelands leading private hospitals, Blackrock Clinic, Galway Clinic and Hermitage Clinic and a diagnostic clinic in Limerick. Blackrock Health employs more than 2,800 staff and provides easy access for patients to 600 highly skilled consultant in 50 medical specialties. Together, our hospitals have a total of 450 inpatient beds including 28 ICU beds and 24 operating theatres and over 75% of our rooms are single occupancy for maximum comfort, privacy and infection control. Each of our hospitals delivers world-class clinical care and world-class comfort to our privately insured and self-paying patients. Together, we cared for more than 325,000 patients last year. Blackrock Healths hospitals have built strong reputations for delivering excellence in clinical care and a personal, patient-centred approach with access to cutting edge treatments and technology in modern facilities. About MEDITECH MEDITECH systems have been deployed in some of Irelands most prestigious private hospitals for over two decades. Expanse, the worlds most intuitive and interoperable EHR, positions organisations for the next digital era, enabling care across settings, designing cloud-based systems to drive better outcomes, and providing mobile, personalised solutions to improve efficiency for an overburdened workforce. To find out more, visit: ehr.meditech.com/global/meditech-uk-ireland. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905605339/en/ Contacts Fiona Peppard, Wilson Hartnell T: +353 87 635 4423, E: fiona.peppard@ogilvy.com Anne Quinlan, Wilson Hartnell T: +353 85 121 4901, E: anne.quinlan@ogilvy.com Robin Montville, MEDITECH T: +1 781 821 3000, E: rmontville@meditech.com TSX-V: SMP OTC: SMPEF Frankfurt: 5RE VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - Southern Empire Resources Corp. (Southern Empire) (TSX-V: SMP) (Frankfurt: 5RE) (OTC: SMPEF) is very pleased to announce that in an August 31, 2023 Press Release, the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) stated that Southern Empire's subsidiary, SMP Gold Corp., was approved to "move forward with mineral exploration on public lands" at its wholly owned Oro Cruz Project located in Imperial County, California. Southern Empire Resources Corp. Logo (CNW Group/Southern Empire Resources Corp.) David Tupper, Southern Empire's VP of Exploration stated, "Receiving the BLM's approval for our planned Oro Cruz exploration is a major step forward for us, one that brings us much closer to both drilling the high-grade, oxide gold zone of the Cross Mine, which last produced gold in 1996, and to establish surface infrastructure that will enable us to access its underground workings, which remain in excellent condition." On September 1, 2023, the BLM issued a Decision Record (DR), based on information provided by an Environmental Assessment prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and a signed Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), approving proposed exploration activities (the Proposed Action) as described in both Southern Empire's Plan of Operations (the Plan) for the Oro Cruz Project and in the Environmental Assessment/Mitigated Negative Declaration (EA/MND) jointly prepared in coordination with the Imperial County Planning Department (ICPD), which is the lead agency for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) permitting for the Oro Cruz Project. BLM approval of the Proposed Action set out in the Oro Cruz Project Plan of Operations allows for: Establishment of up to 65 drill pads in seven drill target areas Reverse Circulation (RC) and/or core drilling of up to 65 drill holes Improvement and construction of access roads Creation of a staging area at the Cross Mine underground portal for infrastructure required to support future underground drill programs. Story continues The Plan proposes that Southern Empire conduct the Proposed Action on lands administered and managed by the BLM that specifically occur within a 257-hectare (ha; 635 acre) area of the ~184,000-acre Picacho Area of Critical Environmental Concern, which covers important cultural and biological resources and the historic Cargo Muchacho - Tumco Mining district. The actual surface disturbance from the Proposed Action is limited to approximately 8.3 ha (20.5 acres) and most of the proposed drill sites are within areas previously disturbed by the historical American Girl Mining Joint Venture operations, which concluded in 1996. The EA/MND analyzed the affected environment and environmental impacts and established environmental protection measures to avoid or mitigate conflicts with, and undue degradation of, natural, cultural, and historic resources associated with the Proposed Action. The BLM's approval of the Proposed Action, as described in the Plan and the EA/MND complies with federal and state laws related to environmental protection and the protection of cultural resources and is in conformance with applicable land use plans, laws, and regulations and that it will not cause unnecessary or undue degradation. In addition, the BLM has determined that the Oro Cruz Project is "reasonably incident" to mining and would attain the stated level of protection and reclamation required by specific laws in the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA). Public and Regulatory Involvement in Oro Cruz Project Permitting The Plan was initially submitted to the BLM's El Centro Field Office on September 28, 2020. The BLM, following its procedural review, determined on November 16, 2021 that the Plan was administratively and technically complete and consistent with U.S. federal surface management regulations. Environmental, biological, cultural, hydrological and other baseline studies were completed in preparation for analysis in the permitting processes. The BLM published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register and on March 4, 2022, issued a press release announcing that the BLM was initiating an environmental review, seeking public input regarding the Plan and implementing a NEPA-required 30-day public scoping period regarding the Oro Cruz Project. The public scoping period ended on April 4, 2022, with six public scoping comment letters received, one from a federal agency and five from public interest organizations. A 582-page Reclamation Plan for compliance with the State of California's Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) was prepared and submitted to the California Department of Conservation's Division of Mine Reclamation (DMR) for their review on June 24, 2022. The Reclamation Plan was considered to be complete subsequent to DMR's review and comments received on October 28, 2022. This document is available at: SMP Oro Cruz Project, Imperial County, California Reclamation Plan 20220928. Pursuant to NEPA and CEQA, the BLM and the ICPD (on behalf of the State of California) jointly prepared a draft EA/MND, the purpose of which was to provide a project description, identify issues and describe affected environments, analyze and disclose any potential environmental, cultural, and recreational resource impacts associated with the Plan, identify and disclose any required mitigation measures, or project alternatives as appropriate. The BLM also prepared and published an unsigned FONSI, based on the information contained in the draft EA/MND, that stated that Proposed Action identified in the draft EA/MND would not significantly affect the quality of the human environment and that an Environmental Impact Statement is not required to be prepared for the Plan. Only after public review and commentary regarding the draft EA/MND and the unsigned FONSI could the BLM make a final decision regarding authorization of the Proposed Action. The draft EA/MND and the unsigned FONSI were published for a 30-day public review period from November 16, 2022 through December 16, 2022. During that time a Virtual Public Meeting was held on November 30, 2022 and, by the end of the open public comment period, 373 public comments had been submitted to the BLM. The ICPD held an Environmental Evaluation Committee public hearing on November 17, 2022 for review of the adequacy of the CEQA analysis within the EA/MND. Following the NEPA and CEQA public review periods, the BLM and ICPD coordinated with the third-party NEPA and CEQA contractors to revise the draft EA/MND as deemed necessary and to respond to any public comments received in order for the agencies to reach a decision on the Oro Cruz Project. Public comments received did not result in substantive revisions to the EA/MND and this document was finalized. Based on information in the EA/MND, the signed FONSI, and other related documents, the BLM has now determined to approve the Proposed Action as described in the EA/MND for the Oro Cruz Project, and finds this action conforms to BLM NEPA requirements. The BLM further finds this action in conformance with applicable land use plans, laws, and regulations and that it will not cause unnecessary or undue degradation. The BLM's Decision Record and signed FONSI, the Environmental Assessment/Mitigated Negative Declaration and other associated documents were posted for public review on September 1, 2023, online at the BLM NEPA Register. These documents are also available for public review at the BLM El Centro Field Office located at 1661 South 4th Street in El Centro, California. The BLM's September 1, 2023 decision is subject to a 30-day public appeal period. The Imperial County Planning Commission has set a hearing at 9:00 a.m. on September 13, 2023, in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 940 Main Street, El Centro, California, to make determinations regarding the Oro Cruz Project, including, but not limited to, the adoption of the EA/MND, resolutions adopting the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Reclamation Plan, and resolutions adopting the Reclamation Plan. Materials for this meeting are available at: https://www.icpds.com/assets/hearings/3.-RP21-0001-SMP-Gold-Corp-(Oro-Cruz)-PC-PKG-09-13-23.pdf. Southern Empire continues to seek other ancillary permits at the state and county level. Southern Empire's ongoing environmental and permitting efforts are coordinated by Del Fortner Consulting of Tucson, Arizona. Our broader environmental assessment and permitting team includes: Sespe Consulting, Inc., specialists on SMARA and CEQA baseline environmental analysis, permitting and reclamation plan requirements, that assist in document preparation for the CEQA analysis. Stantec Consulting Services Inc., an international firm that liaises directly with both the BLM and the ICPD to prepare NEPA documentation for the BLM and coordinate the CEQA environmental review process with the ICPD. WestLand Resources, Inc., specialists in environmental engineering, permitting and planning, have completed the Oro Cruz Project baseline environmental and cultural studies and have provided documentation and services necessary to comply with both the NEPA and CEQA permitting requirements. About Southern Empire Resources Corp. Southern Empire is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of metals and minerals deposits in the American southwest and northern Mexico and is particularly focused on those that are naturally oxidized and amenable to lower-cost metal extraction methodologies such as heap leaching. To achieve its goals, Southern Empire has assembled a board of directors, all veterans in mine and corporate finance, exploration, permitting, development, and operations that will guide the future growth of the company. In the Cargo Muchacho mountains of Imperial County, California, Southern Empire's wholly owned Oro Cruz Project has the potential to re-establish gold production from an oxide gold deposit located approximately 22.5 kilometres (14 miles) southeast of the operating Mesquite gold mine of Equinox Gold Corp., which has now produced more than five million ounces. At Oro Cruz, extensive historical drilling and large-scale open-pit and underground mining of the American Girl, Padre y Madre, Queen and Cross oxide gold deposits by the American Girl Mining Joint Venture (AGMJV; being MK Gold Company and Hecla Mining Company) occurred between 1987 and 1996. During that time, gold was recovered by heap leaching of lower-grade ores and milling of higher-grade ores. Following significant definition drilling and underground development, the Cross open-pit and underground mines operated successfully for only one year, producing about 61,000 ounces of gold, until AGMJV operations ceased in late 1996 as collapsing gold prices caused their entire operations to be shuttered and decommissioned. This left the Oro Cruz property with many gold exploration targets in addition to the Cross oxide gold deposit having a historical inferred resource estimate, as reported in 2011 by Lincoln Mining Corp., totalling 341,800 ounces gold based on 4,386,000 tonnes averaging 2.2 grams gold per tonne at a cut-off grade of 0.68 g/t Au (4,835,000 tons at 0.07 ounce gold per ton; please refer to the Cautionary Notice Regarding the Oro Cruz Property Historical Resource Estimate below). Although no surface facilities remain, the underground infrastructure at Oro Cruz (including a 2.4 kilometre haulage ramp, sublevels and draw points) remains in excellent condition and the open pit was abandoned just after stripping was completed prior to the start of its Stage II expansion. Southern Empire continues to finalize ancillary state and county permitting for the Oro Cruz Project. The planned work program of up to 65 exploration, confirmation and metallurgical drill holes will support a new mineral resource estimate and test the potential of waste rock dumps to yield residual gold production. In northern Mexico (Sonora, Chihuahua, and Durango), Southern Empire has a leachable copper prospect and three gold projects having bulk-tonnage potential. Our Mexican projects are the: Suaqui Verde Copper Project, Suaqui Grande, Sonora; Centauro Gold Project, Escalon, Chihuahua; Pedro Gold Project, Mapimi, Durango; La Loma Gold Project, Nazas, Durango; and, Southern Empire has recently entered into an agreement allowing for the acquisition of up to a 100% beneficial interest in the Suaqui Verde Copper Project, situated in the mining-friendly State of Sonora in northwestern Mexico. The Suaqui Verde copper deposit is characterized by oxide and enriched copper sulphide mineralization and has been explored through historical drill holes. It lies within the Sonora-Arizona porphyry copper province, known for its copper-molybdenum deposits. The project covers approximately 1,952 hectares and has been the subject of various historical open-pit mineral resource estimates. The agreement includes access to water usage rights and surface land rights. The location offers good access to infrastructure and workforce, and the deposit's potential development scenarios encompass open pit mining and heap leaching, or innovative in-situ leaching, both aimed at cathode copper production through SX/EW processing methods. Southern Empire aims to capitalize on previous investments and explore the deposit's expansion potential. The three gold projects are located along what Southern Empire is calling the Mapimi Gold Corridor, a 150-kilometre, southeast-trending Oligocene tectonostratigraphic belt, the regional geological setting of which, together with numerous coincident geological, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics as observed at Centauro, Pedro and La Loma, strongly supports the proposition that the Mapimi Gold Corridor has significant potential to host bulk-mineable, low sulfidation epithermal and/or Carlin-style gold deposits. For more information on Southern Empire, its people and its projects, please visit our website: www.smp.gold. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Southern Empire Resources Corp., Dale Wallster, CEO and Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Notice on Forward-Looking Information and Forward-Looking Statements Information provided in this news release may contain forward-looking information or forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. Such information or statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations and are not guarantees of future performance. Southern Empire cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond its respective control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Southern Empire's limited operating history, the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations, results of exploration programs on its projects and those risks and uncertainties identified in its annual and interim financial statements and management discussion and analysis. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Southern Empire undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. Cautionary Notice Regarding the Oro Cruz Project Historical Mineral Resource Estimate The historical mineral resource estimate outlined above is disclosed in a technical report dated April 29, 2011, prepared for Lincoln Mining Corp. by Tetra Tech, Inc. and filed on the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR+). It is termed an inferred mineral resource, which is a category set out in NI 43-101 and was based on historical reverse circulation and core drill hole sample, underground channel sample, and blasthole sample assay results and calculated using ordinary kriging to estimate gold grades in 10-foot-by-10-foot-by-five-foot blocks. Accordingly, Southern Empire considers this historical estimate reliable as well as relevant as it presents key targets for future exploration work. However, a QP has not done sufficient work to verify or classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource and Southern Empire is not treating this historical mineral resource estimate as current mineral resources. SOURCE Southern Empire Resources Corp. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2023/05/c8899.html Company Overview Zacks Rank #1 stock (Strong Buy) Uber Technologies (UBER) is the worldwide leader in ridesharing services through its Uber mobile application.Uber is also a market leader in the food delivery business through its Uber Eats service and the freight business through its Mobility operations. Since going public in 2019, Uber investors have been subject to a wild, volatile ride. The company fell victim to COVID-19 restrictions, two brutal bear markets, and a market environment that has not been kind to IPOs. However, in 2023, the company has turned the corner. Finally, in the Green Uber is slated to report an annual profit for the first time since going public. Meanwhile, revenues are on pace to grow for a third straight year. Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research International Expansion Perhaps behind Ubers years of unprofitability lies its intentions to scale. International growth is a driving force for increased revenues. In 2021, Uber acquired freight company Transplace for $2.25 billion allowing the freight business to expand its tentacles into Mexico. Uber Eats Business is Surging Due to Acquisitions Ubers management team has aggressively grown the companys delivery business in the past three years through acquisitions. In December 2020, Uber purchased the popular food delivery app Postmates. Next, Uber expanded into the alcohol delivery business by acquiring Drizly. Most recently, the company inked a partnership with Dominos (DPZ), the largest pizza chain in the world. When Uber reports October 10th, Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest earnings will grow by a healthy 121.31% year-over-year. Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Liquid, Institutional Quality Leader Wall Street was just briefed on the latest 13F reports. A Form 13F is a report that large institutional investors must file quarterly. 13Fs give investors a rare window into the kind of stocks that the worlds savviest investors are trafficking in. In the most recent 13F Filing, Third Points Dan Loeb, Appaloosas David Tepper, and Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund all held shares of Uber. Because of their sheer size and longer-than-normal time frame, institutional investors are a large market and stock-moving force worth observing and studying. Institutional investors like the ones mentioned above gravitate toward stocks like Uber because they have a rare combination of growth, liquidity, and innovation. Story continues Uber is the Industry Leader Uber and Lyft (LYFT) are the undisputed leaders in the rideshare industry. However, just because they share a duopoly of sorts doesnt mean that they are equal. For example, Uber grew revenue by 14% year-over-year last quarter, while Lyft grew at a lackluster pace of 3%. Another sign that Uber is the dominant player in the industry is its robust relative strength. Lyft is below its IPO price, steeped in a downtrend, and is drastically underperforming Uber. Remember, price action and performance are directly correlated with supply and demand. Investors clearly favor Uber over Lyft. Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Technical View After a solid start to 2023, Uber shares are finding support at the 10-week moving average a bullish sign. Zacks Investment Research Image Source: TradingView Bottom Line International growth, acquisitions, and a post-pandemic return to normal have Uber firing on all cylinders. Adding to the bullish outlook over the next six to twelve months is strong institutional sponsorship, intriguing price and volume action, and robust relative price and fundamental strength versus its peers. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Domino's Pizza Inc (DPZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report Lyft, Inc. (LYFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Uber Technologies, Inc. (UBER) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research FILE PHOTO: An airplane sits on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy International Airport on the July 4th weekend in Queens, New York City FILE PHOTO: An airplane sits on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy International Airport on the July 4th weekend in Queens, New York City By Allison Lampert MONTREAL (Reuters) - The number of Canadian pilots seeking to fly in the United States tripled in 2022, according to previously unreported U.S. government data, raising fears of deepening shortages in Canada as pilots seek higher wages. Some 147 Canadian pilots applied for licenses to fly commercial jets in the United States in 2022, up from 39 in 2021, according to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data. The number of overall foreign applications roughly doubled to 1,442. High travel demand in the United States, where pilots are securing historic wage increases, is attracting foreign aviators, despite delays and high costs of immigrating, according to lawyers, unions and pilots. While small, the increase in U.S. applications is worrisome for regional Canadian carriers, which like their U.S. counterparts, are wrestling with staffing shortages as they lose pilots to larger airlines, industry experts say. It could also put pressure on Air Canada during negotiations with its pilots, whose contract expires on September 29. Air Canada said this week it would halt six non-stop flights from Calgary at the end of October because of "resource pressures" due to an industry wide shortage of regional pilots. "It's definitely a concern," said John Gradek, a faculty lecturer in aviation management at McGill University in Montreal. At Sunwing Airlines, at least 10% of the roughly 490 pilots are applying to work in the U.S., said Mark Taylor, president of the Unifor union local, which represents aviators at the company. Taylor said he has raised the issue with Sunwing, which didn't return requests for comment. Sunwing has been acquired by WestJet Airlines, which likewise did not respond to requests for comment. Two Sunwing pilots, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they have not advised their employer of their plans, said they have obtained licenses to fly in the U.S. and are awaiting immigration paperwork to move, due to the higher pay and the high cost of living in Canada's large cities. Story continues Attorney Jean-Francois Harvey said about 29% of the 560 foreign pilots he's helped over the last 12 months are Canadian and fly for Air Canada, WestJet and Sunwing. Air Canada said it could not comment on "individual pilot career choices," but said it does not "have difficulty attracting pilots" to its main carrier. According to Air Canada pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the hourly pay gap between the Canadian carrier and United Airlines is expected to grow from 3% in 2013 to 92% in 2024 for one category of experienced pilot. Air Canada pilots earned more before 2013. Gradek warned that the "cascading effect" of larger airlines recruiting pilots away from smaller carriers would lead to reduced frequencies and service cuts on regional routes. John McKenna, chief executive of the Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC), which represents smaller Canadian carriers, said his members are already cutting frequencies due to staffing shortages. "Everyone is suffering right now," he said. (Reporting By Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Andy Sullivan) Marriott International has reinforced its long-term commitment to Turkiye with the announcement of 13 deal signings comprising over 2,000 rooms. The signings are expected to further enhance the companys footprint in the country where it currently has a portfolio of 48 properties and nearly 8,000 rooms across 21 brands, Marriott said. As one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in the world, Turkiye continues to provide the company with opportunities to further diversify its portfolio across primary, secondary, and tertiary markets in the country, said Marriott International Chief Development Officer Europe, Middle East & Africa Jerome Briet. These deal signings are a testament to the trust owners and franchisees have in Marriott International and the strong demand for our captivating portfolio of brands in the Turkish market. The projects announced by Marriott International include the introduction of Fairfield Inn by Marriott in Turkiye with the signing of the 192-room Fairfield by Marriott Istanbul Yenibosna. Plans for the property include an effortlessly relaxed and efficient hotel design paired with a contemporary aesthetic. The project will be a part of a mixed-use development in the Yenibosna district, which will also feature the 90-room Residence Inn by Marriott Istanbul Yenibosna. Both properties are projected to open in 2025. Residence Inn by Marriott continues to meet demand for longer-stay accommodation in the country. The company also signed Residence Inn by Marriott Istanbul Piyalepasa, which will form part of Piyalepasa Istanbul, a 450,000 sq m mixed-use development in downtown Istanbul. Plans for the development also include the Courtyard by Marriott Istanbul Piyalepasa. Both properties combined will offer 329 rooms when they open in 2026. Following the recent debut of Marriott Executive Apartments in Turkiye with Marriott Executive Apartments Istanbul Fulya, Marriott International announced the signing of two additional properties under the brand to further cater to the rapidly growing demand for upscale residential apartments in Istanbul. Marriott Executive Apartments Vadistanbul is slated to open in the sought after Vadistanbul community with 202 rooms. Marriott Executive Apartments Istanbul Tema is anticipated to comprise 208 rooms and will be a part of the upcoming mixed-use Tema Istanbul development in Kucukcekmece. Both properties are expected to open in 2024. The companys plans in Turkiye saw the expansion of its flagship brand, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, following the signing of the Istanbul Marriott Hotel Pendik. The hotel recently opened following a conversion from existing property. Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, which currently represents the companys largest brand portfolio in the country, also plans to further grow its footprint with the signing of Sheraton Hotel & Thermal Spa Usak. Slated to open in 2024, the property will mark the companys entry into Usak. Marriott International also has announced the expansion of Delta Hotels by Marriott, Aloft Hotels, and Moxy Hotels in the country. Delta Hotels by Marriott provides guests with a seamless travel experience in downtown Karakoy with the signing of the 78-room Delta Hotels by Marriott Istanbul Karakoy slated to open in 2024. Aloft Hotels expects to open its second property in Turkiye following the signing of Aloft Istanbul Karakoy, which will add 100 rooms in the market by 2024. Moxy Hotels plans to bring its playful, bold, spirited hotel experience to Izmir by 2025 with the signing of Moxy Izmir Turan. The company also signed deals to expand the presence of its Collection brands in the country. Expected to open by the end of this year, Tribute Portfolio in Taksim Square plans to offer 61 rooms featuring captivating design and vibrant social scenes. Scheduled to open in 2024, an Autograph Collection Hotel in Cappadocia is anticipated to join the brands collection of independent hotels with 153 rooms. Turkiye is currently home to 21 of Marriott Internationals brands, each serving differentiated experiences across traveler segments. - TradeArabia News Service Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2023) - CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. (TSXV: CVV) (OTCQX: CVVUF) (FSE: DH7N) ("CanAlaska" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its board of directors has unanimously approved a spinout of the Company's Halfway Lake, Resting Lake, Hunter, Odei River and Mel properties (collectively, the "Nickel Properties") totalling 36,174 hectares (Figure 1), and $1,000,000 cash (together with the Nickel Properties, the "Assets"), to its shareholders by way of a share capital reorganization effected through a statutory plan of arrangement (the "Arrangement"). Under the Arrangement, CanAlaska will transfer the Assets to its wholly-owned subsidiary, Core Nickel Corp. ("Core Nickel"), in consideration for approximately 25,000,000 Core Nickel common shares. The Core Nickel shares will then be distributed to CanAlaska's shareholders pro rata their interest in CanAlaska. Upon completion of the Arrangement, CanAlaska's shareholders will own shares in two reporting companies: Core Nickel, which will focus on developing the Nickel Properties, and CanAlaska, which will continue to retain an interest in over 25 separate property packages and will focus on the development of its uranium properties. Cory Belyk, CanAlaska's CEO & President, stated, "We believe the spinout of the Nickel Properties will be very beneficial to CanAlaska's shareholders. Among other benefits, it will unlock the value of the Nickel Properties by allowing them to be explored and developed separately by a skilled and experienced management team, and it will allow CanAlaska's shareholders to own shares in two public companies that are focussed on different critical metals. Investment in nickel discovery is poised to rapidly accelerate as demand for clean electricity storage and delivery is predicted to exponentially grow on a global scale. Additional nickel resources must be discovered!" Story continues The spinout transaction will be effected pursuant to the arrangement provisions of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and must be approved by the Supreme Court of British Columbia and by the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of CanAlaska's shareholders in attendance at a shareholders' meeting to be held on October 25, 2023 (the "Meeting"). Under the Arrangement, the Company's current shareholders will receive Core Nickel common shares by way of a share exchange, pursuant to which each existing common share of the Company will be exchanged for one new CanAlaska common share (each, a "New CanAlaska Share") and 0.19987 of a Core Nickel share. Holders of CanAlaska warrants will be entitled to receive one New CanAlaska Share and 0.19987 of a Core Nickel share on exercise of each warrant. Holders of each CanAlaska option will be issued a replacement option to acquire one new CanAlaska Share and 0.19987 of a Core Nickel option with each whole Core Nickel option entitling the holder to acquire one Core Nickel share. No fractional securities will be issued. On completion of the Arrangement, CanAlaska shareholders, warrant holders and option holders will maintain their interest in CanAlaska and will acquire a proportionate interest in Core Nickel. It is intended that Core Nickel will have approximately 25,000,000 common shares issued and outstanding upon completion of the Arrangement. CanAlaska currently has 125,070,842 issued and outstanding common shares. If this number changes prior to completion of the Arrangement, which may occur if outstanding warrants or options are exercised, then the fraction 0.19987 referred to above will be adjusted so that it is the fraction calculated by dividing 25,000,000 by the number of outstanding CanAlaska shares immediately prior to the effective time of the Arrangement. Figure 1 Property Locations To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2864/179441_37e97a3304b2382a_002full.jpg Completion of the Arrangement is subject to a number of conditions, including the following: (i) CanAlaska shareholder approval at the Meeting; (ii) the approval of the Supreme Court of British Columbia; (iii) TSX Venture Exchange approval for the Arrangement by CanAlaska; and (iv) Canadian Securities Exchange approval for the listing of the Core Nickel shares upon completion of the Arrangement. Upon completion of the Arrangement, it is intended that Core Nickel will be managed by Misty Urbatsch, as Chief Executive Officer and President, and Harry Chan, as Chief Financial Officer. Core Nickel's board of directors will be comprised of Misty Urbatsch, Cory Belyk, Karen Lloyd and Shane Shircliff. Changes and additions to the management team and board of Core Nickel may be made thereafter, as needed, as the company moves forward with its exploration projects. Additional details regarding the Arrangement will be included in the Information Circular to be mailed to shareholders of CanAlaska on or about October 2, 2023, in connection with the Meeting. The Arrangement is expected to close in November, 2023. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons (as defined in the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration is available. About CanAlaska Uranium CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. (TSXV: CVV) (OTCQX: CVVUF) (FSE: DH7N) holds interests in approximately 350,000 hectares (865,000 acres), in Canada's Athabasca Basin - the "Saudi Arabia of Uranium." CanAlaska's strategic holdings have attracted major international mining companies. CanAlaska is currently working with Cameco and Denison at two of the Company's properties in the Eastern Athabasca Basin. CanAlaska is a project generator positioned for discovery success in the world's richest uranium district. The Company also holds properties prospective for nickel, copper, gold and diamonds. For further information visit www.canalaska.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Cory Belyk" Cory Belyk, P.Geo., FGC CEO, President and Director CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. Contacts: Cory Belyk, CEO and President Tel: +1.604.688.3211 x 138 Email: cbelyk@canalaska.com General Enquiry Tel: +1.604.688.3211 Email: info@canalaska.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking information All statements included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions made by the Company based on its experience, perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. In addition, these statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will prove inaccurate, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date hereof or revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events. Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/179441 CF Industries Holdings Inc (NYSE:CF) has experienced a daily gain of 4.36% and a 3-month gain of 30%. With an Earnings Per Share (EPS) (EPS) of 12.08, the question arises: is the stock fairly valued? This article will delve into a detailed valuation analysis of CF Industries Holdings, providing valuable insights for potential investors. Company Introduction CF Industries Holdings Inc, a leading producer and distributor of nitrogen fertilizers, operates seven nitrogen facilities in North America and holds joint venture interests in the United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago. The company primarily uses low-cost U.S. natural gas as its feedstock, making it one of the lowest-cost nitrogen producers globally. CF Industries Holdings is also investing in carbon-free blue and green ammonia, an alternative fuel to hydrogen or a means to transport hydrogen. At its current price of $82.66 per share, CF Industries Holdings has a market cap of $15.90 billion. The GF Value, an estimation of the company's fair value, is $89.07. This comparison sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the company's value. CF Industries Holdings (CF): A Comprehensive Analysis of Its Market Value Summarizing the GF Value The GF Value represents the current intrinsic value of a stock, derived from GuruFocus' exclusive method. It is calculated based on historical trading multiples, the GuruFocus adjustment factor based on the company's past returns and growth, and future estimates of the business performance. The GF Value Line on our summary page gives an overview of the fair value that the stock should be traded at. CF Industries Holdings (NYSE:CF) stock is estimated to be fairly valued based on the GuruFocus Value calculation. If the price of a stock 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. Therefore, as CF Industries Holdings is fairly valued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be close to the rate of its business growth. Story continues CF Industries Holdings (CF): A Comprehensive Analysis of Its Market Value Link: These companies may deliver higher future returns at reduced risk. Financial Strength Investing in companies with poor financial strength has a higher risk of permanent loss of capital. Thus, it is important to carefully review the financial strength of a company before deciding whether to buy its stock. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage is a great starting point for understanding the financial strength of a company. CF Industries Holdings has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.99, which is better than 57.81% of 237 companies in the Agriculture industry. GuruFocus ranks the overall financial strength of CF Industries Holdings at 7 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of CF Industries Holdings is fair. CF Industries Holdings (CF): A Comprehensive Analysis of Its Market Value Profitability and Growth Companies that have been consistently profitable over the long term offer less risk for investors who may want to purchase shares. Higher profit margins usually dictate a better investment compared to a company with lower profit margins. CF Industries Holdings has been profitable 9 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $8.70 billion and Earnings Per Share (EPS) of $12.08. Its operating margin is 41.09%, which ranks better than 95.63% of 229 companies in the Agriculture industry. Overall, the profitability of CF Industries Holdings is ranked 9 out of 10, which indicates strong profitability. Growth is probably the most important factor in the valuation of a company. GuruFocus research has found that growth is closely correlated with the long term stock performance of a company. A faster growing company creates more value for shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. The 3-year average annual revenue growth of CF Industries Holdings is 38.3%, which ranks better than 83.49% of 218 companies in the Agriculture industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 53.9%, which ranks better than 84.13% of 208 companies in the Agriculture industry. ROIC vs WACC One can also evaluate a company's profitability by comparing its return on invested capital (ROIC) to its weighted average cost of capital (WACC). Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. If the return on invested capital exceeds the weighted average cost of capital, the company is likely creating value for its shareholders. During the past 12 months, CF Industries Holdings's ROIC is 28.16 while its WACC came in at 10.19. CF Industries Holdings (CF): A Comprehensive Analysis of Its Market Value Conclusion In short, the stock of CF Industries Holdings (NYSE:CF) is estimated to be fairly valued. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is strong. Its growth ranks better than 84.13% of 208 companies in the Agriculture industry. To learn more about CF Industries Holdings stock, you can check out its 30-Year Financials here. To find out the high quality companies that may deliver above average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. By Renju Jose, Lewis Jackson and Emily Chow SYDNEY/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Workers at Chevron's Gorgon and Wheatstone liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in Australia plan a total strike for two weeks from Sept. 14, a union alliance said on Tuesday, in a significant escalation on disputes over pay and conditions. Australia is the world's biggest LNG exporter and the ongoing dispute has stoked volatility in natural gas markets, as traders worry about the risk of long-term disruption. The strike decision comes amid mediation talks hosted by the Fair Work Commission, Australia's industrial arbitrator, which began on Monday and are scheduled to run every day this week, ahead of brief stoppages called by the union from Thursday. "The Offshore Alliance is escalating protected industrial action to demonstrate that our bargaining negotiations are far from 'intractable'," the union alliance said in a Facebook post. Freeman Shaheen, head of global gas at Chevron told reporters at the Gastech conference in Singapore that the discussions are continuing. "There are mediated negotiations going on, which I think is positive," he said. Shaheen said everybody has the right to industrial action, but he does not think it's needed. "So were hopeful and theyll continue the negotiated mediation and that we will get to the right spot." Prolonged industrial action could disrupt LNG exports and likely increase competition for the super-chilled fuel, forcing Asian buyers to outbid European buyers to attract LNG cargo. The latest move by the union could be a sign that the mediation talks were not "progressing well", ING said. "This is likely to provide some support to gas prices today and comes at a time when there is ongoing maintenance work at the Norwegian gas field, Troll, which has seen flows from Norway falling," ING said in a research note. Dutch and British gas prices were mixed on Monday as high storage levels suppressed short-term prices, although analysts said any disruptions in Australian LNG exports could complicate the supply chain. [NG/EU] Story continues Wheatstone and Gorgon have the capacity to provide up to half Western Australia's total gas consumption and on Tuesday the union alliance said some staff had offered to work through strikes to help repair the domestic gas plant at Wheatstone. The Wheatstone processing facility consists of two LNG trains, or liquefaction units, and a domestic gas plant. The union alliance has only offered to work at the latter facility during the strikes. "We have in place business continuity plans... We do plan to be a reliable supplier. We talk to our customers all the time," Chevron's Shaheen said. STRIKES 'INEVITABLE' The union has already called for industrial action at the U.S. energy major's Gorgon and Wheatstone projects, which account for more than 5% of global LNG capacity, for seven days from Thursday Sept. 7, if parties cannot find a resolution. Employees plan work stoppages of up to 11 hours in several blocks and will stop performing certain tasks until Sept. 14. But in its latest update, the offshore alliance said the work bans could be extended until at least the end of the month. It said Chevron would be forced to finally agree to their terms "but not before they lose a few $Billion." Energy analyst Saul Kavonic said the "lower-level strikes" from Thursday looked almost inevitable now and the latest move by unions will keep their options open to escalate the strikes. "It will create inefficiencies, and the risk of supply impacts grows with time but the mediation process should resolve the issues before the strikes escalate to the point of a material supply disruption," he said. Gorgon, Australia's second-largest LNG plant, has an export capacity of 15.6 million tonnes a year and Wheatstone 8.9 million. (Reporting by Renju Jose and Lewis Jackson in Sydney and Emily Chow in Singapore; Editing by Josie Kao, Sandra Maler, Miral Fahmy, Alexander Smith and Louise Heavens) FILE PHOTO: Employees work on assembly line during a construction completion event of SAIC Volkswagen MEB electric vehicle plant in Shanghai FILE PHOTO: Employees work on assembly line during a construction completion event of SAIC Volkswagen MEB electric vehicle plant in Shanghai SHANGHAI (Reuters) - As Shanghai sweltered in a heatwave in June, the car factory where Mike Chen works switched production to night shifts and dialled down the air-conditioning. For Chen, toiling through the early hours in his sweat-soaked uniform, it was the latest slap in the face after cuts in bonuses and overtime slashed his monthly pay this year to little more than a third of what he earned when he was hired in 2016. Chen, 32, who works for a joint venture between China's state-owned car giant SAIC and Germany's Volkswagen, is far from alone. Millions of auto workers and suppliers in China are feeling the heat as an electric vehicle price war forces carmakers to shave costs anywhere they can. "SAIC-VW used to be the best employer and I felt honoured to work here," said Chen. "Now I just feel angry and sad." The price war triggered by Tesla has sucked in more than 40 brands, shifted demand away from older models and forced some automakers to curb production of both EVs and combustion-engine cars, or shut factories altogether. Reuters interviews with 10 executives of carmakers and auto parts suppliers, as well as seven factory workers, point to a broader industry in distress, with penny-pinching on everything from components to electricity bills to wages - which is in turn hitting spending elsewhere in the economy. Asked about the SAIC-VW plant where Chen works, which makes combustion-engine cars, VW said pay at joint ventures varied based on working hours and bonuses. It said making cars at night eased the burden on power grids and that healthy, good working conditions were a high priority. SAIC did not respond. Economists warn that China's auto sector could even become a drag on economic growth because of the fallout from the price war, which would be a stark turnaround for a car industry that is by far the world's biggest. The problem is that while there has been huge investment in production capacity, helped by large state subsidies, domestic demand for cars has stagnated and household incomes remain under pressure, economists say. Story continues In the first seven months of 2023, China sold 11.4 million cars at home and exported 2 million, but growth came almost entirely from abroad. Exports leapt 81% but domestic sales only crept 1.7% higher - despite the widespread price cuts. "The focus on production and supply is lopsided," said George Magnus, research associate at Oxford University's China Centre, adding that inadequate attention to demand ultimately leads to inventory overhang, price cuts and financial stress. "China really has to learn to walk on two legs." 'GOOD OLD DAYS HAVE GONE' Chinese plants already were far from running at full tilt when Tesla first cut prices in October last year and then again in January. CEO Elon Musk has since doubled-down on his strategy with more cuts announced last month. Including factories making combustion-engine cars, China had the capacity to produce 43 million vehicles a year at the end of 2022, but the plant utilisation rate was 54.5%, down from 66.6% in 2017, China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data show. At the same time, pay cuts and lay-offs in the auto industry and its suppliers - which employ an estimated 30 million people according to Chinese state media - are hitting living standards at a time when Beijing desperately wants to lift consumer confidence from near record lows. Cutting salaries is illegal in China, but complex pay structures offer ways around this. SAIC-VW, for example, was able to reduce Mike Chen's take-home pay by reducing working hours and cutting bonuses, without tinkering with his base pay, which typically covers up to half the compensation workers expect when they join. BYD, China's largest EV maker, advertised a position in August at its Shenzhen factory with an estimated monthly income of 5,000-7,000 yuan, but the base salary was 2,360 yuan ($324). The average monthly wage in China was 11,300 yuan in June, according to government data. A Reuters analysis of the estimated income included in recent job adverts from 30 auto firms showed hourly salaries of 14 yuan ($1.93) to 31 yuan ($4.27), with Tesla, SAIC-GM, Li Auto and Xpeng at the higher end. Auto worker Liu, 35, said he quit Changan Automobile's plant in Hefei in July after earning 4,000 yuan in both May and June, rather than the 7,000 he expected each month. Based on his past experiences, Liu was confident he would quickly find another auto job, but the market had turned. "The good old days are gone," said Liu, speaking on condition of partial anonymity to protect his job prospects. Changan Automobile said working hours and pay varied from worker to worker. Several automakers including Mitsubishi Motors and Toyota have laid off thousands in China after sales slumped. Others such as Tesla and battery maker CATL have slowed hiring as they delayed expansions. Hyundai and its Chinese partner, meanwhile, are trying to sell a plant in Chongqing. After being rejected by Li Auto and Xpeng, Liu almost got a job at Chery's plant in the eastern port of Qingdao through a labour agent, but he refused to pay him a 32,000 yuan commission to secure the position. "Some factories exhaust you and are willing to pay you more. Some factories exhaust you, but are stingy. Some factories don't exhaust you, but starve you as salaries are too low," Liu said. "Maybe I'd be better off as a security worker in some office building." CUT THROUGH THE MESS It has been a similarly brutal environment for auto suppliers in China as car prices have continued to fall, with the weighted average transaction price of EVs and hybrids in June down 15% from January at 185,100 yuan. SAIC-VW, for example, offered over half a billion dollars in cash subsidies for car buyers in March and a discount of just over $5,100 on its ID.3 electric hatchback for a period in July. State-run China Automotive News estimates there are over 100,000 auto suppliers in the country. In a March survey of nearly 2,000 by auto parts trading platform Gasgoo, 74% said automakers had asked them to reduce costs. More than half were asked for reductions of 5% to 10%, higher than the 3% to 5% targets of previous years. Nine out of 10 companies expected more such requests this year. Suppliers typically negotiate prices once a year, but many have been pressed to lower prices on a quarterly basis in 2023, two senior executives at auto suppliers said. Before it kicked off the price war, Tesla sent emails to its direct suppliers, encouraging them to lower costs by 10% this year, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. And in June, a group of small suppliers wrote to state-owned Changan Automobile to push back against 10% price reductions. The EV battery market has also turned, with suppliers cutting prices for automakers. CATL, which counts Tesla as its biggest client, offered smaller domestic EV makers discounted batteries in February. Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, the type used by Tesla in China, were 21% cheaper in August than five months ago, while nickel-cobalt batteries were 9% to 18% cheaper, RealLi Research data show. When Chen Yudong, head of Bosch's China operations visited one of his biggest customers in March, he received an unusual present, a chopping knife with a message engraved on its sheath: "Cut decisively through the mess." Three months later, he told Reuters that price cuts had been more aggressive in 2023 than in previous years. "They've been keeping me awake at night." ($1 = 7.2951 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh and Shanghai Newsroom; Graphics by Kripa Jayaram; Editing by Marius Zaharia and David Clarke) We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. 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. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed. So, the natural question for Energy Transition Minerals (ASX:ETM) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of 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. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'. View our latest analysis for Energy Transition Minerals How Long Is Energy Transition Minerals' Cash Runway? A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. As at December 2022, Energy Transition Minerals had cash of AU$25m and no debt. Importantly, its cash burn was AU$5.3m over the trailing twelve months. That means it had a cash runway of about 4.7 years as of December 2022. A runway of this length affords the company the time and space it needs to develop the business. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below. How Is Energy Transition Minerals' Cash Burn Changing Over Time? While Energy Transition Minerals did record statutory revenue of AU$372k over the last year, it didn't have any revenue from operations. That means we consider it a pre-revenue business, and we will focus our growth analysis on cash burn, for now. While it hardly paints a picture of imminent growth, the fact that it has reduced its cash burn by 21% over the last year suggests some degree of prudence. Energy Transition Minerals makes us a little nervous due to its lack of substantial operating revenue. So we'd generally prefer stocks from this list of stocks that have analysts forecasting growth. Story continues How Hard Would It Be For Energy Transition Minerals To Raise More Cash For Growth? While Energy Transition Minerals is showing a solid reduction in its cash burn, it's still worth considering how easily it could raise more cash, even just to fuel faster growth. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate). Since it has a market capitalisation of AU$56m, Energy Transition Minerals' AU$5.3m in cash burn equates to about 9.5% of its 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. How Risky Is Energy Transition Minerals' Cash Burn Situation? It may already be apparent to you that we're relatively comfortable with the way Energy Transition Minerals is burning through its cash. In particular, we think its cash runway stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. Its weak point is its cash burn reduction, but even that wasn't too bad! 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. On another note, Energy Transition Minerals has 3 warning signs (and 2 which are significant) we think you should know about. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts) Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. The logo of Credit Suisse is seen outside its office building in Hong Kong (Reuters) - Credit Suisse clients withdrawing their money as the bank headed for collapse likely accounts for the first significant balance sheet contraction in a decade for all banks in Switzerland, a report by the Swiss Bankers Association on Tuesday said. In Switzerland, the balance sheet of banks fell 6.9% to 3,339.7 billion Swiss francs ($3.76 trillion) in 2022, said the Banking Barometer, an annual report on banking industry trends. "The downturn among the big banks was especially large and probably driven mainly by shifts in customer funds at Credit Suisse," the report said. Credit Suisse's high liquidity requirements were also seen as playing a part in sight deposits held overnight at the Swiss National Bank falling more sharply in 2022 than in the previous ten years. "There was a certain amount of rotation into time deposits, but a large share of the decrease was caused by shifts in customer funds at Credit Suisse in October 2022," the report said. The Banking Barometer acknowledges that Credit Suisse's collapse and subsequent takeover by UBS have raised questions over the potential damage to the Swiss banking industrys reputation. ($1 = 0.8873 Swiss francs) (Reporting by Noele Illien, Editing by Louise Heavens) Long-established in the Utilities - Regulated industry, Dominion Energy Inc (NYSE:D) has enjoyed a stellar reputation. However, it has recently witnessed a decline of 2.82%, juxtaposed with a three-month change of -5.85%. Fresh insights from the GuruFocus Score Rating hint at potential headwinds. Notably, its diminished rankings in financial strength, growth, and valuation suggest that the company might not live up to its historical performance. Join us as we dive deep into these pivotal metrics to unravel the evolving narrative of Dominion Energy Inc. Decoding the Future of Dominion Energy Inc (D): A Deep Dive into the GF Score Understanding the GF Score The GF Score is a stock performance ranking system developed by GuruFocus using five aspects of valuation, which has been found to be closely correlated to the long-term performances of stocks by backtesting from 2006 to 2021. The stocks with a higher GF Score generally generate higher returns than those with a lower GF Score. Therefore, when picking stocks, investors should invest in companies with high GF Scores. The GF Score ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 as the highest rank. Based on the above method, GuruFocus assigned Dominion Energy Inc the GF Score of 64 out of 100, which signals poor future outperformance potential. Snapshot of Dominion Energy Inc's Business Based in Richmond, Virginia, Dominion Energy Inc is an integrated energy company with over 30 gigawatts of electric generation capacity and more than 90,000 miles of electric transmission and distribution lines. The company, which has a market cap of $38.94 billion and sales of $18.35 billion, is constructing a rate-regulated 5.2 GW wind farm off the Virginia Beach coast. With an operating margin of 25.67%, Dominion Energy Inc's business operations and history present a mixed picture. Story continues Decoding the Future of Dominion Energy Inc (D): A Deep Dive into the GF Score Financial Strength Breakdown Dominion Energy Inc's financial strength indicators present some concerning insights about the company's balance sheet health. The company's interest coverage ratio of 2.67 positions it worse than 65.73% of 426 companies in the Utilities - Regulated industry. This ratio highlights potential challenges the company might face when handling its interest expenses on outstanding debt. It's worth noting that the esteemed investor Benjamin Graham typically favored companies with an interest coverage ratio of at least five. The company's Altman Z-Score is just 0.61, which is below the distress zone of 1.81. This suggests that the company may face financial distress over the next few years. Additionally, the company's low cash-to-debt ratio at 0 indicates a struggle in handling existing debt levels. Furthermore, the company's debt-to-Ebitda ratio is 5.85, which is above Joel Tillinghast's warning level of 4 and is worse than 70.87% of 436 companies in the Utilities - Regulated industry. Tillinghast said in his book Big Money Think's Small: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing that a high debt-to-Ebitda ratio can be a red flag unless tangible assets cover the debt. Growth Prospects A lack of significant growth is another area where Dominion Energy Inc seems to falter, as evidenced by the company's low Growth rank. Lastly, Dominion Energy Inc's predictability rank is just one star out of five, adding to investor uncertainty regarding revenue and earnings consistency. Decoding the Future of Dominion Energy Inc (D): A Deep Dive into the GF Score Conclusion Given the company's financial strength, profitability, and growth metrics, the GuruFocus Score Rating highlights the firm's unparalleled position for potential underperformance. While Dominion Energy Inc has a rich history and a significant presence in the Utilities - Regulated industry, its current financial health and growth prospects paint a less than rosy picture. Investors should tread carefully and consider these factors when making investment decisions. GuruFocus Premium members can find more companies with strong GF Scores using the following screener link: GF Score Screen This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Every year, Delaware competes against other states to attract businesses and development projects. The state's war chest is filled with millions of state taxpayer dollars, dolled out directly to companies that promise to create a certain number of good-paying jobs over a specified timeline. While the largest sums in recent years have gone to international companies like pharmaceutical maker WuXi STA and e-commerce giant Amazon to build state-of-the-art facilities from the ground up, companies already in Delaware had been eligible, too, if they had a project that produced new jobs. That changed last week when state officials implemented a new funding mechanism that allows Delaware companies to receive taxpayer grants without the promise of creating jobs. Representatives of Agile Cold Storage and the Delaware Prosperity Partnership present to the Council on Development Finance at the Buena Vista conference center near New Castle on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023. Later, the council voted in favor of a pilot program called MISI, that will award money to Delaware companies for facility upgrades. Up to $5 million of Delaware's Strategic Fund, the state's main pool of incentive money, previously earmarked for business attraction and job creation can now be used on companies that aren't boosting jobs or salaries. State officials believe the new program will benefit Delaware by making companies here more likely to invest in upgrading their existing facilities, especially if they operate in multiple states and are choosing between them. If a multistate business is contracting operations, perhaps they will stay in Delaware if they have improved facilities, they argued. "We hear from existing businesses that they don't feel as supported," Becky Harrington, Delaware Prosperity Partnership vice president of business development, told Delaware Online/The News Journal. "This is a way for existing businesses to have opportunities to grow." "It's always hard for us to have to say to the company, 'We don't have anything that will work for you,'" Division of Small Business Director Regina Mitchell said, referencing conversations with existing Delaware companies. "It's another tool to make sure that companies stay here." Story continues How Delaware Strategic Fund grants are awarded From the outside, it's difficult to determine whether Delaware faces a risk of losing a business or the level of competition for a new project. The state's economic development has operated under an air of confidentiality since Gov. John Carney in 2017 introduced the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, a privately run organization, to lead the state's efforts. It replaced a state office whose activities could be unveiled through the Freedom of Information Act. Most conversations that DPP has with site selectors and companies begin with confidentiality agreements, Harrington said. She said confidentiality is a priority of the businesses that DPP interacts with and violating it could cause the state to miss opportunities. Companies seeking Strategic Fund grants first interface with DPP. They then work with the Division of Small Business to prepare a grant application. The division handles the "underwriting," Harrington said, which entails the structure of the agreement and an evaluation of the applicant's financial stability. Gov. John Carney delivers the State of the State address in the Senate Chamber of Legislative Hall in Dover on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. Much of the governor's speech focused on education, including pay increases for teachers. Grant applicants are then brought to the Council on Development Finance for a vote. It's at this stage of the process that grant applicants are made public. The council has not denied a grant applicant since the formation of DPP. "We strive to bring things to the council that are in a ready and approvable state," Mitchell said. "We don't want to put a company into public scrutiny and not be in a position where the grant is approved." When asked how DPP validates a company's claims that they are considering other locations, Harrington said the agency can ask the site selector and company for additional information and has a team that will "do their own homework." She described a "checks and balances" system between DPP and the Division of Small Business. "We bring the opportunity, they do the underwriting," Harrington said. "They're I wouldn't say agnostic but they're there to make sure that the taxpayers are protected." Harrington did not mention any companies by name that would have benefited from the new program, presented last week as the Modernization Investment Support Initiative. A 358,000-square-foot warehouse under construction off Route 896 in Glasgow that will be leased by DuPont. Two other warehouses -- 408,000 square feet and 294,600 square feet -- are part of the project accessible from Old Coochs Bridge Road. The project is being developed by Logistics Property Co. DuPont subsidiary Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP LLC last year received a grant worth $1,643,550 for the project. She said there was a business whose parent company is outside the country that was deciding whether to invest in new equipment at their Delaware facility or another location. The company was also considering third-party solutions. Ultimately, without Delaware giving the company money, the company did expand in Delaware. Harrington said there is a company that plans to end operations at either its Maryland or Delaware facilities. They have not made a final decision, she said. Mitchell cited Kraft Heinz Co. in Dover as a business that could have benefited from MISI years ago. After Kraft and Heinz merged in 2015, the company announced plans to close seven factories nationwide including a nearby plant in Federalsburg, Maryland. The state did award Kraft Heinz a Strategic Fund grant the following year worth nearly $1.2 million to create 28 full-time jobs and expand the Dover plant's baking capabilities. When presenting to the Council on Development Finance last week, Harrington and Mitchell said they didn't draft the program with any particular companies in mind. When the state previously loosened rules for the Strategic Fund in 2019, allowing developers to recoup 3% of construction costs for projects of at least $75 million that would eventually employ 500 workers or more, Delaware Online/The News Journal reported the change was made to accommodate a Kansas City company planning a warehouse development near Delaware City. The Delaware Logistics Park in Delaware City developed by Kansas City's Northpoint Development. Its largest tenant is DART Container, which produces the Solo cup. Details of the program Modernization Investment Support Initiative is in a pilot phase. The details of the initiative, approved by the Council on Development Finance on Aug. 28, were hashed out by DPP, the Division of Small Business and the governor's office, Mitchell said. Companies have to prove that their projects are outside of regular maintenance or improvements. Companies have to spend at least $1 million to get 20% back. There are reimbursable grants, meaning the money is given only once the company has spent what they said they were going to spend. Like with other Strategic Fund grants, there are "claw backs" built in should a company not uphold the terms of the deal. For MISI, companies need to remain in operation in Delaware for five years following the grant. Contact Brandon Holveck at bholveck@delawareonline.com. Follow him on X @holveck_brandon. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware adds taxpayer grant that doesn't require job growth Residential customers would again see larger increases than business customers in their monthly electric and gas bills under We Energies' proposed 2024 rate plan. While not on the scale of last year's double-digit residential rate hikes, We Energies' proposed 3.1% increase is 50% bigger than the proposed increase for industrial customers. That increase comes a year after this year's residential electric rate increase of 11.3%. Industrial customers are paying 7.8% more for electricity this year. If approved as is by the state Public Service Commission, We Energies' rate proposal would result in two-year increases of: 14.4% for residential customers. 11.2% for small business and commercial customers. 9.7% for industrial firms and other users of large amounts of energy. We Energies spokesman Brendan Conway said the company's 2024 rate proposal uses the same allocation formula that was approved in December by the state Public Service Commission. The commission put off a decision on next year's rates in recognition of the volatility of fuel prices last winter. "The commission will certainly evaluate how costs should be apportioned across the customer groups when it decides our reopener case later this year," he said. We Energies estimates an average residential customer would pay an additional $3.87 a month for electricity under the new rates. The company is also proposing base gas rate increases of 3.1% for residential customers of its Wisconsin Gas operation and 4.9% for Wisconsin Electric Gas Operations, which serves customers south and west of the greater Milwaukee area. Conway said the company's ability to stockpile gas and enter into early contracts while gas prices are low is expected to result in lower gas costs during the winter heating season. Consumer advocates like the Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin opposed last year's final electric rate allocation, which was met with uncharacteristically high participation at public hearings and written comments during the runup to the PSC's vote. Story continues "We don't think it's a good idea that large business should be subsidized by residential to the degree they are," CUB executive director Tom Content said. More: Wisconsin utilities want more than $500 million in rate increases. How much more will you pay? That formula was the result of a significant change in the utility's 2023 rate proposal. Initially, We Energies proposed a 5.5% increase for residential customers and a double-digit increase for its largest customers. Following a partial settlement with intervenors, that allocation was flipped to put the larger burden on homeowners and renters. We Energies at the time said the revision was necessary in light of rising costs and worsening economic conditions. Conway said the relatively small increase the company is proposing reflects lower fuel costs. Those savings are offset by an increase in the cost of electricity the company buys under a long-term contract from NextEra Energy's Point Beach Nuclear Plant and investments in renewable energy projects. Content said the rate allocation won't be CUB's primary focus as the new rate proposal moves forward. The organization has not formally submitted its positions to the PSC, but he said both CUB and the Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group will argue for reducing customer costs related to the shutdown of Oak Creek's coal-fired generating units, currently scheduled for 2024 and 2025. Content argues that We Energies should not be able to earn its 9.8% profit margin on costs associated with decommissioning or the hundreds of millions of dollars of remaining debt the utility owes on pollution control systems that were installed in 2012. "We definitely think customers are paying enough for this clean energy transition and they don't need to be paying for the plants that are being transitioned away from as part of the energy trend. And that's front and center in the case," Content said. Last year's partial settlement of the rate case called for We Energies to refinance $100 million of that debt, which was projected to save customers about $40 million over time. The proposal was rejected by PSC commissioners who wanted more information about the refinancing plan before considering it during the current rate review. Public hearings on We Energies' electric and gas rates will be held in Milwaukee at 2 and 6 p.m. Oct. 9 at the Clinton-Rose Senior Center, 3045 N. King, Dr. The PSC is also accepting public comments online. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: We Energies' proposed 2024 gas, electric rate hikes hit residential hardest License allows AlgenScribe to expand its research and development activities using CRISPR/Cas9. DUBLIN and NICE, France, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ERS Genomics Limited ('ERS') is pleased to announce a new license agreement with AlgenScribe SAS ('AlgenScribe'). This is a non-exclusive licensing agreement granting AlgenScribe access to the ERS CRISPR/Cas9 patent portfolio. Eric Rhodes, CEO ERS Genomics ERS founder, Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, won the 2020 Nobel Prize for the discovery of CRISPR/Cas9. The ERS patent portfolio is the definitive collection of proprietary rights to this gene editing technology. AlgenScribe, headquartered in Nice, is a biotechnology company developing a genome editing platform to improve human health. This platform possesses unique abilities to increase the efficiency of homologous recombination and addresses limitations related to nuclease-based genome editing. The company mission is to translate technologies into therapeutics. Commenting on the deal, Frederic Zampatti, CEO of AlgenScribe stated: "This license from ERS enables us to access the CRISPR IP portfolio which will be used in combination with our own platform. This will allow us to show synergies in different applications within a known legal framework." Eric Rhodes, CEO, ERS Genomics was enthusiastic about the new relationship: 'AlgenScribe's mission of 'technologies into therapeutics' resonates with our commitment to propel scientific advancement by enabling CRISPR/Cas9 accessibility. Witnessing the practical influence of our technology within our industry is a significant goal for us. We're genuinely excited to see what AlgenScribe has in store for the future.' Financial details of the agreement are not being disclosed. Photos. Eric Rhodes, CEO ERS Genomics. Frederic Zampatti, CEO of AlgenScribe. About AlgenScribe Founded in 2022, AlgenScribe SAS is actively crafting a genome editing framework tailored for human well-being encompassing therapeutics, bioproduction, research tools and diagnostics. AlgenScribe's objective is to unlock the complete potential of genome editing, focused on eliminating obstacles that hinder the application of these technologies across specific-use scenarios. The company is supported and financed by the Provence Cote d'Azur incubator (PCA) and the South Region. Story continues For more information visit: www.algenscribe.com Contact information: contact@algenscribe.com About ERS Genomics ERS Genomics is a biotechnology company based in Dublin, Ireland. The company was formed to provide broad access to the foundational CRISPR/Cas9 intellectual property held by Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier. Non-exclusive licenses are available for research and sale of products and services across multiple fields including research tools, kits, reagents; discovery of novel targets for therapeutic intervention; cell lines for discovery and screening of novel drug candidates; GMP production of healthcare products; companion animal and livestock health; production of industrial materials such as enzymes, biofuels and chemicals; and synthetic biology. ERS holds over 100 patents worldwide. For additional information, please visit www.ersgenomics.com Media contact: Dara O'Donnell dara.odonnell@ersgenomics.com; Tel: + 353-1-539 0083 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2195615/Eric.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2195610/Zampatti_AlgenScribe.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2090619/4241753/ERS_Logo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2195609/AlgenScribe_Logo.jpg Frederic Zampatti, CEO of AlgenScribe ERS logo (PRNewsfoto/ERS Genomics) AlgenScribe Logo Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ers-genomics--algenscribe-enter-into-crisprcas9-licensing-agreement-301912383.html SOURCE ERS Genomics Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Carl Zeiss Meditec fair value estimate is 104 Carl Zeiss Meditec's 92.58 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate Analyst price target for AFX is 114, which is 10% above our fair value estimate In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (ETR:AFX) by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward. We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. See our latest analysis for Carl Zeiss Meditec Is Carl Zeiss Meditec Fairly Valued? We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) 278.4m 316.9m 354.2m 383.9m 404.2m 419.7m 431.3m 440.1m 446.9m 452.2m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x5 Analyst x5 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 5.30% Est @ 3.81% Est @ 2.77% Est @ 2.05% Est @ 1.54% Est @ 1.18% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 4.9% 266 288 307 318 319 316 310 301 292 282 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = 3.0b We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (0.4%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 4.9%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = 452m (1 + 0.4%) (4.9% 0.4%) = 10b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 10b ( 1 + 4.9%)10= 6.3b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is 9.3b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of 92.6, the company appears about fair value at a 11% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf Important Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Carl Zeiss Meditec 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 4.9%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.900. 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 Carl Zeiss Meditec Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is not viewed as a risk. Weakness Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Medical Equipment market. Opportunity Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the German market. Current share price is below our estimate of fair value. Threat Dividends are not covered by cash flow. Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the German market. Looking Ahead: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" 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 Carl Zeiss Meditec, we've compiled three additional factors you should look at: Financial Health: Does AFX have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does AFX's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every German 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. Chinese carmakers are descending on Europes premier car show this week in such large numbers, the German media is reaching a state of near existential angst. Normally the IAA provides a biennial opportunity for the countrys vaunted automakers and suppliers to show off their most impressive new innovations, wowing visitors and journalists alike. This time, however, everyone is only talking about one thingthe potential tidal wave of new electric vehicles from the Far East that threatens them in their own home market. The IAA becomes the China show, one of the countrys leading business weeklies warned, while Der Spiegel predicted trying times ahead for the German automotive industry. The country has already been humbled by the success of Elon Musks Tesla, which so effortlessly relegated companies like Mercedes-Benz and BMW to bystanders in their own industry. The last thing they need is for new upstart brands like Wang Chuanfus BYD to seek refuge from Musks price war in China by piling on the misery in Europe. We want to be premium and affordable, said BYD Europe manager Brian Yang in an interview with Handelsblatt, a German daily paper closely monitored by the countrys corporate elite. China export capacity Roughly 40 million vehicles can be built annually in China, according to the Suddeutsche Zeitung. Thats about 15 million more than they actually need, a number far larger than the size of Europes own car market. Moreover the country also controls 90% of the worlds supply of EV battery cells through suppliers like CATL and Gotion. If China can use this advantage to build cars like the BYD Seal that are seen as both premium and affordable, then there is no competitive edge left for the rest of the industry save to rely on brand heritage. But venerable carmakers like Alfa Romeo prove goodwill wont last forever. China has its gaze set on the European market, with the potential to fundamentally change the face of Europes industries as we know it, said Sigrid de Vries, director general of Europe's industry lobby group ACEA. Story continues Putting on a brave face For years German automakers grew fat on the growth in Chinas car market, but they have slowly found themselves on the back foot over the past decade. Chinese auto tycoon Li Shufu, who founded Geely, became the largest shareholder in Mercedes-Benz back in 2018. At the time, the move was so politically provocative his own government allegedly warned him not to offend Europeans by adding more shares to his position. Initially, brands like Mercedes struck a number of deals with local Chinese companies to maintain their dominance around the world, hoping to get into bed with some of them in the hopes of bolstering the lagging competitiveness of their small car range. Merc sold to Lis Geely half of its stake in Smart, the minicar brand once famous for its ability to park perpendicular to the street. Meanwhile BMW turned to Great Wall Motors for help with its electric MINI, to be imported from China starting next year. At the time these deals were considered a win-win. Now Volkswagenonce the undisputed king ever since its prescient bet to enter China back in 1984has been forced to strike a $700 million deal with Chinese newcomer Xpeng in the hopes of shoring up their lack of expertise in connected cars. Ignore? Cooperate? Imitate? asked German business daily Handelsblatt in an extensive report published on Friday. German manufacturers are feverishly looking for a way to deal with the new competition. Delayed tsunami For years analysts have been predicting a tsunami of cheap Chinese cars washing up on western shores, much the way first Japanese and later South Korean imports arrived. But too many Chinese brands cut corners in important areas like performance or, worse, safety, with the Jiangling Landwind in 2005 earning a reputation as a deathtrap. Yet while industry watchers were busy re-calibrating their forecasts, China shifted its focus from trying to copy western rivals to turning the tables on them. First, they were quick to seize on the disruption offered by the shift to electric drivetrains from internal combustion engines where they were playing a losing game of catch-up. Only Tesla can hope to compete on cost with Chinese EV makers right now, and even then arguably only when it comes to its best-selling Model Y. But just as important has been the devotion by Chinese brands to improving the software experiencea necessity for a population that is used to accomplishing most of their daily needs through smartphone app WeChat, so dominant even Elon Musk openly wants to copy it. In an interview with Handelsblatt, BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse put on a brave face, arguing the Chinese may not build cars that match European tastes, or they could end up with an aftersales network ill-equipped with servicing their cars. Ambition is not the same as success, he said. But this time, China's carmakers are offering far more than ambition. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com More from Fortune: 5 side hustles where you may earn over $20,000 per yearall while working from home Want more for your money? These 14 savings accounts have rates of 5% APY (and higher) Buying a house? Here's how much to save This is how much money you need to earn annually to comfortably buy a $600,000 home VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - Defense Metals Corp. ("Defense Metals" or the "Company") (TSXV: DEFN) (OTCQB: DFMTF) (FSE:35D) is pleased to announce that a recently completed ground radiometric geophysical survey over the Wicheeda Rare Earth Element (REE) deposit, located near Prince George, Canada, has identified new anomalies that may represent previously unknown REE mineralized carbonatite located largely within the current mineral resource pit shells, as set forth in the 2021 preliminary economic assessment (PEA1). Highlights: Based on extensive core drilling and surface geologic mapping completed to advance Defense Metals' ongoing preliminary feasibility study (PFS), the survey results closely map and further define the surface extent of outcropping REE mineralization. Two previously unknown linear radiometric anomalies were identified, each approximately 40 metres in width and extending approximately 250 metres northwest from the main body of the Wicheeda REE deposit ( Figure 1 ). Ground truthing showed that the anomalies are overlain entirely by surficial cover which occurs at lower elevations, along the western portion of the Wicheeda deposit. Kristopher Raffle, P.Geo., Director of Defense Metals and a Qualified Person stated: "We're excited to have identified two new exploration targets so close to the Wicheeda deposit. The radiometric surveys were initially designed to assist our geologic mapping teams and it came as a surprise when we identified new anomalies under cover having a similar geophysical expression to known drilled and outcropping rare earth mineralization. After reviewing the geophysical data in the context of our updated Wicheeda 3D geological model we recognized the potential for undiscovered near-surface, east-dipping carbonatite bodies. We look forward to drill testing these anomalies." Several resource definition drill holes undercut the southern half of the eastern anomaly at >150 metre vertical depth below surface and preclude a subvertical or steeply east dipping source. Drill hole WI21-39 intersected relatively higher-grade carbonatite at depth returning 2.91% total rare earth oxide (TREO) over 45 metres from a depth of 69 metres2 downhole that is believed to represent the downdip projection of the eastern radiometric anomaly. Story continues Figure 1: 2023 Ground Radiometric Survey Results (CNW Group/Defense Metals Corp.) The majority of the eastern and the entirety of the western radiometric anomaly remain untested by core drilling. Defense Metals plans to test the western geophysical anomaly during fall 2023 as part of an expanded program of pit geotechnical drilling comprising a planned 915 metres in 4 holes (see Figure 1), with additional drilling subject to initial results. ____________________________ 1 Independent Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Project, British Columbia, Canada, dated January 6, 2022, with an effective date of November 7, 2021, and prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. is filed under Defense Metals Corp.'s Issuer Profile on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca). ____________________________ 2 See Defense Metals News Release dated March 8, 2022 Details of the Radiometric Surveys The recently completed Wicheeda ground radiometric survey comprised a total of 20 line-km along 50 metre spaced, and locally 25 metre infill, east-west oriented survey lines completed over an area of approximately 800 x 900 metres. A NUVIA Dynamics PGIS-2 Gamma-ray spectrometer, equipped with a 0.347 Litre NaI detector and 512-channel resolution ADC was used and data was automatically synchronized with GPS, ensuring both time and location accuracy. The spectrometer's self-stabilizing capabilities on natural radioactive elements such as K, U, and Th eliminated the need for frequent recalibration, assuring reliable and accurate gamma-ray measurements. Given that gamma rays are highly attenuated by overburden (approximately 90% attenuation at 20-30cm overburden depth) ground radiometric surveys are only likely to detect outcropping or very near surface sources. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information contained in this news release as it relates to the Wicheeda REE Project has been reviewed and approved by Kristopher J. Raffle, P.Geo. (B.C.), Principal and Consultant of APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, Alberta, who is a director of Defense Metals and a "Qualified Person" as defined in NI 43-101. About the Wicheeda REE Property Defense Metals 100% owned, 6,759-hectare (~16,702-acre) Wicheeda Project is located approximately 80 km northeast of the city of Prince George, British Columbia; population 77,000. The Wicheeda REE Project is readily accessible by all-weather gravel roads and is near infrastructure, including hydropower transmission lines and gas pipelines. The nearby Canadian National Railway and major highways allow easy access to the deep-water port facilities at Prince Rupert, the closest major North American port to Asia. The 2021 Wicheeda REE Project Preliminary Economic Assessment technical report outlined an after-tax net present value (NPV@8%) of $517 million and an 18% IRR3. This PEA contemplated an open pit mining operation with a 1.75:1 (waste: mill feed) strip ratio providing a 1.8 Mtpa ("million tonnes per year") mill throughput producing an average of 25,423 tonnes REO annually over a 16-year mine life. A Phase 1 initial pit strip ratio of 0.63:1 (waste: mill feed) would yield rapid access to higher grade surface mineralization in year 1 and payback of $440 million initial capital within 5 years. ____________________________ 3 Independent Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Project, British Columbia, Canada, dated January 6, 2022, with an effective date of November 7, 2021, and prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. is filed under Defense Metals Corp.'s Issuer Profile on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca). About Defense Metals Corp. Defense Metals Corp. is a mineral exploration and development company focused on the development of its 100% owned Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Deposit located near Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. Defense Metals Corp. trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "DEFN", in the United States, trading symbol "DFMTF" on the OTCQB and in Germany on the Frankfurt Exchange under "35D". Defense Metals is a proud member of Discovery Group. For more information please visit: http://www.discoverygroup.ca/ For further information, please visit: https://www.defensemetals.com or contact: Todd Hanas, Bluesky Corporate Communications Ltd. Vice President, Investor Relations Tel: (778) 994 8072 Email: todd@blueskycorp.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This news release contains "forwardlooking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which may include, without limitation, statements relating to advancing the Wicheeda REE Project, completion of additional geotechnical work including pit geotechnical core holes and the expected timelines, the potential of the anomalies to represent previously unknown bodies of REE mineralized carbonatite, the expected completion of the PFS, the technical, financial and business prospects of the Company, its project and other matters. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of rare earth elements, the anticipated costs and expenditures, accuracy of assay results, performance of available laboratory and other related services, future operating costs, interpretation of geological, engineering and metallurgical data, the ability to achieve its goals, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of exploration, engineering and metallurgical results, risks related to the inherent uncertainty of exploration, metallurgy and development and cost estimates, the potential for unexpected costs and expenses and those other risks filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, adverse weather and climate conditions, failure to maintain or obtain all necessary government permits, approvals and authorizations, failure to maintain community acceptance (including First Nations), risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability of personnel, materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters), risks relating to inaccurate geological, metallurgical and engineering assumptions, decrease in the price of rare earth elements, the impact of Covid-19 or other viruses and diseases on the Company's ability to operate, an inability to predict and counteract the effects of COVID-19 and other viruses and diseases on the business of the Company, the price of commodities, capital market conditions, restriction on labour and international travel and supply chains, loss of key employees, consultants, or directors, increase in costs, delayed results, litigation, and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations. The Company does not undertake to update forwardlooking statements or forwardlooking information, except as required by law. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-exploration-targets-with-potential-to-expand-wicheeda-ree-deposit-defined-by-defense-metals-301917392.html SOURCE Defense Metals Corp. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2023/05/c0941.html By Isla Binnie and Bianca Flowers NEW YORK/CHICAGO (Reuters) - High costs and environmental opposition have prevented the construction of blast furnaces at steel mills in the United States since 1980. Cleveland-Cliffs Inc CEO Lourenco Goncalves is on a mission to snap up all that are left. Since joining the U.S. steelmaker in 2014 as part of an activist hedge fund's board takeover, Goncalves has made blast furnaces a hallmark of his strategy, positioning Cliffs as an outlier in an industry shifting towards cheaper and more environmentally friendly electric arc furnaces. A 65-year-old Brazilian metallurgical engineer, Goncalves transformed Cliffs from an iron ore and coal miner into the largest supplier of steel to the automotive industry in North America by acquiring companies that own blast furnaces to smelt the pig iron it produces. Now, he has his sights on acquiring U.S. Steel Corp, the other remaining U.S. blast furnace operator, which has been gradually moving into electric arc furnaces, known as mini-mills. Should his $7.3 billion cash-and-stock bid prevail, Cliffs would break into the world's top 10 steel producers, which are mostly from Asia. Interviews with six people close to the companies and industry insiders, as well a review of regulatory filings, show Goncalves' bet on blast furnaces has yet to pay off, and its success hinges on pulling off the deal with U.S. Steel. This is because blast furnaces operate around the clock and need more workers. They are more expensive to run when they have to be stopped and restarted to account for changes in demand, as often happens with the automotive sector. To compensate for that cost, they need a dominant market share so they can charge more for their steel. To build a market position, Cliffs acquired AK Steel for $3 billion and ArcelorMittal's U.S. operations for $3.3 billion in 2020. Cliffs focused on dominating production of U.S.-made steel used in the external panels of cars, which require quality that electric arc furnaces currently cannot achieve. Story continues "By increasing market share, Goncalves has a much more commanding position where he can charge more," said Josh Spoores, principal analyst at CRU Group, a business intelligence firm that provides analysis on global metals and mining. Goncalves is also betting that producing iron ore in-house for blast furnaces, rather than sourcing scrap steel for electric arc furnaces, will give Cliffs a competitive edge. So far, the nimbler electric arc furnaces have remained cheaper to run, amid fluctuations in demand for steel. Cliffs' gross margin was 11% last year, down from 35% in 2018, when it focused on iron ore production, according to LSEG data. This was well below Nucor Corp's and Steel Dynamics Inc's margins of 30% and 27.5%, respectively -- two rivals that run exclusively on electric arc furnaces. It is also below U.S. Steel's 20.6% margin. Goncalves has said profitability will improve as Cliffs gains scale, and projects $500 million in annual synergies from the potential U.S. Steel acquisition. A Cliffs spokesperson said the company is innovating to meet clients' requirements and make U.S. steel competitive. FOCUS ON CAR MAKERS About two-thirds of U.S. steel comes from electric arc furnaces. While Nucor and Steel Dynamics also serve the car sector, they have mostly ceded the market for automotive bodies to Chinese competitors. This has given Cliffs an opening to serve U.S. car makers that find importing overseas steel expensive, especially following tariffs that former President Donald Trump implemented in 2018. While a few carmakers use aluminum for automotive bodies, most prefer high-grade steel from blast furnaces. "Materially switching content isn't something these automakers do lightly. I don't think they're going to move away," said KeyBanc equity analyst Phil Gibbs. Cliffs' devotion to blast furnaces, which are unionized unlike some electric arc furnaces, won it the support of United Steelworkers. The union's international president Thomas Conway said it's backing Cliffs' bid for U.S. Steel because of Goncalves' commitment to blast furnaces. He pointed to Cliffs adding 1,700 new jobs following its last two acquisitions. CARBON EMISSIONS Goncalves has said in interviews and earnings calls that criticism of blast furnaces' emissions ignores that electric arc furnaces cannot make the steel many car makers want. "Try to build a car all with steel, flat-rolled steel produced in flat-rolled mini-mills. It doesn't work," Goncalves said on Cliffs' latest quarterly earnings call. Nucor's and Steel Dynamics' carbon footprints are more than two-thirds smaller than Cliffs' and U.S. Steel's, their sustainability disclosures show. Cliffs points to having reduced its emissions by 32% since 2017, ahead of a target to achieve this by 2030, primarily by using hot briquetted iron (HBI) in its blast furnaces. HBI is made with natural gas rather than coke from coal, resulting in fewer emissions. Cliffs is also testing the use of hydrogen to reduce emissions, though the technology's commercially viability remains uncertain. Last year, President Joe Biden's administration pointed to Cliffs' direct reduction steel plant in Toledo, Ohio, which cost $1 billion and makes HBI, as an example of "clean" U.S. manufacturing. (Reporting by Isla Binnie in New York and Bianca Flowers in Chicago; Editing by Greg Roumeliotis and Daniel Wallis) VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - Foran Mining Corporation (TSX: FOM) (OTCQX: FMCXF) ("Foran" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the selection of G Mining Services ("GMS") as its partner in the formation of the integrated project management team ("IPMT") for construction of its 100%-owned McIlvenna Bay Complex (the "Project") in Saskatchewan. Foran Mining Corporation Logo (CNW Group/Foran Mining Corporation) Founded in 2006, GMS is a renowned mining consultancy firm excelling in both underground and open pit mining and processing projects, including operations in Canada. With a comprehensive range of services spanning greenfield projects to mine operation, GMS stands out with its multidisciplinary expertise. Their notable accomplishments include the successful construction of Lundin Gold's Fruta del Norte Project in Ecuador, delivering Newmont Mining's Merian Mine in Suriname below budget and ahead of schedule, and is currently managing project construction of the Greenstone project in Ontario and the Tocantinzinho project in Brazil. With an impressive track record, GMS has achieved a remarkable 100% success rate in delivering projects on or below budget. Having worked over 30-million-person hours, they have consistently met or exceeded project schedules with safety and environmental stewardship at the forefront. Dan Myerson, Foran's Executive Chairman & CEO, commented "G Mining Services is the ideal partner to deliver the McIlvenna Bay Complex into production and unlock this meaningful critical minerals district. GMS' unique and innovative IPMT model enables a harmoniously aligned construction team seamlessly transitioning into an operating team, which is critical to success. Integrating GMS within our ranks provides the support and accountability needed in delivering safe, on-budget, and on-schedule mine construction. Their expertise, unwavering commitment to safety, and dedication to timely and fiscally prudent project delivery are expected to play an instrumental role into McIlvenna Bay's development." Story continues "We consider ourselves fortunate to partner on projects that align with our expertise and with people who align with our values." said Mathieu Gignac, President of G Mining. "The opportunity to work with Foran, be an integral part of their team and contribute to the development of McIlvenna Bay brings us great excitement, particularly as McIlvenna Bay becomes Saskatchewan's pioneering base and precious metals project. Our involvement not only emphasizes our commitment to delivering excellence but also highlights our role in bolstering Canada's critical minerals sector." Strengthening Leadership Team in Preparation for Construction Phase Foran is delighted to unveil key management enhancements as we fortify our team in alignment with the strategic execution of McIlvenna Bay's development. Gilbert Lamarche, previously Vice President, Technical Services, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer, recognizing his invaluable contributions to-date. David Bernier will continue to play a vital and indispensable role within the company, leveraging his pivotal contributions in de-risking, building and growing the Project and advancing key strategic initiatives. Furthermore, we celebrate the elevation of Sam Renelli, promoted from Operational Readiness Manager to the position of Vice President, Technical Services. We are equally excited to formally introduce Erin Carswell as Vice President, Exploration, amplifying our leadership team. Lastly, Jonathan French has been promoted to Vice President, Capital Markets & External Affairs. Dan Myerson, Foran's Executive Chairman & CEO, commented "We are thrilled to announce the strengthening of our leadership team as we embark on the next phases of our journey, the construction of the McIlvenna Bay Complex and the growth of this remarkable District. With key roles filled, including well-earned promotions for Gil and Sam, and the focused special project delivery initiatives to be led by Dave, we are well-equipped for the opportunities ahead. Erin will spearhead our exploration program, as we continue to uncover exciting targets and further define this exceptional critical mineral district located in the one of the world's best geopolitical jurisdictions. Together, with this extraordinary team and their commitment, we are well on our way to making the McIlvenna Bay Complex a Canadian champion and delivering the urgent critical minerals that are so desperately needed by all." Gilbert Lamarche joined Foran as Vice President, Technical Services in May of 2022. He brings over 20 years of experience in the mining industry in both technical services and operations. Mr. Lamarche is a seasoned leader with a notable history of managing teams across diverse Canadian jurisdictions encompassing established operations and new projects. Past roles included Head of Mines/Mills Technical Services for Vale's Canadian operations, with previous operational leadership roles as Mine Manager at Coleman Mine and Totten Mine. Prior to his time at Vale, he worked as a mining engineering consultant for SRK, UK and began his career at the Kidd Mining Operations. Gilbert is a registered Professional Engineer in Ontario and Saskatchewan, holding an Applied Science degree in Mining Engineering from Laurentian University. Sam Renelli joined Foran in June 2023 has over 25 years of technical and operations experience in the mining industry, working in progressive engineering and operations management positions. He previously worked for Newmont/Goldcorp as the Mine Operations Manager at Musselwhite and Red Lake Gold Mines, where he was responsible for managing mine operations, maintenance, and technical services. He also served as Project Manager for McIntosh Engineering (now Stantec) where he oversaw pre/feasibility studies, optimizations, and detailed engineering design projects for various international mining companies. Mr. Renelli has held various management positions with Cementation, exp, First Nickel, and Xstrata Nickel (now Glencore). He has a proven track record building and leading safe and successful technical, operations, and project teams. Mr. Renelli is a registered Professional Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Laurentian University and an MBA from York University. Holding an MSc in Earth Sciences from Monash University, Ms. Carswell possesses significant base metal and gold expertise developed through her tenure with industry leaders like Newcrest Mining and MMG Australia. Her extensive background in Mineral Exploration encompasses generating and managing copper-gold exploration projects across continents, developing alternative deposit models through research and analysis, and overseeing large exploration teams in remote locations. Having worked on orebody knowledge teams at development stage mining projects, such as the Dugald River Mine in Australia, she has a deep understanding of VHMS, IOCG, and structurally controlled base metal orebodies. Ms. Carswell also spent several years in Mergers and Acquisitions evaluating mining projects worldwide and brings a valuable commercial perspective to Foran's exploration strategy. Jonathan French joined Foran in October 2021 and has over a decade of capital markets experience, primarily focusing on the metals & mining sector. Prior to Foran, Mr. French worked at a generalist investment fund supporting stock selection across multiple sectors. His experience also includes working at a boutique brokerage firm in equity research focusing on precious metal and royalty companies. Jonathan holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University and is a CFA Charterholder. Neither the TSX Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. About Foran Mining Foran Mining is a copper-zinc-gold-silver exploration and development company, committed to supporting a greener future, empowering communities and creating circular economies which create value for all our stakeholders, while also safeguarding the environment. The McIlvenna Bay project is located entirely within the documented traditional territory of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation. The Company also owns the Bigstone Project, a resource-development stage deposit located 25km southwest of its McIlvenna Bay project. McIlvenna Bay is a copper-zinc-gold-silver rich VHMS deposit intended to be the centre of a new mining camp in a prolific district that has already been producing for 100 years. McIlvenna Bay sits just 65km West of Flin Flon, Manitoba and is part of the world class Flin Flon Greenstone Belt that extends from Snow Lake, Manitoba, through Flin Flon to Foran's ground in eastern Saskatchewan, a distance of over 225km. McIlvenna Bay is the largest undeveloped VHMS deposit in the region. The Company announced the results from its Feasibility Study on February 28, 2022, outlining that current mineral reserves would potentially support an 18-year mine life producing an average of 65 million pounds of copper equivalent annually. The Company filed a NI 43-101 Technical Report for the McIlvenna Bay Feasibility Study on April 14, 2022. The Company filed a NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Bigstone Deposit resource estimate on February 11, 2022. Investors are encouraged to consult the full text of these technical reports which may be found on the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. The Company's head office is located at 409 Granville Street, Suite 904, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6C 1T2. Common Shares of the Company are listed for trading on the TSX under the symbol "FOM" and on the OTCQX under the symbol "FMCXF". Forward Looking Statements CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, as defined under applicable securities laws (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements"). These statements relate to future events or to the future performance of Foran Mining Corporation and reflect management's expectations and assumptions as of the date hereof or as of the date of such forward looking statement. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "continues", "forecasts", "projects", "predicts", "potentially", "intends", "likely", "anticipates" or "believes", or variations of, or the negatives of, such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date specified in such statement. Inherent in forward-looking statements are known and unknown risks, estimates, assumptions, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. These factors include management's belief or expectations relating to the following and, in certain cases, management's response with regard to the following: The proposed strategic investment by Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan; the status and progression of credit facility discussions; unlocking the untapped value of the Company's properties, delivery of superior or any investment returns; scale, scope and location of future exploration and drilling activities; the potential for the Company's land package to be transformational, the focus of the Company's future drill programs, the incorporation of geotechnical and hydrogeological information into the overall project design; The long-term investment horizon of shareholders; The growth of the Company from developer to producer; The certainty of funding; The future of the Company; De-risking McIlvenna Bay; Delivering on the Company's Net Positive Business strategy; Ownership and reliance on the Company's mineral projects; The Company's history of losses and potential inability to generate sufficient revenue to be profitable or to generate positive cash flow on a sustained basis; The Company's statements about the expected life of mine, productive capacity and other technical estimates on its projects, and the Company's reliance on technical experts with respect thereto; The Company's exposure to risks related to mineral resources exploration and development; Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Infectious Diseases and Other Health Crises on the Company; Global financial volatility and its impact on the Company; The impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict; Government, securities, and stock exchange regulation and policy; Legal proceedings which may have a material adverse impact on the Company's operations and financial condition; Capital market conditions and their effect on the securities of the Company; Insurance and uninsurable risks; Environmental, health and safety regulation and policy; Mining hazards and risks; Title rights to the Company's projects; Indigenous peoples' title and other legal claims; Mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; Uncertainties and risks relating to the Feasibility Studies; Fluctuations in commodity prices, including metals; Competition; Expertise and proficiency of management; Limited operating history; The availability of future financing; Dilutive effects; Impacts of global climate change and natural disasters; Inadequate infrastructure; Relationships with local communities; Reputational damage; Risks arising from the Company's reliance on financial instruments; Risks arising from future acquisitions; Management conflicts of interest; Security breaches of the Company's information systems; and the additional risks identified in our Annual Information Form dated March 23, 2023 and other securities filings with Canadian securities regulators available at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release 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. 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. Readers are cautioned against undue reliance on forward-looking statements and should note that the assumptions and risk factors discussed above do not contain an exhaustive list of the factors or assumptions that may affect the forward-looking statements, and that the assumptions underlying such statements may prove to be incorrect. Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the Company's securities filings and this news release. All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. SOURCE Foran Mining Corporation Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2023/05/c5750.html Global Crossing Airlines Group Inc. MIAMI, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Crossing Airlines Group, Inc. (JET: NEO; JET.B: NEO; JETMF: OTCQB) (the Company or GlobalX) is pleased to provide an update on block hours operated in July and August, aircraft deliveries and contracts signed. GlobalX operated over 2,500 block hours in July and approximately 2,400 block hours in August, bringing the quarter total to 4,900 compared to 3,157 hours in July and August 2022, a 55% increase. We are continuing the strong momentum gained in July with 9 passenger aircraft and 2 A321 Freighters operating. We expect a strong finish to the 3rd quarter as we transition from our summer flying into our fall program said Ed Wegel, Chairman and CEO. During Q3 GlobalX has: Taken delivery of our 10 th passenger aircraft, N285GX, and it has started revenue operations on September 1 Signed a new $4M ACMI Government contract for September and October with potential to be extended into a multi-year contract Closed on a $35 million financing which allows us to add six additional aircraft this year and all planned deliveries in 2024 Signed contracts with two major tour operators each launching new 3 times a week service to Caribbean destinations Signed contracts with a cargo operator establishing new cargo routes to several Caribbean countries, including Jamaica and Trinidad. Successfully flown for Wizz Air, Lynx Air, TUI and Caribbean Airlines and provided additional lift to our sister company, Canada Jetlines Signed an LOI for 1 additional A321 passenger aircraft to be delivered in Q4 2023 and 2 additional A321 freighters to be delivered in 2024 Scheduled the delivery of our 11 th passenger aircraft, an A320, in October and the 12 th passenger aircraft in December 2023 Increased our pilot head count to 123 with another 10 direct entry Captains starting on September 11. In addition, Ryan Goepel our CFO will be presenting at both the Planet MicroCap Conference and the Emerging Growth Virtual Conference on Wednesday, September 6th with registration details below: Story continues Emerging Growth Conference Date: Wednesday, September 6, 2023 Time: 12:35 PM Eastern Time Webcast: https://goto.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1603285&tp_key=ab3efc5870&sti=jetmf Planet MicroCap Showcase: VANCOUVER 2023 Date: Wednesday, September 6, 2023 Time: 3:30 PM Pacific Time (6:30PM Eastern Time) Webcast: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2986/48837 About Global Crossing Airlines GlobalX is a US 121 domestic flag and supplemental Airline flying the Airbus A320 family aircraft. GlobalX flies as a passenger ACMI and charter airline serving the US, Caribbean, European and Latin American markets. GlobalX is also now operating ACMI cargo service flying the A321 freighter. For more information, please visit www.globalxair.com. For more information, please contact: Ryan Goepel, Chief Financial Officer Email: ryan.goepel@globalxair.com Tel: 786.751.8503 Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain forward looking statements and forward-looking information, as defined under applicable United States and Canadian securities laws, concerning anticipated developments and events that may occur in the future. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Companys aircraft fleet size, the destinations that the Company intends to service, the delivery and entry into service timelines for future aircraft, the strong finish to the 3rd quarter, the addition of pilots and the Companys growth plans. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" suggesting future outcomes, or other expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, intentions or statements about future events or performance. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release is based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the receipt of financing to continue airline operations, the accuracy, reliability and success of GlobalXs business model; GlobalXs ability to accurately forecast demand; GlobalX will be able to successfully conclude definitive agreements for transactions subject to LOI; the timely receipt of governmental approvals; the success of airline operations of GlobalX; GlobalXs ability to successfully enter new geographic markets; the legislative and regulatory environments of the jurisdictions where GlobalX will carry on business or have operations; the Company has or will have sufficient aircraft to provide the service; the impact of competition and the competitive response to GlobalXs business strategy; the future price of fuel, and the availability of aircraft. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include risks related to, the ability to obtain financing at acceptable terms, the impact of general economic conditions, risks related to supply chain and labor disruptions, failure to retain or obtain sufficient aircraft, domestic and international airline industry conditions, failure to conclude definitive agreements for transactions subject to LOI, the effects of increased competition from our market competitors and new market entrants, passenger demand being less than anticipated, the impact of the global uncertainty created by COVID-19, future relations with shareholders, volatility of fuel prices, increases in operating costs, terrorism, pandemics, natural disasters, currency fluctuations, interest rates, risks specific to the airline industry, risks associated with doing business in foreign countries, the ability of management to implement GlobalXs operational strategy, the ability to attract qualified management and staff, labor disputes, regulatory risks, including risks relating to the acquisition of the necessary licenses and permits; risks related to significant disruption in, or breach in security of GlobalXs information technology systems and resultant interruptions in service and any related impact on its reputation; and the additional risks identified in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's reports and filings with applicable Canadian securities regulators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements. If GlobalX does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be made that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. DUBLIN, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Electric Powertrain Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Electric Vehicle (BEV, HEV/PHEV), By Component (Motor/Generator, Battery, Power Electronics Controller), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Research and Markets Logo The global electric powertrain market is projected to achieve a size of USD 260.91 billion by 2030, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15.3% over the forecast period. The significant growth in the market for pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles has led to an increasing demand for automotive electric powertrains. Governments around the world are taking initiatives to promote Electric Vehicles (EVs), such as the U.S. Department of Energy's USD 400 billion investment to develop 500,000 charging outlets for electric vehicles by 2030. Rising Sales of Electric Vehicles and Component Development The rising sales of electric vehicles have prompted major automotive component manufacturers to focus on developing essential EV components for a competitive edge. Manufacturers are expanding their facilities in regions like Europe, China, and the U.S. For example, Nidec Corporation invested around USD 1.8 billion in 2020 to expand its electric vehicle powertrain business, establishing new facilities in Poland, China, and Mexico to produce up to 8.4 million electric motors annually. Asia Pacific and Stringent Emission Regulations Asia Pacific is expected to grow substantially due to increasing demand for electric vehicles and rising per capita income. Countries like China, South Korea, and India are significant automobile manufacturers. Stringent government regulations and emission norms, including BS-VI in India and China VI, are also contributing to market growth in the region. Stringent CO2 emission regulations are becoming more demanding in the United States and Europe. To meet emission targets, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are promoting and increasing electric vehicle sales, leading to a surge in demand for the electric vehicle powertrain market. Story continues Electric Powertrain Market Highlights The motor/generator component segment is projected to witness a high CAGR of over 16.7% from 2022 to 2030 due to increasing adoption of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) globally. The Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) and PHEV electric vehicle segment are expected to witness the highest CAGR of 15.9% over the forecast period. This can be attributed to the charging flexibility benefit these vehicles offer. The passenger vehicle segment dominated the market in 2022. Increasing demand for daily transportation vehicles, coupled with the adoption of electric vehicles, is driving growth in this segment. Asia Pacific is projected to expand at a high CAGR of more than 14.2% over the forecast period, driven by the increasing adoption of electric vehicles in countries like China and India. Companies Mentioned BorgWarner Inc. Gentex Corporation Continental AG Cummins Inc. Dana Incorporated Hitachi Ltd Magna International Inc. Marelli Holdings Co., Ltd. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Robert Bosch GmbH Valeo SA ZF Friedrichshafen AG The electric powertrain market is witnessing strong growth due to increasing EV adoption, government initiatives, and stringent emission regulations. Major manufacturers are focusing on component development to cater to the growing demand for electric vehicles worldwide. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/w0dr44 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-electric-powertrain-market-to-reach-260-91-billion-by-2030-players-include-borgwarner-gentex-continental-and-cummins-301917559.html SOURCE Research and Markets Company Logo Respiratory Disease Testing Respiratory Disease Testing Market Growth Rate By Region Respiratory Disease Testing Respiratory Disease Testing Market Growth Rate By Region Dublin, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Respiratory Disease Testing Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2023 - 2028)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This market analysis anticipates significant growth for the Global Respiratory Disease Testing Market, forecasting its size to expand from USD 5.59 billion in 2023 to USD 6.72 billion by 2028, reflecting a robust CAGR of 3.77% during the period of 2023-2028. Rising Burden of Respiratory Diseases and Technological Progress The burgeoning burden of respiratory diseases has emerged as a prime driver of the market's growth. Respiratory symptoms rank among the most common reasons for medical consultations, with ailments like asthma, COPD, allergic rhinitis, sleep apnea, and tuberculosis garnering significant attention. Updated data from the CDC, as of September 2022, reports a staggering 873,000 emergency department visits for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in the United States alone, alongside a 5% increase in the diagnosis of COPD, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis among adults. The market's evolution is further accelerated by development initiatives like product launches, approvals, acquisitions, and mergers. A notable example is Cipla Limited's November 2021 launch of Spirofy, India's first pneumotach-based portable, wireless Spirometer, which strives to revolutionize the diagnosis of Obstructive Airway Disease (OAD) in India. These developments underscore the industry's commitment to innovative solutions, thereby contributing to projected market growth. Emergence of In-vitro Diagnostics (IVD) Tests and Their Influence One compelling market trend points to the growth of in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) tests within the respiratory disease testing domain. The shift from conventional diagnostics to advanced solutions, as well as the surge in respiratory diseases' prevalence, propels the IVD tests segment forward. An inherent advantage of IVD tests lies in their utilization of medical devices and consumables to perform diagnostics on biological samples. These tests play a crucial role in diagnosing a spectrum of medical conditions, including respiratory diseases and tract infections. Pioneering technologies like microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip (LOC) further bolster the segment's growth by offering rapid and precise diagnostic tools. For instance, Roche's introduction of molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic test panels capable of detecting and differentiating common respiratory pathogens exemplifies the momentum driving the IVD tests segment. Story continues North America's Dominance in the Forecast Amid regional contributions, North America emerges as a frontrunner in the Global Respiratory Disease Testing Market. The prevalence of conditions like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma, combined with an aging population susceptible to respiratory ailments, cements the region's significance. The United States, in particular, leads the charge, with over 12.5 million affected by COPD in 2021. Moreover, as Statistics Canada data from September 2021 indicates, Canada's rising asthma cases, reaching 2,802,700 in 2020, amplify the demand for early diagnosis. Major players in the industry, such as Becton, Dickinson, and Company, contribute to this growth through strategic endeavors like the introduction of new molecular diagnostic combination tests for respiratory viruses. Fragmented Industry Landscape with Emphasis on Innovation The respiratory disease testing market boasts a fragmented landscape where major players concentrate on continuous product innovation and expansion through acquisitions and collaborations. Renowned industry names such as Beckton Dickinson and Company, Koninklijke Philips N.V., ResMed Inc., Medtronic, Carestream Health, MG Diagnostic Corporation, Abbott, ThermoFisher Scientific, Biomerieux, QIAGEN, Seimens Healthineers AG, and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. are at the forefront of driving advancements. In conclusion, the Global Respiratory Disease Testing Market is on a trajectory of substantial growth, driven by a confluence of factors including rising disease burdens, technological advancements, and a renewed emphasis on diagnostic accuracy. With regions like North America spearheading progress and major market players consistently pioneering innovation, the market is poised for promising expansion during the forecast period. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vdubty About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LotusFlare today announced that GOMO Philippines , the first fully-digital telecom brand in the Philippines operated by Globe Telecom , is now live on LotusFlare DNO Cloud, a cloud-native commerce and monetization managed service that provides a digital business support system (BSS) for communications and media services providers. Gomo! Logo LotusFlare DNO Cloud now serves as the fully-digital BSS for GOMO in the Philippines, supporting nearly 3 million GOMO customers. GOMO customers were migrated to LotusFlare DNO Cloud within a 5-hour timeframe in a planned maintenance window by Globe and LotusFlare teams. A newly-updated GOMO Philippines mobile app was developed and released to GOMO customers as part of the BSS replatforming process. LotusFlare DNO Cloud for GOMO Philippines was deployed, integrated and tested in a 6-month project and runs on Amazon Web Services (AWS). "The creation of GOMO was a key step in digitizing Filipinos' lives when it launched as one of the first fully digital telecom brands in the Philippines," said Mr. Darius Delgado, Senior Vice President of Consumer Mobile Business. "We decided to move to LotusFlare DNO Cloud because of the innovation and agility it delivers. GOMO can conceptualize and launch new, exciting offers and digital services to our customers in just minutes. Globe is not only pleased with the business outcome of this project but also how Globe and LotusFlare teams worked as true partners to continue the digitalization of Filipino life." "I would like to thank all Globe and LotusFlare people around the world who have worked hard and succeeded in transitioning GOMO Philippines to a fully-digital BSS software foundation to provide the agility to deliver an amazing and rewarding digital experience to the people of the Philippines," said Sam Gadodia, CEO and Co-Founder of LotusFlare. "LotusFlare is thankful for its partnership with Globe and looks forward to helping Globe continue to simplify technology and simplify the customer experience moving forward." Story continues LotusFlare DNO Cloud provides massive simplification, speed and cost savings to Globe. By consolidating the platform with one trusted partner, Globe was able to remove three legacy systems.Previously, launching new offers required weeks of effort and maintenance windows. Globe is now able to launch in minutes with no maintenance windows. Globe and LotusFlare will work together to build the next-level subscriber experience to cement GOMO as the best digital brand in the market. Globe Logo LotusFlare Logo SOURCE LotusFlare Huawei Technologies' breakthrough in making an advanced chip underscores China's determination and capacity for fighting back against U.S. sanctions, but the efforts are likely very costly and could prompt Washington to tighten curbs, analysts said. Huawei unexpectedly unveiled the latest Mate 60 Pro smartphone last week during U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's visit in China, as the government readies a new $40-billion investment fund to bolster its developing chip sector. The Mate 60 Pro is powered by its proprietary chip Kirin 9000s and manufactured by the country's top contract chipmaker SMIC using an advanced 7 nanometre (nm) technology, according to a teardown by Ottawa-headquartered TechInsights. Its findings and claims by early users about the phone's powerful performance indicate China is making some headway into developing high-end chips, even as Washington has over the recent years ramped up sanctions to cut its access to advanced chipmaking tools. It "demonstrates the technical progress Chinas semiconductor industry has been able to make without EUV tools. The difficulty of this achievement also shows the resilience of the countrys chip technological ability," TechInsights analyst Dan Hutcheson said. EUV refers to extreme ultraviolet lithography and is used to make 7 nm or more advanced chips. "At the same time, it is a great geopolitical challenge to the countries who have sought to restrict its access to critical manufacturing technologies. The result may likely be even greater restrictions than what exist today." Jefferies analysts said TechInsights' findings could trigger a probe from the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, create more debate in the U.S. about the effectiveness of sanctions and prompt the Congress to include even harsher tech sanctions in a competition bill it is preparing against China. "Overall the US-China tech war is likely to escalate," they said in a note. Story continues A U.S. Department of Commerce representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Tuesday morning. Huawei declined to comment. SMIC and China's State Council, which handles press queries on behalf of the Chinese government, did not immediately respond to requests for comments. Limited achievement The most advanced chip SMIC had previously been known for making was 14nm, as it was barred by Washington in late 2020 from obtaining an EUV machine from Dutch firm ASML. But TechInsights last year said it believed SMIC had managed to produce 7 nm chips by tweaking simpler DUV machines it could still purchase freely from ASML. Some analysts including Jefferies' said there was also a possibility Huawei had purchased the tech and equipment from SMIC to make the chip rather than doing it in collaboration. Whoever is making the chip, Tilly Zhang, an analyst at Gavekal Dragonomics, downplayed the success, citing a low yield rate which reduces the number of useable chips from each wafer and raises costs, and new export controls imposed by the Netherlands that will limit SMIC's access to more immersion DUV machine. "They have just demonstrated that they are willing to accept much higher costs than are normally considered worthwhile ... It is only the combination of Huaweis own large financial resources and generous government subsidies that could allow it to sell phones using these chips at normal market prices," Zhang said. Reuters reported on Tuesday that China is set to launch a new state-backed investment fund that aims to raise about $40 billion for its chip sector, as the country ramps up efforts to catch up with the U.S. and other rivals. Some research firms forecast SMIC's 7 nm process has an yield rate below 50%, versus the industry norm of 90% or more, and it would limit shipments to around 2-4 million chips, not enough for Huawei to regain its former smartphone market dominance. Jefferies analysts reckon Huawei is preparing to ship ten million units of the Mate 60 Pro, though it may struggle to support that quantity with China-made 7 nm chips. In that case it could turn to 10 nm chips, but with an estimated 20% yield, which refers to the number of working chips on each silicon wafer, Jefferies said, it would be far below the 90% for most consumer devices. "The (U.S.) controls are imposing high costs for producing controlled technologies in China," said Doug Fuller, a chip researcher at the Copenhagen Business School, adding that the Chinese government was likely footing the bill. (Reporting by David Kirton and Max Cherney, writing by Brenda Goh; Editing by Miyoung Kim and Nick Zieminski) Indias progress on global cryptocurrency governance remains stagnant despite holding the Group of 20 (G20) presidency for nine months, former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg told Forkast. The situation regarding global governance and regulation of cryptocurrencies and the other decentralized digital assets is practically at the same stage at which it was when India assumed the G20 presidency. So not much has happened and this is likely to be the case for quite some time, said Garg. India commenced its G20 presidency in December 2022 and will pass the mantle to Brazil at the end of November 2023. Throughout its Presidency, several top government officials, including Indias finance minister and prime minister, have said several times that a common global regulatory framework needs to be put in place. The G20 discussions are significant since India has long viewed digital assets with suspicion. The Indian cryptocurrency and blockchain industry had been hoping the worlds biggest democracy would address the new asset class with clearer regulations, using the opportunity during its G20 presidency to work with other countries. Amitendu Palit, a senior research fellow at National University of Singapores Institute of South Asian Studies, pointed out the inherent limitations of the G20s mandate. The G20 is not empowered to make binding regulations. It can, at best, provide policy suggestions and policy directions for global adoption. Regulations would have to be implemented by members themselves, Palit told Forkast. The India Gate. Image: Envato Elements In August, Indias crypto regulatory note proposed global crypto regulations, but crucial details remain vague, leaving crypto market participants in the worlds most populous nation in the lurch. Despite calls for a unified global framework from top Indian officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, tangible progress remains absent. Gargs prognosis for Indias crypto roadmap is bleak, especially with the countrys G20 presidency nearing its conclusion. Story continues The finance ministers, who were handling cryptocurrencies, already had its last meeting [in July] and there was no consensus on doing anything regarding governance of cryptocurrency, Garg said. The government has been taking measures which have diminished or hurt the industry. So I dont think the government is favorably disposed towards [cryptocurrencies]. Indias crypto tax policy, which includes a 30% flat tax on crypto earnings and a 1% tax deducted at source on substantial trades, coupled with penalties ranging from financial fines to potential imprisonment, has significantly impacted its crypto industry. I dont think blockchain can develop without a very positive regulatory structure and legal regime in respect of crypto and Web3 Indias former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg We dont expect any free rides from the government, but we expect the government to be a little bit more fair. And I think that will happen over a period of time. We could debate whether it is happening at a rapid pace. Things could be better, no doubt, but things could be a lot worse also, Rajagopal Menon, vice president of Indian crypto exchange WazirX, told Forkast. A study from Esya Centre, an Indian policy think tank, revealed that the prevailing tax regime might lead to a loss of about US$1.2 trillion in trade volume on domestic exchanges over the coming four years. Following the imposition of stringent tax measures in February 2022, approximately US$3.85 billion has already migrated to overseas platforms, as of October last year. Finance Minister Sitharaman has said that blockchain technology has its own uses and potential, and that India is not against the technology. She also sees 46% growth in blockchain technology use in the next few years, but cautioned that [crypto]currencies have to be monitored by either the government or the central bank. These statements that blockchain is fine but cryptocurrency is not, these are contradictory terms. I dont think blockchain can develop without a very positive regulatory structure and legal regime in respect of crypto and Web3, Garg said. Imposing taxes and getting crypto under PMLA [Prevention of Money Laundering Act) are all baby steps towards regulation. Things are bound to improve in the long run, WazirXs Menon said. Weve seen crypto companies blowing up, lawsuits, large exchanges under tremendous pressure. But what is new now is the determination of governments to regulate crypto. Earlier, they had more of a ignore it its not that important attitude. This is a major shift that the industry is witnessing, Menon added. Opponents sit in the gallery of the Iowa Utilities Board hearing on the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline at the Cardiff Events Center in Fort Dodge. A new phase of Summit Carbon Solutions evidentiary hearing for its pipeline permit was poised to begin Tuesday. The company plans to call its 15 witnesses to testify over the course of four days, according to the Iowa Utilities Board. The hearing is a final component of the IUBs process for weighing the companys application for a hazardous liquid pipeline permit. Summit intends to construct more than 2,000 miles of pipe to transport captured carbon dioxide from ethanol plants in five state to North Dakota for underground sequestration. More than 680 miles of the system would be in Iowa. The hearing began Aug. 22, and its first two weeks featured testimony from some of the landowners who are subject to the companys eminent domain requests to get land easements for the project. There were a few landowners who had anticipated testifying in the past two weeks but were unable because of schedule conflicts, said Melissa Myers, an IUB spokesperson. They can testify later this month. Witnesses testify about evidence the board will consider from the company and others as it weighs Summits permit request. They are subject to cross-examination. Main objection: eminent domain The landowners who have already testified object to the project on numerous grounds. They are convinced construction of the pipeline will cause irreparable damage to their farmland. They worry about having to repay money they have received by setting aside the land for federal conservation programs, which require the land to go untouched. They are concerned about the wellbeing of people and livestock should the pipeline break and release carbon dioxide, which under certain circumstances and form a dense plume of gas that can asphyxiate them. Some have future commercial or residential projects that could be impeded by the project. Most of them decry the use of eminent domain to get the easements, which would allow Summit to construct and operate the pipeline on property it doesnt own. Opponents argue the project doesnt fit an eminent domain requirement that it promotes the public convenience and necessity in the same way as a natural gas pipeline. Story continues There are about 950 parcels of land in Iowa for which Summit seeks the forced easements. Summit: Safety concerns overblown The project hit a roadblock last month in North Dakota, where state regulators rejected its proposed route. The company has retooled its proposal to move the pipeline farther away from Bismarck and asked the North Dakota Public Service Commission to reconsider. A decision on the request is pending. Summit has argued that its $5.5 billion pipeline system would be a boon to the ethanol industry, ensuring its long-term viability and increasing producers profits. That is also important for the income of farmers because the industry is a major market for them more than half of Iowas nation-leading corn crop is used to produce ethanol. Ethanol producers who capture and sequester their carbon are eligible for generous federal tax credits, and they also have the ability to earn more money in low-carbon fuel markets. Summit has tentative profit-sharing agreements with 13 ethanol plants in Iowa. Summit has said the safety concerns about carbon dioxide pipelines are overblown, and that a major pipeline breach is unlikely to happen. The evidentiary hearing in Fort Dodge could go for weeks or months. It is being streamed live by the IUB. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Company witnesses next in Iowa Utilities Board hearing on Summit carbon pipeline When Amanda Schmidt and her husband, Daniel, were looking for a place to take their three sons for the first haircut, they wanted it to be a positive, happy experience for everyone, particularly their littlest one. They were willing to travel as far as Orlando, where theyd heard of a place called Pigtails and Crewcuts, a salon designed especially for kids and staffed by people who understood the inherent needs of youngsters. Based out of Atlanta, Pigtails and Crewcuts is a franchise created by parents specifically to give kids and moms and dads as stress-free an experience as possible, with games and activities, special events, and a bright, colorful, friendly environment. Amanda and her kids had a fantastic time at the Orlando salon, and after finding a closer location in Clermont, took them there for subsequent outings. Now shes opening the newest franchise location here in Ocala. I always wished there was something like that here for our community, Amanda Schmidt said. She added with a laugh: But I actually wasnt looking to start a business. The Pigtails & Crewcuts logo She mentioned to her father, Carlos Costa an experienced small business owner himself how much she liked the concept and said she thought a salon like that would be great for Ocala. Well, we should look into that, he said. Then the ball started rolling. She took time off from her nursing job, and with the support of her husband and family, dove straight into opening her own franchise. I took everything I had, took a risk, and said, lets do it! Schmidt said. We talked about it for a long time, and we knew it was going to take all of us working together. This is a new world for me, so the franchise has been fantastic with supporting and helping me. The Ocala salon will offer the same delightful experience that personifies Pigtails and Crewcuts, with bright colors and whimsical vehicle-shaped salon chairs. Pigtails & Crewcuts is scheduled to open Sept. 12 in the Market Street at Heath Brook outdoor mall in Ocala. But if the kids want a regular chair, they can absolutely make that choice. Our stylists will rotate through stations, so wherever the kid wants to sit is where they go. If the kids want their hair cut at one of the play tables, well make it work, Schmidt said. Story continues There are games, toys and a treasure trove of movies and video games to enjoy before, during and after the kids turn under the scissors. There will also be a retail shop with childrens hair care products, accessories and gifts. The Ocala location also will feature First Haircut packages, complete with a photo and commemorative lock of hair. "Well make it a big production, she said. For kids who want a little something extra and who like to dress up, the Princess and Pirate packages are popular, with tiaras and wands for one and an eyepatch and hat for the other, plus a treasure chest where kids can go digging for a prize, so they all get something when they finish and can take something home with them. The stylists and reception workers are also experienced with kids and are prepared to address each ones needs and personality, whether introverts, extroverts, or kids on the spectrum. Theyre ready. Theyre comfortable with it and know theyre in an environment with kids all day, and they enjoy that, Schmidt said. Located in the Market Street at Heath Brook outdoor mall, (4414 SW College Road #1520, near Panera) Pigtails and Crewcuts Ocala is tentatively scheduled to open Sept. 12, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Amanda and her father, who is co-owner and business partner, are excited for the community to see it. They plan to do a soft opening at first and let the staff settle in before planning a bigger Grand Opening later, possibly during the holidays. There are currently seven franchise salons in Florida. We were really happy to get the Heath Brook location; its such a great place with all the shopping and restaurants, Amanda Schmidt said. We go there a lot ourselves to shop for clothes for the kids. Its a good family location. More Ocala business news: SE Ocala: 260-unit apartment complex proposed at 31st Street/24th Road Her own children have been enthusiastic about the new business, having been to the Clermont Pigtails and Crewcuts and loved it. Whenever their hair started getting too long, theyd be asking me, When are we going to get our haircuts?' she recalled with a laugh. So weve taken them to see the new salon during construction, and theyre super supportive and cant wait for us to open. She hopes other families and kids will be as happy with the new salon as hers have been. We want to make this small thing of getting a haircut a little bit easier for local children and their parents, she said. We want everyone, including families with children of special needs, to find a safe, happy, stimulating space. More at www.facebook.com/pigtailsocala/ This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Special hair salon, just for kids, opens soon in Ocala Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Cuscapi Berhad fair value estimate is RM0.18 Current share price of RM0.20 suggests Cuscapi Berhad is potentially trading close to its fair value Cuscapi Berhad's peers seem to be trading at a higher premium to fair value based onthe industry average of -644% Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Cuscapi Berhad (KLSE:CUSCAPI) by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple! We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for Cuscapi Berhad Crunching The Numbers We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM3.24m RM5.08m RM7.15m RM9.26m RM11.3m RM13.1m RM14.8m RM16.2m RM17.5m RM18.6m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ 79.45% Est @ 56.68% Est @ 40.74% Est @ 29.59% Est @ 21.77% Est @ 16.31% Est @ 12.48% Est @ 9.80% Est @ 7.93% Est @ 6.61% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 10% RM2.9 RM4.2 RM5.3 RM6.3 RM6.9 RM7.3 RM7.4 RM7.4 RM7.2 RM7.0 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM62m After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (3.6%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 10%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = RM19m (1 + 3.6%) (10% 3.6%) = RM285m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM285m ( 1 + 10%)10= RM107m The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is RM169m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of RM0.2, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. dcf Important Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Cuscapi Berhad 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 10%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.993. 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 Cuscapi Berhad Strength Currently debt free. 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 CUSCAPI's earnings prospects. Threat No apparent threats visible for CUSCAPI. Moving On: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For Cuscapi Berhad, we've put together three relevant factors you should further research: Risks: To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Cuscapi Berhad . Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! Other Top Analyst Picks: Interested to see what the analysts are thinking? Take a look at our interactive list of analysts' top stock picks to find out what they feel might have an attractive future outlook! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Malaysian 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. Calabasas, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calabasas, California - Micro Medical Devices (MMD), a leading innovator in portable ophthalmic medical technology, has demonstrated its commitment to improving global eye health by providing essential equipment for a recent mission trip organized by Operation International. The medical device company's contribution played a pivotal role in enabling safe and successful cataract surgeries in Techiman, Ghana, helping hundreds of patients regain their vision and transform their lives. Operation International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing surgical and medical care to underserved populations around the world, carried out the transformative cataract surgery mission in Techiman. The latest mission to Ghana was led by Dr. Seth Meskin, an accomplished ophthalmologist with a record of leading trips like this one to restore vision to populations in need. Eye doctor is using a handheld keratometer PalmScan K2000 Direct View to check the patient One of the factors at the heart of the mission's success was Micro Medical Devices' cutting-edge equipment, specifically the PalmScan K2000 Direct View, a portable, handheld keratometer and tablet display capable of full functionality anywhere a clinician is required to perform testing without the need to be hooked up to a separate computer. This tool is critical for generating pre-surgical measurements quickly and accurately, supporting the goals of the Operation International team. Dr. Meskin personally expressed his gratitude in a letter to MMD upon his return, writing, "This keratometer is excellent and was invaluable to my team and helped us perform over 300 vision restoring surgeries!" For Dr. Meskin and the patients he worked with in Ghana, Micro Medical Devices' PalmScan K2000 Direct View keratometer represents more than just diagnostic accuracy and speed. MMD strives to develop solutions that empower safe and successful procedures while not requiring dedicated practice space. Providing this technology to organizations who work in areas that lack access to high quality medical care is a core part of the companys mission. Story continues "We are immensely proud to have played a part in such a meaningful endeavor," said Ramin Hooriani, President of Micro Medical Devices. "Collaborating with Operation International aligns with our core mission of advancing eye care accessibility worldwide. Witnessing the transformation in the lives of patients who can now see clearly is gratifying and one of the key reasons why we make our equipment available to support the important work Dr. Meskin and others like him are doing." This Operation International mission trip is only the latest in a series of similar trips to which Micro Medical Devices has freely lent their equipment. In support of humanitarian efforts around the world, MMD equipment has also served as indispensable for treatment of patients in remote areas of Guatemala, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, the Dominican Republic, and many more. The K2000 isnt the only handheld biometry tool that Micro Medical Devices has available to loan for missions like the one Dr. Meskin and his team carried in Ghana. The company carries an entire line of portable biometry equipment including the keratometer mentioned here as well as an A Scan, a B Scan, and a Pachymeter tool, all with flexible connection options for maximum usability in the field to acquire critical measurements before performing surgery. While MMD has a long history of leading the global market with portable biometry devices like the PalmScan K2000 Direct View, they also produce one of the leading technology lines in the VR-based visual field testing the VF2000 visual field headset. The VF2000 headsets provide doctors with the ability to get visual field testing done quicker, easier, and more comfortable for the patient than ever before. The headsets can also be equipped with additional screenings and testing modules like stereopsis, visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, color testing, and more, all in a portable, user-friendly headset that does not require dedicated office space or an internet connection. For more information, visit www.micromedinc.com. About Micro Medical Devices Since their inception over two decades ago, Micro Medical Devices has been dedicated to developing technology that is user-friendly, portable, and efficient while minimizing the need for dedicated practice space and advanced training to operate. This continued commitment has allowed MMD to provide eye doctors with the latest in cutting-edge technological innovations to provide the best care to their patients, including their line of market-leading VR-based visual field wearables. ### For more information about Micro Medical Devices, contact the company here: Micro Medical Devices (818) 646-9509 23945 Calabasas Rd #110, Calabasas, CA 91302 10 U.S. Hospitals to Benefit From New Program in Honor of NICU Awareness Month PITTSBURGH, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- To kick off NICU Awareness Month, 4moms , the makers of innovative baby gear, has joined forces with Project Sweet Peas, a national non-profit that supports NICUs and NICU families, to unveil "NICU Wishes." This new program aims to give communities the opportunity to support NICU nurses, families, patients, and hospitals by helping them get the items that they need most in the NICU. Project Sweet Peas and 4moms have identified 10 underserved hospitals across the country. Starting today, anyone can visit https://www.4moms.com/pages/nicu-wishes to donate items most needed in the NICU via personalized Amazon Wish Lists. Needed items range from baby bottles, diapers, swaddles, MamaRoo Baby Swings, and Keurig coffee machines for the hardworking NICU staffs. To kick off NICU Awareness Month, 4moms has joined forces with non-profit Project Sweet Peas to unveil NICU Wishes, a program that allows communities to support underserved NICUs and NICU families by helping them get the items that they need most. The hospitals participating in NICU Wishes include: Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown Nashville, TN Boston Medical Center Boston, MA DCH Northport Medical Center Northport, AL HCA Florida Gulf Coast Hospital Panama City, FL Indiana University Health Arnett Hospital Lafayette, IN Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital Baltimore, MD Nemours Children's Hospital Wilmington, DE Pomona Valley Medical Center Pomona, CA Southeast Health Medical Center Dothan, AL St. Christopher's Hospital for Children Philadelphia, PA To kick off the program, 4moms has donated 5 MamaRoo Baby Swings to each NICU and Project Sweet Peas has donated gift bags, which includes a NICU Journal, NICU Milestone cards, and CuddlePea Bonding Doll. The MamaRoo has been an instrumental tool for NICU nurses and staff for more than a decade. Its unique motions calm and comfort babies in nearly 650 hospitals across the U.S. when nurses and families need an extra set of arms. Throughout September, 4moms and Project Sweet Peas will encourage their communities to visit the Wish Lists and support these hospitals. Story continues For more information and to support the NICU Wishes program, click here: https://www.4moms.com/pages/nicu-wishes. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nicu-wishes-4moms-partners-with-project-sweet-peas-to-help-underserved-nicus-301916152.html SOURCE 4moms Oil jumped to 10 month highs on Tuesday after key OPEC+ players announced supply reductions intended to keep crude prices high. On Tuesday Brent International (BZ=F) closed at $90.04 per barrel for the first time since November and West Texas Intermediate (CL=F) futures settled at $86.69 per barrel after Saudi Arabia announced an extension of its unilateral production cuts until December. Russia also reduced its exports by 300,000 barrels per day through year-end. These cuts are in addition to OPEC+ reductions that started in November of last year. The market is feeling the upward pressure. Crude futures have rallied about 25% since late June despite a slower-than-expected recovery from Chinas economy and increased production output by US producers. Between now and next summer we will continue to see prices of crude oil continue to be where it is or go higher, Ramanan Krishnamoorti, vice president for energy and innovation at the University of Houston, told Yahoo Finance. He sees no sign of abatement in OPEC+s supply cut initiatives and Saudia Arabias need to fund ambitious internal projects. Theyre [Saudia Arabia] making money. They are starting to bolster their coffers, said Krishnamoorti. He sees only one scenario that would create downward pressure on crude. If you start to smell a recession coming along, you should anticipate that the price of crude will go down, he said. Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud arrives for an OPEC meeting in Vienna, Austria, June 4, 2023. (Leonhard Foeger/REUTERS) A return to recession for Europe and/or China and a surprise weakening in Japan's economic growth would likely be precursors to weaker prices from demand destruction, Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management in Seattle, told Yahoo Finance. While Chinas recovery has been lackluster, mobility demand post lockdowns has offset the countrys dampened demand for petrochemicals amid an ongoing property crisis. Industry watchers are paying close attention to the coming months. Tamar Essner, Vectis Energy Partners principal, told Yahoo Finance Live on Tuesday that the market is starting to appreciate that while Saudi Arabia is a "swing producer," China is "basically a swing buyer." Story continues "They have huge inventories, huge storage. They can buy as much as they want when prices are attractive to them as they definitely were earlier this year, Essner said, adding that "I think their demand is good but it may start to cool off a little bit in the coming months because they have inventory to work off of." Her firm expects West Texas Intermediate to stay in the $75 to $90 range between now and the end of the year, barring any geopolitical developments. Ines Ferre is a senior business reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @ines_ferre. Click here for the latest economic news and economic indicators to help you in your investing decisions Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Key Insights The projected fair value for JB Hi-Fi is AU$58.59 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of AU$45.80 suggests JB Hi-Fi is potentially 22% undervalued Our fair value estimate is 25% higher than JB Hi-Fi's analyst price target of AU$46.77 How far off is JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX:JBH) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. This will be done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple! Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for JB Hi-Fi Crunching The Numbers We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$448.4m AU$425.1m AU$431.7m AU$432.5m AU$372.4m AU$364.7m AU$361.7m AU$361.7m AU$364.0m AU$367.7m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x6 Analyst x6 Analyst x5 Analyst x3 Analyst x2 Est @ -2.05% Est @ -0.83% Est @ 0.02% Est @ 0.62% Est @ 1.03% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 7.2% AU$418 AU$370 AU$351 AU$328 AU$263 AU$241 AU$223 AU$208 AU$195 AU$184 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$2.8b Story continues The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.0%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 7.2%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$368m (1 + 2.0%) (7.2% 2.0%) = AU$7.3b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$7.3b ( 1 + 7.2%)10= AU$3.6b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is AU$6.4b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of AU$45.8, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 22% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. dcf Important Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at JB Hi-Fi 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 7.2%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.034. 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 JB Hi-Fi Strength Debt is not viewed as a risk. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Specialty Retail market. Opportunity Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to decline for the next 3 years. 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. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For JB Hi-Fi, we've compiled three important elements you should further research: Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with JB Hi-Fi (at least 1 which is a bit concerning) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does JBH's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Australian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Fortune Business Insights Propane Market to Touch USD 225.10 Billion by 2030 | Rising Usage in Transportation Sector to Propel the Demand for HD-5 Fuel: Fortune Business Insights Pune, India, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global propane market size was valued at USD 88.77 billion in 2022. The market is anticipated to expand from USD 98.50 billion in 2023 to USD 225.10 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 12.5% over the estimated period. The market growth is driven by the soaring focus on clean burning fuel and energy efficiency. This is slated to generate growth opportunities across the industrial, commercial, and residential sectors. Fortune Business Insights provides this information in its research report, titled Propane Market, 2023-2030. Key Industry Development: Chevron established a retail compressed natural gas station in California. Situated in Visalia, the fueling site enhances the availability of lower carbon fuels for deployment in heavy-duty vehicles. Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/sample/propane-market-100586 Propane Market Scope: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2030 Forecast Period 2023 to 2030 CAGR 12.5 % 2030 Value Projection USD 225.10 billion Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 USD 88.77 billion Historical Data for 2019-2021 No. of Pages 167 Segments covered By Grade, End-user, and Region Growth Drivers Adoption of Propane in Recreational Vehicles to Reduce Carbon Footprint to Drive the Market Growth Steady Growth in LPG Supply and Demand Globally to Drive the Market Growth Market Drivers and Restraints: Market Value to Rise Driven by Growing Propane Adoption in Recreational Vehicles One of the key factors propelling the propane market growth is the surging product deployment in recreational vehicles. The rise is driven by the provision of regulatory support by numerous governments and the surging prices of conventional fuel. However, the industry expansion could be affected by the availability of alternatives such as bio-propane. Story continues COVID-19 Impact: Market Value to Rise Driven by Growing Propane Adoption in Recreational Vehicles One of the key factors propelling the propane market growth is the surging product deployment in recreational vehicles. The rise is driven by the provision of regulatory support by numerous governments and the surging prices of conventional fuel. However, the industry expansion could be affected by the availability of alternatives such as bio-propane. Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market. Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/propane-market-100586 Report Coverage The report gives a substantial analysis of the key factors driving the market growth. It further provides an insight into the major trends propelling the industry expansion over the forthcoming years. Additional components include merger agreements, partnerships, and similar initiatives undertaken by leading companies for strengthening their industry footings. Segmentation: HD-5 Segment to Gain Traction Impelled by Rising Deployment in Transport Sector On the basis of grade, the market is fragmented into commercial, HD-10, and HD-5. The HD-5 segment accounted for a key market share in 2022. The segment is set to expand at a substantial CAGR over the projected period, owing to rising deployment of high purity propane in internal combustion engine fuel. Residential Segment to Lead Owing to Growing Usage in Heating, Cooking, and Home Appliances Based on end-user, the market is segmented into commercial, industrial, residential, and others. The residential segment holds a major market share on account of the wide product deployment as a heating fuel in residential applications. The product is deployed in refrigerating, cooking, water heating, and other applications. Based on geography, the market for propane has been subdivided into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. Regional Insights: Asia Pacific to Hold Key Share due to Rising Urbanization in Key Countries The Asia Pacific propane market share dominated the market in 2022 and is expected to register notable expansion over the projected period. The expansion is propelled by the surging urbanization in pivotal countries such as India, China, and other countries. The North America market is anticipated to register appreciable growth over the estimated period. The surge is driven by the rising product deployment in commercial and residential sectors. The product demand is high for heating and the maintenance of average temperature in winter. Quick Buy Propane Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/100586 List of Key Players Profiled in the Report: BP Plc (U.K.) Chevron Corporation (U.S.) Royal Dutch Shell Plc (U.K.) Exxon Mobil Corporation (U.S.) ConocoPhillips (U.S) Reliance Industries Ltd. (India) PetroChina Company Limited (China) Sinopec (China) Total S A (France) Ferrellgas Partners L.P. (U.S.) Competitive Landscape: Pivotal Companies Enter Partnership Deals to Strengthen Industry Foothold Major industry players are centered on adopting numerous initiatives for strengthening their market footings. These comprise collaborations, partnership deals, and the launch of various products. Additional steps include the formation of alliances, acquisitions, merger agreements, and research and development activities. Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/propane-market-100586 Table of Content: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions & Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Key Emerging Trends For Major Countries Latest Technological Advancement Insight on Regulatory Landscape Porters Five Forces Analysis Impact of COVID-19 on the Propane Market Global Propane Market (USD Billion) Analysis, Insights, and Forecast, 2019-2030 Key Findings Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Grade HD-5 HD-10 Commercial Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By End-user Residential Commercial Industrial Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa Competitive Analysis Company Market Share Analysis, 2023 Company Profile Business Overview Product Application, & Services Recent Developments Financials (Based on Availability) Continued Get your Customized Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/ask-for-customization/propane-market-100586 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. US: +1 424 253 0390 UK: +44 2071 939123 APAC: +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com SAN FRANCISCO/MUNICH (Reuters) US semiconductor company Qualcomm (QCOM) on Tuesday said it will supply chips to power in-car infotainment systems to luxury automakers Mercedes and BMW. Qualcomm is the leading supplier of the chips used in smartphones, a market that has slumped over the past year. But the company is also working with automakers to power various functions in vehicles, from infotainment systems to advanced driver assistance systems, and its automotive revenue grew 13% in its most recent quarter despite its smartphone outlook falling short of analyst estimates. Qualcomm said in a statement it will supply BMW (BMW.DE) with chips that will help power voice commands inside the car. It also said it will supply chips for the next version of the Mercedes E class models, which will be available in the U.S. in 2024. The company expects to have $4 billion in revenue from the automotive sector by 2026, rising to $9 billion by the end of the decade, Chief Executive Cristiano Amon said in an interview on the sidelines of the Munich auto show. Cristiano Amon, president & CEO of Qualcomm, speaking at Mobile World Congress in March. (Photo by Joan Cros/NurPhoto via Getty Images) The U.S. chip designer had announced in late 2022 its "pipeline" in the automotive business was $30 billion, thanks to its Snapdragon Digital Chassis product used by car makers and their suppliers for assisted and autonomous driving technology, as well as in-car infotainment and cloud connectivity. "One of the things we're very focused on the company is to find new areas for growth... automotive is one of those areas," Amon said. Asked about the upcoming IPO of Britain-based Arm Holdings Ltd, the chip designer owned by SoftBank Group Corp, Amon said: "We are not necessarily participating in the IPO, but we believe that Arm plays an important role in the ecosystem. We want to see an independent Arm." Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco, Victoria Waldersee and Christina Amann in Munich; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Kim Coghill) Bustling int'l services trade fair attests to China's foreign investment magnetism 08:24, September 05, 2023 By Wang Siyuan and Zhou Qianxian ( Xinhua This photo shows a digital figure during the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 2, 2023. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Introducing new products, services, and technologies; announcing cooperations with Chinese partners and exchanging ideas at forums -- the hustle and bustle of foreign exhibitors at the ongoing 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) has painted an inspiring picture of China's foreign investment magnetism. The 2023 CIFTIS, held in Beijing from Sept. 2 to 6, has attracted over 500 Global Fortune 500 companies and industry-leading enterprises, and many of them are eyeing growing opportunities amid the country's innovation-driven development and opening-up endeavors. "We attach great importance to the CIFTIS, as it's a crucial platform to showcase innovations, share experience, and promote cooperation," said Meng Pu, chairman of Qualcomm China. At the booth of the company, visitors flocked to interact with an artificial intelligence (AI) model via a mobile phone, asking it to draw pictures. Qualcomm will also release a white paper related to AI technology offline at the fair on Tuesday. "Our company has participated in the fair for four consecutive years, and we are bullish on the Chinese market," said Meng. British-headquartered global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has participated in the CIFTIS for the third time, showcasing its achievements in the Chinese market and signing agreements with its Chinese partners. In August, AstraZeneca further invested 250 million U.S. dollars in its Qingdao pMDI inhalation manufacturing and supply site in east China's Shandong Province. "China is becoming more and more important in our global development strategy," said Leon Wang, executive vice president, international and China president at AstraZeneca, adding that the company has witnessed China's opening-up drive and benefitted from the country's development. In the first seven months, foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Chinese mainland, in actual use in high-tech manufacturing, expanded 25.3 percent year on year, while high-tech industries saw an FDI increase of 3.8 percent during the period, according to the Ministry of Commerce. During this year's CIFTIS, China reaffirmed its commitment to promoting high-standard opening up and advancing Chinese modernization on all fronts through high-quality development, a step further in strengthening cooperation to propel global economic recovery. The sound foundation of China's economic growth remains unchanged, and its determination to open up has shored up the confidence of multinationals to tap into the Chinese market, said Jacky Zou, vice president of KPMG China, adding that China is still a popular destination for global investors. In the past five years, China ranked among the top in return on foreign investment, and it's an appeal to overseas enterprises, he said in an interview with Xinhua. The country is actively promoting the progress of turning the country's super-large market into broader opportunities for foreign firms by rolling out supportive policies. China's State Council unveiled guidelines to optimize China's foreign investment environment further last month, detailing measures such as expanding pilot areas to open wider in terms of services, encouraging foreign firms and their R&D centers to undertake major sci-tech projects, facilitating the travel of senior executives, technicians and their families, and enhancing the expertise of personnel in local government offices handling foreign investment. The guidelines came timeously, reflecting that China considers it important to attract and utilize foreign investment while advancing its own economic development, said Zhang Qi, an expert with the Development Research Center of the State Council. Later the same month, the Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration announced that the current preferential Individual Income Tax policies for foreign individuals would be extended for four years to Dec. 31, 2027. The American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China) applauds these decisions, which help companies better retain and attract vital expatriate employees while efficiently managing operational costs, said Colm Rafferty, AmCham China Chairman. As China has made consistent efforts in advancing high-level opening-up, more foreign investment will flow into the Chinese market, and more synergy will be forged to propel global economic recovery, said Michael Bi, managing partner of EY Greater China Markets. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) As rents close in on a record high, more Americans, including the federal government, are wondering if it's time for national rent control that will regulate rent increases and place restrictions on evictions. In January, the Biden administration announced a blueprint for a renters bill of rights and encouraged federal governmental agencies and politicians to help tenants find, afford and stay in housing. The blueprint is only guidance, not law or policy, on types of protections renters need and how to achieve them. The blueprint explains how different agencies can play a role, but the one that has drawn attention is the Federal Housing Finance Agency's (FHFA) examining ways to limit "egregious rent increases." FHFA's request for public input on renter protections in Fannie Mae- and Freddie Mac-financed properties received thousands of comments, including from 17 Democrats led by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. Their letter asked FHFA to condition Fannie Mae- and Freddie Mac-backed mortgages based on various tenant protections, including limits on egregious rent hikes. Rents have risen 25%, or more than $400, since 2019, according to the apartment search engine Rent.com. Frustrated, many Americans have coalesced around rent control as a solution, but critics say this will only push rents higher. They say a national plan to increase housing stock is a better solution but takes much longer to implement. "There are proven solutions to our housing challenges," said Sharon Wilson Geno, president of the nonprofit apartment advocate National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC). "At the state and local level, communities have successfully used zoning changes to encourage the creation of new rental housing communities and financial incentives to reuse dead malls and empty office buildings for more housing, just to name a few." Why do people like the idea of rent control? After two years of elevated inflation, Americans are tapped out. Many cant afford soaring rents, exacerbated by a housing shortage, and need quick relief. Story continues From 2019 to 2021, the share of renters spending more than 30% of their income on housing rose 2.6 percentage points to 49%, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. America is increasingly becoming a renter nation yet rent remains unaffordable for millions, Tram Hoang, senior housing associate at research and action institute PolicyLink, wrote in an op-ed. Spiking costs and stagnant wages mean that even households with two working adults struggle to afford an apartment. Limiting the amount government agency-backed owners can raise rents each year has the potential to benefit a third of renting households, Hoang said. To view thousands of comments FHFA received on this topic, go to FHFAs website and choose "Tenant Protections" in the drop-down menu. Who owns apartment rentals can shape your view Rent control would prevent corporate landlords from profiting by using low-interest, government-backed financing while raising rents and evicting tenants, Hoang said. Though that may be true, critics say, rent control could hurt millions of people, including some who supplement their retirement with rental income. Among 49.5 million rental units, nearly 46% are small rental properties of one to four units, the National Association of Realtors said. More than 70% of those are owned by individuals, or mom-and-pop landlords. About 70% are also managed by them. Cost of rental housing is expensive, Geno said. If they cant pass on expenses they dont control, many owners will be upside down. Many mom-and-pop landlords were forced into forbearance during the 1-year pandemic-related rent moratorium that allowed tenants to forgo rent payments without fear of eviction. Some even had to sell their properties and defer maintenance on their rentals. Proponents note rent regulations generally allow landlords to file for exemptions to the rental cap to offset capital investments and sometimes pass on expenses like property tax or utility rate increases to tenants. But opponents say exemptions aren't easy to get. "If it was easy, you wouldn't see the reduction in supply that you see from academic studies on the topic," said Jim Lapides, NMHC's lead on rent control. Additionally, given rent boards sometimes don't even approve rents to keep up with inflation, "it's not difficult to see how hard it would be for someone to earn an exemption." Maria Jackson unpacks clothes into a room she is renting Monday, May 8, 2023, in Las Vegas. Jackson, a longtime massage therapist, lost her customers when the pandemic triggered a statewide shutdown in March 2020 and was evicted from her apartment earlier this year. (AP Photo/John Locher) ORG XMIT: XKS308 What does rent control research say? Theres decades of research that show ultimately, rent control increases prices because owners or developers cant cover costs if they rise, Geno said. An often-cited 2019 Stanford University study said rent control intensified San Franciscos housing shortage. Faced with a strengthened ordinance, landlords either converted their units into condos or exited the rental business, resulting in 15% fewer apartments and higher rents, it said. The measure "appears to have increased income inequality in the city by both limiting displacement of minorities and attracting higher income residents with new condos, the study said. Rent control also incentivizes people to occupy apartments longer "even when their apartment no longer fits their needs" which means more competition and higher prices for fewer vacant units, Geno said. (Think the hit show "Friends": Monica's New York City apartment was rent-controlled, and she inherited the lease after her grandmother died and paid just $200 a month. In the series finale episode, as Monica and her husband prepare to move out, he says, "Thanks to rent control, it was a friggin' steal.") Some economists say, though, the ability to stay longer in an apartment creates stability and ensures diversity in a community. Without rent control, lower-income people would be forced to leave as their neighborhood gentrifies and "turnover among tenants will be higher, leading to less stable communities and discouraging investment by renters in their neighborhoods," said J. W. Mason, assistant professor of economics at John Jay College of the City University of New York. A group of 32 economists in a letter to the FHFA also suggested opponents' arguments are alarmist, as when people argued minimum wage would lead to mass layoffs, which didnt happen. Local rent control policies in San Francisco and New York City found that rent regulations lower housing costs for households living in regulated units, they said, even citing the same Stanford study of San Francisco rent control that critics did. In addressing the study's conclusion that the number of rental units contracted under rent control, making prices higher for those not already locked into a regulated unit, the economists suggested closing loopholes that allow landlords, for example, convert their units into condos. Rent regulations can benefit the economy as a whole, helping people stay housed closer to their jobs and communities, and making it easier for employers to find qualified job seekers locally, the economists said. Where there's rent control: How much can my landlord really increase my rent? Know your tenant rights in your state. If not rent control, what can help? Increasing supply and improving transit infrastructure can help, said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at the real estate listings platform Redfin. "We ultimately need more housing and better transit infrastructure to help support it," she said, noting the transit part is important so people can get to work. Though those aren't covered in the White House's proposed bill of rights, the Biden administration last year released its Housing Supply Action Plan to close Americas housing supply shortfall in five years. That plan includes rezoning, transit infrastructure and more targeted rental assistance everything opponents of rent control applaud. The problem is all of that takes more time, and people want immediate relief. "For years, we have invested well in defense, roads, but haven't recognized the housing problem," Geno said. "Now, it's a politically expedient solution. People are hurting we get it. Politicians say they want to solve the problem and use rent control. Rent control allows politicians to shirk their responsibility by shifting the cost of providing needed housing opportunities to apartment owners for immediate political gain." What else does the bill of rights suggest federal agencies do to help renters? The bill of rights also seeks: Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau examination of unfair practices in the rental market, including tenant background checks and screenings, credit reporting and how income factors into housing decisions. Department of Justice workshops about anti-competitive information sharing. Department of Housing and Urban Development rules requiring public housing authorities and owners of some rental assistance properties to provide at least 30 days advance notice before terminating a lease because of nonpayment. Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at mjlee@usatoday.com and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Federal rent control? Debate over national renter protections heats up A new federal court filing in the criminal case against lying Rep. George Santos suggests that the first-term Republican may be in plea negotiations though Santos denied hes considering a deal. In a motion filed Tuesday asking to push back Santos Thursday court appearance, federal prosecutors wrote that the government and Santos are engaged in discussions regarding possible paths forward in this matter. A spokesman for Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace declined to comment Tuesday, and Santos lawyer, Joseph Murray, did not immediately return requests for comment. On Thursday, Santos texted Talking Points Memo saying the suggestion he was in plea talks as wildly inaccurate. Santos was supposed to appear before Long Island Federal Court Judge Joanna Seybert Thursday, but lawyers from both sides are seeking an adjournment to Oct. 27. Murray has received voluminous discovery material in the case, and the prosecutors predict theyll be sending over even more material later this week, prosecutors wrote. Defense counsel has indicated that he will need additional time to review that material as well, prosecutors wrote Tuesday. Santos, who was indicted in May, has pleaded not guilty to wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to Congress. Hes accused of collecting COVID-related unemployment funds while working as an investment firm director, running a bogus PAC and using campaign donor money to buy designer clothes and pay his personal debts, and a string of lies to Congress about his assets and income. Santos notoriously campaigned in 2022 on lies about his education, religion, family history, professional experience and property ownership. Last month, one of his staffers, Samuel Miele, was also hit with federal charges aggravated identity theft and four counts of wire fraud. Miele is accused of impersonating House Speaker Kevin McCarthys now-retired chief of staff, Dan Meyer, to dupe donors into giving Santos money during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles. According to an indictment, Miele admitted the deception to Santos, and got a 15% commission for his efforts. ResMed Inc (NYSE:RMD) has recently been in the spotlight, drawing interest from investors and financial analysts due to its robust financial stance. With shares currently priced at $153.48, ResMed Inc has witnessed a decline of 3.59% over a period, marked against a three-month change of -31%. A thorough analysis, underlined by the GuruFocus Score Rating, suggests that ResMed Inc is well-positioned for substantial growth in the near future. ResMed Inc (RMD): A Deep Dive into Financial Metrics and Competitive Strengths Understanding the GF Score The GF Score is a stock performance ranking system developed by GuruFocus using five aspects of valuation, which has been found to be closely correlated to the long-term performances of stocks by backtesting from 2006 to 2021. The stocks with a higher GF Score generally generate higher returns than those with a lower GF Score. Therefore, when picking stocks, investors should invest in companies with high GF Scores. The GF Score ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 as the highest rank. ResMed Inc's GF Score components are as follows: Each one of these components is ranked and the ranks also have positive correlation with the long term performances of stocks. The GF score is calculated using the five key aspects of analysis. Through backtesting, we know that each of these key aspects has a different impact on the stock price performance. Thus, they are weighted differently when calculating the total score. With high ranks in profitability and growth, and solid ranks in financial strength, GF value, and momentum, GuruFocus assigned ResMed Inc the GF Score of 98 out of 100, which signals the highest outperformance potential. ResMed Inc Business Overview ResMed Inc, with a market cap of $22.57 billion and sales of $4.22 billion, is one of the largest respiratory care device companies globally. It primarily develops and supplies flow generators, masks, and accessories for the treatment of sleep apnea. The increasing diagnosis of sleep apnea combined with ageing populations and increasing prevalence of obesity is resulting in a structurally growing market. The company earns roughly two-thirds of its revenue in the Americas and the balance across other regions dominated by Europe, Japan, and Australia. Recent developments and acquisitions have focused on digital health as ResMed is aiming to differentiate itself through the provision of clinical data for use by the patient, medical care advisor, and payer in the out-of-hospital setting. Story continues ResMed Inc (RMD): A Deep Dive into Financial Metrics and Competitive Strengths Financial Strength Analysis According to the Financial Strength rating, ResMed Inc's robust balance sheet exhibits resilience against financial volatility, reflecting prudent management of capital structure. The Interest Coverage ratio for ResMed Inc stands impressively at 24.3, underscoring its strong capability to cover its interest obligations. This robust financial position resonates with the wisdom of legendary investor Benjamin Graham, who favored companies with an interest coverage ratio of at least 5. With an Altman Z-Score of 7.71, ResMed Inc exhibits a strong defense against financial distress, highlighting its robust financial stability. With a favorable Debt-to-Revenue ratio of 0.37, ResMed Inc's strategic handling of debt solidifies its financial health. Profitability Rank Breakdown The Profitability Rank shows ResMed Inc's impressive standing among its peers in generating profit. ResMed Inc Operating Margin has increased (13.94%) over the past five years, as shown by the following data: 2019: 24.40; 2020: 27.36; 2021: 28.54; 2022: 28.01; 2023: 27.28. ResMed Inc's strong Predictability Rank of 4.5 stars out of five underscores its consistent operational performance, providing investors with increased confidence. Growth Rank Breakdown Ranked highly in Growth, ResMed Inc demonstrates a strong commitment to expanding its business. The company's 3-Year Revenue Growth Rate is 12.2%, which outperforms better than 63.4% of 724 companies in the Medical Devices & Instruments industry. Moreover, ResMed Inc has seen a robust increase in its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) over the past few years. Specifically, the three-year growth rate stands at 10.4, and the rate over the past five years is 15.2. This trend accentuates the company's continued capability to drive growth. ResMed Inc (RMD): A Deep Dive into Financial Metrics and Competitive Strengths Conclusion Given the company's strong financial strength, profitability, and growth metrics, the GuruFocus Score Rating highlights ResMed Inc's unparalleled position for potential outperformance. This analysis suggests that ResMed Inc is a promising investment opportunity for value investors seeking robust growth and solid returns. GuruFocus Premium members can find more companies with strong GF Scores using the following screener link: GF Score Screen This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Public Health Professionals From California, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas & Washington Receive Highest Honors ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2023 / Each year, the Safe States Alliance recognizes and honors members for their contributions to Safe States and their commitment to the field of injury and violence prevention (IVP). The 2023 award winners collectively demonstrate commitment to equity, innovation, excellence, and vision to advance the field of IVP. Safe States 2023 Award Winners Image features the 11 awardees for 2023. From rising stars to seasoned veterans, the following public health professionals will be honored for their significant contributions during the Safe States 2023 Annual IVP Conference taking place Sept. 11-13 in Denver, Colorado. Alex Kelter Vision Award: Mark Kinde, MPH, Minnesota Department of Health (St. Paul, Minnesota) for his lifetime contributions, bringing vision and leadership to the field of IVP. Kinde's tireless efforts to inform public health action over the last 40 years has made a real difference in the lives of Minnesotans and served as an example for the rest of the field. Advancing Health Equity Award: Chezik Tsunoda, No More Under (Bellevue, Washington) for her efforts to prevent drowning through water safety education, legislation, and increasing equitable access to swimming lessons and tools. Injury and Violence Prevention Achievement Award: Christy Adams, PhD, MPH, The University of California Davis Health (Sacramento, California) for her collaborative approach to injury prevention that has led to stronger relationships between trauma care and public health locally and nationally. Injury and Violence Prevention Achievement Award: University of Michigan - Michigan Medicine Trauma Burn Center (Ann Arbor, Michigan) for establishing a regional multi-disciplinary and multi-agency task force to develop and implement an evidence-based youth fire-setting intervention program. Journey Award: Dr. Sandra McKay, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Houston, Texas) for promoting collaboration between firearm retailers and healthcare professionals and creating a shared vision for preventing firearm injuries. Partner of the Year Award: Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research for its ongoing support of, and partnership with, Safe States and commitment to bridging the gap between research and practice. President's Award: Kirstin McFarland, Washington State Department of Health (Olympia, Washington) for her attention to detail and unwavering support as Safe States Treasurer. Rising Star Award: The following four individuals, new to the IVP field within the last five years, are awarded for their immense efforts to advance the practice of IVP by exhibiting professional growth and providing strong leadership. Formed in 1993, the Safe States Alliance is the only national non-profit organization and professional association comprised of public health IVP professionals representing all U.S. states and territories dedicated to strengthening the practice of IVP. Contact Information Julie Alonso Senior Manager Program and Communications julie.alonso@safestates.org 678-532-8738 Richard Hamburg Executive Director richard.hamburg@safestates.org 678-396-8083 Sharon Gilmartin Deputy Director sharon.gilmartin@safestates.org 678-636-9916 SOURCE: Safe States Alliance Story continues Safe States 2023 Award Winners Courtney Fultineer, MPH, Oregon Health Authority (Portland, Oregon) Lauren Gracy, MPH, Kansas Department of Health and Environment (Topeka, Kansas) Emilia Pawlowski, MS, New York State Department of Health (Albany, New York) Victor Soupene, PhD, University of Iowa College of Public Health (Iowa City, Iowa) . View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/778096/safe-states-alliance-recognizes-injury-violence-prevention-achievements Royal Mail letterbox Royal Mail is seeking to axe Saturday letter deliveries after the regulator promised to review the postal services six-day week amid a scramble to cut costs. Ofcom has launched a review of Royal Mails universal service obligations, which require the company to deliver letters from Monday to Saturday. It came as the former FTSE 100 company said it will raise the price of a first class stamp by 15p to 1.25 from October, meaning a book of eight stamps will cost 10 for the first time. Bosses blamed increasing cost pressures and a challenging economic environment for the decision. Royal Mail has been calling for an overhaul of regulation amid a continued decline in letters, which it says has driven up the cost of its six-day service. At the same time, the company is looking to increase its parcel delivery to seven days a week to meet surging demand driven by the rise of online shopping. Ofcom acknowledged that letters remain important, particularly for vulnerable people who have difficulty relying on electronic communication and transactions. But it pointed to a 46pc drop in the number of letters sent and received over the past decade as people increasingly switch to digital alternatives, as well as rising demand for parcel services driven by online shopping. The regulator added: The last few years have demonstrated the importance of postal services, but the way people use them is changing, and we expect these trends to continue. The review will revive the prospect of an end to Saturday deliveries after business minister Kevin Hollinrake blocked Royal Mails calls for a change in postal laws. Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake previously blocked Royal Mail efforts to reduce delivery days - Charlotte Graham In a letter to the Business Select Committee in June, he wrote: The ability to send and receive letters and parcels is important both socially and economically. This is particularly true for consumers who might be more vulnerable. Ofcom will publish evidence later in the year on how demand is changing, the costs of delivering universal service and potential alternatives, although it will not make the final call on whether Saturday services should continue. Story continues Any change to the obligations, which include a requirement to deliver to every address in the UK at an affordable, uniform price, must be voted through by MPs. Scrapping Saturday deliveries and upgrading parcel services to seven days a week is a key part of Royal Mails plans to turn around its struggling operations in the UK. Ofcom has estimated that the change would save Royal Mail up to 225m annually. Royal Mail slumped to a 1bn loss last year as it grappled with a wave of disruptive strike action. The company is already under investigation by Ofcom after delivering more than one in four first class letters late last year its worst performance on record. Earlier this year, the Telegraph revealed the emergence of postal deserts, with some neighbourhoods receiving post as infrequently as once a fortnight. Salvaging postal services and rebuilding relations with unions will be key tasks facing Martin Seidenberg, who took over as chief executive of Royal Mail last month following the departure of Simon Thompson after just two years in the role. A Royal Mail spokesman said: The Universal Service Obligation (USO) which currently requires Royal Mail to deliver letters to all 32 million UK addresses six days a week is outdated and in need of urgent reform. So we welcome that Ofcom is looking at options for the future of the USO and the recognition that it needs to evolve to reflect the changing needs of postal users. Being required to provide a service that customers have said they no longer need, at significant cost to Royal Mail, increases the threat to the sustainability of the USO. We want to work with all stakeholders including Ofcom, Government, our unions and our customers to enable change quickly and to protect the long-term sustainability of the one-price-goes-anywhere Universal Service. A government spokesman said: As the independent regulator, Ofcom is reviewing the future of the universal postal service in response to changing consumer demand. There are no current plans to change the statutory minimum requirements, but we will carefully consider any advice that Ofcom puts forward to meet the needs of consumers. Why Royal Mails decline spells the end of Saturday letter deliveries By James Warrington When Martin Seidenberg took over as chief executive of Royal Mail last month, his task was clear: to redefine the postal service for an era without letters. Just weeks into the job, the 50-year-old German can claim an early victory after regulator Ofcom announced a sweeping review of Royal Mails requirement to deliver letters from Monday to Saturday. While power to change the postal rules known as universal service obligations (USO) ultimately lies with Parliament, the review is a major breakthrough for the company, which has been campaigning for an overhaul for three years. The issue has so far been met with political resistance, as ministers are reluctant to wield the axe on a service that remains important to a minority of Brits. But Royal Mails worsening financial position has forced the regulator to step in. Moreover, as the threat of further strikes and potential nationalisation under a Labour government looms, ministers may be left with no choice but to abandon Saturday letters to save the historic institution. At the heart of the tussle is a sharp decline in letter writing. Letter volumes have tumbled by 60pc from a peak of 20bn in 2005 to just 7bn last year, according to Royal Mail. That is despite the number of addresses rising by 4m over the same period. The company has argued that Saturday deliveries are becoming more expensive to maintain. In turn, it has warned of significant increases in the price of first class stamps to balance the books. Royal Mail's new chief Martin Seidenberg secured a win for the company with Ofcom committing to review Saturday delivery requirements - Osthessen News Meanwhile, bosses want to increase parcel delivery to seven days a week to help meet surging demand fuelled by online shopping and stave off increased competition from rival couriers. Yet the groups pleas for a scrapping of the six-day-a-week letter delivery requirement have proven politically sensitive. Announcing its review on Tuesday, Ofcom acknowledged that letters remain important, particularly to vulnerable people and those who have difficulty relying on electronic communications and transactions. The move could have an impact on some sectors, too, such as magazine publishers who rely on Saturday deliveries. As a result, the Government has so far blocked Royal Mails efforts to change the law. In a letter to MPs in June, business minister Kevin Hollinrake wrote: The ability to send and receive letters and parcels is important both socially and economically. This is particularly true for consumers who might be more vulnerable. Yet the intervention by Ofcom, which is tasked with monitoring the sustainability of the USO, highlights the urgency surrounding Royal Mails finances. The postal company crashed to a 1bn loss last year after it was left reeling by the impact of a bitter dispute with unions that resulted in repeated strikes. Royal Mail faced extensive service disruptions last year due to strikes - Future Publishing Royal Mail is facing a more structural decline, too. The company has only achieved a fair return defined by Ofcom as between 5pc and 10pc twice since it was privatised a decade ago. The financial woes have translated into Royal Mails worst ever annual performance, with one in four first class letters delivered late last year. The dire figures have already sparked an investigation by Ofcom, which could hand down a fine of up to 750m. Earlier this year, the Telegraph also revealed the emergence of postal deserts, with some neighbourhoods receiving post as infrequently as once a fortnight. Bosses are grappling with chronic staff shortages, while morale among posties is in the doldrums. Recent research by Citizens Advice found that 16m Brits or around one in three people were hit by Royal Mail delays in June. Matthew Upton at Citizens Advice says the companys ongoing failings paint a dire picture. The purpose of the USO is to protect consumers by ensuring the postal service is fair and affordable but this is not what people are getting at the moment, he says. Currently, USO targets are missed year-on-year with few consequences for Royal Mail, this needs to change. As a result, support for USO rules in particular the requirement to deliver a one-price-goes-anywhere service remains strong. Yet there are growing signs that six-day deliveries will be consigned to history. The Government has softened its rhetoric on the issue. While previously ministers insisted there were no plans to change the rules, this wording has changed to no current plans. They have also agreed to carefully consider Ofcoms advice. And for some politicians, quality is more important than quantity when it comes to letter deliveries. Conservative MP David Johnston has voiced support for the prioritisation of timely mail deliveries David Johnston, a Tory MP and member of the backbench business committee, said earlier this year: My constituents are most concerned about ensuring that delivery is reliable, however many days it happens on, that they get things in a timely fashion and that they do not miss serious things they should have taken part in or done, because that can sometimes have a financial or a health cost. A spokesman for the Communication Workers Union (CWU) accuses Royal Mail of a deliberate dismantling of the USO and takes aim at Ofcom for its review, saying the regulator should be holding Royal Mail to account, not opening the door to facilitate their manufactured crisis. Yet comments by CWU leader Dave Ward in July, as Royal Mail reached a pay deal with the 115,000 striking members, suggested a change in position. We want to keep the USO, but were going to have to look at a five-day option It may well be the right time to change, he said. An industry source says this is evidence of a change in the mood music, adding: There is a recognition that things must change Now may be the tipping point. Ministers may also consider that changes to the USO are preferable to the risk of more fundamental reform. Royal Mail bosses are conscious that, with an election looming, any decision on its future could be made by a Labour government. While details of its manifesto remain unknown, the party is likely to be more aligned with unions demands as the threat of further strikes hangs over Royal Mail. More fundamentally, a number of Labour MPs have called for the postal service to be brought back into public ownership. Addressing members earlier in the summer, CWU boss Ward hinted at a completely different model for Royal Mail, adding that discussions with Labour had already taken place behind closed doors. For ministers, then, the death of Saturday letters may be a small price to pay to ensure the survival of struggling Royal Mail. 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. New York, New York - (NewMediaWire) - September 05, 2023 - The market for secure communications is expanding as businesses become ever more vulnerable to cyber threats such as hacking, phishing, and malware attacks. Recent data breaches in messaging applications have made it urgent to protect business communications from such attacks and identity theft via mobile and desktop devices. As the number of email hacks grows, the most typical method, called a business email compromise (BEC), is particularly widespread, with almost 20,000 BECs reported to the FBI in 2021. In fact, 90% of hacks are done through email. It is estimated that costs associated with cyberattack damage will have risen to $10.5 trillion by 2025, a 300% increase from 2015. Demand for VPNs as Security Tools is on the Rise Due to the rising levels of such threats, the demand for VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, as a crucial secure communications tool is growing. A VPN creates a private web browsing session, or a secure tunnel, between a user's computer and the VPN server, which hides his or her online activity and location. VPN security enables users to protect their online privacy and prevent their internet service provider from tracking their browsing activity. It can protect IP addresses and encrypt internet history. According to a Forbes study, 66% of businesses use a VPN to help protect personal data, 80% use a VPN for increased security, and 33% use a VPN to mask their internet activity. VPNs are increasingly being used to prevent eavesdropping by government agencies. SWISF Tools Help Businesses Handle Privacy and Security Risks Sekur Private Data Ltd. (OTC: SWISF) (CSE:SKUR) is a company that provides a Swiss-hosted secure and private communications platform along with secure cloud data storage, secure file sharing, and secure electronic communications. The company helps businesses make their communications, such as email and messaging, more secure. SWISF's SekurMail email solution helps address security threats by encrypting a user's sensitive information and minimizing the potential for email hacking. SekurMail operates in tandem with SekurSend and SekurReply solutions that protect both senders and receivers, even when the receiver is not a Sekur client. SekurSend lets a user send an email to any other recipient, whether they have Sekur or not, in full privacy and security as the email never leaves Sekur's encrypted email servers based in Switzerland. SWISF also provides SekurVPN and the private messaging service SekurMessenger with a unique Chat-by-Invite privacy function, which allows a SekurMessenger user to invite via email or SMS a non-SM user to chat in a fully private and secure way without the recipient ever having to register with SekurMessenger or download the app. At the end of the chat, the initiator of the conversation can remotely terminate the conversation, and all traces of the conversation are deleted from all users, including the recipient. The company offers a bundled Sekur plan, which includes SekurMessenger and SekurMail, as a bundle of email, messaging, and file transfer in one application. On August 2, SWISF announced it had signed a distribution agreement with the Kingdom of Morocco for the supply of its Sekur suite of privacy communications solutions. It signed a reseller agreement with Digital Smart Solution, a Moroccan IT services consulting company based in Casablanca, which plans to focus on telecom operators and the banking industry to distribute SekurMessenger and other solutions among enterprises. DSS will approach the 1st and 3rd largest Telecom operators in Morocco, as well as several large banking groups and some government organizations. Proprietary Hosting Infrastructure and Anonymity of Users Make Sekur's Offering Unique Unlike most other VPN and secure communications providers, Sekur uses its own proprietary infrastructure and does not use any Hyperscaler or Big Tech hosting providers. The company is not connected to any Big Tech cloud platform and instead offers a truly independent, private, and secure means of communication without any data mining via its proprietary technology and secure servers based in Switzerland. It offers customers Swiss IPs only, and this guarantees that it is using only SekurVPN's own servers and routing. SekurVPN never monitors users' activity and never shares any data with third-party service providers. With SekurVPN, users do not register their phone number on the app or the web, rendering them invisible to hackers or snoopers. In addition, the company's VPN solution uses the highest encryption industry standards combined with its proprietary HeliX technology for added security. Encryption keys are not stored on devices and are unique for every connection. Users' passwords, confidential data, and Internet browsing stay encrypted. Find additional information about Sekur Private Data Ltd. (OTC:SWISF) (CSE:SKUR) at: https://sekurprivatedata.com/ and information about solutions at: http://www.sekur.com/ and http://www.sekursuite.com/ Disclaimers: The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides investors a safe harbor in regard to forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, assumptions, objectives, goals, or assumptions of future events or performance are not statements of historical fact may be forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on expectations, estimates, and projections at the time the statements are made that involve a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those presently anticipated. Forward-looking statements in this action may be identified through use of words such as projects, foresee, expects, will, anticipates, estimates, believes, understands, or that by statements, indicating certain actions & quotes; may, could or might occur Understand there is no guarantee past performance is indicative of future results. Investing in micro-cap or growth securities is highly speculative and carries an extremely high degree of risk. It is possible that an investor's investment may be lost or due to the speculative nature of the companies profiled. CGR is not operated by a licensed broker, a dealer, or a registered investment advisor. It should be expressly understood that under no circumstances does any information published herein represent a recommendation to buy or sell a security. CGR has been retained by Sekur to produce and distribute this content. As part of that content, readers, subscribers, and webs are expected to read the full disclaimers and financial disclosure statement that can be found on our website capitalgainsreport.com All content in this article is information of a general nature and does not address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Nothing in this article constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information in the article constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. CGR is not a fiduciary by virtue of any persons use of or access to this content. Media Contact: Mark McKelvie Phone: 5853017700 Email: markrmckelvie@gmail.com Entrepreneur Sherrie Williams has sold her haircare line to a major hospital network. With this move, she becomes the first African American to reach such a milestone, according to Milwaukee, WIs NBC affiliate TMJ4 News. Williams is founder and CEO of Simplistic BSC, a company dedicated to helping women of color achieve healthy hair. Williams launched her brainchild in 2018 due to a lack of diversity in the sector. I started out as a cosmetologist and quickly realized that the products at the time (2007) that were in the licensed-only haircare stores were not for African American people. I started mixing products and putting it in my clients hair. They loved it. It took off from there, Williams told AFROTECH in an email interview. Today, Simplistic BSC has expanded to a haircare line featuring 28 products, including alopecia hair growth and thickening treatment, hydrating shampoo, and purifying conditioner, among others. In addition to the companys website, customers will soon be able to purchase through Piggly Wiggly and Fresh Thyme Market, and on Walmarts online store, according to TMJ4 News. Whats more, Williams announced her company has secured a deal with Froedtert Hospitals network of hospitals and clinics throughout Wisconsin. She is already in the process of shipping out products to serve its patients, per the outlet. The deal will impact hospitals by providing a product that everyone can benefit from, Williams told AFROTECH. She added that in her opinion, The complaints and lawsuits for hair loss due to products used in hospitals will stop. Also some hospitals that African Americans wouldnt normally go to may have a change of mind when [they] realize diversity has been included. Its a small but big statement. Williams also shared her sentiments on being the first African American to sell a haircare line to a major hospital. Being the first ever African American in the country, I believe its very impactful. Its another step in the right direction, Williams told AFROTECH in the email interview. Its not just one race sick in hospitals, its all races, and with African American embracing our natural hair, we need something in hospitals that will not strip it. Most hair companies go for stores, which is great. Im also going for stores, but to be in major hospitals is a turning point. It makes a loud statement. We are not being ignored. She continued, Its a great need for our products, and we are the best ones to develop it. Having the cosmetology experience I was able to develop shampoo and conditioner for all hair types with some of the best ingredients. The impact is loud, it means the hospitals are really paying attention to the patients needs. Looking ahead, Williams said she plans to create a shampoo and conditioner specifically for cancer patients that will be used by the hospital. KEB Hana Bank, one of South Koreas largest financial institutions, will offer digital asset custody services from the latter half of 2024. The bank, which has total assets of US$448 billion, made the announcement Tuesday at Korea Blockchain Week in Seoul. It will partner with digital asset custody custody provider BitGo Trust Company on the project. See related article: Why Asia will emerge as the global hub for Web3 gaming: Opinion Fast facts Hanas new digital asset custody services will operate using BitGos blockchain security technology. The two companies did not provide any further information on the services the partnership will provide. The partnership is expected to be an important turning point in raising the standards of the domestic digital asset market to a global level and encouraging institutional participation in the market, the joint press release from Hana and BitGo said. Hana is one of South Koreas top five banking institutions, having earned a net profit of over 3.16 trillion Korean won (US$2.4 billion) last year. Digital asset custodian BitGo has clients, including Nike, in over 50 countries. The California-based company said in the press release that it has decided to expand in South Korea given the countrys favorable regulatory environment. BitGo is also launching an office in South Korea in the latter half of 2024, after preparing the necessary licenses under local regulations. Last month, the company completed a US$100 million Series C funding round, with its valuation standing at US$1.75 billion. In July, South Koreas Financial Services Commission announced that it will push to amend the electronic securities laws to include blockchain-powered security tokens within its regulatory framework. See related article: South Korea issues guideline on cryptocurrencies as securities tokens ahead of planned legalization MonicaNinker / iStock.com Government stimulus programs played an important role in helping Americans deal with economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, but most of those programs are ancient history now especially with the official end of the pandemic emergency. Although federal stimulus programs have shut down, a handful of states still have programs in place to provide economic relief. Stimulus Update: Child Tax Credit Expansion Still Achievable by End of 2023 Where Issue Currently Stands in Congress Food Stamps: SNAP Benefits Will Increase in 2024 Most of the state programs involve tax rebates for eligible residents and are still ongoing. Heres a look at stimulus updates to know for Fall 2023. See: 7 States Considering More Stimulus Checks in 2023 Alabama In May, Alabama lawmakers approved a one-time tax rebate that will give $150 to single people and $300 to married couples. The state will begin distributing the rebates in November, Money reported. The tax rebates aim to compensate residents for the higher grocery taxes they paid while government budget surpluses increased. Nearly 2 million residents who filed a 2021 tax return qualify for the rebate. Minnesota One-time tax rebate payments of up to $1,300 per family started going out in August 2023, according to the Minnesota Department of Revenue. The program provides payments to eligible Minnesotans for the following: $520 for married couples filing a joint 2021 income or property tax return with adjusted gross income of $150,000 or less $260 for all other individuals with 2021 adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less Another $260 for each dependent, up to three dependents Rebates were made possible because of the states projected budget surplus of $17.6 billion and will go to about 2.1 million residents. For more information, visit the Department of Revenue site. Montana Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed three state House bills into law to provide tax rebates for eligible Montana taxpayers. House Bill 192 provides a rebate for individual income taxes paid in tax year 2021. House Bills 222 and 816 provide a rebate for property taxes paid in tax years 2022 and 2023. Story continues Montana residents might qualify for a property tax rebate of up to $675 and/or an income tax rebate equal to the lesser of $2,500 for joint filers ($1,250 for other classifications) or their state tax liability. The state began issuing individual income tax rebates in July, according to the Montana Business & Income Tax Division. These rebates will be issued in the order that they were filed and will be completed by Dec. 31. Taxpayers can claim the 2022 property tax rebate online through the agencys TransAction Portal or in paper form. The claim must be filed by Oct. 1. The state will begin accepting claims for the 2023 rebate on Aug. 15, 2024, and the claim must be filed by Oct. 1, 2024. Visit the Business & Income Tax Division site for more information. New Mexico Earlier this year New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the state legislature approved rebates for New Mexico taxpayers, as well as economic relief payments to New Mexico residents who are not required to file taxes. Payments include a refundable income tax rebate of $1,000 for married couples filing joint returns, heads of household and surviving spouses and $500 for single filers and married individuals filing separately. The rebates will be sent automatically to eligible New Mexico residents who have filed a 2021 personal income tax return. The deadline for filing is May 31, 2024. Washington State Eligible individuals and families can receive up to $1,200 in tax credits if they meet certain eligibility requirements. You can apply for the credit through Dec. 31. Among the items youll need are a copy of your federal tax return, your Social Security number or Individual taxpayer identification number, your address and personal information such as your date of birth, spouses name and children. For more info, go to the Washington Department of Revenue site. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Any Stimulus Updates To Know for Fall 2023? MarketAxess Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:MKTX) has recently been in the spotlight, drawing interest from investors and financial analysts due to its robust financial stance. With shares currently priced at $244.33, MarketAxess Holdings Inc has witnessed a surge of 2.3% over a period, marked against a three-month change of -10.62%. A thorough analysis, underlined by the GuruFocus Score Rating, suggests that MarketAxess Holdings Inc is well-positioned for substantial growth in the near future. Unveiling the Investment Potential of MarketAxess Holdings Inc (MKTX): A Comprehensive Analysis Understanding the GF Score The GF Score is a stock performance ranking system developed by GuruFocus using five aspects of valuation, which has been found to be closely correlated to the long-term performances of stocks by backtesting from 2006 to 2021. The stocks with a higher GF Score generally generate higher returns than those with a lower GF Score. Therefore, when picking stocks, investors should invest in companies with high GF Scores. The GF Score ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 as the highest rank. Each one of these components is ranked and the ranks also have positive correlation with the long term performances of stocks. The GF score is calculated using the five key aspects of analysis. Through backtesting, we know that each of these key aspects has a different impact on the stock price performance. Thus, they are weighted differently when calculating the total score. With a high financial strength rank and profitability rank, and a slightly lower momentum rank, GuruFocus assigned MarketAxess Holdings Inc the GF Score of 97 out of 100, which signals the highest outperformance potential. Introduction to MarketAxess Holdings Inc Founded in 2000, MarketAxess Holdings Inc is a leading electronic fixed-income trading platform that connects broker/dealers and institutional investors. The company is primarily focused on credit-based fixed-income securities with its main trading products being U.S. investment-grade and high-yield bonds, Eurobonds, and Emerging Market corporate debt. Recently the company has expanded more aggressively into Treasuries and municipal bonds with the acquisitions of LiquidityEdge and MuniBrokers in 2019 and 2021, respectively. The company also provides pre- and post-trade services with its acquisition of Regulatory Reporting Hub from Deutsche Borse Group in 2020 adding to its product offerings. With a market cap of $9.21 billion and sales of $733.03 million, the company has an operating margin of 44.35%. Story continues Unveiling the Investment Potential of MarketAxess Holdings Inc (MKTX): A Comprehensive Analysis Financial Strength Analysis According to the Financial Strength rating, MarketAxess Holdings Inc's robust balance sheet exhibits resilience against financial volatility, reflecting prudent management of capital structure. The Interest Coverage ratio for MarketAxess Holdings Inc stands impressively at 871.49, underscoring its strong capability to cover its interest obligations. This robust financial position resonates with the wisdom of legendary investor Benjamin Graham, who favored companies with an interest coverage ratio of at least 5. With an Altman Z-Score of 14.6, MarketAxess Holdings Inc exhibits a strong defense against financial distress, highlighting its robust financial stability. With a favorable Debt-to-Revenue ratio of 0.11, MarketAxess Holdings Inc's strategic handling of debt solidifies its financial health. Profitability Rank Analysis The Profitability Rank shows MarketAxess Holdings Inc's impressive standing among its peers in generating profit. The Piotroski F-Score confirms MarketAxess Holdings Inc's solid financial situation based on Joseph Piotroski's nine-point scale, which measures a company's profitability, funding and operating efficiency. MarketAxess Holdings Inc's strong Predictability Rank of 5.0 stars out of five underscores its consistent operational performance, providing investors with increased confidence. Growth Rank Analysis Ranked highly in Growth, MarketAxess Holdings Inc demonstrates a strong commitment to expanding its business. The company's 3-Year Revenue Growth Rate is 12.3%, which outperforms better than 60.21% of 681 companies in the Capital Markets industry. Moreover, MarketAxess Holdings Inc has seen a robust increase in its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) over the past few years. Specifically, the three-year growth rate stands at 12.2, and the rate over the past five years is 15.2. This trend accentuates the company's continued capability to drive growth. Unveiling the Investment Potential of MarketAxess Holdings Inc (MKTX): A Comprehensive Analysis Conclusion Given the company's strong financial strength, profitability, and growth metrics, the GuruFocus Score Rating highlights the firm's unparalleled position for potential outperformance. MarketAxess Holdings Inc's robust financial health, consistent profitability, and impressive growth trajectory make it a compelling investment opportunity. GuruFocus Premium members can find more companies with strong GF Scores using the following screener link: GF Score Screen This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Las Vegas Sands Corp (NYSE:LVS) has seen a daily loss of -4.06%, with a 3-month loss of -8.22%. Despite an Earnings Per Share (EPS) of 0.07, the question remains: is the stock significantly undervalued? This article aims to explore this question by delving into the valuation analysis of Las Vegas Sands. We encourage our readers to follow along for a detailed financial analysis. Company Introduction Las Vegas Sands Corp is the world's largest operator of fully integrated resorts, featuring casino, hotel, entertainment, food and beverage, retail, and convention center operations. The company has a strong presence in Macao and Singapore, with all its EBITDA generated from Asia. The company's stock price currently stands at $52.7, a figure that significantly undervalues the stock when compared to the GF Value of $86.93. Unveiling Las Vegas Sands (LVS)'s Value: Is It Really Priced Right? A Comprehensive Guide Summarizing GF Value The GF Value is a unique measure of a stock's intrinsic value, computed based on historical trading multiples, a GuruFocus adjustment factor, and future business performance estimates. Our GF Value Line suggests the fair trading value of the stock. If the stock price is significantly above the GF Value Line, the stock is overvalued and future returns may be poor. Conversely, if the stock price is significantly below the GF Value Line, the stock is undervalued, and future returns are likely to be higher. According to our valuation method, Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) appears significantly undervalued. With its stock price significantly below the GF Value Line, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be much higher than its business growth. Unveiling Las Vegas Sands (LVS)'s Value: Is It Really Priced Right? A Comprehensive Guide Link: These companies may deliver higher future returns at reduced risk. Financial Strength Investing in companies with low financial strength could result in permanent capital loss, making it crucial to review a company's financial strength before deciding to invest. Las Vegas Sands has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.39, ranking worse than 54.72% of 826 companies in the Travel & Leisure industry. Based on this, GuruFocus ranks Las Vegas Sands's financial strength as 4 out of 10, indicating a poor balance sheet. Story continues Unveiling Las Vegas Sands (LVS)'s Value: Is It Really Priced Right? A Comprehensive Guide Profitability and Growth Consistently profitable companies offer less risk for investors. Las Vegas Sands has been profitable 8 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $6.80 billion and Earnings Per Share (EPS) of $0.07. Its operating margin is 8.74%, ranking better than 56.22% of 820 companies in the Travel & Leisure industry. Overall, the profitability of Las Vegas Sands is ranked 7 out of 10, indicating fair profitability. Growth is a critical factor in the valuation of a company. Las Vegas Sands's 3-year average revenue growth rate is worse than 88.37% of 765 companies in the Travel & Leisure industry. Its 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is -56.9%, which ranks worse than 94.72% of 606 companies in the Travel & Leisure industry. ROIC vs WACC Comparing a company's Return on invested capital (ROIC) and the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) can provide insight into its profitability. For the past 12 months, Las Vegas Sands's ROIC is -96.35, and its cost of capital is 8.39. Unveiling Las Vegas Sands (LVS)'s Value: Is It Really Priced Right? A Comprehensive Guide Conclusion Overall, Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) stock appears to be significantly undervalued. The company's financial condition is poor, and its profitability is fair. Its growth ranks worse than 94.72% of 606 companies in the Travel & Leisure industry. To learn more about Las Vegas Sands stock, you can check out its 30-Year Financials here. To find out the high-quality companies that may deliver above-average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. PulteGroup Inc (NYSE:PHM) experienced a daily loss of 4.66% and a 3-month gain of 13.99% with an Earnings Per Share (EPS) of 12.1. But is the stock fairly valued? This article will provide an in-depth analysis of PulteGroup's valuation. Keep reading to unveil the financial metrics and factors influencing its current market value. Company Introduction PulteGroup Inc, one of the largest homebuilders in the United States, operates in 42 markets across 24 states. The company primarily builds single-family detached homes, catering to entry-level, move-up, and active-adult buyers. Besides, PulteGroup offers homebuyers mortgage financing and title agency services through its financial services segment. The company's stock price is currently $78.78, with a market cap of $17.30 billion. The GF Value, an intrinsic value estimation, stands at $77.24, indicating that PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) is fairly valued. Unveiling PulteGroup (PHM)'s Value: Is It Really Priced Right? A Comprehensive Guide Understanding the GF Value The GF Value is a proprietary measure that reflects the current intrinsic value of a stock. It is computed based on historical trading multiples, a GuruFocus adjustment factor based on past returns and growth, and future business performance estimates. The GF Value Line on our summary page provides an overview of the fair value that the stock should be traded at. According to the GF Value, PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) is fairly valued. The stock's fair value is estimated based on historical multiples, an internal adjustment based on the company's past business growth, and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the stock price is significantly above the GF Value Line, the stock may be overvalued, indicating poor future returns. Conversely, if the stock price is significantly below the GF Value Line, the stock may be undervalued, suggesting high future returns. Given PulteGroup's current price of $78.78 per share, the stock is estimated to be fairly valued. Story continues Unveiling PulteGroup (PHM)'s Value: Is It Really Priced Right? A Comprehensive Guide As PulteGroup is fairly valued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be close to the rate of its business growth. These companies may deliver higher future returns at reduced risk. Financial Strength Before investing in a company, it's crucial to assess its financial strength. Companies with weak financial strength pose a higher risk of permanent loss. The cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage provide a good insight into a company's financial strength. PulteGroup has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.74, better than 53.77% of 106 companies in the Homebuilding & Construction industry. The overall financial strength of PulteGroup is 9 out of 10, indicating its strong financial health. Unveiling PulteGroup (PHM)'s Value: Is It Really Priced Right? A Comprehensive Guide Profitability and Growth Investing in profitable companies, especially those with consistent profitability over the long term, is less risky. Companies with high profit margins are generally safer investments than those with low profit margins. PulteGroup has been profitable 10 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $16.90 billion and Earnings Per Share (EPS) of $12.1. Its operating margin is 21.38%, which ranks better than 88.99% of 109 companies in the Homebuilding & Construction industry. Overall, the profitability of PulteGroup is ranked 10 out of 10, indicating strong profitability. Growth is a crucial factor in a company's valuation. The faster a company is growing, the more likely it is to be creating value for shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. The 3-year average annual revenue growth rate of PulteGroup is 22.8%, ranking better than 84.31% of 102 companies in the Homebuilding & Construction industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 43.2%, ranking better than 78.95% of 95 companies in the Homebuilding & Construction industry. ROIC vs WACC Comparing a company's return on invested capital to the weighted average cost of capital can help determine its profitability. Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. When the ROIC is higher than the WACC, it implies the company is creating value for shareholders. For the past 12 months, PulteGroup's return on invested capital is 23.94, and its cost of capital is 9.76. Unveiling PulteGroup (PHM)'s Value: Is It Really Priced Right? A Comprehensive Guide Conclusion In summary, the stock of PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) is estimated to be fairly valued. The company's financial condition is strong, and its profitability is robust. Its growth ranks better than 78.95% of 95 companies in the Homebuilding & Construction industry. To learn more about PulteGroup stock, check out its 30-Year Financials here. To find out the high-quality companies that may deliver above-average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Partnership sees 25% increase in bookings to Great Britain DUBAI, UAE, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A partnership between Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and VisitBritain, Britain's national tourism agency, has seen a 25% boost in bookings to Great Britain. London The multi-media advertising partnership campaign "Spilling the Tea on Great Britain," which ran between January to June 2023, used a play on Britain's love of tea, inviting visitors to "See Things Differently." The campaign promoted Britain's rich cultural heritage, breathtaking coastlines and landscapes, as well as its dynamic cities and destinations including London, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Manchester. Wego's statistics show a substantial surge in bookings from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait to Britain during the campaign, up 25% from January to June, compared to the same period last year. Additionally, passenger numbers traveling to Great Britain through Wego are up 27% during the same timeframe. There was also a 78% rise in Wego's searches from Riyadh to Newcastle and a 63% increase in searches to Manchester. Wego VP of Brand Marketing and Social Media, Roxana Nicolescu, said: "We are absolutely delighted with the campaign growth figures that our partnership with VisitBritain has achieved. This collaboration signifies our joint commitment to showcasing the unparalleled beauty and experiences that Britain has to offer. The impressive growth in engagement and bookings affirms the impact of our collective efforts in igniting wanderlust and facilitating seamless travel experiences." VisitBritain Head of Partnerships, APMEA, Jennifer Huntley, said: "Our partnership with Wego has been instrumental in promoting Britain's diverse travel experiences across the nations and regions to a global audience. The impressive growth figures from our partnership are also testament to the allure of Britain as a destination and the power of collaboration in driving tourism growth." Story continues In an initiative to facilitate traveling for GCC nationals, the UK Government is set to launch a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme commencing in October, starting with Qatar. With an application fee of 10, the ETA will also eliminate the necessity for visas among citizens from GCC nations and Jordan making journeys to Britain more cost-effective and convenient. About Wego Wego provides award-winning travel search websites and top-ranked mobile apps for travelers living in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East regions. Wego harnesses powerful yet simple to use technology that automates the process of searching and comparing results from hundreds of airlines, hotels, and online travel agency websites. Wego presents an unbiased comparison of all travel products and prices offered in the marketplace by merchants, both local and global, and enables shoppers to quickly find the best deal and place to book whether it is from an airline or hotel directly or with a third-party aggregator website. Wego was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Dubai and Singapore with regional operations in Bangalore, Riyadh, Cairo, Lahore, and Kuala Lumpur. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201043/Tower_Bridge_London.jpg Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wego-and-visitbritain-announce-boost-in-bookings-to-britain-through-its-spilling-the-tea-on-great-britain-partnership-campaign-301917056.html SOURCE Wego Crunchy_Numbers / Wikimedia Commons Its a sad truth: Widespread poverty isnt a new or fleeting problem. Across decades governed by both Democratic and Republican presidents, 11%-14% of American citizens consistently struggled to afford the bare necessities. Since America is regarded as one of the wealthiest nations in the world, its natural to question why some of its residents cant afford to live within its borders. Warren Buffetts Financial Plan to Tackle Americas Debt: I Can End the Deficit in 5 Minutes Find Out: What To Do If You Owe Back Taxes to the IRS We spoke with Elizabeth Vivirito, founder of Vivirito Consulting, LLC, a strategic advisory firm focusing on policy and communications for inclusive growth. She broke down why persistent poverty exists, why its concentrated in select areas, and what we can do to break the devastating cycle. What Is Persistent Poverty? The United States Census Bureau says that persistent poverty occurs when a geographic region has a poverty rate of 20%+ for 30+ years. As of the bureaus last report, nearly 11% of the nations counties are plagued by persistent poverty. Roughly 6% of the countrys population resides in one of those counties. Per this map depicting long-term poverty, some states tend to have a greater number of poor residents than others. For instance, more than 14% of the population of Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Texas and West Virginia regularly lack the financial resources needed to get by. What Causes Persistent Poverty? Currently, there are several states with failing economies. Perhaps unsurprisingly, five of the 14 states include Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and West Virginia. Down economies often mean shuttered businesses and few jobs, which can plunge more people into poverty and keep others stuck. But why else are parts of the nation experiencing a chronic lack of wealth? Vivirito said, Across the U.S., poverty exists not because of inadequate wealth, but because of unequal distribution of that wealth. The U.S. not only has the worlds largest economy, [it has also] seen steady economic expansion since the 1960s, with per capita wealth growing from $3,000 in 1960 to over $72,000 today. Unfortunately, [the country has a] legacy of systemic inequality, built on our history of enslavement, theft of land, and unequal treatment of poor whites, immigrants, minorities, women, and people with disabilities. Story continues Stimulus Update: Child Tax Credit Expansion Still Achievable by End of 2023 Where Issue Currently Stands in Congress She continued, Its important to note that poverty exists in every state and community across America. Yet, there are disturbing trends: according to Prosperity Now Scorecard, liquid asset poverty is highest across large parts of the South, Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, and Nebraska. Persistently high poverty rates are driven by history (states with histories of wealth extraction from enslaved people, for example), labor market inequalities (groups of people being paid far less than others), generational wealth inequity, and current policies. Yet theres one more big driver of poverty: anti-poverty narratives, which drive the idea that poor people just dont work hard enough or arent deserving of assistance or aid. This is a huge reason behind unequal public and private benefits access. How Can Leaders Address the Problem? According to Vivirito, its crucial that leaders address the biggest burdens bringing down Americans financial health healthcare, housing, and educational expenses while addressing historic failures in the labor, housing, and other markets. She added, Concretely, this means more and better: Medicaid expansion, housing supports, and child poverty interventions. She encourages the government to reduce inefficient paperwork processes and unnecessary qualifications required to access government benefits. This would allow people to focus on finding jobs and building stability instead of [complying with] onerous requirements. However, Vivirito said theres another hurdle leaders must clear first. They need to work through their anti-poverty biases and the story theyre telling about its causes and consequences. The truth is that over a quarter of people across America would struggle to pay for an unexpected $400 expense thats your sister, your dry cleaner, your childs teacher. She stressed, Poverty affects all of us across our communities but because of the shame and judgment we have around it, people arent always honest at how precarious their financial situations are. Changing how we talk about poverty its a problem in every community, and it could happen to almost any of us is an essential first start. How Can the Average Person Help? Vivirito urged, Address your own anti-poverty bias, and ask yourself, What stories am I telling about why poverty exists and who it affects? Then, hold your leaders accountable and point out when theyre making assumptions not based on research but based on stereotypes. She continued, Get curious about the who and why of poverty in your area. Barbara Kingsolvers Demon Copperhead tells an extraordinary story of a man born into poverty in Appalachia, and I think it helps shine a light on what white poverty looks like throughout the South. Its truly sobering to understand how anti-poverty narratives and [the] intentional pitting of whites against Blacks and Indigenous people [was used] for the purpose of extracting wealth from all poor people in the region. If Youre in Poverty The U.S. government sets the poverty level based on income and family size. For example, if you live alone in 2023, and earn $14,580 or less, youre considered impoverished. If youre a couple, the earnings threshold increases to $19,720. A family of three is in poverty if the household earns less than $24,860. Fortunately, if this is your reality, it doesnt have to stay that way forever. It is possible to break free and build wealth. In fact, the story of growing up poor and ending up rich is relatively common (but certainly not common enough). Generally, those who defy the odds against them feel a deep drive to change their circumstances, work exceptionally hard, develop sound money habits, and dont fear failure. When you have little or nothing to lose, you have nowhere to go but up. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Why Certain States Have Experienced the Most Poverty for 30 Years and How All Americans Can Help Change This Microsoft is set to launch its abusive-voice reporting feature for Xbox consoles. Announced in July, it lets gamers submit inappropriate remarks heard while playing multiplayer titles. The system captures a 60-second clip saved to the console; you then have 24 hours to complete the report. The feature arrives this week in the September update for Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. However, its initially limited to the select English-language markets of the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Microsoft says it tailored voice reporting to balance ease of use with minimal gaming interference. Our feature is designed so that only you, the player, can initiate the capture of the last 60 seconds of gameplay activity that occurred for content moderation purposes, the company wrote. It works similarly to capturing standard gameplay clips, but content recorded for moderation review is only used for that purpose. They will not appear in your recent captures, and clips cannot be downloaded, modified, or shared, Microsoft wrote. The company stressed that the console wont save or upload any clips unless you start the reporting process. After capturing a clip of spoken chat that you believe breaks Xboxs community standards, the sample will remain on your console for 24 online hours, and you can choose to submit it immediately or wait for your gameplay session to end. In addition, your Xbox will alert you as a final reminder to send the report if the 24-hour period is about to expire. Finally, youll receive a notification later telling you whether the company took action against the perpetrator. Also included in the Xbox September update is the ability to quickly stream Xbox gameplay to Discord. After updating your console, you can link your Discord account and join voice channels on the platform directly from the console. Youll find the activation controls in the Xbox guide by navigating to Parties & Chats and choosing Discord. The September update also lets users toggle the consoles variable refresh rate (VRR). You can now turn the feature off or back on by navigating to General > TV & display options > Video. Youll see options to leave VRR always on, switch it to gaming only or disable it altogether. Two brothers were arrested Saturday following an incident in which a man was carjacked at gunpoint in Spotsylvania a short time before the suspects crashed on Interstate 95 in Stafford. Larique E. Leach, 18, of Maryland, and Larry Leach, 22, of Washington, are both charged with multiple offenses, including armed robbery, felony eluding, child abuse and multiple firearms offenses. Spotsylvania Sheriffs Maj. Troy Skebo said a man contacted police at 3:22 p.m. to report that he had been robbed at gunpoint by two males in the 1100 block of Salem Station Boulevard. The suspects left with his 2007 Honda sedan and his wallet. Deputy M. Satterwhite spotted the Honda in the area of Battlefield Middle School on Leavells Road and attempted to stop it. The Honda traveled on Salem Church Road to State Route 3 with deputies in pursuit, Skebo said. It then got onto Interstate 95 and headed north. Stafford deputies were waiting as the Honda came into their county and set up a maneuver known as a rolling roadblock. The driver, identified by police as the younger brother, crashed the Honda against a guardrail about a mile north of the Garrisonville exit while trying to avoid the maneuver. Both suspects were taken into custody without further incident; no one was seriously injured. Skebo said an 18-month-old child was found in the back seat of the vehicle, along with two loaded firearms. One of the guns had been reported stolen in Clayton County, Ga. The child was placed with Child Protective Services and later turned over to a family member, police said. Court records show that Larique Leach was arrested on similar charges last year in Maryland. That case eventually resulted in a misdemeanor conviction. Did you know the same artist who popularized the Republican elephant and Democrat donkey also was responsible for the modern image of Santa Claus? Or that the U.S. citizenship test has more than 100 potential questions, but those taking it will be asked just six to 10 questions? Or that years ago, specific parties in different states had their own ballots in different colors? Thus, people automatically knew who someone was voting for based on the color of their ballot. These are only a few of the many facts people can learn from a new traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian. The public can see this exhibit, free of charge, from now through Oct. 7 at the Saunders County Historical Society Museum, 240 N. Walnut St., in Wahoo. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays. The exhibit, titled Voices and Votes: Democracy in America, is based on a major exhibition on display at the Smithsonians National Museum of American History called American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith. Voices and Votes has many features including: Historical and contemporary photos; Educational and archival video; Multimedia interactives with short games and additional footage, photos and information; Historical objects like campaign souvenirs, voter memorabilia and protest material. I believe that Voices and Votes will inspire many Nebraskans to think about and discuss the importance of our right to vote and the sacrifices that so many people made to ensure that this privilege is afforded to citizens of all backgrounds, Mary Yager, Humanities Nebraska associate director, said in a news release. Its exciting to think about the conversations that will be sparked among visitors of all ages. The exhibit has six sections that cover various aspects, including many things people may not realize are part of democracy, said Erin Hauser, Saunders County Museum curator. Hauser believes the exhibit offers a great opportunity for people to learn about or remind themselves about the origins of this form of government. I think a lot of us have forgotten about what a unique concept it was when it first came about, Hauser said. While some may assume democracy sprang fully formed from this nations forefathers, Hauser points out that a lot of debate that took place at the time. Along with the Smithsonian exhibit, the Saunders County Museum is hosting two local exhibits and a lecture series. One of these exhibits is called Produced by Politics. It includes campaign buttons and posters. We have some from when Bobby Kennedy visited, Hauser said. The brother of assassinated U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Bobby was running for the office and visited Wahoo in May 1968 shortly before he was assassinated that June. Photos taken when Bobby Kennedy visited Wahoo and a political rally poster are among items in this display. The other local exhibit focuses on the Ida McKinley Club, formed by women in Wahoo in 1896. The women attended rallies and marched in parades. It was a way for women to become involved in politics, even though they werent allowed to vote, Hauser said. Its also believed the group may have been formed as a way for women to influence their husbands to vote for Idas spouse, William McKinley, who became the 25th president of the United States and served from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. This exhibit features two dresses, on loan to the museum, and a picture from that time period. In addition, the museum is offering a lecture series based on the Smithsonian exhibit. All lectures will take place at noon in the museum. All are free and open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to bring their lunch to the programs. Groups and organizations are welcome to attend the Lunch and Learn events. Dates, topics and speakers include: Wednesday, Sept. 6Fight for the Right to Vote: It Still Matters, Dianne Bystrom, presented by Humanities Nebraska; Wednesday, Sept. 13Libraries & Democracy; Wednesday, Sept. 20Sovereign Citizens, Indigenous Campaign for and critiques of US Citizenship, Katrina Jagadinsky; Wednesday, Sept. 27Latino voters in the US, Sergio Wals; Tuesday, Oct. 3Program by Civic Nebraska; Friday, Oct. 6How music of protest rocked the vote, Dawne Curry. Voices and Votes is part of Museum on Main Street, a partnership between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and state humanities councils nationwide. Museum on Main Street is designed to bring Smithsonian exhibits to small-town museums and people in rural areas who might not have access or opportunity to the displays or information. Hauser said the museum applied for the exhibit through Humanities Nebraska in 2022 and learned earlier this year that it had been accepted to host it. When you apply for it, you have to set some ideas for programming and local exhibits, she said. Hauser appreciates the Smithsonian exhibit. Its certainly piqued my interest, she said. Theres lots of little tidbits I remember, but theres lots of things I didnt realize. One of those was about the man responsible for popularizing the Republican elephant and Democrat donkey in the 1870s. His name was Thomas Nast and he was a political cartoonist for the Harpers Weekly political magazine. Hauser encouraged the public to come to the exhibit. Theres something for everybody, Hauser said. It doesnt matter what side you happen to fall on left or right, blue or red. More information about the museum can be found on its website: saunderscomuseum.org A flurry of new housing and business proposals in Fountain in recent years showed that developers' interest in water has outstripped supply a problem that's sent the community searching for new water rights to buy. However, a recently settled Fountain water court case demonstrated how long it can take to convert agriculture water to municipal use and underscored the need for additional water treatment in town. In 2005, Fountain purchased agricultural water rights in Fountain Creek and last year the water court case was settled, allowing the city to use 148 acre-feet of water formerly used to irrigate farmland for municipal use. It also required the city to measure the water from Fountain Creek in the Fountain Mutual Irrigation Company Ditch. The purchase is the city's most recent water acquisition, said Taylor Murphy, water resources and engineering manager for Fountain. The water rights account for about 5% of the city's annual use of about 3,000 acre-feet of water, he said. An acre-foot of water can support four families for a year in Colorado Springs. "This will supplement our overall water portfolio in the long term," Murphy said. Currently, though the city doesn't have the infrastructure to treat the additional water and so it will not make more water available to developers, he said. The number of new taps available in the city are capped, but the city is not releasing the number still available to prevent a single developer from attempting to claim them all. If the city's other water sources ran short, the new water could be used to supplement supply, he said. Eventually the water will help fill a new reservoir the city is planning on the west side of Interstate 25 north of the Ray Nixon Power Plant. Sign up for free: Gazette Business Receive a weekly roundup of business news around El Paso County. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. The plans for the reservoir are still in the development and design stages and will require a diversion to draw water out of Fountain Creek, he said. A cost estimate is not yet available for the reservoir that will hold about 1,500 acre feet. The city has finalized some of the costs associated with the new rights, agreeing to pay the ditch company a one time buy-in fee of $13,042 to use the ditch to measure its water rights as required by the court case, he said. The city will also have to pay the company an annual fee for use of the ditch, according to an agreement approved by the Fountain City Council this month. Determining water available to users is a science in Colorado based largely on runoff from snowpack. If water is not available to for all users, those with more junior rights take cuts. "Every drop of water has be very carefully accounted for," Murphy said. The rights Fountain purchased date back to 1863, making them more senior. Fountain's limited water supplies to fuel construction became a contentious issue in town when developers planning thousands of homes approached the city for water. While interest has slowed, the city is still seeing pretty consistent interest from developers, particularly around apartments, he said. Crisis specialist Erik Jacobsen sits in a cool, dark office. Despite a list of incoming calls projected on the wall, the aura remains calm, ready to counteract the high stress ahead. Jacobsen works for Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners, the call center appointed as Colorados 988 suicide and crisis hotline. He spends his time speaking to those going through mental health emergencies. To Jacobsen, his work provides an opportunity to change the world, or to change the trajectory of someones life. You hear about that hero who runs into a burning building to save someone. I want to be that person, he said. With the crisis hotline, you are given the opportunity to walk into someone elses burning building. He is one of hundreds of 988 crisis specialists who deal with mental health and suicide calls, sharing an overall sentiment of helping others through tribulations the ongoing mission of 988 in general. But if 988 is to help lower the alarming rate of mental health crises in the state, it will require both stellar specialists and community outreach. The 988 lifeline went live in July of 2022, providing both phone and text support for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. The 911-like system was federally mandated by the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020. Each state has a call center that puts callers in contact with live specialists, combining the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and Veterans Crisis Line under a 3-digit alias. Through the first year of operation, 988 saw significant improvements in the operation of crisis lines. Nationally, the line received more than five million contacts, ranging from calls to texts and chats, over the first year. National answer rates saw a spike from 70% of calls answered in May 2022 to 93% in the same month the next year, according to the KFF health policy research group. Mental health advocates say those improvements are needed. A concerning trend As a nation, we are in a vast public health crisis when it comes to mental health, Vincent Atchity, president and CEO of Mental Health Colorado, said in a 988 review by The Association of Health Care Journalists. Theres a pediatric state of emergency when it comes to mental health. There were 49,449 suicide deaths in the United States in 2022, increasing 2.6% from the previous year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Colorado came in as the sixth-highest suicide rate in the country in 2022, reaching 1,384 deaths a trend thats persisted for a decade. Since 2014, Colorado has been in the top 10 states for highest suicide rates every year except 2017. Suicide rates amongst older teens did drop in 2022, according to an annual Kids Count in Colorado report. Fifty-six people between 15 and 19 died in 2022, a 32% drop from the 83 in 2020. The rest of the rates were level. A bleak plateau. Seventeen Colorado children between 10 and 14 committed suicide in 2022, according to the report. The same number as the year before. Jacobsen recalls a conversation with a 7-year-old in his first crisis hotline role in Boston. The child had called with a bottle of pills in their hand, threatening to take their own life. A life yet lived. At 7, you dont really have a developed brain. So, when things went bad, they went straight to this. Im upset. Im going to die. Jacobsen said. He spoke with the child for around 30 minutes. Eventually, they were willing to put the pills down and walk away from the possibility. The kid called back days later to thank Jacobsen for saving his life. Jacobsen didnt know how to feel. If I were to die tomorrow, I made a difference in the world. Im so proud of that, Jacobsen said. Its the accessibility mission of the 988 hotline, along with the specialists that help it run, that may be able to cause a downturn in the concerning suicide statistics. On the frontline I almost view this job as a professional athlete. A mental athlete, Jacobsen said. I have to show up ready. Seeing the rising numbers in mental health crises and the weight placed upon a single-center service like the 988 initiative can make a hard job even harder. Jacobsen notes the job gets easier through practice, though. Rocky Mountain provides a four-week training program that includes two weeks of mock calls and two weeks of being shadowed by a supervisor. The job also includes heightened attention to employee mental health with bi-monthly supervisor check-ins, mental health days and constant communication. 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. While a rough outline is provided of how calls should be handled, its almost impossible to script. Jacobsen notes the main idea is to define the crisis and then provide the caller with the strength to get through it themselves. Suggestions and demands are never made. I am not here to tell you how to live your life. Im not here to give you advice. Im not here to problem solve, Jacobsen said. We try to support and empower the callers to solve their problems, so they are the agent of change. According to Jacobsen, this may be an act of listening, or pointing out little things that remind the caller of their connection to the world. He points to a story of an older person calling in, contemplating suicide. After the caller mentioned their plants, Jacobsen asked who would water the plants if the caller was gone. That was enough to turn the tide. Sometimes its just a sliver, like a dog or plant, Jacobsen said. Im going to try to find where the hope is in your life. But will the 988 hotline help? The idea of 988 is to bring mental health issues to the forefront, with easy access to immediate and long-term care. Jacobsen and his coworkers are champions of that, providing open minds and eager ears to anyone who calls. But the impact of the accessible hotline on mental health crisis rates has yet to be seen. Kelly Bowman, manager of 988 Enterprise at the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration, said the next hurdle is finding a way to get the community to know the service is available. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the entity behind the national 988 hotline, said that awareness is the main initiative for their second year. Only around 13% of people know that 988 exists, Heather Saunders, a postdoctoral fellow at KFF, said during the 988 review. The next year is about telling people whats going on at 988 and how it can help, Bowman added. We have to increase how we tell folks that this is not just a suicide prevention line, Bowman said. We want you to call. If its 2 a.m. and youre on your hamster wheel of doom, weve all been there. You dont have to do that alone. Its not 911 Though a similar number, the objective of 988 is not the same as 911, a confusion that Jacobsen notes as common. 988 is there to help people through mental crises and provide resources, not dispatch police or ambulances. If a caller is considered an immediate danger to themselves during a 988 call, they will be connected to a 911 dispatcher. Bowman said that when a caller is considered an extreme danger, the call center must take matters to other professionals. Our skillset only goes so far in those moments, Bowman said. If it is a suicide in progress, we need to get someone immediately. She stresses that the stigma of purpose needs to be broken. Though 988 specialists, like Jacobsen, are there to talk with callers, not command outside emergency services. Even if they put a caller through to 911, they still have to alert the caller that its happening and ask them if they would be willing to provide information. 988 does not have caller information and location. They cannot give the police a callers personal info. Bowman notes that 0.3% of the Colorado 988 contacts over the past year ended with a referral to 911. Off the frontline Jacobsen knows that its all a lot of pressure. He sees the suicide numbers rising. He works hard not to take it all home. He notes that bringing your calls to your outside life can bring a mountain of stress. He spends his off time recuperating his mind through outdoor activities like hiking and eating right. I feel fulfilled and like Im making a difference, so outside of work, I feel good about myself Theres no friction with my existence so Im able to enjoy the things I do outside, Jacobsen said. He notes that the job isnt for everyone. Some may not be able to separate the work from home life, getting into a downward spiral of negativity. This mental separation doesnt mean that Jacobsen or any other call specialists dont care or take each call seriously. If someone is reaching out to a crisis line in the first place, at least a part of their being wants help. Its his job to help the caller realize that. Its my process to show up and to do my best and to trust my judgment and my coworkers, Jacobson said. People are still going to die by suicide. I have to be okay with that. But, any person I interact with, I am going to give them 100% of my best to prevent that. Our entire state has a stake in Denver International Airport the worlds third busiest and that includes simply being able to get there on time to catch a flight. The long-overdue widening of congested Pena Boulevard, the only traffic conduit to the global transportation hub, is meeting resistance from the usual interests. From mass-transit zealots; from environmental groups; from urban planners who aim to dictate how the rest of us get from Point A to Point B, and even from the bicycle lobby. And all cried out in protest last month when the Denver Regional Council of Governments voted to help fund an environmental impact study required by federal law if Pena is to expand. Their outcry was intended to make timid politicians waffle on the obvious need for widening. Hence, the political establishments public pandering to the resistance. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston was singing their tune even during his mayoral campaign, having opposed widening though more recently punting on the matter, pending the impact studys findings. Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington similarly has been sending a mixed message through the media. He has called mass transit preferable but also holds out hope for widening Pena as he put it in one news report in a responsible way. Lets hope the double-talk is only lip service to appease the peanut gallery, and that officialdom gets and ultimately will act upon what rank-and-file passengers using DIA got a long time ago: The only sensible path to DIA is a wider one. One meant for automobiles. The study is only one of the federal speed bumps slowing Pena Boulevards improvement, so breaking ground is a few years off at best. Lets at least ensure Colorado isnt compounding the delays. Our states policy leaders need to be pushing expansion ASAP. 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. Pena Boulevard hasnt expanded since 1995, when the airport opened. Since then, Colorado has added more than 2 million residents, and the number of passengers served by DIA has more than doubled. Its way past time to accommodate that growth. Sure, upgrading service is also in order for RTDs A Line light rail, which serves the airport along with the agencys SkyRide bus service. But no one in Denvers or the states leadership should kid themselves about the real fix to growing gridlock on Pena its more lanes. Those leaders can rest assured its what everyday Coloradans want. While professional transportation planners dally; mass-transit advocates balk, and the environmental lobby fusses and fumes, most Coloradans simply want a clearer path to their flight. They have no use for the misplaced qualms of the policy elites, whose mass-transit daydreams serve an abstract dogma rather than the flying public. Its past time for the green fringe to stop backseat driving and to stop viewing DIA, of all places, as a laboratory for outlandish transportation experiments. Widening Pena of course would mean carrying more mass transit, too. Not only buses but also carpooling and the booming ride-share market. An expanded Pena also would serve local, non-DIA traffic in the rapidly growing residential and commercial areas of the northeast Denver metro area, for which the road is a key artery. Above all, widening Pena is the only way to serve passengers from around our entire state and beyond who depend on DIA for their long-distance transportation. Lets move forward. More than a half dozen Colorado judges are still delinquent in updating missing personal financial disclosure statements with state officials, despite a Denver Gazette investigation that flagged them about the problem two weeks ago. There were 15 judges delinquent as of Thursday one of them on the Appellate Court bench but the number more than halved after The Denver Gazette sent each of them an email asking for a comment or explanation why. The Secretary of State's Office said seven judges from a list of nearly 60 did not have financial disclosure forms on file this year some of them for even longer following the Denver Gazette's investigation that ultimately revealed nearly 1 in 6 judges across Colorado had failed to file the document despite a law requiring it. The disclosures are a financial accounting of a judges personal holdings, as well as those of their family. It is a misdemeanor punishable with a fine up to $5,000 to willingly not file. Public officials from the governor and legislators to county judges and members of certain boards and commissions are required to file the disclosures with the Secretary of States Office each January. The original list of judges without filings grows even longer when senior judges, those who officially retired but remained on the bench in a limited capacity, are added. Nearly all of the senior judges there are 50 hadnt filed the document with the secretary of state since retiring, some longer than a decade ago, although they do file them with the judicial department as a requirement to be a senior judge. There is no specific exemption that says senior judges are not required to file the document with the secretary of state. Several judges contacted The Denver Gazette last week to say they had filed the disclosure following the newspapers story, some even producing fax logs or copies of the document as proof. A handful pointed to emails sent to The Denver Gazette when the initial story broke in which they said they had taken care of the problem. Many called the missed filings "an oversight." One said she simply mistyped the email address to make the filing, but did not say whether the email had bounced back undelivered. A Secretary of States Office spokesman said it double-checked its records and could not find disclosures for the seven, but did for the remainder. The office did not immediately say whether senior judges were in compliance. There is no automatic confirmation when a filing is made that shows its been accepted. Yuma County Court Judge Kristei Jones hasn't filed a disclosure since he was appointed by then-Gov. John Hickenlooper in August 2018, secretary of state records show. The former mayor and city councilman of Wray on Colorado's Eastern Plains is a rancher with no law degree, other records show. His position is a part-time one and Yuma County is one of the smaller Colorado counties where a county judge need not be a lawyer. Jones did not respond to emails seeking comment. When contacted, two judges told The Denver Gazette last week that they were filing the disclosures immediately and offered no explanation why they hadnt done so until now. A third judge said he ignored the initial story, believing he had properly filed the disclosures previously, only to realize now that he had not. And Denver District Judge Lisa Arnold emailed The Denver Gazette this week to say her current disclosure is filed and that she would file backdated ones as the info I need to complete them is sent to me. Arnold had not filed any disclosures since she was appointed to the bench in January 2020, The Gazette previously reported. One of the seven Mesa County Court Judge Bruce Raaum insisted he had faxed his disclosures both times The Denver Gazette contacted him, in July and again in August, and provided fax logs to show he had. The Secretary of State's Office on Friday said it did not have any document from Raaum. Sedgewick County Court Judge Myka Landry said "although my oversight and the resulting inquiry has caused me much angst," she was "grateful" to learn that it was an email problem that kept her filing in July from getting to the Secretary of State's Office. She said the oversight shouldn't have happened and that she doubted "it will ever happen again." As before, several judges again did not respond to Denver Gazette emails seeking comment or explanation, including Appeals Court Judge Elizabeth Harris. Harris had previously told the newspaper in July that she would check on her two missing disclosures 2016 and 2020 but then did not respond to additional emails asking about the outcome of her inquiry. The Secretary of States Office said Harris filed the missing disclosures Thursday, a day after The Denver Gazette emailed her again. 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. One new judge, 22nd Judicial District Judge William Furse in Durango, said he doesnt think hes violated any law by not filing. The Denver Gazette had earlier identified him as one of the judges the Secretary of States Office said had not filed a disclosure for 2023. Furse said he believed the statute applies to him only after he was actually sworn in to the job and not before. Gov. Jared Polis officially appointed Furse on Aug. 31, 2022 to fill a vacancy that was to come with the retirement of District Judge Douglas Walker. But Furse didnt begin his term until Walker left on Jan. 10, 2023. The disclosure law only says that judges are required to file by the Jan. 10 following his or her election, reelection, (or) appointment. Furse, who had been the district attorney for the 22nd Judicial District and had previously filed the annual disclosures until he left that office in 2020, told The Denver Gazette hed file his disclosure as a district court judge next January a year after hell have already been on the bench and not before. Im of the mind that Im not required to disclose until later this year or to disclose information that was before the effective date of my appointment, Furse said in a telephone interview. Furse added in an email: Again, it is my intent to fulfill my judicial financial disclosure requirements when this time comes on Jan. 10, 2024. The judicial department has said it does not interpret any laws unless it is a matter of litigation, and it does not interpret laws for individual judges. The department sends out a yearly reminder to all judges about their obligation to file the required disclosure forms, even if there are no changes to report. Rep. Mike Weissman, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, said the spirit of the law shouldnt be ambiguous. Any judge who is presiding over cases from the bench and deciding Coloradans rights under the law should have a financial disclosure on file, regardless of other provisions in the disclosure laws about timing of those filings, Weissman said. If there needs to be a legislative change to ensure the law is clear on that point, then we will look at that. That some judges still have not filed their disclosures after the newspaper stories troubled Weissman. I really hope any judicial officers not yet in compliance with filing requirements will prioritize getting their filings in, Weissman said. Following The Denver Gazette story, the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline requested extensive information about the entire filing history of more than 100 judges the 56 identified by the newspaper who are still on the bench and the 50 senior judges from the Secretary of States Office, according to emails obtained through an open records request. The information provided to the commission showed that some of the judges had a history of missed filings that extended further back than just the years identified by The Denver Gazette, according to the emails. The commissions work by law is secret so its unclear if its launched a full-blown inquiry. Outcomes of official investigations, under the current rules, are public only when a recommendation for discipline is made to the Colorado Supreme Court. Censures are generally private, which means the public never learns of them except in an annual report that describes them generally without identifying the offending judge. Voters will be asked in 2024 to change how the states judicial discipline system works, including when investigations become public. More than 1,000 Coloradans take their own lives every year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. These growing numbers rank the state as the sixth-highest suicide rate in the country. Between April and May, the Colorado suicide prevention hotline received more than 11,200 calls with 22% going unanswered, according to health policy research group KFF. Officials from the suicide hotline organization Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners beg to differ. According to their research, only 13.9% of calls went unanswered during said period, with those numbers improving. As RMCP became Colorados 988 center a suicide and crisis hotline in 2022, officials said it has seen drastic improvements in client communication. It's a matter they take seriously. We know that timing matters, Kelly Bowman, manager of 988 Enterprise at the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration, said. It can seem like an eternity when you are in pain and are looking for help. When someone has the courage to reach out, being able to meet them quickly is really important. The 988 suicide and crisis lifeline was mandated by the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020, and requires each state to have a call center that puts callers and texters in contact with a live counselor. That combined the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and Veterans Crisis Line under the 3-digit alias. Between April and June, Bowman said, 88% of Colorado 988 calls have been answered within 30 seconds half the time of the 59-second goal. By April 2024, RMCP predicts most calls will be answered between 15-20 seconds. Bowman added that every Colorado-based call that goes unanswered for longer than 59 seconds is transferred to a backup national hotline, so no call ever truly goes unanswered. 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. But improving contact starts with understanding the discrepancies, she said. Though RMCP reports only missing 14% of calls as opposed to the 22% reported by KFF finding the reasons behind the drops can help further improvements. There are a lot of reasons that the calls can drop on the front end, and we never learn about it at the Rocky Mountain Crisis Center, Bowman said. We are uncovering a lot of various reasons across the country as to why these variances exist. Examples of reasons calls may be dropped include: Cell service issues; callers deciding to hang up and locational discrepancies that may cause the abandonment rate. Regardless, Bowman notes that 14% isnt low enough. Zero unanswered calls will always be the goal, especially in a state where suicide rates are at a 15-year high. Bowman points to the 2021 legislation Colorado passed allowing crisis services to be funded through telecom fees as a historical help for suicide hotlines. A 2021 report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration showed most crisis centers only receive $2,500 to $5,000 a year in federal funds, with the rest of funds coming publicly. The lack of funding makes it difficult to staff centers, lowering answer rates and response times. Telecom funding gives Colorado the freedom to build staff, raising answer rates. Other states are looking at what we did. It gives us a lot of flexibility and support to plan for 988, Bowman said. Talking to other states that do not have sustainable funding, its a huge challenge Knowing that we have really invested in 988 in Colorado is something we should be really proud of. It may be too soon to tell if 988 will improve Colorado suicide rate, but Bowman calls it a really exciting time for how we can do better as a country and how we can improve what were working on in Colorado. Roughly three years ago, June and Clyde Spero got a call from a company called Harvest Hosts. The Denver-based winemakers and operators of Spero Winery have spent their lives carrying on the traditions passed down to them by Clydes father, Gaetano. Gaetano immigrated to the U.S. at age 13 from Potenza, Italy, and kept up the winemaking traditions of his hometown after settling in Colorado. Clyde continued carrying the torch when he planted an urban vineyard and opened the winery in 1999. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Harvest Hosts wanted to know if the winery was interested in a new business opportunity hosting RVers and van lifers for one-night stays. Now June and Clyde get to meet people from all over the country, June said. Their busiest hosting night saw 11 RVs on the same night, but typically there is only one guest at a time. Almost everyone buys at least one bottle of wine, if not a case, which provides a small bump in the winerys annual profits, June said. We had one man from California buy five cases, she said. He said our wine was so good and our prices were so good he was taking Colorado wine back to California. The sales are nice perk but not the motivation for being a host, June said. We are here to accommodate travelers if they just need a spot to stay overnight, she said. We are here for them. The Vail-based companys pitch to the RV community is to become a member, and in exchange get access to unique places that free parking lots or $30 campgrounds dont offer, all while supporting local business. On the heels of rapid growth, Harvest Hosts also took another step in its international expansion plans this year. CEO Joel Hollands road to helming Harvest Hosts began about seven years ago when he and his wife were living in D.C. Preparing to sell the tech startup they had at the time, and not sure what was next, the couple stopped at an RV dealership on a whim. We bought an RV and took off, and ended up spending two years traveling, Holland said. A study by the RV Industry Association in 2021 found a 62% increase in RV ownership in the past two decades, with about 11.2 million household owning an RV. The rigs were increasing in popularity among millennials and Gen Z, and about 22% of owners were between 18 and 34 years old. They drove through all 48 states, a journey that eventually put Harvest Hosts on their radar. The couple that founded Harvest Hosts had brought a concept from France to the U.S., partnering up with farms and wineries as sites to provide space for RV to stay overnight. Holland, with his newfound passion for RVs, made them a pitch. If they were interested in selling, he promised to take their company and make it better. In 2018, Holland took over. The company survived the pandemics tailwinds and tried to respond to the moment, knowing for many people, finding ways to travel during COVID meant returning to small towns and hitting the road. 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. We kind of held on for dear life and were able to grow the network and membership substantially, he said. In 2018, Harvest Hosts had 600 locations and about 6,000 members, mainly in North America. Today, the company has amassed 9,000 host locations, including 5,000 businesses and churches. The remainder of sites are private properties. Membership is approaching a quarter million, Holland said. In Colorado, there are 232 Harvest Host sites, and about 41 within 50 miles of Denver. Hosts span from alpaca farms to ranches, cideries, breweries, and churches. Most members mix a Harvest Host site into their list of stays at campgrounds, Holland said. People who sign on pay an annual membership fee that gives them unlimited access to book stays across the country. They can search by location, or by route, and pick a spot for no overnight fee. Because most sites are businesses, the Harvest Host code of conduct asks members to spend at least $30 before they leave. On average, members spend $50, Holland said. This year, members are expected to spend more than $50 million at Harvest Host sites collectively. Host businesses bring in an extra $13,000 to $15,000 in revenue annually, Holland said, and Harvest Host doesnt take a cut. If you are in the middle of Kansas, you are lower. If you are in Denver, you are probably four to five times that, he said. Guests can only stay for one night and there are no hookups. They are using your RV as it was intended, Holland said. There might be sites, such as Walmart parking lots, where RVs could park for free, Holland said, but what Harvest Hosts tries to provide is a unique experience, a way to support local businesses, and a peace of mind that parking lot camping might not guarantee. Business hosts must have licenses and insurance. The Harvest Host team vets host applicants social media profiles for any glaring signs that they will not be a suitable site, and also relies on community feedback to monitor hosts and members conduct. Much like Airbnb, both hosts and guests rate and review a stay. If anything comes back and its subpar, our customer service team is all over it, he said. Holland wants more businesses like the Speros to sign up. The company has its sights on international expansion, acquiring Boondockers Welcome in 2021, a Canadian company that allowed it to incorporate private properties as hosts in addition to businesses. Harvest Hosts announced this year that it acquired a company in the U.K. called Brit Stops that has nearly a dozen pubs and farms in the U.K. as hosts. I think we will continue trying to push this model international, he said. About 49,500 people took their own lives last year in the United States, the highest number ever, according to government data released in August. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which posted the numbers, has not yet calculated a suicide rate for the year, but available data suggests suicides are more common in the U.S. than at any time since the dawn of World War II. Deaths by suicide in El Paso County also saw a record high last year, up by about 10% in 2022 over 2021, for a total of 194, according to Coroner Dr. Leon Kelly, chief medical examiner. After three years of relatively flat total suicides during the pandemic, were trending up," Kelly told The Gazette last month in releasing his final 2022 annual report. The increase may indicate the pendulum is swinging toward a new pattern. "This year were tracking ahead of last year, Kelly said of local suicide data from January through April. While suicide is a complicated issue that involves many factors, a rise in drug overdoses, particularly involving the synthetic opioid fentanyl, more murders and the regions population growth contributed to last year's numbers, he noted. El Paso County's previous record was 180 deaths by suicide in 2019, the year before the pandemic hit. In 2020, the number of local people taking their lives fell to 178, then dropped to 176 in 2021. El Paso County again led the state last year, among 64 counties, for the most people killing themselves, according to the State Demography Office. Deaths by suicide declined statewide last year, with 1,287 people taking their lives, down from 1,370 in 2021, according to the Colorado Center for Environmental Health and Data. Also, teen suicides in El Paso County had dropped dramatically to four in both 2021 and 2022, but this year are rising, with deaths by suicide of children under age 18 already surpassing four by April, according to Kelly. There's something wrong. The number should not be going up, said Christina Wilbur, a 45-year-old Florida woman whose son shot and killed himself last year. My son should not have died, she said. "I know it's complicated, I really do. But we have to be able to do something. Something that we're not doing. Because whatever we're doing right now is not helping." Experts speculate that the recent increases nationwide might be driven by higher rates of depression and limited availability of mental health services. But a main driver is the growing availability of guns, said Jill Harkavy-Friedman, senior vice president of research at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Suicide attempts involving guns end in death far more often than those with other means, and gun sales have boomed placing firearms in more and more homes. A recent Johns Hopkins University analysis used preliminary 2022 data to calculate that the nations overall gun suicide rate rose last year to an all-time high. For the first time, the gun suicide rate among Black teens surpassed the rate among White teens, the researchers found. I dont know if you can talk about suicide without talking about firearms, Harkavy-Friedman said. U.S. suicides steadily rose from the early 2000s until 2018, when the national rate hit its highest level since 1941. That year saw about 48,300 suicide deaths or 14.2 for every 100,000 Americans. The rate fell slightly in 2019 and 2020, which some experts linked to a phenomenon seen in the early stages of wars and natural disasters, when people pull together and support each other. But in 2021, suicides rose 4%. Last year, according to the new data, the number increased by 3% for a total of 49,449, which represents more than 1,000 more people than in 2021, according to provisional data from U.S. death certificates. Nationally, the largest increases were seen in older adults. Deaths rose nearly 7% in people ages 45 to 64, and more than 8% in people 65 and older. White men, in particular, have very high rates, the CDC said. Many middle-aged and elderly people experience problems like losing a job or losing a spouse, and it's important to reduce stigma and other obstacles to them getting assistance, said Dr. Debra Houry, the CDCs chief medical officer. Despite the grim statistics, some say there is reason for optimism. A national crisis line launched a year ago in which anyone in the U.S. can dial 988 to reach mental health specialists. Colorado also has a crisis hotline, 844-493-8255, or text "TALK" to 38255. The CDC is expanding a suicide program to fund more prevention work in communities. And there's growing awareness of the issue and that it's OK to ask for help, health officials say. Gazette reporter Debbie Kelley contributed to this report. Iraqi Assyrian Leaders Join UN Conference on ISIS Genocide Displaced Iraqi Assyrians who fled from Islamic State militants in Mosul, pray at a school acting as a refugee camp in Erbil, Iraq, September 6, 2014. ( Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah) Iraqi Christian leaders convened with a United Nations team and international representatives in Iraq's Kurdistan Region to discuss ongoing investigations into ISIS' targeted genocide against Christians, which was described as "barbaric attacks, rooted in hate and inhumanity." The United Nations Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL, or UNITAD, organized the conference, which also included political leaders from various countries. UNITAD Special Adviser Christian Ritscher revealed the investigation's findings, saying ISIS had destroyed Christian cultural heritage in Mosul and the Ninawa plains (also known as Nineveh plains). Churches, monasteries, cemeteries, manuscripts and Christian symbols were targeted in what Ritscher described as "barbaric attacks, rooted in hate and inhumanity," the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern noted in a statement. Safeen Dizayee, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government's Department of Foreign Relations, emphasized Kurdistan's role as a refuge for Iraq's Christians. "Christians are the indigenous people of this land and must continue their lives with dignity and security," Dizayee said. Dindar Zebari, the Kurdistan Regional Government's Coordinator for International Advocacy, said the majority of the remaining 200,000 Christians in Iraq have taken refuge in Kurdistan. Zebari recounted the history of Christian persecution in Iraq, noting that displacement due to terrorism peaked after ISIS' attacks in 2014. UNITAD's conference gathered over 30 Christian community leaders and international representatives from the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Hungary and the European Union. Ritscher commended the resilience of the Christian community. "Your togetherness and your resilience are inspirational, not just to the Christian community in Iraq, but also to us at UNITAD," he said, according to UNITAD's press release. Ritscher also mentioned that individual case files for ISIS members involved in crimes against Christians are being developed. These identities are corroborated by testimonial evidence and internal ISIS documents. U.S. Consul General Mark Stroh and French Acting Consul General Rodolphe Richard reiterated their countries' support for UNITAD's investigations. Both emphasized the importance of investigating crimes against the Christian community and other minorities in Iraq. During the conference, UNITAD investigators provided updates on their progress. They discussed modern tools and methodologies used in international crime investigations. Christian leaders at the conference shared recommendations on evidence gathering and witness accounts. They stressed the importance of documenting ISIS' international crimes against the Christian community to hold perpetrators accountable in court. At last year's G20 event centered on religions' role in helping solve global problems, the Most Rev. Bashar Warda, the Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Erbil, warned that Christianity in Iraq was "on the very edge of extinction." During his remarks at the G20 Religion Forum in Bali, Indonesia, in November, the archbishop stressed that "sectarian violence" was a significant problem in Iraq. This country suffered the rise of an Islamic State stronghold during the last decade in which thousands of Iraqi religious minorities were killed, enslaved or forced to flee their homelands. "Without an end to this sectarian violence, there is no future for religious pluralism in Iraq, or anywhere else in the Mideast for that matter," he said. "The brutal logic of this is that there does eventually reach an end point where there are no minorities left to kill, and no minorities left to persecute." Warda added, "As I share with you this experience, I pray that you will find in our story a clear warning to you all." He noted that after around 1,900 years of existing in the region, "we Christians of Iraq now find ourselves on the very edge of extinction." Although Christians in Iraq once numbered around 1.5 million, that number has fallen to below 200,000 today as the Christian population has deteriorated since the United States military intervention began in 2003. U.S. forces and their allies killed at least 686 Islamic State suspects in Iraq and Syria in 2022 "to degrade the terror group's ability to direct and inspire destabilizing attacks in the region and globally," according to the U.S. Central Command. Feud Between Chaldean Patriarch and Iraq's President Reinforces Islamic Status of Minority Groups Iraqi president Abdul Latif Rashid (left) and Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako. (AINA) -- On July 12 Iraqi president Abdul Latif Rashid repealed the decree recognizing the appointment of Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako as head of the Chaldean Catholic Church and which appointed him to the office of the waqf (), the endowment which oversees all church property. The details of the events leading up to this action are exhaustively covered in this report by MEMRI. In brief, a political feud between the Patriarch and an Assyrian secular leader, Rayan Al-Kildani, who is part of the same political group as the president, escalated to the top levels of the Iraqi government. The office of the waqf is an institution dating back to the 7th century AD and is a product of Islamic law. There are three offices of the waqf, one for Sunnis, one for Shiites and one for all other non-Muslim minorities combined, primarily Christians, Yazidis and Mandeans. The head of the waqf for non-Muslims has traditionally been a Christian, this based on Christians being the third largest religious group in Iraq, behind Shiites and Sunnis. This is by tradition, however, and the head of that office need not be a religious figure or even a Christian, and can even be a Muslim. Historically, the head of the office was appointed by the Muslim state. In recent times, the "secular" state has assumed that role. This punitive action by president Rashid against Patriarch Sako not only puts the property of the church in danger of being confiscated by unscrupulous actors, but reinforces the status of non-Muslim minorities as religious groups and Dhimmis under Islamic law. In 2005 Iraq passed a constitution which officially recognized non-Arab and non-Muslim groups as ethnic groups instead of religious groups. This included Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs), Yazidis, Mandeans, Turkmen and Shabaks. This same constitution also a recognized Islamic law as a source of law (as opposed to the source of law). Islamic law recognizes only Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians, and makes provisions for these three groups, known as Dhimmis. Dhimmis do not serve in Muslim armies, but are taxed in lieu of that (the jizya); they are also offered some protection for their faith, though in practice this has always been lacking. There are a host of restrictive and humiliating rules which Dhimmis must live by. Even though Iraq is a constitutionally secular state in theory, in practice it is not so. There are numerous Islamic rules, regulations and offices in existence, the waqf being one of them. For example, Islamic rules apply without exception to inter-religious marriages, with children forcefully Islamized despite the wishes of the parents. The action of president Rashid against Patriarch Sako, though arising in a secular context, is never-the-less rooted in Islamic law. The Patriarch and his Christian community were punished as a religious group, a Dhimmi group, despite what the Iraqi constitution legally proclaims. There is no legal basis for this action in the Iraq constitution. This action is extra-constitutional and rooted in Islamic Sharia law. Because the waqf is based on Islamic law it should be abolished at least for non-Muslim groups, which should not have to live under Islamic law. If Iraq proclaims to be a constitutionally secular state then it must not use Muslim laws when dealing with non-Muslim groups. Patriarch Sako is the de-facto custodian of the property of the Chaldean church, as are all other leaders of religious groups custodians of their properties. The government has no authority to grant him that right, because it is not theirs to do so. Doing so only reinforces the Dhimmi status of Christians. AINA calls on the Iraqi government to abolish the office of the waqf. AINA calls on Patriarch Sako to resign from the office and disavow it as a vestige of Islamic law which should not be used against non-Muslims groups. Las Vegas proud title as the Wedding Capital of the World has been fortified by a rich history and more than five million nuptials. Locals, but more often tourists, tie the knot here in traditional ceremonies, while some, for example, have Elvis impersonators oversee their nuptials. The citys wedding chapels have been instrumental in keeping the wedding destination reputation afloat. With more than five million I dos and counting, each year Las Vegas conducts more destination weddings than any other place on the planet, according to Clark Countys marriage bureau. For well over 70 years a Vegas wedding has captured the public imagination as the ultimate quick, stress-free, fun, glamourous wedding destination. For the upcoming 70th anniversary of the London Daily Herald first declaring the city the Wedding Capital of the World on Sept. 23, 1953, Clark County is planning a mass vow renewal ceremony at Caesars Palace. The Las Vegas Review-Journal, for its part, compiled a list of some of Las Vegas historic chapels. Heres a fun fact: The July 1909 wedding of Grace McGee and William C. Bright was the first recorded marriage there, just shy of two years before the city was incorporated. Chapel of the West Algiers (1966-2003) Located at the site of the soon-to-open Fountainbleau resort on the Strip, the chapel was originally themed around the Little Church of the West. Before closing, it twice rebranded, to All Religions Chapel and Candlelight Wedding Chapel. Notable brides and grooms included Bette Midler, Barry White and Michael Caine. In 2017, officials moved the structure to the Clark County Heritage Museum. Graceland Chapel (1923-present) Built a century ago, it was originally the house of Ollie McKee, who turned it into a wedding business in 1939. She originally named it Gretna Green after a Scottish town where marriage by declaration was popular in the previous century, according to a Clark County report on the wedding industry. Elvis Presley once showed up unannounced for a tour of the chapel, prompting the owner to change the name in his honor after the artists death a decade later, according to the chapels biography. According to Graceland Chapels website, notable celebrities who wed there include The King himself, Jon Bon Jovi, Jay Leno, Salma Hayek and Leslie Mann. Hitching Post (1923-1990s) Also originally a private home at 514 Las Vegas Blvd. South, the building was repurposed as a wedding chapel in 1934. Its steeple was built in the 1950s, and in the following decade, the building was painted all white. The property was demolished after the block was sold and redeveloped. An unrelated Hitchin Post wedding chapel still operates inside the Circus Circus. Little White Chapel (1955-present) Located at 1301 Las Vegas Blvd. South, the chapel strives to be innovative in its wedding offerings. That includes the first ever wedding drive-thru conducted in a classic pink Cadillac convertible. The chapel touts its appeal to celebrities, and its website lists the marriages of Mickey Rooney, who wed there twice; Mary Tyler Moore; Brittney Spears; Michael Jordan; James Caan and the late Sinead OConnor, among others. Famous couples that wed there include Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow, and Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. Chapel of the Bells (late 1960s-present) The chapel, originally built in 1955, has hosted weddings since the late '60s at the now Fun City Motel, 2233 Las Vegas Boulevard. Its been featured in blockbusters such as "Honeymoon in Vegas" starring local celebrity Nicolas Cage Indecent Proposal, Mars Attacks! and Vegas Vacation. Its famous weddings include those of Kelly Ripa, Jenny Jones, Leslie Nielsen, Mickey Rooney and Mark Consuelos, according to its website. Chapel of the Flowers (1955-present) Located at 1717 Las Vegas Blvd. South, the chapel was one of the first where weddings were officiated on the Strip. Its been remodeled over the years, including the recent addition of a Married in Fabulous Las Vegas sign at which couples can pose like they do at the iconic Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign a few miles north on the tourist corridor. Notable nuptials include those of 1990s power couple Carmen Elektra and Dennis Rodman. Ronnie Vannucci, the drummer of Las Vegas darlings The Killers, worked there as a photographer while the band recorded its breakthrough album, Hot Fuss. Award-winning places to have destination weddings and honeymoons Best Wedding Destination - Overall Best Wedding Destination - Caribbean Best Wedding Destination - Central & South America Best Wedding Destination - Mexico Best Honeymoon Destination - Caribbean Best Honeymoon Destination - Mexico Bunuel wrote: In 1883, the Indonesian island Krakatoa, home to a massive volcano, seemingly disappeared overnight as an eruption rent the entire island apart, catapulting rock and debris into the atmosphere. For the next years, as ash circled the entire globe, the average world temperature dropped by several degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, an eruption of similar power in terms of the amount of debris ejected into the atmosphere will likely cause the average temperature around the world to drop by several degrees. Which of the following, if true, best challenges the main claim of the argument? A. The eruption of the Indonesian island of Tambora was even larger than that of Krakatoa, yet the average world temperature did not drop as much as it did following the eruption of Krakatoa. B. In 1883, the ocean-atmospheric phenomenon La Nina occurred, an event that is always followed by a drop of several degrees in the worlds average temperature. C. Due to the effects of climate change, the average world temperature has been steadily increasing over the last few decades. D. According to sophisticated computer analysis, the eruption of Mt. Toba between 69,000 and 77,000 years ago, one of the most powerful ever, may have hastened an ice age. E. No volcanic eruption in the 20th century was close to the magnitude of the Krakatoa eruption, yet average world temperatures dropped between 1950 and 1960. Official Explanation: Only (B) does so. The argument assumes that one event caused another event. In this case, the volcano eruption, and the subsequent debris pushed into the atmosphere, led to a drop in global temps. The correct answer will provide another cause to the drop in global temperatures.Note, (B) is not saying that the volcano did not cause any drop in temperature, but it attacks the part of the conclusion that states that a volcanic eruption of equal intensity will cause the same drop in temperature. If La Nina was responsible for compounding the drop in temperature, then a similar eruption, without the attendant La Nina, would not necessarily result in the same drop.(A) is really tempting. The reason it is not the answer is it does not address the conclusion as directly as (B). Though Tambora was a larger eruption, the conclusion states, "in terms of the amount of debris ejected into the atmosphere". We do not know if Tambora ejected more debris into the atmosphere than did Krakatoa.(C) states that temperatures worldwide have been increasing. That does not mean that a massive eruption could not lead to a drop in world temperatures.(D) is a general fact that does not relate to the argument.(E) is wrong because the drop in temperatures is not related to any eruption. Thus, (E) is irrelevant._________________ Hoang Xuan Sinhs Birthday Posted by John Baez Its Hoang Xuan Sinhs 90th birthday today! Here she is in front of Grothendieck in 1967: He taught algebraic geometry in the countryside in Vietnam while Hanoi was being bombed, and she took notes. After he left she did her thesis with him by correspondence! When the war ended, she went to Paris to defend her thesis and get her Ph.D. Then she returned to Hanoi and started the first private university in Vietnam. A while ago Ha Huy Khoai, director of the Mathematics Institute at the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, asked me to write an essay about Hoang Xuan Sinhs thesis for a book in honor of her birthday. He didnt tell me it was going to be a printing of her thesis. In all these years, her thesis had never been published! Here is the book in honor of Hoang Xuan Sinhs birthday: Her thesis was hand-written in French, and you can see its title reproduced here. Gr-categories are categories like groups. I later called them 2-groups, and that seems to have caught on. Here is the table of contents: The introduction includes the following remarks: In later years, Professor Hoang Xuan Sinh no longer had time to devote to mathematical research, as she devoted all her energy and enthusiasm to building Thang Long University. Her life is the consistent journey of a patriotic intellectual and talented scientist: from the decision to leave a comfortable life in France to return to contribute to Vietnamese education during the war years, determined to reach the pinnacle of science in extremely difficult conditions, to extraordinary efforts and determination to overcome countless challenges, building the first non-public university in Vietnams education system. In the first part of this book, the reader can see part of the handwritten manuscript of the thesis, which Professor Hoang Xuan Sinh sent to Paris. At that time, it was almost impossible to type the Thesis! This manuscript is a valuable document that Thang Long University has thanks to the enthusiastic and generous help of Professor Nguyen Tien Dung (Toulouse University) and Dr. Jean Malgoire, Grothendiecks last graduate student. You can also see her thesis typeset in LaTeX here (in French), and the original hand-written version and much more here. My essay in this book can be gotten here: Hoang Xuan Sinhs thesis: categorifying group theory. Abstract: During what Vietnamese call the American War, Alexander Grothendieck spent three weeks teaching mathematics in and near Hanoi. Hoang Xuan Sinh took notes on his lectures and later did her thesis work with him by correspondence. In her thesis she developed the theory of Gr-categories, which are monoidal categories in which all objects and morphisms have inverses. Now often called 2-groups, these structures allow the study of symmetries that themselves have symmetries. After a brief account of how Hoang Xuan Sinh wrote her thesis, we explain some of its main results, and its context in the history of mathematics. Posted at September 5, 2023 11:50 AM UTC Yuriko Backes, Minister of Finance, announced yesterday the launch of the Luxembourg Gender Finance Task Force, with a view to support, drive and stimulate gender finance in the Luxembourg financial centre. This initiative underlines the growing importance of gender finance both nationally and globally, within the field of sustainable finance. The task force, which gathered yesterday for its inaugural meeting, is mandated to identify key opportunities within the domain of gender finance and develop a sector-wide strategy, specifically focusing on both "finance for women" and "women in finance". The task force is composed of a diverse group of representatives from the financial sector and is chaired by the Head of sustainable finance at the Ministry of Finance, Ms Jennifer de Nijs. Minister Backes remarked: "Empowering women is not just a personal or political pursuit, it is a core element for economic growth and sustainable development. With this task force, Luxembourg reaffirms its commitment to leveraging the financial sector for positive impacts in the world." The Task Force will aim to identify opportunities that can be undertaken individually by actors in the Luxembourg financial center or through collaborations between public and private actors. Furthermore, it will focus on creating actions and impact, fostering innovation, and partnering with institutions in gender finance. Luxembourg has historically demonstrated leadership in sustainable finance and continues to solidify its status as a pioneer and leader in the field. This new gender finance task force is further testament to Luxembourg's efforts to support new and emerging trends in sustainable finance. For more information on the Luxembourg Gender Finance Task Force, contact Jennifer.denijs@fi.etat.lu. Press release by the Ministry of Finance BUTTE There used to be photos on social media of her legs, often clad in colorful heels and resting on the floor of the statehouse as she tweeted about what lay ahead of her that day in the legislative session. Abigail St. Lawrence represented a cluster of groups as a lobbyist, sometimes speaking several times a day during the sessions and prowling the halls at the Montana Capitol during the interim at various hearings or other state business. And if she wasnt posting online about state stuff, she often wrote about her historic home in Uptown Butte that she shared with her best friend and their German short-haired pointers, Gov. Ann Richards and Apollo. But then, on June 17, 2022, the messages stopped. St. Lawrence had suffered a stroke in which she has defied the prognosis on her chances for recovery and has been on a laborious road to recuperation that some describe as a miracle. She now walks with a cane and her arm is in a brace. Shes been back in her Butte home for months, continues to go through therapy and remains optimistic about returning to the Capitol in Helena. These days Im feeling pretty well most days, she said as she sits on a chair on the ground floor of her 124-year-old home. I still have my right arm and leg that are coming, but very slowly. The 45-year-old St. Lawrence said she is concentrating more on her right leg and arm in physical therapy. Its a lot of work for me, she said. But I am doing this, thats the important thing, I am doing it. She takes paratransit to her physical therapy sessions five blocks away at St. James Healthcare, consisting of occupational and speech therapy twice a week. Her speech is clear, but slow and deliberate as she offers complete sentences as she answers questions about her life. As she talks she sometimes raises a hand in the air as if to grasp a word that eludes her. She occasionally will ask softly aloud what word is she looking for. And, as her mother noted, she spells the word out in the air and then says it. St. Lawrence said that on June 17, 2022, her best friend and housemate, Clayton Elliott, had asked her to shut the door. Clayton and I had both had COVID, which was no big deal, she said, adding they were getting over it. He had asked her to shut the front door because he was in the kitchen and she was in the in the dining room and that was the last thing I remember for four or five days. And she said she woke up in a hospital bed. I had a respirator and I get a little choked up My parents and my youngest sister were there the whole time and it was five days and it was weird though because when I got done with the respirator I can see everything right away and I knew that I had had a stroke right away, St. Lawrence said. She said as she was moved from a COVID intensive care unit to a regular ICU ward that she first saw all the flowers and other gifts people had sent her. And I knew that they were pushing for me and I knew I was going to be OK. It was going to be a long road ahead but I was going to be OK, St. Lawrence said. But she said she knew it was going to be a lot of hard work. It still is, it still is but I knew I could make it, St. Lawrence said. She said a neurologist at St. James warned the family she would likely never walk or talk again. And then St. Lawrence takes a long pause as her voice is fills with emotion. My mom said But you dont know my Abby. St. Lawrence went to St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings for 10 days and went to rehab at Benefis Health System in Great Falls for about a month and then went home with her parents through September and finally returned to Butte. St. Lawrence said her youngest sister, Erica, a registered nurse, was in the hospital every day. She stayed with Abigail at St. Vincents, until Abigail went to Benefis and then called her every day. Shes a great nurse, shes a really, really great nurse, St. Lawrence said. I am so blessed to have her because she was the person that when things were going wrong with my care, she would what was going on and what to do right. St. Lawrence remembers getting her first visit from Elliott. She said he gave her a little Pride sticker and he also told me Oh, and Roe v. Wade had been overturned, which I knew it had been. And one of the few words I could say was f**k and I said 'Well, f**k. That was when Clayton knew I was in there, somewhere, she said. Elliott said the doctors had to put Abby under when they had her on the operating table, because she refused to lie still. I remember thinking She is still fighting. This is the Abby I know, he recalled. Elliott, a lobbyist for Trout Unlimited, said he and St. Lawrence have known each other since their lobbying days of 2011. He said they had been great friends as the lobbying court becomes a bit of a family and you become friends as you spend each waking moment together, he said. Elliott said their friendship deepened even though they are often on rival sides of an issue and often have clients vehemently opposed to each other. Both of us respect each others commitment to our work, Elliott said, noting their styles are different but they are able to find common ground. I am probably a lot quieter than Abby but she is a force to be reckoned with, he said, adding that she also is able sit behind closed doors and hammer out a deal. St. Lawrence now starts her day about 9 a.m. and does not do makeup now because it's too difficult, which is hard for me because I like my makeup, but I cant do it right now. Shes able to make her own breakfast. The morning of the Aug. 5 interview she said she had cottage cheese and strawberries and avocado with toast. She then goes to physical therapy and does that until 3:15 p.m., which is a lot. I get tired a lot faster. She does things with friends. She goes to concerts and plays. Its great I can see those. I just have to go slowly, she said. About 9 oclock she is done for the night, until she goes upstairs and goes to bed. Shes been able to visit the legislative session and stopped by in Helena on Feb. 17, when she received standing ovations from the House and Senate. It was so wonderful and I was moved to tears, St. Lawrence said. I was on the floor with the representatives and the lobbyists. I was so moved. They gave me a standing ovation and it was a really long standing ovation. It was great. Her birthday was two days before. She was introduced in the Senate by friend Sen. Ryan Lynch, a Butte Democrat, who noted that she had been noticeably absent for the session. All the way from Butte, America. She came up to say hello to everybody, he said, as senators began applauding. Another Butte Democrat, Rep. Derek Harvey, introduced her in the House. Today I have the pleasure of introducing an outstanding member of the third house of the Montana Legislature, a dear friend of mine and a constituent, Abigail St. Lawrence, he said. St. Lawrence entered the back of the House chambers and received a hug from Rep. Ed Buttrey, R-Great Falls, and chatted briefly with Rep. Bob Keenan, R-Bigfork. It was so great. It was Feb. 17, so it wasnt too crazy, but everybody was there. It was starting to get busy, really busy, but not right then. And it was so fun just to see everybody. I jumped out of bed that morning and I was ready to go, at 7:30 a.m. in the morning ... It was so great to see everybody (her voice cracks). I always thought I was a nobody She had many groups that she represented as a lobbyist, attending several hearings a day and usually testifying before committees. I found out I could do a lot because I was able to give so much to so many people, if that makes sense, she said. She represented a diverse crowd, from building associations to speech pathologists. I could do everything, I wasnt like Democrat or Republican I was able to talk to clients and make them people rather than showing I just Republican or Democrat and that was the thing that made me a lobbyist, she said. It was the work that I wanted to do. Before the stroke her plan was to continue lobbying and practice law. I love the law and I love the lobbying. It was what I really wanted to do, St. Lawrence said. And she lived in Butte. That is where my heart has always been, she said. I love Butte and I have always loved Butte. She said she is now inactive as an attorney and had specialized in water law. I love water law. I love water law so much, she said. And most people dont understand water law, but I love water law. I hope to get back to that but right now I have a lot I have to do on myself. St. Lawrence was born in western New York and her family moved to Great Falls when she was about 5. Its where her parents, Larry and Linda, live today. She has three sisters and seven nieces and nephews, who she often refers to as niblets on social media. She attended Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, and law school at Lewis and Clark College in Portland. Her mother, Linda, said her daughter always stood out. But she was their first child so she had no other children to compare her to. What I thought was an average child I soon found out was anything but, Linda said. She was reading a newspaper at 3 years old. She remembers the You dont know my Abby conversation with the neurologist. During a consultation he showed the parents an MRI that showed the left hemisphere of Abbys brain was black. He said she would never speak again. She notes that her daughter can very much speak, she still searches for words. Linda St. Lawrence said she and her husband are very grateful for the progress that Abby has made. Any parent would wish she would return to the incredible mind she used to have, she said. It still can happen. She has a long road ahead of her but if anyone can do it, Abigail can. She said she and her husband work with her. She is now willing to accept that help, which is difficult for Abby, Linda St. Lawrence said. We try to help keeping things moving forward for her. Her friend of about 20 years, Jen Hensley, remembers getting a phone call when St. Lawrence first became ill. I am not a neurosurgeon or physician but I am sure she is in the miracle category, she said. We are thrilled she is still with us. Hensley said the first time she saw her they had a very long conversation. I knew immediately the old Abby was still there, she was funny, irreverent and smart, she said. But there have been some changes, even if subtle. She has softened a bit. Her cynicism is not there so much, Hensley said. Shes more thankful to be living every single day. She was with St. Lawrence on Feb. 17 when she visited the Legislature. It was great, everyone was super excited to see her, Hensley recalled. Word got around Abby is in the house. She held court, she said. She loves the Capitol and everyone in it. Margaret Morgan, owner and principal lobbyist with Morgan Consulting, has known St. Lawrence for years. They both had offices in the same building. Morgan, a government affairs consultant, also worked in the Capitol during the legislative session. We hit if off from the very beginning as friends, she said, adding they talked about everything. Morgan described St. Lawrence as a very energetic lobbyist. She could easily outwork you, she said, adding she was a force to be reckoned with. It was always nice to be on the same side of Abby, Morgan said. She was very energetic, very smart and very intuitive. She said the stroke has only changed St. Lawrence in that it has given her more confidence and determination. She is bound and determined to succeed and rise above what has happened to her, Morgan said. She is a very smart person. She has never given into it. She has never been Poor me. She has been I am going to kick this. St. Lawrence said she still has a little bit of peripheral vision in her right eye. I can see everything around me and when people talk I can see everything but sometimes I have a little trouble communicating, she said. I want to say it but I cant say it and that is a form of aphasia (she spells out). Sometimes I cant talk as well as I should and that really bugs me because I was like, I talked a lot and I have very big sentences. Right now it is a little bit hard for me to communicate that because I cant talk as well as I should but I hope I am getting back to it. She said she is now on four medications, they are all for depression and mood stabilizers. A couple years ago she and Elliott bought a historic home, built in 1899, in Uptown Butte. The house is a beautiful house and a great place to host folks for dinner, Elliott said. We love to have dinner parties. It is now up for sale as Elliott and his partner, James, have purchased another home in Butte and have moved out. We both are in very different places than when we bought the house, Elliott said of his friendship with Abby. I met my partner in the last year and we wanted to find a place our own own. We loved sharing (the house) with people, but we both are in different places in life. St. Lawrences plan is to find a one-story house. I dont know where I am going to be, I love Butte, I do, but most of the stairs dont work for me. I could do it but its a lot of work, St. Lawrence said. She said there may be some places down the hill that might work. And she may have to move to Helena, where she once lived, which she notes has fewer stairs. Linda St. Lawrence holds out hope her daughter will remain in the Uptown Butte home. I am not going to be surprised if she will be able to stay in that house, she said. She loves her home, she feels comfortable there. If she can stay there and get some minimal help once a week, she will. Abigail St. Lawrence said she remains committed to working on her physical therapy and returning to the Capitol, as early as the next session. She is asked if she sees this as a setback or if there is some other lesson she has learned. I have learned a lot from it. Its a big setback, but I think I am going to get over it, St. Lawrence said. I think the thing that is most important about it is that when you put your mind to it its not if you will get back to it. I will get back to doing what I want to do because I can and will get through it, I know that. Its just going to take some time. I get a little angry sometimes but I try to take it as it comes every day and say to myself 'For today I will be grateful.' She said she tries not to be concerned about what is going to come back and its hard because "for years in my law practice I fretted about everything. Now, I shouldnt do that so much and I am taking each day as it comes. And its going to be a little while until I can be able to do my whole house again. I just take it as it comes, she said. And she notes she now tells people she loves them. I think thats the point, there are so many people I care about I think that is the thing that keeps me running, she said. Elliott, who said this experience has given him a deeper admiration for caregivers, believes his friend will focus on lobbying for health care issues. I tell her there is no going back to normal, he said, there is only a new normal. I think she will make a great advocate for telling her story, Elliott said, adding she will have an ability to tell and speak powerfully to a lot of issues. Her friend, Jen Hensley, remains convinced St. Lawrence has a bright future. I think she will exceed everyones expectations and she will lead a thrilling, wonderful life, no matter what that looks like, she said. The iconic Iron Front building in Helenas historic downtown has long given home to many of the citys low-income, working-class citizens. At $400 per month, tenants were able to rent a single room with a sink. Bathroom and kitchen spaces were communal. When an electrical fire broke out between the second and third floors on Monday, Aug. 14, all 30 of the buildings tenants were required to vacate their homes indefinitely, possibly permanently. Most of the Iron Front residents work jobs essential to Helenas community. They are painters, repair workers, food service workers, store managers, general laborers and print shop workers. The building also provided a home for military veterans and individuals in pre-release programs. Along with contributing to Helenas community as a whole, the residents also formed their own unique community by virtue of sharing their communal spaces. With the Iron Front rendered uninhabitable for the foreseeable future, the city of Helena has virtually no affordable housing available for these tenants to relocate to. This has left some of the tenants homeless, some living temporarily in motels, and others have been forced to disperse to other cities or states were they can live with friends or family while they look for new jobs and places where they can afford to live. Montanas extreme lack of affordable housing is not unique to Helena. The disparity of wealth in the state has been widening at an ever-accelerating rate since the COVID-19 pandemic. The natural desirability of our state, the new corporate trend towards hiring remote workers, and the increasing global effects of climate change have all combined to transform Montanas economy. The new capitalistic opportunities that this shift in Montanas economy has created not only from buying/selling and speculative development opportunities, but also from the increased ability to capitalize on industrial tourism by turning community housing into commercial, short-term rental units has fast been displacing Montanas working-class communities. The glut of Help Wanted signs and irregular, decreased business hours paint an ominous juxtaposition against the endless expanses of new construction and ever-increasing property and rental prices. What is the solution to this growing problem? The solution can only lie in learning to value community over profit. Whether that be investing in housing co-ops like Shared Equity Housing or simply selling or renting properties to people who live in and contribute to our communities at prices that allow them to stay, Montanans are going to have to decide what is more valuable to them: Do we want to be an island for industrial tourism where only a few profit at the cost our local communities? Or do we want to have our towns, our workers, our families in places where they can afford to thrive and stay? Which is worth more to you? In the aftermath of the fire, Lindsey Barnes co-owner of The General Mercantile has started a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money for the displaced tenants of the Iron Front building. She is hoping the funds raised will help to keep some of these workers and community members from being displaced as they continue to look for affordable housing within Helena, the town they work and live in. If you wish to contribute, please visit bit.ly/45M2Pdn. DECATUR Area veterans will soon have access to Veterans Affairs orthotics services closer to home. VA Illiana Health Care System is expanding its orthotics services to the Decatur and Bloomington VA clinics this month. The first orthotics appointments will start on Wednesday, Sept. 6, in Decatur and on Monday, Sept. 11, in Bloomington. After the initial start dates, the Decatur VA will hold orthotics clinics on the first, third and fifth Wednesdays of every month. The Bloomington clinic will offer orthotics services every Monday. VA Illianas Orthotics and Prosthetics Service is staffed by four clinicians, with one orthotist and fitter team based in Danville and one in Peoria. The team members will continue to provide care at their base locations while traveling to VA locations in Central Illinois. Were proud to expand orthotics services as part of our ongoing commitment to accessible, excellent care, said Amanda Secrist, VA Illianas orthotics lead, in a news release. In addition to providing veterans with the services they have earned at a more convenient location, we will often be able to provide services sooner. We undertook this expansion guided by veteran feedback and will continue to evaluate the need for further growth based on veteran needs. Orthotics professionals can provide veterans with devices fitted to portions of the body for protection and to assist or resist specific body motions. Offerings from the orthotics department include diabetic shoes and inserts, orthopedic shoes and inserts, knee, arm, ankle and back braces or walking boots. Veterans do not need a referral from outside the VA for the new orthotics services. Photos: WWII veterans in Normandy to mark D-Day DECATUR Phone service has been restored to hospitals and clinics within Hospital Sisters Health System as it continues to recover from a massive operating system outage. Officials said Tuesday that while phone service has been restored, service in some locations remains "intermittent." "We acknowledge callers may continue to experience some delays or connectivity issues this week and appreciate your understanding," the Tuesday statement read. A statement released by the health system late Monday noted hospital emergency rooms remain open and that patients can schedule elective and non-elective procedures. The healthy system's MyChart program remains offline, requiring patients to call their respective clinics to schedule or confirm appointments. In addition, patient billing services are suspended. "We are working diligently to bring all of our systems back online as quickly and as safely as possible, and we are prioritizing patient safety as we establish a process for restoration. We are making steady progress in our restoration process," the health system said in the update posted on its website late Monday. HSHS, which runs St. Marys Hospital in Decatur, St. Anthonys Memorial Hospital in Effingham, Good Shepherd Hospital in Shelbyville and HSHS St. Johns Hospital in Springfield, began to experience the outage early Aug. 27. Most communications systems and hospital and clinic operations were affected, although the health system said its staff efficiently executed the plan for such situations. It still is not clear whether confidential patient information has been compromised. HSHS President and CEO Damond Boatwright said in a video statement released Friday that an investigation into the scope and impact of the breach was ongoing. Friday's message also marked the health system's first indication as to the cause of the outage: "Based on our findings, we can confirm this was the result of a cybersecurity incident," Boatwright said, adding that more information would be released as it becomes available. He said the health system was working with law enforcement. An FBI spokeswoman previously said the agency would not confirm or deny whether it was involved in an investigation. "Your patience and understanding mean the world to us," Boatwright said. "Please know our top priority is protecting patient safety and supporting our colleagues so they can take care of the patients we serve." The health system said further updates would be provided at hshsupdates.org. The attack comes weeks after one that took hospitals and clinics in several states offline for weeks. The attack on Prospect Medical Holdings, which runs facilities in California, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Texas, forced postponement of some elective surgeries, outpatient appointments, blood drives and other services. Globally, the healthcare industry was the hardest-hit by cyberattacks in the year ending in March, according to IBMs annual report on data breaches. For the 13th straight year it reported the most expensive breaches, averaging $11 million each. Next was the financial sector at $5.9 million. The Associated Press contributed to this report. PHOTOS: HSHS St. Mary's Hospital hosts Blessing of the Animals service The Farm Progress Show is gone for this year. The mourning period has begun and will be slightly more than 700 days before the 2025 edition opens at 8 a.m. on Aug. 26. Until that time I can be found in therapy group meetings trying to quell my addiction to the biggest spectacle in agriculture. Equipment manufacturers from around the globe were here with their latest technology, and even farmers from their own country came to see it at the Farm Progress Show. Think what that means in the big scheme of things. Thanks to Teri Hammel and her crew at the Convention and Visitors Bureau for keeping track of folks whose language I certainly cannot speak. The new farm equipment was the centerpiece for the show, probably most of the 550 exhibitors showing off their new hardware to get farmer reaction. Kurt Coffey, head of CaseIH in North America (former Coles County boy) said he could not believe that farmers stood in line for 90 minutes waiting for a test drive of his new Steiger 715 tractor he unveiled last week. When does the secretary of agriculture visit your community? Secretary Tom Vilsack not only makes headlines in the local media, but national media were here as well. He laid out his concept of boosting farm income for about two million U.S. farmers who get very little from commodity sales and any government programs. Vilsack promoted a mix of eight federal programs which have already been authorized by Congress and are open for participation. They requires application for various government grants, localized marketing, and family creativity. Some farmers will be turned off, others will be turned on. Vilsacks presentation can be viewed youtu.be/UQr8SZMgSvU. Another Vilsack headline was USDAs program for renewable energy that will distribute $266 million in grants nationally to 1,334 farms, businesses, and local organizations to help will lower their energy costs, generate new income, and strengthen the resilience of their operation. Illinois has 136 of those that will share $8.6 million for investments in renewable energy, like wind and solar, and energy efficient technologies, Vilsack says. Will any be here? Over $1.4 million will be disbursed in the 13th and 15th congressional districts. Other important news that was revealed at the Farm Progress Show indicated Illinois farmers were changing their fertilizer application practices preventing loss of crop nutrients to streams and rivers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been concerned about high amounts of nitrates and phosphates in the Illinois and Mississippi rivers originating from farm fields. The survey indicated 2022 crops involved no-till on 24% of corn and 44% of soybeans. Half of the farmers responding indicated they had moved away from fall nitrogen application to various methods in the spring, closer to when the corn crop needed it. But the bigger finding was that 97% of farmers were using an additive to prevent loss of nitrogen over the winter. News like that released during the Farm Progress Show gets picked up and re-circulated by media from many other states. And in social media terms that means Illinois farmers could be considered influencers. Only at the Farm Progress Show. DECATUR Tuesday morning is scheduled to mark the dedication in Decatur of a memorial to a city teenager who lost her life to gun violence. The memorial, at 1502 N. Church St., is in memory of 17-year-old Mishyra Wheeler, who was shot to death the evening of Sept. 3, 2011, at a house that used to stand at that address. In a statement, First Christian Church Missions Pastor BJ Leonard said the memorial will also stand in memory of all youth affected by violence in our community. He said his church, along with the City of Decatur and various community organizations, has worked to beautify the area and create the memorial site. The dedication ceremony is planned for 11 a.m. Tuesday. The cities with the most break-ins and burglaries Cities With the Most Break-Ins / Burglaries Over the past decade burglary and larceny rates have declined Daytime break-ins of homes are most common Southern states experience the most property crime Small and midsize cities with the most burglaries 15. Dallas, TX 14. Houston, TX 13. Las Vegas, NV 12. Columbus, OH 11. Minneapolis, MN 10. Milwaukee, WI 9. Wichita, KS 8. Kansas City, MO 7. Oklahoma City, OK 6. Bakersfield, CA 5. Seattle, WA 4. Baltimore, MD 3. Detroit, MI 2. Tulsa, OK 1. Memphis, TN Visitors to Tastebuds Popcorn in Hickory will see 70 buckets of flavored popcorn lining the walls around the store. Owners and sisters Eliza Hucks and Nancy Bledsoe grew up on a farm in Mountain View and said they have always had a love for sweet treats. We love all things sugar, Hucks said. They opened their shop in June at 254 1st Avenue NW in a spot which was once home to First n Flight Skateboards. As first-time business owners, Hucks said they wanted to start out with something simple with an offering that Hickory didnt have. While doing research, the sisters came across Tastebuds Popcorn, based out of Belmont. Once they tried Tastebuds popcorn, Hucks said the two of them knew what to do next. Hucks and Bledsoe decided to sign an agreement with the Belmont owners, so that they could open up their own shop in Hickory selling Tastebuds Popcorn. The agreement allows the duo to still have the freedom to make the business their own. All of the Tastebuds Popcorn sold in Hickory is made in Belmont. Hucks and Bledsoe said they plan to rotate in new flavors every week from the 200 flavors that the Tastebuds store in Belmont carries. Hucks said the Hickory store also wants to keep restocking some of the most popular flavors, which include dill pickle, Cheerwine and Ghirardelli chocolate. Although they have consistent best-sellers, Bledsoe said that the favorite flavor tends to change day to day. Another best-seller is Decadent Dog, which is a hand-crafted salted caramel popcorn drizzled with dark, white and milk chocolate. Hucks said Decadent Dog sold out quickly when offered for the first time to customers. Hucks and Bledsoe both said their favorite popcorn is the Reeses flavor. It is made with Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and Reeses Pieces candy. Other flavors include mimosa, hot cinnamon, butter pecan, cake batter, blueberry, Pina colada, New York cheesecake, apple, bourbon bacon, salt and vinegar, banana pudding, and sriracha. All of the popcorn is made with real ingredients, Hucks said. The dill pickle popcorn is made with fresh dill. When you open the lid, its like oh my gosh, it hits you, Hucks said. Bourbon bacon popcorn has real pieces of bacon incorporated in with the popcorn. More local inspired flavors include the Carolina Mix, which is a hand-crafted caramel popcorn rolled in cheddar to create a sweet and savory taste. Then the Hickory Blend is essentially the same as the Carolina Mix, but with extreme cheese, Hucks said. You cant go wrong. Theres a little something for everybody, Hucks said. The prices of popcorn vary depending on the type: the cheapest being cheese and savory; then candy and caramel; and the most expensive, chocolate and premiums. The sizes range from a fun size to a 2-gallon tin, the most expensive combination being $49.95 for a 2-gallon tin of chocolate and premiums. The cheapest combination is a fun size of cheese and savory for $2.95. Refills are available for tubs and tins at a 10% discount. Tastebuds Hickory also carries handcrafted chocolates from The Secret Chocolatier based out of Charlotte and Mini Melts, which Hucks said her kids love. Bledsoe said she is most excited about being in business with her sister. Although the process has been daunting, Bledsoe said they have learned a lot. Everybodys finding what they love. There are so many different taste buds, so were trying to get everybodys taste buds taken care of, Hucks said. HICKORY FryeCare Physicians Network recently welcomed Jennifer Goldby, CNM, a certified nurse midwife, to her new medical practice at FryeCare Womens Services Lenoir at 1041 Morganton Blvd. SW, Suite 200, in Lenoir. To schedule an appointment, call 828-261-7266 or online at FryeCarePhysicians.com. Same-week appointments are available. A certified nurse midwife (CNM) serves as a primary care provider to women in all stages of life. CNMs provide gynecologic and family planning services, as well as preconception, pregnancy and postpartum care. Goldby specializes in well-women care, contraceptive counseling, prenatal and postpartum care, breastfeeding support, endometrial biopsy and vulvar biopsy. The first certified nurse midwife to join FryeCare Physicians Network, Goldbys patients will have access to a team of experienced obstetricians/gynecologists at FryeCare Womens Services in Hickory for women needing gynecologic surgery or childbirth services. I am excited to join FryeCare Physicians Network, Goldby said. My role as a certified nurse midwife is to support patients with shared decision-making and autonomy in their healthcare. With more than 10 years of experience in womens care, Goldby earned her graduate degree from Waynesburg University in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, and her midwifery education at Frontier Nursing University in Lexington, Kentucky. She completed her nursing education at UPMC Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Pittsburgh. I am delighted to become a part of the team at FryeCare Womens Services and bring their history of quality care to Lenoir, Goldby said. By taking care of women, we take care of whole families, and I am eager to bring my midwifery services to the women of Caldwell County and beyond. FryeCare Physicians Network offers preventive, diagnostic and treatment services in a compassionate environment. The network includes more than 70 experienced providers in a range of specialties, including cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, family and internal medicine, infectious disease, neurology, neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, pulmonology and vascular surgery. Learn more at www.FryeCarePhysicians.com. Tangela Louise Parker, the woman charged in the shooting death of 51-year-old Phelifia Michelle Marlow, is set to appear in court on Friday. Defense Attorney Victoria Jayne, who is representing Parker in the case, said there is a possibility that the case could be resolved on that date. Tangela Parker, 52, of Taylorsville, is charged with felony murder. Tangelas husband Eric Carroll Parker is charged with felony accessory after the fact, according to court documents. Eric Parker is scheduled to appear on Dec. 4, according to the N.C. Judicial Branch online court calendar. According to court documents, Michelle Marlow and the Parkers worked for TCS Designs in Hickory. Marlow and Tangela were factory workers in the same area, and Eric was a supervisor in the frame department. Eric Parker worked for the company since 2004. Tangela worked for the company since 2018, according to court documents. The companys furniture plant, at 1851 Ninth Ave. NE, is where Marlow was shot twice on Jan. 13, 2021, shortly before 2:30 p.m., according to the documents. The day Michelle died The Hickory Police Department responded to the scene and found Marlow lying on the ground suffering from gunshot wounds. Marlow was still alive at the time, according to the search warrant. Marlow was transported to Frye Regional Medical Center and later taken to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem. Marlow died at 5:17 p.m. while being taken to Winston-Salem, according to the search warrant. According to the search warrant, several employees identified Tangela Parker as the shooter. The witnesses told Hickory police that Tangela Parker walked over to Marlows workstation, pointed an 8-inch-barrel revolver at Marlow and fired at least two shots, according to the search warrant. Following the shooting, witnesses said Eric Parker approached Tangela Parker, gave her a hug and took the gun, the search warrant states. Tangela and Eric Parker then exited the building and drove away. The Parkers eluded arrested for six months, according to court documents. Both Tangela and Eric Parker are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Tangela Parker pleaded not guilty during Catawba County Superior Court on Jan. 18. In Tangela Parkers case, the Catawba County District Attorneys Office filed a notice of intent that listed four aggravating factors for a judge to consider if Tangela were to be convicted. The aggravating factors listed in the notice are: The offense was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel; The defendant knowingly created a great risk of death to more than one person by means of a weapon or device which would normally be hazardous to the lives of more than one person; The defendant was armed with a dangerous weapon at the time of the crime; and The defendant used a deadly weapon at the time of the crime. Arrested in Arizona Following the shooting, arrest warrants were issued for Tangela and Eric Parker, according to court documents. In an attempt to locate the Parkers, the Hickory Police Department tracked Tangela Parkers cellphone. The cellphone pinged near Tangelas parents home in Hudson, according to the search warrant. Hickory police conducted surveillance on the house and determined that Tangela and Eric Parker were not there. Hickory police eventually located the phone at the base of a tree at the edge of the Crump-Lingle Cemetery, off of Tumbleweed Drive in Hudson, according to the search warrant. The U.S. Marshals Service located the couple in Phoenix, Arizona. The Parkers were arrested and extradited back to the Catawba County Detention Center where they both remain in custody as of Sept. 1, according to court documents. Confrontations and lawsuits In addition to the criminal cases, widower Justin Marlow filed two civil lawsuits. One lawsuit is against Tangela Parker. The other is a wrongful death claim against TCS Designs, Inc., the companys president Jobie Redmond, one of the companys managers Jeff McKinney and Eric Parker. The lawsuit against TCS Designs, Redmond, McKinney and Eric Parker gave more insight into the months leading up to Michelle Marlows death. The lawsuit argues that the shooting was foreseeable, and that Marlows death could have been prevented. According to the lawsuit, Michelle Marlow and Tangela Parker had a history of confrontations. The lawsuit describes two confrontations in particular. The first confrontation occurred on July 28, 2020, according to court documents concerning the lawsuit. Tangela had her earphones on and was singing at a level that Michelle could hear in spite of having her own earphones in, a document detailing the judgment of the N.C. Court of Appeals stated. When Michelle asked Tangela if she could lower her voice, Tangela became irate and stated she could not ask her to do anything she had to ask her supervisor to discuss it with her. The second altercation happened on Jan. 4, 2021, nine days before the shooting, according to the documents. The N.C. Court of Appeals document said witnesses heard Tangela Parker say she would wipe the floor with Marlow and would whip her ass. The document said Tangela Parker received a warning for the first argument and was suspended without pay for three days for the second argument. The lawsuit against TCS Designs says the company has a zero-tolerance policy for fighting or abusive confrontations and that behavior will result in immediate termination. The lawsuit claims that TCS Designs could have prevented Marlows death if the company followed the zero-tolerance policy and fired Tangela Parker for the Jan. 4, 2021, argument. Eric Parker filed a motion to stay the lawsuit proceedings until after the trial. TCS Designs filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Both motions were denied by Catawba County Superior Court Judge Gregory Hayes, according to court documents. Hayes rulings were appealed by the defendants. The N.C. Court of Appeals upheld Hayes rulings, according to court documents. Neither of the lawsuits has been resolved, according to court documents. GREENSBORO Attorneys with the ACLU of North Carolina recently sent a letter to the city warning that a practice of seizing and discarding the property of the homeless is probably unconstitutional. The letter comes after trespassing notices were left in August near an overpass not far from the Interactive Resource Center for the homeless and nearly homeless. Those notices, with identifying logos of the city and police, give people there seven days before their belongings would be removed. It also lists a telephone number and email address for more information. While there are no plaintiffs or legal action underway, the letter follows discussions from concerned residents and others that police had threatened to take peoples private property in a way that appeared to be, likely, unconstitutional, said Daniel Siegal, the state ACLUs deputy legal director and one of the letters authors. We wanted to prevent the city from carrying it out, Siegal said. City Attorney Chuck Watts said he didnt think the ACLU has all the facts. He said he is not in disagreement about the law. The city does assess and have a system of removing items from city property. However, those belongings arent summarily removed. We do not take peoples stuff and just toss it, Watts said. There are notices and time to reclaim the items, he contended. If its an example of employees not following policy, let us know, Watts said. The notice left at the underpass on Aug. 23 states: The purpose of this letter is to give notice that you are trespassing on the City of Greensboro property. Please relocate your belongings or City Operations will remove your belongings. We do not want to see your belongings taken from you. The disagreement is shining a light on homelessness and its complicated layers even as the city works with local agencies to find permanent residences for them. Homeless advocates wonder if the notices are enough. There is a telephone number but some might not have access to a phone. There is the notice itself however, some might not be able to read. If you take a look at those notices, they dont say, this is where you can get your property, said Siegal, the ACLU attorney. It doesnt say you can get your property. Its still not clear to me if theres an ordinance or policy laying out how the city deals with this. While the discussion last week centered on their rights potentially being violated, the bigger problem, say advocates for the poor, is that as they are being uprooted from those temporary homes, they still have no other place to go. Earlier last week, tents were pitched along Washington Street just off the sidewalk in front of the IRC a fact not lost on the organizations executive director. Others had earlier claimed space underneath nearby railroad trestles. Even as such cities as Greensboro invest in programs and partner with groups to move homeless people off the streets and into their own residences, it can be a slow and costly process, and efforts depend on available affordable housing units. Solutions are often hard to process and harder to come to fruition. The support of the city of Greensboro and the programming that allows us to continue to step up and offer new, innovative bridge programs until we can have permanent solutions is not lost on us, and we are grateful, said Kristina Singleton, the IRCs executive director, but we are not where we need to be. We cannot allow the people we serve to lose their voice and rights in the process. But fame didn't stop Kilgallen from continuing to be a hard-driven reporter. After the assassination of President Kennedy, with whom she had become friends, the columnist wasn't satisfied with the official version of his assassination and the aftermath. In particular, she was suspicious about the killing of accused assassin Oswald by Ruby in the basement of Dallas police headquarters, two days after JFK's murder. "Well, I'd like to know how, in a big, smart town like Dallas, a man like Jack Ruby owner of a strip tease honky tonk can stroll in and out of police headquarters as if it was at a health club at a time when a small army of law enforcers is keeping a 'tight security guard' on Oswald," Kilgallen wrote in a column published a week after JFK's death. Advertisement According to Shaw's 2016 biography, Kilgallen began probing the Dallas police and FBI investigations, and built a growing file of information about Oswald and Ruby from her contacts in Dallas, in an effort to make sure Americans got the whole story of what had happened. She grew even more suspicious when she learned that San Francisco attorney Melvin Belli, primarily a civil litigator his 1996 obituary called him "the King of Torts" would be representing Ruby. Belli hadn't tried a murder case in years, which made him seem like an unusual choice. And as Shaw notes, the flamboyant lawyer's clients included prominent mobster Mickey Cohen, a connection that would later seem troubling to those who suspected organized crime involvement in JFK's murder. Shaw, who also has written a 2011 biography of Belli, notes that Belli chose to put on an unorthodox insanity defense for Ruby, claiming that a rare form of epilepsy had rendered the nightclub owner incapable of knowing right from wrong when he shot Oswald. It was a theory "which I didn't understand, and neither did the jury," Shaw notes. " " Kilgallen speaks to an audience, circa 1955. FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images When Ruby went on trial in Dallas in February 1964, Kilgallen was in attendance. She had dinner with Belli and asked for an interview with his client. The lawyer told her it wasn't possible. But Kilgallen persisted, and eventually circumvented Belli by going through his co-counsel, Joe Tonahill, according to Shaw's biography. "She landed the interview," Shaw says. "She was the only reporter out of 400 there who interviewed Jack Ruby." As Kilgallen recounted in an exclusive for the Journal-American, the defendant had a trembling handshake, "like the heartbeat of a bird," and seemed unnerved. "I feel I'm on the verge of something I don't understand the breaking point maybe," she quoted him as saying. Later in the trial, Kilgallen spoke to Ruby a second time, but didn't write a column about it, instead keeping the substance secret, according to Shaw's biography. After Ruby's conviction, Kilgallen continued to dig into the case, convinced that the whole truth hadn't been told. She obtained from a source a copy of Ruby's secret testimony to the Warren Commission. In her August 1964 exclusive, she revealed that Ruby told Chief Justice Earl Warren that he believed JFK's assassination had been the result of a plot, but insisted that he hadn't been involved. He also told Warren that the official investigation was "a lost cause," Kilgallen reported. (In 1966, Ruby's conviction was overturned by an appeals court, which found that the trial judge had allowed inadmissible testimony and should have granted a change of venue, but Ruby died of cancer before he could be retried. But Kilgallen wasn't through investigating. In a September 1965 column, she wrote that the story of Oswald and the assassination "isn't going to die as long as there's a real reporter alive and there are a lot of them alive." The following month, according to Shaw's biography, Kilgallen traveled to New Orleans a hint that she may have been investigating organized crime involvement in the JFK assassination. "She didn't go to Washington, D.C., to look into the military-industrial complex, or stay in Dallas and look at Lyndon Johnson, or go to Miami looking at these Cuban exiles," Shaw says. He believes that Ruby had told Kilgallen that he was connected to Louisiana mob boss Carlos Marcello, and that at his behest, Ruby had killed Oswald "to build the wall, to silence him," Shaw explains. Marcello had reasons to be angry at the Kennedy administration, after he was deported to Guatemala in 1961 and subsequently prosecuted in federal court on immigration-related charges (though he was acquitted on the same day that JFK was killed). A U.S. House committee reinvestigating the JFK assassination in 1979 concluded that Marcello "had the motive, means and opportunity to have President John F. Kennedy assassinated, though it was unable to establish direct evidence of Marcello's complicity." Wholesale data centre developer, owner, and operator EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure has partnered with infrastructure provider Zayo to connect its data centre campus in Santa Clara, CA, to Zayos global network. Through Zayo's Tier-1 fibre networkincluding over 200 IP points of presence (PoPs) across the United StatesEdgeCore's Silicon Valley campus customers will have connectivity with guaranteed bandwidth to support business needs. Zayo's network infrastructure accommodates EdgeCore customers' evolving needs for scale, rapid deployment of additional bandwidth, cloud connectivity, customer end-point connectivity, and more. "The scale of EdgeCore's campus is made more valuable for customers with the addition of Zayo's future-proofed network and global reach, said EdgeCore chief commercial officer Clint Heiden. "As customer bandwidth demands increase with the rapid growth of technologies like AI, partnerships like this will be hugely important in providing the supporting infrastructure. We look forward to staying at the forefront of this trend and continuing to connect what's next with EdgeCore, said Zayo chief sales officer Derek Gillespie. In January, EdgeCore announced the completion of its Silicon Valley data center campus. The LEED-designed campus supports 72 MW of critical load across 540,000 square feet of space. In April, EdgeCore also announced the expansion of its Phoenix data centre campus in Mesa, Arizona, for which Zayo also provides connectivity. Both companies look forward to building on their partnership in future EdgeCore markets. COMPANY NEWS: HR platform for global distributed workforces, Remote, has launched its first-to-market API solution in Australia, in a bid to help businesses seamlessly hire, pay, and manage staff from overseas. Employees may be heading back to the office a few days a week but remote-hiring practices in Australia is still on the sharp increase, with nearly half of small-to-medium companies planning to hire 20%-30% of their remote workforce from other countries in the next twelve months. Now available in Australia, the Remote API is designed and built for software partners to integrate Remotes global employment solution directly within their platforms. This provides the ability and peace of mind to effortlessly hire employees anywhere in the world, pay their teams in local currencies, and remain compliant with local regulations. For modern companies, building a high-performance team requires an ability to acquire the best talent globally, said Remote chief revenue officer Chris McNamara. The Remote API makes it possible for our partners to immediately offer their customers the ability to hire anywhere around the world. Weve meticulously built all the employment infrastructure and compliance knowledge so that our partners and their customers can simply plug in and focus on their core business, McNamara added. The Remote API can be tailored based on each partners individual needs, from simple builds to existing processes such as annual leave management, through to a fully embedded, white-labelled solution to manage the entire global employment lifecycle directly from the platforms solution. The custom integrations can also be used to securely sync employee and contractor data between Remote and their HR tools of choice. As a plug and play, and customisable solution, Remote API is available to Australian businesses looking manage workforces in multiple countries all within their platform, enabling them to scale more efficiently. This announcement comes after Remote partnered with US-based HR solutions provider Gusto earlier this year to launch a similar tool, Gusto Global powered by Remote. Leveraging Remote API, the solution enables customers to manage and pay their entire global team through the Gusto platform, regardless of whether those team members are in the US, international, contract, or full-time. With the very first KNX IoT devices introduced and the latest system components already in use, KNX IoT has reached the next milestone and gained momentum in shaping the world of the Internet of Things (IoT). Several manufacturers and developers around the globe have already joined the KNX community to create the most efficient, secure and innovative IoT solutions and products for the home and building automation market, making KNX the largest development landscape of its kind. The most recent are HPE Aruba Instant On and Nordic Semiconductor ASA, which recently became KNX members. Moreover, endless new opportunities are arising thanks to the strong partnership between KNX and THREAD. Interoperability and security at the highest level The launch of KNX IoTech was a ground-breaking development that combines all the key benefits of KNX IoT such as IPv6-supported interoperability at the highest level, the newest physical/network layers demanded by the market and the highest security embedded by design. From development to manufacturing to integration, it provides all the necessary resources for all stages of a product lifecycle and enables manufacturers to build the best IoT devices, solutions and services for every conceivable use case in smart homes and buildings. With the ETS Tool, you can easily integrate and configure all available KNX devices and solutions into any KNX IoT project, regardless of their manufacturer or physical layer, via a modern user interface. Next milestone reached! While system components for KNX IoT are already in use and have been a very significant contribution to its success, the recent market launch of the first KNX IoT devices marks a new milestone in the evolution of the pioneering KNX technology. Several prestigious KNX Members are already offering KNX IoT devices, like Siemens (Room Sensors), Passiv Energie (Heating Recovery Ventilation system), and Cascoda (Chili2 SMARTRange). More products and solutions from different manufacturers are sure to follow and expand the KNX IoT portfolio. An overview of all available currently KNX IoT products can be found in our new KNX IoT Devices flyer. Endless opportunities and growing interest All these new devices have one thing in common: they use THREAD. This new and popular IPv6 communication network was added to the KNX development landscape, which also includes TP and RF. The strong partnership between KNX and THREAD leads to endless opportunities for the development of new KNX IoT solutions. This kind of continuous technological advancement of the KNX IoT technology makes it more and more interesting and well-known among manufacturers. With HPE Aruba Instant On and Nordic Semiconductor ASA, KNX proudly welcomes two new KNX members who are set on enriching the IoT landscape with their own KNX IoT devices. About KNX KNX Association is the creator and owner of the KNX technology the worldwide STANDARD for all applications in home and building control, ranging from lighting and blind control to various security systems, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, monitoring, alarming, water control, energy management, smart metering as well as household appliances, audio/video and many more. KNX provides a single, manufacturer independent design and commissioning tool (ETS), with a complete set of supported communication media (TP, PL, RF and IP) as well as a complete set of supported configuration modes (system and easy mode). KNX is approved as a European (CENELEC EN 50090 and EN ISO 22510) and an International standard (ISO/IEC 14543-3). This standard is based upon 30 years of experience in the market. Over 500 member companies worldwide from different application domains have more than 8,000 KNX certified product groups in their catalogues. The KNX Association has partnership agreements with nearly 100,000 installation companies in 190 countries. For more information about KNX IoT, the newest KNX IoT devices and solutions, please visit www.knx-iotech.org For more information about KNX in Australia, visit https://knx.org.au/. GUEST OPINION: Of all the elements that governments require to operate successfully, one of the most important is the trust of citizens. They need to be convinced governments at all levels are working in their best interests at all times. Interestingly, one factor that has a significant impact on trust levels is the digital interactions citizens have with government agencies. According to a survey by consulting firm Deloitte, people's digital experiences strongly predict their overall level of trust. With this in mind, Australia's local, state, and federal governments are focusing increased attention on their digital channels used for communication, information dissemination, and service delivery. They understand citizens expect these to be delivered in a reliable, timely, and secure manner. The challenge of cloud adoption As part of the process of improving digital experiences for citizens, increasing numbers of government agencies are making use of cloud-based resources and services. This allows them to increase offerings without the need for significant investment in on-premise IT infrastructure. However, agencies often find it challenging to ensure software performance and security is maintained when such changes are undertaken. Successfully managing large-scale changes, including cloud infrastructure migration and front-end modernisation, is not an easy task. Everything needs to continue to function correctly during the migration process. Citizens are not going to accept the core services on which they rely being unavailable or insecure, even for a short period of time. Changes need to be seamless and completed without disruption. To achieve this, many government IT teams are making increasing use of observability and automation platforms. This allows them to closely monitor software code as it moves through the development process, supporting software performance and security while significantly reducing the chances of errors making it into production systems. Benefits for IT staff While taking this approach to software development will deliver benefits for citizens, it can also help to improve work satisfaction among IT teams. This is important at a time when many government departments are finding it challenging to recruit sufficient skilled IT staff to fill positions. Deploying a platform that allows increased levels of observability and automation means staff can be freed up to focus their time and attention on higher-level tasks that deliver better long-term results. Without such a platform in place, if a critical application or service incident occurs, it can take an IT team hours or even days to locate the issue and undertake restorative work. If the issue has resulted in disruption for citizens, the flow-on impact can be very serious and trust levels harmed. A holistic approach Combining both citizen and employee experience and taking a holistic approach when it comes to service design and delivery is a critical part of maintaining trust. Government leaders who continue to focus on these elements separately will end up missing out on opportunities to transform their services. This approach can also drive further digital adoption by citizens, improve overall outcomes, and mitigate the effects of what may previously have been an underwhelming service experience. Internally, it also allows agencies complete wider digital transformation strategies that can boost operational efficiencies and add additional capabilities to improve the delivery of services and mitigate risks. At a time of heightened citizen security awareness, Australian governments at all levels are going to continue to face the challenge of maintaining the trust of citizens. At the same time, they must find ways to achieve more within restricted budgets. By taking advantage of the capabilities of observability and automation platforms, they will be best placed to deliver compelling, secure digital experiences. The result will be improved levels of satisfaction among citizens and a better experience for employees. Having appointed Dynamic Supplies in Australia when they launched their Dynamic Supplies Technology business two years ago, Taiwanese network equipment corporation D-Link ANZ has now also appointed Dynamic Supplies New Zealand as their new distributor across the Tasman. Dynamic Supplies NZ now have access to the entire range of D-Link products, with a particular focus on the commercial and business offerings that D-Link has in its range, including its cloud managed networking solution, Nuclias Cloud. On why they chose Dynamic Supplies as their new distributor, D-Link ANZ managing director Graeme Reardon explained: The D-Link and Dynamic Supplies teams have proactively worked well in Australia growing our business each quarter since the inception of the relationship. As a result of this collaboration and the opportunity to further develop our NZ business, we have elected to expand our relationship to the Dynamic Supplies NZ business also. We are delighted to be appointed as the new D-Link distributor for New Zealand. D-Link is such an iconic, well-established brand in New Zealand and we look forward to providing the reseller community with the legendary customer service and logistics excellence that all customers depend upon, echoed Dynamic Supplies NZ general manager Marie Helm. Over the past two years, we have seen this common ethos of legendary customer service in action when collaborating with the Dynamic Supplies Australia team and our mutual customers, and as such, with the same inherent DNA also embedded within the New Zealand business, it was really quite an easy decision for D-Link to expand the relationship, Reardon said. We look forward to working closely with the Dynamic Supplies team in NZ to expand our D-Link Partner Rewards Program, which currently consists of over 2000 reseller and MSP partners in Australia, to the NZ market. Appointing Dynamic Supplies NZ also provides D-Link the opportunity to bring our highly regarded Certified Networking Training Programs to the New Zealand partner community, Reardon concluded. VIOOH today announced new hires in two newly created commercial roles for the Australia and New Zealand region. Following its launch in the Australian and New Zealand markets in 2021, the announcement comes as the OOH marketplace prepares to release its third annual State of the Nation for programmatic DOOH report for the Australian market. The new hires, a first for VIOOH in the ANZ region, include a Partnerships Director and a Technical Solutions Manager, who will both be based in Sydney and sit within the Commercial team led by Gavin Wilson, Global Chief Customer and Revenue Officer VIOOH. The Partnerships Director ANZ role will be held by Ryan Sullivan, who joins VIOOH from Bench Media, a leading independent programmatic media agency in Australia. As well as being one of Australias earliest advocates of programmatic DOOH, Sullivan brings extensive programmatic experience to VIOOH, having worked with numerous brands and agencies over the years, helping to develop their internal programmatic capabilities. Sullivan will be responsible for taking the management of existing Media Owners forward, supporting them to transform their business through programmatic selling. Mitchell Hodges, Technical Solutions Manager ANZ Mitchell Hodges joins as Technical Solutions Manager ANZ, bringing with him valuable experience from his previous role at Yahoo DSP, where he drove omnichannel campaign success and product development across prDOOH, CTV, Video, Audio and Native. Mitchell was instrumental to the recent successes in prDOOH from Tourism Tasmania and SIXT Auto Club Membership. Mitchell will provide crucial support for media owners, guiding technical implementation and spearheading revenue growth and partner education. Were excited about the potential that programmatic digital out-of-home inventory can deliver to brands and media owners, and these local hires are an indication of the opportunity we see for VIOOH in the ANZ region. Were seeing positive year-on-year growth in the region, and having resources locally on the ground will drive relationships and trust, and we fully expect revenue to be enhanced as a result, said Wilson. Commenting on the hires, Jean-Christophe Conti, CEO at VIOOH, said, Our ambition is to change the conversation about out-of-home, with a platform to help accelerate transformation in outdoor advertising through automation. VIOOH offers advertisers a more flexible and impactful way to connect with audiences and provides media owners with the opportunity to access digital budgets and new customers. With programmatic DOOH becoming more mainstream and a must-have on every media plan, I hope ANZ advertisers and media owners alike will maximise this new opportunity to thrive. VIOOHs platform connects buyers and sellers in a premium marketplace, making OOH easily accessible. It has over 40 DSP partnership agreements globally, including live integrations in the ANZ market with CAASie, Google DV360, Hivestack, Lemma, The Trade Desk, Vistar Media and Yahoo DSP, and is the exclusive SSP for JCDecaux Australia and New Zealand, as well as offering programmatic inventory for multiple media owners including Tonic Media Network. Both new hires joined VIOOH in August. VIOOH will be making additional hires in Australia in the coming months to further develop the demand side and ensure operational excellence. SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. Just click here. "The climate change agenda is a hoax," said Vivek Ramaswamy, causing some to gasp because the person expressing this vile attitude could the next president if Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott and a few others drop out as Republican opponents. He'd also need Joe Biden to hang in there. The remark was made during a Fox News debate of eight GOP candidates, and a poll said he won it, although there are those of us who say Haley won it. He was still remarkable, though, this 38-year-old political newcomer from Ohio. He is a fascinating guy with a biology degree from Harvard, a law degree from Yale, American citizenship because his parents left India and a billion dollars from his work as a gifted high-tech entrepreneur. He is also gifted with a weaponized and sometimes soothing tongue, and the climate comment should have engendered more thought about what in the world our government is up to in its contest with planetary heat. One thing is for sure, namely what Haley said. No matter what all the other nations do, none of it will matter a whit If China and India don't begin massive reductions in their fossil fuel consumption. Understand, too, that if the whole world reduced CO2 emissions to a scientifically preferred goal tomorrow, it would be a long, long time before any cooling was noticed, all the more reason to move intelligently. Ramaswamy did not say the climate threat is trivial. After all, animal species are dying out, pain is mounting in some parts of the world and much is getting worse in the United States. That's partly because of contributions by our federal government and Biden, improperly instructed because he too often looks to his left for help. An obvious example of ineptitude was Biden's initially cutting back on our energy production so we could instead warm the earth by buying fossil fuels from abroad, an act of pointless, costly sacrifice, all pain with no gain. Biden has improved some on that front but then had this idea of limiting power plant operations and thereby stifling electricity if managers didn't follow certain expensive, unsure instructions. The Supreme Court ruled he had no such right without an emergency decree that he said he had taken care of, although he hadn't. Despite all the gripes, Ramaswamy's included, the United States is finally doing something right on climate issues, seeking out top companies to enable the removal of measured amounts of CO2 from the air, a capacity that might keep the planet safe while fossil fuels could do their CO2-emitting job without risk. On another subject, however, the government is said by some to be messing things up when it comes to electric cars. Capitalism and the auto industry could do the job if the showoffs would just leave them alone. Meanwhile, those most fearing the approach of climate end days, including large numbers of young people, should visit with Bjorn Lomborg, a contrarian expert from Sweden who has pointed out that a half million people die from heat waves every year while 4.5 million die from cold waves. Climate change has been increasing heat deaths each year by 116,000 while reducing cold-wave deaths by 283,000, he has written. Something else to keep in mind is that while natural disasters have been increasing, far fewer people have been dying as a consequence. The world has simply become a safer place, and the right policies could make it a still safer place. Among those who help the least are the sorts who rush to misinterpretation when it suits their politics -- or are maybe just carelessness. Some said Ramaswamy said in the debate that climate change itself was a hoax. He didn't. (COMMENT, BELOW) Jay Ambrose, formerly Washington director of editorial policy for Scripps Howard newspapers and the editor of dailies in El Paso, Texas, and Denver, is a columnist living in Colorado. SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. Just click here. On the one hand, mask mandates are back. On the other hand, the Associated Press says that's all a conspiracy theory. On the other other hand, Covid hospitalizations are up - and there's a scary new variant from... (hurls dart at map of the world) Denmark and... (hurls second dart, backward over shoulder) Israel. On the other other other hand, that eighth shot is sure to work: Resident liberal & former Democratic Rep. Harold Ford Jr. tells the rest of @TheFive cast that his next Covid shot, which he plans to get, will be his 7th, and he's had Covid 3 times. pic.twitter.com/g61dOSJCCO Scott Morefield (@SKMorefield) August 28, 2023 I take it most of the above is just prepping the battlefield for next year's presidential election. But, as you know, I am more interested in the news that doesn't make the news. Which is why this Norman Fenton tweet caught my eye. Many of you will have seen Professor Fenton on The Mark Steyn Show, and some of you will have met him on last month's Mark Steyn Cruise. So I followed the links through to a research paper by two Japanese fellows - Atsushi Tanaka of Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University and Takayuki Miyazawa of Kyoto University. I don't know these guys. Could be they're just another wing of that big conspiracy theory the AP is banging on about. Professor Tanaka has published peer-reviewed papers on the Significance of N-Sulfation of Heparan Sulfate as a Host Cell Factor for Chikungunya Virus Infection, and Professor Miyazawa has done likewise in prestigious journals on the Emergence of Infectious Malignant Thrombocytopenia in Japanese Macaques (Macaca fuscata) by SRV-4. So, if they are mere conspiracy theorists, they've constructed a pretty elaborate cover. Professors Tanaka and Miyazawa's new paper is called: Unnaturalness in the evolution process of the SARS-CoV-2 variants and the possibility of deliberate natural selection What does that mean? Well, everyone except the brain-dead and the more aggressive interns of Ofcom's fact-checkers now accepts that the Covid came from a lab leak. How long is it since you've heard anyone even on MSNBC or Facebook say the word "pangolin" with a straight face? But Messrs Tanaka and Miyazawa have taken it to the next level: In this study, we aimed to clarify the evolutionary processes leading to the formation of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants, focusing on Omicron variants with many amino acid mutations in the spike protein among SARS-CoV-2 isolates. To determine the order in which the mutations leading to the formation of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants, we compared the sequences of 129 Omicron BA.1-related isolates, 141 BA.1.1-related isolates, and 122 BA.2-related isolates, and tried to dissolve the evolutionary processes of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants, including the order of mutations leading to the formation of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants and the occurrence of homologous recombination. As a result, we concluded that the formations of a part of Omicron isolates BA.1, BA.1.1, and BA.2 were not the products of genome evolution as is commonly observed in nature... [EMPHASIS ADDED] Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up there. What exactly does that last sentence mean? The analysis we have shown here is that the Omicron variants are formed by an entirely new mechanism that cannot be explained by previous biology. Er, okay. But again, what are you really trying to say? In the genetic variation in the S protein in these variants, most of the mutations were non-synonymous (Fig. 1). There were no synonymous mutations in the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, or Mu variants, but only one each in the Lambda and Omicron variants. Among these variants, the Omicron variant (BA.1 lineage), which shows the greatest accumulation of mutations in the S protein, is primarily non-synonymous in the S protein and has only one synonymous mutation at c25000u. The synonymous/non-synonymous ratio is abnormal, given how human coronaviruses have mutated. What "synonymous" means in this context is that normally, when something mutates naturally, it does so mostly in ways that don't change the nature of the original: hence, such mutations are merely synonymous. When you have a "synonymous/non-synonymous ratio" as "abnormal" as that of the Covid variants, that means they are not occurring naturally: The fact that most of these mutations occurred without synonymous mutations (Fig. 2) suggests that none of these mutations arose as a result of trial-and-error random mutations in nature. In other words, not only did the Covid come from a lab, but so did the variants: Suppose the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and its one amino acid reversion mutants were artificially and systematically generated. In that case, we should suspect that the other variants (Alpha to Delta) may also be artificially generated viruses. Oh, really? But why would anyone do such a thing? One idea, the hypothesis that these viruses were artificially generated, is more reasonable than proposing a novel mutation acquisition mechanism. However, is there any reason to artificially create these mutants, which are unlikely to have occurred naturally, given the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemic? [EMPHASIS ADDED] Well, that's the question, isn't it? It's just about possible to believe that the original strain escaped from the lab accidentally. But is it possible to believe that every artificially created variant from Alpha to Omicron also escaped from the lab accidentally whenever the Covid showed signs of flagging? (Including presumably the incoming referenced at the top.) You'll recall Boris Johnson as late as December 2021 insisting that the impending Omicron made it more urgent than ever that you get your booster, or he might have to cancel Christmas. Norman Fenton links to a Substack by a bloke called "psmi" that concludes: Someone, somewhere, really is doing all this deliberately. In fairness, the Japanese chappies aren't yet willing to go there: It is inimical to virus research to consider that artificially synthesized viruses were deliberately spread throughout the world... Furthermore, we do not conclude that these viruses were artificially synthesized and distributed based on malicious intent. If you say so. Nevertheless: The analysis we have shown here concludes that the Omicron variants are formed by a completely new mechanism that cannot be explained by previous biology. That's pretty interesting, isn't it? Particularly if you're one of these politico-media zombies droning "Follow the science... Must follow the science" thirty times a day. Well, for eleven years I've been stuck in the dank toilet of the DC Superior Court for being a soi-disant "science denier". Yet I managed to "follow the science" all the way to Osaka and Kyoto and I was discombobulated by what I found there. Why is it only psmi and a couple of others and not the science and health correspondents of the BBC and The New York Times that are interested in the ostensibly startling revelation that all the major Covid "variants" are also lab creations? As I mentioned the other day, when this thing got going, my initial assumption was that, as with SARS, the Chinese were lying to the world. It then became plain that, in fact, the Americans - Fauci and the public-health bureaucracy - were lying to the world, about taxpayer-funded "gain-of-function" research offshored via a CIA front to Wuhan. Among the more curious details in the new Japanese paper is this: The following results presented in this study may support the hypothesis that the Omicron variants may have been artificially synthesized rather than naturally occurring: 1) the presence of Omicron variant-associated isolates with one mutation site being Wuhan-type; 2) the almost complete absence of synonymous mutations in the S protein in these isolates; 3) the Omicron variant, which should have been first reported to WHO from South Africa on November 24, 2021, was already endemic in Puerto Rico in 2020, and that there were isolates that were recombinants between Omicron strains BA1 and BA2. [EMPHASIS ADDED] How about that? Puerto Rico is a territory not of Japan but of the United States. Yet it takes a couple of guys in Osaka and Kyoto to reveal that the Omicron was endemic on American turf over a year before its official release date? Is it really credible that Fauci & Co didn't know that? And, if not, do they know where it came from? And, if so, why aren't they telling us? Mark's international bestseller America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It. If you haven't read the book during its first seventeen years, well, you're missing a treat. It's still in print in hardback and paperback. (Buy it at a 77% discount by clicking here or order in KINDLE edition at a 47% discount by clicking here. Sales help fund JWR) (COMMENT, BELOW) Mark Steyn is an international bestselling author, a Top 41 recording artist, and a leading Canadian human rights activist. Among his books is "The Undocumented Mark Steyn: Don't Say You Weren't Warned". (Buy it at a 49% discount by clicking here or order in KINDLE edition at a 67% discount by clicking here. Sales help fund JWR) Insight Pols' brains are a bipartisan problem By Michael Reagan Published Sept. 5, 2023 SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. Just click here. Maybe we Republicans better stop banging on Old Joe Biden for the serious cognitive issues he obviously has. Unless we hold the players on our own team responsible for their cognitive issues, we have to stop harping on the obvious mental declines of President Biden, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Diane Feinstein, my home state's ancient senator. I'm talking of course about the problem of what to do about Sen. Mitch McConnell's shaky brain. The Republican Senate minority leader had another one of his sad and scary public freeze-ups while talking to the press on Wednesday. McConnell suddenly went silent on camera and stared into the distance after being asked whether he plans to run for re-election in 2026. Mitch came out of his trance-like state in less than a minute, but the public damage to his image was done. The 81-year-old Kentucky senator showed the entire world that he's eligible to move into the Republican wing of the newly built Bidenland Rest Home, where the president, Fetterman and Feinstein are charter residents. Don't look now, but the greatest country in the world is being led by a bunch of cognitively "challenged" politicians you wouldn't trust to walk your dog. The collective cognitive ability of the Biden-McConnell-Feinstein-Fetterman foursome is about half that of the average person they represent. It's not funny, but if a comedian in a club simply put their photos up on a screen together he'd get big laughs. McConnell's doctor later issued a statement saying everything's OK with Mitch's brain. We all know that's the usual bought-and-paid-for lie, but it's the bipartisan way it works. The doctors, staff people and political pals of ancient politicians in both parties automatically lie through their teeth and insist their bosses' broken brains are still in tip-top shape. That's why Ted Cruz quickly defended McConnell's mental competence and why the likes of Chuck Schumer and the liberal media stick up for Biden's every time he says something daffy or untrue. The truth is, people in power never want to voluntarily step down or step aside. They never say, "You know what? I'm a million years old and my brain is like a two-year-old's. After six decades in office, I realize it's time for me to let someone under 85 do my job. So for the good of the country, I resign." Instead, they keep running for office and we keep electing them. But I don't care who it is, what party they belong to or how the political equation in Washington will be affected. It's time for a collective bipartisan call for McConnell, Feinstein, Fetterman and Biden to do the right thing and step down. They're making decisions and voting on things every day that affect every one of our lives and yet half the time they have no idea what they are doing. They're not able to do the jobs they were elected to do. They're embarrassing themselves. They're ruining their legacies, which, whatever they are or once were, are long gone. They're only going to be remembered how they are now, which is incompetent and addled, not how they were long ago when they started to play the Washington game. I admit to my guilt. I've gone after Biden because of his cognitive disabilities. But if I am going to bang on Biden, I cannot not bang on McConnell. Because it's not about the good of the party, it's for the good of the country. (COMMENT, BELOW) Michael Reagan is the son of President Ronald Reagan, a political consultant, and the author of "The New Reagan Revolution" (St. Martin's Press). He is the founder of the email service reagan.com and president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation. CHARLESTON Coles County has been ranked in the top 20 in Illinois for communities that support small businesses. The Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce reported in a press release on Tuesday that the countys ranking has been determined by altLINE, a company that recently performed research on small business support in all 50 states. Additionally, the Charleston Chamber reported that a recent national Chamber of Commerce report found that the Midwest was the most business-friendly region thanks to the relatively low cost of living, well-educated workforce andeasing zoning restrictions for businesses. Charleston Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Doug Abolt said he and Mattoon Chamber Executive Director Ed Dowd are pleased that Coles County achieved the top 20 recognition. The Chambers have long believed the area has been very supportive of our business community and it is great to have an unsolicited, third-party attest to that fact, Abolt said. Data in the altLINE report shows that Coles County has a total of 1,107 small business establishments, 23.7 per 1,000 residents, and that the share of establishments that are small is 99.7% AltLINE used Census Bureau data to find the Illinois counties with the increased concentration of small businesses in 2021, calculated as small establishments per 1,000 residents. Small establishments are defined as those with less than 500 employees. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents were excluded from the analysis, as well as counties for which the Census Bureau did not have population estimates. Thus, only 50 of Illinois 102 counties were analyzed. AltLINE stated that, Although most of the nations small businesses are located in major metropolitan areas, those that are located in rural areas tend to be more stable possibly due to loyalty from local residents Abolt said the Charleston and Oakland Chambers, along with the village of Ashmore, launched a Shop Local initiative in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. It is great to know some of their past hard work continues to play an important part in (top 20) announcement, Abolt. Research shows that out of every $100 spent locally, an average of $78 stays there supporting the local economy. Angela Griffin, president of Coles Together, an economic development organization for Coles County, said she is pleased but not surprised with altLINEs findings. The report confirms what those of us on the ground have been seeing for some time, Griffin said. Dozens of new business starts have occurred over the past couple of years putting many Coles County residents to work and providing exciting career opportunities. Griffin said, We are proud of the strong working relationships among the chambers, Coles Together, and city officials that create a supportive and friendly environment for business. MATTOON Six Amtrak passenger trains per day make stops at the downtown train depot, with four traveling between Chicago and Carbondale and two traveling between Chicago and New Orleans. While remaining open to serve those passengers over the years, the depot at 1718 Broadway Ave. has often fallen victim to vandalism during the long stretches of time between train arrivals. Following vandalism last month that was particularly destructive to the depot's passenger level restrooms, Mattoon Police Department Deputy Chief Ryan Hurst said the city has begun reducing the hours in which the building is unlocked and open to the public. "That is a nice building, and we want to keep it nice," Hurst said of the restored Illinois Central Railroad depot, which was constructed in 1918. Public Works Director Dean Barber stated in a press release that the city will be locking the doors of the depot occasionally between trains arrivals. He said the doors will be unlocked one hour before each train. "Most of the time this will occur after dark," Barber said. "However, the building may also be locked occasionally during daylight hours depending on circumstances." The depot will still be open for public events, such as the Coles County Historical Society museum adjacent to the passenger area being open from 1-4 p.m. every Saturday. Barber said the police department's non-emergency phone number is posted on the doors if there is ever an accidental conflict with a late train arrival/departure. If those meeting a train find the doors locked, they can call 217-235-5451 to have an officer unlock the doors. Hurst said officers have always proactively patrolled the depot, and the city installed new digital surveillance cameras there last year. Still, he said, vandalism has continued. "It's difficult to keep a building like that open and accessible and not have these issues," Hurst said. The deputy chief said recent incidents have included vandals damaging toilets, sinks, mirrors, paper towel dispensers and "pretty much anything and everything that is in the bathrooms." Amtrak passengers Evan Erwin and Emma Baker, both Southern Illinois University students from Decatur, said after disembarking from a train on Aug. 29 that they regularly use the Mattoon depot and have found this facility to be generally well kept. However, Erwin added that he had noticed fixtures in the bathroom that were damaged or missing. "I was through here three weeks ago and I remember the soap dispenser didn't exist then," Erwin said. Vandalism also has extended into the passenger area, such as plaques recognizing those who helped with the depot's 2010 restoration being removed from the wall and placed in the trash. Mattoon City Council member Sandra Graven, who is a volunteer with the historical society, said the the vandalism also has included someone discharging a fire extinguisher near the elevator for the depot and the doors to the museum. "It's sad that this would have happened. It really bothers me that people would do that to a historic place," Graven said. She added it was a relief the that the museum's doors and the display case in the passenger area were left untouched. In an unrelated issue, Graven noted that the depot's air conditioning and elevator have been out of service recently. Barber said on Friday that repairs are underway and are expected to be completed soon. Hurst said the police department has continued to make arrests for vandalism at the depot, with those arrested being a mixture of local adults and juveniles, overnight guests at the nearby Haven homeless shelter, and individuals passing through town. Police officers also have stepped up efforts to ask people to move on if they are at the depot or across the street at Heritage Park, where vandalism and littering has occurred, and do not have a valid reason to be at these sites. "We have had contact with those individuals, and they understand they can't just loiter," Hurst said. Community members can report vandalism at the depot and Heritage Park to the police department by calling 217-235-5451. Close Volunteers Gail Bahney, at left, and Carolyn Cloyd are shown on May 23, 2023 evening preparing the World War II U.S. Scientific Consultant uniform of Richard Adamson Lumpkin, of Consolidated Communications' founding family, for display as part of the new "Coles County Answers the Call" exhibit in the Coles County Historical Society's museum in the Mattoon train depot's lower level. Eastern Illinois University studio art master's students Lilly Lee of Toledo and Peyton Morrow of Mattoon stand on the "Art 13" exhibit floor on April 24, 2023 in the Lone Elm Room at the Mattoon train depot. The exhibit features the work of Lee, Morrow and 11 of their classmates in the studio art program. Model train enthusiasts Andy Thompson of Mattoon, at left, and Jim Ruef of Lerna make plans on Jan. 18, 2023 for opening the Jerry McRoberts memorial display in the Coles County Historical Society's Mattoon depot museum during the model train show that weekend at the Cross County Mall. Pictured, from the left, are Emma Tolppanen, Max Deremiah and Matthew Gerard Burns dancing during rehearsal on Nov. 28, 2022 for the Mattoon Arts Council's upcoming production of "Secret Santa" in the train depot's Lone Elm Room. The engine of the northbound Amtrak Saluki train waits for riders to board on Oct. 15, 2020 alongside the new passenger platform at the Mattoon depot. Amtrak passengers disembark from the southbound Amtrak Saluki train on March 9, 2020 in Mattoon before the cracked passenger platform was replaced later that year. City Parks & Recreation Superintendent Kurt Stretch works on a lighted Christmas wreath on Dec. 4, 2019 on the front of the train depot in preparation for the annual Celebrate Downtown Mattoon Christmas festival at 5-8 p.m. Friday. Sacred Heart Elementary School students wait in the lobby area at the Mattoon train depot on Dec. 6, 2018. One-and-a-half-year-old Kai Rogers of Charleston talks with Santa Claus at the train depot in Mattoon on Dec. 10, 2016. Photos: Mattoon train depot The restored Mattoon depot is home to an Amtrak passenger platform, a Coles County Historical Society museum, Lone Elm Room event venue, and Mattoon Tourism & Arts Office. Volunteers Gail Bahney, at left, and Carolyn Cloyd are shown on May 23, 2023 evening preparing the World War II U.S. Scientific Consultant uniform of Richard Adamson Lumpkin, of Consolidated Communications' founding family, for display as part of the new "Coles County Answers the Call" exhibit in the Coles County Historical Society's museum in the Mattoon train depot's lower level. Eastern Illinois University studio art master's students Lilly Lee of Toledo and Peyton Morrow of Mattoon stand on the "Art 13" exhibit floor on April 24, 2023 in the Lone Elm Room at the Mattoon train depot. The exhibit features the work of Lee, Morrow and 11 of their classmates in the studio art program. Model train enthusiasts Andy Thompson of Mattoon, at left, and Jim Ruef of Lerna make plans on Jan. 18, 2023 for opening the Jerry McRoberts memorial display in the Coles County Historical Society's Mattoon depot museum during the model train show that weekend at the Cross County Mall. Pictured, from the left, are Emma Tolppanen, Max Deremiah and Matthew Gerard Burns dancing during rehearsal on Nov. 28, 2022 for the Mattoon Arts Council's upcoming production of "Secret Santa" in the train depot's Lone Elm Room. The engine of the northbound Amtrak Saluki train waits for riders to board on Oct. 15, 2020 alongside the new passenger platform at the Mattoon depot. Amtrak passengers disembark from the southbound Amtrak Saluki train on March 9, 2020 in Mattoon before the cracked passenger platform was replaced later that year. City Parks & Recreation Superintendent Kurt Stretch works on a lighted Christmas wreath on Dec. 4, 2019 on the front of the train depot in preparation for the annual Celebrate Downtown Mattoon Christmas festival at 5-8 p.m. Friday. Sacred Heart Elementary School students wait in the lobby area at the Mattoon train depot on Dec. 6, 2018. One-and-a-half-year-old Kai Rogers of Charleston talks with Santa Claus at the train depot in Mattoon on Dec. 10, 2016. Q: How can we stop robocalls? We get so many every day, and Im tired of dealing with them. R.K. Answer: Scammers have the technology and ability to spoof phone numbers. The Federal Communications Commission defines number spoofing as a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. They can make it appear that the call is from a business or someone in the same area where you are located. Many times, the caller is located overseas making it very difficult to catch them or stop them. Here are some tips from the FCC about what to do when you get a call that is likely a robocall or scammer: If you dont recognize the number, dont answer the phone. If you answer it and realize its a robocall or a scam, hang up immediately. If the caller tells you to push a button to stop the calls, dont do it, hang up. Never give any kind of personal information to an unknown caller. Never assume an unexpected call is legitimate. Hang up and call back using a number you can verify on a bill, a statement, or an official website. Be suspicious. Con artists can be very convincing: They may ask innocuous questions, or sound threatening, or sometimes seem too good to be true, the FCC said. Scammers may pose as a law enforcement officer or a representative of such companies as Duke Energy, Amazon or AT&T. If they are posing as a law enforcement officer, they may tell you youll be arrested for failing to show up for jury duty or you have an overdue payment. Sometimes, theyll claim that if you give them the numbers off a gift card or transfer money through electronic sites such as Bitcoin, the situation will be closed. Dont give them any money or information. Law enforcement will never demand immediate payment. Make sure you know who is on the other end of the call. If they tell you that they are from a company that you do business with, hang up and call that business using a number from their website or on correspondence youve gotten from them. Never give any personal information, including bank information, credit card information, or a Social Security number to an unknown caller. Hang up. The Winston-Salem Police Department recommends the following: If you do somehow find yourself on the line with a suspected scammer, Get the callers name (or alleged name); get the number they called from and/or email address; and contact law enforcement authorities and file a police report. If you havent already, you can sign up for the Do Not Call Registry on the Federal Trade Commissions website, FTC.gov. You can file a complaint with the FCC on its website, FCC.gov and to the FTC. Occasionally, robocallers do get caught and hopefully will pay the price for the error of their ways. In recent years the FCC has hit scam telemarketers where it hurts the most, their bank account, by levying multi-million dollar fines against them. The companies include a Texas-based health insurance telemarketing firm that was accused of making approximately one billion illegally spoofed robocalls. It got hit with a $225 million fine, the largest fine the FCC has ever imposed. The federal prosecutor in the criminal case against fired Wells Fargo & Co. executive Carrie Tolstedt disclosed Friday his reasoning for how long of a prison sentence she should serve. Tolstedt played a lead role in the banks fraudulent customer account scandal that erupted publicly in September 2016. In March, Tolstedt became the first former or fired Wells Fargo sentenced to federal prison over the events. Tolstedt pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of a bank examination, the U.S. Justice Department said. The plea agreement carries a 16-month federal prison sentence. The statutory maximum sentence for obstruction of a bank examination is five years. On Friday, Attorney Joseph McNally for the Central District of California submitted the governments sentencing position of a 12-month imprisonment. McNally also recommended a year of supervision upon release and a $100,000 fine. A 12-month term of imprisonment strikes the correct balance, McNally wrote. Such a sentence reflects the seriousness of defendants conduct, promotes respect for the law, provides just punishment, and affords general deterrence to other executives who might find themselves tempted to skirt the truth. At the same time, it acknowledges that defendant has accepted responsibility for her offense and does not pose a continuing danger to the public. And it does so while avoiding unwarranted sentencing disparities the guidelines were designed to avoid. Background Tolstedt served about nine years as Wells Fargos head of the Community Bank, which operated the banks consumer and small business retail banking business. Tolstedt was retroactively fired with cause by Wells Fargo shortly after the scandal erupted in September 2016. Wells Fargo has admitted that from 2002 to 2016, excessive sales goals led Community Bank employees to open millions of accounts and other financial products that were unauthorized or fraudulent. In the process, Wells Fargo collected millions of dollars in fees and interest to which it was not entitled, harmed customers credit ratings, and unlawfully misused customers sensitive personal information. Examples of fraudulent accounts included: using existing customers identities without their consent to open accounts; forging customer signatures to open accounts without authorization; creating PINs to activate unauthorized debit cards; and moving money from millions of customer accounts to unauthorized accounts. Other examples included: opening credit cards and bill pay products without authorization; altering customers contact information to prevent customers from learning of unauthorized accounts and to prevent Wells Fargo employees from reaching customers to conduct customer satisfaction surveys; and encouraging customers to open accounts they neither wanted nor needed. Wells Fargo acknowledged in 2017 the opening and issuing of at least 3.53 million unauthorized checking and savings accounts, debit cards and credit cards between 2009 and October 2016. Although the bulk of the fraudulent accounts were established in California and Arizona, the bank told the Charlotte Observer it could not rule out that 38,722 unauthorized customer accounts were established in North Carolina and 23,327 in South Carolina. Plea agreement According to the plea agreement, Tolstedt acknowledged that she knew of those fraudulent practices in 2004, including that about 5,300 retail employees had been fired over those tactics. Yet, internal investigations within the Community Bank flagged only a small portion of the potentially problematic activity for investigation, according to Justice officials. According to the plea agreement, Tolstedt acknowledged that she knew of those fraudulent practices in 2004, including that some retail employees had been fired over those tactics. Yet, internal investigations within the Community Bank flagged only a small portion of the potentially problematic activity for investigation, according to Justice officials. As of July 2014, only the most egregious 0.1% to .05% of employees engaging in activity considered a red flag for sales practices misconduct were investigated with the remaining 99.95% to 99.99% percent left unexamined under this process. In May 2015, Tolstedt participated in the preparation of a memorandum that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency would receive in connection with its examination of sales practice issues at Wells Fargo. To minimize the scope of the sales practices misconduct within the Community Bank, Tolstedt corruptly obstructed the OCCs examination by failing to disclose statistics on the number of employees who were terminated or resigned pending investigation for sales practices misconduct, Justice said. She also failed to disclose that the Community Bank proactively investigated only a very small percentage of employees who engaged in activity flagged as potential sales practices misconduct. In February 2020, the bank agreed to pay $3 billion to settle U.S. Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission investigations into fraudulent sales practices by its Community Bank division. The investigation period covers from 2002 until the scandal on customer-account practices erupted publicly in September 2016. At that time, Wells Fargo agreed to pay a combined $185 million in fines to resolve regulatory complaints. The biggest shadow still hanging over Wells Fargo is the Feds order, issued Feb. 3, 2018, that prohibits the bank from increasing its total assets beyond the $1.93 trillion it had on Dec. 31. 2017. Regulatory fines In May, Tolstedt was fined $3 million by the SEC. She also agreed to pay disgorgement of an additional $1.46 million, as well as prejudgment interest of $447,874. Companies do not act on their own. Where the facts warrant it, we will hold senior executives accountable for conduct that violates the securities laws, Monique Winkler, regional director of the SECs San Francisco office, said in a statement. The SEC said that while Tolstedt did not admit or deny the complaint allegations, she agreed to a final judgment permanently enjoining her from violating, or aiding and abetting violations of, the antifraud and other provisions of the federal securities laws. The SEC imposed a permanent officer-and-director bar against Tolstedt involving the financial services sector. John Stumpf, the banks retired former chairman and chief executive, reached a settlement with the SEC on similar allegations in which he paid a $2.5 million fine in November 2020. The bank has been fined $500 million by the SEC. The series of fines involving the former executives and the bank are to be distributed to investors harmed by their actions. The SECs complaint accused Tolstedt during the mid-2014 to mid-2016 timeframe of publicly described and endorsed Wells Fargos cross-sell metric as a means of measuring Wells Fargos financial success despite the fact that this metric was inflated by accounts and services that were unused, unneeded or unauthorized. Some of those comments were made during Wells Fargo investor conferences in 2014 and 2016. The SEC said Tolstedt knew the cross-sell metric did not accurately track accounts or products that customers needed or used, since she was aware of misconduct at the Community Bank that led to bankers pushing products on customers that they did not need or want, including the unauthorized opening of accounts. The SEC also said Tolstedt signed misleading sub-certifications as to the accuracy of Wells Fargos public disclosures when she knew or was reckless in not knowing that statements in those disclosures regarding Wells Fargos cross-sell metric were materially false and misleading. In March, Tolstedt paid a $17.5 million fine ordered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The regulator issued a prohibition order against Tolstedt. A Wake Forest University School of Medicine professor, Dr. Dionisios Vrochides, has been named as executive director of IRCAD, a French-based research and training institute for surgeons. The institute, located at the University Hospital of Strasbourg, France, is scheduled to open in 2025 a North American headquarters in the midtown Charlotte district branded as The Pearl that has a projected $1.5 billion capital investment. The district is planned to be adjacent to the Wake Forests Charlotte medical school campus thats slated to open in 2024. The 100,000-square-foot facility will serve as an anchor for the first research building. Vrochides is a clinical professor of surgical sciences. Dr. Vrochides is an extraordinary clinical leader who understands how the intersection between education and innovation can lead to new discoveries, Eugene Woods, co-chief executive of Advocate Health, said in a statement. Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is part of the Advocate Health not-for-profit umbrella. Woods said Vrochides played an instrumental role in bringing IRCAD North Americas headquarters to Charlotte. Im confident that, under his leadership, IRCAD will be the destination in the United States for surgical education, robotics and the development of new techniques. The leadership structure for IRCAD NA is designed for the executive director to manage the experiential training and rapid-cycle research and development center in partnership with a business and operations structure which will serve to grow and establish the institute. IRCAD specializes in educating physicians from around the world in minimally invasive surgery and image-guided surgery techniques. It also features translational research laboratories and research and development units in computer science and robotics that design and develop tools for diagnosis, surgical planning and simulation aimed at improving and making surgical procedures safer. In addition to general surgery, IRCAD NAs training curriculum will include the latest techniques in cardiovascular, neuro- and orthopedic surgeries, among others. Vrochides said he expects IRCAD NA will attract thousands of top surgeons and their teams to Charlotte each year to train with top subject matter experts from all over the world and experience the latest surgical technologies and platforms, including advanced laparoscopy, robotics, image-guided procedures and, through the use of artificial intelligence, augmented surgical reality. We also see tremendous potential, both independently and together with our partners, to drive innovation and rapid-cycle research and development activities, which will improve surgical outcomes and help deliver better patient care. IRCAD has training centers in six countries: Brazil, China, France, Lebanon, Rwanda and Taiwan. It currently trains more than 7,200 physicians annually in 18 specialties. Atrium and IRCAD are planning a public-private partnership to help underwrite the start-up costs. Jacques Marescaux, a surgeon and president and founder of IRCAD, said Vrochides was the first person to contact me personally and to participate in the development of this magnificent project, bringing the United States of America into the IRCAD family. Dr. Julie Ann Freischlag, chief academic officer of Advocate and chief executive of Baptist, said that as a surgeon myself and a member of IRCADs executive committee, I look forward to working together with Dr. Vrochides to connect our learners at Wake Forest University School of Medicine with innovative and unparalleled training opportunities. China's top legislator holds talks with Lao National Assembly president Xinhua) 08:45, September 05, 2023 Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, holds talks with visiting Lao National Assembly President Saysomphone Phomvihane at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, held talks with visiting Lao National Assembly President Saysomphone Phomvihane in Beijing on Monday. Zhao said China is ready to work closely with the Lao side to translate the consensus reached by top leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the two countries into tangible cooperation outcomes and benefits for the two peoples. Zhao said the two sides should adhere to high-level guidance, deepen practical cooperation, tap the potential of the China-Laos Railway, and build a model of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The two countries should carry forward their traditional friendship, implement cooperation projects on people's livelihood, strengthen exchanges in sub-national cooperation, sister cities' exchanges, and youth contacts, and expand exchanges in culture, education, and media, Zhao said. China firmly supports Laos in assuming the rotating presidency of the ASEAN next year and stands ready to deepen China-ASEAN relations, he added. "The NPC of China is willing to work with the Lao National Assembly to deepen friendly exchanges at all levels, conduct in-depth exchanges on issues such as state governance, development planning, and the rule of law, strengthen exchanges between local legislatures of the two countries, and provide legal guarantees for China-Laos cooperation in various fields," said Zhao. Zhao also expressed hope for closer coordination and cooperation at multilateral parliamentary fora to jointly safeguard the basic norms governing international relations and the common interests of developing countries. Saysomphone said the traditional friendship between Laos and China is enduring, with deepening political mutual trust and fruitful practical cooperation between the two countries. The Belt and Road Initiative has brought tangible benefits to the Lao people and the Laos-China Railway has played a vital role in promoting the development of the Lao economy, he said. Saysomphone said the Lao National Assembly is willing to strengthen cooperation with the NPC of China and contribute to the construction of the China-Laos community with a shared future. The two legislators signed an agreement on cooperation between the NPC and the Lao National Assembly after the talks. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, and visiting Lao National Assembly President Saysomphone Phomvihane sign an agreement on cooperation between the NPC and the Lao National Assembly after their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Workers are back on the job on Meadowlark Drive, but so are school buses and parents taking their children to school. Meanwhile, Winston-Salem officials say they hope to soon get an updated timetable on when the $7.7 million road-widening project might be finished. That original completion date for contractor Smith-Rowe LLC at the end of October is out the window. Theres way too much work left to be done for that, said Robert Prestwood, the city engineer for Winston-Salem. What they have been doing in the past couple of weeks is a big improvement. We just hope it continues. Work stopped at the end of July when a city inspector found problems with some curb and gutter work. Company and city officials put their heads together to figure out what was wrong, and that further slowed a project that had fallen way behind. The start of school leaves the road crowded at those times of day when school buses and parents are bringing children to school or taking them home. But officials say improvements previously made to school driveways and an agreement with the contractor to temporarily pause construction on the segment in front of the school is helping alleviate the problems. We have worked with the city and the contractors to support the project, and support doing what we can to remove traffic off Meadowlark Drive, Brent Campbell, the chief communications officer with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, said. With 2016 bond money, the school system changed traffic flow patterns on campus so that more cars can be lined up on school property instead of being lined up on the street. At Meadowlark Elementary School, for instance, the number of cars that can be lined up on school property jumped from 80 to almost 150, school Principal Neil Raymer said. Still, Raymer noted that some 250 cars arrive to pick up or drop off students on both mornings and afternoons at his school alone, and next door is the middle school with about the same number of students. Between the two schools, some 200 employees also ply the entrances and buses come and go, Raymer said. Things can get busy. The road widening is meant to relieve traffic woes by providing a center turn lane. Along the way, other turn lanes will accommodate some of the extra traffic making its way to schools and other significant destination. When the road widening is complete, Raymer noted, a traffic signal will help flow at the southern school entrance. The citys difficulty with the contractors curb and gutter work was resolved in the citys favor, Prestwood said. Survey information was corrected, and the contractor is in the process of correcting the mistakes at no cost to the city, he said. But the work stoppage because of the curbing problem didnt cause the overall delays on the project. The contractors said it was a shortage of employees that led to their falling behind. With the start of school, Prestwood said, the city decided to have the contractor temporarily pause work on the stretch in front of the school. Crews have instead been at work to the north, on the next phase of the project that starts near the entrance to Brookberry Farms Road. Jody Phillips, the vice president of Smith-Rowe, said he still has labor shortages, but at present has some extra crews he can commit to the project. Phillips said that after several weeks working away from the school entrances, after the schools are adjusted to their new term, his crews will be moving back to continue work near the schools. Phillips said his company has frequent communication with the schools to keep them updated on anything they need to know about the progress of the work. City officials said the contractor also coordinates work to take advantage of days when there is no school in session. While school officials say traffic flow will be much better when the project is done, they acknowledge the short-term hassles. Our parents are pleased with the drop-off and pickup patterns, Raymer said. The construction continues to cause congestion that is beyond the schools control. TAIPEI, Taiwan As People's Liberation Army fighter jets from China sped toward Taiwan last week, life on the self-governing island carried on as normal. Andy Huang, a restaurateur in Taipei, said he has become desensitized to military threats from the mainland. "I've been hearing about China invading for 30 years," he said. Taiwan's government is racing to counter China, buying nearly $19 billion in military equipment from the United States, and extending military conscription for men to a year starting in 2024. But many on the island say they don't feel the threat. That may be partly due to the nuanced views many Taiwanese hold of China. While polls indicate most people on the island reject reunification, many say they are attracted to their much larger neighbor's dynamic economy and its shared language and culture. Others are simply numb to hearing about the threat in their backyard. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory, and its actions in recent years led some to fear China is preparing to use force to try to take control of the island. American lawmakers and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen compared Taiwan to Ukraine, which was invaded by larger neighbor Russia. The island's politicians have not been shy about sounding the alarm. "In order to keep the peace, we need to strengthen ourselves," Tsai said last month at a war memorial commemorating the last time Taiwan and China battled. Members of the public don't feel that urgency. Coco Wang is one of the many people who feel a connection to China without considering themselves Chinese. Her grandparents came to Taiwan among people fleeing the 1949 Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, which left rival governments ruling the mainland and Taiwan. Her grandparents kept in touch with relatives in China, and she remembers summers traveling through the country's rural areas with her parents. She considers herself Taiwanese, but worked in Shanghai for a year before the COVID-19 pandemic and is thinking of going back. The opportunities in China are so much bigger, she said. "There's this feeling that if you just go in and you really work at it, then you can really achieve something." China is Taiwan's largest trading partner, receiving 39% of the island's exports in 2022 despite new trade barriers imposed amid rising tensions. While Wang feels drawn to China, she acknowledged it is not entirely possible to leave politics at the door when working there. Colleagues in Shanghai occasionally called her a "Taiwanese separatist." She knew they meant it as a joke, but it made her uncomfortable. "We are already independent," she thought, "Taiwan is just Taiwan." Her viewpoint is widely shared. Since polling began in the 1990s, majorities on Taiwan have said they favor the status quo, rejecting both proposals for unification with the mainland and a formal declaration of independence that could mean war. But a closely watched poll question that asks people whether they consider themselves Chinese has shown the island's population growing further from the mainland, said Ching-hsin Yu, the head of National Chengchi University's Election Study Center. When polling began in 1992, over two-thirds of respondents said they were both Chinese and Taiwanese, or just Chinese. Today, close to two-thirds say they are just Taiwanese, while around 30% identify as both. Those attitudes don't translate directly into views on relations with the mainland, Yu said, but among the majority who identify as Taiwanese there has been a subtle shift toward favoring the status quo for now, but with "eventual independence." Huang, the restaurant owner, said he was taught in school that he was Chinese, but as an adult came to consider himself just Taiwanese. His restaurant in Taipei, which specializes in Taiwanese cuisine, has a "Lennon Wall" dedicated to the now-banned Hong Kong democracy movement, decorated with hundreds of Post-It notes with messages from patrons. Huang shut down in solidarity with protesters during Taiwan's Sunflower movement in 2014, when tens of thousands demonstrated against a trade deal with China. He says the Chinese population is "brainwashed." Personally, he wants independence now, but he also said he can wait until more of Taiwan's public is convinced. Nor does he think much about war, he said. "Whether they attack or not, that's for China's leaders to decide; it's pointless for us to worry," Huang said. For others, like Chen Shih-wei, cultural and emotional ties to China are very strong. Chen's family immigrated to Taiwan during the Ming dynasty, which ended in 1644, and he considers himself both Chinese and Taiwanese. "I'm Chinese and I'm Taiwanese. This can't be separated," he said. "We've read the history, including the clan records, and we are clear that we came from the mainland, and came from people who had landed in Taiwan, and grew up here." Chen, who is from Taichung in central Taiwan, traveled to China many times as a young athlete, starting in 1990. On the mainland, he said, he encountered more similarities than differences. Chen is pro-reunification, but doesn't believe it will happen in his lifetime. Chen now lives in Matsu, Taiwanese-held islands closer to China than the island of Taiwan. He said he is somewhat worried about the prospect of conflict. "This is not what the public on both sides want to see," he said. No one sees an easy way out of the accumulated antagonism of the past several years, whether military, diplomatic or economic. But Wang said the tensions are between the two governments, not between people. "Taiwanese and mainlanders are largely friendly to each other. Why is it like this?" she said. Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), formerly called vulvovaginal atrophy, atrophic vaginitis, or urogenital atrophy, describes the wide range of changes caused by the lack of estrogen during menopause. GSM also presents in a relatively small percentage of premenopausal females because of low estrogen states. The term GSM was adopted by the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) in 2014 to better characterize the wider effect of markedly diminished estrogen on reproductive tissues.1 Although GSM is not a cause of increased mortality, it is a frequent cause of chronic morbidity. Up to 50% of postmenopausal females have reported symptoms consistent with GSM, and up to 15% of premenopausal females experience symptoms consistent with GSM.2 The prevalence of GSM-related symptoms (such as vaginal dryness, irritation, itching, and dyspareunia) varies widely from 13% to 87%. GSM is a highly prevalent condition, generally is progressive, and the incidence increases with age.3 As the population ages and life expectancies increase, an estimated 90 million females in the United States will be postmenopausal by 2060.4 Thus, the expected burden of GSM on the population is substantial and provides a compelling picture of the need for improved screening, diagnosis, and effective treatments. In 2021, Mili and colleagues performed a systematic review on the prevalence and treatment of GSM, spanning 27 studies.3 In 12 studies that explored the number of females who discussed GSM symptoms with a health professional, it was clear that many females experiencing GSM symptoms hesitated to initiate such a discussion. Discussions more commonly occurred in gynecology settings than other settings such as primary care. Commonly cited reasons for their silence were considering the symptoms to be a normal consequence of menopause and feeling embarrassment or not being comfortable discussing the symptoms.3 Other factors that have been associated with a lower likelihood of females to discuss GSM symptoms with a healthcare professional are lower socioeconomic status, lower education level, and advanced age.3,5 Further, at least half of clinicians do not screen patients for GSM or ask them about symptoms of GSM.3 Healthcare professionals, especially those in primary care, if educated on the prevalence, clinical manifestations, and initial treatments of GSM, are well positioned to help the many females who are suffering in silence with a syndrome that is likely to get worse with advancing age and unlikely to resolve spontaneously. MANIFESTATIONS Estrogen-dependent tissues of the genitourinary tract include the vagina, bladder, and external genitalia. Patients with GSM present with a progressive, individualized constellation of bothersome symptoms caused by the dramatically diminished levels of estrogen that are a natural product of menopause (Table 1).2,6 Unlike vasomotor symptoms of menopause, which typically resolve over time, GSM does not resolve without intervention. Females who have experienced iatrogenic menopauseparticularly surgicalreport greater severity of symptoms because of the abrupt decrease in circulating androgens and estrogen.7,8 TABLE 1. - Diagnostic criteria and common findings in patients with GSM6 Diagnostic criteria and common findings in patients with GSM The clinical diagnosis is based on patient history and physical examination, and must include bothersome symptoms. Patient history Vulvovaginal dryness Dyspareunia Vulvovaginal itching, burning, or irritation Urinary frequency, dysuria, nocturia, urinary urgency, recurrent urinary tract infections Postcoital bleeding Delayed or decreased orgasm Physical examination Vulvovaginal atrophypallor, loss of rugae, introital retraction, excoriations Vulvar thinning, fusion of labia, clitoral hood retraction Vaginal dischargepH greater than 5 with parabasal cells Prominent urethral meatus The one nearly universal complaint of females with GSM is unremitting vaginal dryness. For most, this leads to painful intercourse, though GSM is not limited to sexually active females. The mucosal dryness typically is visible to the naked eye on pelvic examination. Thinning of the vaginal rugae makes the tissue look shiny and smooth internally with extension to the external genitalia. Pallor of the mucosa and petechiae also may be observed. Females may experience itching, burning, and coital bleeding from the fragile, friable mucosa. The loss of tissue elasticity also may lead to stenosis of the introitus, atrophy or fusion of the labia, pelvic support defects, or prolapse.8 Hypoestrogenic changes to the vaginal microbiome also are evident microscopically and are caused by reduced glycogen in the tissue and an increased pH (5 or greater).2,7 These conditions lead to a loss in the Lactobacillus species closely associated with vaginal health and an increase of parabasal cells (small, immature epithelial cells with large nuclei) and inflammatory cells, making females with GSM more susceptible to vaginitis.9 Females experiencing GSM also may report chronic urinary symptoms including urgency, frequency, dysuria, and nocturia as well as experience recurrent urinary tract infections.3 The physical changes associated with GSM can significantly affect sexual function. Diminished or absent vaginal lubrication associated with sexual arousal often is one of the earliest symptoms that females recognize with menopausal changes. Other common findings include varying degrees of dyspareunia, decreased libido, decreased arousal sensation, and decreased orgasm. The effect of altered sexual function on a female's quality of life varies based on multiple factors, including relationship status, partner's sexual function, and desired sexual activities.8 DURING THE PATIENT VISIT Because GSM is a high-prevalence condition among postmenopausal females, routine screening and recognition of GSM-related symptoms are key. NAMS has developed a comprehensive menopause health questionnaire that is a useful point-of-care resource.10 Another validated questionnaire is the 21-question Vaginal Symptom Questionnaire.11 Its significant limitation is that it does not explore urinary symptoms associated with GSM.2 Alternatively, simply ask all peri- and postmenopausal females about vulvovaginal discomfort, urinary symptoms, and sexual function as a component of regular wellness. Pertinent history findings for GSM should be confirmed with a physical examination and effort to rule out other pathology with overlapping symptoms (Table 2). Atrophic changes that do not cause bothersome symptoms do not need to be treated and do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of GSM.7 TABLE 2. - Differential diagnosis Differential diagnosis Use of bladder stimulants such as caffeine or alcohol Cervical neoplasia Isolated pelvic support defects Sexual dysfunction Sexually transmitted infection Urinary tract infection (acute, chronic, or recurrent) Vulvovaginitis, such as bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis Vulvar dermatoses, including lichen sclerosus, lichen simplex chronicus, lichen planus, localized vulvodynia, and allergic or irritative dermatitis Vulvar neoplasia THERAPEUTIC OPTIONS Shared decision-making is an important facet of effective care for females with GSM. The goal of treatment is to minimize the effect of symptoms on the patient's needs and sexual health, maximizing genitourinary function and comfort. Options for treating GSM include over-the-counter (OTC) lubricants and moisturizers, locally applied hormonal therapies, an oral selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), adjuvant lifestyle modifications, and laser or radiofrequency-based vaginal devices.2 Treatment benefits can be seen within several weeks of therapy; however, maximal improvement may take up to 12 weeks.6 Because symptoms generally recur with discontinuation of treatment, treatment can continue as long as the patient does not develop a condition for which the treatment is contraindicated (Tables 3 and 4).2 TABLE 3. - Prescription pharmacologic therapies for GSM32-39 Prescription pharmacologic therapies for GSM Therapy Product Dosing Indication(s) Contraindications Low-dose vaginal estrogen cream Conjugated estrogens (Premarin)0.625 mg/g 0.5 to 1 g intravaginally daily for 2 weeks, then 0.5 to 1 g intravaginally twice/week GSM, dyspareunia Current diagnosis of, history of, or high risk for estrogen-sensitive neoplasia 17-beta estradiol (Estrace)0.1 mg/g Initial: 2 to 4 g intravaginally daily for 1 to 2 weeks Reduce dose by 50% for 1 to 2 weeks Maintenance: 1 g 1 to 3 times/week Low-dose vaginal estrogen insert 17-beta estradiol (Imvexxy) Initial: 4 or 10 mcg intravaginally daily for 2 weeks Maintenance: 4 or 10 mcg twice weekly 17-beta estradiol (Vagifem, Yuvafem)10-mcg tablet/insert Initial: insert 1 intravaginally daily for 2 weeks Maintenance: insert 1 intravaginally twice weekly Low-dose vaginal estrogen ring 17-beta estradiol acetate (Estring)2-mg ring, releases about 7.5 mcg/day Place ring as deeply in the vagina as possible; replace every 90 days SERM Ospemifene (Osphena)60 mg Oral, once daily Moderate to severe dyspareunia and vaginal symptoms Current treatment for breast cancer or on another SERM Prasterone (DHEA) inserts Intrarosa6.5 mg Insert once intravaginally daily at bedtime Moderate to severe dyspareunia Same as vaginal estrogens TABLE 4. - OTC pharmacologic therapies for GSM12,27,30 OTC pharmacologic therapies for GSM Therapy Product examples Dosing Indication(s) Vaginal lubricant Water-based options at recommended pH and osmolality include Yes Baby and Good Clean Love; silicone-based options include uberlube and Pjur As needed Dyspareunia Vaginal moisturizer Option at recommended pH: YES VM vaginal moisturizer Apply intravaginally two or three times/week Vaginal symptoms Hyaluronic acid Bonafide Revaree vaginal insert and Good Clean Love BioNourish ultra moisturizing vaginal gel with hyaluronic acid Apply intravaginally two or three times/week Vaginal symptoms Vitamin E Multiple unregulated brands of vaginal suppositories and inserts In studies: intravaginally daily for 2 weeks, then every other day Vaginal symptoms Pelvic floor muscle training/therapy Designed by physical therapist based on patient symptoms Dyspareunia, urinary symptoms, genital prolapse At-home devices iTouch, Kegelmaster Varies by product Laser therapy MonaLisa Touch, FemTouch Three or more sessions 4 to 6 weeks apart, with annual maintenance therapy Vaginal symptoms OTC THERAPIES Lubricants and vaginal moisturizers OTC lubricants are designed to reduce friction and tissue trauma during sexual activity. Vaginal moisturizers rehydrate by being absorbed into the tissue. The two are the first-line agents and the most-used products for females experiencing vaginal dryness associated with GSM, including among those patients who have consulted with a clinician. Lubricants and moisturizers can be used in conjunction with each other and as an adjuvant to other therapies, and both may be used without reservation in females who have contraindications to hormonal therapy. Both have been shown to be effective in reducing dyspareunia associated with mild to moderate vaginal dryness. Moisturizers may have additional, potential benefits of relieving vaginal itching and discomfort. Unfortunately, neither treats the underlying cause of GSM nor changes the trajectory of the progressive process. Lubricants are available in a variety of preparations including water-, silicone-, mineral oil-, and plant oil-based. For maximal effect, lubricants may need to be reapplied during intercourse. Patients may start treatment of GSM with a lubricant and add a moisturizer if sufficient relief is not achieved. Vaginal moisturizers can provide symptomatic relief for 2 to 3 days and have a longer effect than lubricants. Moisturizers should be applied to the vaginal mucosa regularly, several times each week with no temporal relationship to sexual activity, for best absorption and results.12 When selecting from the wide array of these topical products, patients should choose one with a pH and osmolality that is most body-similar to limit additional irritation and potential tissue damage. With water-based products, a pH level between 3.5 and 5 and an osmolality in the range of 200 to 600 mOsm/kg are recommended. Avoid products with parabens, chlorhexidine, or polyquaternium-15, which may worsen symptoms and may make patients more susceptible to urinary tract and vaginal infections.13 Advise patients using condoms to protect against sexually transmitted infections to avoid oil-based lubricants, which can deteriorate latex.14 Hyaluronic acid A systemic review of five small studies investigated the use of vaginal hyaluronic acid for vaginal atrophy associated with GSM, and found it had similar efficacy to local estrogen, as measured by vaginal pH, cell maturation on biopsy, and patients' perception of improvement of vaginal dryness and dyspareunia.15 Hyaluronic acid releases water molecules into vaginal tissue, maintaining tissue integrity and hydration and increasing blood supply.2,8,15 No adverse reactions were reported with vaginal use of hyaluronic acid either alone or in combination with other topical moisturizers, and it was well-tolerated among study participants.15 Because it is nonhormonal, hyaluronic acid may be a good alternative for patients who are not good candidates for estrogen therapy and whose symptoms are not resolved by vaginal lubricants and moisturizers. Hyaluronic acid can be purchased under several different brand names in the form of suppositories or creams to be used every 2 to 3 days before bedtime. However, rigorous studies on the benefits of hyaluronic acid compared with other vaginal moisturizers are lacking.15 Vitamin E Menopause societies in the United States and Europe do not recommend isolated, vaginal vitamin E use in their guidelines, but patients may ask about using it.16 Vitamin E, an antioxidant, protects tissues from oxidation and cell damage. Several small studies have evaluated vitamin E vaginal suppositories as an alternative, nonhormonal therapy for patients experiencing GSM.16 Vitamin E may be particularly appealing for patients who are unable or unwilling to use hormones or who desire a more natural approach. A recent systematic review of randomized controlled trials found that vitamin E was superior to placebo in alleviating GSM symptomsirritation, itching, vaginal dryness, and dyspareunia.16 Compared with vaginal estrogen, vitamin E was not inferior at 8 and 12 weeks and was inferior compared with vaginal hyaluronic acid.16 Because of concerns about study design and rigor, more studies need to be done before vitamin E can be recommended. PHARMACOLOGIC THERAPIES Estrogen Topical estrogen is the most effective treatment for GSM because it restores vaginal pH, improves microflora, and promotes epithelial thickening and increased vaginal secretions.3 Local, low-dose estrogen applied vaginally in the form of creams, a sustained-release ring, soft-gel inserts, or tablets is the mainstay of therapy and is safer because of the lack of systemic estrogen effects. All vaginal preparations appear to be equally efficacious.17 Because these products have minimal systemic absorption, they do not appear to increase patient risk for cardiovascular disease, gynecologic cancers, or hip fractures; however, local estrogen should always be used at the lowest effective dose.18,19 Current recommendations advise that endometrial surveillance is not needed unless the patient experiences postmenopausal bleeding and that a progestogen (any natural or synthetic form of progesterone) is not indicated with low-dose, local estrogen preparations.20 Estrogen treatment is contraindicated in patients who are experiencing uterine or vaginal bleeding and for those who have or have had estrogen-dependent cancers such as some types of endometrial and breast cancer.21 Although women who have a history of estrogen-dependent neoplasia should be offered a nonhormonal first-line treatment for GSM, several observational studies have suggested that local estrogen therapy may not pose an elevated risk of breast cancer recurrence. Any shared decision-making about estrogen use in patients with a history of these cancers should be made in consultation with an oncologist.2 On a practical note, although serum levels of estradiol in postmenopausal patients on low-dose vaginal estrogen are comparable to those who are not, product labeling includes the same boxed warning as for other systemic estrogens. Educating patients on the difference between the two is important for both reassurance and treatment adherence.2 Patients also should be advised to wait at least 1 hour after estrogen application before using vaginal lubricants or moisturizers for best efficacy of all topical products.12 Oral estrogen or combined estrogen and progestogen treatment is not indicated for vulvovaginal symptoms alone.22 Systemic estrogens may be used for a limited time if patients experience other bothersome effects of menopause, such as vasomotor symptoms.20 Ospemifene This oral SERM is FDA-approved for moderate to severe dyspareunia and vulvovaginal atrophy due to menopause. Taken as a daily 60-mg oral dose, ospemifene acts as an estrogen agonist in the vagina and appears to have no estrogenic effects on the endometrium or breast. Ospemifene treats the underlying condition by promoting estrogenic effects, such as lowering pH and decreasing parabasal cells in vaginal tissue, without harming the endometrium.23,24 The drug should not be prescribed concurrently with any other SERM or estrogen product but can be used in patients with a history of breast cancer.23 Ospemifene is the only approved oral option, and the ease of dosing may make it particularly attractive for some patients. The most common adverse reactions are hot flashes, increased vaginal discharge, and headaches; however, in multiple studies, fewer than 1% of patients discontinued treatment because of adverse reactions.23,24 Prasterone A synthetic, intravaginal dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) gel is indicated for moderate to severe dyspareunia caused by menopause and has been shown to improve other vaginal symptoms of GSM without harming the endometrium.2 DHEA is an endogenous steroid that is converted intracellularly by aromatase activity into androgens and estrogens.3 Prasterone improves tissue function, reduces vaginal pH, and increases collagen fiber and nerve density.20,25 The gel is inserted into the vagina with a single-use applicator once daily at bedtime and can be administered indefinitely.20 Although patients' serum estrogen and testosterone typically remain within normal limits, prasterone has not been studied in females with a history or current diagnosis of breast cancer and should not be used in these patients.21 Testosterone Compounded intravaginal testosterone cream also has been used to treat GSM, but data on safety and efficacy are limited, and as a result, the use of testosterone is not recommended.2 NONPHARMACOLOGIC THERAPIES Pelvic floor muscle training and physical therapy Females experiencing sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence, or genital prolapse associated with GSM may benefit from pelvic floor muscle training and physical therapy. Physical therapists who specialize in women's health can design a personalized plan to reduce discomfort with penetration secondary to shortened, painful pelvic floor muscles. This may include training in ongoing use of graduated vaginal dilators, exercise of pelvic floor muscles with repeated contractions to increase blood flow and reduce guarding, and education on modifications of sexual positions. For patients with urinary symptoms, therapy can focus on the levator ani muscle for modification of the blood flow, tone, endurance, and strength needed to improve function. Although published studies about these therapies typically are small and less rigorous, they have nonetheless demonstrated statistically significant improvement in symptoms, sexual function, and patient quality of life.26,27 Another advantage of pelvic floor muscle training is that it can be used in conjunction with any of the pharmacologic therapies without concerns about safety or adverse reactions. Commercially available at-home pelvic floor training devices include devices that use intravaginal resistance, biofeedback, electrostimulation, mechanical stimulation, magnets, and combination modalities. A recent meta-analysis showed a large positive effect of these devices on both incontinence and urogenital distress.28 The analysis did not evaluate the effect on sexual dysfunction.28 Vaginal laser therapy This emerging, energy-based treatment may stimulate Lactobacillus and other premenopausal flora and regenerate connective tissue in the vagina, improving vaginal health and restoring a normal vaginal pH.20 However, in 2018, the FDA issued a warning asserting that these devices had not been adequately evaluated for use in vaginal rejuvenation procedures and may pose a risk for patient injury.29 Since then, several small, multicenter randomized controlled trials have been published; a systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that the therapy may be effective for GSM, but larger studies lasting more than 1 year are needed to confirm the benefit.30 Treatment with vaginal laser therapy consists of three or more sessions 4 to 6 weeks apart with a maintenance therapy annually. Each treatment takes about 5 minutes, and no recovery time is needed. Most participants reported only minor adverse reactions.30 As with other nonhormonal therapies, vaginal laser therapy is of particular interest for patients who have a history of estrogen-responsive cancers such as breast cancer and who are not candidates for hormonal therapy. These patients often have more severe symptoms of GSM because of therapy with aromatase inhibitors.30 Until more robust data are available, energy-based treatment should not be routinely recommended, and clinicians should be aware that patients must pay for this treatment as an elective, out-of-pocket expense.31 REFERRALS Patients who likely would benefit from a referral for more specialized care include those who remain dissatisfied after treatment and those with more complex presentations, such as patients with a high risk for or history of estrogen-sensitive neoplasia, those with iatrogenic menopause, and transgender men. One reliable source for referrals is NAMS, which publishes a list of certified menopause clinicians. A patient's oncology team is another prudent source of collaboration.21 CONCLUSION Despite a high prevalence among postmenopausal patients, GSM is underdiagnosed. Patients often are reticent to initiate discussion on this topic, and many clinicians (especially in the primary care setting) fail to inquire about symptoms. To support improved screening and better diagnosis of GSM, start by asking all perimenopausal and postmenopausal patients about genitourinary symptoms including vaginal discomfort, urinary symptoms, and sexual health. Provide proactive general education for every patient, beginning in the perimenopausal years, about vaginal lubricants and moisturizers to normalize the conversation and build a bridge of trust about what may be a sensitive topic for the patient. Topical estrogen therapy is the most effective treatment option for females suffering from GSM and should be considered in patients experiencing moderate to severe symptoms that are not responsive to OTC topicals and who do not have contraindications. Other pharmaceutical alternatives include ospemifene and prasterone. Refer patients to a menopause specialist if they have contraindications to pharmacologic therapies and their symptoms do not respond to OTC therapies. Finally, patients with persistent dyspareunia and/or urinary symptoms may benefit from pelvic floor muscle training or physical therapy to augment the efficacy of other therapies. While the world was battling the COVID-19 pandemic, I experienced multiple tragedies. Within a month, my infant daughter underwent orthopedic surgery, my mother underwent a lifesaving operation to treat stage IV abdominal liposarcoma, and I lost my little brother to an overdose. From my experiences as a practicing physician associate/assistant (PA) and former US Army combat medic deployed multiple times, I thought I knew grief and loss. I have put my arm around a service member to tell him his buddy didn't make it, then repacked my medical aid bag to go out for another mission while my boots were still wet with blood. After I traded in my uniform for a white coat, I told my patients of grim diagnoses that instantly changed their lives. But it wasn't until the loss of my little brothermy original best friendthat I finally became better acquainted with grief. Through it all, I've picked up some coping mechanisms for dealing with hardship that I hope to share with others. Stages of grief aren't linear . In PA school, we learn of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I once viewed these as sequential, progressive phases. I have since learned otherwise. One stage can blend seamlessly into another until they're indistinguishable. Stages previously overcome can recur without hesitation. They are not necessarily independent of one another, and the entire process can be drastically different from one person to the next. . In PA school, we learn of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I once viewed these as sequential, progressive phases. I have since learned otherwise. One stage can blend seamlessly into another until they're indistinguishable. Stages previously overcome can recur without hesitation. They are not necessarily independent of one another, and the entire process can be drastically different from one person to the next. Find a therapist . The moment bad news befalls us, we may not think a telephone call to a trained therapist should be at the top of our to-do list, but it is never too soon to make that call. Speaking with a trained therapist when it is all so raw and real often is the ideal time to engage or reengage with therapy. Therapists are trained ears and wonderful resources for learning coping mechanisms during a difficult time. Many novel therapy applications let patients speak with therapists from the comfort of their own homes. Still, therapy takes work, and must be done with intensity and purpose to see progress. . The moment bad news befalls us, we may not think a telephone call to a trained therapist should be at the top of our to-do list, but it is never too soon to make that call. Speaking with a trained therapist when it is all so raw and real often is the ideal time to engage or reengage with therapy. Therapists are trained ears and wonderful resources for learning coping mechanisms during a difficult time. Many novel therapy applications let patients speak with therapists from the comfort of their own homes. Still, therapy takes work, and must be done with intensity and purpose to see progress. Get active . Force yourself to get physically active. It doesn't matter if it's a walk, run, bicycle ride, or dip in the community poolgetting the body in motion is crucial. You may not associate physical activity with mental well-being, but the two are closely intertwined. Physical activity can facilitate meditation when the brain feels like it is in overdrive. Lace up your shoes and focus on your breathing during the activity despite how foreign it may feel. Like most things, it will begin to feel more natural the more often you do it. . Force yourself to get physically active. It doesn't matter if it's a walk, run, bicycle ride, or dip in the community poolgetting the body in motion is crucial. You may not associate physical activity with mental well-being, but the two are closely intertwined. Physical activity can facilitate meditation when the brain feels like it is in overdrive. Lace up your shoes and focus on your breathing during the activity despite how foreign it may feel. Like most things, it will begin to feel more natural the more often you do it. Find understanding . There are no right words someone can say to you when tragic news strikes. Well-meaning family and friends sometimes even say the wrong words. Recognize there isn't a playbook or manual to turn to when a loved one experiences grief and loss. It can be painful for a loved one to watch you hurting without knowing how to help. Focus on the intent of the messenger and not necessarily the message itself. . There are no right words someone can say to you when tragic news strikes. Well-meaning family and friends sometimes even say the wrong words. Recognize there isn't a playbook or manual to turn to when a loved one experiences grief and loss. It can be painful for a loved one to watch you hurting without knowing how to help. Focus on the intent of the messenger and not necessarily the message itself. Practice gratitude. Despite everything my family and I experienced in that difficult year, I still feel fortunate. My mother is now tumor-free, and my little daughter fully recovered from her own operation. At the end of each day, I try to identify one or two things for which I'm grateful. Some days make that easier than others. I sometimes find myself recounting a gratitude I've previously identified, and that's okay. On other days I skip this step entirely, and that's okay, too. Each day is a fresh beginning to reattempt mindfulness and gratitude again and again. If you or someone you know is battling addiction, know that you don't have to go at it alone. Call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services' Alcohol and Drug Addiction Hotline day or night at 1-800-662-4357 for confidential free help. A water leak that infiltrated Windstream's electrical control room Friday night caused a "small explosion" and a subsequent fire that disrupted 911 services across Southeast Nebraska for hours Saturday, officials said. The outage marked the second disruption to 911 services in the region in three days and prompted the governor's office to call for "a comprehensive inquiry" into the matter. In Lincoln, fire crews responded to Windstream's downtown Lincoln office at around 11:15 p.m. Friday, originally dispatched for a fire alarm call, said Lincoln Fire and Rescue spokeswoman MJ Lierman. Firefighters found the internet and telephone service provider's basement control room labeled with a "high voltage" warning sign awash in heavy black smoke when crews opened the door to investigate, Lierman said Tuesday. Crews used dry chemicals and CO2 extinguishers to put out the fire before ventilating the area and turning the building, at 1440 M St., over to Windstream and Lincoln Electric System crews, Lierman said. City inspectors determined water had leaked into the control room at Windstream's office and caused a "small explosion" inside the room after the water dripped onto switches, Lierman said. The explosion then ignited "combustibles" in the room, she said, setting off the fire that caused $200,000 in damage and, later, left numerous counties without 911 services for hours. The origin of the water leak that caused Friday's outage remained unclear Tuesday. Chuck Schweitzer, the city inspector who investigated the incident, did not respond to a phone call Tuesday seeking clarity. Though the fire broke out Friday night, 911 services in Southeast Nebraska weren't disrupted until around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, a Windstream spokesman said. The fire cut off commercial power to the building, leaving an on-site generator to take over supporting the three switches in the building as Windstream technicians began efforts to restore power, said Scott Morris, a spokesman for the Arkansas-based internet and phone provider. A fault in the generator occurred Saturday, forcing the company to resort to batteries to operate the three switches housed in the Lincoln facility, Morris said. The batteries dropped to "dangerously low voltage levels" Saturday evening, prompting Windstream's technical team to shut down one of the three switches, interrupting services for customers that included at least four 911 service operators, Morris said. Windstream had restored 911 services in the impacted counties by 10 a.m. Sunday, the company said in a social media post. Morris declined to answer specific questions on the outage. He said the company's review of the incident is ongoing. Windstream said 911 services in four counties Adams, Gage, Otoe and Saunders were downed by the incident, though Nebraska's Public Service Commission noted other counties "may have experienced some disruptions in service due to the incident." The fire at Windstream's facility in Lincoln came two days after a contractor cut a fiber-optic cable in the Omaha area, leading to a loss of 911 phone service for nearly 60% of the 911 centers in Nebraska from Thursday night until Friday morning. Officials said the scale of that outage was unprecedented. The telecommunications providers at the center of the outages Windstream and Lumen are the largest two telecommunications servicers operating in Nebraska. In the wake of both service interruptions, a spokeswoman for Gov. Jim Pillen's office said Tuesday that the first-term governor "is troubled that this critical component of our public safety infrastructure has failed twice in such a short period of time." "A prompt and comprehensive inquiry must be conducted and steps must be taken to ensure that PSCs 911 system does not fail again," the spokeswoman said in a statement, referring to the Public Service Commission. Dave Sankey, the director of the state 911 Department, said Tuesday that he expects commissioners will formally launch an investigation into the outages at the commission's next meeting, scheduled for next week. Sankey said the expectation of the Public Service Commission and of every locally operated 911 center is for telecommunications contractors to have sufficient redundancies to avoid 911 service outages. In Thursday night's outage, caused by a cut in the fiber-optic cable, Sankey said there should have been another circuit to deliver service to the 911 centers. In Saturday's disruption, caused by the fire, Sankey said the region's 911 centers are supposed to be connected to two different data centers meaning a fire at a single center should not have caused an outage. "Our initial question is: what happened in this case?" Sankey said. "Where was the redundancy? Where was the diversity?" He said state regulators will likely have to launch formal inquiries to find the answers to those questions. The pair of outages come as the state rolls out a statewide upgrade of Nebraska's decades-old copper wire communications networks to a new emergency service system known as Next Generation 911. The new system divides the state into seven Public Safety Answering Point regions, allowing every local 911 center in each region to remotely connect to two "host" centers a system that would allow neighboring 911 centers to take over fielding emergency calls if a center lost power or service or had to evacuate, Sankey said. While the legacy, copper-wire system that much of the state still operates on only allows the transmission of phone calls, the new system, once complete, will allow sharing of texts, photos and video between callers and 911 centers. And, Sankey said, the new system will locate callers through geographic information system data which will use callers' exact coordinates rather that locating callers through triangulation. That upgrade should ensure callers are routed to the right 911 center right away, cutting down on transfers in emergency situations where time is often of the essence. In 2021, the state awarded Lumen an $8 million contract to provide the emergency service network, software and call-routing services for the Next Generation 911 upgrade, which the state initially hoped would be finished by the end of 2022 "That is in progress," Sankey said Tuesday. "We are in transition. But we are nowhere near complete." Still, he said state officials believe last week's outages were the result of failures of the legacy 911 system not the new one. "What we expect with our contract with Lumen is that there is redundancy in the network and that there are assurances in place that there is plenty of diversity and plenty of redundancy so we don't have any single points of failure," Sankey said. The looming investigation into both Lumen and Windstream will give regulators a chance to assess the state's two largest telecommunications providers one of which has been tabbed to rebuild Nebraska's 911 system. "We'll evaluate their systems and do what we can to help ensure that these things don't happen again," Sankey said. Top Journal Star photos for August 2023 WASHINGTON First lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 Monday but is experiencing only mild symptoms, her spokeswoman said. President Joe Biden was tested for the virus following his wife's positive test, but his results were negative. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president would continue testing regularly and would be monitored for symptoms. Jill Biden will remain at the couple's home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, for the time being, communications director Elizabeth Alexander said. The first lady had planned to start the new school year Tuesday at Northern Virginia Community College, where she teaches English and writing. Due to her condition, she was working with school officials to arrange substitute teachers for her classes, Alexander said. The first lady traveled with her husband to Florida on Saturday to inspect the damage from Hurricane Idalia. President Biden then spent part of the Labor Day weekend at the Delaware beach house before traveling Monday to a union event in Philadelphia and then back to the White House. The Bidens both contracted COVID previously, last summer. NEW YORK The end of Labor Day weekend would typically mark the start of a furious sprint to the Iowa caucuses as candidates battle for their party's presidential nomination. But as the 2024 campaign comes into greater focus, the usual frenzy is yielding to a sense of inevitability. Among Republicans, Donald Trump is dominating the primary field, outpacing rivals with resumes as governors, diplomats and entrepreneurs that would normally prove compelling. The former president's strength comes despite or perhaps because of multiple criminal indictments that threaten to overshadow any serious debate about the future of the country. For now, the tens of millions of dollars that Republican rivals are pouring into the race are doing little to diminish Trump's stature, fueling concerns among his GOP critics who fear the primary is essentially over before it begins. As one troubled front-runner tightens his grip on the Republican nomination, President Joe Biden is on a glide path to victory on the Democratic side. The 80-year-old incumbent is facing only token opposition for the Democratic nomination despite concerns about his age and performance from many within his own party. Whether voters like it or not, a Trump-Biden rematch may be on the horizon, raising the prospect of a deeply uncertain election season that only intensifies the nation's political divide. Trump is skipping his party's presidential debates and his court appearances are sometimes drawing more attention than his campaign stops. Biden has barely begun to campaign as he grapples with questions about his age and his son's legal challenges. "I just can't imagine things markedly changing. So, it appears that past is prologue," California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said in an interview, praising Biden's record of achievement while warning his party against underestimating Trump's political strength. Newsom said concerns about Biden's age "are fair game and the White House knows it." "But if age equals results," he went on, "I'm looking forward to his 85th birthday." On the Republican side, dread is building among some donors and party leaders who hoped conservative voters would move past Trump given the the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol he inspired and his serious legal challenges. "A Trump-Biden rematch would be a disaster for the country. I'm very depressed about it," said Bobbie Kilberg, a prominent Republican donor who is supporting former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. She said it's "scary" that so many voters in her party continue to support the former president. "I refuse to believe that Trump is our inevitable nominee." There is time for the 2024 landscape to shift. Four months remain before the first votes are cast in the Iowa caucuses and the general election is more than a year away. Recent history has plenty of examples of overlooked and seemingly overmatched candidates who proved the conventional wisdom wrong. Both Trump and Biden are among them. There are also significant variables. Abortion continues to scramble elections even in GOP strongholds like Kansas, Kentucky and Ohio as voters reject Republican efforts to restrict access to the procedure. A greater backlash is possible as the courts review access to a commonly used abortion pill. Trump faces 91 felony charges in criminal proceedings unfolding in Washington, New York, South Florida and Atlanta. They involve everything from his handling of classified information to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election to orchestrating hush money payments to a porn actor. The former president could be a convicted felon before the general election is decided next November. Still, party leaders including most of his Republican primary opponents vowed to support him even if convicted. Nothing in the Constitution bars felons from assuming the presidency. Leaders in both parties are willing to overlook liabilities. Young Democrats of America President Quentin Wathum-Ocama concedes that young voters aren't necessarily enthusiastic about a Trump-Biden rematch, but he hopes that Trump's polarizing candidacy will give Democrats the energy Biden cannot. "Yes, people want a younger generation of politicians. We've always talked about Joe Biden as even he's said as a transitional figure in our political life," Wathum-Ocama said. "As much as we're seeing folks, for whatever reason, may not be excited or whatever, to me, it comes back to democracy is on the line." With virtually no exceptions, Democratic officials in Congress and in key states are publicly rallying behind Biden's reelection. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Biden's strongest challenger in the 2020 Democratic primary, endorsed Biden's reelection bid hours after it was announced this spring. Biden enlisted other would-be rivals for his national advisory board. The group includes Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.; Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Newsom in California. A federal jury in Omaha returned a more than $36 million verdict Friday against Werner Enterprises for not hiring an Indiana over-the-road driver because he was deaf. The Omaha-based transportation company won a companion case that went to trial in June involving a deaf Texas driver. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed both cases in 2018 after first attempting to reach a settlement with Drivers Management LLC and parent company Werner Enterprises on the disability discrimination claims through its conciliation process. The EEOC accused the company of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act for not hiring Victor Robinson when he applied in 2016 despite completing training at a Werner-owned truck driving school in Indianapolis and obtaining his commercial drivers license and an exemption from the hearing regulation from the U.S. Department of Transportations Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. About a month after he applied, Werner preapproved his application, indicating that he appeared to meet the company's minimum hiring guidelines. But, according to the lawsuit, Werners vice president of safety and compliance, Jaime Maus, now Jaime Hamm, ultimately told him that the company would not hire him because he couldn't complete the placement driver training, required of all new drivers, because he couldn't hear. At trial, she testified that Werner continues with its practice of classifying deaf drivers differently when they apply for employment. Attorneys for Werner contended Robinson wasn't hired because Robinson, who is fully deaf, couldn't effectively and safely drive and simultaneously communicate with a trainer without diverting his eyes and attention from the road. Robinson's attorneys with the EEOC said Robinson ultimately received over-the-road training and had a truck driving career, "doing the very thing Werner claimed was impossible." On Friday, at the end of a five-day trial in U.S. District Court of Nebraska in Omaha, the jury deliberated for less than two hours before finding that the companies had violated the ADA and awarding Robinson $75,000 in compensatory damages and $36 million in punitive damages. Though, according to the EEOC's website, compensatory and punitive damages are limited to $300,000 for employers with more than 500 employees, the limit is $300,000, like Werner. In October, a bench trial is set for Senior U.S. District Judge John Gerrard to consider the remaining issues of back pay and equitable relief. In a statement Tuesday, the company said it is committed to safety and to an inclusive workforce, disappointed by the verdict and considering an appeal. The statement pointed out the $300,000 cap, suggesting the amount was excessive. On the other side, Charlotte Burrows, chair of the EEOC, said: "Victor Robinson had the courage to step forward and say what happened to him was wrong. The jury agreed, and their substantial verdict sends a clear message to employers everywhere that our nation will not tolerate disability discrimination." EEOCs trial team, supervisory trial attorney Joshua M. Pierson and trial attorneys Meredith S. Berwick and Lauren Wilson, said Werners refusal to acknowledge Robinsons abilities not only hurt him, but also the entire deaf community. In the companion case tried in June, Werner's attorneys successfully argued the decision not to hire a Texas man, Andrew Deuschle, was "due to legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons." Unlike Robinson, Deuschle never provided Werner with a copy of his DOT hearing exemption. Photos: Notable Deaths in 2023 Jimmy Buffett Tina Turner Tony Bennett Bob Barker Raquel Welch Lisa Marie Presley Jim Brown Harry Belafonte Sinead OConnor David Crosby Paul Reubens Lance Reddick Richard Belzer Mark Margolis Angus Cloud Clarence Avant Cindy Williams Alan Arkin Gordon Lightfoot Jeff Beck Bobby Caldwell Gary Rossington Wayne Shorter Jerry Springer Jacklyn Zeman John Beasley Michael Lerner Tom Sizemore Charles Kimbrough Julian Sands Cynthia Weil Sheldon Harnick Barrett Strong Willis Reed Tim McCarver Billy Packer The Iron Sheik Treat Williams Bill Richardson Daniel Ellsberg Pat Robertson Robert Blake Ted Kaczynski Lloyd Morrisett Chaim Topol Len Goodman Burt Bacharach Stella Stevens Barry Humphries Annie Wersching Dave Hollis Christine King Farris David Jude Jolicoeur Robbie Knievel Gina Lollobrigida Lynette Hardaway ("Diamond") Adam Rich Bobby Hull Charles White Robbie Robertson Ron Cephas Jones Samuel Joe Wurzelbacher Mohamed Al Fayed Jerry Richardson Sister Andre Tatjana Patitz Russell Banks Cardinal George Pell Ken Block Walter Cunningham Anton Walkes Pat Schroeder Seymour Stein Klaus Teuber Ginnie Newhart Vida Blue Martin Amis Doyle Brunson Hodding Carter III Ray Stevenson Astrud Gilberto Tori Bowie Silvio Berlusconi John Goodenough Coco Lee Jane Birkin William Friedkin Steve Harwell Michael McGrath Fernando Botero David McCallum Brooks Robinson Michael Gambon Tim Wakefield Dick Butkus Michael Chiarello Piper Laurie A 38-year-old woman will be sentenced in October after reaching a plea agreement with Douglas County prosecutors in connection with the death of an Omaha motorcyclist. Lorena Lara-Diaz of Marshall, Missouri, entered a plea of no contest last week to an amended charge of motor vehicle homicide due to reckless driving and was found guilty by a judge. She was originally charged with manslaughter. Lara-Diaz faces up to three years in prison when she is sentenced Oct. 24 in Douglas County District Court. A charge of failure to submit to a breath test also was dismissed as part of the plea agreement. Police said Gary S. Mangiameli, 45, of Omaha, was riding a 2009 Harley-Davidson west on L Street near 26th Street on March 25 when he was struck by an eastbound 2021 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Lara-Diaz. The pickup truck was attempting to turn north on U.S. 75 at about 2:20 a.m. Mangiameli was taken to Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy, where he was pronounced dead. Police said Mangiameli was wearing an approved helmet at the time of the collision. These are the highways in Nebraska with the most fatalities. These are the highways in Nebraska with the most fatalities. A man wanted on suspicion of killing a 71-year-old Fort Calhoun woman is in jail in Texas after authorities tracked him down in a Galveston County RV park. William Paul Collins, 30, was arrested this week in Texas in connection with the Aug. 13 homicide of Linda Childers, Washington County Sheriff Mike Robinson announced Friday. Robinson said at a press conference Friday that nine deputies had logged more than 1,700 hours investigating the case and that two of his detectives were very instrumental in locating Collins, the Washington County Pilot-Tribune & Enterprise reported. Collins was being held without bail in the Galveston County Jail on fugitive from justice warrants out of Nebraska and Indiana, according to Galveston County authorities. In Nebraska, hes wanted on suspicion of first-degree murder, two counts of using a weapon to commit a felony, first-degree assault, burglary, possession of a stolen firearm and theft, according to the Galveston County Sheriffs Office. Its unclear what the Indiana fugitive warrant is for. Childers was found dead Aug. 14 in her home in the 6500 block of County Road P43, north of Fort Calhoun. After a report from a relative of hers at 1:19 a.m. Aug. 14, a paramedic from Fort Calhoun Fire and Rescue responded and pronounced her deceased. Collins traveled the Midwest and had friends in Omaha, Robinson said. Washington County Attorney Scott Vander Schaaf said Friday that he did not believe there was a connection between Collins and Childers, the Pilot-Tribune & Enterprise reported. This appears to have been an act motivated by money, and it appears to be something that was done out of haste or necessity by Mr. Collins, the newspaper quoted Vander Schaaf as saying. The Washington County Sheriffs Office said Friday that Omaha police, the Douglas County and Saunders County Sheriffs Offices, and U.S. Marshal Service have assisted in the investigation. Galveston County sheriffs deputies arrested Collins Wednesday at an RV park in San Leon, Texas, Sheriff Henry Trochesset said in a phone interview Friday. We got a tip that he would be in the area, Trochesset said. He was sitting outside a trailer, he said. We had no issues with his arrest. Getting away with murder: Nebraska cold cases Patricia Webb Tina McMenamin Ali Saleh Al-Saidi Gina Bos Ann Marie Kelley Carl Bittner K.K. Kody Christi Nichols Donald Bennett Ernestine Ruschy Eugene McGuire Jay Durnil Mary Heese Gregory Moore Irvin Settje Jason Remsen Jason Vesper Brian Walker Arthur Morley Jay Blockson Jeanne Kassebaum William, Bernice and Barbara Peak Jeffrey Snoddy Joy Blanchard Demetrius Simpson Julie Derrick Leah Rowlands Letha Harley Mary Cabral Mary Cronin Merlin Mosel Mitchell Simon Patrick Vostades Rebecca Williams Richard Chadek Richard Lessley Robert Beaudoin Robert Heelan Rudolfo Flores Russell McKnight Sandy Green Sarah Neal Tyrone Banister Waddell Robinson Charles Hanks For the past two decades, people diagnosed with Alzheimers disease have faced the prospect of declining memory and cognition with no treatments other than a few that can help with symptoms but not change the course of the disease. But by later this year or early next, researchers expect to have two therapies fully approved by federal regulators that can fight the disease by targeting its underlying biology, slowing its progression and keeping patients at a mild stage for longer. The scientific field is excited that we finally have a breakthrough, with no new drugs for about 20 years, and (now) one that might slow the disease, said Dr. Daniel Murman, director of Nebraska Medicines memory disorders and behavioral neurology program. Theres excitement, but the reality is, its just a first step, thats for sure. First step or not, that doesnt take away from the possible impact and meaningfulness of giving patients more time to participate in and remember important events, such as the wedding of a child or birth of a grandchild. Nationally, some 6.7 million older Americans are living with Alzheimers, according to the association. That includes 36,000 in Nebraska and 66,000 in Iowa. The first therapy marketed as Leqembi and known generically as lecanemab was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in July. Regulators are expected to approve the other, donanemab, later this year. Clinical trial results published this summer indicated that it performed as well as or similarly to Leqembi. The two follow an earlier drug Aduhelm, a.k.a. aducanamab that received a type of approval in 2021 but hasnt been widely adopted. Currently, its use isnt covered by Medicare outside research trials. The new drugs have been greeted with hope and excitement by patients and their families. The response, however, has been tempered by the fact that the therapies, which target a protein that accumulates as plaques in the brains of older adults, are not cures and are expected to benefit only those in the earliest stages of the disease. Nor do they reverse damage already caused by Alzheimers. Additional therapies, researchers say, will be needed to address other processes involved in the disease. Questions also remain about the technical side of administering the drugs, which are delivered by infusion once or twice a month, depending on the drug. Physicians who prescribe Leqembi will be required to participate in a patient registry to help Medicare gather more information about their safety and effectiveness. Patients also will need a spinal fluid test or special type of brain scan to confirm they have the plaques and are eligible for treatment. Medicare, which had limited patients to one scan to confirm plaques, has proposed broadening coverage, but the agency recommended leaving coverage decisions to Medicare contractors. In the case of donanemab, researchers stopped giving the drug after follow-up scans normalized. Patients also will require monitoring for possible side effects, specifically bleeding and swelling in the brain. While most cases in research trials have resolved without serious consequences, several deaths have been reported. Percy Griffin, director of scientific engagement for the Alzheimers Association, stressed that the treatments are not a cure. But they have slowed cognitive decline between 25% and 35% over 18 months, the length of the clinical trials. They may slow it longer, but researchers dont yet have data over longer periods. Griffin also noted that the amount of slowing varied among trial participants, and the results apply to large groups, not individuals. Still, he said, Alzheimers drugs in general are very important, and they are a source of immense hope for people living with the early stages of the disease. And they are a great foundation on which we can build future combination therapies. Mike Zuendel, a businessman who splits his time between Des Moines and Telluride, Colorado, is among those happy to get what time he can. He sought testing because he was experiencing some cognitive issues. Both of his parents had Alzheimers disease, and he served as their caregiver. He was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment in 2020 and began receiving Aduhelm outside clinical trials nearly two years ago. While he still has some issues with finding words and with focus and concentration, the 69-year-old said he doesnt feel his condition has worsened. If I can function like I am right now, Im a happy camper, said Zuendel, a volunteer with the Alzheimers Association who spoke at a recent event in Omaha. He helps advocate and raise awareness for the importance of early detection and seeks to reduce the stigma around Alzheimers, which he believes keeps people from seeking a diagnosis. Treatment centers, meanwhile, are gearing up to offer the therapies, starting with Leqembi. But Murman said the rollout likely will be slow. He expects to start with a few patients in October. That number could grow to between 30 and 50 over the first year. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has said it will cover whats expected to be a $26,500 annual tab for the drug itself. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska said in an email that benefits for Leqembi will be available according to medical policy and CMS guidelines for members covered under a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plan. But coverage still is expected to leave patients with copays for the therapies as well as for scans, follow-up visits and infusions. While the coinsurance requirement for traditional Medicare is 20%, patients actual out-of-pocket costs will depend on the terms of the supplemental plans they hold. And at least for now, treatment is likely to be available only through specialists like Murman, also a professor in the University of Nebraska Medical Centers neurological sciences department. He has been involved in eight trials focused on Alzheimers over the past five years, including one for Aduhelm. CHI Health, which is not currently involved in trials, also is working to be able to give the treatments in the future, officials said. The health system has been referring patients who may be candidates for the treatments to ongoing research studies. But while questions remain, officials said in an email, we are optimistic about the exciting developments in the treatment and diagnosis of Alzheimers disease. The drugs all work by removing beta-amyloid, although each functions differently and targets the protein at a different stage of accumulation into plaques. So far, studies suggest that removing amyloid wont help people once they reach a late mild to moderate stage of dementia, Murman said. Eligible candidates for the therapy will fall into two categories: patients with mild cognitive impairment, who have measurable declines in memory and thinking but have no significant changes in everyday function; and those with mild dementia, who are beginning to have difficulty with more complicated everyday activities, such as driving and finances. Overall, he expects a minority of patients with memory issues to be eligible. Nebraska Medicines memory clinic sees about 1,100 patients a year. About 45% have Alzheimers disease. His clinic already has had calls regarding patients who have progressed too far to benefit. At the same time, researchers also know amyloid isnt the whole story behind Alzheimers, Murman said. Instead, they think its involved in initiating the degenerative changes that occur in the brain, which may start 15 years before people have memory loss symptoms. But other degenerative changes in the brain are thought to follow. The plaques form outside nerve cells in the brain and may be toxic to them, he said. As people get closer to experiencing memory symptoms, researchers also start seeing a second abnormality called neurofibrillary tangles. Theyre involved in twisting of the skeleton of the nerve cells, which leaves them unable to transport nutrients and the chemicals the cells use to communicate. The brain starts to lose synapses, the connections between nerve cells. Later, inflammation, an immune response, and vascular issues, or problems affecting blood vessels, also may come into play. Earlier is better when it comes to removing amyloid, Murman said. The more we can prevent some of these other changes, like the tangles, the loss of synapses, the inflammation, (we think) that patients will do better. There are also some signs that by removing the amyloid, some of the other changes might not be as bad, he said. As a result, theres some thought that the therapies benefits may grow. We just dont know exactly how much it will help people over time, Murman said. Griffin, the Alzheimers Association official, said the organization envisions a time when Alzheimers would be treated with a combination of therapies that would target all of the biological changes that occur with the disease, just as multiple cancer and heart disease therapies target different mechanisms involved in those conditions. The organization has funded dozens of research projects through a $65 million initiative aimed at helping to develop a variety of new therapies. The future is certainly hopeful and were not taking our foot off the gas, Griffin said. Were going to keep going until we get to that future of combination therapies. Murman said one area of ongoing research that may soon yield results is the development of blood tests that could confirm the presence of plaques, which is now done by lumbar puncture or PET scans. Such tests also might be used to monitor patients on the drugs to see whether theyve gotten all the benefit theyre going to get from them. Results of studies of two experimental tests are expected in the coming months. Griffin said an Alzheimers Association working group last month presented a draft proposal with new criteria for diagnosing Alzheimers that includes blood-based biomarkers. The group now is seeking comments on the proposal. The association also has launched its own voluntary network, called the Alzheimers Network for Treatment and Diagnostics, or ALZ-NET, to track the performance of therapies and diagnostics outside clinical trials, which will be particularly important as they become more widely available. People have messy lives, Griffin said. We want to know how these medications are doing in the real world. As the treatments roll out, he said, it will be important for patients and family members to have conversations with their doctors about the risks and benefits of the new therapies. The most commonly reported side effects of the treatments in studies have been infusion-related reactions, which involves fever or hives during an infusion, and amyloid imaging related abnormalities, or ARIA. Those involve bleeding or swelling that appears on a brain scan. As the drugs remove amyloid, that can make some blood vessels leaky, Murman said. While those abnormalities typically resolve on their own and usually dont produce symptoms, they can be serious, Murman said. Because of the increased risk of bleeding, patients cant be taking strong blood thinners such as Coumadin or Eliquis. People with a genetic mutation that increases their risk of Alzheimers disease are at greater risk of these side effects. Said Griffin, the Alzheimers Association science expert: Its important that people know the risks of taking these medications as well as the benefits of taking these medications. Top Journal Star photos for August 2023 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 The University of Nebraska Foundation said it raised a record $354.5 million from more than 58,000 donors in its fiscal year that ended on June 30. The donations, which came after the 2022 public announcement of the "Only in Nebraska" campaign, mark the fourth consecutive year annual giving to the NU Foundation has exceeded $300 million. Last year, the foundation reported nearly 60,600 donors, a record amount, who gave a total of $300.6 million. NU President Ted Carter called this year's amount "a tremendous achievement." "I continue to be humbled by the remarkable support the University of Nebraska receives from both our private and public partners," Carter said in a statement. Carter added that the results show NU's latest fundraising campaign resonates with university supporters: "It's about changing the lives of students, growing the workforce and sustaining a vibrant, competitive university that serves people in Nebraska and around the world." The Only in Nebraska campaign has a goal of engaging with 150,000 donors to raise $3 billion to support NU students, faculty, academic and clinical programs, and the university's research enterprise. As of June 30, the campaign has generated $1.96 billion from 129,787 unique donors. The funds have benefited all of NU's campuses, clinical partner Nebraska Medicine, and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis. Brian Hastings, president and CEO of the NU Foundation, said the campaign's supporters "understand the power of a University of Nebraska degree." "Our supporters are committed to ensuring a high quality, affordable education for Nebraska students and to investing in faculty who are an important source of intellectual capital for our state," Hastings said in a statement. This year, donors helped create 112 new endowed funds and 56 new expendable funds to provide students with scholarships and other financial assistance, according to the foundation. Top Journal Star photos for August 2023 An Illinois man believed to be involved in a string of Kenosha burglaries is now facing criminal charges and held in the county jail. Kenneth L. Beauchamp, 23, was charged Tuesday in Kenosha County Circuit Court with nearly a dozen criminal charges including five counts of felony burglary to a building or dwelling, possession of burglar tools and a handful of related misdemeanors. Beauchamp, of Beach Park, Ill., made his initial appearance at Intake Court Tuesday afternoon where a court commissioner imposed a $25,000 cash bond. Court documents On Aug. 23, a Kenosha police detective was assigned a follow-up investigation into burglary complaints that originated from Drew & Co Medical Aesthetics, 7645 Pershing Boulevard, and Uptown Restaurant, 4003 75th St. On Sept. 2, the detective was also assigned burglary complaints that originated from Ricchio Autoworks, 6041 30th Ave., and Mattress Shop, 3012 Roosevelt Road. On Aug. 22, a day before the detective was assigned the case, police were dispatched to Drew & Co Medical Aesthetics and adjoining business Intrigued Beauty Studio for a report of a break-in. Surveillance video reportedly captured a man break into the building and steal cash from a cash register. The next day, police responded to nearby Uptown Restaurant because the owners wished to report a break-in and burglary. Surveillance video at the restaurant captured a suspect at the back door that evening. The suspect allegedly used a pry bar to force entry before attempting to pry open a cash register. The suspect then ripped the register from its stand and placed it inside a dark colored bag before leaving, according to the complaint. On Sept. 1, police responded to Ricchio Autoworks for an alarm call. Upon arrival, police were informed that there had been a burglary and officers observed coins scattered across the floor. Hundreds of dollars were reportedly stolen from a cash register. Officers responded to a similar incident Sept. 2 at the Mattress Shop, whose owner reported the rear door was forced open and hundreds of dollars worth of cash stolen. The detective assigned to investigate the case reviewed surveillance footage and determined the suspect had been riding a bike and had a tattoo on his left hand. The suspect also had shoulder-length hair and was believed to have worn Nike Air Jordans during some of the burglaries. The detective also received, according to the complaint, an email regarding a similar incident in nearby Zion, Ill., involving someone wearing Air Jordans and riding a bike. On Sept. 4, the detective was informed by another officer that possible burglary suspects had been stopped in the 5900 block of 30th Avenue. Upon arrival, the male suspect was identified as Beauchamp, who reportedly matched the description of the man captured in surveillance videos. Beauchamp was with a woman and the two were placed under arrest, according to the complaint. A search of Beauchamps backpack reportedly turned up a metal crow bar. The woman reportedly agreed to speak with officers and said that the two had been utilizing a bike to commute from their home in Beach Park to Kenosha. The woman, who was identified as Noriela Garcia, said she would drive around the city with Beauchamp and that he would tell her I got this one, which meant that he would break into the business, according to the complaint. Garcia said the businesses were selected at random and the burglaries all occurred around 7 p.m. Garcia said she remained outside and never entered the buildings and so believed she was not involved in the crimes, according to the complaint. Garcia also said Beauchamp committed the alleged crimes because he did not money and said she had some money left over from the burglaries in her purse inside their Illinois home, according to the complaint. Garcia reportedly gave consent for their home to be searched and inside a pair of Air Jordans matching the pair in surveillance videos was located. Garcia also reportedly turned over cash to law enforcement. Garcia is referred to as a co-defendant in court documents. The cities with the most break-ins and burglaries Cities With the Most Break-Ins / Burglaries Over the past decade burglary and larceny rates have declined Daytime break-ins of homes are most common Southern states experience the most property crime Small and midsize cities with the most burglaries 15. Dallas, TX 14. Houston, TX 13. Las Vegas, NV 12. Columbus, OH 11. Minneapolis, MN 10. Milwaukee, WI 9. Wichita, KS 8. Kansas City, MO 7. Oklahoma City, OK 6. Bakersfield, CA 5. Seattle, WA 4. Baltimore, MD 3. Detroit, MI 2. Tulsa, OK 1. Memphis, TN A Viroqua man is back in custody after having been extradited from North Dakota. According to a press release from the Vernon County Sheriffs office, on Thursday, Aug. 31 Jesse James Britt, 48, was transported from the Cass County Jail, in Fargo, North Dakota, to the Vernon County Detention Center. Britt had missed a November 2022 plea hearing on nine burglary and theft-related charges, and the judge issued an arrest warrant. At the time, Britt was free on a $3,000 cash bail bond that he had posted in September 2022. The charges are related to the break-in of an AT&T communications facility along Hwy. 14, rural Westby, in the town of Coon on March 2, 2021. An AT&T employee contacted the sheriffs office to report entry and vandalism to the facility. When a deputy went to the scene, he found Britt and another man, Benjamin Lee Britt, then 47, of Viroqua inside the fenced off area around the facility. Burglary tools were found at the scene. Evidence found that day also was connected to a similar incident at the same AT&T facility the month before. The original investigations, for which the five felony and four misdemeanor charges were filed, continues by the Vernon County Sheriff s Office. Britt is also facing felony identity theft, felony bail jumping and misdemeanor theft charges that were filed with Vernon County Circuit Court in February 2023, following an investigation by the Viroqua Police Department. Britt had not previously appeared in court on this case, in which an arrest warrant was also issued, until the Sept. 1 hearing when bond was addressed in both cases. Britt is being held on a $10,000 cash bond. Britt is due back in Vernon County Circuit Court on Sept. 6. Britt waived the formal extradition process. According to the press release, Sheriff Roy Torgerson will request that Vernon County District Attorney Angela Palmer-Fisher petition the court to order the previously posted cash bail be forfeited. EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 2023 Of Course Their System Is Collapsing! What Are You Going To Do About It? Sept. 4, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)The fight is clearly on for a new world system, one that will determine the direction of the world for the coming decades and beyond. While some of this may be playing out more explicitly on the surface, such as the U.S.-Russia proxy war and its footprint in Ukraine, the deeper elements which have actually been at play for decades are beginning to become more evident than ever before. This has accelerated following the amazing response to the BRICS-Plus Summit in South Africa in August, when six new members were accepted and dozens more have expressed their interest in joining. The factions in the West that see this as a threat to their control over the world are reacting, and are beginning to respond in various ways. It will undoubtedly be the case at the Sept. 9-10 G20 Summit in New Delhi this weekend. One place it can be seen is the obsession over the loyalty to the green death ideology, something that nations of the Global South are increasingly resistant to. The United Arab Emirates will be hosting this years COP28 Climate Change Conference, and have angered many in the U.S. and Europe by appointing the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company as president of the conference. The U.A.E. (and added as a new member of the BRICS) has refused to give up developing its fossil fuel reserves, the same type of refusal that we have seen across the developing sector, that instead insist on their right to alleviate poverty first. The hypocrisy is astounding and blatant. While Germany and Europe experience the disintegration of their economyin large part due to the adoption of renewable energy and the rejection of fossil fuelsthey foist conferences on Africans, telling them they must invest in the same green energy. Or take the case of food: While the West says Russia is starving the world because it suspended the Black Sea Grain Initiativeactually caused by Western sanctions against Russian shippingfarmers in the Netherlands are being told they pollute too much and must stop farming forever! Another place this is showing up is the case of Argentina, which on one hand has been the victim of immense looting by the IMF and Wall Street, and on the other hand has just joined the BRICS, providing a concretely different path. All indications point to an escalation by the trans-Atlantic financial empire to crush Argentina and not let it make an escape to a different policyand by doing so make it an example to any other nation which would try to break from the grasp of their rules-based order. The Schiller Institute has just released a nine-step program for Argentina to sever this parasitical system for good, and is available for immediate distribution internationally. Lyndon LaRouche, a longtime champion for the policies of physical economic development and an opponent of the types of murderous bankers arithmetic being employed against Argentina, often spoke about the nature of the IMFs policies and how its evils were perpetrated under the cover of credibility by the leading economists of the day. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking in an interview about the upcoming G20 Summit, went to the core of such flawed thinking, and addressed the true nature of economics: The GDP-centric view of the world is now changing to a human-centric one, Modi said, and added that the change occurring today is akin to the change in era following the end of World War II. Modi continued: For a long time, India was perceived as a nation of over 1 billion hungry stomachs. But now, India is being seen as a nation of over 1 billion aspirational minds, more than 2 billion skilled hands, and hundreds of millions of young people. If this kind of thinking can find the proper leadership today, then the world has a pathway out of the current crisis and into a new era. If not, we face the colossal danger of the death of todays neoliberal system, which will not go as peacefully as did the Soviet Union. Helga Zepp-LaRouche remarked in conversation with associates Monday: On 4 September the public security secretariat of Bahia state, in Brazils northeast, announced that the states civil police had arrested three individuals suspected of participating in the murder of, a prominent leader of quilombola communities Afro-Brazilian descendants of slaves who escaped and founded their own rural settlements. End of preview - This article contains approximately 399 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 4 September the Honduran media cited the US ambassador to Honduras,, as calling on Hondurass political parties to reach an agreement to select a new attorney general (AG) for a five-year term. End of preview - This article contains approximately 393 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 4 September Mexicos Presidentannounced that the defence ministry (Sedena) had officially taken control of his flagship Tren Maya tourist railway project. End of preview - This article contains approximately 403 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options Scientists studying the Atlantic puffin population off the coast of Maine say the birds are now recovering after suffering major losses in 2021. Atlantic puffins look and walk similarly to penguins. Wildlife officials say reproductions for the animals on islands off the coast of Maine fell sharply in 2021. But last year, about two-thirds of puffins in the area produced young. While the numbers did not reach that same level this year, the birds still had a better year than in 2021. The main reason for the decreasing numbers is a drop in the population of small fish puffins feed on, such as herring. Two years ago, puffin colonies suffered one of the lowest reproduction rates in many years because of a lack of those fish. Only about one-quarter of the birds were able to raise young in 2021. Environmental groups have linked the lower fish populations in the area to warming ocean temperatures. The Gulf of Maine, which has puffin colonies on its islands, is warming faster than most of the world's oceans. Some recent years have been especially warm and local climate officials have said this summer appears to have been still unusually warm. Bill Sydeman is the president and chief scientist at the Farallon Institute, a conservation organization based in California. He told The Associated Press the reasons for the puffin population drop include deadly heat waves, loss of food, loss of islands to sea level rise and an inability to reproduce, or breed. The problem with climate change is these breeding failures and low breeding productivity years are now becoming chronic, Sydeman said. There will be fewer young birds in the population that are able to recruit into the breeding population. Maine's puffins are the only breeding Atlantic puffins in the United States. Worldwide, the species lives in the North Atlantic from Maine and Canada to Europe. Other countries with large puffin populations, such as Iceland, have also seen their bird populations drop. The Maine puffin population once fell to only about 70 pairs in an area known as Matinicus Rock. Hunters who went after the birds for their meat and feathers had nearly destroyed them by the early 1900s. Stephen Kress is a scientist with the Audubon Society who has sought to grow puffin colonies since the 1970s. His attempts included moving young puffins from Canada to Eastern Egg Rock, another small island in the area. Wildlife officials say adult birds in the colonies appear fairly strong, and it's "likely the population is stable, and it could still be growing, said Don Lyons. He is the director of conservation science at the National Audubon Societys Seabird Institute in Bremen, Maine. The difficulties facing seabirds make successful breeding seasons especially important, said P. Dee Boersma. She is a University of Washington professor of biology and director of the university's Center for Ecosystem Sentinels. What that means is we should be more cautious and concerned about reproductive failures and things like that to make sure that in good years everyone that wants to has a chance to breed, and do well, Boersma said. Im Bryan Lynn. The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English. ______________________________________________ Words in This Story conservation n. an organized effort that aims to protect animals, and natural resources chronic adj. something that continues for a long time recruit v. to try to persuade someone to work for a company or to join an organization cautious adj. taking care to avoid risks or danger In 1978 the musical duet group of Peaches and Herb released the beloved song Reunited. The chorus features these words: Reunited and it feels so good. Reunited cause we understood theres one perfect fit and, sugar, this one is it. We both are so excited cause were reunited, hey, hey. I found myself humming this song the evening of Aug. 19 as Dan and I were on our way home from my 35th class reunion. The reunion was held in Grand Island in one of the conference rooms at the local HyVee grocery store. I graduated from Bertrand High School, but one of our classmates worked hard to find a spot where we could meet in the middle. It was just over an hours drive for most of us, so it worked out well. Seven of us were physically able to be there, and one classmate reached out through FaceTime. I thought that wasnt too bad for a class of 27. When Dan and I arrived at HyVee we headed up the stairs, only to be stymied when we realized there were multiple conference rooms on the second floor. I followed the sound of voices and as soon as I got close enough I said, I know those voices! That is where we need to be. Sure enough, several of my classmates had already assembled and were talking and laughing. It was strange how comforting it was to hear their voices. I was immediately transported back to my time at Bertrand. I was flooded with memories of school bus rides, lunch lines, sporting events, slumber parties, cheering with the pep club, playing my flute in the band and time spent with great friends. When you attend a small school and spend so much time together, you become a family. Out of the eight of us who attended the reunion, seven had gone through kindergarten to 12th grade together. I thought that was pretty amazing. You also knew many students who were grades above or below you. Its a closeness thats hard to explain. These folks know pretty much everything about you because they have been there with you through all the ups and downs. They have seen you at both your worst and your best. Its remarkable how many traits we had in high school still hold true to today. One classmate, Valerie, brought yearbooks dating back to when we were seventh graders and she brought multiple scrapbooks as well. We spent a lot of time poring over those. We chuckled at our big hair (it was the 80s after all!) and our clothing choices. We talked about who was dating who back then, and a few of us had married our high school sweethearts. We even got to see a picture of a much younger Chad Scharff (Valeries brother), who turned out to be our childrens band director. Mr. Scharff was a huge influence on our children, and our son Evan became a band director himself largely due to the experiences he had in the Lexington band. It is really neat to see, over time, the ways our lives can impact those around us. We talked a little bit about the loss of three beloved classmates: Brian, Tammy and Danny. By the time we were 23 we had lost three friends to single-car automobile accidents. We lost our first classmate, Brian, on prom night our junior year. We have since lost one other classmate, Valerie. It was a lot of tragedy for a class of 27 to deal with. All of us, in some way, were impacted by the loss of those special friends. I was so glad that I went to our reunion. It was a wonderful night of affirming the past and looking ahead to the future. A verse of the song Reunited conveys my feelings exactly: As we reminisce on precious memories like this, Im glad were back together. In a statement on its Facebook page, Macau Journalists Association (AJM) has called for improvements in the way in which police release information concerning crimes and accidents. The statement came after an announcement issued by the Public Security Police Force (PSP) following a car accident in the pedestrian area in front of the main entrance of Hotel Lisboa. According to videos that have gone viral over social media platforms, the car was captured squeezing through a gap between a minibus and a seven-seater vehicle, running a red traffic signal, almost hitting a moving taxi at the Grand Lisboa Hotel crossroad, before crashing against a greening area near Hotel Lisboa. What is dissatisfying, the AJM said, is that after the almost-fatal accident, the PSP only issued a text message minimizing the severity of the car crash. The text message read: Unverified information: A traffic accident involving two private vehicles and a bus happened near Hotel Lisboa on Avenida de Lisboa. No injured were sent to the hospital [and] nobody was trapped. The PSP is handling the matter. Announcements of crime and public security incidents by the police to the press are normally conveyed through text messages. The AJM also noted that the police released more information 15 hours after the accident and only after journalists inquired about the matter. The supplementary message sent by the police provided some extra details: the vehicle had in fact run two red signals and crashed while making a turn; the driver is a local aged about 30, surnamed Fong and was referred to the Public Prosecutions Office for further investigations. Amid netizens accusing local media outlets of self-censorship as news reports were not publicized shortly after the crash, the AJM defended the industrys professionalism by explaining that journalists can receive as many as 50 messages from the citys two police authorities per day, making it impossible for journalists to investigate each and every case. The statement said that improvements should be made by the police in the manner of release, including by not over-simplifying details, which could influence journalists judgment about the newsworthiness of each notification. The new Central Library, to be built on the site of the former Hotel Estoril at Tap Seac, will have no public parking lot, representatives from the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) said late last week during the fifth ordinary plenary meeting of the Consultative Committee for Cultural Development. The topic was on the agenda at the meeting presided over by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Else Ao Ieong, held Friday. IC representatives presented the new Central Librarys final design works to the Committee members, noting the final decision of not having a parking lot in the basement level was due to existing limitations on the land plot. According to IC, It would be very difficult, in technical terms, to build a public parking lot that complies with current standards and norms, while, on the other hand, and in addition to not being able to offer a reasonable number of parking spaces, some spaces [initially thought] for the librarys functions need to give away [to other purposes] or cannot be used [as expected], which has an impact on the overall layout of functions and circulation. The IC added that after evaluation, the government considered that the need for the parking lot is secondary to the cultural space and decided to scrap the parking lot from the final project. Russia has likely proposed that North Korea participate in three-way naval exercises with China, according to a lawmaker who attended a closed-door briefing with the director of South Koreas top spy agency yesterday. The briefing came days after Russias Ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, told Russian media that including North Korea in joint military drills between Russia and China seems appropriate. Matsegora added it was his own point of view and that he wasnt aware of any preparations, according to Russias Tass news agency. According to lawmaker Yoo Sang-bum, when South Korean National Intelligence Service Director Kim Kyou-hyun was asked about the possibility of such drills, he said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu likely proposed holding trilateral naval exercises with North Korea and China while meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in July. Kim Jong Un invited Shoigu to a major military parade in Pyongyang in July while vowing to expand military cooperation with Moscow, which U.S. officials say could involve North Korean supplies of artillery and other ammunition as Russian President Vladimir Putin reaches out to other countries for support in his war against Ukraine. Last week, the White House said Kim and Putin exchanged letters as Moscow looked to Pyongyang for more munitions. Amid deepening nuclear tensions with Washington, Seoul and Tokyo, Kim Jong Un has been trying to boost the visibility of his partnerships with Moscow and Beijing as he seeks to break out of diplomatic isolation and have Pyongyang be a part of a united front against the United States. Diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington has stalled since 2019 over disagreements over the crippling U.S.-led sanctions against North Korea and the Norths faltered steps to wind down its nuclear weapons and missiles program. In the briefing, the service director Kim Kyou-hyun also said that North Koreas recent testing activities suggest its warplanes were highly reliant on its tactical nuclear systems as its aims to achieve swift victory over the South if war breaks out, as its otherwise ill-equipped military would struggle to handle a prolonged war, according to lawmaker Yoo. Kim has used the international focus on Russias war on Ukraine to dial up his weapons demonstrations, which have included more than 100 missile launches since the start of 2022. Kims testing spree has been punctuated by verbal threats of pre-emptive nuclear attacks against South Korea and other rivals if the North perceives its leadership as under threat. MDT/AP Vice President Kamala Harris will deepen her outreach to Southeast Asia this week at an international summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, where shell try to erase doubts about U.S. commitment to the region stirred by President Joe Bidens absence. Its Harris third trip to Southeast Asia and fourth to Asia overall, and shes touched down in more countries there than any other continent. The repeat visits, in addition to meetings that shes hosted in Washington, have positioned Harris as a key interlocutor for the administration as it tries to bolster a network of partnerships to counterbalance Chinese influence. This latest journey is another opportunity for Harris to burnish her foreign policy credentials as she prepares for a bruising campaign year. Shes already come under attack from Republican presidential candidates who say shes unprepared to step up if Biden the oldest U.S. president in history cant finish a second term. John Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, said Harris has made our alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific a key part of her agenda as vice president, and he described her itinerary as perfectly in keeping with the issues that shes been focused on. But Bidens decision to skip the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, has caused some frustration, particularly because hes already going to be in India and Vietnam around the same time. The presidents proximity makes his nonattendance all the more more glaring than would otherwise be the case, said Marty Natalegawa, Indonesias former foreign affairs minister. However, Natalegawa conceded that ASEAN is struggling to convince world leaders that it deserves to play a central role in the region. Thats even though the alliance represents more than 650 million people across 10 nations that collectively have the worlds fifth largest economy. The organization has not resolved civil strife in Myanmar, which saw a military coup two years ago and has been disinvited from meetings. A peace plan reached with the countrys top general did not lead to any progress. Negotiations over territorial claims in the South China Sea remain bogged down as well, and ASEAN faces internal disagreements over global competition between the United States and China. Some members, such as the Philippines and Vietnam, have sought closer ties with Washington, while Cambodia remains firmly in Beijings orbit. We can complain all we want about other countries not respecting us or not coming to our summits, Natalegawa said. But ultimately, it is actually a point of reflection. Unless ASEAN becomes more effective, Natalegawa said, we may end up with less and less leaders turning up. Kirby, the national security spokesman, rejected the idea that Biden was snubbing the organization or the region. Its just impossible to look at the record that this administration has put forward and say that we are somehow walking away, Kirby said, noting that Biden already hosted the first-ever Washington summit with ASEAN leaders last year. Ja-Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, said Harris presence helps the U.S. cover its bases at an event that may not prove productive on key issues. You want to show that youre paying attention, you send the vice president, he said. Harris departed yesterday and will spend two days enmeshed in meetings in Jakarta. Her office has not yet detailed her schedule, but shes expected to attend summit events and hold individual talks with some foreign leaders. Soon after Harris returns from Indonesia, Biden is headed to India for the annual Group of 20 summit, which pulls together many of the worlds richest countries and is a staple of any presidents calendar. Then he plans to stop in Vietnam, where hes focused on strengthening ties with a country that is an emerging economic power. I dont fault the administration for the choice that they made. Its just unfortunate that they had to make that choice, said Gregory B. Poling, who directs the Southeast Asia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Leaders are gathering in Jakarta amid heightened tension over the South China Sea after Beijing released a new official map that emphasizes its territorial claims there. The map has angered other nations that consider the waters to be part of their own territory or international byways. The South China Sea is a critical crossroads for global trade. U.S. officials and analysts believe Beijings aggressive approach to the region has created an opening for Washington to forge stronger partnerships. Although much of Bidens recent attention has been on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, hes left no doubt that he considers China to be the top foreign policy challenge for the U.S. Hes described much of his agenda, both domestic and overseas, as an effort to deter Beijing from supplanting Washington as the most powerful worldwide force. Sometimes his warnings take a darker turn. During a recent fundraiser for his reelection campaign in Park City, Utah, Biden described China as a ticking time bomb because of its economic and demographic challenges. Harris has previously visited Singapore and Vietnam, Japan and South Korea, and the Philippines and Thailand. Many of her travels have been geared toward the global rivalry with China. CHRIS MEGERIAN, WASHINGTON, MDT/AP LOS ANGELES Long-term exposure to one of the most prevalent types of air pollution may increase the risk of developing dementia, a debilitating neurological disease associated with memory loss and reduced cognitive function, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Michigan have concluded that people living with higher levels of fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, could face a greater risk of being stricken with dementia, according to a study published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Scientists monitored the cognitive health of nearly 28,000 people aged 50 or older living across the United States between 1998 and 2016. Fifteen percent of this group developed dementia, and those who lived in areas with more PM2.5 were more likely to succumb to the neurodegenerative illness. Based on those results, the study estimates fine particulate pollution may be responsible for 188,000 dementia diagnoses each year in the United States. And evidence suggests the health risk may vary with the type of PM2.5 a catchall term for suspended material about 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Scientists examined exposure to nine different types of particulate ranging from traffic to coal combustion. Exposure to pollution from wildfires and agricultural dust had the strongest ties to the prevalence of dementia, according to Boya Zhang, lead author and research fellow at the University of Michigan. "The main reason for this distinction may be due to the different physical or chemical characteristics of the PM2.5 from these different sources. All particles are harmful to you, but wildfires and agriculture (dust) may be more harmful to your cognitive health." Aging population As people live longer and the global population continues to trend older, the findings underscore the importance of limiting exposure to air pollution to cognitive health. But the study also arrives amid a particularly devastating Canadian wildfire season when smoke and soot drifted across North America and engulfed such cities as Chicago and Detroit, highlighting how these intensifying natural disasters can imperil millions of people thousands of miles away. The research is also concerning for Californians, who have seen their state ravaged by record-setting wildfires and drought that turned thousands of acres of farmland into dust bowls. The study also serves as a reminder of the sweeping effects air pollution can have on human health. Particulate pollution has already been found to contribute to lung disease, heart attacks, strokes, low birth weight and diabetes. And, earlier this month, a new study suggested a connection between PM2.5 exposure and the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as superbugs. Exposure to PM2.5 can make cell membranes more permeable, making it easier for bacteria to share DNA that would give them immunity to certain antibiotics, according to lead author Hong Chen, of Zhejiang University in China. The theory that this could accelerate the larger problem of antibiotic resistance has been met with some skepticism. But the University of Michigan study bolsters a growing body of research linking air pollution to neurological illnesses. In a 2022 study examining the cognitive health of women between 74 and 92 years old, USC researchers found the risk of dementia decreased by 14% in areas with the greatest PM2.5 reductions. In a 2020 study, researchers at UC Davis found evidence that exposure to traffic-related air pollution altered the brain development of rats. Oxidative stress Whether cognitive or cardiovascular, the wide-ranging health effects of PM2.5 have been attributed to oxidative stress the physical toll from the body's natural response to the entry of foreign objects, which can lead to inflammation. The severity of oxidative stress depends on the type of PM2.5 a person is exposed to. In the Michigan study, scientists modeled PM2.5 pollution from traffic, agriculture, windblown dust, coal-fired power plants and various industrial emissions, among other sources. Except for windblown dust, all other sources were correlated with higher dementia prevalence. Surprisingly, wildfires and farm dust had stronger ties to dementia prevalence than traffic pollution and coal combustion. "When you inhale any sort of particle, you're body is going to have some sort of immune response," said Suzanne Paulson, a UCLA professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences. "But composition matters because if you're near the coast, you might be breathing sea salt, which is not that bad for your body to deal with." Paulson examined PM2.5 across more than 50 locations in Los Angeles. Though vehicle exhaust was once the primary source of particulate pollution in the region, metal particles from brake and tire wear are now a significant and growing source of PM2.5, Paulson said. It has surpassed tailpipe emissions in recent years, as evidenced by higher copper and iron concentrations. While this trend shows how much cleaner vehicle engines have become, it also underscores an emerging concern. POTTER, Neb. When Reed Cammack hears the first meadowlark of spring, he knows his family has made it through another cold, snowy winter on the South Dakota prairie. Nothing's better, he says, than hearing the birds light up the area with song at sunrise. "It's part of the flora and fauna of our Great Plains and it's beautiful to hear," says Cammack, 42, a sixth-generation rancher who raises cattle on 10,000 acres of native grasslands. But the number of birds dropped steeply over the years, despite seemingly ideal habitat "and I don't know for sure why," says Cammack's 92-year-old grandfather, Floyd. North America's grassland birds are deeply in trouble 50 years after adoption of the Endangered Species Act, as habitat loss, land degradation and climate change threaten what remains of a once-vast ecosystem from Canada to Mexico. Over half their overall population has been lost since 1970, and several species are heading toward possible extinction. "Birds are the canary in the coal mine," says Amanda Rodewald, senior director of the Center for Avian Population Studies at Cornell University's ornithology lab. "They're an early warning of environmental changes that also can affect us." The lesser prairie chicken, which declined by more than 90%, is the only grassland bird federally listed as endangered, in part of its range. Congress voted to delist it in an effort led by Republicans who say the protections hinder oil and gas drilling, though environmentalists hope President Joe Biden will veto the measure. More than half a dozen other grassland birds have lost 50% or more of their breeding population and could lose another 50% in the next half-century, according to a 2022 report. They include: the Sprague's pipit, a northern grassland songbird, that's lost more than 75% of its population since 1970. The chestnut-collared longspur, which lives in the northern shortgrass prairie and sings as it flies. The Henslow's sparrow, which barely sings at all. And the bobolink, known for its robust songs and long-distance travels to South America. The 38% 293,000 square miles of historic North American grasslands that remain are threatened by intensive farming, urbanization and the rapid spread of trees once held at bay by periodic fires. Much is still unknown: Where do birds stop during migration and for how long? What's happening on their wintering grounds and how many birds return from their winter territory? If birds must travel great distances to find suitable breeding habitat, does that affect breeding success? "Where along that full life cycle both in time and space are these birds suffering the most?" says Andy Boyce, a research ecologist at the Smithsonian's Migratory Bird Center who studies the Sprague's pipit. "We need to figure out a lot of this before we can even start to prioritize where conservation actually needs to take place." Tracking systems Researchers aim to learn more with the help of radio telemetry receivers being installed across the Great Plains to help track birds from Canada to Mexico's Chihuahuan desert. When a bird fitted with a tiny transmitter flies within 12 miles of a receiver mounted on towers and other structures researchers electronically collect information. Researchers are about halfway to building 150 or more receivers, says Matthew Webb, who leads installation efforts for the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. He says it's "extremely important to get adequate coverage," to fill knowledge gaps about bird movements. Meanwhile, biologists are sharing data and using sophisticated computer modeling to determine the biggest threats. They're working with farmers and ranchers to implement practices that ensure survival of livelihoods and native birds. Though some birds require contiguous grasslands, most adapted to living alongside agriculture, Cornell's Rodewald says. Still, intensive farming eliminating hedgerows and buffers, fewer crop types and more pesticides took a toll. And climate change is bringing hotter, drier conditions that hurt soil health, worsen erosion and dry up watering holes. So nonprofits and government agencies are offering farmers incentives to improve soil, enroll grasslands in conservation programs and adopt bird-friendly practices, such as mowing after nesting season. "Private landowners care and are very, very good stewards of (the land) because it's their livelihood," says Brandt Ryder, chief conservation scientist for the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. Role for ranchers Ranchers also are critical to birds' survival, scientists say, because almost all of North America's remaining prairie is on privately owned rangelands. They say high-quality grasslands require grazing and hooves on the ground to stay healthy. Cattle rancher Brian Sprenger never saw sharptailed grouse as a kid, when much of the rangeland near Sidney, Nebraska, was overgrazed or farmed. About 20 years ago, more ranchers put land into a federal conservation program, replanted native grasses and started moving cattle to prevent overgrazing. Now Sprenger, 44, sometimes sees two dozen or more grouse at a time during mating season. "We've noticed that as we have started allowing these rangelands to flourish that we have seen a lot of different bird species," he says. Many land owners are battling fast-spreading eastern red cedar and juniper trees that contribute to grassland ecosystem collapse, says Dirac Twidwell, a rangeland ecologist at the University of Nebraska. Tree and shrub encroachment and cultivation now account for roughly the same amount of Great Plains loss every year a combined 6,250 square miles, Twidwell says. TELEVISION To really see and experience America, you've got to unplug, says Baratunde Thurston, host and executive producer of "America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston." "We are showcasing people who have a relationship with nature. We're looking for all kinds of representatives of We the People," he says. The lower the wi-fispeed, "the better it is because then you're really getting out there." During two seasons of the PBS series, Thurston has tested his limits, jumping into 40-degree water in Maine, climbing trees in Oregon and riding with alligators in Florida. For the Washington, D.C., native, communing with nature has been a way to understand experiences he might have readily avoided. Among them: hunting. The nation's capital, he says, was a war zone in the 1980s. "My father was, essentially, a casualty of that war," he says. "There was never a police investigation; no person that I'm aware of was ever charged, but he was shot and killed very late in the night one day." Guns, as a result, have a different meaning for him. When he teamed up with Kayle Browning, a sport shooter and Olympic silver medalist, Thurston says, "I was terrified." Browning, who grew up in a family of competitive shooters, has a different view of guns: "I try to be the light in what seems like a very dark topic in the media." She tried to show Thurston "the more you know about the firearm you're handling, the safer it becomes. At the end of the day, it's an object, and it has to be respected." Thurston, she says, wanted to learn about her sport and her lifestyle. "By the end of it, he was like, 'I see a totally new light, a totally new perspective on what you do, and it's not all bad.'" When he was invited to a turkey hunt in New Mexico, that preparation helped. "I had never listened so closely in the outdoors as when I was trying to be super-quiet and super-still," Thurston says. "Even the prospect of taking a life heightened the experience, not with a sense of conquest or joy but with a sense of gravity. And so there was respect for the environment and for the habitat." While Thurston didn't kill a turkey, he learned about those who do. "This stuff gets real spiritual and philosophical very quickly," he says. "It gets political, not in a left/right way, but in 'How do people live together?' How do we live with our fellow creatures on this earth?" In the six-episode second season, "America Outdoors" hits parts of the country rarely given national exposure. In Elaine, Arkansas, Thurston learned about one of the worst incidents of racial violence in 1919. An estimated 237 Black residents were killed by a white mob. Today, the community has its first Black mayor, Lisa Gilbert. In the series, she helps Thurston understand how a connection with nature can bring about change. "Without me having to do a lot of convincing him, he got it," Gilbert says. "Our young people are so in tune with nature here," she says. "We're small; we're rural; they come from generations of farmers, generations of hunters, people fishing. Young people don't have problems detaching themselves from their devices because they're so surrounded by nature and they grew up with itit's pretty much in their DNA." Now, Thurston says, there's a lesson viewers can learn. The show is called "America Outdoors," but it should be billed as "America, comma, Outdoors." "This is a show about people and their connection to the outdoors, to nature, and, through that, to each other." Season 2 of "America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston" premieres Sept. 6 on PBS. MONGOLIA | PAPAL VISIT ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia Pope Francis sent a special greeting to China's "noble" people on Sunday, giving them a special shout-out at the end of a Mass celebrated in neighboring Mongolia during the first-ever papal visit that was largely overshadowed by Beijing and its crackdown on religious minorities. Francis brought up to the altar the retired and current bishops of Hong Kong, Cardinal John Hon Tong and Cardinal-elect Stephen Chow, clasped their hands and told the crowd that included many mainland Chinese pilgrims that he wished them all well. "I want to take advantage of heir presence to send a warm greeting to the noble Chinese people," Francis said. "To all the (Chinese) people I wish the best and to always go forward, always progress." "I ask Chinese Catholics to be good Christians and good citizens," he added, to cheers from the crowd in the Steppe Arena, in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. It was the first and only time that Francis has publicly mentioned China during his four-day visit, despite the large shadow that Beijing has cast over the trip and Mongolia. China's ruling Communist Party has been waging a yearlong, sweeping crackdown on religion, tightening controls, especially on Christianity and Islam that are viewed as foreign imports and potential challengers to Communist authority. The crackdown targeting Uyghurs in the northwestern Xinjiang region has been especially fierce, with claims that more than 1 million ethnic minority members were forcibly sent to prison-like reeducation centers where many have said they were tortured, sexually assaulted, and forced to abandon their language and religion. The U.N. last year accused China of serious human rights violations that may amount to "crimes against humanity." China has denied targeting Uyghurs and others for their religion and culture, denouncing the accusations as lies by the West and saying its crackdown was aimed at quashing separatism, terrorism and religious extremism. The pope did send a telegram of greeting to President Xi Jinping as his aircraft flew early Friday through Chinese airspace, offering him "divine blessings of unity and peace." The Beijing foreign ministry acknowledged the gesture and said it showed "friendliness and goodwill." But while small groups of Chinese pilgrims attended Francis' main Mass here, no mainland Chinese bishop was believed to have been given permission to travel for the papal visit to Mongolia. Their absence underscored the tenuousness of a 2018 Vatican-China accord over Catholic bishop nominations, which Beijing has violated by making appointments unilaterally. Earlier Sunday, China's crackdown on faith groups was indirectly apparent as Francis highlighted, by contrast, Mongolia's long tradition of religious tolerance: He presided over an interfaith event with Mongolian shamans, Buddhist monks, Muslim, Jewish, Shinto leaders and a Russian Orthodox priest. Aiming to reduce childhood lead exposure, the federal Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a rule that would require property owners to clean up any reportable amount of lead dust detected on floors and window sills at pre-1978 homes and child care facilities. The proposal, announced in July, would lower the threshold of lead considered hazardous and therefore requiring abatement on floors and window sills. It would also lower dust-lead clearance levels: how much lead may linger for abatement to be considered complete. Landlords still would not be required to proactively test for lead under the proposal. In Wisconsin, local health departments typically require lead testing at properties only after a child is found to be lead poisoned. But the EPA rule, if finalized, could reduce the lead exposures of 250,000 to 500,000 U.S. children younger than age 6 each year, the EPA estimates. The current dust-lead hazard standard is 10 micrograms per square foot (mcg/ft2) on floors and 100 mcg/ft2 on window sills. The proposal would shrink that standard to any reportable lead level greater than zero. Clearance levels under the new rule would drop from 10 to 3 mcg/ft2 for floors; from 100 to 20 mcg/ft2 for window sills; and from 400 to 25 mcg/ft2 for window troughs. The EPA considers those levels the lowest that can be reliably and effectively achieved. The changes would ensure more thorough clean-ups at abated properties, said Michael Mannan, director of home environmental health for the Milwaukee Health Department. That just means they have to do a better job cleaning and making sure theres even less dust there, which is a good thing, Mannan said. Lead is a neurotoxin that damages the brain and nervous system, especially in young children. Children can be poisoned by ingesting lead paint, lead-tainted water, soil, dust or other lead-based products. No level of lead in blood is considered safe for children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The EPA rule could hold large implications for property owners, said Heiner Giese, an attorney and lobbyist for the Rental Property Association of Wisconsin. It could crimp the housing supply because landlords might be more wary of renting out old homes in Milwaukee for fear of pricier lead abatement, he said. I think its going to make property owners leery of owning any property in an older area where children live, because now youre possibly going to get a lead order which is going to be expensive and potentially lead to liability, Giese said. The EPA is accepting public comments on the proposal until Oct. 2. A greater share of students has received required vaccines in Dane County than statewide, but the rate dipped last year and only 85% or fewer students are adequately immunized at nearly two dozen schools. That puts the facilities at risk for disease outbreaks, health officials say. In the county and in Wisconsin, more parents are getting philosophical waivers exempting students from one or more vaccines, with the states nonmedical exemption rate more than double the national rate. Health officials are concerned about the trend, especially because the statewide vaccination rate is down from before the COVID-19 pandemic. It boosts the risk of an outbreak, given the introduction of that virus to the school, said Nate Patton, immunizations coordinator for Public Health Madison and Dane County. Dr. James Conway, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at UW Health, said concern about outbreaks grows when vaccination rates drop below 90%. Thats because no vaccine is 100% effective, and some people cant get vaccines. We need to create this buffer of community immunity so that it protects those who arent protected by the vaccine or cant be protected by vaccines, but also prevents spread throughout those communities even if the disease does show up, said Conway, who like Patton is part of the Dane County Immunization Coalition. School vaccinations Dane County's school vaccination rate is higher than the state average. But low immunization rates and high rates of vaccine waivers in some schools increase the risk of disease outbreaks, health officials say. Fifteen doses of five vaccines are required to enter kindergarten. web only Dane County vaccination rates web only Dane County personal conviction waivers Schools where fewer than 90% of students meet vaccination requirements overall might still have greater than 90% coverage for some vaccines, Conway said. Class sizes, ventilation, mask wearing and other factors also influence how vulnerable students might be. But, this is a slippery slope that were on, he said. The more things move in this direction, the more we put ourselves and our communities at risk for reemergence of these diseases. Debate over choice Democratic state legislators have introduced a bill to remove the personal conviction waiver in Wisconsin, one of 15 states with that type of exemption. Vaccination is not just about protecting individuals; its about protecting everyone, said a memo in August from Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, and Sen. Mark Spreitzer, D-Beloit, seeking sponsors for the measure. Wisconsin United For Freedom, a nonprofit that lobbied against a similar bill in 2019, which didnt pass, says it will fight the measure again. Where theres risk, there must be choice, said Erin Runk, co-founder of Wisconsin United For Freedom, referring to the risks of vaccines, which health officials say typically are minor. Im a strong advocate for protecting personal choice and medical freedom when it comes to putting substances into our bodies, namely vaccines, she said. Runk, of Mount Horeb, said her two oldest children, sons ages 18 and 20, got the early childhood vaccines recommended by doctors. After her second son received shots at 15 months, he lost most vision in his left eye, leading her to become skeptical of vaccines, she said. Her two other children, ages 8 and 9, havent received any immunizations, for which they have personal conviction waivers at the Mount Horeb School District. Her second son regained some vision, but he and his older brother were sick more often as children than the younger two have been, Runk said. My younger two have never had an antibiotic their entire life, she said. Theyre very, very healthy. Required shots Students in Wisconsin are required to get 15 doses of five vaccines which protect against measles, mumps, polio, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B and other diseases to enter kindergarten. In seventh grade, theyre required to get another whooping cough shot, known as Tdap, which stands for tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis. The state Department of Health Services in February added meningitis shots in seventh and 12th grade to the requirements, along with making medical providers document a history of chickenpox in order for children to skip the vaccine against that disease. But in March, the Republican-controlled Legislature blocked those rules, so they are not in effect. Last school year, 89.9% of students statewide met the minimum vaccination requirements, up from 88.7% the year before when COVID-19 caused significant disruption but down from 92.5% in 2016-17. Some students not included in those figures were in the process of getting vaccines. Some 5.4% of students filed waivers from vaccine requirements last year, a figure that has roughly doubled over the past two decades, according to the state health department. For 5% of students, the exemptions were personal conviction waivers, not for medical or religious reasons. Waivers can be for one or more vaccines, with 1.6% of students opting out of all vaccines last year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6% of kindergartners in Wisconsin had nonmedical exemptions from vaccines in 2021-22, compared to the national average of 2.3%. In Dane County, 92.1% of students met the minimum requirements last year, down from 93.2% the year before. Some 3.7% had personal conviction waivers last year, up from 2.8% the year before. Private schools The countys schools with the lowest vaccination rates and highest personal conviction waiver rates are private, many of them religious. Charis Classical Academy, a Christian school on Madisons Far East Side where 73% of students met immunization requirements last year and 39% had personal conviction waivers, encourages students to be vaccinated, headmaster Monte Knetter said. But leaders dont press families to explain or change their beliefs, he said. History shows that communicable diseases pose a real threat, but failing to vigorously uphold the value of personal convictions poses just as real of a threat, even if that threat is not immediately apparent, Knetter said. Mount Horeb Christian School, where 53% of students met requirements and 33% had personal conviction waivers, also encourages vaccinations, said Chuck Moore, executive director of Impact Christian Schools, the schools owner. Given the schools relatively low immunization rates, leaders ask parents to be sure to keep students home if they are ill, he said. Our dream is that everybody gets vaccinated, but we dont have any legal authority to enforce that, Moore said, noting that other Impact schools, such as Abundant Life and High Point in Madison, have significantly higher vaccination rates. Madison Waldorf School, where 46% of students met requirements and 28% had personal conviction waivers, hasnt had outbreaks other than COVID-19 in recent years, administrator Ginny Buhr said. A few years ago, when measles outbreaks were a particular concern, the school sent parents more information about that. But leaders dont try to alter their beliefs, she said. We have a number of families who have personal convictions about the vaccinations, and it is their right under Wisconsin law that they can submit that waiver, Buhr said. Low vaccination and high waiver rates at PowerHouse Christian School in Sun Prairie are misleading because the school had only a dozen students last year, administrator Lisa Dettinger said. Primrose School of Middleton had a clerical issue that mistakenly led to a report of just 8% of students meeting requirements, co-owner Amanda Kienbaum said. She said she wasnt sure what the correct figure should be, but that the school requires all students to be vaccinated. Public schools Two schools in the Verona School District Badger Ridge and Savanna Oaks middle schools had the lowest rates of students meeting requirements, at 79% and 80%, respectively, of any public schools in the county. District spokesperson Marcie Pfeifer-Soderbloom said many of the kids who didnt meet requirements were behind on vaccines, such as Tdap, which used to be required at sixth grade instead of seventh. Several schools in the Waunakee School District had high waiver rates, including Heritage Elementary, where 18% of students had personal conviction waivers. Lisa Jondle, the districts director of student services, noted that waivers sometimes mean students are behind on vaccines, not that they never intend to get them. Staff tell parents where students can access shots and provide reminders that vaccines can still be received when a waiver is on file, Jondle said. At the Madison School District, 91% of students met vaccine requirements last year, down from 95.2% in 2018-19. Schools with relatively low immunization or high waiver rates include Allis, Mendota and Shorewood Hills elementary schools and Badger Rock, Jefferson, Sennett and Toki middle schools. Dawn Sebranek, a school nurse who leads the districts immunization program, said the problem sometimes is poor access to vaccines, not opposition to them. The district is partnering with local health care providers to hold vaccine clinics in October in some schools, including some of those with the lowest vaccination rates. We are concerned about areas with lower immunization rates, Sebranek said. Of 497 students in the district with waivers, 94 have received no vaccines, meaning the remainder have had one or more, she said. For families with waivers, staff reach out at least once a year, reminding them that the students could contract diseases, expose vulnerable infants or older adults in their households and, in the case of outbreaks, have to miss school and extracurricular activities. Theres a lot of pieces, or risks, to signing a waiver, Sebranek said. A man showed up at a hospital in Rockford, Illinois on Saturday with a gunshot wound he said he suffered in Madison, authorities reported. Madison police were sent to the 6200 block of Jacobs Way on the Southwest Side shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday on a report of shots fired and found a shell casing, but no signs of injured people or property damage, Chief Shon Barnes said in his blog on Tuesday. Rockford police later told Madison police that a man had shown up at a hospital there with a gunshot wound who provided the location of the shooting, Barnes said. Officers checked the area and located damage to two residences from gunfire, Barnes said, adding that the investigation is continuing. Madison police spokesperson Alyssa Cains said Tuesday that the man's injuries were not life threatening. After a Tuesday morning when some students waited up to two hours to be picked up for school, the Madison School District warned families in an email that several afternoon bus routes would also be delayed. Tuesday was the first day of school for most of the districts students. Despite contracting with a different bus company this academic year, First Student, the district is being plagued by the same problems and driver shortages that have caused delays for years. The district emailed parents at 3:40 p.m. to say that service would be delayed on several after-school routes. Though we anticipated some early-year challenges with our new transportation provider, First Student, the disruptions encountered by many district families today and last Friday are unacceptable, and we have conveyed as much to the bus company, the districts letter to families said. For today, where possible, parents are encouraged to make alternative arrangements for their student(s), the letter concluded. On one morning route, the bus picked up students two hours late, a First Student spokesperson confirmed to the Wisconsin State Journal. Last week, district spokesperson Ian Folgers said district administrators were anticipating some transportation speed bumps at the start of the school year. On Tuesday, he blamed the delays on a shortage of bus drivers. First Student, which is taking over from Badger Bus, is recruiting more drivers, offering $24 an hour and a $3,000 signing bonus. In the meantime, the company is bringing in bus drivers from outside Madison to fill in the gaps, according to Jen Biddinger, a First Student spokesperson. Driver shortages have caused problems in Madison for years, forcing schools to shift start and end times during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years. Biddinger attributed the delays to drivers needing to learn new routes and stops, and going over safety guidelines with students. These were not your typical audiences or venues for a dance recital. At Law Park, the small crowd sat under shade trees as an Egyptian dancer and, moments later, a modern dance troupe performed in front of -- and sometimes on top of -- the Timekeeper, a sculpture by Robert Curtis commissioned by the city in 1983. At McPike Park, umbrellas were out in force to shield the sun, skateboards, scooters and bikes were parked and some kept their bike helmets affixed to their heads as Mexican dancers twirled, Scottish Highland dancers worked with swords and solo Indian dancer Rayko Bandyo shared her culture and traditions through arm movements, foot positions and colorful dress. "It's a classical dance form," Bandyo told the crowd prior to her performance. "The music starts and then becomes more complex with time -- just like the dance item will -- like a flower blossoming." Madison parks along prominent bike paths served Monday as sun-splashed outdoor dance studios for members of the Isthmus Dance Collective. The nonprofit was formed in spring 2020 as a way for local instructors, choreographers and performers to come together as the pandemic forced studios and theaters to close down. In September 2021, the group put on its first collective event, Shifting Gears. Now in its third year, Monday's event featured more than 20 dance troupes who performed at four locations throughout the city over six hours. Juan Carlos Diaz Velez, president of the IDC's board of directors, said that even though indoor performances have resumed, Shifting Gears continues to expand the reach of different types of dance styles to those who may not otherwise be exposed to one of the many genres performed by the IDC's members. Velez is hopeful Shifting Gears is a festival that is here to stay. "There's a lot more attention given to outdoor performances now and we hope to continue with that," Velez said while standing under a portable shade awning at McPike Park. "We just hope to keep growing and involve more people. Our aim here is to promote dance in the community." IDC is trying to raise money for a portable stage that can be used at festivals and other outdoor performances but has other programs throughout the year designed to promote dance. They include outreach and educational programs at area libraries and "Dance at a Glance," a series of classes on Monday evenings for children and adults at the Madison Youth Center for the Arts. Monday's event For Monday's festival, a steady breeze helped temper the more than 93-degree heat that felt like 98 degrees. Two groups, the Chinese Cultural Society and Swing State Aerial, scheduled to play at Wirth Court Park, moved their performances indoors to Madison Circus Space on Winnebago Street. At McPike Park, some dance groups brought their own shade shelters. Members of DanzTrad, which performs traditional and folkloric Mexican dances, gathered under their tent after their first performance of the day and brought ice packs and cold towels to help them cool down. "The weather is unpredictable so you just prepare as much as you can," said Carlos Ramirez, a DanzTrad dancer who is also on the IDC board. "It's our goal here, teaching in Madison, to expand the knowledge and get the community to know more about the culture and traditions of Mexico through our dances." Back at Law Park, Sadira, who has been performing classical women's dances from Egypt for over 30 years, said she first became interested in Middle Eastern music and then began dancing. Her performance on Monday, however, was just off the edge of a bike path that runs between Lake Monona and John Nolen Drive. Those passing by included bikers, walkers, runners and others on paddleboards and kayaks. Sadira, who lives in Madison, said that since the formation of IDC she now has more connection with the dance community and dance audiences. "It's really neat to be involved with some of the contemporary and ballet people," said Sadira, who was making her second appearance at Shifting Gears. "It's fun but tiring being here all day but you see different people and I get to see people dance that I normally don't get to see." A pier jammed with people at the Union Terrace collapsed Monday sending one person to the hospital and injuring several others, according to police and fire officials. The incident happened shortly after 2:30 p.m. after a portion of a metal pier just east of the stage of the popular UW-Madison venue collapsed, sending several people into Lake Mendota. The Madison Fire Department said one person was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and that five others reported minor injuries and were treated at the scene. UW-Madison Police Officer Jeff Kirchman told the Wisconsin State Journal that one person was taken to the hospital and 20 or so had minor injuries. An estimated 60 to 80 people were on the pier when it collapsed, police and fire officials said, but only those on the end of the pier, where it makes a 90-degree turn to the east, went into the water, said Debra Drewek, a retired nurse who happened to be at the Terrace taking pictures when the collapse occurred. There were way too many kids on the piers. They were packed, Drewek said. There was no warning. All of a sudden it went down and people were in the water. Many swam to shore while others clung to the pier that had collapsed or to the pier that remained standing. Moments later, Dreweck said, some climbed into rescue boats that arrived pretty quickly, she said. Its unclear if there are restrictions on the number of people who can be on a pier and whose job it is to monitor pier safety. The age of the pier, which appears to be supported by a series of metal supports, was not immediately known. In a statement, UW-Madison officials said the swimming area was not staffed by lifeguards at the time of the collapse and that the pier was scheduled to be removed Tuesday due to the end of the summer season. The pier is currently closed, and UWMadison will investigate what occurred, the statement read. Online videos A video posted to Instagram Monday by Badger Barstool showed the dramatic moment when the pier, filled with people, collapsed into the lake. The collapse, as seen from the shoreline just east of where the pier connects to land, appeared to begin at the intersection of where the north and south portion of the pier connects to the section of the pier that makes a 90-degree turn and extends to the east for about 20 feet. The video shows dozens of people falling into the water or riding the pier down as it collapsed. Others were also swimming to the north of the pier when it collapsed, the video showed. Upon arrival, (Command Car 31) began to triage people along the shore to identify any patients, the Madison Fire Department said in a release. Meanwhile, dozens of people were in the process of swimming back to shore as other responding MFD units arrived on scene. The MFD Lake Rescue Team entered the water to perform an underwater search of the area where the collapse occurred. Lake Rescue 1 confirmed there were no additional patients trapped or drowned. Another video, taken from the west by Rita Mortenson and shared on social media by WISC-TV, showed the immediate aftermath of the collapse. The two-minute video shows more than 30 people in the water with some swimming toward shore and others climbing up a ladder on a section of the pier that remained standing. The video also shows hundreds of people on the shoreline looking on while a pier further to the east was also filled with people. A board-certified nurse practitioner, Drewek said she didnt see any head injuries and did not see anyone who needed stitches. Most of the injuries appeared to be scrapes on legs and came on the eve of classes starting at the university. A lot of kids were crying because they had laptops, wallets and phones underwater, Drewek said. Kirchman, from UW-Madison Police, said efforts are being made to recover lost items in the lake. Those who may have lost something are asked to send an email to adam.prescott@wisc.edu. As part of doing business, government agencies often maintain contact or distribution lists. These days those are typically email addresses, but they also can contain physical addresses or even phone numbers. Your state legislator probably has a list of email addresses to send newsletters. Your local government might have multiple lists for different purposes phone numbers to call for volunteers, mailing addresses to send recreation department brochures, or email addresses to send weekly announcements. What many people do not realize is that all of these lists maintained by public agencies are public information. You have a right to access and use these same contact lists. All you have to do is make a record request for them. For example, if you receive an emailed newsletter from city hall, you can ask for the list of all email addresses to which that newsletter was sent. This isnt a new concept. Since the 1970s, Wisconsins attorney general has issued formal opinions consistently saying that government distribution lists are public records and must be turned over, absent a showing of likely harm. The Wisconsin Supreme Court in 1984 required a school to release names, addresses and phone numbers of parents. And just this past year, in a case I litigated, a state appeals court ruled that a school had to release parent email addresses. I sometimes hear objections that this information is private, that some random person has no right to obtain hundreds or thousands of peoples home addresses, phone numbers or email addresses. That argument has been consistently rejected as a legal justification for non-disclosure by the courts. But even from a policy standpoint, it doesnt hold water. Nothing is inherently sensitive or secret about basic contact information. After all, the purpose of having contact information is so people can contact you. Your address tells people where they can send mail and how to find your home. Your phone number lets anybody with a phone reach out to you. The same goes for an email address. This information used to be widely disseminated in phone books and is still readily available online (albeit sometimes for a small fee). Can this information be abused? Sure, but thats not the standard for deciding whether government records must be released. All information has some potential for misuse, but we have a presumption that information in government hands is public. It can only be withheld if a clear exception applies or the custodian can show a real likelihood of significant harm will be caused by the release of records. People who are at unusual risk, including domestic abuse victims, have resources such as the Department of Justice's Safe At Home program to protect their home address at no charge. What it comes down to is this: Contact lists are a valuable resource to the government. Officials and employees use them to spread whatever messages they want. But the government shouldnt be able to hog these lists. Government records are our records, and we have the same right to use lists of contact information obtained and maintained with our tax dollars as government officials do. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that a landmark deal allowing Ukraine to export grain safely through the Black Sea amid the war won't be restored until the West meets Moscow's demands on its own agricultural exports. Ukraine and its Western allies have dismissed the Kremlin's demands as a ploy to advance its own interests. Still, Putin's remarks dashed hopes that his talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could revive an agreement seen as vital for global food supplies, especially in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Russia refused to extend the deal in July, complaining that a parallel agreement promising to remove obstacles to Russian exports of food and fertilizer weren't honored. It said restrictions on shipping and insurance hampered its agricultural trade, though it has shipped record amounts of wheat since last year. Putin reiterated those complaints Monday, while also telling reporters that if those commitments were honored, Russia could return to the deal "within days." Erdogan also expressed hope that a breakthrough could come soon. He said Turkey and the U.N. which both brokered the original deal have put together a new package of proposals to unblock the issue. "We believe that we will reach a solution that will meet the expectations in a short time," Erdogan said at the news conference held with Putin in the Russian resort of Sochi. Earlier, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock lashed out, saying Putin's "game with the grain agreement is cynical." "It's only because of Putin that the freighters don't have free passage again," she told reporters in Berlin. Developing nations impacted A lot is riding on the negotiation. Ukraine and Russia are major suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other goods that developing nations rely on. Data from the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, which organized shipments under the deal, show that 57% of the grain from Ukraine went to developing nations, with the top destination being China. Grain prices shot up after Russia pulled out of the deal but have since fallen back, indicating that there isn't a big crunch in the market for the moment. But failure to revive the agreement will have "drastic impacts" in countries such as Somalia and Egypt that rely heavily on Black Sea grain, according to Galip Dalay, an associate fellow at the Chatham House think tank in London. Putin is looking for some relief from sanctions and at the same time is engaged in a "war of narratives," Dalay said, because the Russian leader "doesn't want to come across as the bad guy in the eyes of the global south as a result of this food insecurity." Ukraine and its allies have often noted that Russia's move left many developing nations in the lurch, since so many were recipients of the grain. Perhaps in an eff ort to address that accusation, Putin said Monday that Russia was close to finalizing an agreement to provide free grain to six African countries. Last month, he promised shipments to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Eritrea and Central African Republic. The Russian leader added that the country will ship 1.1 million tons of cheap grain to Turkey for processing and delivery to poor countries. Recent attacks In addition to pulling out of the grain deal, Russia has repeatedly attacked the Odesa region, where Ukraine's main Black Sea port is. Hours before the Sochi meeting, the Kremlin's forces launched a second barrage in two days on the area. The Ukrainian air force said it intercepted 23 of 32 drones that targeted the Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions. It did not specify damage caused by those that got through. Russia may be hoping it can use its power over Ukraine's Black Sea exports as a bargaining chip to reduce Western economic sanctions. Some companies have been wary of doing business with Russia because of those sanctions, even though Western allies have made assurances that food and fertilizer are exempt. Still, Moscow remains unsatisfied. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Monday urged Moscow to return to the deal, insisting "there were no legal and political grounds for Russia to withdraw from the agreement." Monday's talks took place against a backdrop of Ukraine's recent counteroffensive against the Kremlin's invasion forces. In the latest development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov would be replaced this week. The job requires "new approaches," Zelenskyy said, without elaborating. Reznikov on Monday published a photo of his resignation letter. Russian ties Putin and Erdogan authoritarian leaders who have both been in power for more than two decades are said to have a close rapport, fostered in the wake of a failed coup against Erdogan in 2016 when Putin was the first major leader to offer his support. The Turkish president has maintained those during the 18-month war in Ukraine. Turkey hasn't joined Western sanctions against Russia following its invasion, emerging as a main trading partner and logistical hub for Russia's overseas trade. At the same time, Turkey, a member of NATO, has also supported Ukraine, sending arms, meeting Zelenskyy and backing Kyiv's bid to join the Western alliance. Russia, meanwhile, has taken steps to strengthen its military ties with North Korea. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who traveled to Pyongyang in July, said Monday that the two countries may hold joint war games. U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson noted that Shoigu sought to persuade North Korea during his trip to sell artillery ammunition to Russia. The U.S. has reason to think North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un "expects these discussions to continue" and "to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia," Watson said Monday. Commercial real estate is a business avenue known for providing passive income as well as capital appreciation from commercial properties for investors, differentiating itself from residential real estate. The three largest sectors of CRE are office, retail and industrial but also include land, multifamily, hospitality and more. The CRE market is one of the largest industries in the United States. In fact, according to IBISWorld, it is the nations fifth-largest industry, with approximately $16T in economic impact. The primary reason investors purchase CRE property is because of the monetary returns, which can be reliable regardless of market cycles. CRE investment returns come from two sources: Income and price appreciation. Income usually accounts for a small, but stable part of the overall return. However, price appreciation is where the largest component of return on CRE investments primarily comes from. A couple of key terms: Net absorption: The sum of square feet that became physically occupied, minus the sum of square feet that became physically vacant during a specific period. Asking rate: The monetary price the owner or landlord officially quotes for any given building. Colliers Q2 2023 trends in southern Idaho OFFICE OVERVIEW: The economy remains healthy for the office space market in southern Idaho. The labor market is growing between May 2022 and May 2023, employment remained steady in Twin Falls. Vacancies were steady overall and increasing slightly, while net absorption increased by 21,329 square feet. This quarter, asking rates increased in southern Idaho. By comparison, last quarter, they were 14.3% higher. RETAIL OVERVIEW: New stores continue to open throughout southern Idaho, and vacancies remain very low. Net absorption decreased but that decline seems to be slowing. Vacancies remained level this quarter.: At 1.8% in southern Idaho, it remains exceptionally low. Asking rates decreased slightly this quarter but were markedly higher than during the same quarter three years ago. INDUSTRIAL OVERVIEW: Industrial assets in southern Idaho are remaining healthy. Though the increase has slowed in this quarter, asking rates have trended steeply upward over the past three years. Vacancies have increased slightly in southern Idaho. The year-to-date absorption remains at a decrease at 50,808 square feet. This quarter, asking rates remained unchanged. Idaho has experienced significant population growth in recent years, and the CRE market reflected that trend. The Magic Valley has seen movement in all areas of commercial real estate and we expect to see a steady demand of investors coming into our growing market. SAWTOOTH NATIONAL FOREST NEAR KETCHUM Rich Bauer still remembers the moment he first set eyes on the Beaver Creek Fire, a mega wildfire that aggressively torched close to 115,000 acres west of Hailey and Ketchum 10 years ago. I was coming back from the Braun Brothers Reunion in Mackay, and I could see this massive header, said Bauer, who was captain of Wood River Fire and Rescue at the time. I was like, Uh oh, were gonna be in trouble pretty soon. The wildfire, which would become the valleys largest blaze in recorded history, had been sparked by lightning a few days prior, late in the evening of Aug. 7, about 13 miles southwest of Hailey in the Beaver Creek drainage. It would not be fully contained until Aug. 31. I got back into town and we immediately started ramping up resources from Hailey and Ketchum, Bauer said. While local crews responded quickly to the Beaver Creek Fire, federal resources were stretched thin by two other major wildfires in the state the Pony and Elk complexes and were slow to arrive. Quote There was definitely some pretty significant fear of the unknown out there. It was scary, no doubt about it Im not gonna lie. Rich Bauer Still, nearly a week after the Beaver Creek Fire ignited, it had burned less than 35,000 acres and remained a seemingly safe distance from Hailey and the Wood River Valley. Smoke was the primary concern more irritating than threatening. Meanwhile, the Elk and Pony complexes had jointly consumed over 240,000 acres with no sign of slowing. That would all change with frightening suddenness. Driven by heavy, hot, erratic winds out of the south and west, the fire exploded on Aug. 16, when it made aggressive runs into several drainages that spill into the Wood River Valley, like Deer Creek and Greenhorn Gulch. The first big day for the valley was when the fire burned into Greenhorn Gulch, said Bauer, now chief of the North Blaine County Fire District and assistant chief of the Sun Valley Fire Department. That was the most intense day of wildland firefighting that Ive had in my 20-plus year career. A rural spur-canyon situated between Hailey and Ketchum on the west side of the Wood River Valley, Greenhorn Gulch became a scene of apocalyptic fire behavior and heroic firefighting efforts. By early afternoon on Aug. 16, the fire had crested the headwaters of Greenhorn Gulch from the south and west and was racing toward dozens of homes and Highway 75 the main artery of the valley. Bauer and a strike team of dozens of mostly local firefighters raced up the gulch in a frantic effort to save as many homes as possible. We had probably 10 to 12 engines out there protecting structures, Bauer said. We knew that it was going to blow up and be intense. The fire burned so fast, and hot, that flames could be measured in the hundreds of feet as they torched the tinder-dry slopes. There was definitely some pretty significant fear of the unknown out there, Bauer said. It was scary, no doubt about it Im not gonna lie. But once the fire got there, the fear eased a bit and we focused on what we needed to do. Fighting flames, saving homes In the chaotic sky above the firefighters, a fleet of helicopters rotated out of the gulch at low elevations. In precise unison, the helicopters sucked water out of ponds on the valley floor and flew back into the heart of the blaze, engulfed by thick black smoke and just out of reach of violent orange flames. Meanwhile, a DC-10 Air Tanker flew dangerously low and slow to strategically drop massive loads of fire retardant on the flames, homes and fleet of firefighters. That was crazy, Bauer said about the jets, known as VLATs, short for very large air tankers. Those things fly at such a slow speed they are really riding the razors edge. They saved a lot of homes. By this time, much of the west side of the valley was under a mandatory evacuation order. Once the fire began to charge down Greenhorn Gulch, many areas on the east side of the valley also received evacuation orders. Still, a crowd of fleeing locals gathered at the base of Greenhorn on the shoulder of the highway to observe the monstrous blaze, circling helicopters and low-flying tanker jets. Most were convinced Greenhorn had been a complete loss, and that no homes survived. In the end, firefighters pulled off a veritable miracle, saving all but one home located at the base of Imperial Gulch in the Greenhorn subdivision. The fire burned down Imperial with incredible intensity, Bauer said. To lose only one home with such an intense fire was unbelievable it really speaks to the passion of our local crews. It was a huge, huge accomplishment for the local and federal firefighters everybody just came together and did an exceptional job. Once the fire front passed through Greenhorn drainage, Bauer quickly caught his breath and glanced around the charred, smoking landscape before moving on to other areas along the fires front. It was like nothing Ive ever seen, he said. It was very, very surreal almost like a movie set. By that evening, the fire had grown by tens of thousands of acres tripling in size to 92,754 acres in less than 60 hours. And it wasnt done. Nearly 700 firefighters had been assigned to the fire by this point, with hundreds more on order. Eventually, over 1,100 firefighters would work on the blaze. With the fire shifting in intensity further north near Ketchum, some west Hailey residents were returning to their homes as mandatory evacuation orders lifted. That would end up being a bit premature. Don McQuary, who lived on West Croy Street in Hailey, was awakened in the middle of the night by his buzzing cellphone. It was a text from a friend of mine who worked at 911 dispatch, McQuary said. It simply said, If youre home, leave now! McQuary jumped out of bed, raced to his window, peeled back the shades and saw flames running down the slope of Carbonate Mountain, which looms above Hailey on the edge of the valley. I was like, Oh (expletive)! McQuary recounted. I grabbed my dog and got out. The fire behavior had taken everyone, including the firefighters, by surprise. It takes very unique fire conditions to have a fire back down the hill like that, Bauer said about the flames on Carbonate Mountain. Firefighters managed to repel the fires run toward Hailey, but flames lingered in the steep chutes below Carbonate ridge for days. When McQuary returned home a couple days later, he said there were chunks of burned sage a couple inches thick laying on his lawn. They had been carried there by the wind, which is nuts, he added. Saved by a scar? Back up north near Ketchum, firefighters were getting some much needed help from oddly enough a previous wildfire. Quote It takes about seven to 10 years for root systems to start rotting out after a wildfire. Thats a lot of what were seeing and dealing with now especially after heavy winters and big wind events, which we experienced this year. Sara Gress Six years earlier, the Castle Rock Fire burned over 48,000 acres west of Ketchum. The two fires shared some similarities. Both were ignited by lightning strikes in August following meager winters and hot, dry, windy summers. And they both threatened the valley and Bald Mountain, the Sun Valley ski resort, from the west. Castle Rock, the origin of the fire, is located about 11 miles west of Ketchum in the Warm Springs drainage. Some of the scar from the Castle Rock Fire stopped the Beaver Fire from its northward direction, Bauer said. The Beaver Fire never really threatened Baldy because of the scar. Not only did the old burn not contain enough fuel to drive the fire into Ketchum and the ski hill affectionately known as Baldy it allowed firefighters to post-up within the burn in the Warm Springs drainage to attack the new blaze. That is what really set us up for success, Bauer said. While the Beaver Creek Fire did most of its damage prior to Aug. 18, having burned about 100,000 acres in 11 days, it would burn an additional 15,000 acres before it was done. Residents who had fled the flames and smoke reacted with shock and horror as they returned to the valley. But that was countered by gratitude. Homemade signs thanking firefighters for their courageous efforts and for saving the community lined the length of the valley. Bauer said that was a special feeling in such a tight-knit valley where seemingly everyone knows everyone. It was phenomenal, Bauer said. Were incredibly grateful to be able to serve this community, and to have the community be so grateful for our response. Clearing trails, one branch at a time As the smoke began to lift, an alien landscape was slowly unveiled. Wispy swirls of ashen dust lifted just long enough to reveal black, barren hillsides, smoking stumps and charred soil. Burned, felled trees collected in huge snags like a spilled box of matches. In the less intense areas of the fire, stands of torched Douglas fir and lodgepole pine stood defiant, like a beaten but stoic army of charcoal soldiers. A series of heavy rainstorms in early September complicated matters, triggering massive slides in the burn that slammed into homes and buried roads and trails under tons of mud, ash and splintered timber. These conditions would spur a multi-year effort to rehabilitate the forests trails and road system. The Wood River Trail Coalition, based in Hailey, was central in that effort. Officially partnered with the Sawtooth National Forest, WRTC has annually assembled a crew of about 250 volunteers to help rehabilitate and reroute trails on the forest since the fire. It was a really big push up until a few years ago, said Sara Gress, executive director of the WRTC. There was a lot of great community engagement it was awesome. While Gress said the majority of the trail reroutes have been completed, a new issue has emerged over the past few years within the burn: Falling trees. It takes about seven to 10 years for root systems to start rotting out after a wildfire, said Gress, who used to work for the Ketchum Ranger District. Thats a lot of what were seeing and dealing with now especially after heavy winters and big wind events, which we experienced this year. This spring, several trails in the burn were choked with clusters of deadfall tangles that had been carried to valley bottoms by massive winter avalanches, blocking access to the forest for sheep herders and recreational users alike. John Reagle, who manages a crew of about a dozen volunteer dirt bikers that clears trails in the area, first dealt with this issue after insects like the mountain pine beetle started sinking their teeth into the forests lodgepole pine stands a couple decades ago. But nothing has compared to what hes seen this year. Its been massive, said Reagle, who is 72 years old and still rides his dirt bike daily in the summer and skis every day in the winter. Ive cleared more than 600 trees this season. Quote We are still dealing with the after-effects of this fire and will be for some time. And thats OK fire is part of the ecosystem. It is natural. Nelson Mills Equipped with a chainsaw that he keeps mounted on his dirt bike with a 20-year-old homemade rack, Reagle and a loose affiliation of about a dozen other volunteer dirt bikers begin work every season as soon as the snow melts in the south valley. From there, they follow the thaw north chainsaws always affixed to their bikes. Since the fire, he said he and his crew, who are partially reimbursed by the WRTC and the forest service for their saws and fuel, have cleared well over 3,000 fallen trees from trails in the burn over the past 10 years. And he doesnt believe theyre out of the woods yet. I think were still in the throes of it, he said. There are a lot of trees that will keep coming down in the next few years. Were seeing slides come down and bury the trails with debris below slopes that have never slid. Reagle said he never rides without his chainsaw mounted to his bike, as trees are constantly falling throughout the forest and blocking trails. Well head out for the day and cut a trail and keep riding, Reagle said. Then when were coming out, we sometimes have to cut again as more trees fell during our ride. Its not all doom and gloom Between falling trees, insect infestation, disease and chunks of forest that are ripe to burn following nearly 100 years of fire suppression, the Sawtooth National Forest is facing a number of challenges. But its not all doom and gloom, said Nelson Mills, a forester in the Sawtooth National Forests Ketchum Ranger District and the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. After all, wildfire is a natural and necessary ingredient for a healthy forest, and the charred, seemingly lifeless soil responded the year after the fire with tremendously vibrant green growth. We are still dealing with the after-effects of this fire and will be for some time, he said. And thats OK fire is part of the ecosystem. It is natural. What wasnt natural was wildfire policy and management over the past century, when fire was treated like an invading army. Following the infamous 1910 fires, which ravaged over 3 million acres of forest in northern Idaho and western Montana and were likened to hell on earth, the Forest Service enacted what was known as the 10 a.m. policy. This unrealistic, dangerous and misguided new order demanded that all wildfires had to be extinguished by 10 a.m. the day after detection. Over the coming decades, this fire-suppressing policy also fueled tremendous unbalance in the forest, particularly in terms of age diversity among tree species. In other words, the forest was old. We know now with science that they should not have done it the way they did, Mills said. But when they did it, in their minds they thought it was the right thing to do. It is a part of our history. As a result of that war-like fire suppression policy, most forests in the West skipped burn cycles, creating unbalanced, non-diverse tree stands that have become more susceptible to not only future mega-fires, but insects and disease. A warming planet is not helping matters. Climate change and fire suppression have really exacerbated our insect and disease outbreaks, said Mills. When you have a forest that should have naturally burned but it skipped a burn cycle that forest will go through a disturbance cycle. Locally, the impact of insects and disease can be seen forest wide, not just in the burn. Beginning in the late 1990s, the mountain pine beetle ravaged lodgepole pine stands in the Sawtooth Valley and Stanley Basin. By 2010, the insects had killed 60-80 percent of mature lodgepole pine in those areas of the forest, Mills said. Battling the beetle Following the Beaver Creek Fire, another beetle reared its ugly head in the Ketchum Ranger District: The Douglas-fir beetle. This invasion became particularly problematic, and visible, on Bald Mountain. Since firefighters were able to prevent both the Castle Rock Fire and the Beaver Fire from reaching the ski area, Bald Mountain became an island of forest green, Mills said. And that lush, green, unburned timber was a dinner bell for the bark beetle following the Beaver Creek Fire. When youre a living being and your only desire is to eat and mate, youre going to go where the food is, Mills said. And that was on Bald Mountain. It took the bark beetle a few years after the fire to establish themselves on the ski slopes, which are home to mostly Douglas fir trees the bark beetles food source including some pre-settlement, legacy trees that are over 400 years old. Those legacy trees were targeted in particular by the Douglas Fir bark beetle because they are large and have enough food source and surface area for breeding, Mills said. A lot of those legacy trees died, unfortunately. Mills said about 15% of trees on Bald Mountain perished, beginning in 2016 and peaking in 2018-19. As a forester, this was super concerning, Mills said. In response, the forest service began to annually apply anti-bark beetle pheromone to trees on Baldy. Additionally, dwarf mistletoe, a parasitic flowering plant that kills trees by slowly draining them of food and water, is wreaking havoc on Baldy. Roughly 80 percent of trees on the mountain have been at least partially damaged by the parasite, Mills said. In an era of heightened concern and uncertainty exacerbated by climate change, how does the forest service combat such a variety of issues? It is a challenge and something I work at on a daily basis, said Mills, who seems as personally passionate about the forest as he is professionally. The best strategies are over a landscape level increasing age-class diversity among forested stands. Smaller, younger trees do not have the girth to support beetles both as a food source and for mating, Mills said. The more we increase our stand diversity, the better we are at resisting the effects of wildfire, disease and climate change, he added. Managing a new normal Mills said the Sawtooth National Forest has a three-pronged approach to forest management: Improve forest health; reduce hazardous fuels; and restore the forested stands. Some of those goals are achieved through reforestation. Last winter the forest service conducted a post-fire analysis of burned stands, and we found that we have about 40,000 acres that are in need of reforestation across the Sawtooth National Forest, Mills said. This is achieved through planting, seeding, thinning and controlled burns. But one of the greatest allies the forest service has comes from what some would consider an unlikely source. Loggers are a key part we work with them all the time, Mills said. They harvest and we get that valuable forest management restoration product as an end. We couldnt do forest management work without the loggers. These arent logs on trucks, Mills said, referring to large industrial scale logging. They are mostly mom and pop operations. Its all small businesses wives working with their husbands, said Kelly Nichols, a support services specialist with the Sawtooth National Forest. Theyre great. We love seeing them, and they help a ton. Added Mills, Even if wood fiber was obsolete, we would still have the need for timber harvest to help with forest management. Despite all the issues on the Sawtooth National Forest, which Mills said generally isnt in any worse shape than other Western forests, the usage remains high. Visits skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. While those numbers have stabilized in the past couple years, Mills doesnt expect the forests popularity to wane. Id say were in a new normal a lot of people know about this place, Mills said, adding that the forest and the SNRA are special. Why would you go to Grand Teton National Park when you can come here? PHOTOS: Beaver Creek Fire, then and now Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Beaver Creek Complex Fire Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking back at the Beaver Creek Fire of 2013 Looking at forest management General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane arrived in Juba on Monday September 3 to discuss the war ravaging Sudan, which could double the number of refugees by the end of 2023, according to the UN, which is calling for a billion dollars more. This is the second foreign trip for the army chief, de facto ruler of the country since his putsch in 2021. On April 15, he went to war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, his former ally in the putsch. With rumors of negotiations abroad to resolve the crisis multiplying, General al-Burhane first held talks in Cairo with his great ally Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, whom he met at the military academy during their training. On Monday, he is due to meet South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, a former rebel against Khartoum who proclaimed his countrys independence in 2011. Since then, Mr. Kiir has become the traditional mediator between the various parties in Sudan. According to his Minister of Government Affairs, Martin Elia Lomuro, he is the only person who has (such) knowledge of Sudan and can find a solution. The war has left 5,000 people dead, according to a highly underestimated estimate, and 3.6 million displaced within the country. Kenyas President opened a historic climate summit in Nairobi on Monday September 3, aiming at making Africa an emerging power in green growth and soliciting international financial support to unlock the continents unparalleled opportunities. This first African Climate Summit kicks off the busiest four months of the year for international climate negotiations, culminating in a battle over the end of fossil fuels at COP28 in Dubai from late November to early December. For three days, leaders and officials from Africa and elsewhere, including UN chief Antonio Guterres, are welcomed to the Kenyan capital by President William Ruto, who hopes the summit will enable the continent to find a common language on development and climate, in order to propose African solutions at COP28. Earlier, on X (formerly Twitter), he had called on the international community to release funds for the continent and ease the debt burden on African countries. According to Mr. Ruto, Africa has the potential to be entirely self-sufficient in energy thanks to renewable resources. Kenya, he pointed out, is aiming for 100% renewable energy by 2030. On Monday September 3, China delivered 1,042 tons of rice to Cape Verde, worth 1.2 million euros, to mitigate the effects of rising prices and which will be distributed free of charge to social and health institutions. The donation was officially handed over in Praia by Chinas ambassador to Cape Verde, Su Jie, to Cape Verdes Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Gilberto Silva, who stressed that the donation represents the concrete expression of fruitful cooperation from a country that has been an important partner in the archipelagos development. The minister also noted that the offer is being made at a time when the country has been suffering the consequences of climate change, with years of drought and reduced production, but also of a war taking place far away, but with effects on the archipelago. As Cape Verde imports around 80% of the food it consumes, Gilberto Silva said that the price hike has had negative consequences for the entire Cape Verdean population, with a risk of food insecurity among those most in need. So this aid comes at the right time and corresponds to the Peoples Republic of Chinas affirmative response to Cape Verdes request, he said, promising transparency in order to make good use of the aid in the country. The donation, according to the minister, will be managed through civil society organizations and state institutions dedicated to food assistance, as well as other complementary organizations. The UK will provide a multi-million pound boost to support healthcare staff recruitment and retention in 3 African countries Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana supporting resilience against global health challenges. Fifteen million pounds from the ring-fenced Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget for 2022 to 2025 will be committed to optimise, build and strengthen the health workforce in the 3 African countries. Recognising the importance of the health workforce in lower and middle-income countries in improving health outcomes and achieving universal health coverage, the funding will give people in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana access to the full range of health services they need, when they need it. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need for the UK to co-operate closely with international partners to tackle global health threats, which put considerable pressure on the NHS. The pandemic also resulted in workforce retention pressures around the world, while the demand for healthcare staff has increased. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates a shortage of 10 million health workers globally by 2030, which threatens achieving global universal health coverage and could worsen worldwide health inequalities. Addressing critical workforce challenges is key to strengthening health systems and building global resilience against future pandemics so people across the world including in the UK can be protected. The partnership programmes for the health workforce include linking UK institutions with local health systems, promoting skills exchanges, and improving the curriculum, regulation and guidance in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana. The delivery co-ordinator will be responsible for setting up, funding and overseeing this work to drive improvement in quality and retention of healthcare staff in the 3 countries, and ultimately help to ensure better outcomes for patients. 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: Another study is showing that artificial intelligence (AI) is as good as a specialist doctor in spotting breast cancer on a mammogram. But don't expect computers to take over the job from humans, experts say. In a study that compared the mammography-reading skills of an AI tool with those of more than 500 medical professionals, researchers found that it was basically a tie. On average, both humans and AI caught about 90% of breast tumors, and correctly gave an all-clear to just over three-quarters of mammograms from women without cancer. That meant neither was perfect, and experts said it's still unclear how AI will ultimately fit into breast cancer screening. Mammography has long been a routine experience for women. But mammography-reading may actually be the most challenging task in radiology, said Dr. Liane Philpotts, a professor of radiology at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. That's because a mammogram is an old-fashioned X-rayalthough in the United States, Philpotts noted, better-performing digital 3D mammography is increasingly replacing the conventional kind. Detecting a tumor on standard mammograms means hunting for subtle patternssomething that has proved difficult even for the best AI, said Philpotts, who wrote an editorial published with the new findings in the September issue of Radiology. "In this study, we're still talking about imperfect sensitivity," Philpotts said, referring to the tumor detection rate. "The fact that AI can match radiologists is good." But ideally, she said, you'd want it to be even better. No one, however, is saying that AI should replace radiologists in mammography-reading. Instead, it might help them do the job more efficiently and accurately, said Dr. Mozziyar Etemadi, an assistant professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. Etemadi, who is not a radiologist, studies AI's potential role in medicine. The simple fact, he said, is that "humans have a certain level of missing stuff," and AI could help. It might, for example, give mammograms a first pass, flagging ones that look suspicious so radiologists can prioritize them, he said. And in any given mammogram, AI might highlight areas that seem abnormal. The new findings, Etemadi said, are in line with what previous, similar studies have suggested: When an AI tool is asked to read a mammogram, its performance is on par with doctors'. But the broader questions, Etemadi said, are how does AI fit into a "real-world workflow," and does it ultimately benefit the women undergoing screening? The new study compared a commercially available AI toolLunit's INSIGHT MMGagainst the mammography-reading prowess of 552 U.K. radiologists, radiographers and breast clinicians. Those health professionals had read a set of 120 "challenging" mammograms as part of a routine performance assessment, sometime between 2018 and 2021. The researchers had the AI tool read those same mammograms in 2022. Overall, the performance was strikingly similar. On average, humans and AI had nearly identical rates of sensitivity (how often they correctly identified tumors) and specificity (how often they correctly deemed a cancer-free mammogram to be negative). "Our study provides strong evidence that AI for breast cancer screening performs as well as human readers," said lead researcher Yan Chen, a professor at the University of Nottingham School of Medicine in the United Kingdom. The findings may not, however, be "exactly reproducible" in the United States, said Dr. Stamatia Destounis of Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in Rochester, N.Y. The mammograms used in the study were 2D, she noted, while 3D mammography is common in the United States. And in the United Kingdom, women undergo screening between ages 50 and 70. In the United States, screening is recommended at age 40when women are premenopausal and typically have denser breast tissue, Destounis said. Dense breast tissue makes mammography-reading even tougher. Philpotts said that AI tools that work with 3D mammography are needed, and under development. She also pointed to another layer of complexity: Once women start having mammograms regularly, radiologists compare the latest image with prior ones, to look for changes. An AI tool that can analyze "priors," Philpotts said, would be helpful. All of the experts agreed, though, that AI is the wave of the future in mammography screening. An ongoing clinical trial in Sweden is the first to directly test "AI-supported" mammography against conventional reading by humans alone. Last month, researchers reported an interim analysis from the trial, showing that AI has so far helped radiologists catch 20% more breast cancers. Destounis said that kind of evidence, from a clinical trial, is important. She added, though, that studies also need to include women of all ages, races and ethnicities to reflect the real world. The current study was funded by Lunit, maker of the AI tool the researchers tested. More information: The nonprofit Susan G. Komen has more on mammography screening. Liane Philpotts, The Days of Double Reading Are Numbered: AI Matches Human Performance for Mammography Screening, Radiology (2023). DOI: 10.1148/radiol.232034 Journal information: Radiology Copyright 2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Results of clinical studies published simultaneously in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and in JAMA Network Open demonstrate that measuring children's looking behavior predicts expert clinical diagnosis of autism in children between ages 16 to 30 months tested with a high degree of accuracy. According to researchers from Marcus Autism Center, a subsidiary of Children's Health care of Atlanta, this new tool can help clinicians diagnose autism earlier while also providing objective measurements of each child's strengths and vulnerabilities, to help jumpstart effective support for child and family. "The results show that the way in which young children look at social information can serve as an effective and objective biomarker for early signs of autism," says Warren Jones, Ph.D., lead author, Director of Research at Marcus Autism Center at Children's Health care of Atlanta and Nien Distinguished Chair in Autism at Emory University School of Medicine. In early trials of the device, researchers frequently referred to the biomarker technology as "the Marcus Test" for autism, acknowledging the leadership of philanthropist Bernie Marcus in giving to autism research and treatment over the past 35 years, including the founding of Marcus Autism Center. One of the crowning achievements of his life's work in autism has been the development of the tool diagnose children earlier and get them into treatment sooner. Autism affects 1 in 36 children, meaning that each year, in the U.S. alone, more than 90,000 children with autism are born. Early identification and early intervention are important for supporting the health, learning, and long-term well-being of all children with autism. For more than two decades, Dr. Jones and co-author Ami Klin, Ph.D., Director of the Marcus Autism Center at Children's Health care of Atlanta, have studied "social visual engagement"how children look at and learn from their surrounding social environmentand how this differs in children with autism. Past research showed that these differences emerge early in infancy and are directly related to individual genetic differences. In their current work, Drs. Jones and Klin developed technology to reliably measure these differences as a biomarker for clinicians to use. "The far-reaching implications of these results may mean that children who currently have limited access to expert care, and face two or more years of waiting and referrals before finally being diagnosed at age four or five, may now be eligible for diagnosis between the ages of 16 and 30 months," said Dr. Klin, who is also Division Chief of Autism and Developmental Disabilities at Emory University School of Medicine. "In addition, this technology measures each child's individual levels of social disability, verbal ability and non-verbal learning ability, which is critical information for clinicians when developing personalized treatment plans to help each child make the greatest gains." Clinical studies of more than 1,500 children show efficacy Research published in JAMA Network Open describes the initial development of the technology, with results from more than 1,000 two-year-old children in discovery and replication studies. Data published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) describe results from a multi-site trial at six of the nation's leading centers for autism diagnosis and treatment, using automated devices to test approximately 500 children between the ages of 16 to 30 months. In each of these studies, the researchers tested whether automated measures of children's looking behavior could effectively predict results of diagnostic assessments conducted by highly trained, expert clinicians. During testing, children watched video scenes of social interaction. As they watched, their eye movements were monitored at a rate of 120 times per second to determine, moment-by-moment, what social information the children looked at and what they did not. After collection, tens of thousands of these measurements were compared to data from age-matched peers, using algorithms to quantify similarities and differences at each moment in time. These measurements were summarized to provide an overall diagnostic indication as well as individual measurements of each child's levels of social disability, verbal ability, and non-verbal learning skills. When compared with expert clinical diagnosis of autism at six of the nation's leading centers, automated measurements of children's looking behavior accurately matched the current gold standard, which could help pave the way for earlier, objective diagnosis in many children. "Objective, performance-based biomarkers can help clinicians diagnose and support more children and families, with the same level of clinical confidence. We hope this can alleviate current burdens on the health care system and reduce lengthy waitlists for assessment," said Dr. Jones. "When we can shorten the time from parents' first concern to diagnosis and the start of beneficial support, we can help positively impact the lives of many children and families." 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: Illustrative cases with patient descriptions, representative lung imaging and oxygenation data for the three categories of ARDS in the Global Definition: intubated ARDS (top panel), non-intubated ARDS (middle panel) and ARDS in a resource-variable setting (bottom panel). Note the patient in the resource-variable setting can be identified with either an ultrasound (bottom panel, demonstrating bilateral diffuse B-line in non-dependent areas of the lung) or chest radiograph. Also, only the patient with intubated ARDS (top panel) meets criteria for the Berlin definition of ARDS. Arrow: endotracheal tube. Credit: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202303-0558WS In a new report posted online in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, a global consensus conference of 32 critical care experts with broad international representation and from diverse backgrounds has proposed a new definition of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In addition to the experts, critical care societies from around the world provided input, once they received feedback from their members. The report, which builds on the 2012 Berlin Definition of ARDS, will be published Jan. 1, 2024 in the American Thoracic Society's AJRCCM. ARDS is a life-threatening illness in which the lungs are severely inflamed. It has a number of possible causes, including sepsis and severe pneumonia. Leaders in the field saw the need for an expanded definition due to new research and developments in the diagnosis and treatment of ARDS such as: Expanded use of pulse oximetry in place of measurement of arterial blood gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide, which are measured through a blood draw). Recent clinical trials in ARDS have used SpO 2 /FIO 2 (as measured by pulse oximetry) for patient selection and ARDS patients diagnosed using pulse oximetry measurement have similar outcomes to those diagnosed using arterial gas measurement. The use of high flow nasal oxygen (HFNO; use of nasal cannula to deliver a large amount of heated and humidified gas). The use of HFNO to manage severe hypoxemic respiratory failure, which occurs when there is not enough oxygen in the blood, has increased dramatically following publication of FLORALI trial results in 2015. In addition, HFNO was widely used at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing further evidence of its usefulness. There has also been increased recognition that chest ultrasound, performed by trained personnel, can substitute for or serve as an adjunct to chest X-rays in settings that have limited resources and do not have access to X-ray equipment. "One of the major limitations of the Berlin Definition is that its requirement for invasive or non-invasive ventilation cannot be met in settings where mechanical ventilation is not available," said corresponding author Michael A. Matthay, MD, professor, medicine and anesthesia; associate director, critical care medicine; and senior associate, Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco. "By expanding the definition of ARDS and the use of pulse oximetry and ultrasound to help diagnose and stage ARDS, and HFNO to treat it, we will be able to help many more patients who are in resource-limited settings. This expanded definition also opens up new avenues of research and will encourage clinical trials to test new treatments that can include more ARDS patients who were not previously included because they were not mechanically ventilated." As described in the article, the committee made minor modifications to the Berlin Definition's conceptual model of ARDS and proposed four main recommendations: Include HFNO with a minimum flow rate 30 liters a minute. HFNO has already demonstrated its value in critically ill patients and may have value in resource-limited settings throughout the world where mechanical ventilation is not available. As an alternative to arterial blood gas measurements, use arterial oxygen tension (SpO 2 /FIO 2 ), as measured with pulse oximetry, for ARDS diagnosis and assessment of severity if SpO 2 is less than or equal to 97 percent. This measurement will help identify hypoxemia earlier, making trials and early interventions with non-intubated patients more feasible. /FIO ), as measured with pulse oximetry, for ARDS diagnosis and assessment of severity if SpO is less than or equal to 97 percent. This measurement will help identify hypoxemia earlier, making trials and early interventions with non-intubated patients more feasible. Retain bilateral lung opacities (areas of the lung that appear more opaque) for imaging criteria, but add ultrasound as an imaging modality, especially in resource-limited areas. In resource-limited settings, do not require positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP; the positive pressure that remains in airways at the end of exhalation), oxygen flow rate, or specific respiratory support devices. "The new definition will likely enhance recognition of ARDS in many patients at an earlier stage of their respiratory failure, when interventions are more likely to succeed," said Dr. Matthay. More information: Michael A. Matthay et al, A New Global Definition of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202303-0558WS Journal information: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain A new study showing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigation strategies used to manage the virus on emergency department (ED) visits in British Columbia can help with future planning. The study is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). "Evaluation of the effects of the pandemic and associated measures can provide a historical account and inform health care service planning for both post-pandemic recovery and mitigation of potential consequences of restrictions for future pandemics," write scientists from the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, British Columbia. "Insights from this study can also trigger further research on the drivers of the changes and inform strategies for emergency care." Previous studies have assessed the impact of the pandemic on ED visits, but few have looked at the health reasons for these visits. To understand the impact of the pandemic according to health visit type over the first three years of the pandemic, scientists looked at data from 30 emergency departments and more than 10.7 million visits across British Columbia from January 2016 to December 2022. Using modeling, they estimated what usual patterns of ED visits would have been compared with actual visits during the pandemic. The smallest number of ED visits were in April and December 2020, reflecting the effects of the strong virus mitigation measures, and visits returned to pre-pandemic levels in May 2021. After accounting for seasonal and annual trends in ED visits, the April and December dips saw a 42% and 19% reduction, respectively, compared to what would be expected in the absence of the pandemic. The largest reductions were for respiratory issues (35%), with a 48% drop in December 2020, which would normally have been peak season for respiratory illnesses. Visits for mental health concerns and substance misuse had the smallest reductions. By age group, the largest reductions in visits were in children younger than 10 years, accounting for almost one-third of the decrease in visits. "By looking at the time window that captured most of the pandemic period, we were able to tell a fuller story by showing not only the short-term impacts, but also longer-term impacts," says Dr. Kate Smolina, interim scientific director, BCCDC Data and Analytic Services and Knowledge Translation and senior author of the paper. "It was particularly interesting to see those longer-term patterns for children's visits and visits related to respiratory and ears, nose, and throat symptoms, which, after returning to normal in 2021, went on to surpass the expected levels in 2022." In summer 2021, there was a substantial increase in visits, possibly related to the extreme heat in June in British Columbia as well as opioid-related overdoses. The authors hope that the data will be useful in helping manage health care resources. "There was a huge drop in volumes in the emergency department at the beginning of the pandemic, but we have ultimately returned to pre-pandemic growth of volumes," says Dr. Eric Grafstein, chief medical information officer and regional emergency department head at Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence Health Care. "This return toward normal emergency department volumes can help with future understanding of the impact of pandemics on health care needs." "More studies on the drivers of these trends will not only aid in better planning of emergency department capacity for future public health emergencies, but can also inform strategies to help the public make decisions about seeking emergency care. The statistical modeling approach can be further developed into surveillance tools to monitor health care services use and plan for surge capacity," conclude the authors. In a related editorial, Dr. Catherine Varner, deputy editor, CMAJ, and an emergency physician in Toronto, says until acute care capacity is increased, Canadian hospitals will continue to face severe emergency department overcrowding. With hospitals frequently exceeding 100% bed occupancy, she proposes several steps to help mitigate the burden on emergency department patients and staff. These include implementing demand-driven overcapacity protocols when overcrowding is compromising care, extending hours for in-hospital consults and procedures, increasing access to urgent but nonemergency testing and other interventions, and ensuring safety of staff and patients by embedding security and mental health professionals trained in de-escalation in emergency departments. More information: Changes in emergency department use in British Columbia, Canada, during the first 3 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian Medical Association Journal (2023). DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.221516. www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.221516 Journal information: Canadian Medical Association Journal 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: UC fatherdaughter research team Alexa and Professor Philip Schluter. Credit: University of Canterbury Te Whare Wananga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) Political Science Honors student, Alexa Schluter, is the lead author of the paper "In the COVID-19 pandemic, who did we trust? An eight-country cross-sectional study" published in the Journal of Global Health. Her father, Professor Philip Schluter, of UC's School of Health Sciences, supervised her Summer Studentship research. The pair worked with clinicians and public health researchers in Canada to study data from 9,000 survey participants from Canada, U.S., England, Switzerland, Belgium, Philippines, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. The surveys were carried out in late 2020. In all countries surveyed, public trust in health authorities was highest. Conversely, public trust in politicians ranked lowest across the board. However, in New Zealand, trust in politicians was significantly higher than in the other countries studied. The researchers linked this to data from the Global Corruption Perception Index that records how transparent populations believe their governments to be. New Zealand's high ranking on this index may explain our greater levels of trust in information provided by politicians. Professor Schluter also points to the consistent messaging delivered by government and public health officials in Aotearoa New Zealand. "Here we saw the daily briefing with the Prime Minister and the Director General of Health promoting the same stance. By comparison, information coming from U.S. political leadership sometimes contradicted advice of health authorities." Alexa Schluter was also interested to see if political orientation affected participants' trust in government information. "We found higher levels of trust in government policy expressed by those who identified as right leaning or conservative voters," she says. "That may reflect the fact that, at the time of the pandemic, the majority of countries surveyed had conservative governments in power." The researchers believe their paper has added relevance within the context of the "infodemic" identified by the World Health Organization as a central challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic. A combination of "information" and "epidemic," the term describes the rapid spread of information, both accurate and inaccurate, enabled by the internet and social media. "In this environment, public trust becomes an important determinant in population health outcomes, and that's quite a new idea," says Professor Schluter. "These large-scale health challenges will continue to happen in future, so we really need to understand what works to foster public trust in health interventions." More information: Alexa P Schluter et al, In the COVID-19 pandemic, who did we trust? An eight-country cross-sectional study, Journal of Global Health (2023). DOI: 10.7189/jogh.13.06036 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: This 1978 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Legionella pneumophila bacteria which are responsible for causing the pneumonic disease Legionnaires' disease. Poland's internal security officers were searching for the source of a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires' disease which has killed seven people and infected more than 100 others in the strategic city of Rzeszow, near the border with Ukraine, authorities said Friday Aug. 25, 2023. Credit: Francis Chandler/CDC via AP, File Just one new case of Legionnaires' disease was reported Tuesday in southeast Poland in an area close to the Ukraine border, an indication the spread of the disease has been curbed following chlorine disinfection of the water system. The latest fatality was registered on Friday, bringing to 19 the death toll since the outbreak in July. A total of 166 people have been infected in the region of Rzeszow, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the border. It's a key transit hub for international military support for Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion last year. Some 10,000 U.S. troops are stationed in the area. Health authorities, prosecutors and internal security agency were still looking for the source of the pulmonary infections in a strategically sensitive region. Experts say it could come from warm water in rarely used plumbing amid hot weather. Fatalities from the disease were among elderly people who also suffered from other health issues like cancer, authorities said. Legionnaires' disease is a lung infection that comes from inhaling infected water spray. It's not spread through drinking water. It is usually caught in places like hotels, hospitals or offices where the bacteria have got into the water supply, for example in air conditioning systems or taps and showers that are not in frequent use. The germs multiply in temperatures of between 20 and 50 degrees Celsius (68-122 degrees Fahrenheit). The disease is treated with antibiotics. 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. 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: Two of the genesGsta4 in red and Cyp4a14 in greenthat are more active in female mouse kidneys (blue). Credit: Jing Liu/McMahon Lab Female kidneys are known to be more resilient to disease and injury, but males need not despair. A new USC Stem Cell-led study published in Developmental Cell describes not only how sex hormones drive differences in male and female mouse kidneys, but also how lowering testosterone can "feminize" this organ and improve its resilience. "By exploring how differences emerge in male and female kidneys during development, we can better understand how to address sex-related health disparities for patients with kidney diseases," said Professor Andy McMahon, the study's corresponding author, and the director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. First authors Lingyun "Ivy" Xiong and Jing Liu from the McMahon Lab and their collaborators identified more than 1,000 genes with different levels of activity in male and female mouse kidneys, in a study supported by the National Institutes of Health. The differences were most evident in the section of the kidney's filtering unit known as the proximal tubule, responsible for reabsorbing most of the nutrients such as glucose and amino acids back into the blood stream. Most of these sex differences in gene activity emerged as the mice entered puberty and became even more pronounced as they reached sexual maturity. Because female kidneys tend to fare better in the face of disease or injury, the researchers were interested how the gene activity of kidneys becomes "feminized" or "masculinized"and testosterone appeared to be the biggest culprit. To feminize the kidneys of male mice, two strategies worked equally well: castrating males before puberty and thus lowering their natural testosterone levels, or removing the cellular sensors known as androgen receptors that respond to male sex hormones. Intriguingly, three months of calorie restrictionwhich is an indirect way to lower testosteroneproduced a similar effect. Accordingly, calorie restriction has already been shown to mitigate certain types of kidney injuries in mice. To re-masculinize the kidneys of the castrated males, the researchers only needed to inject testosterone. Similarly, testosterone injection masculinized the kidneys of females who had their ovaries removed before puberty. The scientists performed some similar experiments with mouse livers. Although this organ also displays sex-related differences, the hormones and underlying factors driving these differences are very different than those at play in the kidney. This suggests that these sex-related organ differences emerged independently during evolution. To test whether the same genes are involved in sex-related kidney differences in humans, the scientists analyzed a limited number of male and female donor kidneys and biopsies. When it came to genes that differed in their activity between the sexes, there was a modest overlap of the human genes with the mouse genes. "There is much more work to be done in studying sex-related differences in normal human kidneys," said McMahon. "Given the divergent outcomes for male and female patients with kidney disease and injury, this line of inquiry is important for making progress toward eventually closing the gap on these sex-related health disparities." More information: Andrew P McMahon & colleagues, Direct androgen receptor control of sexually dimorphic gene expression in the mammalian kidney, Developmental Cell (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.08.010. www.cell.com/developmental-cel 1534-5807(23)00406-9 Journal information: Developmental Cell This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A new report by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Capture the Fracture program in collaboration with leading Turkish osteoporosis experts is calling for action to stem the rising tide of fragility fractures. The report 'Solutions for fracture prevention in Turkiye' (available in English and Turkish) details the current osteoporosis burden and health care policy landscape in Turkiye, and lists the key policy changes needed to tackle the growing numbers of fragility fractures in the country. Credit: International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) An estimated 255,000 fragility fractures occur annually in Turkiye, the equivalent of approximately 29 broken bones per hour. The cause is osteoporosis, a disease in which the skeleton becomes weak and fragile, leading to potentially life-threatening fractures and related disability. Osteoporosis primarily affects older adults and the proportion of older individuals in Turkiye is increasing rapidlyby 24% over the past five years. Osteoporosis (measured at the hip bone) has been found to be highly prevalent, affecting approximately 33% of Turkish women and 8% of men aged over 50. In fact, compared internationally, Turkiye is a high-risk country for hip fractures, with the lifetime risk of suffering a hip fracture after the age of 50 at 15% in women and 4% in men. A new report by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Capture the Fracture program in collaboration with leading Turkish osteoporosis experts is calling for action to stem the rising tide of fragility fractures. The report 'Solutions for fracture prevention in Turkiye' details the current osteoporosis burden and health care policy landscape in Turkiye, and lists the key policy changes needed to tackle the growing numbers of fragility fractures in the country. Fragility fractures are a major concern for public health Professor Dr. Sansn Tuzun of Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa, chair of the National Council for Secondary Fracture Prevention in Turkiye, and lead author of the report, stated, "We know that a fragility fracture has an immense impact on a patient's quality of life and independence and that approximately 20% of hip fracture patients die within a year of the fracture. Looking at the issue from a broader socio-economic perspective, fragility fractures represent an escalating financial burden which totaled 455 million USD in 2019, including about 347 million USD for hospital costs alone." "Furthermore, productivity losses affected both patients and their family caregivers, amounting to costs of approximately 103 million USD. It is essential that strategies are put in place to tackle the human and health-economic burden of osteoporosis, which continues to suffer from under-prioritization in our health care system." Poor treatment initiation is a serious problem, with 75% to 90% of Turkish patients who are at high risk of fracture not receiving effective preventative care. The report points to several challenges and missed opportunities that contribute to the large treatment gap. These include, among others listed in the report, the low prioritization of osteoporosis and fracture prevention in the health care system, lack of awareness of osteoporosis as a disease that affects men too, no common diagnostic consensus, and a restrictive reimbursement policy. Post-fracture care services are needed to ensure that patients receive effective treatment A patient who has already sustained a first fragility fracture is at very high risk of recurring fractures. International experts agree that a multidisciplinary, coordinator-based post-fracture care service, most commonly known as a Fracture Liaison Service (FLS), is the best way to ensure that these high-risk patients are identified and offered the post-fracture care they need to regain healthy mobility and prevent future fractures. Professor Ulku Akarrmak, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Founding Member of the Turkish Osteoporosis Society, noted, "Anyone who has already broken a bone due to osteoporosis is vastly more likely to sustain another, often life-changing fracture, with the risk highest within two years. Nevertheless, less than 20% of Turkish patients who have fractured receive the post-fracture care needed for the prevention of further fractures." "Although some progress has been made in the past year, the Turkish population is currently greatly underserved in this regard. That is why experts within the Turkiye National Council for Secondary Fracture Prevention (NCSFP) are calling on health care authorities to support the initiation of FLS services in hospitals that treat fracture patients." The new report pinpoints five key recommendations to address the growing burden of osteoporosis and related fractures: Recognition of osteoporosis as a chronic and progressive condition. This would include providing improved access to and reimbursement of pharmacological treatments and support for the establishment of osteoporosis prevention programs. Establishment of more FLS to increase post-fracture screening, diagnosis, treatment rates, and follow-up, including falls prevention services. Prioritization of fragility fractures within health care management (including primary care physician awareness and involvement) as well as increasing public awareness of osteoporosis. Improve the education of health care professionals, and management of frailty to prevent falls. Work both centrally and regionally; collect data and share best practice at a local level leading to the publication of an optimal patient pathway. Professor Tuzun said, "Experts within the NCSFP, which includes representatives of the Turkish Osteoporosis Society, the Osteoporosis Patient Society of Turkiye, the Society of Life with Osteoporosis, the Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism of Turkiye, the Turkish Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the Turkish Orthopaedics and Traumatology Association, and the Fragility Fracture Network Turkiye, are united in our call to action." "The recommendations outlined must be urgently implemented or reinforced as a line of defense against the increasing fragility fracture crisis in our country." Dr. Philippe Halbout, CEO of the International Osteoporosis Foundation, thanked the Turkish experts who worked with the IOF Capture the Fracture Policy Group to publish the report, stating, "This is an important policy resource which provides a 'roadmap' of effective solutions that, in synergy, would lead to fewer fractures and reduced health care costs, better patient outcomes, and, most importantly, a healthy, mobile and independent older population in Turkiye." 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 Almost one-third of government appointees to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) leave to take jobs in private industry, according to a study by the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics and Harvard University. The study, published in Health Affairs, is the first to quantify the personnel movement between health-care industries and the government agencies that regulate them, according to the authors. Although there are understandable reasons for people to move between the public and private sectors, the study notes that such a revolving door could make government agencies more vulnerable to pro-industry bias. "Laws passed by Congress get a lot of attention, but a lot of the real action actually happens at the regulatory level," said study co-author Genevieve Kanter, senior fellow at the USC Schaeffer Center and associate professor at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. "Regulatory agencies can decide the fortunes of many companies." To measure the scope of the revolving door, Kanter and study co-author Daniel Carpenter of Harvard University examined the career histories of 766 people appointed to HHS between 2004 and 2020. The study focused on HHS employees occupying political appointments, which include the agency heads, senior level administrators and their aides. In examining the inflows from and exits to industry, researchers found the following: 15% had been employed in private industry immediately before their appointment. Nearly a third (32%) of appointees left their government jobs for industry. Compared with other sectors (e.g.: government, nonprofit, and academia), industry accounted for the greatest share of exits. The offices with the highest shares of appointees leaving for industry jobs were the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (54%) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (53%). The share of appointees leaving for industry jobs did not vary by political party of the appointing president, though Republicans were more likely to appoint people directly from industry, according to the study. A revolving door is not surprising or necessarily bad, the authors noted. Compared to government jobs, employees can earn higher salaries in biopharmaceutical and information technology industries. Government regulators who previously worked in industries they're regulating may have useful insights, as well. "What I am really concerned about is whether the personnel flow might lead to biases in government decision making," said Kanter, who plans to explore that question in future research. There are federal laws addressing issues with the revolving door, including one that prohibits former federal employees from immediately lobbying on behalf of private organizations. But such "cooling off laws" typically last one to two years and are very narrow in scope, Kanter said. "They do not broadly cover a lot of lobbying related to agency decision makinglike regulations and drug authorizationsso they don't necessarily deter that behavior," she said. "The direction one might go is to expand the cooling off laws. But that's a blunt instrument for a lot of subtle things that might be going on in terms of the effects of the revolving door." 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 The Central African Republic (CAR) is one of the poorest countries in the world. Its GDP per capita in 2022 was estimated at US$491 per year. The nation of roughly 5 million people has been in political turmoil since a violent takeover of power in 2013. A "total breakdown of law and order" has persisted for nearly 20 years. Roughly half of the countryside has been outside the government's control. In an attempt to gain back control, the government unleashed a campaign led by the Russian mercenaries, the Wagner Group, in 2020. A report documenting widespread human rights abuses in the CAR by the Wagner Group describes "well-planned campaigns of mass killing, torture, and rape." This is consistent with the broader content of press releases and speeches coming from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The result is that CAR is now experiencing an acute humanitarian crisis. One of the symptoms of the collapse is the country's high mortality rate. Two surveys published over the last two years have suggested that large areas of the country were experiencing mortality above the emergency threshold. One was a survey done by Medecins sans Frontieres in 2020 in Ouaka Prefecture. The other covered most of Ouham-Pende Prefecture and was done with the International Rescue Committee in 2018. The studies found that 4.9% and 5.0% of the studied populations were dying per year. These estimates are four times higher than the 2020 UN mortality estimate of 1.1% per year for the CAR. Most agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, consider the doubling of the baseline mortality as a crisis, and four times the baseline is one of the three criteria used to define a famine. Because of the discordance of recent mortality measures and the official mortality rate, as scholars of public health with research experience in conflict settings, we conducted a survey to measure the nation's crude mortality ratethe fraction of the population dying per unit of time without considering whether it is a young or old population. Our study found that 5.6% of the population died in 2022. This is an astonishing mortality rate, in terms of how people are suffering and how wrong the official statistics are. Most of these deaths were from malaria and diarrhea. We also found that mortality was markedly higher in the areas outside government control. The dire conditions under which people are living in the CAR have elicited very little interest or humanitarian response from the rest of the world. Yet, as the mortality figures show, there is a desperate need for food aid, along with work programs and seed and tool distribution. This is of particular importance in rural areas outside government control. While some humanitarian actors are doing their best to respond, the crisis-level mortality rate suggests that the needs in the CAR are largely unmet. Mortality We carried out a survey in two areas. One was in the part of the country within the government's control (roughly half of the country), and one in the areas mostly outside its control. We randomly selected 40 clusters of 10 households in each. We found that the birth rate was lower and the death rate markedly higher in areas outside government control. Families described malaria or fever and diarrhea as the primary reported causes of death. Violence accounted for 6% of all deaths. People cited access to food and access to medical care as their biggest challenges. Households reported eating roughly half as many meals in 2022 as they had in 2020. Only 15% had received food aid distributions in 2022 despite high levels of malnutrition recorded in the country. These two challenges interact with each other. Children and other vulnerable people like the elderly who would normally survive an episode of malaria or diarrhea need competent medical attention to survive when malnourished. Yet, because of economic strife and violence, attendance in rural clinics is generally down compared to previous years. The cost of health care is another factor. Some NGOs provide free health care, but most visited by our research team charge a modest user fee. While not standardized, they typically charge an amount equivalent to between half and one US dollar, and sometimes charge separately for drugs. The non-clinic costs such as transport can be even greater. Another cost is that people are forced to make informal and illegitimate payments when trying to get to health care facilities. Many mentioned that police or rebel soldiers demanded money to pass at checkpoints. In Ouaka Prefecture, where the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, provides medical services with no user fees, an interviewee told us that his daughter had recently given birth at home rather than going to the hospital, because the police at the checkpoints knew a pregnant woman would be desperate to get by and they would charge more than the usual 500 franc (about US$0.8) fee for her to pass. What next Higher nationwide death rates have occurred in Africa in the past. Estimates suggest that at least 500,000 of 7 million Rwandans died violently in 1994. During Nigeria's secessionist war in Biafra from 1967 to 1970 between 1 million and 3 million are estimated to have died. These events triggered dramatic escalations in humanitarian response, aid money and political attention. Our study couldn't distinguish the relative importance of decades of ongoing conflict, extreme poverty, the economic disruptions since 2020, or the widespread disruption efforts of the Wagner Group in causing the extreme mortality observed in the CAR. Nevertheless, it's clear that they are all contributing to the mortality rate. We can find no examples since 1994 of an entire nation dying at such a high rate as we measured in the CAR in 2022. Humanitarian actors have been raising the alarm for over a decade. The UN has been warning of extreme food insecurity for two years. To the credit of certain agencies, households report food distributions in some of the most critical areas. Our findings show that despite these efforts, aid is woefully insufficient. Given that the US government alone gave over US$330 million in assistance to the CAR in 2021 and 2022, one has to ponder whether the humanitarian community can do better. In particular, are we in the humanitarian community ignoring one of the world's worst humanitarian crises? This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: AI-generated image Many women want a different kind of pregnancy and birth the next time around. Many want to see the same one or two midwives throughout, and want to choose where they give birth. And when the time comes, they want a vaginal birth, with less intervention. This is what thousands of Australian women told us when we asked if they would do anything differently if they had another baby. We publish our findings in British Medical Journal Open. What we did In 2021, we undertook Australia's largest national study of birth experiences. As part of that, we asked women, "Would you do anything different if you were to have another baby?" A total of 6,101 women left comments. More than 85% of comments were from women who said they'd do things differently the next time around. Several themes emerged. 'Next time I'll be ready' The largest group of comments (39.2%) were from women who wanted to avoid a repeat of their previous pregnancy and birth experience. They wanted to better advocate for themselves, get more informed about their choices, and avoid certain birth interventions. For example, there were more than 500 comments from women who would try to avoid having their next labor started manually, known as an induction of labor. A woman from Western Australia, who ended up having a cesarean, said, "I would 100% opt for no induction. I believe it's the reason that led me to a c-section." Australia has a high rate of induction, especially for women having their first babies (41% induced labor rate for women having their first baby). Women feel they are inadequately informed about the process of induction and not given a choice or alternative options. We have also shown an induction of labor in Australia can lead to further medical interventions . High rates of medical intervention, such as induction, can lead to poorer maternal and neonatal outcomes when used excessively. 'I want a specific birth experience' This was the second largest category (28.5% of comments). Here, most women said they wanted their next birth to be a vaginal birth (1,735 comments) and some would opt for a cesarean (438 comments). Of the women wanting a vaginal birth, 1,021 comments related to wanting the next birth at home. 'I want a specific model of care' Women also said they wanted to be better prepared by getting better support. This ranged from a more supportive partner, hiring a doula and choosing their care provider. Some 17.8% of all comments, the next-largest group, identified a specific model of maternity care. Women wanted to access a more supportive model that would respect their choices and wishes. Most women in this group wanted "midwifery continuity of care". This is where women are cared for by one or two midwives throughout their pregnancy, labor and birth, and into the post-birth period. A woman from Victoria, who told us she wanted continuity of care next time around, said, "It is very important to me that next time I have a care provider who I fully trust, who has a good understanding of my birth preferences and who I know will be a strong advocate for me and who will encourage, empower, support and believe in me and my ability to birth my baby." Midwifery continuity of care is available now in many public hospitals and is commonly called midwifery group practice or caseload midwifery. Some women access this type of care through private midwives. These charge a fee (there are some Medicare rebates) and can support women to have births at home. But access to midwifery continuity of care is still limited and booked out early, meaning many women miss out, especially if they live in regional or remote regions. 'I want better access' This group of comments (2.9%) included ones from women in regional and remote parts of Australia. They said they wished they had access to more local maternity services and equitable access to models that offer continuity of care and homebirth, such as private midwives. A woman from a remote town in New South Wales said, "If I ever fell pregnant again. I would move to a bigger town. Obstetric care in the bush is very much lacking. Rural women like myself are lucky to even be alive after our experiences." With many maternity units in rural and remote areas shutting down, women are forced to travel big distances and have fewer maternity care options than women who give birth in cities. 'I don't want to change anything' Some 10.2% of comments were from women who didn't want to change anything the next time around. Of these, just under half (47%) were from women who received midwifery continuity of care. This is significant as midwifery continuity of care only represent 15% of maternity models in Australia. Why are birth experiences important? We've shown that many women who reflect on their experience of pregnancy and birth wish they had made different decisions and wish they had a more positive experience to look back on. A negative birth experience can lead to birth trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some of this may be unavoidable, such as when emergency situations arise during the labor. But trauma can also be related to the way women are respected, informed and cared for. What happens next? What women are asking for is humanized, evidence-based maternity care. So it's time to act if we are to avoid the type of experiences highlighted during the current NSW Select Committee on Birth Trauma. With evidence from more than 4,000 submissions, this reminds us we often fail women during one of the most vulnerable, yet potentially transforming experiences in their life. We hope women's voices are finally heard. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. In this article: Connie Williams, 72, suffered a stroke while taking her daily walk. Thanks to a good Samaritan walking by and an expert stroke team at Providence St. Patrick Hospital, Williams received immediate medical treatment. Today, Williams has no symptoms of stroke and is grateful for the medical expertise she received. It was a cold and windy afternoon in January when Connie Williams, 72, set off on her daily walk down the Kim Williams Nature Trail in Missoula, alongside the Clark Fork River. As housing director of the Alpha Phi International Fraternity, Williams had recently arrived at the University of Montana campus after Christmas break to welcome her sorority students back to school for the spring 2023 semester. Williams remembers noticing that the weather that day, Jan. 15, was especially frigid and blustery. But thats the last thing she can recall of the next nearly six hours. Later, Williams would learn that someone had found her unconscious, slumped over a bike rack in a campus parking lot, and called 911. Shed been transported by ambulance to the emergency room of Providence St. Patrick Hospital, where Douglas Melzer, MD, an emergency medicine doctor, and Kyle Ogami, MD, a telestroke neurologist located at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, had discovered a blood clot in her brain. Williams had suffered an ischemic stroke, which occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing brain cells from receiving vital oxygen and nutrients. Without immediate medical intervention, 1.9 million brain cells die each minute after an ischemic stroke and, already, Williams was unable to move the left side of her body. Acting fast While the Providence stroke team tried to convince Williams that they needed to act quickly to clear the blood clot, all she could think of was her mother, who had died in 2008 from a brain bleed after a stroke. Williams didnt want to risk using thrombolytics, or clot-busting drugs, that break up and dissolve blood clots. The other option, the doctors said, was to cut out the clot through an endovascular thrombectomy, an image-guided surgical procedure to remove the blood clot. Still, a mentally foggy Williams resisted. Thats when Mark Elliott, MD, an interventional radiologist, spoke up: If you dont want to spend the next 10 years in a nursing home, you need a thrombectomy. Williams agreed. Once they had Williams approval, the Providence clot retrieval team went to work, and Dr. Elliott performed a percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy, using continuous imaging scans to thread a catheter from Williams groin to her brain to remove the blood clot. A full recovery After the procedure, Williams awoke in the recovery room with the ability to move the left side of her body. Kelly Hiday, RN, the nurse on duty, performed a neurological assessment and determined that Williams brain damage from the stroke had not only been stopped but completely reversed. Williams had no stroke symptoms and went home from the hospital the next day. Today, she can only look back at the events of that cold, windy day in January with astonishment. The last time I was in the hospital was when I had my son by C-section in 1980, she says. Its amazing to have that kind of medical expertise here in Missoula, Montana. Williams is also grateful to the person who found her and called 911. I hope to thank them, in person, someday soon, she says. Stroke Center If you or a loved one is having a stroke, the experts at the Providence St. Patrick Hospital Stroke Center provide immediate care to reduce the risk of further damage. Their 24-hour on-call stroke team includes emergency physicians, nurses and therapists, neurologists, interventional radiologists, neurosurgeons, cardiologists, pharmacists and other specialists who work with lifesaving speed to diagnose and treat strokes. The Stroke Center exceeds national quality guidelines for stroke care and is a Joint Commission-certified Advanced Primary Stroke Center. Its also earned the Target Gold Plus performance award from the American Stroke Association. In 2011, their team performed the first clot retrieval for stroke in Montana. In 2022, it performed 41 procedures. Find a doctor If you are looking for a neurologist, you can search for one whos right for you in their provider directory. Download the Providence App Theyre with you, wherever you are. Make Providences app your personalized connection to your health. Schedule appointments, conduct virtual visits, message your doctor, view your health records and more. Learn more and download the app. Related resources This content is provided for informational purposes only by the advertiser and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Please consult your healthcare provider for medical advice. Any views, thoughts or opinions in this paid post belong solely to the advertiser and do not represent the views of Brand Ave. Studios or its parent company. Grizzly bears are slowly reclaiming parts of their historic range for the first time since European settlers nearly eradicated them from the lower-48. And with bear expansion comes great responsibility. We must act as stewards and guardians for bears, especially in places with vast wilderness like Idaho and Montana where the grizzly bear can still roam. We know human actions, activities, and attitudes are often the reason why otherwise avoidable grizzly bear deaths occur. So, its up to us to adapt and cultivate harmony between ourselves and bears. States in grizzly bear country play a major role in fostering this harmony. We are very alarmed by the number of grizzly bears shot and killed by hunters who mistook them for black bears, including one in Idahos Panhandle, this summer. States that allow black bear hunting in areas where grizzlies roam or might roam must ensure black bear hunters are equipped to correctly identify the bear in their gunsight. But unlike Montana, Wyoming and Idaho do not require that black bear hunters take any sort of identification test. We and other conservation groups have asked the agencies responsible for stewarding wildlife in these states to require hunter education to reduce bear misidentification. But above all, our movement towards coexistence comes from within. As enrolled members of the Nez Perce tribe, we, Julian Matthews and James Holt, feel a personal responsibility to ensure that the grizzly is protected from wanton and unwarranted deaths. Our tribe and its members have deep cultural ties to grizzly bears, as we have lived alongside them for millennia; our ancestral homelands and usual and accustomed places span much of Idaho and Montana, places the grizzly bear has long inhabited. As the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) have lived here many generations in harmony with grizzly bears, we believe it is critical to ensure that all of us learn and aspire to live in harmony with grizzly bears. We want to make sure that grizzly bears are protected from mistaken or intentional killing by hunters or others, and that they can safely move throughout their habitats and into new areas. The Nimiipuu set an example to which we can all aspire, showing us that we can live alongside grizzly bears in harmony through respectful coexistence, primarily achieved through the minimization of human-bear conflicts. Regardless of whether conflicts arise from hunter misidentification, unsecured garbage, or unprotected livestock, we have the tools and knowledge to successfully reduce and even prevent these tragic, senseless deaths. As we strive to achieve the kind of harmony the Nimiipuu cultivated for thousands of years, we must look past the hateful and divisive rhetoric coming from politicians and special interest groups that would prefer to send grizzlies back to the brink of total eradication. It is up to all of us to be the voice for harmony, respect, and coexistence between humans and grizzlies. The N.C. 4-H Congress, which was held July 22-25 at N.C. State University in Raleigh, is an annual leadership program for youth ages 13-18 to come together from all counties across North Carolina. 4-H Congress provides opportunities for youth to develop and exercise leadership skills through educational experiences such as motivational speakers, discussion groups and workshops. 4-H Congress allows delegates to participate in the democratic process through campaigning for and electing their own youth state 4-H officers. One of Burke Countys very own, Jacob Hanlon, was elected into the N.C. 4-H state reporter position. The annual candle lighting ceremony and officer installation is a special tradition to induct all of the new 4-H State and District officers, who will serve a term until next July. 4-H Congress provides recreational and social experiences for delegates, such as a talent show, County Cultural Experiences and the 4-H Clover Gala. This year there was an overall focus on youth mental health awareness, providing delegates with the tools to engage in meditation, relaxation, yoga and calming techniques. N.C. 4-H Congress was adjourned following the community service project, Hooked on Books! Counties from all over the state collected and exchanged books to take back and donate to organizations of their choosing in their county or to start a literacy library. For more information on Burke Countys 4-H youth development program, contact Nicki Carpenter at 828-764-9480 or nicki_carpenter@ncsu.edu. Unemployment in Burke County lately seems like a yo-yo, up one month and down the next. The countys unemployment rate fell slightly in July to 3.5%, down from 3.6% in June, according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce. It was 3.4% in May and 2.9% in April. In July, Burke County had 1,456 people who were out of work, commerce department figures show. Unemployment rates throughout the state appeared to be a yo-yo as well for July. Burke was among the 39 counties in the state that saw a decrease in its rate in July, while 27 other counties saw an increase and 34 counties saw no change, according to the commerce department. The Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton metropolitan statistical area also saw its rate fall slightly to 3.4% in July, down from 3.5% in June. With a labor force of 176,797, that means 6,025 people in the metro area were out of work. During the month of July, the metro area lost 1,800 jobs in the government sector and 100 jobs in the trade, transportation and utilities sector, according to commerce figures. But it wasnt all bad news for the metro area. It gained 200 jobs in the manufacturing sector and 100 jobs in the professional and business services sector, the figures show. There are still plenty of jobs available in Burke County for those looking to work, according to NCWorks.gov. SGL Carbon in Morganton is looking for a human resources assistant, a production supervisor, a production planner, engineer, machinist and maintenance technician. Valdese Weavers is looking to fill 17 jobs, among which are cloth grader, machine technician, machine assistant, product analyst, inspector, creeler operator and logistics assistant. As for government work, theres plenty of that in Burke County as well. Burke County Government is looking to fill 22 jobs, including several processing assistant positions, an accounting manager, 911 telecommunicator, solid waste truck driver and several income maintenance positions with the Department of Social Services. The city of Morganton is looking for maintenance workers, a senior planner, a zoning technician, electric line technician, cable television service technician, an animal control officer and a position in its water resources department. There also are plenty of jobs in the food service industry in Burke, including at Burger King, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic, Ingles Market and Food Lion. To search for jobs in Burke and surrounding counties, visit www.ncworks.gov. The state rate was 3.6% in July. The state unemployment update for August is expected to be released Sept. 19. Maria Bennett is a labor and delivery nurse at Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville where she has worked for 10 years. In her unit, she can go from having no patients to having five patients who must be actively managed. When there are few patients, managers can send nurses home to help the hospital save money. But when Bennett leaves, her pay stops and a skeleton staff is left to handle any sudden increase in patients. The outcomes are stressful for nurses and unfair to the babies and mothers they care for. We want more nurses on shifts all the time, Bennett says, and adds that unless they supplement their hours with paid time off their income is reduced, but using PTO leaves nurses with no vacation time. Like so many workers in New Jersey and elsewhere, Clara Maass nurses say they are investing in their livelihoods by uniting to strengthen their bargaining power. They are joining labor unions. However, despite the vociferous union activity and the uptick in strikes over the past few months union membership numbers are down. [ This Labor Day we share some of the history of a diverse workforce ] Often marred by corrupt reputations, racist and classist practices, trade unions are now undergoing a revitalization and members are flexing their collective muscles by going on strike. Nurses at Clara Maass Medical Center joined the United Healthcare Workers East 1199 SEIU. They want better nurse-to-patient ratios, adequate staffing, pay increases and better benefits including a pension. (ande richards) Strikes provide leverage and last year according to the Cornell-ILR Labor Action Tracker, there were 424 work stoppages in 2022, including 417 strikes and seven lockouts. The Screen Actors Guild is currently on strike railing against the use of artificial intelligence and fighting for greater autonomy of their images. Nurses at RWJ Barnabus are on picket lines in New Brunswick and New Jerseys Transit Engineers are threatening to follow suit anticipating an action after Labor Day. Earlier this year, Rutgers adjunct professors and graduate student instructors walked out of classrooms and marched onto their campuses demanding fair wages in one of the biggest strikes in the states history. Striking union members of the Rutgers AAUP-AFT, Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union, and AAUP-BHSNJ demand better contracts outside the Paul Robeson Campus Center Plaza at Rutgers University in Newark on Monday, April 10, 2023. (Julian Leshay | For NJ Advance Media) The demands are the same across all industries, people want what theyve always fought for, a voice at the bargaining table, safe workspaces, increased benefits and a living wage. Charles Hall Jr. is the president of Local 108, the Retail, Wholesale Department Store Union. He points out that smaller groups of workers also made demands for better pay. Garage attendants in Morristown parking lots were making less than minimum wage and wanted to join a union for support. Hall says it was a small place and there was a lot of unnecessary drama with their public employer. Pay, is usually one of the major reasons why people want to organize, Hall said. Then theres health and safety and how they are treated overall. But in this case, it was pay. Hall says in the public sector in New Jersey, workers can form unions simply by having a majority of people who work there indicate that they want to unionize by signing union cards. According to Hall the town didnt want the garage attendants to have a union. So, they went to city hall and marched through Morristown in early Spring of this year and negotiated a contract shortly thereafter. Hall says that even though it was a small workplace, the workers struggled to get their pay raised and added they still wont be at minimum wage until 2024. The workers are now being treated fairly. Thats why we have unions today, he said. Nurses at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick go on strike as negotiations over a new contract remained at an impasse on Friday, August 4, 2023. (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media/Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media ) Banita Herndon is the nurses president of the Health Professionals & Allied Employees Local 5089 at University Hospital in Newark. Her hospital was severely impacted by COVID. Nurses were getting sick, they were short staffed and she saw many nurses leave. This created an need for agency nurses to fill the gap. These nurses were paid more than staff nurses and were transient. It was a unique situation, she said. We were forced to deal with the unknown. People took a mass exodus out of health care. On the heels of COVID people found a way to make it about money, because everyone knew that health care was in a crisis at the time. She says the health care industry was plagued by agencies. Nurses, respiratory therapists and patient care techs were all working through agencies and it became a monopoly to make money. Additionally, the hospital has been at the nexus of several community disputes about merging with Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Herndon says they are watching the Robert Wood Johnson strike because how that pans out is going to affect the nursing industry in the entire state of New Jersey. However, she is thankful that University Hospital is in a safe space for now. I worked side by side with management and we came up with some excellent ideas on how to retain nurses and how to recruit nurses, she said. We had to increase pay rates and rework our benefits package and offer more flexibility to staff. Although unions are having a moment, that power only exists for a small portion of the population, approximately 10% of wage and salary workers are in a union. Organizing and belonging to a union is one of the most American things you can do, Herndon said. We have laws that protect our rights as Americans to organize a union, to belong to a union and to fight to improve our working conditions. Ande Richards wants to hear from New Jerseys communities of color, people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ communities, and those who feel underserved by traditional media. She may be reached at arichards@njadvancemedia.com. Welcome to Mosaic. Follow us on Instagram at @MosaicNJcom and on Facebook at MosaicNJcom. DEER LODGE Avoid contact with bare dirt. Thats one precautionary note sounded by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality about Arrowstone Park in Deer Lodge. DEQ said Friday it plans to move forward sooner than planned with the cleanup of the popular park. It said that decision followed input from stakeholders and the public. Over the past several years, DEQ has heard from the public, including Powell County, about the importance of moving forward with the cleanup at Arrowstone Park, the agency said. During the process of finalizing the Clark Fork River Strategic Plan, DEQ made the decision to advance the timeline for remediation of Arrowstone in recognition of the public input we received. DEQ said remediation is expected to begin in late summer or early fall of 2024, and preliminary design work should soon be underway. The agency previously projected beginning cleanup at the riverside park in 2028-29. Remediation will remove soils contaminated with arsenic and heavy metals that washed down from historic mining and smelting upstream in Butte and Anaconda. In the meantime, park users may notice some changes at the park meant to help protect the public, DEQ said. These measures are necessary because the contaminated soil is exposed in a few isolated areas of the park and visitors should exercise caution. DEQ said a contractor will provide cover soil in the weeks ahead for these bare areas referred to as slickens as an interim measure to prevent contact with potentially contaminated dirt. The Montana Standard reported Aug. 8 about plans to post signs in Arrowstone Park warning of the potential for arsenic exposure. Even though arsenic occurs naturally in soils, it can be toxic with direct, repeated exposure over time. Amanda Cooley, planning director for Powell County, said the signs should go up this week. We appreciate the progress DEQ has made in response to the communitys concerns, Cooley said Tuesday. The soil treatment to cover the slickens and installation of signage are necessary steps to keep the public safe and the reprioritization will ensure that people, pets and wildlife have a safe and functional park. More than 20 years ago in May 2000 a meeting focused on Arrowstone Park drew officials from the EPA, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Montanas epidemiologist, a state fisheries biologist, the countys public health officer and county officials. In November 1999, Tammie McRae, an environmental health scientist for ATSDR, had recommended posting the park and a spot downstream to warn people of the potential for exposure to arsenic. In our opinion, these areas may present a public health hazard, especially to children, McRae wrote. But EPA officials, including the late John Wardell, then the agencys Montana director, said they believed Arrowstone Park presented no significant health risk and local officials resisted posting the park. Deer Lodge residents, including children, are not at risk from arsenic exposure at Arrowstone Park, Wardell wrote in an op-ed published May 22, 2001. The park was built in the floodplain of the Clark Fork River by the Atlantic Richfield Co. in the late 1990s atop contaminated wastes from upstream mining and smelting. Some observers have long suggested the wastes should have been fully removed from the site, which is both vulnerable to interaction with a meandering river and a park where children play possibly attracted to dirt spots. The parks roots trace back to a catastrophic 1908 flood. That torrent deposited huge quantities of contaminated sediments and tailings along the Clark Fork River from its headwaters near Warm Springs all the way to Milltown. The sources of contamination included mining, milling and smelting operations in Butte and Anaconda. Federal Superfund law holds Atlantic Richfield responsible for cleaning up pollution along the river because it purchased the original polluter, the Anaconda Co., in 1977. Atlantic Richfield built Arrowstone Park without removing contamination first. Instead, its contractors used clean soil to bury contaminants that included copper, cadmium, zinc, lead and arsenic. That approach stirred controversy among those who felt leaving the pollution in place was a bad idea. And that method and the Arrowstone saga have been revisited recently during debate about the use of slightly contaminated soils as fill during remediation in Butte of Superfund sites within the Silver Bow Creek Corridor. The 2008 Consent Decree for the Clark Fork River cleanup provided funding from Atlantic Richfield for cleanup along the river and its floodplain. That work continues. A Butte resident is asking Butte-Silver Bow commissioners to ban plastic bag usage in the county even though Montana law prohibits local governments from passing such ordinances. Julie Jaksha, market president at a Butte bank and a member of the Butte-Silver Bow Planning Board, said she knew about the state law but didnt mention it in her formal request because she didnt want to start the conversation with a negative. She leads a letter to commissioners and county Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher with, Urgent Request to Ban Plastic Bag Usage in Butte-Silver Bow County, and says single-use plastic bags cause pollution, clog waterways and threaten wildlife. I believe that by joining the ranks of environmentally conscious communities, Butte-Silver Bow will take a significant stride towards a greener and more sustainable future, she wrote in the letter, which is on this weeks council agenda. Your leadership in this endeavor would not only be commendable but also inspire neighboring regions to follow suit, she wrote. Thank you for consideration of my request. I look forward to the positive impact that this ban could have on our community and the environment. Jaksha told The Montana Standard on Tuesday that she wants commissioners to first consider the merits of a ban, including environmental benefits, before deciding future actions. She has been involved in economic development efforts in Butte for years and has served on numerous county and community boards. The Republican-controlled Montana Legislature enacted a law in 2021 billed as a ban on bans. It prohibits local governments from regulating or taxing the use of auxiliary containers such as plastic bags, bottles and eating utensils and plastic or foam cups. Several entities, including the cities of Bozeman and Missoula, supported a bill to repeal that law during the last legislative session. The Montana League of Cities and Towns also backed the bill, saying cities should be able to manage their own landfills and water systems. City councils in Bozeman and Missoula passed resolutions supporting a repeal and state Rep. Ed Stafman, D-Bozeman, filed a bill to do that in the 2023 legislative session, but it never got out of committee. Republican Rep. Mark Noland of Bigfork sponsored the 2021 bill that preempted local laws on plastic bags and other containers. It passed the House 64-34 that year, with all but two Republicans in favor and all Democrats present opposed. It passed the Senate 29-20, with all Democrats and two Republicans voting nay. Noland summed up his philosophy on the law this way: We still live in America where we have a choice and if someone doesnt want to use something, thats their option, but were not going to stop using highly effective, useful items, he told The Montana Standard on Tuesday. At least 10 states and more than 300 communities in the U.S. have implemented bans or imposed taxes on single-use shopping bags. But several states have gone the Montana route by banning local restrictions. They include Idaho, Missouri and North Dakota. Jaksha said Tuesday that she probably should have mentioned the state ban in her letter to commissioners, but she was a little nervous that it could derail conversation on such a meaningful topic. She said commissioners should explore the issue first and then decide if Butte-Silver Bow joins Bozeman, Missoula and perhaps other cities in seeking a repeal of the state law and then making their own bans. She makes numerous arguments for a local ban in her letter, saying it would demonstrate Butte-Silver Bows commitment to preserving the environment and ensuring a healthier future for generations to come. She said it takes 1,000 years for plastic bags to degrade in a landfill and even then, they become micro plastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment. Supermarkets, liquor stores, convenience stores and other businesses should be included in a ban, she wrote. To facilitate a smooth transition, I propose a transition period be established, during which businesses and residents can adjust to using reusable bags, paper bags or other eco-friendly alternatives, she said. Commissioners meet at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on the third floor of the Butte-Silver Bow Courthouse. Although the letter is on their agenda, its recommended action is to hold in abeyance, meaning no immediate action. By Jennifer Cline | Sep 5, 2023 The Murray State University Board of Regents adopted a resolution of support at its Friday, Aug. 25 meeting to create a task force and begin a feasibility study to examine the statewide shortage of veterinarians and work toward the development of a School of Veterinary Medicine at Murray State University. MURRAY, Ky. The Murray State University Board of Regents adopted a resolution of support at its Friday, Aug. 25 meeting to create a task force and begin a feasibility study to examine the statewide shortage of veterinarians and work toward the development of a School of Veterinary Medicine at Murray State University. The state of Kentucky currently does not have a School of Veterinary Medicine, and approximately 70 students from Kentucky are accepted each year to out-of-state veterinary schools. In the United States, there are only 32 veterinary colleges accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The members of the School of Veterinary Medicine task force include: Mr. David Beck, President and COO, Kentucky Venues Mr. Jeremy Buchanan, Executive Director, Purchase Area Development District Dr. Johanna Choate, Veterinary Faculty, Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University Mr. Seth Clark, Pre-Veterinarian Student, Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University Ms. Sarah Coleman, Executive Director, Kentucky Horse Council Ms. Nikki Ellis, Executive Director, Kentucky Pork Producers Dr. Renee Fister, Associate Provost, Murray State University Dr. Claire Fuller, Dean, Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology, Murray State University Ms. Sharon Furches, Second Vice President, Kentucky Farm Bureau Mr. Jerry Gilliam, Christian County Judge Executive Mr. Jamie Guffey, Executive Director, Kentucky Poultry Federation Mr. Daniel Hayden, Program Coordinator, Kentucky Cattlemen's Association Representative Richard Heath, Chairman, House Agriculture Committee Ms. Yesenia Hernandez, Pre-Veterinarian Student, Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University Dr. Laura Ken Hoffman, Associate Professor, Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University Senator Jason Howell, Chairman, Senate Agriculture Committee Mr. Stan Humphries, Trigg County Judge Executive Ms. Tara Joiner, Licensed Veterinary Technologist, Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University Mr. Nathaniel Keith, Production Manager, Cal Maine Foods Dr. Brittany Kirby, Assistant Professor, Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University Dr. John Laster, Executive Board, Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association Mr. Doug Lawson, President/COO, Field and Main Bank Dr. Brent Mayabb, Global Chief Medical Officer, Royal Canin Ms. Theresa Nichol, Garnett Farms Dr. Shea Porr, Associate Dean, Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University Mr. Ronny Pryor, Representative, Tyson Foods Dr. Debbie Reed, Director, Breathitt Veterinary Center, Murray State University Representative Steven Rudy, House Majority Floor Leader Ms. Joanna Shake, Executive Director, Green River Area Development District Ms. Kristen Stewart, Agriculture Coordinator, Hopkinsville Community College, KCTCS Dr. Jared Tapp, Veterinarian, Pennyrile Animal Clinic Mr. Jason Vincent, Executive Director, Pennyrile Area Development District Co-Chairs: Dr. Brian Parr, Dean, Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University Mr. Jordan Smith, Executive Director of Government and Institutional Relations, Murray State University Ex-Officio: Dr. Robert L Jackson, President, Murray State University Dr. Tim Todd, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Murray State University Ms. Jackie Dudley, Senior Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services, Murray State University "I am very pleased to appoint this important task force of leading agricultural professionals as we study the many critical needs in this area and advance a School of Veterinary Medicine in Kentucky at Murray State University, said Murray State University President Dr. Bob Jackson. We have a growing shortage of veterinarians in Kentucky and we are excited to advance the important work of addressing this need. We are extremely grateful to the members of this group for their assistance and wise counsel as we move forward." Murray States Hutson School of Agriculture has the largest estimated pre-veterinary medicine/veterinary technology enrollment of any university in Kentucky, and is just one of three programs in Kentucky that is fully accredited by the AVMA. Murray State students are provided valuable hands-on learning opportunities that prepare them for success upon graduation. The Universitys A. Carman Animal Health Technology Center, located on Murray States West Farm in Calloway County, offers state-of-the-art equipment and supplies to prepare students for a career in the field of veterinary medicine. The Breathitt Veterinary Center at Murray State University, under the direction of the Hutson School of Agriculture, is located in Christian County and is a nationally preeminent animal disease diagnostic laboratory dedicated to protecting the invaluable assets of Kentuckys equine, livestock and poultry industries. The center is the only Level 1 Laboratory Status designated by the USDA National Animal Health Laboratory system and one of only 60 laboratories in the United States (one of 23 laboratories with Level 1 status). The center serves as an important teaching and learning facility for Murray State students. "I am very grateful to this amazing group of professionals for their willingness to serve on this Task Force, said Murray State University Hutson School of Agriculture Dean Dr. Brian Parr. The knowledge and wisdom that this group represents will be critical to mapping the course for a School of Veterinary Medicine at Murray State University. I look forward to working with each member! COLUMBIA, S.C. The top prosecutors in all 50 states are urging Congress to study how artificial intelligence can be used to exploit children through pornography, and come up with legislation to further guard against it. In a letter sent Tuesday to Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate, the attorneys general from across the country call on federal lawmakers to establish an expert commission to study the means and methods of AI that can be used to exploit children specifically" and expand existing restrictions on child sexual abuse materials specifically to cover AI-generated images. We are engaged in a race against time to protect the children of our country from the dangers of AI, the prosecutors wrote in the letter. Indeed, the proverbial walls of the city have already been breached. Now is the time to act. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson led the effort to add signatories from all 50 states and four U.S. territories to the letter. The Republican, elected last year to his fourth term, said last week he hoped federal lawmakers would translate the group's bipartisan support for legislation on the issue into action. Everyone's focused on everything that divides us," said Wilson, who marshaled the coalition with his counterparts in Mississippi, North Carolina and Oregon. "My hope would be that, no matter how extreme or polar opposites the parties and the people on the spectrum can be, you would think protecting kids from new, innovative and exploitative technologies would be something that even the most diametrically opposite individuals can agree on and it appears that they have. The Senate this year has held hearings on the possible threats posed by AI-related technologies. In May, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, whose company makes free chatbot tool ChatGPT, said that government intervention will be critical to mitigating the risks of increasingly powerful AI systems. Altman proposed the formation of a U.S. or global agency that would license the most powerful AI systems and have the authority to take that license away and ensure compliance with safety standards. While theres no immediate sign Congress will craft sweeping new AI rules, as European lawmakers are doing, the societal concerns have led U.S. agencies to promise to crack down on harmful AI products that break existing civil rights and consumer protection laws. In additional to federal action, Wilson said he's encouraging his fellow attorneys general to scour their own state statutes for possible areas of concern. We started thinking, do the child exploitation laws on the books have the laws kept up with the novelty of this new technology? According to Wilson, among the dangers AI poses include the creation of deepfake scenarios videos and images that have been digitally created or altered with artificial intelligence or machine learning of a child that has already been abused, or the alteration of the likeness of a real child from something like a photograph taken from social media, so that it depicts abuse. Your child was never assaulted, your child was never exploited, but their likeness is being used as if they were," he said. "We have a concern that our laws may not address the virtual nature of that, though, because your child wasn't actually exploited although they're being defamed and certainly their image is being exploited. A third possibility, he pointed out, is the altogether digital creation of a fictitious child's image for the purpose of creating pornography. The argument would be, 'well I'm not harming anyone in fact, it's not even a real person,' but you're creating demand for the industry that exploits children, Wilson said. There have been some moves within the tech industry to combat the issue. In February, Meta, as well as adult sites like OnlyFans and Pornhub, began participating in an online tool, called Take It Down, that allows teens to report explicit images and videos of themselves from the internet. The reporting site works for regular images and AI-generated content. AI is a great technology, but its an industry disrupter," Wilson said. You have new industries, new technologies that are disrupting everything, and the same is true for the law enforcement community and for protecting kids. The bad guys are always evolving on how they can slip off the hook of justice, and we have to evolve with that. Here's why 61% of Americans think AI could spell the end of humanity Here's why 61% of Americans think AI could spell the end of humanity Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Monday said Kenya is working on partnering with the United Arab Emirates to bolster school meals programmes in the country in a bid to increase the number of children benefitting from them. Speaking when he hosted United Arab Emirates Minister for Environment and Climate Change Mariam Almheiri at Harambee House Annex, the DP said the two countries enjoy strong ties and Kenya is looking to working with the UAE to expand the school-feeding initiatives. Almheiri is leading her countrys delegation to the inaugural African Climate Summit in Nairobi. The courtesy call on the DP followed the initial meeting in Rome, Italy last July when the two met on the sidelines of United Nations Food Systems Summit 2 when they agreed to look into better ways of boosting the ongoing meal programmes. On Monday, the two held discussions centred around integrating Climate Friendly Actions into scaling up Kenyas School Meals Programme. The Deputy President highlighted that Kenya is following in the steps of other countries like UAE that have successfully rolled out school feeding programs. He said that Kenya remains committed in scaling up the number of school children under the programme from the current 1.8 Million to 10 million by the year 2030. He lauded the UAE for ranking as the fifth largest exporter of Kenyan produce while calling for more support as the government works round the clock to elevate the Agricultural sector in the country through the reforms in different sub sectors being spearheaded by the DP. This year, Kenya has doubled its domestic investment into the meals programmes from 15M USD to 40M USD. He said the programmes will play a key role in increasing the number of learners in school and improving their retention in the learning institutions. The DP also praised the partnership between the two countries in the fight against radicalisation and terrorism. The UAE Minister said her country was exploring ways to partner with Kenya in the school feeding programmes. The minister also lauded Kenya for hosting the Africa Climate summit terming it a good opportunity for the Global South to highlight their challenges and propose solutions on Climate Change. By DPPS Hamisa Mobettos partner, Kevin Ahyi-sena alias Kevin Sowax, has disclosed that he was initially unaware that she was a celebrity when they first met. The Togolese tycoon, who is currently spending time with the former beauty pageant queen in Tanzania, said it took him a few days to realize that Hamisa was a big deal. Following his arrival in Tanzania last week, a TZ blogger asked Kevin Sowax: Before you met her and you guys started dating did you know she was a superstar like a very big superstar? To which he responded: I didnt know, I swear, I didnt know. We were just getting into this but for me, it doesnt change anything because Hamisa is just Hamisa. Sowax added: Like the way I know her, I knew her before it all (knowing shes famous). It took me about 3 or 4 days to know that she was actually a superstar superstar. Kevin Sowax revealed that he first crossed paths with Hamisa at a private event in China. He went on to claim that he knew Hamisa was the one the moment he first set eyes on her. It was four months ago. As soon as I saw her, I was down, he professed. Kevin was also questioned about the rumors suggesting that he had already paid dowry. Rumour has it that you have already paid Hamisas dowry. Is it true? wondered a blogger. Yes, it is true, Kevin answered, adding: the matter is between me and Hamisa. Regarding the possibility of tying the knot in the near future, Mobetto said they had discussed the prospects, and while things were looking positive, they ultimately entrusted it to Gods hands. We have the plans, by Gods will, it will happen. She said. Sowax on his part said: Hopefully, because we dont know what God is planning for us but hopefully. God knows the end but I wish we go everywhere together to the end. President Ruto has urged African governments to increase their investments in green opportunities to unlock the continents potential. The President called for investment in renewable energy, green industrialization, climate-smart agriculture, and nature conservation. He said this would accelerate global decarbonization, fuel sustainable development, drive economic growth and create millions of jobs. We must see in green growth not just a climate imperative, but also a fountain of multi-billion-dollar economic opportunities that Africa and the World is primed to capitalise on, he said. He made the remarks during the ministerial conference at the Africa Climate Summit, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi. Present were the African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment, Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Pan African Climate Justice Alliance Executive Director, Dr. Mithika Mwenda and UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell. Others were Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Cabinet Secretaries led by Soipan Tuya (Environment) and governors led by the Council of Governors chair Ann Waiguru among others. President Ruto said Africa must prepare to become a global hub in the green industrial supply chain. The continent has enough potential to be entirely self-sufficient with the mix of wind, solar, geothermal, sustainable biomass and hydropower, he added. Kenya, he observed, is leading the way in the adoption of renewable energy, which accounts for 92% of its power. Our ambition is audacious yet achievable: 100% renewable by 2030 and a 100 Giga Watt grid, entirely renewable, by 2040, he said. The President challenged African states to invest in value addition of raw materials and abandon the minimalist, short-term, raw-material-based approach. The time has come for us to break out of the shackles of low ambition. We must now begin to aim higher and strive for more, and better outcomes, he said. President Ruto further said that Africa should leverage its agricultural land assets to enhance the continents food security and monetize agricultural systems. Ms Sacko said Africa is committed to addressing the climate change challenge by implementing sustainable solutions. Our solution for African climate change is rooted in large-scale investment in climate resilience centred on energy assets to drive sustainable industrialization, she said. Ms. Soipan said Africa is spearheading ecologically responsible global industrialization to address the climate change crisis. She said the summit is keen on changing the perception of the place of Africa in climate change action. Later, President Ruto handed over KSh 7.2 billion to counties under the Financing Locally-LED Climate Action (FLLoCA) programme in the form of county climate change investment grants. The FLLoCA programme seeks to enhance Kenyas climate adoption through financing, technology and capacity building. The grants, together with KSh 3 billion of county own-resource allocations, will finance local climate action priorities in agriculture, water and natural resources management in every county, President Ruto said. He also presided over the launch of Long-Term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS) 2022-2050, the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) 2023-2027 and the Climate Change (Amendment) Act 2023. -PCS Mayacamas Countywide Middle School is working hard to answer questions and address concerns that prevented the Napa County Office of Education Board from accepting their countywide charter petition at last Wednesday nights public hearing. One of the major areas of concern for some of the board members who were not prepared to okay the school was MCMSs secondary site and residency program. In their petition, the school said they planned to partner with Pacific Union College to host an arts-based residency program in the spring for all students during their first three years of operation, and eventually open a full-time facility at PUC during their fourth year to serve Upvalley students. At Wednesdays meeting, Jolene Yee, one of the schools founders and co-petitioners, said that the Napa Foundation has decided to pull out of a partnership with PUC because of community concern about the schools commitment to sexual and gender equity, citing a prohibition of same-sex relationships in its student handbook. The college is affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which has long condemned same-sex practices and relationships. Yee said that after these concerns were brought to her and Mayacamas leaders attention, they worked quickly to find an alternative partner Napa Valley Colleges Upper Valley Campus in St. Helena. However, Torence Powell, the president and superintendent of Napa Valley College, said that he felt the potential partnership was misrepresented at the hearing. The conversations I had were speculative, but to characterize that interest in potentially exploring what a partnership might look like portraying it as a formal partnership is inaccurate, Powell said. He said that though the college of course is open to the idea of partnering with the school as they would be any local school but he isnt sure that NVCs Upper Valley campus would be able to meet MCMSs needs logistically. I don't know that we could provide that.. Powell said. The Upvalley campus is leased out to the city of St. Helena, and the culinary program housed there is leased out. Most of the campus is leased out with the exception of a few classrooms. While he said he has spoken briefly with the petitioners a few times, as of Saturday, there was no formal or informal partnership between the parties. He said that an expression of interest was really all that had been communicated by the Mayacamas team. (What was said at the meeting) was a little surprising, yes, because there was a very brief conversation earlier that afternoon on Wednesday, but there is quite a bit that goes into a partnership between a charter school It can be the work of several years, Powell said. Are we interested and open to some form of partnership? Of course, but they dont happen in the course of a day or two. According to Yee, a potential partnership with NVC or another college is still of interest to Mayacamas and is in the works, but the nature of that partnership and a timeline for its installment is in very early stages. The petitioners said that they feel confident that no partnership with a college is necessary for them to seek countywide certification. "We do not need a formalized partnership agreement with NVC or anyone else in order to seek approval to operate a countywide charter," Yee said via email. "We already have an entirely separate countywide basis for the charter, and are excited to proceed and serve the families of Napa County. Yes, we have spoken to NVC since Wednesday (including this weekend with Torence Powell), but we are also in discussions with other colleges and universities to provide this type of experience, and it need not be the same experience every year, nor does it need to be with the same community partner." On Monday morning, about 100 people from Napa and around the Bay Area gathered at the China Point Park on First Street for the dedication of a plaque commemorating the history of Chinese laborers here in Napa from the 1870s through 1900s. The morning featured a program of speakers from the Napa and St. Helena Historical Societies, as well as community leaders Yuen Chiang, Robin Leong and John McCormick, whose book Chinese in Napa Valley: The Forgotten Community that Built Wine Country tells the history of Chinese laborers in the valley. Leong was the longtime president of the Vallejo Napa Chinese Club, and began efforts to build signage commemorating the Napas Chinese laborers back in 2002. While that project was never completed, the city did dedicate China Point Park, on the corner of First Street and Soscol Avenue, in 2017. The park did not have any signage explaining its significance however, and Leong thought it was important to incorporate some kind of informational aspect into the park. He re-upped efforts to dedicate a plaque earlier this year, after hearing McCormick speak about his book on the history of Chinese laborers in Napa. The plaque, which overlooks the Napa River across where Napa's historic Chinatown sat, was designed by Hannah Henry. Henry is a Napa-based artist who created the China Point Plaque as part of her 100 Plaques Project, launched in 2022, which aims to create displays around California "that help undo some of the cultural and historical erasure that has taken place" around the state. The plaque itself includes pictures and information about the history of Chinese in Napa, as well as a QR code linking to the Napa County Historical Society's website, which includes more detailed stories. This morning's event began with a traditional lion dance, which David Lei explained was a practice dating back to the 1850s in China, meant to invite deities and ancestors who used to inhabit a space to return. In this case, the dance, and the Daoist ceremony that followed it, were included to honor the laborers who lived and worked in the Napa Valley over 100 years ago, and invite them to see the plaque and park dedicated to their efforts. Chinese laborers' contributions to Wine Country The history of Chinese laborers in Napa dates back to the 1870s, when many came to the valley to find work. In his book, McCormick reports that in 1860, recorded data shows just 17 Chinese people living in Napa. By 1880, at the populations peak, there were about 900 Chinese people lived here. In large part, this was because of an increasing need for laborers in the 1870s and 1880s, especially in the vineyards. Due to a perfect storm of sorts a combination of increasing wine sales in the region coupled with an outbreak of grape phylloxera (a species of insect that destroys grapevines) in Frances vineyards the Napa Valley had a unique opportunity to make a name for itself in the global wine industry. As such, vineyard owners began planting more grapes, requiring more labor, which, according to McCormicks book, could only be satisfied by one group: Chinese workers. They were up to 80% of the workers in the vineyards between 1870 and 1900 throughout the valley, McCormick said. The wine industry would not be here, as it is today, if they weren't there. Chinese laborers were also the main laborers in other industries in the county as well: Chinese workers almost exclusively worked the hops fields in St. Helena, and many operated quicksilver mines, and did agricultural and other forms of labor. Connie Young Yu, author of Chinatown, San Jose, USA emphasized Chinese workers' contributions to the Transatlantic Railroad and Napa Valley Railroad, which ran through Napa Valley. Many of those same people who built the railroads built the wine caves, Yu said. In Chinese in the Napa Valley, McCormick specifically mentions Schramsberg Vineyards, located in the hills between St. Helena and Calistoga. The vineyard was built in the late 1960s by Jacob Schram, and in 1870, Schrams first grapes were ready to harvest. He decided to build wine caves in the hillsides on the property to store the harvested grapes and eventually wine that he produced. To do so, Schram employed Chinese laborers who had just finished working on the Napa Valley Railroad and Transcontinental Railroad to do the dangerous cave excavation work. McCormicks book explains that many of these workers had previously worked with explosives used to clear the caves when they were working on the Transcontinental Railroad in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The book notes that to this day, the winerys Chinese Bunkhouse, where the laborers who built Schamberg's first ever wine caves lived, is still standing on the property. It is one of very few landmarks acknowledging Chinese history here in existence today. Yu explained that remembering the Chinese labor movement here in Napa is not just important because it is a piece of Chinese history, but because it is an integral part of American history. Anyone who raises a glass of wine will remember the Chinese who tilled the land, built the wine caves, and yet were still denied a seat at the table, Yu said. While the Chinese contributed to Napa's industries, anti-Chinese sentiment spread The number of Chinese people living in the Napa Valley peaked in 1880, but as the end of the 19th century neared, the population began to diminish. After the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the flow of Chinese immigrants stopped, and anti-Chinese sentiment in the Valley contributed to many who were already living here moving elsewhere. McCormick said that one of the biggest barriers he faced when writing about the history of the Chinese population in Napa was the lack of unbiased, first-hand accounts of their presence and impact. Many of the news articles written at the time either did not acknowledge their efforts at all, or were overtly racist toward Chinese residents in Napa. He said that the was able to find through a few articles that Chinatowns existed up and down the valley in Napa, St. Helena, Rutherford and Calistoga. The Napa Valley Register has chronicles years of Chinese New Years celebrations, including parades, parties and meals shared in downtown Napas historic Chinatown. Those Register articles also chronicle the racism that led to the waning of that group's presense. In the 1880s, ads placed in the Register, and articles and editorials written, address Chinese laundries specifically. One ad placed says give your laundrying to a deserving white woman in preference to Chinese. Articles in the Register and St. Helena Star called for the establishment of white laundries in their towns, and the removal of Chinese-owned ones. This contributed to the passing of a city ordinance similar to ones passed in cities throughout California limiting the placement of laundromats, specifically targeting the locations of Chinatown and pre-established Chinese businesses, according to McCormicks book. The ordinance was voided through a lawsuit won by Sam Kee, the owner of the oldest laundromat in Napa, which sat on Main Street from the late 1860s to 1907, when he moved to a new building. Sam Kee Laundry operated in Napa until the 1970s. Remembering Chinese laborers' contributions Despite the work of Kee, and so many others, much of the legacy of the Chinese labor movement in Napa has been erased. McCormick points out that Kee is the only Chinese man mentioned by name in a 500-page history book written about Napa in 1901, and aside from Chinese New Years celebrations and racist references, not much was written in local news about the Chinese population here. Yuen Chiang, a Napa resident who was invited to give the reflection at the dedication ceremony, said that its placement in downtown was important for precisely that reason. It wasnt until I was 19 year old and a sophomore in college that I learned about any kind of Asian American history in school," Chiang said. She said that its important to have representation of and access to the history of the Chinese labor movement in Napa so that her kids, and all kids in school today, dont have that same experience. The plaque, which is on the corner of First Street and Soscol Avenue in China Point Park, contains information about the Chinese labor movement here in Napa, and even more stories of the history of Chinese workers and residents in Napa is included in McCormicks book, available online. This story has been modified since the original posting to correct the spelling of Yuen Chiang's name. PHOTOS: Chinese in Napa Plaque Dedication Ceremony I first met Randle Johnson in 1985 at a tasting in Los Angeles where he was introducing The Hess Collections inaugural release of their 1983 Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt. Veeder. After the tasting, I spoke at length with him regarding the wines, The Hess Collection philosophy and the future of Mt. Veeder as a world-class growing area. This was followed by the first of many visits to the winery and marked the beginning of a four-decade friendship augmented by the depth of Randles talents, passion, knowledge and commitment to fine wine production. By definition and connotation, a Renaissance Man is one who is well educated and displays a sense of talent, proficiency and innovation in his chosen field and beyond. Randle checks all the boxes while he also takes great pride and satisfaction in unselfishly sharing his knowledge and experience with others. Randle began his college career with hopes of going to med-school when, through a professors encouragement, he was suddenly bitten by the wine bug. He graduated UC Davis in 1974 and worked his first harvest with Alex Vyborny, founder of Vyborny Vineyard Management, still one of Napa Valleys premier caretakers of many highly respected vineyards. His winemaking journey began the following year when Randle joined Souverain as assistant winemaker under the tutelage of legendary winemaker Phil Baxter and evolved over several engagements with each adding to his deep reservoir of knowledge, practical application and expertise. In 1977 he became cellarmaster at Mayacamas where owner, founder and winemaker Bob Travers helped Randle launch his Mt. Veeder career. After five years working in the vineyards and wineries for others, Randle wanted to create his own project, so in 1979 (with Travers okay) he began purchasing Mt. Veeder fruit for his Calafia brand. The initial 1979 Calafia was made at Carl Doumanis Stags Leap Winery as the facilities at Mayacamas could not house the new brand. In 1980 Randle joined Doumani full-time while also establishing Calafia with a focus on a Bordeaux-style blend. A big proponent of Merlot, Randle chose Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to complete the blend. Randles winemaking career experienced a life-changing moment in 1983 when he joined Donald Hess as the founding winemaker for The Hess Collection in the Mt. Veeder region of Napa Valley. Donald, a Swiss national, was known as the mineral water king when his brand led the world in popularity and distribution. In 1978 Hess purchased 500 acres including 30 planted surrounding the Christian Brothers Novitiate high on the slopes of Mt. Veeder. The vineyard was quickly expanded to over 100 acres and the facility was later converted to The Hess Collections hospitality center, tasting room, winery and massive art gallery exhibiting Hess impressive collection of paintings and sculptures. Originally, Hess had no intention of making wine and only looked at the property through the eyes of an absentee owner while becoming successful in selling his grapes to a cadre of aspiring and established wineries. However, his friend and fellow Swiss national Margarit Beaver (wife of Robert Mondavi) had different thoughts she shared with Mondavi. So, whenever Hess visited his estate, Margarit was always quick to schedule a dinner. Mondavi was known as a passionate advocate for Napa Valley and forceful proponent for its quality expansion. During each of these occasions, Mondavi would voice his observation and strong opinion on the vineyards excellence as evidenced by the success of those producing world-class wines from its fruit. This, according to Mondavi dictated the need for Hess to begin producing wine. Mondavis arguments were ultimately successful and in 1983 Hess hired Randle (on the recommendation of Domaine Chandon President John Wright) to lead the project and The Hess Collection was born. From that time until his retirement in December 2020, Randles fortunes and expertise were closely tied to Hess international view of the wine market. In 1996, Randle accompanied Hess on a trip to Argentina to explore the possibility of importing Bodega Norton (one of Argentinas most proclaimed wines) in the U.S. The exploration proved successful, and with his renaissance nature, Randle took on the additional roles of winemaker and vineyard consultant for Norton through constant contact and regular trips to Argentina. The Hess team built the brand to 100,000 cases in the U.S. market when the parties decided to pursue other opportunities. In 2001, Hess purchased Colome another noteworthy high-altitude grower and producer in the Andean hills above Mendoza. This decision proved noteworthy though not necessarily at the most opportune moment. On December 10, 2001 Argentina faced a final economic melt-down and the launch of an ultimately failed coup attempt resulting in seven presidents in six weeks. But in January 2002, Renaissance Randle continued on his mission to source equipment, build the winery and proceed with harvest just a few months away. Adding to Randles January 2002 Argentinian challenges, Hess also decided to launch the Artezin brand back home. Randle commented on the flurry of events and challenges of the time, As if my January 2002 arrival in Argentina in the midst of an economic meltdown and attempted coup wasnt enough, we launched Artezin as a product of heirloom varieties and blends from heritage vineyards across northern California winegrowing areas. Despite the challenges, Randle was able to corral his resources and expertise to manage the external forces, and both Colome and Artezin became successful brands under The Hess Collection umbrella. Randle will celebrate his 49th Napa harvest this year and 65th overall that includes sixteen with Colome in the southern hemisphere. His overall winemaking direction and goals were firmly established during his time at UC Davis where his studies with the iconic and trailblazing Professor Maynard Amarine forged his career-long path. As Randle recalled, Amarine was tough and structured while stressing varietal character in winegrowing and winemaking. We spent a week on each of the noble varieties and examined its varietal character despite any given winemakers stylistic impressions. This established my path to ensure from vineyard to glass each wine I produce conveys these qualities coupled with a strong sense-of-place to truly express the vineyards personality while also exhibiting elegance, balance and finesse. Calafia is now entering its 45th vintage and the basic tenets of varietal character, sense-of-place and Bordeaux-style blends remain the cornerstone of the brand. Since the mid-1990s, Randle has refined the blends to consist of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot. This profile is found in their Napa Valley Cabernet that emphasizes Mt. Veeder fruit; as well as the flagship estate grown La Reina sourced from the Johnsons St. Helena home property with tightly spaced (meter-by-meter) planting. Given Randles history with heirloom varieties and blends from heritage vineyards he has expanded Calafias scope with the inclusion of Verdelho (an eclectic white with roots in Portugal and Madeira), Zinfandel from Rockpile Vineyard in Sonoma and the once popular, then ignored and now re-born Charbono (aka Bonarda in Argentina) where he has joined a small group of crusaders who are fighting a valiant effort in the grapes rebirth. Throughout our four decades of friendship, Ive been fortunate to taste extensively with Randle on countless occasions both individually and in group settings. While each experience has been unique, the common theme always remained the same. Rather than a lexicon of descriptors often depicting the contents of a fruit salad (so common in todays critical world), Randle portrays each wine with a sense of history and purpose along with a clear-cut recognition of its varietal character and sense-of-place. Azerbaijani foreign minister Jeyhun Bayramov, who arrived in Budapest on an official visit, assured at the meeting with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto that "Armenian residents use Lachin the road every day." But it is known to everyone that such a statement is a lie. At present, the Lachin corridor is used solely by seriously ill Nagorno-Karabakh residents who are transported, with the mediation and escorting of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to Armenia for medical treatment. And despite the ICRC emblem on the vehicles transporting these persons, the Azerbaijani authorities present these persons as "freely moving people." Such lies and such attitude towards human rights clearly show how Azerbaijan treats the rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. In general, there is no logic in the claim that Armenia is an anti-Russian tool; there is no evidence of this. Ruben Rubinyan, deputy speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, who is also the representative of Armenia in the talks with Turkey to normalize bilateral relations, stated this on the air of the Public Television of Armenia. He emphasized that Armenia has always kept itself out of geopolitical conflicts, both before and after 2018. According to Rubinyan, Armenia has always fulfilled all its alliance obligations. He dismissed the claim that Armenia preferred the EU monitoring mission to the respective CSTO mission. "It is a false claim because the decision regarding the arrival [in Armenia] of EU monitors was made in Prague in October 2022; at that time there was no subject of CSTO peacekeepers [coming to Armenia]. Before that, a short-term mission had come and gone; that is, we were never faced with a choice. The CSTO mission was not rejected. Armenia is a CSTO member, when there was an attack on Armenia, Armenia rightly expected two things, that it will be specified that there was an attack on the sovereign territory of Armenia [by Azerbaijan], it will be condemned, and it would be good if there would be assistance. None of the three points I mentioned happened," Rubinyan said. Turning to the claims that the Prague meeting should have been canceled, Rubinyan responded as follows: "What happened during the Prague meeting that should be cancelled? The Russian foreign ministry had claimed that as if the illegal blockade of the Lachine corridor is the result of an agreement made in Prague; and the [Armenian] opposition says the same. After the Azerbaijani attack on the sovereign territory of Armenia took place in September, which was not condemned by the CSTO, after that the prime minister of Armenia and the president of Azerbaijan did only one thing in Prague, which is not a new thing; they reaffirmed that the parties recognize each other's territorial integrity based on the Alma-Ata declaration of 1991. According to that declaration, the borders of the former Soviet republic become interstate. On November 9, 2020, when that [trilateral] statement was being signed, which was not addressing the status or affiliation of Nagorno-Karabakh, which assumed that the Lachin corridor should be under [the control of the] Russian peacekeepers, at the time when it was being signed, the Alma-Ata declaration was in force for all." Also, Ruben Rubinyan dismissed the remark that Armenia-Russia relations are broken. "I can claim that we have a number of disagreements with the fact that we [i.e. Armenia] have not been given enough support in various episodes," he said. 4.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Turkey 14 individuals were tortured, and 64 died on the move from Nagorno Karabakh. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Council of Europe to prepare package of measures in response to refugee influx in Armenia Mher Grigoryan and EU Ambassador exchanged ideas on regional developments Minister of Defence had a meeting with the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of PRC Yeremyan Projects has launched the regional first livestock complex in Tashir community Rights of Karabakhs imprisoned former leadership are protected, Azerbaijan ombudsperson claims Finance ministry: Armenia economic growth target will be maintained at 7% level in 2024 Elnur Mammadov: Most points in peace treaty have been agreed upon by Azerbaijan, Armenia Statement: Alma-Ata Declaration has no mention of former union republics of ex-USSR Dollar drops, euro rises in Armenia Armenia defense sector capital spending planned in amount of around $1.4 billion in 2024 Lawyer: Maestro Sergey Smbatyan is acquitted Premier: Armenia defense spending planned to be increased by 125% in 2024 compared to 2018 Armenia, Ukraine officials underscore Pashinyan-Zelenskyy first meeting ReA15: 300 animation films, 30 guests from 40 countries, around 500 audience; Armenia international festival summed up Russias Makhachkala airport resumes operations Armenia's Pashinyan: There is serious progress in North-South motorway construction Around 12kg narcotics attempted to be smuggled into Armenia from Iran Armenia finance minister: Considerable part of 2.6 billion to be provided by EU is loan Armenia official: We will not increase pensions, minimum wages in 2024 Armenia finance minister: National debt of more than $10 billion is safe Pashinyan: Armenia government expects 7% economic growth in 2023 COAF secures 10M grant to transform education in Armenia's Syunik Province RFE/RL: US supports EU monitoring mission in Armenia, embassy says Hurricane Otis kills at least 48 people in Mexico $135M to be allocated for needs of those forcibly displaced from Karabakh, Armenia PM says Armenia nationals can now open bank accounts in Russia in simplified manner Armenia MFA former spox shares video of Russian peacekeepers withdrawal from Karabakh 202-million-year-old dragonfly fossil discovered in UK Armenia premier: I hope arrangements for opening border with Turkey will be implemented in near future Pashinyan: Current world orders collapse is serious threat to Armenia Armenia labor, social affairs minister is in Iran, memorandum to be signed on highly qualified workforce exchange Armenia PM: 3 main principles of signing peace treaty with Azerbaijan have been agreed upon Armenia defense minister attends Beijing Xiangshan Forum opening ceremony in China (PHOTOS) Biden, Netanyahu discuss ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Gaza Arab, Muslim users of social media unhappy with ongoing supply of oil from Azerbaijan to Israel Attempts are being made to destabilize situation in Russias Dagestan from outside, leader Melikov says 20 people injured, 2 in critical condition after mass riots at Russias Makhachkala airport Kamala Harris: US has no plans of sending combat troops to Israel, Gaza Russia researchers develop water evaluation system using smartphones Russias Makhachkala airport closed until November 6 France releases city electric cars that can be driven without driver's license Thugs attack bus carrying women, children in Russias Makhachkala Anti-Israel protest in Russias Dagestan, crowd storms into Makhachkala airport Slovenia donates 120,000, through Red Cross, to forcibly displaced people from Karabakh Overall 3342 children died in Gaza since start of war Israel bombs areas near Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza Palestinian Red Crescent: Israel demands evacuation of Gaza hospital UN peacekeeper wounded in Lebanese shelling Israel Armenians newspaper: Situation in Israel still difficult Iran President: Zionists were defeated, forced to retreat Death toll of Palestinians in Gaza exceeds 8000 Azerbaijani Defense Minister also visits China Israeli airstrikes on two houses in Gaza kill 13 civilians Israeli army names main priority UN Secretary General criticizes Israel again Building of Jewish cultural center is set on fire in Russia UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting Russian MoD: Crimea was attacked by 36 Ukrainian drones at night Armenian Defence Minister leaves for China Forcibly displaced teachers from Artsakh can continue work in Armenia Death toll of mine accident in Kazakhstan reaches 42 Israeli PM deletes controversial post from social media, apologizes Israeli opposition leader, National Security Minister criticize PM At least 331 Israeli soldiers killed since start of war with Hamas Baku arrests Iranian spies who wanted to create Kerime state in Azerbaijan Lemkin Institute calls on UN to prepare proper mission to Artsakh Moscow, Ankara effectively coordinate efforts to tackle important regional issues Israeli army boosts contingent in Gaza, enters deeper into enclave Aide to Aliyev, Iran Ambassador discuss Azerbaijani-Armenian relations US Eisenhower aircraft carrier enters Mediterranean Sea Road accident in Armenia leaves 2 dead Iranian President: Israel has crossed the red lines Artsakh President: Russian side was in observers position Armenia Security Council Secretary meets assistants to US Secretary of State, France President Armenia PM sends condolences to Kazakh President over mine accident Death toll of mine accident in Kazakhstan reaches 33 Russian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministries confirm the need for normalization between Baku and Yerevan Hamas ready to release eight hostages at Russia's request RA Economy Ministry, JP Morgan discuss international market accessibility Hamas says there is no progress in hostage negotiations Germany ready to send over 1 thousand military personnel to Middle East Fatal car accident occurs in Yerevan Tunis President says Palestinians have right to stand firm against Israel Armenia Economy Minister, British Chamber of Commerce reps discuss coop Israel promises to allow trucks carrying aid into Gaza Erdogan: Israel should end madness and stop attacks on Gaza If Gaza is destroyed, it will create catastrophe for decades, if not centuries Palestinian Red Cross loses contact with all workers in Gaza IDF expands area of ground operations in Gaza north Moldovan President explains increasing of defense spending US, Israeli defense ministers discuss military operations in Gaza Chinese FM calls Taiwan independence biggest challenge for Sino-US relations US may not have enough funds to help Ukraine, Israel at once IDF expands ground operations in Gaza Strip US calls its strikes on targets in Syria message for Iran Iran warns of potential new fronts against US Armenia says yes to UN resolution on Gaza truce UN General Assembly adopts resolution on Israel-Hamas truce Two lawmakers representing the major political parties of Austria, the Greens and the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO), which comprise the countrys ruling coalition, have called on Azerbaijan to reopen the Lachin corridor, Armenpress reported Austrian MP Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic, The Greens spokesperson for foreign policy, released a statement calling on the EU and the international community to ramp up pressure. The escalation in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan continues constantly. We are receiving reports of an impending famine if the situation doesnt urgently change. Nagorno-Karabakh has been cut off of supplies for months, with devastating consequences, such as malnutrition, miscarriages, absence of medication. Now theres an urgent need to return to dialogue between the two parties to the conflict and find a solution to swiftly mitigate the disastrous humanitarian situation, Ernst-Dziedzic said in the statement. She added that the EU and the international community should increase pressure and that Azerbaijan must reopen the Lachin corridor in line with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling. We cant tolerate when the civil society becomes a toy for politics and starves because of political reasons. As long as this is the case, Azerbaijan should not be a trade partner for the EU, she added. We cant tolerate the explicit destruction of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh, and therefore we must use all levers to prevent it, the Austrian lawmaker noted. "Despite the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the South Caucasus developments shouldnt be ignored", she said. SPO spokesperson for foreign policy, MP Petra Bayr said in a statement that the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is disastrous and 120,000 people are cut off from the outside world by Azerbaijan. There, near the gates of Europe, a crime against human rights is taking place, Bayr said in the statement. Noting the ICJ ruling ordering Azerbaijan to reopen the Lachin corridor, Petra Bayr said she expects the EU to finally discuss the situation. The fact that responsible decision-makers in international organizations are silent is absolutely unforgivable. I expect [Austrian] Foreign Minister [Alexander] Schallenberg to address this crime in the EU and to bring it to the agenda as soon as possible. The National Council asked him to do so as early as last year, she noted. Bayr said she will send a parliamentary inquiry to Austrian FM Schallenberg asking him to present what measures the Austrian government has taken for opening humanitarian aid supplies through the Lachin corridor and what questions he raised during his meetings with his Azerbaijani counterpart. BRI a "path of happiness" benefiting world 09:17, September 05, 2023 By He Yin ( People's Daily China will host the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing this October. The forum is not only the highlight in commemorative events to mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), but also an important platform for all partners to plan high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Photo taken on Aug. 6, 2023 shows a busy scene of a container terminal of the Zhoushan port in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang province. The Zhoushan port has 301 maritime routes to over 600 ports in more than 200 countries and regions. In particular, 125 of the routes are related to the Belt and Road cooperation, up 71.2 percent from 2013. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Yongtao) China will take the holding of the forum as an opportunity to take stock of what it has achieved, chart the course for the future, and guide the continuous advancement of high-quality BRI cooperation. It will open up a chapter in the new era for the Silk Road featuring mutual benefit and win-win results between countries, friendship and cultural affinity between peoples and mutual learning between civilizations. In September and October of 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in Kazakhstan and Indonesia respectively, ushering in a new era of international cooperation. Over the past 10 years, the BRI has evolved from broad strokes to refined details, becoming the most popular international public good and largest-scale international cooperation platform. Over the past 10 years, adhering to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, the initiative has made fruitful achievements. It has been joined by more than three-quarters of countries in the world, established over 3,000 cooperation projects, mobilized nearly $1 trillion of investment worldwide and created 420,000 jobs for participating countries. These achievements fully prove that the BRI is a "path of happiness" that benefits the whole world. Based on win-win cooperation, the "path of happiness" is becoming wider. The launching ceremony of a shipping route to eastern India by Sinotrans Container Lines Co., Ltd. is held at the Qingdao port, east China's Shandong province on Aug. 30, 2023. Photo shows the first ship departing from Qingdao for India's Chennai port along the route. This year, the Qingdao port has opened 10 new shipping routes to Belt and Road countries, and the number of containers it sent to the Middle East, Africa, India, Pakistan and other Belt and Road destinations has maintained double-digit growth. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Jin'gang) In the past decade, a series of landmark projects have been built under the BRI, including the China-Europe freight train, the new western land-sea corridor, the China-Laos Railway, and the Piraeus port. A solid foundation has been laid for developing economic, trade and production capability cooperation and expanding energy and resource cooperation. Looking around the world, the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant in Puttalam is supplying electricity for thousands of Sri Lankan families, the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya has boosted local economic growth by over 2 percentage points, and the Chinese vocational workshop program Luban Workshop has offered vocational training for young people in over 20 countries. These have created an array of national landmarks, livelihood projects, and milestones of cooperation, injecting new impetus into participating countries. A report issued by Brussels-based economic think tank Bruegel, which analyzed the global public opinion's concern and sentiment towards the BRI based on data from mainstream media reports of nearly 150 countries, noted that the initiative is viewed positively in most parts of the world. Following green and innovative development, the "path of happiness" is making the world more beautiful. From the BRI International Green Development Coalition and the Green Silk Road Envoys Program, to the Initiative for Belt And Road Partnership on Green Development, green development has become a defining feature of high-quality BRI cooperation. Former Under-Secretary-General of the UN Erik Solheim said that the BRI has become the biggest driving force for global green development. As a new round of sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation continues to evolve, BRI partners have worked actively to carry out international cooperation in emerging areas such as the digital economy. The Digital Silk Road is becoming a digital bridge facilitating a new type of globalization, and the connotation of the BRI is being continuously enriched. Surakiart Sathirathai, former deputy prime minister of Thailand, said that Belt and Road cooperation has not only enhanced infrastructure connectivity, but also promoted people-to-people exchanges, cross-cultural communication and digital economy cooperation. It is conducive to building an open world economy and promoting global development and prosperity, he added. All parties are looking forward to the upcoming third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, to further plan high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and energize the building of a global community of development with a shared future. The forum is the top-level platform for international cooperation under the framework of the BRI, and an important platform for all partners to plan high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and share the benefits of mutually beneficial cooperation. After the previous two forums, relevant parties have established a series of multilateral dialogue and cooperation platforms under the framework of the BRI, which fully demonstrated the concept, mechanism and measures of Belt and Road cooperation. Cooperation opportunities will be further expanded with the forum. As a new decade of the BRI begins, the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will further consolidate international consensuses, draw a blueprint for cooperation, pave a wide path toward common development, and build bright prospects of green development, pushing for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) The Russian side, in terms of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense and other relevant departments, is in constant contact with all interested partners and is taking steps to resolve the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian foreign ministry, stated this at Tuesdays press briefing, when asked about what the Russian side was doing to end the tension around Nagorno-Karabakh and stop the humanitarian crisis there. According to her, in particular, Igor Khovaev, the Russian foreign ministers special representative for assisting the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, touched on this subject during his visit to Armenia last week, and these days he is in Azerbaijan, where his corresponding consultations with Azerbaijani colleagues are planned. "We [i.e. Russia] are acting in accordance with the 2020-2022 tripartite multifaceted agreements signed by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. We are in favor of humanitarian aid reaching the region unimpeded through the routes of Lachin and Aghdam, and we call to avoid unnecessary politicization of this issue," she said. "We cannot fail to mention that the European Union in this case, of course, has been like this before as well, shamelessly borrows the initiatives of the Russian side. Moreover, the results of the European Union's actions generally do not lead to the settlement of the situation. The political rhetoric that regularly appears, with some attempts to blame Russia, particularly by Yerevan, all of that is unacceptable because first of all it hits the people who need help, and in fact the question arises: such political statements which are made by a number of quite high-level figures in Yerevan, what is the need for all this rhetoric? To remove one's own responsibility? I don't want to think about it, but many analysts assume to make it difficult to solve the issue. It seems to me that everything necessary should be done now in order to improve the situation, to minimize people's suffering. I want to say once again that such statements which we regularly hear, especially in recent days from Yerevan, spoil the work and do not benefit the main task: helping people," Zakharova added. She is a library administrator whose research focuses on the impact of libraries. He is a clinical psychologist whose research focuses on attachment and the psychological well-being of children and their caregivers. They are Valeda F. Dent, vice provost of libraries and museum, and Geoff Goodman, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences in Emory University School of Medicine and associate professor of psychology and spiritual care in Candler School of Theology. The powerhouse duo, who joined Emory in 2022, are finding a fertile environment for expanding their long-term research collaboration of nearly 15 years. This year, the International Psychoanalytic Association recognized their early literacy intervention project, A Story Grows in Uganda, with the World Community Award in Education. In June, they shared this Fulbright Commission-funded research at the annual conference of the Society for Psychotherapy Research in Dublin, Ireland. A Story Grows in Uganda highlights library-based community engagement and accessibility as powerful tools for learning. It also holds the potential for collaboration with Emorys deep bench of peers, other interdisciplinary researchers, emerging scholars and students. A Story Grows in Uganda draws on the countrys storytelling tradition in combination with Dents research on library impact in Uganda and Goodmans interest in psychoanalytic theory coupled with his background working with parents and children. The project uses the psychoanalytically informed storytelling/story-acting (STSA) intervention to study school readiness, including emergent literacy, oral language and emotional literacy in preschool children. As part of a six-month STSA intervention conducted with preschool-age children and their caregivers at two rural community libraries, children generate stories during playtime at their local library. They report their stories to librarians, who then record and read the stories back to the children. After the creation of several stories, each young author chooses a few of their peers who will serve as actors. As librarians read the stories aloud, the children perform them. Because the intervention takes place in an extremely rural area with few modern resources, any interventions must be high impact and low cost. The libraries and schools have no indoor plumbing and no electricity, and access to health care and other social services is scarce. Dent and Goodmans data suggest the combination of narrative and play helps most children in Ugandas rural villages especially those who are the most vulnerable develop oral language skills that support literacy and school readiness. More broadly, it suggests early literacy interventions have the potential to improve Ugandas literacy rate, student success and future economic outlook in turn. Research roots in the past and future Research and scholarship are strong components of Dents professional life. A former university librarian and faculty member at St. Johns University, Long Island University and Rutgers University, Dent studies the impact of libraries in relation to chronic poverty and development. This interest developed out of personal experience. My mother was a librarian for more than 50 years. She and her colleagues were substantial influences on my life, Dent says. Our neighborhood library was many things to many people. It was a community center. Goodman, the author of seven books and more than 80 scholarly publications, has spent his academic life conducting attachment and psychotherapy process research with children and adults in treatment. Emorys deeply engaged research community and resources appealed to Dent and Goodman when they joined the university. Remembering an early conversation with Provost Ravi V. Bellamkonda and the hiring committee, Dent recalls the universitys enthusiasm for their research and valuing her continued academic inquiries alongside her leadership as vice provost. Dent and Goodman also study library impact as it relates to gender, familial and social roles, learning readiness, childrens artwork and self-representation, and caregiver mental health. It represents more than interdisciplinary scholarship its also the type of project Emory envisions as part of its AI.Humanity initiative. We've been thinking quite a bit about AI.Humanity and how to leverage new artificial intelligence technologies to advance our research, Dent says. Being in this space where there are a lot of different kinds of research happening has impacted how were thinking about the next stages of our work. In particular, Dent and Goodman are interested in how artificial intelligence may help them analyze large quantities of raw data that may not otherwise be explored. Dent and Goodman have thousands of childrens drawings from their study to analyze. To examine this vast repository of original artwork, they will need collaborators to design and train the AI technology. This is a potential project for the Center for AI Learning, which Dent and Goodman have discussed with Lance Waller, a biostatistician and member of the AI.Humanity Advisory Board, and Joe Sutherland, the centers inaugural director. The centers role is to help facilitate these conversations about how faculty can use AI to advance their scientific explorations, and were excited about having it as a resource, Dent says. Dent and Goodmans work to enhance literacy on a global scale easily falls within the mission of AI.Humanity at Emory, a place where students and faculty use artificial intelligence to benefit society. We want to connect deep patterns in the childrens drawings with program outcomes, thus validating drawings as an assessment tool for this work, Goodman says. Dent and Goodman hope to expand their work to include undergraduate and graduate students. This inclusion will offer experiential learning, a key component of the Student Flourishing initiative. Students will engage in real-world problem-solving through their analytical contributions to literacy and school readiness in the developing world. Ideally, we would take students from Emory College of Arts and Sciences including but not limited to African studies Candler School of Theology and Emory School of Medicine and train them to conduct culturally sensitive research on the continent, says Goodman. A worldwide initiative As Dent and Goodman establish roots in Atlanta, their STSA coordinator continues to run the intervention in Kabubbu, Uganda, where a new cohort of Ugandan preschoolers enrolled in May. With a recently-completed screenplay about his experiences in Uganda with the children, Goodman is confident that the next time they return, they will bring new perspectives, connections and partnerships they have gained as part of the Emory community. As soon as funding can be secured, we would like to return to continue our work, says Goodman. Get tickets now for SIUs Little Grassy Get Down music festival Oct. 6-8 by Christi Mathis CARBONDALE, Ill. The Little Grassy Get Down, a premier music festival, returns to Southern Illinois University Carbondales Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center Oct. 6-8 with an all-star lineup and activities for all ages. Last years inaugural festival was very well-received, and organizers say the 2023 musical lineup features some of the most popular original acoustic Americana performers in the Midwest, including the Vince Herman Band, The Woodbox Gang, Chicago Farmer and the Fieldnotes, The Burney Sisters, Chain Station, Taylor Steele and the Love Preachers, and many other notable artists. Family-style event The festival takes place at Touch of Natures beautiful outdoor setting along the Shawnee National Forest. Its about 8 miles south of Carbondale off Giant City Road and features assorted amenities and activities appealing to all ages. This is truly a family-style event, said Brian Croft, director of Touch of Nature. Children age 15 and younger get free admission with an adult, and were offering a wide variety of reasonably priced lodging accommodations and dining options. Croft said people of all ages will find plenty of things to see and do at the Get Down Festival. Weve really worked hard to make sure the average family can enjoy and afford this event, said promoter Bill Poss of Poss Music Works NFP. Participants can enjoy arts and crafts, Gruffalo story walks, the rock-climbing wall, the Bill Poss Kids show and other activities. Of course, visitors also can take advantage of the amenities Touch of Nature has to offer by taking a walk, exploring the hiking trails or trying out the 12 miles of multi-use mountain bike trails available for bikers, hikers and runners; bring your own bikes. Buy tickets early and save A limited number of one-day tickets and parking passes are available. In addition, those who purchase weekend passes, either for general admission or the VIP package, will save on costs. Advance ticket sales are available through Oct. 5. Find more information, including the ever-expanding musical lineup and the complete schedule of events, as well as tickets and lodging registration, on the Touch of Nature website. Or email ton@siu.edu or call 618-453-1121 with questions. SIUs Paul Simon Institute to host state Treasurer Michael Frerichs Sept. 12 CARBONDALE, Ill. Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs will join Southern Illinois University Carbondales Paul Simon Public Policy Institute on Tuesday, Sept. 12, for a discussion with SIU students and the public. Frerichs will discuss his career in politics and the work of the treasurers office with John Shaw, institute director. The conversation, which is part of the institutes Pizza and Politics series, is at noon at the institute, 1231 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale. While primarily aimed for students to engage in a free-flowing discussion on topics focused on policy issues and careers in politics, public service or advocacy, the series is open to all. Registration is required. Treasurer Frerichs has been a visible and accessible constitutional officer. He works hard to explain our states finances to the people of Illinois. He has also been creative in helping us learn how to better manage our personal finances, Shaw said. Frerichs was first elected Illinois treasurer in 2014 and re-elected in 2018 and 2022. In Illinois, the treasurer is the states chief investment and banking officer. The office invests money on behalf of the state and local units of government and manages more than $50 billion. Frerichs has been active in providing Illinoisans with financial skills so they can invest for themselves. He has encouraged saving plans for postsecondary education, promoted financial education and has reunited Illinois residents with their unclaimed property. A native of Gifford, Illinois, Frerichs graduated from Rantoul High School and Yale University. After spending two years in Taiwan, where he taught English to young students and learned to speak Chinese, Frerichs returned to Champaign County and launched his own technology business and served as a volunteer firefighter. He was elected to the Champaign County Board in 2000 and later elected Champaign County auditor. In 2006, Frerichs was elected Illinois state senator representing east central Illinois, where as chairman of the Higher Education Committee, he championed efforts to make college more affordable. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions for Frerichs on the registration form or email questions to paulsimoninstitute@siu.edu . Lists of the institutes upcoming events and past speakers and events are available. In a bid to restore 1 million hectare of land in the Eastern Himalayas, a massive forestation drive has been launched with an aim to plant over 1 billion trees. Balipara Foundation based in Assam in partnership with Conservation International has set in motion an ambitious reforestation and conservation initiative in the vast biodiversity-rich Eastern Himalayas. The initiative called Great People's Forest, inaugurated in the presence of G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant here on Saturday, has been taken as a part of Indias G20 presidency theme -- One Earth, One Family, One Future. By 2030, they seek to plant upwards of 1 billion trees and restore and protect 1 million hectares of land across the Eastern Himalayas, from the mountains to the mangrove spanning across the northeastern part of India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal through community participation. Union Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi also took part in the launch event and has appreciated the noble initiative. "All this is happening when India is hosting G20 and the theme is 'Vadudeva Kutumbkam' which the world is one big family and one earth-one future. Many countries have talked about climate change but I think it's time to put the action in order and I must speak on behalf of my country," Lekhi said. "The right action is the need of the hour...Preserving nature is our culture and our government's motto is 'Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi'. It is a time to give back to nature," she added. From the world's tallest mountains, two of India's most important rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra, the world's largest delta, and the globe's largest mangrove forest, the region is a vast store of biodiversity. The Great People's Forest is a partnership initiative between the Balipara Foundation and Conservation International. Through the Great People's Forest, we will be planting 1 billion trees across 1 million hectare in the Eastern Himalayas. Therefore, between northeast India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. This initiative will actually be an initiative for the 1 billion people who depend on water from the region and 240 million people who depend on the region and live in the region for their lives and livelihoods, Saurav Malhotra, CEO of Balipara Foundation told ANI on Monday evening. Asked how will Balipara Foundation collaborate with the neighbouring countries, to which Malhotra said they tied up with local partners to make the initiative fruitful. We have fantastic local partners in all the countries, all of whom are present here today. We have the biggest organizations from all the countries, and these organizations have been working with their governments in their countries for the last one to five decades. And it is through these partnerships that we will leverage the power of collaboration and expand the work that these great organizations do already, he said. Balipara Foundation is focused on a community-based approach to conservation. According to its website, the foundation embarked on an ambitious journey to restore forests across Assam, stretching from Udalguri district all the way to Sonitpur, along the Arunachal Pradesh - Assam - Bhutan border. Malhotra was also asked how his foundation was galvanizing the communities and how it is raising the resources. He said, I think communities come together when they believe in it. Communities in the region now know that nature for them is important and that if they don't take the nature that their lives depend on, that life might become impossible. What we have to do and why we are here today is to tell the story of the region to the rest of the worldWe talk about the Amazon, we talk about the Congo but we have to begin to tell the story of the (Eastern Himalayas) region to the world so we can galvanize support. They aim to raise USD 1 billion dollars to support this work from public, private, and other philanthropic sources. Eastern Himalayas is also a region of vital significance to humanity, home to some of the most densely populated areas on earth with a billion relying directly on its land and water for their livelihoods and survival. It is feared that a third of the glaciers of the Eastern Himalayas could be lost by 2050 as a result of climate change. (ANI) ATK New Delhi [India], September 5: ZEX PR WIRE, a leading name in the realm of public relations and media outreach, is thrilled to unveil a game-changing opportunity for participants of Token 2049 Singapore Edition, scheduled for September 2023. In a strategic move to bolster the visibility and impact of delegates, exhibitors, and sponsors, ZEX PR WIRE is offering a FREE PR Campaign to the FIRST 100 individuals or entities to join this unique initiative. Come meet us at Booth M19 Token 2049 Singapore Edition, a highly anticipated event in the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, is set to gather industry leaders, innovators, and experts under one roof. ZEX PR WIRE recognizes the significance of this event and aims to empower the early birds with an exclusive chance to make their presence felt on a global scale. The FREE PR Campaign from ZEX PR WIRE promises to provide an unparalleled opportunity for participants to magnify their voice in the crypto and blockchain space. Whether unveiling revolutionary products, sharing groundbreaking insights, or forming vital connections, this PR Campaign is designed to ensure that the message reaches the right audience at the right time. How to Participate: 1. Register from the official email id at www.zexprwire.com, and fill the form. The free PR will be added to your account before Token 2049 Singapore Edition. 2. Dont forget to follow ZEX PR WIRE on Social Media to get more exciting deals like this. ZEX PR WIRE's Social Media Channels: - Instagram: @zexprwire - Facebook: ZEX PR WIRE - Twitter: @zexprwire - LinkedIn: ZEX PR WIRE 3. Stay Tuned for Redemption Details: Once registered at ZEX PR WIRE and following ZEX PR WIRE on the aforementioned social media platforms, participants will receive FREE PR Credits in their registered account before the event after filling up the form. Form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1i7-_JlAQzW1CtaKXsZohLywrJAhbK1D3rYHpTzB_YSM/edit ZEX PR WIRE believes that the future of the crypto and blockchain industry is shaped by those who take the lead, and this initiative aims to empower the first 100 pioneers to seize the spotlight and set the stage for the event. The campaign is expected to generate massive buzz and drive unparalleled attention to the participants. ZEX PR WIRE is a renowned name in the realm of public relations and media outreach, offering expert services to help clients amplify their message and achieve their goals. With a track record of success and a deep understanding of the dynamic media landscape, ZEX PR WIRE is committed to shaping narratives and driving impactful communication. For more information about ZEX PR WIRE and the FREE PR Campaign for Token 2049 Singapore Edition, please visit [www.zexprwire.com] or contact: Media Contact: ZEX PR WIRE Editorial/Public Relation: ag@zexprwire.com Business/Offers: saurabh@zexpwire.com For Partnership: info@zexpwire.com (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) BusinessWire India Pune (Maharashtra) [India], September 5: Aptiv, a global technology company, today announced the grand opening of a new state-of-the-art facility for its Technical Center in Pune, India. With a focus on developing safer, greener and more connected mobility solutions, the Aptiv Technical Center will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of mobility in India and around the world."India is a thriving economy with great growth potential and a highly skilled talent pool, making it an attractive market for expansion and investment, said Mattias Carlsson, Vice President, Global Engineering, Connection Systems & Electrical Distribution Systems, Aptiv. The new Technical Center in Pune demonstrates Aptiv's commitment to expanding its footprint in India. With our enhanced manufacturing, engineering, and technological capabilities, we are serving leading OEMs in India and playing a key role in fulfilling the growing business needs of our global customers," he added.Aptiv employees joined global and regional leadership to inaugurate the Aptiv Technical Center, Pune, celebrating the 66,572 square-foot facility at Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park Phase-1, Hinjewadi- Pune. With hundreds of engineers currently focused on developing innovative engineering solutions, the growing team oversees every facet of the product development journey, utilizing cutting-edge mechanical, system, and component design and simulation and product verification capabilities. With a strong dedication to research and development, the Aptiv Technical Center, Pune, will be a marquee Engineering Center of Excellence in the region.Amitabh Mathur, President and Managing Director, Aptiv India & ASEAN, added, "It is exciting to see the continued growth of Aptiv India in the Asia Pacific region and the vital player we have become in the global automotive industry landscape since establishing our presence in India nearly three decades ago. The new facility brings together Aptiv's broad range of technology, innovation, and capabilities in a modern environment strategically designed to accommodate the needs of its future workforce."Aptiv is dedicated to cultivating a welcoming workplace at the Pune Technical Center that embraces diverse perspectives and empowers our employees with cutting-edge resources to accelerate innovation, facilitate development, and optimize execution.Aptiv's Technical Center in Pune is strategically located, offering seamless connectivity to corporate hubs while aligning seamlessly with Aptiv's global commitment to sustainability and carbon neutrality. To learn more, visitwww.aptiv.com. (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) For Rs 299 and Rs 749 Jio plans, users will get additional data to the tune of 7 GB and 14 GB, respectively as special benefits. For Rs 2,999, users will be entitled to an additional 21 GB of data along with Rs 200 off on AJIO, 20 per cent off on Netmeds (upto Rs 800), Rs 100 off on Swiggy, 10 per cent off on Reliance Digital, among others. The only catch is that the offer period for the recharge is during September 5-30. Once recharged, extra benefits shall be credited to the eligible customers MyJio account immediately. Extra data will be credited as a data voucher in MyJio app, and users will have to redeem the voucher from it. Speaking about Jios mobile network during the Annual General Meeting held on August 28, Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani said the per-user per month data consumption on its network is 25 GB. On Jio 5G services, he apprised it is now available across 96 per cent of census towns and is on track to cover the entire country, as was planned, by December 2023. Notably, telecom service providers in India started providing high-speed 5G services in the country in October 2022. Jios overall customer base has now crossed the milestone of 45 crore. (ANI) Ahead of the release of his action thriller film Jawan, superstar Shah Rukh Khan, along with his daughter Suhana Khan and co-actor Nayanthara, offered prayers at the famous Sri Venkateshwara Swamy temple in Tirupati on Tuesday early morning. Several pictures and videos of the Chak De India actor went viral on social media in which he could be seen in a traditional white outfit, whereas his daughter Suhana wore a white suit. SRK arrived in Tirupati in the early hours of Tuesday. Meanwhile, on the work front, the DDLJ actor is currently busy promoting his upcoming action thriller film Jawan. Recently, the makers unveiled the trailer of the movie which made the fans go gaga over the Shah Rukhs looks and dialogues. The trailer showedSRKhijacking a train and operating a team of six women as they pulled off different heists around the country. Seems likeSRKis playing a double role in the film as he was spotted acing different avatars. Nayanthara plays a cop tasked with tracking down the vigilante. In the trailer, we can also see her romancingSRK. Clearly, the makers have kept plot details under wraps. Antagonist Vijay Sethupathi's glimpses in the trailer amped up the audience's curiosity for sure. Deepika Padukone, Sanya Malhotra, Sunil Grover and Ridhi Dogra are also featured in the trailer which is packed with some jaw-dropping action scenes. The trailer promises a mass entertainer with seeti-maar dialogues. Bete ko haath lagane se pehle baap se baat kar (Before touching the son, talk to his father)," this dialogue of SRK in the trailer sure gave a hint at what filmy surprise SRK has in store for moviegoers. The film is all set to hit the cinemas on September 7. Suhana, on the other hand, will be making her acting debut soon with the upcoming film The Archies which will stream on the OTT platform Netflix from December 7. The Archies is helmed by Zoya Akhtar. (ANI) Amid the ongoing controversy over using 'Bharat' instead of 'India',legendary actor Amitabh Bachchans latest tweet has caught the eyeballs of all the fans. On Tuesday, taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), Amitabh wrote in Hindi, Bharat Mata Ki Jai. https://twitter.com/SrBachchan/status/1698964894383825216 As his tweet came during the India-Bharat row, it seems like Big B has just showcased his support in favour of India's name change. Soon after Amitabh shared the tweet, several fans lauded the actor for his support. Earlier in the day, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh also claimed that Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'. Ramesh accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of distorting history and dividing India and said the objective of parties in the INDIA bloc is also "BHARAT - Bring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation And Trust." So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. But now even this Union of States is under assault, Ramesh said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Mr Modi can continue to distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States. But we will not be deterred. After all, what is the objective of INDIA parties? It is BHARATBring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation And Trust. Judega BHARAT Jeetega INDIA! he added. Meanwhile, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar also lashed out at Congress and said that the country was Bharat and will always remain Bharat. "They have a problem with everything and I do not want to say anything for them. I am a 'Bharatwaasi', the name of my country was 'Bharat' and will remain 'Bharat' always. If Congress has a problem with this, they should find a cure for it themselves," the Union Minister said while speaking to ANI. Apart from it, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Harnath Singh Yadav said the entire country is demanding that the word 'Bharat' should be used instead of 'India'. The word 'India' is an abuse given to us by the British whereas the word 'Bharat' is a symbol of our culture...I want there should be a change in our Constitution and the word 'Bharat' should be added to it," he said. (ANI) The arrested accused have been identified as Vishnu and Saroj. "The names of Vishnu and Sanoj are among the arrested accused. Accused Vishnu is a resident of Agra and was currently living in Sanjay Enclave, Faridabad. The accused Sanoj is a resident of Parvatiya Colony," Sube Singh, a Police spokesperson said. According to officials, the incident took place on Sunday night. The victim had come to the Town Park, in Sector 12 for a walk at around 8 pm. She took an auto-rickshaw from the town park to her home at around 9.45 pm. There were no other passengers when she boarded the auto-rickshaw. After riding for about 100 meters, the auto driver made two men sit in the vehicle and they took her to bushes near the canal crossing area and raped her. The woman somehow managed to free herself from their clutches and ran away. She later took someone's phone and informed the police and her family members. She was taken to a nearby police station and a case under relevant sections of the IPC was registeredagainst the accused. On the basis of the complaint, CCTV footage and information from secret sources, the Crime Branch police arrested two of the accused, and a hunt for the third accused was on. Police were further looking into the case. (ANI) Assam Police on Monday arrested two more officers including one Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and an Assam Police Service (APS) officer of Bajali district in connection with an extortion case, officials said. According to Pranab Jyoti Goswami, CPRO of Assam police, the arrested police officers have been identified as Shiddhartha Buragohain, IPS, the then Superintendent of Police of Bajali district and Pushkal Gogoi, APS, the then Deputy Superintendent of Police (HQ). "Both the arrested police are being forwarded to the court and taken on police remands for further investigation," CPRO Goswami added. A senior official of Assam police said that reference CID police station case registered under Section 120(B)/341/342/448/294/323/307/379/387/427/506 IPC, R/W Section 98(A)/99(3)(4)(5)(6) Assam Police Act, 2007, two more accused of the case have been arrested and taking the total arrest in case to 9. Earlier on Sunday and Saturday, police arrested seven persons including the then Additional Superintendent of Police of Bajali district in connection with a case for allegedly demanding money from a businessman allegedly involved in illegal trade. "The arrested persons have been identified as Kishor Baruah, Subhas Chander, the husband of the then Additional SP Bajali and Gayatri Sonowal, the then Additional SP of Bajali and they were taken on police remand, Pranab Jyoti Goswami, CPRO of Assam police said. Earlier on Saturday, police arrested four police personnel identified as home guard (driver) Nabir Ahmed, Dipjoy Kalita, Injamamul Hassan and SI(P) Debajit Giri and they have been taken on 5 days police remand. Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said, "The then Additional SP of Bajali has also been arrested in connection with the case." The CID is also interrogating the Superintendent of Police. If the CID gets evidence of involvement of the SP in this case, then the CID will definitely arrest the SP. The police investigation will continue. We will not spare anyone who is involved in this case, the Assam CM said. Earlier, Assam DGP GP Singh took to X (Twitter) and said, "Assam Police headquarters had received a complaint of demand for money by some police officers of Bajali police in the first week of August. The Directorate of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption was directed to lay a trap but couldnt succeed since police officers were alert. However, the complaint was found to be prima facie true. On the basis of this, a criminal case has been registered on August 31 at Assam CID." Seven persons have been brought to CID PS for further necessary action. He further said, "The five detained police officers were Puskal Gogoi, DySP (HQ), Bajali, SI Anup Jyoti Patiri, O/C, Patacharkuchi police station, SI (P) Debajit Giri, i/c Bhawanipur OP under Patacharkuchi PS, ASI Sasanka Das of Patacharkuchi PS, ABC Injamamul Hassan, PSO of Gayatri Sonowal, the then Addl SP (HQ), Bajali. The drivers involved are Deepjoy Roy and Nabir Ahmed. Further lawful action is being taken. (ANI) Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and state Congress chief Kamal Nath on Tuesday slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah for not speaking on the vandalization of the Hanuman idol in Gujarat's Botad earlier this week. "Home Minister Amit Shah is arriving for an election tour in Madhya Pradesh today (Tuesday), the worship day of Lord Bajrangbali. The idol of Lord Bajrangbali was vandalized in the Botad district of Gujarat. The Deity of God has been smeared with soot. This is the same Hanuman temple that you inaugurated in April. Four days have passed since the incident, but till now you have not uttered a word from your mouth," posted Kamal Nath on X. The former MP Chief Minister further questioned Amit Shah and the BJP and said, "Being a Hanuman devotee I ask you, After all, what is the selfishness, for which you and your party are keeping silent on such a big insult to faith." "When the controversy was arising due to the wrong portrayal of Hanuman ji, why did the BJP government not act in time? Is the BJP government of the state not responsible for the insult of Hanuman ji? After failing to protect the statue of Bajrangbali, who blesses the whole world, with what mouth are you seeking election blessings from the people of Madhya Pradesh," he questioned further. "Due to this anti-religious behaviour, the people of Madhya Pradesh are not planning for public blessings but for public condemnation," said Kamal Nath further. Earlier on September 2, a controversy erupted over a 'mural' showing Lord Hanuman bowing down to Sahajanand Swami of the Swami Narayan sect, in the Kashtabhanjan Hanuman Temple at Salangpur in Gujarat. Strongly opposing the depiction, Mahant and Maha Madleshwar of Bhimnath Mahadev temple, Ashutosh Giri Bapu called for the immediate removal of the mural from the temple premises. In view of the objection to the mural, 100 saints will hold a meeting in Libdi in the upcoming days, and a gathering of 3000 saints is further planned in the Bhimnath temple. The Mahant said, "We expect the 'Swaminarayan sect' to use proper depictions, otherwise we know how to do it very well." He further said if needed 5000 saints and sages would gather in the temple, and indulge in activities, including fasting. The temple comes under the Vadtal Gadi of the Swaminarayan sect. (ANI) With just some days left for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, Surat city is all set to welcome the deity of prosperity- Lord Ganesha. "There are still 15 days left for Ganesh Chaturthi but Gujarat's Surat has already started gearing up for the festival," Shakti Group Organizer Surat City Ravi Kharadi told ANI on Monday. People bring the idol of Lord Ganesha to a pandal where the idol of the deity is decorated. More than fifty thousand idols are installed during the Ganesh Utsav in Surat, he added. "The idol of Vighnaharta Dev Ganesh arrived in Surat late on Monday night. Thousands of people gathered to welcome Bappa in the Ganesh Arrival Yatra organized by Shakti Group," hesaid. A special Nashik Dhol group was called, and along with that people came to the yatra dressed up in the forms of Lord Krishna, Radhaji, Hanumanji, Mahakaal, and Maa Kalika, saidKharadi. Thousands of people gathered to welcome Ganpati Bappa in the Adajan area of the city on Monday night with great enthusiasm and danced and sang, he added. People worship Lord Ganesha with great faith for 10 days. With only a couple of days left for the occasion the preparations in the city are in full swing, added Kharadi. The Ganesh Chaturthi festival, which falls in the Bhadrapada month of the Hindu calendar, marks the birthday of Lord Ganesha, son of Shiva and Parvati. Also known as Vinayak Chaturthi or Ganeshotsav, the festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha's clay idols privately in homes and publicly on elaborate pandals (temporary stage). The 10-day festival ends when the idol is carried in a public procession with music and group chanting, then immersed in a nearby body of water such as a river or sea, called visarjan on the day of Anant Chaturdashi. The festival celebrates Ganesha as the God of New Beginnings and the Remover of Obstacles as well as the god of wisdom and intelligence. This year the Ganesh Chaturthi festival will begin on September 19 and will continue for ten days until September 29. (ANI) Reiterating the death warning against Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin over his "eradicate Sanatan Dharma" remark, Ayodhya Seer Paramhans Acharya on Tuesday said that "if required, I myself will behead MK Stalin's son, and I will also increase the bounty of Rs 10 crore if that is not enough for beheading him." "I would like to tell him to first read the history of Sanatan Dharma and then comment against it. He should apologise for whatever he has said against our Sanatan Dharma, and if he does not apologise, no matter if he is the son of a chief minister, he will get the punishment. If his head doesn't get beheaded, I will increase the bounty; if at all required, I will myself behead him, Paramhans Acharya said, adding, "Whatever development has taken place in the country is because of 'Sanatana Dharma'. He should apologise for his statement. He has hurt the sentiments of 100 crore people in the country." On Monday, Paramhans Acharya announced a reward of Rs 10 crore for beheading the DMK leader over his remarks against 'Sanatan Dharma. "I will pay a Rs 10 crore cash reward to anyone who beheads Stalin and brings his head to me," he said. Responding to Paramhans Acharya's statement, Udhayanidhi said that he is not afraid of such statements and that he is on the path of his grandfather Karunanidhi, who had also received similar death threats. He further went on to say that after making that remark at the conference, he already knew a lot of reactions would come from people, and now it is happening. "You all know what has been happening for the last two days in Tamil Nadu. It's that one word, all speaking mostly, Sanatan Dharma, not only in Tamil Nadu but all over India, people are talking about me." Udhayandhi, said while speaking to the media. "In Chennai, the day before yesterday, a conference was held that was named the Sanatan Dharma Eradication Conference. What I said in it is, that Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated like we eradicate mosquitoes, malaria, dengue, cholera, and COVID. In that stage itself, I said that what I said now would make many people's stomachs burn. What I said has been done." "From Amit Shah to Nadda, all are speaking about Udayanidhi now. A complaint has been registered to arrest me all over India. Today a saint has set a prize for my head. He has said that whoever chops off Udayanidhi's head will be rewarded with 10 crore rupees. Whoever says this is a saint I am asking, What's the affection for you on my head? You are a saint; how can you have 1 crore rupees? Are you a real saint or a duplicate saint? I have doubts about you. Why 10 crore to chop my head? If you give me 10 rupees for a comb, I myself can comb my hair," he said. "The same situation happened to Karunanidhi too, where a saint said before that if someone chops off Karunanidhi's head, he will be rewarded one crore rupees. Karunanidhi said that even if you give 100 crores, I can't even comb my hair. I am on the path of Karunanidhi and Ambedkar. Periyar, Anbazhagan, and our leader (Stalin) who struggles till now to eradicate Sanatan Dharma, and till that, the DMK will struggle," he added. Udhayanidhi's statement at the 'Sanatana Abolition Conference' has sparked massive outrage across the nation. Several leaders and people have strongly criticised him for making such a statement and have even asked for an apology from the INDIA bloc as DMK part is a member of the INDIA alliance. Meanwhile, Uddhayanidhi on Monday said that he is ready to say whatever he has said about Santan Dharma again and again. (ANI) According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), CM Dhami paid his respects and offered floral tributes to the late President of India at the Chief Minister's residence in Dehradun. The Chief Minister also extended his heartiest greetings to all the educationists on 'Teacher's Day' who have played an invaluable role in building the nation and society, said the CMO. Radhakrishnan was born as Sarvepalli Radhakrishnayya into a Telugu-speaking family of Sarvepalli Veeraswami and Sithamma. He was the second born of three siblings in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu. After Radhakrishnan became the President of India, some of his students and friends requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday, on 5 September. His birthday has since been celebrated as Teacher's Day in India. A philosopher-author and India's second President, he was born on September 5, 1888. His contribution to the field of education is exemplary. The tradition to celebrate Teachers' Day began in 1962 to honour the former president and all the teachers across the country. (ANI) Stating that Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India', Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the Article 1 in the Constitution can read Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States and accused the government of assaulting the idea of Union of States. BJP leaders hailed the use of Bharat. Ramesh accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of distorting history and dividing India and said the objective of parties in the INDIA bloc is also "BHARAT - Bring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation" So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. But now even this Union of States is under assault, Ramesh said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Mr. Modi can continue to distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States. But we will not be deterred. After all, what is the objective of INDIA parties? It is BHARATBring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation And Trust. Judega BHARAT Jeetega INDIA! he added. BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav said the entire country is demanding that the word 'Bharat' should be used instead of 'India'. The word 'India' is an abuse given to us by the British whereas the word 'Bharat' is a symbol of our culture...I want there should be a change in our Constitution and the word 'Bharat' should be added to it," he said. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hailed the Republic of Bharat. REPUBLIC OF BHARAT - happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL, he said in a tweet. The G20 Summit will be held in Delhi on September 9 and 10. (ANI) According to the officials, the security has been deployed as a precautionary move as Khalistani elements had threatened to deface properties in the area. The Delhi Police have also started conducting vehicle checking at various locations across the national capital in view of the upcoming G20 summit. Surprise checks were conducted at India Gate and other parts of the city between Monday night and early hours on Tuesday. Police personnel were seen conducting thorough inspections by halting vehicles. Earlier, in the previous week, suspected activists of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a front for the separatist Khalistan Group, defaced several metro stations with pro-Khalistan slogans, fuelling security concerns ahead of the G20 Summit. After this, two persons from Punjab were detained in connection with pro-Khalistan graffiti and slogans painted at more than 5 metro stations in Delhi on August 27, officials said. Meanwhile, all the government officials are on alert mode as the G20 week commenced, considering a warning circulated earlier from a designated wing of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) from any "misleading, fake and counterfeit" emails being circulated by ill elements. The 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. A G20 Leaders declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the G20 Summit, stating Leaders commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings. (ANI) Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said that G20 Digital Economy Ministers reached a ground-breaking consensus under Indias Presidency on how to effectively shape digital public infrastructure (DPI) of the future. Addressing a press conference here on the outcomes of the meeting, he said that consensus between nations focused broadly on three key areas Digital Public Infrastructure, cybersecurity and digital skills. "I want to brief you on one area where the G20 presidency of India has spent a lot of time in talking and gaining wide acceptance, which is the issue of technology and the ongoing growth and the expansion of digital economy...There has been awareness building and consensus around three topics that were on the agenda of the Digital Economy Minister's meeting. The first one is Digital Public Infrastructure, the second is cyber security in the digital economy and the third is digital skills," the minister said. India has entered into eight Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) - with Armenia, Sierra Leone, Suriname, Antigua, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Papua New Guinea, and Mauritius offering them the India Stack and DPI at no cost and with open-source access. These nations now have the opportunity to adopt and utilize these resources within their borders, further developing their unique innovation ecosystems. The minister said India is now a case study, as a nation that employed and deployed technological tools for progress and growth. Countries that have lagged behind increasingly see this as a way to follow Indias lead in DPIs, an open-source digital infrastructure, and using it to create the same impact that India has. Through these G20 conversations, we have further understood how DPIs are a powerful mechanism for inclusion, especially for countries in the global south, the Minister said. Apart from DPIs, the minister spoke about how nations have prioritized cybersecurity as well emphasizing its importance for a fast-paced growing economy. On cybersecurity, the G20 digital economy ministers have had wide-ranging discussions on why it is important for businesses to be protected. Cybersecurity is an important issue for all countries in the world because the digital economy is becoming an increasingly larger component of economic progress and the global economy, he said. The third point of consensus was digital skills. The Minister said that in a post-COVID digital world, it is necessary for nations to ensure that digital skills are taught and nurtured among the youth. Digital skills are increasingly needed in this post-COVID digital world. Indias talents are focused on creating digital skills for our youth. This is something that has resonated during this discussion. Many countries are interested in partnering with each other and with India to create digital-ready, future-ready skill talent to deal with the ongoing challenges in the coming techade, the minister said. He said in the post-Covid increasingly digital world, Indias focus is on creating digital skills for youth. For the first time ever there has been a global consensus on Digital Public Infrastructures and this exciting conversation has gained momentum in the context of Indias G20 Presidency. There has been agreement on digital public infrastructure, cyber security, and importance of digital skills," he said. (ANI) Hitting out at former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath over his Jan Mafi Yatra remark against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said that Congress 'Mohabbat ki Dukan only has 'hate stuff' in it. "No matter how many guarantees or 'Yatras' Congress or Kamal Nath ji may take out, their 'Mohabbat Ki Dukan' only has 'Nafrat Ka Saman'," Scindia told reporters on Tuesday. He further said, It will end before it begins, whatever guarantees or Yatras. Union Home Minister Amit Shah took a swipe at the previous Congress government in Madhya Pradesh, accusing it of doing corruption during its tenure under former chief minister Kamal Nath. "More than 51 poor welfare schemes were closed by this Corruption Nath...CMO became the money collection office. Congress Working Committee became a 'Corruption Working Committee'..." Shah said while addressing a public rally in Madhya Pradeshs Mandla. Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and state Congress chief Kamal Nath on Saturday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over taking out Jan Ashirwad Yatra in the state and said that they (BJP) should take out Jan Mafi Yatra. They (BJP) should take out a Jan Mafi Yatra. The public is making fun of them (BJP) because of these yatras (Jan Ashirwad Yatra). Those who should be apologising are seeking blessings today. His (CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan) announcement machine is running at double speed these days because elections are near and now everyone knows about his announcements very well, Nath said. Amit Shah on Tuesday flagged off the BJPs Jan Ashirwad Yatra. The BJP is taking out the yatras, a mass-contact programme, from five different places in Madhya Pradesh, where the assembly polls are due this year-end. These yatras will culminate on September 25 in the state capital Bhopal with a Karyakarta Mahakumbh. (ANI) The meeting began at the residence of Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury including other important arrived at 10, Janpath to attend the meeting. Earlier Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday called for a meeting of the partys Parliamentary Strategy group. Sonia Gandhiwas discharged from the hospital on Monday. She was admitted to Delhi's Sir Gangaram Hospital with symptoms of mild fever on Sunday. As per the information, there would be a discussion on the partys plan to tackle questions and issues likely to be raised in the Parliament Session. Congresspresident Mallikarjun Kharge also called a meeting of MPs of the INDIA alliance to discuss the strategy for the special parliamentary session. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday informed about the five-day special session of Parliament from September 18-22. The agenda for the special session, however, was not revealed yet. The Centre on Saturday constituted an eight-member committee to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections in the country. The members of the committee, apart from former President Kovind, include Union Home Minister Amit Shah; Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury; former Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad; former Finance Commission chairman NK Singh, former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash C Kashyap, senior advocate Harish Salve and former chief vigilance commissioner Sanjay Kothari. The Monsoon Session of Parliament, which concluded last month, was held in the old Parliament building. The announcement of the Special Session came as a surprise in political circles with the parties gearing up for assembly polls in five states later this year. The winter session of Parliament usually begins in the last week of November. (ANI) Brig Suresh Kumar Sheoran, DIG, ARTC&S received the prestigious Union Home Ministers Trophy during the function held at the Bureau of Police Research & Development Headquarters, New Delhi on Tuesday. Every year Ministry of Home Affairs conducts a National level screening and survey of various Central Police Training Institutes and adjudges the best training institute. The Assam Rifles Training Centre & School has consistently demonstrated commitment to excellence in the training and development of its soldiers and the award is a testament to their efforts. The institute has been recognised for its comprehensive training programs, experienced and dedicated faculty, innovativeness, and state-of-the-art infrastructure. The Union Home Minister Trophy aims to promote excellence in the training and development of soldiers. The award not only recognizes the achievements of the institute but also has set higher standards for other training institutes all over the country for the training of soldiers. (ANI) Himachal Pradesh Governor, Shiv Pratap Shukla, conferred State Awards to 14 teachers, while two others were awarded with National Awards on the occasion of Teachers Day at a function held at Raj Bhavan, a statement informed. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has termed the next 25 years as 'Amrit Kaal', adding that during this period, "we should contribute to the development of the country in some way or the other." He said that only teachers play a pivotal role in shaping and enabling the future generation to contribute towards nation-building. The Governor paid rich tributes to the late S Radhakrishnan, former President of India, whose birth anniversary is celebrated as Teachers Day throughout the country. Expressing concern, he said that today many youth were in the grip of drugs, which was a matter of concern for the future of the country. There was a need to start a strong campaign against drugs he said, adding, "that students of schools, colleges and other educational institutions should be made aware about the ill effects of drugs." Teachers could play an important role in teaching the students about the ill effects of drugs and make an important contribution to the entire society, said the Himachal Governor. He said that the Government of India has implemented the National Education Policy in the country after 34 years. "In the current context, this new National Education Policy 2020, which provides affordable education to all and has many merits, but its implementation is also challenging. It is important to understand its broader aspects and implement it and the onus lies more with the teachers, said Shukla. Earlier in the day, Education Minister Rohit Thakur said that the State Government was committed to the development of the education sector, saying there has been unprecedented development in the field of education. "In 1947, the literacy rate of the State was only eight per cent, which has increased to more than 88 per cent today. Today, there are 140 colleges in the State. The number of schools, colleges and universities were quite large and school facilities were available even in the last corner of the state where our teachers were serving," he added. (ANI) The Court of Additional Sessions Judge in Kupwara on Tuesday sentenced two individuals involved in a narcotics smuggling case to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, along with a Rs 2.0 lakh fine for each of the two accused. The convicted individuals, Syed Ishfaq Shah and Khursheed Ahmad Gojar, both residents of Jabdi Karnah, were arrested following the discovery of 15 kilograms of brown sugar in their possession, said police. Further investigation conclusively established that the duo intended to transport the narcotics consignment from Karnah to Punjab. Additionally, it was proven that both smugglers had procured the narcotics consignment from across the Line of Control (LOC) through Bashir Ahmad, who is presently settled in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) and is known to be a cousin of Khursheed Ahmed. Inspector Wasim Ahmad Badoo, the then SHO of Police Station Karnah, led the thorough investigation of this case. The legal battle was fought by Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) Dar Rashid on behalf of the State of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The case was expedited and heard on a fast-track basis, with the Pairvi cells, established under the guidance of the Police Headquarters, ensuring the timely presence of witnesses and their testimonies. According to the police, this significant judgment underscored the unwavering commitment of the criminal justice system to combat narcotics smuggling and uphold the law. The exemplary teamwork exhibited by the investigative agencies and the legal counsel played a crucial role in bringing these narcotics smugglers to justice, the police added. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Road Transport Corporation has decided to limit bus operations through various routes to Delhi from September 7-10 due to the G20 Summit to be held in the national capital. The G20 Summit is scheduled to be held on September 9 and 10 in Delhi following which normal traffic will be affected due to diversion and restrictions on entry on various routes. In this regard, a letter has been written by the Regional Manager of Ghaziabad, UPRTC to the Assistant Regional Managers in Khurja, Bulandshahr, Secunderabad, Hapur, Loni, Sahibabad, Kaushambi, Ghaziabad, Anand Vihar and Kashmiri Gate Delhi. It has been said in the letter that during this period, there is a possibility of impact on the services coming and going especially towards Loni Border and Delhi Kashmir Gate. "In such a situation, everyone is directed to keep in touch with the local district administration and police by limiting the movement towards Delhi through various routes and keep monitoring the advisories issued from time to time by the district administration and police through various mediums, so that normal traffic should not be affected and the buses of the Transport Corporation should continue to operate effectively," the letter stated. It has also been said that in this regard, necessary guidelines should be issued to our drivers and conductors through counselling and through notice boards. In view of the upcoming G-20 Summit,Delhi Traffic Police has issued a detailed traffic advisory for guiding commuters during the G-20 Summit. Alternative routes and modes of transport have been suggested for seamless connectivity throughout Delhi. (ANI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday expressed his concern over the increasing number of human-wild animal conflicts in the State and instructed the forest officials to adopt scientific measures to control the animals from entering the villages. He was speaking at the meeting held today regarding human-wild animal conflict with the Forest Minister and senior officers of the department. The CM expressed his concern over the death of 11 people in 15 days due to elephant attacks and the death of a 10-year-old boy named Krishna Naik in Kallahatti village, HD Kote taluk. He instructed forest officers to keep a strict vigil so that such incidents do not recur and directed them to identify and clear huge encroachments of forest land. Expressing his dissatisfaction over the death of sharpshooter Venkatesh, who was hired to tranquillize an elephant, the CM questioned if precautionary measures were taken to treat the injured elephant. He also directed officials to issue a show cause notice to DFO, Hassan. Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre explained that this year, Rs 100 crore has been allocated to build rail fences to keep elephants away from entering human habitats. Out of this amount Rs 54 crore has to be paid for last years balance and a 50 Km fence can be built from the remaining amount and requested for additional funds.The CM immediately responded and asked him to spend Rs 100 crore along with Rs 54 crore. ACS, Forest Department Jawed Akhtar, Secretary to CM N Jayaram and other senior officials were present in the meeting. (ANI) In the run-up to the third edition of the Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS) 2023, the Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said that India is on the cusp of a new era in its maritime sector and that the country is beginning a journey of progress through technological advancements and infrastructure enhancement for a welcoming business environment. The event gathered eminent minds and industry leaders, igniting discussions around key opportunities, innovation, and the roadmap towards a sustainable future for the Indian Maritime industry. "These roadshows exemplify our commitment to fostering linkages and collaboration in order to advance the Indian Maritime Industry. The Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision and establishing GMIS 2023 as a hub driving growth while supporting our Government's broad goals are essential to our transformational journey towards maritime excellence," Sonowal said. "India is strengthening its position as a global centre for the blue economy, taking the lead in crafting the next phase of South Asia's maritime history. This roadshow highlights both our shared cultural ties and our commitment as a group to make a substantial regional impact," the Minister added. Shantanu Thakur, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India conveyed his perspective on the summit's objectives, highlighting, "Today's event mirrors our nation's collective maritime aspirations, underlining Bhubaneswar's pivotal role in this united voyage." He also added "Maritime India sets sail towards a transformative future with the ambitious Vision 2030! From record-breaking cargo traffic and port capacity growth to cutting-edge legislative reforms, India's maritime sector charts a course for international excellence. With increased autonomy and global best practices, we're making waves in ease of doing business. The world takes note as India's Maritime prowess continues to surge, contributing 12% to global seafarers and fostering port-led industrialization. This is just the beginning of ourmaritime journey!" He further emphasized on strategic importance of promoting maritime development and connectivity in a region like Bhubaneswar, which holds both historical maritime significance and considerable economic promise. The event brought together industry experts and government officials, fostering dynamic discussions on crucial opportunities within the Indian Maritime sector. (ANI) Delhi Police Commissioner, Sanjay Arora, has written a letter to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Managing Director, Vikas Kumar, requesting him to start Metro services in the national capital from 4:00 am on September 8, 9 and 10 as it will help in the commute of police personnel involved in security arrangements during the G20 summit. "In view of the traffic restrictions in the venue-affected areas, primarily NDMC and South West District areas being put in place, the police and other support staff will be greatly facilitated if the Metro Services on 08th, 09th and 10th can begin from about 0400 hrs. this will enable hassle-free travel of staff and timely reporting at the two prime venues i.e. IECC/ITPO and Rajghat," the letter read. "Since the arrangements at the Summit Venue I.e., IECC, ITPO and Rajghat shall begin from early morning hours, the reporting time for staff for these venues has been kept from 0500 hours onwards," the Commissioner of Police reasoned in his letter. Arora further said that owing to the G20 summit in the national capital, the Delhi Police, in coordination with various stakeholders, has laid down elaborate security, law and order and traffic arrangements involving about 40,000 personnel in all, which will come into full-scale deployment from September 7 onwards. "May I request you to kindly consider the request from Delhi Police and make necessary arrangements accordingly, as a welfare measure for staff of Delhi Police and other assisting agencies, for the duration...," the Commissioner wrote. Arora also mentioned that Special Commissioner of Police (Transport Division) Nuzhat Hassan will be available for any clarification and detailing for operationalizing this request. India is all set to host the G20 Summit in New Delhi from September 9-10. World leaders will arrive in New Delhi to attend the G20 Summit. The summit will be hosted at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Notably, India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country. (ANI) UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Marc-Andr Franche congratulated the island nation for adopting the Anti-Corruption Act and the establishment of the Parliamentary Budget Office. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana expressed his gratitude for the continuous support of the United Nations Development Programme as a development partner of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Furthermore, views were also exchanged on Sri Lanka's legislative process, electoral system, peace-building activities and women's representation in politics, as per Sri Lanka-based Daily Mirror English newspaper. Kushani Rohanadeera, Secretary General of Parliament explained the programmes by the Women Parliamentarians Caucus to strengthen the representation of women in politics and the inclusion of youth representatives for the Sectoral Oversight Committees. Sri Lanka has been facing the worst economic crisis since independence in 1948. Insufficient foreign reserves at Sri Lanka's Central Bank and loss of access to international capital markets led to the country defaulting on debt for the first time in history. Additionally, unchecked external borrowings, tax cuts that increased the budget deficit, a restriction on the import of chemical fertilizer and the abrupt floating of the Sri Lankan rupee are a few of the elements that caused the economy to collapse. And COVID-19 was like an extra addition to their problems as the island nation's economy is dependent on its tourism sector. Notably, the economic crisis in Sri Lanka sparked mass protests last year that forced then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country. He moved out of the country after protesters stormed his official residence as the island nation witnessed an acute shortage of food, fuel, and other essentials. (ANI) Abu Dhabi [UAE], September 5 (ANI/WAM): Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Education and Human Resources Council (EHRC) of UAE, affirmed the country's pride in the achievement of astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi and his safe return to the surface of the Earth, as it reflects the Emirati uniqueness and excellence in the field of scientific research and space exploration. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed said at the beginning of the Education and Human Resources Council meeting: Today, the UAE celebrates the return of astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi from the International Space Station (ISS). This achievement is a unique Arab achievement and a source of pride for the UAE and Arab youth, and reflects the vision of the wise leadership in challenging the impossible, developing human capabilities and investing in science, and achieving progress and development in all fields. Sheikh Abdullah added that this achievement will not be the last, stressing that the UAE will continue to support scientific research and space exploration, and will invest in developing the skills and competencies of Emirati youth so that they remain pioneers in the field of space and science, and Sultan AlNeyadis journey into space is a new success path that is added to the UAEs scientific and technological heritage. We look forward eagerly to more great achievements that the UAE and its distinguished youth will achieve. On the occasion of the week marking the start of the academic year, he said: I am also pleased to convey the congratulations of the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to all our dear students and workers in the educational sector on the success of the first week of the new academic year. We affirm that education is an essential pillar for achieving progress and development in our country, and I call on everyone to make the most of this opportunity. The opportunity to build a bright future for our beloved country. We are proud of our ancient history, and we are preparing to shape a brighter and more prosperous future for future generations. On her part, Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Chairperson of Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, the Vice-Chairperson of the Education and Human Resources Council, and the Chairperson of the National Center for Education Quality, said, Firstly, I would like to congratulate everyone on completing the first week of the new school year. Sheikha Mariam also extended her congratulations to the people of the UAE on the safe return of the astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi and mentioned This achievement is a reflection of the big ambitions that we hope all of our students develop, not everyone will travel to space, but every student can have dreams as big as this. In this context, she said: I would like to congratulate all of our dear students on the beginning of the new academic year. This came during Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed chairing of the council meeting, in the presence of Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ahmed bin Abdullah Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, Shamma Bint Suhail bin Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Development, Abdulrahman bin Abdul Mannan Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratization, Sarah Bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for General Education and Advanced Technology, Sara Awad Issa Musallam, Minister of State for Early Education, Abdulla Mohammed Al Karam, Director-General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai, and Muhaditha Yahya Al Hashimi, President of the Sharjah Private Education Authority, and Hajer Ahmed Al Thehli, Secretary-General of Education and Human Resources Council. The Council discussed a number of topics on the agenda regarding education and human resources, one of which is the proposed strategic directions for early education, as well as the proposed policies for learning styles, in addition to major national initiatives to train and qualify teachers and attract distinguished students and human resources to the teaching profession.National talents Furthermore, Dr. Muhadditha Yahya Al Hashimi, President of the Sharjah Private Education Authority, discussed updates on the Sultan Al Qasimi Empowerment Project in the private sector, the "Proud Teacher" program, and its role in extracting and employing national talents in the right developmental paths. The aim is to empower the national human resources capable of meeting the education standards in the country. This is achieved by providing innovative and contemporary educational tools and methods. She also highlighted the role of the Sharjah Academy for Education, which seeks to support and develop the education sector in the UAE by offering academic programs designed in collaboration with leading educational institutions worldwide. (ANI/WAM) US First Lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, her communications director Elizabeth Alexander said in a statement. However, she is experiencing only mild symptoms as of now and will remain at the couple's home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware for the time being. "This evening, the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19. She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms. She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware," Elizabeth Alexander said. Meanwhile, President Biden was also administered a COVID test and he tested negative. The US President will continue to monitor symptoms throughout the week. "Following the First Ladys positive test for COVID-19, President Biden was administered a COVID test this evening. The President tested negative. The President will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms," a White House Press release said. Inrecentweeks,therehasbeenanincreaseinCovidinstancesandhospitalisationsintheUnitedStates. The new COVID-19 variant EG.5 is on the rise in the US. The variant is causing about 17 per cent of the new COVID-19 cases in the country compared to 16 per cent for the next most common lineage, XBB.1.16, according to the latest estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CNN reported. The new variant is a spinoff of the XBB recombinant strain of theOmicronfamily. It was in August last year that US first lady, Jill Biden tested positive for a rebound case of COVID-19. Notably, US President Joe Biden is slated to be in India this week to attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi. He will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modion September 8, on the sidelines of the summit, theWhite Houserecently announced. To a question from a reporter if he was looking forward to his visits toIndiaand Vietnam, Biden replied, "Yes, I am." During the summit in the national capital on September 9 and 10, Biden will commendPM Modifor his leadership of theG20, theWhite Housesaid earlier this week. The President will travel to New Delhi,Indiato attend theG20Leaders Summit. On Friday, the President will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, theWhite Housesaid in its week-ahead schedule of the President released on September 7. On August 29,White Housepress secretaryKarine Jean Pierresaid thatUSPresidentJoe Bidenwill reaffirmUScommitment to theG20 as the premier forum of economic cooperation globally and will also speak about a range of issues, including the social effects of Russia's war in Ukraine, theWhite Housesaid on Tuesday.Karine Jean Pierremade the remarks during a media briefing. Announcing theUSPresidents schedule, Pierre said Biden will travel to Hanoi, Vietnam, on September 10 following his participation in theG20 Summit in New Delhi". (ANI) Former Punjab chief minister Pervaiz Elahi has challenged his arrest under MPO in Islamabad High Court. He pleaded with the court to strike down his arrest under MPO and order his immediate release. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President and former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahis health condition has deteriorated inside the Attock Jail, ARY News reported on Monday, citing sources. Sources told ARY News that Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is being transferred to the PIMS Hospital for his medical examination under strict security. It may be noted that Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was released on the Lahore High Court's instructions and then promptly detained again by Islamabad police under 3-MPO. Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi's safe return to his residence was ordered by LHC, who also issued the additional registrar for security, the DIG Operations, and other top police officers specific instructions regarding his safety. Shortly after he was relocated to Islamabad, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Islamabad imposed a 15-day prison sentence on him in accordance with Pakistan's Maintenance of Public Order (MPO). Elahi is one of numerous PTI leaders who have been charged under the MPO as a result of the crackdown on the group following the disturbances on May 9. Notably, Elahi was arrested by the National Accountability Agency (NAB) for failing to provide the accountability agency with information regarding a case involving assets beyond means that involved him, his son Monis Elahi, and other family members, ARY News reported. (ANI) On August 28, Chinas Ministry of Natural Resources published a standard map of China, which amounted to a unilateral assertion of whatever territory it wants to claim. Beijing said the new version was introduced to eliminate problem maps, but China has succeeded only in upsetting numerous neighbours. So far, five ASEAN countries have issued public statements denouncing Chinas creative cartography. In the following order, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Brunei have complained. These five Southeast Asian states are all in dispute over Chinas excessive territorial claims in the South China Sea. Interestingly, Chinas controversial and legally baseless Nine-Dash Line that is vaguely emblazoned on maps over the South China Sea is now a thing of the past. Instead, it has grown into ten dashes! The Natuna Islands of Indonesia appear within the dashed line, for example, while the new tenth dash runs to the east of Taiwan, supposedly cementing the democratic nation as belonging to China. One might eveninterpret that Chinese claims extend up to and including part of Japans RyukuIslands. Manila angrily retorted, The Philippines rejects the 2023 version of Chinas standard map This latest attempt to legitimize Chinas purported sovereignty and jurisdiction over Philippine features and maritime zones has no basis under international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Likewise, Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu said, No matter how the Chinese government twists its position on Taiwans sovereignty, it cannot change the objective fact of our countrys existence. The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in 2016 that Chinas ambiguous Nine-Dash Line is inconsistent with international law. This new map thus represents a slap in the face for the international community; the Hague had already decreed the Nine-Dash Line was meaningless, but it has brashly taken it a step further by adding an extra dash. More than that, China seems to be claiming the new dashes as its legitimate international border. This is hegemonic behaviour in the extreme. It stands in stark contradiction to Chairman Xi Jinpings claim last week at the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg that hegemonism is not in Chinas DNA. This is yet further evidence that the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) and Xis words are utterly devoid of integrity, if not bald-faced lies. Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu told the world at Junes Shangri-La Dialogue, Mind your own business, when quizzed as to why Chinas military engages in unprofessional behaviour when other nations militaries pass by in international waters. The release of this map smacks of the same hubris Mind your own business. We dont need to consult you. We can do whatever we want. We claim what we wish. The decision to publish the map further asserts and advances Chinese sovereignty, and significantly it came shortly before the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta from 5-7 September, and the G20 Leaders Summit in Delhi from 9-10 September. China is busily stirring the pot, keeping the issue of territorial claims on the boil. This is Chinas modus operandi, as it pushes its own agenda in the full knowledge that it will naturally upset others. It just does not care, since each time it acts like this it is marking a new and more advanced line in the sand to lodge outrageous claims. Such tactics are part of Xis irredentist view of regaining lost territories, rejuvenating the nation and restoring the Chinese empire to its former glory. Except, the thing is, China has never owned these areas. It is hegemony and bullying, pure and simple. Southeast Asia was not the only victim of the 2023 standard map. It also shows Arunachal Pradesh and the Doklam Plateau as wholly Chinese territory, as well asAksai Chin, which China controls but India lays claims to. The two sides have feuded over Eastern Ladakh and the Doklam Plateau in recent years, so this is particularly insulting to India, as thousands of soldiers on both sides face off along the mountainous border. Delhi lodged a protest to Beijing, and Indian External Affairs Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar noted, Making absurd claims on Indias territory does not make it Chinas territory. This map also mocks Xis and Modis recent meeting at the BRICS Summit, where they agreed to de-escalate tensions along the disputed border. The Chinese Foreign Ministry could only mouth empty rhetoric that it has no intention of upholding: 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. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the map was a routine practice in Chinas exercise of sovereignty in accordance with the law. With his CCP blinkers on, he crowed, We hope relevant sides can stay objective and calm, and refrain from over-interpreting the issue. In other words, this map reflects our sovereign territory, it is legal and you should just shut up and accept it. Unfortunately, this high-handed manner and bullying are increasingly Chinas only lingua fracas. Also of great interest was Chinas cartographic conquest of Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island on the Amur River. Sino-Russian territorial disputes date back to the 1860s, though they were seemingly resolved via a 2008 treaty when the western half of this island was given to China. However, as early as 2016, Chinese maps were claiming the whole island, something reinforced in the 2023 map. Russia has not responded to Chinas map. Nor is it likely too, for Putin is not in a position to make demands he is embroiled in a grinding war and needs Beijings support. Yet it shows that no relationship is sacred for China. It is willing to make demands on anybody, even upon its closest partners, because nothing trumps Chinese preeminence. One might be tempted to ask, Who cares if China fudges a few borders here and there on its internal maps? But it matters a great deal. Such maps form legal documents, and they are promulgated by government departments and taught in schools, universities and institutions all across China. The users will come to believe this is all Chinese territory, even though there is no legal basis for it. It amounts to brainwashing the next generation of Chinese society, and it acts as a precedent. They might only be lines drawn on a map now, but those who believe in their infallibility might be tempted to fight for them in the future. This is a very real danger, for China, which likes to make legal cases and fait accompli on the ground-as it did with its militarized reefs in the South China Sea will push the boundaries again and again. It will not be satisfied with an extra slice of territory from India, Russia or ASEAN here or there, but will continue in the same vein, pushing, cajoling, threatening and stealing. This is the real danger of such disingenuous and dishonest behaviour, and it has happened before. Nazi Germany, for example, used maps in its propaganda in the 1930s to solidify claims and create consensus about its national territory. It is perhaps no coincidence that some compare Chinas territorial ambitions under Xi with what happened in Nazi Germany. Former Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton, for example, likened Chinas current trajectory to Germanys path in the 1930s. We have to stand up with countries to stare down any act of aggression to make sure that we can keep peace in our region and for our country. Dutton added, Were in a period very similar to the 1930s. And I think there are a lot of people in the 1930s that wish they would have spoken up much earlier in the decade than they had to at the end of the decade. I think thats the sobering reality of where we are; its the sobering reality of the intelligence that we receive. Former Philippine President Benigno Aquino has also alluded to Nazi Germany in relation to Chinese actions in the South China Sea. He said in 2015, Im an amateur student of history and Im reminded of how Germany was testing the waters and what the response was by various other European powers. The similarities between the two are more than superficial, for the same territorial ambitions, ideology of national rights and alleged grievances afflict both nations. In March 1938, Germany annexed Austria under the Anschluss, a word that means connection or joining. In doing so, Germany directly violated the Treaty of Versailles forbade unification of Austria and Germany, and it showed Hitlersdisdain for the European order. Europes acceptance represented appeasement, and Hitler was emboldened to continue his expansionist policy. Decrying illegitimate strictures, Hitler had the twin aims of uniting Germans within a Nazi empire and acquiring living space in the east. Hitlers words echo those of Xi towards Taiwan: The reunification is a life task to be carried out by all means! German-Austria must be restored to the great German Motherland People of the same blood should be in the same Reich. On 13 March 1938, Austria submitted to the Reunification of Austria with Germany law. Yet this was a complete misnomer, for Austria had never been part of the German empire. However, it did lend an air of legality, which is precisely what China is trying to do with its current map. Austria was thenceforth a German province, and the Nazis set about eradicating traces of a separate Austrian identity. The Nazis lauded it asfulfilment of Germanys destiny, and the event was glorified in propaganda. The Anschluss was a watershed moment in Hitlers territorial aggression; there was no international intervention, only appeasement. Six months later, Germany manufactured a crisis in the Sudetenland, and Europe agreed to cede this region of Czechoslovakia to Germany. Soon to come was Hitlers invasion of the rest of Czechoslovakia and eventually of Poland, which started World War II in 1939. The same arguments and twisted logic are very evident in Xis and the CCPs dealings with Taiwan and the rest of the world. The Nazis blamed Jews for all ills, while the West particularly the USA is Beijings convenient whipping boy.For instance, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a speech on 2 September that the Ukrainian crisis must never be repeated in Asia, and regional security should be promoted through dialogue and cooperation. [We] should disclose the backstage manipulator who aims to serve its own geopolitical needs and has been attempting to stir up troubles undermining the peace in the South China Sea issue for manyyears. Yet China refuses to acknowledge the truth, that it is the primary cause of tensions. It unilaterally established military bases on reclaimed islands in the South China Sea, enforced fishing moratoriums on all, deliberately collided with foreign fishing boats, acts imperiously in others EEZs, and threatened foreign aircraft and warships in international airspace and waterways. Certainly, maintaining the status quo will onlyexacerbate problems for neighbors as China throws its weight around. The CCPs one-eyed approach, where it is righteous and others are the cause of all evil, is only worsening the situation. Beijing willfully refuses to recognize that it has singlehandedly raised up coalitions and groupings against itself, examples being AUKUS, the Quad and US-Japan-South Korea trilateral cooperation. Relations with Australia, India, Japan, the Philippines, the USA and Western Europe are plummeting. The same attitude of blaming others and egging on paranoia at home is seen in a new Counter-Espionage Law that came into effect on 1 July 2023. The old 2014 law had 40 clauses but the latest one has increased to 71, adding vague references toespionage activities and national security and interests. It takes a holistic view of national security, and Xi has begun to securitize every aspect of life. The government is pushing counterespionage propaganda and urging the public to beware of foreign spies lurking around every corner and under every bed. Xi is increasingly doing what is good only for him and the CCP, and not what benefits the populace. Denny Roy of the Lowy Institute in Australia observed, President Xi Jinpings rule has clearly been a boon to the CCP. Recent developments, however, call into question whether Xi is capable, or will ever be capable, of ensuring it is good for Chinese citizens as well. Roy concluded, Xis enduring tenure forces Chinas political elites to confront an uncomfortable truth: the divergence between what is good for the party and what is good for the country seems to be widening. (ANI) The shutdown was also observed by Muslim businessmen as a mark of solidarity with their Hindu counterparts. A large protest rally was also carried out by Hindu and Muslim businessmen in Kashmore to condemn the kidnappings and failure of law enforcement agencies to arrest the culprits. Recently, videos of 65-year-old Jagdish Kumar Kukhi and 25-year-old Sagar Kumar, s/o Inder Lal were received by their family members. In both videos, the victims were being beaten with assault weapons aimed at their heads. The Bandits had demanded Pakistani Rs 10 crores for their release. On August 30, 2023, JeI Chief Sirajul Haq also held a protest march against the kidnappings of members of minority communities in Sindh for ransom by dacoits and bandits. Sirajul Haq had demanded immediate action to secure the release of Jagdish Kumar Mukhi and Sagar Kumar and vowed to adopt a radical strategy to address the bandit problem in the province. The members of the Hindu Panchayat and Youth Alliance of Kashmore had also protested the kidnappings of Sagar Kumar and Jagdish Kumar Mukhi and had called for greater presence of security forces to address the problem of Bandits. (ANI) Apart from this, the fifth accused was sentenced to seven years in jail by the court. The Pakistan-based news daily reported that hearing the case, Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Ahsan Mahmood Malik passed the judgment in two separate cases. Judge Malik in his ruling in the blasphemy case stated, Blasphemy against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and desecration of the Holy Quran were heinous and unforgivable crimes. The perpetrators of these crimes do not deserve any concession or leniency. The judge convicted Wazir Gul, Muhammad Amin, Faizan Razak and Muhammad Rizwan, and sentenced them to death and a fine of Rs 100,000 for the crime under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and life imprisonment and a fine of Rs100,000 under the Section 295-B of the PPC. The Express Tribune reported, the fifth accused in the case, Usman Liqquat has been awarded with seven-year jail and a fine of Pak currency Rs 20,000. The CCW registered the case against the five convicts on September 12, 2022, based on a complaint filed by civilian Umair. The CCW presented blasphemous videos and social media posts retrieved from the phones seized from the possession of the criminals to the court. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will depart for Jakarta on Wednesday for the 20th ASEAN India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit scheduled for September 7. The Prime Minister will return late evening on September 7, just before the G20 Summit in New Delhi. At the invitation of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, Prime Minister will visit Jakarta for the 20th ASEAN India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit scheduled for the September 7, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (East) Saurabh Kumar said during a special briefing ahaed of PM Modis visit to Jakarta, Indonesia. The MEA Secretary (East) said: Prime Minister will depart Delhi on the night of September 6 and return late evening on the September 7. Given that the G20 Summit follows shortly after the ASEAN Summit, it will be a short visit. Kumar said India appreciates the Indonesian Government for making adjustments to the ASEAN meeting schedule so as to facilitate Prime Minister's program and his early return. PM Modi will participate in the ASEAN India Summit along with heads of state or government of the ASEAN member states. East Asia Summit brings together ASEAN members and eight Dialogue Partners, which are Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States. This comes as the 9th ASEAN India Summit to be attended by PM Modi. The Summit is the first one after the elevation of India ASEAN relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership which happened last year. During the summit, PM Modi will review the progress in ASEAN India relations, according to the MEA Secretary (East). India's relations with ASEAN are a central pillar of our Act East policy as well as of India's vision of the wider Indo Pacific. India and ASEAN have a comprehensive engagement covering a wide array of areas at all levels, including seven Ministerial engagements. Besides several official level ones, he said. Kumar further said that: India and ASEAN share similar vision for the Indo Pacific and are committed to building on the synergy between ASEAN's outlook on the Indo Pacific and India's Indo Pacific Oceans Initiative. This year, Indonesia is the Chair of ASEAN. The theme of their chairship is 'ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth'. Within this framework, Indonesia organized a flagship event, ASEAN Indo Pacific Forum, to implement ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific. The event is focused on increasing connectivity of ASEAN to the Indo-Pacific by involvement of businesses and industry. India contributed to this by organizing a panel discussion on digital public infrastructure and its importance for enhancing digital transformation and inclusivity. The India ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership aims to further deepen practical cooperation in areas including maritime, cybersecurity, digital economy, as well as in new and emerging areas of cooperation. In May this year, India and ASEAN organized their first maritime exercise. The first ASEAN India Defence Minister's meeting was held in November last year. Trade and business to business ties are integral to our relations with ASEAN. The fifth ASEAN India Business Summit was held in March this year in Kuala Lumpur, with the aim to enhance business connectivity and supply chain resilience, the MEA Secretary (East) said during the media briefing. On the East-Asia summit, he said: It is the the foremost of the ASEAN centered mechanisms in the IndoPacific. Since its inception in 2005, it has played a significant role in providing a platform for dialogue and discussion on matters of strategic importance to the region. India, as the founding member of the East Asia Summit, has been committed to strengthening of the mechanism and making it more effective to deal with contemporary challenges he said. The MEA said the new East Asia Summit plan of action, which was adopted during the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Minister's meeting in July this year also prioritizes cooperation in the Indo Pacific. At the forthcoming East Asia summit, PM Modi and other leaders will discuss ways to further strengthen the EAS mechanism, as well as exchange views on matters of regional and international interest. (ANI) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, was arrested shortly after being released from prison on Tuesday, ARY News reported. His arrest came hours after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended his detention under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) and ordered his release. As per details, Pervaiz Elahi was released from Police lines and came outside with his lawyer Advocate Sardar Abdur Razaq in his vehicle. The PTI presidents counsel said that he and his driver were taken out of the vehicle and Pervaiz Elahi was abducted outside the Police lines in that vehicle. However, the police officials stated that the PTI president has been arrested by the CTD officials in the judicial complex attack case, ARY News reported. The case was registered against Pervaiz Elahi at CTD police station on September 3 and he will be presented before the Anti-Terrorism Court tomorrow. Earlier, the former Punjab CM was released on the Lahore High Court's order, but was promptly detained again by Islamabad police under 3-MPO, ARY News reported. Elahi had challenged his arrest under MPO in Islamabad High Court. He pleaded with the court to strike down his arrest under MPO and order his immediate release. The IHC also ordered the former Punjab chief minister to appear before the court in the next hearing and refrained from giving statements until the next hearing, ARY News reported. Elahi is one of numerous PTI leaders who have been charged under the MPO as a result of the crackdown on the group following the May 9 violence. Notably, Elahi was arrested by the National Accountability Agency (NAB) for failing to provide the accountability agency with information regarding a case involving assets beyond means that involved him, his son Monis Elahi, and other family members, ARY News reported. (ANI) Japans Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno at a regular press conference said the document dated Monday has been distributed to members of the World Trade Organization. China on Thursday notified the WTO, which is the body that oversees the rules of international trade, of its emergency import ban, Matsuno said, prompting Japan to lodge its protest. The document argues that China's import suspension is "totally unacceptable," adding that Tokyo will continue to ask Beijing to "immediately repeal its measure, as per Kyodo News. The Chief Cabinet Secretary said Japan has demanded China review the import ban based on the rules of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade agreement, to which both Tokyo and Beijing are signatories. Japan started discharging the treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean on August 24. This came despite opposition from the local fishing industry and China. The plant was badly damaged by a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. Japan and China have been at odds over the safety of the water release, further straining their already difficult relationship, while the Kishida administration has pledged to provide 100.7 billion yen (USD 729.1 million) in aid to support the fishery industry. Tokyo has claimed the water is safe as most radionuclides except tritium have been removed through a purification process. China, however, has urged Japan to halt discharging what it calls "nuclear-contaminated water, according to Kyodo News. (ANI) In a partial victory for the LGBTQ activists, Hong Kongs top court on Tuesday ruled in favour of same-sex couples asking the government to create legal recognition for them, CNN reported. However, the court fell short of granting the rights for full marriage equality as was being demanded by the activists. The activists had been hoping the court would declare that the denial of same-sex marriage breached equal rights protections in the citys mini-constitution. Five judges from Hong Kongs Court of Final Appeal handed down their decision on Tuesday, following years of legal battles challenging the governments refusal to let gay people get married or form a civil union partnership, CNN reported. Notably, Hong Kong does not allow or grant same-sex marriage or unions, even though homosexuality has been decriminalized in the city since 1991. Judges ruled the freedom to marry was guaranteed under the mini-constitution but that it only referred to heterosexual marriage. Instead, the judges ruled in a majority verdict that there was a need for an alternative framework granting legal recognition to same-sex couples to provide them with a sense of legitimacy, dispelling any sense that they belong to an inferior class of persons whose relationship is undeserving of recognition, CNN reported. The government has two years to comply with the ruling, the court said. Notably, the activists in Hong Kong have used the courts as their main avenue to drive changes over the past decade, with both the government and legislature being seen as sluggish in catching up with other more liberal jurisdictions. Also, Hong Kongs judges have often sided with the activists, previously ruling against government lawyers and stating that the citys mini-constitution affords same-sex couples certain protections and equality that they were being denied. As per CNN, the polls in Hong Kong have shown growing support for same-sex equality among the public, especially younger people. However, the citys government has long leaned conservative, mirroring official opposition to same-sex marriage and greater equality on the Chinese mainland. Meanwhile, the case that resulted in Tuesdays final ruling was brought by now-detained pro-democracy activist Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit in 2019. Sham, in his early 30s, organized rallies that drew in hundreds of thousands of people as the convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front during a wave of anti-government protests in 2019. The group was disbanded in 2021, a year after Beijing imposed a national security law that critics said stifled dissent and shattered the democracy movement. Both Hong Kong and mainland Chinese authorities have maintained the law was necessary to safeguard national security and restore stability, CNN reported. Sham, who has been remanded in custody for more than two years on a charge of subversion, is among dozens of prominent democracy campaigners accused of taking part in an unofficial primary election held by the opposition in 2020. Prosecutors have framed the vote as part of a wider move to overthrow the government at the time. Court papers said Sham began a stable relationship with his partner in 2011 and two years later, got married in New York. Sham argued that the Hong Kong governments failure to let him and other gay and lesbian couples get married or enter some forms of civil union partnership had "infringed upon their rights to equality and privacy". On the other hand, in mainland China, Beijing has widened crackdowns on LGBTQ activists and groups in recent years, with Chinese leader Xi Jinping increasingly stressing the ruling Communist Partys absolute control over every aspect of society, CNN reported. Chinas biggest and longest-running LGBTQ festival, Shanghai Pride, was cancelled in 2020, with dozens of accounts related to sexual minorities censored on Chinese social media. (ANI) UK Minister for Local Government, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Lee Rowley on Monday said anti-Hindu hatred is abhorrent and has no place in our communities. He said the UK government is working with the police and community partners to monitor and combat it. Rowley was responding to a question by UK Member of Parliament Navendu Mishra. Mishra had asked Rowley about his departments assessment of "trends in levels of Hinduphobia" in the UK. Meanwhile, UKs Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch recently condemned the attack on the Indian High Commission in London by pro-Khalistan supporters in March. She labelled the attack a 'disgrace', reported Khalsa Vox. The High Commission of India in London was attacked in March by a group of about 50 persons, who committed criminal trespass, caused disrespect to the Indian National flag, damage to public property and injuries to officials of the High Commission of India. The attack was organised by Gurcharan Singh, Dal Khalsa,UK; Avtar Singh Khanda of KLF, Jasvir Singh and many of their associates, both Indian and foreign nationals, who have been identified during the ongoing NIA investigations. Badenoch further affirmed the British governments commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all diplomats, according to Khalsa Vox. During a trade ministers's session at the B20 Summit India 2023, Minister Badenoch stressed the complex issue of integration and the challenges posed by extremism. In any country, no matter how much of a global superpower, there will always be problems. In theUK, one of the most interesting things, and I say this as one of the immigrants to the country, is that quite a lot of the times people dont integrate the way we want them to, Badenoch said, emphasizing the intricacies of cultural assimilation. The attack onIndian High Commission in Londonnot only triggered the sanctity of diplomatic premises but also raised concerns about the safety of diplomats and the broader implications for international relations, reported Khalsa Vox. I personally thought that what happened, and I speak on behalf of the UK governmentnot just personallywas a disgrace, she further said. Earlier in July,UKForeign Secretary James Cleverly said that any direct attacks on theIndian High Commission in Londonare "completely unacceptable." He said theUKhas made clear to the High Commissioner of India to theUK, Vikram Doraiswami and the Indian government that the safety of staff at the High Commission is paramount. "Any direct attacks on the Indian High Commission in London are completely unacceptable. We have made clear to @VDoraiswami and the Government of India that the safety of staff at the High Commission is paramount," Cleverly said in a tweet. (ANI) Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Indonesia visit for the ASEAN-India and East Asia Summit important just two days before the G20 Summit, the Indian ambassador to ASEAN Jayant Khobragade on Tuesday said that the visit shows how India gives importance to this region and to ASEAN centrality. The Prime Minister of India is coming here, despite of G20 Summit. This shows the kind of importance that we give to this region. When we talk about Act East policy, as you know in the early 90s, we had the Look East policy, then our Prime Minister of India in 2014 gave us the Act East policy, then again it evolved into Indo Pacific Oceans initiative, and it became a more comprehensive, Khobragade said while speaking to ANI here. We always give importance to ASEAN centrality. And when we say ASEAN centrality, which means, it's complex of many things. Its about connectivity, trade, investment, people-to-people contact. I must also mention the civilisational connection between India and ASEAN, if you go to different countries here you will see, like many monuments, which you can relate to, so, if you take this sum total, then you realize how important this region is and therefore there has always been the focus of the government of India, on this region, he added. Speaking further about how the summit becomes more significant given Chinas expansionist policy and aggressive stance in the Indo-Pacific, the envoy emphasized the importance of UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and that India wants the region to grow and prosper. This region is very important for trade which happens mainly through maritime routes. Now, if there is no freedom of navigation, there could be problems. Therefore, we have always emphasised that UNCLOS which is the Convention, is like a constitution about the freedom of navigation, etc. So, we reiterate the importance of that, because we want this region to grow to prosper, said the envoy. Speaking about the India - ASEAN trade relationship, the envoy highlighted that India's trade was worth $130 billion during 2022-23. If you look at the calendar year, then this financial year it (trade) was like around 130$ billion total trade, just next to European Union. So second largest, but like, all FTAs, this ASEAN India - Free Trade Agreement also needs to be contemplated and therefore, that review is happening. The Ministry of Commerce is fully involved in it and you need negotiation with their counterparts. We hope that this review is quite complex, you know, so they already have identified the priority area etc. And they desire to complete it by 2025, said the envoy. Prime Minister will depart Delhi on the night of September 6 and return late evening on September 7. Given that the G20 Summit follows shortly after the ASEAN Summit, it will be a short visit. Earlier during the briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (East) Saurabh Kumar said India appreciates the Indonesian Government for making adjustments to the ASEAN meeting schedule so as to facilitate the Prime Ministers program and his early return. PM Modi will participate in the ASEAN India Summit along with heads of state or government of the ASEAN member states. East Asia Summit brings together ASEAN members and eight Dialogue Partners, which are Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States. This comes as the 9th ASEAN India Summit to be attended by PM Modi. The Summit is the first one after the elevation of India's ASEAN relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership which happened last year. (ANI) United States President Joe Biden on Tuesday tested negative for COVID-19 again, the White House said. "An update on the President and the first lady Jill Biden since she tested positive for COVID-19 last night. I can tell you that the first lady is experiencing mild symptoms and will remain in Delaware for the week. President Biden tested negative last night for COVID-19 and tested negative again today," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a briefing. "He (President Biden) is not experiencing any symptoms as far as the steps he has taken since the President was with the first lady yesterday. He will be masking while indoors and around people in alignment with CDC guidelines. As has been practised in the past the President will remove his mask when sufficiently distance from others indoors and outside as well," she said. Yesterday, the first lady tested positive for COVID-19, her communications director Elizabeth Alexander said in a statement. "This evening, the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19. She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms. She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware," Elizabeth Alexander said. This came a few days before Biden's official visit to India for the G20 Summit, which is scheduled to take place on September 9 and 10. Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor of the United States, confirmed that Biden will visit India for the G20 summit. "On Thursday, the President will travel to New Delhi for G20 Summit in India. On Friday Biden will participate in a bilateral meeting with PM Modi. On Saturday, Biden will participate in the official sessions of the G20 Summit, 2023," Sullivan said. He will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8, on the sidelines of the summit, the White House recently announced. To a question from a reporter if he was looking forward to his visits to India and Vietnam, Biden replied, "Yes, I am."During the summit in the national capital on September 9 and 10, Biden will commend PM Modi for his leadership of the G20, the White House said earlier this week.The President will travel to New Delhi, India to attend the G20 Leaders Summit. On Friday, the President will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the White House said in its week-ahead schedule of the President released on September 7. On August 29, the White House press secretary said that the US President will reaffirm US commitment to the G20 as the premier forum of economic cooperation globally and will also speak about a range of issues, including the social effects of Russia's war in Ukraine, the White House said on Tuesday. Karine Jean Pierre made the remarks during a media briefing. Announcing the US Presidents schedule, Pierre said Biden will travel to Hanoi, Vietnam, on September 10 following his participation in the G20 Summit in New Delhi". (ANI) Despite all having unique lives and brains, many people have similar nightmares. Some of the most common nightmares include being chased, death, and physical fights. Though it's not a perfect science, there are ways to interpret these common themes. You're running, but you're not going anywhere. You're falling, but you never hit the ground. You're watching your loved one waste away, but there's nothing you can do about it. If you're like most people, then you might be covered in a cold sweat by now, recalling a nightmare. Though our dreams are highly personal, and often based on what happened to us over our lifetime and during our day, there are some themes that unite us all. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "These dreams are related to issues that every person has in their waking lives," Michael Schredl, head of the sleep lab at the Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany, told Insider. It's tough to make generalizations about nightmares, since science hasn't agreed on why we even dream in the first place. But there are basic patterns in nightmare themes that may help you translate what your brain is trying to express, Schredl said. Understanding these patterns could be a starting point to identify what emotions you're dealing with in your subconscious. In a 2018 study, Schredl and his colleague analyzed over 1,200 nightmares, from asking participants to recall their most recent distressing dream. They then categorized them into common themes. Here are the top 10 they found. 10. Infestation This surreal 1920's poster advocates for malaria prevention with bug repellent, but could also look a lot like your nightmares. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images Having an infestation in your home makes reality feel like a nightmare. So dreaming about an invasion of creepy crawlers or fuzzy fiends could be a literal fear or a symbolic one. If it's symbolic, an infestation could represent a fear of disease or dirt, or any other things you personally associate with mice, roaches, or rats, Schredl said. Since there are many ways these dreams can unfold, there are many ways they can be interpreted. It could also be an example of feeling insecure or unsafe in your home, Schredl said. 9. Evil presence People often dream of an evil entity standing near them while they sleep. David Wall/Getty Images In the ninth spot, there's the eerie feeling of suspecting that there may be a ghost, demon, or alien nearby. This could mean that the dreamer sees the offending presence, or merely that they suspect one is near. These sorts of sleep hallucinations often plague people suffering from sleep paralysis, according to the Cleveland Clinic. This unsettling sleep disorder occurs when the parts of the brain that keep you still during sleep and the parts that keep you sleeping miscommunicate. In this state, people often report a ghoul standing over them as they struggle to move. Talk about not getting your beauty sleep. These horror-movie characters are likely your brain using familiar cultural symbols to depict your fear in the moment, Baland Jalal, a neuroscientist at Harvard, told the Guardian. Imagine, "you've grown up being told by your grandmother that spirits and demons inhabit your village after dark. You wake up during REM sleep, you see some kind of a shadow, and you starting panicking, creating more body image hallucinations which your mind interprets in this cultural narrative and so you perceive a demon coming towards you," he said. 8. Catastrophe An illustration of an atomic blast in the middle of a populated city. Disaster dreams are common to many sleepers. Mirifada / Getty Images Fires, floods, nuclear fallout a common subject of many people's dreams is anything that could be mistaken for the end of times. Disasters ranked at number eight in the survey, found in about 4.5% of the dream reports Shredl studied. These could signal general apprehension for the future, as a way for your brain to ruminate on something you're worried may occur, according to Stanford's Corelli. It depends on whether you view the changes coming into your life as positive or negative. Or, if you've experienced a natural disaster, it could be your mind working its way through the situation as a way of processing your trauma, according to researchers from the Univeristy of Buffalo. 7. Feeling worried Nightmares that feature apprehension and worry often don't give the dreamer a clear cause. studiostockart/Getty Images Do you know the feeling when you're sure you've forgotten something important, something big, but you're not sure what it is? Many people dream about this feeling, with apprehension and worry ranking as the seventh most common nightmare. People in Shredl's study reported feeling like they knew something was wrong, but they didn't know what, and that made them more uncomfortable. Fear of the unknown seems to be something that many of us share, even in our dreams. 6. Disagreements Dreaming about disagreements could be a sign of social anxiety. Boris Zhitkov/ Getty Images Interpersonal conflicts come in as the sixth most common. In these scenarios, the dreamer has or witnesses a non-physical fight. These dreams could be emblematic of some social anxiety you have about a personal relationship, according to Psychology Today. You could be dreading a conversation you need to have or processing a conflict that has already happened. 5. Sickness and death An attending health car worker holds the hand of a patient, checking their pulse. Henry King/ Getty Images Health-related concerns and death ranked right in the middle of the survey and was found in 11.6% of reports. In these types of nightmares, the dreamer reported watching themselves or a loved one become sick, suffer through a disease, or die. These dreams are complex, and could represent many things depending on what you're personally going through. They could be emblematic of a general fear of sickness and death or feeling out of control of your personal well-being, Insider previously reported. It might also be a way for you to process grief, according to a 2020 study. 4. Being chased A stylized long exposure photograph showing four people running from an approaching car in a tunnel. Sometimes, in chase nightmares, you might not even know what it is that is pursuing you. Frank Herholdt/Getty Images In these dreams, you might be being pursued by a human, an evil presence, or something you can't even see. Schredl explains how the basic patterns of a chase dream can tell you what it means. In a nightmare like this, you're afraid as you run from something that you feel is getting increasingly close to you. Experiencing fear and running away from what causes it is psychology 101. This is avoidance behavior, Schredl said. So generally, dreams about being chased usually mean you're anxious about something you may be avoiding. 3. Accidents A photo of a woman falling through a liminal, white space. You might've had a nightmare that feels just like this. Klaus Vedfelt/ Getty Images This broad category of dreams includes themes like falling, car wrecks, drowning, and more. Shredl found this theme in 15% of reports. But when broken down by sex, males reported significantly more falling dreams than their female counterparts. These dreams might be more literal than you might think, representing a fear of heights, driving, or the ocean. But they could also represent feeling out of control, fearing death, or feeling helpless, Schredl told Insider. He explained these dreams by comparing our brains to a movie director. "If you're a film director, and you have to depict the situation of the feeling of completely helpless, a falling dream, the falling situation, might be one of those. Because in the falling dream the only thing you know, you know, is that you will fall down and be dead," he said. So these sorts of accident dreams can be our brain's way of dramatically expressing how we're feeling about our own mortality, capability, or health. 2. Physical aggression Physical fights are the second most common nightmare. Hans Neleman/Getty Images Taking number six on the list disagreements a bit further, you arrive at the second most common dream, which is physical aggression. In these scenarios, the dreamer may be attacked, participate in a fight, or witness other people duking it out. This type of nightmare may reflect social anxiety, a literal fear of violence, or concerns about being vulnerable to other people's criticisms, Insider previously reported. 1. Failure Fears about how you're performing in your life can cause dreams about failure. This includes nightmares about taking a test in school. yokunen/Getty Images Coming in at number one is the broad category of failure and helplessness, which Schredl documented in 18% of reports. This encompasses everything from failing to achieve a goal, to being late, lost, unable to speak, losing or forgetting something, or making a mistake. This includes the all too stereotypical dream of failing a test, which made up 3% of all nightmares reported in the study. Since this is a broad category, there are many different interpretations you could make. Exam dreams might mean you're insecure about your ability to perform at work or home, or remembering a certain troubling event, Schredl said. Looking back at the pattern of all these dreams gives us a clue. For example, in a nightmare about an exam, it goes something like this: "Someone else is looking, how do you perform? Do you know the stuff you have to know? And of course, this is a typical situation, for I think every person who is working," Schredl said. So if you're dreaming about these scenarios, you may be feeling a little insecure about your own abilities, or how other people think about your performance. Read the original article on Business Insider Home and Away spoilers follow for UK viewers. Coming up on Home and Away, Cash faces off with Felicity's attacker Jeremy. Elsewhere, Kirby helps Theo out of a sticky situation, Irene is missing John's company, and Mali has an important question for Rose. Here's a full collection of 11 big moments. 1. Kirby and Theo clash Channel 5 Theo is still annoyed with Kirby for not telling him she could surf. Justin is forced to intervene when the exes wind up in another row. Remi gives Kirby a stern talking to about the impact her split is having on the band, which makes her decide to try and smooth things over with Theo. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Naturally, Theo has questions he wants answered. Why did Kirby stop surfing if it was her passion? And how come she didn't tell him what was going on? 2. Kirby is honest with Theo Channel 5 Kirby opens up to Theo about the reason she gave up surfing, explaining that she had a terrifying accident and almost died in the waves. Theo is grateful for her candour, but expresses his hurt, pointing out he was always honest with Kirby during their time together. The pair agree to try and move forward and focus on being friends again. 3. Lyrik are in crisis Channel 5 Lyrik are thrown into panic when the venue for their upcoming gig suddenly cancels. Justin calls an urgent band meeting and reveals he has got them a spot playing at the Palais Metro. However, there's a catch the booking is for tonight. Justin insists Lyrik must go ahead with the gig, but there's unrest amongst them as Eden refuses to schmooze with the press and Theo points out they still don't have a title for their album. After a little coaxing from Remi and Justin, everyone is finally on board, but will the event go to plan? 4. Kirby saves the day Channel 5 Despite initial reservations, Lyrik's new album receives a thumbs-up from the crowd at Palais Metro. Afterwards, nerves get the better of Theo when a journalist grills him over his relative inexperience. Kirby swoops in and saves the day, telling the reporter how brilliant Theo is and answering questions on behalf of all the band. Theo is grateful for her support, but later admits to Justin how humiliated the experience made him feel. 5. John lets Irene down Channel 5 Irene is in a better place after confiding in Marilyn about her loneliness and decides to invite John over for dinner. Leaving work early, she prepares a meal and gets the Scrabble out ready, but then John bails in favour of having a video chat with Jett. Marilyn clocks Irene's obvious disappointment, and both she and Alf wonder whether she's fallen for her former roomie. Maz questions Irene, who bites back insisting she doesn't, or will ever have romantic feelings for John. 6. Irene struggles with loneliness Channel 5 Feeling bad about their misunderstanding, Marilyn asks Irene to hers for dinner and a Tarot reading. Marilyn suggests bringing Leah along too, but Irene doesn't take kindly to that idea, declaring that she's no charity case. Marilyn admits to Mackenzie she fears Irene Is lonely, so the ladies decide to pop over and cheer her up. Irene is spelling out the word Solitude' on her Scrabble board when Marilyn and Mac arrive with pasta and dessert. She's grateful for their company, but acknowledges she needs to start getting used to being by herself. 7. Felicity plays with fire Channel 5 Felicity is caught out when Tane discovers she borrowed money from Cash to pay her blackmailer. Horrified by his wife's naivety, Tane reckons it's only a matter of time before the next demand comes in. He's proven correct when Felicity receives a text from her tormentor demanding another $20,000. Going behind Tane's back again, Felicity replies to the message and agrees to give her blackmailer what they want. 8. Felicity goes missing Channel 5 During Lyrik's gig at Palais Metro, Felicity is struck by haunting flashbacks of the night of her assault and has to rush out. Next morning, Tane wakes up to find Felicity has gone and left a note reading: "I'm not going to be a victim anymore. Please don't hate me." Meanwhile, Felicity follows her blackmailer's instructions and drops the money Cash left her in a remote bin. Could she be in terrible danger? 9. Felicity's attacker is arrested Channel 5 As Tane raises the alarm over her disappearance, Felicity manages to take some covert snaps of Jeremy, the man who has been terrorising her. Felicity is gripped by the urge to plough her car into him, but stops herself. The police swoop in and arrest Jeremy, as Cash insists he wants to be the one to interview his sister's tormentor. While he interrogates him, Rose learns from the forensic team that Felicity wasn't Jeremy's first victim. Jeremy thinks he's going to get off with the help of a lawyer, but the smug smile is wiped off his face when Cash reveals he's Felicity's brother. 10. Mali wants Rose to meet his mum Channel 5 Injured Mali has put Xander in charge of his surf lessons, but is finding it tough to let go. His frustrations boil over when Xander forgets to follow the correct procedure, but Mali soon regrets his outburst and invites Xander out for a pizza at Salt. During the meal, Mali checks his socials and realises his mum has seen a photo of him and Rose. He then receives a text from his sister Elandra saying their mum wants to know who this mystery woman is. Keen to introduce them, Mali surprises Rose by asking if she wants to meet his mum the next day. 11. John fears for Alf Channel 5 John is concerned Alf is struggling with his hearing after a series of strange mishaps at the surf club. He calls a staff meeting, but when nobody else shows up Alf sees straight through the ruse. John gently broaches the subject of Alf's hearing, but finds himself on the receiving end of Alf's legendary short temper. Home and Away airs weekdays at 1.45pm on Channel 5 and 6pm on 5STAR. First-look screenings air at 6.30pm on 5STAR and the show also streams on My5. Selected classic episodes are available via Prime Video in the UK. Read more Home and Away spoilers on our dedicated homepage You Might Also Like A 12-year-old Texas boy was fatally shot while walking home from the store with a group of friends, Houston police say. Officers responded to a call about a shooting at about 11 p.m. Sept. 4, near an apartment complex on Houstons south side, Assistant Chief Jessica Anderson said a news briefing. Investigators believe an argument broke out between the boys group and an 18-year-old man, Anderson said. The argument escalated, and the man pulled out a gun and shot the 12-year-old multiple times, according to Anderson. He was found dead at the scene. Witnesses saw the man run away, Anderson said, but police know his identity. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement An investigation is underway, and police are searching for the man, Anderson said. Dad charged with murder after 10-year-old son dies in rollover crash, TX officials say Teen girl fatally shot after 15-year-old sneaks into bedroom at night, OK officials say Two brothers mauled when pet dog turns aggressive while playing, Texas officials say 8-year-old boy fights off stranger trying to pull him into car, Chicago cops say An 18-month-old toddler is dead after a shooting at a home in Palm Coast, Florida, police said. The shooting was reported to police at 11:45 p.m. local time on Saturday, Sept. 3. The Flagler County Sheriff's Office tweeted that there was a "frantic call" reporting that a baby had been shot at home on Palm Coast's Ranwood Lane. When deputies arrived on the scene, they found the girl with a gunshot wound to the head. Deputies attempted lifesaving measures, but the child was declared deceased upon arrival at AdventHealth Palm Coast, a local hospital, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said in a news conference Monday afternoon. Staly said that there were eight people at the home at the time of the shooting. The child's mother was among those present, Staly said, but the father was not. All persons in the home are being investigated, but have "not been totally cooperative," Staly said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement One person, identified by Staly as C.J. Nelson Jr., has been arrested for violation of probation. Nelson, 22, had previously been arrested for a gun-related offense and was not allowed to be in possession of firearms as a condition of his probation, Staly said. He emphasized that Nelson "has not been charged with this death yet," but later called him a "primary person of interest" in the investigation. "It would be a lot easier if everybody would tell us the truth, and exactly what went on in that house," Staly said. "We will get to the bottom of this and we will hold somebody accountable for the death of an 18-month-old child." Nelson was booked into the Flagler County Sheriff's Office Jail on a misdemeanor charge, according to records. In the statement released Sunday, the sheriff's office said the child's death "may have been accidental." Staly did not confirm if that was still believed to be the case on Monday, and said further information would be available after the medical examiner had completed their investigation. Later in the news conference, Staly said the child "did not touch the firearm" and called her an "innocent victim in this case." The sheriff described the weapon used in the shooting as an American tactical multi-caliber assault pistol. In the course of the investigation, police also found drugs inside the home, including 420 grams of marijuana and 11 grams of white powder that may be cocaine or heroin, Staly said. Staly said police have visited the house twice this year, once for a report of a stolen vehicle and once for a 911 investigation. Sneak peek: The Brighton Ax Murder Young Americans dominating 2023 U.S. Open Companies offer student loan relief for new hires Two people are dead after a crash in Lancaster on Monday afternoon, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol. The incident occurred just before 3 p.m. on U.S. Highway 521. Deputies said a 2002 Toyota Pickup that was towing a boat stopped in the outside lane of U.S. Highway 521. A man and a woman exited the vehicle and were inspecting a problem near the rear of the truck when the boat and trailer were struck by a Buick. ALSO READ: NCSHP: 1 killed in Lincolnton motorcycle crash The woman, later identified as Kirstie Underwood, died at the scene. The man, later identified as Timmy TJ Underwood, was transported to MUSC-Lancaster, where he died shortly after arrival. The driver of the Buick suffered injuries and is in the hospital. The crash is still under investigation. (WATCH BELOW: Four people hospitalized after south Charlotte crash) A driver and passenger were killed in an apparent street race when their vehicle crashed into a firetruck, injuring four crewmembers, in West Compton Tuesday. The crash was reported around 12:30 a.m. as the engine company was responding to a medical incident, Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesperson Craig Little said. The truck was traveling down Avalon Boulevard when it was hit by the civilian vehicle traveling on Compton Boulevard, Little said. Surveillance video obtained by KTLA shows the moment of impact between the two vehicles. street racing crash Four crewmembers were transported to a local hospital with non-critical injuries. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Unfortunately, the two members of the civilian vehicle were fatalities, he said. The victims were identified by a California Highway Patrol spokesperson as a man and a woman. A woman who said she is a sister of the passenger identified her as 25-year-old Asia Allen-Bookman, the mother of a 3-year-old child. Witnesses said the vehicle that hit the truck was racing another vehicle at speeds around 80 mph when the crash occurred. A CHP official confirmed that they are looking into the possibility of racing as a factor, but indicated the incident remains under investigation. Asia Allen-Bookman is seen in a photo provided by her sister on Sept. 5, 2023. Those who knew Allen-Bookman, however, find it hard to believe she would be involved in any kind of racing activity. Her sister, Tiffany Acker, told KTLA that Allen-Bookman was on the phone with a friend and told that person they were being chased when the crash occurred. My sister wasnt speed racing, my sister wasnt irresponsible. Shes 25 years old. At 25 you do silly things, but my sister knew she had a child to get home to, Acker said. Derrick Cooper, a friend, said loved ones need answers. Theres more to it then this, she doesnt sound like the type of person thats reckless, Cooper said. I dont have all the answers but it just doesnt add up. Authorities are searching for the second vehicle, described as a blue Honda Civic, that was involved in the incident. Compton Boulevard at Avalon Boulevard was closed for hours amid the investigation but was eventually reopened. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. The Morehouse College community is mourning the loss of two students who were killed in a devastating car accident on Labor Day. The college released a statement Tuesday morning confirming the deaths of Hugh Douglas and Christion Files Jr., both members of the Class of 2025. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Hugh and Christion were not just friends but also roommates during their sophomore year, and their loss is deeply felt by all of us in the Morehouse family, said Kevin Booker, Vice President for Student Services and Dean of the College. During these difficult times, we must come together as a community to remember and celebrate the lives of Hugh and Christion. They leave a legacy of excellence, passion, and dedication that will continue to inspire us all. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Georgia State Patrol said the crash happened around 5 p.m. off Church Street and Linwood Avenue in East Point. Troopers said Files was trying to pass another car in the curve at a high rate of speed when the car left the road. Files car hit two power poles and overturned. Both Files and Douglas died at the scene. TRENDING STORIES: Both Douglas and Files Jr. were studying business administration with a concentration in finance and marketing respectively. They were also members of the Morehouse Business Association. Douglas was an AltFinance Fellow and a Goldman Sachs fellow. He recently completed a prestigious summer internship in Los Angeles, according to Morehouse. Douglas is also the son of former NFL defensive end Hugh Douglas, who was also a host for 92.9 The Game in Atlanta. You were already a better man than me. pic.twitter.com/HKfUu7888c Hugh Douglas (@Bighugh53) September 5, 2023 The Morehouse track and field team named Files Jr. one of its co-captains. He was also the media chair for the Junior Class Council and had a love for photography and videography, according to the school. Morehouse College will have support available for other students through counseling services (470-639-0231) and the student mental health center at Brazeal House. The college also has support for faculty and staff through the Cigna Behavior Hotline (866-912-3339) and Life Assistance Program (800-538-3543). [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS Two swimmers are recovering from minor injuries after they were bitten by sharks in separate incidents in Volusia County, Florida. The attacks both took place on Ponce Inlet, a stretch of beach on a barrier island south of Daytona Beach. In the first incident, a 37-year-old woman from Apopka, Florida, was bitten on her right foot, according to a news release from Volusia County Beach Safety. The woman did not see the shark that bit her, but was in waist-deep water. She was transported to a nearby hospital by Volusia County emergency services. Her injury was non-life-threatening, officials said. The other person bitten was a 30-year-old man surfing near the Ponce Inlet Jetty. He was bitten on the left hand. Officials said the man refused care and drove himself to a hospital for treatment. His injury is also non-life-threatening. Children enjoy the surf in Ponce Inlet, Florida while waves crash on the jetty at Lighthouse Point Park on August 2, 2020. / Credit: Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images Officials said they did not have any further information about the beachgoers' conditions because their injuries were non-life-threatening. Captain A.J. Miller, the logistics captain for Volusia County Beach Safety, said that there will not be an attempt to hunt and capture the sharks, and said that bites in the area are "normally accidental in nature." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "The shark is feeding on baitfish and grab a person (by) mistake, bite, release, and swim away," Miller said. "This is why we call them shark bites and not shark attacks." In most cases when sharks bite humans, it's often a case of mistaken identity. Sharks may mistake people, especially those on surfboards, for animals like seals and sea lions. Shark bites of any kind are generally uncommon, with only 137 such incidents reported in 2021. "If you put that into perspective as to how many people are in the water, how many sharks are in the water ... you really realize how unlikely it is that you're going to get bitten by a shark," Yannis Papastamatiou, a professor at Florida International University who studies shark behavior, told CBS News in 2021. "... It's just a numbers game. And the fact is, the relative probability is extremely low." Search expanded for escaped killer in Pennsylvania Escaped killer spotted near Philadelphia, but search continues North Korea-Russia arms deal eyed as Kim Jong Un and Putin plan meeting A Lees Summit High School graduate was killed late last month while climbing Wyomings tallest peak, loved ones said. Jason Allen Graves, 24, died Aug. 27. Graves fell during the descent from the summit of the 13,810-foot-tall Gannett Peak in Fremont County, Wyoming, according to a GoFundMe created by his loved ones. The Jackson Hole News and Guide reported that emergency crews found Graves body at 9 a.m. Aug. 28 on a glacier several hundred feet below the peak he was climbing. A specialized crew from Grand Teton National Park, the Jenny Lake Climbing Rangers, flew into the area and were able to recover his body from the glacier at about 12,800 feet elevation without further incident, according to a press release from the Fremont County Sheriffs Office. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Graves graduated from Lees Summit High School in 2018, where he won four state swimming medals before attending the University of Missouri and Longview Community College, family said. He moved to the mountains in spring 2020, living first in Estes Park and Winter Park, Colorado, then Jackson, Wyoming, where he worked at Teton Science Schools. Just before his death, Graves and his girlfriend, Kasey Ervin, moved to Grand Junction, Colorado. Jason loved the outdoors, and he had recently shared with Kasey his desire to figure out a way to help financially disadvantaged youth experience the Teton Science School, which is where he himself had been introduced to the beauty of the mountains and caught the hiking/climbing bug that would become his passion, says the GoFundMe. The day he died, Graves, who family said possessed an adventurous spirit, had made the trip back to Wyoming to say goodbye to a place near to his heart, loved ones said. Family said Graves was a cautious and experienced outdoorsman and an accomplished climber, with summits including Mt. Hood in Oregon and all the Grand Tetons in Wyoming under his belt, family said. When not climbing mountains, Graves also loved to swim and paddle board in mountain lakes - and root for the Chiefs. Jason lived a full life and gave and received joy every day, says the GoFundMe. Now, loved ones are raising money to help support Ervin, and to create a scholarship at Teton Science Schools in Graves memory. Family said the funds will go toward helping ensure Jasons vision of helping others experience the place he loved so very much. As of Tuesday, more than $30,400 in donations had been collected. Health care workers who were staging a protest outside Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Hollywood were arrested and cited by the Los Angeles Police Department for civil disobedience on Labor Day after police declared the protest an unlawful assembly. The workers were participating in a Labor Day march and rally that came to a conclusion outside the Hollywood hospital. The workers, represented by Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, have been embroiled in a dispute with Kaiser, one of the nations largest health care systems, over what they say is unfair labor practices, including allegations of unsafe staffing levels. Workers holiday brings more action for hot labor summer ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement After weeks of growing unrest, tens of thousands of Kaiser employees began the process of authorizing a formal strike over the the discourse, which would be the largest health care strike in the nations history. Photos shared from both the union and the LAPD showed protesters sitting on the street in a circle, blocking the road as part of the protest. Health care workers sit in protest on a roadway in Hollywood as part of an organized demonstration against Kaiser Permanente on Sept. 4, 2023. In total, 23 were arrested and cited. (SEIU UHW) Lillian Carranza, LAPDs Assistant Commanding Officer of Operations-Central Bureau, said on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, that the protesters were ordered to disperse, but remained steadfast in their demonstration. In total, 23 were arrested and then released after they were cited for civil disobedience, Carranza said a number that was confirmed by the health care workers union. A demonstrator is detained by LAPD officers following a protest outside Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Hollywood on Sept. 4, 2023. (SEIU UHW) Mondays protest was part of a larger demonstration happening at hospitals and medical centers across the state. In a release issued to the media by the union, quoted workers said they were burnt out, stretched thin, and fed up after years of the pandemic and chronic short staffing. Healthcare providers are failing workers and patients, and we are at crisis levels in our hospitals and medical centers, said Datosha Williams, a service representative at Kaiser Permanente South Bay. Our employers take in billions of dollars in profits, yet they refuse to safely staff their facilities or pay many of their workers a living wage. Williams added that the union members and health care workers were prepared to do whatever it takes to continue to voice their concerns and displeasure about the state of affairs at Kaiser hospitals. Health care workers and supporters participated in a Labor Day demonstration in Hollywood that came to a head after 23 health care workers were arrested for civil disobedience on Sept. 4, 2023. (SEIU UHW) A recent poll of 33,000 of the health care providers employees found that two-thirds said they have personally witnessed care be delayed or denied due to short staffing, the union said. The union also said many of its members are living in cars while Kaiser, a nonprofit, recently reported $3 billion in profit in the first half of 2023. Mondays demonstration was co-sponsored by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and featured speeches from health care workers and other California labor leaders and elected officials. In a statement provided to KTLA, a Kaiser Permanente spokesperson said the organization is committed to providing a positive, safe, and equitable work environment and to being a best place to work. The spokesperson added that last year, Kaiser Permanente hired more than 29,000 new workers, and even more are expected to be hired this year. To read more of the statement, click here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. A second former Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department deputy has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge of depriving a man of his civil rights in Compton more than three years ago. Miguel Angel Vega, 33, of Corona, admitted in a plea agreement on Tuesday that he and his then partner, Christopher Blair Hernandez, 37, illegally detained a man after a verbal altercation in April 2020, then injured him when Vega crashed their patrol car, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. Prosecutors identified the victim as J.A., though the Los Angeles Times said his name is Jesus Alegria. Alegria, who was also challenged to a fight by Vega and threatened with a being left in gang territory where he would be beaten, was not given a valid reason for his detention and was not handcuffed, his seatbelt was not secured, he never was told he was under arrest, nor was he informed of his rights at any time all of this in violation of LASD policy, prosecutors said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement 2 ex-L.A. County sheriffs deputies involved in fatal shooting of Andres Guardado indicted in federal false imprisonment case After the crash, Alegria was told to flee, despite suffering a head injury and sustaining a cut above his eye that later required stitches. The deputies then filed false reports to cover up the deputy and his partners unlawful conduct, according to the release. When asked by the supervising sergeant why J.A. had been in the SUV at the time of the collision, Vega falsely told the sergeant that J.A. had been detained for being under the influence of a controlled substance, said prosecutors, who added that, as part of the coverup, the two had another deputy charged Alegria with being under the influence of methamphetamine, even though Hernandez and Vega knew that this accusation was false. Former LASD deputy to plead guilty to conspiring to violate falsely imprisoned skateboarders civil rights Vegas guilty plea comes just weeks after Hernandezs decision to plead guilty to a felony conspiracy charge in July. He faces up to five years in federal prison when hes sentenced on Jan. 8, 2024. Vega, meanwhile, could be sentenced to up to 10 years in federal prison, as he is pleading guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. The incident with Alegria was not the only allegation of wrongdoing by the pair in 2020. Two months after the altercation with Alegria, Vega and Hernandez were involved in the fatal shooting of Andres Guardado, 18, in Compton. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroners Office found that Vega shot Guardado five times in the back. The two former deputies were relieved of duty at the end of 2020. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. More than 4 million people have so far enrolled in President Joe Biden s new repayment plan, known as SAVE, which promises to lower their monthly bills as student loan payments are set to resume in October after a yearslong pandemic-related pause. Launched earlier this summer, the SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) plan is available to most people with federal student loans and can provide significant relief to borrowers struggling to pay off their student debt. The majority of people who already enrolled in SAVE were previously enrolled in a different repayment plan, the Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE), and automatically transferred. Borrowers who were not enrolled in REPAYE must apply for the SAVE plan. More than 1 million people have applied to date, the Department of Education said Tuesday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Borrowers will be able to apply on an ongoing basis but are encouraged to apply as soon as possible if they want to be enrolled by the time they are required to make a payment in October. On September 1, interest began accruing on federal student loans for the first time since March 2020. During that time, rates were effectively set to 0% and borrowers were not required to make monthly payments. Borrowers can expect to get a bill from their servicer at least 21 days before their payment is due sometime in October. Biden proposed canceling up to $20,000 in student loan debt for low- and middle-income borrowers before payments restarted, but the program was struck down by the Supreme Court in late June. Unlike the one-time cancellation proposal, the SAVE plan, can benefit both current and future borrowers. The Biden administration first said it was developing a new repayment plan last August. SAVE is expected to cost $475 billion over 10 years, according to the Penn Wharton Budget Model. How the SAVE plan works Like other income-driven repayment plans, SAVE calculates monthly payments based on a borrowers income and family size, regardless of how much outstanding student debt is owed. A single borrower earning $32,800 or less or a borrower with a family of four earning $67,500 or less will see their payments set at $0 if enrolled in SAVE, for example. Borrowers are required to pay a portion of their discretionary income, which under SAVE is equal to the difference between a borrowers adjusted gross income and 225% of the poverty level. Existing income-driven plans calculate discretionary income as the difference between income and 150% of the poverty level, resulting in higher monthly payments. Also under SAVE, unpaid interest will not accrue if a borrower makes a full monthly payment. That means that a borrowers balance wont increase even if the monthly payment doesnt cover the monthly interest. For example: If $50 in interest accumulates each month and a borrower has a $30 payment, the remaining $20 would not be charged. Next year, additional parts of the SAVE plan will be phased in. Those will cut payments in half for borrowers with loans from undergraduate school and shorten the time to debt forgiveness. After making at least 10 years of payments, a borrowers remaining balance could be wiped away. Existing income-driven repayment plans usually require a borrower to pay for at least 20 years before seeing any debt cancellation. How to choose the best repayment plan A borrower can request to enroll in an income-driven plan online. After submitting some information, a simulator will show how much a borrowers payments will be under each plan. Income-driven plans can be a good option for borrowers who are struggling to afford their monthly payments. But note that if a repayment plan lowers monthly payments, it may also increase how much is paid back over time due to interest and extend how long it takes to pay the loan off. It may not be the best option for everyone. Biden administration officials have said that it takes about four weeks for an application to be processed by a borrowers student loan servicer after its submitted. If a servicer needs more time to process an application by the time a borrowers October payment is due, they will be placed in a forbearance and wont be required to make a payment. Existing student loan forgiveness programs After the Supreme Court struck down Bidens separate student loan forgiveness program, the administration began pursuing another pathway to providing some student debt relief, but its not clear who would be eligible or how much debt would be canceled. This pathway requires the Department of Education to undertake a formal rule-making process, which typically takes months or even years and could still face legal challenges. That means payments will resume in October without a new student loan forgiveness program in place. The Biden administration has already made it easier for many borrowers to seek federal student loan forgiveness from several existing debt cancellation programs altogether approving roughly $116 billion in loan discharges for more than 3.4 million people through August. These programs benefit people who were defrauded by their for-profit college, are permanently disabled or work in the public sector for more than 10 years while making student loan payments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com More voters cast a ballot in last months mayoral election than in any other Wichita mayoral primary since 2003. Since winning the primary, former television reporter Lily Wu has been campaigning on the talking point that 76% of Wichita residents who turned out voted for change. Wu got 30% of the vote, outperforming current Mayor Brandon Whipple , who received 24% of the vote. But 46% of primary voters picked neither of them to lead the city. Third- and fourth-place finishers Bryan Frye and Celeste Racette earned a combined 39% of the vote. A month after the bruising primary, neither term-limited City Council member Frye nor Save Century II founder Racette have any immediate plans for a general election endorsement. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Wu, a Libertarian with the backing of Americans for Prosperity, cut into Republican Fryes conservative base considerably, leaving him 705 votes short of Whipple for a spot on the November ballot. Frye said its too soon to say if hell make an endorsement. Racette, a Democrat turned independent, said she wont throw her support behind the Democratic incumbent and hasnt made up her mind on Wu yet. Racette and Wu, who attended the citizens police academy together, met at the Candle Club to talk a week after the primary. This much I can answer confidently. I will not be endorsing Whipple, said Racette, who has sparred with the mayor repeatedly, including at the last City Council meeting. He ran a dirty campaign and that speaks volumes about his character. I havent decided yet about endorsing Lily. Whipple said he disagrees with Racettes assessment that he ran a dirty campaign. Ive enjoyed working with Celeste on ensuring if [Century II] was to be replaced it would first go to a vote of the people, he said. I appreciate the voice she has brought to critical issues throughout the primary and I sincerely wish her well. Russell Arben Fox, a political science professor at Friends University, said at least a subset of voters who turned out for unsuccessful primary candidates will be looking to them for cues in the general election. Local elections across Sedgwick County are technically nonpartisan, although party politics factor heavily into races. If you take a look at the coalition that Whipple put together in order to beat (Jeff) Longwell, he really needs the sort of reform-minded, distrustful-of-the-City Council, distrustful-of-development-interests-type voters, Fox said. A lot of those voters were supporting [Racette] because it was the developers that were going after Century II and she was able to put a lot of them together. In the 2019 general election, 49,910 Wichitans turned out to vote for mayor some 9,000 more than in this years primary. Whipple defeated Longwell 46.4% to 36.0% with 17.6% going for write-ins, headlined by failed primary candidate Lyndy Wells. Fox said a potential Racette endorsement of Wu could cut both ways, creating a possible opening for Whipple to win over disaffected voters. If she endorses Lily Wu, who so obviously is being supported by a lot of development interests, that will alienate some of her core supporters, Fox said. The Wichita Chamber of Commerce, a strong proponent for the now defunct Riverfront Legacy Master Plan that recommended tearing down Century II, jointly endorsed Wu and Frye in the primary. Wu shattered Wichitas pre-primary fundraising record, garnering donations from many prominent Wichita business people and their companies, including numerous instances of bundling, when donors give the maximum legal donation of $500 from multiple companies that share an address. Wu outraised Whipple $159,852 to $34,712 and outspent him $119,126 to $27,650 between January and July. The highest-turnout Wichita mayoral contest on record was in 2003, when 54,375 voters weighed in and Carlos Myans was elected, Sedgwick County Election Office records show. The view of the Texas Senate chamber from the gallery on Aug. 31 amid preparations for Tuesday's start of the impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton. Credit: Bob Daemmrch for The Texas Tribune Editor's note: The proceedings in the Paxton trial have begun. Watch a livestream and receive live updates from our reporters here. The Texas Senates impeachment trial of Ken Paxton is finally here. After a long, hot summer of pretrial battles, political pressures and nagging uncertainties, the Senate will begin the process Tuesday of deciding whether the suspended attorney general should be permanently removed from office. It will be only the third impeachment trial in Texas history. The trial begins more than three months after the House voted to impeach Paxton, accusing him of misconduct in 20 articles of impeachment, many of which centered on Paxtons relationship with Nate Paul, an Austin real-estate investor and campaign donor. Paxton is accused of misusing his office to help Paul in exchange for favors, including a remodel of Paxtons Austin house and a job for the woman with whom Paxton was allegedly having an extramarital affair. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The vote in the House was overwhelming and bipartisan, but the Senate presents a different political landscape. Its GOP caucus is seen as more aligned with Paxtons brand of conservatism, and he boasts more personal connections in a chamber where his wife, Angela Paxton, is a member, and where he served for two years before becoming attorney general in 2015. Rules adopted by the Senate allow Angela Paxton to attend the trial, but she cannot participate in deliberations or vote on each article. Permanently removing Paxton requires support from 21 senators two-thirds of the 31-member Senate. That means that if all 12 Democrats support removal, half of the 18 remaining Republicans with a vote would have to agree to kick him out of office for good. But there could still be a long way to go before a resolution. Here are five questions that loom large as the trial kicks off: Will there be a full-blown trial? Patrick and the senators have a lot to consider before they can hear opening statements. Paxtons lawyers have filed nearly two dozen pretrial motions that could consume the opening hours and perhaps days of the trial. A large chunk of the motions seek to dismiss the articles out of the gate, while others deal with issues like whether Paxton can be compelled to testify. Under the trial rules, Patrick can rule unilaterally on motions that would not result in the dismissal of articles. Pretrial motions to dismiss must be approved by a majority of senators. Patrick can defer rulings on pretrial motions until after all evidence is presented if he believes the information is necessary for a ruling. A majority of senators also can vote to defer rulings for the same reason. Last week, a special committee of seven senators was supposed to finalize a report with recommendations on all motions. That report is confidential. Paxton allies have been pressuring GOP senators to support the pretrial motions to dismiss, while the House impeachment managers hope the case remains intact after the initial blitz of rulings. Texans for Lawsuit Reform, a powerful GOP-aligned group that has been at odds with Paxton, has urged senators to resist acquitting Paxton before the trial even begins and the evidence has been presented. Does Paxton testify? Early on, Paxton vowed not to testify in the trial. His lead lawyer, Tony Buzbee, released a statement to the media in early July that declared Paxton will not dignify the illegal House action by testifying. But whether Paxton takes the witness stand may not be up to him. When the Senate approved trial rules in June, they gave the presiding officer the power to issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses. Paxtons lawyers have filed a pretrial motion asking the Senate to effectively carve him out of that provision. They argued the trial is a criminal proceeding, so Paxton is entitled to the same legal protections as any criminal defendant, like not being forced to testify. The House managers opposed that motion, saying the trial rules provide no exception for Paxton. They said Paxton has a Fifth Amendment right to refuse to incriminate himself in testimony, but he must assert that right from the witness stand. Ruling on that pretrial motion will be one of the Senates tasks. Does Patrick show his cards more? Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is the presiding officer of the trial effectively the judge and he has kept observers guessing on how he personally feels about Paxtons myriad problems. Typically self-assured and outspoken, Patrick has played his cards close to the vest and surprised even some skeptics with how seriously he has taken preparations for the trial. But he has also played into his critics suspicions by accepting $3 million in campaign funding from a pro-Paxton group in June. In one of his few media appearances that touched on the trial recently, Patrick rebuffed a key argument from Paxtons side. "Its not a criminal trial, Patrick said. Its not a civil trial. Its a political trial. That was welcome news to the House impeachment managers, who had been expressing the same view. But more broadly, they know that Patrick runs the Senate with an iron fist, and if at any point he wanted to put his thumb on the scale in favor of a certain outcome, he probably could. How he handles the pretrial motions will probably be the first major glimpse into how much power Patrick plans to exert over the process. Under the trial rules, he can unilaterally rule on any motion that does not seek to dismiss articles of impeachment or he can send the motion to the senators for a vote, taking the pressure off himself. Who are the star witnesses? Both sides were required to submit witness lists last month, and they are supposed to be secret. But it is easy to predict some of the names that are likely included, like the former top lieutenants to Paxton who reported their concerns about his relationship with Paul to the FBI in 2020. The big question is which witnesses will senators hear from who have not spoken publicly before. Could it be the woman with whom Paxton allegedly had an extramarital affair? One of the articles accuses Paxton of being bribed by Paul through his employment of a woman with whom Paxton was having an extramarital affair. Olson has kept a low public profile in recent years. The affair has taken center stage ahead of the trial. Last month, House managers unveiled new claims that Paxton and Paul used a fake Uber account so Paxton could visit Olson. The increased focus on the affair puts Paxtons wife, Sen. Angela Paxton, in a closely watched position. The trial rules disqualified her from deliberating and voting on the articles of impeachment something she disagreed with but she can still attend and can also be called as a witness. What happens outside the Capitol? Are there any legal or political events outside the Senate that could shake up the trial? The most anticipated legal development lately has been a federal indictment. Last month, a Paxton attorney, Dan Cogdell, acknowledged to reporters that a federal investigation into Paxtons relationship with Paul was ongoing. And after that, the Austin American-Statesman reported that a grand jury had convened in San Antonio to hear from witnesses close to Paxton. Paxton is already under indictment on state securities fraud charges that date back to 2015. Neither side in that case expects it to advance during the impeachment trial, and they have agreed to regroup at an Oct. 6 pretrial hearing, presumably after the trial. Politically, there are few top Texas Republicans left who have not weighed in on Paxtons impeachment in some way. But one who could still make waves is former President Donald Trump. Both Paxton and Patrick have closely allied themselves with Trump over the years, and while Trump blasted the Houses impeachment of Paxton, he has been silent on the Senates handling of the case so far. If it looks like Patricks Senate is moving toward removing Paxton, will Trump break his silence and intervene? Disclosure: Texans for Lawsuit Reform has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. The full program is now LIVE for the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 21-23 in Austin. Explore the program featuring more than 100 unforgettable conversations coming to TribFest. Panel topics include the biggest 2024 races and whats ahead, how big cities in Texas and around the country are changing, the integrity of upcoming elections and so much more. See the full program. The Monday, April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States including Akron, and Canada. It will truly be one of those once-in-a-lifetime events. And there will be a lot of folks here to share the memorable moment as the population in northern Ohio is predicted to double from visitors wanting to experience the celestial event. For the first time in 200 years, Ohio will be in the path of a total eclipse on April 8, 2024. The last time the sky went dark in the state was way back in 1806. And the next time it will happen in the Buckeye state will be in 2099. The best part of this historic event is that northern Ohio is smack dab in the middle of the path of totality. This means Akron will be in the dark for just under three minutes as the moon passes in front of the sun casting a shadow across the region. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The point of longest duration of darkness in Ohio will be in Avon Lake. The path of the annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023 over North America There will be a preview of sorts on Oct. 14 when there's a partial eclipse. The Annular Solar Eclipse will begin at 11:49 a.m. in Greater Akron and reach its peak at 1:08 p.m. when about a third of the sun is obscured by the moon's shadow. It will end at 2:29 p.m. What's the timeline in Greater Akron for the total eclipse? This event will unfold very slowly. In Greater Akron, the eclipse from start to finish will last two hours and 30 minutes. The eclipse will begin at 1:59 p.m. as the moon slowly casts its shadow across the sun. Totality or complete darkness in Akron will be at 3:15 p.m. and last two minutes and 49 seconds. It will slowly get brighter outside and the eclipse will end at 4:29 p.m. A map showing the total solar eclipse's path through Ohio. What to expect when the eclipse happens? It will seem like any other day across northern Ohio on April 8, 2024. But things will slowly change starting at 1:59 p.m. in Greater Akron. As the shadow slowly progresses across the sun, it will slowly get darker across the region. Street lights will go on and motorists will eventually have to turn on their headlights as complete darkness descends at 3:15 p.m. in Akron. John Shulan, president of the Summit County Astronomy Club, looks at the sun through an eclipse viewer at the observation site at the Bath Nature Preserve. John Shulan, president of the Summit County Astronomy Club, said aside from it being dark as night, there is one other thing that everyone will notice once the sun disappears. It will suddenly get cold even for a day in early April. Shulan said the temperature will likely drop about 15 degrees once the eclipse reaches its peak. "It's going to get very, very dark," he said. Will school be cancelled on the day of the eclipse? As of now, most schools are planning to hold classes on the day of the eclipse. There are a handful of schools in Summit and Medina counties that have already decided to cancel classes. The University of Akron and Kent State plan to be in session on the day of the eclipse. It falls in the beginning of April so there's always that chance of a snow day in northern Ohio. Akron Public Schools will be in session as students will just be returning from spring break on the day of the eclipse. But spokesman Mark Williamson said the district is always "flexible for any unusual or extenuating circumstances" with its calendar. David Walker (left) and Alicia Hammett, (center) both from Akron get their first look at the solar eclipse at the Akron-Summit County Public Library in downtown Akron on Aug. 21, 2017. Woodridge Superintendent Necole Ast said the district will have a remote learning day because of the "unique" challenges and circumstances of the eclipse. She said the timing of the eclipse is expected to coincide with the school's scheduled dismissal, so moving classes online that day was the safest option. "Our location places us in a prime spot for eclipse visibility, which is expected to lead to an influx of visitors to our district interested in witnessing the eclipse," she said. "The higher-than-usual volume of traffic could add to the challenges of ensuring a safe environment for our students." Similar safety concerns has led to Medina canceling classes for the day. "This is an event that seldom occurs in a lifetime in which we wanted our students to be able to experience with family and friends," said Superintendent Aaron Sable. "Our focus is safety and security, as well as the family, friends and community connection with this event." John Shulan, president of the Summit County Astronomy Club, looks through a telescope at the observation site at the Bath Nature Preserve. What's the projected economic impact of the eclipse? If those predictions hold true that the number of visitors could double the population of northern Ohio, then this historic eclipse could prove to be an economic boom for the region. Gregg Mervis, president and CEO of the Akron/Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau, said there are some 5,000 hotel rooms in the county and they fully expect all of them to be full for the eclipse. Some hotels, Mervis said, are already experiencing "high occupancy" on and around the eclipse date. Because so many visitors are expected in the region, he said, they are encouraging out-of-town visitors to hang around for a day or two after to experience the many sites like the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to avoid what is expected to be gridlock on area highways and interstates once the eclipse ends. Summit County Astronomy Club member Aimee Pergalsky of Richfield looks at the sun through a telescope at the club's observation site at the Bath Nature Preserve. This could also mean more business for area restaurants and bars. "Our goal is to have visitors experience more than just the eclipse," Mervis said. "This is a very unique and memorable once-in-a-lifetime event." Mervis said they are still putting together plans for the eclipse and are working with area attractions like the Akron Zoo, Stan Hywet Hall, Hale Farm and the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad to host visitors that day. Even Akron-area breweries, he said, are looking at offering special eclipse-inspired brews for the historic event. John Shulan, president of the Summit County Astronomy Club, talks with Richard and Karen Dutchman of Bath at the observation site at the Bath Nature Preserve. Shulan said his organization is already preparing to host visitors at its hilltop observatory in the Bath Nature Preserve. Other viewing spots will likely include community and county parks. The Cleveland Guardians have already announced that they plan to make the event part of the team's opening day festivities. Eclipse at Progressive Field: Cleveland Guardians could share home opener spotlight with solar eclipse in 2024 What will weather be like on April 8? The total eclipse will happen rain or shine or snow squall. The average high for April 8 in Greater Akron is 58.1 degrees with the average low of 37.4 degrees. The odds of rain falling are about 48% and the chance of snow on average is 8.8%. The record high for that date in Akron is 83 degrees reached in 2021; the record low of 14 degrees was set in 1972. The most snow that has ever fallen in Greater Akron on that particular date was 2.7 inches in 1985 and the rainiest on record was in 1980 when .9 inches fell. Looking back at the last five years of weather conditions recorded at the Akron-Canton Airport, the skies have been cloudy in four out of the five years at the point of when the total eclipse will happen. Summit County Astronomy Club member looks at the sun through a telescope at the club's observation site at the Bath Nature Preserve. Craig Webb, who must remind himself to never look directly at the sun, can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Total eclipse in Ohio 2024: What Akronites need to know Sitting at a table in Fountain Square, the Tyler Davidson fixture gurgling beneath her words, Whitney Austin suddenly tensed and stopped talking. A man on a cell phone walking nearby had veered close to her chair. A little too close. Austins body went rigid. The stranger on a call didnt seem to notice. If hes reading this description, in fact, he likely doesnt recognize himself in the scene. He was oblivious. Thats a luxury Austin hasnt had since Sept. 6, 2018, the morning she was shot 12 times as one of five gunshot victims three of them fatal in a mass shooting inside the Fifth Third Bank. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I didnt like that, Austin, 42, said as her body relaxed after the man on the phone passed. Im definitely on high alert. On the morning of September 6, 2018, Whitney Austin was shot 12 times as she entered the revolving doors at Fifth Third headquarters on Fountain Square on her way into work. Five people were shot, three died that day in downtown Cincinnati. Almost immediately, Strong started Whitney/Strong, a non-profit to find common ground to end gun violence. Strong, from Louisville, is photographed on Fountain Square, Monday, August 28, 2023 That wasnt the case the morning of the shooting. Five years ago, the Louisville woman had been on the phone herself, immersed in a conference call as she entered the lobby of the bank, for which she worked as an executive. Just after 9 a.m., a gunman opened fire, his bullets striking five people who, like Austin, had simply been minding their own business. Austin and Brian Sarver, then a 45-year-old contractor, were the two who survived physical injuries. But Sarver is quick to say that plenty of others bear invisible scars left by the senseless attack. "(The gunman) did fire at several other people, but he didn't hit them, luckily," said Sarver, now 50, who lost his spleen in aftermath of the shooting. "It definitely affected everyone who was in the lobby at that time." And plenty who weren't. The news traumatized the city, sparked Cincinnati Strong hashtags on social media, spurred more than $1.2 million in donations for survivors and families of the slain, and inspired Austin to create a nonprofit organization aimed to thwart gun violence. "People have been impacted for life," said Yashwanth Yeddulapalli, 32, whose friend Prudhvi Raj Kandepi, at age 25, was the youngest of the three killed victims. Kailash Sharma, a priest from the Hindu Temple, prays for Prudhvi Kandepi during his memorial service at The Ramada Plaza in Sharonville. Kandepi, 25, was the youngest victim in the mass shooting Thursday, September 6, in the lobby of the Fifth Third Center on Fountain Square. He was an electrical engineer and contract worker at the bank. Omar Santa Perez, 29, opened fire Thursday morning, killing three and wounding two others. Police shot and killed Santa. Kandepi body is being flown home to India for funeral services. Every year since the attack, some of Kandepi's friends Yeddulapalli among them have traveled to Cincinnati to mark the anniversary of their India-born friend's death. "His family back home, it's still hard for them," Yeddaulpalli said. "They still can't process what happened. It's hard to swallow for any of the families not just him, but for all the other families, too. It's disrupted their lives forever." 'I was the first bullet that day' No matter how many years pass, elements of the 2018 shooting continue to flummox those affected by it. Austin, for one, remains dumbfounded that she sustained the most wounds and yet walked away with the least serious injuries. While Sarver was rushed straight to surgery to staunch the damage done by a gunshot wound to his left side, Austins first surgery could wait until morning. None of my major organs were hit. The whole things a miracle to be shot 12 times. Nobody else gets shot 12 times and lives, she said. This is the way I say it: I got the very best of the worst. Police investigate the scene after a multiple fatality shooting at the Fifth Third Bank building on Fountain Square after a shooting with multiple fatalities on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in downtown Cincinnati. The three who, along with their families, endured the worst of the worst were: engineer Kandepi, who'd been shot in the head, torso and arms; construction supervisor Richard Newcomer, 64, killed by a single gunshot to his upper left back; and Luis Felipe Calderon, 48, a Colombia native killed by shots to his chest and back. "I was the first bullet that day," Sarver said recently. "The first shot out of the gun was me." Sarver had been standing in the bank lobby with two coworkers, one of whom was Newcomer, whom everyone called Rick. The bullet entered Sarver's lower back, striking his spleen before exiting through his abdomen. "It spun me around to the right and there was an open stairwell that goes down into the basement," Sarver recalled. "I dove down the stairs. He continued to fire at me, but he of course missed me, thank God. I didn't get hit any more times after that." Newcomer was shot next and followed Sarver down the stairs, where an employee-only entrance slowed their escape. Sarver's badge to open the door had fallen on the floor when he was shot, but Newcomer still had his. Bleeding heavily from the wound in his torso, Newcomer used his badge to open the door, Sarver said. The injured men, who could still hear gunfire overhead in the lobby, made their way to a loading dock and waited for what seemed like an eternity for an ambulance. Newcomer was still conscious and talking when the first arrived to transport him to the hospital, where he died from his injuries. Sarver grapples daily with feeling grateful he survived and guilty that Newcomer didn't. "The negativity is going to come and beat you down if you let it," he said. "You have to focus on being positive, focus on thinking about that thankfulness or that glass-is-half-full mentality. "I'm not saying I do it well all the time. It's work." 'I don't look back with regret' The gunman that day was 29-year-old Omar Enrique Santa Perez, who had fired 35 rounds from a 9 mm handgun in a span of 4 minutes, 28 seconds. That was precisely how long it took Cincinnati police to arrive to the scene, having been dispatched after a bystander called 911 55 seconds after the first gunshot. The gunman was still actively firing when officers arrived and opened fire in return, felling him with a bullet to his back. It took police a year to release a summary of its investigation into the shooting, which revealed that Santa Perez had learned the day before his rampage that a lawsuit he had filed against NBC Universal and TD Ameritrade had been dismissed a second time. The gunman had claimed the two companies had uncovered his identity and were publishing private details about his life allegations that federal magistrate Karen Litkovitz had described as rambling, difficult to decipher and (bordering) on delusional when she dismissed the case. The day before the shooting, Santa Perez had learned about the second dismissal from a lawyer representing NBC Universal, police announced in late September 2019. Surveillance video captured before the shooting showed Santa Perez walking toward Cincinnatis federal courthouse, which was across the street from Fifth Thirds home on Fountain Square. The footage depicted him crossing a skywalk over Walnut Street with a messenger bag slung over his shoulder and a drink from Panera Bread in his hand. That's as close as police have come to ascribing a motive for the attack. Santa Perez had a long history of mental health issues, his family told police. They sought treatment for him in 2010 and 2012 in Florida, where they argued before Palm Beach County judges that Santa Perez was violent and mentally ill, prompting mental health evaluations. It was that revelation that the gunman had accessed a firearm despite his familys repeated warnings that he was dangerous that sparked Austin to create her nonprofit, Whitney/Strong, within months of the shooting. The organization primarily promotes safe firearm storage and resources for responsible gun ownership while pushing for bipartisan legislation that makes it tougher for people in mental crises or with violent histories to access firearms. Austin, a married mother of two who routinely traveled from Louisville to the Fifth Third headquarters in Cincinnati, acknowledged that her decision to swiftly develop the organization was perhaps hasty, if well-intentioned. I think that I probably could have benefited from taking longer to start Whitney/Strong and concentrating on myself, she said. But at the same time, that was the moment in which people were active, and had I waited, Whitney/Strong might not exist today. So I dont look back with regret. The organization aims this week to balance a few goals during its Week of Remembrance marking the fifth anniversary of the shooting: honoring the three men killed five years ago, providing resources to people wanting to learn how to predict and thwart gun violence and assuring those who worry the cycle of violence is destined to never end that there are reasons to feel optimistic. "I'm mostly very hopeful because my ear is very close to the ground and I see change happening every day that people don't see," Austin said. She cited two pieces of legislation as proof: Kentucky's proposed Crisis Aversion and Rights Retention bill, or CARR, sponsored by Sen. Whitney Westerfield, a Fruit Hill Republican, that aims to remove guns from people in crisis, as well as the federal Safer Communities Act, whose swath of bipartisan supporters included Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Louisville Republican. The latter act provides funding for mental health services and school security initiatives while also expanding criminal background checks for some gun buyers and making it tougher for domestic-violence offenders to buy guns. "I've talked about bipartisan work from the very beginning, and I have to be honest: It didn't become real for me until the bipartisan Safer Communities Act" passed in 2022, Austin said. "No one will ever be able to take that example away from me." 'I'm going to keep doing this as long as I can' Those marking this week's fifth anniversary of the shooting will do so in ways big and small, private and public. Austin's organization has daily events, including a free program called "Save A Life: The Research Edition," during which criminologists will share warning signs of impending violence Tuesday, Sept. 5, at 6:30 p.m. On Wednesday, Whitney/Strong also will host Storytelling on the Square, which will feature a mural by local artists sharing stories of gun violence throughout Cincinnati. Other gestures will be more subtle. "I'm just going to be on my own," said Yeddulapalli, who is coming with his wife and a friend to do what he's done every year since the shooting: spend time visiting the tree he and friends planted for Kandepi at Spring Grove Cemetery, leave a photo and some flowers on Fountain Square and walk through the lobby door Kandepi had obliviously entered that fateful morning. "It doesn't matter to me if it's been five years or 10 years," Yeddulapalli said. "I'm going to keep doing this as long as I can just to remember him and let him know that we didn't forget him." Srivenkat Poolla lights a candle as friends of Prudhvi Kandepi gather on Fountain Square on Friday, September 6, 2019 in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio on the anniversary of his death. Kandepi was fatally shot along with two others before police killed the gunman. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Fifth Third Bank survivors on 'high alert' 5 years after mass shooting Violet Metcalfe Trott went to her fifth-ever Burning Man in 2023. Despite the horrible weather conditions, she told Insider it was the best one yet. She was able to safely leave the Nevada desert on Monday and make her flight home. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Violet Metcalfe Trott, a 28-year-old British post-partum doula who was in attendance at Burning Man 2023. It's been edited for length and clarity. It started the way it always has. I, with the same camp I'd always camped with, returned to Black Rock Desert in Nevada for my fifth Burning Man. The weather at the beginning of the week was perfect much better than last year's unbearable heat. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I wasn't sure if I would return as I was grieving a recent loss. But, after some reflection, I realized this was the best place to go to process and grieve since I always come away from Burn with a lot of insights, connections, and love like I've been in the company of family. Burning Man holds a space for those who are grieving in the form of a temple, a sacred space where people can go and leave messages for their loved ones. I knew I wanted to go for that, so at the last minute, I got my stuff together. The weather began to change for the worse on Friday morning With the event coming on the heels of Hurricane Hillary, everyone was slightly concerned that the desert wouldn't dry out in time. The build was delayed because of the soggy conditions and they didn't open the gates until Wednesday, August 23. The event officially kicked off on Sunday, August 27. I didn't get there until late Friday, August 25, at which point things were going well for our camp. But things took a turn for the worse last Friday. I went to the temple that morning and by the time I was heading back to camp, the sky had clouded over and it got a bit chilly. It started to rain on my walk back and I thought "Let's go back to camp quick because I can't really stay out." At first, it wasn't too dramatic. Then the wind picked up and it started to pour so we all took cover, but no one was particularly scared. We zipped up our tents to make sure no dust or rain was being blown inside. The rain carried on. It became hard to move around, we couldn't ride our bikes, and people who had been out that day couldn't make it back to camp. We hunkered down but continued the party. It was actually hysterically funny, the whole thing, there was so much comedic value. People were slipping and sliding all around, people were scraping mud off their shoes, and even putting plastic bags over their shoes and taping them around their ankles to walk around because their shoes were getting destroyed. Burners used plastic bags to cover their shoes in the mud. Violet Metcalfe Trott Structures started blowing away overnight Then, overnight, large structures were taken by the wind, and a sense of fear started to set in. Our camp had a super yurt, made out of polystyrene slabs common but flimsy structures that were starting to blow away. We tried to catch all of the broken items being strewn about the desert. There was MOOP matters out of place everywhere, something that Burning Man attendees try to avoid at all costs. The big thing this year was that it was so MOOP-y because the ground just got turned over and lots of things got trapped underneath the mud. But it had stopped raining, so it was time for crisis management. We met as a camp and planned for the worst-case scenario. We pooled our food resources so that if we were stuck for another week, we would have enough. We turned our kitchen into a commissary and employed a kitchen team to cook us three meals a day so we wouldn't run out. As tensions rose and people left, those who had faith stuck out the worst of it I didn't see anyone really freaking out but, even though we had a safe camp with plenty of resources, I and some other camp members had the wobbles. I was feeling like, "Oh my gosh, am I going to make it home? I'm going to miss my flight." There was that trapped panic slightly in the air, but for the most part, I think people surrendered to it. We could see the weather was improving so there was faith we would be fine. People were getting messages, though, from friends who said they were walking out or were just leaving or driving, despite the orders not to. The megawealthy and celebrities could just order a helicopter and fly away. Plus, our camp was packed with a lot of long-term Burners, so we were very held with their energy and expertise. Because I've been, because I was with people who have been 10, 15, 20 times, there was less panic. Getting out on Monday was pretty easy once the sun dried things up I had a bus ticket booked for Monday, and while it was a bit delayed, we still left on the right day. It was well organized and they avoided overcrowding the busses. They set up cell towers and WiFi so people could contact loved ones and make new flight arrangements. No one tried to make an early break for it and everyone just waited until the roads were decent enough to get out safely. The sun dried things extremely quickly which made getting out pretty easy. Unfortunately, we missed the big burn and the temple burn, which was the biggest shame to me, heartbreaking. We watched the man burn on livestream from San Francisco Monday night, and the temple will be burned at some point, probably tonight, too. Despite the conditions, this was my best Burning Man yet Burners gathered around a campfire in the muddy conditions. Violet Metcalfe Trott I go to Burning Man to have a transformational experience, and I think that things come through hardship. This made us all hang out more in our neighborhoods and with our campmates, which harbored a strong sense of community. We sat around the fire singing songs and there was a real sense of love, family, and connection, which exists at every Burn, but this time I got to savor it a little bit more because there was nowhere else to be. We walked around instead of biking, taking a long walk Saturday night. Everyone was just exploring the art and being on your feet you notice little details more than you do when you're zooming past on a bike. We embraced immediacy. Read the original article on Insider More than 60 people have been charged in a sweeping RICO case targeting activists who oppose the construction of a multi-million dollar law enforcement complex in the Atlanta area, a massive escalation of what critics have warned has been a police retaliation campaign to crush protests and criminalize dissent. An indictment from the office of Georgias Republican Attorney General Chris Carr was issued in Fulton County on 5 September. It targets 61 people under the states Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a statute modeled over federal anti-racketeering law to break up organized crime that has most recently been invoked against Donald Trump and 18 of his co-defendants for alleged efforts to illegally overturn 2020 presidential election results in the state. The $90m Atlanta Public Safety Training Center project has been at the center of Stop Cop City protests and occupations since it was proposed in 2021 in an area occupying roughly 85 acres in a historically and environmentally significant forest area owned by the city of Atlanta. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Police have arrested dozens of people during protests, including more than 40 people facing domestic terrorism charges and other charges for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails and setting fires at the site. Protests escalated following the fatal shooting of activist Manuel Tortuguita Paez Teran while police cleared a protest encampment in January. Police claim that Paez Teran fired at officers, which his family and advocates have rejected. An autopsy released by his family revealed that his hands were raised at the time of the shooting. Earlier this year, three board members of a nonprofit group that provides bail and legal support were charged with money laundering and charity fraud. They are also charged under the latest RICO indictment. The indictment accuses protesters of joining a criminal enterprise fuelled by anarchist ideas and mutual aid to spread false propaganda about police violence to bolster support for plans to halt construction of the facility. Notably, the indictment dates the beginning of that criminal enterprise on 25 May, 2020, which predates any Stop Cop City activities but it is the date of George Floyds murder in Minnesota, which galvanised international racial justice protests and uprisings against police violence. Vote to Stop Cop City a petitioning campaign to create a ballot referendum that would allow Georgia voters to decide the fate of the facility said that the charges seek to intimidate protesters, legal observers and bail funds alike. The indictment sends a chilling message that any dissent to Cop City will be punished with the full power and violence of the government, the group said in a statement. In the early 1900s, the nations civic leaders launched a full court press to make secondary education previously offered to an elite few available to the many. They compelled communities to build high schools and sought to convince the populace that a diploma was their ticket out of a life of hard labor, as well as societys chance at unprecedented economic expansion. But how to assess the validity of what was being taught? Simultaneously, philanthropist Andrew Carnegie hoped to kick-start the expansion of higher education by donating $10 million to bankroll pensions for college professors. This posed a parallel dilemma: How to decide whether a scholar had put in enough time to earn the annuity? Thus was born the wonky educational anachronism known as the Carnegie Unit, brainchild of the trustees of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. A certain number of hours spent in a high school classroom added up to a credit, the trustees decided in 1906. A set number of credits earned a diploma. So quantified, the diploma could be used as the entrance ticket to a college or university, where Carnegie Units would add up to a degree or the right to retire. No paywall. No pop-up ads. Keep The 74 free with a donation during our Fall campaign. Carnegie Units went on to become the central currency of a dizzying number of aspects of education, ranging from what subjects students are exposed to to how states allocate school funds. But it was quickly understood that while the units were good for, say, establishing whether a public school had delivered its pupils enough hours of teaching to earn its taxpayer dollars, it was not particularly helpful at signaling what a student had learned during those hours in class now, 117 years later, better known as seat time. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Some innovators, like the leaders of the Phoenix Union High School District, are experimenting with ways to leave the Carnegie Unit in the past. Students at PXU City, a Phoenix high school without a building, can create their own personalized educational experience from a menu of 500 options, including classes at any number of high schools, college courses and job training programs throughout the city. The experiment came to the attention of Carnegies present-day leaders, who are engaged in their own effort to replace their turn-of-the-century units. The person tasked with figuring out how better to quantify what students have learned, and how the schools of the future can help them realize the historical promise of social and economic mobility, is Tim Knowles, the foundations president and former director of the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute. Knowles recently talked to Beth Hawkins about a pilot project to reimagine seat time that includes the Phoenix district, the possible benefits of freeing teachers from unit-driven bell schedules and how to transform entire school systems. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Tell us about the Carnegie Unit, what it is, how it wove itself into educations very DNA and why its time to step away from it. In 1906, when the Carnegie Foundation created the Carnegie Unit, it suggested that a college degree should be 120 credits. Today, its 120 credits. Its become the bedrock currency of the educational economy. Its infiltrated everything. Its how we organize high schools and universities, how we think about assessment, its instrumental to accreditation, to who gets financial aid and who doesnt. It defines the daily work of teachers and professors. It is the system. What it is, fundamentally, is the conflation of time and learning. Its the suggestion that X number of minutes equals learning. The problem is, that it basically ignores everything weve learned in the last 100 years about what knowledge is and how its acquired. Weve had neuroscientists and cognitive psychologists and psychologists and learning scientists come along and say, People learn through solving real problems, they learn from peers, they learn from mentors, they learn in apprenticeship, they learn from experience. Related Phoenix Teens Build Their Own High School Program From 500 Class, Career Options In its time, the Carnegie Unit was an incredibly important reform because it standardized an utterly nonstandardized educational sector. But it crept into the core DNA of educational practice and didnt evolve or adapt in the face of a significant amount of empirical knowledge about how human beings actually learn. Thats problem No. 1. No. 2 is that it inhibits educational innovation. Competency- or mastery-based education has existed, arguably, since Dewey and Montessori. But its existed at the edges. Its never been central. We can all point to schools that are breaking the boundaries of what learning should look like, how its organized, how its structured. While those examples exist, theyre often led by extraordinary teachers and school leaders. We havent figured out how to take it from the margins to the mainstream. Thats a problem. The third thing is perhaps more existential, and that is the absence of social and economic mobility in our nation. This is not to suggest that education isnt an essential solution to addressing social and economic mobility, its just that its not nearly powerful enough an engine for doing so. The Carnegie Unit is, in my view, partly responsible for that. In the 1950s, over 90% of young people would [end up] better off than their parents. That number is basically cut in half now. Were going in precisely the opposite direction, and underlying that are some really fundamental inequities, which are exacerbated by race and by class. If we want to radically increase economic and social mobility, we need to reimagine what learning is, and really take into consideration what we know about the context in which people learn. Young people need to be engaged in much more experiential, hands-on solving of real problems and applied work. Why is the Carnegie Foundation the organization to take this on? Its been a narrative in the organization and beyond for decades. One of the questions was, what are you going to do about assessment, because if you are going to take on the future of learning, then you have to be thinking about the future of assessment. That led us in the last year to a deep partnership with ETS, which is the largest assessment company on Earth. Its very good at determining reliability and validity. If we believe that learning, wherever it takes place, is important, then in order for that to take root at scale, we need to persuade parents first that the learning their young people are experiencing outside the schoolhouse is valuable. And is legible to the postsecondary sector if youre applying to college. And legible to employers if youre going more directly into the workforce. Everybody intuitively knows theres enormous amounts of learning there. We need tools that can validate that learning. Were going to build assessments to assess the skills, not the disciplinary knowledge, that we know are predictive of success. Things like your ability to collaborate, to communicate, how hard you work, are you persistent, your creative thinking, your critical thinking. The aim with ETS would be to get to the point where every young person in America doesnt just graduate from high school with a transcript that has grades and attendance and test scores, but a skills transcript as well. The wonderful thing about Carnegie, its got this incredible responsibility to be a place that looks around the corner. It did that in 1906, for really important reasons. It created Pell grants for really important reasons. It established standards for medical schools, engineering, law schools. Its done these things at certain times in its history that really needed to happen, because there were gaps. And its positioned in a way that it can take a slightly longer-term view about where we need to get. In Phoenix, a driving factor behind the districts decision to move away from the Carnegie Unit more quickly and widely than it had planned before the pandemic was teenagers. Students who werent in high school when COVID hit had no expectation of a bell schedule. At the heart of accelerating learning is ensuring young people are leaning in, are engaged, are inspired and are working on problems that they think are actually useful whether its useful for their own trajectories, pursuing a track that is orienting them to a particular profession or sector, or more here and now. One can learn a great deal about democracy by actually practicing it, or identifying an issue that you care about and learning how civically to engage in a way that can draw attention and potentially movement regarding that issue. So, yes, engagement is an instrumental variable in all this, and, as you are pointing out, teenagers have already spoken. We know theyre not engaged. There have been some systems around the country that have made marked improvements in high school completion, but there are many where 50, 60 or 70% of students are biding their time. Getting through. If were losing 30 or 40% of our young people before theyve even had a shot, then weve got to take a step back and ask what might work better, what we need to do differently. And thats not a small incremental step, like providing double blocks in math or high-dosage tutoring. Theres something much more fundamental involved in reconsidering how we think about time and learning. Related Carnegie, ETS Team Up to Develop Competency-Based Assessments The other thing about teenagers is that when you create opportunities which are highly engaging, and you enlist their agency in learning, you really just have to get out of the way. Versus in a set of circumstances that may feel to them far more compliance-oriented, where theyre doing seven periods for 40 minutes or 42 minutes between bells with a two-minute passing period, with seven different teachers every day who may have so many students that they cant even learn their names until the end of October. If you turn that on its head, young people are going to rise and surprise us. If were losing 30 or 40% of our young people then weve got to take a step back and ask what might work better, what we need to do differently. There was a survey of high school students nationally during the pandemic, and almost to a person they said they wanted to come back to school not surprisingly. But not all of the time. I dont think that was a statement about not being interested in learning. I think that was a statement about not wanting only that form of learning all the time. Valuing the community that school creates, valuing the fact that there are some domains of expertise and disciplinary areas where they need to be in classrooms with amazing teachers, but also recognizing that, Wait, Ive been learning independently. Ive been pursuing things Im passionate about. If we could scaffold that systematically with opportunities for apprenticeships, for internships, for community embedded work, I think its safe to say not only would we be hewing much more closely to what empirical evidence says is the best way to learn, but we would be in a situation where the young people were much, much more interested and excited about what they were learning. Lets talk for a second about the obstacle that is adult time. Ive talked to so many people in education who say, Yeah, thats great. But wed have to fundamentally reorganize how the adults use their time. We would. By saying were taking on the Carnegie Unit, we are not saying were going to have eight periods a day in 10th grade and then were going to layer on a whole other set of things. So how we organize teacher time, and the role of the teacher, has to fundamentally shift. But teacher pipeline issues are real. Schools are struggling to find really exceptional people who want to spend their career teaching. Embedded in rethinking the use of adult time is the opportunity to rethink the role of teachers. There are few people who want to have the same responsibilities on the first day of their professional career as they do on the last day of their 35th year. If we could turn the teaching profession into something where youre teaching in teams, for example, or where you may be teaching in the morning and then advising groups of students through the afternoon as they engage in activities in their communities and with postsecondary institutions, the job could become much more attractive and interesting to a much wider range of young people over time. Adult time is a predicament, but its also an opportunity. You mentioned a skills transcript. That got me thinking about how many people youre dangerous to if youre successful. So many things are proxies for whether a person has a skill set. The college degree is a proxy: We assume that because you made it through this filter which might be meaningless you are going to be valuable to this endeavor, this institution, this company. But we dont actually know whether you come with the requisite skills. Right. Weve had a very fragmented K-12-to-postsecondary-to-employment path, replete with assumptions. If you go to an elite private or highly selective public college, whether by virtue of where it is geographically or by nature of how you get in, there all kinds of assumptions that youre going to come with these other things that we care about, in addition to whatevers on your transcript, like your grades and your test scores. But thats a pretty crude measure of whether you do. So there is a threat to the established pathways. By saying were taking on the Carnegie Unit how we organize teacher time, and the role of the teacher, has to fundamentally shift. We could credibly determine whether a young person has a set of skills wherever those skills were developed. If Im living on the south side of Chicago, and I take my two siblings to school every morning, and then I get to my high school on time at 7:30, I do my homework, I perform well in the traditional ways, I participate in afterschool activities and I work, those are skills that that are invisible, or less visible than the proxies you were suggesting. Or whether I was lucky enough to be born in a situation where my parents were taking me to rarefied places every summer, or putting me in rarefied summer camps. Part of the agenda is to make the education sector a more vital engine for individuals, no matter their backgrounds, to be able to succeed in a post-affirmative action world. A skills transcript would provide elite schools with a different kind of visibility on every kid. It wouldnt have to have anything to do with race per se, but I would hope it would help make visible the skills and dispositions young people bring, even if theyre growing up in really underresourced places. Devils advocate. When the pandemic forced schools away from seat time, lots of people said, Hey, wait maybe we could just have asynchronous learning. I wouldnt have to report to a building anymore. Or the variation were hearing a lot about now, the four-day week. In blowing up seat time, temporarily or permanently, did states just leave the barn door open? The conditions under which they blew up seat time during the pandemic are slightly anomalous. I wouldnt compare what were trying to do to that, because were certainly not of the view that people should be socialized in front of a laptop. But Im sympathetic to the accountability side. Whether we have the existing system or a fundamentally transformed one, its going to demand that we know how young people are performing. None of what Ive been talking about should suggest we no longer believe in algebra or reading. Theres things that we really do think young people benefit from learning. How they learn those things is an open question. If we are in a period where people are questioning the power of our educational system and asking questions about how we might empower it further, it has to be undergirded by accountability systems that are credible. And fair. Otherwise, youre right. It could be a slippery slope. What are you learning so far? Our agenda, which were working in partnership with XQ on, is in short: establish proofs, create places where this is happening, build evidence for improvement. Develop policy and national discussion about transformative learning opportunities. And then think hard about the postsecondary piece. Unless the work we do in high school is relevant, legible and understandable to postsecondary, it could falter. There are learnings from the people whove been doing this for a long time, sometimes in quiet opposition to the systems in which they sit, sometimes with some support from the state within which they sit. They are there, and its important to recognize and acknowledge that there are educators across the country whove been doing this with young people from all kinds of different backgrounds. Red and blue, left and right, communities, in spite of all our polarized hype, are saying there are a set of things that we want for young people. That should make us optimistic. One of the [trends] in the educational system at the moment are these things called portraits of a graduate or portraits of learners. Theyre everywhere. One of the things we did with ETS was look carefully at all the ones that we could. Theyre interesting, because they represent an American consensus about what the purpose of schooling is. They are really focused on skills. Often, theyve been developed with lots of parent voice and teacher voice and student voice. Red and blue, left and right, communities, in spite of all our polarized hype, are saying there are a set of things that we want for young people. That should make us optimistic, if we can leverage that. The other things that that you will hear is, A) they havent really made a big difference, and B) we have no way of measuring the things in them. The problem is the Carnegie Unit problem. They havent cracked the Carnegie Unit, they havent cracked this architecture of learning that weve established. We have to do that. We want our young people to be able to think critically, and we dont really know how to measure that. How do we measure that theyre civically involved? Disclosure: The XQ Institute, which has partnered with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to explore alternatives to the Carnegie Unit, provides financial support to The 74. Here are some key takeaways from a court filing Tuesday by Alex Murdaughs lawyers requesting a new trial based on accusations of jury tampering by Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill . The filing alleges Murdaugh was denied his constitutional right to a fair trial. The court filing includes sworn statements from four of the 12 jurors and six alternates. The filing alleges Hill told jurors before Murdaugh testified not to believe him and to watch his body language. Hills alleged actions called into question the credibility of the defense attorney and the reliability of Murdaugh. Defense attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin said jurors contacted them after Hills self-published book Behind the Doors of Justice was released because the jurors felt it was inaccurate. Among the passages Harpootlian mentioned during a press conference Tuesday was Hill referring to we when talking about the reaction to the jurys visit to the Murdaugh hunting estate. The lawyers allege Hill wanted to avoid a hung jury so she could go ahead with her book deal. The lawyers said they spent weekends on dirt roads of Colleton County attempting to get all the jurors to tell them what they heard and observed about Hills communication with them. Some flatly refused. Harpootlian said he saw Hill and the jury forewoman talking privately during the trial. The court filing alleges the women went into a single-occupancy bathroom together. The lawyers have asked for an FBI investigation into Hills actions. The South Carolina attorney general has 10 days to respond to the filing. Ohioans will vote this November to decide if abortion rights should be part of the state constitution but before they hit the polls, some advocates and voters are trying to get the language on the ballot rewritten. Advocates told our News Partners at WCPO in Cincinnati that the language voters will see when they vote isnt what they petitioned for. >> Former Trotwood-Madison football player returns to his roots to inspire the next generation Theyre trying to affect the result by changing peoples understanding of whats happening here and thats wrong, State Representative Elliot Forhan (D-South Euclid) said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Abortion rights group, Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, and five voters filed a lawsuit last week against the GOP-led Ohio Ballot Board. As CBS News reported, the lawsuit asks the Ohio Supreme Court to adopt the full text of the amendment as the ballot language, or adopt ballot language that properly and lawfully describes the Amendment, correcting the numerous defects in the existing language. Forhan said the majority on the Ohio Ballot Board is trying to pull nonsense. Republicans on the ballot board responded to the lawsuit, denying that their language is incomplete, inaccurate, and misleading. The original version states, Everyone individual has a right to make and carry out ones own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to decisions on contraception, fertility treatment, continuing ones own pregnancy, miscarriage care, and abortion. The GOP version of the amendment states to establish in the Constitution of the State of Ohio an individual right to ones own reproductive medical treatment, including but not limited to abortion. >> He was my future; Girlfriend of man killed in road rage shooting in Sidney speaks out The original version explains that abortion may be prohibited after fetal viability, but WCPO reports that the new version says it would allow abortions at any stage of pregnancy, regardless of viability. The original version also used the medical term fetus, but it was changed to unborn child. The revised code has the phrase unborn child in it. They have absolute justification. I think the court will uphold that - to use the term unborn child, Mike Gonidakis, Ohio Right to Life, said. The GOP also said that they dont legally have to use the language from the petition. The court will likely hear this case later this month, WCPO reports. A South Carolina high school and family are mourning the loss of a social studies teacher killed after a utility pole fell on her as she walked during her lunch break. Augusta University Medical Center pronounced Jeunelle Robinson, 31, dead on Aug. 23, hours after the tragic accident. Jeunelle Robinson (Facebook/Jeunelle Robinson) Robinson was struck after a tractor-trailer hit utility lines, reportedly pulling what amounted to eight defective utility poles from the ground, according to a news release from a firm representing the family, Bamberg Legal. Robinsons family is asking for $130 million for financial compensation and to invest in a commitment to toward infrastructure and an annual scholarship in Robinsons name. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Related:Happened All Too Fast: 15-Year-Old Killed By Runaway Rim and Wheel from Tractor Trailor In Freak Accident Along Indiana Highway Shoulder Immediately after the accident, Wagener-Salley High School, where Robinson worked, was placed on a soft lockdown, according to its website. This tragedy is devastating to all of us as Ms. Robinson was in her second year teaching social studies at Wagener-Salley. Over the past year, she became friends with numerous colleagues and developed meaningful relationships with many of our students, the school administration said in a statement to the community. Genuine and sweet to everyone she encountered, her time here at our school and on this earth feels much too short, the school, which canceled school activities following the incident, continued. Students were devastated to learn their teacher had died, and counselors were placed on call to support all on campus. In her memory, the school set up a special time for prayer the next day at 7:45 a.m. at the school. Due to the tragic events yesterday, all activities that were scheduled for the remainder of this week, including tonight's volleyball game, Open House, and Friday's home football game will not be held. Wagener-Salley HS (@WSHSWarEagles) August 24, 2023 South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Brittany Glover said a 2014 Peterbilt tractor-trailer traveling north on S.C. Highway 113 struck low hanging powerlines near the Pickens Street intersection on Main Street at Pickens Street in Wagener. According to Glover, Robinson was walking south on S.C. 113 when she was fatally struck by a falling pole. Reports say she tried to get out of its way but was unsuccessful. Results from her autopsy are still pending. Robinsons family has hired attorney Justin Bamberg, who said measures could have been taken to prevent the young womans death. He pointed out that the falling utility pole was 60 years old. The family is asking for a $10 million annual scholarship trust in Robinsons name, $100 million for her estate, and a $20 million investment in power infrastructure from utility companies in the towns of Salley and Wagener. This absolutely could have been prevented if people had done their job. The only reason why this happened was because a lot of people didnt do their job. Period, the lawyer said, according to the Post and Courier. Dominion Energy explained that after the truck smashed into several utility poles and knocked out several energized lines, approximately 25 of their customers were left without energy. [We] extend our deepest condolences to the family of Jeunelle Robinson. Because the investigation regarding this accident is ongoing, it is too soon to provide any related details, Dominion Energy said in a statement. However, Bamberg said the company was well aware of its decaying poles. Dominion Energy has a project in the works called the Wagener Connection; its all public on their website, Bamberg said at a press conference. It is a project fixing and improving electrical infrastructure in Wagener. Dominion publicly acknowledged the equipment life span is 60 years and said [the poles in Wagener] needed to be replaced. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE. Steel Skeleton of World Trade Center Tower South (one) in Ground Zero days after September 11, 2001 terrorist attack which collapsed the 110 story twin towers in New York City, NY, USA. (Getty Images) A Yemeni citizen accused of being one of the central planners of the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington has been deemed unfit for trial by a military medical board. Ramzi bin al-Shibh has been in U.S. custody since he was captured in Karachi, Pakistan, a year to the day after the attacks. Al-Shibhs sanity has been just one of many hurdles facing prosecutors in the series of capital cases faced by inmates at the military prison in Guantanamo Bay since 2008, according to the New York Times . He and his military-appointed attorney have filed complaints against his treatment at the hands of the CIA, accusing the agency of using psychoactive drugs and sleep deprivation measures against him. Ramzi bin al-Shibh has long denied his mental illness, instead demanding to have his day in court along with other defendants, which includes 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Its widely believed al-Shibh was supposed to be one of the hijackers aboard United Flight 93, which crashed to the ground near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, that morning. That flight had only four hijackers, which is why many believe the passengers were able to overpower their captors. Ramzi bin al-Shibh American intelligence believes Al-Shibhs history with al-Qaeda goes back long before the September 11th attacks. In the 1990s, he attempted to come to the United States but his visa was denied, so he went to Germany instead. There, he met Egyptian Mohammed Atta at a mosque in Hamburg. Atta would become the ringleader of the 9/11 hijackers, and flew American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center that day. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Al-Shibh flew to Afghanistan in 1999 to train at an al-Qaeda training camp, where he met other conspirators planning the terror attacks of 2001. From there, he is believed to have had a role in the 2000 USS Cole bombing and the 2002 bombing of a synagogue in Tunisia. Unlike the other conspirators who would come to the U.S. for flight training for the 9/11 plot , Al-Shibh could not get a visa, so he stayed in Germany. His role was changed to be a link between operatives in the U.S. and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in Afghanistan. As the others trained at their flight schools and planned the attacks, Al-Shibh maintained communication with them and transferred the money needed to complete their training. His role might not have been discovered if the U.S. hadnt found his suicide bomber videotape while searching the destroyed home of Mohammed Atef near Kabul in January 2002. U.S. Intelligence found five videotapes of suicide bombing suspects they believed were still planning future attacks. Just days after the videotapes were discovered, Al-Shibh became one of the names on the FBIs Most Wanted Terrorists list. The CIA got a break when they captured Abu Zubaydah, a Palestinian who planned and executed attacks in Africa Jordan, and had attempted to blow up Los Angeles Airport. World Trade Center Tribute in Lights with Freedom Tower and Statue of Liberty in background. (Getty Images) Zubaydah was sent to the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, where he was waterboarded . The interrogation of Zubayda led the CIA to Pakistan, where Ramzi bin al-Shibh was operating. The CIAs Special Activities Division and Pakistani ISI captured al-Shibh at a safe house in Karachi on Sept. 11, 2002, and flew him to Morocco, where he was interrogated. In 2006, he was transported to Guantanamo Bay. Among the evidence against Al-Shibh is a 2002 interview with Al-Jazeera television. He and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed sat down with Egyptian journalist Yosri Fouda and laid out exactly how the attacks were planned and carried out. There is also a 2006 al-Qaeda video that points out Al-Shibh as the coordinator of the September 11 attacks. Al-Shibh and four others faced trials in front of military commissions, but because he was the only one who wouldnt attend his own commissions, his mental health was repeatedly challenged. The latest ruling on his mental health leaves a lot of questions for his future as a detainee. A man was arrested in Nebraska after he accidentally called 911 on himself, according to police. A video posted on Facebook by the Lancaster County Sheriffs Office shows the dash camera footage along with the 911 audio call from the March incident. On the call, you can hear the man telling the dispatcher he was driving on the highway and someone was driving in the wrong direction. He had his brights on, man. He almost ran me off the road, the man can be heard telling the dispatcher. Dude he almost hit me, I was like holy (expletive), the man said. That was gnarly, that was like, a lot. But when the deputy found the man pulled over on the highway, it was his vehicle that was on the wrong side, you can see in the video. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Do you know why I stopped you? the deputy asks him. Cause I was on the wrong side of the road, the man can be heard saying in the video. When the deputy asked the man why he was driving on the wrong side, the man told him he must have missed an exit. Later, the video shows the man in the back of the police cruiser. The deputy asks the man if he was the one who called 911. Yea, because I thought somebody was on the wrong side of the (expletive) road, bro, the man responds. But it turned out it was you, the deputy says back to the man. Yep, like a dumb (expletive), the man is heard saying back. In a caption on the video, police state the drivers blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit. As the video depicts, were fortunate no one was seriously injured before this driver could be removed from the road, Captain John A. Vik told Fox News Digital. Accused drunk driver slams into anti-drunk driving sign, California police say Deputy accused of trying to cover up colleagues DUI crash, California officials say Librarian waiting at bus stop hit and killed by suspected drunk driver, Oregon cops say GENEVA Backers of an international agreement that bans cluster munitions are striving to prevent erosion in support for the deal after what one leading human rights group calls an unconscionable U.S. decision to ship such weapons to Ukraine for its fight against Russia. Advocacy groups in the Cluster Munitions Coalition released their latest annual report on Tuesday, ahead of a meeting next week of envoys from the 112 countries that have acceded to or ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The treaty prohibits the explosives and calls for clearing areas where they litter the ground because they harm and kill many more civilians than combatants, A further 12 countries have signed the convention. The United States and Russia are not among them. Mary Wareham of Human Rights Watch, who has long championed the 15-year-old convention, says the coalition was extremely concerned about the U.S. move in July, after an intense debate among U.S. leaders, to transfer unspecified thousands of 155mm artillery-delivered cluster munition rounds to Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More than 20 government leaders and officials have criticized that decision, the coalition says. Hoping to avoid defections from the convention, Wareham says supporters hope signatories will stay strong that they do not weaken their position on the treaty as a result of the U.S. decision. And we dont see that happening yet. But its always a danger. U.S. officials argue that the munitions a type of bomb that opens in the air and releases smaller bomblets across a wide area could help Kyiv bolster its offensive and push through Russian front lines. U.S. leaders have said the transfer involves a version of the munition that has a reduced dud rate, meaning fewer of the smaller bomblets fail to explode. The bomblets can take out tanks and equipment, as well as troops, hitting multiple targets at the same time. But Wareham cited widespread evidence of civilian harm that (is) caused by these weapons. It was just an unconscionable decision. The report says civilians accounted for 95% of cluster munition casualties that were recorded last year, totaling some 1,172 in eight countries: Azerbaijan, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Myanmar, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen. The monitor noted efforts in places like Bulgaria, Peru and Slovakia to destroy their stockpiles of the munitions in 2022 and earlier this year. Children made up 71% of casualties from explosions of cluster-munition remnants last year, the report said. It said Russia had repeatedly used cluster munitions in Ukraine since President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian forces to invade Ukraine in February last year, while Ukraine had used them to a lesser extent. Washingtons decision is certainly a setback, said Wareham, but its not the end of the road for the Convention on Cluster Munitions by far. A 14-year-old white boy, whose identity remains undisclosed because of his age, faces charges in an alleged racially motivated murder attempt involving another youth. The suspect reportedly threatened the victim with a stone and hurled the N-word at him, leading officials to denounce acts of hatred, particularly those based on race. A view of Goose Pond in Chatham, Massachusetts. (Photo: Chatham.MA.gov) District Attorney Robert Galibois Office said the incident occurred in Chatham, Massachusetts, at Goose Pond on July 19. Related: What Did We Do?: Black Truckers Say They Were Denied Service Before White Server Called Cops to Remove Them from North Dakota Dennys Restaurant Allegedly Because of Their Race The teenager was at the pond with two others, whom he reportedly told he could not swim. Reports say he was given a lifejacket to support himself, and with this precaution, he got into the water with the boys he had just met that day. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Once in the water, the juvenile defendant proceeded to pull on the victims life jacket and submerged him underwater 4 to 5 times, causing the victim breathing distress. The third juvenile laughed at the victim during the attempted drowning and referred to the victim as George Floyd, a press release from Galibois read. The assault persisted as the 14-year-old swam beneath the Black youth, attempting to seize his feet and submerge him again. The prosecution asserts that the bullying ceased when the victim cried out for assistance from the shoreline, prompting a bystander to leap into the water, rescue him and bring him ashore. The teen was indicted by a grand jury on attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon charge. The district attorney said that the boys records shall be open to public inspection in the same manner and to the same extent as adult criminal court records, adding that all proceedings related to this case will be open to the public. On Friday, Sept. 1, both Chathams select board and the Monomoy Regional School District issued statements regarding their positions on discrimination and diversity. We are disturbed and saddened to learn of the event that occurred earlier this summer between juveniles. We do not believe that it reflects the true nature of our community, which is diverse and inclusive. We condemn all acts of violence, particularly those directed at children, the select board said, adding it aims to support the Black child and his family during this time. The alleged actions are incredibly concerning and stand in stark contrast to the values we hold as a school district and as a community, said Monomoy Superintendent Scott Carpenter. Acts of hatred and violence are unacceptable, he continued. And we condemn any behavior that seeks to harm or marginalize others based on their race, ethnicity, or any other personal attribute. He also noted that neither the boy charged with attempted murder nor the other white child, who passively participated in the traumatizing and terrorizing act by laughing, attended school in the district. The teen attended a hearing on Thursday, Aug. 31, in Barnstable Juvenile Court. A judge ordered he be held without bail. His next appearance in court is set for Sept. 13. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE. Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert! ADVOCACY GROUP ACCUSES TECH INDUSTRY LOBBYING GROUP OF ABETTING ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION Fresh off of a Wall Street Journal investigation that found that Meta-owned Instagram is a haven for pedophiles and child sex traffickers, the group Common Sense Media is calling on the tech industry to drop its opposition to Assembly Bill 1394. The bill, which cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee Friday and moved to the Senate floor, would hold social media companies liable for the commercial sexual exploitation of children on their platforms. Common Sense Media founder Jim Steyer wrote to the non-Meta members of the industry lobbying arm known as TechNet including Airbnb, Apple, GM, Google, HP, Uber, Salesforce and Zoom asserting that TechNet is opposing on their behalf a bill that would crack down on online child sexual exploitation. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This is being done in your companies names, the letter reads in part. The letter asks the CEOs of these corporations why they want to associate their brand and reputation with Meta and TechNet. We are calling on you to either leave TechNet or publicly denounce TechNets duplicitous behavior and partnership with Meta, the letter goes on to say. TechNet President Linda Moore responded to Steyers letter, saying that it was entirely false, defamatory, and completely ignores our member companies long history as active participants in the fight against commercial sexual exploitation and child pornography. BERA WANTS ANSWERS ON MAILBOX THEFTS Via David Lightman... Vandalism and theft of cluster mailboxes has surged this year in the Sacramento region and nationwide, and Rep. Ami Bera, D-Elk Grove, wants Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to act. He asked in a letter that consideration be made to replace existing and at-risk USPS (cluster mailboxes) in Sacramento County, giving them a more secure design to discourage future vandalism. Stolen items include passports, checks, and essential medication. In the past, the Postal Service has maintained, repaired and replaced the cluster boxes when necessary. However, recent correspondence shared with my office by residents of some neighborhoods, such as Natomas Park, shows that this responsibility is being disputed and has been shifted to the neighborhoods homeowners associations, Bera said. He wants a briefing on a long term solution the week of October 23, and answers to other questions by Sept. 22. Among them: What is the protocol followed by USPS when CBU keys are stolen? What type of keys are issued for CBUs? What steps are taken to replace locks and keys? Is there a written agreement between the Natomas Park Master Association and USPS on who is responsible for maintaining, repairing, and replacing CBUs? What is required to turn a retail post office into a full-service post office? QUOTE OF THE DAY Appropriations committee just silently killed my bill to require schools to carry Narcan for #fentanyl overdoses! The *bipartisan* bill is completely funded already and would save lives from one of the most pressing issues facing our state. - Assemblyman Joe Patterson, R-Rocklin, via X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Best of The Bee: As the end of the legislative year approaches, the union representing California state scientists is putting extra pressure on CalHR and Gov. Gavin Newsom to give them a new contract, via Maya Miller . Gov. Gavin Newsom is not the strongest candidate Democrats could run for president, fellow Californian and possible future White House contender Ro Khanna told conservative commentator Hugh Hewitts radio program Tuesday, via David Lightman . Thousands of California inmates are sentenced to die in prison. Should some get to seek parole? Via Lindsey Holden. Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler encouraged tourists to keep vacationing in Maui at a concert on Saturday. "Everything's beautiful, except we gotta come there and make it more beautiful, OK?" Tyler said. Some 6,000 Lahaina residents have been displaced and are living in short-term rentals. Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler said tourists should keep visiting Maui, during the band's first The Farewell Tour concert in Philadelphia on Saturday. Tyler, who purchased a $4.8 million Maui home in 2012, encouraged tourists to continue vacationing on the Hawaiian island and added that visiting Maui can help local tourism pick up again so the economy can recover. "When you think about Lahaina, think about south Maui," Tyler said in a video of the concert posted on YouTube, adding that the resort towns of Paia and Hana, which were not affected by the wildfires, are ready to receive tourists. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Everything's beautiful, except we gotta come there and make it more beautiful, OK?" Tyler continued. Maui residents have had mixed reactions to tourists visiting the island. One family with a 10-generation history in Lahaina the West Maui island that was hit hardest by the fires put up a sign telling tourists to keep out of their neighborhood. In August, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said tourists should avoid traveling to West Maui but are encouraged to keep visiting other parts of Maui and Hawaii. "No one can travel to West Maui right now. We will share when that is possible again. Only returning residents and authorized emergency relief workers should come here now. But all of the other areas of Maui and the rest of Hawai'i are safe," Green said in a press release. "When you come, you will support our local economy and help speed the recovery of the people that are suffering right now," Green added. Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) (@HawaiiHTA) August 17, 2023 Over 100 people were killed in the wildfires in Maui last month, and more than 300 were said to be missing. Some 6,000 Lahaina residents have been displaced, forcing them to stay in hotels and short-term rentals as reconstruction efforts could take several years, according to a report by the Associated Press. Tyler's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular office hours. Read the original article on Insider The West Side Community Land Trust received $6 million to secure its largest acquisition to date, adding 32 properties to its portfolio of lasting affordable homes, the nonprofit announced Tuesday. Mecklenburg County commissioners earlier this year approved using American Rescue Plan Act money to acquire the homes in the Hoskins Road community in northwest Charlotte. Other donors, including Charlottes Fifth Third Bank who gave the largest private donation, round out the public-private partnership. The homes, including many that need extensive repairs, are occupied by some 28 families but as renters. About a year ago, residents worried when they learned the then-owner was thinking of selling them. So they reached out to the land trust for help. They felt a great sense of fear when they found out, Charis Blackmon, who heads the land trust, told the Charlotte Observer. They felt like ... somebody was going to come in and purchase, demolish and build something else, and be displaced. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Working with the county, the West Charlotte nonprofit was scheduled to host an event Tuesday evening including a block party at the Hoskins Avenue Baptist Church, in the Thomasboro-Hoskins neighborhood, to celebrate the sale. This pivotal partnership results in a powerful outcome, Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio said in a release. The Hoskins Road community will be revitalized by this development. Beverly Knox Davis, who heads the Historic Hoskins Coalition, has been working with West Side Community Land Trust toward the acquisition. She learned about a year ago that a landlord owned multiple properties in the Hoskins Road community something she found very disturbing. She and Rickey Hall of the West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition met with the landlord and suggested he sell to the West Charlotte nonprofit, Davis said. Davis, 54, who grew up in the community, has helped residents for 16 years. She didnt realize some families were going home to what she described as deplorable conditions. The situation makes her sad, she said. To know that the people that weve been serving, some of these families have just been going back home to just awfulness and not saying a word for fear that they will become homeless, Davis said. Its a step in the right direction. Im excited about this afternoon. Its a small step. The land trust will begin repairing the homes and get families on a path toward ownership. Renovations could take as long as two years, Blackmon said. The land trust has to carve out a repairs budget, with estimates that could run several million dollars. The goal is to keep the homes permanently affordable for current residents and generations to come. Its not just about affordable housing even though that is important, Blackmon said. Its about people power, its about the power of individuals to be able to stay in their communities, its about the power of residents to determine their own fate, she said. Its about the power of individuals to say we are not settling for the status quo. Ever since Agatha Harkness cast a spell on the gays in Wandavision, fans have been waiting with anticipation for her spinoff, which seems to be made just for us. After all, along with Kathryn Hahn it also stars Aubrey Plaza, Joe Locke, and the divine Patti Lupone. But after a few starts and stops, this weekend The Hollywood Reporter shared that its being pushed back again and its getting a new title. Cursed? Thats right the artist formerly known as Agatha: House of Harkness and Agatha: Coven of Chaos has been renamed again and is now Agatha: Darkhold Diaries. It was originally slated to drop this winter, but will now be arriving on Disney+ in early autumn next year. The new plan is for the series to kick off the 2024 Halloween season, which admittedly makes sense. Why? According to the publication, the latest delay has been caused by the ongoing actor and screenwriter strikes in Hollywood which dont show any signs that they will be wrapping up soon. Disney has reportedly decided to spread out its content releases to allow them more breathing room to be an event for audiences. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement While the filming on Agatha had reportedly wrapped up before the strike began, its stars are unable to do any promotion for the upcoming series. Agatha isnt the only series being delayed. The Hawkeye spin-off Echo, originally planned for a November 29 release, is now dropping in January 2024. X-Men 97, the animated continuation of the 1990s series, was originally slated for a fall 2023 debut but will now also arrive in early 2024. Ironheart (set to star one Shea Coulee) was meant to arrive this fall but is now off the schedule entirely, as is Daredevil: Born Again, and Wonder Man starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, which had to pause production. In happier news, season two of Loki is still set to arrive on the streaming service on October 6 and the second season of What If... remains on the schedule for sometime around Christmas. President of the International Rescue Committee David Miliband speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. A major aid group is concerned that there is not enough international attention given to Ukraine and is bracing for fewer donations used to finance operations in the battle-scarred country, its president warned on Tuesday.The head of the International Rescue Committee, David Miliband said, his central concern is that the 19-month war and the resulting humanitarian crisis caused by Russias invasion and continued attacks on civilian infrastructure are becoming normalized by the international community. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A major aid group is concerned that there is not enough international attention given to Ukraine and is bracing for fewer donations used to finance operations in the battle-scarred country, its president warned on Tuesday. The head of the International Rescue Committee, David Miliband said, his central concern is that the 19-month war and the resulting humanitarian crisis caused by Russias invasion and continued attacks on civilian infrastructure are becoming normalized by the international community while the needs brought about by the war show no signs of diminishing, he said. We know that the 2022 figures for humanitarian aid in Ukraine are not going to be repeated," he told the Associated Press. Miliband said they don't expect the donations received from Europe and North America last year to be matched. The IRC received $40 million in funding for Ukraine operations in 2022. In 2023, the aid group received almost less than half of that sum, with $27 million. Yet the needs have remained consistent, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement There are currently 18 million Ukrainians in humanitarian need, five million people internally displaced and six million refugees residing in other countries, Miliband said, adding that civilian deaths and the levels of internal displacement continue to be high and record-breaking respectively. The coping mechanisms of Ukrainian citizens have been depleting after months of war. Many families, especially those living close to frontline areas with no means of support, are running out of savings to buy food and supplies. Mine contamination such as IEDs and unexploded ordinance is ruining the livelihoods of farmers and livestock owners. Constant shelling has terrorized civilians and continues to destroy countless homes. These are all the symptoms of a protracted crisis," he said, adding that a drawn-out war in Ukraine is an imminent danger. Miliband said they expect the coming winter to be especially cold and fear a renewed Russian campaign to target civilian and energy infrastructure which last year kept many Ukrainians without power during the coldest months of the year. Ukraine has since improved its air defense capabilities. Miliband said donors including countries in Europe, North America, and the oil-rich Gulf statesstill express very strong commitment to Ukraine and there is no retreat from the commitments made, but there are needs that have to be met across the globe. He added that particularly in Europe, international aid funds are being used to support Ukrainian refugees who have fled the country and resettled there. Thats a double whammy on some of the poorest people in the world who are beyond Ukraine but are affected by the crisis. IRC is active in Somalia, Nigeria, Syria and Afghanistan, countries where civil wars and hostilities have been raging for years if not decades. Miliband said the aid group has witnessed how lengthy conflicts can easily lose attention, lose interest and the abnormal becomes normalized, he said. Two Air Canada passengers were booted from a flight after refusing to sit in vomit-soaked seats. The airline told Insider it followed up with the customers directly. "They clearly did not receive the standard of care to which they were entitled," Air Canada said. Air Canada has apologized and said it is following up with two passengers after they were booted from an August 26 flight. The two women, who boarded a plane from Las Vegas to Montreal, were removed by security after they refused to sit in vomit left in their seats from a previous flight. In a statement to Insider on Tuesday, Air Canada said the company was in contact with the two passengers following the incident. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "We are reviewing this serious matter internally and have followed up with the customers directly as our operating procedures were not followed correctly in this instance," the statement read. "This includes apologizing to these customers, as they clearly did not receive the standard of care to which they were entitled and addressing their concerns." As Insider previously reported, a woman who was a passenger on the plane to Montreal brought the vomit debacle to light in a Facebook post on August 29. In an interview with Insider on Tuesday, the woman, Susan Benson, said the passengers were adamant that they wouldn't sit in the seats which she said still smelled of vomit for the five-hour flight. Eventually, as she wrote in her post, the pilot told the two women they would be escorted off the plane for being "rude" to flight attendants. Benson, however, said the woman who spoke with the employees handled the situation well. "She was upset and firm, but by no means rude and by no means raised her voice," Benson told Insider. "She did not cause a scene. She was not belligerent. I just can describe it as that they were firm and clearly upset." In Benson's Facebook post, she wrote the pilot "very calmly knelt down and told the two ladies that they had two choices: They could leave the plane on their own accord and organize flights on their own dime, or they would be escorted off the plane by security and placed on a no fly list." Shortly after that, security came to remove the pair from the flight, Benson wrote. Benson told Insider she was initially happy to hear Air Canada apologized. But given the circumstances she said the women likely missed their flight, which they told her was to Vienna she thinks the company could do more. "I want to know that they are held accountable," Benson said. "Honestly, is an apology enough?" Read the original article on Insider PORTSMOUTH Turn your eyes to the skies Wednesday, and you could catch the headlining act of the upcoming weekends Thunder Over New Hampshire Air Show flying into Pease Air National Guard Base. The pilots and flight members of the air shows headlining act, the U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team, are scheduled to arrive at Pease Air National Guard Base around 1 p.m. Wednesday. Wednesday's arrival is not open to the public, according to the shows promoter, the Herb Gillen Agency, but the jets will be visible in the area. The U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team is scheduled to fly at the Thunder Over New Hampshire Air Show Sept. 9-10, 2023. The Thunder Over New Hampshire Air Show will be held Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 9-10. The shows will run from noon to 4 p.m., with gates opening in the morning. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More: Can I still get into Thunder Over NH Air Show 2023 at Pease? Everything you need to know When will the air show rehearsals be held? All the performers are expected to arrive at Pease in time for an air show rehearsal scheduled for Friday, Sept. 8 at noon, according to organizers. Joining the F-16 Viper team this weekend will be the New Hampshire Air National Guards KC-46A tankers, the Vermont Air National Guard F-15 Eagle, the KC-135 Demo Team from Fairchild Air Force Base, the U.S. Special Operations Command Pura Commandos, aerobatic pilot Rob Holland, the N.H. Army Guard UH-60 Blackhawk, aerobatic pilot Kent Pietsch, the P-51C Mad Max with pilot Lou Horschel and the Smoke-N-Thunder Jet Truck. Portsmouth announces parking ban No parking will be permitted on Grafton Drive, including the truck turnaround area, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8, Saturday, Sept. 9 and Sunday, Sept. 10. The ban was announced by Portsmouth Police Chief Mark Newport. Newport advised show attendees to expect traffic delays and advised against bringing pets, noting they are not allowed in the show and shouldn't be left in vehicles. What is the Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team? Capt. Aimee Rebel Fiedler, a pilot stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina, is commander of the F-16 Viper Demo Team. The eight-member squadron flies at over 20 air shows annually and has performed in Texas, California, Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Montana, Illinois, Nebraska and Toronto thus far in 2023. The aircraft flown by the demonstration team is the Lockheed-Martin F-16C Fighting Falcon Block 50. Just four Air Force units fly that model: the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, the 169th Fighter Wing at Joint National Guard Base McEntire in South Carolina, the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany and the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base in Japan. Tips for seeing the jets: Where can you watch 2023 Thunder Over NH Air Shows outside Pease? Here are great spots. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in more than 30 years of operations including air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack, a Shaw Air Force Base description states. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and 25 friendly nations. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Air Force F-16 Vipers arriving for Thunder Over NH air show at Pease Alabama to ask US Supreme Court to keep Republican-drawn electoral map By Joseph Ax (Reuters) -Alabama's Republican-backed congressional map illegally dilutes Black residents' voting power and must be redrawn, a panel of three federal judges ruled on Tuesday, a decision that the state said it would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. That appeal plan escalated the stakes of a judicial decision that boosted Democratic chances to win back a U.S. House of Representatives majority in the 2024 congressional elections. The lower court's ruling marked the second time that the judges threw out a map delineating the boundaries of the seven U.S. House districts in Alabama put in place by the Republican-controlled state legislature. The three-judge panel in Birmingham wrote that it saw little reason to give the state legislature a third chance. Instead, a court-appointed special master will create a new electoral map ahead of next year's vote, the judges decided. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement At issue was whether the Republican-drawn map violated a bedrock federal civil rights law, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. "We have now said twice that this Voting Rights Act case is not close," the judges wrote. "And we are deeply troubled that the state enacted a map that the state readily admits does not provide the remedy we said federal law requires." Under the Republican map, only one of the state's U.S. House districts is majority Black even though Black residents make up more than a quarter of the state's population. The state's lone Democratic U.S. representative, Terri Sewell, represents that district. The panel first intervened in 2022, ruling that an earlier Republican plan was illegal. After the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the panel's decision in June, the Birmingham court ordered Alabama legislators to create a second district with either a Black majority or "something quite close" to comply with the Voting Rights Act. The law bars lawmakers from drawing district lines in a manner that discriminates against minority voters. The latest plan increased the number of Black voters in a second district but fell short of a majority, prompting civil rights groups to challenge the new map in court once again. The office of state Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Republican, said, "While we are disappointed in (Tuesday's) decision, we strongly believe that the legislature's map complies with the Voting Rights Act and the recent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court." Alabama's Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen in filings submitted to the lower court disclosed plans to appeal to the Supreme Court and the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The plaintiffs who challenged Alabama's map, including the state chapter of the NAACP, in a joint statement said: "Alabama openly admits its intention to defy the law and the U.S. Supreme Court. But we will not back down." The Alabama case is among several legal battles over redistricting that could result in new congressional maps in at least half a dozen states, enough to determine congressional control in the November 2024 elections. Republicans hold a slim 222-213 majority in the U.S. House. A Florida state judge on Saturday ruled that a redistricting plan advanced by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis violated the state constitution by diminishing the power of Black voters in northern Florida. The judge ordered lawmakers back to the drawing board. The Supreme Court in June allowed a challenge to Louisiana's congressional map to advance. A federal court has ordered lawmakers to draw a second majority-Black district. A U.S. appeals court is set to review the case next month. The Voting Rights Act was passed at a time when Southern states including Alabama enforced policies blocking Black people from casting ballots. Electoral districts are redrawn each decade to reflect population changes as measured by a national census, last taken in 2020. In most states, such redistricting is done by the party in power, which can lead to map manipulation for partisan gain. (Reporting by Joseph Ax, additional reporting by John Kruzel; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Bill Berkrot and Will Dunham) COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD)- Defense attorneys for Alex Murdaugh alleged on Tuesday that the Colleton County Clerk of Court, Rebecca Hill, tampered with the jury that found him guilty of the murder of his wife and son earlier this year and are now asking for a new trial. In a 65-page motion to the S.C. Court of Appeals and letter to U.S. Attorney Adair Boroughs, Murdaughs lawyers, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, accuse Hill of jury tampering and request a federal investigation. Defendant Richard Alexander Murdaughhereby moves the Court for a new trial after discovering that the Clerk of Court tampered with the jury by advising them not to believe Murdaughs testimony and other evidence presented by the defense, pressuring them to reach a quick guilty verdict, and even misrepresenting critical and material information to the trial judge in her campaign to remove a juror she believed to be favorable to the defense, the filing states. Following the six-week double-murder trial, the jury found Murdaugh guilty of killing his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul after three hours of deliberation. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Murdaugh, a disbarred attorney from a prominent South Carolina family, took the stand to defend himself in his double-murder trial, delivering lengthy and emotional testimony. However, defense attorneys claim Hill instructed jurors not be misled by evidence presented in Murdaughs defense and not be fooled by Murdaughs testimony. The filing also accuses Hill of having frequent private conversations with the jury foreperson and asking jurors for their opinion about Murdaughs guilt or innocence. Furthermore, attorneys allege that Hill invented a story about a Facebook post to remove a juror she believed might vote not guilty. On the last day of the trial, Judge Clifton Newman removed a juror due to improper conduct and replaced her with an alternate. FILE Michael Gunn, principle at Forge Consulting, gives the witness oath by Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill, right, during Alex Murdaughs double murder trial at the Colleton County Courthouse, Feb. 8, 2023, in Walterboro, S.C. On Tuesday, Sept. 5, Murdaughs lawyers filed a request for a new trial, saying Hill influenced jurors by telling them not to be fooled by the defenses evidence during the trial and had private conversations with the jury foreperson. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool, File) Documents further state that Hill betrayed her oath of office for money and fame, pointing to media appearances Hill made following the trial and her book, Behind the Doors of Justice, which was released Aug. 1. In a separate letter to U.S. Attorney Boroughs, defense attorneys request a federal investigation based on the new discovery, asserting Ms. Hills actions deprived Mr. Murduagh of his rights under the Constitution for a fair trial. During a press conference Tuesday afternoon, attorney Jim Griffin described Alex Murdaughs reaction to what the jurors said in their affidavits. When I shared with him the affidavits, hes a lawyer, he was astonished. He was shaking. He was in disbelief. He thanked Mr. Hartpootlian and Mr. Barber and myself for spending our weekends on dirt roads in Colleton County, he said. Attorney Dick Harpootlian said they hope to receive approval for a hearing to look into these allegations. He said Hill, the jurors, and possibly even Judge Newman could testify if that hearing happens. Hartpootlian said he was told the Attorney General has 10 days to respond to this filing. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson provided the following response after Tuesday afternoons press conference: We are currently reviewing the defenses latest motion and will respond through the legal process at the appropriate time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. Alex Murdaughs attorneys are demanding a new trial and a federal investigation, accusing a South Carolina court clerk of tampering with the jury that convicted him of murdering his wife and son. In a 65-page motion filed Tuesday, defense attorneys alleged Colleton County clerk of court Rebecca Hill advised jurors not to believe Murdaughs testimony and other evidence presented by the defense, pressuring them to reach a quick guilty verdict, and even misrepresenting critical and material information to the trial judge in her campaign to remove a juror she believed to be favorable to the defense. It took a jury just three hours to find Murdaugh guilty of murdering his wife, Maggie, and his son Paul at their familys hunting estate in July 2021. He was given two life sentences and also faces 100 separate, pending charges for a slew of other crimes ranging from financial fraud to drug trafficking. Ms. Hill had frequent private conversations with the jury foreperson, a Court-appointed substitution for the foreperson the jury elected for itself at the request of Ms. Hill. During the trial, Ms. Hill asked jurors for their opinions about Mr. Murdaughs guilt or innocence. Ms. Hill invented a story about a Facebook post to remove a juror she believed might not vote guilty, the motion states. Ms. Hill pressured the jurors to reach a quick verdict, telling them from the outset of their deliberations that it shouldnt take them long. Ms. Hill did these things to secure for herself a book deal and media appearances that would not happen in the event of a mistrial. Ms. Hill betrayed her oath of office for money and fame. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Hill, who learned of Murdaughs motion from The Daily Beast, denied the allegations of wrongdoing. She later added that she will soon be releasing a public statement about the allegations. Its totally not true, she said. This is crazy. Buster Murdaugh Opens Up on Odd Thing During Dads Trial While an appeal is not unusual, the defense team also asked U.S. Attorney Adair Boroughs for a federal investigation into the alleged violation of Murdaughs civil rights during the six-week trial. Defense attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin said in a statement to The Daily Beast that they are also requesting that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) stand down on initiating any investigation of these allegations since they are heavily invested in maintaining Alexs conviction. The serious allegations in the petition filed today speak for themselves, but we believe they explain a number of peculiarities in the six-week trial, the defense lawyers added. Alex Murdaugh maintained and still maintains his innocence in the murder of Maggie and Paul, and he believes the truth will ultimately prevail. The defense motion alleges that during the latter half of the trial, Hill entered the jury room, spoke to the jurors often, and allegedly made statements about the ongoing case. Multiple jurors spoke with Murdaughs lawyers and provided details of the conversations and Hills alleged actions in the jury room. Yall are going to hear things that will throw you all off. Dont let this distract you or mislead you, Hill allegedly told jurors. Hill also allegedly had several private conversations with the jury foreperson in a private room or a single-occupancy bathroom. A lawyer for several jurors, Joseph McCulloch, said in a statement the Tuesday motion only suggests that the court must take a hard look at the jury deliberations at the trial and that his clients deserve privacy as the process moves forward. Before Murdaugh even testified in his own defense, the motion alleges, Hill told the jury not to be fooled and instructed them to watch him closely and look at these actions. At least one of the jurors told Murdaughs defense team that they understood Hills comments to mean that Murdaugh was guilty. While on the stand, Murdaugh admitted he initially lied to police about his whereabouts the night his wife and son were fatally shot, but insisted he did not commit murder to shift focus away from his mounting financial crimes. The motion also details other allegations of misconduct, including that Hill informed Judge Clifton Newman about a Facebook post from the ex-husband of a juror who claimed she believed Murdaugh was innocent. Murdaughs team alleges that Hill invented the post to successfully remove the juror from the trial. Murdaughs defense attorneys also mention Hills new book about her time working on the trial, stating that she even hints at her own misconduct while describing the jurys trip to the crime scene before closing arguments. In the book, according to the motion, Hill states that we all could hear and see Alexs story was impossible. As the jury deliberated, the motion states, Hill continued to make comments to the jury and even barred several of them from smoking outside. She also allegedly commented on the attention surrounding their decision. Ms. Hill told jurors that after the trial they would be famous and predicted that the media would request interviews with them. Ms. Hill even handed out reporters business cards to jurors during the trial, the motion states, adding that Hill went with jurors to New York City when several jurors appeared on the Today show. The motion states that Murdaugh should be granted an evidentiary hearing and a new trial because of the influence that Hill, an elected state official, may have had on the jury. Mr. Murdaugh may be the most unpopular man in South Carolina right now, defense attorneys said in the letter to Boroughs. He has become the symbol of the Lowcountry judicial corruption. Disgust at his frauds unfortunately has created in some minds a but not Alex Murdaugh exception to the due process rights enjoyed by all Americans, regardless [of] guilt or innocence. Those minds may delight in the irony that he may very well be a victim of the corruption he symbolizes. 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. WALTERBORO, S.C. Lawyers for convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh filed a motion Tuesday seeking a new trial, alleging they had uncovered evidence of jury tampering. Rebecca Hill, the Colleton County clerk of court, "tampered with the jury by advising them not to believe Murdaugh's testimony and other evidence presented by the defense, pressuring them to reach a quick guilty verdict, and even misrepresenting critical and material information to the trial judge in her campaign to remove a juror she believed to be favorable to the defense," attorneys Richard "Dick" Harpootlian and Jim Griffin claim in the motion. Harpootlian said at a news conference Tuesday that they collected sworn testimony from two jurors and interviewed a third to learn that Hill, an elected official serving her first term, had had "improper, private communications" with some jurors outside the courtroom. "They're not someone who should ever talk about the case," Harpootlian said of the clerk. "I've never heard it happen, and I've been doing this a very long time." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The latest legal twist comes six months after a jury found Murdaugh, 55, guilty of two counts of murder in the fatal shootings of his wife, Margaret, 52, and their youngest son, Paul, 22, in June 2021. Two sources familiar with the motion said at least two of the jurors have hired lawyers. Murdaugh, a once-prominent South Carolina lawyer, was punished with two consecutive life sentences without parole. Hill is a co-author of the book "Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders," published in July. It details Hill's experience overseeing such a major trial and her family's history with the Murdaughs, whose family patriarchs had wielded power as the top prosecutor in South Carolina's coastal Lowcountry. The motion for a new trial accuses Hill of pressuring jurors, who deliberated less than three hours to find Murdaugh guilty, to reach a verdict. It also alleges that while jurors were permitted to take smoking breaks, Hill told them they could not do so until deliberations were complete. "Ms. Hill did these things to secure for herself a book deal and media appearances that would not happen in the event of a mistrial," the motion says. "Ms. Hill betrayed her oath of office for money and fame." The motion also claims Hill "invented a story" about a Facebook post to have a juror removed who she believed would have found Murdaugh not guilty. Separately, an affidavit from a person identified only as juror 630 says that before Murdaugh took the stand at his trial, Hill told members of the jury "not to be fooled" by the evidence the defense presents, "which I understood to mean that Mr. Murdaugh would lie when he testified." "The issue here is that an elected state official engaged in intentional misconduct deliberately violating a defendant's constitutional right to a fair trial before an impartial jury to secure financial gain for herself," the motion says. "Where a state actor engages in private communication with the jury about the merits of the prosecution, the verdict is impossible to sustain." Hill could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday, but she told Court TV the allegations were "untrue." On Thursday, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said he asked the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to investigate the allegations of jury tampering. "The States only vested interest is seeking the truth," the attorney general's office and the law enforcement division, known as SLED, said in a joint statement. SLED also investigated the slayings. As with all investigations, SLED and the South Carolina Attorney Generals Office are committed to a fair and impartial investigation and will continue to follow the facts wherever they lead, they said in a statement. Murdaugh has proclaimed his innocence since a grand jury indicted him in the murders last year. Prosecutors alleged he killed them to gain pity before he would be exposed for a slew of financial crimes. Murdaugh took the stand, admitted lying repeatedly to investigators and said he was dishonest about his alibi on the night of the murders because of his addiction to pain pills and general paranoia. Murdaugh's defense team had said it planned to appeal the conviction. Throughout the roughly six-week trial, it objected to several of the court's rulings, including the admission of Murdaugh's financial crimes into evidence. The prosecution built a sprawling case based on circumstantial evidence to convince jurors that Murdaugh was guilty, using electronic data and video extracted from the victims' cellphones to suggest that only he had the motive, means and opportunity to kill his wife and son. Three jurors said on NBC's "TODAY" show in March that they didn't believe Murdaugh should have taken the stand in his defense and that his emotions during his two days of testimony appeared manufactured. "No, I didn't think he was crying. He turned it on and off," juror Gwen Generette said. From left, Paul, Margaret and Alex Murdaugh. (via Facebook) The trial drew intense coverage for a case first classified as an unsolved double homicide of the mother and son, but it soon widened into allegations of financial fraud, a hired hitman plot and drug addiction, and it revived inquiries into other curious deaths linked to the Murdaugh family. In general, winning a new trial for a murder case in South Carolina is considered a high bar to overcome. The new trial can't simply be a regurgitation of arguments heard previously; it must hinge on new evidence discovered after the trial that is so significant it can change the verdict. Last week, the South Carolina Corrections Department said Murdaugh lost his prison phone and canteen privileges after he broke rules about engaging with the media, stemming from an investigation that found he read his journal entries to Griffin, one of his attorneys, in a recorded phone call. The recording was for a Fox Nation documentary, according to an incident report. Haylee Barber reported from Walterboro and Erik Ortiz from New York. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Alex Murdaugh's attorneys Phillip Barber, from left, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin speak at a news conference after filing an appeal of Murdaugh's double murder conviction on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, in Columbia, S.C. The attorneys say the elected clerk of court influenced jurors by telling them not to be fooled by the defense's evidence during the trial and had private conversations with the jury foreperson. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins) COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Attorneys for convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh want a new trial, accusing the court clerk of improperly influencing the jury and betraying her oath of office for money and fame. They've accused the court clerk at his double murder trial of telling jurors not to trust him when he testified in his own defense, having private conversations with the jury foreperson and pressuring jurors to come to a quick verdict. The request filed by Murdaugh's lawyers on Tuesday also accuses Rebecca Hill, Colleton County clerk of court, of giving jury members business cards from reporters during the trial. After the verdict, she traveled to New York City with three of the jurors to do interviews. She also wrote a book after the trial called Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders. Trial court clerks aren't someone who should even talk to them about the case. I've never heard of that, said Murdaugh attorney Dick Harpootlian, a state senator and lawyer for 50 years. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Hill did not respond Tuesday to requests from The Associated Press for comment on the filing. Prosecutors said they were reviewing the motion and would respond through the courts. Murdaugh wants the appellate judges to order an evidentiary hearing and, once they have more information on the record, to grant him a new trial. The 55-year-old disbarred attorney is serving life without parole after being convicted in the shooting deaths of his wife and son. Murdaugh attorney Jim Griffin said everyone the defense tried to talk to refused to respond until Hill's self-published book came out. Only then did a few reluctant jurors answer the door as Harpootlian's team made another round of in-person visits on weekends. The hearing would enable defense attorneys to force the other jurors, witnesses and potentially even the trial judge to testify under oath. The defense could also get phone records, emails and texts. Right now they have only what Harpootlian's team gathered by visiting jurors' homes. "We have nothing but Dick's Mercedes and dirt roads in Colleton County, Griffin said at a news conference outside the state Court of Appeals. The defense has talked to four jurors and included sworn statements from two of them. A lawyer for those jurors, Joe McCullough, was at the news conference and said they came forward reluctantly and didn't want to talk about their motivation or what they thought about Murdaugh. The request for the new trial centers on Hill, who was elected clerk of court in 2020. Hill had private conversations with the jury foreperson, both inside the courthouse and when jurors visited the crime scene at the Murdaugh's property, according to sworn statements from three jurors included in Murdaugh's appeal. The filing didn't include any statement from the foreperson. The jurors told Murdaugh's lawyers that Hill told them not to be fooled by the evidence presented by the defense, and to watch Murdaugh closely as he testified and to look at his actions, and look at his movements. One juror said they understood it to mean Murdaugh was guilty. The appeal also says Hill lied to the judge during the six-week trial about a Facebook post that led to the dismissal of a juror. Hill said the juror's ex-husband posted that she was talking about the case and about what the verdict would be. Hill never presented the post, only showing the judge an apology from what she said was the ex-husband's account. But the apology post did not come from the ex-husband's account, and the defense said an analysis of his Facebook account shows he made no post that day, the attorneys wrote. Murdaugh's lawyers filed a transcript from a closed door meeting over the juror, where Judge Clifton Newman said Im not too pleased about the clerk interrogating a juror as opposed to coming to me and bringing it to me. As the jury began deliberating late in the afternoon on March 2, Hill said they'd be taken to a hotel if they didnt reach a verdict by 11 p.m., upsetting jurors who didn't pack for an overnight stay, the defense motion said. Some jurors said Hill also told smokers on the jury that they couldn't take a cigarette break until they had reached a verdict: You want nicotine, you're going to have to return a verdict form, Harpootlian said. After less than three hours in the jury room following the six-week trial, they were unanimous, convicting Murdaugh of two counts of first-degree murder. I had questions about Mr. Murdaughs guilt but voted guilty because I felt pressured by other jurors, Juror 630 wrote in a sworn statement, adding that Hill pressured the jurors to talk to reporters after the trial. The appeal redacts their names, identifying jurors only by their numbers from the trial. The final pages of the 65-page appeal cite a contract between Hill and a production company, with a handwritten note supposedly from Hill saying that in exchange for her appearance, they had to show the cover of her book in their production. South Carolina law sets a high bar to overturn a jury verdict. Murdaugh's lawyers said Hill's conduct was so egregious, it tainted the entire trial and they had no chance to defend against it. She asked jurors about their opinions about Mr. Murdaughs guilt or innocence. She instructed them not to believe evidence presented in Mr. Murdaughs defense, including his own testimony. She lied to the judge to remove a juror she believed might not vote guilty. And she pressured jurors to reach a guilty verdict quickly so she could profit from it, they wrote. Murdaugh's lawyers also sent a letter to federal prosecutors asking them to have the FBI step in to investigate, because the State Law Enforcement Division, which was the lead agency for Murdaugh's prosecution, has an vested interest in maintaining his conviction. Even if Murdaugh's murder conviction is overturned, he likely will stay in prison. He filed papers in federal court saying he plans to plead guilty to stealing from clients and his law firm later this month charges that would likely mean years if not decades behind bars. Kids are heading back to school nationwide, but school bus driver shortages might make it hard for some students to get there. A recent USA Today analysis found that all 50 states have experienced at least "one instance of a major school bus driver shortage" so far this year. School districts are looking for ways to find solutions for the nationwide shortage of drivers, but some communities are having a hard time. School districts are already struggling to fill teaching positions amid other significant curriculum changes and widespread book-banning policies. With all that on their plate, solving the problem of getting thousands of students to school is another bump in the road disrupting the flow of the back-to-school season. What is causing the school bus shortage? School districts have been struggling with a shortage of drivers for years, but the problem is finally coming to a head. A survey from HopSkipDrive, a school transportation service, found that 92% of school officials reported bus driver shortages interfering with operations, an increase from 88% last year and 78% in 2021. The top reasons for the shortage, cited by the over 220 school leaders and staff surveyed, were "issues recruiting new bus drivers" and "drivers retiring." The respondents also cited "driver pay," "losing drivers to private industry," and "Covid-19 concerns." The company also found 3 out of 4 respondents said school transportation issues hurt student attendance. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Schools have been dealing with a "challenge recruiting new drivers for years and years," and "a massive group of drivers" left due to the pandemic, Joanna McFarland, HopSkipDrive's CEO and co-founder, told Axios. The pay rate might be dissuading potential recruits. On average, school bus drivers earn $42,400 annually per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "but that estimate assumes they work full-time, which is not always the reality," Axios noted. Some of the shortage could be linked to a shift among drivers who used to drive part-time, Molly McGee-Hewitt, CEO and executive director of the National Association for Pupil Transportation, explained to Axios. "Because people were working split and limited shifts, many of them weren't eligible for benefits in their school district, or they were eligible for a limited amount of benefits, and so people needed more hours," McGee-Hewitt told the outlet. Low wages are a problem, but the job has also become more difficult, Tomas Fret, president of Local 1181 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, which covers New York City and its suburbs, told The New York Times, adding that there have been more confrontations with students and parents. Fret started driving school buses in 1996 and said when he "started the job, workers were able to send their kids to college." How are school districts coping with the shortage? Jefferson County Public Schools, Kentucky's largest district, attempted to redesign routes with help from AlphaRoute, a Boston-area engineering firm specializing in routing software. The district said the goal was to adjust for fewer drivers, but it ended with longer routes and chaos on the first day of school, the Times reported. The changes AlphaRoute made "led to some students not being picked up in the morning and others not getting home until nearly 10 p.m," The Associated Press explained. As a result, Jefferson County suspended classes for a week for all students from elementary to high school. "We recognize that the situation was extremely regrettable and likely caused by the significant changes to bus routing, which were made necessary by the district's severe driver shortage," AlphaRoute said, per the Times. Louisiana's East Baton Rouge School System also canceled classes on Aug. 21 due to a driver shortage, Quartz reported. Meanwhile, in Chicago and Philadelphia, districts offer parents a stipend for driving their kids to school. Philadelphia is offering $3,000 through its Parent Flat Rate Program, and Chicago is offering $500 a month. The latter city also offers free Ventra cards for the city's public transportation system. The city only has 681 bus drivers out of the estimated 1,300 it would require to effectively help students commute to school, CBS News reported. You may also like Homepage Down a quiet stretch of road along U.S. 31 in Westfield is a street with a name thats likely become a sore spot in the city. It certainly is for Chris Wilkes of Holladay Properties. At the end of Bastian Court is the Westfield manufacturing site for Bastian Solutions, a Toyota Advanced Logistics Company. The business opened in Westfield in 2019 during a series of economic development announcements in the NorthPoint business park developed and managed by South Bend-based Holladay Properties. The city of 50,000 people and growing is a prime location along a busy highway with fertile development ground, yet those business announcements have slowed in Westfield in recent years. As neighboring Hamilton County cities continue to lure companies and major projects, Westfield leaders and business owners are left wondering if a new government at the start of 2024 will turn economic development opportunities around after several years of political infighting between elected leaders. Candidates with no opponents in November are already preparing for how to move Westfield forward, with about four months to go until a new mayor, a new clerk-treasurer and new city council take office. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Bastians Westfield manufacturing site will close in the coming years after it ceases operations in the city and moves to its future $130 million corporate headquarters in Noblesville. It will leave behind a vacant 90,000-square foot building along U.S. 31 in the NorthPoint park, an empty bean field north of Sheridan Road and a street name with a reminder of what used to be. I know what were going to lose with Bastian, so its almost depressing or deflating to drive through, Wilkes said. "Its almost depressing or deflating to drive through, said Chris Wilkes, who oversees development at NorthPoint business park in Westfield for Holladay Properties. Wilkes says the park, located north of 196th Street, just east of U.S. 31, has not seen the traffic and interest he and others hoped for. Pictured, Wilkes talks with IndyStar after giving a tour of the park Tuesday, August 15, 2023. Before Bastians announcement In 2017, Westfield Mayor Andy Cook and Gov. Eric Holcomb traveled to Japan to recruit Bastian Solutions to Westfield. They announced the project with Chairman Bill Bastian at the site of what will be the company's former property in the NorthPoint business park. Following 2017, more companies announced they planned locations in the industrial park east of U.S. 31 in northern Westfield. In 2019, Westfield announced Gordon Food Service would build its first Indiana distribution facility in NorthPoint. Gordon Food Service still owns property in the business park, but construction has not started yet. Shortly after Gordon Foods, Fortune 500 medical device company Abbott Labs shared it would open a medical device production site in Westfield, also at NorthPoint. It opened in 2021. Mike Dale, head of Abbotts Structural Heart Business, said its Westfield location, just north of Bastian Solutions on Bastian Court, has allowed the company to meet demand for an Abbott device that helps treat leaky heart valves. Westfield was chosen for a number of reasons, Dale said in a prepared statement. Its central location within the U.S., strong infrastructure and good labor force were all critical to our decision to build in Westfield, and the site has become a key component of our global supply chain for our cardiac devices. Other businesses hope Westfield can return to a place where major economic projects come to the city. Major new businesses are beneficial for everyone, especially those in the hospitality industry, said David McIntyre, a co-founder of West Fork Whiskey Co. West Fork Whiskey Co., broke ground on its new restaurant and distillery just north of Grand Park in 2021 and celebrated the one-year anniversary of its official opening in August. A lot of businesses, especially hospitality businesses in Westfield, rely on Grand Park currently, to bring in that steady supply of guests," McIntyre said. "Other than that, it's obviously residents and folks who work in Westfield. So the more businesses we have, the more that leads to economic growth, not just for hospitality, but for every business operating in Westfield, because it's bringing more density. Chris Wilkes, from Holladay Properties, points to a master plan of NorthPoint business park Tuesday, August 15, 2023, in Westfield. Planning for a post Bastian economy The Bastian Solutions announcement earlier this year, although a win for Noblesville, only highlighted existing tensions between Cook and the Westfield City Council. Cook told IndyStar in January that Westfields economic development pipeline is empty and blamed the city council for the reason developers do not want to invest in the city. Westfield council members at that time said they are not anti growth. But the loss of the Bastian corporate headquarters became a talking point on the campaign trail ahead of the May primary as voters considered three Republican candidates for the citys next mayor. After winning the Republican primary, council member Scott Willis is unopposed and slated to become the next mayor of Westfield. The city will have a new mayor, clerk-treasurer and entirely new city council in 2024. "The best is yet to come. We have a lot of businesses and a lot of developers that want to come into Westfield and help us create something really, really special," Willis said. "And with all these new elected officials with new and fresh ideas, it's really exciting." Willis is seen Wednesday, August 16, 2023, at his workplace in Indianapolis. Scott Willis, a one-term city councilor, won the primary race. He does not face an opponent in the November election, which puts him in line to be Westfields next mayor. Ahead of the primary, he advocated for Westfield to diversify its tax base, which heavily relies on homeowners. Willis wants to change the negative perception the city has when it comes to development. In July he announced Westfield Washington Township Trustee Danielle Carey Tolan will lead his transition team, which includes the CEO of KSM Location Advisors, a company that helps find incentive packages and future sites for businesses. "It starts with letting the development community and corporate America know that Westfield is open for business," Willis said. "One of the things I've been doing the last couple of months since I won the primary, I've been meeting with commercial developers, businesses, anybody and everybody that could have an impact on economic development and Westfield, to share my vision." Willis said he would like to see the NorthPoint Two site, which Bastian considered for its corporate headquarters, come back to the city for a rezoning in the first quarter of his administration so that companies know there is a shovel-ready space in Westfield. Before Holladay Properties can build on the nearly 184 acres north of State Road 38, the company needs to win zoning approval. The city's plan commission in August 2022 gave a negative recommendation to the Westfield City Council on Holladay's rezoning request after concerns from neighbors surrounding the property. Wilkes shortly after pulled the request because he didn't believe he had the votes for council approval. Streets signs at the intersection of Bastian Court and East Street on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at NorthPoint business park in Westfield. Bastian Solutions' manufacturing operations are currently located at NorthPoint business park in Westfield, but the business has announced it will build corporate headquarters in Noblesville and eventually move manufacturing there, too. The majority of candidates for Westfield's seven city council seats are unopposed in November's election. Those candidates say they are also working on what Westfields economic future might look like ahead of taking office. Contested races for the District 4 and the at-large seats will be decided by voters in November. Victor McCarty, who won the Republican primary for the city council's District 2 seat and is unopposed in the general election, said he wants to see Westfield develop sister-city relationships with other countries and for city officials travel to build connections that could lead to new business opportunities, like Cook and Holcomb did in Japan. "What good are we doing if we're just sitting and waiting for said business to come to Westfield," McCarty said. "Even though we're the fastest-growing city in Indiana and one of the fastest growing in the country, that doesn't mean that people are just going to look at us. We got to make sure we're also going out and doing the work." Jon Dartt won the Republican primary for the city's District 1 council seat and is unopposed in November. He wants the city to further build a defined plan for where there should be economic growth. "We've got an opportunity to learn about what Carmel has done well, and what Noblesville has done well, and what Fishers has done well, and utilize those great aspects and incorporate that into Westfield's vision," Dartt said. Undeveloped land borders the northwest edge of NorthPoint business park, seen on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, in Westfield. NorthPoint today As Wilkes of Holladay Properties drives along East Street, the $7.2 million road project the city opened through the NorthPoint park, he points out empty lots with no prospects. Around 100 scattered acres across NorthPoint are available for businesses, not including the land north of State Road 38. It's a pain to say this, but it hasnt been very busy, Wilkes said. The drive saddens Wilkes, who oversees development at NorthPoint as well as AmeriPlex in Indianapolis, just south of the Indianapolis International Airport. He remembers the excitement that was once at NorthPoint. He felt the frustration, as both a developer and a Westfield resident, after the city did not win the Bastian Solutions headquarters. Wilkes said he is optimistic about the new government and what a fresh perspective might mean for NorthPoint and all of Westfield. I would like to have the energy and momentum that we were experiencing with buildings and projects and new businesses coming to the park, Wilkes said. That's what we were always trying to do." Contact IndyStar's Carmel and Westfield reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter @CarloniBrittany. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Amid stalled development in Westfield, a plan for the future emerges By YP Rajesh, Krishn Kaushik and Martin Quin Pollard NEW DELHI/BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping 's decision to skip the G20 summit is being seen in host India as a snub to New Delhi and a new setback to the already frozen relations between the nuclear-armed Asian giants. Neither country has commented on Xi deciding to stay away, but analysts said the decision added to existing irritants, including a military stand-off on their Himalayan border and India insisting that the rest of the relationship cannot move forward without a resolution on the frontier. A thaw in bilateral ties seems distant, they said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement India's foreign ministry spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday on Beijing's decision to send Premier Li Qiang for the Sept. 9-10 summit instead of Xi. Asked if Xi's decision reflects China-India tensions, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that Beijing had supported India's hosting of the summit. China-India relations "remain stable" and Beijing is willing to work with New Delhi to better them, Mao added. Although Indian government officials have in private sought to play down Xi's absence saying leaders skip summits for their own reasons, a senior member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the decision showed Beijing's discomfort with India's economic rise. As far as China is concerned, they often show a degree of petulance, BJP vice president Baijayant Jay Panda said when asked about Xi's absence. "It may be hard for them to swallow that for four decades they were the fastest growing economy and now it is India, he said. Relations between India and China nosedived after soldiers from both sides clashed in the western Himalayas in June 2020, resulting in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops. Several rounds of military and diplomatic talks have since brought some calm on the nearly 3,000-km (1,860-mile) frontier, but the face-off continues in a few pockets. India wants disengagement at two more disputed points and a return to positions held before the summer of 2020. Meanwhile, both militaries have amassed tens of thousands of soldiers, arms and equipment in the mountains. DIFFERENT VERSIONS Modi and Xi spoke on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg last month but versions of the conversation put out by the two countries on tackling the border issue differed, another sign of how they do not see eye to eye. India said the two leaders had agreed to direct their officials to work towards a speedy resolution to the border conflict in the western Himalayas. China did not refer to any agreement and said Xi stressed improving ties helps both countries and global peace and stability. New Delhi has meanwhile moved closer to the United States and taken steps to bar Chinese companies from critical tech and telecoms businesses since 2020, riling Beijing in the process. Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at China's Renmin University, said the major issues between China and India include the military confrontation in the Himalayas and India's participation in the four-nation Quad grouping. Beijing sees the Quad, which includes the U.S., Japan, Australia and India, as inimical to China. "It (India) displays stronger opposition to Chinas claims over South China Sea, and more broadly builds up its navy fleets to compete with China...escalates bans or strict restriction against Chinas tech exports and direct investment to India," Shi said. These problems between the two have existed for years and are expected to linger, he added. Shyam Saran, formerly India's top diplomat, said Xi's decision to skip the summit was "unusual". "It would have been better from our point of view if he had attended," Saran told Reuters, but added that his absence will not make the summit any less successful. Happymon Jacob, who teaches international relations at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, said Xi skipping the G20 summit "doesn't bode well" for India-China relations. "This is bad news for India-China relations. We will not see summits or even chance meetings between the two sides," Jacob said. "This indicates a certain sense in China that they are not going to be as friendly or conciliatory to India for a long time." (Additional reporting by Liz Lee in Beijing) The ruins of an enormous Roman plaza which dates back around 2,000 years were recently unearthed in Spain. It is the oldest known public square ever found in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula, which encompasses Spain, Portugal and part of France, according to a news release from the University of Zaragoza. The excavation was made at La Cabaneta, an archaeological site along the banks of the Ebro River in northeastern Spain, researchers said. It contains the remains of a mysterious, ill-fated Roman city founded around 200 B.C. Less than a century later, the city with a name not yet known was violently destroyed during a civil war. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement After nearly a decade-long hiatus, archaeologists resumed operations at the site in July. Their excavation was focused on the central area, where the ruins of a massive square were found. The unearthed plaza was surrounded by a portico topped with meticulously crafted tiles, researchers said. A series of chambers, likely used for commercial activity, were also located. The discovery is of great significance because of its architectural intricacy and large size. It will help scholars understand the diffusion of Roman-style architecture throughout the Iberian Peninsula, where the Roman Empire once had multiple provinces. The city, which was organized in a grid, likely once served as a transportation hub for merchants ferrying goods up and down the river, Borja Diaz, co-director of the excavation, told El Pais. But charred material indicates that around the year 70 B.C., the city met its ruin, Diaz told the outlet, adding that he hadnt ruled out the possibility of encountering human remains. The citys destruction occurred during the Sertorian War, a bloody conflict in modern-day Spain associated with the First Roman Civil War, according to a 2022 study published in the Journal of Roman Archaeology. Confrontations were characterized by assaults and sieges of towns that habitually ended with them being burned to the ground or destroyed, and with severe punishments meted out to the populations, according to the study. Large Roman structures are regularly unearthed throughout the Mediterranean. A Roman stadium-lake structure was located in Greece in 2022, and a massive Roman-era building with thermal baths was discovered in France earlier this year, according to reporting from McClatchy News. Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the University of Zaragoza and an article from El Pais. Watch as surfer takes his pet python for ride on waves in Australia. Local legend Youre not hallucinating. Tropical birds make rare appearance in Ohio, park says Boaters spot rare glimpse of endangered gentle giants in Canada. Most amazing thing Jonatan Palacios, freed on Monday after spending 930 days in a hellish Venezuelan prison for tweeting a photo a government official found offensive, said he often wished for death during his ordeal, overpowered by what he considers a heinous act of injustice committed against him and the belief that there is no holding accountable those responsible. I had already given up living, Palacios told the Miami Herald from Colombia. I did not want to live under those circumstances and I wanted to die; many times I wished for death during this nightmare. The animal activist and former Miami resident said there is very little room for hope at the Santa Ana prison where he was held, in the western state of Tachira. Fed poorly, prisoners at times have to pay bribes to obtain food and on occasion resort to killing cats, dogs or pigeons. Having devoted his life to the protection of animals, Palacios said he immediately tried to aid the strays running free inside the prison, but often to no avail given the hunger inside the prison walls. He was able to keep four cats with him outside the prison that are now with him in Colombia. The only thing that I took with me when I left Venezuela were those four cats. Cats rescued by activist Jonatan Palacios from a Venezuelan prision But worse than the constant hunger and the outbreak of illnesses plaguing the inmates who are left without medical attention is the fact that a large number of them are actually innocent of committing crimes other than offending, or otherwise getting in the way of, regime officials. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It is terrifying what I lived inside that prison, what I experienced every day and what I leave behind: all those innocent people that are dying due to malnutrition, due to diseases with no medical attention. I dont know how to explain it, other than to say that it is simply madness; what I lived in Venezuela is terrifying, he said. The tragic chain of events that led to Palacios imprisonment began in January 2021, when he received news that the vehicle occupied by family members and workers of his animal shelter had fallen off a cliff, killing three people, including his 4-year-old adopted daughter. He later found out that night that the accident was caused by tanker trucks traveling illegally at night in the mountainous road with their headlights turned off to avoid detection. Angered by his tragic loss, Palacios initiated a denunciation campaign through social media asking officials to hold responsible the people that had caused the accident. But instead of justice, Palacios public denunciations landed him in jail. The reason? The trucks, which belonged to the state-run oil company PDVSA, were carrying fuel for a smuggling ring headed by a high-ranking government official. The final straw was when Palacios tweeted a photo of the countrys attorney general, Tarek Saab, posing next to a monkey, while protesting his lack of action in the case. Palacios was arrested and tortured and sent to prison on a dozen different charges, for which there were no real evidence. In the end, it was the picture of Saab posing with the monkey posted in social media for which he was convicted. I was found guilty of insulting a person invested with public authority, that is a crime that does not exist in the Venezuelan law, Palacios said. The situation is even more grievous considering that the photo posted in X, formerly known as Twitter, had previously been posted by Saab himself and that Palacios had only added the cutline, What do you think? Palacios is free only because the Colombian government finally got involved in his case, thanks to the actions taken by Colombian Sen. Andrea Padilla Villarraga, another animal lover, on his behalf. Efforts undertaken by Padilla led to a meeting held last week between the Colombian ambassador to Venezuela, Milton Rengifo Hernandez, with Saab, who agreed to free the activist. With the decision, Saabs role in the case went full circle, going from the allegedly aggrieved, to prosecutor, to judge and jury, a further sign that laws and legal procedure has little weight in judicial decisions in Venezuela, Palacios said. While happy he is no longer in prison, Palacios said he is having a hard time adjusting to his new reality, adding that he wants the Colombian government to become aware that hundreds of Colombians are currently unjustly detained in Venezuela. He said that what happened to him should be taken as evidence that justice is non-existent in Venezuela. The entire system is corrupt. Everything moves on corruption. Without it, nothing gets done, he said. Officials use their ID cards, their shields and their weapons to destroy lives. They destroy hundreds of them every day. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez remains one of the most high-profile progressive lawmakers on Capitol Hill. She praised Biden for his outreach to liberals, but told The Guardian he needed to continue his efforts in 2024. The New York lawmaker told the outlet that Biden's previous outreach "is not one and done." In early 2020, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was one of Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders' strongest backers for his then-presidential campaign, serving as a critical ally for the veteran lawmaker. Ocasio-Cortez, with her progressive bona fides, rose in national prominence as she traveled the country and pushed for progressive policies aligned with Sanders' political platform. After Joe Biden defeated Sanders in the Democratic primary that year, he extended an olive branch to his former Senate colleague, along with liberals who didn't have a longstanding relationship with him. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement And after Biden entered the Oval Office, he championed many progressive positions, from new environmental regulations and student-debt reform to health policy overhauls and the appointment of a vast array of attorneys to the federal bench. Many liberals have been pleasantly surprised with Biden's performance. But Ocasio-Cortez, an ally of Biden who has been a strong supporter of his domestic policy agenda, still had a clear message for the president: Don't take progressives for granted ahead of the 2024 election. In an extensive interview with The Guardian, the New York Democrat reflected on her time in office while also looking to next year, which could feature a rematch between Biden and former President Donald Trump. "We should be candid about the fact that his chances as the nominee are still the strongest, probably out of the entire [Republican] field, and what that means," she told the outlet of Trump's standing in the GOP race. "We are not in 2020, and seeing what that turnout may look like is something that I'm sure keeps many of us up at night," she continued. "But that being said, I know that this is why, to me, support of President Biden has been very important, because this question is larger than any policy differences. This is truly about having a strong front against fascism in the United States." And Ocasio-Cortez reiterated that progressive support will be critical next year, given Trump's continued strength with conservatives across the country and the narrow margins that defined the presidential contests in key swing states. "In 2020 the Biden campaign, after the nomination, did work very hard to unite the party," she told The Guardian. "We're very early still in the 2024 election cycle, but I do believe that it will be very important for President Biden's team to once again engage in that coalition-building because it is not one and done." Read the original article on Business Insider Despite the on- and off-again controversy surrounding AP Psychology mere days before many of Florida's school districts began the school year, one thing is certain: High school students can still earn college credit regardless of the option offered by their district. Public state universities such as Florida State University, University of Central Florida and the University of Florida, said they would continue offering college credit to students successful in either the Advanced Placement Psychology, International Baccalaureate Psychology or the Cambridge AICE psychology courses. Students whose districts offered another alternative the AP Seminar with a Focus on Psychology also could earn college credit. Florida Tech, a private university on the Space Coast, will continue to accept AP Psychology including the modified Florida version some districts are using, said Adam Lowenstein, a spokesperson for the school. The school also accepts Cambridge and IB psychology courses. The changes in how AP Psychology is being taught to Florida students whose districts are opting to continue offering the course but with omissions of some content will not have an impact on the college credit Florida students can receive, Lowenstein said. 5/97--Carrie Rosema/staff--A student finishes an Advanced Placement test at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. State and community colleges continue to offer another alternative dual enrollment, allowing secondary students to take a college-level course as part of their high school schedule. Students who pass the course can receive college credit for an equivalent course. Some state colleges, such as Indian River State College on the Treasure Coast, teach dual enrollment courses onsite at local high schools. IRSC warned parents on its website that the dual enrollment psychology course syllabus would be offered without modification to its content. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Parents should review the course syllabus before enrolling their student to determine if the content is age-appropriate," the IRSC website says. Eastern Florida State College, which offers dual enrollment to Brevard students and four-year degrees to students from around the state, will be unaffected by the changes to how some districts are teaching the psychology course, said John Glisch, associate vice president of communications at the school. The college will continue to award credit based on the (Articulation Coordinating Committee) recommendations which have not been changed at this point in time, he said. If they are changed, EFSC would follow the new guidelines. Confusion about whether school districts could offer Advanced Placement Psychology began this summer, when state officials implied teaching the course and its inclusion of lessons regarding gender and sexuality could violate state laws. Districts unwilling to take chances pulled the elective course, offering instead alternative programs or a modified course omitting the lessons. The College Board, which administers the course and exam, said Aug. 3 in a statement that students taking a modified AP Psychology course might be ineligible to receive college credit. The College Board advised Florida districts to cancel the course unless it could be offered without modification. On Aug. 4, Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. sent a memorandum to the state's 67 school district superintendents, assuring them the AP Psychology course could legally be taught in its entirety. Some districts, such as Palm Beach Public Schools, reinstated the course to students. At least 11 public school districts are now offering the course. For some school districts, the message came too late to reverse course. Palm Beach County Schools reverse course, will offer AP Psych this year Citing 'parental rights' law, Volusia, Flagler schools replace AP Psychology AP Psychology could return to some Duval schools as College Board approves course syllabus On the Treasure Coast, Indian River County schools chose to offer the AP Seminar with a focus on psychology, while St. Lucie County schools offers AICE Psychology and IB Psychology. "This will afford students the opportunity to engage in AP coursework, while also being able to sit for an AP exam," said Indian River County schools Spokeswoman Cristen Maddux in a statement. "At the current time, there is still a high level of uncertainty as to whether the College Board will authorize the previous course in Florida or release the exam for Florida students. Using the option we have selected eliminates any potential pitfalls or challenges with the teacher staying in compliance with State Board Rules." Florida Virtual School open to all state students also decided to offer an alternative course instead of AP Psychology, eliminating an online option for Florida students whose districts decided against offering the AP course. "With even the smallest bit of uncertainty around the College Boards AP Psychology course late this summer, we felt that our ability to provide other viable alternatives, such as Cambridge AICE or dual enrollment, could support our students well and provide a seamless learning experience for our 2023-24 enrollees," said Florida Virtual School spokeswoman Hailey Fitch. For the most part, a passing score on the AP, Cambridge or IB course exams can earn students three college credits in an introductory psychology course. Higher scores can earn additional college credit. Its important to understand that students only receive college credit if they achieve a certain score on the exam, said UCF spokesperson Mark Schleub. The criteria for college credit is set by the Florida Department of Education, not individual state colleges, universities or departments, he said. "Credit is not given just because they took the class, and the psychology department is not involved in the process. In fact, no department is involved in any of the credit-by-exam processes related to their subject." Colleen Wixon, the Treasure Coast education reporter for TCPalm, can be reached at Colleen.Wixon@tcpalm.com. Finch Walker, the Brevard County education reporter for Florida Today, can be reached at FWalker@Floridatoday.com. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: College credit open to Florida students taking AP psychology-alternative ASML logo is seen at the headquarters in Veldhoven By Toby Sterling AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - ASML will ship the first pilot tool in its next product line this year as planned, the semiconductor equipment maker's CEO Peter Wennink said, despite some supplier hold-ups. The High NA EUV machines, which are the size of a truck and will cost more than $300 million euros each, are needed by top chipmakers in order for them to be able to manufacture smaller, better chips for the coming decade. ASML, which is Europe's largest technology firm, dominates the market for lithography, a key step in the chipmaking process where focused beams of light are used to help create circuitry. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "A few suppliers had some difficulties in actually ramping up and also giving us the right level of technological quality, so that led to some delay," Wennink told Reuters. "But in fact the first shipment is still this year," he added in an interview on the sidelines of an event in Eindhoven on Monday. Only TSMC, Intel, Samsung and memory chipmakers SK Hynix and Micron are using ASML's current leading edge product: regular EUV, or extreme ultraviolet, lithography tools, which are the size of a bus and cost more than $200 million each. Under pressure from the United States, the Dutch government does not grant ASML licences to export EUV tools to Chinese chipmakers. Like in a camera, the High NA, or high numerical aperture tool, will gather light from a wider angle for up to 70% better resolution, although the ASML tool uses a system of mirrors rather than a lens. Customers will be experimenting with High NA EUV before taking it into commercial production, with logic chip makers wanting tools earlier than memory chip makers. Separately, Wennink confirmed that ASML will have more sales in dollar terms from its previous generation "DUV" machines than EUV machines in 2023. ASML is forecasting 30% sales growth this year due in part to strong demand from Chinese customers for the older machines. Wennink said that should reverse in 2024 as new chip plants in Arizona and Taiwan become ready to receive EUV tools and want to use them, amid booming demand for high-end AI chips. (Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Alexander Smith)